Category Archives: MMA

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

‘BELLATOR 158: LONDON’ DELIVERS – OFFERING KNOCKOUTS, SUBMISSIONS & POKE BALLS

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Complete Event Photos Here

 

LONDON — (July 16, 2016) – Douglas Lima (27-6) and Paul Daley (38-14-2) had been bound to cross paths throughout their Bellator MMA tenures, and on Saturday night at The O2 in London, the welterweight battle finally came to a head.

The main event of “Bellator 158: London” pitted the former 170-pound titlist against “Semtex,” an Englishman who has been on a tear since coming back into the fray. Over the course of 15 minutes, the two warriors ripped into each other’s bodies, rocking their foe with shots and scoring takedowns. Much to the chagrin of Daley’s hometown faithful, Lima got the better of Daley, earning a unanimous decision of (30-27 x3). With the win, Lima, eyes a rematch with Andrey Koreshkov, the man who took his title nearly a year ago.

Matt Mitrione Moves to 2-0 Under the Bellator MMA Umbrella

Matt Mitrione (11-5) returned to the Bellator MMA cage fresh off his victory at “Bellator: Dynamite 2” and finished Oli Thompson (17-9), winning his second fight in three weeks. “Meathead” and the former Britain’s strongest man winner went toe-to-toe for the better part of two rounds, but at 4:21 in the second frame, Mitrione turned the lights out for Thompson. Now, Mitrione moves ever closer to a shot at the vacant heavyweight belt, something he hopes to claim before the end of 2016.

 

Michael Page’s Knee Catches Itself A ‘Cyborg’

It’s rare when antics following a fight upstage a flying knee knockout, but Michael Page (12-0) managed to do just that with his second round finish of Evangelista “Cyborg” (21-19) on Satuday night in London. The ending came at 4:31 of the second frame, when Cyborg shot for a takedown but was caught in the head with a knee that sent him sprawling to the mat.

 

After that, “Venom” continued to do what he does best – entertain.

Click here to watch the post-fight celebration everyone is talking about.

Francis Carmont Submits Opponent in Opening Round

In light heavyweight action, Francis Carmont (25-11) defeated Lukasz Klinger (7-3) via submission to bounce back from his defeat at the hands of Phil Davis. The end came at 3:54 of the opening frame, when Georges St. Pierre’s training partner used the D’Arce choke to make his opponent tap out.

James Gallagher is 19-Years-Old & is a “Strabanimal”

 

In the opening contest of “Bellator 158: London” James Gallagher (4-0) kept his undefeated record intact, cruising to a unanimous decision victory against Mike Cutting (6-6). “The Strabanimal” did all he could to have an action-packed Bellator MMA debut, but Cutting – who missed weight on Friday – relentlessly circled the cage, avoiding as much toe-to-toe combat as possible. In the end, it didn’t matter, as the 19-year-old cruised to a unanimous 30-27 victory.

Preliminary Card Results: 

James Mulheron (9-1) defeated Neil Grove (12-8-1) via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-26)

Michael Shipman (9-1) defeated Dom Clark (7-10) via submission (Anaconda Choke) R1

Pietro Menga (13-0) defeated Spencer Hewitt (12-11) via knockout (punch) at :41 of R1

Luiz Tosta (8-4-1) and Dean Garnett (7-0-1) fought to majority draw

Jason Radcliffe (9-2) defeated Jack Mason (29-16-1) via knockout (knee) at :14 of R1

Manuel Garcia (28-19) defeated Alex Reid (11-10-1) via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)

Danny Mitchell (18-7) defeated C.J. Meeks (5-2) via submission (twister) 4:25 of R1

Nathanial Wood (9-3) defeated Chase Morton (6-3) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:59 of R3

boxing, mixed martial arts, MMA, Premier Boxing Champions, Spike TV

SPIKE TV PRESENTS A KNOCKOUT WEEKEND OF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP COMBAT SPORTS

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Bellator MMA Presents:
BENSON HENDERSON vs.
PATRICIO “PITBULL” FREIRE
On Friday, August 26
Premier Boxing Champions Presents:
ROBERT GUERRERO vs.
DAVID PERALTA
Also Featuring
Alfredo Angulo &
Terrell Gausha
On Saturday, August 27
Honda Center In Anaheim, CA. To Host These Back-To-Back Major
Combat Sports Events

 

New York, NY, July 16, 2016 – The most action-packed, hardest-hitting weekend in sports this summer will be not be in Rio – but in Anaheim – as Spike Sports presents two world-class events on back-to-back nights. Bellator MMA’s Benson Henderson(23-6) and Patricio “Pitbull” Freire (25-3), two of the most exciting mixed martial arts fighters in the world, do battle on Friday, August 26 (10:00pm-12:00am ET/PT). The action continues the next day with Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero(33-4-1) taking on David Emanuel Peralta (25-2-1) on Saturday, August 27 (9:00-11:00pm ET/PT). Both events will emanate from Honda Center in Anaheim, CA.
Benson Henderson has fought and beaten many of the best fighters in the world. His impressive resume includes victories over: Frankie Edgar, Donald Cerrone, Gilbert Melendez, Nate Diaz, Jim Miller and Bellator’s Josh Thomson. But “Smooth” has never faced an angry “Pitbull” in one of the most important fights of his life.
Patricio “Pitbull” Freiere is a former featherweight world champion who is stepping up to lightweight in the biggest challenge of his decorated career. In a Shakespearean twist, a win over Henderson would put him in line for a title shot against recently crowned 155-pound champion Michael Chandler, who scored a brutal knockout over Patricio’s brother to secure the division’s crown. But to avenge his brother’s loss, he must first defeat the highly-regarded “Bendo.”
Henderson is also in need of a big win as his recent Bellator debut was spoiled by welterweight champion Andrey Koreshkov. The hard-hitting Russian scored a unanimous decision victory in a five-round brawl against Henderson this past April at“Bellator 153: Koreshkov vs. Henderson.” 
Robert Guerrero is among the biggest names in boxing today, having fought the sport’s marquee names like Floyd Mayweather. A former world champion in multiple weight classes, he owns signature victories over Andre Berto and Joel Casamayor. But now Guerrero is on a quest to return to the top of the welterweight division beginning with this matchup on August 27. He must defeat the hard-hitting Argentinian slugger David Emanuel Peralta to see his dreams of sitting atop the division realized once again.
The tripleheader also features all-action slugger Alfredo Angulo (24-5)taking on battle-tested Freddy Hernandez (33-8)in a battle of Mexican brawlers. A fan favorite in Southern California, Angulo enters this fight coming off of two knockout victories and he will look to make it three in a row when he steps into the ring onAugust 27. A veteran of many exciting 154-pound contests, Angulo is looking to continue to make noise in the middleweight division against Hernandez, who has won his last three fights heading into this showdown.
Rounding out the night of televised fights is 2012 U.S. Olympian Terrell Gausha(18-0) putting his undefeated record on the line against the Bronx’s Steve Martinez(16-2). Fighting out of Cleveland, Gausha has risen up the rankings with five victories in 2015 and a seventh round stoppage of Orlando Lora in April. Now he will test himself against against the dangerous Martinez, who has recorded knockouts in 13 of his 16 victories.
Tickets for the August 27 event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are priced at $31, $58, $108 and $203, plus applicable fees, go on sale Wednesday, July 20. Tickets are available via ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster retail locations or by calling800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the Honda Center Box Office.
Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

BENSON HENDERSON-PATRICIO ‘PITBULL’ TO VIE FOR LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE SHOT DURING MAIN EVENT OF ‘BELLATOR 160’

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NEWLY ANNOUNCED EVENT TAKES PLACE AUGUST 26 AT HONDA CENTER IN ANAHEIM, CALIF.

 

 

SANTA MONICA, CALIF (July, 16) – Patricio “Pitbull” (25-3) is actively seeking revenge for his brother Patricky “Pitbull” after Bellator MMA’s new 155-pound kingpin Michael Chandler brutally finished the elder Freire during the co-main event of last month’s “Bellator: Dynamite 2”event.

 

Today, Bellator MMA is pleased to announce that Patricio will be given the opportunity to avenge his brother’s loss – but in order to reach Chandler, “Pitbull” must first defeat Benson Henderson (23-6) in the main event of “Bellator 160: Henderson vs. Pitbull” on August 26 inside Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., and airing LIVE and FREE on SPIKE.

 

The card will be the Scott Coker-led promotions first at the 18,000 plus Honda Center, which is home to the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks, AFL’s LA KISS, the Wooden Legacy Basketball Tournament, as well as the Big West Basketball Tournament.

 

Tickets starting at $30 for “Bellator 160: Henderson vs. Pitbull” can be purchased on Ticketmaster and Honda Center Box Office starting Friday, July 22 with an exclusive Bellator Nation pre-sale on Thursday, July 21.

 

Following Chandler’s knockout of Patricky, “Iron Mike” scaled the Bellator Cage to celebrate with his hometown faithful of St. Louis, but was immediately met by Patricio, who had been cornering his brother. The two exchanged words and now Bellator’s former featherweight titlist has made the decision to move up to lightweight and begin his path towards gold in two divisions.

 

 

In the way stands Henderson, a former UFC and WEC lightweight champion, who after three fights at welterweight now returns to the division where he reigned supreme for nearly two years. In his Bellator MMA debut, despite a size disparity, “Smooth” fought valiantly against 170-pound champion Andrey Koreshkov, dropping a unanimous decision. Now it will be “Pitbull” who’s fighting the larger competitor, and it all comes to a head during the main event of “Bellator 160: Henderson vs. Pitbull”on Aug. 26, LIVE and FREE on SPIKE.

 

Additional contests will be announced in the coming weeks.

 

“Bellator 160: Henderson vs. Pitbull” Main Card:

Bellator MMA Lightweight No. 1 Contender Main Event: Benson Henderson (25-3) vs. Patricio “Pitbull” Freire (25-3)

 

mixed martial arts, MMA, Rizin FF

RIZIN FF: MIRKO CRO COP EMERGES FROM RETIREMENT FOR 16-MAN, OPEN WEIGHT TOURNAMENT KICKING OFF IN TOKYO ON SEPTEMBER 25!

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WANDERLEI SILVA, KAZUYUKI FUJITA, AND BARUTO KAITO
ALL TABBED FOR ACTION IN MULTI-STAGE TOURNAMENT

PLUS:
DARON CRUICKSHANK FACES ANDY SOUWER,
AND GABI GARCIA AND KANAKO MURATA RETURN TO ACTION

TOKYO – July 16, 2016 – RIZIN FF, the combat sports federation headed by former PRIDE Fighting Championships boss Nobuyuki Sakakibara, announced at a press conference today that all-time great Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (MMA: 31-11-1, 1 NC; Kickboxing: 23-8, 12 KO’s) will come out of retirement and return to Japan, where his legendary career was born, to compete in the highly-anticipated, 16-man, open weight “Grand Prix” tournament that begins in Tokyo on Sunday, Sept. 25.

A former PRIDE and K-1 Grand Prix tournament champion, Filipovic earned his place as one of the greatest martial arts combatants in history with an elite set of striking skills that helped him earn the most first round finishes as well as the most head kick knockouts in PRIDE history.

It was also announced today that 4 of the 16 Grand Prix participants, including superstar Wanderlei Silva (35-12-1, 1 NC) of Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, will receive a bye in the first stage, and automatically advance to the tournament’s second, or quarterfinal stage, which will take place at a location to be announced on Thursday, Dec. 29.

Joining Sakakibara, Filipovic and Silva at the press conference were veteran warhorse Kazuyiki Fujita (15-11) of Funabashi, Chiba, Japan and former sumo wrestling champion turned MMA upstart Baruto Kaito (1-0) of Estonia, both of whom have been tabbed for battle in the first stage of the tournament.

The round of 16 matchups will be announced at the end of July.

In other, single-fight action on September 25, two striking sensations – Daron Cruickshank (17-8, 1 NC) and Andy Souwer (MMA: 1-0, Kickboxing: 159-19, 98 KO’s) – will collide in a lightweight (155) affair.

Cruickshank of Wayne, Mich. is a 13-fight veteran of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) who made a successful RIZIN FF debut on April 17, scoring a first round (4:36) TKO with a series of kicks on a downed Shinji Sasaki.

A longtime kickboxing icon, Souwer of Den Bosch, Netherlands, is a two-time winner of the K-1 World Max tournament and a four-time Shootboxing world champion.  On December 31, 2015, he made his long-awaited MMA rules debut at the inaugural RIZIN FF event in Saitama, Japan, decimatingYuichiro “Jienotsu” Nagashima by way of first round (5:29) KO with an onslaught of punches.

Unbeaten women’s light heavyweight and nine-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Gabi Garcia (2-0) and three-time junior Olympic wrestling medalist and undefeated flyweight (125 pounds) MMA star Kanako Murata (3-0) of Ehime, Japan will each see action against an opponent to be announced soon.

Garcia of Porto Alege, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil made quick work of both of her MMA opponents to date, scoring a first round (2:36) TKO (punches) in her professional debut on Lei’d Tapa at the RIZIN FF promotional kick-off event on December 31, and submitting Anna Malyukova with an armbar in the second round (2:04) of battle at the RIZIN FF affair on April 17.

Just 22 years of age, Murata made her professional MMA debut under the promotion of RIZIN FF on April 17, notching a unanimous decision overNatalia Denisova, and has since already competed twice more, defeatingMaia Kahaunaele-Stevenson via third round (3:43) TKO (punches) andIlona Wijmans by way of first round (1:17) TKO (punches), on June 4 and July 7, respectively.

Kizaemon Saiga (2-1) of Sakai, Osaka, Japan will take on fellow upstartAsen Yamamoto at a weight to be determined.

Women’s shoot boxing champion and unbeaten MMA competitor Rena Kubota (1-0) of Osaka, Japan will make her second start under MMA rules against an opponent to be announced.

Follow RIZIN FF:

Website – http://www.rizinff.com/en/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/rizinfightingfederation/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/rizin_PR
mixed martial arts, MMA, WMMAA

WMMAA appeal review results in draw for June 17th Emelianenko vs. Maldonado fight

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MONTE CARLO, Monaco(July 15, 2016)- The World Mixed Martial Arts Association (WMMAA) has issued an announcement regarding an appeal recently filed by Stefano Sartori, manager of Brazilian fighter Fabio Maldonado, to reassess the result of his June 17th fight with Fedor Emelianenko, which headlined Fight Nights Global 50 in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
WMMAA General Secretary & Senior Vice President Alexander Engelhardt (pictured to left) has declared that Emelianenko vs. Maldonado, which was originally ruled a majority decision victory in favor of Emeliananko, officially be changed to a draw.
Team Malondado’s appeal to the WMMAA was filed claiming a conflict of interest because all of the judges are employed by the Russian MMA Union, of which Emelianenko serves as president, as well as for the initial appeal to the Russian MMA Union, a sanctioned WMMAA member, being unjustly rejected by the head jury.
Engelhardt was appointed by WMMAA present Vadim Finkelchetein to handle the appeal procedure.  A committee was formed comprised of Engelhardt, Hector Molina (Mexico), Chairman of the Rules, Regulations and Referee Committee; Ino Alberga (The Netherlands), Member of the Rules, Regulations and Referee Committee; Poalo Biotti (Italy), Chairman Ethics and Disciplinary Committee; Zaya Zaya (Australia), Member Professional Referee Committee.
In addition, independent judge Marco Broersen (The Netherlands), Chairman of Professional Referee Committee and Ethics and Disciplinary Committee, was responsible for selecting an independent judges’ panel to reassess the original result.  The three-judges were Youri Lamoureux (Canada), Lukasz Bosacki(Poland) and Alexey Zemskov (Russia).
Each of the three aforementioned judges scored the first round in favor of Emelianenko, 10-8, and the second and third rounds for Maldonado, 10-9 each, resulting in a 28-28 draw.
The appeal procedure was divided into two parts for review in terms of whether the procedural mistakes related to the fight were made and that an independent international judges’ panel had to review the fight.
The WMMAA came to the conclusion that the appeal was legitimate and it was accepted due to the fact one of the fighters, Emelianenko, as President of the Russian MMA Union, and Head of Judges, Radmir Gabdullin, had a working relationship that could potentially affect the judgmental decisions.  The WMMAA made it clear that it wasn’t saying the aforementioned relationship led to a different outcome of the result, just that it was an unfortunate choice.
Additionally, the WMMAA ruled that initially refusing the appeal was a mistake based on WMMAA amateur rules as Emelianenko vs. Maldonado was conducted under WMMAA rules.
The appeal decision that resulted in the result being changed to “Unanimous Draw” was accepted by the WMMAA, which informed Fight Nights, the promoter of Emelianko vs. Maldonado, Emelianenko, Sartori and the Russian MMA Union of its decision, and that it official had closed the appeal.
Schedule of Major 2016 MMA Events
 
Aug.3-8 – Asian MMA Championship in Hwasun, South Korea
Sept. 14-16 – European MMA Championship in Tbilisi, Georgia
Oct. 7-9 – Inaugural Pan-American Championships in Santiago, Chile
Nov. 18-20 – World MMM Championship in Macau, China
Information
Twitter:  @theWMMAA
Instagram: @worldmmaa
M-1, M-1 Challenge, mixed martial arts, MMA

M-1 CHALLENGE 69 OFFICIAL WEIGHTS

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MAIN CARD
HEAVYWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
 

DENIS SMOLDAREV (11-2-0, M-1: 7-2-0), Estonia 270 lbs. (122.7 kg)
vs.
KENNY “Deuce” GARNER (16-9-0, M-1: 9-7-0), Russia 271 ½ lbs. (123.3 kg)

MARCUS “Montanha” VINICIUS LOPES (9-4-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Brazil 225 lbs. (102.3 kg)
vs.
KURBAN “Shkaf” IBRAGIMOV (5-1-0, M-1: 3-1-0), Russia 224 lbs. (101.9 kg)
FEATHERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
 

RAFAEL DIAS (11-3-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Brazil 133 ½ lbs. (60.7 kg)
vs.
SERGEY MOROZOV (6-1-0, M-1: 2-1-0), Kazakhstan 134 ½ lbs. (65.6 kg)

ANDREY “Iron” LEZHNEV (8-6-0, M-1: 2-2-0), Ukraine 144 lbs. (65.4 kg)
vs.
LEE “Bulldog” MORRISON (15-6-0, M-1: 2-3-0), USA 144 lbs. (65.6 kg)

ANTUN “Killer” RACIC (18-7-0, M-1: 3-4-0), Brazil 136 lbs. (62.0 kg)
vs.
MUSA KAZIKHANOV (3-0-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Russia 136 lbs. (62.0 kg)
FLYWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
 

RONNY GOMEZ (3-4-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Spain 145 lbs. (65.8 kg)
vs.
KHAMZAT DALGIEV (5-1-0, M-1: 2-1-0), Russia 145 lbs. (65.8 kg)
PRELIMINARY CARD
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
 
DARWIN RODRIGUEZ (0-1-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Spain 203 lbs. (92.4 kg)
vs.
AMIRKHAN GULIEV (2-1-0, M-1: 2-0-0), Russia 208 lbs. (94.7 kg)
WELTERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
MAGOMED MAASAEV (pro debut), Russia 171 lbs. (77.8 kg)
vs.
INGISKHAN OZDOEV (1-2-0, M-1: 1-2-0), Russia (M-1: 1-2-0) 173 ½ lbs. (78.9 kg)
LIGHTWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
 

GABRIEL SABO (6-1-1, M-1: 0-0-0), Switzerland 154 lbs. (70.0 kg)
vs.
LOM-ALI NALGIEV (6-4-0, M-1: 3-0-0), Russia 155 lbs. (70.6 kg)

SERGEY “Bender” ASTAPOV (6-4-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Ukraine 155 lbs. (70.4 kg)
vs.
ABUBAKER MESTOEV (pro debut), Russia 155 ½ lbs. (70.7 kg)
FEATHERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
 

ZAUR AKHMEDOV (pro debut), Russia 140 ½ lbs. (63.9 kg)
vs.
ADAM GAGIEV (0-1-1, M-1: 0-1-0), Russia 208 lbs. (94.7 kg)
MEDIEVAL KNIGHT FIGHT — HEAVYWEIGHTS
 

VITALY KRAVCHENKO, Russia 244 lbs. (110.9 kg)
vs.
RUSTAM KUKURKHOEV, Russia 234 lbs. (106.2 kg)
WHEN:             Saturday, July 16, 2016
WHERE:           Targim, Ingushetia, Russia
PROMOTER:    M-1 Global
LIVE STREAM: www.m-1global.tv (5 a.m. ET / 2 a.m. PT in USA) 
         
Information

www.M1Global.tv

Twitter & Instagram:
@M1GlobalNews
@VFinkelchtein
@M1Global
Facebook:
Combate Americas, mixed martial arts, MMA, UFC

COMBATE AMERICAS RETURNS TO UFC FIGHT PASS® WITH HARD-HITTING, HISPANIC MMA ACTION LIVE FROM LOS ANGELES ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 11

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NEW YORK – July 14, 2016 – Combate Americas, the first-ever U.S. Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise, today announced its return to UFC FIGHT PASS® with a stacked, 10-bout fight card that will air live from The Exchange in Los Angeles, Calif. on Thursday, Aug. 11 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Tickets for “Aspira A Mas Presents Combate Americas: Combate Ocho,” priced from $40, are on sale at ItsMySeat.com as well as at The Exchange box office. UFC FIGHT PASS is available on personal computers, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android, Chromecast, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV and Roku devices.

In the featherweight (145 pounds) main event, Urijah Faber protégé Erick Sanchez (7-2) of Sacramento, Calif. will look for his third win in the Combate Americas cage, or “La Jaula,” and fourth consecutive victory overall when he squares off with dangerous finisher Angel “Tito” Cruz (5-2) of Rio Piedras, P.R.

In the women’s atomweight (105 pounds) co-main event, emerging star Kyra “Mogwai” Batara (5-3) of Las Vegas, Nev. will collide with battle-tested veteran Lisa Ellis (15-10) of Olympia, Wash.

“We are excited to be back in action on UFC FIGHT PASS with a tremendous fight card featuring the best, up-and-coming Hispanic fighters in the U.S., some of whom have been climbing the ranks with explosive performances under our promotion since last year and others whom we recently recruited because of their outstanding results elsewhere,” said McLaren.

In other action on the five-fight main card, ferocious knockout artist Jonathan “Dragon” Martinez (8-1) of Plainview, Texas will battle fellow finisherBenjamin Vinson (8-3-1) of Portland, Ore. in a flyweight (125 pounds) contest.

Another flyweight matchup will see undefeated, submission ace Heinrich “Ricky Scraps” Wassmer (4-0) of Los Angeles put his perfect record on the line against dangerous puncher Benji “The Brawler” Gomez (5-5) of Oxnard, Calif.

Izic Fernandez (2-1) of Santa Ana, Calif. and Marcos Bonilla (3-2) of Los Angeles will face off in a featherweight scrap.

In preliminary card action, Yoandy Carrillo (1-0) of Naples, Fla. will battleErick Gonzalez (4-1) of Los Angeles.

Carrillo, the cousin of former World Boxing Association (WBA) world lightweight champion Richar Abril, is coming off a devastating, second round (:19) knockout (punches) of George Hernandez at Combate Americas onApril 25.

Gonzalez, who has notched three of his four professional career wins by way of (T)KO, was also victorious at the Combate Americas event on April 25, earning a split decision over Victor Martinez.

In another lightweight preliminary bout, Jose “Froggy” Estrada (1-0) of Oxnard, Calif. will return to action after his explosive debut in La Jaula, in which the 25-year-old scored a highlight reel, first round (1:44) knockout (punch) on Jonathan Quiroz on April 18, and collide with Christian Cardona(0-1) of Las Vegas, Nev.

Elsewhere on the preliminary bout card, Jonathan Santa Maria (3-3) of Whittier, Calif. will face Albert Tapia (3-5) of Huntington Beach, Calif. in a flyweight affair.

Unbeaten Daniel Rodriguez (1-0) of Alhambra, Calif. will meet Hector Saldana (1-2) of Murrieta, Calif.

The final undercard bout will be announced soon.
mixed martial arts, MMA, World Series of Fighting

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING SIGNS WELTERWEIGHT STAR PAUL BRADLEY TO EXCLUSIVE, MULTI-FIGHT AGREEMENT

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LAS VEGAS (July 14, 2016) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today that it has signed another heralded star – welterweight (170 pounds) powerhouse Paul “The Gentleman” Bradley (23-6, 2 NC) – to an exclusive, multi-fight agreement.

The 5-foot-9, 33-year-old Bradley of San Diego, Calif. will make his debut inside the World Series of Fighting decagon cage on a date to be announced.

“We are excited to welcome aboard Paul Bradley, and look forward to having him test his skills in our highly competitive welterweight division,” said World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo.  “Paul has fought and triumphed over some top caliber opposition during his 10-year career, so we are confident that he will be a great addition to our roster.”

In his last start on January 29, Bradley, who originally hails from Tama, Iowa, scored a stunning, 40-second TKO (punches) on previously undefeated, rising star and fellow, former collegiate wrestling ace Chris Honeycutt at Bellator 148.

A veteran of both the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Strikeforce and a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rampage vs. Team Forrestreality series, Bradley will look for his third consecutive win when he competes under the World Series of Fighting promotional banner for the first time.

Prior to the victory over Honeycutt, Bradley notched a unanimous decision over Josh “The Dentist” Neer at Bellator 129 on October 17, 2014.

A lifelong athlete, Bradley twice earned All-American honors while wrestling for the University of Iowa.  He placed as high as fourth in the NCAA national championships during his tenure at the NCAA Division I program.

Live World Series of Fighting action returns to NBCSN on Saturday, July 30 at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT, with star-studded event featuring two world championship rematches.

In the main event of WSOF32, reigning bantamweight (135 pounds) championMarlon Moraes (16-4-1) will risk his title for the second time against Josh “Gentleman” Hill (14-1) while, in the co-main event, featherweight (145 pounds) champion Alexandre “Capitao” Almeida (18-5) will defend his title against the fighter he took it from – Lance Palmer (10-2).
mixed martial arts, MMA, World Series of Fighting

WSOF32: MORAES VS. HILL II UNDERCARD COMPLETE WITH NINE BOUTS FEATURING SEATTLE, WASH. AREA PROSPECTS

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UNBEATEN FEATHERWEIGHTS
HAKEEM DAWODU AND MARAT MAGOMEDOV
TOP THE NINE-FIGHT UNDERCARD

UNDERCARD STREAMS LIVE ON WSOF.COM,
MAIN CARD AIRS LIVE ON NBCSN
FROM EVERETT, WASH. ON SATURDAY, JULY 30

LAS VEGAS (July 12, 2016) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today the completion of a nine-fight preliminary card for the highly-anticipated WSOF32: Moraes vs. Hill II, world championship doubleheader that airs live on NBCSN at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT from XFINITY Arena in Everett, Wash. on Saturday, July 30.

The preliminary card will stream live, in its entirety, beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT, on an embeddable video player on WSOF.com.

Joining the previously announced, headlining featherweight (145 pounds) preliminary card showdown between undefeated, rising stars Hakeem Dawodu (5-0-1) of Calgary, Alberta, Canada and Marat Magomedov (7-0-1) of Dagestan, Russia, are 8 fights stacked with a collection of 12 local upstarts.

“We have a phenomenal fight card in store for fans for our debut in Washington State, and are looking forward to touching down in Everett, and seeing some of the best prospects in the area, and potential, future World Series of Fighting athletes in action,” said World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo.

In a featured, middleweight (185 pounds) preliminary card battle, Rex “T-Rex” Harris (9-2) will put a five-fight win streak on the line against undefeated Nicolai “Blanka” Salchow (6-0).

The 33-year-old Harris of West Pittston, Pa. is a perfect 2-0, to date, inside the World Series of Fighting decagon cage.  In his last start at WSOF30 onApril 2, he earned a unanimous decision over Clinton Williams.

Salchow of Dusseldorf, Germany is a 32-year-old finisher who has been taken the distance of a fight only once since turning pro in 2004.  He is coming off a first round (2:25) TKO (punches) of Steve Montgomery on May 7.

In another middleweight preliminary card contest and rematch, Alfonso “Big Smooth” Gonzales (9-1) of Tacoma, Wash. and Thomas Hoeper (4-2) of Arlington, Wash. will revisit their first meeting that took place on September 26, 2015 and ended with Gonzales scoring a second round (1:29) TKO (punches) on Hoeper.

Elsewhere on the undercard, recent World Series of Fighting signee and former K-1 star Andrews Nakahara (4-3-2) of Mogi Das Cruzes, Brazil will make his promotional debut against Travis “The Praying Mantis” Doerge(5-8) of Renton, Wash. in a welterweight (170 pounds) bout.

Unbeaten prospects Patrick Benson (2-0) of McKenna, Wash. and Brett Malone (1-0) of Marysville, Wash. will put their perfect records on the line against each other in a lightweight (155) matchup.

Also at lightweight, Matt Coble (9-7) of Bellingham, Wash. will collide with Colt Hausauer (5-4) of Eastsound, Wash.

Following a stellar, near perfect amateur career during which he amassed an overall record of 10-1, 28-year-old Tycen “Shin To Chin” Lynn of Everett will make his highly-anticipated professional debut in a bantamweight (135 pounds) matchup with 23-year-old, fellow upstart Justin Hugo (1-1) of Everett.

In heavyweight action, Matt “The Attack” Kovacs (11-13) of Everett will face off with Bill Widler (9-6) of Redding, Calif.

Kicking off the WSOF32 preliminary bout card will be a bantamweight contest between Jon Marc Cortez (0-2) of Renton and Joe Elea (0-1) of Everett.

Priced from $29, tickets for WSOF32: Moraes vs. Hill II are on sale at XFINITYArenaEverett.com and WSOF.com.

In the world bantamweight (135 pounds) championship main event, Marlon Moraes (16-4-1) will defend his coveted title for the second time against Josh “Gentleman” Hill (14-1) while, in the co-main event and a second world championship rematch, Alexandre “Capitao” Almeida (18-5) will put his featherweight (145 pounds) belt on the line against the fighter he took it from –Lance Palmer (10-2).

Doors at XFINITY Arena Everett will open at 3:30 p.m. PT for WSOF32, and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 4:00 p.m.

WSOF32: MORAES VS. HILL II

MAIN CARD (Live on NBCSN)

World Series of Fighting Bantamweight Championship Main Event:
Marlon Moraes (Champion) vs. Josh Hill (Challenger)

World Series of Fighting Featherweight Championship Co-Main Event:
Alexandre Almeida (Champion) vs. Lance Palmer (Challenger)

Catchweight (162 pounds):  Caros Fodor vs. Phoenix Jones
Middleweight:  Phil Hawes vs. Louis Taylor

PRELIMINARY CARD (Live on WSOF.com)

Featherweight: Hakeem Dawodu vs. Marat Magomedov
Middleweight: Rex Harris vs. Nicolai Salchow
Welterweight: Andrews Nakahara vs. Travis Doerge
Middleweight: Alfonso Gonzales vs. Thomas Hoeper
Heavyweight:  Matt Kovacs vs. Bill Widler
Lightweight:  Patrick Benson vs. Brett Malone
Lightweight:  Matt Coble vs. Colt Hausauer
Bantamweight: Justin Hugo vs. Tycen Lynn
Bantamweight:  Jon Marc Cortez vs. Joe Elzea
mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

DANA WHITE: LOOKIN’ FOR A FIGHT CARD ANNOUNCED FOR BANGOR EVENT

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Bangor, Maine (July 12, 2016) – Earlier today, New England Fights (NEF) announced the fight card for the promotion’s August 5, 2016 event at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine.  Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White will be present at the event to scout talent for his web show Dana White: Lookin’ for a Fight.  Eight professional mixed-martial-arts (MMA) bouts will be presented before White.  Sixteen competitors will look to impress the UFC boss and earn a contract with the largest MMA promotion in the world.

 

In the main event, “The Fearless” Alfred Khashakyan (7-2) will face Brazilian prospect Ricardo Lucas Ramos (8-1) in a bantamweight contest.  Based out of Glendale, California, Khashakyan is a finisher, having won seven of his last eight bouts via knockout or technical knockout.  Khashakyan will be in good company on August 5 as his opponent does not believe in letting the judges decide the winner either.  Seven of Ramos’ eight wins have been finishes, including five submissions.

 

Maine lightweights Jon Lemke (5-5) and Jesse “The Viking” Erickson (7-5) will meet in a rematch of their Bellator 93 bout from 2013.  Lemke won the first battle in Lewiston via first round technical knockout.  Both Erickson and Lemke have recently challenged for the NEF MMA Professional Lightweight Title.  They are two of the top-ranked fighters in the state at 155-pounds.

 

Local, Bangor-based Young’s MMA will send no less than four competitors to the cage in hopes of winning a UFC contract.  “The” Ryan Sanders (10-7), Aaron “Relentless” Lacey (1-0), CJ Ewer (1-0), and Josh “Hook On” Harvey (1-0) will all be in action for the first time at the Cross.

 

In a bout that has all the makings of a “show-stealer,” Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) black belt Jarod “Last Minute” Lawton (4-2) is scheduled to face Mike “The Mustache” Hansen (4-4) in a middleweight bout.  Both will be looking to bounce back from losses in their respective previous bouts.  Hansen is a former state high school wrestling champion out of Mountain Valley High School in Rumford, Maine.

 

The full fight card (subject to change):

 

265-POUNDS: Brendan Battles (1-0) vs. Derrick Brown (4-3)

185-POUNDS: Jarod Lawton (4-2) vs. Mike Hansen (4-4)

170-POUNDS: CJ Ewer (1-0) vs. Ruben Redman (0-1)

155-POUNDS: Ryan Sanders (10-7) vs. Derrick Kennington (11-7)

155-POUNDS: Jesse Erickson (7-5) vs. Jon Lemke (5-5)

145-POUNDS: Josh Harvey (1-0) vs. Brandon Bushaw (2-2)

145-POUNDS: Aaron Lacey (1-0) vs. John Santos (3-3)

135-POUNDS: Alfred Khashakyan (7-2) vs. Ricardo Lucas Ramos (8-1)

 

New England Fights’ next event, “NEF Presents Dana White: Looking for a Fight”  takes place on Friday, August 5, 2016 at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor,  Maine.  Tickets are on sale now at www.CrossInsuranceCenter.com or by calling the box office at 800.745.3000.

 

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 andwww.flocombat.com, 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.