Tag Archives: Matt Hamill

mixed martial arts, World Series of Fighting

Video: Chael Sonnen Speaks with WSOF 24’s Vinny Magalhaes, Ali Abdelaziz

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Chael Sonnen speaks with WSOF 24 star Vinny Magalhaes

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MMA superstar and World Series of Fighting analyst Chael Sonnen spoke with light heavyweight (205 pounds) star Vinny Magalhaes as well as World Series of Fighting Senior Vice President Ali Abdelaziz before the “WSOF 24: Fitch vs. Okami” world championship doubleheader event that takes place tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 17, live on NBCSN at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT from Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn.

Magalhaes (12-7) of Las Vegas, Nev. via Rio de Janeiro, Brazil will take on Matt “The Hammer” Hamill (11-5) of Loveland, Ohio in a featured bout on the five-bout NBCSN telecast.

Sonnen will call his second World Series of Fighting card on Saturday night, alongside veteran play-by-play man Todd Harris.
Chael Sonnen chats with
World Series of Fighting executive Ali Abdelaziz

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Sonnen speaks with Abdelaziz about the star-studded “WSOF 24: Fitch vs. Okami” fight card.

mixed martial arts, World Series of Fighting

Video: Chael Sonnen Co-Hosts WSOF 24 Pre-Show, Interviews Jon Fitch

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“WSOF 24: Fitch vs. Okami” pre-show
co-hosted by Chael Sonnen and Ray Sefo

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MMA superstar and World Series of Fighting analyst Chael Sonnen and World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo break down the “WSOF 24: Fitch vs. Okami” world championship doubleheader event that takes place on Saturday, Oct. 17, live on NBCSN at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT from Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn.

Headlined by a welterweight (170 pounds) showdown between rival superstarsJon Fitch (26-7-1) and Yushin “Thunder” Okami (30-9), the five-bout NBCSN telecast of WSOF 24 also features two world title fights.

Reigning heavyweight champion Blagoy Ivanov (12-1) will defend his crown against veteran KO artist Derek “Caveman” Mehman (19-6) and, in the first World Series of Fighting flyweight (125 pounds) championship bout in history, Magomed Bibulatov (9-0), will collide with fellow undefeated starDonavon Frelow (4-0).

Sonnen will call his second World Series of Fighting card on Saturday night, alongside veteran play-by-play man Todd Harris.
Chael Sonnen chats with WSOF 24 headliner Jon Fitch

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Sonnen speaks with Fitch about the highly-anticipated WSOF 24 main event matchup between Fitch and rival superstar Okami.
mixed martial arts, World Series of Fighting

“WSOF 24: FITCH VS. OKAMI” ADDS SEVEN PRELIMINARY CARD BOUTS TO STAR-STUDDED, WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT AT FOXWOODS RESORT CASINO IN CONNECTICUT ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17

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 Rick Glenn vs. Adam Ward tops the undercard bill that streams live on WSOF.com before the live NBCSN telecast

LAS VEGAS (Sept. 24, 2015) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today seven matchups stacked with some of the sport’s most prolific, emerging talent for the star-studded “WSOF 24: Fitch vs. Okami” world championship event at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn. on Saturday, Oct. 17, live on NBCSN, beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT.

A featherweight (145 pounds) contest between former World Series of Fighting champion Rick “The Gladiator” Glenn and aggressive-minded standout Adam Ward will headline the preliminary bout card that will stream live on an embeddable video player on WSOF.com before the live NBCSN telecast of the five-bout main card.

An eighth bout pitting heavyweight Juliano Coutinho (6-1) of Cape Cod, Mass. against an opponent to be determined, will be announced soon.

“We are set to unleash what could very well be our most exciting lineup of preliminary bouts yet, filled with a diverse group of hungry, up-and-coming talent, future superstars and even a former world champion in Rick Glenn,” said World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo.

The 26-year –old Glenn of Marshalltown, Iowa is looking to rebound after a hard-fought defeat at the hands of Lance Palmer that cost Glenn his World Series of Fighting featherweight title.  The loss snapped Glenn’s phenomenal unbeaten streak that spanned 13 fights over the course of more than 4 years.

Heading into what will be his promotional debut under the World Series of Fighting banner, Ward of Chicago, Ill. is riding a five-fight win streak that began on September 27, 2013 when he submitted Pedro Velasco with a rear-naked choke just 42 seconds into the first round of battle.

In other featherweight preliminary bout action, Alexandre “Capitao” Almeida(16-5) of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil will square off with Saul “The Spider” Almeida (18-5) of Boston, Mass.

Alexandre, 27, will hunt for his fourth consecutive win.  To date, 12 of his 16 career conquests have come by way of submission.

Saul, 26, is seeking his sixth straight win after earning a split decision victory overChris Foster at World Series of Fighting’s debut event at Foxwoods Resort Casino on April 10.

Also at featherweight, Rodrigo “The Young Lion” Almeida (12-2) of Woburn, Mass. faces off with Bruce “Pretty Boy” Boyington (10-8) of Bangor, Maine.

The 29-year-old Almeida is looking to notch his eighth consecutive win, while Boyington, 36, boasts an 80 percent finish rate.

In one of two middleweight (185 pounds) preliminary card fights, hard-hitting KO artist and Iraq war veteran Justin Torrey (7-1) of Springfield, Mass. will throw down with Rex “T-Rex” Harris (7-2) of West Pittston, Penn.

Six of Torrey’s seven wins to date have come by way of (T)KO, while all seven of Harris’ victories have come by way of (T)KO or submission.

In the second middleweight scrap, recent World Series of Fighting signee Louis “Handgunz” Taylor (11-3) of Chicago will make his promotional debut against unbeaten prospect Nicolai Salchov (5-0) of Dusseldorf, Germany.

In the midst of a four-fight win streak, Taylor has produced 10 of his 11 career wins by way of (T)KO or submission.  Salchov has done likewise in 4 of his 5 starts.

Washington Nunes Da Silva (5-1) of Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil will meetColton Smith (5-4) of Manassas, Va. at welterweight (170 pounds).

The WSOF 24 preliminary bout card will kick off with a heavyweight affair pittingPat Walsh (6-2) of West Bridgewater, Mass. against Tyler King (9-3) of North Attleboro, Mass.

Priced from $39.99, tickets for “WSOF 24: Fitch vs. Okami” are on sale at Ticketmaster.com and WSOF.com.

In the welterweight main event, Jon Fitch (26-7-1, 1 NC) of Fort Wayne, Ind. will face rival superstar and grappling technician Yushin “Thunder” Okami (30-9) of Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan.

In the co-main event, World Series of Fighting Heavyweight Champion Blagoy Ivanov (12-1) of Sofia, Bulgaria will put his coveted title on the line for the first time against seasoned contender Derek “Caveman” Mehmen (19-6) of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Doors at the Grand Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino will open at 4:30 p.m. ET, and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 5:30 p.m.  The card is subject to change.

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.
mixed martial arts, World Series of Fighting

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING RETURNS TO FOXWOODS RESORT CASINO WITH STACKED WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, LIVE ON NBCSN

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Main Event: Jon Fitch vs. Yushin Okami

World Heavyweight Championship Co-Main Event:
Blagoy Ivanov vs. Derek Mehmen

Plus: 
Vinny Magalhaes vs. Matt Hamill
and the Return of “Notorious” Nick Newell

Tickets on Sale Friday, July 31

LAS VEGAS (July 30, 2015) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) will return to Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn. for the second time this year with another star-studded, world-class Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) mega-event, headlined by a welterweight (170 pounds) showdown between rival superstars Jon Fitch and Yushin “Thunder” Okami, on Saturday, Oct. 17, live on NBCSN.

Priced from $39.99, tickets for “WSOF 24: Fitch vs. Okami” go on sale on tomorrow,Friday, July 31 at 10 a.m. ET at Ticketmaster.com and WSOF.com.

“We are excited to return to Foxwoods Resort Casino and the state of Connecticut, where we showcased our brand of world championship MMA action in front of a highly passionate audience earlier this year,” said WSOF President Ray Sefo.

“Beginning with Jon Fitch and Yushin Okami, two of the best 170-pound athletes in our entire sport,” continued Sefo, “we are assembling another card loaded with some of the top superstars and emerging stars in MMA, and we look forward to giving fans another memorable night of fights.”

In the co-main event, WSOF World Heavyweight Champion Blagoy Ivanov will put his coveted title on the line for the first time when he squares off with seasoned contenderDerek “Caveman” Mehmen.

In other action on the live NBCSN telecast, superstars Vinny Magalhaes and Matt “The Hammer” Hamill will make their respective WSOF debuts against each other in a light heavyweight (205 pounds) contest.

Also returning to the cage will be local favorite “Notorious” Nick Newell, who will take on an opponent to be named soon.

Jon Fitch vs. Yushin Okami

Both Fitch (26-7-1, 1 NC) of Las Vegas, Nev. and Okami (30-9) of Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan will look to return to the win column after their suffering defeats in their respective last starts, which were both world championship title bouts.

During his 12-year professional career, the 6-foot, 37-year-old Fitch, a former captain of world renowned fight team AKA and NCAA Division I wrestler for Purdue University, has submitted or scored TKO’s on a long list of rival superstars, including Roan Carneiro, Josh Burkman and Thiago Alves, and has earned decision wins over Diego Sanchez, Erick Silva and Ben Saunders.

Also a 12-year veteran of the sport, the 6-foot-2, 34- year-old Okami has earned 50 percent of his wins by way of (T)KO or submission, and boasts victories over a host of fellow marquee competitors, including Hector Lombard, Nate Marquardt, Mark Munoz and Alan Belcher.  In his WSOF debut on March 29, Okami notched a spectacular, second round (4:46) submission (arm-triangle choke) of Svetlozar Savov.

Blagoy Ivanov vs. Derek Mehmen

Ivanov (12-1) of Sofia, Bulgaria made history on June 5, 2015 when the 5-foot-11, 28-year-old pulled off a stunning, third round (1:17) submission (guillotine choke) of Smealinho Rama to become the second WSOF world heavyweight champion ever.

A judo black belt and 2008 Combat Sambo world champion, Ivanov defeated all-time great Fedor Emelianenko in the semi-final stage of the championship tournament.

Mehmen (19-6) of Coconut Creek, Fla. via Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is a 6-foot-4, 30-year-old member of American Top Team. The heavy-handed, 9-year veteran of the sport has earned 11 of his 19 professional career wins by way of (T)KO.

Mehmen earned the 2013 “KO Punch of the Year,” awarded by AXS TV’s Inside MMAprogram, for his devastating, second round (2:40) finish of Rolles Gracie, Jr. at WSOF 5 on Sept. 14, 2013.

Vinny Magalhaes vs. Matt Hamill

A former world MMA champion and multiple-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion, Magalhaes (12-7, 1 NC) of Las Vegas, Nev. will look to notch his third consecutive victory during his first start in the WSOF decagon cage and first appearance of 2015.

In his last effort, the 6-foot-3, 31-year-old native of Brazil submitted (guillotine choke)Jason Brilz in the fourth round (:36) of their matchup on Sept. 26, 2014.

A decade long veteran of MMA, Hamill of Loveland, Ohio remains one of the most inspirational athletes in all of MMA.  Deaf since birth, Hamill has persevered time and time again, earning his way to three NCAA Division III wrestling national titles before dedicating himself to MMA.

The subject of a 2010 biographical film entitled “The Hammer,” the 6-foot-2, 38-year-old owns notable wins over Tito Ortiz, Tim Boetsch, Keith Jardine and Mark Munoz, among others, and also boasts past clashes with Michael Bisping, Rich Franklin,Alexander Gustafsson, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Jon Jones.

The live NBCSN telecast of “WSOF 24: Fitch vs. Okami” will begin at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT.

Doors at the Grand Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino will open at 4:30 p.m. ET, and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 5:30 p.m.

Additional matchups will be announced soon.  The card is subject to change.