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Tag Archives: Mixed Martial Arts
DREAM MATCHES, BELLATOR VETERANS & TITLE FIGHTS TOP NEF 29 FIGHT CARD
Lewiston, Maine (June 1, 2017) – New England Fights (NEF) returns to the Androscoggin Bank Colisee on June 17 with a fight card featuring both mixed-martial-arts (MMA) and professional boxing bouts. Earlier today, the promotion announced the full fight card for the event. The fight card is subject to approval of the Combat Sports Authority of Maine (CSAM). The boxing portion of the card will begin at 7 pm EDT with the MMA card to immediately follow.
In a highly-anticipated “Superfight,” Maine MMA star Bruce “Pretty Boy” Boyington (14-9 MMA, 1-0 boxing) will take on Maine’s premier boxer Russell “The Haitian Sensation” Lamour, Jr. (15-2, 7 KOs) in a six-round boxing bout. The fight will be a dream match for fans who never expected to see each sports’ top in-state athletes face one another. Boyington and Lamour have both been featured in nationally-televised bouts on NBC and ESPN in recent years. Lamour is the former New England Middleweight Champion, while Boyington held the NEF MMA Lightweight Title until relinquishing it last year to sign with the World Series of Fighting (WSOF) global promotion.
“Bruce and Russell are at the top of their respective games,” noted NEF co-owner and matchmaker Matt Peterson. “Russell is a great boxer, and he’s going to face a superb striker in the form of Taekwondo black belt Bruce Boyington. This is a true dream match for Maine fight fans.”
The professional MMA portion of the fight card will feature the long-awaited return of former NEF MMA Featherweight Champion Ray “All Business” Wood (8-3) as he faces Brazilian prospect Alexandre “Popo” Bezerra (19-5). Wood left Maine more than two years ago to re-settle in South Carolina and then Texas. Both Wood and Bezerra are veterans of the Bellator cage with a dozen fights between them for the national promotion.
“When you consider both sides, this is probably the highest-level fight to ever take place in NEF,” said NEF co-owner and promoter Nick DiSalvo. “This fight could easily be slid into any UFC card on FS1 or Fox and steal the show. Either one of these athletes could get the call up after this fight. Our fans are about to see something special.”
The amateur MMA card will be headlined by a title fight with Rafael “Deez Nuts” Velado (4-0) defending the amateur lightweight championship against Maine Amateur Wrestling Alliance Hall of Famer Pat Kelly(3-0). At age 52, Kelly will be the oldest fighter to ever challenge for an NEF title.
In addition to the fights, legendary boxer James “Buster” Douglas (38-6-1, 25 KOs) will make an appearance at “NEF 29” as the guest of honor. Douglas will hold an hour-long meet-and-greet with fans at the Colisee from 6 pm to 7 pm prior to the opening bell. Longtime fans will remember Douglas as the architect of the greatest upset in professional sports history with his knockout of “Iron” Mike Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs) in 1990 to claim the world heavyweight title. Douglas halted the 37-fight undefeated streak that opened Tyson’s pro career.
The full “NEF 29” fight card (subject to change and approval of CSAM):
PROFESSIONAL BOXING
200 Crowsneck Boutin (Independent) vs. Cristiano Pedro (Cugno)
168 Jason Quirk (PBC) vs. Borngod Washington (Meekins)
160 Russell Lamour (PBC) vs. Bruce Boyington (Boyington’s TKD)
154 Casey Kramlich (PBC) vs. Bryan Goldsby (Jorge Gurgle)
PROFESSIONAL MMA
265 Ras Hylton (First Class/Dragon Fire) vs. Eric Ramsey (Trinity)
145 Alexandre Bezerra (Daddis) vs. Ray Wood (Nick’s)
145 Dominic Jones (First Class) vs. Matt Denning (CMBJJ)
145 Andre Belcarris (NE Assassins) vs. Josh Parker (Ruthless)
AMATEUR MMA
155*TITLE Rafael Velado (First Class) (c) vs. Pat Kelly (Young’s)
185 Mike Williams (CMBJJ) vs. John Tefft (First Class)
185 Anthony Spires (Independent) vs. Josh Jones (First Class)
150 Jacob Deppmeyer (First Class) vs. Ben Harrington(CMBJJ)
145 Derek Daley (First Class) vs. Frank Johanson (CMBJJ)
140 Glenn Kasabian (Nostos) vs. Kam Arnold (CMBJJ)
115 Alex Walker (Kaze) vs. Sarah Ziehm (CMBJJ)
New England Fights returns to the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine with its next event, “NEF 29: STARS & STRIPES,” on Saturday, June 17, 2017. Tickets are on sale now at the Colisee box office 207-783-2009 x 525 and online at www.TheColisee.com. The event will be broadcast live on the FloCombat app on Roku and Apple TV and streamed live at www.FloCombat.com.
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.
Fight Network to Live Broadcast M-1 Challenge 79, Fight Nights Global 68, LFA 13 & Extensive UFC 212 Fight Coverage
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BELLATOR MMA SIGNS HEAVYWEIGHT FAN-FAVORITE ROY ‘BIG COUNTRY’ NELSON TO AN EXCLUSIVE MULTI-FIGHT CONTRACT
PROMOTIONAL DEBUT TO TAKE PLACE LATER THIS YEAR
LOS ANGELES — Bellator MMA is proud to announce the signing of heavyweight knockout artist Roy Nelson (22-14) to an exclusive, multi-fight contract.
Fighting out of Las Vegas, Nelson joins the Viacom-owned promotion following an eight-year, 19-fight run under the direction of the UFC that saw him earn wins over Mirko Cro Cop, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, “Bigfoot” Silva and Cheick Kongo, while tangling in notable slugfests with former and current UFC title holders Fabricio Werdum, Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier. With 19 of his 22 career wins coming by way of knockout or submission, Nelson should prove to be an exciting addition to the heavyweight division.
The signing sees Nelson return to Spike, where his bout with the late Kimbo Slice on season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter remains the most-watched fight in the history of the reality series. Nelson would eventually go on to win the season, defeating Brendan Schaub in the finale.
“With the direction that Bellator MMA is heading, I consider Roy an extremely valuable addition to our roster,” said Bellator President Scott Coker. “When you look at Nelson’s record and some of the superstar opponents that he’s faced over the years, as well as his ability to connect with the fans, we felt he was the perfect fit for Bellator. I’ve been a fan of his for years and we are anxious to see him return to Spike inside the Bellator cage.”
“I wanted to work with Scott Coker because I have heard nothing but great things – plus I get to work with Spike and Viacom again who catapulted MMA in America,” added Nelson. “I am excited to join Bellator and to show how an All-American like myself will make new and old fans fall in love with MMA again and again!”
Nelson’s promotional debut will be determined at a later date, but the heavyweight slugger is expected to return to action at some point this year. “Big Country” joins the Bellator MMA fray with an impressive 22-14 professional record and will compete in a heavyweight class that features accomplished fighters, including Fedor Emelianenko, Matt Mitrione, Cheick Kongo, Bobby Lashley and Sergei Kharitonov amongst others.
About Bellator:
Bellator is a leading mixed martial arts and kickboxing 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 combat sports television leader. Bellator 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 Hollywood, Calif. 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.
FORMER CHAMP ANDREY KORESHKOV TAKES ON CHIDI NJOKUANI DURING BELLATOR 182 MAIN EVENT AT TURNING STONE RESORT CASINO IN UPSTATE NEW YORK ON AUGUST 25
ALSO, CONNECTICUT’S BRENNAN WARD RETURNS AGAINST FERNANDO GONZALEZ IN EXPLOSIVE MATCHUP
LOS ANGELES — Following Bellator NYC at Madison Square Garden, Bellator MMA returns to the Empire State to make its Upstate New York debut set to invade Turning Stone ResortCasino in Verona, N.Y. with a welterweight main event pitting former Bellator champ Andrey Koreshkov (19-2) against Chidi Njokuani (17-4, 1 NC) on Friday, August 25for Bellator 182.
In addition, a second welterweight bout will serve as the evening’s co-main showdown when Brennan Ward (14-5) meets Fernando Gonzalez (26-14) in a bout sure to produce fireworks, while featherweight A.J. McKee returns to the cage fresh off an ESPN “SportsCenter” Top-Ten finish of Dominic Mazzotta in his last outing.
Bellator 182: Koreshkov vs. Njokuani will be broadcast live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary action will stream on Bellator.com and the Bellator Mobile App. Tickets for Bellator 182 go on sale Friday, June 2 at 10:00 a.m. ET for $85, $65, $47 and $37 and can be purchased in person at the Turning Stone Box Office, by calling 877.833.SHOW, or online at Ticketmaster.com.
Additional main and preliminary card bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.
The 26-year-old Russian phenom Koreshkov has been ascendant since his very first professional fight, claiming 19 career victories over 21 bouts, including wins in each of his first 13 contests. Fighting out of Omsk, Russia, “Spartan” will be making his 13th career appearance under the Bellator MMA banner and his first of 2017. Under the direction of Bellator MMA, Koreshkov has accrued a total of 10 victories over a four-year run, highlighted by a welterweight world title triumph over current champion Douglas Lima and a successful title defense over Benson Henderson at Bellator 153. Since making his professional debut in 2010, Koreshkov has collected 13 finishes, including 10 knockouts, eight of which came in the first round, making him one of the most dangerous 170-pounders in the game.
Fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev., Njokuani enters the cage riding momentum of an impressive streak that has seen him win eight consecutive bouts and 12 of his last 13. Since joining the Bellator MMA fray in 2015, the 28-year-old Njokuani has collected four victories, including a pair of knockout finishes. Most recently, “Chidi Bang Bang” defeated Melvin Guillard at Bellator 171 in January, adding to his current run of success.
The 28-year-old Ward enters the contest as one of the most feared fighters in Bellator MMA’s stacked 170-pound class. With 13 finishes over his 14 career victories, including nine knockouts, “Irish” possesses the perfect combination of pure strength and fearlessness. A 14-fight veteran of Bellator MMA, the Waterford, Conn. native will look to earn his 10th win under the direction of the Scott Coker-led promotion. Since joining Bellator MMA in 2012, Ward has yet to see a bout enter the third frame and has finished six of his nine opponents in the opening round. Fans can expect to see fireworks when Ward is inside the Bellator cage on August 25.
Hailing from Menifee, Calif., the 33-year-old Gonzalez will enter the Bellator cage for the eighth time in his 14-year professional career. Gonzalez has seen a great deal of success since joining forces with Bellator MMA; collecting six victories over a seven-fight, three-year span, highlighted by a first round knockout of Karo Parisyan.Gonzalez has come on strong as of late, tallying nine wins over his last 12 bouts, including a pair of first round knockouts and a five-fight winning streak from 2014-16. With 16 of his 26 career victories coming by way of knockout or submission, the 40-fight veteran will look to add to that total as he prepares to go toe-to-toe with one of the most unshakable talents the welterweight division has to offer.
The son of respected MMA veteran Antonio McKee, A.J. McKee spent his entire childhood in the gym soaking up every bit of knowledge and experience available to him. The 22-year-old prodigy has applied that knowledge inside the Bellator cage and has made quite a splash in his first eight fights as an MMA professional, racking up six finishes in eight outings. The Long Beach, Calif. native heads to the East Coast looking to stay undefeated with another impressive finish.
Nationally-recognized for hosting legendary, fight-of-the-year-level boxing events, rivaling venues in major cities such as Las Vegas, Miami and New York City, Turning Stone was one of the first venues in New York to host professional MMA after it was legalized by the State last year, further distinguishing it as the premier destination for live combat sports. The August 25 Bellator MMA event will mark Turning Stone’s third professional MMA event in less than a year.
Updated Bellator 182: Koreshkov vs. NjokuaniMain Card:
Welterweight Main Event: Andrey Koreshkov (19-2) vs. Chidi Njokuani (17-4, 1 NC)
Welterweight Co-Main Event: Brennan Ward (14-5) vs. Fernando Gonzalez (26-14)
Featherweight Feature Bout: A.J. McKee (8-0) vs. TBD
Kyrgyzstan dominates competition Wins WMMAA team title at 2017 Asian Championships
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Damir Ismagulov stops Maxim Divnich to become new M-1 Challenge Lightweight Champion
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M-1 CHALLENGE 78 OFFICIAL WEIGHTS
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COMING TO A MOVIE THEATER NEAR YOU…BELLATOR NYC: SONNEN vs. SILVA
The Biggest Event in Bellator MMA History Available Live in U.S. Movies Theaters Nationwide on June 24 Through Fathom Events
LOS ANGELES and DENVER – May 25, 2017 – One of the year’s biggest combat sports events is headed to the silver screen. Bellator NYC: Sonnen vs Silva, headlined by the long-awaited fight between two of the biggest names in mixed martial arts history, Chael Sonnen (29-15-1) and Wanderlei Silva (35-12-1, 1 NC), will be available in movie theaters nationwide on Saturday, June 24, in addition to pay-per-view.
Emanating from the legendary Madison Square in New York City, the mecca of combat sports, this blockbuster event includes a heavyweight bought between Russian icon Fedor Emelianenko and hard-hitting Matt Mitrione along with two championship bouts including Douglas Lima (28-6) defending his 170-pound strap against Lorenz Larkin (18-5, 1 NC) and current lightweight champion Michael Chandler (16-3) putting his world title on the line against the undefeated Brent Primus (7-0).
Bellator NYC: Sonnen vs. Silva will be broadcast live to cinemas nationwide for this special one-night event at 10:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. PT. In addition, audience members will receive an exclusive commemorative poster with their ticket purchase (while supplies last).
Tickets for Bellator NYC: Sonnen vs. Silva can be purchased beginning Friday, May 26, online by visiting www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices. Fans throughout the U.S. will be able to enjoy the event in more than 350 select movie theaters through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network (DBN). A complete list of theater locations will be available May 26 on the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).
“MMA fans will be treated to a very exciting and unique experience by watching this momentous event on the big screen,” said Kymberli Frueh, Fathom Events VP of Programming. “This is the biggest MMA event of the year – and if you can’t attend at MSG, the theater experience will be unforgettable.”
Bellator NYC: Sonnen vs. Silva also airs live on pay-per-view beginning at 10pm ET/7pm PT. Prior to the pay-per-view event, SPIKE will air Bellator 180 LIVE and FREE on both coasts, beginning at 8pm ET/5pm PT. Additionally, Bellator 180 prelims will air exclusively on Bellator.com and the Bellator Mobile App at 6pm ET/ 3pm PT.
M-1 CHALLENGE 77 RESULTS
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