Bantamweight prospect Michael Ruiz Jr. is a fighter. Ruiz was called on a Tuesday, weighed-in on a Wednesday and ready to fight tonight, on a Thursday. The who, what, where and when did not matter, Ruiz is ready to kick off his 2011 and keep his unbeaten run going against Rigoberto Casillas in a four-rounder at the San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino in Highland, California.

Ruiz (6-0-1, 3 KOs) of Fresno, California turned pro just last April after a stellar amateur career and quickly racked up his first six wins, four of which came by knockout. In his last outing, Ruiz was held to a draw by Jonathan Alcantara on the Andre Ward-Sakio Bika undercard in Oakland, California.

Ruiz, who is promoted by Goossen Tutor Promotions and managed by Repo Ric, claimed silver at both the 2008 National PAL Championships and 2009 National Golden Gloves during his accomplished amateur campaign.

Casillas (2-4-1, 1 KO) of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico is likely more experienced than his reported record indicates. Casillas reportedly turned pro in November of 2005, and then fought forty-fight veteran Alejandro Moreno in his second bout. More than likely some interim bouts went unreported out of Mexico. In his last bout, Casillas fought a full twelve-rounder in a majority decision defeat to Felipe Salguero in a failed attempt at the lightly-regarded World Boxing Federation Light Flyweight title.

Headlining the action tonight is multiple-division champion and future Hall of Famer James “Lights Out” Toney as he defends his IBA Heavyweight title against notorious tough guy Damon Reed in the “Fight Night in America” televised feature attraction. Additional bouts will air as time allows.

“Fight Night in America” is presented by Empire Sports and Entertainment and televised nationally on Fox Sports Net affiliates. Check your local listings.

Tickets for the event, priced at $40 and $70, are available online at Ticketmaster.com.

NEW YORK (Feb. 23, 2011) – Undefeated Liz “Girl-Rilla’’ Carmouche (6-0) has replaced an injured Miesha Tate and will face STRIKEFORCE Women’s World Welterweight Champion Marloes Coenen on Saturday, March 5, at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

Tate, the No. 1 contender at 135 pounds, was forced to withdraw after suffering a knee injury during training.

Carmouche, of San Diego, by way of Lafayette, La., will be making her third start for STRIKEFORCE on SHOWTIME. She is coming off an impressive third-round TKO (punches) over the more-experienced, hard-hitting Jan Finney on Nov. 19, 2010. Carmouche has only gone the distance once in her career.

In her debut on SHOWTIME, the 5-foot-5, 27-year-old Carmouche registered a unanimous decision over Colleen Schneider on Aug. 13, 2010, in a “reserve bout” in the STRIKEFORCE one night, single-elimination women’s 135-pound tournament, which was won by Tate.

A member of Team Hurricane Awesome, Carmouche lived many years in Okinawa, Japan, where her father was stationed in the Air Force. At the age of 20, she joined the Marine Corps where she spent more than five years and achieved the rank of Sergeant.

Carmouche’s stint in the Marines included three tours to Iraq. Unlike many women in the military, she was attached to a GRUNT unit, which she describes as ground fighting outside of the perimeter where the rest of the units are stationed. In Iraq, she began training in Mixed Martial Arts.

Coenen, a product of Holland’s Golden Glory team, will be making the first defense of the belt she won with a dominant third-round submission (armbar) over defending belt-holder Sarah Kaufman on Oct. 9, 2010.

In the second half of a STRIKEFORCE World Championship Doubleheader, Dan Henderson (26-8), of Temecula, Calif., will challenge defending champion Rafael “Feijao’’ Cavalcante (10-2), of Brazil, for the STRIKEFORCE World Light Heavyweight (205 pounds) title.

American military hero Tim Kennedy (12-3) of Fort Bragg, N.C., will be opposed by Melvin Manhoef (24-8) , of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, at middleweight (185 pounds) and undefeated Billy Evangelista (11-0) of Fresno, Calif., will take on Jorge Masvidal (20-6) of Miami, Fla., at lightweight (155 pounds) in other televised bouts on SHOWTIME.

The event, STRIKEFORCE’s first in the state of Ohio, will take place in conjunction with The Arnold Sports Festival, the nation’s largest health and fitness exposition founded by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Tickets are on sale at Nationwide Arena ticket office, online at Ticketmaster.com and Strikeforce.com and Ticketmaster by phone (800) 745-3000.

The first non-televised undercard bout will begin at 7:30 p.m. CT.

About STRIKEFORCE

STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.” In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

CLICK TO ORDER THE FIGHT
Atlantic City, NJ—Heavyweight Theron Johnson, of Chicago, IL, steps in against unbeaten Bryant Bye Bye Jennings, of Philadelphia, PA, in a scheduled six-round contest Saturday evening, Feb. 26, in the Grand Ballroom at Bally’s Atlantic City.
Topping the seven-fight card is an all-Philadelphia 12-round contest for the NABA interim junior middleweight title between King Gabriel Rosado and Jamaal Da Truth Davis. First fight begins at 7.30pm.
The show will be televised live by www.gofightlive.tv.
Johnson replaces Terrell Baby Bull Nelson, of Plainfield, NJ, who suffered a pinched nerve in his neck last week while sparring.
The 31-year-old Johnson is coming off a pair of wins over local heroes—a first-round knockout over Jed Phipps last Sept. 17 in Baltimore and a six-round decision over Billy Mofford three weeks ago at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT.
A pro less than three years, Johnson is 5-3, 1 K0, but has never boxed anyone with a losing record. At 6-foot-4, he will have a two-inch height advantage over Jennings.
Jennings, 26, is 5-0, 3 K0s, as a pro. He had a brief amateur career (17 fights), but went to the PAL and National Golden Gloves finals, losing each time by decision to veteran lefty Lenroy Thompson.
Tickets for the Feb. 26 card are priced at $50 and $75. They are on sale at the offices of Peltz Boxing Promotions (215-765-0922) and all Ticketmaster outlets (800-745-3000). They also can be purchased online at www.peltzboxing.com and www.Ticketmaster.com.

CEDAR PARK, Texas (Feb. 19, 2011) – In a hotly contested fight, Pat “Bam Bam’’ Healy of Portland, Ore., registered a razor-thin, unanimous three-round decision over previously unbeaten Lyle “Fancy Pants” Beerbohm of Spokane, Wash., in the main event Friday on STRIKEFORCE Challengers at Cedar Park Center live on SHOWTIME®.

In other results on the televised portion of a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event presented by Rockstar Energy Drink: Carlo “Neo’’ Prater (26-10-1), of Houston, Texas, submitted Bryan Travers (14-3), of San Jose, Calif., with an anaconda choke at 38 seconds in the first round in a catchweight bout at 160 pounds, unbeaten lightweight Ryan Couture (2-0), of Las Vegas, the son of MMA legend Randy Couture, submitted (rear-naked choke) Houston’s Lee Higgins (2-1) at 4:41 in the third round; local favorite Ryan Larson (6-2), of Albuquerque, N.M., submitted (triangle choke) Erik Apple (10-3), of Orange County, Calif., at 3:14 of the second round in a welterweight (170 pounds) skirmish and David “Tarzan’’ Douglas (7-2) of Antioch, Calif., submitted (rear-naked choke) Austin fan favorite Nick “The Ghost’’ Gonzalez (16-9, 1 NC) at 1:05 in the first round.

The victorious Healy (25-18) won by the scores of 29-28 on the three judges’ scorecards while Beerbohm dropped to 15-1.

“He talked a lot of trash, but if he wants a rematch, I’ll give him one anytime,’’ said Healy, who pushed former STRIKEFORCE World Lightweight Champion Josh Thomson to the brink before losing his last start on June 26, 2010, on SHOWTIME.

“Beerbohm fought a good fight but I think I outworked and outhustled him. I’d like to fight the winner of the March 5 fight between Billy Evangelista and Jorge Masvidal.’’

A member of Team Quest, Healy has won four of his last five fights and seven of nine. In a 10-year career, he’s defeated several big-name, quality opponents including Paul “Semtex’’ Daley, Carlos Condit and Dan Hardy.

Beerbohm, who not only suffered his first pro defeat but first ever in Mixed Martial Arts – he was 8-0 as an amateur — felt he’d done enough to get his hand raised.

“I definitely thought I won,’’ he said. “I thought going into the third we’d each won a round, but I definitely thought I won that last round. I took the fight to him from the start. But that’s what happens when you let it go to the hands of the judges.’’

The quick victory ended a two-fight losing streak for Prater, who’d also dropped four out of five. He used his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to take down Travers, and moments later it was over.

“My record shows I’m not a perfect fighter, but when you’re down you get up,’’ Prater said. “This was a good win, I’ll get better off this fight, but I’ll be right back in the gym soon.’’

Travers had won seven of eight going in. A six-fight winning streak was snapped when he lost a decision to Healy on STRIKEFORCE Challengers on May 21, 2010, in Portland, Ore., on SHOWTIME.

Couture, who turned pro for STRIKEFORCE on Aug. 13, 2010, is one of the most promising prospects in MMA, but he had to work to get the victory against a game Higgins.

“It felt good to be in there,’’ Couture said, “but the guy was tough as nails. I’m real glad I was able to get him there at the end. For the most part I was happy with my standup and getting almost 15 minutes in there was good.’’

In a battle of wrestlers, the well-conditioned Larson controlled the action from the outset against Apple, who was competing for the first time since Nov. 20, 2009.

“I think the key was to come out fast and dictate the pace,’’ said Larson, a member of Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Austin. “It’s like a dream come true to fight for STRIKEFORCE and to win in my hometown.’’

Tarzan, a member of Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, dominated en route to winning his seventh fight inside the distance. The Ghostbuster, Douglas was the aggressor from the outset. He dropped Gonzalez with an overhand right followed by a left hook at about the 0:35 mark. He continued the punishment until the referee stopped matters.

“I wanted to show my Jiu-Jitsu skills,’’ said Douglas after outclassing the more experienced, local fan favorite. “Everyone says they never see my Jiu-Jitsu so I wanted to showcase them to the crowd. I do what they tell me. I’ll fight anybody. I feel most comfortable at 155 pounds. When I’m healthy, no one can beat me.’’

In Friday’s non-televised bouts, Aaron Lan Franco (2-0), of Austin, TKO 1 (punches, 4:22) over Thomas Diagne (1-3), of San Jose, at 155 pounds and in an all-Austin affair, Drew Pendleton (3-0) submitted (guillotine choke) Dennis Dombrow (2-1) at 2:38 of the second round at 145 pounds.

Friday’s event will re-air as follows:

DAY CHANNEL

Tuesday, Feb. 22, at 10 p.m. ET/PT SHO EXTREME

The telecast also will be available On Demand beginning Monday, Feb. 21, and running through March 6.

Mauro Ranallo called the action on SHOWTIME with The Fight Professor, Stephen Quadros, and MMA legend Pat Miletich serving as expert analysts.

Upcoming STRIKEFORCE Event on SHOWTIME: Saturday, March 5, World Championship Doubleheader – Dan Henderson (26-8) challenges defending champion Rafael “Feijao’’ Cavalcante (10-2) for the STRIKEFORCE World Light Heavyweight (205 pounds) Championship at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). In a second world title fight, Marloes “Rumina’’ Coenen (18-4) risks her STRIKEFORCE lightweight title for a first time against No. 1-ranked 135-pound contender, Miesha “Takedown’’ Tate (11-2), of Tacoma, Wash. Also, American military hero Tim Kennedy (12-3) vs. Melvin “No Mercy’’ Manhoef (24-8-1), middleweights; and undefeated Billy Evangelista (11-0) vs. Jorge Masvidal (20-6), lightweights. The event, STRIKEFORCE’s first in the state of Ohio, will take place in conjunction with The Arnold Sports Festival, the nation’s largest health and fitness exposition founded by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

For more information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive video, photos and news links on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING and STRIKEFORCE mixed martial arts telecasts, along with access to the SHOWTIME Sports Facebook® and Twitter® pages, please go to http://Sports.Sho.com.

About STRIKEFORCE
STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.” In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, SHOWTIME 2 HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD™, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND™ and FLIX ON DEMAND®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Channel™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

Fernando Guerrero remained undefeated by scoring a ten round unanimous decision over Derrick Findley in front of a packed house at the Wicomico Center in Salisbury, Maryland.

Guerrero was very effective with the jab which set up numerous straight lefts that kept the 5’6″ Findley out of range. Findley became discouraged and came forward but more often then not he would not throw punches. When he did throw he didint land many effective punches. In the meantime it was all Guerrero as he dominated from start to finish by winning by scores 100-90; 99-91 and 99-91.

Guerrero, 157 1/2 lbs of Salisbury, MD is now 21-0. Findley, 160 lbs of Gary, IN is now 17-5.

Now Welterweight Shawn Porter scored a ten round unanimous decision over Anges Adjaho.

Porter was a lot more active and landed some quick combinations. Ironically it may have been Adjaho who landed the more telling blows as he landed some perfect counter rights on five occasions but that was basically the only offense the he mounted as Porter was more consistent with his workrate over the ten ten round bout.

Porter, 144 lbs of Cleveland, OH won by scores of 99-91; 99-91 and 97-93 to remain perfect at 18-0. Adjaho, 146 lbs of Geneva, NY is now 17-5

Good looking nineteen year old Dominic Wade scored a four round unanimous decision over feisty Grover Young in a Super Middleweight bout featuring two undefeated fighters.

Wade was very active as he landed many hard combinations and Young showed good courage by taking and ocassionally giving back.

Wade, 165 1/2 lbs of Washington, DC won by scores of 40-36 on all cards to remain perfect at 10-0. Young, 166 1/2 lbs of Memphis, TN is now 4-1.

CLICK TO ORDER THE FIGHT CARD
NEWARK, NJ (February 18, 2011) – With nearly 500 pounds between them, the heavyweight matchup between unbeaten Polish star Mariusz Wach and Jonathan Haggler on Saturday night at Essex County College has fireworks written all over it.

The entire fight card can be seen LIVE on www.gofightlive.tv for just $9.99

The 6’7″ Wach, 31, (23-0, 11 KO) of Krakow, Poland weighed in at 249 pounds, while the 6’4″ Haggler, 38, (23-3, 18 KO) of Winston-Salem, NC checked in at 244.

The ten round WBC Baltic heavyweight title match will headline “Brick City Brawl”, which is promoted by Global Boxing and Prize Fight Promotions.

In the co-featured bout, Jersey City, NJ’s lightweight favorite Danny “Little Mac” McDermott (8-2, 3 KO) stepped on the scales at a rough and ready 137, while Osnel Charles of Atlantic City, NJ (6-2) weighed 133 for the six round bout.

In a four-round super featherweight bout, Wanzell Ellison (3-0, 2 KO) of Newark, NJ and Jimmy Smalls (pro debut) of Ohio both weighed in at 130.5.

In a four-round lightweight bout, Scotty Burrell (1-0, 1 KO) of Brooklyn, NY weighed 134.5, while Antonio Parker (0-2) of Wilson, NC weighed 135.

In a four-round super middleweight bout, Rafael Jastrzebski of Atlantic City by way of Bydgoszcz, Poland weighed 166 while Randy Campbell (3-3, 2 KO) of Bowerston, Ohio weighed 165.

In a four-round junior middleweight matchup, Eddie Edmonds (1-1-1, 1 KO) of Newark, NJ weighed 154.5 while Charles White (0-1) of Wilson, NC weighed 151.

Welterweights Rashad Bogar (2-2, 1 KO) of Newark, NJ and Miguel Corcino (2-0, 2 KO) of Camden, NJ both weighed 145 for their four-round welterweight matchup.

The professional debut of six-time Polish amateur champion Kamil Laszczyk of Wroclaw, Poland was postponed when his original opponent failed to make the weight.

Tickets for this championship night of boxing are priced at $120; $70& $30 by calling 1-866-468-7619; logging onto www.ticketmaster.com or www.ticketweb.com as well as at the door.

Essex County College is located at 303 University Ave in Newark, NJ 07102.

Doors open at 7PM, first fight is at 8PM.

CLICK TO ORDER THE FIGHT
NORTH BERGEN, NJ (February 17, 2011) – Undefeated Polish heavyweight star Mariusz “The Polish Giant” Wach and Jonathan Haggler exchanged fighting words at the press conference at North Bergen, NJ’s Global Boxing Gym to announce their WBC Baltic Heavyweight title matchup on Saturday, February 19 at Essex County College in Newark, NJ. The ten-round heavyweight matchup will headline “The Brick City Brawl”, which is promoted by Global Boxing Promotions and Prize Fight Promotions.

Wach, 23-0 (11 KO), of Krakow, Poland is training with former three-time heavyweight champion Michael Moorer for this bout and is very confident in his preparation for the biggest fight of his career to date.

“I feel like a new fighter after working with my new trainer,” said Wach, who represented Poland in the 2004 Summer Olympics. “I can’t wait to have my fans watch this fight on Saturday.”

“I think it will be an easy fight because I know what [Wach] is capable of doing,” said Moorer, who trained Wach for two months down in Memphis, TN at the Prize Fight Gym. “We’ve had a great camp and this fight won’t go long.”

Haggler, who came all the way from Winston-Salem, NC for this bout, didn’t come to New Jersey to lay down, however.

“I agree with Michael, it will be an easy fight,” said Haggler confidently. “I don’t go the distance, so someone is going down.”

In the co-featured bout, Jersey City’s Danny “Little Mac” McDermott (8-2, 3 KO) is looking to show boxing fans that he is rejuvenated after a long break as he prepares to face Atlantic City, NJ’s Osnel Charles (6-2) in a six-round lightweight bout.

“I’ve had a great training camp and I’m ready to put on a great fight,” said McDermott, a father of two and a graduate of the New York Film Academy. “I’m expecting a tough fight but am ready for whatever my opponent brings.”

The rest of the card is comprised of four-round bouts featuring lightweight Wanzell Ellison (3-0, 2 KO) of Newark, NJ facing Jimmy Smalls (pro debut) of Ohio.

Super-middleweight Rafael Jastrzebski, 29, of Bydgoszcz, Poland will face 22-year-old Randy Campbell, 3-3 (2 KO) of Bowerston, OH.

Super-featherweight Kamil Laszczyk of Wroclaw, Poland will make his pro debut after against Antonio Parker (0-2) of Wilson, NC.

Middleweight Eddie Edmonds of Newark, NJ (1-1-1, 1 KO) will face Charles White (0-1) of Wilson, NC.

Brooklyn-based but London, England-raised lightweight Scotty “Spade Ace” Burrell (1-0, 1 KO) will face Desi Williams (0-1) of Wilson, NC.

Newark welterweight Rashad Bogar (2-2, 1 KO) will face unbeaten Miguel Corcino (2-0, 2 KO) of Camden, NJ.

Tickets for this championship night of boxing are priced at $120, $70 & $30 by calling 1-866-468-7619; logging onto www.ticketmaster.com or www.ticketweb.com as well as Global Boxing Gym (5601-5711 Tonnelle Ave. North Bergen, NJ, 07047)

Doors open at 7PM, first fight is at 8PM.

CLICK TO ORDER THE FIGHT
NORTH BERGEN, NJ (February 17, 2011) – The 6?7? “Polish Giant” Mariusz Wach (23-0, 11 KO) of North Bergen, NJ by way of Krakow, Poland will face his tallest task to date on February 19 when he meets 6?4? Jonathan Haggler (23-3, 18 KO) of Winston-Salem, NC at Essex County College in Newark, NJ. The show will be promoted by Prize Fight and Global Boxing Promotions and televised by FoxSports and Comcast affiliates throughout the country.

The match, which will be contested for the WBC Baltic Heavyweight title, will headline “Brick City Brawl”.

A press conference to announce the show will take place at Global Boxing Gym today at 1PM, with all of the principle fighters in attendance. Catering will be provided courtesy of the Breadman Caffe’.

Wach, who represented Poland in the 2004 Olympics, is now trained by former three-time heavyweight champion Michael Moorer and will look to cut the hard-hitting southpaw Haggler down to size.

In the co-featured lightweight bout, Danny “Little Mac” McDermott of Jersey City, NJ will face Atlantic City’s Osnel Charles of Atlantic City, NJ. McDermott, 31, holds a record of 8-2 (3 KO) and is coming off New Jersey’s Fight of the Year last year. Charles, 26, with a record of 6-2, is coming off his career best win, a split-decision over Philadelphia, PA favorite Victor Vasquez.

In a four round featherweight matchup, debuting Kamil Laszczyk, 19, of Wroclaw, Poland will face 23-year-old Antonio Parker, 0-2, of Wilson, North Carolina.

Laszczyk won six national championships back home during a 110-7 amateur career. Laszczyk was training previously with Polish super middleweight champion Piotr Wilczewski but will now work with Aroz “Terrific” Gist.

In a four-round super-middleweight bout, Rafael Jastrzebski, 29, of Bydgoszcz, Poland will face 22-year-old Randy Campbell, 3-3 (2 KO) of Bowerston, OH.

Jastrzebski’s record of 3-6-1 (1 KO) is deceiving, as he was the victim of flagrant mismanagement early in his career. Now based in Atlantic City, NJ and trained by Bill Johnson and conditioning coach Sean Sutton, Jastrzebski is getting a second chance.

Newark-based middleweight Eddie Edmonds (1-1-1, 1 KO) will face Charles White (0-1) of Wilson, NC in a four round bout.

Brooklyn-based but London, England-raised lightweight Scotty “Spade Ace” Burrell (1-0, 1 KO) will face Desi Williams (0-1) of Wilson, NC in a four round matchup.

Unbeaten lightweight Wanzell Ellison (3-0, 2 KO) of Newark, NJ will face debuting Jimmy Smalls from Ohio in a four round bout.

Rounding out the card, Newark welterweight Rashad Bogar (2-2, 1 KO) will face unbeaten Miguel Corcino (2-0, 2 KO) of Camden, NJ.

Tickets for this championship night of boxing are priced at $120; $70& $30 by calling 1-866-468-7619; logging onto www.ticketmaster.com or www.ticketweb.com as well as Global Boxing Gym (5601-5711 Tonnelle Ave. North Bergen, NJ, 07047)

Doors open at 7PM, first fight is at 8PM.

AUSTIN, Tex. (Feb. 16, 2011) – Lyle “Fancy Pants’’ Beerbohm, Carlo Prater and Lee Higgins, who will compete on the televised portion of a STRIKEFORCE Challengers Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight card presented by Rockstar Energy Drink at Cedar Park Center in the Austin, Texas suburb of Cedar Park this Friday, Feb. 18, participated in an open media workout Wednesday at South Austin Gym.

Beerbohm (15-0), of Spokane, Wash., will face dangerous veteran Pat “Bam Bam’’ Healy (25-17), of St. Louis, in the main event live on SHOWTIME® (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast). It will be Beerbohm’s fourth start for STRIKEFORCE and his main event debut. It will also be his initial appearance on SHOWTIME.

Prater (25-10-1), of Bryan, Texas, will battle Bryan Travers (14-2), of Bakersfield, Calif., at a catch weight of 160 pounds and Higgins (2-0), of Houston, will take on fellow unbeaten prospect Ryan Couture (1-0), of Las Vegas, Nev., in a lightweight (155 pounds) matchup. Ryan, the son of MMA legend, Randy Couture, will be making his second pro start and second for STRIKEFORCE on SHOWTIME.

In other televised fights, Erik “Bad’’ Apple (10-2), of Laguna Niguel, Calif., will be opposed by local favorite Ryan Larson (5-2), of Austin in a welterweight (170 pounds) skirmish and David “Tarzan’’ Douglas (5-2) of Antioch, Calif., takes on Austin fan favorite Nick “The Ghost’’ Gonzalez (16-8, 1 NC) at 150 pounds.

Tickets are on sale at the Cedar Park Center ticket office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and STRIKEFORCE’s official website (www.strikeforce.com).

The first non-televised, undercard fight will begin at 8 p.m. CT. Doors will open at 7:15 p.m.

What the fighters had to say Wednesday:

LYLE BEERBOHM

“My ultimate goal is to become STRIKEFORCE world champion but my immediate goal is to get my hand raised and beat Pat Healy.

“This is going to be a fun, tough, hard fight that I expect will go everywhere. There’ll be stand-up, wrestling, a little but of everything. Pat is definitely an all-around great fighter who is coming off a great performance, but the bottom line is I want to win.

“This is a great matchup and I am very excited about fighting in my first main event for STRIKEFORCE on SHOWTIME. There are so many great, tough, talented fighters at 155 pounds in STRIKEFORCE. I’m looking to build off the fight Friday and show what I can do and show that I belong in that company.

“My time has come and I am really looking forward to the fight. l want that title shot.’’

CARLO PRATER

“I am very honored to be fighting for STRIKEFORCE on SHOWTIME. I remember fighting for STRIKEFORCE at the HP Pavilion (in San Jose, Calif.) before they started promoting MMA.

“This is going to be a great fight. Travers is a tough and durable and I know I need to be at my best. I’ve trained very hard. I want to make a statement and be around a long time.

“I want Travers to be at his best so when I win, I can say I beat him at his best.’’

LEE HIGGINS

“I’m really happy for this opportunity to fight on SHOWTIME and for STRIKEFORCE. For some people, this is a really big deal but, as a fighter, for me, this is just another fight.

“I can’t and won’t allow myself to get caught up in the hype of fighting a fighter with a very famous last name. Sure, there is extra motivation but I am not going to put any more pressure on myself.

“So, I have to treat this as just another fight. Besides, I’m fighting Ryan, not Randy. I’ve watched his tapes and broken them down. I’m ready to fight the fight. There is no pressure. If anything, the pressure is on Ryan.

“I’m looking forward to a great, exciting fight.’’

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Golden Boy Promotions won the purse bid to stage the anticipated rematch between World Light Heavyweight champion Jean Pascal and Bernard Hopkins that will take place on May 21st.

“(Pascal’s promoter) Yvon (Michel) could not come to an agreement with Pascal, so this means he will go back to Canada to meet with Pascal and try to work something out, but the plan is still for the fight to happen May 21 on HBO,” Golden Boy’s Richard Schaefer said. “I don’t know what Yvon offered to Pascal, but I know it was more than what he would be entitled to from the purse bid.”

“The potential sites I listed on my bid were Montreal, Quebec City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles or Philadelphia,” Schaefer said. “We want to see where we can maximize the revenues. Yvon is going back to Pascal to work out a deal. Bernard and Golden Boy, we have a deal, so we are ready to go.

“As Bernard has said, he is willing to go back to Canada, assuming that it’s neutral officials. Bernard was very impressed with the fan support he got in Quebec City. By the end of the night the crowd was cheering, ‘Hopkins! Hopkins!’ So he has no problem going back to Canada, but it has to be neutral officials. If not, the fight will take place in the United States.”

“I am convinced the fight will happen,” Schaefer said. “It’s the fight they both want and we already have television lined up and interest from venues. Yvon and Pascal couldn’t agree on a purse amount, so it went to a bid and now it is settled.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that a highly anticipated rematch between world Jr. Flyweight champion Giovanni Segura will take on former two division champion Ivan Calderon on April 2nd in Mexico.

Mexico’s Segura traveled to Calderon’s native Puerto Rico for the first fight on Aug. 28 and knocked Calderon out in the eighth round in one of the leading Fight of the Year candidates. He handed longtime champion Calderon his first defeat, unified alphabet belts and claimed the lineal championship of the 108-pound division.

“Now it will be different because I’m going to fight with better training and without injuries,” Calderon said Tuesday at a news conference in his hometown of Guaynabo to announce the bout, which will be televised on Integrated Sports pay-per-view in the United States. “We are working right now and no matter that the fight is in Mexico, I’m going to show my boxing, my movements to win this title again. I want to thank Segura for giving me this opportunity.”

Said Segura, “He gave me the opportunity and now we give him the same opportunity, but I’m going to the fight in the best condition to retain this title against a great boxer like Calderon.”

“I guess it’s the biggest fight for the most money for him,” said Richard Mota, Segura’s manager. “When you’re in the small weight classes there are not too many options. Giovani said, ‘He wants the rematch, I’ll give it to him.’ He knows he will struggle to make the weight, but he’ll give it to him. He said he could make the weight one more time. He really wanted to move up to 112, but this is the right fight. Everyone wants to see the rematch, and it’s the biggest money fight for him.

“I know we’re getting more money than Calderon and we got a good deal with the pay-per-view [upside] and all that. We couldn’t say no, so we’re going to do the rematch. We have nothing but respect for Calderon. He’s a great champion. He’s proven it. Giovani has nothing bad to say about Calderon. I know Giovani is very excited to come back to Mexico for a big fight like this. He’s training very hard. He’s already in shape. It’s just the weight. He’ll struggle a little bit.”

Combat Sports fans should never have to go a day without watching great MMA, Boxing, and Wrestling events on the GFL Combat Sports Network (GFL). GFL is continuously expanding its broadcasts of Live, IPPV, and VOD, averaging 15 live shows each month. GFL now offers full access to its library of fights for the low price of $9.99.

GFL knows the reason our fans keep coming back and that’s why GFL has turned it up a notch to bring you even more…Great Battles, Great Warriors, and Great Events. Meet fighters as they climb the ladder and obtain their first titles. Over the years GFL has provided an exciting alternative for event promoters lacking national TV distribution of their shows. And, now GFL has become the leading choice to air regional, national, and international combat sporting events. “Every fighter who has the courage to enter the ring or cage deserves to be have his fight witnessed by fight fans. We built this network to give fighters and promoters this opportunity.

GFL has also expanded its delivery services to include IPTV and Mobile devices including (Roku www.roku.com, IPad, IPhone, and Android ) to go along with a subscription model that gives you access to more pay-for content for one low monthly price.

GFL now combines TV ready High Definition video production capability with its broadcast options. Our community is growing every day. That’s why at GFL we are committed to programming that allows you (the fan) to Go Fight-Every Night. Each GFL event promises to deliver more combat excitement with breathtaking knockout, tap-outs, takedowns and submissions. that our GFL fans have enjoyed throughout the years. Fans can watch hours of combat sporting events on GFL every day so there’s no more need to wait for the weekend.

GFL is a pioneer in Internet Sports Broadcasting. Over the years GFL has broadcast more than 850 live events with over 4300 combat sports videos in 190 countries. GFL is especially proud to have served greater than 1.8 million public viewers last year with now over 150 combat sports related website affiliates in its network.

GFL combat sports genres currently include Boxing, MMA and Professional Wrestling with plans to add more fight categories in 2011. GFL has expanded its programming to include: Daily News & Radio Shows with feature interviews and industry updates along with Great Fight Photos, Fighter Videos and a robust Calendar of Upcoming Fight Events.

If Combat Sports is your game…Go Fight-Every Night with GFL Combat Sports Network

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank

On April 2, Marco “Captain” Huck (31-1, 23 KOs) will return to the place where he celebrated the biggest success of his career. The 26-year-old will defend his WBO Cruiserweight Title at the Gerry Weber Stadium in Halle, Germany, taking on former WBC champion Giacobbe Fragomeni (27-3-1, 11 KOs). Back in August 2009, Huck wore down then-champion Victor Emilio Ramirez to clinch the WBO title. “I look forward to returning to Halle,” said Huck. “I have very special memories of the Gerry Weber Stadium. I will never forget the day I became world champion. The crowd was fantastic and I will put on another spectacular show on April 2.”

It will be a special homecoming for Huck, who now resides in Berlin but grew up in Bielefeld, just ten miles away from the venue. “I have a lot of fans in my old home city and I will make them happy,” he stated. Huck has already defended his title five times.

His coach Ulli Wegner expects another tough test. “Fragomeni is always on the front foot and makes a lot of pressure,” the eight-time German-coach-of-the-year said. “He will not give Marco a moment to rest. Once again, it will be a hard challenge but I am confident that Marco will leave the ring as the winner.”

NEW YORK (Feb. 14, 2011) – Bryan Travers (14-2), of Bakersfield, Calif., takes on Carlo “Neo’’ Prater (25-10-1), of Bryan, Texas, at a catch weight of 160 pounds, Erik “Bad’’ Apple (10-2), of Laguna Niguel, Calif., will be opposed by local favorite Ryan Larson (5-2), of Austin, Texas, in a welterweight (170 pounds) skirmish and David “Tarzan’’ Douglas (5-2) of Antioch, Calif., takes on Austin fan favorite Nick “The Ghost’’ Gonzalez (16-8, 1 NC) at 150 pounds in featured bouts of a STRIKEFORCE Challengers fight card presented by Rockstar Energy Drink at Cedar Park Center in the Austin suburb of Cedar Park, Texas, this Friday, Feb. 18, live on SHOWTIME® at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

In the main event, unbeaten rising star Lyle “Fancy Pants” Beerbohm (15-0) of Spokane, Wash., takes on dangerous veteran Pat “Bam Bam’’ Healy (25-17) of St. Louis. Unbeaten lightweights Ryan Couture (1-0), of Las Vegas, the son of MMA legend Randy Couture, and Houston’s Lee Higgins (2-0) will clash in another televised fight.

Tickets for STRIKEFORCE’s third event in 21 days and second in the Lone Star State are on sale at Cedar Park Center ticket office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and STRIKEFORCE’s official website (www.strikeforce.com).

The first non-televised, undercard fight will begin at 8 p.m. CT. Doors will open at 7:15 p.m.

The Californians, Travers, Apple and Douglas will be making their second starts on a STRIKEFORCE Challengers card while the Texans, Prater and Larson will be making their debuts for the San Jose, Calif.-based MMA promotion. Gonzalez will be fighting for STRIKEFORCE for a second time.

A winner in seven of his last eight, the 5-foot-10, 27-year-old Travers is a terrific wrestler who unanimously outpointed Rocky Johnson on Aug. 27, 2010. Travers’ six-fight winning streak was snapped in his outing before last by “Bam Bam’’ Healy, who won a decision during a Challengers event May 21, 2010, in Portland, Ore., on SHOWTIME. Travers’ most noteworthy triumph was a unanimous decision over former UFC and IFL vet John Gunderson in May ‘09.

Prater is an eight-year pro and former WEC title challenger. The 6-foot, 29-year-old, who’ll be looking to regain his winning ways in this one, was victorious in his initial 10 starts after turning pro in November ‘02. Last Sept. 10, Prater fought three times during a single-night tournament.

Apple is a skilled wrestler who is gigantic for the division. This will be the 6-footer’s first assignment since a second-round TKO loss (punches) to Bobby Voelker on STRIKEFORCE Challengers on Nov. 20, 2009, on SHOWTIME. In his outing before last, Apple submitted then-highly touted Matt Makowski on Sept. 26, 2008.

Larson, a product of Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Austin, has won by first-round submission in all but one of his victories. A pro since Feb. 10, 2006, he split his two outings in 2010, winning by first-round submission (rear-naked choke) over Anthony Macias on Feb. 27, and losing by an identical result to Derrick Hantz in his last fight on Aug. 20.

Douglas, a member of Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, is a 5-foot-11 non-stop action fighter who has won five out of six, including a second-round TKO (punches) over Dominic Clark in a non-televised match on a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event last Oct. 22 in Fresno, Calif.

Douglas’ most memorable win came against Mongkhon Wiwasuk, aka Malaipet, a Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai champ in Thailand and an extremely dangerous striker, on Sept. 26, 2008, at Santa Ynez, Calif. He rallied to triumph by third-round TKO (punches) in a brawl that featured numerous changes in momentum, exceeded all expectations and, for sheer excitement, was as good as it gets.

Gonzalez is vastly more experienced than Douglas and has fought, among others, former STRIKEFORCE World Lightweight Champion Josh Thomson (June 26, 2007, on the undercard of Shamrock-Baroni in San Jose) and Yves Edwards on July 26, 2008.

A winner by unanimous decision over Tim Snyder in his last start on Aug. 20, 2010, the 5-foot-6 Gonzalez is 2-0 with one No-Contest dating to August 2009.

The non-televised bouts will feature three promising fighters from Austin: Aaron Lan Franco

(1-0), of Austin, meets Thomas Diagne (1-2), of San Jose, at 155 pounds and in an all-Austin affair of unbeatens, Drew Pendleton (2-0) will go up against Dennis Dombrow (2-0) at 145.

About STRIKEFORCE
STRIKEFORCE (www.STRIKEFORCE.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.” In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

Philadelphia, PA–Overcoming the loss of his 10-year-old son 12 years ago, Vaughn Jackson, Mike Jones’ trainer, has turned tragedy into inspiration with the help of family, faith and boxing.

Jackson is winding down his training with Jones, who meets Jesus Soto-Karass (a rematch of their Nov. 13 fight, which Jones won by majority decision) on Feb. 19 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas and on HBO’s Boxing After Dark.

“It was a devastating loss, the worst feeling a parent can ever have, “said the 41-year-old Jackson, whose first child, Vaughn Welcome Jackson, sustained a fatal vocal cord injury while playing by himself in his room in December, 1998.

“At age 8, he wanted to box, so I took him to Joe Frazier’s gym. We trained together and he built up a 16-0 amateur record,” said a reflective Jackson, who boxed briefly as a teenager but couldn’t dedicate himself to the sport because of the reality of having to work.

“I took a year or so off from going to the gym, but I started to go to church regularly during that time. In 2000, I started to go back to the gym. I thought my son would have wanted me to do and that’s what turned my life around.

“I then started to take another son, who was 9 (Jackson has five children), to the Joe Hand gym on a regular basis and by the time he was 11, he was No. 2 in the country. At that time, I started training three local amateur fighters (Rashiem Jefferson, Saaed Hawkins, Mike Colston). Jefferson and Hawkins made it to the semifinals of the 2004 Olympic Trials.

“I met Mike (Jones) after the trials from a mutual acquaintance, a female boxer, who recommended me as an-up-and-coming trainer. Mike was looking for a new trainer at that time before he turned pro. We knew of each other and when he came to visit me at the gym we hit it off.

“Mike had a lot of natural ability and I liked his style. I wanted to enhance his strengths and work on correcting his faults without taking away from his strengths.”

“My life has really turned around in the last 12 years with the help of my faith and family and being involved in boxing, my passion. But there is not a day that goes by that I don’t think of my son Vaughn. He’s my guardian angel who gives me spiritual lifts to this day. And I know he’ll be there on February 19.”

JACKSON ON THE JONES vs. SOTO-KARASS REMATCH

“We want to quiet all of the critics that have doubts in Mike since his first fight with Soto-Karass. Don’t judge a fighter from one off-night. Mike overcame a lot of adversity in that fight and still won. We want to win more clearly this time.”

“Mike made a mistake and he didn’t stick to his game plan. He shot his load in the second round but he believed, as I do, that he did enough to win the fight.”

“We know that Soto-Karass will come out like a raging bull in this fight. I want Mike to gradually break down Soto-Karass and slow him down so that Mike, the matador, will gore the bull and finish him off.”

####

Mike Jones vs. Jesus Soto-Karass rematch, co-promoted by Top Rank and Peltz Boxing Promotions, takes place on Saturday, Feb.19, at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The 12-round title fight will be televised live on HBO beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET along with Fernando Montiel defending his bantamweight title against two-division champion Nonito Donaire.

Atlantic City, NJ—It took one year to nail down, but Omar Sheika, of Paterson, NJ, and Garrett Wilson, of Philadelphia, PA, meet for the second time when they collide in a scheduled 12-round contest Saturday evening, April 23, in the Palladium Ballroom at Caesars Atlantic City.

At stake, in addition to revenge for Wilson, will be the vacant United States Boxing Association (USBA) cruiserweight title. The first of seven fights begins at 7.30 p.m. in the 1,450-seat ballroom, the first time it has been used for boxing.

Sheika, 34, scored a fourth-round knockout over Wilson on Mar. 26, 2010, in Hamilton Township, NJ. Wilson, unknown at the time, started fast, won the first round, but played to the crowd, stood and danced between rounds in his corner, then slowly ran out of gas and ideas. The fight turned late in the second round when Sheika found his range and Wilson’s body. By the fourth, it was over.

After that, Skeika (30-10, 21 K0s) knocked out Jim Strohl, of Las Vegas, NV, again in Hamilton Township, then lost a 10-round decision to world-rated Romanian light-heavyweight Adrian Diaconu, in Montreal, Canada.

A pro since 1997, Sheika remains one of boxing’s most exciting fighters. He has wins over Simon Brown, Glen Johnson and James Butler and he fought for world titles four times as a super middleweight, losing to Joe Calzaghe, Eric Lucas, Jeff Lacy and Markus Beyer.

Sheika has been a popular performer on television and was in Fight-of-the-Year candidates with Scott Pemberton (twice) and Thomas Tate and he also boxed Roy Jones, Jr.

Though Sheika has been campaigning as a light-heavyweight, the rematch with Wilson will be at a catch-weight of 185 pounds.

Wilson, 28, calls himself the “Ultimate Warrior” for his willingness for take on the best any time, any place. He has come a long way since losing to Sheika.

Though he dropped a six-round decision in his next fight to lefty Julio Cesar Matthews, of Reading, PA, Wilson has been climbing the ladder.

He knocked out fellow-Philadelphian Reshawn Scott in one round, then held Andres Taylor, (then 16-1-1) to an eight-round draw in Taylor’s backyard of Johnstown, PA.

Wilson followed with his most impressive showing when he came from behind to knock out Aaron Williams, (then 20-2-1) in seven rounds in what was supposed to be a Mayfield Heights, OH, homecoming for Williams.
A pro less than three years, Wilson is 9-5-1, 4 K0s, and eager to stay in the fast lane.

Tickets priced at $50 and $75 are on sale at the offices of Peltz Boxing Promotions (215-765-0922) and all Ticketmaster outlets (800-736-1420). They also can be purchased online at www.peltzboxing.com and www.Ticketmaster.com.

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank

Antonin Decarie scored a ten round unanimous decision over fringe contender Shamone Alvarez in a welterweight bout at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.

Alvarez has some success early as he moved in and out and got through with some left hands. Decarie started taking over as early as round three has began to get through with some good right hands. In round five, Decarie sent Alvarez to the canvas with one of those sharp rights and again sent Alvarez down at the end of round eight eight. The plethora of right hands opened up a cut over the left eye of Alvarez. Alvarez was not much of a threat heading down the stretch as the native son Decarie performed well in his first major headlining appearance.

Decarie, 147 lbs of Laval, Canada won by scores of 99-89; 98-90; and 97-91 to raise his record to 25-1. Alvarez, 147 lbs of Atlantic City, NJ is now 21-4.

Jo Jo Dan scored a sixth round technical decision over former world champion Steve Forbed when a headbutt opened up a nasty cut over the left eye of Forbes.

Dan scored well with some decent shots while Forbes tried to work the body. In round six, Forbed came forward and two fighters clashed heads that opened up the cut and the fight was stopped.

Dan, 146 1/2 lbs of Montreal won by scores of 58-56 of all cards and is now 28-1. Forbes, 147 lbs of Detroit is 35-9.

Ghislum Maduma remained undefeated with a four round unanimous decision over Isaac Bejarano in a Lightweight bout.

Maduma dominated the action with an assortment of punches against a tough but overmateched Bejarano.

Maduma, 133 lbs of Montreal won by scores of 40-34; 40-36 to go to 3-0. Bejarano, 135 lbs of Ciudad, Mexico is now 9-9-1.

Former national amateur standout Guy Robb of Sacramento, California hopes to have the opportunity to showcase his boxing skills tonight at the Fairfield Sports Center in Fairfield, California. His ability to do such hinges on his overweight opponent not gaining any additional weight before a pre-fight weight check this morning. Should things go as hoped, local fight fans will get to see one of the area’s top prospects for the first time as a professional.

Robb (1-0, 1 KO) turned pro back in October with a first-round demolition of Jose Pacheco at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California on a card promoted by Gary Shaw Productions. “He looked fantastic,” says Ray Woods, Robb’s trainer, recalling his debut performance. Robb’s manager Repo Ric liked what he saw as well, but feels the two minutes the bout lasted was not enough time for the Sacramento native to show all that he had. “After five fights, I am taking him back home to Gary Shaw,” said Repo, confident the promoter will be even more impressed the second time around.

Robb was ranked near the top of the 125-pound weight class by USA Boxing for much of his amateur career, which was highlighted by a title victory at the 2008 Ringside World Championships. “It’s too early to start talking about it, but I think he is going to be a top notch fighter,” says Woods. “All he needs is time and experience.”

In order to get a young fighter experience, it is the job of his team to line up fights that will challenge him progressively. In Omar Sanchez (0-1), Robb’s team feels they have a fighter that could possibly extend Robb some rounds and give him a good fight. “I want rounds, and I watched Sanchez’ fight with [local prospect Maximilliano] Becerra,” said Woods. “He’s the type of kid that will be tough, but I don’t think that he could beat us.”

At Thursday’s weigh-in, Robb weighed in at 132-pounds. Sanchez, who fights out of Fairfield, came in overweight at 138-pounds. Sanchez did not want to lose the two pounds required to make the contracted weight of 136. Eventually a deal was struck between the camps that Sanchez would not gain a pound before a morning weight check, which kept the fight alive.

“I’m not worried about the weight too much,” says Robb. “I’m just glad to have an opponent. I am tired of having fights cancelled. While Robb expects the fight to go through, he would not be surprised if Sanchez did not live up to his end either. “It’s a possibility,” said Robb. “They don’t look like they want the fight like I do.”

Tonight’s event, which will be televised by Telefutura, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, Don Chargin Productions, Jorge Marron Productions and Paco Presents. The event is expected to be a sell out. If any tickets remain, they will be available for purchase at the door.

WHO: STRIKEFORCE and DREAM Heavyweight World Champion Alistair Overeem

WHERE: ESPN2

WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 10, at Midnight ET / 9 p.m. PT

WHAT: Interview on MMA LIVE Thursday on ESPN2

The STRIKEFORCE and DREAM Heavyweight Champion will discuss, among other things, the STRIKEFORCE Grand Prix – Heavyweight Tournament that begins this Saturday, Feb. 12, at IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J., live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

In Saturday’s main event, Fedor Emelianenko (31-2, 1 NC) faces Antonio “Big Foot” Silva (15-2) in a STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL co-promoted event. The opening quarterfinal on the telecast will match former world champion Andrei Arlovski (15-8) against Russian star Sergei Kharitonov (16-4).

The other two quarterfinal matchups in a three-stage, single-elimination tournament will take place at a site and date to be announced. Overeem (34-11, 1 NC) will face the only man to tap out Fedor, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1), and hard-hitting Brett “The Grim” Rogers (11-2) will be opposed by Josh Barnett (29-5).

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that Nathan Cleverly will battle Juergan Brahemer for a Light Heavyweight belt on April 2nd at Wembley Arena in London.

“I’m delighted that I’ve been able to secure home advantage for Nathan,” said Frank Warren. “It wasn’t cheap to get Brahmer over here, but it will be worth it because I really believe in Nathan and he has a big future ahead of him. It looked like the fight was going to go to purse bids, but we made a substantial offer the night before and it was enough to persuade Brahmer to say yes.”

“Nathan has worked incredibly hard for this opportunity, and waited patiently to get his shot,” Warren said. “He’s getting this fight at exactly the right time, and it could be a massive moment in his career. This is a huge fight. Brahmer is a proven champion and belongs at elite level, while Cleverly is young and hungry and could be the next big thing in the UK. Don’t forget that light-heavyweight is a very sexy division right now.

“You’ve got Chad Dawson, Bernard Hopkins, Tavoris Cloud and Jean Pascal out there, and Nathan has the chance to make a name for himself both here and in the [United] States.”

“I always thought that I would get my shot at Brahmer,” Cleverly said. “There was talk that he might be stripped or would vacate the title, but I never wanted that to happen. He’s the champion and the only way I would consider myself a true champion is if I took the belt from him, rather than picking up the vacant title. I’m going to take the fight to Brahmer, walk through him and give him some serious punishment. I feel that this fight has come at the perfect time for me and I want to make a big statement.

“You only have to take a look at Brahmer’s record to realize just how dangerous he will be. He’s a genuine champion and a genuine talent, but I think I have enough in my armory to beat him. Before my last fight I was only sparring amateurs, but this time around I’ve got some big professional cruiserweights in and I’ve been knocking them out. I’m going to significantly better against Braehmer than I was against Mohammedi, and I’m predicting a spectacular performance.”

NEW YORK (Feb. 10, 2011)—SHOWTIME Sports is producing a four-part documentary series titled FIGHT CAMP 360°: Pacquiao vs. Mosley to air on both CBS and SHOWTIME® that will give fight fans unprecedented access into the lives of boxing superstars Manny Pacquiao and “Sugar” Shane Mosley. The SHOWTIME critically acclaimed series will follow both fighters through their unique preparations leading up to the year’s biggest event on the boxing calendar—the forthcoming WBO welterweight championship clash and SHOWTIME PPV® blockbuster event on May 7 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

“This series will open a lot of eyes and surprise casual television viewers as well as boxing enthusiasts,” said Ken Hershman, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “These athletes are global personalities that transcend sports, and their path to an event of this scope is complex, provocative and quite entertaining. From Pacquiao’s home and life as a Congressman in the Philippines to Mosley’s high-altitude training camp in Big Bear, Calif., and into the offices of Top Rank Inc. in Las Vegas, FIGHT CAMP 360°: Pacquiao vs. Mosley will turn a powerful backstage spotlight on this marquee boxing event.”

The series premieres on Saturday, April 2 on CBS (12:00 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT) before the network’s coverage of the Men’s NCAA Basketball Championship Final Four.

Below are the premiere dates and times for FIGHT CAMP 360° Pacquiao vs. Mosely

Episode 1 CBS Saturday, April 2 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT

Episode 1 SHO Saturday, April 16 10 p.m. ET/PT

Episode 2 SHO Saturday, April 23 10 p.m. ET/PT

Episode 3 CBS Saturday, April 30 8 p.m. ET/PT

Episode 4 SHO Friday, May 6 10 p.m. ET/PT

Episode 4 CBS Saturday, May 7 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT

FIGHT CAMP 360°: Pacquiao vs. Mosley will be available on SHOWTIME On Demand with multiple re-airings on SHO Extreme

FIGHT CAMP 360° launched in 2009 to follow the lives of the participants in the Super Six World Boxing Classic on SHOWTIME and was met by critical acclaim for its originality and revealing content. Created to connect viewers with fighters and not as a singularly focused promotional device, FIGHT CAMP 360° is the first-of-its-kind boxing series examining the entirety of the prizefighting business.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com former three time world champion Erik Morales will takes on Marcos Maidana to headline an HBO PPV card on April 9 in Las Vegas.

“I got the ‘Fight Freak’ card done,” Said Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions, referring to the hardcore boxing fans he hopes to please with the lineup. “Everything is locked in.”

The other televised bouts on the show:

• Robert Guerrero, a former featherweight and junior lightweight titlist, and Australian action star Michael Katsidis will meet in the co-feature matching lightweight contenders.

• Middleweight Winky Wright will face Matthew Macklin of Great Britain in a previously announced bout.

• Junior middleweight James Kirkland, one of boxing’s hottest rising stars before his career was sidetracked by an 18-month prison stint, will open the card against an opponent to be named. Kirkland’s fight is contingent upon winning and not being injured in a fight scheduled for March 5, his first fight since being released from a halfway house where he recently completed his sentence.

“I can tell you what Erik Morales said to me, that he feels like this is an early Christmas present,” Schaefer said. “It’s really the fight he wants. He feels that he has the style to beat Maidana and he feels with Maidana, he is taking on the most dangerous 140-pounder. He said, ‘I don’t want to just do a fight. I want to do a fight where a win will take me back to where I was.’ I agree with Erik that a win against Maidana will do exactly that. Maidana is one of the most credible 140-pounders and an exciting fighter. Most people rank him third in the division [behind Timothy Bradley Jr. and Khan].”

“He and his father were begging us for this fight,” Schaefer said. “He did take some time off and there is a history of fighters who took time off and came back and did write another chapter in the career, and not only pick up where they left off but go to bigger heights.

“Erik has had three fights [on his comeback], not against the easiest opponents, but not against the toughest opponents. But that shows how serious he is about his comeback. Each opponent was a gradual step up and it allowed him to measure where he stands. I’m happy for him that we were able to deliver that early Christmas gift to him. Not many fighters would sign up to fight Maidana.”

“It’s one of the most exciting fights one can make in boxing and I’m really looking forward to it,” Schaefer said. “Helluva fight. The winner will come out as a major guy.”

When touching on the Wright-Macklin fight, Schaefer said “There’s a lot at stake for both guys,”

“James Kirkland will open up the show,” Schaefer said. “The plan is that we have James fighting on March 5 in a non-televised bout and then he’ll come back on April 9 on the opening bout of the pay-per-view.”

NEW YORK (Feb. 10, 2011) – Melvin “No Mercy’’ Manhoef (24-8-1) of Amsterdam, Holland, will replace an injured Luke Rockhold and face American Military hero Tim Kennedy (12-3) of Fort Bragg, N.C., in a featured fight at middleweight (185 pounds) on a STRIKEFORCE World Championship Doubleheader on Saturday, March 5, at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

The promising Rockhold withdrew after suffering an injury to his left leg during training.

“Man, this is beyond really disappointing,’’ said Rockhold, a winner of six in a row. “I’d been feeling great and working hard and was really pumped for the fight with Kennedy.

“I know injuries are part of the game, but I want to fight. That’s what I do. It’s pretty swollen now, but once my leg is 100 percent I’m coming back with a vengeance.’’

Manhoef, who’s one of MMA’s most devastating and offensive-minded stand-up fighters, is making his second start for STRIKEFORCE on SHOWTIME. In his debut on Jan. 30, 2010, Manhoef had mostly manhandled hard-hitting, former two-time world champion Robbie Lawler before getting caught and losing in the first round.

The exciting, crowd-pleasing Manhoef does not know the meaning of a full night’s work. The Destructive Dutchman has registered KO or TKO victories in all but one of his 24 victories.

Manhoef, a winner in seven of his last 11, has participated in more than 60 professional fights between MMA and kickboxing, but is seeking his first MMA victory in the United States.

“I come to fight and give my very best,’’ the 5-foot-8, 34-year-old Manhoef said. “I am very, very hungry. I need to win this fight. I am looking forward to fighting Tim Kennedy.’’

Born in Suriname, Manhoef relocated to Rotterdam with his family when he was three years old. He was introduced to the sport of Muay Thai by a brother at the age of 18.

The popular Kennedy is an American military hero who’s toured the Middle East multiple times, and earned the Army’s Bronze Medal Star medal for valor under fire.

This will be the 5-foot-11, 31-year old’s fifth start for STRIKEFORCE and his first since losing a close, hard-fought decision to “Jacare” Souza in a fight for the then-vacant STRIKEFORCE middleweight title on Aug. 21, 2010, on SHOWTIME.

The disputed defeat ended a four-fight winning streak for Kennedy, who has split two fights against Jason “Mayhem’’ Miller.

In the March 5 main event, Dan Henderson (26-8), of Temecula, Calif., will challenge defending belt-holder Rafael “Feijao’’ Cavalcante (10-2) of Brazil for the STRIKEFORCE World Light Heavyweight (205 pounds) Championship. In a second world title fight, Marloes “Rumina’’ Coenen (18-4) of the Netherlands will risk her lightweight title for a first time against No. 1 135-pound contender, Miesha “Takedown’’ Tate (11-2), of Tacoma, Wash.

Undefeated Billy Evangelista (11-0) of Fresno, Calif., will take on Jorge Masvidal (20-6) of Miami, Fla., at lightweight (155 pounds) in a previously announced televised bout.

The event, STRIKEFORCE’s first in the state of Ohio, will take place in conjunction with The Arnold Sports Festival, the nation’s largest health and fitness exposition founded by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Tickets are on sale at the Nationwide Arena ticket office, online at Ticketmaster.com and Strikeforce.com and Ticketmaster by phone at (800) 745-3000.

Jersey City, NJ (February 10, 2011) – Lightweight prospect Danny “Little Mac” McDermott (8-2, 3 KO) of Jersey City, NJ will make his first ring appearance in almost a year when he faces Osnel Charles (6-2) of Atlantic City, NJ at Essex County College in Newark, NJ on February 19.

The six-round bout will be the main supporting fight to “Brick City Brawl”, which is headlined by Polish heavyweight Mariusz Wach (23-0, 11 KO) facing Jonathan Haggler (23-3, 18 KO) for the vacant WBC Baltic heavyweight championship. McDermott-Charles and Wach-Haggler will both be televised by FoxSports and Comcast affiliates throughout the country.
The show will be promoted by Prize Fight and Global Boxing Promotions.

McDermott, 31, hasn’t fought since his thrilling war with Brian Miller last year, which was named the “Garden State Fight of the Year” by Boxrec. Now training with former middleweight Dominick Scibetta in North Bergen’s Global Boxing Gym, McDermott is back in the groove.

“This is the opportunity I’ve waited for my whole life,” says McDermott, an alumni of Paramus Catholic High School. “I’m excited and hope to give the fans the best fight possible. I’m focused on one thing, which is being the best fighter I possibly can be.”

Besides being a fighter, McDermott is also a father of two and a graduate of the New York Film Academy.

Charles, 26, was born in Haiti but raised in West Palm Beach, FL. He is coming off his career best performance, an upset of Philadalphia favorite Victor Vasquez, last month.

Accompanying McDermott to the ring will be Joe Gatti, a former world title contender and brother of McDermott’s mentor Arturo “Thunder” Gatti.

Tickets for this championship night of boxing are priced at $120; $70& $30 by calling 1-866-468-7619; logging onto www.ticketmaster.com or www.ticketweb.com as well as Global Boxing Gym (5601-5711 Tonnelle Ave. North Bergen, NJ, 07047)

Doors open at 7PM, first fight is at 8PM.