Category Archives: women’s MMA

Combate Americas, mixed martial arts, MMA, women's MMA

COMBATE AMERICAS ANNOUNCES  THE MMA RETURN OF SIX-DIVISION  WORLD BOXING CHAMPION AMANDA SERRANO  IN TUCSON, ARIZ. ON SATURDAY, OCT. 13

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Six-division world boxing champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (below left) will return to MMA action in the co-main event of the star-studded Combate Americas fight card in Tucson, Ariz. on Saturday, Oct. 13.  Serrano will face off with Mexico’s Erendira Ordoñez (below right), live on DAZN in English and on both Univision and Univision Deportes Network (UDN) in Spanish.
 

 

SERRANO TO FACE OFF WITH MEXICO’S ERENDIRA ORDOÑEZ IN “COMBATE AMERICAS: MEXICO VS. USA” CO-MAIN EVENT LIVE ON DAZN, UNIVISION AND UNIVISION DEPORTES NETWORK

MAIN EVENT: ERIK “EL GOYITO” PEREZ VS. JOHN CASTANEDA

NEW YORK – September 20, 2018 – Combate Americas today announced the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) return of six-division world boxing champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (0-0-1), who will square off with former Mexican national kickboxing champion Erendira “Aketzaly” Ordoñez (2-1) in a flyweight (125 pounds) co-main event attraction at “Combate Americas: Mexico vs. USA” at the AVA Amphitheater at Casino Del Sol in Tucson, Ariz. on Saturday, Oct. 13.

 

The star-studded event, headlined by a previously announced bantamweight (135 pounds) showdown between world-ranked superstars Erik “El Goyito” Perez of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico and John “Sexi Mexi” Castaneda of Mankato, Minn., USA, will stream live in its entirety on DAZN (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT), while the three-bout main card will air live on television in Spanish on both Univision (12 a.m. ET/PT) and Univision Deportes Network (UDN) (12 a.m. ET/9 p.m. PT).

 

 

Born in Carolina, Puerto Rico and fighting out of Brooklyn, N.Y. the 29-year-old Serrano’s return to La Jaula, the Combate Americas cage, comes on the heels of her latest feat in the boxing ring – capturing the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Junior Welterweight Championship with a unanimous decision win over Yamila Esther Reynoso of Argentina at Barclay’s Event Center in Brooklyn on September 8.

 

 

In doing so, Serrano joined Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya as the only boxers in history to capture six world titles in six different weight classes.

 

 

“It is an honor to have the world’s greatest women’s boxer in history, who is on par with De La Hoya and Pacquiao, back in La Jaula for Combate Americas,” said Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren.

 

 

Serrano’s second-career start under MMA rules will take place exactly six months after she battled Corina Herrera to a draw in a thrilling, co-main event contest at “Combate Estrellas I” in Los Angeles, Calif. on April 13.

 

 

The 22-year-old Ordoñez of Mexico City is a three-time San Shou-style kickboxing gold medalist, who holds a professional kickboxing record of 2-2, in addition to her MMA experience.

 

 

Priced from $15, tickets for “Combate Americas: Mexico vs. USA,” are on sale online at CombateAmericas.com/Tickets.

 

 

Additional bouts for the event will be announced soon.

 

 

Doors at the AVA Amphitheater at Casino Del Sol open at 6 p.m. PT, with the first preliminary bout will beginning at 7 p.m.

 

 

UPDATED “COMBATE AMERICAS: MEXICO VS. USA” FIGHT CARD

 

Bantamweight Main Event:

 

Erik Perez vs. John Castaneda

 

 

Flyweight Co-Main Event:

 

Amanda Serrano vs. Erendira Ordoñez

 

 

Preliminary Bout Card:

 

Bantamweight: Anthony Birchak vs. Adam Martinez

 

 

Bantamweight: Juan Pablo Gonzalez vs. Mario Bautista

 

 

Bantamweight: Arturo Guzman vs. KaseyTanner

 

 

Featherweight: Jair Perez vs. Peter De La Cruz

 

 

Catchweight (160 pounds): Misael Iñarritu vs. Peter Quezada

mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights, women's MMA

SECOND WOMEN’S FIGHT ANNOUNCED FOR NEF 36 IN PORTLAND, MAINE

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Portland, Maine (September 12, 2018) – New England Fights (NEF) will hold its final mixed-martial-arts event of 2018, “NEF 36: Battle for the Gold,” on Saturday, November 17 at Aura in Portland, Maine. Earlier today, the fight promotion announced the addition of an amateur women’s flyweight fight to the card. B.J. Garceau (1-0) is scheduled to face Chelsea Tucker (0-3) at a fight weight of 125-pounds.

B.J. Garceau made national headlines earlier this year as she prepared for her in-cage debut with NEF. Diagnosed with Type-1 juvenile diabetes in 1993, Garceau became an inspiration to those within the diabetic community looking to practice the martial arts. At “NEF 32” last February, she went the distance with Sarah Ziehm (1-2) in a back-and-forth contest, ultimately picking up the win via split-decision on the judges’ scorecards. Garceau is a member of Young’s MMA based in Bangor, Maine.

“When Coach (Chris) Young asked me if I was free November 17th, I thought he wanted me to be the water girl for the guys on the card,” Garceau quipped. “I say this jokingly, but we’ve had some struggles finding match ups for the Young’s WMMA (women’s mixed-martial-arts) team in the past. Me and my girls are hungry to fight. So when he asked if I’d fight Chelsea, who is a warrior that doesn’t back down from anything, of course my answer was ‘yes.’ I adore Chelsea and am ready to put on a hell of a show for the fans, my team and the beautiful city of Portland, Maine this November.”

The casual observer should not let Chelsea Tucker’s record fool them. Scrappy, talented and full of heart, Tucker has come to fight each time she has stepped in the cage. She has appeared four times in the NEF cage, including a non-sanctioned grappling match with Carol Linn Powell that went to a draw last April in Portland. Tucker proudly serves her country as a culinary specialist with the United States Coast Guard stationed in Boothbay, Maine. She trains with First Class MMA in Brunswick, Maine.

“I am very excited to step back into the cage,” said Tucker. “I look forward to fighting B.J. This is going to be a great fight, and I look forward to representing my gym and my skill set again in the NEF cage.”

NEF’s next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 36: Battle for the Gold,” will see the company make its return to Aura in Portland, Maine. The event is scheduled to take place Saturday, November 17, 2018 with a bell time of 7 pm. Tickets are on sale now at www.AuraMaine.com.

Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights, women's MMA

WOMEN’S FIGHT IS FIRST ANNOUNCED FOR NEF 36 IN PORTLAND, MAINE

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Portland, Maine (September 10, 2018) – New England Fights (NEF) will hold its final mixed-martial-arts event of 2018, “NEF 36: Battle for the Gold,” on Saturday, November 17 at Aura in Portland, Maine. Earlier today, the fight promotion announced the first fight scheduled for the event.  Catie Denning (1-0) will take on Taylor Thompson (2-0) in an amateur women’s bantamweight contest.

 

 

 

Catie Denning made her amateur MMA debut last February at “NEF 32” in Lewiston, Maine.  She dominated Chelsea Tucker (0-3) for three rounds on her way to a unanimous decision victory on the judges’ scorecards.  Denning is a member of Young’s MMA based in Bangor, Maine where she will once again train for her sophomore cage bout.

 

 

 

“I’m excited to step back into the cage,” said Denning.  “It’s been far too long and I’m hungrier than ever. I fully understand I’m stepping up to take on a tough opponent, but I’m up for the challenge and hope I can showcase all of my hard work since my amateur debut back in February.”

 

 

 

Denning’s opponent, Taylor Thompson, will be making her NEF debut on November 17, but she is no stranger to the New England MMA scene.  Thompson is undefeated with two fights under her belt in Massachusetts.  Both wins came by way of stoppage, including a first-round submission of Tiffany McCoy (2-2) last January.  Thompson trains with BST MMA & Fitness based in Mendon, Massachusetts.

 

 

 

“I am very excited to be able to fight Catie Denning of Young’s MMA on November 17 at the beautiful Aura arena in Portland, Maine,” said Thompson when reached for comment.  “She trains with tough people at a well-respected gym, and I am so grateful that she and I will have the opportunity to throw down for the fantastic fight fans of Maine. I have wanted to fight for NEF ever since I met Coach Eddie (Benjamin) and his team at Titan Athletics in Bangor and heard about the amazing fight scene that exists in Maine. I can’t wait to be a part of it.”

 

 

 

NEF’s next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 36: Battle for the Gold,” will see the company make its return to Aura in Portland, Maine.  The event is scheduled to take place Saturday, November 17, 2018 with a bell time of 7 pm.  The ticket pre-sale is happening now at www.AuraMaine.com with promo code “NEF.”  Tickets will be on-sale to the general public on Monday, September 10 at 9:00 a.m. EDT.

Combate Americas, mixed martial arts, MMA, women's MMA

COMBATE AMERICAS ANNOUNCES WOMEN’S STRAWWEIGHT CO-MAIN EVENT BETWEEN  “SUPER MELY” MARTINEZ AND FRANCIS HERNANDEZ LIVE ON UNIVISION DEPORTES NETWORK FROM LONG BEACH, CALIF. ON FRIDAY, SEPT. 28

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Below: Undefeated, 21-year-old knockout artist Melissa “Super Mely” Martinez (left) of Mexico City, Mexico will take on hard-hitting Francis “Hit Girl” Hernandez (right) of Camuy, Puerto Rico in the live, Univision Deportes Network (UDN)-televised, Combate Americas co-main event in Long Beach, Calif. on Friday, Sept. 28.  Photo credit: Scott Hirano/Combate Americas

FIVE OTHER NEW BOUTS ANNOUNCED FOR STACKED EVENT HEADLINED BY FIRST-EVER, ONE-ROUND
“COPA COMBATE” TOURNAMENT QUALIFYING BOUTS

Tickets for “Combate Americas: Camino a Copa Combate” on sale now

NEW YORK – September 6, 2018 – Combate Americas today announced a women’s strawweight (115 pounds) co-main event bout between undefeated knockout artist Melissa “Super Mely” Martinez (4-0) and Francis “Hit Girl” Hernandez (3-2) for the premier Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise’s live, Univision Deportes Network (UDN) telecast (12 a.m. ET/9 pm. PT) from The Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, Calif. on Friday, Sept. 28.

 

The event, “Combate Americas: Camino a Copa Combate,” will be headlined by the previously announced, first two-ever “COPA COMBATE” qualifying fights, the winners of which will represent their respective countries – the U.S. and Mexico – in the one-night, eight-man, $100,000 grand prize tournament that will take place in the featherweight (145 pounds) division on a November date to be announced soon.

 

An explosive Muay Thai stylist, the 21-year-old Martinez of Mexico City, Mexico has been on a warpath since she made her Combate Americas promotional debut on June 30, 2017, scoring a thunderous, second round (2:45) head kick TKO on Yajaira Romo.

 

In her last effort on April 20, Martinez dominated Argentina’s Ivanna Martinenghi for three consecutive rounds of action at “Combate Estrellas II” in Monterrey, Mexico before earning  a unanimous decision victory.

 

Fighting out of Little Rock, Ark. where she is serving as an active duty Staff Sergeant with the U.S. Army, the 30-year-old Hernandez, who hails from Camuy, Puerto Rico is coming off an impressive Combate Americas debut performance that saw her submit (rear-naked choke) Shyann Farmer in the second round (2:12) of battle in Sacramento, Calif.

 

Also announced today were five preliminary bout card matchups for the “Combate Americas: Camino a Copa Combate” event, including a bantamweight (135 pounds) battle between Oscar “Jacare” Suarez (4-1) of Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain and Carlos Ochoa (3-5) of Indio, Calif.

 

Elsewhere on the preliminary bout card, Dominic Clarke (11-8) of Los Angeles, Calif. will collide with Danny “The Realist” Ramirez (6-4) of Sacramento, Calif. at lightweight (155 pounds).

 

Undefeated Jesse Strader (3-0) of Lancaster, Calif. USA will take on “Handsome” Mario Navarrio (4-5) of Northridge, Calif., USA. In featherweight action.

 

In one of two flyweight (125 pounds) contests announced today, Heinrich Wassmer (6-3) of Highland Park, Calif. will battle David “Farmer of Destruction” Duran (6-4) of Whittier, Calif., while in the other, unbeaten Hugo Aranda (2-0) of Van Nuys, Calif. will square off with “Malicious” Michael Reyes(4-4) of Oxnard, Calif.

 

Additional preliminary bout matchups will be announced soon.

 

In one of the two, single, five-minute round featherweight “COPA COMBATE” tournament qualifying fights that will send the winner to represent the U.S. in the eight-man tournament in November, Erick “The Ghost Pepper” Gonzalez (8-2) of Redondo Beach, Calif. will face Andres “The Bullet” Quintana (14-2) of Roswell, N.M.

 

In the second tournament qualifying fight, the winner of which will represent Mexico at  “COPA COMBATE,” Pablo “El Gallo Negro” Sabori (8-4) of San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora will collide with Alejandro “El Gallito” Flores (12-1)  of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon.

 

Priced from $30, tickets for “Combate Americas: Camino A Copa Combate” are on sale at The Walter Pyramid’s online ticketing platform, as well at Ticketon.com.

 

Doors at the venue will open at 6 p.m. PT on September 28, and the first preliminary bout will begin at 7 p.m.

# # #

 

 

ABOUT COMBATE AMERICAS
Combate Americas is the premier Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise, rapidly becoming the number two sport, after soccer, for Spanish speaking sports fans worldwide.  The Combate Americas franchise includes reality TV programming, live events and mobile programming. The company’s CEO, Campbell McLaren, is universally recognized as the co-founder/co-creator of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). New York Magazine described McLaren as “the marketing genius behind the UFC” and Yahoo! Sports proclaimed that he “knows more about the sport than just about anyone in it today.” With an unprecedented product and a blue-chip ownership and management team, Combate Americas is poised to break new ground and bring about a new era in world championship level MMA competition.

Bellator, boxing, FNU Combat Sports Show, Golden Boy Promotions, mixed martial arts, MMA, Rich Bergeron, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, UFC, women's boxing, women's MMA

FNU Combat Sports Show: July 5th, 2018

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This week on the FNU Combat Sports Show, Tom, Tony and Rich look back at Bellator 201, a new candidate for “Round of the Year” in the Zappavigna/Saucedo fight, Golden Boy making moves in boxing and MMA, and the increasing push by streaming services to drain away the PPV dollar from sports fans. We start off discussing concussion symptoms that led to the withdrawal of Max Holloway from the co-main event of UFC 226 this week.

 

Of course we also preview a huge weekend for the UFC with The TUF Finale tonight and the long-awaited UFC 226 main event of Stipe Miocic putting his heavyweight belt on the line against Light Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier.

 

Listen to the full broadcast at the link below:

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/pckwutknd1wvbm9/july5fnuradioshow.mp3?dl=0

mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights, women's MMA

THIRD WOMEN’S MMA FIGHT ADDED TO NEF 34 CARD IN PORTLAND

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Portland, Maine (April 27, 2018) – New England Fights (NEF) returns to Aura in Portland, Maine with its next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 34: Home of the Brave,” on Saturday night, June 16, 2018.  Earlier today, the fight promotion announced the addition of an amateur women’s catchweight bout to the card.  Chelsea Tucker (0-2) will return to the NEF cage to take on the debuting Glory Watson (0-0) at a fight weight of 130-pounds.

 

 

 

Chelsea Tucker, a member of First Class MMA of Brunswick, Maine, is a native of Williamsburg, Virginia.  She has served her country as a veteran of the United States Coast Guard.  Tucker has twice entered the NEF cage to compete in MMA bouts.  She lost to Sarah Matulis (1-0) via TKO last fall at “NEF 31.”  She returned to meet Catie Denning (1-0) in February at “NEF 32.”  Tucker forced Denning to a decision, but lost on the judges’ scorecards.  Earlier this month, Tucker entered the NEF cage for a third time to grapple Carol Linn Powell (0-1) on the opener of “NEF 33.”  Tucker and Powell went to a five-minute draw. 

 

 

 

“I look forward to stepping into the cage with Glory,” said Tucker.  “It’s always an honor to step into the cage with anyone who puts in the time and work. She comes from a very good gym and so do I.  I have some great sparring partners and coaches. I’m excited to show what I have learned every time I make an appearance.”

 

 

 

“NEF 34” will be the debut of Glory Watson in the MMA cage.  Watson is a product of Young’s MMA of Bangor, Maine where she is a teammate of Catie Denning who defeated Chelsea Tucker earlier this year.  She is eager to test the skills she has picked up from her team in the cage this June.

 

 

 

“I’m looking forward to stepping into the cage to represent Young’s MMA,” said Watson.  “I love this sport, and am excited to show what I can do. I am thankful to the NEF for this opportunity to put the skills I have learned to the test.”

 

 

 

 

NEF’s next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 34: Home of the Brave,” will take place at Aura in Portland, Maine on Saturday, June 16, 2018.  Tickets are on-sale now online at www.AuraMaine.com.

 

Combate Americas, mixed martial arts, MMA, women's MMA

COMBATE AMERICAS KNOCKS OUT THE COMPETITION WITH RECORD RATINGS

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Over 4.6 Million Television Viewers Tune In For “Combate Estrellas I” Across Univision And Univision Deportes Network In The U.S. And Azteca 7 in Mexico

 

U.S. Television Ratings Increase By 10 Percent with “Combate Estrellas II”
 On Friday, April 20

 

Sponsors Included Anheuser-Busch’s Estrella Jalisco, Advanced Auto Parts, Double Cross Vodka, Hot 6 Energy Drink and Battle Boom Gaming

 

 

NEW YORK– April 26, 2018– Combate Americas today announced ratings for its first two live, 2018 events – “Combate Estrellas I” and “Combate Estrellas II” – which also marked the historic, first-ever live Univision and Univision Deportes Network (UDN) televised Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) events, on Friday, April 13 and Friday, April 20, respectively.

 

Despite its start time of midnight ET in the United States, “Combate Estrellas I” delivered a total of 583,000 persons 2+, including 296,000 adults in the coveted 18-49 age group, on the Univision and Univision Deportes Network simulcast, beating Bellator 197, which aired in primetime on the Paramount Network.

 

In Mexico, the event delivered over 4 million live broadcast television viewers on Azteca 7.

 

The Facebook LIVE stream of the “Combate Estrellas I” preliminary bout card, which immediately preceded the 90-minute live television airing of the main card, delivered over 294,000 streams.

 

“The amazing growth of our TV ratings confirms we are the hottest MMA promotion in the world,” said Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren.

 

Airing exclusively on UDN in the midnight ET slot the following Friday, April 20, “Combate Estrellas II” delivered another 200,000 total viewers, a 10 percent increase from the first installment of the two-part, “Combate Estrellas” live event series.

Of the total UDN viewers for “Combate Estrellas II,” 67 percent were in the 18-49 age group.

 

The Facebook LIVE stream of the “Combate Estrellas II” preliminary bout card garnered over 630,000 streams, more than doubling the online audience from one week earlier.

 

Like Combate Americas, advertisers also emerged victorious from the record-ratings.

 

“We were thrilled to partner with Anheuser-Busch’s Estrella Jalisco, Advanced Auto Parts, Double Cross Vodka, HOT 6 Energy Drink and Battle Boom Gaming for the event, which allowed them to engage with the consumer on location, as well as reaching millions of consumers through multi-platforms with respective key brand messaging,” said Combate Americas CRO, Mike Pine. “Combate Americas is the only MMA engine in existence today that serves 100 percent a Hispanic demographic, allowing brands to streamline and reach the fastest growing population in the world and a consumer set that will spend close to $1.7 trillion in 2018.”

 

The bantamweight (135 pounds) main event of “Combate Estrellas I” at The Shrine in Los Angeles, Calif. saw Jose “Pochito” Alday (11-3) of Mexico edge out a split decision over superstar John “Sexi Mexi” Castaneda (16-4) of the U.S., while the flyweight (125 pounds) co-main event featured the MMA debut of five-division world boxing champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (0-0-1) who, representing Puerto Rico, valiantly fought Corina Herrera (3-4-1) of the U.S. to a draw.

 

In the first live televised fight of the night, ferocious, featherweight (145 pounds) rising star Jose “Froggy” Estrada (5-1) of the U.S. score a second round (1:43) TKO (knees and punches) on “Ruthless” Rudy Morales (5-6) of Guatemala.

 

Amongst the celebrities who took in the action at The Shrine were Diego Boneta, Camila, Cynthia Olavarria, Victoria La Mala, Flor de Toloache and Forggie.

 

In the bantamweight main event of “Combate Estrellas II” at Gimnasio Nuevo Leon in Monterrey, Mexico, world-ranked superstar and Monterrey native Erik “Goyito” Perez (18-6) avenged a previous defeat at the hands of David “D.J.” Fuentes (13-10) of McAllen, Texas, U.S., scoring a third round (1:22) KO (punches) on Fuentes while, in the bantamweight co-main event, Marcelo “Pitbull” Rojo (14-5) of Cordoba, Argentina decimated Fabian Galvan (8-3) of Monterrey via first round (2:34) knockout (punch).

 

Leading off the live telecast, 20-year-old sensation Melissa “Super Melly” Martinez (4-0) extended her unbeaten run by earning a dominant, unanimous decision over Ivanna Martinenghi (4-2) of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

 

Combate Americas returns to UDN on Friday, April 27, beginning at 12 a.m. ET/9 p.m. PT, with “Combate Estrellas III,” a compilation of the best, non-televised fight action from the “Combate Estrellas I” and “Combate Estrellas II” preliminary bout cards.

 

Source: Nielsen, NPM, L+SD data

mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights, women's MMA

FIRST WOMEN’S MMA BOUT ANNOUNCED FOR PORTLAND FIGHT CARD

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Portland, Maine (April 24, 2018) – New England Fights (NEF) returns to Aura in Portland, Maine with its next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 34: Home of the Brave,” on Saturday night, June 16, 2018.  Earlier today, the fight promotion announced the addition of an amateur women’s bantamweight bout to the card.  Brianne Genschel (0-1) will return to take on Amanda Gallo (1-1) at a fight weight of 135-pounds.

 

 

 

Genschel made her MMA debut at “NEF 26” in the fall of 2016 in a losing effort to a much more experienced Jessica Borga who already had five amateur fights to her credit.  Despite the disadvantage in cage experience, Genschel held her own for a full three rounds and forced Borga to the judges’ scorecards.  Genschel is the owner and operator of the Farmington branch of The Foundry Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) school.  She has practiced BJJ for more than a decade and holds a black belt in the martial art.  Genschel is also a member of First Class MMA based in Brunswick, Maine.

 

 

 

“I’m really excited to get back in the cage,” said Genschel. “I have a feeling Amanda Gallo will be a great opponent, and certainly won’t make this an easy fight. I’m up for the challenge, and definitely respect anyone who puts in the time and dedication it takes to get out there. Thank you to Amanda for committing to this fight, and I plan to leave it all in the cage putting on a good show in the process!”

 

 

 

Amanda Gallo, like Genschel, is a one-fight veteran of the NEF cage.  In February of this year, she stunned the Maine fight community by handing top-prospect Jayda Bailey (1-1) her first loss in dominant fashion.  Gallo will make her second trip to Maine to fight on June 16 from her home state of Florida where she trains at the Tampa branch of Robson Moura Nations United (RMNU).

 

 

 

“Thank you to NEF for allowing me to fight for them again,” said Gallo. “I had a lot of fun fighting Jayda at NEF 32 – she was a tough opponent. I’m sure Brianne will also be a fun match. I’m looking forward to putting on a good show for Maine and hopefully bringing home another win to Florida.”

 

 

 

NEF’s next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 34: Home of the Brave,” will take place at Aura in Portland, Maine on Saturday, June 16, 2018.  Tickets are on-sale now online at www.AuraMaine.com.

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Paramount Network, women's MMA

HAWAII’S ILIMA-LEI MACFARLANE MAKES FIRST FLYWEIGHT TITLE DEFENSE AGAINST ALEJANDRA LARA IN MAIN EVENT OF BELLATOR 201 ON JUNE 29

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cid:image002.jpg@01D3CB3F.0B7BB070

 

VALERIE LETOURNEAU RETURNS TO ACTION AGAINST BRUNA ELLEN

 

 

 

 

LOS ANGELES – Bellator returns to Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, Calif. for Bellator 201 on Friday, June 29. The card will be headlined by the San Diego-based Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (7-0), who defends her undefeated record and newly won flyweight crown against Columbia’s Alejandra “Azul” Lara (7-1).

 

 

 

 

In addition to the women’s flyweight championship being up for grabs on June 29, Valerie Létourneau (9-6) will look to improve to 2-0 inside the Bellator cage, when she meets the always-tough Bruna Ellen (4-1) at 125-pounds. Additional bouts, including the co-main event for Bellator 201: Macfarlane vs. Lara, will be announced in the coming days.

 

 

 

 

Tickets for the event go on sale this Friday, April 6 and start at $39. Tickets will be available at the Pechanga box office and Pechanga.com. Doors for the event open at 3:30 p.m. PT, while the preliminary card will kick-off at 4:30 p.m. PST. The event will be broadcast live and free on Paramount Network at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary action will stream on Bellator.com and globally on the newly updated Bellator Mobile App.

 

 

 

 

Ilima-Lei Macfarlane has been proving naysayers wrong since her viral MMA debut in 2015, defeating every opponent placed in front of her en route to becoming the inaugural Bellator women’s flyweight champion this past November by defeating Emily Ducote. Born in Honolulu, “The Ilimanator” was a high school wrestler at Punahou School, where she was also a classmate of pro golfer Michelle Wie. Primarily focusing on her academics, Macfarlane went on to attend San Diego State University, where she studied cultural anthropology and went on to earn her master’s degree in liberal arts and sciences. Following that, the 27-year-old dove headfirst into MMA, splitting time between Team Hurricane Awesome and 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu, where she remains to this day. Undefeated as a pro, Macfarlane now looks to keep her undefeated record intact and the title around her waist.

 

 

 

 

Hailing from Medellin, Colombia, Alejandra Lara made a statement in Bellator’s flyweight division when she finished Lena Ovchynnikova via rear-naked choke at Bellator 190. The 23-year-old knockout artist has earned seven victories in eight outings since making her professional debut in 2011 and has shown tenacity in her fights thus far, showcasing a pair of first round knockouts and multiple submissions. On the heels of her impressive promotional debut, Lara earned a shot at the championship on June 29.

 

 

 

 

The Canadian-born Létourneau, a former UFC strawweight title challenger, carries an impressive track record of thrilling fights, highlighted by a world title contest against former champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk. Since signing with Bellator, “Trouble” has moved up to her more natural weight class, impressively defeating Kate Jackson in her promotional debut. At Bellator 201, the American Top Team-product will look to improve upon her nine victories as a professional, a tally that includes five finishes, with four coming by way of knockout.

 

 

 

 

At only 21-years-old, Ellen has already made three appearances for Bellator, competing against the likes of Veta Arteaga and Jessica Middleton. The Campinas, Brazil native and Team Nogueira-product has won four out of five fights to begin her professional career and will now look to continue her upward trajectory when she meets the former title challenger in a battle of top contenders.

 

 

 

 

Updated Bellator 201: Macfarlane vs. Lara Fight Card:

 

 

 

Women’s Flyweight Title Main Event: Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (7-0) vs. Alejandra Lara (7-1)

 

 

 

Women’s Flyweight Feature Bout: Valerie Létourneau (9-6) vs. Bruna Ellen (4-1)

 

 

 

 

 

*Card subject to change.

 

 

 

 

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

 

boxing, Combate Americas, mixed martial arts, MMA, women's boxing, women's MMA

COMBATE AMERICAS SIGNS FIRST-EVER, FIVE-DIVISION WORLD BOXING CHAMPION AMANDA SERRANO

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Five-division world boxing champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano has signed an exclusive, multi-year promotional agreement with Combate Americas, and is slated to make her MMA debut in March.

  

Pound-for-pound boxing phenom set to make her much-anticipated
MMA debut for world’s premier Hispanic MMA sports franchise

 

 

NEW YORK – January 11, 2018  – Combate Americas today announced the signing of five-division world boxing champion, including reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight (118 pounds) champion, Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (Boxing: 34-1-1, 26 KO’s; MMA: 0-0) to an exclusive, multi-year promotional agreement.

 

 

The only female fighter in history as well as the only Puerto Rican competitor ever to win five world titles in five different weight divisions, the 29-year-old Serrano who was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico and fights out of Brooklyn, N.Y., will make her Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) debut in La Jaula, the Combate Americas cage, on a March date to be announced soon.

 

 

“We are excited to bring Amanda Serrano, one of boxing’s most exciting superstars into the Combate Americas familia, and look forward to placing her on a global stage that is the premier sports property in 21 Spanish speaking countries worldwide,” said Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren.

 

 

Serrano, a top 10 pound-for-pound fighter, will continue her burgeoning boxing career under the promotion of DiBella Entertainment, and attempt to become the first athlete in history to simultaneously hold world titles in MMA and boxing.

 

 

Serrano captured her first major world title, the International Boxing Federation (IBF) super featherweight crown, at just 22 years old, with a brutal, second-round knockout of Kimberly Connor on September 10, 2011.

 

 

She has since torn through the ranks of fighters in four other weight divisions, ranging from bantamweight to lightweight (135 pounds), and most recently scored a first round TKO on Marilyn Hernandez on November 4, 2017.

 

 

Serrano was inspired to cross over to the world of MMA by retired world champion Miesha Tate, who has since become Serrano’s co-manager.

 

 

Combate Americas is coming off a banner year, producing remarkable television ratings in the U.S., Mexico and Spain, including the first two Telemundo MMA events in history that generated the highest ratings of any Spanish language MMA shows in the U.S. in the summer and fall of 2017, and as many as 6.9 million viewers for one episode of its weekly television series on TV Azteca in Mexico.