Category Archives: mixed martial arts

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA

BELLATOR MMA INKS SERGEI KHARITONOV TO AN EXCLUSIVE, MULTI-FIGHT CONTRACT

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SANTA MONICA (February 3, 2015) – Sergei Kharitonov (23-5) is the newest free agent by Bellator MMA, with the news that the Russian heavyweight has been signed to an exclusive multi-year, multi-fight contract. A veteran of both Strikeforce and Pride Fighting Championships, Kharitonov remains on active duty with the Russian Airborne Troops.

 

Doubling as a kickboxer at different points throughout his combat sports career, “The Paratrooper” has decided to parlay his recent five-fight winning streak and focus purely on mixed martial arts. Kharitonov’s resume is extensive, with the 35-year-old scoring wins against some of the sport’s most notable names including UFC Heavyweight Champion Fabricio Werdum, Andrei Arlovski, Pedro Rizzo, Murilo “Ninja” Rua, and Alistair Overeem.

 

“I have had the best seat in the house for some of Kharitonov’s heavyweight outings,” Bellator MMA President Scott Coker said, “and I know Sergei [Kharitonov] can come in and make an immediate impact on our heavyweight division. He is an extremely skilled and experienced fighter who can end a fight in the blink of an eye, and we look forward to having him do just that inside the Bellator cage. Plus, he’s already competed at one ‘Dynamite’ event before, maybe he could do so again in the future!”

 

Kharitonov joins a division that is currently championed by fellow Russian fighter Vitaly Minakov, other top names include Bobby Lashley, Cheick Kongo, Vinicius Queiroz, Kimbo Slice, Tony Johnson, Justin Wren, Dan Charles, and James Thompson.

Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

NEW ENGLAND FIGHTS TO HOLD WEIGH-INS THIS FRIDAY AT LEWISTON RAMADA

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Lewiston, Maine (February 3, 2016) – New England Fights (NEF), America’s number-one regional fight promotion, will hold its next event, “NEF 21: THE IMMORTALS” this Saturday, February 6, 2016 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine.  The event will feature both mixed-martial-arts (MMA) and professional boxing bouts with an MMA cage and a boxing ring set up side-by-side.  Earlier today, the promotion announced that it would hold the event weigh-in this Friday, February 5, 2016, at 2:00 pm EST at the Ramada Hotel & Conference Center.  The Ramada is located at 490 Pleasant Street in Lewiston, Maine.

 

Weigh-ins are open to the public and free to attend.  All of the fighters competing on Saturday night will be at the weigh-in, including MMA headliners Bruce “Pretty Boy” Boyington (12-8) and Jon Lemke (5-3), as well as boxing main event participants Brandon “The Cannon” Berry (10-1) and Tollison Lewis (2-0).  Fans and press are encouraged to attend.  For those unable to make it to the Ramada on Friday, weigh-ins will be streamed live on the NEF Youtube page at www.Youtube.com/nefmma.

 

The “NEF 21” fight card:

 

PROFESSIONAL BOXING

149 POUNDS: Tollison Lewis vs. Brandon Berry

147 POUNDS: Evincii Dixon vs. Antonio Chaves Fernandez

175 POUNDS: Crowsneck Boutin vs. Joel Bishop

PROFESSIONAL MMA

 

155 POUND TITLE: Jon Lemke vs. Bruce Boyington (c)

145 POUNDS: Derek Shorey vs. Josh Lange

185 POUNDS: Zach Elkins vs. Mike Hansen

155 POUNDS: Zenon Herrera vs. CJ Ewer

170 POUNDS: Andrew Tripp vs. Alex Henry

125 POUNDS: Norman Fox vs. Brandon Warne

 

AMATEUR MMA

 

205 POUND TITLE: Mike Williams vs. Ryan Glover

170 POUND TITLE: Ricky Dexter vs. Caleb Farrington

135 POUND TITLE: Henry Clark vs. Johnny Crafts

145 POUNDS: Rafael Velado vs. Mike Peitersen

120 POUNDS: Erin Lamonte vs. Randi Beth Boyington

140 POUNDS: Erik Nelson vs. Julio Martinez

265 POUNDS: Gravin Guillen vs. Matt Glover

155 POUNDS: Frank Johanson vs. Taylor Costantino

265 POUNDS: Brendan Battles vs. Dave Smith

230 POUNDS: Zak Bergeron vs. Ras Hylton

170 POUNDS: Adam Nielsen vs. Ruben Redman

155 POUNDS: Dustin Shorey vs. Juan Meneses

160 POUNDS: Caleb Swoveland vs. Tom Burgess

155 POUNDS: Tony Agust vs. Chad Murillo

125 POUNDS: Justin Witham vs. Jake Denham

140 POUNDS: Clifford Redman vs. Richmond Pierce Wiegman

135 POUNDS: David Thompson vs. Caleb Costello

 

 

New England Fights’ next event, “NEF 21: THE IMMORTALS,” takes place this Saturday, February 6, 2016 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine.  Bell time is 7:00 PM EST.  Tickets for “NEF 21” start at just $25 and are on sale now at www.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisée box office at 207.783.2009 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.”

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

MELVIN GUILLARD NOW FACES DEREK CAMPOS AT ‘BELLATOR 149: SHAMROCK VS. GRACIE’

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JUSTIN ‘THE BIG PYGMY’ WREN RETURNS TO ACTION IN EVENT’S FEATURED PRELIMINARY BOUT

 

 

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (February 2, 2015) –An injury to Mike Bronzoulis has shifted things during the SPIKE-televised main card of “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” on Feb. 19 at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Now, the lightweight contest will pit Melvin Guillard (32-15-2) against Derek Campos (15-6).

 

In addition, Justin “The Big Pygmy Viking” Wren (11-2) returns to action in what will be his second appearance under the Bellator MMA banner, when he meets Juan Torres (4-4) in heavyweight fisticuffs.

 

The fights join a card that already features a double main event — Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) meets Royce Gracie (14-2-3) for a third time and Kimbo Slice (5-2) will fight the man who has been calling him out since their friendship ended years ago, Dhafir Harris, better known as “Dada 5000” (2-0). In featherweight action, Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) will look to continue his torrid pace when he meets Daniel Pineda (21-11) and former light heavyweight titlist Emanuel Newton (25-9) battles Linton Vassell (15-5).

 

Tickets for this mixed martial arts extravaganza start at just $50 and are on sale now at Bellator.com, as well as HoustonToyotaCenter.com, the Toyota Center Box Office and Houston area Randall’s locations.

 

“Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App.

 

Guillard suffered a horrific broken hand during his Bellator MMA debut against Brandon Girtz earlier this year. “The Young Assassin” has made it clear that he intends on eventually fighting for the 155-pound title, and his road to the gold begins on Feb. 19 against a tough Texas native with plenty to prove. Of Guillard’s 32 wins as a professional, 23 victories have come before reaching the judges’ scorecards.

 

Known as “The Stallion” to those familiar with his mixed martial arts career, Campos will come into his meeting with Guillard riding a two-fight skid. During his eight-fight tenure with Bellator MMA, the 27-year-old Texan has faced a plethora of top lightweight talent, going up against names the likes of: Michael Chandler, Patricky Freire, Brandon Girtz (2x), and Estevan Payan.

 

You would be hard-pressed to find a better story in all of MMA than the one that Wren can tell. The two-time National High School Wrestling Champion generated massive amounts of media attention on the road to his promotional debut at “Bellator 141: Guillard vs. Girtz,” where he defeated Josh Burns. His story begins several years earlier, in 2010, when Wren confronted an opponent tougher than any he could face in combat sports: addiction.

 

With an opportunity to continue fighting on the table, Wren left the sport and began his recovery process. A chance meeting with a friend led Wren on a trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where he came across and developed a deep connection with the Mbuti Pygmies, many of whom were enslaved, living on only the scraps the slave masters would pay them with. Wren found his calling there and wanted to do everything in his power to help the Pygmies. With multiple visits to the Congo, including a stint that lasted a year, Wren started a foundation called “Fight for the Forgotten.” Through his efforts, Wren and his staff of 17 have systematically bought the land of the slave owners, and have thus far legally given 2,740 acres of rainforest to the Pygmies, effectively freeing them from slavery.

 

Partnering with other groups like Shalom University and joining forces with Water4.org, Wren and his charity are responsible for drilling 26 water wells to help provide both the Pygmies and the former slave masters with clean water, and have plans to drill hundreds more. In addition, the team has begun a sustainable farming project to benefit and provide food to both the Pygmies and non-Pygmies of the community.

 

Take a look below at the complete 19-fight “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” card and be sure to tune into SPIKE on February 19 at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT for an event that has something for every fight fan.

 

Completed “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” Fight Card

 

Bellator MMA Openweight Main Event: Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) vs. Royce Gracie (14-2-3)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Main Event: Kimbo Slice (5-2) vs. “Dada 5000” (2-0)

Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight Feature Bout: Emanuel Newton (25-5) vs. Linton Vassell (15-5)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Feature Bout: Melvin Guillard (32-15-2) vs. Derek Campos (15-6)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) vs. Daniel Pineda (21-11)

 

Preliminary Card:

 

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Justin Wren (11-2) vs. Juan Torres (4-4)

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Davis Sylvester (5-3) vs. Jeremy Mahon (5-4)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Charlie Ontiveros (6-4) vs. James Christopherson (2-2)

Bellator MMA Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Ruben Esparsa (1-0) vs. C.J. Hancock (Debut)

Bellator MMA Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Adrian Yanez (3-1) vs. Daniel Santos (3-0)

Bellator MMA Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Isaac Villanueva (9-7) vs. Richard Knepp (3-3)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Mike Trinh (2-3) vs. Angel Zamora (2-2)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Jason Langellier (2-0) vs. Anthony Ivy (1-0)

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Manny Lozoya (Debut) vs. Jacob Norsworthy (1-5)

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Amateur Bout: Leomana Martinez (2-0) vs. Casey Jones (2-0)

Bellator MMA Flyweight Amateur Bout: Chris Solis (2-0) vs. Alex Macedo (2-0)

Bellator MMA Flyweight Amateur Bout: Jonathan Davis (2-0) vs. Shawn Solis (1-0)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Amateur Bout: Hunter Scott-Gregg (1-0) vs. Ricardo Deluque (1-0)

mixed martial arts, MMA, NBC, World Series of Fighting

WSOF28: MORAES VS. BARAJAS MAIN CARD COMPLETE WITH TWO NEW B0UTS

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LIVE ON NBCSN ON SATURDAY, FEB. 20
FROM GARDEN GROVE, CALIFORNIA

LAS VEGAS (February 1, 2016) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) has announced the addition of two welterweight (170 pounds) bouts – Jamie “The Chosyn 1” Yager (6-4) vs. Greg Parker (5-1) and Ozzie Alvarez (6-3) vs.Andrew “The” Ramm (4-3) – to complete the live NBCSN televised (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT), main card portion of its WSOF28 world bantamweight (135 pounds) championship event at Next Level Sports Complex in Garden Grove, Calif. onSaturday, Feb. 20.

In the main event of the four-fight telecast, reigning World Series of Fighting bantamweight kingpin Marlon Moraes (15-4-1) will put his title on the line for the third time against ferocious contender Joseph Barajas (12-1).

The co-main event will pit two other bantamweights – red-hot contenders Timur “Lucky” Valiev (10-1) and Chris “El Guapo” Gutierrez (8-1-1) – against one another.

Jamie Yager vs. Greg Parker

The 32-year-old Yager of Huntington Beach, Calif. will return to the cage after being sidelined for three years due to injuries.

A lifelong athlete who took up Jiu-Jitsu while attending Pasadena City College, Yager was the middleweight winner of the 2008 MMA competition reality television series, The Iron Ring, that aired on BET.

Yager went on to compete in season 11 of The Ultimate Fighter reality series, scoring a punishing, 26 second KO on Ben Stark with a head kick in the first episode and, later, a first round (1:09) TKO (strikes) on Charles Blanchard.

In his last effort, the 31-year-old Parker of Irvine, Calif. rebounded from his first career defeat, submitting Daniel McWilliams with a rear-naked choke in the first round (2:22) of their meeting on October 2, 2015.

Between March 2009 and April 2011, Parker was perfect as an amateur, compiling a 3-0 record, before running to four consecutive wins, all by way of (T)KO or submission, in his first four professional bouts.

Ozzie Alvarez vs. Andrew Ramm

Originally from Miami, Fla., the 30-year-old Alvarez fights out of Huntington Beach, Calif. and has gained recognition as a dangerous power puncher since he turned professional in 2010.

In what will be his first start of 2016, Alvarez will look to bounce back from a unanimous decision defeat at the hands of Justin Patterson on September 17, a result that snapped a five-fight win streak.

Alvarez’s five consecutive victories all came by way of (T)KO or submission, and all but one of them occurred inside the first round of action.

Ramm of Costa Mesa, Calif. via Bremerton, Wash. is a 31-year-old submission expert who recently earned his black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under mentor and famed trainer Eddie Bravo.

To date, Ramm has produced all of his professional career victories by way of submission and, in a span of just 11 months between 2012 and 2013, he amassed a perfect 6-0 record under amateur status.

The WSOF28 preliminary bout card will be announced soon.
amateur mixed martial arts, Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, MMA

GLOVER AND WILLIAMS TO FACE OFF FOR NEF GOLD

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Lewiston, Maine (February 1, 2016) – New England Fights (NEF), America’s number-one regional fight promotion, will hold its next event, “NEF 21: THE IMMORTALS” this Saturday, February 6, 2016 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine. The fight card is scheduled to feature both mixed martial arts (MMA) and professional boxing bouts. Earlier today, the promotion announced the addition of an amateur light heavyweight championship bout to the card. Ryan Glover (2-1) will face Mike Williams (1-0) for the inaugural NEF amateur 205-pound title.

 

Prior to competing in MMA, Ryan Glover was a standout dual sport athlete at Mountain Valley High School in Rumford, Maine. A state champion wrestler, Glover made his biggest mark on the football field where he was named the “Football Player of the Year” by the Lewiston Sun Journal in 2010.

 

Last year, Glover faced Billy “Bigfoot” Leahy (3-1) for the NEF amateur heavyweight championship. Glover lost a close decision in an exciting, hard-hitting physical contest. Now, faster and more agile at a lower weight, Glover has his sights set on finally achieving NEF gold.

 

“The weight cut has not been fun, but has gone easier than expected,” stated Glover, when asked about his cut down to 205-pounds. “I feel a lot better as I approach 205 and I think I’ll like fighting at this weight. It’s going to be bittersweet to hold the belt at 205. I lost a close slugfest last June simply because I didn’t stick to our game plan. I dropped the ball that night and you can rest assured that’s not going to happen again. I hope Williams has been training as hard as I have, because, if so, it’s going to be a fight that no one wants to miss. I’ll see you February 6th and don’t be late—this is a show worth traveling 1000 miles for.”

 

Mike Williams took a collective gasp out of the Androscoggin Bank Colisee when he came out guns blazing in his debut at “NEF XX: A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE” last November. Williams, a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) blue belt and member of Central Maine Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (CMBJJ) in Auburn, blasted fellow newcomer Joe Krech (0-1) out of the gate before securing a fight-ending armbar in a spectacular 26-seconds into the first round. The dizzying debut was enough to earn the impressive young Williams a shot at NEF gold.

 

“This fight is just another step and he’s in the way,” stated Williams flatly when asked for comment.

 

“This is another Easter egg of a fight on a star-studded card that is destined to deliver for the whole night,” stated NEF co-owner and matchmaker Matt Peterson. “When I look at this fight and the skill sets that both Ryan and Mike bring to the cage, I get goose bumps. Both are athletic, aggressive, young and hungry guys that want to turn heads when they compete—and will stop at nothing to win. Based on what I’ve witnessed in their fights so far, I don’t see an ounce of quit in either fighter. I can’t wait to watch the way this one goes down on Saturday.”

 

New England Fights’ next event, “NEF 21: THE IMMORTALS,” takes place Saturday, February 6, 2016 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine.  Tickets for “NEF 21” 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.”

boxing, mixed martial arts, MMA, Rich Bergeron

Author Jeff Daniels Joins the FNU Combat Sports Show

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Our guest on this week’s podcast is a true class act. Jeff Daniels is a man who knew his brother’s story needed to be told and took to the task with a passion for posterity and a supreme sense of attention to detail. Despite having no book-writing experience, Jeff created what he considered as good as a Beatles album when he finished crafting his masterpiece about a bygone era in the sport of boxing. You can buy the book here: http://amzn.to/1WQMNFO, access Jeff’s site here: http://jeffdanielscompany.com/index.php/about-the-author and watch a short YouTube video promoting the book here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PDH_Laa6lY. Jeff shares some insights into the writing process and takes us back in time in this episode. Tom, Tony and Rich are also back together to chat about the boxing and mixed martial arts news and events. We discuss the heavyweight divisions in both sports and end with a discussion on MMA and fighter pay.

M-1, M-1 Challenge, mixed martial arts, MMA

Antun Racic vs. Vitaly Branchuk Bantamweight title eliminator added to stacked M-1 Challenge 64, Feb. 19 in Moscow

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 (R) Antun Racic fires “Killer” strike
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (January 28, 2016) – M-1 Global’s first event of 2016 is shaping up as a potential blockbuster with the announcement of the second M-1 Challenge bantamweight elimination fight for M-1 Challenge 64 on February 19 at Olympic Stadium in Moscow.
Antun “Killer” Racic, of Croatia, will face Ukrainian Vitaly Branchuk for right to fight for the vacant M-1 Challenge bantamweight championship.  The survivor will advance to the championship round against the winner of the previously announced M-1 Challenge bantamweight semifinal eliminator, also part of the M-1 Challenge 64card, between  Pavel Vitruk (12-2-0, M-1: 6-2-0) and undefeated Kazakhstan-native Sergey Morozov (6-0-0, M-1: 2-0-0). Vitruk is a Ukrainian-born fighter who lives and trains out of St. Petersburg, Russia.
 
The main event pits three-time Bellator champion Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko(51-9-0, M-1: 2-0-0) and former M-1 Challenge middleweight and light heavyweight titlist Vyacheslav Vasilevsky (27-3-0, M-1: 10-1-0) in the semifinals of the M-1 Global Grand Prix Middleweight Tournament.
In the co-feature, newly signed Alexander “Drago” Volkov (24-6-0, M-1: 8-3-0), of Russia, takes on Estonian challenger Denis Smoldaraev (11-1-0, M-1: 7-1-0) for the vacant M-1 Challenge heavyweight championship.
Racic (18-6-1, M-1: 6-2-0) is coming off of an impressive win by decision versus Alexei Nevzorov last September at M-1 Challenge 61.  The powerful Croatian, who is a standout grappler, is dropping down to fight as a bantamweight.
Branchuk (20-5-0, M-1: 0-1-0) will be fighting in his second M-1 Global event, the first two years ago at M-1 Challenge 45, in which he lost a decision to Yunus Evloev.  The 24-year-old Branchuk is riding a seven-fight win streak.  Known as a strong striker, he has knocked out 10 of his opponents.
M-1 Challenge 64 will be streamed live from Moscow in high definition onwww.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register at www.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all of the action on their computers, as well as on Android and Apple smart phones and tablets.
INFORMATION:
 
Upcoming Events:  Feb. 19 – M-1 Challenge 64 in Moscow, Russia; Mar. 4 – M-1 Challenge 65 in St. Petersburg, Russia
Twitter & Instagram:
@M1GlobalNews
@VFinkelchtein
@M1Global
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M-1, M-1 Challenge, mixed martial arts, MMA

M-1 Global extends contracts with Ivan Buchinger, Stephan Puetz & Lee Morrison

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ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (January 27, 2016) – M-1 Global president Vadim Finklechtein has announced contract extensions for M-1 featherweight championIvan “Buki” Buchinger, former M-1 Challenge light heavyweight titlist Stephan “T-800” Puetz and top American featherweight contender Lee “American Bulldog” Morrison.
“We’ve prolonged the contract with M-1 Global veteran fighters Buchinger, Puetz and Morrison,” Finkelchtein said.  “We constantly work on our roster to have the best possible fighters.”
Buchinger (30-4-0, M-1: 5-0-0), the 29-year-old from Slovakia, captured the vacant M-1 Challenge featherweight title in 2014, via a fourth-round knockout of Tural Raginov at M-1 Challenge 52.  In his last fight this past October, Buchinger successfully defended his title with a unanimous decision over current M-1 Challenge lightweight champion Mansour “Tarzan” Barnaoui at M-1 Challenge 62.
 
Puetz (13-2-0, M-1: 4-1-0), fighting out of Germany, is an electrifying fighter who won the M-1 Challenge light heavyweight champion in 2014, taking a decision fromViktor Nemkov at M-1 Challenge 46.  Puetz successfully defended his title twice in 2014 against Luis Fernando Miranda (SUB2 – choke) and Valery Mykasnikov(KO/TKO2 – punches).  In 2015, Puetz took on previously undefeated M-1 Challenge heavyweight champion Marcin Tybura, who lost in three rounds due to a severely broken nose at M-1 Challenge 57.  In his most recent fight this past December at M-1 Challenge 63, Puetz lost his title belt in a rematch with Nemkov by way of a decision.
Morrison (13-6-0, M-1: 2-3-0) is a popular featherweight contender out of Okanogon, Washington.  The gutsy 29-year-old (pictured below on right) has notable M-1 Global decision wins over Pavel Vitruk and Mikhail Malyutin.
 
Upcoming Events:  Feb. 19 – M-1 Challenge 64 in Moscow, Russia; Mar. 4 – M-1 Challenge 65 in St. Petersburg, Russia
Information

www.M1Global.tv

Twitter & Instagram:
@M1GlobalNews
@VFinkelchtein
@M1Global
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M-1, M-1 Challenge, mixed martial arts, MMA

2015 M-1 Global Fighter of the Year Ramazan Emeev takes on Maiquel Falcao In M-1 Grand Prix middleweight eliminator Mar. 4 at M-1 Challenge 65 in Moscow

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ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (January 26, 2016) –  Reigning M-1 Challenge middleweight champion Ramazan Emeev will take on Brazilian challenger Maiquel “Big Rig” Falcao in the second M-1 Grand Prix middleweight eliminator, March 4 at M-1 Challenge 65, in Moscow.
The first M-1 Grand Prix match of 2016 is set in the middleweight division as three-time Bellator champion Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (51-9-0, M-1: 2-0-0) takes on former M-1 Challenge middleweight and light heavyweight titlist Vyacheslav Vasilevsky (27-3-0, M-1: 10-1-0)at M-1 Challenge 64, February 19 at Olympic Stadium in Moscow.
The winners of Shlemenko vs. Vasilevsky and Emeev vs. Falcao will advance to the M-1 Grand Prix middleweight championship later this year.
“We tried to get the strongest middleweight fighters and did a great job to give fans the most spectacular match-ups,” M-1 Global president Vadim Finkelchtein said.  “Every single fight is intriguing in M-1 Grand Prix.  I can’t guess how these fights will end up.  Every single fighter has his advantages.  Therefore, I think all of these fights are 50-50.”
Emeev (13-3-0, M-1: 7-1-0), the 2015 M-1 Global Fighter of the Year, is a two-time M-1 Challenge middleweight champion.  Born in Azerbaijan but fighting and training out of Markaxhkala, Russia, Emeev originally captured the vacant M-1 Challenge middleweight crown in 2012 at M-1 Challenge 35, winning a decision over Mario Miranda.  Emeev successfully defended his title in a rematch five months later with Miranda, who was stopped via strikes in the third round at M-1 Challenge 38.
In his next title defense, Emeev lost his title belt at M-1 Challenge 51 as Vasilevsky won by fourth-round stoppage via punches.  Seven months later in a rematch, Emeev defeated Vasilevsky by first round submission (choke), and the champion defended his title this past December at M-1 Challenge 63, when American challenger Fioravanti Luigi was unable to continue fighting after two rounds.
Falcao may be making his M-1 Global debut at M-1 Challenge 65, however, the Brazilian black belt holder is a veteran of 43 professional MMA bouts with 23 knockouts.  The 34-year old Falcao split two fights with Vasilevsky and he was stopped by Shlemenko in the second round at Bellator 69.
M-1 Challenge 64 & 65 will be streamed live from Russia in high definition onwww.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register at www.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all of the action on their computers, as well as on Android and Apple smart phones and tablets.
Las Vegas, mixed martial arts, MMA, World Series of Fighting

WSOF29: GAETHJE VS. FOSTER MOVES TO BANK OF COLORADO ARENA ON SATURDAY, MARCH 12, LIVE ON NBCSN

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TICKETS ON SALE NOW

LAS VEGAS (January 23, 2016) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today that the location for the live NBCSN televised (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT), WSOF29: Gaethje vs. Foster lightweight (155 pounds) championship event scheduled for Saturday, March 12, has been moved to the Bank of Colorado Arena on the campus of the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colo.

Priced from $39.99, tickets for WSOF29: Gaethje vs. Foster, are on sale at WSOF.com and the University of Northern Colorado’s online ticketing platform.

In the highly-anticipated main event, reigning, undefeated lightweight champion Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje (15-0) of Safford, Ariz. will put his title on the line against number one contender and recent eight-man tournament winner Brian Foster (25-9) of Sallisaw, Okla.

An alumnus of the University of Northern Colorado, Gaethje became the first competitive wrestler to earn All-American honors for the school after it became a Division I athletic program.  He placed seventh in the NCAA national wrestling tournament in his junior year.

Additional WSOF29 bouts will be announced soon.

ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING

“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a worldwide 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 and follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries.  WSOF and World Series of Fighting are registered trademarks of MMAWC, LLC.

ABOUT NBCSN
NBCSN, part of the NBC Sports Group, is dedicated to serving passionate sports fans. Now in more than 85 million homes, the Emmy Award-winning network is the cable television home of the Summer and Winter Olympics, National Hockey League (NHL) – including two games of the Stanley Cup Final — Premier League, Formula One, IndyCar, Tour de France, the 34th America’s Cup, and beginning in 2015, NASCAR. In addition, NBCSN features college football, college basketball, college hockey, cycling, outdoor programming, horse racing surrounding the Triple Crown  and Breeders’ Cup, Fight Night boxing, Ironman, the Dew Tour and USA Sevens Rugby. The network is also home to original programs such as Costas Tonight, NFL Turning Point, Pro Football Talk, The Dan Patrick Show, and NASCAR America. NBCSN is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.