Tag Archives: Arizona

Iron Boy MMA 7 Live on Pay-Per-View August 12 from Phoenix

 
PHOENIX (August 3, 2017) – The United States Southwest has been turning out top mixed-martial-arts fighters on a consistent basis for more than a decade. The next generation will be showcased Saturday night, August 12, on the Iron Boy MMA 7 card, airing live on pay-per-view from Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona.
Integrated Sports Media will distribute “Iron Boy MMA 7” live in the United States, starting at 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT, on cable, satellite and internet pay-per-view via DirecTV, iN Demand, Vubiquity, and DISH, in addition to being available worldwide on the FITE app and website (www.FITE.tv), for a suggested retail price of only $19.95.
“We are very excited to partner with Integrated Sports Media on Iron Boy MMA 7,” said Roberto Vargas, President of Iron Boy Promotions. “This card is the most talent-packed MMA card we’ve presented, and we can’t wait to share with the rest of the country what Arizona MMA fans have already experienced – explosive, quality fights from some of the best fighters in the country.”
Arizona and New Mexico have developed a bitter fighting rivalry over the past few years. The main event continues that trend as featherweight Randy Steinke (17-11-1, TB: 1-0-0), fighting out of Glendale, AZ, takes on Frank Baca (16-4-0, IB: 0-0-0), of Albuquerque, NM.
Randy Steinke

Frank Baca
The 31-year-old Steinke has been a professional MMA fighter for the 10 years, including fights in the World Series of Fighting, Combates America and King Of The Cage. Braca is a King of the Cage veteran who most recently fought in Bellator.
Mesa, Arizona featherweight “Rollin'” Noland Hyland (3-1-0, IB: 2-0-0) meets Idaho’s Anthony Pagliaro (3-5-0, IB: 0-0-0), while featherweight Roman “El Gallito” Salazar(10-6-0, TB: 0-0-0), of Queen Creek, AZ, faces Colombian invader Dumar “Coraon de Leon” Roa (11-6-0, TYB: 0-0-0).
Arizona featherweight Andres “The Punisher” Ponce (2-5-1, IB: 0-1-0) throws-down with Boostyare “Bullit” Nefarios (2-2-0, IB: 0-1-0), of Las Vegas, Nevada.
The main card features several pro-debut fighters such as Arizona bantamweight Junior Cortez vs. New Mexico’s Fallon Ring. Arizona featherweight Daniel Peru (1-0-0, IB: 1-0-0) is matched against pro-debuting Brendon Trujillo, of New Mexico, while heavyweight Waldo Cortez makes his pro debut against fellow Arizonian Darrell “Superman” Denslow (0-1-0, IB: 0-0-0). Undefeated bantamweight Kevin “Quicksand” Natividad (3-0-0, IB: 0-0-0), of Tempe, AZ, puts his perfect record on the line versus Las Vegas’ Fard “The Messenger” Muhammad.
Six amateur MMA matches are scheduled to open the “Iron Boy MMA 7” card.
Tickets are priced at $55.00, $40.00 and $30.00 and available to purchase online atwww.ironboy.com or at the Celebrity Theatre box office.

INFORMATION:
Twitter: @IntegratedPPV, @ironboyboxing, @FiteTV

COMPLETE LINEUP SET FOR “WSOF 25: 8-MAN LIGHTWEIGHT TOURNAMENT” AT COMERICA THEATRE IN PHOENIX, ARIZ. ON FRIDAY, NOV. 20, LIVE ON NBCSN

Twelve bout card kicks off live on WSOF.com at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, followed by live NBCSN telecast at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT

Live stream includes one-night tournament’s quarterfinal stage bouts

LAS VEGAS (November 16, 2015) –The complete fight card and bout order for World Series of Fighting’s highly-anticipated “WSOF 25: 8-Man Lightweight Tournament” extravaganza at Comerica Theatre in Phoenix, Ariz. is set for Friday, November 20.

Headlined by the first one-night, eight-man tournament in World Series of Fighting history, the event will kick off with a preliminary bout card that will stream live, worldwide on an embeddable video player on WSOF.com, beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

The live stream will be comprised of eight bouts, including all four quarterfinal stage matchups in the lightweight (155 pounds) tournament that will crown its winner, who will have fought three times in one night, the new number one contender in the coveted weight division.

The four-fight, live NBCSN telecast will begin at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT with the two semifinal stage tournament bouts, and conclude with the tournament’s championship round showdown.

The non-tournament, lightweight co-main event contest between Jason “The Kansas City Bandit” High (18-5) of Kansas City, Mo. and rival star Estevan Payan (16-8) of Tempe, Ariz. will take place between the conclusion of the second semifinal stage tournament bout and the championship round fight.

In one tournament bracket, Luis “Baboon” Palomino (23-11) of Miami, Fla., coming off another “Fight of the Month” performance at WSOF 23 in September, will square off with rising star Rich Patishnock (6-2) of East Stroudsberg, Pa., while Brian Foster (23-7) of Sallisaw, Okla., fresh off a thunderous, first round (:32) KO of previously unbeaten LaRue Burley at WSOF 23, will collide with streaking submission wizard Joao Zeferino (18-6) of Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil.

In the opposite bracket, wrestling and submission ace Brian “The Bandit” Cobb(20-8) of Bakersfield, Calif. will battle Firas Zahabi-trained Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt  Mike “The Martian” Ricci (10-4) of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, whileIslam Mamedov (12-1) of Jersey City, N.J. via Derbent, Dagestan, Russia will put his phenomenal, 11-fight winning streak on the line against five-time, one-night tournament winner and Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Jorge “Macaco” Patino (38-15-2, 1 NC) of Houston, Texas via Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The winner of the quarterfinal stage bout between Palomino and Patishnock will meet the winner of the fight between Foster and Zeferino in the semifinal stage of the single-elimination affair, and the winner of the matchup between Cobb and Ricci will face the winner of the bout between Mamedov and Patino in the semifinal stage of the tournament.

Leading off the preliminary bout card will be the first of two tournament reserve bouts –Benny Madrid (8-3) of Phoenix vs. Ramil Mustapayev (3-1) of Albuquerque, N.M. via Ossetia, Russia, which will be followed by the second tournament reserve fight – LaRue Burley (6-1) of Phoenix vs. Joe Condon (12-8) of Victorville, Calif.

The preliminary bout card will conclude with a 165-pound catchweight tilt betweenJimmy Scully (3-3) of Phoenix and Roberto Yong (2-3) of Glendale, Ariz. and a bantamweight (135 pounds) battle between Joseph Barajas (11-1) of Vista, Calif. and Erik Villalobos (3-0) of Glendale.

Priced from $29.99, tickets for “WSOF 25: 8-Man Lightweight Tournament” are on sale at the Comerica Theatre box office as well as online at Ticketmaster.com and WSOF.com.

Doors at Comerica Theatre open at 5 p.m. MT and the first preliminary bout will begin at 6 p.m. MT.

MAIN CARD

Lightweight Tournament Championship Bout:
Semifinal Bout Winner # 1 vs. Semifinal Bout Winner # 2

Lightweight Co-Main Event:
Jason High vs. Estevan Payan

Lightweight Tournament Semifinal Stage Bout # 2:
Quarterfinal Bout Winner # 3 vs. Quarterfinal Bout Winner # 4

Lightweight Tournament Semifinal Stage Bout # 1:
Quarterfinal Bout Winner # 1 vs. Quarterfinal Bout Winner # 2

PRELIMINARY CARD

Bantamweight Bout: Joseph Barajas vs. Erik Villalobos

Catchweight (165 pounds) Bout: Jimmy Scully vs. Roberto Yong

Lightweight Tournament Quarterfinal Stage Bout # 4:
Luis Palomino vs. Rich Patishnock

Lightweight Tournament Quarterfinal Stage Bout # 3:
Brian Foster vs. Joao Zeferino

Lightweight Tournament Quarterfinal Stage Bout # 2:
Brian Cobb vs. Mike Ricci

Lightweight Tournament Quarterfinal Stage Bout # 1:
Islam Mamedov vs. Jorge Patino

Lightweight Tournament Reserve Bout # 2:
LaRue Burley vs. Joe Condon

Lightweight Tournament Reserve Bout # 1:
Benny Madrid vs. Ramil Mustapayev

About “World Series of Fighting” (WSOF®)
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a worldwide premier professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters from around the world. For more information please visit WSOF.com. Follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries. WSOF and World Series of Fighting are registered trademarks of MMAWC, LLC.

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING ANNOUNCES RULES FOR EIGHT-MAN TOURNAMENT ON FRIDAY, NOV. 20, LIVE ON NBCSN FROM COMERICA THEATRE IN PHOENIX, ARIZ.

Fourth judge to be added in event of any draws 

LAS VEGAS (October 29, 2015) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today, a comprehensive set of rules for its historic, one-night, eight-man lightweight (155 pounds) tournament on Friday, Nov. 20, live on NBCSN at11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT from Comerica Theatre in Phoenix, Ariz.

“We are looking forward to a competitive night of tournament action after months of evaluating how we could make this the most exciting event possible and, at the same time, ensure the safety of our athletes and give each of them the best opportunity to prevail in the cage,” said World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo.

A former, six-time world kickboxing champion and two-time Hall of Famer, Sefo is a decorated veteran of over 50, one-night tournaments.

Designed to maximize the performance of its athletes and ensure that a decisive winner emerges in each bout, the “WSOF 25: 8-Man Lightweight Tournament” rules include scoring by a fourth cageside judge in the event that the original three judges in place score any bout a draw.

Additionally, elbow strikes will be permitted in the championship bout of the tournament when the standard, Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts take effect, but not in the quarterfinal or semifinal stages of the single-elimination affair.

Each of the four quarterfinal stage tournament bouts as well as both semifinal stage bouts will consist of two, five-minute rounds.  The championship bout will be comprised of three, five-minute rounds.

Priced from $29.99, tickets for “WSOF 25: 8-Man Lightweight Tournament” are on sale at the Comerica Theatre box office as well as online at Ticketmaster.com and WSOF.com.

In one bracket of the eight-man tournament affair, Luis “Baboon” Palomino (23-11) of Miami, Fla. will square off with Rich Patishnock (6-2) of East Stroudsberg, Pa., while Brian Foster (23-7) of Sallisaw, Okla. will collide with Joao Zeferino(18-6) of Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil.

In the opposite bracket, Brian “The Bandit” Cobb (20-8) of Bakersfield, Calif. will battle Mike “The Martian” Ricci (10-4) of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, whileIslam Mamedov (12-1) of Jersey City, N.J. via Derbent, Dagestan, Russia will face Jorge “Macaco” Patino (38-15-2, 1 NC) of Houston, Texas via Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The winner of the fight between Palomino and Patishnock will meet the winner of the fight between Foster and Zeferino in the semifinal stage of the tournament, while the winner of the bout between Cobb and Ricci will square off with the winner of the bout between Mamedov and Patino in the semifinal stage of the event.

The two semifinal stage winners will face one another in the championship round.

In the lightweight co-main event, Jason “The Kansas City Bandit” High (18-5) of Kansas City, Mo. will duke it out with Estevan “El Terrible” Payan (16-8, 1 NC) of Tempe, Ariz.

In one of two tournament reserve bouts, LaRue “The Cannibal” Burley (6-1) of Mesa, Ariz. will go to war with Joe Condon (12-8) of Victorville, Calif.

In the second reserve contest, Benny “El Hijo” Madrid (11-3) of Phoenix will face Ramil Mustapayev (3-1) of Ossetia, Russia.

Should any of the tournament’s quarterfinal stage fight winners be unable to re-enter the cage for his semifinal stage commitment due to an injury sustained en route to victory, the loser of the bout will advance to the following tournament round in place of the hurt fighter.

If neither the winner nor loser are healthy enough to re-enter the cage, however, one of the reserve fight winners will serve as a replacement in the tournament field.

Doors at Comerica Theatre will open at 5 p.m. MT, and the first bout will begin at 6 p.m.

Additional bouts will be announced soon.

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING ADDS TWO RESERVE BOUTS TO ONE-NIGHT TOURNAMENT ON FRIDAY, NOV. 20, LIVE ON NBCSN FROM COMERICA THEATRE IN PHOENIX, ARIZ.

WSOF 25 receives new NBCSN start time of 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT

LAS VEGAS (October 27, 2015) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) has confirmed the addition of two alternate bouts – LaRue “The Cannibal” Burley vs. Joe Condon and Benny “El Hijo” Madrid vs. Ramil Mustapayev – for its highly-anticipated, one-night, eight-man lightweight (155 pounds) tournament on Friday, Nov. 20, live on NBCSN at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT from Comerica Theatre in Phoenix, Ariz.

Should any of the tournament’s quarterfinal stage fight winners be unable to re-enter the cage for his semifinal stage commitment due to an injury sustained en route to victory, the loser of the bout will advance to the following tournament round in place of the hurt fighter.

If neither the winner nor loser are healthy enough to re-enter the cage, however, one of the reserve fight winners will serve as a replacement in the tournament field.

“Our tournament lineup is officially complete with the addition of these matchups, and we are looking forward to having the four talented fighters selected for these two important fights, compete on this historic card and be prepared to enter the single-elimination contest if necessary,” said World Series of Fighting PresidentRay Sefo.

The 31-year-old Burley (6-1) of Gilbert, Ariz. is looking to return to form after suffering his first career blemish, a first round (:32) KO (punch) at the hands of accomplished veteran and one of the eight tournament contestants, Brian Foster, at WSOF 23 on September 18.

Prior to the defeat, Burley had emerged one of MMA’s hottest prospects, recording victories in his first six professional fights, including a third round (3:40) TKO (punches) of fellow rising star Bubba Jenkins, after an unbeaten career as an amateur.  Four of Burley’s six career wins have come by way of (T)KO or submission.

Condon (12-8) of Victorville, Calif. is also looking to return to the win column in what will be his third start for World Series of Fighting, following a unanimous decision defeat to Nick Newell at WSOF 20 on April 10.

In his promotional debut on January 17, the 29-year-old Condon submitted Jonathan Nunez with a guillotine choke in the third round (4:22) of battle at WSOF 17.

The 35-year-old Madrid (8-3) of Phoenix is coming off a splendid, first round (1:26) submission (rear-naked choke) victory over Jeff Fletcher at WSOF 23.  The win snapped a three-fight skid that came after Madrid had reeled off wins in his first seven professional career fights, a streak that spanned four years between 2009 and 2013.

Mustapayev (3-1) of Albuquerque, N.M. via Moscow, Russia will make his World Series of Fighting debut and will risk a perfect, 3-0 run that he is in the midst of this year.

A member of Greg Jackson’s and Mike Winklejohn’s famed fight team, Mustapayev is fresh off a stunning, first round (3:10) TKO (punches) of Jarel Askew in a matchup that took place on August 29.

Priced from $29.99, tickets for “WSOF 25: Eight-Man Lightweight Tournament” are on sale at the Comerica Theatre box office as well as online at Ticketmaster.com and WSOF.com.

In one bracket of the eight-man tournament affair, Luis “Baboon” Palomino (23-11) of Miami, Fla. will square off with Rich Patishnock (6-2) of East Stroudsberg, Pa., while Brian Foster (23-7) of Sallisaw, Okla. will collide with Joao Zeferino(18-6) of Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil.

In the opposite bracket, Brian “The Bandit” Cobb (20-8) of Bakersfield, Calif. will battle Mike “The Martian” Ricci (10-4) of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, whileIslam Mamedov (12-1) of Jersey City, N.J. via Derbent, Dagestan, Russia will face Jorge “Macaco” Patino (38-15-2, 1 NC) of Houston, Texas via Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The winner of the fight between Palomino and Patishnock will meet the winner of the fight between Foster and Zeferino in the semifinal stage of the tournament, while the winner of the bout between Cobb and Ricci will square off with the winner of the bout between Mamedov and Patino in the semifinal stage of the event.

The two semifinal stage winners will face one another in the championship round.

In the lightweight co-main event, Jason “The Kansas City Bandit” High (18-5) of Kansas City, Mo. will duke it out with Estevan “El Terrible” Payan (16-8, 1 NC) of Tempe, Ariz.

Doors at Comerica Theatre will open at 6 p.m. MT, and the first bout will begin at 7 p.m.

Additional bouts will be announced soon.

About World Series of Fighting (WSOF)
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF.com) is a world wide premier professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters from around the world. For more information please visit WSOF.com. Follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and “World Series of Fighting” President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING ANNOUNCES BRACKETS, FIRST-STAGE MATCHUPS FOR ONE-NIGHT, EIGHT-MAN LIGHTWEIGHT TOURNAMENT AT COMERICA THEATRE IN PHOENIX, ARIZ. ON FRIDAY, NOV. 20, LIVE ON NBCSN

Plus: Jason High faces Estevan Payan in WSOF 25 co-main event

Tickets on sale now

LAS VEGAS (October 17, 2015) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced tonight during its live NBCSN telecast of “WSOF 24: Fitch vs. Okami,” the quarterfinal stage matchups and brackets for its historic, one-night, eight-man tournament that will crown its winner the new number one contender in the promotion’s coveted lightweight (155 pound) division, at “WSOF 25: Eight-Man Lightweight Tournament,” on Friday, Nov. 20, live on NBCSN at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT from Comerica Theatre in Phoenix, Ariz.

Additionally, a lightweight co-main event pitting Jason “The Kansas City Bandit” High against fellow battle-tested star and World Series of Fighting newcomer Estevan “El Terrible” Payan was announced for WSOF 25.

“We are excited about the star-studded lineup and incredible matchups we have assembled for the first World Series of Fighting one-night tournament in history,” said World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo.  “Combined with an outstanding co-main event between Jason High and Estevan Payan, this is a must-see event for any fight fan.”

In one tournament bracket, Luis “Baboon” Palomino (23-11) of Miami, Fla., coming off another “Fight of the Month” performance at WSOF 23 in September, will square off with rising star Rich Patishnock (6-2) of East Stroudsberg, Pa., while Brian Foster (23-7) of Sallisaw, Okla., fresh off a thunderous, first round (:32) KO of previously unbeaten LaRue Burley at WSOF 23, will collide with streaking submission wizard Joao Zeferino (18-6) of Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil.

In the opposite bracket, wrestling and submission ace Brian “The Bandit” Cobb(20-8) of Bakersfield, Calif. will battle Firas Zahabi-trained Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt  Mike “The Martian” Ricci (10-4) of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, while Islam Mamedov (12-1) of Jersey City, N.J. via Derbent, Dagestan, Russia will put his phenomenal, 11-fight winning streak on the line against five-time, one-night tournament winner and Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Jorge “Macaco” Patino (38-15-2, 1 NC) of Houston, Texas via Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The winner of the quarterfinal stage bout between Palomino and Patishnock will meet the winner of the fight between Foster and Zeferino in the semifinal stage of the single-elimination affair, and the winner of the matchup between Cobb and Ricci will face the winner of the bout between Mamedov and Patino in the semifinal stage of the tournament.

The two semifinal stage victors will face off against each other for the tournament championship and the right to challenge reigning, undefeated World Series of Fighting lightweight champion Justin Gaethje.

High (18-5) of Kansas City, Mo. will look to establish his presence in the World Series of Fighting lightweight division after defeating top-level competition elsewhere in the U.S. as well as in Japan, where the 34-year-old made his initial mark in the sport by collecting wins in the now defunct DREAM and K-1 promotions, and followed up his stellar performances overseas with a perfect, 3-0 run in the Strikeforce cage.

Another former Strikeforce standout, the 33-year-old Payan (16-8, 1 NC) of Tempe, Ariz. has also scrapped with notable adversaries, and has imposed his will with dangerous punching power.  Payan is looking for his second straight victory after scoring a third round (2:45) KO on Roberto Young with a barrage of punches on June 6.

Priced from $29.99, tickets for “WSOF 25: Eight-Man Lightweight Tournament” are on sale at the Comerica Theatre box office as well as online at Ticketmaster.com and WSOF.com.

World Series of Fighting will announce additional details concerning the format and rules of the tournament soon.

About World Series of Fighting (WSOF)
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF.com) is a world wide premier professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters from around the world. For more information please visit WSOF.com. Follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and “World Series of Fighting” President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.

WSOF 23 PRELIMINARY FIGHT CARD COMPLETE WITH SEVEN BOUTS HIGHLIGHTED BY ISAAC VALLIE-FLAGG, CLIFFORD STARKS AND LEGION OF LOCAL PHOENIX AREA TALENT

Preliminary fight card streams live on WSOF.com prior to
five-bout telecast on NBCSN on Friday, September 18

LAS VEGAS (August 18, 2015) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today a stacked, seven-bout preliminary card for its “WSOF 23: Gaethje vs. Palomino II” world championship doubleheader mega-event at Comerica Theatre in Phoenix, Ariz. on Friday, September 18.

The preliminary fight card, which will stream live on WSOF.com prior to the five-bout, live NBCSN telecast of the event’s main card, is highlighted by the promotional debut of battle-tested road warrior Isaac Vallie-Flagg, the quick return of streaking Clifford “Big Cat” Starks, the U.S. debut of undefeated finisher Vagab Vagbov and a total of nine of the Phoenix area’s top professional prospects.

“This is a phenomenal assembly of up-and-coming talent from Phoenix as well as established veterans and rising stars from elsewhere around the U.S. and other parts of the globe,” said World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo.

“When we brought World Series of Fighting to the city of Phoenix for the first time earlier this year,” continued Sefo, “we discovered a considerable pool of talent.  We are excited to be able to put some of this talent back in action and to deploy several new faces that we feel have earned a shot to compete in the big leagues.”

Topping the preliminary bout card is a middleweight (185 pounds) matchup between Vagabov (19-0) of Dagestan, Russia and submission specialist Kelvin “The Mama’s Boy” Tiller (7-1) of Topeka, Kan.

Just six weeks after he shocked the world by pulling off an upset victory over Mike “MAK” Kyle in a matchup that he accepted on less than one week’s notice, Starks (12-2) of Tempe, Ariz. will re-enter the World Series of Fighting decagon cage and hunt for his fifth consecutive win when he faces another steep test in undefeated, former Bulgarian national wrestling champion Krasimir “The Wrestler” Mladenov (12-0), who is fighting out of Las Vegas.

Vallie-Flagg (15-7-1) of Santa Fe, N.M., a member of the famed Jackson-Winklejohn fight squad will make his debut under the World Series of Fighting banner in a lightweight (155 pounds) tilt against power puncher Estevan “El Terrible” Payan of Tempe.

Matthew “The Thunder From Down Under” Frincu (6-1) of Tempe via Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia will make his second start for World Series of Fighting, after scoring a devastating, second round (:14) KO on Eric Regan with a headkick at WSOF 19 on March 28.

Frincu, whose six career victories have all come by way of (T)KO or submission, will battle streaking Danny Davis, Jr. (11-8-1) of Las Vegas at welterweight (170 pounds).  Davis Jr. is a winner of his last five straight fights, including three World Series of Fighting matchups.

In one of two bantamweight (135 pounds) preliminary card bouts, Tempe-based rivalsAndres Ponce (1-0) and David Nuzzo (7-1) will go to war while, in the other, Randy Steinke (15-9-1) of Phoenix will face off with Joey “The Beast” Miolla (4-1) of Mesa, Ariz.

Leading off the preliminary fight card will be a lightweight scrap between Benny “El Hijo” Madrid (7-3) of Phoenix and Jeff Fletcher (11-10, 1 NC) of Ahwatukee, Ariz.

Priced from just $39.99, tickets for “WSOF 23: Gaethje vs. Palomino II” are on sale at the Comerica Theatre box office and online at WSOF.com and Ticketmaster.com.

In the main event of WSOF 23, undefeated, reigning World Series of Fighting Lightweight (155 pounds) Champion Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje (14-0) will collide for the second time with hard-hitting rival Luis “Baboon” Palomino (23-10), after the two engaged in an all-out war, which has already been touted as a “Fight of the Year” candidate, in the main event of WSOF 19 at Comerica Theatre.

In the co-main event and inaugural World Series of Fighting light heavyweight (205 pounds) championship bout, David Branch (16-3), the promotion’s reigning world middleweight (185 pounds) champion, will attempt to become the first two-division kingpin in World Series of Fighting history, when he faces off with Cinderella storyTeddy Holder (9-1), whose nine career wins have all come by way (T)KO or submission.

The live NBCSN telecast of “WSOF 23: Gaethje vs. Palomino II” begins at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

Doors at Comerica Theatre will open at 3 p.m. MT and the first preliminary bout will begin at 3:45 p.m.

MAIN CARD

World Series of Fighting Lightweight Championship Main Event:
Justin Gaethje (Champion) vs. Luis Palomino (Challenger)

World Series of Fighting Light Heavyweight Championship Co-Main Event:
David Branch vs. Teddy Holder

Bantamweight: Timur Valiev vs. Tito Jones
Catchweight (160 pounds): Phoenix Jones vs. Roberto Yong
Lightweight: Brian Foster vs. LaRue Burley

PRELIMINARY CARD

Middleweight: Vagab Vagabov vs. Kelvin Tiller
Middleweight: Clifford Starks vs. Krasimir Mladenov
Lightweight: Estevan Payan vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg
Welterweight: Matthew Frincu vs. Danny Davis, Jr.
Bantamweight: Andres Ponce vs. David Nuzzo
Bantamweight: Randy Steinke vs. Joey Miolla
Lightweight: Benny Madrid vs. Jeff Fletcher

About “World Series of Fighting” (WSOF)

“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a world wide premier professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters from around the world. For more information please visit WSOF.com. Follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and “World Series of Fighting” President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.

ABOUT NBCSN

NBCSN, part of the NBC Sports Group, is dedicated to serving passionate sports fans. Now in more than 85 million homes, the Emmy Award-winning network is the cable television home of the Summer and Winter Olympics, National Hockey League (NHL) – including two games of the Stanley Cup Final — NASCAR, Premier League, Formula One, IndyCar, Tour de France, and America’s Cup. In addition, NBCSN features college football, college basketball, college hockey, cycling, outdoor programming, horse racing surrounding the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup, Ironman, the Dew Tour and USA Sevens Rugby. The network is also home to original programs such as NFL Turning Point, Pro Football Talk,The Dan Patrick Show, and NASCAR America. NBCSN is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.

 “WSOF 23: GAETHJE VS. PALOMINO II” ADDS TWO MORE BOUTS TO LIVE NBCSN TELEVISED MAIN CARD FROM PHOENIX, ARIZONA ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18

Bantamweight: Timur Valiev vs. Tito Jones  
Lightweight: Brian Foster vs. Larue Burley  

LAS VEGAS (August 12, 2015) – World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) has finalized the live NBCSN televised portion of its highly anticipated, “WSOF 23: Gaethje vs. Palomino II” world championship doubleheader at Comerica Theatre in Phoenix, Ariz. on Friday, Sept. 18, with the addition of two new bouts – a bantamweight (135 pounds) battle between ferocious rising star Timur “Lucky” Valiev and seasoned puncher Tito Jones, and a lightweight (155 pounds) tilt between dangerous finisher Brian Foster and undefeated LaRue Burley.

“We are looking forward to another incredible night of action, now that the main card for WSOF 23 is complete with five bouts featuring an exciting mix of championship fights and matchups filled with accomplished veterans and some of the world’s best prospects,” said World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo.

Fighting out of the famed Jackson-Winklejohn camp in Albuquerque, N.M., the 25-year-old Valiev (9-1) of Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia has been on fire in the cage, winning 9 straight fights since his second professional start in July 2011.

Valiev’s run includes three victories in the World Series of Fighting decagon cage.  In his last effort at WSOF 19 on March 28, Valiev decimated Ed West, scoring a first round (1:39) TKO on West with an impressive combination of elbow strikes and punches.

Jones (11-7), a native of Panama City, Fla., now fighting out of Phoenix, is a two-time regional Golden Gloves boxing champion and former protégé of boxing trainer Roy Jones, Sr.  The 34-year-old has never been knocked out over the course of a 9-year professional career that has spanned 18 bouts.

Foster (22-7) of Sallisaw, Okla. is a 31-year-old, battle-tested grappling expert who has notched 20 of his 22 career victories by way of (T)KO or submission, and who has defeated a collection of name rivals, including the current number 6-ranked welterweight in the world, Matt Brown, whom Foster forced to tap out from a guillotine choke in the second round (2:11) of their matchup on Nov. 20, 2010.

Foster will look to rebound from a defeat at the hands of superstar Jake Shields on Jan. 17 when the two faced off in the main event of WSOF 17 in Las Vegas.  The result halted a 4-fight win streak that Foster had ignited on July 27, 2013, when he scored a stunning second round (:43) KO on James Wood with a spinning back kick.

Also 31 years of age, Burley (6-0) of Phoenix, has yet to be beaten over the course of six professional starts and two amateur bouts, a run that includes six wins by either (T)KO or submission.

Burley has earned six victories during a professional run that began with a unanimous decision win over Kelly Osser on Sept. 15, 2012, and also includes a third round (3:40) TKO (punches) over 2011 NCAA Division I National Wrestling Champion and fellow rising star Bubba Jenkins.

In the main event of WSOF 23, undefeated, reigning World Series of Fighting Lightweight (155 pounds) Champion Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje (14-0) will collide for the second time with hard-hitting rival Luis “Baboon” Palomino (23-10).

The first matchup between Gaethje and Palomino, which headlined WSOF 19, was a barnburner affair that Gaethje won via third round (3:57) TKO (leg kicks and punches), and that has already been touted as a “Fight of the Year” candidate.

In the co-main event and inaugural World Series of Fighting light heavyweight (205 pounds) championship bout, David Branch (16-3), the promotion’s reigning world middleweight (185 pounds) champion, will attempt to become the first two-division kingpin in World Series of Fighting history, when he faces off with Cinderella storyTeddy Holder (9-1), whose nine career wins have all come by way (T)KO or submission.

In a featured, 160-pound catchweight fight, rising star and costumed crime fighterPhoenix Jones (5-1-1) will look to return to the win column after suffering the first professional loss of his career during his World Series of Fighting debut in April, when he takes on professional boxer turned MMA upstart Roberto Yong (2-2).

Priced from just $39.99, tickets for “WSOF 23: Gaethje vs. Palomino II” are on sale at the Comerica Theatre box office and online at WSOF.com and Ticketmaster.com.

The live NBCSN telecast begins at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

Doors at Comerica Theatre will open at 3 p.m. MT and the first preliminary bout will begin at 3:45 p.m.  A complete preliminary bout card will be announced soon.

COSTUMED CRUSADER PHOENIX JONES SUITS UP TO FACE ROBERTO YONG AT “WSOF 23: GAETHJE VS. PALOMINO II”  

Live on NBCSN from Phoenix, Arizona
on Friday, September 18

LAS VEGAS (August 11, 2015) – World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) rising star and costumed crime fighter Phoenix Jones (5-1-1) will return to the decagon cage to take on Roberto Yong (2-2) in a 160-pound catchweight contest on the live, NBCSN-televised main card of “WSOF 23: Gaethje vs. Palomino II” at Comerica Theatre in Phoenix, Ariz. on Friday, Sept. 18.

Headlined by a previously announced and much-anticipated rematch between undefeated, reigning World Series of Fighting World Lightweight (155 pounds) Champion Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje (14-0) and hard-hitting rival Luis “Baboon” Palomino (23-10), the star-studded event features a second title fight, the inaugural World Series of Fighting world light heavyweight (205 pounds) championship bout between David Branch (16-3) and Teddy Holder (11-7).

Priced from just $39.99, tickets for “WSOF 23: Gaethje vs. Palomino II” are on sale at the Comerica Theatre box office and online at WSOF.com and Ticketmaster.com.

The 27-year-old Jones of Seattle, Wash. has received national media attention for his heroic deeds as a volunteer crime fighter who patrols his local streets, clad in a full-body suit and mask, in an effort to assist others in distress and curb every day street crimes.

Jones made his World Series of Fighting debut on April 10, coming up short in a unanimous decision against Emmanuel Walo in a 175-pound catchweight contest.  The upcoming bout will be contested at a weight closer to Jones’ natural fighting weight of 155 pounds.

Yong, of Glendale, Ariz. is a former professional boxer focused on establishing a career in MMA.  The 31-year-old opened his professional MMA career with back-to-back KO victories.

Yong has since stumbled against longtime veteran Estevan Payan and prospect Joel Champion but, like Jones, will look to return to the win column by dropping below the welterweight (170 pounds) limit.

The live NBCSN telecast of “WSOF 23: Gaethje vs. Palomino II” begins at 7:00 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on Friday, September 18.

Doors at Comerica Theatre will open for “WSOF 23” at 3:00 p.m. MT and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 3:45 p.m.

Additional bouts for the event will be announced soon.

About “World Series of Fighting” (WSOF)
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF.com) is a world wide premier professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters from around the world. For more information please visit WSOF.com. Follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and “World Series of Fighting” President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.

MMA LIVE – THIS SATURDAY- TUCSON

THIS SATURDAY
JULY 25, 2015
Casino Del Sol Resort, Tucson

JULY 25 PRO FIGHT CARD

170 TITLE:  Raymond Pina vs Kyle Stewart

170  Andy Perez vs Tiki Aquino
145  Alejandro Arredondo vs Ramon Lopez
125 TITLE: Brandon Moreno vs Tyler Bialecki
125  Justin Rascon vs Sleepy Soliven

JULY 25 AMATEUR FIGHT CARD

125  Josh Madrigal vs Israel Serrano
135 TITLE  Ralphy Pacheco vs Steven Prior
145  Dorian Ramos vs Julio Cisneros
145  Eric Johnson vs Tyler Naas
155  Levi Escobar vs Antonio Garcia
155  Buddy Rodriguez vs Sterling Throssell
170  Wesley Pierce vs Tyler Cattey

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS

**This is an Indoor Event – Seating is Limited**
**ALL AGES EVENT**

 
OR

Watch the Fights LIVE on

www.WFFMMA.com for $9.99

Fight Card Subject To Change

FUTURE EVENT DATES
AUGUST 22 – CHANDLER
OCTOBER 3 – TUCSON
NOVEMBER 7 – CHANDLER

“WSOF 23: GAETHJE VS. PALOMINO II” WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLEHEADER HITS PHOENIX, ARIZ. ON FRIDAY, SEPT. 18

Main Event: Undefeated WSOF World Lightweight Champion
Justin Gaethje rematches heavy hitter Luis Palomino

Co-Main Event: David Branch and Teddy Holder square off to become first WSOF world light heavyweight champion in history

Live on NBCSN
Tickets on sale Saturday, July 11

LAS VEGAS (July 9, 2015) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) will return to Phoenix, Ariz., where it delivered one of its most memorable nights of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) action to date earlier this year,  with a world championship doubleheader headlined by a highly-anticipated rematch between undefeated, reigning WSOF World Lightweight (155 pounds) Champion Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje and hard-hitting challenger Luis “Baboon” Palomino at Comerica Theatre on Friday, Sept. 18, live on NBCSN.

In the co-main event, David Branch will attempt to become the promotion’s first two-division champion and first world light heavyweight (205 pounds) champion in history when he squares off with determined, hard-hitting KO artist Teddy Holder in the championship round of the four-man, multi-event tournament that kicked off at Comerica Theatre on March 28 as part of WSOF 19.

Priced from $39.99, tickets for “WSOF 23: Gaethje vs. Palomino II” go on sale onSaturday, July 11 at 10 a.m. MT and will be available for purchase at the Comerica Theatre box office and online at Ticketmaster.com.

“We are excited to return to Phoenix where we witnessed one of the most incredible fights in WSOF history earlier this year between Justin Gaethje and Luis Palomino, and to see them do it all over again,” said WSOF President Ray Sefo.

“Likewise,” continued Sefo, “we look forward to crowning the first WSOF light heavyweight champion in history and, based on their recent performances in our cage, David Branch and Teddy Holder should deliver a thrilling end to our historic tournament.”

The ferocious, 26-year-old Gaethje (14-0) of Safford, Ariz. put forth the gutsiest performance of his four-year professional career, thus far, when he faced off with Palomino, a 34-year-old resident of Miami, Fla. known for his devastating KO power, in the main event of WSOF 19.

An electric, seesaw battle that repeatedly brought the crowd on hand to its feet, suddenly ended when Gaethje, after digging down deep, put together a combination of leg kicks and punches that put the tenacious Palomino down in the third round of action and prompted the referee to call off the fight, giving Gaethje the TKO win at the 3:57mark of the third stanza.

Branch and Holder find themselves in championship round action in the WSOF tournament that kicked off in Phoenix on March 28, after both fighters faced unexpected, last-minute adversaries in the semifinal stage.

Originally slated to square off with Ronny Markes, the 33-year-old Branch (16-3), the reigning WSOF world middleweight (185 pounds) champion and a Renzo Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who hails from Brooklyn, N.Y., found himself with a new opponent in Jesse McElligott just 24 hours before fight time on April 10, after a dehydrated Markes was forced to withdraw from the affair.

Branch, who seized the WSOF middleweight strap with a first round (1:41) submission (d’arce choke) of Jesse Taylor on June 21, 2014, handled McElligott relatively easily, submitting him with a shoulder choke in the second round (1:28) of battle to notch his sixth consecutive win.

Holder (9-1) of Bartlett, Tenn. experienced a stroke of luck when, just hours before the 29-year-old was slated to enter the cage for a WSOF 19 preliminary bout, one of the original tournament participants, Matt Hamill, withdrew from his semifinal stage matchup with seasoned star Thiago Silva, and Holder was asked to replace him.

With a fraction of the professional experience of his new opponent, the heavy-handed Holder charged forward, eventually blasting Silva with a storm of punches that crumbled the Brazil native in the first round (2:00) and earned Holder a trip to the tournament’s championship round.

The live NBCSN telecast of “WSOF 23: Gaethje vs. Palomino II” begins at 7:00 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on Friday, September 18.

Doors at Comerica Theatre will open for WSOF 23 at 3:00 p.m. MT and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 3:45 p.m.

Additional bouts for the event will be announced soon.

About “World Series of Fighting” (WSOF)
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF.com) is a world wide premier professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters from around the world. For more information please visit WSOF.com. Follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and “World Series of Fighting” President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.

ABOUT NBCSN
NBCSN, part of the NBC Sports Group, is dedicated to serving passionate sports fans. Now in more than 85 million homes, the Emmy Award-winning network is the cable television home of the Summer and Winter Olympics, National Hockey League (NHL) – including two games of the Stanley Cup Final — Premier League, Formula One, IndyCar, Tour de France, the 34th America’s Cup, and beginning in 2015, NASCAR. In addition, NBCSN features college football, college basketball, college hockey, cycling, outdoor programming, horse racing surrounding the Triple Crown  and Breeders’ Cup, Fight Night boxing, Ironman, the Dew Tour and USA Sevens Rugby. The network is also home to original programs such as Costas TonightNFL Turning Point, Pro Football Talk, The Dan Patrick Show, and NASCAR America. NBCSN is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.