DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla., April 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Authentic Sports Management® (ASM) announced that recent stable signee Anthony "Rumble" Johnson (9-3) will square off against Nate "The Great" Marquardt (31-10-2) in a highly-anticipated welterweight bout at "UFC® on Versus 4." This fight will serve as the main event for the card, which will take place Sunday, June 26th at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. "UFC® on Versus 4" will be the first-ever UFC event to take place in Pittsburgh.

"This is the biggest fight of my career and this is my toughest opponent so far, Marquardt is good in his standup and on the ground so I have to be razor sharp for this fight," said Johnson.  "If I can beat a guy of his caliber I think I can take anyone in this division."

"Anthony Johnson is one of the best welterweights in the sport," said Glenn Robinson, Partner, ASM.  "We are so pleased to have him on the team and look forward to helping him prepare for the toughest matchup of his career."

"Rumble" is regarded as one of the biggest welterweights in the UFC's 170 lb. division, and is known for his extremely powerful striking and unbelievable athleticism. He holds six TKO's in his nine career victories, including three straight wins at one point that came as a result of a head kick "Knockout of the Night" of Kevin Burns, a first round TKO of Luigi Fioravanti, and a brutal first round knockout of Yoshiyuki Yoshida. Following his impressive string of finishes, Johnson faced some adversity as he was submitted in the second round by former welterweight title challenger Josh Koscheck. That explosive fight was awarded "Fight of the Night" honors.

After being sidelined for all of 2010 with a knee injury, Johnson returned to the Octagon® with an impressive unanimous decision conquering of former welterweight title challenger Dan Hardy in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 24 in Seattle, Washington. Johnson rocked Hardy, a notoriously dangerous striker, early on their feet before using his strong wrestling to control the rest of the fight. With that performance, it became clear that "Rumble" was back and better than ever. Now, with the backing of ASM®, Johnson hopes to continue his push toward a title shot.

"I am so happy to be with ASM, they offer things that no other agency can provide," said Johnson.  "I wish all fighters had this support and a guy like Glenn in their corner."

Johnson's opponent for this fight, Nate Marquardt, is making his UFC® welterweight debut after 14 fights at 185 lbs. Marquardt began his UFC® career with a 4-0 record that earned him a title shot against Anderson Silva at UFC® 73, where he fell via first-round TKO. Since that defeat, Marquardt holds many notable victories, including a first-round TKO over Martin Kampmann, as well as a first-round knockout of Demian Maia, but has failed to earn another title shot. In his most recent fight, Marquardt defeated highly regarded Dan Miller by unanimous decision before deciding to drop to welterweight. His size and powerful striking should prove a very interesting match-up against Johnson.

"UFC® on Versus 4" will also feature bouts between heavyweights Pat "HD" Barry and Cheick Kongo, welterweights Matt Brown and Rich Attonito, and ASM® lightweight Michael Johnson against Edward Faalotolo. More bouts are expected to be announced in the near future.

Johnson is now part of the premier roster of fighters with ASM, including Thiago "The Pitbull" Alves, Alan Belcher, Rashad "Suga" Evans, Kenny "Ken-Flo" Florian, reigning UFC® Light Heavyweight Champion Jon "Bones" Jones, and Cole Miller. Companies interested in sponsorship information for Johnson or other ASM® athletes should email contact@authenticsportmgmt.com.

About Authentic Sports Management – www.AuthenticSportsMgmt.com

Founded in late 2010, and based in Deerfield Beach, Florida, Authentic Sports Management® (ASM®) is a premier sports management and marketing company with a mandate to help clients grow and succeed as athletes, while developing foundations, creating positive legacies and building a personal brand that will carry them far beyond their chosen sport. ASM, with General Counsel Neal Tabachnick, and senior partners Glenn Robinson, Malki Kawa and Jon Rubinstein, primarily represent and support top mixed martial arts fighters.

Press Contacts:
Jen Wenk
President, StarPR™ Las Vegas
jen@starprlasvegas.com
702.635.0995
@jenwenk

SOURCE ASM