Tūtohu Archives: Ao Series o te whawhai

whakauru toi hōia, MMA, Ao Series o te whawhai

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING ANNOUNCES INTENT TO ACQUIRE MMA WORLD EXPO, PLANS FOR MMA BOUTS AT ANNUAL MANHATTAN EXTRAVAGANZA IN DECEMBER

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Las Vegas (April 1, 2016) – Following last week’s historic passage of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) legislation by the New York State Assembly, Ao Series o te whawhai (WSOF.com) today re-enforced its commitment to bringing its prestigious brand of league competition to the Empire State with an announcement that it has signed a letter of intent to acquire the New York City-based MMA World Expo, and that, pending New York State Athletic Commission approval, it plans to stage a series of bouts at the seventh annual affair at Manhattan’s Jacob Javits Center in December.

“This is a very exciting and momentous time for our great sport, so we could not be more thrilled to take significant steps towards becoming owners of the MMA World Expo, which has been consistently delivering an incredible fan experience for the last six years and which will make for a great home for live World Series of Fighting action at a landmark location in Manhattan,"Ka mea a World Series o te whawhai Tumu Carlos Silva.

The announcement comes three months after World Series of Fighting opened the doors to a satellite office in midtown Manhattan.

Two weeks ago, the company announced the appointment of Michael Mersch to the dual role of Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel. While serving as Assistant General Counsel for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Mersch was one of the key figures involved in the effort to legalize MMA in New York State.

Since launching in 2009, The MMA World Expo has hosted dozens of MMA celebrity guests, whai wāhi Randy “The Natural” Couture, Anderson Silva,Matt Hughes, Fabricio Werdum a Matt Serra.

The annual convention is also the site of an array of martial arts seminars instructed by legendary trainers, as well as competitions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai and catch wrestling, and brings together industry pioneers, vendors, kaitäkaro, trainers and fans.

World Series of Fighting will announce additional details about its MMA World Expo acquisition plans, including its intent to promote live bouts at the event this year.

Ora World Series o te mahi whawhai hoki ki te NBCSN i runga i Rāhoroi, April 2 i 11:30 p.m. AND/8:30 p.m. PT with WSOF30: Manga vs. Starks that will be headlined by a middleweight (185 pauna) championship showdown between defending kingpin Rawiri Manga (17-3) me te nguha runga Clifford Starks (13-2).

Mō te Ao Series o te whawhai (WSOF)
“Ao Series o te whawhai” (WSOF) Ko te ao pirimia ngaio Toi Martial Mixed (MMA) whawhai whakatairanga whakatapua ki tuku i te pai whawhai mahi-Kikī mō pā whawhai i te whakaputa i te pai ka taea ōrite-ups i waenganui i whawhai whiriwhiri i huri noa i te ao. Mō ētahi atu kōrero haere ki WSOF.com me te whai “Ao Series o te whawhai” on Twitter MMAWorldSeries. WSOF ko Ao Series o te Fighting e rēhitatia tohu o MMAWC, LLC.
whakauru toi hōia, MMA, NBC, Ao Series o te whawhai

WSOF30: Manga VU. STARKS FINALIZED WITH SIX PRELIMINARY BOUTS

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WSOF30: Manga VU. STARKS
FINALIZED WITH SIX PRELIMINARY BOUTS

LIVE NBCSN TELECAST OF
FOUR-FIGHT MAIN CARD NOW BEGINS AT
11:30 P.M ET ON SATURDAY, APERIRA 2

Matt Church replaces injured Gil Guardado against
Steve Kozola in 160-pound preliminary contest

Rex Harris vs. Clinton Williams in middleweight bout
Las Vegas (March 30, 2016) -World Series o te whawhai (WSOF.com) kauwhautia tenei ra that it has finalized the lineup for the WSOF30: Manga vs. Starks, taitara ao whakauru toi hōia (MMA) doubleheader event, with the addition of a sixth preliminary card bout – a middleweight (185 pauna) matchup i waenganui i Clinton Williams (7-3, 1 NC) a Rex "T-Rex" Harris (8-2) – at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino i roto i Las Vegas i runga i Rāhoroi, April 2, ora i runga i NBCSN i 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT.

I tua atu, a broken nose has forced Gil Guardado to withdraw from his scheduled lightweight (155 pauna) matchup with undefeated Steve Kozola (6-0), ko wai e fehangahangai inaianei Matt “The Sleeper” Church (3-1) in a 160-pound catchweight affair, a Jeff Roma (1-2-1) Ka Square atu ki Zach Bunnell (0-0) i roto i te Welterweight (170 pounds) preliminary card contest.

The 5-foot-11, 32-year-old Williams is looking to rebound from a narrow, split decision defeat at the hands of Siaki "Ko te Honey Bear" Heun i WSOF26 i runga i Hakihea 18, 2015.

One fight prior to the loss, Williams submitted Jared Hatch with a shoulder choke in the third round (4:10) of their matchup on November 14, 2015.

Te 6-waewae, 33-year-old Harris of West Pittston, Pa. is riding a four-fight win streak. I roto i tona timatanga whakamutunga, Harris, ko wai roaa kua 7 o tona 8 career victories by way of (T)KO tukunga ranei, edged out a split decision over Justin Torrey at WSOF24 on October 17, 2015.

Church of Las Vegas will attempt to notch his fourth consecutive win, after threestraight finishes, the last of which came on March 4 when he submitted Pat DeFranco with a leglock in the first round (2:55) of their matchup.

Tickets for WSOF30: Manga vs. Starks are available for purchase online at WSOF.com and AXS.com.

Doors i te Tahi i Hard Rock Hotel & ka whakatuwhera Casino mo te hui i 4 p.m. PT, a ka timata te a'ee tuatahi tuatahi i 5 p.m.

I roto i te hui matua, reigning World Series of Fighting middleweight champion Rawiri Manga (17-3), o te tuatahi-ake te kawenata, taata tei taitara rua-wehenga, ka hoatu tona karauna i hiahiatia i runga i te raina ki runga nguha Clifford Starks (13-2).

I roto i te hui tahi-matua, superstar Jon Fitch (27-7-1, 1 NC) ka whawhai tata World Series o Fighting kotahi-po, e waru-te tangata whakataetae kaikawe-ake João "Te Beresiria Samurai" Zeferino (20-7) ki te wātea World Series o Fighting Welterweight aito i te tĭtĭ.

Wāhi kē i runga i te-whawhai wha, ora NBCSN telecast, tohunga tukunga Vinny "Pezao" Magalhaes (13-7) Ka Square atu ki Siaki "Ko te Honey Bear" Heun(9-4) i roto i te taumahamaha marama (205 pauna) whakataetae, i te Ao Series o Fighting roanga me te toi knockout Abu "Gladiator" Azaitar (11-1-1) Ka maukati haona ki Danny "Dee1" Davis, JR. (11-10-1) i te Welterweight.

KĀRI MAIN (Ora i runga i NBCSN)

World Series of Fighting Middleweight Championship Main Event:
Rawiri Manga (Champion) vs. Clifford Starks (Kaiwero)

World Series of Fighting Vacant Welterweight Championship Main Event:
Jon Fitch (Kaiwero) vs. João Zeferino (Kaiwero)

Marama Heavyweight: Vinny Magalhaes vs. Jake Heun
Welterweight: Abu Azaitar vs. Danny Davis, JR.

KĀRI PRELIMINARY (Ora i runga i WSOF.com)

Welterweight: Abubakar Nurmagomedov vs. Matt Frincu
Whitu: Rex Harris vs. Clinton Williams
Catchweight (160 pauna): Steve Kozola vs. Matt Church
Mā: Carlos Garcia vs. Jason Pacheco
Whā: Adam Acquaviva vs. Andres Ponce
Welterweight: Jeff Roman vs. Zach Bunnell
whakauru toi hōia, MMA, Ao Series o te whawhai

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING RETURNS TO FOXWOODS RESORT CASINO IN CONNECTICUT WITH HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MEGA-EVENT ON FRIDAY, JUNE 17, LIVE ON NBCSN

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TICKETS FOR WSOF31: IVANOV VS. COPELAND
ON SALE FRIDAY, APERIRA 1

LIGHTWEIGHT CO-MAIN EVENT:
JASON HIGH VS. MIKE RICCI

Las Vegas (March 29, 2016) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today that it will return to Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn. with a stacked lineup of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fights led by a world heavyweight championship showdown between reigning kingpin Blagoy Ivanov(13-1) and Josh “Cuddly Bear” Copeland (13-1), ora i runga i NBCSN i 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT i te Rāmere, Pipiri 17.

In the lightweight (155 pauna) tahi-matua hui, superstars Jason "te Kansas City tahae" Runga (19-5) a Mike "Te Martian" Ricci (11-4) will square off with the number one contender ranking at stake.

Utu i $39.99, tickets for WSOF31: Ivanov vs. Copeland, go on sale on Friday, April 1 i 10 a.m. AND, at WSOF.com and Foxwoods.com.

“We are looking forward to returning to the great state of Connecticut, and putting on another phenomenal world championship event featuring some of our top superstars, for fans at Foxwoods Resort Casino,"Ka mea a World Series o Fighting peresideni Rangatira Matua.

Blagoy Ivanov vs. Josh Copeland

Ivanov of Sulfia, Bulgaria is a 5-foot-11, 29-year-old Judo black belt and Sambo master who has earned 11 o tona 13 career MMA wins by way of (T)KO tukunga ranei. I te 2008 World Sambo Championships, he made his first big mark in combat sports, defeating all-time great Fedor Emelianenko.

Ivanov made his way to World Series of Fighting after a near-flawless, 8-fight run under the promotion of Bellator, posting an overall, 7-1 record there. He seized the World Series of Fighting heavyweight championship from Smealinho Rama, forcing Rama to tap out from a guillotine choke in the third round (1:17) of their matchup on June 5, 2015, and successfully defended the title for the first time on October 17, te kaute i te rua o a tawhio (4:33) TKO i runga i Derrick Mehman ki te puhipuhinga o nifó.

Copeland of Denver, Lap. is coming off his World Series of Fighting debut victory, a unanimous decision over Mike “300” Hayes, at WSOF29 on March 12. Ko te 6-waewae-1, 33-year-old teammate of undefeated World Series of Fighting lightweight champion Justin "Ko e Miramirahia" Gaethje has notched 8 o tona 13 career wins, to date, mā (T)KO tukunga ranei.

Jason Runga vs. Mike Ricci

Following his near 18-month absence from competition, High of Kansas City, Miss. made his long-awaited return to the cage on November 20 at WSOF25, after signing an exclusive, multi-fight contract with World Series of Fighting, and scored a thunderous, tuarua a tawhio (:47) KO runga Estevan Payan with a head kick-punches combination.

Te 5-waewae-9, 34-year-old High, a veteran of the UFC and Strikeforce, initially caught the attention of the MMA world while fighting at an elite level in Japan under the promotion of K-1 and Dream where he faced and defeated the likes of Andre Galvao a Hayato “Mach” Sakurai. High also holds a victory over retired phenom Toku Horano.

Ricci of Montreal, Quebec, Canada reached the final round on the 16th season of the hit competition reality show Ko te Ultimate Fighter.

Te 6-waewae, 30-year-old member of famed trainer Firas Zahabi’s Tristar Gym fight team is looking for his fourth consecutive win, after defeating the likes of Jorge Gurgel, George Sotiropoulos a Joe Condon, whom Ricci conquered by way of first round (2:41) KO with a head kick at WSOF25.

Doors at The Grand Theatre at Foxwoods Resort Casino will open for WSOF31: Ivanov vs. Copeland, i 5 p.m. AND, a ka timata te a'ee kāri tuatahi tuatahi i 6 p.m.

Kia ka kauwhautia pāngia tahi atu hohoro.
Las Vegas, whakauru toi hōia, MMA, Tuff-N-Uff, Ao Series o te whawhai

Two exciting MMA events are coming to Las Vegas this April!

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World Series of Fighting tickets 50% off this week only!

Ao Series o te whawhai 30 goes down at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas NEXT Saturday, April 2nd. Get your Cageside or Stage tickets now for 50% OFF by entering promo code 50WSOF30i konei.

BONUS: Bring your receipt (not your ticket) to their merchandise booth to receive a FREE WSOF T-Shirt! (while supplies last, quantities limited)

If you can’t make it to Vegas, catch the Prelims at WSOF.com at 6pm PT with the main card going live on NBC Sports Network at 8pm PT!

Tuff-N-Uff tickets start at $10 for our April 29th event at the Cox Pavilion

The card is shaping up for our show on April 29th! Tickets are on sale NOW starting at just $10 iTuffnuff.com a UNLVTickets. Mark it on your calendar, and come support amateur MMA and the Future Stars of MMA!
whakauru toi hōia, MMA, Ao Series o te whawhai

AO Tuhinga o FIGHTING STATEMENT ON MMA legalization IN NEW YORK

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Las Vegas (March 22, 2016) - New York State haere ture rohe tenei ra tukua Arts hōia Mixed heke mai (MMA) whakataetae ki te tango i te wahi i reira.

World Series o Fighting Tumu Carlos Silva hanga nga parau e whai ake nei:

“Ko te ra whakaongaonga, me te hītori hoki to tatou hākinakina nui tenei. Those who have been lobbying for the legalization of MMA in NY State, tae atu World Series o tumutumu hou o te whawhai Michael Mersch, kia mea tuku hoki ratou kaha me te ngākau nui ki te kitenga i roto i te wahi o te ture e ka hopea tukua pā ki te mataara ora MMA i roto i te Empire State, a ki whawhai whakataetae ki reira. We recently opened an office in Manhattan so, me to tatou hoa pouaka whakaata, NBC, e rapu ana tatou i mua ki te mau mai i to tatou waitohu o ngaio MMA ki New York rawa hohoro. "
whakauru toi hōia, MMA, Ao Series o te whawhai

AO Tuhinga o INGOA FIGHTING MICHAEL MERSCH TUMUAKI whakahaere āpiha ME E UI WHĀNUI

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Las Vegas (March 22, 2016) whakaritea -World Series o whawhai kua taiea Toi hōia Mixed (MMA) industry veteran and sports attorney Michael Mersch, ona tino hou Āpiha Whakahaere me General te whakaaro, whai hua tonu.

hopoi mai Mersch ki te toa ao MMA kawenata, i runga i waru nga tau o te wheako rite te whakahaere taumata matua, me te Kaiāwhina General whakaaro mo te Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). In his latest role, mahi ia rite General te whakaaro me tino Tōrangapū Kaitohutohu mo te Nevada Attorney General.

"Ko oaoa ki anō-tomo i te mahi MMA ki tetahi o nga kaitākaro pirimia me rama mōhiotia i roto i te wāhi e ahau,” said Mersch. “With its robust team of media and sports business executives as well as blue-chip partners, timata ki NBC ko IMG, World Series o te whawhai kei roto i te waenganui o te wāhanga whakaongaonga o te tupu, he nui nga mea i runga i te pae. "

"Kei te titiro whakamua matou ki te he kawe Michael Mersch tona taonga o te ahumahi matauranga motuhake, wheako me ngā hononga ki to tatou hinonga tipu, a he māia e ka waiho e ia he kaha peia i roto i te pene i muri o to tatou mahi,"Ka mea a World Series o te whawhai Tumu Carlos Silva.

I roto i tona hou, tūranga rua, ka waiho Mersch hei kaitirotiro i te Ao Series o ngā mahi pakihi o te whawhai me te take ture; whiriwhiri me te tuhia taranata katoa, pouaka whakaata, wāhi, tautoko me te hokohoko whakaaetanga ture; a Aratairaa me te whakahaere whanaunga kāwanatanga tautooraa katoa mo o te kawenata.

He korero i te āheinga auau mō te Sports Lawyers Association me te maha tihi ahumahi MMA, mohio Mersch te rite tetahi o nga tohunga ki mua i runga i te ture me te ture i roto i te hākinakina e tupu tere o te ao.

World Series o mahi whawhai hoki ki NBCSN, ora i Hard Rock Hotel & Casino i roto i Las Vegas i runga i Rāhoroi, April 2, timata i 11 p.m. AND/8 p.m. PT.

I roto i te hui matua o te whetu-hokowhitu, doubleheader aito te ao, kingi whitu ao (185 pauna) toa Rawiri Manga (17-3) ka hoatu tona taitara i hiahiatia i runga i te raina ki runga nguha Clifford Starks (13-2) ia, i roto i te hui tahi-matua, superstars Jon Fitch (27-7-1, 1 NC) a João "Te Beresiria Samurai" Zeferino (20-7) ka Square atu ki te Welterweight wātea ao (170 pauna) karauna i te tĭtĭ.
whakauru toi hōia, MMA, Ao Series o te whawhai

WSOF30: Manga VU. STARKS WORLD Tuhinga doubleheader lineup e tango RIMA pāngia tuatahi

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KĀRI FIGHT tuatahi KI awa ora ON
WSOF.COM MŌHIOTIA KI TUAWHĀ-FIGHT, NBCSN LIVE telecast

Las Vegas (March 21, 2016) -World Series o te whawhai (WSOF.com) faaite i teie mahana i te tua o pāngia kāri tuatahi e rima ki ona tino-teWSOF30 nticipated: Manga vs. Starks ao aito Mixed Arts hōia (MMA) hui doubleheader i Hard Rock Hotel & Casino i roto i Las Vegas i runga i Rāhoroi, April 2, ora i runga i NBCSN i 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT.

Kīnaki i te pire undercard e ka rere ora, i roto i tona taatoaraa i runga i te kaitākaro ataata embeddable runga WSOF.com, timata i 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, ka waiho hei Welterweight (170 pauna) tutukinga i waenganui i Abubakar Nurmagomedov (11-1-1) a Matt "Te Thunder Mai Raro raro" Frincu (7-1).

Te teina me te whakangungu hoa whāngai o te superstar Khabib Nurmagomedov, te Abubakar-tau 26-tau, e hails i Dagestan, Kei te eke Russia he wini pūkenga e toru-whawhai, ia Frincu o Tempe, Ariz. mā Queensland, ka hoatu Ahitereiria he wini pūkenga e rima-whawhai i runga i te raina.

whakamanamana Nurmagomedov te mīharo 82 ōrau auau mutu, i kua roaa Frincu ono o ana toa ngaio e whitu ki te rā i te ara o (T)KO tukunga ranei.

i roto i te ono tekau (155 pauna) mahi kāri tuatahi, artist knockout tūturu Steve "Thunderbeast" Kozola (6-0) ka meinga e tona World Series o Fighting tuatahi ki hoa nohopuku-maranga whetu Gil Guardado (5-1).

I te ahi mai i tona wikitoria tuatahi ngaio i roto i te Hōngongoi 2013, Kozola o San Diego, Calif. mā Chicago, Mate. kies ki Ao Series o Fighting i muri i te whakaputa hoki-ki-hoki, whakaora KO kino - ia ki te aroraa aritarita o nifó – i raro i te whakatairanga o Bellator.

I te Hānuere 16, 2015, piro Kozola he tuarua a tawhio (1:25) KO runga Honatana Rivera i Bellator 132 a, i runga i Maehe 15, 2015, piro ia he tawhio tuatahi (2:22) KO runga Ian Butler i Bellator 137.

Guardado o Las Vegas e titiro ki te kakari tona win karapīpiti te toru i muri i rua perfor tinoaravihi rahi husde te Ao Series o Fighting whare herehere tahatekau.

Te prodigy-tau 30-tau Xtreme Couture tukuna Pete Martin ki te kowaowaotia pororere i roto i te taka noa tuatahi (3:31) o te mahi i WSOF22 i runga i August 1, 2015, a tutakina atu te tau ki te wikitoria whakatau loto mo Giga Chikadze i WSOF26 i runga i Hakihea 18.

I roto i te mā (125 pauna) mau, Carlos Garcia (1-1) o San Bernardino, Calif. ka meinga e tona tuatahi ngaio ki Jason Pacheco (1-0) o Las Vegas.

Arama Aquaviva (4-2) o Las ka fehangahangai Vegas atu ki Andres Ponce (3-2) o Tempe i roto i te honga whā me te, i roto i te whakatuwhera matchup kāri tuatahi, Jeff Roma (1-2-1) o Las ka Square Vegas atu ki Ingoa kaiwhakamahi Salantri (0-1) i te Welterweight.

He tuaono, middleweigTuhinga (185 pounds) whawhai tuatahi ngā Clinton Williams(7-3) o Las Vegas e kauwhautia hohoro.

Utu i $20, tīkiti mō te WSOF30: Manga vs. Starks, E wātea ana hoki hoko online i WSOF.com me AXS.com.

Doors i te Tahi i Hard Rock Hotel & ka whakatuwhera Casino mo te hui i 4 p.m. PT, a ka timata te a'ee tuatahi tuatahi i 5 p.m.

I roto i te hui matua, reigning World Series of Fighting middleweight champion Rawiri Manga (17-3), o te tuatahi-ake te kawenata, taata tei taitara rua-wehenga, ka hoatu tona karauna i hiahiatia i runga i te raina ki runga nguha Clifford Starks (13-2).

I roto i te hui tahi-matua, superstar Jon Fitch (27-7-1, 1 NC) ka whawhai tata World Series o Fighting kotahi-po, e waru-te tangata whakataetae kaikawe-ake João "Te Beresiria Samurai" Zeferino (20-7) ki te wātea World Series o Fighting Welterweight aito i te tĭtĭ.

Wāhi kē i runga i te-whawhai wha, ora NBCSN telecast, tohunga tukunga Vinny "Pezao" Magalhaes (13-7) Ka Square atu ki Siaki "Ko te Honey Bear" Heun(9-4) i roto i te taumahamaha marama (205 pauna) whakataetae, i te Ao Series o Fighting roanga me te toi knockout Abu "Gladiator" Azaitar (11-1-1) Ka maukati haona ki Danny "Dee1" Davis, JR. (11-10-1) i te Welterweight.
whakauru toi hōia, MMA, Ao Series o te whawhai

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING RETURNS TO SIN CITY WITH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLEHEADER ON SATURDAY, APERIRA 2, LIVE ON NBCSN

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Tīkiti ON Tuhinga NOW

World Middleweight Championship Main Event:
Rawiri Manga (Champion) vs. Clifford Starks (Kaiwero)

World Welterweight Championship Co-Main Event:
Jon Fitch (Kaiwero) vs. João Zeferino (Kaiwero)

Ētahi atu:

Vinny Magalhaes vs. Jake Heun
Abu Azaitar vs. Danny Davis Jr.

Las Vegas (March 14, 2016) -World Series o te whawhai (WSOF.com) announced today that it will make its much-anticipated return to Las Vegas with a star-studded, taitara ao whakauru toi hōia (MMA) hui doubleheader i Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Rāhoroi, April 2, ora i runga i NBCSN (11 p.m. AND/8 p.m. PT), headlined by a middleweight (185 pauna) title bout between reigning kingpin Rawiri Manga (17-3) a Clifford Starks (13-2).

Utu i $29, tīkiti mō te WSOF30: Manga vs. Starks, E wātea ana hoki hoko online i WSOF.com me AXS.com.

I roto i te hui tahi-matua, superstar Jon Fitch (27-7-1, 1 NC) will collide with recent World Series of Fighting one-night, e waru-te tangata whakataetae kaikawe-ake João "Te Beresiria Samurai" Zeferino (20-7) with the vacant World Series of Fighting welterweight (170 pauna) championship at stake.

In other action on the four-fight, ora NBCSN telecast, tohunga tukunga Vinny "Pezao" Magalhaes (13-7) Ka Square atu ki Siaki "Ko te Honey Bear" Heun(9-4) i roto i te taumahamaha marama (205 pauna) whakataetae, i te Ao Series o Fighting roanga me te toi knockout Abu "Gladiator" Azaitar (11-1-1) ka maka iho ki Danny "Dee1" Davis, JR. (11-10-1) i te Welterweight.

The complete WSOF30 preliminary bout card will be announced soon.

Rawiri Manga vs. Clifford Starks

Ko te 6-waewae-1, 34-year-old Branch of Brooklyn, N.Y.. made history in his last start at WSOF23 on September 18, 2015 when he notched a first round (2:21) tāpaetanga (kowaowaotia iho muri-tahanga) wikitoria ki runga Teddy Holder to become the first World Series of Fighting light heavyweight champion in history as well as the first-ever two-division champion in promotional history.

A protégé of MMA and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu legend Renzo Gracie, Branch will seek his eighth consecutive win.

Ano 34 tau o te ao, the 5-foot-10 Starks of Tempe, Ariz. earned a shot at Branch’s middleweight title after three consecutive victories in the World Series of Fighting decagon cage. In his last effort at WSOF23, Starks handed Krasimir Mladenov the first defeat of the Bulgarian wrestling standout’s career by way of unanimous decision.

Starks is riding a five-fight win streak that began with two consecutive wins under the promotion of Bellator.

Jon Fitch vs. João Zeferino

A former world top 10 ranked competitor who has faced and defeated a collection of rival icons over the course of his 14-year professional career, te-waewae 6, 38-year-old Fitch of Fort Wayne, I roto i te. earned a unanimous decision in his last appearance, over fellow accomplished superstar Yushin Okami at WSOF24 on October 17, 2015.

Originally from Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil, te 5-waewae-11, 30-year-old Zeferino who fights out of Middletown, N.Y.. has notched 15 o tona 20 mahi toa i te ara o te tāpaetanga. Zeferino demonstrated superior physical and mental toughness in his last appearance in the cage, going to battle three times in one night in the one-night, waru-tangata Kōmāmā (155 pauna) tournament at WSOF25 on November 20, 2015.

After defeating both Brian Foster a Jorge Patino by way of heel hook submission in the first round of action in the quarterfinal and semifinal stages of the tournament, aua, Zeferino again faced off with Foster, who had advanced to the championship stage as a “lucky loser,” but suffered a second round (4:51) KO (nifó) at the hands of Foster in a barnburner affair.

Vinny Magalhaes vs. Jake Heun

Magalhaes of Las Vegas via Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will make his second start under the promotion of World Series of Fighting after pulling off a stunning, tuatahi a tawhio noa (1:08) tāpaetanga (kneebar) of wrestling stylist Matt "Ko e Hammer" Hamill at WSOF24.

He 6-waewae-3, 31-year-old world grappling champion, Magalhaes has claimed 11 o tona 13 career MMA wins by way of submission and is looking for his fourth consecutive victory.

Heun of Coconut Creek, Fla. is seeking his third straight win after edging out a split decision over Clinton Williams i WSOF26 i runga i Hakihea 18, 2015.

A member of South Florida-based American Top Team, te 6-waewae-2, 28-year old Heun has claimed 6 o tona 9 professional wins by way of (T)KO tukunga ranei.

Abu Azaitar vs. Danny Davis, JR.

The number one ranked middleweight (185 pauna) in Germany and the number five ranked middleweight in Poland, te 5-waewae-11, 30-year-old Azaitar of Cologne, Germany will enter the World Series of Fighting decagon cage for the first time at 170 pauna, after tearing through the ranks of competitors in Europe over the last seven years.

Ki te rā, the heavy-handed Azaitar has notched 7 o tona 11 toa mahi i te ara o te (T)KO. His lone defeat came in 2012, and he has since remained unbeaten in his last 8 tīmata.

Davis, JR. of Las Vegas will look to rebound from two consecutive losses – a split decision defeat at the hands of Matthew Frincu at WSOF23, and a unanimous decision loss to Abubakar Nurmagomedov at WSOF26.

Prior to the matchup with Frincu, te 6-waewae-2, 33-Davis tau-tau, JR. had run to five straight wins, three of which were World Series of Fighting contests.
whakauru toi hōia, MMA, Ao Series o te whawhai

WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING COMES OUT SWINGING IN 2016

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Strong TV Ratings, Record Web Traffic and New Sponsorships
Highlight Formidable Start to the New Year

Las Vegas (February 17, 2016) -World Series o te whawhai (WSOF.com) came out of the gates swinging to begin the new year and its fourth year of operation, generating impressive NBCSN television viewership figures for its first live event of 2016, as well as record levels of traffic and engagement on its web platform and a pair of new sponsor partners.

The live NBCSN telecast of WSOF27: Firmino vs. Fodor, which took place at the FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn. i runga i Rāhoroi, Jan. 23, generated an average viewership of 213,000, and peaked at 245,000, ake 13% from NBCSN’s World Series of Fighting 2015 average. An immediate replay of the event that began atko waenganui po, garnered another 111,000 kaimätakitaki.

The number of unique visits to the league’s website skyrocketed by 515 percent between December and January, while World Series of Fighting secured two new sponsor partners in Talk2Legends and 1800 Tequila.

“It has been a tremendous start to a very promising year, and this is just the beginning,"Ka mea a World Series o te whawhai Tumu Carlos Silva. “With a full schedule of world championship live events; a new, athlete-focused web TV series that we will be rolling out; and a host of other opportunities we are exploring with potential partners, it’s going to be an exciting year for World Series of Fighting and MMA fans.

“We are off to a great start, and we have a lot more in store for fans, with a new live event nearly every month this year,"Ka mea a World Series o Fighting peresideni Rangatira Matua. “We made some strong additions to our fighter roster last year, and fans can expect to see some more top level talent join our ranks in 2016.”

“We are looking forward to continued growth of the league and delivering our audience another year of exciting world championship MMA action,"Ka mea Gary Quinn, NBC Sports Group’s vice president of programming.

WSOF.com engagement soared by 400 percent between December and January, and the number of user sessions increased by 480 percent over the same time period. World Series of Fighting’s social media channels (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) all achieved their highest reach and levels of engagement since the

The partnerships with Talk2Legends and 1800 Tequila kicked off during WSOF27 last month. Utilizing the Talk2Legends video chat app, World Series of Fighting offered fans unprecedented, one-on-one access to both its athletic and NBCSN on-air talent, whai wāhi Chael, Bas Rutten, Jon Fitch and reigning, undefeated world lightweight (155 pauna) toa Justin "Ko e Miramirahia" Gaethje.

Live World Series of Fighting action returns to NBCSN from Garden Grove, Calif. i runga i Rāhoroi, Feb. 20 i 9 p.m. AND/6 p.m. PT with WSOF28: Moraes vs. Barajas. Headlining the four-bout telecast will be a world bantamweight (135 pauna) championship showdown between reigning kingpin Marlon Moraes (15-4-1), who will risk his title against fast-rising star, Hohepa Barajas (12-1).

Mō te Ao Series o te whawhai (WSOF)
“Ao Series o te whawhai” (WSOF) Ko te ao pirimia ngaio Toi Martial Mixed (MMA) whawhai whakatairanga whakatapua ki tuku i te pai whawhai mahi-Kikī mō pā whawhai i te whakaputa i te pai ka taea ōrite-ups i waenganui i whawhai whiriwhiri i huri noa i te ao. Mō ētahi atu kōrero haere ki WSOF.com me te whai “Ao Series o te whawhai” on Twitter MMAWorldSeries. WSOF ko Ao Series o te Fighting e rēhitatia tohu o MMAWC, LLC.
whakauru toi hōia, MMA, NBC, Ao Series o te whawhai

THREE NEW MATCHUPS COMPLETE WSOF29: GAETHJE VU. FOSTER MAIN CARD ON SATURDAY, MARCH 12

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NEW, LIVE NBCSN START TIME OF 10 P.M. AND
FROM GREELEY, COLORADO

Las Vegas (February 3, 2016) -World Series o te whawhai (WSOF.com) announced today the addition of three main card matchups, including a heavyweight co-main event contest between Josh “Cuddly Bear” Copeland(11-3) a Mike “300” Hayes (19-10-2), to its highly anticipated WSOF29: Gaethje vs. Foster world lightweight (155 pauna) championship event at the Bank of Colorado Arena in Greeley, Lap. i runga i Rāhoroi, March 12, ora i runga i NBCSN i 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.

In other action on the four-bout live telecast that will be headlined by the lightweight championship showdown between reigning, undefeated kingpin Justin "Ko e Miramirahia" Gaethje (15-0) and number one contender Brian Foster (25-9), whitu (185 pauna) standouts Cory "te Mea" Devela (15-6) a Louis "Handgunz" Taylor (11-3) will collide in their respective World Series of Fighting debuts.

Kicking off the live, four-fight telecast will be a welterweight (170 pauna) scrap pitting Josh Cavan (11-6) ki Kris Hocum (7-4).

Utu i $39.99, tickets for WSOF29: Gaethje vs. Foster, are on sale at WSOF.com and the University of Northern Colorado’s online ticketing platform.

Josh Copeland vs. Mike Hayes

The 6-foot-1 Copeland of Denver, Lap. is a former number one ranked heavyweight in his home state, and a four-time title holder since turning professional in 2010.

The 33-year-old, former Youth Ministry student at Dallas Baptist College, Kua roaa 8 o tona 11 career victories as a professional by way of (T)KO tukunga ranei, ki 5 of those wins coming in less than 2 meneti.

A teammate of Gaethje’s at Grudge Training Center, Copeland will look to rebound from a second round (2:50) tāpaetanga (Kimura) defeat at the hands ofVitaly Minakov i runga i Hakihea 11, a result that snapped a two-fight win streak for Copeland.

During his professional career spanning eight-plus years, the 6-foot-4, 35-year-old Hayes of Redmond, Horoi. has faced off with elite level competition, including former world champion Andrei Arlovski and superstar Ruslan Magomedov, both of whom he fought to a decision.

I Noema 2, 2013, Hayes notched his most impressive victory to date, te kaute i te kino, toru a tawhio noa (3:11) KO on decorated MMA, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and wrestling champion Jeff “The Snowman” Monson with a head kick.

In his last start on June 4, 2015, Hayes produced another impressive result, fighting former South African national wrestling champion and four-time MMA titlistTrevor Prangley, to a draw.

Cory Devela vs. Louis Taylor

Te 6-waewae-2, 31-year-old Devela of Bonney Lake, Horoi., will enter the decagon cage in the midst of a four-fight win streak that includes a unanimous decision victory over superstar Nick “The Promise” Ring i runga i Pipiri 26, 2015.

A longtime protégé of MMA superstar and submission expert Dennis "Superman" Hallman, E faaite, who has notched 11 o tona 16 toa mahi i te ara o te (T)KO tukunga ranei, burst into the national spotlight at a Strikeforce promoted event in Tacoma, Horoi. i runga i Hui-tanguru 23, 2008, te kaute i te rauna tuatahi (1:22) TKO on heralded superstar Joe "Diesel" Riggs with a thunderous slam that rendered Riggs unable to continue fighting.

Devela’s recent ascendance that has him knocking on the door of becoming a world championship contender again, comes after he took an extended, three-year hiatus from competition to care for a sick loved one between 2010 a 2013.

Also looking to earn his fifth consecutive win, te 5-waewae-11, 36-year-old Taylor of Chicago, Mate. is the number one ranked middleweight in his home state, according to the latest Tapology.com ratings.

A prolific striker who has finished 10 o tona 11 opponents to date by way of (T)KO tukunga ranei, Taylor’s last four victories all came inside of the first round of battle.

Prior to becoming a mixed martial artist, Taylor was a wrestling standout for the NCAA Division I program at Eastern Illinois University where he benefited from training with fellow, former team member turned assistant coach Matt Hughes, who went on to become a two-time UFC champion and Hall of Fame member.

Josh Cavan vs. Kris Hocum

Fighting out of Denver, Cavan is a 5-foot-10, 32-tau-tau, lifelong athlete who competed at the minor league level of professional hockey before turning his attention to MMA. A winner of 9 o tona 11 professional career fights by way of (T)KO tukunga ranei, Cavan will look to bounce back from a second round (1:28) WHO (nifó) defeat at the hands of Joe Eichelberger i runga i Noema 6.

The 5-foot-11, 30-year-old Hocum of Fort Collins, Lap. made his professional debut on October 27, 2012 as a participant in a one-night, eight-man tournament, defeating multiple opponents to emerge the victor of the grueling affair. He will look to regain momentum after back-to-back losses in his last two appearances.

The WSOF29 preliminary bout card will be announced soon.