A PAIR OF THRILLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTS HEADLINE UFC® 247 IN HOUSTON

Las Vegas – UFC® returns to Toyota Center with two blockbuster world championship fights. UFC light heavyweight champion and No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter Jon Jones looks to continue his dominance when he meets undefeated No. 4 ranked contender Dominick Reyes. UFC women’s strawweight champion and No. 11 pound-for-pound Valentina Shevchenko aims for her third successful title defense when she faces battle-tested No. 1 contender Katlyn Chookagian.

UFC® 247: JONES vs. REYES will take place Saturday, Feb. 8 at Toyota Center and will stream live nationally on Pay-Per-View, exclusively through ESPN+ in the U.S. at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT in both English and Spanish.

ESPN+ is the exclusive provider of all UFC Pay-Per-View events to fans in the U.S. as part of an agreement announced in March and continuing through 2025.

As UFC® 247: JONES vs. REYES approaches, fans will be able to purchase itonline at ESPNPlus.com/PPV or on the ESPN App on mobile and connected-TV devices. ESPN+ is available as an integrated part of the ESPN App on all major mobile and connected TV devices and platforms, including Amazon Fire, Apple, Android, Chromecast, PS4, Roku, Samsung Smart TVs, X Box One and more.

Preliminary fights will air nationally in English on ESPN and on ESPN Deportes (in Spanish) starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT with the early prelims simulcast on UFC Fight Pass and ESPN+ at 6:15 p.m. ET/3:15 p.m. PT.

The most dominant light heavyweight champion in UFC history, Jones (25-1 1NC, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) aims to tie the UFC record for total title defenses at 11. Throughout his storied career, Jones has earned impressive victories over world champions Daniel Cormier, Rashad Evans, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson and Shogun Rua. He now looks to put on another show-stealing performance to further etch his name in the history books.

A dangerous finisher sporting a perfect record, Reyes (12-0, fighting out of Victoriaville, Calif.) looks to become the first fighter to stop Jones. Since joining the UFC roster in 2017, he has delivered memorable wins against Chris Weidman, Volkan Oezdemir, Ovince Saint Preux and Jared Cannonier. He now hopes to become the 14th undefeated fighter to earn a UFC world championship by dethroning one of the biggest names in mixed martial arts.

Undefeated since moving to the UFC flyweight division in 2018, Shevchenko (18-3, fighting out of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan) has proven to be a force at 125 pounds. After capturing the vacant championship last year against Joanna Jedrzejczyk, the former kickboxer has delivered successful title defenses over Jessica Eye and Liz Carmouche. Shevchenko aims to keep her spot at the top with another spectacular performance.

A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt under Renzo Gracie, Chookagian (13-2, fighting out of Kenilworth, N.J.) has proven herself to be one of the toughest fighters on the UFC flyweight roster. Throughout her career, she has secured impressive wins against Jennifer Maia, Joanne Calderwood and Alexis Davis. Chookagian looks to stop Shevchenko and achieve her dream of winning a UFC championship.

Additional bouts on the card include:

  • No. 5 ranked contender Derrick Lewis (22-7 1NC, fighting out of Houston, Texas) goes for another highlight-reel KO when he welcomes Ilir Latifi (15-7 1NC, fighting out of Malmo, Sweden) to the heavyweight division
  • In a pivotal flyweight contenders’ bout, No. 6 ranked Lauren Murphy (11-4, fighting out of Glendale, Ariz.) takes on No. 8 Andrea Lee (11-3, fighting out of Shreveport, La.)
  • Heavyweight prospects collide when Juan Adams (5-2, fighting out of Houston, Texas) faces Justin Tafa (3-1, fighting out of Brisbane, Australia)
  • Mirsad Bektic (13-2, fighting out of Montreal, Canada by way of Srebrenica, Bosnia) squares off with Dan Ige (12-2, fighting out of Haleiwa, Hawaii) in an exciting featherweight bout

For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

Visit UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage. Please click here to apply for the event.

Tickets for UFC® 247: JONES vs. REYES go on sale Friday, Dec. 13 at 10 a.m. CT. Tickets are available for purchase online at www.toyotacenter.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person.

UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 10 a.m. CT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, Dec. 12 starting at 10 a.m. CT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

###

About UFC®

UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 300 million fans and 75 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly one billion TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 65 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC was acquired in 2016 by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, along with strategic investors Silver Lake Partners and KKR. UFC is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram: @UFC.

About Toyota Center:
Since opening in October 2003, Toyota Center has set a new standard for sports and entertainment, becoming one of the premier live entertainment venues in the nation. Laid over the span of six city blocks, Toyota Center is home to the NBA’s Houston Rockets. Toyota Center also plays host to the nation’s top concerts and touring shows. The arena’s playing surface is set nearly 32-feet below street level giving Toyota Center the largest lower level of any arena in the nation. Coupled with the exclusive Lexus Lounge, trendy Golden Nugget Club, Red and White Bistro’s superior food and service, Toyota Center offers something for everyone making it the hottest spot for sports and entertainment in Houston. For more information, visit ToyotaCenter.com.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the leading direct-to-consumer sports streaming service from Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ grew quickly to 3.5 million subscribers in 18 months, offering fans thousands of live events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, as well as premium editorial content.

Programming on ESPN+ includes exclusive UFC and Top Rank boxing events, thousands of college sports events (including football and basketball) from more than a dozen sports at 20 conferences, hundreds of MLB and NHL games, top domestic and international soccer (Serie A, MLS, FA Cup, Bundesliga – beginning in 2020, EFL Championship and Carabao Cup, Eredivisie), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby and cricket, exclusive ESPN+ Original series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films.

Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) through the ESPN App, (on mobile and connected devices), ESPN.com or ESPNplus.com.  It is also available as part of a bundle offer that gives subscribers access to Disney+, Hulu (ad-supported), and ESPN+ ¬— all for just $12.99/month.

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment enterprise features more than 50 assets – nine U.S. television networks, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN International, ESPN The Magazine and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.