Inside the Venue: U.S. Bank Arena

A quick look inside the U.S. Bank Arena …

Location: Cincinnati
Opened: September 1975
Seating Capacity: 18,000

The U.S. Bank Arena on Saturday will host its second major mixed martial arts show when Strikeforce “Heavyweight Grand Prix Semifinals” lands in Cincinnati. The event -- which airs on Showtime at 10 p.m. ET/PT -- will feature two semifinals in the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix, as former UFC champion Josh Barnett squares off with fellow Pride Fighting Championships veteran Sergei Kharitonov and onetime EliteXC titleholder Antonio Silva collides with unbeaten American Kickboxing Academy representative Daniel Cormier.

The remainder of the televised card includes a five-round middleweight title bout pairing champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza against Luke Rockhold, a light heavyweight duel pitting former Strikeforce titleholder Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal against two-time Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships gold medalist Roger Gracie and a lightweight tilt matching Maximo Blanco with Pat Healy.

Opened in 1975 and renovated in 1997, the U.S. Bank Arena was known in previous incarnations as the Riverfront Coliseum, The Crown and the Firstar Center.

The facility seats roughly 18,000 people and rests within walking distance of a number of eating establishments, including Baba Budan’s Café, Machine Room, Holy Grail Tavern & Grille at The Banks, Dooley’s and The Squirrel. The All Access Bar & Grill is located on the fifth floor of the U.S. Bank Arena, overlooks the event level and remains open during most events. The venue is home to the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL. A tragedy put the U.S. Bank Arena on the map in 1979, when 11 people were trampled and smothered to death in a stampede prior to a concert by The Who.

The “So You Think You Can Dance” tour (Oct. 11), Darius Rucker (Oct. 22) and Judas Priest (Nov. 8) will follow Strikeforce into the arena.