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Tickets for WSOF34 on sale now
LAS VEGAS (October 10, 2016) – World Series of Fighting (www.WSOF.com) announced that it has tabbed four military veterans for action in three different bouts, including one that will air on its live NBCSN telecast (10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT), to kick off it’s “Who’s The Toughest?” program at WSOF34: Foster vs. Shields, at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, Colo. on Saturday, Nov. 12.
The league also announced that Josh “Cuddly Bear” Copeland (13-4) has been forced to withdraw from his scheduled heavyweight matchup with former world champion Smealinho “The Prince” Rama (9-2) due to a knee injury. Rama will now face Kevin Sears (4-2).
“We are extremely excited to launch the ‘Who’s The Toughest?’ program with a group of four professional fighters that have served our country valiantly, and who have since been looking for a potentially career-changing opportunity to compete on a major stage,” said World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo.
World Series of Fighting announced in May that it would be launching “Who’s The Toughest?” in order to provide military veterans who are active or aspiring MMA fighters, with the opportunity to compete under its promotion.
Leading off the live NBCSN telecast of WSOF34, Shane Kruchten (11-4) and Jeremy Mahon (5-4) – both U.S. Marine Corps veterans – will do battle in a 150-pound catchweight contest.
In a light heavyweight (205 pounds) matchup that will headline the WSOF34 preliminary bout card, U.S. Marine Corps veteran Brandon Collins (3-2) will collide with Chris Morgan (0-0), who will make his professional debut.
The fourth veteran, former U.S. Army ranger Nicoli Navarro (3-1), will square off with unbeaten upstart Alan Gutierrez (2-0) at lightweight (155 pounds).
Shane Kruchten vs. Jeremy Mahon
The 6-foot-1, 32-year-old Kruchten of San Diego, Calif. saw action in the Iraq War in 2003 and 2004, and was subsequently awarded a Presidential Unit Citation and a Combat Action Ribbon for his efforts in battle before retiring from the military with the rank of Lance Corporal.
Since turning professional in 2007, Kruchten has donated a portion of each of his fight purses to the Mighty Oaks Warrior Foundation, a California-based retreat for veterans run by fellow U.S. Marine Corps veteran and former World Series of Fighting competitor Chad Robichaux.
Kruchten’s start will bring an end to a two-and-a-half-year hiatus that he took following a loss to Mike Corey by way of second round (2:59) submission (rear-naked choke) in what was Kruchten’s World Series of Fighting debut. Prior to the defeat, Kruchten had reeled off 11 consecutive victories, 6 via submission and 3 via (T)KO.
The 5-foot-10, 37-year-old Mahon of Houston, Texas was deployed to Iraq during the initial invasion of the country in 2003, and later served as a security contractor in Fallujah, working to procure the safety of civilians there.
Before retiring as a Sergeant, Mahon earned a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal as well as a Presidential Unit Citation. He runs a non-profit organization, DAWG Foundation, which trains dogs and offers them to veterans in need of everyday assistance.
Mahon is looking to notch his third straight victory following a second round (4:22) TKO (punches) of Davis Sylvester at Bellator 149 on February 19.
Brandon Collins vs. Chris Morgan
The 6-foot-1, 32-year-old Collins of Houston, Texas was also a recipient of a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal during his eight-year stint (2004-2012) with the Marine Corps that saw him tour Afghanistan where he was a special operations officer and his unit’s martial arts instructor.
Collins was a member of his North Carolina base’s boxing team and, after relocating to California, he quickly transitioned to MMA.
Morgan, a 6-foot-3, 28-year-old resident of Denver, Colo. will make his first professional start after a three-year amateur career that saw him compile an overall record of 5-2. All 5 of his victories came inside the first round of action via (T)KO or submission.
Nicholi Navarro vs. Alan Gutierrez
The 6-foot, 30-year-old Navarro of Denver served in the Army’s 75th Ranger Regimen, a special operations unit, between 2004 and 2008, eventually reaching the rank of Corporal.
During his four-year tenure in the military, Navarro earned a Combat Infantry Badge, an Expert Infantry Badge and a Parachutist Badge.
Navarro is a student of retired, former Muay Thai world champion and UFC star Duane “Bang” Ludwig. All three of Navarro’s professional victories to date have come by way of (T)KO or submission.
While not a veteran, the 5-foot-11, 23-year-old Gutierrez of Skagit Valley, Wash. was born into and raised by a family of Marines, with his father, mother and brother all having served. Gutierrez dedicates each of his fights to his recently deceased brother.
Gutierrez made quick work of each of his first two professional opponents, to date, submitting Ryan Schecterson with a brabo choke in the first round (2:00) of action in Gutierrez’s professional debut on May 9, 2015, and scoring a first round (1:11) KO (punches) on Taylor Roberts on February 27.
Priced from $20, tickets for “WSOF34: Fitch vs. Shields” are on sale at the Budweiser Events Center box office, BudweiserEventsCenter.com, and by phone at 1-877-544-TIXX.
In the main event of WSOF34, reigning world welterweight (170 pounds) champion Jon Fitch (28-7-1, 1 NC) will collide with number one contender and fellow decorated superstar Jake Shields (31-8-1).
In the welterweight co-main event, Paul Bradley (23-6), will make his promotional debut for World Series of Fighting and take on former top 10 world-ranked Yushin “Thunder” Okami (32-10).
Additional matchups for “WSOF34: Fitch vs. Shields” will be announced soon.
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SANTA MONICA, Calif. (January 12, 2016) – Ryan Couture (10-3) will face Patricky “Pitbull” Freire (14-7) during the main card of “Bellator 148: Daley vs. Uhrich” on January 29 at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif.
Bellator officials previously announced two welterweight attractions featuring a main event pitting British slugger Paul “Semtex” Daley (37-13-2) against Andy Uhrich (11-5) and a rematch featuring Paul Bradley (22-6, 2 NC) against Chris Honeycutt (6-0, 1 NC), which will serve as the co-main event. Rounding out the Spike-televised main card will be heavyweights Raphael Butler (9-1) and Tony Johnson (9-2).
In addition, the preliminary portion of the card has been completed, with the news that Matt Perez (1-1) will meet Eugene Cancino, Nick Bustamante (3-0) takes on Salvador Becerra (4-2), Jermaine McDermott (1-0) fights Eric Huggins (1-0) and John Paul Elias (3-0) will also be in action.
“Bellator 148: Daley vs. Uhrich” 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 at 5 p.m. PT. Tickets for the event start at only $25 and are on sale now at the Save Mart Center Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com.
Currently engrossed in a four-fight winning streak, including his first two contests with Bellator MMA, Couture will look to start off 2016 on the right foot. The son of MMA legend Randy Couture, the former Strikeforce competitor has finished all of the aforementioned wins via rear-naked choke submission. Couture was slated to compete at “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis,” but his opponent missed weight by more than 16 pounds.
Standing opposite of Couture will be the elder “Pitbull” brother, who agreed to the fight on short notice after Derek Anderson was forced to withdraw due to injury. Freire competed during the last event of 2015 and will now make his 14th appearance for Bellator MMA during the first event of 2016. It’s worth noting that 10 of Freire’s wins have come before reaching the judges’ scorecards.
Complete “Bellator 148: Daley vs. Uhrich” Fight Card
Bellator MMA Welterweight Main Event: Paul Daley (37-13-2) vs. Andy Uhrich (11-5)
Bellator MMA Welterweight Co-Main Event: Chris Honeycutt (6-0, 1 NC) vs. Paul Bradley (22-6, 2 NC)
Bellator MMA Lightweight Feature Bout: Ryan Couture (10-3) vs. Patricky “Pitbull” Freire (14-7)
Bellator MMA Heavyweight Feature Bout: Raphael Butler (9-1) vs. Tony Johnson (9-2)
Preliminary Card:
Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Mark Dickman (10-2) vs. Thomas Diagne (5-5-1)
Bellator MMA Flyweight Feature Bout: Ilima Macfarlane (2-0) vs. Amber Tackett (1-1)
Bellator MMA Heavyweight Feature Bout: Javy Ayala (8-4) vs. Carl Seumanutafa (9-6)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Anthony Avila (12-4) vs. John Reedy (11-6)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Art Arcienega (14-5) vs. Justin Smitley (9-7
Bellator MMA Welterweight Feature Bout: Mason Fowler (2-0) vs. TBA
Bellator MMA Bantamweight Feature Bout: Paul Ruiz (6-2) vs. Josh San Diego (5-1)
Bellator MMA Flyweight Feature Bout: Matt Perez (1-1) vs. Eugene Cancino (Debut)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Nick Bustamante (3-0) vs. Salvador Becerra (4-2)
Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight Feature Bout: John Paul Elias (3-0) vs. TBA
Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight Feature Bout: Jermaine McDermott (1-0) vs. Eric Huggins (1-0)
THREE PRELIMINARY BOUTS ALSO ADDED TO THE JANUARY 29th EVENT
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (December 17, 2015) – Paul Bradley (22-6, 2 NC) and Chris Honeycutt (6-0, 1 NC) were in the middle of a great fight, when an accidental headbutt opened a gash on the head of Bradley, which led to the fight being called a no contest.
Now, the pair of welterweights will run it back during the main card of “Bellator 148: Koscheck vs. Secor” on January 29 at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif.
Bellator officials previously announced two additional welterweight attractions featuring a main event of Josh Koscheck (17-10) versus Matt Secor (7-2) and a co-main event pitting British slugger Paul “Semtex” Daley (37-13-2) against Andy Uhrich (11-5).
Today, the preliminary portion of the card is filling up, with the news that Anthony Avila (12-4) will face John Reedy (11-6), Javy Ayala (8-4) battles Carl Seumanutafa (9-6) and Art Arcienega (14-5) versus Justin Smiley (9-7). Additional fights will be announced shortly.
“Bellator 148: Koscheck vs. Secor” 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 at 5 p.m. PT. Tickets for the event start at only $25 and are on sale at the Save Mart Center Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com.
Aptly nicknamed “The Cutt,” the 27-year-old Honeycutt is a two-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler out of Edinboro University. Following his collegiate wrestling career, which ended with a runner-up finish in the 2012 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship, Honeycutt enlisted the help of fellow Edinboro wrestler Josh Koscheck, who he now trains with at the longtime MMA veteran’s Dethrone Base Camp in Fresno.
Honeycutt made his Bellator MMA debut in September 2014, scoring a TKO victory over Aaron Wilkinson. He picked up his second win for the promotion at “Bellator 133: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko,” scoring a TKO win over Clayton MacFarlane.
The 32-year-old Bradley is an Iowa native who also earned a pair of NCAA Division I All-American honors while competing at the famed University of Iowa. Bradley turned to mixed martial arts in 2006 and earned 11 consecutive victories to open his career, picking up the Ring of Combat middleweight title along the way.
Bradley made his way to the Bellator MMA cage in 2013, and in four appearances to date, has already picked up decision victories over Josh Neer and Karl Amoussou. While Bradley’s base is firmly in wrestling, he’s developed into a complete martial artist during his time in the sport and owns seven of his career wins by knockout with another seven coming by way of submission.
Updated “Bellator 148: Koscheck vs. Secor” Fight Card
Bellator MMA Welterweight Main Event: Josh Koscheck (17-10) vs. Matt Secor (7-2)
Bellator MMA Welterweight Co-Main Event: Paul Daley (37-13-2) vs. Andy Uhrich (11-5)
Bellator MMA Welterweight Feature Bout: Chris Honeycutt (6-0, 1 NC) vs. Paul Bradley (22-6, 2 NC)
Preliminary Card:
Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Anthony Avila (12-4) vs. John Reedy (11-6)
Bellator MMA Heavyweight Feature Bout: Javy Ayala (8-4) vs. Carl Seumanutafa (9-6)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Art Arcienega (14-5) vs. Justin Smiley (9-7)
Uncasville, CT. (July 16, 2015) – The official weigh-ins for “Bellator 140: Lima vs. Koreshkov” concluded today from The Mohegan Sun Arena, with both Welterweight Champion Douglas Lima (26-5) and his opponent Andrey Koreshkov (17-1) hitting their 170-pound marks.
In addition to the aforementioned headliner, Bellator 140, which airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT, features four additional must-see welterweight attractions.
In the co-main event, the explosive Paul “Semtex” Daley (36-13) looks to put an end to the present winning streak of Dennis Olson(14-8). Daley looks to impress once again when he competes in Connecticut, following up on his victory at “British Invasion” in February.
Hometown favorite “Irish” Brennan Ward (10-3) looks to remain undefeated in 2015 when he meets Roger Carroll (16-11), who replaced Gavin Sterritt on short notice. “Irish” has not been involved in a fight that reached the judges’ scorecards since 2012.
Undefeated Edinboro University of Pennsylvania wrestling standout Chris “The Cutt” Honeycutt (6-0) receives the toughest test of his career, when he meets fellow All-American wrestler and nine-year MMA veteran Paul “The Gentleman” Bradley (22-6).
In the opening televised bout of the evening, Michael “Venom” Page (7-0) will attempt to return to his impressive trend of finishing fights when he faces 29-fight veteran Rudy “Bad News” Bears (16-13). “MVP” was originally slated to compete in February, but during the lead-up to the bout, sustained a cut that has kept him out of action since last year.
CLICK HERE FOR ALL WEIGH-IN PHOTOS
Main Card (9 p.m. ET)
Douglas Lima (170 lbs.) vs. Andrey Koreshkov (170 lbs.)
Paul Daley (171 lbs.) vs. Dennis Olson (173 lbs.)
*Olson fined for missing weight
Brennan Ward (171 lbs.) vs. Roger Carroll (171 lbs.)
Chris Honeycutt (171 lbs.) vs. Paul Bradley (171 lbs.)
Michael Page (171 lbs.) vs. Rudy Bears (170.75 lbs.)
Preliminary Card (6:45 p.m. ET)
Kaline Medeiros (124.25 lbs.) vs. Sarah Payant (128.5 lbs.)
*Payant fined for missing weight
Dean Hancock (155.75 lbs.) vs. Alex Dunworth (155.25 lbs.)
Ryan Quinn (159.75 lbs.) vs. Waylon Lowe (160 lbs.)
Billy Giovanella (125.75 lbs.) vs. Remo Cardarelli (123 lbs.)
Blair Tugman (136 lbs.) vs. Kin Moy (138.25 lbs.)
*Moy fined for missing weight
Parker Porter (260.25 lbs.) vs. Eric Bedard (257 lbs.)
Ilya Kotau (170.5 lbs.) vs. Nicolas Sergiacomi (171 lbs.)
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (July 13, 2015) – Connecticut’s own“Irish” Brennan Ward (10-3) will compete against a new opponent at “Bellator: Lima vs. Koreshkov,” which takes place thisFriday, July 17 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. Roger “The Leprechaun” Carroll (16-11) has agreed to face the dangerous welterweight on seven days’ notice, in the place of Gavin Sterritt, who withdrew from the contest and was subsequently cut from the promotional roster.
“Bellator: Lima vs. Koreshkov” features five world-class 170-pound bouts including world champion Douglas Lima (26-5) and Andrey Koreshkov (17-1), Chris Honeycutt (6-0) vs. Paul Bradley (22-6), Michael “Venom” Page (7-0) taking on Rudy Bears (16-13), and knockout artist Paul “Semtex” Daley (36-13-2) challenging Dennis Olson (14-8).
The main card airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while the announced preliminary bouts stream on Spike.com at 7 p.m. ET. Limited tickets for “Bellator MMA: Lima vs. Koreshkov,” which start at just $25, remain on sale now at the Mohegan Sun Arena Box Office or Ticketmaster.com.
Having won Bellator’s Season 9 Middleweight tournament, Ward decided to test himself in the welterweight division, and shined in his 170-pound debut with a first-round rear-naked choke submission victory over Curtis Millender at “Bellator: The British Invasion” this past February.
The Waterford, Conn. native has an affinity for the finish, having ended nine of his ten professional tilts before reaching the judges’ scorecards. With his hometown a mere ten miles away from the venue, “Irish” is sure to have a strong home cage advantage over his short notice opponent.
Carroll rides into Connecticut in the midst of a three-fight winning streak. The Claremont, N.C. resident has spent most of his seven year mixed martial arts career competing at 185-pounds, but will make the move to welterweight for his Bellator MMA debut.
“The Leprechaun” fits the description of a “submission specialist,” with 15 of his 16 wins as a professional coming by way of making his opponent quit. One half of Carroll Brothers BJJ, Roger also doubles as a Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor alongside his brother Joseph at Superior Martial Arts Academy in North Carolina.
Main Card (9 P.M. EST)
Bellator Welterweight Title Fight: Douglas Lima (26-5) vs. Andrey Koreshkov (17-1)
Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Chris Honeycutt (6-0) vs. Paul Bradley (22-6)
Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Michael Page (7-0) vs. Rudy Bears (16-13)
Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Brennan Ward (10-3) vs. Roger Carroll (16-11)
Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Paul Daley (36-13-2) vs. Dennis Olson (14-8)
Preliminary Card (7 P.M. EST)
Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Blair Tugman (7-5) vs. Kin Moy (6-2)
Bellator Welterweight Prelim Fight: Ilya Kotau (debut) vs. Nicolas Sergiacomi (1-0)
Bellator Heavyweight Prelim Fight: Parker Porter (5-4) vs. Eric Bedard (6-5)
Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Billy Giovanella (8-3) vs. Remo Cardarelli (4-2)
Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Dean Hancock (1-0) vs. Alex Dunworth (2-1, 1 NC)
Bellator Flyweight Prelim Fight: Kaline Medeiros (4-4) vs. Sarah Payant (1-0)
Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Waylon Lowe (15-6, 1 NC) vs. Ryan Quinn (10-5, 1 NC)
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.
About Spike:
Spike 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’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’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.