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Tag Archives: UFC
WSOF30: BRANCH VS. STARKS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLEHEADER LINEUP RECEIVES FIVE PRELIMINARY BOUTS
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Mixed Martial Arts Legend George St-Pierre To Attend Wizard World Philadelphia June 4-5
Hugely Popular UFC World Champion ‘GSP’ To Greet Fans, Sign Autographs, Pose For Photo Ops In First Wizard World Appearance At Pennsylvania Convention Center
PHILADELPHIA, March 8, 2016 – One of the most popular mixed martial arts fighters in the world, Georges St-Pierrewill attend Wizard World Philadelphia on Sunday, June 5, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, it was announced today by the Quebec native and Wizard World, Inc. (OTCBB: WIZD). The three-time former UFC Welterweight champion, known by many as the best “pound-for-pound” MMA athlete ever, will greet fans, sign autographs and pose for photo ops at his first Wizard World comic con appearance.
Already a 2nd dan Kyokushin karate black belt at 12, Georges dedicated himself to martial arts and training throughout his teen years. After seeing jiu-jitsu legend Royce Gracie fight in 1993 at UFC 1, “Rush” knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life and how he was going to reach those goals: he invested all his energy and all his time at becoming a better version of himself. When he wasn’t training or at school, Georges worked as a doorman in nightclubs, or hung off the back of a garbage truck, hauling in refuse. He discovered a simple truth: never stopping helps reach goals.
He grew as a person and as a fighter, adding fighting disciplines such as boxing, wrestling, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to his karate background and competed in his first amateur bout at age 16. He won that match, and continued his steady improvement. In 2006 he became the UFC Welterweight Champion. He lost the title in 2007 but subsequently regained it in front of his hometown fans of Montreal in 2008 and hasn’t lost a single title defense since then.
Along his career, St-Pierre, 34, accomplished numerous firsts and awards including: the all-time most consecutive welterweight title defenses, three-time consecutive Canadian Athlete of the Year Awards (’08– ’10) by Rogers Sportsnet, Fighter of the Year Awards (’09) bySports Illustrated , World MMA Awards, MMAPayout, Inside MMA and MMAJunkie, the “Most Dangerous Man of the Year” by the Spike Guys Choice Awards (’10) and the MMA Fighter of the Year Award (’08) by Black Belt Magazine .
St-Pierre is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Way of the Fight. Released in 2013, the book shares the lessons he’s learned on the way to the top. Later that year, St-Pierre officially announced that he had decided to vacate the title and take some time off from MMA, taking a role in the 2014 blockbuster Captain America: Winter Soldier. He has not ruled out a return to the ring in the future. GSP is based in Montreal.
St-Pierre, who appeared in joins an amazing lineup of superstar entertainers scheduled to attend the pop culture extravaganza, including “Marvel” movie standouts Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston, David Duchovny (“The X-Files”), the Back to the Futuretrio of Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd and Lea Thompson and “The Walking Dead” standout Norman Reedus , with many other headliners.
Wizard World comic con and gaming events bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, graphic novels, cosplay, comics, television, sci-fi, toys, video gaming, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more. Philadelphia show hours are Thursday, June 2, 3-8 p.m.; Friday, June 3, noon-7 p.m.; Saturday, June 4, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, June 5, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
For more on the 2016 Wizard World Philadelphia, visit http://wizd.me/PhiladelphiaPR .
About Wizard World (OTCBB: WIZD)
Wizard World, Inc. (www.wizardworld.com ) produces comic cons and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, television, cosplay, comics, graphic novels, toys, video gaming, sci-fi, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more. A first-class lineup of topical programming takes place at each event, with celebrity Q&A’s, comics-themed sessions, costume contests, movie screenings, evening parties and more. Wizard World has also launched Wizard World Store ( www.shopwizardworld.com), CONtv, a digital media channel in partnership with leading independent content distributor Cinedigm™ (NASDAQ: CIDM), and ComicConBox™ (www.comicconbox.com), a premium subscription-based monthly box service. Fans can interact with Wizard World on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and other social media services.
The Wizard World 2016 schedule is available at: http://wizardworld.com/
BELLATOR MMA IS THE NEW FIGHTING HOME OF WANDERLEI ‘THE AXE MURDERER’ SILVA
Bellator President Scott Coker and Wanderlei Silva (Credit: Bellator/Lucas Noonan)
SANTA MONICA (March 2, 2016) –Bellator MMA is pleased to announce that one of the most popular, recognizable and beloved fighters in the sport of mixed martial arts, Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva (35-12-1), has signed an exclusive multi-year, multi-fight contract with the promotion. The 39-year-old publicly fielded offers from companies all around the world, but the former Pride FC Middleweight Champion made the decision to take his explosive style to Bellator MMA.
“The Axe Murderer” has fought in some of the most memorable feuds and battles the sport has ever seen. His wars with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Tito Ortiz, Mirko Cro Cop, Vitor Belfort, Dan Henderson, Kazushi Sakuraba, Chuck Liddell, and Michael Bisping are the stuff of legend – but Silva is far from ready to close the book on his illustrious career.
In addition to his Pride FC Middleweight World Championship, Silva’s packed trophy case of accolades includes awards for Fight of the Year (2003, 2004, 2007), KO of the Year (2008), and multiple Fight of the Night awards including one for each of his last three fights, just to name a few. He now looks to continue to provide his award-winning, entertaining fights inside the Bellator cage.
Silva has several options for his first fight with Bellator. Although he has spent the majority of his career at 185-pounds, one of the things that his fans love most about him has been Wanderlei’s willingness to fight the best of the best – even if it was up two weight classes at heavyweight – as proven by his heavyweight wars against guys like Mark Hunt, Gilbert Yvel, Kazuyuki Fujita and Cro Cop; Or, his battles against light heavyweights like Ortiz, and his most recent opponent, Brian Stann, who he knocked out in the second frame.
Silva is the latest in a long line of recent free agent signings made by Scott Coker and Bellator MMA. The former Chute Box competitor joins: Josh Thomson, Phil Davis, Benson Henderson, Sergei Kharitonov and Anastasia Yankova on a roster with champions the likes of: Marcos Galvao, Daniel Straus, Will Brooks, Andrey Koreshkov, Rafael Carvalho, Liam McGeary andVitaly Minakov,
Rampage Coming Back to Bellator MMA
Following an amicable agreement to settle the litigation between the two parties, the always entertaining and exciting Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is returning to Bellator.
Bellator MMA is thrilled to have “Rampage,” one of the most recognizable fighters in the history of the sport, joining a very competitive light heavyweight division featuring champion Liam McGeary, Phil Davis, King Mo, Tito Ortiz, Emanuel Newton, Linton Vassell among others.
CHRIS ‘THE CRIPPLER’ LEBEN RETURNS TO MIXED MARTIAL ARTS, SIGNS WITH BELLATOR MMA
SANTA MONICA (February 6, 2015) – Bellator MMA is proud to announce the signing of Chris “The Crippler” Leben (22-11) to an exclusive multi-year, multi-fight contract. The former World Extreme Cagefighting Middleweight World Champion has fought professionally since 2002, and holds the record for most fights in the UFC at 185-pounds (22).
Since taking a break from the sport in 2014, Leben has resided in San Diego, Calif. and served as a coach at Victory MMA & Fitness. Known for his tendency to put on an exciting show each and every time he enters the cage, Leben was a member of the inaugural cast of “The Ultimate Fighter” alongside fellow Bellator MMA competitors Stephan Bonnar and Josh Koscheck. The 35-year-old has fought elite talent throughout his mixed martial arts tenure, against names the likes of: Wanderlei Silva, Anderson Silva, Brian Stann, Michael Bisping, Patrick Cote, Mark Munoz, and Bellator MMA’s own Alessio Sakara.
“If I were to draw up the prototypical Bellator MMA competitor, there would be parts of Chris [Leben] in there,” Bellator MMA President Scott Coker said. “The guy has never had a boring fight and as I’ve said from day one, we’re going to continue to grow from the ground up and buy from the top down. I know that Chris still has a lot of fight left in him and I’m excited to see him fight We are hoping to see his Bellator debut this Spring.”
“Focusing on just coaching at Victory MMA has been amazing, but recently, I started to get the itch to compete again,” Leben said. “So I extended an olive branch to the people at Bellator and here I am. I’m in great shape, I love the possible matchups this roster has to offer and I’m ready to show the world why they call me ‘The Crippler.’”
Leben joins a budding roster of Bellator MMA talent, with recent signings that include: Benson Henderson, Anastasia Yankova, Lena Ovchynnikova, and Sergei Kharitonov.
It has yet to be determined what weight class Leben will compete at, but when asked what division he hopes to settle in, Leben made it clear: “I’ll go wherever the big fights are.”
The FNU Combat Sports Show With MMA Referee Kevin MacDonald
Kevin MacDonald is one of the most knowledgeable and professional referees in Mixed Martial Arts. Just last Sunday he was the third man in the cage for three fights on the UFC Fight Night 81: Dillashaw vs. Cruz card. Our interview covers a wide range of topics, from rule and weight class changes on the horizon to a few behind-the-scenes glimpses into the UFC’s operations. Psychic Tom Padgett and Rabble Rousin’ Rich Bergeron also recap the past week’s combat sports events (including Szpilka vs. Wilder and Cruz vs. Dillashaw) and preview the next UFC event headlined by Anthony Johnson vs. Ryan Bader.
FNU Combat Sports Show Latest Episode!
RYAN COUTURE-PATRICKY “PITBULL” FREIRE COMPLETES MAIN CARD OF ‘BELLATOR 148: DALEY VS. UHRICH’
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)
Fight Network is Destination for Live UFC Fight Week Action & Coverage, Including UFC Fight Night: Namajunas vs. VanZant Main Card
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TORONTO (December 9, 2015) — Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, is the destination for live UFC fight week pre and post-fight coverage, including the live main card for UFC Fight Night™: Namajunas vs. VanZant and the live prelims for The Ultimate Fighter Finale: Team McGregor vs. Team Faber, both airing exclusively in Canada. Fight Network is currently available in free preview on most carriers across Canada for the month of December.
It all kicks off on Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 4 p.m. ET with a live presentation of the UFC 194: Aldo vs. McGregor pre-fight press conference from Las Vegas.
On Thursday, Dec. 10 at 5 p.m. ET, Fight Network presents the live weigh-ins for The Ultimate Fighter Finale: Team McGregor vs. Team Faber, as headliners Frankie Edgar and Chad Mendes tip the scales ahead of their pivotal featherweight showdown.
Later at 9 p.m. ET, Fight Network presents a live pre-show for UFC Fight Night™: Namajunas vs. VanZant, leading into the live main card at 10 p.m. ET exclusively in Canada. In the main event, No. 3-ranked women’s strawweight contender Rose Namajunas (4-2) battles surging superstar and No. 7-ranked Paige VanZant. (6-1). In the co-feature, No. 14-ranked lightweight veteran Jim Miller(25-6, 1NC) looks to continue his ascent up the rankings against The Ultimate Fighter Live winnerMichael Chiesa (12-2). Rounding out the card, highly touted lightweight youngster Sage Northcutt(6-0) tries to keep his perfect record intact against Cody Pfister (12-4-1), while Canada’s undefeatedUltimate Fighter Nations middleweight winner Elias Theodorou (11-0) faces his toughest test to date against Brazilian Thiago “Marreta” Santos (11-3). Fight Network will also televise the live post-fight press conference, which begins shortly after the event concludes.
On Friday, Dec. 11 at 6 p.m. ET, the UFC 194: Aldo vs. McGregor weigh-ins will be televised live from Las Vegas with Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor going face-to-face one final time ahead ofSaturday’s blockbuster clash for the undisputed UFC featherweight championship.
Immediately following the live weigh-ins, Fight Network presents a live pre-show for The Ultimate Fighter Finale: Team McGregor vs. Team Faber at 7 p.m. ET, which serves as a lead-in to thelive prelims at 8 p.m. ET exclusively in Canada. The main card will air at 10 p.m. ET on TSN1 and TSN5. Featured prelims include heavyweights Gabriel Gonzaga (16-10) vs. Konstantin Erokhin (9-2), featherweights Tatsuya Kawajiri (34-8-2) vs. Jason Knight (16-1) and flyweights Joby Sanchez(7-1) vs. Geane Herrera (8-1). Fight Network will also televise the live post-fight press conference, which begins shortly after the event concludes.
The action-packed fight week comes to a climax on Saturday, Dec. 12. At 2 p.m. ET, Fight Network presents an encore of UFC 189: Mendes vs. McGregor from July 2015, which featured Conor McGregor‘s memorable performance against Chad Mendes to capture the interim UFC featherweight title, plus a top candidate for “Fight of the Year” between Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald for the UFC welterweight title. The event is widely regarded as one of the best in promotional history.
At 7 p.m. ET, Fight Network presents a live pre-show for UFC 194: Aldo vs. McGregor, which features previews, predictions and analysis for the event, as well as on-the-scene reports from Las Vegas. Immediately following the pay-per-view broadcast, Fight Network presents a live post-showat approximately 1 a.m. ET, including highlights, reactions and the live post-fight press conference from Las Vegas.
All pre and post-fight shows will include exclusive interviews from Fight Network analysts JohnRamdeen and Robin Black on-site in Las Vegas, plus reports and analysis from Fight Network studios in Toronto. Canadian mixed martial arts pioneer and longtime UFC veteran Sam Stout will be in-studio for the live UFC 194 pre and post-fight shows.
Airing throughout the week, catch the one-hour UFC Embedded: Aldo vs. McGregor special, an all-access, behind-the-scenes look at the lives and training camps of four elite fighters leading up to the massive UFC 194 event in Las Vegas. Additional reports and features air daily in Fight News Now. All airings are listed at www.fightnetwork.com.
In addition to all the live events, Fight Network is the destination for UFC library content, specials and series, including UFC Unleashed, UFC Now, UFC Ultimate Insider and classic UFC PPV events.
This Sunday, Dec. 13 at 9 p.m. ET, catch a full encore presentation of UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfortfrom February 2011 in Las Vegas, which featured a highly anticipated middleweight title showdown between then-torchbearer Anderson Silva and No. 1 contender Vitor Belfort, plus Forrest Griffinvs. Rich Franklin and Jon Jones vs. Ryan Bader.
For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit www.fightnetwork.com, follow us on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.
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