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Jersey City’s National Guard Armory will once again host an Urban Conflict Championship (UCC) mixed martial arts (MMA) fight this Friday with “UCC 3: Renegades.”

The main event will be a featherweight matchup between Ryan “Are You Ready?” Roberts (13-9) and Team BombSquad’s Anthony Leone (8-1). Roberts fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship in early 2008, and Leone — who is coming off the only loss of his career — is a veteran of the World Extreme Cagefighting league. At least eight other bouts are on Friday’s undercard.

It’s the third MMA event the UCC has put on at the Armory since March, and organizers say they expect “over 3,000 people” to attend on Friday as the series continues to attract more attention. Among the attendees will be VH1 reality starlet and North Jersey native Jaqueline Madden (You’re Cut Off), who will be performing the national anthem.

Before Friday’s festivities get rolling, though, Downtown’s Muscle Maker Grill (286 Washington St.) will host the official weigh-in Thursday at 7 pm. Muscle Maker founder Rod Silva says he’s “very excited to be hosting” the weigh-in “for what is sure to be an exhilarating match.” The weigh-in is open to the public, and fans are encouraged to attend.

UCC’s organizers have picked Jersey City as their home in part to put pressure on New York, where MMA events remain illegal. By holding events “directly outside New York City,” they hope to push the New York state legislature to pass S-2165B, which would legalize MMA events. The bill was passed by the state Senate and has been publicly supported by Gov. David Paterson.

THE DETAILS
UCC 3: Renegades; Friday, September 10 at 8 pm at the Jersey City Armory, 678 Montgomery St. Tickets range from $40 (general admission) to $100 (front row), and are available online or at the door. The event will also be broadcast live on the UCC website.