WSOF31: IVANOV VS. COPELAND
MAIN CARD COMPLETE WITH ADDITION

OF THREE NEW, STAR-STUDDED MATCHUPS

WELTERWEIGHT: JOHN HOWARD VS. THIAGO MELLER
FEATHERWEIGHT: LUIS PALOMINO VS. SHEYMON MORAES
PESAT: CHRIS “HUGGY BEAR” BARNETT VS. JUSTIN WILLIS

LIVE ON NBCSN AT 9 P.m. I
FROM MASHANTUCKET, CONN. EL DIVENDRES, Juny 17

LAS VEGAS (Abril 12, 2016) -World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) today announced the addition of three star-studded matchups to complete the main card for its WSOF31: Ivanov vs. Copeland world heavyweight championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) esdeveniment, viure en NBCSN en 9 p.m. ET / 6 pm. des del Foxwoods Resort Casino en Mashantucket, Conn. el divendres, Juny 17.

In a second heavyweight matchup, dynamic, l'estrella en ascens Chris "Huggy Bear" Barnett (14-2) will make his World Series of Fighting debut against Team AKA prodigy Justin Willis (4-1).

Also stepping in the decagon cage for the first time, battle-tested warrior John “Doomsday” Howard (23-12) xocarà amb l'expert en la presentació Thiago “Minu” Meller (20-7) en un pes welter (170 lliura) assumpte.

In a featherweight (145 lliura) scrap between two prolific strikers, Luis "Mandril" Palomino (24-12) will face off with former world championship challenger Sheymon Moraes (8-1).

En l'esdeveniment principal, reigning world heavyweight champion Blagoy Ivanov (13-1) will risk his title against Josh “Cuddly Bear” Copeland (13-1) mentre, in the lightweight (155 lliura) co-esdeveniment principal, Super estrelles Jason "The Kansas City Bandit" High (19-5) i Mike "The Martian" Ricci (11-4) will square off with their division’s number one contender ranking at stake.

Chris Barnett vs. Justin Willis

After spending the last year and a half making waves in Japan, la 5-peus-9, 29-year-old Barnett of Tampa, Fla. will suit up as “Huggy Bear,” and make his way onto a major stage in the U.S. for the first time in his career.

With heavy hands and tremendous agility for a fighter of his massive stature, Barnett has notched 12 de la seva 14 victòries en la seva carrera per mitjà de (T)KO, and has celebrated his wins in flamboyant fashion, with everything from cartwheels to breakdancing to hand stands.

Like Barnett, the stocky, 6-foot-3, 28-sír-old Willis, a training partner of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) greats Cain Velasquez i Daniel Cormier, has been enjoying success in Japan under the promotion of Inoki Genome Federation (IFG).

Willis will make his first start of 2016, and look to extend his win streak to four consecutive bouts. In his last effort on August 29, he earned a unanimous decision over Rizvan Kuniev a Tòquio.

Luis Palomino vs. Sheymon Moraes

The 5-foot-8, 35-year-old Palomino of Miami, Fla. via Lima, Peru is coming off an epic year in which he engaged in twla, all-out wars with reigning, invicte Sèrie Mundial de Lluita contra el campió de pes lleuger Justin "El més destacat" Gaethje, both of which earned "Fight of the Month” honors.

After closing out 2015 with a gutsy appearance in World Series of Fighting’s first-ever, una nit, eight-man tournament in which he scored a devastating, primera ronda (4:55) QUI (cops) a Rich Patishnock in the event’s quarterfinal stage, before being stopped in the semifinal stage of battle via second round (4:19) QUI (cops) at the hands de eventual tournament winner Brian Foster,, Palomino will return to the featherweight division where he has held two world titles.

The 5-foot-8, 25-year-old Moraes of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil returned to form in his last bout, decimating fellow knockout artist Robbie "Problemes" Peralta by way of TKO (cops) en la segona ronda (3:21) of their matchup at WSOF26.

A seasoned Muay Thai stylist, Moraes ran to seven straight victories in his first seven starts as a professional MMA competitor before being handed his first career defeat by way of third round (3:46) submissió (estrangulament per l'esquena) in a title bid against reigning bantamweight (135 lliura) campió Marlon Moraes.

John Howard vs. Thiago Meller

Following his second stint with the UFC that spanned seven bouts and included victories over Uriah Hall, Siyar Bahadurzada i Cathal Pendred, la 5-foot-7, 33-year-old Howard of Boston, Missa. will aim to rebound from a second round (:21) KO (cops) la pèrdua de Tim Means de desembre 10.

Fins a la data, Howard has notched 15 de la seva 23 victòries en la seva carrera per mitjà de (T)KO o submissió. During his initial run with the UFC between January 2009 and June 2011, Howard scored a memorable, tercera ronda (4:55) KO (cops) on submission ace Dennis "Superman" Hallman de desembre 5, 2009, marking his third consecutive conquest in the league.

Meller of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil will look to collect his second win in a row, following his first round submission (estrangulament per l'esquena) de Leonardo Rodriguez de juny 26, 2015.

The 5-foot-10, 33-year-old Meller, a near 13-year veteran of the sport, has emerged victorious in 14 de la seva 20 career wins, a manera de presentació.

The preliminary bout card lineup for WSOF31: Ivanov vs. Copeland will be announced soon.

Preus des de $39.99, tickets for the event are on sale at WSOF.com and Foxwoods.com.

Doors at The Grand Theatre at Foxwoods Resort Casino will open for WSOF31: Ivanov vs. Copeland, a 5 p.m. I, i la primera baralla de la cartellera preliminar començarà a les 6 p.m.