New York, NY (July 28, 2021) Top heavyweight prospect Bakhodir Jalolov, of Uzbekistan, will premiere at the Olympics in Tokyo tonight, competing in the super heavyweight division. He will face Abdullayev Mahammad, of Azerbajian, in the tournament’s Round of 16 preliminaries. Jalolov’s bout will broadcast as part of Session 11, which begins at 10:00pm ET / 7:00pm PT, streaming on the NBC Olympics Website. He is expected to be in the ring by 11:00pm ET / 8:00pm PT.

Standing six-foot-six, the 27-year-old Jalolov, who holds a professional record of 8-0 with eight knockouts, is taking a break from the paid ranks to return to the Olympic stage seeking gold medal glory. Jalolov previously competed at the 2016 Olympics, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He now has the distinguished honor of being the first athlete in the history of Uzbekistan to be the country’s flag bearer at the Opening Ceremonies twice.

Born in Sariosiyo, Uzbekistan, the southpaw Jalolov has garnered tremendous accolades as an amateur, winning gold medals at the Asian Amateur Boxing Championships three times (2017, 2019 and 2021), World Cup Tournament, Liventsev Memorial Tournament, Great Silk Way Tournament, and Duisenkul Shopokov Memorial Tournament in 2015, and at the World Cup of Petroleum Countries Tournament in 2014, as well as winning numerous National championships. During his amateur career, Jalolov also focused on his education, earning a Master’s Degree in Sports Science.

Social Media
DiBella Entertainment
Instagram: @DiBellaEnt
Twitter: @LouDiBella, @DiBellaEnt
Facebook: @DiBellaEntertainment

Cleveland, OH (July 28, 2021)–Tim VanNewhouse has announced the signing of highly touted 21-year old Thomas Wu to a managerial contract.

Wu, who resides in Arcadia, CA, is of Chinese and Vietnamese heritage.  He is a four-time amateur
national champion, and had an overall amateur mark of 85-11.

“Aside from his incredible talent, he brings an outside ring presence that
most fighters are striving for,” said VanNewhouse, who believes that Wu has
all the intangibles to be a star along with the requisite talent to succeed
in the pro ranks.

In 2018 Thomas Wu  created the floating ball challenge on social media that
garnered over 100 million combined impressions on ESPN and Sportscenter,
Barstool Sports and Ridiculousness.

VanNewhouse stated, “In the fight game we tend to get excited about the
next big prospect and most of the time it’s too early to tell how far
someone will go.  However, I can’t help but to be enthusiastic about this
kid. He has star-power looks, is charismatic and has all the ability I look
for in a young aspiring champion. I’m thrilled to be working with his team.”

Wu, who graduated from Temple City High says, “I’m excited to be working with
Tim and the team he is building for me to take the next step in my career.
This is a thrilling new journey for my father and I to be on. We worked
hard to get to these next steps”.

To help get prepped for the pro-ranks Wu competed in his first pro-style
exhibition where he fought against MTK Globals Australian pro boxer Michael
Pengue.  Official Infamous Wu vs Micheal Pengue Victory 8 Boxing “Legends of Hoan
Kiem” <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9uuOjRmGQA>

“The past several years we have had many offers to turn professional from
guys like PBC, Cameron Dunkin and Top Rank, ” said his father, Tommy, who
trains him. “But it’s still been a challenge for us to find the right
person to take my son into the pros. Tim is someone I have followed and
known for years and he’s that guy for us. We trust in him and going forward
he will guide us into making the best business decisions for us in boxing.”

An announcement will be forthcoming on Wu’s professional debut, and who
will be promoting him.

Wu is the second signing by VanNewhouse since his resignation from Split-T Management this past spring. 

His first signing was two-time U.S. amateur champion Najee Lopez.  VanNewhouse is regarded as one of the

sport’s rising managers and among the best talent scouts in America.

# # #

Former amateur star Sandy Ryan is promising to make a big statement on her introduction to the paid ranks this Saturday at Matchroom Fight Camp in Brentwood, Essex by becoming the first person to stop Kirstie Bavington, live on Before The Bell. 
 
The 27-year-old Derby boxer, who claimed gold at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and silver at the 2014 World Championships, had been one of Team GB’s leading medal hopes for the rescheduled Tokyo Games before deciding to turn professional with STN Sports in March. 
 
Following a glittering amateur career, Ryan will start life in the pro ranks campaigning at Super-Lightweight with trainer Clifton Mitchell, and the Midlands talent is ready to target World Titles with an ultimate ambition of fighting at the home of her beloved Derby County Football Club.
 
“To be successful and one of the best female fighters in the world is my goal,” said Ryan. “I’ve got the right team around me and I believe I can achieve that. I was going to turn pro after the Olympics but when they were postponed, I took the decision to turn over. I feel like it’s the right time and I’m ready to go all the way. 
 
“I was on the GB squad for nine years. I went to every major tournament besides the Olympic Games. I went to the World Championships and won a silver medal, European bronze, European Games bronze and Commonwealth Games gold medal. All this experience will help me massively in the pro game. 
 
“Each day that passes I get more and more excited. I can’t wait for my debut, every day I visualise my ring walk, getting in the ring and smoking the girl.
 
“I said to my manager, ‘I don’t want a walkover, get me a good opponent’, and they delivered with Kirstie. I looked on YouTube and watched a few of her fights, she seems game and she’s coming to win which is exactly what I want. I didn’t want to do a four rounder in my first fight so I’m going straight into six rounds.
 
“I’ve done this for many years, but the pro game is very different. Every fight and camp I will learn and develop, and the journey is only just beginning. I want to be up there, in years to come when people talk about women’s boxing, I want my name in the same bracket as Katie Taylor.
 
“I have massive dreams to fight for a World Title at Pride Park, the home of Derby County FC. First things first I want to make a big statement at Fight Camp. The girl has never been stopped before so let’s see!”
 
Ryan vs. Bavington is part of a huge night of action as Fight Camp returns with a bang, rising Welterweight star Conor Benn (18-0, 12 KOs) puts his WBA Continental Title on the line against Adrian Grandos (21-8-3, 15 KOs), WBA Featherweight World Champion Xu Can (18-2, 3 KOs) defends his Title against Nottingham’s Leigh Wood (24-2, 14 KOs), Tommy McCarthy (18-2, 9 KOs) and Chris Billam-Smith (12-1, 10 KOs) collide in a massive showdown for the European, British and Commonwealth Cruiserweight Titles, former World Title challenger Avni Yildirim (21-3, 12 KOs) aims to bounce back from his loss to pound-for-pound king Canelo Alvarez when he takes on ‘Little Lever’s Meat Cleaver’ Jack Cullen (19-2-1, 9 KOs), Liverpool Super-Welterweight Anthony Fowler (14-1, 11 KOs) promises to build on his huge third-round knockout win over Jorge Fortea when he takes on Rico Mueller (28-3-1, 19 KOs) and Manchester Lightweight Campbell Hatton (2-0) continues his young journey in the pro ranks against Jakub Laskowski (4-4-1, 2 KOs).

London, UK (18 July 2021) Dynamite fisted heavyweight talent Tommy Welch aims to do a seek and destroy mission in Italy this Saturday (31st July) when he has his fourth professional fight.

Welch, 26, fights in Ancona on the Adriatic coast when he takes on Poland’s Petr Frolich over four rounds as he looks to maintain his perfect record.

The Brighton puncher has got off to an explosive start in the pros having dispatched of his three previous opponents inside five total rounds of action.

He fought last month in Brussels and registered a brutal second round demolition of Gyorgy Kutasi after detonating his heavy punches on the Hungarian.

Welch has previously boxed and won in Milan when he was an amateur in an England v Italy international tournament in 2016 and following England’s recent heartbreak against Italy in the Euro Championships, Welch is keen to conquer once again.

“I’m looking to get the job done in quick style, this will be seek and destroy, no hanging about, rob the bank and leave,” stormed Welch.

“Frolich is another opponent for me to sharpen my tools on and get him out of there when he’s ready to go. I’m feeling great and looking forward to doing the job in real style and leaving Italy with a W and KO on my record.

“I’ve not stopped training since the win over Kutasi last month. I’ve had some great sparring with Nick Webb [who fights Fabio Wardley for the English title next month] and Joel Djeko [who recently challenged Tony Yoka for the European Union title in March] so I’m fit, sharp and ready for Frolich.”

Welch said he would also be dedicating the fight to his friend Sebastian Eubank who sadly passed away earlier this month.

He said, “I’ll be taking Seb’s fighting spirit with me into the ring in Italy and I’ll be fighting in memory of him. A wonderful friend and talent taken too early.”

Tommy Welch vs Dmitrij Kalinovskij | FULL FIGHT
For further information go to www.hennessysports.com or social media: Facebook @HennessySports, Twitter @HennessySports and Instagram @hennessysports

Los Angeles, CA (July 27, 2021) ‘The Golden Boy’, Boxing Legend Oscar De La Hoya of East Los Angeles, CA and former UFC Superstar, Vitor ‘The Phenom’ Belfort of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil met with the Southern California media Today, Tuesday, July 27 at STAPLES Center Star Garden for the Kick-Off Press Conference ahead of their highly anticipated battle set presented by Triller Fight Club on Saturday, September 11 at the venue.

Oscar De La Hoya

“These exhibitions that we’re seeing are becoming a circus, I want no part of that. And that’s why this fight is a real, sanctioned fight and not an exhibition. Everybody who knows me, I’ve never been in a boring fight. I go out there and fight. An exhibition isn’t us, Vitor and I have too much at stake. When I see Belfort I can see in his eyes how proud he is of his legacy and I feel the same way too and I respect that.”

“While I respect you brother, (Belfort), I can tell you one thing, we are going to kick the shit out of each other, that’s one thing for sure.”

“This is not a game, I literally said if we’re going to do this, let’s do this for real. Let’s not do a song and dance or these exhibitions that we’re tired of.”

“I’ve been in top challenges all my life, I’ve basically been fighting since I was five years old. I’ve had every challenge in the book and I’ve fought the very best, from Pacquiao to Mayweather to Hopkins to Julio Cesar Chavez. I wanted a different challenge and that’s what Vitor Belfort presents. A challenge that’s going to take my training and my mentality to a whole new level.”

“Prediction: Knockout!”

Vitor Belfort

“When you step in the ring you want the wars. I’m coming into the sport that Oscar has mastered and I’ve learned in training boxing at a different level. My style is to come as a lion and that’s what I’m going to do, no changes now.”

“There’s a lot of mutual respect between the both of us but once the bell rings it’s war. My heart, not my size, will make the difference in this fight. In my mind I can beat any man and that’s how I feel about Oscar. I know he’s left-handed and has a great jab and I have to prepare for that. This is really the Best vs. the Best!”

“I never look at the odds for my fights. I make my own prediction work for me.”

“Prediction: Knockout!”

DE LA HOYA vs. BELFORT is presented by Triller Fight Club and will be broadcast globally on FITE, iNDemand and through all leading Cable, Satellite and Telco Providers in the U.S. and Canada. The professional boxing match will test the fighting skills and will of these two greats in combat sports history, competing in the light heavyweight division in a scheduled eight-round bout.

De La Hoya vs. Belfort is the second event Triller Fight Club has promoted at STAPLES Center, the first being Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. on November 28, 2020. The fight was boxing’s biggest pay-per-view event of the year garnering over 1.6 million buys. 

FITE, the world’s premier streaming PPV platform for sports and entertainment recently acquired by TrillerNet, will handle worldwide live pay-per-view streaming distribution online for the September 11 event, and via FITE mobile and Smart TV apps, game controllers and all major OTT devices as well as power TrillerFightClub.com.

iNDemand, the leading transactional video-on-demand and PPV programming provider in North America, will serve as the exclusive U.S. and Canadian cable, satellite, and telco PPV provider for the De La Hoya vs. Belfort fight. Fans will be able to order the event on PPV through their existing cable, satellite, and telco PPV providers across the U.S. and Canada.

About TrillerNet:

FITE and Triller Fight Club are owned by TrillerNet, a first-of-its-kind company consolidating technology and content platforms to lead the move to Internet 3.0. TrillerNet pairs the culture of music with sports, fashion, entertainment and influencers through a 360-degree view of content and technology. TrillerNet—which owns the globally popular Triller app used by musicians, celebrities, athletes, and overall culture setters—has more than 300 million users worldwide. The Triller app—unlike other popular short-video apps it is often compared to, encourages its users to post the content created on the app across other social media platforms and websites. The app uses proprietary AI and Machine Learning technology which is uniquely tied to the content rather than the user. By tracking the content, Triller empowers its tastemakers and users to push their content virally to affiliated and non-affiliated sites and networks reaching hundreds of millions of additional users. Data and insights gleaned from the Triller network, its creators, artists and users (from the app and off network) are used to program longer-form content, connect users across the web with the content, and provide unprecedented opportunities for engagement and monetization. TrillerNet has developed highly successful campaigns that begin with the app and continue throughout the entire content and technology ecosystem with some of the biggest brands in the world, including Pepsi, McDonalds, Weedmaps, DraftKings, L’Oreal, and many others. TrillerNet offers brands a unique content and technology solution, including direct deals with the influencers and celebrities. This branded content journey starts with short-form video and can easily expand into valuable long-form content distributed through the Triller Network, such as live-event boxing and music PPVs, fashion shows, and episodic reality content on TrillerTV. Some of the more than 65 original half-hour TrillerTV shows include The D’Amelios Family’s “Ask a DAM Question,” Jennifer Lopez In The Morning, Jake Paul: Staying On Top, 2 Chainz Let’s Do It, DJ Khaled’s Spreading Love, Hype House’s Thomas Petrou’s Coffee Talks, Josh Richards’ Josh Pong, Ur Lov’d: the Noah Beck Show, Fat Joe’s Masterclass, The Perez Hilton Show, and Violet Benson’s Too Tired To Be Crazy, among others. TrillerNet additionally owns Verzuz, the massive live-stream music platform launched by Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, and Triller Fight Club (www.TrillerFightClub.com), which launched last year with the highly successful Tyson-Jones Fight which shattered digital PPV records. Other holdings include leading AI-powered customer engagement platform Amplify.ai, and FITE, the premier live event and PPV, AVOD, SVOD streaming platform.

This marks the third time that FITE, iNDemand and Triller will have partnered to bring value-packed, world-class PPV events to boxing, music, and entertainment fans. iNDemand also served as the cable, satellite, and telco PPV distributor for Triller Fight Club’s November 2020 Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. event (which landed as the 8th best PPV event of all time), as well as the April 17, 2021 Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren event. FITE handled global digital sales for both events and powered the TysononTriller and TrillerFightClub sites.

The PPV retail price for the event is $49.99 (U.S. & Canada) plus processing fee. Fans outside North America can check the FITE link at https://www.fite.tv/watch/oscar-de-la-hoya-vs-vitor-belfort/2p9su/   for international pricing.

**HOW TO WATCH THE SEPTEMBER 11, 2021, TRILLER FIGHT CLUB PPV EVENT**

TV: Cable, satellite & telco PPV providers, including Xfinity, Spectrum, Contour, Fios, and Optimum (U.S.), among others, as well as leading operators.

Worldwide Streaming: FITE.TV and all FITE mobile, Smart TV, game controller and OTT apps as well as the event microsite hub: TrillerFightClub.

In addition to being a co-owner, Snoop also provides strategic counsel to Triller Fight Club, helping to select fighters and musical acts for the show-stopping events. An entertainment expert who has successfully maneuvered through a range of projects in a variety of different fields, Snoop secured his spot as a fan favorite during Triller’s first sporting event, Tyson vs. Jones.

About FITE:

FITE is the premier global platform for live sports and entertainment offering the industry’s marquee PPV events and SVOD packages with over 5MM registered users. FITE is available worldwide through its 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™, Foxxum, Chromecast, PS4, XBOX, ZEASN, Netrange, Vidaa/Hisense, VEWD, Netgem TV, Virgin Media, Comcast’s Xfinity 1 and Xfinity Flex as well as 7,000 models of Smart TVs. Available online at www.FITE.tv. Follow FITE on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

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.

Social Media

Triller Fight Club

Instagram: @Triller, @TrillerFightClub

Twitter: @Triller, @TrillerFight

Facebook: @TrillerFightClub

Website www.Triller.co

Oscar De La Hoya

Instagram: @OscarDeLaHoya

Twitter: @OscarDeLaHoya

Facebook: @OscarDeLaHoya

Vitor Belfort

Instagram: @VitorBelfort

Twitter: @VitorBelfort

Facebook: @VitorThePhenom

Staples Center

Instagram: @staplescenterLA

Twitter: @STAPLESCenter

Facebook: @STAPLESCenter

Website: www.staplescenter.com

Las Vegas – UFC^® returns to T-Mobile Arena with a thrilling pair of world championship bouts. The Ultimate Fighter coaches collide when UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski defends his title against No. 2 ranked contender Brian Ortega. The co-main event will see UFC women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko go for her sixth consecutive title defense when she meets No. 3 ranked contender Lauren Murphy. Also in a highly anticipated rematch, Nick Diaz returns against former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler in a five-round thriller.

UFC^® 266: VOLKANOVSKI vs. ORTEGA will take place Saturday, Sept. 25 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. All bouts will be simulcast on ESPN+ in English and Spanish beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT with the ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass prelims. The prelims will continue exclusively on ESPNews, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT followed by the ESPN+ Pay-Per-View main card that will kick off at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

UFC^® 266: VOLKANOVSKI vs. ORTEGA tickets will go on sale Friday, July 30 at 10 a.m. PT and are available for purchase at axs.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. UFC Fight Club^® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, July 28 at 10 a.m. PT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, July 29 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

Volkanovski (22-1, fighting out of Windang, NSW, Australia) aims to continue his run atop the featherweight division with another dominant performance. The former rugby player turned MMA star holds impressive victories over Max Holloway (twice), Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes. Volkanovski now has his sights set on getting the last laugh against Ortega and securing his second successful title defense.

Submission wizard Ortega (15-1 1NC, fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif.) turned heads in his last outing by putting on a striking clinic against Chan Sung Jung in October. A talented Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, he has also netted spectacular wins over Frankie Edgar, Cub Swanson and Clay Guida. Ortega now aims to settle the score with Volkanovski and achieve his dream of capturing UFC gold.

Shevchenko (21-3, fighting out of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan) has proven herself to be among the most dominant champions in UFC history. A decorated kickboxer, she has delivered memorable victories against Jessica Eye, Holly Holm and Julianna Pena. Shevchenko now looks to continue building her legacy with another show-stealing title defense.

Murphy (15-4, fighting out of Houston, Texas) intends to shock the world by becoming the first fighter to defeat Shevchenko at 125 pounds. During her UFC run, the 11-year MMA veteran has earned notable victories over Joanne Calderwood, Andrea Lee and Mara Romero Borella. Murphy is now gunning to dethrone Shevchenko and become only the third women’s flyweight champion in UFC history.

MMA superstar Diaz (26-9 2NC, fighting out of Stockton, Calif.) returns to the Octagon for the first time in over six years. Throughout his epic career, he has secured sensational wins against former UFC champions BJ Penn, Frank Shamrock and Lawler. Diaz now intends to remind fans he’s still among the best in the world by taking out Lawler a second time.

Lawler (28-15 1NC, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) hopes to even the score with Diaz 17 years following their first encounter. The former UFC welterweight champion has delivered thrilling knockouts against Rory MacDonald, Jake Ellenberger and Josh Koscheck, and he now aims to secure a measure of revenge against Diaz and begin climbing the ladder back to the belt.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• In a pivotal heavyweight contenders’ bout, No. 4 ranked Curtis Blaydes (14-3 1NC, fighting out of Chicago, Ill.) takes on No. 6 Jairzinho Rozenstruik (12-2, fighting out of Paramaribo, Suriname)
• No. 1 ranked Jessica Andrade (21-9, fighting out of Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) faces No. 5 Cynthia Calvillo (9-2-1, fighting out of San Jose, Calif.) in an exciting clash of women’s flyweight contenders
• No. 6 ranked bantamweight contender Marlon Moraes (23-8-1, fighting out of Parkland, Fla. by way of Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) aims for another highlight-reel finish when he squares off with surging No. 10 Merab Dvalishvili (13-4, fighting out of Long Island, N.Y. by way of Tbilisi, Georgia)
• In a pivotal heavyweight contenders’ bout, No. 7 ranked Shamil Abdurakhimov (20-5, fighting out of Dagestan, Russia) faces No. 10 Chris Daukaus (11-3, fighting out of Philadelphia, Penn.)
• Rising bantamweights meet when Ricky Simon (18-3, fighting out of Vancouver, Wash.) faces Timur Valiev (18-2 1NC, fighting out of Toms River, N.J. by way of Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia)
• Manon Fiorot (7-1, fighting out of Nice, France) hopes for another impressive finish when she takes on submission ace Mayra Bueno Silva (7-1-1, fighting out of Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil) at flyweight
• Undefeated Uros Medic (7-0, fighting out of Anchorage, Alaska by way of Novi Sad, Serbia) meets Jalin Turner (10-5, fighting out of Fontana, Calif.) in an intriguing lightweight bout
• In a clash of Dana White’s Contender Series veterans Karl Roberson (9-4, fighting out of Neptune, N.J.) takes on Nick Maximov (6-0, fighting out of Stockton, Calif.) at middleweight

Visit the UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage. Please click here to apply for the event.

###

About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 625 million fans and 155 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to approximately 900M TV households across more than 175 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 70 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About T-Mobile Arena

T-Mobile Arena, the 20,000-seat venue located on the Las Vegas Strip between Park MGM and New York-New York, opened April 6, 2016. The arena hosts more than 100 events annually including major headline entertainment, awards shows, UFC, boxing, basketball and other sporting events, family shows and special events. T-Mobile Arena also is the home of the Vegas Golden Knights, a National Hockey League expansion team and the city’s first professional sports team. The venue, named the No. 1 venue on Billboard Magazine’s 2018 Arena Power List as well as the “Best New Major Concert Venue” by Pollstar Magazine in 2016, features 50 luxury suites, more than two dozen private loge boxes, complete broadcast facilities, and other specially designed exclusive hospitality offerings and fan amenities destined to create a guest experience second to none. Toshiba Plaza, an adjacent two-acre outdoor entertainment space, features performance stages, a variety of video screens and other interactive content and display areas. Industry-leading architect Populous designed T-Mobile Arena to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s standards for LEED® Gold Certification. T-Mobile Arena is a privately funded joint venture between AEG and MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM). For more information, visit T-MobileArena.com or follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 13.8 million subscribers.  

Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $5.99 a month (or $59.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

About ESPN

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

LAS VEGAS (July 27, 2021) — Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions has announced that its schedule event this Thursday in Mexico, slated to be streamed live on UFC FIGHT PASS®, has been canceled due to COVID-19 issues.

“COVID-19 is on the rise, and we needed to protect our fighters, as well as respect the local boxing commission’s restrictions,” RJJ Boxing CEO and co-founder Keith Veltre said. “We fully expect to continue promoting shows again in Mexico after conditions there improve.”

INFORMATION:

Websites: http://www.RoyJonesJrBoxing.com, www.ufcfightpass.com

Facebook: /UFCFightPass, /KeithVeltre

Twitter: @UFCFightPass, @Keith_Veltre, @RoyjonesJRfa @RoyJonesJrOfficial

Instagram: @UFCFightPass, @KeithVeltre, @RoyJonesJrBoxing

ABOUT ROY JONES JR, BOXING PROMOTIONS: Co-founded in 2013 by 10-time world champion Roy Jones, Jr. and Keith Veltre, Roy Jones, Jr. (RJJ) Boxing Promotions is on its way to reinventing boxing. RJJ has already made a huge impact in the boxing community in a few short years. Creating exhilarating content for UFC Fight Pass, CBS Sports, Showtime, ESPN and beIN Sports in some of the finest venues across the country, RJJ has proven it is conquering the sweet science of the sport.

Based in the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas, NV, Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions is climbing to the top at a fast pace, adding young talent to its growing stable: NABF super flyweight champion, IBF #8 and WBC # 14 Jade “Hurricane” Bornea (15-0, 10 KOs); two-time world title challenger, bantamweight “Mighty” Aston Palicte (26-4-1, 22 KOs); NABF welterweight champion, WBC #15 and Santiago “Somer” Dominguez (24-0, 18 KOs); former NABA welterweight champion Kendo “Tremendo” Castaneda (17-3, 8 KOs), former Interim World middleweight title challenger John “The Phenom” Vera (20-1, 12 KO), unbeaten super middleweight prospect Juan “Just Business” Barajas (11-0-1, 7 KOs), and former WBC World Youth heavyweight titlist Alexander “The Great” Flores (18-3-1, 16 KOs).

ABOUT UFC FIGHT PASS®: UFC FIGHT PASS® is the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports. Since launching in 2013, UFC FIGHT PASS is now available in more than 200 countries and territories. UFC FIGHT PASS provides its members with unlimited access to live UFC FIGHT PASS Prelims; live mixed martial arts and combat sports from around the world; original series and historical programming; special features; behind-the-scenes content; in-depth interviews; and up-to-the minute reports on the world of combat sports. UFC FIGHT PASS subscribers also have 24/7 access to the world’s largest fight library, featuring more than 20,000 bouts from dozens of combats sports organizations, as well as every fight in UFC history. Fight fans can access UFC FIGHT PASS on personal computers, iOS and Android mobile devices, Apple TV, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, Samsung Smart TVs, LG Smart TVs, and Sony TVs with Android TV. For more information, please visit www.ufcfightpass.com.

NEWARK, N.J. (July 27, 2021) – Rising unbeaten heavyweight Michael Coffie will face Jonathan Rice in the main event of FOX PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes, this Saturday, July 31 from Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Coffie was originally scheduled to face former title challenger Gerald Washington, who was forced to withdraw after a positive COVID-19 test.

The FOX broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and will also see James Martin battle welterweight prospect and New Jersey-native Vito Mielnicki Jr. in an eight-round rematch in the co-main event and unbeaten prospect Joey Spencer take on Dan Karpency in an eight-round showdown.

At 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT following the FOX broadcast will be FS1 PBC Fight Night topped by veteran contender and Olympic bronze medalist Andre Dirrell competing for the second time at light heavyweight as he faces Philadelphia’s Christopher Brooker in a 10-round fight. The FS1 telecast also features unbeaten featherweight prospect Maliek Montgomery dueling Ángel Contreras in a 10-round attraction and top welterweight prospect Paul Kroll squaring off against Justin DeLoach in a 10-round showdown.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased through Ticketmaster.com.

The non-televised undercard will feature unbeaten Patterson, New Jersey-native Norman Neely (8-0, 7 KOs) in a six-round heavyweight attraction against Texas’ Juan Torres (6-3-1, 3 KOs), Philadelphia-born super lightweight contender Karl Dargan (19-1, 9 KOs) battling Los Angeles-native Ivan Delgado (13-3-2, 6 KOs) in an eight-round attraction, Maryland’s Keeshawn Williams (7-0-1, 2 KOs) taking on Missouri’s Noah Kidd (6-3-2, 5 KOs in a six-round welterweight tilt and Newark’s own Michael Anderson (20-3-1, 14 KOs) in a six-round welterweight bout facing Tennessee’s DeMarcus Rogers (14-3-1, 5 KOs).

Rounding out the night of action is Denville, New Jersey’s Nicky Vitone looking to remain unbeaten in a four-round welterweight fight against Jordan Rosario, unbeaten Philadelphia-born prospect Quadir Albright taking on Jared Tallent in a six-round super welterweight tilt and the pro debut of Avenel, New Jersey’s Malik Nelson in a four-round super featherweight duel versus Alejandro Ramirez.

A Marine Corps veteran who picked up boxing after returning from overseas, Coffie (12-0, 9 KOs) quickly impressed in amateur tournaments enough to earn sparring assignments with Deontay Wilder and Adam Kownacki. The 35-year-old was born in the Bronx, but now trains in Orlando, Florida. Coffie broke through in 2020 by stopping previously unbeaten Luis Pena in the fifth round of their August matchup before earning a TKO over Joey Abell in November. Coffie added a highlight-reel knockout over previously unbeaten Darmani Rock in January of this year.

Born in South Carolina and now fighting out of Los Angeles, Rice (13-6-1, 9 KOs) won six of seven fights from 2018 through 2019. The 34-year-old will look to bounce back from a pair of losses in 2020 against unbeatens Efe Ajagba and Demsey McKean. In a pro career that dates back to 2014, the blemishes on Rice’s records have all come against previously unbeaten fighters as he looks to offer a stiff test to the so far undefeated Coffie.

An accomplished veteran contender in the 168-pound division, Dirrell (34-2-1, 25 KOs) returns to the ring for the second time at light heavyweight after a successful debut in December 2021 in which he knocked out Juan Ubaldo Cabrera in round five. The Flint, Michigan native and brother of two-time champion Anthony, Dirrell won a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics and lost narrow decisions in world title fights against Carl Froch and James DeGale. Dirrell will be opposed by the 30-year-old Philadelphia-native Brooker (16-7, 6 KOs), who has scored a pair of victories so far in 2021. Prior to those two triumphs, Brooker’s previous two outings saw him drop a June 2019 contest to Michael Seals and defeat Lanell Bellows in September 2018.

The 25-year-old Montgomery (10-0, 10 KOs) turned pro in 2017 after an impressive amateur career that included two national Golden Gloves titles and victories over recognizable names such as Edgar Berlanga, Keeshawn Williams and Joseph Adorno, to name a few. The Macon, Georgia born fighter has stopped all 10 of his opponents inside of the distance in his pro career to date. He will face the 27-year-old Contreras (10-4-2, 6 KOs), who most recently fought unbeaten prospect Jalan Walker to a draw in April. The Monterrey, Mexico native’s previous outing had seen him drop a narrow split-decision against super bantamweight contender Ramon Cardenas in February.

A decorated U.S. amateur from the fighter-rich city of Philadelphia, Kroll (8-0, 6 KOs) turned pro in August 2018 with a first-round stoppage of DeAngelo Alcorn. The 26-year-old ended his first four fights inside of two rounds before going the distance and beating then unbeaten Shinard Bunch in August 2019. Most recently, Kroll’s 2020 campaign saw him score a TKO victory over Marcel Rivers in January and a unanimous decision over Luke Santamaria on FS1 in October. He will be opposed by DeLoach (19-5, 10 KOs), who will look to return to the win column after dropping his last contest to unbeaten welterweight Eimantas Stanionis in November. The 27-year-old from Augusta, Georgia put together an impressive run in 2017, defeating three-straight unbeaten fighters in Dillon Cook, Junior Castillo and Domonique Dolton, before knocking out Christopher Pearson in 2017.

#

Viewers can live stream the PBC shows on the FOX Sports and FOX NOW apps or at FOXSports.com. In addition, all programs are available on FOX Sports on SiriusXM channel 83 on satellite radios and on the SiriusXM app.

For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes, @TGBPromotions and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxsports & www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.

Tickets for Anthony Joshua’s huge Heavyweight World Title showdown with Oleksandr Uysk at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday September 25 will go on sale next week. 

Matchroom Fight Pass members will be able to purchase tickets via StubHub  (www.stubhub.co.uk) from midday on Monday August 2.

General Sale tickets can be purchased via StubHub (www.stubhub.co.uk) from midday on Tuesday August 3.

Tickets are priced £40, £60, £80, £100, £150, £200, £400, £600 and £2000 (VIP).

Access ticketing can be purchased via Tottenham Hotspur by calling +44 344 844 0102, pressing option 1 then 5, from midday on Tuesday 3 August. Once you have completed your purchase, we shall contact you within 48 hours to confirm how you can provide proof of eligibility for your accessible ticket(s). Proof of eligibility will then need to be provided to us by Friday 27 August, or your ticket(s) may be cancelled.

Premium options for this event will also be sold via Tottenham Hotspur. Pricing for our unrivalled packages will start from £225 per person (incl. VAT). To ensure you are kept updated with availability and information on how to purchase, please ensure you have registered your details here: https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/tickets/premium-experiences/joshua-vs-usyk/. Further information will then be communicated later this week. 

Joshua (24-1, 22 KOs) dominated and then floored IBF Mandatory Challenger Kubrat Pulev to score a brutal ninth-round knockout at The SSE Arena, Wembley last time out in December in what was his first fight on UK soil since he stopped Alexander Povetkin in seven explosive rounds at Wembley Stadium back in September 2018. 

The Heavyweight division’s biggest attraction has sold-out stadiums and arenas around the world and now ‘AJ’ returns to the Capital for his fifth stadium fight looking to create more history as he faces his latest WBO Mandatory Challenger at the new state of the art home of Spurs, following in the footsteps of Frank Bruno MBE who defeated Joe Bugner in Matchroom Boxing’s first Heavyweight promotion at the old White Hart Lane in October 1987.

Ukrainian pound-for-pound star Usyk (18-0, 13 KOs) made the move to the Heavyweight division after dominating at Cruiserweight, ending his extraordinary spell at 200lbs as the Undisputed king with a phenomenal run of victories in his opponent’s backyard against Marco Huck, Mairis Briedis, Murat Gassiev and Tony Bellew. 

The 2012 Olympic Gold medallist began his assault on the Heavyweight division by retiring Chazz Witherspoon in seven rounds at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago in October 2019 and continued his bid to become a two-weight World Champion when he outpointed Derek Chisora over 12 rounds at The SSE Arena, Wembley last October. 

Avni Yildirim has brushed off his defeat at the hands of pound-for-pound king Canelo Alvarez and is ready to launch his quest at a new weight when he takes on Jack Cullen on the first week of Matchroom Fight Camp in Brentwood, Essex on Saturday July 31, live worldwide on DAZN.

Yildirim (21-3 12 KOs) took on Canelo in Miami in February, challenging the Mexican star for the WBC and WBA World Super-Middleweight Titles at the home of the Miami Dolphins, but the Turk was unable to dethrone the champion and was pulled out after the third round by then-trainer Joel Diaz.

The 29-year-old previously challenged Anthony Dirrell for the vacant WBC strap in February 2019, losing via a controversial split decision in Minneapolis, and now Yildirim has chosen to drop down to 164lbs in a catchweight clash with Cullen and to also team up with a new coach in Pedro Diaz.

“The Canelo fight is old news,” said Yildirim. “I am looking to open a new page on my career down at Middleweight. I have a new trainer in Pedro Diaz, it’s a new start and I have a new lease of life, everything feels good.”

Diaz is one of the world’s finest trainers, having worked with the vaunted Cuban teams in four Olympics and guiding the Dominican Republic in another, before switching to the pro game and working in the corners of modern greats like Miguel Cotto and Guillermo Rigondeaux, and Yildirim will be looking to absorb his years of experience in this new chapter.

Yildirim’s first assignment under Diaz sees him take on ‘Little Lever’s Meat Cleaver’ over ten rounds at the second instalment of Matchroom’s Fight Camp in Brentwood, Essex. Cullen fights for the second time in the unique setting having drawn with Zak Chelli last summer and added a fine win over John Docherty to his CV in November. 

A clash with Yildirim came out of leftfield for both men and has been well received by pundits, but Yildirim is not focusing on his British foe, but looking to make a statement in the Middleweight division and warn the belt-holders that he is gunning for their hardware.

“I’m in a new gym, new atmosphere,” said Yildirim. “Pedro is one of the best trainers in the world and a great guy, and I think that he can make me a World Champion at 160lbs, and I’m telling the champions – I am coming for you.

“I know what I want to be, a great champion at Middleweight, and Pedro believes in me and says that I can do it. My motivation is so high, and my body and my mind are both in a great place.”

Yildirim vs. Cullen is part of a huge night of action as Fight Camp returns with a bang, rising Welterweight star Conor Benn (18-0, 12 KOs) puts his WBA Continental Title on the line against Adrian Grandos (21-8-3, 15 KOs), WBA Featherweight World Champion Xu Can (18-2, 3 KOs) defends his Title against Nottingham’s Leigh Wood (24-2, 14 KOs), Tommy McCarthy (18-2, 9 KOs) and Chris Billam-Smith (12-1, 10 KOs) collide in a massive showdown for the European, British and Commonwealth Cruiserweight Titles, Liverpool Super-Welterweight Anthony Fowler (14-1, 11 KOs) promises to build on his huge third-round knockout win over Jorge Fortea when he takes on Rico Mueller (28-3-1, 19 KOs), Manchester Lightweight Campbell Hatton (2-0) continues his young journey in the pro ranks against Jakub Laskowski (4-4-1, 2 KOs) and former amateur star Sandy Ryan makes her highly-anticipated professional debut at Super-Lightweight against Kirstie Bavington (3-1-2, 2 KOs).

LONDON, UK – Today, BELLATOR MMA announced it will be returning to The SSE Arena, Wembley in London on Friday, October 1, with BELLATOR London, a card headlined by a must-see rematch between No. 1 ranked Douglas “The Phenom” Lima (32-9) and No. 2 ranked Michael “Venom” Page (19-1).

Fans in attendance at The SSE Arena, Wembley and those tuning in from around the world can expect an explosive night of elite MMA action in the capital, with two of the world’s best welterweights going toe-to-toe in a high-stakes match-up. Lima and Page will be putting everything on the line in pursuit of a win, with the fighter who emerges victorious booking themselves a fast-track ticket to a title shot against newly crowned welterweight champion, Yaroslav Amosov.

For the first time since February 2020, BELLATOR MMA fans in Europe will be able to fill the arena for the event that features a showcase of top international and homegrown athletes.

Tickets for BELLATOR London: Lima vs. MVP 2 go on sale on Friday, July 30, with a special pre-sale Thursday, July 29 and can be purchased online from axs.com/uk and BELLATOR.com.

The BELLATOR London main card action will kick off at 9 p.m. BST/4 p.m. ET, while the preliminary card begins at 5:30 p.m. BST/12:30 p.m. ET. BELLATOR fans can watch the event live on SHOWTIME (US), BBC iPlayer (UK), as well as both Virgin Media Two and Virgin Media Sport (Ireland).

Lima and Page first met inside the BELLATOR Cage in May 2019 at BELLATOR 221 in the semifinals of BELLATOR’s Welterweight World Grand Prix. After an even first round, Lima sent Page to the canvas with a sweeping leg kick, which he then followed up with a spectacular punch and ground and pound strikes to finish the fight.

Lima will be looking to cause an upset for the hometown faithful and stop Page for a second time, denying the Londoner his chance for gold, and earning himself an immediate shot at recapturing the welterweight title which he lost to Yaroslav Amosov via unanimous decision in June of this year.

“MVP has put together an impressive string of wins together, but when he gets back in the cage with me, the end result is going to be the same as the first time,” said Lima. “Right now, I’m on a mission to put the BELLATOR belt back around my waist.  Anyone standing in my way will be dismantled.”

Widely regarded as the poster boy of MMA in the UK, Londoner Michael “Venom” Page, or ‘MVP’ as he is known to his fans, will step into the BELLATOR cage fresh off the back of his spectacular first round TKO victory over Derek “The Barbaric” Anderson this past May. Currently riding a five-fight win streak full of highlight real knockouts, the only defeat on Page’s MMA record to date came at the hands of Lima, a loss that he is hungry to avenge.

“The comeback is always bigger than the setback. It was always gonna happen, it’s written in the stars,” said Page. “The one and only MVP is back, and I will have my redemption in front of my hometown the only way I know how – in venomous style.”

The current fight card is available below with additional bouts to be announced in the coming weeks.

BELLATOR London: Lima vs. MVP 2 MainCard:

SHOWTIME (US) / BBC iPlayer (UK) / Virgin Media Two & Virgin Media Sport (IRELAND)

Friday, October 1 – 9 p.m. BST/4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT

Welterweight Main Event: #1-Douglas Lima (32-9) vs. #2-Michael Page (19-1)

Featherweight Bout: Robert Whiteford (16-4))vs. Andrew Fisher (18-8-1

Lightweight Bout: Yves Landu (16-8) vs. Tim Wilde (13-4)

Light Heavyweight Bout: Luke Trainer (4-0) vs. Yannick Bahati (9-5)

Preliminary Card: 

BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel | SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel | Pluto TV (US)

BBC iPlayer (UK) | Virgin Media Two & Virgin Media Sport (IRELAND)

5:30 p.m. BST/12:30 p.m. ET/9:30 a.m. PT

Welterweight Bout: Lewis Long (18-6) vs. Uros Jurisic (11-1)

Lightweight Bout: Kane Mousah (13-3) vs. Davy Gallon (18-7-2)

Flyweight Bout: Lucie Bertaud (3-2) vs. Elina Kallionidou (7-4)

Lightweight Bout: Charlie Leary (17-11-1) vs. Gavin Hughes (10-2)

Featherweight Bout: Fabacary Diatta (7-0)vs. Nathan Rose (7-3)

Bantamweight Bout: Khurshed Kakhorov (7-0) vs. Mike Ekundayo (8-1)

*Card subject to change

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.

****

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 ViacomCBS, 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 ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME^®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL^™ and FLIX^®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND^®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL^™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND^®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME^®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME^®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS, and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Amazon, Apple^®, Google, LG Smart TVs, Oculus Go, Roku^®, Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox One and PlayStation^®4. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Amazon’s Prime Video Channels, Apple TV Channels, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, Hulu, The Roku Channel, Sling TV and YouTube TV. Viewers can also watch on computers at Showtime.com. 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. 

El Cajon, CA (July 26, 2021) International Boxing Hall of Famer Lou DiBella is proud to announce the return of the acclaimed Broadway Boxing series to the West Coast, set for Friday, August 20, held at the beautiful Sycuan Casino Resort, in El Cajon, CA. Two women’s world title unifications highlight the card. The event will be streamed live and exclusively on UFC FIGHT PASS®, the world’s leading streaming service for combat sports, starting at 8:00pm PT / 11:00pm ET.

“This is another highly significant card dominated by some of the best talent in women’s boxing. On August 20, from Sycuan Casino Resort, two super lightweight world title unifications will be streamed live on UFC Fight Pass®, with champions Kali Reis and Mary McGee in separate bouts. There are already discussions of the winners of these bouts entering into a tournament to crown an undisputed champion,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Alma Ibarra and Kandi Wyatt vie in the ‘Thrilla For CasKilla’, a welterweight world title eliminator to become Jessica McCaskill’s mandatory challenger. Mexican heavyweight prospect Elvis Garcia will also compete in an exciting men’s bout on the broadcast.”

Tickets, which start at $69.00, are on sale now through Sycuan Casino Resort HERE. The Sycuan Casino Resort is located at 5469 Casino Way, El Cajon, CA 92019, thirty minutes from Downtown San Diego. Doors will open on the night of the event at 7:00pm PT, with the first bell at 8:00pm PT.

Headlining the broadcast, Kali Reis (17-7-1, 5 KOs), of Philadelphia, PA, makes the first defense of her WBA super lightweight world title against Los Angeles-based Australian veteran and former world champion Diana Prazak (14-3, 9 KOs) in a scheduled 10-round bout. The division’s vacant IBO title will also be on the line. Reis’ ring nickname, “KO Mequinonoag”, which means “many feathers, many talents”, represents her Native American heritage, of which she is part Cherokee, Nipmuc, and Seaconke Wampanoag. In 2016, Reis became the first female Native American to win a world boxing title when she captured the WBC middleweight championship.

Reis has recently garnered a wealth of positive headlines from the entertainment industry for her starring role in the cinematic release, “Catch the Fair One”, which tells the story of kidnapped Indigenous women. The film opened at the acclaimed Tribeca Film Festival in June, receiving the Festival’s 2021 Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature, and Reis, in her acting debut, won the Special Jury Award for her performance. Click Here For Movie Trailer

Inside the ring, Reis, a two-division world champion, won the vacant WBA super lightweight world title with a dominant 10-round unanimous decision against Kandi Wyatt, on November 6, 2020, in St. Petersburg, FL. Prazak is a former 130-pound WBC world champion, who made her triumphant ring return, following a six-year layoff, with a shutout unanimous decision versus Milagros Gabriela Diaz, on March 13, 2021.

In the co-feature, IBF super lightweight world champion “Merciless” Mary McGee (27-3, 15 KOs), of Gary, IN, makes the second defense of her world title against former world champion and mandatory challenger Victoria Bustos (21-6), of Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina. The fight will also be contested for the vacant WBO super lightweight world title as well. In the first defense of her IBF crown, McGee knocked out Deanha Hobbs in the ninth round, on February 8, 2020, in Hammond, IN. Determined to reclaim world championship glory once again, Bustos last fought Maria Soledad Capriolo, on June 12, 2021, earning a decision victory.

Fighting in an eight-round special attraction WBA welterweight world title eliminator, dubbed the “Thrilla for CasKilla”, Alma “The Conqueror” Ibarra (8-1, 4 KOs), of Monterrey, Mexico, faces Kandi “Krush” Wyatt (10-2, 3 KOs), of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The winner will become the mandatory challenger for undisputed world champion Jessica McCaskill. Ibarra returns to the ring following a tremendous upset victory against Maricela Cornejo, on March 18, 2021, in a feature bout broadcast on NBC Sports Network, presented by Ring City USA. In Wyatt’s last bout, she lost a thrilling world title challenge on points to Reis late last year.

Top Mexican heavyweight prospect Elvis Garcia (11-0, 8 KOs), of Tacoma, WA, by way of Puerta de Mangos, Nayarit, Mexico, will compete in an eight-round special attraction bout against fellow Mexican Rafael Rios (11-3, 8 KOs), born in Tijuana, now fighting out of San Diego, CA. The charismatic Garcia, known for his heavy hands, hits the ring following an eighth-round stoppage of Daniel Cota Peinado, on June 26, 2021. Referred to as Anthony Joshua’s “secret weapon”, Garcia served as Joshua’s main sparring partner in preparation for his world heavyweight championship rematch against Andy Ruiz in December 2019.

More information on this event will be announced shortly.

Social Media
DiBella Entertainment
Instagram: @DiBellaEnt
Twitter: @LouDiBella, @DiBellaEnt
Facebook: @DiBellaEntertainment

UFC Fight Pass
Instagram: @UFCFightPass
Twitter: @UFCFightPass
Facebook: @UFCFightPass

July 28, 2021, Fort Smith, Arkansas—American Heavyweight Contender JD “The Natural” Chapman (30-0, 26 KO’s) continues his surprise comeback on July 31, 2021 when he takes on veteran gatekeeper Terrell Jamal Woods (24-49-9) at home, in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Woods recently had a draw with Russian heavyweight contender Alexander Ustinov (36-4) and is renown for testing top fighters, having taken to the distance former world champion Dominick Quinn, and top prospects such as Michael Hunter (21-1) any Nicholas Musterek (9-0).

JD “The Natural” Chapman (30-0), returned to Boxing on June 5, 2021, after a thirteen year layoff. At the time of his retirement, Chapman was ranked by just about every rating organizing and was considered one of America’s best chance at reclaiming the Heavyweight title. With his return, Chapman immediately became one of the most talked about heavyweight contenders.

Asked whether it is not too soon to fight such a dangerous opponent as Terrell Jamal Woods so early in his comeback, Chapman said with his usual humility, “Jamal Woods is tough and will be a good test for me as I’m rusty and nowhere close to where I used to be. However, if I can’t go through guys like Jamal, I might as well hang up my gloves and retire for good this time.”

Says his promoter Edward Mendy, “JD Chapman is the ‘Next Great American Hope.’ No offense to Deontay Wilder and Andy Ruiz, but no American heavyweight today has a better shot at the world title than Chapman Period. JD has the size, the power, the skills and the experience to take on any of the top five heavyweights today. I’m so pleased with his progress, I would gladly to put him up against any other top ten heavyweight today. But first, he has to pass the Wood test.”

Chapman’s next fight, July 31, 2021 fight Terrell Jamal Woods, will take place at the River Valley Combat Academy in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

About JD Chapman
Born John David Chapman in March of 1983, JD Chapman did not fight as an amateur. Instead, he started fighting in Toughman Contest competitions before he turned pro in 2002. Chapman chose the name “The Natural” as he hails from Arkansas, “The Natural State”.

After fighting mostly guys with losing records his first fourteen fights, JD Chapman stepped it up and never fought another opponent with a losing record. In the process he has accumulated 30 wins with 26 of the wins by way of knockout (knockout ratio greater than 90%). Also, Chapman has beaten several known contenders and gatekeepers. His most notable opponents were Chicago-based Edward Gutierrez who was 15-0-1 coming into the bout, New York veteran John Carlo who then possessed a 14-1 record, and fellow undefeated Mid-West prospect Matt Hicks then 7-0.

Chapman further captured several regional heavyweight titles including the IBF Southern Regional title, the North American Boxing Council title, the WBC Latino title and the Arkansas State title. Just when it seemed that Chapman was at the cusp of stardom, he hung it all up and rode into the sunset.
At the time of his retirement in 2008, Chapman was considered a major heavyweight contender and was the darling of the boxing press. He received tremendous coverage and exposure in the boxing press and was featured repeatedly on television. More importantly, Chapman was rated Top Ten by every major sanctioning body except the WBC, which gave him a World Rating of 14.

He is being trained by former MMA Champion Brian Foster. Chapman’s return is being guided by Edward Mendy of Lion Heart Boxing Productions.

MAIN EVENT – VACANT NBA CONTINENTAL

JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (8)

RayJay “The Destroyer” Bermudez (12-0, 9 KOs), Albany, NY

vs.

Bergman “The Snake” Aguillar (15-8-1, 5 KOs), San Jose, Costa Rica by way of Nicaragua

CO-FEATURE – WELTERWEIGHTS (6)

James “The Slim Reaper” Perella (7-0, 5 KOs), Mansfield, MA

vs.

Rakim Johnson (6-12-1, 5 KOs), Indianapolis, IN

SPECIAL MIDDLEWEIGHT ATTRACTION (6)

Francis “Frank The Tank” Hogan (6-0, 6 KOs), Weymouth, MA

vs.

Isiah Hart (6-1-1, 4 KOs), Mays Landy, NJ by way of Peru

FEATHERWEIGHTS (4)

Troy Anderson, Jr. (1-0, 1 KO), Dorchester, MA

vs.

Lucinei Santos (Pro Debut), Framingham, MA

WELTERWEIGHTS (4)

Eric “Gladiator” Goff (2-0, 2 KOs), Weymouth, MA

vs.

Austin Reed Ward (0-6), Garden City, KS

LIGHTWEIGHTS (4)

Jonathan de Pina (4-1, 3 KOs), Boston, MA

vs.

Mike Fowler (7-37), Milwaukee, WI

WELTERWEIGHTS (4)

James Murrin ((Pro Debut), Boston, MA

vs.

Maycow Oller (Pro Debut), Concord, NH by way of Brazil

JUNIOR LIGHTWEIGHTS (4)

Alex Rivera (Pro Debut), Worcester, MA

vs.

Richard “Hit To Hard” Bernard (1-3-1), Waianae, HI

CRUISWERWEIGHTS (4)

Bernard Joseph (1-0, 1 KO), Dorchester, MA

vs.

Francisco Neto (1-13-1, 1 KO), Woburn, MA by way of Brazil

(card subject to change)

WHERE: Moseley’s On The Charles, Dedham, MA

WHEN: Saturday, July 31, 2021

PROMOTER: Vertex Promotions

MATCHMAKER: Brian Dillon

RING ANNOUNCER: John Vena

AMATEUR CARD: Two championship final matches of the New England Silver Gloves Tournament will highlight an amateur card preceding the evening’s pro card, during the July 31st afternoon segment, between 2-5 p.m. ET ($20.00 admission fee at door).

TICKETS: Limited tickets for the evening’s pro card will be available at the door for $95.00 (row 1), $85.00 (2nd row), $65.00 (3rd row), $55.00 (general admission) and $45.00 (standing room).

Doors will open at 7 pm. ET with the first bout scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. ET.

OFFICIAL WEIGH IN: Friday, July 30th (1:30 p.m. ET start) at Dan O’Brien Motorsports, 141 Providence Highway, Norwood, MA

Leigh Wood believes that Xu Can’s promoter Golden Boy have made a mistake by choosing him as their WBA Featherweight World Champion’s latest defence on the first week of Matchroom Fight Camp in Brentwood, Essex on Saturday July 31, live worldwide on DAZN.

Wood (24-2, 14 KOs), who is trained by Ben Davison alongside Undisputed Super-Lightweight World Champion Josh Taylor, landed the vacant British Featherweight Title last time out at The SSE Arena, Wembley in February by stopping previously unbeaten Doncaster fighter Reece Mould with a brutal knockout in the ninth round.

Can (18-2, 3 KOs), who is recognised by The Ring Magazine as the No.3 Featherweight in the world, won China’s first ever WBA World Title when he defeated Puerto Rico’s defending Champion Jesus Rojas with a unanimous decision at the Toyota Center, Houston, in January 2019. 

‘Monster’ hasn’t boxed since he defended his World Title against Manny Robles III at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California, way back in January 2019. Nottingham’s Wood believes that he possesses the power to ask Can serious questions as he aims to emulate Carl Froch by becoming the city’s second World Champion. 

“When opportunity knocks you’ve got to be ready,” said Wood. “I’m always in the gym all year round keeping fit, staying on it and living the life. This opportunity has come up and I’ve grabbed it with both hands. 

“I’m coming to win. I’m not just coming to fight for a World Title. I don’t want to be remembered as the kid that boxed for a World Title. I want to win the World Title. People can congratulate me on this fight after I win.

“I’ve proved that I’m way above domestic level and that my power is too much for these kids. It is a big jump from domestic level to World Title level but I’m confident in my ability and I’m confident in my power. 

“Xu Can’s best attribute is his punch volume. He throws a lot of punches. He doesn’t take a good shot. When he gets clipped his head is all over the shop. He’s not boxed anyone that can dig like I can – in my opinion. I’m going to be giving him questions that he’s not answered before. I’m bringing a lot more than what he’s seen before. 

“At the same time, he’s going to be doing the same to me. He’s going to be throwing a lot of shots at my head. I’m going to have to be smart and super fit. I’m excited about it and I’m going to rise to the challenge. I’m extremely confident. 

“Ben (Davison) doesn’t get it wrong. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him get it wrong. You have to take away a fighter’s best attributes. Can’s best attribute is his volume. I think he’s got the record for the most punches thrown in 12 rounds. We have to take that away from him. 

“I’m going to go out there and stick to the game plan, and I believe I’ll get the job done. I’m surprised that him and his team Golden Boy have specifically asked for me. Be careful what you wish for. They’ve made a mistake picking me.”

Can vs. Wood features on a huge night of action as Fight Camp returns with a bang, rising Welterweight star Conor Benn (18-0, 12 KOs) puts his WBA Continental Title on the line against Adrian Grandos (21-8-3, 15 KOs), Tommy McCarthy (18-2, 9 KOs) and Chris Billam-Smith (12-1, 10 KOs) collide in a massive showdown for the European, British and Commonwealth Cruiserweight Titles, former World Title challenger Avni Yildirim (21-3, 12 KOs) aims to bounce back from his loss to pound-for-pound king Canelo Alvarez when he takes on ‘Little Lever’s Meat Cleaver’ Jack Cullen (19-2-1, 9 KOs), Liverpool Super-Welterweight Anthony Fowler (14-1, 11 KOs) promises to build on his huge third-round knockout win over Jorge Fortea, Manchester Lightweight Campbell Hatton (2-0) continues his young journey in the pro ranks against Jakub Laskowski (4-4-1, 2 KOs) and former amateur star Sandy Ryan makes her highly-anticipated professional debut at Super-Lightweight against Kirstie Bavington (3-1-2, 2 KOs).

NEW YORK (July 26, 2021) – Split-T Management has signed heavyweight Devon Young to a managerial contract.

The 22 year-old Young is from Aiken, South Carolina, and compiled an impressive 42-12 mark as an amateur.

“I think this is great. Dave McWater is one of the top managers in boxing, This will put me in a great position to get to my dreams, and that is to become world champion,” said Young. “Split-T has many talented fighters, and I am grateful to join them. I expect to make my pro debut on September 4th in Columbia, South Carolina. I am a boxer-puncher that is more aggressive and I like to come forward. I am very athletic, I can’t wait to show the world my talents”

As an amateur fighter, Young made it to the 2020 Olympic Trials, and was a Western qualifier champion in 2017 & 2018, and the 2015 Youth Open Champion. He also was a 2014 Junior Olympic champion.

Young has the distinction as being the last fighter to defeated current United States Olympic Super Heavyweight Richard Torrez

Young’s athletic prowess extends beyond the ring as he was a star football player on both sides of the ball who earned a scholarship to Georgia Military College as a Running Back and Defensive End.

Devon is trained by his uncle Terry Cade, who himself was a former professional boxer.

Adrian Granados says he will “humble” Conor Benn when they collide for the WBA Continental Welterweight Title at the top of Fight Camp Week 1 in Brentwood, Essex on Saturday July 31, live worldwide on DAZN.

‘Tigre’, a 33-fight veteran who is no stranger to boxing’s biggest platforms, has gone the distance with former two-time Welterweight World Champion Shawn Porter and former multi-division World Champion Adrien Broner in losing efforts – and the 31-year-old believes he is on another level to the opponents Benn has faced.

Benn produced dominant performances in his last two outings against Sebastian Formella and Samuel Vargas – leading to many in the sport labelling him as one of the new stars of the thriving 147lbs division – and Granados says that he will need to stop the 24-year-old Essex native if he is to come away with a victory. 

“I want to beat Conor Benn and get closer towards a World Title shot of my own,” said Granados. “I’m not worried about whatever Conor Benn is saying. He’s saying he’s going to stop me. He’s saying he’s going to do this and do that. You know what? I don’t talk, I just show up, and that’s what I’m going to do. 

“Confidence is good. That’s what we all have. I’m a confident fighter. I’m confident in my abilities. I just don’t talk the way he does. Some of the things he said about me, it’s like, ‘alright boy you’re going to find out now’. Don’t be talking all that mess because you’re going to get humbled real quick. 

“I’m not anybody else you ever fought. He’s making it seem like he’s going to dismantle me, he’s going to destroy me. It’s like bro, you ain’t nobody. I didn’t even know who he was until recently. I’ve got respect for the Benn name. I respect him because he’s a Benn. It’s from his dad and what his dad has done. 

“I’m going to have to stop him because I’m fighting England’s new golden boy in England. I’ve got to stop him. I know everyone was impressed with his fight with Samuel Vargas but he just kind of jumped on Sammy and Sammy wasn’t expecting all that. It was a great win for him, but I’m not Samuel Vargas. 

“I kind of see myself as a loveable loser because I just can’t get a decision. I can’t get a win at the big stage. I give hell to whoever I fight. Have they looked at my losses and think I’m the right fight to take? My career could look so much different if the right decisions were made in my fights. I know that I’m going to show the heart that I’ve got and the balls that I’ve got.

“I’ve asked questions of much better fighters than Conor Benn and I’m not coming to the U.K. to make up the numbers. This is a big opportunity for me against a fighter I know they’re hyping to be the next big thing. They’ve made a mistake in picking me. This is a big moment for me and I’m taking it.” Benn vs. Granados tops a huge night of action as Fight Camp returns with a bang, WBA Featherweight World Champion Xu Can (18-2, 3 KOs) puts his Title on the line against Nottingham’s Leigh Wood (24-2, 14 KOs), Tommy McCarthy (18-2, 9 KOs) and Chris Billam-Smith (12-1, 10 KOs) collide in a massive showdown for the European, British and Commonwealth Cruiserweight Titles, former World Title challenger Avni Yildirim (21-3, 12 KOs) aims to bounce back from his loss to pound-for-pound king Canelo Alvarez when he takes on ‘Little Lever’s Meat Cleaver’ Jack Cullen (19-2-1, 9 KOs), Liverpool Super-Welterweight Anthony Fowler (14-1, 11 KOs) promises to build on his huge third-round knockout win over Jorge Fortea, Manchester Lightweight Campbell Hatton (2-0) continues his young journey in the pro ranks against Jakub Laskowski (4-4-1, 2 KOs) and former amateur star Sandy Ryan makes her highly-anticipated professional debut at Super-Lightweight against Kirstie Bavington (3-1-2, 2 KOs).

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA (July 26, 2021) — While the stock market continues to soar, the value on betting that eight-division champion and boxer laureate Senator Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao will upset undefeated unified WBC/IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. is plummeting.  Three weeks into his U.S. training camp with world-famous Freddie Roach at the Hollywood, California-based Wild Card Boxing Club, insider information seems to have leaked out on Manny’s conditioning and training camp performance.  The numbers don’t lie.  Spence, 11 years younger and four inches taller than Manny, opened as a massive 4:1 favorite with BetMGM to retain his belts. Since last week, the money has been pouring in on amazin’ Manny, who is now only a 2:1 underdog.

And why not?  Before the pandemic put mega fights on the shelf, Manny lit up the welterweight division in his last three fights, which took place during a 12-month period, from July 15, 2018 to July 20, 2019.  He ran the table, knocking out WBA regular welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse, successfully defending that title with a unanimous decision blitzing of Adrien Broner, and scoring a first-round knockdown en route to an exciting split decision victory over then undefeated WBA welterweight “super” champion Keith Thurman to become, at age 40, the oldest man to win a welterweight title.  Now, tan, rested, and ready to rumble, Manny is looking to break that age record, along with Spence’s grip on those world championship belts.

“Two years out of the ring allowed my body to rest.  My energy stores are overflowing,” said Manny.  “I am so grateful to God that I can still fight at this level against the best and to still have these opportunities at age 42.  I am still amazed that I have won world titles in each decade, going back to the nineties.  My fight with Errol Spence is not just a battle between the two best welterweights but between two of the best fighters.  There is no “B side” in this fight.  I have just as much to prove in this fight as Errol does.  We are going to bring out the best in each other.  It is the type of fight that makes boxing so great.”

“Working with Manny never gets old.  In fact, it seems like Manny never gets old!  And hearing that all the money is coming in on Manny reminds me of the song, The Best Is Yet To Come, because that has been the common thread throughout Manny’s boxing career,” said Freddie.  “I am just so damn proud of Manny for picking Errol Spence for this fight.  It’s a real fight and what a great example to set.  You want respect?  You want to establish a legacy?  Look at what Manny and Spence will be doing on August 21.  It’s the type of fight that returns boxing to the front page.”   

Manny, (62-7-2, 39 KOs), who hails from Sarangani Province in the Philippines, is the one-time Boxing Writers Association of America Fighter of the Decade and three-time Fighter of the Year.  He faces his biggest professional boxing challenge when he goes mano a mano with Spence (27-0, 21 KOs), from DeSoto, Texas.  The Pacquiao-Spence world championship event, which headlines a FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View, Saturday, August 21 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, is promoted by TGB Promotions, MP Promotions and Man Down Promotions.  The pay-per-view will begin at 9 p.m. RT / 6 p.m. PT.  Remaining tickets can be purchased through t-mobilearena.com and axs.com.

         #         #          #

For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes and @TGBPromotions become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxsports & www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.

MAIN EVENT – FEATHERWEIGHTS — (10)*

Eduardo “Sugar” Nunez (21-1, 21 KOs), Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Brazil

vs.

Jonathan “El Fenix” Aguilar (20-10, 15 KOs), Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico

CO-FEATIURE – SUPER FEATHERWEIGHTS (8)*

Jose “Checke Choryboy” Valenzuela (10-3, 4 KOs), Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Brazil

vs.

Jose Luis “Cuare” Vazquez (12-2, 5 KOs), Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico

LIGHTWEIGHTS (6)*

Jorge “Jorgito” Lugo Cota (4-0, 3 KOs), Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Brazil

vs.

Rodrigo Felix (4-4, 2 KOs), Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico

SUPER BANTAMWEIGHTS (6)*

Nazario Castro (6-2, 3 KOs), Guamuchil, Sonora, Mexico

vs.

Issac “Yaqui” Buttimea (9-7, 4 KOs), Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico

FEMALE JUNIOR FLYWEIGHTS (4)

Yadira Bustillo (3-0, 1 KO), Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

vs.

Dana Fraire (0-1-1), Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico

FEATHERWEIGHTS (4)

Ezquiel Borrero (3-0, 1 KO), Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

vs.

Miguel Angel Nides (0-0-1), Cuidad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico

(card subject to change)

*denotes streaming live on UFC FIGHT PASS

WHERE: Polideportivo Centenario in Los Mochia, Sonora, Mexico

WHEN: Thursday, July 29, 2021

CO-PROMOTERS: RJJ Boxing Promotions and De La O Promotions

LIVE STREAM: Streaming live on UFC FIGHT PASS®, the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports, boxing starts at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT

To sign up for UFC FIGHT PASS, please visit www.ufcfightpass.com

BROADCASTERS: Sean Wheelock (blow-by-blow) and James “Smitty” Smith (color commentator)

RING ANNOUNCER: Lupe Contreras

INFORMATION:

Websites: http://www.RoyJonesJrBoxing.com, www.ufcfightpass.com

Facebook: /UFCFightPass, /KeithVeltre

Twitter: @UFCFightPass, @Keith_Veltre, @RoyjonesJRfa @RoyJonesJrOfficial

Instagram: @UFCFightPass, @KeithVeltre, @RoyJonesJrBoxing

ABOUT ROY JONES JR, BOXING PROMOTIONS: Co-founded in 2013 by 10-time world champion Roy Jones, Jr. and Keith Veltre, Roy Jones, Jr. (RJJ) Boxing Promotions is on its way to reinventing boxing. RJJ has already made a huge impact in the boxing community in a few short years. Creating exhilarating content for UFC Fight Pass, CBS Sports, Showtime, ESPN and beIN Sports in some of the finest venues across the country, RJJ has proven it is conquering the sweet science of the sport.

Based in the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas, NV, Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions is climbing to the top at a fast pace, adding young talent to its growing stable: NABF super flyweight champion, IBF #8 and WBC # 14 Jade “Hurricane” Bornea (15-0, 10 KOs); two-time world title challenger, bantamweight “Mighty” Aston Palicte (26-4-1, 22 KOs); NABF welterweight champion, WBC #15 and Santiago “Somer” Dominguez (24-0, 18 KOs); former NABA welterweight champion Kendo “Tremendo” Castaneda (17-3, 8 KOs), former Interim World middleweight title challenger John “The Phenom” Vera (20-1, 12 KO), unbeaten super middleweight prospect Juan “Just Business” Barajas (11-0-1, 7 KOs), and former WBC World Youth heavyweight titlist Alexander “The Great” Flores (18-3-1, 16 KOs).

ABOUT UFC FIGHT PASS®: UFC FIGHT PASS® is the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports. Since launching in 2013, UFC FIGHT PASS is now available in more than 200 countries and territories. UFC FIGHT PASS provides its members with unlimited access to live UFC FIGHT PASS Prelims; live mixed martial arts and combat sports from around the world; original series and historical programming; special features; behind-the-scenes content; in-depth interviews; and up-to-the minute reports on the world of combat sports. UFC FIGHT PASS subscribers also have 24/7 access to the world’s largest fight library, featuring more than 20,000 bouts from dozens of combats sports organizations, as well as every fight in UFC history. Fight fans can access UFC FIGHT PASS on personal computers, iOS and Android mobile devices, Apple TV, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, Samsung Smart TVs, LG Smart TVs, and Sony TVs with Android TV. For more information, please visit www.ufcfightpass.com.

London, United Kingdom (July 25, 2021)

In what was a spectacular 5 rounds, CARLOS TAKAM traveled to the UK, the home of opponent and undefeated heavyweight JOE JOYCE, as a 7-1 underdog and took the fight right to the man known as “The Juggernaut” for the WBO International, WBC Silver and Commonwealth Heavyweight Championships.

Takam immediately found a home for his overhand right, setting up the power punch with stiff jabs to the body. In the first two rounds, Takam was agile on his feet while throwing two and three punch combinations to the head and body of Joyce. A back and forth third round, saw Takam continue his assault with the same overhand right that seemed to land every time it was thrown, while Joyce finally began to establish his jab, and dug to the body. Takam’s right hand began causing swelling under Joyce’s eye.

The thrilling action continued in the fourth and fifth round, with Takam maintaining he lead.

In the sixth round, Joyce came out of his corner quickly and hurt Takam. Joyce rocked Takam and sensing an opportunity, put together sequence of punches as Takam parried, slipped and blocked in an attempt to avoid the onslaught. Although Takam seemed alert and able to defend himself, he didn’t return punches and referee Steve Gray stopped the fight. The stoppage was premature in the eyes of an outraged Takam, who immediately protested the stoppage. As the fight was waved off, the shocked and disappointed Takam was shouting ‘why, why, why’ to the referee. It was an exceptionally entertaining heavyweight fight that Carlos Takam and the fans that filled the SSE Arena wanted to see continue. At the time of the stoppage Takam was up on all three judges’ scorecards.

Carlos Takam had this to say on the premature stoppage, “Joe Joyce was punching at me yes, but I see that he was getting really tired, so I tried to keep my hands up, that was my strategy, to come back after he was tired and put him out. He stopped the fight and I ask [the ref] why? Why? I used my experience, I know what I am doing, but he stopped the fight.” Takam felt that Joyce was punching himself out in the sixth round barrage and was planning a counterattack.

CEO of Star Boxing JOE DEGUARDIA was disappointed in the outcome, “[Takam] was alert. You could see in his eyes he was aware of what was going on, and was defending himself. While certainly a factor, it’s not just about whether a fighter is throwing punches back. When you have an experienced veteran fighter like Carlos, who is clearly winning an important heavyweight fight, it’s important to get it right. The referee must also know who is in that ring, his acumen, experience, basically his ring generalship. These are things that must be taken into consideration in order to make the right call. Unfortunately for Carlo’s tonight, we believe the wrong decision was made and that he was alert and defending himself while waiting to launch his counter-attack at the right precise moment. We think a rematch is warranted.”

As for what’s next for Carlos Takam, that remains to be seen. He once again established that he can go toe to toe with the top heavyweights in the world.

CARLOS TAKAM REACTS TO FIGHT RESULTS:
Carlos Takam Reacts to Premature Stoppage Against Joe Joyce
PRESS RELEASES:
Joyce-Takam Announced for July 24
Joyce-Takam Begins to Heat Up
Joyce-Takam Press Conference
Joyce-Takam Weigh In

PHILADELPHIA–It was a battle of undefeated welterweights that highlighted RDR Promotions 2nd night of back-to-back shows as Mark Dawson won an eight round unanimous decision over towering Ivan Pandzic at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia.

The opening rounds saw Pandzic trying to use his 6’4″ frame with shots from the outside. His shots were largely ineffective, and Dawson was able to get to the distance where he was able to land solid counter shots. Pandzic was drawn into a firefight on several occasions, which was much to the delight of Dawson as he got the better of the exchanges which led to Pandzic being sent home with his first loss by scores of 79-73, 78-74 and 77-74.

Dawson, 148 lbs of Philadelphia is 9-0-1. Pandzic, 146.2 lbs of Rancho Cucamonga, CA is 13-1-1.

Sean Hemphill remained undefeated as he systematically beat down Robert Burwell in a super middleweight bout.

The time of the stoppage was 2:39 for Hemphill, 171 lbs of New Orleans, LA who is now 13-0 with eight knockouts. Burwell, 173 lbs of Orlando, FL is now 9-5.

Jabril Noble made a successful pro debut with a second round stoppage of Deijerro Revello in super featherweight bout.

Noble dropped Revello in round two with a left hook. he finished it up secons later with another left hook that dropped Revello and the fight was halted at 1:12.

Noble, 132.2 lbs of Philadelphia is 1-0 with one knockout. Revello, 131.2 lbs of Brighton, CO is 0-2.

Rasheen Brown remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Prisco Marquez in a featherweight fight.

Brown dropped Marquez with a straight left at the end of round one.

In round five, it was a left to the body that put Marquez on the deck.

Brown, 129 lbs of Philadelphia won by scores of 60-52, 59-53 and 58-55 and is now 10-0. Marquez, 127.9 lbs of Austin, TX is 4-4-1.

Edgar Joe Cortes won a six-round unanimous decision over Roberto Pucheta in a super bantamweight bout.

Cortes, 122.8 lbs of Millville, NJ won by scores of 58-56 on all cards and is now 9-6-1. Pucheta, 121.9 lbs of Jalisco, MEX is 10-19-2.

Joe Jones took out veteran Dhafir Smith in round three of a scheduled six-round cruiserweight bout.

In round two, Jones dropped Smith with a hard right hand. In round three, Jones landed 10 consecutive blows that forced referee Shawn Clark to stop the bout 18 seconds into the round.

Jones, 194.6 lbs of Jersey City, NJ is 12-4 with nine knockouts. Smith, 198.6 lbs of Upper Darby, PA is 28-26-7,

David Stevens remained undefeated with a four-round unanimous decision over Montrel James in a light heavyweight fight.

Stevens, 174.8 lbs of Reading,, PA won by scores of 40-36 on all cards, and is now 6-0. James, 173.8 lbs of Saint Louis, MO is 1-6.

LAS VEGAS, NV (July 24, 2021) – Fernando “El Feroz” Vargas, Jr. (4-0, 4 KOs) and brother Amado “El Malvado” Vargas (3-0, 2 KO), the sons of former two-time light middleweight world champion, Fernando Vargas, returned to action last night, Friday July 23, 2021, in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico. The card titled, “Campeonata Nacional “Mosca” Cuentas Pendientes”, was presented by GRAND MEX-ENT, in association with the WBC.

Middleweight Fernando Vargas Jr., won his bout against Abel Luna by way of a third-round technical knockout in impressive fashion

“I wanted to put on a show, and give those who were here live as well as those who paid for the PPV a great show,” said Vargas Jr. “This is just the beginning, I know I have a long road ahead of me, but I am very focused and want to achieve my life-long goal of becoming a world champion.”

Featherweight Amado Vargas won his bout against Fernando De La Cruz by way of a first-round KO.

“It is a good feeling to know that all the hard work I put into training camp paid off and that the result I wanted occurred,” said Amado Vargas, after his first-round knockout. “Fighting is the family business, and I am glad to have been on the same card as my brother, as I continue to grow as a fighter, I will take it one step at a time with short-term goals that lead to bigger goals.”

“We’re really excited about the future of both Vargas brothers,” said Jose De La Cruz, who is the co-manager of the Vargas brothers with Egis Klimas. “A lot is asked of them because of their last name, and the expectations that come with it, but each and every time they step up they deliver. The future looks bright for both of them.”