The historical first bout on Norwegian soil since 1981 will be headlined by a rematch of «The fight of the century» in female boxing, as french Anne Sophie Mathis (27-3-1) was announced as opponent for «The First Lady» Cecilia Braekhus.

The two fighters also met in Denmark in September 2012, where Braekhus (record of 28-0) won a close and spectacular 10-rounder on an unanimous decision.

The fight was considered to be between the two greatest female fighters at that time, rising a huge interest in Europe, and also in Braekhus` home country Norway. Nearly 1/5 of the Norwegian population was glued to their tv-screens as their biggest sports celebrity fought Mathis.

Now they will meet again in «The Homecoming» on October 1st in Oslo, where Braekhus titles (WBA, WBC, WBO, IBF and IBO) in welterweight will be on stake.
– Mathis was the only name big enough to top a historical night like this. This is the Worlds greatest puncher versus the Worlds greatest technical and tactical boxer. She is the toughest opponent I have met, and I could have gone for something easier to make this a «safe homecoming». But in this sport you can not make history by being defensive, says Braekhus.

Mathis is by many considered to be «the female Mike Tyson» with an impressive number of 23 victories by knock-out, out of a total of 27.

– I am more than a knock-out boxer. I have a heavy shot that stuns and that hurts. I know people compare me to Mike Tyson which is quite pleasant as comparison because I have always been a a fan of him, says Mathis.

She is comparing her fight against Braekhus with some of the biggest fights of all times – among them the legendary meets between Ali and Frazier.
– Ali vs Frazier was of course a bigger event when it comes to media attention, but seen from a sporting perspective this is among the greatest female fights that has ever been. Braekhus is bringing five belts to this fight, and that has never happened before, says Mathis.

Her recent losses has been controversy. Her last fight was set to «NC» after opponent Oxandia Castillo failed a drugtest. What seemed to be a clear KO-victory over german-based boxer Christina Hammer ended up as a disqualification for hit to the back of the head, but was later overruled after protests by Mathis` management.

Mathis is also known for knocking Holly Holm cold when she was at her very best, but lost the rematch in Holms hometown on points.

The fight on October 1st in a sold-out Oslo Spektrum Arena will be shown on TV3, and is expected to break all former viewer-records.

Undefeated light heavyweight contender Mike Lee will join the broadcast team as a color analyst 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.

Lee will join blow-by-blow man Alan Massenagle and color analysts Steve Kim and Patrick Ortiz live at 11 pm ET/8 pm PT when Greg Cohen Promotions and Ringside Ticket Inc. (in association with David Schuster’s Winner Take All Productions) present four exciting nationally televised professional fights, headlined by 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, in a 10-round battle against Cleveland’s Chris “The Irish Ghost” Fitzpatrick (15-4, 6 KOs).

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).

An ambassador for the sport of boxing, Lee (17-0, 10 KOs) is a former Subway national spokesperson and holds a Finance degree from The University of Notre Dame. He also does extensive work and donates most of his fight purses to charitable causes such as the Children’s Memorial Hospital and the Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation.

The 29-year-old Chicago native has fought on the undercards of some of boxing’s most prestigious events. He was last seen in the ring in June in New York City, where he scored a unanimous eight-round decision over Mike Snider (then 10-3-3).

Lee will join an already stellar broadcast team of experts.

Blow-by-blow man Alan Massenagle is currently known as the “most watched international blow-by-blow boxing announcer on television.” Currently the voice of the World Series of Boxing, Massengale has travelled the globe extensively during his award-winning career, which also includes having served as the most watched Sports Personality in Los Angeles for 10 years. He has also served as anchor for ESPN Sportscenter, Prime Ticket and Fox Sports He received the Golden Mike Award twice for best sportscast in the Los Angeles market, and was honored four times by the Southern California Sportscasters Association.

Long-time boxing journalist Steve Kim is internationally recognized for his commentary and opinion preceding major pay-per-view boxing bouts. Patrick Ortiz is the President of Ringside Ticket Inc. and Lords of the Cage, which specializes in providing Mixed Martial Arts and Boxing events for Tribal Casinos.

The night’s five-fight undercard, packed with local prospects and contenders, will be announced shortly.

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.
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Philadelphia, PA (August 2, 2016)–Vitor Jones Freitas record remained perfect by stopping Licelio Da Silva Lucio in the first round of their scheduled eight-round lightweight bout this past Saturday in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

With the victory, Freitas of Salvador, Brazil improved his unblemished mark to 14-0, while notching his eighth knockout.

The 23 year-old Freitas registered two knockdowns, both with left hooks in the bout, which lasted just 79 seconds.

Freitas, who is the nephew of former four-time world champion Acelino “Popo” Freitas, will now look to come back to the United States in a higher profile bout.

“Vitor is coming along very nicely in Brazil. We showcased him on four of our cards here in the states to get his feet wet and now he has won four straight back in Brazil,” said Banner Promotions President, Arthur Pelullo. “Now we are looking to bring him back here in the fall and put him on television and fight for a regional title. He is becoming the fighter we thought he could be when we signed him, and we are looking forward for the American public to embrace him in the same way they did his uncle.”

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (August 2, 2016) – Pro Box Management’s 19-year old hot prospect, super-featherweight Antonio “Bang” Williams (3-0, 3 KOs), returns to the ring this Saturday, August 6, 2016 at the Miami Airport Convention Center. Williams will square off against Brian Santos of Puerto Rico is a scheduled 4-round bout.

Williams, who made his pro debut earlier this year at age 18, has never made it past the second round, ending all three of his fights by knockout. With power in both hands, Williams can also box, using movement to win fights. This will be Antonio’s third fight in the Miami, Florida area. His goal is to win this fight by knockout to keep his KO streak alive.

“Although I like to consider myself a smart fighter, my main objective in each fight is to get my opponent out of there early.” said Antonio “Bang” Williams. “I never want to leave any decision in the hands of the judges. I just want to keep this knockout streak going, but if I go the distance, I’m ok with it, as long as I continue winning.”

Williams had an outstanding amateur record of 104-15, winning two state Golden Gloves championships. In addition, Williams was crowned champion in many other national tournaments. Pro Box Management was impressed with Williams superior talent and signed him to a multi-year contract.

“Antonio Williams is a great kid with a lot of heart and skills.” stated Henry Rivalta of Pro Box Management. “This kid has tremendous punching power to go along with his highly intelligent ring IQ. Gary and I believe this kid has every ingredient to become a world champion. He’s a pleasure to be around and he has the charisma to be a star.”

“I’m very grateful that my managers have me fighting on a regular basis. When I signed with Pro Box Management, Gary and Henry told me they would keep my busy, and they’ve kept their word. Now my job is to win fights and climb up the rankings, which I’m very motivated to do. I’m excited about getting back in there this Saturday and putting on a great show for the fans.”

The Miami Airport Convention Center is located at 711 NW 72nd Ave, Miami, FL 33126. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. ET. First fight begins at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets priced $75, $50 and $30 can be purchased at all “Presidente Supermarkets” in Miami, FL, or by calling Michael Luzbet at (786) 553-3895 or by email at luzbetk@gmail.com.

NEW YORK – August 2, 2016 – Combate Americas today announced that reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC) women’s bantamweight (135 pounds) superstar Julianna “The Venezuelan Vixen” Peña, along with 14-time UFC veteran and Team Alpha Male standout Danny “Last Call” Castillo and journalist Andrea Calle, will host the first-ever open tryout for the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise, in Los Angeles, Calif. on Saturday, Aug. 13.

All men and women, ages 18 and over, who are interested in participating in the tryout with the opportunity to earn a multi-fight promotional agreement with Combate Americas, can pre-register online at www.CombateAmericas.com.

Castillo and Calle will preside over the event, while Peña, along with Combate Americas referee Mike Beltran and Combate Americas Fight Director Mel Valenzuela, will comprise the panel of judges for the tryout that will take place two days after the much-anticipated, 10-bout “Aspira A Mas Presents Combate Americas: Combate OCHO” event, live on UFC FIGHT PASS® from Exchange LA.

“We are on an aggressive hunt to give undiscovered, hungry talent the opportunity to shine on our big stage, and hosting an open tryout in one of the major cities of the U.S. that is also a hotbed for combat sports is one of the best ways to achieve this,” said Combate Americas CEO and UFC co-founder Campbell McLaren.

The tryout process will begin at 12 p.m. and will put candidates through a variety of drills testing speed, endurance and strength.

Basic boxing, kickboxing and grappling skills will also be examined.

Priced from $40, tickets for the “Aspira A Mas Presents Combate Americas: Combate Ocho,” 10-bout event 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 and Roku devices.

In the featherweight (145 pounds) main event, Urijah Faber protégé Erick Sanchez (7-2) of Sacramento, Calif. will look for his third win in the Combate Americas cage, or “La Jaula,” and fourth consecutive victory overall when he squares off with dangerous finisher Angel “Tito” Cruz (5-2) of Rio Piedras, P.R.

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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.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Aug. 2nd, 2016) — It’s one of the more unorthodox title fights you’ll ever see, a rematch between two fighters who say they don’t believe in rematches with the champion, not the challenger, carrying the bigger chip on his shoulder.

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 Friday, Aug. 12th, 2016 against Cambridge, Mass., vet Kin Moy (8-2, 2 KOs) in the main event of “CES MMA 37” live on AXS TV from Twin River Casino in Lincoln, R.I., a rematch of their back-and-forth war in January of 2014 in which Moy won by unanimous decision.

Two and a half years later, Soukhamthath, not Moy, is CES MMA’s inaugural bantamweight champion — the region’s highest honor in his weight class — after beating Kody Nordby in March, while Moy is hoping to keep the momentum going following back-to-back wins in 2015 with Bellator.

Having already beaten Soukhamthath once, Moy would’ve had no reason to grant his adversary a rematch were it not for the possibility of snagging Soukhamthath’s CES MMA title, which is the only real incentive to step back into the cage with a fighter he admits is a “real champion” and a “devastating” striker.

“I’ve never asked for a rematch against someone who’s beaten me because if this were real martial arts,” Moy said, “I’d be dead.”

Though Soukhamthath isn’t playing the “revenge” angle in next Friday’s rematch with Moy, the reigning champ, who also says, “I don’t look for fights and I don’t go around saying, ‘I want a rematch!'” is still a bit sour over the fact Moy called him out prior to their first meeting in 2014.

“They had to find a late replacement and they wanted to fight me in two weeks and I still took it because I’m a man,” Soukhamthath said. “I don’t back down from fights.

“I guess they called the matchmaker and said they wanted to fight me. If I wanted to fight somebody I’d call him face to face and say, ‘Hey, I want to fight you.’ That’s it.”

“We had been pushing to fight Andre for a while,” recalled Moy, “because, as I said back then, he was the best and I wanted to challenge the best. That’s why I was pushing it so hard.”

Moy got his wish and delivered, pressuring Soukhamthath from the opening bell and outworking him on the ground to earn the win, which, at the time, was Soukhamthath’s first loss in two and a half years, snapping his seven-fight win streak.

“I was expecting us to stand there and beat the shit out of each other,” Moy said. “The big thing was I had to get in his face, because I had watched Andre fight many times before that and if you give him time or give him the space and respect to get his game going, he’s going to pick you apart.

“He’s got devastating strikes, but he needs room for those, so I got in his face from the get-go. The second I got in his face and he couldn’t strike with me, he started shooting for a takedown. He’s a much better wrestler than I am, but on the ground I’m always active, striking from the bottom, or top, or wherever I am. I was able to outhustle him and push the pace until he started to fade and that’s when I really came alive.”

Those strikes on the ground — “baby punches,” as Soukhamthath calls them — were ultimately the difference in the outcome, but Soukhamthath says he doesn’t plan on doing anything different in next Friday’s rematch, which falls in line with what Moy feels is a consistent approach from his opponent on a fight-by-fight basis.

“To be honest, I think he does the exact same thing he did before, but he just does it better,” Moy said. “Kody Nordby is an amazing grappler and quite the wrestler, and I was impressed with the way Andre stopped him every time.

“Traditionally, he’s had good takedown defense anyway and against great grapplers like Kurt Chase-Patrick and Blair Tugman, Andre was able to stuff the takedowns, so while he’s gotten sharper, I don’t think he’s changed much.

“On the one hand, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, but on the other hand I know I for one have made leaps and bounds in terms of not just the efficacy of my style, but what I do is completely different than when we fought before. Despite the fact he’s grown, he looks pretty much the same in my opinion.”

While Soukhamthath acknowledges he’s a better fighter now than he was in January of 2014, he still plans on “bullying” Moy the way he bullied Nordby in March, a heated rivalry that ended with Soukhamthath knocking out his opponent with a flying knee in the fifth and final round.

Though he may not have changed much stylistically, Soukhamthath is clearly more mature and more capable of handling pressure in and out of the cage, as evident by how he channeled his anger toward Nordby and fought a near-perfect fight on the biggest stage of his career.

“At the end of the day, I’m still a fighter. I’ll always be a fighter,” he said. “I don’t get emotional in my fights anymore. At the end of the day, I know I’m a better fighter than a lot of these guys on the regional circuit and I knew I was way better than Kody. He wrestled his whole life, he was an All-American — whatever. I still outwrestled him and I never wrestled a day in my life. The only wrestling I ever did was in MMA and I still outwrestled him. I don’t let those things get to me.

“When people talk, they talk because they’re insecure. That just gives me confidence when I know they’re insecure.”

The fact Soukhamthath is still on top of his weight class in the northeast despite losing to Moy the first time around adds a rare twist to Friday’s highly anticipated rematch. The irony isn’t lost on Moy, who once again finds himself chasing down the proverbial top dog in an attempt to stake his own claim as the region’s No. 1 bantamweight.

“I generally don’t give rematches to people I’ve beaten, but this is for the title and that makes all the difference,” Moy said. “I honestly feel that because it’s been so long ago Andre has both improved his skill level and he’s done some great things between now and then. It’s deserved. If anything, it’s me coming at him, not vice-versa, because he’s the champion.

“That’s who I want to test myself against. These are similar circumstances. He’s the one with the belt and he’s the one I want to beat.”

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.

The Soukhamthath-Moy rematch is one of three, five-round title fights on the televised main card. 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 and 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.

Talks for a potential showdown between Miguel Cotto and Juan Manauel Marquez have fallen by the wayside in a discrepancy over what weight a proposed bout what take place at, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“A fight with Juan Manuel Marquez is not happening, 100 percent for sure,” said Bryan Perez of Cotto Promotions. “Maybe we can make it later on, but it will not be Miguel’s fight this year.

“Miguel wanted the fight, but it was all about getting a deal for the right weight. Financial-wise, there were no problems making a deal. Usually making a big fight, it’s financial when there are issues. That was not what happened with Marquez.”

“We are working on Miguel’s next fight with our [promotional] partners at Roc Nation Sports,” Perez said. “The Marquez fight was something Miguel wanted, but we couldn’t agree on the weight. They both wanted to fight each other. Miguel wanted 150, Juan Manuel Marquez wanted 147. Juan Manuel decided not to come up a couple of more pounds and we respect his decision about not coming up to 150. He’s a great fighter and a great champion. But 150 is where Miguel would feel comfortable going down to.”

02 August 2016 – Jakarta, Indonesia: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has announced a massive fight card set for 27 August at the state-of-the-art Jakarta Convention Center in Jakarta, Indonesia. ONE: TITLES & TITANS features the return of Brazil’s Luis “Sapo” Santos as he takes on former ONE Middleweight World Champion Igor “Lionheart” Svirid in a five-round main event showdown.

CEO of ONE Championship, Victor Cui stated: “These are exciting times for Asian MMA. As ONE Championship continues to push the envelope in sports entertainment across the region, delivering to fans world-class mixed martial arts action, Jakarta is once again set for another explosive evening of fights. In a truly international fight experience, Brazil takes on Kazakhstan as Luis Santos faces the toughest test of his career against the heavy-handed Igor Svirid.”

Tickets information for ONE: TITLES & TITANS are available at www.onefc.com.

Luis “Sapo” Santos is a mixed martial arts veteran from Brazil with over 70 fights on his record and over half of his wins ending by either TKO or KO. With a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a penchant for spectacular finishes, Santos has emerged as one of the promotion’s most overwhelming physical specimens — a fighter capable of finishing a bout in a variety of ways at any given moment. Known for his aggressiveness and brute strength, Santos looks to continue his dominance inside the ONE Championship cage in his next bout against Igor Svirid.

Igor “Lionheart” Svirid is a 30-year old fighter from Almaty, Kazakhstan and is the former ONE Middleweight World Champion. He captured the title with a stunning 17-second knockout victory over Leandro Ataides in 2014 but later succumbed to now reigning champion Vitaly Bigdash in a memorable contest last year. At his best, Svirid employs a tenacious offensive attack partnered with iron-clad toughness to subdue foes inside the cage. He is moving down to welterweight and is set to take on Luis Santos in the main event.

Marcin Prachnio is a Polish mixed martial artist with an impressive 11-2 professional MMA record. He’s won his last six bouts, four of which by devastating technical knockouts. He is currently unbeaten with the promotion, overcoming two tough challenges in both Alexandre Machado and Leandro Ataides in his first two appearances inside the ONE Championship cage. Prachnio is now ready for his biggest challenge yet — against American light heavyweight standout Jake Butler.

Jake Butler has firmly established himself as one of the top elite wrestlers in the division. He has a highlight reel of victories by exciting finishes, and possesses some of the best wrestling in the sport having honed his skills as captain of the Princeton wrestling team. Butler is unstoppable when he utilizes his signature techniques, but has also improved his striking skills by training with Muay Thai world champions in Asia. He’ll be moving down to middleweight next to face the streaking Marcin Prachnio.

Vincent “MagniVincent” Latoel is a Dutch mixed martial arts veteran of Mulakan roots with over 30 professional bouts on his record. A lightweight standout with deep ties to the country of Indonesia, Latoel’s experience in a stacked lightweight division against the very best fighters in his weight class has made him an incredibly resilient and dangerous fighter. Latoel is in his 15th year as a pro and is looking for success in his next bout, this time against the Philippines’ Edward Kelly.

Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly is a 32-year old Filipino MMA talent and is one of the brightest featherweight prospects to emerge from the Philippines. A mixed martial artist with a complete striking and ground game, Kelly brings Team Lakay’s world-renowned Wushu Sanshou to center stage as he looks to showcase his skills inside the ONE Championship cage. In his last bout, Kelly scored an impressive submission victory over the highly-regarded Jordan Lucas. He seeks to replicate the feat this time against Vincent Latoel.

Anthony Engelen is a Dutch mixed martial artist of Indonesian descent who spends his days training full-time in Indonesia. He is an exceptional grappler and a well-rounded striker capable of ending fights quickly and decisively. With a young 4-2 MMA record, Engelen prides himself in being an exciting fighter, willing to please the crowd by always seeking the highlight-reel finish. The talented featherweight will take on Egyptian Sami Amin.

34-year old Sami Amin is the EFC featherweight champion from Cairo, Egypt. He made his promotional debut against Fransino Tirta in 2014, and is now looking for victory inside the ONE Championship cage. A highly-aggressive and fast starter, Amin likes to bring the fight to opponents by blitzing them with powerful combinations. In his next bout, Amin takes on the dynamic Anthony Engelen.

Indonesian mixed martial artists Sunoto and Yohan Mulia “The Iceman” Legowo will go head-to-head in a featherweight matchup of talented local fighters. Sunoto is a highly-aggressive Indonesian warrior while Legowo has proven to be a stellar grappling ace.

Mario Satya Wirawan, who owns a ONE Championship record of fastest knockout finish with a six second stoppage of Cambodia’s Chan Heng last year, will represent Bogor, Indonesia against the Philippines’ Burn Soriano in a bantamweight contest among the preliminary bouts at ONE: TITLES & TITANS.

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

Roc Nation Sports is pleased to announce the addition of San Francisco’s Raquel Miller (1-0, 1 KO) to the undercard of Andre Ward vs. Alexander Brand at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California on August 6, 2016. This will be the first Roc Nation card to feature a female fighter.

Bayview-Hunters Point native Raquel “Pretty Beast” Miller will be making her second professional start since debuting against Sara Flores on May 21, 2016 in Richmond, California. In her augural pro fight, the former amateur standout wasted no time, scoring a technical knockout over her opponent within the first minute and 14 seconds of the first round. Miller was the 2012 Women’s World Championships Silver Medalist, 2012 USA Boxing Women’s National Champion and 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Bronze Medalist, serving as the U.S Women’s Olympic alternate in the London Games. Miller will be taking on an opponent to be determined on August 6 at Oracle Arena.

Two-Time World Champion and top-rated pound-for-pound fighter Andre Ward (29-0, 15 KOs) will return to the ring on Saturday, August 6, to continue his conquest of the light heavyweight division when he takes on power-punching Colombian Alexander Brand (25-1, 19 KOs) at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. 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), Brand Jordan, 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.

Last Saturday’s instant classic “Fight of the Year” contender between Carl Frampton and Leo Santa Cruz will re-air tonight at 11 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME. The thrilling SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING main event had the Barclays Center rocking as Frampton narrowly edged Santa Cruz in a toe-to-toe battle to dethrone the defending WBA Featherweight World Champion.

Monday’s encore presentation of the entire three-fight telecast also features Mikey Garcia’s emphatic return to the ring and Tony Harrison’s title eliminator victory in the stacked 154-pound division. The SHOWTIME Sports® presentation is also available on SHOWTIME ON DEMAND and SHOWTIME ANYTIME.

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For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @LeoSantaCruz2, @RealCFrampton, @BarclaysCenter, and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports, www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment, www.Facebook.com/barclayscenter. PBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

PHILADELPHIA (August 1, 2016) – Undefeated rising contender David “El Bandera Roja” Benavidez is on the fast track to a world title opportunity and he will look to make another statement when he battles contender Denis Douglin in the 10-round main event of Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN and ESPN Deportes Friday, August 5 live from the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.

Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT with exciting lightweight contender Alejandro “El Charro” Luna (20-0, 15 KOs) taking on Ireland’s Stephen “The Rock” Ormond (21-2, 11 KOs) in a 10-round attraction.

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.

Here is what Benavidez had to say about his opponent, training camp and more:

On his recent training camp in Southern California…

“We had another great training camp out here in Long Beach, California. We put the final touches and wrapped up camp and I’m ready to go. There was plenty of good sparring and we worked on some things we know will help us in this fight. I’m in great shape and I feel sharp.”

On fighting in his first main event on ESPN…

“Fighting on ESPN is great exposure for me and my team, especially in the main event. We all worked so hard to get in this position and now it’s time to capitalize on this great opportunity. I know a lot of family and friends back home in Phoenix will be tuning in. I just want to shine out and perform to my best ability.”

On facing his opponent Denis Douglin…

“This is going to be a tough fight. I know Douglin is hungry to give me my first loss. He’s coming off three wins in a row, so I’m taking this fight very seriously. Being that he’s a southpaw, I’ll have to do some things a little different. We worked on all that stuff in camp so I know I’m going to be ready for anything he brings to the ring.”

On training with his father and head coach Jose Benavidez…

“My dad Jose has been guiding my corner from the first day I started boxing around three years old. Together we have a strong bond and I respect him very much. He’s come up with a great game plan tailor made for Douglin. He’s made a lot of sacrifices to help me get to this point and I’m very thankful to him for all that he’s done for me and my brother. I want nothing more than to bring him another great victory.”

On fighting on the East Coast for the second time in his career…

“The East Coast fans are very passionate about their boxing. Douglin, being that he’s from New Jersey, will have a lot of fans rooting against me. But I’m not going to let anything distract me from the task at hand and that’s coming back home with a win.

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.

This Friday, August 5, 2016, in the Grand Ballroom of the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California, Greg Cohen Promotions and Ringside Ticket Inc., in association with David Schuster’s Winner Take All Productions, will proudly present a quadrupleheader of professional boxing, televised live on CBS Sports Network (11 pm ET/8 pm PT).

In the night’s televised main event, red-hot 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, will look to keep his momentum going in a 10-round battle against Cleveland’s Chris “The Irish Ghost” Fitzpatrick (15-4, 6 KOs).

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).

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.

25-year-old Brant has already won two fights this year. In April, he took care of Arkansas veteran Delray Raines in less than a round and in January, he scored a nationally televised “Knockout of the Year” candidate against formidable contender DeCarlo Perez. The victory put Brant on the radar of the boxing world.

29-year-old Fitzpatrick went undefeated in his first 15 fights and only suffered setbacks against some of the world’s top middleweights, including world champion Daniel Jacobs. “The Irish Ghost” is never in a bad fight and will test any would-be contender’s true mettle.

Promoter Greg Cohen says he’s excited to be bringing his popular televised boxing series to California.

“This is our first scheduled quadrupleheader and we’re excited to be bringing it to a classic boxing venue like the Pechanga,” said Cohen. “Rob Brant will be in against a guy who will take you out if you don’t have the goods. Skender Halili’s last fight was one of the best of the year, so I look forward to another slugfest. Cem Kilic won’t have it easy. Although his opponent is making his debut, he can really fight. And we all get another look at the amazing talent of Malik Hawkins to open the night. It’s truly a great night of boxing. Thanks to my partners and the wonderful staff at Pechanga for helping make it happen.”

The night’s jam-packed undercard will be announced later this week.

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.

Gennady “GGG” Golovkin
“I’m very excited and happy to be in London. I’m excited to perform in front of the UK fans. Kell Brook has my full respect and a great team behind him. It’s not easy for us to get opponents, he’s ready for me and I’m ready for him. Kell Brook is the biggest test to me, he’s a great champion, he’s moving up in weight but great fighters have done that and I know he’s a great boxer and he will test me the most. Thanks to Sky Sports and HBO, I can give the UK fans an amazing event and another big drama show.”

“The Special One” Kell Brook
“This is the biggest fight in world boxing. I’m the best Welterweight in the world and no-one wants me, he’s the best Middleweight in the world and no one wants him. I’ll be his size on fight night and I’m bringing the speed to Middleweight. To be the best you have to beat the best. I’m going to be so sharp and so powerful on fight night. No one has got the best out of me before but Gennady will bring that out in me and I’m excited to see that from myself. I always find a way to win and there’s going to be massive drama in the fight, it doesn’t get better than this and I’m doing this for the fans that have wanted me to step-up and show them what Kell Brook can really do.”

“I want to go down in history like Sugar Ray Robinson as doing massive things in big fights and beating the best, Gennady is the best fighter in the world, and I am going to beat him. It’s the best fighting the best.”

Abel Sanchez, Trainer of Golovkin
“These guys are very intelligent in the ring and that’s what makes them great. When the fear becomes aggression they want to win and excel.”

“We are looking forward to a hard fight and to fighting the best Welterweight on the planet. Four years ago we were here for Carson Jones and there’s hundreds more cameras. Kell’s improved massively since then and we’re looking forward to a great fight against the best Welterweight.”

Dominic Ingle, Trainer of Brook
“We are confident that Kell Brook will become the new Middleweight champion of the world. We’ve had a great camp in Spain. We’re in a quiet place and that’s allowing us to get on with our work away from prying eyes.”

“Kell is going to be in great shape and he has to be to fight Gennady. Kell is going to come out on top on the night – we’ve looked at Gennady and we’ll have the right plan. Kell has always says he’s going to deliver something historic and he’s done that already, and on September 10 Kell will become the new Middleweight champion of the world.”

“You have to go through the gears as Gennady is a very clever and accomplished fighter so he has to match his intelligence, power and engine. The fear in the fight makes you perform the best, we’ve addressed all those scenarios and he’ll deliver on the night.”

Tom Loeffler/K2 Promotions
“With the platform of Sky Sports it really contributes to the success currently of British boxing. We really appreciate the hospitality that Eddie and his team have shown here in London.”

“The heart that Kell Brook shows as a Welterweight stepping up to fight Gennady is much bigger than the Middleweight’s that won’t get in the ring with GGG. There’s been a huge response for this fight with HBO in the United States and RTL in Germany, Gennady first fight with them and we’re excited about that.”

“This fight solves the problem for both guys trying to get opponents to get in the ring. The ticket sales were remarkable and the response to the two press conferences has been brilliant, we can’t wait for this fight.”

Eddie Hearn/Matchroom Boxing
“Every now and then you make a fight that makes your hairs on your arms stand on end – this is it. We have the best Middleweight in the World and best Welterweight in the world.”

“It’s my pleasure to bring Gennady to the UK for this wonderful fight – he’s a fighter I admire greatly and it’s great to work with Tom Loeffler and HBO.”

“Kell Brook has been with us for 13 fights and I believe he’s very special. I was in Madison Square Garden when Gennady beat David Lemieux and I had the same feeling about him. Kell is stepping up to face the best fighter in the world – and to be a great fighter you need to do great things. We’re very confident and Kell is here to win not in a no-lose situation”

Photos Courtesy/Lawrence Lustig, Matchroom Boxing

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Golovkin is known as “The Most Exciting, Hardest-Hitting, Most Feared Fighter in the World.” From recently selling out arenas in New York City (Madison Square Garden), Los Angeles (The Fabulous Forum), Carson, California (StubHub Center) and now The O2 (London) to his sponsorships with the JORDAN Brand, Apple, Samsung, and Bijan, Tsesna Bank, BI Group and EXPO 2017, Golovkin is one of the most marketable athletes in the world.

Golovkin’s record includes 22 straight knockouts in addition to 16 consecutive world title defenses. His 91.4% knockout ratio is the highest in boxing’s middleweight division history. Britain’s pound-for-pound number one fighter, Kell Brook, is out to shock the world when he steps up two weight divisions to take on the fearsome Gennady Golovkin.

The unbeaten Sheffield star achieved his childhood dream in August 2014 when he travelled to California to rip the IBF World Welterweight title from Ohio’s highly-rated and then-unbeaten Shawn Porter. He has since defended the title on three occasions, defeating Jo Jo Dan, Frankie Gavin and Kevin Bizier, all by stoppage.

SOCIAL MEDIA: For more information, visit www.MatchroomBoxing.com www.K2Promos.com, www.HBO.com/boxing, www.SkySports.com, and www.theo2.co.uk

Follow on Twitter for Gennady “GGG” Golovkin @GGGBoxing, Kell Brook at @SpecialKBrook, Tom Loeffler/K2 Promotions @TomLoeffler1, Eddie Hearn @EddieHearn and Matchroom Boxing @MatchroomBoxing in addition to HBO Boxing @HBOBoxing and Sky Sports Boxing @SkySportsBoxing.

Use the hashtag #GGGBrook to join the conversation on social media.

Pittsburgh, PA (August 1, 2016) – A group of some of the best amateurs from boxing hotbed Cuba defeated Team Pittsburgh 7-4 on Saturday night in front of a packed crowd of over 2,500 on the Roberto Clemente Bridge adjacent to to PNC Park.

The meet, which was a year in the making that saw the team from Pittsburgh travel to Cuba in May for a dual-training session between the teams and culminated with the historic event.

Not only was the meet staged in front of a capacity crowd, but was broadcast live back to Cuba with an estimated viewing audience of 11 million people.

In attendance were 1996 Olympic Gold Medal winner Maikro Romero of Cuba, who came over as an ambassador for his home country as well as two-time world champion, Steve “USS” Cunningham, who was a coach for Team Pittsburgh and father of team participant, Steve Cunningham Jr.

The younger Cunningham, along with teammates Nehemiah Hollinger, Sylvio Cercone & Kiante Irving were the four members from Team Pittsburgh to have their hand’s raised.

For more information on the event, www.cubasipgh.org

History of the Event

In the sport of amateur boxing, Cuba has established itself as a world power house. Despite only having a population roughly equal to that of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Cuba has won an unbelievable 67 Olympic medals in boxing, 34 of which are Gold. By all accounts, Cuba is a world leader in the sport.

In November of 2015, a diverse delegation of business and community leaders led by Congressman Mike Doyle, County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, and Councilwoman Natalia Rudiak traveled to Cuba to invite Cuba to take on Team Pittsburgh. Today, July 30, 2016, right here in Pittsburgh, you are a witness to an unprecedented athletic exchange with Cuba. While Pittsburgh has had a long-standing relationship with the City of Matanzas, Cuba and has engaged in countless academic, cultural, and humanitarian exchanges with our friends in Cuba, this athletic exchange will be a first. Our belief is that if Pittsburgh wants to be the best in the world, we have to learn from the best in the world. Having the opportunity to compete against Cuba provides our athletes with a tremendous opportunity to challenge them to become better boxers while making friends and learning about a different culture

This competition will be unique in the fact that unlike the athletic exchanges of the past between USA and Cuba, this event will be a “friendly” club match. Each of the bouts athletes are evenly matched. The goal of the evening’s competition is to provide young boxers of all skill levels a chance to compete on the international level and ultimately grow as boxers and individuals. Because of the historic nature of this event, we endeavored to stage the boxing match in a manner that reflects its significance. Matanzas is Cuba’s City of Bridges, and Pittsburgh holds that designation in the U.S.A. Because of the need to create a symbolic bridge between the U.S. and Cuba to move past the Cold War Era, we have chosen to hold this match on the Roberto Clemente Bridge, honoring at the same time a man who gave his life building unity among nations.

History of Pittsburgh Matanzas
The Pittsburgh-Matanzas Sister Cities Partnership was founded to create an opportunity for our residents, public officials, and leaders of organizations to engage in mutually beneficial ‘people to people’ exchanges with the residents of Matanzas, Cuba. On February 20, 1998 a signing agreement took place in Matanzas officially designating our sister city relationship.

The Mission of the Pittsburgh-Matanzas Sister Cities Partnership is to expand our sister city relationship between the City of Pittsburgh and the City of Matanzas, Cuba, to foster understanding and bilateral cooperation through mutually beneficial exchanges between individuals, government officials, community groups, organizations, educational, environmental, cultural, sports, business, and other institutions. It is important that ordinary people be able to experience Cuba for themselves and form their own opinions. Over the years, our work has expanded to encompass bilateral relationships within the entire nation of Cuba.
Our work focuses on these 4 objectives:
1. Lift the illegal and immoral blockade (Extra-territorial economic and trade sanctions that impact world trade)
2. Lift the Travel Ban (Allow Americans the same freedom of travel enjoyed by every other democratic nation.)
3. Building International Relations that respect the independence and Sovereignty of Cuba
4. Ending the illegal and immoral occupation of Guantanamo Bay (US is in outright violation of Treaty)

Despite decades of travel restrictions placed on U.S. residents by our own government that remain in place even to this day, as do crippling economic sanctions against Cuba, which have been condemned worldwide as immoral and illegal under international law, we have continued our work to engage in peaceful and constructive activities with the people and institutions of Cuba.

History of Hibernian Celtic Athletic Fund

The Celtic Athletic Fund was created by members of Ancient Order of Hibernians to help make sports accessible for low-income Pittsburgh youth of all nationalities through “Friendship, Unity, and Christian Charity”.
Boxing on the Bridge is the brainchild of the organization.

Michael Diven, a former Pittsburgh councilman and former state representative, is a member of the Hibernian Celtic Athletic Fund and the Pittsburgh Matanzas Sister Cities Partnership. For the past three years on St. Patrick’s Day, the fund has sponsored an exchange with Irish boxers called the Donnybrook organized by Mr. Diven.

The Cuban Constitution guarantees “access to study, culture and sports.” But in the U.S., youth sports, as well as art and music, are among the first to be cut when school district funding shrinks. “Boxing on the Bridge” continues the work of the fund to support sports initiatives for Pittsburgh’s youth and builds on decades of work by the Pittsburgh-Matanzas Sister Cities Partnership

For Pittsburgh, it will be a unique opportunity for our amateur youth boxers to learn from the best boxers in the world. And for our nation, it will help build bridges with Cuba and public support for congressional action to finally end the U.S. economic, commercial and financial blockade of Cuba, which continues, despite President Obama’s March visit to the island.

Hitz Boxing presented yet another solid card at the Horseshoe Hammond this evening, featuring the best Chicago talent in tough, action-packed fights. Full Results:

MAIN EVENT
6 Rounds – Welterweight
Ed “Bad Boy” Brown Unanimous Decision over Gilbert Venegas (60-54 on all three cards)

6 Rounds – Cruiserweight
Shawndell Winters KO 5 (2:25) Maxwell Amponsah

6 Rounds – Super Welterweight
David Estrada TKO 4 (0:01) Antony Nelson

6 Rounds – Super Lightweight
Jose Arambula TKO 2 (1:15) Kelly Wright

6 Rounds – Heavyweight
Raphael Murphy TKO 2 (1:22) Skylar Thompson

4 Rounds – Welterweight
Bertha Aracil UD Sarah French (39-37, 40-36, 39-37)

6 rounds – Welterweight
Jaime Herrera KO 4 (1:22) Thomas Allen

4 Rounds – Featherweight
Francisco Saldana KO 1 (1:04) Bryan Ramirez

4 Rounds – Cruiserweight
Martez McGregor TKO 2 (0:46) Frankie Sparks

4 Rounds – Welterweight
Matthew Murphy TKO 1 (1:43) Kenneth Thomas, Jr.

LAS VEGAS (July 30, 2016) – On the heels of the historic and long-awaited passage of legislation making professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) bouts legal in New York State, World Series of Fighting (www.WSOF.com) tonight announced that it will bring its star-studded, championship fight series to Madison Square Garden along with a live broadcast of the show on NBC, on Saturday, December 31, pending the approval of the New York State Athletic Commission.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to bring our exciting, world championship live event series to The Big Apple, where fans have been anxiously waiting for years, for live, professional MMA action to be able to happen in their city,” said World Series of Fighting CEO Carlos Silva tonight, during the live NBCSN telecast of WSOF32: Moraes vs. Hill II.

“We have been working diligently,” continued Silva, “with the staff at the New York State Athletic Commission as well as the executives at Madison Square Garden to complete all of the necessary steps to make this historic and great event happen on New Year’s Eve.”

Participating fighters and featured matchups for the New Year’s Eve extravaganza at Madison Square Garden are being worked on by World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo, and will be announced soon.

The event will mark the second live World Series of Fighting broadcast on NBC, which has also been airing one hour, taped programs featuring a collection of the league’s top fights and highlights, twice annually since 2013. To date, the league has aired 31 live events on NBCSN.

ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING

“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a worldwide premier, professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion partnered with NBC, NBCSN and international media distribution giant, IMG. Established in 2012 and headquartered in Las Vegas with satellite offices in New York City and Boston, the company is dedicated to delivering an incredible experience for sports fans by producing action-packed, live fights between elite athletes from around the world. For more information please visit WSOF.com and follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries. WSOF and World Series of Fighting are registered trademarks of MMAWC, LLC.

Antonio Orozco won a ten round unanimous decision over Abener Lopez in a junior welterweight bout at the Fantasy Springs Resort and Casino in Indio, California.

Oroaco, 142 lbs of San Diego, CA won by scores of 99-91 twice and 97-93 and is now 25-0. Lopez, 140 lbs is 23-6.

Joseph Diaz remained undefeated by stopping Victor Proa in round two of their featherweight bout.

Diaz dropped Proa in the 2nd round with a hard uppercut. He jumped on Proa and landed a huge barrage of punches and the bout was stopped at 1:07.

Diaz, 126 lbs of South El Monte, CA is 21-0 with 12 knockouts. Proa, 123 1/2 lbs of Monterrey, MX is 28-2-2.

Nikita Khrylov stopped Ed Hermann in the 2nd round of their light heavyweight bout.

Khrylov landed a visious kick to the head sent Hermman down limp to the canvas.

Khrylov, 206 lbs of Doenesk, UKR is 21-4. Hermann, 205.5 lbs of Portland, OR is 24-12-1.

Jorge Masvidal won a unanimous decision over Ross Pearson in a welterweight bout.

Masvidal, 171 lbs of Miami, FL won by scores of 30-27 and 29-28 and is now 30-11. Pearson, 170 lbs of San Diego, CA is 21-12-1.

Anthony Hamilton destroyed Damian Grabowski in 14 seconds of their heavyweight bout.

Hamilton landed an uppercut and left that made Grabowski curl up along the cage. Two more punches made Grabowski go to the deck and the fight was over.

Hamilton, 258.5 lbs of Albuquerque, NM is 15-5. Grabowski, 256 lbs of Opole, POL is 20-4.

Wilson Reis choked out Hector Sandoval in the first round of their flyweiht bout.

Reis got Sandoval on his back and made him tap out at 1:49

Reis, 126 lbs of San Diego, CA is 21-6. Sandoval, 126 lbs of Sacramento is 12-3.

Onatario, CA. (July 30, 2016)–Heralded amateur Ruben Villa (1-0, 1 KO) did not waste any time putting away challenger Gerardo Molina (1-2, 1 KO) this past Friday night in his professional debut. Villa landed a counter left hook early in the first round that sent Molina backpedaling onto the canvas. Seconds later, Villa, who is from Salinas, Calif., rocked Molina with a series of punches, knocking him out at the 2:25 mark of the opening round.

“It felt great to get that first win,” Villa said. “I didn’t go in thinking knockout, but I knew after the first knockdown that I was going to end it early. I had a bunch of friends and family in attendance. I’m glad I gave them something to smile about.”

“Ruben looked sensational in his pro debut,” said Banner Promotions President, Arthur Pelullo. “Even though it was just inside of one round, you could tell that Ruben is a tremendous talent, and we are looking forward to his next fight, which should be announced shortly.

“Ruben looked fantastic tonight,” said Ken Thompson, president of Thompson Boxing Promotions. “He gave us a glimpse into his immense potential. Ruben has a very bright future ahead of him and we are excited to continue to feature him on our Southern California shows.”

Villa is co-promoted through Thompson Boxing and Banner Promotions.

Photos By Carlos Baeza/ Thompson Boxing

Robbie Lawler 170 – Tyron Woodley 170
(UFC Welterweight Title)
Rose Namajunas 116 – Karolina Kowalkiewicz 114.5
Matt Brown 171 – Jake Ellenberger 170
Francisco Rivera 135.5 – Erik Perez 135
Ryan Benoit 126 – Freddy Serrano 126
Nikita Krylov 206 – Ed Herman 205.5
Ross Pearson 170 – Jorge Masvidal 171
Anthony Hamilton 258.5 – Damian Grabowski 256
Wilson Reis 126 – Hector Sandoval 126
Michael Graves 170.5 – Bojan Velikovic 170.5
Cesar Arzamedia 155 – Damiam Brown 155.5

Hitz Boxing continues to be the busiest promoter in the Midwest with its latest edition of Fight Night at the Horseshoe, featuring ten action-packed bouts at the Horseshoe Hammond tomorrow night. Boxing veteran and Illinois Hall of Fame Boxing Promoter Bobby Hitz treats fight fans to a main event fight featuring highly acclaimed prospect Ed Brown (17-0, 15KO) in a six-round grudge match versus Gilbert Venegas, who is coming off a six round unanimous decision win over Antoine Ellerson earlier this month. The tall and rangy Brown, who is co-managed by Cameron Dunkin and Chicago’s Mike Cericola, is a highly-touted and very busy fighter, fighting ten times over the last twelve months.
In the co-main event, Chicago cruiserweight Shawndell Winters (7-0, 6KO) faces Ghanan Maxwell Amponsah (11-1, 10KO). Winters is facing his toughest competition yet in stepping up to face Amponsah, who comes to the ring having knocked out his last opponent, Steven Abbey in the third round late last year.
“King” David Estrada (27-6, 17KO) continues his comeback run with a six round bout versus Kansas City’s Antony Nelson.
Local attraction Jose Arambula faces Missouri veteran Kelly Wright, and Jaime Herrera faces the tough and tested Thomas Allen. Female fighter Sarah French makes her debut in a very tough fight with New York’s Bertha Aracil, and Jaime Herrera, Raphael Murphy, Kenneth Thomas, Jr., and Martez McGregor round out the card in separate bouts.
Hitz Boxing will honor the “Men & Women in Blue” by granting a free ticket to attendees that show their badges at the box office. “It’s our way of saying thank you to the brave men and women who are protecting our community,” said promoter Bobby Hitz.

MAIN EVENT
6 Rounds – Welterweight
Ed “Bad Boy” Brown (145.2) vs. Gilbert Venegas (146.4)

6 Rounds – Cruiserweight
Shawndell Winters (181) vs. Maxwell Amponsah (179.8)

6 Rounds – Super Welterweight
David Estrada (152.4) vs. Antony Nelson (152.8)

6 Rounds – Super Lightweight
Jose Arambula (137) vs. Kelly Wright (137.8)

6 Rounds – Heavyweight
Raphael Murphy (202.2) vs. Skylar Thompson (224)

4 Rounds – Welterweight
Sarah French (146.2) vs. Bertha Aracil (144.8)

6 rounds – Welterweight
Jaime Herrera (146.2) vs. Thomas Allen (146.2)

4 Rounds – Featherweight
Francisco Saldana (124.6) vs. Bryan Ramirez (123.8

4 Rounds – Cruiserweight
Martez McGregor (176.6) vs. Frankie Sparks (184.8)

4 Rounds – Welterweight
Kenneth Thomas, Jr. (145) vs. Matthew Murphy (144.4)

Doors to The Venue at Horseshoe Hammond open at 6:00 tomorrow, July 30th, and first bell is at 7:00. Tickets start at $40, and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets. Boxing fans must be 21 years and older to attend events at the Horseshoe Hammond.

THE PAGE WILL UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY–NO REFRESH NEEDED

Round 1:Left from Frampton..Left from Santa Cruz..

Round 2:  Right to the body from Frampton..They are going to war on the inside…Right from Frampton..Big right rocks Santa Cruz..Good body shot

Round 3 2 good rights from Frampton..Body shot..

Round 4 Jab from Santa Cruz..good right..Body shot from Frampton..Hard left to the body…Left inside..Santa Cruz lands 2 hard shots on inside..hard right

Round 5: Jab from Frampton..Right..left..right..left inside

Round 6 Counter left from Frampton..Big right from Santa Cruz sets off a furious exchange inside..Hard right..Another Great exhange..Hard left from santa Cruz at the bell

Round 7 Right from Santa Cruz..Hard right..Counter left…

Round 8 Tremendous work on the inside..Santa Cruz getting the better..Jab..Right from Frampton..Good left..Right

Round 9 right from Frampton..Body..Left..Good right

Round 10 Right to body by Santa Cruz

Round 11 Good right by Santa Cruz..Right..Counter right…Good left from Frampton..Counter right

Round 12:  They are going to war..Frampton Lands a right…Right from Santa Cruz…Big right from Frampton …The are going to toe to toe to the final bell.

114-114; 116-112, 117-111 for CARL FRAMPTON

Round 1 Right from Rojas..Garcia lands a right to the body and Rojas falls to canvas..slip…

Round 2 Rojas lands a right..Hard left from Garcia..

Round 3 Right from Rojas…HARD LEFT AND DOWN GOES ROJAS…HUGE RIGHT AND DOWN GOES ROJAS…

Round 4:  Right and left wobbles Rojas…Hard right from Rojas..Right…Left from Garcia..2 lefts..

Round 5:  Right DROPS ROJAS..HUGE LEFT HOOK DOWN GOES ROJAS…FIGHT IS STOPPED

 

Round 1: lots of swinging and missing

Round 2:  Harrison lands a left..Counter left..right

Round 3: Right from Harrison

Round 4: Straight right from Harrison

Round 5: Hard Jab from Harrison..right..left hook..

Round 6: left from Harrison..jab

Round 7: Right from Harrison…Jab..Left from Rabchenko..

Round 8 Right from Rabchenko..left from Harrison..Right..Rabchenko lands to the body..right…left from Harrison..Right..

Round 9 HARD RIGHT AND DOWN GOES RABCHENKO…THE FIGHT IS STOPPED

Round 1 Right from Bracero..Jab from Malignaggi…Counter left from Bracero..Right from Malignaggi..

Round 2 Bracero sneaks in a right

Round 3 Left from Malignaggi..

Round 4 Jab from Bracero…

Round 5 Left from Bracero…Jabs from Malignaggi…good right…

Round 6 Right from Malignaggi…Counter right…Hard body shot from Bracero…

Round 7  Left from Bracero…left…

Round 8 Jab from Bracero..left.

Round 9 Jab to body from Malignaggi..uppercut…good right from Bracero..Left hook..Uppercut from Malignaggi

Round 10 Left from Bracero….Jab..

96-94, 98-92 twice for Malignaggi

Round 1: Farmer working body..Right hook from Redkach..

Round 2  Body shot from Farmer..Body combo..Redkach flurries on the ropes..

Round 3 Farmer showing slick defense..2 jabs from Farmer..

Round 4:   Redkach lands a right…Combo from Farmer

Round 5: Farmer lands a left.  Right hook from Redkach..Body combo from Farmer..straight left..Jab

Round 6: Redkach warned for hitting behind the head..Hard combination..Hard body

Round 7 Quick hard combinations for Farmer..Farmer hitting the body..Farmer making Redkach miss and making him pay

Round 8 Farmer hits Redkach Low…and IS DEDUCTED A POINT…They both land lefts..straight left…Redkach bleeding from around right eye…

Round 9 REDKACH DEDUCTED A POINT FOR A HEADBUTT..Body shot from Farmer..

Round 10 Right hook from Redkach..Right from Farmer inside..straight left..Farmer landing inside

99-89, 98-90 TWICE for Farmer

 

BROOKLYN–Carl Frampton wrestled the WBA Featherweight title from Leo Santa Cruz via majority decision in a terrific back and forth bout in front of a raucous crowd of 9.062 at Barclays Center.

The two stood toe to toe in many occasions that thrilled the pro-Frampton audience that made the trek from Ireland.   The bout had many ebbs and flows where Frampton seemed to jump to an early lead as he was consistently beating the now-dethroned champion to the punch.

Santa Cruz seemed to get his rhythm in  middle rounds and he worked himself back into the fight.  Frampton seemed to get his second wind in round ten and he got back to winning the exchanges in close.  The two brawled all the way to the finish.

Frampton of Dublin, Ireland won by scores of 117-111, 116-112 and 114-114 and is now 23-0,  Santa Cruz is now 32-1-1.

CARL FRAMPTON:
“It’s a dream come true. I had the dream of winning a world title and I won it, but I never thought I’d win in two divisions. It was a tough fight, I wanted tit to be a tough fight because I wanted a fight the people could remember. I respect him a lot. He was a true warrior.

“I had a good game plan. Shane was an unbelievable coach. He told me every time I came back into the corner that we could win this a lot easier. But I won it with my heart, not with my head and I got my hand raised.

“Distance control and hitting hard. I won the fight because I didn’t lose control. I earned his respect early in the fight with my distance control and hard punching. I would love to take this man to Belfast for a rematch and show the people there what a great fighter he is.”

On calling out the other champions at 126 pounds, Frampton said: “I want big, memorable fights.”

LEO SANTA CRUZ:
“It was a tough fight from the beginning. We knew it was going to be a tough fight, but I thought it was close when I’m in there throwing. Maybe the judges were hearing the crowd and thought that every little punch was scoring.

“He has a difficult style, but we know his style and get him in the rematch. The crowd was cheering, and I think the judges saw that. And maybe, without that, we would have had a draw or maybe a decision.

“It’s hard to get your first loss, but now we’ll go back to the gym, we’ll get the rematch and we’ll win. And that loss will mean nothing. I want to have a rematch in Los Angeles, but I’ll go to Belfast too.

Mikey Garcia returned off a 31-month layoff to drop Elio Rojas 4-times en-route to a fifth round stoppage in a scheduled 10-round super lightweight bout

In round two, Garcia dropped Rojas with a left hook to the top of the head.  Seconds later, it was a booming right that sent Rojas down face first.  He was able to survive that round, but two rounds later, it was deja-vu as a left hook sent Rojas down in the beginning of round five.  Rojas then ate a huge right hand that sent him down for a fourth time.  He was able to get to his feet, but the fight was stopped at 2:02.

Garcia, 138 lbs of Oxnard, CA is 35-0 with 29 knockouts.  Rojas, 139 lbs of the Dominican Republic is 24-3.

MIKEY GARCIA

Tony Harrison ended a dull affair with Sergey Rabchenko with a right hand in round nine that sent Rabchenko to the canvas and the fight was stopped after Rabchenko got to his feet.

The fight was a chess match that Harrison was winning up until final blow at 1:18

Harrison, 153.5 lbs of Detroit is now 24-1 with 20 knockouts.  Rabchenko, 153.5 lbs of Minks, Belarus is now 27-2.

 

Paulie Malignaggi won a 10-round unanimous decision over Gabriel Bracero in a battle of Brooklyn based welterweights.

Scores were 98-92 twice and 96-94 Malignaggi, 146.5 lbs of Brooklyn and is now 36-7.  Bracero is 24-3.

PAULIE MALIGNAGGI

Tevin Farmer won a 10-round unanimous decision over Ivan Redkach in a lightweight fight.

Farmer continuously made Redkach miss and look bad with wild swings, and Farmer was able to slide away and lot pot shots and every so often sit in the pocket and land quick combinations that befuddled Redkach.  Redkach was bleeding from around his right eye in round nine.  That was the same round where he was deducted a point for a headbutt.

Farmer, 134.5 lbs of Philadelphia won by scores of 99-89 and 98-90 twice to raise his record to 22-4-1.  Redkach, 135.2 lbs of Los Angeles is 19-2-1.

TEVIN FARMER

Amanda Serrano stopped Calista Silgado in the first round to retain the WBO Featherweight title.

Serrano dropped Silgado with a straight left. Seconds later, Serrano finished off Silgado with a combination that was punctuated by a right to the body that sent her to canvas and the fight was stopped at 1:41.

Serrano, 124.4 lbs of Brooklyn is now 29-1-1 with 22 knockouts. Silgado, 125.6 lbs of Tolu, COL is 14-7-3.

In a terrific two-way brawl, Conrad Cummings outlasted Dante Moore in middleweight slugfest.

Moore was deducted a point for spitting out his mouthpiece. The had countless toe-to-toe exchanges until Cummings dropped Moore in the sixth round.

Cummings, 162.4 lbs of Coalisland, IRE won by scores of 59-53 and 58-54 twice and is now 10-0-1. Moore, 161.6 lbs of Cleveland, OH is now 9-2-2.

Josh Taylor stopped Evincii Dixon at the end of round two of their scheduled six-round junior welterweight bout/

Taylor, 142,4 lbs of Edinborogh, Scotland is 6-0 with six knockouts. Dixon, 144.2 lbs of Lancaster, PA is 7-15-1.

Min-Wook Kim took apart Louis Cruz by registering three knockdowns en-route to a first round stoppage in a scheduled eight-round junior welterweight bout.

In round one, Kim dropped Cruz with a right. Seconds later, it was a left that sent Cruz to the Canvas. Just after the ref let the fight continue, a perfect right sent Cruz down for a third and final time at 2:33.

Kim. 139 lbs of Seoul, South Korea is 16-1 with 12 knockouts. Cruz, 139.2 lbs of Bronx, NY is 11-2-1.

Jose Gomez opened up the night by stopping Josh Crespo in the first round of their scheduled six-round featherweight bout.

It was a firefight with Gomez landing hard shots until he dropped Crespo. Crespo got to his feet, but the bout was waved off at 2:31.

Gomez, 125.6 lb of Huntington Park, CA is 8-0 with three knockouts. Crespo, 125 lbs of New Haven, CT is 5-4-3.

Adonis Stevenson retained the WBC Light Heavyweight title with an action packed 4th round stoppage over Thomas Williams and the Videotron Centre in Quebec City, Canada.

Stevenson dropped Williams in the last 30 seconds of the opening frame with a left to the top of the head.  Williams came back to rock Stevenson on several occasions over the next two rounds.  Stevenson came out and round four and landed some tremendous body shots that started breaking Williams down.  Williams started to bleed from both over and under his left eye.  Stevenson then landed a perfect six-inch straight left that crumpled Williams face-first to the canvas.  Williams tried to get to his fight but could not beat the count at 2:54.

Stevenson of Montreal is now 28-1 with 23 knockouts.  Williams of Baltimore is now 20-2.

 

Eleider Alvarez won a 10-round unanimous decision over late-replacement Robert Berridge in a light heavyweight fight.

In round five, Berridge’s right eye began to swell.  Alvarez dominated the action and won by scores of 99-90 and 98-91 twice.

Alvarez is now 20-0.  Berridge is 27-5-1.

Immanuwel Aleem and DeMond Nicholson battled to a majority draw in a middleweight bout.

Aleem took a card 77-75 while two cards read even at 76-76.

Aleem is now 16-0-1.  Nicholson is 17-1-1.