Fights Announced for UFC Fights for the Troops

Fighting with a truly meaningful purpose in front of some real American heroes, The Ultimate Fighter alums Josh Koscheck, Mike "Quick" Swick, Matt Wiman will be featured on Spike TV’s telecast of UFC: Ultimate Fight Night 16 - Fights for the Troops live from the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, North Carolina on Wednesday, December 10th 2008.

The special live UFC fight card will raise funds to build a hospital for traumatic brain injuries for the brave men and women in the United States Armed Forces. Thousands of soldiers from nearby Fort Bragg, the proud home of the U.S. Airborne and Special Operations Forces, will be in attendance.

The Ultimate Fighter 1 standout Josh Koscheck has won seven of his last eight decisions, only tasting defeat at the hands of welterweight champ Georges St Pierre in a three-round decision last August at UFC 74: Respect. Koscheck, fighting out of Fresno, CA, is among the top contenders in the welterweight division and needs a win to continue his ascent for a potential rematch with Georges St Pierre. His opponent, Tokyo native Yoshiyuki Yoshida, has won nine straight pro mixed martial arts fights including his UFC debut last May at UFC 84: Ill Will with a victory via submission with Jon "War Machine" Koppenhaver.

Mike Swick, fighting out of San Jose, CA, has also won seven of his last eight bouts in the Octagon including a three round decision over Josh Burkman this past January in a main on Spike TV’s UFC: Ultimate Fight Night 12. To continue his quest for a potential title shot, he must defeat fellow welterweight contender, Jonathan Goulet. The hard-kicking 29-year old Canadian recently scored a TKO victory at UFC 83: Serra vs St Pierre 2 over Kuniyoshi Hironaka.

The Ultimate Fighter 5 standout Matt Wiman, a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, has won four straight contests in the Octagon, including an impressive 2nd round knockout of Thiago Tavares at UFC 85: Bedlam in June. “Handsome” Matt will face his toughest test yet against the pride of Toms River, NJ, Frank Edgar. A rising star in the lightweight division, Edgar is coming off the biggest win of his professional career, a three-round decision over the dangerous Hermes Franca this past July at UFC: Ultimate Fight Night 14 on Spike TV.

UFC: Ultimate Fight Night 16 - Fights for the Troops will feature a full UFC fight card as well as celebrity appearances and an all-star lineup of UFC fighters. Further details on appearances and event information will be released soon.

Boxing events are held on US Army facilities on a regular basis. The UFC craves mainstream acceptance and this event will do their public image no harm at all. There are, however, good reasons for the UFC to stage events for military personnel.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship has developed a strong relationship with the US military. Recently, a number of UFC fighters, including BJ "The Prodigy" Penn, Michael "The Count" Bisping and Urijah Faber have visited troops stationed in Afghanistan.