(PRESS RELEASE) -- Mixed Martial Arts Expo - The Original MMA Expo since 2005 - announced today the first round of MMA celebrities confirmed for MMA Expo Philadelphia, January 9 -10, 2010 and president Gerald Chopik is pleased with the progress to date. “Ten weeks out and we are already well on our way to another stellar line-up with former UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk, King of the Cage Champion 48-20-7 Shonie Carter, 9X Submission Grappling Champion Marcelo Garcia, 4X Olympian and Judo Bronze Medalist Jimmy Pedro, World Karate Champion Tokey Hill as well as two Strikeforce notables, Kim Couture and former Lightweight Champion Cung Le.”

Philly fans are in for a great weekend and according to Chopik this initial list is just the beginning with many more celebrities to be announed over the next few weeks. “We always have a great group of corporate sponsors who contribute to the success of each show. As one example, a special thank you to Zebra Mats who are not only the Official Supplier of Mats, Rings and Cages but also responsible for bringing in Jimmy Pedro, Marcelo Garcia and Cung Le.”

MMA Expo Philly is co-located with the popular Philadelphia Sports Extravaganza at the Valley Forge Convention Center. “We were looking for the right opportunity to enter the US market and the Philadelphia Sports Extravaganza offered us an established multi-facetted event that already draws thousands. There were a number of intersecting circles between our events and the opportunity to work together was very appealing.”

MMA is the fastest growing sport on the planet and MMA Expo is proud of its track record of delivering a high- energy show jam-packed with name-brand exhibitors, exciting tournaments, enthusiastic spectators and some of the most recognizable MMA celebrities in the business. “MMA Expo is not related to any of the other 'mma expos' in California and New York that have attempted to clone our event. We launched the MMA Expo concept five years ago and we have been producing well-attended, quality events ever since. To date we have delivered the fans an outstanding roster of over thirty well-known MMA celebrities.”

In addition to the Philly line-up so far, the MMA Expo celebrity list has also included popular ring girl Arianny Celeste, PRIDE fighter Gary Goodridge, striking Coach and trainer UFC Champions Sean Tompkins, UFC Hall of Famer Dan Severn, James Irvin – record holder of the fastest KO in the UFC, current and former UFC fighters Ben Rothwell, Denis Kang, Jason MacDonald, Matt Hamill, Patrick Cote and Pete Sell, as well as former PRIDE champions Frank Trigg and Dan Henderson, as well as formet UFC champions Carlos Newton, Matt Serra, Andrei Arlovski and many more.

MMA Expo Philadelphia show hours are Saturday and Sunday, January 9 and 10 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults, with children 12 and under admitted for free. Tickets purchased in advance online at are priced at $15. Visit www.phillyexpo.info for a full listing of events and to purchase advance tickets. All events at the Philly Expo including MMA Expo are included in the one general admission to the show.

Website: For more information about MMA Expo visit www.MixedMartialArtsExpo.com.

Facebook: IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO ATTEND keep up to date with what's happening at MMA Expo Philly. Join the Official FB Group at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=148006581891