Felice Herrig vs Iman Achhal Make Pro Debuts as UWC: MAN "O" WAR Hits the Patriot Center on February 21st

(PRESS RELEASE) -- The Ultimate Warrior Challenge (UWC) announced today the signing of a fight between national women's champion kickboxer Felice Herrig and local fighting sensation Iman Achhal. The 120 pound fight will take place at UWC 5: MAN “O” WAR, which will be held February 21st, 2009 at the George Mason University Patriot Center Arena in Fairfax, VA.

Both women will be making their professional MMA debuts.

Felice “Lil’ Bulldog” Herrig is a champion kickboxer with an 18-2-1 record, holding multiple national titles from both the IKF and the W.A.K.O. She trains MMA with UFC legend Matt Hughes, Elite XC World Champ Robbie Lawler, and top MMA wrestling coach Marc Fiore out of H.I.T. Squad in Granite City, Illinois. Herrig is a veteran of Chuck Norris' World Combat League and a winner on the Oxygen Channel's Fight Girls.

Iman “Mannie” Achhal holds an amateur MMA record of 4-0-1. She has fought in CageFest, Operation Octagon and the Barbarian Fight Club. An immigrant who led Morocco to escape an arranged marriage with a much older man and then endured homelessness before becoming a Fairfax County firefighter. Achhal describes fighting mixed martial-arts as “my American Dream”. Acchal fights as part of Team Royce Gracie out of Capital Jiu-Jitsu, in Northern Virginia.

Women’s MMA is a fast rising phenomenon in the world of sports. Two of the top ten most-viewed fights in the history of mixed martial arts were women’s bouts aired on CBS in 2008, each drawing more than 5 million viewers. Its no secret to the fans that female fighters are skilled and willing to throw down.

“The UWC is about building the stars of tomorrow and we are proud to be promoting the first professional women's MMA match in the D.C. area,” said UWC CEO S. Marcello Foran. “Both of these ladies are incredible talents and proven competitors who are ready to showcase their skills and that women's MMA is for real.”

“We looked long and hard to 2nd exactly the right fighters to feature in D.C.'s first ever pro-women's MMA fight and I can’t wait for the fans to see this one,” continued Foran. "Felice has an incredible striking background and Iman is one of the gamest fighters you’ll find anywhere."

The card will be co-headlined by the first ever UWC bantamweight world championship fight featuring Mike “The Hulk” Easton vs Chase “The Rage” Beebe and a light heavyweight battle between Antwain “The Juggernaut” Britt vs Jamal “The Suit” Patterson.

UWC: MAN "O" WAR will be held Saturday February 21, 2009 at the George Mason University Patriot Center Arena in Fairfax, Virginia. The event will feature a total of ten fights. Doors will open at 6:30pm and the first fight is at 7:30pm. Tickets for the event will be available via Ticketmaster. For more information, visit www.uwcmma.com.

General admission tickets are available for $35, $58.50, $78.50 and $128.50 (plus applicable service charges) and can be purchased through Ticketmaster by going online at www.ticketmaster.com, calling 703-573-SEAT, 202-397-SEAT or 410-547-SEAT or by visiting any Ticketmaster outlet, including the Patriot Center box office. Exclusive UltimateVIP ($500) and VIP ($250) ticket packages that include cage side seats, celebrity meet-and-greets, VIP hospitality, VIP invitation to all parties and more are available online at www.uwcmma.com or by sending an email to info@uwcmma.com. For group ticket sales information, call 202-661-5061. Visit www.uwcmma.com for more event details.

The Ultimate Warrior Challenge (UWC) is the Mid-Atlantic region's leader in providing fans with the best, most competitive and highest quality professional mixed martial arts (MMA) events. In addition to featuring elite fighters from the top MMA teams across the country, UWC also showcases and builds the careers of the many top pro fighters from the leading Virginia, DC and Maryland teams and gyms by giving them an opportunity and platform to challenge the very best in their highly competitive hometown area. UWC's fighters and events will serve as the catalyst for turning the Mid-Atlantic region into a powerful and highly-regarded MMA east coast destination. For more, please visit www.uwcmma.com.