ONTARIO, CA (February 21, 2022) – This past Friday at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, CA, Thompson Boxing Promotions kicked off 2022 with a bang, selling out their “New Blood” event with 1,427 fans in attendance.

In the 8-round main event, Ruben “Ace” Torres (18-0, 15 KOs) remained undefeated with a stellar performance, stopping Cristian Mino (20-5-2, 17 KOs), by way of a sixth-round knockout. With the victory, Torres captured the WBC USNBC title, his first regional belt of his career.

Torres was magnificent throughout the entire fight as he tamed the aggressive approach that Mino was bringing by using his height and reach advantage to perfection, keeping Mino at bay with his superior jab. Mino did his best to get inside but was running into hard shots as Torres’ timing was flawless. After dominating the first five rounds, Torres dropped Mino twice in round six, the first was with vicious uppercut to the head in the early part of the round. Torres then finished Mino off with a picture-perfect left hook to the body, ending the bout at the 1:37 mark of round six.

“I felt my performance against Mino was one of my best to date,” said Torres. “I was really relaxed in this fight and that’s a credit to all the hard work my team and I put in during training camp. Winning the WBC USNBC title will now get me one step closer to a world title fight. I’m hoping I’ll be ranked in the top 15 when the new WBC ratings come out.”

In the 8-round featherweight co-feature, Horacio Garcia (35-4-1, 25 KOs) defeated Isaac “Dinamita” Zarate (16-6-4, 2 KOs) with a majority decision victory. Garcia kept the pressure on Zarate from the opening bell and landed the harder shots throughout the fight. Zarate showed a lot of heart but was outworked by Garcia, who was walking through all his punches. Scorecards read 80-72, 79-72 and 76-76.

“I was in great shape going into this fight and it showed with my performance, as I felt I dominated this fight,” said Garcia. “Not sure why one judge had it even, but that is expected when fighting close to someone’s hometown. I’m hoping this victory will lead to a big fight in the future.”

In the fourth bout of the evening, welterweight Loui Lopez (10-1-1, 4 KOs) survived being dropped twice in round one, winning a majority decision against Cristian Dominguez (11-4, 6 KOs) of Las Vegas, Nevada. In the opening round, Dominguez sent Lopez to the canvas with left hook to the head. Lopez got up and got caught again with an overhand right to the temple at the end of the round. After that, Lopez outworked Dominguez for the rest of their scheduled six round bout, as he was in superior shape. Scorecards read 57-55 twice and 56-56.

“After I got caught twice in round one, I got my composure back and made the proper adjustments.” said the local fan favorite Lopez, who resides in nearby Corona, CA. “My will to win and being in outstanding shape carried me through this fight. I was also feeding of the energy of my hometown fans.”

In a scheduled 6-round featherweight bout, Japhethlee Llamido (11-0, 7 KOs) of Norwalk, Calif., cruised to a unanimous decision victory against Eric Barrios Santos (3-2, 3 KOs), of San Marcos Calif. Llamido used a lot of lateral movement from the southpaw stance to get into position to lands his punches. Santos showed a lot of toughness but was outboxed for most of the fight, which was the third bout on the card. Scorecards read 59-54 twice, 58-55 across the board

“My opponent was throwing a lot of wild punches, so I had to use my feet and counter his attack,” said Llamido. “I’m still learning, and I know with more experience I’ll be ready for all the top contenders in the featherweight division.”

In the second bout of the night, a battle of unbeaten super bantamweights commenced as Sean Brewer (2-0, 1 KO), of Las Vegas, NV, defeated Ivan Zarate of San Pedro, Calif (3-1, 1KO) by way of a first of a round knockout. After a few heated exchanges, Brewer hurt Zarate with a powerful straight right hand, then later landed a devastating right hook that put Zarate on the deck. Zarate was hurt bad, and the fight was stopped at the 2:50 mark of round one.

“It felt good to get my first knockout as a pro, especially against another undefeated fighter,” said Brewer. “I knew when I had him hurt the first time that it was a matter of time before I landed a big shot.”

Heavyweight Oscar Torrez (8-0, 4 KOs), of Rialto, Calif., won a unanimous decision against Daniel Najera (9-5-1, 4 KOs) of Monterey, Mexico, in the opening bout of the night. Although, Najera put of a valiant effort, he was dominated over four rounds. Scorecards read 40-36 across the board, all in favor of Torrez.

“I was trying to hard to get the knockout, and got out of my game a little bit,” said Torrez. “I was still able to dominate the fight and get some good rounds in. I have a long way to go, but I’m getting more experience, and that’s a good thing.”

This event was sponsored by Thompson Building Materials, transforming spaces in beautiful places; Omega Products International, the leading stucco manufacturer in the United States; Henry / Fortifiber, moisture system control as easy as 1,2,3, and Makita, rule the outdoors.

For more information, regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please visit ThompsonBoxing.com. Fans can also watch all Thompson Boxing fights, weigh-ins, and behind-the-scenes content, via their new Mobile App downloadable on Apple and Google. To follow the conversation on social media, please use #ThompsonBoxing.

Please check our Facebook Page, watch our YouTube channel on Thompson
Boxing TV, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @ThompsonBoxing.

DUBLIN – BELLATOR’s explosive return to the Irish capital for BELLATOR 275: Mousasi vs Vanderford, sees one of the most dominant middleweight fighters of all time and current world champion Gegard Mousasi (48-7, 2 NC)defend his crown against undefeated American Top Team standout Austin Vanderford (11-0). The co-main event sees Northern Ireland’s Leah McCourt (6-1) and Ireland’s most-recent title challenger Sinead Kavanagh (7-5) in what is set to be the biggest Irish female fight ever.

BELLATOR 275 will sport a five-fight main card, including two great featherweight features between Ciaran Clarke (4-0) and Abou Tounkara (7-2), as well as Khasan Magomedsharipov (6-0) versus Jose Sanchez (11-1), plus a bantamweight bout between home favorite Brian Moore (14-8), and No. 9 ranked Jornel Lugo (7-0) to kick things off.

The event will air live on SHOWTIME this Friday, Feb. 25, at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT, while the stacked eight-fight preliminary card airs live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT. Limited tickets for the event remain and are on sale now and can be purchased online from Ticketmaster.ie and Bellator.com.

Please find the updated card for BELLATOR 275: Mousasi vs Vanderford below:

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BELLATOR 275: MOUSASI VS. VANDERFORD MAIN CARD:

SHOWTIME (US) / BBC iPlayer (UK) / Virgin Media Two & Virgin Media Sport (IRELAND)

Friday, Feb. 25 – 9 p.m. GMT/4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT

Middleweight World Title Main Event: #C-Gegard Mousasi (48-7, 2 NC) vs. #1-Austin Vanderford (11-0)

Women’s Featherweight Bout: #5-Sinead Kavanagh (7-5)vs. #4–Leah McCourt (6-1)

Featherweight Bout: Ciaran Clarke (4-0) vs. Abou Tounkara (7-2)

Featherweight Bout: Khasan Magomedsharipov (6-0)vs. Jose Sanchez (11-1)

Bantamweight Bout: Brian Moore (14-8) vs. #9-Jornel Lugo (7-0)

BELLATOR 275: MOUSASI VS. VANDERFORD PRELIMINARY CARD:

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV (US)

BBC iPlayer (UK) | Virgin Media Two & Virgin Media Sport (IRELAND)

6 p.m. GMT/1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT

Bantamweight Bout: Brett Johns (17-3) vs. Khurshed Kakhorov (8-0)

Lightweight Bout: Charlie Leary (17-11-1) vs. Davy Gallon (19-7-2)

Strawweight Bout: Danni McCormack (5-0) vs. Stephanie Page (5-3)

Lightweight Bout: Darragh Kelly (Pro Debut) vs. Junior Morgan (3-0)

Lightweight Bout: Vladimir Tokov (7-1) vs. Daniele Scatizzi (11-5)

Heavyweight Bout: Gokhan Saricam (6-1) vs. Kirill Sidelnikov (13-6)

Featherweight Bout: Nathan Kelly (Pro Debut) vs. Scott Pedersen (1-2)

Featherweight Bout: Lee Hammond (1-0) vs. Jamie Hay (2-0)

*Card subject to change.

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

Apply for BELLATOR media credentials

RSVP for BELLATOR virtual media availabilities

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Updated schedule of BELLATOR events

Fri. Feb. 25 // BELLATOR 275: Mousasi vs. Vanderford // 3Arena // Dublin, Ireland

Fri. Mar. 12 // BELLATOR 276: Borics vs. Burnell // The Family Arena // St. Louis, Mo.

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

Fri. May 6 // BELLATOR PARIS: Bader vs. Kongo 2 // Accor Arena // Paris, FRA

Fri. May 13 // BELLATOR LONDON: 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 ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

Christopher Burgos (3-4-1, 1 KO), of North Philadelphia, will fight Carlos Marrero (2-6-3), of Bridgeport, CT, in a six-round Super Lightweight bout at Live! Casino and Hotel in South Philadelphia, on Thursday, February 24.

Here is a Q&A with Christopher Burgos for your consideration in previewing the bout.

What got you into boxing?

“As a kid, I just wanted to learn how to fight and I guess build my self-esteem up because I had low self-esteem as a kid. So then I got into boxing, and I got good at it. I did it for a while, but then I got sucked into a dumb life and gave it up. But years later, I came back and took it seriously.”

What do you enjoy the most about boxing/fighting?

“I enjoy how I have to prove to myself that I can actually do a lot more than what I think I can and push myself further than what I thought. I kind of had a lot of doubters in life and they looked at me like I wouldn’t go anywhere in life, and I actually got somewhere.”

Is there current or former fighters that you took pieces of their style from and implemented into your style?

“When I was teenager, I used to love watching Roy Jones. Jr. fight, and I wanted to get more into Roy Jones’s style. But as I got older, I kind of lost that speed, so I started developing a pressure style of fighting. For some reason when I am fighting, the more I actually come forward and battle with the guy, the easier the fight is, and the less you think about what’s happening and the more you stay in the zone with the fight. The more you box and run around, you might lose focus, and the fight gets boring too.”

Did you always want to be a boxer?

“I was more into military and law enforcement growing up, but my brother was always into wrestling and stuff. I’m not going to lie. It sounds kind of funny and cheesy since I’m from Philly, but I saw the Rocky movie every year on TV. Then after watching the movies so much, I said why not give it a try and what do you know, the Rocky movies lead me to being a Philly fighter.”

After your last fight, what is something that you have been working on that you want to showcase in the ring?

“So far I try to show determination and go against adversity. A lot of the time, most of the guys I have been thrown in against, a lot people said I wasn’t supposed to win. Because of my age or record, I did not have that great of an opportunity. So it’s more like going against adversity and the doubters. I have my son, and I have custody of him, and he is really young, but in a way, I want to show him that things are possible if you fight hard and really try to push through it. Everybody loved the last fight. They gave me ‘Fight of the Year’ for the Briscoe Awards, and the fight before that, I stole the ‘Fight of the Night’ even though I was not the main event. So pretty much since I put on action packed fights and people like it, I figure I’ll work harder on being more of an action packed fighter. Nowadays, what people want to see is a lot of punches being thrown, bleeding or getting hurt. So I don’t want to get hurt, but at the same time, I love the action. Everybody loves the action so I try to bring action packed fights.”

What are your hopes and dreams for your future in fighting?

“My only 3 goals in this sport have been hopefully to make enough money to buy a nice house with at least one fight, and not be fighting to pay it off. Second one would be to buy another house for my mom, if possible. And I would say the last one is like the first one and it would be to inspire my son to go for what he believes in and if he wants to push hard, he can make it happen.”

Who are your biggest supports outside the ring?

“I’m very thankful for the support because you know I kind of screwed up a lot in my life. So my mom never gave up on me, and she told me to keep trying for the best and one day you’ll find something. I appreciate everybody’s support. I was never used to getting a lot of support so in my mind, it’s just more about how I feel about myself or what I accomplish. I am really thankful for my girl and everyone that has been around. And the main one I appreciate is my coach. If it wasn’t for him, it wouldn’t have been possible. He helps me, he calls me, he checks up on me like we’re family. I’m really thankful for his support more than anybody because he is one of the guys that saw something in me when what others saw in me was another old guy trying to do something.”

What did it mean to receive the Briscoe Award for “Philly Fight of the Year” and were you expecting it?

“I wasn’t expecting it at all. I didn’t even think that was possible. I don’t see myself as a famous guy. I never tried to be famous. I just wanted to make a nice living. I was really excited and surprised when they gave it to me, and my family, my girlfriend and all my friends were happy for me. Then after I got it, I’m kind of nervous too. I can’t mess up, and I have to try really hard. I know there are a lot of fighters that are looking at me because of that award, and now I have to really step my game up to live up to that award.”

What does it mean to have your son in your life and how has it affected you?

“What it means to me is to show him hard work and dedication. What I’m hoping when he gets older when he finds something he likes or loves in life, he will work and put the effort in. When people tell him he can’t, he will still go for it and not let anyone tell him what to be in life and not be lost in this world and try to figure out what to do.”

Why did you choose to train where you do?

“My coach has been with me from my whole pro career and my last few amateur fights. I joined the gym when I was 24 and there was a coach there, and he wasn’t a real coach. He only had one amateur fight, and I heard he lost it because he was scared. I started to find things out about this guy, and the way he was training us was kind of crappy. Another coach came in who did boxing in the army, but he was more a physical trainer than a boxing trainer and he didn’t care too much about what happened. He just wanted to do it as a hobby and to entertain himself. He didn’t really care for the fighters so much. Time went by and then I came across Rickie Diaz and Miguel Perez. Those two saw something in me and they work with me even through all the bad habits I have and all the mistakes I was making. They saw if they gave me a command, I would follow it. And when it came to getting in shape, they knew I was running everyday so there was no need to keep track of me on exercise. If they told me to push forward, I would push forward. I really appreciate my two coaches because they saw I did not give up on them, and they never gave up on me. I would bust my back for them and they would do the same thing for me.”

What do you find the most rewarding or gratifying in boxing?

“To actually look in the mirror and look at yourself and know you put the effort in, and to feel like you did something instead of feeling like you wasted something with yourself.”

The live boxing event, which is produced in partnership between Joe Hand Promotions and Russel Peltz, will feature a six round heavyweight bout between Sonny Conto (8-0, 7 KOs) out of Philadelphia, PA going up against Mike Marshall (6-2-1, 4 KOs) fighting out of Danbury,

Super lightweights Christopher Burgos (3-4-1, 1 KO) of North Philadelphia, PA will battle Carlos Marrero (2-6-3) out of Bridgeport, CT in a six round bout.

Another bout on the card is a six round featherweight contest between Justice Bland (5-1, 2 KO’s) out of Brooklyn, NY going up against D’Angelo Fuentes (6-0, 4 KOs) fighting out of Coconut Creek, FL

Also on the card is a four round lightweight bout featuring Jordon Murphy (1-0, 1 KO) out of Deerfield Beach, FL going against Nasir Mickens (2-0, 1 KO) out of Philadelphia,

HAMZAH SHEERAZ BELIEVES he will benefit from the adversity of his last fight when he makes the step up to middleweight on March 19 at the OVO Arena, Wembley.

The 14-0 Hamzah found himself caught in the eye of a storm back in December at the Copper Box when he was deducted a point for hitting Bradley Skeete when he was down in a passage of the fight that altered the momentum and resulted in the former British welterweight champion ultimately being stopped in the ninth round.

By his own admission, the 22-year-old from Ilford admits he was off his game on the night but has been heartened by a chat with veteran trainer Joe Goosen on his return to the Californian sunshine to begin preparing for his Wembley date at middleweight against Jez Smith.

“Looking back on it now, straight away I know it was not a good performance,” conceded Hamzah in conversation with Dev Sahni on the Unibet Lowdown. “I was chatting to Joe Goosen about it when I came back here about two weeks ago and he asked me what I learned from it.

“I told him what I did and he said a fight like that will do me the world of good and it was the equivalent of about 10 easy knockout fights. He said with what I learned I will be a different man in my next fight.

“It wasn’t my greatest performance, everyone knows that, but I got the win and I’m moving forward now.”

Another learning experience for the still young professional was the storm of criticism that headed his way following his illegal manoeuvre against Skeete. Hamzah did formally offer a rematch to his vanquished opponent, but acceptance was not forthcoming and he now proceeds with his plan to operate in the next division up.

“At the start it was like everyone was mad angry! I think what helped me – not that I needed help because I am pretty thick skinned – was that I know everyone has got an opinion and everyone is entitled to an opinion.

“That helped me to understand where it was coming from. It is part of boxing and I am glad it has happened early in my career rather than later on because, from this adversity, I can learn and become a better fighter and a better person.

“All I know is that it [a rematch] was declined. I said that I would make 154lbs one more time if he accepted the rematch because it was only fair. It was always my intention to move up and here we are now.”

Tickets for an incredible night of Championship boxing at the OVO Arena are on sale now available at AXS.com.

European welterweight champ David Avanesyan tops the night of multiple championship clashes on March 19 at the OVO Arena, Wembley against the unbeaten Finn Oskari Metz, 15-0, in what will be a fifth defence of his EBU belt.

Thrilling bantamweight star Dennis McCann is entering into title business for the first time. ‘The Menace’ (11-0, 6 KOs) will fight for the WBO Youth world title over eight rounds against Charles Tondo (12-4-2, 5 KOs), a southpaw from Tanzania.

The two leading young lightweights in Britain are also in action at Wembley, with Sam Noakes (8-0, 8 KOs) making a first defence of his WBC International Silver title against the Italian Vincenzo Finiello (15-4-2, 1 KO). While Mark Chamberlain (9-0, 6 KOs) takes on a 10-rounder for the first time.

Further title action comes with relentless featherweight star Louie Lynn (10-0, 7 KOs) defending his WBC International Silver belt for a second time against James Beech jr (14-2, 2 KOs) from Bloxwich.

Completing the card, gifted super lightweight prospect Henry Turner (6-0) will have a fourth six-rounder, explosive super feather Masood Abdullah (3-0, 3 KOs) goes in with Engel Gomez (8-4, 4 KOs) over six rounds and super lightweight Sonny Liston Ali (2-0) fights Birmingham’s Sean Davis (14-18), also in a six-rounder.

In four-round action, Khalid Ali (1-0, 1 KO) will look to double his win tally against Kris Pilkington (2-10-1).

Tickets for an incredible night of Championship boxing at the OVO Arena are on sale now available at AXS.com.

WHAT: Roy Jones, Jr. Boxing Promotions (RJJ Boxing) streaming live on UFC FIGHT PASS

WHO: The Lineup?

thumbnail_IMG_3224.jpg
MAIN EVENT – WCBS 4-MAN LIGHTWEIGHT TOURNAMENT – SEMIFINALS (8)

Luis “Koreano” Torres (14-0, 9 KOs), Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico

vs.

Rodolfo “Rudy” Flores (14-5, 6 KOs), Los Mochis, Nuevo Leon, México

CO-FEATURE – VACANT WBC USNBC SILVER WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (10)

Quinton Randall (8-0, 2 KOs), Houston, Texas, USA

vs.

Ivan “Zurdo” Alvarez (31-13-1, 21 KOs), Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, México

WCBS 4-MAN LIGHTWEIGHT TOURNAMENT – SEMIFINALS (8)

Isai “Gaga” Hernandez (11-2-1, 7 KOs), La Paz, Baja California, México

vs.

Irving “Poderoso” Castillo (9-2, 6 KOs), Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, México

LIGHTWEIGHTS (8)

Fradimil Macayo (15-1, 13 KOs), Carúpano, Venezuela

vs.

Armando Ramirez Almanza (5-0-1, 2 KOs), Celaya, Guanajuato, México

LIGHTWEIGHTS (6)

Jorge “Jorgito” Lugo Cota (6-0, 4 KOs), Los Mochis, Sinaloa, México

vs.

Rene “Kampana” de Leon Mazariegos (7-3, 4 KOs), Celaya, Guanajuato, México

(card subject to change)

WHERE: Palenque de la Expo in Obregon Sonora, Mexico

WHEN: Thursday, February 24, 2022

PROMOTERS: RJJ Boxing Promotions, De La O Promotions and World Cup Boxing Series

LIVE STREAM: Streaming live on UFC FIGHT PASS®, the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports, boxing starts at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT

To sign up for UFC FIGHT PASS, please visit www.ufcfightpass.com

BROADCASTERS: James “Smitty” Smith (blow-by-blow) and Amber Dixon (color commentator)

RING ANNOUNCER: Michael Vale

INFORMATION:

Websites: http://www.RoyJonesJrBoxing.com, www.ufcfightpass.com

Facebook: /UFCFightPass, /WorldCupBoxingSeries

Twitter: @UFCFightPass, @RoyjonesJRfa @RoyJonesJrOfficial

Instagram: @UFCFightPass, @WorldCup_Boxing_Series, @RoyJonesJrBoxing

ABOUT ROY JONES JR, BOXING PROMOTIONS: Co-founded in 2013 by 10-time world champion Roy Jones, Jr. and Keith Veltre, Roy Jones, Jr. (RJJ) Boxing Promotions is on its way to reinventing boxing. RJJ has already made a huge impact in the boxing community in a few short years. Creating exhilarating content for UFC Fight Pass, CBS Sports, Showtime, ESPN and beIN Sports in some of the finest venues across the country, RJJ has proven it is conquering the sweet science of the sport.

ABOUT UFC FIGHT PASS®: UFC FIGHT PASS® is the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports. Since launching in 2013, UFC FIGHT PASS is now available in more than 200 countries and territories. UFC FIGHT PASS provides its members with unlimited access to live UFC FIGHT PASS Prelims; live mixed martial arts and combat sports from around the world; original series and historical programming; special features; behind-the-scenes content; in-depth interviews; and up-to-the minute reports on the world of combat sports. UFC FIGHT PASS subscribers also have 24/7 access to the world’s largest fight library, featuring more than 20,000 bouts from dozens of combat sports organizations, as well as every fight in UFC history. Fight fans can access UFC FIGHT PASS on personal computers, iOS and Android mobile devices, Apple TV, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, Samsung Smart TVs, LG Smart TVs, and Sony TVs with Android TV. For more information, please visit www.ufcfightpass.com.

QUINCY, Mass. (February 21, 2022) – Granite Chin Promotions has announced it has signed New England amateur standout Dave Ribeiro, who hails from boxing rich Brockton (MA) to an exclusive 3-year promotional contract.

A solid all-around boxer and ferocious body puncher, 25-year-old Ribeiro is a throwback fighter, who works as a social worker in Brockton through the Old Colony YMCA.

A decorated amateur boxer, Ribeiro captured top honors at the Mike Tyson Tournament in New York, 2019 King of the Ring Tournament in Massachusetts, Regional Junior Olympics, and the 2020 New England Golden Gloves. He finished second in the New England Championships (Youth Division), in addition to being a Rocky Marciano Tournament finalist, competed in the National Golden Gloves Tournament, and 2019 USA Olympic Trials.

Ribeiro, who has a dual citizenship, also finished runner-up in the Cape Verde Olympic Trials.

“I thought about leaving the amateurs before, but I shot for the stars with my Olympic dream,” he explained. “But I fell short. The timing was right now to go pro instead of getting more wins as an amateur. I believe I’m part of the Brockton boxing tradition (includes Hall of Famers Rocky Marciano and Marvelous Marvin Hagler). I was born and still live here in Brockton. When I started to box, my first coach was Goody Petronelli (Hagler’s co-trainer) at Petronelli’s Boxing Gym (in Brockton). Continuing that tradition is very important to me.

“I heard about Granite Chin from other boxers like Edet Mkpanam, and Mike Ohan, who I’ve sparred,” welterweight Ribeiro spoke about signing with Granite Chin. “I believe Chris (Traietti) is one of the top promoters in New England. Me turning pro is great. We have great things ahead. He understands what I’ll be going through because he’s a fighter who has been through it. We’re targeting May on the South Shore for my pro debut.”

“When I was first contacted by Carlos Alvarado (Ribeiro’s advisor) to meet David, it was a no brainer for me to get down to Fall River and have a meeting,” promoter Traietti commented. “Everyone in New England whose opinion I value had nothing but great things to say about him as a person and a fighter. After talking to him, I saw he’s a humble, well-spoken guy who wants an opportunity to prove himself in the pro ranks. Over the next couple of years, we are going to move him in a controlled but continuous pace. He isn’t going to rot away his youth on small shows. He has a rich amateur background, so before long, I am going to get him on a massive stage. I have no doubt!”

Ribeiro is a boxer-puncher like his favorite contemporary fighter, Terence Crawford. “My all-time favorite fighter is Andre Ward, but he’s retired,” Dave added. “Like Crawford, I start as a boxer and box well, but I also bring power, and eventually I’ll knockout my opponent.”

Ribeiro has benefited from his friendships with world super middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade and Toka Kahn-Clary. “They motivate me, and I’ve sparred with them,” Ribeiro noted. “I come from the same background as Demetrius.”

It’s unusual for an amateur boxer to effectively display a body attack like Ribeiro, who trains out of Bishops Training and Fitness in West Bridgewater, Massachusetts.

“My coach, Joshua Lemar, has really developed my body punching,” Ribeiro concluded. “He has helped me develop a lot of my skills. He’s brought the best out of me. I would like to give all credit to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Ribeiro joins Granite Chin’s stable that includes Mass. middleweights Anthony Andreozzi, Julien Baptise, Mass. super welterweights Denzel Whitley and Carlo Castillo, Mass. light heavyweight Laurent Humes, Edet Mkpanam, Leondro Silva and Steven Sumpter, Mass. super featherweight Ryan Kielczweski, Mass. welterweight Mike Ohan, Jr. (New England champion), Mass. heavyweight Quinton Sumpter, New York light heavyweight Scott Lampert, New Jersey super lightweight Tyrone Luckey, Conn. heavyweight Mike Marshall (New England champion), Maine heavyweight Justin Rolfe (former New England champion), Texas middleweight Larry Smith, Georgia middleweight Antonio Todd, and Florida middleweight Manny Woods.

Brockton’s rich boxing is in good shape with prospect Dave Ribeiro.

INFORMATION:

Facebook.com/GraniteChin, /DavidJRibeiro

Twitter: @Granite_Chin

Instagram: @DavidJRibeiro

Euri Cedeño Martínez decidió seguir los pasos de su hermano mayor Hendri y convertirse en profesional. Hendri Cedeño Martínez acumuló un récord de 4-0 en su primer año como boxeador profesional. Si bien ambos hermanos querían convertirse en profesionales juntos, Euri se había clasificado para los Juegos Olímpicos de Tokio y tuvo que suspender su carrera profesional. En los Juegos Olímpicos de Tokio, Cedeño Martínez alcanzó los cuartos de final luego de un nocaut en 67 segundos contra Eldric Sella de Venezuela en la primera ronda del torneo. En la segunda ronda superó por puntos a Francisco Daniel Veron de Argentina, antes de perder por decisión dividida en una pelea muy competitiva contra el gran favorito Oleksandr Khyzhniak de Ucrania.

Euri Cedeño Martínez comenzó a boxear a los 5 años inspirado por su padre, quien era entrenador de boxeo en la República Dominicana. A lo largo de su carrera amateur, acumuló numerosos títulos nacionales y representó a su nación en todos los torneos internacionales importantes. Su logro más reciente fue ganar el Torneo Internacional Copa Independiente donde detuvo a todos sus oponentes en su camino hacia la medalla de oro.

“Ganar la Copa Independiente fue una buena manera de terminar mi carrera amateur. Estoy muy emocionado de comenzar mi viaje en las filas profesionales”, dijo Cedeño Martínez.

El jugador de 22 años da el siguiente paso hacia ese objetivo después de firmar con el asesor Trifon Petrov. Para Cedeño Martínez, la decisión se redujo a confiar en las habilidades de Petrov para hacer tratos y en su carácter.

“Trifon Petrov ha estado en el juego y tiene un establo muy sólido de luchadores jóvenes. Estoy muy emocionado de ser parte de su equipo. Es una persona muy genuina y vi cualidades en él que no vi en otros manejadores que querían ficharme, fue una decisión fácil confiarle mi carrera”, dijo Euri Cedeño Martínez.

Para Petrov, fue una combinación de sus habilidades boxísticas y su carácter lo que lo hizo perseguir al prospecto dominicano.

“Con más de 400 peleas de aficionados e innumerables logros en los aficionados, Euri es un verdadero prospecto de primer nivel. Sobre todo, es un gran ser humano y creo que será un gran modelo a seguir para la próxima generación de jóvenes atletas”, dijo Trifon Petrov.

Después de vincularse con Petrov, Euri Cedeño Martínez firmó con un promotor muy respetado en Marshall Kauffman y Andrew Foy de Kings Boxing.

La compañía con sede en Pensilvania ha demostrado que puede construir un caza desde cero una y otra vez. Marshall Kauffman ha promocionado más de 130 eventos en todas las grandes plataformas de medios, como Showtime y Fox.

“Quería firmar con Marshall Kauffman porque escuché grandes cosas de mi asesor y mi hermano, quien conoce al Sr. Kauffman desde hace un par de años. He visto el trabajo que Marshall y Andrew han hecho con todos los peleadores de Kings Boxing, el trabajo que pudieron hacer con el campeón mundial interino de la WBA Ra’eese Aleem y la campeona mundial unificada del WBC/IBO Alycia Baumgardner habla por sí mismo. Estoy muy emocionado de trabajar con Kings Boxing”, dijo Cedeño Martínez.

Marshall Kauffman, quien recientemente fue incluido en el Salón de la Fama del Boxeo de Pensilvania, está ansioso por ver a su nuevo prodigio en acción.

“Es una rareza ver a un luchador que es un paquete completo a una edad tan joven. Con solo 22 años, Cedeño Martínez tiene todos los dones físicos, la fortaleza mental y el conocimiento del ring para alcanzar la grandeza en el deporte del boxeo”, dijo Kauffman.

Euri Cedeño Martínez estará entrenando en Reading, Pennsylvania bajo la tutela de Denny Rivera conocido como “Sensei”. Rivera es bien conocido por su trabajo con campeones mundiales como Roman “Rocky” Martinez, Elio Rojas y Cesar Seda.

WARWICK, RI (February 20) – Jaime “Hurricane” Clampitt capped a banner weekend for CES Boxing Saturday night with a unanimous decision win over Kim Wabik at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, her first victory in nearly a decade.

The 45-year-old Clampitt (23-5-2), a Warwick, RI, resident who came out of retirement last summer two years after being inducted into the International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame, headlined CES Boxing’s 2022 debut and its inaugural event at the Crowne Plaza.

Flanked by longtime promoter Jimmy Burchfield Sr., CEO and president of CES Boxing, Clampitt capped the event – appropriately titled “Rhode Wars” – in front of a sold-out crowd with a dominant performance against Wabik (4-2-2), who, despite continuing to come forward the entire fight, could not thwart Clampitt’s experience and ring savvy.

The victory, scored 60-54 on all three scorecards, was Clampitt’s first since 2013 when she defeated Dominga Oliva.

In addition to opening its newly-launched fight series in front of a capacity crowd at the Crowne Plaza, CES Boxing celebrated an even bigger victory Friday when lightweight star Jamaine Ortiz of Worcester, MA, captured the NABF title in Orlando with a unanimous decision win over Nahir Albright in the main of Showtime’s ShoBox: The New Generation telecast. With Clampitt back in the picture among female lightweights and Ortiz putting his entire weight class on notice in Friday’s win, CES Boxing is poised for a groundbreaking year as the sport continues its rise in popularity.

In other action Saturday, super lightweight Wilson Mascarenhas (5-1, 2 KOs) earned his fifth consecutive win and his second consecutive by knockout, stopping Virginia southpaw Akeem Jackson (5-5) in the third round of their scheduled six-round bout.

Since losing his pro debut in 2018, Mascarenhas has been on a roll; he earned his first knockout win last summer at Cranston Stadium against Geoffrey Then and continued his winning streak last night, chopping down the much taller, lankier Jackson with body shots.

Heavyweight Tim Hatfield (3-0, 3 KOs) also kept his win streak alive, stopping veteran Kaleb Slaughter (1-4-1) of Cincinnati in the opening round of their scheduled four-round bout. A former college football at Brown University, Hatfield has now won three times since November, accumulating three first-round knockout wins in just under three months.

Making his United States debut, Italian middleweight Nicola Quarneti (5-2-1) got off to a slow start and lost a technical decision to Yakima, WA, veteran Charon Spain (4-18-2) when the fight was stopped after three rounds due to an accidental headbutt. Spain won the first two rounds before Quarneti found his footing in the third, using his jab to set up a potent left hook.

As Quarneti began applying pressure toward the final bell, the two butted heads, opening a severe cut above Spain’s left eye. The ringside physician stopped the fight and, since the fight had gone past the halfway point, the decision was left in the hands of the judges, who ruled unanimously in favor of Spain.

In the opening bout of the evening, bantamweights Dan Cormier (2-0) of East Providence, RI, and Christian Andrade (1-1) of Fairhaven, MA, put on a show for four rounds with Cormier winning by majority decision, 40-36, 40-36, 38-38. A former mixed martial arts fighter, Cormier has now won twice as a pro in boxing since debuting in August.

CES Boxing returns to the Crowne Plaza on March 26 with “Rhode Wars 2.” Visit CESFights.com for more information. Updates on CES Boxing can also be found on Facebook in addition to Instagram and Twitter by following @CESBoxing.

INFORMATION

CES Boxing is one of the top promotions in the northeast and one of the few to successfully promote both mixed martial arts and professional boxing. Launched in 1992 by longtime boxing judge Jimmy Burchfield Sr., the promotion is the only in professional boxing to boast two reigning WBC Youth world champions in lightweight Jamaine Ortiz and featherweight Irvin Gonzalez. CES Boxing recently teamed with UFC FIGHT PASS, the world’s No. 1 streaming platform for combat sports, to showcase its events to a worldwide audience, and worked as a promotional consultant for the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. pay-per-view event in November of 2020.

The Crowne Plaza Hotel Providence-Warwick is the first choice of those seeking the best in accommodations, convenience, service and sophistication in Rhode Island. A nine-time winner of the Intercontinental Hotel Group’s Torchbearer Award, one of the most prestigious accolades in the hotel industry, the Crowne Plaza Hotel has 266 guestrooms and 45,000 square feet of meeting space. Whether you’re a business traveler seeking respite from a long flight, a family on vacation visiting nearby Newport, a trade association holding its annual convention, or a young couple planning a wedding, the Crowne Plaza is ready to satisfy your every need. Located 10 minutes from downtown Providence and two miles from T.F. Green Airport on a spacious landscaped 17-acre site featuring abundant, free parking, the Crowne Plaza Hotel is prepared to treat you like royalty.

#5-Logan Storley (13-1) defeated #4-Neiman Gracie (11-3) via unanimous decision (48-47, 50-45, 49-46)

Logan Storley following his win: “That fight right there, I had to dig deep. That’s those farm roots. That’s Midwest. Figuring out who you are in the fourth round and coming back. 

“I was stung for a little bit but I was playing and moving. And then he started wearing himself out and I landed it. I’m a fighter now. That proved it right there. Any doubt I ever had about taking a punch, fighting the best guys – that’s the No. 4 guy in the world – and I just beat him. It was 25 minutes on the feet. That was the most fun I’ve ever had competing in my life.

“I want the belt. That’s why I got in this business. I didn’t get it done at the NCAA level and that drives me today. To be the best in the world. Once I’m the best in the world, then it’s time to go do something else. I want to be the best in the world and I want the title next.”

#9-Andrey Koreshkov (25-4) defeated Chance Rencountre (16-5) via TKO (body kick) at :38 of round one

Andrey Koreshkov returns with a vengeance: ““It’s what we prepared for. The spinning back-kick is like a tradition for Storm School. Hey BELLATOR, I know you prepare many tournaments in Europe. And I know one guy – Paul Daley – I want to kick his ass. He doesn’t like wrestling just like me. We will show a great stand-up fight and I will knock him out.”

Adam Piccolotti (13-4) defeated Georgi Karakhanyan (31-13-1, 1 NC) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Adam Piccolotti continues his winning ways: “I’d give myself a B+. My jiujitsu was an A. My jiujitsu was on point. My wrestling felt really strong. My striking was a little hesitant. It was a mixture. It was me being a little hesitant but it was also me having a ton of respect for Georgi. I knew Georgi was ready to come in and have a firefight. He was ready to wait for me to make any sort of opening or any sort of mistake. He was going to try to make it a dogfight which is the opposite fight of what I wanted to have tonight. It was a strong B+.

“I want somebody in the top five. I don’t care. There’s a lot of good guys in my division right now but there’s no one better than me.”

Brennan Ward (15-6) defeated Brandon Bell (10-11) via TKO (punches) at 0:32 of round two

Brennan Ward after his return to BELLATOR: “Everybody who came out, thank you. I got support from every aspect of my life. I know I got my Union brothers in here. I got my two coaches right there. They’ve been with me throughout this whole rollercoaster. And my family, my girl, my daughter, my parents, my sister, everybody – I came here tonight for myself and I came here tonight to show the world that you can go to hell and you can come back. You can come back.

“A lot of days away. Brandon Bell took some shots. I thought I was going to knock him out. He’s a tough guy, man. It felt good. It felt good to be back. I’ve got a lot more to show. And I got more to come. You know that you’re going to have to see me face a top 10 guy next. You know it. You know I have to.”

“I see a lot of these dudes in the top 10 I respect. I know Scott Coker is going to pick me out somebody good. Test one of these young guys that you got. Test one of these young guys like I used to get tested when I was a young guy coming up. I’m the gatekeeper now. Test one of these young boys against me!”

#8-Davion Franklin (5-0) defeated#9–Said Sowma (8-3) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)

Davion Franklin had this to say following his win: ““I was just trying to get him off me. I knew he wanted to hold me against the fence and try to tire me out. It didn’t work so I knew I needed to figure something out to get him off me. I would like to fight Linton Vassell next sometime over the summer. That would give me enough time to continue to correct some errors I made tonight.”

PRELIMINARY CARD RESULTS: 

Nick Browne (13-1) defeated Mandel Nallo (8-2, 1 NC) via TKO (punches) at 2:20 of round two

Jaylon Bates (5-0) defeated Chris Disonell (6-5) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 0:00 of round three

Bobby King (11-4) defeated #9–Aviv Gozali (6-1) via TKO (doctor stoppage) at 5:00 of round one

#7-DeAnna Bennett (12-7-1) defeated Justine Kish (7-5) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)

Jordan Newman (4-0) defeated Cody Herbert (2-1) via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)

Justin Montalvo (5-0) defeated Corey Samuels (3-3) via TKO (punches) at 2:43 of round one

Isaiah Hokit (1-1) defeated Theodore Macuka (1-3) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:59 of round one

Jonathan Di Lorenzo (2-0) defeated Orlando Mendoza (0-2) via submission (D’arce Choke) at 1:07 of round one

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

****

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 ViacomCBS, 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 ViacomCBS Inc., 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. 

Top-ranked middleweight contender Jaime Munguia stopped D’Mitrius Ballard in round three of a scheduled 12-round fight in front of over 15,000 in Tijuana, Mexico.

In round three, Munguia hurt Ballard with a left hook and a follow-up barrage sent Ballard to the canvas. Shortly after, Munguia was all over Ballard, and a big left hook to the head forced a referee stoppage at 1:47

Munguia, 159 lbs of Tijuana, MEX is now 39-0 with 31 knockouts. Ballard, 159 lbs of Prince George County, MD is 21-1-1-1-1.

William Zepeda hit the deck once, but dropped Luis Viedas three-times en-route to a third round stoppage in a scheduled 10-round lightweight fight.

In round two, Zepeda dropped Viedas with a straight left. Later in the round, Viedas was able to shockingly put Zepeda on the deck with an inside left hook. Seconds later, Zepeda was deducted a point for shoving Viedas to the deck. In round three, Zepeda sent Viedas down with a straight left. Seconds later, Viedas landed a straight left that put Viedas down. Zepeda got in a left to the body while Viedas was down, but the referee counted 10 at 1:51.

Zepeda, 135 lbs of Mexico is 25-0 with 23 knockouts. Viedas, 135 lbs of Tijuana, MEX is 29-12-1.

Diego Torres won a hard fought 10-round unanimous decision over Jonathan Escobedo in a junior welterweight bout.

In round four, the left eye of Escobedo began to bleed.

In round nine, Torres was deducted a point when his mouthpiece came out for the third time.

Torres, 140 lbs of Zapopan, MEX won by scores of 98-91 and 97-92 twice and is now 14-0. Escobedo, 140 lbs of Tonala, MEX is 8-3-1.

Rafael Espinoza stopped Alie Laurel in the opening round of their 10-round featherweight bout.

In round one, Espinoza was credited with a knockdown after sending Laurel to the canvas with a left. He scored another knockdown with a left hook and the fight was over at 1:37.

Espinoza, 125 lbs of Guadalajara, MEX is 18-0 with 15 knockouts. Laurel, 126 lbs of General Santos City, PHL is 18-7-1.

In a much awaited grudge match, former world champion Kell Brook stopped Amir Khan in round six of their 12-round bout at the AO Arena in Manchester, England.

In round one, Brook wobbled Khan on two occasions. The first was from a hard jab. The second was from a hard right hand. In round six, Brook hurt Khan again with a jab. Brook began to pour on the offense until the fight was stopped at 51 seconds.

Brook, 148.3 lbs of Sheffield, ENG is 40-3 with 28 knockouts. Khan, 147.3 lbs of Bolton, ENG is 34-6.

Natasha Jonas won the vacant WBO Super Welterweight title with a 2nd round stoppage of Chris Namus.

In round one, Jonas dropped Namus with a right hook. In round two, it was a straight left off of a furious exchange that sent Namus down again. Namus got to her feet, but the fight was waved off at 28 seconds.

Jonas, 149.3 lbs is 11-2-1 with eight knockouts. Namus, 147.3 lbs of Uraguay is 25-7-1.

2021 Olympic Bronze Medal winner Frazer Clarke made a successful pro debut with a 1st round stoppage over Jake Darnell in a heavyweight fight.

In round one, Darnell began bleeding from his nose. Shortly after, Clarke landed a big combination that was set off by a body shot that was followed by several head shots that forced the corner of Darnell to throw in the towel at 2:06.

Clarke, 256 lbs is 1-0 with one knockout. Darnell, 248.3 lbs of Blackpool, ENG is 0-1.

Hasan Azim won a four-round decision over MJ Hall in a welterweight bout.

Azim, 148 lbs won by a 40-36 score and is 2-0. Hall is now 2-74-2.

Adam Azim stopped Jordan Ellison in round three of their six-round junior welterweight bout.

In round one, Azim dropped Ellison with a right to the body. In round three, Azim landed a hard left hook to the head that dropped Ellison down and out at 2:09.

Azim, 138.4 lbs is 3-0 with two knockouts. Ellison, 138.4 lbs is 13-36-2.

Brad Rea scored a vicious opening round stoppage over Craig McCarthy in a middleweight fight.

Rea landed a ripping undercard that sent McCarthy down on his back, and the fight was stopped before the 10-count could be completed at 1:53.

Rea, 160.3 lbs of Sweatburg, ENG is 12-0 with five knockouts. McCarthy, 161.3 lbs of Waterford, IRE is 8-1-1.

Viddal Riley won a six-round decision over Will Shihepo in a cruiserweight bout.

In round one, Riley dropped Shihepo with a right uppercut.

Riley, 197 lbs of London, ENG won by a 60-53 score and is now 5-0. Shihepo, 196.3 lbs of Namibia is 25-14.

Germaine Brown won a 10-round unanimous decision over Charlie Schofield in a super middleweight fight.

Brown, 168 lbs of London, UK won by scores of 99-92 and 98-92 twice and is now 12-0. Schofield, 168 lbs of Manchester, UK is 17-2.

Hanover, MD (February 19, 2022) — Weights for Tonight’s big night of boxing at The Hall at Live at Live! Casino & Hotel in Hanover, Maryland

Jordan White 129.6 – Brandon Valdes 129.0
Demond Nicholson 168.8 – Gabriel Pham 168.4
Colby Madison 231.6 – Antonio Robertson 248.2
A.J. Williams 167.2 – Brent Oren 167.6
Mansaborie Conde 162.2 – Malcolm Phillips 159.6
Brandon Chambers 120.4 – Paul Carroll 122.0
Jaqeem Hutcherson 122.2 – Jalen Woodmore TBA
Tyhler Williams 142.4 – Maurice Anthony 143.6
Joseph Veazey 145.6 – Corey Champion 146.6
Ahmad Muhammad Jones 141 – Tyree Arnold 141.8

Victor Williams 150.4, Jeremiah Kendrick 160.2 — bout scratched due to overage.

Promoter: Jeter Promotions
1st Bell: 6:30 PM ET

Tickets for this great night of boxing are priced at $65-$150 and can be purchased at AXS.COM

The HALL at LIVE! is a 75,000-square-foot, three-story multi-use concert and event venue that features some of the nation’s best touring acts, comedians, championship boxing and other show-stopping entertainment. With a capacity of up to 4,800 persons, the state-of-the-art performance venue features three levels of seating: a main orchestra level, intimate loge-level boxes and a plush VIP Level with private bar, lounge and balcony. Each of these options afford spectacular views and immerse audiences in audio visual systems unparalleled in the region.

The $10 million state-of-the-art audio and visual system provides absolute acoustic perfection combined with stunning visual displays. The built-in performance stage, surrounded by massive, high resolution LED screens, is 60 feet wide by 40 feet deep and, from a technological standpoint, rivals the largest and most advanced performance venues anywhere. The HALL is the largest theater in any casino in the state of Maryland, as well as in Anne Arundel County. The HALL at Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland is located at 7002 Arundel Mills Circle, Hanover, Maryland 21076.

    •  Amir Khan 147.3 vs. Kell Brook 148.3
(Junior Middleweight— 12 Rounds)

•     Natasha Jonas 149.5 lbs vs. Chris Namus 147.5 lbs 
(Vacant WBO Female Junior Middleweight World Title — 10 Rounds)

   •    Frazer Clarke 256 lbs vs. Jake Darnell 248.5 lbs
 (Heavyweight — 6 Rounds)

   •    Adam Azim 138.4 lbs vs. Jordan Ellison 138.5 lbs
 (Junior Welterweight — 6 Rounds)

   •    Brad Rea 160.5 lbs vs. Craig McCarthy 161.5 lbs
 (Middleweight — 8 Rounds)

•    Viddal Riley 199 lbs vs. Willbeforce Shihepo 198.5 lbs
 (Cruiserweight— 6 Rounds)
  •    Charlie Schofield 168 lbs vs. Germaine Brown 168 lbs
 (Schofield’s English Super Middleweight Title — 10 Rounds)

###

About ESPN+? 
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 21.3?million subscribers. 
 
Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at?ESPN.com,?ESPNplus.com?or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).
 

ORLANDO, FL–Jamaine Ortiz won a 10-round unanimous decision over Nahir Albright at the Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida.

Ortiz, 134 1/4 lbs of Worcester, MA won by scores of 98-92 and 97-93 twice and is now 15-0-1. Albright, 134 lbs of Sicklerville, NJ is 13-2.

Paul Kroll and Marquis Taylor fought to an eight-round split draw in a junior middleweight fight.

Although Taylor outlanded Kroll 109-84, the judges score cards read 80-72 Taylor, 77-75 Kroll and 76-76.

Taylor, 151 3/4 lbs of Houston, TX is 12-1-2. Kroll, 153 1/4 lbs of Philadelphia is 9-0-1.

BROOKLYN (February 18, 2022) – Unbeaten rising star Chris “Primetime” Colbert held a media workout in his hometown of Brooklyn Friday, as he prepares to take on undefeated Dominican Olympian Hector Garcia in the SHOWTIME main event Saturday, February 26 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

Colbert vs. Garcia tops a stacked SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® tripleheader beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT as the undefeated fighters match up in a WBA Super Featherweight Title Eliminator.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased through Ticketmaster.com.

The 25-year-old Colbert held the workout at the NYC Cops & Kids Boxing Club where he began his boxing journey, from his decorated days in the amateur ranks, to his burgeoning pro career. Here is what Colbert had to say about training camp, his February 26 opponent and more:

CHRIS COLBERT

“He’s going to learn firsthand how dangerous I am. I’m not worried about anything he brings to the ring. I love when people think that power is going to save them against me.

“I don’t have to live up to the ‘Primetime’ name, that’s just me. That’s who I am. People know who I am. I just have a job to do and I’m going to do it on February 26.

“I don’t really know anything about Garcia. I know he’s got two arms and two legs, and beyond that I expect him to bring his A-game, because he has to against me. There’s no way that I’m letting him come in as a late replacement and beat me.

“I spent most of training camp with Coach Aureliano Sosa and Herman Caicedo at Caicedo Sports down in Miami, but with the change of opponent I made the decision to come back to my gym in Brooklyn because we have three lefties in the gym up here.

“The only real difference for this camp is that I have a nutritionist now, so they’ve got me on a strict diet and I’m just more focused than ever. The other thing about this camp is that I was originally supposed to fight in mid-December, but then it got pushed back to now. So we went through two camps basically. It’s been about a 14-week camp in total.

“We went down to Miami mainly because of the weather, and because of our connection with Coach Herman. I hate the cold up north. And then they’ve also got a lot of quality sparring partners for me down in Miami and they gave me some good work to get me ready for this fight.

“I’m all about making adjustments. I’ve had opponent replacements happen before, and I know this is part of the business of boxing. I just have to roll with the punches, make lemonade out of these lemons and do what I do on February 26.

“I don’t fight for the belts. I fight for the money and my legacy. I still have a job to do next Saturday. I’m still getting paid. After I win, I get to fight again soon for the belt and get paid again for that fight.”

#

ABOUT COLBERT VS. GARCÍA
Colbert vs. García will see undefeated rising star Chris “Primetime” Colbert square off against unbeaten Dominican Olympian Hector García in a 12-round WBA Super Featherweight World Title Eliminator headlining live on SHOWTIME Saturday, February 26 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast kicks off at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and will feature another unbeaten young phenom in the co-main event. Gary Antuanne Russell, a 2016 U.S. Olympian, faces former world champion Viktor Postol in a 10-round super lightweight bout, while IBF Junior Bantamweight World Champion Jerwin Ancajas defends his title against unbeaten Argentine Fernando Martinez in the televised opener of the loaded tripleheader.

Las Vegas – UFC^® continues its run of shows at UFC APEX with an intriguing matchup in a 160-pound catchweight bout, as No. 4 ranked lightweight contender Islam Makhachev aims to halt the momentum of fan favorite Bobby Green, who fills in on short-notice to replace the injured Beneil Dariush. In the middleweight co-main event, renowned finisher Misha Cirkunov looks to secure his first victory in the weight class as he takes on Wellington Turman. 

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: MAKHACHEV vs GREEN will take place Saturday, Feb. 26 from UFC APEX in Las Vegas. All bouts will stream on ESPN+, with the prelims beginning at 1 p.m. PT/ 4 p.m. ET and the main card at 4 p.m. PT/ 7 p.m. ET.

Makhachev (20-1, fighting out of Makhachkala, Russia) looks to extend his nine-fight win streak in the UFC. During his run up the rankings, Makhachev proved he is one of the best lightweights with dominant wins over Dan Hooker, Drew Dober, and Thiago Moises. He now aims to to secure a possible shot at UFC gold by defeating the veteran Green. 

Green (29-12-1, fighting out of Fontana, California) steps into the Octagon on 10 days’ notice after a dominanting performance over Nasrat Haqparast at UFC 271. A lightweight bruiser who has nine knockouts and eight submissions to his name, Green continues to rise in the division after victories over Alan Patrick, Clay Guida and Al Iaquinta and he now looks to make a statement and derail the Russian phenom Makhachev and break into the Top 15.   

Former light heavyweight contender Misha Cirkunov (15-7, fighting out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada by way of Riga, Lativa) seeks to start a win streak at 185-pounds. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist has an impressive 11 first-round finishes, with three coming in under a minute. Some of his stoppage victories include Jimmy Crute, Nikita Krylov and Ion Cutelaba. Cirkunov now has his sights set on making a splash in his second fight at middleweight and sending a message to the rest of the division.

Wellington Turman (17-5, fighting out of Curitiba, Parana, Brazil) intends to make the most of his first UFC co-main event opportunity. Coming off a split decision win over UFC veteran Sam Alvey, the jiu-jitsu expert now intends to make it two in a row by taking out Cirkunov and beginning his climb up the middleweight ladder.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• Ji Yeon Kim (9-4-2, fighting out of Incheon, South Korea) looks to dominate against Priscila Cachoeira (10-4, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) in a women’s flyweight bout
• No. 13 ranked UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan (16-2, fighting out Krasnodar, Russia)faces submission specialist Joel Alvarez (19-2, fighting out of Asturias, Spain)
• Dana White’s Contender Series alum Armen Petrosyan (6-1, fighting out of Yerevan, Armenia by way of Krasnoyarsk, Russia) meets streaking Gregory Rodrigues (11-4, fighting out of Deerfield Beach, Florida by way of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil ) at middleweight
• Rong Zhu (18-4, fighting out of Sichuan, China) takes on young knockout artist Ignacio Bahamondes (12-4, fighting out of Chicago, Illinois by way of Santiago, Chile) at lightweight
• Josiane Nunes (8-1, fighting out of Fazenda Rio Grande, Parana, Brazil) looks to spoil the UFC debut of Ramona Pascual (6-2, fighting out of Hong Kong) in a women’s bantamweights clash
• Lightweight action sees Terrance McKinney (11-3, fighting out of Spokane, Wash.) facing off with Fares Ziam (12-3, fighting out of Givors, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, FranceVénissieux, France)
• Women’s strawweight Jinh Yu Frey (11-6, fighting out of Arlington, Tex.) battles Hannah  Goldy (6-2, fighting out of  Orlando, Fla.)
• Bantamweight veterans meet as Alejandro Perez (22-8-1, fighting out of San Jose, Calif. by way of Aguascalientes, Mexico) takes on Jonathan Martinez (14-4, fighting out of Plainview, Tex.)
• Welterweights Ramiz Brahimaj (9-4, fighting out of Dallas, Texas) and Micheal Gillmore (6-4, fighting out of Lansing, Mich.) lock horns
• Flyweights Victor Altamirano (10-1, fighting out of Fort Worth, Tex.) and Carlos Hernandez (7-1, fighting out of Chicago, Ill.) face off as they look to make a name for themselves in their first trip to the Octagon

Visit the UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage.

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About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 625 million fans and 166 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly 900 million TV households across more than 175 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 21.3 million subscribers. 
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Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

WARWICK, RI (February 18) – Listed below are official weights for all participants in “Rhode Wars,” CES Boxing’s 2022 season opener scheduled for tomorrow night at 7 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Jaime “Hurricane” Clampitt, a Warwick, RI, resident, faces Kim Wabik (4-1-2) of Concord, NH, in the six-round main event. In addition to the Clampitt-Wabik main event, “Rhode Wars” features several other intriguing all-New England matchups, including a six-round co-main event showdown between undefeated Providence, RI, super welterweight Lamont Powell (5-0, 1 KO) and Mitch Louis-Charles (6-2-2, 3 KOs) of Quebec who now lives and trains in Boston. In the bantamweight division, MMA-fighter-turned-boxer Daniel Cormier (1-0) of East Providence, RI, faces Christian Andrade (1-0, 1 KO) of Fairhaven, MA, in a four-round bout.

Super lightweight Wilson Mascarenhas (4-1, 1 KO) of New Bedford, MA, battles hard-hitting Akeem Jackson (5-4, 5 KOs) of Oxon Hill, MD, in a six-round bout and heavyweight Tim Hatfield (2-0, 2 KOs) of Providence, a former college football player for Brown University, battles Kaleb Slaughter (1-3-1) of Cincinnati, OH, in a four-round bout. In a special middleweight showcase, Italian-born Nicola Quarneti (5-1-1) makes his United States debut in a four-round bout against Yakima, WA, veteran Charon Spain (3-18-2, 1 KO) in a four-round bout.

Visit CESFights.com for more information. Updates on CES Boxing can also be found on Facebook in addition to Instagram and Twitter by following @CESBoxing.

WEIGH-IN RESULTS
Jaime Clampitt
Warwick, RI
133

Kim Wabik
Concord, NH
131

Wilson Mascarenhas
New Bedford, MA
139

Akeem Jackson
Alexandria, VA
139

Lamont Powell
Providence, RI
159

Mitch Louis-Charles
Boston, MA
151

Nicola Quarneti
Rimini, Italy
158

Charon Spain
Yakima, WA
157

Tim Hatfield
Providence, RI
140

Kaleb Slaughter
Cincinnati, OH
254

Christian Andrade
Fairhaven, MA
118

Daniel Cormier
East Providence, RI
116
INFORMATION
CES Boxing is one of the top promotions in the northeast and one of the few to successfully promote both mixed martial arts and professional boxing. Launched in 1992 by longtime boxing judge Jimmy Burchfield Sr., the promotion is the only in professional boxing to boast two reigning WBC Youth world champions in lightweight Jamaine Ortiz and featherweight Irvin Gonzalez. CES Boxing recently teamed with UFC FIGHT PASS, the world’s No. 1 streaming platform for combat sports, to showcase its events to a worldwide audience, and worked as a promotional consultant for the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. pay-per-view event in November of 2020.

The Crowne Plaza Hotel Providence-Warwick is the first choice of those seeking the best in accommodations, convenience, service and sophistication in Rhode Island. A nine-time winner of the Intercontinental Hotel Group’s Torchbearer Award, one of the most prestigious accolades in the hotel industry, the Crowne Plaza Hotel has 266 guestrooms and 45,000 square feet of meeting space. Whether you’re a business traveler seeking respite from a long flight, a family on vacation visiting nearby Newport, a trade association holding its annual convention, or a young couple planning a wedding, the Crowne Plaza is ready to satisfy your every need. Located 10 minutes from downtown Providence and two miles from T.F. Green Airport on a spacious landscaped 17-acre site featuring abundant, free parking, the Crowne Plaza Hotel is prepared to treat you like royalty.

BELLATOR MMA 274: GRACIE VS. STORLEY MAIN CARD:

Saturday, Feb. 19 – live on SHOWTIME

9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

Welterweight Main Event: #4-Neiman Gracie (170.75) vs. #5-Logan Storley (170.5)

Welterweight Co-Main Event: #9-Andrey Koreshkov (171) vs. Chance Rencountre (169.5)

Lightweight Bout: Georgi Karakhanyan (156) vs. Adam Piccolotti (155.5)

175-Pound Contract Weight Bout: Brennan Ward (174.8) vs. Brandon Bell (173.8)

Heavyweight Bout: #8-Davion Franklin (262.75) vs.#9–Said Sowma (243)

PRELIMINARY CARD:

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV

6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT

Lightweight Bout: Mandel Nallo (155.4) vs. Nick Browne (155.2)

Bantamweight Bout: Jaylon Bates (136) vs. Chris Disonell (135.2)

Lightweight Bout: #9-Aviv Gozali (155.8) vs. Bobby King (156)

Flyweight Bout: #7-DeAnna Bennett (125.4) vs. Justine Kish (125.6)

Middleweight Bout: Jordan Newman (185.6) vs. Cody Herbert (188.6*)

Lightweight Bout: Justin Montalvo (154.2) vs. Corey Samuels (155.4)

Featherweight Bout: Isaiah Hokit (145.8) vs. Theodore Macuka (145.2)

Welterweight Bout: Orlando Mendoza (170.6) vs. Jonathan Di Lorenzo (169.8)

*Missed weight

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

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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 ViacomCBS, 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 ViacomCBS Inc., 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. 

ORLANDO, Fla. – February 17, 2022 – Exciting rising prospects Jamaine Oritz (14-0-1, 8 KOs) and Nahir Albright (14-1, 7 KOs) both made weight Thursday, a day ahead of their 10-round lightweight main event on ShoBox: The New Generation this Friday, February 18, live on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/PT from Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Fla.

The co-feature pits former decorated amateur Paul Kroll (9-0, 6 KOs) against upset-minded Marquis Taylor (12-1-1, 1 KO) in an eight-round super welterweight bout.

The doubleheader is promoted by Marshall Kauffman’s King’s Promotions. 

FINAL WEIGHTS

Lightweight 10-Round Bout

Jamaine Ortiz – 134 ¼ pounds

Nahir Albright – 134 pounds

Referee: Frank Santore, Jr.; Judges: Alexander Levin, Joe Ware, Brian Garry

Super Welterweight Eight-Round Bout

Paul Kroll – 152 ½ pounds*

Marquis Taylor – 151 ¾ pounds

Referee: Michael DeJesus; Judges: Alexander Levin, Joe Ware, Tito Wilgo

Note: All refs and judges for both fights reside in Florida.

* Contracted weight limit is 152 pounds; both fight camps agreed to proceed with fight.  

FINAL QUOTES:

Jamaine Ortiz

“A lot is always at stake when I fight, an undefeated record is at stake. He’s a slick boxer. He can box if he wants to, and he can be aggressive as well. He’s another hungry Philly fighter. I just plan on being the best Jamaine Ortiz that I can be. I’m going to be the technician with correct movements in there, and I’m going to be focused on having fun on Friday night.

“From the fight with Joseph Adorno [last April, which ended in a majority draw and saw Ortiz hit the canvas twice over eight rounds], I learned not to be so anxious. Being down after the knockdown in the second round made me feel like I had to pick it up and show that I was winning the fight. I was very anxious. Now, this fight is a 10-rounder, and I feel I can take my time a little and be patient and effective and just take it round by round.  

“I do have a lot of outside interests, but I give boxing 100 percent, and when it comes to fight time, I don’t do real estate. I don’t do anything except focus on the fight. I wake up and go to the gym. When I’m in that six-to-eight-week camp, that’s all I’m focused on. Nothing comes in between that.

“I hope I can increase my profile and be thought of as one of the best at 135 pounds from this fight. I just don’t know if the opponent’s name is big enough, where I can join that list of other big-name fighters at 135. With the NABF title, if I get ranked in the top 10 in the world, hopefully I can begin to put my name in the conversation with the best at 135 pounds. That’s my goal.

“When I fought Teofimo Lopez in the finals of the national golden gloves in the amateurs, I didn’t think he beat me bad at all. My coach had to fly out the night before. I feel like if I had my coach, I would have done better. When I fought Teofimo back then, he wasn’t the puncher he is today. He was nothing like that. It was more of a boxing match. We were both boxing each other.

“If this fight becomes a Gatti-Ward type of fight, then I’m OK with it. I’ve lived through that before and I’m fine going through that again. If he wants to come at me, it will be an easier fight for me. I’m going to be focused, and I’m going to stick to my game plan.”

Nahir Albright:

“I’ve worked all my life for this opportunity. It just feels so surreal being here. I’m definitely excited and ready to showcase my talent.

“I expect Ortiz to bring the fight to me. You’re all about to experience some fireworks. You’re all about to experience [Manny] Pacquiao versus [Juan Manuel] Marquez. Arturo Gatti versus Micky Ward. I feel like the world’s in for a fight they haven’t seen in a long time. I feel like my boxing ability and my slickness are something he’s never seen before.

“Beating guys like Jeremy Hill and Michael Dutchover in my last two fights definitely boosted my confidence and gave me extra validation on what I already had. It showed that I can have the odds against me, but that I could still come out on top. It showed I could go through some adversity and still be a winner.

“My singing is for a real. Like, I’m a singer for real. I grew up singing. I was a singer before I was a boxer. Singing is definitely going to play a part in my career. I got a surprise for the world. I’m not going to sing Boyz II Men again. It’s something new.

“I’m coming to hurt my opponent. It’s seek and destroy. It’s kill or be killed out there. I come to fight and don’t just try and box and win by decision. I come to fight.

“With an impressive win over Jamaine Ortiz I could see myself fighting Ryan Garcia, Rolly Romero. Any of those tough guys. I can see it definitely by the end of 2022 or the start of 2023 you will see my name next to those guys.

“Even though I’m training in New Jersey, being a Philly fighter never leaves. It’s all in me, for real. You can take a person out of the ‘hood, but you can’t take the ‘hood out of the person. That’s real. That dog’s definitely in me.”

Paul Kroll

“I’m very happy to have this opportunity. This is what I’ve been waiting for. Going through what I went through when I was younger [with his legal issues] helped me a lot from a maturation standpoint. It helped me grow up and made me more mature. When I was younger my boxing career was moving so fast. I won the U.S. Olympic Trials. The experience that I went through made me slow down and spend time working on myself.

“People who know boxing know who I am. The real boxing fans know me. Fighters know me. I beat most of them in the amateurs, so they know me. Now, I’m just getting the opportunity to show what I can do.

“He’s tall, but he doesn’t know the game… There are different levels in this sport. He’s going to bring his ‘A’ game but it’s not going to be enough. I’ve seen a million fighters like him, but he’s never seen a Paul Kroll. I’m going to show my class on Friday night.

“I’m just a better all-around fighter than he is. I can box, fight on the inside and outside. My jab is better than his. Everybody I fight throws a lot of punches, and they always slow down as the fight goes on. [Former opponent Lucas] Santamaria threw a lot of punches, too…. When I touch him, he’s going to feel it.

“He’s just too small, he’s too light. I’m just an all-around better fighter. When I’m on my ‘A’ game, I don’t think there’s anyone who can beat me right now. I fought a million people who were 6’1” in the amateurs. My best asset is that I can adapt on the fly round-by-round. Not every fighter can do that. Only the great ones.

“A win puts me in a better position to get a bigger fight. When it happens, it will happen at 154 pounds. I’ve grown out of welterweight. I can’t make 147 anymore. I’m going to stay at 154 pounds and get a big fight, hopefully back on ShoBox and SHOWTIME. This is a good audition and I’ve always passed all my tests with flying colors.

“That knockout he has on his record doesn’t work. My daughter could have knocked out that opponent [Esteban Alseco]. He’s going to be a volume puncher, but he can’t crack an egg. At the same time, anytime someone has on 10 oz gloves, if you get hit by a punch the right way, it can hurt you.

“I learned a lot from sparring with guys like Shawn Porter, Danny Garcia and Julian Williams. I learned a lot about myself. I learned how to recognize mistakes that other, younger fighters make. Younger guys, when they’re coming up, they try so hard to make an impression, and they end up making a lot of mistakes. Against someone like Julian Williams, I would do something and then admire my work and he would catch me after I threw my punches. Once I started to recognize that, I started to play the older and more experienced role. I’m more mature mentally now, and I know how to take advantage of other’s mistakes.

“I got my own gym, so I have my own schedule. I can train at any time. I train two or three times a day. I’ll get up before work and work out and then after work I train again. Sometimes I train late at night, like Floyd [Mayweather Jr.] used to do. I’m always in the gym.”

Marquis Taylor:

“I’m honored to be on ShoBox, which has always been a true proving ground for up-and-coming stars of boxing. To be on this platform and prove myself is all any boxer ever asks for.

“The boxing world is finally going to get introduced to someone who will one day be one of the biggest stars in boxing. I know the styles and skills that I possess and all the tools I have in the toolbox will finally be on display before a nationally televised audience.

“I would describe my fighting style as really awkward, but aggressive and rough and relentless. Defensive. It’s like a style you’ve never seen from someone 6-foot-1. With the length and height that I have you would automatically assume this guy is a boxer or a counter-puncher or a runner. But I actually love fighting on the inside and getting in a phone booth. Just giving the fans what they want but also being defensive.

“I’ve made my career of being on the ‘B’ side of boxing. I love being on the ‘B’ side. I’ve actually been thinking once I win this fight, don’t put me on the ‘A’ side because that means I’m projected to win. I want to be the guy who defies the odds. I want to be the guy who is underdog and to beat the guy who I wasn’t supposed to beat. Give me five undefeated guys and I’ll show you these guys aren’t on my level.

“I want Terence Crawford, Errol Spence. I want that type of level. I possess a style that nobody else has. Covid didn’t stall my career. I was able to perfect my style and get stronger and ready to show the best Marquis Taylor that you’ve ever seen.

“Kroll is a good fighter. I never look past any of my opponents. I know he’s fighting for his life just like I’m fighting for my life. So I give all the respect to him, but I know with all the adversity I’ve been through and when you look at his resume and you look at mine, it’s a little different.

“I know I’ve beaten three undefeated fighters, but it’s never been on SHOWTIME. It’s never been on the big stage. I’m past all the undefeated fighters I’ve beaten. Now I have to prove it on the SHOWTIME stage and that’s what I’m going to show on February 18.”

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For more information visit www.sho.com/sports follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @SHOSports, #ShoBox, or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports  

About ShoBox: The New Generation

Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. Some of the growing list of the 86 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Errol Spence Jr., Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Nonito Donaire, Devon Alexander, Carl Froch, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Chad Dawson, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams and more. 

FOR YOUNG LIGHT heavyweight sensation Karol Itauma everything is going to plan with his professional experience to date and future plans are already mapped out in writing.

The 21-year-old from Chatham has clocked up five impressive victories since turning pro off the back of a gold medal at the Youth Olympics and he is clear in his mind just where he is heading – and it involves plenty more hardware in the form of world championship belts.

Karol returns to the ring at York Hall on March 11 in support of Chris Bourke bidding to win the British super bantamweight title against Marc Leach and he describes himself as largely content with the direction his career is currently heading in, which has seen him become a small screen regular on BT Sport.

“I’ve had five fights – all on TV – and I’ve been very active,” Karol told Dev Sahni on the Unibet Lowdown. “So I have had the opportunities considering the situation we’ve been in where many boxers have been unable to box, so it would be very ungrateful if I said I wasn’t happy.

“I am happy with the way things are going and always focusing on what is in front of me. The next one is the most important fight. Me and my team always have our eye on the ball and are always training.”

Just in case he ever forgets or deviates from where he is heading, Karol reveals his ambitions are jotted down by his bedside and even pinned to the wall. The word ‘undisputed’ is a personal favourite.

“It is actually a little notebook! It is funny, I have got British title written in there and all the major world titles. I have printed it out and have it up on a pinboard so every day I see it as my goal and what I am working towards.

“It is about becoming familiar with what is waiting for me because, at the end of the day, a ship with no destination ain’t gonna get anywhere. I believe this is one of the things that separates me from other boxers.

“Visualisation is a whole other subject, but I also believe in this too.”

One thing he does visualise and is as certain as he can be about is the impact he anticipates his younger brother Riko making in the sport. Riko is a 17-year-old amateur heavyweight strongly tipped for stardom and Karol reports the pair are firmly on the same wavelength.

“My relationship with Riko I would call competitive, but it is also a crazy relationship. We understand each other, we get along well, he trusts me, I trust him and, in my opinion, he is the only person who can know how I really feel.

“He is my brother by blood, but he also gets in the ring as well as an amateur and will as a pro when the time is right.

“I know how far he can go and he will shock the world when he gets the opportunity to because he has been shocking us since he started boxing, at the age of 13 dropping grown men.

“Now it is just a matter of time before he explodes onto the scene and everyone knows about him.”

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 now, 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

Ruben Torres 134.6 vs Cristian Ruben Miño 134.4
Isaac Zarate 126.9 vs Horacio Garcia 126.9
Louie Lopez 146.6 vs Cristian Dominguez 144
Japhethlee Llamido 125.5 vs Erick Garcia Benitez 126.8
Ivan Zarate 121.7 vs. Sean Brewer 120.6
Oscar Torrez 229 vs. Daniel Najera 235

“New Blood” will take place at the Doubletree Hotel Ontario, CA. Doors open at 6:30 pm PT with the first fight starting at 8:00 pm PT. Tickets priced at $50, $75, and $100, are only available at the door. Fight fans will be able to watch all Thompson Boxing fights, weigh-ins, and behind-the-scenes content, via their new Mobile App downloadable on Apple and Google.

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Beto Duran will operate as the blow-by-blow commentator with expert commentary by Doug Fischer. Jessica Rosales will serve as the onsite ringside reporter.

This event is sponsored by Thompson Building Materials, transforming spaces in beautiful places; Omega Products International, the leading stucco manufacturer in the United States; Henry / Fortifiber, moisture system control as easy as 1,2,3, and Makita, rule the outdoors.

For more information, regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please visit ThompsonBoxing.com. You can also follow the conversation on social media, please use #ThompsonBoxing.

Please check our Facebook Page, watch our YouTube channel on Thompson
Boxing TV, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @ThompsonBoxing.

Orlando (February 17) – Boxing’s biggest platforms are generally reserved for its biggest stars, the headliners who generate millions in ticket sales, pay-per-view buys, and social media clicks.

For an up-and-coming fighter who has yet to break through that glass ceiling, Showtime’s long-running series, ShoBox: The New Generation, is the next best thing to overnight success.

Since its inception in 2001, The New Generation has developed into boxing’s premier proving ground for top prospects on their journey to stardom. The concept of the show, spearheaded by ShoBox executive producer Gordon Hall, was to match unknown prospects in step-up fights in front of a national viewing audience, thereby offering these fighters the opportunity to showcase their talents while allowing the fans the opportunity to follow them throughout their careers.

The formula works – more than 75 ShoBox fighters have become world champions, many of whom got their big break on the The New Generation.

Unbeaten Worcester, MA, lightweight Jamaine Ortiz (14-0-1, 8 KOs) could be the next one on that list. Tomorrow night in Orlando, Ortiz makes his long-awaited ShoBox: The New Generation debut at the Caribe Royale in the 10-round main event against Philadelphia’s Nahir Albright (14-1, 7 KOs) for the vacant NABF 135-pound title. The telecast begins live at 9 pm ET.

“You’re not going to want to miss this fight,” Ortiz said. “It’s going to be a great fight. I can just guarantee that I’m going to come out on top and win. Everybody tune in.”

The stakes are incredibly for so many reasons; first, the opportunity to fight – and win – on ShoBox has proven beneficial for so many young fighters. Then there’s the allure of the NABF title, which, due to its affiliation with the WBC, grants the winner an automatic spot in the world rankings, a great way to fast-track one’s path to a shot at a world title.

A highly decorated amateur who competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials before making his professional debut in 2016, Ortiz understands pressure and has passed each test in his young career with flying colors. Under the guidance of promoter Jimmy Burchfield Sr. and CES Boxing, Ortiz has carefully climbed the ladder with each fight more important than the last. His timeline is unmatched:

May 13, 2016: Stopped Josh Parker at the 3:00 mark of the opening round in his professional debut
December 7, 2017: Capped a perfect 4-0 year with a unanimous decision win over 13-win veteran Derrick Murray
May 11, 2018: Stopped Philadelphia’s Tyrone Luckey in the third round of a scheduled six-round bout to improve to 9-0
February 23, 2019: In biggest win of his career, defeated previously unbeaten Ricardo Quiroz of California to capture the vacant WBC World Youth Lightweight Title
August 9, 2019: Succeeded in first defense of his WBC title, beating French challenger Romain Couture by unanimous decision
February 28, 2020: Headlined first fight in his hometown of Worcester with a first-round knockout win over 22-win veteran Luis Castillo
November 28, 2020: Became the first fighter to stop challenger Sulaiman Segawa, finishing his opponent in the seventh round of a scheduled eight-round bout on the undercard of the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones pay-per-view event in California
April 24, 2021: In his first appearance on ESPN, fought to a draw against fellow unbeaten lightweight Joseph Adorno, surviving two knockdowns to keep his unbeaten record intact

There’s little Ortiz has yet to accomplish, but winning tomorrow night and capturing the NABF title immediately puts the entire lightweight division on notice. Truth be told, it’s a great time to be an up-and-comer at 135 pounds, and Ortiz has made it clear his goal is to compete for one of the coveted world titles in his weight class before the end of 2022.

There isn’t one particular fighter on his radar, but Ortiz is familiar with all of them, whether it’s Devin Haney, Gervonta Davis, or George Kambosos, all of whom are thriving amidst this unparalleled lightweight renaissance. Kambosos recently won the WBA, IBF, and WBO lightweight titles from Teofimo Lopez, who many considered the top name at 135 pounds after he beat Vasyl Lomachenko in October of 2020.

What’s evident is there’s no clear-cut leader of the pack; the household names such as Haney, Davis, Lomachenko, Kambosos, and Joseph Diaz are all capable of taking home a title on any given night – and it wouldn’t be a shock if other up-and-comers like Rolly Romero or Isaac Cruz found their way into the conversation by the end of the year. The division hasn’t seen depth like this since the Julio Cesar Chavez-Edwin Rosario-Pernell Whitaker-Ray Mancini era during the mid-‘80s to early-‘90s.

Like many young fighters, Ortiz is learning the ropes in and out of the ring. Six years into his career, he has a better understanding of the business side of the sport, which can often be as grueling as the beatings accrued between the ropes. After spending many years as an apprentice carpenter, Ortiz is now dabbling in real estate, trying his hand at the stock market and cryptocurrency and investing in properties, surrounding himself with the right team to ensure his financial success long after he finishes boxing.

Those, however, are long-term investments. The short-term goal is to clean house among 135-pounders. Who would dare doubt him? Given his success at every step of the way, there’s no reason the soft-spoken, yet hard-hitting, lightweight can’t be the next up-and-comer to join the current fraternity of rising stars in his weight class. Tomorrow night’s main-event showdown will provide answers to a lot of questions and perhaps introduce a worldwide audience to boxing’s next great champion.

Visit CESFights.com for more information. Updates on CES Boxing can also be found on Facebook in addition to Instagram and Twitter by following @CESBoxing.

INFORMATION

CES Boxing is one of the top promotions in the northeast and one of the few to successfully promote both mixed martial arts and professional boxing. Launched in 1992 by longtime boxing judge Jimmy Burchfield Sr., the promotion is the only in professional boxing to boast two reigning WBC Youth world champions in lightweight Jamaine Ortiz and featherweight Irvin Gonzalez. CES Boxing recently teamed with UFC FIGHT PASS, the world’s No. 1 streaming platform for combat sports, to showcase its events to a worldwide audience, and worked as a promotional consultant for the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. pay-per-view event in November of 2020.

ShoBox: The New Generation is boxing’s premier proving ground for top prospects determined to fight for a world title, matching young talent competitively against their toughest opponents to date. More than 75 ShoBox fighters have become world champions.

Ideally located just minutes from Walt Disney World® Resort, Caribe Royale Orlando blends home-style comforts with unbeatable hotel amenities for the ultimate Orlando experience. Beautifully appointed, all-suite guest rooms are designed to offer a peaceful retreat for vacationers and business travelers alike. Spanning 60 acres and packed with wonderful amenities, Caribe Royale guests are treated to an array of leisure activities and family-friendly experiences. Guests can lounge by the pool; indulge in luxurious spa treatments; enjoy poolside libations and alfresco dining; reserve a bicycle and explore the area, and much more. Additionally, their expansive hotel features a variety of event facilities ideal for hosting conventions, meetings, social celebrations, and destination weddings.

WBC #10- and IBF #9-ranked super middleweight Vladimir Shishkin (12-0, 7 KOs), as well as undefeated Detroit super welterweight Gordie Russ II (3-0, 3 KOs) have been added to the lineup in separate bouts for Salita Promotions’ next “Detroit Brawl” event, Saturday, March 5, 2022, in the Lincoln Ballroom of the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center in Dearborn, Michigan.

Waiting out the pandemic for an inevitable high-profile match-up against a champion or highly rated contender, former amateur star Shishkin, originally from Stepnoe, Russia, is now living and training at the Kronk Gym in Detroit with super trainer Javan “SugarHill” Steward. The talented Russian will look to stay sharp against Ecuadorian trialhorse Jeyson “Verdugo” Minda (14-6-1, 8 KOs), in a bout scheduled for eight rounds.

“I’m excited to add another adopted Detroiter to the card,” said event promoter, Dmitriy Salita. “Like the legendary Russian Five, who played a big role in bringing a Stanley Cup Championship to ‘America’s Greatest Comeback City’ Detroit. I believe Vladimir’s partnership with Sugarhill will soon result in another world title for the city of Detroit. And as a bonus for local boxing fans, they will get a chance to see another future world champion on this stacked Detroit Brawl card!”

Also training with Steward and added to the Detroit Brawl bill is his cousin, the aforementioned super welterweight Russ II, who will hope to keep his record perfect (currently 3-0, 3 KOs) against an opponent also TBA over four rounds.

Tickets for “Detroit Brawl” start at $35 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 during Box Office hours: Thursday and Friday from 11 am to 4 pm and 5 pm to 8:30 pm on the day of the event.

In the night’s 10-round heavyweight main event, Saginaw, Michigan, spoiler Robert Simms (11-3, 3 KOs) will test the mettle of undefeated New Yorker Moses “ThunderHands” Johnson (8-0, 7 KOs).

Featured in the 10-round super middleweight co-main event will be Detroit’s own Winfred “Hot Boy” Harris Jr. (21-1-1, 10 KOs) taking on another veteran known for pulling off occasional surprises, former NABA-US Super Middleweight Champion Dashon “Fly Boy” Johnson of Riverside, California.

Also seeing action will be undefeated middleweight terror Marlon Harrington (6-0, 5 KOs) stepping up in class to face Montevideo, Uruguay’s Andres Viera (11-4, 8 KOs) in a six-round brawl.

Featured in matching showcase bouts will be popular Grand Rapids, Michigan-based former amateur stars Joseph “Sug” Hicks Jr. (1-0, 1 KO) taking on Justin Baesman (0-2) of Herlong, California, and Joshua Pagan (1-0, 1 KO) in separate four-rounders.

Making their Detroit Brawl debuts against opponents TBA will be Dearborn’s own 19-year-old undefeated southpaw Husam Al Mashhadi (2-0, 2 KOs) in a super welterweight four-rounder; and Detroit’s Vernon Webber will hope to make his heavyweight pro debut a memorable one against Hammond, Indiana’s Gabriel Mota (1-2).

PLEASE NOTE: Tickets ordered online will be mailed up to one week prior to event date. Tickets ordered within a week of event will be placed in will call at the box office for pick-up. A limited quantity of VIP tickets is also available by calling Rhyan Neco: 313.765.7698.

The Ford Community & Performing Arts Center is located at 15801 Michigan Ave. in Dearborn. On fight night, doors open at 6:00 pm and the action starts at 7:00 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.

Atlantic City, NJ (February 16, 2022) –Super Middleweight Gabriel Pham is ready for his February 19th showdown with Demond Nicholson at The Live Casino & Hotel Maryland in Hanover, Maryland.

Pham of Atlantic City, New Jersey, has a record of 15-2 with eight knockouts. has been in training camp for over nine weeks, and is now preparing for the biggest fight of his career.

Pham is managed by longtime manager Rich Masini of MBM Masini Boxing Management and trained by Nick Rosario. Masini is very happy with the combination of the fighter and the trainer.

“Camp went well. One of my 1st full camps. Strength and condition and being trained by Nick. My Strength and Conditioning coach trains high level athletes. He is a step up. He is CJ Appenzeller.”

“Nicholson is a tough, experienced guy. Was a decorated amateur. But I am ready for him. I don’t know so much about him. His record speaks for itself. He has fought some good opponents. On paper he is the toughest guy that I would have fought with the most experience, When I fight better competition, it brings out the best in me.. A win will put me in the picture with the higher level super middleweights., I am 32 so we have to get it moving to title level fights. This is a tough and it will only get tougher from here,” said Pham

I am coming to win and impress and I look forward to this victory to open up doors for all of the big name super middleweights. I want to give a special thanks to Rich Masini who is my manager as well as my mentor he’s been here since 2007 and a lot of this wouldn’t be possible without him. I want to dedicate this fight to him and all our hard work.

“Nick and Gabby work very well together,” said Masini. “Nick Pushes him hard. Nick sought out the services of CJ Appenzeller who is a well renowned strength and conditioning coach who works with not only top level boxers as well as NFL, NBA , NHL and Major League players. He has a state-of-the-art facility that is 20,000 square feet. This offers us a chance to cover everything from boxing to health, nutrition supplements, meals, the proper way to stretch, swimming and strength and conditioning.

Masini goes on to say, “We have surrounded Gabby with the best possible situation for him to succeed. We realize that this will be an incredibly tough fight. It’s in Demond’s backyard, but we feel Gabby is really close to putting the final touches on a great camp. We hope to have a great 2022 that ends up with a shot at the title. In order to do that, we have to fight the best out there, and that starts with Demond Nicholson. Nicholson is a class act inside and outside the ring. We are excited for the challenge that Tony Jeter and his matchmaker Nick Tiberi presented us with.”
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UNCASVILLE, Conn. (Feb. 17, 2022) – No. 4-ranked Neiman Gracie (11-2) will lace up the BELLATOR gloves for the 12^th consecutive time when he takes on former four-time collegiate All-American wrestler and No. 5-ranked Logan Storley (12-1) to headline BELLATOR MMA 274: Gracie vs. Storley. The clash of top-10 welterweights takes place on Saturday, Feb. 19, at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

In the co-featured bout, former BELLATOR Welterweight Champion and No. 9-ranked Andrey Koreshkov (24-4) will return to action and open his 2002 campaign against Alliance MMA product and owner of seven first-round finishes Chance Rencountre (16-4) of Pawhuska, Okla. The main card also will feature a pair of returning BELLATOR MMA top-10 heavyweights as undefeated Jackson Wink product and No. 8-ranked Davion Franklin (4-0) squares off against three-time BELLATOR MMA veteran, American Top Team standout, and No. 9-ranked Said Sowma (8-2).

In preliminary action, Brennan Ward (14-6) will make his long-awaited return to the BELLATOR MMA cage following a nearly five-year layoff in a 175-pound contract weight bout against kingly Kentuckian Brandon Bell (10-10). Also, undefeated southpaw and Team Body Shop submission ace Jaylon Bates (4-0), of Portland, Ore., will make his fifth consecutive BELLATOR appearance when he takes on Albany, N.Y.’s own Chris Disonell (6-4), who will return to the promotion for the first time since August 2019. Moreover, a scintillating skirmish of once-beaten lightweights will pit fighters with two of the sport’s greatest nicknames as Mandel “Rat Garbage” Nallo (8-1, 1 NC) hopes to send Nick “Nyquil” Browne (12-1) into a glorious slumber.

SHOWTIME will televise the highly anticipated main card live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. Additionally, the must-watch preliminary fights will stream live three hours earlier at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT on the BELLATOR and SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channels, as well as Pluto TV.

Tickets for BELLATOR MMA 274: Gracie vs. Storley are on sale now at both Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com.

Here is what the fighters had to say on Thursday, Feb. 17:

NEIMAN GRACIE: NO. 4-RANKED BELLATOR WELTERWEIGHT

Click HERE for Gracie’s full media-day session

“It’s hard to say whether this is going to go to the fourth and fifth round. He’s a tough fighter. We never know. But I’m glad that we have more time because I’m a Gracie. I like to fight longer fights. Even no time limit if they let me.

“I think everything is going to be involved in this fight. I think there will be grappling, there will be striking. It’s going to be an all-around fight. It’s hard to predict things but judging by the way that he fights, I think there’s going to be more grappling.

“I’m very comfortable. This is one of the best training camps I’ve had. I’m very confident that I will win this fight. It’s hard to predict how, but I’m sure this fight is not going to go to the decision. I’ve prepared to face him anywhere. Wherever the fight goes, I’m ready.”

LOGAN STORLEY: NO. 5-RANKED BELLATOR WELTERWEIGHT

Click HERE for Storley’s full media-day session

“I’ve trained with the best guys in the world. The likes of Gilbert Burns for the last five years. So I’m ready. But at the same time, I know he’s very good on the ground. The family name. But I’m prepared and I’m ready to do what I have to do.

“You go out there and get a dominant performance, I would hope that puts you in line for the next title shot. But for me, the biggest thing is taking care of Saturday night.

“Being in the main event is the same thing, I guess. I’m excited that people are here for you. You’re the headliner. People are waiting for you for the main event. So that’s exciting. But once you step in there, it’s the same thing as any other fight.”

ANDREY KORESHKOV: NO. 9-RANKED BELLATOR WELTERWEIGHT

Click HERE for Koreshkov’s full media-day session

“For me, it doesn’t matter that my opponent changed. They are the same height, same reach, same stance. Southpaw. A little bit of the same style. Almost nothing changed.

“If I win against Chance, I want to fight a top guy. Somebody who is above me in the rankings. And after the next win, maybe I can fight for the title.

“Amasov vs. Page is a very interesting fight because Michael “Venom” Page has outstanding skills. He’s very uncomfortable for any fighter. Amasov has good wrestling. I think if he finds his distance and can take down “Venom” Page, he’ll win this fight. If he can’t find the distance, he has a big problem.”

DAVION FRANKLIN: NO. 8-RANKED BELLATOR HEAVYWEIGHT

Click HERE for Franklin’s full media-day session

“I don’t pay any attention to the rankings. I just pay attention to the kind of performances that I’m going to have. That’s what I look forward to. Said Sowma can be salty about the rankings all he wants, but none of that is going to matter when he steps into the cage with me.

“I’m looking to go in there and do my thing. The same as always. Nothing has changed. I’m fighting my fight.

“I think if I go out there and have the performance that I know I’m capable of, nobody is going to keep discrediting me and telling me I’m fighting bums. I’m not going to get these kinds of DM’s anymore. I think this is the fight to shut up all the critics. Shut up all the haters. And I’m going to do it.”

SAID SOWMA: NO. 9-RANKED BELLATOR HEAVYWEIGHT

Click HERE for Sowma’s full media-day session

“I was a little bit surprised I didn’t get a more established name. Franklin is a new up-and-coming prospect. Pretty powerful guy. Fast starter. I was hoping I would get someone more experienced or higher up in the rankings. But I guess he is above me, so he’s next on the list.

“I see this being a fast start and maybe a faster finish.

“I haven’t seen Franklin on the ground. I know he wrestled but I don’t know how long he’s been doing jiujitsu. I think he’s pretty new in the MMA world and jiujitsu experience comes a long way. I’ve been doing it for ten years so if it does go to the ground, I definitely have the advantage there.”

BRENNAN WARD: BELLATOR MIDDLEWEIGHT

Click HERE for Ward’s full media-day session

“It’s good to be back. It was a long road back. I struggled a lot. It was tough. It was a long four years away from the cage and I’m happy to be back at Mohegan Sun. I’m real proud to make my comeback at Mohegan Sun and put on a show for the fans and show everyone where I’ve been. I worked real hard to get back here. I’m going to put on a good show.

“I’ve been doing this for a long time. My first fight with BELLATOR was 2012. That’s 10 years ago. And before that, I wrestled at a high level collegiately. It is like riding a bike. I’m right back to feeling good. Cutting weight sucks. Who loves cutting weight? It’s like riding a bike. I’m right back to it. It’s natural. It doesn’t feel like four years to me. It really doesn’t.”

“I’ve watched some video on Bell. He’s a little muscle ball. He looks like he’s a strong dude. He looks like he’s pretty explosive but nothing that I haven’t seen before. I’ve fought some of the best dudes in the world. But I respect him as an opponent. I take everybody seriously. I don’t think that he can hang with me at any facet of the game. I guarantee you I’m in better shape than him. I’m probably just as strong, if not stronger. I can wrestle and I can swing. I’m going to bring you into a dog fight. That’s all I know how to do. That’s all I want to do. I don’t want to fight any other way.”

JAYLON BATES: BELLATOR LIGHT BANTAMWEIGHT

Click HERE for Bates’ full media-day session

“Disonell is a good opponent. I don’t know too much about him. I don’t look into my opponents too much but he’s a good opponent and were’ going to go handle business and have us a fight on Saturday.

“I do like the matchup this weekend. Make a statement or not. I might just take him down and submit him. I don’t know. It depends on how I feel when I get in there. But we’re going to come out with a ‘dub’ that’s for sure. And he’s not making it all three.

“I actually want four fights this year. I like to fight. I’m willing to even keep my pay the same to fight more. I just want to fight more. Get the constant experience of being in the cage, being around the BELLATOR team, being in the hotels, managing the weight, cutting the weight. I would like to fight more consistent. Every two or three months would be perfect. If I can get four in this year from BELLATOR, that would be a blessing but if not, I’m not complaining either. They’re doing a hell of a job with me.”

BELLATOR MMA 274: GRACIE VS. STORLEY MAIN CARD:

Saturday, Feb. 19 – live on SHOWTIME

9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT 

Welterweight Main Event: #4-Neiman Gracie (11-2) vs. #5-Logan Storley (12-1)

Welterweight Co-Main Event: #9-Andrey Koreshkov (24-4) vs. Chance Rencountre (16-4)

Lightweight Bout: Georgi Karakhanyan (31-12-1) vs. Adam Piccolotti (12-4)

Heavyweight Bout: #8-Davion Franklin (4-0) vs.#9–Said Sowma (8-2)

PRELIMINARY CARD: 

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV

6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT

Lightweight Bout: Mandel Nallo (8-1, 1 NC) vs. Nick Browne (12-1)

Bantamweight Bout: Jaylon Bates (4-0) vs. Chris Disonell (6-4)

Lightweight Bout: #9-Aviv Gozali (6-0) vs. Bobby King (10-4)

Flyweight Bout: #7-DeAnna Bennett (11-7-1) vs. Justine Kish (7-4)

175-Pound Contract Weight Bout: Brennan Ward (14-6) vs. Brandon Bell (10-10)

Middleweight Bout: Jordan Newman (3-0) vs. Cody Herbert (2-0)

Lightweight Bout: Justin Montalvo (4-0) vs. Corey Samuels (3-2)

Featherweight Bout: Isaiah Hokit (0-1) vs. Theodore Macuka (1-2)

Welterweight Bout: Orlando Mendoza (0-1) vs. Jonathan Di Lorenzo (1-0)

*Card subject to change.

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

****

Updated schedule of BELLATOR events

Sat., Feb. 19 / / BELLATOR 274: Gracie vs. Storley // Mohegan Sun Arena // Uncasville, Conn.

Fri. Feb. 25 // BELLATOR 275: Mousasi vs. Vanderford // 3Arena // Dublin, Ireland

Fri. Mar. 12 // BELLATOR 276: Borics vs. Burnell // The Family Arena // St. Louis, Mo.

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

Fri. May 6 // BELLATOR PARIS: Bader vs. Kongo 2 // Accor Arena // Paris, FRA

Fri. May 13 // BELLATOR LONDON: 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 ViacomCBS, 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 ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS, and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Amazon, Apple®, Google, LG Smart TVs, Oculus Go, Roku®, Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox One and PlayStation®4. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Amazon’s Prime Video Channels, Apple TV Channels, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, Hulu, The Roku Channel, Sling TV, and YouTube TV. Viewers can also watch on computers at Showtime.com. 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.