Leigh Wood retained the WBA Featherweight title with a shocking 12th round stoppage over mandatory challenger Michael Conlan in front of a raucous sold out crowd at The Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, England.

At the end of round one, Conlan uncorked a wild left hand that landed right on the jaw of Wood that sent the hometown champion to the canvas. In round four, Conlan was cut around his left eye.

Conlan was winning most of the rounds as he was getting the better of the exchanges.

In round 11, Wood came back and dropped Conlan with a short left hook. In round 12, Wood stunned Conlan with another left hook, and a follow up flurry knocked Conlan out of the ring, and the fight was stopped at 1:25.

Woodm 125.7 lbs of Nottingham, ENG is 26-2 with 16 knockouts. Conlan, 124.4 lbs of Belfast, NI is 16-1.

Agyarko Decisions Rubio

Caoimhin Agyarko won a 10-round unanimous decision over Juan Carlos Rubio in a middleweight fight.

Agyarko was 130 of 430 punches; Rubio was 59 of 454.

Agyarko, 159.2. lbs of Belfast, NI won by scores of 100-90 twice and 98-92 and is now 11-0. Rubio, 159.3 lbs of Zapopan, MEX is 18-2.

Harper Decisions Abellaneda

Former world champion Terri Harper won a 10-round unanimous decision over Yamila Abellaneda in a lightweight fight.

Harper landed 127 of 357 punches; Abellaneda was 62 of 433.

Harper, 133.25 lbs of Denaby Main, ENG won by scores of 99-91 on all cards and is now 12-1-1. Abellaneda, 134.2 lbs of Buenos Aries, ARG is 13-5-1.

Cully stops Former Champion Vazquez in 5

Gary Cully remained undefeated with a 5th round stoppage over former world champion Miguel Vazquez in a scheduled 10-round lightweight fight.

In round three, Cully dropped Vazquez with a straight left. In round five, Cully dropped Vazquez with another left for the 10-count at 41 seconds.

Cully, 134.4 lbs of Dublin, IRE is 14-0 with eight knockouts. Vazquez, 134.1 lbs of Guadalajara, MEX is 44-1.

Farias Decisions Sandy Ryan

Former two-division world champion Erica Anabella Farias won an entertaining 10-round split-decision over previously undefeated touted prospect Sandy Ryan in a super lightweight fight.

It was a good back and forth fight with Farias getting the better of most exchanges.

In round seven, Ryan had some blood over her left eye and nose. In round 10, Farias had a point deducted for leading with her head.

Farias, 141.1 lbs of Buenos Aries, ARG won by scores of 97-94 and 96-94 with Ryan taking a card 97-93.

Farias is now 27-5. Ryan, 144.5 lbs of Derby, ENG is 3-1.

Nico Leivars made a successful pro debut with a four-round decision over Jose Hernandez in a bantamweight fight.

Leivers, 120.1 lbs of Mansfield, ENG won by a 40-34 score and is 1-0.

Thomas Carty stopped Michal Boloz in round five due to Boloz being cut up over his left eye,

In round two, Boloz began to bleed from the bridge of his nose.

In round five, Boloz had a cut and bad swelling over his left eye. Seconds later, the ringside doctor was called in for a 2nd time and the fight was stopped at 2:27.

Carty, 243.25 lbs of Dublin, IRE is 3-0 with two stoppages. Boloz, 232.25 lbs of Nowy Sacz, POL is 2-4-2.

Thomas Whittaker Hart stopped Ben Thomas inside of a minute of their six-round light heavyweight bout.

Hart landed a left to the body that sent Thomas down for the 10-count at 43 seconds.

Hart, 178.2 lbs of Liverpool, ENG is 6-0 with three knockouts.

Philadelphia (March 11, 2022)–Weights for Saturday’s Championship fight card at Live! Event Center at Live! Casino and Hotel Philadelphia

Christian Tapia 129.6 – Luis Lebron 130
(WBC Continental Super Featherweight Title)

Brandon Pizarro 142 – Vitor Jones 141
Dezmond Lucas 147 – Ryan Pino 147.2
Jan Carlos Rivera 143 – Michael Ogundo 141.2
Jeffrey Villanueva 118.4 – Juan Gutierrez 117.2
Brendan O’Callaghan 160.2 – Derrick Vann 162.8
Anthony Ramirez 141.2 – Cesar Espinel Maldonado 140.6

Promoter: Hard Hitting Promotions
Venue: Live! Event Center at Live Casino & Hotel Philadelphia
1st Bell: 7 PM ET
Stream: Hard Hitting Promotions Facebook Page PPV

Photo Credit: Samad Haq/Hard Hitting Promotions

Tickets are on sale for $150, $100, $75 and $60 and can be purchased at
https://www.axs.com/events/426183/hard-hitting-boxing-tickets?fbclid=IwAR1nYuwIbH0v0Wi4e_WUelHqjbRmK1FZ-nDJdcbRWCQNqji4_jp2F68FD6c&q=Boxing

The show will be streamed on Facebook Pay-Per-View on the Hard Hitting Promotions Page

Ardreal Holmes Jr. won a 10-round unanimous decision over Vernon Brown in a junior middleweight fight at the Deadwood Grand in Deadwood, South Dakota.

Holmes, 156 lbs of Flint, MI won by scores of 98-92, 97-93 and 96-95 and is now 12-0. Brown, 157 1/4 of Chicago, IL is 13-2-1.

“I was reborn tonight,” Holmes said. “This performance showed that I still have it in me. I hurt my left hand in the second round. I couldn’t punch how I wanted to. I was in a bunch of pain but I pulled through. Thinking about my family pushed me through the pain.”

“He was the better man tonight,” Brown said. “I give it up to him. He studied me. He knew the punches I was going to throw. His corner kept yelling, ‘Watch the right hook.’ He did knock the wind out of me a couple times with body shots. I had to take a second to recover. In the last round, he was catching me with head shots.

“I need to work on my left hand. I need to be like Manny Pacquiao and work on my left hand because guys know I have power in my right hook. But I’m going down to 147. That’s my true weight.”

De Los Santos Stops Acosta in 2

Edwin De Los Santos scored an explosive 2nd round stoppage over Luis Acosta in the 2nd round of their eight-round lightweight fight,

In round one, De Los Santos landed a right hook that made Acosta’s glove touch the canvas for a knockdown. In round two, De Los Santos landed a huge left that sent Acosta flat on his back, and the fight was stopped immediately at 48 seconds.

De Los Santos, 133 3/4 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is 14-1 with 13 knockouts. Acosta, 133 1/2 lbs of Houston, TX is 12-1.

“I’m back,” said De Los Santos, who suffered a loss in his first SHOBOX appearance in January to William Foster III. “Everyone was counting me out after the last fight. They thought I was done after the loss to Foster. But I’m back. This is the kind of statement that I should have made last time. This is a new beginning for me. I thought I was going to catch him later in the fight but the opening came early with the straight left. My preparation was just better this time, I was just more focused and better prepared and this was the result. I’m ready for anyone.”

Marquez Decisions Morales to win Pro debut

Giovanni Marquez made a successful pro debut with a four-round unanimous decision over Nelson Morales in a welterweight bout.

Marquez landed 85 of 280 punches; Morales was 42 of 201.

Marquez, 143 lbs of Houston, TX won by scores of 40-36 and 39-37 twice and is 1-0. Morales, 144 1/4 lbs of Scranton, PA is 2-1.

“I felt great,” said Marquez. “I hurt my left hand in the second round on a jab. I think I would have been able to stop him if I hadn’t hurt my hand.”

Added Giovanni: “It was a great experience. He was a tough, durable guy, but I feel like I handled everything, the cameras, all the attention pretty well. I started a little slow but after the first round I settled down and fought my fight. I felt fine without the headgear. We kept bumping heads, but he never hurt me. There was a lot of pressure on me, and I was a little nervous in the leadup to the fight, but once I got into the fight I relaxed and I felt comfortable. Overall, it was a great experience.”

“I think I did OK,” said the 30-year-old Dominican Republic-born Morales (2-1) now living in Scranton, Pa. “My strategy was to go in and box. He cut the ring off and applied good pressure. I can’t say too much because it wasn’t the best of me. He was OK. I’ll be back.”

Khainell Wheeler needed just 82 seconds to stop Ryan Adams in a scheduled eight-round super middleweight fight in front of a large crowd at The Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem, PA.

Seconds into the bout, Wheeler dropped Adams with a power jab. Adams never fully gained hos balance , as he was wobbled by two more punches, and the fight was stopped at 1:22.

Wheeler, 167.3 lbs of Bethlehem is 7-1 with six knockouts. Adams, 165.6 lbs of Saint Louis, MO is 8-5-1.

Kenny Robles pounded out an eight-round unanimous decision over Naim Nelson in a junior welterweight bout.

Robles, 141 lbs of Staten Island, NY won by scores of 80-72, 79-73 and 78-74 and is now 9-1. Nelson, 139.9 lbs of Philadelphia is 14-6.

Jonathan Rodriguez won a six-round unanimous decision over Jose Flores Chavez in A bantamweight fight.

In round six, Chavez was deducted a point for holding. Rodriguez dominated the action and won by scores of 60-53 on all cards.

Rodriguez, 119.6 lbs of Bethlehem is now 10-1. Chavez, 118 lbs of Baja, MEX is 9-14.

James Beradin stopped Kevin Asmat in the 6th and final round of their lightweight fight.

It was a tough scrap that was set up the day before when Benadine shoved Asmat at the weigh in. Bennadine got the better of the action, but Asmat had moments. In round six, Benadine landed several hard shots that forced a referee stoppage at 2:52.

Bernadine, 135.7 lbs of Lancaster, PA is 6-0 with four knockouts. Asmat, 135.1 lbs of North Bergen, NJ is 6-3.

Julian Gonzalez remained perfect as he stopped Carlos Padilla at the end of round two of their six-round lightweight contest. Gonzalez beat down Padilla and the bout was stopped

Gonzalez, 134.1 lbs of Reading, PA is 6-0 with six knockouts. Padilla, 138.9 lbs of Barranquilla, COL is 17-11-1.

LeAnna Cruz remained undefeated with a four-round unanimous decision over Anyela Lopez in a bantamweight fight.

Cruz, 113.7 lbs of Allentown, PA won by scores of 40-36 and 39-37 twice to go to 2-0. Lopez, 115.3 lbs of Tucson, AZ is 2-2.

Quadir Albright remained perfect with a 3rd round stoppage Antonio Wattell in a scheduled six-round junior welterweight bout.

In round one, Albright landed a huge right that knocked Wattell down and out of the ring. Wattell was about to beat the 20 count of referee Shawn Clark. Wattell fought back in round three, Albright dropped Wattell with a hard combination to the head. Albright finished off the fight with a vicious body combination that forced a referee stoppage at 2:57.

Albright, 141.6 lbs of Philadelphia is 5-0 with five knockouts. Wattell, 140.6 lbs of Houston, TX is 3-6-2.

In an exciting battle of pro debuting welterweights, Thanjhae Teasley stopped Daniel Jiles in round two of their four-round fight.

Jiles used his length early, but Teasley was able to make the adjustments and get inside and batter Jiles until the bout was stopped at 2:29.

Teasley, 147.4 lbs of Bethlehem, PA is 1-0 with one knockout. Jiles, 147.5 lbs of Philadelphia is 0-1.

ST. LOUIS – BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell will be televised tomorrow, Saturday, March 11 on SHOWTIME, BBC iPlayer at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, while preliminary bouts will stream on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel, and Pluto TV beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

BELLATOR MMA 276: BORICS VS. BURNELL MAIN CARD:

Saturday, March 12 – live on SHOWTIME

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

Featherweight Main Event: #2-Adam Borics (145.8) vs. #2-Mads Burnell (145.6)

Light Heavyweight Co-Main Event: #2-Phil Davis (206) vs. #4-Julius Anglickas (206)

Middleweight Bout: #1-John Salter (185.8) vs. #3-Johnny Eblen (185.8)

Lightweight Bout: Jay-Jay Wilson (156) vs. Gadzhi Rabadanov (155.8)

PRELIMINARY CARD:

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

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

Light Heavyweight Bout: #8-Alex Polizzi (204.4) vs. Jose Augusto (206)

Middleweight Bout: #8-Romero Cotton (185.2) vs. Freddy Sandoval (185.2)

Flyweight Bout: #9-Diana Avsaragova (125.8) vs. Kyra Batara (124.6)

Featherweight Bout: Cody Law (145.6) vs. James Adcock (145.4)

Welterweight Bout: Roman Faraldo (171) vs. Kelvin Rayford (171)

Bantamweight Bout: Jordan Howard (135.8) vs. Trevor Ward (136)

*Card subject to change.

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

Apply for BELLATOR media credentials

RSVP for BELLATOR virtual media availabilities

Updated schedule of BELLATOR MMA events

Sat. March 12 // BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell // The Family Arena // St. Louis

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

Fri. April 22 // BELLATOR MMA 278 // Neal S. Blaisdell Arena // Honolulu

Sat. April 23 // BELLATOR MMA 279: Pettis vs. Stots / Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2 // Neal S. Blaisdell Arena // Honolulu

Fri. May 6 // BELLATOR MMA 280: Bader vs. Kongo 2 // Accor Arena // Paris

Fri. May 13 // BELLATOR MMA 281: Amosov vs. MVP // The OVO Arena Wembley // London

About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant Paramount, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About SHOWTIME

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Paramount, owns and operates the premium service SHOWTIME®, which features critically acclaimed original series, provocative documentaries, box-office hit films, comedy and music specials and hard-hitting sports. SHOWTIME is available as a stand-alone streaming service across all major streaming devices and Showtime.com, as well as via cable, DBS, telco and streaming video providers. SNI also operates the premium services THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as on demand versions of all three brands. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.

Los Angeles, CA (March 11, 2022), Triller announced its Trillerverz 5, ‘Lineage of Greatness’ event, a family affair featuring iconic matchups of legendary boxing families, presented by Triller Fight Club followed by a to be announced Verzuz battle. The event will occur at the Forum in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 14, 2022, and be streamed live on FITE worldwide via PPV or the TrillerVerz Subscription on FITE. It will also be available on all major cable and satellite via iNDemand and commercial locations from Joe Hand Promotions.

“The viewership of each of the individual TrillerVerz events would have filled up every football,  baseball and basketball arena in the United States at the same time, and that’s something we’re incredibly proud of,” said Mahi de Silva, CEO of Triller. “We love nothing more than shattering creative ceilings and bringing new epic programming with something for every viewer while breaking viewership records. Whether it’s Jake Paul knocking out an NBA star with Snoop smoking in the background; or Lox and Dipset bringing it to the largest crowd in the history of Madison Square Garden, we will always push it to the next level. One thing we can promise is to expect the unexpected,” added de Silva.

Below is a chart detailing the TRILLERVERZ events as they relate to the average viewership of other top network shows over the last twelve months:

The extraordinary numbers for a new industry venture truly validate the quick success of TRILLERVERZ, created and overseen by world-renowned producers SWIZZ BEATZ and TIMBALAND and produced by TRILLER FIGHT CLUB, the internationally acclaimed company known for pairing world-class boxing and iconic music legends.

Mega visionary Nigel Lythgoe, creator of American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance who remains the producer behind the event said, “Triller is blending artforms, visions, and audiences. Much like we did with Idol, or So You Think You Can Dance, we are merging the world of combat sports and music while keeping in mind that the younger generation is used to a fast-paced, highly visual, and ever mobile world of content. By applying the production of high-quality perspectives of television shots and lighting them like a movie, we deliver a product like no other,” added Lythgoe.

The full Fight Club card includes:

?      SERGEY KOVALEV VS. TERVEL PULEV (10 Rounds / Cruiserweight)

?      Kovalev last fought evenly with the current #1 Pound-for-Pound Fighter in the World, ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, before getting stopped in the 11th round. His illustrious career includes victories over Bernard Hopkins, Eleider Alvarez (twice), Jean-Pascal (twice), and Isaac Chilemba. He also holds two highly controversial losses to Andre Ward.

?      The heavy-handed Pulev, the 2012 Bronze Medalist at the Olympic Games, the younger brother of two-time heavyweight world title challenger Kubrat Pulev, returns to the ring following a knockout victory of Vikapita Meroro on July 29, 2021. He is currently the holder of the WBA International Cruiserweight Title.

?      KUBRAT PULEV VS. ANDREY FEDOSOV

?      Kubrat ‘The Cobra’ Pulev (28-2, 14 KOs) will clash with Andrey Fedosov (32-3, 26 KOs) over ten scheduled heavyweight rounds. Pulev is returning to action after a first-round knockout of Frank Mir on November 27, 2021, at the first-ever Triad Combat Event in Arlington, TX. Pulev has defeated numerous heavyweight boxing contenders, including Samuel Peter, Hughie Fury, Dereck Chisora, Tony Thompson, Alexsandr Ustinov, and Alexander Dimitrenko. His only losses have come to Heavyweight World Champions, Wladimir Klitschko and Anthony Joshua.

?      From Hollywood, FL, the heavy-handed Fedosov is coming off a show-stopping first-round knockout of Mahammadrasul Majidov on April 17, 2021. It was Fedosov’s eighth victory in a row, seventh by knockout.

?      SON OF THE LEGEND EVAN HOLYFIELD VS. OPPONENT TO BE ANNOUNCED

?      Also featured on the undercard, Son of a Legend, Evan ‘Yung Holy’ Holyfield (9-0, 6 KOs), will compete in a scheduled six-rounder in the junior middleweight division. He is the son of Three-Time Heavyweight World Champion Evander ‘The Real Deal’ Holyfield.

?      FERNANDO ‘EL FEROZ’ VARGAS JR., AMADO ‘EL MALVADO’ VARGAS, AND THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED PRO DEBUT OF EMILIANO VARGAS

?      Rounding out the card, The Fernando Vargas Dynasty continues with the highly anticipated professional debut of Seven-Time Amateur Champion, lightweight Emiliano ‘El General’ Vargas. He will be joining his highly regarded and undefeated brothers on the card at the star-making venue, junior middleweight Fernando ‘El Feroz’ Vargas, Jr. (5-0, 5 KOs) and Amado ‘El Malvado’ Vargas (3-0, 2 KOs), competing in the featherweight division. They are the sons of three-time junior middleweight world champion Fernando ‘El Feroz’ Vargas. All three bouts will take place over four rounds.

Launched less than two years ago, Triller Fight Club has already sold over 3,000,000 Pay-Per-Views in the past year, making it one of the top-selling combat sports/entertainment platforms. TrillerVerz’s widely acclaimed monthly series, including world-class professional boxing and musical Verzuz battles, has consistently been at the top of watched broadcasts averaging over 6,000,000 views. 

In December 2021, Triller entered into a definitive merger agreement with SeaChange International, Inc. (NASDAQ: SEAC), in a transaction that would result in the combined company being named TrillerVerz Corp., and its common stock will be listed on Nasdaq, subject to completion of the conditions listed in the S4, which was filed recently by SeaChange (NASD: SEAC).

Trillerverz 5 signals Triller’s continued commitment to its legacy of innovation by recognizing the “Lineage of Greatness,” a one-time, iconic, cultural experience that showcases world-class fighters and global hip hop legends in an epic Verzuz rap battle. Trillerverz 5 carries its legacy into this unique event, streamed globally for fans of a new form of entertainment. Trillerverz 5 opens doors and answers questions for those in the ring, on the stage, in the arena, and everyone watching all over the world on their TVs and devices. Fans of what’s new, now and next, make sure you get your tickets to attend or order the PPV now to make sure you don’t miss a second of this amazing collision of art and action.

This Triller Fight Club PPV event, priced at $29.99, will be carried in North America across all traditional PPV TV platforms, including cable, satellite & telco TV PPV providers, including Xfinity, Spectrum, Contour, Fios, and Optimum (U.S.), among others, as well as leading operators in Canada. It will also be offered to commercial outlets via Joe Hand Promotions and globally via digital streaming to all major outlets as listed below.

                                                                 ————————————-

**HOW TO WATCH THE May 14^th event via Worldwide Streaming **

Digitally broadcast via FITE and all FITE mobile, Smart TV, IPTV, game controller, and OTT apps as well as the event microsite hub: TrillerFightClub.com

Commercial outlets can order through Joe Hand Promotions at 1-800-557-4263 or through their website at orders.joehandpromotions.com.

Follow Triller Fight Club on social media: 

Instagram: @Triller, @TrillerFightClub
Twitter: @Triller, @TrillerFight

Facebook: @TrillerFightClub

Media Contact:

Bernie Bahrmasel

Triller Fight Club

BernieBahrmasel@yahoo.com

+1 773 592-2986

About Triller:

Triller is the AI-powered open garden technology platform for creators. Pairing music culture with sports, fashion, entertainment, and influencers through a 360-degree view of content and technology, Triller encourages its influencers to post the content created on the app across different social media platforms and uses proprietary AI technology to push and track their content virally to affiliated and non-affiliated sites and networks, enabling them to reach millions of additional users. Triller additionally owns Fight Club and Bare Knuckle Fight Championships, VERZUZ, the live-stream music platform launched by Swizz Beatz and Timbaland; Amplify.ai, a leading customer engagement platform; FITE, a premier global PPV, AVOD, and SVOD streaming site; and Thuzio, a leader in B2B premium influencer events and experiences.

ABOUT FITE

FITE is the premium global platform for live sports and entertainment, offering many of the industry’s marquee PPV events and SVOD packages with over 6MM registered users. FITE is available worldwide through iOS and Android mobile apps, Apple TV, Android TV, ROKU, Amazon Fire TV, and Huawei apps. In addition, FITE supports Samsung, LG, Cox Contour, Vizio SmartCast™, Virgin Media, Shaw Communications’ Blue Curve IPTV, Foxxum, Chromecast, PS4, XBOX, ZEASN, Netrange, Vidaa/Hisense, VEWD, Netgem TV, Comcast’s Xfinity 1 and Xfinity Flex as well as 7,000 models of Smart TVs. Available online at www.FITE.tv. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook. FITE: It’s ON.

About iNDemand:

iNDemand is an innovative partnership between three of the leading cable companies in the U.S.—Charter Communications, Comcast Cable, and Cox Communications. iNDemand is a company of trusted content aggregators and licensing experts, with unparalleled technical expertise and long-standing relationships with MVPDs, major sports leagues, Hollywood studios, and other entertainment and sports companies across North America. iNDemand delivers great content to more than 80 million homes and has distribution deals with more than 150 companies. For more information, go to indemand.com.

About Joe Hand Promotions:

Joe Hand Promotions (JHP) is the pioneer of the Out of Home sports content distribution market in the U.S. As a full-service sports and entertainment media consultant and distributor, JHP works closely with their commercial partners to help them provide the best viewing experience in their establishments.

About the Forum

The Forum, located in Inglewood, California, is the only arena-sized venue in the country dedicated to music and entertainment, delivering a superior experience for artists and fans alike. The iconic venue attracts a wide variety of premier events including the biggest names in music and entertainment, award shows, mixed martial arts and boxing and more. Fans at the Forum enjoy approximately 8,000 square feet of event level hospitality offerings, including merchandise and food and beverage options. A tinted glass wall separates this concession area from the arena, ensuring fans do not miss a moment of the show. A 40,000-square-foot outdoor terrace wraps around the perimeter of the building and offers comfortable furnishings and food and beverage options from some of SoCal’s most celebrated brands. Designed with entertainers and performers in mind, Forum Backstage includes star-caliber dressing rooms that provide unparalleled comfort. The Forum was honored at the 2021 Pollstar Awards as recipient of the Arena of the Decade award. For more information, please visit thelaforum.com.

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NEW YORK (March 11, 2022) —Lightweight star Keyshawn Davis, the Olympic silver medalist from Norfolk, Virginia, has a non-COVID-related virus and was forced to withdraw from his March 19 bout against Esteban Sanchez at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.
 
The new televised opener will feature Puerto Rican junior welterweight prospect John “El Terrible” Bauza against Canadian veteran Tony “Lightning” Luis in an eight-rounder. Bauza joins a pair of his countrymen atop the MSG bill, as super middleweight Edgar “The Chosen One” Berlanga battles Steve Rolls in the 10-round main event. Xander Zayas, San Juan’s 19-year-old phenom, takes on Louisiana native Quincy LaVallais in the eight-round co-feature.
 
Berlanga-Rolls, Zayas-LaVallais and Bauza-Luis will be televised live on ESPN & ESPN Deportes (simulcast on ESPN+) at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
 
Bauza (16-0, 7 KOs), from Cataño, Puerto Rico, enters this assignment coming off the two most impressive showings of his career. Last June, he knocked down Christon Edwards three times en route to a second-round stoppage. Bauza followed the Edwards domination with last December’s fourth-round drubbing over the previously unbeaten Michael Williams Jr. The 23-year-old southpaw now steps up against Luis (29-4, 10 KOs), a 34-year-old who has knocked off three undefeated prospects in his career. He went unbeaten for more than five years until an August 2020 decision loss to top contender Arnold Barboza Jr.

New York, NY (March 11, 2022)–Tonight, five athletes under the Split-T Management banner will be in action with three being featured on SHOBOX: The New Generation, Live on SHOWTIME at 9:35 PM ET.

In the headline of the SHOBOX card from Deadwood, South Dakota will be undefeated junior middleweight Ardreal Holmes.

Holmes will take on Vernon Brown in a scheduled 10-round bout.

Holmes of Flint, Michigan, has a record of 11-0 with five knockouts. The 27 year-old Holmes is a six-year professional, has wins over Bryan Goldsby (4-1) and his last bout when he stopped Jose Antonio Abreu on November 15, 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Brown of Chicago.is 13-1-1 with nine knockouts. The 32 year-old Brown is a seven-year veteran who has defeated Jose Pena (1-0), David Castro (2-0) and is coming off a 2nd round stoppage over Fabian Lyimo on February 20, 2021 in Shelbyville, Kentucky.

Holmes weighed 156 lbs. Brown was 157 1/4 lbs.

Holmes is co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Holden Productions.

In the co-feature, Luis Acosta will take on Edwin De Los Santos in a eight-round lightweight bout.

Acosta, 25 years-old of Houston, Texas has a professional record of 12-0 with 11 knockouts. Acosta began boxing at the age of 16, following in the footsteps of his father, Jose, and uncle, Mario, who were both professional boxers. His father, who now trains Luis, was 2-2 as a professional, while his uncle was 1-0. This passion led to an amateur career that saw Luis go 57-8 and winning both the Title and Ringside Tournaments. In addition, Acosta is a graduate of the University of Houston with a degree in exercise science and Kinesiology and has an entrepreneurial spirit honed by working many hours in his family’s restaurant, which is a local landmark in Humble, Texas.

De Los Santos of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic is 13-1-1 with 12 knockouts. The 22 year-old is a four year professional who has wins over Manuel Bottis (23-2-1), Juan Alberto Garcia Perez (8-2). He is coming off an eight-round split decision loss to undefeated William Foster III on January 7th in Orlando, Florida in a bout that was televised on SHOBOX The New Generation.

Acosta weighed in at 133 1/2 lbs. De Los Santos was 133 3/4 lbs.

The televised portion will kick off with the much anticipated pro debut of former National Golden Gloves champion Giovanni Marquez taking on Nelson Morales in a four-round welterweight affair.

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.

Morales of Scranton, Pennsylvania is 2-0 and is coming off a four-round unanimous decision over Ronny Arana on August 20, 2021.

Marquez weighed 143 lbs while Morales was 144 1/4 lbs.

In non-televised action from Deadwood, featherweight prospect David Navarro takes on Gavino Guaman in a six-round bout.

Navarro, 22, is 3-1 with two knockouts and is coming off a win over Jayron Santiago Lopez on July 23rd, 2021 in Grand Island, Nebraska. Navarro began training in the sport at the age of five, and left behind his childhood long endeavor of becoming an Olympian to enter the professional ranks. During his time in the amateurs, David compiled 15 National titles and competed in over 170 amateur bouts.

Navarro was one of only eight boxers in his weight division to compete for a spot on Team USA’s Olympic squad. During the 10-day event, he made it all the way to the finals by upsetting top seed Duke Ragan and in January was named as an Olympic Alternate for the 2020 Olympics, now rescheduled to take place in 2021.

In addition to David’s deep amateur accolades, he comes from one of the great Mexican American boxing families. David is the younger brother of Golden Boy Promotions undefeated junior welterweight prospect Johnathan Navarro, and his cousins, Steven and Chantel, are widely regarded as two of the top young prospects in the USA amateur system.

David is also the nephew of former Olympian Jose Navarro, who competed at the 2000 Sydney Olympic games, and Carlos Navarro, one of America’s greatest amateurs in the 90’s, who is well-known for being the the last American to beat Floyd Mayweather Jr. by winning a box-off at the 1995 Pan-American Games.

Guaman of River Falls, Wisconsin is 6-4-1 with two knockouts. The 30 year-old Guaman has a 1st round stoppage over Joshuah Hernandez (5-0) is the opening round.

in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, super flyweight LeAnna Cruz looks to stay undefeated when she battles Anyela Lopez in a four-round bout at The Wind Creek Event Center.

Cruz of Allentown is 1-0 as the 24 year-old won a four-round unanimous decision over Delaney Bailey on September 10, 2021 in Philadelphia.

Lopez, 30 years-old of Tucson, Arizona is 2-1-1 with one knockout, and has a win over Nicole Reinhart (1-0), She is coming off a unanimous decision over Jaica Pavilus on June 9, 2021 in Long Beach, California.

Cruz was 113.7 lbs. Lopez was 115.3 lbs.

Cruz is promoted by King’s Promotions.

SHOBOX televised images by Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME

David Navarro Photo by Joe Quiambao / Split-T Management

Cruz Photos by Marc Abrams /Split-T Management and King’s Promotions

Fightstars.tv, one of the fastest-emerging boxing-media companies in the world, and their Director of Female Boxing Operations, Rick Ramos, are proud to announce the signing of former two-time USA National Champion and undefeated professional welterweight Summer Lynn to a promotional contract.

A native of Chicago, Lynn (6-0, 3 KOs) was also a Silver Gloves and Junior Olympics champion before turning professional in late 2019. Blessed with an aggressive and unrelenting fan-friendly fighting style, in her most recent ring appearance, Lynn picked up the Universal Boxing Organization World Female Welterweight Championship with a unanimous decision over then 4-2 Brenda Gonzales in August of last year.

“I’m really happy about this opportunity,” said Lynn of the signing. “I look at it as a chance to bring awareness to the sport I love.”

20-year-old Lynn, who started boxing for Ramos as a youngster and has remained under his tutelage throughout her amateur and professional careers, says signing with Fightstars.tv and Ramos was an easy decision, given their close relationship.

I trust Rick with my life, so signing with him and Fightstars.tv was never a question,” Lynn explained. “Rick brought me to Vegas to meet (Fightstars CEO) Patrick Oakes and his team and they watched me spar and agreed to signing me right away.”

“I’m proud to make Summer a member of the Fightstars.tv Team,” said Ramos. The long-time owner of Bodyshot Boxing Club in Chicago, Ramos first rose to prominence in the female boxing world with his expert handling of two-weight female world champion Jessica McCaskill, which led to him being named 2019 and 2021 “Coach/Manager of the Year” for females by The Ring Magazine.

“I’ve been training Summer since she was 11 years old,” Ramos continued. “She has been sparring with Jessica McCaskill since she was 12 years old. She is ready for this. I’m excited to see where her career goes!”

Fightstars.tv CEO Patrick Oakes says Lynn is the exact type of fighter he and Ramos envisioned when planning the concept for their all-female boxing stable.

“Summer is an excellent ambassador for the sport of female boxing,” said Oakes. “She’s an intelligent and pleasant person who avoids conflict outside the ring, but her competitive side takes over when she fights. She’s got an uncommon style for females, in that she likes to go right at her opponents and force them to fight her fight. The fans are going to love her!”

“Rick always said I have more of a pro style,” agreed Lynn. “When I’m in the ring, I want you out of there as soon as possible. I like to get in and get out. I can box when I need to, but I love to mix it up and trade. I don’t want to run around the ring. I want to stand in the middle of the ring and fight.”

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Fightstars.tv are passionate advocates for female boxing. Currently opening additional facilities in Florida, New York and Chicago to match their existing spaces in San Diego, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, Fightstars.tv has created a productive training environment with resources geared exclusively toward female boxing. Fightstars.tv is looking for the next generation of female fighting stars!

Talented female fighters with established amateur boxing backgrounds and a desire to reach their full potential should contact Rick Ramos at: RickRamosBoxing50@gmail.com.

RICK RAMOS SOCIAL MEDIA:

Twitter: @RickRamosBoxing
Facebook: @officialrickramosboxing
Instagram: @rickramosboxing
YouTube: Rick Ramos Boxing

For more information on Fightstars.tv, please visit their OFFICIAL SITE.

LONDON, MARCH 11 – Olympic gold medallist and unbeaten professional heavyweight Bakhodir Jalolov has signed a co-promotional deal with Probellum and DiBella Entertainment.

The 27-year-old took gold at Tokyo 2020 but the giant from Uzbekistan is now focused on landing world titles in the professional ranks.

Jalolov has a perfect 9-0 record and has stopped every single one of his opponents to deliver a vicious warning shot to the rest of the heavyweight division.

Standing at a massive 6’7”, the huge punching Jalolov – known as the ‘Big Uzbek’ – fights Kamil Sokolowski over eight rounds on March 18 in Dubai as part of Probellum Evolution, a double-header of world championship boxing.

But given Jalolov’s frightening 100% KO ratio, his next contest is not expected to go the distance.

“Everyone in the heavyweight division knows all about me and, deep down, they know it is only a matter of time before I take over,” declared Bakhodir Jalolov.

“With Probellum and DiBella Entertainment promoting me, I will become world heavyweight champion as soon as is possible but, first, I must take care of business against Sokolowski on March 18 in Dubai.

“After that, news will start to spread about Bakhodir Jalolov and the world will soon realise that I am a world heavyweight champion in waiting.”

“Bakhodir Jalolov is a giant of a man and this is a giant signing for Probellum,” said Richard Schaefer, President of Probellum.

“Jalolov combines top-level amateur pedigree, phenomenal movement for man of his size and knockout power. He is destined to become world heavyweight champion and working with DiBella Entertainment, Probellum will be delivering those opportunities for him.”

“There is no upcoming young heavyweight in the world who possesses the physical advantages and skillset of the Big Uzbek. Power, speed and amazing agility for a giant are the attributes that will allow Bakhodir to rise quickly,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment.

“He will fight for the second time in Dubai on March 18 before a big television exposure in the U.S. in June. The sky is the limit for the Big Uzbek.”

“We are looking forward to a prosperous partnership with Probellum on Bakhodir’s career,” said Vadim Kornilov, Jalolov’s manager.

“We believe that he is currently the biggest young prospect in the heavyweight division and our team will work hard to take him to the Championship level.”

Jalolov scored a shuddering 46 second knockout of Julio Cesar Calimeno in December when he fought on Probellum’s debut show in Dubai and the the Uzbek puncher is back in the UAE on March 18 as part of Probellum Evolution, which will be shown live on Eurosport’s linear channels, discovery+ and Eurosport App to millions of homes across 62 markets and territories in Europe and the Indian sub-continent.

Probellum has signed a landmark, multi-fight deal with Discovery Sports, starting with the back-to-back shows in Dubai, where Jalolov features.

To find out the latest news on Jalolov, ticket information and all updates, be sure to follow Probellum on Facebook and Twitter, Instagram

About Probellum???
Launched in September 2021, Probellum is a global boxing promotion and media company, and the fastest-growing brand in the sport.

Probellum’s elite stable of international fighters includes Nonito Donaire, Regis Prograis, Estelle Mossely, Lee McGregor, Donnie Nietes, Dina Thorslund and Muhammad Waseem.

But the company has also recruited the next generation of stars with Peter McGrail, Mark Dickinson and Pat and Luke McCormack and Shabaz Masoud among the young talents under the Probellum umbrella.

Since launching, Probellum has also signed co-promotional partnerships with some of the biggest promoters globally, including DiBella Entertainment (US), Wasserman (Germany), Universum (Germany), GYM (Canada), Maravilla Box (Spain), Team Ellis (Australia), Titov Boxing Promotions (Russia), Volcano Boxing (El Salvador), BXSTRS Promotions (Mexico), PR Best (Puerto Rico) Glozier Boxing (New Zealand), Box Office Sports (Ghana) and LNK Boxing (Latvia).?

EKOW ESSUMAN WILL defend his British, Commonwealth and IBF European welterweight titles against Darren Tetley at York Hall on Friday April 29, live on BT Sport.

On a night where Frank Warren and Queensberry will again provide a showcase for their multitude of elite prospects, Southampton featherweight Ryan ‘The Piranha’ Garner will fight for a first title, the vacant WBC International Silver championship, plus two unbeaten talents collide at middleweight.

Nottingham’s Essuman (16-0, 7 KOs), known as ‘Ekow the Engine’, impressively seized the Lonsdale belt from former champion Chris Jenkins in July of last year and made a spectacular defence in October against the previously unbeaten Danny Ball, who was brutally knocked out in the sixth round.

Bradford’s Tetley (21-2, 9 KOs) won the WBO European title in May 2015 against Mason Cartwright and remained unbeaten for a further four fights before losing out in a thriller against Liam Taylor in August 2020. A challenge for the vacant English title against Samuel Antwi did not go his way in February of last year, but the 28-year-old got back into winning ways in November over six rounds.

Garner, 24, has long been regarded as one of the brightest prospects on the UK scene and his 11-0 record features six impressive stoppages. He was stepped up in November against the 9-1 Angolan Pedro Manuel Gomes and passed his test with flying colours over eight rounds.

Now he wants to be in big fights and replicate his amateur experience that saw him reach minors finals at the age of 11 before winning two schoolboy championships. He also reached the quarterfinals of the world junior championships, as well as bagging European gold at junior level.

In a battle of the middleweight unbeatens, James Heneghan (6-0) from Merseyside jumps in with Finchley’s Jonathan Kumuteo (3-0, 1 KO).

Also in action at York Hall is Buckhurst Hill super bantam Adan Mohamed (4-0, 1 KO), Cranleigh super welterweight Levi Frankham (2-0, 1 KO) and Beckton lightweight Mohammad Bilal Ali (4-1, 1 KO).

Former amateur superstar Charles Frankham (4-0, 2 KOs) from Crowthorne is back in action at super featherweight, along with ex-Team GB product Callum Thompson (3-0, 1 KO), the Joe Gallagher-trained lightweight from Liverpool.

Two recent Queensberry signings complete the card, with featherweight Raven Chapman (2-0, 1 KO) having her third fight in the professional ranks and Blu Bowers from Fareham making his debut at super bantamweight.

“It is great news that we are able to deliver another ‘Prospects Show’ that gives our young talent a chance to shine on a major platform and showcase their abilities to a huge audience,” said promoter Frank Warren.

“Of course, every show needs a headline act and we’ve got a multi-title battle between British welterweight champion Ekow Essuman and Darren Tetley.

“I’ve been so impressed with Ekow since he teamed up with Queensberry and the honest truth is that I would confidently put him in with any welterweight in Britain. Darren is a real warrior so we should have a cracker on our hands with this one.

“Ryan Garner is a young fighter I have admired from day one and had great belief in. He has had his ups and downs but is now completely focused on his craft and he is getting his reward with a first title chance.

“We should really see more of young pros trying their luck against each other so I am happy that James Heneghan and Jonathan Kumuteo are backing themselves in what should be a smashing fight at middleweight.

“Many of our other top prospects will be on parade, but I would like to welcome our new signings Raven Chapman and Blu Bowers to the Queensberry ranks and I look forward to seeing them in action on April 29.”

Tickets for the show at York Hall on Friday, April 29 are on sale now, available directly from the fighters or via eventbrite.co.uk or call: 01992 505 550 (office hours).

THE TELFORD INTERNATIONAL Arena will play host to European title action when Doncaster man Jason Cunningham makes a second defence of his EBU super bantamweight belt against the unbeaten Frenchman Terry Le Couviour on Saturday April 16, live on BT Sport.

Hugely popular Stoke middleweight Nathan Heaney also features with a defence of his IBO international Championship, plus two absolutely cracking fights with WBC International Silver belts at stake.

Former British, Commonwealth and IBF International bantamweight champion Brad Foster from Lichfield makes his return to the ring following his disputed defeat to Cunningham in Birmingham back in October and he takes on the highly rated Spaniard Ionut Baluta, the former WBO European champion.

In a fight that is guaranteed to spark fireworks, Telford native Liam Davies defends his WBC super bantamweight belt against Liverpool firebrand Andrew Cain, with the pair having encountered each other three times in the amateur ranks.

‘The Iceman’ Cunningham, 30-6 (6 KOs), will be looking to extend his winning streak to seven, a formline that has seen him seize the European title from Gamal Yafai in May 2021 and increase his belt collection at the expense of Foster. The 32-year-old last tasted defeat when he took on world title challenger Michael Conlan back in December 2018.

Cunningham, who recently signed a promotional agreement with Queensberry, intends on maximising his career swansong by working his way into position for a world title tilt.

Le Couviour hails from Auray in Brittany and holds a record of 16-0 (2 KOs). He successfully fought for the EBU super bantamweight title in May 2019.

Bidding to get back on track is Foster, 14-1-2 (5 KOs), who became one of the youngest outright British champions when he defeated James Beech jr in July 2020, having previously overcome Josh Wale, Ashley Lane and Lucien Reid, with his IBF International success coming against Alvaro Rodriguez in March 2021.

Baluta, 14-3 (3 KOs), impressively defeated Irish stars, former world champion TJ Doheny and Olympian David Oliver Joyce, before dropping a narrow majority decision to Conlan last time out in April 2021.

‘Hitman’ Heaney, 14-0 (6 KOs), secured the vacant IBO International middleweight title in November of last year in Birmingham, halting the stubborn Sladan Janjanin in the seventh round in what was his third straight stoppage victory.

Telford local Davies, 11-0 (5 KOs), has enjoyed a hugely productive three-fight run since teaming up with Queensberry, with two spectacular second round stoppages topped off with a WBC International Silver title triumph over Dixon Flores last October.

Cain, 8-0 (7 KOs), is a naturally explosive operator as his record suggests and has only once been extended to the final bell. Now one of the most exciting young contenders in the country, Cain held the upper hand over Davies as an amateur, defeating his rival on three occasions.

Also featuring on a bumper card is Northampton super lightweight Eithan James (7-0), Liverpool super bantam Brad Strand (6-0, 3 KOs) and Worcester welterweight Owen Cooper (5-0).

Again in welterweight action is York’s stylish George Davey (5-0), along with super lightweight Macaulay Owen (2-0, 1 KO) from Telford and explosive young welterweight George Bance (2-0) from Atherstone.

Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren commented: “I am delighted we are heading back to Telford where we will showcase our considerable talent from the region.

“Jason Cunningham’s story is a remarkable one and I am thrilled that he will be coming out of the home corner on the night. He has turned his career upside down and his plan is to cap it all with a world title. First of all though he has a tough defence of his European title to navigate against an unbeaten and hungry opponent.

“Brad Foster considered himself very unlucky to drop a decision to Jason when they fought so we are getting him straight back into title business against a strong opponent in Ionut Baluta, who has some previous in upsetting the odds.

“Liam Davies v Andrew Cain is an absolute cracker that I cannot wait for and the winner will be in a great position to accelerate his prospects. I am also looking forward to seeing Nathan Heaney in action again and hearing his incredible support get right behind their man as he increases his experience with a title defence.”

Tickets will be going on sale in the coming weeks, fans are asked to sign-up for Queensberry Ticket Alerts here to receive the ticket link directly to their inbox!

PHILADELPHIA (February 25, 2022)–RDR Promotions will return to the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia with a big night of action.

In a featured bout, Isaiah Wise will take on veteran Cameron Krael in a middleweight bout scheduled for six-rounds.

Wise of Philadelphia has a record of 10-2-2 with six knockouts. The 29 year-old Wise is a six-year veteran and has wins over previouslsy undefeated Mike Daniels Jr. (3-0) and Enver Halili (10-2). Wise has won three in a row and his latest outing he stopped Dewayne Williams in the opening round on October 9, 2021 at The 2300 Arena.

Krael of Las Vegas is a deceiving 18-21-3 with five knockouts. The 28 year-old Krael has faced a who’s-who of boxing in his 11 year run. He has wins over Luis Adrian Bello (5-0), Manuel Lopez (5-0), Demond Brock (8-2), Josh Torres (14-3-2), Maurice Lee (7-0), Jose Miguel Borego (14-1) and Razvan Hudaynzarov (17-3). Krael has also faced former world champions Maurice Hooker and Jamal James; contenders Alex Martin, Erick Bone, Keith Hunter, Elvis Rodriguez, Shinard Bunch, Montana Love and Custio Clayton; Former world title challenger Egidijus Kavaiauskas

Also seeing action will be undefeated welterweight Tahmir Smalls taking on Jose Rodrigo Sosa in a bout scheduled for six-rounds.

Smalls of Philadelphia is 7-0 with four knockouts. The 22 year-old Smalls is a three-year veteran is coming off an opening round stoppage over Seth Basler on February 19th in Melrose, Massachusetts.

Sosa of Asuncion, Paraguay is 3-3 with three knockouts. Asuncion is coming off a loss to Jahi Tucker on October 30, 2021 in New York.

In Six-Round Bouts:

Isiah Seldon (14-4-1, 5 KOs) of Somers Point, NJ will take on Temirlin Raimkulov (4-1-2) of Philadelphia in a middleweight bout.

Romuel Cruz (6-0-1, 2 KOs) takes on Frank Boston (3-5, 1 KO) of San Antonio, Texas in a super bantamweight contest.

RDR Promotions signee, Raekwon Butler (4-2, 2 KOs) of Brooklyn, New York fights Leonidis Fowlkes (2-7-1) of Winchester, Virginia.

In Four-round Bouts:

VeShawn Champion (2-0, 1 KO) of Dayton, Ohio battles DeAngelo Cunningham (1-2) of Cleveland, Ohio in a welterweight bout.

New RDR Promotions signee Nimal Farmer of Philadelphia tales Denzel Fudd (0-2) of Barrington, NJ junior middleweight fight.

Despite a brief amateur career, Farmer has defeated several highly-regarded amateur boxers.

Tickets are $75, $100 can be purchased at

DEADWOOD, S.D. – March 10, 2022 – Undefeated middleweight prospect Ardreal Holmes (11-0, 5 KOs) and once-beaten Vernon Brown (13-1-1, 9 KOs) both made weight Thursday, a day ahead of their 10-round main event on ShoBox: The New Generation tomorrow night, Friday, March 11 live on SHOWTIME at 9:35 p.m. ET/PT from Deadwood Mountain Grand Hotel in Deadwood, S.D.

The co-feature pits undefeated prospect Luis Acosta (12-0, 11 KOs) and the power-punching Edwin De Los Santos (13-1, 12 KOs) in an eight-round lightweight bout. Plus, 2021 National Golden Gloves Champion Giovanni Márquez, the son of former world champion and ShoBox commentator Raul Márquez, makes his professional debut against Dominican Nelson Morales (2-0) in a four-round welterweight bout that opens the three-fight telecast.

Raul Márquez will occupy dual roles during the broadcast, first as his son’s trainer and cornerman and then later as an expert analyst alongside his colleagues ringside. He will be joined by Hall of Famer Barry Tompkins calling the action with veteran combat sports reporter Brian Campbell also serving as an expert analyst, and Hall of Famer Steve Farhood remotely performing unofficial scoring duties. The executive producer of ShoBox: The New Generation is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

The tripleheader is promoted by Holden Productions.

FINAL WEIGHTS

Middleweight 10-Round Bout
Ardreal Holmes – 156 pounds
Vernon Brown – 157 ¼ pounds
Referee: Mark Nelson (Minnesota); Judges: Norm Hamling, Jr. (South Dakota), John Mariano (Minnesota), Ludy Webster (Minnesota)

Lightweight Eight-Round Bout
Luis Acosta – 133 ½ pounds
Edwin De Los Santos – 133 ¾ pounds
Referee: Mark Nelson (Minnesota); Judges: Norm Hamling, Jr. (South Dakota), John Mariano (Minnesota), Ludy Webster (Minnesota)

Welterweight Four-Round Bout
Giovanni Márquez – 143 pounds
Nelson Morales – 144 ¼ pounds
Referee: Mark Nelson (Minnesota); Judges: Norm Hamling, Jr. (South Dakota), John Mariano (Minnesota), Ludy Webster (Minnesota)

FINAL QUOTES:

Ardreal Holmes

“The long layoff is due to the pandemic and just waiting for the right opportunity to come along. I was dealing with a lot of things at the time, deaths in the family, so part of it was getting myself mentally ready to take advantage of the opportunity when it came along.

“Flint Michigan is just a special place. Whenever you go out of town, people would say, ‘What is it about Flint?’ We’d say, ‘There’s something in the water.’ We’ve been saying that for years. And then all that stuff happened (with the water being contaminated). It’s just a beautiful, tough place, but it’s still beautiful.

“I feel good for this fight. There’s nothing that I’m not expecting. I’m tall so everyone’s plan is to come forward and put pressure on me, but I’m expecting him to come forward and I plan on catching him on the way in.

“After being off for this long, I’m super excited for this opportunity. I just kept my head on straight and stayed positive and here we are. My son was a big motivation for me for this fight. And a guy I fought (and lost to) in the U.S. Olympic Trials, Paul Kroll, who I heard was talking about fighting me. He also motivated me.

“Every fight there’s pressure, but I believe in myself, and I believe in my training, and I’m going to go out and do my best.”

Vernon Brown

“Accepting the fight late wasn’t a big deal. I’d already been training. I’m excited for this opportunity and I feel good.

“I’ve gone up and down in weight, my last fight was at 140, but I’m used to fighting big guys, so this is not a problem. I’ve fought a couple guys who were 6’2”, so I’m ready. It’s been a year since February since my last fight and I’m ready to get my feet back wet again. I feel strong.

“My best weight is 147. I can do a lot at 147. I can do 154. Fighting bigger guys isn’t a problem, but 147 is my weight class. The contracted weight for this fight is 156 plus two, and that’s fine with me, so I don’t have to kill myself making weight.

“I’m just an aggressive fighter. My trainers want me to be aggressive and more technical and more defensive, but it’s like the bell rings and I turn into a real different animal. I don’t care how big you are, but I’m going to be smart for this fight. I don’t want to get caught by anything stupid.

“I consider myself a Hagler type. I love to brawl. I can really punch. Everyone in Chicago knows about my power. They brag on me, ‘Oh, you punch so hard.’ But I’m also learning it’s about conditioning and moving my head, and I know there’s more than just being able to punch.

“Everyone knows my right-hook is dangerous. But I knocked out a couple southpaws taller than me with overhand lefts because they were focused on my right. I can switch but I’m not like a Terence Crawford, but I will do it just to throw a guy off.”

Luis Acosta

“We are excited and ready to do the work. I’m not surprised at the success we’ve had. When you put in the hard work it shows in the end. I think our record shows that. We train hard all the time.

“I haven’t had a lot of rounds, but that doesn’t bother me. When we are sparring we go lots of rounds and bring in new, fresher guys while I’m staying in there the whole time. Eight rounds, 12 rounds. The conditioning is there, and the stamina. Whenever we end up going those rounds, the conditioning will show.

“I’m never worried about how hard I’m hitting a guy or trying to impress myself. I don’t deal with that pressure where I gotta knock this guy out. It just comes. You know, in the [Darel] Harris fight it didn’t come but I got my knockdowns and we did our work still.

“I’m going to keep doing what I’ve been doing. What we’ve been doing has been working for us. If I feel like I have to pace myself then I didn’t train hard enough to be able to put in the same amount of work for each round. If I’m fighting a 12-round fight I’m going to throw the same amount of punches as I would throw if I was fighting less rounds. I’m ready.

“[De Los Santos] has the best record so in my mind he is the best I’ve ever faced so far. Just like all my other fights it doesn’t matter who is in there across the ring from me I’m going to go in there and do my thing.”

Edwin De Los Santos

“I know Luis Acosta is a tough opponent, just like all the other Mexicans that I have fought. I know he works hard in the ring, just like I do. I know he’s also a very intelligent and skilled fighter.

“Physically I wasn’t ready for my last fight [a loss on ShoBox]. The running on the treadmill instead of out in the streets and in nature affected me. The weather conditions were very cold at that time. The weight cut also affected me. I feel like now that I’m working out harder and smarter and not having to cut as much weight has helped me.

“I don’t know which way this fight goes. It could be a knockout, or it could go the distance. It was a very bitter defeat I tasted in my last fight and so it’s very important for my career that I can come back and get a win this time to take me to the next level.”

Giovanni Márquez

“I ended up winning the National Golden Gloves which opened a lot of doors and opportunities. And here we are now. I never imagined I would make my debut on ShoBox. I’m looking forward to it and I’m just ready to go out there and perform.

“Some say there’s a lot of pressure on me. Of course, there’s pressure. Being my dad’s son, there’s always going to be pressure but I just use that pressure as motivation and it just gives me a feeling that I have to prove something. That’s when I perform best.

“I always felt I had more of a pro-like style. In the amateurs, it’s only three three-minute rounds. There’s not too much time. There’s a lot of guys that move, hold, throw little pitty-pat punches. Whereas I like to sit on my punches and look for openings. I think I’ll be able to show my style more in the pros than I was in the amateurs because there’s a little bit more time.

“I know that Morales will be hungry. This is a good opportunity for him. I’m definitely not taking him lightly. I’m looking to go out there and have a great first impression on the boxing world. This is a great opportunity to do that. I definitely want to win in spectacular fashion.”

Nelson Morales

“Every boxer’s dream is to fight on TV and get these kinds of opportunities. I come from a town where there’s always been a lot of guys doing big things, and I’ve been working quietly. Now I have this big opportunity and I really want to take full advantage of it. I’m super excited especially to be on a platform like SHOWTIME. I never thought this would come.

“Márquez has a lot of amateur experience. His father was a world champion. I know he’s been around these types of platforms. I don’t expect him to be completely nervous where he won’t be on his game. So I’m just expecting the best of Giovanni Marquez and I just have to do my thing. I expect him to be very confident. He’s been around SHOWTIME and this is my first time on SHOWTIME. I have to do something big too.

“Right now, I manage myself. I’m self-managed and I do my own thing. I look for my own fights. I just want to do my thing and look good to the point where somebody is going to reach out to me and say, ‘I want to work with you.’

“I just turned 30. I have to do something and if I’m going to do it, I have to do it now. I don’t have the opportunity that he does. This might be my one shot. He’s only (21). He has a lot of years to bounce back. I don’t.”

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

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

ST. LOUIS (Thursday, March 10) – Fighters from BELLATOR 276: Borics vs. Burnell spoke to the media today in advance of BELLATOR’s electrifying fight night on Saturday, March 12 at The Family Arena in St. Louis. In the main event, No. 2-ranked Adam Borics (17-1) meets a man also ranked No. 2 in the Official BELLATOR Rankings, Mads Burnell (16-3) for a future shot at the BELLATOR Featherweight World Championship.  

In an equally exciting co-main event, former BELLATOR Light Heavyweight Champion and No. 2-ranked Phil Davis (23-6) will return to action and open his 2022 campaign against No. 4-ranked Julius Anglickas (10-2), who most recently challenged for the 205-pound title. 

BELLATOR 276 sports a four-fight main card, including a featherweight feature between Gadzhi Rabadanov (16-4-1) and Jay-Jay Wilson (8-0), as well as middleweight fight between Johnny Eblen (10-0) versus John Salter (18-5).  

SHOWTIME will televise the BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell main card live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT Additionally, the thrilling preliminary fights will stream live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. 

Tickets for BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell are on sale at both Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com. 

Here is what the fighters had to say today during their pre-fight virtual media availability: 

ADAM BORICS: NO.2-RANKED BELLATOR FEATHERWEIGHT (VIDEO) 

“I haven’t fought in almost a year and I’m excited. I just want to fight now. I train a lot and I just want to show my skillset.” 

“Always my upcoming fight is the most important fight of my life. Nothing changes for me.” 

“I think this is great timing for me. It’s a great process for me. I don’t think I’ll fight five rounds, but I’ve prepared for five rounds. For me, this is the title fight. This is the mentality I have.” 

“I’ve improved a lot. I still haven’t shown all of my skillset in my fights. I know that I’m one of the best in the world at 145 pounds and I’m ready.” 

“I really don’t care who I get after this. Pitbull is a legend. AJ McKee is a star now. I would fight both of them.” 

“I don’t feel any extra pressure. I love fighting and I just want to go out there and fight.” 

“I always wanted to put Hungary on the map of MMA and I think I’ve done that. I’m very proud to be the biggest fighter in Hungary. My main reason for fighting is to make my country proud.” 

MADS BURNELL: NO. 2-RANKED BELLATOR FEATHERWEIGHT (VIDEO) 

“I’ve been feeling the same as any other fight. They always say the next fight is your most important fight. But this fight week I’ve been feeling fresher than ever. It just seems everything is coming together.” 

“A fight is a fight. I always prepare for a tough match and come in there trying to be my best every time.” 

“I’m just trying to be me every time I go in there. Every time I go in there, I think of it as 0-0.” 

“If he exposes his neck, I’m going to take it. If he exposes his chin, I’m going to take it.” 

“It’s nice getting a push and feeling like the organization have belief in my skills.” 

“I have some goals in my life. One of them is to become Bellator world champion, another one is to headline Bellator Copenhagen. I really think it would make sense for Bellator to go to Denmark and it’s my dream to main event that card.” 

“For me, pressure is a privilege. I like it. So many people dream about being in the position I’m in right now. Yes, there’s some pressure with that, but it’s all good. It’s part of the game.” 

PHIL DAVIS: NO. 2-RANKED BELLATOR LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT (VIDEO) 

“Julius is a tough fighter. He swings for the fences. He’s one of those guys who is ready to make a nice title run.” 

“He’s overall good at everything, he doesn’t have any holes in his game. When I get hold of a guy like that, it’s a game time feel. I just have to figure out where I can exploit any weaknesses.” 

“I think I shine when I’m under that pressure of being in hostile territory. There could be some home advantage for him, but I feel like I do some of my best work in hostile territory.” 

“My job is very simple. Show up Saturday, beat somebody up and get my hand raised.” 

JULIUS ANGLICKAS: NO. 4-RANKED BELLATOR LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT (VIDEO)

“Phil is a great fighter. He’s good, I’m good and anything can happen. I’m happy to have this opportunity and to redeem myself a little bit. I’m happy to be able to fix the mistakes from my last fight.” 

“I think he fights harder than Nemkov and his fighting style is a little bit different. He’s good everywhere and I’ll have to get ready for that. I’m excited.” 

“I feel like I’m alert and on my ‘A’ game and that’s going to make me fight better.” 

“This is definitely big. I didn’t expect Bellator to offer me Phil Davis. It was definitely a surprise, I thought they would give me someone lower ranking. But that’s okay, I think it’s a good sign and that it means they like me. They keep giving me great shots, great opportunities, and I’m glad to have them.” 

JOHN SALTER: NO.1-RANKED BELLATOR MIDDLEWEIGHT (VIDEO)

“I’m taking this fight as just another fight. I know it’s one of the top guys in the world, but I’ve had so much stress trying to work my way up to a title fight. This is the least stressed I’ve felt during a camp for a long time.” 

“He’s one of those guys that brings problems everywhere. Good wrestler, obviously. I guy that’s that good a wrestler is going to be good on top. But he hasn’t been in there with the toughest opponents. I don’t think he’s really had that moment of, ‘What’s happening?’ and that’s a game changer. The fact I’ve had that so many times I know I can push through those moments.” 

“I don’t have any animosity towards him. I think he’s a good fighter and we’re going to put on a good fight. That’s what it’s all about.” 

“I think with us both being good college wrestlers we’ll end up in some wrestling exchanges. At some point he’ll be trying to take me down and it’s just something I’ll have to be prepared for.” 

“Everybody’s a different challenge. He is very different. Essentially, he’s a Costello van Steenis except he’s got wrestling ability which Costello didn’t. It’s just going to be a different challenge.” 

JOHNNY EBLEN: NO.3-RANKED BELLATOR MIDDLEWEIGHT (VIDEO)

“I’m pretty excited for any time I can showcase my skills in the cage. I’m just happy to have a job, to be able to fight and to put on an entertaining show for the fans.” 

“He’s definitely the toughest competitor to date. But I’ve been preparing for this moment my whole career and I’m ready to show up.” 

“I’m up for any potential, I don’t really care. I work my ass off in the room and I get tested in the room day in and day out. I’m prepared for that moment if it comes.” 

“There’s no animosity, I don’t hate the guy. I saw him when we were doing COVID testing and shook his hand.” 

“I’m pretty damn excited about this fight. It’s in St. Louis, my home state, and my family are going to be able to make it. It’s going to be a lot of fun – I can’t wait to show up.” 

JAY-JAY WILSON: BELLATOR FEATHERWEIGHT (VIDEO)

“He’s a good grappler. I expect him to come out and try to use his wrestling. He’s got a good background having trained with Khabib. If we end up in a grapple, that’s where I’m most comfortable anyway.” 

“I’m going to be a little bit faster than these guys. They’re definitely a little bit stronger, these guys are walking around a lot bigger than me. But most of my training partners are light heavyweights or middleweights, so the strength doesn’t scare me. I’m excited to be competing at this weight.” 

“I take every fight at a time. I don’t really care about my record. I just go out there and fight. Win/loss doesn’t matter to me. I just go out there and fight my fight.” 

“When I step in the cage, I’m looking at him to see if this guy is game or if he’s not. If I look across the cage and see that dog in his eyes, then I know it’s going to be a war. Most fights, when I look across and see these guys, I don’t see that dog in them.” 

“I feel like fighting is more of a mental game and I feel like I have a mental edge against all these opponents.” 

“To be honest I don’t really mind where this fight goes. I’ve seen his striking and I’m not that impressed. I’m happy to strike with him. I’m not really looking for a specific position, I’m just going to go out there and do my thing.” 

“This guy is still new in the Bellator 155lb rankings, so a win over him will definitely put me in the top 10. I’m not sure that will put me in line for a title fight, because he isn’t a contender himself. But a win will put me in line for a contender fight.” 

ALEX POLIZZI: BELLATOR LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT (VIDEO)

“I’m happy to be back and excited to put on a show for everyone. It’s a case of get here, eyes on the fight, get it done and go home.” 

“I’m sure that he’s on the same trajectory as I am, nobody likes losing. I’m not doing a lot of looking at him, or other opponents. I’m focusing on my own game. Hopefully he’s ready for me.” 

“It doesn’t matter who, I’m ready to fight them and put little fisticuffs on them.” 

“I don’t watch a lot of opponent’s game plans. If he comes to the fight with something a little different, then that won’t affect me.” 

“I’ve said it from the beginning, but I’m just here to have fun. I still find it crazy that Bellator are paying me money to punch guys in the face.” 

ROMAN FARALDO: BELLATOR WELTERWEIGHT (VIDEO)

“I put pressure on myself. I expect the best from myself, and I will deliver.” 

“When it comes to stepping in the cage, I let it all go. I leave it all out there.” 

“I’m going to go out there, show them I’m more than capable of stepping up and that tomorrow’s just another day.” 

“There’s always pressure but it’s pressure from myself. I’m here to put on shows; put on shows that when people watch they want to watch more. I live for the challenge and enjoy what I do.” 

**** 

BELLATOR MMA 276: BORICS VS. BURNELL MAIN CARD:

Saturday, March 12 – live on SHOWTIME 

9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT  

Featherweight Main Event: #2-Adam Borics (17-1) vs. #2-Mads Burnell (16-3) 

Light Heavyweight Co-Main Event: #2-Phil Davis (23-6, 1 NC) vs. #4-Julius Anglickas (10-2) 

Middleweight Bout: #1-John Salter (18-5) vs.#3-Johnny Eblen (10-0) 

Lightweight Bout: Jay-Jay Wilson (8-0) vs.Gadzhi Rabadanov (16-4-2) 

PRELIMINARY CARD:  

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

6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT 

Light Heavyweight Bout: #8-Alex Polizzi (9-1) vs. Jose Augusto (7-3, 1 NC) 

Middleweight Bout: #8-Romero Cotton (5-0) vs.Freddy Sandoval (5-6-1) 

Flyweight Bout: #9-Diana Avsaragova (4-0) vs. Kyra Batara (8-4) 

Featherweight Bout: Cody Law (5-0) vs.James Adcock (7-4) 

Welterweight Bout: Roman Faraldo (6-0) vs.Kelvin Rayford (5-3) 

Bantamweight Bout: Jordan Howard (10-5) vs.Trevor Ward (5-5) 

Welterweight Bout: Josh Augustine (5-2) vs. Josh Westin (8-11)  

*Card subject to change. 

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information. 

Apply for BELLATOR media credentials 

RSVP for BELLATOR virtual media availabilities 

**** 

Updated schedule of BELLATOR MMA events 

Sat. March 12 // BELLATOR MMA 276: Borics vs. Burnell // The Family Arena // St. Louis 

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

Fri. April 22 // BELLATOR MMA 278 // Neal S. Blaisdell Arena // Honolulu 

Sat. April 23 // BELLATOR MMA 279: Pettis vs. Stots / Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2 // Neal S. Blaisdell Arena // Honolulu 

Fri. May 6 // BELLATOR MMA 280: Bader vs. Kongo 2 // Accor Arena // Paris 

Fri. May 13 // BELLATOR MMA 281: Amosov vs. MVP // The OVO Arena Wembley // London 

Reading, PA (March 10, 2022)–Weights for Friday night’s King’s Promotions eight-bout card at the Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem, PA.

Ryan Adams 165.6 – Khainell Wheeler 167,3
Kenny Robles 141 – Naim Nelson 139.9
Jonathan Rodriguez 119.6 – Jose Flores Chavez 118
James Bernadin 135.7 – Kevin Asmat 135.1
Julian Gonzalez 134.1 – Carlos Padilla 138.9
LeAnna Cruz 113.7 – Anyela Lopez 115.3
Quadir Albright 141.6 – Antonio Wattell 140.6
Thanjhae Teasley 147.4 – Daniel Jiles 147.5

Promoter: King’s Promotions
Venue: Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem, PA
1st Bell: 7 PM ET
Stream: Flo Combat

Tickets for this great evening are priced at $75, $100 and $150 and can be purchased at

HOLLYWOOD, CA (March 10, 2022) – Fan favorite, Blair “The Flair” Cobbs (15-0-1, 10 KOs) of Philadelphia hosted a media workout today at the world famous WildCard Boxing Club ahead of his fight against fellow stablemate Alexis Rocha (18-1 (12 KOs) on March 19. Their 10-round welterweight fight will be the co-main event to Vergil Ortiz, Jr. vs. Michael McKinson at the University of Southern California’s Galen Center in Downtown Los Angeles and will be streamed live, worldwide, on DAZN.

Below is what the fighter had to say about his upcoming fight:

“I can’t wait for this fight. I love every single opportunity to get out there and show the world what Blair ‘The Flair’ is all about. Each moment, each day, I am getting better and better. Everyday I am refining my craft, inside and outside of the ring and people are going to see it come March 19.

“Once again, I have to fight against the odds. There are a lot of people that think, Alexis Rocha might win. Let’s see what happens when he fights ‘The Great One.’ I expect that he is training very hard, but Blair ‘The Flair’ is training smart. It doesn’t matter what he does. In that ring he is going to try everything and he is not going to be able to get anything done because I am much, much better.

“It’s a big possibility that this fight may not go the distance. If he comes towards me and gets in my face I am going to shut him down.

“We are going to go in the ring with energy, and be the best that we possibly can which is always the most exciting, the biggest flair, the biggest attraction in boxing. Fans will have to tune in because the main event is the co-main event on March 19.”

Tickets for the event are on sale now and are priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25 not including applicable service charges. Tickets will be available for purchase at www.galencenter.org or www.goldenboypromotions.com. Please note that LADPH guidelines and other protocols relating to admission requirements will be in place for this event, which include that all guests aged 2 and older will have to provide proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result within 24 hours for an antigen test or 48 hours for a PCR test.

Ortiz Jr. vs. McKinson is a 12-round fight for the WBO International Welterweight Title 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, March 19 at Galen Center in Los Angeles, 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

Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Sport Chairman:

“As I’ve said before, almost ten years since Carl Froch’s historic victory in Nottingham Arena, we’ve been looking to bring a mega-fight back to this city for some time. 10,000 sell-out on Saturday and the atmosphere is going to be incredible, 3000-4000 Irish also in attendance for what will be a tremendous match-up.

“This Saturday we have a solid undercard, so many great fights, great fighters, great prospects. People returning to the World Championship scene, people looking to make their mark in the world rankings.

“Just under 10,000 people in a sold-out arena will see a great fight with an incredible atmosphere. Huge support from the city of Nottingham and a huge number of Irish fans coming to see if Michael Conlan can become World Champion.”

Leigh Wood:

“I’m buzzing to be here, it’s been a long hard road to get here, back in 2014 that was a terrible night. I knew the reasons behind it, and I went away and corrected it. Same with both of the defeats I’ve suffered, I went away, changed my team and improved as a fighter. I stayed disciplined, lived the life and that’s why I’m bringing this big night back to Nottingham, I couldn’t be happier.

“I couldn’t be happier with my camp, my team, everything is on point. As Mick said, I’ve got the best version of him and he’s got the best version of me, there’s no excuses after the fight the best man will win.

“We rocked up at fight camp and people were basically saying good luck, thanks for turning up, we were taken aback and didn’t know what to say to them. I said in interviews I was going to win the fight, confidence has never been an issue with me, I’ve been confident when most kids didn’t have anything to smile about, I’ve been confident in the gym without fights and through injuries and defeats. I was confident in my ability and that I’d get there, now I’m here.

“This is fairy-tale sh*t, honestly, of all the arenas for Carl I was at in the seats screaming, I’m now headlining in the same arena. This isn’t the peak or where I stop, I’m going to go further than this. The city ground fight that you’ve tangled in front of me for so long, you [Eddie] said after this fight it’s happening, so I’ll hold you to that but eyes on Saturday night first. I’m coming to get the job done and look good doing it.”

Ben Davison:

“I’m over the moon with the training camp that Leigh’s had, preparation doesn’t stop until the first bell but we’re ready and very confident. Leigh knows exactly what he needs to do and it’s just a case of getting in there and doing it now.

“I think it’s just very easy for people to go ‘Mick on points’ or ‘Leigh by stoppage’, that’s the outcome people can see but as I said before I think Mick punches harder than people think and Leigh boxes better than what people think he does. People said the same thing when Leigh was boxing Can Xu, he can only win by knockout, not only did he nearly beat him quite widely by points, but he beat him in the twelfth round.

“I don’t believe that this is the two possible outcomes of the fight, I think both guys are very versatile and potentially momentum shifts throughout the fight and adjustments will have to made by both. It’s a fantastic fight and that’s why we’ve got a sold-out arena.

“I highly expect Leigh to thrive under this situation, I don’t think there’s any problems, Leigh’s one of the calmest fighters I’ve worked with in the changing room preparing for a fight. It’s just a case of getting in there and doing what he needs to do now.”

Michael Conlan:

“I’m ready to go, my confidence comes from preparation and my preparation has been fantastic. I’m very confident and very relaxed, we’re here in Nottingham and it’s time to go, there’s not much more to say other than I really can’t wait for Saturday night.

“I know what kind of performance is coming on Saturday night, this is the most relaxed and calm I’ve ever been in a fight week. I don’t feel any pressure, I’m here in the opponents back garden and I’ve got to rip the belt off him. Everyone’s here to see him, I’ve got fans coming in the thousands already so it’s nothing new.

“I’m just here to do a job, I hope Leigh has had a fantastic training camp, I hope he’s the best Leigh Wood there’s ever been because I believe I will be. It’ll make it all the sweeter when I beat him.

“I’m just expecting a fantastic performance by myself.”

Jamie Conlan:

“We came here six weeks ago full of confidence, we’ve come here today even more confident. Confident in the preparation that was put in over the last eight week, confident in the mindset that he’s brought into this fight and the mental attitude that he’s put into the camp and the challenges he’s faced in camp. We’ve come here to upset the applecart and spoil your boy’s party – send the Irish home happy.

“I fully expect Michael to become World Champion on Saturday. Regarding favourites and underdogs, we have no real thought on that. We’ve come in as the B side fighter and underdog mentality but we’re fully confident we’ll become world champion. I truly believe this is his destiny, Leigh Wood is just an obstacle in his way that we must overcome. This is Michael Conlan’s party, this is the one he’s coming to take home, and this is the one that the fans will be able to sing about and tell each other about in bars for years to come.

“I think that’s something that Leigh’s going to have to deal with, the mental stress he’s going to be under, I saw it last night when he was doing his workout. There’s going to mental pressure on him more so than on Michael, Michael has dealt with mental pressure throughout his career. He was thrown into the spotlight from day one, Leigh has done it when no one was watching, he won the world title in front of 25 people in your [Eddie] back garden.

“This is the big time, this is going to be where everyone is pressuring him on, expecting him to win – in his hometown as the favourite. In our hometown we’re the favourite, so the fans coming over are fully expecting Michael to win, fully expecting to be joyous on Saturday and going home with a new World Champion. As a family we’re just ready, we’ve been waiting for this for a long time, destiny is in front of us and Leigh is just another object in the way.”

Caoimhin Agyarko:

“I want to thank you [Eddie] for getting me on this card, especially straight after Christmas. It’s the opportunities I feel like I deserve, and I’ve been working hard, it’s a great card to be on and it’s going to be a very noisy night on Saturday. I can’t wait to just get in there and put on a good performance.
 
“We hoped to get the Hassan N’Dam fight, former World Champion, but he’s got a good record and I expect a tough fight Saturday night. I’ve prepared well and I’ve been sparring great, everything’s went to plan in camp, and I have no complaints. I just can’t wait to get in there and put on a good performance, I feel like you’re going to see a different side to my game on Saturday – Rubio being a southpaw. I feel like he’ll bring out the best in me in terms of that I can box a bit more and open up a bit more.
 
“That’s the plan, I want to headline shows in Belfast, it’s a great to be on this card with three other Irish fighters. I spent time on the Irish team with Garry and Thomas, I’ve boxed with Mick at training camps and he’s from my hometown. It’s a great opportunity for me on this card but the plan is to go back home, and headline shows by the end of the year. I feel like after this fight or one more in the summer I’ll be ready for a big name.”

Juan Carlos Rubio:

“I really enjoy taking on challenges and this will be another one for me. We did take the fight on very short notice, but we were already preparing, running and training waiting for this opportunity which presented itself.
 
“I’m going to come and give everything on Saturday, I want to give thanks to the champ for giving me the opportunity but yeah I’ll give it everything on Saturday.”

Terri Harper:

“It’s like I’ve never left now back at Lightweight. I’ve been trying to explain to my Grandma about moving up in weight and she said it’s only 5 pounds, but that 5 pounds makes a huge difference. I had a good training session and feel like I’ve got weeks of training left in me and I’m full of energy.
 
“I’m just happy to be back and excited to get back out there on Saturday night, show everyone what I’ve been working on. This camp was about taking everything back to the drawing board, going back to basics and making slight changes that have been needed to be made for a while.
 
“The fight’s been and gone now, it was a lesson learnt the hard way and I’m just excited to be here in the new weight division. I’m fully focused on what’s ahead and what’s to come this year.
 
“After the last fight I thought, everyone was going to go off and disappear but to be fair I’ve probably got more fans. I’m just grateful to everyone who’s been there since day one and we’re on this journey together through the highs and lows, I’m doing it for them really and they’re the reason I’m here.”

Yamila Belen Abellaneda:

“Here we are accepting the challenge, it was put to us, and I’m really pleased to be here. Once the offer came in, we took it with both hands.

“That’s what we’re here for. We’ve come here and put the work in, we’ve come to win.”

Gary Cully:

“I’ve been looking for this chance, calling your name since I was 2-0. I’m excited that it’s finally here, I’ve got a great opponent in front of me in Miguel Vazquez who’s been there and done it. It’s a big test for me as well and I’m looking forward to putting on an explosive performance on Saturday.
 
“I think 2022 is the year that I plan on making a statement in the world rankings and stepping up in challenge and winning World Titles, Vazquez is the first step in doing so. I’ve been building on the down low on the MTK shows, the smaller hall scene for the last couple of years putting in big performances. This is my first kind of show on the big stage and I’m looking forward to showing everyone what I can do.”  
 
Miguel Vazquez:

“I’m really happy to be here in the UK. I’m facing a great opponent so it’s great to have this opportunity once again to show people in the UK that I’m still a big thing in boxing.
 
“Apart from whether or not I won or lost that fight, whether it was a robbery, you can call it what you like. I’m just so happy to be back again on these shores and show again what I can do in the UK, it’s a wonderful country and I’m so happy to be here.”

Sandy Ryan:

“This is what I want, I said I want someone who’s coming to win, she’s trained for ten rounds like it’s a World Title. It’s going to be a good fight; I respect her as a fighter and she has fought great champions but I’m different and she’ll see that Saturday night.
 
“I’m going to make the fight the pace I want to make it at, we’ve got a good plan me and Cliff. Honestly, if I have to outbox this girl I will, if I have to go to war I’ll go to war.
 
“Even now the people are seeing it’s too early, when I believe in myself and my team believes in me, you’ll believe in me after this fight. I’m just ready for anybody.”

Erica Anabella Farias:

“When I was offered this fight, most fights I’ve had in my career have been for World Titles, so I train as if it’s a World Title fight and I’ve been training as if this was a World Title fight. I’m always ready and accept the big challenges and I think champions are built over time, so I’ll be facing up as if this is a World Title fight.
 
“I live for this sport; I enjoy every single moment whether it’s the press conference of the weigh-in. Like I said, I’m focused for every fight like it’s a World Title fight so you can expect me to go into the fight and coming out victorious. What I would say to Sandy Ryan is to keep her guard up.”

Nico Leivars:

“I remember when I first got the call and got told that I’d me on this card, it’s literally 20 minutes up the road from me – it’s my home city. I’m blessed to make my pro debut on such a big card, on my mate’s undercard as he defends his World Title in my home city. I’ll just need to go in there now and make a good transition from amateur to the pros and put on a good performance.
 
“We’ve got a good boxing scene in Nottingham and the surrounding areas, to get boxing in the city and on the big cards on TV is only good exposure and it’s going to spur everyone on in their careers. I think it’s good to put Nottingham and Mansfield in the spotlight.”

Thomas Carty:

“Me and Dillian had a chat after the last one and we were looking to make a bit of a plan and see when get out again. It made the most sense to get me on this card, I was calling for it to be honest because I knew it would be a massive event and as you can see it. Big shoutout to Dillian, Matchroom and the team for sorting it.
 
“I’m looking forward to Saturday, I have a lot of people coming over to watch me. People from Dublin haven’t been given many chances to go on big cards, to get the crowd over for big cards as of late. I’m absolutely delighted there will be a big crowd coming over on Saturday and hopefully progress on to the Irish Title before the end of the year. I’ll be the first person then to win it since Tyson Fury so looking forward to that.”

Thomas Whittaker Hart:

“I’ve had a terrible couple of years thinking my career was going to be over in the last twelve months but thankfully it’s not. I’ve got a good opportunity on another good show, I want to push on for titles at the end of the year.
 
“I want to try and get my hands on the British Title by the end of the year, it’s what I thought about a lot when I wasn’t too well and out of the ring. That’s all I could think about, not being there and not having those belts, it’s made me hungry and want it more – it could have done a lot for me as well.”

Weigh-In Results:

Chris Bourke – 121lb 5oz
Marc Leach – 121lb 4oz

Frank Arnold – 131lb 9oz
Paul Holt – 131lb 5oz

Karol Ituama – 176lb 3oz
Jiri Kroupa – 173lb 9oz

Jake Henty – 149lb 
Henrich Herak – 150lb 2oz

Joshua Frankham – 150lb 2oz
Dario Borosa – 151lb 3oz

Willo Hayden – 138lb 3oz
Michael Walton – 140lb 

Aloys ‘Junior’ Youmbi – 199lb 5oz
Tayar Medmed – 201lb

Arnold Obodai – 205lb 1oz
Hassan Oseni – 200lb 3oz

Jamie Chamberlain & Constantin Radoi to weigh-in tomorrow.

Long Island, New York (March 10, 2022) – Long before he was a NABA Champion, and #6 world rated (WBA) super bantamweight OLEH DOVHUN (13-0 5KO’S) was just a kid growing up in in the western Ukraine city of Stebynk. With a population of about only 20,000, Dovhun enjoyed a peaceful upbringing in his small town religious home, alongside his mom, dad and older brother. This small-town boy soon became fascinated with the sport of boxing – a journey that has led him to Long Island, New York for this upcoming title defense on March 18 on Star Boxing’s renown “Rockin’ Fights” series at The Paramount.

While in elementary school, Dovhun became friends with a fellow student who had begun to fight amateur bouts. “He would get a lot of attention from other students who were interested in him because he was boxing,” said Dovhun, “I wanted that attention too!” he said while laughing. At the age of 10, Dovhun made true to his promise, and began boxing.

Nearly thirteen years later, Dovhun’s schoolyard attention ploy transformed into his livelihood, amassing approximately 250 amateur bouts while traveling throughout much of Europe and Asia to compete. From the Ukraine, to Khazakstan, the Philippines to China, Dovhun was able to see the world as an amateur boxer. While on its face it seemed glorious for the small town Ukraine kid to travel the globe doing what he loved, like most in boxing, his journey did not come without major sacrifice.

“I was in the middle of competing as an amateur in the World Series of Boxing in 2016 when my grandmother passed away a few days before my fight. Not only was I depressed leading into the fight, but I had broken my thumb during the fight – but I dug deep and still won!” said Dovhun reminiscing on one of his toughest moments as a boxer.

In 2017, alongside fellow Ukraine native and future Star Boxing stablemate Lyubomyr Pinchuk (14-2-1 8KO’s), Dovhun took a leap of faith and left the Ukraine for greener pastures in the United States hoping to turn pro with world title aspirations. Finding his way to Pittsburgh, Dovhun teamed up with Mike McSorley of Conn-Grebb Boxing Club to try and make that dream a reality. Fast forward to today and Dovhun is well on his way. Dovhun holds an undefeated record of 13-0 (5KO’s), is the current NABA Super Bantamweight Champion, and is rated #6 in the World by the WBA. Dovhun is focused on the ultimate prize: “I am going to beat Murodjon Akhmadaliev in 2022 and become the WBA Champion of the World!”

Nearing his ultimate goal of becoming a World Champion, what advice would Dovhun tell his younger 10-year-old Ukrainian self? “Work hard and believe in yourself at all times. Always focus and follow your dreams.”

Originally Dovhun was set to defend his NABA title against fellow undefeated super bantamweight Michel Da Silva (13-0 12KO’s), but the fight was moved due to visa issues. Stepping up for the challenge will now be Belgian bruiser GERAM ELOYAN (7-2-1 6KO’S) as Dovhun seeks to remain undefeated in his NABA title defense next Friday (3/18) at “Rockin’ Fights” 41.

“Rockin’ Fights” 41 is presented by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing

TICKETS:
Tickets to #RockinFights at The Paramount are now available at ticketmaster.com or by visiting www.starboxing.com. Tickets start at $50. Purchase your tickets, HERE.

LOS ANGELES, CA (March 10, 2022) – Saturday, March 19 promises to be a night full of action as Bektemir “Bully” Melikuziev (8-1, 6 KOs) of Indio, CA returns to the ring for the first time in 2022, to face seasoned veteran David “La Pantera” Zegarra (34-7, 21 KOs) of Lima, Peru. The fighters are set to face off in a 10-round light heavyweight fight as part of the DAZN broadcast. Then, opening up the DAZN broadcast, undefeated fighter Evan Sanchez (9-0, 6 KOs) from Parlier, CA will participate in a 6-round welterweight fight against Alejandro Munera (6-6-4, 5 KOs) from Medellin, Colombia.

The event is headlined by #1 WBO ranked and undefeated heavy-hander, Vergil Ortiz Jr. (18-0, 18 KOs), of Grand Prairie, Texas taking on #3 WBO ranked, undefeated welterweight Michael “The Problem” McKinson (21-0, 2 KOs) of Portsmouth, Great Britain in a 12-round fight for the WBO International Welterweight Title . The co-main event of the night will pit Orange County’s Alexis “Lex” Rocha (18-1, 12 KOs) of Santa Ana, CA against Philadelphia’s Blair “The Flair” Cobbs (15-0-1, 10 KOs) in a 10-round welterweight fight. The event will take place at the University of Southern California’s Galen Center in Downtown Los Angeles, streaming live, worldwide on DAZN.

Part of the Golden Boy Fight Night live stream on the Golden Boy Boxing channel on YouTube, undefeated fighter, and fan favorite, Alex Rincon (9-0, 6 KOs) of Dallas, Texas, will face Puerto Rico’s Luis Sanchez (9-2, 6 KOs) in an 8-round super welterweight fight. Also on the card, Los Angeles’ undefeated fighter John “Scrappy” Ramirez (8-0,7 KOs) will fight Roberto “Escorpion” Pucheta (10-20-3, 6 KOa) of Jalisco, Mexico, in a scheduled 6-round bantamweight bout. Other fights featured as part of the live stream include two 4-round fights featuring prospects Miguel Gaona (1-0) of Los Angeles, CA, in a lightweight fight against Mexico City’s Gilberto Aguilar (0-4) and London’s Ramla Ali (4-0) in a super bantamweight fight against Toronto’s Shelly Barnett (5-6-2). The night will also include popular fighters Azat “Crazy A” Hovhannisyan (20-3, 16 KOs), Alejandro Reyes (6-0, 4KOs), and Dalis Kaleiopu (1-0, 1 KO), in bouts with opponents to be announced.

Tickets for the event are on sale now and are priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25 not including applicable service charges. Tickets will be available for purchase at www.galencenter.org or www.goldenboypromotions.com. Please note that LADPH guidelines and other protocols relating to admission requirements will be in place for this event, which include that all guests age 2 and older will have to provide proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result within 24 hours for an antigen test or 48 hours for a PCR test.

Ortiz Jr. vs. McKinson is a 12-round fight for the WBO International Welterweight Title 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, March 19 at Galen Center in Los Angeles, 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

THE EARLY CAREER path of exceptional light heavyweight talent Karol Itauma has yet to encounter a single bump and the Olympic Youth gold medallist has enjoyed extensive TV exposure, plenty of plaudits and the adulation of his ever-increasing support.

It begs the question as to why, following his five straight victories to date, he never looks particularly happy about it? 

“Yeah, Francis (manager, Warren) says it to me all the time!” said the Chatham-based 21-year-old, acknowledging that his pearly whites should be on display following success in the ring.

“He is like ‘you’ve gotta smile, you’ve gotta smile’. So I need to get better at smiling! I don’t believe it is a reflection of how I feel because inside I am happy. Training camps are hard so the boxing is the part I enjoy.

“So I am going to bring my teeth out a little bit more.

“Of course I am happy and it is a part I have got to improve on – and I will.”

Meanwhile, another Itauma – his brother Enriko – is just a matter of a year away from breaking into the professional ranks following a highly productive grounding in the amateur code.

It is fair to say Karol is enthused over the prospect of expanding the family business.

“I am very, very, very excited. Me, my coach and the people around us know how good he is and it is just a matter of time before everyone else will too.

“So I am really excited about his journey. We will be working alongside each other, we are under the same coach, the same S&C coach, so we will be under the same roof.”

Chris Bourke (10-0) takes on Marc Leach (17-1-1) for the vacant British super bantamweight title at York Hall on March 11, live on BT Sport.

The card also features exciting super featherweight Frank Arnold (8-0-1), Olympic Youth gold medallist Karol Itauma (5-0) in light heavyweight action, unbeaten Irish super lightweight Willo Hayden (2-0) and super welterweight Josh Frankham (4-0). Super featherweight Jamie Chamberlain (3-0) has his first fight under the Queensberry banner, with Jake Henty (1-0 super welterweight) and Aloys Junior (0-1 cruiserweight) both having their second professional fights. Cruiserweight Arnold Obodai will make his professional debut.

Tickets for the show at York Hall on Friday, March 11 are on sale, available directly from the fighters or via eventbrite.co.uk or call: 01992 505 550 (office hours).

Ticket prices:
£55 (Floor/Balcony unreserved)
£65 (Floor/Balcony reserved) – SOLD OUT
£105 (Ringside) – SOLD OUT

Weigh-In details:
Date: Thursday 10^th March
Time: 2pm on the scales (doors from 1pm)
Location: Holiday Inn Stratford City, 10a Chestnut Plaza, London, E20 1GL – 12^th Floor