WSOF31: IVANOV VS. COPELAND
MAIN CARD COMPLETE WITH ADDITION

OF THREE NEW, STAR-STUDDED MATCHUPS

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

LIVE ON NBCSN AT 9 P. M. ȘI
FROM MASHANTUCKET, CONN. VINERI, Iunie 17

LAS VEGAS (Aprilie 12, 2016) -World Seria de Lupte (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) eveniment, trăiesc pe NBCSN la 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. de la Foxwoods Resort Casino în Mashantucket, Conn. vineri, Iunie 17.

In a second heavyweight matchup, dynamic, stea in crestere Chris "Huggy Ursul" 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) se va ciocni cu expertul în depunere Thiago “Minu” Meller (20-7) într-o semimijlocie (170 de lire sterline) afacere.

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

În evenimentul principal, reigning world heavyweight champion Blagoy Ivanov (13-1) will risk his title against Josh “Cuddly Bear” Copeland (13-1) în timp ce, in the lightweight (155 de lire sterline) co-Main Event, superstaruri Jason "The Kansas City Bandit" Înalt (19-5) și Mike "marțian" 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-picior-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 sale 14 victorii cariera prin intermediul (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-dar-old Willis, a training partner of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) greats Cain Velasquez și 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 în Tokyo.

Luis Palomino vs. Sheymon Moraes

5-picior-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, neînvinsă World Series of Fighting campion ușoare 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, o noapte, eight-man tournament in which he scored a devastating, primul tur (4:55) OMS (pumni) pe Bogat Patishnock in the event’s quarterfinal stage, before being stopped in the semifinal stage of battle via second round (4:19) OMS (pumni) at the hands de eventual tournament winner Brian Foster, Palomino will return to the featherweight division where he has held two world titles.

5-picior-8, 25-year-old Moraes of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil returned to form in his last bout, decimating fellow knockout artist Robbie "Probleme" Peralta by way of TKO (pumni) în al doilea tur (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) supunere (sufoca-spate gol) in a title bid against reigning bantamweight (135 de lire sterline) campion Marlon Moraes.

John Howard vs. Thiago Meller

Following his second stint with the UFC that spanned seven bouts and included victories over Urie Hall, Siyar Bahadurzada și Cathal Pendred, the 5-FOot-7, 33-year-old Howard of Boston, Masă. will aim to rebound from a second round (:21) KO (pumni) pierdere pentru Tim Means decembrie 10.

Până în prezent, Howard has notched 15 sale 23 victorii cariera prin intermediul (T)KO sau prezentarea. During his initial run with the UFC between January 2009 and June 2011, Howard scored a memorable, a treia rundă (4:55) KO (pumni) on submission ace Dennis "Superman" Hallman decembrie 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 (sufoca-spate gol) de Leonardo Rodriguez iunie 26, 2015.

The 5-foot-10, 33-year-old Meller, a near 13-year veteran of the sport, has emerged victorious in 14 sale 20 career wins, prin modul de depunere.

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

Preț de la $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, la 5 p.m. ȘI, iar primul meci de card preliminar va începe la 6 p.m.