Category Archives: MMA

LFA MAKES FIRST TRIP TO THE NORTHEAST WITH A  WELTERWEIGHT SHOWDOWN

LFA 49 – BRADY vs. URBINA
MAIN EVENT:
 
UNDEFEATED PROSPECT
SEAN BRADY
vs.
UNDEFEATED PROSPECT
GILBERT URBINA
 
WELTERWEIGHT SHOWDOWN
 
 
CO-MAIN EVENT:
 
UFC VETERAN
JONAVIN “THE SPIDER” WEBB
vs.
WWE TOUGH ENOUGH COMPETITOR
TANNER “THE HAMMER” SARACENO
 
WELTERWEIGHT WAR
 
 
PLUS THE MMA DEBUT OF
3-TIME USA NATIONAL BOXING CHAMPION
AND
ESPN “THE BODY ISSUE” ATHLETE
DANYELLE WOLF
vs.
LFA UPSET QUEEN
COURTNEY KING
 
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14th LIVE on AXS TV
Golden Nugget Casino, Hotel & Marina in Atlantic City.

in ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY
 
Tickets on sale NOW through Ticketmaster.com

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – LFA CEO Ed Soares announced today that the promotion will head to “The World’s Famous Playground” with a pair of welterweight duels at the top of LFA 49, when the promotion visits Atlantic City, New Jersey in September. This will be the LFA’s first trip to the northeast.

 

 

 

The main event of LFA 49 will feature a welterweight showdown when two of the sport’s most highly-touted prospects collide. The high-stakes headliner pairs Sean Brady and Gilbert Urbina in a battle of undefeated prospects. LFA 49 – Brady vs. Urbina takes place Friday, September 14th at the Golden Nugget Casino, Hotel & Marina in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The entire main card will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

 

 

 

“I am excited to bring LFA to the northeast,” stated Soares. “Atlantic City is a great fight town with a long, storied history in prize fighting. On September 14th, LFA will add another chapter to the city’s combat sports history. LFA 49 will feature a top-tier main event between undefeated prospects Sean Brady and Gilbert Urbina, which takes place at the world-famous Golden Nugget Casino, Hotel & Marina in Atlantic City.”

 

 

 

Tickets for LFA 49 – Brady vs. Urbina are available for purchase NOW at Ticketmaster.com.

 

 

 

Brady (8-0) is the top prospect on the east coast and widely-considered one the best welterweight prospects in the world. He comes to LFA after winning all eight of his professional fights, which includes regional title fights in his last three contests. The Renzo Gracie Philly standout won his first title in May of last year by submission. He then defended it by submitting LFA vet Mike Jones this past October. The biggest win of his career, however, came this past March in his second title defense. This came against UFC vet and The Ultimate Fighter 16 winner Colton Smith. Brady defeated the four-time UFC vet  via Unanimous Decision. Now the 25-year-old Philadelphian has upped the ante by signing with LFA to face a fellow unbeaten prospect at LFA 49.

 

 

 

Urbina (5-0) is perhaps the only welterweight prospect that can match the intrigue surrounding Brady. This is due in large part to the fact that Gilbert Urbina, age 22, comes from a famous Texan fighting family. His older brother Hector Urbina, age 30, is a three-time UFC vet that was also a cast member on two seasons of the UFC’s hit reality television show The Ultimate Fighter (TUF 19 and TUF 25). Meanwhile, his other brother Elias Urbina, age 24, has competed on UFC President Dana White’s television series Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series as well as  The Ultimate Fighter as he was a cast member on TUF 23. Now Gilbert Urbina, after a quick submission victory at LFA 7, is looking to build his own legacy by securing a marquee win at LFA 49.

 

 

 

The co-main event of LFA 49 will also feature a welterweight clash when two of the division’s most exciting fighters look to make a statement during the LFA’s first trip to AC. They happen to be men used to bright lights and media attention. The first is Jonavin “The Spider” Webb (10-2), who is a teammate of Brady at Renzo Gracie Philly. Webb made a name for himself on the east coast before signing with the UFC in 2015. Webb is currently riding a two-fight win streak and will meet one of the flashiest fighters in the division. That would be Tanner “The Hammer” Saraceno (7-2). When Webb was fighting in the UFC, Saraceno was busy making a name for himself by competing on the sixth season of the WWE’s professional wrestling television series Tough Enough. Saraceno, who now lives in South Carolina, is eager to continue his rise in MMA by capturing the biggest win of his career at LFA 49.

 

 

 

The main card of LFA 49 will also feature one of the year’s most anticipated debuts in women’s MMA. That would be the debut of three-time USA national boxing champion Danyelle Wolf. In 2014, Wolf appeared in ESPN’s world-renowned “The Body Issue” alongside boxing legend and fellow southeastern Pennsylvania native Bernard Hopkins. Wolf was a three-sport athlete at Millersville University of Pennsylvania, where she competed in basketball, track (heptathlon), and field hockeybefore winning her three USA national boxing titles, Golden Gloves title (boxing), and IBJJF title (jiu-jitsu). Wolf competed at 152-pounds in boxing, but will be competing at 145-pounds in MMA. That next chapter in her career begins against LFA vet Courtney King at LFA 49. King is a well-known Upset Queen in LFA, who made a name for herself last summer by derailing the highly-anticipated debut of Colbey Northcutt, who is the older sister of UFC star Sage Northcutt. King stopped Northcutt via TKO at LFA 14 and will look to spring another upset at LFA 49.

 

 

 

 

Currently Announced Main Card (Televised on AXS TV at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT):

 

 

 

Main Event | Welterweight Bout (170 lb)

– Sean Brady (8-0) vs. Gilbert Urbina (5-0)

 

 

 

Co-Main Event | Welterweight Bout (170 lb)

– Jonavin Webb (10-2) vs. Tanner Saraceno (7-2)

 

 

 

Women’s Featherweight Bout (145 lb)

– Danyelle Wolf (0-0) vs. Courtney King (1-1)

 

 

 

Bantamweight Bout (135 lb)

– Andrew Salas (5-1) vs. Ahmet Kayretli (8-2)

 

 

 

 

LFA 49 will serve as the fourth LFA event to take place on the east coast.  It will also be the first time that LFA has traveled to “The Garden State” of New Jersey before or after the merger. Further information about LFA 49 will be announced soon. The entire main card of LFA 49 will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

 

 

 

Please visit LFAfighting.com for bout updates and information. LFA is on Facebook at Legacy Fighting Alliance. LFA is also on Instagram at @LFAfighting and Twitter at @LFAfighting.

 

 

 

In 2017 RFA and Legacy FC merged to form LFA, the premier developmental organization in Mixed Martial Arts. The combined forces of LFA launched the careers of over 130 athletes to reach the pinnacle of MMA by competing in the UFC.  In May of 2018 the promotion joined the London Trust Media Holdings group of companies.

MONTOYA STEPS UP TO FACE SANDERS ON SEPTEMBER 8 IN BANGOR

Bangor, Maine (August 8, 2018) – New England Fights (NEF) will hold its next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 35: Wicked Season,” on September 8 at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.  Earlier today, the fight promotion announced the addition of a professional welterweight bout to the card.  “The” Ryan Sanders (16-9) will face Armando “Big Chino” Montoya (10-6) at a fight weight of 170-pounds.

The bout will be the third for Sanders in front of his hometown friends, family and fans.  He is undefeated in the Queen City, where Sanders trains at Young’s MMA. He scored a decision over Derrick Kennington (13-11) two years ago at “NEF Presents Dana White: Lookin’ for a Fight” and a submission of Jay Ellis (15-78) last year at the Cross.  Overall, Sanders is on a roll, having won six of his last seven.  During that stretch, he captured the NEF Professional Lightweight Title, knocked out veteran John Ortolani (8-13) in a mere 15-seconds, and literally tore Vince McGuiness’ (5-8) arm out of its socket earlier this summer at “NEF 34” in Portland, Maine.

Unfortunately for Sanders, his meteoric rise to the top of New England’s 155-pound division over the course of the last two years has come with consequences.  He has called out virtually every other top lightweight prospect in the region in recent months with the sound of crickets as the only response.  It is a testament to both Sanders’ skill and the respect, (or fear for that matter), that his peers hold for him.  Hence Sanders’ move to the heavier welterweight division to find opponents willing to step in the cage across from him.

“I am excited that I get another chance to fight in my backyard,” said Sanders. “I appreciate Montoya for taking this fight because not many men are willing to fight me regionally. I look forward to displaying my ever evolving tool set come September 8 and getting another step closer to being the best in the world. It’ll be a great night for Young’s MMA and myself.”

Armando Montoya is a longtime veteran of the MMA cage.  He started his professional career back in 2009 on the West Coast and has competed extensively throughout the Southwest over the years.  Montoya has fought for national promotions like King of the Cage and the Resurrection Fighting Alliance.  Recently, Montoya relocated to Maine where he trains with First Class MMA in Brunswick.  The bout with Sanders will be his first fight back from a layoff that began in early 2017.

“I’m excited to be fighting again after a year and a half off,” said Montoya. “Thanks to NEF and Maine for the opportunity to be able to fight for an awesome promotion. Thanks to Sanders.  It’s exciting to fight a worthy opponent in September. God is good, God bless us all!”

NEF’s next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 35: Wicked Season,” will see the company make its return to the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine.  The event is scheduled to take place Saturday, September 8, 2018 with a bell time of 7 pm.  Tickets are on sale now at www.CrossInsuranceCenter.com.

MMA PRO LEAGUE ANNOUNCES BROADCAST TEAM & RING ANNOUNCER

 
UFC Hall of Famer Pat Miletich & Play-By-Play Veteran T.J. De Santis Team Up for Broadcast Streaming 
Live on FloCombat.com
&
Jazz Securo Set for Ring Announcing Duties
Inaugural Event Saturday, September 15 from
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City

 

 

 

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (August 7, 2018) – The newest entity in MMA, MMA Pro League, will feature a top-flight broadcast and in-arena experience led by UFC Hall of Famer Pat Miletich on color commentary along with play-by-play veteran T.J. De Santis, while ring announcer Jazz Securo will call the fighters into the ring for MMA Pro League’s inaugural event Saturday, September 15 streaming live on FloCombat.com from the new Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City.

 

 

 

The show will pit fighters from Team New Jersey, which is led by head coach Dan Miller of the Miller Brothers, against Team Pennsylvania and their head coach, Daniel Gracie of the renowned Gracie family.

 

 

 

MMA Pro League CEO Hani Darwish said, “I can’t think of a better way to kick off MMA Pro League’s new era and team concept than with a team of broadcast professionals like Pat Miletich, T.J. De Santis and Jazz Securo. MMA Pro League viewers on FloCombat are in for a real treat.”

 

 

 

“I am thrilled with the depth and breadth of experience and the great passion which Pat Miletich, T.J. De Santis and Jazz Securo will bring to MMA Pro League’s inaugural telecast on September 15 from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City,” said MMA Pro League president Mark Taffet. “Our viewers will be informed, engaged and entertained at the highest level by this great group of broadcasters.”

 

 

 

Tickets for the inaugural installment of “MMA Pro League At The Hard Rock”are available at Ticketmaster.com.

 

 

 

An Iowa-native trained in disciplines ranging from Muay-Thai and boxing, to wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Miletich broke through on the big stage by becoming the first UFC welterweight champion back in 1999. After his storied MMA career that saw him inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2014, Miletich opened an MMA academy that would produce 11 MMA world champions. In 2009, he began his broadcasting career providing color commentary for Strikeforce throughout its run on SHOWTIME. He has also done commentary for fights on AXS TV and ESPN’s MMA Live.

 

 

 

“I am excited that MMA Pro League is celebrating team MMA,” said Miletich. “The team aspect is far more exciting, and the strategy of coaching a group of fighters to face another team will bring out the best in the athletes. I’m honored to be calling the inaugural MMA Pro League event at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City on September 15.”

 

 

 

A broadcast veteran of over two decades, De Santis broke into the businessas a junior in high school when he earned a spot on the KXXR-FM station lineup in Minneapolis. He has provided play-by-play for numerous organizations, including Invicta Fighting Championships, The Eddie Bravo Invitational and Roy Jones Jr.’s Island Fights. De Santis currently works with the likes of Tyron Woodley and Bruce Buffer on a litany of MMA podcasts and has produced shows for ESPN.com, SI.com, Ring Magazine and FOX Sports throughout his career.

 

 

 

“I’m thrilled to bring my extensive MMA broadcasting experience to MMA Pro League and their team concept,” said De Santis. “It will be an honor to be joined cageside by Hall of Famer Pat Miletich to call the action live on September 15 from the new Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. I can’t wait for this new era in MMA to begin!”

 

 

 

After more than 20 years of announcing, Securo has introduced countless fighters, recording artists, athletes and teams at prominent venues around the world. He has announced events on PPV, cable and satellite TV on NBC, NBC Sports Network, AXS TV and FOX Sports, in addition to being featured in the Oscar Nominated film “Foxcatcher”. The New Orleans-native has been awarded “Best Ring Announcer” at the 2013 Florida MMA Awards and was nominated for “Ring Announcer of the Year” at the 2016 Bluegrass MMA Awards.

 

 

 

“I’m very excited to be a part of the inaugural MMA Pro League event in Atlantic City on September 15th,” said Securo. “I’m honored to work with legendary combat sports executives Mark Taffet and Hani Darwish, and I look forward to contributing to their innovative vision of a new era of MMA. It’s about to go down!”

 

 

 

 

To access live and on-demand coverage of all MMA Pro League action, visit FloCombat.com and become a monthly or annual PRO subscriber. Either subscription unlocks access to premium content across the entire FloSports network. Watch the games on all screens by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Roku, or Apple TV 4.

 

 

 

For more information visit www.MMAProLeague.com, follow the conversation on Twitter @MMAPro_League, @DanMiller185, @DanielGracie, @Hani_Darwish1 and @MarkTaffetMedia, on Instagram at Instagram.com/mmaproleague,Instagram.com/DanMiller185, Instagram.com/DanielGracie,Instagram.com/Hani_Darwish1 and Instagram.com/MarkTaffetMedia, and on Facebook at Facebook.com/MMAProLeague,

“The Rage” hits Music City “Road to M-1: USA” in Nashville

This Saturday LIVE on worldwide Pay Per View

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (August 18, 2018) – “The Rage,” a hybrid ring/cage, will make its American debut this Saturday night in the Music City, when the “Road to M-1: USA” professional mixed-martial-arts event is held at Global Mall in Nashville, Tennessee.

 

 

 

“Road to M-1″ USA”, presented by M-1 Global USA and Angel Fight Promotions, will air live on worldwide pay-per-view.starting at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. Integrated Sports Media will distribute “Road to M-1: USA” in North America on cable, satellite and digital pay-per-view via iN Demand, Vubiquity, DIRECTV and DISH in the United States, in addition to Rogers, SaskTel, and Shaw PPV in Canada, and live-streamed worldwide on the FITE.TV app and website (www.fite.tv), each way for a suggested retail price of only $19.95.

 

 

 

“The Rage, used by M-1 Global throughout Europe and Asia, measures 23-feet across and 24” inches from the floor to first rope, and then there are three additional ropes above that. Fans in attendance and watching on PPV will have optimum viewing of a ring and fighters the safety associated with a cage.

 

 

 

“Road to M-1: USA” is headlined by a middleweight fight between Florida veteran fighter David “Redneck” Mundell (9-3-0), who replaced injured Reggie “The Regulator” Pena, and against Georgia middleweight Doug “Yamato” Usher (9-3-0).  Both fighters are hot, Usher riding a five-fight win streak, dating back 2 ½ years, and Mundell has won his last three fights.

 

 

 

In the co-featured event, veteran Arkansas fighter Dawond Pickney (15-10-0) faces his Cuban opponent, Yoislandy “Cuba” Izquierdo (11-4-0), who is fighting out of Charlotte, North Carolina.

 

 

 

The feelgood story of the show is undefeated Brazilian MMA fighter Bruno Ferreira (8-0-0), who has successfully beaten testicular cancer, returning to fight after three long years, versus always tough Tony Gravely (12-5-0), of Virginia.

 

 

 

Other main-card fights include Georgia flyweight C.J. “The Autobot” Hamilton (12-6-0) vs. Floridian fighter Abdiel “The Nightmare” Velazquez (8-5-0), Kentucky welterweight Brandon “The Juggernaut” Bell (5-6-0) vs. Jacob “Tick-Tock” McLintock (9-2-0), of Arizona; and Tennessee welterweight James Conway (3-0-0) vs. P.J. Cajigas (5-7-0), of Chicago.

 

 

 

Undercard bouts include California heavyweight Cody “The Moose” Goodale (5-4-0) vs. Nkemdirim “Kim” Oti (2-3-0), of Alabama, New Brunswick, Canada bantamweight Chris Johnson (5-6-0) vs. Jerrod “The Hillbilly Hammer” Jennings (2-1-0), of Kentucky, and Nashville favorite Dwayne Herrelle (0-1-0) vs. pro-debuting Kentucky lightweight Kegan Agnew.

 

 

 

All fights and fighters are subject to change.

 

 

 

INFORMATION:

 

 

www.M1Global.tv

www.mixfight.ru

 

 

 

Twitter & Instagram:

 

 

@M1GlobalNews

@M1Global

 

 

 

Facebook:

 

 

 

www.facebook.com/M-1-GlobalNews

www.facebook.com/M1GlobalUSA/

PAT KELLY TO COMPETE IN FINAL MMA FIGHT ON SEPTEMBER 8 IN BANGOR

 

Maine (August 7, 2018) – New England Fights (NEF) will hold its next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 35: Wicked Season,” on September 8 at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.  Earlier today, the fight promotion announced the addition of an amateur lightweight title fight to the card.  Pat Kelly (4-0) is scheduled to defend his strap against the challenge of fellow undefeated MMA competitor Tim Manning (2-0).

 

 

 

The fight will be the final contest for the 53-year-old Kelly who began competing in MMA four years ago in his late 40s.  He brought to the cage unmatched wrestling credentials earned through a lifetime on the mats.  Kelly is nothing short of a legend in Maine wrestling circles.  He won a state championship as a senior competing for the former Camden-Rockport High School.  Kelly went on to wrestle for the University of Maine where he claimed a New England title and competed in the national NCAA championships.  Later, as a coach Kelly would lead Camden-Rockport and Camden Hills Regional High School to multiple state championships.  Among the students he coached is current UFC star Tim Boetsch (21-11).  Kelly was inducted into the Maine Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2007.

 

 

 

“I started this journey five years ago in Bangor with Young’s MMA,” said Kelly. “It is only fitting I have my farewell fight in the same great city.  I am very grateful to NEF for the opportunity to fight in their cage and ultimately win an ammy title.  To me, age is simply a number.  I have searched for tough and competitive challenges my entire career, and this fight is certainly another big challenge.”

 

 

 

For all his accomplishments in wrestling, Kelly’s time in the MMA cage has been impressive as well.  He was able to finish his first three bouts on his way to earning a crack at the NEF Amateur Lightweight Championship.  Last summer at “NEF 29,” Kelly handed then-undefeated Rafael Velado (4-1), an athlete fourteen years Kelly’s junior, the first loss of his career to claim the belt.  Over a year later, Kelly promises to bring his trademark intensity to both his training camp at Young’s MMA and his final fight on September 8.

 

 

 

“I train hard, period,” exclaimed Kelly. “And I am sure my opponent does the same thing, and that’s what it is all about – the willingness to prepare to win.  Additionally, it is important for me to let coach Chris Young and Ernie Fitch know that I truly have appreciated them letting me become a part of the Young’s MMA family.  To my teammates at Young’s and to all my fans – thanks for the ride… I have enjoyed you all.”

 

 

 

Kelly’s challenger on September 8, Tim Manning, is also undefeated.  Fighting out of F2 Arena in Gainesville, Florida, Manning is nicknamed “Murder” for good reason.  It took Manning a mere 37-seconds to submit his opponent with an armbar in his amateur debut last fall.  He followed up that performance with another impressive first round submission earlier this year in his sophomore cage appearance.

 

 

 

NEF’s next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 35: Wicked Season,” will see the company make its return to the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine.  The event is scheduled to take place Saturday, September 8, 2018 with a bell time of 7 pm.  Tickets are on sale now at www.CrossInsuranceCenter.com.

 

 

 

About New England Fights

 

 

 

New England Fights (“NEF”) is a fight events promotions company. NEF’s mission is to create the highest quality events for fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.

Fight Talk Unlimited Latest Show

This week on Fight Talk Unlimited we discuss a wide range of topics, beginning with the death of three pro wrestlers in one day. We go on to chat about Cody Garbrandt’s biting comments about fighter pay. We touch on bareknuckle fighting’s resurgence (adding Shawne Merriman to the roster of fighters for one organization), and we recap a wild fight between Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirier on last weekends UFC on Fox card. We also preview Garbrandt’s second bite at the TJ Dillashaw apple this weekend at UFC 227. Tony also helps preview one of the biggest fights of the week in Kovalev vs. Alvarez, which he will be attending in Atantic City. We do a boxing roundup of results and previews, and then we end the show with an off-topic talk about nature 🙂

 

Listen live here:

 

Dimitriy Mikutsa vs. Khadis Ibragimov M-1 Challenge light heavyweight title fight to headline M-1 Challenge 96

 
Daniel Swain vs. Viktor Kolesnik in co-feature
August 25 in Saint Petersburg, Russia

 

SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia (August 1, 2018) -The vacant M-1 Challenge light heavyweight title will be on the line August 25, when Dimitriy Mikutsa and Khadis Ibragimov throw-down in the M-1 Challenge 96 main event, in M-1 Arena, at Saint Petersburg, Russia.

 

 

 

Mikutsa (9-3-1, M-1: 2-1-0), one of the top fighters in Ukraine, is riding a four-fight win streak, including M-1 Global victories over Kleber Raimundo Silva last February at M-1 Challenge 87 and Dmitry Tebekin at M-1 Challenge 79, both by way of three-round unanimous decisions. A heavy-handed striker, Mikutsa has knocked out six of his nine victims to date.

 

 

 

One of the most promising prospects in years, undefeated Ibragimov (6-0-0, M-1: 2-0-0) has earned his title shot, primarily by defeating former M-1 Challenge light heavyweight champion Stephan Puetz, using a bulldog choke to submit his German foe in the third round last February at M-1 Challenge 88. Ibragimov, who will be fighting at home in Saint Petersburg, won his last fight at M-1 Challenge 92, when Giga Kukhalalashvili was disqualified in the third round for rope grabbing.

 

 

 

 

A potentially explosive co-featured event has also been announced as American featherweight Daniel “Agent Orange” Swain (18-8-1, M-1: 1-0-1) takes on Viktor Kolesnik (14-3-1, M-1: 3-1-1), of Russia.

 

 

 

Fighting out of Newport, Washington, the entertaining Swain is coming off a sensational victory this past May at M-1 Challenge 91, when he used a kneebar to submit Musu Nuertiebieke in the opening round.

 

 

 

Kolesnik’s lone loss in his last 10 fights, dating back nearly four years, was by split decision at M-1 Challenge 85 to Nate Landwehr, who is now the newly crowned M-1 Challenge featherweight champion.

 

 

 

Additional fights will soon be announced. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

 

 

 

INFORMATION:

 

www.M1Global.tv

www.mixfight.ru

www.wmmaa.org

 

 

 

 

Twitter & Instagram:

@M1GlobalNews

@M1Global

 

 

 

 

Facebook:

 

www.facebook.com/M-1-GlobalNews

 

 

 

 

Upcoming M-1 Challenge Events:

Aug. 11 – “Road to M-1: USA” in Nashvillee, Tennessee, USA

Aug. 25 – M-1 Challenge 96: Mikutsa vs. Ibragimov in Saint Petersburg, Russia

First Seven Matches Set for MMA Pro League Inaugural Event Saturday, September 15 from New Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City & Streaming Live on FloCombat.com

 
Head Coach Dan Miller Leads Team New Jersey Against
Head Coach Daniel Gracie & Team Pennsylvania

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (July 31, 2018) – The newest entity in MMA, MMA Pro League, has set the first seven matches that will take place at their inaugural event Saturday, September 15 at the new Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City and streaming live on FloCombat.com.

 

 

 

The September 15 event will pit fighters from Team New Jersey, which is led by head coach Dan Miller of the Miller Brothers, against Team Pennsylvania and their head coach, Daniel Gracie of the renowned Gracie family.

 

 

 

“We are very excited to announce these first seven matches for our inaugural MMA Pro League at The Hard Rock event on Saturday, September 15,” said MMA Pro League CEO Hani Darwish. “The fighters are proud to be representing Team New Jersey and Team Pennsylvania, and are committed to giving the fans a great show that night.” Darwish and MMA Pro League President Mark Taffet are leading the efforts for this newest addition to the professional team sports landscape.

 

 

 

MMA Pro League action will see Claudio Ledesma taking on Andre Bernardo in a flyweight fight, Gabriel Ruiz in a bantamweight clash against Cody Hier, the professional MMA debut of Francisco Muniz as he takes on Joe Schick at a 140-pound catchweight and a women’s bantamweight showdown between Erika Bobierand Kylie O’Hearn.

 

 

 

Rounding out the lineup of fights that are currently set are Sodik Ismoilov battling Andrew Salas in a featherweight attraction, Mike Pagano in a featherweight bout against Zedekiah Montanez and a middleweight contest that pits Emmanuel Walo against Rafael Celestino.

 

 

 

Additional fighters and matchups will be announced for the September 15 event in the weeks leading up to fight night as coach Miller and coach Gracie prepare their teams for the groundbreaking night of action.

 

 

 

“I’m very excited about my Team New Jersey fighters,” said Miller. “We will be in great shape on September 15 and give our fans a big victory over Daniel Gracie and Team Pennsylvania. This is a new era in MMA and we’re going to start it off with a bang!”

 

 

 

“I can’t wait to test myself as an MMA coach against Team New Jersey,” said Gracie. “I’m coming to this league to win. This team concept is the future of MMA and it’s going to make these fights even more exciting. As a Gracie, I expect hard work from my team, but victory is the only thing on my mind. I’m not playing around. Coach Miller better have his team ready!”

 

 

 

Tickets for the inaugural installment of “MMA Pro League At The Hard Rock”will be available at Ticketmaster.com starting August 1.

 

 

 

Ledesma is a native of West Orange, NJ and currently holds a 14-7 record as a professional fighter. Bernardo is originally from Botucatu, Sao Paulo, Brazil and has a professional record of 8-4.

 

 

 

Ruiz fights out of Woodland Park, NJ with an 0-1 record as a professional fighter and an amateur record of 5-2-1 in the flyweight division. Hier is originally from Davidson, MI. He later moved to Philadelphia to train at Gracie Gym. Hier has a record of 1-1 as a professional fighter in the bantamweight division.

 

 

 

Muniz is originally from Caguas, Puerto Rico. His preferred discipline is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Muniz has fought five times in his native Puerto Rico, attaining a record of 4-1. Schick, from Hamilton, NJ, was a Division 1 wrestler. He began fighting as an amateur in 2015. Within one year, Schick accumulated an amateur record of 5-0. He then turned professional and holds a 1-2 record in the pro ranks. Schick is also a middle school teacher in Fairlawn, NJ where he teaches science, match and social studies.

 

 

 

Bobier has an amateur record of 0-1 fighting out of Michigan. She’ll be making her professional debut on September 15. O’Hearn recorded a 3-1 amateur record fighting out of Massachusetts. She will also be making her professional debut.

 

 

 

Ismoilov, fighting out of Moscow, Russia, has a record of 1-2 as a professional fighter in the bantamweight division. Salas is affiliated with Wilkie’s Warriors, based in Bridgewater, NJ. He currently has a 5-1 record as a professional fighter.

 

 

 

Pagano, a United States military veteran, is originally from Fayetteville, NC. He later moved to New Jersey to train with Dan Miller’s Miller Brothers MMA. Pagano is also a trainer at the gym and serves as the head instructor for the gym’s Little Spartans youth martial arts and anti-bullying program. He is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu with an 0-1 record as a professional fighter. Montanez is a mixed martial arts fighter based in Pennsylvania. He has a 3-2 amateur record as a fighter in the featherweight division.

 

 

 

Walo was born in Cleveland, OH and spent the first few years of his life there before moving to Liberia at a very young age. Walo eventually returned to the U.S. to join the United States National Guard and was stationed as a guard in an Iraqi prison. While in Iraq, Walo was exposed to mixed martial arts and quick fell in love with the sport. When Walo returned home, he began training and made his professional debut int December 2010. He has accumulated a professional record of 12-2-1. Celestino is from Brasilia, Brazil and has a 5-2 record as a professional fighter in the middleweight division.

 

 

 

For additional information and official statistics on MMA Pro League fighters, please visit https://everipedia.org/wiki/mma-pro-league/.

 

# # #

 

 

 

To access live and on-demand coverage of all MMA Pro League action, visit FloCombat.com and become a monthly or annual PRO subscriber. Either subscription unlocks access to premium content across the entire FloSports network. Watch the games on all screens by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Roku, or Apple TV 4.

 

 

 

For more information visit www.MMAProLeague.com, follow the conversation on Twitter @MMAPro_League, @DanMiller185, @DanielGracie, @Hani_Darwish1 and @MarkTaffetMedia, on Instagram at Instagram.com/mmaproleague,Instagram.com/DanMiller185Instagram.com/DanielGracie,Instagram.com/Hani_Darwish1 and Instagram.com/MarkTaffetMedia, and on Facebook at Facebook.com/MMAProLeague.

David Mundall new main event opponent for Doug Usher at “Road to M-1: USA”

 
Aug. 11th worldwide Pay Per View from Nashville

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (July 31, 2018) – Florida veteran MMA fighter David “Redneck” Mundell has replaced injured Reggie “The Regulator” Pena in the main event against Georgia middleweight Doug “Yamato” Usher, August 11 at “Road to M-1″ USA”, presented by M-1 Global USA and Angel Fight Promotions, to air live on worldwide pay-per-view from Global Mall in Nashville, Tennessee.

 

 

 

Integrated Sports Media will distribute “Road to M-1: USA” in North America on cable, satellite and digital pay-per-view via iN Demand, Vubiquity, DIRECTV and DISH in the United States, as well as Rogers, SaskTel, and Shaw PPV in Canada, and live-streamed worldwide on the FITE.TV app and website (www.fite.tv), starting at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, for a suggested retail price of only $19.95.

 

 

 

Usher (9-3-0), fighting out of Georgia, is riding a five-fight win streak, dating back 2 ½ years, while Mundell (9-3-0) has been victorious in his last three fights.

 

 

 

Veteran Arkansas fighter Dawond Pickney (15-10-0) has replaced Russian lightweight Vadim Ogar (6-3-0) in the co-featured event versus Yoislandy “Cuba” Izquierdo (11-4-0).

 

 

 

Undefeated Brazilian MMA fighter Bruno Ferreira (8-0-0), who has successfully beaten cancer, returns to action for the first time in three years against dangerous Tony Gravely(12-5-0), of Virginia, at “Road to M-1: USA”.

 

 

 

Other main-card fights include Georgia flyweight C.J. “The Autobot” Hamilton (12-6-0) vs. Floridian fighter Abdiel “The Nightmare” Velazquez (8-5-0), Kentucky welterweight Brandon “The Juggernaut” Bell (5-6-0) vs. Jacob “Tick-Tock” McLintock (9-2-0), of Arizona; and Tennessee welterweight James Conway (3-0-0) vs. P.J. Cajigas (5-7-0), of Chicago.

 

 

 

Undercard bouts include California heavyweight Cody “The Moose” Goodale (5-4-0) vs. Nkemdirim “Kim” Oti (2-3-0), of Alabama, New Brunswick, Canada bantamweight Chris Johnson (5-6-0) vs. Jerrod “The Hillbilly Hammer” Jennings (2-1-0), of Kentucky, and Nashville favorite Dwayne Herrelle (0-1-0) vs. pro-debuting Kentucky lightweight Kegan Agnew.

 

 

 

All fights and fighters are subject to change.

 

 

 

INFORMATION:

 

 

 

www.M1Global.tv

M1GlobalUSA.com

www.mixfight.ru

 

 

 

Twitter & Instagram:

 

 

@M1GlobalNews

@M1Global

@M1globalusamma

 

 

 

Facebook:

 

www.facebook.com/M-1-GlobalNews

www.facebook.com/M1GlobalUSA/ 

 

BELLATOR SIGNS 24 U.K. AND IRELAND-BASED FIGHTERS TO EXCLUSIVE MULTI-FIGHT AGREEMENTS

 

 

LOS ANGELES – Bellator today announced the signing of 24 U.K. and Ireland-based athletes to bolster the roster as the organization continues its growth initiative in the region, following already-announced plans for an exclusive fight series set to take place throughout the U.K., Ireland and western Europe.

 

Notably, former two-division BAMMA champ Terry Brazier, TUF: The Smashes lightweight winner Norman Parke, popular Irish lightweight Paul Redmond, undefeated SBG Ireland product Kiefer Crosbie and TUF season 27-veteran Richie Smullen, are among the names now signed to exclusive multi-fight agreements with Bellator.

 

“Growing the Bellator organization throughout U.K. and Ireland has been a top priority for us for quite some time,” said Bellator President Scott Coker. “Adding up-and-coming, as well as established, talent from the region to our roster plays a crucial role in us being able to take the next steps in this market. Our fans in the U.K. and Ireland can anticipate a much stronger Bellator presence and can look forward to seeing some of western Europe’s best MMA fighters inside the Bellator cage in the near future.”

 

Bellator has previously held events throughout the U.K. and Ireland, including London, Dublin, Belfast and Newcastle. Most recently, historic Bellator 200 emanated from The SSE Arena, Wembley on May 25 and featured Michael “Venom” Page, Linton Vassell, Aaron Chalmers and Mike Shipman among other top talent from the market.

 

Bellator is pleased to welcome the following fighters to the roster:

 

Lightweight:

  • Terry Brazier (10-1; fighting out of England)
  • Pedro Carvalho (8-3; fighting out of Ireland by way of Portugal)
  • Constantin Gnusariev (1-0; fighting out of Ireland by way of Moldova)
  • Luka Jelcic (10-3; fighting out of Ireland by way of Croatia)
  • Charlie Leary (15-9-1; fighting out of England)
  • Lewis Long (16-5; fighting out of Wales)
  • Norman Parke (25-6-1, 1 NC; fighting out of Northern Ireland)
  • Myles Price (10-7, fighting out of Ireland)
  • Paul Redmond (14-8; fighting out of Ireland)
  • Daniele Scatizzi (9-4; fighting out Ireland by way of Italy)
  • Sam Slater (2-0; fighting out of Ireland)
  • Richie Smullen (3-1-1; fighting out of Ireland)
  • Tim Wilde (12-3; fighting out of England)

 

Welterweight:

  • Ruben Crawford (16-3; fighting out of Ireland by way of Germany)
  • Kiefer Crosbie (4-0; fighting out of Ireland)
  • Walter Gahadza (17-3; fighting out of England)
  • Richard Kiely (2-1; fighting out of Ireland)
  • Ion Pascu (18-8; fighting out of Ireland by way of Romania)
  • Jim Wallhead (29-11; fighting out of England)

 

Featherweight:

  • Dylan Logan (2-3; fighting out of Ireland)
  • Nathan Rose (6-1; fighting out of England)

 

Middleweight:

  • Claudio Conti (7-5-2; fighting out of Ireland by way of Italy)
  • John Redmond (7-13; fighting out of Ireland)

 

Women’s Flyweight:

  • Antonela Orlic – (pro debut; fighting out of Ireland by way of Croatia)