HOLLYWOOD, CA (March 10, 2022) – Fan favorite, Blair “The Flair” Cobbs (15-0-1, 10 KOs) of Philadelphia hosted a media workout today at the world famous WildCard Boxing Club ahead of his fight against fellow stablemate Alexis Rocha (18-1 (12 KOs) on March 19. Their 10-round welterweight fight will be the co-main event to Vergil Ortiz, Jr. vs. Michael McKinson at the University of Southern California’s Galen Center in Downtown Los Angeles and will be streamed live, worldwide, on DAZN.

Below is what the fighter had to say about his upcoming fight:

“I can’t wait for this fight. I love every single opportunity to get out there and show the world what Blair ‘The Flair’ is all about. Each moment, each day, I am getting better and better. Everyday I am refining my craft, inside and outside of the ring and people are going to see it come March 19.

“Once again, I have to fight against the odds. There are a lot of people that think, Alexis Rocha might win. Let’s see what happens when he fights ‘The Great One.’ I expect that he is training very hard, but Blair ‘The Flair’ is training smart. It doesn’t matter what he does. In that ring he is going to try everything and he is not going to be able to get anything done because I am much, much better.

“It’s a big possibility that this fight may not go the distance. If he comes towards me and gets in my face I am going to shut him down.

“We are going to go in the ring with energy, and be the best that we possibly can which is always the most exciting, the biggest flair, the biggest attraction in boxing. Fans will have to tune in because the main event is the co-main event on March 19.”

Tickets for the event are on sale now and are priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25 not including applicable service charges. Tickets will be available for purchase at www.galencenter.org or www.goldenboypromotions.com. Please note that LADPH guidelines and other protocols relating to admission requirements will be in place for this event, which include that all guests aged 2 and older will have to provide proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result within 24 hours for an antigen test or 48 hours for a PCR test.

Ortiz Jr. vs. McKinson is a 12-round fight for the WBO International Welterweight Title presented by Golden Boy in association with Matchroom Boxing. The event is sponsored by Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and “BetOnline – Your Online Sportsbook Experts.” The fight will take place on Saturday, March 19 at Galen Center in Los Angeles, and will be streamed live worldwide on DAZN.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #OrtizMcKinson

Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Sport Chairman:

“As I’ve said before, almost ten years since Carl Froch’s historic victory in Nottingham Arena, we’ve been looking to bring a mega-fight back to this city for some time. 10,000 sell-out on Saturday and the atmosphere is going to be incredible, 3000-4000 Irish also in attendance for what will be a tremendous match-up.

“This Saturday we have a solid undercard, so many great fights, great fighters, great prospects. People returning to the World Championship scene, people looking to make their mark in the world rankings.

“Just under 10,000 people in a sold-out arena will see a great fight with an incredible atmosphere. Huge support from the city of Nottingham and a huge number of Irish fans coming to see if Michael Conlan can become World Champion.”

Leigh Wood:

“I’m buzzing to be here, it’s been a long hard road to get here, back in 2014 that was a terrible night. I knew the reasons behind it, and I went away and corrected it. Same with both of the defeats I’ve suffered, I went away, changed my team and improved as a fighter. I stayed disciplined, lived the life and that’s why I’m bringing this big night back to Nottingham, I couldn’t be happier.

“I couldn’t be happier with my camp, my team, everything is on point. As Mick said, I’ve got the best version of him and he’s got the best version of me, there’s no excuses after the fight the best man will win.

“We rocked up at fight camp and people were basically saying good luck, thanks for turning up, we were taken aback and didn’t know what to say to them. I said in interviews I was going to win the fight, confidence has never been an issue with me, I’ve been confident when most kids didn’t have anything to smile about, I’ve been confident in the gym without fights and through injuries and defeats. I was confident in my ability and that I’d get there, now I’m here.

“This is fairy-tale sh*t, honestly, of all the arenas for Carl I was at in the seats screaming, I’m now headlining in the same arena. This isn’t the peak or where I stop, I’m going to go further than this. The city ground fight that you’ve tangled in front of me for so long, you [Eddie] said after this fight it’s happening, so I’ll hold you to that but eyes on Saturday night first. I’m coming to get the job done and look good doing it.”

Ben Davison:

“I’m over the moon with the training camp that Leigh’s had, preparation doesn’t stop until the first bell but we’re ready and very confident. Leigh knows exactly what he needs to do and it’s just a case of getting in there and doing it now.

“I think it’s just very easy for people to go ‘Mick on points’ or ‘Leigh by stoppage’, that’s the outcome people can see but as I said before I think Mick punches harder than people think and Leigh boxes better than what people think he does. People said the same thing when Leigh was boxing Can Xu, he can only win by knockout, not only did he nearly beat him quite widely by points, but he beat him in the twelfth round.

“I don’t believe that this is the two possible outcomes of the fight, I think both guys are very versatile and potentially momentum shifts throughout the fight and adjustments will have to made by both. It’s a fantastic fight and that’s why we’ve got a sold-out arena.

“I highly expect Leigh to thrive under this situation, I don’t think there’s any problems, Leigh’s one of the calmest fighters I’ve worked with in the changing room preparing for a fight. It’s just a case of getting in there and doing what he needs to do now.”

Michael Conlan:

“I’m ready to go, my confidence comes from preparation and my preparation has been fantastic. I’m very confident and very relaxed, we’re here in Nottingham and it’s time to go, there’s not much more to say other than I really can’t wait for Saturday night.

“I know what kind of performance is coming on Saturday night, this is the most relaxed and calm I’ve ever been in a fight week. I don’t feel any pressure, I’m here in the opponents back garden and I’ve got to rip the belt off him. Everyone’s here to see him, I’ve got fans coming in the thousands already so it’s nothing new.

“I’m just here to do a job, I hope Leigh has had a fantastic training camp, I hope he’s the best Leigh Wood there’s ever been because I believe I will be. It’ll make it all the sweeter when I beat him.

“I’m just expecting a fantastic performance by myself.”

Jamie Conlan:

“We came here six weeks ago full of confidence, we’ve come here today even more confident. Confident in the preparation that was put in over the last eight week, confident in the mindset that he’s brought into this fight and the mental attitude that he’s put into the camp and the challenges he’s faced in camp. We’ve come here to upset the applecart and spoil your boy’s party – send the Irish home happy.

“I fully expect Michael to become World Champion on Saturday. Regarding favourites and underdogs, we have no real thought on that. We’ve come in as the B side fighter and underdog mentality but we’re fully confident we’ll become world champion. I truly believe this is his destiny, Leigh Wood is just an obstacle in his way that we must overcome. This is Michael Conlan’s party, this is the one he’s coming to take home, and this is the one that the fans will be able to sing about and tell each other about in bars for years to come.

“I think that’s something that Leigh’s going to have to deal with, the mental stress he’s going to be under, I saw it last night when he was doing his workout. There’s going to mental pressure on him more so than on Michael, Michael has dealt with mental pressure throughout his career. He was thrown into the spotlight from day one, Leigh has done it when no one was watching, he won the world title in front of 25 people in your [Eddie] back garden.

“This is the big time, this is going to be where everyone is pressuring him on, expecting him to win – in his hometown as the favourite. In our hometown we’re the favourite, so the fans coming over are fully expecting Michael to win, fully expecting to be joyous on Saturday and going home with a new World Champion. As a family we’re just ready, we’ve been waiting for this for a long time, destiny is in front of us and Leigh is just another object in the way.”

Caoimhin Agyarko:

“I want to thank you [Eddie] for getting me on this card, especially straight after Christmas. It’s the opportunities I feel like I deserve, and I’ve been working hard, it’s a great card to be on and it’s going to be a very noisy night on Saturday. I can’t wait to just get in there and put on a good performance.
 
“We hoped to get the Hassan N’Dam fight, former World Champion, but he’s got a good record and I expect a tough fight Saturday night. I’ve prepared well and I’ve been sparring great, everything’s went to plan in camp, and I have no complaints. I just can’t wait to get in there and put on a good performance, I feel like you’re going to see a different side to my game on Saturday – Rubio being a southpaw. I feel like he’ll bring out the best in me in terms of that I can box a bit more and open up a bit more.
 
“That’s the plan, I want to headline shows in Belfast, it’s a great to be on this card with three other Irish fighters. I spent time on the Irish team with Garry and Thomas, I’ve boxed with Mick at training camps and he’s from my hometown. It’s a great opportunity for me on this card but the plan is to go back home, and headline shows by the end of the year. I feel like after this fight or one more in the summer I’ll be ready for a big name.”

Juan Carlos Rubio:

“I really enjoy taking on challenges and this will be another one for me. We did take the fight on very short notice, but we were already preparing, running and training waiting for this opportunity which presented itself.
 
“I’m going to come and give everything on Saturday, I want to give thanks to the champ for giving me the opportunity but yeah I’ll give it everything on Saturday.”

Terri Harper:

“It’s like I’ve never left now back at Lightweight. I’ve been trying to explain to my Grandma about moving up in weight and she said it’s only 5 pounds, but that 5 pounds makes a huge difference. I had a good training session and feel like I’ve got weeks of training left in me and I’m full of energy.
 
“I’m just happy to be back and excited to get back out there on Saturday night, show everyone what I’ve been working on. This camp was about taking everything back to the drawing board, going back to basics and making slight changes that have been needed to be made for a while.
 
“The fight’s been and gone now, it was a lesson learnt the hard way and I’m just excited to be here in the new weight division. I’m fully focused on what’s ahead and what’s to come this year.
 
“After the last fight I thought, everyone was going to go off and disappear but to be fair I’ve probably got more fans. I’m just grateful to everyone who’s been there since day one and we’re on this journey together through the highs and lows, I’m doing it for them really and they’re the reason I’m here.”

Yamila Belen Abellaneda:

“Here we are accepting the challenge, it was put to us, and I’m really pleased to be here. Once the offer came in, we took it with both hands.

“That’s what we’re here for. We’ve come here and put the work in, we’ve come to win.”

Gary Cully:

“I’ve been looking for this chance, calling your name since I was 2-0. I’m excited that it’s finally here, I’ve got a great opponent in front of me in Miguel Vazquez who’s been there and done it. It’s a big test for me as well and I’m looking forward to putting on an explosive performance on Saturday.
 
“I think 2022 is the year that I plan on making a statement in the world rankings and stepping up in challenge and winning World Titles, Vazquez is the first step in doing so. I’ve been building on the down low on the MTK shows, the smaller hall scene for the last couple of years putting in big performances. This is my first kind of show on the big stage and I’m looking forward to showing everyone what I can do.”  
 
Miguel Vazquez:

“I’m really happy to be here in the UK. I’m facing a great opponent so it’s great to have this opportunity once again to show people in the UK that I’m still a big thing in boxing.
 
“Apart from whether or not I won or lost that fight, whether it was a robbery, you can call it what you like. I’m just so happy to be back again on these shores and show again what I can do in the UK, it’s a wonderful country and I’m so happy to be here.”

Sandy Ryan:

“This is what I want, I said I want someone who’s coming to win, she’s trained for ten rounds like it’s a World Title. It’s going to be a good fight; I respect her as a fighter and she has fought great champions but I’m different and she’ll see that Saturday night.
 
“I’m going to make the fight the pace I want to make it at, we’ve got a good plan me and Cliff. Honestly, if I have to outbox this girl I will, if I have to go to war I’ll go to war.
 
“Even now the people are seeing it’s too early, when I believe in myself and my team believes in me, you’ll believe in me after this fight. I’m just ready for anybody.”

Erica Anabella Farias:

“When I was offered this fight, most fights I’ve had in my career have been for World Titles, so I train as if it’s a World Title fight and I’ve been training as if this was a World Title fight. I’m always ready and accept the big challenges and I think champions are built over time, so I’ll be facing up as if this is a World Title fight.
 
“I live for this sport; I enjoy every single moment whether it’s the press conference of the weigh-in. Like I said, I’m focused for every fight like it’s a World Title fight so you can expect me to go into the fight and coming out victorious. What I would say to Sandy Ryan is to keep her guard up.”

Nico Leivars:

“I remember when I first got the call and got told that I’d me on this card, it’s literally 20 minutes up the road from me – it’s my home city. I’m blessed to make my pro debut on such a big card, on my mate’s undercard as he defends his World Title in my home city. I’ll just need to go in there now and make a good transition from amateur to the pros and put on a good performance.
 
“We’ve got a good boxing scene in Nottingham and the surrounding areas, to get boxing in the city and on the big cards on TV is only good exposure and it’s going to spur everyone on in their careers. I think it’s good to put Nottingham and Mansfield in the spotlight.”

Thomas Carty:

“Me and Dillian had a chat after the last one and we were looking to make a bit of a plan and see when get out again. It made the most sense to get me on this card, I was calling for it to be honest because I knew it would be a massive event and as you can see it. Big shoutout to Dillian, Matchroom and the team for sorting it.
 
“I’m looking forward to Saturday, I have a lot of people coming over to watch me. People from Dublin haven’t been given many chances to go on big cards, to get the crowd over for big cards as of late. I’m absolutely delighted there will be a big crowd coming over on Saturday and hopefully progress on to the Irish Title before the end of the year. I’ll be the first person then to win it since Tyson Fury so looking forward to that.”

Thomas Whittaker Hart:

“I’ve had a terrible couple of years thinking my career was going to be over in the last twelve months but thankfully it’s not. I’ve got a good opportunity on another good show, I want to push on for titles at the end of the year.
 
“I want to try and get my hands on the British Title by the end of the year, it’s what I thought about a lot when I wasn’t too well and out of the ring. That’s all I could think about, not being there and not having those belts, it’s made me hungry and want it more – it could have done a lot for me as well.”

Weigh-In Results:

Chris Bourke – 121lb 5oz
Marc Leach – 121lb 4oz

Frank Arnold – 131lb 9oz
Paul Holt – 131lb 5oz

Karol Ituama – 176lb 3oz
Jiri Kroupa – 173lb 9oz

Jake Henty – 149lb 
Henrich Herak – 150lb 2oz

Joshua Frankham – 150lb 2oz
Dario Borosa – 151lb 3oz

Willo Hayden – 138lb 3oz
Michael Walton – 140lb 

Aloys ‘Junior’ Youmbi – 199lb 5oz
Tayar Medmed – 201lb

Arnold Obodai – 205lb 1oz
Hassan Oseni – 200lb 3oz

Jamie Chamberlain & Constantin Radoi to weigh-in tomorrow.

Long Island, New York (March 10, 2022) – Long before he was a NABA Champion, and #6 world rated (WBA) super bantamweight OLEH DOVHUN (13-0 5KO’S) was just a kid growing up in in the western Ukraine city of Stebynk. With a population of about only 20,000, Dovhun enjoyed a peaceful upbringing in his small town religious home, alongside his mom, dad and older brother. This small-town boy soon became fascinated with the sport of boxing – a journey that has led him to Long Island, New York for this upcoming title defense on March 18 on Star Boxing’s renown “Rockin’ Fights” series at The Paramount.

While in elementary school, Dovhun became friends with a fellow student who had begun to fight amateur bouts. “He would get a lot of attention from other students who were interested in him because he was boxing,” said Dovhun, “I wanted that attention too!” he said while laughing. At the age of 10, Dovhun made true to his promise, and began boxing.

Nearly thirteen years later, Dovhun’s schoolyard attention ploy transformed into his livelihood, amassing approximately 250 amateur bouts while traveling throughout much of Europe and Asia to compete. From the Ukraine, to Khazakstan, the Philippines to China, Dovhun was able to see the world as an amateur boxer. While on its face it seemed glorious for the small town Ukraine kid to travel the globe doing what he loved, like most in boxing, his journey did not come without major sacrifice.

“I was in the middle of competing as an amateur in the World Series of Boxing in 2016 when my grandmother passed away a few days before my fight. Not only was I depressed leading into the fight, but I had broken my thumb during the fight – but I dug deep and still won!” said Dovhun reminiscing on one of his toughest moments as a boxer.

In 2017, alongside fellow Ukraine native and future Star Boxing stablemate Lyubomyr Pinchuk (14-2-1 8KO’s), Dovhun took a leap of faith and left the Ukraine for greener pastures in the United States hoping to turn pro with world title aspirations. Finding his way to Pittsburgh, Dovhun teamed up with Mike McSorley of Conn-Grebb Boxing Club to try and make that dream a reality. Fast forward to today and Dovhun is well on his way. Dovhun holds an undefeated record of 13-0 (5KO’s), is the current NABA Super Bantamweight Champion, and is rated #6 in the World by the WBA. Dovhun is focused on the ultimate prize: “I am going to beat Murodjon Akhmadaliev in 2022 and become the WBA Champion of the World!”

Nearing his ultimate goal of becoming a World Champion, what advice would Dovhun tell his younger 10-year-old Ukrainian self? “Work hard and believe in yourself at all times. Always focus and follow your dreams.”

Originally Dovhun was set to defend his NABA title against fellow undefeated super bantamweight Michel Da Silva (13-0 12KO’s), but the fight was moved due to visa issues. Stepping up for the challenge will now be Belgian bruiser GERAM ELOYAN (7-2-1 6KO’S) as Dovhun seeks to remain undefeated in his NABA title defense next Friday (3/18) at “Rockin’ Fights” 41.

“Rockin’ Fights” 41 is presented by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing

TICKETS:
Tickets to #RockinFights at The Paramount are now available at ticketmaster.com or by visiting www.starboxing.com. Tickets start at $50. Purchase your tickets, HERE.

LOS ANGELES, CA (March 10, 2022) – Saturday, March 19 promises to be a night full of action as Bektemir “Bully” Melikuziev (8-1, 6 KOs) of Indio, CA returns to the ring for the first time in 2022, to face seasoned veteran David “La Pantera” Zegarra (34-7, 21 KOs) of Lima, Peru. The fighters are set to face off in a 10-round light heavyweight fight as part of the DAZN broadcast. Then, opening up the DAZN broadcast, undefeated fighter Evan Sanchez (9-0, 6 KOs) from Parlier, CA will participate in a 6-round welterweight fight against Alejandro Munera (6-6-4, 5 KOs) from Medellin, Colombia.

The event is headlined by #1 WBO ranked and undefeated heavy-hander, Vergil Ortiz Jr. (18-0, 18 KOs), of Grand Prairie, Texas taking on #3 WBO ranked, undefeated welterweight Michael “The Problem” McKinson (21-0, 2 KOs) of Portsmouth, Great Britain in a 12-round fight for the WBO International Welterweight Title . The co-main event of the night will pit Orange County’s Alexis “Lex” Rocha (18-1, 12 KOs) of Santa Ana, CA against Philadelphia’s Blair “The Flair” Cobbs (15-0-1, 10 KOs) in a 10-round welterweight fight. The event will take place at the University of Southern California’s Galen Center in Downtown Los Angeles, streaming live, worldwide on DAZN.

Part of the Golden Boy Fight Night live stream on the Golden Boy Boxing channel on YouTube, undefeated fighter, and fan favorite, Alex Rincon (9-0, 6 KOs) of Dallas, Texas, will face Puerto Rico’s Luis Sanchez (9-2, 6 KOs) in an 8-round super welterweight fight. Also on the card, Los Angeles’ undefeated fighter John “Scrappy” Ramirez (8-0,7 KOs) will fight Roberto “Escorpion” Pucheta (10-20-3, 6 KOa) of Jalisco, Mexico, in a scheduled 6-round bantamweight bout. Other fights featured as part of the live stream include two 4-round fights featuring prospects Miguel Gaona (1-0) of Los Angeles, CA, in a lightweight fight against Mexico City’s Gilberto Aguilar (0-4) and London’s Ramla Ali (4-0) in a super bantamweight fight against Toronto’s Shelly Barnett (5-6-2). The night will also include popular fighters Azat “Crazy A” Hovhannisyan (20-3, 16 KOs), Alejandro Reyes (6-0, 4KOs), and Dalis Kaleiopu (1-0, 1 KO), in bouts with opponents to be announced.

Tickets for the event are on sale now and are priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25 not including applicable service charges. Tickets will be available for purchase at www.galencenter.org or www.goldenboypromotions.com. Please note that LADPH guidelines and other protocols relating to admission requirements will be in place for this event, which include that all guests age 2 and older will have to provide proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result within 24 hours for an antigen test or 48 hours for a PCR test.

Ortiz Jr. vs. McKinson is a 12-round fight for the WBO International Welterweight Title presented by Golden Boy in association with Matchroom Boxing. The event is sponsored by Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and “BetOnline – Your Online Sportsbook Experts.” The fight will take place on Saturday, March 19 at Galen Center in Los Angeles, and will be streamed live worldwide on DAZN.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #OrtizMcKinson

THE EARLY CAREER path of exceptional light heavyweight talent Karol Itauma has yet to encounter a single bump and the Olympic Youth gold medallist has enjoyed extensive TV exposure, plenty of plaudits and the adulation of his ever-increasing support.

It begs the question as to why, following his five straight victories to date, he never looks particularly happy about it? 

“Yeah, Francis (manager, Warren) says it to me all the time!” said the Chatham-based 21-year-old, acknowledging that his pearly whites should be on display following success in the ring.

“He is like ‘you’ve gotta smile, you’ve gotta smile’. So I need to get better at smiling! I don’t believe it is a reflection of how I feel because inside I am happy. Training camps are hard so the boxing is the part I enjoy.

“So I am going to bring my teeth out a little bit more.

“Of course I am happy and it is a part I have got to improve on – and I will.”

Meanwhile, another Itauma – his brother Enriko – is just a matter of a year away from breaking into the professional ranks following a highly productive grounding in the amateur code.

It is fair to say Karol is enthused over the prospect of expanding the family business.

“I am very, very, very excited. Me, my coach and the people around us know how good he is and it is just a matter of time before everyone else will too.

“So I am really excited about his journey. We will be working alongside each other, we are under the same coach, the same S&C coach, so we will be under the same roof.”

Chris Bourke (10-0) takes on Marc Leach (17-1-1) for the vacant British super bantamweight title at York Hall on March 11, live on BT Sport.

The card also features exciting super featherweight Frank Arnold (8-0-1), Olympic Youth gold medallist Karol Itauma (5-0) in light heavyweight action, unbeaten Irish super lightweight Willo Hayden (2-0) and super welterweight Josh Frankham (4-0). Super featherweight Jamie Chamberlain (3-0) has his first fight under the Queensberry banner, with Jake Henty (1-0 super welterweight) and Aloys Junior (0-1 cruiserweight) both having their second professional fights. Cruiserweight Arnold Obodai will make his professional debut.

Tickets for the show at York Hall on Friday, March 11 are on sale, available directly from the fighters or via eventbrite.co.uk or call: 01992 505 550 (office hours).

Ticket prices:
£55 (Floor/Balcony unreserved)
£65 (Floor/Balcony reserved) – SOLD OUT
£105 (Ringside) – SOLD OUT

Weigh-In details:
Date: Thursday 10^th March
Time: 2pm on the scales (doors from 1pm)
Location: Holiday Inn Stratford City, 10a Chestnut Plaza, London, E20 1GL – 12^th Floor

LAS VEGAS (March 9, 2022) – Four-time, 2-division World champion Brian “Hawaiian Punch” Viloria is enjoying the next chapter of his life, following his Hall of Fame-caliber boxing career, as an elite trainer based at Brickhouse Boxing Club in North Hollywood, California.

Shortly after his last fight, back in 2018, Viloria decided to start working as a trainer at Wild Card West (now Churchill Gym in Santa Monica, CA), where he started developing his trainer skills working in the same gym at Freddie Roach, Roberto Garcia, and Joe Goossen.

“I was able to pick-and-choose from those coaches to create my own style,” Viloria explained. “I knew that I wanted to be a trainer because I had a lot of knowledge and experience that I could pass along to the next generation of fighters. I took off the gloves and put on the mitts. I slowly built up my skills at Wild Card West with Julian Chua (head trainer of 43-0 Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez). It was an easy transition for me. It does take time to breakdown a fighter to find out how they like to receive information because everybody is different. Some like to read books, others like watching, They need to have fun, too. I want them to love the experience and craft.”

How Viloria ended up at Brickhouse was a little unusual and, of course, the pandemic played a significant role in that respect. Prior to the pandemic, Brian had learned that “Zurdo” and his manager, David Shu, were going to open up a gym.

“They asked if I was interested in moving to Las Vegas,” Viloria remembered. “And then the pandemic came. Two years later, in 2021, David called me saying they had found a spot in North Hollywood. It was a lot closer for me than Santa Monica. I only live 8 to 10 minutes away from the gym (Brickhouse). I still train one or two fighters at Churchill. My mainstay, though, is Brickhouse. I’m so close I can go home and take a nap between training sessions. I wanted to create a brand from scratch alongside Julian to hone my skills as a trainer. I like communicating with people.

“It’s a collaborative effort at Brickhouse, no disconnects. All the trainers communicate between themselves. Just because I won four world titles doesn’t outweigh the other coaches. We are a coaching staff at Brickhouse, where everybody’s input goes into making the consensus on fighters’ decisions. The biggest thing is we’re creating space at Brickhouse. We all check out egos outside the doors. It isn’t about the trainers; it’s all about fighters learning more. It’s about fighters not who’s at the helm of the coaches. I love working on the coaching staff here. We are all making a name for ourselves as trainers by being on the Brickhouse staff.”

Viloria trains Cem “Champ” Kelic (15-1, 10 KOs) and Carlos Nava (6-0, 3 KOs), both fighters are in the 3 Point Management (3PM) stable, which also manages “Zurdo,” the former World Super Middleweight Champion, and today a top-ranked World light heavyweight contender.

Turkish super middleweight Kelic headlines a March 17th card against Andrew Hernandez (21-8-2, 9 KOs) in an 8-round bout at Quiet Cannon Country Club in Montebello, California. The 27-year-old Kelic is living the American Dream having moved from Germany to the United States to enhance his pro boxing career.

“He has great power and plenty of gas in the tank,” Viloria noted. “He just needs to work on his defense instead of sitting in the pocket throwing punches and getting hit too much.”

Nava, a 23-year-old lightweight prospect from Pasadena, Texas, was the 2014 USA Olympic National Champion. He recently had a 4-week training camp at Brickhouse for, among several reasons, to get top notch sparring he doesn’t have at home.

“Carlos has a lot of amateur experience,” Viloria remarked. “He has great length and a good eye in terms of defensive awareness. He’s still in the style that doesn’t sit on punches like pros. I didn’t have enough time with him at camp to create a full style.”

Nava _ Viloria.jpg
(L-R) – Carlos Nava & Brian Viloria

Viloria retired as a boxer with a 38-6 (23 KOs) pro record, after he was 230-8 as an amateur, including being a member of the 2000 USA Olympic Boxing Team. He was undisputed World junior flyweight champion twice, as well as a 2-time World flyweight titlist.

“I’ve concluded that this (as a trainer) is the next chapter of my life,” Viloria commented. “It’s hard for athletes like me to stop boxing. It’s good to be a champion and then it’s over. I started boxing when I was five and it becomes your identity. This is what we do. Some may turn to drugs or be depressed, and that’s why a lot of fighters don’t know when to hang up their gloves. I knew when it was time to hang up my gloves. I didn’t have the same fire in my last couple of fights. I feel like I was going through the motions. No emotion!

“I had been helping train fighters in the gym when I was still fighting. Because I was world champion myself, my ultimate goal is to mold a kid someday to be world champion. I’m very excited about this part of my life.”

“Hawaiian Punch” is enjoying the journey to the fullest.

INFORMATION:

Website: www.ZurdoPromotions.com

Instagram: @zurdoramirez, @zurdopromotions, @ViloriaBoxing

Twitter: @ZurdoPromotions, @GilbertoZurdoRamirez, @BrianViloria

MINNEAPOLIS – March 9, 2022 – Top super welterweight contender and rising star Tim Tszyu will make his long-awaited U.S. debut when he takes on U.S. Olympian Terrell Gausha in a 12-round showdown that headlines action live on SHOWTIME Saturday, March 26 from The Armory in Minneapolis in a Premier Boxing Champions event.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and will feature rising undefeated lightweight contender Michel Rivera dueling fellow unbeaten Joseph “Blessed Hands” Adorno in the 10-round co-main event, plus hard-hitting super lightweight contender Elvis Rodríguez faces Juan José Velasco in the 10-round telecast opener.

“Tim Tszyu has risen up the rankings and established himself as a serious contender at the top of the loaded 154-pound division, and he’ll look to make a splash stateside when he faces the highly-skilled and experienced Terrell Gausha,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “The action will be coming throughout this lineup, as lightweight phenom Michel Rivera takes on the undefeated Joseph Adorno, while Elvis Rodríguez looks to continue his ascent in the super lightweight division against the always tough Juan José Velasco.”

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, No Limit Boxing and Warriors Boxing, are on sale now and can be purchased at the Armory at http://ArmoryMN.com/ and through Ticketmaster.

The son of former unified champion Kostya, Tim Tszyu (20-0, 15 KOs) has quickly made a name for himself as one of the most promising contenders at 154-pounds. Tszyu headlines on SHOWTIME following in his father’s footsteps after Kostya competed 10 times on the network, including memorable knockouts of Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. and Zab Judah. Fighting out of his native Sydney, Australia, Tszyu will make his U.S. debut on March 26 after earning his first 20 pro wins in his home country. The 27-year-old went the 12-round distance for the first time in his last fight, dominating Takeshi Inoue on his way to a unanimous decision in November 2021. The decision victory came after Tszyu had put together stoppage wins in eight of his previous ten outings.

“I’m very excited to be fighting in the U.S., especially on SHOWTIME, where my dad was featured for most of his career,” said Tszyu. “I’m proud and excited to continue on the Tszyu name with SHOWTIME. Once I take care of Gausha, I will be coming for the title.”

A member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team, Gausha (22-2-1, 11 KOs) was born in Cleveland, Ohio but now fights out of Encino, Calif., where he is trained by Manny Robles and Prenice Brewer. The 34-year-old has faced tough competition throughout his career, having fought former champion Austin Trout to a draw in 2019 in addition to decision losses against former champion Erislandy Lara and top contender Erickson Lubin. Gausha showed improved power in his most recent bout, stopping rising contender Jamontay Clark in two rounds in March 2021.

“I’ve been ready for this fight for a long time,” said Gausha. “I came into this game to be a world champion and fight the best. I expect Tim to come in great shape and I’ll also come in my best shape to put on a great fight for the fans. My coaches are getting me prepared perfectly for the kind of fight I need to put on so that I can leave the ring victorious.”

Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and now fighting out of Miami, Fla. Rivera (22-0, 14 KOs) burst onto the scene in 2019, making his U.S. debut with a victory over Rene Tellez Giron on SHOBOX: THE NEW GENERATION®. The 23-year-old continued his ascent in 2020, adding a stoppage win against Fidel Maldonado Jr. and a unanimous decision triumph against lightweight contender LaDarius Miller. Rivera carried his dominance into 2021 with three more victories, including a stoppage of Anthony Mercado in February before delivering a highlight-reel knockout of Jon Fernandez in July on SHOWTIME. He most recently scored a shutout unanimous decision over Matias Romero in October.

“This is a great opportunity for me to display my talents once again against a high-quality opponent in Joseph Adorno,” said Rivera. “I’m ready to take on anyone willing to challenge me until my time comes to fight for the world title. My goal is to be victorious on March 26 and then face Gervonta Davis for his title. With each fight I’m getting closer to reaching that goal. I can’t wait to show off all the hard work that I’ve put into this camp on fight night.”

Adorno (14-0-2, 12 KOs) has fought to a draw in each of his last two fights, dropping fellow unbeaten Jamaine Ortiz twice in April 2021 after dueling Héctor “Guadaña” García in January 2020. The 22-year-old was born in Union City, New Jersey and now resides in Allentown, Pa., having fought in nearby Philadelphia five times throughout his career. Adorno turned pro in 2016 at the age of 17 after a standout amateur career where he amassed a 178-22 record and beat Shakur Stevenson’s twice. He has scored knockout victories in nine of his first 10 pro fights.

“This fight is a chance for me to show my true talents,” said Adorno. “Not taking anything away from Rivera, but I know I’m going to be the better fighter on March 26. I’m working with a new trainer, Raúl ‘Chino’ Rivas, who has trained many talented fighters, and I’m ready to showcase myself at my very best. I’m more focused than ever and I’m not going to let this opportunity pass me by. Everybody better be ready for a show on March 26.”

Rodríguez (12-1-1, 11 KOs) bounced back from his first career defeat, a majority decision loss to Kenneth Sims Jr., to knockout the previously unbeaten Juan Pablo Romero on the Canelo vs. Plant SHOWTIME PPV® undercard in November. The 26-year-old burst onto the scene with knockout victories in 10 of his first 11 fights and put together an impressive five wins in 2020. Originally from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Rodríguez now lives in Los Angeles

“March 26 is another step toward my world championship goal,” said Rodríguez. “I am fighting a tough veteran fighter who has faced top-level competition. I’ve stayed in camp through Christmas so that I can be 100% ready for this fight. Winning on March 26 means a lot for my career and I hope that a win will put me in contention for a title shot this year. I want to show the world that I’m ready for the big names in the division.”

The 34-year-old Velasco (23-2, 14 KOs) enters this fight on a three-bout winning streak, having most recently earned a split decision victory over Zachary Ochoa in February 2021. A native of Jujuy, Argentina, Velasco has tangled with some of the toughest fighters in the 140-pound division, including former champions Mario Barrios and Regis Prograis. Velasco will fight in the U.S. for the fifth time on March 26.

“I’m very honored to be on a great card like this,” said Velasco. “This is actually the second time that I’ve been preparing to face Rodríguez, so I know what I’m up against. He’s going to come into the right at 100%, just like I will. May the best man win on March 26.”

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For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow #TszyuGausha, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotionss or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxing.

ORANGE, CA (March 9, 2022) – Thompson Boxing’s unbeaten lightweight contender Miguel “El Explosivo” Madueño (27-0, 25 KOs) is excited for the biggest fight of his career as he faces former world champion Jezzrel Corrales

(25-4, 10 KOs) in a 12-round WBA title eliminator. The main-event bout will take place this week at the Roberto Duran Arena in Panama City, Panama on March 12, 2022, on a “KO to Drugs” event, hosted by the WBA.

Here is what Madueño had to say about this recent training camp, his matchup with Corrales, fighting in his first WBA title elimination bout, and more.

On his recent training camp.

“This has been a great camp, in which I spent a large portion of this camp in the mountains, training hard and pushing myself to the furthest limits possible. This is the fight of my life, and the biggest fight of my career. I’m in tremendous shape and my timing has been spectacular in sparring. I am giving it my all, day-in, and day-out, to get the result I want come fight night.”

On his matchup with Corrales.

“He is really tricky and has been in the ring with some really good fighters like Chris Colbert and Alberto Machado. He’s got good boxing skills and I know exactly what I must do to stop his movement. I see myself as a world champion, an exciting fighter, and someone fight fans will be watching for years to come. This is the first step for me to show myself, my team, and Thompson Boxing the fighter I am, and Corrales is the type of fighter who will bring the best out of me.”

On fighting for a WBA lightweight title elimination bout.

“Everyone knows the lightweight division is one of the most exciting divisions with a lot of great champions that the fans love watching. I am looking forward to winning this WBA elimination bout which will allow me to pursue my dream of becoming a world champion. This will be my twenty-eight professional fight and it has been a long journey, but many fighters never get to fight for a world title, so to get there is a major accomplishment. I’m grateful to my promoter Thompson Boxing and the WBA for giving me this opportunity.”

On becoming Thompson Boxing’s next world champion.

“Thompson Boxing has groomed me to be a world champion and now I want to follow in the footsteps of Timothy Bradley, and Daniel Roman. They have been great to work with to me and I want to repay them by being the next world champion under their banner. It would mean a lot to have grinded with a group of individuals and then turn my achievement into a group achievement.”

CHESHIRE, CT — Imagine a destination where Mike Tyson, Riddick Bowe, Evander Holyfield, George Foreman, Lennox Lewis and the best up and comer boxers of this generation share a stage. Look no further with this week’s launch of Boxing TV, the place where boxing fans both young and old can get their fill of “The Sweet Science” 24 hours per day, seven days a week.

With a vast library of 1200 events from the most memorable bouts of all time, Boxing TV melds the past’s greats with today’s most promising stars. Remember when Lewis knocked out Tyson in 2002? How about when Foreman captured the heavyweight title after flooring Michael Moorer? Boxing TV has all of the best fights and will feature at least one live event each week featuring “Tomorrow’s Stars Today.”

A partnership among Triple-B Media, Main Events and Payne Boxing, Boxing TV’s goal is to become the free, go-to destination for everything boxing, including classic bouts, live events and news and information programming. At launch, Boxing TV will be available on Local Now, Distro TV, SPORTS.TV, SelectTV and on Triple-B’s Streamstak platform at www.watchboxing.tv.

“With the launch of Boxing TV, our hope is to feature the magic and amazing storylines of boxing, its athletes and amazing fans,” said Anthony Bailey, Managing Director for Triple-B Media. “Boxing has been a proven dedicated sport on television for decades and now we’re happy to provide it to fans on a free, ad supported basis.”

“I have known for years that the extensive archive of great fights that has been carefully built over the four decades that Main Events has been in boxing deserved an easily accessible home where old and new fans could view and appreciate its stunning depth and breadth without having to pay a fee,” said Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events. “Being a boxing fan already costs too much money. I am happy to announce today that I have finally found that home. In addition, as Boxing TV grows in the years ahead, Main Events looks forward to working with Triple-B and Gardner to create many more memorable events as we build another generation of promising young stars on the Boxing TV platform.”

“We are very excited to partner with Triple-B Media and Main Events to bring around the clock boxing to sports fans all over the world,” said Gardner Payne, President of Payne Boxing. “Fans will now be able to watch some of the greatest boxers and boxing matches of all time as well as see live fights showcasing the next generation of superstars in our sport.”

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About Payne Boxing
Payne Boxing (www.payneboxing.com) is a holistic boxing management firm located in Charlotte, NC with its training facility in Fort Lauderdale, Florida under the watchful eye of lead trainer and boxing coach, Luis “Chiro” Perez. Payne Boxing manages some of the top boxers in the world including Argentina Olympian and WBA #11 ranked Welterweight, Alberto Palmetta, WBA #12 ranked Super Flyweight, Michell Banquez, and WBC Latin Feather Title Holder, Frency Fortunato. South American based television network, TyC Sports, showcased Payne Boxing and its fighters in the Payne Boxing Series over the last two years.

About Main Events Boxing
Internationally recognized as one of the top boxing promotional firms in the world, Main Events has promoted the careers of boxing legends Evander Holyfield, Arturo Gatti, Lennox Lewis, Pernell Whitaker and many more. Founded in 1978 by Hall-of-Fame promoter Dan Duva, who passed away in 1996, Main Events is now helmed by his widow, Kathy Duva, who is scheduled to be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame this coming June.

About Triple-B Media
Triple-B Media is a full service television and digital media company, specializing in the operation of free, ad supported television networks. To date, Triple-B Media owns or operates seven television networks including For The Fans (FTF), Lacrosse Sports Network, Fido TV, ACL Cornhole TV, MotoAmerica TV, Billiard TV and Boxing TV. The Company also operates its own streaming platform called Streamstak at www.streamstak.com.

Los Angeles, CA (March 9, 2022) UFC FIGHT PASS and Tom Loeffler’s 360 Promotions have partnered for the exclusive broadcast of the Thursday, March 17 Hollywood Fight Nights event from the Quiet Cannon in the Montebello Country Club featuring former amateur Irish Standout Callum Walsh of Cork, Ireland. The UFC FIGHT PASS has a 10:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT start time and may be accessed here >> https://www.ufcfightpass.com/signup

Walsh, (1-0, 1 KO), of Cork, Ireland faces Gael Ibarra, (5-6, 4 KOs), of Sonora, Mexico in a scheduled six-round, junior middleweight clash. Signed to 360 Promotions, Walsh is trained by Freddie Roach at the famed Wild Card Boxing Gym.

Advance Tickets for March 17, starting at $150 (VIP Ringside), $100 (Preferred Seating) and $80 (Reserved Seating), online at Hollywood Fight Nights / Seating. The Quiet Cannon – Montebello Country Club is located at 901 via San Clemente, Montebello, CA 90640. Doors will open on the night of the event at 5:30 p.m. PT. For more information on the venue please visit www.QuietCannon.com.

About 360 Promotions:

During 2017, Tom Loeffler founded 360 Promotions to provide rising boxers additional opportunities to develop their talents. In 2018, 360 Promotions launched the Hollywood Fight Nights series at the Avalon Nightclub in Hollywood, CA. Hollywood Fight Nights is billed as the VIP boxing experience which provides a platform for rising boxers to develop their talents as future champions.

Loeffler holds the record for having promoted the most heavyweight world title fights this century while promoting all the championship fights of Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko for K2 Promotions, a company he founded with the brothers. Tom also brought the Spotlight to the Flyweight division launching the Superfly Series on HBO that highlighted stars including Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, Juan Francisco Estrada, Kazuto Ioka, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Carlos Cuadras. Tom is best known for his work with Gennadiy “GGG” Golovkin building him into an international superstar as the reigning middleweight world champion for the last 10 years. He strategically secured global sponsorship deals with Jordan Brand, Hublot, Tecate, Chivas, and Bijan. Tom has also worked with Hall of Fame fighters Shane Mosley, James Toney and Kevin Kelley as well as hosting the US debut of Naoya Inoue. 

Social Media

#HollywoodFightNights

#UFCFightPass

Twitter

@UFCFightPass

@360BoxingPromos

@TomLoeffler1

Facebook

@UFCFightPass

@360BoxingPromos

Instagram

@callum_walsh1 

@ufcfightpass

@360BoxingPromotions

@TomLoeffler1

@360BoxingPromotions

Website

www.360Promotions.us

Conor Benn will defend his WBA Continental Welterweight Title against South Africa’s Chris Van Heerden at the AO Arena in Manchester on Saturday April 16, live worldwide on DAZN (excluding New Zealand and Australia).

‘The Destroyer’ (20-0, 13 KOs) secured a stunning knockout win over former World Champion Chris Algieri last time out in December, taking out the American with a brutal right hand in the fourth round of their top of the bill clash at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool.

The 25-year-old contender from Essex holds top ten rankings with the WBA, WBO and IBF after notching three wins during a breakout 2021 – and the British star believes that 2022 will be an even bigger year for him as he works towards a World Title shot.

‘The Heat’ (28-2-1, 12 KOs), born in Johannesburg, South Africa, previously held the IBO Welterweight World Title from 2011 until 2013, beating Kaizer Mabuza, Sebastian Andres Lujan and Matthew Hatton during his Title reign.

Now residing in Santa Monica, California, USA the 34-year-old southpaw is eager to test himself against one of the fastest rising Welterweights in world boxing and should provide valuable rounds having only been stopped once by Errol Spence in 32 fights.

A huge undercard sees Bournemouth’s European Cruiserweight Champion Chris Billam-Smith (14-1, 10 KOs) rematch Belfast’s former champion Tommy McCarthy (18-3, 9 KOs) following their epic back and forth battle at the Matchroom HQ last summer.

‘The Gentleman’ withstood a late fightback from McCarthy as he edged out a narrow split points decision to add the British and European Cruiserweight Titles to his Commonwealth Title, before defending his EBU crown with a points win over Dylan Bregeon in Sheffield.

Manchester Super-Featherweight contender Zelfa Barrett (27-1, 16 KOs) looks to build on his impressive IBF World Title Eliminator win over Australia’s Bruno Tarimo on the Parker vs. Chisora 2 undercard when he challenges European Champion Faroukh Kourbanov (19-3, 3 KOs) – a former opponent of Joe Cordina.

Hard hitting Cruiserweight talent Jordan Thompson (12-0, 10 KOs) has scored two big first round knockouts since putting pen to paper on a promotional deal with Eddie Hearn last June, and the 28-year-old from Manchester will be out to impress his home fans again as he works towards his first Title shot in 2022.

Hyde Lightweight prospect Campbell Hatton (6-0, 2 KOs) quickly returns to action after earning the best win of his career over Joe Ducker last month, Little Lever’s Jack Cullen (20-3-1, 9 KOs) aims to bounce back from his stoppage loss to Kevin Lele Sadjo in December and Alnwick Welterweight Cyrus Pattinson (3-0, 1 KO) hopes to make it two wins from two fights in 2022.

“I’m excited to step into the ring with Chris Van Heerden,” said Benn. “Van Heerden is a tough operator and a southpaw who will be in there giving it his all in every round. For me and my team it’s now about fighting every style that we can face as we continue to head towards World Championship status and Van Heerden brings something different to the table than I’ve not faced before.

“With that being said this is another stepping stone for me on my journey to the top, I haven’t seen anything in Van Heerden’s previous fights that I can’t deal with, and I expect another explosive victory on April 16. If he comes to fight or he wants to box, I can deliver that smoke either way! The AO Arena has to be one of the most exciting venues to fight in. I love Manchester. I get shown a lot of love and support up in Manchester – it’s a fighting city. I bring the entertainment every time I fight and I can’t wait for April 16.”

“Sometimes it takes 10 years for that one year to come around that completely changes your life,” said Van Heerden. “This is my year. I want to thank Conor Benn for taking the fight, knowing that I’m coming to beat him in his backyard. I also want to thank Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing for taking this risk and my manager Peter Kahn for getting this fight done. I am looking forward to putting on a show in Manchester on DAZN.”

“Conor Benn is fast becoming one of the biggest stars in British Boxing and he faces by far the toughest test of his career to date when he takes on Chris Van Heerden in Manchester on April 16,” said Matchroom Sport Chairman Eddie Hearn. “Van Heerden has mixed at the very highest level and faced fearsome Welterweight ‘Boots’ Ennis last time out before the fight was ruled a no contest due to a clash of heads – he always comes to fight, and I expect a gruelling battle for Conor. We are building an action-packed card and already announce the rematch of one of the Fight of the Year contender between Chris Billam-Smith and Tommy McCarthy and local star Zelfa Barrett challenges for the European Title. I expect another blistering statement from Conor Benn live worldwide on DAZN.”

“We are excited to welcome back one of the brightest prospects in boxing, Conor Benn, to the platform when he takes on former IBO Welterweight Champion Chris Van Heerden on April 16,” said Ed Breeze, EVP Rights at DAZN. “This is another huge test for Conor as he continues his quest to capture a World Title in 2022. We pride ourselves in having the best schedule in boxing, and with the announce of this matchup in April and early May you will see Canelo Alvarez, Ryan Garcia, GGG, Taylor vs. Serrano and Conor all fighting live on DAZN.”

Tickets are priced £40, £60, £100, £150 and £300 (VIP).

FightPass tickets will be available to purchase for Matchroom Boxing FightPass members from midday on Thursday March 10 via StubHub (www.stubhub.co.uk) and Matchroom Boxing (www.matchroomboxing.com)

General Sale tickets will be available to purchase from midday on Friday March 11 via StubHub (www.stubhub.co.uk) and the AO Arena (www.ao-arena.com).

LOS ANGELES – BELLATOR MMA has announced its return to the Hawaiian island of Oahu, where Honolulu’s Neal S. Blaisdell Arena will play home to an extremely stacked duo of events on back-to-back nights Friday, April 22 and Saturday, April 23.

Friday night’s BELLATOR 278 will be a special event free for current military, veterans, and first responders. Matchups and additional details for the event will be announced shortly.

Saturday night’s BELLATOR 279 will feature the launch of the highly anticipated one-million-dollar BELLATOR Bantamweight World Grand Prix. The headliner will see current bantamweight world champion Sergio Pettis (22-5) take on No. 3-ranked Raufeon Stots (17-1), while the co-main event features a rematch between the greatest female mixed martial artist of all time, Cris Cyborg (25-2, 1 NC) and Australia’s No. 1-ranked Arlene Blencowe (15-8), who will look to claim gold in her third attempt at a world title.

Saturday’s BELLATOR 279: Pettis vs. Stots / Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2 will air live on SHOWTIME at 4:30 p.m. HST local time, 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT. The preliminary fights will stream live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at 2 p.m. HST local time, 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Tickets for Saturday night’s BELLATOR 279: Pettis vs. Stots / Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2 go on sale this Friday, March 11 and can be purchased through Bellator.com, as well as Ticketmaster.com or the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena Box Office. A special presale will take place on Thursday, March 10.

Also scheduled for a return to action, Honolulu’s own former Women’s Flyweight World Champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (11-1) will return home to compete against Justine Kish (7-5) as the No. 1 ranked women’s flyweight looks to start her journey back to a world title in the same arena two of the most memorable BELLATOR main events in recent memory took place. Opening the four-fight main card is another BELLATOR Bantamweight World Grand Prix quarterfinal matchup between No. 2-ranked bantamweight Patchy Mix (15-1) and former BELLATOR and Rizin Bantamweight World Champion Kyoji Horiguchi (29-4).

Current BELLATOR Bantamweight World Champion Sergio “The Phenom” Pettis sits at No. 7 on the promotion’s pound-for-pound list. He successfully defended his belt for the first time against former BELLATOR 135-pound titleholder Kyoji Horiguchi with a “knockout of the year” style finish at BELLATOR 272 in December. The hard-hitting Midwesterner out of Milwaukee originally captured the crown by outpointing former champion Juan Archuleta. The younger brother of former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis will be in for one of the toughest fights of his career when he takes on Raufeon Stots. Stots, who used to train alongside Pettis for several years, has been flawless since making his promotion debut in December 2019. He most recently scored a dominant unanimous decision victory over Magomed Magomedov at BELLATOR 264.

Featherweight world champion and top-ranked women’s pound-for-pound fighter Cris “Cyborg” has made three straight title defenses including a second-round submission of Arlene Blencowe in 2020, which surprisingly is the lone submission victory of her storied career. The Brazilian native who currently fights out of Las Vegas, Nev. is a “Grand Slam Champion” having won belts in four different organizations. She sports 20 wins by finish with victories over elite competition including Holly Holm, Leslie Smith (twice), Gina Carano and aims to further her legacy as the greatest women’s mixed martial artist of all time in the rematch versus Blencowe. Australia’s Blencowe is BELLATOR’s No. 6 pound-for-pound female fighter and the No. 1 ranked featherweight. She has won five of her last six fights and earned her shot at the world title rematch with a unanimous decision over Pam Sorenson at BELLATOR 271 in November.

Currently BELLATOR’s No. 2 ranked bantamweight, Patchy Mix recently defeated James Gallagher via submission in his last outing at BELLATOR 270 in Dublin. Mix has made a name for himself in the BELLATOR cage by displaying impressive submissions and his lone professional loss came to former champion Juan Archuleta. He now faces Horiguchi, another former world champion who hails from Takasaki, Japan. The American Top Team prodigy Horiguchi became a simultaneous, two-promotion champion in 2019 after he upset then-BELLATOR champion Darrion Caldwell while also holding the RIZIN Championship. After he was forced to relinquish his BELLATOR title due to an injury, Horiguchi nearly got his hands back on BELLATOR’s title but was stopped by current champion Sergio Pettis in December. The No. 5 ranked bantamweight now aims to get back in the winning column and recapture his belt, along with the million-dollar prize that awaits the winner of the BELLATOR Bantamweight World Grand Prix.           

BELLATOR MMA 279: Pettis vs. Stots / Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2 Main Card:

Saturday, April 23 – live on SHOWTIME

10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT/4:30 p.m. HST (local)

Bantamweight?World Title Bout: C-Sergio Pettis?(22-5) vs. #3-Raufeon Stots (17-1)

Featherweight?World Title Bout: C-Cris “Cyborg”?(25-2, 1 NC) vs. #1-Arlene Blencowe (15-8)

Flyweight Bout: #1-Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (11-1) vs. Justine Kish (7-5)

Bantamweight?World Grand Prix Bout: #2-Patchy Mix (15-1) vs. #5-Kyoji Horiguchi (29-4)

*Card subject to change.

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

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Updated schedule of BELLATOR MMA events

Sat. March 12 // BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell // The Family Arena // St. Louis

Fri. Apr. 15 // BELLATOR 277: McKee vs. Pitbull 2/Nemkov vs. Anderson // SAP Center // San Jose, Calif.

Fri. April 22 // BELLATOR MMA 278 // Neal S. Blaisdell Arena // Honolulu

Sat. April 23 // BELLATOR MMA 279: Pettis vs. Stots / Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2 // Neal S. Blaisdell Arena // Honolulu

Fri. May 6 // BELLATOR MMA 280: Bader vs. Kongo 2 // Accor Arena // Paris

Fri. May 13 // BELLATOR MMA 281: Amosov vs. MVP // The OVO Arena Wembley // London

About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR 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 Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant Paramount, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About SHOWTIME

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Paramount, owns and operates the premium service SHOWTIME^®, which features critically acclaimed original series, provocative documentaries, box-office hit films, comedy and music specials and hard-hitting sports. SHOWTIME is available as a stand-alone streaming service across all major streaming devices and Showtime.com, as well as via cable, DBS, telco and streaming video providers. SNI also operates the premium services THE MOVIE CHANNEL^™ and FLIX^®, as well as on demand versions of all three brands. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV^®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.

Rolling on the exciting momentum of two sold-out events there in the past two months, Salita Promotions will return to the Lincoln Ballroom of the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center in Dearborn, MI, on Saturday April 2, 2022, for another fantastic Detroit Brawl event.

In the main event this time will be the return of one of Detroit’s own, as undefeated power-punching lightweight contender Erick De Leon (19-0-1, 11 KOs) will return after nearly three years’ absence from the sport due to injuries to face hard-nosed Mexico City veteran Juan Jose “Piquet” Martinez (28-11, 20 KOs).

In the main supporting bouts will be a pair of world-class contenders, as undefeated former amateur star Timur Kerefov (12-0, 6 KOs) and WBC #9, IBF #15, WBO #14 light heavyweight Ali Izmailov (7-0, 5 KOs) will both make appearances against separate opponents, while undefeated Grand Rapids, Michigan-based former amateur star Joshua “Double J” Pagan (1-0, 1 KO) will appear in four-round special attraction.

Kerefov will take on divisional gatekeeper Cleotis “Mookie” Pendarvis (21-9-2, 9 KOs) in an eight-round showdown. The murderous-punching Izmailov’s, as well as Pagan’s opponents are yet to be announced.

Tickets for “Detroit Brawl” start at $40 and can be purchased by clicking HERE or by calling or visit the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center Box Office (313.943.2354) at 15801 Michigan Ave. in Dearborn on the day of the event. PLEASE NOTE: Tickets ordered online will be placed in will call at the box office for pick-up. A limited quantity of VIP tickets is also available by calling Lina (313.529.7604).

Born in Mexico and raised in Detroit, DeLeon began boxing in the famed Kronk Gym where he developed a strong bond with the late Emanuel Steward. As an amateur, DeLeon (19-0-1, 11 KO) was a three-time national Golden Gloves champion in three different weight classes and a leading contender to make the 2012 USA Olympic Team before a shoulder injury derailed his dream. He elected to turn professional instead in 2012.

Over his past six fights, DeLeon has gone 5-0-1 against opponents with a combined 130-30 record. He followed up his 2018 draw with then 20-0 Andy Vences with two strong performances: a 10-round UD victory over Adrian Yung (25-4-2) and a seventh-round KO over Jose Luis Gallegos (16-5).

Out of action since 2019 because of a series of injuries before the pandemic brought a halt to the sport overall, De Leon says he’s excited to be back in business.

“It feels great being the main event, knowing all my fans will be there cheering me on. I’m excited to showcase my skills, that I’ve worked so hard since a young boy!” said a happy De Leon. “I’m very excited to be coming back, the time off will not stop me from getting a world title for the city of Detroit. I will win, because if my hunger and I want to dedicate this fight to my beautiful cousin Evelyn Garza, who just passed away 2 days ago!

Blessed with excellent hand and foot speed and the fast-twitch reflexes that only come from a lifetime in the sport, Kerefov was a highly decorated amateur boxer, winning several important tournaments and 298 of his 310 unpaid fights. Designated a Master of Sports, he fought at the elite level internationally for nearly a decade.

“I have been training in Florida and learning under the tutelage of Sugarhill Steward,” said Kerefov during a break in training. “I look forward to showcasing my skills and coming one step closer to a world title shot.”

Now working with highly regarded trainer and former champion John David Jackson, Ali Izmailov is a true blue-chip light heavyweight prospect. In his two-year pro boxing career, Izmailov is already world rated and has held the WBO Global Championship. The 28-year-old Izmailov is a former amateur standout, having competed in multiple elite international tournaments. Widely regarded as one of the hardest punchers in the division, Izmailov stands 5? 11½? with a muscular frame, strong punching power, deceptive quickness and a very sturdy defense, Izmailov is a punishing counter puncher with anvil fists who brutalizes opponents into submission.

“I love my activity, staying busy in the ring and learning with trainer John David Jackson,” said an energized Izmailov. “This will be my third fight in seven months. What I learn in the gym, I put to work in the ring. I made my USA debut in Detroit and look forward to backing it up with another impressive performance.”

A smooth boxer with a mean streak, 21-year-old Grand Rapids, Michigan-based 2021 USA National Amateur Welterweight Champion Pagan started boxing at age 13, had approximately 90 fights as an amateur, culminating in winning three State Golden Gloves Championships and the USA national Championships in Shreveport, Louisiana.

“Training is going good,” explained Pagan. “We are currently in Fort Lauderdale about to start a mini camp. We’re hoping to get some great sparring in preparation for our next bout, and we are prepared for the challenge, hard work and dedication it takes.”

Promoter Dmitriy Salita, who’s never made a secret of his mission to revive the sport in The Motor City, says he’s happy to be bringing another world-class show to Detroit for the fans who have gotten behind the series.

“I look forward to another exciting Detroit Brawl event that will feature local, national and international world class talent,” said Dmitriy Salita. “Detroit is America’s Greatest comeback City, and, in due time, I have confidence that this series will produce elite world champions from home and abroad. This will be an exciting show from bell to bell.”

All bouts are subject to change. The Ford Community & Performing Arts Center is located at 15801 Michigan Ave. in Dearborn. On fight night, doors open at 7:00 pm and the action starts at 8:00 pm.
ABOUT THE FORD COMMUNITY & PERFORMING ARTS CENTER:

The mission of the Dearborn Recreation & Parks Department is to help fulfill the social, educational and recreational needs of children, adults and families by providing quality programs and activities in clean and well-maintained facilities and to achieve this through exemplary customer service. For more information, visit their OFFICIAL SITE.

ABOUT SALITA PROMOTIONS:

Salita Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world-title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature boxing’s best young prospects and established contenders in North America and around the world. Viewers watching fighters on worldwide television networks including Showtime, HBO, ESPN, Spike TV, Universal Sports Network, UFC Fight Pass, DAZN, ESPN+ and MSG have enjoyed Salita Promotions fight action in recent years. We pride ourselves on offering our fighters opportunities inside and outside the ring. Salita Promotions looks forward to continuing to grow and serve the needs of fight fans around the globe.

Check the Salita Promotions YOUTUBE CHANNEL for regular updates of the modern world’s greatest fighters, contenders and prospects in action.

London, England – (March 9, 2022) – A key clash for the British cruiserweight division will headline the BOXXER Fight Night taking place Saturday, March 26 at OVO Wembley Arena as Richard ‘The Midnight Train’ Riakporhe (13-0, 9 KO’s) faces rising threat Deion Jumah (14-0, 7 KO’s).

Previously scheduled to face different opponents on the March 26 card, the London cruiserweight rivals are now on collision course following the withdrawal of Fabio Turchi and Mikael Lawal due to injuries sustained in training.

Two undefeated records are on the line in this huge clash of cruiserweights in the capital city. More importantly, Riakporhe is on track for world title contention in 2022 – a win here would be a career breakout for Jumah and open the door to big opportunities. 

“The Midnight Train is on a roll and I’m not letting anything stop me in my tracks. I’m pulling into Wembley Arena once again on March 26 and I’m coming with all the smoke. This one is going to be a treat for the fans,” said Riakporhe.

“I’d actually been watching Riakporhe online a couple of weeks ago. We have all the tools needed to pick Richard apart and stop him – and this is what’s happening on the 26th. I’ve seen loads of weaknesses in him and loads of flaws,” said Jumah.

“Fans will see why I’ve been the most avoided fighter on these shores for so long. They will see that some fighters just need their opportunity. They’ll see why I’ve been saying I’m the best cruiserweight in the country for so many years. This is my time now!”

BOXXER Founder and CEO Ben Shalom said, “Richard Riakporhe has shown great progress from fight to fight and he’s on track to secure a world title shot this year. With Turchi pulling out I think it says a lot about his character that he’s willing to take on an unbeaten domestic test like Deion Jumah. It’s a great fight for the fans and it’s a challenge Riakporhe must overcome to achieve his dreams and fulfil his potential.” 

Adam Smith, Head of Boxing Development at Sky Sports, said “Richard Riakporhe is really gathering momentum as he climbs the cruiserweight ladder and now his brilliant story takes a twist. With Fabio Turchi out, in steps the undefeated and dangerous British southpaw Deion Jumah for a really intriguing fight night live on Sky Sports on March 26th.” 

Also announced for the March 26 card today is British Light-Heavyweight Champion Dan Azeez (15-0, 10 KO’s), who will make his first defence of the belt he won by stopping former champion Hosea Burton in November.

Prior to the headline and chief support bouts, Olympic medallist and Team GB captain Frazer Clarke (1-0, 1 KO) takes the next step of his professional journey and looks to pick up his second win when he faces Spanish power-puncher Gabriel Enguema (10-12, 6 KO’s).

Clarke’s fellow Olympian Caroline Dubois (1-0) will join him at Wembley for her second professional contest, having successfully entered the pro ranks with an emphatic win in Cardiff last month.  Younger sister of Daniel Dubois, Caroline won numerous plaudits as a 37-3 amateur and has the potential to become one of the faces of the women’s sport worldwide.

Lightning-fast lightweight Adam Azim (3-0, 2 KO’s) – one of the top prospects in British boxing today – faces Conor Marsden, while his brother Hassan Azim (2-0, 1 KO) – equally highly regarded – has a four-round contest in the welterweight division. 

Former WBO Global Welterweight Champion Chris ‘2 Slick’ Kongo (12-1, 7 KO’s) aims to get back into world title contention this year and signed a multi-fight promotional deal with BOXXER earlier this year in pursuit of that aim.

Trained by renowned coach Ben Davison, who counts Undisputed World Super-Lightweight Champion Josh Taylor among his stable, Kongo will be kicking off his world title campaign on this card. 

Ben Davison will also be in the corner of London heavyweight Jeamie TKV as he makes his professional debut against Luke Batstone. TKV’s highly-decorated amateur career included tenure as the Southern Area Heavyweight Champion and English Heavyweight Champion plus a silver medal at the 2019 African Games.

Southampton’s Joe Pigford (18-0, 17 KO’s) – owner of some of the heaviest hands in British boxing – seeks to add yet another stoppage win to his unbelievable record when he faces Argentina’s Guido Pitto (27-9, 8 KO’s). Pigford presently has 94% of his victories by way of KO or TKO. 

The 18-year-old Team England amateur standout Jimmy Lee – winner of eight national titles and a European gold medal – makes his professional debut in a lightweight contest against Luke Merrifield after ending his amateur career with a 94% win ratio (47-3).

A key clash in the English welterweight division sees Louis Greene (13-2, 7 KO’s) face off with Harry Scarff (10-2, 3 KO’s).

Opening the card will be Anthony Joshua’s female prospect Shannon Ryan. Joshua signed the super-flyweight to his 258 MGMT agency recently and intends to guide her to world champion status in the coming years.

Tickets for this event are on sale now at BOXXER.com

London, England – (March 9, 2021) British Light-Heavyweight Champion ‘Super’ Dan Azeez (15-0, 10 KO’s) has signed an exclusive long-term promotional deal with BOXXER and will defend his title at OVO Wembley Arena on Saturday, March 26, live on Sky Sports.

The undefeated London man will be making his first defence of the belt he won in November with a career-best performance which resulted in a seventh-round stoppage of former champion Hosea Burton.

Having won the Southern Area title and English title in 2019, November’s win entered Azeez into the record books in November as the first British boxer in the light-heavyweight division to have won the trio of domestic titles.

Azeez boxed for Essex University while studying a Finance & Accounting degree and turned professional in 2017 after an exemplary amateur career in which he captured the Haringey Box Cup, Odivelas Box Cup and reached the National Finals of the South of England ABAs.

With 10 of his 15 wins by way of knockout, he has a growing reputation as a boxer who marries a cerebral boxing game with raw power and aggression, capable of boxing tactically or engaging in close-range firefights as required. 

“I’m delighted to be signing with BOXXER and fighting on Sky Sports. I believe I’ve earned my place to showcase my skills on this great platform. I’m looking forward to defending my British title on March 26 as I continue my journey to reach the pinnacle of the sport and become a world champion,” said Azeez.

BOXXER Founder and CEO Ben Shalom said “Dan Azeez has fought the hard way to the top of the pyramid through Southern Area, English and British titles. He is an inspiring personality with a great boxing style. We are delighted to secure his signing after his last outing against Hosea Burton, where he became one of the most talked about light heavyweights in the country.”

Adam Smith, Head of Boxing Development at Sky Sports, said, “We are delighted that Dan Azeez has signed for our flourishing promotional partners at Boxxer and will be joining the March 26 card at Wembley. Dan has a fabulous story and we are really excited about his ascent in the light-heavyweight division!”

BOXXER Fight Night takes place Saturday, March 26 at the OVO Arena Wembley in London and airs live and exclusively on Sky Sports. 

Tickets are on sale now via Boxxer.com

SANTA ANA, CA (March 8, 2022) – Orange County’s rising star, Alexis “Lex” Rocha (18-1, 12 KOs) hosted a media workout today ahead of his fight against Philadelphia’s Blair “The Flair” Cobbs (15-0-1, 10 KOs) on March 19. The 10-round welterweight fight will be featured as the co-main event to Vergil Ortiz, Jr. vs. Michael McKinson at the University of Southern California’s Galen Center in Downtown Los Angeles and will be streamed live, worldwide, on DAZN. Alexis took us on tour of Downtown Santa Ana and then travelled to his gym TKO Boxing Club for a workout where he was joined by his team, his brother world title contender Ronny Rios, and the mayor of the City of Santa Ana, Vicente Sarmiento.

Below is what the fighter had to say about his upcoming fight:

“I am excited for the challenge to face Blair Cobbs. He is an undefeated fighter, I take nothing away from him because he shows a lot of heart in the ring. I have seen him hit the deck, get back up, and win his fight. He’s a good fighter, but I am very motivated to go out there and shine.

“I am not intimated by undefeated record. I put no pressure on myself about that, because last time I put pressure on myself I lost. Since that loss, that 0 went away, and I feel like the pressure got off of me. You put so much pressure on yourself to stay undefeated and really all that pressure can be defeating, mentally.

“He has a unique style; he likes to mix it up. But I feel like I know his weaknesses and his strengths and come fight night, I am ready for whatever.

“I give every training camp 110%. My confidence is through the roof, my training has been incredible, my worth ethic is incredible, the commitment from my team is incredible. And the mind set I carry is one where I know what I want, and I know how to get it. I have dreams, I have desires that I want to go get and I am very motivated.

Tickets for the event are on sale now and are priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25 not including applicable service charges. Tickets will be available for purchase at www.galencenter.org or www.goldenboypromotions.com. Please note that LADPH guidelines and other protocols relating to admission requirements will be in place for this event, which include that all guests aged 2 and older will have to provide proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result within 24 hours for an antigen test or 48 hours for a PCR test.

Ortiz Jr. vs. McKinson is a 12-round fight for the WBO International Welterweight Title presented by Golden Boy in association with Matchroom Boxing. The event is sponsored by Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and “BetOnline – Your Online Sportsbook Experts.” The fight will take place on Saturday, March 19 at Galen Center in Los Angeles, and will be streamed live worldwide on DAZN.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #OrtizMcKinson

Philadelphia (March 8, 2022)–A full eight-bout lineup is set for a big night of action that will take place This Saturday night as Hard Hitting Promotions presents a night of championship boxing at Live! Event Center at Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia.

In the mouth watering main event, undefeated Christian Tapia (13-0, 12 KOs) of Coamo, Puerto Rico takes on Luis Lebron (18-2-1, 11 KOs) of San Juan, Puerto Rico in a 10-round showdown for the WBC Super Featherweight Title.

Tapia of Coamo, Puerto Rico, has an impressive record of 13-0 with 12 knockouts. The 27 year-old is a five year veteran who has stopped his last eight adversaries. On July 31, 2021, Tapia won the NABA Super Featherweight title with a 2nd round demolition over former world-ranked contender Mason Menard (36-5). In his last bout, Tapia took out previously undefeated and highly regarded Iron Alvarez (14-0) in the 10th and final round on December 4, 2021 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In that fight, Tapia dominated the previously undefeated Alvarez, as he was up on all cards with Alvarez barely winning a round, before Tapia ended the fight in the 10th.

Lebron of San Juan, Puerto Rico is 18-2-1 with 11 knockouts. The 28 year-old Lebron is a nine-year veteran has wins over Glenford Nickey (2-0-1), Pedro Marquez Medina (1-0), Joshua Santos (2-0-1), Manuel Botis (23-0-1), Alan Guzman (19-3), Luis Ruiz (9-1) and his last bout when he stopped Frank Diaz (9-0) in the 7th round to win the WBA Fedecento Super Featherweight title on November 20, 2021 in Miami, Florida.

In the eight-round welterweight co-feature, Brandon Pizarro of Philadelphia takes on Vitor Jones Freitas.

Still just 22 years-old, Pizarro has a record of 16-1-1 with nine knockouts. Pizarro turned pro at age 17 and won his first eight-bouts and is unbeaten in his last nine and is coming off a first-round stoppage over DeWayne Wisdom on February 12, 2021 in Orlando, Florida.

Freitas of Salvador, Brazil, has a record 16-6 with 10 knockouts. The 28 year-old Freitas is a 10 year-professional, is the nephew of former two-division and four-time world champion, Acelino “Popo” Freitas. Vitor won his first 13 bout, and is coming off a loss to undefeated Nestor Bravo on December 4th in Atlantic City.

In six-round bouts:

Dezmond Lucas (5-0, 2 KOs) of Bronx, NY takes on Ryan Pino (10-7-2, 5 KOs) of San Juan, Puerto Rico in a welterweight fight.

Jan Carlos Rivera (4-1, 4 KOs) of Philadelphia fights Michael Ogundo (16-13, 13 KOs) of Quincy, Massachusetts in a super lightweight contest.

In four-round bouts:

Jeffrey Villanueva of Allentown, PA makes his pro debut against Juan Gutierrez of Emallie, Nicaragua in a super flyweight bout.

Brandon O’Callaghan (2-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia squabbles with pro debuting Derrick Vann of Philadelphia in a middleweight fight.

Anthony Ramirez (0-1) of Philadelphia takes on Cesar Espinel Maldonado of Arecibo, Puerto Rico in a welterweight bout.

Demek Edmonds (4-0, 3 KOs) of Quincy, Massachusetts tangles with Rafael de Souza (0-1) of Salvador, Brazil in a cruiserweight battle.

Tickets are on sale for $150, $100, $75 and $60 and can be purchased at
https://www.axs.com/events/426183/hard-hitting-boxing-tickets?fbclid=IwAR1nYuwIbH0v0Wi4e_WUelHqjbRmK1FZ-nDJdcbRWCQNqji4_jp2F68FD6c&q=Boxing

The show will be streamed on Facebook Pay-Per-View on the Hard Hitting Promotions Page

PLANT CITY, Florida (March 8, 2022): Following a stacked event in front of a sold-out crowd in February, ProBox Promotions looks to continue its momentum as Mohamed “The Problem” Mimoune (22-4, 3 KOs) battles super lightweight Cesar “Rainman” Francis (9-0, 6 KOs) in a ten-round headline attraction on Friday, March 25.

The card unfolds at the ProBox Events Center in Plant City, Florida. Some of the best ascending talent in the game today will be in the spotlight. Details on which ProBox prospects are gloving up that night, as well as streaming information, will be announced shortly.

Tickets for Mimoune vs. Francis are on sale now, priced at $75, $100, $125, $150, $200 and $250, excluding applicable services charges. Tickets are available for purchase at TicketLeap.com or by clicking here.

Mimoune is a crafty southpaw who fights under the Roy Jones Jr. Promotions banner. His last time out, in February 2020, Mimoune fought for the WBC International super lightweight crown, one of various regional titles the Frenchman fought for since starting his pro career in 2010. The 34-year-old understands he needs to shine in order to get a world title opportunity before time runs out.

“I am in a super-good mindset currently,” said Mimoune. “I’m focused on the fight and determined. I’m looking forward to being in the ring. The only information that I have on my foe is the fact that he’s undefeated so far. If you haven’t seen me, I’m a fighter who gives everything in the ring.”

“I’m looking for a great fight from Mimoune and Francis,” said Jones Jr. “Mohamed has been there for a minute. I’m happy to see him get another opportunity because he’s been robbed a few times. The opponent is a very good opponent. It’s a great fight between two guys. To me, it’s fifty-fifty!”

Francis, a Brooklyn resident from Panama, had a career-best win his last time out. In October 2021, “The Rainman” defeated unbeaten Jose Roman at Barclays Center. The 31-year-old Francis has remained undefeated since turning pro in 2017 and plans to remain so following this step-up faceoff.

“I was gratefully humbled by the opportunity to be in the main event,” said Francis. “You can place me in any slot on any show, and everyone will remember and enjoy my performance. I need challenges. Mimoune is a man with two hands that’s coming to fight, and that’s all I need to know.”

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Mimoune vs. Francis is a 10-round super lightweight fight presented by ProBox Promotions. The event takes place Friday, March 25 at the ProBox Events Center in Plant City, Florida. Streaming information will be announced shortly.

About ProBox Promotions
ProBox Promotions is a Florida-based company founded by entrepreneur Garry Jonas out of a desire to combine his love of boxing with business marketing to develop a revolutionary way to promote the sport. The company boasts an impressive stable of fighters that includes Erickson Lubin, Najee Lopez, Casey Dixon, Julio Solis, the Valle Brothers Marques and Dominic, and more.

London, England – 8 March 2022 – Top prospect Shannon Ryan will make her professional debut on Saturday 26th March on the BOXXER Fight Night at the OVO Arena Wembley, live and exclusive on Sky Sports.

Managed by former World Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua under his banner 258 Management, the Watford hot shot is well versed in combat sports with an extensive career starting in kickboxing when she was five years old, winning multiple international tournaments and culminating in two WAKO titles and recognised as the World’s best at her weight.  Ryan was then given a place on the Team GB Taekwondo squad.

Searching for a new challenge, Ryan then channelled her focus towards using her fists and found boxing where as an amateur she excelled in winning the 2019 Women’s Winter Box Cup and 2018 Alliance Boxing Champion while winning silver at the 2020 London Championships.

Now Ryan is set for professional ranks and the dream of becoming a World Champion.  She will be trained by Gevon Archilbald and will compete in the super-flyweight division.

Ryan said “I am excited to be working with a supportive team (258MGT) that will help me establish myself within the boxing industry, the goal is to inspire and motivate the next generation.”

Ben Shalom, BOXXER founder and CEO, said, “I’m looking forward to seeing Shannon’s pro debut on March 26 and she is another great female talent to watch out for.”

Freddie Cunningham, Managing Director at 258 MGT, said, “Shannon has been working really hard in the background and we are pleased to be able to get her this opportunity on Sky and we are confident she will grab it with both hands.”