Music: {allcanada} UFC stars to train with Calgary Stampeders

Monday, May 7, 2012

{allcanada} UFC stars to train with Calgary Stampeders

Several members of the CFL's Calgary Stampeders will run UFC fighters Jose Aldo, Erik Koch and Nick Ring through some football drills at McMahon Stadium on Wednesday.

The unique training session, which will take place from 4-5 p.m., is part of a media blitz this week to promote UFC 149, which takes place at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary on July 21.

Stampeders' running back Rob Cote, defensive back Eric Fraser, defensive lineman Corey Mace and receiver Anthony Parker will teach the fighters some of the finer aspects of Canadian football.

Not only is Aldo the UFC featherweight champion, but he is a former semi-pro soccer player from Brazil. Stamps kicker Rob Maver will hold a kicking session with the 25-year-old, who has proven he has some slick skills with his feet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HofgMhbZvu0&feature=player_embedded

Fans can enter a contest to see the CFL/UFC session and meet the athletes by following @calstampeders and @UFC_CA on Twitter.

UFC 149, the organization's first show in Alberta, will be headlined by the featherweight title bout between Aldo and Koch and the UFC announced the full schedule of media events on Monday.

The three fighters will be joined by UFC director of Canadian operations Tom Wright for a press conference on Wednesday at 10 a.m. MT at Shaw Court, and they will also be available for an autograph session from 7-9 p.m. at the Boston Pizza at Calgary's Chinook Centre.

Tickets for UFC 149 go on sale to the public on Saturday at 10 a.m. MT / noon ET. Tickets are listed at $650, $400, $275, $200, $125 and $85.

UFC Fight Club members will have the first chance to purchase tickets to the event on Thursday at 10 a.m. MT via the website ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers on Friday starting at 10 a.m. MT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC 149 will be the first of three pay-per-view events in Canada in 2012, with a show in Toronto on Sept. 22 and Montreal on Nov. 17.

Aldo will defend his title against Koch in the main event; former light-heavyweight champion Mauricio Rua faces off against Thiago Silva; Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira returns to action to face the always dangerous Cheick Kongo; seasoned veterans Yoshihiro Akiyama and Thiago Alves meet in a welterweight bout; and Michael Bisping takes on fellow middleweight Tim Boetsch.

There are five Canadians currently scheduled to compete including Calgary's Ring who fights The Ultimate Fighter season 11 winner Court McGee in preliminary action. Plus, Saskatoon's Mitch Clarke faces Anton Kuivanen; Sudbury, Ont.'s Mitch Gagnon takes on Bryan Caraway; Oshawa, Ont.'s Antonio Carvalho challenges George Roop; and Saint John, N.B., native Ryan Jimmo makes his UFC debut against Anthony Perosh.