UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez Officially Announced, Three Fights Confirmed

Promoted from the FanPosts by Kid Nate.

The UFC's second visit to Tennessee is now official, with the announcement of UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez, scheduled for December 12th at the FedEx Forum in Memphis.  Along with the headlining bout featuring BJ Penn defending his lightweight title against Diego Sanchez, the UFC also announced a heavyweight tilt between Frank Mir and Cheick Kongo as the co-main event, along with a welterweight bout with Brazilians Thiago Alves and Paulo Thiago which will also be on the PPV main card.  The UFC took its initial trip to Tennessee in April for UFC Fight Night 18 at the Sommet Center in Nashville, recording an official attendance of 10,267 which wa the highest ever for a Fight Night event.

Tickets will go on-sale October 24th, with UFC Fight Club and online newsletter subscribers getting pre-sale access on the 22nd and 23rd respectively.

UFC President Dana White on the main event:

"In this sport it sometimes takes years for fighters to find the weight class where they’re at their best," UFC President Dana White said. "I don’t think there’s any question that BJ Penn and Diego Sanchez have finally found their homes at 155 pounds, making the UFC 107 main event a fight between the best Penn and Sanchez we’ve ever seen. BJ hasn’t lost in this weight class in years, and Diego has looked unstoppable in his lightweight fights, and when these two meet in the center of the Octagon, it’s going to make our first trip to Memphis one fight fans will never forget.

Frank Mir and Cheick Kongo discuss their match-up:

"Cheick Kongo is one of the best strikers in the UFC," Mir said. "I’m coming off a loss and I definitely want to get back on the road to the title. I think this will be a difficult challenge."

"In the UFC, you can’t take any opponents lightly," Kongo said. "But when you face a former champion such as Frank Mir, you’re expecting one of the toughest fights of your career. It’s going to be a classic."

Full card in the extended entry:

Main Event: BJ Penn vs. Diego Sanchez - lightweight championship

Co-Main Event: Frank Mir vs. Cheick Kongo

Thiago Alves vs. Paulo Thiago

Kenny Florian vs. Clay Guida*

Paul Buentello vs. Todd Duffee*

Wilson Gouveia vs. Alan Belcher*

Rousimar Palhares vs. Lucio Linhares*

Edgar Garcia vs. Damarques Johnson*

TJ Grant vs. Kevin Burns*

Johny Hendricks vs. Ricardo Funch*

 

* = not yet officially announced