Category Archives: MMA

Bellator, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, MMA, Paramount Network

BELLATOR 196 & BELLATOR KICKBOXING 9 WEIGH-IN RESULTS & PHOTOS

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BOTH EVENTS TAKE PLACE TOMORROW NIGHT ON PARAMOUNT NETWORK BEGINNING AT 9 P.M. ET/8 P.M. CT

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COMPLETE WEIGH-IN PHOTOS HERE

 

Complete Bellator 196: Henderson vs. Huerta Weigh-in Results:

Lightweight Main Event: Benson Henderson (153) vs. Roger Huerta (154)

Featherweight Co-Main Event: Adam Borics (146) vs. Teodor Nikolov (146)

Women’s Flyweight Main Card Bout: Denise Kielholtz (125) vs. Petra Castkova (125)

Featherweight Main Card Bout: Brian Moore (145) vs. Giorgio Belsanti (143)

175-Pound Catchweight Main Card Bout: Ed Ruth (174) vs. Ion Pascu (173)

Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Norbert Novenyi (185) vs. Mehmet Yueksel (184)

 

Complete Bellator Kickboxing 9 Weigh-in Results:

Welterweight World Title Bout: Raymond Daniels (170) vs. Djibril Ehouo (168)

Heavyweight Co-Main Event: Alexey Ignashov (252) vs. Dzevad Poturak (236)

Women’s Flyweight Main Card Bout: Sabriye Sengul (127)* vs. Renata Rakoczi (125)

163-Pound Catchweight Main Card Bout: John Wayne Parr (162) vs. Eder Lopes (162)

Women’s Featherweight Main Card Bout: Jorina Baars (142) vs. Athina Evmorfiadi (144)

165-Pound Catchweight Preliminary Bout: Csaba Gyorfi (164) vs. Enrico Carrara (165)

144-Pound Catchweight Preliminary Bout: Antoine Habash (140) vs. Salvatore Cicerone (144)

187-Pound Catchweight Preliminary Bout: Adam Pokorni (184) vs. Najib Idali (186.5)

mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT ANNOUNCED FOR APRIL 14 FIGHT CARD IN PORTLAND

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Portland, Maine (April 4, 2018) – New England Fights (NEF) returns to Aura in Portland on April 14, 2018 with the fight promotion’s next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 33: Riptide.”  Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of an amateur middleweight bout to the card.  Mark “Pockets” Gardner (1-0) will meet Brandon Schwink (0-0) at a fight weight of 185-pounds.

 

 

Mark Gardner impressed many in attendance at his debut fight last November in Portland.  Gardner took on top middleweight prospect Carlton Charles (2-1) at Aura.  He absorbed everything Charles threw at him in the first round, eventually scoring a technical knockout victory in the second.  Gardner is a member of The Academy of Mixed Martial Arts based in Westbrook, Maine where he trains under early MMA pioneer Jay Jack.  Gardner will return to the cage after a setback earlier this year when an opponent pulled out on him prior to a scheduled bout at “NEF 32.”

 

 

“I’m pumped to get back into the cage in April for this next fight,” said Gardner. “I’ve been training hard, and I can’t wait. It should be a really fun fight.”

 

 

Gardner’s opponent, Brandon Schwinck, is a 43-year-old, lifelong martial artist from Windham, Maine.  He has been a regular contestant in grappling, karate and kickboxing tournaments across the state over the years.  Schwinck has trained with several different gyms, including The Academy where he worked with Gardner on the mats.  The bout on April 14 will be his first regulated MMA fight, a moment that Schwinck says he has waited years to realize.

 

 

“I’m familiar with the MMA fighter and grappler, Mark Gardner,” said Schwinck when reached for comment. “We used to train together at the Academy of MMA a few years ago. I respect Mr. Gardner’s strengths and abilities on the ground, and he has an amazing team to prepare him for this fight. I recall me and Mark being fairly well-matched on the ground. We’ve submitted each other on the mats. However, he’s a tough, hungry, young buck with lots of weapons at his disposal, so I won’t take him lightly. I know Mark’s surely stepped-up his striking game and stand-up over the last few years, but I’ve been a fighter all my life and feel the bout will be competitive. I believe my NEF debut will be far from a cake walk, though I’m always prepared to put up an exciting fight in any venue I enter. I have no intentions of letting Mark walk over me and I’ll do my best to stop him. Neither of us will achieve a victory easily. I’m looking forward to competing against this dangerous, talented fighter, be it on the ground or standing. I think it will be a great match-up. I’m totally psyched about being part of NEF 33, and in the end, may the best man win.”

 

 

NEF returns to Portland, Maine, at Aura on Saturday, April 14, 2018. Tickets are on sale now at www.AuraMaine.com.  For more information on the event, please visit www.NewEnglandFights.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.

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Paramount Network, women's MMA

HAWAII’S ILIMA-LEI MACFARLANE MAKES FIRST FLYWEIGHT TITLE DEFENSE AGAINST ALEJANDRA LARA IN MAIN EVENT OF BELLATOR 201 ON JUNE 29

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VALERIE LETOURNEAU RETURNS TO ACTION AGAINST BRUNA ELLEN

 

 

 

 

LOS ANGELES – Bellator returns to Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, Calif. for Bellator 201 on Friday, June 29. The card will be headlined by the San Diego-based Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (7-0), who defends her undefeated record and newly won flyweight crown against Columbia’s Alejandra “Azul” Lara (7-1).

 

 

 

 

In addition to the women’s flyweight championship being up for grabs on June 29, Valerie Létourneau (9-6) will look to improve to 2-0 inside the Bellator cage, when she meets the always-tough Bruna Ellen (4-1) at 125-pounds. Additional bouts, including the co-main event for Bellator 201: Macfarlane vs. Lara, will be announced in the coming days.

 

 

 

 

Tickets for the event go on sale this Friday, April 6 and start at $39. Tickets will be available at the Pechanga box office and Pechanga.com. Doors for the event open at 3:30 p.m. PT, while the preliminary card will kick-off at 4:30 p.m. PST. 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 newly updated Bellator Mobile App.

 

 

 

 

Ilima-Lei Macfarlane has been proving naysayers wrong since her viral MMA debut in 2015, defeating every opponent placed in front of her en route to becoming the inaugural Bellator women’s flyweight champion this past November by defeating Emily Ducote. Born in Honolulu, “The Ilimanator” was a high school wrestler at Punahou School, where she was also a classmate of pro golfer Michelle Wie. Primarily focusing on her academics, Macfarlane went on to attend San Diego State University, where she studied cultural anthropology and went on to earn her master’s degree in liberal arts and sciences. Following that, the 27-year-old dove headfirst into MMA, splitting time between Team Hurricane Awesome and 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu, where she remains to this day. Undefeated as a pro, Macfarlane now looks to keep her undefeated record intact and the title around her waist.

 

 

 

 

Hailing from Medellin, Colombia, Alejandra Lara made a statement in Bellator’s flyweight division when she finished Lena Ovchynnikova via rear-naked choke at Bellator 190. The 23-year-old knockout artist has earned seven victories in eight outings since making her professional debut in 2011 and has shown tenacity in her fights thus far, showcasing a pair of first round knockouts and multiple submissions. On the heels of her impressive promotional debut, Lara earned a shot at the championship on June 29.

 

 

 

 

The Canadian-born Létourneau, a former UFC strawweight title challenger, carries an impressive track record of thrilling fights, highlighted by a world title contest against former champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk. Since signing with Bellator, “Trouble” has moved up to her more natural weight class, impressively defeating Kate Jackson in her promotional debut. At Bellator 201, the American Top Team-product will look to improve upon her nine victories as a professional, a tally that includes five finishes, with four coming by way of knockout.

 

 

 

 

At only 21-years-old, Ellen has already made three appearances for Bellator, competing against the likes of Veta Arteaga and Jessica Middleton. The Campinas, Brazil native and Team Nogueira-product has won four out of five fights to begin her professional career and will now look to continue her upward trajectory when she meets the former title challenger in a battle of top contenders.

 

 

 

 

Updated Bellator 201: Macfarlane vs. Lara Fight Card:

 

 

 

Women’s Flyweight Title Main Event: Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (7-0) vs. Alejandra Lara (7-1)

 

 

 

Women’s Flyweight Feature Bout: Valerie Létourneau (9-6) vs. Bruna Ellen (4-1)

 

 

 

 

 

*Card subject to change.

 

 

 

 

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

 

Bellator, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, MMA, Paramount Network

COMPLETED CARDS FOR BELLATOR 196 AND BELLATOR KICKBOXING 9

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BACK-TO-BACK EVENTS SET TO AIR THIS FRIDAY, APRIL 6 BEGINNING AT 9 P.M. PT ON PARAMOUNT NETWORK

 

 

LOS ANGELES – Bellator has announced completed cards for both Bellator 196 and Bellator Kickboxing 9, which take place this Friday, April 6 at BOK Hall in Budapest, Hungary and air on Paramount Network at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.

 

The headliner for Bellator 196 will see former world champion Benson Henderson (24-8) in a lightweight matchup against Roger Huerta (24-9-1, 1 NC), who returns to Bellator for the first time since 2010. On the kickboxing side of things, Raymond Daniels (33-3) defends his welterweight crown against Djibril Ehouo (38-9-2) in the headliner of Bellator Kickboxing 9.

 

Bellator 196: Henderson vs. Huerta will be broadcast Friday, April 6 free on Paramount Network at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT. Bellator Kickboxing 9 will air immediately following at 11 p.m. ET/10 p.m. CT. Tickets for the event are on sale now and are available at www.Bellator.hu.

 

With marquee victories over Nate Diaz, Donald Cerrone (x2), Frankie Edgar (x2), Gilbert Melendez and Jorge Masvidal, Glendale, Ariz.’s “Smooth” Benson Henderson looks to add another name to his already-impressive resume. The former UFC and WEC champ owns a win over a Patricio “Pitbull” inside the Bellator cage and is looking to make a statement on his way back to title contention when he meets Roger Huerta on April 6 in Budapest, Hungary. Fighting out of Austin, Texas, the 34-year-old Los Angeles native returns to Bellator for the first time since facing Eddie Alvarez at Bellator 33. The first MMA fighter to ever appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Huerta’s entertaining fight style saw him memorably defeat Clay Guida and Leonard Garcia. Now, fresh off of two consecutive victories, “El Matador” is not shying away from elite competition for his first fight of 2018.

 

Complete Bellator 196: Henderson vs. Huerta Fight Card:

Lightweight Main Event: Benson Henderson (24-8) vs. Roger Huerta (24-9-1, 1 NC)

Featherweight Co-Main Event: Adam Borics (6-0) vs. Teodor Nikolov (11-1)

Women’s Flyweight Main Card Bout: Denise Kielholtz (1-1) vs. Petra Castkova (3-2)

Featherweight Main Card Bout: Brian Moore (10-6) vs. Giorgio Belsanti (7-6-1)

175-Pound Catchweight Main Card Bout: Ed Ruth (4-0) vs. Ion Pascu (17-7)

 

Preliminary Card:

Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Norbert Novenyi (1-0) vs. Mehmet Yueksel (2-3)

 

Complete Bellator Kickboxing 9 Fight Card:

Welterweight World Title Bout: Raymond Daniels (33-3) vs. Djibril Ehouo (38-9-2)

Heavyweight Co-Main Event: Alexey Ignashov (85-21) vs. Dzevad Poturak (53-30-3)

Women’s Flyweight Main Card Bout: Sabriye Sengul (12-1) vs. Renata Rakoczi (17-4)

163-Pound Catchweight Main Card Bout: John Wayne Parr (99-32) vs. Eder Lopes (10-2)

Women’s Featherweight Main Card Bout: Jorina Baars (44-0-3) vs. Athina Evmorfiadi (10-3)

 

Preliminary Card:

165-Pound Catchweight Preliminary Bout: Csaba Gyorfi (25-6) vs. Enrico Carrara (37-2-2)

141-Pound Catchweight Preliminary Bout: Antoine Habash (30-5) vs. Salvatore Cicerone (12-8-1)

187-Pound Catchweight Preliminary Bout: Adam Pokorni (28-6) vs. Najib Idali (38-30)

 

*Card subject to change.

****

M-1, M-1 Challenge, mixed martial arts, MMA, Russia

M-1 Challenge welterweight champion Alexey Kunchenko remains perfect Stops Alexander Butenko to go 18-0-0

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And still champion…….Alexey Kuchenko (R)

M-1 CHALLENGE 90 RESULTS

 

 

SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia (March 31, 2018) – M-1 Challenge welterweight champion Alexey Kunchenko improved his professional MMA record to a perfect 18-0-0, stopping Russian challenger Alexander “Iron Capture” Butenko in the third round of last night’s M-1 Challenge 9- main event, at M-1 Arena in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

 

 

 

The 33-year-old Kunchenko (17-0-0, M-1: 10-0-0), also fighting out of Russia, has been the M-1 Challenge welterweight champion for nearly two years, when he knocked out Murad Abdulaev in the fourth round at M-1 Challenge 65. Kunchenko notched his 13th knockout against former M-1 Challenge lightweight champion Butenko (45-13-3, M-1: 11-3-1) in the third round on punches in his fourth successful title defense.

 

 

 

In the co-featured event, American veteran Joe “Diesel Riggs (47-18-1, M-1: 2-0-1) and Ukrainian middleweight Boris Polejay (18-6-1, M-1: 2-1-1) battled to a three-round split draw.

 

 

 

Brazilian flyweight Raphael Dias (15-5-0, M-1: 1-1-0) used an arm triangle choke to defeated former M-1 Challenge flyweight title challenger Vadim “Bad Santa” Malygin (12-4-1, M-1: 2-3-1), of Russia, for a second-round victory by submission.

 

 

 

Russian prospect Magomedkamil Malikov (5-0-0, M-1: 2-0-0) kept his perfect pro record intact, punching out Sado “The Panther” Ucar (5-5-0, M-1: 0-1-0), of Turkey, in the second round of a match contested at a catchweight.

 

 

 

In the main card opening fight, Russian middleweight Oleg Olenichev (10-5-0, M-1: 1-2-0) took a unanimous decision over Salmar “Sombra” Nunes (35-13-1, M-1: 0-1-0), of Brazil.

 

 

 

Most of the preliminary card action took place on that mat with five eight matches ending in submissions. Frenchman Bakary El Anwar (6-5-0, M-1: 1-0-0) won his M-1 Global debut with an ankle hook on Russian light heavyweight Alexander Popov (2-1-0, M-1: 2-1-0) for an opening-round submission, Russian light heavyweight Dmitry Tebekin (9-3-0, M-1: 3-1-0) took a majority decision over Abylkasym Yakubob (4-5-0, M-1: 0-1-0), of Kyrgyzstan, and Yakibob’s countryman, Nureles Aidarov (3-0-0, M-1: 1-0-0), made the most of his M-1 Global debut, knocking out Russian Oleg Lichkovakha (3-3-0, 2 NC, M-1: 0-2-0, 1 NC) with a knee in round one.

 

 

 

In a battle of pro-debuting Russian middleweights at a catchweight, Vladimir Trisov‘s anaconda choke was too much to handle for Vyacheslay Babkin, Russian welterweight Movsar Bokov (4-1-0, M-1: 3-1-0) registered a submission win by way of a second-round submission versus Georgian Levan Solodovnik (5-3-0, M-1: 1-2-0) via an angle lock, and Russian lightweight Kurban Taygibov (7-1-0, M-1: 1-0-0) toon a unanimous decision fromLom-Ali Nalgiev (14-7-0, M-1: 5-2-0), of Russia.

 

 

 

In a match-up between a pair of undefeated lightweights, Russian Roman Bogatov (5-0-0, M-1; 4-0-0) submitted Tahir “Tank” Abdullaev (6-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0), of Azerbaijan, in the second round with an arm triangle choke. French featherweight Damien Peltier (9-8-1, M-1: 1-0-0) had an impressive M-1 Global debut, locking in a triangle choke on Maksim Kuldashev (2-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0) for a second-round triumph.

 

 

 

Ten different countries were represented by fighters in this International event: Russia, USA, Ukraine, Brazil, Turkey, France, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.

 

Complete results & picture gallery below:

 

 

 

 

MAIN CARD

 

MAIN EVENT — M-1 CHALLENGE WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

Alexey Kunchenko (18-0-0, M-1: 10-0-0), Champion, Russia

WTKO3 (Punches – 4:04)

Alexander Butenko (45-13-3, M-1: 11-3-1), Challenger, Russia

(Kunchenko retains M-1 Challenge welterweight title)

 

 

 

CO-FEATURE – MIDDLEWEIGHTS

Joe Riggs (47-17-1, 1 NV, M-1: 2-0-1), USA

D3

Boris Polejay (18-6-1, M-1: 2-1-1), Ukraine

 

 

 

FLYWEIGHTS

Rafael Dias (15-5-0, M-1: 1-1-0), Brazil

SUB2 (Arm Triangle Choke – 4:39)

Vadim Malygin (12-4-1, M-1: 2-3-1), Russia

 

 

 

CATCHWEIGHT

Magomedkamil Malikov (5-0-0, M-1: 2-0-0), Russia

WTKO2 (Punches – 0:30)

Sado Ucar (5-5-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Turkey

 

 

 

MIDDLEWEIGHTS

Oleg Olenichev (109-5-0, M-1: 2-1-0), Russia

WDEC3

Salmar Nunes (35-13-1, 1 NC, M-1: 0-1-0), Brazil

 

 

 

PRELIMINARY CARD

 

 

 

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS

Bakary El Anwar (6-5-0, M-1: 1-0-0), France

WSUB1 (0:27)

Alexander Popov (2-1-0, M-1: 2-1-0), Russia

 

 

 

Dmitry Tebekin (9-3-0, M-1: 3-1-0)

DEC3

Abylkasym Yakubov (4-5-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Kyrgyzstan

 

 

 

CATCHWEIGHT

Nureles Aidarov (3-0-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Kyrgyzstan

WKO1 (Knee kick – 0:12)

Oleg Lichkovakha (3-3-0, 2 NC, M-1: 0-2-0, 1 NC)

 

 

 

MIDDLEWEIGHTS

Vladimir Trusov (1-0-0, M-1: 1-0-0)), Russia

Wseb1 (Anaconda Choke – 2:48)

Vyacheslav Babkin (0-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Russia

 

 

 

WELTERWEIGHTS

Movsar Bokov (4-1-0, M-1:3-1-0), Russia

WSUB2 (Ankle Lock – 1:35)

Levan Solodovnik (5-3-0, M-1: 1-2-0), Georgia

 

 

 

LIGHTWEIGHTS

Kurban Taygibov (7-1-0, M-1: 1-0-0)

WDEC3

Lom-Ali Nalgiev (14-7-0, M-1: 5-2-0), Russia

 

 

.

Roman Bogatov (5-0-0, M-1: 4-0-0), Russia

WSUB2 (Arm Triangle Choke – 1:21)

Tahir Abdullaev (6-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Azerbaijan

 

 

 

FEATHERWEIGHTS

Damien Peltier (9-8-1, M-1: 1-0-0), France

WSEB2 (Triangle Choke – 4:55)

Maksim Kuldashev (2-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Uzbekistan

 

Kunchenko (L) attacked Butenko


Polejay (L) & Riggs battled to a draw


Dias (R) got a kick out of Malygin


Olenichev (L) edged Nunes


Aidarov (R) showed concern for his fallen opponent Lichkovakha

INFORMATION:

www.M1Global.tv

Twitter & Instagram:
@M1GlobalNews
@Vadim_finkelchtein
@M1Global
Facebook:
 
UPCOMING EVENTS:
 
Apr. 21 – M-1 Challenge 91: Dalgiev-Landwehr, M-1 Arena, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Bellator, boxing, ESPN Boxing, M-1, M-1 Challenge, mixed martial arts, MMA, PFL, Rich Bergeron, Showtime, Showtime Boxing, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, Top Rank, UFC

FNU Combat Sports Show: Anthony Joshua’s Potential UFC Contract, Parker vs. Joshua Boxing Preview and Other Combat Sports News

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This week on the FNU Combat Sports Show, Tom, Tony and Rich discuss a wide range of topics. We even touch on a little WWE news at the end of the show. We begin with discussions about Anthony Joshua possibly signing to fight under the UFC Boxing banner and move on later in the show to preview his fight against Joseph Parker this weekend. We also cover the temporary suspension of Canelo Alvarez and the involvement of Mark Burnett in the new Professional Fighters League. Listen to the full show in the player below:

 

 

Amateur MMA, Combate Americas, mixed martial arts, MMA

UNIVISION DEPORTES AND COMBATE AMERICAS ANNOUNCE MULTI-YEAR, LIVE PROGRAMMING AGREEMENT FOR WORLD’S PREMIER HISPANIC MMA SPORTS SERIES

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2018 Lineup includes 16 Television Airings
Across Univision Networks
Historic Partnership Begins with Live Univision Broadcast
 of “Combate Estrellas I” from Los Angeles on Friday, April 13

NEW YORK – March 29, 2018 – Univision Deportes and Combate Americas, the premier Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise, today jointly announced a historic, multi-year partnership to produce and distribute live Combate Americas fight programming on Univision and Univision Deportes Network (UDN).
 

The agreement marks the first time ever that Univision Deportes will produce and distribute live MMA programming and, in 2018, will include a total of 16 television airings, beginning with a live, 90-minute broadcast on Univision (12am ET/ 12am PT) and UDN (12am ET/ 9pm PT) of the recently announced “Combate Estrellas I” show at Shrine in Los Angeles, Calif. on Friday, April 13.
 

“We’re incredibly excited that our growth last year has culminated with a new partnership with Univision Deportes, a sports media brand that is home to some of the best sports and entertainment programming,” said Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren.
 

“Univision Deportes is proud to partner with Combate Americas in an effort to bring fans the best programming of one of the most popular sports today,” said Juan Carlos Rodriguez, President, Univision Deportes. “As the leading Spanish-language sports brand, our commitment to deliver high-quality sports content is reinforced through this new partnership, bringing fanáticos the top MMA events in a way that only Univision Deportes knows best.”

 

The complete 2018 schedule, which will be announced soon, will include several dates across Univision and UDN.

 

The live shows will all air in a 90-minute window and will follow the live stream of Combate Americas preliminary bout cards on UnivisionDeportes.com.

 

The live Univision broadcast of “Combate Estrellas I” will be headlined by a much-anticipated, bantamweight (135 pounds) rematch between John “Sexi Mexi” Castaneda (16-3), representing the U.S., and Marc “Lufo” Gomez (21-11), representing Spain.

 

In the co-main event, five-division world boxing champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (0-0), fighting out of Brooklyn, N.Y., will make her long-awaited MMA rules debut, representing Puerto Rico against rising star Erendira “Aketzaly” Ordoñez (2-1) of Mexico in a flyweight (125 pounds) contest.

 

A featherweight (145 pounds) contest between hard-hitting knockout artist Jose “Froggy” Estrada (4-1), representing the U.S. and fellow striking machine Pablo “Gallo Negro” Sabori (8-4) of Mexico, will open the live broadcast.

 

The complete preliminary bout card, which will stream live on UnivisionDeportes.com, will be announced soon.

 

Since it launched its live event series in 2015, Combate Americas has emerged as a destination for the best, new fighters from the U.S., Latin America and Spain, and a platform pitting athletes, in a country versus country style format, facing each other in “La Jaula,” the Combate Americas competition cage.

mixed martial arts, MMA, NBC, PFL

Professional Fighters League Announces Deal With Mark Burnett And MGM Television

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Washington, DC (March 29, 2018) — The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the world’s only major mixed martial arts league, announced today that they are partnering with Mark Burnett, President of MGM Television Group & Digital and MGM Television to develop and produce new content and programming for PFL’s upcoming season. MGM and Burnett (Survivor, The Voice, Shark Tank, The Contender) will both join as PFL investors and Burnett has personally been added to the advisory board. The PFL 2018 league season debuts June 7 and consists of 11 events live on NBC Sports Network and Facebook Watch.

 

 

The Professional Fighters League is the first organization ever to present MMA as a true sport with individual fighters competing in regular season, “win-and-advance” playoffs, and season-ending championship. The new partnership with MGM Television will bring unscripted programming and short-form content to PFL’s multi-platform distribution designed to maximize engagement with MMA’s 300 million fans worldwide. The initial unscripted series will engage fans in the day to day life of the fighters and feature a parallel tournament whose champion will win a spot in the PFL league playoffs.

 

 

“We are thrilled to partner with MGM Television and Mark Burnett,” said Peter Murray, Chief Executive Officer of Professional Fighters League. “Mark’s creative vision for delivering innovative live content is among the absolute best the industry has to offer – and that is exactly what we will bring MMA fans this season.”

 

 

Earlier this year, PFL announced exclusive multi-platform distribution agreements for the 2018 season with NBC Sports Group and Facebook. NBC Sports Group will establish an exclusive live Thursday night PFL fight franchise, presenting seven regular-season live events in prime time exclusively on NBCSN beginning June 7 through the end of August.

 

 

“It’s no secret that MMA’s audience is rapidly growing and PFL has an enormous global presence. As an enthusiast for innovation within the television industry, I’m passionate about the growth and vision of PFL and it’s time this sport revolves around a league format,” said Burnett. “They’re elevating the sport in an entirely new way and I’m looking forward to being part of it.”

 

 

In addition to the live events, the development deal will feature PFL’s “What Do you Fight For?” programming that brings viewers short-form digital & social content that will showcase the day-to-day lives and back stories of the fighters, designed to help build online communities of PFL’s fan base and encourage engagement among fans, fighters, and PFL’s on-air talent. Viewers can follow PFL athletes through an array of short-form original content, such as the “Top 10 of The Week, Path to the Finals, 24:7: Life of a Fighter, and “Inside the Gym” Cam.

 

 

“PFL is thrilled to partner with Mark Burnett the innovator and icon who invented and perfected unscripted TV,” said Donn Davis, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board of the PFL. “The PFL is re-imagining MMA and the start of the 2018 Season June 7 will bring fans the same excitement and ‘hey, I have never seen that’ reaction they felt when Survivor debuted and ushered in the new age of television.”

 

 

ABOUT PROFESSIONAL FIGHTERS LEAGUE

 

 

The Professional Fighters League brings the sport format to MMA for the first time with a regular season, post-season, and championship. The PFL is co-founded by Donn Davis, Russ Ramsey, and Mark Leschly and backed by business titans in sports, media, and technology. The Professional Fighters League purchased the fighting operations and event infrastructure of the World Series of Fighting (WSOF) and will launch its first season in June 2018 on NBC Sports Network and Facebook. For more visit www.PFLmma.com.

M-1, M-1 Challenge, mixed martial arts, MMA, Russia

M-1 CHALLENGE 90 OFFICIAL WEIGHTS & PICTURES

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SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia (March 29, 2018) — The official weigh in was held today for tomorrow’s M-1 Challenge 90 card to be held at M-1 Arena in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Below find the official fighters’ weight and pictures.

 

MAIN CARD


 

MAIN EVENT — M-1 CHALLENGE WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP- 5 X 5

(R) Alexey Kunchenko (17-0-0, M-1: 9-0-0), Champion, Russia -169.32 lbs. (76.8 kg)

(L) Alexander Butenko (45-12-3, M-1: 11-2-1), Challenger, Russia -169.75 lbs. (77 kg)


CO-FEATURE – MIDDLEWEIGHTS – 3 X 5

(L) Joe Riggs (47-17-0, 1 NV, M-1: 2-0-0), USA – 183.86 lbs. (83.4 kg.)

(R) Boris Polejay (18-6-0, M-1: 2-1-0), Ukraine – 184.75 lbs. (83.8 kg.)


FLYWEIGHTS — 3 X 5

(L) Rafael Dias (14-5-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Brazil – 133.6 lbs. (60.6 kg.) – yellow card

(R) Vadim Malygin (12-3-1, M-1: 2-2-1), Russia – 124.78 lbs. (56.6 kg.)


CATCHWEIGHT – 3 X 5

(L) Sado Ucar (5-4-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Turkey – 160.72 lbs. (72.9 kg.)

(R) Magomedkamil Malikov (4-0-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Russia – 161.71 lbs. (73.35 kg.)

MIDDLEWEIGHTS – 3 X 5

(L) Salmar Nunes (35-12-1, 1 NC, M-1: 0-0-0), Brazil – 182.32 lbs. (82.7 kg.)

(R) Oleg Olenichev (9-5-0, M-1: 1-1-0), Russia – 184.53 lbs. (83.7 kg.)

 

PRELIMINARY CARD

 

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS – 3 X 5

El Anwar Bakary (5-5-0, M-1: 0-0-0), France – 201.28 lbs. (91.3 kg.)

Alexander Popov (2-0-0, M-1: 2-0-0), Russia – 203.26 lbs. (92.2 kg.)

 

Abylkasym Yakubov (4-4-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Kyrgyzstan – 203.71 lbs. (92.4 kg.)

Dmitry Tebekin (8-3-0, M-1: 2-1-0) – 205.03 lbs. (93 kg.)

 

CATCHWEIGHT – 3 X 5

Nureles Aidarov (2-0-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Kyrgyzstan – 130.07 lbs. (59 kg.)

Oleg Lichkovakha (3-2-0, 2 NC, M-1: 0-1-0, 1 NC) – 129.63 lbs. (58.8 kg.)

 

MIDDLEWEIGHTS – 3 X 5

Vyacheslav Babkin (pro debut), Russia – 184.75 lbs. (83.8 kg.)

Vladimir Trusov (pro debut), Russia – 184.30 lbs. (83.6 kg.)

 

WELTERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5

Movsar Bokov (3-1-0, M-1: 2-1-0), Russia – 169.76 lbs. (77 kg.)

Levan Solodovnik (5-2-0, M-1: 1-1-0), Georgia – 169.53 lbs. (76.9 kg.)

 

LIGHTWEIGHTS – 3 X 5

Lom-Ali Nalgiev (14-6-0, M-1: 5-1-0), Russia – 164.68 lbs. (74.7 kg.)

Kurban Taygibov (6-1-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Russia – 160.93 lbs. (73 kg.)

 

Tahir Abdullaev (6-0-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Azerbaijan – 154.32 lbs. (70.3 kg.)

Roman Bogatov (4-0-0, M-1: 3-0-0), Russia – 154.98 lbs. (72.9 kg.)

 

FEATHERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5

Damien Peltier (8-8-1, M-1: 0-0-0), France – 144.84 lbs. (65.7 kg.)

Maksim Kuldashev (2-0-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Uzbekistan – 144.84 lbs. (65.7 kg.)

 

(all fights & fighters subject to change)

 

 

 

 

WHERE:         M-1 Arena, Saint Petersburg, Russia

 

PROMOTER: M-1 Global

 

LIVE STREAM: www.m1global.tv (10.30 a.m. ET / 7:30 a.m. PT in USA). Also available on FITE.TV (preliminary card is free, $7.99 for the main card)

 

INFORMATION:

 

 

www.M1Global.tv

www.mixfight.ru
FITETV, M-1, M-1 Challenge, mixed martial arts, MMA, Russia

M-1 LIVE: Kunchenko vs. Butenko + UFC star Joe Riggs in co-main event: Watch Here

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M-1 steps its game up yet again with its 90th edition. Live from their arena in St. Petersburg we will watch a night of MMA stars go against each other.

The special guest will be Joe Riggs – a UFC and Bellator star who will face off against Boris Polezhay in the co-main event.

The main event will be a match between undefeated Aleksey Kunchenko who is on a 17 win streak against Alexander Butenko.

Full line up and more info in the link below.

M-1 Challenge 90