Jon Jones, Curt Menefee, Frankie Edgar and Ronda Rousey ring the NASDAQ opening bell (photo courtesy of NASDAQ)
Fighters join UFC on Fox anchor Menefee in Times Square
The UFC descended on New York City earlier this week, which it likes to do each time it visits New Jersey – a not-so-subtle reminder to the powers-that-be in New York that mixed martial arts is still not sanctioned in the state.
On Tuesday, UFC and Strikeforce stars got a fairly unique honor when they rang the opening bell for NASDAQ in Times Square. UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey and former UFC lightweight champ and current top contender Frankie Edgar joined UFC on Fox anchor Curt Menefee for Tuesday’s opening ceremonies at NASDAQ’s MarketSite in the heart of Manhattan.
The UFC is in the New York area for Saturday’s third card on the Fox network. UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller takes place at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J., just across the Hudson River from Manhattan. The card features a main event lightweight contenders bout between Nate Diaz, the Season 5 winner of “The Ultimate Fighter,” and Jim Miller, who has won eight of his last nine fights. The co-main event is a welterweight contenders bout between former title challenger Josh Koscheck and Johny Hendricks, both of who were All-American wrestlers in college and national champions.
Also on the Saturday main card, which will be broadcast live on the Fox network at 8 p.m. Eastern, middleweights Alan Belcher and Brazilian submission specialist Rousimar Palhares meet, and heavyweights Pat Barry and Lavar Johnson open up the four-fight televised card. Six fights from the preliminary card will air live on the Fuel TV cable network starting at 5 p.m.