MMAterial Facts 07/14/10: UFC 116 Numbers, Bellator on AFN

– UFC 116 officially draws 12,740 attendees for $4.05 million live gate
– American Forces Network to broadcast Bellator to 1 million military personnel
– Strikeforce to bring MMA special to Toyota Center
– Lance Palmer, Mark Ellis Sign With MMA Agencies
– MusclePharm Set to Launch GNC Athlete Tour

UFC 116 officially draws 12,740 attendees for $4.05 million live gate

July’s “UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin” event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas officially drew 12,740 spectators for a $4,053,990 live gate. … Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer today emailed the official figures to MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

Of the 12,740 fans in the arena, 9,218 purchased tickets and 3,522 were issued complimentary admission. Additionally, 2,194 tickets went unsold. (MMAJunkie)

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Note: It appears that this event is trending to break 1 million buys, but fall short of UFC 100 and UFC 114: Rampage vs Evans.  If that trending pattern holds, it would make it the third most purchased event in UFC history. (F4WOnline)

American Forces Network to broadcast Bellator to 1 million military personnel

Bellator Fighting Championships will expand its reach to the more than 1 million brave American service men and women, as well as Department of Defense and other US government civilians and their families stationed overseas through a new alliance with the American Forces Network.

Beginning this fall, all military personnel, Department of Defense civilian employees and their families stationed in 175 countries and territories overseas from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe — and aboard 140 U.S. Navy ships at sea — will be able to watch all of Bellator Seasons 2 and 3 in their entirety via satellite broadcast.

The 24 Bellator broadcasts will air for 24 consecutive weeks every Monday night at 9 p.m. “viewer time overseas” with Bellator Season 2 running from Sept. 6th to Nov. 22 and Bellator Season 3 running from Nov. 29th to Feb. 14th.

Rights to air the broadcasts are being provided to the American Forces Network by Bellator free of charge. (PRESS RELEASE)

Strikeforce to bring MMA special to Toyota Center

Mixed martial arts will be on display when the Strikeforce promotion visits the Toyota Center on Aug. 21.

The card, announced in a press conference Tuesday, will be broadcast by Showtime Television and start at 9 p.m. Tickets go on sale Friday.

It’s been three years since Houston was last in the mixed martial arts spotlight. Ultimate Fighting Championship, the top promotion in MMA, brought its UFC 69 pay-per-view event to the Toyota Center in April 2007.  (The Houston Chronicle)

Lance Palmer, Mark Ellis Sign With MMA Agencies

Up and coming mixed martial arts prospect Lance Palmer has a new agency to call home. The former Ohio State University wrestler has signed on with MMA agency MMA Incorporated today for an exclusive management and marketing deal.

Palmer, who has yet to make his professional debut in the sport, was a four-time All American wrestler as a Buckeye. In  2010, he earned the title of Big Ten Champion and was also a finalist in the NCAA Division 1 National Championship that year. He competed in the 149 pound weight class.  (Heavy)

MusclePharm Set to Launch GNC Athlete Tour

MusclePharm® Corporation (OTCBB:MSLP), a fast-growing nutritional supplement company with a proprietary formulation used in eight performance products, announced plans to launch an innovative General Nutrition Centers (GNC) Athlete Tour starting this month.

The athlete tour dates will run from July through December 2010 and will feature some of the biggest names from the NFL, UFC and WEC. The athletes will be signing autographs at each GNC appearance, promoting the MusclePharm brand in the process. (The Financial Post)

PICTURE OF THE DAY

QUICK HITS

• Bob Sapp pulled off July 18’s “Impact FC,” threatens legal action (MMAJunkie)
• UFC announcer Bruce Buffer cashes in 2010 World Series of Poker (MMAJunkie)
• With Strikeforce title on line, Kennedy says “Jacare” is just his next biggest fight (MMAJunkie)
• Film Room: How Werdum Submitted Fedor (Sherdog)
• Bellator Confirms Lombard-Goodman for Aug. 12 (Sherdog)
• UFC 116 Drugs Tests Clean (Sherdog)
• King Mo Promises to Show New Skills in First Title Defense (Sherdog)
• Rich Clementi Targeted for Bellator 28 (MMAFighting)
• For Leben, Most of UFC 116 Victory Is a Blur (MMAFighting)
• VARNER WANTS HENDERSON, DENIES COWBOY FIGHT (MMAWeekly)
• MELENDEZ ON SHIELDS TO UFC; WILL HE FOLLOW? (MMAWeekly)
• Is Cain able to take Lesnar’s title? (Yahoo! Sports)
• UK: Impact FC Confirmed to air on Primetime (Fighters Only)
• Scott Coker Talks Shields, Bautista, Lashley, Fedor And More (Heavy)
• Keith Jardine vs. Trevor Prangley Set For Shark Fights 13 (Heavy)

TV LISTINGS

• HDNet Fights Vault: Dynamite 2009  at 8:00 PM ET on HDNet (07/16/10)
• Fighting Words with Mike Straka (Ken Shamrock) at 8:30 PM ET on HDNet (07/16/10)
• Inside MMA (Matyushenko and Ellengerger) at 9 PM ET on HDNet (07/16/10)
• HDNet Fights: DREAM.15 Replay at 10 PM ET on HDNet (07/16/10)

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Strikeforce Challengers: Del Rosario vs Mahe at 10 PM ET/PT on Showtime(07/23/10)
• HDNet Fights: K-1 World Max 2010 Final 10 PM ET on HDNet (07/23/10)
• HDNet Fights: K-1 World GP 2010 at 10 PM ET on HDNet (07/23/10)
• UFC on Versus 2 : Jones vs Matyushenko at 10 PM ET on Versus (08/01/10)
• Strikeforce Challengers: Riggs vs Taylor 10 PM ET/PT on Showtime (08/13/10)
• HDNet Fights: KOTC: Imminent Danger at 9 PM ET on HDNet (08/13/10)
• UFC 117 : Anderson Silva vs Chael Sonnen at 10 PM ET on PPV (08/18/10)
• WEC 50: Cruz vs Benavidez at 9 PM ET on Versus (08/18/10)
• Strikeforce: King Mo vs Rafael Feijao at 10 PM ET/PT on Showtime (08/26/10)
• HDNet Fights: Sengoku Raiden Championships 14 on HDNet (08/27/10)
• UFC 118: Edgar vs Penn 2 at 10 PM ET on PPV (08/28/10)