Category Archives: UFC

mixed martial arts, MMA, UFC

Mixed Martial Arts Legend George St-Pierre To Attend Wizard World Philadelphia June 4-5

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Hugely Popular UFC World Champion ‘GSP’ To Greet Fans, Sign Autographs, Pose For Photo Ops In First Wizard World Appearance At Pennsylvania Convention Center

 

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PHILADELPHIA, March 8, 2016 – One of the most popular mixed martial arts fighters in the world, Georges St-Pierrewill attend Wizard World Philadelphia on Sunday, June 5, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, it was announced today by the Quebec native and Wizard World, Inc. (OTCBB: WIZD). The three-time former UFC Welterweight champion, known by many as the best “pound-for-pound” MMA athlete ever, will greet fans, sign autographs and pose for photo ops at his first Wizard World comic con appearance.

 

Already a 2nd dan Kyokushin karate black belt at 12, Georges dedicated himself to martial arts and training throughout his teen years. After seeing jiu-jitsu legend Royce Gracie fight in 1993 at UFC 1, “Rush” knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life and how he was going to reach those goals: he invested all his energy and all his time at becoming a better version of himself. When he wasn’t training or at school, Georges worked as a doorman in nightclubs, or hung off the back of a garbage truck, hauling in refuse. He discovered a simple truth: never stopping helps reach goals.

 

He grew as a person and as a fighter, adding fighting disciplines such as boxing, wrestling, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to his karate background and competed in his first amateur bout at age 16. He won that match, and continued his steady improvement. In 2006 he became the UFC Welterweight Champion. He lost the title in 2007 but subsequently regained it in front of his hometown fans of Montreal in 2008 and hasn’t lost a single title defense since then.

 

Along his career, St-Pierre, 34, accomplished numerous firsts and awards including: the all-time most consecutive welterweight title defenses, three-time consecutive Canadian Athlete of the Year Awards (’08– ’10) by Rogers Sportsnet, Fighter of the Year Awards (’09) bySports Illustrated , World MMA Awards, MMAPayout, Inside MMA and MMAJunkie, the “Most Dangerous Man of the Year” by the Spike Guys Choice Awards (’10) and the MMA Fighter of the Year Award (’08) by Black Belt Magazine .

St-Pierre is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Way of the Fight. Released in 2013, the book shares the lessons he’s learned on the way to the top. Later that year, St-Pierre officially announced that he had decided to vacate the title and take some time off from MMA, taking a role in the 2014 blockbuster Captain America: Winter Soldier. He has not ruled out a return to the ring in the future. GSP is based in Montreal.

 

St-Pierre, who appeared in  joins an amazing lineup of superstar entertainers scheduled to attend the pop culture extravaganza, including “Marvel” movie standouts Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston, David Duchovny (“The X-Files”), the Back to the Futuretrio of Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd and Lea Thompson and “The Walking Dead” standout Norman Reedus , with many other headliners.

 

Wizard World comic con and gaming events bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, graphic novels, cosplay, comics, television, sci-fi, toys, video gaming, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more. Philadelphia show hours are Thursday, June 2, 3-8 p.m.; Friday, June 3, noon-7 p.m.; Saturday, June 4, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, June 5, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

 

For more on the 2016 Wizard World Philadelphia, visit http://wizd.me/PhiladelphiaPR .

 

About Wizard World (OTCBB: WIZD)

Wizard World, Inc. (www.wizardworld.com ) produces comic cons and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, television, cosplay, comics, graphic novels, toys, video gaming, sci-fi, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more. A first-class lineup of topical programming takes place at each event, with celebrity Q&A’s, comics-themed sessions, costume contests, movie screenings, evening parties and more. Wizard World has also launched Wizard World Store ( www.shopwizardworld.com), CONtv, a digital media channel in partnership with leading independent content distributor Cinedigm™ (NASDAQ: CIDM), and ComicConBox™ (www.comicconbox.com), a premium subscription-based monthly box service. Fans can interact with Wizard World on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and other social media services.

 

The Wizard World 2016 schedule is available at: http://wizardworld.com/searchby/city/.

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV, UFC

BELLATOR MMA IS THE NEW FIGHTING HOME OF WANDERLEI ‘THE AXE MURDERER’ SILVA

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Bellator President Scott Coker and Wanderlei Silva (Credit: Bellator/Lucas Noonan)

 

SANTA MONICA (March 2, 2016) –Bellator MMA is pleased to announce that one of the most popular, recognizable and beloved fighters in the sport of mixed martial arts, Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva (35-12-1), has signed an exclusive multi-year, multi-fight contract with the promotion. The 39-year-old publicly fielded offers from companies all around the world, but the former Pride FC Middleweight Champion made the decision to take his explosive style to Bellator MMA.

 

“The Axe Murderer” has fought in some of the most memorable feuds and battles the sport has ever seen. His wars with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Tito Ortiz, Mirko Cro Cop, Vitor Belfort, Dan Henderson, Kazushi Sakuraba, Chuck Liddell, and Michael Bisping are the stuff of legend – but Silva is far from ready to close the book on his illustrious career.

 

In addition to his Pride FC Middleweight World Championship, Silva’s packed trophy case of accolades includes awards for Fight of the Year (2003, 2004, 2007), KO of the Year (2008), and multiple Fight of the Night awards including one for each of his last three fights, just to name a few. He now looks to continue to provide his award-winning, entertaining fights inside the Bellator cage.

 

Silva has several options for his first fight with Bellator. Although he has spent the majority of his career at 185-pounds, one of the things that his fans love most about him has been Wanderlei’s willingness to fight the best of the best – even if it was up two weight classes at heavyweight – as proven by his heavyweight wars against guys like Mark Hunt, Gilbert Yvel, Kazuyuki Fujita and Cro Cop; Or, his battles against light heavyweights like Ortiz, and his most recent opponent, Brian Stann, who he knocked out in the second frame.

 

Silva is the latest in a long line of recent free agent signings made by Scott Coker and Bellator MMA. The former Chute Box competitor joins: Josh Thomson, Phil Davis, Benson Henderson, Sergei Kharitonov and Anastasia Yankova on a roster with champions the likes of: Marcos Galvao, Daniel Straus, Will Brooks, Andrey Koreshkov, Rafael Carvalho, Liam McGeary andVitaly Minakov,

mixed martial arts, MMA, Showtime, UFC

JACKSON WINK MMA ACADEMY FEATURED ON THE NEXT EDITION OF “60 MINUTES SPORTS” TUESDAY, MARCH 1 ON SHOWTIME®

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lick HERE To Watch A Video Preview Of This Segment: http://s.sho.com/1KLdpqm

 

NEW YORK (Feb. 25, 2016) – Noted mixed martial arts journalist Jon L. Wertheim takes an in-depth and personal look at how Holly Holm, a barely known underdog, was able to knock out women’s MMA queen Ronda Rousey.  In the piece, Wertheim visits Jackson Wink MMA Academy in Albuquerque, N.M., the home of Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn.  Wertheim investigates how the world-renowned trainers helped guide Holm to victory last November and have established their once-unheralded outpost in Albuquerque as a mecca for some of the best MMA fighters in the world.

 

Wertheim’s report appears on the next edition of 60 MINUTES SPORTS, premiering Tuesday, March 1 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME.  Nathalie Sommer is the producer.

Fight Network, martial arts, mixed martial arts, MMA, UFC

Fight Network is Destination for Live UFC Fight Week Action & Coverage, Including  UFC Fight Night: Namajunas vs. VanZant Main Card

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TORONTO (December 9, 2015) — Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, is the destination for live UFC fight week pre and post-fight coverage, including the live main card for UFC Fight Night™: Namajunas vs. VanZant and the live prelims for The Ultimate Fighter Finale: Team McGregor vs. Team Faber, both airing exclusively in Canada. Fight Network is currently available in free preview on most carriers across Canada for the month of December.
It all kicks off on Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 4 p.m. ET with a live presentation of the UFC 194: Aldo vs. McGregor pre-fight press conference from Las Vegas.
On Thursday, Dec. 10 at 5 p.m. ET, Fight Network presents the live weigh-ins for The Ultimate Fighter Finale: Team McGregor vs. Team Faber, as headliners Frankie Edgar and Chad Mendes tip the scales ahead of their pivotal featherweight showdown.
Later at 9 p.m. ET, Fight Network presents a live pre-show for UFC Fight Night™: Namajunas vs. VanZant, leading into the live main card at 10 p.m. ET exclusively in Canada. In the main event, No. 3-ranked women’s strawweight contender Rose Namajunas (4-2) battles surging superstar and No. 7-ranked Paige VanZant. (6-1). In the co-feature, No. 14-ranked lightweight veteran Jim Miller(25-6, 1NC) looks to continue his ascent up the rankings against The Ultimate Fighter Live winnerMichael Chiesa (12-2). Rounding out the card, highly touted lightweight youngster Sage Northcutt(6-0) tries to keep his perfect record intact against Cody Pfister (12-4-1), while Canada’s undefeatedUltimate Fighter Nations middleweight winner Elias Theodorou (11-0) faces his toughest test to date against Brazilian Thiago “Marreta” Santos (11-3). Fight Network will also televise the live post-fight press conference, which begins shortly after the event concludes.
On Friday, Dec. 11 at 6 p.m. ET, the UFC 194: Aldo vs. McGregor weigh-ins will be televised live from Las Vegas with Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor going face-to-face one final time ahead ofSaturday’s blockbuster clash for the undisputed UFC featherweight championship.
Immediately following the live weigh-ins, Fight Network presents a live pre-show for The Ultimate Fighter Finale: Team McGregor vs. Team Faber at 7 p.m. ET, which serves as a lead-in to thelive prelims at 8 p.m. ET exclusively in Canada. The main card will air at 10 p.m. ET on TSN1 and TSN5. Featured prelims include heavyweights Gabriel Gonzaga (16-10) vs. Konstantin Erokhin (9-2), featherweights Tatsuya Kawajiri (34-8-2) vs. Jason Knight (16-1) and flyweights Joby Sanchez(7-1) vs. Geane Herrera (8-1). Fight Network will also televise the live post-fight press conference, which begins shortly after the event concludes.
The action-packed fight week comes to a climax on Saturday, Dec. 12. At 2 p.m. ET, Fight Network presents an encore of UFC 189: Mendes vs. McGregor from July 2015, which featured Conor McGregor‘s memorable performance against Chad Mendes to capture the interim UFC featherweight title, plus a top candidate for “Fight of the Year” between Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald for the UFC welterweight title. The event is widely regarded as one of the best in promotional history.
At 7 p.m. ET, Fight Network presents a live pre-show for UFC 194: Aldo vs. McGregor, which features previews, predictions and analysis for the event, as well as on-the-scene reports from Las Vegas. Immediately following the pay-per-view broadcast, Fight Network presents a live post-showat approximately 1 a.m. ET, including highlights, reactions and the live post-fight press conference from Las Vegas.
All pre and post-fight shows will include exclusive interviews from Fight Network analysts JohnRamdeen and Robin Black on-site in Las Vegas, plus reports and analysis from Fight Network studios in Toronto. Canadian mixed martial arts pioneer and longtime UFC veteran Sam Stout will be in-studio for the live UFC 194 pre and post-fight shows.
Airing throughout the week, catch the one-hour UFC Embedded: Aldo vs. McGregor special, an all-access, behind-the-scenes look at the lives and training camps of four elite fighters leading up to the massive UFC 194 event in Las Vegas. Additional reports and features air daily in Fight News Now. All airings are listed at www.fightnetwork.com.
In addition to all the live events, Fight Network is the destination for UFC library content, specials and series, including UFC Unleashed, UFC Now, UFC Ultimate Insider and classic UFC PPV events.
This Sunday, Dec. 13 at 9 p.m. ET, catch a full encore presentation of UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfortfrom February 2011 in Las Vegas, which featured a highly anticipated middleweight title showdown between then-torchbearer Anderson Silva and No. 1 contender Vitor Belfort, plus Forrest Griffinvs. Rich Franklin and Jon Jones vs. Ryan Bader.
For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit www.fightnetwork.com, follow us on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.
mixed martial arts, MMA, UFC

Anderson Silva, Jon Jones, Eddie Alvarez, MMA Bouts and Three Other Combat Tournaments Headline MMA World Expo, Saturday, Dec. 12 in New York City

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MMA superstars to meet and greet guests at annual extravaganza, also hosting bouts in Muay Thai, catch wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,
as well as vendors and seminars

NEW YORK, December 9 — The sixth annual MMA World Expo, the East Coast’s premiere Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) gathering presented by City World Ford, will return to New York’s Jacob Javits Center, North Pavilion, on Saturday, December 12. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) superstars Jon “Bones” Jones, Anderson “The Spider” Silva and Eddie Alvarez will be on hand for the event, which promises to be larger than ever, with four, live combat sports tournaments, including amateur MMA bouts in the cage, seminars and vendors.

Also on hand at the Expo will be World Series of Fighting two-division world champion David Branch, as well as World Series of Fighting executives Carlos Silva (CEO) and Ray Sefo (President), who will take part in a question and answer session with the media and fans, and reveal news about the league’s plans for 2016.

Branch, the reigning World Series of Fighting middleweight (185 pounds) and light heavyweight (205 pounds) champion, will host a special, one-hour seminar for Expo patrons.

“The MMA World Expo is a phenomenal opportunity to service a population of highly passionate MMA fans who do not yet have the opportunity to spectate professional bouts in the state of New York,” said Paul Paone, founder and director of the MMA World Expo.

“This year’s event will feature an unprecedented number of combat sports tournaments to satisfy any fight fan, including amateur MMA, catch wrestling, Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.”

The one-day, “Super Saturday” event will take place from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. ET, and will be capped off by live amateur MMA bouts in the cage, presented by the New York Fight Exchange. The fight card will begin at 6 p.m.

In addition to the MMA fights, there will be live competition in four combat disciplines that are a core part of MMA. Beginning at 10 a.m., submission-only grappling tournaments, both gi and no-gi, hosted by The Good Fight, will take place.

Beginning at 4 p.m., the North American Catch Wrestling Association will host catch wrestling matches, including a match between reigning, two-time East Coast King of Catch Wrestling, Thomas Velasquez, and rival, West Coast King of Catch Wrestling, Travis Newaza, for the 2015 North American Heavyweight King of Catch championship.

Throughout the event, “Training-with-the-Masters” seminars will be available to attendees. Instructors include Ajarn Phil Nurse (Muay Thai), UFC Hall of FamerDan “The Beast” Severn, Silva, Alvarez and Newaza.

The MMA World Expo will continue to play its role in the fight for professional MMA legalization by conducting its sixth annual legalization panel discussion, distributing petitions, and putting on display all of the athletes, coaches, fans and vendors who contribute to the sport. The two-hour legalization seminar will be hosted by combat sports journalist Jim Genia, and special guests will include Severn and other notable MMA figures.

For more information about the event visit http://www.mmaworldexpo.com, “like” us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @mmaworldexpo, or call 212-956-4720.

About MMA World Expo:

The MMA World Expo was begun in 2009 and has held all events in the Jacob Javits Center in New York.

Past MMA World Expo signers have included Matt Hughes, Frankie Edgar, Randy Couture, Jon Jones, Carlos Condit, Fabricio Werdum, Matt Serra, Jim and Dan Miller, Jamie Varner, Nate Diaz, Wanderlei Silva, among others.

Training-with-the-Masters series instructors have included: Dan Severn, Renzo Gracie, Marcelo Garcia, Phil Nurse, Howard Davis Jr., Coban Lookchaomaesaitong, Lee Kemp, Jimmy Pedro among others.

Past vendors have included Toyota, Xyience, Headrush, Muscle Pharm, Combat Sports, Everlast, Vitamin Shoppe, Zebra Mats, Met-Rx, Monster Rings and Cages, US Marines, Dymatize, World Series of Fighting, Spartan Race, M-I Entertainment, among others.
mixed martial arts, MMA, UFC

Fight Network Presents UFC Fight Night Seoul Main Card & Pre-Show LIVE

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TORONTO (November 26, 2015) — Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents extensive coverage of UFC Fight Night™: Henderson vs. Masvidal this Saturday, November 28 from Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul, South Korea.
Fight Network will air the live UFC Fight Night™: Henderson vs. Masvidal main card exclusively in Canada at 8 a.m. ET. Encores will air in primetime at 9 p.m. ET and 10 p.m. PT for viewers on the West Coast.
In the main event, former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson (22-5) seeks his second straight win at 170 pounds opposite battle-tested veteran Jorge Masvidal (29-9). Local welterweight superstar Dong Hyun Kim (20-3-1, 1NC) competes in the co-feature against late replacement Dominic Waters (9-3). Rounding out the main card, Yoshihiro Akiyama (14-5, 2NC) returns to South Korea for the first time since 2007 for a welterweight matchup with undefeated grappling ace Alberto Mina (11-0), while explosive South Korean knockout artist Doo Ho Choi (12-1) looks to build on an impressive promotional debut last November when he faces off with fellow featherweight Sam Sicilia (15-5), who carries a two-fight winning streak into the bout.
On Thursday, Nov. 26 at 7 p.m. ET, Fight Network premieres a one-hour UFC® Fight Night Seoul Pre-Show, which features previews, predictions and analysis for the event, and also serves as a lead-in to the live prelims.
In addition to all the live events, Fight Network is the destination for UFC library content, specials and series, including UFC Unleashed, UFC Now, UFC Ultimate Insider and classic UFC PPV events.
This Sunday, Nov. 29 at 9 p.m. ET, catch a full encore presentation of UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez from October 2010 in Anaheim, Calif., headlined by a showdown between champion Brock Lesnar and challenger Cain Velasquez for the UFC heavyweight championship, plus Jake Shields makes his UFC debut against Martin Kampmann, The Ultimate Fighter 1 winner Diego Sanchez collides with Paulo Thiago, pioneer Tito Ortiz clashes with former pupil Matt Hamill,and Brendan Schaub battles Gabriel Gonzaga in heavyweight action.
The full card for UFC Fight Night™: Henderson vs. Masvidal includes:
Main Card (Live on Fight Network, 8 a.m. ET):
-Benson Henderson (22-5) vs. Jorge Masvidal (29-9)
-Dong Hyun Kim (20-3-1, 1NC) vs. Dominic Waters (9-3)
-Yoshihiro Akiyama (14-5, 2NC) vs. Alberto Mina (11-0)
-Doo Ho Choi (12-1) vs. Sam Sicilia (15-5)
Preliminary Card (Live on UFC Fight Pass, 5 a.m. ET):
-Dongi Yang (12-3) vs. Jake Collier (9-2)
-Yui Chul Nam (18-5-1) vs. Mike De La Torre (13-5, 1NC)
-Tae Hyun Bang (17-9) vs. Leo Kuntz (17-2-1)
-Seohee Ham (15-6) vs. Cortney Casey (4-2)
-Yao Zhikui (2-3) vs. Fredy Serrano (2-0)
-Ning Guangyou (6-2-1) vs. Marco Beltran (6-4)
-Dominique Steele (13-6) vs. Dong Hyun Kim (13-6)
For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit www.fightnetwork.com, follow us on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.
GFL.TV, mixed martial arts, UFC

STAR-STUDDED UFC 191 EVENT TO FEATURE SEVEN GFL ALUMNI ON SATURDAY, SEPT. 5

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Seventeen archived fights featuring
Jimi Manuwa, Paige VanZant,
Paul Felder and three other UFC 191 stars
available for viewing on GFL.tv

NEW YORK, NY (Sept. 3, 2015) – The highly-anticipated UFC 191 world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event that takes place on Saturday, Sept. 5, will feature seven athletes whose early career fights were covered by Go Fight Live (www.GFL.tv), and are available for viewing in their entirety, in video on demand (VOD) format on the world’s premier online destination for live combat sports.

Three of the stars – Jimi “Poster Boy” Manuwa, Jan Blachowicz and Paige VanZant – will see action on the live pay-per-view telecast of the UFC 191 main fight card, while two others – Paul “The Irish Dragon” Felder and “Cassius” Clay Collard – will do battle on the FOX Sports 1 televised portion of the event’s preliminary bout card and the remaining two – Joe “Diesel” Riggsand Ron “The Choir Boy” Stallings – will face off against each other on the UFC Fight Pass-live streamed portion of the preliminary bout card.

“This Saturday’s UFC 191 fight card, which is stacked with some of the best fighters in the world, is another testament to the incredible talent that has risen from the ranks of our promotional partners that have put on some of the best combat sports action seen anywhere,” said GFL CEO David Klarman.

“We are thrilled to see how the careers of these seven fighters have taken off, and encourage fans to check out some of the fights that helped mold them into who they are today.”

The GFL library contains a total of 16 complete bouts, including 8 (T)KO’s and 2 submissions, featuring 6 of the 7 alumni who will step in the UFC’s Octagon on Saturday.

GFL distributes over 350 live events annually across all genres of combat sports.  Approximately 60 percent of its video content is MMA action featuring action from Ring of Combat (ROC), Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC), BAMMA USA, Rage In The Cage (RITC) and a host of other promoters that have collectively sent hundreds of athletes to the UFC, World Series of Fighting and Bellator, the three largest MMA sports franchises in the world.

About GFL:
GFL (www.gfl.tv) is a fast-growing media and sports entertainment company that utilizes a proprietary technology to deliver the most exciting LIVE combat sports events worldwide and an incredible viewing experience to a global audience.  With a diverse mix of combat sports properties, GFL is the premier online destination for live boxing, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Muay Thai, kickboxing, Jiu-Jitsu and more.  Since its inception in 2007, GFL has streamed more than 2,500 live events with over 10,000 hours of combat sports content.  In addition to its web platform, GFL is available on Roku, IPhone, IPad, as well as other internet ready devices, and broadcasts a weekly, two-hour, syndicated fight TV show on CSN, TCN and SNY, as well as live pay-per-view events directly to iN DEMAND.
UFC, wrestling

UFC® SET TO SPONSOR 2015 WORLD WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS

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Colorado Springs – USA Wrestling today announced UFC® as an official sponsor of the 2015 World Wrestling Championships, which will be held from Monday, September 7 through Saturday, September 12 at the Orleans Arena, adjacent to The Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

 

Governed by United World Wrestling, this will mark the first time since 2003 that the World Wrestling Championships, the world’s largest global elite wrestling competition and first qualifier of the Rio 2016™ Olympic Games, will be showcased in the United States.

 

“We’ve already enjoyed a growing partnership with UFC and this is a natural extension,” said USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender. “We’ve had numerous athletes that have gone on from our National and Olympic teams to great success in UFC, including trailblazing athletes like two-time Olympians Dan Henderson and Daniel Cormier and Olympic champion Henry Cejudo. With UFC located in Las Vegas, it made a lot of sense for both organizations to partner on this historic event.”

 

“We are thrilled to sponsor the 2015 World Wrestling Championships and welcome wrestling competitors and enthusiasts from 100 countries to Las Vegas,” UFC Vice President of Federation Relationships and Corporate Social Responsibility Lou Lauria said. “Wrestling is a key member of the combat sports community and UFC will continue to support the development of men’s and women’s amateur sports globally.”

 

More than 800 athletes are expected to compete in the six-day competition over three Olympic disciplines, Greco-Roman, women’s freestyle and men’s freestyle. There are 24 sets of medals contested at the World Championships, eight in men’s freestyle, Greco-Roman and women’s wrestling.

 

Eighteen Olympic weight classes are recognized, with the top six from each class qualifying to represent their nation and compete in the Rio 2016™ Olympic Games. The 12 session competition will determine who will capture the 108 Olympic berths that are up for grabs.

 

This will be the sixth time the United States has hosted a Senior World Wrestling Championships and first in Las Vegas. The previous sites were Toledo, Ohio (1962, 1966), San Diego, California (1979), Atlanta, Georgia (1995) and New York, New York (2003).

 

Wrestling has been a featured sport in the Olympic Games, going back to the Ancient Olympics in Greece and starting with the first modern Olympic Games in Athens, Greece in 1896.

 

For more information please visit VegasWorlds2015.com and follow on Twitter @VegasWorlds2015.

About USA WRESTLING

USA Wrestling is the National Governing Body for the sport of wrestling in the United States and, as such, is its representative to the United States Olympic Committee and in United World Wrestling, the international wrestling federation. The organization consists of over 200,000 members participating in all levels, from youth through the Olympic Games. Simply, USA Wrestling is the central organization that coordinates amateur wrestling programs in the nation and works to create interest and participation in these programs. Its president is James Ravannack and its Executive Director is Rich Bender.

 

About UFC®

UFC® is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in 158 countries and territories to over 1 billion TV households worldwide in 21 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service that is available throughout the world with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT® (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, UFC branded apparel, DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

 

mixed martial arts, UFC, wrestling

USA Wrestling And UFC® Renew Partnership

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Colorado Springs – USA Wrestling, the national governing body for wrestling in the United States, and UFC® have jointly announced that they have renewed their partnership to promote interest in wrestling and mixed martial arts (MMA), while working together on a variety of projects to support each organization’s activities.

“USA Wrestling is pleased to renew its partnership with UFC, coming off a successful first year working together. Our sports are closely entwined, and there are many ways we can help support each other. We look forward to finding creative and effective ways to add even more value to this strong relationship,” said Rich Bender, USA Wrestling Executive Director.

“We are extremely excited to renew our partnership with USA Wrestling and continue to build on the success we’ve experienced over the last year,” UFC Vice President of Federation Relationships and Corporate Social Responsibility Lou Lauria said. UFC has a long and rich history supporting the development of amateur athletes and our relationship with USAWrestling dates back to the very beginning of UFC.”

This is the second straight year the organizations have agreed to work together and to find new ways to build and expand their cooperative efforts.

Wrestling and MMA share a close connection which positively impacts both sports. Wrestling is a core skill set needed for success in MMA and is considered a foundational discipline within the sport. Numerous wrestlers have gone on to achieve major success in MMA, offering an additional opportunity for their athletic and professional careers after their wrestling days are completed.

Numerous athletes who have competed with USA Wrestling have gone on to become successful UFC athletes, including: Olympic champion Henry Cejudo, Olympic silver medalists Sara McMann and Matt Lindland, two-time Olympian Dan Henderson, two-time Olympian and six-time U.S. Open national champion Daniel Cormier, two-time NCAA champion Johny Hendricks, NCAA All-Americans Chris Weidman and Cain Velasquez, women’s college All-American Carla Esparza and many others.

Working together, USA Wrestling and UFC will continue to support and promote the development of wrestling. By leveraging UFC’s industry leading expertise and resources, USA Wrestling and its activities will be featured across several areas such as UFC’s broadcasts, social and digital media.

USA Wrestling will provide its 250,000 member community with exclusive opportunities to experience UFC through a range of platforms including: UFC events, UFC Fight Club®, UFC GYM® locations, UFC FIGHT PASS®, UFC Rewards and International Fight Week. USA Wrestling will also use its many media platforms to share information and opportunities about UFC to its members.

USA Wrestling is one of a select few national governing bodies within the Olympic community to be an official partner with UFC.

mixed martial arts, UFC

Fight Network Presents Live UFC Fight Night Nashville Pre-Show & Prelims

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PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
 

 

TORONTO (Aug. 7, 2015) — Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, will air extensive live programming for UFC Fight Night™: Teixeira vs. Saint Preux this Saturday, August 8 from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.

 

Fight Network will air the live prelims exclusively in Canada from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET. The main card will be televised on TSN2.

 

In the featured prelim, The Ultimate Fighter season 17 finalist Uriah Hall (11-5) collides with unbeaten newcomer Oluwale Bamgbose (5-0) in middleweight action. Other prelims include a middleweight clash between Chris Camozzi (21-10) and England’s Tom “Kong” Watson (17-8), a flyweight tilt pitting Dustin Ortiz (14-4) against Willie Gates (12-5), plus a bantamweight bout between Frankie Saenz (10-2) and Swedish export Sirwan Kakai (13-2).

 

Live pre-fight coverage will lead into the prelims on Saturday with Fight Network’s UFC® Pre-Show Live at 7 p.m. ET, featuring previews, predictions and analysis.

 

But first, Fight Network will present a live broadcast of RFA 28: Sanchez vs. Poppie on Friday, August 7 at 10 p.m. ET, highlighted by the crowning of a new RFA middleweight champion when the promotion makes its first trip to St. Louis, headlined by RFA fan favorite Andrew Sanchez against Wisconsin native John Poppie.

 

In addition to all the live pre and post-fight coverage, Fight Network is the destination for UFC library content, specials and series, including UFC Unleashed, UFC Now, UFC Ultimate Insider and classic UFC PPV events. All airings are listed at tv.fightnetwork.com.

 

The full card for UFC Fight Night™: Teixeira vs. Saint Preux includes:

 

Main Card (Live on TSN2, 10 p.m. ET):
-Glover Teixeira (22-4) vs. Ovince Saint Preux (18-6)
-Michael Johnson (17-8) vs. Beneil Dariush (11-1)
-Derek Brunson (13-3) vs. Sam Alvey (25-6, 1NC)
-Jared Rosholt (12-2) vs. Timothy Johnson (9-1)
-Sara McMann (8-2) vs. Amanda Nunes (10-4)
-Ray Borg (8-1) vs. Geane Herrera (8-0)

 

Preliminary Card (Live on Fight Network, 8 p.m. ET):
-Uriah Hall (11-5) vs. Oluwale Bamgbose (5-0)
-Chris Camozzi (21-10) vs. Tom Watson (17-8)
-Dustin Ortiz (14-4) vs. Willie Gates (12-5)
-Frankie Saenz (10-2) vs. Sirwan Kakai (13-2)

 

Preliminary Card (Live on UFC Fight Pass, 6:30 p.m. ET):
-Chris Dempsey (11-2) vs. Jonathan Wilson (6-0)
-Marlon Vera (6-2-1) vs. Roman Salazar (9-3, 1NC)
-Anthony Christodoulou (12-5) vs. Scott Holtzman (7-0)

 

For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit tv.fightnetwork.com, follow us on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.