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ICONIC MMA REFEREE ‘BIG’ JOHN MCCARTHY & BELLATOR COMMENTATOR SEAN WHEELOCK LAUNCH ‘LET’S GET IT ON’ MMA PODCAST

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New Episodes Every Friday

 

Los Angeles, CA – Iconic MMA referee ‘Big’ John McCarthy and Bellator play-by-play commentator Sean Wheelock have joined forces with Ignotainment Media Networkto bring fans the Let’s Get It On MMA podcast, which debuts on Friday, March 6. New episodes will be available weekly, every Friday on iTunes, on the Stitcher app for Android, and at Ignotainment.com.

 

Let’s Get It On is audiences’ best chance to delve deeper into the heart and intricacies of mixed martial arts and combat sports, more than any other podcast. The series will draw from McCarthy’s extensive experience in MMA and boxing officiating, alongside Wheelock’s immense resume of commentating MMA, boxing and sports events worldwide. Together, McCarthy and Wheelock will discuss the latest issues, answer fan questions, interview big-name guests, and debate the hottest topics from their unique perspective in and around the world of fighting.

“I’m thrilled to be co-hosting this weekly podcast with John McCarthy. John is a close friend, as well as someone who I hold in the highest regard for his lifelong contributions to MMA,” said Wheelock.

As one of the most legendary and recognizable personalities in combat sports, and perhaps the best-known referee in any sport, John McCarthy’s reputation speaks for itself. He’s been involved in MMA since it hit the shores of North America in 1993, with UFC 1. He was a key figure in writing the sport’s Unified Rules, which are recognized by the Association of Boxing & MMA Commissions (ABC) and athletic commissions across North America. He’s judged and refereed thousands of matches worldwide in his near 25 years in MMA, and is the founder/head instructor for the Certification of Officials for MMA National Development (C.O.M.M.A.N.D.), the toughest and most complete training course for MMA judges and referees.

“I am so stoked to be talking about what’s happening in the combative sports industry and the everyday subjects that affect all of us,” noted McCarthy. “On top of that, being able to work with a true pro like Sean Wheelock makes this a perfect fit.”

One of the best-known American voices in both MMA and soccer, Wheelock’s broadcasting work has taken him to over 25 countries. He holds the distinction of being the only person to serve as a play-by-play commentator for the FIFA World Cup, the Super Bowl (three times for the BBC), U.S. Open tennis, and world championship fights in mixed martial arts. He is the play-by-play commentator for Bellator MMA on Spike TV, and previously commentated for Pride FC, Affliction and the M-1 Challenge. Additionally, Wheelock has worked as a professional boxing referee since he was 24 years old, and still holds an active license through the Kansas Athletic Commission.

New episodes of Let’s Get It On can be downloaded beginning every Friday via iTunes and the Stitcher app for Android.

For more info on the podcast and its hosts, visit the website www.letsgetitonpodcast.com and its social media pages:

Facebook:  http://facebook.com/letsgetitonpodcast

Twitter:     http://twitter.com/podcastmma or @podcastmma

Strap in, because two of the most objective voices in MMA are about to speak their minds.

 

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For media inquiries, contact Jay Tan at jtan@TanDynasty.com and (213) 618-0332.

 

For show sponsorship and advertising, contact Kris Lakin at

klakin@ignotainment.com and (618) 402-1442.

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ABOUT Ignotainment Media Network (www.ignotainment.com): Ignotainment Media Network is a digital podcast network created to keep pace with the rapidly growing market for on-demand entertainment. With a lineup ranging from sports talk to pop culture to mixed martial arts, we offer some of the most diverse and engaging programing online. Ignotainment’s current lineup includes Let’s Get It On, with ‘Big’ John McCarthy & Sean Wheelock, a weekly podcast that provides listeners with an inside look into the world of MMA & combat sports; Ochoman: Behind the 8 Ball, a tri-weekly roundtable show about sports and culture, hosted by one of American’s top sports betting prognosticators; The Whiskey Philosopher, a series that celebrates the introspective moments and harmonious banter that one can get only while sipping and appreciating a great whiskey; and Youth Baseball Talk, the most popular youth baseball podcast on the internet, which showcases Jim Cromer as he interviews the most engaging managers, coaches, and trainers in the sport.

Fight Network, kickboxing, martial arts, mixed martial arts

Fight Network weekly MMA & kickboxing programming (Feb. 23-Mar. 1)

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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, Feb. 23

 

2:00 p.m. ET – Ring of Combat 47 – Featuring Chris Wade vs. Pat Defranco and Frankie Perez vs. Mike Santiago from Jan. 24, 2014 in Atlantic City, NJ.

 

5:00 p.m. ET – Fighting Spirit MMA Season 4 – Compilation of international fights from SFL, Legend, FFC, M-1 and more.

 

6:00 p.m. ET – Hip Show: Arena Combat – Tag-team MMA inside a 12m-by-12m arena with three levels.

 

6:30 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.

 

7:00 p.m. ET – 5 Rounds – Hosts John Ramdeen and Robin Black invite special guests to break down 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 – Enfusion Live #19: London – Featuring Andrew Tate vs. Wendell Roche for the -90kg world title, plus Daniel Sam vs. Andrew Thompson for the super heavyweight title, from June 29, 2014.

 

Tuesday, Feb. 24

 

2:30 a.m. ET — XPTV – Coverage of regional U.S. professional and amateur MMA events.

 

3:00 p.m. ET – Toe 2 Toe with Frankie Edgar – Sit-down interview with former UFC lightweight champion and featherweight contender Frankie Edgar.

 

7:00 & 7:30 p.m. ET – Xtreme Fighting Championship – Florida-based professional 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.

 

9:00 p.m. ET – Havoc Fighting Championship 7 – Featuring Jordan McKay vs. Andrew Buckland and Sabah Fadai vs. Tim Tamaki from Dec. 19, 2014 in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada.

 

11:00 p.m. ET – GFL: Best Battles 3 – Highlights from regional MMA, kickboxing and boxing events showcasing memorable knockouts and submissions.

 

Wednesday, Feb. 25

 

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

 

4:00 a.m. ET – Rocktagon MMA – Pro and amateur MMA from Ohio featuring the next generation of stars.

 

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. 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.

 

9:00 p.m. ET – Cage Warriors Fighting Championship: Fight Night 10 – Featuring Allan Love vs. Norman Paraisy from Mar. 28, 2014 in Amman, Jordan.

 

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, Feb. 26

 

1:30 a.m. ET – Ultimate Challenge MMA 34 – Featuring Makunga Bunduku vs. Ricky Campbell and Nathan Jones vs. Julian Kerr from June 1, 2013 in London.

 

6:00 p.m. ET – Championship Fightling 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.

 

7:00 p.m. ET – Enfusion Season 3 – Fighters from 18 different countries compete in the 85kg MAX category in Ohrid, Macedonia as they love and train together in their quest for a kickboxing title.

 

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, featur4es and inside analysis on the fight game.

 

9:00 p.m. ET – M-1 Challenge 55: Guram Gugenishvili Memorial Show– Featuring Denis Smoldarev vs. Maro Perak and Kenny Garner vs. Aslambek Musaev from Feb. 21, 2015 in Tbilisi, Georgia.

 

Friday, Feb. 27

 

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 class fights from the historic Japanese DEEP promotion including Shinya Aoki, Hayato Sakurai and Gegard Mousasi.

 

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

 

6 p.m. ET – M-1 Challenge – Professional MMA from Europe featuring top rising prospects and international stars.

 

7:00 p.m. ET – UFC 184 Weigh-In – Live coverage of the official weigh in for UFC 184: Rousey vs. Zingano from Los Angeles.

 

8:00 p.m. ET – Toe 2 Toe with Josh Koscheck – Sit-down interview with UFC welterweight star Josh Koscheck.

 

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

 

9:00 p.m. ET — KSW 30: Genesis – Featuring Borys Mankowski vs. Michail Tsarev and Aslambek Saidov vs. Rafal Moks from Feb. 21, 2015 in Posnan, Poland.

 

Saturday, Feb. 28

 

12:00 a.m. ET — Fight News Now: MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and features.

 

12:30 a.m. ET — Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, featur4es and inside analysis on the fight game.

 

1:00 a.m. ET – SuperKombat: VIP Edition Bucharest 2013 – Featuring Mike Zambidis vs. Harun Kina for the SuperKombat middleweight title from Aug. 31, 2013 in Bucharest, Romania.

 

6:00 a.m. ET – Best of TKO – Featuring Patrick Cote vs. Jason Day from TKO29.

 

7:00 a.m. ET – Best of Gladiator Challenge – Featuring Rashad Evans vs. Jamie Jara from Gladiator Challenge 27.

 

10:00 a.m. ET – Best of SportFight – Top quality MMA from the Pacific Northwest. Hosted by UFC veterans Matt Lindland and Chael Sonnen.

 

3:00 p.m. ET – Ring of Combat 48 – Featuring Brendan Barrett vs. Justin Woods and Chris Wade vs. Frankie Perez from May 16, 2014 in Atlantic City, NJ.

 

7:00 p.m. ET – UFC 184 Pre-Show – Live pre-fight coverage for UFC 184: Rousey vs. Zingano in Los Angeles.

 

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 – Final Fight Championship: Futures 2 MMA – Featuring Ante Delija vs. Ruben Wolf from May 3, 2014 in Opatija, Croatia.

 

11:00 p.m. ET — Final Fight Championship: Futures 2 Kickboxing – Featuring Mladen Brestovac vs. Tomas Pakutinskas from May 3, 2014 in Opatija, Croatia.


Sunday, Mar. 1

 

1:00 a.m. ET – UFC 184 Post Show – Live post-fight reaction to UFC 184: Rousey vs. Zingano featuring event highlights and the live post-fight press conference.

 

10:00 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.

 

11:00 a.m. ET – Elite Muay Thai: Thailand vs. Challenger – The biggest Muay Thai series in the world featuring premium international stand-up fighters takingon the renowned Thai National team.

 

7:00 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.

 

7:30 p.m. ET – Judo Paris Grand Slam 2014 Highlights – Highlights of the 2014 Judo Grand Slam from Feb. 8-9, 2014 in Paris.

 

9:00 p.m. ET – King of Kings: World Grand Prix 2014 Gdansk 1 – Featuring Artur Kyshenko vs. Radoslaw Paczuski, plus the one-night, single elimination -93kg tournament from Oct. 17, 2014 in Gdansk, Poland.

 

Monday, March 2

 

1:00 a.m. ET – Best of GYM Boxing: MMA Fighters in Boxing – A special look at some MMA fighters in boxing action including Ali Nestor Charles and Travis Fulton.
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.
boxing, Premier Boxing Champions, Spike TV

ANTONIO TARVER AND JIMMY SMITH NAMED COLOR ANALYSTS FOR “PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS” SERIES ON SPIKE TV

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New York, NY, February 19, 2015 – Spike TV has added some serious punch to their “Premier Boxing Champions” series announce-team. Five-time, two-division world champion boxer Antonio Tarver and popular Bellator announcer and former professional MMA fighter, Jimmy Smith, will serve as color analysts for Spike TV’s inaugural season of “Premier Boxing Champions.”
Spike TV’s first “Premier Boxing Champions” event will take place on Friday, March 13 at 9:00pm ET/PT from the Citizens Bank Arena in Ontario, CA. The event will showcase two marquee match-ups including Andre Berto vs. Josesito Lopez and Shawn Porter vs. Robert Garcia. Spike will announce the color commentator shortly.
Tarver and Smith complete Spike’s “Premier Boxing Champions” announce team which includes Dana Jacobson as host and Scott Hansen as blow-by-blow announcer.
“We are thrilled to add two dynamic and knowledgeable voices who each possess their own unique perspectives of combat sports,” said Jon Slusser, Senior Vice President, Sports and Branded Entertainment. “Antonio delivers a huge personality with a championship pedigree and Jimmy will bring his incredible insight and energy that he has for MMA to boxing.”
Antonio “The Magic Man” Tarver, from Tampa Fla, had one of the sport’s most-decorated amateur careers. In 1995, he became the only fighter to have won the Pan American, U.S. National Championships, and World Championships in the same year.  After winning the bronze medal in 1996 Olympics, he turned pro and ascended the ranks of light heavyweight division. In 2003, Tarver defeated Montell Griffith in the biggest win in his career up to that point to claim the IBF and WBC title belts. After a tough 12-round decision loss to Roy Jones Jr, Tarver avenged that bitter defeat with an incredible 2nd round knockout of Jones Jr., shocking and amazing boxing fans worldwide. After splitting two fights with Glen Johnson, Tarver topped Jones Jr. with a 12-round decision victory in the third fight of their memorable trilogy. The 46-year-old Tarver (31-6, 22 KOs) is on a mission to become the oldest heavyweight champion of the world.  He is currently world-rated in the heavyweight division at No. 5 by the IBO and No. 9 by the WBA. His last fight (Dec. 11, 2014) resulted in an impressive seventh-round knockout of 29-2-1 Johnathon Banks. He has also served as a color commentator for Showtime Championship Boxing and starred opposite Sylvester Stallone in the feature film “Rocky Balboa” as the character “Mason Dixon.”
Jimmy Smith is currently the color analyst for Bellator MMA on Spike TV. Smith began training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in in 2000 while at UCLA and became a professional MMA fighter in 2003.  Smith compiled a 5-1 record before retiring in 2006 to focus on a television career. Smith starred in the Discovery Channel show, “Fight Quest,” where he traveled the world learning different fight disciplines. He joined Bellator in 2010 and has served as its lead color analyst ever since, partnering with blow-by-blow announcer, Sean Wheelock.
About Spike TV:
Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks.  A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.  Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press.  Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.
Fight Network, kickboxing, mixed martial arts

FIGHT NETWORK MMA & KICKBOXING PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE (Feb. 16-22, 2015)

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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, Feb. 16

 

10:00 a.m. ET – King of Kings: Grand Prix 2014 in Vilnius – Featuring Tadas Jonkus vs. Chris Baya in kickboxing action from Mar. 15, 2014 in Vilnius, Lithuana.

 

2:00 p.m. ET – Ring of Combat 46 – Featuring Brendan Barrett vs. Miodrag Petkovic and Frankie Perez vs. Rafael Machado from Sept. 20, 2013 in Atlantic City, NJ.

 

4:30 p.m. ET – Toe 2 Toe with Ken Shamrock – Sit-down interview with MMA legend and pioneer Ken Shamrock.

 

5:00 p.m. ET – Fighting Spirit MMA Season 4 – Compilation of international fights from SFL, Legend, FFC, M-1 and more.

 

6:00 p.m. ET – Hip Show: Arena Combat – Tag-team MMA inside a 12m-by-12m arena with three levels.

 

6:30 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.

 

7:00 p.m. ET – 5 Rounds – Hosts John Ramdeen and Robin Black invite special guests to break down 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 – Enfusion Live #18: Amsterdam – Professional kickboxing featuring top international stars and rising prospects from Amsterdam, Holland.

Tuesday, Feb. 17

 

2:30 a.m. ET — 1XPTV – Coverage of regional U.S. professional and amateur MMA events.

 

7:00 & 7:30 p.m. ET – Xtreme Fighting Championship – Florida-based professional 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.

 

9:00 p.m. ET – Havoc Fighting Championship 6 – Featuring Luis Huete vs. Wolfgang Janssen and Nick Campbell vs. Devon Neis from Sept. 5, 2014 in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada.

 

11:00 p.m. ET – GFL: Best Battles 4 – Highlights from regional MMA, kickboxing and boxing events showcasing memorable knockouts and submissions.

Wednesday, Feb. 18

 

2:00 a.m. ET – Fighting Spirit MMA Season 4 – Compilation of international fights from SFL, Legend, FFC, M-1 and more.

 

4:00 a.m. ET – Texas Fight Night – MMA action from Texas featuring the Lone Star’s top prospects in the cage.

 

5:00 a.m. ET – Rocktagon MMA – Pro and amateur MMA from Ohio featuring the next generation of stars.

 

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. MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and features.

 

7:30 p.m. ET – Fighting Spirit MMA – Compilations of international MMA fights from ONE FC, UCMMA, KSW, WFC, FFC, BAMMA, EFC Africa and more.

 

9:00 p.m. ET – Cage Warriors Fighting Championship 66 – Featuring Sergei Churilov vs. Nicolas Dalby from Mar. 22, 2014 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

 

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, Feb. 19

 

1:30 a.m. ET – Ultimate Challenge MMA 33 – Featuring Denniston Sutherland vs. Ben Callum from Apr. 6, 2013 in London.

 

12:30 p.m. ET – Ultimate Challenge MMA 33 – Featuring Denniston Sutherland vs. Ben Callum inApr. 6. 2013 in London.

 

6:00 p.m. ET – Championship Fightling 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 – Enfusion Season 3 – Fighters from 18 different countries compete in the 85kg MAX category in Ohrid, Macedonia as they love and train together in their quest for a kickboxing title.

 

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, featur4es and inside analysis on the fight game.

 

9:00 p.m. ET – M-1 Challenge 54 – Featuring Maxim Divnich vs. Djambulat Kurbanov for the vacant M-1 lightweight title from Dec. 17, 2014 9n St. Petersburg, Russia.

Friday, Feb. 20

 

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 class fights from the historic Japanese DEEP promotion including Shinya Aoki, Hayato Sakurai and Gegard Mousasi.

 

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

 

6 p.m. ET – M-1 Challenge – Professional MMA from Europe featuring top rising 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, featur4es and inside analysis on the fight game.

 

8:00 p.m. ET – Toe 2 Toe with Frankie Edgar – Sit-down interview with former UFC lightweight champion and featherweight contender Frankie Edgar.

 

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

 

9:00 p.m. ET — KSW 29: Khsalidov vs. Cooper – Featuring Mamde Khalidov vs. Brett Cooper and Mariusz Pudzianowski vs. Pawel Nastula from Dec. 6, 2014 in Krakow, Poland.

Saturday, Feb. 21

 

1:00 a.m. ET – SuperKombat: New Heroes Romania 2013 – Featuring Bogdan Stoica vs. Yohan Marsan, Andrei Stoica vs. Zinc Lain and others from Aug. 30, 2013 in Targoviste, Romania.

 

6:00 a.m. ET – Best of TKO – Featuring Patrick Cote vs. Jason Day from TKO29.

 

10:00 a.m. ET – M-1 Challenge 55 – Live MMA action featuring Denis Smoldarev vs. Masro Perak and Kenny Garner vs. Aslamnbek Musaev from Tbilisi, Georgia.

 

1:00 p.m. ET – KSW 30: Genesis LIVE! – Live MMA from Poland featuring Borys Mankowski vs. Michaeil Tsarev and Aslambek Saidov vs. Rafal Moks.

 

5:00 p.m. ET – Ring of Combat 47 – Featuring Chris Wade vs. Pat Defranco and Frankie Perez vs. Mike Santiago from Jan. 24, 2014 in Atlantic City.

 

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 – Final Fight Championship: Futures 1 MMA – MMA action featuring Stjepan Bekavac vs. Lajos Calvaruso from Apr. 1, 2014 in Opatija, Croatia.

 

11:00 p.m. ET — Final Fight Championship: Futures 1 Kickboxing – Kickboxing action featuring Patrick Van Rees vs. Ivan Stanic from Mar. 2, 2014 in Opatija, Croatia.

Sunday, Feb. 22

 

10:00 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.

 

5:00 p.m. ET – UFC Fight Night: Bigfoot vs. Mir Pre-Show LIVE! – Live pre-fight coverage for UFC Fight Night: Bigfoot vs., Mir in Porto Alegrre, Brazil.

 

11:30 p.m. ET – UFC Fight Night: Bigfoot vs. Mir Post-Show LIVE! – Live post-show for UFC Fight Night: Bigfoot vs. Mir from Porto Alegre, Brazil, featuring highlights and the live post-fight press conference.

 
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.

 
Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

STORM WARNING IN THE BELLATOR MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION

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Alexander Shlemenko Defeats Melvin Manhoef in Spectacular Fashion on Spike TV at “Bellator: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko”

 

 Credit: Esther Lin / MMAFIGHTING.COM

 

 CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS

 CLICK HERE FOR OFFICIAL SCORECARDS

 

FRESNO, Calif (Feb. 13, 2015)- Former Bellator Middleweight Champion Alexander “The Storm” Shlemenko (52-9) made quick work of his opponent with a dominating second-round knockout over Dutch striking ace Melvin Manhoef (29-13-1) in front of a near-capacity crowd at Save Mart Center at tonight’s “Bellator: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko” event which aired LIVE and FREE on SPIKE TV.

 

With Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion, and often-successful spinning backfist utilizer Emanuel Newton in the crowd, Shlemenko borrowed a page from his playbook and attempted several spinning fist and kick attacks throughout the first frame.

 

When the second round started, Shlemenko stuck to that same game plan, and connected his spinning forearm flush with the jaw of Manhoef, sending him tumbling to the canvas.  The hungry Russian native left nothing to chance and landed another strike before “Big” John McCarthy pushed him off declaring him the winner at 1:25 of round 2.

 

“I hope Bellator heard me and will let me correct the mistake I made in the past and will give me the opportunity to fight for the Bellator Middleweight World Championship against Brandon Halsey.”

 

Former Featherweight Champion Pat Curran‘s road back to the top of the talented division hit a road block against Featherweight Tournament winner Daniel Weichel of Germany.  The two fighters wasted no time teeing off with crisp punches and accurate kicks, keeping the fight standing for a majority of the first frame.  Weichel swept the leg of the former champ, who quickly bounced back to his feet and got right back into the mix.  Both fighters finished the final seconds of round one with a flurry of punches that drew loud applause from the Fresno crowd.

 

Curran began the second round with a visible cut over his left eye.  After spending most of the round on their feet, Curran rushed Weichel and scored a takedown, where he imposed his will on Weichel for the final minute, likely winning him the round.

 

The third round featured a continuation of the exciting slugfest with Curran attempting to score another takedown in the third, but the German fighter stuffed the attempt, briefly tried to work on a choke and then disengaged to finish the fight on his feet.  At the end of 15 minutes, Weichel emerged victorious by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29).

 

“Curran has achieved so much in Bellator and it was quite an honor to fight him. Tonight I proved that I belong here. I told the world that I am coming for the title shot and to claim the belt.”

 

Julia Budd (7-2) and Gabrielle Holloway (4-2) marked the first Bellator Women’s fight of the year.  Budd, the Canadian Muay Thai specialist showed a well-rounded skill-set throughout the fight overpowering Holloway, who took the fight on short notice.  Budd worked well from the clinch, utilized several knee strikes and connected with a straight right hand in the closing seconds of round one.  Holloway showed great poise throughout, and worked Budd with a takedown to open the third round, however Budd was able to transition into an armbar attempt, and ultimately worked her way to Holloways’ back and grinded out a dominant unanimous decision scored 30-26, 30-25 and 30-24.

 

“I’m really disappointed I didn’t get the knockout,” said Budd. “I was hoping to get on my feet and keep it standing or finish it on the ground, but she controlled my wrists and I couldn’t get my hands free to finish it.

 

“She turtled the entire time so I couldn’t elbow and posture up and strike like I wanted to, but it’s definitely something I’m goinvg to work on for the next fight.”

 

In the nights opening fight, it was a battle of two highly accomplished wrestlers in Chris Honeycutt, a two-time D1 All-American and Clayton MacFarlane, a D2 National Champion.  With the vocal hometown crown behind him, Honeycutt came out of the gates strong and utilized masterful ground control and precision striking throughout the first two rounds.  The highly regarded welterweight prospect Honeycutt exhibited great strength at points, tossing MacFarlane to the ground.  MacFarlane opened the third frame with a takedown, but Honeycutt regained control, took his opponents back and rained down strikes to MacFarlane’s body.  MacFarlane, now 4-1, was unable to protect himself from the body blows, and referee Jason Herzog stopped the fight at 4:16 of the third round.

 

“I got the Victory, but would’ve liked to have received the TKO in an earlier round,” said Honeycutt, who improves his record to 6-0 with the TKO victory.
Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

“BELLATOR: MANHOEF VS. SHLEMENKO” OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN RESULTS HAVE ALL FIGHTERS MAKING WEIGHT PRIOR TO FRIDAY NIGHTS FIGHT ON SPIKE TV

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“I am absolutely looking for the knockout. Any kind of win is a success, but I really want the knockout.” – Alexander Shlemenko
“He has stepped between me and my goal, and the goal is to become Bellator champion.” – Melvin Manhoef 
 

FRESNO, Calif. – Feb. 12, 2015 – Fighters took to the scales and successfully hit their targeted weights Thursday afternoon at the Save Mart Center, the site of tomorrow’s highly anticipated “Bellator: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko” event, which airs LIVE and FREE on Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET.

 

“Bellator: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko” is headlined by an epic middleweight matchup between two of the most dangerous strikers in all of mixed martial arts with former Bellator MMA champ Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (50-9) facing fellow knockout artist Melvin “No Mercy” Manhoef (29-12-1).  The event also features a sure-to-be-thrilling featherweight co-main event between former championPat Curran (20-6) and tournament winner Daniel Weichel (34-8).

 Melvin Manhoef (186 lbs.) vs. Alexander Shlemenko (186 lbs.)

 

Pat Curran (146 lbs.) vs. Daniel Weichel (145 lbs.)

 

 Julia Budd (145 lbs.) vs. Gabrielle Holloway (145.5 lbs.)

 

Chris Honeycutt (170.5 lbs.) vs. Clayton MacFarlane (170.5 lbs.)


Art Arciniega (146 lbs.) vs. Emilio Chavez (146 lbs.)

Blake Watkins (185.5 lbs.) vs. George Zuniga (185 lbs.)

Paul Ruiz (135.5 lbs.) vs. Nicolas Sperling (133 lbs.)

Nick Bustamante (156 lbs.) vs. Luis Jauregui (154 lbs.)

John Paul Elias (205 lbs.) vs. Cody Sons (205 lbs.)

Jonathan Contrestano (155 lbs.) vs. Ryan Tobar (155 lbs.)

Andrew Ramm (160.5 lbs.) vs. Adam Piccolotti (160 lbs.)

Mason Fowler (169 lbs.) vs. Marko Damiani (170 lbs.)

 

PRE-FIGHT QUOTES:

 

Alexander Shlemenko: 

“Melvin [Manhoef] is a fast and strong fighter. He’s the best kickboxer in all of MMA.

“I’m ready for this fight because I think I have great striking and grappling ability. In this training camp I sparred a lot with muay thai guys back home in Omsk, Russia and i also changed my diet to gain more muscle mass to feel much better and stronger.

“I am absolutely looking for the knockout. Any kind of win is a success, but I really want the knockout.”

Melvin Manhoef:

“I’m going to fight Alexander [Shlemenko] hard and aggressively. The accuracy of my punches is what will make me win this fight.

“I’m not looking for the knockout, I want to do three rounds of five minutes of hard fighting. If the knockout comes, then it will come.

“He [Shlemenko] has a lot of speed and back-kicks. He has very good agility and is very well-rounded, but so am I. I think my striking, speed and kicking is better than his.

“I don’t mind if he is too confident going into this fight. He has stepped between me and my goal, and the goal is to become Bellator champion.”

Pat Curran:

“A fights a fight. Everything can go out the window with one punch.

“I’m looking to getting back to being my old self. I am humbled and hungry, you are going to see the old Pat Curran in there with a couple new tricks up his sleeve.

“I’m always looking for the knockout or submission, but i’m ready to go three rounds. I’m prepared for any finish in any situation.

“He [Daniel Weichel] is very hungry right now. He’s a submission specialist and I have a feeling he’s going to come out hard and quick. I’m ready for anything and no matter what it’s going to be an exciting fight, I can’t wait to get back in there.

“I feel him out and bring him into my game. If he comes out strong I’m ready for that and we will match fire with fire.”

Daniel Weichel:

“This fight means a lot to me, like every fight here in Bellator. I will make a statement tomorrow night and will make everyone remember my name.

“I’m well-rounded and my biggest strength is that I can put the pressure for all 15 minutes.”

Main Card on Spike TV (9 p.m. ET)

Bellator Middleweight Main Event: Melvin Manhoef (29-12-1) vs. Alexander Shlemenko (50-9)

Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Pat Curran (20-6) vs. Daniel Weichel (34-8)

Bellator Women’s Featherweight Feature Fight: Julia Budd (6-2) vs. Gabrielle Holloway (4-1)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Chris Honeycutt (5-0) vs. Clayton MacFarlane (4-0)

Preliminary card on Spike.com (8 p.m. ET)

Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Art Arciniega (14-4) vs. Emilio Chavez (7-5)

Bellator Middleweight Prelim Fight: Blake Watkins (4-0) vs. George Zuniga (3-0)

Bellator Flyweight Prelim Fight: Paul Ruiz (5-2) vs. Nicolas Sperling (3-2)

Preliminary card on Spike.com (Following Manhoef vs. Shlemenko)

Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Nick Bustamante (2-0) vs. Luis Jauregui (2-1)

Bellator Light Heavyweight Prelim Fight: John Paul Elias (2-0) vs. Cody Sons (0-1)

Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Jonathan Contrestano (4-0) vs. Ryan Tobar (3-1)

Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Ray Cervera (8-2) vs. Adam Piccolotti (4-0)

Bellator Welterweight Prelim Fight: Mason Fowler (1-0) vs. Marko Damiani (0-1)

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 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader.  Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.  Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

 

About Spike TV:

Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks.  A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.  Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press.  Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.
boxing, Cage Warriors Fighting Championship, mixed martial arts

GRAHAM BOYLAN RESIGNS AS CEO OF CAGE WARRIORS FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP

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(London, United Kingdom | Thursday, February 12, 2015) – Cage Warriors Fighting Championship can confirm that Graham Boylan has stepped down as CEO.

The Cage Warriors Board of Directors was unexpectedly informed of Graham’s decision at a meeting on Tuesday.

Graham played an integral role in the massive growth of the brand in recent years, but the Board remains keen to continue that progress.

While we focus our efforts on the search for a new CEO, we have taken the decision to postpone the event which was scheduled for the Copper Box in London on March 21st.

A new date for this event will be announced in due course, and the patience of our loyal fans is appreciated.

All contracted athletes will also be granted a one-fight exemption from their Cage Warriors deals to compete for another promotion in the meantime.

Thank you for your continued support of Europe’s leading MMA organisation.

Shadi Tahboub, Board of Directors, Cage Warriors Fighting Championship
Bellator, mixed martial arts, Spike TV

BELLATOR ROLLS OUT SERIES OF “FOUNDATIONS” DIGITAL PIECES FEATURING MELVIN MANHOEF, ALEXANDER SHLEMENKO, PAT CURRAN & DANIEL WEICHEL

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WATCH: MUST SEE TV RETURNS TO THURSDAY

Fans have been clamoring about the new “Foundations” video series that Bellator MMA has rolled out, offering an inside look at the lives of the four men who will top the fight card of “Bellator: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko” tomorrow night.

 

Featuring a thrilling middleweight matchup between two of the most dangerous strikers in all of mixed martial arts with former Bellator MMA champ Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (50-9) facing fellow knockout artist Melvin “No Mercy” Manhoef (29-12-1), “Bellator: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko” takes place Feb. 13 at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif. and airs LIVE and FREE on Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET.

In a sure-to-be-amazing co-main event, former featherweight champion Pat Curran (20-6) looks to start the journey to reclaim his belt against tournament winner and submission specialist Daniel Weichel (34-8)

 

Tickets for the event, which start at just $28, are currently available at Ticketmaster.com,SaveMartCenter.com and the Save Mart Center Box Office.

 

Bellator MMA: Foundations with Melvin Manhoef
Bellator MMA: Foundations with Melvin Manhoef
Bellator MMA: Foundations with Alexander Shlemenko
Bellator MMA: Foundations with Alexander Shlemenko
Bellator MMA: Foundations with Pat Curran
Bellator MMA: Foundations with Pat Curran
Bellator MMA: Foundations with Daniel Weichel
Bellator MMA: Foundations with Daniel Weichel

 

Main Card on Spike TV (9 p.m. ET)

Bellator Middleweight Main Event: Melvin Manhoef (29-12-1) vs. Alexander Shlemenko (50-9)

Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Pat Curran (20-6) vs. Daniel Weichel (34-8)

Bellator Women’s Featherweight Feature Fight: Julia Budd (6-2) vs. Gabrielle Holloway (4-1)

Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Chris Honeycutt (5-0) vs. Clayton MacFarlane (4-0)

Preliminary card on Spike.com (8 p.m. ET)

Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Art Arciniega (14-4) vs. Emilio Chavez (7-5)

Bellator Middleweight Prelim Fight: Blake Watkins (4-0) vs. George Zuniga (3-0)

Bellator Flyweight Prelim Fight: Paul Ruiz (5-2) vs. Nicolas Sperling (3-2)

Preliminary card on Spike.com (Following Manhoef vs. Shlemenko)

Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Nick Bustamante (2-0) vs. Luis Jauregui (2-1)

Bellator Light Heavyweight Prelim Fight: John Paul Elias (2-0) vs. Cody Sons (0-1)

Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Jonathan Contrestano (4-0) vs. Ryan Tobar (3-1)

Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Ray Cervera (8-2) vs. Adam Piccolotti (4-0)

Bellator Welterweight Prelim Fight: Mason Fowler (1-0) vs. Marko Damiani (0-1)

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 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader.  Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.  Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

 

About Spike TV:

Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks.  A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.  Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press.  Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.
Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, New England Fights

BOYINGTON AND HARRISON ON APRIL 11: POWER IS LEGEND

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Lewiston, Maine (February 10, 2015) – The night was June 16, 2012.  Over 3,000 fans had filled the Androscoggin Bank Colisee for New England Fights’ (NEF) “NEF III” mixed-martial-arts (MMA) event.  In the main event of the evening was former two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight Champion of the World Tim “The Maine-iac” Sylvia (31-10).  Sylvia was competing for the first time ever in his home state of Maine.   Media outlets, both local and national, descended on Lewiston that night for the big event.  National cable station HDNet (now “AXS TV”) sent a full film crew and producer to cover the pro portion of the fight card for their weekly program Inside MMA.

 

Sylvia’s 12-second knockout of Randy Smith (13-15-1), however, was not the story that night.  The real story coming out of the event was the emergence of not one, but two, new stars before a national audience.  Bruce “Pretty Boy” Boyington (10-7), already holding the first-ever knockout in Maine MMA history, added to his legend with a Taekwondo spinning-hook kick that left his opponent unconscious and earned Boyington the quickest knockout in NEF at the time at 10-seconds.  Moments later, Jamie Harrison (5-1) finished his opponent with an unorthodox ground-and-pound technique dubbed “The Lobster Punch” by Inside MMA co-host Bas Rutten (28-4-1).  Both finishes were caught on camera by AXS TV, and both were seen by fight fans the world over on television and the internet.  The road to April 11, 2015, “NEF XVII,” and a showdown between Boyington and Harrison, had been paved.

 

In the months and years to come, Boyington would become the face of NEF MMA.  Leaving a trail of broken opponents in his wake, Boyington would go on to capture the vacant NEF MMA Lightweight Championship in September 2014 by defeating Jesse “The Viking” Erickson (3-4).  Weeks later, Boyington and Erickson would rematch with Boyington once again emerging victorious. Harrison had, himself, cut through Tollison Lewis (0-3) with reckless abandon just moments earlier, leading many to speculate that the time for the Boyington-Harrison showdown had finally arrived.  In the hours that followed, both sides had agreed to the fight and the stage was set for April 11, 2015 in Lewiston at “NEF XVII.”  Both athletes squared off in the cage last Saturday at “NEF XVI” to officially announce the bout which will be a five-rounder for Boyington’s Lightweight Championship.

 

“I’m feeling on top of the world,” said Boyington when reached for comment.  “The break has served its purpose and although I feel I have strengths such as a well-rounded MMA game, more professional fights, more experience with top level opponents and comfort in this arena – I know that it’s all irrelevant because the high that I’m on right now right now and the eagerness to get in the cage and have fun , along with a strict conviction with myself NOT to lose and to entertain the crowd makes me more confident than ever to get the job done.  I respect Jamie very much. He is tough and presents challenges and I’ve had my sights on him for a long time, studying him and knowing we would cross paths eventually. Lucky for me, I’m a hell of a wrestler.  I see what’s coming.  Fans, this fight is unlike anything else you will ever see.  Make sure you’re in attendance to witness what I’m about to do.  I have no problem proving the critics wrong.  Just be there and don’t blink. This is a big stage fight, I’ll prove it.”

 

“I am extremely excited to get back in the NEF cage for this huge opportunity,” remarked Harrison.  “Bruce is on a hot streak and so am I.  The title belt around my waist has been a long time coming and it will be bittersweet to do it in front of all my family, friends, and fans.  This fight will have a lot of fireworks and you will not want to look away for a second.”

 

“These are the two alpha males of the NEF roster,” said NEF co-owner and promoter Nick DiSalvo.  “When they walk in a room, everyone knows it.  But we all know that there can only be one alpha male in the pride.  On April 11 in Lewiston, we’ll determine which is the true alpha male when these two lions collide.”

 

NEF’s next MMA event, “NEF XVII,” is scheduled to take place onApril 11, 2015 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine.  Bruce “Pretty Boy” Boyington (10-7) will defend the NEF MMA Lightweight Title against number-one contender Jamie Harrison (5-1).  In addition, Jarod “Last Minute” Lawton (4-1) meets Dennis Olson (12-7) in a welterweight contest.  Tickets for “NEF XVII” start at just $25 and are on sale now at www.TheColisee.com or by calling The Colisee 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.”

 

Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, New England Fights

NEF XVI RECAP: KING RETAINS; WOOD DETHRONED; YOUNG’S MMA GOES 8-1

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Tyler King after retaining the Heavyweight Title on Saturday night

Lewiston, Maine (February 9, 2015) –New England Fights’ (NEF) latest mixed-martial-arts (MMA) event “NEF XVI,” took place Saturday night at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine.  With temperatures dropping to below zero, and the threat of a snowstorm looming over the area, more than 2,500 fight fans braved the elements to pack the state’s most venerable fight venue.  The crowd was treated to a total of 24 action-packed fights, including four professional bouts, two of which were for NEF MMA title belts.

 

The main event of the evening saw Anthony “Cheesesteak” Morrison (17-9) unseat Ray “All Business” Wood (5-1) to become the new NEF MMA Featherweight Champion.  The loss spoiled what was expected to be a triumphant return home for Wood.  The native of Bucksport, Maine had moved to South Carolina in 2014 to pursue his goal of competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).  Morrison was considered Wood’s toughest challenge to date, having himself competed on the national stage in Bellator and World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC).  Still, Wood was recognized as the favorite going into the bout Saturday night.  Morrison was dominant for most of the fight, out-wrestling Wood before submitting him with a guillotine choke in the fifth round to capture the belt.

 

The loss was also the sole blemish on what was otherwise a perfect night for Young’s MMA.  The Bangor, Maine-based team had won their previous eight bouts over the course of the evening, an amazing feat considering that the Young’s corners were often running back and forth from the cage to the locker room to prepare their fighters for bouts that were mere moments apart from each other.  Of particular note, the opening fight of the card featured Josh Harvey (3-1) of Young’s tearing through top-ten-ranked amateur featherweight Caleb Hall (5-2) with a technical knockout (TKO) victory a mere 36-seconds into the first round. Later, Young’s newest team member, Carl Langston (4-7), got his first win ever on Maine soil with a decision over Sheldon Bang (1-2) in a rematch of a bout Langston had lost at “NEF XIII” last year.

 

Marcus Davis’s Team Irish went 2-0 on the night with Ricky Dexter(2-0) picking up the second win of his amateur career and Rick Matthews (1-1) getting his first victory.  44-year old Matthews won a decision over Emmett Huber (0-1) while Dexter scored a big knockout on Cory Trial (0-1) in the second-round, sending Trial to a nearby hospital in the process.

 

Highlight-reel knockouts were par for the course at “NEF XVI.” Among them, UFC, Bellator and Strikeforce veteran Nah-Shon “The Rock-n-Rolla” Burrell (11-5) had already bloodied Ryan Hodge(6-10) before knocking him out in the first round of their professional middleweight contest.  The most-talked-about knockout of the evening, however, went to Caleb Farrington (2-0) of Team New England United (NEU) who dropped Brandon “The Enigma” Russell (0-1) with a single right hand just 8-seconds into the first round.  The knockout broke the all-time record of 11-seconds previously set by Buck “Knuckles” Pineau (7-4) in April 2012.

 

More history was made at “NEF XVI” when a father and not one, but two of his sons competed on the same MMA card.  Following losses by his sons, Sheldon and Steve Bang (3-3), Dr. Steve Bang(1-0), a member of Central Maine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (CMBJJ), entered the NEF MMA cage to a loud ovation from the crowd.  The bariatric surgeon wasted little time in going to work on his opponent, Matthew Hanning (0-1), taking him down and pounding out a victory via referee-stoppage.

 

NFL and UFC The Ultimate Fighter veteran Tyler King (8-2) successfully defended the NEF MMA Heavyweight Title in the co-main event of the night, defeating Terry “The Polar Bear” Blackburn (5-3).  King stormed into the arena with a determined fire in his eyes.  Mid-way through the first round, King took Blackburn down to the mat and worked a Kimura submission, forcing Blackburn to tap-out.  During his post-fight victory interview in the cage, King called out a slew of heavyweights and light-heavyweights including local names like Eric Bedard (6-5), as well as national stars such as Bellator’s Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (14-4).

 

Two bouts were announced for NEF’s next MMA event, “NEF XVII,” scheduled for April 11, 2015 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee. NEF MMA Lightweight Champion Bruce “Pretty Boy” Boyington(10-7) faced-off in the cage with Jamie Harrison (5-1) for an interview.  Boyington will defend his title at “NEF XVII” against number-one-contender Harrison in the main event.  Jarod “Last Minute” Lawton (4-1) and Bellator veteran Dennis Olson (12-7) were also brought into the cage for an interview.  The two exciting welterweights will square off at “NEF XVII” in a bout many local observers feel could end up being a contender for “Fight of the Year” in the region.

 

The full results of “NEF XVI” in Lewiston, Maine:

 

PROFESSIONAL

 

145*TITLE Anthony Morrison def. Ray Wood (c) via guillotine, round 5 (Morrison wins title)

265*TITLE Tyler King (c) def. Terry Blackburn via Kimura, round 1 (King retains)

185 Nah-Shon Burrell def. Ryan Hodge via TKO, round 1

265 Mike Hansen def. Artie Mullen via TKO, round 1

 

 

AMATEUR

 

CATCH Aaron Lacey def. Nick Spencer via tap to rear-naked choke, round 3

CATCH Dustin Veinott def. Dave Brown via tap to armbar, round 1

145 Mike Peitersen def. Henry Clark via KO, round 3

180 Caleb Farrington def. Brandon Russell via KO, round 1

155 Ricky Dexter def. Cory Trial via KO, round 2

155 Dr. Steve Bang def. Matthew Hanning via TKO, round 1

  1. HWT Gravin Guillen def. Mladen Holman via unanimous decision

CATCH Fred Lear def. Bryant Orick via TKO, round 2

185 Frank Dellasala def. Heath Hanson via TKO, round 1

155 Jason Lachance def. Steve Bang via unanimous decision

265 Billy Leahy def. Brandon Lessard via unanimous decision

185 Nick Shea def. Jacob Cameron via TKO, round 1

CATCH Rob Kiah def. Clifford Redman via tap to rear-naked choke, round 1

135 Johnny Crafts def. Mike Crespo via tap to rear-naked choke, round 1

CATCH Jimmy Jackson def. Kris Welch via bulldog submission, round 2

205 Chris Perry def. Ruben Redman via unanimous decision

265 Ryan Glover def. Michael Freeman via TKO, round 1

140 Carl Langston def. Sheldon Bang via unanimous decision

155 Rick Matthews def. Emmett Huber via split decision

145 Josh Harvey def. Caleb Hall via TKO, round 1

 

NEF’s next MMA event, “NEF XVII,” is scheduled to take place onApril 11, 2015 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine.  Bruce “Pretty Boy” Boyington (10-7) will defend the NEF MMA Lightweight Title against number-one contender Jamie Harrison (5-1).  In addition, Jarod “Last Minute” Lawton (4-1) meets Dennis Olson (12-7) in a welterweight contest.  Tickets for “NEF XVII” start at just $25 and are on sale now atwww.TheColisee.com or by calling The Colisee box office at207.783.2009 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.