Tag Archives: Mixed Martial Arts

Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV, women's MMA

BELLATOR MMA SIGNS KERI ANNE TAYLOR-MELENDEZ TO AN EXCLUSIVE, MULTI-FIGHT KICKBOXING & MMA CONTRACT

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SANTA MONICA, Calif. (July 24, 2015) – Bellator MMA is pleased to announce the signing of Keri Anne Taylor-Melendez to an exclusive, multi-fight deal. The 31-year-old has previously competed in kickboxing and muay Thai, but fully intends on transitioning to the sport of mixed martial arts in the future.

 

Taylor-Melendez will debut as a kickboxer in front of her home town on June 19 at the highly anticipated “Bellator: Dynamite”show in San Jose, Calif. An opponent for Taylor-Melendez has yet to be decided upon.

 

The spouse of former WEC and Strikeforce Champion Gilbert Melendez and co-owner of El Nino Training Center in San Francisco, Taylor-Melendez first took up combat sports close to 10 years ago, making a name for herself on unsanctioned cards held in the Bay Area. After racking up a 4-1 amateur record, she took her talents to the professional circuit, where she currently holds a 2-1 kickboxing record.

 

“I’m very honored for the opportunity to fight on such a big stage with a great promotion and promoter. I actually fought for Scott Coker before Gilbert and we both have a great relationship with him, so I feel very comfortable with this situation,” Taylor-Melendez said. “Even though I haven’t been super active as a fighter I have never really stopped training and look forward to testing my skills as a muay Thai fighter and a mixed martial artist. My goal is to go out there and do my best and make my daughter, my family and team proud.”

Fight Network, mixed martial arts

Fight Network Presents Battlefield Fight League 37 LIVE Saturday, July 25 at 11 p.m. ET 

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TORONTO (July 23, 2015) – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents a live broadcast of Battlefield Fight League 37: Gladiator this Saturday, July 25 at 11 p.m. ET, emanating from the Hardrock Casino in Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada.

 

Fight Network’s live broadcast of BFL 37 will air on Cablevision’s Optimum TV, Suddenlink Communications, Grande Communications, Shentel Cable and Armstrong Cable in the U.S., nationwide in Canada, Roku devices across North America, and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

 

In the main event, the BFL middleweight title is on the line as Ryan Janes (7-1) battles Brendan Kornberger (5-1). In other featured bouts, Dejan Kajic (6-4-2) meets David Perron (7-4) in a 175-pound catch-weight affair, once-beaten Super Fight League standout Gary Mangat (7-1) returns to the BFL cage opposite American Damon Wood (5-4) in a 128-pound matchup, Shawn Albrecht (11-6) takes on Tristan Connelly (4-4) in a lightweight duel, plus Curtis Harriott (0-0) makes his BFL debut against Ryan Ballingall (4-9) in 180-pound action.

 

In addition to the live BFL 37 broadcast, Fight Network presents a pre-show for UFC Fight Night Chicago: Dillashaw vs. Barao 2 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

 

For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit tv.fightnetwork.com, follow us on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.
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
Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

LORENZO HOOD SET FOR PROMOTIONAL DEBUT AGAINST RAPHAEL BUTLER DURING MAIN CARD OF ‘BELLATOR: GUILLARD VS. GIRTZ’ ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 28 AT PECHANGA RESORT & CASINO

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Easy Tweet: Heavyweights with KOs for days! @RealThaSilencer takes on @hood_zo at #Bellator141

August 28, at @PechangaCasino and only on @spike

 B141_IG_butler_v_hood

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (July 22, 2015) – The highly anticipated promotional debut of Lorenzo “The Samoan Silverback” Hood (9-2) will come on the main card of “Bellator MMA: Guillard vs. Girtz” against Raphael “The Silencer” Butler (9-1-1) on Friday, Aug. 28 at Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, Calif.

 

The contest will serve as the opening main card bout of “Bellator MMA: Guillard vs. Girtz,” which airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, with preliminary bouts streaming on Spike.com at 7 p.m. ET. Additional bouts will be announced shortly.

 

Tickets for the event, which start at just $50, are on sale now at Pechanga.com and the Pechanga Resort & Casino box office. Doors for the event open at 4 p.m. PT local time, and the first contest takes place one hour later.

 

In the evening’s main event, Melvin “The Young Assassin” Guillard (32-14-2, 2 NC) will face Brandon “Cold Roll” Girtz (11-4). The co-headliner will feature lightweight action when Saad Awad (18-6) takes Patricky “Pitbull” Freire (13-6).

 

One of the most sought-after heavyweight prospects in MMA, the 6-foot-3 Hood has been competing professionally since 2009 and has never allowed a fight to go past the first round. Of his nine career victories, each and every one has come by knockout. Hood has fought throughout the U.S. while competing on the regional circuit, earning himself the distinction of being one of the top heavyweight prospects in the sport.

 

“The Silencer” started his combat sports career as a professional boxer, where he racked up 28 knockouts in his 35 total victories, and still trains with high caliber strikers including Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder. Butler now makes his seventh appearance under the Bellator MMA banner, his first since finishing Josh Diekmann at “Bellator MMA: British Invasion” this past February. Much like Hood, the Minnesota native has never allowed a match-up to reach the judges’ scorecards, accruing six knockouts and three submissions along the way.

With all the hype surrounding the debut of Hood, Butler will look to play the role of spoiler when he enters the Bellator MMA cage for second time in 2015.

Fight Network, Judo, kickboxing, mixed martial arts

Fight Network weekly MMA, Judo & Kickboxing programming (July 20-26)

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 (U.S. only schedule. For full Canadian schedule, please visit tv.fightnetwork.com from your region.)


Fight Network is a 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports. It airs programs focused on the entire scope of the combat sports genre, including live fights and up-to-the-minute news and analysis for mixed martial arts, kickboxing, professional wrestling, traditional martial arts, boxing, fight news, as well as fight-themed drama series, documentaries and feature films.

 

Below find highlights of this week’s programming:

Monday, July 20

7:00 p.m. ET – 5 Rounds – Fight Network’s John Ramadeen and Robin Black invice special guests to breakdown the weekend of MMA action.

7:30 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.

8:00 p.m. ET – Final Fight Championship 14 MMA: Krisic vs. Racic – Featuring Lemmy Krusic vs. Antun Racic from Oct. 3, 2014 in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

10:00 p.m. ET – Final Fight Championship 14 Kickboxing: Petje vs. Mikelic – Featuring Samo Petje vs. Teo Mikelic and Mirko Vorkapic vs. Kevin Hessling from Oct. 3, 2014 in Ljubljana, Slovenia..

Tuesday, July 21

1:30 a.m. ET – XPTV – Coverage of regional U.S. professional and amateur MMA events.

7:30 a.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.

4:00 p.m. ET — – 5 Rounds Today – Video podcast with John Ramdeen and Robin Black breaking down a wide variety of topics in the MMA world, including previews of upcoming events and all the latest rumors and headlines.

5:00 & 5:30 p.m. ET – Xtreme Fighting Championship – Florida-based pro MMA featuring top American prospects, international stars and UFC veterans.

8:00 p.m. ET – 5 Rounds – Hosts John Ramdeen and Robin Black invite special guests to break down the weekend of MMA action.

8:30 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.

10:00 p.m. ET – 5 Rounds Today – Video podcast with John Ramdeen and Robin Black breaking down a wide variety of topics in the MMA world, including previews of upcoming events and all the latest rumors and headlines.

11:00 p.m. ET – Ring of Combat 50 – Featuring George Sheppard vs. Jeff Lentz, Phillipe Nover vs. Dan Cion, Julio Arce vs. Thomas Vasquez and Chris Piriz vs. Leo Muniz from Jan. 23, 2015 in Atlantic City, NJ.

Wednesday, July 22

3:00 a.m. ET – Texas Fight Night – MMA action from Texas featuring the Lone Star State’s top prospects in the cage.

6:00 p.m. ET – Best of Cage Rage – Featuring classic fights from the UK-based Cage Rage organization with Anderson Silva, Antonio Silva, Victor Belfort, Paul Daley and others.

7:00 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra: MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and feature.

7:30 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.

8:00 p.m. ET – Cage Warriors FC: Fight Night 6 – Featuring MMA action from Qatar featuring international stars and up-and-coming prospects.

11:00 p.m. ET – MMA Meltdown with Gabriel Morency – Gabriel Morency breaks down all the happenings in MMA, discussing odds, predictions, plus special weekly guests and exclusive interviews.

11:30 p.m. ET – TakeDown Wrestling – Extensive coverage of amateur wrestling events, including the latest news, behind-the-scenes coverage from events and exclusive interviews.

Thursday, July 23

1:30 a.m. & 1:00 p.m. ET – Ultimate Challenge MMA 17: Kings of the Cage – Featuring Ben Smith vs. Irving Daniels from Dec. 4, 2010 in London.

3:30 a.m. ET – Fighting Spirit MMA Season 4 – Compilation of international fights from SFL, Legend, FFC, M-1 and others.

6:00 p.m. ET – Championship Fighting Alliance – Pro MMA from Florida featuring the likes of Josh Sampo, Mike Kyle, John Howard, Sean McCorkie, Luis Palomino and others.

7:00 p.m. ET – Fighting Rookies – Aspiring kickboxers climb the ladder of success in the sport as rookies compete for a chance to become professionals and get experience needed to succeed at a higher level.

8:00 p.m. ET – Fight News Now: MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and features.

8:30 p.m. ET — Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.

9:00 p.m. ET – GFC 5: Saki vs. Ciobanu – Pro kickboxing from Dubai, U.A.E., featuring Gokhan Saki vs. Sebastien Ciobanu, plus Steve McKinnon vs. Zabit Samedov and Jafar Ahmadi vs. Danyo Ilunga.

Friday, July 24

12:00 a.m. ET – It’s Showtime Special – The world’s premier kickboxing organization featuring Badr Hari, Melvin Manhoef and Giorgio Petrosyan.

2:00 a.m. ET – Pancrase Classics – Classic pioneering MMA battles featuring Ken Shamrock, Frank Shamrock, Bas Rutten, Nate Marquardt, Chael Sonnen and others.

4:00 a.m. ET – Best of DEEP – Featuring classic fights from the historic Japanese DEEP promotion including Shinya Aoki, Hayato Sakurai and Gerard Mousasi.

5:00 a.m. ET – Best of Jewels – Classic fights from the all-female Japanese MMA League, Jewels.

12:00 p.m. ET – Bookie Beatdown – Preview of the betting lines and top picks for major UFC events.

5:00 p.m. ET – UFC Fight Night: Dillashaw vs. Barao 2 Weigh-ins – LIVE coverage of official weigh-ins for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

6:00 p.m. ET — M-1 Challenge– Pro MMA from Europe and Russia featuring top prospects and international stars.

7:00 p.m. ET – Fight News Now: MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and features.

7:30 p.m. ET — Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.

8:00 p.m. ET – UFC Fight Night: Dillashaw vs. Barao 2 Pre-Show – Pre-fight coverage and analysis for UFC Fight Night: Dillashaw vs. Barao 2 in Chicago.

8:30 p.m. ET – Hip Show: Arena Combat – Tag-team MMA inside a 12m by 12m arena with three-level obstacle structures.

Saturday, July 25

8:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m. & 7:30 p.m. ET – UFC Fight Night: Dillashaw vs. Barao 2 Pre-Show – Pre-fight coverage and analysis for UFC Fight Night: Dillashaw vs. Barao 2 in Chicago.

6:00 a.m. ET – Best of TKO – Featuring Urijah Faber vs. Ivan Menjivar from TKO 24.

7:00 a.m. ET – Best of Gladiator Challenge – Featuring Keith Jardine vs. Amir Rahnavardi from Gladiator Challenge 5.

8:30 a.m. ET – Pancrase Classics – Classic pioneering MMA battles featuring Ken Shamrock, Frank Shamrock, Bas Rutten, Name Marquardt, Chael Sonnen and others.

4:00 p.m. ET – Deep: 70 Impact– Featuring Yoshiyuki Nakanisho vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura and Yuta Watanabe vs. Yuya Shirai from, Dec. 21, 2014 in Tokyo.

8:00 p.m. ET – Enfusion Live #30 Dublin: Philpott vs. Jaraya – Featuring Alan Philpott vs. Mohammed Jaraya and Ilias Bulaid vs., Simon Santana in championship fights from July 11, 2105 in Dublin, Ireland.

10:00 p.m. ET – Fighting Spirit MMA Season 4 – Compilation of international fights from SFL, Legend, FFC, M-1 and others.

11:00 p.m. ET – Battlefield Fight League 37 – LIVE MMA from Coquitlam, BC, Canada, featuring Jeremy Kennedy vs. Kyle Nelson and Ryan Janes vs. Brendan Kornberger in championship fights.

Sunday, July 26

6:00 a.m. ET – Pancrase Classics – Classic pioneering MMA battles featuring Ken Shamrock, Frank Shamrock, Bas Rutten, Name Marquardt, Chael Sonnen and others.

1:00 p.m. ET – Australian Fighting Championship 9 – Featuring Corey Nelson vs. Callan Potter and Gustavo Falciroli vs. Kaiwhare Kara-France from May 17, 2014 in New South Eales, Austrailia.

11:00 a.m. ET – Best of ADCC – Featuring compilations of the greatest grappling matches ever held, featuring Tito Ortiz, Matt Hughes, Eddie Bravo, Fabricio Werdum, Marcelo Garcia, Ronaldo Souza and Royler Gracie.

12:00 p.m. ET – Elite Muay Thai: Thailand vs. Challenger – The biggest Muay Thai series in the world featuring premium international stand-up fighters taking on the renowned Thai National Team

5:00 p.m. & 10:30 p.m. ET – USA Wrestling Weekly – Host Scott Casber gives weekly news and analysis centering around USA Wrestling, the sport’s national governing body, including interviews, features, and a look back at the past.

5:30 p.m. ET – Judo Dusseldorf Grand Prix 2015 – Highlights from the Judo Dusseldorf Grand Slam – Highlights from the Judo Dusseldorg Grand Tokyo Grand Prix from Feb. 20-22 in Germany.

11:00 p.m. ET – Enfusion Live #24: Lazaar vs. Venneste – Featuring Ismael Lazaar vs. Thomas Vanneste for the Enfusion heavyweight world title from Feb. 7, 2015 in Eindhoven, Netherlands.

 

INFORMATION:

 

www.FightNetwork.com

 

Twitter & Instagram @fightnet

 

www.Facebook.com/FightNetwork

 
ABOUT FIGHT NETWORK:  Fight Network is the world’s premier combat sports network dedicated to 24/7 coverage, including fights, fighters, fight news and fight lifestyle. The channel is available in the U.S. on Cablevision in parts of New York, Connecticut and New Jersey, Texas-based Grande Communications, Armstrong Cable in Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio, as well as on Shentel Cable in Virginia, West Virginia and portions of western Maryland. Fight Network is also on Roku set top boxes in the U.S. and Canada, streamed live on website KlowdTV.com, and available on all major carriers in Canada and more than 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
mixed martial arts, WFF

MMA LIVE – THIS SATURDAY- TUCSON

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THIS SATURDAY
JULY 25, 2015
Casino Del Sol Resort, Tucson

JULY 25 PRO FIGHT CARD

170 TITLE:  Raymond Pina vs Kyle Stewart

170  Andy Perez vs Tiki Aquino
145  Alejandro Arredondo vs Ramon Lopez
125 TITLE: Brandon Moreno vs Tyler Bialecki
125  Justin Rascon vs Sleepy Soliven

JULY 25 AMATEUR FIGHT CARD

125  Josh Madrigal vs Israel Serrano
135 TITLE  Ralphy Pacheco vs Steven Prior
145  Dorian Ramos vs Julio Cisneros
145  Eric Johnson vs Tyler Naas
155  Levi Escobar vs Antonio Garcia
155  Buddy Rodriguez vs Sterling Throssell
170  Wesley Pierce vs Tyler Cattey

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS

**This is an Indoor Event – Seating is Limited**
**ALL AGES EVENT**

 
OR

Watch the Fights LIVE on

www.WFFMMA.com for $9.99

Fight Card Subject To Change

FUTURE EVENT DATES
AUGUST 22 – CHANDLER
OCTOBER 3 – TUCSON
NOVEMBER 7 – CHANDLER

mixed martial arts, RFA

RFA 29 – USA vs. BRAZIL 

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 MAIN EVENT:

RICKY MUSGRAVE vs. RAONI BARCELOS
FEATHERWEIGHT WORLD TITLE

 CO-MAIN EVENT:
JORDON LARSON vs. ACKSON JUNIOR
 ALSO FEATURING:
JOCELYN JONES-LYBARGER vs. KINBERLY NOVAES

HONORARY COACHES:
 ROBBIE LAWLER vs. LYOTO MACHIDA
FRIDAY, AUGUST 21st LIVE ON AXSTV
LIVE at The Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, SD 
 
Tickets on Sale through Ticketmaster.com 
LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA) president Ed Soares announced today that RFA 29 will feature a team battle pitting top American prospects against top Brazilian prospects, when the MMA promotion returns to South Dakota next month. The honorary coaches will be current UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler (Team USA) and former UFC light-heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida (Team Brazil). RFA 29 will be headlined with an RFA featherweight title fight between top-contenders Ricky Musgrave and Raoni Barcelos. The event takes place Friday, August 21st at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The entire main card will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.

“RFA 29 will have a USA vs. Brazil team concept that will feature some of the top MMA prospects from each country,” stated Soares. “Robbie Lawler and Lyoto Machida will be the honorary coaches for each team. In the main event, Ricky Musgrave and Raoni Barcelos will also be competing for the vacant RFA featherweight title. This entire card is stacked and I can’t wait to see what happens at RFA 29 on Friday, August 21st.”
Tickets for RFA 29 – USA vs. Brazil are available for purchase NOW through Ticketmaster.com. You can also support your favorite fighter buy purchasing your tickets through CageTix.com.
Musgrave (14-4) is riding a considerable wave of momentum coming into this title fight. In his most recent outing, “The Spazmanian Devil” scored a dominant first round TKO win over four-time UFC vet and jiu-jitsu black belt Alvin Robinson at RFA 22 in January. The win took place in Musgrave’s hometown of Colorado Springs, Colorado and extended his winning streak to four fights in a row. The former U.S. Army Ranger has won six of seven fights over the last two and a half years and he is eager to bring home a title that he has had his eyes on for awhile.
“I’ve asked for it, I’ve waited for it, and now it’s finally here,” Musgrave said about his RFA title shot. “Everyone at Pariah MMA in Colorado Springs is excited about this and our gym is about to be put on the map. Barcelos is a tough kid, very aggressive, and a worthy opponent. I’m excited to get in there and fight.”
Barcelos (8-1) also returns to the RFA octagon fresh off a scintillating first round finish. The win came via KO over the previously undefeated NCAA Division I All-American wrestler Jamal Parks at RFA 23 in February. The bout was the Brazilian dynamo’s third for the promotion and he was able to showcase his well-rounded skill set in devastating fashion. On top of his tremendous KO power, Barcelos is a world class jiu-jitsu black belt that began training “the gentle art” with his father, black-and-red belt Laerte Barcelos, when he was just two-years old. The Nova União standout now looks to add the RFA featherweight title to his lengthy list of athletic accomplishments.
“I am very happy to fight for the RFA world title,” stated Barcelos. “RFA is an event that has been showing a lot of talent for the world to see. I’m sure with this fight I will have the opportunity to be recognized for my work. It’s a dream come true and an honor to be a champion of a great event like the RFA.”
The co-main event of RFA 29 will feature two welterweight MMA prospects, who are quickly rising the ranks of a historically deep division. The first is one of the most beloved fighters in the state of South Dakota. That would be none other than Jordon Larson (6-1), who was born and raised in Sioux Falls, but currently trains out of Power MMA in Gilbert, Arizona. Larson has been the recipient of two of the loudest ovations in RFA history and will be looking for his third onAugust 21st. He will be tasked with facing Brazilian juggernaut Ackson Junior (5-0), who trains out of the famed X-Gym in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. “Tank Russo” has been sensational fighting inside of his home continent of South America. He has stopped all five men he has faced with only one of those bouts lasting more than one round.

RFA 29 will also feature the biggest and most important women’s MMA bout to ever take place in the state of South Dakota. RFA fan favorite Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger (5-1) will be the female representative for Team USA. Jones-Lybarger has won all three of her fights in the RFA since making her debut for the promotion in 2014. The MMA LAB standout will be looking for her fourth win in the fourth different state she has fought in for the promotion. She has been given a tough assignment, which will see her clash with the highly-regarded Brazilian strawweight Kinberly Novaes (8-2). Novaes is a dynamic striker that trains under UFC and PRIDE vet Cristiano Marcello at CM System in Curitiba, Brazil. Noaves is perhaps best known for scoring a second round TKO victory over top-ranked UFC bantamweight Jessica Andrade in just her third professional fight.

Additional bouts at RFA 29 – USA vs. Brazil will be announced soon. RFA 29 will be the promotion’s third event to take place in “The Mount Rushmore State” of South Dakota since the state sanctioned MMA last summer. The entire main card of RFA 29 – USA vs. Brazil will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT on Friday, August 21st.

Please visit RFAfighting.com for bout updates and information. RFA is also on Facebook at Facebook.com/RFAfighting, Instagram at @RFAfighting, and Twitter at @RFAfighting.
About RFA: RFA is a professional mixed martial arts promotion that gives rising stars and top contenders the opportunity to prove their talent to fans and leaders in the industry. The RFA presents live events on a monthly basis around the United States including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Denver and Milwaukee. RFA can be seen live in over 43 million homes nationally through its television deal with AXS TV. Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, RFA is one of the most active and respected MMA organizations in the fastest growing sport in the world. (The Octagon, Ultimate Fighting Championship®, UFC®, and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC. All rights reserved).

About AXS TV Fights: AXS TV Fights is renowned for its universally recognized Friday Night Mixed Martial Arts and Kickboxing events. As Your Home For MMA, AXS TV utilizes an expansive network of promotions from the United States, Canada, and Europe. And Asia to broadcast more LIVE fights than any other television network. “The Voice” Michael Schiavello and five-time MMA world-champion Pat Miletich provide viewers expert play-by-play, in-depth fighter coverage, and extensive analysis to each fight card. AXS TV broadcasts world-class LIVE fight events from RFA, Lion Fight, Legacy FC, and MFC every Friday night at 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET.
Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, New England Fights

FORMER MAIN EVENTER TO RETURN AFTER MORE THAN TWO YEARS

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Lewiston, Maine (July 17, 2015) – New England Fights (NEF), America’s number-one regional fight promotion, will hold its nineteenth mixed-martial-arts (MMA) event, “NEF XIX,” on Saturday, September 12, 2015 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine.  Earlier today, the promotion announced the addition of a professional welterweight bout to the fight card.  Darrius Heyliger (4-2) has signed to face Brandon Chagnon (5-4) at a fight weight of 170-pounds.

 

Darrius Heyliger was a regular on the main card of NEF events during the promotion’s infancy.  Making the long trip from his home in Ithaca, New York several times, Heyliger built quite the fan following for himself in Maine and became one of the most popular out-of-state fighters competing in NEF.  Heyliger impressed many with his victories over Jarod Lawton (4-2) and Josh Bellows (1-2).  He would go on to headline “NEF VII” against the legendary Marcus Davis (22-11) in one of the biggest fights in NEF history.  That bout, in May 2013, was the last time Heyliger would compete in NEF, or any promotion for that matter, until “NEF XIX.”

 

“I feel like the time away from the sport was needed, and I’m now ready to take over and dominate,” said Heyliger.  “And to make my comeback fight in front of the Maine fans and for NEF, where the support is so strong, makes it that much better.”

 

“We’re really excited to have Darrius coming back,” said NEF co-owner and matchmaker Matt Peterson.  “He’s one of those fighters the fans are always asking us to bring back.  His fight with Jarod Lawton was one of the most brutal to ever take place in the NEF cage.  He’ll have his work cut out for him with Brandon Chagnon though.”

 

Brandon Chagnon began competing in MMA over seven years ago.  He is a member of Mark DellaGrotte’s world-renown Sityodtong located in Somerville, Massachusetts.  Chagnon is also a trainer at TITLE Boxing Club in North Andover, Massachusetts.  He has won his last two fights in a row, both by submission.  Like his opponent, Chagnon has not competed in quite some time, his last bout taking place in the spring of 2014.  He is confident that he can defeat Heyliger on September 12 in Lewiston.

 

“I am excited I get the chance to compete in a state I haven’t previously fought in, and in front of a new crowd who might have not had the chance to see me compete before,” said Chagnon.  “This is my tenth professional MMA fight, so it is important to me to go out make a statement.  I train with what is highly regarded as the best team in the northeast and they are like family to me.  With them standing behind me, I know that if I fight at my full potential, I am trouble for any 170-pound fighter.  From what I know, Darrius seems like a tough opponent and we have similar records on paper.  However, I have no doubt in my mind that I will be walking away with another win.”

 

New England Fights’ next event, “NEF XIX,” takes place on Saturday, September 12, 2015 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine.  Tickets for “NEF XIX” start at just $25 and are on sale now at www.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisée box office at 207.783.2009 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.

Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN RESULTS, PHOTOS AND INFORMATION FROM ‘BELLATOR 140: LIMA VS. KORESHKOV’

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Uncasville, CT. (July 16, 2015) – The official weigh-ins for “Bellator 140: Lima vs. Koreshkov” concluded today from The Mohegan Sun Arena, with both Welterweight Champion Douglas Lima (26-5) and his opponent Andrey Koreshkov (17-1) hitting their 170-pound marks.

 

In addition to the aforementioned headliner, Bellator 140, which airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT, features four additional must-see welterweight attractions.

 

In the co-main event, the explosive Paul “Semtex” Daley (36-13) looks to put an end to the present winning streak of Dennis Olson(14-8). Daley looks to impress once again when he competes in Connecticut, following up on his victory at “British Invasion” in February.

Hometown favorite “Irish” Brennan Ward (10-3) looks to remain undefeated in 2015 when he meets Roger Carroll (16-11), who replaced Gavin Sterritt on short notice. “Irish” has not been involved in a fight that reached the judges’ scorecards since 2012.

Undefeated Edinboro University of Pennsylvania wrestling standout Chris “The Cutt” Honeycutt (6-0) receives the toughest test of his career, when he meets fellow All-American wrestler and nine-year MMA veteran Paul “The Gentleman” Bradley (22-6).

In the opening televised bout of the evening, Michael “Venom” Page (7-0) will attempt to return to his impressive trend of finishing fights when he faces 29-fight veteran Rudy “Bad News” Bears (16-13). “MVP” was originally slated to compete in February, but during the lead-up to the bout, sustained a cut that has kept him out of action since last year.

CLICK HERE FOR ALL WEIGH-IN PHOTOS

Main Card (9 p.m. ET)

 

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Douglas Lima (170 lbs.) vs. Andrey Koreshkov (170 lbs.)

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Paul Daley (171 lbs.) vs. Dennis Olson (173 lbs.)

*Olson fined for missing weight

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Brennan Ward (171 lbs.) vs. Roger Carroll (171 lbs.)

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Chris Honeycutt (171 lbs.) vs. Paul Bradley (171 lbs.)

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Michael Page (171 lbs.) vs. Rudy Bears (170.75 lbs.)

 

Preliminary Card (6:45 p.m. ET) 

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Kaline Medeiros (124.25 lbs.) vs. Sarah Payant (128.5 lbs.)

*Payant fined for missing weight

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Dean Hancock (155.75 lbs.) vs. Alex Dunworth (155.25 lbs.)

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Ryan Quinn (159.75 lbs.) vs. Waylon Lowe (160 lbs.)

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Billy Giovanella (125.75 lbs.) vs. Remo Cardarelli (123 lbs.)

Blair Tugman (136 lbs.) vs. Kin Moy (138.25 lbs.)

*Moy fined for missing weight

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Parker Porter (260.25 lbs.) vs. Eric Bedard (257 lbs.)

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Ilya Kotau (170.5 lbs.) vs. Nicolas Sergiacomi (171 lbs.)

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