Category Archives: mixed martial arts

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

SIZE AND POWER MEET TECHNIQUE IN NEF 21 BOXING MAIN EVENT

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Lewiston, Maine (January 5, 2016) – New England Fights (NEF), America’s number-one regional fight promotion, will hold its next event, “NEF 21: THE IMMORTALS” on Saturday, February 6, 2016 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine.  The fight card is scheduled to feature both mixed-martial-arts (MMA) and professional boxing bouts.  Earlier today, NEF announced the main event of the professional boxing portion of the “NEF 21” fight card.  Northeast Junior Welterweight Champion Brandon “The Cannon” Berry (10-1) will take on the undefeated Tollison Lewis (2-0) in a super welterweight contest scheduled for six rounds.

 

“This is a classic battle of size and strength against technique,” said NEF co-owner and promoter Nick DiSalvo.  “In one corner you have a polished boxer with a solid amateur background in the form of Brandon Berry, and he will be fighting in a heavier weight class in this bout.  In the other corner you have a powerful brawler with an MMA background in the form of Tollison Lewis, and he has fought most of his career at 155 and 170-pounds.  You can’t script a better contrast in styles for a bout like this.  Just about anything could happen.  It’s anyone’s fight.  It’s going to be wild in the Colisee when this one goes off.”

 

Berry is coming off what many consider to be the defining win of his still-young professional career over gritty Mexican veteran Roberto Valenzuela (73-70-2) last November at “NEF XX.”  Despite suffering a bad cut above his eye early in the fight, Berry maintained his composure and looked sharp on his way to a unanimous decision victory in the first eight-round fight of his career.  The West Forks, Maine native was a 2013 Northern New England Golden Gloves champion as an amateur.  The fight with Lewis is expected to be the last Berry will compete in above his usual 140-pound junior welterweight division.

 

“It’s great to be getting back in action inside the ring so soon, especially after suffering such a nasty cut over my eye from my last fight in November,” said Berry.  “Thank you NEF for putting yet another very tough opponent in front of me.  Tollison is a class act in and out of the ring, and I think our styles will make a crowd pleasing bout.  I remember being undefeated still and I know how important keeping the ‘0’ on the record is.  Tollison is a big, strong athlete and I’m sure he will be more than prepared.  Both him and I understand competition, and will most likely be friends after this event.  I’m glad to be sharing this main event fight with him, and may the best man win!”

 

Tollison Lewis’s foray into the boxing world was unplanned.  In October 2014, just 24-hours prior to the start of the first “NEF Boxing” event, Lewis stepped in to face boxing veteran John Webster (8-7-1) after Webster’s previous opponent fell out.  NEF executives, familiar with Lewis’s striking prowess in his MMA bouts, asked Lewis to take the fight at the last minute and Lewis did not hesitate to oblige.  He went on to bully Webster for four rounds, (including knocking Webster out of the ring onto the timekeeper’s table), scoring a unanimous decision victory.  This past November, in yet another dominant performance in the NEF boxing ring, Lewis stopped Zenon Herrera (0-1) with a third-round TKO.  A win over a boxer of Berry’s caliber, no doubt, would propel Lewis to the next level in the sport.  Lewis is a member of Central Maine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (CMBJJ) in Lewiston where he trains under boxing coach Scott Frost.

 

“Brandon is a tough guy and a good boxer,” said Lewis.  “I’m expecting a war.  I’ll be bringing everything I got, and I know he will too, but I’m planning on staying undefeated.  I’m not going to run my mouth.  I have a lot of respect for Berry, but fans do not want to miss this.  This fight will be a war and steal the night.  Thank you NEF and Brandon, let’s do it man!”

 

New England Fights’ next event, “NEF 21: THE IMMORTALS,” takes placeSaturday, February 6, 2016 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine.  Tickets for “NEF 21” start at just $25 and are on sale now atwww.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.”

 

About New England Fights

 

New England Fights (“NEF”) is a fight events promotions company. NEF’s mission is to create the highest quality events for Maine’s fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.

mixed martial arts, MMA, World Series of Fighting

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING RINGS IN THE NEW YEAR WITH EIGHT-HOUR TELEVISION MARATHON THISFRIDAY, JAN. 1 ON NBCSN  

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Four of 2015’s most action-packed events to air on New Year’s Day
LAS VEGAS (December 30, 2015) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) and NBCSN will treat fans to an action-packed, eight-hour television marathon featuring four of the world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) league’s most memorable events of 2015, this Friday, Jan. 1, beginning at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT.

The New Year’s Day run will kick off with a replay of WSOF22: Palhares vs. Shields, which was highlighted by a welterweight world championship fight between then-reigning champion Rousimar Palhares and superstar Jake Shields, and will conclude with a re-airing of WSOF25: 8-Man Lightweight Tournament, featuring the first one-night tournament in World Series of Fighting history.

“We are excited to head into our fourth year of league operations in 2016 and, thanks to our great television partner, NBCSN, look forward to kicking off the New Year in full force with an extensive run of programming featuring some phenomenal action from our 2015 library,” said World Series of Fighting CEO Carlos Silva.

“We are excited to provide fans with the opportunity to relive some of the incredible, world championship MMA action that highlighted a tremendous year for World Series of Fighting in 2015,” said Gary Quinn, NBC Sports Group’s vice president of programming.

The marathon will include WSOF23: Gaethje vs. Palomino that was headlined by one of the most talked about battles of the year – the world lightweight (155 pounds) championship matchup between reigning, undefeated champion Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje and challenger Luis Palomino.  The title bout was named Fight of the Month in March, and led to a worthy rematch between the two stars six months later.

Also slotted into the eight-hour programming run is WSOF24: Fitch vs. Okami, which saw two former top 10 welterweight (170 pounds) superstars and decorated veterans, Jon Fitch and Yushin Okami, battle in the main event.

Live World Series of Fighting action will return to NBCSN from Memphis, Tenn. onSaturday, Jan. 23 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, with a four-fight telecast headlined by a lightweight collision between rival stars Caros “The Future” Fodor and Mike “The Martian” Ricci.

Complete World Series of Fighting programming schedule on NBCSN forFriday, Jan 1:

5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT – WSOF22: Palhares vs. Shields
7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT – WSOF23: Gaethje vs. Palomino
9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT – WSOF24: Fitch vs. Okami
11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT – WSOF25: 8-Man Lightweight Tournament

About World Series of Fighting (WSOF)
“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.
mixed martial arts, MMA, RFA

RFA 34: VELICKOVIC vs SMITH FULL TV CARD ANNOUNCED

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WELTERWEIGHT WORLD TITLE
BOJAN VELICKOVIC  

vs. BENJAMIN SMITH
CO-MAIN EVENT:
ADAM STROUP vs. JOHN POPPIE
MIDDLEWEIGHT SHOWDOWN
FRIDAY, JANUARY 15TH, 2016 LIVE ON AXS TV
LIVE from the 1STBANK Center, Broomfield, CO
 
Tickets on Sale Now at ALTITUDETICKETS.com
LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA) president Ed Soares announced earlier this month that the promotion will return to Colorado with RFA 34 – Velickovic vs. Smith in January to kick off 2016. Now the main card has been announced. The event will be headlined by a welterweight title fight between Serbian sensation Bojan “Serbian Steel” Velickovic (12-3) and former RFA welterweight champion Benjamin Smith (15-3). The co-main event will see Colorado native Adam Stroup (10-2) and former RFA title challenger John Poppie (6-2) meet in a middleweight showdown. RFA 34 – Velickovic vs. Smith will take place Friday, January 15th inside the 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colorado. The entire main card will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.
Tickets for RFA 34 – Velickovic vs. Smith are available for purchase NOW through AltitudeTickets.com or you can support your favorite fighter by purchasing your tickets through CageTix.com. Tickets to RFA 34 start at just $30.
VIP tables are available by calling 303-521-0966.
The main card of RFA 34 will also include a pair of RFA and Colorado fan favorites in the light-heavyweight division. Cody Mumma (8-2) is currently riding the momentum of three consecutive KO victories. That streak started with a scintillating 11-second KO of Colton Vaughn at RFA 20. The KO is tied for the second-fastest KO in RFA history.
Mumma will face fellow RFA vet Jeremy Kimball (11-5), who will be entering this contest fresh off a lightning fast KO victory of his own. That win came over Jason Clayton in just 22 seconds last summer. However, Kimball’s most high-profile win to date came in the co-main event of RFA 7, when he submitted Chidi Njokuani via Rear Naked Choke.
In the bantamweight division, six-time UFC vet Hugo “Wolverine” Viana (8-3) and two-time RFA vet Zac “The Anointed Warrior” Riley (3-3) will share the RFA Octagon together. Viana burst on to the global MMA scene in 2012 as a semi-finalist on the first season of the UFC reality show TUF – Brazil. He then won his first two UFC bouts before losing to current UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw, who is now one of his teammates.
Riley will be entering this bout with a large amount of praise and fanfare in his own right. This past October at RFA 31, Riley made headlines after accepting a bout in Las Vegas with undefeated Hawaiian prospect Shai Lindsey on just 48 hours’ notice. The highly-touted Lindsey, who had finished all of his opponents, was blitzed at the opening bell by southern Colorado’s newest star. Riley ended up finishing the fight in just 59 seconds with an airtight Triangle Choke.
At welterweight, Brian Camozzi (4-2) will make his long-awaited RFA debut. Camozzi is the younger brother of UFC star Chris Camozzi and fights out of Factory X Muay Thai in the greater Denver, Colorado area. He will face Tyler Milner (7-2) who is a longtime standout in the Alaska FC promotion. Milner now trains at Jackson-Wink MMA in Albuquerque, New Mexico and will be fighting for the first time in his career outside of Alaska.
The main card of RFA 34 will get started in the featherweight division with a pair of featherweight prospects eager to make their national television debut. Cory Sandhagen (1-0) will be making his promotional debut after enjoying a decorated amateur career. He is a main training partner of UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw at Elevation Fight Team in Denver, Colorado. Sandhagen will face undefeated Jackson-Wink MMA standout Andrew Tenneson (3-0) in a bout that is sure to get RFA commentators Pat Miletich and Michael Schiavello excited from the start. Tennesson, like his opponent Sandhagen, is a finisher as both men have finished all of their opponents before the final bell.
The full RFA 34 preliminary card and further information regarding this event will be announced soon. RFA 34 will be the promotion’s seventh event to take place in the state of Colorado. The entire main card of RFA 34 will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT on Friday, January 15th, 2016.
Please visit RFAfighting.com for bout updates and information. RFA is also on Facebook at Facebook.com/RFAfighting, Instagram at @RFAfighting, and Twitter at @RFAfighting.
About RFA: RFA is a professional mixed martial arts promotion that gives rising stars and top contenders the opportunity to prove their talent to fans and leaders in the industry. The RFA presents live events on a monthly basis around the United States including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Denver and Milwaukee. RFA can be seen live in over 43 million homes nationally through its television deal with AXS TV. Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, RFA is one of the most active and respected MMA organizations in the fastest growing sport in the world. (The Octagon, Ultimate Fighting Championship®, UFC®, and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC. All rights reserved).

About AXS TV Fights: AXS TV Fights is renowned for its universally recognized Friday Night Mixed Martial Arts and Kickboxing events. As Your Home For MMA, AXS TV utilizes an expansive network of promotions from the United States, Canada, and Europe. And Asia to broadcast more LIVE fights than any other television network.“The Voice” Michael Schiavello and five-time MMA world-champion Pat Miletich provide viewers expert play-by-play, in-depth fighter coverage, and extensive analysis to each fight card. AXS TV broadcasts world-class LIVE fight events from RFA, Lion Fight, Legacy FC, and MFC every Friday night at 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET.
M-1, M-1 Challenge, mixed martial arts, MMA

Mansour “Tarzan” Barnaoui To defend M-1 Challenge lightweight title vs. Artiom Damkovsky  

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Alexander Volkov vs. Denis Smoldaraev for
Vacant M-1 Challenge heavyweight championship 
M-1 Challenge 64, Feb. 19 in Moscow
(L-R) Artiom Damkovsky & Mansour Barnaoui
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (December 29, 2015) — M-1 Challenge lightweight champion Mansour “Tarzan” Barnaoui will make his first title defense, February 19 at Olympic Stadium, against Artiom Damkovsky at M-1 Challenge 64 in Moscow, Russia.
M-1 Challenge 64 will be streamed live from Moscow in high definition on www.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.
In a previously announced title fight, newly M-1 Global-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.
Barnaoui (12-3-0, M-1: 2-2-0), fighting out of Paris, will be making his first title defense against a dangerous challenger. After defeating previously undefeated Maxim Divnich(10-0-0) (see picture below) by way of a first-round stoppage via punches, May 2, 2015 atM-1 Challenge 57, Barnaoui dropped down in weight and he unsuccessfully challenged M-1 Challenge featherweight champion Ivan Buchinger this past October by five-round decision at M-1 Challenge 57.
Belarus-native Damkovsky (20-9-0, M-1: 10-6-0), shown below on mat, is riding a four-fight win streak to become the top contender going into his title fight showdown with Barnaoui.
Information

www.M1Global.tv

Twitter & Instagram:
@M1GlobalNews
@VFinkelchtein
@M1Global

 

mixed martial arts, MMA, World Series of Fighting

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING HEADS TO FEDEX FORUM IN MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, LIVE ON NBCSN

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Main Event: Mike Ricci vs. Caros Fodor
Co-Main Event: Teddy Holder vs. Shamil Gamzatov

Tickets on sale now
LAS VEGAS (December 21, 2015) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) will kick off the New Year with its 27th live event and first trip ever to the FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn. on Saturday, Jan. 23, live on NBCSN at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

In the WSOF27 lightweight (155 pounds) main event, Mike “The Martian” Ricci will square off with Caros “The Future” Fodor while, in the light heavyweight (205 pounds) co-main event, heavy-handed finisher Teddy Holder will battle undefeated Shamil Gamzatov.

“We are excited to make our debut in Memphis thanks, in great part, to V3 Fights, which has a stellar reputation for putting together great events in that market and is helping us bring our brand of live, world-class MMA action to new fans,” said World Series of Fighting CEO Carlos Silva.

Tickets for the event start at just $39.99, and are on sale at WSOF.com, all Ticketmaster locations, ticketmaster.com, the FedExForum Box Office, or by phone at (800) 745-3000.

Mike Ricci vs. Caros Fodor

The 29-year-old Ricci (11-4) of Montreal, Quebec, Canada will enter the World Series of Fighting decagon cage on a three-fight win streak after scoring a highlight reel KO on Joe Condon with a head kick in the first round (2:41) of their matchup in the quarterfinal stage matchup of the WSOF25 one-night, eight-man tournament.

Fodor (10-4) of Kirkland, Wash. is looking to notch his third consecutive win in his World Series of Fighting debut after concluding a successful, four-fight run in Asia.  The 31-year-old protégé of Matt Hume and brother of fellow World Series of Fighting competitor and costumed superhero Phoenix Jones exploded onto the national MMA scene in 2010 when he ran to five consecutive wins with the now defunct Strikeforce promotion.

Teddy Holder vs. Shamil Gamzatov

Holder (9-2) of Bartlett, Tenn. is a former high school football star turned MMA machine who made his first big mark in the sport at WSOF19 on March 28 after being bumped up from the event’s undercard to a co-main event matchup with established star Thiago Silva, on the day of the event due to the withdrawal of Silva’s original opponent, Matt Hamill, from the matchup.

Holder, whose nine-career victories have all come by way of (T)KO or submission, scored an upset, first round (2:00) TKO on Silva with a barrage of punches.

The unbeaten Gamzatov (9-0) of Makhachkala, Russia will make his debut in the U.S.  after finishing all of his professional opponents to date in either the first or second round.  The 25-year-old is the number two ranked light heavyweight in the Ukraine and the number 24 ranked light heavyweight in Russia.

Additional matchups for WSOF27 will be announced soon.

For more information, visit fedexforum.com, ‘like’ FedExForum on Facebook or follow on Twitter (@FedExForum).
Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

CHEICK KONGO-AUGUSTO SAKAI TO FIGHT DURING MAIN CARD OF ‘BELLATOR 150: GALVAO VS. DANTAS 2’

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SANTA MONICA, Calif. (December 21, 2015) – A heavyweight contest pitting Cheick Kongo (23-10-2) against the undefeated Augusto Sakai (9-0) has been added to the main card of  “Bellator 150: Galvao vs. Dantas 2” at Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kansas, on February 26.

 

In addition, Bellator MMA’s Bantamweight Championship will be on the line in a rematch pitting Marcos “Loro” Galvao (17-6-1) and former champion Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas (17-4) and hometown favorite, David Rickels (16-4, 1 NC) will return to action against an opponent that will be revealed at a later date.

 

The contests will take up three slots of the televised portion of “Bellator 150: Galvao vs. Dantas,” which airs live 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. Additional fights will be announced shortly.

 

Tickets for “Bellator 150: Galvao vs. Dantas 2,” which start at just $27, are on sale now at KansasStarEventCenter.com or Ticketmaster.com, as well as the Kansas Star Arena box office.

 

Kongo will be making his eighth appearance under the Bellator MMA banner, looking to add to his impressive promotional mark of 5-2. The Paris native has fought a who’s who in the mixed martial arts landscape, with notable wins against Mirko Cro Cop, Pat Barry, Matt Mitrione, and Alexander Volkov already on his record. In his last outing – which just so happened to be inside the Kansas Star Arena — Kongo impressively defeated Volkov via unanimous decision.

 

Maintaining an unblemished record to begin his professional career, Sakai will face arguably his stiffest competition to date when he meets Kongo on Feb. 26. With seven finishes in nine outings, the 24-year-old Brazilian most recently finished Alex Huddleston at “Bellator 145: With A Vengeance.”

 

Updated “Bellator 150: Galvao vs. Dantas 2” Fight Card:

 

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Title Main Event: Marcos Galvao (17-6-1) vs. Eduardo Dantas (17-4)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Co-Main Event: Dave Rickels (16-4, 1 NC) vs. TBA

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Feature Bout: Cheick Kongo (23-10-2) vs. Augusto Sakai (9-0)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

DARRION CALDWELL SET FOR ‘BELLATOR MMA 151’ MAIN EVENT DEBUT AGAINST JOE WARREN AT WINSTAR WORLD CASINO & RESORT ON MARCH 4

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B151_1000x1000

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (December 18, 2015) – The main event of Bellator MMA’s return to WinStar World Casino & Resort in Thackerville, OK., on March 4 will feature undefeated Darrion Caldwell (8-0) challenging former two-division world champion and the self-proclaimed “Baddest Man on the Planet” Joe Warren (13-4).

Tickets for “Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” go on sale this coming Monday, December 21 and start at just $45. You can purchase tickets at the WinStar World Casino and Resort Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com. Doors for the event open at 5:00 p.m. CT local time, with the first contest taking place one hour later.

“Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” 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.. Additional bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.

 

With five impressive outings in a little over a year and a half under the Bellator MMA umbrella, it was only a matter of time before “The Wolf” found himself in a position to compete for a world title. There is still work to be done though, and the next stop on the road to championship gold goes through a man who has held Marcos Galvao’s belt already. A standout on the wrestling team at NC State University, the 27-year-old Caldwell most recently submitted Shawn Bunch via rear-naked choke in the first frame, adding to his tally of finishes (4). Initially a featherweight, Caldwell looks much more comfortable now at 135-pounds and as he proclaimed during a recent interview, “I foresee myself competing against Joe [Warren] with a No. 1 contender shot on the line, sooner rather than later.”

 

Warren has done just about it all under the Bellator MMA banner, winning titles at featherweight and bantamweight during his nearly six year promotional tenure. Now, Warren has his sights set on another run with the 135-pound title, a belt he lost during an intense encounter with Galvao early in 2015. A 2006 Pan American and World Champion in Greco-Roman competition, the 39-year-old will test himself against a young competitor who excels in the same skillset that Warren has used to his advantage for most of his career, wrestling. Will a win for “The Baddest Man on the Planet” propel him to a title shot against the winner of Galvao-Dantas 2 a week prior? Tune into SPIKE on March 4 to find out.

 

mixed martial arts, MMA

FOLLOWING NO-CONTEST IN THEIR FIRST MEETING, PAUL BRADLEY-CHRIS HONEYCUTT REBOOKED FOR MAIN CARD OF ‘BELLATOR 148: KOSCHECK VS. SECOR’

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THREE PRELIMINARY BOUTS ALSO ADDED TO THE JANUARY 29th EVENT

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (December 17, 2015) – Paul Bradley (22-6, 2 NC) and Chris Honeycutt (6-0, 1 NC) were in the middle of a great fight, when an accidental headbutt opened a gash on the head of Bradley, which led to the fight being called a no contest.

 

Now, the pair of welterweights will run it back during the main card of “Bellator 148: Koscheck vs. Secor” on January 29 at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif.

 

Bellator officials previously announced two additional welterweight attractions featuring a main event of Josh Koscheck (17-10) versus Matt Secor (7-2) and a co-main event pitting British slugger Paul “Semtex” Daley (37-13-2) against Andy Uhrich (11-5).

 

Today, the preliminary portion of the card is filling up, with the news that Anthony Avila (12-4) will face John Reedy (11-6), Javy Ayala (8-4) battles Carl Seumanutafa (9-6) and Art Arcienega (14-5) versus Justin Smiley (9-7). Additional fights will be announced shortly.

 

“Bellator 148: Koscheck vs. Secor” 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 at 5 p.m. PT. Tickets for the event start at only $25 and are on sale at the Save Mart Center Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com.

 

Aptly nicknamed “The Cutt,” the 27-year-old Honeycutt is a two-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler out of Edinboro University. Following his collegiate wrestling career, which ended with a runner-up finish in the 2012 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship, Honeycutt enlisted the help of fellow Edinboro wrestler Josh Koscheck, who he now trains with at the longtime MMA veteran’s Dethrone Base Camp in Fresno.

 

Honeycutt made his Bellator MMA debut in September 2014, scoring a TKO victory over Aaron Wilkinson. He picked up his second win for the promotion at “Bellator 133: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko,” scoring a TKO win over Clayton MacFarlane.

 

The 32-year-old Bradley is an Iowa native who also earned a pair of NCAA Division I All-American honors while competing at the famed University of Iowa. Bradley turned to mixed martial arts in 2006 and earned 11 consecutive victories to open his career, picking up the Ring of Combat middleweight title along the way.

 

Bradley made his way to the Bellator MMA cage in 2013, and in four appearances to date, has already picked up decision victories over Josh Neer and Karl Amoussou. While Bradley’s base is firmly in wrestling, he’s developed into a complete martial artist during his time in the sport and owns seven of his career wins by knockout with another seven coming by way of submission.

 

Updated “Bellator 148: Koscheck vs. Secor” Fight Card

 

Bellator MMA Welterweight Main Event: Josh Koscheck (17-10) vs. Matt Secor (7-2)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Co-Main Event: Paul Daley (37-13-2) vs. Andy Uhrich (11-5)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Feature Bout: Chris Honeycutt (6-0, 1 NC) vs. Paul Bradley (22-6, 2 NC)

 

Preliminary Card:

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Anthony Avila (12-4) vs. John Reedy (11-6)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Feature Bout: Javy Ayala (8-4) vs. Carl Seumanutafa (9-6)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Art Arcienega (14-5) vs. Justin Smiley (9-7)

 

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

FLYWEIGHT SCRAP PROMISES EXCITEMENT AT NEF 21

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Lewiston, Maine (December 17, 2015) – New England Fights (NEF), America’s number-one regional fight promotion, will hold its next event, “NEF 21: THE IMMORTALS” on Saturday, February 6, 2016 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine.  The fight card is scheduled to feature both mixed-martial-arts (MMA) and professional boxing bouts.  Earlier today, NEF announced the addition of a professional flyweight bout to the “NEF 21” fight card.  “Sleepy” Norman Fox (0-0) will make his pro debut against Brandon Warne (0-1) at a fight weight of 125-pounds.

 

Fox put together an impressive 4-2 record as an amateur, starting his career in the NEF cage in the summer of 2013.  He won his first four in the NEF cage, all via stoppage prior to losing his bid to become NEF MMA Amateur Flyweight Champion to Dustin Veinott (4-4) last June.  The back-and-forth battle with Veinott ended in a split decision, and it has been nominated for “2015 NEF Fight of the Year.”  Later in 2015, Fox and teammate Jason Lachance (2-3) purchased the MMA Athletix gym in Bath, Maine from their former coach, Ryan Cowette (2-3).  The upcoming bout with Warne will be the first of a multi-fight developmental deal Fox signed recently with NEF.

 

“Brandon and I seem like a pretty even match up,” said Fox.  “Expect a fast-paced fight that could end at any moment.”

 

Brandon Warne is a member of Team Bombsquad based out of Ithaca, New York.  He excelled in the amateur ranks of the sport, amassing a record of 5-1 with three finishes.  Warne made his professional MMA debut this past October in Rhode Island in a losing effort to David Baxter (2-0).  He comes to Maine looking for his first win as a pro against Fox.

 

“It’s an honor to be coming to Maine and put on a show at what I love in front of the NEF crowd,” said Warne.  “Plus, it’ll be my parents first time back in Maine since their honeymoon.  As for the fight, I’m not much for trash talking.  Fighters fight and that’s I’m coming to do!”

 

New England Fights’ next event, “NEF 21: THE IMMORTALS,” takes placeSaturday, February 6, 2016 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine.  Tickets for “NEF 21” start at just $25 and are on sale now atwww.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.”

Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, MMA, WMMAA

Three World Champions Capture top honors in 2015 Russian MMA Super Cup

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Living legend and WMMAA Honorary President Fedor Emelianenko served as color commentator for the broadcast of the recent 2015 Russian MMA Super Cup
CHELYABINSK, Russia (December 16, 2015) — Fresh off of their winning performances at last month’s 2015 World MMA Championships in Prague, a trio of individual winners from championship Team Russia also captured top honors at the recent 2015 Russian Super Cup, sanctioned by the World Mix Martial Arts Association (WMMAA), in Chelyabinsk, Russia
Bantamweight Bakhachali Bakhachaliev, middleweight Gamzat Khiramagomedov and light heavyweight Magomed Ankalaev were the three World champions who were also victorious at the 2015 Russian MMA Super Cup.
Internationally renowned “Big” John McCarthy served as referee.
Below find a breakdown of official results from each weight class with video links to corresponding matches:
2015 Russian MMA Super Cup
Bantamweights Championship (-61.2 kg, 135 lbs.)
Bakhachali Bakhachaliev WDEC3 Armen Gulyan
Featherweight Championship (-65.8 kg, 145 lbs.)
Nabi Ashurlaev WDEC3 Mansur Vitaev
Lightweight Championship (-70.3 kg, 154 lbs.)
Artur Zainukov WDEC3 Kamil Magomedov
Welterweight Championship (-77.1 kg, 170 lbs.)
Alibeg Rasulov WDEC3 Ramazan Kuramagomedov
Middleweight Championship (-84 kg, 185 lbs.)
Gamzat Khiramagomedov WDEC3 Ramazan Gamzatov
Light Heavyweight Championship (-93 kg, 205 lbs.)
Magomed Ankalaev WTKO1 Nadyr Bulkadarov
Heavyweight Championship (+205 lbs.)
Amirkhan Isagadzhiev WTKO1 Georgy Sakaev
 
Information