UFC 107 Headliners Made Official

B.J. Penn will defend his UFC lightweight title against Diego Sanchez on Dec. 12 in Memphis, Tenn., the promotion officially announced Tuesday.

The UFC also confirmed previously reported matchups pitting Frank Mir vs. Cheick Kongo and Thiago Alves vs. Paulo Thiago.

“I can’t wait to defend the title,” Penn said in a news release. “I know what kind of competitor Diego Sanchez is and I am training very hard. This will be a good test.”

Penn submitted Kenny Florian in his most recent defense at UFC 101 in August. Sanchez, 2-0 at 155 pounds and 21-2 overall, is coming off a split decision over Clay Guida in June.

“I’ve always wanted to face the best,” Sanchez said. “I’ve worked so hard for this and now I finally have a shot at the title. I’m training like I’ve never trained before and I expect an all-out war.”

Mir and Kongo will be the co-headliners for the event, which takes place at the FedEx Forum.

“Cheick Kongo is one of the best strikers in the UFC,” Mir said. “I’m coming off a loss and I definitely want to get back on the road to the title. I think this will be a difficult challenge.”

Like Mir, who lost to Brock Lesnar in July at UFC 100, Kongo is coming off a defeat. He was outwrestled by Cain Velasquez in June at UFC 99.

“In the UFC, you can’t take any opponents lightly,” Kongo said. “But when you face a former champion such as Frank Mir, you’re expecting one of the toughest fights of your career. It’s going to be a classic.”

UFC 107 “Penn vs. Sanchez”
FedEx Forum,
Memphis, Tenn.

UFC Lightweight Championship
B.J. Penn (No. 1 LW, No. 6 PFP) vs. Diego Sanchez

Thiago Alves (No. 3 WW) vs. Paulo Thiago (No. 6 WW)
Frank Mir (No. 4 HW) vs. Cheick Kongo
Kenny Florian (No. 4 LW) vs. Clay Guida*
Alan Belcher vs. Wilson Gouveia*
Kevin Burns vs. T.J. Grant*
Damarques Johnson vs. Edgar Garcia*

* - Bout is not yet official.