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THACKERVILLE, OK. (Dec. 3, 2016) – In the evening’s bantamweight main event, Darrion Caldwell (10-1) redeemed himself with a decisive unanimous decision (30-27 x3) win over Joe Taimanglo (23-7-1). The three-round battle capped off Bellator MMA’s massive doubleheader at WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, OK.
With the win, Caldwell improves his record in the Bellator MMA cage to 7-1 and opens the door for a bantamweight world title clash with current division champion Eduardo Dantas. “Dudu,” of course, protected his belt just last night with a one-sided affair against Joe Warren in the first night of the promotion’s epic doubleheader.
After the fight, Caldwell and Dantas exchanged words inside the cage, as “The Wolf” announced his desire for the belt: “I look forward to fighting you. It’s been a long time coming.”
Featherweight Co-Main Event Lives up to Hype as Teixeira Outlasts Lawrence
It took 15 minutes to determine a winner, but in the end John Teixeira (21-1-2) notched a unanimous decision victory (29-28, 30-27 x2) over Justin Lawrence (9-4) on Saturday night. The Brazilian veteran peppered away with a combination of jabs and kicks that severely damaged Lawrence’s lead leg throughout the bout. “Macapa” continues to dominate the featherweight division, earning victories in nine of his last 10 contests, including one draw. Since joining the Scott Coker-led promotion in 2014, Teixeira has won each of his four fights, maintaining his position among the 145-pound elite.
Flyweight Marathon Ends in Unanimous Decision Victory for Undefeated MacFarlane
Following three hard-fought rounds inside WinStar World Casino, Ilima-Lei MacFarlane (5-0) emerged victorious with a (30-27, 29-28 x2) win over Emily Ducote (4-2). McFarlane was able to withstand an early barrage of strikes from Ducote, preserving her unblemished professional mark. “The Ilimanator” relied heavily on her accurate striking, as the 26-year-old Californian landed a remarkable 68% of her punches thrown. For the budding star Ducote, the loss is just her first of the year, following four consecutive victories to begin her campaign.
Njokuani Upsets Fialho With a Bang, Hands Portuguese Superstar First Loss of Career
In the first Spike-televised bout of the evening, Chidi Njokuani (16-4, 1 NC) delivered a brutal first round knockout against Andre Fialho(7-1) that came just 21 seconds into the contest. A flurry of Njokuani punches sent Fialho to the canvas and the 27-year-old took care of the rest. Dating back to 2012, “Chidi Bang Bang” has recorded wins in 11of his last 12 bouts and extends his current winning streak to seven. Of Njokuani’s 16 career victories, 10 have come by way of knockout, making him one of the most feared strikers in the stacked welterweight division. The young Portuguese star Fialho tastes defeat for the first time in his career and will look to redeem himself at the start of the new year.
Preliminary Card Results:
Jarod Trice (1-0) defeated Tommie Britton (0-1) via majority decision (28-28, 30-25, 30-26)
Jonathan Gary (12-7-2) defeated Aaron Roberson (5-5) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Justin Patterson (8-1) defeated Codale Ford (11-9) via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Fernando Gonzalez (1-0) defeated Chris Hicks (3-9) via knockout at :15 of round one
Bronson St. Romaine (1-0) defeated Joey Soto (0-2) via unanimous decision (28-27, 29-28, 29-28)
THACKERVILLE, OK. (Dec. 2, 2016) — Despite receiving a point-deduction for a low kick in the fifth and final round, Eduardo Dantas (19-4) was impeccable on the feet during his rematch with Joe Warren (14-6) at “Bellator 166” on Friday, peppering Warren with jabs for 25-minutes and earning a majority decision (47-47, 49-44, 48-46) in front of a packed house at WinStar Resort and Casino.
With the loss, Warren’s bid for a third Bellator MMA title reign ended, as he was unable to secure a takedown throughout the main event bout. “The World’s Baddest Man” had never lost a fight that went to the judges’ scorecards until Friday, while “Dudu” rectified the defeat he took against Warren at “Bellator 128.”
After the fight, Dantas dedicated his victory to the families of those affected by the deadly plane crash suffered by the Chapecoense Soccer Team in Brazil last week. The victory now sets the stage for tomorrow night’s “Bellator 167” event, which pits Joe Taimanglo against Darrion Caldwell.
McKee Overcomes Adversity, Remains Undefeated with Impressive Ground-and-Pound Victory
In the evening’s featherweight co-main event, A.J. McKee (6-0) came from behind to defeat Ray Wood (7-3) with a unanimous decision triumph (29-27, 30-25, 30-27). McKee was tested early in the opening round, as Wood landed multiple blows that sent McKee flying to the canvas. However, McKee was able to stay the course and answered the bell, convincingly dominating Wood during the final two frames. Wood becomes just the first of McKee’s six victims to make it out of the first round, forcing the 21-year-old “Mercenary” into his first-ever decision. Fighting out of Long Beach, Calif., McKee proclaimed his desire to compete on the upcoming “Bellator 170: Ortiz vs. Sonnen” super-card after the win, calling out his previously scheduled opponentEmmanuel Sanchez.
Galvao Edges Davis for Split Decision win in Bantamweight Thriller
In a night highlighted by a pair of phenomenal bantamweight matchups, Marcos Galvao (18-7-1) was able to squeak out a tightly fought contest with L.C. Davis (23-8), emerging victorious with a split decision win (29-28 x2, 28-29). A 12-fight veteran of Bellator MMA, Galvao earned his eighth victory under the promotion’s direction and first of his 2016 campaign. “Loro” seems to be finding his groove, tallying victories in five of his past six contests. For Davis, the loss is just his second since joining the Scott Coker-led promotion in 2014.
Chris Honeycutt Delivers Flawless Performance – Rewarded With Unanimous Decision Victory
In the opening bout of “Bellator 166,“ Chris Honeycutt (9-1, 1 NC) brought a rowdy Thackerville crowd to their feet throughout the course of a one-sided middleweight affair, defeating Ben Reiter (17-2-1) via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-25 x2). An early knee, coupled with a ruthless combination of blows opened a sizeable gash on the side of Reiter’s head, forcing the 29-year-old New Yorker to take some chances. The win is Honeycutt’s second consecutive victory at 185-pounds, opening the door in what is currently a wide open division. For Reiter, the loss is just the second of his career, the first of which also came at WinStar Resort and Casino.
Preliminary Card Results:
Gregory Babene (18-11) defeated Emiliano Sordi (14-6) via submission (Guillotine Choke) at 3:11 of round one
Treston Thomison (10-4) defeated Dawond Pickney (10-6) via submission (Arm-bar) at :51 of round one
Derrick Adkins (9-3) defeated Chris Jones (10-5) via submission (Brabo Choke) at 4:09 of round two
Kinny Spotwood (3-2) defeated John King (4-4) via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
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For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports and www.premierboxingchampions.com
SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL® Airs at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT Live On SHOWTIME; Encore Presentation During Saturday’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®Telecast
Watch, Share & Embed “Wilder Road To Recovery” Video: http://s.sho.com/2gcc2TI
Download: https://we.tl/V82xszVTFc
Photo Credit: Stephanie Trapp/SHOWTIME
NEW YORK (Dec. 2, 2016) – WBC Heavyweight World Champion Deontay Wilder will join the SHOWTIME announce team as a guest analyst for the IBF Heavyweight World Championship fight between undefeated champion Anthony Joshua and American challenger Eric Molina on Saturday, Dec. 10, live on SHOWTIME (5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT).
Wilder (37-0, 36 KOs) will join host Brian Custer and analysts Al Bernstein and Paulie Malignaggi for the SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL® presentation from Galen Center at USC in Los Angeles, site of that evening’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast.
The “Bronze Bomber” just completed rehab for a fractured right hand and torn right bicep (see video above) as he (Wilder) sets his sights to unify the division in 2017. Wilder is acutely familiar with Molina, having defeated the fellow-American in the first defense of his title in June, 2015 on SHOWTIME.
“I know firsthand just how tough Eric Molina is,” Wilder said. “He’s coming to win because it’s a chance for him to win a world title, and he’ll definitely push Joshua. Whoever wins will have to see me eventually because it’s my goal to collect all the belts and become the undisputed heavyweight champion.”
Joshua is making the second defense of his title against Molina, who is getting his second shot at a belt in his quest to become the first Mexican-American heavyweight world champion.
An encore presentation of Joshua vs. Molina will air as part of the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast later that evening, following the main event showdown between WBA Featherweight World Champion Jesus Cuellar and three-division former champ Abner Mares. In the opening bout, Jermall Carlo will defend his IBF Junior Middleweight World Championship against fellow-undefeated challenger Julian Williams.
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New York (December 2, 2016) -Split T Management is pleased to announce the signing of 2016 United States Olympian, Charles Conwell to a managerial contract..
Conwell 19 years-old of Cleveland, Ohio competed as a middleweight in the Olympics but will compete in the welterweight division in the professional ranks. “David McWater of Split T Management is known as a man who cares about his fighters, not only inside of the ring, but outside of it as well,” said Conwell. “When I talked to a lot of people, they had a lot of nice things to say about him. When I met him and got to know him, he showed me that he cared about me not only as a boxer, but as a person, and that’s the one I want handling my career.” “Charles is a wonderful person as well as a fighter,” said McWater. “He’s accomplished so much in his life already! How many kids win National Golden Gloves, US Nationals, Continental Elite Worlds and make honor roll in school all before they graduate high school? Close to none I would guess! He’s just an awesome young man and a tremendous talent, I’m very excited to be working for him.” Conwell began boxing at the age of 10 when his father brought him to the gym and Charles fell in love with the sport. Charles won a gold medal in the Americas Olympic qualifiers and took the top spot in countless United States Amateur tournaments, which included the National Junior Championships on two occasions, the National Golden Gloves Tournaments and the United Stated Olympic Trials. “After winning my first national tournament (2012 National Junior Olympics), I felt that I could make boxing my career. I went on to become an 11-time national champion.” For the past 2 years, Conwell has been the top-ranked middleweight in the United States. In 2015, Conwell was named the USA Boxing Junior Male Athlete of the Year. In the 2016 Olympics, Conwell was ousted by Krishan Vikas of India. Vikas was a 2-time Olympian, who defeated top welterweight contender Errol Spence, Jr. in the 2012 games. “My Olympic experience did not go was planned, but I made the most of it. By fighting internationally, I got to see a lot of different styles of fighters and took some of the good qualities and added it to my style, which will help me become even a better fighter. I am a very smart boxer with fast hands and power. When people see me, they will think of Aaron Pryor, Mike Tyson and Andre Ward all rolled up into one.” I plan to become the undisputed world welterweight champion and leave a legacy in boxing. I will be known as one of the all-time greats to come out of Ohio.” |
Saturday, January 14 from Barclays Center in Brooklyn
Plus! Undefeated Rising Middleweight Contenders
Ievgen Khytrov & Immanuwel Aleem Collide in Action
Beginning at 7 p.m. ET/ PT
BROOKLYN (December 2, 2016) – Junior featherweight world champion and Brooklyn-native Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (30-1-1, 23 KOs) is set to battle former two-division world champion Yazmin Rivas (35-9-1, 10 KOs) in the first nationally televised women’s world title bout in nearly a decade on Saturday, January 14, live on SHOWTIME EXTREME from Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
NOTE: The last nationally televised female world title fight was Mary Jo Saunders vs. Valerie Mahfood on March 30, 2007 (ESPN2).
The SHOWTIME EXTREME telecast begins at 7 p.m. ET/PT and features Ievgen Khytrov (14-0, 12 KOs) battling Immanuwel Aleem(16-0-1, 9 KOs) in a 10-round matchup of undefeated rising contenders for the WBC Middleweight Silver belt.
The January 14 event features a SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® doubleheader headlined by the super middleweight world championship unification showdown between Badou Jack and James DeGale. Televised coverage on SHOWTIME® begins at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT with super featherweight world champion Jose Pedraza taking on undefeated contender Gervonta Davis.
Serrano, the WBO 122-pound titlist, and Rivas, the WBC International champion at super bantamweight, will fight for the WBO title and the prestigious WBC Diamond championship in a bout that promises intense action from start to finish. The addition of Serrano means that the card will feature Puerto Rico’s only two world champions, Serrano and Pedraza.
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and DiBella Entertainment, start at $25. Tickets are available now and can be purchased online by visiting www.ticketmaster.com, www.barclayscenter.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.
Raised in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn, Serrano gravitated toward boxing from watching her older sister Cindy, also a professional fighter. She picked the sport up quickly, amassing a 9-1 record during a brief amateur career in which she won the New York Golden Gloves title in 2008. The 27-year-old would go on to fight all over the world, seizing her first world title in 2011 when she defeated Kimberly Connor to grab a super featherweight belt. In 2014, she went to Argentina and defeated Maria Elena Maderna to become a world champion at lightweight. Her world title climb continued in February when she stopped Olivia Gerula in the first round to capture her featherweight championship. She made her Barclays Center debut in July with a first-round stoppage of Calixta Silgado before earning another victory in the first round when she stopped Alexandra Lazar to pick up a vacant junior featherweight world title.
A 28-year-old out of Torreon, Mexico, Rivas picked up her WBC International title in her last bout, a decision victory over Jessica Gonzalez. Rivas had previously successfully defended her bantamweight world title four times after winning the belt against Alesia Graf in 2014. Her prior run as a bantamweight champion lasted for five defenses after she defeated previously unbeaten Susie Ramadan to win that belt. These extended championship runs came after she became a flyweight world champion in 2005 by defeating Lucia Avalos.
An Olympian who represented his native Ukraine, Khytrov also won an Amateur World Championship before turning pro in 2013. Since then, the 28-year-old has dominated on his way to stopping contenders Josh Luteran and Nick Brinson and previously unbeaten fighters Maurice Louishomme and Aaron Coley. Khytrov, who trains out of Brooklyn, won an entertaining ninth-round knockout over Paul Mendez in his last start this past July. Khytrov has fought three times previously on ShoBox: The New Generation.
Born in East Meadow, New York and fighting out of Richmond, Virginia, Aleem was introduced to boxing at a young age by his parents. Since turning pro in 2012 at age 18, the 23-year-old has wiped out all of the competition in front of him. In 2015, he dominated Emmanuel Sanchez, David Toribio, Oscar Riojas and Carlos Galvan before defeating once-beaten Jonathan Cepeda in April. In his last bout, he boxed a draw with once-beaten prospect Demond Nicholson. He will look to take advantage of another big opportunity on January 14.
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Barclays Center’s BROOKLYN BOXING™ programming platform is presented by AARP. For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports follow on Twitter @BadouJack, @JamesDegale1, @Sniper_Pedraza, @Gervontaa, @SHOSports, @MayweatherPromo, @LouDiBella, @BarclaysCenter, and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook atwww.Facebook.com/SHOSports, www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment,www.Facebook.com/barclayscenter. This event is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.
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