UFC 69 "Shootout" (GSP vs. Serra) Confirmed For 4/7 In Houston

The following is a new article from the Houston Chronicle:

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is headed to Houston.

UFC 69-Shootout will be held April 7 at Toyota Center and feature one of mixed martial arts' most exciting stars in the main event. Canadian Georges St. Pierre will defend his UFC welterweight title for the first time, taking on veteran Matt Serra.

The two 170-pounders were originally scheduled to face off at UFC 67 on Saturday night, but an injury forced the champ out of the fight. St. Pierre sprained two ligaments in his knee during a wrestling drill in late December.

"I'm healing up very fast and will be 100 percent very soon," said St. Pierre, 25, who claimed the welterweight crown with a convincing win over Matt Hughes at UFC 65 last November.

Serra, 32, who fights out of Long Island, N.Y., earned a title shot by winning the welterweight division of last year's comeback-themed edition of The Ultimate Fighter reality show.

In recent years, the UFC largely has been a Las Vegas-based promotion, staging most of its pay-per-view events at casino arenas on the Strip. As mixed martial arts has grown in popularity and, more importantly, has gained acceptance by athletic commissions across the country, the brand has branched out to California, Ohio and Texas. MMA is sanctioned in 20 U.S. states.

"We used to have some trouble moving it around, but we've gained so much momentum and are a lot more mainstream now," said UFC president Dana White. "We're going to take this thing all over Texas, but Houston seemed like the right place to hit first."

Beyond the welterweight title bout, the nine-fight card is still coming together, but at least three other bouts have been lined up. Undefeated Diego Sanchez will face Josh Koscheck in a matchup that will have a major impact on the welterweight division. The winner moves a step closer to a title shot, which could come by year's end.

The Lone Star State will be represented on the card, with Clear Lake native Mike Swick taking on Yushin Okami in a middleweight bout. Swick has been rehabbing a hand injury and hasn't fought since beating David Loiseau at UFC 63 in September.

Waco native Heath Herring is also being considered for UFC 69. Herring lost his UFC debut to Jake O'Brien last month.

"Heath was rusty, but I tell you what I respect about his performance," White said. "He kept trying to finish the fight. He was even throwing punches from his knees. We will give Heath Herring another shot. He'll be back and more than likely, he'll be on that Texas card."

A second middleweight bout also has been confirmed for the show, with Josh Haynes meeting Luke Cummo.

UFC 69 is being planned for pay-per-view, but that could change, depending on the outcome of the UFC's negotiations with HBO. The long-rumored deal to land live UFC shows on the premium cable network remains a work in progress.

Tickets for UFC 69, which range in price from $50 to $450, go on sale Monday and are available by calling 1-866-446-8849 or on the Internet at www.toyotacentertix.com.

With a capacity of more than 18,000 at Toyota Center, a sellout for UFC 69 would make it the biggest fight in Houston since Muhammad Ali fought Buster Mathis in the Astrodome in November 1971.