February 3,2015

From left to right: Mr. Edgar Tejerero, President SM Lifestyle Entertainment Inc., Mr. Hans Sy, President SM Prime Holdings Inc., Mr. Kenneth Berger, Executive Vice President and Managing Director UFC Asia

From left to right: Mr. Edgar Tejerero, President SM Lifestyle Entertainment Inc., Mr. Kenneth Berger, Executive Vice President and Managing Director UFC Asia

Manila, Philippines - SM Lifestyle Entertainment, Inc. makes history once again as it promotes the first UFC® fight in the Philippines. The event scheduled on 16th May 2015, at the Mall of Asia Arena, will be a 'UFC Fight Night' event.

"We are really excited to have the first UFC event in the Philippines," says President of SM Lifestyle Entertainment, Mr. Edgar Tejerero, "We are happy to share that this is the only UFC event to take place in South East Asia this year." He continues.  "At SM Lifestyle Entertainment, Inc., we are determined to bring top-notch sports and entertainment events for the enjoyment of every Filipino. We have already introduced the first pre-season game of a globally-renowned basketball association, and have recently brought the world's top tennis players into our venue. It is only fitting that SM Lifestyle Entertainment, Inc. welcomes the MMA phenomenon which is UFC into the Philippines."

The UFC is the fastest growing sports organization in the world and is viewed as the pinnacle of MMA by both athletes and fans. With close to 40 Asian fighters signed, the UFC in Asia is growing at an exponential rate.  Previous events in the region have taken place in Macao, Singapore and Tokyo attracting tens of thousands fo fans and millions of TV viewers.  Last November, former UFC champion Carlos "The Natural Born Killer" Condit was in Manila for a media tour and fan experience, hosting an open workout event which attracted over 4,000 fans.

Executive Vice President and General Manager, UFC Asia, Ken Berger said: "We are thrilled to be kicking off our Asia series in Manila this year. The UFC has a loyal and passionate fan base in the Philippines and we're looking forward to bringing the very best of mixed martial arts (MMA) to Manila for the first time. We have found a great event partner in SM Lifestyle Entertainment, Inc. and are excited that the Mall of Asia Arena will be home to a historic UFC event that fans will remember for years to come."

The UFC Fight Night Manila event will be broadcast all over the world giving the UFC's international fans a taste of the immense passion and support the Philippines fans have for MMA. 

Tickets will go on-sale in March, launched in conjunction with SM Tickets at www.smtickets.com.

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About Mall of Asia Arena

SM Lifestyle Entertainment, Incorporated or SMLEI is the lifestyle and entertainment solutions company of SM Prime Holdings Inc. that offers the best in movies, events and leisure. Mall of Asia Arena, one of the brands tucked under SMLEI, also known as the architectural "eyecon," is the venue for international sports and entertainment events. Patterned after popular stadiums abroad, the Mall of Asia Arena is the only center in the Philippines that has a floor dedicated to the Corporate Suites. Concert House to Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Monster Jam, J.Lo, Aerosmith, and the like, as well as sports center to the NBA, IPTL, and One FC,  the Mall of Asia Arena is not only a local stadium for international acts but is also a tourist destination.

Media Contact:

Stephanie Henares

PR and Advertising Manager

SM Lifestyle Entertainment, Inc.

E-mail: Stephanie.henares@smsupermalls.com

About the UFC®

Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the UFC® is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in 129 countries and territories to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT® (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, UFC branded apparel, DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

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