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Qeb Archives: mixed martial arts
BELLATOR MMA INKS JOSH THOMSON TO AN EXCLUSIVE, MULTI-FIGHT CONTRACT
MONICA RAUG (Lub yim hli ntuj 11, 2015) – Bellator MMA is proud to announce the signing of Josh “The Punk” Thomson (20-8, 1 NC) to an exclusive multi-year, multi-fight contract. At 36-years-young, the former Strikeforce Lightweight World Champion remains one of the top 155-pounders in the sport, having competed in top organizations including UFC and Pride.
Residing in San Jose, Calif. and training at the renowned American Kickboxing Academy alongside some of the sports very best, Thomson earned his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Dave Camarillo. In addition to his formidable ground game, Thomson’s striking pedigree is on-point as well, earning a “Knockout of the Night” award for his output in his fight against Nate Diaz in 2013. It’s also worth being said that “The Punk” holds a record of 3-0 in professional kickboxing.
“I had the pleasure of working with Josh in Strikeforce and I look forward to continuing this relationship in Bellator MMA. Josh is a world-class mixed martial artist and we are very happy to be adding him to our roster of some of the best lightweights in the world,” said the promotion’s president, Scott Coker. “Bellator remains fully committed to building its roster by signing top free agents like Thomson, as well as grooming up-and-coming blue-chip stars. We have some amazing matchups in mind for “The Punk” that we hope to be announcing in the weeks to come.”
“I’m over here reading this UFC reporter saying that they’ve declined to re-sign me when the truth of the matter is that they’ve been trying to re-sign me for my last two fights. I declined and instead chose to fight out my contract and test the free agency market with Bellator. At that point, Bellator made me an offer that the UFC was unable to match given their relationships with FOX and Reebok. It’s a done deal, I’m back working with Coker, and I couldn’t be more excited to get back to an organization that is trending upwards with fighter-friendly contracts. Any intelligent fighter is going to go where the money is, and for me the money was at Bellator.”
“The Punk” joins a prominent list of athletes that have recently signed with Bellator over the past year including: Phil Davis, Josh Koscheck, Melvin Guillard, Ed Ruth, Aaron Pico, Lorenzo Hood, Ewerton Teixeira, Gleristone Santos, amongst others.
He will continue to fight in the lightweight division which is deep starting with: kingpin Will Brooks, down to other fighters likeMichael Chandler, Marcin Held, Dave Rickels, Patricky “Pitbull” Freire thiab Dave Jansen.
GLOBAL PROVING GROUND APPOINTS VETERAN SPORTS ATTORNEY TO MATCHMAKER POSITION
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‘THE BADDEST MAN ON THE PLANET,’ JOE WARREN, SET FOR MAIN EVENT CLASH AGAINST L.C. DAVIS AT BELLATOR 143 IN HIDALGO, TEXAS ON SEPT. 25
JOEY ‘THE MEXICUTIONER’ BELTRAN TAKES ON KENDALL ‘DA SPYDER’ GROVE IN CO-MAIN EVENT
MONICA RAUG, Calif. (Lub yim hli ntuj 11, 2015) – Joe Warren’s (12-4) road to reclaim the Bellator MMA Bantamweight Championship will begin on Hnub vas Xuv, September 25 against L.C. Davis, (23-6) when the two meet at the promotion’s debut at State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas.
tsis tas li ntawd, Joey Beltran (16-11, 1 NC) will face Kendall Grove (21-15, 1 NC) in an explosive middleweight encounter.
The contests serve as the headlining and co-headlining bouts of “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis,” which airs live on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. I, while preliminary bouts will stream on Spike.com at 7 p.m. LI.
Daim pib mus Bellator 143, which start at just $20, go on sale this Hnub vas Xuv, Lub yim hli ntuj 14 at Ticketmaster.com and the State Farm Arena box office, with a special Bellator Nation presale available on the 12th thiab 13th for fans using the code: Bellator. Doors for the event open at 5:00 p.m. I local time, and the first contest takes place shortly after. Additional bouts will be announced shortly.
“Mixed martial arts has a rich history in the state of Texas and Bellator looks forward to returning to the Lone Star State for the first time since 2012 with a stacked card in tow,” Bellator MMA President Scott Coker said. “Joe Warren has been itching to get back in action and return to the 135-pound title chase, while L.C. Davis has momentum on his side since his ‘Fight of the Year’ caliber matchup against Hideo Tokoro in March. I’m truly looking forward to it.”
Warren is a two-division champion who also served as a coach during the inaugural season of “Fight Master.” In addition to his win over the current bantamweight champion Marcos Galvao, the Olympic-caliber wrestler has defeated an impressive list of fighters including Georgi Karakhanyan, Patricio Freire, thiab Eduardo Dantas since taking up the sport of mixed martial arts in 2009.
Davis was one half of arguably the best MMA contest thus far in 2015 when he faced Hideo Tokoro at “Bellator 135: “Warren vs. Galvao 2.” The former World Extreme Cagefighting and Affliction standout has nearly double the amount of fight experience than “The Baddest Man on the Planet” boasts, and has emerged victorious in seven of his last eight professional contests.
It’s safe to assume that whoever emerges the winner on September 25th will have plenty to say about whether their next bout should come with championship gold on the line.
Since entering the Bellator MMA fray in 2013, Beltran has competed against some of the best light heavyweights the promotion has to offer, with matchups against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Vladimir “The Janitor” Matyushenko, Emanuel “The Hardcore Kid” Newton. After transitioning to middleweight at “Bellator 136: Brooks vs. Jansen” in April, “Mexicutioner” emerged victorious from an enthralling encounter against Brian “The Predator” Rogers with the majority decision.
The San Diego, Calif., native has finished 13 of his 16 victories as a professional and will look to extend his current winning streak when he returns to the Bellator MMA cage.
Competing professionally since 2003, Grove has been involved in some epic matchups, including his most recent effort against Brandon Halsey tom “Bellator 137: Halsey vs. Grove” in May. At only 32-years-old, “Da Spyder” hopes that a win against another prolific striker like Beltran will serve him well in his pursuit of Bellator MMA gold.
Will the high-towering Hawaiian manage to submit Beltran for only the second time in his mixed martial arts run? If there is anyone capable of such a feat, it’s the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt accredited Grove.
COSTUMED CRUSADER PHOENIX JONES SUITS UP TO FACE ROBERTO YONG AT “WSOF 23: GAETHJE VS. PALOMINO II”
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USA Wrestling And UFC® Renew Partnership
“USA Wrestling is pleased to renew its partnership with UFC, coming off a successful first year working together. Our sports are closely entwined, and there are many ways we can help support each other. We look forward to finding creative and effective ways to add even more value to this strong relationship,” said Rich Bender, USA Wrestling Executive Director.
“We are extremely excited to renew our partnership with USA Wrestling and continue to build on the success we’ve experienced over the last year,” UFC Vice President of Federation Relationships and Corporate Social Responsibility Lou Lauria said. UFC has a long and rich history supporting the development of amateur athletes and our relationship with USAWrestling dates back to the very beginning of UFC.”
This is the second straight year the organizations have agreed to work together and to find new ways to build and expand their cooperative efforts.
Wrestling and MMA share a close connection which positively impacts both sports. Wrestling is a core skill set needed for success in MMA and is considered a foundational discipline within the sport. Numerous wrestlers have gone on to achieve major success in MMA, offering an additional opportunity for their athletic and professional careers after their wrestling days are completed.
Numerous athletes who have competed with USA Wrestling have gone on to become successful UFC athletes, including: Olympic champion Henry Cejudo, Olympic silver medalists Sara McMann and Matt Lindland, two-time Olympian Dan Henderson, two-time Olympian and six-time U.S. Open national champion Daniel Cormier, two-time NCAA champion Johny Hendricks, NCAA All-Americans Chris Weidman and Cain Velasquez, women’s college All-American Carla Esparza and many others.
Working together, USA Wrestling and UFC will continue to support and promote the development of wrestling. By leveraging UFC’s industry leading expertise and resources, USA Wrestling and its activities will be featured across several areas such as UFC’s broadcasts, social and digital media.
USA Wrestling will provide its 250,000 member community with exclusive opportunities to experience UFC through a range of platforms including: UFC events, UFC Fight Club®, UFC GYM® locations, UFC FIGHT PASS®, UFC Rewards and International Fight Week. USA Wrestling will also use its many media platforms to share information and opportunities about UFC to its members.
USA Wrestling is one of a select few national governing bodies within the Olympic community to be an official partner with UFC.
BELLATOR MMA STANDOUTS PAUL ‘SEMTEX’ DALEY & FERNANDO ‘THE MENIFEE MANIAC’ GONZALEZ TRADE-IN THE 4-OUNCE MMA GLOVES FOR 10-OUNCE GLORY KICKBOXING GLOVES AT ‘BELLATOR MMA: DYNAMITE 1’ SEPTEMBER 19
MONICA RAUG, Calif. (Lub yim hli ntuj 10, 2015) – Furthering “Bellator MMA: Dynamite 1” as the premier combat sports event of 2015, Bellator MMA competitors Paul Daley thiab Fernando Gonzalez will set up shop inside the GLORY kickboxing ring and showcase their superior striking skills during the must-see Spike-televised main card, which emanates September 19 from the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif.
The landmark spectacle will see both a Bellator cage and a Glory kickboxing ring on one arena floor at the same time — something that has yet to be seen in the combat sports landscape. In the evening’s main event, Tito Ortiz (18-11) will challenge undefeated Liam McGeary (10-0) for the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Championship.
Additionally, the previously announced fight card features two Glory kickboxing title fights featuring Zack Mwekassa(13-2, 12 KO) thiab Saulo Cavalari (31-2, 19 KO) for the vacant Glory Light Heavyweight Championship as well asGabriel Varga (26-2, 8 KO) defending his featherweight title against challenger Serhiy Adamchuck (29-5, 14 KO).
On the mixed martial arts side, Bellator MMA will conduct a four-man, one-night light heavyweight tournament to determine the No. 1 contender in the division that includes the promotional debut of Phil Davis (13-3), as well asEmanuel Newton (25-8-1), Linton Vassell (15-4-1) and the return of Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (15-4, 1 NC).
“Bellator MMA: Dynamite 1” airs live and free on Spike at 9/8c. Tickets for the historic event start at just $30 and are on sale now at the SAP Center box office and are also available for purchase at Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com.
“Glory has been a great partner for this event, bringing several world-class, championship kickboxing matches to the table,” said Bellator MMA President Scott Coker. “Daley and Gonzalez are two incredible strikers in our welterweight division, and we’re looking forward to seeing them lay it on the line with Glory gloves on their hands. It would be great to see the winner of this fight take on Glory’s welterweight champ Nieky Holzken in the future.”
“We’re thrilled to have athletes the caliber of Daley and Gonzalez testing their striking inside the ring” said GLORY CEO Jon Franklin. “Under GLORY rules, our fans know to expect non-stop action, and these two fighters that Bellator has selected are perfect fits. We’re expecting fireworks.”
This won’t be Daley’s first time entering a kickboxing ring. “Semtex” has intermittently taken kickboxing bouts throughout his nearly 13-year combat sports career, amassing a 20-3 record with 14 knockouts along the way. Most recently, the former Strikeforce competitor dispelled of Dennis Olson in MMA action at “Bellator 140: Lima vs. Koreshkov,” finishing his foe with strikes in the second frame. It’s no secret that the 32-year-old yearns for another shot at recent Bellator MMA signee Josh Koscheck, but first a very game Gonzalez stands in the way.
While Gonzalez may not have the kickboxing pedigree that his opponent owns, “The Menifee Maniac” was at one time the WBC National Muay Thai Cruiserweight champion. tsis tas li ntawd, Gonzalez has amassed plenty of fights in what many consider the oldest of fighting disciplines: boxing. The 31-year-old doesn’t shy away from overcoming adversity inside the Bellator MMA cage and it should be no different inside the Glory kickboxing ring on September 19. In his last outing, Gonzalez finished Curtis Millender via guillotine choke, pushing his present winning streak in mixed martial arts to four.
“Bellator MMA: Dynamite 1” – Hnub vas xaum, September 19 – SAP Center, San Jose, Calif.
Bellator Light Heavyweight Title Fight: Tito Ortiz (18-11) vs. © Liam McGeary (10-0)
Glory Vacant Light Heavyweight Title Fight: Saulo Cavalari (31-2) vs. Zack Mwekassa (13-2)
Glory Featherweight Title Fight: © Gabriel Varga (26-2) vs. Serhiy Adamchuck (29-5)
Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament Competitors (first round pairings TBD): Phil Davis (13-3), Emanuel Newton (25-8-1), Linton Vassell (15-4-1), Muhammed Lawal (15-4, 1 NC)
Glory Welterweight Feature Fight: Paul Daley (37-13-2 MMA/20-3 Kickboxing) vs. Fernando Gonzalez (24-13/1-2 Kickboxing)
FIGHT NETWORK MMA, JUDO & KICKBOXING PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE (Aug. 10-16, 2015)
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(U.S. only schedule. 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, Aug. 10
6:30 p.m. LI – Judo Baku Grand Slam 2014 Highlights – Highlights from the Judo Baku Grand Slam from Tej zaum. 9-11, 2014 in Azerbaijan.
7:00 p.m. LI – 5 Rounds – Fight Network’s John Ramadeen and Robin Black invice special guests to breakdown the weekend of MMA action.
7:30 p.m. LI – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.
Hnub, Aug. 11
1:30 a.m. LI – XPTV – Coverage of regional U.S. professional and amateur MMA events.
6:00 a.m. LI – Toe 2 Toe with Chris Weidman – In-depth sit-down interview with UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman.
6:30 a.m. LI – Hip Show: Arena Combat – Tag-team MMA inside a 12m by 12m arenda with three-level obstacle structures.
4:00 p.m. & 10 p.m. LI — – 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.
5:00 & 5:30 LI – Xtreme Fighting Championship – Florida-based pro MMA featuring top American prospects, international stars and UFC veterans.
8:00 p.m. LI – 5 Rounds – Fight Network’s John Ramadeen and Robin Black invice special guests to breakdown the weekend of MMA action.
8:30 p.m. LI – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.
9:00 p.m. LI — Fighting Spirit MMA Season 4 – Compilation of international fights from SFL, Legend, FFC, M-1 and others.
11:00 p.m. LI – SuperKombat: World Grand Prix III 2015 – Featuring Catalin Morasanu vs. Colin George and Andrei Stoica vs. Abdarhmane Coulibaly
from June 19, 2015 in Constanta, Romania.
Hnub peb, Aug. 12
1:00 a.m. LI — Deep: DREAM Impact 2014: Kitaoka vs. Yoshida – Featuring Satoru Kitaoka vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida from Dec. 31, 2014 in Saitama, Japan.
4:00 a.m. LI – Texas Fight Night – MMA action from Texas featuring the Lone Star State’s top prospects in the cage.
6:00 p.m. LI – Best of Cage Rage – Featuring classic fights from the UK-based Cage Rage organization with Anderson Silva, Antonio Silva, Victor Belfort, Paul Daley and others.
7:00 p.m. LI – Fight News Now Extra: MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and feature.
7:30 p.m. LI – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.
8:00 p.m. LI – CWF: Hmo ntuj 7 – Featuring Pavel Kusch vs. Chris Fields for the middleweight title and Canadian Mark Holst vs. Leonardo Santos for the lightweight title from Sept. 1, 2012 in Amman, Jordan.
11:00 p.m. LI – 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. LI – TakeDown Wrestling – Extensive coverage of amateur wrestling events, including the latest news, behind-the-scenes coverage from events and exclusive interviews.
Hnub plaub, Aug. 13
1:30 a.m. & 1:00 p.m. LI – Ultimate Challenge MMA 20: Fists of Fire – Featuring John Maguire vs. Jamaine Facey from May 14, 2011 from May 14, 2011 in London.
6:00 p.m. LI – Championship Fighting Alliance – Pro MMA from Florida featuring the likes of Josh Sampo, Mike Kyle, John Howard, Sean McCorkie, Luis Palomino and others.
7:00 p.m. LI – 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.
8:00 p.m. LI – Fight News Now: MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and features.
8:30 p.m. LI — Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.
9:00 p.m. LI – M 1 sib tw 31 – Featuring Jeff Monson vs. Alexey Oleinik, Alexander Yakoview vs, Shamil Zavurov, Tashid Magomedeov vs. Yasubey Enimoto and Alexsander Emelinaenko vs. Tadas Rimkevicius from Mar. 16, 2012 in St. Petersburg, Zog ntawm Guj kuj.
Hnub vas Xuv, Aug. 15
12:00 a.m. LI – It’s Showtime Special – The world’s premier kickboxing organization featuring Badr Hari, Melvin Manhoef and Giorgio Petrosyan.
6:00 P.M. LI – M 1 sib tw – Pro MMA from Europe featuring top rising prospects and international stars.
7:00 p.m. LI – Fight News Now: MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and features.
7:30 p.m. LI — Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.
8:00 p.m. LI – Toe 2 Toe with Phil Davis – In-depth sit-down interview with UFC light heavyweight star Phil Davis.
8:30 p.m. LI – Hip Show: Arena Combat – Tag-team MMA inside a 12m by 12m arena with three-level obstacle structures.
9:00 p.m. LI – KSW 30: Genesis – Featuring Borys Mankowski vs. Michail Tsarev and Aslambek Saidov vs. Rafal Moks from Feb. 21, 2015 in Poznan, Poland.
Hnub vas xaum, Aug. 15
6:00 a.m. LI – Best of TKO – Featuring Mark Hominick vs. Samuel Guillet from TKO 27, plus Krzyasztof Soszynski and Jonathan Goulet in action.
7:00 a.m. LI – Best of Gladiator Challenge – Featuring Jake Shields vs. Robert Ferguson from Gladiator Challenge 7.
8:00 a.m. LI – Best of SportFight – Top quality MMA from the Pacific Northwest. Hosted by UFC veterans Matt Lindland and Chael Sonnen.
9:00 a.m. LI – Pancrase Classics – Classic pioneering MMA battles featuring Ken Shamrock, Frank Shamrock, Bas Rutten, Name Marquardt, Chael Sonnen and others.
12:00 p.m. LI – Deep: DREAM Impact 2014– Featuring Yuki Motoya vs. Matt Manzanares from Dec. 31, 2014 in Saitama, Japan.
9:00 p.m. LI – King of Kings: World Grand Prix Vilnius 2015 – Featuring a one-night, single-elimination light heavyweight tournament Mar. 15, 2015 in Vilnius, Lithuania.
11:00 p.m. LI – Pressure to Win – Enter the world of sports medicine and performance enhancing drugs. An honest look at the world of sports, money and the pressure to win.
Hnub xya, Aug. 16
12:00 a.m. LI – Fighting Spirit MMA Season 4 – Compilation of international fights from SFL, Legend, FFC, M-1 and others.
1:00 a.m. LI – Ring of Combat 48 – Featuring Brendan Barrett vs, Justin Woods and Chris Wade vs, Frankie Perez from May 16, 2014 from Atlantic City, NJ.
6:00 a.m. LI – Pancrase Classics – Classic pioneering MMA battles featuring Ken Shamrock, Frank Shamrock, Bas Rutten, Name Marquardt, Chael Sonnen and others.
11:00 a.m. LI – Best of ADCC – Featuring 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. LI – Elite Muay Thai: Thailand vs. Challenger – The biggest Muay Thai series in the world featuring premium international stand-up fighters taking on the renowned Thai National Team
5:00 p.m- USA Wrestling Weekly – Host Scott Casber gives weekly news and analysis centering around USA Wrestling, the sport’s national governing body, including interviews, features, and a look back at the past.
5:30 p.m. LI – Judo Zagreb Grand Prix 2015 Highlights – Highlights from the Judo Zagreb Grand Prix from May 1-3, 2015 in Croatia.
11:00 p.m. LI – Enfusion Live #27: Souwer vs. Risco – Featuring Andy Souwer vs. Jonay Risco and Mohamed Boubkari vs. Moises Baute for the -95kg world title from Apr. 18, 2015 in Tenerife, Spain.
INFORMATION:
Twitter & Instagram @fightnet
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| ABOUT FIGHT NETWORK: Fight Network is the world’s premier combat sports network dedicated to 24/7 coverage, including fights, fighters, fight news and fight lifestyle. The channel is available in the U.S. on Cablevision in parts of New York, Connecticut and New Jersey, Texas-based Grande Communications, Armstrong Cable in Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio, as well as on Shentel Cable in Virginia, West Virginia and portions of western Maryland, and Suddenlink Communications in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and North Carolina.. Fight Network is also on Roku set top boxes in the U.S. and Canada, streamed live on website KlowdTV.com, and available on all major carriers in Canada and more than 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. |
WORLD BOXING CHAMPION AMIR KHAN ENTERS THE MMA BUSINESS AS NEW CO-OWNER OF SUPER FIGHT LEAGUE
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LIVE NBCSN TELECAST OF “WSOF 22: PALHARES VS. SHIELDS” POSTS BEST WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING VIEWERSHIP IN OVER ONE YEAR
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