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Seven celebrities who love Ultimate Fighting
Think Hollywood won't be watching this weekend's UFC bout? Think again.
By Deborah Netburn, Times Staff Writer
December 26 2006

On Saturday December 30th Ultimate Fighters Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz will meet at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas to beat each other senseless using moves from every fighting sport known to man. According to Dave Meltzer, creator and writer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the Liddell/Ortiz battle for the UFC light-heavyweight championship will be the biggest fight in the United States in four years--more popular than recent professional boxing matches and pro wrestling bouts. In other words, it is a very big deal.

And because there is a Hollywood angle to just about anything, you'll certainly not be surprised to learn that Ultimate Fighting has developed a substantial celebrity following of late. In anticipation of the big fight Saturday night, we asked Meltzer to tell us the seven biggest celebrity fans of Ultimate Fighting. Here's what he said:

1. "Michael Clark Duncan is a real fan in that he's at shows all the time."
2. "Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Rock has just started going but unlike all the other celebrities, he comes at 5 p.m., watches every prelim match, studies it. Good friends with Tito Ortiz. Used to wrestle Ken Shamrock when both were in WWE. Legitimately big fan."
3. "Shaquille O'Neal said his favorite athlete is Randy Couture, a former UFC champion."
4. "Tim Duncan. He grew up as a big pro-wrestling fan and is part of the big migration of WWE to UFC."
5. "Jason Statham. I know he's been at a lot of the shows."
6. "Cindy Crawford has been to many shows."
7. "Kevin James is a legitimate fan. Also at many shows."

Addendum: "Paris Hilton and Mike Tyson are often at shows, Juliette Lewis (huge Chuck Liddell fan), the Undertaker I've seen. Eric Clapton in Japan but I haven't seen him at a UFC show."

Read more from Dave Meltzer at www.wrestlingobserver.com and in his new column for The Los Angeles Times that comes out every other Thursday.