TORONTO (May 23, 2013) Bring on the big boys. Sportsnet, Canada’s official home of the Ultimate Fighting Championship®, heads to Las Vegas for heavy-hitting coverage of UFC 160 as Cain Velasquez looks to defend his heavyweight title against Antonio “Big Foot” Silva. Sportsnet’s coverage of the preliminary fights begins Saturday, May 25 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Sportsnet East, Ontario, West and Pacific.
Saturday’s UFC 160 main event will be a rematch of UFC 146, where Velasquez dominated Silva with a TKO victory. Silva, however, earned a shot at the heavyweight title following an upset knockout win over Alistair Overeem at UFC 156. Meanwhile, Canadian lightweight T.J. Grant (Cole Harbour, NS) could steal the show with a win over Gray Maynard, which would earn him a shot at lightweight champion Benson Henderson – making him the sixth Canadian ever to fight for a UFC title.
The preliminary fights on Sportsnet will deliver plenty of premium bouts, including a welterweight showdown between Mike Pyle and Rick Story. Pyle has recorded three straight knockout victories, and a strong victory over Story could move him among the UFC’s welterweight contenders.
In addition to the prelims, Sportsnet’s coverage of UFC 160 includes:
- Official Weigh-ins: streamed live on sportsnet.ca, Friday, May 24 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT
- Early Preliminary Fights: streamed live on sportsnet.ca, Saturday, May 25 at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT
- Post-Fight Press Conference: streamed live on sportsnet.ca following the main event
- UFC Central: “Showdown” Joe Ferraro hosts the show from Las Vegas, featuring an in-depth recap of the entire fight card, Monday, May 27 at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT on Sportsnet ONE, West and Pacific and at 11:30 p.m. ET on Sportsnet East and Ontario
Talent Quotes and Interviews:
- Ferraro on the UFC 160 Main Card:
“While much of the focus with be on the main and co-main events, all Canadians should keep their eyes on Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia lightweight T.J. Grant. If he defeats Gray Maynard, he officially earns a title shot vs champion Ben Henderson.
- Ferraro on the UFC 160 Prelims:
“By far, these are the very best prelims that have ever aired on the network. Every matchup is pivotal in their respective divisions. In fact, every bout is worthy of being on the pay per view portion of the card.”
- Showdown Joe Ferraro is available for interviews to discuss all things UFC 160
Social Media Links
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About Sportsnet
Sportsnet connects Canadian sports fans to their favourite teams and athletes, using five platforms: TV, Radio, Print, Online and Mobile. Sportsnet is Fuelled By Fans, and delivers storytelling on a local, regional, national and global level. The multiplatform brand consists of Sportsnet, sportsnet.ca, Sportsnet 590 The FAN, Sportsnet 960 The FAN, Sportsnet magazine, Sportsnet Mobile and the Hockey Central app on iPad and Playbook. Sportsnet consists of four regional channels (Sportsnet East, Ontario, West and Pacific), and the nationally-distributed Sportsnet ONE, Sportsnet World, and The Score. Sportsnet is the Canadian leader in NHL and MLB television broadcasts and is home to 162 Toronto Blue Jays games, plus MLB Playoffs and the World Series. Sportsnet is an official licensed broadcaster of the 2014 FIFA World Cup BrazilTM and also offers an exciting sports lineup including the NFL, the Memorial Cup, CIS Vanier Cup, Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Grand Slam of Curling, IZOD IndyCar Series, the Rogers Cup tennis tournament, and extensive soccer programming including Barclays Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, MLS Vancouver Whitecaps FC, CONCACAF and Canadian national team matches for men and women. Connected is the network’s nightly news program, providing regional and national coverage of the day’s events in the world of sports.