NEW YORK CITY ( December 11, 2017) —  International mixed-martial-arts and kickboxing fans can close out the 2017 season in grand style, viewing double-barreled RIZIN Fighting Federation World Grand Prix action, highlighted by the return of combat sports superstar Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, December 29 & 31, airing live on pay-per-view from Saitama City, Japan. The Dec. 29th winners of the men’s bantamweight quarterfinals will advance to the Dec. 31st women’s super-atomweight and kickboxing semifinals and then later in the finals (see below).
The Special Added Attraction on the Dec. 29thcard is a light heavyweight match between Jiri “Denisa” Prochazka (19-3-0, 16 KO/TKO, 2 SUB), Czech Republic vs. Karl Albrelktsson(6-1-0, 2 KO/TKOs, 3 SUB), Sweden.
The Dec. 29 and 31 ( 1 a.m. /10 p.m. PT start) will be live-streamed worldwide (excluding Japan on the FITE.TV platforms for $19.99 or the two-day RIZIN Pack special offer for only $29.99. Fans may simply download the FITE app – free to download from iTunes and Google Play – and then cast the fight to the big screen by using the instant stream-to-TV function. The FITE app works with any Wi-Fi connected television around the world, iOS and Android devices, as well as streaming devices such as Roku, Chromecast and more. Fans may also watch the fights live on the FITE website at www.fite.tv from any computer. Integrated Sports Media will distribute via cable and satellite PPV on New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31 –5:00 a.m. ET / 2:00 a.m. PT start) extravaganza live in North America via iN Demand, Vubiquity, and DISH in the U.S., as well as on SaskTel and Telus in Canada, for a suggested retail price of only $19.95.
“We’re excited to close the year with two entertaining events, RIZIN World Grand Prix 2017, plus the return of international MMA stars Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic and Takanori “The Fireball Kid” Gomi,” said Flipps Media Co-founder and CEO, Kosta Jordanov. “These events will cap of our very successful combat sports programming in 2017.”
“We’re happy to bring this New Year’s Eve event from Japan, featuring ‘Cro Cop’ and the RIZIN World Grand Prix finals to American and Canadian combat sports fans,” Integrated Sports Media president Doug Jacobs remarked. “This is a rare opportunity for North American MMA and kickboxing fans to watch some of the best international fighters.”
The finals of the RIZIN World-Grand Prix kickboxing, women’s super-atomweight and men’s bantamweight championships will be preceded by three entertaining matches. Croatian heavyweight “Cro Cop” Filipovic (35-11-0, 27 KO/TKO, 5 SUB) takes on Japanese favoriteTsuyoshi Kosaka (27-19-2, 8 KO/TKO, 6 SUB) in a Special Added Attraction on the Dec. 31stcard. Also, the long-awaited return of Japanese lightweight Takanori “The Fireball Kid” Gomi(18-6-0, 13 KO/TKO, 6 SUB) will be showcased in his throw-down with fellow countrymanYusuke Yachi (18-6-0, 5 KO/TKO, 1 SUB). A women’s match between American flyweights Shinju “Juju” Auclair (1-0-0, 1 SUB) and pro-debuting Chelsea LaGrasse is also on tap.
A special one-day kickboxing tournament will be held Dec. 31st between Japan’s Kazuyuki Fujita and Mitsuhisa Sunabe and undefeated knockout artist (20-0, 16 KOs) Tenshine Nasukawa vs. TBA with the winners facing off in the championship round on the card’s championship final.
All fights and fighters are subject to change.
RIZIN WORLD GRAND PRIX MATCHES
Men’s Bantamweights
Ian “Uncle Creepy” McCall (13-5-0), USA vs. Manel Kape (8-1-0), Angola
Kyoaji Horiiguchi (20-2-0), Japan vs. Gabriel Oliveira (10-0-0), Brazil
Takafumi Otsuka (23-13-0), Japan vs. Khalid Tahna (11-0-0), Germany
Shintaro Ishiwatari (23-6-0), Japan vs. Kevin “The Macine Gun” Petshi (12-3-0), France
Women’s Super-Atomweights
Rena Kubota (5-0-0), Japan vs. Irene “La Nina” Rivera (7-4-0), Spain
Kanna Asakura (9-2-0), Japan vs. Maria Oliveira (10-2-0), Brazil
Kickboxing
Yamato Fujita, Japan vs. Mitsushisa Sunabe, Japan
Tenshin Nasuikawa, Japan vs. TBA
INFORMATION:
Twitter: @FiteTV, @IntegratedPPV
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