Tag Archives: Mixed Martial Arts

Combate Americas, mixed martial arts, MMA, UFC

COMBATE AMERICAS RETURNS TO UFC FIGHT PASS® WITH HARD-HITTING, HISPANIC MMA ACTION LIVE FROM LOS ANGELES ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 11

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NEW YORK – July 14, 2016 – Combate Americas, the first-ever U.S. Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise, today announced its return to UFC FIGHT PASS® with a stacked, 10-bout fight card that will air live from The Exchange in Los Angeles, Calif. on Thursday, Aug. 11 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Tickets for “Aspira A Mas Presents Combate Americas: Combate Ocho,” priced from $40, are on sale at ItsMySeat.com as well as at The Exchange box office. UFC FIGHT PASS is available on personal computers, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android, Chromecast, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV and Roku devices.

In the featherweight (145 pounds) main event, Urijah Faber protégé Erick Sanchez (7-2) of Sacramento, Calif. will look for his third win in the Combate Americas cage, or “La Jaula,” and fourth consecutive victory overall when he squares off with dangerous finisher Angel “Tito” Cruz (5-2) of Rio Piedras, P.R.

In the women’s atomweight (105 pounds) co-main event, emerging star Kyra “Mogwai” Batara (5-3) of Las Vegas, Nev. will collide with battle-tested veteran Lisa Ellis (15-10) of Olympia, Wash.

“We are excited to be back in action on UFC FIGHT PASS with a tremendous fight card featuring the best, up-and-coming Hispanic fighters in the U.S., some of whom have been climbing the ranks with explosive performances under our promotion since last year and others whom we recently recruited because of their outstanding results elsewhere,” said McLaren.

In other action on the five-fight main card, ferocious knockout artist Jonathan “Dragon” Martinez (8-1) of Plainview, Texas will battle fellow finisherBenjamin Vinson (8-3-1) of Portland, Ore. in a flyweight (125 pounds) contest.

Another flyweight matchup will see undefeated, submission ace Heinrich “Ricky Scraps” Wassmer (4-0) of Los Angeles put his perfect record on the line against dangerous puncher Benji “The Brawler” Gomez (5-5) of Oxnard, Calif.

Izic Fernandez (2-1) of Santa Ana, Calif. and Marcos Bonilla (3-2) of Los Angeles will face off in a featherweight scrap.

In preliminary card action, Yoandy Carrillo (1-0) of Naples, Fla. will battleErick Gonzalez (4-1) of Los Angeles.

Carrillo, the cousin of former World Boxing Association (WBA) world lightweight champion Richar Abril, is coming off a devastating, second round (:19) knockout (punches) of George Hernandez at Combate Americas onApril 25.

Gonzalez, who has notched three of his four professional career wins by way of (T)KO, was also victorious at the Combate Americas event on April 25, earning a split decision over Victor Martinez.

In another lightweight preliminary bout, Jose “Froggy” Estrada (1-0) of Oxnard, Calif. will return to action after his explosive debut in La Jaula, in which the 25-year-old scored a highlight reel, first round (1:44) knockout (punch) on Jonathan Quiroz on April 18, and collide with Christian Cardona(0-1) of Las Vegas, Nev.

Elsewhere on the preliminary bout card, Jonathan Santa Maria (3-3) of Whittier, Calif. will face Albert Tapia (3-5) of Huntington Beach, Calif. in a flyweight affair.

Unbeaten Daniel Rodriguez (1-0) of Alhambra, Calif. will meet Hector Saldana (1-2) of Murrieta, Calif.

The final undercard bout will be announced soon.
mixed martial arts, MMA, World Series of Fighting

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING SIGNS WELTERWEIGHT STAR PAUL BRADLEY TO EXCLUSIVE, MULTI-FIGHT AGREEMENT

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LAS VEGAS (July 14, 2016) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today that it has signed another heralded star – welterweight (170 pounds) powerhouse Paul “The Gentleman” Bradley (23-6, 2 NC) – to an exclusive, multi-fight agreement.

The 5-foot-9, 33-year-old Bradley of San Diego, Calif. will make his debut inside the World Series of Fighting decagon cage on a date to be announced.

“We are excited to welcome aboard Paul Bradley, and look forward to having him test his skills in our highly competitive welterweight division,” said World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo.  “Paul has fought and triumphed over some top caliber opposition during his 10-year career, so we are confident that he will be a great addition to our roster.”

In his last start on January 29, Bradley, who originally hails from Tama, Iowa, scored a stunning, 40-second TKO (punches) on previously undefeated, rising star and fellow, former collegiate wrestling ace Chris Honeycutt at Bellator 148.

A veteran of both the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Strikeforce and a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rampage vs. Team Forrestreality series, Bradley will look for his third consecutive win when he competes under the World Series of Fighting promotional banner for the first time.

Prior to the victory over Honeycutt, Bradley notched a unanimous decision over Josh “The Dentist” Neer at Bellator 129 on October 17, 2014.

A lifelong athlete, Bradley twice earned All-American honors while wrestling for the University of Iowa.  He placed as high as fourth in the NCAA national championships during his tenure at the NCAA Division I program.

Live World Series of Fighting action returns to NBCSN on Saturday, July 30 at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT, with star-studded event featuring two world championship rematches.

In the main event of WSOF32, reigning bantamweight (135 pounds) championMarlon Moraes (16-4-1) will risk his title for the second time against Josh “Gentleman” Hill (14-1) while, in the co-main event, featherweight (145 pounds) champion Alexandre “Capitao” Almeida (18-5) will defend his title against the fighter he took it from – Lance Palmer (10-2).
mixed martial arts, MMA, World Series of Fighting

WSOF32: MORAES VS. HILL II UNDERCARD COMPLETE WITH NINE BOUTS FEATURING SEATTLE, WASH. AREA PROSPECTS

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UNBEATEN FEATHERWEIGHTS
HAKEEM DAWODU AND MARAT MAGOMEDOV
TOP THE NINE-FIGHT UNDERCARD

UNDERCARD STREAMS LIVE ON WSOF.COM,
MAIN CARD AIRS LIVE ON NBCSN
FROM EVERETT, WASH. ON SATURDAY, JULY 30

LAS VEGAS (July 12, 2016) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today the completion of a nine-fight preliminary card for the highly-anticipated WSOF32: Moraes vs. Hill II, world championship doubleheader that airs live on NBCSN at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT from XFINITY Arena in Everett, Wash. on Saturday, July 30.

The preliminary card will stream live, in its entirety, beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT, on an embeddable video player on WSOF.com.

Joining the previously announced, headlining featherweight (145 pounds) preliminary card showdown between undefeated, rising stars Hakeem Dawodu (5-0-1) of Calgary, Alberta, Canada and Marat Magomedov (7-0-1) of Dagestan, Russia, are 8 fights stacked with a collection of 12 local upstarts.

“We have a phenomenal fight card in store for fans for our debut in Washington State, and are looking forward to touching down in Everett, and seeing some of the best prospects in the area, and potential, future World Series of Fighting athletes in action,” said World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo.

In a featured, middleweight (185 pounds) preliminary card battle, Rex “T-Rex” Harris (9-2) will put a five-fight win streak on the line against undefeated Nicolai “Blanka” Salchow (6-0).

The 33-year-old Harris of West Pittston, Pa. is a perfect 2-0, to date, inside the World Series of Fighting decagon cage.  In his last start at WSOF30 onApril 2, he earned a unanimous decision over Clinton Williams.

Salchow of Dusseldorf, Germany is a 32-year-old finisher who has been taken the distance of a fight only once since turning pro in 2004.  He is coming off a first round (2:25) TKO (punches) of Steve Montgomery on May 7.

In another middleweight preliminary card contest and rematch, Alfonso “Big Smooth” Gonzales (9-1) of Tacoma, Wash. and Thomas Hoeper (4-2) of Arlington, Wash. will revisit their first meeting that took place on September 26, 2015 and ended with Gonzales scoring a second round (1:29) TKO (punches) on Hoeper.

Elsewhere on the undercard, recent World Series of Fighting signee and former K-1 star Andrews Nakahara (4-3-2) of Mogi Das Cruzes, Brazil will make his promotional debut against Travis “The Praying Mantis” Doerge(5-8) of Renton, Wash. in a welterweight (170 pounds) bout.

Unbeaten prospects Patrick Benson (2-0) of McKenna, Wash. and Brett Malone (1-0) of Marysville, Wash. will put their perfect records on the line against each other in a lightweight (155) matchup.

Also at lightweight, Matt Coble (9-7) of Bellingham, Wash. will collide with Colt Hausauer (5-4) of Eastsound, Wash.

Following a stellar, near perfect amateur career during which he amassed an overall record of 10-1, 28-year-old Tycen “Shin To Chin” Lynn of Everett will make his highly-anticipated professional debut in a bantamweight (135 pounds) matchup with 23-year-old, fellow upstart Justin Hugo (1-1) of Everett.

In heavyweight action, Matt “The Attack” Kovacs (11-13) of Everett will face off with Bill Widler (9-6) of Redding, Calif.

Kicking off the WSOF32 preliminary bout card will be a bantamweight contest between Jon Marc Cortez (0-2) of Renton and Joe Elea (0-1) of Everett.

Priced from $29, tickets for WSOF32: Moraes vs. Hill II are on sale at XFINITYArenaEverett.com and WSOF.com.

In the world bantamweight (135 pounds) championship main event, Marlon Moraes (16-4-1) will defend his coveted title for the second time against Josh “Gentleman” Hill (14-1) while, in the co-main event and a second world championship rematch, Alexandre “Capitao” Almeida (18-5) will put his featherweight (145 pounds) belt on the line against the fighter he took it from –Lance Palmer (10-2).

Doors at XFINITY Arena Everett will open at 3:30 p.m. PT for WSOF32, and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 4:00 p.m.

WSOF32: MORAES VS. HILL II

MAIN CARD (Live on NBCSN)

World Series of Fighting Bantamweight Championship Main Event:
Marlon Moraes (Champion) vs. Josh Hill (Challenger)

World Series of Fighting Featherweight Championship Co-Main Event:
Alexandre Almeida (Champion) vs. Lance Palmer (Challenger)

Catchweight (162 pounds):  Caros Fodor vs. Phoenix Jones
Middleweight:  Phil Hawes vs. Louis Taylor

PRELIMINARY CARD (Live on WSOF.com)

Featherweight: Hakeem Dawodu vs. Marat Magomedov
Middleweight: Rex Harris vs. Nicolai Salchow
Welterweight: Andrews Nakahara vs. Travis Doerge
Middleweight: Alfonso Gonzales vs. Thomas Hoeper
Heavyweight:  Matt Kovacs vs. Bill Widler
Lightweight:  Patrick Benson vs. Brett Malone
Lightweight:  Matt Coble vs. Colt Hausauer
Bantamweight: Justin Hugo vs. Tycen Lynn
Bantamweight:  Jon Marc Cortez vs. Joe Elzea
mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

DANA WHITE: LOOKIN’ FOR A FIGHT CARD ANNOUNCED FOR BANGOR EVENT

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Bangor, Maine (July 12, 2016) – Earlier today, New England Fights (NEF) announced the fight card for the promotion’s August 5, 2016 event at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine.  Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White will be present at the event to scout talent for his web show Dana White: Lookin’ for a Fight.  Eight professional mixed-martial-arts (MMA) bouts will be presented before White.  Sixteen competitors will look to impress the UFC boss and earn a contract with the largest MMA promotion in the world.

 

In the main event, “The Fearless” Alfred Khashakyan (7-2) will face Brazilian prospect Ricardo Lucas Ramos (8-1) in a bantamweight contest.  Based out of Glendale, California, Khashakyan is a finisher, having won seven of his last eight bouts via knockout or technical knockout.  Khashakyan will be in good company on August 5 as his opponent does not believe in letting the judges decide the winner either.  Seven of Ramos’ eight wins have been finishes, including five submissions.

 

Maine lightweights Jon Lemke (5-5) and Jesse “The Viking” Erickson (7-5) will meet in a rematch of their Bellator 93 bout from 2013.  Lemke won the first battle in Lewiston via first round technical knockout.  Both Erickson and Lemke have recently challenged for the NEF MMA Professional Lightweight Title.  They are two of the top-ranked fighters in the state at 155-pounds.

 

Local, Bangor-based Young’s MMA will send no less than four competitors to the cage in hopes of winning a UFC contract.  “The” Ryan Sanders (10-7), Aaron “Relentless” Lacey (1-0), CJ Ewer (1-0), and Josh “Hook On” Harvey (1-0) will all be in action for the first time at the Cross.

 

In a bout that has all the makings of a “show-stealer,” Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) black belt Jarod “Last Minute” Lawton (4-2) is scheduled to face Mike “The Mustache” Hansen (4-4) in a middleweight bout.  Both will be looking to bounce back from losses in their respective previous bouts.  Hansen is a former state high school wrestling champion out of Mountain Valley High School in Rumford, Maine.

 

The full fight card (subject to change):

 

265-POUNDS: Brendan Battles (1-0) vs. Derrick Brown (4-3)

185-POUNDS: Jarod Lawton (4-2) vs. Mike Hansen (4-4)

170-POUNDS: CJ Ewer (1-0) vs. Ruben Redman (0-1)

155-POUNDS: Ryan Sanders (10-7) vs. Derrick Kennington (11-7)

155-POUNDS: Jesse Erickson (7-5) vs. Jon Lemke (5-5)

145-POUNDS: Josh Harvey (1-0) vs. Brandon Bushaw (2-2)

145-POUNDS: Aaron Lacey (1-0) vs. John Santos (3-3)

135-POUNDS: Alfred Khashakyan (7-2) vs. Ricardo Lucas Ramos (8-1)

 

New England Fights’ next event, “NEF Presents Dana White: Looking for a Fight”  takes place on Friday, August 5, 2016 at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor,  Maine.  Tickets are on sale now at www.CrossInsuranceCenter.com or by calling the box office at 800.745.3000.

 

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 andwww.flocombat.com, 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.

Cage Warriors Fighting Championship, mixed martial arts, MMA

Cage Warriors 77: Camden Centre, London

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DOORS Open to the public at 5:30pm

FIRST BOUT Amateur – 6.30pm (subject to change)

Professional – 7:15pm

Televised main card – 9:00pm (UK time)

 

Cage Warriors Fighting Championship returns to London following a sell out show in April and features the cream of European MMA. Two titles are on the line at the top of the card, for the lightweight and middleweight belts.

Headlining the show is highly ranked Welshman Jack Marshman, who meets the durable Frenchman, Christopher Jacquelin in the contest for the middleweight strap at Cage Warriors 77. 

The main card action, from the Camden Centre, London will feature five professional bouts starting at 9pm (UK time).  Fans hoping to watch the event LIVE can do so via our broadcast and TV partners on: 

UFC FIGHT PASS® | Worldwide

BT Sport | UK and Ireland 

Viasat | Scandinavia

Zuku TV | Africa

Please check your country’s listings for local broadcast times.

There will also be a small number of ticket returns available on the door. Check our social media accounts for ticket updates.

CWFC 77

Pro Prelims

Mickey Miller vs. Thomas Terdjman 

John Redmond vs. Modestas Bukauskas

Konmon Deh vs. Aiden Lee 

 

Main Card – 9:00PM (UK Time)

Featherweight 

Paddy Pimblett (10-1) vs. Teddy Violet (10-2)

Light-Heavyweight

Darren Stewart (6-0) vs. Boubacar Balde (11-8)

Lightweight

Scott Clist (10-2) vs. Tim Wilde (8-1)

Lightweight Title (5 x 5 min)

Chris Fishgold (14-1-1) vs. Adam Boussif (9-3)

Main Event: Middleweight Title (5 x 5 min)

Jack Marshman (19-5) vs. Christopher Jacquelin (8-2)

For the latest Cage Warriors Fighting Championship news and updates, keep track of us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. View past CWFC action, free and on-demand, online via Cage Warriors TV.
mixed martial arts, MMA, UFC

UFC Fight Night: Dos Anjos vs. Alvarez Live Main Card Highlights UFC 200 Fight Week Coverage on Fight Network

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Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 multi-platform channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, today announced extensive live coverage for UFC International Fight Week™ in Las Vegas, the biggest week in UFC history, highlighted by a live broadcast of the main card for UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: DOS ANJOS vs. ALVAREZ from the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Thursday, July 7 at 10 p.m. ET, plus the live prelims for THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER FINALE®: Team Joanna vs. Team Claudia on Friday, July 8 at 8 p.m. ET.

 

Fight Network will air the live UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: DOS ANJOS vs. ALVAREZ main card across Canada on July 7 at 10 p.m. ET, preceded by a live Pre-Show at 9 p.m. ET.

 

In the main event, dominant UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos (24-7) puts his championship on the line in a five-round barnburner against top contender Eddie Alvarez (27-4). In other featured bouts, Roy “Big Country” Nelson (22-12) throws down with Derrick “The Black Beast” Lewis (15-4, 1NC) in an explosive heavyweight collision, Alan Jouban (13-4) takes on undefeated Belal Muhammad (9-0) in a welterweight affair, plus “Irish” Joe Duffy (14-2) welcomes Canada’s Mitch “Danger Zone” Clarke (11-3) back to action in a lightweight matchup.

 

Live fight week coverage begins on Wednesday, July 6 at 2 p.m. ET with a live presentation of the final UFC 200 pre-fight press conference, featuring UFC president Dana White and main card superstars Jon Jones, Daniel Cormier, Brock Lesnar, Mark Hunt, Miesha Tate, Amanda Nunes, Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar.

 

On Thursday, July 7 at 2:30 p.m. ET, Fight Network presents a live broadcast of the official on-sale press conference for UFC 202: Diaz vs. McGregor 2, featuring Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor on the same stage for the first time since their heated encounter this past March.

 

Later, on July 7 at 6 p.m. ET, Fight Network presents the live weigh-ins for THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER FINALE®: Team Joanna vs. Team Claudia, as headliners Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Claudia Gadelha weigh in ahead of their heated women’s strawweight championship rematch.

 

Following Thursday’s main card, Fight Network will broadcast the live UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: DOS ANJOS vs. ALVAREZ post-fight press conference in its entirety.

 

On Friday, July 8 at 6 p.m. ET, UFC 200 fighters will come face-to-face during Fight Network’s live broadcast of the UFC 200: Cormier vs. Jones 2 weigh-ins, as all the stars from the biggest UFC event in history will tip the scale ahead of their highly anticipated clashes on Saturday night.

 

Fight Network will air the live prelims for THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER FINALE®: Team Joanna vs. Team Claudia across Canada on July 8 at 8 p.m. ET. The main card airs live on TSN5 at 10 p.m. ET.

 

In featured preliminary bouts, Joaquim Silva (8-0) faces Andrew Holbrook (11-0) in a clash of unbeaten lightweights, former title challenger Gray Maynard (12-6-1, 1NC) makes his first appearance at featherweight against Brazilian Fernando Bruno (16-3), fiery flyweight contenders face off when John Moraga (16-4) takes on Matheus Nicolau (11-2-1), inaugural TUF Brazil winnerCezar “Mutante” Ferreira (10-5) meets fellow middleweight Anthony “Lionheart” Smith (25-11), highly touted Australian prospect Jake “The Celtic Kid” Matthews (11-1) faces dangerous lightweight Kevin “The Motown Phenom” Lee (12-2) and China’s Li Jingliang (10-4) takes on Australia’s Anton Zafir (7-2) in a welterweight bout.

 

Following Friday’s main card, Fight Network will broadcast THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER FINALE®: Team Joanna vs. Team Claudia live post-fight press conference in its entirety.

 

Leading into Saturday’s blockbuster pay-per-view, Fight Network presents an encore of the first meeting between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier, as UFC 182: Jones vs. Cormier from January 2015 airs at 2 p.m. ET.

 

Later, on July 9 at 6 p.m. ET, Fight Network presents a live UFC 200: Cormier vs. Jones 2 Pre-Show, featuring previews, predictions, analysis, exclusive interviews conducted on-site in Las Vegas and much more. Following Saturday’s event, Fight Network will broadcast the live UFC 200: Cormier vs. Jones 2 post-fight press conference in its entirety.

 

In addition to all the live events, Fight Network is the destination for UFC library content, specials and series, including The Ultimate Fighter, UFC Unleashed, UFC Now, UFC Ultimate Insiderand classic UFC PPV events.

 

This Sunday, July 10 at 9 p.m. ET, Fight Network presents UFC 87: Seek and Destroy from August 2009 in Minneapolis, Minn., featuring Georges St-Pierre vs. Jon Fitch for the UFC welterweight title, plus Brock Lesnar vs. Heath Herring and Kenny Florian vs. Roger Huerta.

 

For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit www.fightnetwork.com, follow us on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.
mixed martial arts, MMA, World Series of Fighting

World-ranked bantamweight star Jesse Brock has signed an exclusive, multi-fight agreement with World Series of Fighting.

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WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING
SIGNS WORLD-RANKED BANTAMWEIGHT
JESSE BROCK

LAS VEGAS (July 5, 2016) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today that it has inked world-ranked bantamweight (135 pounds) star Jesse Brock (22-8) to an exclusive, multi-fight agreement.

The promotional debut of the 34-year-old Brock of Boise, Idaho will be announced soon.

“We are very excited to welcome Jesse Brock to our stable of world-class athletes,” said World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo.  “Jesse is a true performer who has taken on some of the best fighters in his weight class, and he has clearly earned the opportunity to contend in our bantamweight division.”

Ranked as high as 38 in the world in the bantamweight division, Brock will enter the World Series of Fighting decagon cage riding a six-fight win streak that he recently extended with a third round (3:57) submission (rear-naked choke) of Olly Bradstreet at Bellator 155 on May 20, 2016.

The victory marked Brock’s second under the Bellator banner.  On October 25, 2013, he bested Adrian Cruz by way of unanimous decision.

To date, Brock’s experience with top caliber opposition includes Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, Caol Uno and Tyson Nam, whom Brock defeated via five-round, unanimous decision on January 28, 2011.

A former high school state wrestling champion in his native Alaska, Brock went on to compete four years for NCAA Division I Boise State University where he emerged a two-time Pac 10 conference winner.

Brock’s signing comes just three weeks before World Series of Fighting’s bantamweight title is put on the line in a main event rematch between reigning kingpin Marlon Moraes (16-4-1) and contender Josh “Gentleman” Hill (14-1) at WSOF32, live on NBCSN at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT from XFINITY Arena in Everett, Wash. on Saturday, July 30.
mixed martial arts, MMA, WMMAA

Team Maldonado files WMMAA appeal to reassess result of June 17th Emelianenko vs.  Maldonado fight in Russia

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MONTE CARLO, Monaco (July 4, 2016) — The World Mixed Martial Arts Association (WMMAA) has received an appeal from Stefano Sartori, manager of Brazilian fighter Fabio Maldonado, to reassess the result of his June 17thfight with Fedor Emelianenko, which headlined Fight Nights Global 50 in Saint Petersburgh, Russia.
Emelianenko was awarded a win by majority decision, which Team Malondado has appealed, claiming a conflict of interest because all of the judges are employed by the Russian MMA Union, of which Emelianenko serves as president.
Team Maldonado believes Maldonando should have won the decision, or the fight declared a draw at the very least, in their opinion, as the Brazilian clearly won the first round, 10-8, Emelianenko came back to take the second round, 10-9, and the third round was a toss-up.
Because Russian MMA Union vice president Radmir Gabdullin was the head judge for the aforementioned bout, Team Maldonando feels that a fair judgement regarding its appeal can be rendered only by independent, international judges reviewing the fight.
Team Maldonando has appealed the decision on grounds that there was an obvious conflict of interest in terms of the Russian MMA Union judges and their close association with Fedor, as well as the quality of decisions they rendered.  Rather than appeal the decision to the Russian MMA Union, which they claimed would place Russian judges under intense pressure, Team Maldonando made the appeal directly to the WMMAA because the Russian MMA Union is a sanctioned member of the worldwide sanctioning body WMMAA.
WMMAA president Vadim Finkelchtein has announced the following sequence of actions:
  • WMMAA Secretary General Alexander Engelhardt has been appointed to handle the appeal procedure
  • A group of objective international judges, under the guidance of experienced referee/judge Marco Broersen (Netherlands), to be appointed to assess the Emelianenko-Maldonado fight based on the tape and render an unbiased verdict regarding the fight and work of the judges
  • Temporarily suspend WMMAA head judge Radmir Gabdullin from his position
  • Discuss judges’ work at the next WMMAA Congress, taking into account the pending verdict of the independent commission
Schedule of Major 2016 MMA Events
 
Aug.3-8 – Asian MMA Championship in Hwasun, South Korea
Sept. 14-16 – European MMA Championship in Tbilisi, Georgia
Oct. 7-9 – Inaugural Pan-American Championships in Santiago, Chile
Nov. 18-20 – World MMM Championship in Macau, China
Information
Twitter:  @theWMMAA
Instagram: @worldmmaa
Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

EMMANUEL SANCHEZ-DANIEL WEICHEL PAIRING SET FOR MAIN CARD OF STACKED ‘BELLATOR 159’

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PHILIPE LINS-GUILHERME VIANA & THE PROMOTIONAL DEBUT OF BRUNA ELLEN COMPLETE STACKED MAIN CARD

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (June 29, 2016) – A gem of a featherweight contest pitting divisional standouts Emmanuel Sanchez (13-2) and Daniel “The Weasel” Weichel (36-9) has been added to the main card of “Bellator 159: Caldwell vs. Taimanglo” on July 22 inside Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kansas. Completing the televised card, Philipe Lins (9-1) will face Guilherme Viana (7-2) in light heavyweight action and Brazilian strawweight Bruna Ellen (2-0) will make her promotional debut against Jessica Middleton.

 

The fights join a main and co-main event that has the MMA world abuzz, featuring the undefeated Darrion Caldwell (9-0), who will meet Joe Taimanglo (22-6) in a 135-pound main event to determine the No. 1 contender for Bellator MMA’s Bantamweight Championship. In support, Kansas’ own Dave Rickels (17-4) will return to Mulvane’s Kansas Star Arena to face the always-exciting Melvin Guillard (32-16-2). In addition, multiple preliminary contests have also been confirmed, namely, the debut of recent strawweight signee Bruna Vargas (2-0) who will be facing Emily Ducote (2-1) and Uruguay’s favorite MMA superstar, Gaston Reyno (5-1), when he takes on L.J. Hermeck (3-1). Both of these preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com andThe Bellator Mobile App beginning at 7 p.m. ET.

 

“Bellator 159: Caldwell vs. Taimanglo” airs live on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT. Tickets for the event start at just $27 and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com,KansasStarEventCenter.com or the Kansas Star Arena box office. Doors for the event open at 5:30 p.m. CT local time and the first preliminary bout will commence one hour later.

 

“The Weasel” has shown great consistency as of late, recording wins in eight of his last nine fights dating back to 2012 over fighters the likes of Pat Curran and Georgi Karakhanyan. Since joining Bellator MMA in 2014, the German featherweight has posted a 5-1 record, proving time and time again that he belongs among the division’s elite. Of his 36 career wins, 21 have come by way of submission, making Weichel one of the most skilled athletes on the ground. The 31-year-old submission specialist will look to build off his deserving unanimous decision win against Karakhanyan at“Bellator 147: Thomson vs. Villaseca,” as he prepares to take on “El Matador” inside Kansas Star Arena on July 22.

 

Sanchez also enters this contest having won five of his first six bouts under the Bellator MMA banner. Hailing from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and training at the world-renown Roufusport camp, “El Matador” has recently put together an impressive run, claiming wins in nine of his last 10 fights. The 25-year-old most recently defeated Daniel Pineda via split decision at the record-shattering “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie”event in Houston. Sanchez will enter the cage riding a three-fight winning streak, all of which subsequently ended in split decision victories.

 

At only 30 years of age, Viana has impressed only nine fights into his professional career. Most recently, Viana put his unique skillset on full display against Houston Alexander at “Bellator 146: Kato vs. Manhoef,” emerging victorious after a second-round knockout. The Brazilian light heavyweight now has seven career finishes to his name, including three in the first round, and will look to add to that total when he enters the cage with fellow Brazilian competitor Philipe Lins on July 22.

 

Hailing from Natal, Lins has consistently impressed through his first 10 professional bouts, recording nine wins, with four victories coming by way of knockout. After winning his first four professional fights, Lins decided to take an extended break from MMA from 2007 until 2011. After the hiatus, Lins rallied off five wins, including his first two bouts under the Bellator MMA umbrella. Now, “Monstro” will look to return to the cage for the first time since a brutal knee injury that he suffered against Kelly Anundson at “Bellator 122” back in 2014.

 

Undefeated to start her professional career, Bruna Ellen, 20, competed twice in 2015, winning both of her bouts. A member of Team Nogueira Campinas in Sao Paulo, Ellen recently did a stint of training at the world-renown Blackzilians gym in Florida, where she continued to hone her budding striking and skills on the mat. It’s also worth noting that Ellen’s listed on this year’s “Top-Ten Brazilian Prospects” compiled by MMAFighting.com.

 

Eight years the elder of Ellen, Middleton will be making her professional debut after a stellar 4-1 amateur record on the regional scene. If unfamiliar with her work, look no further than her spectacular finish of Holly Torrez via spinning-backfist here.

 

Complete “Bellator 159: Caldwell vs. Taimanglo” Fight Card:

 

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Main Event: Darrion Caldwell (9-0) vs. Joe Taimanglo (22-6)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Co-Main Event: Dave Rickels (17-4, 1 NC) vs. Melvin Guillard (32-16-2, 2 NC)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Daniel Weichel (36-9) vs. Emmanuel Sanchez (13-2)

Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight Feature Bout: Philipe Lins (9-1) vs. Guilherme Viana (7-2)

Bellator MMA Strawweight Feature Bout: Bruna Ellen (2-0) vs. Jessica Middleton (Debut)

 

Preliminary Card:

 

Bellator MMA Strawweight Preliminary Bout: Bruna Vargas (2-0) vs. Emily Ducote (2-1)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Gaston Reyno (5-1, 1 NC) vs. L.J. Hermreck (3-1)

Bellator MMA Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Manny Meraz (8-2) vs. Trey Ogden (5-1)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Chris Harris (6-0) vs. Matt Foster (6-8)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Marcio Navarro (14-12) vs. Fernando Martinez (14-10-1)

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Johnny Marigo (1-0) vs. Andy Riley (2-1)

Bellator MMA Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Josh Pfeifer (4-2) vs. Henry Lindsay (5-5)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Chuka Willis (8-2) vs. Brandon Phillips (5-1)

 

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 400 million homes worldwide in over 120 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.

mixed martial arts, MMA, World Series of Fighting

UNDEFEATED PHIL HAWES REPLACES SHAMIL GAMZATOV AGAINST LOUIS TAYLOR AT WSOF32: MORAES VS. HILL II

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Fresh off his promotional debut victory, undefeated middleweight Phil Hawes (left) will return to the World Series of Fighting cage to face Louis Taylor on Saturday, July 30, live on NBCSN at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT from the XFINITY Arena in Everett, Wash. Photo credit: Ryan Loco/World Series of Fighting

LIVE ON NBCSN FROM EVERETT, WASH.
ON SATURDAY, JULY 30

LAS VEGAS (June 29, 2016) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today that undefeated, top prospect Phil Hawes (4-0) will make a quick turnaround and step back in the decagon cage just six weeks after his promotional debut, and will square off with Louis “Put The Guns Down” Taylor (12-3) in a middleweight (185 pounds) contest at WSOF32, live on NBCSN at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT from XFINITY Arena in Everett, Wash. on Saturday, July 30.

Hawes of Little Ferry, N.J. will replace Shamil Gamzatov, another undefeated, rising star in the World Series of Fighting stable, after Gamzatov was forced to withdraw from the commitment due to a personal issue.

“We hope to see Shamil back in action soon, and we salute Phil Hawes for having the courage and willpower to return to action less than two months after his first fight with us,” said World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo.

In his first start for World Series of Fighting on June 17, the 6-foot, 27-year-old Hawes made quick work of Joshua Key, scoring a first round (2:52) TKO on Key with a series of elbow strikes.

A product of the Jackson-Winklejohn camp in Albuquerque, N.M., Hawes was a 2009 junior college national wrestling champion for Iowa Central Community College, also the alma mater of Jackson-Winklejohn teammate and UFC champion Jon “Bones” Jones.

Taylor of Chicago, Ill. is a 5-foot-11, 37-year-old, battle-tested veteran of World Series of Fighting, Strikeforce and Bellator, and a devastating finisher who has earned 11 of his 12 career wins by way of (T)KO or submission.

In his last start and debut for World Series of Fighting on March 12, Taylor extended his win streak to five consecutive bouts by submitting Cory Develain just 29 seconds with a guillotine choke.

Priced from $29, tickets for WSOF32: Moraes vs. Hill II are on sale at XFINITYArenaEverett.com and WSOF.com.

In the world bantamweight (135 pounds) championship main event, Marlon Moraes 16-4-1) will defend his coveted title for the second time against Josh “Gentleman” Hill (14-1) while, in the co-main event and a second world championship rematch, Alexandre “Capitao” Almeida (18-5) will put his featherweight (145 pounds) belt on the line against the fighter he took it from –Lance Palmer (10-2).

In other action on the live NBCSN telecast, costumed crime fighter Phoenix Jones (6-1-1) aka Ben Fodor of Seattle, Wash. will look to settle his rivalry with adopted brother Caros “The Future” Fodor (10-5) of Seattle in a 162-pound catchweight affair.

Unbeaten featherweights Hakeem “Mean” Dawodu (5-0-1) and Marat Magomedov (7-0-1) will square off in a preliminary card bout.

Additional preliminary card bouts for WSOF32 will be announced soon.