Tūtohu Archives: Arts hōia Mixed

HAPPY NEW YEAR! FNU Combat Sports Show Kicks off 2017

Tom, Tony and Rich break down the biggest year-ending fights of 2016 and look forward to what should be a phenomenal 2017. We discuss Ronda Rousey, Floyd Mayweather, Andre Ward and other fighters in the news. We recap UFC 207 and look ahead to some Friday night fights on January 13th.

 

WMMAA Celebrated Banner 2016

World MMA Championships team champion Russia on left, host team China on right
Monte Carlo, Monaco (January 5, 2017)- In only its fifth year of existence, the World Mixed Martial Arts Association (WMMAA) celebrated a banner year in 2016, as membership expansion approached 50 countries around the world.
The WMMAA sanctioned countries in five divisionsPan-Am, Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceaniainclude Afghanistan, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Ahitereiria, Azerbaijan, Peraruhia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Germany, Kariki, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Iran, Italy, Katatānga, Kehitāna, Latvia, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Korea South, Spain, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Venezuela.
The highlight of the 2016 WMMAA season was the World MMA Championships, in which powerhouse, Team Russia completely dominated, as it also did in the European Championships, sweeping all seven weight classes in Studio City, Macau, China.
Fatata 100 fighters competed, e tohu ana 23 whenua: Russia, Katatānga, Spain, Ahitereiria, Belgian, China, Colombia, France, Czech Republic, Hong Kong, Tajikistan, Germany, Hungary, Macao, Nepal, India, Korea South, Ukraine, Kehitāna, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Chinese Taipei and Italy.
Whitu Russian Gamzat Hiramagomedov me te marama taumahamaha Magomed Ankalayev were repeat world champions.
Asian team champion Kazakhstan won two Silver and four Bronze medals in team scoring, followed in order by Ukraine with two Silver and two Bronze, Czech Republic captured one Silver and two Bronze, Chinas one Silver and two Bronze, Kyrgyzstan two Bronze, and one Bronze each for France, India, Spain and Moldova.
Below find results from each World MMA Championships weight classes:
Whā WĀHANGA: -61.2 kg (135 lbs.)
1. Omar Nurmagomedov (Russia)
2. Artur Mykytenko (Czech Republic)
3. Mirat Bekishev (Katatānga)
3. Chun Bo Yuan (China)
Mā whitu WĀHANGA: -65.8 kg (145 lbs.)
1. Kurban Taigibov (Russia)
2. Elnur Valiev (Ukraine)
3. Uulu Mustafa Rakhmatilla (Kehitāna)
3. Roman Molodij (France)
Wehenga Kōmāmā: -70.3 kg (154 lbs.)
1. Murad Ramazanov (Russia)
2. Sheng Liu (China)
3. Altynbek Bakhtygeldinov (Katatānga)
3. Leos Brichta (Czech Republic)
Welterweight WĀHANGA: -77.1 kg (170 lbs.)
1. Alibeg Rasulov (Russia)
2. Goyta Dazaev (Katatānga)
3. Syed Abdul Nazzeur Ibrahim (India)
3. Uula Tologon Rakhmanberdi (Kehitāna)
Whitu WĀHANGA: -84 kg (185 lbs.)
1. Gamzat Khiramagomedov (Russia)
2. Idris GHezalov (Ukraine)
3. Murad Abdurahmanov (Katatānga)
3. Rong Fan (China)
LIGHT Heavyweight WĀHANGA: -93 kg (205 lbs.)
1. Magomed Ankalayev (Russia)
2. Robert Lau (Germany)
3. Erkinbek Inzhel (Katatānga)
3. Darwing Rodriguez (Spain)
Heavyweight WĀHANGA: +93 kg (+205 lbs.)
1. Amirhan Isagadjiev (Russia)
2. Alimanov Suleimanov (Katatānga)
3. Viktor Pavlichek (Czech Republic)
3. Nicolae Scorohod (Moldova)
Go here to watch all the World MMA Championships final fights:
In other major WMMAA news from 2016, it was announced that the 2017 European Championships will be held September in Germany, 2017 Asian Championships will be October in Kazakhstan, exact dates and cities to be determined.
Ano, Viktor Frolov was elected president of the European Division at the last Congress, held last November.
KŌRERO:
Twitter: @theWMMAA
Instagram: @worldmmaa

Sergey Romanov preparing to ruin Magomed Sultanakhmedov’s comeback party

M-1 Challenge 75, March 3 i roto i te Moscow, Russia
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (January 5, 2017) – Hot welterweight prospect Sergey “StreetfighterRomanov is training hard to ruin the comeback of Russian veteran Magomed “Ko te White Wolf” Sultanakhmedov in an interesting match-up March 3 i M-1 Challenge 75 i roto i te Russia.

Te M-1 Challenge 75 hui matua, featuring a battle of undefeated welterweights between defending champion Alexey Kunchenko (15-0-0, M-1: 7-0-0), o Russia, takes on Kazakhstan challenger Shaukat Rakhmonov (7-0-0, M-1: 4-0-0),was previously announced.
M-1 Challenge 75 will be streamed live from Moscow in high definition on www.M1Global.TV. Ka taea ki te mataara i te whawhai tuatahi, me te kāri matua i te takiuru ki runga ki ki te rēhita i Viewers www.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all the action on their computers, me te i runga i te waea atamai, me papa Android me Apple.
Due to a series of injuries, Sulktanakhmedov (18-5-0, M-1: 10-1-0) has been inactive for the past five years, since he knocked out Tyson Jeffries in the second round of their 2011 whawhai i M-1 Challenge 24.
A former M-1 Selection champion, Sultanakhmedov is dropping down one weight class from middleweight to fight Romanov. During his MMA career, feared striker Sultanakhmedov has knocked out the likes of Dmitri Samoilov, Victor Nemkov, Pavel Kusch a Pliinio Cruz, i roto i te atu atu rangatira.
His tremendous flair and style makes him a fan favorite, especially hisone-shoot, one-killattack. The 32-year-old has fought outside of his native Russia, in the United States and Japan, and during his fighting hiatus he served as referee.
Although he isn’t looking past Sultanakhmedov, fellow Russian fighter Romanov hopes that an impressive victory over Sultankhmedov will position him for his first M-1 Challenge title shot against the Kunchenkp-Rakhmonov winner.
Romanov has had impressive victories in M-1 Challenge competition, including a decision over against Brazilian foe Carlos Pereira last October at M-1 Challenge 71, as well as a first-round stoppage via punches of Andreas Birgels this past June at M-1 Challenge 68.
I’ve been working on my strength,” Romanov said from his training camp, “because the champion in my weight class, Alexey Kunchenko, is physically strong. I need to catch up. Not that I’m looking forward to a title fight, but I always have grandiose plans, na, we’ll see how that goes. Tika i teie nei, I’m focused on Sultanakhmedov, and I think my fight with him would be no harder than a possible fight with Kunchenko.
I started training camp with two workouts a day, but I felt sick and decided to cutback to only one workout a day until I soon return to full mode. I’ve been training at home (St. Petersburg) but will soon go to Ryazan to wrestling training camp. Na, I will go back to St. Petersburg to prepare at camp, and go to Borovaya for boxing. My opponent is left-handed, so I need appropriate sparring partners, but the guys in my camp are a great help.
I know my opponent well having watched his fights as a youngster when he was champion. Na, we need to reevaluate him. He was a good fighter who trains at ‘Goretswhere there is, in principle, guys there who are top level. It’s difficult to say what form he has now because he hasn’t fought in so long. Na, he is at the peak age for a fighter, 32, so we’ll see. I don’t think I’ll be favored in this fight, but I will go forward despite being the underdog.
Romanov (R) is a solid all-around MMA fighter
Twitter & Instagram:
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M-1 CHALLENGE EVENT CALENDAR:
M-1 Challenge 74 – Feb. 18, 2017 – St. Petersburg, Russia
M-1 Challenge 75 – March 3, 2017 – Moscow, Russia

HEAVYWEIGHT BRAWL PITTING CHEICK KONGO AGAINST OLI THOMPSON ADDED TO ‘BELLATOR 172’ ON FEB. 18

 

BATTLE OF UNDEFEATED ADAM PICCOLOTTI AND BRENT PRIMUS ALSO ADDED TO MAIN CARD

Santa MONICA, Calif (January 4, 2017) - Cheick Congo (25-10-2) will challenge Oli Thompson (17-9) during the main card of "Bellator 172: Fedor vs. Mitrione” i runga i February 18, 2017 i Center SAP i San Jose, Calif. I tua atu, undefeated lightweights Arama Piccolot (9-0) a Brent primus(7-0) are also set to face off during the Spike-televised card.

I roto i te hui matua o "Bellator 172: Fedor vs. Mitrione," Fedor Emelianenko (36-4, 1 NC) will compete on American Soil for the first since 2011, ina tutaki ia Matt Mitrione (11-5). The event will air LIVE and FREE on SPIKE at 9 p.m. AND/8 p.m. CT. tīmata tīkiti mo te takahanga i anake $30 and are available at SAP Center Box Office, Bellator.com and Ticketmaster.com. Additional fights will be announced in coming weeks.

Mai hono i te whakawehi Bellator MMA i roto i 2013, Kongo has strung together an impressive run that has seen him emerge victorious in seven of nine contests, including three consecutive victories. Ki te 37 career fights under his belt, the Frenchman has tallied 25 professional wins, whai wāhi 12 by way of knockout. The knockout artist hopes to build off his victory over Tony Johnson at "Bellator 161: Kongo vs. Johnson," when he welcomes British sensation Oli Thompson back into the Bellator cage.

Hailing from East Sussex, Ingarangi, Thompson enters the matchup in search of his first career win under the direction of the Scott Coker-led promotion. Dating back to 2015, “The Spartan” collected wins in five of his last six bouts, including a pair of brutal first round knockouts. Of his 17 career wins, the 36-year-old powerhouse has finished 13 o ratou, including seven knockouts. A former title-holder of Britain’s Strongest Man competition, Thompson will now look to add to that total when he and Kongo faceoff at SAP Center in San Jose.

Fighting out of Half Moon Bay, Calif., the undefeated Piccolotti is set to return to San Jose, where he has dominated competition over the past few years. Since signing with Bellator MMA, the 28-year-old lightweight has won all five of his bouts, including four consecutive victories in the “Capital of Silicon Valley.” Piccolotti dazzled in his most recent win over Brandon Girtz, ending the veteran’s three-fight winning streak while once again displaying his lethal combination of flawless jiu-jitsu and striking. Piccolotti has finished his opponent in six of nine career wins and three of his past four, making him one of the most dangerous weapons in the 155-pound division.

Primus also carries with him an undefeated target on his chest, as the battle to remain an unbeaten lightweights goes through SAP Center in 2017. Similar to Piccolotti, Primus saw immediate success in the world of mixed martial arts, recording first round finishes in each of his first five fights to begin his professional career. The five-time Bellator MMA veteran hopes to keep the ball rolling, as a win over the fan-favorite Piccolotti would certainly open a lot of doors. Hailing from Portland, Oregon, the 31-years-old Primus hopes to build off of a 2016 campaign that was highlighted by a key win over Brazilian veteran “Toninho Furia.”

Whakahoutia "Bellator 172: Fedor vs. Mitrione” Main Card:

Heavyweight Main Event: Fedor Emelianenko (36-4, 1 NC) vs. Matt Mitrione (11-5)

Heavyweight Feature Bout: Cheick Congo (25-10-2) vs. Oli Thompson (17-9)

Lightweight Feature Bout: Arama Piccolot (9-0) vs. Brent primus (7-0)

Preliminary Bouts:

Welterweight Prelim Bout: James Terry (18-9) vs. David Douglas (9-6)

Lightweight Prelim Bout: Nikko Jackson (1-1) vs. Cesar Gonzalez (0-1)

Featherweight Prelim Bout: Juan Cardenas (1-0) vs. Luis Vargas (0-1)

Welterweight Prelim Bout: Danasabe Mohammed (5-1) vs. Carlos Rocha (9-4)

Flyweight Prelim Bout: Anthony Do (4-1) vs. Bobby Escalante (4-5)

Flyweight Prelim Bout: Matt Ramirez (1-2) vs. Jeremy Murphy (3-3)

Lightweight Prelim Bout: J.J. Okanovich (3-1) vs. Paradise Vaovasa (5-1)

Featherweight Prelim Bout: Justin Tenedora (Tuatahi) vs. Roque Reyes (0-3)

About Bellator:

Bellator is a leading Mixed Martial Arts and Kickboxing organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. I raro i te aronga o te kaiwhakatairanga whawhai hōia Scott Coker, Ko te wātea Bellator ki meimei 500 miriona mau fare te ao i roto i runga i 140 whenua. I roto i te United States, Ka taea te kite i Bellator i runga i te Koi, the combat sports television leader. Bellator is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, rōpū takahanga ora, whanaketanga whawhai / whanaunga, ähua wāhi, i hanga e tautoko / whanaketanga, raihana ao, marketing, pānuitanga, publicity me te kōmihana whanaunga. Hāngai Bellator i roto i Santa Monica, California, ka puritia e te whakangahau Rapa Viacom, home ki rama pirimia whakangahau o te ao e hono ki te hunga i roto i te ihirangi mālohi puta noa i te pouaka whakaata, nekehanga pikitia, ipurangi me te pūkoro tüäpapa.

'Bellator 170: ORTIZ VS. SONNEN’ OFFICIAL CONFERENCE CALL QUOTES FROM TITO ORTIZ, CHAEL SONNEN, BRENNAN WARD, PAUL DALEY AND SCOTT COKER

Santa MONICA, Calif. — (January 3, 2017) – Before the cage door closes at the Forum in Los Angeles, the main and co-main event fighters from "Bellator 170: Ortiz vs. Sonnen” participated in a media conference call. If you weren’t on the line, you can listen to it i konei, or read a couple of the quotes below.

 

I roto i te hui matua o te ahiahi, Tito Ortiz (18-12-1) e i runga i Chael (28-14-1). I tua atu, Ralek Gracie (3-0) a Hisaki Kato (7-2) will meet in a middleweight feature fight, ia Georgi Karakhanyan (26-6-1) a Emmanuel Sanchez (13-3) whawhai. Te mutunga, a fantastic welterweight co-main event pitting Paora Daley (38-14-2) ki Brennan Ward (14-4) is also set for the Spike-televised main card.

 

Limited tickets for the mega-event start at $36 and are on sale at Bellator.com, as well as Ticketmaster.com. The event will be broadcast live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT. The “Bellator 170: Ortiz vs. Sonnen” undercard, streams live on Bellator.com and the Bellator Mobile App beginning at 6:50 p.m. AND / 3:50 p.m. PT.

 

Q: For Paul Daley…We had a chance to talk before you were schedule to fight Derek Anderson at ‘Bellator 163.’ He made the weight, but the fight didn’t happen. Na, what’s going to change this time? Are you going to do anything different in your preparation and what do you expect from Brennan Ward?

Paora Daley: Things didn’t go according to plan at the last event that I was scheduled to compete in. I made the weight, but it was what happened after that was the problem. Those problems have been ironed out and we should have everything back on track and I’m ready to compete in what is going to be the most exciting fight on the card.

Q: For Brennan Ward…Both of you have definitely delivered exciting knockouts in recent performances, so I want to know what your expectation of the fight is and if you think it will be a quick showcase.

Brennan Ward: They don’t just line two guys up like Paul and I for no reasonon a card like this, that is probably the biggest card of the year and one of the biggest Bellator cards of all-time == They’re putting our matchup on there for a reason. They know fireworks are going to go off and they know this fight isn’t going the distance. Paul and I end fights, it’s what we do. Like he said, we’re going to put on the most exciting fight of the night for sure.

Q: I know that clip of you and Tito wrestling in college has been going around, so what do you expect from Tito this time around compared to the Tito you saw back then?

Chael: Titiro, Tito’s a great fighter. He was a hell of a wrestler…I caught him in one position in that match, I’m not hanging my hat on that. I’m pumped to be in there and compete against a Hall of Famer like Tito. I’m going to do everything I can to beat him, but I don’t dismiss how good this guy is.

Q: It’s been a while since we saw you in there with Liam McGeary in that title fight. Na, from then to now, what’s changed and what are you going to show us?

Tito Ortiz: I’ve been at work now for three years. I came from the UFC and Bellator gave me a chance to reinvigorate my career and I want to leave on my own terms. I want to leave respectfully. Scott Coker has done an amazing job with the company already and I sat back, thinking about what would be my last fight. All of a sudden, I’m watching Bellator on Spike TV and Chael Sonnen comes screaming out, calling me a coward and saying that he wants to fight me and I swear there has never been a bigger smile on my face. I was already getting ready to fight in November. I wasn’t sure who my opponent was going to be, but I was getting in shape. I’ve been training now for almost four months and this is probably one of the longest camps I’ve had and it’s time to showcase my skills. Chael says he’s fighting because he’s jealous and that’s the wrong way to come into a fight. I’m going in to get redemption and to me Chael is my enemy. This is no game, this is nothing fun, this is what I do for a living. I train and I go out to try and hurt my opponent. I know what I need to do. I need to defend the takedown, I need to watch out for the punches, I need to watch out for the guillotine. I know all of the moves that Chael has done and my job is to go in and destroy him. I January 21, two days before my birthday, I want to get the ‘Fight of the Night.’ I hope Chael’s in great shape because when I’m on top of him, he’s going to shit himself. I’m going to throw my elbows through his face and like I said, this is no joke. This is serious to me because my family’s watching, my kids are watching, and all of my fans are watching. I’ve given so much for this and I’ve sacrificed everything. I sacrificed my Thanksgiving, Christmas, and my New Year’s for this.

Q: Of all the guys you’ve verbally dueled with in your career, how would you size up where Tito stands? How does he compare to other guys that you’ve gone back and forth with verbally?

Chael: Te tangata, it’s painful. It was painful just listening to him read through that list of notes. He just rattled off all of his bullets right there in one answer and I think he asked to go to the bathroom during it, which was a little weird. I don’t care, I never thought about Tito Ortiz. I didn’t come to this organization to fight Tito Ortiz. I’ve been chasing Wanderlei Silva around, but Wanderlei is busy until the summer. They called me and asked if I’d fight Tito on January 21 and I didn’t have anything else going on, so I said yes.

Q: Beyond this fight, what are your goals in Bellator?

Chael: I want to compete at Bellator. I want to be a champion, get to the top, and compete with all the guys. I want to find a weight class. I’d like to do it at 205-pounds, but I think there’s an opportunity at 185 and now we have some big signings at heavyweight and catchweight too. I just think there’s a lot of opportunity over here. I can tell you as far as training, working hard and being prepared, that’s what I do. I do it every day. I will bring my skills to the fight and if they’re enough I’ll win; If they’re not, I won’t. That’s just the way that this sport is played and I’m just looking forward to competing with these guys.

Q: Coming back to compete in California, with your history with that athletic commission, you’ve already taken an out-of-competition test. How do you look at that process? Were you surprised by the test? Was there an understanding that it was going to be a part of the deal to get you back in California?

Chael: I was surprised by it. That’s why the test works. I was not ready to be tested and I didn’t know that I was going to be tested and I haven’t thought about it a whole lot. You have to understand that when you’re a guy with my background that’s just coming off of a suspension, that’s the way it goes. You’re going to have more tests than other guys and that’s just fair.

Q: Heoi, can you just size up the marketplace since you left UFC and since they’ve been purchased?

Chael: Titiro, I’m brand new. I only know a few guys at Bellator. I know three people, that’s how new I am. I’ve been to two Bellator shows; one at Mohegan Sun Arena and one in San Jose. Both events were sold out! When I was in San Jose, I was sitting there and down the ramp comes the greatest heavyweight of all time, Fedor Emelianenko. Coker signed him and didn’t even say anything to anybody. The place was packed and the ratings were going higher. I wanted to come to Bellator when I saw Ken Shamrock walk the ramp and I thought this is awesome. Connecticut and then California, both sides of the country and both sold out. The household name that Bellator has become is amazing. I used to have to explain to people what UFC and what MMA was. When I tell people I’m with Bellator, they know exactly what it is. When Tito and I met in that college wrestling match, there was 80 people there tops, nobody cared. It was a big sacrifice just to show off in front of 80 te iwi. To show off in front of a sold out arena, a record-breaking show, is fun. We get Paul Daley and Brennan Ward to entertain us before we have to go out and take care of business.

Q: Tito, do you have any comment to Chael’s comments earlier about you reading from a script and all?

Tito Ortiz: This guy knows that he bit off a little more than he can chew. I’ve been through 20 years of competition, won world titles, and stepped into that cage over and over again. Ko te tohu i roto i te purini. I’m sitting here listening to the tone that Chael has and it sounds like he’s drowning and on January 21, he’s going to be drowning in his own blood.

Chael: I told you he was out of bullets! I warned you ahead of time!

Q: Chael, congratulations on Celebrity Apprentice last night…great to see you on the debut there. How difficult is it for you to balance the Celebrity Apprentice, ESPN, your podcast, and training all together?

Chael: I hate days off. I hate it more than anything. When I look at my calendar before I go to bed, I hate seeing gaps in there. So as far as training goes, I’m in the gym three hours a day. It’s an hour in the morning, maybe even less, two hours in the afternoon, I’m out the door in three in a half hours tops. Na, that leaves me with another 20 hours in the day and I like to fill it. I don’t like to sleep a lot and that’s just the way it goes. I like to stay busy, but nothing interferes with preparation for the competition. I haven’t missed a practice, a run, a workout, a sparring session; I go every day. I go to practice every day no matter what, he ra e rua. There are parts when I’ll pick up the intensity and work a little harder and then there are parts when I’ll take a break to get a drink of water, but it doesn’t change for me. Ahau rite ki te haere, e te reira.

Q: Chael, I know you said that you had a little more of a looser camp, where you’ve trained with a lot of different fighters, especially due to all of the traveling. How has it been, having access to some elite fighters in other parts of the country?

Chael: I love working out in other parts of the country and I love going to different gyms. And that’s something new to me, because I didn’t used to travel. I was just locked at home in Portland, Oregon, but we had a hotbed out there, with guys like Randy Couture and Evan Tanner, I could name drop for you and it would really impress. We had a really great system out there, but it dried up and some of those guys retired. Some of them moved away and some of the gyms closed down, so all of these new traveling has been great. I’ve got a lot of rounds in and worked out with Georges St-Pierre and a bunch of hammers out there that you’ve never heard of yet, but you will. I’m getting good work in and I’m learning from these guys. The one thing that I try to do, and I copied Randy Couture on this, is always train with the kids. He would be in high school workout rooms doing some wrestling practice and it was very hard for the next generation to ever get ahead of him because he always trained with that younger generation. Na, I spend a lot of time with those kids and I have my own practices on top of that. I’m not positive that I can take Tito down, I’m not positive that I can out-box him; everything has to get better. I have to get stronger, tere, better with more technique and better strategy and it all takes time.

Oti "Bellator 170: Ortiz vs. Sonnen” Main Card:

Light Heavyweight Main Event: Tito Ortiz (18-12-1) vs. Chael (28-14-1)

Welterweight Co-Main Event: Paora Daley (38-14-2) vs. Brennan Ward (14-4)

Middleweight Main Card Bout: Ralek Gracie (3-0) vs. Hisaki Kato (7-2)

Featherweight Main Card Bout: Georgi Karakhanyan (26-6-1) vs. Emmanuel Sanchez (13-3)

Lightweight Main Card Bout: Derek Āpure (17-6) vs. Derek Anderson (14-2, 1 NC)

 

Bellator.com-Streamed Preliminary Card:

Taumekehiko Whakatekau Mua: Chinzo Machida (4-2) vs. Jamar Ocampo (2-0)

Taumaha Whakatupuranga Tuatahi: Jack May (8-3) vs. Dave Cryer (11-2)

Taumekehiko Whakatekau Mua: Henry Corrales (12-3) vs. Cody Bollinger (19-6)

Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Kevin Casey (9-5-1, 2 NC) vs. Keith Berry (15-13)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Guilherme “Bomba” Vasconcelos (8-3) vs. John Mercurio (8-7)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Gabriel Green (3-0) vs. Jalin Turner (2-2)

Catchweight Preliminary Bout: Christian Gonzalez (2-0) vs. Daniel Rodriguez (2-0)

Kōmāmātanga Tuhinga o mua: Jacob Rosales (4-2) vs. Ian Butler (3-2)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Johnny Cisneros (9-5) vs. Curtis Millender (9-3)

Kōmāmātanga Tuhinga o mua: Mike Segura (4-4) vs. Tommy Aaron (2-1)

Tuhinga o mua Bantamweight: Rob Gooch (4-3) vs. James Barnes (6-2)

Flyweight Tuhinga o mua: Rebecca Ruth (6-2) vs. Colleen Schneider (10-7)

 

COMBATE AMERICAS ANNOUNCES MAIN EVENT FOR MMA LEAGUE’S HISTORIC MEXICO DEBUT: STEVE SWANSON VS. GUSTAVO LOPEZ

LIVE FROM EL PLAZA CONDESA IN MEXICO CITY ON
AZTECA AMERICA AND UFC FIGHT PASS®
ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 19

Atomweight Co-Main Event:
Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc vs. Lisbeth Lopez Silva

Ētahi atu:
Kōmāmā: Rodrigo “Kazula” Vargas vs. Marco Antonio “La Rocka” Elipidio

Whā: Jose Ceja vs. Joey Ruquet

NEW YORK – January 3, 2017 – Combate Americas today announced four spectacular Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) pito, including a bantamweight (135) main event between rising stars Steve Swanson (14-2) a Gustavo Lopez (6-2) – for the league’s much-anticipated, historic debut in Mexico on Rāpare, Jan. 19, live on Azteca America (10 p.m. AND/PT) and UFC FIGHT PASS® (8 p.m. AND/5 p.m. PT).

Te hui, which will take place at El Plaza Condesa in Mexico City, will also air via tape delay in Mexico the following night, Rāmere, Jan. 20 i 11 p.m. CT., on TV Azteca, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: AZTECA; Latibex: XTZA), one of the two largest producers of Spanish-language television programming in the world.

In the atomweight (105 pauna) tahi-matua hui, former world championship challenger Nicdali "Ko te Kuini Night" Rivera-Calanoc (9-9) will make her long-awaited return to La Jaula, te whare herehere Combate Amerika, and face red-hot Lisbeth Lopez Silva (3-3).

“We are excited to be assembling a phenomenal fight card, and to have the opportunity to be at the forefront of MMA’s growth in Mexico with our unique and fast-growing sports franchise,"Ka mea a Combate Americas Tumu Campbell McLaren.

In other main card action, two hard-hitting, Mexico City rivals, Rodrigo “Kazula” Vargas (9-5) a Marco Antonio “La Rocka” Elpidio (4-1-1) will collide at lightweight (155 pauna).

Fellow upstarts Jose “The Ghost” Ceja (4-3) a Joey “El Cazador” Ruquet (3-1) will square off at bantamweight.

Additional bouts for the Combate Americas event will be announced soon.

The 5-foot-5, 36-year-old younger brother of UFC star Cub Swanson, Steve of Indio, Calif. is a 36-year-old prolific knockout artist whose family originally hails from Chihuahua, Mexico.

Swanson is a winner of his last four fights, all by way of (T)KO. He is coming off an explosive, 38-second stoppage of Christian Rios i runga i October 22.

Fighting out MMA legend Randy “The Natural” Couture’s Xtreme Couture camp in Las Vegas, Nev. Lopez is a 5-foot-5, 27-year-old finisher originally from Yakima, Horoi.

Lopez emerged unbeaten, ki ha lekooti o 3-0, during the Combate Americas “Road To The Championship” fight series that spanned from September 2015 to May 2016. He has notched five of his six professional career victories via (T)KO tukunga ranei.

Rivera-Calanoc is a 5-foot-3, 31-year-old resident of Las Vegas, Nev. and native of Tulsa, Okla., as well as a battle-tested veteran of the sport who has faced a handful of top rivals in the women’s field, whai wāhi Jessica Penne.

Rivera-Calanoc, whose ancestral roots are in Chihuahua, took a split decision in her last start on March 12, i Ronni Nanney.

Lopez Silva of Mexico City is aiming for her fourth straight win on the heels of a unanimous decision over Marcel Yineris Nieto i runga i Hakihea 2 in Panama City, Panama.

A former welterweight (170 pauna), Vargas of Mexico City is a 5-foot-8, 31-year-old powerhouse who will put a three-fight win streak on the line.

Ki te rā, the Mexican Pride team member has claimed all of his wins by way of (T)KO tukunga ranei.

Elpidio, whose nickname translates to “The Rock,” is also a former welterweight standout who will look to secure his third consecutive win.

In his last effort on March 19, Elpidio, a member of the Renzo Gracie affiliate team in Mexico City, piro te rua o a tawhio (3:16) TKO i runga i Francisco Vargas with an onslaught of punches.

Ko te 5-waewae-7, 31-year-old Ceja of Port Arthur, Texas will make his second start under the promotion of Combate Americas.

In his debut for the league on October 14, Ceja avenged a previous loss in dynamic fashion, te kaute i te rauna tuatahi (4:22) knockout on Irwin “The Beast” Rivera in the first live televised, professional MMA event since UFC 7 i roto i te Mahuru 1995.

Ruquet of Las Vegas, Nev. via Venice, Fla. is a 5-foot-8, 24-year-old upstart and seasoned striker who will make his second appearance in La Jaula after submitting Luke Faultersack with an anaconda choke in the second round (4:28) of action on April 25.

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‘Bellator 170: Ortiz vs. SonnenFight Card Complete With Two New Matchups

REBECCA RUTH-COLLEEN SCHNEIDER FLYWEIGHT SHOWDOWN ADDED TO PRELIMINARY CARD

Santa MONICA, Calif. — (Hakihea 28, 2016) – The stacked main card of "Bellator 170: Ortiz vs. Sonnen” has added even more ammo to its arsenal with the news that Derek Āpure (17-6) a Derek Anderson (14-2, 1 NC) will compete in a lightweight feature fight on January 21, 2017 inside The Forum in Los Angeles, Calif. I tua atu, a female flyweight bout pitting Rebecca Ruth (6-2) ki Colleen Schneider (10-7) has been added to the preliminary portion of the event.

 

The lightweight clash joins a main card that is highlighted by a legendary faceoff between superstars Tito Ortiz (18-12-1) a Chael (28-14-1). I tua atu, Ralek Gracie (3-0) a Hisaki Kato (7-2) will meet in a middleweight feature fight, ia Georgi Karakhanyan (26-6-1) a Emmanuel Sanchez (13-3) whawhai. Te mutunga, a fantastic welterweight co-main event pitting Paora Daley (38-14-2) ki Brennan Ward (14-4) is also set for the Spike-televised main card.

 

 

Limited tickets for the mega-event start at $36 and are on sale at Bellator.com, as well as Ticketmaster.com. The event will be broadcast live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. AND/8 p.m. CT. Te "Bellator 170: Ortiz vs. Sonnen” undercard, streams live on Bellator.com and the Bellator Mobile App beginning at 6:50 p.m. AND / 3:50 p.m. PT.

 

Campos enters the bout riding a recent string of success, as the 28-year-old lightweight put together a flawless 2016 campaign that included a pair of noteworthy victories over Djamil Chan a Melvin Guillard. “The Stallion” continues to provide entertaining fights, as the Lubbock, Texas native has finished opponents in 10 o tona 17 whakaora, including five knockouts and three of the first-round variety. Campos will be searching for his first three-fight winning streak under the Bellator MMA umbrella since 2013.

 

Following an explosive start to his professional career, collecting victories in 11 o tona tuatahi 12 pito, including one no-contest, Anderson has continued his success under the direction of Bellator MMA. Since joining the Scott Coker-led promotion in 2013, “The Barbaric” has tallied five impressive wins, highlighted by two knockouts and a pair of victories over Patricky Freire. Hailing from San Diego, Calif., Anderson has finished 11 o tona 14 victims, and will not have to travel far as he prepares for number 12. With back-to-back victories over the aforementioned Freire and most recently Koe Awad i “Bellator 160,” Anderson has quickly entered the mix as one of the division’s top contenders. The 26-year-old lightweight will now look to take down the Bellator MMA veteran Campos and add yet another big name to his admirable resume.

 

The 37-year-old Ruth will be making her third appearance under the Bellator MMA banner and first of her 2017 pakanga, following a year in which she earned her first promotional victory over Ukrainian submission specialist Lena Ovchynnikova. Prior to joining the Scott Coker-led promotion in 2016, “Ruthless” strung together an impressive 5-1 record to begin her career, including five knockout victories and three first round finishes. With wins in four of her last five contests, Ruth will look to start the year off on the right foot and add to her already impressive MMA resume.

 

The recently signed Schneider will be making her Bellator MMA debut on Jan. 21, as she also enters the contest having won four of her last five bouts. With six of her 10 mahi toa haere mai i te ara o te knockout tukunga ranei, look for Schneider to attack early and often in a flyweight clash that features two of the more dangerous opponents in the division. Standing at 5’9”, the 34-year-old Schneider will hold a significant height advantage over the veteran Ruth, who stands about five inches shy of the former Invicta FC product. Hailing from Los Angeles, Calif., Schneider will also not have to travel far for this incredible event, as the hometown crowd will surely be pulling for “Thoroughbred” at Inglewood’s famous Forum.

 

 

Ruth and Schneider will join a preliminary card that features the promotional debuts of Kevin Casey (9-5-1, 2 NC) a Jack May(8-3), as well as the return of Chinzo Machida (4-2), Henry Corrales (12-3), Guilherme “Bomba” (8-3), a Cody Bollinger (19-6).

 

Oti "Bellator 170: Ortiz vs. Sonnen” Main Card:

Light Heavyweight Main Event: Tito Ortiz (18-12-1) vs. Chael (28-14-1)

Welterweight Co-Main Event: Paora Daley (38-14-2) vs. Brennan Ward (14-4)

Middleweight Main Card Bout: Ralek Gracie (3-0) vs. Hisaki Kato (7-2)

Featherweight Main Card Bout: Georgi Karakhanyan (26-6-1) vs. Emmanuel Sanchez (13-3)

Lightweight Main Card Bout: Derek Āpure (17-6) vs. Derek Anderson (14-2, 1 NC)

 

Bellator.com-Streamed Preliminary Card:

Taumekehiko Whakatekau Mua: Chinzo Machida (4-2) vs. Jamar Ocampo (2-0)

Taumaha Whakatupuranga Tuatahi: Jack May (8-3) vs. Dave Cryer (11-2)

Taumekehiko Whakatekau Mua: Henry Corrales (12-3) vs. Cody Bollinger (19-6)

Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Kevin Casey (9-5-1, 2 NC) vs. Keith Berry (15-13)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Guilherme “Bomba” Vasconcelos (8-3) vs. John Mercurio (8-7)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Gabriel Green (3-0) vs. Jalin Turner (2-2)

Catchweight Preliminary Bout: Christian Gonzalez (2-0) vs. Daniel Rodriguez (2-0)

Kōmāmātanga Tuhinga o mua: Jacob Rosales (4-2) vs. Ian Butler (3-2)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Johnny Cisneros (9-5) vs. Curtis Millender (9-3)

Kōmāmātanga Tuhinga o mua: Mike Segura (4-4) vs. Tommy Aaron (2-1)

Tuhinga o mua Bantamweight: Rob Gooch (4-3) vs. James Barnes (6-2)

Flyweight Tuhinga o mua: Rebecca Ruth (6-2) vs. Colleen Schneider (10-7)

LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE WILL BE ON THE LINE AT NEF 27

Lewiston, Maine (Hakihea 22, 2016) -mo Ingarangi whawhai (Nef) returns to the Androscoggin Bank Colisee on February 11, 2017 with its next mixed-martial-arts event, “Nef 27: RESURGENCE.” I mua i teie mahana, the fight promotion announced the addition of an amateur light-heavyweight title bout to the card. Ryan Glover (3-1) will defend his belt against the challenge of undefeated Victor Irwin (2-0).

 

Glover won the title one year ago at “NEF 21” with a second-round submission of Mike Williams (2-1). He would take the rest of 2016 off from MMA competition to deal with family obligations. Glover was a state wrestling champion out of Mountain Valley High School (MVHS) in Rumford, Maine where he also won a state championship in football. He began training in MMA two years ago, joining Berserkers MMA in Rumford, a team heavy in MVHS alum.

 

I’m happy to get back in the cage after a long layoff and defend my belt,” said Glover. “I was busy taking care of my family, but now it’s time to remind folks why I am NEF’s best 205er.

 

Like his opponent, Victor Irwin is also a former Maine state wrestling champion, having won a title while at Brewer High School in Brewer, Maine. I roto i te 2014, as a freshman, Irwin created a wrestling program at Eastern Maine Community College (EMCC). He went to Nationals that year and achieved All-American status. Irwin is a member of Young’s MMA in Bangor, Maine. His previous appearances in the NEF cage have been impressiveboth first round finishes.

 

I am really excited to have been given a shot at the title,” said Irwin. “Fighting Ryan will be a great challenge and opportunity for me to improve my skill set.

 

NEF’s next event, “Nef 27: RESURGENCE” e wahi i runga i Rāhoroi, February 11, 2017 i 7 p.m. Tīmata Tickets i $25 a kei runga i te hoko i teie nei i www.TheColisee.com ranei i karanga i te tari pouaka Colisee i 207.783.2009, extension 525.

 

For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com. I tua atu, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New Ingarangi whawhai."

 

Mō New Ingarangi whawhai

New Ingarangi whawhai ("Nef") Ko te whawhai whakatairanga ngā kaupapa kamupene. Misioni a nef ko ki te waihanga i te mau ohipa kounga teitei mō ngā whawhai, me pā o Maine rite tahi. Whānui wheako i roto i te whakahaere hākinakina whawhai he kapa whakahaere o nef, production ngā kaupapa, whanaungatanga pāpāho, marketing, ture me te pānuitanga.

2016 FIGHTER OF THE YEAR LOOKS TO CARRY MOMENTUM INTO NEW YEAR

Lewiston, Maine (Hakihea 21, 2016) -mo Ingarangi whawhai (Nef) returns to the Androscoggin Bank Colisee on February 11, 2017 with its next mixed-martial-arts event, “Nef 27: RESURGENCE.” I mua i teie mahana, the fight promotion announced the addition of a professional featherweight fight to the card. Arona “He whakangungu” Lacey (4-0) Ka tangohia i runga i Chris “Game Bred” Jacobs (1-0) i te taimaha o te 145, pauna whawhai.

 

Voted “Fighter o te Tau” earlier this week by NEF fans, it would take a Herculean effort to argue that 2016 was not Aaron Lacey’s year. He made his professional debut in April at “NEF 22” defeating veteran Derek Shorey (4-8) and remained undefeated the rest of the year. Including his amateur career, Lacey is riding a seven-fight win streak. He has not lost a fight since the spring of 2014 (his only loss) – close to three years ago.

 

Te nuinga tata, Lacey struck down seasoned pro Taylor Trahan (6-7) with a vicious liver kick that made the entire crowd at the Colisee cringe. A win over Jacobs on February 11 would move Lacey that much closer to signing a contract with a major, national MMA promotiona fate long predicted by many insiders for the product of Bangor’s Young’s MMA gym.

 

I’m looking forward to 2017,said Lacey when reached for comment. “2016 was a big year for me and I am looking forward to carrying that momentum into the new year on February 11th. Chris Jacobs is a seasoned opponent who is making the trip up from Florida, so he will be prepared. I live in the gym and have been making huge gains, a 2017 will be the year I get to showcase those gains!”

 

Jacobs is based out of DeLand, Florida. “NEF 27” will see him make his first trip to compete in Maine, but Jacobs is no stranger to the MMA cage. He put together an impressive record of 8-3 hei runaruna, including capturing a regional title on a fight card in nearby Daytona Beach. Jacobs won his pro debut earlier this year in Tampa. He is looking forward to facing tough competition in the form of Lacey.

 

I must give thanks and praise to the most high for putting me in this position to fight in Maine,” Said Jacobs. “It’s a blessing. It’s an honor to fight someone of a high caliber and stature like Aaron Lacey. I look forward to coming up there and competing with a top level athlete.

 

NEF’s next event, “Nef 27: RESURGENCE” e wahi i runga i Rāhoroi, February 11, 2017 i 7 p.m. Tīmata Tickets i $25 a kei runga i te hoko i teie nei i www.TheColisee.com ranei i karanga i te tari pouaka Colisee i 207.783.2009, extension 525.

 

For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com. I tua atu, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New Ingarangi whawhai."

 

Mō New Ingarangi whawhai

New Ingarangi whawhai ("Nef") Ko te whawhai whakatairanga ngā kaupapa kamupene. Misioni a nef ko ki te waihanga i te mau ohipa kounga teitei mō ngā whawhai, me pā o Maine rite tahi. Whānui wheako i roto i te whakahaere hākinakina whawhai he kapa whakahaere o nef, production ngā kaupapa, whanaungatanga pāpāho, marketing, ture me te pānuitanga.