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Category Archives: MMA
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 28, 2018) – “Road to M-1: USA”, presented by M-1 Global USA and Angel Fight Promotions, will be held August 11, airing on worldwide pay-per-view live from Global Mall in Nashville, Tennessee.
BELLATOR & DAZN SIGN NINE-FIGURE, MULTI-YEAR DISTRIBUTION DEAL
LIVE SPORTS STREAMING PLATFORM TO DELIVER SEVEN EXCLUSIVE STAR-STUDDED BELLATOR MMA EVENTS PER YEAR
CHAMPION VS. CHAMPION – GEGARD MOUSASI-RORY MACDONALD MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE FIGHT, PLUS ‘RAMPAGE’ JACKSON-WANDERLEI SILVA IV HIGHLIGHT FIRST EVENT ON SEPT. 29 FROM SAP CENTER AT SAN JOSE
LOS ANGELES – Bellator, a leading global combat sports franchise owned by Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands, and DAZN, the world’s largest dedicated live sports streaming service and part of Perform Group, today announced a multi-year landmark distribution agreement.
The nine-figure deal will feature seven exclusive stacked fight cards per year on DAZN and another 15 that are simulcast across Paramount Network and DAZN. All fights will stream in any country where DAZN is available. As part of the platform’s global expansion, DAZN will launch in the U.S. and Italy in 2018, with the service already live in Canada, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Japan.
“The exciting new partnership with DAZN is a game-changer for Bellator,” said Bellator President Scott Coker. “The investment will enable us to continue expanding our roster with free agents that make sense, so we can put on PPV-worthy fight cards that fans want to see. Plus, on DAZN’s worldwide platform, our fights will be seen live for the first time to new audiences around the globe.”
“It’s simple; fans want to see great fighters in competitive fights so we’ve handed the keys to Scott Coker and his venerable team to go out and recruit even more top-level talent to further stack Bellator fight cards and build on their success,” said DAZN CEO James Rushton. “With the combination of this investment and our recent announcement to bring more than 30 nights of boxing to the platform annually, DAZN will be a must-have for fight fans in the U.S.”
“The DAZN partnership speaks to the incredible growth of Bellator into a global sports powerhouse and high-valued franchise in the Viacom portfolio,” said Kevin Kay, President, Paramount Network, TV Land and CMT.
The deal begins with an epic event on Saturday, Sept. 29 from SAP Center at San Jose. The card features a highly anticipated middleweight title fight pitting Gegard Mousasi (44-6-2) against Rory MacDonald (20-4), who is moving up a weight class for a title shot against the 185-pound champ, along with the fourth fight in the legendary rivalry between Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (37-13) and Wanderlei Silva(35-13).
Also included on Sept. 29, will be the opening fight of Bellator’s first-ever Welterweight World Grand Prix, which will feature eight of the best welterweight fighters on the planet. The Bellator Welterweight World Grand Prix will be a major component of the first year of the multi-year agreement between Bellator and DAZN.
An exclusive online presale for this event takes place tomorrow, June 27 through Thursday, June 28, with tickets going on sale to the general public on Friday, June 29 at 10 a.m. PT. Tickets start at just $30 and will be available at the ThreatMetrix Ticket Office at SAP Center at San Jose, as well as Bellator.com and Ticketmaster.
The event will air live on DAZN at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Additional bouts will be announced in the coming weeks. DAZN, which now streams 15,000 live events and 100 million hours of sports content globally each year, will be available in the U.S. this September with exact pricing and dates being announced this summer.
Mousasi vs. MacDonald:
Gegard Mousasi impressed in his promotional debut over former Bellator middleweight champion Alexander Shlemenko, a win that earned him a shot at Rafael Carvalho, where 185-pound gold was on the line. Now, after a decisive victory against Carvalho at Bellator 200, Mousasi will defend his crown against Rory MacDonald, entering the bout with his current unbeaten streak at seven fights. “The Dreamcatcher,” who trains out of The Netherlands, holds one of the most impressive resumes in all of the sport, at one time winning the STRIKEFORCE light heavyweight title, as well as the DREAM light heavyweight and middleweight titles.
Over the last several years, “The Red King” Rory MacDonald has become the most popular Canadian mixed martial artist due to his classic stand-up wars and wins over some of MMA’s best in Paul Daley, Nate Diaz, Tyron Woodley, B.J. Penn and Demian Maia. Bellator’s welterweight champion joined the Viacom-owned promotion in 2016 and went on to defeat Douglas Lima for the welterweight title at Bellator 192. Now, the Tristar Gym-trained fighter sets his sights on winning gold in not one, but two separate weight classes.
“Rampage” vs. Silva:
A six-fight veteran of Bellator, “Rampage” Jackson’s legendary career has seen him compete against some of the top names in the sport, generating a loyal army of fans along the way. The former PRIDE and UFC champion is the proud owner of many epic highlight reel slams and knockouts that he has racked up throughout his epic battles with the likes of Chuck Liddell, Dan Henderson, “King Mo,” Kevin Randleman and, perhaps most-notably, his trilogy with fellow Bellator athlete Wanderlei Silva, who he now meets at heavyweight on Sept. 29.
Wanderlei Silva’s wars with “Rampage,” Tito Ortiz, Mirko Cro Cop, Vitor Belfort, Dan Henderson, Kazushi Sakuraba, Chuck Liddell and Michael Bisping remain some of the more memorable bouts in MMA history. “The Axe Murderer” is far from ready to close the book on his illustrious career, returning to action against a man he has already competed against three times before. In addition to the PRIDE middleweight title, Silva’s trophy case includes awards for “Fight of the Year” (2003, 2004, 2007), KO of the Year (2008) and multiple “Fight of the Night” awards. Most recently, the Brazilian native made his Bellator debut against Chael Sonnen in the main event of Bellator: NYC.
Updated Bellator Fight Card:
Middleweight World Title Bout: Gegard Mousasi (44-6-2) vs. Rory MacDonald (20-4)
Heavyweight Feature Bout: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (37-13) vs. Wanderlei Silva (35-13)
Welterweight World Grand Prix First Round Bout
*Card subject to change.
BELLATOR TO DEBUT IN SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA ON FRIDAY, AUG. 17 AT SANFORD PENTAGON
BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPION DARRION CALDWELL RETURNS TO 145-POUNDS AGAINST NOAD LAHAT IN BELLATOR 204 HEADLINER
SOUTH DAKOTA’S OWN LOGAN STORLEY SET FOR CO-MAIN EVENT AGAINST A.J. MATTHEWS
LOS ANGELES – Bellator will hold its first-ever event in Sioux Falls, S.D. on Friday, Aug. 17 at Sanford Pentagon. Bellator 204 will be headlined by the promotion’s bantamweight champion Darrion Caldwell (12-1) testing himself against Noad Lahat (12-3) in a non-title featherweight matchup.
A welterweight bout will serve as the co-main event of the card, when South Dakota-native Logan Storley (8-0) takes on the always-dangerous A.J. Matthews (9-7).
Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Thursday, June 28 at 10 a.m. CT. Tickets start at just $28 and will be available at the Sanford Pentagon box office, as well as Ticketmaster.
The event will be broadcast live and free on Paramount Network at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary action will stream on Bellator.com and globally on the Bellator Mobile App. Additional bouts will be announced in coming weeks.
“I’m excited to bring Bellator to Sioux Falls this summer with a great venue partner in the Sanford Pentagon,” Bellator President Scott Coker said. “I always look forward to visiting a new market and having a crowd experience a live Bellator event for the first time. This is a great card with a lot of intriguing matchups that I know fans will enjoy. With this being such a strong wrestling community, I’m also excited to feature several former collegiate wrestlers on Aug. 17, including Darrion Caldwell and South Dakota’s Logan Storley.”
Caldwell, a 30-year-old Rahway, New Jersey native and the current Bellator bantamweight champion, will step up a weight class to take on Lahat in an exciting featherweight non-title affair on Aug. 17. Fighting out of San Diego, Calif., “The Wolf” has emerged as one of the most well-rounded fighters in the 135-pound class, collecting nine victories since signing with Bellator in 2013. The 2009 NCAA D1 National Champion wrestler from NC State boasts a resume that includes five first-round finishes, a 25-minute war against Eduardo Dantas for the world title and a textbook guillotine choke submission victory over Leandro Higo in his first career title defense earlier this year. Caldwell will look for his 13th professional and fourth consecutive win when he enters the cage as a 145-pounder for the first time since 2014.
A black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu currently training at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, Lahat made his professional debut in 2008 where he began an impressive streak of seven consecutive victories. The 34-year-old hails from Alfei Menashe, Samaria, Israel, Lahat and served as a soldier in the Israeli Defense Forces before transitioning to his MMA career. Lahat holds a 3-1 record in Bellator with his most recent win coming against Jeremiah Labiano this past November and now welcomes the Bellator bantamweight champion to his weight class when he enters the cage on Aug. 17.
Hailing from Webster, S.D., the 25-year-old Storley will fight in front of his hometown fans at Bellator 204 when he makes his fourth appearance for Bellator. The 4x NCAA All-American wrestler from the University of Minnesota has quickly climbed the ranks as one of the most dangerous welterweights in mixed martial arts, earning eight-straight victories to begin his career, including six knockouts and five first-round finishes. A win over the equally-dangerous Matthews on Aug. 17would only further cement his name amongst the division’s best, as Storley hopes to protect his unblemished mark of 8-0.
Fighting out of Carlsbad, Calif., Matthews will be making his 11th appearance under the Bellator MMA umbrella; a seven-year stretch that has earned the promotional veteran five victories, including a pair of first-round knockouts and a highlight reel-soccer kick finish over Charlie Rader. The 30-year-old certainly knows how to put on a show, with nine of his 16 career fights ending in a knockout, including six in the first round. “Mercenary” will look to build on his recent win over Kendall Grove at Bellator 193, as he enters the cage against hometown favorite Storley in the co-main event.
Updated Bellator 204: Caldwell vs. Lahat Fight Card:
Featherweight Main Event: Darrion Caldwell (12-1) vs. Noad Lahat (12-3)
Welterweight Co-Main Event: Logan Storley (8-0) vs. A.J. Matthews (9-7)
*Card subject to change.
NEF AND BRANDON BUSHAW TO SEND YOUNG ATHLETES TO USM WRESTLING CLINIC
Gorham, Maine (June 22, 2018) – New England Fights (NEF) announced earlier today that the fight promotion would once again sponsor an athlete at this year’s Brawlin’ Lobsta Wrestling Clinic & Tournament. The camp is set to take place at the Gorham campus of the University of Southern Maine (USM) from July 17 to July 22. For the fifth year in a row, NEF will select one winner for which the fight promotion will cover tuition to the program.
“It’s a thrill for us to once again be supporting the Brawlin’ Lobsta Wrestling Clinic,” stated NEF co-owner and Matchmaker Matt Peterson. “This year it’s all the more exciting to be partnering with Maine wrestling legend Brandon Bushaw to send not one, but two wrestlers to clinic. Mike Morin’s USM program is exploding and with the latest round of recruits that he’s brought in, I have no doubt that they will be a threat at the national level within the next two to three seasons. I encourage every Maine wrestler to apply for this scholarship to earn a chance to work with Morin’s decorated staff clinicians. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to sharpen your skills, as well as learn some new ones, during the off-season.”
Additionally, NEF MMA veteran Brandon Bushaw has also agreed to sponsor an athlete in the program this year. Now a business owner residing in South Carolina, Bushaw cut his teeth on the mats growing up in Westbrook, Maine. He won two Maine state titles wrestling for Westbrook High School. After high school, Bushaw went on to wrestle for Michigan State University where he was a teammate of current UFC competitors Rashad Evans and Gray Maynard. He is a member of the Maine Wrestling Hall of Fame.
“I attended Boston University wrestling camp between my sophomore and junior seasons in high school,” recalled Bushaw. “Not only did it change me as a wrestler, but I really feel that it changed me as a person. I have attended and coached many camps, and the life lessons you learn there are very important. I am proud to sponsor a young wrestler to attend USM’s Brawlin’ Lobsta wrestling clinic because I feel it is important to give back to a sport and community that has given me so much!”
Camp instructors Mike Morin and Jon Deupree have both competed in the MMA cage in the past. Morin is the head wrestling coach at USM and a two-time All-American. Deupree is an assistant coach with USM. He was a two-time NCAA national qualifier wrestling for the Huskies.
“I would like to thank NEF for supporting USM wrestling and sponsoring another wrestler to attend the Brawlin’ Lobsta Camp this summer,” said Morin. “This sponsorship is huge in allowing kids to have the opportunity to wrestle year-round who might not have that opportunity otherwise. It’s great for our program at USM and great for the state as a whole to get better in the sport of wrestling!”
Interested contestants are asked to submit a photograph of themselves wrestling via email to newenglandfights@gmail.comalong with a brief statement of 100 words or less detailing why they believe the clinic will help them achieve their goals. The winners will also each receive a pair of tickets to “NEF 35: Wicked Season,” as well as an NEF apparel package to wear during the clinic.
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.
Pro Boxer Walter Wright Joins the FNU Combat Sports Show
Walter Wright (16-4, 8 KOs) squares off against Mark DeLuca (21-0, 13 KOs) in the main event at the Bank of NH Pavilion in Gilford, NH this Saturday night. (see poster below) This week we caught up with Walter before he made the trip east from Seattle. We interviewed him about the big fight and discussed his career in general. We also recapped all of last week’s boxing and MMA events and provided some other news tidbits like the Creed II trailer release and Ronda Rousey’s 30-day suspension from the WWE. Listen to the full broadcast with the interview included here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bl8h8ywh1wokwhc/tomtonyrichfirstdayofsummer2018.mp3?dl=0
Listen to just the Walter Wright interview by itself here:
Two M-1 Challenge title fights at M-1 Challenge 95 Kamzat Dalgiev vs. Nate Landwehr Movsar Evloev vs. Raphael Dias
 July 21 in Ingushetia, Russia
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 Nate Landwehr (on top) pounded Mikhail Korobkov in his M-1 Global debut last SeptemberSAINT PETERSBURG, Russia (June 19, 2018) — M-1 Global has announced that M-1 Challenge 95: Battle in the Mountains will feature a pair of title fights on July 21 in Ingushetia, Russia.
M-1 Challenge 95 will be live-streamed from Ingushetia in high definition on www.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register at www.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all the action on their computers, as well as on Android and Apple smart phones and tablets. M-1 Challenge 95 will also be available on www.FITE.TV(preliminary card is free, $7.99 for the main card)
American fighter Nate “The Train” Landwehr (10-2-0, M-1: 2-0-0)), fighting out of Clarksville, Tennessee, challenges M-1 Challenge featherweight champion Khamzat Dalgiev (10-1-0, M-1: 7-1-0), while M-1 Challenge featherweight title-holder Movsar Evloev (9-0-0, M-1: 9-0-0) makes his second title defense versus Rafael Dias (15-5-0, M-1: 1-1-0).
Landwehr broke into M-1 Global last year and from the beginning he has become one of the most popular fighters of the promotion. “The Train” fights a not-a-step-back style and starts trading punches with the opponents from the first seconds of the fight. All his fights are spectacular and no matter how the fight goes, he is always ready to find a moment to knock out opponent.
Landwehr stopped Mikhail Korobkov via punches in the second round at M-1 Challenge 83 at September. He followed up that impressive M-1 Global performance with a win by decision last November over Viktor Kolesnik at M-1 Challenge 85.
Dalgiev (10-1-0, M-1: 7-1-0), of Ingushetia, is champion for several good reasons. He is riding a 10-fight win streak, including six consecutive finishes. Last November, he took full advantage of his first title shot, shocking the MMA world with a sensational knock out of defending M-1 Challenge featherweight champion Ivan Buchinger in the opening round at M-1 Challenge 86. Dalgiev has five submissions and three knockouts on his pro record, including five first-round finishes.
Evloev (9-0-0, M-1: 9-0-0), who will be fighting at home in Ingushetia, is one of the most dominant M-1 Global champions. A cardio machine who has been unstoppable, he is an extremely well-rounded fighter. Evloev is always ready for everything that may happen in The Rage, capable of finishing his opponent early, or torturing him for 25 minutes.
Dias (15-5-0, M-1 1-1-0) prefers to take his time to win by decision, but fans may also remember his stunning victory in his second fight in M-1 Global, locking in a great choke to submit Vadim Malygin at M-1 Challenge 90.
Additional fights will soon be announced. All fights and fighters are subject to change.
INFORMATION:
Twitter & Instagram: @M1GlobalNews
@VFinkelchtein
@M1Global
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/M-1-GlobalNews
Upcoming M-1 Challenge Events: July 21 – M-1 Challenge 95 in Ingushetia, Russia
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FINISHES GALORE HIGHLIGHT NEF 34 FIGHT NIGHT IN PORTLAND; NEF ANNOUNCES RETURN TO BANGOR
Portland, Maine (June 17, 2018) – New England Fights (NEF) made its return to Portland, Maine on Saturday night with the fight promotion’s latest mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 34: Home of the Brave.” A jam-packed house of fight fans took in the action as NEF fighters delivered the non-stop excitement from bell to bell in what many are calling one of the best events the company has ever produced.
On a card featuring a total of 18 fights, the judges’ scorecards were not needed until the thirteenth bout of the evening. Prior to that time, the early card featured a plethora of exciting finishes including a pair of D’Arce Chokes courtesy of Angelo Rizzitello (2-1) and Henry Clark (4-4) and highlight-reel knockouts by Cody Rolling (5-5) and Zac Lawrence (1-0). Thirteen of the evening’s fights ended in the first round.
Kam Arnold (4-0) and Killian Murphy (1-1) waged an absolute war for the vacant amateur bantamweight title in what made history as the first amateur fight in Maine to ever go beyond the old three-round limit. Arnold claimed the title with a fourth-round knockout in a bout that will certainly be a contender for “Fight of the Year” this December when voting begins.
Not to be outdone, Carlton Charles (2-2) and Duncan “The Highlander” Smith (3-2) took their amateur welterweight title fight into the fourth round as well. Smith took the gold home after putting Charles out with a rear-naked choke.
On the professional side of the card, Young’s MMA teammates “The” Ryan Sanders (16-9) and Aaron “Relentless” Lacey (5-2) were in action. Sanders submitted Vince McGuiness (5-8) with just seconds remaining in the first round while Lacey lost a unanimous decision to Da’Mon Blackshear (5-1) in the main event.
NEF announced that its next MMA event, “NEF 35: Wicked Season,” would originate from the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine on September 8, 2018. Tickets will go on sale to the general public this Monday morning at 10 am. A pre-sale for online tickets started Saturday night at www.CrossInsuranceCenter.com with pre-sale code “NEF.”
The full results from Portland, Maine:
PROFESSIONAL MMA
Da’mon Blackshear def. Aaron Lacey via unanimous decision
Ryan Sanders def. Vince McGuiness via armbar, round 1
AMATEUR MMA
Duncan Smith def. Carlton Charles via rear-naked choke, round 4
Kam Arnold def. Killian Murphy via KO, round 4
Mark Gardner def. Eric Camacho via armbar, round 1
Glenn Kasabian def. Jordan Young via unanimous decision
Glory Watson def. Chelsea Tucker via TKO, round 1
Carter Labrecque def. Josiah Kenney via TKO, round 1
Angelo Rizzitello def. Clifford Redman via D’Arce Choke, round 1
Zac Lawrence def. Jordan Norman via KO, round 1
Henry Clark def. Jack Greene via D’Arce Choke, round 1
Curtis Ouellette def. Dalton Dunphy via TKO, round 2
Brady MacDonald def. Greg Waterbury via guillotine, round 1
Cody Rolling def. Mike Williams via KO, round 1
Sarah Matulis def. Carol Linn Powell via rear-naked choke, round 1
Joe Howard def. Brandon Clark via guillotine, round 1
Christian Barrett def. Brandon Schwinck via TKO, round 1
Taylor Bartlett def. Delmarkis Edwards via TKO, round 1
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. The ticket pre-sale is happening now online at www.CrossInsuranceCenter.com with pre-sale code NEF. Tickets will go on sale to the general public this Monday morning, June 18 at 10:00 am EDT.
FNU Combat Sports Show: Death in the Cage; UFC 225 Recap and Huge Boxing Weekend Results
Tom, Tony and Rich discuss the week in combat sports, recap a stacked UFC 225 card (and CM Punk’s failure to launch his MMA career), and go over the results of a wild weekend for boxing. We begin by highlighting two high profile mentions of death in the UFC Octagon. Dana White and Tyron Woodley are both in the news this week for raising the topic. Listen to the full broadcast below:
M-1 CHALLENGE 94 RESULTS & PICTURES
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Valery Mysasnikov (R) got the better of Mikhail Ragozin
LFA BRINGS WELTERWEIGHT WORLD TITLE BOUT TO JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS
LFA 46 – NAKASHIMA vs. STEWART
MAIN EVENT:
LFA WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION
JAMES NAKASHIMA
vs.
U.S. MARINE CORPS SGT
KYLE “GUNZ UP” STEWART
WELTERWEIGHT WORLD TITLE FIGHT
in celebration of the 100th Year Anniversary of Joint Base Langley-Eustis
FRIDAY, JULY 27th LIVE on AXS TV
JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS in NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA
Tickets are on sale NOW through Eventbrite.com
LAS VEGAS, Nevada – LFA CEO Ed Soares announced today that the promotion will head east at the end of July with a welterweight world title fight that will headline the promotion’s first event to take place at a U.S. military facility. The live nationally televised event will be part of the 100th Anniversary celebration of Joint Base Langley-Eustis.
The main event of LFA 46 will bring the top two welterweight prospects in the world to southeastern Virginia. The headliner will see undefeated LFA welterweight champion James Nakashima defend his title against undefeated U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Kyle “Gunz Up” Stewart. LFA 46 – Nakashima vs. Stewart takes place Friday, July 27th at the Felker Field Hangar at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Newport News, Virginia. The 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 an LFA world title fight to Joint Base Langley-Eustis on July 27th,” stated Soares. “James Nakashima has been one of the most formidable fighters in our promotion’s history. He will defend his title against #1 contender and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Kyle Stewart. Nakashima and Stewart train about 30 minutes from each other and this has been a fight MMA fans have been wanting to see for a long time. It will finally happen with the LFA welterweight title on the line at LFA 46. This will also be part of the 100 Year Anniversary celebration for Joint Base Langley-Eustis, and I can’t wait to show the troops what the LFA is all about!”
Tickets for LFA 46 – Nakashima vs. Stewart are available for purchase NOW at Eventbrite.com.
Nakashima (8-0) has long been regarded as a special talent. Those prodigious abilities were finally realized by the masses when he was crowned LFA welterweight champion this past fall. His wrestling pedigree, shrewd striking ability, and willingness to learn every aspect of martial arts has made him the undefeated welterweight champion that he is today. The Illinois native and University of Nebraska wrestling standout has taken the 170-pound division by storm since making his professional MMA debut for RFA in 2015. He has defeated opponents that have a staggering combined record of 54-17 with half of those wins coming against undefeated fighters. Now sitting at 8-0 with the LFA welterweight title around his waist, Nakashima is eager to get back in the cage after healing up some injuries. The John Crouch protégé, who trains at The MMA LAB in Arizona, is once again eager to test himself against the best. That next challenge will come against fellow undefeated prospect and #1 contender Kyle Stewart.
Stewart (10-0) has been on a collision course with Nakashima since making his own professional MMA debut in 2015. The U.S. Marine Corps sergeant has amassed his own undefeated record, while training with Trevor Lally at Arizona Combat Sports just 30 minutes away from Nakashima. The decorated war veteran who saw action in Afghanistan, while serving multiple tours overseas, has successfully brought his combat skills to the cage where he is considered one of the top two welterweight prospects in the world. The other would be Nakashima, the man Stewart has long had his eye on since their careers began three years ago. The reality of them finally meeting in the Octagon became even more real when Stewart won his LFA debut last year. Stewart made a final statement for a title shot when he handed fellow top prospect Jaleel Willis his first loss in the main event of LFA 33 this past February. Next up for “Gunz Up”, Nakashima for the title, in front of his fellow soldiers and veterans at Joint Base Langley-Eustis.
Main Card (Televised on AXS TV at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT):
Main Event | Welterweight Title Bout (170 lb)
– James Nakashima (8-0) vs. Kyle Stewart (10-0)
Co-Main Event | Featherweight Bout (145 lb)
– Alexandre Bezerra (20-5) vs. Mike Pope (7-3)
Middleweight Bout (185 lb)
– Dashawn Boatwright (3-1) vs. Matt Semelsber (3-1)
Bantamweight Bout (135 lb)
– Ahmet Kayretli (7-2) vs. Shaun Spath (4-1)
Featherweight Bout (145 lb)
– Damon Minor (3-1) vs. Michael Lawrence (5-4)
Women’s Flyweight Bout (125 lb)
– Salina Rowland (0-0) vs. Whittany Pyles (0-1)
Featherweight Bout (145 lb)
– Cody Maltais (3-1) vs. Thomas Blair (3-1)
LFA 46 will serve as the third LFA event to take place on the east coast. It will also be the first time that LFA has traveled to “The Old Dominion” of Virginia before or after the merger. The entire main card of LFA 46 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.