Peter Sobotta to face Steve Kennedy at UFC Berlin

With just over a week until UFC^® head to Berlin for UFC FIGHT NIGHT: JEDRZEJCZYK vs. PENNE, the organisation today announced that welterweight Peter Sobotta will face a new opponent in Australian Steve Kennedy.

Sobotta’s previous opponent Sergio Moraes withdrew from the bout due to a back injury sustained in training.

“I would be lying if I said the change of opponent doesn’t change my approach,” commented Sobotta “I’ve been preparing for an opponent who, for the first time in my career was at least on paper better than me on the ground, so I was training to escape a lot of bad positions. In Kennedy I’m now facing someone who is more of an all-round fighter.

“Like me, Kennedy holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, but also has some pro boxing experience and from what I understand his background is actually in wrestling. So contrary to the Moraes fight which might have been a jiu-jitsu chess match, this will now be a real mixed martial arts fight that should be very rich in variety and very entertaining,” continued Sobotta.

UFC^® FIGHT NIGHT: JEDRZEJCZYK vs. PENNE will take place on Saturday June 20 at o2 World, Berlin. The main event will be the first UFC title match to ever take place on German soil, as current strawweight champion, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, will defend her title against No. 3 ranked Jessica Penne.

In the co-main event of this exciting fight card, Germany’s own Dennis Siver, currently ranked at No.12 in the UFC featherweight rankings, will be back in action against Japan’sTatsuya ‘The Crusher’ Kawajiri. Siver will be joined by fellow German fighter Nick “Sergeant” Hein who will meet Poland’s Lukasz Sajewski, debuting in his first UFC fight.

Limited tickets to UFC^® FIGHT NIGHT: JEDRZEJCZYK vs. PENNE are available and are priced at €150, €125, €95, €70, €50, €40 inclusive of VAT and fees. To purchase tickets online, visit www.o2world-berlin.de/events/detail/ufc-fight-night-berlin-1

The full card as it stands is as follows:

UFC^® FIGHT NIGHT:  JEDRZEJCZYK vs. PENNE (bout order TBC)

Main Card 

Women’s Strawweight Title Bout

Joanna Jedrzejczyk (POL) vs. Jessica Penne (USA) 

Featherweight Bout

Dennis Siver (GER) vs Tatsuya Kawajiri (JAP)

Welterweight Bout

Peter Sobotta (GER) vs Steve Kennedy (AUS) 

Lightweight Bout

Nick Hein (GER) vs Lukasz Sajewski (POL)

Prelims

Middleweight Bout

Uriah Hall (JAM) vs Krzysztof Jotko (POL)

Featherweight Bout

Makwan Amirkhani (FIN) vs Masio Fullen (MEX)

Lightweight Bout

Mairbek Taisumov (RUS) vs Alan Patrick (BRA)

Featherweight Bout

Alan Omer (GER) vs Mike Wilkinson (ENG)

Featherweight Bout

Niklas Backstrom (SWE) vs Noad Lahat (ISR)

Middleweight Bout

Scott Askham (ENG) vs Antonio dos Santos (BRA)

Lightweight Bout

Piotr Hallmann (POL) vs Magomed Mustafaev (RUS)

Featherweigh bout

Taylor Lapilus (FRA) vs Ulka Sasaki (JPN)