UNDEFEATED DIEGO "THE NIGHTMARE" SANCHEZ FACES JOE “DIESEL” RIGGS FROM MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR ON SPIKE TV WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13 AT 8:00 PM ET First Ever UFC Fight Card On A Military Base Features The Ultimate Fighter

Alums Sanchez, Josh Koscheck, Shonie Carter, and Marcus Davis

Seats to Be Auctioned Off to Benefit Families of Miramar Marines Stationed in the Middle East

NEW YORK, NY, November 15, 2006 – Diego “The Nightmare” Sanchez, undefeated (18-0) and on the cusp of a welterweight title shot, faces possibly his toughest test to date against veteran UFC fighter Joe Riggs (28-8) on Spike TV’s UFC Fight Night on Wednesday, December 13 at 8:00 PM ET.  Also appearing on the card are The Ultimate Fighter alumni Josh Koschek, Shonie Carter and Marcus Davis.  This special event will take place LIVE in an aircraft hangar at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, CA, and is the first ever live UFC event on a military base. 

The audience will consist solely of three thousand United States Marines stationed at Miramar, except for five (5) pairs of seats which are being auctioned off to the general public to this incredible event.  This is the ONLY way non-military will be able to gain access to this UFC Fight Night.  All auction proceeds will benefit the Marine Corps Community Services Quality of Life Programs for the Marines and Families, which support the health and well-being of active duty service members and their families throughout the year.

"We are holding this fight at Miramar as our way of saluting the brave men and women of the United States Military fighting oversees in the name of freedom," said UFC President Dana White and Spike TV General Manager Kevin Kay, in a joint statement.

Sanchez, fighting out of Albuquerque, NM, has defeated many of the UFC’s top welterweight contenders over the eighteen months since winning the Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale over Kenny Florian in April 2005.  With wins over Karo Parisyan, John Alessio, Nick Diaz, and Brian Gassaway, a victory over the battle-tested Riggs would bring him one step closer to the title shot he craves. 

At 24, Joe Riggs, fighting out of Phoenix, AZ is a UFC veteran who has tangled in the Octagon with some of the UFC’s best, including welterweight champion Matt Hughes at UFC 56, where Riggs was submitted in the first round. A recent victory over Jason Von Flue on Spike TV has put Riggs back in the mix of contenders for the UFC welterweight crown.  Sanchez stands in his path back towards the top of the welterweight division.

MAIN EVENT

Welterweight Bout
Joe “Diesel” Riggs (28-8-0)                 VS              Diego”The Nightmare” Sanchez (17-0-0)
6’0”/170 lbs.                                           5’11”/170 lbs.
Fighting out of:  Phoenix, AZ                       Fighting out of:  Albuquerque, NM

Co-Features

Welterweight Fight
Marcus “The Irish Hand Grenade” Davis   VS      Shonie “Mr. International” Carter
(13-4-0)                                                (66-13-7)
5’10”/170 lbs.                                          5’9”/170 lbs.
Fighting out of:  Bangor, ME                            Fighting out of:  Chicago, IL

Welterweight Fight
Drew “The Master” Fickett (30-4-0)         VS            Karo “The Heat” Parisyan (23-3-0)
5’10”/170 lbs.                                              5’10”/169 lbs.
Fighting out of:  Tuscon, AZ                                Fighting out of:  North Hollywood, CA

Welterweight Bout
Jeff “The Inferno” Joslin (5-2-0)          VS           Josh “Kos” Koscheck (8-1-0)
6’0”/170 lbs.                                           5’10”/170 lbs.
Fighting out of:  Hamilton, Ontario                     Fighting out of:  Fresno, CA

Preliminary Bouts:
Middleweight Bout
Logan Clark (7-0-0)                        VS           Steve Byrnes (6-0-0)
6’2”/185 lbs.                                           6’1”/185 lbs
Fighting out of:  Lake City, MN                 Fighting out of: Kauai, HI

Welterweight Bout
Keita Nakamura (13-0-2)             VS          Anthony “The Crush” Torres (4-0-0)
5’11”/167 lbs.                                          5’10”/170 lbs.
Fighting out of:  Tokyo, Japan                          Fighting out of:  Kailua, HI

Welterweight Bout
Dave “The Warrior” Menne (35-5-1)     VS                Luigi Fioravanti (8-1-0)
5’10”/185 lbs.                                          5’8”/185 lbs.
Fighting out of:  Forest Lake, MN                       Fighting out of:  Orlando, FL

Middleweight Bout
Alan Belcher (8-2-0)                         VS                 Jorge Santiago
6’2”/185 lbs.                                                   6’1”/185 lbs.
Fighting out of:  Biloxi, MS                            Fighting out of:  Coconut Creek, FL

Light Heavyweight Bout
Victor “The Matrix” Valimaki          VS                David Heath
6’0”/205 lbs.                                           5’11”/205 lbs.
Fighting out of:  Edmonton, Alberta                     Fighting out of:  Tulsa, OK