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Category Archives: mixed martial arts
LORENZO HOOD SET FOR PROMOTIONAL DEBUT AGAINST RAPHAEL BUTLER DURING MAIN CARD OF ‘BELLATOR: GUILLARD VS. GIRTZ’ ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 28 AT PECHANGA RESORT & CASINO
Easy Tweet: Heavyweights with KOs for days! @RealThaSilencer takes on @hood_zo at #Bellator141
August 28, at @PechangaCasino and only on @spike
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (July 22, 2015) – The highly anticipated promotional debut of Lorenzo “The Samoan Silverback” Hood (9-2) will come on the main card of “Bellator MMA: Guillard vs. Girtz” against Raphael “The Silencer” Butler (9-1-1) on Friday, Aug. 28 at Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, Calif.
The contest will serve as the opening main card bout of “Bellator MMA: Guillard vs. Girtz,” which airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, with preliminary bouts streaming on Spike.com at 7 p.m. ET. Additional bouts will be announced shortly.
Tickets for the event, which start at just $50, are 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, and the first contest takes place one hour later.
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 when Saad Awad (18-6) takes Patricky “Pitbull” Freire (13-6).
One of the most sought-after heavyweight prospects in MMA, the 6-foot-3 Hood has been competing professionally since 2009 and has never allowed a fight to go past the first round. Of his nine career victories, each and every one has come by knockout. Hood has fought throughout the U.S. while competing on the regional circuit, earning himself the distinction of being one of the top heavyweight prospects in the sport.
“The Silencer” started his combat sports career as a professional boxer, where he racked up 28 knockouts in his 35 total victories, and still trains with high caliber strikers including Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder. Butler now makes his seventh appearance under the Bellator MMA banner, his first since finishing Josh Diekmann at “Bellator MMA: British Invasion” this past February. Much like Hood, the Minnesota native has never allowed a match-up to reach the judges’ scorecards, accruing six knockouts and three submissions along the way.
With all the hype surrounding the debut of Hood, Butler will look to play the role of spoiler when he enters the Bellator MMA cage for second time in 2015.
Fight Network weekly MMA, Judo & Kickboxing programming (July 20-26)
(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, July 20 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. 8:00 p.m. ET – Final Fight Championship 14 MMA: Krisic vs. Racic – Featuring Lemmy Krusic vs. Antun Racic from Oct. 3, 2014 in Ljubljana, Slovenia. 10:00 p.m. ET – Final Fight Championship 14 Kickboxing: Petje vs. Mikelic – Featuring Samo Petje vs. Teo Mikelic and Mirko Vorkapic vs. Kevin Hessling from Oct. 3, 2014 in Ljubljana, Slovenia.. Tuesday, July 21 1:30 a.m. ET – XPTV – Coverage of regional U.S. professional and amateur MMA events. 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. 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 p.m. ET – Xtreme Fighting Championship – Florida-based pro MMA featuring top American prospects, international stars and UFC veterans. 8:00 p.m. ET – 5 Rounds – Hosts John Ramdeen and Robin Black invite special guests to break down 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. 10:00 p.m. ET – 5 Rounds Today – Video podcast with John Ramdeen and Robin Black breaking down a wide variety of topics in the MMA world, including previews of upcoming events and all the latest rumors and headlines. 11:00 p.m. ET – Ring of Combat 50 – Featuring George Sheppard vs. Jeff Lentz, Phillipe Nover vs. Dan Cion, Julio Arce vs. Thomas Vasquez and Chris Piriz vs. Leo Muniz from Jan. 23, 2015 in Atlantic City, NJ. Wednesday, July 22 3:00 a.m. ET – Texas Fight Night – MMA action from Texas featuring the Lone Star State’s top prospects in the cage. 6:00 p.m. ET – Best of Cage Rage – Featuring classic fights from the UK-based Cage Rage organization with Anderson Silva, Antonio Silva, Victor Belfort, Paul Daley and others. 7:00 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra: MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and feature. 7:30 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game. 8:00 p.m. ET – Cage Warriors FC: Fight Night 6 – Featuring MMA action from Qatar featuring international stars and up-and-coming prospects. 11:00 p.m. ET – MMA Meltdown with Gabriel Morency – Gabriel Morency breaks down all the happenings in MMA, discussing odds, predictions, plus special weekly guests and exclusive interviews. 11:30 p.m. ET – TakeDown Wrestling – Extensive coverage of amateur wrestling events, including the latest news, behind-the-scenes coverage from events and exclusive interviews. Thursday, July 23 1:30 a.m. & 1:00 p.m. ET – Ultimate Challenge MMA 17: Kings of the Cage – Featuring Ben Smith vs. Irving Daniels from Dec. 4, 2010 in London. 3:30 a.m. ET – Fighting Spirit MMA Season 4 – Compilation of international fights from SFL, Legend, FFC, M-1 and others. 6:00 p.m. ET – Championship Fighting Alliance – Pro MMA from Florida featuring the likes of Josh Sampo, Mike Kyle, John Howard, Sean McCorkie, Luis Palomino and others. 7:00 p.m. ET – Fighting Rookies – Aspiring kickboxers climb the ladder of success in the sport as rookies compete for a chance to become professionals and get experience needed to succeed at a higher level. 8:00 p.m. ET – Fight 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. ET – GFC 5: Saki vs. Ciobanu – Pro kickboxing from Dubai, U.A.E., featuring Gokhan Saki vs. Sebastien Ciobanu, plus Steve McKinnon vs. Zabit Samedov and Jafar Ahmadi vs. Danyo Ilunga. Friday, July 24 12:00 a.m. ET – It’s Showtime Special – The world’s premier kickboxing organization featuring Badr Hari, Melvin Manhoef and Giorgio Petrosyan. 2:00 a.m. ET – Pancrase Classics – Classic pioneering MMA battles featuring Ken Shamrock, Frank Shamrock, Bas Rutten, Nate Marquardt, Chael Sonnen and others. 4:00 a.m. ET – Best of DEEP – Featuring classic fights from the historic Japanese DEEP promotion including Shinya Aoki, Hayato Sakurai and Gerard Mousasi. 5:00 a.m. ET – Best of Jewels – Classic fights from the all-female Japanese MMA League, Jewels. 12:00 p.m. ET – Bookie Beatdown – Preview of the betting lines and top picks for major UFC events. 5:00 p.m. ET – UFC Fight Night: Dillashaw vs. Barao 2 Weigh-ins – LIVE coverage of official weigh-ins for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. 6:00 p.m. ET — M-1 Challenge– Pro MMA from Europe and Russia featuring top prospects and international stars. 7:00 p.m. ET – Fight News Now: MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and features. 7:30 p.m. ET — Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game. 8:00 p.m. ET – UFC Fight Night: Dillashaw vs. Barao 2 Pre-Show – Pre-fight coverage and analysis for UFC Fight Night: Dillashaw vs. Barao 2 in Chicago. 8:30 p.m. ET – Hip Show: Arena Combat – Tag-team MMA inside a 12m by 12m arena with three-level obstacle structures. Saturday, July 25 8:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m. & 7:30 p.m. ET – UFC Fight Night: Dillashaw vs. Barao 2 Pre-Show – Pre-fight coverage and analysis for UFC Fight Night: Dillashaw vs. Barao 2 in Chicago. 6:00 a.m. ET – Best of TKO – Featuring Urijah Faber vs. Ivan Menjivar from TKO 24. 7:00 a.m. ET – Best of Gladiator Challenge – Featuring Keith Jardine vs. Amir Rahnavardi from Gladiator Challenge 5. 8:30 a.m. ET – Pancrase Classics – Classic pioneering MMA battles featuring Ken Shamrock, Frank Shamrock, Bas Rutten, Name Marquardt, Chael Sonnen and others. 4:00 p.m. ET – Deep: 70 Impact– Featuring Yoshiyuki Nakanisho vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura and Yuta Watanabe vs. Yuya Shirai from, Dec. 21, 2014 in Tokyo. 8:00 p.m. ET – Enfusion Live #30 Dublin: Philpott vs. Jaraya – Featuring Alan Philpott vs. Mohammed Jaraya and Ilias Bulaid vs., Simon Santana in championship fights from July 11, 2105 in Dublin, Ireland. 10:00 p.m. ET – Fighting Spirit MMA Season 4 – Compilation of international fights from SFL, Legend, FFC, M-1 and others. 11:00 p.m. ET – Battlefield Fight League 37 – LIVE MMA from Coquitlam, BC, Canada, featuring Jeremy Kennedy vs. Kyle Nelson and Ryan Janes vs. Brendan Kornberger in championship fights. Sunday, July 26 6:00 a.m. ET – Pancrase Classics – Classic pioneering MMA battles featuring Ken Shamrock, Frank Shamrock, Bas Rutten, Name Marquardt, Chael Sonnen and others. 1:00 p.m. ET – Australian Fighting Championship 9 – Featuring Corey Nelson vs. Callan Potter and Gustavo Falciroli vs. Kaiwhare Kara-France from May 17, 2014 in New South Eales, Austrailia. 11:00 a.m. ET – 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. ET – Elite Muay Thai: Thailand vs. Challenger – The biggest Muay Thai series in the world featuring premium international stand-up fighters taking on the renowned Thai National Team 5:00 p.m. & 10:30 p.m. ET – 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. ET – Judo Dusseldorf Grand Prix 2015 – Highlights from the Judo Dusseldorf Grand Slam – Highlights from the Judo Dusseldorg Grand Tokyo Grand Prix from Feb. 20-22 in Germany. 11:00 p.m. ET – Enfusion Live #24: Lazaar vs. Venneste – Featuring Ismael Lazaar vs. Thomas Vanneste for the Enfusion heavyweight world title from Feb. 7, 2015 in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
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. 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. |
MMA LIVE – THIS SATURDAY- TUCSON
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RFA 29 – USA vs. BRAZIL
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MAIN EVENT:
RICKY MUSGRAVE vs. RAONI BARCELOS
FEATHERWEIGHT WORLD TITLE
CO-MAIN EVENT:
JORDON LARSON vs. ACKSON JUNIOR
ALSO FEATURING:
JOCELYN JONES-LYBARGER vs. KINBERLY NOVAES
HONORARY COACHES:
ROBBIE LAWLER vs. LYOTO MACHIDA
FRIDAY, AUGUST 21st LIVE ON AXSTV
LIVE at The Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, SD
Tickets on Sale through Ticketmaster.com
LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA) president Ed Soares announced today that RFA 29 will feature a team battle pitting top American prospects against top Brazilian prospects, when the MMA promotion returns to South Dakota next month. The honorary coaches will be current UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler (Team USA) and former UFC light-heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida (Team Brazil). RFA 29 will be headlined with an RFA featherweight title fight between top-contenders Ricky Musgrave and Raoni Barcelos. The event takes place Friday, August 21st at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The entire main card will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.
“RFA 29 will have a USA vs. Brazil team concept that will feature some of the top MMA prospects from each country,” stated Soares. “Robbie Lawler and Lyoto Machida will be the honorary coaches for each team. In the main event, Ricky Musgrave and Raoni Barcelos will also be competing for the vacant RFA featherweight title. This entire card is stacked and I can’t wait to see what happens at RFA 29 on Friday, August 21st.”
Tickets for RFA 29 – USA vs. Brazil are available for purchase NOW through Ticketmaster.com. You can also support your favorite fighter buy purchasing your tickets through CageTix.com.
Musgrave (14-4) is riding a considerable wave of momentum coming into this title fight. In his most recent outing, “The Spazmanian Devil” scored a dominant first round TKO win over four-time UFC vet and jiu-jitsu black belt Alvin Robinson at RFA 22 in January. The win took place in Musgrave’s hometown of Colorado Springs, Colorado and extended his winning streak to four fights in a row. The former U.S. Army Ranger has won six of seven fights over the last two and a half years and he is eager to bring home a title that he has had his eyes on for awhile.
“I’ve asked for it, I’ve waited for it, and now it’s finally here,” Musgrave said about his RFA title shot. “Everyone at Pariah MMA in Colorado Springs is excited about this and our gym is about to be put on the map. Barcelos is a tough kid, very aggressive, and a worthy opponent. I’m excited to get in there and fight.”
Barcelos (8-1) also returns to the RFA octagon fresh off a scintillating first round finish. The win came via KO over the previously undefeated NCAA Division I All-American wrestler Jamal Parks at RFA 23 in February. The bout was the Brazilian dynamo’s third for the promotion and he was able to showcase his well-rounded skill set in devastating fashion. On top of his tremendous KO power, Barcelos is a world class jiu-jitsu black belt that began training “the gentle art” with his father, black-and-red belt Laerte Barcelos, when he was just two-years old. The Nova União standout now looks to add the RFA featherweight title to his lengthy list of athletic accomplishments.
“I am very happy to fight for the RFA world title,” stated Barcelos. “RFA is an event that has been showing a lot of talent for the world to see. I’m sure with this fight I will have the opportunity to be recognized for my work. It’s a dream come true and an honor to be a champion of a great event like the RFA.”
The co-main event of RFA 29 will feature two welterweight MMA prospects, who are quickly rising the ranks of a historically deep division. The first is one of the most beloved fighters in the state of South Dakota. That would be none other than Jordon Larson (6-1), who was born and raised in Sioux Falls, but currently trains out of Power MMA in Gilbert, Arizona. Larson has been the recipient of two of the loudest ovations in RFA history and will be looking for his third onAugust 21st. He will be tasked with facing Brazilian juggernaut Ackson Junior (5-0), who trains out of the famed X-Gym in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. “Tank Russo” has been sensational fighting inside of his home continent of South America. He has stopped all five men he has faced with only one of those bouts lasting more than one round.
RFA 29 will also feature the biggest and most important women’s MMA bout to ever take place in the state of South Dakota. RFA fan favorite Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger (5-1) will be the female representative for Team USA. Jones-Lybarger has won all three of her fights in the RFA since making her debut for the promotion in 2014. The MMA LAB standout will be looking for her fourth win in the fourth different state she has fought in for the promotion. She has been given a tough assignment, which will see her clash with the highly-regarded Brazilian strawweight Kinberly Novaes (8-2). Novaes is a dynamic striker that trains under UFC and PRIDE vet Cristiano Marcello at CM System in Curitiba, Brazil. Noaves is perhaps best known for scoring a second round TKO victory over top-ranked UFC bantamweight Jessica Andrade in just her third professional fight. Additional bouts at RFA 29 – USA vs. Brazil will be announced soon. RFA 29 will be the promotion’s third event to take place in “The Mount Rushmore State” of South Dakota since the state sanctioned MMA last summer. The entire main card of RFA 29 – USA vs. Brazil will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT on Friday, August 21st.
Please visit RFAfighting.com for bout updates and information. RFA is also on Facebook at Facebook.com/RFAfighting, Instagram at @RFAfighting, and Twitter at @RFAfighting.
About RFA: RFA is a professional mixed martial arts promotion that gives rising stars and top contenders the opportunity to prove their talent to fans and leaders in the industry. The RFA presents live events on a monthly basis around the United States including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Denver and Milwaukee. RFA can be seen live in over 43 million homes nationally through its television deal with AXS TV. Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, RFA is one of the most active and respected MMA organizations in the fastest growing sport in the world. (The Octagon, Ultimate Fighting Championship®, UFC®, and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC. All rights reserved).
About AXS TV Fights: AXS TV Fights is renowned for its universally recognized Friday Night Mixed Martial Arts and Kickboxing events. As Your Home For MMA, AXS TV utilizes an expansive network of promotions from the United States, Canada, and Europe. And Asia to broadcast more LIVE fights than any other television network. “The Voice” Michael Schiavello and five-time MMA world-champion Pat Miletich provide viewers expert play-by-play, in-depth fighter coverage, and extensive analysis to each fight card. AXS TV broadcasts world-class LIVE fight events from RFA, Lion Fight, Legacy FC, and MFC every Friday night at 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET.
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FORMER MAIN EVENTER TO RETURN AFTER MORE THAN TWO YEARS
Lewiston, Maine (July 17, 2015) – New England Fights (NEF), America’s number-one regional fight promotion, will hold its nineteenth mixed-martial-arts (MMA) event, “NEF XIX,” on Saturday, September 12, 2015 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine. Earlier today, the promotion announced the addition of a professional welterweight bout to the fight card. Darrius Heyliger (4-2) has signed to face Brandon Chagnon (5-4) at a fight weight of 170-pounds.
Darrius Heyliger was a regular on the main card of NEF events during the promotion’s infancy. Making the long trip from his home in Ithaca, New York several times, Heyliger built quite the fan following for himself in Maine and became one of the most popular out-of-state fighters competing in NEF. Heyliger impressed many with his victories over Jarod Lawton (4-2) and Josh Bellows (1-2). He would go on to headline “NEF VII” against the legendary Marcus Davis (22-11) in one of the biggest fights in NEF history. That bout, in May 2013, was the last time Heyliger would compete in NEF, or any promotion for that matter, until “NEF XIX.”
“I feel like the time away from the sport was needed, and I’m now ready to take over and dominate,” said Heyliger. “And to make my comeback fight in front of the Maine fans and for NEF, where the support is so strong, makes it that much better.”
“We’re really excited to have Darrius coming back,” said NEF co-owner and matchmaker Matt Peterson. “He’s one of those fighters the fans are always asking us to bring back. His fight with Jarod Lawton was one of the most brutal to ever take place in the NEF cage. He’ll have his work cut out for him with Brandon Chagnon though.”
Brandon Chagnon began competing in MMA over seven years ago. He is a member of Mark DellaGrotte’s world-renown Sityodtong located in Somerville, Massachusetts. Chagnon is also a trainer at TITLE Boxing Club in North Andover, Massachusetts. He has won his last two fights in a row, both by submission. Like his opponent, Chagnon has not competed in quite some time, his last bout taking place in the spring of 2014. He is confident that he can defeat Heyliger on September 12 in Lewiston.
“I am excited I get the chance to compete in a state I haven’t previously fought in, and in front of a new crowd who might have not had the chance to see me compete before,” said Chagnon. “This is my tenth professional MMA fight, so it is important to me to go out make a statement. I train with what is highly regarded as the best team in the northeast and they are like family to me. With them standing behind me, I know that if I fight at my full potential, I am trouble for any 170-pound fighter. From what I know, Darrius seems like a tough opponent and we have similar records on paper. However, I have no doubt in my mind that I will be walking away with another win.”
New England Fights’ next event, “NEF XIX,” takes place on Saturday, September 12, 2015 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine. Tickets for “NEF XIX” start at just $25 and are on sale now at www.TheColisee.com or by calling the 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.
OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN RESULTS, PHOTOS AND INFORMATION FROM ‘BELLATOR 140: LIMA VS. KORESHKOV’
Uncasville, CT. (July 16, 2015) – The official weigh-ins for “Bellator 140: Lima vs. Koreshkov” concluded today from The Mohegan Sun Arena, with both Welterweight Champion Douglas Lima (26-5) and his opponent Andrey Koreshkov (17-1) hitting their 170-pound marks.
In addition to the aforementioned headliner, Bellator 140, which airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT, features four additional must-see welterweight attractions.
In the co-main event, the explosive Paul “Semtex” Daley (36-13) looks to put an end to the present winning streak of Dennis Olson(14-8). Daley looks to impress once again when he competes in Connecticut, following up on his victory at “British Invasion” in February.
Hometown favorite “Irish” Brennan Ward (10-3) looks to remain undefeated in 2015 when he meets Roger Carroll (16-11), who replaced Gavin Sterritt on short notice. “Irish” has not been involved in a fight that reached the judges’ scorecards since 2012.
Undefeated Edinboro University of Pennsylvania wrestling standout Chris “The Cutt” Honeycutt (6-0) receives the toughest test of his career, when he meets fellow All-American wrestler and nine-year MMA veteran Paul “The Gentleman” Bradley (22-6).
In the opening televised bout of the evening, Michael “Venom” Page (7-0) will attempt to return to his impressive trend of finishing fights when he faces 29-fight veteran Rudy “Bad News” Bears (16-13). “MVP” was originally slated to compete in February, but during the lead-up to the bout, sustained a cut that has kept him out of action since last year.
CLICK HERE FOR ALL WEIGH-IN PHOTOS
Main Card (9 p.m. ET)
Douglas Lima (170 lbs.) vs. Andrey Koreshkov (170 lbs.)
Paul Daley (171 lbs.) vs. Dennis Olson (173 lbs.)
*Olson fined for missing weight
Brennan Ward (171 lbs.) vs. Roger Carroll (171 lbs.)
Chris Honeycutt (171 lbs.) vs. Paul Bradley (171 lbs.)
Michael Page (171 lbs.) vs. Rudy Bears (170.75 lbs.)
Preliminary Card (6:45 p.m. ET)
Kaline Medeiros (124.25 lbs.) vs. Sarah Payant (128.5 lbs.)
*Payant fined for missing weight
Dean Hancock (155.75 lbs.) vs. Alex Dunworth (155.25 lbs.)
Ryan Quinn (159.75 lbs.) vs. Waylon Lowe (160 lbs.)
Billy Giovanella (125.75 lbs.) vs. Remo Cardarelli (123 lbs.)
Blair Tugman (136 lbs.) vs. Kin Moy (138.25 lbs.)
*Moy fined for missing weight
Parker Porter (260.25 lbs.) vs. Eric Bedard (257 lbs.)
Ilya Kotau (170.5 lbs.) vs. Nicolas Sergiacomi (171 lbs.)
ABUBAKAR NURMAGOMEDOV TO FACE UNDEFEATED JORGE MORENO ON LIVE NBCSN TELECAST OF “WSOF 22: PALHARES VS. SHIELDS” FROM LAS VEGAS ON SATURDAY, AUG. 1
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LIGHTWEIGHT TILT PITTING SAAD AWAD AGAINST PATRICKY ‘PITBULL’ FREIRE TO SERVE AS CO-MAIN EVENT OF ‘BELLATOR: GUILLARD VS. GIRTZ’ FRIDAY, AUGUST 28 AT PECHANGA RESORT & CASINO
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (July 16, 2015) – Additional lightweight action will anchor the top of “Bellator: Guillard vs. Girtz” on Friday, Aug. 28 at Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, Calif., with the addition of Saad Awad (18-6) vs. Patricky “Pitbull” Freire (13-6).
The contest serves as the co-headlining bout of “Bellator: Guillard vs. Girtz,” 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 the event, which start at just $50, go on sale this Friday at Pechanga.com and the Pechanga Resort & Casino box office. Doors for the event open at 4 p.m. PT local time, and the first contest takes place one hour later. Additional bouts will be announced shortly
In the evening’s main event, Melvin “The Young Assassin” Guillard (32-14-2, 2 NC) will make his highly anticipated Bellator MMA debut against Brandon “Cold Roll” Girtz (11-4). Additional bouts will be announced shortly.
The lone man to defeat Bellator Lightweight Champion Will Brooks, Awad has amassed a 6-3 record since first lacing up the gloves for the promotion in 2009. With 14 of his 18 professional victories coming by way of finish, “Assassin” has generated a large Southern California fan base with his exciting fighting style.
Fighting out of Millenia MMA in Rancho Cucamonga, CA., Awad continues to work his way back towards a trilogy bout against “Ill Will” Brooks. The 32-year-old impressively defeated Rob Sinclair at Bellator 136 before suffering a leg injury that has since kept him out of action.
Awad now faces the elder brother of Bellator Featherweight Champion Patricio “Pitbull” Freire, Patricky, who has competed for Bellator MMA since 2011, amassing six victories along the way. It’s rare that “Pitbull’s” scraps reach the judges’ scorecards, with 10 of his 13 wins coming by way of finish.
Much like his Bellator 141 opponent, Freire has also been inactive as of late due to injury. As his social media exploits indicate, “Pitbull” has also set his sights on the lightweight belt and his matchup with Awad is the first step towards achieving his goal.
M-1 Global President Vadim Finkelchtein: “Fedor fighting again will be a great gift to MMA fans”
M-1 Global President Vadim Finkelchtein talks about Fedor’s possible match-ups and expectations from his long-awaited return to MMA |
Were you surprised when you heard about Fedor returning to professional fighting?
VF: “Well, yes, I was surprised. I lost hope for his comeback after one or two years of negotiations. I just couldn’t do it. One time he asked me not to talk about this anymore. But about a week ago he told me that he might make a comeback. I couldn’t believe what I heard. I was happy to hear that, but the real decision he made only a couple of days ago.”
Will Fedor continue his work in Russian MMA Union?
VF: “Yes, I’m sure that fighting wouldn’t become a distraction from his post of President of MMA Federation.”
What did Fedor Emelianenko tell you about his possible match-ups and opponents?
VF: “There’s no definite information yet. The only thing he told me is that he needed to prepare well enough to become as dangerous as he used be. Mentally, he is ready to fight; his attitude about fighting is great. I think he has good chance to show the best version of himself. What do you think about his next fight? When will we see it?VF: “I can’t tell you exactly right now. I would like him to make his first fight in Russia, of course, but this is all up to him, after all. But it would be great if first he makes it for his Russian fans. They would be happy.”
Will you make the third M-1 Global event with Fedor as the headliner? VF: “I’d like that, of course. It would be awesome to make a show in “Olimpiyskiy” like we did when he was leaving. That show gathered 22,000 spectators and was a great present for all his fans. And then he would go abroad. This is of course is only my desire for now. I will work on it. Maybe we will make it happen.”
Who do you see as his next opponent? VF: “I think any M-1 heavyweight would accept this fight. Actually, he can face any TOP heavyweight from all over the World.”
How long will Fedor be able to fight in your opinion?
VF: “I think for a couple of years, easily.”
Information
Twitter & Instagram: @VFinkelchtein @M1Global
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