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HEATHER HARDY AND ANA JULATON TO COMPETE IN MMA AND BOXING CONTESTS
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS BOUT SET FOR BELLATOR 194 ON FEBRUARY 16
LOS ANGELES – A flyweight feature fight pitting renowned boxing champions Heather Hardy (1-1) against Ana Julaton (2-3) has been added to the main card of Bellator 194: Nelson vs. Mitrione on Friday, February 16 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The event will air live and free on Paramount Network at 9 p.m. ET.
The bout will be the first part of a dual event scenario in which the fighters are also expected to compete in a boxing match at a later date. While the MMA bout will be held under the Bellator banner, DiBella Entertainment and Orion Sports Management will handle promotional duties for the boxing event.
Tickets for Bellator 194: Nelson vs. Mitrione are available now and can be purchased at the Mohegan Sun Arena Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster and Bellator.com. 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 contests will be announced in coming weeks.
Making her third appearance inside the Bellator MMA cage, Hardy hopes to duplicate the game plan that earned her an impressive knockout win over Alice Yauger in her professional debut at Madison Square Garden. Hailing from Brooklyn, N.Y., Hardy built an imposing boxing resume prior to joining forces with Bellator, where she collected a pair of titles in multiple weight classes, including the WBC International Female Super Bantamweight belt and WBC International Female Featherweight belt. “The Heat” protected an unblemished mark of 20-0 through a five-year stint inside the boxing ring.
An accomplished professional boxer herself, Julaton also brings a unique style to the Bellator cage as she prepares for just her sixth career MMA bout. The former WBO and IBA super bantamweight world champion made the transition to mixed martial arts in May of 2014, collecting a convincing knockout over Aya-Saeid Saber. Since making her professional MMA debut, “The Hurricane” has competed for multiple world-renown promotions and trains alongside Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix competitor Frank Mir in Las Vegas.
Updated Bellator 194: Nelson vs. Mitrione Fight Card:
Heavyweight World Grand Prix First Round Bout: Roy Nelson (23-14) vs. Matt Mitrione (12-5)
Lightweight Co-Main Event: Patricky “Pitbull” (18-8) vs. Derek Campos (19-6)
Women’s Flyweight Feature Bout: Heather Hardy (1-1) vs. Ana Julaton (2-3)
Bellator.com and Bellator Mobile App Preliminary Card:
Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Marcus Surin (4-1) vs. Dean Hancock (3-1)
Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Ross Richardson (Pro Debut) vs. Nick Giulietti (Pro Debut)
165-lb. Catchweight Preliminary Bout: Peter Nascimento (Pro Debut) vs. Kastriot Xhema (1-1)
Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Regivaldo Carvalho (4-2) vs. Tom English (6-8)
Sampson Boxing Inks Promotional Deal with Panamanian Rising Star Jose ‘El Magnifico’ Nunez
Promoter Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing proudly announces the signing of undefeated Panamanian lightweight Jose “El Magnífico” Nunez.
19-year-old Nunez is considered one of the most exciting Panamanian prospects to watch. He was awarded the title of “Prospect of the year 2017” by his homeland’s press and the Panamanian Boxing Commission.
Originally from Curundu Panama, Nunez started fighting at the early age of 10, holds an undefeated record of 5-0 as a professional.
“I am very grateful that Mr. Sampson is going to promote my career as a professional fighter. Now is my turn to demonstrate him and everybody else that I came to this sport to be the best and beat the best,” said Nunez.
Manager and trainer José Murillo says he’s also happy with his young fighter’s new deal.
“We are well aware of who Mr. Lewkowicz is and what he is able to accomplish for Nunez and we can´t be more confident that he is in the best hands possible. What Sampson promises, Sampson delivers. We have full confidence that we have taken the right decision signing this deal.”
“It is a great honor to work with another Panamanian, as I did with ex world champions Anselmo “Chemito” Moreno and Roberto “La Arana” Vasquez,” said Sampson Lewkowicz. “I am confident that Jose will become another world champion of their quality.”
Nunez is scheduled to appear in his first international fight on February 9, in Santa Fe, Argentina, against Lucio Alberto Ayala from Buenos Aires. The fight is being promoted by Sampson Boxing, Tello-Box and JEB Boxing and will be televised trough TyC Sports and VTV Uruguay.
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2016 Olympic bronze medalist Nico Hernandez Fully recovered and raring to go in 1st title fight
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PARK CITY, Kansas (January 22, 2018) – 2016 Olympic bronze medalist and hometown hero Nico Hernandez has fully recovered from an injury that postponed his December 2nd fight to Saturdeay, BELLATOR’S HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD GRAND PRIX CONTINUES WITH DREAM MATCHUP BETWEEN FEDOR EMELIANENKO AND FRANK MIR AT ALLSTATE ARENA ON APRIL 28
TICKETS ON SALE THIS FRIDAY
LOS ANGELES – The third opening round matchup in 2018’s Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix will feature the greatest heavyweight of all time Fedor Emelianenko (36-5, 1 NC) taking on former world champion Frank Mir (18-11) in Bellator’s return to Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill. on Saturday, April 28.
An exclusive online presale for this event takes place Wednesday January 24 and Thursday January 25, with tickets going on-sale to the general public on Friday January 26 at 10 a.m. CT. Tickets for the event start at just $30 and are available at the Allstate Arena box office and Ticketmaster.
The event, presented by Miller Lite, will be broadcast live and free on Paramount Network (formerly Spike) 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.
A former PRIDE champion, “The Last Emperor” is one of the most revered and respected heavyweight fighters the sport has seen. Stone-faced and quiet, Emelianenko boasted one of the most impressive unbeaten streaks in the history of MMA, not losing a bout between 2001 and 2009. A multi-time world champion in MMA and Sambo, Fedor recently returned to the sport after a brief hiatus, accumulating two decisive wins since his return to action and taking on Matt Mitrione in an instant classic at Bellator NYC.
Frank Mir joined Bellator earlier this year following 15 years in the UFC where he became a two-time world champion, collected 16 victories and defeated a who’s who of heavyweight contenders, including Brock Lesnar, “Bigfoot” Silva, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Mirko Cro Cop. Fighting out of Las Vegas, Mir set numerous records while competing with his former promotion, highlighted by the most fights (27), victories (16), and submissions (8) in heavyweight history. With 14 of his 18 career wins coming by way of knockout or submission, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt will now try his hand in Bellator’s heavyweight division.
Updated Fight Card:
Heavyweight Grand Prix First Round: Fedor Emelianenko (36-5, 1 NC) vs. Frank Mir (18-11)
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Undefeated Bantamweight sensation Christian Carto takes on James Smith in headlining bout on Friday, March 2nd at The SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia
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World Boxing Super Series Semifinals
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“FIGHT NITE AT THE SCOTTISH RITE” DANIEL “DA BEAST” BIAZ SCORES UNANIMOUS DECISION
Photos by Robert Elizondo – TRB & PRB Entertainment
SAN ANTONIO, TX (January 20, 2018) – Tonight TMB & PRB Entertainment presented “Fight Nite at the Scottish Rite”, an eight-bout event that took place at the Scottish Rite Theatre in San Antonio, TX. In the four-round main event, Daniel “Da Beast” Biaz (11-1, 5 KOs) scored a unanimous decision over, Ray “The Warrior” Trujillo (3-4-1, 2 KOs).
Biaz, a southpaw who is managed by Prince Ranch Boxing, wobbled Trujillo in every round, with hard shots to the head. Trujillo was trying to force his way into the chest of Biaz throughout the fight, but was unsuccessful as he was countered with by accurate punches. Trujillo, who was a last-minute replacement, showed a lot of heart but was outgunned by Biaz, who landed the cleaner blows. Scorecards read 40-36 across the board, all in favor of Biaz.
In the six round co-main event, female bantamweights, Brianna “Queen Bee” Gonzalez (3-1, 1 KO) and Brittny “Mi Vida Loca” Ordonez (2-2, 1 KO) went toe-to-toe for six hard fought rounds. Both fighters were going for the knockout from the opening bell. Gonzalez was edging out Ordonez in every round as she landed more power shots. Ordonez was giving it her all, but it was Gonzalez who pulled out the unanimous victory. Scorecards read 58-56, 60-54, 59-55 all in favor of Gonzalez.
UNDERCARD RESULTS
6-round bantamweight bout
“Vicious” Vic Pasillas (12-0, 5 KOs) vs. Alejandro Moreno (24-39-3, 11 KOs)
After a two-year layoff, Prince Ranch Boxing’s Victor Pasillas, shook of the rust with a spectacular performance. Pasillas used his superior boxing skills to land his shots. Moreno was backing up the whole fight as Pasillas was on the attack. A left uppercut to the body sent Moreno to the canvas in round two. Pasillas continued to apply pressure as he forced Moreno to take a knee in round four. Moreno got up but did not come out for the fifth round. Pasillas scores a TKO.
4-round middleweight bout
“Ferocious” Luis Villarreal (2-0, 1 KO) vs. Adam “Ghost” Castillo (1-6-1)
Local fighter Luis Villarreal, went the distance with Adam Castillo in a four-round bout. Both fighters were feeling each other out in the early rounds, but it was Villarreal who was the more active fighter. Villarreal came on strong in the final round landing hard body shots, forcing Castillo into survival mode. Villarreal won by unanimous decision.
Scorecards read across the board 40-36.
4-round featherweight bout
Ignacio “El Alacran” Holgiun (5-0, 5 KOs) vs. Santiago Bayardo (0-1)
Bayardo, who was making pro debut, was out gunned by the more experienced Holgiun. Bayardo came out throwing wild punches, while Holgiun stayed composed. Holgiun landed a couple of hard right hooks before dropping Bayardo with a devastating uppercut. Bayardo got up but did not want to continue. The bout was stopped at the 1:45 mark of round one.
4-round heavyweight bout
Tyrell “Too Real” Herndon (7-2, 5 KOs) vs. Armando Herrera (2-6, 1 KO)
Local native Tyrell “Too Real” Herndon went to war with fellow statesman Armando Herrera. Herndon used good footwork to set up his power shots. Herndon landed two powerful body shots followed by a right hook that sent Herrera to the canvas at the end of round one. In round two, Herrera showed a lot of heart as he kept coming forward trying to land some power shots of his own, but was not successful. In the beginning of round three, Herndon landed a counter right cross flush on the face of Herrera, putting him down. Herndon then landed a plethora of punches to the head and body of Herrera after he got up. Finally, Herndon ended the fight with another flurry of blows at the 1:06 mark of round three.
4-round bantamweight bout
Gregory “Goyo” Morales (3-0, 3 KOs) vs. Ben Guerrero (0-1)
Ben Guerrero, who was making his pro debut at age 51, was no match for the young lion, Gregory “Goyo” Morales. Guerrero came out guns blazing at the opening bell, but ran into a buzz saw, as Morales landed some viscous counter blows. A double left hook-straight right combo blasted Guerrero who was out on his feet, forcing the referee to stop the bout at the .46 second mark of round one.
4-round lightweight bout
Frank “Bloodhound” Brown (2-1-1, 1 KO) vs. Daniel Sanchez
In a battle of local lightweights, Frank “Bloodhound” Brown dominated Daniel Sanchez from the opening bell. Brown displayed a vicious body attack while landing at will to the head of Sanchez. A left hook to the head put Sanchez on the deck in the early part of round two before the referee stopped the bout after a barrage of punches. Fight was stopped at the2:22 mark of round two.
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ERROL SPENCE JR. RETAINS IBF WELTERWEIGHT TITLE WITH RESOUNDING TKO VICTORY OVER LAMONT PETERSON SATURDAY NIGHT ON SHOWTIME® FROM BARCLAYS CENTER
Lightweight World Champion Robert Easter Defeats Javier Fortuna
in SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® Co-Feature
Don’t Miss The Replay Monday, January 22 at
10 p.m. ET/PT On SHOWTIME EXTREME
Click HERE for Photos from Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME
Click HERE for Photos from Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment
BROOKLYN (Jan. 21, 2018) – Undefeated welterweight world champion Errol Spence Jr. retained his IBF title with an impressive stoppage of former two-division champion Lamont Peterson in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXINGSaturday night from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING®.
In his first defense since dethroning Kell Brook on SHOWTIME last May, Spence (23-0, 20 KOs) out boxed a tough Peterson (35-4-1, 17 KOs) from start to finish, showcasing a wide array of skills, speed and power. The fight was stopped prior to the start of the eighth round after Peterson’s trainer, Barry Hunter, called for the stoppage.
The fight played out similar to how both fighters predicted, starting in a cagey tactical affair before it turned into an aggressive fight in the middle rounds. Two minutes into round five, Spence used a blistering left hook to send Peterson to the canvas (Click HEREfor highlight). The Washington, D.C. native returned to his feet and continued to battle, but Spence proved to be too much. The 2012 U.S. Olympian out landed Peterson 161-45, while connecting on 49 percent of his power punches to just 31 percent for Peterson.
After the fight Spence spoke to SHOWTIME Sports reporter Jim Gray and was quick to give credit to his opponent. “I want to thank Lamont,” he said. “A lot of guys turned down the fight and he took it like a real warrior and I commend him for that. He’s a tough fighter. He’s willing to die in there.” Click HERE to watch the interview highlight.
Despite earning the win in commanding fashion, Spence still believes he has room to improve. “I still can improve a lot on my defense,” said the unbeaten world champion. “I just have to keep perfecting my skills and keep progressing. You’re going to see a better Errol Spence next time I get in the ring.
“Everybody knows I’ve been waiting on “Some Time” Thurman,” said Spence, looking ahead to a possible unification match with WBC and WBA Welterweight World Champion Keith Thurman. “Since I was 15-0 I’ve been calling this guy out and he keeps making excuses. Let’s get it on. He has two of the belts and we both have big names. It’s an easy fight to make and I want it.”
Peterson, who fought valiantly against the younger Spence, respected the decision of his trainer to stop the fight, “If he asks me to fight a million people, I will. If he asks me to stop. I will stop. I will never question his decision. I know he has my best interests at heart.”
“It was really hard, but if you know Lamont, you know he was not going to give up,” said trainer Barry Hunter. “I had to stop it. At the end of the day, this is my son right here. There’s nothing more valuable than his well-being. If it comes to him or winning, I pick him. I care about him.”
Undefeated 135-pound world champion Robert Easter (21-0, 14 KOs) earned a split decision victory over former world champion Javier Fortuna (33-2-1, 23 KOs) in the co-main event of the SHOWTIME telecast. The judges scored the bout 114-113, 113-114 and 115-112.
The back-and-forth bout saw two skilled fighters stay in the pocket and look to do damage from the inside. A second round point deduction from Fortuna proved costly when the Dominican was warned and then penalized for hitting Easter behind the head. Without the one point deduction, the fight would have been scored a draw. While Easter Jr. was slightly busier, Fortuna landed the more powerful punches. Easter Jr., who held a significant height advantage, out landed Fortuna, connecting on 120 of 383 (31 percent) power punches while Fortuna connected on 113 of 441 (26 percent).
“It was a tough fight, he’s a former world champion for a reason,” Easter told Gray. “We made it tough trying to counter punch. He wasn’t throwing much and it made it difficult for me to chase this guy around.
“I couldn’t get the knockout but we got the win and that’s all that matters. I knew he was going to run once he felt my power. He just wanted to grab and hold the whole fight.”
Looking ahead, Easter made his intentions clear as he seeks unification bouts in the near future, “I want to fight the champions and unify these belts. Fights like these aren’t in my game plan. I’m ready for Mikey Garcia and Jorge Linares to sign the contract.”
A disgruntled Fortuna also spoke to Gray, “the public knows what happened here. They booed because they know that I won this fight.
“If he’s a man let’s fight again at 135-pounds,” said Fortuna, who failed to make weight on two attempts Friday, which meant that Easter’s belt would not be on the line. “I will definitely make the weight. I didn’t give myself enough time to train.”
Unbeaten light heavyweight contender Marcus Browne (21-0, 16 KOs) made quick work of Francy Ntetu (17-2, 4 KOs) in SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING PRELIMS action, as he dropped and battered his opponent early to force referee Arthur Mercante to stop the bout at just 2:15 of the first round. Fighting for his 12th time at the Barclays Center, the 27 year-old Staten Island native kept his unblemished record intact by utilizing his powerful left hand on the overmatched Ntetu.
Browne established his dominance from the start, landing a clean overhand left that dropped Ntetu halfway through the round. The Montreal, Québec native was never able to regain his feet and found himself cornered against the ropes just thirty seconds later. A barrage of powerful combinations landed on the defenseless Ntetu left the referee with little option but to stop the fight with 45 seconds remaining in round number one.
“We worked for this win. He walked into a sure shot and I made him pay,” said Browne. “The overhand left caught him and that was the beginning of the end for him. I knew he was hurt.
“I need a world title shot. I’m ready to take on any of the champions. I don’t have any preferences. I’m glad I put together another great performance here at Barclays Center. I’m going to keep improving until I really become Mr. Barclays Center.”
Ntetu, who moved up to the light heavyweight division for this fight, had a hard time dealing with Browne’s combination of speed and power on his way to the second loss of his pro career.
“[Browne] is very explosive, congrats to him,” said Ntetu. “He’s fast, he’s smart and I did not expect him to be that explosive. He got me with his right hook and a straight left.
“I was in enough shape to fight for 10 rounds. This is not my weight class, but I don’t want to make excuses.”
In the opening bout of the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING PRELIMS, undefeated Adam Kownacki (17-0, 14 KOs) delivered a brutal knockout of Iago Kiladze (26-2, 18 KOs) at 2:08 of the sixth round of their heavyweight matchup. Kownacki, born in Lomza, Poland but fighting out of Brooklyn, New York, enjoyed the support of his hometown crowd as he steadily wore Kiladze down.
Kownacki was the more aggressive and accurate of the two fighters, landing 43 percent of his power punches and 35 percent of his total punches, compared to just 30 percent and 18 percent, respectively, for Kiladze. Despite a bloody nose that Kownacki suffered in the first round, the Polish heavyweight began to pour it on and tire Kiladze with a series of uppercuts and one-two combinations in the fourth round. The action-packed bout came to an end when Kownacki connected on a combination of two uppercuts and a right hand that sent Kiladze on his back in the final minute of the sixth round. After a stunned Kiladze returned to his feet, referee Shada Murdaugh called the fight at the suggestion of the ringside doctor.
“I’m so thankful to all my Polish fans who come out and give me that extra support”, said Kownacki, who fought in front of hundreds of his compatriots. “I’m going to keep fighting for the fans and give everyone a great show.
“I think I made the fight a lot harder than I should have. It’s another learning experience and I got the win. That’s all that matters.”
The Republic of Georgia-born Kiladze, who fights out of Los Angeles, was unable to speak to media as he was taken to NYU Lutheran Hospital for precautionary reasons.
Saturday’s telecast will replay on Sunday, January 21 at 9 a.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME and Monday, January 22 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME and will be available on SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and SHOWTIME ANYTIME®.
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For more information visit www.sho.com/sports , www.premierboxingchampions.com, follow us on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @LouDiBella, @TGBPromotions, @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing, www.Facebook.com/barclayscenter,
and www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment. PBC was sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina. This event was promoted by DiBella Entertainment and TGB Promotions.
THIRD-ROUND RESULTS: 72nd annual Lowell Sun Charities Golden Gloves Championships
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