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Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

NEW ENGLAND FIGHTS TO HOLD WEIGH-INS THIS FRIDAY AT LEWISTON RAMADA

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Lewiston, Maine (February 3, 2016) – New England Fights (NEF), America’s number-one regional fight promotion, will hold its next event, “NEF 21: THE IMMORTALS” this Saturday, February 6, 2016 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine.  The event will feature both mixed-martial-arts (MMA) and professional boxing bouts with an MMA cage and a boxing ring set up side-by-side.  Earlier today, the promotion announced that it would hold the event weigh-in this Friday, February 5, 2016, at 2:00 pm EST at the Ramada Hotel & Conference Center.  The Ramada is located at 490 Pleasant Street in Lewiston, Maine.

 

Weigh-ins are open to the public and free to attend.  All of the fighters competing on Saturday night will be at the weigh-in, including MMA headliners Bruce “Pretty Boy” Boyington (12-8) and Jon Lemke (5-3), as well as boxing main event participants Brandon “The Cannon” Berry (10-1) and Tollison Lewis (2-0).  Fans and press are encouraged to attend.  For those unable to make it to the Ramada on Friday, weigh-ins will be streamed live on the NEF Youtube page at www.Youtube.com/nefmma.

 

The “NEF 21” fight card:

 

PROFESSIONAL BOXING

149 POUNDS: Tollison Lewis vs. Brandon Berry

147 POUNDS: Evincii Dixon vs. Antonio Chaves Fernandez

175 POUNDS: Crowsneck Boutin vs. Joel Bishop

PROFESSIONAL MMA

 

155 POUND TITLE: Jon Lemke vs. Bruce Boyington (c)

145 POUNDS: Derek Shorey vs. Josh Lange

185 POUNDS: Zach Elkins vs. Mike Hansen

155 POUNDS: Zenon Herrera vs. CJ Ewer

170 POUNDS: Andrew Tripp vs. Alex Henry

125 POUNDS: Norman Fox vs. Brandon Warne

 

AMATEUR MMA

 

205 POUND TITLE: Mike Williams vs. Ryan Glover

170 POUND TITLE: Ricky Dexter vs. Caleb Farrington

135 POUND TITLE: Henry Clark vs. Johnny Crafts

145 POUNDS: Rafael Velado vs. Mike Peitersen

120 POUNDS: Erin Lamonte vs. Randi Beth Boyington

140 POUNDS: Erik Nelson vs. Julio Martinez

265 POUNDS: Gravin Guillen vs. Matt Glover

155 POUNDS: Frank Johanson vs. Taylor Costantino

265 POUNDS: Brendan Battles vs. Dave Smith

230 POUNDS: Zak Bergeron vs. Ras Hylton

170 POUNDS: Adam Nielsen vs. Ruben Redman

155 POUNDS: Dustin Shorey vs. Juan Meneses

160 POUNDS: Caleb Swoveland vs. Tom Burgess

155 POUNDS: Tony Agust vs. Chad Murillo

125 POUNDS: Justin Witham vs. Jake Denham

140 POUNDS: Clifford Redman vs. Richmond Pierce Wiegman

135 POUNDS: David Thompson vs. Caleb Costello

 

 

New England Fights’ next event, “NEF 21: THE IMMORTALS,” takes place this Saturday, February 6, 2016 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée in Lewiston, Maine.  Bell time is 7:00 PM EST.  Tickets for “NEF 21” 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.”

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

MELVIN GUILLARD NOW FACES DEREK CAMPOS AT ‘BELLATOR 149: SHAMROCK VS. GRACIE’

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JUSTIN ‘THE BIG PYGMY’ WREN RETURNS TO ACTION IN EVENT’S FEATURED PRELIMINARY BOUT

 

 

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (February 2, 2015) –An injury to Mike Bronzoulis has shifted things during the SPIKE-televised main card of “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” on Feb. 19 at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Now, the lightweight contest will pit Melvin Guillard (32-15-2) against Derek Campos (15-6).

 

In addition, Justin “The Big Pygmy Viking” Wren (11-2) returns to action in what will be his second appearance under the Bellator MMA banner, when he meets Juan Torres (4-4) in heavyweight fisticuffs.

 

The fights join 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” (2-0). In featherweight action, Emmanuel Sanchez (12-2) will look to continue his torrid pace when he meets Daniel Pineda (21-11) and former light heavyweight titlist Emanuel Newton (25-9) battles Linton Vassell (15-5).

 

Tickets for this mixed martial arts extravaganza start at just $50 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.

 

Guillard suffered a horrific broken hand during his Bellator MMA debut against Brandon Girtz earlier this year. “The Young Assassin” has made it clear that he intends on eventually fighting for the 155-pound title, and his road to the gold begins on Feb. 19 against a tough Texas native with plenty to prove. Of Guillard’s 32 wins as a professional, 23 victories have come before reaching the judges’ scorecards.

 

Known as “The Stallion” to those familiar with his mixed martial arts career, Campos will come into his meeting with Guillard riding a two-fight skid. During his eight-fight tenure with Bellator MMA, the 27-year-old Texan has faced a plethora of top lightweight talent, going up against names the likes of: Michael Chandler, Patricky Freire, Brandon Girtz (2x), and Estevan Payan.

 

You would be hard-pressed to find a better story in all of MMA than the one that Wren can tell. The two-time National High School Wrestling Champion generated massive amounts of media attention on the road to his promotional debut at “Bellator 141: Guillard vs. Girtz,” where he defeated Josh Burns. His story begins several years earlier, in 2010, when Wren confronted an opponent tougher than any he could face in combat sports: addiction.

 

With an opportunity to continue fighting on the table, Wren left the sport and began his recovery process. A chance meeting with a friend led Wren on a trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where he came across and developed a deep connection with the Mbuti Pygmies, many of whom were enslaved, living on only the scraps the slave masters would pay them with. Wren found his calling there and wanted to do everything in his power to help the Pygmies. With multiple visits to the Congo, including a stint that lasted a year, Wren started a foundation called “Fight for the Forgotten.” Through his efforts, Wren and his staff of 17 have systematically bought the land of the slave owners, and have thus far legally given 2,740 acres of rainforest to the Pygmies, effectively freeing them from slavery.

 

Partnering with other groups like Shalom University and joining forces with Water4.org, Wren and his charity are responsible for drilling 26 water wells to help provide both the Pygmies and the former slave masters with clean water, and have plans to drill hundreds more. In addition, the team has begun a sustainable farming project to benefit and provide food to both the Pygmies and non-Pygmies of the community.

 

Take a look below at the complete 19-fight “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” card and be sure to tune into SPIKE on February 19 at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT for an event that has something for every fight fan.

 

Completed “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” 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 (25-5) vs. Linton Vassell (15-5)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Feature Bout: Melvin Guillard (32-15-2) vs. Derek Campos (15-6)

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

 

Preliminary Card:

 

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Justin Wren (11-2) vs. Juan Torres (4-4)

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Davis Sylvester (5-3) vs. Jeremy Mahon (5-4)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Charlie Ontiveros (6-4) vs. James Christopherson (2-2)

Bellator MMA Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Ruben Esparsa (1-0) vs. C.J. Hancock (Debut)

Bellator MMA Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Adrian Yanez (3-1) vs. Daniel Santos (3-0)

Bellator MMA Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Isaac Villanueva (9-7) vs. Richard Knepp (3-3)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Mike Trinh (2-3) vs. Angel Zamora (2-2)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Jason Langellier (2-0) vs. Anthony Ivy (1-0)

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Manny Lozoya (Debut) vs. Jacob Norsworthy (1-5)

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Amateur Bout: Leomana Martinez (2-0) vs. Casey Jones (2-0)

Bellator MMA Flyweight Amateur Bout: Chris Solis (2-0) vs. Alex Macedo (2-0)

Bellator MMA Flyweight Amateur Bout: Jonathan Davis (2-0) vs. Shawn Solis (1-0)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Amateur Bout: Hunter Scott-Gregg (1-0) vs. Ricardo Deluque (1-0)

M-1, M-1 Challenge, mixed martial arts, MMA

Antun Racic vs. Vitaly Branchuk Bantamweight title eliminator added to stacked M-1 Challenge 64, Feb. 19 in Moscow

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 (R) Antun Racic fires “Killer” strike
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (January 28, 2016) – M-1 Global’s first event of 2016 is shaping up as a potential blockbuster with the announcement of the second M-1 Challenge bantamweight elimination fight for M-1 Challenge 64 on February 19 at Olympic Stadium in Moscow.
Antun “Killer” Racic, of Croatia, will face Ukrainian Vitaly Branchuk for right to fight for the vacant M-1 Challenge bantamweight championship.  The survivor will advance to the championship round against the winner of the previously announced M-1 Challenge bantamweight semifinal eliminator, also part of the M-1 Challenge 64card, between  Pavel Vitruk (12-2-0, M-1: 6-2-0) and undefeated Kazakhstan-native Sergey Morozov (6-0-0, M-1: 2-0-0). Vitruk is a Ukrainian-born fighter who lives and trains out of St. Petersburg, Russia.
 
The main event pits three-time Bellator champion Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko(51-9-0, M-1: 2-0-0) and former M-1 Challenge middleweight and light heavyweight titlist Vyacheslav Vasilevsky (27-3-0, M-1: 10-1-0) in the semifinals of the M-1 Global Grand Prix Middleweight Tournament.
In the co-feature, newly signed Alexander “Drago” Volkov (24-6-0, M-1: 8-3-0), of Russia, takes on Estonian challenger Denis Smoldaraev (11-1-0, M-1: 7-1-0) for the vacant M-1 Challenge heavyweight championship.
Racic (18-6-1, M-1: 6-2-0) is coming off of an impressive win by decision versus Alexei Nevzorov last September at M-1 Challenge 61.  The powerful Croatian, who is a standout grappler, is dropping down to fight as a bantamweight.
Branchuk (20-5-0, M-1: 0-1-0) will be fighting in his second M-1 Global event, the first two years ago at M-1 Challenge 45, in which he lost a decision to Yunus Evloev.  The 24-year-old Branchuk is riding a seven-fight win streak.  Known as a strong striker, he has knocked out 10 of his opponents.
M-1 Challenge 64 will be streamed live from Moscow in high definition onwww.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register at www.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all of the action on their computers, as well as on Android and Apple smart phones and tablets.
INFORMATION:
 
Upcoming Events:  Feb. 19 – M-1 Challenge 64 in Moscow, Russia; Mar. 4 – M-1 Challenge 65 in St. Petersburg, Russia
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M-1, M-1 Challenge, mixed martial arts, MMA

M-1 Global extends contracts with Ivan Buchinger, Stephan Puetz & Lee Morrison

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ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (January 27, 2016) – M-1 Global president Vadim Finklechtein has announced contract extensions for M-1 featherweight championIvan “Buki” Buchinger, former M-1 Challenge light heavyweight titlist Stephan “T-800” Puetz and top American featherweight contender Lee “American Bulldog” Morrison.
“We’ve prolonged the contract with M-1 Global veteran fighters Buchinger, Puetz and Morrison,” Finkelchtein said.  “We constantly work on our roster to have the best possible fighters.”
Buchinger (30-4-0, M-1: 5-0-0), the 29-year-old from Slovakia, captured the vacant M-1 Challenge featherweight title in 2014, via a fourth-round knockout of Tural Raginov at M-1 Challenge 52.  In his last fight this past October, Buchinger successfully defended his title with a unanimous decision over current M-1 Challenge lightweight champion Mansour “Tarzan” Barnaoui at M-1 Challenge 62.
 
Puetz (13-2-0, M-1: 4-1-0), fighting out of Germany, is an electrifying fighter who won the M-1 Challenge light heavyweight champion in 2014, taking a decision fromViktor Nemkov at M-1 Challenge 46.  Puetz successfully defended his title twice in 2014 against Luis Fernando Miranda (SUB2 – choke) and Valery Mykasnikov(KO/TKO2 – punches).  In 2015, Puetz took on previously undefeated M-1 Challenge heavyweight champion Marcin Tybura, who lost in three rounds due to a severely broken nose at M-1 Challenge 57.  In his most recent fight this past December at M-1 Challenge 63, Puetz lost his title belt in a rematch with Nemkov by way of a decision.
Morrison (13-6-0, M-1: 2-3-0) is a popular featherweight contender out of Okanogon, Washington.  The gutsy 29-year-old (pictured below on right) has notable M-1 Global decision wins over Pavel Vitruk and Mikhail Malyutin.
 
Upcoming Events:  Feb. 19 – M-1 Challenge 64 in Moscow, Russia; Mar. 4 – M-1 Challenge 65 in St. Petersburg, Russia
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M-1, M-1 Challenge, mixed martial arts, MMA

2015 M-1 Global Fighter of the Year Ramazan Emeev takes on Maiquel Falcao In M-1 Grand Prix middleweight eliminator Mar. 4 at M-1 Challenge 65 in Moscow

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ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (January 26, 2016) –  Reigning M-1 Challenge middleweight champion Ramazan Emeev will take on Brazilian challenger Maiquel “Big Rig” Falcao in the second M-1 Grand Prix middleweight eliminator, March 4 at M-1 Challenge 65, in Moscow.
The first M-1 Grand Prix match of 2016 is set in the middleweight division as three-time Bellator champion Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (51-9-0, M-1: 2-0-0) takes on former M-1 Challenge middleweight and light heavyweight titlist Vyacheslav Vasilevsky (27-3-0, M-1: 10-1-0)at M-1 Challenge 64, February 19 at Olympic Stadium in Moscow.
The winners of Shlemenko vs. Vasilevsky and Emeev vs. Falcao will advance to the M-1 Grand Prix middleweight championship later this year.
“We tried to get the strongest middleweight fighters and did a great job to give fans the most spectacular match-ups,” M-1 Global president Vadim Finkelchtein said.  “Every single fight is intriguing in M-1 Grand Prix.  I can’t guess how these fights will end up.  Every single fighter has his advantages.  Therefore, I think all of these fights are 50-50.”
Emeev (13-3-0, M-1: 7-1-0), the 2015 M-1 Global Fighter of the Year, is a two-time M-1 Challenge middleweight champion.  Born in Azerbaijan but fighting and training out of Markaxhkala, Russia, Emeev originally captured the vacant M-1 Challenge middleweight crown in 2012 at M-1 Challenge 35, winning a decision over Mario Miranda.  Emeev successfully defended his title in a rematch five months later with Miranda, who was stopped via strikes in the third round at M-1 Challenge 38.
In his next title defense, Emeev lost his title belt at M-1 Challenge 51 as Vasilevsky won by fourth-round stoppage via punches.  Seven months later in a rematch, Emeev defeated Vasilevsky by first round submission (choke), and the champion defended his title this past December at M-1 Challenge 63, when American challenger Fioravanti Luigi was unable to continue fighting after two rounds.
Falcao may be making his M-1 Global debut at M-1 Challenge 65, however, the Brazilian black belt holder is a veteran of 43 professional MMA bouts with 23 knockouts.  The 34-year old Falcao split two fights with Vasilevsky and he was stopped by Shlemenko in the second round at Bellator 69.
M-1 Challenge 64 & 65 will be streamed live from Russia in high definition onwww.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register at www.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all of the action on their computers, as well as on Android and Apple smart phones and tablets.
Las Vegas, mixed martial arts, MMA, World Series of Fighting

WSOF29: GAETHJE VS. FOSTER MOVES TO BANK OF COLORADO ARENA ON SATURDAY, MARCH 12, LIVE ON NBCSN

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TICKETS ON SALE NOW

LAS VEGAS (January 23, 2016) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today that the location for the live NBCSN televised (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT), WSOF29: Gaethje vs. Foster lightweight (155 pounds) championship event scheduled for Saturday, March 12, has been moved to the Bank of Colorado Arena on the campus of the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colo.

Priced from $39.99, tickets for WSOF29: Gaethje vs. Foster, are on sale at WSOF.com and the University of Northern Colorado’s online ticketing platform.

In the highly-anticipated main event, reigning, undefeated lightweight champion Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje (15-0) of Safford, Ariz. will put his title on the line against number one contender and recent eight-man tournament winner Brian Foster (25-9) of Sallisaw, Okla.

An alumnus of the University of Northern Colorado, Gaethje became the first competitive wrestler to earn All-American honors for the school after it became a Division I athletic program.  He placed seventh in the NCAA national wrestling tournament in his junior year.

Additional WSOF29 bouts will be announced soon.

ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING

“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.

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

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING AND TALK2LEGENDS PARTNER TO PROVIDE AN UNRIVALED FAN-ATHLETE INTERACTION EXPERIENCE

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Chael Sonnen, Bas Rutten, Ray Sefo, Jon Fitch, Jake Shields and nearly 20 other MMA icons will be available for mobile video chats during WSOF27 on Saturday, Jan. 23, live on NBCSN

LAS VEGAS (January 21, 2016) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) and Talk2Legends (Talk2Legends.com) today announced an unprecedented partnership that will allow fans to chat live on their iPhone devices with some of their favorite Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) athletes and other celebrity talent, using the latter company’s new mobile app.

The partnership will commence on Saturday, Jan. 23 when over two dozen figures from the World Series of Fighting universe will be available for video chat sessions with fans during the WSOF27: Firmino vs. Fodor event that will air live on NBCSN at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT from the FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn.

Available for download in the App Store, the Talk2Legends app also allows fans to share completed chat sessions with friends on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

“The partnership between World Series of Fighting and Talk2Legends will enable a fan experience that is unmatched in sports, for a reasonable cost,” said Talk2Legends CEO Ryan Hermansky.

“On January 23, continued Hernansky, “fans will be able to simultaneously watch WSOF27 and get opinions from legends, such as Bas Rutten and Chael Sonnen, and world champions like David Branch and Marlon Moraes.”

“We are thrilled to partner with Talk2Legends and be able to give fans the opportunity to get to know their favorite fighters on a very personal, one-on-one basis,” said World Series of Fighting President, six-time world champion and two-time Hall of Famer Ray Sefo.

Using the Talk2Legends app, fans can purchase credits for video chat sessions, review the list of MMA celebrities that will be available for a five-minute, one-on-one video chat session on January 23, and book sessions based on the talent’s availability that is provided on screen.

The athletes and other celebrity participants have the option of donating revenue they earn in exchange for their participation, to a charity or non-profit foundation of their choice.

The following talent will be available for video chat sessions during WSOF27:

On-air and other talent

Chael Sonnen – Color commentator and retired MMA superstar
Bas Rutten – Color commentator and legendary MMA champion
Ray Sefo – World Series of Fighting President and six-time world champion
Jacob “Stitch” Duran – World Series of Fighting cutman and
Andrea Lowell – Playboy Radio hostess and World Series of Fighting round card girl
Joey Varner – World Series of Fighting roving reporter
Jazz Securo – World Series of Fighting ring announcer
Emily Miller – World Series of Fighting round card girl

World Series of Fighting athletes

David Branch – Reigning light heavyweight and middleweight champion
Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje – Reigning, undefeated lightweight champion
Lance Palmer – Reigning featherweight champion
Marlon Moraes – Reigning bantamweight champion
Jon Fitch – Welterweight superstar
Jake Shields – Welterweight superstar
Jason High – Lightweight superstar
Phoenix Jones – Lightweight rising star
Robbie “Problems” Peralta – Featherweight knockout artist
“Notorious” Nick Newell – Retired lightweight phenom
Mike “Mak” Kyle – Former light heavyweight championship challenger
Joseph Barajas – WSOF28 main event competitor
Patrick Walsh – Light heavyweight prospect
Clifford Starks – Middleweight star
Colton Smith – Lightweight standout and The Ultimate Fighter winner
Mike Corey – Featherweight star
Steve Kozola – Undefeated lightweight star

The Talk2Legends app is expected to be available for Android devices in February.

ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING

“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.

 

M-1, mixed martial arts, MMA

M-1 Grand Prix Tournament relaunched

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ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (January 20, 2016) – M-1 Global President Vadim Finkelchtein recently announced the relaunching of its popular series, M-1 Grand Prix Tournament.
“We’ve been preparing this a long time and now we’re happy to officially announce our 2016 M-1 Grand Prix Tournament,” Finkelchtein said.  “This has been a very popular format and fans are always excited about it.  This time we will feature a 4-man tournament, rather than the usual 8-man pairings, because the 4-man version is faster and more entertaining.  We don’t want to bore people with long expectation periods and lessen the risk of occasional injuries and fighter changes in the tournament.”
The first M-1 Grand Prix match of 2016 is set in the middleweight division as three-time Bellator champion Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (51-9-0, M-1: 2-0-0) takes on former M-1 Challenge middleweight and light heavyweight titlist Vyacheslav Vasilevsky (27-3-0, M-1: 10-1-0)at M-1 Challenge 64, February 19 at Olympic Stadium in Moscow.
“Well, we were choosing between several offers from different promotions,” explained Shlemenoko’s manager Alexey Zhernakov.  “In the end, we came to the conclusion that M-1 Grand Prix participation is the most interesting option for us at the moment.  Alexander is still under Bellator’s exclusive contract.  Therefore, we had to negotiate with Bellator, which kindly allowed us to sign with M-1 Global.  We expect Alexander Shlemenko to take part in major M-1 Challenge events as they are always organized at a high level and broadly covered by the media.”
M-1 Challenge 64 will be streamed live from Moscow in high definition on www.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register atwww.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all of the action on their computers, as well as on Android and Apple smart phones and tablets.
M-1, M-1 Challenge, mixed martial arts, MMA

M-1 Grand Prix 2016 Alexander Shlemenko vs. Vyacheslav Vasilevsky To headline M-1 Challenge 64, Feb. 19 in Moscow

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ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (January 17, 2016) – M-1 Global has officially announced the launching of the 2016 M-1 Grand Prix Middleweight Tournament series. The first match will be a showdown at M-1 Challenge 64, February 19 at Olympic Stadium in Moscow between three-time Bellator champion Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko and former M-1 Challenge middleweight and light heavyweight titlist Vyacheslav Vasilevsky
The dream battle between Russian favorites Shlemenko (51-9-0, M-1: 2-0-0) and Vasilevsky (27-3-0, M-1: 10-1-0), featuring two of the most respected strikers in the middleweight division, strengthens an already explosive M-1 Challenge 64 card that includes an M-1 Challenge heavyweight title fight.
M-1 Global’s newly-signed Alexander “Drago” Volkov (24-6-0, M-1: 8-3-0), of Russia, battles powerful Estonian challenger Denis Smoldaraev (11-1-0, M-1: 7-1-0) for the vacant M-1 Challenge heavyweight championship.
Known as one of the strongest and most popular fighters in Russia, Schlemenko has knocked out 29 opponents, while the equally dangerous Vasilevsky is a five-time combat Sambo World Champion.
 
M-1 Challenge 64 will be streamed live from Moscow in high definition on www.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register atwww.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all of the action on their computers, as well as on Android and Apple smart phones and tablets.
 
Another previously announced main card match is a M-1 Challenge bantamweight semifinal eliminator, Pavel Vitruk(12-2-0, M-1: 6-2-0) facing Sergey Morozov (4-0-0, M-1: 2-0-0) with the winner advancing to fight for the vacant M-1 Challenge bantamweight title with the victor of a soon-to-be announced second title eliminator
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Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

INJURY TO AUGUSTO SAKAI ALTERS ‘BELLATOR 150: GALVAO VS. DANTAS 2’ CO-MAIN EVENT

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ALSO: LENA OVCHYNNIKOVA SET FOR BELLATOR MMA DEBUT

 

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (January 15, 2015) – An injury to Augusto Sakai has derailed his previously announced pairing with Cheick Kongo (23-10-2) during “Bellator 150: Galvao vs. Dantas 2” at Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kansas. As a result, Vinicius Queiroz (8-3) has agreed to fight Kongo in the co-main event on February 26.

 

In addition, the main card will feature the Bellator MMA debut of newly signed women’s flyweight Lena Ovchynnikova (10-3), when she meets Rebecca Ruth (5-1).

 

Bellator MMA’s Bantamweight Championship will be on the line at “Bellator 150: Galvao vs. Dantas 2,” in a rematch pitting Marcos “Loro” Galvao(17-6-1) against former champion Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas (17-4) and hometown favorite, David Rickels (16-4, 1 NC) will return to action against Bobby Cooper (12-5).

 

The contests make up the televised portion of “Bellator 150: Galvao vs. Dantas 2,” 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.

 

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.

 

Kongo will be making his eighth appearance under the Bellator MMA banner, looking to add to his impressive promotional mark of 5-2. The Paris native has fought a who’s who in the mixed martial arts landscape, with notable wins against Mirko Cro Cop, Pat Barry, Matt Mitrione, and Alexander Volkov already on his record. In his last outing – which just so happened to be inside the Kansas Star Arena — Kongo impressively defeated Volkov via unanimous decision.

 

After nearly two years out of action, Queiroz returned to the Bellator MMA cage against Ewerton Teixeira at “Bellator 139: Kongo vs. Volkov,” defeating his Brazilian opponent via second round arm-triangle choke. “Spartan” hopes to plant the seeds for a busy 2016 with the matchup against Kongo, where a win can undoubtedly place him in the midst of the heavyweight title picture.

 

Hailing from Ukraine, Ovchynnikova will enter the fray fresh off a new exclusive, multi-fight contract with Bellator MMA. “Hunter” has previously fought the likes of Joanne Calderwood and at only 28-years-old has already competed professionally since 2006. Now, Ovchynnikova looks to solidify herself as a top contender in the budding women’s flyweight division on February 26 against a tough foe in Ruth.

 

“Becky” Ruth was undefeated in 2015, winning all three of her matchups by echnical knockout under the Shamrock Fighting Championships banner. The lone loss on the Missouri native’s record came against Resurrection Fighting Alliance champion Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger, via controversial split decision.

 

The “Bellator 150: Galvao vs. Dantas 2” undercard has also nearly been completed, with the announcement of eight pairings which are listed below. An undefeated Bellator MMA prospect will be in action during the preliminary portion of the event, when Gaston Reyno (5-0) returns to the cage with the intent of keeping his unblemished record intact.

 

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 Co-Main Event: Cheick Kongo (23-10-2) vs. Vinicius Queiroz (8-3)

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

Bellator MMA Flyweight Feature Bout: Lena Ovchynnikova (10-3) vs. Rebecca Ruth (5-1)

 

Preliminary Card:

Bellator MMA Middleweight Feature Bout: Gregory Babene (16-11) vs. Trey Houston (11-3)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Gaston Reyno (5-0) vs. Chuka Willis (6-2)

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Feature Bout: Daniel Gallemore (4-3) vs. Frederick Brown (3-2)      

Bellator MMA Middleweight Feature Bout: Chris Harris (4-0) vs. Julian Marquez (2-0)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Feature Bout: Marcio Navarro (14-11) vs. Henry Lindsay (4-5)

Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Thai Clark (5-0) vs. Deron Carlis (4-1)

Bellator MMA Welterweight Feature Bout: Manny Meraz (7-1) vs. Andre Fialho (5-0)

Bellator MMA Lightweight Feature Bout: Jason Witt (7-2) vs. Jonathan Gary (11-6)