Tag Archives: Rousimar Palhares

mixed martial arts, MMA, World Series of Fighting

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING RINGS IN THE NEW YEAR WITH EIGHT-HOUR TELEVISION MARATHON THISFRIDAY, JAN. 1 ON NBCSN  

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Four of 2015’s most action-packed events to air on New Year’s Day
LAS VEGAS (December 30, 2015) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) and NBCSN will treat fans to an action-packed, eight-hour television marathon featuring four of the world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) league’s most memorable events of 2015, this Friday, Jan. 1, beginning at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT.

The New Year’s Day run will kick off with a replay of WSOF22: Palhares vs. Shields, which was highlighted by a welterweight world championship fight between then-reigning champion Rousimar Palhares and superstar Jake Shields, and will conclude with a re-airing of WSOF25: 8-Man Lightweight Tournament, featuring the first one-night tournament in World Series of Fighting history.

“We are excited to head into our fourth year of league operations in 2016 and, thanks to our great television partner, NBCSN, look forward to kicking off the New Year in full force with an extensive run of programming featuring some phenomenal action from our 2015 library,” said World Series of Fighting CEO Carlos Silva.

“We are excited to provide fans with the opportunity to relive some of the incredible, world championship MMA action that highlighted a tremendous year for World Series of Fighting in 2015,” said Gary Quinn, NBC Sports Group’s vice president of programming.

The marathon will include WSOF23: Gaethje vs. Palomino that was headlined by one of the most talked about battles of the year – the world lightweight (155 pounds) championship matchup between reigning, undefeated champion Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje and challenger Luis Palomino.  The title bout was named Fight of the Month in March, and led to a worthy rematch between the two stars six months later.

Also slotted into the eight-hour programming run is WSOF24: Fitch vs. Okami, which saw two former top 10 welterweight (170 pounds) superstars and decorated veterans, Jon Fitch and Yushin Okami, battle in the main event.

Live World Series of Fighting action will return to NBCSN from Memphis, Tenn. onSaturday, Jan. 23 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, with a four-fight telecast headlined by a lightweight collision between rival stars Caros “The Future” Fodor and Mike “The Martian” Ricci.

Complete World Series of Fighting programming schedule on NBCSN forFriday, Jan 1:

5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT – WSOF22: Palhares vs. Shields
7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT – WSOF23: Gaethje vs. Palomino
9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT – WSOF24: Fitch vs. Okami
11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT – WSOF25: 8-Man Lightweight Tournament

About World Series of Fighting (WSOF)
“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.
mixed martial arts, World Series of Fighting

LIVE NBCSN TELECAST OF “WSOF 22: PALHARES VS. SHIELDS” POSTS BEST WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING VIEWERSHIP IN OVER ONE YEAR

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LAS VEGAS (August 10, 2015) –The live NBCSN telecast of “WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” averaged 254,000 viewers during the two-hour live telecast that began at 10:40 p.m. ET/7:40 p.m. PT – ranking as the best World Series of Fighting show on NBCSN in more than a year (6/21/14). In addition, the viewership is up 9% from NBCSN’s 2014 WSOF average of slightly over 233,000.

“We are thrilled with the outstanding, recent performance of our programming on NBCSN,” said World Series of Fighting CEO Carlos Silva.  “World Series of Fighting has been putting on some incredible fights in our decagon cage, and NBCSN has been a great partner, offering its audience a healthy dose of both live events and replays of recent, past events, all of which undoubtedly helps the continued growth of our brand and our great sport through consistent and prominent exposure to a national audience.

“WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” was headlined by a long-awaited showdown between World Series of Fighting World Welterweight (170 pounds) Champion Rousimar “Toquinho” Palhares and challenger and two-time world champion Jake Shields

Live World Series of Fighting action returns to NBCSN with “WSOF 23: Gaethje vs. Palomino II” on Friday, September 18 at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT from Comerica Theatre in Phoenix, Ariz.  In the highly-anticipated main event, undefeated, reigning world lightweight (155 pounds) champion Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje will put his title on the line for the second time against hard-hitting Luis “Baboon” Palomino.

About “World Series of Fighting” (WSOF)
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a world wide 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. Follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and “World Series of Fighting” President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.

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 — NASCAR, Premier League, Formula One, IndyCar, Tour de France, and America’s Cup. In addition, NBCSN features college football, college basketball, college hockey, cycling, outdoor programming, horse racing surrounding the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup, Ironman, the Dew Tour and USA Sevens Rugby. The network is also home to original programs such as 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, World Series of Fighting

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING STRIPS ROUSIMAR PALHARES OF WORLD TITLE, PLACES HIM ON INDEFINITE SUSPENSION

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LAS VEGAS (August 4, 2015) – World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) has strippedRousimar “Toquinho” Palhares of the franchise’s world welterweight title and placed him on immediate, indefinite suspension until all issues are resolved, following Palhares’ “WSOF 22” main event title defense against Jake Shields on Saturday, August 1.

“After taking the time to review the footage from Saturday’s bout between Rousimar Palhares and Jake Shields in its entirety, we decided that stripping Rousimar of his title and issuing him a suspension until this issue is resolved, was necessary,” said World Series of Fighting President, six-time world champion and two-time Hall of Famer Ray Sefo.

“As a fighter with over two decades of ring experience,” continued Sefo, “I am always going to be an advocate for other fighters and, in this case, I feel that World Series of Fighting must protect its athletes and rules of competition by imposing swift and firm disciplinary action to address what we saw as unfair play in the cage.”

The much-anticipated showdown between Palhares and Shields aired live on NBCSN as part of a five-bout telecast from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

In the middle of the second round, Palhares, after being mounted by Shields on the ground, suddenly placed his hands over Shields’ eyes and appeared to disrupt Shields’ vision.

In the third round, Palhares executed a kimura submission that prompted Shields to tap out nine times before Palhares freed Shields from the hold, as directed by referee Steve Mazzagatti.

“Because of specific instances in the past in which Rousimar had arguably held his submission holds longer than necessary in competition,” explained Sefo, “Steve Mazzagatti gave Rousimar clear verbal instructions in the dressing room, before the fight, about listening to and obeying the referee’s commands, including those about letting go of a submission hold when instructed to do so.”

As a result of what transpired in the cage between Palhares and Shields, the Nevada State Athletic Commission elected to withhold Palhares’ entire, contractual win bonus, pending a review of the bout.

About “World Series of Fighting” (WSOF)
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a world wide 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. Follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and “World Series of Fighting” President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.
mixed martial arts, NBC, World Series of Fighting

ALL 20 FIGHTERS MAKE WEIGHT FOR “WSOF 22: PALHARES VS. SHIELDS” TOMORROW, SATURDAY, AUGUST 1 IN LAS VEGAS

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NEW LIVE NBCSN TELECAST START TIME:
10:30 PM ET/7:30 PM PT

LIVE PRELIMINARY CARD BEGINS ON WSOF.COM AT
8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT

Las Vegas, Nev. (July 31, 2015) – All 20 fighters, reigning World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) World Welterweight (170 pounds) Champion Rousimar Palhares (17-6) and challenger and two-time world champion Jake Shields (31-7), made weight one day before the highly-anticipated “WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) mega-event at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev., live on NBCSN, beginning at a new start time of 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT.

Palhares weighed in at 169.8 pounds and Shields clocked in at the weight limit of 170 pounds. 

WSOF World Bantamweight (135 pounds) Champion Marlon Moraes (14-4-1) tipped the scales at 135 pounds and his opponent, undefeated challenger Sheymon Moraes (7-0) registered a weight of 134.2 pounds.

The live, five-bout preliminary card stream will begin at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT on an embeddable video player on www.WSOF.com.

Priced from $29.99, tickets for “WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” are on sale at Ticketmaster.com and WSOF.com.

Doors at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino will open at 4:00 p.m. PT.  The first preliminary bout will begin at 5:00 p.m.

COMPLETE “WSOF 22: PALHARES VS. SHIELDS” WEIGH-IN RESULTS:

Main Card:

Main Event: World Welterweight (170 pounds) Championship Bout

Rousimar Palhares (17-6) (169.8 lbs.) vs. Jake Shields (31-7) (170lbs)
Minas Gerais, Brazil                                    San Francisco, Calif.

Co-Main Event:  World Bantamweight (135 pounds) Championship Bout

Marlon Moraes (14-4-1) (135 lbs.) vs.   Sheymon Moraes (7-0) (134.2 lbs.)
Toms Rier, N.J.                                      Rio de Janeiro, Brazil            .

Light Heavyweight (205 pounds) Bout

Mike Kyle (21-12-1) (206 lbs.)   vs.    Clifford Starks (11-2) (204.8 lbs.)
San Jose, Calif.                                  Tempe, Ariz.

Welterweight (170 pounds) Bout

Abubakar Nurmagomedov (9-1) (171 lbs.) vs.    Jorge Moreno (4-0) (168.8 lbs.)
Dagestan, Russia                                                Moses Lake, Wash.

Lightweight (155 pounds) Bout

Jimmy Spicuzza (6-2) (155.4 lbs.) vs.    Islam Mamedov (11-1) (155.4 lbs.)
Las Vegas, Nev.                                      Jersey City, N.J.

Preliminary Card:

Light Heavyweight (205 pounds) Bout

Jake Heun (7-4) (205.6 lbs.) vs. Davin Clark (5-2-2) (206 lbs.)
Coconut Creek, Fla.                   San Jose, Calif.

Flyweight (125 pounds) Bout

Donavon Frelow (4-0) (125 lbs.) vs. Carlos Garcia (0-0) (124.8 lbs.)
Las Vegas, Nev.                                 Las Vegas, Nev.

Catchweight (140 pounds) Bout

Jimmy Jones (4-3) (139.4 lbs.) vs. Marco Simmons (0-0) (140.6 lbs.)
Las Vegas, Nev.                              Las Vegas, Nev.

Light Heavyweight (205 pounds) Bout

Cory Hendricks (2-0) (204.4 lbs.) vs.  Julio Hinojosa (3-1) (206 lbs.)
Las Vegas, Nev.                                   El Paso, Texas

Lightweight (155 pounds) Bout

Gil Guardado (3-1) (154 lbs.)  vs.  Pete Martin (5-3) (155.6 lbs.)
Las Vegas, Nev.                             Las Vegas, Nev.
mixed martial arts, World Series of Fighting

Thiago Silva Out, Clifford Starks In Against Mike Kyle at “WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” Saturday, August 1, Live on NBCSN from Las Vegas

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LAS VEGAS (July 28, 2015) – World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today that, due to a previous suspension in the state of Nevada, Thiago Silva has been declared ineligible to compete at “WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” on Saturday, Aug. 1, and will be replaced by Clifford Starks, who will face off with Silva’s scheduled opponent Mike “MAK” Kyle in a light heavyweight (205 pounds) contest, live on NBCSN from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

Due to the previous suspension, Silva must attend a future Nevada State Athletic Commission hearing.  The next hearing takes place in Aug.

“We hope that Thiago will take the steps necessary to be in compliance with the state athletic commission so that he can make a quick return to action,” said WSOF President Ray Sefo.  “In the meantime, we appreciate Clifford Starks’ willingness to take the fight against Mike Kyle on just a few days’ notice, and look forward to having him compete for us again after putting on a great show in the WSOF cage in March.”

The 34-year-old Starks (11-2) of Tempe, Ariz. is coming off a second round (4:11) submission (arm-triangle choke) of Jake Heun at WSOF 19.  The victory was Starks’ third straight and second consecutive finish.

The live, five-bout NBCSN telecast of “WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” begins at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT.

In the highly-anticipated main event, reigning WSOF World Welterweight (170 pounds) Champion Rousimar Palhares (17-6) will square off with top-ranked challenger and two-time world champion Jake Shields (31-7).

WSOF World Bantamweight (135 pounds) Champion Marlon Moraes (14-4-1) will put his title on the line in the co-main event against undefeated challenger Sheymon Moraes (7-0).

In other live NBCSN televised WSOF 22 action, fast-rising star Abubakar Nurmagomedov (9-1) will square off with undefeated finisher Jorge Moreno (4-0) at welterweight, and four-time WSOF veteran Jimmy Spicuzza (6-2) will meet submission ace Islam Mamedov (11-1) at lightweight (155 pounds).

Priced from $29.99, tickets for “WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” are on sale at Ticketmaster.com and WSOF.com.

Doors at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino will open on Saturday at 4 p.m. PT, and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 5 p.m. PT.

MAIN CARD

WSOF World Welterweight Championship Main Event:
Rousimar Palhares (Champion) vs. Jake Shields (Challenger)

WSOF World Bantamweight Championship Co-Main Event:
Marlon Moraes (Champion) vs. Sheymon Moraes (Challenger)

Light Heavyweight: Mike Kyle vs. Clifford Starks
Welterweight: Abubakar Nurmagomedov vs. Jorge Moreno
Lightweight: Jimmy Spicuzza vs. Islam Mamedov

PRELIMINARY CARD

Light Heavyweight: Jake Heun vs. Davin Clark
Flyweight: Donavon Frelow vs. Carlos Garcia
Catchweight (140 pounds): Jimmy Jones vs. Marco Simmons
Light Heavyweight: Cory Hendricks vs. Julio Hinojosa
Lightweight: Gil Guardado vs. Pete Martin
mixed martial arts, World Series of Fighting

“WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” Adds Five-Bout Preliminary Card Featuring Jake Heun vs. Davin Clark

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Preliminary bouts stream live on WSOF.com
prior to two world title fights on NBCSN

LAS VEGAS (July 23, 2015) – World Series of Fighting’s blockbuster “WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event will feature five preliminary contests that will stream live on WSOF.com prior to the live NBCSN telecast of the much-anticipated world championship doubleheader on Saturday, August 1.

Featuring a pair of highly anticipated world title fights with reigning WSOF World Welterweight (170 pounds) Champion Rousimar Palhares (17-6) vs. top-ranked challenger and two-time world champion Jake Shields (31-7) as well as WSOF World Bantamweight (135 pounds) Champion Marlon Moraes (14-4-1) vs. undefeated challenger Sheymon Moraes (7-0), the mega-card will take place at The AXIS inside Las Vegas’ Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.

The new preliminary contests include light heavyweights (205 pounds) Jake “The Honey Bear” Heun (7-4) vs. Davin “Relentless” Clark (5-2-2), flyweights (125 pounds) Donavon Frelow (4-0) vs. Carlos Garcia (0-0), a 140-pound catchweight contest with Jimmy “Rabbit” Jones (4-3) vs. Marco Simmons (0-0), light heavyweights Cory Hendricks (2-0) vs. Julio Hinojosa (3-1) and lightweights (155 pounds) Gil Guardado (3-1) vs. Pete Martin (5-3)

Fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla., the 27-year-old Heun is a two-time veteran of WSOF action who is sporting an overall record of 1-1 in the promotion.  Four of his seven career victories have come by way of (T)KO and one by way of submission.  He is looking to rebound from a second round (4:11) submission (arm-triangle choke) defeat at the hands of Clifford Starks.

Heun faces Clark, a 33-year-old American Kickboxing Academy product from San Jose, Calif., who has been competing professionally since 2007. While he suffered an October loss to fellow veteran Joe Vedepo, Clark’s previous two appearances saw him earn a pair of first-round finishes.

Las Vegas’ Frelow was originally expected to compete on the evening’s main card for the inaugural World Series of Fighting flyweight title. However, fellow undefeated contender Magomed Bibulatov suffered an injury in training and was forced to withdraw from the contest. Frelow elected to stay busy rather than wait on a title fight and now meets fellow Las Vegas resident Garcia, an Xtreme Couture fighter making his professional debut.

Additional preliminary bouts see some of Las Vegas’ top prospects enter the WSOF cage, as Xtreme Couture’s Jones meets Wand Fight Team’s Simmons, and Xtreme Couture’s Guardado faces Wand Fight Teams’ Martin.

Meanwhile, Syndicate MMA’s Hendricks welcomes Hinojosa, of El Paso, Texas, to the World Series of Fighting decagon.

Priced from $29.99, tickets for “WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” are on sale at Ticketmaster.com and WSOF.com.

Doors at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino will open at 4 p.m. PT, and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 5 p.m. PT.

The live NBCSN telecast of the main card begins at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT.

MAIN CARD

WSOF World Welterweight Championship Main Event:
Rousimar Palhares (Champion) vs. Jake Shields (Challenger)

WSOF World Bantamweight Championship Co-Main Event:
Marlon Moraes (Champion) vs. Sheymon Moraes (Challenger)

Light Heavyweight: Thiago Silva vs. Mike Kyle
Welterweight: Abubakar Nurmagomedov vs. Jorge Moreno
Lightweight: Jimmy Spicuzza vs. Islam Mamedov

PRELIMINARY CARD

Light Heavyweight: Jake Heun vs. Davin Clark
Flyweight: Donavon Frelow vs. Carlos Garcia
Catchweight (140 pounds): Jimmy Jones vs. Marco Simmons
Light Heavyweight: Cory Hendricks vs. Julio Hinojosa
Lightweight: Gil Guardado vs. Pete Martin
mixed martial arts, World Series of Fighting

ABUBAKAR NURMAGOMEDOV TO FACE UNDEFEATED JORGE MORENO ON LIVE NBCSN TELECAST OF  “WSOF 22: PALHARES VS. SHIELDS” FROM LAS VEGAS ON SATURDAY, AUG. 1

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LAS VEGAS (July 16, 2015) – Abubakar Nurmagomedov will square off with undefeated finisher Jorge Moreno in a featured welterweight (170 pounds) matchup at the highly-anticipated World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) world championship doubleheader event at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday, Aug. 1, live on NBCSN.

The younger brother of undefeated superstar Khabib Nurmagomedov and one of the top welterweight prospects in the world, the 23-year-old Abubakar (9-1) of Makhachkala, Russia is quickly distinguishing himself as a force in the sport, notching all of his victories to date by way of (T)KO or submission.

Abubakar, who trains under his father, Abdulmanap, at Khabib’s gym FightSpirit Team, is coming off of a first round TKO (punches) win over Vladimir Gunzu on Feb. 22.  His lone defeat came due to a cut he sustained in a matchup with Magomed Mustafaev on Sept. 1, 2014, prompting the ringside physician to halt the bout.

At just 19 years old, Moreno (4-0) of Moses Lake, Wash. is already knee deep in his professional career, with 3 of his 4 wins having come by way of TKO or submission.  As an amateur, he amassed an overall record of 8-2,  collecting three titles along the way.

Moreno’s start will mark his WSOF debut as well as his first professional bout at 170 pounds, after competing as a middleweight (185 pounds).  In his last start on April 17 in Snoqualmie, Wash., he scored a first round TKO (doctor stoppage due to knee injury) on Ian Williams.

The five-bout, live NBCSN telecast of “WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” begins at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT on Aug. 1.

In the main event, a long-awaited showdown will finally come to fruition when WSOF World Welterweight (170 pounds) Champion Rousimar Palhares (17-6) of Minas Gerais, Brazil puts his title on the line against two-time world champion and fellow Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Jake Shields (31-7) of San Francisco, Calif.

In the co-main event, WSOF World Bantamweight (135 pounds) Champion Marlon Moraes (14-4-1) of Toms River, N.J. via Nova Friburgo, Brazil will defend his strap against undefeated challenger Sheymon Moraes (7-0).

Superstar Thiago Silva (16-4, 2 NC) of Oakland Park, Fla. via Sao Paulo, Brazil will face dangerous veteran Mike “MAK” Kyle (21-12-1) of San Jose, Calif. in a light heavyweight (205 pounds) contest.

A lightweight (155 pounds) matchup between Jimmy Spicuzza (6-2) and submission ace Islam Mamedov (11-1) will lead off the live NBCSN telecast.

A complete preliminary bout card will be announced soon.

Priced from $29.99, tickets for “WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” are on sale at Ticketmaster.com and WSOF.com.

Doors at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino will open at 4 p.m. PT, and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 5 p.m. PT.

MAIN CARD
WSOF World Welterweight Championship Main Event:
Rousimar Palhares (Champion) vs. Jake Shields (Challenger)

WSOF World Bantamweight Championship Co-Main Event:
Marlon Moraes (Champion) vs. Sheymon Moraes (Challenger)

Light Heavyweight: Thiago Silva vs. Mike Kyle

Welterweight: Abubakar Nurmagomedov vs. Jorge Moreno

Lightweight: Jimmy Spicuzza vs. Islam Mamedov
mixed martial arts, World Series of Fighting

WSOF 22 Adds Lightweight Bout To Live NBCSN Telecast

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“WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” Adds Lightweight Main Card Matchup
with Jimmy Spicuzza vs. Islam Mamedov

Live NBCSN telecast to feature five bouts, including world championship main event between Rousimar Palhares and Jake Shields

Saturday, Aug. 1 at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS (July 1, 2015) – World Series of Fighting’s (WSOF.com) blockbuster event on Saturday, Aug. 1 will now feature five contests on the night’s live NBCSN telecast, with the addition of a lightweight (155 pounds) matchup between four-time promotional veteran Jimmy Spicuzza (6-2) and submission ace Islam Mamedov (11-1).

The lightweight contest joins the night’s main event showdown between reigning WSOF World Welterweight (170 pounds) Champion Rousimar Palhares (17-6) and challenger and two-time world champion Jake Shields (31-7), as well as the co-main event between WSOF World Bantamweight (135 pounds) Champion Marlon Moraes(14-4-1) and undefeated challenger Sheymon Moraes (7-0), and a highly-anticipated, light heavyweight (205 pounds) battle between combat sports phenom Tyrone “King of the Ring” Spong (2-0) and gritty veteran Mike “MAK” Kyle (21-12-1).

A fifth bout will be announced shortly, as Magomed Bibulatov (9-0) has been forced to withdraw from a previously announced, inaugural WSOF world flyweight (125 pounds0 championship matchup with fellow undefeated contender Donavon Frelow (4-0), who will now likely fight on the evening’s WSOF.com-streamed preliminary card against a new opponent.

Spicuzza, of Las Vegas, Nev., is a Drysdale Jiu-Jitsu fighter and four-time WSOF veteran. He debuted for the promotion at WSOF 9 on March 29, 2014, and submittedGil Guardado with a  rear-naked choke in the first round (3:14), before returning at WSOF 10 on June 21, 2014, and scoring a unanimous decision win over Justin Jaynes.

At WSOF 12 on Aug. 9,  2014, he suffered a TKO (punches) loss to Lucas Montoya, but bounced back at WSOF 19 on March 28, where he earned a split decision win overBenny Madrid.

Meanwhile, the 25-year-old Mamedov is a Dagestani import who now calls Jersey City, N.J. his home. Competing professionally since 2009, Mamedov suffered a loss in his second professional outing, but has since rattled off 10 consecutive victories, including six by submission and two via TKO.

Mamedov made his WSOF debut on April 10, scoring a devastating first round (4:42) TKO on Leon Davis with a barrage of punches.

The live NBCSN telecast of “WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” begins at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT on Aug. 1.
Priced from $29.99, tickets for the event are on sale at Ticketmaster.com and WSOF.com.

Doors at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino will open at 4 p.m. PT, and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 5 p.m. PT.

Additional bouts for the event will be announced soon.

MAIN CARD
WSOF World Welterweight Championship Main Event:
Rousimar Palhares (Champion) vs. Jake Shields (Challenger)

WSOF World Bantamweight Championship Co-Main Event:
Marlon Moraes (Champion) vs. Sheymon Moraes (Challenger)

Light Heavyweight: Tyrone Spong vs. Mike Kyle
Lightweight: Jimmy Spicuzza vs. Islam Mamedov

About “World Series of Fighting” (WSOF)
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a world wide 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. Follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and “World Series of Fighting” President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.

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, World Series of Fighting

WSOF ‘UNSTOPPABLE’  RETURNS TO NBC ON SATURDAY, JULY 11

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LAS VEGAS (June 17, 2014) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) will return to NBC with an all-new installment of its action-packed ‘Unstoppable’ program showcasing the best, recent world championship action from the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion, on Saturday, July 11, beginning at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.

MMA legends Bas Rutten and Renzo Gracie, and veteran NBCSN announcer Todd Harris will host the two-hour program, “WSOF Unstoppable: The Road Ahead,” and be joined in studio by guests and reigning WSOF world champions David Branch(middleweight – 185 pounds) and Marlon Moraes (bantamweight – 135 pounds), whose most recent, respective bouts in the WSOF decagon cage will be on display.

Additionally, the show will feature an in-depth look at undefeated, reigning WSOF World  Lightweight (155 pounds) Champion Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje, and ferocious action from reigning WSOF World Welterweight (170 pounds) Champion Rousimar “Toquinho” Palhares, reigning WSOF World Featherweight (145 pounds) Champion Lance Palmer and newly crowned WSOF World Heavyweight Champion Blagoy Ivanov.

“We are excited to deliver another hard-hitting compilation of the most memorable, recent bouts featuring WSOF’s collection of dynamic world champions and other superstars,” said WSOF President, six-time world champion and two-time Hall of Famer Ray Sefo. “NBC has been an incredible partner and highly instrumental in building the WSOF brand over the course of the last two and a half years, and the ‘Unstoppable’ series is a testimony to their commitment to our company and the sport of MMA.”

Along with Branch and Moraes, the hosts will preview the highly-anticipated, WSOF world championship showdown between defending kingpin Palhares and challenger and two-time world champion Jake Shields, whose latest conquests in the WSOF cage will be on display for NBC viewers during “WSOF Unstoppable: The Road Ahead.”

Palhares and Shields will face off in the main event of WSOF 22, live on NBCSN from Las Vegas.

Since launching in Nov. 2012, WSOF has catapulted to the forefront of the MMA world with its star-studded, world championship live event series on NBCSN as well as additional programming on NBC.

The promotion has successfully expanded its footprint to over 100 different countries with its fight programming as part of a multi-year agreement with IMG, the world’s leader in sports content distribution.

About World Series of Fighting (WSOF)
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 visitWSOF.com. Follow World Series of Fighting on Twitter (@MMAWorldSeries) and World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo (@SugarRaySefo).