WSOF31: IVANOV VS. COPELAND
MAIN CARD COMPLETE WITH ADDITION
OF THREE NEW, STAR-STUDDED MATCHUPS
WELTERWEIGHT: JOHN HOWARD VS. THIAGO MELLER
Featherweight: LUIS PALOMINO VS. SHEYMON MORAES
Heavyweight: CHRIS “HUGGY BEAR” BARNETT VS. JUSTIN WILLIS
LIVE ON NBCSN AT 9 P.m. ATQUE
FROM MASHANTUCKET, CONN. ON FRIDAY, IUNIUS 17
Las Vegas (Aprilis 12, 2016) Series -World pugnandi (WSOF.com) today announced the addition of three star-studded matchups to complete the main card for its WSOF31: Ivanov vs. Copeland world heavyweight championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event, at vivere NBCSN 9 p.m. ET / VI p.m. ex Foxwoods Obstinatus Casino in Mashantucket, Conn. on Friday, June 17.
In a second heavyweight matchup, dynamic, ortu stella Chris "Ursus huggy" Barnett (14-2) will make his World Series of Fighting debut against Team AKA prodigy Justin Willis (4-1).
Also stepping in the decagon cage for the first time, battle-tested warrior John “Doomsday” Howard (23-12) vicit acie praeliabitur adversus Thiago “Minu” Meller (20-7) in welterweight (170 libras) negotium.
In a featherweight (145 libras) scrap between two prolific strikers, Luis "Baboon" Palomino (24-12) will face off with former world championship challenger Sheymon Moraes (8-1).
In consectetur, reigning world heavyweight champion Blagoy Ivanov (13-1) will risk his title against Josh “Cuddly Bear” Copeland (13-1) dum, in the lightweight (155 libras) co-main event, superstars Jason "The Kansas urbem Bandit" Maximum (19-5) atque Mike "Martia" Ricci (11-4) will square off with their division’s number one contender ranking at stake.
Carl Friedrich nobis. Justin Willis
After spending the last year and a half making waves in Japan, ad pedem V-IX-, 29-year-old Barnett of Tampa, Fla. will suit up as “Huggy Bear,” and make his way onto a major stage in the U.S. for the first time in his career.
With heavy hands and tremendous agility for a fighter of his massive stature, Barnett has notched 12 eius 14 career victorias, per viam (T)KO, and has celebrated his wins in flamboyant fashion, with everything from cartwheels to breakdancing to hand stands.
Like Barnett, the stocky, 6-foot-3, 28-imor-old Willis, a training partner of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) greats Cain Velasquez atque Daniel Cormier, has been enjoying success in Japan under the promotion of Inoki Genome Federation (IFG).
Willis will make his first start of 2016, and look to extend his win streak to four consecutive bouts. In his last effort on August 29, he earned a unanimous decision over Rizvan Kuniev in Tokyo.
Luis Palomino vs. Sheymon Moraes
The 5-foot-8, 35-year-old Palomino of Miami, Fla. via Lima, Peru is coming off an epic year in which he engaged in twautem, all-out wars with reigning, undefeated Mundus Series Pugnans PERFUSORIUS fortissimus Justin "The Highlight" Gaethje, both of which earned "Fight of the Month” honors.
After closing out 2015 with a gutsy appearance in World Series of Fighting’s first-ever, una nocte, eight-man tournament in which he scored a devastating, primum circum (4:55) QUI (pugnis) on Dives Patishnock in the event’s quarterfinal stage, before being stopped in the semifinal stage of battle via second round (4:19) QUI (pugnis) at the hands autem eventual tournament winner Brian Foster, Palomino will return to the featherweight division where he has held two world titles.
The 5-foot-8, 25-year-old Moraes of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil returned to form in his last bout, decimating fellow knockout artist Robbie "Problematum" Peralta by way of TKO (pugnis) in secundo circuitu (3:21) of their matchup at WSOF26.
A seasoned Muay Thai stylist, Moraes ran to seven straight victories in his first seven starts as a professional MMA competitor before being handed his first career defeat by way of third round (3:46) deditionem (rear, nudi suffocant) in a title bid against reigning bantamweight (135 libras) fortissimus Marlon Moraes.
John Howard vs. Thiago Meller
Following his second stint with the UFC that spanned seven bouts and included victories over Uriah Hall, Siyar Bahadurzada atque Cathal Pendred, autem 5-foot-7, 33-year-old Howard of Boston, Mass. will aim to rebound from a second round (:21) KO (pugnis) detrimentum est Tim Means in December 10.
Modernum, Howard has notched 15 eius 23 career victorias, per viam (T)KO aut submissionem. During his initial run with the UFC between January 2009 and June 2011, Howard scored a memorable, tertio circuitu (4:55) KO (pugnis) on submission ace Dennis "Superman" Hallman in December 5, 2009, marking his third consecutive conquest in the league.
Meller of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil will look to collect his second win in a row, following his first round submission (rear, nudi suffocant) autem Leonardo Rodriguez on June 26, 2015.
The 5-foot-10, 33-year-old Meller, a near 13-year veteran of the sport, has emerged victorious in 14 eius 20 career wins, per modum subiectionis.
The preliminary bout card lineup for WSOF31: Ivanov vs. Copeland will be announced soon.
Pretium ex $39.99, tickets for the event are on sale at WSOF.com and Foxwoods.com.
Doors at The Grand Theatre at Foxwoods Resort Casino will open for WSOF31: Ivanov vs. Copeland, at 5 p.m. ATQUE, bout praevia card primum incipient pervenientes 6 p.m. |
