UFC 97: Redemption
Saturday, April 18, 2009, 7:00 pm PT from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada

UFC 97 brings the light heavyweight showdown fans have waited for years to see: Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell squaring off against Brazilian superstar Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in what promises to be one of the most explosive bouts of 2009.

There are few names that are synonymous with the UFC, and Chuck Liddell is one of them. The 39-year-old former light heavyweight champion won an amazing 14 out of 15 UFC matches from 1999-2006, and is now focused on winning the title back from Rashad Evans, who defeated Liddell at UFC 88.

"I'm very excited about fighting Shogun," Liddell said. "It's another step in getting back my title. I'm going to hit him hard and I plan on knocking him out. The Canadian fans have been great for years. They are some of the most exciting fans in the world."

With an impressive resume overseas, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua is starting to make a name for himself in the UFC. The 27-year-old is coming off a TKO victory against former UFC heavyweight champion Mark Coleman at UFC 93 and is excited to fight a legend.

"It is an honor to fight Chuck Liddell, one of the greatest light heavyweights ever in the UFC," Rua said. "I have a lot of respect for him, and I am very excited to fight him. I like to keep myself challenged, and this fight with Chuck is definitely a big fight for me and for UFC fans."