An injury to WBO World Lightweight Champion Terry Flanagan has meant that his world title defence against Derry Mathews has been rescheduled from Saturday 13th February to Saturday 12th March, still at the Liverpool Echo Arena.

The Mathews versus Flanagan showdown remains the headline attraction on the title packed show and the other title fights will stay the same, which are: red-hot 160 pound talent Tommy Langford’s defends his WBO Intercontinental Middleweight title defence against Lewis Taylor and English Cruiserweight Champion Matty Askin’s seeks justice in his rematch against Lawrence Bennett.

The undercard will feature some of the best domestic talent: Former IBF World Bantamweight Champion Paul Butler, Indian superstar Vijender Singh, and Liverpool top talents Tom Stalker, Steven Lewis, Ryan Farrag, Kevin Satchell, hot Manchester prospects Macaulay McGowan and Zelpha Barrett, and Leicester ace Lyon Woodstock.

Undefeated British and Commonwealth Super-Welterweight Champion Liam Williams has been ruled out of his title defence against Nav Mansouri after he was struck down with a viral infection.

Manchester’s Flanagan has suffered severe tendonitis in his left foot that has left him unable to train for the big shoot-out against his Liverpool rival. The 28-year-old will immediately start specialist physiotherapy treatment to ensure that he will be fit and ready for the new date.

“Turbo” is devastated at having to postpone his second title defence as his training until the injury was going all according to plan. However, the all-action fighter, who’s undefeated in 29 fights, says he’s focused on recovering and defending his title against arch-rival.

Flanagan said, “This is a real blow to me as I’ve never pulled out of a fight because of an injury before and I’ve always fought through them, it’s not in my fighter’s make up to pull out of fights and my fans know that about me. I always give them one hundred percent when I’m in the ring, no matter what. I’ve had to take the advice of the medical specialists on this occasion and postpone my defence against Mathews to begin physiotherapy. I’ll be taking my treatment as seriously as I’m training for a fight and I will return back to my best, ready to defend my title successfully against Mathews on Saturday 12th March at the Echo Arena.”

Promoter Frank Warren said, “We’re all disappointed that Terry has suffered an injury and is unable to make the original date, but we’ve worked hard to ensure the mouthwatering world title showdown between Flanagan and Mathews remains the top of the bill for the new date of Saturday 12th March. I maintain that it’s going to be real war between these two warriors who are going to put everything on the line on the night. The rest of the card will remain the same with Langford and Askin in title defences and an undercard stacked with talent.”

Tickets purchased with the original date printed on the face will be valid for use on the new date of Saturday 12th March.

For any ticketing enquiries please contact: shows@frankwarren.com

Hosea Burton will face Miles Shinkwin for the vacant British Light-Heavyweight title at the sold-out Manchester Arena on February 27, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Manchester man Burton’s patient wait for a title shot finally ends on the undercard of his Joe Gallagher gym-mate Scott Quigg’s World title unification blockbuster with Carl Frampton, and the unbeaten 27 year old believes he’ll claim the title in style.

“I have always wanted to land the British title and finally I have my chance,” said Burton. “The division is as good as ever at world level but domestically it is poor because the British title hasn’t been fought for. Hopefully by making the belt active again the division can be as exciting as it should be. Shinkwin is a good test but I’m very confident I will get him out of there in style on February 27.

“I believe I am one of the best Light Heavyweights out there and I want to be as active as possible this year. I want to win the British title outright and have some good tests before facing the top international guys in the division.”

Bushey banger Shinkwin has other ideas though and the Southern Area champion wants to add his name to the list of greats to hold the Lord Lonsdale Light-Heavyweight strap.

“I’m very proud to be fighting for a belt that has been won down the years by such greats as Freddie Mills, Randy Turpin and John Conteh, all of whom went on to make a name for themselves on the world stage,” said Shinkwin.

“Boxing Hosea, who’s also undefeated on such a great show, in his hometown, spices things up nicely and gives me all the incentive I need to add my name to that list, which I’m confident I’ll do.

“I’ve worked very hard to reach this position and I don’t intend to let the opportunity slip. I’d like to thank my trainer Jason Rowland for all his effort in preparing me since I turned pro, for this opportunity.

“Behind the scenes, my manager Richard Clark and promoter Frank Warren have worked hard to come to an agreement with Eddie Hearn in time for this fight to happen and I fully intend to make everyone’s efforts worthwhile by becoming the British Light-Heavyweight Champion on February 27.”

Andrea di Luisa says he’ll prove that George Groves is past his best when the Super-Middleweights clash at the Copper Box Arena in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on January 30, live on Sky Sports.

The Italian is Groves’ first opposition since Badou Jack edged him out of their WBC World title clash in September in Las Vegas, with the Londoner looking to rebuild and land a fourth World title shot.

Di Luisa believes that the Jack fight – along with Groves’ two titanic tussles with Carl Froch MBE – has taken the best out of ‘Saint’ George – and he’ll stop the 27 year old’s latest charge for World honours at the first hurdle.

“I don’t believe George is the same fighter as he was before those fights against Froch and Jack,” said Di Luisa. “Only George knows how he feels. I can only comment from my point of view. On January 30 we will see how it goes – I do have a good punch.

“George is a good boxer, a good fighter. He’s had a few chances to be a World champion but hasn’t succeeded. He’s a good fighter and a hard puncher but I’m ready for anything. I’m going to London to win.”

Di Luisa’s clash with Groves as John Wayne Hibbert defends his Commonwealth and WBC International Super Lightweight titles against Tommy Martin.

John Ryder meets the ‘Brit Basher’ Sergey Khomitsky for the vacant WBA International Middleweight title while his gym-mate Martin J. Ward defends his WBC International Super-Featherweight strap against Italian Mario Pisanti.

Former football star Leon McKenzie continues his charge towards titles in the ring in a final eliminator for the English Super-Middleweight title against Kelvin Young and Brentwood’s Kris Agyei-Dua defends his Southern Area Super-Welterweight title against Chadwell Heath’s Ben Hall.

There’s a host of young talents on the bill with Watford Featherweight Reece Bellotti tasting eight-round action for the first time in the paid ranks, action for Brixton’s Lightweight banger Ohara Davies, Bermondsey Welterweight Ted Cheeseman, Crystal Palace Super-Middleweight Craig Richards, West Ham Super-Bantamweight Lucien Reid, Wimbledon Welterweight Louis Adolphe, Rainham Light Heavyweight Charlie Duffield and Chelsea Light Heavyweight Deion Jumah.

Tickets are on sale now priced £40, £60 and £100 available from www.seetickets.com by calling 08712307148 (Calls cost 10ppm plus your network access charge). £200 VIP tickets are available exclusively from www.matchroomboxing.com

Fresh off his 1st round obliteration of Mark De Mori on January 16, former two-division world champion is set to come right back on May 21 in London, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“After being out of the ring for so long it was incredible to be fighting in a (near) capacity crowd at the O2 arena in front of my loyal fans,” said Haye, whose Hayemaker Promotions will put on the May fight card. “I’m thankful for all the support I’ve received so far. I felt so cool and calm in there. I don’t believe any heavyweight in the planet could have taken those punches. Now is my time to prove they can’t.

“The heavyweight division is once again incredibly exciting, with a number of talented fighters vying for the world titles. The Hayemaker is back and ready for the next challenge.”

“David and I have been clear from his comeback announcement that it is with the single objective of reclaiming and unifying the world heavyweight titles,” said Haye’s trainer Shane McGuigan, the son of Hall of Fame former featherweight titleholder Barry McGuigan. “His first-round KO of De Mori showed there was no ring rust. We are keen to keep the momentum and build on his most recent win, with a short period of active recovery before going straight back into camp.”

LOS ANGELES (Jan. 26, 2016) – The first LA FIGHT CLUB of 2016 will feature a stacked card with stellar talent across a variety of weight divisions. Headlined by East LA’s undefeated top prospect Julian “El Camarón” Ramirez (15-0, 8 KOs) taking on Christopher “S.D. Kid” Martin (28-6-3, 9 KOs) of Chula Vista, Calif. in a 10-round fight for the vacant WBC Silver Youth Featherweight Title live on Estrella TV on Jan. 29. In the co-feature of the night, undefeated featherweight Abraham “Chamaco” Lopez (19-0-1, 14 KOs) of La Puente, Calif. in a10-round event against San Juan, Puerto Rico’s Carlos Valcarcel (14-6-4, 5 KOs), live from at The Belasco Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

Fighting to make air time on the Estrella TV broadcast and also featured as part of the Ring TV live stream, Jonathan Navarro (3-0, 2 KOs) of East Los Angeles, will fight in a six-round super lightweight bout against Carlos “Coreano” Rodriguez (9-2, 4 KOs) of Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico. Also featured as part of the Ring TV live stream, Edgar Valerio (4-0, 2 KOs) of Los Angeles will fight in a six-round featherweight bout against Justin Lopez (5-4, 5 KOs) of Grandville, Mich. and Joshua Franco (3-0, 2 KOs) of San Antonio, Texas will face off against Juan Benavides (5-6-1, 2 KOs) of Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico in a six-round super flyweight bout. Also, fan favorite Pablo “The Shark” Rubio, Jr. (3-0, 2 KOs) of Whittier, Calif. will opening up the night and the Ring TV live stream in a four-round super bantamweight bout against Bryan Perez (2-2-1, 1 KO) of Carolina, Puerto Rico.

Tickets for LA FIGHT CLUB are on sale starting at $20 with new Flex Passes, Group Tickets and BOLD Experience upgrades are available for purchase now at www.goldenboypromotions.com, the Golden Boy Promotions Facebook page, by calling 213-233-2957 or by emailing LAFightClub@goldenboypromotions.com. The Flex Pass allows buyers to purchase tickets for multiple LA FIGHT CLUB events at a 15 percent discount and Group Tickets for parties of six will receive a 10 percent discount. Discounts begin at the $40 ticket price level and up.

Media interested in attending the Feb. 19, 2016 installment of LA FIGHT CLUB must be pre-approved for credentials. Credential applications are now closed. Media will not be credentialed on-site, no exceptions.

Hailing from East Los Angeles, Jonathan Navarro made a strong impression with his professional debut on the Aug. 6, 2015 edition of LA FIGHT CLUB where he defeated Andrew Lee Gomez via knockout in the first round. He quickly followed that impressive performance up one month later by defeating Gibran Gutierrez via unanimous decision at LA FIGHT CLUB on Sept. 4, 2015. A gifted boxer who began his boxing career at seven-years-old, Navarro won his first Golden Gloves at age nine and had a decorated amateur career winning gold in 15 tournaments, four of which were international while representing the U.S. on the national team. Navarro is a legacy fighter; his uncle Jose “El Angelino” Navarro was a 2000 U.S. Olympian and a flyweight title challenger in his professional career.

Carlos Rodriguez made his professional debut nearly four years ago in spectacular fashion with a technical knockout victory in the third of four rounds. Rodriguez steadily rose through the ranks the next year and a half by adding seven hard-fought victories to his record. In February 2014, Rodriguez fought against Robert “Tito” Manzanarez for the WBC Youth Intercontinental lightweight title in Puerto Vallarta but suffered a blow with a knockout loss in just the second round. He rebounded in December 2014 with a stunning technical knockout victory in the first of six rounds over Walberto “Fuerte” Gaxiola. Rodriguez fought only once in 2015, with a loss to Saul Rodriguez by knockout in the second round. On Jan. 29, Rodriguez will make his U.S. debut and look to avenge his last loss with a victory to kick off the New Year.

Edgar Valerio is determined to become a force in boxing since making his professional debut in September 2012. Valerio is part of the rising local talent from Los Angeles, and has fought all of his professional fights in the region before a hometown crowd. Valerio, was last seen in August 2014 securing a unanimous decision victory over Adrian Rodriguez. Eager to make his return to the ring Jan. 29, Valerio is ready to prove he has what it takes for championship glory.

30-year old Justin Lopez made his professional debut in December 2006 with a victory over John Mumford in Lansing, Michigan. Since then, Lopez has added an even mix of victories and losses to his record including a fight for the vacant Universal Boxing Federation (UBF) All America featherweight title in November 2014 against Ricky Lopez. Most recently, Lopez fought Joshua Davis in Maryland in November 2015 in a hard-fought four-round bout. Lopez will work furiously in the ring on Jan. 29 to get his first victory of 2016 with a win over Edgar Valerio.

Fighting at LA FIGHT CLUB feels like home for San Antonio’s Joshua Franco, having fought there for the three professional fights of his career thus far. Franco will fight his fourth time at LA FIGHT CLUB on Jan. 29 and look to maintain his perfect record with yet another victory. Franco made his professional debut as a new Golden Boy fighter on the August 6 edition of the hit monthly series, defeating Temoatzin Landeros via split decision, and quickly followed up with a victory over Saul “Bebe” Hernandez at the October installment. He ended 2015 on a high note, with a first round knockout victory over Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico’s Leonard Reyes in December.

Juan Benavides, of Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico will return for his second fight on U.S. soil this Friday when he faces Joshua Franco at LA FIGHT CLUB. Having taken nearly a year off since his last fight, Benavides was last in the ring in March 2015 with a technical knockout win in the third of four rounds over Christian “Nino Raudry” Bartolini. On January 29, Benavides will look to secure a TKO once again as he continues to work to establish himself as a formidable opponent in the sport.

Hailing fromWhittier, Calif., Pablo “The Shark” Rubio Jr. had a successful 2015 with three victories under his belt since making his professional debut at the June 4 edition of LA FIGHT CLUB with a knockout victory over Julio Rodriguez. Previously, Rubio fought in the 2014 USA Boxing Junior and Youth Open in the youth lightweight class at 123 lbs., and has sparred with the likes of undefeated World Champion Leo “El Terremoto” Santa Cruz. Rubio is determined to make a strong start for his second year as a professional fighter with a win on Jan. 29.

Puerto Rico native Bryan Perez will look to make a splash on the Los Angeles boxing scene with his first appearance at LA FIGHT CLUB on Jan. 29. The 21 year-old fighter made his professional debut in November 2013 against Hector Fernandez on hometown turf in Carolina, Puerto Rico. Since then, Perez has fought two more of his five professional fights, both victories over Ellito Reyes and Kevin Vazquez, in his native Puerto Rico. In March 2015, Perez ventured to the mainland to make his U.S. debut at the Sphinx Club in Washington, D.C. but suffered a rough knockout loss in the third round to opponent Marquel “Monster” Johns. Perez fought back in his next fight against Ricardo “Richy”Rodriguez, resulting in a draw after six rounds. Perez is eager to add another victory to his resume and will look to be victorious against Pablo Rubio on Friday.

Julian Ramirez vs. Christopher Martin is a 10-round bout for the vacant WBC Silver Youth Featherweight Title presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate, BORN BOLD and Carmelita Chorizo. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. and the first bout begins at 5:30 p.m. The Estrella TV Boxeo Estelar broadcast will air live on Friday, January 29 at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT., and will stream live simultaneously on estrellaTV.com and on YouTube via Fenomeno Studios: youtube.com/FenomenoStudios. The Ring TV live stream will begin at approximately 5:30 p.m. PT through 7:00 p.m.

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

IMMOKALEE, FL. (January 26, 2016) – Featherweight prospect Dennis Galarza (11-1, 8 KOs) will enter the ring in an eight-round bout against Hungarian Bence Molnar (14-6, 7 KOs) as part of Premier Boxing Champions: The Next Round on Bounce TV Sunday, January 31 from Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee in Immokalee, Fla.

PBC: The Next Round on Bounce TV begins at 9 p.m. ET/PT and is headlined by undefeated rising star Erickson “The Hammer” Lubin taking on Mexican brawler Jose De Jesus Macias in a 10-round super welterweight battle while welterweights Alex “El Pollo” De Jesus and Joseph Elegele meet in an eight-round showdown.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by King’s Promotions in association with Panther Promotions, are priced at $25 and $50, not including applicable fees, and are on sale now. To purchase tickets click HERE.

Additional undercard action features a pair of unbeaten welterweights as David Grayton (13-0, 9 KOs) faces Daniel Souza Santos (14-9, 11 KOs) in an eight round bout while Harold Calderon takes on Gilbert Venegas in a scheduled eight-round affair.

Rounding out the night of fights are Florida’s Dyah Davis against Chicago’s Edgar Perez in a six-round light heavyweight fight, Miami’s Farid Aghyey in a four-round middleweight bout against Atlanta’s Hakeem Atkinson and unbeaten Portland, Oregon prospect Ray Lampking taking on Antoine Knight in a six-round lightweight contest and Fort Myers’ Jesus Lule against Atlanta’s Jamar Saunders in a six round featherweight bout.

Fighting out of Brooklyn, Galarza is looking for his third straight victory in the state of Florida when he enters the ring on January 31. The 23-year-old has fought professionally since 2013 and racked up five wins in 2015. Most recently he stopped Juan Ramon Solis in their November 2015 fight. He will take on the 20-year-old Molnar out of Bekescsaba, Hungary who will be making his U.S. debut.

A Washington D.C. product, Grayton was a National Golden Gloves Champion who beat Errol Spence Jr. as an amateur on his way to picking up that title. The 28-year-old entered the professional ranks in 2012 and is unbeaten since. He defeated Martin Wright in October 2015 and will now take on the Brazilian Souza Santos.

The 28-year-old Calderon picked up three victories in 2015 including his most recent triumph, a first round stoppage of Clifford McPherson in November. The Miami-native will square off against East Molina, Illinois’ Venegas.

FORMER undisputed heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe believes boxing fans will be hailing a new “Big Daddy” on March 5.

The Brooklyner ruled the roost in the land of the giants back in the early ’90s, beating the likes of Evander Holyfield, Bruce Seldon and Michael Dokes.

And now he’s tipping Australia’s Lucas Browne to follow in his footsteps by halting reigning WBA champion Ruslan Chagaev in Grozny, Chechnya.

“I’m throwing my support behind Lucas Browne, the Thunder from Down Under! To have the “Big Daddy” nickname live on is something that I’m really happy about,” Bowe, 48, said.

“Lucas is going to rock Ruslan Chagaev with that big right hammer of his and get hold of the WBA belt that I once proudly owned.

“Australia, you need to support your man just like the people of New York supported me when I was in the trenches with Evander Holyfield.

“Lucas, I’m telling you to take this opportunity and etch your name in boxing history. I’m right behind you, brother.”

Bowe is just the latest former champion to come out in support of Browne.

The Sydney man already has the backing of two British legends in the shape of promoter Ricky Hatton and assistant trainer Nigel Benn, but last week former heavyweight kingpin Hasim “The Rock” Rahman threw his weight behind Browne’s cause and boldly predicted that the Aussie will knock Chagaev out in similar fashion to the way he dealt with Lennox Lewis in their first tussle 15 years ago.

Browne said: “It gives me a real boost having the likes of Riddick Bowe and Hasim Rahman getting behind me.

“I remember watching Riddick’s three wars with Evander Holyfield and they were something special. Three absolute wars, some of the best heavyweight boxing we’ve ever seen.

“Of course, I share the same nickname as Riddick and I’m hoping I can emulate him on March 5 and become heavyweight champion.”

Montreal, Quebec, Canada: This Saturday, Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (28-0-1, 25 KOs) will march back into Jean Pascal’s (30-3-1, 17 KOs) home turf to defend his WBO, WBA, and IBF Light Heavyweight World Titles in the much-anticipated rematch televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT. With the well-publicized history of bad blood between these two high-intensity fighters, fireworks are expected at the Bell Centre on Saturday. Below is the scouting report for this exciting rematch:

Category
Sergey “The Krusher” Kovalev
Jean Pascal
Age
31
33
Record
28-0-1 (25 KOs)
30-3-1 (17 KOs)
Strength
Kovalev has shown time and time again that he can knock anyone out with any punch he throws. He has also shown that he can take a punch just as well as he can throw one. He withstood some major shots in the first bout with Pascal, which ultimately ended any doubt about his chin.
Pascal is a gamer in every sense of the word. He is a crowd-pleasing fighter with good hand speed when he puts his punches together. He has good power in both hands and a good chin. He has competed against the division’s top fighters since 2008, before Sergey even made his pro debut.
Weakness
Kovalev tends to leave openings in his guard which allows him to get hit. He has a fearless style that could get him into trouble with the power that Pascal brings when he decides to put his punches together.
Jean has a tendency to turn a boxing match into a slugfest which could be a dangerous move against the heavy-handed Krusher, but this is something Freddie Roach, Pascal’s new trainer, has said he aims to improve.
Experience
Kovalev has not been on the world stage as long as Pascal, but he has beaten two world champions (Bernard Hopkins and Nathan Cleverly) and two former world champions (Gabriel Campillo and Jean Pascal).
Pascal may still have a slight experience advantage. He has been in eight major title fights, and holds victories over Chad Dawson and Lucian Bute.
Power
Krusher has unbelievable power in both hands. He throws every punch with bad intentions and puts together impressive combinations. He is also a very effective body puncher; he has ended a number of fights with shots to the midsection.
Although Pascal possesses solid power in both hands, he cannot match Sergey’s power. The Krusher has solidified his spot as the heaviest hitter in the light heavyweight division.
Speed
Kovalev has good hand speed that picks up once he smells blood and goes for the finish. He delivers a nasty onslaught of punches that has proven to overwhelm his opposition.
Pascal’s speed becomes more noticeable during his flurries of punches. He really turns it on when he has his opponent hurt and delivers a relentless attack that has proven effective in the past.
Endurance
Sergey has only fought 12 rounds once in his career. He defeated former multi-division champion Bernard Hopkins in 2014 in a 12-round unanimous decision.
Pascal has been 12 rounds on nine separate occasions. His previous fight went the distance and he earned a decision win over previously unbeaten Yunieski Gonzalez.
Accuracy
Sergey shows great accuracy with the long-range aggressive style that he utilizes. He possesses very accurate and powerful body shots as well.
Pascal does not utilize his jab as well at times and tends to get somewhat wild when unloading flurries of punches. However, he has an overhand right that be a game-changer if landed flush.
Defense
Sergey’s primary strength is his offense which has been established as his best defense. He likes to stalk his opposition, however, which can lead to him taking unnecessary shots from his opponents.
Pascal does not move around the ring as well. He likes to stand in front of his opposition and let his hands go. Sometimes this can become his best defense, but led to his demise in his first bout with Krusher.
Chin
Kovalev has been knocked down twice in his career, but he has risen to the occasion both times to finish the fight. He also recovered well against Pascal after taking some thunderous shots from the former champion.
Jean has a really good chin and is willing to stand and trade with the division’s best and most powerful punchers. He has been in with many great fighters throughout his career, and has only been stopped once in his career. However, that knockout came from Kovalev just last year.
Style
Kovalev is an offensive power-puncher who likes to buzz saw through his opponents. He likes to walk his opponents down utilizing a long-range aggressive style until he smells blood and can go for the finish.
Pascal is an aggressive fighter that will not hesitate to stand and trade with anyone. His fearless fighting style has kept him atop the light heavyweight division for many years.
Intangibles
Kovalev wants to leave no doubt in the minds of those who question who is the best light heavyweight in the world. He has opted to defend his titles in a rematch of the toughest bout of his career against former titleholder Jean Pascal. Not only will he be rematching the highly ranked light heavyweight, but he has agreed to do it in Pascal’s backyard once again.
Pascal refuses to take days off in the ring. His most recent bout was against former undefeated and ranked prospect Yunieski Gonzalez. After earning a decision in that bout, and handing the young up-and-comer the first loss of his career, he has decided to get right back at it against the division’s best and hardest hitter in Sergey Kovalev.
Crowd Support
Kovalev will, once again, march into enemy territory as he fights in Jean Pascal’s backyard. Also, because there is still bad blood between these two stemming from their last fight, expect the fans to be even more hostile towards the champion.
Pascal will have the clear crowd-support advantage as he fights in front of his home crowd. Expect the Canadian fans will be heavily on his side.
The Match-up:
Will Sergey let the hostile Canadian crowd get to him and his game plan?
Will Pascal improve his defense now that he is working with Freddie Roach?
Will Sergey be focused on the Pascal fight and not look ahead to other fights?
Will Pascal be able to handle The Krusher’s power this time around?

According to Main Events’ matchmaker and NABF Matchmaker of the Year, Jolene Mizzone, “The most important thing about this fight is the fact that both these fighters were willing to step back in the ring with each other again. Pascal was stopped in the last fight against Sergey and those thoughts and the power he felt have to weigh heavily on him, but he also has Freddie Roach in his corner now. Sergey got hit a lot by Pascal and it says a lot that he is willing to go right back to Pascal’s hometown to prove he is the best in the light heavyweight division. And with all the bad blood between these two, the tensions will be running high.”

About January 30
The grudge match for the unified light heavyweight world championship between Sergey Kovalev and Jean Pascal, a Vidéotron presentation in collaboration with Mise-O-Jeu, will be televised live in the United States on HBO beginning 9:45pm ET/PT. The HBO telecast will open with a ten-round match-up between Dmitry Mikhaylenko and Karim Mayfield for the vacant USBA Welterweight Title. In Canada the event will be available on pay-per-view TV, please consult with your local cable provider. The card is promoted by Main Events and InterBox in association with German Titov Promotions and Greg Cohen Promotions. Tickets are on sale on at www.evenko.ca, at Centre Bell box office and at Club de boxe Champions in Montreal.

About Main Events
Main Events was founded in 1978 by the late Dan Duva and is now run by his widow Kathy Duva. As one of the top promotional companies in the world, Main Events has promoted boxing legends Evander Holyfield, Arturo Gatti, Lennox Lewis, Pernell Whitaker and many more. Currently, Main Events promotes WBO, IBF and WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev. Main Events is committed to promoting quality fights that boxing fans want to see.

About InterBox
InterBox, founded in Québec in 1997, and acquired by Groupe Sportscene in 2004, is a boxing organization that is recognized and respected throughout the Quebec province and the world. Its goal is to promote professional boxing, locally and internationally, with talented boxers who are supervised by top-notch trainers and have access to a cutting-edge support staff. InterBox regularly promotes and presents first-rate events in cooperation with such major corporate sponsors as Vidéotron, La Cage – Brasserie sportive and Coors Light.

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ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (January 26, 2016) – Reigning M-1 Challenge middleweight champion Ramazan Emeev will take on Brazilian challenger Maiquel “Big Rig” Falcao in the second M-1 Grand Prix middleweight eliminator, March 4 at M-1 Challenge 65, in Moscow.

The first M-1 Grand Prix match of 2016 is set in the middleweight division as three-time Bellator champion Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (51-9-0, M-1: 2-0-0) takes on former M-1 Challenge middleweight and light heavyweight titlist Vyacheslav Vasilevsky (27-3-0, M-1: 10-1-0)at M-1 Challenge 64, February 19 at Olympic Stadium in Moscow.

The winners of Shlemenko vs. Vasilevsky and Emeev vs. Falcao will advance to the M-1 Grand Prix middleweight championship later this year.

“We tried to get the strongest middleweight fighters and did a great job to give fans the most spectacular match-ups,” M-1 Global president Vadim Finkelchtein said. “Every single fight is intriguing in M-1 Grand Prix. I can’t guess how these fights will end up. Every single fighter has his advantages. Therefore, I think all of these fights are 50-50.”

Emeev (13-3-0, M-1: 7-1-0), the 2015 M-1 Global Fighter of the Year, is a two-time M-1 Challenge middleweight champion. Born in Azerbaijan but fighting and training out of Markaxhkala, Russia, Emeev originally captured the vacant M-1 Challenge middleweight crown in 2012 at M-1 Challenge 35, winning a decision over Mario Miranda. Emeev successfully defended his title in a rematch five months later with Miranda, who was stopped via strikes in the third round at M-1 Challenge 38.

In his next title defense, Emeev lost his title belt at M-1 Challenge 51 as Vasilevsky won by fourth-round stoppage via punches. Seven months later in a rematch, Emeev defeated Vasilevsky by first round submission (choke), and the champion defended his title this past December at M-1 Challenge 63, when American challenger Fioravanti Luigi was unable to continue fighting after two rounds.

Falcao may be making his M-1 Global debut at M-1 Challenge 65, however, the Brazilian black belt holder is a veteran of 43 professional MMA bouts with 23 knockouts. The 34-year old Falcao split two fights with Vasilevsky and he was stopped by Shlemenko in the second round at Bellator 69.

M-1 Challenge 64 & 65 will be streamed live from Russia in high definition on www.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register at www.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all of the action on their computers, as well as on Android and Apple smart phones and tablets.
USA MEDIA CONTACT:
Bob Trieger, Full Court PRESS, 978.590.0470, bobtfcp@hotmail.com, @FightPublicist

ABOUT M-1 GLOBAL: Founded in 1997, M-1 Global has established itself in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as the premier entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With its office in St Petersburg, Russia, the M-1 brand has staged more than 170 events worldwide, including M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge, M-1 Global and M-1 Global HWGP events, in addition to co-promoting Strikeforce events and M-1 Global on the U.S. network, Showtime. Captivating live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and match-ups, M-1 Global events have featured some of the sport’s top names, including legendary heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Keith Jardine, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Sergei Kharitonov, Aleksander Emelianenko, Roman Zentsov, Yushin Okami, Mike Pyle, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Amar Suloev, Chalid Arrab and Stephan Struve. 2015 was another sensational year of world-class competition with a full calendar of Challenge events fueled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global Champions among the greatest fighters in the sport.

ABOUT M-1GLOBAL.TV: Enjoy MMA action now in high definition brought to you by M-1Global.tv, offering only the best fights from M-1 Global and other MMA organizations. M-1Global.tv is a great platform developed specifically to bring together the most exhaustive fight video database. It also provides an easy and intuitive interface, helping everyone to start using the platform in no time while avoiding any spoilers. Besides watching the past fights on demand at any time convenient to the customer, viewers are able to enjoy the action LIVE, all available to M-1Global.tv users through a low-priced month to month digital subscription. Your world of action. Anytime!

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Jan. 26th, 2016) — For one night and one night only, the infamous green belt, one of boxing’s most recognized symbols of excellence, comes to Rhode Island, and it’ll either stay on the east coast or head west when the night is through.

Unbeaten Worcester, Mass., junior middleweight Khiary Gray (11-0, 9 KOs) faces his toughest test to date in the most important fight of his young career Friday, Feb. 19th, 2016 when he challenges Washington’s Cameron Sevilla Rivera (6-2-1, 5 KOs) for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) Youth Title in the 10-round main event of CES Boxing’s season opener at Twin River Casino.

Since making his professional debut in June of 2014, Gray’s rapid climb includes 11 bouts in 18 months, a regional title (captured in September courtesy of a vicious knockout win over Kenton Sippio-Cook), and now a shot at the WBC Youth crown, an important step in the development of many young fighters since its inception in 1999.

The WBC Youth program is designed to provide fighters under the age of 24 with an opportunity to gain valuable experience as a precursor to challenging for a world title. The formula has worked; 47 of the fighters who’ve won WBC Youth titles over the past 17 years have gone on to win world championships, a remarkable footnote to a bout that needs no additional hype.

The list of former youth champions to graduate to world-title status includes 77-fight vet Humberto Soto, a WBC title-holder in two different weight classes; Kermit Cintron, Daniel Ponce De Leon, Juan Diaz, Chad Dawson, Devon Alexander and reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) Welterweight Champion Timothy Bradley, who faces Manny Pacquiao for a third time April 9th in Nevada. Whoever wins Feb. 19th joins elite company.

Gray’s loaded resume features eight consecutive knockout wins, seven in the first round. The 23-year-old right-hander hasn’t been past the second round since November of 2014. Rivera, also 23, won his first four professional bouts by first-round knockout and scored his fifth in August.

The Gray-Rivera main event is one of two title bouts on the Feb. 19th card. 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 fight for the vacant Universal Boxing Federation (UBF) World Middleweight Title.

The well-traveled Reis brings plenty of big-fight experience to the CES’ 2016 debut with a resume that includes bouts against three world champions, including unbeaten WBO Middleweight Champion Christina Hammer, WBO Super Welterweight Champion Hanna Gabriel and reigning WBC 154-pound title-holder Mikaela Lauren. She also faced former World Boxing Association (WBA) Middleweight Champion Teresa Perozzi in Bermuda in 2014, scoring a knockout win in the third round.

Feb. 19th also features the return of five unbeaten prospect, starting with fellow Worcester native Freddy Sanchez (7-0, 5 KO), the hard-hitting junior welterweight who finished 2015 a perfect 4-0, ending with a well-deserved unanimous decision win over New Yorker Sidney Maccow in December.

Stoughton, Mass., junior welterweight Travis Demko (4-0, 1 KO) makes his first appearance since September while his last opponent, Holyoke, Mass., native Mohamed Allam (1-1) returns to Twin River in a separate 4-round bout in search of his first win since November of 2014.

Framingham, Mass., junior welterweight Julio Perez (3-0), who debuted in 2015 and swept the scorecards in three consecutive wins, faces Skowhegan, Maine, native Josh Parker (0-1-1) in a 4-round bout while fellow Framingham vet Timmy Ramos (2-0-1, 2 KOs) returns to Rhode Island two months after fighting to a draw against Cido Hoff, the only blemish on his record.

The special attraction of the night features Alaskan middleweight Fatlum Zhuta (2-0-1, 2 KOs) in his second bout at Twin River and first since December. The 27-year-old Albanian made his east coast debut in December, sending the overmatched Deivison Ribeiro to the canvas twice in the opening round to secure an impressive knockout win.

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.

George Groves believes a change in trainer to Shane McGuigan can be the missing piece in his World title jigsaw as he returns to action against Andrea di Luisa on Saturday night at the Copper Box Arena in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, live on Sky Sports.

Groves was edged out by Badou Jack in Las Vegas in September in their WBC Super-Middleweight clash, climbing off the canvas in the opening round to push the Swedish-American the distance. One judge gave the decision to Groves, but Jack held onto the title he took from Anthony Dirrell in April thanks to the other two cards.

That was Groves’ third World title fight after his unforgettable battles with Carl Froch MBE in Manchester and London, and the Londoner had Paddy Fitzpatrick in his corner for them all. Following the loss in Las Vegas, Groves has turned to McGuigan to guide his latest charge to a World title, and Groves says life with the trainer of Carl Frampton and old Adam Booth gym-mate David Haye has started well.

“A few things weren’t quite right in Las Vegas so I decided to part-company with Paddy and now I am with Shane,” said Groves. “We’d been working together for a few weeks behind closed doors before we made the announcement before Christmas and we clicked and gelled straight away. We’re on the same wavelength and I feel that with him I am producing great work in the gym, and now I am just looking forward to getting out there and showing the improvements and getting back to winning ways.

“I was talking to my promoter Nisse Sauerland en route to meeting Shane about my style of fighting and what went wrong in the last fight, how I could have improved. Before I could say those things, Shane said them to us, so I had the inkling straight away that we’re on the same page.

“I’m back punching hard which I am enjoying, although my knuckles aren’t. Everything else feels great though. He’s got a cracking stable of fighters with Carl Frampton in the gym preparing for his fight in Manchester with Scott Quigg in February. Barry McGuigan is in the gym all the time passing on his first-hand experience from his own involvement in massive World title fights, but Shane has his own presence and authority that I enjoy. He’s very knowledgeable for someone that’s my age, but he is also learning every day and I am enjoying every moment with him.”

Groves clash with Di Luisa is part of a huge night of action in east London as John Wayne Hibbert defends his Commonwealth and WBC International Super Lightweight titles against Tommy Martin.

John Ryder faces the ‘Brit Basher’ Sergey Khomitsky for the vacant WBA International Middleweight title and Martin J. Ward defends his WBC International Super-Featherweight strap against Italian Mario Pisanti.

Former football star Leon McKenzie continues his charge towards titles in the ring in a final eliminator for the English Super-Middleweight title against Kelvin Young and Brentwood’s Kris Agyei-Dua defends his Southern Area Super-Welterweight title against Chadwell Heath’s Ben Hall.

There’s a host of young talents on the bill with Watford Featherweight Reece Bellotti tasting eight-round action for the first time in the paid ranks, action for Brixton’s Lightweight banger Ohara Davies, Bermondsey Welterweight Ted Cheeseman, Crystal Palace Super-Middleweight Craig Richards, West Ham Super-Bantamweight Lucien Reid, Wimbledon Welterweight Louis Adolphe and Rainham Light Heavyweight Charlie Duffield.

Tickets are on sale now priced £40, £60 & £100 available from www.seetickets.com by calling 08712307148 (Calls cost 10ppm plus your network access charge). £200 VIP tickets are available exclusively from www.matchroomboxing.com

Anthony Joshua MBE says he cannot wait to get back into action at The O2 on April 9.

The Heavyweight sensation thrilled a sold-out crowd in Greenwich on December 12 in his brilliant British and Commonwealth title clash with bitter foe Dillian Whyte, with the amateur rivals sharing seven enthralling rounds before Joshua claimed the 15th KO win of his 15-fight pro career.

The Whyte fight was Joshua’s fifth outing at The O2 and the third in a row at the brilliant arena that is quickly becoming the Olympic gold medal star’s fortress.

An opponent for the 26 year old will be named next week when tickets will also go on sale, and with Joshua back in the ring after recharging his batteries over Christmas, he’s raring to go once more.

“I can’t wait to get back in the ring on April 9,” said Joshua. “I feel fit and ready to take on whoever I need to continue my journey to the top. The atmosphere at The O2 was unbelievable in December so I’m looking forward to putting on an even bigger show for the fans. It is a really exciting time for Heavyweight boxing right now so I can’t wait to get fighting.”

“The last show at The O2 on December 12 was one of the best and most entertaining we’ve seen, and on April 9 we are looking to eclipse that,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “It will be another major step for Anthony Joshua on a card full of World Championship and domestic match ups – get ready for the on-sale next week!”

A further announcement on ticket on-sale dates and prices will be made soo

LOS ANGELES (Jan. 25, 2016) – Southpaw amateur standout, Alexis Rocha of Santa Ana, Calif. has signed a promotional contract with Golden Boy Promotions today and will make his highly anticipated professional debut on the March 4 edition of LA FIGHT CLUB in downtown Los Angeles. The six-time national champion will be following in the footsteps of older brother and current WBC Silver Featherweight Champion, Ronny Rios, who signed on with Golden Boy Promotions early in his career in 2009.
“Golden Boy Promotions has always treated us like family and I am excited to start this new phase of my career,” said Alexis Rocha. “When the opportunity came to make the transition and become a professional fighter, the decision was easy. I want to make Golden Boy proud.”
“I’m pleased that Golden Boy Promotions has added another top talent to its stable with Alexis Rocha,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “Alexis has an incredible story, one that I hope inspires many other children and young adults to work hard and lead healthy lifestyles. I know Alexis will shine in his professional debut because he has the talent and the drive to become a champion.”
“I have been working with Golden Boy Promotions for a number of years now and it definitely made our decision much easier,” said Hector Lopez, trainer to Alexis Rocha. “It just made sense to keep the brothers together and be part of the same family at Golden Boy. I have witnessed first-hand Golden Boy’s ability to nurture fighters and shape them into champions and am confident that this was right decision for Alexis.”
At 14-years of age, Alexis Rocha was the youngest fighter to win a gold medal at the Junior Olympics in 2012 and caught the attention of the boxing world as he continued on to become a six-time national champion during his amateur career. Although he came from a boxing family where both his older brothers boxed professionally, Rocha turned to boxing at 13 years old to fight his way back to health and combat childhood obesity. Starting at over 200 pounds, Rocha looked to older brother Ronny Rios, for help and inspiration. They began training together and Rocha dropped to 147 pounds and six months later he starting competing. Now, Rocha will be looking to impress in his professional debut on March 4 at the popular Los Angeles boxing series LA FIGHT CLUB.
For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, and @OscarDeLaHoya, become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing or follow on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing @OscarDeLaHoya and @alexisrocha777.

New York, NY (1/25/15) – This Wednesday, January 27th, DiBella Entertainment’s ever-popular Broadway Boxing series returns to the famed B.B. King Blues Club and Grill in midtown Manhattan with an exciting seven-bout card. Headlining the event will be fast-rising super bantamweight contender Luis Rosa (21-0, 10KO’s) as he puts his undefeated record and world rating on the line against tough Mexican veteran German Meraz in an eight-round junior featherweight matchup.

In the co-feature, the Bronx’s former national champion and now undefeated prospect Louis Cruz (11-0, 5KO’s) takes on once-beaten Michal Chudecki (10-1-1, 3KO’s) in an intriguing eight-round junior welterweight matchup.

Former 2008 Olympian Lenin Castillo (12-0-1, 7KO’s) will look to put himself back into the win column after suffering the first blemish of his young career in an entertaining eight-round draw to fellow undefeated prospect Travis Peterkin last August. Castillo is set to square off against undefeated knockout artist Marcelo Tavares (8-0, 8KO’s) in their anticipated eight-round light heavyweight showdown.

Patterson, New Jersey’s undefeated middleweight prospect Ian Green (8-0, 6KO’s) will also see action when he faces Queens-native Devaun Lee (5-2, 2KO’s) in a six-round middleweight attraction.

Making her anticipated DBE debut on the card will be highly regarded undefeated female super bantamweight prospect Shelly Vincent (15-0, 1KO), as she takes on Renata Domsodi (12-7, 5KO’s) in their six-round matchup. The Providence, Rhode Island-native Vincent has become a major attraction fighting throughout the New England area and will be making her New York debut when she challenges the Hungarian Domsodi. A matchup between Vincent and now fellow DBE stable-mate Heather Hardy has long been discussed with the two undefeated females continuously calling out each other over the years. With Vincent now joining the DBE stable, that huge female matchup will certainly continue to pick up steam and could take place sometime in 2016.

Also making his DBE debut on the card will be junior welterweight contender Valentyn Golovko (21-0, 14KO’s) as he joins the ever-growing list of Ukrainian fighters on the DBE stable when he competes against the tough and recent world title challenger Jerry Belmontes (20-8, 6KO’s) in their eight-round showdown. Last year, Belmontes challenged highly regarded and undefeated world champion Omar Figueroa for the WBC lightweight title, giving the heavily favored Figueroa all he could handle before losing a 12-round split decision. Golovko returned in June, making his U.S. debut following a near two-year layoff. The 29-year-old believes that he is only a couple of fights away from fighting the elite names of the 140lb. division and an impressive showing against the experienced Belmontes will force the junior welterweight division to take notice.

Rounding out the card will be undefeated prospect Derrick Murray (11-0-1, 5KO’s) as he takes on Darryl Hayes (5-5, 1KO) in their six-round featherweight matchup.

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.

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

Brooklyn, N.Y. (Monday, Jan. 25, 2016) – Ronson Frank’s Uprising Promotions returns to action this week for Friday Night Fights, which will be going down at the Five Star Banquet Hall in Long Island City on Friday evening.

Headlining the card will be a 10-round women’s bout for the WBC Women’s Silver Middleweight Championship, featuring undefeated and ultra-popular New Yorker Alicia Napolean (4-0, 4 KOs) against Szilvia Szabados (10-4, 3 KOs). This title showcase features two of the top-ranked female middleweights in the world, with Napolean currently ranked fourth and Szabados sitting at sixth. Napolean has taken the boxing scene by storm since turning professional in 2014, stopping all four of her opponents, two in the first round. A native of Hungary, Szabados has previously challenged for the WBC and WBF Championships and stands as Napolean’s toughest opposition to date.

Friday Night Fights will also a major co-feature, with undefeated super lightweight Zhankhozh Turarov (17-0, 12 KOs) taking on hard-hitting Joaquin Carniero (22-6, 20 KOs) in a 12-frame encounter. A native of Kazakhstan, home to middleweight phenom Gennady Golovkin, Turarov now fights out of Florida and has stopped his last 11 opponents. Friday night will mark his first bout in the United States in over four years and the first time ever in New York. Carniero enters Friday night as a winner of nine consecutive contests and 12 of his last 13.

Also back in action for Friday Night Fights is undefeated junior welterweight Mikkel Lespierre (11-0, 4 KOs), who fights out of Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn and is coming off a resounding 2015 that saw him record six consecutive victories in just over eight months. Lespierre will meet Newark resident Malik Jackson, with the Brooklyn native being the 11th unbeaten opponent he has faced over a 14-bout career.

Super welterweight Matthew Armstrong (1-0) returns to the Uprising Promotions stage on Friday night when he takes on Alshamar Johnson (1-1-1, 1 KOs), who has a knockout of then undefeated Nick Valliere and a draw with Villi Bello on his resume. Armstrong made his professional debut last July in his native Brooklyn by defeating Anton Williamson via unanimous decision, which was the last show hosted by Uprising Promotions.

Lightweight Victor Vasquez (4-1, 2 KOs) will challenge six-fight veteran Robert Ramos of Allentown, Penn., with Vasquez entering the bout on a three-fight winning streak. The Yonkers native last competed in September in Westbury, handing Bienvenido Diaz his first professional loss.

New York welterweight Maxito Sainvil (2-0-1, 1 KO) also returns to action on Friday night when he welcomes Malik Joe to the professional ranks. Sainvil last fought on an Uprising Promotions card when he made his pro debut against Dustin Parrish last February, stopping him in the second round.

Four additional pro debuts are on tap for Friday night. Light heavyweight Stephen Frank will take on Joe Wright, while Jose Gonzalez meets Alex Adomo Quiles in featherweight action. Also, middleweight Daniel Castro enters the ring for the first time when he challenges Phillip Legrand. A second women’s contest will be on the docket as well, as two-time New York Golden Gloves champion Natalie Gonzalez faces Kimberly Tomes in her pro debut.

The first bell on Friday night is scheduled for 7:00 PM sharp, with doors opening at 6:30 PM. The Five Star Banquet Hall is located at 13-05 43rd Avenue in Long Island City, and its intimate setting ensures that there is not a bad seat in the house. Tickets are priced at $60 for general admission and $100 for ringside seating, and there is also a table option with dinner. For pricing on those tables, call (516) 451-6773. Anyone looking to purchase tickets at the door on Friday night must pay in cash.

Friday Night Fights will continue the initiative of Uprising Promotions to KO Autism, with proceeds from the night getting donated to The School For Language and Communication Development (SLCD) in Glen Cove, New York. This card is also being sponsored by Brooklyn Brothers, Sleep Inn and Charlie’s Auto Collision in Long Island City.

For more information on Uprising Promotions and to keep up with all of our latest news, make sure to check out www.UprisingPromotions.com and follow us on social media: @UprisingNYC

Kell Brook has told Kevin Bizier he’s in for a rough night when he defends his IBF World Welterweight title at the Sheffield Arena on March 26, live on Sky Sports – before setting up a blockbuster fight in the summer.

Brook makes the third defence of his crown against the Canadian, after the IBF ordered his second mandatory battle since winning the crown in August 2014, with injury issues forcing him out of a voluntary defence against the dangerous Diego Chaves in October.

Brook met the media today (January 25) for the first time since a twitter storm broke out on Friday between himself, Khan and promoter Eddie Hearn, and while ‘The Special One’ reiterated his frustration at failing to land a clash with the Bolton fighter, he’s focus is on defending his crown in style before a huge fight in the summer against any of the division’s top dogs.

“Getting injured for the Diego Chaves fight was gutting, but that’s boxing,” said Brook. “I’ve been in training since November, all through Christmas and did an 80km bike ride on New Year’s Day – I’m well ahead of schedule and I can’t wait to be back in and boxing in Sheffield.

“Styles make fights, and Bizier is a come-forward fighter who is coming to take my belt; I know that feeling because I went to California to beat Porter. He’s going to bring everything he’s got to win the title, I’m going to go in there all guns blazing and get rid of this guy in style.

“If we can’t get the kid from Bolton then I’d like to get Danny Garcia in a unification, the Shawn Porter vs. Keith Thurman winner, the Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley winner – I just want to have a massive fight in the summer.

“Khan has got no respect for me and that is what makes me want to punch his in the face even harder. For him to dictate terms to me, the champion, makes me laugh. I want that fight, every boxing fan in Britain and beyond wants the fight, even all the other fighters in the divisions want to watch us fight: it’s THE fight that is being talked about. Nothing would give me more pleasure than putting him on the floor.

“It would kill him losing to me, when he was chasing Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao he could live with losing to them, but he couldn’t lose to me and live with it after slagging me off for years.”

Brook headlines back in Sheffield for the first time since his maiden defence almost a year to the day on March 28 against Jo Jo Dan, and headlines a packed card where Luke Campbell MBE returns to action, and in the press conference today Hearn announced that Campbell would now be training in Miami with Jorge Rubio.

Adam Etches is straight back into title action on the card, Sheffield Heavyweights Dave Allen and Richard Towers clash in a British title eliminator and Andy Townend meets Craig Poxton for the English Super-Featherweight title.

Tickets priced at £40, £60, £80, £100, £150 and £250 VIP will go on sale at midday Thursday January 21 to Matchroom Fight Pass members from the Fight Pass area at www.matchroomboxing.com and on general sale the following day (Friday January 22) with tickets in the £40-£150 bracket available from the Sheffield Arena on 0114 2565656 and at www.sheffieldarena.co.uk. VIP tickets are exclusively available from www.matchroomboxing.com.

Wembley’s middleweight star Gary Corcoran is looking to emulate the success of fellow Irish travellers Billy Joe Saunders and Tyson Fury by winning a world title of his own.

The undefeated Corcoran hopes to see more boxers with gypsy and traveller backgrounds breaking through the amateur scene into the professional ranks.

Gypsy boxers have long been a feature in the amateur boxing scene but Corcoran hopes the success of world champions Fury and Saunders will inspire more to pursue the sport more seriously.

Corcoran, who challenges Bristol’s Danny Butler for the Vacant WBO Intercontinental Super-Welterweight title on Saturday 6th February at the National Stadium, Dublin, said: “We’re all trying to do as much as we can to improve the image of the traveller community. It’s not like that at all, sure you get some bad eggs but most of us are ultra-competitive and constantly striving to be the very best,”

The 25 year-old was raised as one of 12 brothers and sisters on an Irish traveller’s site in Wembley and says his rich traveller heritage is a key part of his armoury. With all eight of his brothers being boxing fanatics he was never short of sparring partners.

He said: “Growing up around traveller communities makes you tough. When I was younger I was a bit wild and loved getting involved in scraps with my brothers and other kids on the site. I decided to take that love for fighting into the ring where and I’m constantly getting better and better.”

Known as the ‘Hell Raiser’ for his ferocious fighting style, Corcoran has ripped through his first 14 opponents; claiming 6 knockouts along the way. The natural-born scrapper rarely takes a step back and has earned a reputation for his non-stop punching style. However, the Wembley man revealed that he’ll be approaching Danny Butler with some fresh ideas come fight night.

He said: “My fans can still expect non-stop action from me but I’ll be trying out some new things against Butler. You’re going to see a new Gary in Dublin, me and my trainer Peter Stanley have come up with a game plan but you’ll have to wait and see! I’ve got a lot of respect for Danny but there’s only going to be one winner and that’s me.”

The super-welterweight division is currently jam-packed with talent such as WBO king Liam Smith, British and Commonwealth Champion Liam Williams and new IBF International Champion Ahmet Patterson. Corcoran is excited at the prospect of beating them on the way to his ultimate goal; a world title.

He said: “They all interest me, I’ll be looking to take them on on my way to the very top. There’s some massive fights to be made this year and I want to be involved in as many as I can. I’m not looking past Danny Butler for now but once I’ve dealt with him I can start looking forward.”

The Wembley man says he’s taken a lot of confidence from inflicting defeats on the previously unbeaten Rick Skelton and Rick Godding and is aiming to kick-off 2016 by claiming another scalp.

He added, “I’m looking to make a big statement. I have a lot of family and friends over there that will be coming to watch me so I’m going to give them a big performance so they can go home happy. Irish fight fans are the best in the world, they absolutely love any combat sport and will be making an absolute racket that’s for sure.”

Chief support on the card sees exciting Dublin ace Jamie Kavanagh step up to challenge for the first title of his career when he faces Portugal’s Antonio Joao Bento for the Vacant WBO European Lightweight Championship.

An action packed up line up features some of the best Irish talent, including: Declan Geraghty, Stephen Ormand, Patrick Hyland, Phillip Sutcliffe Jnr, Anthony Fitzgerland, Gary Sweeney, Craig O’Brien and Sean Creagh, plus unbeaten London star Romeo Romaeo.

Ticket prices are from €25, €40, €60, €80, €100 and €150 and are on sale at www.tickets.ie

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.

Sampson Boxing proudly announces the re-signing of a promotional agreement with Dominican super featherweight knockout artist Braulio “El Chavo” Rodriguez.

27-year-old Rodriguez (18-1, 17 KOs), from Santo Domingo, is the current WBC Latino Super Featherweight Champion after stopping Marcos Gabriel Martinez in two rounds last August. He is rated #13 in the world by the WBC.

Sampson Lewkowicz, President of Sampson Boxing, says he is currently working hard on obtaining the proper visas for his fearsome slugger to fight in the United States.

“El Chavo has a wild fighting style that the fans in the United States would love,” said Lewkowicz. “He is unpredictable and very entertaining with one-punch power in either of his fists. I am finishing up the paperwork to bring him over here and help him become a star.”

Rodriguez says he is happy to continue working with his long-time promoter.

“I want to work with Sampson. I trust him,” he said. “When I get my visa, I am coming to the U.S. to show the fans what I can do.”
About Sampson Boxing
After a very successful run as a matchmaker and adviser, Sampson Lewkowicz switched over to the promotional side of professional boxing in January 2008.

Sampson Boxing has grown into one of the world’s most prestigious promotional firms, representing many of the world’s best fighters and most promising young contenders.

Sampson Boxing has promotional partners all over North and South America, Africa, Asia, New Zealand, Australia, Europe and Central America and Sampson Boxing events have been televised on such premiere networks as HBO, Showtime, ESPN, VS. and several international networks.

They say you can never go home. But when you’re an undefeated heavyweight fighter they call “Jawbreaker,” you can go anywhere you want.

And so, Justin Jones (17-0-1, 10 KOs) will make his fistic return to Louisiana, at the Cypress Bayou Casino Hotel in Charenton, on January 30, to face local brawler Dwight Gipson. The pair will meet in one of the featured bouts of Boxncar Promotions’ “Bouts at the Bayou” event.

33-year-old Jones can do it all in the ring. A born athlete, he is able to box and brawl with equal ability. “I really have no style. I’m athletic and I do whatever is needed. It depends on the guy I’m fighting. I consider myself the kind of fighter who can do whatever is needed to win.”

Jones, who grew up in nearby St. Martinville, was a star football player at St. Martinville Sr. High School, under local legend coach and mentor Carroll Delahoussaye.

“I had a great football career,” recalled Jones. “I excelled at it and put all I had into it. I learned a lot. I think the football career actually helped me prepare for boxing because it really helped my footwork and I’m very coachable.”

Jones’ athletic prowess made him a very popular person in St. Martinville, and a full house of his fans is expected next week. “Everybody is coming to see me because it’s been so long since I fought here. I’ve only fought in Louisiana twice in my whole career. I’m excited about putting on a show for them all.”

2016 is shaping up to be a great year for Jones, who has been in camp with Wladimir Klitschko and top contender Alexander Povetkin, but suffered from promotional problems and resulting inactivity in the past. He recently began working with long-time Louisiana boxing icon Kerry Daigle as an advisor and signed with top promotional firm Warriors Boxing.

“I’m excited to now be with the right people to establish my place among the top heavyweights,” said Jones. “I’ve known Kerry for a long time. He used to manage one of my good friends, Skip Scott. He’s a guy I trust. He made good decisions with Skip and I like the way he does things. And he says Warriors is the right promotional fit for me.”

“Justin is a world-class heavyweight at the perfect time to be one,” said Kerry Daigle. “I’ve known Justin for a long time and I believe in him and his natural talent. He has all the tools to make a big splash in the big man’s division.”

“He’s a big, strong talented boxer who I expect will make lots of noise in the heavyweight division,” added Leon Margules. “Add him to the list of American heavyweights that have a chance to return heavyweight boxing to its glorious past.”

Jones is now based in Houston, Texas, and trains at the Fighter Nation Gym under coaches Maurice “Termite” Watkins and Eleazar Renteria. “I’m at my physical peak right now,” said Jones. “The goal is to have one more fight and then I’ll be looking for anybody in the top 20.”

Johannesburg, January 25 – Juergen Braehmer (47-2, 35 KOs) will defend his WBA World Light Heavyweight title against Thomas ‘Tommy Gun’ Oosthuizen (25-0-2, 14 KOs) on March 12 at the Jahnsportforum in Neubrandenburg, Germany.

The bout was originally scheduled to take place last November in Monaco before a hand injury suffered by Braehmer forced the fight’s postponement, but now fully fit, the reigning champion is relishing a return to Neubrandenburg, where he claimed the WBA World title back in 2013.

“Neubrandenburg holds a very special place in my heart,” said Braehmer. “It was here that I beat Marcus Oliveria to become World Champion for a second time. So of course, I’m looking forward to returning to the Jahnsportforum and successfully defending my title against Oosthuizen.”’

The 37-year-old southpaw will face tough opposition from the South African Oosthuizen, who is unbeaten in his twenty-seven professional contests, and will be travelling to Germany full of confidence.

“It is great news that the fight is going ahead,” he said. “Let’s hope Braehmer doesn’t come up with another excuse not to fight me! I’m definitely going to cash in on my skill, speed, youth, power and agility to win the fight. I’ll put him away for sure. You’ll hear nothing from the scorecards.”’

Oosthuizen’s confidence is shared by his coach Harold Volbrecht, who believes his fighter has the beating of the two-time World Champion.
“There’s no way in a million years that Braehmer wins this fight,” said Volbrecht. “He’s going to be in the ring with a real fighter, and he better be ready because Tommy is coming for him.”

“’This is a technically high-class fight,” said promoter Kalle Sauerland. “Oosthuizen is a dangerous, undefeated opponent, and by beating him, Juergen can prove once again why he is among the best in the light heavyweight division. The people in Neubrandenburg are true boxing fans and they will stand behind their man and cheer him to victory on March 12.”’

Rodney Berman, promoter of Tommy Oosthuizen, said: “Juergen Braehmer is ranked in the top six in all the ratings that count. Tommy Oosthuizen wants to be in this position – he sees Braehmer as the stepping-stone towards that goal. I can’t see Braehmer living with a fit and motivated Tommy Oosthuizen.”

Standing at 1.93 meters tall, the challenger will hold both a height and reach advantage over the 1.81cm champion, but rather than see this as a disadvantage, Braehmer believes his opponent’s stature bodes well for his sixth successive World title defence.

‘’His height doesn’t bother me. I have always done well against taller opponents,’’ says Braehmer. ‘’Enzo Maccarinelli was a similar size and I stopped him inside the distance. Regardless of his size, whether by KO or points – I will be sending the South African home empty-handed.’’

Tickets for the WBA World Super Light Heavyweight Championship fight between Juergen Braehmer and Thomas Oosthuizen are available online via www.tickethall.de and www.eventim.de.

NEW YORK – January 23, 2016 – WBA Welterweight World Champion Keith “One Time” Thurman will defend his title against former champ “Showtime” Shawn Porter in a blockbuster matchup of two of the world’s best 147-pound fighters on Saturday, March 12 on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on CBS.

The welterweight showdown will air live on CBS at 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT from Mohegan Sun Casino Resort in Uncasville, Connecticut. The event, promoted by DiBella Entertainment, is produced by SHOWTIME Sports® for the CBS Television Network, both divisions of the CBS Corporation.? The last primetime boxing event on CBS was Muhammad Ali-Leon Spinks on Feb. 15, 1978.

Thurman (26-0, 22 KOs), of Clearwater, Fla., and Porter (26-1-1, 16 KOs), of Las Vegas by way of Akron, Ohio, are both coming off superb 2015 campaigns that solidified the fresh faces among the elite of arguably boxing’s most exciting division. With perennial pound-for-pound champion Floyd Mayweather now retired, the 27-year-old Thurman and the 28-year-old Porter are hungry to stake their claim as the future of boxing.

“Thurman vs. Porter is a marquee matchup of two elite boxers in the prime of their careers, and the winner will establish himself as arguably the No. 1 fighter in boxing’s glamour division,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “Fights of this caliber don’t come along very often, and when they do, they deserve to be on the biggest stage possible. That’s why all of us at SHOWTIME and CBS are so excited to be able to deliver this pivotal matchup to a primetime audience on America’s highest-rated network.”

“Last year was an amazing year for me: I headlined the very first Premier Boxing Champions show and was named PBC Fighter of the Year,” Thurman said. “But this is my year to dominate the welterweight division and I’m excited to be getting ready to take out Shawn Porter. I am ready to get back in the ring and bring boxing fans what they’ve been looking for – the top true welterweight champion of the world, the one who is going to take out all competitors one by one. I am Keith ‘One-Time’ Thurman and I’m going to show you what a champion looks like on March 12.”

“I’m very confident in my ability. That’s why I’ve been looking forward to this fight because I’m someone who can beat Keith Thurman,” Porter said. “Nothing about Keith really makes me nervous. I do know that he’s going to be ready for this fight. He’s a fighter that has the heart of a lion just like I do. I expect this to be a fight to the finish. A win over Keith Thurman is what we’ve been waiting for.”

“Keith Thurman against Shawn Porter is one of the best matchups that can be made in the welterweight division right now and I am thrilled that it is taking place at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn.,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “The hard-punching world titleholder Thurman and the highly skilled former champion Porter will have the opportunity to prove that they are the next heir to the throne in the post-Mayweather era of the 147 pound division.”

“One Time” Thurman, who owns a better than 80 percent KO ratio and knocked out 18 of his first 20 opponents, is considered one of the most avoided fighters in boxing. After unsuccessfully lobbying to fight the best of the division for the past two years, Thurman finally had a breakout 2015.

The hard-hitting Florida native floored former champion and long-time contender Robert Guerrero en route to a convincing 12th round unanimous last March in Las Vegas. He then dominated and bloodied former champ Luis Collazo on July 11, winning via seventh round TKO. Thurman won the Interim WBA belt with a knockout of Diego Chaves in 2013 and scored consecutive knockouts over Jesus Soto Karass (2013) and Julio Diaz (2014) in his first and second title defenses.

Against Porter, Thurman will now get a chance to prove what he’s been claiming for years – that he’s the world’s best welterweight – in the toughest test of his career.

“Showtime” Porter has built one of the most impressive resumes in the division since making his welterweight debut in 2010. Porter, who surprisingly turned professional as a super middleweight (168 pounds), won the IBF crown in 2013 with an impressive unanimous decision over Devon Alexander.

The physically-gifted and offensive-minded Ohio native knocked out former two-division world champion Paulie Malignaggi with a brutal clean right hand in April of 2014 in the lone defense of his title. Porter lost the IBF belt less than four months after the Malignaggi victory in a close majority decision defeat to undefeated British superstar Kell Brook, but he bounced back with a fifth-round knockout of Erick Bone in March of 2015. Porter scored what many considered an upset victory in his next bout over then three-division world champion Adrien Broner with a clear unanimous decision last June 20 in Las Vegas.

The aggressive, come-forward Porter has built his career as a perennial underdog who relishes in the role. But, with the resume he has built, it’s hard to consider him an underdog anymore heading into this crossroads showdown with Thurman.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, are priced at $300, $150, $75 and $35 (plus applicable fees) and Ticketmaster are on sale now. Ticketmaster customers may log on to ticketmaster.com; call (800) 745-3000; or visit any Ticketmaster outlet. Tickets will also be available at the Mohegan Sun Box Office starting Saturday, January 23, subject to availability.

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 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.

Danny Garcia won the WBC Welterweight title with a hard fought 12-round unanimous decision over Robert Guerrero at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Garcia landed the harder shots with both hands as he gave ground from the charging Guerrero.  Garcia landed some flush shots but it did not deter Guerrero as he tried to make it an inside fight.  Guerrero wasn’t that effective as Garcia painted him with hard right’s and left hooks.

Garcia, 146 3/4 lbs of Philadelphia won by 116-112 scores on all cards and is now 32-0.  Guerrero, 146 3/4 lbs of Gilroy, CA. is 33-4-1.

Sammy Vasquez scored a stoppage over Aaron Martinez after round six of their scheduled 12-round Welterweight bout.

Vasquez pushed the action with Martinez not offering much in return.  Following round six, Martinez bowed out of the fight, citing an injured left elbow.

Vasquez, 147 lbs of Monessen, PA is 21-0 with 15 knockouts.  Martinez, 147 lbs of East Los Angeles is 20-5-1.

Even though he was dominated, Dominic Breazeale remained undefeated as Amir Mansour did not come out of his corner for round six of their scheduled 10-round Heavyweight bout.

Mansour came out aggressive and in round three, he landed a right hook to the head that sent Breazeale to the canvas.  Breazeale landed some decent shots but Mansour rocked Breazeale in round five with a hard straight left and a right hook.  Mansour worked very hard and was easily ahead but did not come out of the corner after the 5th round.  Mansour said he could not close his mouth and may have injured his jaw.

Breazeale, 252 3/4 lbs of Alhambra, CA is 17-0 with 15 knockouts.  Mansour, 218 lbs of Penns Grove, NJ is 22-2-1.

Follow all the action LIVE  as Danny Garcia and Robert Guerrero fight for the vacant WBC Welterweight title.  The action begins at 8 PM ET / 5 PM PT with a Heavyweight attraction of former U.S. Olympian Dominic Breazeale knockout Amir Mansour that will be followed by a Welterweight fight between Sammy Vasquez Jr. and Aron Martinez

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Round 1 Guerrero putting the pressure on..Straight left to body

Round 2 Quick left from Garcia…right..left hook..

Round 3 Body shot from Guerrero..right..Nice left hook..Right to the body…

Round 4 Guerrero working on inside..Garcia lands a body shot..right to body…left..1-2…Uppercut from Guerrero..

Round 5 Long left from Guerrero..Right from Garcia..Garcia starting to swell under his right eye..Straight right from Garcia..looping right…

Round 6 Uppercut and right from Garcia…Left …Quick right…Right to chin..quick left hook..lead right..2 big rights and left at the bell

Round 7 Big right from Garcia..right…

Round 8 Right from Garcia at the bell

Round 9 Straight right from Garcia..left hook..big left hook..Lead right…sneaky right

DANNY GARCIA WINS ON ALL CARDS 116-112

Round 10

Round 11 Big right from Garcia..Body work and left hook to head..Guerrero lands a left..nice flurry from Garcia..Good uppercut..

Round 12 Left hook from Garcia…straight left from Guerrero..left..Good action to close it out

Round 1 Straight left to body from Vasquez..

Round 2 Combination from Vasquez…Vasquez lands in the corner..Martinez telling Vasquez to come on…

Round 3 Left from Vasquez

Round 4 Right hook from Vasquez..Right from Martinez..

Round 5 Vasquez being aggressive

Round 6 Vasquez lands a left….MARTINEZ QUITS IN CORNER

Round 1 Mansour comes out swinging…Jab to the body…Breazeale lands a right..Mansour lands a hard left..Left to body

Round 2 Right and left from Brezeale…Hard left hurts Breazeale…Hard right hooks rock Breazeale

ROUND 3 BIG RIGHT HOOK TO TOP OF HEAD AND DOWN GOES BREAZELE…Hard jab…right hook..Big uppercut from Breazeale

ROUND 4 Mansour jabs to the body..Right from Breazeale…Jab

Round 5 Huge right from Mansour…Right…Body work..double right hook…right hook..Right from Breazeale..Straight left from Mansour..

ROUND 6 MANSOUR DOESNT GET OUT OF CORNER…FIGHT STOPPED

23 January 2015 – Changsha, China: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), brought the packed crowd at the Changsha Stadium to the edge of their seats with spectacular world-class mixed martial arts action at ONE WUJIE: DYNASTY OF CHAMPIONS (CHANGSHA). Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes showcased why he is ONE Championship’s most dominant champion to date with a beautiful submission victory by Kimura over top Filipino bantamweight Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon in the night’s main event.

Visit the official ONE WUJIE: DYNASTY OF CHAMPIONS (CHANGSHA) photo gallery by clicking: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ivh34n9pza3q94o/AADwuMwRg-gnDecd5AIBoQyTa?dl=0

In the main event of the evening, ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes retained his title with a first round submission win over Team Lakay’s Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon. Fernandes nullified Belingon’s supposed striking advantage by going straight for the takedown. After passing Belingon’s guard and moving into side control, Fernandes worked an armbar attempt into a Kimura, forcing the tap.

In the Changsha Bantamweight Tournament Final bout, Ma Hao Bin quickly locked in a Guillotine choke from against the cage to put opponent Bu Huo You Ga to sleep in just a little over a minute into the first round. Ma wasted no time in looking for the submission which he used to win in the semi-final bout, squeezing tightly until Bu Huo was out. With the victory, Ma Hao Bin was crowned Changsha Bantamweight Tournament champion.

Beijing Featherweight Tournament champions Li Kai Wen and Yang Sen showcased their complete martial arts arsenal in a high-level three round battle. Li stormed out of the gates full of aggression but Yang defended well against the onslaught. When the fight hit the ground, Yang controlled a lot of the action but Li was able to do some damage of his own. After three very close rounds, Li earned a hard-fought unanimous decision in an entertaining matchup of tournament champions.

A determined Muin Gafurov went three rounds in an intense back-and-forth battle against the extremely talented Toni “Dynamite” Tauru of Finland. Gafurov stayed on top of the action, beating Tauru to the punch on numerous occasions while attempting various submissions on the ground. In the third round, Tauru used his toughness to hang in there with Gafurov but Gafurov was able to gain mount position, raining down punches from the top to force the referee to call a halt to the contest.

Riku Shibuya of Tokyo, Japan dominated Roy “The Dominator” Doliguez of the Philippines over three rounds to win by unanimous decision. Shibuya completely outclassed Doliguez both on the feet and on the ground, where he did the most work. Although Doliguez tagged Shibuya with some crisp body punches, Shibuya took him down at will and did all his damage from top position, earning the unanimous decision verdict.

Sung Ming Yen of Hsinchu, Taiwan defeated Sunoto of Jakarta, Indonesia within a minute of round one by executing a single move to perfection. After a brief feeling out process, Sunoto lunged in looking to strike. Sung kept his distance and grabbed onto a standing Guillotine choke, pulling guard and squeezing until Sunoto had no choice but to tap out.

Wu Ze raised his arms in celebration as he secured a sensational technical knockout win over Zhang You Liang in just one round. Wu, known for his athletic striking techniques, used his superior grappling to control Zhang on the ground. After attempting various submissions, Wu then opted to put his ferocious striking on full display, landing a plethora of technical ground kicks to claim the victory.

In the Changsha Bantamweight Tournament Alternate bout, Tang De Pan scored an explosive knockout victory via Suplex over 19-year old Zhou Biao. Zhou attempted two standing Guillotine chokes, both of which were nullified by Tang’s exceptional wrestling. Zhou was knocked out on the second Suplex and referee Olivier Coste stopped the bout.

Freestyle wrestling champion Ma Hao Bin advanced to the Changsha Bantamweight Final bout with an easy victory over opponent Wu Ting Shen. Ma took the fight to the ground on the first opening and swiftly transitioned into a Guillotine choke. With the hooks in deep, Ma left Wu with no option but to tap out.

Greco-Roman wrestling specialist Bu Huo You Ga made quick work of opponent Cai Chang Bo to kick off ONE WUJIE: DYNASTY OF CHAMPIONS (CHANGSHA), winning the Changsha Bantamweight Tournament Semi-Final bout. Bu Huo shot in successfully for a takedown and abruptly took Cai’s back before securing the choke in round one.

Official results for ONE WUJIE: DYNASTY OF CHAMPIONS (CHANGSHA)
ONE Bantamweight World Championship bout: Bibiano Fernandes defeats Kevin Belingon by Submission (Kimura) at 4:04 minutes of round 1
Changsha Bantamweight Tournament Final bout: Ma Hao Bin defeats Bu Huo You Ga by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 1:08 minutes of round 1
Featherweight bout: Li Kai Wen defeats Yang Sen by Unanimous Decision
Bantamweight bout: Muin Gafurov defeats Toni Tauru by TKO (Strikes) at 1:17 minutes of round 3
Flyweight bout: Riku Shibuya defeats Roy Doliguez by Unanimous Decision
Bantamweight bout: Sung Ming Yen defeats Sunoto by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 0:31 minutes of round 1
Flyweight bout: Wu Ze defeats Zhang You Liang by TKO (Strikes) at 4:17 minutes of round 1
Changsha Bantamweight Tournament Alternate bout: Tang De Pan defeats Zhou Biao by Knockout at 0:59 minutes of round 1
Changsha Bantamweight Tournament Semi-Final bout: Ma Hao Bin defeats Wu Ting Shen by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 0:27 minutes of round 1
Changsha Bantamweight Tournament Semi-Final bout: Bu Huo You Ga defeats Cai Chang Bo by Submission (Reverse Head and Arm Choke) at 2:26 minutes of round 1

In case you missed the action log on to www.onefc.com/livestream for the full replay of the fights at only US $9.99.

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.

Long Island, NY (January 23, 2016) – Weights for Tonight’s main event featuring the farewell fight between Yory Boy Campas and Anthony Bonsante

The fights will be streamed LIVE at 10 PM ET on GFL.TV for $14.99 by Clicking Here
Yory Boy Campas 167.5 – Anthony Bonsante 166
Jesse Uhde 172 vs Andrew Howk TBA
Jacob Szilasi 146 – Jake Fowler 150
Jered Lunceford 172 – Mickey Walker 168
Kevin Kline 191 – Tyler Vogel 188.8
Anthony Curtiss 146 – Aaron Von Snow 142 1/2

4 x 3 Minute Rounds Lightweight Contest

Archie Sharp WPTS4 (40-36) Quasim Hussain

Red hot Welling lightweight prospect Archie ‘Sharpshooter’ Sharp returned to action tonight with an impressive points victory over Quasim Hussain. It’s looking to be a promising year for Sharp who opened the night’s actions with a commanding performance. The unbeaten 20 year-old claimed his fourth successive professional victory and was on top throughout; firing hooks at will.

Sharp came steaming out of his corner and had Hussain on the back-foot from the very first bell. The Welling man bullied his opponent throughout the first round, peppering him with well-timed hooks and jabs. Sharp looked like he had a point to prove as he landed shot after shot on the retreating Hussain.

It was more of the same in the second round as ‘Sharpshooter’ went looking for a big KO; picking and choosing shots at his will. Sheffiled’s Hussain had no reply for the blistering speed of Sharp and did well to survive the second round.

Hussein began to retaliate in the third round but Sharp was having none of it; still searching for that big show-stopping punch. Sharp looked to be in top condition as he continued to relentlessly chase the tiring Hussain around the ring. Archie’s confidence grew as the fight went on and he began to land impressive combinations.

Sharp could sense a stoppage and hunted down the bullied Hussain with a series right hooks. The stylish Sharp had his opponent pinned against the ropes for much of the final round and came away winning every round.

***

4 x 3 Minute Rounds Super-Lightweight Contest

Ben Smith vs. Dan Carr WPTS4 (40-36)

Teenage terror Ben Smith lit up Bethnal Green’s York Hall with a dominating points victory over Trowbridge’s Dan Carr. The nifty super-lightweight from High Wycombe put on a show for his vocal following and sent them home happy with a professional performance. Smith, who captained Young England during a glittering amateur career, looks to have a big future ahead of him and began the year in impressive form.

The 19 year-old wasted no time, flying out of his corner looking to land some big right hooks in a lively opening round. Smith had Carr pinned in the corners for long spells and looked the more aggressive fighter; picking and choosing his shots.

The second round started in a similar fashion with Carr unable to land any meaningful shots of his own. Archie continued to dominate the Trowbridge man and began landing some impressive combinations.

Carr began the third round with a new found confidence but Smith kept him at bay with a stiff left jab. Cheered on by a rowdy York Hall, Smith continued to find his way past Carr’s defence with his fantastic footwork and well-timed shots.

Smith went in search of a knockout in the final round and landed a number of bruising blows on the tiring Carr. “There’s only one Ben Smith!” echoed around the famous old hall as the young prospect ended the bout with a flurry of punishing shots.

***

4 x 3 Minute Rounds Super-Middleweight Contest

Billy Long (40-36) Keiron Gray

Rising Chelmsford super-middleweight Billy ‘The Bomb’ Long claimed his fourth successive professional victory with a points victory over Telford’s Keiron Gray.

Already proving to be a champion when it comes to flogging tickets, the popular Long showed he has the boxing skills to pay the bills.

The Essex boy had York Hall’s punters on their feet from the off; landing a series of well-timed shots on the experienced Gray. Long looked composed throughout the first round as he threw jabs, hooks and uppercuts all to good effect.

The all action crowd pleaser looked like he had a point to prove and steamed into Gray at the beginning of the second round. Gray realised he was in trouble and did his best to dampen Long’s relentless punching power by holding on.

Dubbed ‘The Bomb’, Long was certainly living up to his name as he caught Gray with some explosive shots in the third round. Gray remained a threat heading into the fourth and final round by throwing some big shots but the well-supported Long remained on top throughout.

***

4 x 3 Minute Rounds International Super-Featherweight

D.P CARR WTKO3 Aleksandrs Birkenbergs

Explosive super-featherweight prospect D.P Carr systematically dismantled Latvia’s Aleksandrs Birkenbergs with a razor-sharp performance to claim his second professional victory at Bethnal Green’s York Hall.

The 25 year-old from Sidcup smashed home a huge right uppercut in the first round that threatened to end the fight early and went on to land some of the big right hand shots that he’s known for. Birkensberg was in trouble from the off and Carr looked to have the bit between his teeth, beginning to work the body in the second round. Carr refused to take a step back and continued laying down big accurate punches that left the Latvian with a bloodied nose.

Birkenbergs looked like he’d rather be anywhere else in the world than facing the tremendous punching power of Carr but bravely fought on. Carr ended the contest in the third round with a crippling left hook to the body that dropped Birkenbergs to the canvas. It was a fantastic performance from the man who promises to bring excitement to his fights.

***

8 x 3 Minute Rounds Super-Bantamweight Contest

Lewis Pettitt WTKO4 Krzstof Rogowski

Lewis Pettitt made an explosive return to action tonight with a solid victory over Poland’s Krztof Rogowski. The Erith super-bantamweight got back on track with a punishing fourth round stoppage. Pettitt, 25, admitted mistakes were made in the run-up to his loss against Lincoln’s Bobby Jenkinson but put things right tonight against a tough opponent.

The hugely popular Pettitt needed to be at the top of his game against a rough and ready Rogowski. Poland’s Rogowski started the bout with confidence as the two men sized each other up. After a rocky first round Pettitt began to find his feet, utilising his jab well. Rogowski received his first warning of the night when the referee caught him using his head; this only served to anger Pettitt who began to land some eye-catching left hooks on the Pole.

Pettitt, looking fitter and sharper than ever, stepped things up in the third round and looked to be reaping the benefits of his improved diet. Rogowski continued to ignore the referee’s warnings and eventually had a point docked after dumping Pettitt on his back; the Pole was doing all in his power to stop Pettitt’s onslaught.

A strong right to the body dropped Rogowski in the third round and he was down again moments later thanks to another big blow to the body. Pettitt knew he had the fight under control and ended the round with a flurry of shots. Rogowski went down for a final time in the fourth round and the referee halted the contest to save him from any further punishment.