Tag Archives: Mixed Martial Arts

mixed martial arts, MMA, World Series of Fighting

MIKE RICCI OUT OF WSOF27 WITH INJURY; LUIZ FIRMINO STEPS UP TO FACE CAROS FODOR ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, LIVE ON NBCSN FROM MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE

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Luiz Firmino (pictured), whose last two victories came under the World Series of Fighting banner, will replace an injured Mike Ricci in the WSOF27 bout against Caros Fodor on Saturday, Jan. 23, live on NBCSN from Memphis, Tenn.

TEDDY HOLDER VS. SHAMIL GAMZATOV
ELEVATED TO MAIN EVENT STATUS

LAS VEGAS (January 12, 2016) –A re-injury of his hip has forced Mike “The Martian” Ricci to withdraw from his scheduled World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) main event bout with Caros “The Future” Fodor (10-4), who will now face streaking Blackzilians ace Luiz “Buscape” Firmino (18-6) under co-main event status at WSOF27, live on NBCSN at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT from the FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn. on Saturday, Jan. 23.

Originally billed as the co-main event, the light heavyweight (205 pounds) contest between heavy-handed finisher Teddy Holder (9-2) of Bartlett, Tenn. and undefeated Shamil Gamzatov (9-0) of Makhachkala, Russia has been elevated to the main event.

“Our entire team wishes Mike Ricci a full and speedy recovery, and hopes to see him return soon,” said World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo.

“Luiz Firmino, no stranger to our decagon cage,” continued Sefo, “is truly a courageous warrior for stepping up on such short notice to compete against a fellow star like Caros Fodor.  We commend Luiz for doing so and look forward to seeing him back in action.”

The 33-year-old Firmino of Joao Pessoa, Paraiba, Brazil is riding a five-fight win streak.  His last two victories – a unanimous decision over Jacob Volkmann on October 26, 2013 and a unanimous decision over Tyson Griffin on June 21, 2014, both came under the World Series of Fighting banner.

Prior to the victory over Volkmann, Firmino earned an impressive, five-round unanimous decision over Luis “Baboon” Palomino, who has since gone on to challenge reigning, undefeated champion Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje twice for the World Series of Fighting lightweight title.

A veteran of professional MMA since the young age of 18, Firmino also boasts notable wins over prolific striker “Diamond” Ryan Healy and submission expertToby Imada, both of whom Firmino defeated by way of unanimous decision.

Tickets for WSOF27 start at just $39.99, and are on sale at WSOF.com, all Ticketmaster locations, ticketmaster.com, the FedExForum Box Office, or by phone at (800) 745-3000.

A three-bout preliminary card will stream live on an embeddable video player on WSOF.com, beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

For more information, visit fedexforum.com, ‘like’ FedExForum on Facebook or follow on Twitter (@FedExForum).

MAIN CARD

Light Heavyweight Main Event:  Teddy Holder vs. Shamil Gamzatov
Lightweight Co-Main Event: Caros Fodor vs. Luiz Firmino
Welterweight Bout: Jaleel Willis vs. Chauncey Foxworth
Featherweight Bout: Jorge Medina vs. Bryce Mitchell

PRELIMINARY CARD

Welterweight: Justin Hartley vs. Wade Johnson
Lightweight: Zach Underwood vs. Jason Williams
Lightweight: Alvin Williams vs. Wes Sharp
M-1, mixed martial arts, MMA

M-1 Challenge middleweight champion Ramazan Emeev Named M-1 Global’s 2015 Fighter of the Year

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ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (January 12, 2016) – M-1 Challenge middleweight champion Ramazan Emeev has been named M-1 Global’s 2015 Fighter of the Year.

Russian welterweight Alexey Kunchenko was selected as “Prospect of the Year,” whileM-1 Challenge 63 was the M-1 Global “Event of the Year.”

Emeev (13-3-0, M1: 7-1-0), fighting out of Russia, was a runaway winner as “Fighter of the Year,” garnering 84.5-percent of the votes to easily outdistance runner-up Viktor Nemkov(23-5-0, M-1: 14-4-0), the reigning M-1 Challenge light heavyweight champion.
In 2015, Emeev won both of his M-1 fights with his title-winning submission (choke) of defending champion Vyacheslav Vasilevsky in the opening round of their rematch last April at M-1 Challenge 56, and first title defense this past December 4th at M-1 Challenge 63 when American challenger Luigi “The Italian Tank” Fioravanti was unable to answer the bell for the third round.
 
 
(L-R) Emeev pounds Fioravanti
 
Kunchenko (12-0-0, M-1: 4-0-0), the undefeated Russian, defeated “Prospect of the Year” runner-up Adam “Beard” Yandiev and third-place finisher Raul Tutarauli (6-3-0, M-1: 3-0-0).  Kunchenko won all five of his fights in 2015, highlighted by his opening-round stoppages of Dez Parker at M-1 Challenge 57 and Alexandre Ramos at M-1 Challenge 62.

 

 (L-R) Kunchenko vs. Ramos
 
M-1 Challenge 63 was headlined by the highly entertaining rematch between defending M-1 Challenge light heavyweight champion Stephan Puetz, of Germany, and Nemkov, of Russia, in the latter’s victory by five-round decision.  Emeev’s triumph over Fioravanti was the M-1 Challenge 63 co-feature.  M-1 Challenge 56, headlined by Emeev’s title-winning performance against Vasilevsky, was “Event of the Year” runner-up. 
 

Nemkov (R) strikes Puetz in M-1 Challenge 63 “Event of the Year”
 
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mixed martial arts, MMA, NBC, World Series of Fighting

WSOF29: GAETHJE VS. FOSTER IS ON!   WORLD LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT SET FOR MARCH 12 IN LOVELAND, COLORADO LIVE ON NBCSN

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Number one lightweight contender Brian Foster (far) will challenge reigning, undefeated World Series of Fighting champion Justin Gaethje for the title on Saturday, March 12, live on NBCSN from the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, Colo.

TICKETS GO ON SALE TOMORROW

LAS VEGAS (January 11, 2016) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today that the highly-anticipated showdown between reigning, undefeated lightweight (155 pounds) champion Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje and number one contender Brian Foster will take place at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, Colo. on Saturday, March 12, live on NBCSN at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Priced from $39.99, tickets for WSOF29: Gaethje vs. Foster go on sale tomorrow, Tuesday, Jan. 12 at 9 a.m. MT at WSOF.com and ComcastTix.com.

“This is a fight between two phenomenal athletes who are at the top of their games right now and whose fighting spirits are bound to make it an all-out war in the cage that will see the better man that night walk away as world champion,” said World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo.

One of the most dominant competitors on the World Series of Fighting roster whose fearless, go-for-broke style has captured the hearts of fans worldwide, the 27-year-old Gaethje (14-0) of Safford, Ariz. is coming off the third defense of his coveted title in which he scored an explosive, second round (4:30) TKO (punches) of rival Luis “Baboon” Palomino in a rematch between the two prolific stars, on September 18.

Six months prior, Gaethje and Palomino engaged in an epic, see-saw slugfest that saw Gaethje emerge victorious by way of TKO (leg kicks and punches) in the third round (3:57) that has since been nominated for “Fight of the Year” at the eighth annual Fighters Only World MMA Awards ceremony that takes place on February 5.

To date, Gaethje has claimed a total of eight wins in the World Series of Fighting decagon cage, with seven of those wins having come by way of (T)KO.  He was crowned the league’s inaugural lightweight kingpin after finishing Richard Patishnock by way of first round (1:09) TKO (punches and elbows) at WSOF8 on January 18, 2014.

Foster (25-8) of Sallisaw, Okla. earned his title shot on November 20 when the 31-year-old, decorated veteran staged a heroic effort, fighting three times in one night to win World Series of Fighting’s first-ever, one-night tournament featuring the top eight athletes in the league’s stacked lightweight division.

After suffering a first round (1:46) submission (heel hook) defeat to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace Joao Zeferino, Foster experienced a stroke of luck, advancing to the tournament’s semifinal stage of competition in place of an injured competitor, and capitalized on the opportunity by defeating Palomino via second round (4:19) TKO (punches) and Zeferino via second round (4:51) KO (punches) in a championship stage rematch, to claim first prize and a shot at Gaethje’s title.

A 10-year veteran of the sport, Foster has produced notable victories over Brock Larson, Forrest Petz and world top 10 ranked welterweight (170 pounds) superstar Matt Brown, whom Foster conquered by way of second round (2:11) submission (guillotine choke) on November 20, 2010.

Additional WSOF29 bouts will be announced soon.
Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

PIVOTAL WELTERWEIGHT PAIRING BETWEEN MICHAEL PAGE-FERNANDO GONZALEZ SET FOR CO-MAIN EVENT OF ‘BELLATOR 151: WARREN VS. CALDWELL’ ON MARCH 4

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SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (January 11, 2016) – The co-main event of Bellator MMA’s return to WinStar World Resort & Casino in Thackerville, OK on March 4 will feature undefeated striking sensation Michael “Venom” Page (9-0) taking on “The Menifee Maniac” Fernando Gonzalez (24-13) in welterweight action.

Tickets for “Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” are on sale now and start at just $45. You can purchase tickets at the WinStar World Casino and Resort Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com. Doors for the event open at 5:00 p.m. CT local time, with the first contest going down one hour later.

The main event of “Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” features yet another undefeated Bellator MMA competitor, when Darrion “The Wolf” Caldwell(8-0) faces “The Baddest Man on the Planet” Joe Warren (13-4). The televised card airs live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App. Additional bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.

 

Mixed martial arts fans and pundits alike would be hard-pressed to find a striker as dynamic as Page. Look no further than his last outing against Charlie Ontiveros, or his 65-second knockout of Rudy Bears. Now “Venom” looks to strike against Gonzalez, who is no stranger to being the underdog when he enters the Bellator MMA fray. A proud son of London, England, the 28-year-old Page has only reached the judges’ scorecards once in his nine professional outings and hopes that his first fight since “Bellator 144: Halsey vs. Carvalho” is no different.

 

Gonzalez took a brief hiatus from MMA to compete in the kickboxing portion of the groundbreaking “Bellator MMA: Dynamite 1” event in September, losing a tightly contest decision to world-renown kickboxer Paul “Semtex” Daley. Gonzalez now returns to his comfort zone of MMA, where he has strung together an impressive four-fight winning streak. A veteran of the Scott Coker-founded Strikeforce promotion, as well as World Extreme Cagefighting, Gonzalez has been competing professionally since 2003.

 

What type of shakeup will this pivotal matchup have to the warzone that is the 170-pound division, tune into the third Bellator MMA event in three consecutive weeks on Spike to find out!

 

Updated “Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” Fight Card:

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Main Event: Joe Warren (13-4) vs. Darrion Caldwell (8-0)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Co-Main Event: Michael Page (9-0) vs. Fernando Gonzalez (24-13)

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, 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:

Spike 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’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’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.

M-1, mixed martial arts, MMA

M-1 Global signs  Undefeated welterweight prospect  Alexey Kunchenko

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ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (January 11, 2016) – M-1 Global has announced its signing of undefeated Russian welterweight prospect Alexey Kunchenko (12-0-0, M-1: 4-0-0) to an exclusive promotional contract.
The 31-year-old Kunchenko, fighting out of Tyumen, Russia, has a Muay Thai foundation.  Representing the Boets Club, Kunchenko has nine knockouts, along with two submission and one decision victory.
At M-1 Challenge 62 last October, Kunchenko stopped Alexandre Ramos in punches in the third round.  (Below see picture of Kunchenko kicking Ramos)
 
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Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

DAVE RICKELS-BOBBY COOPER ADDED TO MAIN CARD OF ‘BELLATOR 150: GALVAO VS. DANTAS 2’

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SANTA MONICA, Calif. (January 6, 2015) – A lightweight contest pitting Dave “The Caveman” Rickels (16-4, 1 NC) against Bobby Cooper (12-5) has been added to the main card of “Bellator 150: Galvao vs. Dantas 2” at Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kansas on February 26.

 

In addition, Bellator MMA’s Bantamweight Championship will be on the line in a rematch pitting Marcos “Loro” Galvao (17-6-1) against former champion Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas (17-4) and heavyweight Cheick Kongo (23-10-2) will face Augusto Sakai (9-0).

 

The contests will take up three slots of the televised portion of “Bellator 150: Galvao vs. Dantas,” which airs live on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App. Additional fights will be announced shortly.

 

Tickets for “Bellator 150: Galvao vs. Dantas 2,” which start at just $27, are on sale now at KansasStarEventCenter.com or Ticketmaster.com, as well as the Kansas Star Arena box office.

 

A Bellator MMA event in Mulvane, Kansas just wouldn’t be the same without “The Caveman,” who will return to action for the first time since competing against Michael Chandler this past November. Rickels always comes ready to put on a show, whether it’s on his way to the cage, or when he’s taking on a who’s who of Bellator MMA lightweight talent. The 27-year-old will be making his 16th appearance under the promotional banner.

 

The last time Bobby Cooper fought inside the Kansas Star Arena, he took home a closely contested split decision victory over “Bellator 147” co-headlinerPablo Villaseca. Now, “Super Duper” will look to move to 3-0 under the Bellator MMA banner when he faces Rickels in hostile territory. It’s worth noting that the Missouri native has only lost twice in his last eight MMA appearances.

 

Updated “Bellator 150: Galvao vs. Dantas 2” Fight Card:

 

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Title Main Event: Marcos Galvao (17-6-1) vs. Eduardo Dantas (17-4)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Feature Bout: Cheick Kongo (23-10-2) vs. Augusto Sakai (9-0)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Co-Main Event: Dave Rickels (16-4, 1 NC) vs. Bobby Cooper (12-5)

 

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

INJURY POSTPONES BELLATOR MMA DEBUT OF JOSH KOSCHECK, PAUL DALEY-ANDY UHRICH PROMOTED TO MAIN EVENT BILLING

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RAPHAEL BUTLER-TONY JOHNSON SET TO CLASH ON MAIN CARD

 

ILIMA MACFARLANE-AMBER TACKETT ANCHOR ‘BELLATOR 148: DALEY VS. UHRICH’ PRELIMINARY CARD

 

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (January 6, 2015) – An injury sustained by Josh Koscheck (17-10) during training camp has derailed his Bellator MMA debut against Matt Secor (7-2), which was slated to be the main event of “Bellator 148” on January 29 at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif.

 

As a result, British knockout artist Paul “Semtex” Daley (37-13-2) against Andy Uhrich (11-5) will now serve as the headliner. Furthermore, a newly announced heavyweight encounter featuring Raphael Butler (9-1) against Tony Johnson (9-2) has been added to the main card.

 

The “Bellator 148: Daley vs. Uhrich” preliminary card is also continuing to take shape, with the news that Ilima Macfarlane (2-0) meets Amber Tackett(1-1) in flyweight action during a preliminary card that will stream LIVE on Bellator.com.

 

In addition to the aforementioned contests, Mason Fowler (2-0) meets Idrees Wasi (1-3) in welterweight action, Mark Dickman (10-2) takes on Thomas Diagne (5-5-1) at 145-pounds, and Paul Ruiz (6-2) fights Josh San Diego (5-1) in a bantamweight feature bout. Additional preliminary fights will be announced shortly, as will one final main card contest.

 

“Bellator 148: Daley vs. Uhrich” airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile Appat 5 p.m. PT. Tickets for the event start at only $25 and are on sale at the Save Mart Center Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com.

 

Macfarlane made a splash during her Bellator MMA debut back in August; defeating a game Maria Rios via split decision. The San Diego native is best known for her finish of Katie Castro during a regional event in the beginning of 2015, but she has made it clear during numerous interviews, as well as her performance inside the cage that she’s more than just some viral sensation. For a deeper dive on Macfarlane, look no further than these two pieces written by Bleacher Report and ESPN. Standing opposite of Macfarlane will be Tackett, who lives a short jaunt away from Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif., and has fought twice professionally since 2008.

 

2015 didn’t go as planned for Raphael Butler. The former professional boxer was forced to sit idle after Lorenzo Hood withdrew from their scheduled bout at “Bellator 141: Guillard vs. Girtz” shortly before they were supposed to enter the cage. But now it’s 2016, and the 31-year-old has big plans, beginning with his “Bellator 148: Koscheck vs. Secor” foe, Tony Johnson. Fresh off a victory against former Bellator MMA Heavyweight Champion Alexander Volkov, Johnson will once again look to implore his standout wrestling pedigree against a known striker to secure another victory.

 

Updated “Bellator 148: Daley vs. Uhrich” Fight Card

Bellator MMA Welterweight Main Event: Paul Daley (37-13-2) vs. Andy Uhrich (11-5)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Feature Bout: Chris Honeycutt (6-0, 1 NC) vs. Paul Bradley (22-6, 2 NC)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Feature Bout: Raphael Butler (9-1) vs. Tony Johnson (9-2)

 

Preliminary Card:

Bellator MMA Flyweight Feature Bout: Ilima Macfarlane (2-0) vs. Amber Tackett (1-1)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Anthony Avila (12-4) vs. John Reedy (11-6)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Feature Bout: Javy Ayala (8-4) vs. Carl Seumanutafa (9-6)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Art Arcienega (14-5) vs. Justin Smitley (9-7)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Feature Bout: Mason Fowler (2-0) vs. Idrees Wasi (1-3)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Mark Dickman (10-2) vs. Thomas Diagne (5-5-1)

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Feature Bout: Paul Ruiz (6-2) vs. Josh San Diego (5-1)

 

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT REMATCH PITTING FORMER CHAMPION EMANUEL NEWTON AGAINST LINTON VASSELL COMPLETES MAIN CARD OF ‘BELLATOR 149: SHAMROCK VS. GRACIE’

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SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (January 5, 2016) –The SPIKE-televised main card of “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” on Feb. 19 at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas is now complete, with the addition of a light heavyweight rematch featuring former Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight Champion Emanuel Newton (25-9-1) meeting Linton Vassell (15-5, 1 NC).

 

The fight joins a card that already features a double main event — Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) meets Royce Gracie (14-2-3) for a third time and Kimbo Slice (5-2) will fight the man who has been calling him out since their friendship ended years ago, Dhafir Harris, better known as “Dada 5000.” In featherweight action, Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) will look to continue his torrid pace when he meets Daniel Pineda (21-11) and a pair of lightweight assassins go to battle, when Melvin Guillard (35-15-2) returns to meet Mike Bronzoulis (18-9-1). Preliminary contests will be announced shortly.

 

Tickets for this mixed martial arts extravaganza start at just $30 and are on sale now at Bellator.com, as well as HoustonToyotaCenter.com, the Toyota Center Box Office and Houston area Randall’s locations.

 

“Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App.

 

Both Newton and Vassell were participants in the four-man, light-heavyweight No. 1 contender tournament at “Bellator MMA: Dynamite.” Now, the pair of 205-pounders will look to re-establish themselves atop one of the deepest and most competitive divisions in Bellator MMA.

 

A former champion, Newton will be making his 12th appearance for the Scott Coker-led promotion and hopes to duplicate the success he experienced at the expense of Vassell during “Bellator 130: Newton vs. Vassell” back in 2014. Better known as “The Hardcore Kid,” the 31-year-old has been half of some of the most memorable contests in Bellator MMA history, namely, his spinning-backfist finish of “King Mo” and his back-and-forth war with current Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight Champion Liam McGeary.

 

Undoubtedly one of the goals for Vassell in 2016 is finding his way onto the recently announced Bellator MMA debut in London later this year. For this to come to fruition, “The Swarm” surely needs to redeem himself from the fifth-round, rear-naked choke submission defeat he suffered at the hands of his“Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” opponent. February 19 will mark the seventh time Vassell has competed under the Bellator MMA banner and “The Swarm” will be looking to add to his impressive finishing mark of 13 stoppages in 15 victories.

 

 “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” Updated Fight Card

 

Bellator MMA Openweight Main Event: Ken Shamrock (28-16-2) vs. Royce Gracie (14-2-3)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Main Event: Kimbo Slice (5-2) vs. Dada 5000 (2-0)

Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight Feature Bout: Emanuel Newton (25-9-1) vs. Linton Vassell (15-5, 1 NC)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) vs. Daniel Pineda (21-11)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Feature Bout: Melvin Guillard (32-15-2) vs. Mike Bronzoulis (18-9-1)

mixed martial arts, MMA, World Series of Fighting

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING COMPLETES WSOF27 MAIN CARD WITH TWO NEW BOUTS FEATURING THREE UNBEATEN, RISING STARS

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Undefeated KO artist Jaleel “The Realist” Willis (pictured) will put his 5-0 record on the line against fellow unbeaten welterweight Chauncey Foxworth (2-0) at WSOF27 on Saturday, Jan 23, live on NBCSN from the FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn.

MAIN EVENT: CARLOS FODOR VS. MIKE RICCI
CO-MAIN: TEDDY HOLDER VS. SHAMIL GAMZATOV

LIVE ON NBCSN FROM FEDEXFORUM
IN MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 23
LAS VEGAS (January 5, 2016) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today that it has completed the live NBCSN televised (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT), main card portion of its inaugural event of the New Year that will also mark its debut at the FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn. on Saturday, Jan. 23, with two new bouts featuring three undefeated, rising stars.

In a lightweight (155 pounds) contest that will kick off the live NBCSN telecast of WSOF27, unbeaten Bryce “Thug Nasty” Mitchell will square off with Jorge Medina while, in a welterweight (170 pounds) matchup, Jaleel “The Realist” Willis and Chauncey “The Machine” Foxworth will put their respective, perfect records on the line against one another.

“We are looking forward to kicking off 2016 with another spectacular, action-packed fight card that is filled with our customary mix of established, name fighters and top level prospects that have been climbing the ranks of rival competitors in order to make it to the big show,” said World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo.

Bryce Mitchell vs. Jorge Medina

At just 21 years of age, Mitchell (4-0) of Searcy, Ark. is quickly gaining steam on the professional circuit and a reputation for being a considerable threat on the mat.  Since making his pro debut last January, he has produced first round submissions – three by way of rear-naked choke and the last by way of armbar – in all four of his starts.

As an amateur, Mitchell delivered similar results, earning all five of his victories between June 2013 and August 2014 by way of first round submission, en route to a near-perfect 5-1 record.

Mitchell’s opponent, Medina (4-2) of Nashville, Tenn., has also imposed his will on the canvas with phenomenal submission work, forcing his first three professional opponents to tap out from either strikes or from a rear-naked choke.

A product of Nashville MMA, the training camp that gave rise to notable stars such as Dustin Ortiz and undefeated Luke Sanders, Medina is looking to rebound from a second round (4:22) TKO (kicks) defeat at the hands of Pedro Gomes on March 28, 2015.

Jaleel Willis vs. Chauncey Foxworth

Willis (5-0) of Memphis is a former high school wrestling star who has carried his previous athletic success into the cage where he has been taken the distance of a fight just once over the course of five professional matchups.

Outside of the sole unanimous decision that he was the victor of, Willis has finished all of his adversaries inside of one round, and all with an onslaught of punches.

To date, Foxworth (2-0) of Hot Springs, Ark. has dominated similarly, scoring first round TKO’s in both of his efforts as a professional.  The 24-year-old competed as an amateur for nearly three years and 15 bouts, winning 7 of the contests by way of (T)KO or submission.

Tickets for WSOF27 start at just $39.99, and are on sale at WSOF.com, all Ticketmaster locations, ticketmaster.com, the FedExForum Box Office, or by phone at (800) 745-3000.

In the lightweight (155 pounds) main event, Mike “The Martian” Ricci will square off rival star Caros “The Future” Fodor.

The 29-year-old Ricci (11-4) of Montreal, Quebec, Canada is riding a three-fight win streak after scoring a highlight reel KO on Joe Condon with a head kick in the first round (2:41) of their WSOF25 quarterfinal stage tournament matchup on November 20, 2015.

Fodor (10-4) of Kirkland, Wash. is a 31-year-old protégé of Matt Hume and brother of fellow World Series of Fighting athlete Phoenix Jones, looking to notch his third consecutive win in his promotional debut after concluding a successful, four-fight run in Asia.

In the light heavyweight (205 pounds) co-main event, heavy-handed finisherTeddy Holder (9-2) of Bartlett, Tenn. will battle undefeated Shamil Gamzatov(9-0) of Makhachkala, Russia.

Gamzatov, the number two ranked light heavyweight in the Ukraine, has yet to be taken past the second round of a fight, while Holder has earned all nine of his professional career wins by way of (T)KO or submission.

The WSOF27 preliminary bout card will be announced soon.

For more information, visit fedexforum.com, ‘like’ FedExForum on Facebook or follow on Twitter (@FedExForum).
mixed martial arts, MMA, World Series of Fighting

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING RINGS IN THE NEW YEAR WITH EIGHT-HOUR TELEVISION MARATHON THISFRIDAY, JAN. 1 ON NBCSN  

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Four of 2015’s most action-packed events to air on New Year’s Day
LAS VEGAS (December 30, 2015) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) and NBCSN will treat fans to an action-packed, eight-hour television marathon featuring four of the world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) league’s most memorable events of 2015, this Friday, Jan. 1, beginning at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT.

The New Year’s Day run will kick off with a replay of WSOF22: Palhares vs. Shields, which was highlighted by a welterweight world championship fight between then-reigning champion Rousimar Palhares and superstar Jake Shields, and will conclude with a re-airing of WSOF25: 8-Man Lightweight Tournament, featuring the first one-night tournament in World Series of Fighting history.

“We are excited to head into our fourth year of league operations in 2016 and, thanks to our great television partner, NBCSN, look forward to kicking off the New Year in full force with an extensive run of programming featuring some phenomenal action from our 2015 library,” said World Series of Fighting CEO Carlos Silva.

“We are excited to provide fans with the opportunity to relive some of the incredible, world championship MMA action that highlighted a tremendous year for World Series of Fighting in 2015,” said Gary Quinn, NBC Sports Group’s vice president of programming.

The marathon will include WSOF23: Gaethje vs. Palomino that was headlined by one of the most talked about battles of the year – the world lightweight (155 pounds) championship matchup between reigning, undefeated champion Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje and challenger Luis Palomino.  The title bout was named Fight of the Month in March, and led to a worthy rematch between the two stars six months later.

Also slotted into the eight-hour programming run is WSOF24: Fitch vs. Okami, which saw two former top 10 welterweight (170 pounds) superstars and decorated veterans, Jon Fitch and Yushin Okami, battle in the main event.

Live World Series of Fighting action will return to NBCSN from Memphis, Tenn. onSaturday, Jan. 23 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, with a four-fight telecast headlined by a lightweight collision between rival stars Caros “The Future” Fodor and Mike “The Martian” Ricci.

Complete World Series of Fighting programming schedule on NBCSN forFriday, Jan 1:

5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT – WSOF22: Palhares vs. Shields
7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT – WSOF23: Gaethje vs. Palomino
9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT – WSOF24: Fitch vs. Okami
11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT – WSOF25: 8-Man Lightweight Tournament

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 visit WSOF.com and follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries.  WSOF and World Series of Fighting are registered trademarks of MMAWC, LLC.