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 P.M. U
FROM MASHANTUCKET, CONN. Nhar il-Ġimgħa, Ġunju 17

LAS VEGAS (April 12, 2016) -World Serje ta '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) avveniment, jgħixu fuq NBCSN fil 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. minn Foxwoods Resort Casino fil Mashantucket, Conn. nhar il-Ġimgħa, Ġunju 17.

In a second heavyweight matchup, dynamic, star dejjem 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) will collide with submission expert Thiago “Minu” Meller (20-7) fil-welterweight (170 liri) affari.

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

Fil-avveniment prinċipali, reigning world heavyweight champion Blagoy Ivanov (13-1) will risk his title against Josh “Cuddly Bear” Copeland (13-1) filwaqt, in the lightweight (155 liri) ko-prinċipali avveniment, superstars Jason "Il-Belt Bandit Kansas" High (19-5) u Mike "Il 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, il-5-marda ta '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 ta 'dmirijietu 14 rebħiet karriera permezz ta ' (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-Senr-old Willis, a training partner of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) greats Cain Velasquez u 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 f'Tokjo.

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 twl-, all-out wars with reigning, undefeated World Series tal-ġlieda kontra champion ħfief Justin "Il-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, one-lejl, eight-man tournament in which he scored a devastating, ewwel rawnd (4:55) WHO (puntelli) fuq Rich Patishnock in the event’s quarterfinal stage, before being stopped in the semifinal stage of battle via second round (4:19) WHO (puntelli) at the hands ta 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 "Problemi" Peralta by way of TKO (puntelli) fit-tieni rawnd (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) sottomissjoni (ċowk wara-naked) in a title bid against reigning bantamweight (135 liri) champion 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 u Cathal Pendred, l- 5-foot-7, 33-year-old Howard of Boston, Massa. will aim to rebound from a second round (:21) KO (puntelli) telf li Tim Means fuq Diċembru 10.

Sal-lum, Howard has notched 15 ta 'dmirijietu 23 rebħiet karriera permezz ta ' (T)KO jew is-sottomissjoni. During his initial run with the UFC between January 2009 and June 2011, Howard scored a memorable, tielet rawnd (4:55) KO (puntelli) on submission ace Dennis "Superman" Hallman fuq Diċembru 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 (ċowk wara-naked) ta Leonardo Rodriguez dwar Ġunju 26, 2015.

The 5-foot-10, 33-year-old Meller, a near 13-year veteran of the sport, has emerged victorious in 14 ta 'dmirijietu 20 career wins, permezz ta 'sottomissjoni.

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

Pprezzati minn $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, fi 5 p.m. U, u l-ewwel bout karta preliminari se jibda fi 6 p.m.