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PLEASE ENJOY COMPLIMENTARY USE OF SELECT IMAGES OF MAIN EVENT ATHLETES FROM TODAY’S WEIGH-INS COURTESY OF UFC HERE
CREDIT JEFF BOTTARI/ZUFFA LLC.
ADDITIONALLY, MEDIA CAN FIND THE OFFICIAL UFC 215: NUNES VS SHEVCHENKO PREVIEW STORY HERE FROM UFC.COM TO UTILIZE IN THEIR COVERAGE
CREDIT MATT PARRINO/UFC.COM
Edmonton, Canada – On Friday, September 8, the headlining stars of UFC® 215: Nunes vs. Shevchenko took to the stage in front of raucous fans at Rogers Place. All fighters made weight and champion Amanda Nunes and No. 1 contender Valentina Shevchenko look set to determine finally who will reign supreme above the women’s bantamweight division.
UFC 215: Nunes vs. Shevchenko is UFC’s first-ever event in Edmonton at Rogers Place and takes place on Saturday, September 9. Edmonton now becomes the 10th Canadian city to host a UFC card. UFC® 215: Nunes vs. Shevchenko marks the UFC’s second Canadian event this year, following a successful return to Halifax in February.
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Tickets for UFC® 215: NUNES vs. SHEVCHENKO are available and priced at $379.75, $253.16, $126.58, $94.94, $63.29, (plus additional fees). Tickets are available for purchase via Ticketmaster.ca and limited to eight (8) per person.
UFC® 215: NUNES vs. SHEVCHENKO will be available live on pay-per-view on Saturday, September 9 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on UFC.TV, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Vubiquity, and in Canada on BellTV, Rogers, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Canal Indigo for a suggested retail price of $49.99 US/CAN for Standard Definition and $59.99 US/CAN for High-Definition.
Since 2008, the UFC has staged 23 events in the Great White North, across nine different cities – Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City, Saskatoon, Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg. Edmonton now becomes the 10th Canadian city to host a UFC card. UFC events have set single-day event gate records in five Canadian venues: Calgary’s Scotiabank Saddledome (UFC 149), Montreal’s Bell Centre (UFC 124), Ottawa’s The Arena at TD Place (UFC Fight Night), Toronto’s Rogers Centre (UFC 129) and Winnipeg’s MTS Centre (UFC 161).
PLEASE CREDIT JEFF BOTTARI/ZUFFA LLC.
Edmonton, Canada – On Thursday, September 7, the headlining stars of UFC® 215: Johnson vs. Borg took to the mats at highly anticipated open workout at Ford Hall at Rogers Place. Eager fans lined the venue for a look at UFC® flyweight world champion and pound-for-pound great Demetrious Johnson, surging prospect Ray Borg,women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes and No. 1 contender Valentina Shevchenko.
UFC 215: Johnson vs. Borg is UFC’s first-ever event in Edmonton at Rogers Place and takes place on Saturday, September 9. Edmonton now becomes the 10th Canadian city to host a UFC card. UFC® 215: Johnson vs. Borg marks the UFC’s second Canadian event this year, following a successful return to Halifax in February.
WHAT’S ON THE MINDS OF THE STARS OF
UFC 215®: JOHNSON vs. BORG?
UFC 215 LIVE FROM ROGERS PLACE IN EDMONTON, CANADA ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
PHOTOS ATTACHED AVAILABLE FOR USE – PLEASE CREDIT JEFF BOTTARI/ZUFFA LLC.
Edmonton, Canada – On Saturday, September 9, UFC® flyweight world champion and pound-for-pound greatDemetrious Johnson will look to keep his belt a record 11th time and pass legend Anderson Silva in the record books for most successful title defenses. Johnson, the only champion the division has ever known, squares off against surging prospect Ray Borg who is relishing the opportunity to play spoiler on this historical evening. Adding to the excitement is a co-main matchup, which pits champion Amanda Nunes versus Valentina Shevchenko for supremacy in the women’s bantamweight class. Originally scheduled to clash in July, anticipation has built to crescendo as fans finally get to see two of the most fearsome strikers go head to head. Ahead of the highly anticipated UFC® 215: JOHNSON vs. BORG, these four fighters set to feature in the headlining bouts share their thoughts and predictions:
Demetrious Johnson:
“I expect a war. Ray Borg is tough, he’s young and you always expect a war. I’ve always expected wars in any of my fights.”
On breaking the record…
“I don’t think about it a lot and I don’t let it weigh on me. As an athlete, you have to stay focused and you have to go out there and execute what you’ve been doing in the gym for eight or 10 weeks. Once I solidify that and attain it, ask me at the press conference.
It doesn’t make more nerves. I’ve wrestled in front of people like that. I’ve also fought in front of sold out crowds before. But I’m absolutely grateful that the people in Canada have come out and shown their support and sold the place out.
I got my ESPY. It came that Wednesday when I got back home. I put Dave Lockett in charge and Dave got it for me. I’m happy about it. It showed up in a box, in the mail. It’s right next to my Black Panther mask.”
On Borg saying he wants to win more…
“I think the last 10 men have had the same mindset. See how far that got them?”
On Borg saying he’ll grant DJ a rematch if he wins…
“That’s very generous. Wilson Reis said the same thing.”
On what fans can expect watching him fight…
“Probably one of the greatest mixed martial artists to ever do it. I’m very fluid in my transitions, I can fight anywhere and I’ve beat the best.”
On saying DJ’s run isn’t as impressive as Anderson’s…
“How can you say Joseph Benavidez is not better than Nate Marquardt? Kyoji Horiguchi is over there kicking ass in Japan. I think Kyoji Horiguchi has a better skill set than Dan Henderson. Dan Henderson only has a right hand bomb and wrestling. Let’s go down the line. How can you say John Dodson doesn’t have a better skill set than Chael Sonnen? Really? Let’s not f**king kid ourselves guys. John Dodson is an amazing athlete. I could just go down the list. Like I said, that’s just the public perceiving certain things.”
Amanda Nunes
“I don’t know why people put MMA on another level or a different category. If a soccer player feel like his calf muscles (are hurt), he sits and waits until he’s 100 percent. Nobody talks shit about him because they know what he’s feeling. Why can’t MMA be like that? This is a sport as well. We have to use our whole body. We’re not only running or using just our hands or legs. I made the right decision. I’m the best on the planet right now and I’m a target for a lot of people. I’m ready to go through everything because I’m the champion.
I’m focused, I love training and I love stepping into the Octagon and doing my best. I think every time I step in there, eventually people are going to remember everything that I did. This is normal. It is what it is and you have to move forward. I always move forward, whatever happens in my career.
This fight is awesome. I think the other opponents fall into Valentina’s game plan. This makes it difficult to for the other girls to beat Valentina. You have to make Valentina fight your game plan. You have to be smarter than her. I am and she knows that I am. That’s why she says all those weird things. She knows I will beat her. I’m better than her everywhere and I will prove that Saturday.”
On struggling later in fights…
“People who have been watching me they think this is my weakness. I fought Valentina and I beat her before. Ronda (Rousey) was the same thing and people were wrong. I can’t say anything I have to show it.”
Ray Borg
“I think he knows it’s not going to be an easy fight for him. I’m going to be in his face for 25 minutes, if it goes that long. I’m not going to stop and I’m not going to give up. It’s going to be a night of hell. I think he knows I possess different strengths than a lot of his former opponents. I think he knows he’s in for a rough night.”
On Demetrious…
“I think what makes DJ unique as a fighter, people are going to say his cardio – which it is – but I think what people don’t give him credit for, something that’s hard to do in a fight, is his I.Q. He has the ability, in the middle of a fight, to change things to not lose. If he’s getting taken down with single legs he has the I.Q. to fix it on the spot. It’s something we’ve prepared for going into this fight.
I think I’m prepared for everything he brings to the table. He really isn’t going to show me anything or do anything to me that I haven’t seen before; that I haven’t prepared for or seen in sparring or in a fight. No matter what he changes in his outlook on the fight or no matter what he does in the fight, I feel like I’ll be prepared in those positions.”
Valentina Shevchenko
“Now she can find any excuse in the world. Why was she feeling so bad? She cut too much weight in 24 hours. I don’t believe in this reason of sinuses or anything else. It’s very unbelievable.
I have my point of view and I have my opinion. I will not change my mind because she has demonstrated a few times how easy she changes her mind. She’s acting like she’s dependent on the fans and what they want to hear.
Her cardio doesn’t matter because I’m not thinking about this fight in that context. No, I will win this fight because of everything. I was preparing for this fight very hard. I had very great training in my preparation for this fight. I will do all my best to fight with all my heart and think about nothing more. She can be confident for now, but once the door closes in the Octagon it will be totally different.
Just one prediction: I will do everything to win this fight.”
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Tickets for UFC® 215: JOHNSON vs. BORG go on sale Friday, July 28 at 10 a.m. MT and are priced at $379.75, $253.16, $126.58, $94.94, $63.29, (plus additional fees). Tickets are available for purchase via Ticketmaster.ca and limited to eight (8) per person.
UFC® 215: JOHNSON vs. BORG will be available live on pay-per-view on Saturday, September 9 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on UFC.TV, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Vubiquity, and in Canada on BellTV, Rogers, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Canal Indigo for a suggested retail price of $49.99 US/CAN for Standard Definition and $59.99 US/CAN for High-Definition.
Since 2008, the UFC has staged 23 events in the Great White North, across nine different cities – Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City, Saskatoon, Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg. Edmonton now becomes the 10th Canadian city to host a UFC card. UFC events have set single-day event gate records in five Canadian venues: Calgary’s Scotiabank Saddledome (UFC 149), Montreal’s Bell Centre (UFC 124), Ottawa’s The Arena at TD Place (UFC Fight Night), Toronto’s Rogers Centre (UFC 129) and Winnipeg’s MTS Centre (UFC 161).
REEBOK AND UFC® UNVEIL NEW UFC FIGHT NIGHT COLLECTION
Enhanced style and fit plus new athlete co-design process headlines new UFC Fight Night Collection
September 5, 2017: Canton, MA – Reebok and UFC® today introduced their new UFC Fight Night Collection, a holistic update to the official UFC athlete fight night apparel that brings a new aesthetic and style combined with an unprecedented standard of customization to the world-famous Octagon®. Drawing on feedback and inspiration from UFC athletes and the greater mixed martial arts community, this new collection features updated versions of the UFC Walkout Jersey, UFC Walkout Hoodie, UFC Octagon Shorts and UFC Walkout Hats.
Headlining the new UFC Fight Night Collection is the Legacy Series – a program that pairs UFC athletes who are either headlining a Pay-Per-View (PPV) event or competing in a championship bout with the Reebok design team to co-design a one-of-a-kind UFC Fight Night Walkout Jersey. This experience will provide each participating UFC athlete with a unique hands-on customization experience that will bring their personality to life while further connecting them with their individual fan base.
“With the new UFC Fight Night Collection, we wanted to give athletes product that meets the quality and performance demands that they depend on in the Octagon, but also offer them an opportunity to let their unique confidence and personalities shine through. Our design, product and research teams have spent countless hours talking to and working with the UFC athletes and MMA community to do just that. We are thrilled to debut our latest iteration of the UFC athlete fight night apparel with the new UFC Fight Night Collection and are committed to constantly reimagining and evolving the Reebok Combat collection to adapt to athlete requirements and appeal to UFC fans,” said Corinna Werkle General Manager Training at Reebok.
“We’re excited to launch the new UFC Fight Night Collection and Legacy Series program leading up to UFC 215, which marks our first-ever event in Edmonton,” UFC Senior Vice President of Global Consumer Products Tracey Bleczinski said. “Both collections represent the continued evolution of our fight apparel product lines, offering more advanced performance gear, while providing fight fans a unique offering of jerseys that were designed by some of their favorite UFC athletes. The level of customization with the Legacy Series is unprecedented in the world of professional sports. This program is truly a game changer.”
UFC FIGHT NIGHT COLLECTION UPDATES:
While maintaining country color combinations across the UFC Walkout Hoodie, UFC Octagon Shorts and UFC Walkout Hats, the UFC Fight Night Collection Walkout Jersey has evolved to a more lifestyle-driven look and feel, developed from a relaxed performance cotton fabric that will improve overall comfort and fit.
“The new fit and material is something you notice as soon as you put this gear on. It still offers everything fighters need when it comes to performance, but there’s a new style and attitude to the collection that I’m especially excited about,” said UFC women’s strawweight and Reebok athlete, Paige VanZant.
See images of UFC women’s strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk, UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Moicic, UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway, UFC women’s strawweight Paige VanZant, UFC women’s strawweight Rose Namajunas and other UFC athletes debut the new UFC Fight Night Collection here.
UFC LEGACY SERIES:
The Legacy Series marks the biggest update to the current UFC athlete apparel by allowing for any athlete competing in the main event of a UFC PPV event or competing in a championship bout to co-design and wear a UFC Walkout Jersey that is customized to their specifications. Here, athletes will work directly with Reebok designers to collaborate on a design that is featured on the front of their UFC Fight Night Collection Legacy Series Walkout Jersey. The resulting products will be worn by the respective PPV headliners and title bout competitors, in conjunction with being available to fight fans for purchase for a limited time around each event.
The four athletes competing in the co-main and main events of UFC® 215: JOHNSON vs. BORG in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, are the first to join the design process for the Legacy Series, as UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson will defend his title against Ray Borg while UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes will defend her title against top-ranked contender Valentina Shevchenko.
“It was a great experience to be one of the first UFC athletes to take advantage of the Legacy Series with Reebok, speaking directly with the designers at different points and collaborating on what I thought best represented me as a UFC athlete,” shared Demetrious Johnson. “This is a very special fight for me and this experience really elevated that.”
See images of the debut UFC Legacy Series for UFC 215 here.
Starting on September 5, the UFC Fight Night Collection is available to fans at Reebok.com and UFCStore.com. The first Legacy Series is available now on Reebok.com and UFCStore.com, and will be available on a limited-edition basis ahead of each UFC card for the respective PPV main event and all title bout athletes.
For further information and assets please, visit the Reebok News Stream at news.reebok.com
UFC® AND KITMAN LABS® LAUNCH INNOVATIVE SPORTS SCIENCE
PROGRAM AT UFC PERFORMANCE INSTITUTE
Las Vegas – UFC® and Kitman Labs® today announced a multi-year partnership to deliver an innovative sports science and medicine program to all athletes competing under the UFC banner as they visit the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Kitman Labs and provide this one-of-a-kind program to UFC athletes,” UFC Vice President of Operations James Kimball said. “Kitman Labs are industry leaders in performance analysis and injury analysis, both of which are essential in allowing UFC athletes to compete at the highest level. We look forward to offering this service to our entire active roster to help optimize their performance.”
When UFC athletes visit the UFC Performance Institute, staff members will use Kitman Labs solutions to gather and consolidate information that will be used to monitor performance and analyze injury trends. Kitman Labs analytics will allow members of the Performance Institute staff to accurately quantify key performance and injury risk factors, along with providing personalized training programs for athletes to use remotely. The remote coaching program allows athletes to share information pertaining to their individual progress or potential signs of injury, in efforts to track training and health improvements with Performance Institute staff in real-time.
“We are honored to work with UFC to bring advanced science and analytics to this world-class sport and these incredible athletes,” Kitman Labs Founder and Chief Executive Officer Stephen Smith said. “The UFC is showing a unique and progressive attitude by proactively investing in protecting the welfare and longevity of their talent. The one-stop-shop and remote coaching approach will propel them to the forefront of sport science and medicine and we are delighted to help them become global leaders in this space.”
As the world’s first mixed martial arts multi-disciplinary research, innovation and performance center, the Performance Institute is a state-of-the-art 30,000 square-foot facility provides benefits and services to all athletes competing under the UFC banner. The Performance Institute is equipped with a full-time staff of experts in the fields of strength and conditioning, nutrition and physical therapy, with a designed focus to provide athletes with world class performance optimization, at no cost to the athletes. For more information, please visit UFCPI.com.
NO. 2 TONY FERGUSON AND NO. 7 KEVIN LEE MEET FOR THE LIGHTWEIGHT INTERIM TITLE
IN THE MAIN EVENT AT UFC® 216
Plus:
(#2) FABRICIO WERDUM vs. (#6) DERRICK LEWIS
PAIGE VANZANT vs. JESSICA EYE
TICKETS FOR UFC® 216: FERGUSON vs. LEE
AT T-MOBILE ARENA ON SALE AUG. 31
Las Vegas – The owner of the longest winning streak in the UFC® lightweight division finally gets his shot at gold when No. 2 Tony Ferguson collides with one of the sport’s most exciting young stars for the division’s interim title. No. 7 Kevin Lee has the same aspirations, while ultimately staring down the road at a potential unification bout against current champion Conor McGregor. In the co-main event, No. 2 heavyweight Fabricio Werdumlooks to get back in the title hunt when he clashes with knockout artist No. 6 Derrick Lewis. UFC® 216: FERGUSON vs. LEE takes place on Saturday, Oct. 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The event will air live on Pay-Per-View.
Currently on a nine-fight win streak, Ferguson (23-3, fighting out of Orange County, Calif.) believes a title shot has been a long time coming. During his streak, “El Cucuy” has racked up post-fight bonuses in each of his last five bouts, including Fight of the Night honors in his most recent win against former lightweight champion, Rafael Dos Anjos. Ferguson is primed to capitalize on the opportunity and be a part of history. Standing in his way is the always dangerous Lee (16-2, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.). Though nine years younger than his foe, Lee has shown tremendous growth every time he enters the Octagon®, including a first-round submission win in his most recent bout against the then No. 7 Michael Chiesa.
At 40 years old, Werdum (21-7-1, fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif.) is one of the best mixed martial artists ever. The former UFC champion has defeated some of the best heavyweights in history, with wins over Cain Velazquez, Alistair Overeem and Fedor Emelianenko, and is preparing for yet another title run. Clashing with the always dangerous Lewis (18-5, fighting out of Houston, Texas) will be no easy task. With 16 of his 18 victories coming by way of knockout, including top contenders Travis Browne and Roy Nelson, Lewis is looking to get back on the winning track after his first loss in seven bouts, and reestablish himself as a title contender.
Two of the UFC’s most popular female fighters look to revitalize their careers by moving to the women’s flyweight division. No. 10 strawweight Paige VanZant (7-3, fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.) is renowned for her all-around athleticism and is an electrifying performer with two knockouts and two submissions on her resume. Her 125-pound debut will be anything but easy, as she faces veteran Jessica Eye (11-6, 1NC, fighting out of Cleveland, Ohio). Hoping the brand new division will revitalize her career, Eye has always been most comfortable fighting at 125 lbs. and is excited to compete again at her natural weight.
Additional bouts:
- A heavyweight bout featuring knockout artists Walt Harris (10-5, fighting out of Birmingham, Ala.) and the equally dangerous Mark Godbeer (12-3, fighting out of Bridgewater, England).
- Top-15 lightweights No. 12 Beneil Dariush (14-3, fighting out of Yorba Linda, Calif.) looks to ascend the rankings against No. 14 Evan Dunham (17-6, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) who is on a four fight win streak.
- Dynamic lightweights Will Brooks (18-3, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) and Nik Lentz (29-8-2, 1NC, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) jockey for position in the stacked 155-pound division.
- Two impressive winning streaks are on the line when the durable Tom Duquesnoy (15-1, 1NC, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) challenges the always dangerous Cody Stamann (15-1, fighting out of Sparta, Mich.).
- Two strawweight women look for their first win in the UFC as Pearl Gonzalez (6-2, fighting out of Chicago, Ill.) challenges Poliana Botelho (5-1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil).
- The unpredictable Lando Vannata (9-2, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) looks to prove himself against MMA veteran Bobby Green (23-8, fighting out of Fontana, Calif.).
- No 10 flyweight John Moraga (17-6, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz.) hopes to continue his ascent through the rankings against the undefeated No. 15 flyweight Magomed Bibulatov (14-0, fighting out of Grozny, Russia).
- No. 12 middleweight and UFC veteran Thales Leites (27-7, fighting out of Rio de Janiero, Brazil) faces a formidable challenge against Las Vegas’ own Brad Tavares (15-5, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.).
- A battle of explosive flyweight athletes Matt Schnell (10-4, fighting out of Shreveport, La.) and Marco Beltran (8-6, fighting out of Mexico City, Mexico).
For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.
UFC® 216: FERGUSON vs LEE will air live on PPV at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Saturday, Oct. 7, with the prelims kicking off the evening on FS1 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and on UFC FIGHT PASS® at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
Tickets for UFC® 216: FERGUSON vs LEE go on sale Thursday, Aug. 31 at 10 a.m. PT and are priced at $300, $175, $100, $75, and $50 (prices do not include applicable service charges and handling fees). To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.
UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Tuesday, Aug. 29 at 10 a.m. PT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Wednesday, Aug. 30 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.
UFC® AND 7–ELEVEN, INC. SIGN SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT
Las Vegas – UFC®, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, today announced a new agreement with 7-Eleven®, the world’s largest convenience store chain, in which the industry-leader will serve as the global brand’s first-ever “Official Convenience Store” throughout the United States and Canada. As part of this collaboration, the two brands will launch a peel-to-win “BIG GULP®” sweepstakes on Friday, September 1, 2017, with more than 1.8 million individual prizes available at participating 7-Eleven locations.
“7-Eleven is one of the world’s most innovative and consumer-friendly brands and we’re thrilled to launch this new sponsorship,” UFC Vice President of Global Partnership Activation Brette Sadler said. “We look forward to continuing our ongoing engagements with consumers in the U.S. and Canada with new and exciting fan activations, such as our BIG GULP sweepstakes.”
The sweepstakes, which runs through Sunday, December 31, 2017, allows fight fans in the U.S. and Canada to purchase and/or collect UFC branded BIG GULP’s (30 oz.) with designs featuring UFC gloves, a UFC Octagon and select UFC athletes. Athletes included on these collectibles include: UFC welterweight champion TYRON WOODLEY, UFC men’s bantamweight champion CODY GARBRANDT, UFC women’s bantamweight champion AMANDA NUNES, former UFC light heavyweight champion DANIEL CORMIER and UFC featherweight YAIR RODRIGUEZ.
Fans can also purchase a UFC / 7-Eleven Travel Mug (20 oz.), that features the UFC’s logo. Customers who purchase a BIG GULP drink will obtain a peel-to-win game piece which contains one of the following options: (a) an instant win game piece redeemable for a prize; (b) an instant win food or beverage prize redeemable at 7-Eleven; (c) non-winning ticket redeemable for a 10% discount on a purchase at UFCStore.com or a free 7-day UFC FIGHT PASS® subscription.
Instant win prizes include a grand prize of 2017 Harley-Davidson Motorcycle, and five Replica UFC Championship belts, 100 Xbox One EA UFC 2 games and many more. For more information and official sweepstakes rules, please visit UFC.com/7-ElevenRules.
In addition to the sweepstakes and product placement inside UFC’s world-famous Octagon®, 7-Eleven will also have a presence on UFC.com and live-event programming, as well as being integrated across multiple UFC-based social and digital platforms. For more information, please visit UFC.com.
