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M-1 Challenge 64 Official Weights & Pictures WATCH LIVE ON M-1GLOBAL.TV


Ngā Whakaahua i raro
KĀRI MAIN
M-1 GLOBAL GRAND PRIX MIDDLEWEIGHT TOURNAMENT – SEMIFINALS – 5 X 5
Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (51-9-0, M-1: 2-0-0), Russia 184 ½ lbs. (83.8 kg)
vs.
Vyacheslav Vasilevsky (27-3-0, M-1: 10-1-0), Russia 184 ½ lbs. (83.8 kg)
CO-FEATURE
VACANT M-1 CHALLENGE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP – 5 X 5
Alexander “Drago” Volkov (24-6-0, M-1: 8-3-0), Russia 236 ½ lbs. (107.5 kg)
vs.
Denis Smoldaraev (11-1-0, M-1: 7-1-0), Estonia 269 ½ lbs. (122.4 kg)
M-1 CHALLENGE BANTAMWEIGHT SEMIFINALS ELIMINATOR – 3 X 5
Pavel Vitruk (12-2-0, M-1: 6-2-0), Russia 135 lbs. (61.3 kg)
vs.
Sergey Morozov (6-0-0, M-1: 2-0-0), Katatānga 134 lbs. (60.9 kg)
Antun “Killer” Racic (18-6-0, M-1: 3-3-0), Croatia 134 lbs. (61.0 kg)
vs.
Vitaly Branchuk (20-5-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Ukraine 134 ½ lbs. (61.1 kg)
MIDDLEWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Joe Ray (13-4-0, M-1: 0-0-0, United States 184 lbs. (83.6 kg)
vs.
Vladimir Katyhin (31-6-1, M-1: 1-0-0), Ukraine 183 ½ lbs. (83.4 kg)
KĀRI PRELIMINARY
HEAVYWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Kurban Ibragimov (3-1-0, M-1: 2-1-0, Russia 230 lbs. (104.5 kg)
vs.
Dmitriy Mikutsa (5-2-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Ukraine 239 ½ lbs. (108.8 kg)
MIDDLEWEIGHTS- 3 X 5
Magomed Mutaev (6-2-0, M-1: 3-0-0),Russia 185 lbs. (84.0 kg)
vs.
VadimArchieOrischak (5-4-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Russia 184 lbs. (83.6 kg)
ValeryThe Russian HammerMyasnikov (8-1-1, M-1: 0-1-1), Russia 185 lbs. (84.0 kg)
vs.
Vyacheslav “BisonBogomol (5-1-0, M-1: 1-0-0) 183 lbs. (83.3 kg)
WELTERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Stefan Larisch (8-3-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Germany 168 ½ lbs. (76.6 kg)
vs.
Maksin Grabovich (2-2-0, M-1: 2-0-0), Russia 168 lbs. (76.3 kg)
FEATHERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Andrey “Iron” Lezhnev (7-5-0, M-1: 1-1-0) 145 lbs. (65.8 kg)
vs.
Timur Nagibin (5-1-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Russia 145 lbs. (65.8 kg)
TA: M-1 Challenge 64
No: Rāmere, February 19, 2016
HEA: Olympic Stadium, Moscow, Russia
Kaiwhakatairanga: M-1 Global
M-1 Challenge 64 will be streamed live from Moscow in high definition on www.M1Global.TV. Ka taea ki te mataara i te whawhai tuatahi, me te kāri matua i te takiuru ki runga ki ki te rēhita i Viewerswww.M1Global.TV. Kia mataara katoa o te mahi pā i runga i to ratou rorohiko, me te i runga i te waea atamai, me papa Android me Apple.
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PHOTOS AND VIDEO FROM “BELLATOR 149: Shamrock VU. GRACIE” PRESS CONFERENCE

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CLICK HERE FOR FULL SELECTION OF PHOTOS

(Nama: BELLATOR MMA / LUCAS NOONAN)

CLICK ABOVE FOR FULL PRESS CONFERENCE VIDEO

 

HOUSTON – (Feb. 17, 2016) – The four combatants of the “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie " double-main event joined Bellator MMA President Scott Coker on stage for the official press conference on Wedneday afternoon, ki Ken Shamrock (28-16-2), Royce Gracie (14-2-3), Kimbo Poro (5-2) a "Chest 5000” each contributing to the highly entertaining press conference with great soundbites, that you can find in the video above.

 

The highly anticipated event takes place tenei Rāmere at the Toyota Center in Houston and airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. AND/8 p.m. CT. Preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.coma Te Bellator Mobile App .

Also fighting at "Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie " will be former light heavyweight champion Emanuel Newton (25-9-1) a Linton Vassell (15-5, 1 NC), who will look to recreate their epic 2014 barnburner. In featherweight action, Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) will attempt to continue his torrid pace when he meets Daniel Pineda (21-11) and a pair of lightweight assassins go to battle, ka Melvin Guillard (35-15-2) returns to meet Derek Āpure (15-6).

 

Tikiti mo tenei tīmatanga aru'i toi hōia whakauru i tika $50 a kei runga i te hoko i Bellator.com inaianei, me te HoustonToyotaCenter.com, the Toyota Center Box Office and Houston area Randall’s locations.

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WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING COMES OUT SWINGING IN 2016

Strong TV Ratings, Record Web Traffic and New Sponsorships
Highlight Formidable Start to the New Year

Las Vegas (February 17, 2016) -World Series o te whawhai (WSOF.com) came out of the gates swinging to begin the new year and its fourth year of operation, generating impressive NBCSN television viewership figures for its first live event of 2016, as well as record levels of traffic and engagement on its web platform and a pair of new sponsor partners.

The live NBCSN telecast of WSOF27: Firmino vs. Fodor, which took place at the FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn. i runga i Rāhoroi, Jan. 23, generated an average viewership of 213,000, and peaked at 245,000, ake 13% from NBCSN’s World Series of Fighting 2015 average. An immediate replay of the event that began atko waenganui po, garnered another 111,000 kaimätakitaki.

The number of unique visits to the league’s website skyrocketed by 515 percent between December and January, while World Series of Fighting secured two new sponsor partners in Talk2Legends and 1800 Tequila.

“It has been a tremendous start to a very promising year, and this is just the beginning,"Ka mea a World Series o te whawhai Tumu Carlos Silva. “With a full schedule of world championship live events; a new, athlete-focused web TV series that we will be rolling out; and a host of other opportunities we are exploring with potential partners, it’s going to be an exciting year for World Series of Fighting and MMA fans.

“We are off to a great start, and we have a lot more in store for fans, with a new live event nearly every month this year,"Ka mea a World Series o Fighting peresideni Rangatira Matua. “We made some strong additions to our fighter roster last year, and fans can expect to see some more top level talent join our ranks in 2016.”

“We are looking forward to continued growth of the league and delivering our audience another year of exciting world championship MMA action,"Ka mea Gary Quinn, NBC Sports Group’s vice president of programming.

WSOF.com engagement soared by 400 percent between December and January, and the number of user sessions increased by 480 percent over the same time period. World Series of Fighting’s social media channels (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) all achieved their highest reach and levels of engagement since the

The partnerships with Talk2Legends and 1800 Tequila kicked off during WSOF27 last month. Utilizing the Talk2Legends video chat app, World Series of Fighting offered fans unprecedented, one-on-one access to both its athletic and NBCSN on-air talent, whai wāhi Chael, Bas Rutten, Jon Fitch and reigning, undefeated world lightweight (155 pauna) toa Justin "Ko e Miramirahia" Gaethje.

Live World Series of Fighting action returns to NBCSN from Garden Grove, Calif. i runga i Rāhoroi, Feb. 20 i 9 p.m. AND/6 p.m. PT with WSOF28: Moraes vs. Barajas. Headlining the four-bout telecast will be a world bantamweight (135 pauna) championship showdown between reigning kingpin Marlon Moraes (15-4-1), who will risk his title against fast-rising star, Hohepa Barajas (12-1).

Mō te Ao Series o te whawhai (WSOF)
“Ao Series o te whawhai” (WSOF) Ko te ao pirimia ngaio Toi Martial Mixed (MMA) whawhai whakatairanga whakatapua ki tuku i te pai whawhai mahi-Kikī mō pā whawhai i te whakaputa i te pai ka taea ōrite-ups i waenganui i whawhai whiriwhiri i huri noa i te ao. Mō ētahi atu kōrero haere ki WSOF.com me te whai “Ao Series o te whawhai” on Twitter MMAWorldSeries. WSOF ko Ao Series o te Fighting e rēhitatia tohu o MMAWC, LLC.

PHOTOS FROM “BELLATOR 149: Shamrock VU. GRACIE” OPEN WORKOUTS

 

CLICK HERE FOR FULL SELECTION OF PHOTOS

(Nama: BELLATOR MMA / LUCAS NOONAN)

 

The four combatants from the “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie " double-main event took part in an open workout this afternoon at the beautiful, state-of-the-art O Athletik gym in Houston prior to their fights i runga i te Paraire po.

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Ko te āhuatanga hui Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) in action against Royce Gracie (14-2-3) mo te toru o te taime, me te Kimbo Poro (5-2) fights the man who has been calling him out since their friendship ended years ago, Dhafir Harris, pai ake mohiotia rite "Chest 5000."

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Also fighting at "Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie " will be former light heavyweight champion Emanuel Newton (25-9-1) a Linton Vassell (15-5, 1 NC), who will look to recreate their epic 2014 barnburner. In featherweight action, Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) will attempt to continue his torrid pace when he meets Daniel Pineda (21-11) and a pair of lightweight assassins go to battle, ka Melvin Guillard (35-15-2) returns to meet Derek Āpure (15-6).

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Tikiti mo tenei tīmatanga aru'i toi hōia whakauru i tika $50 a kei runga i te hoko i Bellator.com inaianei, me te HoustonToyotaCenter.com, the Toyota Center Box Office and Houston area Randall’s locations.

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"Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie " Tags ora me te utu i runga i te Koi i 9 p.m. AND/8 p.m. CT, ia ka awa pāngia tuatahi ora i runga i Bellator.com a Te Bellator Mobile App.

 

 

THIAGO MOISÉS ELEVATED TO MAIN EVENT OF RFA 35 AS ZACH JUUSOLA WITHDRAWS

MAHI MAIN:
THIAGO MOISÉS vs. DAVID CASTILLO
TITLE WORLD Kōmāmā
CO-MAIN MAHI:
THIAGO ALVES vs. DAVID PUTVIN
CATCHWEIGHT BOUT
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19th LIVE on AXS TV
LIVE at the UCCU CENTER in OREM, UTAH
Tickets are on sale NOW through CageTix.com
Las Vegas, Nevada – Raa te riri Alliance (RFA) president Ed Soares announced today that there has been a last-minute shuffle at the top of tenei Rāmere night’s RFA 35 event set to take place in Utah. Zach Juusola has pulled out of his lightweight title fight in the main event of RFA 35 due to injury. This has elevated RFA 35 co-headliner Thiago Moisés (6-1) to the evening’s main event against David Castillo (19-7). Moisés and Castillo will compete for the vacant RFA lightweight title
RFA vet and BJJ black belt Thiago Alves (9-3) has also stepped up to take Moisésplace in the RFA 35 co-main event against David Putvin (7-1). This is the second time that Alves has stepped up on short notice after a Juusola withdrawal. Alves replaced Juusola last June in the co-main event of RFA 26 in Colorado. Alves and Putvin will meet at a catchweight of 160-pounds.
Thiago Moisés vs. David Castillo is the new lightweight title fight in the main event of RFA 35 i runga i te Paraire, Ua parau Soares. “Moisés has been elevated from co-main event after Zach Juusola withdrew due to injury. Thiago Alves is also stepping up on short notice once again. He will fight David Putvin in the co-main event.
Tikiti mō te RFA 35 – Moisés vs. Castillo are available for purchase now on SmithsTix.com. You can also support your favorite fighter by purchasing your tickets through CageTix.com/RFA.
RFA 35 – Moisés vs. Castillo takes place this Friday, February 19th at the UCCU Center in Orem, Utah. This will be the promotion’s first event to take place in the state of Utah and it will be the second RFA event of 2016. Ko te kāri matua katoa o RFA 35 Ka teata ora me te motu i runga i AXS TV i 10 p.m. AND / 7 p.m. PT tenei Rāmere, February 19th.
Haere ki RFAfighting.com for bout updates and information. RFA is also on Facebook at Facebook.com/RFAfighting, Instagram i RFAfighting, and Twitter at RFAfighting.
Mō RFA: RFA Ko te whakatairanga toi hōia whakauru ngaio e homai maranga whetu, me te runga contenders te faingamālie ke fakamo'oni'i ratou taranata ki te pā me te feia faatere i roto i te ahumahi. E whakaatu ana i te RFA ngā ora i runga i te kaupapa, tae atu Las Vegas marama a tawhio noa te United States, Los Angeles, Denver a Milwaukee. Ka taea te kite i RFA ora i roto i runga i 43 miriona mau fare motu i roto i tona mahi pouaka whakaata ki AXS TV. I roto i te Las Vegas, Nevada, RFA Ko tetahi o nga whakahaere tino kaha, me te whakaaro MMA i roto i te hākinakina e tipu tere i roto i te ao. (Ko te Tapawaru, Ultimate Fighting Championship®, UFC®, me te-iu waru whakataetae moenga, me te hoahoa whare herehere rēhita e tohu whenua anake e Zuffa, LLC. Pūmau te mana).
Mō whawhai TV AXS: Rongonui mo ona aotia AXS TV whawhai he Rāmere Night hanumi Arts hōia me ngā kaupapa Kickboxing. I tou Kāinga hoki MMA, AXS TV e faaohipahia te whatunga whwhi o whakatairanga i te United States, Canada, a Europe. Na ka ki a Asia päpäho whawhai atu LIVE atu tetahi atu whatunga pouaka whakaata. “Ko te reo” Michael Schiavello rima-wa MMA-toa ao Pat Miletich whakarato kaimätakitaki tākaro-i-tākaro tohunga, i roto i te-hohonu toa kapinga, me te whānui tātaritanga ki ia kāri whawhai. AXS TV i paoho ngā kaupapa-ao o te piha haapiiraa whawhai LIVE i RFA, Lion Whawhai, FC tawhito, a MFC katoa Rāmere po i 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. AND.

Rampage Coming Back to Bellator MMA

Rampage-Jackson-Bellator

Following an amicable agreement to settle the litigation between the two parties, the always entertaining and exciting Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is returning to Bellator.

 

Bellator MMA is thrilled to have “Rampage,” one of the most recognizable fighters in the history of the sport, joining a very competitive light heavyweight division featuring champion Liam McGeary, Phil Davis, King Mo, Tito Ortiz, Emanuel Newton, Linton Vassell among others.

M-1 Challenge 65 rescheduled from March 4 ki April 8 i roto i te St. Petersburg, Russia Due to scheduling conflict

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (February 15, 2016) – M-1 Global has announced that M-1 Challenge 65 has been rescheduled from March 4 ki April 8 at Ice Palace Sports Center in St. Petersburg, Russia.
The Ice Hockey World Championships will be held this May in St. Petersburg and Moscow. Many sports venues in St. Petersburg are closed in March due to renovations, resulting in the switched date for M-1 Challenge 65.
I roto i te M-1 Challenge 65 hui matua, reigning M-1 Challenge middleweight champion Ramadan Emeev(13-3-0, M-1: 7-1-0) will take on Brazilian challenger Maiquel “Big Rig” Falcao (35-8-0, M-1: 0-0-0) in the M-1 Grand Prix middleweight semifinals match.
The other M-1 Grand Prix middleweight semifinals match is set as three-time Bellator championAlexander “Storm” Shlemenko (51-9-0, M-1: 2-0-0) takes on former M-1 Challenge middleweight and light heavyweight titlist Vyacheslav Vasilevsky (27-3-0, M-1: 10-1-0) at this Friday’s (Feb. 19) M-1 Challenge 64 at Olympic Stadium in Moscow.
The winners of Shlemenko vs. Vasilevsky and Emeev vs. Falcao will advance to the M-1 Grand Prix middleweight championship later this year.
In other M-1 Global news, M-1 Challenge toa Kōmāmā Mansour “Tarzan” Barnaoui'S (13-2-0, M-1: 2-2-0) title defense versus challenger Artium Damkovsky (20-9-0, M-1: 10-6-0), has been moved from M-1 Challenge 64 ki M-1 Challenge 65.
Replacing Barnaoui vs. Damkovsky on M-1 Challenge 64 is a classic striker-wrestler matchup between American Joe Ray (13-4-0, M-1: 0-0-0) and Nodar Kudukhashvili (10-2-0, M-1: 2-1-0), o Georgia.
M-1 Challenge 64 & 65 Ka rere ora i Russia i roto i te tautuhinga teitei i runga i www.M1Global.TV. Ka taea ki te mataara i te whawhai tuatahi, me te kāri matua i te takiuru ki runga ki ki te rēhita i Viewerswww.M1Global.TV. Kia mataara katoa o te mahi pā i runga i to ratou rorohiko, me te i runga i te waea atamai, me papa Android me Apple.
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WMMAA: The future of MMA

Mexican Consulate in Albuquerque, Efren Leyba, a
WMMAA Pan-American president Tomas Yu (pokapū)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (February 15, 2016) – The second annual World MMA Association (WMMAA) Pan-American Congress, recently held at The Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was a major success by all standards.
(L-R) — WMMAA Pan-American president Tomas Yu, MMA superstar
Jon Jones and legendary coach Chris Luttrell
The Pan-American Movement”, as it was named, brought together sports, tāpoi, and education for a common goal with more than 12 participating countries.
The Congress provided a rare opportunity for the entire WMMAA Pan-American family to collaborate with special partnerships like The Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce a The Mexico Consulate in Albuquerque, University of New Mexico Global Education Department. PANAM Members, representatives of National Federations, Commissions, Association and the Organizing Committee of the WMMAA Pan-American Championship (OCPC), as well as athletes, kaiako, pāpāho, sponsors and other stakeholders to meet and discuss issues of importance to the entire MMA movement.
In his closing speech to the Congress, Pan-American Division President Tomas Yu paid tribute to the excellent collaboration between Pan-American members.
If you asked me to sprawl a couple of times, I would most definitely need some nitro coffee from Villa Myriam before I run out of breath, followed by the guaranteed use of Sore No More,” Ka mea a Yu. “But when it comes to fighting for our youth, for our MMA global goalsfor cleaner competition, for a healthier, more peaceful and more flourishing SPORTI will sprawl-jab-cross-kick like a champion. I will sprint the steepest trail in the Sandia Mountains. I will never stop until we raise our hands by victory. I am counting and exhorting all involved in the MMA industry to join us. We must go for the KO.
Over the course of the three-day Congress and 13-day PANAM Camp, there were special guest such as Legacy Champion Damacio Page, former UFC champion JonBones” Jones a Carlos Condit. Participants heard from many respected speakers such as Health Committee Director Curt Chavez from eVOLV Strong, Hector Molina, Director of PANAM Regulatory Committee and Director of PANAM Medical Committee, Dr. Justo Pavia. The congress had interesting discussions on the following themes: kaitäkaro, 2016 Expo MMA, structure of theWMMAA Pan-American Movement”, global officialslicense and database, new era of Digital Sports Marketing Revolution, me te 2016 Pan-American Championships.

Each day was divided in two general sessions with a half-day devoted to Rules and Regulations discussions for PANAM. The plenary sessions were followed by three simultaneous breakout sessions on respective sub-themes.

All sessions were live-cast over the internet to allow the general public to hear discussions as it happened.
Two sessions began with presentations from a panel of speakers. The moderators of each panel were then responsible for the ensuing discussion period, which gave participants an opportunity to voice their opinions on issues. The main points from each session were carefully recorded byENLACEthe new exclusive WMMAA correspondent programto inform the Editorial Committee of the discussions at the end of each day. The final document reflected the main ideas to come out of the proceedings in Albuquerque, as well as information collected through the virtual WMMAA Pan-American Congress, allowing the WMMAA Pan-American family and public to submit written contributions.
The mission of the 2016 WMMAA Pan-American Congress was to bring together sports, tourism and education for a united front and review the status of the WMMAA PANAM Movement in today’s evolving global society. Information was gathered and opinions sought regarding its future, in addition to providing structure, guidance, proposals and recommendations to all constituents and other stakeholders of the WMMAA PANAM Movement for its structured showcase and harmonious development within the global youth community.
Te 2016 WMMAA Pan-American Congress was a great success and has left the WMMAA Pan-American Movement with a blueprint for the future. It is now time, kotahi ano, for the PANAM family to translate words into action: We are the Future of MMA!
Mōhiohio:

BELLATOR MMA SIGNS LIGHTWEIGHT STANDOUT ‘IRON’ MICHAEL CHANDLER TO MULTI-YEAR, MULTI-FIGHT CONTRACT EXTENSION

Click for fight highlights: Michael Chandler vs. Eddie Alvarez

Santa MONICA, Calif. (February 12, 2015) – When sifting through a list of Bellator MMA’s greatest fights, few names appear as often as "Iron" Michael Chandler (14-3).

 

I teie mahana,, Bellator MMA is proud to announce that Chandler will be continuing to compete for the promotion for the foreseeable future, with the news that the former 155-pound champion has signed an exclusive multi-year, multi-fight extension to remain with the Scott Coker-led promotion.

 

“Michael Chandler is synonymous with our brand and doubles as an incredibly talented and exciting mixed martial artist,” said Bellator President Scott Coker. “Not every fighter or free agent aligns with our future plans, but when looking at Chandler’s resume, inking him to a long-term extension was a no-brainer. I look forward to getting him back in action as soon as possible.”

 

Chandler was also pleased with his extension, kī: “I’m ecstatic to continue my career with Scott Coker and Bellator MMA. It’s obvious that good things are continuing to happen for this promotion and it’s correlating to big opportunities for myself as well,"Ka mea a Chandler. “I can’t wait to get back in action and test myself against some of these new guys coming in and move back up through the ranks. Ka rite ki nga wa katoa, my eyes are on that belt, and it will be back around my waist soon.”

 

A 14-fight Bellator MMA veteran, Chandler has been a member of the Viacom-owned promotion since 2010. Prior to joining the Bellator ranks, the Missouri native competed for Strikeforce. Amongst his notable victories, Chandler bested Eddie Alvarez via submission at “Bellator 58” in what many fans and pundits alike considered the fight of 2011.

 

Further along the way, Chandler defeated the likes of Patricky "Pitbull" Freire, Marcin Held, Rick Hawn, a Rawiri Rickels (2x). Of his 14 toa ano he ngaio, Chandler has amassed 12 victories before reaching the judges’ scorecards.

 

Chandler remains in Bellator’s lightweight division, which includes kingpin Will Brooks, haere ki Josh Thomson, Brandon Girtz, Melvin Guillard, Benson Henderson, Brent primus, Derek Anderson, aKoe Awad.

 

TRASH TALK BEGINS AROUND FEATHERWEIGHT BOUT AT NEF 22

Lewiston, Maine (February 12, 2016) - New Ingarangi whawhai (Nef), Tau-kotahi whakatairanga whawhai rohe Amerika o, ka mau tona hui muri, “Nef 22: ARATAI ROADS KATOA HERE” i runga i Rāhoroi, April 22, 2016i te Androscoggin Bank Colisée i Lewiston, Maine. The fight card will feature a mix of mixed-martial-arts (MMA) and professional boxing bouts. I mua i teie mahana, NEF announced the addition of a featherweight contest to the amateur portion of the “NEF 22” kāri whawhai. Bantamweight Champion Johnny Crafts (4-0) will move up in weight to face Taylor Costantino (2-1) at 145-pounds.

 

Crafts was successful last Saturday in his attempt to capture the inaugural NEF MMA Amateur Bantamweight Title. He took out Henry Clark (3-2) in the third round of their bout in Lewiston. Crafts is a decorated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) brown belt out of Team New England United (NEW). He also cross-trains with Central Maine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (CMBJJ) i roto i te Lewiston.

 

I’m excited to step up to 145 to fight Taylor,” said Crafts of the upcoming matchup with Costantino. “I will be very strong at that weight seeing as I cut pretty extensively to make 135. It will allow me to focus on different areas this camp instead of putting a lot of my energy into cutting weight.

 

Costantino is himself coming off a big win last Saturday at “NEF 21.” It took him a mere 25-seconds to down Frank Johanson (0-1), a training partner of Crafts at CMBJJ, i roto i te taka noa tuatahi. Costantino is clear that he is coming to fight on April 23, and he does not plan on engaging in a grappling contest with Crafts.

 

Respect to him for coming up in weight,” said Costantino of Crafts. “He’s a glorified pajama warrior that has never been punched in the face with any type of authority. He will clinch quickly and look for the takedown. He’ll realize real quick that he has never fought or trained with anybody like me.

 

Crafts and Costantino are not strangers to one another. Several years ago, the two met in a jiu-jitsu tournament with Crafts coming out on top.

 

Taylor and I have competed before in a sport jiu-jitsu tournament,” recalled Crafts. “Taylor says I am a glorified pajama warrior who has never been punched in the face, but if I recall correctly, I submitted him without my ‘pajamasno-gi in that tournament pretty quickly. I train with a lot of very talented and tough fighters daily who punch me in the face very hard. People say the same thing about me not getting punched – pai, I have had four fights and they just haven’t had the chance to. Anyone who has trained with high-level fighters will tell you that gi jiu-jitsu only makes you more of a technical fighter. If he doesn’t believe that, that is finehe will feel it on April 23rd.”

 

Johnny did submit me when I first moved to Maine,” Costantino admitted. “Legit submission, and his pure grappling is definitely high level. My grappling is MMA based, not slow jitsu. It’s grimy, grueling and punishing. Pure grappling, I would worry about his game. But it’s a fight, sport jiu-jitsu means next to nothing to me.

 

I wish I could say people will get to see my whole game, but I can’t guarantee that. Johnny will feel my power and look to go to his comfort zone. I will break him, you will see quit in his eyes.

 

After Taylor won in impressive fashion at NEF 21, he immediately screamed at me while still inside the cage that he wanted a black belt for his next challenge,” said NEF co-owner and matchmaker Matt Peterson. “Well, he’s getting a brown belt in Johnny Crafts who, by all accounts, is due to receive his black belt any day, is a perfect 4-0 in the cage and is the current NEF amateur bantamweight champion. This fight is dripping with drama and will define a future top contender for the featherweight title in NEF’s stacked 145-pound division.

 

hui i muri mai New England whawhai ', "NEF 22: ARATAI ROADS KATOA HERE,"E wahi Rāhoroi, April 23, 2016 i te Androscoggin Bank Colisée i Lewiston, Maine. Tickets for “NEF 22” start at just $25 a kei runga i te hoko i teie nei i www.TheColisee.com ranei na roto i te te karanga i te tari pouaka Colisée i 207.783.2009 x 525. For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com. I tua atu, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, te whai ia ratou i runga i Twitternefights, me te uru atu ki te rōpū Facebook whaimana "New Ingarangi whawhai."