Category Archives: MMA

FEATHERWEIGHT WORLD TITLE ON THE LINE WHEN DANIEL STRAUS MEETS PATRICIO PITBULL FOR THE FOURTH TIME TOMORROW NIGHT ON SPIKE

Complete Weigh-In Photos Here

UNCASVILLE, CONN. (April 20, 2017) –The official weigh-ins for Bellator 178: Straus vs. Pitbull 4 took place this afternoon at the Mohegan Sun Arena. The competitors are now ready for action tomorrow, with the event airing LIVE and FREE on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT. See below for official weights and photos from tomorrow’s event.

Main Card: (Live on SPIKE – 9 p.m. ET/8:00 p.m. CT)

Featherweight World Title Main Event: Daniel Straus (145) vs. Patricio “Pitbull” Freire (144)

Women’s Flyweight Co-Main Event:Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (126) vs. Jessica Middleton (126)

Catchweight Feature Bout: Saad Awad (164.5) vs. Ryan Quinn (164.5)

Featherweight Feature Bout: A.J. McKee (146) vs. Dominic Mazzotta (146)

Preliminary Card: (Bellator.com – 7:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. CT)

 

Welterweight Preliminary Bout:Ed Ruth (185.5) vs. David Mundell (184.25)

Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Tyrell Fortune (244.5) vs. Branko Busick (220)

Catchweight Preliminary Bout: Tim Caron (195)  vs. Jordan Young (195)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout:Nick Alley (167) vs. Kastroit Xhema (165)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout:Don Shainis (149.5) vs. Max Kelleher (149.75)

Bantamweight Preliminary Bout:Regivaldo Carvalho (139.5) vs. Jason Perrin (140)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout:Kemran Lachinov (164.5) vs. Sam Watford (164)

Flyweight Preliminary Bout:John Lopez (125.5) vs. Remo Cardarelli (124)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout:Chris Foster (145) vs. Shane Manley (146)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout:Thomas English (146) vs. Blair Tugman (146)

Flyweight Preliminary Bout: Billy Giovanella (124.75) vs. Joshua Ricci (126)

Results from the  Inaugural French MMA Championships

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 

MONTE CARLO, Monaco (April 20, 2017) — The inaugural French MMA Championships, sanctioned by the World MMA Association (WMMAA), was recently held in Geneva, Switzerland.
The National Commission Kenpô & AMM successfully organized this event despite several obstacles. French athletes had the opportunity for the first time to compete under the rules of amateur MMA during a French Championship, organized exclusively for them by the “French Federation”, under the aegis of the WMMAA, whose honorary vice-president is none other than “The Last Emperor,” Fedor Emelianenko.
No injuries were reported during the competition and good sportsmanship was exhibited by all. There were many exciting fights between competitors representing clubs from all across France, including some well-known by the public in martial arts and combat sports. A large, passionate crowd encouraged the fighters from start to finish.
It was announced that the 2nd annual MMA French Championships will be held next year in Geneva on April 7 & 8.
Below find complete results from the inaugural French MMA Championships:
FRENCH MMA CHAMPIONSHIPS – FINAL RESULTS

BANTAMWEIGHT DIVISION: -61.2 kg (135 lbs.)

1st — Oualid Abdelbaki (Long Jing)

2nd — Eliot Lepetit (Long Jing)
3rd — Abdellah Bellaoui (FFA)

FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION: -65.8 kg (145 lbs.)
1st — Nicolas Robin (FFA)
2nd — Mehdi Medjahdi (Long Jing)
3rd — Alexandre Alanvert (Yoseikan Kenpo)

LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION: -70.3 kg (154 lbs.)
1st — Mihail Poia
2nd — Grégoire Cottuneau (Kabuto Fight Team)
3rd — Ali Miloua

WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION: -77.1 kg (170 lbs.)
1st — Emeric Rust (FFA)
2nd — Anthony Ynna (Kenpo Nord Isère)
3rd — Benoit Mallet (Kabuto Fight Team)

MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION: -84 kg (185 lbs.)
1st — Samir Medjahdi (Long Jing)
2nd — Alexis Jeanguillaume (Team Lopez)
3rd — Florian Faguet (Yoseikan Kenpo)

HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION: +93 kg (+205 lbs.)
1st — Pawel Ciebiera (FFA)
2nd — Ayoub Bentouhami (FFA)
3rd — Tanguy Maroleau (Kabuto Fight Team)
INFORMATION:
Twitter:  @theWMMAA
Instagram: @worldmmaa

Fight Network Presents 5 Live Events Over 3 Days Starting Tonight, April 20

For Immediate Release – April 20, 2017

Including UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Swanson vs. Lobov Prelims, ONE Championship: Kings of DestinyLFA 10: Heinisch vs. Rota, M-1 Challenge 76 and Combate Americas 13

TORONTO – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 multi-platform channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents three action-packed days of live mixed martial arts, beginning tonight, Thursday, April 20, with Combate Americas 13 from Tucson, Arizona, kicking off globally with the live prelims at 8 p.m. ET and at 10 p.m. ET in Canada with the live main card, which follows a live edition of IMPACT Wrestling at 8 p.m. ET.

The action continues on Friday, April 21 at 8:30 a.m. ET with a live Canadian broadcast of ONE Championship: Kings of Destiny from Manila, Philippines. Later, at 9 p.m. ET, LFA 10: Heinisch vs. Rota emanates from Pueblo, Colorado and airs live on Fight Network in Canada and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

On Saturday, April 22, M-1 Global returns with a live doubleheader, beginning at 10 a.m. ET with M-1 Selection 76, which airs live in Canada, the U.S. and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The M-1 Challenge 76 main card airs live exclusively in Canada at 1 p.m. ET.

Finally, Fight Network will deliver extensive coverage of UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Swanson vs. Lobov across Canada on Saturday, April 22, starting at 7 p.m. ET with the live UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Swanson vs. LobovPRE-FIGHT SHOW leading into LIVE PRELIMS on Fight Network. The main card airs live on TSN5. TheUFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Swanson vs. Lobov PRE-FIGHT SHOW will feature UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley and retired UFC lightweight contender Yves Edwards serving as desk analysts with host Karyn Bryant and reporter Laura Sanko conducting on-site fighter interviews.

At the conclusion of Saturday’s main card, the live UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Swanson vs. Lobov POST-FIGHT SHOW on Fight Network features highlights, analysis and post-fight interviews.

The stacked lineup for tonight’s Combate Americas 13, starting at 8 p.m. ET globally on Fight Network and 10 p.m. ET with the main card in Canada, includes:

-Roman Salazar (10-5) vs. Ricky Palacios (7-1)

-Irwin Rivera (5-2) vs. Kevin Natividad (2-0)

-Benny Madrid (9-3) vs. Chad Dietmeyer (8-2)

-Daniel Rodriguez (3-0) vs. Joel Champion (4-0)

-Erick Sanchez (7-3) vs. Randy Steinke (17-10-1)
-Victor Reyna (8-3) vs. Andrew Perez (5-4)
-Stephanie Alba (3-1) vs. Alesha Zappitella (2-0)

ONE Championship: Kings of Destiny, airing on Friday, April 21 at 8:30 a.m. ET across Canada, is headlined by lightweight kingpin Eduard Folayang defending his title against surging Ev Ting. The full card includes:

-Eduard Folayang (17-5) vs. Ev Ting (13-3) – ONE lightweight title
-Kevin Belingon (14-5) vs. Toni Tauru (11-4-1)
-Danny Kingad (5-0) vs. Muhammad Aiman (2-1)

-Eugene Toquero (8-4) vs. Stefer Rahardian (4-0)
-Chan Rothana (4-2) vs. Xie Bin (2-1)

-Gina Iniong (4-2) vs. Natalie Hills (2-4)
-Michelle Nicolini (3-1) vs. Irina Mazepa (2-0)

-Robin Catalan (4-3) vs. Jeremy Miado (6-0)
-Christian Lee (5-1) vs. Jianping Wan (2-2)
-Honorio Banario (11-6) vs. Jaroslav Jartim (6-5-1)

LFA 10: Heinisch vs. Rota, airing on Friday, April 21 at 9 p.m. ET across Canada and globally on Fight Network, features the following lineup:

-Ian Heinisch (7-0) vs. Lucas Rota (12-6)

-Nick Urso (9-3) vs. Brandon Royval (5-2)
-Zac Riley (5-3) vs. Jerome Rivera (5-0)

-Dominic Montoya (7-0) vs. Slobodan Maksimovic (12-5-1)

-Andrew Yates (9-2) vs. Andrew Tenneson (5-1)
-Adam Martinez (3-1) vs. Maikel Perez (1-0)

-Cody Yohn (3-1) vs. Mike Jones (4-2)

Saturday’s M-1 Global doubleheader begins with a live global broadcast of M-1 Selection 76 at 10 a.m. ET, which will include the following bouts:

-Javier Fuentes (9-3) vs. Khamzat Sakalov (4-2)
-Elnur Veliev (6-0) vs. Zalimbek Omarov (7-2)
-Anatoly Lyagu (5-1) vs. Abubakar Mestoev (4-0)
-Evgeniy Goncharov (5-2) vs. Daniil Arepyev (7-1)
-Alexey Valivakhin (10-5) vs. Ingishkan Ozdoev (0-0)

The M-1 Challenge 76 main card airs live across Canada at 1 p.m. ET and is headlined by a clash for the M-1 bantamweight championship. The full fight card includes:

-Movsar Evloev (6-0) vs. Alexei Nevzorov (12-2) – M-1 bantamweight title
-Khamzat Dalgiev (8-1) vs. Heliton dos Santos (15-5)
-Timur Nagibin (8-2) vs. Diego D’Avila (18-5)

-Sergey Morozov (6-2) vs. Fabricio Sarraff (22-9)

-Zalimbeg Omarov (7-2-1) vs. Elnur Veliev (6-0-1)

Saturday’s UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Swanson vs. Lobov PRELIMS air live on Fight Network across Canada at 8 p.m. ET. The star-studded four-bout card includes:

-Thales Leites (26-7) vs. Sam Alvey (30-8)
-Dustin Ortiz (16-6) vs. Brandon Moreno (13-3)

-Scott Holtzman (9-2) vs. Michael McBride (8-2)

-Jessica Penne (12-5) vs. Danielle Taylor (8-2)

For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit www.fightnetwork.com, follow us on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.

Alexey Nevzorov & Movsar Evloev to fight for Interim M-1 Challenge bantamweight title

M-1 CHALLENGE 76 MAIN CARD SET
 
This Saturday night in Ingushetia, Russia
MOSCOW (April 18, 2017) – The M-1 Challenge 76 main card is set, headlined by an Interim M-1 Challenge bantamweight title fight, between top contenders Alexey Nevzorov and Movsar Evloev, for this Saturday night (April 22) in Ingushetia, Russia.
Nevzorov (12-2-0, M-1: 6-1-0) and Evloev (6-0-0, M-1: 6-0-0), both representing Russia, are fighting for the Interim M0-1 Challenge bantamweight championships due to a long-term injury to the reigning champion, Pavel Vitruk,
The Davella brothers from Brazil, bantamweight Heliton (15-5-0, M-1: 0-0-0) and featherweight Diego (18-5-0), will be in action against a pair of Russian opponents, respectively, Khamzat Dalgiev (8-1-0, M-1: 5-0-0) and Timur Nagibin (8-2-0, M-1: 4-1-0).
Another Brazilian fighter, Fabricio “Bill” Sarraff (22-9-0, M-1: 0-0-0), meets Kazakhstan bantamweight Sergey Morozov (6-2-0, M-1: 3-2-0), while German Rene Hoppe (6-0-0, M-1: 1-0-0-) meets Ike Bochkov (2-0-0, M-1: 0-0-0), of Russia.
Preliminary card match-ups include Ukrainian featherweight Elnur Valiev (6-0-1, M-1: 0-0-0) vs. Zalimbeg Omarov (7-2-1, M-1: 4-1-1), of Russia, Javier Fuentas (9-4-0, M-1: 2-1-0), of Spain, vs. Khamzat Sakalov (5-1-0, M-1: 4-0-0), Evgeni Goncharov (5-3-0, M-1: 0-0-0), of Spain, vs. Daniil Arepyev (7-1-0), M-1: 0-0-1) in a battle of Russian heavyweights, and Ukrainian welterweight Alexey Valivakhin (8-5-0, M-1: 0-0-0) vs. Ingiskhan Ozdoev (2-3-0, M-1: 2-3-0), of Russia.
INFORMATION:

www.M1Global.tv

Twitter & Instagram:
@M1GlobalNews
@VFinkelchtein
@M1Global
Facebook:

BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPION EDUARDO DANTAS WINS FOURTH STRAIGHT FIGHT, DEFEATS BELLATOR NEWCOMER LEANDRO HIGO

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS – CREDIT BELLATOR/LUCAS NOONAN

 

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY 

Official Bellator 177: Dantas vs. Higo Main Card Results & Quotes:

Eduardo Dantas (20-4) defeated Leandro Higo (17-3) via split decision (30-27, 30-27, 28-29)

Eduardo Dantas Quote:

“It was tough to stay motivated for this fight once he missed weight. There was nothing to gain whether I beat him fast or slow. It wasn’t for the belt, it wasn’t going to change my ranking in Bellator,” Dantas said. “When [Darrion] Caldwell got injured, I asked Scott Coker to bring in tough bantamweights and they brought in a tough fighter, but you have to make weight. I train hard for several months, I don’t go out, I train. It’s the very minimum you can do. You have to make weight. Be a professional. I don’t think Caldwell is injured. I think he just doesn’t want to fight out of America. I am looking forward to getting my hands on him.”

Daniel Weichel (39-9) defeated John Macapa (21-2) via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)

Daniel Weichel Quote:

“Macapa is definitely a tough opponent. He was almost undefeated coming into this with only one loss and I took him as seriously as I can take an opponent. At this time I treat everyone I fight as if it’s a championship fight. I think he is one of the top featherweight opponents that I could face so I’m pretty happy that I was able to beat him,” Weichel said. “I have to give a big shout out to all of my friends and family that drove 17-18 hours from Frankfurt and Cologne to be here and support me. They’ve been there for me and believed in me since day one and it’s difficult for me to even put into words how much it means to have them in my corner. I have to thank Bellator for putting me on this card and giving them the opportunity to come and watch me fight. I’m hoping that Bellator brings me to Mohegan Sun next week and puts me cage side so I can see who I will get to beat up next when (Daniel) Straus and (Patricio) ‘Pitbull’ fight.

Lena Ovchynnikova (12-4) defeated Helen Harper (4-2) via doctor stoppage at 5:00 of round two

Lena Ovchynnikova Quote:

“Before the fight I was a little bit nervous, and I felt that my first round wasn’t quite as good as I would of liked. But when the second round started she was going to feel my power and I knew that I would win,” Ovchynnikova said. “When the judges stopped the fight I couldn’t believe it. I was ready for a third round and I wanted to win with a knockout but we have what we have.”

Adam Borics (6-0) defeated Anthony Taylor (1-3) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:12 of round one

Adam Borics Quote:

“When the fight started, I felt a great deal of pressure from the crowd and I was in a bit of a rush. It took me a while to settle down and regain my composure, but once I did that I was able to see the fight much better. I’ve been working on my striking with Henri Hooft and I really was hoping to win with a knockout, but I saw my opening for a submission and I was able to end the fight with the choke,” Borics said. “I’m very happy that I was given this great opportunity to represent Hungary in MMA. This is very important for me to support the development of this sport in Hungary. It is my plan to continue to be an ambassador for the sport here and to continue to bring victories like this in the future.”

Brian Moore (10-5) defeated Michal Horejsi (5-3) via TKO at 3:57 of round two

Brian Moore Quote:

 

“I’m really, really happy that I got the call back from Bellator. To be honest I begged for the call back because Bellator is where I want to be. I want to be signed with Bellator, I want to be a household name. I really believe I’m one of the better featherweights in this division. I was given a guy who is very unpredictable. I was patient in my approach but I cut him down and was able to finish him. Tonight I wanted to make a statement with a knockout because my dream is to fight at Madison Square Garden. I want to open up the show. My teammate James (Gallagher) is already on the card and we’d put on a super camp together and we’d tear that place apart,” Moore said. “My hero, Sugar Ray Robinson used to own the Garden. I’ve watched every bit of footage I can get my hands on of Sugar Ray, he’s my idol. So to fight in the same arena as he has – and obviously my teammate Conor (McGregor) has fought there too – it would be a dream come true. But I want to open up the card and set the tone for the night because when you see a fighter that is as exciting as I am that’ll set the tone. Give me anyone, I don’t give a f-ck.”

Mate Kertesz (3-0) defeated Patrick Szombat (1-3) via TKO at 4:37 of round two

FITE TV to LIVE Stream ACB 57 FREE and RIZIN 2017 PPV this weekend; WATCH HERE!

ACB 57 Payback – Magomedov vs Yan 2 – Live and FREE Saturday 4/15 10:00AM ET – From Moscow

ACB 57 Payback features the rematch of the highly contested first meeting between current ACB Bantamweight Champion Magomed Magomedov (13-1 MMA) and Petr Yan (6-1 MMA) as well as a co-main event of Alexander Sarnavskiy (35-5 MMA) vs Eduard Vartanyan (15-3 MMA).

 

For the full card visit our ACB 57 event page at: https://www.fite.tv/watch/acb-57-magomedov-vs-yan/2jjrk/

ACB 57: Magomedov vs Yan (Прямая трансляция) Live Stream

RIZIN 2017 Sakura PPV $14.99 – Kawajiri vs Birchak – Sunday 2AM ET Live from Yokohama Arena, Japan

RIZIN returns with the pageantry and non-stop action that has defined Japanese MMA! In the main event Japanese MMA legend Tatsuya “Crusher” Kawajiri (35-11-2 MMA) vs Anthony Birchak (12-3 MMA) from the U.S. and a co-main event that features wrestling powerhouse Amir Aliakbari (5-1 MMA) against the powerful and experienced Brazilian Gerônimo Dos Santos (39-17). The card also features MMA superstars Kyoji Horiguchi, Heath Herring, Olympic Gold Medalist Satoshi Ishii, UFC veteran Daron Cruickshank and more!

For the full card visit our RIZIN 2017 event page at: https://www.fite.tv/watch/rizin-2017-in-yokohama/2jn62/

RIZIN 2017 in Yokohama Live Stream

FNU Combat Sports Show: Johnson vs. Reis Preview, The Undertaker Retires, NASCAR Fights

Rabble Rousin’ Rich Bergeron, “Psychic” Tom Padgett and Tony “The Tornado” Penecale discuss the news and events of the last two weeks in combat sports. From Rampage Jackson’s rough final fight in Bellator to Chris Weidman’s controversial loss to Gegard Mousasi we cover all the major MMA happenings. We also discuss the upcoming week’s boxing schedule and look back at some events in boxing from the last two weeks. We wrap up with a discussion about NASCAR and Bellator taking advantage of their common partnership with Monster energy drink. The two sports giants announced recently that Bellator will host fight cards at future racing events.

 

PHOTOS & QUOTES FROM TODAY’S BELLATOR 177 & BELLATOR KICKBOXING 6 PRESS CONFERENCE

B177Dantas_Higo 

EVENT SET TO TAKE PLACE FRIDAY, APRIL 14 IN BUDAPEST

 

ADDITIONAL FIGHTER PHOTOS – CREDIT BELLATOR/LUCAS NOONAN

 

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY – Several fighters from both Bellator 177: Dantas vs. Higo and Bellator Kickboxing 6 gathered in Budapest this morning to speak with the media about their upcoming fights this Friday night inside the Budapest Sports Arena.

 

Two titles will be on the line, as Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas defends his Bellator bantamweight belt against former LFA champ Leandro Higo, while Bellator kickboxing welterweight titleholder Zoltan Laszak takes on Karim Ghajji in a championship rematch.

 

Bellator 177: Dantas vs. Higo will be broadcast Friday, April 14 on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while Bellator Kickboxing 6 will air immediately following the MMA portion of the event, beginning at 11pm ET/10pm CT.

Below, you can find quotes from today’s press conference.

Bellator Bantamweight World Champion Eduardo Dantas:

“Thank you to Bellator for supporting me and thank you Budapest for the opportunity.”

“I’m very happy to be here. I want to say thank you to my opponent for accepting this fight. And I’m ready to show you what I do best, which is to punch his face.”

Leandro Higo:

“Thank you to Bellator for the opportunity. Thank you, Budapest, for the reception. I’m very happy to be here and I’m looking forward to putting on a good show this Friday!”

“I feel no extra pressure because I’m here to do what I love, which is fighting. I’m looking forward to winning another championship belt.”

Adam Borics:

“I’d like to welcome all of you. This is one of the biggest opportunities of my life. I’m very much looking forward to the fight and I’m well prepared, so I can’t wait. I was fortunate enough to prepare for this fight in America with great professional coaches like Henri Hooft.”

“I’m ready. I can hardly wait for my arm to be lifted at the end.”

Anthony Taylor

“Welcome! Welcome! How’s it going? I am the “Pretty Boy”, the prettiest of them all. I definitely want to thank Budapest and Bellator for bringing me in. Of course, I bring numbers, you know, so I’m expecting this should bring over a million viewers, hands down.”

“I want to thank you all for coming here and showing the support. We’re going to put on a show – one hell of a show. We’re going to get these ratings up and have so much fun. Definitely.”

“Hands down, pound for pound, everyone knows I am the strongest 145-er in the division and if anybody stands in my way or stands in the middle of the cage and wants to bang with me, they’re gonna get knocked out. I kid you not! Anybody in the featherweight division stands toe to toe with me is going to get knocked out.”

“I’m not going to take nothing from this man. He has a 9-0 record so he’s definitely put in work. He beat up nine people, but it doesn’t mean he’s going to beat up me. I tell you that! But I give him credit because he’s coming out here and sacrificing his time and being away from his family to put in his work just as I am. We’re going to put on a show for all you fans out there and all you media out there.”

“You know in my eyes, this is the main event: The Hungarian versus the American. Everyone wants to see this fight. They want to see what is this man can do with a record of 9-0. He earned his wins and I respect him as a fighter. But after Friday he will be 9-1.”

Bellator Kickboxing Welterweight World Champion Zoltan Laszak

“I’d like to thank Bellator very much for this opportunity and I’m looking forward to this this rematch with Ghajji. This is a great chance to really entertain and I appreciate the support from all of the Hungarian fans. I feel their cheers and support every day.”

“This is the most important fight of my life because there has been much more promotion here in Budapest leading up to the event. I realize that most people in the arena will be cheering for me, and for Hungary. I’ve done my preparation and my homework. I’m excellently prepared and I’m looking forward to this challenge.”

Karim Ghajji

“Thank you for the rematch. It was a big mistake in the first fight. Now I’m going to make it right and bring the belt back home to France.”

“Two days before the first fight I was sick and I had dealt with injuries during that camp, but this time I had a great camp, I’ve prepared myself very well, and this will be an explosive fight on Friday.”

Complete Bellator 177: Dantas vs. Higo Main Card:

Bantamweight World Title Bout: Eduardo Dantas (19-4) vs. Leandro Higo (17-2)

Featherweight Feature Bout: Daniel Weichel (38-9) vs. John “Macapa” (21-1-2)

Flyweight Feature Bout: Lena Ovchynnikova (11-4) vs. Helen Harper (4-1)

Featherweight Feature Bout: Adam Borics (5-0) vs. Anthony Taylor (1-2)

 

Preliminary Card:

Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Brian Moore (9-5) vs. Michal Horejsi (5-2)

Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Patrick Szombat (1-2) vs. Mate Kertesz (3-0)

 

Complete Bellator Kickboxing 6 Main Card:

Welterweight World Title Bout: Zoltan Laszak (83-2-2, 1 NC) vs. Karim Ghajji (23-5-1)

Middleweight Feature Bout: Joe Schilling (20-9) vs. Alexandru Negrea (9-2)

Welterweight Feature Bout: Raymond Daniels (10-3) vs. Gyorfi Csaba (20-5)

Women’s Featherweight Feature Bout: Jorina Baars (40-0-3) vs. Irene Martens (20-9-2)

Featherweight Feature Bout: Gabriel Varga (13-4) vs. Gabor Gorbics (30-10)

SHOREY FIGHTING FOR HIS FAMILY AT NEF 28; NEW ENGLAND FIGHTS TO HELP RAISE FUNDS

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lewiston, Maine (April 10, 2017) – New England Fights (NEF) presents its next mixed-martial-arts event “NEF 28: INVINCIBLE” on Saturday, April 29, 2017 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine.  Earlier today, the fight promotion announced that “Shatterproof 2.0” Derek Shorey (4-8) would step in to face Rob “The Beast” Best (0-0) in a featherweight bout after Best’s original opponent, Matt Probin (0-0), fell out due to medical reasons.

For Shorey, the opportunity to fight came at the perfect time.  The head of the Dexter, Maine-based Shatterproof Combat Club had planned to take an extended leave from competition after a loss to Josh Parker (5-8) last fall at “NEF 26.”  Fate intervened recently, however, when tragedy beset Shorey’s family.  Last week, four of his children and their mother were left homeless after a two-alarm fire in Somersworth, New Hampshire.

“I wasn’t planning on fighting this soon,” said Shorey, “but when something like this happens, we do what we can. I asked Matt (Peterson, NEF matchmaker) for a fight to try and get some money to help rebuild after the fire and as fate would have it, a spot opened up. Rob Best is a grinder, nothing but respect for him.  This would be a tough fight for me even with a full camp, but I believe everything happens for a reason, and I still have a lot of fight left in me – especially when my heart gets involved.”

NEF further announced that the promotion would be raising funds at the “NEF 28” event to help assist Shorey’s family.

A Gofundme campaign has been established for the family at www.gofundme.com/15summerst/

New England Fights returns to the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine with its next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 28: INVINCIBLE,” on Saturday, April 29, 2017.  Tickets are on sale now at the Colisee box office 207-783-2009 x 525 and online at www.TheColisee.com.

For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com.  In addition, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA/, follow the promotion on Twitter and Instagram @nefights, and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”

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 Maine’s fighters and fans alike.  NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal, regulatory affairs and advertising.

PETROSYAN, KIELHOLTZ, HAIDA, & BOLANOS EMERGE VICTORIOUS FROM BELLATOR KICKBOXING 5 IN TORINO

For Immediate Release:

April 8, 2017

Giorgio Petrosyan (84-2-2, 1 NC) defeated Amansio Paraschiv (23-5-1) via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 29-27, 30-26)

Giorgio Petrosyan Quote: “I’ve spent a lot of time studying this opponent and I felt like I knew his fighting style well so I was able to put together a solid game plan and execute it successfully,” Petrosyan said. “Now I’m looking forward to getting some rest, and we will let Scott Coker and Carlo DiBlasi decide what is next for me.”

Petrosyan vs. Paraschiv Photos

Denise Kielholtz (46-3) defeated Martine Michieletto (18-11-3) via Unanimous Decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-46)

Denise Kielholtz Quote: “It was a good night for me with the win, but it was tough fight. She’s a taller southpaw fighter and she really brought it. All rounds were for me and that’s the most important thing for me. It’s great to retain this belt, this is my biggest prize in the sport and I’m honored to be the world champion for Bellator,” Kielholtz said. “Really, for me, Bellator is the biggest kickboxing organization in the world, they are really for the fighters, so I am very happy to be representing this company. The next time you see me out there might be in the Bellator cage fighting MMA. We’re working very hard on all aspects of my training and so hopefully before the end of summer you will see me fighting MMA.”

Kielholtz vs. Michieletto Photos

John Wayne Parr (96-32) def. Nando Calzetta (45-10) via Head Kick at 2:59 of Round 2

John Wayne Parr Quote: “He was tough, he came to fight. He wanted to mix and trade but I was more than happy to do that with the hands. I thought I was a little bit sharper, but he had a crack – he had a good go and hopefully it was entertaining for the crowd,” John Wayne Parr said. “Before this fight I really wanted to do something impressive and get an impressive finish so to score a head kick knockout is like a slam dunk. I feel like Michael Jordan right now. I’ve been watching Bellator and I just want to be a star here and hopefully tonight is gonna put that notch in my belt and help me fulfill that dream.”

Parr vs. Calzetta Photos

Mustapha Haida (46-5-2) defeated Enriko Kehl (45-12-1) via Split Decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)

Mustapha Haida Quote: I’m very happy for with the victory. I think I broke my hand or my wrist in the second round so I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to finish the fight, but I dug down deep and was able to get through the match,” Haida said. “Fighting for Bellator Kickboxing here in Italy has been a great experience for me and I hope to continue to fight here.”

Haida vs. Kehl Photos

Gaston Bolanos defeated Luca D’Isanto via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Gaston Bolanos Quote: “I came into someone’s home town tonight, and the guy had a lot more experience in kickboxing than I do, so I’m quite happy with the win. It’s a different rhythm out there. I’m used to Muay-Thai, which I’ve been practicing my whole life. I’ve done a few fights without elbows even though it’s still Muay-Thai so it’s a bit different from what I just did tonight. I just came from an MMA fight so I had to switch up my whole camp but this is what I want to do and this is the opportunity that Bellator has provided for me, so I’m going to take it and stay as busy as possible,” Bolanos said. “I want to thank Bellator, Scott Coker, my coach Kirian Fitzgibbons and my team at CSA Gym for helping me and giving me all the opportunities that I’ve been given in my career. I’m hoping to get another MMA fight in here soon and develop a rhythm there. I want to become the biggest star in both sports and I know that I’ve got the opportunity and the talent to do just that.”

Bolanos vs. D’Isanto Photos