UFC Signs Sokoudjou; To Debut vs Machida at UFC 79

Thomas Gerbasi of UFC.com has announced that the UFC has signed PRIDE veteran Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou and his debut will come against Ryoto Machida at UFC 79: Nemisis.

“Sokoudjou is an explosive athlete with heavy hands and great judo who is coming off huge back-to-back knockout wins over two top ten guys in Ricardo Arona and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira,” said UFC President Dana White. “Bringing him in just makes the stacked 205-pound division even stronger, and there are endless great matchups for him here in the UFC.”

“The African Assassin” (4-1) stormed onto the MMA scene in February when he destroyed top ranked light heavyweight, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, at PRIDE 33: Second Coming. Sokoudjou solidified his status as a top ten light heavyweight two months later at PRIDE 34: Kamikaze when he defeated BTT’s Ricardo Arona early in the first round.

“I’m looking very forward to this fight,” said Machida. “I know Sokoudjou doesn’t have a lot of fights, but the fights he’s had are big, and he has beaten some very big names in this sport. I think this is going to be a great fight, and I am looking forward to winning this fight, and to moving on and fighting for the UFC title.”

Sokoudjou is a native of Cameroon who currently trains with Dan Henderson at Team Quest in Temecula, California. Sokoudjou is a highly regarded judoka who won the 2001 US Open.

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