Category Archives: mixed martial arts

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

INJURY POSTPONES BELLATOR MMA DEBUT OF JOSH KOSCHECK, PAUL DALEY-ANDY UHRICH PROMOTED TO MAIN EVENT BILLING

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RAPHAEL BUTLER-TONY JOHNSON SET TO CLASH ON MAIN CARD

 

ILIMA MACFARLANE-AMBER TACKETT ANCHOR ‘BELLATOR 148: DALEY VS. UHRICH’ PRELIMINARY CARD

 

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (January 6, 2015) – An injury sustained by Josh Koscheck (17-10) during training camp has derailed his Bellator MMA debut against Matt Secor (7-2), which was slated to be the main event of “Bellator 148” on January 29 at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif.

 

As a result, British knockout artist Paul “Semtex” Daley (37-13-2) against Andy Uhrich (11-5) will now serve as the headliner. Furthermore, a newly announced heavyweight encounter featuring Raphael Butler (9-1) against Tony Johnson (9-2) has been added to the main card.

 

The “Bellator 148: Daley vs. Uhrich” preliminary card is also continuing to take shape, with the news that Ilima Macfarlane (2-0) meets Amber Tackett(1-1) in flyweight action during a preliminary card that will stream LIVE on Bellator.com.

 

In addition to the aforementioned contests, Mason Fowler (2-0) meets Idrees Wasi (1-3) in welterweight action, Mark Dickman (10-2) takes on Thomas Diagne (5-5-1) at 145-pounds, and Paul Ruiz (6-2) fights Josh San Diego (5-1) in a bantamweight feature bout. Additional preliminary fights will be announced shortly, as will one final main card contest.

 

“Bellator 148: Daley vs. Uhrich” 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 Appat 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.

 

Macfarlane made a splash during her Bellator MMA debut back in August; defeating a game Maria Rios via split decision. The San Diego native is best known for her finish of Katie Castro during a regional event in the beginning of 2015, but she has made it clear during numerous interviews, as well as her performance inside the cage that she’s more than just some viral sensation. For a deeper dive on Macfarlane, look no further than these two pieces written by Bleacher Report and ESPN. Standing opposite of Macfarlane will be Tackett, who lives a short jaunt away from Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif., and has fought twice professionally since 2008.

 

2015 didn’t go as planned for Raphael Butler. The former professional boxer was forced to sit idle after Lorenzo Hood withdrew from their scheduled bout at “Bellator 141: Guillard vs. Girtz” shortly before they were supposed to enter the cage. But now it’s 2016, and the 31-year-old has big plans, beginning with his “Bellator 148: Koscheck vs. Secor” foe, Tony Johnson. Fresh off a victory against former Bellator MMA Heavyweight Champion Alexander Volkov, Johnson will once again look to implore his standout wrestling pedigree against a known striker to secure another victory.

 

Updated “Bellator 148: Daley vs. Uhrich” Fight Card

Bellator MMA Welterweight 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)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Feature Bout: Raphael Butler (9-1) vs. Tony Johnson (9-2)

 

Preliminary Card:

Bellator MMA Flyweight Feature Bout: Ilima Macfarlane (2-0) vs. Amber Tackett (1-1)

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 Smitley (9-7)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Feature Bout: Mason Fowler (2-0) vs. Idrees Wasi (1-3)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Mark Dickman (10-2) vs. Thomas Diagne (5-5-1)

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Feature Bout: Paul Ruiz (6-2) vs. Josh San Diego (5-1)

 

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

NEF TO OPEN 2016 WITH SPECTACULAR FIGHT CARD

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Lewiston, Maine (January 6, 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 full fight card for the event which will be the fight promotion’s first of 2016.

 

A pair of professional boxing bouts will be featured on the main card of the evening.  Joel “Baby Bull” Bishop (0-0-1) returns to action after more than a year’s absence to face MMA regular Crowsneck Boutin (0-0) in a light-heavyweight four-round bout.  Northeast Junior Welterweight Champion Brandon “The Cannon” Berry (10-1) will attempt to make it three wins in a row when he steps in the ring to face undefeated Tollison Lewis (2-0) in a six-round, non-title, super-welterweight contest.  Both Berry and Lewis are coming off wins in the boxing ring at “NEF XX” this past November.

 

The professional portion of the MMA card will be headlined by the long-awaited meeting between Bruce “Pretty Boy” Boyington (12-8) and Jon Lemke (5-3).  Dubbed “The Battle for Bangor,” with both men living and training in the Bangor, Maine area, Boyington’s NEF MMA Professional Lightweight Title will be on the line.  Number-one contender Lemke will be looking to capture the first championship of his MMA career.

 

The co-main event of the evening on the professional MMA card will see local Lewiston-Auburn favorite Jesse “The Viking” Erickson (6-4) taking on Devin Powell (4-1) in a lightweight matchup.  Powell returns to the NEF cage for the first time since May 2014, while Erickson will be looking for his fourth consecutive win in Lewiston.

 

A total of three title fights will headline the amateur MMA side of the card.  Young’s MMA standout Josh Harvey (5-1) defends his lightweight title against Florida’s Andrew “Ling-Ling” Tamayo (8-1).  Caleb Farrington (3-0) andRicky Dexter (4-2) will decide the first-ever NEF MMA Amateur Welterweight Champion, while Henry Clark (3-1) and Johnny Crafts (3-0) meet to determine the inaugural amateur bantamweight titleholder.

 

In addition, Erin Lamonte (5-0) and Randi Beth Boyington (1-2) are scheduled to face off in a women’s MMA bout.  It will be a rematch of a contest won by Lamonte at “NEF XX.”  Boyington’s supporters in the audience felt that the referee stopped the bout prematurely as Boyington was about to break out of, or had already broken out of, Lamonte’s armbar submission.  After much back and forth among their respective supporters on social media, the rematch is expected to settle the issue once and for all.

 

The full “NEF 21” fight card (subject to change):

 

PROFESSIONAL BOXING

 

148 Brandon Berry 10-1 (West Forks) vs Tollison Lewis 2-0 (CMBJJ)

175 Joel Bishop 0-0-1 vs Crowsneck Boutin 0-0 (Choi Institute)

 

PROFESSIONAL MMA

 

155*TITLE Bruce Boyington (c) 12-8 (Young’s MMA/Boyington’s TKD) vs Jon Lemke 5-3 (Team Irish)

185 Mike Hansen 3-2 (Berserkers MMA) vs Zach Elkins 0-1 (First Coast Full Contact)

155 Zenon Herrera 0-2 (Independent) vs CJ Ewer 0-0 (Young’s MMA)

155 Jesse Erickson 6-4 (CMBJJ) vs Devin Powell 4-1 (Nostos)

145 Derek Shorey 3-3 (Shatterproof Combat Club) vs Josh Lange 3-2 (Bombsquad)

125 Brandon Warne 0-1 (Bombsquad) vs Norman Fox 0-0 (MMA Athletix)

 

AMATEUR MMA

 

170*TITLE Caleb Farrington 3-0 (Lawton’s/NEU) vs Ricky Dexter 4-2 (Team Irish)

155*TITLE Josh Harvey (c) 5-1 (Young’s MMA) vs Andrew Tamayo 8-1 (F2 Arena)

135*TITLE Henry Clark 3-1 (Choi Institute) vs John Crafts 3-0 (Team NEU)

265 Dave Smith 2-0 (Berserkers MMA) vs Brendon Battles 1-0 (Gracie Fitness)

265 Gravin Guillen 2-4 (Independent) vs Matt Glover 0-0 (Berserkers MMA)

210 Ryan Glover 2-1 (Berserkers MMA) vs Mike Williams 1-0 (CMBJJ)

205 Matt McFarland 0-1 (First Class MMA) vs Zak Bergeron 0-0 (CMBJJ)

170 Adam Nielsen 3-0 (Team Irish) vs Ruben Redman 1-4 (Team Mass Effect)

155 Ken Dunn 0-3 (Maine Kyokushin Karate) vs Frank Johanson 0-0 (CMBJJ)

155 Chad Murillo 0-0 (First Class MMA) vs Tony Agust 0-0

145 Rafael Velado 2-0 (First Class MMA) vs Mike Pietersen 3-0 (Young’s MMA)

140 Erik Nelson 1-2 (CMBJJ) vs Julio Martinez 0-1 (Gracie Fitness)

135 David Thompson 1-1 (Shatterproof Combat Club) vs Caleb Costello 2-4 (Team Irish)

135 Richmond Pierce Wiegman 0-1 (First Class MMA) vs Clifford Redman 0-3 (Mass Effect)

125 Brent Ouellette 0-1 (CMBJJ) vs John Parker 0-2 (Team Nitemare)

125 Justin Witham 1-3 (Shatterproof Combat Club) vs Jake Denham 0-0 (Team Lawton/NEU)

120 Erin LaMonte 5-0 (Gracie Fitness) vs Randi Beth Boyington 1-2 (Boyington’s TKD/Young’s MMA)

265 Ras Hylton 0-0 (First Class MMA) vs TBD

 

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.

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT REMATCH PITTING FORMER CHAMPION EMANUEL NEWTON AGAINST LINTON VASSELL COMPLETES MAIN CARD OF ‘BELLATOR 149: SHAMROCK VS. GRACIE’

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SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (January 5, 2016) –The SPIKE-televised main card of “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” on Feb. 19 at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas is now complete, with the addition of a light heavyweight rematch featuring former Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight Champion Emanuel Newton (25-9-1) meeting Linton Vassell (15-5, 1 NC).

 

The fight joins 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.” In featherweight action, Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) will look to continue his torrid pace when he meets Daniel Pineda (21-11) and a pair of lightweight assassins go to battle, when Melvin Guillard (35-15-2) returns to meet Mike Bronzoulis (18-9-1). Preliminary contests will be announced shortly.

 

Tickets for this mixed martial arts extravaganza start at just $30 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.

 

Both Newton and Vassell were participants in the four-man, light-heavyweight No. 1 contender tournament at “Bellator MMA: Dynamite.” Now, the pair of 205-pounders will look to re-establish themselves atop one of the deepest and most competitive divisions in Bellator MMA.

 

A former champion, Newton will be making his 12th appearance for the Scott Coker-led promotion and hopes to duplicate the success he experienced at the expense of Vassell during “Bellator 130: Newton vs. Vassell” back in 2014. Better known as “The Hardcore Kid,” the 31-year-old has been half of some of the most memorable contests in Bellator MMA history, namely, his spinning-backfist finish of “King Mo” and his back-and-forth war with current Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight Champion Liam McGeary.

 

Undoubtedly one of the goals for Vassell in 2016 is finding his way onto the recently announced Bellator MMA debut in London later this year. For this to come to fruition, “The Swarm” surely needs to redeem himself from the fifth-round, rear-naked choke submission defeat he suffered at the hands of his“Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” opponent. February 19 will mark the seventh time Vassell has competed under the Bellator MMA banner and “The Swarm” will be looking to add to his impressive finishing mark of 13 stoppages in 15 victories.

 

 “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” Updated 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 (25-9-1) vs. Linton Vassell (15-5, 1 NC)

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

Bellator MMA Lightweight Feature Bout: Melvin Guillard (32-15-2) vs. Mike Bronzoulis (18-9-1)

mixed martial arts, MMA, World Series of Fighting

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING COMPLETES WSOF27 MAIN CARD WITH TWO NEW BOUTS FEATURING THREE UNBEATEN, RISING STARS

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Undefeated KO artist Jaleel “The Realist” Willis (pictured) will put his 5-0 record on the line against fellow unbeaten welterweight Chauncey Foxworth (2-0) at WSOF27 on Saturday, Jan 23, live on NBCSN from the FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn.

MAIN EVENT: CARLOS FODOR VS. MIKE RICCI
CO-MAIN: TEDDY HOLDER VS. SHAMIL GAMZATOV

LIVE ON NBCSN FROM FEDEXFORUM
IN MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 23
LAS VEGAS (January 5, 2016) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today that it has completed the live NBCSN televised (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT), main card portion of its inaugural event of the New Year that will also mark its debut at the FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn. on Saturday, Jan. 23, with two new bouts featuring three undefeated, rising stars.

In a lightweight (155 pounds) contest that will kick off the live NBCSN telecast of WSOF27, unbeaten Bryce “Thug Nasty” Mitchell will square off with Jorge Medina while, in a welterweight (170 pounds) matchup, Jaleel “The Realist” Willis and Chauncey “The Machine” Foxworth will put their respective, perfect records on the line against one another.

“We are looking forward to kicking off 2016 with another spectacular, action-packed fight card that is filled with our customary mix of established, name fighters and top level prospects that have been climbing the ranks of rival competitors in order to make it to the big show,” said World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo.

Bryce Mitchell vs. Jorge Medina

At just 21 years of age, Mitchell (4-0) of Searcy, Ark. is quickly gaining steam on the professional circuit and a reputation for being a considerable threat on the mat.  Since making his pro debut last January, he has produced first round submissions – three by way of rear-naked choke and the last by way of armbar – in all four of his starts.

As an amateur, Mitchell delivered similar results, earning all five of his victories between June 2013 and August 2014 by way of first round submission, en route to a near-perfect 5-1 record.

Mitchell’s opponent, Medina (4-2) of Nashville, Tenn., has also imposed his will on the canvas with phenomenal submission work, forcing his first three professional opponents to tap out from either strikes or from a rear-naked choke.

A product of Nashville MMA, the training camp that gave rise to notable stars such as Dustin Ortiz and undefeated Luke Sanders, Medina is looking to rebound from a second round (4:22) TKO (kicks) defeat at the hands of Pedro Gomes on March 28, 2015.

Jaleel Willis vs. Chauncey Foxworth

Willis (5-0) of Memphis is a former high school wrestling star who has carried his previous athletic success into the cage where he has been taken the distance of a fight just once over the course of five professional matchups.

Outside of the sole unanimous decision that he was the victor of, Willis has finished all of his adversaries inside of one round, and all with an onslaught of punches.

To date, Foxworth (2-0) of Hot Springs, Ark. has dominated similarly, scoring first round TKO’s in both of his efforts as a professional.  The 24-year-old competed as an amateur for nearly three years and 15 bouts, winning 7 of the contests by way of (T)KO or submission.

Tickets for WSOF27 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.

In the lightweight (155 pounds) main event, Mike “The Martian” Ricci will square off rival star Caros “The Future” Fodor.

The 29-year-old Ricci (11-4) of Montreal, Quebec, Canada is riding 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 WSOF25 quarterfinal stage tournament matchup on November 20, 2015.

Fodor (10-4) of Kirkland, Wash. is a 31-year-old protégé of Matt Hume and brother of fellow World Series of Fighting athlete Phoenix Jones, looking to notch his third consecutive win in his promotional debut after concluding a successful, four-fight run in Asia.

In the light heavyweight (205 pounds) co-main event, heavy-handed finisherTeddy Holder (9-2) of Bartlett, Tenn. will battle undefeated Shamil Gamzatov(9-0) of Makhachkala, Russia.

Gamzatov, the number two ranked light heavyweight in the Ukraine, has yet to be taken past the second round of a fight, while Holder has earned all nine of his professional career wins by way of (T)KO or submission.

The WSOF27 preliminary bout card will be announced soon.

For more information, visit fedexforum.com, ‘like’ FedExForum on Facebook or follow on Twitter (@FedExForum).
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

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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)