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UFC 94: St-Pierre vs. Penn 2 at MGM Grand on Jan. 31

UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn looks to become the first fighter in history to hold two UFC championships at the same time when he faces Georges St-Pierre for the UFC welterweight championship at UFC 94: ST-PIERRE VS. PENN 2 live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena Saturday, Jan. 31. Two of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world will go five rounds for the welterweight championship.

In March 2006, top welterweights St-Pierre and Penn fought for the division’s No. 1 contender’s spot. St-Pierre earned a razor-thin split decision and later went on to win the UFC welterweight title. Penn dropped to the lightweight division and won the organization’s 155-pound title. Now they’re about to do it again, but this time, there’s much more at stake.

Tickets for UFC 94: ST-PIERRE VS. PENN 2 priced at $750, $500, $300, $200, $100 and $50, not including applicable service charges, go on sale Sunday, Nov. 16 at 10 a.m. at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to 10 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (702) 474-4000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.ufc.com, www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

“This may be the most anticipated rematch in UFC history,” said Dana White, UFC president. “Their first fight was an epic battle of two of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport. After that fight, St-Pierre would go on to win the UFC World Welterweight title and Penn would go on to win the UFC World Lightweight title. Now these two champions will meet again with a lot of pride and St-Pierre’s title on the line. This fight will be talked about for years to come.”

One of the sport’s most dynamic athletes, St-Pierre (17-2) will be prepared to go five rounds to defend his UFC welterweight championship. The Montreal native has won his last four fights and nine of his last 10. Most recently, the popular champ defeated No. 1 contender Jon Fitch in a five-round war. At 27, he is in the prime of his brilliant fighting career and looking to send Penn back to the 155-pound weight class.

St-Pierre said, “I’m very honored to fight BJ Penn and very excited because it’s the fight that everybody wants to see, including myself. It will be one of the most anticipated fights in UFC history, and I’m glad and humbled to be a part of it.”

The current UFC lightweight champion, Hilo, Hawaii native Penn (14-4-1), earned the welterweight title in 2004 with a submission victory over UFC legend Matt Hughes. Penn has been even more untouchable since returning to the lightweight division. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt has won his last three fights against world-class foes including Jens Pulver, Joe Stevenson and Sean Sherk. However, the only thing on Penn’s mind right now is a return to the welterweight division for a healthy dose of revenge.

Penn said, “For the first fight against St-Pierre, I was at a point in my career where I didn’t prepare as well as I should have. During the second and third round I realized that I ran into someone who wanted it more than I did. Now, I’m very prepared to go five rounds.”

UFC Fight Club members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Thursday, Nov. 13 at 10 a.m. PST via the website www.ufc.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Saturday, Nov. 15 starting at 10 a.m. PST. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter at www.ufc.com.

UFC 94: ST-PIERRE VS. PENN 2 will be available live on pay-per-view beginning at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, Bell ExpressVu, Shaw Communications and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.95 for standard definition or high-definition broadcasts (where available).