ANAHEIM, Calif. (Ágúst 26, 2016) – Bellator MMA is elated to formally announce the signing of mixed martial arts superstarRory MacDonald að eingöngu, multi-year, multi-fight contract with the Scott Coker-led promotion, making “Red King” the latest in a long line of blockbuster acquisitions for Bellator MMA.
The former No. 1 contender to the UFC welterweight crown is undoubtedly one of the premiere free agent signings in the history of the promotion. The “Red King” has totaled nine career victories under the UFC banner, including wins over current welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, in addition to B.J. Penn and Nate Diaz.
“There’s no denying that Rory MacDonald was the cream of the crop when it comes to free agents in MMA,” Bellator President Scott Coker said. “As I say all the time, if there is a free agent out there, we’re going to talk to them, if they fit our model we’re going to make a hard push to bring them over here. I’m very happy that we were able to work out a deal with Rory, and I can’t wait to see him bring his menacing style to the Bellator cage.”
MacDonald is clearly the most popular active Canadian mixed martial artist since the former UFC welterweight Champion and teammate Georges St. Pierre, whom MacDonald has trained under for years at the world renowned TriStar Gym in Montreal.
“There are multiple reasons why I choose to fight for Bellator MMA and Scott Coker,” Rory MacDonald said. “One, they have given me the opportunity to develop and grow a business together. Two, because I already feel respected by the promotion as a professional athlete. And last but not least, because Bellator is offering a setup that no-one in the world can offer me.”
At only 27-years-old, MacDonald joins the fray with an impressive professional record of 18-4 and enters a stacked welterweight division of fighters already signed with Bellator, that currently has a world-class champion inAndrey Koreshkov.
Um Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA er leiðandi Mixed Martial Arts skipulag lögun margir af bestu bardagamenn í heimi. Undir stjórn öldungur berjast forgöngumaður Scott Coker, Bellator er í boði næstum 500 milljón heimili um allan heim í yfir 140 lönd. Í Bandaríkjunum, Bellator má á Spike TV, sjónvarpsleiðtogi MMA. Bellator MMA samanstendur af framkvæmdateymi sem inniheldur helstu sérfræðinga í iðnaði í sjónvarpsframleiðslu, lifandi atburður orchestration, bardagamaður þróun / samskipti, varnarþing innkaup, Styrkir sköpun / þróun, alþjóðleg leyfi, markaðssetning, auglýsingar, kynningarmál og samskipti umboðsins. Bellator hefur aðsetur í Santa Monica, California og eigu skemmtun risastór Viacom, heim til Premier skemmtun vörumerkjum heims sem tengjast með áhorfendur í gegnum sannfærandi efni á sjónvarpi, kvikmyndar, online og hreyfanlegur pallur.
Bangor, Maine (Júlí 29, 2016) – Devin Powell was enjoying an evening off from his demanding life as a mixed martial arts instructor and fighter.
He was surrounded by food that probably isn’t on his normal training menu. There were celebratory beverages to fit the loud music and party atmosphere at Xfinity Center, the outdoor concert venue in Mansfield, Massachusetts.
Somehow, Powell heard his phone ring, or felt it vibrate in his pocket. The impending conversation altered his day-after plans considerably.
Powell accepted a return engagement with Jon Lemke at “NEF Presents Dana White: Looking for a Fight,” to be heldFöstudagur, Ágúst 5at Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.
“I found out my good friend Jesse Erickson got hurt,” Powell said, “and they asked me to fill in. I said ‘of course.’ Anybody representing UFC, never mind Dana White, if you ever have a chance to fight in front of them, it’s something you want to do if you’re able. It should be a nice, intimate setting.”
Powell (7-1) is the NEF lightweight champion, having secured the strap with a technical knockout of Erickson at “NEF 22: All Roads Lead Here” in April. Lemke (5-5) lost to previous champion Bruce Boyington in a bid for that belt.
The fight will take place five pounds above the lightweight limit at a catch weight of 160.
“It’s a huge opportunity,” said Lemke, who lives in neighboring Brewer. “I’m very grateful. I’m looking forward to fighting in front of probably the most influential person in MMA.”
Their bout is one of eight professional skirmishes to be showcased in front of White, a native of nearby Hermon, and cohorts Din Thomas and Matt Serra. The trio travels the country in pursuit of undiscovered MMA talent in a reality show that is broadcast on White’s YouTube page as well as the UFC Fight Pass subscription-based streamed video service.
Neither man is known to shy away from the spotlight. Lemke stopped Erickson at Bellator 93 in Lewiston two years ago. Powell pushed his winning streak to five with a split-decision triumphJúní 17over Tommy Marcellino on the World Series of Fighting stage at Foxwoods.
“I know they’re probably here to watch the guys in the main event,” Powell said of White and his entourage, “but I plan to put on a show that they won’t be able to sleep on. With my fighting style, very aggressive and unorthodox, I believe I definitely will get their attention. This sport is a lot about getting the right opportunity and taking advantage of it.”
When asked if he perceived any edge because Powell took the fight on three weeks’ notice, Lemke politely pointed out that he only began preparing for Erickson two weeks prior to that.
Lemke lost to Josh LaBergeá Júní 10.
“I only had a couple extra weeks to prepare. I was still training, but that’s all. I was in pretty good shape but not in fight shape,” Lemke said. “It’s one of those things where they ask you and you’re like, ‘Oh, einn, I really want to do this, but.’ It’s just too big an opportunity not to. It’s not necessarily ideal, but as a fighter, absolutely you’re looking for that challenge, and Devin is one of the best guys in the game around here.”
He learned that first-hand, and in resounding fashion, when the two fighters previously clashed on May 10, 2014. Powell prevailed via choke-out in only 23 sekúndur.
That setting was Lemke’s comeback fight after his abrupt withdrawal from a title match against John Ortolani eight months earlier.
“It didn’t go very well last time. There were a lot of distractions and different circumstances for me leading up to that fight. I had to pull out of a title fight before that, which you never want to do. Three-quarters of the battle for me was just getting back in the cage,” Lemke said.
“I’m a completely different fighter now,” he added. “I think I’ve progressed everywhere, not just with my skills but with the approach I take. I’ve had quite a few fights and I’ve learned from both the wins and the losses. You always learn. Sometimes you learn the hard way.”
Lemke and Powell each enter the cage for the fourth time in less than a year. That activity is the reason neither man feels uneasy about accepting such a stern challenge after an abbreviated training camp.
In Powell’s case, fighting is simply a natural extension of his everyday life as owner and head instructor at Nostos MMA in Somersworth, N.H.
“I’m grateful for everything I have. I have a 4-year-old daughter and she likes to come to the academy and train jiu-jitsu,” Powell said. “I have a pretty amazing life. I only have to teach, train and fight. A lot of people don’t get more than a couple hours with their kids every night. We sacrifice a lot for this sport. People only see the 15 minutes of hell. They don’t see everything else.”
Powell is pleased to represent NEF for only the third time in his blossoming career.
“NEF is one of the biggest promotions in the country. They make superstars out of guys from Maine,” Powell said. “I fought for World Series of Fighting, and I don’t want to sound like I’m knocking them, but it was a much smaller show. NEF has a huge following, and now you see them going places like Cape Cod and Bangor, and that can only grow it even more. They do it right, and I’m glad to be able to step in there for them.”
Lemke faces the added pressure of fighting in front of not only White but his hometown fans from the Bangor area.
Many of them are not accustomed to the four-hour round trip for his encounters in Lewiston.
“A fight is still just a fight, and the next fight is the biggest fight regardless. You never know who could be there watching or what could happen as a result,” Lemke said, suggesting that he is more concerned with his opponent. “Devin is a phenomenal fighter. He has a great skill set. He’s highly touted and he has a great record to back it up. It’s definitely the challenge of a lifetime for me. He’s also a great guy outside the cage. I get along with him well. I think we respect each other.”
Powell confirmed those suspicions, although he reiterated that his objective is nothing less than another decisive victory.
“He’s a good guy. I don’t have to go to that deep, dark place. I understand that my job is to hurt someone so badly that the referee has to step in to save his life. It’s a beautiful, violent sport. I respect anyone who has the courage to get in there with the same goals as me,” Powell said. “I’m expecting a brouhaha with Lemke. Hann er árásargjarn. He comes to fight. I like to do the same things. The first fight was short-lived. If I’m able to repeat that, I’m sure Dana White will be happy.”
“NEF Presents Dana White: Looking for a Fight” takes place onFöstudagur, Ágúst 5, 2016at Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine. Miðar eru á sölu núna á www.CrossInsuranceCenter.meðor by calling the box office at800.745.3000.
For more information on the event and fight card updates, vinsamlegast farðu á vefsíðu kynningarinnar á www.NewEnglandFights.com. Að auki, þú getur horft á NEF myndbönd á www.youtube.com/NEFMMA og www.flocombat.com, fylgja þeim á Twitternefights og taka þátt í opinberu Facebook "New England berst."
Bangor, Maine (Júlí 18, 2016) – When Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White comes to Bangor onÁgúst 5, 2016to check out the local talent New England Fights (NEF) has to offer, Jesse “The Viking” Erickson (7-5) will unfortunately have to watch from the sidelines. Erickson suffered an injury while training for his bout withJon Lemke (5-5) previously-scheduled to take place that evening. White will be present to record a future episode of his web seriesDana White: Lookin’ for a Fightin which professional mixed-martial-artists have a shot at earning a UFC contract based on their performance.
Within mere hours of being informed of Erickson’s injury, NEF executives had found a replacement in the form of the promotion’s reigning professional lightweight championDevin Powell (7-1). The bout will be a non-title contest scheduled for three-rounds at a catchweight of 160-pounds. It is a rematch of a May 2014 NEF fight which Powell won via first-round submission. Should Lemke win the rematch, he will be in line for a title shot in the rubber match.
“Enn og aftur, I am incredibly thankful and grateful to NEF for making this fight happen,” sagði Lemke. “Getting an opponent change last minute is usually pretty stressful. Not this time, þó, as the crew at NEF was on top of it, and the next day I had a new opponent. I am very much looking forward to getting another crack at Devin, as I had a horrible showing in our first fight. Devin is a highly-touted and talented fighter and I expect an all out battle for sure. I have been looking forward to another crack at him for some time and you will see the best Jon Lemke yet.”
“Taking a short notice fight against Lemke was a no brainer,” stated Powell. “No way could I pass on a chance to fight a fellow Mainer a few hours away from my mom’s hometown of Allagash, Maine. Dana, I hope you get your popcorn, because you’re about to see a show. Hell or high water, I’m getting my hand raised.”
New England Berst 'Næsta atburður, “NEF PresentsDana White: Looking for a Fight” fer fram á föstudag, Ágúst 5, 2016 at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine. Miðar eru á sölu núna á www.CrossInsuranceCenter.comor by calling the box office at800.745.3000.
For more information on the event and fight card updates, vinsamlegast farðu á vefsíðu kynningarinnar á www.NewEnglandFights.com. Að auki, þú getur horft á NEF myndbönd á www.youtube.com/NEFMMA ogwww.flocombat.com, fylgja þeim á Twitternefights og taka þátt í opinberu Facebook "New England berst."
Um New England átök
New England Berst ("NEF") er að berjast viðburðir kynningar fyrirtæki. Verkefni NEF er að skapa hágæða viðburði fyrir bardagamenn Maine og aðdáendur eins. Framkvæmdastjóri lið NEF hefur víðtæka reynslu í Bardagaíþróttir stjórnun, Viðburðir framleiðslu, fjölmiðla samskipti, markaðssetning, lagaleg og auglýsingar.
NEW YORK –Júlí 14, 2016 - Combate Americas, fyrstur-alltaf bandarískt. Rómönsku Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Íþrótta kosningaréttur, 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. á Fimmtudagur, Ágúst. 11 á 9 p.m. OG/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 £) helstu atburði, Urijah Faber protégéErick Sanchez (7-2) Sacramento, Calif. will look for his third win in the Combate Americas cage, eða "La Cage,” and fourth consecutive victory overall when he squares off with dangerous finisherAngel “Tito” Cruz(5-2) of Rio Piedras, P.R.
In the women’s atomweight (105 £) co-main atburður, emerging starKyra "Mogwai" Batara (5-3) Las Vegas, Nev. will collide with battle-tested veteranLisa Ellis (15-10) of Olympia, Þvoið.
“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,"Sagði McLaren.
In other action on the five-fight main card, ferocious knockout artistJonathan “Dragon” Martinez (8-1) of Plainview, Texas will battle fellow finisherBenjamin Vinson (8-3-1) of Portland, Ore. in a flyweight (125 £) keppni.
Another flyweight matchup will see undefeated, skil Ás Heinrich “Ricky Scraps” Wassmer (4-0) of Los Angeles put his perfect record on the line against dangerous puncherBenji "The Brawler" Gomez (5-5) of Oxnard, Calif.
Izic Fernandez (2-1) of Santa Ana, Calif. og Mark Bonilla (3-2) of Los Angeles will face off in a featherweight scrap.
Í forkeppni kortið aðgerð, Yoandy Carrillo (1-0) of Naples, Fla. munu berjastErick Gonzalez (4-1) Los Angeles.
Carrillo, the cousin of former World Boxing Association (WBA) world lightweight championRichar apríl, is coming off a devastating, seinni umferð (:19) knockout (högg) af George Hernandezat Combate Americas onApríl 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 onApríl 25, earning a split decision overVictor 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, Fyrsta umferð (1:44) knockout (kýla) á Jonathan Quiroz á Apríl 18, and collide withChristian Cardona(0-1) Las Vegas, Nev.
Elsewhere on the preliminary bout card, Jonathan Santa Maria (3-3) af Whittier, Calif. munu standa frammi Albert Tapia (3-5) af Huntington Beach, Calif. in a flyweight affair.
Ósigraður Daniel Rodriguez (1-0) of Alhambra, Calif. mun mæta Hector Saldana (1-2) af Murrieta, Calif.
Bangor, Maine (Júlí 8, 2016) – It has been nearly a week since the news broke. Dana White, the president of the world’s biggest mixed-martial-arts (MMA) kynningu, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), will be coming home to scout New England Fights (NEF) talent for his web showDana White: Lookin’ for a Fight. The event will originate from the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor onFöstudagur, Ágúst 5, 2016. Tickets went on sale earlier today at the box office.
White graduated from Hermon High School in nearby Hermon, Maine in 1987. He has never forgotten his roots, having generously donated $100,000 five years ago to help upgrade the school’s athletic facilities. It is well-documented that White still maintains a residence in Levant, Maine where he often vacations. Í 2014, White was instrumental in the UFC bringing “Fight Night 47” to the Cross Insurance Center.
Á Ágúst 5, White will scout several NEF MMA competitors during a live NEF event in Bangor, each fighter hoping to impress White and score a contract with the UFC. The fights will be recorded for a future episode ofDana White: Lookin’ for a Fightwhich will air on White’s Youtube page and the UFC Fight Pass subscription-based video streaming service. The premise of the reality show has White, lifelong friend Nick “The Tooth,” and retired UFC competitor Matt Serra (11-7) traveling the country looking for the next undiscovered talent to sign to the UFC. The trio attends regional MMA events while sampling local food and culture.
“Obviously everyone knows I have deep roots in Bangor, Maine,” said White when reached in Las Vegas, Nevada. “I already brought a UFC event to the Cross Center. Nú, I’m very excited to bring my showLookin’ For A Fightto scout the talent in the area and check out the local promotion New England Fights.”
Among the fighters already signed to compete will be “The” Ryan Sanders (10-8), Aaron Lacey (1-0), CJ Ewer (1-0) and Josh Harvey (1-0), all representing Bangor’s Young’s MMA. An announcement on the full, all-pro fight card is expected next week.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these fighters,” fram NEF meðeigandi og matchmaker Matt Peterson. “This is the chance to showcase their skills in front of the most powerful figure in this sport. I’m expecting these fighters to light up the night with fireworks onÁgúst 5.”
“It’s such an honor to be selected to put this event on,” sagði NEF meðeigandi og hvatamaður Nick DiSalvo. “NEF is always looking to move these fighters forward to the big stage. So many NEF athletes have gone off to compete at the national level in the past few years, and hopefully we’ll have more going onÁgúst 5. That’s the ultimate goal here for everyone.”
New England Berst 'Næsta atburður, “NEF PresentsDana White: Looking for a Fight” fer fram á föstudag, Ágúst 5, 2016 at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine. Miðar eru á sölu núna á www.CrossInsuranceCenter.comor by calling the box office at800.745.3000.
For more information on the event and fight card updates, vinsamlegast farðu á vefsíðu kynningarinnar á www.NewEnglandFights.com. Að auki, þú getur horft á NEF myndbönd á www.youtube.com/NEFMMA og www.flocombat.com, fylgja þeim á Twitternefights og taka þátt í opinberu Facebook "New England berst."
Um New England átök
New England Berst ("NEF") er að berjast viðburðir kynningar fyrirtæki. Verkefni NEF er að skapa hágæða viðburði fyrir bardagamenn Maine og aðdáendur eins. Framkvæmdastjóri lið NEF hefur víðtæka reynslu í Bardagaíþróttir stjórnun, Viðburðir framleiðslu, fjölmiðla samskipti, markaðssetning, lagaleg og auglýsingar.
Toronto – Fight Network, Premier heimsins 24/7 fjölpallarás tileinkuð alhliða umfjöllun um bardagaíþróttir, today announced extensive live coverage forUFC International Fight Week™ í Las Vegas, the biggest week in UFC history, highlighted by a live broadcast of the main card forUFC FIGHT NIGHT®: DOS ANJOS vs. ALVAREZfrom the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Thursday, Júlí 7 á 10 p.m. OG, plus the live prelims forTHE ULTIMATE FIGHTER FINALE®: Team Joanna vs. Team Claudiaá föstudaginn, Júlí 8 á 8 p.m. OG.
Fight Network vilja loft á lifa UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: DOS ANJOS vs. ALVAREZHelstu kort across Canada on July 7 á 10 p.m. OG, preceded by alive Pre-Show á 9 p.m. OG.
Í helstu atburði, dominant UFC lightweight championRafael dos Anjos (24-7) puts his championship on the line in a five-round barnburner against top contenderEddie Alvarez (27-4). Í öðrum lögun lota, Roy “Big Country” Nelson (22-12) kastar niður með Derrick “The Black Beast” Lewis (15-4, 1NC) in an explosive heavyweight collision, Alan Jouban (13-4) takes on undefeatedBelal Muhammad (9-0) in a welterweight affair, meira “Irish” Joe Duffy (14-2) welcomes Canada’sMitch “Danger Zone” Clarke (11-3) back to action in a lightweight matchup.
Live fight week coverage begins on Wednesday, Júlí 6 á 2 p.m. ET með lifandi kynningu á final UFC 200 pre-fight press conference, featuring UFC president Dana White and main card superstars Jon Jones, Daniel Cormier, Brock Lesnar, Mark Hunt, Miesha Tate, Amanda Nunes, Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar.
Á fimmtudaginn, Júlí 7 á 2:30 p.m. OG, Fight Network presents a live broadcast of the officialon-sale press conferencefor UFC 202: Diaz vs. McGregor 2, featuring Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor on the same stage for the first time since their heated encounter this past March.
Síðar, júlí 7 á 6 p.m. OG, Fight Network presents the live weigh-ins forTHE ULTIMATE FIGHTER FINALE®: Team Joanna vs. Team Claudia, as headliners Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Claudia Gadelha weigh in ahead of their heated women’s strawweight championship rematch.
Following Thursday’s main card, Fight Network will broadcast the liveUFC FIGHT NIGHT®: DOS ANJOS vs. ALVAREZpost-fight press conferenceí heild sinni.
Á föstudaginn, Júlí 8 á 6 p.m. OG, UFC 200 fighters will come face-to-face during Fight Network’s live broadcast of theUFC 200: Cormier vs. Jones 2 weigh-ins, as all the stars from the biggest UFC event in history will tip the scale ahead of their highly anticipated clashes on Saturday night.
Fight Network vilja loft á lifandi prelims fyrir THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER FINALE®: Team Joanna vs. Team Claudiaacross Canada on July 8 á 8 p.m. OG. The main card airs live on TSN5 at 10 p.m. OG.
In featured preliminary bouts, Joaquim Silva (8-0) andlit Andrew Holbrook (11-0) in a clash of unbeaten lightweights, former title challengerGray Maynard (12-6-1, 1NC) makes his first appearance at featherweight against BrazilianFernando Bruno (16-3), fiery flyweight contenders face off whenJohn Moraga (16-4) tekur á Matheus Nicolau (11-2-1), inaugural TUF Brazil winnerCezar “Mutante” Ferreira (10-5) meets fellow middleweightAnthony “Lionheart” Smith (25-11), highly touted Australian prospectJake “The Celtic Kid” Matthews (11-1) faces dangerous lightweightKevin “The Motown Phenom” Lee (12-2) and China’sÞað Jingliang (10-4) takes on Australia’sAnton Zafir (7-2) í welterweight lota.
Following Friday’s main card, Fight Network will broadcastTHE ULTIMATE FIGHTER FINALE®: Team Joanna vs. Team Claudialive post-fight press conferenceí heild sinni.
Leading into Saturday’s blockbuster pay-per-view, Fight Network presents an encore of the first meeting between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier, eins UFC 182: Jones vs. Cormier frá janúar 2015 airs at 2 p.m. OG.
Síðar, júlí 9 á 6 p.m. OG, Fight Network kynnir lifaUFC 200: Cormier vs. Jones 2 Pre-Show, lögun forskoðun, spár, analysis, exclusive interviews conducted on-site in Las Vegas and much more. Following Saturday’s event, Fight Network will broadcast the liveUFC 200: Cormier vs. Jones 2post-fight press conferenceí heild sinni.
Í viðbót við allar lifandi atburðum, Berjast Network er áfangastaður fyrir UFC bókasafn efni, Tilboð og röð, Ásamt The Ultimate Fighter, UFC Unleashed, UFC Nú, UFC Ultimate Insiderog klassískt UFC jákvætt forspárgildi Viðburðir.
Sunnudag, Júlí 10 á 9 p.m. OG, Fight Network kynnir UFC 87: Seek and Destroyfrom August 2009 in Minneapolis, Frá., featuring Georges St-Pierre vs. Jon Fitch for the UFC welterweight title, plus Brock Lesnar vs. Heath Herring and Kenny Florian vs. Roger Huerta.
Fyrir fulla skráningu útvarpsþáttur áætlun baráttunni Eurydice, skaltu fara www.fightnetwork.com, Fylgdu okkur á Twitterfightnet, Gerast aðdáandi á Facebook og heimsækja okkur á Instagramfightnet.
Topps is bringing its popular TOPPS NOW™ program to the UFC beginning with UFC 200. The Topps.com-exclusive product will showcase amazing bouts and top moments. The physical trading cards will be available for a pre-sale for UFC 200 starting today.
The cards will feature the winners of the big fights, including two championship bouts. UFC 200 is the ideal time to launch TOPPS NOW UFC with the caliber of fights on the docket, including Daniel Cormier vs Jon Jones, Meisha Tate vs Amanda Nunes and Brock Lesnar vs Mark Hunt.
“UFC is the perfect fit to incorporate into the TOPPS NOW program immediately,” said Jeff Heckman, Leikstjóri, New Product Development and eCommerce Marketplace. “Every weekend there are great fights happening; we have seen a number of title changes over the last several months. TOPPS NOW is the best way to capture these moments and give UFC fans a collectible they will treasure.”
Topps has a number of initiatives planned for UFC fans to participate in and enjoy. The Fan Expo will take place fromJúlí 8-10 á Las Vegas ráðstefnuhús. Among those are Promo Cards, Make Your Own Card, Topps UFC Knockout digital cards and a variety of other UFC cards available at the Expo.
Daniel Cormier, a two-time Olympian in men’s freestyle wrestling and current UFC light heavyweight champion, will serve as the Honorary Chairman of the 2016 World Cup of Freestyle Wrestling, set for The Forum in Los Angeles, Júní 11-12.
Cormier will be supporting the promotional efforts for the World Cup (wrestlingworldcup.com) and encouraging the public to come out to see the action, which will feature the top eight men’s freestyle nations in action.
The U.S. World Cup team will include all six of the 2016 Bandarískt. Olympic freestyle wrestlers. Many of the other nations will also include their 2016 Olympic athletes on their rosters.
"It is a great opportunity. You get to see guys in the final stages of their preparation. During off-Olympic years, you may get to see guys who are not peaked. This is in the phase of when they are peaking for the Olympic Games, two months before the competition. The foreign wrestlers will also be in peak condition. Not only will you get to see our guys at their best, but you get to see them competing against some of the best wrestlers in the world at their peak. It is very rare that we get that kind of opportunity here in the United States,” said Cormier.
This is the third straight year which the World Cup has been held in Los Angeles and hosted at The Forum. Cormier joins two other former wrestlers and major public figures who have served as Honorary Chairman of the World Cup.
Í 2014, award-winning actor Billy Baldwin was the Honorary Chairman. Í 2015, Stephen Neal, a World champion wrestler and three-time Super Bowl champion with the NFL New England Patriots, served as the Honorary Chairman.
Cormier had a successful career in international freestyle wrestling. Hann var aðili að 2004 Bandarískt. Olympic Team, which competed in Athens, Grikkland, sem og 2008 Bandarískt. Olympic Team, which competed in Beijing, Kína. Cormier placed fourth at the 2004 Olympic Games. Hann var 2007 World bronze medalist and placed fifth in the 2003 World Championships. He wrestled on six straight U.S. World or Olympic Teams, and won six straight U.S. Open national titles.
Cormier, who follows international wrestling closely in spite of his busy schedule as a UFC athlete and a television commentator, is excited about the U.S. team which will compete at the World Cup and at the Olympic Games.
"We have an amazing team this year. A chance to see them live is something you can’t get back after it’s gone. We have one of the better Olympic teams that we have had in a long time,” said Cormier.
A native of Lafayette, The., Cormier was a two-time NJCAA Junior College national champion for Colby CC in Kansas. He went on to Oklahoma State, where he placed second in the 2001 NCAA Div. I Championships, competing for two-time Olympic champion John Smith.
The 37-year-old Cormier trains at American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose alongside fellow UFC standouts such as Cain Velasquez and Luke Rockhold. Since moving to California, he has been impressed by the quality of the wrestling and the culture of the sport in the state.
"Wrestling in California is huge. The state championships draws massive numbers. I have a youth wrestling club, and every weekend, we wrestle in massive tournaments. The kids get to wrestle five, six times a weekend. In the LA area, this is a big deal, for people to be able to see wrestling at such a high level. The last time I was at the World Cup at the Forum, Það var magnað. You can feel the history of the building. The team went out and had a fantastic performance. It will be a big crowd. People should not miss this opportunity to see the best in the world,” said Cormier.
Cormier won a silver medal at the 2005 World Cup which was held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
"It is the history of the event that make it special. It dates back as far as I can remember. Some of the greatest American wrestlers have won the World Cup. It is a very prestigious event. The World Cup is different than other international events. It brings you back to your days in high school wrestling and college wrestling when you wrestle in dual meets. Your result directly affects the team and its ability to win. I only wrestled in one World Cup, with six years on the World Team and eight years on the national team. Það var mikil upplifun,” said Cormier.
He is excited that wrestling, his favorite sport, will be showcased once again in Los Angeles, að bandarískt. bid city for the 2024 Olympic Games. Having been on two Olympic teams (2004 in Athens and 2008 í Peking), Cormier would to see the Olympics hosted in the United States once again.
"LA right now is a great sports city. The World Cup will show that Olympic sports can draw people. We have not had an Olympics in LA since 1984. If the Olympics go back to LA, it will be great. LA is a huge city, a sports city. The people in LA would love it. This is a chance to show that the city can host an Olympic-level competition and be successful. Los Angeles is so diverse. You have everybody in Los Angeles. You have a ton of different cultures in the LA area,” said Cormier.
Cormier has excelled in his Mixed Martial Arts career, gerð glæsilega 17-1 record while competing at heavyweight and light heavyweight.
Cormier will not be able to attend the World Cup this year due to training. Cormier is currently preparing for the UFC light heavyweight title fight against Jon “Bones” Jones at UFC 200, which will be held in Las Vegas, Nev. á Júlí 9. This is a huge fight, as both of these former wrestlers have held the UFC title belt during their careers. Jones beat Cormier in their only previous battle by decision, a title match during UFC 182 janúar 3, 2015.
"Preparation is going great. I have had Ed Ruth in training camp to wrestle, Deron Winn in training camp to wrestle. I’ve got a kid from Iowa State coming in to wrestle also. I am wrestling with the best guys I can find to emulate Jon Jones. (Khadjimurad) Gatsalov of Russia was the best wrestler I ever wrestled, but he didn’t have the type of style and the funky ability of Jones. Ed Ruth is a wiry, tricky wrestler. I am bringing in guys who can give me that feel. I was outwrestled the last fight. He pushed me against the fence and took me down two or three times. That is not happening again,” said Cormier.
Cormier has helped with the World Cup in Los Angeles in the past, serving as the Honorary U.S. Team Captain in 2014, sitting with the team mat side and providing support to the athletes and coaches.
The World Cup is the annual international dual meet championships, as the eight best men’s freestyle teams will compete against each other. Á 2016 World Cup, the United States will be joined by (alphabetically): Azerbaijan, Georgia, India, Íran, Mongolia, Russia and Turkey. Lineups for the other seven teams in the World Cup will be announced shortly.
The United States is slated to face Iran, Azerbaijan and India in Group B competition. Russia headlines a tough Group A pool that also includes Georgia, Turkey and Mongolia.
Attendees can purchase tickets for the popular international competition through Ticketmaster.
FREESTYLE WRESTLING WORLD CUP SCHEDULE
Laugardagur, Júní 11
Session I – Round 1 & 2 of Pools (3 p.m.-7:30 p.m.)
Sunnudagur, Júní 12
Session II – Round 3 of Pools, 5th & 7th Place Matches (11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.)
Session III – 3rd Place Match, followed by 1st Place Match (5 p.m.-7:30 p.m.)
General admission for both theLaugardagur og Sunnudagursessions are just $60 total or $35 for individual days. Preferred seating options are available for $85 for bothLaugardagur og Sunnudagur, eða $55 individually.
Those who know me personally would all say I am a mellow individual, until you seriously cross me, eins, for instance, if youbecome the subject of an investigative report I’m working on, eða sue me for $25 milljónir. Sometimes I may take things like that as a sign you might not want me to really find out who you are and what you do behind closed doors to screw hard working people over.
This week, a certain individual who won’t even let me follow him in Twitter (https://twitter.com/danawhite) pissed me off to the point where I could only think of one thing to do. Because I’m officially blacklisted in every possible way by the UFC brass, and have even had restraining orders placed against my directly contacting the Fertittas and ANY UFC fighter, my best option is to publish a drastic diatribe here I am just going to call my “OPEN FU” to Dana “Effing” White.
I’m sure Mr. White will not take my calls or subject himself to a one on one interview with me. Svo, I will have to settle for a written FU…and a multi-tiered and multi-purpose FU.
FU, Dana “Effing” White… for many, many reasons…too many forone small blog postto do justice, but let’s just say Most of all FU….
For what you THINK you know about Holly Holm…
Hey, Dana, you wanna talk about your “effing” reality show “Looking For a Fight????” I was actuallylooking for a fightwhen I watched thatold reality “shit show”when you were supposed to box Tito Ortiz, but HEmagicallybacked out at the last minute.
Nú, you, DANA “EFFING” WHITE, are telling Holly Holm about a decisionYOU think she didn’t think through enough??? And now you act like someone pissed in your Wheaties because you have two upset wins at UFC 196 to work around and figure out how to make sense of somehow.
Boo “effing” hoo, buddy.
Welcome to how things don’t go as planned sometimes in the fight business, you ungrateful prick.
Holly Holm Was the Bantamweight Champion of the UFC when she allowed HER Manager (not Dana “effing” White) to negotiate the Tate fight on her behalf, and she knew (and her long-time manager knew, of) what she was doing and what she wanted. And guess “effing” what, Dana? She wanted to fight.
Sorry, Dana “Effing” White, but Holly didn’t want to sit on an “effing” sideline waiting for Ronda Rousey to finish her “effing” ROADHOUSE REMAKE!
Holly wanted to go to work… but unfortunately she has to work for a boss who has no idea what it’s like to step into HER office and handle HER daily workload with such tenacity, flokkur, dignity and grace.
And I think maybe she looks back a bit differently than you do, Dana, with no “effing” regrets whatsoever for putting her absolute all into that fight and just plain getting caught in her one area of weakness in a battle where she likely would have won a three-round fight. Maybe if YOU were a fighter, Dana, you might get that whole concept. Maybe losing in this case only makes her better, sterkari, and more durable as a career mixed martial artist. Who gives a damn if it makes her less marketable in your eyes? What do you really know, samt?
UNLIKE YOU, Dana “Effing” White, Holly actually respects Miesha Tate and thought it would be a challenge to fight her. Já, she lost, but damn, she was absolutely correct about it being a challenge. I think the fight will go down as one of the greatest battles in female MMA history.
Nú, why don’t you open your “effing” eyes, Dana, watch the fight again, and quit bitching about what should have happened in that cage you never fought in yourself.
Be grateful you have a champion you just paid $92,000 in fight pay (before bonuses) to take your organization’s belt from the girl you WANTED TO WIN (and paid $500,000 just to be there). It may not be what you expected, but the anxiety you feel about it is what you DESERVE to feel for being such a douchebag to the fighters who built the UFC.
My biggest questions on this subject for Dana are: Why are you such a biased, crooked asshole who can’t bother to give Miesha the time of day FOR ALL HER HARD WORK? Why can’t you give credit where it is due…on both sides of that fight? Why can’t you shut the “eff” up about what you think Holly or her management should have or could have waited for?
It’s not your place to look back with 20/20 hindsight and act like Holly and her manager should have gone all Nostradamus on this fight when you obviously didn’t see this shit coming, annaðhvort, you dome-headed dimwit.
Bardagamenn “effing” berjast, Dana. That’s what they “effing” do, which you should know, since I am pretty sure you used to be an “effing” manager of MMA fighters yourself. Já, that was many moons ago, but how could you forget?
Fighters don’t sit on their asses on corporate jets and stand at podiums in front of the press all day to earn the “effing” paltry paychecks your organization pays out to most of them. Most fighters simply cannot afford to wait around for shit to happen or for someone “worthy” enough in your eyes to step up and fight them.
Some fighters need to feed their kids. All of them need to pay their bills and for everything else involved with training camps, daily living expenses, travel and whatever costs medical insurance doesn’t cover when they have to address nagging injuries. Yourshitty Reebok dealmade it virtually impossible to get any other outside sponsors to help pay for anything like that stuff for many fighters, Dana.
Welcome to selling out and forgetting where you came from, Dana. You used to care more about fighters. Now you act like fighting in a cage is just like doing any other 9-5 starf. It’s not. Það er “effing” hard work.
Svo, já, Holly chose to fight instead of waiting for Rousey to be ready for the rematch. And you think she needs your opinion now that everything didn’t work out as planned for you both?
FU, Dana.
She hurts a lot worse than you, and I can guaran-effing-tee that.
Oh…og…við the vegur…fighters are way more responsible for the growth and success of the UFC/Zuffa organization than you ever have been. And that’s real talk, you rich bitch with a stick up your ass because you were never good enough in your life to ever have your own official fight.
Svo, get over the God complex and learn to respect ALL of your fighters, not just the ones you want to see win because you might think you can work with them better or you think they will move the organization in a better direction. Respect the effort, the sacrifice and the pain ALL your fighters go through each and every day to get where they get. That belt you put on Miesha’s waist was EARNED, and don’t you ever think it is “effing” cool to call the fact that Holly Holm had the guts to face Miesha Tate “a mistake.”
It rings hollow, especially when I would consider that handing you a microphone to talk about MMA at all was THE greatest mistake the sport ever made, tímabil! Anyone who would try to knock a former champion down a peg that way in his own organization does not deserve to be recognized as that organization’s president.
You have no clue what it’s really like to fight, and your criticism of Holly Holm tells me you can never possibly understand the mindset that led her to take the Tate fight and not wait an idle year for Ronda “effing” Rousey to be ready to appear at one of your precious shows.
Svo, FU Dana White for treating your former champ like she’s an idiot who doesn’t know how to control her own career without you butting your stupid, bald head into it. Holly’s fine without your advice, and she trusts her manager, which might be something you’re not familiar with, but for other people it is actually a reality of doing business with legitimate people.
FU, Dana for being a piss-poor ambassador for the sport, disrespecting fighters who bleed (and sometimes suffer lifelong injuries) for you and the sport, and totally underestimating and failing to grasp what it really takes to actually be a professional fighter who actually competes against other fighters…
Do you remember the days when you had to settle for being a lowly boxercise instructor because your boxing trainer Boston slapped you too hard in the ear once? You never had a single competitive fight in your life, Dana “effing” White, and that’s a DOCUMENTED FACT!
Do you ever even look back at those days before the silver-spoon-fed Fertittas helped you claw your greedy, selfish, egotistical ass into the position of OFFICIAL UFC MOUTHPIECE?
Do you remember those“hairy”days when you blew through $40 million of Fertitta funds to perpetrate the “Zuffa Myth” while claiming credit for the UFC brass singlehandedly legitimizing the sport and getting it regulatedall by your “effing” selves?As if not a single FIGHTER nor any other industry professional who pioneered MMA before you dipped your greedy little paws into it had anything to do with it?
You’re in a different place now, Dana “effing” White, and it’s a delusional place. Like on the distant planet you live on, people actually believe YOU really, heiðarlega, truly “effing” know what it’s ACTUALLY like to be an “effing” bardagamaður? Do you actually believe YOU somehow could ever REALLY know that feeling?
REALLY?
Þú veist what A FIGHTER is, don’t you, Dana? A fighter is a man or woman who has the courage to willingly step into unarmed combat against another actual man or woman instead of just criticizing up and down the guys and girls who do have the guts to actually stand across from another human being while knowing and internalizing that the accepted goal is to physically destroy each other.
A fighter, in more simple terms, er “one who fights.” And let’s be clear about one “effing” thing, Dana “effing” White, I know fighters, og YOUare no fighter.
You are nothing like a fighter, Dana “effing” White, and you never “effing” mun vera. You are too weak, both physically and mentally. Until we see you go through a six-week training camp and then get into the cage against someone and kick his ass, we shouldn’t have to listen to one damn “coulda,” “shoulda,” eða “woulda” out of your cornfed mouth about what you think of any particular fighter’s performance or decision making process. Those people have the guts to do what you will NEVER do yourself, and you ought to respect that.
FU Dana White…For not recognizing Real Fighters Like Miesha Tate and Nate Diaz who keep at it no matter what and NEVER seem to earn your ULTIMATE RESPECT….
Nate Diaz stepped up to fight Conor McGregor for a reason. He had nothing to lose, and he wasn’t intimidated one bit. He famoulsy went on television with Fox Sports 1 on a split screen with Conor before that welterweight fight and quipped that his nemesis had already been choked out before, “by two lames.” Diaz also had the perfect instinct to add humourously that McGregor’s choke losses happened, “like a week ago.”
Diaz beat Conor in the shit-talk game long before he ever slapped him down and slipped that choke around his neck in the cage. The media created by that freakshow fight might have stopped the unchecked rise of your big, bold, six-headed dragon champion, but it created a new monster at the same time. And he’s a Reebok-hating, scowling, swearing, Stockton-slapping Mother-F$#king BEAST who doesn’t care what anyone else thinks about what he does or says.
You might think Diaz and his attitude are “bad for business,” but I think his victory was the best thing that could ever happen to all you smug punks running the UFC. It just proves once and for all that you do not control the MMA universe.
Nate Diaz went without respect and credit for being an MMA pioneer and a good UFC soldier for far too long. The bitterness brewed and boiled within him, and I loved every second of him letting it pour out in post-fight interviews after he choked the shit out of Conor until the Irish bloke tapped the “eff” out and left Dana White drooling in a stupor at the thought of having to congratulate a man who’s become more of a mortal enemy than a member of the big “team.”
More power to Nate and all the crazy, abrasive, in-your-face Diaz brother types out there in the UFC who will fight Dana “effing” White’s flamboyant fire with even more bravado and brash talk of their own. They can always say, “I learned it by watching you, Baldfather!”
As for Miesha Tate, she deserves true respect and admiration for being champ now after picking herself off the mat twice in the face of grueling losses to Rousey. Kudos to Tate for continuing her career and relentlessly focusing on getting by that Rousey armbar once and for all.
Though Miesha never did solve that Rousey submission dilemma, trying at all costs to get another crack at the belt paid dividends at UFC 196. Her never quit attitude led her to an opportunity of a lifetime, and she capitalized on it. Nú, Dana, you actually have to pay this young lady what most of her fans would say she was worth a long time ago.
And now you simply have to treat Tate with a bit of reverence and appreciation for once in your ungrateful life, Dana “effing” White. I know it must pain you so much to give this young lady the credit she’s worked so incredibly hard for, because maybeshe touched a nerve when she called you out in the past for being the true clueless and disrespectful prick you really are.She was right, and you were wrong about how great she really is at fighting. Then again, weren’t you also WRONG about women fighting in the cage, tímabil?
Svo, you DON’T wanna be a fighter, Mr. White? Then step aside and let the people who DO wanna be fighters go to battle for you so you can ride around the world on your jet and act like you know what the “eff” you’re talking about when you stand in front of a microphone to describe the sport’s true athletes and what they do to make a living in mixed martial arts.
The line from Dana that most stands out to me as comblete BS in this whole debacle is this one:
“He’s an old boxing guy who thinks he’s smart and he isn’t,” White said of Fresquez [Holm’s Manager]. “I feel bad for Holly because I don’t know if she really knows what she lost.”
I have only two more “effing” questions for you Dana “effing” White…
1.) What makes you think you are really in any “effing” position to EVER know or understand what Holly Holm lost the other night? Aside from a few bad poker hands and tons of respect, the only thing you ever lost is your mind.
2.) Doesn’t your backhanded quote about Holm’s manager describe your own shitty character a whole lot better than that of Mr. Fresquez?
OG…just in case after reading all this anyone STILL needs yet another reason to have beef with the Baldfather: