Tag Archives: Marlon Moraes

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
mixed martial arts, World Series of Fighting

“WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” Adds Five-Bout Preliminary Card Featuring Jake Heun vs. Davin Clark

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Preliminary bouts stream live on WSOF.com
prior to two world title fights on NBCSN

LAS VEGAS (July 23, 2015) – World Series of Fighting’s blockbuster “WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event will feature five preliminary contests that will stream live on WSOF.com prior to the live NBCSN telecast of the much-anticipated world championship doubleheader on Saturday, August 1.

Featuring a pair of highly anticipated world title fights with reigning WSOF World Welterweight (170 pounds) Champion Rousimar Palhares (17-6) vs. top-ranked challenger and two-time world champion Jake Shields (31-7) as well as WSOF World Bantamweight (135 pounds) Champion Marlon Moraes (14-4-1) vs. undefeated challenger Sheymon Moraes (7-0), the mega-card will take place at The AXIS inside Las Vegas’ Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.

The new preliminary contests include light heavyweights (205 pounds) Jake “The Honey Bear” Heun (7-4) vs. Davin “Relentless” Clark (5-2-2), flyweights (125 pounds) Donavon Frelow (4-0) vs. Carlos Garcia (0-0), a 140-pound catchweight contest with Jimmy “Rabbit” Jones (4-3) vs. Marco Simmons (0-0), light heavyweights Cory Hendricks (2-0) vs. Julio Hinojosa (3-1) and lightweights (155 pounds) Gil Guardado (3-1) vs. Pete Martin (5-3)

Fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla., the 27-year-old Heun is a two-time veteran of WSOF action who is sporting an overall record of 1-1 in the promotion.  Four of his seven career victories have come by way of (T)KO and one by way of submission.  He is looking to rebound from a second round (4:11) submission (arm-triangle choke) defeat at the hands of Clifford Starks.

Heun faces Clark, a 33-year-old American Kickboxing Academy product from San Jose, Calif., who has been competing professionally since 2007. While he suffered an October loss to fellow veteran Joe Vedepo, Clark’s previous two appearances saw him earn a pair of first-round finishes.

Las Vegas’ Frelow was originally expected to compete on the evening’s main card for the inaugural World Series of Fighting flyweight title. However, fellow undefeated contender Magomed Bibulatov suffered an injury in training and was forced to withdraw from the contest. Frelow elected to stay busy rather than wait on a title fight and now meets fellow Las Vegas resident Garcia, an Xtreme Couture fighter making his professional debut.

Additional preliminary bouts see some of Las Vegas’ top prospects enter the WSOF cage, as Xtreme Couture’s Jones meets Wand Fight Team’s Simmons, and Xtreme Couture’s Guardado faces Wand Fight Teams’ Martin.

Meanwhile, Syndicate MMA’s Hendricks welcomes Hinojosa, of El Paso, Texas, to the World Series of Fighting decagon.

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 p.m. PT, and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 5 p.m. PT.

The live NBCSN telecast of the main card begins at 11 p.m. ET/8 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: Thiago Silva vs. Mike Kyle
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
mixed martial arts, World Series of Fighting

ABUBAKAR NURMAGOMEDOV TO FACE UNDEFEATED JORGE MORENO ON LIVE NBCSN TELECAST OF  “WSOF 22: PALHARES VS. SHIELDS” FROM LAS VEGAS ON SATURDAY, AUG. 1

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LAS VEGAS (July 16, 2015) – Abubakar Nurmagomedov will square off with undefeated finisher Jorge Moreno in a featured welterweight (170 pounds) matchup at the highly-anticipated World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) world championship doubleheader event at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday, Aug. 1, live on NBCSN.

The younger brother of undefeated superstar Khabib Nurmagomedov and one of the top welterweight prospects in the world, the 23-year-old Abubakar (9-1) of Makhachkala, Russia is quickly distinguishing himself as a force in the sport, notching all of his victories to date by way of (T)KO or submission.

Abubakar, who trains under his father, Abdulmanap, at Khabib’s gym FightSpirit Team, is coming off of a first round TKO (punches) win over Vladimir Gunzu on Feb. 22.  His lone defeat came due to a cut he sustained in a matchup with Magomed Mustafaev on Sept. 1, 2014, prompting the ringside physician to halt the bout.

At just 19 years old, Moreno (4-0) of Moses Lake, Wash. is already knee deep in his professional career, with 3 of his 4 wins having come by way of TKO or submission.  As an amateur, he amassed an overall record of 8-2,  collecting three titles along the way.

Moreno’s start will mark his WSOF debut as well as his first professional bout at 170 pounds, after competing as a middleweight (185 pounds).  In his last start on April 17 in Snoqualmie, Wash., he scored a first round TKO (doctor stoppage due to knee injury) on Ian Williams.

The five-bout, live NBCSN telecast of “WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” begins at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT on Aug. 1.

In the main event, a long-awaited showdown will finally come to fruition when WSOF World Welterweight (170 pounds) Champion Rousimar Palhares (17-6) of Minas Gerais, Brazil puts his title on the line against two-time world champion and fellow Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Jake Shields (31-7) of San Francisco, Calif.

In the co-main event, WSOF World Bantamweight (135 pounds) Champion Marlon Moraes (14-4-1) of Toms River, N.J. via Nova Friburgo, Brazil will defend his strap against undefeated challenger Sheymon Moraes (7-0).

Superstar Thiago Silva (16-4, 2 NC) of Oakland Park, Fla. via Sao Paulo, Brazil will face dangerous veteran Mike “MAK” Kyle (21-12-1) of San Jose, Calif. in a light heavyweight (205 pounds) contest.

A lightweight (155 pounds) matchup between Jimmy Spicuzza (6-2) and submission ace Islam Mamedov (11-1) will lead off the live NBCSN telecast.

A complete preliminary bout card will be announced soon.

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 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: Thiago Silva vs. Mike Kyle

Welterweight: Abubakar Nurmagomedov vs. Jorge Moreno

Lightweight: Jimmy Spicuzza vs. Islam Mamedov
mixed martial arts, World Series of Fighting

WSOF 22 Adds Lightweight Bout To Live NBCSN Telecast

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“WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” Adds Lightweight Main Card Matchup
with Jimmy Spicuzza vs. Islam Mamedov

Live NBCSN telecast to feature five bouts, including world championship main event between Rousimar Palhares and Jake Shields

Saturday, Aug. 1 at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS (July 1, 2015) – World Series of Fighting’s (WSOF.com) blockbuster event on Saturday, Aug. 1 will now feature five contests on the night’s live NBCSN telecast, with the addition of a lightweight (155 pounds) matchup between four-time promotional veteran Jimmy Spicuzza (6-2) and submission ace Islam Mamedov (11-1).

The lightweight contest joins the night’s main event showdown between reigning WSOF World Welterweight (170 pounds) Champion Rousimar Palhares (17-6) and challenger and two-time world champion Jake Shields (31-7), as well as the co-main event between WSOF World Bantamweight (135 pounds) Champion Marlon Moraes(14-4-1) and undefeated challenger Sheymon Moraes (7-0), and a highly-anticipated, light heavyweight (205 pounds) battle between combat sports phenom Tyrone “King of the Ring” Spong (2-0) and gritty veteran Mike “MAK” Kyle (21-12-1).

A fifth bout will be announced shortly, as Magomed Bibulatov (9-0) has been forced to withdraw from a previously announced, inaugural WSOF world flyweight (125 pounds0 championship matchup with fellow undefeated contender Donavon Frelow (4-0), who will now likely fight on the evening’s WSOF.com-streamed preliminary card against a new opponent.

Spicuzza, of Las Vegas, Nev., is a Drysdale Jiu-Jitsu fighter and four-time WSOF veteran. He debuted for the promotion at WSOF 9 on March 29, 2014, and submittedGil Guardado with a  rear-naked choke in the first round (3:14), before returning at WSOF 10 on June 21, 2014, and scoring a unanimous decision win over Justin Jaynes.

At WSOF 12 on Aug. 9,  2014, he suffered a TKO (punches) loss to Lucas Montoya, but bounced back at WSOF 19 on March 28, where he earned a split decision win overBenny Madrid.

Meanwhile, the 25-year-old Mamedov is a Dagestani import who now calls Jersey City, N.J. his home. Competing professionally since 2009, Mamedov suffered a loss in his second professional outing, but has since rattled off 10 consecutive victories, including six by submission and two via TKO.

Mamedov made his WSOF debut on April 10, scoring a devastating first round (4:42) TKO on Leon Davis with a barrage of punches.

The live NBCSN telecast of “WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” begins at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT on Aug. 1.
Priced from $29.99, tickets for the event are on sale at Ticketmaster.com and WSOF.com.

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

Additional bouts for the event will be announced soon.

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: Tyrone Spong vs. Mike Kyle
Lightweight: Jimmy Spicuzza vs. Islam Mamedov

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
NBCSN, part of the NBC Sports Group, is dedicated to serving passionate sports fans. Now in more than 85 million homes, the Emmy Award-winning network is the cable television home of the Summer and Winter Olympics, National Hockey League (NHL) – including two games of the Stanley Cup Final — Premier League, Formula One, IndyCar, Tour de France, the 34th America’s Cup, and beginning in 2015, NASCAR. In addition, NBCSN features college football, college basketball, college hockey, cycling, outdoor programming, horse racing surrounding the Triple Crown  and Breeders’ Cup, Fight Night boxing, Ironman, the Dew Tour and USA Sevens Rugby. The network is also home to original programs such as Costas Tonight, NFL Turning Point, Pro Football Talk, The Dan Patrick Show, and NASCAR America. NBCSN is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.
mixed martial arts, World Series of Fighting

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING RE-SIGNS REIGNING CHAMPIONS DAVID BRANCH, JUSTIN GAETHJE AND MARLON MORAES TO NEW MULTI-YEAR AGREEMENTS

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LAS VEGAS (June 29, 2015) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today that it has re-signed three of its decorated, reigning world champions – middleweight (185 pounds) kingpin David Branch, undefeated lightweight (155 pounds) champion Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje and bantamweight (135 pounds) titleholder Marlon Moraes – to new, exclusive, multi-year agreements.

“We are thrilled to have these three incredible champions on board with WSOF for the long haul again,” said WSOF President Ray Sefo.  “Justin and Marlon are both homegrown superstars that we have been building since we opened the doors at WSOF, while David, who came to us as an established star, has grown into an even more dynamic and dominant mixed martial artist since joining the WSOF roster.

“All three fighters, continued Sefo, “are a testimony to our product and the world-class brand we have been building, and we look forward to ushering WSOF into its next phase of growth with them on board.”

The 33-year-old Branch (16-3) of Brooklyn, N.Y. is in the midst of a spectacular, six-fight win streak that he has put together with wins over the likes of Dustin Jacoby,Paulo Filho, Jesse Taylor and Yushin Okami.

A student of MMA legend Renzo Gracie, Branch, who has finished over 60 percent of his opponents during his 8 year professional career, notched his latest win,  a second round (1:28) technical submission (shoulder choke) win over Jesse McElligott, onApril 10 at WSOF 20.

Gaethje (14-0), a 26-year-old phenom who hails from Safford, Ariz., is coming off aMarch 28 conquest of seasoned battler Luis Palomino that served as the main event at WSOF 19.

Before a hometown crowd, Gaethje, who has earned 11 of his 14 career wins by way of (T)KO, engaged in an all-out slugfest, for nearly three full rounds before finally scoring a TKO victory with an onslaught of leg kicks and punches that downed Palomino at the 3:57 mark of the third stanza.

Moraes (14-4-1) of Howell, N.J. via Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will put his 9-fight win streak on the line, in his second WSOF title defense, when the 27-year-old faces undefeated star Sheymon Moraes at the star-studded “WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” event, live on NBCSN from Planet Hollywood Resort Casino on Sat., Aug. 1.

Branch, Gaethje and Moraes will all be featured on “WSOF Unstoppable: The Road Ahead” on NBC on Saturday, July 11, beginning at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.  The special, two-hour program, co-hosted by retired MMA icon Bas Rutten, NBCSN veteran announcer Todd Harris and Gracie,  will include interviews with all three WSOF world champions as well as their respective, recent championship bouts.

About World Series of Fighting (WSOF)
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 visitWSOF.com. Follow World Series of Fighting on Twitter (@MMAWorldSeries) and World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo (@SugarRaySefo).
mixed martial arts, World Series of Fighting

WSOF ‘UNSTOPPABLE’  RETURNS TO NBC ON SATURDAY, JULY 11

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LAS VEGAS (June 17, 2014) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) will return to NBC with an all-new installment of its action-packed ‘Unstoppable’ program showcasing the best, recent world championship action from the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion, on Saturday, July 11, beginning at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.

MMA legends Bas Rutten and Renzo Gracie, and veteran NBCSN announcer Todd Harris will host the two-hour program, “WSOF Unstoppable: The Road Ahead,” and be joined in studio by guests and reigning WSOF world champions David Branch(middleweight – 185 pounds) and Marlon Moraes (bantamweight – 135 pounds), whose most recent, respective bouts in the WSOF decagon cage will be on display.

Additionally, the show will feature an in-depth look at undefeated, reigning WSOF World  Lightweight (155 pounds) Champion Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje, and ferocious action from reigning WSOF World Welterweight (170 pounds) Champion Rousimar “Toquinho” Palhares, reigning WSOF World Featherweight (145 pounds) Champion Lance Palmer and newly crowned WSOF World Heavyweight Champion Blagoy Ivanov.

“We are excited to deliver another hard-hitting compilation of the most memorable, recent bouts featuring WSOF’s collection of dynamic world champions and other superstars,” said WSOF President, six-time world champion and two-time Hall of Famer Ray Sefo. “NBC has been an incredible partner and highly instrumental in building the WSOF brand over the course of the last two and a half years, and the ‘Unstoppable’ series is a testimony to their commitment to our company and the sport of MMA.”

Along with Branch and Moraes, the hosts will preview the highly-anticipated, WSOF world championship showdown between defending kingpin Palhares and challenger and two-time world champion Jake Shields, whose latest conquests in the WSOF cage will be on display for NBC viewers during “WSOF Unstoppable: The Road Ahead.”

Palhares and Shields will face off in the main event of WSOF 22, live on NBCSN from Las Vegas.

Since launching in Nov. 2012, WSOF has catapulted to the forefront of the MMA world with its star-studded, world championship live event series on NBCSN as well as additional programming on NBC.

The promotion has successfully expanded its footprint to over 100 different countries with its fight programming as part of a multi-year agreement with IMG, the world’s leader in sports content distribution.

About World Series of Fighting (WSOF)
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 visitWSOF.com. Follow World Series of Fighting on Twitter (@MMAWorldSeries) and World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo (@SugarRaySefo).