OK fight fans get ready and make plans to attend next Thursday’s October 16th edition of Fight Club OC in The Hangar at the OC Fair & Event Center where you will get to witness six outstanding, action packed pro boxing and mixed martial arts bouts and they will sizzle! Plus the Fight Club OC Cigar Lounge will be open, the 10 VIP Suites are sold out, Johnny’s Pizzas, Newport Rib Co. dinners, and Olamendi’s Tequila will be given away to lucky fans!

Let’s start it off with 14-1 heavyweight prospect, 24 year old Alexander Flores who tasted defeat for the first time in April and after six months he is back with a new trainer in veteran Henry Ramirez and reports are that Alex is a different fighter ready to atone for his only loss and hungry to get back into the heavyweight picture. He will face a solid opponent in Lancaster’s 4-4 Avery Gibson who is coming off a big upset win over undefeated Danny Kelly on the undercard of a Golden Boy show in April. Gibson has been in tough with his last four opponents record being 27-1 and he has gone 4-2 in last six bouts.

14-1 Alexander Flores
On the mixed martial arts side of Southern California’s only hybrid fight series, it will be Fight Club OC’s own undefeated Curtis Millender who at 6-0 is looking to stay undefeated and get a step closer to a UFC or Bellator offer. But first he has to get past 8-5 veteran James Chaney out of Las Vegas. This will be a title fight with Millender’s Fight Club OC Middleweight belt on the line.

“Curtious” Curtis Millender After Winning His Belt In Back In June
An exciting undercard will see Hawaiian Garden’s boxing prospect Saul Bustos looking to stay undefeated and go to 2-0 as he faces Taif Harris out of Lancaster. Bustos KO’d his opponent in spectacular fashion in Round 2 of his Pro Debut at the Bonaventure last month.

Also 4-0 (3ko’s) Rafael Espinoza will be making his OC debut and is managed by Frank Espinoza so you know he is a prospect.

4-0 Rafael Espinoza
The sparks will fly as a pair of OC middleweights battle for Orange County bragging rights. 3-0 Luc Bondole Vs.Alex Coates was supposed to take place sometime ago, but only MMA Matchmaker Mel Valenzuela and promoter Roy Englebrecht were able to make it happen. Trust us, there is no love loss between these two OC warriors and chances are someone will be going to sleep!

3-0 Luc Bondole
Vs.

1-0 Alex Coates
Tickets for this show are priced at $55 and can be purchased at www.fightcluboc.com.
Doors open at 6:30pm with the first bout at approximately 7:35pm

PUERTO RICO (October 9, 2014) – Gary Shaw Productions, DiBella Entertainment and Universal Promotions’ undefeated IBO super featherweight champion and Puerto Rican sensation Jose “Sniper” Pedraza (18-0, 12 KOs) and Philippine contender Michael Farenas (39-4-4, 31 KOs) have finalized their IBF elimination bout scheduled for November 14, 2014, at the Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The 12-round bout will be televised on DirecTV in Puerto Rico only. Check your local listing for more details.

Currently ranked WBA #4, WBC #5 and IBF #6, Pedraza will put everything on the line against Farenas, who is currently rated IBF #2, for a chance to fight the current IBF world champion Rances Barthelemy (21-0, 12 KOs).

Pedraza, who has knocked out five of his last seven opponents, is excited about the opportunity to showcase his talents at home in Puerto Rico where all of his fans will be able to see him fight live.

“I’ve worked very hard to get into this position and I’m going to take advantage of this opportunity,” said Pedraza. “I want to thank Gary Shaw, Lou DiBella and Javier Bustillo for bringing this fight to Puerto Rico. I love my people and I can’t wait to give them a great show. Farenas is a very powerful puncher, but I feel my boxing skills will prevail and I’ll be victorious.”

Riding a five-fight knockout streak, Farenas possesses immense power in both hands. With the advantage in experience, Farenas feels that he has the knowledge to figure out Pedraza, who is a slick boxer-puncher.

“Pedraza brings a great skill set to the ring, but I have twice as many fights as him and my experience will benefit me in this fight,” said Farenas. “I have more knockouts than he has wins, so I feel very confident going into this bout. Fighting in Puerto Rico will be something new for me, but I look forward to the challenge of beating Pedraza in front of his countrymen.”

“Pedraza vs. Farenas is a great fight for the fans,” said Gary Shaw. “Javier Bustillo, Lou DiBella and I have groomed Pedraza for this moment. We both feel that he’s the next great champion to come out of Puerto Rico. Farenas is a very dangerous fighter because he can end the fight with one punch. With that being said, Pedraza must utilize his superior boxing skills to counter the punching power of Farenas. This is a great matchup, one that I believe Pedraza will win though.”

“When it comes to pure skill and ring intelligence, Pedraza is right there with the best of them,” Lou DiBella stated. “Both fighters are on a roll having knocked out many of their recent opponents. This is the type of fight that boxing fans look forward to. I’m confident in Pedraza’s ability to outbox Farenas and secure a victory in front of his countrymen.”

“When you think of great fighters that have come from Puerto Rico, Pedraza is someone that has the talent to follow in their footsteps,” said Javier Bustillo. “On November 14th, the people of Puerto Rico will get the opportunity to see Pedraza fight live against a very perilous opponent in Farenas. This is what boxing is all about…great fights!”

MISSISSIPPI (October 9, 2014) – San Antonio Texas’ Rising star, Mario Barrios remained undefeated with an impressive 1st round knockout over Mexico’s Abraham Rubio. Barrios, who’s managed by Al Haymon and advised by Bob Santos and Luis DeCubas Jr. improves his record to (6-0, 3 KOs).

After dropping Rubio with two brutal left hooks in the early part of round one, Barrios finished the job with a barrage of punches, forcing the referee to stop the bout. With the move to featherweight, Barrios feels his power is much more effective.

“I feel real good at featherweight,” said Barrios. “My body feels a lot stronger at this weight. The goal was to fire my jab and land combinations. I was able to land a couple of nice shots to the body that left Rubio open and I was able to hurt him early. After I put him down for the second time, I turned it up and got him out of there. I’m ready to get back in the ring when Al Haymon says it’s time to go. I’m hoping to fight one more time before the year is over.”

WBC Eurasian Pacific middleweight champion Mike Keta dedicates his title defense on October 18th in Bulqize (Albania) to the worldwide battle against breast cancer. Mike and his brother Jonny Keta who promotes the event in their hometown follow the initiative of the World Boxing Council (WBC) and the “National Breast Cancer Foundation” in the USA who declare October as “Breast Cancer Awareness Month”.

“Fighting all different kinds of illnesses and diseases has always been important to us”, says Jonny Keta. “We are happy and proud to follow the lead of the WBC in trying to raise the awareness for breast cancer. We have to fight cancer as good as we can. So I urge all of our friends and fans around the world to do regular screenings and medical checkups.”

In addition to the battle against breast cancer campaign, Mike Keta also dedicates his first professional fight in Albania to the people in his hometown Bulqize which will host an international championship for the first time ever. “They are building an arena just for this show”, states Jonny Keta. “Bulqize is well known for its chrome deposits and should be a rich city – but it’s not. By hosting this event in our hometown we hope to have the chance to give something back to our people and our country.”

In the co-feature up and coming female kickboxing star Mareike Michl (Germany) will step into the ring. “Mareike is one of the biggest talents in Germany and has already come a long way”, adds Keta. “She is a very strong girl, both physically and mentally. She is leaving her comfort zone in Germany to fight abroad. I am sure that she will show a great performance.

The whole show on October 18th will be streamed live on www.360fights.com and www.ketas-fight-gala.com.

Team Sauerland is proud to announce SAT.1 as its new German television partner. SAT.1 will broadcast all Team Sauerland events, beginning in 2015. The deal between both parties was signed today in Berlin, prior to a press conference at the city’s famous Hotel Adlon, attended by the stable’s star boxers and media representatives from around the world.

Kalle Sauerland: “We are very happy to have found a new and accomplished television partner for the German market. There are exciting times ahead!”

Zeljko Karajica (CEO ProSiebenSat.1): ‘’This collaboration is a milestone for boxing in Germany. With this deal, SAT.1 will become the leading television channel for boxing in Germany. Together with Team Sauerland, Felix Sturm and SES Boxing we will stage superb events, which will set a new standard.”

The deal between Team Sauerland and SAT.1 will not only include the presentation of world champions such as Arthur Abraham, Juergen Braehmer, Marco Huck and Yoan Pablo Hernandez but also up and coming talents, including Jack Culcay, Stefan Haertel, Noel Gevor, Vincent Feigenbutz, Enrico Koelling and Tyron Zeuge. Said Kalle Sauerland: “This was one of the major factors in our negotiations with SAT.1. We not only want to show the best but also our young fighters on their way to the top. That is and will always be our concept.”

Frederick Ness (CEO Sauerland Event): ‘’SAT.1 will provide a perfect platform for our young, talented stable of boxers. They are the stars of tomorrow and with the help of SAT.1, German boxing fans will be able to follow their journey as they endeavour to become the next generation of world champions.’’

The new partnership with SAT.1 represents a break for Team Sauerland with current broadcaster ARD. Said Kalle Sauerland: “We want to thank everybody at ARD for a long and successful collaboration. This was not an easy step as ARD want to continue to broadcast boxing. But the show must go on and we are excited to ring in a new era with ProSiebenSat.1. Boxing in Germany will be bigger than ever!”

Alongside the presentation of eight boxing events a year showcasing Team Sauerland’s German fighters, SAT.1 will also broadcast the stable’s international stars including Mikkel Kessler, Cecilia Brækhus, Erik Skoglund, George Groves and David Price live on German television. There are also plans to found a 24/7 boxing channel by ProSiebenSat.1.

Monaco/Johannesburg, October 9 – When former world minimumweight champion Xiong Zhao Zhong challenges WBA and IBO champion Hekkie Budler in Monte Carlo on October 25, expectations are that 300 million Chinese will tune in to watch his title effort.

This is according to his manager Liu Gang, who says that Zhong’s status as China’s first ever professional world boxing champion has accorded him superstar status in a nation of 1,3 billion people.
“The Chinese call him ‘Mini Mike Tyson’ because he hits so hard for a small boxer,” said Gang. “We like this . . . he grew up admiring Mike Tyson.”
Packing a strong right hand, Zhong (24-5-1, 14 KOs) won the WBC belt in 2012 only to lose it in his third defence to Oswaldo Novoa in an upset in February. Gang explained that as the fight took place during the Chinese New Year, Zhong’s mind wasn’t completely on the fight and he competed with an injured right hand.
“But now it’s different. He is training very hard to be a two-time champion. He has wild sparring sessions with two excellent Filipino fighters.”
Zhong trains in his hometown of Kunming in south-western China. Unusually, he had no amateur career to speak of, having turned professional in 2006 after just a few months of training. This is perhaps not as unusual as it sounds: competitive sport was banned in China until the early 1980s and boxing only gained a foothold in the 1990s.
When Zhong captured the WBC belt against Mexico’s Javier Martinez Resendiz in the local city stadium in 2012, there were wild celebrations that prompted local promoters to re-double efforts to grow boxing in China.
Zhong, who is 32, has given himself just two more years to box. According to Gang, he wants to “open a gym and help poor people.”
In May, Zhong got back into the winning column with a stoppage of journeyman Roilo Golez. He followed this up with a regulation stoppage of Jack Amisa in July.
In Budler (26-1, 9 KOs) he will be meeting a boxer at the peak of his powers, having scored consecutive stoppages in his last three fights. The South African is widely considered the number one boxer in the division.
“We tried enticing the other champions, but they wanted no part of Budler,” said Rodney Berman of Golden Gloves, which is promoting the “Title Tornado” event. “Getting a former champion was the next best bet and tapes of Zhong suggest a boxer who will push Budler hard.”

Known as one of the most exclusive vacation destinations in the world and situated on the Mediterranean Sea in South West Europe, Monaco attracts millions of visitors each year. The Casino de Monte-Carlo, owned and operated by the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer, is the premiere casino destination in Europe. The Casino de Monte-Carlo continues to attract some of the wealthiest and most well-known celebrities and aristocrats throughout the world.

Jermain Taylor re-captured the IBF Middleweight title with a 12 round unanimous decision over Sam Soliman at the Beau Rivage Casino & Resort.

Taylor scored knockdowns in round’s seven, eight, nine and eleven as Soliman appeared to hurt his knee.

Taylor, 159.8 lbs of Little Rock, Arkansas won by scores of 116-111, 116-109 and 115-109.

Taylor captured the title in 2005 and made four defenses. Taylor is now 33-4-1. Soliman of Australia is 44-12.

Andre Dirrell scored a 4th round stoppage over Nick Brinson in a Light Heavyweight bout.

Dirrell landed a booming left that hurt Brinson and after a follow up barrage the fight was stopped at 2:12 of round four.

Dirrell, 169 lbs of Flint, MI is now 23-1 with 16 knockouts. Brinson, 168.8 lbs is now 16-3-2.

Ahmed Elbiale scored a 1st round stoppage over Dakota Dawson in a scheduled 4-round Light Heavyweight bout.

Elbiale scored two knockdowns, first from a hard right hand and a right to the side of the head and the fight was stopped at 1:10.

Elbiae, 174.6 lbs of Egypt is now 7-0 with 7 knockouts. Dawson, 171.6 lbs is now now 3-1.

Carlos Velasquez scored a dubious 2nd round stoppage over Jean Javier Sotelo.
a
Velasquez hit Sotelo with a left on the belt but Sotelo went down citing a low blow. He spent the allotted five minutes on the canvas but could’t and wouldn’t continue and the fight was stopped at 1:38 of round two.

Velasquez, 131.6 lbs of Puerto Rico is now 18-1 with 12 knockouts. Sotelo, 131.4 lbs of Venezuela is now 19-13-2.

Washington, D.C. (October 8, 2014) – The All In Entertainment promoted Hometown Takeover Boxing Event, which was originally scheduled to take place on September 27, will be held on Saturday, November 1 at Washington, D.C.’s historic DAR Constitution Hall. The landmark event will feature the long awaited return of undefeated WBC Youth Welterweight Champion and Washington, D.C. Native, Dusty Hernandez-Harrison (23-0, 12KOs), and other top prospects from the Washington, D.C. region.

Hernandez-Harrison is looking forward to getting back in the ring following an ankle injury that postponed the bout. “I am excited by the chance to fight in my hometown and am grateful to all the fans and my team for their continued support,” said Dusty. Buddy Harrison, Hernandez-Harrison’s father and trainer added, “This was Dusty’s first injury as a professional. He is 100% healthy and ready to go and we are looking forward to the large DMV crowd.”

The boxing card will feature local rising talent from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, including undefeated welterweight Larry Recio (7-0, 5 KO’s) and undefeated middleweight Jarrett Hurd (12-0, 7 KO’s), among other exciting boxers from the DMV. Local rapper, Lightshow, is slated to make a special appearance at the event.

Jeff Fried of All In Entertainment continues the development and promotion of Hernandez-Harrison’s ring education and even treats the injury and bout postponement as part of Dusty’s development. “Nobody wants to get injured; although at the professional sports level the manner in which an athlete mentally and physically prepares following an injury is a learning phase in and of itself.”

Other boxers on the card include Mykal Fox (3-0, 1 KO), Brandon Quarles (13-3-1, 5 KO’s), Dwayne McRae (14-3, 8 KO’s) and Marquel Johns (4-0-1, 4 KO’s).

Event tickets are available for purchase through Ticketmaster beginning Friday, October 10. Ticket prices are $150 Ringside, $75 Preferred Reserved, $50 Reserved and $25 General Admission. For additional information please visit www.ticketmaster.com or call All In Entertainment at (202) 331-3902.

PLYMOUTH, MASS. (Oct. 8 – 2014) – Ballybofey, Co. Donegal’s Ireland’s Jason Quigley will continue his professional career with a featured appearance on “Monster Brawl”, a co-promotion between Golden Boy Promotions and Ken Casey of the Dropkick Murphys, the third such collaboration in the greater Boston area. Thursday, Oct. 30 at Plymouth Memorial Hall in Plymouth, Mass., Quigley will open the televised portion of the FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes broadcast.

Despite his two-fight professional resume, Quigley (2-0, 2 KOs) is becoming known as a fighter to watch. The first Irish fighter to win a silver medal at the World Amateur Championships last year, Quigley was recently signed by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions and has moved his training operations to Los Angeles to take advantage of the outstanding sparring and world-class trainers in Southern California.

Quigley looks forward to fighting an opponent to be named in front of the greater Boston area’s prominent Irish population. Golden Boy Promotions is excited to return to the greater Boston area after having made their mark on New England with their first two co-promotions at the House of Blues, which featured Jamie Kavanagh and the professional debut of John Joe Nevin.

Plymouth Memorial Hall, according to Casey, could easily have been designed for boxing. Featuring two sets of raised seating, there is not a bad seat in the house, and even the general admission seating overlooks the ring. Parking is easy, and downtown Plymouth near the waterfront boasts over 40 restaurants and pubs, making it one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Boston’s metropolitan area.

The main event on Oct. 30 will be a 10-round welterweight bout pitting former U.S. Olympic Team member Danny O’Connor of Framingham (23-2, 7 KOs) against the tough and determined Andrew Farmer (18-2, 7 KOs). O’Connor is returning after a one-year absence due to an elbow injury, and is looking forward to fighting in front of his enthusiastic hometown fans. In the co-main event, lightweight contender Sharif Bogere (25-1, 17 KOs) will face an opponent to be determined in a 10-round bout.

In a six-round welterweight contest, Dorchester favorite Michael Owen McLaughlin (8-1-1, 4 KOs), also of Co. Donegal, will step up and face New England Welterweight Champion Derek Silveira (10-1, 4 KOs) of Salem, Mass. who gave O’Connor all he could handle last year, losing a split decision at the Boston Garden.

Brockton, Massachusetts’ undefeated heavyweight Julian Pollard (3-0, 3 KOs) will face Kansas City, Missouri’s John Orr (1-3) in a four-round bout.

A pair of young, hungry fighters from the greater Washington, DC area will be featured against opponents to be determined. Lamont Roach of Marlboro, Md. (3-0, 1 KO) will enter the ring for a four-round bout, followed by D’Mitrius Ballard (6-0, 5 KOs) of our nation’s capital in a six-round light heavyweight bout.

Hyannis, Massachusetts’ Paul Gonzalves (7-4, 4 KOs) will open up the card when he faces Sergio Cabrera (0-3) of Somerville, Mass. in a six-round super middleweight showdown.

Also on the card will be popular middleweight prospect Mark “The Italian Bazooka” DeLuca (10-0, 7 KOs), who will be stepping up his competition as he faces St. Louis’ Ryan Davis (24-14-3, 9 KOs) in a six-round middleweight bout.

“Monster Brawl: O’Connor vs. Farmer,” a 10-round welterweight bout, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions, Murphys Boxing and Back East Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Mexico – Live It To Believe It! and Brennan’s Smoke Shop. Plymouth Memorial Hall doors open at 6:00 p.m. ET and the first fight starts at 7:00 p.m. ET. The FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes broadcast airs live at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets priced at $100 (Rindside – Reserved seating), $80 (Floor seating – Reserved), $65 (Mezzanine – General admission) and $45 (Balcony – General admission) are available for purchase now at any of the six Brennan’s Smoke Shop locations which can found at http://www.brennanssmokeshopma.com/location.html or by visiting www.murphysboxing.com.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.murphysboxing.com, follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/murphysboxing,www.twitter.com/DOC_Boxing and www.twitter.com/HOBBoston, www.twitter.com/dropkickmurphys, www.twitter.com/kendkm, follow the conversation using #GoldenBoyLive, become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page. Also, visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing. For more information on FOX Sports 1 visit FOXSports.com and become a follower on @FOXSports1 and @FOXDeportes.

New York, NY (10/8/14) – In 2012, Tevin Farmer was seen as nothing more than a tough Philly fighter, someone that promoters would put in as a B-side against one of their promising up-and-comers. Farmer was 7-4-1 and coming off a loss to highly regarded Olympian Jose Pedraza on ShoBox: The New Generation.

Farmer took the fight against Pedraza, now a top-rated undefeated contender, on short notice, something that he’d already become accustomed to in his short career. Following the defeat, Farmer made a firm decision to refocus himself on his training methods and his craft. He was going to put everything he had into the sport that he so dearly loved, and give himself a real “fighting” chance.

Fast forward exactly two years later and Farmer has seen his career completely turn around. He has scored nine consecutive victories, including dominant and unanimous decisions over previously undefeated foes Camilo Perez (9-0) and his most recent and most impressive win to date over the exalted Emanuel Gonzalez (14-0).

Farmer returns to action this Saturday night in an eight-round feature bout against Dominic Coca at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, VA, and will be doing so with the backing of promotional powerhouse DiBella Entertainment now in his corner. Farmer signed an exclusive promotional contract with DBE earlier this month and will be looking to show the world that he is in fact one of the best 130lb. fighters in boxing.

“I am both honored and excited to now be promoted by Lou (DiBella),” said Farmer. “He is one of the top promoters in the world and I couldn’t be more excited about joining the DiBella Entertainment roster. This is a huge opportunity for me and my career. I understand that I have a big job ahead of me, but I am well-equipped to take advantage of any and every opportunity that Lou presents to me and show the boxing world that I am one of the elite fighters in my division.”

“I first saw Tevin Farmer when he had a record of 7-4-1 and lost to my great prospect Jose Pedraza. Most fighters never turn it around at that point. I subsequently saw him on numerous occasions and could not believe the improvement. In his victory against Manny Gonzalez, he actually reminded me of Pernell Whitaker. His work ethic and character are amazing and he has a terrific manager. He is now 16-4-1 and truly has a chance to become a world champion. I am very excited about this signing and the four losses mean nothing to me,” said Lou DiBella.

An impressive performance is expected out of Farmer on Saturday night, and big things are in store for the Philadelphia-native in 2015.

For more information on Farmer, you can follow him on Twitter @TevinFarmer22.

Philadelphia (October 8, 2014) – On Saturday night, October 18, Miguel Cartagena will look to win his first belt when he takes on undefeated Manny Rodriguez (9-0, 5 KO’s) for the WBO Latino Bantamweight championship in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico.

The show is promoted by Fresh Boxing and M V Power Promotions and will be televised on Direct TV.

Cartagena of Philadelphia has a record of 13-1 with five knockouts.

The 22 year-old former amateur standout has had great preparation for the most important bout in his three and a half year career.

“Everything is coming along absolutely amazing. I would go as far as to say phenomenal. I feel strong, fast and focused,” said Cartagena.

Cartagena has done some but not a lot of research on his undefeated foe.

“I do not know too much on Rodriguez. I do know he had an excellent background and I know he is a strong and fast fighter.”

He is looking forward to his first title and glad it is with the WBO, which is based in Puerto Rico where Cartagena will be able to fight in front of family and friends from his native island.

“For me to fight for the WBO, It is very exciting. I did not expect it. I am eager to fight in Puerto Rico in front of my family.”

Cartagena knows that this fight is a springboard for a major fight. He has and could fight anywhere from 112 through 118 pounds.

“I feel that I will get my shot at a world title in the next two or three fights. After I win this fight and I feel good, I will stay at Bantamweight.”

“I am excited to be in Puerto Rico in front of family and fans. I am eager and happy to represent myself and Puerto Rico,”finished Cartagena.

Club 1957 Management was founded in 2013 by local businessman Mark Cipparone. Cipparone is the owner of the widely successful and popular Rocco’s Collision. Since the formation of Club 1957 Management he has guided the careers of some the top fighters in the country. Currently he manages Heavyweight Joey Dawejko, Jr. Middleweight Tyrone Brunson, Welterweight Raymond Serrano, Bantamweight Miguel Cartegena, Jr. Lightweight Tevin Farmer and Jr. Lightweight Jason Sosa.

(San Diego) – With 2014 winding down, San Diego’s only California Boxing hall of fame promoter Bobby D. Presents is only gearing getting ready to present at least two more fight cards before the end of the year. The first is set for Friday, October 24th, at the new home for San Diego professional boxing, the Crowne Plaza Hanalei Hotel in Mission Valley. After capturing the interim WBC Latino junior welterweight title last February, undefeated local fan favorite Emmanuel “Renegade” Robles (11-0-1, 3KOs) returns home against the tough Carlos Valenzuela (6-1, 3KO) of Ciudad Obregon, Mexico, in the eight round main event.
“Beautiful Brandy Badry will battle it out Jillian Lybarger.
Robles took hold of the aforementioned title with a come from behind split decision win over the much more experienced Olympian Yordenis Ugas. Robles was able to outwork the more technical Ugas and even managed to send him to the canvas in the fifth round. At the end there was no denying Robles in his hometown as he was awarded the win with scores of 97-92 and 95-94 while the third judge saw it for Ugas with a score of 96-93. Five months later Robles traveled to San Francisco, CA, to take on hometown fighter Jonathan Chicas. The underdog Robles proceeded to outbox Chicas and was able to punctuate with a win with a hard uppercut in the seventh that put Chicas on his back.

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The Crowne Plaza Hotel is located at 2270 Hotel Circle North, San Diego. “San Diego Fights” is presented by Bobby D. Presents with Mossy Automotive Group, Pepsi, Everlast, Filippi’s Pizza Grotto, DGS Construction and Car Czar. Doors open at 6:30pm with the first punch thrown at 7:30pm. For more info, please dial (619) 420-8866 or visit BobbyDPresents.net.

Bethlehem, PA: Undefeated Russian prospect Dmitry “The Mechanic” Mikhaylenko (17-0. 6 KOs) was scheduled for a 10-round welterweight fight with Emmanuel Lartey (17-2, 8 KOs), of Ghana, as part of a special triple header edition of NBCSN Fight Night on Nov. 8 at Sands Resort Casino in Bethlehem, PA, but when Lartey pulled out last week, local sensation Ronald Cruz (20-4, 15 KOs) stepped up to the challenge.

The 28-year old Mikhaylenko, who hails from Gelendzhik, Russia, made his US debut Aug. 2 when he defeated Sechew Powell on the undercard of the Sergey Kovalev versus Blake Caparello title fight in Atlantic City, NJ. This will be his first appearance on Fight Night.

About the change of opponent Dmitry said: “I do not see any problems switching to another opponent. At this point of my career it really does not matter who will be in front of me. I come to fight and hope my opponent does as well.”

Cruz, a native of Bethlehem, is no stranger to fighting in front of his hometown crowd. This will be his ninth fight at Sands Resort Casino.

Ronald Cruz
Photo Credits:
Rich Graessle/Main Events

“I feel blessed to once again have another opportunity to fight on NBCSN and this time I’ll be taking advantage of the opportunity,” said Cruz. “I feel great training with a different trainer in Billy Briscoe and feel great with the adjustments that he has made to my style. I’m sure that this time y’all will see an improved Ronald Cruz. I’m excited and I’m confident that I’ll be coming out win an impressive victory on Nov.8th. I’m sure the viewers will be very entertained with two aggressive fighters going head-to-head. I can’t wait!”

Main Events CEO Kathy Duva said: “We hate to lose a scheduled opponent, but in this case, I think we’ve been able to upgrade. Cruz brings a big fan base to the Sands and has fought on Fight Night before, so our audience knows him. He’ll have another opportunity to get a statement win and this fight will tell everyone where Mikhaylenko stands as a welterweight prospect.”

About Nov. 8 at Sands:
The November 8 special triple header edition of NBCSN Fight Night will take place at Sands Resort Casino in Bethlehem, PA and will feature a ten-round heavyweight match-up between Amir “Hardcore” Mansour and Frederic “Big Fred” Kassi, a ten-round welterweight match-up between Dmitry “The Mechanic” Mikhaylenko and Ronald Cruz and a ten-round light heavyweight match-up between Vasily “The Professor” Lepikhin and Jackson “Demolidor.” Tickets are $75 and $50 and available through ticketmaster.com, peltzbxing.com and the Sands box office. The card is presented by Main Events, Peltz Boxing, Bam Boxing, and German Titov Promotions, in association with Final Forum Promotions. The special triple header telecast of NBCSN Fight Night will begin at 8:30 PM ET/5:30 PM PT.

NBC Sports Live Extra:
NBC Sports Live Extra: NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will live stream Fight Night at 8:30 PM ET/5:30 PM PT on November 8. For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.

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Both IBF Middleweight Champion Sam Soliman and challenger Jermain Taylor were respectful to each other and thankful to their teams during a press conference/weigh-in held at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, in Biloxi, Mississippi, in advance of tomorrow (Wednesday, October 8) night’s championship fight.

Soliman and Taylor are headlining a mammoth 14-fight card that also features Andre Dirrell and a host of up-and-coming prospects and proven contenders.

ESPN Wednesday Night Fights will broadcast the two main events and a four-rounder between Ahmed Elbiale and Dakota Dawson live.

Sam Soliman 160 vs. Jermain Taylor 159.8
IBF World Middleweight Championship
André Dirrell 169 vs. Nick Brinson 168.8
Ahmed Elbiale 174.6 vs. Dakota Dawson 171.6
Carlos Velásquez 131.6 vs. Jean Javier Sotelo 131.4
Steve Lovett 176 vs. Ricardo Campillo 177
Phillip Jackson Benson 172.2 vs. Michael Gbenga 173.6
Joey Hernández 162 vs. Jose Miguel Rodríguez 157.6
Mario Barrios 125.4 vs. Abraham Rubio 127
Walter Castillo 142 vs. Shad Howard NA
Justin DeLoach 156.2 vs. Joshua Snyder 155
Gervonta Davis 126.8 vs. German Meraz 125
BJ Flores 203.8 vs. Kevin Engel 190.8
Regis Prograis 142.2 vs. Mario Hermosillo 142.2
Erick Bone 142.6 vs. Peter Oluoch 144

Promoters: DiBella Entertainment and Warriors Boxing, in association with Soliman Stanley Promotions

Venue: Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, in Biloxi, Mississippi

TV: ESPN Wednesday Night Fights (9 pm EST/8 pm CT)

Tickets: priced at $89.95, $69.95, $49.95 and $29.95, plus tax and service charges, and can be purchased at the Beau Rivage Theatre box office, or through any Ticketmaster outlet or online at Ticketmaster.com. Doors open at 5:00 pm, with the first bout scheduled for 5:30 pm.

MIAMI, FLORIDA (October 7, 2014) – Gary Shaw Productions rising stars, Jean Carlos “Chapito” Rivera (2-0, 1 KO) and Luis Paredes (2-0, 1 KO) both return to the ring on October 24, 2014 at the Civic Center in Kissimmee, Florida. The 4-round bouts will take place on the undercard of Orlando Cruz vs. Ruben Tamayo. This marks the U.S. debut of both Rivera and Paredes who both hail from Puerto Rico.

Paredes, who fights at the featherweight division, recorded his first knockout in his last outing. He’ll look to do the same against an opponent TBA. With each fight, Paredes feels he’s growing at a desirable pace.

“Every time I step in the ring I’m learning something new,” said Paredes. “I’m constantly trying to improve on my jab and footwork. I’m just looking to stay busy and keep learning with each fight. My promoter Gary Shaw is doing a great job and I want to thank him and my whole team for their hard work.”

Rivera will look to continue his success at the Super-Bantamweight division when he faces an opponent TBA. With an extensive amateur career, Rivera is adjusting well to the professional ranks.

“I really love fighting in the pros,” said Rivera. “When I go to the body the punches really count. With a few more fights under my belt I feel my power will come naturally. Most of the time the knockout comes when you stay relaxed and just go to work. I plan to do that in this fight. My goal is to continue winning and become one of Gary Shaw’s best fighters.”

“I’m very pleased with the attitude both of these young men possess.” said Gary Shaw. “They’re humble in their approach but confident in their ability. I’m really looking forward to seeing them both grow as fighters.”

Tickets starting at $25.00 can be purchased by calling (407) 935-1412 or at the at Kissimmee Civic Center box office located at 201 E. Dakin Ave in Kissimmee, FL. Doors open 7:30 PM, First bell at 8:30 PM.

New York, N.Y. (Tuesday, October 7, 2014) – Ronson Frank’s Uprising Promotions, in association with Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin, has confirmed that it will be returning to Five Star Banquet Hall in Long Island City, Queens, on Friday, November 14th. Set for action on the card include three undefeated fighters from the Uprising Promotions stable, with super featherweight Angel Luna (9-0, 6 KOs), lightweight Wesley Ferrer (5-0, 4 KOs) and Irish junior welterweight Darren Mangan (1-0) all slated for bouts.

“I’m excited to have us back fighting at the Five Star Banquet Hall,” Uprising Promotions President Ronson Frank stated. “It is a very comfortable setting to me. It is very fan-friendly, and every seat in the house is a good seat.”

Luna returns to the ring on November 14th for the first time since a second round TKO of Joey Arroyo at the Five Star Banquet Hall in May. Ferrer made short work of Shiwone Gortman on the last Uprising Promotions show by finishing him with a liver shot in the first round, while Mangan dominated Kashif Mohamed that same night in his professional debut. Opponents for the three Uprising Promotions representatives will be announced upon confirmation.

Two additional bouts are currently set for the card that are sure to entertain. The always willing to engage Italy Martinez (1-2-1, 1 KO) takes on the tactical Glenford Nickey (3-1, 1 KO), while rising middleweight Akil Auguste will face durable veteran Troy Artis (3-5-1, 2 KOs).

“We have a great lineup,” Frank confirmed. “Obviously, the three young, outstanding fighters we have signed to us – Wesley Ferrer, Angel Luna and Darren Mangan – are going to be in action. We also have a great undercard beginning with Italy Martinez vs. Glenford Nickey. It’s going to be a really intriguing match of Italy being a pressure fighter, and Nickey being a boxer. Also, we have a similar match of Troy Artis against Akil Auguste. That’s a good 160-pound match with a veteran against a young, upcoming lion.

“My overall thoughts on the show are that it is coming along well. We have a great lineup, and it will be an entertaining and crowd-pleasing night as usual, and I am very excited about it.”

Frank will be working alongside former WBO Middleweight Champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin once again on this show, a business partnership that developed from a longstanding friendship between the two.

“Kid Chocolate and I go back a long way,” Frank remarked. “This is just another part of being business partners, just another aspect of our friendship that allows us to spend time together doing something we both love, which is boxing. We have both come a long way in our respective careers, and I really enjoy being able to groom fighters to help them accomplish their goals since I retired as a fighter myself. To have a good friend of mine as a partner makes the whole experience much more pleasurable. There aren’t too many people in this business that you can trust, but Kid is a good friend who I definitely trust. We are looking to do big things together in developing Uprising Promotions, recruiting more fighters and taking this whole thing to an even greater scale.”

Five Star Banquet Hall is located at 13-05 43rd Avenue in Long Island City, Queens, New York. Tickets for the November 14th card are priced at $60 for general admission and $100 for ringside seating. There is also a table option with dinner, beer/wine and seating with a celebrity fighter. For pricing on those tables, call (516) 451-6773.

Additionally, Uprising Promotions is also pleased to announce that a fundraiser will be taking place on November 14th to benefit children with autism, and proceeds from the night will be donated to The School For Language and Communication Development in Glen Cove, New York.

This upcoming show is being sponsored by Alamo Restaurant and Frank Brothers Fitness. For more information on Uprising Promotions and to keep up with all of our latest news, make sure to check out www.UprisingPromotions.com.

MISSISSIPPI (October 7, 2014) – 19-year old undefeated sensation, Mario Barrios (5-0, 2 KOs), returns back to action tomorrow Wednesday October 8, 2014 at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi. Barrios, a rising star from San Antonio Texas, will battle Mexico’s Abraham Rubio in a 4-round bout. Barrios, who recently campaigned at Super-Bantamweight, will now fight at the Featherweight division.

At 6’0, Barrios has a tremendous reach advantage negating any aggressive style that opponents try to utilize against him. A pure boxer-puncher, Barrios knows what he needs to do to continue marching up the rankings.

“I’ve been blessed to have some God given attributes that give me an advantage against my opponents,” said Barrios. “My jab is long and it sets up everything. My combinations are getting better. It’s an ongoing learning process but something I’m constantly trying to improve. I feel if I continue to master the art of using my jab, I’ll be unstoppable.”

Barrios is managed by world renowned boxing advisor Al Haymon, believes his career is heading in the right direction.

“I have the best team in boxing,” Barrios continued. “I’m excited to have Al Haymon guiding my career, along Luis Decubas Jr. and Bob Santos. Everything is going as planned. My goal is to continue working hard and bring exciting fights to the fans. I’m going to give everyone watching in Mississippi a great show.”

Philadelphia (October 7, 2014) -This Saturday night at the ABC Sports Complex in Springfield, Virginia, rising Featherweight Tevin “The American Idol” Farmer will look for his 10th consecutive victory when he takes on Dominick Coca (8-9, 2 KO’s) from Watts, California in an 8-round bout.

The 24 year-old Farmer has a record of 16-4-1 with three knockouts has been training hard for this fight against the veteran Coca.

“Everything is good. I am just unwinding and getting on weight as well as staying sharp,” said the Philadelphia native.

Farmer will be relying on his skills as he does not know much about the 17 fight veteran.

“I do not know anything about him. The first I heard of him was when my manager Mark Cipparone told me about him. I do not need to look at him. I trust my manager and trainer’s decisions.”

It’s been a complete 180 degree turn for Farmer as he is now going into fights expected to win.

“I have always had my mind set to go in there and win. I did not have the right backing but over the course of the last 10 fights that has changed. I have a great support system and that has made the world of a difference. That being said, nothing has changed as I always feel pressure to perform.”

With the winning streak and now an impressive record, Farmer hopes to be competing with the top guys at 126 and 130 pounds.

“In the next 6 to 9 months, I would like to be competing for a world title. I am ready to step in with top competition. I was not babied on my way up, so after a couple of more wins, I will be ready for a big opportunity.”

“October 11 will be great. I am in tremendous shape and expect an impressive victory.”, finished Farmer.

” I’m always excited and confident whenever Tevin steps into that ring. He has done everything that a manager could ask of his fighter and more. Tevin is always in the gym, always in shape, and always ready to fight. That might be something you can find in your travels, but what makes Tevin special aside from his work ethic is that he is one very talented fighter. I have witnessed his growth over his last 9 fights and he gets better every single time he steps into that ring. It doesn’t matter if you are a boxer or a banger or both, one thing for sure Tevin Farmer has a way of making some very talented fighters look bad. Yesterday, Tevin was a diamond in the rough but today “The American Idol” stands out not because of some type of luck or alignment of the stars… but simply because of all that made him who he has become…a superstar in the making!”, said Farmer’s manager and Club 1957 CEO Mark Cipparone.

Club 1957 Management was founded in 2013 by local businessman Mark Cipparone. Cipparone is the owner of the widely successful and popular Rocco’s Collision. Since the formation of Club 1957 Management he has guided the careers of some the top fighters in the country. Currently he manages Heavyweight Joey Dawejko, Jr. Middleweight Tyrone Brunson, Welterweight Raymond Serrano, Bantamweight Miguel Cartegena, Jr. Lightweight Tevin Farmer and Jr. Lightweight Jason Sosa.

Philadelphia, PA—Edner Cherry is not the only boxer frustrated with his career progress. Jerry Belmontes, who takes on Cherry in a 10-round lightweight fight on Saturday evening, Oct. 18, at the 2300 Arena here, knows the feeling.

The Cherry-Belmontes fight, as well as the 10-round heavyweight main event between Steve “USS” Cunningham of Philadelphia, and Natu “The Truth” Visinia, of Lakewood, CA, tops a seven-bout card at the 1,200-seat building at 2300 South Swanson Street. NBCSN will televise both fights, beginning at 9 pm EST. The seven-bout card begins at 6.30 pm.

“Someone is trying to bring me in as an opponent to get my name on their resume so they can contend for a title,” Belmontes said. “Same script, just a different cast member this time.”

This will be Belmontes’ second trip to Philadelphia. Though he lost a 10-round decision the last time here in 2012 to Eric Hunter, Belmontes, of Corpus Christi, TX, is looking forward to coming back.

“Great feeling going back to Philly,” said Belmontes, who is 19-5, 5 K0s. “A lot of love there…cannot wait to see my old Main Events (co-promoter) family.”

Belmontes is looking ahead, trying not to think what happened to him April 26 in Carson, CA, when he lost a disputed 12-round decision to Omar Figueroa, of Weslaco, TX, for the WBC world lightweight title. He understands a win over world-rated Cherry (No.11 IBF, No. 17 WBC) will put him back in the mix.

“Respect to [Cherry] and his career but my back is against the wall yet again so I have to do what I have to do,” Belmontes said.

Cherry, 32, of Wauchula, FL, is 32-6-2, 17 K0s. He has not lost since 2008 when he dropped a 12-round decision to Timothy Bradley for the WBC junior welterweight title.

About October 18
The Oct. 18 edition of NBCSN Fight Night will take place at the 2300 Arena at 2300 Swanson Street in South Philadelphia. It features a 10-round fight between Steve “USS” Cunningham, of Philadelphia, and Natu “The Truth” Visinia, of Lakewood, CA. A 10-round junior lightweight contest between Edner “Cherry Bomb” Cherry, of Wauchula, FL, and Jerry “The Corpus Christi Kid” Belmontes, of Corpus Christi, TX is the co-feature. Five additional fights open the show at 6.30 PM. Tickets are $50 and $75 and are available by calling Peltz Boxing at (215) 765-0922 or at www.peltzboxing.com. They also can be purchased at Wanamakers Tickets (215-568-2400). The card is presented by Main Events and Peltz Boxing in association with Final Forum Promotions and BAM Boxing. The NBCSN Fight Night telecast will begin at 9 PM ET. Doors open at 5 PM and the first fight will start at 6.30. The event is sponsored by Rocco’s Collision.

NBC Sports Live Extra:
NBC Sports Live Extra: NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will live stream Fight Night at 9 PM ET/6 PM PT on Oct. 18. For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.

Los Angeles (October 6) – Due to a persistent ankle injury, Canelo Alvarez must withdraw from his December 6 bout. He thanks his fans for their support and looks forward to big things in 2015 on HBO.

Golden Boy Promotions and HBO are reviewing their options for the December 6 date.

RESULTS

Red Corner vs Blue Corner
James McCaffrey – TKO RD 1 vs Daniel Diwysoekie 172 lbs K1

Mike Gallagher vs Anthony Del-Cid – UD 132 lbs MT

Dejour Bailey – UD vs Daniel Stribling 147 lbs MT

Niki Lorinczy – UD vs Sami Rice 127 lbs MT

Daniel Champa – MD vs Paul Carbary 159 lbs MT

Jason Stephens – UD VS Jeffery Hudson 143lbs K1

Malik Joe vs Brian O’Halloran – MD 153 lbs MT

Carryn Keys vs Abbe Pannucci – UD 100 lbs K1

Dwayne Lynch vs Bassil Badre Hafez – KO RD 2 172 lbs MT

Luis Guaillas vs Kyle Tyler – UD 137 lbs MT

Miguel Mayorga vs Allen Hargrove – MD 179 lbs MT

Jake Kelly – UD vs J.B. Lamb 153 lbs K1

Jon Curtis – UD vs Jhalani Battle-Williams 143 lbs MT

INTERMISSION

Co-main event title fight
Elias Melendez – MD vs Shawn Keys Jr. 115 lbs K1

Co-main event title fight
Amin Almelik – UD vs Namron Bibbins 147 lbs MT

Main event title fight
Brima Kamara vs D.j. Miller – UD 159 lbs K1

Video will be available in the upcoming week here

– CLICK HERE –

BIG THANKS to all the fighters camps and supporters from the IBF Promotions Staff.

TKO – Technical Knock Out 30 day suspension first occurence.

KO – Knocked Out 60 Day Suspension first occurence.

UD – Unanimous Decision

MD – Majority Decision

SD – Split Decision

D – Draw

MDR – Majority Draw

NC – No Contest

DQ – Disqualified – 30 Day Suspension

Philadelphia (October 6, 2014)–Two-time Cruiserweight world champion & Current top-10 Heavyweight contender Steve “USS” Cunningham and his family would like to thank the boxing community for the contributions to the Kennedy Cunningham Fundraiser on www.heartbyfaith.com.

Kennedy Cunnungham is the 9 year-old daughter of Steve & Livvy Cunningham and is awaiting a life-saving heart transplant surgery.

The fundraiser was set up this summer with the proceeds going to out of pocket expenses for the Cunningham’s which included finding a new home close to the hospital for the potential surgery in Pittsburgh.

Within the two months, the goal of $25,000 was reached with most of the donations coming from members of the boxing industry.

“We are humbled and grateful for what everyone has done to pitch in,” said Steve Cunningham. “These donations came from all over the world from promoters, managers, television people, fighters and everyone else.”

Said Livvy Cunningham, “We are truly touched by the outpouring of help from everybody. Because of the contributions from everybody, We are as comfortable as we can be in this situation and we found a place minutes away from the hospital. It truly shows that when people get together, they can make a huge difference in people’s lives.”

Cunningham Family says Thank You
Cunningham Family says Thank You

Steve “USS” Cunningham returns to the ring on Saturday, October 18 at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia when he takes on undefeated Natu Visinia in a 10-round Heavyweight bout that will headline a card on NBC Sports Net

About October 18
The Oct. 18 edition of NBCSN Fight Night will take place at the 2300 Arena at 2300 Swanson Street in South Philadelphia. It features a 10-round heavyweight fight between Steve “USS” Cunningham, of Philadelphia, and Natu Visinia, of Lakewood, CA. A 10-round junior lightweight contest between Edner Cherry, of Wauchula, FL, and Jerry Belmontes, of Corpus Christi, TX is the co-feature. Five additional fights open the show at 6:45 PM (EST). Tickets are $50 and $75 and are available by calling Peltz Boxing (215-765-0922) or going online at www.peltzboxing.com. They also can be purchased at Wanamakers Tickets (215-568-2400). The card is presented by Main Events and Peltz Boxing in association with Final Forum Promotions and BAM Boxing. The NBCSN Fight Night telecast will begin at 9 PM ET. Doors open at 6 PM. The event is sponsored by Rocco’s Collision.

NBC Sports Live Extra:
NBC Sports Live Extra: NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices and tablets — will live stream Fight Night at 9 PM EST/6 PM PST on Oct. 18. For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Main Events: Ellen Haley – ehaley@mainevents.com, 973-903-6715
Peltz Boxing: J Russell Peltz – peltzboxing@comcast.net 215-765-0922
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Las Vegas – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® announced that its first live event in Phoenix, on Saturday, Dec. 13 at US Airways Center, will be headlined by a pivotal heavyweight clash between former UFC® heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos and fourth-ranked Stipe Miocic. The event will also feature at least five competitors with Arizona ties.

One of the best heavyweights in UFC history, No. 2 contender Dos Santos (16-3, fighting out of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil) returns to the Octagon® for the first time since the final fight in his trilogy of bouts with current champion Cain Velasquez. Miocic (12-1, fighting out of Cleveland, Ohio), with consecutive wins over top contenders Roy Nelson, Gabriel Gonzaga and, most recently, Fabio Maldonado, is one of the hottest names in the division, and he hopes to keep his momentum going by taking the next step toward a shot at the heavyweight title.

In the co-main event, fiery lightweight Nate Diaz (18-9, fighting out of Stockton, Calif.) makes his highly anticipated return against third-ranked Rafael Dos Anjos (22-7, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). After a near 13-month hiatus, Diaz looks to reestablish himself as a top contender in the 155-pound division. Beating Dos Anjos will be no easy feat, as the Brazilian standout boasts a two-fight win streak that includes a stunning first-round knockout of former lightweight champion Benson Henderson.

Plus, former STRIKEFORCE® heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem (37-14, 1NC, fighting out of Amsterdam, The Netherlands) faces 6’11” contender Stefan Struve (29-6, fighting out of Beverwijk, The Netherlands) in a hard-hitting heavyweight bout. Struve has won four out of his last five, with victories over Miocic, Lavar Johnson, Dave Herman and Pat Barry.

The Phoenix card will also feature former title challenger and longtime UFC veteran (No. 12) Gabriel Gonzaga (16-8, fighting out of Ludlow, Mass.) taking on surging former NFL player Matt Mitrione (8-3, fighting out of Indianapolis, Ind.). In addition, former Arizona State University NCAA Division I wrestler John Moraga (15-3, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz.) meets fourth-ranked contender Jussier Formiga (17-3, fighting out of Natal, Brazil.) in the flyweight division.

Additional bouts include:
Phoenix native Joe Riggs (28-9, fighting out of Glendale, Ariz.) returns to the UFC after eight years against veteran Ben Saunders (17-6-2, fighting out of Orlando, Fla.) in a welterweight bout.
Former WEC® lightweight champion Jamie Varner (21-10-1, 2NC, fighting out of Scottsdale, Ariz.) meets The Ultimate Fighter season 15 contestant Drew Dober (14-6, fighting out of Omaha, Neb.).
The Ultimate Fighter season 3 finalist Ed Herman (22-9, 1 NC, fighting out of Fort Collins, Colo.) faces rising middleweight star Derek Brunson (11-3, fighting out of Wilmington, N.C.).
In the lightweight division, Joe Ellenberger (15-1, fighting out of Omaha, Neb.) takes on UFC newcomer Bryan Barberena (9-2, fighting out of Glendale, Ariz.).
Plus, Anthony Birchak (11-1, fighting out of Tucson, Ariz.) and Ian Entwistle (8-2, fighting out of Phuket, Thailand.) will square off in a bantamweight bout.

Tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT™: DOS SANTOS vs. MIOCIC go on sale Friday, Oct. 10 at 10 a.m. PT and are priced at $200, $150, $100, $75, $50 and $40. Tickets will be available at the US Airways Center Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or on the web at www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.

UFC Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Wednesday, Oct. 8 at 10 a.m. PT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, Oct. 9 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT: DOS SANTOS vs. MIOCIC will be available live on FOX at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Saturday, Dec. 13, with prelims kicking off on FOX Sports 1 at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT.

For more information or current fight news, visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (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, Beijing, 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 129 countries to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide in 28 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®, Octagon™ 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.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Oct. 6th, 2014) — The preface of, “No disrespect intended,” is generally followed by something disrespectfully, one of life’s quirkiest contradictions, but Gemiyale Adkins insists his analysis of Luis Felix
is strictly business, nothing personal.

The two will face one another in a highly-anticipated lightweight bout Friday, Oct. 10th, 2014 on the undercard of “CES MMA XXVI” and the hard-hitting Adkins, born and bred in Philadelphia, likes his chances of leaving Twin River Casino with another win.

“Luis’ chin is suspect,” Adkins said. “My goal is to knock him out and I don’t think he has the chin to take my power.”

Thus begins the verbal barbs between two of the region’s most affable stars. Felix (11-8, 4 KOs), a Providence, R.I., native and Adkins (9-8, 3 KOs) both fought on the undercard of CES MMA’s network television debut on AXS TV in August, also at Twin River. Adkins beat Felix’s teammate, the previously unbeaten Nate Andrews, by decision while Felix lost in stunning fashion to ex-UFC vet Julian Lane, choked unconscious via guillotine.

Adkins coincidentally faced Lane in his previous bout, losing by decision, but had a bird’s-eye view of Lane’s win over Felix, specifically the right hook Lane landed in the third round of their scheduled five-round title bout that sent Felix crushing to the canvas and set the tone for the guillotine finish.

“As far as him getting hit in fights from people that have true power, I haven’t really seen him fight anybody with power like Julian in his last couple of fights,” Adkins said of Felix, who had won back-to-back bouts and six of seven overall before the loss.

“When he was on that winning streak before he got the shot at the title he was fighting older fighters, guys on their way out of the game,” Adkins continued, referencing Felix’s knockout win over 63-fight vet and former UFC standout Drew Fickett in March. “This sport is a business and that’s how you build your name up, but he wasn’t fighting animals. I’m an animal.

“I’m still in shape. I’m still coming at him. I’m hitting him hard and I’m going to stay in his face.”

This isn’t Felix’s first brush with pre-fight banter. Three months ago, Lane accused Felix of faking the rib injury that forced the postponement of their previously scheduled bout in June. Lane answered the bell that night and now Felix again finds himself forced to respond to an opponent’s criticism in advance of another must-win fight.

“As far as my chin being suspect or whatever, that was the first time I’ve ever been knocked down,” Felix said. “It’s my fault. I got lazy. The fight was too easy, to be honest with you, at the moment and I got too comfortable for my own liking.

“The first real fighter [Adkins] beat was Nate and even that was a suspect decision. He can talk about who I’ve fought and whatnot, but I’ve taken care of business when I needed to. I’m sure he’s referring to the Fickett fight because that’s the oldest fighter I’ve beaten [34 years old], but I’ve beaten three guys who’ve been to the UFC already so I think that speaks for itself.

“I don’t have to defend any of it. He better be ready. He’s one of those guys who talks a lot of shit before fights and yet in his last three fights he’s only won once. He can say anything he wants. Come October 10th I’ll be ready and it’ll be a fight just like any other.”

Felix learned two important lessons that night in August, the first being the danger of letting the judges control your fate and the second being the danger of getting too comfortable during a fight, especially one you think you’re winning handedly.

The Andrews-Adkins fight that same night was back and forth throughout with Adkins earning a close, unanimous decision, winning the fight by one round on all three scorecards.

“I saw how the last fight went and what mistakes Nate made. Personally, I don’t think Gemiyale beat Nate,” Felix said. “Nate made a few mistakes. He had him on top, but Adkins kind of laid and prayed. He didn’t do much damage at all. Nate dropped him about four times during the fight where he had a chance to finish, but he didn’t capitalize and lost the decision. I thought he still won, but that’s part of the game.

“That’s what happens when you leave it in the judges’ hands. When Gemiyale and I fight, it’s my job to finish the fight and not leave it up to the judges.”

As for his own fight later that night, Felix appeared to be in control through two rounds, nearly finishing him with a rear naked choke in the opening round and consistently using rear-leg kicks and quick strikes to keep his distance. Then he got caught.

“Kudos to him,” Felix said. “It’s just one of those things. You tip your cap and move on. He was the better man that night. That’s MMA.

“I have a chip on my shoulder,” he continued. “My back is against the wall now. I know where I was in that fight. I’ve got to get through this guy first to get another shot at the title. This fight for me is everything I need to focus on before I think about anything else.”

Tickets for “CES MMA XXVI” are on sale now at $40.00, $55.00, $100.00 and $125.00 (VIP) and can be purchased online at www.cesboxing.com or www.twinriver.com or by phone at 401-724-2253/2254. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

CES MMA heavyweight champion and Malden, Mass., native “Big” John Johnston (6-0, 6 KOs) also returns Oct. 10th for the first time since winning the belt in March in a non-title fight against Newport News, Va., vet Keith Bell (5-4-1, 3 KOs) and Chuck O’Neil (13-6, 4 KOs) of Bourne, Mass., locks horns with fellow UFC alum Ricardo Funch (8-4, 4 KOs) of Ludlow, Mass., for the promotion’s vacant welterweight title.

“CES MMA XXVI” also features the long-awaited return of fan favorites “The Hulk” Todd Chattelle (12-10, 9 KOs), who hasn’t fought since breaking his hand in a loss to Shedrick Goodridge in January, and “The Asian Sensation” Andre Soukhamthath (7-2, 4 KOs), also looking to avenge a loss to Kin Moy that same night.

With his hand fully healed, Chattelle, a Pawtucket, R.I., native will face veteran middleweight Nuri Shakir, of Andover, Mass., a 38-fight vet. Soukhamthath, originally from Woonsocket, R.I., and now living and training with the Blackzillians in West Palm Beach, Fla., faces Long Island, N.Y., bantamweight Tom English (5-4, 2 KOs).

Also included on “CES MMA XXVI” is Providence’s Greg Rebello (16-6, 9 KOs), who’s looking to avenge a loss in June in a cruiserweight bout against submission specialist J.A. Dudley (7-14) of Kearny, N.J., and unbeaten lightweight prospect Jimmy Davidson (7-0, 4 KOs) of Sandwich, Mass., matched up with the tough Leon Davis (5-2, 1 KO) of Springfield, Mass.

Middleweight Joe Cronin (2-1, 1 KO) of Mansfield, Mass., battles Terrell Clark (1-1, 1 KO) of nearby Worcester; unbeaten featherweight Kyle Bochniak (2-0, 1 KO) of Winthrop, Mass., faces fellow Massachusetts vet Ruslan Khubejashvili (2-1) of Norwood; and South Boston featherweight James Murrin (1-1, 1 KO) takes on North Providence’s Devin Pilkington (0-1).

Visit www.cesmma.com for more information, follow CES MMA on Twitter at @CESMMA and Instagram at CESMMA, or “like” CES MMA on Facebook.

The rematch between Odlanier Solis and Tony Thompson originally planned to take place on October 18th at CASTELLO in Dusseldorf (Germany) has to be postponed after “La Sombra” Solis suffered a sprained ankle in training in Miami.

“I flew straight to Miami when I heard of the injury to see how bad it is”, says promoter Ahmet Oner. “Fortunately, the doctor says that no ligaments have been torn and nothing is broken. Solis has to take a break in training for ten days but can go right back to work after that. So we will definitely do the fight before the end of the year. Right now we are looking at November 22 as new date but we have to reconfirm with all parties involved including team Thompson, the venue, TV etc. We want to keep the show at CASTELLO in Dusseldorf so that the already sold tickets would still be valid.”

Valley Forge, PA (October 6, 2014)–This past Saturday night, In front of a near capacity crowd at the Valley Forge Casino Resort, Naim Nelson and Ryan Belasco battled to an 8-round majority draw for the UBF All America’s Jr. Welterweight title while Frank De Alba scored an 8-round unanimous decision over Jesse Carradine which highlighted a 5-bout card.

The show was promoted King’s Promotions and Peltz Boxing.

Nelson and Belasco battled to a close nip and tuck battle. The fighter’s styles were opposite of conventional wisdom heading into the fight as it was Belasco who was ahead when the fight was a boxing match while Nelson was getting the slightly better of the action in close. It seemed going down the stretch it was Belasco who was in front and one judge did agree by awarding Belasco the fight 77-75. He was overruled 76-76 on the remaining two cards thus rendering the split draw.

Belasco of Wilmington, DE is now 18-6-4. Nelson is now 12-0-1.

In the co-feature, De Alba won his 12th consecutive fight as he he scored a knockdown in a nicely contested 8-round battle.

De Alba controlled the action moving in an out. The taller Carradine tried to box from the outside and would occasionally get in a solid shot. De Alba worked the body well but it was a short right hook that sent Carradine to the deck in round five. Both guys fought hard throughout and even though he was the winner, De Alba had some swelling in his face.

De Alba of Reading, PA won by scores of 79-72, 78-73 and 76-75 and is now 14-1-2. This was his 12th consecutive win and is unbeaten in 16 straight. Carradine of Las Vegas is now 8-4-2.

Anthony Prescott scored three knockdowns and finally put Shawn Sutton away at of 2:19 of round three of their scheduled 4-round Welterweight bout.

Prescott dropped Sutton with right hands in each of the three frames and there was doubt that Sutton would be allowed to continue after round two. Prescott only had to work another 2:19 and he dropped and hurt Sutton and the fight was over.

Prescott of Cherry Hill, NJ is now 4-3-2 with 2 knockouts. Sutton of Norristown, PA is now 0-3.

Travis Thompson scored a 4-round majority decision over Benjamin Burgos in a battle of hard luck Lightweights.

Thompson of Pottstown, PA won by 39-37 twice and 38-38 and is now 6-11-3. Burgos, of Mount Pocono, PA is now 1-9-1.

Christian Molina remained undefeated by scoring a 50 second stoppage over Josue Rivera in a Jr. Welterweight bout.

Molina dropped Rivera for the ten count from a combination in the corner.

Molina of Allentown, PA is now 3-0 with 2 knockouts. Rivera of Philadelphia is 2-6.

Photos by Jeff Julian / King’s Promotions

Australian featherweight “Aussie” Joel Brunker (27-0, 15 KOs) is determined to win his upcoming IBF Elimination bout and is willing to go around the world to do it.

Brunker, rated IBF #3, will face Selby (19-1, 7 KOs), rated IBF #6, on October 11 at the O2 Arena in London, England, for the right to become the next mandatory challenger to champion Evgeny Gradovich.

To ensure himself the best training camp possible, Brunker flew to New York on September 14 and is spending his final month of training in the area’s best gyms, sparring with world-class fighters.

“I’ve never had a fighter so dedicated,” said Brunker’s co-promoter, Greg Cohen of Greg Cohen Promotions (along with Adam Wilcock of Fight Card Promotions). “To do something like this really shows he’s putting it all out there and giving himself the best chance to win this fight.”

Brunker, who knows what it takes to win at the world level after competing at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, has been working out of Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn, House of Pain in Newark and Church Street Gym in Lower Manhattan, among others, trading punches with the likes of Wanzell Ellison, Jorge Diaz and Gary Stark Jr.

“Joel wants this more than anything,” continued Cohen. “He knew he couldn’t get the right work in Australia, so he took the 22-hour flight to get here. I didn’t ask him to do that; he asked me! And the results are already quite evident. He’s learning a lot from working with so many top contenders and is looking extremely sharp and ready. Lee Selby is not going to know what hit him that night. My partner, Adam Wilcock, and I are extremely proud of his efforts.”

London/Johannesburg, October 6 – In a major coup for UK boxing fans, October 25’s “Title Tornado” tournament in Monte Carlo, jointly headlined by the UK’s Martin Murray in a world title eliminator and Stuart Hall in a world title fight, will be broadcast live on Channel Five in Britain.

Working in collaboration with leading promoter Mick Hennessy, and Hennessy Sports’ William Storey, Golden Gloves promoter Rodney Berman has ensured that Murray’s WBC Silver middleweight title defence against Domenico Spada and Hall’s IBF world title fight against undefeated Randy Caballero will be seen by millions of households live on UK terrestrial television.

This is a significant milestone for the sport given that the last major world title fight broadcast live on UK terrestrial television was Carl Froch against Jean Pascal for the WBC title in December 2008, also promoted by Mick Hennessy on ITV.

“I’m delighted,” said Hennessy, who in the past has developed and promoted top boxers including the likes of Junior Witter, Carl Froch, Darren Barker, Howard Eastman, Herbie Hide and James De Gale. He currently promotes heavyweight sensation Tyson Fury and Super bantamweight star Kid Galahad, among many others.

“Murray is an elite-level fighter with a huge following at home. The fans deserve to see more of him.”

Another British highlight on the card is former world champion Hall’s crack at the IBF world title. UK fight fans will be able to see live whether Hall can regain the world title he held until four months ago. British fight fans will also get to see Europe’s most avoided middleweight, the West Country Warrior Nick Blackwell, making his Monte Carlo debut.

Berman expects over 100 countries to tune into the Monte Carlo tournament, which also features two world championship fights and another WBC Silver belt championship bout between unbeaten Ryno Liebenberg of South Africa and undefeated Eleider Alvarez of Colombia, with the winner certain to step into a full-blown world title fight against Adonis Stevenson.

When China’s Xiong Zhao Zhong challenges South African Hekkie Budler for the WBA and IBO minimumweight belts, expectations are that 300 million Chinese will watch the fight live, according to manager Gang Liu.

Africa’s SuperSport, which broadcasts in 54 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, will also broadcast the event.

Known as one of the most exclusive vacation destinations in the world and situated on the Mediterranean Sea in South West Europe, Monaco attracts millions of visitors each year. The Casino de Monte-Carlo, owned and operated by the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer, is the premiere casino destination in Europe. The Casino de Monte-Carlo continues to attract some of the wealthiest and most well-known celebrities and aristocrats throughout the world.

This world class event is exclusively distributed internationally by leading boxing rights distributor and sports marketing firm, Octapixx LIVE. The company is presently in conversation with top broadcasters worldwide to ensure that the October 25 telecast can be seen by sports fans everywhere.

Jhonny Gonzalez retained the WBC Featherweight title with an 11th round stoppage over Jorge Arce at the Centro de Usos Multiples in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico.

Gonzalez scored knockdowns in round’s three, five and nine and the fight was stopped at 2:43 of round 11.

Gonzalez, 126 lbs of Mexico City is now 57-8 with 48 knockouts. Arce, 126 lbs of Los Mochis, MX is now 64-8-2.

Adrian Estrella scored four knockdowns en route to a 12-round unanimous decision over former world champion Celestino Caballero in a Super Featherweight bout.

Estrella dropped Caballero in round five from a hard right hand. A follow up flurry sent Caballero down on his back for a second time in the round. he scored knockdowns in both round;s ten and eleven.

Estrella, 130 lbs of Mexico won by scores of 117-107 twice and 115-109 and is now 19-0. Caballero, 130 lbs of Colon, PAN is now 37-6.

Adrian Young and Edgar Monarrez fought to an 8-round draw in a Super Featherweight bout.

Young, 130 lbs is now 19-1-2. Monarrez, 130 lbs is 18-2-1.