Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund rep: Look for "UFC Fights for the Troops 3" in 2012

KILLEEN, Texas – With another successful chapter of the event series in the books, it's a safe bet "UFC Fights for the Troops" will return in 2012.

Following Saturday's second installment, which came in the form of UFC Fight Night 23 at Fort Hood in Texas, Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund trustee Marty Edelman told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) a third event likely will take place next year.

And for Edelman, who's helped raise millions for one of the world's most effective military-based foundations, improving the lives of soldiers is paramount. And that's what made fight week so satisfying.

The UFC first teamed up with the IFHF in 2008 for the first "Troops" event. Through online initiatives and the night's Spike TV broadcast, the event raised nearly $5 million to help complete the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, a research and treatment center for brain injuries that's located in Bethesda, Md.

This year's take will help fund research that thus far has been sorely lacking.

"We asked the government and Department of Defense what was needed, and it turned out traumatic brain injury is the signature wound of this war," said Edelman, who's also been involved in the IFHF's building of a center for amputees and accompanying family housing. "So we raised $65 million and built the traumatic brain injury center, and the UFC have been our partners in this endeavor from the beginning.

"They're devoted to America's troops, they come to these events, they help us create them, and we wouldn't be doing this without them today."

The UFC has a longstanding relationship with the military, and many former servicemen currently compete for the organization. Fighters often visit soldiers, including those in Iraq and Afghanistan, as part of the UFC's relationship with the USO and Marine Corps. UFC owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, who are IFHF trustees, and president Dana White, who's been a one-man promotional machine for the fundraising efforts, have formed a true bond with Edelman and his colleagues.

"Our relationship with Dana White, and Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, has been both personal and professional and philanthropic for years now," he said. "This is 'Fight for the Troops 2,' and you know how each UFC fight has a number? Well, we'll do No. 3 probably next year, and we'll just keep going until all the needs of our young, wonderful warriors and their families are taken care of."

Immediately after Saturday's show, Edelman said more than $600,000 had been donated simply via phone lines during the Spike TV broadcast. Millions more are expected to come through online donations and other avenues, including a UFC-related auction, over the next few days.

"We determine the need, and so far, we've never failed in raising the money we need," he said. "So we just keep doing it until we have enough. We have about $13 or $14 million for research. We'd like to get to $20 million. And we'll do whatever we need to to get there."

The partnership, though, goes well beyond the donations. UFC fighters, including those who competed Saturday and others who simply wanted to be part of the festivities, toured Fort Hood throughout the week.

Former WEC general manager and current UFC executive Reed Harris saw the impact firsthand.

"Though it is freezing here in Texas, the look on the soldiers' faces when these guys roll up makes it all worthwhile," he said.

Saturday's event was open strictly to active military personnel, as well as a few media members and UFC officials. Every pre-fight interview and post-fight speech paid tribute to the servicemen and women, and nearly every competitor had a personal story to share.

Spreading that kind of awareness, Edelman said, is crucial.

"Even with all the fun and happiness we're having, we're sending these kids to places that are really challenging," he said. "And when they come, we owe them at a minimum the comfort of knowing we're going to take care of them. That's the absolute duty of every American.

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 23, check out the UFC Events section of MMAjunkie.com.

(Pictured: Chuck Liddell. Above and below photos courtesy Reed Harris.)