Washington DC (August 2009) – One fighter is the current Ultimate Warrior Challenge (UWC) bantamweight world champion looking for a big-time win over a world-class competitor. The other is a former World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) bantamweight champion looking to redeem himself in the eyes of the mixed martial arts (MMA) community. Both are considered among the best in the world at their weight class.
The two ultimate warriors — Mike “The Hulk” Easton (8-1) and Chase Beebe (12-4), who were scheduled to battle last February at UWC Man “O” War only to have the fight cancelled at the last-minute when Beebe pulled out with a training injury — will be the Main Event at UWC REDEMPTION on Saturday, October 3, 2009, at the Patriot Center in what promises to be another star-studded, action-packed show from the East Coast MMA leader.
“The UWC is very pleased this fight is finally going to happen; we’re willing to put the past behind us and bring the fans what we promised them in February,” said UWC founder and CEO S. Marcello Foran about bringing back Beebe to face Easton. “Both fighters are ranked in the top 25 in the world in the bantamweight division and these are the kind of fights we want to promote. The stakes are much higher this time around. Ultimately the fans will be the biggest winners in what has all the makings of a fight-of–the-year.”
The show’s title reflects Beebe’s desire to earn back some respect and get a much-needed victory after losing his WEC title to current WEC bantamweight champ Miguel Torres in 2007. Controversy swirled around the previously-scheduled Easton versus Beebe bout earlier this year when the former four-time, state high school All-American wrestler cited an inability to drop weight caused by an injury that forced him to pull out of the bout last-minute. Beebe and his highly-regarded MMA manager Monti Cox have assured the UWC that he has a clean bill of health and has promised to redeem himself in the eyes of fight fans.
“This title fight is huge for me. In fact, it’s going to be a “make-or-break” for me. A loss is not an option at this stage of my career,” said the ground-and-pound specialist who fights out of Midwest Training Center in Chicago. “I’m definitely going to be fully prepared and give it my all.”
Meanwhile, Easton successfully dispatched of Beebe’s replacement, Justin Robbins from Matt Hughes’ camp with a first-round submission, and successfully defended his title two months later with a convincing win over young gun Josh “Taz” Ferguson. Both matches were streamed live on Sherdog.com, helping build Easton’s emerging national reputation. Known for his powerful striking ability, easygoing nature outside of the cage and enthusiastic supporters, the D.C. resident is currently ranked as one of the top 25 bantamweights in the world by the USA TODAY / SB Nation Consensus MMA Rankings.
“I was ready to fight him in February and I’m ready to fight him now. My confidence has only grown since that time, and I think I should be considered the favorite,” explained Easton who was just recently awarded a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. “The fans are going to see a war and he’s not taking my UWC belt away in my town or anywhere else. I am the champ and I am going to show the world I am the best.”
The versatile and athletic Easton, fighting out of Lloyd Irvin Martial Arts, has an undefeated 4 – 0 record since entering the UWC in early 2008. Overall Easton has only one professional loss and has utilized a different set of tactics and game plans for each bout, defeating strikers, grapplers and submission specialists along the way.
UWC Fans can expect even more exciting news when the UWC announces a second world-class title fight for the upcoming Oct 3rd REDEMPTION show and several more must-see under card fights, a first-class event production and crowd-pleasing environment as the fast-growing UWC continues to provide the highest level of competition seen on the East Coast.
And, in what has become a popular tradition at UWC shows, fans can expect to see an appearance from nationally-prominent MMA superstars as well as celebrities and athletes from D.C.’s professional sport world. Special guests have included Quinton Jackson, Urijah Faber, Matt Hughes, Robbie Lawler, Tito Ortiz, Shogun, Carlos Condit, Donald Cerrone, Hermes Franca, Brandon Vera, Andrei Arlovski, Washington Redskins’ all-pro tight end Chris Cooley and Washington Capitals standouts Alex Ovechkin, Mike Green and Nicklas Backstrom.
Doors will open at 6:00 pm with the first bout scheduled to begin at 7:00 pm. Tickets are on sale now and are available for purchase at all Ticketmaster outlets and Ticketmaster.com. A limited number of Ultimate VIP (UVIP) and VIP packages will be available, which include cageside seating, UVIP fight night pre-party, UVIP event lanyard, special guest fighter meet-and-greets, UVIP suite access, full food and beverage service and more. Fore more information or to purchase UVIP and VIP packages visit the official UWC website www.uwcmma.com.
