WSOF31: IVANOV VS. COPELAND
MAIN CARD COMPLETE WITH ADDITION
OF THREE NEW, STAR-STUDDED MATCHUPS
WELTERWEIGHT: JOHN HOWARD VS. THIAGO MELLER
ເບົາ: LUIS PALOMINO VS. SHEYMON MORAES
heavyweight: CHRIS “HUGGY BEAR” BARNETT VS. JUSTIN WILLIS
LIVE ON NBCSN AT 9 ໂມງແລງ. ແລະ
FROM MASHANTUCKET, CONN. ໃນວັນສຸກ, ມິຖຸນາ 17
LAS VEGAS (ເດືອນເມສາ 12, 2016) -World ໄລຍະຂອງການຕໍ່ສູ້ (WSOF.com) today announced the addition of three star-studded matchups to complete the main card for its WSOF31: Ivanov vs. Copeland world heavyweight championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) ກໍລະນີ, ອາໄສຢູ່ໃນ NBCSN ທີ່ 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. ຈາກ Foxwoods Resort ຄາສິໂນໃນ Mashantucket, Conn. ໃນວັນສຸກ, ເດືອນມິຖຸນາ 17.
In a second heavyweight matchup, dynamic, ດາວເພີ່ມຂຶ້ນ Chris "ຮັກກີ້ຮັບຜິດຊອບ" Barnett (14-2) will make his World Series of Fighting debut against Team AKA prodigy Justin Willis (4-1).
Also stepping in the decagon cage for the first time, battle-tested warrior John “Doomsday” Howard (23-12) will collide with submission expert Thiago “Minu” Meller (20-7) ໃນ welterweight ເປັນ (170 ປອນ) ເລື່ອງ.
In a featherweight (145 ປອນ) scrap between two prolific strikers, Luis "Baboon" Palomino (24-12) will face off with former world championship challenger Sheymon Moraes (8-1).
ໃນກໍລະນີທີ່ຕົ້ນຕໍ, reigning world heavyweight champion Blagoy Ivanov (13-1) will risk his title against Josh “Cuddly Bear” Copeland (13-1) ໃນຂະນະທີ່, in the lightweight (155 ປອນ) ຮ່ວມມືຕົ້ນຕໍກໍລະນີ, superstars Jason "ການ Kansas City Bandit" ສູງ (19-5) ແລະ Mike "Martian ໄດ້" Ricci (11-4) will square off with their division’s number one contender ranking at stake.
Chris Barnett vs. Justin Willis
After spending the last year and a half making waves in Japan, 5 ຕີນ 9, 29-year-old Barnett of Tampa, Fla. will suit up as “Huggy Bear,” and make his way onto a major stage in the U.S. ເປັນຄັ້ງທໍາອິດໃນອາຊີບຂອງເຂົາ.
With heavy hands and tremendous agility for a fighter of his massive stature, Barnett has notched 12 ຂອງລາວ 14 ໄຊຊະນະການເຮັດວຽກໂດຍວິທີການຂອງ (T)KO, and has celebrated his wins in flamboyant fashion, with everything from cartwheels to breakdancing to hand stands.
Like Barnett, the stocky, 6-foot-3, 28-ແທ້ຈິງແລ້ວr-old Willis, a training partner of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) greats Cain Velasquez ແລະ Daniel Cormier, has been enjoying success in Japan under the promotion of Inoki Genome Federation (IFG).
Willis will make his first start of 2016, and look to extend his win streak to four consecutive bouts. In his last effort on August 29, he earned a unanimous decision over Rizvan Kuniev ໃນໂຕກຽວ.
Luis Palomino vs. Sheymon Moraes
The 5-foot-8, 35-year-old Palomino of Miami, Fla. via Lima, Peru is coming off an epic year in which he engaged in twໄດ້, all-out wars with reigning, undefeated ໂລກຂອງສູ້ກັນອ່ານ lightweight Justin "ຈຸດເດັ່ນຂອງ" Gaethje, both of which earned "Fight of the Month” honors.
After closing out 2015 with a gutsy appearance in World Series of Fighting’s first-ever, ຫນຶ່ງໃນຕອນກາງຄືນ, eight-man tournament in which he scored a devastating, ຕະຫຼອດທໍາອິດ (4:55) WHO (ດີໃຈຫລາຍ) ກ່ຽວກັບ Patishnock ອຸດົມສົມບູນ in the event’s quarterfinal stage, before being stopped in the semifinal stage of battle via second round (4:19) WHO (ດີໃຈຫລາຍ) at the hands ຂອງ eventual tournament winner Brian ອຸປະຖໍາ, Palomino will return to the featherweight division where he has held two world titles.
The 5-foot-8, 25-year-old Moraes of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil returned to form in his last bout, decimating fellow knockout artist Robbie "ບັນຫາ" Peralta by way of TKO (ດີໃຈຫລາຍ) ໃນຮອບທີ່ສອງ (3:21) of their matchup at WSOF26.
A seasoned Muay Thai stylist, Moraes ran to seven straight victories in his first seven starts as a professional MMA competitor before being handed his first career defeat by way of third round (3:46) ການຍື່ນສະເຫນີ (choke ຫລັງ, naked) in a title bid against reigning bantamweight (135 ປອນ) ອ່ານ Marlon Moraes.
John Howard vs. Thiago Meller
Following his second stint with the UFC that spanned seven bouts and included victories over ອຸລີ Hall, Siyar Bahadurzada ແລະ Cathal Pendred, ໄດ້ 5-foot-7, 33-year-old Howard of Boston, ມະຫາຊົນ. will aim to rebound from a second round (:21) KO (ດີໃຈຫລາຍ) ການສູນເສຍ Tim Means ໃນເດືອນທັນວາ 10.
ກັບວັນທີ, Howard has notched 15 ຂອງລາວ 23 ໄຊຊະນະການເຮັດວຽກໂດຍວິທີການຂອງ (T)KO ຫລືສົ່ງ. During his initial run with the UFC between January 2009 ແລະເດືອນມິຖຸນາ 2011, Howard scored a memorable, ໄດ້ຕະຫຼອດທີສາມ (4:55) KO (ດີໃຈຫລາຍ) on submission ace Dennis "Superman" Hallman ໃນເດືອນທັນວາ 5, 2009, marking his third consecutive conquest in the league.
Meller of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil will look to collect his second win in a row, following his first round submission (choke ຫລັງ, naked) ຂອງ Leonardo Rodriguez ໃນເດືອນມິຖຸນາ 26, 2015.
The 5 ຕີນ 10, 33-year-old Meller, a near 13-year veteran of the sport, has emerged victorious in 14 ຂອງລາວ 20 ອາຊີບຊະນະ, ໂດຍວິທີການຂອງການສົ່ງ.
The preliminary bout card lineup for WSOF31: Ivanov vs. Copeland will be announced soon.
ລາຄາຈາກ $39.99, tickets for the event are on sale at WSOF.com and Foxwoods.com.
Doors at The Grand Theatre at Foxwoods Resort Casino will open for WSOF31: Ivanov vs. Copeland, ຢູ່ໃນ 5 p.m. ແລະ, ແລະການແຂ່ງຂັນບັດຄັ້ງທໍາອິດເບື້ອງຕົ້ນຈະເລີ່ມຕົ້ນຢູ່ 6 p.m. |