UFC releases countdown to UFC 144 Japan

As we all know UFC 144 the UFC's return to Japan is in a couple of days, now the UFC has released its countdown to the upcoming event.

Catch it in the video link below:

UFC 144 is headlined by a lightweight title fight between Champ Frankie "The Answer" Edgar and Ben "Smooth" Henderson, and the co-main event between Rampage Jackson and Ryan Bader. The event is a very stacked card which will held at the Siatama Super Arena in Japan.

Card for UFC 144 in Japan is now complete

The highly awaited return of the UFC in Japan, scheduled for February 26, has finally taken full form as the UFC finalized the remaining bouts.

The event which will take place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan will be headlined by a lightweight title fight between number one contender Ben "Smooth" Henderson and Champion Frankie "The Answer" Edgar.

The full UFC 144 card:

UFC Lightweight Championship: Frankie Edgar vs. Benson Henderson

Quinton Jackson vs. Ryan Bader

Cheick Kongo vs. Mark Hunt

Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Jake Shields

Anthony Pettis vs. Joe Lauzon

Yushin Okami vs. Tim Boetsch

Riki Fukuda vs. Steve Cantwell

Norifumi Yamamoto vs. Vaughan Lee

Takeya Mizugaki vs. Chris Cariaso

Takanori Gomi vs. George Sotiropoulos

Hatsu Hioki vs. Bart Palaszewski

Tiequan Zhang vs. Leonard Garcia

The card looks really great and there are a lot of potential fights that could go for fight of the night honors.

I can't wait for this card to come, then again I always can't wait for the next UFC event that comes around.

'Rampage' Jackson vs. Ryan Bader Set for UFC 144 in Japan

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson may have prematurely announced in his twitter account that he would not be fighting in Japan. As it turns out the former Pride FC star and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion will be heading back to Japan's Saitama Super Arena for one more time against Ryan Bader at UFC 144. As confirmed from ESPN:

"The UFC has granted Quinton Jackson's request to fight in Japan in February.

The former light heavyweight champion will meet Ryan Bader at UFC 144. UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta confirmed the matchup to ESPN.com."

Rampage is coming of a loss to Light Heavyweight Champion Jon "Bones" Jones, in a title last UFC 135, and while recently called out by TUF 1 finalist Stephan Bonnar, the UFC decided that they instead want Bader who also won last UFC 139 to fight Rampage.

The bout is likely to be the co-main event of the UFC 144 card, with the main event being a UFC lightweight title matchup between champion Frankie Edgar and challenger Ben Henderson.

More news on this card as it develops.