For a sixth straight season millions of UFC® fans around the world watched competitors on The Ultimate Fighter® battle in an attempt to become one of the newest stars in the UFC organization.  Fans also have watched another battle rage – this one between the two coaches – UFC Welterweight Champion Matt "The Terror" Serra and former UFC champion Matt Hughes.  The coaches now will have their chance to face-off inside the Octagon™ with the world welterweight title at stake.  The Ultimate Fighting Championship® presents UFC 79: NEMESIS live from the Mandalay Bay Events Center Saturday, Dec. 29.


UFC 79: Nemesis Tickets


"Matt Hughes and Matt Serra did an awesome job as coaches on The Ultimate Fighter and now they are set to fight for Serra's UFC Welterweight World Championship," said Dana White, UFC president.  "Serra wants to hold onto his title and Hughes wants it back.  The show left little doubt about the dislike these two have for each other and I think this is going to be an explosive fight."


UFC 79: NEMESIS is available live on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, Bell ExpressVu, Shaw Communications and Viewer's Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $39.95 ($39.99 CAD) and $49.95 for HD where available.


Current UFC Welterweight Champion Serra (16-4) is proof that The Ultimate Fighter not only produces top contenders in the UFC but it produces champions as well.  The winner of The Ultimate Fighter Season 4, Serra plowed his way through the reality show to win a "comeback" shot for the 170-pound title against then-champion Georges "Rush" St-Pierre.  In what turned out to be an upset win of epic proportions, Serra, the Long Island native, overwhelmed "Rush" with a barrage of strikes and stopped him cold at 3:25 of the first round.  He now looks to defend his title against the legendary Hughes and secure his own legacy in the UFC 170-pound division.


Serra said, "I think this is going to be a tough fight.  As a person, I can't stand Matt Hughes; I don't like him at all but I respect him as a fighter.  You can't deny what he has accomplished as a fighter but he basically thinks my last fight was a fluke, like I don't belong in there with him.  I believe there's one way Matt Hughes can beat me but I can beat him several different ways and I plan on beating him on all fronts."


Hughes (43-5), a two-time UFC champion with seven combined title defenses to his name, has a deadly ground game that has earned him wins over St-Pierre, BJ Penn, Chris Lytle, Royce Gracie and Frank Trigg (twice).  After relinquishing his title to St-Pierre at UFC 65, Hughes returned to the Octagon at UFC 68 this past March to face The Ultimate Fighter Season 4 finalist Lytle.  He won a unanimous decision and since then has waited for the opportunity to fight for the title.  Hughes wants to prove that he is not only the best 170-pounder in the division today, but that he is the greatest 170-pound fighter ever to fight in the UFC.


Hughes stated, "To me, Serra is just another opponent.  He's just another guy that likes to run his mouth.  I think nine out of 10 times he loses to St-Pierre so Serra did get lucky once, maybe.  I think I have many more ways to win this fight than he does and I just need to watch out for those looping punches."


In addition to the main event of Serra vs. Hughes, UFC 79 will feature a dream fight between UFC and PRIDE® former champions Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell and "The Axe Murderer" Wanderlei Silva.  These two warriors are legendary figures in the sport of mixed martial arts and will compete in a battle that UFC fans have been anxiously anticipating.


White said, "Chuck and Wanderlei, two legends in the sport, will face off in the most important match of their careers at UFC 79.  Chuck and Wanderlei have both wanted this fight for as long as they can remember and this is definitely the fight that fans have waited for years to see.  Finally, PRIDE's most dangerous striker will face the UFC's most dangerous striker and the world will know after years of speculation who will win and who will lose this fight."


Liddell (20-5), considered by many to be the greatest light heavyweight UFC fighter of all-time, reigned as the 205-pound UFC champion for more than three years.  He knocked out seven consecutive opponents including Randy Couture (twice), Vernon White, Jeremy Horn, Renato "Babalu" Sobral and Tito Ortiz (twice), before being defeated by Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at UFC 71 this past May.


Liddell is no doubt looking forward to this battle, "I'm excited this fight with Wanderlei is finally happening.  I've been saying for a long time that, given the chance, I would knock out Wanderlei Silva.  I think this will be a great fight for the fans and one that lives up to their expectations because I'm going to hit him until he falls down and stays down."


The 31-year-old Silva (31-7-1), known by fight fans as "The Axe Murderer" for his ultra-aggressive style and finishing ability, began his career nearly 11 years ago in his native Brazil.  He fought in bouts that pushed him to the limit as he honed the skills that made him one of the most feared fighters on the planet.


Silva met great success by winning the PRIDE organization's middleweight championship and defeating the likes of current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jackson (twice), Dan Henderson, Kazushi Sakuraba (three times), Ricardo Arona, Hidehiko Yoshida and Kazuyuki Fujita.


Well-rested after his February 2007 PRIDE fight against Henderson, Silva is ready to take on Liddell as he hopes to secure the most important victory of his mixed martial arts career.  "I've wanted to fight Chuck for a long time and I think about this fight a lot.  Our styles are very similar as we are both great strikers.  I'm training very hard because I want to give my next victory to my fans.  After I beat Chuck I want to fight the champion."


UFC 79: Nemesis Tickets


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