ORANGE, Calif. (May 19, 2015) – ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights” final broadcast features two outstanding fights in the heavyweight and junior middleweight divisions that will decide the 2015 Boxcino Champions.

The 10-round junior middleweight final showcases Boxcino tournament veteran Brandon Adams (16-1, 12 KOs) of Los Angeles against the smooth boxing skills of John Thompson (16-1, 5 KOs) of Newark, New Jersey. The finalists will compete for the Boxcino crown on Friday, May 22, from the Omega Products Outdoor Arena in Corona, Calif. Also on the line – the NABA Interim Super Welterweight title, and the WBO Intercontinental junior middleweight belt.

Tickets for the Boxcino Finals are priced at $50, $70, & $100, and are available for purchase online at ThompsonBoxing.com or by calling 714-935-0900.

The double main event features heavyweight talents Donovan Dennis (14-2, 11 KOs) of Davenport, Iowa and Andrey Fedosov (27-3, 22 KOs) of Russia in a 10-round fight to determine the 2015 Boxcino Heavyweight Champion. Dennis-Fedosov will also fight for the WBA Fedelatin and WBO Intercontinental heavyweight titles.

The Boxcino Tournament is Promoted by Banner Promotions and televised on ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights” (ESPN2 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT). The show on Friday is co-promoted through Thompson Boxing Promotions and Banner Promotions.

The undercard features crafty super bantamweight Isaac Zarate (10-1-1,1 KO) of Los Angeles against Fernando Fuentes (5-4-1, 1 KO) of Hemet, Calif. Outside of the two televised bouts, the 8-round fight between Zarate and Martinez is among the most eagerly anticipated fights of the night.

“Zarate is one of the most exciting, young boxers in the 122 lb. division,” said Ken Thompson, president of Thompson Boxing. “He won’t blow you away with power, but his hand speed and work rate are definitely worth the cost of admission.”

“I’m looking forward to a great night of boxing,” said Artie Pelullo, president of Banner Promotions. “It’s a great card all around, and the Boxcino finals will be fan friendly fights where two new world title contenders will emerge.”

Zarate, a southpaw, makes life difficult for opponents by using an unlimited energy supply to launch punches from all sorts of angles. He’s elusive in that he darts in and out of danger spots, which makes landing combinations on him a difficult matter.

“I try not to stay in the same spot for too long,” said the 23-year-old Zarate. “By moving and changing the pace, my opponents typically can’t time my movements.”

In other action, Colombian lightweight Andres Figueroa (5-0, 3 KOs) faces fellow prospect Angel Martinez (5-1-1, 1 KO) of San Antonio, Tex. in a 6-round fight.

Humberto Rubalcava (1-0, 1 KO), a Riverside native who turned professional in April, faces super bantamweight Richard Tallmadge, who will be making his pro debut (4-rounds).

A pair of young welterweights in Eridani Leon (2-1) of Mexico and Isaac Freeman (1-1, 1 KO) of Los Angeles square off in a 4-round bout.

Also, Canadian junior middleweight prospect Cody Crowley (3-0, 2 KOs) will fight an opponent to be named later (4-rounds).

Opening the event is undefeated super bantamweight Adam Lopez (11-0, 6 KOs) of San Antonio going up against the veteran Miguel Tamayo (16-12-2, 14 KOs) of Mexico (6-rounds).

The Omega Products Outdoor Arena is located at 1681 California Ave., Corona, CA 92881 and can be reached at 951-737-7447. Doors open at 5:45 p.m. PT. and the first bout begins at 6:15 p.m. PT.

For additional information please visit www.banner-promotions.com & ThompsonBoxing.com and. For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please check our Facebook page, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @bannerboxing and @ThompsonBoxing.

BOSTON (May 19, 2015) – Boston-area fans will be treated to fireworks this Memorial Day weekend as a full slate of exciting undercard fights come to Agganis Arena on Saturday, May 23. The undercard action is highlighted by Boston’s own Danny O’Connor (25-2, 9 KOs) taking on the fighting pride of Vermont, Chris Gilbert (13-1, 10 KOs) in an eight-round welterweight battle for the New England welterweight championship title.

Undercard fights will support the Premier Boxing Champions on NBC show featuring the super middleweight showdown between Olympic medalists Andre Dirrell (24-1, 16 KOs) and James DeGale (20-1, 14 KOs) and Edwin Rodriguez (26-1, 17 KOs) taking on the undefeated Craig Baker (16-0, 12 KOs).

O’Connor vs. Baker will put two of the most popular fighters in the New England area on display as the slick boxing O’Connor will look to pick apart the hard-charging Gilbert. The bout will be the final event of the evening and close down the show in spectacular fashion at Agganis Arena.

“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to fight Chris in Boston,” said O’Connor. “Being able to do what I love in front of my hometown fans that have supported me since day one is very meaningful to me”

“I’m very excited to have the opportunity to fight on such an amazing card,” said Gilbert. “I’m coming off a first round knockout last week and I plan to bring the same intensity, aggressiveness and hard hitting style into the ring this week. O’Connor has been at the top of the welterweight division, whether in the amateurs or pros, and I’m excited to see how my skills compare.”

“This is a fight that local fight fans have been eager to see for a long time,” said Ken Casey, President and CEO of Murphys Boxing. “New England’s premiere welterweight versus New England’s hardest hitting welterweight. Pride can be worth more than money sometimes and the right to call yourself ‘New England welterweight’ champ is very important to a fighter in this close knit community.”

The undercard will also feature a highly anticipated 10-round middleweight contest that pits Gary O’Sullivan (20-1, 13 KOs) against Melvin Betancourt (29-1, 23 KOs) as both men look to prove themselves as contenders in the division.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Murphys Boxing, are priced at $250, $200, $100, $75, $50 and $35, not including applicable service charges and taxes, and are on sale now. Tickets will be available at www.ticketmaster.com. To charge by phone, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.

Further action will feature the six round featherweight bout between local favorite Ryan Kielczweski (22-1, 6 KOs) and Anthony Napunyi (15-14, 8 KOs) and a six round junior lightweight bout that showcases Logan McGuinness (22-0-1, 10 KOs) taking on Christian Esquivel (17-13, 15 KOs). Plus undefeated prospect Immanuel Aleem (12-0, 8 KOs) facing David Toribio (21-14, 14 KOs) in a six or eight round middleweight swing bout.

Also stepping into the ring at Agganis Arena is undefeated knockout artist Jonathan Guzman (18-0, 18 KOs) who takes on Christian Esquivel (27-6, 20 KOs) in an eight-round junior featherweight matchup. Heavyweight prospect Danny Kelly (7-1-1, 1 KO) will take on Curtis Lee Tate (7-5, 6 KOs) in a six-round heavyweight attraction while Antonio Russell (1-0,1 KO) taking on Brandon Garvin (0-1) in a four round bantamweight fight. Kicking off the action in the arena is undefeated prospect Edwin Espinal (5-0, 4 KOs) who will take on Alvaro Enriquez (12-13-2, 4 KOs) in a four round light heavyweight fight.

A former National Golden Gloves champion who has fought as a pro since 2008, O’Connor was set to face former two-division champion Paulie Malignaggi, but will now return home for a May 23 bout. The 30-year-old out of Framingham, Massachusetts is coming off of back-to-back knockout victories over Michael Clark and Andrew Farmer and looks to leave a big impression on his hometown fans.

A hard-hitting fighter out of Windsor, Vermont, Gilbert has become a staple throughout New England, appearing on cards all around the region since turning pro in 2011. The 30-year-old boasts an impressive knockout percentage and just last week recorded his tenth professional stoppage with a first round knockout over Raphael Valenzuela. He takes a step up in competition when he battles O’Connor on May 23.

A resident of Cork, Ireland, O’Sullivan will be fighting for the fifth time as a professional in the state of Massachusetts, where he is yet to lose. At 30-years-old, he has won his last four fights since a defeat to Billy Joe Saunders in 2013, including three straight by knockout. He will take on a strong opponent making his U.S. debut in Betancourt. The fighter out of Villa Gonzalez, Dominican Republic has won nine fights in a row.

A runner-up in the 2008 National Golden Glove tournament, the 25-year-old Kielczweski has become a staple fighting in his home state of Massachusetts. Born and raised in Quincy, he hopes to rebound from the first loss of his career, a split decision defeat to Danny Aquino in April of this year. He will take on the 32-year-old Napunyi, who is coming off of a third round TKO victory over Joshua Omukhulu in January of this year. Fighting out of Canal Point, Florda, he hopes to make it back-to-back victories on May 23.

Fighting out of Ontario, Canada, McGuinness will make his second start in the U.S. after debuting in April with a first round TKO over Carlos Fulgencio at Memorial Hall in Massachusetts. The 27-year-old will take on the 35-year-old Cuevas out of Mexico City.

An undefeated prospect out of Richmond, Virginia, the 21-year-old Aleem will take on the very dangerous and experienced 35-year-old Toribio out of Miami.

With a perfect knockout percentage, the 25-year-old Guzman looks to build off of his Massachusetts debut, which saw him knockout Juan Guzman in the fifth round in February of this year. Fighting out of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic he returns to the ring to take on 28-year-old Esquivel out of Temoaya, Mexico.

The 23-year-old Kelly will return to the same city where he delivered a first round TKO of Eric Newell in June 2014 looking for another big victory. The fighter out of Washington D.C. will take on the 31-year-old Tate out of Oakland, Tennessee.

Another native of Washington D.C., Russell made his professional debut this year with a second round knockout over Harold Reyes in January. The 22-year-old takes on Philadelphia’s Garvin.

A 22-year-old prospect who has racked up five wins since turning pro in February of this year, Espinal will get back in the ring again on May 23. The fighter out of Providence, Rhode Island will take on the 33-year-old Enriquez out of Tlaxcala, Mexico.

BRISTOL (19 MAY) By Lee Haskins: I don’t envy the task facing Ryosuke Iwasa next month. Not only does he have to fight me, he also has to fight me in Bristol of all places. For a man that has never fought outside his native Japan before, this could prove to be one hell of a hurdle to overcome.

My guess is that he won’t find it easy at all. I don’t know what sort of reception the Bristolians will give him, but I can’t imagine it will be too welcoming. I can’t see him getting too many cheers. That’s all part of boxing, though. I’ve had the same treatment when I’ve boxed away.

My last fight, for example, took place in Monte Carlo. And though it wasn’t in my opponent’s hometown, it was still yet another fight away from home, in France against a Frenchman. I’m used to it now.

My opponent in Monte Carlo, Omar Lamiri, was very awkward and difficult at times. I hurt him early on in the first round and then he didn’t want to know too much. He was trying to spoil after that. Whenever I came in, he’d throw some crazy punches and hope to catch me. I wanted him to come at me and put on my back foot a little bit – so I could open him up and counterpunch him – but he just wouldn’t play my game. He wouldn’t come forward or throw too many shots. So, in the end, it was me who initiated the action and came forward. It got messy at times, but I thought it was still a good fight. I felt in control.

The good news is we’re able to hang on to that European title I won against Lamiri, and we’ll see what happens to it after this fight on June 13. If I was to somehow lose on June 13, I’d be able to keep the European and defend it at some point. But I’m really not contemplating that at this stage. All my focus is on beating Iwasa and getting that IBF world bantamweight title.

I always dreamed about becoming a world champion, before I even started boxing, and I always thought I’d fight for a major title. But then I got to a point in my pro career where I started thinking, maybe I’ll just never get one. Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. People kept asking me when I was going to get a world title shot and it started to get a bit annoying after a while. I had to tell them I wasn’t really worried about the world title and that I was just concentrating on winning fights.

What I used to do was get a fight and then look past it to the next one. I’d always be thinking one step ahead – but not in a good way. It meant I wouldn’t be as focused or train as hard as I should have done. That’s when slip-ups happen and you go downhill a little bit. I know that now.

I’m just delighted this fight has come around and I’ve now got the opportunity. That’s all I ever wanted – the opportunity. Win or lose, I can say I have fulfilled my dreams of fighting for a version of the world title. I’ve won every major belt and, on June 13, I can say I’ve also fought for a world title. I’ve done everything I could possibly do in this game and I’m a very happy guy.

What makes me even happier is that I know this opportunity has come along at the right time for me. While I’ve always been a good fighter, I lacked concentration and discipline in training and there were a lot of vital things I didn’t do back in the early days. But now I’m older and wiser and I train a lot harder than I did in my twenties. That, in turn, makes me a much better fighter.

I’ve also got kids and responsibilities now, which force you to grow up and mature as a person. That has definitely helped improve me as a boxer. It’s kept me grounded. It’s made me realise the importance of staying in the gym and winning fights. It took a little while.

Saying that, though, straight after this fight on June 13 I’m booked to go to Magaluf for a stag-do. I guess I’m still a big kid at heart.

*** Bristol’s Lee Haskins and Japanese star Ryosuke Iwasa contest the vacant IBF interim world bantamweight title on June 13 at the Action Indoor Sports Centre, Bristol, LIVE on Channel 5 ***

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BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, U.S.A. – On Friday night, May 22, 2015, undefeated professional boxer, Gervonta “Tank” Davis (Baltimore, Maryland/pro record: 10-0, 9 KOs) returns to the ring against Alberto “Ironman” Mora Zuniga (Mexico/pro record: 5-3-0, 1 KO) at the Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Davis’ bout on the “Rumble At The Claridge” fight card is scheduled for eight rounds, and will be presented by King’s Promotion, in association with DeeLee Promotions. The main event on May 22 will be Juan Dominguez (Brooklyn, NY/pro record: 18-0, 12 KOs) vs. Jonathan Perez (Colombia/pro record: 33-10, 27 KOs). No television information has been announced for the May 22 fight.

In his previous fight on February 20, 2015, Davis defeated Puerto Rico’s Israel “Macho” Suarez (Puerto Rico/pro record: 4-5-2, 1 KO) at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, winning by knockout at 2:13 of Round 1. Moments into the fight, the twenty-year-old Davis dropped Suarez with a vicious barrage of punches, ending the contest after just 47 seconds.

Davis wants to continue his success in New Jersey. He stated, “I’m excited for my first eight round fight on Friday night at the Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City. I’m fighting at 130 lbs just to see how my power and speed feels at that weight. The other night, I ran from East Baltimore to West Baltimore and my wind was great. I know there are a lot of people coming up from Baltimore to see me fight on Friday. I will be ready for whatever my opponent tries to do.”

Gervonta said this fight has special meaning for him. “I’m dedicating this fight to Valerie Barnes, who recently died from cancer. She was my best friend’s mother. Justin “Fiddle” Carter is like a brother to me, and his family is my family. His mom treated me like her son, and I appreciate everything she did for me. I’m wearing pink for this fight and her name will be written on my trunks. On fight night, my team will wear ‘Fight Cancer’ t-shirts in her memory.”

The city of Baltimore garnered national headlines this month, in the aftermath of the controversial death of Freddie Gray. Citizen unrest, rioting, and looting necessitated the help of the National Guard to restore order and stabilize the city. Davis said, “My neighborhood was in the middle of it all. Lots of people in my city are angry about things they see every day. I want to show people that they can work out their frustrations and do positive things with their lives. This fight on May 22 is also dedicated to my people in the city of Baltimore.”
Davis’ longtime boxing trainer Calvin Ford said, “Within the last month, Gervonta participated in peaceful youth gatherings, school visits, and lots of community events. Councilman Nick Mosby has given support to our team and he participates in many of Gervonta’s endeavors. We recently had a big event at Upton Boxing Gym. Gervonta had a sparring session with Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, and she presented him with a community award. He is doing the right things to become a real leader for his community, and I’m proud of him.”

Ford addressed the upcoming fight. He said, “I do have some concerns going into this fight. Gervonta is fighting his first eight-rounder, and we are trying the 130 lbs weight class to see how he performs. My sources tell me that our opponent, Alberto Mora Zuniga, is a scrappy fighter. He has lots of experience, and he’s looking forward to challenging an undefeated fighter. He also has several wins by knockout in Mexico that aren’t listed on his pro record. We’ve had multiple distractions and interruptions in this camp because of the events in Baltimore, but we’ve worked through them. We have a very effective game plan. Gervonta just needs to stay focused leading into this fight, and we will be victorious.”

Davis added, “I’ll be ready on May 22. I want media and the fans to keep me in mind as a top prospect for 2015. For those of you coming to the fight, you will see me put on a great show. Thank you to my manager Al Haymon and promoter Marshall Kauffman of King’s Promotions for allowing me to fight on Friday’s card. Thank you to my team, Shoe City, Yekim Customs, Tvche, Everlast, Nike Boxing, Athlete Performance Solutions, Baltimore Parks and Recreation, Upton Boxing Center, Rashaan Brave, Arli Lima, Trevor Holman of Holman Photos, Ethika, and Councilman Nick Mosby for all of their support. On Friday night, I will be 11-0. Keep supporting me, and I’ll fight for you.”
General admission tickets ($50) to Davis’ fight on Friday, May 22 can be purchased in Baltimore by calling (410) 622 6034. Tickets are also available online at www.claridge.eventbrite.com, with ticket prices listed at $100 (VIP), $75 (Ringside) and $50 (General Admission), plus taxes and fees. Weigh-ins on May 21 will be open to the public, and will take place on the 3rd Floor of the Claridge Hotel. On fight night, May 22, the doors of the Celebrity Theater (located within the Claridge Hotel) will open at 6:00 pm, with the first fight scheduled for 6:45 pm. The Claridge Hotel is located at 123 S Indiana Ave, Atlantic City, NJ, 08401. Self-parking is $12, and Valet parking is $15. The Claridge Hotel phone is (844) 224-7386 or (609) 487-4444.

Follow Gervonta Davis on Instagram: @GervontaDavis or http://instagram.com/gervontadavis
Follow Gervonta Davis on Twitter: @GervontaDavis or https://twitter.com/GervontaDavis
Follow Gervonta Davis on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GervontaTankDavis

PHOENIX – May 18, 2015 – Boxing in Arizona is alive and well, as Iron Boy Promotions kicks off Iron Boy 22 fight week, and its second consecutive fight week in a row. Phoenix boxing fans are still reeling from Jose Benavidez Jr.’s successful world title defense last Friday at US Airways Center versus a very game Jorge Paez, Jr. That event, produced by Top Rank Boxing in association with Iron Boy Promotions, brought new faces out to enjoy Arizona’s talent, and furthered Arizona’s re-emergence as a boxing hotbed in the eyes of fans nationwide, as the event was televised nationally on TruTV.

Iron Boy Promotions returns to Celebrity Theatre Saturday to showcase up-and-coming Phoenix and Tucson talent, and will once again offer boxing fans a free, high quality live stream of the event at www.ironboyboxing.com.

In his first hometown appearance in over a year, 23-year old welterweight Jose Marruffo (5-2-1, 0KO) will face Tucson’s Rashawn McCain (2-3, 0KO) in a six round contest. Both fighters are known for their all-in, all-heart style in the ring. It’s this style that earned Marruffo respect of boxing fans in New Mexico when he dropped a controversial decision to Albuquerque’s Josh Torres in August of last year. Torres walked away with the USNBC title, but Marruffo won the crowd with a spectacular performance that was overlooked by the judges. Local boxing media embraced Marruffo as their own, keeping Albuquerque fans up to date on his career progress. Marruffo has since earned his fifth victory, winning a wide unanimous decision over favored Alberto Herrera, brother of Mauricio Herrera, in a six round contest in Herrera’s hometown in March.

Emilio “Milo Time” Garcia (9-1-1, 2KO) makes his long-awaited return to the ring Saturday, in a six round super bantamweight bout. It will be Garcia’s first fight this year, and his fans are greatly anticipating the opportunity to call out, “What time is it?” as Garcia makes his way to the ring. The answer, by the way, is “Milo Time,” and Garcia looks to impress in his 2015 debut.

Iron Boy Boxing’s newest signee, Tucson-based junior welterweight Alfonso Olvera, makes his Phoenix debut at Iron Boy 22. Olvera is coming off a majority decision win over California’s Abraham Lopez on the undercard of May 1st’s Beltran vs. Ao card in Las Vegas.

Iron Boy Boxing prospects Junior Rodriguez (1-0, 1KO) and Edgar Brito (3-1-1, 2KO) make their returns in separate bouts. Rodriguez was slated to fight at Iron Boy 20 in April, but was sidelined with an illness during fight week. Rodriguez wowed fans in his debut, scoring a first round knockout over Fernando Alvarez in his February professional debut.

Nate Gallimore, Eddie De La Huerta and Edgar Nava round out the card.
The official Iron Boy 22 weigh-in will take place Friday, May 22nd at Crescent Crown Distributing, 1640 W. Broadway Road in Mesa at 5p.m. It is open to the public and fans are encouraged to attend.

Iron Boy 22 takes place this Saturday, May 23rd at Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona. Doors are at 4pm, and first bell is at 5pm. The event streams live and free beginning at 7:30PST at www.ironboyboxing.com. Tickets are priced $30, 50 and 65, and are available at www.ironboyboxing.com or at the Celebrity Theatre Box Office.

Las Vegas – UFC® announced today that The Ultimate Fighter® Finale, originally scheduled for South Florida, will now cap off the 4th annual UFC International Fight Week™ (IFW) in Las Vegas, with the event taking place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Sunday, July 12, the night after the double title fight mega-card UFC 189: ALDO vs. MCGREGOR, in the same venue. From July 8 through July 12, the UFC will host over a dozen events with more opportunities than ever to meet UFC stars with the newly expanded UFC Fan Expo®. Attracting fans from around the world, UFC International Fight Week has truly become a global celebration of combat sports.

This year, the UFC Fan Expo is taken to a new level as it takes over the Sands Expo at Venetian/Palazzo, where it will have the largest footprint of any previous Expo ever held in Las Vegas. Delivering over 555,000 square feet of a fully interactive and immersive UFC fan experience, the UFC Fan Expo will also boast one of the largest lineups of combat sports tournaments held under one roof with 4,000 athletes from over 30 countries competing in eight different sports.

Fans attending UFC Fan Expo will have access to the 2015 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, UFC Reebok experience, and truly immerse themselves in the fighter’s life – from having their hands wrapped, to measuring their hand speed and strength against the pros, as well as stepping into the sacred Octagon®.

Beginning May 18, fans can pre-register and join the UFC fan community at www.ufcregister.com to make the most of their UFC International Fight Week experience. They can earn UFC Rewards points and automatically upload UFC activation images and video to their Facebook and Twitter accounts.

UFCFightWeek.com is the official destination for the most current list of scheduled events, with an official UFC International Fight Week App launching late-June in the Apple and Google Play stores.

The following events are currently scheduled for UFC International Fight Week:

Wednesday, July 8
· IMMAF Amateur MMA World Championships at The Flamingo (beginning Monday, July 6)
· Official UFC 189 Open Workouts
· UFC Community Day

Thursday, July 9
· IMMAF Amateur MMA World Championships at The Flamingo
· USJJO Ju-Jitsu National Championships at Harrah’s Las Vegas
· Liquid pool party at Aria hosted by UFC stars
· Official UFC 189 press conference at MGM Grand
· Charity bowling at Brooklyn Bowl with UFC fighters

Friday, July 10
· UFC Fan Expo (Day I)
o USBJJF American Jiu Jitsu Championships (Gi and No Gi)
o WAKO North American Amateur Kickboxing Championship
o ISKA Vegas Open
o The Ultimate Wrestling Championships
· UFC Gym® Fitness Challenge ($35,000 Prize Money)
· Official UFC 189 Weigh-In at MGM Grand Garden Arena
· Official UFC 189 UFC Kit Unveil at MGM Grand Garden Arena
· Meet UFC stars as they takeover downtown Las Vegas
· UFC presents free concert at Fremont Street Experience
· USJJO Ju-Jitsu US International Open at Harrah’s Las Vegas

Saturday, July 11
· UFC Fan Expo (Day II)
o IMMAF Amateur MMA World Championships Finals
o USBJJF American Kids Jiu Jitsu Championships
o WAKO North American Amateur Kickboxing Championship
o ISKA Vegas Open
o The Ultimate Wrestling Championships
· Ulti-man 5k with UFC President Dana White in support of Three Square
· UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at UFC Fan Expo
· UFC 189: ALDO vs. MCGREGOR at MGM Grand Garden Arena
· UFC 189 viewing parties at MGM, Ri Ra Irish Pub, Double Barrel and more
· Official UFC 189 After Party

Sunday, July 12
· Bud Light Pool Party at Monte Carlo Resort and Casino
· The Ultimate Fighter Finale at MGM Grand Garden Arena

Tickets for UFC Fan Expo are currently on sale at www.ufcfanexpo.com with two day passes beginning at $60 online and $65 onsite. One-day passes begin at $35 online and $45 onsite. *Events are subject to change.

For additional information please visit UFC.com, and follow UFC Fight Week on Twitter @UFCFightWeek.

###

About UFC®
UFC® is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in 134 countries and territories to over 700 million TV households worldwide in 21 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT® (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, UFC branded apparel, DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (May 18, 2015) – A card loaded with explosive contests has received one more potential slugfest, as middleweight sluggers Joe “Stitch ‘Em Up” Schilling (2-4) and Hisaki Kato (4-1) will clash in the fourth and final main-card matchup of next month’s “Bellator MMA: Kongo vs. Volkov” event which airs live on Spike.

Headlined by a heavyweight contest between French striking specialist Cheick Kongo (22-10-2) and former Bellator MMA Heavyweight World Champion Alexander “Drago” Volkov (24-5), “Bellator MMA: Kongo vs. Volkov” takes place June 26 at Kansas Star Event Center Arena in Mulvane, Kan.

Additional matchups include lightweights Dave “The Caveman” Rickels (16-3) vs. John “The Natural” Alessio (35-17) and former Bellator MMA Featherweight Champion Pat “Paddy Mike” Curran (20-7) taking on Goiti Yamauchi (18-2).

The night’s main card airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/ 8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts stream on Spike.com. Additional bouts will be announced shortly.

Tickets for “Bellator MMA: Kongo vs. Volkov,” which start at just $17 and include cage side seats for just $97, are currently available at Ticketmaster.com.

The 31-year-old Schilling has been fighting professionally since 2006, starting his combat sports career in muay Thai, where he earned both U.S. and world titles. Since he’s turned his focus to MMA, Schilling continues to compete in kickboxing events, as well, working his way to GLORY’s Last Man Standing tournament this past June, competing three times in a single evening. Schilling made his Bellator MMA debut in November, scoring a “Knockout of the Year” candidate stoppage of noted striker Melvin Manhoef.

A karate stylist who first made his name in Japan in the sport of Kudo – a hybrid version of MMA that involves fighting in a gi, gloves and a mask – the 32-year-old Kato will fight in the U.S. on June 26th for the first time. Kato’s transition in 2013 to traditional MMA rules has proven to be a rousing success, as he’s earned four knockout victories in his first five bouts. Three of those wins were earned in the first round, including an April 2014 victory that came in just 53 seconds.

“Bellator MMA: Kongo vs. Volkov” – Friday, June 26, Kanas Star Event Center Arena, Mulvane, Kansas

Bellator Heavyweight Main Event: Cheick Kongo (22-10-2) vs. Alexander Volkov (24-5)
Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Dave Rickels (16-3) vs. John Alessio (35-17)
Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Pat Curran (20-7) vs. Goiti Yamauchi (18-2)
Bellator Middleweight Feature Fight: Joe Schilling (2-4) vs. Hisaki Kato (4-1)

About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 400 million homes worldwide in over 120 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA 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 Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About Spike:
Spike is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

About Kansas Star Arena
The Kansas Star Arena, a Boyd Gaming facility, is located just off Exit 33 on the Kansas Turnpike and is adjacent to the Kansas Star Casino. The 42,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Kansas Star Arena is south-central Kansas’ home for big-name national acts such as Journey, Pat Benatar, Championship Rodeo, mixed martial arts events and more. The Arena accommodates up to 6,500 guests for headliner events. In 2014, Midwest Gaming and Travel awarded the Kansas Star more than 25 honors in its annual Reader’s Choice Awards, including “Best Concert Venue” in the state of Kansas. For more information, visit kansasstarcasino.com. Connect with Kansas Star Arena at facebook.com/kansasstararena and www.kansasstarcasino.com/entertain/arena. Headquartered in Las Vegas, Boyd Gaming is a leading diversified owner and operator of 22 gaming entertainment properties located in Nevada, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and New Jersey. Boyd Gaming and Kansas Star Casino press releases are available at boydgaming.mediaroom.com.

LAS VEGAS (May 18, 2015) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) has released women’s world strawweight (115 pounds) champion Jessica “JAG” Aguilar from her remaining contractual obligations that spanned one additional fight with the world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion, so that she can ideally pursue competition where it is strongest in her weight division.

“We wish Jessica all the best, and hope that she will achieve everything she wants to in her career that is blossoming,” said WSOF President Ray Sefo. “We sat down with Jessica and her manager and we all agreed that she needs to move on to a place where she can compete against the best 115 pound women in the world.

“We have an incredible and fast-growing roster of world-class athletes at WSOF,” continued Sefo, “but we do not have the best fighters in this particular women’s weight class, so it was time to shake hands and amicably part ways.”

WSOF action returns to NBCSN live on Friday, June 5 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

In the main event of a world championship doubleheader, reigning WSOF world bantamweight champion Lance Palmer (9-1) of Sacramento, Calif. will put his title on the line for the first time when he collides with Chris Horodecki (21-5-1) of London, Ontario, Canada.

In the world heavyweight championship co-main event, Smealinho “The Prince” Rama (9-1) of Calgary, Alberta, Canada will risk his title for the first time against Blagoi Ivanov (11-1) of Sofia, Bulgaria.

About “World Series of Fighting” (WSOF)
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a world wide premier professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters from around the world. For more information please visit WSOF.com. Follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and “World Series of Fighting” President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.

ORANGE, Calif. (May 18, 2015) – This Friday night at the Omega Products Outdoor Arena, the 2015 Boxcino finals will take place in the heavyweight and jr. middleweight divisions.

The fights will be televised on ESPN Friday Night Fights beginning at 10 PM ET.

The 2015 Boxcino Tournament is promoted by Banner Promotions.

Friday’s show is promoted by Thompson Boxing and Banner Promotions.

The stakes just grew even more as two more belts have been added to each final bout.

In the heavyweight final between Andrey Fedosov and Donovan Dennis, the WBA Fedelatin and the WBO Intercontinental titles will be on the line, in addition to the Boxcino 2015 Heavyweight championship.

In the Jr. middleweight bout between Brandon Adams and John Thompson, the NABA Interim Super Welterweight title as well as the WBO Intercontinental Jr. Middleweight belts will be contested for, in addition to the Boxcino 2015 Jr. Middleweight title.

The Omega Products Outdoor Arena is located at 1681 California Ave., Corona, CA 92881 and can be reached at 951-737-7447. Doors open at 5:45 p.m. PT and the first bout begins at 6:15 p.m. PT.

For additional information please visit www.banner-promotions.com & ThompsonBoxing.com and. For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please check our Facebook page, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @bannerboxing and @ThompsonBoxing.

LOS ANGELES (May 18, 2015) — Former two-division world champion and highly-rated pound for pound fighter TIMOTHY “Desert Storm” BRADLEY JR. and undefeated World Boxing Association (WBA) super lightweight world champion JESSIE VARGAS will make their long-awaited 2015 debuts when they square off in a 12-round welterweight rumble, Saturday, June 27, under the stars at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. The Southern California natives’ fight will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing, beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

These two gladiators boast a combined record of 57-1-1 (21 KOs) — a winning percentage of 97%.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Tecate, tickets to the Bradley vs. Vargas welterweight event go on sale Tomorrow! Tuesday, May 19, at 10:00 a.m. PT. Priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25, (plus applicable taxes and fees), tickets can be purchased online at http://www.axs.com, by telephone at (888) 929-7849 or at the StubHub Center box office, Monday – Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Suites are available by calling (877) 604-8777. For information on group discounts, please call (877) 234-8425.

“I’m excited to be back in the ring with an undefeated champion,” said Bradley. “I look forward to the challenge and to take his 0 away from him on June 27th.”

“I am thrilled to have this fight,” said Vargas. “I will be facing a very talented fighter and when you have two great talents with a lot of heart it always makes for a great fight. I always elevate my game against better competition. I am ready to show and prove that I am one of the best fighters out there. There is not one doubt in my mind that everyone will enjoy this fight. I look forward to giving the fans the best of Jessie Vargas on June 27. ”

“Tim Bradley, one of the sport’s elite fighters, will be looking to take another big step toward regaining a world title belt, while Jessie Vargas, a young and hungry world champion, will be moving up to a new weight division in the biggest test of his professional career. It’s a great matchup of Southern California natives in a perfect setting for their fans at StubHub Center,” said Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank.

“The last time Timothy Bradley, Jr., entered the ring at the StubHub, he left having given the fans the fight of the year,” said Peter Nelson, Vice President of programming, HBO Sports. “Now, he returns for his 2015 debut against one of boxing’s undefeated rising attractions, Jessie Vargas, in a fight that augurs to have great action and impact in the loaded welterweight division.”

Bradley (31-1-1, 12 KOs), from Palm Springs, Calif., a former two-division world champion, from 2008 to 2014, who unified the junior welterweight titles twice during his previous four-year reign, returns to the ring following a controversial draw against one-time interim world champion Diego Chaves last December. The judges were taken to task by ringside media who had Bradley winning handily, an argument bolstered by the fact that Bradley landed 73 more punches than Chaves and controlled almost every round. Bradley continues his comeback since suffering his first professional loss, in his welterweight championship rematch against Fighter of the Decade Manny Pacquiao on April 12, 2014. Before the Pacquiao rematch, Bradley posted three consecutive career-best victories. After moving up in weight and beating Pacquiao in 2012 to capture the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown, Bradley co-starred in the Fight of the Year on March 16, 2013, at StubHub Center, winning a brutal 12-round decision over future world champion Ruslan Provodnikov though Bradley was suffering from a concussion throughout most of the fight. Seven months later, Bradley encored with a virtuoso performance in defeating three-division world champion and Mexican icon Juan Manuel Márquez on October 12, 2013, proving that Bradley is indeed one of boxing’s elite pound for pound fighters.

Vargas (26-0, 9 KOs), a native of Los Angeles who now lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, is trained by former four-division world champion and future Hall of Famer Roy Jones, Jr. Vargas captured the WBA super lightweight title on April 19, 2014 in Las Vegas, winning a unanimous decision over undefeated defending champion Khabib Allakhverdiev. It was a close and competitive fight that proved Vargas’ grit as he bit down hard during the championship rounds to pull away with the victory and the world championship belt. Vargas successfully defended his title twice that same year, winning unanimous decisions over undefeated contender Anton Novikov in Las Vegas and former world champion Antonio DeMarco in Macao, China on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao – Chris Algieri world welterweight pay-per-view card. Vargas’ impressive resume also includes victories over former world champions Stevie Forbes and Vivian Harris and top contenders Josesito Lopez, Lucky Boy Omotoso, Ray Narh and Lanardo Tyner.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtags #BradleyVargas to join the conversation on Twitter.

LAS VEGAS (May 18, 2015) – The lineup for World Series of Fighting’s (WSOF.com) world championship doubleheader on Friday, June 5 continues to come together, and six contests featuring some of Canada’s top up-and-coming fighters, not to mention a Brazilian veteran, traveling to hostile territory, have been booked for the evening’s preliminary card.

The new additions include lightweights Stephen “Big Bad” Beaumont (7-2) vs. Mukai “The Afrikan Assassin” Maromo (8-4), light heavyweights Victor “The Finnisher” Valimaki (18-9) vs. Thiago Goncalves (17-4), welterweights Mark “Sweet Dreams” Drummond (7-2) vs. Michael “The Messenger” Hill (7-3), lightweights Garret “Nasty” Nybakken (7-7) vs. Nick “The Savage” Hrabec (3-1), middleweights Marcus “The Loudmouth Assassin” Hicks (20-24) vs. Matt “The Riotmaker” Baker (12-7) and lightweights Mike “The Storm” Scarcello (7-3-1) vs. Dan “Daniel San” Lariviere (4-2).

Headlined by a world featherweight (145 pounds) championship showdown between reigning kingpin Lance Palmer (9-1) and Canadian challenger and battle-tested veteran Chris “The Polish Hammer” Horodecki (21-5-1), WSOF 21: Palmer vs. Horodecki will also feature a much-anticipated contest between WSOF World Heavyweight Champion Smealinho “The Prince” Rama (9-1), who will put his coveted title on the line against Bulgarian standout Blagoi Ivanov (11-1).

The night’s main card airs live on NBCSN, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, while preliminary bouts stream live on WSOF.com.

Tickets for the event, which start at just $56, are currently on sale at Ticketmaster.com.

Stephen Beaumont, a Hayabusa Training Centre fighter from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, makes his WSOF debut. Six on Beaumont’s nine professional fights have ended in the opening round. He now meets cross-town rival Maromo and fellow WSOF newcomer Mukai Maromo, who was born in Zimbabwe but now trains at Edmonton’s Complete Fitness and Martial Arts.

A true veteran of the sport with 14 years of experience, Victor Valimaki hails from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and trains at UFC Gym Sherwood Park. Valimaki has shown well-rounded skills in his career, earning six of his career wins by knockout and another seven by submission. He now faces 34-year-old veteran Thiago Goncalves of Maceio, Alagoas, Brazil. With 11 years of professional experience, Goncalves has built an impressive career mark fighting around the globe and is now part of the fast-rising Pitbull Brothers fight team.

Mark Drummond hails from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and trains at Complete Fitness and Martial Arts. After losing in his professional debut in 2010, Drummond has since gone 7-1 in his past eight appearances, including a February knockout over Spencer Jebb at WSOF 18. Meanwhile, Michael Hill fights under the WSOF banner for the third time after previously banking a decision win over Ryan Dickson and a TKO of Richard Arsenault.

Garret Nybakken of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, looks for his first WSOF victory after falling short in his promotional debut in February against Dan Lariviere. He faces fellow Edmonton-based fighter Nick Hrabec, who looks to make a positive impact in his promotional debut.

Marcus Hicks, of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, is undefeated under the WSOF banner, racking up first-round submission victories over Graham Park and Markhaile Wedderburn. Meanwhile, Matt Baker – a Team Nogueira fighter from Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada – has become a mainstay on the WSOF schedule, making his sixth appearance for the promotion.

Mike Scarcello, a Hayabusa Training Centre fighter out of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, brings a four-fighting winning streak to the cage. He now meets Dan Lariviere of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, who is 3-1 in his past four fights, including a February win over Garret Nybakken at February’s WSOF 18 event.

MAIN CARD

World Featherweight Championship:
(Champion) Lance Palmer (9-1) vs. (Challenger) Chris Horodecki (21-5-1)

World Heavyweight Championship:
(Champion) Smealinho Rama (9-1) vs. (Challenger) Blagoi Ivanov (11-1)

PRELIMINARY CARD

Stephen Beaumont (7-2) vs. Mukai Maromo (8-4)
Victor Valimaki (18-9) vs. Thiago Goncalves (17-4)
Mark Drummond (7-2) vs. Michael Hill (7-3)
Garret Nybakken (7-7) vs. Nick Hrabec (3-1)
Marcus Hicks (20-24) vs. Matt Baker (12-7)
Mike Scarcello (7-3-1) vs. Dan Lariviere (4-2)

About “World Series of Fighting” (WSOF)
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a world wide premier professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters from around the world. For more information please visit WSOF.com. Follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and “World Series of Fighting” President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.

ABOUT NBCSN
NBCSN, part of the NBC Sports Group, is dedicated to serving passionate sports fans. Now in more than 85 million homes, the Emmy Award-winning network is the cable television home of the Summer and Winter Olympics, National Hockey League (NHL) – including two games of the Stanley Cup Final — Premier League, Formula One, IndyCar, Tour de France, the 34th America’s Cup, and beginning in 2015, NASCAR. In addition, NBCSN features college football, college basketball, college hockey, cycling, outdoor programming, horse racing surrounding the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup, Fight Night boxing, Ironman, the Dew Tour and USA Sevens Rugby. The network is also home to original programs such as Costas Tonight, NFL Turning Point, Pro Football Talk, The Dan Patrick Show, and NASCAR America. NBCSN is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.

CARDIFF (18 MAY) By Nick Blackwell: I’ve been really inactive my whole career, so it hasn’t been too frustrating sitting out the ring for six months waiting for this British title fight with John Ryder.

In fact, it was only when I signed with my promoter, Mick Hennessy, that my career picked up and I had two fights in a couple of weeks. That was a real eye-opener for me. Suddenly I was active and not just someone who got a call last-minute to be an opponent.

They were two very tough fights as well. I fought Sergey Khomitsky in Monte Carlo and believed that with an extra round I would have stopped him, and then I fought Nathan King who was practically a light-heavyweight. I wanted to impress people in both of those fights. I was looking to make a statement. Maybe I tried too hard at times and put a bit too much pressure on myself.

A few months after I got a draw with Khomitsky, he got the call to face Adam Etches, another British middleweight. The result? Well, I knew it was coming. To be totally honest, I was even planning on putting on a double – Khomitsky to knockout Etches and Kell Brook to get his opponent (Jo Jo Dan) out of there before six. I was gutted I didn’t get round to doing it.

I knew how strong Khomitsky was. You can feel it in there with him. If Etches had fought with his brain a bit, and stayed away from him for four or five rounds, let him tire out, he could have then had a chance to take over and maybe even put him away late on. But he didn’t do that.

He’s got a fake record, he’s fought a lot of weak opponents, and everybody was telling him how powerful he was. He genuinely thought he’d go out there, walk through Khomitsky and knock him out. But nobody has done that to Khomitsky before. Reality hit Etches in the form of Khomitsky’s right hand.

It’s no good having an undefeated record if you’re not learning anything along the way. All that will happen is you’ll end up fighting someone like Khomitsky – your first real test – and end up getting your arse whooped. We’ll see how Etches comes back. I hope he can come back stronger.

I’ve only met Etches once and he seemed a decent kid. But his manager, Richard Poxon, bad-mouthed me in an interview and said why should an unbeaten fighter like Etches give someone like me a payday. I thought that was really disrespectful. Etches hadn’t fought anyone. Then he fought Khomitsky, who I was very close to stopping before our fight ended, and was knocked out. If Etches had knocked out Khomitsky in a few rounds, then I’d eat some humble pie. People would say, ‘Oh, that just goes to show how good Nick Blackwell really is.’ But that didn’t happen. I stood toe-to-toe with Khomitsky for six rounds and nearly stopped him and Etches got knocked out in four.

Another fight that interested me this year was the world middleweight title fight between Gennady Golovkin and Martin Murray. I was hoping to go out to Monte Carlo for it but training got in the way and I had to stay and watch it from home.

Still, Murray put on a really good performance, I thought. I knew he’d go rounds with Golovkin because he’s a tough lad and can take a shot. Usually, once Golovkin lands, they go over or re-think their game plan, but Murray stuck with it and landed some good shots of his own. He just took a bit too much punishment in the end. Fair play to Martin Murray, though. He showed he belonged at that level.

If the Golovkin fight ever came up in my career, I’d happily take it. I’d be 100% confident I’d go in there and win. You have to think that way. If you don’t, he’s already beaten you. Too many fighters doubt themselves before they even step into the ring with him. It’s crazy.

Then again, he’s taking over the middleweight division now and I don’t see anybody beating him anytime soon. He’s a bit of a monster, really.

John Ryder is where it all starts for me, though. I want to get this British title and take it from there. I’ve got a lot riding on this fight. I’ve already lost two British title shots and I can’t afford to lose a third.

I know I’ve got to beat him up badly as well because it’s on an Eddie Hearn/Matchroom show and I won’t get any favours from the judges. I’ll have to either knock him out or beat him up badly for every single round. That’s what I plan to do. Let’s see what he’s got…

*** Hennessy Sports’ Nick Blackwell fights John Ryder for the vacant British middleweight title on May 30 at the O2 Arena, LIVE on Sky Sports Box Office ***

FOLLOW US ON ON TWITTER @HENNESSYSPORTS
For more information on Channel 5, MaxiNutrition, Sky Sports and Hennessy Sports:

www.channel5.com
www.maxinutrition.com
www.hennessysports.com
www.skysports.com

18 May 2015 – Singapore: Asia’s largest mixed martial arts organization with a 90% market share, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has announced that for the first time ever, preliminary bouts will be streamed live on Facebook on 22 May for ONE: WARRIOR’S QUEST which takes place at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore. After the final preliminary bout, the main card resumes on pay-per-view, including the main event — a battle for the ONE Lightweight World Championship between defending champion Shinya
“Tobikan Judan” Aoki and Koji “The Commander” Ando.

Fans can watch the fights live on ONE Championship’s official Facebook page (http://facebook.com/onefcmma) at no cost. The Facebook livestream will begin at 7:00pm local time and will end after the final preliminary bout.

After which, fans can then continue watching all the action of ONE: WARRIOR’S QUEST at http://oneppv.com.

ONE: WARRIOR’S QUEST features a showdown between ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki and challenger Koji “The Commander” Ando. It will be an epic battle of two Japanese warriors who aim for the top of a stacked division. Also, Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke will face Filipino Roy Doliguez for the right to be crowned the inaugural ONE Strawweight World Champion.

For more updates on ONE Championship™, please visit www.onefc.com and follow Twitter and Instagram @ONEFCMMA and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONEFCMMA

About ONE Championship™
With a 90%+ market share in Asia, ONE Championship is Asia’s largest Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organization. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship™ has partnered with FOX and STAR Sports for an unprecedented 10-year cable television deal with a coverage that spans 70+ countries across the world.

Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev – WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion
“Hello everybody. Thank you for comes here. What I can say? I already said enough for my side. I am sure it is going to be very interesting fight. Why? Because Nadjib has very good and big motivation to be champion and my desire is to get my four titles. I think that will happen this year, that I fight a unified fight. Fight against Nadjib is for me next step. I am not going to say that I will, I will and I will, is words of trash talkers. I am going to show what I can in the ring.

“Everyone welcome to Vegas July 25 to Mandalay Bay and have a nice time. Thank you very much for your attention, for my promoter, Kathy Duva, and manager [Egis Klimas] that they turn their attention to me, sign me and now my career is in their hands. I like it. Everything I have right now is good.

“Also I am very happy that my fight is on HBO. I am happy and I am going to be best in my division. I am not finished of my collection of all of my belts. I shoot and I must to get one more, WBC title. Just give me opportunity to fight against WBC Champion. I don’t care whether it be Adonis Stevenson or another guy. I don’t care.

“Right now I am not even thinking about this because my next fight will be big fight and not an easy fight against Nadjib Mohammedi. I think so enough to say. Thank you very much again.”

Mohammedi & Kovalev
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Nadjib “Iron Djib” Mohammedi – IBF Mandatory Challenger
“For me is big opportunity. My first time in USA just one years now. I respect Sergey Kovalev now is champion of light heavyweight but I don’t come here for joke or for play or for game. I want be world champion. I work with Abel Sanchez in Big Bear for this. I am not stupid. I know what you think about me. I am not naïve. This fight is very, very difficult for me but I say it is very difficult for Sergey. It is not difficult just for me because I am very smarter, I am faster.

“On 25 of July I am ready with my team, I am ready for this fight. I am ready for Sergey. I am the new generation of light heavyweight because I don’t want the same fight of another opponent. Thank you very much to Kathy Duva, my promoter. Thank you very much my team. Thank you very much my co-managers, Vince Caruso and Jon Ali. Thank you, Abel Sanchez. I will see you 25 of July for the big fight. I promise you this is a big, big fight. Thank you very much.”

Duva & Kovalev
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Kathy Duva – CEO of Main Events
“Less than two years ago Sergey Kovalev was a struggling fighter trying to make a name for himself. Since then he has fought on HBO six times. He is about to go into his seventh fight on HBO. He has become, not just the light heavyweight champion of the world, but he has unified three of the light heavyweight titles. Last year he was named the fighter of the year by Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, The New York Post, USA Today, SherDog and UCN Live. Some of you are here today and thank you so much. It I a hell of an accomplishment to be the Fighter of the Year, you can’t do that every year, no matter who you are. To go from being completely unknown to being the man in the light heavyweight division in less than two years is a remarkable accomplishment.

“I don’t think any of us would be here without the support of the fine people at HBO. Today I get to proudly announce that Sergey Kovalev gets to remain with HBO, the company that has taken him this far. It is his intention and our intention to remain with HBO for the rest of his career, if that is possible. This is the company that has led boxing for the last 30 odd years in this country. It is unquestionably the #1 boxing network in the world. It is the place to be if you want to have a high-profile career in this sport and maintain it for a long time.

“About a year ago Nadjib Mohammedi came to the United States for the first time. He earned his shot at a title by becoming the #1 contender. He has worked hard over the last year to maintain that position and prepare himself for the opportunity to fight for the world title. Now he gets the privilege of fighting for all three of those belts.

“Now that Sergey has moved to the west coast and has made a home for himself and his family here in Los Angeles we are moving his home base. I had a lovely meeting with Richard Sturm at MGM a few weeks ago and he confirmed to me that MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay want to be in the Sergey Kovalev business. As I see a vacuum opening up in Vegas for big names I think Sergey Kovalev is the kind of guy who can step in there and fill that vacuum. His fights are electrifying and exciting and thrilling. That is what boxing fans should expect when they put their money down to come and see a fight.

“Main Events has a great history with Mandalay Bay which is one of the best facilities in the country, in the world. On a personal note it is great to be going back there. We brought Fernando Vargas there years ago and had some great, great nights there and some great, great memories there. We are going to make some new ones now. It is a new beginning. It is a new beginning with HBO. It is a new beginning with Mandalay Bay. Yet it all feels very familiar because this was the same team that was making Fernando one of the biggest box office attractions in the country.

“Peter Nelson from HBO is not here because of your famous LA traffic but if he were here he would tell you that the event will start at 10:00 PM on July 25 on HBO. There will be a co-feature and we are still working on what that is going to be and we will announce that when we know. The tickets will be going on sale next week and will be priced very affordably for the fans from $25 up to $300. We want to fill up the room. We want to encourage the true boxing fans. Something that I noticed when I went to the big fight a few weeks ago at MGM that the crowd was missing the true fight fans but I want to see those people come out for this fight. Those fans will be very pleased. I have had the great pleasure to be ringside a number of times for Sergey’s fights and it is thrilling.

“This will be a 12-round fight for the WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Championships. It is an IBF mandatory bout. Sergey is 27-0-1 with 24 knockouts from Russia and Nadjib is 37-3, with 23 knockouts from France.

“To Vince’s point, that is one of the things that is great about boxing, everybody has a story. Everybody has been through adversity. If not for miracles I think everyone standing on this dais, myself included, would not be standing here right now. I think that is part of what keeps this sport alive and is what makes it so compelling is the stories behind everybody. The truth is Nadjib came here last June as an opponent basically. He came here and won a fight he wasn’t expected to win; he earned his place and has worked for a long time with Abel Sanchez. He has taken advantage of this time to work with a great trainer in Abel Sanchez and believe me we are very well aware of it. With an awkward style and a great trainer, his great heart and drive that this is not going to be an easy night for anybody.

“Having said that, Sergey Kovalev is something very special, we all know that. To me he is exactly what boxing is supposed to be, somebody who goes out there and gives their all gives 1,000% every time. He keeps the crowd entertained. He keeps the fight exciting. He makes it fun to be there. That is why we tend to focus on him and his future. We don’t mean it as an insult to anybody. That is what we have, it is called a star.”

Kovalev & Klimas
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Egis Klimas – Manager of Sergey Kovalev
“Good afternoon everybody. Thanks for coming for this press conference in the beautiful city of Los Angeles. Thank you Kathy [Duva]. She is doing a very good job. When I brought Sergey to Kathy a couple of years ago at that point nobody knew him. Some people knew Kovalev in boxing but not much and not like he is known today.

“Vince [Caruso] was talking about how we have not seen bad days in Sergey’s career but I would say it is completely the opposite. I brought Sergey in 2009 from Russia I put him in Don Turner training camp in North Carolina which is in the middle of nowhere. The closest store is about five miles away. All around there are corn fields, bugs, bears, snakes and he stayed where Don had built his boxing gym. At that time I had many fighters going to that camp and besides Sergey and Gradovich I would say the longest somebody was there was like three months before they would call me and tell me they were done. They would go to New York or Chicago and today they are nobody and I have not even heard about them. Some are taxi drivers now but this gentleman stayed there and didn’t complain a single word for a year and a half.

“I used to go to Don’s camp, me and Don would jump in a van and drive around the country just to get the fights. I saw big talent and Don Turner saw big talent in him but I could not convince any of the promoters. I talked to Top Rank. I talked to Golden Boy. I talked to Lou DiBella. I talked to everybody about giving him a chance until one day Don Turner introduced me to Kathy see said she would try and see what is going to happen.

“The biggest fight that we had in our career was Darnell Boone. Sergey wasn’t ready for it so it went all eight rounds and was not a good fight. Main Events asked me how I felt about fighting Darnell Boone again. I thought Sergey was no going to like that. I called Sergey and I told him, he said he it was great and he wanted to do that. He said, ‘I want to see how I improved from almost two years past. That’s a fight I want.’ That was when I realized I really had a good fighter here with a good heart. Of course the second time he did a great job with Darnell Boone. It was two rounds. He was a completely different guy. He was on TV. He was on the big stage. He has had hard times.

“I want to thank HBO for giving us this very good opportunity for the rest of his career. I wanted to thank again Kathy and Mandalay Bay for having us there. Don’t miss fight on July 25.”

Caruso & Mohammedi
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Vince Caruso – Co-Manager of Nadjib Mohammedi
“There is not much to say when you fight the #1 guy. Whether I like him or not Sergey Kovalev is the #1 guy in boxing today, especially after what we saw two weeks ago I would say he is undoubtedly #1. He is the top tier. He is a very bad dude and we are going in there with that in mind.

“I am not going to get up here and say that Nadjib is going to come in there and do this or we are guaranteeing a win. You can’t guarantee anything in this business. The only thing I can guarantee you is that on the 25th of July Nadjib Mohammedi is going to make the 175 pound contracted weight limit, that will be a guarantee. #2 he is going to come in there with a game plan that if he does execute and he does listen to Abel Sanchez, his trainer, he has a very good shot at winning this fight. Because even though Sergey might be stronger, and he might be bigger, and he might have been on the big stage a lot more than Nadjib has, there is one thing that I believe we have the edge in, and that is desire.

“When you have been held down your whole life, your whole career, a career that started in 2005, and you have to fight in rooms that are smaller than this, with no TV coverage, no press, that is hard times. I don’t think Sergey Kovalev goes through hard times. Nadjib Mohammedi has gone through hard times. He came to Big Bear before his fight on the Hopkins-Kovalev undercard back in November. His trainer that he has been with for 14 years got detained at the airport and could not get in for that fight. So me and his co-manager, Jon Ali, had to figure out who was going to work the corner. Sullivan Barrera, our friend who is also here today, was on that card already and he was working with Abel Sanchez. I have always said after I watched Nadjib on June 21st of last year, that he is the perfect style fighter for Abel Sanchez’s training methods. He fights that Mexican style. He is a straight-ahead blood and guts fighter. There is nothing really special about him. His strength is his heart. Show me a guy with heart who is sick and tired of being broke and sick and tired of getting the short end of the deal and I am going to show you a winner. Nothing ever lifts adrenaline more than the desire to change your life. That is what we need to look at going in against this guy because he is a killer. He is #1, the big cheese. That is what we want. We want high risk because we want high reward.

“With all due respect to Kathy, she talks about all these great future plans she has with Kovalev but I would have waited until this Mohammedi fight was in the books before you made any long term plans. I know nobody gives us a chance and he is probably a 15-1 underdog. We are the dog but everybody on this team has overcome something. This guy has overcome the temptations of the mafia-ridden streets of France. He went into the food business and took care of his mother and his brothers and his sister. He worked hard. He wanted to become a professional fighter. He is here. Jon Ali, my co-manager, is a professional singer. He is a great pop singer and that is why he is not here today. 11 years ago I was a junkie and I was in a Las Vegas rehab. I never thought I would be on the big stage again but I am. This team has a lot of desire. We are going to win this fight and we are going to win it with heart.”

About Kovalev-Mohammedi
WBO, WBA an:d IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (27-0-1, 24 KOs) will compete in his first mandatory title defense against Nadjib “Iron Djib” Mohammedi (37-3, 23 KOs) on July 25 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, Nevada. The fight will be telecast live on HBO World Championship Boxing® and ticket and undercard information will be released shortly.

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Singapore – UFC® today announced that it will bring its first ever live event to Seoul, South Korea, on November 28, 2015 at the city’s Olympic Park Gymnastics Arena. This marks the third UFC event in Asia in 2015 and continues to reaffirm the Asian market as a region with explosive growth potential.

With a number of successful fighters in the UFC, South Korea has drawn upon its martial arts legacy to nurture and develop some of the top stars in the sport. Athletes such as Dong Hyun Kim, Chan Sung Jung & Hyun Gyu Lim have proven the quality of mixed martial arts (MMA) in South Korea. Additionally, UFC fighter and celebrity Choo Sung-hoon, also known as Yoshihiro Akiyama, has a huge following in the region and has been a great global ambassador of Korean MMA for over a decade.

Executive Vice President and General Manager, UFC Asia, Kenneth Berger said: “The UFC in Asia is growing at an impressive pace and this event in Seoul will mark our second new market this year. South Korea has some of Asia’s best MMA athletes and this event is fully expected to illustrate just how powerful and technical these fighters have become. As usual we will bring a truly international fight card to the region, giving our loyal fans and those new to the sport a thrilling night to remember.”

The UFC is the fastest growing sports organization in the world and is viewed as the pinnacle of MMA by both athletes and fans. With close to 40 Asian fighters signed, the UFC in Asia is growing at an exponential rate. Previous events in the region have taken place in Macao, Manila, Singapore and Tokyo, attracting tens of thousands of fans and millions of TV viewers.

The UFC Fight Night Seoul event will be broadcast all over the world giving the UFC’s international fans a taste of the immense passion and support South Korean fans have for MMA.

Details of how to register and purchase tickets will be released soon.

For the latest UFC information, visit www.ufc.com.

###

About the UFC®
UFC® is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in 134 countries and territories to over 700 million TV households worldwide in 21 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT® (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, UFC branded apparel, DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

Senesia Estrada won a six-round majority decision over Carly Batey in a Super Flyweight bout.

The difference in the fight was a 5th round knockdown scored by Estrada from a perfect left hand.

Estrada, 113.4 lbs of East Los Angeles won by scores of 58-55, 57-56 and 58-58 for Estrada who is now 4-0. Baty, 114.8 lbs is now 4-5-2.

Ruslan Madiyev remained perfect by scoring a 2nd round stoppage over Julio Sanchez in a Lightweight bout scheduled for four rounds.

Madiyev dropped Sanchez in round one from a body shot. Madiyev landed a booming right hand in round two that dropped Sanchez and the fight was stopped immediately at 21 seconds of round two.

Madiyev, 137 lbs of Karaganda, Kazakhstan is now 5-0 with 3 knockouts. Sanchez, 139.2 lbs of Houston, TX is now 1-2.

Brooklyn, N.Y. (Friday, May 15, 2015) – Ronson Frank’s Uprising Promotions returned to the Brooklyn Masonic Temple on Friday night, putting on an action-packed card that featured comeback fights and a historical one, as well as providing a platform for some young local boxers to display their talents.

In the main event of the evening, Brooklyn junior lightweight “Kid” Gary Stark (24-3, 8 KOs) ended a nearly five-year layoff to face battle-tested veteran Jose Silveria (15-14, 6 KOs). From the opening bell, Stark was showing very little rust and looked to be much fresher than any man who has not fought since 2010 should ever be. He was boxing very well behind the jab, showing good movement and dictating the action with ring generalship.

Over the first five rounds of the six-frame affair, Stark continued at the same pace, boxing from the outside and picking his spots when he wanted to engage. By using controlled aggression in a tactical display, he was seemingly well ahead on the scorecards when the final round began. In that sixth frame, Stark opted for a more defensive approach, making sure that he was not making himself vulnerable for any unnecessary damage.

With six rounds in the books, this bout headed to the cards. The first score read aloud was an absolutely puzzling 57-57 count, sending a shockwave throughout the entire venue. However, that card was rebutted with 59-55 and 58-56 tallies in favor of Stark, officially making his comeback a triumphant one.

In co-feature bout, Delen “Sniper” Parsley (12-1, 4 KOs) returned after a year out of the ring, battling the always-game Troy Artis (3-6-1, 2 KOs) in middleweight action. At the opening bell, Artis immediately swarmed Parsley, but the Brooklyn native displayed good defense and remained patient before starting to pick his spots. Over the next two frames, Artis tried to apply the same type of aggression that he showed early, while Parsley looked to take advantage of his height and reach advantage. The Brooklyn native also began to focus his attack more on the body, which seemed to be causing Artis to slow down a bit when the third round concluded.

As it would turn out, the bell never rang to begin the ensuing frame, and the fight was waved off before the fourth round could get underway. Citing an undisclosed injury to Artis, his corner stated to the referee that he would be unable to continue, making Parsley the victor in this contest via TKO.

New York boxing history was also made on the card tonight, as flyweights Susan Reno (1-4-2, 0 KOs) and Paola Ortiz (1-5-1, 0 KOs) fought in a six-frame encounter that consisted of three-minute rounds. It marked the first time ever in the State of New York that two female boxers competed in three-minute rounds.

Throughout the six frames, a good technical match-up ensued. Reno used the approach of a tight guard and trying to be more methodical in her punch selections, while Ortiz worked behind shifty movement and a more slippery approach. Both fighters displayed some good boxing, switching up stances while working well off the bend and slipping punches. At no point did either woman appear to be affected by the extended rounds, but it did look as if Ortiz was able to do just a bit more than her New York counterpart.

When the judges were called upon after 18 minutes of action, Ortiz saw herself victorious for the first time of her professional career with scores of 59-55 (twice) and 58-56.

In somewhat of an upset, gritty Puerto Rican Edgardo Junior Marin (1-4-1, 0 KOs) was able to take Cuban sensation Marcos Forestal (3-0, 2 KOs) the distance for the first time of his young pro career. As an amateur, Forestal was a three-time Cuban national champion with 300 bouts that included just 10 defeats.

From the opening bell of this match-up, Forestal came with relentless pressure, swinging his punches from wide and unpredictable angles. However, Marin proved to be a live participant in the fight, even confirming that Forestal is capable of taking a clean punch on a few occasions.

While Marin was able to hang in tough and force the ringside officials into the outcome, Forestal was in dominant control throughout the majority of the four-frame contest. When this fight concluded, all of the judges were in agreement, awarding Forestal with a shutout on each of the three cards.

In middleweight action, two Brooklyn natives squared off as Villi Bello (2-1, 0 KOs) and Jonathan Jeter (0-3-1, 0 KOs) took center stage. With a Muay Thai background, Bello had a bit of an unorthodox approach that made his angles harder to read, and that seemed to put him in a situation where he was landing the cleaner shots. The judges also saw it that way, eventually giving Bello the unanimous decision with three scores of 40-36.

A junior welterweight pairing between Victor Vazquez (3-1, 1 KO) and Jeremy Graves (0-4, 0 KOs) provided the Brooklyn spectators with an incredible four-round battle, one that put the approving fans on their feet when the final bell rang. In the bout, the two men immediately stepped into a phone booth and did not leave at any point. The wall-to-wall action was seemingly controlled by Vazquez over the first half of the contest, but the tide quickly changed in the third frame.

Soon after the third round got underway, Vazquez was hit with a perfectly-timed counter left hand, and he found himself on the canvas for an eight-count. Vazquez recovered from the blow quickly enough that he nearly stopped his opponent late in that same frame, but the knockdown made it very interesting when the fourth and final round got underway. Vazquez did seem to get the better of the activity again in those last three minutes, and he was eventually awarded a unanimous decision win by flush counts of 39-37 from all three judges.

In the opening bout of the night, a couple of Queens super middleweights got the action started as DeVaun Lee (4-1, 2 KOs) met tough opposition in Deferson LeGrand (3-3, 2 KOs). Over the course of the first two frames, LeGrand tried to apply pressure, but Lee was able settle in and box well while switching levels behind the jab. In the third round, an aggressive LeGrand stepped into a perfectly timed right hand, and it hurt him. After LeGrand buckled back into the ropes, Lee seized the opportunity and did not let him off the hook. He intelligently closed the distance between them before stepping off briefly and then jumping back in to swarm. After landing a barrage of punches that became increasingly less defended, the referee in charge was forced to step in and end the fight.

The official time of the stoppage came at 2:35 of the third frame, giving Lee a TKO victory.

The show tonight, titled Last Man Standing, continued the initiative of Uprising Promotions to KO Autism, with proceeds getting donated to The School For Language and Communication Development (SLCD) in Glen Cove, New York. This card was sponsored by Ronson Frank Fitness, Sleep Inn, Alma Restaurant, Resolution Sports and Charlie’s Auto Collision in Long Island City.

For more information on Uprising Promotions and to keep up with all of our latest news, make sure to check out www.UprisingPromotions.com and follow us on social media: @UprisingNYC

TEMECULA, Calif. (May 15, 2015) – While Brandon “Bull” Halsey (9-0) can no longer say he’s Bellator MMA’s Middleweight World Champion, he’s still managed to show his talent with a one-sided destruction of proven veteran Kendall “Da Spyder” Grove (21-15).

The contest served as the feature main event of Friday’s “Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” card at Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, Calif.

Halsey nearly finished the fight in the early going, moving to an arm-triangle choke that would have finished a lesser opponent, but Grove somehow battled through the effort. Still, it was a one-sided round for the former champ.

Grove was able to avoid such a precarious position in the second, but he was still forced to be on the defensive throughout most of the frame. With a high-paced wrestling attack, Halsey simply pushed his way to the floor and enjoyed top position for almost the entirety of the round.

The pattern continued as the fight wore on, with Halsey simply overpowering his opponent and constantly earning himself the dominant position. Grove briefly threatened with an armbar in the fourth frame, but Halsey simply yanked his limb free and pounded away with punches shortly after until he earned the TKO win at the 2:25 mark of the frame.

The undefeated Halsey, who was stripped of the Bellator MMA Middleweight World Title for failing to make weight, will look to again earn the belt in his next appearance.

“I was my own worst enemy. It was how I performed. He didn’t throw anything at me that I wasn’t ready for. I was just trying to tough through the injury. I had to tough it out and come out with the victory,” Halsey said.

“Obviously, you want to be as dominant as possible. I just felt like I couldn’t explode through my combinations or explode through the fight and finish how I wanted to. But like I said, you’ve got to deal with adversity, and I did it the best I could,” Halsey continued.

“I learned my lesson. I thank Bellator. I apologize to the commission. It’s unprofessional not to make weight. No excuses, but anybody knows that it’s hard to cut weight with an injury. The belt’s just a decoration, so I’m still the champ in my eyes. No one has taken the belt from me.”

In the night’s co-main event, former Bellator MMA Bantamweight World Champion Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas (17-4), of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, took a step toward another shot at the title with a hard-fought decision victory over the hard-hitting Mike “The Marine” Richman, of Rose Mount, Minn.

While Richman showed excellent takedown defense throughout the 15-minute affair, Dantas’ work rate helped him earn the favor of the judges. Constantly pressing and looking to bring the fight to the floor, Dantas was able to just edge out Richman on the cards, 29-28 according to all three officials.

“I went out there and fought the way I trained to fight,” Dantas said after the win. “I knew Mike Richman was going to come with everything, but I wanted to win this fight and get back to the title. The only fight that makes sense next is for the title.

In a welterweight contest, Fernando “The Menifee Maniac” Gonzalez (24-13), of Menifee, Calif., scored a thrilling, come-from-behind victory over “Curtious” Curtis Millender (7-2), of San Bernardino, Calif.

With Millender enjoying a six-inch height advantage, the smaller Gonzalez struggled to score points in the first two rounds. But when the fight hit the floor in the third, Gonzalez latched onto a guillotine choke and earned a tap from his opponent at the 1:14 of the final round.

“I’m 4-0 right now,” Gonzalez said after the win. “That’s one step closer to the title, and I’m excited to get in there and mix it up with whoever is next.”

With the result, Gonzalez now boasts four-straight Bellator MMA victories and put himself in line for a potential shot at the promotion’s Welterweight Title.

In the night’s first main-card matchup, undefeated prospect Darrion “The Wolf” Caldwell (7-0), of Rahway, N.J., used a superior wrestling game to outwork more experienced opponent Rafael “Morcego” Silva (22-5), of Lajes, Brazil, en route a unanimous-decision victory.

With Caldwell scoring takedowns throughout the matchup, Silva looked for submissions when available, but he simply couldn’t find the necessary hold to work past his opponent’s defense. Instead, Caldwell kept his pressure high, and judges awarded him the fight, 29-28 on all three cards.

After the victory, Caldwell made it clear he’s clearing his way to a shot at the Bellator MMA World Title.

“I don’t think there are any fighters out there as explosive as me at 135 pounds, or as fast,” Caldwell said. “Eventually, I’ll be able to prove that.”

In the night’s final preliminary bout, Guam’s Joe Taimanglo (21-6-1) scored a third-round knockout of Mexico’s Antonio Duarte (18-6).

Additionally, featherweight prospect Jordan Parsons (11-1), of San Diego, Calif., earned a third-round decision win over the previously undefeated Brazilian Julio Cesar Neves Jr. (30-1).

In a light heavyweight contest, Virgil Zwicker (14-4-1), of Temecula, Calif., earned a first-round knockout win over Razak Al-Hassan (12-5), of Milwaukee, Wisc.

And in the night’s first fight, Ricky “The Sniper” Rainey (11-3), of Gastonia, N.C., earned a second-round knockout win over Jessie Juarez (22-10), of Torrance, Calif.

Brandon Halsey (9-0) def. Kendall Grove (21-15)
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Eduardo Dantas (17-4) def. Mike Richman (18-6 )
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Fernando Gonzalez (24-14) def. Curtis Millender (7-2)
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Darrion Caldwell (7-0) def. Rafael Silva (22-5)
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About Bellator MMA

Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 400 million homes worldwide in over 120 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA 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 Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About Spike:

Spike is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

Las Vegas – Former UFC® light heavyweight champion and current fifth-ranked middleweight contender Lyoto Machida makes a quick return to the Octagon® to meet No. 6 Yoel Romero in the main event of UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: MACHIDA vs. ROMERO on Saturday, June 27 at Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla.

Machida (22-6, fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif. by way of Belem, Brazil), a black belt in both karate and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, has nine knockouts and two submission victories to his credit, and has defeated former champions Dan Henderson, Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, Shogun Rua and Rashad Evans. One of the most unorthodox and dangerous strikers the sport has ever seen, “The Dragon” will be a step up in competition for Olympic silver medalist Romero (9-1, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla. by way of Pinar del Rio, Cuba). Coming off a third-round knockout victory over Tim Kennedy at UFC 178, Romero welcomes the former champ to his current hometown of Coconut Creek, with hopes that an impressive win will get him one step closer to a shot at the middleweight world title.

Also, in the co-main event, 11th-ranked welterweight Rick Story (18-8, fighting out of Glendale, Ariz.) will meet one of the division’s brightest prospects in Erick Silva (18-5, 1 NC, fighting out of Vila Velha, Espirito Santo, Brazil). The 30-year-old “Horror” Story looks to make it three consecutive wins as he continues to climb the 170-pound ladder. Silva, who has 11 first-round finishes to his name, also hopes to string together a three-fight win streak for the first time in his UFC career.

In addition, the finals of The Ultimate Fighter® Brazil will highlight the main card with new talent in both the bantamweight and lightweight divisions. The fourth installment of the Brazilian version of the show was coached by UFC legends Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

Tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: MACHIDA vs. ROMERO on sale Monday, May 18 at 10 a.m. ET and are priced at $229, $179, $129, $99 and $79. Tickets are available for purchase at www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets are also available at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino box office. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.

UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Saturday, May 16 at 10 a.m. ET via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Sunday, May 17 starting at 9 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: MACHIDA vs. ROMERO will air live on FOX Sports 1 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Saturday, June 27, with the prelims kicking off the evening on FOX Sports 2 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

About UFC®
UFC® is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in 134 countries and territories to over 700 million TV households worldwide in 21 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT® (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, UFC branded apparel, DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

The HBO telecast kicks off from the Forum in Inglewood, California, with an exciting 12-round flyweight showdown between Roman Gonzalez and Edgar Sosa.

The main event pits undefeated middleweight knockout artist Gennady Golovkin defending his middleweight title against Willie Monroe Jr.

Official Weights from California:

Gennady Golovkin: 159.0 lbs.
Willie Monroe Jr.: 160.0 lbs.

Roman Gonzalez: 111.0 lbs.
Edgar Sosa: 112.2 lbs.

Join the conversation on Twitter: #GolovkinMonroe

Reynaldo Ojeda won a 10-round unanimous decision over Monty Meza-Clay in a Lightweight bout at the Hartford Convention Center in Hartford, Connecticut.

Ojeda, 135 lbs of Puerto Rico won by scores of 99-91 twice and 98-92 and is now 17-0. Meza-Clay, 134 lbs of Rankin, PA is 36-5.

Luis Rosa remained undefeated by scoring a 5th round stoppage over Jonathan Perez in a scheduled 8 round Super Bantamweight bout.

Rosa uncorked a flurry of punches on Perez in round five and referee Michael Ortega stopped the bout at 2:29 of round five.

Rosa, 123 1/2 lbs of New Haven, CT is 20-0-1 with 10 knockout. Perez, 123 lbs of Baranquilla, COL is 33-11-1.

Ivan Golub scored a 5th round stoppage over late replacement Henry Beckford in a scheduled 6-round Middleweight bout.

Golub dropped Beckford in round five from a combination. Golub continued to punish Beckford with both hands and referee Michael Ortega stopped the bout at 2:17 of round five.

Golubm 161 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is now 13-0 with 7 knockouts. Beckford, 163 1/2 lbs of Hempstead, NY is now 2-2.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (May 15th, 2015) – The heart of boxing in the northeast used to beat the loudest in Philadelphia, where ring warriors such as Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier and Bernard Hopkins are rightfully considered among the all-time greats, not to mention New York, the home of legendary champions Rocky Graziano, Mike Tyson and “Sugar” Ray Robinson, among others.

Just 200 miles north, away from the constant clamor and commotion of the urban lifestyle, tucked along the beautiful shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean, there’s a new bounding pulse making noise on the surface of boxing’s vast landscape, its rhythmic throbbing too loud and too prominent to ignore.

With three of New England’s top professionals entering the prime of their careers and new talent developing under the watchful eye of longtime promoter Jimmy Burchfield Sr., CES Boxing has reestablished its footing as the region’s No. 1 promotion.

CES’ top prospects, Jimmy Williams of New Haven, Conn.; Khiary Gray-Pitts of Worcester, Mass.; and Nick DeLomba of Cranston, R.I., enter the summer of 2015 a combined 23-0-1 with 11 knockouts. Unmatched in its eye for talent and volume of crowd-pleasing events, CES has also signed amateur standout Julio Perez of Massachusetts to a promotional agreement while putting the finishing touches its 2016 schedule, which will feature 11 shows.

CES Boxing returns to Twin River Casino in Lincoln, R.I., on July 17th for the second installment of its 2015 Twin River Fight Series, which also includes events Sept. 4th and Nov. 13th.

“We’ve been at this a long, long time and no one knows this area or has their finger on the pulse of boxing in the northeast the way CES does,” Burchfield said. “We’re in the business of making champions and I fully believe our young crop of talent will develop into the elite fighters you will one day see on every major network.

“The sky’s the limit, not only for the fighters under the promotional guidance of CES Boxing, but for our company itself as we continue to bring our loyal fans the best this sport has to offer.”

The most established of CES’ young guns, Williams (9-0-1, 5 KOs) is coming off his most impressive win to date, a fourth-round knockout over tough veteran Eddie Caminero in February, a stoppage so picturesque it landed a spot later that night among ESPN SportsCenter’s Top 10 highlights.

“That was a good fight for me. It showed my fans what I’m made of,” said Williams, a former college football standout in Connecticut now fighting in the junior middleweight division at 154 pounds. “I can do it all. Boxer, slugger, whatever it takes to win a fight.”

With five consecutive wins under his belt since his lone blemish (a draw against Greg Jackson in 2013), Williams is preparing to return to the ring this summer as he continues his quest toward cracking the 154-pound world ratings while eventually challenging for – and winning – a world title.

“That’s the goal, but I’m taking it one fight at a time,” he said. “I’ve just got to keep focusing and keep winning. There’s a lot of great talent here in New England, a lot of good, young fighters trying to make a name for themselves.”

Among them is DeLomba (7-0, 1 KO), the 25-year-old welterweight protégé of Gary Balletto who has finally found stability both in and outside of the ring.

Having endured turmoil within his camp during the early stages of his professional career, DeLomba has formed an unbreakable bond with his new trainer, Victor Fagnant. His newfound dedication and focus has shown in the ring, where DeLomba earned his first career knockout in April, pummeling Connecticut vet Joe Wilson Jr. in a third-round stoppage.

“I worked on sitting down on my punches and getting the maximum amount of leverage on each punch,” explained DeLomba.

“I feel like now that we’ve got a complete team, everything is starting to fall into place. I’ve got the right people backing me. Everything from cutting weight to personal training to boxing with Coach Vic, everything is falling into place. I’m a much more complete fighter.”

With wins over four New England welterweights already on his resume, DeLomba will return to the ring July 17th at Twin River to put his unbeaten record on the line.

“New England is definitely on the rise. Boxing, period, is on the rise,” DeLomba said. “We’ve got a lot of great fighters. I’ve fought a ton of them, both with and against them. There’s a lot of talent out here and a lot of great things to come for each and every one of us.”

Arguably the most electrifying prospect in New England, Gray-Pitts (7-0, 5 KOs) has kept the beat going with five knockout wins since making his professional debut in June of 2014. Having fought an unprecedented seven times within the last 11 months, Gray-Pitts boasts an impressive streak of four consecutive first-round knockouts fighting in the junior middleweight division.

“I feel like I’m getting better with each fight,” he said. “Each win is a step in the right direction.”

His success has struck fear in the hearts of New England’s fellow junior middleweights and earned Gray-Pitts a reputation as one of the most feared – and avoided – fighters in the region.

“I dealt with that in the amateurs, too,” Gray-Pitts said. “When I started getting knockouts fight after fight, no one in New England wanted to fight me. I fought tournaments in New York and even went to Washington just to get fights.

“I’ve seen a lot of changes since my first fight,” he continued. “I’m throwing more punches and putting more behind each punch. I just want to stay active, stay busy and keep my record up.”

The signing of Perez, an amateur vet born in Puerto Rico and raised in Marlboro as a teenager, is one of many additions CES plans to announce in the near future, in addition to its complete 2016 schedule. A former Southern New England Golden Gloves champion, Perez will make his professional debut this summer.

For more information on CES Boxing and its upcoming schedule, visit www.cesboxing.com, follow @CESBoxing on Twitter and Instagram and join the official CES Boxing fan page on Facebook.

BROOKLYN (May 15, 2015) – LIU Brooklyn Paramount Theatre is set to host its first boxing event with Paramount Events Center (PEC) on Thursday, June 4 at 7 p.m. The fight card will be part of the Brooklyn Brawl Series promoted by professional boxer Dmitriy Salita’s Star of David Promotions.
The event will feature Brooklyn Heavyweight Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller (12-0, 10 KO’s) vs. Damon McCreary (15-4,11 KO’s); two-time Daily News Golden Gloves champion and Bronx based Jr. Middleweight contender Steve Martinez (15-2, 12 KO’s); Brooklyn’s Dimash Niyazov (7-0-3, 4 KO’s); former New York State champion Ariel Duran (8-7-1, 5 KO’s); and Brooklyn Middleweight Akil Aguste (6-1, 5 KO’s). Kazakh Welterweight Bakhtiyar Eyubov (5-0, 5 KO’s) and Detroit based fighter Dewayne “Alabama” Ziegler (4-0-1, 4 KO’s) are also looking to make explosive New York City debuts and keep their knockout streaks alive.

Tickets for the event will go on sale on Friday, May 15 at noon and can be purchased online via Ticketmaster by visiting www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000.

PEC was launched in April by Barclays Center developer Bruce Ratner and Onexim Sports and Entertainment, with all business operations overseen by Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark. PEC and LIU Brooklyn announced recently that LIU Brooklyn Paramount Theatre, located at Flatbush and DeKalb Avenues on the LIU Brooklyn campus, will focus on booking emerging talent. LIU Brooklyn Paramount will soon undergo a 24-month renovation and will host more than 120 events annually.

“I am thrilled to join with PEC to bring boxing to LIU Brooklyn Paramount,” said Salita. “Over the last few years, Star of David Promotions has brought New York boxing fans exciting shows with incredible fights through our Brooklyn Brawl Series. This card will be an exciting addition to our series.”

“This June 4 boxing event will reintroduce LIU Brooklyn Paramount to the sports community,” said Brett Yormark, CEO of Barclays Center. “Dmitriy has provided great opportunities for aspiring fighters and we are looking forward to working with him to solidify our grassroots boxing efforts in Brooklyn.”

“I commend Dmitriy and PEC for putting together this show,” said New York boxing promoter Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Boxing is flourishing right now in New York, especially in Brooklyn. Being a fellow Brooklynite, it is wonderful to see yet another venue in this great borough opening up its doors to the sport. I see a lot of potential at LIU Brooklyn Paramount, and would definitely be open to staging a card there in the future.”

ABOUT STAR OF DAVID PROMOTIONS
Star of David 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 the brightest prospects, as well as seasoned pugilists, in and around the New York City area. Viewers have enjoyed watching Star of David fighters in recent years on Spike TV, ESPN2, MSG, and Universal Sports Network. Please visit www.Salitapromotions.com for more information.

Salita’s stables includes future heavyweight star Jarrell Miller, from Brooklyn; cruiserweight contender Junior Wright, from Chicago; fleet fisted Dimash Niyazov from Staten Island; new signee Bakhtiyar Eyubov, a KO hitter from Kazahkstan, middleweight contender Steven Martinez; Serdar Hudayberdiyev and other rising stars on the Salita roster.

Please log on to www.salitapromotions.com for more information on the Salita fighters and upcoming promotions.

Nutley, NJ (May 15, 2015)– Vito Mielnicki’s GH3 Promotions is pleased to announced the addition of Heavyweight contender Natu Visinia to it’s roster.

Visinia will now be co-promoted with Sal Musumeci’s Final Forum Boxing.

Visinia, 30 years-old of Clinton, Illinois scored a 4th round stoppage over Joshua Clarke on May 13 in Hollywood, California as part of the Sugar Ray Leonard Charity Event. With that win he upped his record to 11-1 with 9 knockouts and it was his first effort since his lone setback when he he lost to two-time world champion Steve Cunningham in October.

“I think its a great thing to get with GH3. Vito has been great at moving fighters and getting them fights. That has been my problem is getting fights. I think that being able to stay consistent with fighting and staying in the ring and being able to stay busy will help me out in the long run,”said Visinia.

The win over Clarke is impressive because Clarke is 12-1 as an MMA fighter and 2-3-2 as a boxer. Clarke went the distance with world-ranked Charles Martin and Visinia was able to impressively stop the native of Richmond, Virginia.

“Clarke was a tough guy. He has never been knocked out in any of his 20 fights. He doesnt have a very good boxing record and everyone he has fought has been undefeated. Going in there to knockout a durable guy like that gives me confidence.”

“I want to stay busy and I will do my end and that is to train hard, I will leave it to Vito and his team to put the fights together. It never matters who I am fighting. People questioned me about taking on Steve Cunningham after 10 fights but that is the fighter I am.”

“We are very happy to make the deal get Natu into the fold with us at GH3,” Said Vito Mielnicki.

“Natu has shown that he is a huge puncher. The only thing he has been lacking is experience and everybody knows how active I like to keep my guys. We already have plans to bring him back June 6 and June 27. I look forward to overseeing the development of Natu and want to thank Sal Musumeci for making this happen. Together with Sal, we can bring Natu to the top of the Heavyweight division.”

“I am excited to co-promote with Natu with GH3 Promotions,” said Final Forum’s Sal Musumeci. “Vito keeps his fighters very busy and we feel that is what Natu needs. With the proper activity, Natu Visinia can become a major force in the Heavyweight division.”

GH3 Promotions features undefeated Middleweight Antoine Douglas, Super Middleweight’s Jerry Odom & Derrick Webster, undefeated Super Bantamweight Adam Lopez as well as Jr. Middleweight John Thompson, Jr., undefeated Welterweight Jerrell Harris,undefeated Super Bantamweight Qa’id Muhammad, undefeated lightweight Oscar Bonilla and Light Heavyweight Lavarn Harvell to the GH3 Promotions stable.

LONDON (15 May) – British superstar Amir Khan’s crunch clash with the slick Chris Algieri will be televised live and exclusive on BoxNation on Friday May 29.

The former unified light-welterweight world champion takes on New Yorker Algieri in his backyard as they clash in a 12-round welterweight contest at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

This fight will mark the return of the Olympian on ‘The Channel of Champions’ after having fought twice before on BoxNation against Julio Diaz in 2013 and Luis Collazo last May.

28-year-old Khan, who is coming off a stunning one sided points win over Devon Alexander last December, is aware of the threat that Algieri possesses having captured the WBO light-welterweight title from Ruslan Provodnikov before sharing the ring with Manny Pacquiao.

A win for the speedy Khan could open the doors to a megafight with pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather later this year but Algieri is no one to overlook having upset the odds before when he won his first world title last summer.

“Algieri is a very tricky and crafty fighter,” said Khan. “I always say that styles make fights and I know that we both have the right styles to make this a very entertaining and all-action affair. I always bring excitement and flair when I fight and that’s what I’m out to do once again on BoxNation. This fight will have it all, speed, power, movement – it’s one not to miss.”

31-year-old Algieri, who has won all but one of his 21 bouts, will be spurred on fighting in front of his home fans as he looks to get his name in amongst the very best at 147-pounds.

“I am very excited to get back into the ring and to be fighting here in New York,” said Algieri. “Fighting at Barclays Center, where I won my world title just under a year ago, is an added bonus. Amir Khan is a tested champion and is the matchup that I wanted. I believe this is a fight that will bring the best out of me.”

Jim McMunn, BoxNation Managing Director, said: “BoxNation is delighted to be able to bring boxing fans one of the most popular and talented fighters around in Amir Khan. Khan always guarantees excitement whenever he fights and to add his name to our stacked summer lineup is fantastic for our subscribers. It’s a busy few weeks on BoxNation with a string of world class fights all available for just £12 a month.”

The Premier Boxing Champions card on May 29 also sees the return of another New York native in the popular two-time world champion Paulie Malignaggi who faces Boston’s Danny O’Connor in a 10-round welterweight attraction.

BoxNation is also set to show a number of leading fights in the coming weeks including Gennady Golovkin vs. Willie Monroe Jr, Alexander Povetkin vs. Mike Perez, Miguel Cotto vs. Daniel Geale, Nicholas Walters vs. Miguel Marriaga, Tim Bradley vs. Jessie Vargas plus super-flyweight star Paul Butler.

To subscribe to BoxNation (on Sky/Virgin/TalkTalk/ Livesport.tv/Apps) for just £12 a month please visit boxnation.com.

-Ends-
About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £12* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

BoxNation is proud to support Fight for Peace, a charity that uses boxing and martial arts combined with education and personal development to realise the potential of young people in communities that suffer from crime and violence. Buy LUTA (www.luta.co.uk) clothing and support Fight for Peace.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Collazo and Mayweather vs Maidana.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.525), online at Livesport.tv and via apps (ios and Android). BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.

David Price will fight in Liverpool for the first time in two years at the Echo Arena on Friday June 26 as part of a huge bill live on Sky Sports.

The popular Heavyweight joins an all-star cast with World-rated Super Middleweight’s Callum Smith and Rocky Fielding in crunch clashes against Christopher Rebrasse and Brian Vera respectively, while Tony Bellew closes in on a first World title shot at Cruiserweight following his victory over bitter rival Nathan Cleverly in November.

Price’s last outing in his hometown was his rematch with Tony Thompson in July 2013, and the 31 year old has since notched four wins in Denmark and Germany with three KOs, a run of form that has landed him a European title fight with Erkan Teper with purse bids set for next week, and the former British and Commonwealth champion believes he’ll bring his best to the ring on June 26.

“This homecoming means a lot to me,’’ said Price. “I’m buzzing to be back in Liverpool and back fighting at the Echo Arena. It’s been longer than I had anticipated but it will be well worth the wait to be part of such a big night of boxing for the city.

“My last fight in Liverpool didn’t go as planned but that’s ancient history now. It’s behind me and I’ve moved on. I’m in a better place now than I was two years ago, and on June 26 people will see a much-improved fighter. The one-punch knockout artist is still there but now I’m a more polished boxer. I’m more relaxed and I’m enjoying my time in the ring. I’ve been working tirelessly in the gym, and I’m relishing the chance to get back under the bright lights and back fighting in front of my home fans at the Echo Arena.”

“We’re delighted to be working with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing to bring fans a massive night of boxing on June 26,’’ said Price’s promoter Nisse Sauerland. ‘’David’s homecoming has been a long-time coming. Over the past two years, he has been gained valuable experience fighting overseas and now Liverpool’s heavyweight hope is ready to return home.”

“I’m delighted to be back in Liverpool with this huge card,” said Eddie Hearn. “The domestic Heavyweight division is really gathering pace now it’s great to see David Price returning to Liverpool for the first time in two years and I’m pleased as always to be working with Team Sauerland to help make this happen on Sky Sports. That relationship has enabled us to work closely on a number of fights, with Tony Bellew set to face IBF Cruiserweight champion Yoan Hernandez later this year.

“It’s a massive fight for Callum Smith against Christopher Rebrasse for the WBC Silver Super Middleweight strap. Victory will put him in a final eliminator to become the mandatory challenger for the winner of Badou Jack vs. George Groves for the WBC title. Rocky Fielding faces a massive step up against Bryan Vera who has mixed with many of the top boys at 160lbs and 168lbs. Rocky is ranked across all the governing bodies and victory on June 26th would put him with in touching distance of a World title shot.”

Callum Smith’s clash with Rebrasse for the WBC Silver Super Middleweight title represents an acid test for the hotly-tipped 25 year old. Promoter Eddie Hearn said Smith was ready to be “let off the leash” after he returned to the ring with a first round KO in Birmingham last weekend, and in Rebrasse he meets a fighter that will ask him tough questions. The Frenchman has travelled to England before when he took George Groves the distance for the European title, and Smith expects the toughest night of his career.

“He’s going to be the best that I have boxed in the pros,” said Smith. “He’s only lost three times and they have all been on points, he gave George Groves a really tough fight and I don’t think that the scorecards reflected how close the fight was. He’s big for the weight and it’s a really competitive fight for me and it will be interesting to see what level I am at after the fight – I think it’s the perfect fight at the perfect time.”

Fielding’s meeting with Vera promises to be an all-action affair as the Texan comes to Liverpool boasting a CV with wins over current World Middleweight king Andy Lee and former World champions Serhiy Dzinziruk and Sergio Mora. Fielding returned to the ring in March from an eight month absence through injury, and the 27 year old is itching to test himself against the visitor.

“Vera is a big step-up for me,” said Fielding. “He has some great wins on his record and he’s tested some really big names, so for me to get a win over him on my record would be a great statement.”

Following his win over Cleverly, Bellew swapped Liverpool for Hollywood as he took part in the filming of Creed, part of the Rocky film series, but now the 32 year old is focussed on his day job with a World title clash with IBF king Yoan Hernandez mooted for the autumn as he takes on the experienced Czech Lubos Suda.

“I’ve settled into the Cruiserweight division nicely and I am ready to take a World title shot,” said Bellew. “There are some tough, tough fighters with belts in the division, but I believe that I can beat them and get my hands on their titles.”

Tickets for the clash go on sale at midday today (May 15) exclusively for Matchroom Fight Pass members from the from the Fight Pass area at www.matchroomboxing.com. Tickets are priced at £40, £60, £80, £100, £150 and £250 VIPs.

Tickets go on general sale tomorrow (May 16) from midday from the Echo Arena website www.echoarena.com and on 0844 8000 400 – with the Echo Arena selling tickets priced in the £40-£150 bracket. The £250 VIP tickets are available exclusively from Matchroom Boxing at www.matchroomboxing.com and on 01277 359900.