Carlos Ocampo scored a 5th round stoppage over Charlie Navarro in a scheduled 10-round Welterweight bout.

In round three, Ocampo dropped Navarro with a left hook. Ocampo continued the assault until the bout was stopped at 37 seconds after a second knockdown.

Ocampo of Mexico is 18-0 with 12 knockouts. Navarro of Venezuela is 25-9.

Stephen Thompson announced himself as a contender as he stopped former world Welterweight champion Johny Hendricks in the first round of their scheduled 5-round Welterweight bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Thompson landed a perfect right hand that hurt Hendricks and continued to land punched and a couple of massive kicks until Hendricks was on the ground. two punches later and the fight was stopped at 3:31

Thompson, 170 lbs of Simpsonville, SC is 12-1. Hendricks, 170 lbs of Fort Worth, TX is 17-4.

Roy Nelson won a unanimous decision over Jared Rosholt in a Heavyweight bout.

Nelson, 258 lbs of Las Vegas won by scores of 30-27 twice and 29-28 and is now 21-12. Rosholt, 245 lbs of Arlington, TX is 14-3.

Ovince Saint Preux won a unanimous decision over Rafael Feijao in a Light Heavyweight bout.

Saint Preux, 206 lbs of Knoxville, TN won by 30-27 scores on two cards & 29-28 and is now 19-7. Feijao, 205 lbs of Rio de Jineiro, BRA is 12-7-1.

Joseph Benavidez won a 3-round unanimous decision over Zack Makovsky in a Flyweight bout.

Benavidez, 125 lbs of Sacramento, CA won by scores of 30-27 twice and 29-28 and is now 24-4. Makovsky, 125 lbs of Philadelphia, PA is 19-7.

Misha Cirkunov choked out Alex Nicholson in round two of their Light Heavyweight bout.

Cirkunob locked in a rear naked on Nicholson who already had a jaw injury and he tapped out at 1:28.

Cirkunov, 206 lbs of Toronto, CAN is 11-2-1. Nicholson of Orlando, FL is 6-2.

Mike Pyle scored a 3rd round stoppage over Sean Spencer in a Welterweight bout.

In round three, Pyle landed a reverse punch and landed some vicious knees to the face until the bout was stopped at 4:25.

Pyle, 170 lbs of Las Vegas is 27-11-1. Spencer, 170 lbs of Dallas, TX is 12-5.

Josh Burkman won a 3-round unanimous decision over KJ Noons in a Welterweight bout.

Both guys had bloody noses but Burkman won by scores of 30-27 on all cards.

Burkmann, 156 lbs is 28-12-1. Noons, 156 lbs of San Diego is 13-9-1.

Derrick Lewis stopped Damian Grabowski in round one of their Heavyweight bout.

Lewis pounded Grabowski on the canvas that opened up a nasty cut on the top of the head. After more punishment the fight was stopped at 2:17.

Lewis, 263 lbs of Houston, TX is 14-4-1. Grabowski of Opole, POL is 20-3.

Justin Scoggins with a 3-round unanimous decision over Ray Borg in a Flyweight bout.

Borg was bleeding from the nose in the 2nd round.

Scoggins, 125 lbs of Spartenburg, SC won by scores of 30-27 twice and 30-26 and is now 11-2. Borg, 125 lbs of Albuquerque, NM is 9-2.

Diego Rivas scored an explosive 2nd round knockout over Noad Lohat in a Featherweight bout.

Rivas caught Lohat with an explosive jumping kick on the jaw that slumped Lohat down to the canvas and after a couple punches the fight was stopped at 23 seconds of round two

Rivas, 144 lbs of Chile is 7-0. Lohat, 145 lbs of San Jose, CA is 10-1.

Dimash Niyazov won a 6-round unanimous decision over James Lester in a Jr. Welterweight bout at the Masonic Temple in Detroit.

Niyazov won by scores of 59-54 and 58-55 twice to raise his mark to 9-0-3. Lester is 10-10.

James Smith scored a 2nd round stoppage over Antwan Robertson in a scheduled 6-round Bantamweight bout.

Robertson was credited with a flash knockdown in round two when he landed a hard right that rocked Smith. A moment later, Smith landed a hard right that sent Robertson to the deck and the fight was stopped.

Smith is 9-0 with 6 knockouts. Robertson is 10-15-1.

Edward Willaims won a 6-round unanimous decision over Angel Figueroa in a Welterweight bout.

Williams of Detroit won by scores of 60-54 twice and 59-55 and is now 11-1-1. Figueroa id 4-3.

Eudy Bernardo scored a 2nd round stoppage over Ben Odamattey in a scheduled 6-round Lightweight bout.

Bernardo sent Odamattey down in round one from a volume of punches. Bernardo continued the assault ans scored a second knockdown in round two and the fight was stopped at 1:18 of round two.

Bernardo of Santo Domingo DR is 21-0 with 15 knockouts. Odamattey is 16-13-3.

James Ballard remained undefeated with a 3rd round stoppage over Nathan Bedwell in a scheduled 4-round Light Heavyweight bout.

ballard landed a barrage of hard punches and Bedwell did not punch back and the fight was stopped at

Ballard of Detroit is 6-0 with 3 knockouts. Bedwell is 5-16.

Emilio Salas scored a 2nd round stoppage over Karinn Davis in a scheduled 4-round Cruiserweight bout.

Salas scored a knockdown in round with a left. In round two, Davis went down from a flurry of punches. Davis went down moments later from another flurry of punches which was more from exhaustion and the bout was stopped at 2:16.

Salas is 5-1-1 with 3 knockouts. Davis is 2-6.

Serdar Hudayberdiyev scored a 4th round stoppage over Kevin Shacks in the final round of their Super Welterweight bout.

In round two, Hudayberdiyev dropped Shacks with a right to the body. Seconds later Hudayberdiyev was docked a point for pushing. In round three, Hudayberdiyev scored another knock down from a right. Hudayberdiyev dropped Shacks again in round four with a right uppercut. Moments later the fight was stopped at 1:33 after another hard shot backed Shacks up.

Hudayberdiyev of Turkistan is 1-0 with 1 knockout. Shacks is 0-2.

Kane Heron scored a 1st round stoppage scored a 1st round stoppage over Brian Otey in a scheduled 4-round Welterweight bout.

Heron scored 3 knockdowns in the 1st round and the fight was stopped.

Herron of Ontario, Canada is 3-0 with 2 knockouts. Otey of Landing, MI is 0-2.

SANTA MONICA (February 6, 2015) – Bellator MMA is proud to announce the signing of Chris “The Crippler” Leben (22-11) to an exclusive multi-year, multi-fight contract. The former World Extreme Cagefighting Middleweight World Champion has fought professionally since 2002, and holds the record for most fights in the UFC at 185-pounds (22).

Since taking a break from the sport in 2014, Leben has resided in San Diego, Calif. and served as a coach at Victory MMA & Fitness. Known for his tendency to put on an exciting show each and every time he enters the cage, Leben was a member of the inaugural cast of “The Ultimate Fighter” alongside fellow Bellator MMA competitors Stephan Bonnar and Josh Koscheck. The 35-year-old has fought elite talent throughout his mixed martial arts tenure, against names the likes of: Wanderlei Silva, Anderson Silva, Brian Stann, Michael Bisping, Patrick Cote, Mark Munoz, and Bellator MMA’s own Alessio Sakara.

“If I were to draw up the prototypical Bellator MMA competitor, there would be parts of Chris [Leben] in there,” Bellator MMA President Scott Coker said. “The guy has never had a boring fight and as I’ve said from day one, we’re going to continue to grow from the ground up and buy from the top down. I know that Chris still has a lot of fight left in him and I’m excited to see him fight We are hoping to see his Bellator debut this Spring.”

“Focusing on just coaching at Victory MMA has been amazing, but recently, I started to get the itch to compete again,” Leben said. “So I extended an olive branch to the people at Bellator and here I am. I’m in great shape, I love the possible matchups this roster has to offer and I’m ready to show the world why they call me ‘The Crippler.’”

Leben joins a budding roster of Bellator MMA talent, with recent signings that include: Benson Henderson, Anastasia Yankova, Lena Ovchynnikova, and Sergei Kharitonov.

It has yet to be determined what weight class Leben will compete at, but when asked what division he hopes to settle in, Leben made it clear: “I’ll go wherever the big fights are.”

About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About Spike:
Spike is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

Long Island, NY/Detroit, MI (February 6, 2016) – Tonight!! from the Masonic Temple in Detroit, Michigan, Salita Promotions presents the Detroit Brawl.

The action will be streamed LIVE on GFL.TV for just $14.99 and can be purchased by CLICKING HERE

On the heels of his successful Brooklyn Brawl series, promoter Dmitry Salita is taking his promotion to the historic boxing town of Detroit.

The card will feature five undefeated fighters and is headlined by by cruiserweight Junior Wright taking on Chris Stallworth in a six-round bout.

Wright (14-1-1, 11 KO’s) of Chicago is one of the most exciting Cruiserweight fighters in the world. He was undefeated in his first 14 bouts going 13-0-1 that was highlighted by wins over undefeated Nick Reeder (3-0-1) and Nick Kisner (12-0-1). On May 15, 2014, Wright and fellow undefeated Steve Bujaj engaged in a 10-round war that ended in a draw. The fight was an easy winner for New York Fight of the Year.

Wright came up a little short in an effort against highly acclaimed Rakhim Chakhiev. In his last bout, Wright got back on track with 6-round unanimous decision over Harvey Jolly.

Stallworth of Homewood, PA. has a respectable record of 9-3 with 3 knockouts. He has dropped two in a row.

A full 8-bout undercard will be available live beginning at 7:30 PM ET.

Undefeated Lightweight Eudy Bernardo (20-0, 14 KO’s) of Santo Domingo, DR battles Ben Odamattey (16-12-3, 9 KO’s) in a 6-round bout.

Edward Williams (10-1-1, 4 KO’s) of Detroit, MI fights Angel Figueroa (4-2-1) of Lorain, OH in a Welterweight bout.

Undefeated Lightweight Dimash Niyazov (8-0-3, 4 KO’s) of Saten Island, NY will battle James Lester (10-9, 4 KO’s).

Undefeated Bantamweight James Smith (8-0, 5 KO’s) of Detroit, MI takes on Antwan Robertson (10-14-1, 5 KO’s) of Minnesota.

In 4-round bouts:

Emilio Salas (4-1-1, 2 KO’s) of Coamo, PR will fight Karinn Davis (2-5, 2 KO’s) in a Cruiserwight contest.

Undefeated Light Heavyweight James Ballard (5-0, 2 KO’s) of Detroit, MI will tangle with Nathan Bedwell (5-15, 2 KO’s) of Jackson, MS.

Super Welterweight Serdar Hudayberdiyev of Ashgabat, Turkmenistan will make his pro debut against Kevin Shacks (0-1).

Kane Heron (2-0, 1 KO) of Ontario, Canada will fight Brian Otey (0-1) of Lansing, MI in a Welterweight bout.

INDIO, CALIF. (Feb. 5, 2016) – A sold-out crowd of 1,814 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino welcomed back hometown hero Randy “El Matador” Caballero (23-0, 14 KOs) of Coachella Valley, Calif. in his first fight since 2014 against the fierce fighter Ruben Garcia (15-2-1, 6 KOs) of Mexico, City, Mexico. The scheduled 10-round featherweight fight was televised live nationally on Boxeo Estelar on Estrella TV.

The exiciting bout had the crowd on their feet as Caballero took control of the fight with a series of combinations in the first round, setting the stage for the remaining rounds of the thrilling event. Both fighters exchanged constantly entertaining the fans, but as the rounds crept up Garcia was getting exposed by Caballeros punches. By the sixth round, Garcia hit the canvans but was able to make the count and was also dropped twice in the seventh round by a right hook to the body. Before the eighth round, the referee ruled Garcia unfit to continue, waving off the bout and declaring Caballero the victor by seventh round technical knockout.

“It feels so great to be back,” said Randy Caballero. “I felt strong and in control the whole time and glad I was able to shake off some of the ring rust. I am glad I was able to share this victory with my hometown and have them witness my return to the ring. I know I delievered a great fight, and I am ready for the next challenge. I want to become a world champion again, and I know the opportunity is coming soon.”

“I was excited about the opportunity to fight Randy,” said Ruben Garcia. “I knew that a victory against a former world champion like Randy could elevate my profile in the division and lead to more opportunities for me. But, unfortunately I couldn’t excute the plan. I couldn’t find him in the ring and sadly the result was not what I was hoping or expecting. This loss does not discourage me. I will rest and get back in the gym and wait for the next opportunity.”

In the co-main event on the night and part of the Estrella TV broadcast, East Los Anegeles’ undefeated welterweight Frankie “Pitbull” Gomez (20-0, 13 KOs) demonstated his control of the ring in a fight against former IBA Super Lightweight Champion Silverio “Chamaco III” Ortiz (29-17, 15 KOs) of Chicxulub, Yucatan, Mexico in a scheduled 10-round welterweight fight. Ortiz was a resilient fighter as Gomez constantly cornered and used his speed against Ortiz to land effective shots. By the ninth round Ortiz took a knee to recuperate after an attack from Gomez but was able to recover and continued on to go the distance wih Gomez. In the end, Gomez was awarded an unanimous victory with a score of 100-90 by all three judges.

“I felt very strong in the ring and felt in complete control throughout the fight,” said Frankie Gomez. “I am glad with the decision, it’s another victory on my record. Ortiz was a tough guy, he was taking a lot of hits and didn’t go down until the ninth round. He definitely earned my respect, but I am here to win and become a world champion.”

In the swing bout of the night, which streamed live on Ring TV, San Antonio’s rising super featherweight Hector “El Finito” Tanajara Jr. (5-0, 3 KOs) won an entertaining victory by unanimous decision over Clay Burns (3-1-1, 3 KOs) of Alexandria, La. Tanajara was awared scores of 60-53 by all three judges after finishing the fight which included a fifth round knock down of Clay.

Also part of the Ring TV live stream, Las Vegas’ Rocco Santomuro (13-0, 1 KO) delivered an exciting six-round bantamweight bout against Jose “Hollywood” Estrella (14-10-1, 10 KOs) of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. The fight went all six rounds and kept boxing fans entertained throughout the bout as both fighters traded blows equally. However, Santomuro was more effective and was given the deicision and another victory on his record.

Top undefeated prospect Neeco “Rooster” Macias (11-0, 6 KOs) from Palm Desert, Calif. dominated the resilent Paul Mpendo (8-14-4, 4 KOs) of Kampala, Uganda in their six-round super welterweight fight. Macias constantly cornered Mpendo on the ropes with his quick combinations as the rowdy crowd cheered him on. By the fifth round, Mpendo was rulled unfit to continue by the doctor and the referee rulled a technical knockout victory in favor of Neeco Macias.

Alberto Fundora (7-0, 3 KOs) of Coachella Valley put his record on the line aginst Cesar Ruiz (2-3, 1 KOs) of Sonora, Mexico. The crowd cheered him on as he knocked down Ruiz twice in the second round. Not able to make the count the second time, the fight was stopped at 1:56 and Fundora was awarded another kockout victory.

Making his professional debut and opening up the night, Jesus Sanchez (1-0, 1 KOs)of Indio, Calif. took on newcomer Gibran Gutierrez (0-2) of Santa Ana, Calif. in a scheduled four-round welterweight fight. Sachez, who is trained by the famed Joel Diaz, quickyly took control of the fight with his quick combinations forcing the referee to stop the fight in the second round. Sanchez scored his first victory and his first TKO on his record.

Also part of the non-televised portion of the night but fighting after the main event, Shane Mosely Jr. (5-1, 4 KOs) of Pomona, Calif., had his father and former world champion Sugar Shane Mosely in his corner when he defeated Daniel Henry (3-5-3) of Lewiston, Maine via unanimous decision.

Randy Caballero vs. Ruben Garcia was a 10-round featherwieght bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate, BORN BOLD. Doors opened at 5:00 p.m. and the first bout began at 5:30 p.m. The Estrella TV Boxeo Estelar broadcast aired live on Friday, February 5 at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT., and streamed live simultaneously on estrellaTV.com and on YouTube via Fenomeno Studios: youtube.com/FenomenoStudios. The Ring TV live stream began at approximately 5:30 p.m. PT through 7:00 p.m.

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com
, www.estrellatv.com, follow on twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @EstrellaTV, and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, http://www.facebook.com/EstrellaTVNetwork, visit us on Instagram at @GoldenBoyBoxing and @EstrellaTV; and follow the conversation using #BoxeoEstelar.

BETHLEHEM, PA. (February 5, 2016) – 2012 U.S Olympian and undefeated lightweight Jamel Herring is very much looking forward to his fight this Tuesday night against Luis Eduardo Flores.

The bout takes place on an exciting night of boxing that will be part of Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) TOE-TO-TOE TUESDAYS on FS1 and BOXEO DE CAMPEONES on FOX Deportes Tuesday, February 9 from Sands Bethlehem Events Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Televised coverage begins at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by King’s Promotions, are priced at $100, $75 and $45, 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.

Herring of Cincinnati, Ohio has a perfect mark of 14-0 with eight knockouts knows that a big effort will begin to put him on the radar in the 135-pound division.

“Camp is going great. I am on weight five days before the fight, so I am just maintaining now,” said Herring, who trained mostly in his hometown of Cincinnati but finished at the Headbangers Gym in Washington, D.C.

Herring has done some homework on his opponent and has some good things to say about his foe,

“Flores is a tall and rangy and has some knockouts. I am going to play it straight, maybe feel him out for a few rounds and work my gameplan. This is a good step for me,”

This will be the best exposure for Herring, who will look to shine on the national stage.

“This is my first PBC card and to headline it is a great honor. In the same sense, I look at the fight as just another fight and I am very focused for the task at hand.”

Because he had a terrific amateur pedigree, Herring believes that with a strong performance, he is not that far away from getting himself in the mix for big fights in the lightweight division.

“I am looking for the fights against the top-fifteen guys. I am have the ability, the pedigree to compete with all of those contenders. First things first, I have to win on Tuesday and I want everyone to tune in to this great night of fights.”

Las Vegas – UFC® today announced a five-year extension of its partnership with Cleveland Clinic, and its support of the Professional Fighters Brain Health Study. The multi-year commitment and one million dollar contribution to the clinic’s Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas where the study is conducted, makes UFC the largest combat sport contributor to the study.

“Research and awareness are key in setting new standards for athlete health and safety,” UFC Chief Operating Officer Ike Lawrence Epstein said. “UFC is always looking for opportunities to invest in industry-leading health and wellness programs and providing resources to develop its athletes inside and outside the Octagon.”
“We have learned quite a bit in the first four years of the study about how repetitive head trauma affects the brain and how we can detect accumulating injury,” Charles Bernick, M.D., Associate Medical Director at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health and principal investigator of the study said. “The involvement of the fighting community and organizations like UFC will only help us better understand the field and protect our athletes. Their support has helped sustain the infrastructure of this very large study and will allow us to follow the participants over longer periods of time and develop ways to improve safety in combat sports, along with others exposed to repetitive head trauma.”

Established in 2011, the Professional Fighters Brain Health study is focused on developing methods to detect the earliest and most subtle signs of brain injury in athletes exposed to head trauma, as well as determining which individuals may be more likely to develop chronic neurological disorders. Now in its fifth year, researchers are confident the findings will benefit the safety and health of professional fighters as well as those exposed to repetitive head trauma in other sports and activities.

UFC’s commitment to aid in the funding of the Professional Fighters Brain Health Study is provided in conjunction with other leading combat sports organizations. These funds will help provide the necessary support to continue the Professional Fighters Brain Health Study at Cleveland Clinic, with future plans to publish and advocate about the importance of this research to the sport.

To date, the Professional Fighters Brain Health Study has enrolled nearly 600 active and retired athletes. Participation is voluntary, and fighters in the study receive free, ongoing assessments of their brain health and function, including MRI scans. Individual tests will be repeated annually for a minimum of four years.

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 150 countries and territories to more than one billion TV households worldwide in 21 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 and Instagram: @UFC.

About Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation’s best hospitals in its annual “America’s Best Hospitals” survey. More than 3,000 full-time salaried physicians and researchers and 11,000 nurses represent 120 medical specialties and subspecialties. The Cleveland Clinic health system includes a main campus near downtown Cleveland, eight community hospitals, more than 90 northern Ohio outpatient locations, including 18 full-service family health centers, Cleveland Clinic Florida, the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, Cleveland Clinic Canada, and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. In 2014, there were 5.9 million outpatient visits throughout the Cleveland Clinic health system and 152,500 hospital admissions. Patients came for treatment from every state and 147 countries. Visit us at www.clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at www.twitter.com/ClevelandClinic.

About Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health
Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health provides state-of-the-art care for cognitive disorders and for the family members of those who suffer from them. The physicians and staff at the Center for Brain Health continuously work towards the development of early diagnosis and the advancement of knowledge concerning mild cognitive disorders, which could one day delay or prevent their onset. Patients receive expert diagnosis and treatment at the Center for Brain Health, which offers a multidisciplinary patient-focused approach to diagnosis and treatment, promoting collaboration across all care providers, offering patients a complete continuum of care and infusing education and research into all that it does. The facility, designed by Frank Gehry, houses clinical space, a diagnostic center, neuroimaging rooms, physician offices, laboratories devoted to clinical research and the Keep Memory Alive Event Center. For more information, visit clevelandclinic.org/brainhealth.

Nutley, N.J. (Feb. 5, 2016) – It will be a big night of boxing on Friday, Feb. 19, at the Adrian Philips Ballroom in Historic Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City as GH3 Promotions presents ShoBox: The New Generation, live on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

Four bouts will be showcased on the televised portion. In the main event, Adam Lopez (14-0, 7 KO’s) of San Antonio, Texas, will take on Mario Munoz (16-0-1, 10 KO’s) of Guadalajara, Mexico, in a ten-round battle for the WBA Fedalatin Super Bantamweight title.

In the eight-round co-feature, undefeated super middleweight Ronald Ellis (12-0, 10 KO’s) of Lynn, Mass., will battle Jerry Odom (13-2, 12 KO’s) of Washington, D.C.

In an eight-round super featherweight bout, Lavisas Williams (8-0-1, 3 KO’s) of Rochester, N.Y., will battle O’Shaquie Foster (9-1, 6 KO’s) of a Houston, Texas.

Recently added is an eight-round super middleweight bout between undefeated John Magda (11-0, 7 KO’s) of Rutherford, N.J., taking on Christopher Brooker (7-1, 5 KO’s) of Philadelphia.

The combined record of the eight competitors is an astounding 90-4-2 which equates to a 94.8 winning percentage.

Before the cameras roll, an outstanding undercard has been assembled by GH3 Promotions.

GH3 Promotions Hector Frometa (1-0) of Miami, Fla. via Cuba, will take on Jordan Rosario (0-2) of Jersey City, N.J., in a four-round welterweight bout.

In a six-round junior middleweight bout, Arturo Trujillo (7-0, 4 KO’s) of Easton, Pa., will battle Jeffrey Wright (3-1-1, 3 KO’s) of Milwaukee, Wisc.

In a six-round junior middleweight bout, Anthony Young (11-1, 5 KO’s) of Atlantic City, will battle Skender Halil (8-1, 8 KO’s) of Fort Worth, Texas.

In a six-round heavyweight match, Brendan Barrett (3-0-1, 3 KO’s) of Little Egg Harbor, N.J. will square off with Dan Pasciolla (6-1) of Brick, N.J.

Elijah Vines of Philadelphia will make his pro debut against Danny Rosenberger (0-1-2) of Saint Petersburg, Fla., in a welterweight bout.

Tickets for the GH3 Promotions event are priced at $25, $50, $75, $100 and $150 are available for purchase online at www.Ticketmaster.com and over the phone at 1 800 736 1420.

GH3 Promotions features undefeated Middleweight Antoine Douglas, Super Middleweight’s Jerry Odom, undefeated Super Bantamweight Adam Lopez as well as Boxcino 2015 Jr. Middleweight Champion John Thompson, Jr., undefeated Welterweight’s Hector Frometa, Jerrell Harris & Keenan Smith & Jr. Lightweight O’Shaquie Foster to the GH3 Promotions stable.

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (February 4, 2015) – The main card of “Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” on March 4 is coming together with today’s addition of Goiti Yamauchi (19-2), who will meet Bubba Jenkins (10-2) in featherweight action, with both men hoping to keep their current winning streaks intact.
Tickets for “Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” are on sale now and start at just $45. You can purchase tickets at the WinStar World Casino and Resort Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com. Doors for the event open at 5:00 p.m. CT local time, with the first contest taking place one hour later.

“Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” airs live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App.. Additional preliminary bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.

Yamauchi comes into the fight riding a wave of momentum he’s caught after wins against Mike Richman, Martin Stapleton, and Isao Kobayashi. The 23-year-old Japanese fighter has only lost once in six appearances under the Bellator MMA banner and has notched 15 of his 19 wins as a professional by way of submission.

It’s hard to ignore Jenkins inside or outside the Bellator MMA cage, being that “The Highlight Kid” also doubles as a podcast host during his free time. The Arizona State alum notched two straight wins to cap off 2015, most recently, an impressive offensive display against a promising prospect in Jordan Parsons.

Updated “Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” Fight Card:

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Main Event: Joe Warren (13-4) vs. Darrion Caldwell (8-0)
Bellator MMA Welterweight Co-Main Event: Michael Page (9-0) vs. Fernando Gonzalez (24-13)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Goiti Yamauchi (19-2) vs. Bubba Jenkins (10-2)

About Bellator MMA:
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About Spike:
Spike is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

06 February 2016 – Jakarta, Indonesia: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced its return to Jakarta with ONE: TRIBE OF WARRIORS. Set to take place on 20 February at the Istora Senayan, the card features an international main event headlined by welterweights Luis “Sapo” Santos and Rafael “The Machine” Silva. In the local main event, Dutch mixed martial arts veteran Vincent “Magnivincent” Latoel takes on the hard-hitting Kotetsu “No Face” Boku of Japan, while in the Indonesia Warrior Bout, Mario Satya Wirawan of Bogor, Indonesia will square off against countryman Yohan Mulia Legowo.

CEO of ONE Championship, Victor Cui stated, “Jakarta will always be one of our favorite destinations because of its energy and passion for mixed martial arts. ONE: TRIBE OF WARRIORS is set to bring out the best in our local and international ONE Superstars, and we’re excited to give fans another evening of electrifying mixed martial arts action.”

Luis “Sapo” Santos is a mixed martial arts veteran from Brazil with over 70 professional 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 made a successful ONE debut with a highlight-reel knockout of Bakhtiyar Abbasov. Known for his aggressiveness and brute strength, Santos looks to wreak havoc inside the ONE cage. He’s set to take on the tough Rafael Silva in his next bout.

Rafael “The Machine” Silva of Portugal has a wealth of experience competing in different promotions over almost 15 years of professional competition. Silva has amassed 40 wins and just 15 losses against some of the toughest opponents. He now goes up against one of the strongest welterweights in the division, putting his grappling skills to the test against the hulk-like Luis Santos.

Vincent Latoel was successful in his last bout, scoring an emphatic second round TKO over a game opponent. The 36-year-old mixed martial arts veteran is in his 15th year as a professional fighter and is looking for success in his next bout, this time against hard-hitting Kotetsu Boku.

Kotetsu Boku of Shizuoka, Japan is never in a boring fight. The MMA standout from Krazy Bee is one of the toughest competitors in the promotion, and he is coming off an impressive victory over highly-regarded Major Overall of the United States. Now, Boku will once again put his striking skills to the test against Dutch fighter Vincent Latoel in a 71.5kg catchweight bout.

Mario Satya Wirawan of Bogor, Indonesia recently recorded the fastest knockout victory in ONE Championship history with a six-second stoppage of Chan Heng last December. The former university soccer player is on the right track in his young MMA career and is aiming to stay in the winner’s column when he takes on countryman Yohan Mulia Legowo in the evening’s Indonesia Warrior Bout.

Yohan Mulia Legowo from Central Java, Indonesia is looking for his first win inside the ONE Cage. The Kung Fu and Boxing practitioner is also a well-rounded grappler incorporating various techniques from wrestling, Judo, and Jiu-Jitsu. Legowo suffered a couple of setbacks in his last two fights but will look to put his full array of offensive weapons on display when he takes on fellow Indonesian, Mario Satya Wirawan.

Anthony Engelen is a Dutch fighter who trains full-time in Indonesia. Engelen’s strength lies in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, usually making his overall game a potential war of attrition on the ground. Engelen was met with a recent setback, but he now looks to advance his position in an extremely stacked division. Standing in his way is the Philippines’ Rocky Batolbatol.

Rocky Batolbatol of the Philippines is a former professional boxer who has transitioned into mixed martial arts. The hard-hitting Filipino constantly uses well-placed combinations in search of spectacular knockouts and will be looking for a stoppage against his next opponent. He’ll have his hands full with Anthony Engelen, who is a technical grappling ace.

Marcin Prachnio from Poland is a mixed martial artists with a 9-2 professional record. He is a victor of his last four bouts and has a whopping seven stoppage wins. Always looking for the finish, Prachnio will make his ONE Championship debut against Brazilian submission specialist, Alexandre Machado.

Alexandre Machado of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is a mixed martial artist with a 7-1 record. What’s even more impressive is his ability to finish opponents either by knocking them out or submitting them. Out of seven total victories, Machado has only reached the distance once in his young career. The Brazilian finisher is set to take on Polish fighter Marcin Prachnio.

Japan’s Koetsu Okazaki is a mixed martial arts veteran who has faced the best fighters in his division in ONE Championship. The Japanese fighter currently holds a 10-4 record and has experience facing the likes of Yusup Saadulaev, Kevin Belingon, and ONE bantamweight world champion Bibiano Fernandes. His next opponent is a tough one – New York’s Andrew Leone.

Andrew Leone of Cortland, New York trains at Bali Muay Thai & MMA gym with some of the most talented athletes in Asia. With a standout record of seven wins and only two losses, Leone is coming off two spectacular victories over solid opponents in Geje Eustaquio and Shinichi Kojima. In his next bout, Leone will be put to the test against Japanese veteran Koetsu Okazaki.

Angela “Unstoppable” Lee is originally from Singapore but has lived and trained in mixed martial arts in Mililani, Hawaii. Lee is one of the most promising young fighters on ONE Championship’s growing roster and has impressed inside the ONE cage with her all-round striking and grappling skills. She looks to impress fans once again as she battles New York’s Rebecca Heintzman.

Rebecca Heintzman of Binghamton, New York is a 29-year-old female strawweight making her ONE Championship debut. With great all-round skills, Heintzman had a solid amateur career, transitioning well into professional MMA. Heintzman’s full arsenal should be on display as she faces one of the most promising young fighters in 19-year-old Angela Lee.

Bashir Ahmad is widely known as the ‘Father of Pakistani MMA’. He is extremely quick and relentless with his striking and will look to overwhelm opponents from the beginning of the match. He is a ONE Championship veteran and features a full range of striking and grappling skills. His next challenge will be against the Philippines’ Jimmy Yabo.

Jimmy Yabo is a former URCC standout with an impressive mixed martial arts record. He boasts one of the best knockout percentages in the division, having finished all four of his opponents when victorious. Yabo has had a few heartbreaking setbacks, but he’s back in the ONE Cage, dedicated and looking for victory. He’ll take on Bashir Ahmad in what should be an action-packed matchup.

Djatmiko Waluyo of Mexico City, Mexico is of part-Indonesian descent. He is unbeaten at five wins and no losses. Of his five victories, two have come by knockout and two by submission, making him both a threat as a striker and a grappler. Waluyo makes his ONE Championship debut against the heavy-handed Trestle Tan in his return home to the capital city of Jakarta.

Trestle Tan of Manila, Philippines is one of the hardest punchers in his weight class. With two knockout victories and one submission victory on his record, Tan is a highly-skilled opponent for any fighter. Tan has had two setbacks recently, and is now looking to get back in the winner’s column with a victory over Djatmiko Waluyo.

Jerome S. Paye of Liberia and Li Hao Jie of China will kick off ONE: TRIBE OF WARRIORS with an intense bantamweight battle to set the tone for what should be an amazing event.

For more updates on ONE Championship™, please visit www.onefc.com and follow Twitter and Instagram @ONEFCMMA and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONEFCMMA

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 best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship™ has partnered with FOX and STAR Sports for an unprecedented 10-year cable television deal with a coverage that spans 70+ countries across the world.

About MNC Group
PT Media Nusantara Citra Tbk, or MNC, operates 4 of Indonesia’s 11 free-to-air (FTA) TV stations and has additional core businesses in television content production and delivery. MNC’s four FTA stations – RCTI, MNCTV, GlobalTV and SINDOTV – are complemented by a further 19 pay-TV MNC Channels. MNC also owns radio, print media, talent management and TV production companies, whose operations support MNC’s core business focus.

New York, NY (2/5/16) – On Wednesday, February 17th, DiBella Entertainment’s Broadway Boxing series returns for the second time in three weeks to the famed B.B. King Blues Club and Grille in midtown Manhattan. Headlining the card will be Brooklyn’s two-time world champion Amanda Serrano (26-1-1, 19KO’s) looking to claim her third world title when she takes on Canada’s Olivia Gerula (17-15-2, 3KO’s) for the vacant WBO featherweight championship.

Also seeing action on the card will be undefeated super middleweight contender Lennox Allen (20-0-1, 13KO’s) and a trio of highly regarded undefeated prospects in separate six-round bouts, including Olympian Jonathan Alonso (7-0, 4KO’s), five-time NY Golden Gloves champion Shemuel Pagan (6-0, 3KO’s) and Irish National champion Noel Murphy (4-0, 2KO’s).

A longtime advocate of female boxing, Lou DiBella signed both Amanda and her world-rated sister Cindy at the end of 2015. Amanda was scheduled to fight on the undercard of the Deontay Wilder-Artur Szpilka heavyweight championship on January 16th at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, only to see her opponent fall out just days before the card. DiBella quickly moved to reschedule the bout and now, on February 17th, Serrano will do battle against Gerula, in the first ever world championship to take place at the famed B.B. King Blues Club and Grill.

“I am thrilled to have signed the Serrano sisters,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Having Amanda’s first bout under the DBE banner being for a world title will only help to bring mainstream attention to Amanda’s rise in the boxing world. She is tremendously talented and it is time for boxing fans at large to take notice.”

“I am very excited for this fight and thrilled to be signed to DiBella Entertainment,” said Serrano. “Lou knows the sport better than anyone else, and he knows how to bring his fighters to this level. Come February 17, there is no chance that I will let him, my team, or all my fans down. I have one thought in my mind and that is bringing home this world title.”

Additional bouts on the card, including opponents for Allen, Alonso and Murphy will be announced soon.

Tickets for the Broadway Boxing event are currently on sale and are priced at $125, $100, $75 and $55. Tables are also available for purchase for this event, with VIP tables going for $1,000 per table (5 seats at $200 per seat), Ringside tables for $500 (5 seats at $100), and $375 tables (5 seats at $75). Tickets are available for purchase by calling the DiBella Entertainment office at (212) 947-2577. Doors open at 6:30pm with the first bout scheduled for 7:00pm.

Miami, FL (February 5, 2016) – Pro Box Management is proud to announce the signing of junior lightweight contender Billel Dib to a management contract.

Dib of Sydney, Australia has a record of 18-1 with nine knockouts and is a former two-time Australian Super Featherweight champion and the current WBO Interim Oriental champion. He is currently ranked number-twelve by the WBO.

Dib won his first nine bouts before his only blemish, which was a split decision that he later avenged with an eighth-round stoppage over Dylan Sendeckyi.

Since then. Dib is currently riding a ten fight win streak in which he captured the WBO Interim Oriental Super Featherweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Brent Elliot. a

Dib is the cousin of former IBF Featherweight champion. Billy Dib.

“Being around, training with my cousin and seeing his success is a great motivation for me. I look forward to becoming the second Dib in the family to become world champion,” said Dib.

“I am very excited to have signed with ProBox and to be represented by Henry Rivalta and Gary Jonas. You can’t help but notice how many good fighters that have and how well they have built their careers, I am looking forward to them doing the same with me.”

“The Dib’s are very family oriented and my father and I were impressed were impressed by the family culture,”said Dib.

“We signed Billel because he has all the characteristics that we look for. He is a hard worker, well spoken, good looking action fighting young man, who is very marketable . We definitely think he can be a significant world champion sometime soon,” said Gary Jonas.

World championship trainer Richie Giachetti passed away on Wednesday in Ohio, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

He trained Larry Holmes, Mike Tyson, James “Buster” Douglas, Aaron Pryor, Esteban De Jesus, Earnie Shavers, Riddick Bowe, Michael Dokes, Oliver McCall, Greg Page, Jean-Marc Mormeck, Steve Cunningham and Julian Jackson.

Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents the latest installment of Golden Boy Promotions’ Golden Boy LIVE! series this Friday, Feb. 5 at 10 p.m. ET, emanating from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif.

Airing live exclusively in Canada, the main event sees hometown hero and former IBF bantamweight champion Randy “El Matador” Caballero (22-0, 13 KOs) making his grand return to the ring in a 10-round super bantamweight bout against Ruben Garcia (15-1-1, 6 KOs).

In the co-headliner, East Los Angeles’ undefeated welterweight Frankie “Pitbull” Gomez (19-0, 13 KOs) will face off against former IBA super lightweight champion Silverio Ortiz (29-16, 15 KOs). Plus San Antonio’s rising super featherweight Hector “El Finito” Tanajara Jr. (4-0, 3 KOs) will fight in his first six-rounder against the undefeated Clay Burns (3-0-1, 3 KOs).

Live combat sports action continues into the weekend as on Saturday, Feb. 6, Fight Network will televise the live UFC Fight Night™: Hendricks vs. Thompson prelims at 8 p.m. ET.

In featured prelim action, 35-year-old welterweight veteran Josh Burkman (28-12, 1NC) throws down with Hawaiian karate specialist K.J. Noons (12-7, 1NC). Meanwhile, menacing knockout artist Derrick Lewis (13-4, 1NC) welcomes Polish standout Damian Grabowski (20-2) to the UFC’s heavyweight division, fast-rising flyweight contender Ray Borg (9-1) battles fellow top prospect Justin Scoggins (10-2) and Israeli sensation Noah Lahat (9-1) takes on undefeated Chilean up-and-comer Diego Rivas (6-0) in an international featherweight showdown.

For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit www.fightnetwork.com, follow us on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.

NEW YORK (Feb. 4, 2016) – Round 2 of the SHOWTIME Sports® 12-round celebration commemorating 30 years of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® continues in February with “Rivalries’’ on SHO EXTREME®.

This month will be highlighted by five of the most exhilarating and memorable fights in boxing history: the two Paulie Ayala-Johnny Tapia battles and the first three Israel Vazquez-Rafael Marquez wars.

Ayala-Tapia I was 1999 Fight of the Year; Ayala was 1999 Fighter of the Year.

The initial three Vazquez-Marquez showdowns are universally acknowledged as among the best of all-time and were consensus Fight of the Year winners in 2007 and ’08. Additionally, the third round of Vazquez-Marquez II earned Round of the Year honors in ’07 while the fourth of Vazquez-Marquez III was 2008 Round of the Year.

These epic rivalries will air on “Throwback Thursdays” all month long at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHO EXTREME and are available on SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, SHOWTIME ANYTIME® and via the network’s online streaming service. Each fight will be wrapped with brief context and commentary from SHOWTIME Sports host Brian Custer.

Below is the schedule of SHOWTIME EXTREME premieres for the month of February:
Today/Thursday, Feb. 4: Ayala vs. Tapia I
Thursday, Feb. 11: Ayala vs. Tapia II
Thursday, Feb. 18: Vazquez vs. Marquez I & II
Thursday, Feb. 25: Vazquez vs. Marquez III

In celebration of the best rivalries on SHOWTIME, see below for a special column from SHOWTIME Sports expert analyst and boxing historian Steve Farhood.

RIVALRIES
By Steve Farhood

Boxing without rivalries would be like elections without debates.

Rivalries are natural, especially in boxing. Who is the best prospect in the neighborhood?
Who is the best bantamweight in Mexico? Who is the best fighter in the entire world?

Fans want to know, and so do the fighters, especially if a one-on-one matchup is likely to provide a definitive answer.

The best example comes from the best rivalry in history, regardless of sport: When Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier clashed in their rubber match in Manila, they were fighting for something much greater than the world heavyweight title. They were fighting for the championship of each other.

Ali-Frazier … Robinson-LaMotta … Louis-Schmeling … Barrera-Morales … Mayweather-Pacquiao … Pep-Saddler … Leonard-Duran … Holyfield-Tyson: Boxing history has been told through its juiciest rivalries.

In 30 years of memorable fighters and unforgettable fights, SHOWTIME boxing’s history can largely be told through its rivalries as well.

On SHOWTIME EXTREME, we’ll be focusing on two rivalries in particular: Rafael Marquez-Israel Vazquez and Paulie Ayala-Johnny Tapia.

Marquez-Vazquez is the equal of any pairing in recent history. So compelling were the battles, so consuming was the rivalry that many fans can’t tell you what the final scoreboard read. It didn’t matter all that much.

(Fittingly, the fighters split four bouts.)

What made Marquez-Vazquez different from most rivalries: They were defined more by similarities than differences. Most rivalries feature stark contrast. Think Borg-McEnroe. Or Bird-Magic. Or Evert-Navratilova. But Marquez and Vazquez were both classy champions from Mexico who needed each other to raise their profiles and all-time standings.

They gave us no trash-talking, no posturing, no hatred, real or imagined. Instead, they punched and bled and fought proudly and at the highest level. And because of the classic ring drama they created, that was more than enough.

Suffice to say that two of their bouts were chosen as Fight of the Year. And Marquez-Vazquez III was surely among the best fights I’ve covered live in my 37 years in boxing.
It was a bit different with Ayala and Tapia. When they first fought, Ayala wasn’t a familiar name. Tapia, on the other hand, was an undefeated and long-reigning champion with a unique personality and a distinctive ring persona.

A suitable rival is exactly what Tapia needed to fully realize the potential that we sensed when he soundly defeated New Mexico rival Danny Romero two years before.

A pair of controversial decisions, the contentiousness that marked the negotiations preceding the rematch, and Tapia’s raw emotion made Ayala-Tapia a particularly bitter rivalry.

It was a memorable rivalry as well.

# # #

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.

The full card has been announced for promoter Dmitriy Salita’s “Detroit Brawl” this Saturday, February 6, at 6:30 pm at the iconic Masonic Temple in Downtown Detroit.

In the night’s main event, WBA #14-ranked cruiserweight Junior “Hurricane” Wright (14-1-1, 11 KOs) of Chicago will face Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s Chris “Nightmare” Stallworth (9-3, 3 KOs) in a six-round cruiserweight battle. The powerful 29-year-old Wright has already challenged for a world title and is looking to secure another opportunity.

In the intriguing six-round co-main event, undefeated New York (via Kazakhstan) lightweight Dimash Niyazov (8-0-3, 4 KOs) takes on Detroit’s capable James Lester (10-9, 4 KOs). While Niyazov has the unbeaten record, Lester has been in with stronger opposition and always been competitive.

Topping the undercard, Detroit’s undefeated bantamweight James Gordon Smith (8-0, 5 KOs) will go against Saint Paul, Minnesota veteran Antwan Robertson (10-14-1, 6 KOs).

Tickets for “Detroit Brawl” are priced at $28, $38, $48, $63, $93, and $123 and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com, by calling 800-745-3000, or by visiting the Masonic Temple box office. For event information visit themasonic.com and SalitaPromotions.com.

In other exciting action, Detroit’s Ed Williams (10-1-1, 4 KOs) will face Angel Figueroa (4-2-1) of Lorain, Ohio, in a six-round welterweight bout.

In a super lightweight six-rounder Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic’s undefeated Eudy Bernardo (20-0, 14 KOs) goes against Ben Odamattey (16-12-3, 9 KOs) of Accra, Ghana. Bernardo, considered a strong up-and-coming prospect, is now trained by Detroit’s former world champion Frank Tate and is looking for a world title opportunity in the very near future.

In four-round bouts, light heavyweight James Ballard (5-0, 2 KOs) of Detroit battles Nathan Bedwell (5-15, 4 KOs) of Lexington, Tennessee; cruiserweight Emilio Salas (4-1-1, 2 KOs) of Coamo, Puerto Rico, faces Jackson, Michigan’s Karinn Davis (2-5, 2 KOs); and Canadian super welterweight Kane Heron (2-0, 1 KO) will face Michigan’s Brian Otey (0-1).

Rounding out the action in a very special pro debut, Turkmenistan’s former Asian Games Amateur Champion, Serdar Hudayberdiyev will face Kevin Shacks (0-1).

Can’t make it to the live event? gfl.tv will be broadcasting the event in full, online worldwide, starting at 7:30 pm EST for the low price of $14.99. VOD of the event will be available starting at 8:00 pm EST.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, WBO Super Bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire will defend his title against Zsolt Bedak on April 23rd at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, outside of Manila in Donaire’s native Philippines.

“It’s a great opportunity for Nonito to defend his world championship in his homeland against a world-ranked and extremely capable opponent,” Top Rank’s Carl Moretti said of the fight, which is being promoted by Filipino television network ABS-CBN.

The Manchester Arena will host the weigh-in for the World Super-Bantamweight title unification clash between Carl Frampton and Scott Quigg on Friday February 26.

Entry will be free, but there is a limited capacity for the event so tickets will need to be reserved in advance. These tickets will be available from midday tomorrow (February 5) from the Manchester Arena website www.manchester-arena.com.

Please note that a maximum of six tickets are available per transaction and a service charge of £2.50 will be applied to each transaction.

The World champions clash on February 27 at the venue live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Merseyside’s media packed into the Derry Mathew’s Boxing Academy yesterday to watch the Liverpool hero take his anger out on the bags ahead of his mouth-watering all-British world title showdown with Mancunian rival Terry Flanagan.

The bitter North West foes will fight it out for the WBO World Lightweight belt at the Liverpool Echo Arena on Saturday 12th March, live and exclusive on BoxNation.

Derry was left angry and frustrated last week after Manchester’s Flanagan was forced to push the fight date back due to severe tendonitis in his left foot that left him unable to train.

Rather than dwelling on things Derry is now focusing on mentally and physically preparing himself for the new date; kicking things off with an impressive display for the cameras.

He said: “It’s my 50th fight in my own city, it doesn’t get much bigger than this. The delay was frustrating but now it’s all about being professional and getting on with it. He’s hasn’t faced anyone like me in a long time and I’ll be causing him problems all night; I want to hurt him and I want to stop him.”

Boasting an impressive record of 38 career wins with 20 stoppages, Mathews is as experienced as they come and wants to use his knowledge to help develop a new generation of future champions. The 32 year-old says nothing in life gives him more pleasure than helping the youth of Liverpool break into boxing.

“Some days when I’m not in camp I’ll be in here from eight in the morning to eight at night. I love coaching in the community and passing on my wisdom at schools and clubs. I like being around people and helping them so it’s good to get as many people down here as possible to see what we do,” said Mathews.

“We’ve got 40 kids coming here three nights a week and they absolutely love it! Boxing is thriving in Liverpool these days and I’m doing my best inside and outside of the ring to make sure we keep flying the flag for English boxing. It gives me great pride knowing I’m doing my bit to help out, if I change just one kids life for the better I’ll be a happy man.”

Derry’s massive showdown with Flanagan will be the 50th bout of his glittering professional career but the Scouser still vividly remembers where it all began for him all those years ago. Like many of the children who attend his popular classes, Derry’s boxing life started out at his local boxing club.

He explained: “I lived next door to a boxing club and we had no youth club in our area so the gym became our local hangout. I caught the bug from the age of eight and never looked back; becoming a world champion has always been my dream and on March 12th I’m going to fulfil it. It’s important to remember your roots and give something back to the community,”

“We train some of the kids who come along to my academy from the age of four; we’ve got a really good bunch of kids here and there’s some real talent amongst them. We’ve got four coaches on our books at the moment who have all done their coaching badges so we’re in a really good place, I’d absolutely love it if my gym produced a future world champion!”

Ticket for ‘A Tale Of Two Cities’ are priced at £40, £60, £80, £100, £150* and are available from:

Eventim

0844 249 1000

www.eventim.co.uk

Liverpool Echo Arena

0844 8000 400

www.echoarena.com

Ticketmaster

0844 844 0444

www.ticketmaster.co.uk

A special V.I.P ticket priced at £250* that includes an inner ringside V.I.P seat, lanyard, complimentary beer, wine and soft drink (between a certain time period) and canapés are available to purchase through the Frank Warren Box Office office only on 01992 505 550.

The Channel Of Champions, BoxNation, will televise live and exclusive on Sky 437/HD 490, Virgin 546, TalkTalk 415 and Freeview 255. Subscribe at www.boxnation.com or watch online at watch.boxnation.com and via iPhone, iPad or Android and Amazon devices.

LAS VEGAS (February 3, 2016) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today the addition of three main card matchups, including a heavyweight co-main event contest between Josh “Cuddly Bear” Copeland (11-3) and Mike “300” Hayes (19-10-2), to its highly anticipated WSOF29: Gaethje vs. Foster world lightweight (155 pounds) championship event at the Bank of Colorado Arena in Greeley, Colo. on Saturday, March 12, live on NBCSN at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

In other action on the four-bout live telecast that will be headlined by the lightweight championship showdown between reigning, undefeated kingpin Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje (15-0) and number one contender Brian Foster (25-9), middleweight (185 pounds) standouts Cory “The One” Devela (15-6) and Louis “Handgunz” Taylor (11-3) will collide in their respective World Series of Fighting debuts.

Kicking off the live, four-fight telecast will be a welterweight (170 pounds) scrap pitting Josh Cavan (11-6) against Kris Hocum (7-4).

Priced from $39.99, tickets for WSOF29: Gaethje vs. Foster, are on sale at WSOF.com and the University of Northern Colorado’s online ticketing platform.

Josh Copeland vs. Mike Hayes

The 6-foot-1 Copeland of Denver, Colo. is a former number one ranked heavyweight in his home state, and a four-time title holder since turning professional in 2010.

The 33-year-old, former Youth Ministry student at Dallas Baptist College, has earned 8 of his 11 career victories as a professional by way of (T)KO or submission, with 5 of those wins coming in less than 2 minutes.

A teammate of Gaethje’s at Grudge Training Center, Copeland will look to rebound from a second round (2:50) submission (kimura) defeat at the hands of Vitaly Minakov on December 11, a result that snapped a two-fight win streak for Copeland.

During his professional career spanning eight-plus years, the 6-foot-4, 35-year-old Hayes of Redmond, Wash. has faced off with elite level competition, including former world champion Andrei Arlovski and superstar Ruslan Magomedov, both of whom he fought to a decision.

On November 2, 2013, Hayes notched his most impressive victory to date, scoring a devastating, third round (3:11) KO on decorated MMA, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and wrestling champion Jeff “The Snowman” Monson with a head kick.

In his last start on June 4, 2015, Hayes produced another impressive result, fighting former South African national wrestling champion and four-time MMA titlist Trevor Prangley, to a draw.

Cory Devela vs. Louis Taylor

The 6-foot-2, 31-year-old Devela of Bonney Lake, Wash., will enter the decagon cage in the midst of a four-fight win streak that includes a unanimous decision victory over superstar Nick “The Promise” Ring on June 26, 2015.

A longtime protégé of MMA superstar and submission expert Dennis “Superman” Hallman, Devela, who has notched 11 of his 16 career wins by way of (T)KO or submission, burst into the national spotlight at a Strikeforce promoted event in Tacoma, Wash. on February 23, 2008, scoring a first round (1:22) TKO on heralded superstar Joe “Diesel” Riggs with a thunderous slam that rendered Riggs unable to continue fighting.

Devela’s recent ascendance that has him knocking on the door of becoming a world championship contender again, comes after he took an extended, three-year hiatus from competition to care for a sick loved one between 2010 and 2013.

Also looking to earn his fifth consecutive win, the 5-foot-11, 36-year-old Taylor of Chicago, Ill. is the number one ranked middleweight in his home state, according to the latest Tapology.com ratings.

A prolific striker who has finished 10 of his 11 opponents to date by way of (T)KO or submission, Taylor’s last four victories all came inside of the first round of battle.

Prior to becoming a mixed martial artist, Taylor was a wrestling standout for the NCAA Division I program at Eastern Illinois University where he benefited from training with fellow, former team member turned assistant coach Matt Hughes, who went on to become a two-time UFC champion and Hall of Fame member.

Josh Cavan vs. Kris Hocum

Fighting out of Denver, Cavan is a 5-foot-10, 32-year-old, lifelong athlete who competed at the minor league level of professional hockey before turning his attention to MMA. A winner of 9 of his 11 professional career fights by way of (T)KO or submission, Cavan will look to bounce back from a second round (1:28) TKO (punches) defeat at the hands of Joe Eichelberger on November 6.

The 5-foot-11, 30-year-old Hocum of Fort Collins, Colo. made his professional debut on October 27, 2012 as a participant in a one-night, eight-man tournament, defeating multiple opponents to emerge the victor of the grueling affair. He will look to regain momentum after back-to-back losses in his last two appearances.

The WSOF29 preliminary bout card will be announced soon.

ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING

“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a worldwide premier professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters 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.

ABOUT NBCSN
NBCSN, part of the NBC Sports Group, is dedicated to serving passionate sports fans. Now in more than 85 million homes, the Emmy Award-winning network is the cable television home of the Summer and Winter Olympics, National Hockey League (NHL) – including two games of the Stanley Cup Final — Premier League, Formula One, IndyCar, Tour de France, the 34th America’s Cup, and beginning in 2015, NASCAR. In addition, NBCSN features college football, college basketball, college hockey, cycling, outdoor programming, horse racing surrounding the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup, Fight Night boxing, Ironman, the Dew Tour and USA Sevens Rugby. The network is also home to original programs such as Costas Tonight, NFL Turning Point, Pro Football Talk, The Dan Patrick Show, and NASCAR America. NBCSN is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.

LAS VEGAS, NV (February 3, 2016) — Before they enter the ring for their super brawls, World Boxing Organization (WBO) super middleweight world champion ARTHUR ABRAHAM, undefeated contenders GILBERTO “Zurdo” RAMIREZ, ÓSCAR VALDEZ and JOSE RAMÍREZ, former world champion EVGENY GRADOVICH, and dangerous veteran MANNY PEREZ took time out to make predictions on Super Bowl 50, which will pit the Denver Broncos against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, February 7. The six fighters will be featured in title fights on the Manny Pacquiao – Timothy Bradley world welterweight championship pay-per-view undercard, Saturday, April 9, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with MP Promotions, the Pacquiao vs. Bradley world championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT. Abraham vs. Gilberto Ramirez will be co-promoted by Sauerland Event and Zapari Boxing Promotions.

THE PREDICTIONS

ARTHUR ABRAHAM
“I like the Denver Broncos‘ chances to win Super Bowl 50, I like them a lot! Peyton Manning is one of the all-time greats, the oldest quarterback to lead a team to a Super Bowl berth. With his experience in clutch-time situations, he cannot be denied winning his third championship ring. I n addition, the Broncos have had THE best defense all season long, knowing how to penetrate the opposing team for errors. That could be compared to my style of boxing. And nine out of 10 times, a good defense beats a good offense in championships. Watch the Broncos prevail 24 – 17 against Cam Newton’s Panthers.”

GILBERTO RAMIREZ
“The Panthers have an explosive offense and a very strong defense. Carolina 28 to 21.”

ÓSCAR VALDEZ
“Panthers 30-10 because Denver beat my favorite team, the New England Patriots.”

EVGENY GRADOVICH
“It’s all about the defense as Carolina will quickly find out. Denver Broncos 28-21”

JOSE RAMÍREZ
“Panthers because of their momentum. Their confidence as a team and their Quarterback, “Super” Cam Newton, started strong during the season and seem to get stronger. Final score will be Carolina 24-17″.

MANNY PEREZ
“No. 1 Defense vs. No. 1 Offense. Defense wins games. Denver Broncos 24 to 10.”

Gilberto Ramirez (33-0, 24 KOs), from Mazatlan, Mexico, the WBO No. 1 super middleweight contender and mandatory challenger, will get his first world title shot when he challenges two-division world champion Abraham (44-4, 29 KOs), of Berlin Germany. Valdez (19-0, 16 KOs), of Nogales, Mexico, the WBO’s No. 1 featherweight contender, will defend his NABO featherweight title against former International Boxing Federation (IBF) featherweight champion Gradovich (21-1-1, 9 KOs), a Russian native who lives in Oxnard, Calif. Jose Ramírez (16-0, 12 KOs), of Avenal, Calif., and a 2012 U.S. Olympian, will defend his World Boxing Council (WBC) Continental America super lightweight title against Perez (25-11-1, 6 KOs), of Denver, CO.

These six warriors boast a combined record of 158-16-2 (96 KOs) — a winning percentage of 90% — with a victory by knockout ratio of 61%.

********************

Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38 KOs), of General Santos City, Philippines, boxing’s only eight-division world champion and the reigning Fighter of the Decade, collides with five-time world champion Bradley (33-1-1, 13 KOs), of Palm Springs, Calif., in a 12-round world welterweight championship battle.

Remaining Tickets to Pacquiao vs. Bradley world championship event are priced at $1,204, $804, $604, $404, $254 and $154, not including applicable service fees. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets are also be available for purchase at mgmgrand.com or ticketmaster.com.

For fight updates go to toprank.com, hbo.com/boxing or mgmgrand.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing,, facebook.com/trboxeo or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtags #PacBradley to join the conversation on Twitter.

SANTA MONICA (February 3, 2015) – Sergei Kharitonov (23-5) is the newest free agent by Bellator MMA, with the news that the Russian heavyweight has been signed to an exclusive multi-year, multi-fight contract. A veteran of both Strikeforce and Pride Fighting Championships, Kharitonov remains on active duty with the Russian Airborne Troops.

Doubling as a kickboxer at different points throughout his combat sports career, “The Paratrooper” has decided to parlay his recent five-fight winning streak and focus purely on mixed martial arts. Kharitonov’s resume is extensive, with the 35-year-old scoring wins against some of the sport’s most notable names including UFC Heavyweight Champion Fabricio Werdum, Andrei Arlovski, Pedro Rizzo, Murilo “Ninja” Rua, and Alistair Overeem.

“I have had the best seat in the house for some of Kharitonov’s heavyweight outings,” Bellator MMA President Scott Coker said, “and I know Sergei [Kharitonov] can come in and make an immediate impact on our heavyweight division. He is an extremely skilled and experienced fighter who can end a fight in the blink of an eye, and we look forward to having him do just that inside the Bellator cage. Plus, he’s already competed at one ‘Dynamite’ event before, maybe he could do so again in the future!”

Kharitonov joins a division that is currently championed by fellow Russian fighter Vitaly Minakov, other top names include Bobby Lashley, Cheick Kongo, Vinicius Queiroz, Kimbo Slice, Tony Johnson, Justin Wren, Dan Charles, and James Thompson.

About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About Spike:
Spike is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

BETHLEHEM, PA. (February 3, 2016) – Unbeaten prospect Alex Martin (11-0, 5 KOs) steps up in the co-featured bout when he takes on Rossemberth Gomez (17-4-1, 13 KO’s) of Minagua, Nicaragua in a welterweight bout scheduled for eight-rounds.

The bout takes place on an exciting night of boxing that will be part of Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) TOE-TO-TOE TUESDAYS on FS1 and BOXEO DE CAMPEONES on FOX Deportes Tuesday, February 9 from Sands Bethlehem Events Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Televised coverage begins at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT and is headlined by undefeated 2012 U.S. Olympian Jamel Herring (14-0, 8 KOs) taking on Colombia’s Luis Eduardo Flores (21-2, 17 KOs) in a 10-round lightweight bout.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by King’s Promotions, are priced at $100, $75 and $45, 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.

In addition to his 2012 National Golden Gloves Championship, Martin won three Chicago Golden Gloves and a National PAL championship fighting out of nearby Harvey, Illinois. An owner of 340 amateur wins, he made it to the United States finals where he lost to eventual Olympian, Errol Spence Jr. Martin turned pro in 2013 and is yet to lose. The 26-year-old picked up four victories in 2015 and will begin 2016 against the 29-year-old Nicaraguan Gomez who will be making his U.S. debut.

“Training is good. I really do not know much about Gomez, but that doesn’t matter much at all because I just go in there and like to fight.”

Martin is ready to showcase his skills for the first time in front of a nationally televised audience and he knows this is just the beginning of positioning himself into bigger fights.

“It is a big step for me. This will show me and the fans how good I am and where I can go in my career.”

Without looking too far down the line, Martin would love a chance at his old amateur rival, Spence. Martin knows that he needs to continue winning and looking good to get that opportunity within in the next year.

“Spence is definitely on my radar. I can see us fighting by the end of 2016 or early 2017. I feel that I will be ready for that fight. He is just one of a few guys that I want to fight on my way to the top. I am just hoping that everyone tunes in on February 9th and the fans will remember my national television debut.”

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com www.sandseventcenter.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage, www.foxdeportes.com.
Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @JamelHerring, @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.

NEW YORK (Feb. 3, 2016) – Former three-division world champions Abner Mares and Fernando Montiel will square off in all-action co-feature on Saturday, March 12, live on CBS at 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT.

In the main event of the first primetime boxing presentation on CBS in nearly 40 years, welterweight knockout artist Keith Thurman will defend his WBA Welterweight World Championship against former titlist Shawn Porter in a matchup of two elite fighters in boxing’s glamour division.

The event, promoted by DiBella Entertainment from Mohegan Sun Casino Resort in Connecticut, is produced by SHOWTIME Sports® for the CBS Television Network, both divisions of the CBS Corporation.

Mares (29-2-1, 15 KOs) and Montiel (54-5-2, 39 KOs) are two of the most accomplished and entertaining Mexican boxers in the sport today. Mares compiled a staggering resume over the past five years while earning titles at 118, 122 and 126 pounds. Montiel is one of the most skilled boxers of his generation having won championships at 112, 115 and 118 pounds over a 17-year career.

“I’m ready to get back in the ring and have the boxing world see the monster that the Mares and Robert Garcia partnership is creating,” said Abner Mares. “I’m a tough fighter. I’ve made some adjustments and I will show my warrior spirit and skill on March 12. It’s time to go to work.”

“I have been wanting to fight Abner Mares for many years,” said Montiel. “They say that styles make fights and Abner Mares’ style is tailor made for me. My last fight was a close decision against one of the best featherweights in the world in Lee Selby. I need to make every fight count and on March 12 Abner Mares will be my next step to another world title!”

“Abner Mares and Fernando Montiel are both proud warriors,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Both are coming off tough, competitive fights and both must win to once again realize championship dreams. This will be a throw down, entertaining battle.”

Tickets for the live event are priced at $300, $150, $75 and $35 (plus applicable fees) and are on sale now through Ticketmaster. Ticketmaster customers may log on to ticketmaster.com; call (800) 745-3000; or visit any Ticketmaster outlet. Tickets are also be available at the Mohegan Sun Box Office.

Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and fighting out of Downey, Calif., Mares won his first title in 2011 when he beat Joseph Agbeko to win the bantamweight crown. He continued his rise up the pound-for-pound list with wins over Anselmo Moreno and Daniel Ponce De Leon to win world titles at super bantamweight and featherweight. The 30-year-old won three straight fights leading to a massive showdown with Leo Santa Cruz last August. Mares showed the same explosiveness that made him a multiple division world champion in a thrilling Fight of the Year candidate that he lost by decision. The always-exciting Mares will enter the ring for the first time under the tutelage of renowned trainer Robert Garcia and strength coach Luis Garcia as he looks to work his way towards another world title.

The veteran Montiel won his first world title in 2000 over Isidro Garcia and went on to have title-winning performances over Pedro Alzacar, Ivan Hernandez, Z Gorres, Ciso Morales and Hozumi Hasegawa. Born in Sinaloa, Mexico, Montiel rode an eight-fight win streak heading into his October world title shot against Lee Selby. Montiel’s aggressive style frustrated Selby but it was not enough for him to grab a title in his fourth weight class. The 36-year-old has an opportunity to get back in the mix for a world title with a victory over Mares.

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.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports and www.premierboxingchampions.com, follow on Twitter @SHOSports, @PremierBoxing @KeithFThurmanJr, @ShowtimeShawnP, @AbnerMares, @LouDiBella and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports, www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions and www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment.

One of the world’s top pound-for-pound boxing stars Guillermo Rigondeaux will fight in Britain for the first time on Saturday 12th March at the Liverpool Echo Arena when he faces Merseyside hero Jazza Dickens.

The Cuban superstar takes on Dickens over ten rounds on the undercard of Terry Flanagan’s WBO World Lightweight title defence against Derry Mathews and is a further fantastic addition to the top quality show, that saw world class fighter Zolani Tete added to the line up this week.

Undefeated Rigondeaux, who fights out of Miami, Florida, is regarded as the world’s best super-bantamweight and the dangerous 35-year-old is the man that Carl Frampton and Scott Quigg both chose to avoid and instead wisely opted to fight each other.

“El Chacal” or “The Jackal” is also considered one of the greatest amateur boxers in history, a two-time Olympic Champion and currently undefeated in 16 fights in with ten knockouts. He won his first world title, the WBA Interim crown, in November 2013 before becoming the full WBA World Champion in January 2012 when he knocked out then unbeaten Rico Ramos in six rounds.

He then unified the WBA title with the WBO belt when he outpointed Nonito Donaire in April 2013 with three further defences of both belts until his was stripped by both organisations last year. He last fought in November when he outpointed Drian Francisco over ten rounds to claim the WBC International Silver title.

Rigondeaux, who’s fought in America, Mexico, Ireland, China and Japan is looking forward to showcasing his skills on the these shores for the first time and promises to give fans a real eye-catching display.

In a real ‘Rocky’ story Dickens heads into the fight as the underdog against Rigondeaux, but has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rip up the script and catapult himself into the world’s elite by defeating the Havana hitman.

Winning his first 16 fights and collecting the English Super-Bantamweight title along the way, he suffered his first loss to Kid Galahad in a British and Commonwealth title challenge in September 2014. He bounced back and is currently on a five fight unbeaten run and captured the British title against Josh Wale last March and defended it against Martin Ward in November.

The chirpy Scouser is a local hero with his down to earth, jack-the-lad, character, but has a steely determination to upset the odds on the biggest night of his life.

“It is like a Rocky story, one day I’m just training waiting for my next fight and then I get call, do I want to fight Guillermo Rigondeaux? Are you mad, one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world wants to fight me? Not half, I’ll definitely have some of that!” Said Dickens.

“Opportunities like this don’t come around every day so I’ve grabbed it with both hands. It’s been my childhood dream to be the best in the world and this to me is a golden opportunity to become the best by beating Rigondeaux,”

“He might not have the belts, but he’s still the world champion in my eyes, Frampton and Quigg both didn’t want to know him, but what they see as a threat, I see as an opportunity. We’ve all got weaknesses and Rigondeaux will have his, it’s my job to go out an exploit them and beat him.”

Ticket for ‘A Tale Of Two Cities’ are priced at £40, £60, £80, £100, £150* and are available from:

Eventim

0844 249 1000

www.eventim.co.uk

Liverpool Echo Arena

0844 8000 400

www.echoarena.com

Ticketmaster

0844 844 0444

www.ticketmaster.co.uk

A special V.I.P ticket priced at £250* that includes an inner ringside V.I.P seat, lanyard, complimentary beer, wine and soft drink (between a certain time period) and canapés are available to purchase through the Frank Warren Box Office office only on 01992 505 550.

The Channel Of Champions, BoxNation, will televise live and exclusive on Sky 437/HD 490, Virgin 546, TalkTalk 415 and Freeview 255. Subscribe at www.boxnation.com or watch online at watch.boxnation.com and via iPhone, iPad or Android and Amazon devices.

Gavin McDonnell can take a huge step towards a World title when he faces Jorge Sanchez for the WBC Silver Super-Bantamweight title and an official eliminator for the WBC World title at the sold-out Manchester Arena on February 27, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

McDonnell’s clash with Sanchez is reward for his rich vein of form, beating Vusi Malinga in October 2014 for the vacant WBO Inter-Continental title before landing the European crown in March against Oleksandr Yegorov and defending it with a classy performance against Jeremy Parodi in October.

The 29 year old will be wary of the threat of Sanchez, with the unbeaten Panamanian ending nine of his 15 pro outings inside the distance. McDonnell knows a career-best performance is required if he’s to move within reach of a World title shot against WBC ruler Julio Ceja – the man that his brother Jamie beat to become World champion for the first time.

“I’m more than ready to prove that I can become a World champion,” said McDonnell. “I know that Sanchez is going to be a tough fight and I will have to be at my best, but that’s what I am in the sport for – fighting the best and winning titles.

“I feel that I have come on leaps and bounds in the last year or so. I’ve gone under the radar a bit so landing this crucial fight on such a massive event like Frampton vs. Quigg is going to make people stand up and take notice of me, and I’m going to put in a performance that fans will remember.”

“On the back of Gavin’s great performance last time out I’m really excited to be training Gavin for such a huge fight like this,” said the trainer of both McDonnell’s, Dave Coldwell. “He’s working so hard to improve himself in the gym every day and for him to win and take such a huge step towards fighting for the WBC World title would be a great reward for his dedication.”

“It’s amazing to see how far Gavin has come in the last two years,” said McDonnell. “From winning Area and English titles, the target was set at British honours. Once that was achieved, a dream European opportunity was landed – he won the title in style against Yegerov. Now we have the World title in our sights, a huge fight for Gavin against the tough and undefeated Sanchez, to put himself in a position to challenge Julio Ceja.”

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Feb. 3rd, 2016) — Cameron Sevilla Rivera thinks he’s discovered the secret to beating Khiary Gray, and it has nothing to do with an unorthodox training routine or who’s working his corner.

It’s his record, his blemished, imperfect record, to be exact.

Rivera has the one thing Gray doesn’t — a loss. He’s actually lost twice as a pro while Gray, the unbeaten Worcester, Mass., junior middleweight, carries an impressive 11-0 record into their 8-round World Boxing Council (WBC) Youth Title bout in the main event of CES Boxing’s 2016 season debut at Twin River Casino.

“I think it puts the pressure on him way more than it does me,” Rivera said. “It’s his neighborhood. All eyes are going to be on him.”

Fighting out of Fife, Wash., a small suburb in Tacoma just a few hours from the Canadian border, Rivera (6-2-1, 5 KOs) has flown under the radar for most of his career, but has suddenly been thrust into the spotlight with the opportunity to fight for the WBC Youth crown, a noteworthy achievement considering 47 of its former champions have gone on to win world titles.

Even with the sting from his unanimous decision loss to the undefeated Isaac Tadeo in November still gnawing at him from the inside — a fight Rivera felt he won — Rivera didn’t hesitate when asked to travel more than 3,000 miles to fight another unbeaten fighter in his backyard, not with the payoff that awaits the winner.

“When you get opportunities like this,” Rivera said, “you have to jump on them as soon as you can.”

Aside from the fact he’s already handled adversity and bounced back from it, Rivera has another bullet in the chamber for Feb. 19th, his trainer, Tom Mustin, who coached the 2000 U.S. Olympic boxing team in Australia, a team that featured four medalists and two future world champions, Jermaine Taylor and Jeff Lacy.

Working with Mustin has been especially beneficial for Rivera, a former kickboxer with only six amateur bouts — all wins — before turning pro in 2013. Adjusting to a new sport was “no problem whatsoever,” according to Rivera, except for one major difference.

“I can’t kick anybody in the face anymore,” he deadpanned, “but in terms of some movements it’s a little bit different.

“There are a lot of different angles and different things conventional boxers don’t see, so some things are a little bit different because we stand differently, but I think it translates pretty well.

“Working with Tom makes a huge difference. It makes the transition incredibly easy.”

Feb. 19th will be Rivera’s biggest challenge yet, not just because he’s fighting east of California for the first time in his career, but because of the quality of his opponent, whom he’s studied extensively over the past few weeks. Gray has nine knockout wins in 11 fights, including eight in the first round, and the two have combined for 14 knockouts in 20 pro fights.

“I’ve seen he’s a very explosive fighter,” Rivera said. “Given his record, you know he’s tough. He had a pretty stout amateur career and it’ll be a fantastic test for me – for both of us.”

Rivera launched the first salvo Monday when, in a prepared statement, said he’s looking forward to seeing what happens when Gray is forced to backpedal, which Gray and his trainer, Kendrick Ball, took exception with — “he can fight going backwards, he can fight going to the side, he can fight going forward,” Ball countered — but Rivera may have been just offering a glimpse into his game plan for Feb. 19th.

If he’s learned anything from his two losses, it’s to be more aggressive and not leave the outcome in the hands of the judges, so Rivera figures to empty the tank on Feb. 19th in a bout that likely won’t last the full eight rounds given the experience and predictable approach of both fighters.

“I’m the kind of fighter who will hit back and push you, and I know that’s what he’s been looking for, someone with some fight in him,” Rivera said. “They know they’re putting their fighter through the wringer if they’re putting him in there with me, so I appreciate the opportunity.”

The Gray-Rivera main event is one of two title bouts on CES Boxing’s 2016 season debut. Female middleweight Kali Reis (7-5-1, 3 KOs) of Providence, a former International Boxing Association (IBA) champion and two-time world-title challenger, returns home for the first time in more than three years to face New Mexico’s Victoria Cisneros (12-18-2, 5 KOs) in a 10-round bout for the vacant UBF World Middleweight Title.

Feb. 19th also features the return of five unbeaten prospect, starting with fellow Worcester native Freddy Sanchez (7-0, 5 KO), who faces the battle-tested Evincii Dixon (6-13-1, 2 KOs) of Lancaster, Pa., in a 6-round junior welterweight bout. Holyoke, Mass., junior middleweight Mohamed Allam (1-1) returns to Twin River to face Boston’s Brian Walsh (1-3, 1 KO) and Framingham, Mass., junior welterweight Julio Perez (3-0) battles Skowhegan, Maine, native Josh Parker (0-1-1), both 4-round bouts.

Stoughton, Mass., junior welterweight Travis Demko (4-0, 1 KO), Framingham featherweight Timmy Ramos (2-0-1, 2 KOs) and Alaskan middleweight Fatlum Zhuta (2-0-1, 2 KOs) are also featured on the undercard in separate 4-round bouts. Zhuta faces Greg McCoy (3-5-1, 2 KOs) of New Haven, Conn.

Tickets for the Feb. 19th season debut are priced at $40, $75 and $125 (VIP) and are available for purchase online at www.cesboxing.com or www.twinriver.com, by phone at 401-724-2253/2254 or at the Twin River Casino Players Club.

For more information visit www.cesboxing.com or follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cesboxing. Updates are also available at www.facebook.com/cesboxing.