Category Archives: mixed martial arts

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

Nemkov decisions Puetz in exciting rematch Recaptures M-1 Challenge light heavyweight title   Emeev stops Fioravanti Retains M-1 Challenge middleweight crown   M-1 Challenge 63 OFFICIAL RESULTS

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New M-1 Challenge light heavyweight champion Viktor Nemkov is crowned
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (December 4, 2015) – In a much anticipated rematch, Viktor Nemkov recaptured the coveted M-1 Challenge light heavyweight title, winning a hard-fought five-round decision over defending champion Stephan “T-800” Puetz, in the M-1 Challenge 63 main event, at the Sports and Concert Complex in St. Petersburg, Russia.
In the co-feature, M-1 Challenge middleweight champion Ramazan Emeev successfully defended his crown, as American challenger Luigi “The Italian Tank” Fioravanti was unable to continue after four rounds.
M-1 Challenge middleweight champion Ramazan Emeev retained his title
Undefeated in four previous M-1 Global fights to date, Puetz (13-2-0, 5 KO/TKO, 4 SUB) captured the M-1 Challenge title 1 ½ years ago with an entertaining five-round split decision over defending champion Nemkov, who was making his first title defense after having defeated Vasily Babich (SUB2 – arm-lock) two years ago for the vacant title.
 
Puetz came into his rematch with Nemkov off a sensational SuperFight victory this past May against M-1 Challenge heavyweight champion Marcin Tybura, whose severely broken nose halted the action in the third round at M-1 Challenge 57.
 
Kazakhstan-native Nemkov, who fights out of Stary Oskol, Russia, had won two straight fights since he lost to Puetz, of Germany, including an impressive decision in his last action over always tough Maro Perak.
Two-time M-1 Challenge middleweight champion, Emeev (13-3-0, 3 KO/TKO, 6 SUB) is a native of Dagestan who fights out of Makhachkala, Russia.  He first won the M-1 Challenge championship in 2012 at M-1 Challenge 35, taking a decision from Mario Miranda, who Emeev defeated four months later by third-round knockout at M-1 Challenge 38. At M-1 Challenge 51, Emeev was stopped in the fourth round by Vyacheslav Vasilevsky, who lost the title back to Emeev by fifth-round submission this past April at M-1 Challenge 56.
Fioravanti (26-14-0, 10 KO/TKO, 7 SUB), representing American Top Team, is a popular fighter out of Orlando, Florida.  He was coming off a second-round win by submission (choke) last July against Sergey Kovalev at M-1 Challenge 59.
Georgian light heavyweight Raul Tutarauli (6-2-0, 5 KO/TKO, 1 SUB) registered a huge upset, knocking out Russian Alexey “Ataman” Makhno (10-4-0, 4 KO/TKO, 1 SUB) in the second round.
Russian light heavyweight prospect Rashid Yusupov (7-0-0, 2 KO/TKO, 2 SUB) remained undefeated, taking a three-round unanimous decision from German foe Martin “King Kong” Zawada (26-14-1, 16 KO/TKO, 5 SUB)).
Unbeaten featherweights Mikhail Korobkov (9-0-1, 1 KO/TKO, 6 SUB), of Russia, and Brazilian invader Rodrigo Magalhaes (7-0-1, 0 KO/TKO, 6 SUB) fought to a three-round draw.
In preliminary card action, veteran Ukrainian lightweight Alexander Butenko (39-11-2) and Russian featherweight Zalimbek Omarov (6-1-1) won three-round unanimous decision, respectively, over Heydar Mammadaleiv (8-2-0), of Azerbaijan, and Ukrainian Artem “Iron” Lezhnev (7-5-0).  Ruslan Shamilov (1-0-0) stopped Bulat Zhumabatov (0-1-0) in the second round (doctor’s stoppage) in a Super Cup St. Petersburg match between Russian middleweights.
Also fighting on the preliminary card, Russian middleweight Vasily Zubkov (9-4-0) won a hard fought three-round split decision from pro-debuting Uzbekistan-native Sarvar Iskhakov, fighting out of Russia, Russian welterweight Damila Prikaza (2-0-1) stopped experienced Ukrainian Artem “Shockwave” Shokalo (13-14-0), and Russian featherweight Mikhail Kuznetsov (5-1-0) defeated Ukrainian opponent Stanislav “White Warrior” Reutsky (8-5-) by way of a rear naked choke for a second-round submission.
Complete results and photo gallery below (all winners listed first):
 
MAIN CARD
M-1 CHALLENGE LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Viktor Nemkov (23-5-0), Russia
WDEC5
Stephan Puetz Puetz (13-2-0), Germany
(Nemkov recaptured M-1 Challenge middleweight title)
M-1 CHALLENGE MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Ramazan Emeev (13-3-0), Russia
Luigi Fioravanti (26-14-0), USA
(Emeev retain M-1 Challenge middleweight title)
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS
Rashid Yusupov (7-0-0), Russia
WDEC3
Martin Zawada (26-13-0), Germany
LIGHTWEIGHTS
Raul Tutarauli (5-2-0), Georgia
WKO/TKO2 (punches – 6:29)
Alexey Makhno, Russia
FEATHERWEIGHTS
Mikhail Korobkov (9-0-1), Russia
DRAW3
Rodrigo Magalhaes (7-0-1), Brazi
PRELIMINARY CARD
MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Ruslan Shamilov (1-0-0), Russia
WKO/THO2 (doctor’s stoppage – 2:15)
Bulat Zhumabatov (0-1-0), Russia
Sarvar Iskhakov (4-2-0), Russia
Vasily Zubkov (8-4-0), Russia
WELTERWEIGHTS
Damila Prikaza (2-0-0), Russia
WKO/TKO1 (punches – 2:15)
Artem Shokalo (13-14-0), Ukraine
LIGHTWEIGHTS
Alexander Butenko (39-11-0), Ukraine
WDEC3
Heydar Mammadaliev (8-2-0), Azerbaijan
FEATHERWEIGHT
Zalimbek Omarov (6-1-1), Russia
WDEC3
Andrey Lezhnev (8-5-0), Ukraine
Mikhail Kuzenetsov (4-0-0), Russia
WSUB2 (rear naked choke – 3:00)
Stanislav Reutsky (4-2-0), Ukraine
 
(L-R) Puetz vs. Nemkov
 
 (L-R) Puetz vs. Nemkov
 

(L-R) Nemkov vs. Puetz
 

(L-R) Fioravanti vs. Emeev
 

 

Emeev punished Fioravanti
Alexey Makhno & Raul Tutarauli
 

Andrey Lezhnev & Zalimbek Omarov
Bulat Zhumabatov & Ruslan Shamilov
 

Alexander Butenko vs. Heydar Mammadaliev
 

M-1 Challenge Medieval Knight Fight between Dmitry Kovrizhin & Evgeniy Bedenko
Rodrigo Magalhaes & Mikhail Korobkov fought to a draw
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Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

JOSH THOMSON STOPS PABLO VILLASECA IN ‘BELLATOR 147’ HEADLINER

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COMPLETE MAIN CARD PHOTO SELECTION HERE

 

SAN JOSE, CA. (December 4, 2015) – Josh Thomson’s (22-8, 1 NC) a mixed martial arts legend in San Jose and his “Bellator 147” effort against a young and promising prospect by the name of Pablo Villaseca (10-2) will only add to his career’s story.

A packed Event Center on the San Jose State University’s campus witnessed the “The Punk” utilize a plethora of skills en route to a finish of the Chilean fighter. Referee Jason Herzog officially called a stop to the action at 3:59 of the second frame, sending those in attendance into an uproar and pushing Thomson’s mark under the Bellator MMA banner to 2-0.

After the fight, Thomson made it clear that while a matchup against incumbent Bellator lightweight kingpin Will Brooks is enticing, he’s about the fans and the vast majority of fans he’s heard from want him to fight “Iron” Michael Chandler.

“Will Brooks is a great fighter man, and he has the belt,” Thomson said. “But, regardless of the gold around his waist, the fans want me to fight Michael Chandler and I fight for the fans.”

Bellator President Scott Coker has said he foresees Thomson returning to action in early 2016, and without fights scheduled for Chandler or Brooks as of print, another marquee lightweight contest could come to fruition sooner, rather than later. Watch the finish here.

Weichel Tops Karakhanyan, Hoping to Face Daniel Straus For the Title

 

In the featherweight co-feature bout of the evening, Georgi Karakhanyan (24-5-1) and Daniel Weichel (36-9) unleashed hard jabs and numerous round houses throughout a three-round thriller. The difference was Weichel’s ability to use his pinpoint accuracy to pepper away at his jab, putting an end to Karakhanyan’s night. In the end, “The Weasel” escaped with a split decision victory with scores of (30-27, 30-27, 30-27), and likely moved closer to another shot at the 145-pound champion. Watch the official decision here.

Anderson Outduels Freire Once Again, Inside the Bellator MMA Cage

 

A lightweight rematch between Patricky Freire (14-7) and Derek Anderson (13-2, 1 NC) came to a head tonight, with both men trading body blows and kicks for the 15 minute duration of their violent bout. In the end, “Barbaric” took home a split decision victory with judges’ scores of (29-28, 28-29, 29-28). The upset marks his second career win over Freire, after previously making his Bellator debut in a unanimous decision victory over Freire at “Bellator 98.”Take a look at some highlights here.

Piccolotti Wins Bloody Battle at the Expense of Soto

 

In a tightly contested battle between grappling experts Adam Piccolotti (7-0) and Mario Soto, (6-2) “The Bomb” remained undefeated after a second round rear-naked choke submission. Piccolotti sliced up Soto, opening up a significant cut over the right eye of the 29-year-old birthday boy. With blood squirting everywhere, “Dr. Mario” was forced to tap out at 3:25 of round two. Both Northern California fighters brought in a large contingent of hometown fans, but it was the Bay-area guy, Piccolotti, emerging victorious in the end, a product of landing 86% of his strikes thrown. Peep the gash on Soto’s head here.

Rogers Powers Past Zwicker in ‘Bellator 147’ Opener

 

During the opening contest on SPIKE, Brian Rogers (12-8) put an end to a two-fight skid in his debut at light heavyweight, opening fire with vicious ground-and-pound technique, mixed in with relentless hammer fists, which led to Virgil Zwicker (14-5-1) tapping out by arm-triangle submission at 4:38 of round two. “Rezdog” fought valiantly during his time inside the Bellator MMA cage, even withstanding a low blow earlier in the contest; but in the end, it was “B-Rog The Predator’s” night. Watch the video highlights here.

Preliminary Card Results & Photos:

A.J. McKee (3-0) defeated JT Donaldson (1-1) via knockout (knee) at 4:14 of round two WATCH FINISH HERE

Brandon Hester (3-0) defeated Idris Wasi (1-3) via unanimous decision (30-24, 30-25, 30-27)

Gabriel Carrasco (7-0) defeated Khomkrit Niimi (6-8) via technical knockout (elbows) at 3:19 of round one

Nick Barnes (10-1) defeated James Terry (16-8) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:48 of round one

Erick Sanchez (6-2) defeated Thomas Diagne (5-5-1) via technical knockout (punches) at 1:22 of round three

Jeremiah Labiano (9-3) defeated Alvin Cacdac (16-12) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Bronson Mohika (1-1) defeated Jose Perez (1-1) defeated via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Adin Duenas (3-1) defeated Anthony Taylor (0-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:43 of round one

Anthony Do (2-0) defeated Dustin Moore (0-1) via technical knockout at 2:05 of round one

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

MARCOS GALVAO MEETS EDUARDO DANTAS IN REMATCH FOR BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE AT ‘BELLATOR 150: GALVAO VS. DANTAS 2’ ON FEBRUARY 26

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ALSO: DAVID ‘THE CAVEMAN’ RICKELS RETURNS HOME

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (December 4, 2015) – Bellator MMA’s Bantamweight Championship will be on the line in a rematch pitting Marcos “Loro” Galvao (17-6-1) against former champion Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas (17-4) at Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kansas, on February 26.

 

In addition, hometown favorite, David Rickels (16-4, 1 NC) will return to action against an opponent that will be revealed at a later date. “The Caveman” always comes ready to put on a show, whether it’s on his way to the cage, or when he’s taking on a who’s who of Bellator MMA lightweight talent.

 

The main event, as well as Rickels’ fight will make up two of the televised contests at “Bellator 150: Galvao vs. Dantas,” which airs live on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream on Bellator.com at 7 p.m. ET. Additional fights will be announced shortly.

 

Tickets for “Bellator 150: Galvao vs. Dantas 2,” which start at just $27, go on sale next Saturday, December 12 at KansasStarEventCenter.com or Ticketmaster.com, as well as the Kansas Star Arena box office.

 

A rib injury sustained by Dantas during training camp forced him to withdraw from his previously scheduled title shot at“Bellator 144: Halsey vs. Carvalho.” Now fully recovered, promotional officials have rebooked the tilt.

 

“Loro,” who has fought for world-renowned promotions the likes of World Extreme Cagefighting and Shooto since 2003, will be competing for the 11th time under the Bellator MMA banner. The 34-year-old is presently in the midst of a four-fight winning streak and has emerged victorious in seven of his last eight scraps. In his last outing, Galvao finished Joe Warren at“Bellator 135: Warren vs. Galvao” via submission to win his first-ever championship.

 

Meanwhile, Dantas will be looking to duplicate the success he had against Galvao in their first meeting, which resulted in a second-round knockout at “Bellator 89.” The 26-year-old Nova Uniao product bounced back from his unanimous decision loss against Warren to dispel of Mike Richman in the same manner at “Bellator 137: Halsey vs. Grove.” The Bellator Season 5 Bantamweight Tournament winner is looking to call himself a two-time bantamweight champion come October 23.

 

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

M-1 Challenge 63 WATCH LIVE ON M-1GLOBAL.TV OFFICIAL WEIGHTS

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MAIN CARD

M-1 CHALLENGE LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP – 5 X 5
STEPHAN “T-800” PUETZ (13-1-0), Champion, Germany 204 ½ lbs. (92.9 kg)
VIKTOR NEMKOV (22-5-0), Challenger, Russia 205 lbs. (93 kg)

M-1 CHALLENGE MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP – 5X 5
RAMAZAN EMEEV (12-3-0), Champion, Russia 185 lbs. (84 kg)
LUIGI “The Italian Tank” FIORAVANTI (26-13-0), Challenger, USA 184 ½ lbs. (83.7 kg)
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
MARTIN “King Kong” ZAWADA (26-12-0), Germany 204 ½ lbs. (92.8 kg)
RASHID YUSUPOV (6-0-0), Russia 204 lbs. (92.7 kg)

LIGHTWEIGHTS – 3 X 5

ALEXEY “AtaMAN” MAKHNO (10-3-0), Russia 155 ½ lbs. (70.7 kg)
RAUL TUTARAULI (5-2-0), Georgia 156 lbs. (70.8 kg)
FEATHERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
MIKHAIL KOROBKOV (9-0-0), Russia, 145 lbs. (65.8 kg)                                    
RODRIGO MAGALHAES (7-0-0), Brazil 14 lbs. (65.5 kg)
PRELIMINARY CARD

M-1 CHALLENGE MEDIEVAL KNIGHT FIGHT LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
DMITRY KOVRIZHIN (4-0-0), Russia lbs. ( kg)
EVGENIY BEDENKO (7-1-0), Russia lbs. ( kg)
 
MIDDLEWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
RUSLAN SHAMILOV (pro debut), Russia184lbs. (83.5 kg)
BUTAT ZHUMABATOV (pro debut), Russia 185 lbs. (83.9 kg.)

SARVAR “Bek” ISKHAKOV (4-2-0), Russia 182 lbs. (82.6 kg)
VASILY “Vasia” ZUBKOV (8-4-0), Russia 183 ½ lbs. (83.4 kg)

WELTERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
ARTEM “Shockwave” SHOKALO (13-13-0), Ukraine, 170 lbs. (77.1 kg)
DAMILA PRIKAZA (1-0-0), Russia, 170 lbs. (77.1 kg)

LIGHTWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
ALEXANDER BUTENKO (38-11-0), Ukraine 154 lbs. (70 kg)
HEYDAR MAMMADALIEV (8-1-0), Azerbaijan 154 lbs. (70 kg)

FEATHERWEIGHT – 3 X 5
ANDREY “Iron” LEZHNEV (8-4-0), Ukraine 144 lbs. (65.6 kg)
ZALIMBEK OMAROV (5-1-1), Russia, 144 ½ lbs. (65.7 kg)
STANISLAV “White Warrior” REUTSKY (4-2-0), Ukraine 144 lbs. (65.3 kg)
MIKHAIL KUZNETSOV

(4-0-0), Russia 145 lbs. (65.8 kg)

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________
WHAT:             M-1 Challenge 63
 
WHEN:            Friday, December 4, 2015
                        
START TIMES: 11:00 a.m. (New York City), 7:00 p.m. (Moscow)
WHERE:           Sports and Concert Complex in St. Petersburg, Russia 1:30
PROMOTER:    M-1 Global
LIVE STREAM: WWW.M1GLOBAL.TV
 
M-1 Challenge 63 will be streamed live from St. Petersburg 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.
 
Fight Network will air M-1 Challenge 63 live on Cablevision’s Optimum TV, Grande Communications, Shentel Cable, Suddenlink Communications and Armstrong Cable in the U.S., as well as nationwide in Canada, Roku devices across North America, and globally in more than 30 countries throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
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mixed martial arts, MMA, NBC, World Series of Fighting

WSOF26: Tyrone Spong Injured, Five Undercard Bouts Announced

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Jake Heun (left) will square off with Clinton Williams in a WSOF26 preliminary card bout on Friday, Dec. 18.  Heun’s original opponent, Tyrone Spong, was forced to withdraw from the matchup due to injury.  Photo credit: Steve Bauzen/World Series of Fighting

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING
ANNOUNCES FIVE MATCHUPS FOR WSOF26 UNDERCARD
FRIDAY, DEC. 18 AT THE COSMOPOLITAN OF LAS VEGAS

TYRONE SPONG WITHDRAWS FROM WSOF26 DUE TO INJURY;
JAKE HEUN TO FACE CLINTON WILLIAMS 

Abubakar Nurmagomedov vs. Danny Davis, Jr. in welterweight undercard attraction
Hakeem Dawodu vs. Marat Magomedov in battle of undefeated featherweights
Andreas Spang vs. Shamil Gamzatov in light heavyweight matchup
Gil Guardado vs. Giga Chikadze in lightweight collision

Four-fight world championship main card airs live on NBCSN at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

LAS VEGAS (Dec. 2, 2015) – World Series of Fighting has announced five bouts for the preliminary card of its much-anticipated “WSOF26: Palmer vs. Almeida” world championship event at The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on Friday, Dec. 18, live on NBCSN, at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

In addition, an injury has forced Tyrone “King of the Ring” Spong to withdraw from his scheduled light heavyweight (205 pounds) co-main event bout with Jake Heun (7-4) of Coconut Creek, Fla., who will now face Clinton Williams (10-2) of Las Vegas in a preliminary card matchup.

The preliminary card will stream live in its entirety, on an embeddable video player on WSOF.com, beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.

Also featured on the undercard bill will be a welterweight (170 pounds) showdown between Abubakar Nurmagomedov, who will return to the decagon cage after a successful World Series of Fighting debut, to face Danny “Dee1” Davis, Jr.

Nurmagomedov (10-1) of Dagestan, Russia earned a unanimous decision overJorge Moreno at WSOF22 on August 1.  The bout marked the first time in his career that Nurmagomedov, whose previous nine victories all came by way of (T)KO or submission, required the judges’ scorecards to declare him the victor of a fight.

Davis Jr. (11-9-1) of Las Vegas is looking to return to the win column after a close, split decision loss to Matthew Frincu at WSOF23 on September 18, snapped a five-fight win streak that Davis, Jr. had been riding. The last three wins in Davis’ run all came under the World Series of Fighting banner.

In a light heavyweight (205 pounds) attraction, aggressive-minded finisherAndreas “Sweet Swede” Spang will battle undefeated wrecking machineShamil Gamzatov.

Fighting out of Las Vegas where he trains under guru “One Kick” Nick Blomgren, the 37-year-old Spang, who has earned six of nine career wins by way of (T)KO or submission, will enter the cage for the first time in 2015.  In his last effort, he notched a unanimous decision over J.A. Dudley on December 5, 2014.

Also making his first start of the year, the 25-year-old Gamzatov (9-0) of Makhachkala, Russia is the number four ranked light heavyweight in Ukraine.  To date, all of his victories have come by way of (T)KO or submission.

In a matchup between two fearsome, undefeated featherweights (145 pounds) rising stars, Hakeem “Mean” Dawodu will lock horns with Marat Magomedov.

Dawodu (5-0) of Calgary, Alberta, Canada is a 24-year-old protégé of renowned Muay Thai master Mike Miles and a five-time veteran of World Series of Fighting competition.  To date, Dawodu has scored (T)KO victories on all five of his opponents, including his last two adversaries – Tristan Johnson and Chuka Willis – whom he defeated by way of third round (1:59) TKO (punches) on February 12, and by way of second round (2:55) TKO (knees and elbows) on June 5, respectively.

Magomedov (7-0) of Dagestan, Russia is looking for his second win of 2015 after finishing Husanboy Ataghanov by way of first round (4:35) submission (rear-naked choke) on September 18.  The 25-year-old has been taken the distance of a fight only once, earning all six of his other career wins via submission.

In the opening WSOF26 preliminary card bout, Gil Guardado will mix it up withGiga Chikadze at lightweight.

Guardado (4-1) of Las Vegas is a 30-year-old member of Xtreme Couture’s fight team seeking his second win of the year after submitting Pete Martin with a guillotine choke in the first round (3:31) of their bout at WSOF22.  All four of Guardado’s wins to date have come by way of (T)KO or submission.

Chikadze (1-0) of Huntington Beach, Calif. via Tbisili, Georgia is a 27-year-old seasoned kickboxer who has twice competed for Glory where he holds a record of 1-1 and scored a first round KO on Ken Tran on May 8.

Priced from $29.99, tickets are available for purchase atwww.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com, www.WSOF.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

In the world championship featherweight main event, reigning kingpin Lance Palmer (10-1) will square off with submission expert Alexandre Almeida (17-5).

In other action on the four-bout, live NBCSN telecast, hard-hitting, rising star Ozzy Dugulubgov (7-2) will meet streaking submission ace Nic Herron-Webb (18-6) in a lightweight scrap.

Former World Series of Fighting championship challenger Josh “Gentleman” Hill (12-1) will collide with undefeated sensation Bekbulat Magomedov (16-0) in a bantamweight matchup.

Leading off the live NBCSN telecast will be a featherweight affair between accomplished KO artist Robbie “Problems” Peralta (18-6) who will make his World Series of Fighting debut against hard-hitting Muay Thai stylist Sheymon Moraes (7-1).

Doors at The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas will open for WSOF26 at 3 p.m. PT and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 3:30 p.m.

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.
Combate Americas, mixed martial arts, MMA

COMBATE AMERICAS HITS HOLLYWOOD!

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First U.S. Hispanic MMA franchise brings live televised
“Road To The Championship” fight series to Los Angeles on Wednesday, Dec. 16

“Sexy Mexy” faces “Kiko” Lopez in bantamweight main event
Ricky Palacios battles Anthony Paredes in bantamweight co-main event

Kyra Batara squares off with Liz McCarthy in women’s atomweight action

Live, four-fight NBC UNIVERSO telecast begins at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT

Tickets on sale now

NEW YORK – December 1, 2015 – Combate Americas, the first-ever U.S. Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise founded by Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) co-creator Campbell McLaren, today announced that it will make its debut in Los Angeles, Calif. with a stellar, nine-bout fight card at Florentine Gardens, live on NBC UNIVERSO, the modern entertainment and sports cable channel for Latinos, on Wednesday, Dec. 16 at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT.

“This event represents Combate Americas coming of age, and presenting a lineup that is second to none with a collection of the brightest up-and-coming Hispanic fighters in the U.S.,” said McLaren.

Priced from $40, tickets for “Premier Insurance Services and Aspira Mas Present Combate Americas: Road To The Championship Hollywood,” are on sale atwww.HollywoodFightNight.com.

In the bantamweight (135 pounds) main event of the live, four-fight telecast on NBC Universo, John “Sexy Mexy” Castaneda, fresh off his victory at the inaugural “Combate Americas: Road To The Championship” event in Las Vegas, Nev. on September 17, will square off with fellow striking sensation Federico “Kiko” Lopez.

The 23-year-old Castaneda (8-2), a seasoned striker who hails from Mankato, Minn., earned his third consecutive victory in the form of a unanimous decision over Justin Governale in the Combate Americas cage.

A 31-year-old member of Team Quest, Lopez (10-5) of Murrieta, Calif. is riding a five fight win streak, with four of those victories having come by way of either (T)KO or submission.

In the bantamweight co-main event, Combate Americas reality television series star and power puncher Ricky “El Gallero” Palacios will square off with dangerous scrapper Anthony Paredes of Murrieta.

Palacios (5-1), a 28-year-old resident of Mission, Texas who also boasts an unblemished professional boxing record of 2-0-1, scored a thunderous, first round (1:00) KO on Benji Gomez with a head kick at the “Combate Americas: Road To The Championship” event on September 17, while the 26-year-old Paredes, another member of Team Quest, is looking to return to the win column after suffering a loss in July that snapped a two-fight win streak.

In a featured women’s atomweight (105 pounds) attraction on the live telecast,Kyra “Mogwai” Batara will collide with “Lightning Liz McCarthy.

Fighting out of Las Vegas, Batara (3-3) is a 21-year-old protégé of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu guru Eddie Bravo.  During the “Combate Americas: Road To The Championship” event in Las Vegas, Batara pulled off a stunning upset win via unanimous decision over Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc, a former world championship challenger with five times as many professional bouts as Batara.

The 29-year-old McCarthy (2-3), also fighting out of Las Vegas, is a four-time veteran of Invicta FC, the world’s premier all-women’s MMA league.   Prior to her professional debut at Invicta FC 2 where she defeated Jessica Philippus by way of first round (5:00) TKO (doctor stoppage) on July 28, 2012, McCarthy amassed a perfect, 6-0 record as an amateur.

The live NBC UNIVERSO telecast will kick off with a featherweight (145 pounds) matchup between Urijah Faber protégé and prolific finisher Erick Sanchez (5-2) of Sacramento, Calif. and fellow rising star “Ruthless” Rudy Morales (3-3) of Las Vegas.

The complete, five-bout preliminary card for “Combate Americas: Road To The Championship Hollywood” will be announced soon.

Doors at Florentine Gardens open at 5 p.m. PT for the event, and the first preliminary bout will begin at 6 p.m.
Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, New England Fights

POPULAR DEMAND WINS OUT; IMMEDIATE REMATCH ORDERED FOR NEF 21

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Lewiston, Maine (December 2, 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 an amateur female strawweight fight to the MMA portion of the card.  Randi Beth Boyington (1-2) is scheduled to face Erin Lamonte (5-0).

 

The bout will be a rematch from “NEF XX” last month in Lewiston.  The previous fight ended with a first-round submission victory for Lamonte.  Veteran referee John English stopped the bout when it appeared as though Lamonte had an armbar locked in deep on Boyington.  Per the Unified Rules of Amateur MMA, as adopted in Maine, a referee is allowed to stop a bout on a technical submission to prevent injury to a fighter.

 

Shortly after English stopped the fight, Boyington popped out of the armbar and began to vehemently protest the call.  Her fans and supporters in the audience were incensed.  They contended that Boyington was in the process of breaking free of the hold, and therefore the fight should have continued.

 

“Before the next fight even made it to the cage, we had at least a half-dozen messages on our Facebook page demanding a rematch,” recalled NEF co-owner and promoter Nick DiSalvo.  “Our fans are passionate.  If the fans want it, and the fighters want it, then we will do a rematch.  It’s as simple as that.”

 

The February 6th rematch will not be the first time a Boyington has had the opportunity to avenge a controversial submission finish in the NEF cage.  Randi’s husband and trainer, current NEF MMA Professional MMA Lightweight Champion Bruce “Pretty Boy” Boyington (12-8), defeated John “First Class” Raio (2-8) earlier this year via second-round TKO.  That bout was a rematch of a February 2014 fight in which Raio submitted Bruce in a controversial stoppage by referee Jimmy Bickford.

 

Lamonte sees things quite differently, and is certain that she will defeat Randi for the second time at “NEF 21.”

 

“I’m excited to get back in there with Randi Beth for NEF 21,” said Lamonte.  “I submitted her in front of her fans once before, I sure don’t mind doing it again. This time I will lose the empathy factor as I see the ref circling, and I’ll just go at the finish 100%. She should be thanking me and the ref that she wasn’t maimed that night. I could be a poor sport and say a few things about Randi, as she and her fans have about me and the finish, but my mother taught me better than that.February 6th, I will prove, again, who the better fighter is in the NEF cage.”

 

I’m ecstatic to be closed in the cage with Erin Lamonte on Feb 6th,” exclaimed Randi Beth Boyington when reached for comment.  “I’ll be returning with a vengeance to correct a fight that was stopped too early. I’m looking to end this fight the way it should have ended on November 21st because my parents taught me: when you start something, finish it!”

 

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.

Fight Network, Judo, martial arts, mixed martial arts, wrestling

FIGHT NETWORK MMA, KICKBOXING, WRESTLING & JUDO PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE (Nov. 30-Dec. 6, 2015)

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(U.S. only schedules unless otherwise indicated. For full Canadian schedule, please visit tv.fightnetwork.com from your region.)
 
Fight Network is a 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports. It airs programs focused on the entire scope of the combat sports genre, including live fights and up-to-the-minute news and analysis for mixed martial arts, kickboxing, professional wrestling, traditional martial arts, boxing, fight news, as well as fight-themed drama series, documentaries and feature films.
Below find highlights of this week’s programming:

 

Monday, Nov. 30
6:00 p.m. ET — Global Wrestling Weekly – Host Scott Casber gives weekly news and analysis centering around the global wrestling scene, including interviews, features, the latest news and results, plus a look back at the past.
6:30 p.m. ET – Judo Zagreb Grand Prix Highlights – Highlights from the Judo Zagreb Grand Prix from May 1-3, 2015 in Croatia.
7:30 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.
9:00 p.m. ET – GFL Greatest Knockouts – Compilation show of boxing, MMA and kickboxing knockouts.
11:00 ET – 5 Rounds – Fight Network’s John Ramdeen and Robin Black invite special guests to breakdown the weekend of MMA action.
 
Tuesday, Dec. 1
12:00 p.m. ET – GFL Greatest Knockouts – Compilation show of boxing, MMA and kickboxing knockouts.
2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. ET – 5 Rounds – Fight Network’s John Ramadeen and Robin Black invite special guests to breakdown the weekend of MMA action.
5:00 & 5:30 p.m. ET – Xtreme Fighting Championship – Florida-based pro MMA featuring top American prospects, international stars and UFC veterans.
6:00 p.m. ET – 5 Rounds Today – Video podcast with John Ramdeen and Robin Black breaking down a wide variety of topics in the MMA world, including previews of upcoming events and all the latest rumors and headlines.
8:30 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.
9:00 p.m. ET – Fighting Spirit MMA Season 4 – Compilation of international fights from SFL, Legend, FFC, M-1 and others.
10:00 p.m. ET – Ring of Combat 50 – Featuring George Sheppard vs. Jeff Lentz, Phillipe Nover vs. Dan Cion, Julio Arce vs. Thomas Vasquez and Chris Piriz vs. Leo Muniz from Jan. 23, 2015 in Atlantic City,
NJ.
 
Wednesday, Dec. 2
5:00 p.m. ET – Texas Fight Night – MMA action from Texas featuring the Lone Star State’s top prospects in the cage.
6:00 p.m. ET – Best of Cage Rage – Featuring classic fights from the OK-based Cage Rage organization with Anderson Silva, Antonio Silva, Vitor Belfort, Paul Daley and others.
7:00 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra: MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and feature.
7:30 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.
8:00 p.m. ET – Cage Warriors Fighting Championships 63 – Featuring Stevie Ray vs. Ivan Buchinger for the lightweight title, plus Jim Alers vs. Graham Turner for the featherweight title from Dec. 31, 2013 in Dublin, Ireland.
10:30 p.m. ET – Cage Contender FanZone – A trip into the archives of the UK-based Cage Contender to relive the promotion’s best fights and highlights.
11:00 p.m. ET – MMA Meltdown with Gabriel Morency – Gabriel Morency breaks down all the happenings in MMA, discussing odds, predictions, plus special weekly guests and exclusive interviews.
11:30 p.m. ET – World Combat Games Day 1 Highlights – Highlights from Day 1 of the 2013 SportAccord World Combat Games from Oct. 19, 2013 in St. Petersburg, Russia,
 
Thursday, Dec. 3
1:30 a.m., 4:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. ET – TakeDown Wrestling – Extensive coverage of amateur wrestling events, including the latest news, behind-the-scenes coverage from events and exclusive interviews.
2:00 a.m. ET – Ultimate Challenge MMA 36: Kinslow vs. Chapman – Featuring Carl Kinslow vs. Nick Chapman from Oct. 5, 2013 in London.
6:00 p.m. ET – Championship Fighting Alliance – Pro MMA from Florida featuring the likes of Josh Sampo, Mike Kyle, John Howard, Sean McCorkie, Luis Palomino and others.
8:00 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra: MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and feature.
8:30 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.
9:00 p.m. ET – KSW 33: Khalidov vs. Materia – Featuring Mamed Khalidov vs. Michal Materia for the KSW middleweight title and Michael Kita vs. Karol Bedorf for the KSW heavyweight title from Nov. 28, 2015 in Krakow, Poland.
 
Friday, Dec. 4
12:00 a.m. ET — It’s Showtime Special – The world’s premier kickboxing organization featuring Badr Hari, Melvin Manhoef and Giorgio Petrosyan.
12:30 p.m. ET – M-1 Challenge 63: Puetz vs. Nemkov 2 – LIVE MMA from St. Petersburg, Russia, featuring Stephan Puetz defending his M-1 light heavyweight title vs. Viktor Nemkov.
5:00 p.m. ET – Fighting Rookies – Aspiring kickboxers climb the ladder of success in the sport as rookies compete for a chance to become professionals and get experience needed to succeed at a higher level.
6:00 p.m. ET – M-1 Challenge – Pro MMA from Europe featuring top rising prospects and international stars.
7:00 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra: MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and feature.
7:30 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.
8:00 p.m. ET – Toe 2 Toe with Luke Rockhold – Sitdown interview with current UFC star and former Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold.
8:30 p.m. ET – Hip Show: Arena Combat – Tag-team MMA inside a 12m vy 12m arena with three-level obstacle structures.
9:00 p.m. ET – KSW 28: Fighters’ Den – Featuring Karol Bedorf vs. Rolles Gracie for the KSW heavyweight title from Oct. 4, 2014 in Szcecin, Poland.
 
Saturday, Dec. 5
6:00 a.m. ET — Best of TKO – Featuring Shonie Carter vs. Jason MacDonald from TKO 21.
7:00 a.m. ET – Best of Gladiator Challenge – Featuring Joe Stevenson vs. Kai Kamaka from Gladiator Challenge 2.
8:00 a.m. ET – Best of SportFight – Top quality MMA from the Pacific Northwest.  Hosted by UFC veterans Matt LIndland and Chael Sonnen.  This episode features Brian Caraway and Ian Loveland in action.
5:00 p.m. ET – MMA Meltdown with Gabriel Morency – Gabriel Morency breaks down all the happenings in MMA, discussing odds, predictions, plus special weekly guests and exclusive interviews.
6:00 p.m. ET – Enfusion Live #34: Holland – Featuring Artur Kyshenko vs. Hicham El Gaoul, plus Ilias Bulaid vs. Houcine Bennoui for the Enfusion -67 kg world championship from Nov. 21, 2015.
8:00 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra: MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and feature.
8:30 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.
9:00 p.m. ET – M-1 Challenge 63: Puetz vs. Nemkov 2 – Featuring Stephan Puetz defending his M-1 light heavyweight title vs. Viktor Nemkov from Dec. 4, 2015 in St. Petersburg, Russia.
 
Sunday, Dec. 6
11:00 a.m. ET – Best of ADCC– Features compilations of the greatest grappling matches ever held, featuring Tito Ortiz, Matt Hughes, Eddie Bravo, Fabricio Werdum, Marcelo Garcia, Ronaldo Souza and Royler Gracie.
12:00 p.m. ET – Elite Muay Thai: Thailand vs. Challenger – The biggest Muay Thai series in the world featuring premium international stand-up fighters taking on the renowned Thailand National Team.
1:00 p.m. ET – Legend 3: Pour Homme – Featuring hybrid MMNA/kickboxing action from Milan, Italy, including Armen Petrosyan, Andy Souwer and Pavel Zhuravlev and Paul Daley from Apr. 5, 2014.
5:00 p.m. ET – Global Wrestling Weekly – Host Scott Casper gives weekly news and analysis centering around the global wrestling scene, including interviews, features, the latest news and results, plus a look back at the past.
5:30 p.m. ET – Judo Baku Grand Slam – Highlights from the Judo Baku Grand Slam from May 8-10, 2015 in Azerbaijan
6:00 p.m. ET – Fighting Spirit MMA Season 4 – Compilation of international fights from SFL, Legend FFC, M-1 and more.
Information:
Twitter & Instagram @fightnet
mixed martial arts

RIZIN FF Announces Tournament Brackets, Matchups for Eight-Man Heavyweight Tournament on December 29 and 31 

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Fighters comment on the highly-anticipated tournament that will award its winner a $300,000 grand prize

TOKYO, JAPAN (Nov. 30, 2015) –A drawing to determine the tournament brackets and first stage matchups for the RIZIN FIGHTING GRAND-PRIX 2015 eight-man, heavyweight tournament that will take place over the course of two days – December 29 and December 31 – and will award its winner a grand prize of $300,000, was held today in Tokyo.

BAMMA Heavyweight Champion Mark Godbeer, who had been scheduled to compete in the tournament, was forced to withdraw due to a neck injury sustained in training. BAMMA will announce a replacement fighter for the tournament soon.

Prior to the drawing, Chairman Nobuyuki Sakakibara stated, “This tournament will be the highlight of RIZIN. Fighters from around the world who are proud to represent their promotion and country, and are eager to use this platform to boost their career to make a name for themselves have gathered in the tournament. The majority of the media who gathered today may not know much about these athletes, but when K-1 first kicked off in 1993, nobody knew about Branko Cikatić or Mike Bernardo. The fighters who open up the new doors are those who exceed their expectations.”

The seven contestants slated for tournament action appeared at the press conference.  Each drew an envelope  numbered one through seven, and those who drew numbers one through four received the opportunity to choose their respective places in the tournament draw.

The first stage tournament matchups will be as follows:

Bout # 1: Lawal vs BAMMA fighter
Bout # 2: Aukstuolis vs Cappelozza,
Bout # 3  Ishii vs Prochazka,
Bout # 4: Reljic vs Nemkov.

A tournament reserve bout between Valentine Moldovsky and Yuta Uchida was also announced during the press conference.

Fighter Quotes:

– 1st Pick = “King Mo” Lawal – selected Slot A

“I am honored to fight for RIZIN. I am excited to showcase my skills in front of the Japanese fans and get the job done. I’m happy to be able to pick number one. I’m always number one. I’m in a position where others will pick me, my job is to crush whoever stands next to me.”

““I currently don’t have an opponent, but I’m sure that BAMMA will send a good fighter for me. But unfortunately whoever comes will get smashed so he better be prepared. I think Ishii made a smart choice by avoiding me and my bracket. Good for him.”

“That’s a lot of money! I’d buy a bunch of ice cream, some nice clothes, and go to Disney World and see a bunch of movies. I’d go to Vegas and party, and buy tons of gold accessories.”
– 2nd Pick = Teodoras Aukstuolis (BUSHIDO Europe Champion) – selected Slot C

“I am grateful to be given such an opportunity. At this level of competition, you have to be ready to fight anybody so I don’t care who my opponent will be. I believe in myself and am ready to fight anybody.”

“For me, becoming the champion in more important than the money. Money will follow as a result of being a true champion. My mind is set to win the tournament.”

“The reason why I am here is because I believe in myself. I will fight to represent my small country. My opponent has wild striking but there is no reason why I would lose. I will put on a show and come out victorious.”

– 3rd Pick =  Goran Reljic (Former KSW Light Heavyweight Champion) – selected Slot G

“I don’t care who fights me. My dream since I was a kid was to fight in Japan, and I am living the dream right now, my goal is to show my best performance on New Years Eve.”

“I like the matchup. I’ve been training with Sambo world champion Blagoi Ivanov and am familiar with the Sambo fight style. I know he comes from a great team, but I will be ready to take anything he has to offer so it will be a good fight.”

“I am living a childhood dream. I am more focused on continuing my journey on my dream to become a champion in Japan. I will think of what to do with the money once I achieve my goal.”

–  4th Pick = Satoshi Ishii (Beijing Olympics Judo Gold medalist) – selected Slot E

“Preparation is good. I will not feel that a fight is a fight, the battle on NYE has just begun.”

“My plan is to invest half of the prize money in gambling and will donate the rest.”

“This was a good offer that I could not turn down. An MMA tournament, Good opponents, good prize money. I don’t want to focus too much on winning the tournament because that will affect my mental game, so I will focus on one fight at a time.”

– 5th Pick = Bruno Cappelozza (Jungle Fight 100kg Champion) – selected Slot D

“I really don’t know any of the fighters here today, so I will choose my opponent and hope I’m lucky.”

“That type of big money will change my life and my family’s life. And also becoming a champion. Those two aspects will be huge accomplishments for me.”

“It has been my dream to fight in Japan. I do not know too much about my opponent, but I’m sure we will both be prepared for an exciting fight. I think this will be an excellent fight.”

– 6th Pick = Vadim Nemkov (MMA Union Heavyweight Champion) – selected Slot H

“I will be representing Sambo. I would like to show the beauty of Sambo and the art of Sambo.”

– 7th Pick = Jiri Prochazka (GCF Czech Light Heavyweight Champion) – selected Slot F“I am very excited to be able to show my skills in a country where the Samurai was born. I will not disappoint you.”

“Everybody here is tough. Since I will be fighting the hometown favorite, my fight will be gathering attention. I would like to use this opportunity and this challenge to become the next big thing.”

“It is so much money I do not know where to start. I believe that the money will come later. So as of now, my focus is to give it all I have to make RIZIN proud that they chose me for a participant.”

General Manager Nobuhiko Takada took the microphone after the drawing, “I am feeling a familiar, comfortable yet tense atmosphere right now. I am just excited to witness the birth of future stars. I hope Ishii can perform in a way where he will make us Japanese fans proud. Ishii’s first accomplishment was winning the gold medal, but we have not seen any outstanding results from him in MMA. I really hope he can use this opportunity to achieve the biggest accomplishment of his career.”
Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

BELLATOR MMA ANNOUNCES FIRST OVERSEAS EVENT TO TAKE PLACE AT PALA ALPITOUR IN TORINO, ITALY ON APRIL 16, 2016

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Coker and Di Blasi

Above: Scott Coker and Carlo Di Blasi

 

PARIS (Nov. 27, 2015) – Not even an entire month after announcing plans to host multiple international events in 2016, Bellator MMA has come out with a date and location for its first foray across the pond. Bellator MMA President Scott Coker joined Oktagon Kickboxing President Carlo Di Blasi in Paris this afternoon to announce a co-promoted event set to take place on April 16 at the Pala Alpitour in Torino, Italy.

The event will feature both Bellator MMA and Oktagon Kickboxing bouts, with the Bellator MMA portion airing in the United States on SPIKE. Exact broadcast information and fight card will be announced in the near future.  Tickets for the event will be available at www.oktagon.it beginning December 14th 2015.

“We are very excited to be working side by side with my friend Carlo Di Blasi and his team,” said Coker. “Carlo is a great ally, and someone who I admire for all of the amazing work he has done in combat sports throughout Europe over the past twenty years.  We look forward to putting on an amazing show for the Italian people, and fans tuning in from around the world when we combine our efforts on April 16 in Torino”

“Oktagon has had incredible success building a loyal and committed fanbase throughout Europe over the past twenty years,” said Di Blasi. “I know that these fans are going to really enjoy the exciting brand of MMA that Bellator offers when we partner with them on April 16.”

In conjunction with the fight announcement, Bellator MMA has signed one of Italy’s most notable mixed martial artists, Alessio Sakara (17-11, 2 NC MMA / 8-1 Boxing), who is expected to fight at the event. Sakara has competed as a middleweight, but recently returned to light heavyweight, scoring a TKO victory just 1:32 into his last outing this past September.  The tattooed striker has always performed well in front of his countrymen, going 6-0 in MMA and 6-1 in boxing when fighting in Italy, and looks to add onto that success next April.

Bellator has had a record-shattering year in 2015 with Coker at the helm, powered by several major events including “Bellator: Kimbo vs. Shamrock,” which generated 2.9 million viewers and “Bellator: Dynamite 1,” which set company records for attendance and gate. The event in Torino marks Bellator’s first-ever event overseas, but it won’t be the last. In addition to the Torino event, Bellator MMA has announced plans for additional international events in London and Israel slated for 2016.

Oktagon Kickboxing has been a mainstay in combat sports for 20 years now, officially founded in 1996.  Under the watchful eye of Di Blasi, the promotion has put on some memorable matchups throughout the years with top fighters including Bellator welterweight Paul Daley as well as The Petrosyan brothers (Giorgio and Armen), Robin Van Roosmalen, Valentijn Overeem, Rico Verhoeven and Artem Levin.