UFC 115 in Theaters plus Spike Prelims announced

(Chuck Liddell getting knocked out at 1080pi and 120x80 foot screen is AWESOME!)

Apparently the UFC believes that a lot of people really want to see Rich Franklin fight Chuck Liddell as UFC 115 will get the movie theater treatment.

WKR heard some very positive responses about the atmosphere of the theater events; several of which were hosted by UFC fighters. But there was also some grumbling about ticket prices (who knew people like to drink grain alcohol while they watch humans beat each other up?).

Also, Spike announced that they will air two live preliminary fights for UFC the first between Evan Dunham and Tyson Griffin and the second between Mac Danzig and Matt Wiman. Griffin is out to prove that he can be a lightweight contender later this year and Mac Danzig is out to prove that he is the most disappointing TUF "champion" of all time.

Press Release after the jump.

SPIKE TV TO TELECAST SELECTED FIGHTS FROM UFC 115 PRELIMS SATURDAY, JUNE 12

Matt Wiman vs. Mac Danzig,

Evan Dunham vs. Tyson Griffin To Be Featured

 

New York, NY, May 11, 2010 - Spike TV will telecast live undercard bouts from UFC® 115:  LIDDELL vs. FRANKLIN on Saturday, June 12 at 9:00 PM ET/ 6:00 PM PT from the GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia.  The one-hour telecast will run with limited commercial interruption.  UFC 115 will air on pay-per-view at 10:00 PM ET.

The first bout scheduled to air on Spike TV is in the lightweight division, and features a former winner of "The Ultimate Fighter," as Mac Danzig (20-7-1) squares off against Matt Wiman (11-5).  Fighting out Los Angeles, CA, Danzig was the winner of Season 6 of "The Ultimate Fighter," defeating Tommy Speer to capture the crown.  He most recently defeated Justin Buchholz at UFC 109, and he hopes to make it two in a row by defeating Wiman at UFC 115. 

Hailing from Dallas, TX, "Handsome" Matt Wiman appeared on Season 5 of "The Ultimate Fighter," and notched his first win in the UFC at the season finale against Brian Geraghty.  He boasts a 5-3 record inside the UFC Octagon^TM, with wins over Thiago Tavares and Shane Nelson on his resume, as well as a Fight of The Night battle against Sam Stout.  Widely respected for his toughness, Wiman hopes to emerge from his bout with Danzig with his hand raised, and still "Handsome."

The evening's second televised bout is also a lightweight contest, and pits rising star Evan Dunham (10-0) against longtime contender Tyson Griffin (14-2).  Training with Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, Dunham has won his first three contests in the UFC against Per Eklund, Marcus Aurelio and Efrain Escudero.  Compiling an undefeated record in the UFC, with only two bouts going to decision, Dunham will be looking to use his effective mixture of striking and grappling ability to take out his toughest opponent to date, his teammate Tyson Griffin. 

Tyson Griffin has defeated an impressive roster of opponents en route to his 7-2 record with the organization, including wins over the likes of Clay Guida, Hermes Franca and Gleison Tibau.  With his aggressive striking, he is also widely known as one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC, having captured "Fight of the Night" honors five times during his career.  He'll look to make it a sixth time with a victory over Dunham. 

Other bouts on the card might air on Spike TV, to be determined by the length of the fights.