Main Card
* Wanderlei Silva vs. Rich Franklin (Decision)
* Cain Velasquez (Decision) vs. Cheick Kongo
* Mirko "Cro Cop" vs. Mostapha Al-turk
* Marcus Davis vs. Dan Hardy
* Mike Swick vs. Ben Saunders
* Caol Uno vs. Spencer Fisher
Preliminary Card
* Dale Hartt vs. Dennis Siver
* Alan Belcher vs. Alessio Sakara
* Stefan Struve vs. Denis Stojnic
* Paul Taylor vs. Peter Sobotta
* Terry Etim vs. Justin Buchholz
* Paul Kelly vs. Rolando Delgado
* John Hathaway vs. Rick Story
Bet on UFC 99: Click Here For Live Odds
Dana White, Lorenzo Fertitta and leading German concert promoter Marek Lieberberg were all part of the UFC 99 press conference in the city of Cologne in preparation for the first ever UFC event in Germany. Randy Couture, Rich Franklin and Wanderlei Silva rounded out the UFC contingent present at the Lanxess Arena."UFC 99: The Comeback" will be headlined by catch weight bout between Rich Franklin and Wanderlei Silva. The card will take place at the Lanxess Arena in Cologne on Saturday, June 13. Also set participate are Cain Velasquez, Heath Herring, Caol Uno, Spencer Fisher and Ben Saunders. Mirko Cro Cop has indicated that he is a possibility for the event however his name was not mentioned during the press conference.
The media coverage was surprisingly big. Every major media outlet was present for this historic moment. .
Randy Couture alongside German fighters Dennis Siver and Peter Sobotta conducted a brief MMA 101 class for the German press. Couture’s knowledge of the German language came in handy throughout. The former heavyweight champion later conducted several interviews with German TV and print media.
Unlike other UFC press conferences a lot of time was spent introducing MMA and the UFC to the German media. Many of the questions were quite basic and naive. The same type of questions you'd expect from anyone new to sport. White said that Germany will become a regular fixture on the UFC calendar. He added that the UFC plans to nurture and create home-grown German MMA talent.
"June 13, 2009, is a huge day in the history of the UFC. It has been a long time coming, but the best fighters on the planet are finally heading to Germany for our first event ever in mainland Europe."
“We are coming with a stacked card and a unique main event. Rich Franklin v Wanderlei Silva is another of those dream fights fans never thought they’d get to see - but we are making it happen in Germany."
As for the main event White states “Everyone knows Rich moved up to light heavyweight a couple of fights ago while Wanderlei is planning on fighting at 185lbs from now on, but this fight is too exciting a match not to happen and both these guys deserve a ton of credit for taking this fight at 195lbs.”
When asked if any K1 fighters would be part of the card, White said:"Any thing is possible."
UFC Chairman Lorenzo Fertitta added: "Our vision for the UFC has always been global. Following on from our successes in the United Kingdom and Ireland, our first card in mainland Europe is another significant step towards making the UFC's brand of mixed martial arts the biggest sport in the world."
UFC 99 Odds Released
Betting odds for the main event and one other main card bout were also released today. Franklin is a slight favorite heading into his battle with Silva while Velasquez has a big edge over Kongo. Cro Cop returns to the UFC as a commanding favorite over Al-Turk.
Rich Franklin -140
Wanderlei Silva +110
Cain Velasquez -175
Cheick Kongo +135
Mirko Cro Cop -500
Mustapha Al-Turk +350
Caol Uno +170
Spencer Fisher -210
Dan Hardy +170
Marcus Davis -210
Ben Saunders +170
Mike Swick -210
Denis Stojnic -105
Stefan Struve -130
Cro Cop Is Back
Cro Cop returns to the UFC
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