Category Archives: mixed martial arts

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

M-1 Challenge 61 Super Fight Featherweight champion Ivan Buchinger vs. Ex-lightweight champion Mansour Barnaoui Oct. 10 in Sochi, Russia

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PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
                       
                      Ivan Buchinger                                                            Mansour Barnaoui      
 
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (September 10, 2015) – M-1 Global has announced a Super Fight between M-1 Challenge featherweight champion Ivan “Buki” Buchinger and M-1 Challenge lightweight titlist Mansour “Tarzan” Barnaoui will headline M-1 Challenge 62, October 10,at The Ice Cube Curling Centerin Sochi, Russia.         
 
M-1 Challenge 62 will be streamed live from Sochi, Russia in high definition onwww.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register at www.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all of the action on their computers, as well as on Android and Apple smart phones and tablets.
 
 

Buchinger strikes Tural Ragimov in their 2014 title fight
 
Buchinger (29-4-0, 7 KO/TKO, 16 SUB), unbeaten in M-1 fights with a perfect 4-0-0 record, will be making the second defense of the M-1 Challenge title he captured October 17, 2014 at M-1 Challenge 52, when he stopped Tural Ragimov in the fourth round in their “Fight of the Night.”
 
Fighting out of Gabcikovo, Slovakia, Buchinger is riding an eight-right win streak, last losing nearly three years to Conor McGregor.  “Buki” successfully defended his crown this past April at M-1 Challenge 56, punching out Aliyar Sarkerov in two rounds.
 

Barnaoui celebrates his title-winning victory over Maxim Divnich
 
Barnaoui (12-2-0, 4 KO/TKO, 7 SUB), fighting out of Paris, won the M-1 Challenge lightweight championship in his last fight, knocking out Maxim Divnich in the opening round this past May at M-1 Challenge 57.  Barnaoui, who has vacated his lightweight title, has won his last four fights.
 
Also fighting on the card against an opponent to be determined is undefeated Russian light heavyweight Adam “Beard” Yandiev (8-0-0, 3 KO/TKO, 5 SUB), a rising MMA star who is a judo specialist.  In his last fight at M-1 Challenge 58, Yandiev defeated previously undefeated (7-0-0) Valdas Pocevicius in the first round via a choke hold.
 Yandiev’s hand is raised in victory at his last fight vs. Pocevicius
Fights and fighters are subject to challenge.  Additional bouts will soon be announced.
Fight Network will air M-1 Challenge 62 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.
Upcoming Event:  M-1 Challenge 61, September 19, 2015 in Ingushetia, Russia.
Information

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mixed martial arts, World Series of Fighting

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING ADDS PROMINENT SPORTS, ENTERTAINMENT & MEDIA EXECUTIVES MARK FORD, MIKE STEVENS & JOHN WEISER, TO LEAD ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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LAS VEGAS (Sept. 9, 2015) –World championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today the addition of three prominent industry leaders in sports, entertainment and media, respectively, to lead its Board of Directors. Joining the Board, effective immediately, are Mark Ford (Executive Vice President, Global Advertising for Time Inc.), Mike Stevens (Senior Vice President/Chief Marketing Officer, New York Football Giants, Inc.) and John Weiser(President, U.S. Distribution for Sony Pictures Television).

“We are thrilled to add the diverse sports, media, and brand building expertise that Mark, Mike, and John bring to our Board as we look to continue to grow as a premier destination for MMA fans and sponsors alike,” said CEO, Carlos Silva.

In his role EVP, Time Inc. Global Advertising Sales, Ford works across Time Inc.’s brands to drive overall advertising sales revenue for the company and to build on their leadership in the marketplace. Ford previously served as EVP and President of Time Inc’s Sports Group, where he was responsible for the global business development and operations of Sports Illustrated, SI For Kids, Golf and popular brand franchises including the SI Swimsuit issue.

Stevens, the New York Giants first-ever CMO, has a strong track record of growing businesses through innovative corporate partnerships, live events, multi-platform media and innovative activations. He has led the team’s transformation to become a leader in team business performance while also successfully building, marketing and selling the largest privately funded stadium in the world, MetLife Stadium. Stevens brings extensive sports industry experience to the World Series of Fighting with prior roles at eBay Sports and the National Basketball Association.

As President of U.S. Distribution for Sony Pictures Television, Weiser oversees all domestic sales operations including sales of features films produced by Sony Pictures, first-run and off-network syndicated programs and Sony Pictures library titles to U.S. broadcast networks, cable networks and television station groups along with video-on-demand, subscription video-on-demand and domestic pay television.

The World Series of Fighting cards air exclusively on NBC Sports Network and NBC. Its next fight card, WSOF 23 Gaethje vs. Palomino, is headlined by this exciting Lightweight rematch scheduled for Friday, Sept. 18 at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT from Comerica Theater in Phoenix, AZ.

About “World Series of Fighting” (WSOF)
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a world wide 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. Follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and “World Series of Fighting” President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.
mixed martial arts, World Series of Fighting

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING SIGNS CAROS FODOR AND COREY DEVELA TO EXCLUSIVE PROMOTIONAL AGREEMENTS

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LAS VEGAS (September 10, 2015) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today that it has inked another pair of recognized stars – lightweight (155 pounds) Caros “The Future” Fodor and middleweight (185 pounds) Cory “The One” Devela – to exclusive, multi-year agreements.  Each athlete’s promotional debut will be announced soon.

Fodor (10-4) of Kirkland, Wash. joins his brother, rising star and costumed crime fighter Phoenix Jones aka Ben Fodor, on the World Series Fighting roster.

“Caros and Cory are two seasoned and accomplished stars in their respective weight classes, so it is a pleasure to welcome them aboard,” said World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo.

“With our roster of stars,” said Sefo, “and our schedule of live events and television programming all growing rapidly, this is a more exciting time than ever for World Series of Fighting, and we are delighted to be able to have more and more established talent like Caros and Cory be a part of what we are building.”

The 31-year-old Fodor, a protégé of famed trainer Matt Hume, has won three of his last four bouts that took place over the course of a two-year stint competing in Asia.  Fodor put himself on the map in 2010 after signing with Strikeforce and reeling off five consecutive victories on national television while competing for the now-defunct, former number two promotion in the world.

Fodor boasts a 70 percent finish rate, having earned 5 of his 10 career wins by submission and 2 wins by (T)KO.  Since he began his career as an amateur 10 years ago, he has not suffered a knockout.

Also 31 years old, Devela (15-6) of Bonney Lake, Wash. is coached by wrestling guru and MMA submission ace Dennis “Superman” Hallman.  Like Fodor, he established his name at a young age by competing against top-level competition on a major stage.

Devela, who will look for his fourth consecutive victory after earning a unanimous decision over superstar Nick Ring on June 26, produced one of the memorable moments in Strikeforce history when he stopped Joe “Diesel” Riggs with a vicious body slam in the first round (1:22) of their matchup on February 23, 2008.

Live World Series of Fighting action returns to NBCSN on Friday, Sept. 18 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT with the much-anticipated “WSOF 23: Gaethje vs. Palomino II” world championship doubleheader event that will be headlined by a world lightweight championship rematch between reigning kingpin Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje(14-0) and hard-hitting rival Luis “Baboon” Palomino (23-10).

About World Series of Fighting (WSOF)
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF.com) is a world wide 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. Follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and “World Series of Fighting” President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.
mixed martial arts, WMMAA

WMMAA & Battle Brotherhood partner to launch World Alliance To support global military brotherhood

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PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
 
MMA Fighters, celebrities & politicians join forces 
To honor service members at gala celebration this 
Friday night in Miami 
MIAMI (September 8, 2015) Miami, Florida – World MMA Association (WMMAA) and Battle Brotherhood (BB) this Friday in Miami will launch, World Alliance, an international initiative to support and honor service members and their families. The initiative aims to educate, challenge, and spark action from all sectors of every society – citizens, communities, businesses, nonprofits, philanthropic organizations, and government – to ensure military families have the support they have earned.
World Alliance is spearheaded by WMMAA vice president Tomas Yu, who also is WMMAA Pan-American president, and BB president Iskander Galiev, who have been leaders in supporting international combat military families and advocating for their priorities. World Alliance will address the unique challenges and needs of combat military families. Building on this groundwork, the initiative will focus on key priority areas like employment, education, and wellness, while engaging in a comprehensive effort to raise awareness about the service, sacrifice, and needs of combat military families.
Both organizations recognize and serve all combat military families who, like their loved ones in uniform, serve and sacrifice so much so that we can live in freedom and security,” Yu said. “This is a challenge to every segment of every society not to simply say thank you but to mobilize, take action and make a real commitment to support military families.”
“There are so many ways that every society member can lend a hand and make a difference,” Galiev explained.  “I have met individuals and groups across continents who are supporting troops and their families and showing all citizens that there are countless ways to help -some large and many small. But all important. And I can tell you from personal experience, all is appreciated. That is why we are here today and why the WMMAA and Battle Brotherhood are trying to rally communities to join us.”
Strengthening the quality of life military families, veterans, and survivors of the fallen and address some of the issues, like the financial challenges that confront military families by working with the business community to make it easier for veterans and their spouses to build a career.
“We’re here today because these Heroes in uniform have never served alone. NOT yesterday, NOT today and NOT tomorrow,” Yu added. “Behind every uniform stands a wife or husband; a mother, a father; a son or daughter; a sister or brother. These families – these remarkable families – are the force behind the force.”
“I have always said we have lots of obligations as nations but only one truly sacred moral obligation to this brotherhood: to prepare and protect those we send into harm’s way, and to give them every bit of care they, and their families, need when they return,” Galiev noted.
World Alliance has made battle brotherhood and military families a priority across the world, but the alliance recognizes that this can’t be the work of one government alone. Our alliance will reach out broadly to include commitments and efforts from outside international governments across many different sectors. As an initial step, World Alliance is working with leading employers, non-profits and media companies to kick off World Alliance with meaningful commitments to address military family’s unique needs in employment, education, wellness and public awareness.
Commitments also include public awareness activities to ensure that the world knows more about the unique challenges and needs of military families and their strength, resilience and service. We are developing an initiative enabling people to honor military families by making pledges of service. As part of the initiative,www.BattleBrotherhood.com will provide ways for all to step up and show their gratitude to service members and their families worldwide. Visitors can send messages of thanks, find opportunities to get involved and share stories of service. The website will highlight government support and the outstanding citizens, communities, and businesses that are serving international military families.
The official World Alliance launch will be held this Friday (Sept.11) with a gala celebration at Newport Beach Resort in Miami, Florida. Doors open at 8:00 p.m. ET. For additional call (305) 305-0123 or visit www.battlebrotherhood.com.
Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

‘IRISH’ BRENNAN WARD TO DEFEND HIS HOMETURF AGAINST DENNIS ‘THE MENACE’ OLSON AT BELLATOR 144

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SANTA MONICA, Calif. (September 8, 2015) – “Irish” Brennan Ward (11-3) will compete for the third time in 2015 when he meets Dennis “The Menace” Olson (14-9) in a welterweight contest at “Bellator 144: Galvao vs. Dantas 2,” which emanates from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., on October 23.

 

The bout will take place during the main card of “Bellator 144: Galvao vs. Dantas 2,” which will be televised live on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream on Spike.com at 7 p.m. ET.

 

The main event of “Bellator 144: Galvao vs. Dantas 2” features an exciting rematch for the bantamweight title fight between champion Marcos Galvao (17-6-1) and his former training partner Eduardo Dantas(17-4). In the co-feature, Brandon “Bull” Halsey (9-0) will look to regain the vacant Bellator MMA Middleweight Title when he takes on Rafael Carvalho (11-1).

 

Tickets for “Bellator 144: Galvao vs. Dantas 2,” which start at just $25, are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com and the Mohegan Sun Arena box office. Doors for the event open at 6:00 p.m. ET local time, and the first contest takes place shortly after.

 

Ward is fresh off an ESPN Top-10 first-round knockout of Roger Carroll at “Bellator 140: Lima vs. Koreshkov,” his second consecutive victory. “Irish” has competed in his home state of Connecticut on three-straight occasions, but the crowd may be torn as he faces Olson, who also calls the New England area his home.

 

Olson fought valiantly against Paul Daley this past July, but ultimately was defeated in his third appearance under the Bellator MMA banner. “The Menace” has finished 10 of his 14 wins as a professional and will also be competing for the third time in 2015.

 

Bellator 144: “Galvao vs. Dantas 2” Updated Card

 

Main Card: (Spike – 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT)

Bellator Bantamweight Championship Fight: Marcos Galvao (17-6-1) vs. Eduardo Dantas (17-4)

Bellator Middleweight Championship Fight: Brandon Halsey (9-0) vs. Rafael Carvalho (11-1)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Brennan Ward (11-3) vs. Dennis Olson (14-9)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Michael Page (8-0) vs. TBA

 

About Bellator MMA

Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike, the MMA television leader.  Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.  Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

 

About Spike:

Spike is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks.  A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.  Spike’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press.  Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

 

GFL.TV, mixed martial arts, UFC

STAR-STUDDED UFC 191 EVENT TO FEATURE SEVEN GFL ALUMNI ON SATURDAY, SEPT. 5

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Seventeen archived fights featuring
Jimi Manuwa, Paige VanZant,
Paul Felder and three other UFC 191 stars
available for viewing on GFL.tv

NEW YORK, NY (Sept. 3, 2015) – The highly-anticipated UFC 191 world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event that takes place on Saturday, Sept. 5, will feature seven athletes whose early career fights were covered by Go Fight Live (www.GFL.tv), and are available for viewing in their entirety, in video on demand (VOD) format on the world’s premier online destination for live combat sports.

Three of the stars – Jimi “Poster Boy” Manuwa, Jan Blachowicz and Paige VanZant – will see action on the live pay-per-view telecast of the UFC 191 main fight card, while two others – Paul “The Irish Dragon” Felder and “Cassius” Clay Collard – will do battle on the FOX Sports 1 televised portion of the event’s preliminary bout card and the remaining two – Joe “Diesel” Riggsand Ron “The Choir Boy” Stallings – will face off against each other on the UFC Fight Pass-live streamed portion of the preliminary bout card.

“This Saturday’s UFC 191 fight card, which is stacked with some of the best fighters in the world, is another testament to the incredible talent that has risen from the ranks of our promotional partners that have put on some of the best combat sports action seen anywhere,” said GFL CEO David Klarman.

“We are thrilled to see how the careers of these seven fighters have taken off, and encourage fans to check out some of the fights that helped mold them into who they are today.”

The GFL library contains a total of 16 complete bouts, including 8 (T)KO’s and 2 submissions, featuring 6 of the 7 alumni who will step in the UFC’s Octagon on Saturday.

GFL distributes over 350 live events annually across all genres of combat sports.  Approximately 60 percent of its video content is MMA action featuring action from Ring of Combat (ROC), Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC), BAMMA USA, Rage In The Cage (RITC) and a host of other promoters that have collectively sent hundreds of athletes to the UFC, World Series of Fighting and Bellator, the three largest MMA sports franchises in the world.

About GFL:
GFL (www.gfl.tv) is a fast-growing media and sports entertainment company that utilizes a proprietary technology to deliver the most exciting LIVE combat sports events worldwide and an incredible viewing experience to a global audience.  With a diverse mix of combat sports properties, GFL is the premier online destination for live boxing, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Muay Thai, kickboxing, Jiu-Jitsu and more.  Since its inception in 2007, GFL has streamed more than 2,500 live events with over 10,000 hours of combat sports content.  In addition to its web platform, GFL is available on Roku, IPhone, IPad, as well as other internet ready devices, and broadcasts a weekly, two-hour, syndicated fight TV show on CSN, TCN and SNY, as well as live pay-per-view events directly to iN DEMAND.
Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

4 PRELIMINARY BOUTS ANCHORED BY RYAN COUTURE VERSUS NICK GONZALEZ COMPLETES ‘BELLATOR 143: WARREN VS. DAVIS’ ON SEPTEMBER 25

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SANTA MONICA, Calif. (August 24, 2015) – Four fights have been added to the preliminary portion of “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis” on September 25 at State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas, with the addition of Ryan Couture (10-3) versus Nick “The Ghost” Gonzalez, (18-12) as well as three other preliminary scraps.

 

The remaining fights round out a stacked card that also includes: Abram Torres (3-3) taking on Daniel Cervantes (2-3), Saul Elizondo (6-5) returning to action against Amador Ramirez (4-4) and undefeated Steve Garcia (5-0) meeting Eduardo Bustillos (4-1).

 

The contests will take place during the prelims of “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis,” which airs live on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while the opening portion of the event will stream on Spike.com at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT.

 

Tickets for “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis,” which start at just $20, are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com and the State Farm Arena box office. Doors for the event open at 5:00 p.m. CT local time, and the first contest takes place shortly after.

 

Currently engrossed in a four-fight winning streak, including his first two contests with Bellator MMA, Ryan Couture will look to remain undefeated in 2015. The son of MMA legend Randy Couture, the former Strikeforce competitor has finished all of the aforementioned wins via rear-naked choke submission.

 

Couture will go up against Gonzalez, who you can call a true Bellator MMA veteran. “The Ghost” competed at the promotion’s inaugural event back in 2009 and then again at Bellator 6. With 30-fights to his name, the Austin, Texas native will compete professionally for the first time in nearly two years.

 

In a battle of 170-pounders, Torres will look to end a two-fight losing when he faces Cervantes on September 25. Cervantes has won his only fight in 2015, a unanimous decision win on May 29.

 

Elizondo and Ramirez will square off in bantamweight action. Both men will be making their Bellator MMA debuts.

 

Finally, undefeated Steve “Mean Machine” Garcia will look to add to the impressive start to his pro career when he meets Eduardo Bustillos. The 23-year-old has already notched three wins under the Bellator MMA banner and has finished four out of five bouts. Bustillos is no slouch, having ended three of his four wins via submission.

 

“Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis” Updated Fight Card

 

Main Card: (Spike – 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT)

Bellator Bantamweight Feature Fight: Joe Warren (12-4) vs. L.C. Davis (23-6)

Bellator Middleweight Feature Fight: Joey Beltran (16-11, 1 NC) vs. Kendall Grove (21-15, 1 NC)

Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Henry Corrales (12-1) vs. Emmanuel Sanchez (10-2)

Bellator Heavyweight Feature Fight: Vinicius Queiroz (7-3) vs. Ewerton Teixeira (3-0)

 

Preliminary Card: (Spike.com – 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT)

Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Ryan Couture (10-3) vs. Nick Gonzalez (18-12)

Bellator Heavyweight Feature Fight: Dan Charles (9-3) vs. Chase Gormley (12-4, 1 NC)

Bellator Bantamweight Feature Fight: Darrion Caldwell (7-0) vs. Shawn Bunch (4-1)

Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Gleristone Santos (27-4) vs. John Teixeira (18-1-2)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Jose Flores (3-0) vs. Guillermo Gonzalez (3-0)

Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Guilherme Farias da Costa (3-0) vs. Jared Chaffe (4-1)

Bellator Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Bryce Mejia (3-0) vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan (3-0)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Abram Torres (3-3) vs. Daniel Cervantes (2-3)

Bellator Bantamweight Feature Fight: Saul Elizondo (6-5) vs. Amador Ramirez (4-4)

Bellator Bantamweight Feature Fight: Steve Garcia (5-0) vs. Eduardo Bustillos (4-1)

About Bellator MMA

Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike, the MMA television leader.  Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.  Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

 

About Spike:

Spike is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks.  A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.  Spike’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press.  Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, New England Fights

JOHN RAIO THRIVING IN RETIREMENT WITH A FIRST CLASS TEAM

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Lewiston, Maine (September 3, 2015) – New England Fights (NEF), America’s number-one regional fight promotion, will hold its nineteenth mixed-martial-arts (MMA) event, “NEF XIX,” on Saturday, September 12, 2015 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine.  The fight card will feature three members of First Class MMA in action that night. Hannah Sparrell (0-0), Rafael Velado (0-0) and Nick Shea (1-0) from the Brunswick, Maine-based gym.  Recently, First Class MMA founder and head coach John “First Class” Raio joined NEF co-owner and matchmaker Matt Peterson as the guest on the NEF Podcast.

 

This past June, 38-year-old Raio retired after competing in the NEF cage for some three-and-a-half years.  Raio now concentrates on training the members of his First Class MMA gym, including preparing Sparrell, Velado and Shea for their upcoming bouts.

 

“I definitely can put a lot more time into my fighters as well as my family,” said Raio.  “The fighters, I can put a lot more time into them because it’s not all about me.  When you’re fighting, when you’re training for a fight, no matter how much you try to focus on Nick Shea or Nick Gully or Hannah Sparrell or Rafael or any of our fighters, you can’t really put 100% effort into a fighter when you really focus on your own fight.  It’s tough splitting between their fight and your fight and your job, your family and your kids.”

 

Since the birth of NEF in early 2012, and the subsequent explosion of the sport’s popularity in the state, many new gyms have sprung up in recent years, including First Class MMA.  Raio enjoys, more than anything else, the tight-knit, family-like atmosphere that has developed at the facility since he opened the gym.

 

“The biggest thing I like about our gym, I enjoy going and being a part of, is there’s a very humble group of students and instructors,” noted Raio.  “Everyone who teaches in there is about the fighters.  It’s about the students.  They’re not about themselves.  They’re more about trying to help people get better.  Whether they’re a fighter or a teacher, we have a few teachers who go there and we have several women students and several children and adults.  It’s a real good mix and very much a family atmosphere.  We rarely lose a student.”

 

The “First Class” moniker is not merely a nickname given to Raio because of his past job with the postal service.  Early on in his MMA career, Raio earned the reputation of a respectful, classy, professional, likeable individual, hence the pun in his nickname.  Those same qualities have carried over to the students of First Class MMA.

 

“I try to treat everybody equally,” said Raio.  “I try to treat everyone respectfully.  I think a lot of those guys (at the gym), in turn, treat each other respectfully.  If I ever have an issue with a student, if they’re not acting respectful to the instructors or the other students, I’ll pull them aside and if they have to leave then they have to leave.  That’s part of life… Our gym attracts, for some reason, people who are just nice people.”

 

With more and more new students coming through his gym’s door, Raio has definitely kept busy since his retirement from active competition.  Like a proud father, Raio has a real passion for the success of his students.  The ultimate reward for him is seeing his protégées do well in the cage.

 

“After the last show (NEF XVIII), when I saw Nick (Gulliver, 1-0) have his arm raised and Rob (Robinson, 1-0), I was so happy for those guys,” recalled Raio.  “I’m so happy to see these two guys win.  As much as I didn’t come away with a win against Bruce (Boyington, 10-8), I said ‘if we go 2-1, I’d rather be the one that didn’t pull off the victory.’  I’ve never been as happy for my own win than I was for Nick and Rob that night.”

 

To learn more about First Class MMA, you can visit the team’s Facebook page “First Class Fitness & MMA.”

 

You can listen to the NEF Podcast in its entirety atwww.NewEnglandFights.com/Podcasts/.

 

New England Fights’ next event, “NEF XIX,” takes place on Saturday, September 12, 2015 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine.  Tickets for “NEF XIX” start at just $25 and are on sale now at www.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisee 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, World Series of Fighting

BARRY PINCUS JOINS WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING AS CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICIER (CFO)

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Pincus previously served as CFO for IMG Artists, the New York Yankees and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, among others

LAS VEGAS (Sept. 3, 2015) – World championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today the addition of Barry Pincus as its’ Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Pincus brings with him over 20 years of experience serving as a Senior Executive/CFO of major sports and entertainment brands including IMG Artists, the New York Yankees and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.

“Barry is a terrific addition to the World Series of Fighting management team, bringing a wealth of knowledge and financial experience, as well as a dynamic approach to brand development to our growing sports property,” said CEO, Carlos Silva.

Pincus most recently served as CFO for IMG Artists (2012 – 14), the global leader in performing arts management, tours, festivals, events and consulting. Prior to IMG Artists, Pincus worked in a variety of senior-level management and consulting roles for over a decade including leading brand development for Dennis Publishing for seven years. His impressive career in financial management includes serving as CFO/VP of Finance for one of the crown jewels in sports; the New York Yankees (1991 – 97), as well as serving as CFO for media conglomerate Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (1997 – 99).

The World Series of Fighting cards air exclusively on NBCSN and NBC. Its next fight card, “WSOF 23 Gaethje vs. Palomino,” is headlined by this exciting lightweight rematch scheduled for Friday, Sept. 18 at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT from Comerica Theatre in Phoenix, AZ.

About “World Series of Fighting” (WSOF)
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a world wide 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. Follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and “World Series of Fighting” President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.
Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

UNDEFEATED DARRION ‘THE WOLF’ CALDWELL MEETS SHAWN ‘BUNCH THE GREAT’ BUNCH AT ‘BELLATOR 143: WARREN VS. DAVIS’ ON SEPTEMBER 25

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CHASE GORMLEY MAKES HIS BELLATOR MMA DEBUT AGAINST DAN CHARLES

  

 

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (September 2, 2015) – Not one, but two must-see bouts have been added to the preliminary portion of “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis” on September 25 at State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas, with the addition of undefeated Darrion “The Wolf” Caldwell (7-0) versus Shawn Bunch (4-1) and heavyweight action seeing Chase Gormley (12-4, 1 NC) against Dan “The Man” Charles (9-3).

 

The contests will take place during the prelims of “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis,” which airs live on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while the opening portion of the event will stream on Spike.com at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT.

 

Tickets for “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis,” which start at just $20, are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com and the State Farm Arena box office. Doors for the event open at 5:00 p.m. CT local time, and the first contest takes place shortly after. Additional preliminary bouts will be announced shortly.

 

Caldwell remained undefeated with an impressive unanimous decision win over Rafael Silva at “Bellator 137: Halsey vs. Grove.” The standout collegiate wrestler has made it clear that he hopes to have Bellator MMA championship gold on his mantle before the year is out. “The Wolf” plans to remain at bantamweight for the foreseeable future even though he was unbeaten at 145-pounds as well.

 

Standing opposite of Caldwell will be Bunch, a 32-year-old Ohio native who has seen all six of his professional fights take place in Bellator MMA. A member of American Kickboxing Academy in Northern California, “Bunch The Great” wants nothing more than to give Caldwell his first defeat as a pro.

 

In heavyweight action, former Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor Chase Gormley will look to keep his five-fight winning streak intact when he competes on September 25. The Titan Fighting Championship heavyweight kingpin won the regional promotion’s title in his last outing with a unanimous decision win over Jon Madsen in March.

 

Dan Charles will return to action for the first time since his matchup with Bobby Lashley at “Bellator 138: Unfinished Business,” a bout that “The Man” took on short notice after James Thompson was forced out due to injury. The 29-year-old will be making his fifth appearance under the Bellator MMA banner and has earned victory via finish in seven out of nine wins.

 

“Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis” Updated Fight Card

 

Main Card: (Spike – 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT)

Bellator Bantamweight Feature Fight: Joe Warren (12-4) vs. L.C. Davis (23-6)

Bellator Middleweight Feature Fight: Joey Beltran (16-11, 1 NC) vs. Kendall Grove (21-15, 1 NC)

Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Henry Corrales (12-1) vs. Emmanuel Sanchez (10-2)

Bellator Heavyweight Feature Fight: Vinicius Queiroz (7-3) vs. Ewerton Teixeira (3-0)

 

Preliminary Card: (Spike.com – 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT)

Bellator Bantamweight Feature Fight: Darrion Caldwell (7-0) vs. Shawn Bunch (4-1)

Bellator Heavyweight Feature Fight: Dan Charles (9-3) vs. Chase Gormley (12-4, 1 NC)

Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Gleristone Santos (27-4) vs. John Teixeira (18-1-2)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Jose Flores (3-0) vs. Guillermo Gonzalez (3-0)

Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Guilherme Farias da Costa (3-0) vs. Jared Chaffe (4-1)

Bellator Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Bryce Mejia (3-0) vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan (3-0)

About Bellator MMA

Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike, the MMA television leader.  Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.  Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

 

About Spike:

Spike is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks.  A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.  Spike’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press.  Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

 

CHASE GORMLEY MAKES HIS BELLATOR MMA DEBUT AGAINST DAN CHARLES

  

 

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (September 2, 2015) – Not one, but two must-see bouts have been added to the preliminary portion of “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis” on September 25 at State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas, with the addition of undefeated Darrion “The Wolf” Caldwell (7-0) versus Shawn Bunch (4-1) and heavyweight action seeing Chase Gormley (12-4, 1 NC) against Dan “The Man” Charles (9-3).

 

The contests will take place during the prelims of “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis,” which airs live on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while the opening portion of the event will stream on Spike.com at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT.

 

Tickets for “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis,” which start at just $20, are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com and the State Farm Arena box office. Doors for the event open at 5:00 p.m. CT local time, and the first contest takes place shortly after. Additional preliminary bouts will be announced shortly.

 

Caldwell remained undefeated with an impressive unanimous decision win over Rafael Silva at “Bellator 137: Halsey vs. Grove.” The standout collegiate wrestler has made it clear that he hopes to have Bellator MMA championship gold on his mantle before the year is out. “The Wolf” plans to remain at bantamweight for the foreseeable future even though he was unbeaten at 145-pounds as well.

 

Standing opposite of Caldwell will be Bunch, a 32-year-old Ohio native who has seen all six of his professional fights take place in Bellator MMA. A member of American Kickboxing Academy in Northern California, “Bunch The Great” wants nothing more than to give Caldwell his first defeat as a pro.

 

In heavyweight action, former Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor Chase Gormley will look to keep his five-fight winning streak intact when he competes on September 25. The Titan Fighting Championship heavyweight kingpin won the regional promotion’s title in his last outing with a unanimous decision win over Jon Madsen in March.

 

Dan Charles will return to action for the first time since his matchup with Bobby Lashley at “Bellator 138: Unfinished Business,” a bout that “The Man” took on short notice after James Thompson was forced out due to injury. The 29-year-old will be making his fifth appearance under the Bellator MMA banner and has earned victory via finish in seven out of nine wins.

 

“Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis” Updated Fight Card

 

Main Card: (Spike – 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT)

Bellator Bantamweight Feature Fight: Joe Warren (12-4) vs. L.C. Davis (23-6)

Bellator Middleweight Feature Fight: Joey Beltran (16-11, 1 NC) vs. Kendall Grove (21-15, 1 NC)

Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Henry Corrales (12-1) vs. Emmanuel Sanchez (10-2)

Bellator Heavyweight Feature Fight: Vinicius Queiroz (7-3) vs. Ewerton Teixeira (3-0)

 

Preliminary Card: (Spike.com – 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT)

Bellator Bantamweight Feature Fight: Darrion Caldwell (7-0) vs. Shawn Bunch (4-1)

Bellator Heavyweight Feature Fight: Dan Charles (9-3) vs. Chase Gormley (12-4, 1 NC)

Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Gleristone Santos (27-4) vs. John Teixeira (18-1-2)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Jose Flores (3-0) vs. Guillermo Gonzalez (3-0)

Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Guilherme Farias da Costa (3-0) vs. Jared Chaffe (4-1)

Bellator Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Bryce Mejia (3-0) vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan (3-0)

About Bellator MMA

Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike, the MMA television leader.  Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.  Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

 

About Spike:

Spike is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks.  A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.  Spike’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press.  Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.