Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

STORM WARNING IN THE BELLATOR MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION

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Alexander Shlemenko Defeats Melvin Manhoef in Spectacular Fashion on Spike TV at “Bellator: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko”

 

 Credit: Esther Lin / MMAFIGHTING.COM

 

 CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS

 CLICK HERE FOR OFFICIAL SCORECARDS

 

FRESNO, Calif (Feb. 13, 2015)- Former Bellator Middleweight Champion Alexander “The Storm” Shlemenko (52-9) made quick work of his opponent with a dominating second-round knockout over Dutch striking ace Melvin Manhoef (29-13-1) in front of a near-capacity crowd at Save Mart Center at tonight’s “Bellator: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko” event which aired LIVE and FREE on SPIKE TV.

 

With Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion, and often-successful spinning backfist utilizer Emanuel Newton in the crowd, Shlemenko borrowed a page from his playbook and attempted several spinning fist and kick attacks throughout the first frame.

 

When the second round started, Shlemenko stuck to that same game plan, and connected his spinning forearm flush with the jaw of Manhoef, sending him tumbling to the canvas.  The hungry Russian native left nothing to chance and landed another strike before “Big” John McCarthy pushed him off declaring him the winner at 1:25 of round 2.

 

“I hope Bellator heard me and will let me correct the mistake I made in the past and will give me the opportunity to fight for the Bellator Middleweight World Championship against Brandon Halsey.”

 

Former Featherweight Champion Pat Curran‘s road back to the top of the talented division hit a road block against Featherweight Tournament winner Daniel Weichel of Germany.  The two fighters wasted no time teeing off with crisp punches and accurate kicks, keeping the fight standing for a majority of the first frame.  Weichel swept the leg of the former champ, who quickly bounced back to his feet and got right back into the mix.  Both fighters finished the final seconds of round one with a flurry of punches that drew loud applause from the Fresno crowd.

 

Curran began the second round with a visible cut over his left eye.  After spending most of the round on their feet, Curran rushed Weichel and scored a takedown, where he imposed his will on Weichel for the final minute, likely winning him the round.

 

The third round featured a continuation of the exciting slugfest with Curran attempting to score another takedown in the third, but the German fighter stuffed the attempt, briefly tried to work on a choke and then disengaged to finish the fight on his feet.  At the end of 15 minutes, Weichel emerged victorious by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29).

 

“Curran has achieved so much in Bellator and it was quite an honor to fight him. Tonight I proved that I belong here. I told the world that I am coming for the title shot and to claim the belt.”

 

Julia Budd (7-2) and Gabrielle Holloway (4-2) marked the first Bellator Women’s fight of the year.  Budd, the Canadian Muay Thai specialist showed a well-rounded skill-set throughout the fight overpowering Holloway, who took the fight on short notice.  Budd worked well from the clinch, utilized several knee strikes and connected with a straight right hand in the closing seconds of round one.  Holloway showed great poise throughout, and worked Budd with a takedown to open the third round, however Budd was able to transition into an armbar attempt, and ultimately worked her way to Holloways’ back and grinded out a dominant unanimous decision scored 30-26, 30-25 and 30-24.

 

“I’m really disappointed I didn’t get the knockout,” said Budd. “I was hoping to get on my feet and keep it standing or finish it on the ground, but she controlled my wrists and I couldn’t get my hands free to finish it.

 

“She turtled the entire time so I couldn’t elbow and posture up and strike like I wanted to, but it’s definitely something I’m goinvg to work on for the next fight.”

 

In the nights opening fight, it was a battle of two highly accomplished wrestlers in Chris Honeycutt, a two-time D1 All-American and Clayton MacFarlane, a D2 National Champion.  With the vocal hometown crown behind him, Honeycutt came out of the gates strong and utilized masterful ground control and precision striking throughout the first two rounds.  The highly regarded welterweight prospect Honeycutt exhibited great strength at points, tossing MacFarlane to the ground.  MacFarlane opened the third frame with a takedown, but Honeycutt regained control, took his opponents back and rained down strikes to MacFarlane’s body.  MacFarlane, now 4-1, was unable to protect himself from the body blows, and referee Jason Herzog stopped the fight at 4:16 of the third round.

 

“I got the Victory, but would’ve liked to have received the TKO in an earlier round,” said Honeycutt, who improves his record to 6-0 with the TKO victory.
boxing

Trey Lippe-Morrison Headlines March 7 at Buffalo Run Casino!

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Miami, OK (February 13, 2015) – Unbeaten heavyweight knockout artist Trey Lippe-Morrison returns Saturday, March 7 at the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, OK when he headlines the “Four State Franchise” fight card.

 

This excellent night of boxing is promoted by Holden Productions and tickets starting at $30 are available by calling 918-542-9400 or going to Buffalorun.com.

 

The son of late heavyweight great Tommy “The Duke” Morrison, Lippe-Morrison is a perfect 6-0 with all six wins coming by knockout. Like his father, Lippe-Morrison is a huge draw with devastating punching power. The 25-year-old Tulsa, OK native scored five consecutive first round knockouts and his journey in the squared circle has been chronicled by various media outlets.

 

“Trey is 6-0 and I’m trying to find opponents that can give him some rounds,” said promoter Tony Holden. “He’s blowing out opponents in the first round and he’s a huge puncher. He really reminds me of his father, who I promoted, and I think Trey’s the real deal!”

 

Lippe-Morrison’s opponent will be named shortly.

 

In the co-featured bout of the evening, popular heavyweight slugger Kenzie Witt of Bartlesville, OKputs his unbeaten record on the line against an opponent to be named. Witt, 3-0 (3 KO’s), is a son of the aforementioned Morrison and Lippe-Morrison’s half brother.

 

Undefeated Jesse “Left Hook” Cook, 14-0 (9 KO’s), will appear on the card in a six round junior middleweight bout. The Seneca, MO based Cook will meet an opponent TBA. Welterweight Jarrett Rouse of Bartlesville, OK is also scheduled to appear in a four round contest.

 

“For March 7th, I’ve put together a card of talented fighters from the Four State area,” said Holden. “I call these guys Four State Franchise. The team is Lippy-Morrison, Witt, Rouse and the Cook Brothers. I have done shows at Buffalo Run Casino for many years and every time this group is on the card, tickets sell out in less than 48 hours. This is the best reaction I’ve got from a crowd in my 25 years of promoting.”

 

Additional bouts and opponents will be announced shortly.

 

Uncategorized

Gleason’s Gym Masters Only Show this Saturday with a special 5:00 PM start time. Plus two other great events

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Master’s Only Boxing Show this Saturday at 5:00 PM.

 

In honor of St. Valentine, everyone will get a chocolate heart.

 

We have eight exciting master’s bouts scheduled. Come and enjoy the show.

 

All our bouts are sanctioned by USABoxingMetro.

 

The weigh-in for this show will begin at 3:00PM and the first bout will begin at 5:00PM.

 

The ticket price is $20 per person. Children 6 and under are not charged. All gym members and registered amateurs with their books in hand pay $15 per person.

 

 

P.S. If you can’t make it but still want to see the fights, they’ll be streaming at

Gleason’s Gym website: www.gleasonsgym.net

 

 

 

Wednesday, February 18th, Gleason’s Gym will host a Golden Gloves Night of boxing.

 

The New York City Daily News Golden Gloves will have a preliminary round of boxing at Gleason’s Gym next Wednesday the 18th. The first bout will be at 7:00 pm.

The ticket price is $25 per person. There is limited room so please bye your ticket early. Call the gym at 718 797 2872 or email

 

 

The gym will close at 4:00 PM for training so we can prepare for the Golden Glove show.

 

 

A very exciting show is coming to Gleason’s Gym on Friday February 20th.

 

The Vertigo Theater Company will present The Living Room Series 2015 Bareknuckle from February 20 through March 8, 2015, at Gleason’s Gym.

 

There will be three world premieres by Lucy Thurber, Pia Scala-Zankek and Lindsay Joy.

 

The Director is Laura Savia.

 

For ticket information go to thelivingroomseries.org.

 

We have a discount code set up for all Gleason’s regulars. Go to thelivingroomseries.org to purchase tickets. Enter the code stinglikeabee15 for $15 tickets.

 

 

 

 

boxing

GH3 Promotions signs undefeated Welterweight Jerrell Harris

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nutley, NJ(February 13, 2015)-GH3 Promotions is pleased to announce the signing of Jerrell Harris to an exclusive promotional contract.
Harris of Washington, DC. is an undefeated Welterweight who sports a perfect mark of 4-0 with 4 knockouts.
The 20 year-old said upon signing, “It feels great to sign with GH3 and I look forward to a bright future.”

“The number-one factor on me signing with GH3 is that they keep their fighters busy.”

Before turning professional, Harris had am amateur career that consisted of 100 bouts in which he won the World Jr. Olymoics, PAL and Ringside tournaments.  Harris also competed against and won against the Irish National team and the Mayors Cup in Washington.
“I have an all around style.  I can box and I can bang.  It all depends on the opponent.  I am kind of an old school type of fighter and I look up to the likes of Wilfredo Benitez & Thomas Hearns.”
“I want to fight as often as I can and I am ready for a big 2015.  I have been sitting on the shelf for nearly a year.  I think after a couple of tune up fights, I will be ready for the next stage of my career.”
Harris got interested in boxing after his brothers boxed.  Jerrell started at the age of 11.
“My uncle has been the guy who has been by me the whole time.  His name is Gregory Burton but everyone knows him as “B-Bop”.  He has been my biggest motivator since day one.  When anyone has negative things to say, he is the one their and makes me push forward and stay strong.”
“Jerrell has a chance to be a special fighter,”said GH3 Promotions President, Vito Mielnicki.
“He had a great amateur career and he fits in with all of the quality fighters that we have signed from the Beltway are like Antoine Douglas, Jerry Odom and Glenn Dezurn.”

Harris will be making his GH3 debut on Friday, March 13 at the Space in Westbury, NY.

GH3 Promotions features undefeated Middleweight Antoine Douglas, Super Middleweight’s Jerry Odom & Derrick Webster, undefeated Featherweight Glenn Dezurn Jr., undefeated Super Bantamweight Adam Lopez as well as Jr. Middleweight John Thompson, Jr. Lightweight Wanzell Ellison, Featherweight Jorge Diaz, undefeated Super Bantamweight Qa’id Muhammad and Light Heavyweight Lavarn Harvell to the GH3 Promotions stable.
Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, New England Fights

FIGHTING PASTOR RETURNS TO MMA CAGE IN LEWISTON ON APRIL 11

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Lewiston, Maine (February 13, 2015) – New England Fights (NEF), America’s number-one regional fight promotion, returns to the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine on April 11, 2015 with its seventeenth mixed-martial-arts (MMA) event.  Earlier today, the company announced the addition of a professional middleweight bout to the fight card.  Ryan “The Junkyard Dog” Cowette 2-2 will take on John Daniels (0-2) at a fight weight of 185-pounds.

 

Cowette is the owner and head coach of MMA Athletix gym located in Bath, Maine.  He is a veteran of the NEF MMA cage, having contested all four of his professional bouts for the promotion. Cowette rides a two-fight win streak into “NEF XVII,” having vanquished Dave Claroni (0-2) and Jesse Erickson (3-4) in the previous 18-months.  April 11 will be Cowette’s return to the cage after more than a year’s absence.  During that time, he has concentrated on operating his school, training his fighters, and building his ministry through Victory Church in Bath.  Cowette is currently the only professional fighting pastor in America.  He says that he will be looking to finish Daniels on April 11 in Lewiston.

 

“I like fighting,” said Cowette.  “I like the journey of a fight camp, being pushed, and the lessons learned.  I also miss the opportunity of having a good finish.  I will be looking to finish this fight.  When I started Victory Church I found it hard to balance  spiritual training and training for the cage.  At 185 I feel that I can find my spot.  Thanks to NEF for calling me back to the cage. ”

 

John Daniels is not a stranger to the NEF MMA cage.  Currently signed to a multi-fight contract with the promotion, Daniels lost to Jesse Erickson last spring at “NEF XIII.”  He will look to avenge that loss on April 11.  A six year veteran of MMA, and a former high school wrestling champion in Connecticut, Daniels currently trains out of Rock City MMA in Rockland, Maine.  He predicts a tough battle at “NEF XVII.”

 

“I am excited to be fighting for  New England Fights and their fans,” stated Daniels.  “They put on the best events.  I am fighting Ryan Cowette.  He is a great fighter.  I have a lot of respect for him.  This will be my toughest fight to date.  I am looking to push the pace and stay in his face the whole fight.  This will be a battle.”

 

NEF’s next MMA event, “NEF XVII,” is scheduled to take place onApril 11, 2015 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine.  Bruce “Pretty Boy” Boyington (10-7) will defend the NEF MMA Lightweight Title against number-one contender Jamie Harrison (5-1).  In addition, Jarod “Last Minute” Lawton (4-1) meets Dennis Olson (12-7) in a welterweight contest.  Tickets for “NEF XVII” start at just $25 and are on sale now atwww.TheColisee.com or by calling The Colisee box office at207.783.2009 x 525.  For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com. In addition, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”

 

About New England Fights

 

New England Fights (“NEF”) is a fight events promotions company. NEF’s mission is to create the highest quality events for Maine’s fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.

M-1, M-1 Challenge, mixed martial arts

M-1 Challenge 57 May 2 in Orenburg, Russia

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M-1 Global returns May 2 to Orenburg, Russia for M-1 Challenge 57

 

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (Feb. 13, 2015) — M-1 Global has announced that Orenburg, Russia will be the official site of M-1 Challenge 57, marking the third consecutive year the powerful mixed-martial-arts company will promote a major event there.

 

Orenburg is a city located on the Ural River, less than 1,000 miles southeast of Moscow, very close to the Kazakhstan border. Lucky “7s” is the trend for Orenburg, which hosted M-1 Challenge 37 and M-1 Challenge 47 before capacity crowds, and now M-1 Challenge 57 on May 2.

 

Three reigning M-1 Challenge champions have fought in Orenburg, lightweight Maxim Divnich (10-0-0) and heavyweight Marcin “Tybur” Tybura (12-0-0) in M-1 Challenge 37; Tybura and featherweight Ivan “Buki” Buchinger (28-4-0) in M-1 Challenge 47.

 

Boxing legend Roy Jones, Jr. was a special guest performer at M-1 Challenge 47 in Orenburg

 

Two title fights are expected to headline M-1 Challenge 57, which will soon be announced by M-1 Global.

 

M-1 Challenge 57 will be streamed live in high definition on www.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register at www.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all of the action on their computers, as well as on Andriod and Apple smart phones and tablets.

 

Fight Network will air M-1 Challenge 57 live on Cablevision’s Optimum TV, Grande Communications, Shentel Cable and Armstrong Cable in the U.S., as well as nationwide in Canada, Roku devices across North America, and globally in more than 30 countries throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

 

Upcoming M-1 Global Events:Feb. 21, 2015, M-1 Challenge 55: Guram Gugenishvili Memorial Show in Tbilisi, Georgia;  Apr. 10, 2015, M-1 Challenge 56 in Moscow, Russia.

 

INFORMATION

www.mixfight.ruwww.wmmaa.org

www.M1Global.tv

www.M-1Global.com 
Twitter & Instagram:
@M1Global

@VFinkelchtein

@M1GlobalNews

 

Facebook:

 

www.facebook.com/pages/M-1-Global/145250878842244
ABOUT M-1 GLOBAL: Founded in 1997, M-1 Global has established itself in the realm of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as the premiere entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With offices in St Petersburg, Amsterdam and Los Angeles and affiliates in Seoul, Tokyo and Paris, the M-1 brand has staged more than 150 events worldwide, including the M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge and M-1 Global and M-1 Global HWGP events, in addition to co-promoting Strikeforce events and M-1 Global on the Showtime network in the United States. Captivating live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and matchups, M-1 Global events have featured some of the sport’s top names, including Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Aleksander Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Keith Jardine, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Roman Zentsov, Yushin Okami, Mike Pyle, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Amar Suloev, Chalid Arrab and Stephan Struve. 2014 promises to be another sensational year of world-class competition with a full calendar of Challenge events fueled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global’s Champions amongst the greatest in the sport. M-1 Global’s greatest asset is renowned heavyweight fighter, Fedor Emelianenko.

 

ABOUT M-1GLOBAL.TV: Enjoy MMA action now in high definition brought to you byM-1Global.tv, offering only the best fights from M-1 Global and other MMA organizations. M-1Global.tv is a great platform developed specifically to bring together the most exhaustive fight video database. It also provides an easy and intuitive interface, helping everyone to start using the platform in no time while avoiding any spoilers. Besides watching the past fights on demand at any time convenient to the customer, viewers are able to enjoy the action LIVE, all available to M-1Global.tv users through a low-priced month to month digital subscription.

Your world of action. Anytime!
Boxcino, boxing, ESPN Friday Night Fights

Weights from Mohegan Sun (Boxcino Jr. Middleweight Quarterfinals)

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John Thompson replaces Cleotis Pendarvis in Boxcino Tournament 

Boxcino Quarterfinals

Ricardo Pinell 154 – John Thompson 154 1/4

Stanyslav Skorokhod 153 3/4 – Michael Moore 154 3/4

Brandon Adams 155 – Alex Perez 152 1/2

Vito Gasparyan 155 – Simeon Hardy 154 1/4

Thompson replaces Cleotis Pendarvis who could not make weight

Eddie Caminero 157 1/4 – Jimmy Williams 156 1/4
Khiary Gray-Pitts 164 1/4 – Rodrigo Almeida 172 1/2
Angel Martinez 132 1/4 – Oscar Bonilla 133

Photos by Shane Sims / Banner Promotions
Promoter:  Banner Promotions in association with Jimmy Burchfield’s CES Boxing
Venue:  Mohegan Sun:
Television: ESPN 2 (9PM)
1st Bell: 7:45 PM
Future contenders step into the national spotlight when the popular single-elimination boxing tournament, Boxcino 2015, makes its season debut, This Friday! February 13, at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn. Televised live on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights, (9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT on ESPN2), the four quarterfinal junior middleweight division bouts will produce four winners who will then take a giant leap toward making it to the championship final round and its ultimate prize, the vacant NABA and NABO titles AND a Top-10 world rating by the World Boxing Association (WBA) and the World Boxing Organization (WBO). Promoted by Banner Promotions and Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports (CES), remaining tickets to the February 13 edition of Boxcino 2015, priced at $125, $65, $40 and $30, including facility fee, can be purchased via www.ticketmaster,com, by phone at 1-800-745-3000, all Ticketmaster outlets or in person at the Mohegan Sun Box Office.

The Official Weigh-In will take place on Thursday, February 12, in the Mohegan Sun’s Cabaret Theatre, beginning at 5 p.m. On Fight Night, Doors will open at 7 p.m. with the first bout beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

The four quarterfinal heavyweight division bouts will be televised live on ESPN’sFriday Night Fights Next Friday! February 20, from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, NY.

Boxcino 2015 has been a great platform for the next generation of boxing champions and stars. The quarterfinal bouts will be six rounds, the semifinal bouts will be eight rounds and the championship bouts will be 10 rounds. This short piece from ESPN’s “Making The Rounds” will detail this week’s battles. http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=12302492

Last year’s Boxcino winner in the middleweight division, Willie Monroe Jr., has become a bona fide contender thanks to his victories in Boxcino 2014. He is currently world-rated No. 3 by the WBA, No. 7 by the WBO and No. 10 by the World Boxing Council (WBC). Boxcino 2014 lightweight champion Petr Petrov is currently world-rated No. 2 by the WBA and No. 7 by the WBO

Happy to make Artie Pelullo, or any of the fighters available to you by phone. The pairings for each division, fighter bios (don’t worry they’re brief) and all the participants’ Fight Fax records are available upon request.

*******************

Mohegan Sun Arena is now ranked consistently among the top venues in the world according to Billboard Magazine, Pollstar and Venues Today. It has won “Casino of The Year” at the Country Music Awards in 2008 & 2010 and in 2013, was voted “Arena Of The Year” at the G2E Global Gaming Conference in Las Vegas. Also in 2013, Mohegan Sun won “Casino of The Year” in 2 categories at the Academy of Country Music Awards. For more information on concerts and other great events visit Mohegan Sun. For information on this week’s schedule, call the Entertainment and Special Events hotline at 1.888.226.7711, ext. 27163.
boxing

MEDZHID BEKTEMIROV SIGNS CO-PROMOTIONAL CONTRACT WITH GARY SHAW AND LOU SAVARESE

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HOUSTON, TEXAS (February 12, 2015) – Gary Shaw Productions and Savarese Promotions are thrilled to announce their union to promote one of the most talented up and coming prospects in the light heavyweight division, Medzhid Bektemirov (14-0, 11 KOs).  A devastating puncher with power in both hands, Bektemirov also possesses speed and quickness, making him one of the most talked about fighters in Russia.

 

Born in Makhachkala, Russia, Bektemirov, now resides in the USA, where he trains with Ronnie Shields at the “PLEX” in Stafford, Texas.  A hard worker who practically lives in the gym, Medzhid eats, sleeps and breathes boxing.

 

“I’m telling you right now, Medzhid Bektemirov is one of the most talented fighters I’ve seen in a while,” said Gary Shaw. “He has the rare combination of speed and power.  I’m talking destructive power coming from both hands.  His hooks are deadly and his fast feet are amazing.  I’m going to go out on a limb and say Bektemirov could be the next great fighter to come out of Russia.  I have the greatest amount of respect for Gennady Golovkin and Sergey Kovalev, both are great champions.   Golovkin is a very special fighter and if Bektemirov can reach his level, then we’ll have something special as well.  I believe Bektemirov will be looking to face Kovalev in the not so distant future.”

 

In only his 12th bout, Bektemirov captured the WBC United States (USNBC) light heavyweight title with a dominating performance against Randy Griffin (25-4-3, 13 KOs), winning a lopsided twelve-round unanimous decision.   Having gone twelve rounds in a professional bout already, Medzhid Bektemirov, has proven he can go the distance if need be.

 

“In 2015 Medzhid Bektemirov will make his presence known to everyone in the light-heavyweight division.”Lou Savarese stated. “This kid reminds me of Mike Tyson with his heavy hands and tremendous speed.  I’ve been in the ring with Tyson and I’m confident when I say Bektemirov reminds me a lot like Mike.  Gary and I are going to put tremendous amount promoting Medzhid.  He will become a household name very soon and we are gunning for that world title.”

 

“I feel very blessed to be promoted by Gary Shaw and Lou Savarese who have been in boxing for many years,” Medzhid Bektemirov said. “I’ve come a long way from Russia to pursue my dream of becoming a champion.  I love to fight and I get great enjoyment when I knockout my opponent.  In every bout, I’m always going to be looking to end the fight early.  The fans want to see knockouts and that is my specialty.”

Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

“BELLATOR: MANHOEF VS. SHLEMENKO” OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN RESULTS HAVE ALL FIGHTERS MAKING WEIGHT PRIOR TO FRIDAY NIGHTS FIGHT ON SPIKE TV

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“I am absolutely looking for the knockout. Any kind of win is a success, but I really want the knockout.” – Alexander Shlemenko
“He has stepped between me and my goal, and the goal is to become Bellator champion.” – Melvin Manhoef 
 

FRESNO, Calif. – Feb. 12, 2015 – Fighters took to the scales and successfully hit their targeted weights Thursday afternoon at the Save Mart Center, the site of tomorrow’s highly anticipated “Bellator: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko” event, which airs LIVE and FREE on Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET.

 

“Bellator: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko” is headlined by an epic middleweight matchup between two of the most dangerous strikers in all of mixed martial arts with former Bellator MMA champ Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (50-9) facing fellow knockout artist Melvin “No Mercy” Manhoef (29-12-1).  The event also features a sure-to-be-thrilling featherweight co-main event between former championPat Curran (20-6) and tournament winner Daniel Weichel (34-8).

 Melvin Manhoef (186 lbs.) vs. Alexander Shlemenko (186 lbs.)

 

Pat Curran (146 lbs.) vs. Daniel Weichel (145 lbs.)

 

 Julia Budd (145 lbs.) vs. Gabrielle Holloway (145.5 lbs.)

 

Chris Honeycutt (170.5 lbs.) vs. Clayton MacFarlane (170.5 lbs.)


Art Arciniega (146 lbs.) vs. Emilio Chavez (146 lbs.)

Blake Watkins (185.5 lbs.) vs. George Zuniga (185 lbs.)

Paul Ruiz (135.5 lbs.) vs. Nicolas Sperling (133 lbs.)

Nick Bustamante (156 lbs.) vs. Luis Jauregui (154 lbs.)

John Paul Elias (205 lbs.) vs. Cody Sons (205 lbs.)

Jonathan Contrestano (155 lbs.) vs. Ryan Tobar (155 lbs.)

Andrew Ramm (160.5 lbs.) vs. Adam Piccolotti (160 lbs.)

Mason Fowler (169 lbs.) vs. Marko Damiani (170 lbs.)

 

PRE-FIGHT QUOTES:

 

Alexander Shlemenko: 

“Melvin [Manhoef] is a fast and strong fighter. He’s the best kickboxer in all of MMA.

“I’m ready for this fight because I think I have great striking and grappling ability. In this training camp I sparred a lot with muay thai guys back home in Omsk, Russia and i also changed my diet to gain more muscle mass to feel much better and stronger.

“I am absolutely looking for the knockout. Any kind of win is a success, but I really want the knockout.”

Melvin Manhoef:

“I’m going to fight Alexander [Shlemenko] hard and aggressively. The accuracy of my punches is what will make me win this fight.

“I’m not looking for the knockout, I want to do three rounds of five minutes of hard fighting. If the knockout comes, then it will come.

“He [Shlemenko] has a lot of speed and back-kicks. He has very good agility and is very well-rounded, but so am I. I think my striking, speed and kicking is better than his.

“I don’t mind if he is too confident going into this fight. He has stepped between me and my goal, and the goal is to become Bellator champion.”

Pat Curran:

“A fights a fight. Everything can go out the window with one punch.

“I’m looking to getting back to being my old self. I am humbled and hungry, you are going to see the old Pat Curran in there with a couple new tricks up his sleeve.

“I’m always looking for the knockout or submission, but i’m ready to go three rounds. I’m prepared for any finish in any situation.

“He [Daniel Weichel] is very hungry right now. He’s a submission specialist and I have a feeling he’s going to come out hard and quick. I’m ready for anything and no matter what it’s going to be an exciting fight, I can’t wait to get back in there.

“I feel him out and bring him into my game. If he comes out strong I’m ready for that and we will match fire with fire.”

Daniel Weichel:

“This fight means a lot to me, like every fight here in Bellator. I will make a statement tomorrow night and will make everyone remember my name.

“I’m well-rounded and my biggest strength is that I can put the pressure for all 15 minutes.”

Main Card on Spike TV (9 p.m. ET)

Bellator Middleweight Main Event: Melvin Manhoef (29-12-1) vs. Alexander Shlemenko (50-9)

Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Pat Curran (20-6) vs. Daniel Weichel (34-8)

Bellator Women’s Featherweight Feature Fight: Julia Budd (6-2) vs. Gabrielle Holloway (4-1)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Chris Honeycutt (5-0) vs. Clayton MacFarlane (4-0)

Preliminary card on Spike.com (8 p.m. ET)

Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Art Arciniega (14-4) vs. Emilio Chavez (7-5)

Bellator Middleweight Prelim Fight: Blake Watkins (4-0) vs. George Zuniga (3-0)

Bellator Flyweight Prelim Fight: Paul Ruiz (5-2) vs. Nicolas Sperling (3-2)

Preliminary card on Spike.com (Following Manhoef vs. Shlemenko)

Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Nick Bustamante (2-0) vs. Luis Jauregui (2-1)

Bellator Light Heavyweight Prelim Fight: John Paul Elias (2-0) vs. Cody Sons (0-1)

Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Jonathan Contrestano (4-0) vs. Ryan Tobar (3-1)

Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Ray Cervera (8-2) vs. Adam Piccolotti (4-0)

Bellator Welterweight Prelim Fight: Mason Fowler (1-0) vs. Marko Damiani (0-1)

About Bellator MMA

Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader.  Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.  Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

 

About Spike TV:

Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks.  A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.  Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press.  Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.
boxing, NBC, Premier Boxing Champions

THREE-TIME WORLD CHAMPION ABNER MARES TO FIGHT ON BLOCKBUSTER CARD IN “PBC ON NBC” DEBUT LIVE IN PRIMETIME ON SATURDAY, MARCH 7

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Mares To Face Arturo Santos Reyes From The MGM Grand Garden Arena In Las Vegas

 

LAS VEGAS (Feb. 12, 2015) – Former three-division world champion Abner Mares (28-1-1, 15 KOs) returns to the ring to face 2008 Mexican Olympian Arturo Santos Reyes (18-4, 5 KOs) on Saturday, March 7 live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas in the primetime debut of the Premier Boxing Champions series on NBC and NBCSN.

 

The fight is part of the blockbuster card promoted by Goossen Promotions featuring Keith Thurman vs. Robert Guerrero and Adrien Broner vs. John Molina, Jr. that will air live on NBC (8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT).

 

The Mares-Reyes bout will be televised live on Saturday, March 7, on the NBC show (8:30 – 11 p.m. ET) or on the NBCSN telecast (11 p.m. ET).

 

Marv Albert will call the fights in primetime on NBC alongside analyst “Sugar” Ray Leonard, the six-time world champion and 1976 Olympic gold medalist. Al Michaels will host.

 

“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to fight in Las Vegas on March 7,” said Mares. “This is a fantastic card that is great for me and great for the sport of boxing.  I look forward to putting on a show for the fans and winning impressively.”

 

“It’s a big honor to get this fight against Abner Mares and to be fighting at MGM Grand in Las Vegas,” said Reyes. “Mares is a great fighter. I know what he brings to the table. But I’m going to give it my all on March 7 and shock the boxing world.”

 

The 29-year-old Mares looks to stay at the top of the featherweight division when he steps into the ring on March 7. Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and fighting out of Downey, Calif., Mares first tasted world championship gold in 2011 when he beat Joseph Agbeko to win the bantamweight world title. He continued his rise up the pound-for-pound list with wins over Anselmo Moreno and Daniel Ponce De Leon to win world titles at super bantamweight and featherweight respectively. He suffered his only defeat in a shocking loss to Jhonny Gonzalez but has rebounded nicely with back-to-back wins and now looks to return to the top of the sport.

 

An accomplished amateur from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, Reyes makes his U.S. debut on March 7 with a chance to immediately make a name for himself stateside.  The 29-year-old was a silver medalist at the Junior World Championships in 2004 and he would go on to represent his country at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Reyes turned pro in 2009 and racked up victories in his first five outings. Fighting almost exclusively in Mexico, he defeated Khabir Suleymanov in 2012 for the super bantamweight title. Most recently Reyes went on the road and lost to Simpiwe Vetyeka in his native South Africa for the vacant international featherweight title. He returns to the ring looking to make an immediate impact in his U.S. debut.

 

Tickets for the live event are priced at $400, $300, $100 and $50, not including applicable service charges and taxes, are on sale now.  To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets are also available at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

 

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com,  www.nbcsports.com/boxing and www.goossenpromotions.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @KeithFThurmanJr, @GhostBoxing, @AdrienBroner, @JohnMolinaJr135, @abnermares, @NBCSports and @MGMGrand and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions and www.facebook.com/NBCSports.

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