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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
The return of UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar is now official, as the organization today announced UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin on pay-per-view July 3.
In what will be perhaps the biggest Heavyweight Championship fight in UFC history, Lesnar will finally square off with Interim Heavyweight Champion Shane Carwin in a bout originally scheduled for last November's UFC 106 event.
Lesnar's battle with diverticulitis pushed him off that card and then a subsequent reschedule for UFC 108, and the Champ finally returned to training in January after besting the disease.
Meanwhile, Carwin fought Frank Mir at UFC 111 in March, knocking the former Champion out in the first round in Newark, New Jersey to solidify his spot against Lesnar.
"When people wonder why the heavyweights capture the imagination of all fight fans, it’s because of guys like Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin,” said UFC President Dana White in today's release. “Not only are they great athletes and former national wrestling champions, but they both have the ability to end a fight with one punch. This is one of those fights that you won’t be able to turn away from because it can be over in a split second, and when it’s over, only one will walk away as the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion of the world."
Tickets for the event, coming live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV, go on sale to the public next Thursday, May 13, at all Ticketmaster locations. UFC Fight Club members will get the first crack at tickets in a presale on Tuesday.
Penick's Analysis: This could very well be the biggest pay-per-view event of the year. With last Saturday's Mayweather-Mosley underperforming on pay-per-view at around 1.2 million (that's underperforming for what they were expected to do, but still a very good buyrate), this fight with Lesnar's return to the Octagon after a year out absolutely can beat that. It's going to be a hell of a card from the MGM Grand Garden Arena, and one hell of a heavyweight fight.
RELATED STORY: UFC NEWS: Kendall Grove vs. Goran Reljic rumored for UFC 116 in July: [CLICK TO READ FULL ARTICLE]
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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