OFFICIAL: UFC 147 Silva vs. Sonnen II to take place at Joao Havelange Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on June 23rd
Posted on March 26, 2012, 01:55 PM by Anton GurevichOfficial Press Release:
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® will return to Brazil for an epic sporting event as legendary fighters collide on the biggest fight card in UFC® history at UFC®147 at Joao Havelange Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on June 23, 2012. The largest crowd ever is expected for the highly anticipated rematch between middleweight champion Anderson Silva and American contender Chael Sonnen, a grudge match two years in the making. The event also features a live finale of The Ultimate Fighter Brasil™, the showdown between two Brazilians and icons of the sport – coaches Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva.
From the beginning of the negotiations for the UFC’s next event in the country, the cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo both emerged as strong options to host the event. Engenhao, home to football club Botafogo and future venue for the 2016 Olympics, has hosted many legendary sports and entertainment events since its opening in 2007. The event marks the first time for a UFC event in a soccer stadium and the organization expects a record audience. The mark to beat is UFC 129, held in April of 2011 at Rogers Centre in Canada, which had a record attendance of 55,000 fans.
“This will be the biggest sporting event of the year” said UFC President Dana White. “Bigger than the NFL, the NBA, you name it - UFC 147 will be the biggest. The whole world wants to see this fight between Silva and Sonnen. We are broadcast in over 150 countries in 22 languages in half a billion homes. Wherever those fans are, they are going to be watching this fight.”
The rivalry between Anderson Silva (29-4-0) and Chael Sonnen (28-11-1) has produced the biggest grudge match in UFC history. The two bitter rivals first faced each other in August of 2010 at UFC 117 in Oakland, California. The battle featured arguably the biggest come-from-behind win ever; as Silva, who was being dominated from the beginning of the fight, submitted his American rival with a triangle choke in the last round. It was the seventh of nine title defenses for the Brazilian champion.
In what has been one of the long-awaited rematches in UFC history, Brazilian fans will also get a chance to witness Vitor Belfort (21-9-0) and Wanderlei Silva (34-11-1) square off in the Octagon®. In their first meeting in 1998 in São Paulo, Belfort knocked out Silva 44 seconds into their fight. Since then, MMA fans have eagerly waited for over 10 years to witness the rematch between two legends of the sport. Belfort is coming off of a win over American fighter Anthony Johnson in UFC Rio (UFC 142), while Wanderlei dramatically knocked out opponent Cung Le at UFC 139.
Comments
R.I.P Chael Sonnen
now that place is impressive, really interested in how they will set it up so the fans sitting really far away will be able to see.
guess it shouldn't be a problem to get Chael Sonnen's ass out in a helicopter.
I really feel sorry for Chael...
big ass screens.
Yeah... They will use giant aerial screens, much like they did at UFC 129. I guess you're watching on TV, but you still get the "live experience" of actually being there.
they should dig a grave with a headstone by the entrance. preparedness is paramount.
This is truly going to bring MMA to the next level, once again, similar to UFC 100 and UFC 129
Wait a minute.
It has been said by everyone that the stadium would hold 80000 while this only holds 47000, almost half the supposed number.
Unless they're going to have 33000 floor seats?
The seating cap of 47 is the max for a soccer game. The cage will allow for a ton of seats in the field! I can't wait for this rematch!