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Category Archives: MMA
M-1 Challenge middleweight champion Ramazan Emeev Named M-1 Global’s 2015 Fighter of the Year
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ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (January 12, 2016) – M-1 Challenge middleweight champion Ramazan Emeev has been named M-1 Global’s 2015 Fighter of the Year.
Russian welterweight Alexey Kunchenko was selected as “Prospect of the Year,” whileM-1 Challenge 63 was the M-1 Global “Event of the Year.” Emeev (13-3-0, M1: 7-1-0), fighting out of Russia, was a runaway winner as “Fighter of the Year,” garnering 84.5-percent of the votes to easily outdistance runner-up Viktor Nemkov(23-5-0, M-1: 14-4-0), the reigning M-1 Challenge light heavyweight champion.
In 2015, Emeev won both of his M-1 fights with his title-winning submission (choke) of defending champion Vyacheslav Vasilevsky in the opening round of their rematch last April at M-1 Challenge 56, and first title defense this past December 4th at M-1 Challenge 63 when American challenger Luigi “The Italian Tank” Fioravanti was unable to answer the bell for the third round.
 (L-R) Emeev pounds Fioravanti
Kunchenko (12-0-0, M-1: 4-0-0), the undefeated Russian, defeated “Prospect of the Year” runner-up Adam “Beard” Yandiev and third-place finisher Raul Tutarauli (6-3-0, M-1: 3-0-0). Kunchenko won all five of his fights in 2015, highlighted by his opening-round stoppages of Dez Parker at M-1 Challenge 57 and Alexandre Ramos at M-1 Challenge 62.
 (L-R) Kunchenko vs. RamosM-1 Challenge 63 was headlined by the highly entertaining rematch between defending M-1 Challenge light heavyweight champion Stephan Puetz, of Germany, and Nemkov, of Russia, in the latter’s victory by five-round decision. Emeev’s triumph over Fioravanti was the M-1 Challenge 63 co-feature. M-1 Challenge 56, headlined by Emeev’s title-winning performance against Vasilevsky, was “Event of the Year” runner-up.
 Nemkov (R) strikes Puetz in M-1 Challenge 63 “Event of the Year”
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WSOF29: GAETHJE VS. FOSTER IS ON! WORLD LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT SET FOR MARCH 12 IN LOVELAND, COLORADO LIVE ON NBCSN
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PIVOTAL WELTERWEIGHT PAIRING BETWEEN MICHAEL PAGE-FERNANDO GONZALEZ SET FOR CO-MAIN EVENT OF ‘BELLATOR 151: WARREN VS. CALDWELL’ ON MARCH 4
SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (January 11, 2016) – The co-main event of Bellator MMA’s return to WinStar World Resort & Casino in Thackerville, OK on March 4 will feature undefeated striking sensation Michael “Venom” Page (9-0) taking on “The Menifee Maniac” Fernando Gonzalez (24-13) in welterweight action.
Tickets for “Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” are on sale now and start at just $45. You can purchase tickets at the WinStar World Casino and Resort Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com. Doors for the event open at 5:00 p.m. CT local time, with the first contest going down one hour later.
The main event of “Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” features yet another undefeated Bellator MMA competitor, when Darrion “The Wolf” Caldwell(8-0) faces “The Baddest Man on the Planet” Joe Warren (13-4). The televised card airs live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App. Additional bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.
Mixed martial arts fans and pundits alike would be hard-pressed to find a striker as dynamic as Page. Look no further than his last outing against Charlie Ontiveros, or his 65-second knockout of Rudy Bears. Now “Venom” looks to strike against Gonzalez, who is no stranger to being the underdog when he enters the Bellator MMA fray. A proud son of London, England, the 28-year-old Page has only reached the judges’ scorecards once in his nine professional outings and hopes that his first fight since “Bellator 144: Halsey vs. Carvalho” is no different.
Gonzalez took a brief hiatus from MMA to compete in the kickboxing portion of the groundbreaking “Bellator MMA: Dynamite 1” event in September, losing a tightly contest decision to world-renown kickboxer Paul “Semtex” Daley. Gonzalez now returns to his comfort zone of MMA, where he has strung together an impressive four-fight winning streak. A veteran of the Scott Coker-founded Strikeforce promotion, as well as World Extreme Cagefighting, Gonzalez has been competing professionally since 2003.
What type of shakeup will this pivotal matchup have to the warzone that is the 170-pound division, tune into the third Bellator MMA event in three consecutive weeks on Spike to find out!
Updated “Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” Fight Card:
Bellator MMA Bantamweight Main Event: Joe Warren (13-4) vs. Darrion Caldwell (8-0)
Bellator MMA Welterweight Co-Main Event: Michael Page (9-0) vs. Fernando Gonzalez (24-13)
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, 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.
M-1 Global signs Undefeated welterweight prospect Alexey Kunchenko
 ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (January 11, 2016) – M-1 Global has announced its signing of undefeated Russian welterweight prospect Alexey Kunchenko (12-0-0, M-1: 4-0-0) to an exclusive promotional contract.The 31-year-old Kunchenko, fighting out of Tyumen, Russia, has a Muay Thai foundation. Representing the Boets Club, Kunchenko has nine knockouts, along with two submission and one decision victory.
At M-1 Challenge 62 last October, Kunchenko stopped Alexandre Ramos in punches in the third round. (Below see picture of Kunchenko kicking Ramos)
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DAVE RICKELS-BOBBY COOPER ADDED TO MAIN CARD OF ‘BELLATOR 150: GALVAO VS. DANTAS 2’
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (January 6, 2015) – A lightweight contest pitting Dave “The Caveman” Rickels (16-4, 1 NC) against Bobby Cooper (12-5) has been added to the main card of “Bellator 150: Galvao vs. Dantas 2” at Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kansas on February 26.
In addition, Bellator MMA’s Bantamweight Championship will be on the line in a rematch pitting Marcos “Loro” Galvao (17-6-1) against former champion Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas (17-4) and heavyweight Cheick Kongo (23-10-2) will face Augusto Sakai (9-0).
The contests will take up three slots of the televised portion of “Bellator 150: Galvao vs. Dantas,” which airs live on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App. Additional fights will be announced shortly.
Tickets for “Bellator 150: Galvao vs. Dantas 2,” which start at just $27, are on sale now at KansasStarEventCenter.com or Ticketmaster.com, as well as the Kansas Star Arena box office.
A Bellator MMA event in Mulvane, Kansas just wouldn’t be the same without “The Caveman,” who will return to action for the first time since competing against Michael Chandler this past November. Rickels always comes ready to put on a show, whether it’s on his way to the cage, or when he’s taking on a who’s who of Bellator MMA lightweight talent. The 27-year-old will be making his 16th appearance under the promotional banner.
The last time Bobby Cooper fought inside the Kansas Star Arena, he took home a closely contested split decision victory over “Bellator 147” co-headlinerPablo Villaseca. Now, “Super Duper” will look to move to 3-0 under the Bellator MMA banner when he faces Rickels in hostile territory. It’s worth noting that the Missouri native has only lost twice in his last eight MMA appearances.
Updated “Bellator 150: Galvao vs. Dantas 2” Fight Card:
Bellator MMA Bantamweight Title Main Event: Marcos Galvao (17-6-1) vs. Eduardo Dantas (17-4)
Bellator MMA Heavyweight Feature Bout: Cheick Kongo (23-10-2) vs. Augusto Sakai (9-0)
Bellator MMA Lightweight Co-Main Event: Dave Rickels (16-4, 1 NC) vs. Bobby Cooper (12-5)
INJURY POSTPONES BELLATOR MMA DEBUT OF JOSH KOSCHECK, PAUL DALEY-ANDY UHRICH PROMOTED TO MAIN EVENT BILLING
RAPHAEL BUTLER-TONY JOHNSON SET TO CLASH ON MAIN CARD
ILIMA MACFARLANE-AMBER TACKETT ANCHOR ‘BELLATOR 148: DALEY VS. UHRICH’ PRELIMINARY CARD
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (January 6, 2015) – An injury sustained by Josh Koscheck (17-10) during training camp has derailed his Bellator MMA debut against Matt Secor (7-2), which was slated to be the main event of “Bellator 148” on January 29 at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif.
As a result, British knockout artist Paul “Semtex” Daley (37-13-2) against Andy Uhrich (11-5) will now serve as the headliner. Furthermore, a newly announced heavyweight encounter featuring Raphael Butler (9-1) against Tony Johnson (9-2) has been added to the main card.
The “Bellator 148: Daley vs. Uhrich” preliminary card is also continuing to take shape, with the news that Ilima Macfarlane (2-0) meets Amber Tackett(1-1) in flyweight action during a preliminary card that will stream LIVE on Bellator.com.
In addition to the aforementioned contests, Mason Fowler (2-0) meets Idrees Wasi (1-3) in welterweight action, Mark Dickman (10-2) takes on Thomas Diagne (5-5-1) at 145-pounds, and Paul Ruiz (6-2) fights Josh San Diego (5-1) in a bantamweight feature bout. Additional preliminary fights will be announced shortly, as will one final main card contest.
“Bellator 148: Daley vs. Uhrich” airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile Appat 5 p.m. PT. Tickets for the event start at only $25 and are on sale at the Save Mart Center Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com.
Macfarlane made a splash during her Bellator MMA debut back in August; defeating a game Maria Rios via split decision. The San Diego native is best known for her finish of Katie Castro during a regional event in the beginning of 2015, but she has made it clear during numerous interviews, as well as her performance inside the cage that she’s more than just some viral sensation. For a deeper dive on Macfarlane, look no further than these two pieces written by Bleacher Report and ESPN. Standing opposite of Macfarlane will be Tackett, who lives a short jaunt away from Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif., and has fought twice professionally since 2008.
2015 didn’t go as planned for Raphael Butler. The former professional boxer was forced to sit idle after Lorenzo Hood withdrew from their scheduled bout at “Bellator 141: Guillard vs. Girtz” shortly before they were supposed to enter the cage. But now it’s 2016, and the 31-year-old has big plans, beginning with his “Bellator 148: Koscheck vs. Secor” foe, Tony Johnson. Fresh off a victory against former Bellator MMA Heavyweight Champion Alexander Volkov, Johnson will once again look to implore his standout wrestling pedigree against a known striker to secure another victory.
Updated “Bellator 148: Daley vs. Uhrich” Fight Card
Bellator MMA Welterweight Main Event: Paul Daley (37-13-2) vs. Andy Uhrich (11-5)
Bellator MMA Welterweight Feature Bout: Chris Honeycutt (6-0, 1 NC) vs. Paul Bradley (22-6, 2 NC)
Bellator MMA Heavyweight Feature Bout: Raphael Butler (9-1) vs. Tony Johnson (9-2)
Preliminary Card:
Bellator MMA Flyweight Feature Bout: Ilima Macfarlane (2-0) vs. Amber Tackett (1-1)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Anthony Avila (12-4) vs. John Reedy (11-6)
Bellator MMA Heavyweight Feature Bout: Javy Ayala (8-4) vs. Carl Seumanutafa (9-6)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Art Arcienega (14-5) vs. Justin Smitley (9-7)
Bellator MMA Welterweight Feature Bout: Mason Fowler (2-0) vs. Idrees Wasi (1-3)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Mark Dickman (10-2) vs. Thomas Diagne (5-5-1)
Bellator MMA Bantamweight Feature Bout: Paul Ruiz (6-2) vs. Josh San Diego (5-1)
NEF TO OPEN 2016 WITH SPECTACULAR FIGHT CARD
Lewiston, Maine (January 6, 2016) – New England Fights (NEF), America’s number-one regional fight promotion, will hold its next event, “NEF 21: THE IMMORTALS” on Saturday, February 6, 2016 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine. The fight card is scheduled to feature both mixed-martial-arts (MMA) and professional boxing bouts. Earlier today, NEF announced the full fight card for the event which will be the fight promotion’s first of 2016.
A pair of professional boxing bouts will be featured on the main card of the evening. Joel “Baby Bull” Bishop (0-0-1) returns to action after more than a year’s absence to face MMA regular Crowsneck Boutin (0-0) in a light-heavyweight four-round bout. Northeast Junior Welterweight Champion Brandon “The Cannon” Berry (10-1) will attempt to make it three wins in a row when he steps in the ring to face undefeated Tollison Lewis (2-0) in a six-round, non-title, super-welterweight contest. Both Berry and Lewis are coming off wins in the boxing ring at “NEF XX” this past November.
The professional portion of the MMA card will be headlined by the long-awaited meeting between Bruce “Pretty Boy” Boyington (12-8) and Jon Lemke (5-3). Dubbed “The Battle for Bangor,” with both men living and training in the Bangor, Maine area, Boyington’s NEF MMA Professional Lightweight Title will be on the line. Number-one contender Lemke will be looking to capture the first championship of his MMA career.
The co-main event of the evening on the professional MMA card will see local Lewiston-Auburn favorite Jesse “The Viking” Erickson (6-4) taking on Devin Powell (4-1) in a lightweight matchup. Powell returns to the NEF cage for the first time since May 2014, while Erickson will be looking for his fourth consecutive win in Lewiston.
A total of three title fights will headline the amateur MMA side of the card. Young’s MMA standout Josh Harvey (5-1) defends his lightweight title against Florida’s Andrew “Ling-Ling” Tamayo (8-1). Caleb Farrington (3-0) andRicky Dexter (4-2) will decide the first-ever NEF MMA Amateur Welterweight Champion, while Henry Clark (3-1) and Johnny Crafts (3-0) meet to determine the inaugural amateur bantamweight titleholder.
In addition, Erin Lamonte (5-0) and Randi Beth Boyington (1-2) are scheduled to face off in a women’s MMA bout. It will be a rematch of a contest won by Lamonte at “NEF XX.” Boyington’s supporters in the audience felt that the referee stopped the bout prematurely as Boyington was about to break out of, or had already broken out of, Lamonte’s armbar submission. After much back and forth among their respective supporters on social media, the rematch is expected to settle the issue once and for all.
The full “NEF 21” fight card (subject to change):
PROFESSIONAL BOXING
148 Brandon Berry 10-1 (West Forks) vs Tollison Lewis 2-0 (CMBJJ)
175 Joel Bishop 0-0-1 vs Crowsneck Boutin 0-0 (Choi Institute)
PROFESSIONAL MMA
155*TITLE Bruce Boyington (c) 12-8 (Young’s MMA/Boyington’s TKD) vs Jon Lemke 5-3 (Team Irish)
185 Mike Hansen 3-2 (Berserkers MMA) vs Zach Elkins 0-1 (First Coast Full Contact)
155 Zenon Herrera 0-2 (Independent) vs CJ Ewer 0-0 (Young’s MMA)
155 Jesse Erickson 6-4 (CMBJJ) vs Devin Powell 4-1 (Nostos)
145 Derek Shorey 3-3 (Shatterproof Combat Club) vs Josh Lange 3-2 (Bombsquad)
125 Brandon Warne 0-1 (Bombsquad) vs Norman Fox 0-0 (MMA Athletix)
AMATEUR MMA
170*TITLE Caleb Farrington 3-0 (Lawton’s/NEU) vs Ricky Dexter 4-2 (Team Irish)
155*TITLE Josh Harvey (c) 5-1 (Young’s MMA) vs Andrew Tamayo 8-1 (F2 Arena)
135*TITLE Henry Clark 3-1 (Choi Institute) vs John Crafts 3-0 (Team NEU)
265 Dave Smith 2-0 (Berserkers MMA) vs Brendon Battles 1-0 (Gracie Fitness)
265 Gravin Guillen 2-4 (Independent) vs Matt Glover 0-0 (Berserkers MMA)
210 Ryan Glover 2-1 (Berserkers MMA) vs Mike Williams 1-0 (CMBJJ)
205 Matt McFarland 0-1 (First Class MMA) vs Zak Bergeron 0-0 (CMBJJ)
170 Adam Nielsen 3-0 (Team Irish) vs Ruben Redman 1-4 (Team Mass Effect)
155 Ken Dunn 0-3 (Maine Kyokushin Karate) vs Frank Johanson 0-0 (CMBJJ)
155 Chad Murillo 0-0 (First Class MMA) vs Tony Agust 0-0
145 Rafael Velado 2-0 (First Class MMA) vs Mike Pietersen 3-0 (Young’s MMA)
140 Erik Nelson 1-2 (CMBJJ) vs Julio Martinez 0-1 (Gracie Fitness)
135 David Thompson 1-1 (Shatterproof Combat Club) vs Caleb Costello 2-4 (Team Irish)
135 Richmond Pierce Wiegman 0-1 (First Class MMA) vs Clifford Redman 0-3 (Mass Effect)
125 Brent Ouellette 0-1 (CMBJJ) vs John Parker 0-2 (Team Nitemare)
125 Justin Witham 1-3 (Shatterproof Combat Club) vs Jake Denham 0-0 (Team Lawton/NEU)
120 Erin LaMonte 5-0 (Gracie Fitness) vs Randi Beth Boyington 1-2 (Boyington’s TKD/Young’s MMA)
265 Ras Hylton 0-0 (First Class MMA) vs TBD
New England Fights’ next event, “NEF 21: THE IMMORTALS,” takes placeSaturday, February 6, 2016 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine. Tickets for “NEF 21” start at just $25 and are on sale now atwww.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisée box office at 207.783.2009 x 525. For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com. In addition, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”
About New England Fights
New England Fights (“NEF”) is a fight events promotions company. NEF’s mission is to create the highest quality events for Maine’s fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT REMATCH PITTING FORMER CHAMPION EMANUEL NEWTON AGAINST LINTON VASSELL COMPLETES MAIN CARD OF ‘BELLATOR 149: SHAMROCK VS. GRACIE’
SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (January 5, 2016) –The SPIKE-televised main card of “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” on Feb. 19 at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas is now complete, with the addition of a light heavyweight rematch featuring former Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight Champion Emanuel Newton (25-9-1) meeting Linton Vassell (15-5, 1 NC).
The fight joins a card that already features a double main event — Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) meets Royce Gracie (14-2-3) for a third time and Kimbo Slice (5-2) will fight the man who has been calling him out since their friendship ended years ago, Dhafir Harris, better known as “Dada 5000.” In featherweight action, Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) will look to continue his torrid pace when he meets Daniel Pineda (21-11) and a pair of lightweight assassins go to battle, when Melvin Guillard (35-15-2) returns to meet Mike Bronzoulis (18-9-1). Preliminary contests will be announced shortly.
Tickets for this mixed martial arts extravaganza start at just $30 and are on sale now at Bellator.com, as well as HoustonToyotaCenter.com, the Toyota Center Box Office and Houston area Randall’s locations.
“Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App.
Both Newton and Vassell were participants in the four-man, light-heavyweight No. 1 contender tournament at “Bellator MMA: Dynamite.” Now, the pair of 205-pounders will look to re-establish themselves atop one of the deepest and most competitive divisions in Bellator MMA.
A former champion, Newton will be making his 12th appearance for the Scott Coker-led promotion and hopes to duplicate the success he experienced at the expense of Vassell during “Bellator 130: Newton vs. Vassell” back in 2014. Better known as “The Hardcore Kid,” the 31-year-old has been half of some of the most memorable contests in Bellator MMA history, namely, his spinning-backfist finish of “King Mo” and his back-and-forth war with current Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight Champion Liam McGeary.
Undoubtedly one of the goals for Vassell in 2016 is finding his way onto the recently announced Bellator MMA debut in London later this year. For this to come to fruition, “The Swarm” surely needs to redeem himself from the fifth-round, rear-naked choke submission defeat he suffered at the hands of his“Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” opponent. February 19 will mark the seventh time Vassell has competed under the Bellator MMA banner and “The Swarm” will be looking to add to his impressive finishing mark of 13 stoppages in 15 victories.
“Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” Updated Fight Card
Bellator MMA Openweight Main Event: Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) vs. Royce Gracie (14-2-3)
Bellator MMA Heavyweight Main Event: Kimbo Slice (5-2) vs. Dada 5000 (2-0)
Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight Feature Bout: Emanuel Newton (25-9-1) vs. Linton Vassell (15-5, 1 NC)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) vs. Daniel Pineda (21-11)
Bellator MMA Lightweight Feature Bout: Melvin Guillard (32-15-2) vs. Mike Bronzoulis (18-9-1)
WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING COMPLETES WSOF27 MAIN CARD WITH TWO NEW BOUTS FEATURING THREE UNBEATEN, RISING STARS
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