Tag Archives: mma

mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights, women's MMA

2017 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR RETURNING TO THE CAGE AT NEF 32

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Lewiston, Maine (December 27, 2017) – New England Fights (NEF) returns to Lewiston onSaturday, February 3, 2018 with the fight promotion’s next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 32: Super Saturday.”  Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of an amateur women’s bantamweight bout to the card.  Jayda “Lil Killah” Bailey(1-0) is scheduled to face Amanda Gallo (0-1) at a fight weight of 135-pounds.

Jayda Bailey made headlines this year when she became the youngest athlete to ever compete in a sanctioned MMA fight in Maine.  A mere eight days after her 18th birthday, the legal minimum age for an MMA participant in the state, Bailey put together a dominant performance in her debut against Danae Dostie (0-1) at “NEF 31.”  It took her just over 90-seconds to pound out a TKO victory.  So impressive was the win that it earned Bailey a nomination for “Rookie of the Year.”  The fans agreed and voted the Hermon, Maine teenager as the recipient of the award.  Bailey is currently a member of Young’s MMA of Bangor.  This summer, upon graduation from high school, she plans to relocate to Albuquerque, New Mexico where she will join Jackson Wink MMA Academy – home to many top UFC stars.

“I can’t wait to step into the cage again and display my abilities,” said Bailey.  “I look to get better every time I fight, and I’m excited to be facing a new challenge.”

That new challenge will come in the form of Amanda Gallo.  Gallo trains with Robson Moura Nations United (RMNU) based in Tampa, Florida.  She made her cage debut in the fall of 2016 against Laine Orabona (2-2) on a fight card in Georgia.  The thrilling contest went the distance and saw Gallo lose a very close split decision on the judges’ scorecards.  She will come to Maine looking for the first win of her young career.

NEF’s next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 32: Super Saturday,” will see the company make its return to the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine.  The event is scheduled to take place on Saturday, February 3, 2018.  Tickets are on-sale now online atwww.TheColisee.com.

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

MCDONALD & LETOURNEAU IMPRESS IN BELLATOR DEBUTS, CAPPING OFF FINAL EVENT ON SPIKE

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 otos/Bellator%20191%20New%20Castle%20Fight%20Night/Michael%20McDonald%20vs.%20P 

FULL EVENT PHOTOS

 

Complete Bellator 191: McDonald vs. Ligier Fight Card Results:

 

Michael McDonald (18-4) defeated Peter Ligier (8-2-1) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

 

Photos: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8acndyoa13mtgs7/AABOlDgJCtycBa-bPH8L1e8Qa?dl=0

 

McDonald Quote: “I was happy with the performance. He ate some heavy punches. I hit him hard enough to break my right hand again, so he’s very durable and I expected that from him. I’ve seen him get put down and keep coming. He was very impressive, I’m honored to have fought him and he really stepped up to the occasion. I think that I have some pretty high accolades for a bantamweight, but I really have no idea how that stacks up to the other guys in my division. We will let this hand heal up and find out soon.”

 

Valerie Letourneau (9-6) defeated Kate Jackson (9-3-1) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

 

Photos: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/xv8mhtcx9eku5p9/AAB94OCwYqOCIUbHyTcU3chUa?dl=0

 

Letourneau Quote: “I never feel like I’m doing enough. That’s the first thing I ask my coach: ‘Was it a good fight?’ I think experience has taught me to be patient in the fight and to fight smart. You always want to put on a show, but sometimes it can cost you the fight. In my last fight, I didn’t do enough because I was too careful. I wanted to bring all that experience together and make the best of it.”

 

 “This was a very important fight for me. I’m 34, my daughter’s a teenager now. I’ve sacrificed a lot of things for my career. But I want this Bellator belt so bad. It was really hard for me to watch Ilima Macfarlane and Emily Ducote fight for it first. I have so much respect for both of them, but I wanted to be the first one to fight for the title. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen but to me that’s the only thing I have on my mind right now. Ilima knows I want to fight her and she had a really good performance in her last fight. When it happens, I think it’s going to be a really good matchup. It’s going to be an exciting fight.”

 

Mohammad Yahya (4-1) defeated Ash Griffiths (4-5) via TKO at 3:26 of round one

 

Photos: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/62fh9s38lo1de3x/AAAF5NCgKybT6v1HG9qYJOaHa?dl=0

 

Yahya Quote: “This is what we trained for and we executed exactly as we planned. I was very confident in the opening round. I said that I was going to win in the first round by TKO and I did just that. It’s confidence, but this is also a product of hard work. I was training very hard for this and I executed. I knew that I had the best team in the world and we’re on to the next one now.”

 

Philip De Fries (14-6, 1 NC) def. James Thompson (20-17, 1 NC) via submission (guillotine) at 1:33 of round one

 

Photos: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/efcurjmp6k10j2q/AADd556tK8j6Lg-T7Te54Z_ma?dl=0

 

De Fries Quote: “I feel great, the less damage the better. I’m not getting any prettier. Hats off to James, he’s a legend. It’s a shame it was over so quick, it could have been a barn burner. But I’m happy. I want to climb the ladder here in Bellator. If there is an opening in this tournament, I’ll gladly step in. I feel great at the moment. Fighting is 90 percent mental and the first half of my career, I didn’t have the head for it. But now I’m putting everything together, I feel great and I’m performing. I’m ready, I’ll fight anybody.

 

Jeremy Petley (12-8) def. Lewis Monarch (9-3) via split decision (29-28 x2, 27-30)

 

Photos: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/q1gw2zn80ujf2ps/AABweE-l4KMFb00-hvR7CExDa?dl=0

 

Petley Quote: “I was prepared to do the job and really demonstrate my skills. He put up a tough fight and made me work for it. I was prepared for a war, and that’s what he gave me so I had to dig deep. Lewis was a good opponent but I knew no matter what the situation or adversity, that I have a big heart, I have work ethic, a good skillset and a good corner behind me. I knew that no matter what happened, I would come out with the victory.”

 

“This is a fraction of my potential. I want the big fights, I want the Bellator title. I want to move up, I want to move forward and fight late in the night. I have what it takes, so I’ll take anybody. This was not the most convincing win, but no matter who I face, I can win. I don’t care who it is up against me, I can always find a way. I find a way to win. That’s what I do.”

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

BELLATOR 191 WEIGH-IN RESULTS & PHOTOS

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BELLATOR’S FINAL EVENT ON SPIKE TAKES PLACE

TOMORROW NIGHT AT 9/8c

 

 

PRESS CONFERENCE PHOTOS / WEIGH IN PHOTOS

 

NEWCASTLE, England – Only one main event competitor is sure to be smiling after their matchup tomorrow night when Michael McDonald(17-4) makes his Bellator debut against Peter Ligier (8-1-1) in the headlining bout of Bellator 191.

 

Another high-profile free agent signing in Valerie Letourneau (8-6) is also set to make her long-awaited promotional debut, squaring off against Kate Jackson (9-2-1) in the co-main event at Newcastle, England’s Metro Radio Arena.

 

Bellator 191: McDonald vs. Ligier will be broadcast free on SPIKE Friday, Dec. 15 at 9 p.m. ET/ 8 p.m. CT. The event marks the last time Bellator will air on SPIKE before the network rebrands itself as Paramount Network in January.

 

Tickets for the event can be purchased from Ticketmaster.co.uk & event.co.uk

 

Complete Bellator 191: McDonald vs. Ligier Fight Card:

138 Pound Catchweight Main Event: Michael McDonald (137.6 lbs.) vs. Peter Ligier (135.8 lbs.) Photos

Women’s Flyweight Co-Main Event: Valerie Letourneau (125.8 lbs.) vs. Kate Jackson (125.5 lbs.) Photos

Heavyweight Feature Bout: James Thompson (266 lbs.) vs. Phil De Fries (261 lbs.) Photos

Welterweight Feature Bout: Mohammad Yahya (163 lbs.) vs. Ash Griffiths (170.5 lbs.) Photos

Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Jeremy Petley (146.4 lbs.) vs. Lewis Monarch (146 lbs.) Photos

mixed martial arts, MMA, Rizin FF

RIZIN FIGHTING FEDERATION WORLD GRAND PRIX 2017

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Joe Ferraro & Frank Trigg named RIZIN FF World Grand Prix 2017
PPV announcers
Dec. 29 & 31 LIVE on PPV from Japan
NEW YORK CITY(December 14, 2017) – Veteran “Showdown” Joe Ferraro and former MMA fighter John Trigg have been named announcers for RIZIN Fighting Federation World Grand Prix twin shows, highlighted by the return of combat sports superstar Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic,  December 29 & 31, airing live on pay-per-view from Saitama City, Japan.
The Dec. 29 and 31 (1 a.m. /10 p.m. PT start) will be live-streamed worldwide (excluding Japan on the FITE.TV platforms for $19.99 or the two-day RIZIN Pack special offer for only $29.99. Fans may simply download the FITE app – free to download from iTunes and Google Play – and then cast the fight to the big screen by using the instant stream-to-TV function. The FITE app works with any Wi-Fi connected television around the world, iOS and Android devices, as well as streaming devices such as Roku, Chromecast and more. Fans may also watch the fights live on the FITE website atwww.fite.tv from any computer.
Integrated Sports Media will distribute via cable and satellite PPV on New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31 –5:00 a.m. ET / 2:00 a.m. PT start) extravaganza live in North America via iN Demand, Vubiquity, and DISH in the U.S., as well as on SaskTel and Telus in Canada, for a suggested retail price of only $19.95.
Ferraro will handle blow-by-blow responsibilities, while Trigg serves as color commentator. Ferraro has called multiple RIZIN events leading up to the conclusion of its World Grand Prix. Trigg, who is working this RIZIN twin-bill the same month as he made his debut as a UFC referee, was a popular fighter at the highest level of international competition, UFC and PRIDE.
The Dec. 29th winners of the men’s bantamweight quarterfinals will advance to the Dec. 31stwomen’s super-atomweight and kickboxing semifinals and then later in the finals. The Special Added Attraction on that card is a light heavyweight clash between Jiri “Denisa” Prochazka(19-3-0, 16 KO/TKO, 2 SUB), Czech Republic and. Karl Albrelktsson (6-1-0, 2 KO/TKOs, 3 SUB), Sweden.
The finals of the RIZIN World-Grand Prix kickboxing, women’s super-atomweight and men’s bantamweight championships will be preceded by three entertaining matches. Croatian heavyweight “Cro Cop” Filipovic (35-11-0, 27 KO/TKO, 5 SUB) takes on Japanese favorite Tsuyoshi Kosaka (27-19-2, 8 KO/TKO, 6 SUB) in a Special Added Attraction on the Dec. 31stcard. Also, the long-awaited return of Japanese lightweight Takanori “The Fireball Kid” Gomi(18-6-0, 13 KO/TKO, 6 SUB) will be showcased in his throw-down with fellow countryman Yusuke Yachi (18-6-0, 5 KO/TKO, 1 SUB). A women’s match between American flyweights Shinju “Juju” Auclair (1-0-0, 1 SUB) and pro-debuting Chelsea LaGrasse is also on tap.
A special one-day kickboxing tournament will be held Dec. 31st between Japan’s Kazuyuki Fujita and Mitsuhisa Sunabe and undefeated knockout artist (20-0, 16 KOs) Tenshine Nasukawa vs. TBA with the winners facing off in the championship round on the card’s championship final.
All fights and fighters are subject to change.
INFORMATION:
Twitter: @FiteTV, @IntegratedPPV
mixed martial arts, MMA, Rizin FF

RIZIN FIGHTING FEDERATION WORLD GRAND PRIX 2017

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RIZIN Fighting Federation
World Grand Prix 2017 action to close 2017 MMA season
 
Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic & Takanori “The Fireball Kid” Gomi return New Year’s Eve
Dec. 29 & 31 LIVE on PPV from Japan
NEW YORK CITY (December 11, 2017) —International mixed-martial-arts and kickboxing fans can close out the 2017 season in grand style, viewing double-barreled RIZIN Fighting Federation World Grand Prix action, highlighted by the return of combat sports superstar Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic,December 29 & 31, airing live on pay-per-view from Saitama City, Japan.
The Dec. 29th winners of the men’s bantamweight quarterfinals will advance to the Dec. 31st women’s super-atomweight and kickboxing semifinals and then later in the finals (see below).
The Special Added Attraction on the Dec. 29thcard is a light heavyweight match between Jiri “Denisa” Prochazka (19-3-0, 16 KO/TKO, 2 SUB), Czech Republic vs. Karl Albrelktsson(6-1-0, 2 KO/TKOs, 3 SUB), Sweden.
The Dec. 29 and 31 (1 a.m. /10 p.m. PT start) will be live-streamed worldwide (excluding Japan on the FITE.TV platforms for $19.99 or the two-day RIZIN Pack special offer for only $29.99. Fans may simply download the FITE app – free to download from iTunes and Google Play – and then cast the fight to the big screen by using the instant stream-to-TV function. The FITE app works with any Wi-Fi connected television around the world, iOS and Android devices, as well as streaming devices such as Roku, Chromecast and more. Fans may also watch the fights live on the FITE website at www.fite.tv from any computer.
Integrated Sports Media will distribute via cable and satellite PPV on New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31 –5:00 a.m. ET / 2:00 a.m. PT start) extravaganza live in North America via iN Demand, Vubiquity, and DISH in the U.S., as well as on SaskTel and Telus in Canada, for a suggested retail price of only $19.95.
“We’re excited to close the year with two entertaining events, RIZIN World Grand Prix 2017, plus the return of international MMA stars Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic and Takanori “The Fireball Kid” Gomi,” said Flipps Media Co-founder and CEO, Kosta Jordanov. “These events will cap of our very successful combat sports programming in 2017.”
“We’re happy to bring this New Year’s Eve event from Japan, featuring ‘Cro Cop’ and the RIZIN World Grand Prix finals to American and Canadian combat sports fans,” Integrated Sports Media president Doug Jacobs remarked. “This is a rare opportunity for North American MMA and kickboxing fans to watch some of the best international fighters.”
The finals of the RIZIN World-Grand Prix kickboxing, women’s super-atomweight and men’s bantamweight championships will be preceded by three entertaining matches. Croatian heavyweight “Cro Cop” Filipovic (35-11-0, 27 KO/TKO, 5 SUB) takes on Japanese favoriteTsuyoshi Kosaka (27-19-2, 8 KO/TKO, 6 SUB) in a Special Added Attraction on the Dec. 31stcard. Also, the long-awaited return of Japanese lightweight Takanori “The Fireball Kid” Gomi(18-6-0, 13 KO/TKO, 6 SUB) will be showcased in his throw-down with fellow countrymanYusuke Yachi (18-6-0, 5 KO/TKO, 1 SUB). A women’s match between American flyweights Shinju “Juju” Auclair (1-0-0, 1 SUB) and pro-debuting Chelsea LaGrasse is also on tap.
A special one-day kickboxing tournament will be held Dec. 31st between Japan’s Kazuyuki Fujita and Mitsuhisa Sunabe and undefeated knockout artist (20-0, 16 KOs) Tenshine Nasukawa vs. TBA with the winners facing off in the championship round on the card’s championship final.
All fights and fighters are subject to change.
 
RIZIN WORLD GRAND PRIX MATCHES
Men’s Bantamweights
Ian “Uncle Creepy” McCall (13-5-0), USA vs. Manel Kape (8-1-0), Angola
Kyoaji Horiiguchi (20-2-0), Japan vs. Gabriel Oliveira (10-0-0), Brazil
Takafumi Otsuka (23-13-0), Japan vs. Khalid Tahna (11-0-0), Germany
Shintaro Ishiwatari (23-6-0), Japan vs. Kevin “The Macine Gun” Petshi (12-3-0), France
Women’s Super-Atomweights
Rena Kubota (5-0-0), Japan vs. Irene “La Nina” Rivera (7-4-0), Spain
Kanna Asakura (9-2-0), Japan vs. Maria Oliveira (10-2-0), Brazil
Kickboxing
Yamato Fujita, Japan vs. Mitsushisa Sunabe, Japan
Tenshin Nasuikawa, Japan vs. TBA
INFORMATION:
Twitter: @FiteTV, @IntegratedPPV
LFA, mixed martial arts, MMA

LFA STARTS 2018 WITH 1-2-3 PUNCH!

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LFA 30 MAIN EVENT:
“CURTIOUS”
CURTIS MILLENDER
vs.
“THE PHOENIX”
NICK BARNES
WELTERWEIGHT WAR
FRIDAY, JANUARY 12th LIVE on AXS TV
COSTA MESA HALL AT OC FAIR GROUNDS
COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA
TICKETS ON SALE 12-11-17 AT CAGETIX.COM
LFA 31 MAIN EVENT:
“THE WOLFMAN”
BOBBY MOFFETT
vs.
KNOCKOUT SENSATION
THANH LE
INTERIM FEATHERWEIGHT WORLD TITLE
FRIDAY, JANUARY 19th LIVE on AXS TV
COMERICA THEATRE
PHOENIX, ARIZONA
 TICKETS ON SALE 12-11-17 AT COMERICATHEATRE.COM
LFA 32 CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLEHEADER:
“ALL IN”
BRENDAN ALLEN
vs.
“FLUFFY”
ANTHONY HERNANDEZ
MIDDLEWEIGHT WORLD TITLE
+
“SUPERMAN”
RYAN SPANN
vs.
“THE SPARTAN”
ALEX NICHOLSON
LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD TITLE
FRIDAY, JANUARY 26th LIVE on AXS TV
GOLDEN NUGGET HOTEL & CASINO
LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA

TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT TICKETMASTER.COM

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) CEO Ed Soares announced the promotion will kick off 2018 with a 1-2-3 punch in January with a trio of star-studded shows in California, Arizona, and Louisiana.

The main event of LFA 30 will feature the long-awaited clash between southern California kingpins and top LFA welterweights “Curtious” Curtis Millender and Nick “The Phoenix” Barnes. LFA 30 – Millender vs. Barnes takes place Friday, January 12th at Costa Mesa Hall at  OC Fair Grounds in Costa Mesa, California.
The following week, LFA heads to Arizona with a fierce interim featherweight title fight in the Valley of the Sun. In the main event, former RFA title challenger and BJJ black belt Bobby “The Wolfman” Moffett battles knockout sensation Thanh Le for the LFA interim featherweight title. LFA 31 – Moffett vs. Le takes place Friday, January 19th at the Comerica Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona.
LFA caps the month of January with a pair of title fights in southern Louisiana. In the main event, former LFA title challenger Brendan “All In” Allen faces top undefeated prospect Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez for the vacant LFA middleweight title. In the co-headliner, red-hot Ryan “Superman” Spann will lock horns with UFC vet Alex “The Spartan” Nicholson for the inaugural LFA light-heavyweight title. LFA 32 – Allen vs. Hernandez takes place Friday, January 26th at the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
The entire main card of all three of these events will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.
“I’m excited to kick off 2018 with three straight weeks of LFA action across the country”, stated Soares. “Curtis Millender and Nick Barnes are coming off big wins in LFA headliners and will meet in the main event of LFA 30 in southern California on January 12th. The following week, we head to Arizona with top contenders Bobby Moffett and Thanh Le meeting for the interim featherweight title in the main event LFA 31. We finish the month with two title fights at LFA 32 in southern Louisiana. Brendan Allen faces Anthony Hernandez for the vacant middleweight title in the main event and Ryan Spann will take on Alex Nicholson for the inaugural light-heavyweight title in the co-headliner.”
Millender (13-3) returns home to the building where he fought and won his first seven fights. The Orange County juggernaut is looking to build off a perfect 2017 where he won three fights, including back-to-back LFA headliners. His most recent win came via highlight reel Head Kick KO in the main event of LFA 24. Millender will meet Barnes (12-2) in a long-awaited showdown between two of southern California’s finest. The welterweight stars started their careers in the southern California regional circuit, moved on to Bellator, and will finally meet in the main event of LFA 30. Barnes, like Millender, is coming off an impressive win in an LFA headliner.
The main event of LFA 31 is a fight that casual fans and MMA purists alike are salivating over. It pits a rugged and accomplished BJJ black belt in Moffett (10-2) against one of the most dynamic strikers in all of MMA in Le (7-1) with the LFA interim featherweight title on the line. On paper, this is a textbook grappler vs. striker bout at its highest form. However, both men bring so much more to the table than what their respective martial arts backgrounds represent. Moffett, who trains out of The MMA Lab, has shown a willingness to throw down with anyone, while Le trains with BJJ wunderkind and UFC star Ryan Hall in northern Virginia.
LFA will conclude its busy month of January with a pair of title tilts in southern Louisiana. LFA standout and Louisiana native Allen (8-2) will get a second shot at LFA gold after going five rounds with current UFC star Eryk Anders for the inaugural LFA middleweight title in June. Allen quickly rebounded six weeks later with a submission win in the co-main event of LFA 18. He will face another highly-touted undefeated prospect for the title. This time it comes in the form of the northern California destroyer Hernandez (5-0). The man known as “Fluffy” has finished everyone he has faced inside the first round.
The co-main event of LFA 32 will crown the inaugural LFA light-heavyweight champion. Spann (12-5) is a former Legacy FC title challenger that will look to capture LFA gold in front of his home crowd. “Superman” is riding considerable momentum heading into this fight after dispatching a pair of top contenders in the first round of his last two bouts at LFA 23 and LFA 27. He will face Nicholson (10-4) who has been a man on fire since his four-fight run with the UFC ended in May. The Florida native has been a tour de force since then as he looks to make his way back. In the past two months, “The Spartan” has knocked out three quality opponents in grand total of 3 minutes and 28 seconds.
In September 2016, Legacy FC and RFA officials announced that they would be merging to form the premier developmental organization in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) starting in January 2017. Legacy FC and RFA have launched the careers of over 150 athletes that have reached the pinnacle of MMA by competing in the UFC.
Please visit LFAfighting.com for bout updates and information. LFA is on Facebook at Legacy Fighting Alliance. LFA is also on Instagram at @LFAfighting and Twitter at @LFAfighting.
Fight Network, GLORY, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, MMA, UFC

Fight Network to Live Broadcast TKO 41, ONE Championship, GLORY 49 Doubleheader & UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Swanson vs. Ortega Prelims

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TORONTO – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 multi-platform channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents a jam-packed weekend of live combat sports, beginning this Friday, Dec. 8 at 6:30 p.m. ET with TKO 41: Champions live from Montreal, Canada’s Bell Centre. The live action continues on Saturday morning, Dec. 9 at 8:30 a.m. ET with ONE Championship: Warriors of the World from Bangkok, Thailand followed immediately by a GLORY kickboxing doubleheader featuring GLORY 49 Rotterdam live at 11:30 a.m. ET and GLORY 49 SuperFight Series live at 1:30 p.m. ET. Finally, on Saturday night, Dec. 9 at 8:00 p.m. ET, Fight Network presents a live broadcast of the UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Swanson vs. Ortega PRELIMS from Fresno, Calif.

Friday’s live broadcast of TKO 41: Champions from Montreal, Canada kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET and is headlined by an exciting featherweight championship bout pitting Windsor, Ontario’s TJ Laramie (6-2) against undefeated local favorite Charles Jourdain (5-0). In other championship bouts, Marc-Andre Barriault (9-1) collides with Strahinja Gavrilovic (8-4) for the middleweight title, Jesse Ronson (18-8) tangles with Derek Gauthier (8-7) in a rematch for the lightweight crown, Adam Dyczka (6-0) looks to keep his momentum rolling against Bakary Sakho (1-0) in a heavyweight championship clash, plus Jesse Arnett (13-4) squares off with Dimitri Waardenburg (13-7) in what promises to be an all-action affair for the bantamweight title.

Airing live on Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. ET, ONE Championship: Warriors of the World emanates from Bangkok, Thailand, headlined by a showdown for the ONE strawweight title, as Japanese titleholder Yoshitaka Naito (12-0) risks his gold and perfect record against Brazil’s Alex Silva (6-1). In other featured bouts, Thailand’s Shannon Wiratchai (8-1) meets Russian Rasul Yakhyaev (10-6) in a lightweight bout, battle-tested Japanese veteran Kotetsu Boku (26-11-2) takes on American Christian Lee (7-1) in featherweight action and former 115-pound kingpin Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke (8-2), of Thailand, returns home for a flyweight encounter with Japan’s Riku Shibuya (7-4).

Fight Network’s live broadcast of GLORY 49 Rotterdam begins on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. ET, headlined by the final round of a one-night, four-man lightweight contender tournament, as Danish dynamo Niclas “The Destroyer” Larsen (46-9-2, 24 KO) battles Dutch-Moroccan wunderkind Tyjani “The Wonderboy” Beztati(14-1, 5 KO) and Bulgarian bruiser Stoyan “The Sniper” Koprivlenski (7-1, 3 KO) meets returning Brazilian Maykol Yurk (8-5, 6 KO) in opening round matchups. In addition, Angola’s Christian “Bad News” Baya (59-5-1, 34 KO) looks to spoil the debut of Slovenian lightweight Samo Petje (32-6-1), while American Muay Thai stylist Omar Moreno (25-7-1, 9 KO) fights Chinese UFC veteran Anying “Smiley” Wang (10-3).

The card leads directly into GLORY 49 SuperFight Series at 1:30 p.m. ET, headlined by newly crowned GLORY middleweight champion Alex “Po Atan” Pereira (26-6, 16 KO) making his first title defense against 25-year-old Dutch-Tunisian Yousri Belgaroui (23-3, 11 KO). Also on the bill, former welterweight champion Nieky “The Natural” Holzken (90-13, 46 KO) faces 23-year-old Russian up-and-comer Alim “Professor” Nabiyev (47-6, 21 KO), Holland’s Eyevan “Mister Cool” Danenburg (25-6, 13 KO) locks horns with Road to GLORY UK winner Jamie Bates (24-6, 3 KO) and Englishman Bailey “Bad Boy” Sugden (9-1, 2 KO) takes on China’s Chenglong Zhang (41-5, 11 KO) in a clash of 19-year-old featherweight prospects.

The two-hour UFC FIGHT NIGHT PRELIMS begin on Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. ET with four exciting bouts, as No. 10-ranked bantamweight Alexis Davis (18-7) and No. 11 Liz Carmouche (10-5) move to 125 pounds for a flyweight bout, bantamweight Luke Sanders (11-1) faces Andre Soukhamtath (11-5), Carls John de Tomas (8-1) and “Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series” contract winner Alex Perez (18-4) square off in a flyweight battle, while Frankie Saenz (11-5) and Merab Dvalishvili (7-1) open the telecast with another bantamweight bout.

Ahead of the live PRELIMS, Fight Network will live broadcast the UFC FIGHT NIGHT PREFIGHT SHOW at 7:00 p.m. ET, featuring coverage from the industry’s premier mixed martial arts analysts, as Megan Olivi makes her hosting debut on the FOX Sports desk with analysts Rashad Evans and Kenny Florian, while Laura Sanko adds reports and interviews fighters on-site. At the conclusion of Saturday’s live main card on TSN5, the live UFC FIGHT NIGHT POSTFIGHT SHOW airs at approximately 1:00 a.m. ET, recapping all the exciting action.

This weekend’s live slate of combat sports airs exclusively on Fight Network across Canada.

For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit www.fightnetwork.com, follow us on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.

For More Information Contact:

Fight Network
Ariel Shnerer
Director, Programming & Communications
ashnerer@anthemse.com
Bellator, boxing, mixed martial arts, MMA, Rich Bergeron, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, UFC

We’re Back! FNU Combat Sports Show Returns!

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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.

 

mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

IT WILL BE VICTORY OR VALHALLA (AND MAYBE A NEW TATTOO) AT NEF 32

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Lewiston, Maine (December 5, 2017) – No, you have not been transported back to the 9th century.  There will be no longboats, no battleaxes, and no shield maidens present on February 3rd in Lewiston.  Yet, the Androscoggin River is very likely to run red with blood that evening.  A Viking and a Berserker will wage war in Central Maine when New England Fights (NEF) returns to Lewiston with the fight promotion’s next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 32: Super Saturday.”  Wrestling and jiu-jitsu, rather than swords and Thor’s hammer, will be the weapons of choice as Jesse “The Viking” Erickson (8-7) faces Mike “The Mustache” Hansen (5-8) of Berserkers MMA in a featured professional welterweight bout.

The fight will be Erickson’s twentieth in the NEF cage, a record number for any one fighter in the promotion, but it will be a year since his last NEF appearance.  He lost to Jon Lemke (7-8) in the semi-finals of the NEF Lightweight Title tournament last February at the Colisee.  Erickson, an instructor with Central Maine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (CMBJJ), and a homegrown talent of Lewiston-Auburn, will be looking for a triumphant return after a recent loss in Canada.

“It will be a year since I’ve fought in Lewiston,” said Erickson. “The NEF cage is like home to me. I’m really looking forward to hearing my friends, family, and CMBJJ team as I enter the cage. But once the door shuts, all I hear is my corner and all I’m focused on is dismantling the man across from me. Odin’s Son is here to slay the great wolf. This is Ragnarok. Victory or Valhalla.”

Like his opponent, Mike Hansen is also in search of a much-needed win.  Hansen lost all four of his fights in 2017, including back-to-back defeats this fall in Western Massachusetts.  His last win came at “NEF 25” in 2016 when Hansen, a former state champion wrestler for Mountain Valley High School in Rumford, Maine, scored an impressive first-round submission of Matt Andrikut (2-1), defending the honor of Maine wrestling against the New York mat native.

“I’m super excited for this fight,” exclaimed Hansen of the upcoming meeting with Erickson. “It’s a great matchup for Maine MMA. Our schools are close to each other and we have competed against each other many times. It’s finally time for the coaches to get down and boogie. My pick for this fight is the fans for sure. Fans will not be upset.”

Hansen challenged Erickson to add a stipulation to the bout when they announced the fight publicly at “NEF 31” in Portland last month.  Hansen would like the loser to receive a tattoo with the design chosen by the winner.

“I have nothing but respect for Jesse Erickson, but so still want our sponsor C+C O’Leary Tattoo in Lewiston to do his tattoo I pick for him when he loses. I will, ‘finish him,’ and ‘if he dies, he dies.‘ Time to start making your sacrifices Jesse, you will need the gods in your favor on February 3rd, because when war time comes the blood will flow.”

NEF’s next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 32: Super Saturday,” will see the company make its return to the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine.  The event is scheduled to take place on Saturday, February 3, 2018.  Tickets are on-sale now online at www.TheColisee.com.

FITETV, mixed martial arts, MMA

PRIMUS Fighting Championship on FITE

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New York, NY (December 5th, 2017) – FITE TV announces the debut of PRIMUS Fighting Championship December 9th 2017. The event, which will be the inaugural event for PRIMUS FC, features a number of UFC veterans as well as some of the hottest young talent in MMA. The event streams live and globally on PPV for $16.99 on the FITE app and online at https://www.fite.tv/watch/primus-fc-rakim-cleveland-vs-houston-alexander/2m2kg/
Headlining the event will be UFC veteran Houston “The Assassin” Alexander as he looks for vengeance against Rakim “The Boogeyman” Cleveland who handed Alexander a TKO loss early this year. The light heavyweight matchup is sure to produce fireworks both fighters have high TKO/KO finishing rates. Midwest fighting pride will also be on the line as both fighters hail from and have made their careers on the Midwest MMA scene.
In the co-main event one of the hottest heavyweight prospects in MMA and recent winner of Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender series, Shelton “The Gravedigger” Graves, faces off against Jason Walraven who will be hungry and looking to prove himself after a TKO loss to one of the toughest heavyweights in MMA, Tony “Kyrptonite” Lopez earlier this year.
A pair of former Ultimate Fighter contestants are also featured on the card in Rob “The Saint” Emerson and Jamie Yager. Emerson, a contestant of The Ultimate Fighter season five, faces David “The King” Sachs in a battle of experienced grapplers who are no strangers to submissions. Yager, a standout in The Ultimate Fighter season 11 and Kings MMA product, brings his explosive style of striking and a two fight winning streak into the cage against the Canadian Tyler “TNT” Jackson who makes his way back to the cage after a three year break from the sport.
Also on the card is Oklahoma product Cortez “The Crazy Cowboy” Coleman who is now training out of Factory X under Muay Thai coah Mark Montoya in Denver Colorado and is looking to get back on track against the surging Christiano “Urso” Frohlich who rides a four fight win streak into a matchup that promises to be a standup battle.
Adding to the lineup of MMA talent will be former Ultimate Fighter season 2 winner and UFC lightweight title contender Joe “Daddy” Stevenson who will be providing commentary on the night’s action. Fans will also be treated to a National Anthem performance by Miss Oklahoma Alex Smith! Catch the action live December 9th at 7PM ET/4PM PT on FITE TV PPV.
About FITE
FITE brings premium combat sports programming to MMA, Boxing and Pro Wrestling fans to watch live on every screen – computer, tablet, phone and TV.The FITE mobile app works with any Wi-Fi connected TV around the world as well as streaming devices such as Chromecast, Roku, Xbox, Apple TV and more. The app can be downloaded for free at iTunes Appstore or Google Play. Last month, FITE launched its Android TV app expanding its content offering and making live television accessible with just a click to Android TV users globally.
FITE is a product of Flipps Media Inc, the digital entertainment company which allows users to cast video to connected TVs requiring no setup and no additional software.
For more information: www.fite.tv