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
Heavyweight: CHRIS “HUGGY BEAR” BARNETT VS. JUSTIN WILLIS

LIVE ON NBCSN AT 9 საათამდე. და
FROM MASHANTUCKET, CONN. პარასკევს, JUNE 17

LAS VEGAS (აპრილი 12, 2016) -WORLD სერია 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) ღონისძიება, ცხოვრობს NBCSN ზე 9 საათამდე. ET / 6 საათზე. საწყისი Foxwoods საკურორტო კაზინო Mashantucket, Conn. პარასკევი, ივნისი 17.

In a second heavyweight matchup, dynamic, ამომავალი ვარსკვლავი Chris "Huggy დათვი" 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) will collide with submission expert Thiago “Minu” Meller (20-7) წელს welterweight (170 ფუნტი) ურთიერთობა.

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

ძირითად ღონისძიება, reigning world heavyweight champion Blagoy ივანოვი (13-1) will risk his title against Josh “Cuddly Bear” Copeland (13-1) ხოლო, in the lightweight (155 ფუნტი) თანამშრომლობის ძირითადი ღონისძიება, superstars ჯეისონ "The Kansas City Bandit" მაღალი (19-5) და მაიკ "მარსის" 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, 5-foot-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 მისი 14 კარიერა გამარჯვება გზით (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-year-old Willis, a training partner of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) greats Cain Velasquez და 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 რიზვან Kuniev ტოკიოში.

ლუის 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 two, all-out wars with reigning, დაუმარცხებელი World Series of ბრძოლა მსუბუქი ჩემპიონი Justin "Highlight" 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, ერთი ღამის, eight-man tournament in which he scored a devastating, პირველი რაუნდი (4:55) WHO (punches) on Rich Patishnock in the event’s quarterfinal stage, before being stopped in the semifinal stage of battle via second round (4:19) WHO (punches) at the hands საქართველოს 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 რობი "პრობლემები" Peralta by way of TKO (punches) მეორე ტურში (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) წარდგენის (უკანა შიშველი choke) in a title bid against reigning bantamweight (135 ფუნტი) ჩემპიონი 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 და Cathal Pendred, the 5-foot-7, 33-year-old Howard of Boston, Mass. will aim to rebound from a second round (:21) KO (punches) ზარალის Tim Means დეკემბერი 10.

თარიღი, Howard has notched 15 მისი 23 კარიერა გამარჯვება გზით (T)KO ან წარდგინების. During his initial run with the UFC between January 2009 and June 2011, Howard scored a memorable, მესამე რაუნდი (4:55) KO (punches) on submission ace დენის "Superman" Hallman დეკემბერი 5, 2009, marking his third consecutive conquest in the league.

Meller of Porto Alegre, რიო გრანდე დო სული, Brazil will look to collect his second win in a row, following his first round submission (უკანა შიშველი choke) საქართველოს Leonardo Rodriguez ივნისს 26, 2015.

The 5-foot-10, 33-year-old Meller, a near 13-year veteran of the sport, has emerged victorious in 14 მისი 20 career wins, გზით წარდგენის.

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

Priced დან $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, at 5 საათამდე. და, და პირველი წინასწარი განყოფილებიდან bout საათზე დაიწყება 6 საათამდე.