Category Archives: mixed martial arts

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING STRIPS ROUSIMAR PALHARES OF WORLD TITLE, PLACES HIM ON INDEFINITE SUSPENSION

LAS VEGAS (August 4, 2015) – World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) has strippedRousimar “Toquinho” Palhares of the franchise’s world welterweight title and placed him on immediate, indefinite suspension until all issues are resolved, following Palhares’ “WSOF 22” main event title defense against Jake Shields on Saturday, August 1.

“After taking the time to review the footage from Saturday’s bout between Rousimar Palhares and Jake Shields in its entirety, we decided that stripping Rousimar of his title and issuing him a suspension until this issue is resolved, was necessary,” said World Series of Fighting President, six-time world champion and two-time Hall of Famer Ray Sefo.

“As a fighter with over two decades of ring experience,” continued Sefo, “I am always going to be an advocate for other fighters and, in this case, I feel that World Series of Fighting must protect its athletes and rules of competition by imposing swift and firm disciplinary action to address what we saw as unfair play in the cage.”

The much-anticipated showdown between Palhares and Shields aired live on NBCSN as part of a five-bout telecast from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

In the middle of the second round, Palhares, after being mounted by Shields on the ground, suddenly placed his hands over Shields’ eyes and appeared to disrupt Shields’ vision.

In the third round, Palhares executed a kimura submission that prompted Shields to tap out nine times before Palhares freed Shields from the hold, as directed by referee Steve Mazzagatti.

“Because of specific instances in the past in which Rousimar had arguably held his submission holds longer than necessary in competition,” explained Sefo, “Steve Mazzagatti gave Rousimar clear verbal instructions in the dressing room, before the fight, about listening to and obeying the referee’s commands, including those about letting go of a submission hold when instructed to do so.”

As a result of what transpired in the cage between Palhares and Shields, the Nevada State Athletic Commission elected to withhold Palhares’ entire, contractual win bonus, pending a review of the bout.

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.

M-1 Challenge 60: Battle in Orel, OFFICIAL WEIGHTS & PICTURES

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release

WATCH LIVE ON M-1GLOBAL.TV

 

 

MAIN CARD

 

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS – 3 X 5

MARO “Mean Machine” PERAK (23-5-1), Croatia 205 lbs. (93 kg)

VIKTOR NEMKOV (21-5-0), Russia 204 ½ lbs. (92.9 kg)

 

MARCIN ZONTEK (14-8-0), Poland 204 lbs. (92.8 kg)

MAKSIM FUTIN (4-2-0), Russia 204 ½ lbs. (92.9 kg)

 

LIGHTWEIGHTS – 3 X 5

ZULFIKAR USMANOV(7-4-1), Russia 154 lbs. (70.1 kg)

ALEXEY “Ataman” MAKHNO (9-3-0), Russia 159 lbs. (72.2 kg)

 

FEATHERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5

MARCELO COSTA (11-2-1), Brazil 145 lbs. (65.8 kg)                                    

ZALIMBEK OMAROV (4-1-1), Russia 145 lbs. (65.8 kg)

 

BANTAMWEIGHTS – 3 X 5

ELIAS BOUDEGZDAME (9-3-0), Algeria 134 ½ lbs. (61.2 kg)

EVGENI LAZUKOV (7-2-0), Russia 134 lbs. (60.9 kg)

 

 

PRELIMINARY CARD

 

MIDDLEWEIGHTS – 3 X 5

TELEKH NADZHAFADZE (3-1-0), Azerbaijan 183 lbs. (83.3 kg)

IVAN ZAKABUNYA (1-0-0), Russia 184 ½ lbs. (83.9 kg)

 

WELTERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5

JOSIP “Arti” ARTUKOVIC (11-4-0), Croatia 169 lbs. (76.9 kg)

DENIS GENYUK (6-4-0), Russia 168 ½ lbs. (76.6 kg)

 

LIGHTWEIGHTS – 3 X 5

VALERIU MIRCEA (4-1-0), Italy154 lbs. (70.1 kg)

RAUL TUTARAULI (4-2-0), Georgia 154 lbs. (70.2 kg)

 

JAVIER FUENTAS (6-2-0), Spain 154 ½ lbs. (70.3 kg)

ALEXANDER SANKOV (2-1-0), Russia 153 lbs. (69.7 kg)

 

BANTAMWEIGHTS – 3 X 5

DMITRY SHVETC (2-1-0), Ukraine 134 ½ lbs. (61.2 kg)

ALEXANDER KOLESNIK (1-0-0), Russia 134 ½ lbs. (61.1 kg)

 

MEDIEVAL KNIGHT FIGHT

 

DMITRY KOVRIZHKIN (3-0-0), Russia

ROMAN ZUEV (4-0-0), Russia LBS. (KG))

 

 

WHAT:             M-1 Challenge 60: Battle in Orel

 

 WHEN:            Wednesday, August 5, 2015

                         1:30 p.m. (New York City), 8:30 p.m. (Moscow)

 

WHERE:          Grinn Arena in Orel, Russia 1:30

 

PROMOTER:   M-1 Global

 

LIVE STREAM: WWW.M1GLOBAL.TV

 

M-1 Challenge 60 will be streamed live from Orel in high definition on www.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register at www.M1Global.TV.Fans may watch all of the action on their computers, as well as on Android and Apple smart phones and tablets.

 

Fight Network will air M-1 Challenge 60 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: Sept. 5,, 2015 – M-1 Challenge 61 in Beijing, China

 

Information

www.mixfight.ru

www.wmmaa.org

www.M1Global.tv

 

Twitter & Instagram:
@M1GlobalNews

@VFinkelchtein

@M1Global

 

Facebook:

 

www.facebook.com/pages/M-1-Global/145250878842244

FIGHT NETWORK MMA, JUDO & KICKBOXING PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE (July 20-26, 2015)

(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. 3

6:30 p.m. ET – Judo Samsun Grand Prix 2014 Highlights – Highlights from the Judo Samsun Grand Prix from Mar. 28-30, 2014 in Turkey.

7:00 p.m. ET – 5 Rounds – Fight Network’s John Ramadeen and Robin Black invice special guests to breakdown the weekend of MMA action.

7:30 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.

Tuesday, Aug. 4

1:30 a.m. ETXPTV – Coverage of regional U.S. professional and amateur MMA events.

6:00 a.m. ETToe 2 Toe with Jake Shields – In-depth sit-down interview with former Strikeforce and EliteXC champion Jake Shields.

7:30 – a.m. ET — Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.

4:00 p.m. & 10 p.m. ET — – 5 Rounds Today – Video podcast with John Ramdeen and Robin Black breaking down a wide variety of topics in the MMA world, including previews of upcoming events and all the latest rumors and headlines.

5:00 & 5:30 ETXtreme Fighting Championship – Florida-based pro MMA featuring top American prospects, international stars and UFC veterans.

8:00 p.m. ET – 5 Rounds – Fight Network’s John Ramadeen and Robin Black invice special guests to breakdown the weekend of MMA action.

8:30 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.

9:00 p.m. ETFighting Spirit MMA Season 4 – Compilation of international fights from SFL, Legend, FFC, M-1 and others.

Wednesday, Aug. 5

1:00 a.m. ETDeep: DREAM Impact 2014: Motoya vs. Manzanares – Featuring Yuki Motoya vs. Matt Manzanares from Dec. 31, 2014 in Saitama, Japan.

4:00 a.m. ETTexas Fight Night – MMA action from Texas featuring the Lone Star State’s top prospects in the cage.

1:30 p.m. ETM-1 Challenge 60 – LIVE MMA from Orel, Russia, featyring Maro Perak vs. Viktor Nemkov and Marcin Zontek vs. Maksim Futin.

6:00 p.m. ETBest 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. ETFight News Now Extra: MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and feature.

7:30 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.

8:00 p.m. ETCage Warriors Fighting Championship 48 – Featuring John Phillips vs. Chris Fields and Aaron Wilkinsin vs. Leigh Cohoon from July n21m, 2012 in London.

11:00 p.m. ETMMA 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. ETTakeDown Wrestling – Extensive coverage of amateur wrestling events, including the latest news, behind-the-scenes coverage from events and exclusive interviews.

Thursday, Aug. 6

1:30 a.m. & 1:00 p.m. ETUltimate Challenge MMA 19: Lights Out – Featuring Oli Thompson vs. Ben Smith from Mar. 26, 2011 in London.

6:00 p.m. ETChampionship 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. ETFighting 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. ETFight News Now: MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and features.

8:30 p.m. ET Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.

9:00 p.m. ETM-1 Challenge 60 Featuring Marco Perakd vs. Viktor Nemkov and Marcin Zontek vs. Maksim Futin from Aug. 5, 2015 in Orel, Russia.

Friday, Aug. 7

12:00 a.m. ETIt’s Showtime Special – The world’s premier kickboxing organization featuring Badr Hari, Melvin Manhoef and Giorgio Petrosyan.

5:00 p.m. ETUFC Fight Night: Teixeira vs. Saint Preux Weigh-Ins – LIVE coverage of official weigh-ins for UFC Fight Night: Texeira vs. Saint Preux from Nashville, Tenn.

6:00 P.M. ETM-1 Challenge – Pro MMA from Europe featuring top rising prospects and international stars.

7:00 p.m. ETFight News Now: MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and features.

7:30 p.m. ETFight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.

8:00 p.m. ETToe 2 Toe with Chris Weidman – In-depth sit-down interview with UFC middleweight champion Chjris Weidman.

8:30 p.m. ETHip Show: Arena Combat – Tag-team MMA inside a 12m by 12m arena with three-level obstacle structures.

9:00 p.m. ETKSW 29: Khalidov vs. Cooper – Featuring Mamed Khalidov vs. Brett Cooper and Mariusz Pudzianowskio vs. Pawel Mastila from Dec. 6, 2014 in Krakow, Poland.

Saturday, Aug. 8

6:00 a.m. ETBest of TKO – Featuring David Loiseau vs., Joe Doerksen from UCC 7, plus Chris Clements and Sam Stout in action.

7:00 a.m. ETBest of Gladiator Challenge – Featuring Jake Shields vs. Robert Ferguson from Gladiator Challenge 7.

8:00 a.m. ETBest of SportFight – Top quality MMA from the Pacific Northwest. Hosted by UFC veterans Matt Lindland and Chael Sonnen.

9:00 a.m. ETPancrase Classics – Classic pioneering MMA battles featuring Ken Shamrock, Frank Shamrock, Bas Rutten, Name Marquardt, Chael Sonnen and others.

4:00 p.m. ET – Deep: DREAM Impact 2014– Featuring Yuki Motoya vs. Matt Manzanares from Dec. 31, 2014 in Saitama, Japan.

7:00 p.m. ETUFC Fight Night: Texeira vs. Saint Preux Pre-Show – LIVE pre-fight coverage and analysis for UFC Fight Night: Texeira vs. Saint Preux from Nashville, Tenn.

8:00 p.m. ETFight News Now: MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and features.

8:30 p.m. ETFight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.

9:00 p.m. ETKing of Kings: World Grand Prix Moldova 2015 – Featuring a one-night, single-elimination middleweight tournament showcasing Valdermar Kulda, Alexandru Daniel, Lyapin Igor and Malchaz Karija.

Sunday, Aug. 9

12:00 a.m. ETFighting Spirit MMA Season 4 – Compilation of international fights from SFL, Legend, FFC, M-1 and others.

6:00 a.m. ETPancrase Classics – Classic pioneering MMA battles featuring Ken Shamrock, Frank Shamrock, Bas Rutten, Name Marquardt, Chael Sonnen and others.

11:00 a.m. ETBest 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. ETElite 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. & 10:30 p.m. ETUSA 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. ETJudo Samsun Grand Prix 2015 Highlights – Highlights from the Judo Samsun Grand Prix from Mar. 27-29, 2015 in Turkey.

11:00 p.m. ETEnfusion Live #26: Narain vs. Diekmann – LIVE professional kickboxing from The Hauge, Holland, featuring Reda Narain vs. Tommy Diekmann for the -60kg world title 

INFORMATION:

 

www.FightNetwork.com

 

Twitter & Instagram @fightnet

 

www.Facebook.com/FightNetwork

 

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 SERIES OF FIGHTING EIGHT-HOUR TV MARATHON HITS NBCSN TOMORROW, TUESDAY, AUGUST 4

Programming run includes Saturday’s
 “WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” world championship doubleheader  

LAS VEGAS (August 3, 2015) – An action-packed, eight-hour marathon of World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) television programming will air on NBCSN tomorrow,Tuesday, August 4, beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, the world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) franchise announced today.

Among the four recent, star-studded events that will replay during the extensive programming run is the “WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” world championship doubleheader extravaganza that aired live on the network on Saturday, August 1, and was headlined by a long-awaited showdown between reigning world welterweight (170 pounds) champion Rousimar Palhares and two-time world champion and challengerJake Shields.

“We are excited to be able to give millions of fans the opportunity to re-live some of the best, world-class MMA action we have witnessed this year in our decagon cage,” said World Series of Fighting President, six-time world champion  and two-time Hall of Famer, Ray Sefo.

“All four events that will be showcased,” continued Sefo, “feature at least one, pivotal world championship bout as well as a collection of our top stars, so we have a great opportunity to introduce new fans to World Series of Fighting’s tremendous roster of athletes as well as to entertain our existing fans with some of the most memorable moments, thus far, from 2015.”

The marathon schedule will air on NBCSN as follows:

7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT – “WSOF 20: Branch vs. McElligott”

9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT – “WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields”

11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT – “WSOF 19: Gaethje vs. Palomino”

1 a.m. ET/10 p.m. PT – “WSOF 21: Palmer vs. Horedecki”

World Series of Fighting’s live event programming will return to NBCSN on Friday, September 18 with “WSOF 23: Gaethje vs. Palomino II,” another world championship doubleheader led by a much-anticipated rematch between undefeated, reigning world lightweight (155 pounds) kingpin Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje and hard-hitting challenger Luis “Baboon” Palomino, who engaged in what has already been named a “Fight of the Year” candidate, on March 28.

PRELIMINARY PORTION OF ‘BELLATOR MMA: GUILLARD VS. GIRTZ’ FINALIZED WITH THE ADDITION OF FIVE PRELIMINARY BOUTS

 

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (August 3, 2015) – August 28th’s “Bellator 141: Guillard vs. Girtz” is now complete with the addition of four new bouts which will take place during the preliminary card at the beautiful Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, Calif.

In a critical lightweight matchup, Brent Primus (5-0) will put his undefeated record on the line against the dangerous Derek “The Barbaric” Anderson (12-1, 1 NC). Also on the card, middleweights AJ “The Mercenary” Matthews (7-3) versus Emiliano “He-Man” Sordi (13-4), as well as light heavyweights Ray Sloan (8-0), who goes to battle with Luc Bondole (4-1), and the young featherweight A.J. McKee (1-0) returns to face James Barnes (4-0). Finally, a third women’s bout has also been added, with the inclusion of Ilima Macfalane (1-0) against Maria Rios (2-2) in flyweight action.

The newly announced contests will stream on Spike.com at 7:45 p.m. ET during the preliminary portion of “Bellator MMA: Guillard vs. Girtz,” which is followed by the main card, which airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.

 

Limited tickets for the event, which start at just $50, remain on sale now at Pechanga.com and the Pechanga Resort & Casino box office. Doors for the event open at 4 p.m. PT local time.

 

In the evening’s main event, Melvin “The Young Assassin” Guillard (32-14-2, 2 NC) will face Brandon “Cold Roll” Girtz (11-4). The co-headliner will feature lightweight action that pits Saad Awad (18-6) against Patricky “Pitbull” Freire (13-6). Opening the main card, Lorenzo Hood (9-2) will make his Bellator MMA debut against Raphael Butler (9-1-1).

 

San Diego’s Anderson will look to parlay his impressive technical knockout of Danny Navarro at Bellator 132 when he steps into the Bellator MMA cage for the second time in 2015. A product of Team Xplode MMA, the man fans describe as “The Barbaric” will be seeking his 12th finish in 14 tries.

 

Since joining the Bellator MMA fray in 2013, Primus has been on a tear, ripping through all three opponents with first-round finishes. Now, the 30-year-old Portland, Ore., native will face the stiffest test of his young career when he goes up against Anderson. Will he manage to keep his undefeated, first-round finish streak alive?

 

Known by most mixed martial arts fans as one of top up-and-coming 185-pound fighters on the Bellator MMA roster, Matthews emphatically solidified his contender role in the division with his show-stopping knockout of Kyle Bolt at Bellator 131 this past November. Known as “The Mercenary,” the Blackline MMA product and Strikeforce veteran will look to continue his rise to the top of the middleweight heap when he returns to action on Aug. 28.

 

Standing opposite of Matthews will be Sordi, who burst on the Bellator MMA scene with a 58-second submission of former UFC fighter Bubba McDaniel. The 24-year-old Argentinian has not tasted defeat since 2012 and has earned all 13 of his professional victories before reaching the judges’ scorecards.

 

Undefeated in eight fights, Sloan has entered Bellator MMA impressively, winning his first two tilts. The Oceanside, Calif., native trains out of Excel Jiu-Jitsu and has utilized the discipline to defeat seven out of eight opponents via submission.

 

Bondole is a highly regarded prospect, fighting out of Kings MMA in Huntington Beach, Calif., whos last outing resulted in a draw against Chris Hererra. Now, he will look to secure a win over Sloan on his own terms, and not let the judges have a say.

 

The son of respected MMA fighter Antonio McKee, “The Mercenary” will look to continue to pave his own way through the sport.  A.J. shined in his first outing, securing a first round rear-naked choke over Marcos Bonilla. He now faces a fellow Angelino in Barnes, who has been tearing up the Gladiator Challenge circuit, going 4-0 with two KO’s and two submissions, all taking place in the first round.

 

Best known for her viral performance in her professional MMA debut, Macfarlane will now make her first appearance for Bellator MMA when she faces Maria Rios.

“Bellator 141: Guillard vs. Girtz” – Friday, August 28, Pechanga Resort & Casino

Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Melvin Guillard (32-14-2, 2 NC) vs. Brandon Girtz (11-4)

Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Patricky Pitbull (13-6) vs. Saad Awad (18-6)

Bellator Heavyweight Feature Fight: Justin Wren (10-2) vs. Josh Burns (8-8)

Bellator Heavyweight Feature Fight: Raphael Butler (9-1-1) vs. Lorenzo Hood (9-2)

Bellator Women’s Flyweight Prelim: Ilima Macfarlane (1-0) vs. Maria Rios (2-2)

Bellator Featherweight Prelim: A.J. McKee (1-0) vs. James Barnes (4-0)

Bellator Womens Featherweight Prelim: Adrienna Jenkins (18-6) vs. Lissette Neri (6-2)

Bellator Light Heavyweight Prelim: Ray Sloan (8-0) vs. Luc Bondole (4-1)

Bellator Welterweight Prelim: Johnny Cisneros (8-4) vs. Gabriel Miglioli (9-7)

Bellator Welterweight Prelim: Curtis Millender (7-2) vs. Steven Ciaccio (4-3)

Bellator Womens Featherweight Prelim: Marloes Coenen (22-6) vs. Arlene Blencowe (6-4)

Bellator Lightweight Prelim: Brent Primus (5-0) vs. Derek Anderson (12-1, 1 NC)

Bellator Middleweight Prelim: AJ Matthews (7-3) vs. Emiliano Sordi (13-4)

 

Two-time world champion, female boxer Amanda Serrano blasts Ronda Rousey’s trainer, and makes challenge

Serrano with the WBO title
Two-time world champion, Amanda Serrano (24-1-1, 18 KO’s) from Puerto Rico, and her trainer/ manager, Jordan Maldonado consider it very disrespectful for the boxing community, the comments made by Edmond Tarverdyan, trainer of the UFC World Champion, Ronda Rousey in www.mmafighting.com.
“I know she can do it,” Tarverdyan told MMA Fighting, “I know she can win the boxing world title. Ronda spars with boxing world champions that punch way harder than Cyborg,”, Tarverdyan also added that, “Ronda has never lost a round in the gym. A round. With boxing world champions”.
“Definitely Rousey’s trainer does not have any knowledge about the sport of boxing. She is a very good fighter in the Octagon, and I really congratulate her for everything she has done. Her opponents cannot box and It’s easy to look great but when facing a high quality boxer with punching power as myself, believe me, things are gonna change. In a boxing ring, the canvas will be your comfort zone”.
About Rousey’s fight last Saturday, where she defeated Bethe Correia in 34 seconds, Serrano said, “As a boxing point of view, she looked like a rookie amateur fighter, throwing very wide punches with no cordination. I heard that Cyborg is not willing to come down to the lightweight division to fight Ronda, but I can go up to 135, and we can settle a boxing match so I can prove her trainer wrong. I once went up to the lightweight division, and traveled to Argentina for a world title fight. At the end, the results was that I became the first ever Puerto Rican female boxer to captured a world title in two weight classes”.
Serrano’s manager and trainer, Jordan Maldonado pointed out that “we do not challenge other fighting styles. We represent boxing and we want to get some respect. We are available for any sparring they may want or a boxing match, so we can show Edmond Tarverdyan how wrong he is about boxing”.
On August 15, 2014, Serrano traveled to Argentina to face WBO Lightweight World Champion Maria ‘Tily’ Maderna, who at that time, had three successful title defenses, but could not handle the aggressiveness of the Puerto Rican power puncher, who ended the fight in the sixth round by way of knockout.
With this victory, Serrano became the first Puerto Rican female boxer to win world titles in two divisions (130-135).
Serrano’s first title reign came in September 2011 when she knocked out Kimberly Connor in the first round to become the IBF World Champion at the super featherweight division.

UFC 190 Main Card Preview and Predictions

By: Rich Bergeron

 

Ronda Rousey (11-0) and Bethe Correia (9-0) will headline UFC 190 in a women’s bantamweight title bout that is guaranteed to deliver fireworks. These two rivals will fight in the challenger’s home country, but Rousey is a worldwide star who is on an epic roll so far in her MMA career. Correia is an underdog in her own country, but she’s also an undefeated striker who could give Rousey trouble if the armbar doesn’t come into play.

 

Correia made some insensitive remarks about Rousey committing suicide leading up to this fight. Suicide is a sore subject for the champ, who saw her father take his own life when she was younger. Rousey’s since promised to “punish” Bethe when they meet in the cage tonight.

 

Rousey is a perfectionist, plain and simple. Just when you think she can’t get any better, she surprises you and does just that. Correia is a tough-talking and confident fighter, but she is just nowhere near Rousey’s level. If she has any chance at all, it is in the first round. Rousey is not looking for a quick submission if we are to believe her admitted intentions of hurting Correia are genuine. Correia could use her reach and power-punching ability to rattle Rousey early and knock her out, but that means going to to toe with a champion who’s shown much-improved striking over the course of her last few fights.

 

Prediction: Look for Rousey to go back on her promise and finish this fight early, as her emotions will take over and stop her from thinking too much about drawing this one out. She will just wade in, throw down and walk out of the first round with another TKO to add to all her submission wins. She will smash Correia’s big nose wide open and judo toss the challenger to the mat where she’ll close the show with effective ground and pound.

 

The co-main event features Mauricio Rua (22-10) versus Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (21-6) in a rematch of a fight that happened under the PRIDE banner in January of 2005. Rua won the first fight by unanimous decision. This time, both fighters are long past their prime, and Rua enters the cage with just one win in his last four bouts. Nogueira also has a handicap since he’s coming in more than a year after his last fight, which was a one-sided TKO loss to Anthony Johnson that lasted just 44 seconds.

 

Prediction: Rua is not as heavy handed as Johnson, and Nogueira should get his revenge in this fight by knocking out Rua in the second or third round. Nogueira will have better head movement and defense in the rematch, and Rua just doesn’t have any recent wins against any big names. He’s in over his head in this fight, and “Minotouro” is going to send him into retirement.

 

Antonio Rodrgio Nogueira (34-9-1) also fights on the undercard against “The Skyscraper” Stefan Struve (25-7). This should be an exciting bout, and Mark Hunt showed that Struve is susceptible to haymakers. Can Nogueira exploit that weakness, or will Struve show he’s a legend killer this time out?

 

Prediction: Nogueira’s coming in with all the experience in this bout while Struve has the physicality. It’s said that the bigger they are, the harder they fall, but Struve is an exception. He should be able to take advantage of his youth and his long time away from the cage addressing injuries and health concerns. He will out-strike Nogueira and fight tall throughout the first two rounds, finally finishing Nogueira off with a vicious combo early in the third.

 

Other major highlights on this card include a women’s MMA showdown between Jessica Aguilar (19-4) and Claudia Gadelha (12-1) and a heavyweight clash between Soa “The Hulk” Palelei (20-4) and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva (18-7-1). Click Here (http://www.sherdog.com/events/UFC-190-Rousey-vs-Correia-42221) to check out the full UFC 190 card.

ALL 20 FIGHTERS MAKE WEIGHT FOR “WSOF 22: PALHARES VS. SHIELDS” TOMORROW, SATURDAY, AUGUST 1 IN LAS VEGAS

NEW LIVE NBCSN TELECAST START TIME:
10:30 PM ET/7:30 PM PT

LIVE PRELIMINARY CARD BEGINS ON WSOF.COM AT
8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT

Las Vegas, Nev. (July 31, 2015) – All 20 fighters, reigning World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) World Welterweight (170 pounds) Champion Rousimar Palhares (17-6) and challenger and two-time world champion Jake Shields (31-7), made weight one day before the highly-anticipated “WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) mega-event at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev., live on NBCSN, beginning at a new start time of 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT.

Palhares weighed in at 169.8 pounds and Shields clocked in at the weight limit of 170 pounds. 

WSOF World Bantamweight (135 pounds) Champion Marlon Moraes (14-4-1) tipped the scales at 135 pounds and his opponent, undefeated challenger Sheymon Moraes (7-0) registered a weight of 134.2 pounds.

The live, five-bout preliminary card stream will begin at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT on an embeddable video player on www.WSOF.com.

Priced from $29.99, tickets for “WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” are on sale at Ticketmaster.com and WSOF.com.

Doors at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino will open at 4:00 p.m. PT.  The first preliminary bout will begin at 5:00 p.m.

COMPLETE “WSOF 22: PALHARES VS. SHIELDS” WEIGH-IN RESULTS:

Main Card:

Main Event: World Welterweight (170 pounds) Championship Bout

Rousimar Palhares (17-6) (169.8 lbs.) vs. Jake Shields (31-7) (170lbs)
Minas Gerais, Brazil                                    San Francisco, Calif.

Co-Main Event:  World Bantamweight (135 pounds) Championship Bout

Marlon Moraes (14-4-1) (135 lbs.) vs.   Sheymon Moraes (7-0) (134.2 lbs.)
Toms Rier, N.J.                                      Rio de Janeiro, Brazil            .

Light Heavyweight (205 pounds) Bout

Mike Kyle (21-12-1) (206 lbs.)   vs.    Clifford Starks (11-2) (204.8 lbs.)
San Jose, Calif.                                  Tempe, Ariz.

Welterweight (170 pounds) Bout

Abubakar Nurmagomedov (9-1) (171 lbs.) vs.    Jorge Moreno (4-0) (168.8 lbs.)
Dagestan, Russia                                                Moses Lake, Wash.

Lightweight (155 pounds) Bout

Jimmy Spicuzza (6-2) (155.4 lbs.) vs.    Islam Mamedov (11-1) (155.4 lbs.)
Las Vegas, Nev.                                      Jersey City, N.J.

Preliminary Card:

Light Heavyweight (205 pounds) Bout

Jake Heun (7-4) (205.6 lbs.) vs. Davin Clark (5-2-2) (206 lbs.)
Coconut Creek, Fla.                   San Jose, Calif.

Flyweight (125 pounds) Bout

Donavon Frelow (4-0) (125 lbs.) vs. Carlos Garcia (0-0) (124.8 lbs.)
Las Vegas, Nev.                                 Las Vegas, Nev.

Catchweight (140 pounds) Bout

Jimmy Jones (4-3) (139.4 lbs.) vs. Marco Simmons (0-0) (140.6 lbs.)
Las Vegas, Nev.                              Las Vegas, Nev.

Light Heavyweight (205 pounds) Bout

Cory Hendricks (2-0) (204.4 lbs.) vs.  Julio Hinojosa (3-1) (206 lbs.)
Las Vegas, Nev.                                   El Paso, Texas

Lightweight (155 pounds) Bout

Gil Guardado (3-1) (154 lbs.)  vs.  Pete Martin (5-3) (155.6 lbs.)
Las Vegas, Nev.                             Las Vegas, Nev.

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING RETURNS TO FOXWOODS RESORT CASINO WITH STACKED WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, LIVE ON NBCSN

Main Event: Jon Fitch vs. Yushin Okami

World Heavyweight Championship Co-Main Event:
Blagoy Ivanov vs. Derek Mehmen

Plus: 
Vinny Magalhaes vs. Matt Hamill
and the Return of “Notorious” Nick Newell

Tickets on Sale Friday, July 31

LAS VEGAS (July 30, 2015) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) will return to Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn. for the second time this year with another star-studded, world-class Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) mega-event, headlined by a welterweight (170 pounds) showdown between rival superstars Jon Fitch and Yushin “Thunder” Okami, on Saturday, Oct. 17, live on NBCSN.

Priced from $39.99, tickets for “WSOF 24: Fitch vs. Okami” go on sale on tomorrow,Friday, July 31 at 10 a.m. ET at Ticketmaster.com and WSOF.com.

“We are excited to return to Foxwoods Resort Casino and the state of Connecticut, where we showcased our brand of world championship MMA action in front of a highly passionate audience earlier this year,” said WSOF President Ray Sefo.

“Beginning with Jon Fitch and Yushin Okami, two of the best 170-pound athletes in our entire sport,” continued Sefo, “we are assembling another card loaded with some of the top superstars and emerging stars in MMA, and we look forward to giving fans another memorable night of fights.”

In the co-main event, WSOF World Heavyweight Champion Blagoy Ivanov will put his coveted title on the line for the first time when he squares off with seasoned contenderDerek “Caveman” Mehmen.

In other action on the live NBCSN telecast, superstars Vinny Magalhaes and Matt “The Hammer” Hamill will make their respective WSOF debuts against each other in a light heavyweight (205 pounds) contest.

Also returning to the cage will be local favorite “Notorious” Nick Newell, who will take on an opponent to be named soon.

Jon Fitch vs. Yushin Okami

Both Fitch (26-7-1, 1 NC) of Las Vegas, Nev. and Okami (30-9) of Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan will look to return to the win column after their suffering defeats in their respective last starts, which were both world championship title bouts.

During his 12-year professional career, the 6-foot, 37-year-old Fitch, a former captain of world renowned fight team AKA and NCAA Division I wrestler for Purdue University, has submitted or scored TKO’s on a long list of rival superstars, including Roan Carneiro, Josh Burkman and Thiago Alves, and has earned decision wins over Diego Sanchez, Erick Silva and Ben Saunders.

Also a 12-year veteran of the sport, the 6-foot-2, 34- year-old Okami has earned 50 percent of his wins by way of (T)KO or submission, and boasts victories over a host of fellow marquee competitors, including Hector Lombard, Nate Marquardt, Mark Munoz and Alan Belcher.  In his WSOF debut on March 29, Okami notched a spectacular, second round (4:46) submission (arm-triangle choke) of Svetlozar Savov.

Blagoy Ivanov vs. Derek Mehmen

Ivanov (12-1) of Sofia, Bulgaria made history on June 5, 2015 when the 5-foot-11, 28-year-old pulled off a stunning, third round (1:17) submission (guillotine choke) of Smealinho Rama to become the second WSOF world heavyweight champion ever.

A judo black belt and 2008 Combat Sambo world champion, Ivanov defeated all-time great Fedor Emelianenko in the semi-final stage of the championship tournament.

Mehmen (19-6) of Coconut Creek, Fla. via Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is a 6-foot-4, 30-year-old member of American Top Team. The heavy-handed, 9-year veteran of the sport has earned 11 of his 19 professional career wins by way of (T)KO.

Mehmen earned the 2013 “KO Punch of the Year,” awarded by AXS TV’s Inside MMAprogram, for his devastating, second round (2:40) finish of Rolles Gracie, Jr. at WSOF 5 on Sept. 14, 2013.

Vinny Magalhaes vs. Matt Hamill

A former world MMA champion and multiple-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion, Magalhaes (12-7, 1 NC) of Las Vegas, Nev. will look to notch his third consecutive victory during his first start in the WSOF decagon cage and first appearance of 2015.

In his last effort, the 6-foot-3, 31-year-old native of Brazil submitted (guillotine choke)Jason Brilz in the fourth round (:36) of their matchup on Sept. 26, 2014.

A decade long veteran of MMA, Hamill of Loveland, Ohio remains one of the most inspirational athletes in all of MMA.  Deaf since birth, Hamill has persevered time and time again, earning his way to three NCAA Division III wrestling national titles before dedicating himself to MMA.

The subject of a 2010 biographical film entitled “The Hammer,” the 6-foot-2, 38-year-old owns notable wins over Tito Ortiz, Tim Boetsch, Keith Jardine and Mark Munoz, among others, and also boasts past clashes with Michael Bisping, Rich Franklin,Alexander Gustafsson, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Jon Jones.

The live NBCSN telecast of “WSOF 24: Fitch vs. Okami” will begin at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT.

Doors at the Grand Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino will open at 4:30 p.m. ET, and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 5:30 p.m.

Additional matchups will be announced soon.  The card is subject to change.

GLORY KICKBOXING ADDS LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE FIGHT BETWEEN ZACK ‘THE BLACK WARRIOR’ MWEKASSA & SAULO ‘CASSIUS CLAY’ CAVALARI TO ‘BELLATOR MMA: DYNAMITE’

 

Dynamite rendering

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (July 30, 2015) – On Saturday, September 19, Bellator MMA will present a landmark event in American combat sports history with “Bellator 142: Dynamite,” featuring Tito Ortiz taking on Bellator Light Heavyweight World Champion Liam McGeary.  A spectacle so big, it will include two fields of battle – a Bellator cage and a Glory kickboxing ring, takes place at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., and airs live and free on Spike at 9/8c.

 

Today, Glory kickboxing has also added its own Light Heavyweight Championship bout to the “Bellator 142: Dynamite” docket.  Congolese power-puncher Zack “The Black Warrior” Mwekassa (13-2, 12 KO) will look for revenge against the last man to defeat him, Brazilian knockout artist Saulo “Cassius Clay” Cavalari (31-2, 19 KO), in an explosive clash that headlines the kickboxing portion of the card featured during “Bellator MMA: Dynamite.”

 

The new bout joins the previously announced fight card, which features MMA legend Ortiz (18-11) challenging Bellator’s reigning light heavyweight king, McGeary (10-0) and the 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 as Emanuel Newton (25-8-1), Linton Vassell (15-4-1) and the return of Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (15-4, 1 NC).

 

In their previous meeting, Cavalari defeated Mwekassa in the third round with a show-stopping head kick knockout. Additional Glory kickboxing bouts and competitors for “Bellator MMA: Dynamite” will be announced shortly.

 

Tickets for “Bellator 142: Dynamite” 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.

 

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 TV, 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.

 

About GLORY:
Founded in 2012, GLORY is owned and operated by GLORY Sports International (GSI), a professional martial arts organization and television content provider that maintains offices in New York, Denver, London, Amsterdam, and Singapore. GLORY programming is seen in over 170 territories. GLORY kickboxing rules are comprised of a mix of several combat disciplines including Karate, Muay Thai, Tae Kwon Do and traditional Boxing. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @GLORY_WS, and visit us online at gloryworldseries.com.

 

About SAP Center in San Jose

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, SAP Center at San Jose is the premier sports and entertainment venue in Northern California.  Each year, SAP Center hosts approximately 175 events featuring professional and amateur athletes, Olympic athletes, Grammy award-winners, international recording artists, and a variety of performers who appeal to children and families alike.  SAP Center at San Jose is home to the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League as well as the San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football League.  For more information about SAP Center at San Jose and for a list of upcoming events, visit the SAP Center home page atwww.sapcenter.com.