Two more press release posts before I finish for now. This one is Versus-centric. I have a couple of announcements regarding upcoming programming on Versus.
Cycling returns to Versus with coverage of the Tour Down Under featuring Lance Armstrong.
VERSUS OPENS 2010 CYCLING SEASON WITH DAILY COVERAGE OF TOUR DOWN UNDER
Team Makes ProTour Debut with Lance Armstrong at the Helm
NEW YORK, N.Y. (January 12, 2010)-VERSUS, the television home of professional cycling in the U.S., will kick off the 2010 cycling season with the Tour Down Under, the first race of the year on the ProTour calendar. The 2010 competition will cover approximately 500 miles over six-stages in South Australia featuring 132 riders across 16 teams. This year's roster is highlighted by the debut of a U.S.-based team led by seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong.
In its second year of Tour Down Under coverage, VERSUS will air daily 30-minute stage re-caps from Jan. 19-23 at 6 p.m. ET as well as a one-hour show at 6 p.m. ET on Jan. 24 for the final stage. On Jan. 23 the network will stream the entire final stage of the race live on VERSUS.com beginning at 8 p.m. ET. VERSUS will also air a one-hour retrospective show on Feb. 7 at 2 p.m. ET to look back at the entire competition. Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen, the undisputed voices of cycling, will be on site in Australia to provide insight and commentary for each day of the network's coverage.
VERSUS.com is the online destination for cycling fans to find out anything and everything about the 2010 Tour Down Under. In addition to viewing the last stage live and in its entirety, cycling fans can visit the site for in-depth editorial coverage from leading cycling experts, exclusive videos and interviews, highlights from each of the day's stages, as well as information about teams and riders.
VERSUS' daily coverage of the Tour Down Under will be supplemented with a half-hour special on Jan. 23 at 5:30 p.m. ET titled Lance Armstrong: The Next Chapter. This must-see special will feature Paul Sherwen's exclusive one-on-one interview with the cycling legend in which Armstrong reveals his thoughts of his performance in 2009 and what fans can expect from him in 2010. The special will re-air on Jan. 24 at 3:30 p.m. ET.
And Versus’ first UFC event is scheduled for March.
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT BATTLE BETWEEN BRANDON ‘THE TRUTH’ VERA AND JON ‘BONES’ JONES HEADLINES VERSUS’ FIRST LIVE ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP® (UFC®) EVENT ON SUNDAY, MARCH 21, AT 9 P.M. ET
New York, N.Y. (January 12, 2010)-VERSUS will air its first live Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) event on Sunday, March 21, featuring a light heavyweight showdown between Muay Thai sensation Brandon Vera and 22-year-old phenom Jon Jones. The fight will originate from the Odeum Colorado in Broomfield, Colo. and air on VERSUS at 9 p.m. ET.
VERSUS has been the national cable television home of World Extreme Cagefighting® (WEC®) since 2007 and in December 2009, the network announced a multi-year extension with Zuffa LLC., the owners of both the WEC and UFC®, to air two live UFC events in 2010 in addition to seven live WEC fights.
"Since 2007 fight fans have come to VERSUS for some of the most explosive MMA action on television and we can't wait for March 21 to arrive so that we can showcase the UFC on VERSUS, which will be the first time ever that a live UFC event will air on a national sports cable network," said Marc Fein, Executive Vice President of Programming, Production and Business Operations for VERSUS. "What better way to kick off our partnership with the UFC than with a card headlined by two of the world's top light heavyweight contenders. This will be an incredible event that no sports fan should miss."
Brandon Vera (11-4), with seven UFC wins in the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions, is dangerous on his feet or on the ground. Vera, the 32-year-old former U.S. Air Force member from Norfolk, Va., is coming off a memorable match-up against UFC legend Randy Couture at UFC 105 and his fight against Michael Patt in which the Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt defeated his opponent via TKO. When he gets into the cage on March 21 his ultimate goal is to stop the ascension of rising star Jon Jones.
"This is a fight that could go anywhere, and that's the beauty of this match-up," UFC President Dana White said. "Brandon Vera and Jon Jones represent the future of this sport in that they are both dangerous strikers and well-versed grapplers. This is the perfect fight for our return to Colorado and our debut on VERSUS, and we're committed to giving UFC fans an event to remember."
Jon Jones (9-1), winner of his first three fights in the UFC, has made an immediate impression in the Octagon and is looking to get one step closer to a light heavyweight title shot. Jones earned unanimous decision victories over Andre Gusmao and Stephan Bonnar in his first two UFC fights and submitted Jake O'Brien at UFC 100 in July 2009. In his last fight, in December 2009, Jones was dominating veteran Matt Hamill but lost by a controversial disqualification. Jones is an unorthodox striker that will face his greatest test against the well-rounded Vera.
One more press release post is heading your way.
