Tag Archives: Jake Heun

mixed martial arts, MMA, NBC, World Series of Fighting

WSOF30: BRANCH VS. STARKS FINALIZED WITH SIX PRELIMINARY BOUTS

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WSOF30: BRANCH VS. STARKS
FINALIZED WITH SIX PRELIMINARY BOUTS

LIVE NBCSN TELECAST OF
FOUR-FIGHT MAIN CARD NOW BEGINS AT
11:30 P.M ET ON SATURDAY, APRIL 2

Matt Church replaces injured Gil Guardado against
Steve Kozola in 160-pound preliminary contest

Rex Harris vs. Clinton Williams in middleweight bout
LAS VEGAS (March 30, 2016) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today that it has finalized the lineup for the WSOF30: Branch vs. Starks, world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) doubleheader event, with the addition of a sixth preliminary card bout – a middleweight (185 pounds) matchup between Clinton Williams (7-3, 1 NC) and Rex “T-Rex” Harris (8-2) – at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday, April 2, live on NBCSN at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT.

Additionally, a broken nose has forced Gil Guardado to withdraw from his scheduled lightweight (155 pounds) matchup with undefeated Steve Kozola (6-0), who will now face Matt “The Sleeper” Church (3-1) in a 160-pound catchweight affair, and Jeff Roman (1-2-1) will square off with Zach Bunnell (0-0) in a welterweight (170 pounds) preliminary card contest.

The 5-foot-11, 32-year-old Williams is looking to rebound from a narrow, split decision defeat at the hands of Jake “The Honey Bear” Heun at WSOF26 on December 18, 2015.

One fight prior to the loss, Williams submitted Jared Hatch with a shoulder choke in the third round (4:10) of their matchup on November 14, 2015.

The 6-foot, 33-year-old Harris of West Pittston, Pa. is riding a four-fight win streak.  In his last start, Harris, who has earned 7 of his 8 career victories by way of (T)KO or submission, edged out a split decision over Justin Torrey at WSOF24 on October 17, 2015.

Church of Las Vegas will attempt to notch his fourth consecutive win, after threestraight finishes, the last of which came on March 4 when he submitted Pat DeFranco with a leglock in the first round (2:55) of their matchup.

Tickets for WSOF30: Branch vs. Starks are available for purchase online at WSOF.com and AXS.com.

Doors at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino will open for the event at 4 p.m. PT, and the first preliminary bout will begin at 5 p.m.

In the main event, reigning World Series of Fighting middleweight champion David Branch (17-3), the league’s first-ever, two-division title holder, will put his coveted crown on the line against top contender Clifford Starks (13-2).

In the co-main event, superstar Jon Fitch (27-7-1, 1 NC) will battle recent World Series of Fighting one-night, eight-man tournament runner-up Joao “The Brazilian Samurai” Zeferino (20-7) with the vacant World Series of Fighting welterweight championship at stake.

Elsewhere on the four-fight, live NBCSN telecast, submission expert Vinny “Pezao” Magalhaes (13-7) will square off with Jake “The Honey Bear” Heun(9-4) in a light heavyweight (205 pounds) contest, while World Series of Fighting newcomer and knockout artist Abu “Gladiator” Azaitar (11-1-1) will lock horns with Danny “Dee1” Davis, Jr. (11-10-1) at welterweight.

MAIN CARD (Live on NBCSN)

World Series of Fighting Middleweight Championship Main Event:
David Branch (Champion) vs. Clifford Starks (Challenger)

World Series of Fighting Vacant Welterweight Championship Main Event:
Jon Fitch (Challenger) vs. Joao Zeferino (Challenger)

Light Heavyweight:  Vinny Magalhaes vs. Jake Heun
Welterweight: Abu Azaitar vs. Danny Davis, Jr.

PRELIMINARY CARD (Live on WSOF.com)

Welterweight: Abubakar Nurmagomedov vs. Matt Frincu
Middleweight: Rex Harris vs. Clinton Williams
Catchweight (160 pounds): Steve Kozola vs. Matt Church
Flyweight: Carlos Garcia vs. Jason Pacheco
Bantamweight: Adam Acquaviva vs. Andres Ponce
Welterweight: Jeff Roman vs. Zach Bunnell
mixed martial arts, MMA, World Series of Fighting

WSOF30: BRANCH VS. STARKS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLEHEADER LINEUP RECEIVES FIVE PRELIMINARY BOUTS

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PRELIMINARY FIGHT CARD TO STREAM LIVE ON
WSOF.COM PRIOR TO FOUR-FIGHT, LIVE NBCSN TELECAST

LAS VEGAS (March 21, 2016) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today the addition of five preliminary card bouts to its highly-anticipated WSOF30: Branch vs. Starks world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) doubleheader event at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday, April 2, live on NBCSN at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT.

Topping the undercard bill that will stream live, in its entirety on an embeddable video player on WSOF.com, beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, will be a welterweight (170 pounds) collision between Abubakar Nurmagomedov (11-1-1) and Matt “The Thunder From Down Under” Frincu (7-1).

The adopted brother and training partner of superstar Khabib Nurmagomedov, the 26-year-old Abubakar, who hails from Dagestan, Russia is riding a three-fight win streak, while Frincu of Tempe, Ariz. via Queensland, Australia will put a five-fight win streak on the line.

Nurmagomedov boasts an impressive 82 percent finish rate, while Frincu has earned six of his seven professional wins to date by way of (T)KO or submission.

In lightweight (155 pounds) preliminary card action, undefeated knockout artist Steve “Thunderbeast” Kozola (6-0) will make his World Series of Fighting debut against fellow fast-rising star Gil Guardado (5-1).

On fire since his professional debut victory in July 2013, Kozola of San Diego, Calif. via Chicago, Ill. comes to World Series of Fighting after producing back-to-back, devastating KO victories – each with a furious onslaught of punches – under the promotion of Bellator.

On January 16, 2015, Kozola scored a second round (1:25) KO on Jonathan Rivera at Bellator 132 and, on March 15, 2015, he scored a first round (2:22) KO on Ian Butler at Bellator 137.

Guardado of Las Vegas will look to notch his third consecutive win after two dominant performances inside the World Series of Fighting decagon cage.

The 30-year-old Xtreme Couture prodigy submitted Pete Martin with a guillotine choke in the first round (3:31) of action at WSOF22 on August 1, 2015, and closed out the year with a unanimous decision victory over Giga Chikadze at WSOF26 on December 18.

In a flyweight (125 pounds) scrap, Carlos Garcia (1-1) of San Bernardino, Calif. will make his professional debut against Jason Pacheco (1-0) of Las Vegas.

Adam Aquaviva (4-2) of Las Vegas will face off with Andres Ponce (3-2) of Tempe in a bantamweight tilt and, in the opening preliminary card matchup, Jeff Roman (1-2-1) of Las Vegas will square off with Nick Salantri (0-1) at welterweight.

A sixth, middleweight (185 pounds) preliminary fight featuring Clinton Williams(7-3) of Las Vegas will be announced soon.

Priced from $20, tickets for WSOF30: Branch vs. Starks, are available for purchase online at WSOF.com and AXS.com.

Doors at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino will open for the event at 4 p.m. PT, and the first preliminary bout will begin at 5 p.m.

In the main event, reigning World Series of Fighting middleweight champion David Branch (17-3), the league’s first-ever, two-division title holder, will put his coveted crown on the line against top contender Clifford Starks (13-2).

In the co-main event, superstar Jon Fitch (27-7-1, 1 NC) will battle recent World Series of Fighting one-night, eight-man tournament runner-up Joao “The Brazilian Samurai” Zeferino (20-7) with the vacant World Series of Fighting welterweight championship at stake.

Elsewhere on the four-fight, live NBCSN telecast, submission expert Vinny “Pezao” Magalhaes (13-7) will square off with Jake “The Honey Bear” Heun(9-4) in a light heavyweight (205 pounds) contest, while World Series of Fighting newcomer and knockout artist Abu “Gladiator” Azaitar (11-1-1) will lock horns with Danny “Dee1” Davis, Jr. (11-10-1) at welterweight.
mixed martial arts, MMA, World Series of Fighting

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING RETURNS TO SIN CITY WITH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLEHEADER ON SATURDAY, APRIL 2, LIVE ON NBCSN

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TICKETS ON SALE NOW

World Middleweight Championship Main Event:
David Branch (Champion) vs.  Clifford Starks (Challenger)

World Welterweight Championship Co-Main Event:
Jon Fitch (Challenger) vs. Joao Zeferino (Challenger)

Plus:

Vinny Magalhaes vs. Jake Heun
Abu Azaitar vs. Danny Davis Jr.

LAS VEGAS (March 14, 2016) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today that it will make its much-anticipated return to Las Vegas with a star-studded, world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) doubleheader event at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Saturday, April 2, live on NBCSN (11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT), headlined by a middleweight (185 pounds) title bout between reigning kingpin David Branch (17-3) and Clifford Starks (13-2).

Priced from $29, tickets for WSOF30: Branch vs. Starks, are available for purchase online at WSOF.com and AXS.com.

In the co-main event, superstar Jon Fitch (27-7-1, 1 NC) will collide with recent World Series of Fighting one-night, eight-man tournament runner-up Joao “The Brazilian Samurai” Zeferino (20-7) with the vacant World Series of Fighting welterweight (170 pounds) championship at stake.

In other action on the four-fight, live NBCSN telecast, submission expert Vinny “Pezao” Magalhaes (13-7) will square off with Jake “The Honey Bear” Heun(9-4) in a light heavyweight (205 pounds) contest, while World Series of Fighting newcomer and knockout artist Abu “Gladiator” Azaitar (11-1-1) will throw down with Danny “Dee1” Davis, Jr. (11-10-1) at welterweight.

The complete WSOF30 preliminary bout card will be announced soon.

David Branch vs. Clifford Starks

The 6-foot-1, 34-year-old Branch of Brooklyn, N.Y. made history in his last start at WSOF23 on September 18, 2015 when he notched a first round (2:21) submission (rear-naked choke) victory over Teddy Holder to become the first World Series of Fighting light heavyweight champion in history as well as the first-ever two-division champion in promotional history.

A protégé of MMA and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu legend Renzo Gracie, Branch will seek his eighth consecutive win.

Also 34 years of age, the 5-foot-10 Starks of Tempe, Ariz. earned a shot at Branch’s middleweight title after three consecutive victories in the World Series of Fighting decagon cage.  In his last effort at WSOF23, Starks handed Krasimir Mladenov the first defeat of the Bulgarian wrestling standout’s career by way of unanimous decision.

Starks is riding a five-fight win streak that began with two consecutive wins under the promotion of Bellator.

Jon Fitch vs. Joao Zeferino

A former world top 10 ranked competitor who has faced and defeated a collection of rival icons over the course of his 14-year professional career, the 6-foot, 38-year-old Fitch of Fort Wayne, Ind. earned a unanimous decision in his last appearance, over fellow accomplished superstar Yushin Okami at WSOF24 on October 17, 2015.

Originally from Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil, the 5-foot-11, 30-year-old Zeferino who fights out of Middletown, N.Y. has notched 15 of his 20 career wins by way of submission.  Zeferino demonstrated superior physical and mental toughness in his last appearance in the cage, going to battle three times in one night in the one-night, eight-man lightweight (155 pounds) tournament at WSOF25 on November 20, 2015.

After defeating both Brian Foster and Jorge Patino by way of heel hook submission in the first round of action in the quarterfinal and semifinal stages of the tournament, respectively, Zeferino again faced off with Foster, who had advanced to the championship stage as a “lucky loser,” but suffered a second round (4:51) KO (punches) at the hands of Foster in a barnburner affair.

Vinny Magalhaes vs. Jake Heun

Magalhaes of Las Vegas via Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will make his second start under the promotion of World Series of Fighting after pulling off a stunning, first round (1:08) submission (kneebar) of wrestling stylist Matt “The Hammer” Hamill at WSOF24.

A 6-foot-3, 31-year-old world grappling champion, Magalhaes has claimed 11 of his 13 career MMA wins by way of submission and is looking for his fourth consecutive victory.

Heun of Coconut Creek, Fla. is seeking his third straight win after edging out a split decision over Clinton Williams at WSOF26 on December 18, 2015.

A member of South Florida-based American Top Team, the 6-foot-2, 28-year old Heun has claimed 6 of his 9 professional wins by way of (T)KO or submission.

Abu Azaitar vs. Danny Davis, Jr.

The number one ranked middleweight (185 pounds) in Germany and the number five ranked middleweight in Poland, the 5-foot-11, 30-year-old Azaitar of Cologne, Germany will enter the World Series of Fighting decagon cage for the first time at 170 pounds, after tearing through the ranks of competitors in Europe over the last seven years.

To date, the heavy-handed Azaitar has notched 7 of his 11 career wins by way of (T)KO.  His lone defeat came in 2012, and he has since remained unbeaten in his last 8 starts.

Davis, Jr. of Las Vegas will look to rebound from two consecutive losses – a split decision defeat at the hands of Matthew Frincu at WSOF23, and a unanimous decision loss to Abubakar Nurmagomedov at WSOF26.

Prior to the matchup with Frincu, the 6-foot-2, 33-year-old Davis, Jr. had run to five straight wins, three of which were World Series of Fighting contests.
mixed martial arts, MMA, NBC, World Series of Fighting

WSOF26: Tyrone Spong Injured, Five Undercard Bouts Announced

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Jake Heun (left) will square off with Clinton Williams in a WSOF26 preliminary card bout on Friday, Dec. 18.  Heun’s original opponent, Tyrone Spong, was forced to withdraw from the matchup due to injury.  Photo credit: Steve Bauzen/World Series of Fighting

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING
ANNOUNCES FIVE MATCHUPS FOR WSOF26 UNDERCARD
FRIDAY, DEC. 18 AT THE COSMOPOLITAN OF LAS VEGAS

TYRONE SPONG WITHDRAWS FROM WSOF26 DUE TO INJURY;
JAKE HEUN TO FACE CLINTON WILLIAMS 

Abubakar Nurmagomedov vs. Danny Davis, Jr. in welterweight undercard attraction
Hakeem Dawodu vs. Marat Magomedov in battle of undefeated featherweights
Andreas Spang vs. Shamil Gamzatov in light heavyweight matchup
Gil Guardado vs. Giga Chikadze in lightweight collision

Four-fight world championship main card airs live on NBCSN at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

LAS VEGAS (Dec. 2, 2015) – World Series of Fighting has announced five bouts for the preliminary card of its much-anticipated “WSOF26: Palmer vs. Almeida” world championship event at The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on Friday, Dec. 18, live on NBCSN, at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

In addition, an injury has forced Tyrone “King of the Ring” Spong to withdraw from his scheduled light heavyweight (205 pounds) co-main event bout with Jake Heun (7-4) of Coconut Creek, Fla., who will now face Clinton Williams (10-2) of Las Vegas in a preliminary card matchup.

The preliminary card will stream live in its entirety, on an embeddable video player on WSOF.com, beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.

Also featured on the undercard bill will be a welterweight (170 pounds) showdown between Abubakar Nurmagomedov, who will return to the decagon cage after a successful World Series of Fighting debut, to face Danny “Dee1” Davis, Jr.

Nurmagomedov (10-1) of Dagestan, Russia earned a unanimous decision overJorge Moreno at WSOF22 on August 1.  The bout marked the first time in his career that Nurmagomedov, whose previous nine victories all came by way of (T)KO or submission, required the judges’ scorecards to declare him the victor of a fight.

Davis Jr. (11-9-1) of Las Vegas is looking to return to the win column after a close, split decision loss to Matthew Frincu at WSOF23 on September 18, snapped a five-fight win streak that Davis, Jr. had been riding. The last three wins in Davis’ run all came under the World Series of Fighting banner.

In a light heavyweight (205 pounds) attraction, aggressive-minded finisherAndreas “Sweet Swede” Spang will battle undefeated wrecking machineShamil Gamzatov.

Fighting out of Las Vegas where he trains under guru “One Kick” Nick Blomgren, the 37-year-old Spang, who has earned six of nine career wins by way of (T)KO or submission, will enter the cage for the first time in 2015.  In his last effort, he notched a unanimous decision over J.A. Dudley on December 5, 2014.

Also making his first start of the year, the 25-year-old Gamzatov (9-0) of Makhachkala, Russia is the number four ranked light heavyweight in Ukraine.  To date, all of his victories have come by way of (T)KO or submission.

In a matchup between two fearsome, undefeated featherweights (145 pounds) rising stars, Hakeem “Mean” Dawodu will lock horns with Marat Magomedov.

Dawodu (5-0) of Calgary, Alberta, Canada is a 24-year-old protégé of renowned Muay Thai master Mike Miles and a five-time veteran of World Series of Fighting competition.  To date, Dawodu has scored (T)KO victories on all five of his opponents, including his last two adversaries – Tristan Johnson and Chuka Willis – whom he defeated by way of third round (1:59) TKO (punches) on February 12, and by way of second round (2:55) TKO (knees and elbows) on June 5, respectively.

Magomedov (7-0) of Dagestan, Russia is looking for his second win of 2015 after finishing Husanboy Ataghanov by way of first round (4:35) submission (rear-naked choke) on September 18.  The 25-year-old has been taken the distance of a fight only once, earning all six of his other career wins via submission.

In the opening WSOF26 preliminary card bout, Gil Guardado will mix it up withGiga Chikadze at lightweight.

Guardado (4-1) of Las Vegas is a 30-year-old member of Xtreme Couture’s fight team seeking his second win of the year after submitting Pete Martin with a guillotine choke in the first round (3:31) of their bout at WSOF22.  All four of Guardado’s wins to date have come by way of (T)KO or submission.

Chikadze (1-0) of Huntington Beach, Calif. via Tbisili, Georgia is a 27-year-old seasoned kickboxer who has twice competed for Glory where he holds a record of 1-1 and scored a first round KO on Ken Tran on May 8.

Priced from $29.99, tickets are available for purchase atwww.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com, www.WSOF.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

In the world championship featherweight main event, reigning kingpin Lance Palmer (10-1) will square off with submission expert Alexandre Almeida (17-5).

In other action on the four-bout, live NBCSN telecast, hard-hitting, rising star Ozzy Dugulubgov (7-2) will meet streaking submission ace Nic Herron-Webb (18-6) in a lightweight scrap.

Former World Series of Fighting championship challenger Josh “Gentleman” Hill (12-1) will collide with undefeated sensation Bekbulat Magomedov (16-0) in a bantamweight matchup.

Leading off the live NBCSN telecast will be a featherweight affair between accomplished KO artist Robbie “Problems” Peralta (18-6) who will make his World Series of Fighting debut against hard-hitting Muay Thai stylist Sheymon Moraes (7-1).

Doors at The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas will open for WSOF26 at 3 p.m. PT and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 3:30 p.m.

ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a worldwide premier professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters from around the world. For more information please visit WSOF.com and follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries.  WSOF and World Series of Fighting are registered trademarks of MMAWC, LLC.
mixed martial arts, World Series of Fighting

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING FINALIZES STAR-STUDDED WSOF26 MAIN CARD FOR FRIDAY, DEC. 18 AT THE COSMOPOLITAN OF LAS VEGAS, LIVE ON NBCSN

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Featherweight Championship Main Event:
Lance Palmer (Champion) vs. Alexandre Almeida (Challenger)

Light Heavyweight Co-Main Event: Tyrone Spong vs. Jake Heun

Plus:
Lightweight: Ozzy Dugulubgov vs. Nic Herron-Webb
Bantamweight: Josh Hill vs. Bekbulat Magomedov
Featherweight: Robbie Peralta vs. Sheymon Moraes
LAS VEGAS (Nov. 24, 2015) – World Series of Fighting announced today that it has added three new bouts to complete the main card for “WSOF26: Palmer vs. Almeida,” which will be headlined by a world championship showdown between reigning featherweight kingpin Lance Palmer and Alexandre Almeida, at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on Friday, Dec. 18, live on NBCSN, at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

Joining the previously announced main event and light heavyweight co-main event between Tyrone “King of the Ring” Spong and Jake Heun, will be a lightweight (155 pounds) contest between aggressive-minded, rising star Ozzy Dugulubgov and submission wizard Nic “Naptime” Herron-Webb; a bantamweight matchup between wrestling phenom Josh “Gentleman” Hill and undefeated sensation Bekbulat Magomedov; and a featherweight (145 pounds) tilt between devastating strikers Robbie “Problems” Peralta and Sheymon Moraes.

“We are looking forward to closing out a year of incredible growth for World Series of Fighting with an exceptional lineup of world-class bouts featuring some of our most established superstars as well as several new faces that we recently welcomed to our roster and that we expect to make an immediate impact in our decagon cage,” said World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo.

Priced from $29.99, tickets are available for purchase atwww.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com , www.WSOF.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

The complete WSOF26 preliminary bout card will be announced soon.  The card is subject to change.

Ozzy Dugulubgov vs. Nic Herron-Webb

The 26-year-old Dugulubgov (7-2) of Hackensack, N.J. is looking to notch his third consecutive win and second of 2015, following a first round (3:39) TKO (arm injury) of Lucas Montoya on April 10.  Prior to his latest conquest, Dugulubgov, a Renzo Gracie protégé that boasts a near-perfect record of 4-1 in World Series of Fighting competition, scored a highlight reel-worthy KO (punch) ofKeon Caldwell in the third round (1:38) of their matchup on September 13, 2014.

Herron-Webb (18-6) of Anchorage, Alaska is a 25-year-old, former welterweight (170 pounds) who has been fire, winning all four of his last bouts by way of submission, to arrive at his debut with World Series of Fighting.  To date, 14 of Herron-Webb’s 18 professional career wins have come by way of submission, 8 of which he produced inside the first round of battle.

Josh Hill vs. Bekbulat Magomedov

A former World Series of Fighting championship challenger, Hill (12-1) of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada went the distance with reigning bantamweight champion Marlon Moraes before finding himself on the losing end of a unanimous decision on February 12.

The 28-year-old has since re-grouped after what marked his first career defeat, and reeled off two consecutive wins outside of the World Series of Fighting decagon – a third round (2:01) submission (rear-naked choke) of Josh Rettinghouse on May 30, and a unanimous decision over Ion Vranceanu on August 31.

Magomedov (16-0) of Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia, will risk his perfect record in the U.S. for the first time ever, after a run that has distinguished the 24-year-old Sambo champion as the number two ranked featherweight in Ukraine and the number seven ranked featherweight in Russia.

Of Magomedov’s 16 professional career victories, 8 have come by way of (T)KO and 3 have come by way of submission.

Robbie Peralta vs. Sheymon Moraes

Making his World Series of Fighting debut, Peralta (18-6, 1 NC) of Escondido, Calif. has served up several memorable moments in the cage with his punching power, notching 13 of his 18 professional career wins to date by way of (T)KO.  The 29-year-old made his first big mark in the sport on April 9, 2011 when he scored a major upset over then-DREAM champion Hiroyuki Takaya by way of split decision under the promotion of the now-defunct Strikeforce.

Moraes will look to rebound after suffering his first professional defeat at the hands of reigning World Series of Fighting champion Marlon Moraes on August 1.  Prior to the title fight, the dangerous 25-year-old member of Team Nogueira had appeared to be unstoppable, scoring (T)KO wins over four of his first seven opponents.

ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a worldwide premier professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters from around the world. For more information please visit WSOF.com and follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries.  WSOF and World Series of Fighting are registered trademarks of MMAWC, LLC.

ABOUT THE COSMOPOLITAN OF LAS VEGAS
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is a luxury resort offering a decidedly different perspective. Located at the heart of The Strip, the resort’s uniquely vertical multi-tower design offers spectacular views of the vibrant city. The new 2,959-room resort features oversized residential-style living spaces with expansive, one-of-a-kind private terraces. The Cosmopolitan’s luxurious resort amenities include a 100,000 square foot casino; Sahra Spa & Hammam and Violet Hour Hair Nails Beauty; three unique pool experiences; Marquee Nightclub & Dayclub, a multi-level integrated indoor/outdoor nightclub; 150,000 square feet of state-of-the-art convention and meeting space; 40,000-square foot performance and event space The Chelsea; and modern supper club Rose. Rabbit. Lie. An eclectic line-up of new-to-market retailers include:  AllSaints Spitalfields, CRSVR Sneaker Boutique, DNA2050, Jason of Beverly Hills, Kidrobot, Molly Brown’s Swimwear, Rent the Runway, Retrospecs & Co, Skins 62 Cosmetics, Stitched and U*tique Shop. Signature restaurants include: Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill by restaurateurs Bruce and Eric Bromberg; Estiatorio Milos, by international restaurateur Costas Spiliadis; Holsteins from Block 16 Hospitality; Jaleo and China Poblano restaurants by acclaimed Chef José Andrés; Scarpetta and D.O.C.G. by award-winning Chef Scott Conant; and popular steakhouse STK from The ONE Group; bustling culinary food hall The Wicked Spoon; and The Henry, an all-day dining concept.

For more information visit: www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com
Follow us on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/cosmopolitan_lv
Find us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/thecosmopolitan
Follow us on Instagram at: www.instagram.com/cosmopolitan_lv
mixed martial arts, World Series of Fighting

LIVE NBCSN TELECAST OF “WSOF 22: PALHARES VS. SHIELDS” POSTS BEST WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING VIEWERSHIP IN OVER ONE YEAR

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LAS VEGAS (August 10, 2015) –The live NBCSN telecast of “WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” averaged 254,000 viewers during the two-hour live telecast that began at 10:40 p.m. ET/7:40 p.m. PT – ranking as the best World Series of Fighting show on NBCSN in more than a year (6/21/14). In addition, the viewership is up 9% from NBCSN’s 2014 WSOF average of slightly over 233,000.

“We are thrilled with the outstanding, recent performance of our programming on NBCSN,” said World Series of Fighting CEO Carlos Silva.  “World Series of Fighting has been putting on some incredible fights in our decagon cage, and NBCSN has been a great partner, offering its audience a healthy dose of both live events and replays of recent, past events, all of which undoubtedly helps the continued growth of our brand and our great sport through consistent and prominent exposure to a national audience.

“WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” was headlined by a long-awaited showdown between World Series of Fighting World Welterweight (170 pounds) Champion Rousimar “Toquinho” Palhares and challenger and two-time world champion Jake Shields

Live World Series of Fighting action returns to NBCSN with “WSOF 23: Gaethje vs. Palomino II” on Friday, September 18 at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT from Comerica Theatre in Phoenix, Ariz.  In the highly-anticipated main event, undefeated, reigning world lightweight (155 pounds) champion Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje will put his title on the line for the second time against hard-hitting Luis “Baboon” Palomino.

About “World Series of Fighting” (WSOF)
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a world wide premier professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters from around the world. For more information please visit WSOF.com. Follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and “World Series of Fighting” President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.

ABOUT NBCSN
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mixed martial arts, NBC, World Series of Fighting

ALL 20 FIGHTERS MAKE WEIGHT FOR “WSOF 22: PALHARES VS. SHIELDS” TOMORROW, SATURDAY, AUGUST 1 IN LAS VEGAS

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NEW LIVE NBCSN TELECAST START TIME:
10:30 PM ET/7:30 PM PT

LIVE PRELIMINARY CARD BEGINS ON WSOF.COM AT
8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT

Las Vegas, Nev. (July 31, 2015) – All 20 fighters, reigning World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) World Welterweight (170 pounds) Champion Rousimar Palhares (17-6) and challenger and two-time world champion Jake Shields (31-7), made weight one day before the highly-anticipated “WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) mega-event at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev., live on NBCSN, beginning at a new start time of 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT.

Palhares weighed in at 169.8 pounds and Shields clocked in at the weight limit of 170 pounds. 

WSOF World Bantamweight (135 pounds) Champion Marlon Moraes (14-4-1) tipped the scales at 135 pounds and his opponent, undefeated challenger Sheymon Moraes (7-0) registered a weight of 134.2 pounds.

The live, five-bout preliminary card stream will begin at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT on an embeddable video player on www.WSOF.com.

Priced from $29.99, tickets for “WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” are on sale at Ticketmaster.com and WSOF.com.

Doors at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino will open at 4:00 p.m. PT.  The first preliminary bout will begin at 5:00 p.m.

COMPLETE “WSOF 22: PALHARES VS. SHIELDS” WEIGH-IN RESULTS:

Main Card:

Main Event: World Welterweight (170 pounds) Championship Bout

Rousimar Palhares (17-6) (169.8 lbs.) vs. Jake Shields (31-7) (170lbs)
Minas Gerais, Brazil                                    San Francisco, Calif.

Co-Main Event:  World Bantamweight (135 pounds) Championship Bout

Marlon Moraes (14-4-1) (135 lbs.) vs.   Sheymon Moraes (7-0) (134.2 lbs.)
Toms Rier, N.J.                                      Rio de Janeiro, Brazil            .

Light Heavyweight (205 pounds) Bout

Mike Kyle (21-12-1) (206 lbs.)   vs.    Clifford Starks (11-2) (204.8 lbs.)
San Jose, Calif.                                  Tempe, Ariz.

Welterweight (170 pounds) Bout

Abubakar Nurmagomedov (9-1) (171 lbs.) vs.    Jorge Moreno (4-0) (168.8 lbs.)
Dagestan, Russia                                                Moses Lake, Wash.

Lightweight (155 pounds) Bout

Jimmy Spicuzza (6-2) (155.4 lbs.) vs.    Islam Mamedov (11-1) (155.4 lbs.)
Las Vegas, Nev.                                      Jersey City, N.J.

Preliminary Card:

Light Heavyweight (205 pounds) Bout

Jake Heun (7-4) (205.6 lbs.) vs. Davin Clark (5-2-2) (206 lbs.)
Coconut Creek, Fla.                   San Jose, Calif.

Flyweight (125 pounds) Bout

Donavon Frelow (4-0) (125 lbs.) vs. Carlos Garcia (0-0) (124.8 lbs.)
Las Vegas, Nev.                                 Las Vegas, Nev.

Catchweight (140 pounds) Bout

Jimmy Jones (4-3) (139.4 lbs.) vs. Marco Simmons (0-0) (140.6 lbs.)
Las Vegas, Nev.                              Las Vegas, Nev.

Light Heavyweight (205 pounds) Bout

Cory Hendricks (2-0) (204.4 lbs.) vs.  Julio Hinojosa (3-1) (206 lbs.)
Las Vegas, Nev.                                   El Paso, Texas

Lightweight (155 pounds) Bout

Gil Guardado (3-1) (154 lbs.)  vs.  Pete Martin (5-3) (155.6 lbs.)
Las Vegas, Nev.                             Las Vegas, Nev.
mixed martial arts, World Series of Fighting

Thiago Silva Out, Clifford Starks In Against Mike Kyle at “WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” Saturday, August 1, Live on NBCSN from Las Vegas

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LAS VEGAS (July 28, 2015) – World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today that, due to a previous suspension in the state of Nevada, Thiago Silva has been declared ineligible to compete at “WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” on Saturday, Aug. 1, and will be replaced by Clifford Starks, who will face off with Silva’s scheduled opponent Mike “MAK” Kyle in a light heavyweight (205 pounds) contest, live on NBCSN from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

Due to the previous suspension, Silva must attend a future Nevada State Athletic Commission hearing.  The next hearing takes place in Aug.

“We hope that Thiago will take the steps necessary to be in compliance with the state athletic commission so that he can make a quick return to action,” said WSOF President Ray Sefo.  “In the meantime, we appreciate Clifford Starks’ willingness to take the fight against Mike Kyle on just a few days’ notice, and look forward to having him compete for us again after putting on a great show in the WSOF cage in March.”

The 34-year-old Starks (11-2) of Tempe, Ariz. is coming off a second round (4:11) submission (arm-triangle choke) of Jake Heun at WSOF 19.  The victory was Starks’ third straight and second consecutive finish.

The live, five-bout NBCSN telecast of “WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” begins at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT.

In the highly-anticipated main event, reigning WSOF World Welterweight (170 pounds) Champion Rousimar Palhares (17-6) will square off with top-ranked challenger and two-time world champion Jake Shields (31-7).

WSOF World Bantamweight (135 pounds) Champion Marlon Moraes (14-4-1) will put his title on the line in the co-main event against undefeated challenger Sheymon Moraes (7-0).

In other live NBCSN televised WSOF 22 action, fast-rising star Abubakar Nurmagomedov (9-1) will square off with undefeated finisher Jorge Moreno (4-0) at welterweight, and four-time WSOF veteran Jimmy Spicuzza (6-2) will meet submission ace Islam Mamedov (11-1) at lightweight (155 pounds).

Priced from $29.99, tickets for “WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” are on sale at Ticketmaster.com and WSOF.com.

Doors at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino will open on Saturday at 4 p.m. PT, and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 5 p.m. PT.

MAIN CARD

WSOF World Welterweight Championship Main Event:
Rousimar Palhares (Champion) vs. Jake Shields (Challenger)

WSOF World Bantamweight Championship Co-Main Event:
Marlon Moraes (Champion) vs. Sheymon Moraes (Challenger)

Light Heavyweight: Mike Kyle vs. Clifford Starks
Welterweight: Abubakar Nurmagomedov vs. Jorge Moreno
Lightweight: Jimmy Spicuzza vs. Islam Mamedov

PRELIMINARY CARD

Light Heavyweight: Jake Heun vs. Davin Clark
Flyweight: Donavon Frelow vs. Carlos Garcia
Catchweight (140 pounds): Jimmy Jones vs. Marco Simmons
Light Heavyweight: Cory Hendricks vs. Julio Hinojosa
Lightweight: Gil Guardado vs. Pete Martin