Modern Fighting

NEW YORK, NY, November 17, 2008 - After a controversial ending to their first bout, UFC welterweights Kevin Burns and Anthony “Rumble” Johnson will meet in the Octagon once again in December. The two will settle the score at the live finale for “The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir”, emanating from The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, NV LIVE on December 13 at 9:00 PM ET.Tickets for The Ultimate Fighter® Team Nogueira vs Team Mir Finale are on sale now at $350, $250 and $150, plus any additional box office or service fees. Please visit any Ticketmaster location, call 702-474-4000 or visit www.ticketmaster.com to purchase tickets.

A Georgia native fighting out of Los Angeles, Johnson (5-2), one of the welterweight division’s most explosive athletes, and Burns (8-1), a promising newcomer from Des Moines, IA, first met this past July at UFC Fight Night: Silva vs Irvin. Towards the end of three highly competitive rounds, it seemed that Johnson was on his way to a hard fought decision win when Burns inadvertently poked him in the eye while throwing an uppercut. The strike escaped the view of referee Steve Mazzagatti, and when Johnson was felled by the blow, Burns pounced and won by TKO. Both fighters have lobbied for a rematch, and their wish will be granted on December 13 in Las Vegas.

Also on the card, Edmonton’s Jason “The Athlete” MacDonald (22-10) will square off against Fortaleza, Brazil’s Wilson Gouveia in middleweight action. MacDonald last fought at UFC 88 in September, where he defeated Jason Lambert in impressive fashion. The Canadian will look to vault himself into title contention in the middleweight division with a victory over a stern test in Gouveia. Wilson Gouveia (11-5) made his middleweight debut at Ultimate Fight Night 15 this past September after compiling a 4-2 record as a light heavyweight in the UFC. The drop in weight did not have any ill effects on his performance, with Gouveia submitting his opponent Ryan Jensen via armbar in the second round. The American Top Team product will look to notch his sixth UFC victory when he takes on MacDonald.

Anderson Silva def. James Irvin via KO R1
Brandon Vera def. Reese Andy via unanimous decision
Frankie Edgar def. Hermes Franca via unanimous decision
Cain Velasquez def. Jake O’Brien via TKO  R1
Kevin Burns def. Anthony Johnson via TKO R3
C.B. Dollaway def. Jesse Taylor via submission (peruvian neck tie) R1
Tim Credeur def. Cale Yarbrough via TKO  R1
Rory Markham def. Brodie Farber via KO  R1

Thiago Alves def. Matt Hughes – TKO (Strikes) R2
Michael Bisping def. Jason Day – TKO (Strikes) R1
Mike Swick def. Marcus Davis – Unanimous Decision
Thales Leites def. Nathan Marquardt – Split Decision
Fabricio Werdum def. Brandon Vera – TKO (Strikes) R1
Martin Kampmann def. Jorge Rivera – Tapout (Guillotine Choke) R1
Matt Wiman def. Thiago Tavares – KO (Punch) R2
Kevin Burns def. Roan Carneiro – Tapout (Triangle Choke) R2
Luiz Cane def. Jason Lambert – TKO (Strikes) R1
Paul Taylor def. Jess Liaudin – Split Decision
Antoni Hardonk def. Eddie Sanchez – TKO (Strikes) R2