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
Wesibhakela: CHRIS “HUGGY BEAR” BARNETT VS. JUSTIN WILLIS
LIVE ON NBCSN AT 9 P.M. KANYE
FROM MASHANTUCKET, Conn. NGOLWESIHLANU, JUNE 17
Las Vegas (April 12, 2016) -World Series of Fighting (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) umcimbi, siphile on NBCSN at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. kusukela Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn. ngolwesihlanu, June 17.
In a second heavyweight matchup, dynamic, ekuphumeni star Chris "Huggy Bear" 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) will collide with submission expert Thiago “Minu” Meller (20-7) in a welterweight (170 amakhilogremu) indaba.
In a featherweight (145 amakhilogremu) scrap between two prolific strikers, Luis "Baboon" Palomino (24-12) will face off with former world championship challenger Sheymon Moraes (8-1).
In the umcimbi main, reigning world heavyweight champion Blagoy Ivanov (13-1) will risk his title against Josh “Cuddly Bear” Copeland (13-1) ngenkathi, in the lightweight (155 amakhilogremu) co-main umcimbi, superstars Jason "The Kansas City Bandit" High (19-5) futhi Mike "The Martian" Ricci (11-4) will square off with their division’s number one contender ranking at stake.
Chris Barnett vs. Justin Willis
After spending the last year and a half making waves in Japan, 5-foot-9, 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 of yakhe 14 career zokunqoba ngendlela (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-yebor-old Willis, a training partner of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) greats UKhayini Velasquez futhi 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 e 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 twthe, all-out wars with reigning, Ezingakanqotshwa World Series of Ukulwa iqhawe engasindi Justin "The Gqamisa" 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, one-night, eight-man tournament in which he scored a devastating, emzuliswaneni wokuqala (4:55) WHO (punches) on Rich Patishnock in the event’s quarterfinal stage, before being stopped in the semifinal stage of battle via second round (4:19) WHO (punches) at the hands of 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 "Izinkinga" Peralta by way of TKO (punches) e emzuliswaneni wesibili (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) ukuzithoba (okukhulisa-naked binda) in a title bid against reigning bantamweight (135 amakhilogremu) champion UMarlon Moraes.
John Howard vs. Thiago Meller
Following his second stint with the UFC that spanned seven bouts and included victories over Uriya Hall, Siyar Bahadurzada futhi Cathal Pendred, the 5-foot-7, 33-year-old Howard of Boston, Mass. will aim to rebound from a second round (:21) KO (punches) ukulahlekelwa Tim Means ngoDisemba 10.
Kuze kube manje, Howard has notched 15 of yakhe 23 career zokunqoba ngendlela (T)KO noma ukuzithoba. During his initial run with the UFC between January 2009 and June 2011, Howard scored a memorable, round wesithathu (4:55) KO (punches) on submission ace Dennis "Superman" Hallman ngoDisemba 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 (okukhulisa-naked binda) of 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 of yakhe 20 career wins, ngendlela yokuzithoba.
The preliminary bout card lineup for WSOF31: Ivanov vs. Copeland will be announced soon.
Ontengo yakhe yayinqunyiwe kusuka $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. KANYE, owokuqala wokulungiselela ikhadi iziqubu uzoqala at 6 p.m. |
