Totowa, NJ: WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion and Ring Magazine’s #2 Pound-for-Pound fighter Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs) has returned to the US following his unanimous decision victory over Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba in his home country of Russia on July 11 in Ekaterinburg.

Before heading to Oakland, California this Saturday for a ringside seat to watch two-time world champion and #4 Pound-for-Pound fighter Andre “S.O.G.” Ward’s (29-0, 15 KOs) battle with Alexander Brand at the Oracle Arena, Kovalev spent some time in Miami, Florida with ESPN Deportes and in New York, New York with SI Now.

Kovalev’s interviews with ESPN Deportes will air tonight and tomorrow at the following times:

8/5: Noche de Combates – 9:00 PM ET on ESPN Deportes
8/6: Golpe A Golpe – 4:00 PM ET on ESPN Deportes

Links to the interviews are provided below:

Sergey Kovalev reta a Adonis Stevenson
Sergey Kovalev Challenges Adonis Stevenson
El campeón mundial ruso explica por qué “Chickenson” lo sigue evitando.
The Russian World Champion explains why “Chickenson” continues to avoid him.
http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/videohub/video/clipDeportes?id=2748374

Sergey Kovalev no regala títulos
Sergey Kovalev does not give titles
En una entrevista exclusiva con Sebastian M. Christensen, el actual campeón mundial nos cuenta sobre su próxima pelea contra Andre Ward en noviembre y sus razones por qué aún no sea enfrentado con Adonis Stevenson.
In an exclusive interview with Sebastian M. Christensen, the current world champion tells us about his upcoming fight against Andre Ward in November and the reasons why he has not faced Adonis Stevenson.
http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/videohub/video/clipDeportes?id=2747422

Detrás de cámaras con Sergey Kovalev
Behind the scenes with Sergey Kovalev
Mira como el campeón mundial ruso pasó su visita en las oficinas de ESPN Miami.
Watch as the Russian world champion visits the offices of ESPN Miami.
http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/videohub/video/clipDeportes?id=2747513

Sergey Kovalev says he would crush Andre Ward
http://www.si.com/boxing/video/2016/08/05/sergey-kovalev-crush-andre-ward

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Yair Rodriguez 146 – Alex Caceres 145
Dennis Bermudez 146 – Rony Jason 146
Thales Leites 186 – Chris Camozzi 186
Zak Cummings 171 – Santiago Ponzinibbio 171
Trevor Smith 185.5 – Joe Gigliotti 185.5
Danielle Taylor 115.5 – Maryna Moroz 115
Court McGee 169.5 – Dominique Steele 171
Viktor Pesta 239.5 – Marcin Tybura 249
David Teymur 155 – Jason Novelli 155.5
Horacio Gutierrez 146 – Teruto Ishihara 146
Cub Swanson 144.5 – Tatsuya Kawajiri 145.5
Chase Sherman 245 – Justin Ledet 234.5

New York, NY (8/5/16) – This Sunday, DiBella Entertainment’s (DBE) Broadway Boxing will return to the SNY network with a brand new episode of the popular and longest running local boxing series in New York. Promoter Lou DiBella is announcing four new episodes over the next two months. The first new episode will air this Sunday, August 7, at 8:30 p.m. ET. Broadway Boxing is proudly sponsored by Nissan of Queens, OPTYX, Azad Watches and Christos Steak House.

“DBE is thrilled to continue our partnership with SNY,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “The network has been home to Broadway Boxing for the past eight years and has maintained high ratings by consistently providing viewers with exciting action. Many champions, former champions and rising contenders have passed through Broadway Boxing and I look forward to seeing that continue over these next four episodes, which will include the finals of this year’s New York Daily News Golden Gloves tournament.”

The Broadway Boxing series was launched in April 2004 as a monthly boxing series in association with partner HD Net. By August of 2008, Broadway Boxing had become a weekly series on SNY with a combination of live programming and taped delayed broadcasts of previous events.

For the past eight years, Broadway Boxing has aired every Sunday night at 8 p.m. ET on SNY. Over those eight years, the Broadway Boxing series grew to produce some of the highest ratings for any program broadcast on SNY, outside of NY Mets games. Also, for the third consecutive year, DBE and SNY have partnered with the New York Daily News Golden Gloves to air both nights of the championship matchups from Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Those “Special Edition” Broadway Boxing cards are set to air on August 21st and September 18th.

“Lou DiBella and DiBella Entertainment continue to show their support for the New York amateur boxing program,” said Brian Adams, NY Daily News Golden Gloves Director. “It’s a pleasure to once again have the finals televised through the Broadway Boxing series because it gives the world the opportunity to experience the skills that these young men and women have to offer.”

Below is a complete schedule of the upcoming brand new episodes of Broadway Boxing through the month of September. Future show dates will be announced soon. Broadway Boxing is proudly sponsored by Nissan of Queens, OPTYX, Azad Watches and Christos Steak House.

Sunday, 8/7 – 8:30 pm – Broadway Boxing
* Sunday, 8/21 – 8:00 pm – Broadway Boxing – Golden Gloves
* Sunday, 9/11 – 8:00 pm – Broadway Boxing
* Sunday, 9/18 – 8:00 pm – Broadway Boxing – Golden Gloves

For additional information, you can visit www.dbe1.com, follow us on Twitter @loudibella @DiBellaEnt or like our fan page on facebook/DiBellaEntertainment.

Lou DiBella
Thank you very much everyone joining us. This is indeed the conference call for Errol Spence against Leonard Bundu which is an IBF welterweight world title eliminator. The winner will be the mandatory contender for the title currently held by Kell Brook.

So it’s a very significant fight for boxing purposes. This is PBC on NBC. It’ll be at 5:00 pm Eastern Time, 2:00 pm Pacific Time. The doors of the first about will begin at 2:30 pm from the Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island Boardwalk on Sunday, August 21st.

It’s the Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island Boardwalk, Sunday, August 21st, PBC on NBC. That’s 5:00 pm Eastern Time, 2:00 pm Pacific Time, start time will follow immediately the Olympic men’s gold-medal game on NBC.

So this is a tremendous opportunity for these two fighters to showcase their abilities, a tremendous opportunity for boxing to be showcased in a prime spot on national TV.

This fight card will be one hour and will immediately follow the Olympic men’s basketball gold-medal game. Tickets for the live events started $35. It’s presented by my company, Brooklyn Boxing, so the Barclay’s Center is involved in helping us promote this event.

Tickets are on sale now. They can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com and at Ford Amphitheater Coney Island.com. Leonard “The Lion” Bundu, 33-1-2 with 12 KOs from Florence, Tuscany, Italy, so the land of my ancestors, Leonard knows the Olympics.

He represented Italy in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He turned pro in April 2005 and his only loss was a decision loss to Keith Thurman for the WBA welterweight title in 2014.

Other than that, his career record is unblemished. He has won the IBF Mediterranean title, the WBA intercontinental title, Italian titles, European Union titles, European titles, commonwealth titles, has a number of signature wins in his career and has a very fine career and is a worthy challenge for young Mr. Spence as he tries to establish himself as a star. Leonard, would you like to say a few words please?

Leonard Bundu
I just want to say I’m really happy that I have another chance to compete for a world title again and I know not going to be having more chances other than this so I have to give this all I have.

It’s going to be a spectacular fight, a nice fight. I know Errol has come to fight and I’m coming to fight. I’m coming for the big treat. I’m coming here convinced from my experience.

The last time I went to a big fight in Las Vegas. I got caught up in the show business and the hype, now I’m more concentrated. Training camp is going well. Everything is going well so on August 21st just expect a nice, good fight, the best from both of us. Thank you.

L. DiBella
The main event is highlighted by young men that I’ve had the pleasure to promote before, Errol “The Truth” Spence, Jr., 20-0 with 17 KOs from DeSoto, Texas.

Like Leonard Bundu, Errol is an Olympian. The 26-year-old is a former 2012 US Olympian. He turned pro in 2012. He’s widely regarded as one of the sports big future stars, has been named prospect of the year for 2015 by ESPN and Sports Illustrated.

In his last fight he had a sensational stoppage of Chris Algieri in Brooklyn at Barclays Center. That was his first primetime main event and it was televised by NBC. So Errol will be returning to NBC on Sunday afternoon, August 21st. So it’s my pleasure to bring to you, Errol “The Truth” Spence.

Errol Spence
I’m excited to be fighting back on NBC, fighting back in New York and especially fighting for the IBF title eliminator. I want to thank Bundu for taking this fight and I just look for another spectacular fight, August 21st, another spectacular one-sided performance.

Q
I wonder, when you talk about a spectacular performance, in your mind, the spectacular performance been a shutout like that where you in every second of every round or is it just about getting a knockout?

E. Spence
I mean of course, I would want the knockout. But with me, I just look for, you know, a spectacular performance. It’s like walk them down or go for the knockout. You know, hopefully I get the knockout.

If it comes, I’m definitely going to take it. But I have to box, then I’ll box, too, but hopefully I have another performance like I did with Chris Algieri.

Q
So is it more important to look spectacular like you did against Algieri or to just win and make sure you get the opportunity to fight for the title?

E. Spence
I think both. I’m a rising star and I want to look spectacular against him and get a knockout, the main goal is to win. That’s what I’m looking for. I’m not going to look for the knockout. If I can get the knockout, if it doesn’t just come naturally, then I’ll take the win but that’s the main goal overall, is to win.

Q
When you watch Bundu, is there anything that you see in his repertoire that you think could even give you mild problems?

E. Spence
Definitely. Bundu is a real good fighter. He’s very crafty. Sometimes he switches from left hand to right-hand and he varies his punches, too.

Bundu’s a good fighter. He gave Keith Thurman fits at different points in the fight. So I’m just looking for him to be crafty, try to use his experience against me.

Q
How in the world do you go about slowing down the momentum that Errol Spence has right now?

L. Bundu
Well, you know, the bigger the fight, you get more motivated. These are the fight that I need. At my age, I know I will be having other chances some going to give it all I have.

And I know I could perform better than what I did with Keith Thurman. And what I like about Errol is that he’s coming to fight. And I know people want to see the comparison between my fights with Keith Thurman and the one that I’m going to be doing with Errol Spence.

, I’m not only coming there to go the 12 full rounds. I’m coming for the victory. I studied Errol. Training camp is going well.

I’m coming motivated. I know this is a good opportunity for me to show my skills to the world and I’m coming convinced and let’s see what happens. So I know I have something in me. I have something that people haven’t seen yet, so I will be putting everything into that match on August 21st.

Q
Errol, have you gotten any indication or heard anything about what Kell Brook’s future plans are regarding that IBF title?

E. Spence
No, it’s something I haven’t asked. It hasn’t given any thought since I got the Bundu fight. You know, I can’t look over Bundu. Bundu’s an experienced fighter.

He’s been in a lot of fights and has a lot of good tools so I can’t look over him and if I look over him and end up not looking good are losing or whatever and then I’m not fighting for the IBF title.

So I take one fight at a time. I’ll fight Bundu and then I’ll worry about the IBF.Iin the IBF, they’re real good at enforcing the rules so I’m not worried about that at all, so just one fight at a time.

Q
Errol, are you at the point now in your career where you’re watching other welterweights, you’re watching Thurman against Porter, you’re watching just other ranked guys? And when you fight, you are now fighting to, I guess, to outdo, you know, those other performances that you’ve seen?

E. Spence
I study boxing. I’ve been watching these guys. I’m not one of those dudes who’s going to lie and say, “I never watched him. I never watched that guy.”

I’ve been watching these guys since I turned pro and since I was amateur. I was watching these guys on YouTube and watching their fights and stuff like that.

So I’m real familiar with everybody in 147, and everyone – people at 147 – 140, 135, 130. I’m a boxing fan overall so I don’t mind sitting down and watching a fight, watching a fight on YouTube or watching it on TV. I watch boxing all the time.

It’s been the motive to outdo another welterweight. I think that’s the ultimate goal. It makes you look better when Keith Thurman or Manny Pacquiao or Amir Khan fought this guy and you’re fighting him now.

You want to look better than they did implement a better performance so it’s definitely one of the motives when I go in for fight and fighting a similar opponent.

Q
When you watch Errol Spence and the way he fights, what weaknesses, if any, do you see in his game?

L. Bundu
Weaknesses – I don’t know. You have to test him out in the ring. I don’t know, maybe he only – comes forward, he throws heavy punches and I don’t know. I don’t know. We have to check his chin.

I know he has a few weaknesses but we’re working on them and come fight night, will try to discover them and show the world what is wrong or good with him.

I’m not a big puncher but I’m a big volume puncher so, we have to see how he reacts, whether he may be good or not. But anyway, we’re not just relying on that, of course.

We’re going to go and try to see how he does with the distance and other things. He’s a very complete boxer but I think he has to be fully tested and I’m here for that.

Q
You mentioned earlier in the call that you thought Thurman did a lot of running in that fight. Do you think that Bundu hurt him at some point or why do you think that was?

E. Spence
I don’t know. Maybe he was just trying to win. Keith Thurman was not really at the point where he just had to put on a spectacular performance every time out.

Maybe he just thought it was just easier to out punch him and just win. So, I don’t know what was going on in his head but I’m sure Bundu hurt him a couple times.

Q
How do you feel Bundu compares to Chris Algieri in terms of talent level and how much trouble he might be able to give you in comparison to what Algieri did?

E. Spence
They’re different fighters – Chris Algieri and Bundu. They’re way different fighters. They have different styles. Chris Algieri is more of a pure boxer who just recently tried to plant his feet and tried to fight a little bit, where Bundu, he can move. He can box. He can come forward too. I think Bundu has more to his arsenal than Chris Algieri.

Q
Okay, and you don’t expect Bundu to do what Chris try to do with you which obviously failed, in terms of trying to bang with you, right?

E. Spence
I think at some point he will try that. Bundu, he switches. Sometimes he tries to box, sometimes he tries the bang. He varies so I think at some point, he’ll try to go.

Q
So I was just wondering what your perspective on that is that how much you think being an Olympian helps people in terms of their promotional value, as professionals, and also maybe helps you, if you have a long extended amateur career like that, to be ready for the professional game which is very different, obviously?

E. Spence
I think being in Olympian has got a lot, especially the experience part, fighting internationally, fighting a lot of international fighters, going overseas and fighting other fighters on their ground, not knowing who you’re going to fight until the morning of the fight.

So it’s getting the experience, getting different styles under your belt and fighting in different venues and different places around the world and fighting on those different types of stages.

Of course the Olympics is the biggest age you can fight in. And just having that under my belt gets me ready for big fights like this.

Being an Olympian doesn’t carry as much weight as he used to. A lot of guys, they were 13, 14 and 0 fighting for world titles and stuff like that and not having to go through a title eliminator and things like that that we had to go through. But, you know, it’s been good and to just be branded an Olympian, that means a lot.

Q
Did it help you as much as you thought it would or less are about the same or how do you view that?

Errol Spence
I think it helped more being an Olympian. Just casual people, Americans, they find it real cool and think it’s awesome that you’re in Olympian.

To me that’s a great thing to represent my country and to fight overseas, for a gold-medal, which I didn’t get, which I wanted but just being in Olympian has helped me out a lot, just branded me as an Olympian and just knowing that, when you’re in Olympian, you’re the cream of the crop in your country.

You’re the top guy. You beat all these top prospects. Like, most of the top prospects in today’s game, I fought them in amateurs and I beat them. And I came out on top so be in Olympian means you’re the cream of the crop in your country.

Q
The kids that are going to fight in the upcoming Olympics, do you know any of them or are familiar with any of them?

E. Spence
I’m looking for, Shakur Stevenson – that kid, he’s talented. He’s a gold medal favorite. Of course, Clarissa Shields, she can fight. She’s really good. She’s already in Olympic gold medalist and looking to repeat.

We’ve got a good team that’s coming out. And they’re young. They’re fast and they’re motivated to win. And, you know, the scoring system is different now, too, so looking for a lot of gold medals.

Q
Stevenson, is he the kid that maybe has the most talent on the team that you’ve seen so far?

E. Spence
I think so. From what I watched him on – I watched a couple of his fights on YouTube. He can fight. Very talented, very skilled. His boxing IQ is very high and other than Clarissa Shields, he is the most talented boxer on their team.

Q
So Lo Greco goes the distance with Shawn Porter, KO-5, Errol Spence. Algieri goes the distance with Manny Pacquiao, KO-5, Errol Spence. Bundu goes the distance with Keith Thurman. Are we seeing a pattern here?

E. Spence
I guess so. Like in those fights, I was never the one that called the knockout because I don’t want to end up forcing a knockout, you end up looking bad. So I’m not going to go force the knockout. If it comes, it comes. If it don’t, hey, cool, it don’t. I’ll settle for the win but if it comes then I’ll take it.

Q
I’m not saying you’re going for the knockout, but if you do what you think you’re going to do, knowing what he does, do you expect to get the knockout?

E. Spence
Oh, definitely. I think my intensity raises as the fight goes on. And I definitely think if everything goes well and I took my rhythm and I’m doing what I’m supposed to do in the ring, I think the knockout will come but will be forced at all.

Q
It seems like welterweights are become hesitant when you’re brought up. Do you notice that or do you see the way I see it or – and how long do you think that can go on?

E. Spence
Well, it won’t go on long. It’s really just a matter of time, fighting for title. After that, I’m ready to fight for the world title. Now what can they say? Everybody’s got to fight. It’s time.

The ultimate goal is to become undisputed welterweight champion. I see it like you see it but at the end of the day, they’re going to have to fight.

Q
Leonard, I just wanted to know where you would rank Errol Spence compared to, like, the opponents you’ve faced so far and including Keith Thurman at the time you fought him, not necessarily the Keith Thurman of today?

L. Bundu
Well, I think he’s at the top. He’s one of the best. I mean, comparing him to the level of Keith Thurman, he has to be proven. He’s one of the toughest guys I’ll ever fight.

Q
Do you feel like there’s more motivation to kind of show the world there’s a lot more to you than what they’ve seen so far?

L. Bundu
Of course, there’s a lot more motivation. This is my second chance to come onto a world stage and the first time maybe I was a little bit caught in the hype and it was my biggest fight.

But now I know the situation. I know how it is. I know how to take control of the situation. And so I think I can showcase my skills. I’ve been working hard and I feel good and strong. I’m playing all my cards. I have a chance for good, nice fight.

Q
I just wanted to know, how much family you still have, that you keep in touch with back in New York, and what kind of turnout you’re expecting from them?

E. Spence
I’m expecting a big turnout like the Chris Algieri fight. I have a lot of family in New York. Most of my family, still is in New York. I’m expecting a big turnout from both sides, my mom’s and my dad’s side.

Q
You’re becoming the face of NBC and also this is your second straight fight now in Brooklyn. So does it mean more to that your kind of becoming the face of boxing out here?

E. Spence
Definitely. It means a lot to me, too, to be fighting in front of my family. A lot of them didn’t have the money to come see me fight when I fight in Vegas or somewhere else.

So just be able to fight in front of my family, fighting in front of New York where I think, a lot of fans from New York, they’re organic.

They’re real fans. They’re real boxing fans in New York. I’m excited to be fighting in New York again.

Q
What was your fondest memory of the 2012 Olympics?

E. Spence
The whole experience. I would say nothing bad. It was great, just the whole media coverage and fighting in front of those great fans and on TV representing my country and being in the Olympic Village.

Getting to meet these great athletes that I see in TV and watching on TV as a kid. I get to see Lebron James, Kobe Bryant right in front of me.

You see all these great athletes and just know that I was a part of that and I’m an Olympian just like them. The whole ceremony and everything, it was just the whole great experience overall. And it’s once-in-a-lifetime and something I’ll never forget.

Q
Errol, do you consider Leonard Bundu to be your best and toughest opponent so far as a pro?

E. Spence
Yes, definitely. Of course, Bundu’s a very tough later, very durable for later and he always comes to fight.

Q
How much do you focus on this fight and how much do you focus on future fights since this is a title eliminator?

E. Spence
I don’t have an eye on the future. I think winning this fight, my future is already set in stone so I’m locked into this fight. Once I get an opponent, I’m locked into him. I’m locked into Bundu. This is the title eliminator.

So I’m not worried about the future because I know what comes after this is the world title fight, so regardless of if Kell Brook vacate. So my main focus, 120%, is on Bundu and the fight on August 21st.

Q
How much of a factor do you think your height and reach advantage is going to be in this fight?

E. Spence
It’s always plays a factor but it’s not something I’m really worried about. But it always plays a factor have the height and the reach advantage.

I mean, it could play a disadvantage, but we’re practicing for everything. We’re practicing for any style of fight, practicing for a real fight, practicing for dirty fight, practicing to box. But basically you’re not just working on one thing.

Q
How much does all this affect you in terms of the way this fight has been organized?

L. Bundu
For me, like I said before, it’s a big motivation. I’m fighting a world class fighter. And it’s something that just keeps me going on and that will inevitably get the best out of me.

So, it’s a big motivation, big, big, big fight and I know the 21st is going to be a good fight. I think with our styles it will make a good fight.

Q
How do you see the atmosphere in a fight in Italy and other countries comparing to that of the United States?

L. Bundu
In Italy, boxing is not the mainstream. It’s kind of different. When I fought in England or Las Vegas, it was something tremendous. It was something that actually helps you to get you more motivated, like I said before.

It’s really big. You can feel the people and it’s a big show. You know people want to see it and it’s more followed so you get more courage and motivation to do your job.

It’s my passion to box. I’ve been boxing for a lot of years and it’s good to be rewarded like that with a good, spectacular crowd around it.

For me, coming here again to New York is fantastic and I’m blessed.

Q
Does anybody want to make a prediction, either Errol or Leonard?

E. Spence
I win but I don’t know how I’m going to win but I’m going to win and I’m going to look spectacular doing it.

L. Bundu
What I’m going to say is don’t overlook me. Don’t overlook me, all of you. I think I’m getting more respect from Errol than the rest of you, so don’t overlook me and you might be in for a big surprise August 21st.

PBC on NBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.
For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com and www.nbcsports.com/boxing, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing,@ErrolSpenceJr, @LouDiBella, @NBCSports, @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/NBCSports, www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment and www.Facebook.com/barclayscenter. Highlights available at www.youtube.com/premierboxingchampions.

05 August 2016 – Macao, China: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), will be conducting a grappling tournament on Saturday, 13 August in Macao, China. The ONE GRAPPLING CHALLENGE MACAO is set to be held between 10am to 4pm in conjunction with the live pay-per-view event ONE: HEROES OF THE WORLD, which takes place that evening at The Venetian Macao’s Cotai Arena. The tournament will follow IBJJF rules.

CEO of ONE Championship, Victor Cui stated: “In line with our vision to build local martial arts heroes in Asia, ONE Championship continues to develop new ways to promote the sport of MMA and other martial arts. This tournament is a step in the right direction and brings together the biggest names in grappling including ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya Aoki, ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee, and eight-time BJJ world champion Michelle Nicolini – the most decorated women’s BJJ practitioner in the world today. The tournament gives fans the chance to witness high-level technical grappling at its finest, and we are excited at the possibilities.”

ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya Aoki grew to international stardom as a ground specialist with a massive 25 submission wins against elite competition, while ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee sports several submission victories including a spectacular Twister. Besides her many accolades, new ONE Championship signing Michelle Nicolini is a member of the prestigious IBJJF Hall of Fame.

The tournament will feature a collective prize pot of USD$50,000 up for grabs, making it the biggest prize purse in the history of Asian grappling. There will be a USD$125 registration fee for each competitor, which includes a one night stay at The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel or the Holiday Inn Hotel Macao, six complimentary tickets to ONE: HEROES OF THE WORLD, a 30% discount on additional tickets to the event, and a tournament t-shirt.

According to experience and belt color, competitors will be divided into three categories: Beginner (BJJ white/blue belts and those with less than two years of experience), Advanced (BJJ purple/brown belts and those with between two to five years of experience), and Elite (BJJ black belts and grapplers with more than five years of experience).

The tournament is also divided between male and female competitors, with two weight classes to choose from. Men are split at the 75kg mark, while for women the cut off is at 65kg. Cash prizes range from USD$300 to USD$5,000, with the latter reserved for winners in the elite division.

To sign up, visit the official website at https://onegrappling.splashthat.com/

ONE GRAPPLING CHALLENGE MACAO, Competition Details:

Ruleset:
Competition will follow IBJJF NO-GI rules

Age:
Participants must be 18 years or older to compete

Divisions:
– Beginner (BJJ white/blue belts or < 2 years grappling experience) - Advanced (BJJ purple/brown belts or 2-5 years grappling experience) - Elite (BJJ black belts or > 5 years grappling experience)

Weight Classes (including grappling attire):
– Male (Light Open -75 kg, Heavy Open +75.1 kg)
– Female (Light Open -65kg, Heavy Open +65.1 kg)

Weigh-In Schedule:
– Beginner Division weigh-in will begin at 9am on 13 August
– Full schedule & brackets will be released on 11 August

TOURNAMENT PRIZES

Division/Prize Purse:

Beginner Division:
USD$800 – (1st Place)
USD$500 – (2nd Place)
USD$300 – (3rd Place)

Advanced Division:
USD$1500 – (1st Place)
USD$800 – (2nd Place)
USD$500 – (3rd Place)

Elite Division:
USD$5000 – (1st Place)
USD$1500 – (2nd Place)
USD$800 – (3rd Place)

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship.

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia featuring the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship is broadcast to over 1 billion viewers across 118+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including FOX Sports, Setanta, MNC, Astro, Thairath TV, ABS-CBN, TV5, Physique TV, MYTV, HTV, Esporte Interativo and more.

PHILADELPHIA (August 5, 2016) – Weights or tonight’s Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia.

David Benavidez 167.9 – Denis Douglin 168.8
Alejandro Luna 144 – Naim Nelson 143.5
Victor Vasquez 135.3 – Jerome Conquest 134.5
Tyrone Brunson 157.5 – Carlos Garcia 154.3
Darryl Bunting 166 – Edward Jeramie Ortiz 161.5
Kieran Hooks 156.5 – Miguel Martinez 158.2
Jeffrey Torres 136.2 – Mariano Rolon 136.4

Friday, August 5

6:00 p.m. 2300 ARENA DOORS OPEN
Location: 2300 S. Swanson St.; Philadelphia, PA 19148

7:00 p.m. FIRST BOUT

9:00 p.m. ESPN & ESPN DEPORTES BROADCAST BEGINS

CREDENTIAL DISTRIBUTION

Fight night credentials can be picked up at will call beginning at 5:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. Proper personal photo ID (Driver’s license or passport) is required for credential pick-up.

For information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @KingsBoxing, @ESPNBoxing and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/premierboxingchampions. Highlights available to embed at www.youtube.com/premierboxingchampions. PBC on ESPN is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

Rob Brant Quotes

I’ve been in position where I’m supposed to win, especially in the amateurs, and that’s where things always went wrong for me. I’d be fighting against a country I’ve never heard of, knowing I’d be fighting Germany the next day and I would be totally looking over the guy. Then I’d lose to Latvia, for example. I stopped looking past guys back then because of that.

Chris Fitzpatrick is a good fighter. He fully embodies his record. 15-4. Good, not phenomenal fighter. If you’re sleeping though and just thinking you’re going to automatically beat this guy down, he’ll beat you. He’s not a huge puncher, but he throws volume. He wants to be on the inside and throw combinations. I need to take him seriously.

I know I’m on a short list to face (WBO Middleweight Champion) Billy Joe Saunders, but this is boxing, so until both names are on a contract, it’s too good to be true. I’m fully ready to take the challenge when it comes. I’m definitely looking for a big fight in the near future. I need to start taking on upper-level competition. I’ve been preparing all my life and now is the time to make it happen.

Chris Fitzpatrick Quotes

I’m going to win. I’m going to go in there and fight my heart out and come out with the W, hopefully. I know he’s explosive and he’s turning his punchers over a lot more. I’m going to try to move around him and make it a physical fight. That’s my kind of fight.

My training went very well. Every camp has its trough moments, but for the most part it went well.

A victory over Rob Brant would be great for my career, to revive it. I was off for three years and lost my last fight. This win will put me right back on track.

Clifford Mass, GCP Vice President of Business Development

Pechanga is a great venue. The casino is beautiful and well-kept and maintained. The ring set up looks tremendous. I’m very excited about tomorrow night.

This is our first quadrupleheader on CBS Sports Network. We’ve got future world champion Rob Brant, who is now rated in the top 10 of three sanctioning bodies. We have Skender “No Surrender” Halili, who put on a “Round of the Year” performance back in Niagara Falls. Malik Hawkins is our incredibly skilled welterweight, who is under close eye from Roy Jones Jr. We do a lot of work with Roy and when Roy sees talent, it’s talent. We’re excited about Malik. He’s got great management from Snapper and all the tools to become champion.

We’re also excited about Cem Kilic, an amateur champion from Germany who is now 5-0. He’ll be making his television debut. This will be like his try-out for a promotional contract. We believe in his manager, Shane Shapiro’s eye for talent, but the kid has to perform.

Tickets for CBS Sports Network Championship Boxing are priced at $85, $65 and $50 and are available at www.pechanga.com or by calling the Pechanga Box Office: (877) 711-2946.

The Pechanga Resort & Casino is located at 45000 Pechanga Parkway in Temecula, CA. For more information, call 1-888-PECHANGA or visit www.pechanga.com. On fight night, doors open at 6 pm and the action starts at 7 pm. All bouts subject to change.

About Greg Cohen Promotions
One of boxing’s premier promotional outfits, Greg Cohen Promotions (GCP) is a well-respected name for staging world-class professional boxing events and promoting elite professional fighters throughout the world.

Founder and CEO Greg Cohen has been involved with professional boxing in various capacities since the late 1980s, honing his craft and establishing himself as a shrewd international boxing businessman.

Distinguished by his ability to spot and develop raw talent, Cohen first made promotional headlines for his expert guidance of, among many others, former WBA Junior Middleweight Champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout, who Cohen helped guide from unknown New Mexico prospect to elite pay-per-view level superstar.

In addition to Trout, Greg Cohen Promotions has worked with established names such as former unified and two-time heavyweight champion Hasim “The Rock” Rahman and all-time-great multiple-weight class world champion James “Lights Out” Toney.

Cohen currently promotes WBA Interim World Lightweight Champion Ismael Barroso, Undefeated WBA NABA Heavyweight Champion and world-rated contender Jarrell Miller, undefeated WBA NABA Middleweight Champion and world-rated contender Robert Brant, former world champion Kendall Holt, as well as current world-rated contenders including long-time elite middleweight “Mean” Joe Greene, top super featherweight Arash Usmanee, Canadian lightweight and TV action hero Tony Luis; WBA and five-time Irish National Amateur Champion, Dennis Hogan; and Australian lightweight prospect Josh King.

Greg Cohen Promotions has hosted world-class boxing events in the finest venues throughout the United States and the world and has also proudly provided talent and/or content for several television networks including CBS Sports Network, HBO, Showtime, ESPN, NBC Sports Network, CBS Sports Network, MSG and FOX Sports Net.

For more information, visit gcpboxing.com. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GCPBoxing. Twitter: @GCPBoxing.

Beginning tonight at 9:00 p.m. boxing returns to MSG Network when MSG Fight Night kicks off five straight Fridays of boxing programming with Buddy McGirt vs. Pernell Whitaker from Madison Square Garden. The 1993 welterweight title fight featured what most believed were the two best pound for pound boxers in the world. Whitaker won the title by beating McGirt by unanimous decision to become the WBC Welterweight Champion.

MSG Fight Night will run every Friday from August 5th through September 2nd with other fights including Evander Holyfield vs. George Foreman, Mike McCallum vs. Jose Vallejo, Riddick Bowe vs. Michael Dokes, Hector Camacho vs. Rafael Williams, Iran Barkley vs. Darrin Van Horn and Tomasz Adamek vs. Steve Cunningham.

NEW YORK (Aug. 4, 2016) – In continuation of the 30th anniversary year of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, the network will feature four of its most memorable “UPSETS”. For the past three decades SHOWTIME Sports® has been home to countless upsets—some of the most shocking each year. Whether it be SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING or, for the last 15 years, ShoBox: The New Generation, fighters often face their biggest challenges, their most fierce opponents, live on SHOWTIME.

It started in 1986 when Iran Barkley knocked out heavily favored Thomas Hearns and continued through this past weekend when Carl Frampton edged the favored featherweight champion Leo Santa Cruz by decision in thrilling Fight of the Year candidate. To date, some 151 fighters have suffered their initial loss on ShoBox since the series premiere in July 2001.

Below is the schedule of SHOWTIME EXTREME premieres for the month of August:

· Thursday, Aug. 4: Josesito Lopez vs. Victor Ortiz

· Thursday, Aug. 11: Marcos Maidana vs. Adrien Broner – Ring Magazine 2013 Upset of the Year

· Thursday, Aug. 18: Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson I – Ring Magazine 1996 Fight of the Year and Upset of The Year; Holyfield was named The Fighter of the Year by The Ring and Boxing Writers Association of America

· Thursday, Aug. 25: Austin Trout vs. Miguel Cotto

These unforgettable battles will air on “Throwback Thursdays” on SHOWTIME EXTREME (10 p.m. ET/PT) throughout the month of August and will be available on SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, SHOWTIME ANYTIME® and via the network’s online streaming service. Each fight will be wrapped with context and commentary from SHOWTIME Sports host Brian Custer.

“Throwback Thursday” Tidbits

Lopez vs. Ortiz – June 23, 2012 – Staples Center, Los Angeles, Calif.

Former welterweight world champion Ortiz was set to fight Canelo Alvarez in September. All he needed to do was to win his upcoming match. After two fights with Andre Berto earlier in the year fell through, Ortiz took on the relatively unknown and inexperienced Lopez. Stepping up in weight and competing for the first time as a welter, Lopez became the “Riverside Rocky” as he shocked the boxing world by breaking Ortiz’s jaw and winning by TKO.

Lopez rallied to triumph despite swelling to his left eye from the end of the sixth round on. After nine rounds, he was trailing on all three scorecards (88-83, 87-84 and 86-85). But in the ninth of what had been a back-and-forth, seesaw, tough battle, Lopez connected late with a punch to Ortiz’s jaw that broke it on impact. Moments later, the skirmish was stopped when Ortiz said he could not continue because of a broken jaw. Lopez landed a fight against Canelo. The unbelievable upset remains the biggest victory of Lopez’s career.

Maidana vs. Broner – Dec. 14, 2013, Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas

The unbeaten Broner, a 5-1 favorite to retain his WBA Welterweight World Title on his first defense, was instead dealt his first defeat.

A poised yet aggressive Maidana, the target of heavy trash talk all week, overpowered and dominated the brash Broner from the outset while putting him down for the first time in his career. In a surprisingly one-sided performance, Maidana scored knockdowns in the second and eighth and won a 12-round unanimous decision by the scores of 119-109, 116-109 and 115-111. While tying Maidana up after going down in the eighth, Broner absorbed what appeared to be an intentional headbutt. Broner’s reaction: He over-dramatized the effect of it, falling to the canvas in a heap and rolling over in agony. Maidana more than doubled Broner’s punch output, out-throwing him, 964-400.

After the decision was announced, Broner exited the ring hastily without being interviewed by SHOWTIME or congratulating Maidana. Fans booed at Broner as he made his way back to the dressing room. The victory propelled Maidana into two consecutive fights against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Holyfield vs. Tyson I – Nov. 9, 1996, MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nev.

In one of the most legendary and monumental bombshells in history, Holyfield, who opened as a 25-1 underdog, bullied the bully and stopped Tyson on a TKO at 0:37 of the 11th round to capture the WBA Heavyweight World Title.

Holyfield, a built-up cruiserweight not known for power, utilized his reach advantage and superior strength to engage Tyson and fight him on his terms. The action was intense and non-stop; Holyfield applied constant pressure and kept in close to nullify Tyson’s power (left hook). Tyson landed hard shots, but only one at a time, and Holyfield took them all. As the bout wore on, Tyson wore down. With 20 seconds remaining in the 10th, Holyfield chilled Tyson with a right hand to the chin. A barrage of powerful combinations to the head and body sent Tyson staggering backward into the ropes. Tyson, out on his feet and defenseless, was saved by the bell. Thirty-seven seconds into the 11th, Holyfield landed a big right that left Tyson staggering again. Moments later, the referee stopped the fight. Holyfield was ahead by 100-93 and 96-92 twice.

A fight that was aired on SHOWTIME PPV® was supposed to be a mere formality for Tyson: he’d won eight straight since bowing to Buster Douglas in Japan and Holyfield was thought to be “washed-up” after three lackluster performances in a row. It was the third time Holyfield attained a heavyweight title; he was the first one to do so since Muhammad Ali. The Holyfield-Tyson rematch took place seven months later (June 28, 1997).

Trout vs. Cotto – Dec. 1, 2012, Madison Square Garden, New York, N.Y.

Cotto, a Puerto Rican hero and three-division world champion, was deemed unbeatable in New York where he was 9-0—7-0 at Madison Square Garden. He had a fight slated with Canelo Alvarez next. Seven months after dropping a competitive decision to Floyd Mayweather Jr., all Cotto had to do was hook Trout, throw him back to sea and then, gear up for the deepest waters. It was that simple, but it didn’t go as planned. Trout won a controversial 12-round unanimous decision. He boxed beautifully to successfully defend his WBA Super Welterweight Title for the fifth time (119-109 and 117-111 twice).

With the majority of his passionate fans cheering and waving Puerto Rican flags, Cotto came on strongly in the middle rounds, trapping Trout on the ropes and keeping him there. He had his greatest success in the closing seconds of the 10th when he backed Trout into a corner and dazed him with a flurry of punches. The big crowd erupted. But southpaw Trout silenced them by cranking up the pressure and roughing up Cotto the last two rounds. Cotto was bidding for a fifth world title. Trout got the shot at Canelo.

# # #

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, 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 Apple®, Roku®, Amazon and Google. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Hulu, Sony PlayStation® Vue and Amazon Prime Video. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™, and offers Smithsonian Earth™ through SN Digital LLC. 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.

New York, August 4 — Junior welterweight standout Anthony Karperis (12-2, 4 KOs, Hicksville, NY), with fresh ink on his new contract with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing?, graduates to main event status at The ?Paramount in Huntington, New York on Saturday night, August 13.

“Showtime” will go toe-to-toe in a grudge rematch against Queens native Ariel Duran (9-8-1, 5 KOs) in a 10-round junior welterweight affair for Karperis’ New York State belt in his first title defense.

“I am very excited to headline,” says Karperis. “We have been talking about it for some time now. It is finally here and I am ready.”

“I never really get nervous before a fight,” reports Karperis on his initial defense of the title and first main event. “I am working hard to put on a great show, and get the win.”

Karperis will try to follow the same path as fellow Star Boxing Long Island standouts Chris Algieri and Joe Smith, Jr., who both used the Paramount as a springboard to major televised main events in prime time. Undefeated Cletus “The Hebrew Hammer” Seldin is on the same journey.

“I absolutely want to follow in their footsteps, hopefully get that opportunity, and be able to capitalize on it,” Karperis says. “I want to swing it out of the park. Seeing them get those life-changing opportunities shows people that it is not just a dream anymore, it’s a reality.”

Karperis captured the vacant belt when he defeated cross town rival Alan Gotay on April 23rd at the Paramount.

A Hicksville product fighting out of The Academy of Boxing in Huntington, Karperis defeated Duran in a razor-thin decision on July 18, 2014, in their first encounter. Karperis has fought 13 of his 15 pro bouts (one no contest) at the Paramount.

“Even though I am originally from Hicksville, I train in Huntington and fight out of Huntington, so it is part of my hometown,” says Karperis. “The Paramount is a great venue for a fight. I always bring a huge crowd for support. It motivates me to be in front of my hometown fans.”

Promoter DeGuardia says this about the main event rematch: “These two fought a heck of a battle once before and I expect nothing less this time around, except the stakes are much higher with Anthony’s New York State title on the line.”

Karperis adds: “We are both more experienced now. I have a lot riding on it. I want to prove that the first fight wasn’t a fluke. He (Duran) wants to come in and prove a point. “

“I am training harder than ever for this fight,” continues the junior welterweight. “I try to find the opponent’s weakness and exploit them, attack where they are most vulnerable. I believe that I am a versatile fighter, and can adapt.”

On signing with DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, Karperis reflects: ‘“We have worked together for some time now. I have been loyal to them, and they have been loyal to me. They have always treated me like I was one of them, and I now look forward to have the promotional team behind me as I take this huge step in my career.”

Tickets can be purchased by calling Star Boxing 914-437-7575 or www.Starboxing.com, the Paramount box office 631-673-7300 and at Ticketmaster.com 1-800-745-3000.

Doors open at 7 pm with first fight scheduled for 7:30 pm.

The undercard will be announced shortly.

A host of local up-and-comers in exciting match-ups highlight the untelevised undercard for this Friday’s (August 5, 2016) CBS Sports Network Championship Boxing quadrupleheader in the Grand Ballroom of the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, California.

Presented by Greg Cohen Promotions in association with the International Championship Boxing League (ICBL), Ringside Ticket Inc., and David Schuster’s Winner Take All Productions, the 10-round main event will feature WBA #4- and WBO #7-rated middleweight and current WBO NABO and WBA NABA Middleweight Champion, Rob “Bravo” Brant (20-0, 13 KOs) of Saint Paul, Minnesota, taking on Chris “The Irish Ghost” Fitzpatrick (15-4, 6 KOs) of Cleveland.

Tickets for CBS Sports Network Championship Boxing are priced at $85, $65 and $50 and are available at www.pechanga.com or by calling the Pechanga Box Office: (877) 711-2946.

In the six-round super welterweight co-featured bout, Fort Worth, Texas, slugger Skender Halili (10-1, 10 KOs) will look to keep his perfect knockout record intact against experienced Ghanian veteran (now living in Silver Springs, Maryland) Ben Odamattey (16-14-3, 9 KOs). In another televised four-rounder, undefeated former amateur world champion Cem Killic (5-0, 2 KOs) of Sherman Oaks, California, via Frankfurt, Germany, will take on pro-debuting middleweight Jerhed Fenderson of Las Vegas. And in the night’s opening televised bout, red-hot prospect Malik Hawkins (8-0, 7 KOs) of Baltimore, Maryland, will look to keep his march to the top of the welterweight division alive against Portland, Oregon’s Sean Gee (3-4).

Topping the night’s undercard will be Temecula, California’s undefeated Robert Meza (2-0-0, 1 KO) in a four-round featherweight duel with Baja California, Mexico’s Jose Fabian Naranjo (3-2-1, 1 KO).

Also in action will be Detroit-based bantamweight Jarico O’Quinn (2-0, 2 KOs) taking on the more experienced Jonathon Quiroz (6-3, 1 KO) from Oceanside, California.

Making his anticipated professional debut will be Temecula, California’s Danny Andujo in a super flyweight four-rounder against San Jose’s Israel Hernandez (1-2-1, 1 KO).

A dual-pro-debut lightweight four-rounder will pit Las Vegas’ Erick Fowler against Sacramento’s Will Davis.

And opening up the action will be a super welterweight four-rounder between San Diego’s undefeated Kevin Ottley (2-0, 2 KOs) and Hawthorne’s Brian True (1-4, 1 KO).

The Pechanga Resort & Casino is located at 45000 Pechanga Parkway in Temecula, CA. For more information, call 1-888-PECHANGA or visit www.pechanga.com. On fight night, doors open at 6 pm and the action starts at 7 pm. All bouts subject to change.

About Greg Cohen Promotions
One of boxing’s premier promotional outfits, Greg Cohen Promotions (GCP) is a well-respected name for staging world-class professional boxing events and promoting elite professional fighters throughout the world.

Founder and CEO Greg Cohen has been involved with professional boxing in various capacities since the late 1980s, honing his craft and establishing himself as a shrewd international boxing businessman.

Distinguished by his ability to spot and develop raw talent, Cohen first made promotional headlines for his expert guidance of, among many others, former WBA Junior Middleweight Champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout, who Cohen helped guide from unknown New Mexico prospect to elite pay-per-view level superstar.

In addition to Trout, Greg Cohen Promotions has worked with established names such as former unified and two-time heavyweight champion Hasim “The Rock” Rahman and all-time-great multiple-weight class world champion James “Lights Out” Toney.

Cohen currently promotes WBA Interim World Lightweight Champion Ismael Barroso, Undefeated WBA NABA Heavyweight Champion and world-rated contender Jarrell Miller, undefeated WBA NABA Middleweight Champion and world-rated contender Robert Brant, former world champion Kendall Holt, as well as current world-rated contenders including long-time elite middleweight “Mean” Joe Greene, top super featherweight Arash Usmanee, Canadian lightweight and TV action hero Tony Luis; WBA and five-time Irish National Amateur Champion, Dennis Hogan; and Australian lightweight prospect Josh King.

Greg Cohen Promotions has hosted world-class boxing events in the finest venues throughout the United States and the world and has also proudly provided talent and/or content for several television networks including CBS Sports Network, HBO, Showtime, ESPN, NBC Sports Network, CBS Sports Network, MSG and FOX Sports Net.

For more information, visit gcpboxing.com. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GCPBoxing. Twitter: @GCPBoxing.

CANCUN, Mexico (August 4, 2016) – American boxing fans will have a rare opportunity to watch a women’s world title fight on national television as “Cancun Boxing,” presented by Pepe Gomez Boxing in association with Neon Star Media, will air tonight (Thursday, Aug. 4), starting at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT, on CBS Sports Network.

The event, which took place July 23, 2016, is the second in the “Cancun Boxing” series that will air on CBS Sports Network in 2016. Grand Oasis Cancun the Hotel Complex, Cancun`s ONLY Ultimate All-Inclusive Entertainment Resort, will play host to all events in this ongoing series.

Hall-of-Famer announcers Jim “JR” Ross and Al Bernstein called the action live from ringside in Cancun, Mexico.

“We’re very happy to be in a new partnership with Neon Star Media, whose belief in the quality of Cancun Boxing has led to our product being shown throughout the United States on CBS Sports Network,” Cancun Boxing president Pepe Gomez said. “American boxing fans really appreciate Mexican boxers and they will love all of the action from the capital of boxing in Mexico, Cancun Quintana Roo.”

The main event was a scheduled 10-round World Boxing Council (WBC) female world flyweight title fight between Mexico City rivals, defending champion Jessica “Kika” Chavez (26-4-3, 4 KOs) and challenger Esmeralda “Joya” Moreno (33-8-1. 11 KOs), in a rematch of their February 19, 2011 fight, in which Moreno won a 10-round unanimous decision.

Chavez, 28, captured her WBC flyweight crown last September, taking a unanimous 10-round decision from Arely Mucino (21-2-2), followed by successful title defenses against Simona Galassi (WTDEC9) and, most recently, Vanesa Lorena (WDEC10) this past March.

During her outstanding 7-year professional career, Chavez has been International Boxing Federation (IBF) and Interim World Boxing Federation (WBF) light flyweight champion. She also has several other title belts in her collection, including WBC International female in addition to WBC Silver and North American Boxing Federation (NABF) light flyweight.

WBC No. 5-rated Moreno, 28, defeated Eva Voraberger (20-4) by majority 10-round decision this past April in Austria for the International Boxing Organization (IBO), Women’s International Boxing Federation (WIBF) and Global Boxing Union (GBU) world super flyweight titles.

In 2012, she won a 10-round decision over Naomi Togashi (10-0-1) for the WBC world light flyweight championship, followed by one title defense victory against Maricela Quintero (WDEC10). She has also been WBC Youth and WBC Silver light flyweight, Mexican bantamweight and light flyweight champion.

In their original match-up, Moreno won a convincing 10-round decision over Chavez, by scores of 98-92 by all three judges, for the vacant WBC Silver and Interim Mexico light flyweight titles.

In The 10-round co-feature, Mexican welterweights Jose “Piston” Lopez and Diego “Demoledor” Cruz went toe-to-toe with future title fight implications at stake.

The 25-year-old Lopez (25-5-2, 15 KOs) was a late replacement for injured Roberto “Massa” Ortiz. A former World Boxing Federation (WBF) champion, upset-minded Cruz (15-3-1, 12 KOs) is a 22-year-old prospect from Mexico City who was riding a 10-fight win streak, dating back two years, going into his fight with Lopez.

The other televised bout was an intriguing match-up between former WBC World super bantamweight champion Victor “Vikingo” Terrazas (37-3-1, 21 KOs) and battle-tested Cristian “El Rudo” Arrazola (20-11-2, 15 KOs).

The 33-year-old Terrazas, who hadn’t fought since his losing his WBC title nearly three years ago to Leo Santa Cruz, captured the vacant WBC crown in 2013, taking a 12-round split decision from fellow Mexican great Cristian Mijares. Terrazas also holds a notable victory by way of a unanimous 12-round decision over another Mexican boxing icon, 5-time, 3-division world champion Fernando Montiel, for the vacant WBC Silver super bantamweight championship.

“US viewers will enjoy our Cancun Boxing fights, Mexican against Mexican,” Gomez concluded. “Our fights showcase some of the most recognized Mexican fighters, in addition to competitive, young Mexican warriors ready to advance from prospect to contender. We’re in a new era of Mexican boxing and this new generation of Mexican fighters will be fighting sometime soon in the United States and around the world.”
All fights and fighters are subject to change.

CBS Sports Network is available across the country through local cable, video and telco providers and via satellite on DirecTV Channel 221 and Dish Network Channel 158. For more information, including a full programming schedule and how to get CBS Sports Network, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com

INFORMATION

Twitter: @pepegomezcancun, @cancun_boxing, @Neonstarmedia

Instagram: @pepegomez1

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/pepigomezquiqui, www.facebook.com/Neon-Star-Media-378687919005532/

NEW YORK – August 4, 2016 – Combate Americas, the first-ever U.S. Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise, today announced new main event and co-main event matchups for its 10-bout fight card that will air live on UFC FIGHT PASS® from The Exchange in Los Angeles, Calif. on Thursday, Aug. 11 at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT.

Streaking star John “Sexy Mexy” Castaneda (10-2) will step in for Erick Sanchez, who suffered a staph infection, and face off with Angel “Tito” Cruz (5-2) in the featherweight (145 pounds) main event at “Aspira A Mas Presents Combate Americas: CombateOCHO,” while four-time UFC® veteran Danny “The Gremlin” Martinez will replace a hurt (knee injury) Jonathan Martinez (19-7) in the flyweight (125 pounds) co-main event contest with Benjamin Vinson (8-3-1).

In addition, the planned women’s atomweight (105 pounds) matchup between Kyra “Mogwai” Batara (5-3) and Lisa Ellis (15-10) has been scrapped due to a hamstring injury sustained by Batara.

“We wish Erick, Jonathan and Kyra speedy and full recoveries, and have the utmost respect for John Castaneda and Danny Martinez, two ferocious warriors who did not hesitate to accept our offers to face super tough opponents in the top two fights on our card, on short notice,” said Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren.

The 24-year-old Castaneda of Mankato, Minn. is riding a five-fight win streak, the last three of which came inside the Combate Americas cage, or “La Jaula.”

To date, the fast-rising star who normally competes at bantamweight (135 pounds), but who began his career as a featherweight, has notched 7 of his 10 professional career wins by way of (T)KO or submission.

Martinez of Chula Vista, Calif. will see action for the first time since his unanimous decision win over Richie Vaculik at UFC 193 last November 14.

The 31-year-old finisher, originally hailing from Tempe, Ariz., has earned 14 of his 19 career victories by way of (T)KO or submission.

Tickets for “Aspira A Mas Presents Combate Americas: CombateOCHO,” priced from $40, are on sale at ItsMySeat.com as well as at The Exchange box office. UFC FIGHT PASS is available on: personal computers, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android, Chromecast, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Sony TVs with Android TV and Roku devices.

Doors at the Exchange LA open for the event at 5:30 p.m. PT, and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 6 p.m. The live UFC FIGHT PASS stream will commence at 6:30 p.m.

COMBATE AMERICAS: CombateOCHO

Featherweight Main Event:
John Castaneda vs. Angel Cruz

Flyweight Co-Main Event:
Danny Ramirez vs. Benjamin Vinson

Flyweight: Heinrich Wassmer vs. Benji Gomez
Featherweight: Izic Fernandez vs. Marcos Bonilla
Flyweight: Jonathan Santa Maria vs. Albert Tapia
Featherweight: Jonathan Quiroz vs. Ryan Lilley
Lightweight: Jose Estrada vs. Christian Cardona
Lightweight: Erick Gonzalez vs. Yoandy Carrillo
Welterweight: Daniel Rodriguez vs. Hector Saldana
Welterweight: George Hernandez vs. Hakob Ter Petrosyan

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ABOUT COMBATE AMERICAS
Combate Americas, LLC. is the first U.S. Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise in history, designed to build Latino fighting champions and serve Hispanic fans, one of the world’s most avid groups of prize fighting enthusiasts. The Combate Americas franchise includes reality TV programming, live events and mobile programming. The company’s CEO, Campbell McLaren, is universally recognized as the co-founder/co-creator of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). New York Magazine described McLaren as “the marketing genius behind the UFC” and Yahoo! Sports proclaimed that he “knows more about the sport than just about anyone in it today.” With an unprecedented product and a blue-chip ownership and management team, Combate Americas is poised to break new ground and bring about a new era in world championship level MMA competition.

About UFC®
UFC® is a premium global sports brand and the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Sao Paulo and Singapore, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 156 countries and territories to more than 1.1 billion TV households worldwide in 29 different languages. UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service, delivers exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content to fans around the world. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram: @UFC.

BROOKLYN (August 4, 2016) – Exciting contender Claudio “The Matrix” Marrero (20-1, 14 KOs) takes on unbeaten Derrick Murray (13-0-1, 5 KOs) while undefeated contenders Heather “The Heat” Hardy (17-0, 4 KOs) and Shelly “Shelito’s Way” Vincent (18-0, 1 KO) face off in a long awaited battle on a Premier Boxing Champions on NBCSN doubleheader, Sunday, August 21.

Tape delayed PBC on NBCSN coverage will begin at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT from Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island Boardwalk in Brooklyn. PBC on NBC coverage begins at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT and features undefeated rising star and 2012 U.S. Olympian Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. in a welterweight title eliminator against once-beaten contender Leonard “The Lion” Bundu.

Marrero and Murray will meet in a super featherweight bout while Vincent and Hardy are set to compete in 10-rounds of featherweight action that sees the return of women’s boxing to a primetime national audience.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and presented by BROOKLYN BOXING™, start at $35 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting www.ticketmaster.com and fordamphitheaterconeyisland.com.

A former title challenger who lost a narrow decision to Jesus Cuellar in 2013, Marrero has won six-straight bouts since then. Most recently, the 27-year-old dominated Jonathan Arrellano on his way to a decision in February. A native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Marrero was an accomplished amateur who will be fighting in New York for the second time in his pro career.

Unbeaten and fighting out of St. Louis, Murray has already picked up victories in 2016 over Jose Silveria and Darryl Hayes. A pro since 2011, Murray will step up in competition when he takes on Marrero. The 28-year-old was victorious twice in 2015 in addition to four victories he earned in 2014.

A popular Brooklyn fighter who competed in Barclays Center’s first-ever professional female boxing match, Hardy has become a staple of the Brooklyn boxing scene. A little over two years after her pro debut, Hardy won an international title belt in the super bantamweight division in October 2014. In 2015, she defeated Noemi Bosques and Renata Domsodi twice. In 2016 she has stopped Anna Donatella Hultin in the fourth round and most recently defeated Kirstie Simmons in June.

Born in Connecticut but now fighting out of and representing Providence, Rhode Island, Vincent will look to earn the biggest win of her career August 21 when she fights in New York for the second time. Vincent has been busy in 2016, picking up victories over Renata Domsodi, Elizabeth Anderson and most recently Christina Ruiz in July. An all-action fighter, Vincent has fought 10 rounds twice in her pro career that dates back to 2011.

Additional undercard action will see unbeaten prospect and New England Golden Glove champion Abraham Nova (1-0, 1 KO) take on California’s Leonardo Chavez (6-1, 5 KOs) in a six-round lightweight attraction, unbeaten Brooklyn-native Julian Sosa (5-0-1, 2 KOs) taking on Rene Marquez (5-2, 2 KOs) in a welterweight showdown and New York Golden Glove champion Joseph Williams (9-0, 7 KOs) in an eight-round cruiserweight fight.

Barclays Center’s BROOKLYN BOXING™ programming platform is presented by AARP. PBC on NBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.
For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com and www.nbcsports.com/boxing, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing,@ErrolSpenceJr, @LouDiBella, @NBCSports, @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/NBCSports, www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment and www.Facebook.com/barclayscenter. Highlights available at www.youtube.com/premierboxingchampions.

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SANTANDER, PA. (August 4, 2016) – Middleweight world champion Daniel “The Miracle Man” Jacobs (31-1, 28 KOs) will defend his title in a rematch against former world champion Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora (28-4-2, 9 KOs) that headlines Premier Boxing Champions on Spike, Friday, September 9
from Santander Arena, in Reading, Pa.

Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT and features undefeated lightweights colliding for a vacant world title as Robert Easter Jr. (17-0, 14 KOs) takes on Richard Commey (24-0, 22 KOs). Also on the card, heavyweight contender Travis “My Time” Kauffman (30-1, 22 KOs) will be featured in a 10-round fight.

Jacobs and Mora met in an August 2015 firefight that saw both men hit the canvas in round one. Mora was floored by a Jacobs right hand but the tricky veteran recovered and caught Jacobs with a clean left that put Jacobs on the ground. The action was halted in round two after Jacobs knocked Mora down again, rendering him unable to continue after fracturing his ankle on his way to the mat.

“This is business for me, but it is also more personal than any fight I have ever had,” said Jacobs. “Sergio has been using these antics online to get this rematch and he has gotten under my skin. There has been a lot of back and forth as far as people’s opinions as to who would have won the fight had he not gotten hurt. I am looking at this as an opportunity to clarify that I am the real champion. I want to shut his trap in primetime.”

“I don’t think Jacobs wanted this rematch, but it was destined to happen and now he has to deal with it,” said Mora. “I thought the first fight was going my way. I knocked him down in the first round and was out boxing him in the second round. He knows that I have enough power to hurt him. He has more to worry about going into this fight than in the first fight. Look at my resume, I have fought solid opposition. Jacobs doesn’t have that type of resume.”

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by King’s Promotions, start at $20 and are on sale now via Ticketmaster.

“This is going to be one of the best cards of the year,” said Marshall Kauffman of King’s Promotions. “There are two great world title fights with Jacobs and Mora plus Easter and Commey. The first Jacobs – Mora fight was headed to be a shootout before Mora got injured. Easter and Commey has all the makings of a war. Add that to Travis Kauffman continuing his road to the heavyweight title plus the best fighters from Reading on the card, The Santander Arena will be electric both inside the ring and in the building on September 9.”

The 29-year-old Jacobs followed up his victory over Mora with a sensational first round knockout of previously unbeaten former champion Peter Quillin in their highly anticipated December showdown. An inspirational figure representing Brooklyn, New York, Jacobs completed his road from cancer survivor to champion when he defeated Jarrod Fletcher for the middleweight title in 2014.

The winner of NBC’s “The Contender” series, the 35-year-old Mora is a former world champion at super welterweight and looking to add a middleweight crown to his name as he returns to the ring for the first time since the injury suffered in the first Jacobs fight. The Los Angeles native owns victories over Ishe Smith, Peter Manfredo Jr. and Vernon Forrest.

An accomplished amateur who was a 2012 U.S. Olympic alternate, the 25-year-old Easter Jr. picked up four victories in 2015 including knockouts over Osumanu Akaba, Miguel Mendoza, Alejandro Rodriguez and Juan Ramon Solis. Unbeaten since turning pro in 2012, the Toledo, Ohio-born prospect faced the toughest challenge of his career in April when he impressively stopped former world champion Algenis Mendez also on Spike.

Representing Accra, Ghana, Commey has climbed the ranks since turning pro in 2011 and has yet to be defeated. The 29-year-old won his first 11 bouts fighting out of Ghana before going to London, Denmark, South Africa and Germany to improve his record to 24-0. Commey fought in the U.S. as well, stopping Bahodir Mamadjonov in the eighth round last May.

A local attraction fighting out of Reading, Kauffman is the son of longtime trainer and promoter Marshall Kauffman. Kauffman won his first 18 pro fights and entered his last bout on a 12-fight winning streak. The 30-year-old dropped Chris Arreola in his last outing before losing a majority decision that was later changed to a no decision. Now, Kauffman looks to impress in his hometown as he returns to the ring.

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com and www.spike.com/shows/premier-boxing-champions. Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @DanielJacobsTKO, @TheLatinSnake_, @SpikeTV, @SpikeSports @KingsBoxing_ and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions. PBC on Spike is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

OAKLAND, CA (August 4, 2016) – On Thursday, August 4, Roc Nation Sports hosted the final press conference for Two-Time World Champion and top-rated pound-for-pound fighter Andre Ward (29-0, 15 KOs) and power-punching Colombian Alexander Brand (25-1, 19 KOs) at Lake Merritt Amphitheater in Oakland, California in advance of their August 6 fight at Oracle Arena in Oakland. Ward and Brand will meet in 12-round WBO Intercontinental title fight televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 10:35 p.m. ET/PT.

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf sent senior special advisor, Penny Moore, to kick off the press conference with an official proclamation honoring Ward’s contribution to the city and declaring August 4 as Andre Ward Day.

Below is what the fighters and dais guests had to say at the press conference:

ANDRE WARD, Two-Time World Champion and top-rated pound-for-pound fighter:

“The Bay Area is a beautiful place. I’m blessed to be here in my city and to represent you all. I’ve gotten a lot of heat in the press about fighting here but I won’t apologize. I dreamed about fighting here and being a headliner. We’re going to continue to headline. I’m thankful for all the sponsors that were named, HBO and everybody who supported on a small and big level.

“I’m excited about the future. I want to be the lightweight champion of the world, a two division champion. Everyone knows that, but it’s impossible for me to overlook this man (Brand). I’m not built like that. I wasn’t raised like that. I wasn’t groomed like that. As a young fighter, I don’t operate like that. This man is coming, this is his super bowl. Because this is his super bowl, it has to be my super bowl. My ribs are showing, I’m hungry. I’ll see you all Saturday night.”

ALEXANDER BRAND, Former WBC Latino Super Middleweight Champion:

“I want to thank you all for being here today. It’s a pleasure for me to be in this wonderful city. All I want to do is give a good show and make sure that I give that to my fans here in Oakland. I want to have a good fight and work hard. It’s really a true honor to be in the ring with a champion like Andre Ward.”

MICHAEL YORMARK, President and Chief of Branding & Strategy – Roc Nation:

“Over the last year and a half this city has become our home away from home, with Saturday marking Roc Nation Sports’ third big Bay Area fight in the last 16 months. More importantly, Oakland is also the home to the world’s greatest pound-for-pound boxer and Olympic gold medalist, your very own Andre Ward and now the new home of another Roc Nation star athlete, Kevin Durant. On Saturday at Oracle Arena and live on HBO, Andre looks to continue his conquest of the light heavyweight division when he takes on power-punching Colombian Alexander Brand.”

VIRGIL HUNTER, Andre Ward’s Trainer:

“Thanks to the city of Oakland for coming out and supporting Andre. We hope you continue to do that as we continue to grow in his career and his journey. Much respect for Team Brand. We consider him a very formidable opponent. He cannot be taken lightly. We know he can fight, we know he is a great competitor. It is also an honor for us to be in the ring with him and his team.”

JAMES PRINCE, Andre Ward’s Manager:

“I like to thank God for this opportunity, HBO, Roc Nation, Antonio Leonard Promotions and Team Alexander Brand. Alexander Brand has over 400 amateur fights so this is an opponent we’re not taking lightly. Anybody who has 400 fights has a lot of experience so we look forward to fighting him. We had him on our radar a few months ago but we didn’t reel him in. We were injured and he got away from us. Come Saturday night, we’re going to put an S.O.G brand on Alexander Brand.”

ALEX CAMPONOVO, Alexander Brand’s Manager:

“It’s been a long road for Alexander Brand. He’s worked very hard to get where he is today. He was given the opportunity by HBO last December for a fight in Florida on HBO Latino and he showed his true colors. This is a great opponent, one of the greatest of all time, in Andre Ward. We know that this champion probably has never lost a round inside the ring and that is what Brand is here to do, to prove himself and to show that if you try and work hard, you can go very far.”

TONY WALKER, Vice President, HBO Pay-Per-View:

“On behalf of our executive Vice President Peter Nelson and the rest of the HBO Sports staff, I’d like to say that we’re very happy to be here in Oakland. We are looking forward to a great card on Saturday night. We’ve done three shows from Oracle, and each time, Andre Ward has put on an outstanding performance and showcased his skills as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. We consider Andre one of the HBO family as he’s been able to showcase his skills, become one of the best boxers of this generation, recognized as a champion and he’s all done it with great character and great professionalism. He’s a joy to work with us at the network.

“I’d like to welcome Alexander Brand to the network as he’s here to spoil the party. Anytime you get in the ring, anything can happen as we’ve seen in boxing over the years. We welcome him and know that he’s going to give a great performance as he tries to elevate his own career.

“There seems to be an opportunity that people have been talking about this fall for Andre. With what we’ve seen in boxing over the past few years, I think we should wait to see what happens Saturday night, then start talking about what happens after that. The telecast starts at 10:35 p.m. ET/PT. We have a great broadcast crew, we guarantee you some informative and exciting discussion on boxing and a great night of television.”

Ward vs. Brand is a 12-round fight for the WBO Intercontinental title, presented by Roc Nation Sports and sponsored by Corona Extra, Verizon, ProSupps, Corporate Travel Management Solutions (CTMS), Jordan Brand, Shoe Palace, Kingsford, Autocom Nissan, Ticketmaster and The Clorox Company, supporting the Bay Area Community for over 100 years. The event will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 10:35 p.m. ET/PT.
Tickets priced at $250, $100, $70, $40 and $30, not including applicable service charges and taxes, are available at all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com and charge by phone at (800) 745-3000.

For more information, please visit www.rocnation.com. Follow Roc Nation on Twitter and Instagram @rocnation and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RocNation.

For more information, visit www.hbo.com/boxing, follow on Twitter and Instagram at @HBOBoxing and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing.

Follow the conversation using #WardBrand.

Hosea Burton says he’ll take the frustration of having to wait to defend his British Light-Heavyweight title out on Frank Buglioni when they clash for the Lord Lonsdale belt at the Manchester Arena on September 24, live on Sky Sports.

Burton was due to make his first defence against Tony Dodson at Goodison Park in Liverpool in May but Dodson was forced out of the clash with a snapped Achilles.

The Manchester man appeared in six-round action on the card and landed a third stoppage win of the year which started with a sixth round KO of Miles Shinkwin to win the belt in February, but the unbeaten 27 year old is frustrated that he’s had to wait seven months for his first defence and will take those frustrations out on the Londoner, who he says is the perfect opponent for his style.

“It’s frustrating because I should be fighting to win this belt outright now,” said Burton. “Tony’s injury was unfortunate and there’s not a lot you can do about that, but TT was knocked back for a shot but he’s now fighting in an eliminator for it on the same night so I don’t get that. Frank is going to be in a bad place come September 24.

“I am a better boxer than Frank. When you watch his fights, he cannot evade a punch, there’s nothing wrong with his heart and he proved he has tons of that in the Fedor Chudinov fight. He’s got limited ability though and he’s vulnerable to everything I am good at. He’s a good boxer but not good enough to beat me, especially not at Light-Heavyweight. He’s not big enough and he’s not skilled enough.

“I am the best in the division. It’s a thin division but I can say that because I am the best in the division. If you can’t beat the rest of them then I can’t say it, but I beat all of them and I can beat three of them in one night. Frank is coming up from Super-Middleweight and I don’t think he deserves the shot to be honest, and he certainly shouldn’t be ahead of me in the BoxRec rankings – I am going to take him out of those rankings and make him think about going back to Super-Middleweight.”

Burton’s clash with Buglioni is part of a huge night of action in Manchester as Anthony Crolla and Jorge Linares lock horns in a mouth-watering unification battle for the WBA and WBC Diamond World and Ring Magazine Lightweight Championships.

Isaac Lowe defends his Commonwealth Featherweight title against Tshifhiwa Munyai and Conor Benn tastes his fifth night of action in the paid ranks with an appearance first at The O2 in London on September 10.
Tickets are on sale now priced at £40, £60, £80, £100 and £150 and available from the Manchester Arena at www.manchester-arena.com or by calling 0844 847 8000. VIPs tickets are exclusively available through www.matchroomboxing.com priced at £250.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Aug. 4th, 2016) — With a second child added to the household just four months ago, Greg Rebello has finally gotten the hang of balancing fatherhood with fighting.

After admittedly struggling the first time around, which affected his performance in the cage, the 34-year-old Providence native is now raising a soon-to-be 4-year-old daughter and a 4-month-old son without missing a beat as he prepares to face Tennessee’s Ashley Gooch on Friday, Aug. 12th, 2016 for the vacant CES MMA Heavyweight Title on the main card of “CES MMA 37” live on AXS TV from Twin River Casino.

Everything has changed for the Rebello family; business is booming for his wife, Nicole, a former fitness model who runs Body Rock Fitness & Nutrition in nearby Lincoln, and Rebello (20-6, 12 KOs) is in the midst of a four-fight win streak in his post-retirement renaissance.

“It’s a hell of a lot easier,” said Rebello, who’s second child, Cameron, was born just two weeks following his knockout win over Keith Bell in March.

“Put it this way: I haven’t missed or come close to missing one single training session because I had to watch my kid. We have a lot of help. It hasn’t been an issue at all like it was the first time.”

His daughter, Mya, was born six days before his scheduled bout against Chris Guillen in 2012. Rebello won that fight, but the responsibilities of fatherhood pulled him further and further away from his career in MMA. He hit rock bottom a year later in a loss to Lewis Rumsey, prompting him to announce his retirement in the cage moments after the fight.

It wasn’t until his daughter got older that Rebello realized he still had enough left in the tank to make one more run as long as he rededicated his free time to training. He returned to MMA in December of 2013 and has since won five of six fights, including three in a row by knockout on AXS TV, making him a fan favorite both with AXS’ worldwide audience and commentators Pat Miletich and Michael Schiavello.

With his Muay Thai as sharp as ever at the age of 34, Rebello’s fights are now must-see TV. Next Friday’s showdown with Gooch figures to be just as entertaining as the rest. He and Rebello have combined for 18 knockouts in their 29 wins. Gooch has won his last six, all by knockout or submission, so the possibility of this fight lasting five full rounds is a long shot.

“[CES MMA matchmaker] Pat Sullivan doesn’t pay us by the hour,” quipped Rebello. “If he paid us by the hour, I’d stay there all night.”

The 6-foot-3 Gooch (9-4, 6 KOs) is still relatively unknown in the northeast, but he made a strong first impression in January on the main card of “CES MMA 32” when he submitted former Bellator vet Josh Diekmann via rear-naked choke at 4 minutes, 30 seconds of the opening round on AXS TV.

“I knew I was the underdog going in,” Gooch said. “They never bring in an out-of-town guy to win.”

Rebello worked Diekmann’s corner in that fight, so he caught a first-hand glimpse of what Gooch brings to the table, though he doesn’t think it’ll mean much when the bell rings next Friday.

“Josh Diekmann trained three times for that fight. He was coming off two knee surgeries. He literally was 10 percent in that fight,” Rebello said. “I knew myself and Josh knew that if it went to the ground Josh just wasn’t healthy enough to be able to do anything down there. As soon as that fight hit the ground, I knew it was over.

“If that was the Josh Diekmann who fought Mike Wessel for Bellator, he would’ve put Gooch to sleep.”

In order to finish what Diekmann started, Rebello will rely on the same footwork and fast hands that carried him in his last four fights. Though he and Gooch have a tendency to finish their opponents, their styles are polar opposites.

“Gooch is kind of a guy who goes straight forward with those fucking terrible punches. I’m more of the guy who sets it up,” he said. “I use my feints and my footwork. I kind of take a different approach to make guys play into my element.”

His fight against Mike Mucitelli, in which Rebello coaxed his opponent into coming forward and then knocked him cold with a well-timed overhand left, is a perfect example.

“The thing is I kept punching and moving backwards and moving in and just kind of every time he attacked I circled out and he just basically walked into one of my shots,” Rebello recalled. “The same thing happened against Keith Bell, but he’s a big heavyweight like Gooch and I think he just got tired of chasing me around and got frustrated. That’s when he started moving backwards and if you start moving backwards with me the fight’s going to be over.”

Gooch returns to Rhode Island next Friday in a familiar role as the underdog against Rebello, who has nearly three times as much experience as a professional. Born in Tennessee, Gooch spent several years living with a friend in Denver, where he linked up with the late Mauricio Zingano and his wife, former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) standout Cat Zingano. When he decided to leave Colorado to move to Arizona, Zingano referred him to the head instructor at The MMA Lab in Glendale, John Crouch. The rest is history.

“I’ve fought on AXS TV before and I’ve had big wins on AXS before, so I don’t let the whole TV thing bother me very much. I’m just glad people are able to see me that usually don’t get to see me because I’m from the east coast, but I live on the west coast,” Gooch said.

“It’s a title fight, so there’s a lot on the line for Greg. I figure he’ll bring his best. It’s not really déjà vu. It’s a different fighter, a different day, a different scenario, and different things on the line. Like I said, every fight is different. Greg is a tough guy. Hat’s off to him. If I was a fan, I’d definitely be looking forward to this fight.”

With the way these two finish opponents, this could be the Fight of the Night, even if it doesn’t last that long.

“I’ve fought every opponent possible, every size,” Rebello said. “Nothing Gooch brings to the table is going to be any surprise to me.”

Tickets for “CES MMA 37” are priced at $40.00, $55.00, $100.00 and $125.00 (VIP) and can be purchased online at www.cesmma.com, www.twinriver.com, www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at 401-724-2253/2254 or at the Twin River Casino Players Club. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Rebello-Gooch is one of three, five-round title bouts on the main card. Woonsocket, R.I., native Andre Soukhamthath (10-3, 6 KOs), now fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla., defends his CES MMA Bantamweight Title for the first time against Cambridge, Mass., vet Kin Moy (8-2, 2 KOs) in the main event, a rematch of their back-and-forth war in January of 2014 in which Moy won by unanimous decision. Stafford Springs, Conn., vet Matt Bessette (19-7, 5 KOs) battles Stephen Cervantes (6-1) of Albuquerque, N.M., for the vacant CES MMA Featherweight Title.

Also on the AXS TV main card, middleweight Chuck O’Neil (16-8, 5 KOs) of Bourne, Mass., faces Roy Jones (7-4, 3 KOs) of Waterloo, Iowa, and featherweight Joe Pingitore (6-2-1, 2 KOs) of Johnston, R.I., returns to network television for the fourth time when he faces Bill Jones (12-10, 3 KOs) of Somersworth, N.H.

The preliminary card features four exciting bouts, highlighted by a middleweight showdown between Berkeley, Mass., vet Pat McCrohan (2-0, 1 KO) and Russian Ruslan Melikov (3-1), fighting out of Fairfield, N.J. Providence bantamweight Marquis Brewster (1-0) faces Turtle Creek, Pa., native Roosevelt Archie (0-1); Boston lightweight Devin Carrier (1-1, 1 KO) battles Holbrook, Mass., native Connor Barry (1-0); and Dylan Lockard of Derry, N.H., makes his professional debut against Seldon, N.Y., featherweight Mak Kelleher (1-2). Quincy, Mass., middleweight Mike Rodriguez (3-1, 1 KO) will be featured in a separate three-round bout against an opponent to be determined.

Visit www.cesmma.com, www.twitter.com/cesmma or www.facebook.com/ces.mma for more information and use the hashtag #CES37 to join the conversation.

LOS ANGELES (Aug. 3, 2016) – Golden Boy Promotions fighters set to demonstrate their skills in the ring at the August 5 and August 19 editions of LA FIGHT CLUB today hosted a media workout at C M Boxing Stables in the City of Alhambra. Headlining the August 5 card, Carlos “The Solution” Morales, Angel Bojado, Joet Gonzalez, Pablo “The Shark” Rubio, Jr., and Jousce Gonzalez, were in attendance as well as Vyacheslav “Lion Heart – Chingonsky” Shabranskyy, who is set to headline the August 19 edition along with stable mates Ivan “Striker” Delgado, Alexis Rocha, and David Mijares.

Below is what the fighters had to say at today’s media workout:

August 5 LA FIGHT CLUB card fighters:

CARLOS “THE SOLUTION” MORALES, Super Featherweight Contender:

“The way I’ve been preparing for this fight is focusing on body shots and applying pressure there.

“Since my opponent and I have similar records, I feel I have fought tougher fighters than he has. My opponent is very fast, so I’ve been working on my speed.

“One of the hardest parts of boxing is making weight. Right now, I’m a few pounds over, but it’s all part of the business.

“I’m excited to get back in the ring. Someday, I’d like to be a world champion. I see this as another fight to move up in the ranks.”

JOET GONZALEZ, Featherweight Prospect:

“My last fight was on May 6, the night before Canelo Alvarez’s last fight, and I’m coming in ready for this fight coming up.

“I have a few rivals nationally and here in California. My biggest rival has probably been Joseph Diaz, Jr. because we have trained together, and I’ve seen him fight.”

ANGEL BOJADO, Super Welterweight Prospect:

“I’ve had a really great camp, and I’m training super hard. Camp went so well I’m coming in underweight and feel no stress. The next few days I’ll be reviewing videos of my opponent, studying what he does and relaxing. I want to improve to be the best fighter I can be.

“I know my opponent is coming in with three losses and will be hungry to fight so I’m preparing to be ready.”

PABLO RUBIO, JR., Super Bantamweight Prospect:

“I’m always excited to be back at the Belasco Theater. My camp and I have trained very hard for this.

“My opponent is 4-7 and seems like an aggressive fighter. We’re going to be very smart about this and go in for the knockout if we can.

“I’m going to make this a great and exciting fight to give the fans what they want.”

JOUSCE GONZALEZ, Super Featherweight Prospect:

“I’m newly signed with Golden Boy Promotions, and I’m very excited for my upcoming fight. It feels great to go from amateur to professional in boxing.

“I’ve learned a lot from my brother Joet [Gonzalez] and watching him fight.

“My first fight was April 15 at the Belasco Theater, and I worked very hard for it to get my first knockout. You never know what could happen in boxing, anything could happen in the ring.”

August 18 LA FIGHT CLUB card fighters:

VYACHESLAV “LION HEART-CHINGONSKYY” SHABRANSKYY, Light Heavyweight Contender:

“My training camp is focused on working hard. Usually it is six weeks before the fight. We are working on sparring, and I am ready for the fight.

“I am very excited to be the main event at LA FIGHT CLUB. This is my second time headlining a fight in my career.

“I don’t know a lot about my opponent, but I am training my hardest to beat him. He is a southpaw so I will be using my right hand.”

IVAN “STRIKER” DELGAGO, Super Featherweight Prospect:

“I’m excited because this is my first co-main event fight. My opponent is a strong fighter, and I’m coming out to fight. This is my first eight-round fight, and I’ve been preparing by conditioning more.

“My daily routine has been waking up early, going for a run, heading to the gym and sparring. I do training and conditioning every other day. I’m at 132 lbs., and my diet has been healthy and consistent.

“My opponent has only been knocked out, and he’s going to come to win. I’ve seen him fight before and he’s tough.”

ALEXIS ROCHA, Welterweight Prospect:

“This fight is my first six round fight, so I’m focusing on conditioning. I’m going to go for the body shots in this one.

“I don’t know too much about my opponent, but I’m ready for what he brings.

“Coming back to the Belasco Theater is very exciting. Lots of fans will be there, and it feels great to hear them chanting my name.

“Camp has been great. I have a few more weeks, and I’m working on sparring. It’s more of a waiting game right now.

“My brother Ronny is the biggest inspiration for me. He gives me lots of mental advice. Boxing is 90 percent a mental sport.”

DAVID MIJARES, Super Lightweight Prospect:

“So far as a professional, I have fought on the undercard of Canelo vs. Khan. It was very nerve wracking because it was the first fight at the T-Mobile Arena, but once I got over it, I got straight to business.

“I’m not too familiar with my opponent, but I believe he is from Texas and it’s a string state for talented boxers.

“My number one priority for this fight is sitting on my punches and putting on a great show for the fans.

“My training camp has been going well. My sparring has been sharp. I even sparred with Viktor Postol at the end of his camp against Terence Crawford.”

Carlos Morales vs. Luis Franco, is a 10-round super featherweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by “Tecate, BORN BOLD,” Casa Mexico Tequila, Carmelita Coconut Water, and Hands of Stone: The True Story of Robert Duran out in theatres August. The Boxeo Estelar broadcast will air live on Estrella TV at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT. The card will also stream live on EstrellaTV.com and on YouTube via Fenomeno Studios. The Ring TV live stream will begin at approximately 5:30 p.m. PT through 7:00 p.m.

Vyacheslav Shabranskyy vs. Oscar Riojas is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate, BORN BOLD, Casa Mexico Tequila and Carmelita Chorizo. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. and the first bout begins at 5:30 p.m. The Estrella TV Boxeo Estelar broadcast will air live on Friday, Aug. 19 at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT and will stream live simultaneously on estrellaTV.com and on YouTube via Fenomeno Studios: youtube.com/FenomenoStudios. The Ring TV live stream will begin at approximately 5:30 p.m. PT through 7:00 p.m.

Tickets for LA FIGHT CLUB starting at only $20 with Flex Passes for multiple fight packages, Group Tickets and Knockout Experience upgrade are available for purchase now at www.goldenboypromotions.com, the Golden Boy Promotions Facebook page, by calling 213-233-2957 or by emailing LAFightClub@goldenboypromotions.com. Mark your calendars and purchase tickets in advance before they sell out for the remaining summer dates taking place August 5, August 19, September 2, October 7, November 4 and December 2.

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.belascous.com, www.estrellatv.com, follow on twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @EstrellaTV and become a fanon Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/TheBelascoLA, www.facebook.com/EstrellaTVNetwork, visit us on Instagram at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @belascola and @EstrellaTV, follow the conversation using #LAFIGHTCLUB and #BoxeoEstelar.

BETHLEHEM, PA. (August 3, 2016) – Undefeated prospect Caleb “Sweet Hands” Plant (13-0, 10 KOs) will square off against hard-hitting Colombian Juan De Angel (18-4-1, 17 KOs) in a 10-round middleweight matchup that serves as the main event of Premier Boxing Champions TOE-TO-TOE TUESDAYS on FS1 and BOXEO DE CAMPEONES on FOX Deportes Tuesday, August 23 from
Sands Bethlehem Events Center in Bethlehem, Pa.

Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features a pair of undercard bouts as unbeaten prospect Earl Newman (9-0, 7 KOs) takes on Detroit’s Leo Hall (8-1, 7 KOs) in eight-rounds of light heavyweight action while Carlos Gongora (5-0, 4 KOs) faces Ronald Mixon (7-0, 6 KOs) in an eight-round matchup of undefeated light heavyweight prospects.

“It’s a blessing to be headlining on my own show,” said Plant. “It’s all thanks to my family and my team. I’m happy with how far I’ve come in my career. I’ve had obstacles in front of me my entire life and I have had to rise to the occasion. I know De Angel is a tough guy, but I have too much in my game for him.”

“I had a great camp in Colombia and I’m going to Florida to put the finishing touches on training,” said De Angel. “Plant is strong and he counters well, but he gets hit hard and often. I’ve had experience in big fights and I’m going to do my best to put my hands on him. I’m thankful for this opportunity and I’m going to make the most it.”

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by King’s Promotions, are priced at $108, $83 and $58, not including applicable service charges and taxes and are on sale now. Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com. To charge by phone call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.

A 2011 National Golden Gloves champion, Plant has begun to make his name in the professional ranks since turning pro in 2014. Last year, the 24-year-old picked up six victories including hard fought triumphs over Jamar Freeman in September and Tyrone Brunson in October. Fighting out of Nashville, he kicked off his 2016 campaign by stopping Adasat Rodriguez in January and delivered a fourth-round knockout of Carlos Galvan in June. He takes on an experienced opponent in Barranquilla, Colombia’s De Angel. The 29-year-old has a reputation for knockouts, having delivered victories inside of the distance in seventeen of his eighteen victories.

A former New York Golden Gloves champion, Newman has shown impressive power in stopping seven of his first nine opponents since turning pro in 2014. The 24-year-old out of Brooklyn is coming in off of a stoppage victory over Dustin Craig Echard in April. He faces his toughest opponent to date in the 21-year-old Hall out of Detroit. Hall knocked out seven of his first eight opponents before losing for the first time in December 2015.

A two-time Ecuadorian Olympian, Gongora now trains out of Brooklyn and is undefeated since turning pro in May 2015. The 27-year-old has delivered knockouts in four of his first five pro fights, including three in the first round. He takes on fellow unbeaten Mixon out of Los Angeles. The 27-year-old has delivered two stoppage victories in 2016.

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com www.sandseventcenter.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com.

Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @FS1, @TheSBEC, @FOXDeportes and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxdeportes and www.Facebook.com/the SBEC. Highlights available at www.youtube.com/premierboxingchampions. PBC on FS1 & FOX Deportes is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

New York, NY (8/3/16) – Fresh off his sensational upset victory over previously undefeated and top-rated welterweight Sammy Vasquez Jr. on July 16th, Felix Diaz has signed an exclusive long-term promotional agreement with DiBella Entertainment (DBE). The only gold medalist in the history of the Dominican Republic Olympic Boxing team, Diaz, who fights in both the junior welterweight and welterweight divisions, is looking for the absolute biggest names in boxing and is thrilled to be joining the DBE roster.

“Signing with Lou DiBella means that the team around me just got even better,” said Diaz. “I have the best advisor in the game in Al Haymon and now I have the best promoter in Lou. Lou can turn me into a household name and promote me the way that I should be promoted. I am very excited to join DiBella Entertainment and I can’t wait to get back in the ring with one of the biggest names in the sport.”

“Felix Diaz is one of the best fighters in the world between 140-147 pounds,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “He can compete with anyone at these weights and is capable of beating them. It’s not an accident that Felix is the only gold medalist in the history of his native Dominican Republic. We look forward to working with Felix and his management team as we build him into a recognizable name to all boxing fans while pursuing the biggest and best fights available for him.”

“I am very excited about Felix joining the DBE team. I have known Lou for over 10 years; no one works harder than him. He is very passionate about this sport and his fighters. I know that he will guide Felix in the right direction and bring him to the top,” said manager Jose Nunez.

Coming off a majority decision loss to Lamont Peterson in October of last year, Diaz took the fight against the highly regarded, much bigger, and undefeated Vasquez Jr. on short notice, after Vasquez Jr.’s original opponent Luis Collazo pulled out. Entering the bout against Vasquez as a significant underdog, Diaz took the fight right to Vasquez from the outset and never let off the gas, ultimately winning a unanimous 10-round decision in an absolute war on the undercard of Deontay Wilder’s heavyweight title defense against Chris Arreola. It was a sensational performance by Diaz, which was broadcast live and in primetime on the Fox network.

While Diaz is looking at any and all of the top names in the 140-147lb. divisions, there is one name in particular that he has his eye on.

“I want Danny Garcia,” stated Diaz. “I have made this very clear to my team that this is the fight I want. If Danny wants to avoid me though, then I want one of the other big names out there. Broner, Burns, Porter, Berto, Bradley, Crawford, I like all of those fights. I don’t turn down fights. I have been thrown to the wolves since I first got into this game and I have never backed down from a challenge. I just want to fight the best and I believe that before the end of the year, I will be in the ring with one of the biggest names in boxing.”

For additional information, you can visit www.dbe1.com, follow us on Twitter @loudibella @DiBellaEnt or like our fan page on facebook/DiBellaEntertainment.

PHILADELPHIA (August 3, 2016) – Five top Philadelphia based fighters will be on the undercard this Friday night at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia on a Premier Boxing champions card on ESPN & ESPN Deportes.

In the main event, David Benavidez (15-0, 14 KO’s) of Phoenix, Arizona takes on Denis Douglin (20-4, 13 KO’s) of Las Vegas in the ten-round super middleweight main event. In the televised co-feature, Alejandro Luna (20-0, 15 KO’s) of Bellflower, CA. will battle Stephen Ormand (21-2, 11 KO’s) of Dublin, Ireland in a lightweight tussle.

The undercard will be littered with Philly fighter’s as Naim Nelson (13-1, 11 KO’s) will take on Edgardo Rivera (7-3-2, 5 KO’s) of Caguas, Puerto Rico in a six-round super lightweight bout; Knockout artist Tyrone Brunson (22-6-1, 21 KO’s) battles Carlos Garcia (10-16-1) of Aguada, Puerto Rico in a junior middleweight bout scheduled for eight-rounds.; In a six-round lightweight bout, Jerome Conquest (6-1, 1 KO) will fight Victor Vasquez (5-2, 2 KO’s) of Yonkers, New York; There will also be two pro debuter’s featured as junior middleweight Kieran Hooks will fight Miguel Martinez (2-1) of Reading, Pennsylvania and lightweight Jeffrey Torres will take Mariano Rolon (Pro debut) of Reading, Pennsylvania.

Also on the bill will be a four-round super middleweight clash between Darryl Bunting (2-0-1, 1 KO) of Asbury, NJ and Edward Jeramie Ortiz (1-0, 1 KO) of San Antonio, Texas.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by King’s Promotions, are priced at $50, $75 and $100, not including fees, and are on sale now. To purchase tickets click HERE.

Thursday, August 4

5:30 p.m. OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN
Location: 2300 Arena
2300 S. Swanson St.; Philadelphia, PA 19148
5:30 p.m. – Media Arrival
6:00 p.m. – Fighters to Scales

Friday, August 5

6:00 p.m. 2300 ARENA DOORS OPEN
Location: 2300 S. Swanson St.; Philadelphia, PA 19148

6:30 p.m. FIRST BOUT

9:00 p.m. ESPN & ESPN DEPORTES BROADCAST BEGINS

Bristol, PA (August 3,, 2016) – Chazz “The Gentleman” Witherspoon is ready for a big fight against a top heavyweight, but first, he must get past Mike Marrone On Saturday night, as D & D Promotions and Silver Spoon Promotions will present “Rumble at the Rink II” at the Grundy Arena in Bristol, Pennsylvania.

Witherspoon (34-3, 26 KO’s) of Paulsboro, New Jersey is ready for the former world title challenger and he has taken him as a serious challenge for this Saturday’s main event.

“Training has been good. I am ready to fight on Saturday,” said Witherspoon.

“I know Marrone from the amateurs. We have spoken before at tournaments. He seems like a nice guy, and I know he will come to fight. He won’t lay down and I am expecting a good fight.”

Witherspoon has won four in a row by knockout knows that with another win or two, he will have a big opportunity at one of the top names in the heavyweight division.

“I am waiting for the right opportunity. It has to make sense. I am willing to take stay busy fights and continue to hone my craft. If the opportunity isn’t next, then I will continue to stay busy.”

Witherspoon knows that it will take one big win to become a major player in the suddenly wide-open heavyweight division.

“I think the division is exciting again. Different guys have belts and all roads do not lead to one person. I know I will fit somewhere in there when I get a shot at one of these titles.”

In the meantime, Witherspoon will continue and promote the sport. Along with D & D Promotions, he is the co-promoter of Saturday’s fight.

“We have been trying to get the word out to the area. It’s a good surrounding area with Neshaminy and Bensalem and just over the bridge, you have Burlington, Florence and Willingboro.”

Seeing action in the eight-round co-feature will be junior welterweight Emanuel “The Tranzforma” Taylor (19-4, 13 KO’s) battling Carlos Aguilera (10-16, 4 KO’s) of Chiapas, Mexico.

With a win, Taylor is earmarked for a September fight with WBO number-two ranked Jose Zepeda.

The Taylor – Aguilera bout is promoted in association with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing.

In a six-round bout, Alvin Vermall Jr. (10-0-1, 8 KO’s) of Catskills, NY will take on James Jones (2-8, 1 KO) of Nashville, NJ in a cruiserweight bout

In four-round bouts:

Cruiserweight Mike Hilton (2-0, 2 KO’s) of Trenton, NJ will take on an opponent to be named.

Middleweight Elijah Vines (2-0, 2 KO’s) of Philadelphia will battle Julian Valerio (3-3, 2 KO’s) of Atlanta, GA

Junior welterweight Sam Teah (7-1-1, 2 KO’s) of Philadelphia will all see action against Samuel Amoako (21-12, 15 KO’s) of Silver Spring, MD.

LeShawn Rodriguez (3-0, 2 KO’s) of Shirley, NY will fight Jason Wahr (4-12-3, 1 KO) of Virginia Beach, VA. in a middleweight bout.

Jaron Ennis (4-0, 4 KO’s) of Philadelphia will take on Matthew Murphy (1-3-1, 1 KO) of St. Louis, MO. a junior welterweight bout.

Luis Perozo (1-1, 1 KO) of New York will battle Alberto Martinez (0-1) of Tifton, GA

Tickets for this night of boxing are $150 VIP with food and soft drinks; $100; $50; $25 (for children under 17) and can be purchased by calling 856-842-7577 or dboysboxing@gmail.com or www.dboysboxing.com

The Grundy Arena is located at 475 Beaver Street in Bristol, PA.

HBO Boxing heads back to the Bay Area when WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: ANDRE WARD VS. ALEXANDER BRAND is seen SATURDAY, AUG. 6 at 10:35 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from Oracle Arena in Oakland, Cal., exclusively on HBO. The HBO Sports team of Jim Lampley, Max Kellerman, Bernard Hopkins and Harold Lederman will call the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: Aug. 7 (9:45 a.m.) and 8 (12:05 a.m.)

HBO2 playdate: Aug. 7 (4:45 p.m.)

The fight will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO and HBO On Demand.

Returning to his hometown, Andre Ward (29-0, 15 KOs) continues to pursue dominance in the 175-pound weight class, taking on Alexander Brand (25-1, 19 KOs) from Bogota, Columbia in a light heavyweight bout scheduled for 12 rounds. Originally slated for last November, the fight was postponed when Ward sustained an injury in training.

Ward, 32, has succeeded at every level, compiling a near-perfect record as an amateur, winning a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and enjoying a seven-year reign as super middleweight champ. He looked superb against challenger Sullivan Barrera in his 2016 debut last March, registering a unanimous decision victory. This will mark Ward’s seventh fight at Oracle Arena and sixth appearance on HBO. If he scores a victory, Ward is expected to seek another world title by fighting light heavyweight champ Sergey Kovalev in the fall.

Brand turned professional at age 32 after racking up more than 400 wins as an amateur. Now 39, he won his first 17 pro fights, 12 by knockout, and has been on an eight-victory run following his only ring loss, in 2012.

Follow HBO boxing news at hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/hboboxing.

All HBO boxing events are presented in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.

The executive producer of WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is Rick Bernstein; producer, Jon Crystal; director, Johnathan Evans.

® WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.

OAKLAND, CA (August 3, 2016) – On Tuesday, August 2, Two-Time World Champion and top-rated pound-for-pound fighter Andre Ward (29-0, 15 KOs) and power-punching Colombian Alexander Brand (25-1, 19 KOs) participated in a media workout at King’s Gym in Oakland, California in advance of their August 6 fight at Oracle Arena in Oakland. Ward and Brand will meet in 12-round WBO Intercontinental title bout televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 10:35 p.m. ET/PT.

After shadowboxing in the ring and a few rounds on the punching bags, both fighters participated in interviews with media members in attendance. Also on hand to catch the hometown hero were a dozen members of the West Oakland Boys and Girls Club chapter. Ward surprised the group of local youths with tickets to Saturday’s fight.

Below is what the fighters had to say during the final media workout:

ANDRE WARD, Two-Time World Champion and top-rated pound-for-pound fighter:

“It was good to get back in camp right after the last fight. I was a lot sharper early in camp than I normally am. The last couple of years, typically, you have to get the rust off first, then work on getting sharp, work on technique and the game plan. This training camp was continuous of the last training camp, I probably put in over 130 rounds. I feel really good.
“I know enough about Brand. He’s got everything to gain and nothing to lose. He swings for the fences with every punch. He’s a dangerous guy to fight.
“It feels good to be back at Oracle Arena multiple times this year. I don’t know how much stock you can put into the last couple of years. A lot of people are talking about it, but people have to weigh in the amount of time I have been doing this, which is all my life. You look at Floyd Mayweather, he took a couple of hiatuses and it may have given him two or three more years. It was a mental break and it was a physical break. Taking those couple years where maybe you’re not fighting as frequently, it’s not always a bad thing, especially late in your career.
“I came up a little different in my Olympic days. Virgil Hunter is the type of coach who will get you away from everybody and turn your phone off. We didn’t have snapchat in 2004, we didn’t have Instagram in 2004. We had a room that we all had to huddle around with desktop computers where we all had to get news about what was going on. But now, in 2016, I see the USA team snapchatting and Instagramming. Part of you wants to tell them to shut it down and do it like I did it, but that may not be the right thing. Understand why you’re there, understand you’re not going to get this moment again. You don’t typically repeat when you go for the Olympics. Understand why you’re there, take it seriously and everything else will fall in place.
“The key is to have a good team. I’ve got a great lawyer, a great manager and a great promotional team in Roc Nation Sports. They are going to make sure the details are right. This is a very much a business, and before there’s combat, business has to be handled and taken care of. I think fighters and all athletes should be unapologetic about taking care of business. That way, when you get into that ring or field or court, your mind can be free.
“Unfortunately, our women don’t get the respect they deserve, they don’t get the notoriety. They don’t get the exposure that they probably should get. Raquel Miller, who will be on the card, and other female fighters, they do what we do. They’re training and grinding but they are not always noticed. I remember the Christie Martin days where she fought on the Mike Tyson undercards with Laila Ali. They got some good publicity and shine. However, there are so many other young female fighters coming up, ones who are established and have been fighting, whom people don’t know about. It’s a beautiful thing. I’m happy for Raquel and excited to have her on the card. I don’t believe when people say there is no market for women’s boxing. Let’s create a market then, let’s create some buzz!
“Sergey Kovalev is not on my mind at all. I’ve got a job to do. I haven’t even talked about Kovalev. We can talk about Kovalev on August 7th, that’s what I told my team. I didn’t watch his last fight, he’s not my next opponent but I know what happened and what people are saying about it.
“I’ve never seen Brand in person. It’s tricky, in my last fight, Sullivan Barrera was a little bit bigger than me. Everyone made a big deal about that, and Brand is smaller than me. You’ve got to be able to get it done, short or tall, explosive or wild. Brand is wild, so it’s going to take a few rounds to break him down and tame him before we start doing what we want to do. As a championship-caliber fighter, you’ve got to be able to deal with everything, every style and size. I’ve never seen the guy in person, so it’s hard to gauge.
“Taking away my opponents’ best weapon away is a skill that I developed as a kid, right here at King’s Gym. Virgil was a really, really good coach. He’s probably the last of the great teachers. I’ve been in here with pros at 13 and 14 years old. Seasoned veterans hitting me on my head, trying to discourage me, trying to bully me. I would go back to the corner and say, ‘Man he hit me on my head. Man he’s pushing my head back.’ And Virgil would say, ‘Then make him stop.’ In other words, I had to figure it out. Having those sessions here year after year, I had to get my respect in here first before I could even fight others. I had to learn to adjust here first before I had the chance to adjust in a big fight. So, it started here. And, it carried over. Even today, we bring in top sparrers. Sparring is different than a fight, but we bring in top sparrers to make sure my senses are on point. I don’t like to lose a second of a round so even when I am tired, I try to figure it out mentally. What can I do to offset him? How can I take that away from him? Exploit his weakness? That is constantly on my mind. I think it shows when the lights come on.
“Being back at home, it’s two-fold. Part of me wants to stop and take it in. Go down memory lane and remember all the times I’ve walked into the gym, all the battles I’ve had in here. Remember the good days and the bad days. Then there is another part of me that doesn’t like looking back too soon. I’ve got to stay in the moment. It’s kind of surreal. It’s surreal to be in the arena that I have driven past for years. Driving down 880 and wishing I could headline. I’m blessed. Not a lot of people get the opportunity. I know a lot of great fighters who didn’t get the opportunity for one reason or another. And to have that opportunity, I don’t take it lightly.
“I’ve been given a tremendous opportunity. God has blessed me a lot. There’s an inscription in the bible that says to whom much is given, much is acquired. He’s given me a talent, and I’m probably not the most talented, but I want to make sure I use it the best I can. I’m running my race right now in this professional game, and when I look back I want to say that I didn’t cheat anybody, that I gave everything that I had, and this is what I have to show for it. Finishing strong is really important to me. Becoming an all-time great is really important to me. I’m just giving God a return on his investment, because he’s invested a lot in me. I’m thankful.”

ALEXANDER BRAND, Former WBC Latino Super Middleweight Champion:

“I didn’t want to show too much at this media workout but I’ve got something in store for the day of the fight.

“It doesn’t really matter that the fight is in Ward’s hometown, it’s going to be a fight. Wherever it is, whether it’s in his backyard or anywhere else, I’m coming to fight and that’s the most important thing.

“It’s nothing new for me, I fought at 175 pounds in the amateurs. My last fight in December was at 175 pounds against an undefeated Russian when Andre Ward got hurt and couldn’t fight me on the Cotto-Canelo card.

“Whatever Ward brings, I’m going to have something for him.

“Ward still has 12 rounds to fight before he can think about Kovalev.”

Ward vs. Brand is a 12-round fight for the WBO Intercontinental title, presented by Roc Nation Sports and sponsored by Corona Extra, Verizon, ProSupps, Corporate Travel Management Solutions (CTMS), Jordan Brand, Shoe Palace, Kingsford, Autocom Nissan, Ticketmaster and The Clorox Company, supporting the Bay Area Community for over 100 years. The event will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:35 p.m. ET/PT.

Tickets priced at $250, $100, $70, $40 and $30, not including applicable service charges and taxes, are available at all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com and charge by phone at (800) 745-3000.

For more information, please visit www.rocnation.com. Follow Roc Nation on Twitter and Instagram @rocnation and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RocNation.

For more information, visit www.hbo.com/boxing, follow on Twitter and Instagram at @HBOBoxing and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing.

Follow the conversation using #WardBrand.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Aug. 3rd, 2016) — Matt Bessette has a unique, if not unconventional, approach to choosing his opponents.

While some fighters want to know every last detail about the opponent they’re about to face – sometimes at an excruciatingly painstaking level – Bessette (19-7, 5 KOs) thrives off the element of the unknown, instead choosing to play it by ear and rely on his own ability, not hours upon hours of film study, to carry him through any given fight.

“I like the idea of not knowing much about the guy I’m fighting and I like the idea of him not knowing much about me,” said the Stafford Springs, Conn., vet, who faces a relative unknown in the northeast region, Stephen Cervantes, on Friday, Aug. 12th, 2016 for the vacant CES MMA Featherweight Title on the main card of “CES MMA 37” live on AXS TV from Twin River Casino, one of three championship bouts on the card.

Cervantes (6-1), an Albuquerque, N.M., native, replaces the original opponent, Pedro Gonzalez of Gloucester, Mass., whom Bessette knew a lot about, and vice-versa. Bessette dealt with a similar scenario in June when he faced Colorado vet Ran Weathers on 72 hours’ notice after his original opponent was forced to withdraw from the fight. The result was a surprisingly effortless win for Bessette via guillotine choke 4 minutes, 50 seconds into the opening round.

“I’ve done it so many times that it’s had very, very little affect on me,” Bessette said. “You just change your game plan a tiny bit and that’s it. It took me a collective 24 hours to get over the fact I wasn’t fighting Pedro and then I switched gears to Cervantes. Another day in the office.”

Bessette and Cervantes battle for the promotion’s featherweight title, vacated in 2014 when former champion Rob Font debuted with the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC). A former Jiu Jitsu world champion, Cervantes carries an impressive resume into Friday’s title bout, including a win over Bellator vet Shawn Bunch and a showdown less than three months ago against World Series of Fighting alum Kyle Reyes.

“People aren’t expecting me to go out there and get a win. I’m coming in as a big underdog and rightfully so, but I’m going to show everybody out there in Rhode Island what’s up,” Cervantes said.

“[Bessette’s] a complete fighter. There’s nothing that the dude really can’t do. He’s aggressive. He’s strong-minded. He’s going to be super legit. I’m most impressed with his Jiu Jitsu, but that’s where I’m strongest. I’m not going to take anything away from him, but I just want people out there in Rhode Island and around the country to know I’m coming.”

Cervantes admits he’s watched a lot of his opponent’s fights, which, given the number of times Bessette has fought on network television with both Bellator and CES MMA, pokes holes in the theory that a fighter 2,200 miles east of New Mexico can still be considered an unknown commodity, but Bessette doesn’t view his worldwide exposure as a drawback.

“They can look me up, but unless you’ve seen me firsthand and have really done your homework on me, then it’s going to be harder to figure me out once you get in there,” Bessette said, “and that’s what I like.

“I think I’m going to be a shitstorm coming at him from everywhere. I’m just looking at really, really pressuring him. It’s going to be a long night for him as soon as the first bell starts.”

The proof is undeniable; Bessette made quick work of out-of-town opponents Weathers, Kevin Roddy and Taurean Bogguess, but struggled against Fall River, Mass., vet Josh LaBerge in 2015 on the undercard of Bellator 134, a fight that lasted two full rounds until the doctors finally stopped it before the start of the third.

“I couldn’t put him away,” Bessette said of LaBerge. “The doctor had to stop it, but it took two rounds to do that.

“I have a very unique style and any time I fight a guy around here sometimes I feel like they know a lot about me, which takes away from my ability to get the job done. Maybe it takes me a little longer. I think Cervantes is in a shitstorm and he just doesn’t know it yet.”

While Bessette, currently riding a four-fight win streak, is the heavy favorite entering next Friday, Cervantes has accomplished enough in his brief pro career to earn his opponent’s respect. He’s yet to back down from a fight and he jumped at the opportunity to face Bessette for a title on network television after lobbying to fight for CES MMA in the past.

“It’s a big deal to travel all the way to the east coast to fight and it’s great to fight on TV. It’s a good promotion that will give me a stepping stone for my career,” Cervantes said.

“I don’t shy away from any fight. I’ve taken fights like this on short notice. I stay in shape. I stay ready. My mentality is if you want to fight, I’ll go out there and give everything I have. I won’t shy away from any opportunity.”

Bessette, who makes his fifth appearance with CES MMA next Friday, has handled all the adversity from last-minute changes in the past and will have to o so again on the 16th against a newcomer to the northeast circuit. Now it’s up to Cervantes to weather the “storm” Bessette promises to deliver with the CES MMA title up for grabs.

“To fight for a title for CES is a dream come true,” Bessette said. “This is my first world championship fight and if you were with me day in and day out you’d know there’s something different in my eyes. I can feel it. All it takes now is me going out there and getting the job done and I have no problem going out there and getting the job done.”

Tickets for “CES MMA 37” are priced at $40.00, $55.00, $100.00 and $125.00 (VIP) and can be purchased online at www.cesmma.com, www.twinriver.com, www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at 401-724-2253/2254 or at the Twin River Casino Players Club. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Bessette-Cervantes is one of three, five-round title bouts on the main card. Woonsocket, R.I., native Andre Soukhamthath (10-3, 6 KOs), now fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla., defends his CES MMA Bantamweight Title for the first time against Cambridge, Mass., vet Kin Moy (8-2, 2 KOs) in the main event, a rematch of their back-and-forth war in January of 2014 in which Moy won by unanimous decision. Providence’s Greg Rebello (20-6, 12 KOs) faces Oklahoma’s Ashley Gooch (9-4, 6 KOs) for the vacant CES MMA Heavyweight Title.

Also on the AXS TV main card, middleweight Chuck O’Neil (16-8, 5 KOs) of Bourne, Mass., faces Roy Jones (7-4, 3 KOs) of Waterloo, Iowa, and featherweight Joe Pingitore (6-2-1, 2 KOs) of Johnston, R.I., returns to network television for the fourth time when he faces Bill Jones (12-10, 3 KOs) of Somersworth, N.H.

The preliminary card features four exciting bouts, highlighted by a middleweight showdown between Berkeley, Mass., vet Pat McCrohan (2-0, 1 KO) and Russian Ruslan Melikov (3-1), fighting out of Fairfield, N.J. Providence bantamweight Marquis Brewster (1-0) faces Turtle Creek, Pa., native Roosevelt Archie (0-1); Boston lightweight Devin Carrier (1-1, 1 KO) battles Holbrook, Mass., native Connor Barry (1-0); and Dylan Lockard of Derry, N.H., makes his professional debut against Seldon, N.Y., featherweight Mak Kelleher (1-2). Quincy, Mass., middleweight Mike Rodriguez (3-1, 1 KO) will be featured in a separate three-round bout against an opponent to be determined.

Visit www.cesmma.com, www.twitter.com/cesmma or www.facebook.com/ces.mma for more information and use the hashtag #CES37 to join the conversation.

Indian ring sensation Vijender Singh has secured a top ten world ranking with the World Boxing Organisation.

Fresh from earning his first professional title in the WBO Asia Pacific Super-Middleweight Championship against Australia’s Kerry Hope last month, Singh has leapfrogged up the WBO world rankings and now finds himself sitting pretty in tenth place.

Undefeated Singh, 7-0 6 KO’s, outworked the experienced Hope over ten rounds to claim his first title in the paid ranks in front of a packed out Thyagaraj Stadium in New Dehli last month.

India’s first ever Olympic Games boxing medallist came away winning every round and claimed a well-deserved unanimous decision with scores of 98-92, 98-92 and 100-90 by the three judges.

Queensberry Promotion’s maiden voyage to India proved a resounding success. The tremendous reaction on social media from the stars of cricket and Bollywood personalities who were in attendance at ringside prove that history was well worth making.

For Singh, already a massive draw in his home country after his amateur exploits, it is now onwards and upwards and his promoter Francis Warren is currently plotting his next moves.

“It’s not about myself, it’s about my nation, my county,” Vjender said after last month’s win.

“This comes after a lot of hard work put in by me, my trainer and my team. I thank my coach, my promoter and my team who have done a fantastic job. I also thank the fans, the celebrities and sportspersons who came out to watch my fight.”