Category Archives: mixed martial arts

Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, New England Fights

FULL FIGHT CARD ANNOUNCED FOR NEF XIX IN LEWISTON

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Lewiston, Maine (August 14, 2015) – New England Fights (NEF), America’s number-one regional fight promotion, will hold its nineteenth mixed-martial-arts (MMA) event, “NEF XIX: HOMECOMING,” on Saturday, September 12, 2015 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine.  Earlier today, the promotion announced the fight card for the event featuring a full slate of professional and amateur MMA matchups.

 

The event is aptly titled “Homecoming” as it will feature the returns of several athletes who have either been recently inactive or competing outside the NEF umbrella.  One such return will feature Darrius Heyliger (5-2) from Ithaca, New York.  Maine and the NEF cage became a home-away-from-home for Heyliger and several of his Bombsquad teammates during the early days of the promotion.  Heyliger competed regularly for NEF in 2012 and early 2013.  His last appearance in the cage was in May 2013 against Marcus “The Irish Hand Grenade” Davis (22-11) in the main event of “NEF VII.”  Heyliger will make his return on September 12 against Brandon Chagnon (5-4) of Sityodtong.

 

The professional side of the card will also feature the homecoming of Matt “Ken Doll” Denning (1-0) after a 10-month extended layoff from action.  Denning made his professional debut last November with a win over Derek Shorey (2-2).   He will return in front of his hometown crowd against Zenon “Ka-bar” Herrera(0-1).

 

Speaking of hometown fighters, Jesse “The Viking” Erickson (5-4), a native of neighboring Auburn, Maine, will look to extend his win-streak to three when he faces Ricky “Savage” Sylvester (2-1).  Sylvester’s previous appearance in NEF ended in controversy when many felt he held an armbar a little too long on Tollison Lewis (0-4).

 

On the amateur side of the card, Josh Harvey (4-1) is scheduled to headline in the first defense of his NEF MMA Amateur Lightweight Title.  Harvey will meet the stiff challenge of Ryan Dibartolomeo (4-2) from John Fain’s Team Triumph/Boston BJJ of Nashua, New Hampshire.  Harvey won the vacant title this past June with a first-round submission of Ricky Dexter (3-1).

 

The amateur portion of the card will also feature not one, but two women’s contests.  Young’s MMA of Bangor, Maine will be represented in both bouts with Angela Young (0-0) and Kira Innocenti (0-0) making their respective debuts.  Angela is the wife of Young’s MMA founder and head coach Chris Young.  She will meet Rachel Reinheimer (1-0) from Sityodtong while Innocenti will square off against Hannah Sparrell of First Class MMA.

 

The full fight card (subject to change and approval of the Combat Sports Authority of Maine):

 

PROFESSIONAL

265 Matt Andrikut 0-0 (Conviction Martial Arts) vs Artie Mullen 1-14 (Southern Maine MMA)

205 Michael Hansen 2-2 (Berserkers MMA) vs Crowsneck Boutin 1-0 (Choi Institute)

 

170 Darrius Heyliger 5-2 (Bombsquad) vs Brandon Chagnon 5-4 (Sityodtong)

 

155 Jesse Erickson 5-4 (CMBJJ) vs Ricky Sylvester 2-1 (Team Flo)

 

155 Matt Denning 1-0 (CMBJJ) vs Zenon Herrera 0-1 (Independent)

 

150 Derek Shorey 2-2 (Shatterproof Combat Club) vs Tollison Lewis 0-4 (CMBJJ)

 

135 Zech Lange 2-1 (Bombsquad) vs Jay Perrin 2-0 (Boston BJJ NH)

 

 

AMATEUR

205 Ryan Glover 1-1 (Berserkers MMA) vs Zak Bergeron 0-0 (CMBJJ)

 

200 Chaz Gray 0-1 (Young’s MMA) vs Dominique Bailey 0-0 (Independent)

 

200 Ian Milligan 0-0 (Team Kaze) vs Anthony Spires 0-0 (Independent)

185 Ruben Redman 1-2 (Independent) vs Nick Shea 1-0 (First Class MMA)

 

185 Caleb Farrington 2-0 (Team NEU) vs Jon McNeil 1-0 (Boston BJJ NH)

170 Ricky Dexter 3-1 (Team Irish) vs C.J. Ewer 3-2 (Young’s MMA)

 

170 Scott Godbois 0-0 (Berserkers MMA) vs Phil Pearson 0-0 (MMA Athletix)

 

155*Title Josh Harvey 4-1 (Young’s MMA) vs Ryan Dibartolomeo 4-3 (Boston BJJ NH)

 

155 Cory Trial 1-1 (Ruthless MMA & Boxing) vs Rafael Velado 0-0 (First Class MMA)

 

150 David Thompson (Shatterproof Combat Club) vs Jason Lachance 1-2 (MMA Athletix)

 

150 Kira Innocenti 0-0 (Young’s MMA) vs Hannah Sparrell 0-0 (First Class MMA)

145 Mike Pietersen 2-0 (Young’s MMA) vs Alex Johnson 2-2 (Ruthless MMA & Boxing)

140 Fred Lear 3-1 (Young’s MMA) vs Henry Clark 2-1 (Choi Institute)

135 Clifford Redman 0-2 (Independent) vs Wil Carrero 0-1 (MMA Athletix)

 

130 Angela Young 0-0 (Young’s MMA) vs Rachel Reinheimer 1-0 (Sityodtong)

 

125 Ryan Burgess 1-0 (Independent) vs Michael Crespo 3-2 (MMA Athletix)

 

New England Fights’ next event, “NEF XIX: HOMECOMING,” takes place onSaturday, September 12, 2015 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine.  Tickets for “NEF XIX: HOMECOMING” start at just $25 and are on sale now at www.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisée box office at 207.783.2009 x 525.  For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com.  In addition, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”

 

About New England Fights

 

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

Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

HENRY ‘OK’ CORRALES RETURNS TO FIGHT EMMANUEL ‘EL MATADOR’ SANCHEZ AT BELLATOR 143 IN HIDALGO, TEXAS

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GLERISTONE ‘TONINHO FURIA’ SANTOS MAKES PROMOTIONAL DEBUT AGAINST JOHN ‘MACAPA’ TEIXEIRA

 

 

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (August 13, 2015) – Two featherweight contests pitting Henry “OK” Corrales (12-1) against Emmanuel “El Matador” Sanchez (10-2) and Gleristone Santos (27-4) making his Bellator MMA debut against John Teixeira (18-1-2) have been added to “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis” at State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas on September 25.

 

Corrales versus Sanchez will take place during the main card of “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis,” which airs live on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT. Meanwhile, Santos versus Teixeira will stream on Spike.com at5:30 p.m. CT during the stacked preliminary portion of the card.

 

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 p.m. CT local time, and the first contest takes place 30 minutes later.

 

The two previously confirmed fights feature Joe Warren (12-4) taking on L.C. Davis (23-6) in main event bantamweight action, while the Bellator 143 co-main event will pit Joey Beltran (16-11, 1 NC) against top middleweight Kendall Grove (21-15). Additional bouts will be announced shortly.

 

Corrales was one half of an exciting back-and-forth fight against Daniel Straus at “Bellator 138: Unfinished Business.” The former King of the Cage titlist has finished 10 of his 12 victories as a professional before reaching the judges’ scorecards and has an extensive background when the fight hits the mat, learning the ways of Brazilian jiu-jitsu under famed practitioner, John De La O.

 

Following a hard fought battle against Pat Curran at “Bellator 139: Kongo vs. Volkov” in June, “El Matador” returns to the Bellator MMA cage three months later with revenge on his mind. A short notice injury replacement against Curran, the 24-year-old Roufusport standout impressed in his third bout under the Bellator banner. Now, the Milwaukee native will look to bounce back at the expense of Corrales on September 25.

 

Long considered one of Brazil’s top prospects, the 26-year-old Santos debuted in 2005 when he was just 16 years old and earned victories in his first nine professional bouts. Born in Campina Grande, Paraiba, Santos currently boasts a nine-fight winning streak and is an incredible 16-1 in his past 17 appearances.

 

Best known as “Macapa,” the 28-year-old will be making his third appearance under the Bellator MMA banner, and his second in 2015. The submission specialist, who trains at the world renown Nova Uniao camp, has been on the winning end of two consecutive closely contested split decision wins. The lone loss of Teixeira’s promising MMA career came against Hugo Viana in the UFC back in 2012.

 

Are these two contests a look at the future of the 145-pound division? Tune into “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis” on Spike to find out.

 

Updated “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis” Card

 

Main Card:

 

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

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

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

 

Preliminary Card:

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

Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, New England Fights

EXCITING BANTAMWEIGHT BOUT ADDED TO NEF XIX FIGHT CARD

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Lewiston, Maine (August 13, 2015) – New England Fights (NEF), America’s number-one regional fight promotion, will hold its nineteenth mixed-martial-arts (MMA) event, “NEF XIX: HOMECOMING,” on Saturday, September 12, 2015 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine.  Earlier today, the promotion announced the addition of a professional bantamweight bout to the fight card.  Jay Perrin (2-0) will return to the promotion to take on Zech Lange (2-1) at a fight weight of 135-pounds.

 

Jay Perrin is undefeated in two previous NEF appearances.  As an amateur, he defeated Nick Spencer (5-4) via unanimous decision in February 2013 on his way to becoming the top-ranked amateur bantamweight in New England.  Perrin returned to Maine this past spring as a professional and scored a second-round TKO victory over a very tough Elias Leland (2-1).  He is a member of John Fain’s Team Triumph/Boston BJJ of Nashua, New Hampshire, a team with a reputation for crossing the border to deliver memorable moments in the NEF cage.

 

“I’m very excited to be returning to Maine to fight for NEF,” said Perrin.  “They’ve always been good to me, and I can’t wait to fight Zech Lange, he’s a tough opponent for anyone and people sleep on him a little.  But, I believe I belong with the best in this division, so come fight night I intend to prove just that.  The fans in Maine are always so amazing, I can’t wait to put on another great performance for them.”

 

Based out of Ithaca, New York, Zech Lange is a member of Team Bombsquad, another out-of-town team known for bringing their best to the cages of Central Maine.  Lange had a stellar amateur career, amassing a 5-1 record.  As a professional, he holds wins over Thane Stimson (2-3) and veteran Dan Bonnell (11-10).  Lange has been inactive from MMA competition for the past three years.  He is eager to get back in the cage and move forward in his career.

 

“I’m thankful to NEF for giving me an opportunity to fight a worthy opponent in Perrin,” said Lange.  “I look forward to the challenge, and have never been so excited to be back.”

 

New England Fights’ next event, “NEF XIX: HOMECOMING,” takes place onSaturday, September 12, 2015 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine.  Tickets for “NEF XIX” start at just $25 and are on sale now atwww.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisée box office at 207.783.2009 x 525.  For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com.  In addition, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”

 

About New England Fights

 

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

Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

MARCOS GALVAO MEETS EDUARDO DANTAS IN REMATCH FOR BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE AT BELLATOR 144 ON OCTOBER 23

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SANTA MONICA, Calif. (August 12, 2015) – Bellator MMA’s Bantamweight Championship will be on the line in a rematch pitting Marcos “Loro” Galvao (17-6-1) and former champion Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas (17-4) against one another at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., on October 23.

 

The bout between the former teammates will serve as the main event of “Bellator 144: Galvao vs. Dantas,” which airs 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. Additional fights will be announced shortly.

 

Tickets for “Bellator 144: Galvao vs. Dantas,” which start at just $25, go on sale next Friday, August 21 at Ticketmaster.com and the Mohegan Sun Arena box office, with a special Bellator Nation presale available on the 19th and 20th for fans using the code: FIGHT. Doors for the event open at 6:00 p.m. ET local time, and the first contest takes place one hour after.

 

“I was thoroughly impressed with Galvao’s kneebar at Bellator 135 to capture the belt,” Bellator MMA President Scott Coker said. “Seeing how much that title win meant to him, by taking it back home to Brazil and visiting his mother’s grave, is really what mixed martial arts is all about to me. But Dantas showcased his desire to reach the top too by his performance against Mike Richman. I have no idea who is going to come out of Connecticut with the win, but I do know that those in attendance at Mohegan Sun Arena and those tuning in on Spike will be treated to a top-flight world title bout.”

 

“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 “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.

mixed martial arts, World Series of Fighting

 “WSOF 23: GAETHJE VS. PALOMINO II” ADDS TWO MORE BOUTS TO LIVE NBCSN TELEVISED MAIN CARD FROM PHOENIX, ARIZONA ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18

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Bantamweight: Timur Valiev vs. Tito Jones  
Lightweight: Brian Foster vs. Larue Burley  

LAS VEGAS (August 12, 2015) – World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) has finalized the live NBCSN televised portion of its highly anticipated, “WSOF 23: Gaethje vs. Palomino II” world championship doubleheader at Comerica Theatre in Phoenix, Ariz. on Friday, Sept. 18, with the addition of two new bouts – a bantamweight (135 pounds) battle between ferocious rising star Timur “Lucky” Valiev and seasoned puncher Tito Jones, and a lightweight (155 pounds) tilt between dangerous finisher Brian Foster and undefeated LaRue Burley.

“We are looking forward to another incredible night of action, now that the main card for WSOF 23 is complete with five bouts featuring an exciting mix of championship fights and matchups filled with accomplished veterans and some of the world’s best prospects,” said World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo.

Fighting out of the famed Jackson-Winklejohn camp in Albuquerque, N.M., the 25-year-old Valiev (9-1) of Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia has been on fire in the cage, winning 9 straight fights since his second professional start in July 2011.

Valiev’s run includes three victories in the World Series of Fighting decagon cage.  In his last effort at WSOF 19 on March 28, Valiev decimated Ed West, scoring a first round (1:39) TKO on West with an impressive combination of elbow strikes and punches.

Jones (11-7), a native of Panama City, Fla., now fighting out of Phoenix, is a two-time regional Golden Gloves boxing champion and former protégé of boxing trainer Roy Jones, Sr.  The 34-year-old has never been knocked out over the course of a 9-year professional career that has spanned 18 bouts.

Foster (22-7) of Sallisaw, Okla. is a 31-year-old, battle-tested grappling expert who has notched 20 of his 22 career victories by way of (T)KO or submission, and who has defeated a collection of name rivals, including the current number 6-ranked welterweight in the world, Matt Brown, whom Foster forced to tap out from a guillotine choke in the second round (2:11) of their matchup on Nov. 20, 2010.

Foster will look to rebound from a defeat at the hands of superstar Jake Shields on Jan. 17 when the two faced off in the main event of WSOF 17 in Las Vegas.  The result halted a 4-fight win streak that Foster had ignited on July 27, 2013, when he scored a stunning second round (:43) KO on James Wood with a spinning back kick.

Also 31 years of age, Burley (6-0) of Phoenix, has yet to be beaten over the course of six professional starts and two amateur bouts, a run that includes six wins by either (T)KO or submission.

Burley has earned six victories during a professional run that began with a unanimous decision win over Kelly Osser on Sept. 15, 2012, and also includes a third round (3:40) TKO (punches) over 2011 NCAA Division I National Wrestling Champion and fellow rising star Bubba Jenkins.

In the main event of WSOF 23, undefeated, reigning World Series of Fighting Lightweight (155 pounds) Champion Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje (14-0) will collide for the second time with hard-hitting rival Luis “Baboon” Palomino (23-10).

The first matchup between Gaethje and Palomino, which headlined WSOF 19, was a barnburner affair that Gaethje won via third round (3:57) TKO (leg kicks and punches), and that has already been touted as a “Fight of the Year” candidate.

In the co-main event and inaugural World Series of Fighting light heavyweight (205 pounds) championship bout, David Branch (16-3), the promotion’s reigning world middleweight (185 pounds) champion, will attempt to become the first two-division kingpin in World Series of Fighting history, when he faces off with Cinderella storyTeddy Holder (9-1), whose nine career wins have all come by way (T)KO or submission.

In a featured, 160-pound catchweight fight, rising star and costumed crime fighterPhoenix Jones (5-1-1) will look to return to the win column after suffering the first professional loss of his career during his World Series of Fighting debut in April, when he takes on professional boxer turned MMA upstart Roberto Yong (2-2).

Priced from just $39.99, tickets for “WSOF 23: Gaethje vs. Palomino II” are on sale at the Comerica Theatre box office and online at WSOF.com and Ticketmaster.com.

The live NBCSN telecast begins at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

Doors at Comerica Theatre will open at 3 p.m. MT and the first preliminary bout will begin at 3:45 p.m.  A complete preliminary bout card will be announced soon.
Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

BELLATOR MMA INKS JOSH THOMSON TO AN EXCLUSIVE, MULTI-FIGHT CONTRACT

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JT

SANTA MONICA (August 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 and Dave Jansen.

 

Global Proving Ground, mixed martial arts

GLOBAL PROVING GROUND APPOINTS VETERAN SPORTS ATTORNEY TO MATCHMAKER POSITION

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PHILADELPHIA, PA. (August 11, 2015) –Global Proving Ground (GPG) announced today that it has appointed seasoned matchmaker and sports entertainment attorney Greg Bloom to the role of matchmaker for the fast-growing Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) franchise.

“I am excited to join the rapidly growing Global Proving Ground organization and its team that has been dedicated to promoting some of the most exciting professional MMA action in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of The U.S.,” said Bloom, who brings over a decade of combat sports industry experience with him to the promotion.

During his career, Bloom, a partner in the Miami-based firm Chase Lawyers, has provided legal counsel to several notable fighters including The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights contestants Brendan Schaub and Justin Wren, former WBA World Lightweight Champion Richar Abril and Olympic boxer turned WBO world title contender Zahir Raheem.

“We are thrilled to welcome such a highly-respected and experienced professional in the fight world like Greg to our team, and are confident that he will be able to strengthen our roster and fight cards with some of the top up-and-coming talent in the region and beyond,” said Global Proving Ground Founder and President James J. Jefferson.

After producing 15 live, professional MMA events around the world including the UK, Arkansas, Portugal, Missouri, Latvia and Virginia, Global Proving Ground has found a home in the Philadelphia area. To date, Global Proving Ground has rolled out 6 events in South Jersey at its own combat sports arena.

Global Proving Ground has played host several notable as well as up and coming competitors, including Sam “Sammy O” Oropeza, Alexander Keshtov, Peter Petties, Sydney “Da Gun” Outlaw, Sean “Shorty Rock” Santella and Matt “Razor Sharp” Rizzo.

The promotion is slated to stage three events this fall. The fight card for the first event, which will take place on Saturday, Oct. 24, will be announced soon.

Global Proving Ground’s last event, “GPG 21: Rizzo vs. Santella,” which was headlined by rival, rising flyweight (125 pounds) stars Matt “Razor Sharp” Rizzo and Sean “Shorty Rock” Santella on Saturday, July 25, is airing throughout this month, in syndication on Comcast SportsNet regional networks.  The complete event is also available for viewing online, on GFL.tv.

About Global Proving Ground (GPG)
Global Proving Ground is a New Jersey-based professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise that was designed to unearth and build new fight talent in the North Eastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of The United States and to provide an exciting entertainment experience for combat sports fans.

Launched in 2012 by marketing executive James J. Jefferson along with several, original pioneers of MMA, the company operates its own combat sports venue where it hosts all of its events that are distributed live on Real TV as well as PPV on Go Fight Live (GFL.tv) with its syndication deal on a tape delayed basis on Comcast SportsNet and the Comcast Network GPG is not only creating new fighter talent but is developing its own loyal fan base.
Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

‘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

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 B143_Announce_Warren_DavisB143_Announce_Beltran_Grove

JOEY ‘THE MEXICUTIONER’ BELTRAN TAKES ON KENDALL ‘DA SPYDER’ GROVE IN CO-MAIN EVENT

 

  

 

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (August 11, 2015) – Joe Warren’s (12-4) road to reclaim the Bellator MMA Bantamweight Championship will begin on Friday, September 25 against L.C. Davis, (23-6) when the two meet at the promotion’s debut at State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas.

 

In addition, 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. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream on Spike.com at 7 p.m. ET.

 

Tickets for Bellator 143, which start at just $20, go on sale this Friday, August 14 at Ticketmaster.com and the State Farm Arena box office, with a special Bellator Nation presale available on the 12th and 13th for fans using the code: Bellator. Doors for the event open at 5:00 p.m. CT 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, and 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 at “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.

mixed martial arts, NBC, World Series of Fighting

COSTUMED CRUSADER PHOENIX JONES SUITS UP TO FACE ROBERTO YONG AT “WSOF 23: GAETHJE VS. PALOMINO II”  

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Live on NBCSN from Phoenix, Arizona
on Friday, September 18

LAS VEGAS (August 11, 2015) – World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) rising star and costumed crime fighter Phoenix Jones (5-1-1) will return to the decagon cage to take on Roberto Yong (2-2) in a 160-pound catchweight contest on the live, NBCSN-televised main card of “WSOF 23: Gaethje vs. Palomino II” at Comerica Theatre in Phoenix, Ariz. on Friday, Sept. 18.

Headlined by a previously announced and much-anticipated rematch between undefeated, reigning World Series of Fighting World Lightweight (155 pounds) Champion Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje (14-0) and hard-hitting rival Luis “Baboon” Palomino (23-10), the star-studded event features a second title fight, the inaugural World Series of Fighting world light heavyweight (205 pounds) championship bout between David Branch (16-3) and Teddy Holder (11-7).

Priced from just $39.99, tickets for “WSOF 23: Gaethje vs. Palomino II” are on sale at the Comerica Theatre box office and online at WSOF.com and Ticketmaster.com.

The 27-year-old Jones of Seattle, Wash. has received national media attention for his heroic deeds as a volunteer crime fighter who patrols his local streets, clad in a full-body suit and mask, in an effort to assist others in distress and curb every day street crimes.

Jones made his World Series of Fighting debut on April 10, coming up short in a unanimous decision against Emmanuel Walo in a 175-pound catchweight contest.  The upcoming bout will be contested at a weight closer to Jones’ natural fighting weight of 155 pounds.

Yong, of Glendale, Ariz. is a former professional boxer focused on establishing a career in MMA.  The 31-year-old opened his professional MMA career with back-to-back KO victories.

Yong has since stumbled against longtime veteran Estevan Payan and prospect Joel Champion but, like Jones, will look to return to the win column by dropping below the welterweight (170 pounds) limit.

The live NBCSN telecast of “WSOF 23: Gaethje vs. Palomino II” begins at 7:00 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on Friday, September 18.

Doors at Comerica Theatre will open for “WSOF 23” at 3:00 p.m. MT and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 3:45 p.m.

Additional bouts for the event will be announced soon.

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, UFC, wrestling

USA Wrestling And UFC® Renew Partnership

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Colorado Springs – USA Wrestling, the national governing body for wrestling in the United States, and UFC® have jointly announced that they have renewed their partnership to promote interest in wrestling and mixed martial arts (MMA), while working together on a variety of projects to support each organization’s activities.

“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.