Nathan Gorman powered his way to the IBF International Heavyweight Championship as he twice downed his opponent in a punishing first-round stoppage of Tomas Salek at the M&S Bank Arena on Friday June 17, live on Channel 5. Stoppages were the theme of the main card as ‘Pretty Boy’ Josh Kelly reminded everyone of his class and technical ability in a fourth-round TKO victory over the Hungary’s Peter Kramer.

With his name upon the banners, Nathan Gorman did not disappoint the Channel 5 audience and all those in attendance at the M&S Bank Arena on a fantastic Wasserman Boxing fight night. Gorman had a job to do after 15 months out of the ring, but had clearly been working on all the physical and technical aspects of his game to overwhelm is Czech opponent.

The pressure on Gorman intensified as his cousin and WBC Heavyweight king, Tyson Fury, entered the arena in typically flamboyant style. ‘The Gypsy King’ would not be left disappointed, as all of the improvements made by Gorman left Tomas Salek stunned once the first heavy blow had been thrown.

After applying pressure from the first bell, Salek got caught with a heavy shot to meet the canvas a little earlier than planned. The referees count was reluctantly met by the Czech Heavyweight champion, only for Gorman to scythe him down once more with another brutal punch.

“It’s been a fantastic night,” said Gorman. “What a way to come back to the boxing ring.”

“Tomas Salek has only lost to good fighters, but I think I’m the only one to do it in that impressive style. I’m really happy and really pleased with it, live on Channel 5 as well so hopefully there were plenty of happy people watching.”

“It’s now about being active. I’m only 25-years-old, but I want to keep pushing on and hunting for them titles. There’s a hell of a long career ahead of me yet, and there’s big things to come.”

The wait was finally over as the Liverpool crowd stood to cheer Josh Kelly back to the squared circle for the first time in over a year. The fluid and natural boxing that Kelly has been renowned for showed no sign of rust as the Sunderland man looked even more focused and spiteful than he had previously.

His opponent, Peter Kramer, had shown up to become a banana skin and use his durability and experience to spoil the party. This was not the case, as Kelly wore the Hungarian down with a blend of speed, movement and some hard-hitting uppercuts that inevitably saw the referee wave off proceedings in the fourth round.

“Nothing ever replicates fight night – training for it, travelling away to arenas, preparing in the changing rooms. Nothing replicates it,” said Kelly.

“Round after round, I could feel myself getting sharper and I started reading him a lot better. I wanted to put a statement out there with my jab, and it worked well tonight to break him down to the point he started taking a few too many shots.”

“I was saying to Adam (Booth) that I’m going to land a right-uppercut on this guy. When they started landing and doing the job, I thought if he’s going to just sit there and take it then I’m just going to keep giving it to him.”

“He goes the distance with heavier guys normally, like Super-Middleweights. To hurt him, and make him physically shaken, shows what strength and power I carry at 154lbs.”

Chloe Watson avoided any slip-up in her homecoming fight, as the city of Liverpool cheered her on to victory. Watson’s opponent, El Bousairi, had been described as a very game opponent all week and someone to push the young fighter. It was an accomplished performance that saw Watson get over the line with a 59-56 points win.

Elsewhere on the card, it was a successful debut for Aaron Chalmers as he passed the test with a 39-37 points victory over Alexander Zeledon. There were plenty of signs to show the potential of Chalmers and his entry into the sport, with the former Geordie Shore star looking comfortable in heavier gloves having swapped the cage for ropes.

Undercard Results

Mason Cartwright def.  Angel Emilov via points, 80-72

Matty Harris def. Pawel Strykowski via first-round KO

Paddy Lacey def. Ryan Broten via first-round TKO

Tom Farrell def. Olaide Fijabi via points, 58-57

Tom Aitchison def. Ezequiel Gregores via fourth-round TKO

Gadatamen Taylor def. Marcos Molloy via points, 48-47

John Edwardson def. Stefan Nicolae via points, 42-36

NEW YORK (JUNE 18, 2022)–Three Split-T Management Fighters will be on display tonight in Houston

Undefeated IBO world Bantamweight champion bantamweight Melissa Odessa Parker defending against Mikenna Tansley at the Bayou Event Center.

Parker of Spring, Texas has a record of 5-0 with two knockouts. The 35 year-old southpaw is a two year-professional who has wins over two undefeated fighters. In her last outing, Parker won the IBO Bantamweight title with a unanimous decision over Calista Silgado on June 19, 2021 in Miami, Florida.

Tansley of Alberta, Canada is 5-0 with one knockouts and is coming off an eight-round majority decision over previously undefeated Danielle Bennett on September 25th in Davenport, Iowa.

On the same card, Giovanni Marquez will look to make it 2-0, when the former National Golden Gloves champion when he makes his hometown debut when he takes on 53-fight veteran Ariel Vazquez in a four-round welterweight bout.

Marquez turned professional on March 11th with a four-round unanimous decision over undefeated Nelson Morales in a bout that was televised on ShoBox: The New Generation from Deadwood, South Dakota.

Marquez, 21 years-old of Houston, Texas began boxing at the age of 12 as he is the son of former U.S. Olympian, world junior middleweight world champion and current broadcaster Raul Marquez.

Marquez had an amateur record of 75-12, which culminated in winning the National Golden Glove tournament this past August in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was named the Most Outstanding boxer in the tournament.

Marquez, who won the 152-pound National Golden Gloves, will begin his pro career around 145-pounds, with the goal to campaign as a junior welterweight.

Vazquez of Managua, Nicaragua, has a win over Sergio Olivas (12-2) and has fought 17 undefeated opponents including former world champion Jamel Herring as well as former world champion Rene Alvarado.

Also on the card will be the return of undefeated middleweight Andreas Katzourakis. Katzourakis will take on Isiah Jones in a six-round bout.

Katzourakis of Greece is 6-0 with five knockouts. The 25 year-old has been off since December 12, 2020 when he took out Brandon Baue in the third round in Miami, Florida. Katzourakis also has a second round stoppage over Edward Brown (7-1).

Jones of Detroit is 9-5 with three knockouts. Jones won his first eight-bouts which was highlighted by a win over undefeated Antonio Wade. Jones also defeated undefeated Donte Stubbs (6-0). Jones has faced seven undefeated fighters and is coming off a defeat to undefeated to Eugene Hill on December 4th in Houston.

The bouts can be seen live on BXNGTV.com beginning at 7 PM ET / 6 PM PT

Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Sport Chairman:

“We’re live from Brisbane as we look to talk about our first Australian show in September. Just a thrilling fight between the world No.1 at 140lbs Liam Paro and 20-0 Brock Jarvis. As well we have Demsey McKean and Skye Nicolson who is joining us today ahead of our first ever show in Australia. We’re a bit early, we’ve still got work to do but I’m here planning the show and I wanted to get everyone together, and thanks for a great turnout today here in Brisbane.

“As you know, Matchroom have a big global vision for the sport. We’re already in many territories around the world, of course the UK being our prime market, the US as well, Mexico, Italy, Spain, the Middle East. But Australia is a market that we’ve been looking at very closely, it’s a market that’s going to be very important to us. I have been around the world very aggressively, I come in peace to Australia. I come to understand your world.

“This is my first ever time in Australia and I’m having a great time this week. It’s going to be a very important market for us, I’ve been watching the great work that people have been doing in this territory, great promoters, of course one of our partners over here Angelo Di Carlo and Alfie Di Carlo, Main Events, No Limit – all doing great work here. I’m really impressed, not just by the shows, but by the talent pool as well.

“We want to bring something different, we want to bring value for money and we want to bring exposure to Australian boxing. We want to invest in the grass roots of the professional code as well. But more importantly we want to make great fights, from top to bottom on the card. I reckon we’re about a week or two weeks away from giving you all of the details you need to know about September, but one thing I promise you is a tremendous fight card.”

Liam Paro:

“This is a good platform to get more Australian fans before we get that title. But now my mind is strictly on this job and making a statement. I’ve worked my ass off to get to No.1 the hard way. I’m not going to let no kid come here and take it, I can tell you that much. Brock is a good fighter, I respect him. You don’t get to 20-0 for no reason. Like Alfie said before, the competition we have faced, you can’t compare. His 20-0 record is equivalent to my 7-0 so we’ve going to see that in September. I’ve got a statement to make. I want to be a household name in Australia, and this is another guy in my way. This is my destiny so I’m not letting him come here a wreck it – no way. We didn’t have to take this fight. We could have sat pretty at No.1 until that title came. I love to fight; this is what I do. It’s going to be a good show. Let’s get it on, I can’t wait!”

Alfie Di Carlo:

“We’re very confident. I understand that Liam has a target on his back at No.1, don’t get me wrong. It makes sense that people are looking to shortcut their career because we’ve invested a lot of time and Liam’s had a lot of great performances against international opposition and world rated fighters to get to where he is. But everyone is looking for a shortcut and that’s what I see this as, looking for a shortcut to the top. Yes, there is a big history between our families and yes, I have taken that personally because I didn’t chase this fight. But look, at the end of the day business is business, he’ll be 100% ready for this fight and he’s going to make a statement. There are different levels to it, and he’s credentialed. Have a look at the list of opponents Liam has fought compared to Brock. I think it speaks for itself. Brock is a great fighter, don’t get me wrong, but I just think Liam has had the much more experience and I think that there’s levels to it and you’ll see a boxing clinic.”

Brock Jarvis:

“I’m very grateful to get the opportunity. It almost seems unfair that I get a shot at world No.1 without even having competed in the 140lbs division but that’s just the way that it went and I’m very lucky to get the opportunity. I’m going to make the most of it. It’s unbelievable. It opens a lot of doors for me. My main focus right now is just wining the fight. I don’t really care about what comes after it. I haven’t even thought about it. It’s a big fight and it’s a tough fight – that’s all I’m worried about. It was a big fight for me going over to America. It was a great opportunity but a bit of a shaky debut, but it just happened the way it did and I learnt a whole lot from that so I’ll be better off moving forwards.”

Jeff Fenech:

“First of all, total respect to the Di Carlo family, I love them, they are my family. And Liam too, we’ve travelled with Liam, we’ve been a part of trying to help him grow with his career on occasions. This was an opportunity that when I was asked, I thought of all the positives and of course I said yes. Why did I say yes? It’s quite obvious. I said yes because I think that Brock can win.”

Skye Nicolson:

“I’m really excited. I said from the start I really want to bring my pro fights home to Australia. Obviously having that experience, having two fights in the US and two fights in the UK, it’s perfect timing to have that first title fight here on home soil. I feel like one thing that is missing from Australian boxing, we’ve definitely got the talent, but they’re just not fighting each other and I think this main event is a perfect example of what we need to do, we just need to see the best in Australia fight the best in Australia, that’s where we’re going to get those exciting nights. I’m really excited for the extra rounds. I feel like I barely get out of 2^nd gear in six rounders so I think we’ll definitely see more excitement as the rounds go on. I’m very excited for a ten rounder.”

  •  Artur Beterbiev 175 vs. Joe Smith Jr. 174.6
(WBC/IBF/WBO Light Heavyweight World Titles — 12 Rounds)

•   Robeisy Ramirez 125.8 lbs vs. Abraham Nova 125.4 lbs 
(Vacant USBA and WBO Global Featherweight Titles — 10 Rounds)

(ESPN+, 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT)

   •    Bruce Carrington 127.4 lbs vs. Adrian Leyva 127.4 lbs
 (Featherweight— 6 Rounds)

   •    Jahi Tucker 147.8 lbs vs. D’Andre Smith 147.6 lbs
 (Welterweight — 6 Rounds)

   •   Floyd Diaz 121.6 lbs vs. Daniil Platonovschi 122 lbs
 (Junior Featherweight — 6 Rounds)

   •   Troy Isley 158.6 lbs vs. Donte Stubbs 161.6 lbs
 (Middleweight— 6 Rounds)

   •    Wendy Toussaint 152.2 lbs vs. Asinia Byfield 152.8 lbs
 (Junior Middleweight — 8 Rounds)

•    Jahyae Brown 153.2 lbs vs.  Keane McMahon 152.6 lbs
 (Junior Middleweight — 6 Rounds) 

PANAMA CITY, Panama (June 17, 2022): ProBox TV returns tonight as Brazilian slugger Jonhatan “Maximus” Cardoso (14-0, 14 KOs) takes on the toughest test of his career against Panamanian Olympian Juan “El Olimpico” Huertas (15-3-1, 11 KOs) in a 10-round main event for the WBO Latino Lightweight Title at La Doce Sports Center in Panama City, Panama.

In the co-main event, former two-division world champion Luis “Nica” Concepcion (39-9, 28 KOs) will look to shine in front of a hometown crowd against Venezuelan Juan “Pequita” Lopez (15-8-1,14 KOs) in a 10-round bout.

Cardoso-Huertas, which is promoted by ProBox Promotions in association with Master Promotions and All Star Boxing, Inc., headlines a four-fight card of action that will begin streaming on ProBox TV beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Tonight’s ProBox TV running order is as follows:

JONHATAN CARDOSO (133 lbs.) vs. JUAN HUERTAS (135 lbs.) – WBO Latino Lightweight Championship

LUIS CONCEPCION (119 lbs.) vs. JUAN LOPEZ (118 lbs.) – 10-Round Fight

GILBERTO PEDROZA (115 lbs.) vs. PEDRO VILLEGAS (109 lbs.) – 8-Round Fight

DARRELLE VALSAINT (165 lbs.) vs. ENCARNACION DIAZ (163 lbs.) – 6-Round Fight

# # #

ABOUT PROBOX TV

ProBox TV is the first and only global sports streaming and media company dedicated exclusively to the sport of professional boxing. Founded by former CEO of Iron Mike Productions Garry Jonas in partnership with the legendary Roy Jones Jr., Juan Manuel Marquez, Antonio Tarver, and Paulie Malignaggi, ProBox TV’s mission is to deliver real boxing fans an improved experience when watching and following the sport—all for the nominal monthly price of $1.99. Download the ProBox TV app or visit www.ProBoxTV.com to learn more. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Reddit. 

Saul Sanchez 118 vs. Eros Correa 118

Loui Lopez 148 vs Jaleik Bogle 147.7

Pedro Valencia 136.6 vs Mario Aguirre 137

Nelson Oliva 155.3 vs. Antonio Duarte 154.9

Anthony John Saldivar 149.9 vs. Genesis Wynn 148.4

“Path To Glory” will take place at the Doubletree Hotel Ontario, CA on Friday June 17, 2022. Doors open at 6:30 pm PT with the first fight starting at 8:00 pm PT. Tickets priced at $50, $75, and $100, are only available at the door. Fight fans will be able to watch all Thompson Boxing fights, weigh-ins, and behind-the-scenes content, via their new Mobile App downloadable on Apple and Google.

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

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

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

Please check our Facebook Page, watch our YouTube channel on Thompson

Boxing TV, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @ThompsonBoxing, as well as our media partner Fightstars.TV.

NEW YORK (June 16, 2022) — Two of the light heavyweight division’s fiercest punchers will put three world title belts at stake in one of the year’s most anticipated showdowns. WBC/IBF world champion Artur Beterbiev (17-0, 17 KOs) — boxing’s only world champion with a 100 percent knockout ratio — will take on Long Island’s WBO champion Joe Smith Jr. (28-3, 22 KOs) Saturday evening at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

In the highly anticipated 10-round featherweight co-feature, two-time Cuban Olympic gold medalist Robeisy Ramirez (9-1, 5 KOs) steps up against the unbeaten Abraham “El Super” Nova (21-0, 15 KOs). Ramirez has won nine straight bouts since a shocking loss in his pro debut, while Nova has settled in at featherweight after spending the first five-plus years of his career campaigning at junior lightweight

Beterbiev-Smith Jr. and Ramirez-Nova will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.Undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ (6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m PT) and includes the return of featherweight Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (3-0, 2 KO), the latest standout to come from Brownsville, Brooklyn. Carrington made his pro debut on the Tyson Fury-Deontay Wilder III undercard last October, signed with Top Rank later that year, and has won two fights thus far in 2022. In March, at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, he scored a highlight-reel knockout over Yeuri Andujar.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, a limited number of tickets are still available at Ticketmaster.com.

At Thursday’s press conference, this is what the fighters and Top Rank chairman Bob Arum had to say. 

Bob Arum 

“At my age, this fight brings me back so many decades to when Top Rank promoted the leading light heavyweights in the world like Bob Foster, Matthew Saad Muhammad, John Conteh, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, and Marvin Johnson. The light heavyweight division has given people who follow boxing great thrills for as long as I’ve been promoting fights. Now we have this fight, which will go into the annals like all the great light heavyweight fights of the past and may even be the one that is the greatest.”

“Joe Smith is a tremendous fighter. He has a big heart. He has a lot of skills and a lot of punching power. And what can I say about Artur Beterbiev? He really epitomizes the ferocity that light heavyweights have been known for. Tremendous puncher. Big heart. A guy who refuses to lose. Nothing can be better than this. I predict that this fight will be considered the Fight of the Year for 2022.”

Artur Beterbiev

“This is a very important fight for me. With regard to the place, it’s not different for me. I’m more focused on the fight. I’m more focused on my opponent, not on the place. I always ask my boxing coach and my conditioning coach about how I’m doing. I ask them if it’s less than I was doing two years ago. They tell me that I’m doing better than two years ago.”

“If we compare it to the last one, this camp went very well. This camp was better. I want to thank my team, my conditioning coach, my boxing coach, all my team and all my sparring partners who helped me. We had a good camp.”

“We are both ready for this fight. I think it’s going to be a good fight. We will see. I can’t predict the future. I’m just a boxer.”

Joe Smith Jr.

“This is a huge opportunity. Beterbiev is a huge name in boxing. Everyone knows who he is at this point. He has two world titles, and I want those belts. I believe this fight is going to be great. You’ve got two big punchers, and I’m just excited to be in there with him. He’s a great name.”

“I’m fighting at the Garden. Home is not too far from here. All my fans are going to be here to support me or, if not, watch at home. I’m just glad to be here defending my WBO title and unifying two other belts.”

“I believe this guy is in his prime right now. I don’t think age has anything to do with it. I know he’s here at 100 percent and ready to go. I know I’m here fighting one of the best, so I trained at 110 percent. I made this camp a little longer. I made sure that I improved things that I wasn’t doing at my best. I stayed more consistent with my training, so I feel comfortable about this weekend.”

Robeisy Ramirez

“My level increases with the quality of opponent that I have in front of me. So, I think my growth is due to me increasing the level of my opposition and because we’ve been increasing our work, both mentally and physically.”

“We decided to take this fight because it would lead to a title shot. We all know who Abraham is. We all know the kind of record he has. So, a victory would put us one step away from fighting for a title. This was the step we wanted to take and the fight we were looking for. We weren’t looking to make a fight that wasn’t this one.”

“We didn’t make any adjustments. We did the kind of training camp that we would do for any other fight. At the end of the day, he is an opponent who has two arms and will be boxing. So, we just have to be prepared physically and go out there and work.”

Abraham Nova

“I’ve been trying to fight for a world title at 130, but I haven’t gotten the opportunity. I felt like there was a lot of political things going on. So, I decided to go down to 126 and see if I could make a run. I wanted the {Emanuel} Navarrete fight, but I guess he didn’t want the fight, so Robeisy was next in line. I feel like a win over him puts me in line for a title shot.”

“I feel like I’m being overlooked. People haven’t seen the best of me. In fights, I do this and I do that, but I always fix them. You guys are going to see a complete ‘Supernova’ on Saturday night. I promise that.”

“It’s always business as usual. In training camp, I did a lot of adjustments. He’s a lefty. I’m a righty. So, I had to get lefty sparring partners. I had different sparring partners every week. We have a great game plan, and I’m ready to execute it on Saturday night.”

Bruce Carrington

“It feels great to once again be fighting in this historic arena. I’m highly blessed to have back-to-back fights in my hometown as well. This is a great experience for me, and I’m ready to tackle this head-on. As a fighter, you should always get better than your last fight, so giving my folks and fans something new to see is definitely something I plan on doing this Saturday.”

Saturday, June 18

ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+ (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT)

 
Artur Beterbiev vs. Joe Smith Jr., 12 rounds, WBC/IBF/WBO Light Heavyweight World Titles
 
Robeisy Ramirez vs. Abraham Nova, 10 rounds, Vacant USBA & WBO Global Featherweight Titles

 ESPN+ (6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT)

Bruce Carrington vs. Adrian Leyva, 6 rounds, featherweight
 
Jahi Tucker vs. D’Andre Smith, 6 rounds, welterweight

Troy Isley vs. Donte Stubbs, 6 rounds, middleweight

Kieran Molloy vs. Jonathan Ryan Burrs, 4 rounds, junior middleweight

Jahyae Brown vs. Keane McMahon, 6 rounds, junior middleweight

Las Vegas – UFC^® returns to UFC APEX with a thrilling lightweight contenders’ bout featuring No. 11 ranked Arman Tsarukyan taking on No. 12 Mateusz Gamrot. The co-main event will see No. 10 ranked welterweight Neil Magny attempt to halt the momentum of undefeated No. 15 Shakvat Rakhmonov.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: TSARUKYAN vs. GAMROT will take place Saturday, June 25 at UFC APEX in Las Vegas. The main card will be available on ESPN and ESPN Deportes, as well as simulcast in English and Spanish on ESPN+, starting at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. The prelims will kick off on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.

One of the top lightweights in the sport today, Tsarukyan (18-2, fighting out of Krasnodar, Russia, by way of Yerevan, Armenia) looks to extend his five-fight win streak in his first UFC main event opportunity. During his last two trips to the Octagon, he secured impressive knockout wins against Joel Alvarez and Christos Giagos. Tsarukyan now aims to become the first person to finish Gamrot with a statement performance.

Thrilling grappler Gamrot (20-1, fighting out of Poznan, Poland) plans to continue his journey up the 155-pound rankings with a breakout performance. A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, he has earned dominant wins over Scott Holtzman, Jeremy Stephens and Diego Ferreira. Gamrot now hopes to dispatch Tsarukyan and break into the Top 10 for the first time in his career.

Magny (26-9, fighting out of Denver, Colo.) returns to action seeking to take sole possession of the record for most UFC welterweight wins. A longtime fixture in the Top 10, he holds notable victories against fellow ranked opponents Geoff Neal and Li Jingliang. Magny now has his sights set on dispatching another rising welterweight contender.

Rakhmonov (15-0, fighting out of Kokshetau, Uzbekistan) hopes to bolster his undefeated résumé by taking out his first ranked opponent. In his first three UFC outings, the rising star has collected wins over Carlton Harris, Michel Prazeres and Alex Oliveira. Rakhmonov is now looking for another victory to maintain his 100 percent finishing rate and continue his meteoric ascent up the rankings.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• A heavyweight bout sees Josh Parisian (14-5, fighting out of Howell, Mich.) battle Alan Baudot (8-4, fighting out of Paris, France)
• Bantamweight prospects lock horns as Nate Maness (14-1, fighting out of Henderson, Kent.) seeks to hand Umar Nurmagomedov (14-0, fighting out of Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia) his first loss
• Chris Curtis (28-8, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. by way of Cincinnati, Ohio) squares off with Rodolfo Vieira (8-1, fighting out of Orlando, Fla. by way of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) at middleweight
• Shayilan Nuerdanbieke (37-10, fighting out of Beijing, China) meets TJ Brown (16-8, fighting out of Little Rock, Ark.) in an intriguing featherweight bout
• Light heavyweight finishers collide as Carlos Ulberg (6-1, fighting out of Auckland, New Zealand) returns against Tafon Nchukwi (6-2, fighting out of Temple Hill, Md.)
• Dana White’s Contender Series Brazil signee Thiago Moises (15-6, fighting out of Indaiatuba, Brazil) battles Christos Giagos (19-9, fighting out of Hawthorne, Calif.) at lightweight
• Raulian Paiva (21-4, fighting out of Amapa, Brazil) takes on Sergey Morozov (34-14, fighting out of Aktobe, Mangystau, Kazakhstan) in a bantamweight clash
• Bantamweights Brian Kelleher (24-13, fighting out of Selden, N.Y.) and Mario Bautista (9-2, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz.) aim to steal the show
• JP Buys (9-4, fighting out of Sacramento, Calif. by way of Johannesburg, South Africa) and Cody Durden (12-4-1, fighting out of Loganville, Ga.) meet in a flyweight bout
• Vanessa Demopoulos (7-4, fighting out of Brook Park, Ohio) and Jinh Yu Frey (11-6, fighting out of Arlington, Texas) square off at strawweight

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

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About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 688 million fans and 198 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 21.3 million subscribers.

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Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About ESPN

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

LOS ANGELES, CA (June 16, 2022): Knockout sensation and the pride of Grand Prairie, Texas, Vergil Ortiz Jr. (18-0, 18 KOs), will make his grand return to the ring on Saturday, August 6, taking on top 10 ranked, undefeated welterweight contender Michael “The Problem” McKinson (22-0, 2 KOs) of Portsmouth, Great Britain. The 12-round welterweight fight will take place at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, and will stream live worldwide, exclusively on DAZN. 

Tickets for Ortiz Jr. vs. McKinson go on sale Tuesday, June 21st at 8:00 a.m. PT / 10:00 a.m CT / 11:00 a.m. ET and are priced at $275, $137.50, $82.50 and $44 not including applicable service charges. Tickets will be available for purchase online at Ticketmaster.com, DickiesArena.com and GoldenBoyPromotions.com.

“I am very happy to be stepping back into the ring again,” said Vergil Ortiz, Jr. “I’m ready to show the world once again why I’m ready for a world title.” 

“I’m getting what I deserve,” said Michael McKinson. “I was prepared to fight Ortiz, Jr. before; now, I have been given the opportunity again to prove I am the best in this division.”

“Vergil Ortiz, Jr. is the most exciting welterweight in the world,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO. “We are happy that he is back, healthy, and feels 100%.  Fighting in his home state, I can’t think of a better way for him to make his comeback and put on another great performance for his fans.  He is one step away from challenging any world champion and he will prove it on August 6.”

“I am delighted that this fight has come back around for Mikey,” said Eddie Hearn, Chairman of Matchroom Boxing. “He suffered disappointment in March when Vergil was forced out of the fight, but thanks to a lot of hard work all round, he was able to fight in LA and gathered valuable experience by making his US debut and all that comes with it – so there will be no surprises for him in Fort Worth. Vergil is an exceptional fighter, one of the best rising stars in the sport, but we believe Mikey has the style to cause him a lot of problems, and this could be his break-out night.”

“First of all we are just happy that Virgil is fit, healthy and ready to get back in the ring,” said Ed Breeze, EVP Rights at DAZN. “Virgil is one of the most exciting fighters in boxing and in Mckinson he will be fighting a serious contender in the division. Expect fireworks August 6th, live worldwide on DAZN.”

“Dickies Arena is thrilled to host the 12-round welterweight fight in what will be one of the most exciting and gripping fights between hometown sensation Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Great Britain’s undefeated Michael McKinson.  Fort Worth is in for an action-filled fight night and Dickies Arena is ready,“ said Matt Homan, President and General Manager of Dickies Arena.

Vergil Ortiz Jr. boasts a perfect knockout undefeated record and is considered one of the most exciting fighters in the welterweight division. Originally scheduled to return to the ring on March 19 in Los Angeles against Michael “The Problem” McKinson, Ortiz, Jr. suffered a medical emergency that forced him to pull out of that fight. Fortunately, the fighter is now 100% healthy to return and is looking to make an impressive comeback in front of his hometown when he faces McKinson at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, TX. Ortiz, Jr. was last seen in the ring in a fantastic TKO victory against world title contender Egidijus “Mean Machine” Kavaliauskas in August 2021. In addition, he has faced and won against some of the toughest fighters in the division, knocking out contenders like Antonio “Relentless” Orozco, Brad “King” Solomon, and Maurice “Mighty Mo” Hooker. 

Ranked as one of the top 10 best welterweights in the world, Michael McKinson is an undefeated fighter ready to face any contender in the division. Hailing from Portsmouth, Great Britain, the 27-year-old made his US debut on March 19, defeating Alex “Chi-Town Heat” Martin after a last minute change due to the cancellation of Ortiz, Jr. vs. McKinson. Now a notable name in the boxing scene, McKinson has enjoyed an accomplished career capturing titles including the WBC International Silver Welter Title and the WBO European and Global Welter titles. Now, the UK fighter will be looking to show that he has what it takes to defeat Ortiz, Jr. in his home turf and prove he belongs among the division’s elite. 

Ortiz Jr. vs. McKinson is a 12-round welterweight fight presented by Golden Boy in association with Matchroom Boxing. The event is sponsored by Hennessy “Never Stop. Never Settle” and “BetOnline – Your Online Sportsbook Experts.” The fight will take place on Saturday, August 6 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, TX, and will be streamed live worldwide on DAZN.

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

JOE JOYCE WILL battle the experienced German Christian Hammer at the OVO Arena, Wembley on July 2, as part of a huge fight night also featuring Jason Cunningham v Zolani Tete, Callum Johnson and Nathan Heaney, live on BT Sport.

After being out of the ring since his defeat of Carlos Takam in July of last year and suffering a broken wrist that kept him out of action in the first half of this year, Joyce takes his place on the Wembley bill against the 34-year-old German Hammer.

“The most important thing is to get Joe active and confident again after injury,” said promoter Frank Warren. “Christian Hammer is an experienced campaigner who will provide a decent test and give him a good fight, but obviously we expect Joe to come through it successfully and then start preparing for a bigger showdown later this year.

“It was well documented that it was our intention to match Big Joe with Joseph Parker in September, but Parker has now opted to sign a promotional agreement elsewhere. Joe’s route to a world title shot does not revolve around Parker and we have plans in place for a major fight for him in the autumn.”

“I’ve known about Christian Hammer for a while now,” said Joyce from his training base in Las Vegas. “He has fought everybody, it is going to be a good fight, he comes forward and it will be exciting. It is one to get me ready for the next fights coming up.

“I’ve been out of the ring for a whole year now so it will be good to dust off the gloves and shake off the cobwebs. It is going to be a big year, this year and next, with some great fights and I just need to be in the right place.

“I have taken myself out to the right place with this training camp here to bring out the best in me.”

The Hamburg resident, Hammer, has taken on all comers across his near 14-year career, with names such as Tyson Fury, Erkan Teper, David Price, Alexander Povetkin, Luis Ortiz, Tony Yoka, Hughie Fury all featuring on his record. He most recently went the distance with WBO number three ranked Frank Sanchez.

His most recent title success came in 2018 when he defeated Michael Wallisch to win the WBO European championship belt, a title he also won in 2016 with victory over countryman Teper and subsequently made successful defences against David Price and Zine Eddine Benmakhlouf.

The July 2 card at the OVO Arena also includes the highly anticipated super bantamweight collision between European champion Jason Cunningham and two-weight world champion Zolani Tete. Callum Johnson fights Igor Mikhalkin for the WBC Silver light heavyweight title and Stoke favourite Nathan Heaney will make a defence of his IBO International middleweight championship.

Due to a hand injury, Sam Noakes will no longer be defending his WBC International Silver lightweight title on the night against Marc Videl, so the Spaniard will now face an equally formidable foe from the Queensberry ranks in Mark Chamberlain, with the IBF European title on the line. This represents a first title tilt for the 10-0 Chamberlain and his first fight over 10 rounds.

Super featherweight newcomer Royston Barney-Smith has also suffered a hand injury and he is replaced on the card by the 6-0 welterweight Micky Burke jr.

Wycombe super lightweight Henry Turner is fighting over six rounds and Thetford cruiserweight Tommy Fletcher will make his professional debut in a four-round fight having recently signed to Frank Warren and Queensberry.

Tickets for High Stakes at OVO Arena, Wembley on Saturday 2 July are on sale now from £55 available from AXS.com and Ticketmaster.co.uk.

All the offical High Stakes graphics can be downloaded here.

IBF INTERNATIONAL HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
NATHAN GORMAN – 19 Stone, 3 Pounds, 2 Ounces
TOMAS SALEK – 16 Stone, 8 Pounds, 2 Ounces

Super-Welterweight Bout – 10 X 3 Minute Rounds
JOSH KELLY – 11 Stone, 2 Ounces
PETER KRAMER – 11 Stone, 1 Ounce

Flyweight Bout – 6 X 2 Minute Rounds
CHLOE WATSON – 8 Stone, 4 Ounces
FARA EL BOUSAIRI – 7 Stone, 12 Pounds, 7 Ounces

Middleweight Bout – 4 X 3 Minute Rounds
AARON CHALMERS – 11 Stone, 7 Pounds, 1 Ounces
ALEXANDER ZELEDON – 11 Stone, 3 Pounds, 2 Ounces

Super-Welterweight Bout – 8 X 3 Minute Rounds
MASON CARTWRIGHT – 11 Stone, 3 Pounds, 5 Ounces
ANGEL EMILOV – 11 Stone, 2 Pounds, 4 Ounces

Heavyweight Bout – 4 X 3 Minute Rounds
MATTY HARRIS – 19 Stone, 7 Pounds, 5 Ounces
PAWEL STRYKOWSKI – 15 Stone, 6 Pounds, 8 Ounces

Middleweight Bout – 6 X 3 Minute Rounds
PADDY LACEY – Weigh-In Scheduled Tomorrow
RYAN BROTEN – Weigh-In Scheduled Tomorrow

Super-Lightweight Bout – 6 X 3 Minute Rounds
TOM FARRELL –  10 Stone, 6 Pounds, 9 Ounces
OLAIDE FIJABI –  Weigh-In Scheduled Tomorrow

Super-Lightweight Bout – 6 X 3 Minute Rounds
TOM AITCHISON – 10 Stone, 3 Ounces
EZEQUIEL GREGORES – 10 Stone, 1 Pound, 5 Ounces

Super-Featherweight Bout – 6 X 3 Minute Rounds
MARCOS MOLLOY – 9 Stone, 11 Pounds
GADATAMEN TAYLOR – 9 Stone, 10 Pounds, 3 Ounces

Featherweight Bout – 4 X 3 Minute Rounds
JOHN EDWARDSON – 9 Stone, 5 Pounds
STEFAN NICOLAE – 9 Stone, 2 Pounds, 1 Ounce

For full image gallery please click here. Mandatory photo credit: Wasserman Boxing. Editorial use only.

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Heavyweights collide as Nathan Gorman (18-1, 12 KOs) takes on Tomas Salek (17-3, 13 KOs) as part of a huge night of free-to-air boxing on Friday June 17 at the M&S Bank Arena. ‘Pretty Boy’ Josh Kelly (10-1-1, 6 KOs) also features alongside the professional debut of Aaron Chalmers and former Team GB fighter Chloe Watson (2-0) as she continues her undefeated start as a professional under the tutelage of Ricky Hatton, fighting over 6 rounds in the Flyweight division against Fara El Bousairi (5-2, 1 KO). The undefeated Paddy Lacey (2-0) and John Edwardson (2-0) will both be looking for wins in front of their home crowd, with Mason ‘Nutty’ Cartwright (17-3, 7 KOs) and heavyweight giant ‘Magic’ Matty Harris (2-0, 1 KO) also promising to provide Liverpool with more highlight moments. Promoted by Wasserman Boxing, live on Channel 5, in association with William Hill, Numan and Infinitum Entertainment.

Limited tickets are available via https://www.ticketquarter.co.uk/