Tūtohu Archives: Justin Gaethje

We’re Back! FNU Combat Sports Show Returns!

After a couple weeks off, we come back this week to talk about the combat sports world. Tom, Tony and Rich catch up and discuss the events of the past couple weeks and preview upcoming boxing and MMA action. Tom, Tony and Rich pay special attention to last weekend’s awesome UFC card with two of the best fights of the year in MMA to chat about. Eddie Alvarez’s masterful performance against Justin Gaethje was exciting enough, but add in the performance of Yancy Medeiros against Charles Oliveira and that put this card into a category all its own. We also discuss the latest boxing news and Miguel Cotto’s retirement fight. Listen to the broadcast in the player below.

 

FNU aro Sports Whakaatu: Hōngongoi 13, 2017

Mayweather and McGregor lead off tonight’s show as Tony and Rich tease Psychic Tom about not wanting to watch the August 26thsuperfight.We also recap the TUF 25 Finale and UFC 213 kāri. We preview the Bellator and UFC cards coming up this weekend and all the incredible boxing action from the UK to New York.

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING ANNOUNCES SEVEN-BOUT PRELIMINARY CARD FOR WSOF33: GAETHJE VU. DUGULUBGOV MEGA-EVENT IN KANSAS CITY ON FRIDAY, Oct. 7

Undercard headlined by much-anticipated rematch
between bantamweight stars Chris Gutierrez and Timur Valiev

Live, three-hour NBCSN telecast begins at 11 p.m. AND
Preliminary bout card to stream live on WSOF.com at 8 p.m. AND

Tīkiti i runga i te hoko apopo

Las Vegas (E whitu. 1, 2016) - World Series o te whawhai (www.WSOF.com) has announced a stellar and complete, seven-fight preliminary bout card, headlined by a much-anticipated rematch between rival bantamweight (135 pauna) whetu Chris “El Guapo” Gutierrez (9-1-1) a Timur "Lucky" Valiev (10-2), for the star-studded, WSOF33: Gaethje vs. Dugulubgov world championship doubleheader extravaganza at Kansas City Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Koe. i runga i Rāmere, Oketopa. 7, ora i runga i NBCSN i 11 p.m. AND/8 p.m. PT.

The preliminary bout card will stream live, i roto i te taatoaraa, i runga i te kaitākaro ataata embeddable i runga i WSOF.com, timata i 8 p.m. AND/5 p.m. PT, immediately before the unprecedented, three-hour telecast of the six-fight main card that will be headlined by a world lightweight (155 pauna) title fight between reigning, toa tūturu Justin "Ko e Miramirahia" Gaethje (16-0) o Safford, Ariz. and number one contender Ozzy Dugulubgov (8-2) o New York, N.Y..

Utu i $20, tickets for WSOF33: Gaethje vs. Dugulubgov go on saleapopo, Rāmere, E whitu 2 at the Kansas City Municipal Auditorium box office as well as online at Ticketmaster.com and WSOF.com.

The rematch between the 5-foot-9, 25-year-old Gutierrez of Greenville, Texas and the 5-foot-6, 26-year-old Valiev of Albuquerque, N.M. via Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia will unfold less than eight months after the two went to war in a see-saw battle for three full rounds in Garden Grove, Calif. i runga i February 20.

After the closing bell, Gutierrez, walked away with a controversial, split decision, leaving unfinished business between the two prolific athletes.

Leading off the undercard, undefeated submission ace Bryce “Thug Nasty” Mitchell (6-0) will face off with fellow rising star and knockout artist Brandon Phillips (6-1) i roto i te mā (145 pauna) matchup.

One of MMA’s hottest prospects, the ferocious, 5-foot-9, 21-year-old Mitchell of Searcy, Ark. has notched all six of his professional wins to date via submission in the first round of action. He made his promotional debut at WSOF27 in Memphis, Tenn. i runga i January 23, mutunga Jorge Medina with a rear-naked choke at the 1:02 tohu o te rauna whakatuwhera.

Phillips of Oklahoma City, Okla. is a hard-hitting striker who has earned four of his six professional career wins, ko te kupu tenei i tawhiti, by way of (T)KO. The 5-foot-6, 26-year-old is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Chuka Willis i Bellator 159 i runga i Hōngongoi 22.

Elsewhere on the WSOF33 preliminary card, ao-runga Hehe Brock (22-8) will make his World Series of Fighting debut opposite dangerous finisher Bekbulat Magomedov (16-1) i roto i te whā (135 pauna) mau.

I roto i tona timatanga whakamutunga, the 5-foot-4, 34-year-old Brock of Boise, Idaho notched his sixth consecutive victory, forcing Olly Bradstreet to tap out from a rear-naked choke in the third round (3:57) of their bout at Bellator 155 i runga i Kia 20.

The 5-foot-8, 25-year-old Magomedov of Makhachkala, Dagestan will look to rebound from his sole loss to date, a split decision to Josh Hill, at WSOF26 on Hakihea 18. Prior to the fight, Magomedov had gone unbeaten since his professional debut in 2011.

Abu "Gladiator" Azaitar (12-1-1, 1 NC) of Cologne, Germany will square off with “Mad” Mike Arrant (15-11) of Las Vegas in a welterweight (170 pauna) honga.

In a second welterweight matchup, Magomed Magomedkerimov (17-5) o Makhachkala, Dagestan will lock horns with Bobby “Super Duper” Cooper(12-6) of Knob Noster, Koe.

Streaking finisher Ihirama Mamedov (13-1) o Jersey City, N.J. mā Derbent, Dagestan will face battle-tested veteran Alonzo “Zo Diddy” Martinez (40-19) of Papillion, Neb. i Kōmāmā.

In middleweight (185 pauna) mahi, three-time UFC veteran Bruno “Carioca” Santos (14-2) of Macae, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil will make his World Series of Fighting debut against Xtreme Couture team member Clinton Williams (11-4) o Las Vegas.

WSOF33: GAETHJE VU. DUGULUBGOV

KĀRI MAIN (Ora i runga i NBCSN)

World Series o Fighting Kōmāmā Takahanga Main Championship:
Justin Gaethje (Champion) vs. Ozzy Dugulubgov (Kaiwero)

World Series o Fighting Light Heavyweight Championship Co-Main Takahanga:
Rawiri Manga (Champion) vs. Vinny Magalhaes (Kaiwero)

Kōmāmā: Jason Runga vs. João Zeferino
Kōmāmā: Brian Foster vs. Luiz Firmino
Welterweight: Abubakar Nurmagomedov vs. John Howard
Taumahamaha: Shawn Jordan vs. Ashley Gooch

KĀRI PRELIMINARY (Ora i runga i WSOF.com)

Whā: Chris Gutierrez vs. Timur Valiev
Whā: Jesse Brock vs. Bekbulat Magomedov
Welterweight: Abu Azaitar vs. Mike Arrant
Kōmāmā: Ihirama Mamedov vs. Alonzo Martinez
Welterweight: Magomed Magomedkerimov vs. Bobby Cooper
Mā whitu: Bryce Mitchell vs. Brandon Phillips
Whitu: Bruno Santos vs. Clinton Williams

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING ANNOUNCES COMPLETE, SIX-FIGHT MAIN CARD FOR UNPRECEDENTED, THREE-HOUR LIVE NBCSN TELECAST OF WSOF33: GAETHJE VU. DUGULUBGOV

Star-studded, doubleheader aito te ao
airs live from Kansas City, Koe. i runga i Rāmere, Oketopa. 7

Tīkiti i runga i te hoko Rāmere, E whitu. 2

 

Las Vegas (August 30, 2016) - World Series o te whawhai (www.WSOF.com) today announced the completion of a stacked, six-fight main card for the unprecedented, three-hour, live NBCSN (11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT) telecast of the WSOF33: Gaethje vs. Dugulubgov world championship doubleheader extravaganza at Kansas City Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Koe. i runga iRāmere, Oketopa. 7.

Utu i $20, tickets for WSOF33: Gaethje vs. Dugulubgov go on sale onRāmere, E whitu 2 at the Kansas City Municipal Auditorium box office as well as online at Ticketmaster.com and WSOF.com.

Joining the previously announced lightweight (155 pauna) championship main event between reigning, undefeated kingpin Justin "Ko e Miramirahia" Gaethje (16-0) and number one contender Ozzy Dugulubgov (8-2); the light heavyweight (205 pauna) championship co-main event between defending champion Rawiri Manga (16-3) me te kaiwero Vinny Magalhaes (14-7); and the lightweight tilt between WSOF25 eight-man tournament winner Brian Foster (25-9) a Luiz “Buscape” Firmino (19-6), are three other, star-studded bouts, led by a featured lightweight contest between Jason ‘The Kansas City Bandit” High (19-5) a João "Te Beresiria Samurai" Zeferino (20-8).

"Ko tenei, i waho i te feaa, the most stacked fight card from top to bottom that we have put together, thanks in large part to NBCSN, which has given us a three-hour window for the first time since we launched on the network four years ago, to showcase our best fighters in action,"Ka mea a World Series o Fighting peresideni Rangatira Matua.

In other action on the six-bout telecast, John “Doomsday” Howard (24-12) ka whawhai ki Abubakar Nurmagomedov (12-1-1) i roto i te Welterweight (170 pauna) matchup.

Kicking off the main card will be a heavyweight showdown between two World Series of Fighting newcomers and knockout artists – Shawn “The Savage” Jordan (18-7) a Ashley “Gio” Gooch (10-4).

The WSOF33 preliminary bout card will be announced soon.

Jason Runga vs. João Zeferino

Entering the World Series of Fighting decagon cage for the third time, te 5-waewae-9, 34-year-old High of Kansas City, Koe. has been nothing short of spectacular in his first two starts.

In his promotional debut at WSOF25 on November 20, 2015, the UFC and Strikeforce veteran and 2009 DREAM Grand Prix tournament runner-up scored a highlight reel KO on Estevan Payan with a head kick-punches combination in the second round (:47) of their matchup.

High followed up the victory with an inspiring comeback against fellow starMike Ricci. After taking punishment for the majority of each of the first two rounds, High went on the offensive and scored a devastating TKO on Ricci with an onslaught of punches in the second round (4:08) of their WSOF31 meeting on Pipiri 17.

The 5-foot-11, 30-year-old Zeferino of Middletown, N.Y.. via Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil has earned a remarkable 15 o 20 mahi toa i te ara o te tāpaetanga.

The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt finished as runner-up in the first-ever World Series of Fighting one-night, eight-man tournament on November 20, 2015, suffering a second round (4:51) KO (nifó) loss in the event’s championship round at the hands of Brian Foster, whom Zeferino had handily defeated earlier that night in the first stage of the tournament, i te ara o te tuatahi a tawhio noa (1:46) tāpaetanga (rekereke matau).

Following the win over Foster, Zeferino notched another first round (1:24) heel hook submission, this time on Jorge "Macaco" Patino, in the semifinal stage of the tournament. The result marked Zeferino’s seventh consecutive victory.

John Howard vs. Abubakar Nurmagomedov

Ko te 5-waewae-7, 33-year-old Howard of Boston, Mass. is coming off a successful World Series of Fighting debut on Pipiri 17 when he earned a unanimous decision over Michael Arrant.

A 14-fight veteran of the UFC, Howard triumphed over the likes of Dennis "Superman" Hallman, Uria Hall a Siyar Bahadurzada over the course of two different stints with the promotion, and earned “Knockout of the Night” honors for his first round (2:01) KO (nifó) o Daniel Roberts at the ‘UFC Live’ event on March 21, 2010, as well as a “Fight of the Night” award following his split decision win over Chris Wilson i UFC 94 i runga i Hānuere 31, 2009.

Nurmagomedov of Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia is a 6-foot, 26-year-old protégé of Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, the father and trainer of UFC superstar Khabib Nurmagomedov, and a 2014 Combat Sambo World Championships bronze medalist.

When he faces Howard, Nurmagomedov will look for his fourth consecutive win in the World Series of Fighting decagon cage, and his fifth straight win overall, following his crushing, tuarua a tawhio (3:05) WHO (nifó) oMatthew Frincu at WSOF30 on April 2.

Ki te rā, 10 of Nurmagomedov’s 12 career wins have come by way of either (T)KO tukunga ranei.

Shawn Jordan vs. Ashley Gooch

The stocky, 6-waewae, 31-year-old Jordan of Baton Rouge, Te. will make his much-anticipated debut for World Series of Fighting following a 10-fight stretch with the UFC, during which the heavy-handed fighter posted a strong, 6-4 overall record, with all of his wins coming by way of (T)KO.

A veteran of Strikeforce and Bellator action as well, Jordan is an accomplished athlete who earned a football scholarship to Louisiana State University (LSU) where he was a member of both the 2003 a 2007 national championship teams.

Gooch of Glendale, Ariz. earned his shot with World Series of Fighting as a result of his recent surge that has seen the 6-foot-3, 41-year-old emerge victorious in each of his last eight bouts, with all eight of the wins having come by way of (T)KO tukunga ranei.

Gooch’s success of late has earned him the number one ranking in the heavyweight division in the New England region, as well as the number two ranking in the state of Arizona, according to Tapology.com.

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING CONTINUES FIGHTER SIGNING SPREE WITH ACQUISITION OF LIGHTWEIGHT STAR RAMSEY NIJEM

Las Vegas (August 29, 2016) - World Series o te whawhai (www.WSOF.com) announced today that it has bolstered its roster of world-class athletes yet again with the signing of lightweight (155 pauna) star and former Ko te Ultimate Fighter competition reality television series runner-up Ramsey Nijem (9-6), ki te motuhake, multi-fight promotional agreement with the world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) league.
 

Fighting out of Orem, Utah, te 5-waewae-11, 28-year-old Nijem, he mema o te superstar Gilbert Melendez’s Skrap Pack fight team, will make his debut under the World Series of Fighting banner on a date to be announced soon.

 

“We have been aggressively pursuing some of the best available fight talent on the market and as a phenomenal and established competitor, Ramsey Nijem should make an exciting addition to our stacked, 155-pauna wehenga,"Ka mea a World Series o Fighting peresideni Rangatira Matua.
 

Nijem defeated three straight adversaries – two by way of submission and one via TKOto finish as runner-up on Ko te Ultimate Fighter: Team Lesnar vs. Team dos Santos i roto i te 2011, while competing at welterweight (170 pauna) as a member of UFC superstar Junior Dos Santos’ seven-man fight team that opposed a squad captained by WWE icon and former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar.
 

Nijem began his successful run on the reality television show with a second round (3:31) tāpaetanga (kowaowaotia iho muri-tahanga) o Charlie Rader, and followed up the victory with a quick, 56-second submission (kowaowaotia iho muri-tahanga) o Clay Harvison and a second round (1:49) WHO (nifó) o Chris Cope, aua, to reach the show’s final round of competition where he was stopped with an onslaught of punches by Tony Ferguson i roto i te taka noa tuatahi (3:54) o te whawhai.
 

During his 10-fight stint with the UFC, Nijem earned both a “Performance of the Night” honor for his first round (4:20) WHO (nifó) conquest of Beneil Dariush i runga i April 11, 2014, as well a “Fight of the Night” award for his gritty effort in a second round (1:53) WHO (nifó) defeat at the hands of Carlos Diego Ferreira i runga i August 30, 2014.
 

A lifelong athlete, Nijem was a three-sport (mamau, cross country and soccer) competitor in high school before going on to wrestle for NCAA Division I Utah Valley University.
 

Ora World Series o te mahi whawhai hoki ki te NBCSN i runga i Rāhoroi, Oketopa. 7, with an unprecedented, three-hour telecast and world championship doubleheader, timata i 11 p.m. AND/8 te ahiahi, from Kansas City Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Koe.
 

In the main event of WSOF33: Gaethje vs. Dugulubgov, reigning, undefeated world lightweight champion Justin "Ko e Miramirahia" Gaethje (16-0) o Safford, Ariz. will risk his title against number one contender Ozzy Dugulubgov (8-2) of Ridgewood, N.J.
 

In the light heavyweight (205 pauna) tahi-matua hui, reigning world champion Rawiri Manga (16-3) o New York, N.Y.. will defend his title against fellow Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and battle-tested veteran Vinny Magalhaes (14-7) o Las Vegas, Nev. mā Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING RELEASES FALL/WINTER 2016 “SUPER SCHEDULE” ON NBC AND NBCSN

FOUR NEW LIVE EVENT DATES BEGIN WITH UNPRECEDENTED, THREE-HOUR NBCSN TELECAST
OF WSOF33 FROM KANSAS CITY, KAN. ON OCTOBER 7

EPIC YEAR CONCLUDES WITH WSOF36 MEGA-EVENT ON NBC
FROM MADISON SQUARE GARDEN ON HAKIHEA 31

Las Vegas (August 23, 2016) – Following its highest-viewed live event of the year on July 30, Ao Series o te whawhai (www.WSOF.com) announced today that it has pegged new dates to its four remaining 2016 ngā, beginning with an unprecedented, three-hour, ora NBCSN telecast (11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT) of WSOF33: Gaethje vs. Dugulubov from Kansas City, Haratua. i runga i Rāmere, Oketopa. 7, and concluding with the recently announced WSOF36 mega-event at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Rāhoroi, Dec. 31, live on NBC.

WSOF34 and WSOF35, both of which will air live on NBCSN, will take place on Rāhoroi, Nov. 12 at Budweiser Event Center from Loveland, Lap. outside of Denver, a ki runga ki Rāhoroi, Dec. 3 at XFINITY Arena in Everett, Horoi. The main event and co-main event for each of these two fight cards will also be revealed soon.

“We are excited to head into the fall season of our busiest year to date, with a full schedule of live television events that will see us bring the World Series of Fighting brand of MMA action to new, major media markets; produce a three-hour, live show for the first time ever; and return to broadcast television on NBC from Madison Square Garden’s Theater venue on New Year’s Eve,"Ka mea a World Series o te whawhai Tumu Carlos Silva.

World Series of Fighting President Rangatira Matua kī, “We have in store for MMA fans, some phenomenal, world championship bouts as well as other star-studded matchups, and I think these last four events of 2016 will firmly put an exclamation point on what has been a banner year for the league.”

I tua atu, the world championship fight series will air a two-hour replay of WSOF32: Moraes vs. Hill II on Rāhoroi, E whitu. 24. The WSOF32 world championship doubleheader event that took place at XFINITY Arena in Everett, Horoi. garnered over 250,000 live viewers on NBCSN on July 30, and an immediate replay of the show drew an additional 107,000 kaimätakitaki.

WSOF33 will take place at Kansas City Memorial Auditorium and will be headlined by a world lightweight (155 pauna) championship showdown between undefeated, kingi hīanga, Justin "Ko e Miramirahia" Gaethje (16-0) o Safford, Ariz. me te pakeke-patu, number one contender Ozzy Dugulubgov (8-2) of Ridgewood, N.J.

In the co-main event of WSOF33, Blackzilians star Luiz “Buscape” Firmino(19-6) of Joao Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil will put a six-fight win streak on the line against former world championship challenger and the first-ever World Series of Fighting eight-man tournament winner, Brian Foster (25-9) o Sallisaw, Okla.

Additional WSOF33 bouts will be announced soon.

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING COMES OUT SWINGING IN 2016

Strong TV Ratings, Record Web Traffic and New Sponsorships
Highlight Formidable Start to the New Year

Las Vegas (February 17, 2016) -World Series o te whawhai (WSOF.com) came out of the gates swinging to begin the new year and its fourth year of operation, generating impressive NBCSN television viewership figures for its first live event of 2016, as well as record levels of traffic and engagement on its web platform and a pair of new sponsor partners.

The live NBCSN telecast of WSOF27: Firmino vs. Fodor, which took place at the FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn. i runga i Rāhoroi, Jan. 23, generated an average viewership of 213,000, and peaked at 245,000, ake 13% from NBCSN’s World Series of Fighting 2015 average. An immediate replay of the event that began atko waenganui po, garnered another 111,000 kaimätakitaki.

The number of unique visits to the league’s website skyrocketed by 515 percent between December and January, while World Series of Fighting secured two new sponsor partners in Talk2Legends and 1800 Tequila.

“It has been a tremendous start to a very promising year, and this is just the beginning,"Ka mea a World Series o te whawhai Tumu Carlos Silva. “With a full schedule of world championship live events; a new, athlete-focused web TV series that we will be rolling out; and a host of other opportunities we are exploring with potential partners, it’s going to be an exciting year for World Series of Fighting and MMA fans.

“We are off to a great start, and we have a lot more in store for fans, with a new live event nearly every month this year,"Ka mea a World Series o Fighting peresideni Rangatira Matua. “We made some strong additions to our fighter roster last year, and fans can expect to see some more top level talent join our ranks in 2016.”

“We are looking forward to continued growth of the league and delivering our audience another year of exciting world championship MMA action,"Ka mea Gary Quinn, NBC Sports Group’s vice president of programming.

WSOF.com engagement soared by 400 percent between December and January, and the number of user sessions increased by 480 percent over the same time period. World Series of Fighting’s social media channels (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) all achieved their highest reach and levels of engagement since the

The partnerships with Talk2Legends and 1800 Tequila kicked off during WSOF27 last month. Utilizing the Talk2Legends video chat app, World Series of Fighting offered fans unprecedented, one-on-one access to both its athletic and NBCSN on-air talent, whai wāhi Chael, Bas Rutten, Jon Fitch and reigning, undefeated world lightweight (155 pauna) toa Justin "Ko e Miramirahia" Gaethje.

Live World Series of Fighting action returns to NBCSN from Garden Grove, Calif. i runga i Rāhoroi, Feb. 20 i 9 p.m. AND/6 p.m. PT with WSOF28: Moraes vs. Barajas. Headlining the four-bout telecast will be a world bantamweight (135 pauna) championship showdown between reigning kingpin Marlon Moraes (15-4-1), who will risk his title against fast-rising star, Hohepa Barajas (12-1).

Mō te Ao Series o te whawhai (WSOF)
“Ao Series o te whawhai” (WSOF) Ko te ao pirimia ngaio Toi Martial Mixed (MMA) whawhai whakatairanga whakatapua ki tuku i te pai whawhai mahi-Kikī mō pā whawhai i te whakaputa i te pai ka taea ōrite-ups i waenganui i whawhai whiriwhiri i huri noa i te ao. Mō ētahi atu kōrero haere ki WSOF.com me te whai “Ao Series o te whawhai” on Twitter MMAWorldSeries. WSOF ko Ao Series o te Fighting e rēhitatia tohu o MMAWC, LLC.

THREE NEW MATCHUPS COMPLETE WSOF29: GAETHJE VU. FOSTER MAIN CARD ON SATURDAY, MARCH 12

NEW, LIVE NBCSN START TIME OF 10 P.M. AND
FROM GREELEY, COLORADO

Las Vegas (February 3, 2016) -World Series o te whawhai (WSOF.com) announced today the addition of three main card matchups, including a heavyweight co-main event contest between Josh “Cuddly Bear” Copeland(11-3) a Mike “300” Hayes (19-10-2), to its highly anticipated WSOF29: Gaethje vs. Foster world lightweight (155 pauna) championship event at the Bank of Colorado Arena in Greeley, Lap. i runga i Rāhoroi, March 12, ora i runga i NBCSN i 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.

In other action on the four-bout live telecast that will be headlined by the lightweight championship showdown between reigning, undefeated kingpin Justin "Ko e Miramirahia" Gaethje (15-0) and number one contender Brian Foster (25-9), whitu (185 pauna) standouts Cory "te Mea" Devela (15-6) a Louis "Handgunz" Taylor (11-3) will collide in their respective World Series of Fighting debuts.

Kicking off the live, four-fight telecast will be a welterweight (170 pauna) scrap pitting Josh Cavan (11-6) ki Kris Hocum (7-4).

Utu i $39.99, tickets for WSOF29: Gaethje vs. Foster, are on sale at WSOF.com and the University of Northern Colorado’s online ticketing platform.

Josh Copeland vs. Mike Hayes

The 6-foot-1 Copeland of Denver, Lap. is a former number one ranked heavyweight in his home state, and a four-time title holder since turning professional in 2010.

The 33-year-old, former Youth Ministry student at Dallas Baptist College, Kua roaa 8 o tona 11 career victories as a professional by way of (T)KO tukunga ranei, ki 5 of those wins coming in less than 2 meneti.

A teammate of Gaethje’s at Grudge Training Center, Copeland will look to rebound from a second round (2:50) tāpaetanga (Kimura) defeat at the hands ofVitaly Minakov i runga i Hakihea 11, a result that snapped a two-fight win streak for Copeland.

During his professional career spanning eight-plus years, the 6-foot-4, 35-year-old Hayes of Redmond, Horoi. has faced off with elite level competition, including former world champion Andrei Arlovski and superstar Ruslan Magomedov, both of whom he fought to a decision.

I Noema 2, 2013, Hayes notched his most impressive victory to date, te kaute i te kino, toru a tawhio noa (3:11) KO on decorated MMA, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and wrestling champion Jeff “The Snowman” Monson with a head kick.

In his last start on June 4, 2015, Hayes produced another impressive result, fighting former South African national wrestling champion and four-time MMA titlistTrevor Prangley, to a draw.

Cory Devela vs. Louis Taylor

Te 6-waewae-2, 31-year-old Devela of Bonney Lake, Horoi., will enter the decagon cage in the midst of a four-fight win streak that includes a unanimous decision victory over superstar Nick “The Promise” Ring i runga i Pipiri 26, 2015.

A longtime protégé of MMA superstar and submission expert Dennis "Superman" Hallman, E faaite, who has notched 11 o tona 16 toa mahi i te ara o te (T)KO tukunga ranei, burst into the national spotlight at a Strikeforce promoted event in Tacoma, Horoi. i runga i Hui-tanguru 23, 2008, te kaute i te rauna tuatahi (1:22) TKO on heralded superstar Joe "Diesel" Riggs with a thunderous slam that rendered Riggs unable to continue fighting.

Devela’s recent ascendance that has him knocking on the door of becoming a world championship contender again, comes after he took an extended, three-year hiatus from competition to care for a sick loved one between 2010 a 2013.

Also looking to earn his fifth consecutive win, te 5-waewae-11, 36-year-old Taylor of Chicago, Mate. is the number one ranked middleweight in his home state, according to the latest Tapology.com ratings.

A prolific striker who has finished 10 o tona 11 opponents to date by way of (T)KO tukunga ranei, Taylor’s last four victories all came inside of the first round of battle.

Prior to becoming a mixed martial artist, Taylor was a wrestling standout for the NCAA Division I program at Eastern Illinois University where he benefited from training with fellow, former team member turned assistant coach Matt Hughes, who went on to become a two-time UFC champion and Hall of Fame member.

Josh Cavan vs. Kris Hocum

Fighting out of Denver, Cavan is a 5-foot-10, 32-tau-tau, lifelong athlete who competed at the minor league level of professional hockey before turning his attention to MMA. A winner of 9 o tona 11 professional career fights by way of (T)KO tukunga ranei, Cavan will look to bounce back from a second round (1:28) WHO (nifó) defeat at the hands of Joe Eichelberger i runga i Noema 6.

The 5-foot-11, 30-year-old Hocum of Fort Collins, Lap. made his professional debut on October 27, 2012 as a participant in a one-night, eight-man tournament, defeating multiple opponents to emerge the victor of the grueling affair. He will look to regain momentum after back-to-back losses in his last two appearances.

The WSOF29 preliminary bout card will be announced soon.

WSOF29: GAETHJE VU. FOSTER MOVES TO BANK OF COLORADO ARENA ON SATURDAY, MARCH 12, LIVE ON NBCSN

Tīkiti ON Tuhinga NOW

Las Vegas (January 23, 2016) -World Series o te whawhai (WSOF.com) announced today that the location for the live NBCSN televised (9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT), WSOF29: Gaethje vs. Foster lightweight (155 pauna) championship event scheduled for Saturday, March 12, has been moved to the Bank of Colorado Arena on the campus of the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Lap.

Utu i $39.99, tickets for WSOF29: Gaethje vs. Foster, are on sale at WSOF.com and the University of Northern Colorado’s online ticketing platform.

In the highly-anticipated main event, reigning, undefeated lightweight champion Justin "Ko e Miramirahia" Gaethje (15-0) o Safford, Ariz. will put his title on the line against number one contender and recent eight-man tournament winner Brian Foster (25-9) o Sallisaw, Okla.

An alumnus of the University of Northern Colorado, Gaethje became the first competitive wrestler to earn All-American honors for the school after it became a Division I athletic program. He placed seventh in the NCAA national wrestling tournament in his junior year.

Additional WSOF29 bouts will be announced soon.

ABOUT AO Tuhinga o mua

“Ao Series o te whawhai” (WSOF) Ko te ao pirimia ngaio Toi Martial Mixed (MMA) whawhai whakatairanga whakatapua ki tuku i te pai whawhai mahi-Kikī mō pā whawhai i te whakaputa i te pai ka taea ōrite-ups i waenganui i whawhai whiriwhiri i huri noa i te ao. Mō ētahi atu kōrero haere ki WSOF.com me te whai “Ao Series o te whawhai” on Twitter MMAWorldSeries. WSOF ko Ao Series o te Fighting e rēhitatia tohu o MMAWC, LLC.

MŌ NBCSN
NBCSN, wāhanga o te NBC Sports Group, Kua whakatapua ki te taviniraa pā hākinakina ngākau. Na i roto i te neke atu i te 85 miriona mau fare, te whatunga Emmy Award-toa ko te whare taura pouaka o te raumati me te hotoke Olympics, National Hockey League (NHL) - Tae atu ki e rua ngā kēmu o te Stanley Cup Final — Pirimia League, Formula One, IndyCar, Tour de France, te 34raa Kapu Amerika o, me te timata i roto i te 2015, NASCAR. I tua atu, NBCSN ngā whutupōro kāreti, poitūkohu kāreti, haupoi kāreti, pahikara, hōtaka waho, horse racing surrounding the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup, Whawhai Night mekemeke, Ironman, te Dew Tour me USA takiwhitu Rugby. Ko te kāinga hoki te whatunga ki ngā hōtaka taketake pērā i Costas pō, NFL tahuri Point, Pro Football Talk, Ko te Rana Patrick Whakaatu, a NASCAR Amerika. Tohaina NBCSN te mā pūnaha taura me te amiorangi ngā puta noa i te United States.

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING AND TALK2LEGENDS PARTNER TO PROVIDE AN UNRIVALED FAN-ATHLETE INTERACTION EXPERIENCE

Chael, Bas Rutten, Rangatira Matua, Jon Fitch, Jake Shields and nearly 20 other MMA icons will be available for mobile video chats during WSOF27 on Saturday, Jan. 23, ora i runga i NBCSN

Las Vegas (January 21, 2016) -World Series o te whawhai (WSOF.com) and Talk2Legends (Talk2Legends.com) today announced an unprecedented partnership that will allow fans to chat live on their iPhone devices with some of their favorite Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) athletes and other celebrity talent, using the latter company’s new mobile app.

The partnership will commence on Saturday, Jan. 23 when over two dozen figures from the World Series of Fighting universe will be available for video chat sessions with fans during the WSOF27: Firmino vs. Fodor event that will air live on NBCSN at 10 p.m. AND/7 p.m. PT from the FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn.

Available for download in the App Store, the Talk2Legends app also allows fans to share completed chat sessions with friends on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

“The partnership between World Series of Fighting and Talk2Legends will enable a fan experience that is unmatched in sports, for a reasonable cost,” said Talk2Legends CEO Ryan Hermansky.

“On January 23, continued Hernansky, “fans will be able to simultaneously watch WSOF27 and get opinions from legends, such as Bas Rutten a Chael, and world champions like Rawiri Manga a Marlon Moraes."

“We are thrilled to partner with Talk2Legends and be able to give fans the opportunity to get to know their favorite fighters on a very personal, one-on-one basis,"Ka mea a World Series o Fighting peresideni, e ono-wā toa ao, e rua-wā Hall o te Famer Rangatira Matua.

Using the Talk2Legends app, fans can purchase credits for video chat sessions, review the list of MMA celebrities that will be available for a five-minute, one-on-one video chat session on January 23, and book sessions based on the talent’s availability that is provided on screen.

The athletes and other celebrity participants have the option of donating revenue they earn in exchange for their participation, to a charity or non-profit foundation of their choice.

The following talent will be available for video chat sessions during WSOF27:

On-air and other talent

Chael Sonnen – Color commentator and retired MMA superstar
Bas Rutten – Color commentator and legendary MMA champion
Ray Sefo – World Series of Fighting President and six-time world champion
Jacob “Stitch” Duran – World Series of Fighting cutman and
Andrea Lowell – Playboy Radio hostess and World Series of Fighting round card girl
Joey Varner – World Series of Fighting roving reporter
Jazz Securo – World Series of Fighting ring announcer
Emily Miller – World Series of Fighting round card girl

World Series of Fighting athletes

David Branch – Reigning light heavyweight and middleweight champion
Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje – Reigning, undefeated lightweight champion
Lance Palmer – Reigning featherweight champion
Marlon Moraes – Reigning bantamweight champion
Jon Fitch – Welterweight superstar
Jake Shields – Welterweight superstar
Jason High – Lightweight superstar
Phoenix Jones – Lightweight rising star
Robbie “Problems” Peralta – Featherweight knockout artist
“Notorious” Nick Newell – Retired lightweight phenom
Mike “Mak” Kyle – Former light heavyweight championship challenger
Joseph Barajas – WSOF28 main event competitor
Patrick Walsh – Light heavyweight prospect
Clifford Starks – Middleweight star
Colton Smith – Lightweight standout and Ko te Ultimate Fighter toa
Mike Corey – Featherweight star
Steve Kozola – Undefeated lightweight star

The Talk2Legends app is expected to be available for Android devices in February.

ABOUT AO Tuhinga o mua

“Ao Series o te whawhai” (WSOF) Ko te ao pirimia ngaio Toi Martial Mixed (MMA) whawhai whakatairanga whakatapua ki tuku i te pai whawhai mahi-Kikī mō pā whawhai i te whakaputa i te pai ka taea ōrite-ups i waenganui i whawhai whiriwhiri i huri noa i te ao. Mō ētahi atu kōrero haere ki WSOF.com me te whai “Ao Series o te whawhai” on Twitter MMAWorldSeries. WSOF ko Ao Series o te Fighting e rēhitatia tohu o MMAWC, LLC.