Tag Archives: UFC

Anderson Silva, Jon Jones, Eddie Alvarez, MMA Bouts and Three Other Combat Tournaments Headline MMA World Expo, Saturday, Dec. 12 in New York City

MMA superstars to meet and greet guests at annual extravaganza, also hosting bouts in Muay Thai, catch wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,
as well as vendors and seminars

NEW YORK, December 9 — The sixth annual MMA World Expo, the East Coast’s premiere Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) gathering presented by City World Ford, will return to New York’s Jacob Javits Center, North Pavilion, on Saturday, December 12. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) superstars Jon “Bones” Jones, Anderson “The Spider” Silva and Eddie Alvarez will be on hand for the event, which promises to be larger than ever, with four, live combat sports tournaments, including amateur MMA bouts in the cage, seminars and vendors.

Also on hand at the Expo will be World Series of Fighting two-division world champion David Branch, as well as World Series of Fighting executives Carlos Silva (CEO) and Ray Sefo (President), who will take part in a question and answer session with the media and fans, and reveal news about the league’s plans for 2016.

Branch, the reigning World Series of Fighting middleweight (185 pounds) and light heavyweight (205 pounds) champion, will host a special, one-hour seminar for Expo patrons.

“The MMA World Expo is a phenomenal opportunity to service a population of highly passionate MMA fans who do not yet have the opportunity to spectate professional bouts in the state of New York,” said Paul Paone, founder and director of the MMA World Expo.

“This year’s event will feature an unprecedented number of combat sports tournaments to satisfy any fight fan, including amateur MMA, catch wrestling, Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.”

The one-day, “Super Saturday” event will take place from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. ET, and will be capped off by live amateur MMA bouts in the cage, presented by the New York Fight Exchange. The fight card will begin at 6 p.m.

In addition to the MMA fights, there will be live competition in four combat disciplines that are a core part of MMA. Beginning at 10 a.m., submission-only grappling tournaments, both gi and no-gi, hosted by The Good Fight, will take place.

Beginning at 4 p.m., the North American Catch Wrestling Association will host catch wrestling matches, including a match between reigning, two-time East Coast King of Catch Wrestling, Thomas Velasquez, and rival, West Coast King of Catch Wrestling, Travis Newaza, for the 2015 North American Heavyweight King of Catch championship.

Throughout the event, “Training-with-the-Masters” seminars will be available to attendees. Instructors include Ajarn Phil Nurse (Muay Thai), UFC Hall of FamerDan “The Beast” Severn, Silva, Alvarez and Newaza.

The MMA World Expo will continue to play its role in the fight for professional MMA legalization by conducting its sixth annual legalization panel discussion, distributing petitions, and putting on display all of the athletes, coaches, fans and vendors who contribute to the sport. The two-hour legalization seminar will be hosted by combat sports journalist Jim Genia, and special guests will include Severn and other notable MMA figures.

For more information about the event visit http://www.mmaworldexpo.com, “like” us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @mmaworldexpo, or call 212-956-4720.

About MMA World Expo:

The MMA World Expo was begun in 2009 and has held all events in the Jacob Javits Center in New York.

Past MMA World Expo signers have included Matt Hughes, Frankie Edgar, Randy Couture, Jon Jones, Carlos Condit, Fabricio Werdum, Matt Serra, Jim and Dan Miller, Jamie Varner, Nate Diaz, Wanderlei Silva, among others.

Training-with-the-Masters series instructors have included: Dan Severn, Renzo Gracie, Marcelo Garcia, Phil Nurse, Howard Davis Jr., Coban Lookchaomaesaitong, Lee Kemp, Jimmy Pedro among others.

Past vendors have included Toyota, Xyience, Headrush, Muscle Pharm, Combat Sports, Everlast, Vitamin Shoppe, Zebra Mats, Met-Rx, Monster Rings and Cages, US Marines, Dymatize, World Series of Fighting, Spartan Race, M-I Entertainment, among others.

Fight Network Presents UFC Fight Night Seoul Main Card & Pre-Show LIVE

TORONTO (November 26, 2015) — Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents extensive coverage of UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Masvidal this Saturday, November 28 from Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul, South Korea.
Fight Network will air the live UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Masvidal main card exclusively in Canada at 8 a.m. ET. Encores will air in primetime at 9 p.m. ET and 10 p.m. PT for viewers on the West Coast.
In the main event, former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson (22-5) seeks his second straight win at 170 pounds opposite battle-tested veteran Jorge Masvidal (29-9). Local welterweight superstar Dong Hyun Kim (20-3-1, 1NC) competes in the co-feature against late replacement Dominic Waters (9-3). Rounding out the main card, Yoshihiro Akiyama (14-5, 2NC) returns to South Korea for the first time since 2007 for a welterweight matchup with undefeated grappling ace Alberto Mina (11-0), while explosive South Korean knockout artist Doo Ho Choi (12-1) looks to build on an impressive promotional debut last November when he faces off with fellow featherweight Sam Sicilia (15-5), who carries a two-fight winning streak into the bout.
On Thursday, Nov. 26 at 7 p.m. ET, Fight Network premieres a one-hour UFC® Fight Night Seoul Pre-Show, which features previews, predictions and analysis for the event, and also serves as a lead-in to the live prelims.
In addition to all the live events, Fight Network is the destination for UFC library content, specials and series, including UFC Unleashed, UFC Now, UFC Ultimate Insider and classic UFC PPV events.
This Sunday, Nov. 29 at 9 p.m. ET, catch a full encore presentation of UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez from October 2010 in Anaheim, Calif., headlined by a showdown between champion Brock Lesnar and challenger Cain Velasquez for the UFC heavyweight championship, plus Jake Shields makes his UFC debut against Martin Kampmann, The Ultimate Fighter 1 winner Diego Sanchez collides with Paulo Thiago, pioneer Tito Ortiz clashes with former pupil Matt Hamill,and Brendan Schaub battles Gabriel Gonzaga in heavyweight action.
The full card for UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Masvidal includes:
Main Card (Live on Fight Network, 8 a.m. ET):
-Benson Henderson (22-5) vs. Jorge Masvidal (29-9)
-Dong Hyun Kim (20-3-1, 1NC) vs. Dominic Waters (9-3)
-Yoshihiro Akiyama (14-5, 2NC) vs. Alberto Mina (11-0)
-Doo Ho Choi (12-1) vs. Sam Sicilia (15-5)
Preliminary Card (Live on UFC Fight Pass, 5 a.m. ET):
-Dongi Yang (12-3) vs. Jake Collier (9-2)
-Yui Chul Nam (18-5-1) vs. Mike De La Torre (13-5, 1NC)
-Tae Hyun Bang (17-9) vs. Leo Kuntz (17-2-1)
-Seohee Ham (15-6) vs. Cortney Casey (4-2)
-Yao Zhikui (2-3) vs. Fredy Serrano (2-0)
-Ning Guangyou (6-2-1) vs. Marco Beltran (6-4)
-Dominique Steele (13-6) vs. Dong Hyun Kim (13-6)
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.

UFC STAR TO BE GUEST OF HONOR AT NEF XX; MEET-AND-GREET ANNOUNCED

Lewiston, Maine (November 18, 2015) – New England Fights (NEF), America’s number-one regional fight promotion, will hold its next event, “NEF XX: A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE” this Saturday, November 21, 2015 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine.  The event will feature a first for Maine – mixed-martial-arts (MMA) bouts and professional boxing bouts on the same event with an MMA cage and a boxing ring set up side-by-side.  The fight promotion announced earlier today that Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight Tim “The Barbarian” Boetsch (18-9) would be the guest of honor at the event.  It was further announced that Boetsch will be available to meet fans in attendance and sign autographs from 6:00 to 7:00 pmprior to the first fight.

 

Boetsch is a native of Lincolnville, Maine.  He is a lifelong wrestler, having won four state championships while attending Camden Hills Regional High School.  Boetsch was inducted into the Maine Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2012.  After high school, Boetsch would go on to compete for Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania where he graduated with a degree in criminal justice.

 

He is currently in his second stint with the UFC.  Boetsch holds victories over many of the sport’s biggest names like Kendall Grove (22-15), Brad Tavares (13-4) and Yushin Okami (30-10) just to name a few.  Most recently, he headlined “UFC Fight Night 68” in New Orleans, Louisiana against Dan Henderson (31-14).  Boetsch is scheduled to face Ed Herman (23-11) at “UFC Fight Night 81” onJanuary 17, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts.  He is currently training with fellow UFC veteran Marcus “The Irish Hand Grenade” Davis at Davis’ Team Irish facility in Brewer, Maine in preparation for the upcoming bout.

 

“Very excited to be supporting Maine MMA,” exclaimed Boetsch of his upcoming appearance at NEF XX.  “Looking forward to watching a full card of great fights and meeting all the fans that come out to see an exciting show!”

 

“I’ve been watching Tim compete as a wrestler and mixed martial artist for almost 20 years,” stated NEF co-owner and matchmaker Matt Peterson. “I watched him cement his legacy in Maine amateur wrestling by winning four high school state championships and cheered him on as he fought his way to becoming one of the baddest men on the planet in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Tim, along with Marcus Davis, Mike Brown and Tim Sylvia, makes up the Mount Rushmore of Maine MMA and it will be an honor to have him and Marcus both in attendance at the 20th installment of New England Fights on November 21st.”

 

New England Fights’ next event, “NEF XX: A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE,” takes place this Saturday, November 21, 2015 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine.  The event will mark the first time in Maine history a mixed-martial-arts (MMA) event and a professional boxing event have taken place together on the same show.  Tickets for “NEF XX” start at just $25 and are on sale now at www.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisée box office at207.783.2009 x 525.  For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com.  In addition, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”

 

About New England Fights

 

New England Fights (“NEF”) is a fight events promotions company. NEF’s mission is to create the highest quality events for Maine’s fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.

CHAEL SONNEN JOINS WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING AS COLOR COMMENTATOR FOR LIVE NBCSN TELECASTS

Decorated MMA superstar to call the world championship action
at WSOF 23: “Gaethje vs. Palomino II” in Phoenix, Ariz. on Friday, Sept. 18

LAS VEGAS (September 1, 2015) –Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) superstar Chael Sonnen has signed on with World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) as a color commentator for multiple events, and will call his first action with veteran play-by-play announcer Todd Harris, at the highly-anticipated “WSOF 23: Gaethje vs. Palomino II” world championship doubleheader mega-event, live on NBCSN from Phoenix, Ariz. on Friday, Sept. 18 at 10 p.m. ET.

“I am stoked to join the powerhouse team at World Series of Fighting, and call their fights that feature some of the best mixed martial artists on the planet,” said Sonnen “World Series of Fighting has done an outstanding job of building their organization into a top-tier franchise in a very short span of time, and I am just proud to be a part of such a fast-growing company.

“We are thrilled to have Chael Sonnen, one of the most colorful individuals in professional sports, join our production,” said World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo.  “We are confident Chael will enhance the fan viewing experience both for our growing national audience on NBCSN and across the globe by providing the insights he learned competing at the highest level of the sport.”

The 38-year-old Sonnen is a former three-time UFC world championship challenger, NCAA Division I All-American wrestler and two-time PAC-10 runner-up for the University of Oregon and 2000 Greco-Roman World University championships silver medalist.

As an analyst, Sonnen has covered the sport of MMA for ESPN and FOX Sports 1.

The live NBCSN telecast of “WSOF 23: Gaethje vs. Palomino II” begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Friday, Sept. 18 from Comerica Theatre.  In the main event, undefeated reigning World Series of Fighting Lightweight (155 pounds) Champion Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje (14-0) will put his coveted title on the line for the second time against hard-hitting challenger Luis “Baboon” Palomino (23-10), six months after the two engaged in an all-out slugfest that is widely regarded as a “Fight of the Year” candidate.

In the co-main event, David Branch (16-3) will attempt to become the promotion’s first two-division champion and first World Series of Fighting light heavyweight (205 pounds) champion in history when he squares off with determined, hard-hitting KO artist Teddy Holder (9-1) in the championship round of the four-man, multi-event tournament that kicked off at Comerica Theatre on March 28.

About World Series of Fighting (WSOF)
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF.com) 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.

COMBATE AMERICAS AND NBC UNIVERSO KICK OFF ALL-NEW MMA FIGHT SERIES  “ROAD TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP” LIVE ON THUR., SEPT. 17  FROM LAS VEGAS

NBC UNIVERSO to Feature Combate Americas’
Most Bad-Ass Latino MMA Fighters

Main Event: Ramiro “Junior” Hernandez vs. Max Ceniceros 
Also in action: Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc, Ozzie Alvarez,
John “Sexy Mexy” Castaneda and
reality TV stars Ricky Palacios and JC Llamas

NEW YORK – August 26, 2015 – Combate Americas, the first-ever U.S. Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise founded by Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) co-creator Campbell McLaren, and NBC UNIVERSO, the modern sports and entertainment cable channel for Latinos, today announced the kick-off of “Road To The Championship,” an all-new, multi-year MMA fight series that will air live on NBC UNIVERSO. The first live event in the Combate Americas series will air on Thursday, September 17 at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT. from The D in Las Vegas, Nev., just in time for the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Combate Americas is the groundbreaking, live MMA fight series created specifically for U.S. Hispanics who are passionate about the artistry and action of the sport. Fans can tune into NBC UNIVERSO to watch these modern day gladiators enter the cage to compete for a chance at glory.

The Combate Americas live fight series schedule on NBC UNIVERSO includes:

  • Thurs., Sept. 17, 2015 at 11p ET / 8p PT
  • Thurs., Nov. 19, 2015 at 11p ET / 8p PT
  • In 2016, four additional dates TBD

“We are excited to expand our relationship with NBC UNIVERSO, and look forward to delivering action-packed fight cards featuring some of the best Latino fighters on the planet,” said McLaren, who created Combate Americas two years ago to serve the fastest-growing U.S. demographic – Hispanic millennials.

“NBC UNIVERSO’s partnership with Combate Americas’delivers on our promise to provide our Latino viewers rousing and edgy entertainment and the biggest events,” said Rubén Mendiola, President, NBC UNIVERSO.

The Combate Americas fight series comes one-year after Combate Americas – the competition reality series, made history by becoming the first fight-themed program ever to win a major television award – “Best Variety or Reality Series,” at last year’s 29th Annual Imagen Awards. The Combate Americas reality show aired on NBC UNIVERSO (formerly mun2) and was a fan favorite among U.S. Hispanic viewers.

In the main event of the live NBC Universo telecast of the Combate Americas kick-off event on Thur., Sept. 17, two-time UFC veteran and Miletich Fighting Systems prodigy Ramiro “Junior” Hernandez (17-7) of Muscatine, Iowa will square-off with hard-hitting KO artist Max Ceniceros (7-2) of La Mirada, Calif. in a featherweight (145 lbs.) main event showdown. Ceniceros is seeking his seventh consecutive victory, after finishing four of his last six opponents by way of (T)KO or submission.

Also on the fight card that night will be Combate Americas reality series stars J.C. Llamas (5-5) and Ricky “El Gallero” Palacios (3-1), who will make their respective second starts in the Combate Americas cage.

The runner-up in the reality series competition, Llamas of Bakersfield, Calif., will square-off against aggressive-minded finisher Ozzie “The Outlaw” Alvarez (6-2) of Brea, Calif. in a welterweight (170 pounds) contest. Palacios of Mission, TX will face Benji “The Brawler” Gomez (4-4) of Ventura, Calif. in a bantamweight (135 pounds) matchup.

In a featured women’s strawweight (115 pounds) bout, Invicta FC veteran Nicdali “The Night Queen” Rivera-Calanoc (8-8) of Tulsa, Okla. will collide with power puncher Katy “Red Dragon” Collins (2-1) of Branson, Mo.

Additional fights, including a complete preliminary bout card will be announced soon.
# # #

ABOUT COMBATE AMERICAS
Combate Americas, LLC. is the first U.S. Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise in history, designed to build Latino fighting champions and serve Hispanic fans, one of the world’s most avid groups of prize fighting enthusiasts.  The Combate Americas franchise includes reality TV programming, live events and mobile programming.  The company’s CEO, Campbell McLaren, is universally recognized as the co-founder/co-creator of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).  New York Magazine described McLaren as “the marketing genius behind the UFC” and Yahoo! Sports proclaimed that he “knows more about the sport than just about anyone in it today.”  With an unprecedented product and a blue-chip ownership and management team, Combate Americas is poised to break new ground and bring about a new era in world championship level MMA competition.

About NBC UNIVERSO:
NBC UNIVERSO (www.nbcuniverso.com) is a modern sports and entertainment cable channel for Latinos, bringing the world’s top sports franchises and edgy programming to more than 40 million households in the U.S. As one of the most widely available modern cable channels for U.S. Latinos, NBC UNIVERSO delivers a thrilling mix of exclusive sports action – including FIFA World Cup™, Liga MX, Premier League, NASCAR Mexico Series, NFL and The 2016 Rio Olympics – along with signature series, blockbuster movies, music, must-see live events and strategic acquisitions, on TV, online and mobile devices. NBC UNIVERSO is part of Hispanic Enterprises and Content, a division of NBCUniversal (www.nbcuniversal.com), one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation (www.comcastcorporation.com). To find the NBC UNIVERSO channel number in your area, please visit www.nbcuniverso.com/encuentralo.

UFC® SET TO SPONSOR 2015 WORLD WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Colorado Springs – USA Wrestling today announced UFC® as an official sponsor of the 2015 World Wrestling Championships, which will be held from Monday, September 7 through Saturday, September 12 at the Orleans Arena, adjacent to The Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

 

Governed by United World Wrestling, this will mark the first time since 2003 that the World Wrestling Championships, the world’s largest global elite wrestling competition and first qualifier of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, will be showcased in the United States.

 

We’ve already enjoyed a growing partnership with UFC and this is a natural extension,” said USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender. “We’ve had numerous athletes that have gone on from our National and Olympic teams to great success in UFC, including trailblazing athletes like two-time Olympians Dan Henderson and Daniel Cormier and Olympic champion Henry Cejudo. With UFC located in Las Vegas, it made a lot of sense for both organizations to partner on this historic event.”

 

We are thrilled to sponsor the 2015 World Wrestling Championships and welcome wrestling competitors and enthusiasts from 100 countries to Las Vegas,” UFC Vice President of Federation Relationships and Corporate Social Responsibility Lou Lauria said. “Wrestling is a key member of the combat sports community and UFC will continue to support the development of men’s and women’s amateur sports globally.”

 

More than 800 athletes are expected to compete in the six-day competition over three Olympic disciplines, Greco-Roman, women’s freestyle and men’s freestyle. There are 24 sets of medals contested at the World Championships, eight in men’s freestyle, Greco-Roman and women’s wrestling.

 

Eighteen Olympic weight classes are recognized, with the top six from each class qualifying to represent their nation and compete in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The 12 session competition will determine who will capture the 108 Olympic berths that are up for grabs.

 

This will be the sixth time the United States has hosted a Senior World Wrestling Championships and first in Las Vegas. The previous sites were Toledo, Ohio (1962, 1966), San Diego, California (1979), Atlanta, Georgia (1995) and New York, New York (2003).

 

Wrestling has been a featured sport in the Olympic Games, going back to the Ancient Olympics in Greece and starting with the first modern Olympic Games in Athens, Greece in 1896.

 

For more information please visit VegasWorlds2015.com and follow on Twitter @VegasWorlds2015.

About USA WRESTLING

USA Wrestling is the National Governing Body for the sport of wrestling in the United States and, as such, is its representative to the United States Olympic Committee and in United World Wrestling, the international wrestling federation. The organization consists of over 200,000 members participating in all levels, from youth through the Olympic Games. Simply, USA Wrestling is the central organization that coordinates amateur wrestling programs in the nation and works to create interest and participation in these programs. Its president is James Ravannack and its Executive Director is Rich Bender.

 

About UFC®

UFC® is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in 158 countries and territories to over 1 billion TV households worldwide in 21 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service that is available throughout the world with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT® (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTSUFC Fight Club®UFC Fan Expo®UFC branded apparel, DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

 

USA Wrestling And UFC® Renew Partnership

 

 

Colorado Springs – USA Wrestling, the national governing body for wrestling in the United States, and UFC® have jointly announced that they have renewed their partnership to promote interest in wrestling and mixed martial arts (MMA), while working together on a variety of projects to support each organization’s activities.

“USA Wrestling is pleased to renew its partnership with UFC, coming off a successful first year working together. Our sports are closely entwined, and there are many ways we can help support each other. We look forward to finding creative and effective ways to add even more value to this strong relationship,” said Rich Bender, USA Wrestling Executive Director.

“We are extremely excited to renew our partnership with USA Wrestling and continue to build on the success we’ve experienced over the last year,” UFC Vice President of Federation Relationships and Corporate Social Responsibility Lou Lauria said. UFC has a long and rich history supporting the development of amateur athletes and our relationship with USAWrestling dates back to the very beginning of UFC.”

This is the second straight year the organizations have agreed to work together and to find new ways to build and expand their cooperative efforts.

Wrestling and MMA share a close connection which positively impacts both sports. Wrestling is a core skill set needed for success in MMA and is considered a foundational discipline within the sport. Numerous wrestlers have gone on to achieve major success in MMA, offering an additional opportunity for their athletic and professional careers after their wrestling days are completed.

Numerous athletes who have competed with USA Wrestling have gone on to become successful UFC athletes, including: Olympic champion Henry Cejudo, Olympic silver medalists Sara McMann and Matt Lindland, two-time Olympian Dan Henderson, two-time Olympian and six-time U.S. Open national champion Daniel Cormier, two-time NCAA champion Johny Hendricks, NCAA All-Americans Chris Weidman and Cain Velasquez, women’s college All-American Carla Esparza and many others.

Working together, USA Wrestling and UFC will continue to support and promote the development of wrestling. By leveraging UFC’s industry leading expertise and resources, USA Wrestling and its activities will be featured across several areas such as UFC’s broadcasts, social and digital media.

USA Wrestling will provide its 250,000 member community with exclusive opportunities to experience UFC through a range of platforms including: UFC events, UFC Fight Club®, UFC GYM® locations, UFC FIGHT PASS®, UFC Rewards and International Fight Week. USA Wrestling will also use its many media platforms to share information and opportunities about UFC to its members.

USA Wrestling is one of a select few national governing bodies within the Olympic community to be an official partner with UFC.

Fight Network Presents Live UFC Fight Night Nashville Pre-Show & Prelims

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
 

 

TORONTO (Aug. 7, 2015) — Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, will air extensive live programming for UFC Fight Night: Teixeira vs. Saint Preux this Saturday, August 8 from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.

 

Fight Network will air the live prelims exclusively in Canada from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET. The main card will be televised on TSN2.

 

In the featured prelim, The Ultimate Fighter season 17 finalist Uriah Hall (11-5) collides with unbeaten newcomer Oluwale Bamgbose (5-0) in middleweight action. Other prelims include a middleweight clash between Chris Camozzi (21-10) and England’s Tom “Kong” Watson (17-8), a flyweight tilt pitting Dustin Ortiz (14-4) against Willie Gates (12-5), plus a bantamweight bout between Frankie Saenz (10-2) and Swedish export Sirwan Kakai (13-2).

 

Live pre-fight coverage will lead into the prelims on Saturday with Fight Network’s UFC® Pre-Show Live at 7 p.m. ET, featuring previews, predictions and analysis.

 

But first, Fight Network will present a live broadcast of RFA 28: Sanchez vs. Poppie on Friday, August 7 at 10 p.m. ET, highlighted by the crowning of a new RFA middleweight champion when the promotion makes its first trip to St. Louis, headlined by RFA fan favorite Andrew Sanchez against Wisconsin native John Poppie.

 

In addition to all the live pre and post-fight coverage, Fight Network is the destination for UFC library content, specials and series, including UFC Unleashed, UFC Now, UFC Ultimate Insider and classic UFC PPV events. All airings are listed at tv.fightnetwork.com.

 

The full card for UFC Fight Night: Teixeira vs. Saint Preux includes:

 

Main Card (Live on TSN2, 10 p.m. ET):
-Glover Teixeira (22-4) vs. Ovince Saint Preux (18-6)
-Michael Johnson (17-8) vs. Beneil Dariush (11-1)
-Derek Brunson (13-3) vs. Sam Alvey (25-6, 1NC)
-Jared Rosholt (12-2) vs. Timothy Johnson (9-1)
-Sara McMann (8-2) vs. Amanda Nunes (10-4)
-Ray Borg (8-1) vs. Geane Herrera (8-0)

 

Preliminary Card (Live on Fight Network, 8 p.m. ET):
-Uriah Hall (11-5) vs. Oluwale Bamgbose (5-0)
-Chris Camozzi (21-10) vs. Tom Watson (17-8)
-Dustin Ortiz (14-4) vs. Willie Gates (12-5)
-Frankie Saenz (10-2) vs. Sirwan Kakai (13-2)

 

Preliminary Card (Live on UFC Fight Pass, 6:30 p.m. ET):
-Chris Dempsey (11-2) vs. Jonathan Wilson (6-0)
-Marlon Vera (6-2-1) vs. Roman Salazar (9-3, 1NC)
-Anthony Christodoulou (12-5) vs. Scott Holtzman (7-0)

 

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

Two-time world champion, female boxer Amanda Serrano blasts Ronda Rousey’s trainer, and makes challenge

Serrano with the WBO title
Two-time world champion, Amanda Serrano (24-1-1, 18 KO’s) from Puerto Rico, and her trainer/ manager, Jordan Maldonado consider it very disrespectful for the boxing community, the comments made by Edmond Tarverdyan, trainer of the UFC World Champion, Ronda Rousey in www.mmafighting.com.
“I know she can do it,” Tarverdyan told MMA Fighting, “I know she can win the boxing world title. Ronda spars with boxing world champions that punch way harder than Cyborg,”, Tarverdyan also added that, “Ronda has never lost a round in the gym. A round. With boxing world champions”.
“Definitely Rousey’s trainer does not have any knowledge about the sport of boxing. She is a very good fighter in the Octagon, and I really congratulate her for everything she has done. Her opponents cannot box and It’s easy to look great but when facing a high quality boxer with punching power as myself, believe me, things are gonna change. In a boxing ring, the canvas will be your comfort zone”.
About Rousey’s fight last Saturday, where she defeated Bethe Correia in 34 seconds, Serrano said, “As a boxing point of view, she looked like a rookie amateur fighter, throwing very wide punches with no cordination. I heard that Cyborg is not willing to come down to the lightweight division to fight Ronda, but I can go up to 135, and we can settle a boxing match so I can prove her trainer wrong. I once went up to the lightweight division, and traveled to Argentina for a world title fight. At the end, the results was that I became the first ever Puerto Rican female boxer to captured a world title in two weight classes”.
Serrano’s manager and trainer, Jordan Maldonado pointed out that “we do not challenge other fighting styles. We represent boxing and we want to get some respect. We are available for any sparring they may want or a boxing match, so we can show Edmond Tarverdyan how wrong he is about boxing”.
On August 15, 2014, Serrano traveled to Argentina to face WBO Lightweight World Champion Maria ‘Tily’ Maderna, who at that time, had three successful title defenses, but could not handle the aggressiveness of the Puerto Rican power puncher, who ended the fight in the sixth round by way of knockout.
With this victory, Serrano became the first Puerto Rican female boxer to win world titles in two divisions (130-135).
Serrano’s first title reign came in September 2011 when she knocked out Kimberly Connor in the first round to become the IBF World Champion at the super featherweight division.

UFC 190 Main Card Preview and Predictions

By: Rich Bergeron

 

Ronda Rousey (11-0) and Bethe Correia (9-0) will headline UFC 190 in a women’s bantamweight title bout that is guaranteed to deliver fireworks. These two rivals will fight in the challenger’s home country, but Rousey is a worldwide star who is on an epic roll so far in her MMA career. Correia is an underdog in her own country, but she’s also an undefeated striker who could give Rousey trouble if the armbar doesn’t come into play.

 

Correia made some insensitive remarks about Rousey committing suicide leading up to this fight. Suicide is a sore subject for the champ, who saw her father take his own life when she was younger. Rousey’s since promised to “punish” Bethe when they meet in the cage tonight.

 

Rousey is a perfectionist, plain and simple. Just when you think she can’t get any better, she surprises you and does just that. Correia is a tough-talking and confident fighter, but she is just nowhere near Rousey’s level. If she has any chance at all, it is in the first round. Rousey is not looking for a quick submission if we are to believe her admitted intentions of hurting Correia are genuine. Correia could use her reach and power-punching ability to rattle Rousey early and knock her out, but that means going to to toe with a champion who’s shown much-improved striking over the course of her last few fights.

 

Prediction: Look for Rousey to go back on her promise and finish this fight early, as her emotions will take over and stop her from thinking too much about drawing this one out. She will just wade in, throw down and walk out of the first round with another TKO to add to all her submission wins. She will smash Correia’s big nose wide open and judo toss the challenger to the mat where she’ll close the show with effective ground and pound.

 

The co-main event features Mauricio Rua (22-10) versus Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (21-6) in a rematch of a fight that happened under the PRIDE banner in January of 2005. Rua won the first fight by unanimous decision. This time, both fighters are long past their prime, and Rua enters the cage with just one win in his last four bouts. Nogueira also has a handicap since he’s coming in more than a year after his last fight, which was a one-sided TKO loss to Anthony Johnson that lasted just 44 seconds.

 

Prediction: Rua is not as heavy handed as Johnson, and Nogueira should get his revenge in this fight by knocking out Rua in the second or third round. Nogueira will have better head movement and defense in the rematch, and Rua just doesn’t have any recent wins against any big names. He’s in over his head in this fight, and “Minotouro” is going to send him into retirement.

 

Antonio Rodrgio Nogueira (34-9-1) also fights on the undercard against “The Skyscraper” Stefan Struve (25-7). This should be an exciting bout, and Mark Hunt showed that Struve is susceptible to haymakers. Can Nogueira exploit that weakness, or will Struve show he’s a legend killer this time out?

 

Prediction: Nogueira’s coming in with all the experience in this bout while Struve has the physicality. It’s said that the bigger they are, the harder they fall, but Struve is an exception. He should be able to take advantage of his youth and his long time away from the cage addressing injuries and health concerns. He will out-strike Nogueira and fight tall throughout the first two rounds, finally finishing Nogueira off with a vicious combo early in the third.

 

Other major highlights on this card include a women’s MMA showdown between Jessica Aguilar (19-4) and Claudia Gadelha (12-1) and a heavyweight clash between Soa “The Hulk” Palelei (20-4) and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva (18-7-1). Click Here (http://www.sherdog.com/events/UFC-190-Rousey-vs-Correia-42221) to check out the full UFC 190 card.