UFC RETURNS TO PITTSBURGH

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Las Vegas – The UFC® returns to Pittsburgh for the first time in five years as one of the sport’s most successful and popular fighters makes his debut in a new weight division. Fresh off competing for the lightweight title, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone will fight at welterweight for the first time in his UFC career when he takes on Tim Means, Feb. 21 at CONSOL Energy Center. The event will air on FS1.

Cowboy (28-6, 1 NC; fighting out of Albuquerque, New Mexico) will make his debut at 170 lbs. after competing at 155 lbs. and most recently challenging lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos for the title (Dec. 19, 2015). Cowboy has won eight of his last nine bouts, including eight consecutive victories over Evan Dunham, Adriano Martins, Edson Barboza, Jim Miller, Eddie Alvarez, Myles Jury, Benson Henderson and John Makdessi, dating back to Nov. 2013. He has won 15 fights by submission and five by KO during his career.

Will Cowboy be able to continue his success competing against bigger fighters? That will be the question that is answered when he goes up against the veteran Means. Also a native of Albuquerque, albeit a different gym, Means (25-7-1) has won four of his last five bouts, including an impressive second-round TKO of John Howard that earned him a Performance of the Night bonus. At 6’2”, Means will be taller and have a longer reach than most of Cowboy’s past opponents, and his tremendous cardio and precise technique will make for an intriguing matchup against Cowboy’s outstanding Muay Thai and submission skills.

Two hard-hitting middleweights will set the table for the main event when #12 Derek Brunson (14-3; fighting out of Wilmington, North Carolina) squares off against #14 Roan Carneiro (20-9; fighting out of Atlanta, Georgia). Brunson is riding a three-fight winning streak and has won five of his last six bouts, with his last three victories coming over highly touted opponents Sam Alvey, Ed Herman and Lorenz Larkin. An impressive victory could propel Brunson into the top 10.

At 37, Carneiro is also focused on making a run for a top-10 ranking, coming off an impressive first-round submission win over Mark Munoz. Born in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, Carneiro has nine career first-round finishes, and a resume that includes three wins by knockout and nine by submission. A second consecutive victory could earn Carneiro a shot against a top-10 opponent.

Additional bouts include:
· No. 11 bantamweight John Lineker (26-7; Paranagua, Parana, Brazil) takes on undefeated Cody Garbrandt (7-0; Sacramento, Calif.), who launched his professional MMA career while living in Pittsburgh

· No. 8 featherweight Dennis Bermudez (15-5; Lindenhurst, New York) vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri (35-8-2; Ibaraki, Japan)

· Brandon Thatch (11-3; Denver, Colo.) vs. Siyar Bahadurzada (21-6-1; Boca Raton, Fla.)

· A lightweight bout featuring James Krause (22-7; Lee’s Summit, Missouri) vs. Shane Campbell (12-3; Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada)
· Alex Garcia (13-2; Montreal, Quebec, Canada) vs. Sean Strickland (16-1; Corona, Calif.)

· Women’s bantamweights Marion Reneau (6-2; Visalia, Calif) vs. Ashlee Evans-Smith (3-1; Laguna Hills, Calif.)

· Chris Camozzi (22-10; Lakewood, Colo.) vs. Joe Riggs (41-16, 1 NC; Glendale, Ariz.)

· Middleweight Daniel Sarafian (10-5; Sao Paulo, Brazil) vs. Oluwale Bamgbose (5-1; New York, NY)

· Trevor Smith (13-6; Tukwila, Wash.) vs. Leonardo Augusto Guimaraes (11-1; Salvador, Bahia, Brazil)

· A women’s bantamweight bout between Sarah Moras (4-3; Kelowna, BC, Canada) and Lauren Murphy (8-2; Glendale, Ariz.)

· Anthony Hamilton (14-4; Albuquerque, N.M.) vs. Shamil Abdurakhimov (15-3; Dagestan, Russia)

· Bryan Barberena (10-2; Glendale, Ariz.) vs. Jonavin Webb (8-0; Marlton, New Jersey)

For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: COWBOY vs. MEANS will air live on FS1 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on Sunday, Feb. 21, with the prelims kicking off the evening on FS1 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT and on UFC FIGHT PASS® at 5:15 p.m. ET/2:15 p.m. PT.

Visit the UFC® Press Portal for information and content to support your UFC coverage.

Tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: COWBOY vs. MEANS go on sale Friday, Jan. 22 at 10 a.m. ET and are priced at $185, $125, $90, $75 and $50. Tickets are available for purchase at www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets are also available at the Dick’s Sporting Goods Box Office at CONSOL Energy Center. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.

UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Wednesday, Jan. 20 at 10 a.m. ET via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, Jan. 21 starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

About UFC®

UFC® is a premium global sports brand and the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Sao Paulo and Singapore, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 150 countries and territories to more than one billion TV households worldwide in 21 different languages. UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service, delivers exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content to fans around the world. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.




RYAN WALSH-DARREN TRAYNOR WEIGH-IN RESULTS FROM LONDON

At today’s official weighing at the RE Hotel in London Shoreditch, British featherweight champion Ryan Walsh and unbeaten challenger Darren Traynor both made the weight on the scales.

Cromer hero Walsh and Aberdeen hitman Traynor clash tomorrow night (Friday 22nd January) at the York Hall Bethnal Green, exclusively live on BoxNation.

Walsh, making the first defence of his British title, hit the came in spot-on at 126 pounds while Traynor weighed in slightly lighter at 125 pounds.

Walsh said afterwards: “I feel fit and fantastic, I’ve had a great training camp in Tenerife and it’s all systems go for tomorrow night at the York Hall where I intend on seeing off Traynor and retaining my title to make the first notch of the Lonsdale Belt”.

Traynor said: “I can’t wait for tomorrow night, the British title will be coming back to Aberdeen with me. I fully intend on causing a big upset and ruining Walsh’s plans of winning the belt outright. He’s underestimated me and that will be his downfall.”

The chief supporting bout also weighed in with Ahmet Patterson and Ryan Aston who collide for the Vacant IBF International Super-Welterweight title.

Dulwich’s unbeaten Patterson weighed in at 153 pounds with Dudley challenger Aston also coming in at 153 pounds.

Remaining tickets are available from Ticket Master at www.ticketmaster.co.uk and 0844 844 0444

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.




Jumah makes British debut on Groves-Di Luisa undercard

Deion Jumah (7-0, 3 KOs) makes his long-awaited British debut on the undercard of George Groves’ super middleweight showdown with Andrea Di Luisa at the Copper Box Arena in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on January 30, live on Sky Sports

The former two-time ABA Champion, who faces an as yet unnamed opponent, has racked up seven straight victories since signing professional terms with Team Sauerland, all of which have been contested overseas, but now, the Adam Booth trained boxer is relishing a return to home soil as he aims to secure his eighth professional win.

‘’The last time I fought in London was the 2012 ABA final at York Hall when I beat Declan Fusco,’’ reflects the 26 year-old light heavyweight from Chelsea. ‘’So of course, I have good memories of fighting at home, and I’m looking forward to coming back and reminding everybody of what I can do.

‘’There is a tendency for people to forget about you when you’re fighting away from home so this will be a good opportunity for me to get my name back out there. I’ve gained some great experience fighting in Europe, and it has made me even more resilient and eager to succeed. My goals have always been the same and I still have the same belief. I know I’m going to reach my full potential and make it all the way to the top.

‘’I always train hard, I’m always fit and I’m always ready! On January 30, I’m looking forward to fighting in front of my friends and family, and claiming my first victory of 2016.’’

Jumah is the latest addition to a stacked Team Sauerland and Matchroom Boxing card at the Copper Box, topped by George Groves, who begins his assault on a fourth World title shot against Italian Andrea Di Luisa.

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




CROLLA SAYS GOOD CHANCE OF FACING WINNER OF FLANAGAN-MATHEWS IN UNIFICATION SHOWDOWN

Manchester’s WBA World Lightweight champion Anthony Crolla is excited at the prospect of facing the winner of Terry Flanagan and Derry Mathews in a massive all British unification showdown.

Promoter Frank Warren offered Crolla £500,000 to face the winner out of Flanagan, the reigning WBO king, and Mathews, who clash on Saturday 13th February at the Liverpool Echo Arena exclusively live on BoxNation, and the Mancunian says there’s a good chance of the fight happening.

He said, “It’s a great offer but I can’t really consider it knowing that I’ve got a fight to come. Both teams can come to the table and talk after our next fights are behind us so there’s every chance of the fight happening.”

Crolla lost to Liverpool’s Mathews earlier in his career by a sixth round stoppage and then a year later they battled to a draw, but Crolla would be keen for revenge. However, ‘Million Dollar’, who attended the same school as Flanagan, can’t see past a win for his fellow Mancunian come fight night.

He said: “I fancy Terry to stop Derry between rounds six and eight. Derry is a brave fighter but I think Terry’s style is all wrong for him, he beat him up in Prize Fighter and he’s only got better since then so I don’t see it being different this time round. If Derry is going to win he needs to catch Terry with a big punch early. He’s got to get Terry upset nice and early otherwise I can see Terry breaking him up bit by bit,”

“I think it’s a fantastic fight that’s been made between them. The Liverpool and Manchester rivalry adds a lot of spice to it, any rivalry between those two cities is massive and the world title being on the line makes it even bigger. I watched the press conference last week and you can see it’s heating up nicely, I know Terry pretty well and he’s not usually one to get caught up in all that so Derry’s obviously got under his skin.”

Crolla and Mathews fought out an absorbing draw when the pair met in a rematch back in 2013, that won the British Boxing Board of Control’s Fight of the Year award. Mathews seemed to have the fight in the bag going into the final stages only to be caught out by Crolla’s strong finish. Crolla believes Flanagan’s youth will prevail and is unsure of how many big fights Derry has left in him.

“I know as well as most that Derry has certainly got a punchers chance, he has a good boxing brain as well but in my opinion Terry is definitely the strong favourite. Everyone can see that Terry is improving with every fight and he’ll take a lot of confidence from his win in Prize Fighter, it’ll give him a mental edge over Derry. He was a super-featherweight back then and won convincingly” said Crolla.

He continued: “They’ve faced each other in sparring as well and again from what I’ve heard Terry came out well on top. That was going back a few years and since then Terry’s grown into a strong lightweight. I’m sure Terry’s team have been studying Derry in great detail, they leave no stone unturned and they’ll be well prepared for this fight. I believe that they’ll have an answer for everything Derry brings.”

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

Eventim

0844 249 1000

www.eventim.co.uk

Liverpool Echo Arena

0844 8000 400

www.echoarena.com

Ticketmaster

0844 844 0444

www.ticketmaster.co.uk

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

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




COMMONWEALTH GOLDEN BOYS ADDED TO FRAMPTON-QUIGG BILL

Cyclone Promotions and Matchroom Boxing are delighted to announce that 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallists Josh Taylor and Scott Fitzgerald have been added to the undercard of Carl Frampton and Scott Quigg’s World Super-Bantamweight unification clash at the Manchester Arena on February 27, live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and on SHOWTIME in the US.

Taylor secured Light-Welterweight gold in his home country to add to his silver in the 2010 Delhi games and the Edinburgh man is hunting a fourth win inside the distance in Manchester since kicking off his pro career in Texas in July.

“I’m absolutely delighted to be appearing on this massive Sky Sports Box Office show at such an early stage of my professional career,” said Taylor.

“Boxing on the undercard of my stablemate Carl Frampton on a huge night for British and Irish boxing will be a special moment in my career. I want to be headlining shows like this one day.”

Fitzgerald makes his long-awaited debut following Welterweight gold in Glasgow, with the Preston man fully recovered from the thumb injury that ruled him out of his proposed pro-bow in November.

“I cannot wait to make my professional debut on such a huge bill,” said Fitzgerald. “It was a blow to break my thumb ahead of the November date, but that is behind me and I am raring to go now.

“I couldn’t ask for a bigger stage to get my career going on, and I am looking forward to putting on a great show for the fans.”




Johnson injures shoulder; out of contention for April Golovkin bout

Taureano Johnson
According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, IBF Middleweight mandatory contender injured his shoulder and will not be available for a potential bout with world Middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin.

“Tureano will come to the States for a second opinion,” said Eric Gomez of Golden Boy Promotions. “But for the time being the fight with GGG is off. We will not allow him to fight until he is 100 percent medically cleared.”

Golovkin’s promoter Tom Loeffler would like a fight with Canelo Alvarez in May, but that apparently will not happen.

“GGG and Canelo fighting in May would make a lot of sense,” Loeffler said, “but it would be up to the Canelo/Golden Boy side to do it.”




GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS SIGNS TOP FEATHERWEIGHT CONTENDER ANDREW “EL CHANGO” CANCIO

LOS ANGELES (Jan. 20, 2016) – Golden Boy Promotions today announced that it has added top featherweight contender Andrew “El Chango” Cancio (16-3-2, 12 KOs) of Blythe, Calif. to its stable of elite fighters. Cancio has long been considered one of California’s rising stars, but after several starts and stops, he showed what he can do against boxing warrior Rene “Gemelo” Alvarado in December of 2015, scoring a stirring knockout victory.

“Andrew Cancio is a talented fighter who seeks to be challenged in the ring and that is just the type of fighter we want to have as part of our family at Golden Boy Promotions,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “His ability and his desire to become the best by fighting tough opponents matches our mission, and I know Golden Boy is the right promoter to take him from rising star to top contender.”
“Golden Boy Promotions is a highly respected company with a reputation of building fighters,” said Andrew Cancio. “I have had a long relationship with them, fighting on some of their undercards and have seen firsthand what they can do for a fighter’s career. Signing with them is another accomplishment for me. It shows that anything is possible if you have enough commitment and determination and I am ready to see what will happen in 2016 with Golden Boy Promotions on my corner.”
A professional since 2006, Blythe, California’s Andrew “El Chango” Cancio has had a successful career facing some of boxing’s toughest featherweight contenders. The talented 27-year-old holds victories over perennial contender and 2000 U.S. Olympic Silver Medalist Rocky Juarez, the battle tested Jerry “The Corpus Christi Kid” Belmontes, and is coming off an impressive seventh round knockout of tough warrior Rene “Gemelo” Alvarado
For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @OscarDeLaHoya and @AndrewCancio, become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing or follow on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing @OscarDeLaHoya and @aa_cancio.




Heavyweight Champ Tyson Fury, The Gypsy King, Profiled on Tuesday’s Real Sports

Tyson Fury
REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL, TV’s most honored sports journalism series, returns with an all-new season of enterprising features and reporting when its season premiere and 226th edition debuts TUESDAY, JAN. 26 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.
For up-to-the-minute updates about REAL SPORTS, follow on Twitter at @RealSportsHBO or join the conversation using #RealSports.
Segments include:
*The Gypsy King. Wladimir Klitschko dominated the heavyweight division for more than a decade. But on Nov. 28, 2015, before a pro-Klitschko crowd in Dusseldorf, Germany, the United Kingdom’s Tyson Fury pulled off the biggest upset of the year, routing the unified champ by unanimous decision to become the new heavyweight champion of the world.
Within his team, which is composed entirely of blood relatives, the triumph was considered destiny, as he is the direct descendant of two bare-knuckle boxing “kings” from a nomadic clan of Irish gypsies known as Travellers. Today, the 27-year-old, six-foot-nine, undefeated champion is more confident than ever of his boxing prowess and has become known for his brash antics and controversial views. REAL SPORTS correspondent David Scott joins Fury in his Manchester hometown, exploring the fascinating world of a modern-day gypsy king.
Producers: Jordan Kronick, David Scott.
Follow REAL SPORTS updates on HBO.com/realsports and facebook.com/realsports. Immediately following the debut of this month’s show on Jan. 26, log on to HBO.com/realsports for a special overtime session hosted by Bryant Gumbel.
The executive producer of REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL is Rick Bernstein; Joe Perskie is senior producer.
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Video: Wilder vs. Szpilka Knockout | 360 Virtual Reality | SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING




LEO SANTA CRUZ TO DEFEND FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE AGAINST FORMER WORLD CHAMPION KIKO MARTINEZ ON SATURDAY, FEB. 27, LIVE ON SHOWTIME® FROM HONDA CENTER IN ANAHEIM, CALIF.

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NEW YORK (Jan. 20, 2015) – Undefeated three-division world champion Leo “El Terremoto” Santa Cruz will make the first defense of his Featherweight World Championship against former world champion Kiko Martinez on Saturday, Feb. 27, live on SHOWTIME® from Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

“I’m excited to have another opportunity to fight in front of my L.A. friends,” said Santa Cruz. “I’ve been in the gym and staying ready for anyone that’s put in front of me. I’m going to be 100 percent ready for this fight and I plan to go out there and look great.”

“I’m thrilled for the opportunity to face off against Leo Santa Cruz on February 27,” said Martinez. “Santa Cruz is clearly one of the very best featherweights in the world but I have what it takes. I’ve already begun working very hard with my longtime trainer Gaby Sarmiento and I will be victorious.”

“It’s always great to be able to bring quality fights to the Southern California fight fans,” said Tom Brown of TGB Promotions. “The Leo Santa Cruz vs. Kiko Martinez battle couldn’t be in a better venue or town and it will provide non-stop action from the opening bell. TGB Promotions is honored to once again work with SHOWTIME and the team at the Honda Center on another great event.”

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are priced at $27, $54, $104 and $199 and are on sale now via ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster retail locations or by calling 800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the Honda Center Box Office.

The popular Mexican-American Santa Cruz (31-0-1, 17 KOs), fighting out of Los Angeles, won the 126-pound title in a “Fight of the Year” candidate against former three-division champ Abner Mares last August at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. It was just the second fight in the featherweight division for Santa Cruz, who has won belts at 118 and 122 pounds while earning a reputation as one of boxing’s most active and exciting fighters. The 27-year-old also holds victories over Cristian Mijares and Eric Morel and has fought in world title bouts in 10 of his last 12 fights since 2012.

Martinez (35-6-0, 26 KOs), of Valenciana, Spain, is a former super bantamweight world champion who won the IBF belt with a sixth-round knockout of Jhonatan Romero in 2013. The 29-year-old made two successful title defenses against Jeffrey Mathebula and long-time titlist Hozumi Hasegawa before losing a decision in 2014 in a rematch against Carl Frampton. Martinez challenged Scott Quigg for the 122-pound belt in July of 2015 before moving up to 126 pounds, where he bounced back to record knockouts in two of his three fights in just two months. A world traveler who frequently fights on his opponent’s home turf, Martinez will now challenge Santa Cruz in just his second fight in the U.S. with his sights set on becoming a two-division world champion.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports follow on Twitter @SHOSports, @LeoSantaCruz2, @MartinezKiko, @TGBPromotions, @HondaCenter and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports




M-1 Grand Prix Tournament Relaunched

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (January 20, 2016) – M-1 Global President Vadim Finkelchtein recently announced the relaunching of its popular series, M-1 Grand Prix Tournament.

“We’ve been preparing this a long time and now we’re happy to officially announce our 2016 M-1 Grand Prix Tournament,” Finkelchtein said. “This has been a very popular format and fans are always excited about it. This time we will feature a 4-man tournament, rather than the usual 8-man pairings, because the 4-man version is faster and more entertaining. We don’t want to bore people with long expectation periods and lessen the risk of occasional injuries and fighter changes in the tournament.”

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.

“Well, we were choosing between several offers from different promotions,” explained Shlemenoko’s manager Alexey Zhernakov. “In the end, we came to the conclusion that M-1 Grand Prix participation is the most interesting option for us at the moment. Alexander is still under Bellator’s exclusive contract. Therefore, we had to negotiate with Bellator, which kindly allowed us to sign with M-1 Global. We expect Alexander Shlemenko to take part in major M-1 Challenge events as they are always organized at a high level and broadly covered by the media.”

M-1 Challenge 64 will be streamed live from Moscow 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!




Sampson Boxing Signs ‘Bad Boy’ Rosas to a Promotional Agreement

Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing is proud to announce the signing of formidable super bantamweight contender Daniel “Bad Boy” Rosas to a promotional agreement.

Rosas (20-2-1, 12 KOs), of Mexico City, is a two-time world title challenger and former WBO Youth Super Flyweight and WBC Caribbean Boxing Federation (CABOFE) Super Flyweight Champion.

A tough, toe-to-toe slugger with fast hands and a penchant for body punching, 26-year-old Rosas says he’s happy to be joining the Sampson Boxing stable.

“I’m so excited,” said Rosas. “It’s a dream come true. I’ve been waiting a long time to sign with Sampson. I am planning to take things up another level and get a shot at the world championship. I want to thank my manager, Fernando Dominguez, for helping me get this opportunity and putting me in with the right people to help make my boxing dream come true.”

Manager Dominguez, who also handles top super bantamweight contender and upcoming title challenger Hugo “Cuatito” Ruiz, says he couldn’t be happier with the deal. “I feel good because all my fighters are with Sampson, he said. “I trust Sampson and I’m proud to be his right hand in Mexico. I think Daniel Rosas is a future world champion and this deal will be the final piece of the puzzle to getting him there.”

Sampson Lewkowicz says he looks forward to seeing what Rosas can do with proper representation.

“He is a very talented fighter,” said Lewkowicz of Rosas, “very tough and determined. He has the guts and the fearlessness to become a champion.”

Lewkowicz adds that the addition of Rosas is part of his bigger plan for the future.

“I am building an army of world-class super bantamweights,” he continued. “This is one of the most exciting divisions in boxing and several of my fighters are right in the mix. I look forward to putting together several of the next few years’ best match-ups at the weight.”
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.




UNDEFEATED CONTENDER LUIS ROSA HEADLINES UPCOMING BROADWAY BOXING CARD NEXT WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27TH AT THE FAMED B.B. KING BLUES CLUB AND GRILL – NYC

New York, NY (1/20/15) – Next 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 nine-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. Also appearing on the card in separate eight-round feature bouts will be undefeated prospects Louis Cruz (11-0, 5KO’s) and former Olympian Lenin Castillo (12-0-1, 7KO’s).

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

The 24-year-old Puerto Rican and New Haven, CT, resident Rosa had a breakout year in 2014, kicking it off with an impressive and dominant eight-round unanimous decision over the once highly regarded Jorge Diaz in Rosa’s national TV debut on ESPN “Friday Night Fights”. Rosa followed up that performance notching an even more impressive victory on his resume when he decisioned former amateur standout, and highly-rated contender Orlando Del Valle (18-1) in May of that year, in a bout broadcast on HBO Latino. Rosa kept things rolling nicely in 2015, going a perfect 4-0, 3KO’s, including a stoppage victory over longtime perennial contender Jonathan Perez in Rosa’s second appearance on the ESPN network in May. Rosa is currently ranked #12 in the WBC world ratings and is expected to continue moving up the ladder of the super bantamweight division this year, as closes in on challenging for his first world title in the not so distant future.

A former National champion who competed at the 2012 US Olympic trials, Bronx’s Louis Cruz is one of the truly bright young stars on the loaded DBE stable. Cruz kept an active pace over his first two-plus years as a pro, quickly moving to 10-0 before a hand injury and subsequent surgery forced him to sit on the sidelines after his last bout in December of 2014. Cruz returned to action on October 7th, showing absolutely no ring rust and winning a dominant eight-round unanimous decision. An opponent for Cruz will be announced shortly, as he looks to kick off his 2016 in impressive fashion and move his record to a perfect 12-0.

A 2008 Olympian for his native Dominican Republic, the 27-year-old Castillo is coming off an entertaining eight-round majority draw to fellow undefeated and highly regarded prospect Travis Peterkin in August. Castillo is determined to impress and put his promising career back into the win column.

The remainder of the card, including opponents for Cruz and Castillo, will be announced shortly.

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.




GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS PICKS FIGHTERS TO WATCH IN 2016

Bernard Hopkins
LOS ANGELES (Jan. 20, 2016) – Golden Boy Promotions has a great reputation in the sport as one of the leading promoters as well as a skill for creating and promoting world champions and boxing superstars. Having worked and promoted multi-divisional world champions including: Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins, Erik “Terrible” Morales, Juan Manuel “Dinaminta” Marquez, Miguel Cotto, Marco Antonio “Baby Face Assassin” Barrera, Sugar Shane Mosley, Canelo Alvarez, Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse, Jorge “El Nino De Oro” Linares, Randy “El Matador” Caballero, Abner Mares, Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder, Danny “Swift” Garcias, Keith “One Time” Thurman, Daniel “Miracle Man” Jacobs, Leo “Terremoto” Santa Cruz, Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin, and Adrien “The Problem” Broner. In 2016, Golden Boy Promotions is looking to the future to usher in the New Era of Boxing spearheaded by current WBC, RING Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Champion Canelo Alvarez (46-1-1, 32 KOs).

For 2015, Golden Boy Promotions received extraordinary media acclaim for exciting fights year-round and was awarded the honors of Promoter of the Year, Event of the Year, Fight Cards of the Year, Fight of the Year, Fighter of the Year, and Knockout of the Year. Also, top prospects Joseph “Jo Jo” Diaz Jr. (19-0, 11 KOs), Vyacheslav “Lion Heart-Chingonsky” Shabranskyy (15-0, 12 KOs), Jason “El Animal” Quigley (9-0, 8 KOs), and Diego De La Hoya (13-0, 7 KOs) not only graduated into contender territory, but also received honorable mentions for Prospect of the Year while Shabranskyy debuted at number nine on the light heavyweight pound-for-pound list.

Luis “The Real King Kong” Ortiz (24-0, 21 KOs), also debuted on the pound-for-pound list at number five in the heavyweight division after defeating former world champion challenger Bryant “By-By” Jennings via seventh-round technical knockout. Other fighters on the divisional pound-for-pound list include Canelo Alvarez, Francisco “El Bandido” Vargas (23-0-1, 17 KOs), Jorge “El Nino de Oro” Linares (40-3, 27 KOs), Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins (55-7-2, 32 KOs), Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse (37-4, 34 KOs), Sadam “World Kid” Ali (22-0, 13 KOs), Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera (22-5, 7 KOs), Randy “El Matador” Caballero (22-0, 13 KOs), Antonio “Relentless” Orozco (23-0, 15 KOs), Ronny Rios (25-1, 10 KOs), David Lemieux (34-3, 31 KOs), Sergio “Yeyo” Thompson (30-4, 26 KOs), and Jayson “Star” Velez (23-1-1, 16 KOs).

Golden Boy Promotions’ top picks for “Fighters to Watch in 2016” include (in alphabetical order):

WORLD TITLE CONTENDERS:

WBA International Welterweight Champion, Sadam “World Kid” Ali

Sadam “World Kid” Ali: A member of the 2008 United States Olympic team fighting out of Brooklyn, New York, Sadam “World Kid” Ali (22-0, 13 KOs) impressed boxing fans with his unanimous decision victory over Francisco “Chia” Santana in April, 2015 that earned him the WBA International Welterweight Title and also made him the mandatory challenger for the WBO Welterweight World Championship.

Randy “El Matador” Caballero: Indio star Randy “El Matador” Caballero (22-0, 13 KOs) hit the heights of the boxing world in 2014 when he defeated Stuart “Stuey” Hall for the vacant IBF Bantamweight World Championship. In 2015, forced Caballero to vacate the title, however, 2016 looks promising for the fighter as he prepares his big return to the ring on February 5 against Ruben Garcia at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino.

Pablo Cesar “El Demoledor” Cano: Already a respected welterweight contender after bouts against the likes of Erik “El Terrible” Morales, Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi and “Sugar” Shane Mosley, Mexico’s Pablo “El Demoledor” Cesar Cano (29-4-1, 21 KOs) kept his march to a world title going in 2015, as he went unbeaten in three bouts against Jorge “Pantera” Silva, Juan Carlos “Merengue” Abreu and Silverio “Chamaco III” Ortiz.

Robinson “Robin Hood” Castellanos: The mandatory

WBC Featherweight World Championship Mandatory Challenger, Robinson “Robin Hood” Castellanos

challenger for the WBC featherweight world title, Celaya, Mexico’s Robinson “Robin Hood” Castellanos (23-11, 13 KOs) started his journey to become a champion very differently in 2014. Coming off a loss to Rene “Gemelo” Alvarado in February 2014, Castellanos followed it up with a dominant victory over Ronny Rios in October 2014, stopping the then-unbeaten prospect in the fifth round. Castellanos continued to show his power in January of 2015 facing the warrior Rocky Juarez for the chance to win the WBC Silver Featherweight title and become the mandatory challenger for the WBC Featherweight World Championship. Both fighters showed a lot of heart and put on one of the bloodiest fights of 2015, but it was Castellanos’ dominance that was on display as his powerful jabs, brutal uppercuts and well-timed counter-punching knocked down Juarez in the fifth and twice in the 10th round to win via unanimous decision with scores of 118-106, 118-106 and 118-107. Now, Castellanos is the WBC Feather World Championship mandatory challenger.

Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera: One of the truest warriors in the sport today, Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera (22-5, 7 KOs) continued to show his supreme boxing skills and heart in a decision win over “Hammerin'” Hank Lundy in July to win the vacant NABF Super Lightweight title, and in 2016, big things are expected from Riverside’s “El Maestro” once more.

Tureano Johnson: A native of Nassau in the Bahamas, 31-year-old Tureano Johnson (19-1, 13 KOs) proudly represented his nation in the 2008 Olympics, making it to the quarterfinals in Beijing. In 2010, he turned professional and soared up the middleweight ladder before a controversial 2014 loss to Curtis Stevens. Undeterred, Johnson has since won five fights, four by knockout, and is one of the newest members of the Golden Boy Promotions roster. In his first fight since signing with Golden Boy Promotions, Johnson gave the fans a thrilling performance in the undercard of Gennaday Golovkin vs. David

Antonio “Relentless” Orozco

Lemieux at Madison Square Garden on October 17, 2015. Johnson faced Ireland’s Emmon O’Kane for the IBF Middleweight Title Eliminator, knocking down O’Kane twice in the first round and winning the fight via unanimous decision with scores of 118-108, 117-109, 119-107. Now the Nassau native is next in line for a shot at the unified middleweight championship in 2016.

Antonio “Relentless” Orozco: Unbeaten as a professional, San Diego’s Antonio “Relentless” Orozco (23-0, 15 KOs) made his move to the elite level of the super lightweight division in 2015. In May, Orozco defeated fellow rising star Emmanuel “Tranzformer” Taylor in Phoenix, but the best was yet to come, as he decisioned multi-division world champion Humberto “La Zorrita” Soto in their October bout at StubHub Center.

Luis “The Real King Kong” Ortiz: On Dec. 19, at Turing Stone Resort Casino inVerona,New York, Luis “The Real King Kong” Ortiz (24-0, 21 KOs) defended his WBA Interim Heavyweight World Championship against one of the toughest fighters in the division, Bryant “By – By” Jennings in a fantastic display of boxing skill with a dramatic seventh round knockout of the former world champion challenger Jennings. Ortiz, dominated the fight early on with powerful hooks, uppercuts and jabs that kept him in

WBA Interim Heavyweight World Champion,
Luis “The Real King Kong” Ortiz

control of the pace throughout the 12-round heavyweight brawl. The victory allowed Ortiz to keep his undefeated status but also made a loud announcement to the boxing community that a new heavyweight threat had arrived to the division. This fight catapulted Ortiz on the heavyweight pound-for-pound list debuting at number five.

Michael “The Artist” Perez: Undefeated since 2012, exciting New Jersey native Michael “The Artist” Perez (23-1-2, 11 KOs) had one of the biggest years of his career in 2015, as he decisioned always toughMiguel “Aguacerito” Acosta in January and then knocked out Luis “Chespi” Sanchez in six rounds in July to win the vacant NABO lightweight title.

Ronny Rios: After suffering the first loss of his career to Robinson “Robin Hood” Castellanos in 2014, Santa Ana, California’s Ronny Rios (25-1, 10 KOs) came back more determined than ever in 2015, and his performances in defeating Sergio “El Frio” Frias and previously unbeaten Jayson “Star” Velez proved that this 25-year-old was ready for prime time again.

USNBC Light Heavyweight Champion, Vyacheslav “Lion Heart-Chingonsky” Shabranskyy

Vyacheslav “Lion Heart – Chingonsky” Shabranskyy: People might have troublespelling the name of Vyacheslav Shabranskyy (15-0, 12 KOs), but among boxing fans, his name spells action, and he continued to deliver the goods in 2015, moving to 15-0 with wins against Garrett “The Ultimate Warrior” Wilson, Fabiano “Pit Bull” Pena, Paul “Pay Per View” Parker and Yunieski “El Monstro” Gonzalez, the latter three foes owning a combined 34-1-1 record and breaking him into the top 10 light heavyweight rankings on USA Today’s Boxing Junkie and ranking number 12 on the WBC’s rankings.

Patrick Teixeira: Brazil’s best boxing import since beloved former champion Acelino Freitas, unbeaten southpaw Patrick Teixeira (26-0, 22 KOs) fought twice in the United States in 2015, impressing fans in New York and California with knockouts of Patrick Allotey and Don Mouton that sent a warning to his fellow 154-pound fighters that he was here to stay.

CONTENDERS TO WATCH:

Manuel “Tino” Avila: Fairfield, California’s Manuel “Tino” Avila (19-0, 8 KOs) has long been one of the most exciting prospects on the local scene, and in 2015, he made his name on the national scene with wins over Erik Ruiz, Yoandris “El Nino” Salinas and Jose Angel “Pepe” Beranza, the Salinas fight earning him the interim NABF super bantamweight title.

WBC Youth Super Bantamweight Champion,
Diego De La Hoya

Diego De La Hoya: Highly-touted super bantamweight Diego De La Hoya (13-0, 7 KOs)made the jump to eight and ten-round bouts in 2015 and he continued to impress every step of the way en route to five more victories. In September, De La Hoya won his first pro title, decisioning against former world title challenger Jesus “Estrella” Ruiz for the vacant WBC Youth World Super Bantamweight belt.

Joseph “Jo Jo” Diaz Jr.: A member of the 2008 United States Olympic team, South El Monte, California’s Joseph “JoJo” Diaz Jr. (19-0, 11 KOs) won his first professional title in his fifth victory of 2015, as he impressively stopped Hugo “Olimpico” Partida in December to win the vacant NABF featherweight title and an honorable mention as one of ESPN.com’s 2015 Top 20 Rising Stars.

KeAndre “Black Magic” Gibson: 24-year-old welterweight undefeated fighter, KeAndre “Black Magic” Gibson (14-0-1, 6 KOs), who now makes his home in Las Vegas, has become quite popular with impressive victories over John Nater, Jose Hernandez and Nelson Lara. In his second fight of 2015, Gibson faced Jorge Ramos in an eight round fight winning the bout via unanimous decision in the undercard of Canelo-Kirkland on May 9.

Frankie “Pitbull” Gomez: East LA’s Frankie “Pitbull” Gomez (19-0, 13 KOs) is known for his exciting style and powerful punches. He is the owner of 13 knockouts in three rounds or fewer and can also box, as shown in his near-shutout victories over longtime contenders Vernon “Ice Man” Paris in July of 2014 and Jorge “Pantera” Silva in October of 2015. A decorated amateur who won the 2009 United States Championship and earned a Silver medal in the 2009 World Championships, Gomez is ready to face the top opposition in the division and chase his dreams of a world championship in 2016.

Gilberto “El Flaco” Gonzalez: A former WBC Youth World Lightweight champion,

Abraham “Chamaco” Lop
Gilberto “El Flaco” Gonzalez (25-3, 21 KOs) picked up two early knockout wins in 2015, halting David “Nene” Rangel and Hevinson Herrera to set up a big 2016 for the Mexico City native.

Abraham “Chamaco” Lopez: Featherweight standout Abraham “Chamaco” Lopez (19-0-1, 14 KOs) returned from three years away from the sport in 2015 and the El Puente product picked up where he left off with knockout victories over former Ghana Olympian Alfred “The Stinging Bee” Tetteh and Jorge “King” Diaz and a draw against Juan “El Pez” Carlos Martinez.

Marcelino “Nino” Lopez: The latest star to emerge from the boxing hotbed of Argentina, Buenos Aires’ Marcelino “Nino” Lorenz (32-1-1, 17 KOs) continued dominating the local scene in his home country, but in October of 2015, he finally got the chance to introduce himself to United States fans when he knocked out David Rodela in three rounds at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.

Roberto “Tito” Manzanarez: Los Mochis, Mexico native Roberto “Tito” Manzanarez (32-1, 26 KOs) continued romping through the lightweight division in 2015, adding to his stellar record with a decision over Edgar “Lupillo” Ramirez and knockouts of Daniel “El Mulato” Valenzuela and Cristian “Veneno” Lopez.

NABF Lightweight Champion, Marvin “Cachorro” Quintero

Marvin “Cachorro” Quintero: Born in Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico, but now making hishome in Tijuana, Marvin Quintero is a former world title challenger whose first title fight was a razor-thin split decision loss to Miguel Vazquez in 2012. Since then, the 29-year-old southpaw has won two fights by knockout over Carlos Sanchez and Cesar De la Mora. In September of 2015 the veteran fighter proved he still had what it takes to chase championship gold when he defeated Puerto Rico’s Jeffery Fontanez via fifth-round knockout to gain the NABF Lightweight Title.

PROSPECTS TO WATCH:

Damon Allen: 23-year-old Philadelphian Damon Allen (8-0, 3 KOs) stepped through the ropes twice in 2015, stopping Luis “Yeye” Rodriguez in three rounds at home in Philly before making his Los Angeles debut in November with a decision victory over Oscar Santana.

Nick Arce: Hard-hitting 19-year-old Nick Arce (6-0, 6 KOs) didn’t stick around long for his five wins in 2015, as he knocked out each of his opponents before the final bell. This power and finishing ability has made this featherweight a must see for California fight fans, and the rest of the country should get introduced to him in the coming year.

D’Mitrius “Big Meech” Ballard

D’Mitrius “Big Meech” Ballard: 2015 was a pivotal year for Maryland supermiddleweight D’Mitrius Ballard (11-0, 7 KOs), and he passed his tests with flying colors, showing that he could box as well as bang in decision victories over Josue “Chiquilin” Ovando, Juan Carlos “Chiflado” Rojas and Fabiano “Pit Bull” Pena.

Ivan “Striker” Delgado: Keeping a steady pace throughout 2015, 25-year-old lightweight prospect Ivan “Striker” Delgado (8-0-1, 2 KOs) won five more bouts, and with fans packing the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles to see him fight on the LA Fight Club events, the future is bright for this up and comer.

Christian “Chimpa” Gonzalez: 20-year-old Christian “Chimpa” Gonzalez (12-0, 11 KOs) added four more wins to his perfect pro record in 2015, and while he went the distance for the first time against Darryl Hayes in June, he closed out the year with a pair of second-round knockouts of Luis “Lichito” Lizarraga Jr. and Alejandro Ochoa.

Joet Gonzalez: Former amateur standout Joet Gonzalez (12-0, 6 KOs) is finding his way onto many hot prospect lists after a 2015 campaign that saw him go 4-0 with three knockouts. Included on that slate is a third-round KO of 12-0-1 prospect Marcos Rios in November.

Rashidi “Speedy” Ellis: A swift and ferocious striker, the undefeated Rashidi “Speedy”

WBA Fedecentro & WBC Interim Latin Welterweight Champion,
Rashidi “Speedy” Ellis

Ellis (14-0, 11 KOs) has repeatedly showcased his skills to audiences, most recently with a fourth-round technical knockout victory in Puerto Rico over Victor “Pambele” Gonzalez in March 2015 to claim the vacant WBA Fedecentro and the WBC Interim Latin Welterweight titles. Ellis won his three previous fights via technical knockout, defeating Joseph De los Santos and Joanthony Vazquez in Puerto Rico and Jose Martinez in the Dominican Republic. Later in 2015, Ellis played a key part in the training camp of Golden Boy Promotions fighter and now WBC, RING Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Champion Canelo Alvarez. The 22-year-old Ellis trained with Canelo as a sparring partner in preparation for Alvarez’s November 21 super fight against Miguel Cotto. After “Speedy” put Alvarez to the test with his notoriously fast fists in training camp, Alvarez defeated Cotto via unanimous decision.

Travell “Black Magic” Mazion: 20-year-old Travell “Black Magic” Mazion (10-1, 10 KOs) is one of the top prospects in boxing, a fact evidenced by his a perfect professional record and knockout ratio, ending six fights in the first round. Now ready for his biggest year yet, Mazion is looking forward to start off the year strong in 2016.

Oscar “El Jaguar” Negrete: Now making his home in Los Angeles, 27-year-old Colombia native Oscar “El Jaguar” Negrete (12-0, 5 KOs) was a stellar amateur before turning professional on May 24, 2013 with a four-round decision victory over Cristian Ciciliano. Two more wins would follow in 2013 for Negrete, but it was in 2014 that he began to get noticed in his adopted home state of California, as he stepped up to the plate four times and hit it out of the park with each appearance, decisioning unbeaten Carlos

Zachary “Zungry” Ochoa

Medina and stopping Pablo Cupul, Gabriel Braxton, Salvador Perez. 2015 proved to be a
busy year for Negrete as he fought five times winning all his bouts via decision excluding the most recent in December, where he defeated Ernesto Guerro via third-round technical knockout.

Zachary “Zungry” Ochoa: After winning the first nine fights of his professional career onthe east coast, Brooklyn’s Zachary “Zungry” Ochoa (13-0, 6 KOs) took his show on the road in 2015 and he continued to show off the skills that have made him a top prospect as he picked up four wins, including a big victory in Los Angeles over David Rodela and Alejandro “Soma” Rodriguez.

Jason “El Animal” Quigley: Former Irish amateur star Jason Quigley (9-0, 8 KOs) began his professional career in the United States in 2014, and he never left, learning his craft in Southern California. In 2015, Quigley scored five more wins by knockout before decisioning Marchristopher Adkins on November 20 and earning an honorary mention by Boxing News Magazine UK as one of the top prospects in the sport.

Julian “El Camaron” Ramirez: 22-year-old southpaw sensation Julian Ramirez (15-0, 8 KOs) kept piling the wins on in 2015, with his victories over seasoned veterans Raul “Bule” Hidalgo and Hugo “Olimpico” Partida setting Los Angeles’ “El Camaron” up for even bigger bouts when 2016 rolls around.

Lamont Roach Jr.

Lamont Roach Jr.: Washington D.C.’s Lamont Roach Jr. (9-0, 3 KOs) nearly doubled his
professional experience in 2015 with four victories that proved this 20-year-old super featherweight prospect is the real deal and a fighter to watch in 2016 and beyond.

Emilio Sanchez: Popular 21-year-old featherweight Emilio Sanchez (10-0, 7 KOs) had a busy year fighting in Golden Boy Promotions’ LA Fight Club series, going 5-0 with three knockouts at downtown Los Angeles’ Belasco Theater. The wins helped build Sanchez’ following and set the stage for another big year in 2016.

Hector “El Finito” Tanajara Jr.: Hailing from San Antonio, Hector “El Finito” Tanajara Jr. (4-0, 3 KOs) has been fighting since 2007 and during that time has won eight national championships. In 2012, he qualified to attend the Veles Cup in Kurgan, Russia and took the gold medal in his weight class and was selected as one of seven to go to the 2016 Olympic trails. Decinding instead to become a professional boxer and sign with Golden Boy Promotions in 2014, Tanajar Jr. is now the owner of an undefeated record of 4-0 with three knockouts. Tanajara will look to continue his winning streak in 2015 when he fights on Feb.5.

ABOUT GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS:
Los Angeles-based Golden Boy Promotions was established in 2002 by 10-time world champion in six divisions Oscar De La Hoya, the first Hispanic to own a national boxing promotional company. Golden Boy Promotions is one of boxing’s most active and respected promoters, presenting shows in packed venues around the world and has worked with networks such as HBO, HBO Latino, Estrella TV, ESPN, TeleFutura, FOX Sports 1, FOX Deportes, Televisa and TV Azteca. The company has also promoted some of the top boxing events in the history of the sport including De La Hoya vs. Mayweather, Mayweather vs. Canelo and other notable pay-per-view fights featuring fan-favorites Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins, Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Marquez, Miguel Cotto, Marco “Baby Faced Assassin” Antonio Barrera, Erik “El Terrible” Morales and Sugar Shane Mosley. For more information, visit www.GoldenBoyPromotions.com, or follow on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube @GoldenBoyBoxing.




Yory Boy Campas farewell fight against Anthony Bonsante to be streamed LIVE, this Saturday on GFL.TV

gfl-banner-white
Long Island, NY (January 20, 2016) – This Saturday night in Butte, Montana, former world junior middleweight champion “Yory Boy” Campas will make his 126th and final ring appearance when he takes on former participant of
The Contender, Anthony Bonsante.

The action will get underway at 10 PM ET / 7 PM PT on GFL.TV for a suggested retail price of $14.99.

Fans can order the event by clicking HERE

Campas of Navojoa, Mexico and now residing in Montana has a record of 105-17-3 with an astronomical 81 knockouts.

To say he has faced everybody in the Welterweight through Middleweight divisions is an understatement.

Campas won the IBF Junior Middleweight title with a 8th round stoppage over previously undefeated and former U.S. Olympian Marquez on December 6, 1997. He made 3 successful defenses of the title before being stopped by Fernando Vargas.

On four more occasions, Campas challenged for a world championship but came up short against Felix Trinidad, Oscar De La Hoya, Jose Luis Lopez and Daniel Santos.

Campas is undefeated since 2012 and will look to close out his storied career against the veteran Bonsante.

Bonsante of Shakopee, Minnesota has a record of 34-12-3 with 19 knockouts, appeared on The Contender in 2004 has wins over Tony Ayala (31-1), Brent Cooper (20-2-2), Troy Lowry (27-6) & Matt Vanda (35-2).

Bonsante is on 2 fight winning streak with his latest being a 8-round unanimous decision over David Gonzalez on September 26, 2015.

He is a former IBA Super Middleweight champion & Minnesota State Middleweight champion.

A full undercard will also take place:

Daniel Gonzalez takes on Jesse Uhde in a 10-round bout for the Montana State Super Welterweight title.

Jered Lunceford battles Mickey Walker in a 4-round Light Heavyweight bout.

Anthony Curtiss and Aaron Snow will make their pro debut in a Super Lightweight contest.

Eric Hempstead will fight Anthony Sullivan in a 4-round Cruiserweight bout.

Jacob Szilasi boxes Jake Fowler in a 4-round Super Welterweight bout.




MIKE TYSON MAKES HIS OCTAGON® DEBUT IN EA SPORTS UFC 2

miketyson
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – January 20, 2016 – One of the most iconic athletes of all time is coming to EA SPORTS™ UFC® 2. Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) announced today that Mike Tyson will make his mixed martial arts debut as an unlockable fighter when the game comes out starting March 15, 2016. Fans who pre-order EA SPORTS UFC 2 will get instant day-one access to Tyson, and all players can unlock him by progressing in the game and making it to the Hall of Fame in Career Mode. The former undisputed heavyweight boxing champion of the world packs the strongest punching power of any fighter in the game and will fight across two different weight classes: light heavyweight and heavyweight. For a first look at the former champ in EA SPORTS UFC 2, watch the Mike Tyson reveal video.

“When you think about the most devastating fighters of all time, Mike Tyson is either around, or at the top of everyone’s list. It’s fun to think that if MMA was as popular back when he was competing as it is today, you might have seen Tyson put on four ounce gloves and step into the Octagon®,” said Creative Director Brian Hayes. “This is one of those great ‘what ifs’ that we get to create when making a game like EA SPORTS UFC 2.”

Two versions of Tyson are coming to the game: “Iron” Mike Tyson based on his climb to stardom and string of invincible fights in the eighties; and “Legacy” Mike Tyson, developed with the end of his illustrious career in mind. Fans who pre-order the standard edition of EA SPORTS UFC 2 will get day-one access to “Iron” Mike Tyson. Those who opt for the Deluxe Edition will receive both “Iron” Mike as well as “Legacy” Mike Tyson. Both versions are available to unlock by progressing in the game.

“As a huge fan, I’m honored to be part of EA SPORTS and explore the world of mixed martial arts,” said Mike Tyson. “I follow UFC very closely and it’s going to be very cool to see how I would stack up against these amazing MMA athletes.”

EA SPORTS UFC 2 takes the franchise’s stunning character likeness and animation to another level, adds an all-new Knockout Physics System and authentic gameplay features, and introduces the biggest ever roster of real-world fighters in a MMA game who will step back into the Octagon on Xbox One and PlayStation®4. Full feature and mode details can be found at http://easports.com/ufc/features.

Fans excited to step into the Octagon® can pre-order EA SPORTS UFC 2 and get day-one access to three legendary fighters: UFC Hall of Famer and three-time King of Pancrase, Bas Rutten; Japanese MMA legend, “The Gracie Hunter” Kazushi Sakuraba; and Mike Tyson.* The deluxe edition of the game also includes up to $60 of UFC Ultimate Team™ Premium Packs**. For pre-order information, visit http://easports.com/UFC/buy.

EA SPORTS UFC 2 is developed in Burnaby, British Columbia by EA Canada, and will be available on March 15 in North America and March 17 worldwide on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. EA Access*** members can play the full game before it’s released for a limited time and get 10% off the digital version of the game on Xbox One. Fans should keep an eye on the website, as well as the EA SPORTS UFC Facebook and Twitter pages to make sure they’re always up-to-date on the latest and greatest news.

EA SPORTS™ is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, fan programs and cross-platform digital experiences. EA SPORTS creates connected experiences that ignite the emotion of sports through videogames, including Madden NFL football, EA SPORTS™ FIFA, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, Rory McIlroy PGA TOUR® golf, SSX™ and EA SPORTS UFC®.

For more information about EA SPORTS, including news, video, blogs, forums and game apps, please visit www.easports.com to connect, share and compete.

* Internet connection and EA Account required. Must be 13+ to create an account. Offer restrictions apply. Please see www.easports.com/ufc/game-and-offer-disclaimers for details.

**ADDED VALUE CALCULATED BASED ON AN UFC ULTIMATE TEAM PACK PRICE OF $2.00 AT GAME LAUNCH. PRICES MAY CHANGE. Offer restrictions apply. Please see www.easports.com/ufc/game-and-offer-disclaimers for details.

***CONDITIONS, LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS APPLY. SEE EA.COM/EAACCESS/TERMS AND EA.COM/EAACCESS FOR DETAILS.

About Electronic Arts
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Video Alert: Harold Lederman Discusses Kovalev vs. Pascal Rematch




BROOK DEFENDS IBF BELT AGAINST BIZIER

Kell Brook
Kell Brook will defend his IBF World Welterweight title against mandatory challenger Kevin Bizier at the Sheffield Arena on March 26, live on Sky Sports.

Brook makes the third defence of the crown and his second in his hometown fortress in the Steel City following wins against Jo Jo Dan and Frankie Gavin at The O2 in London. ‘The Special One’ meets his mandatory challenger for the second time since landing the title with a stunning win over Shaun Porter in California in August 2014, and returns to action having shaken off the rib injury that forced him out of a defence against Diego Chaves in October.

“I’m delighted to be back fighting at the Sheffield Arena again,” said Brook. “While I was gutted to miss out on fighting in October, I’ve fully recovered from the injury and feel stronger than ever. I’ve been working hard in the gym and working on new things, and I cannot wait to put on another explosive performance for my hometown fans and prove I am the best 147-pound fighter on the planet.”

Bizier landed the mandatory spot with the IBF in November when he forced the unbeaten American-Ghanaian Fredrick Lawson after ten toe-to-toe rounds in Miami, where the Canadian floored Lawson in the fifth round en route to the crucial victory. The 31 year old brings an impressive record of 25 wins with 17 inside the distance to his first fight outside of Canada and America, and the challenger believes he’ll relieve Brook of the title on March 26.

“The most important thing was the date,” said Bizier. “March 26 is perfect for me. I am already in great physical condition and I will have the perfect preparation in Montréal with my trainer Marc Ramsay. I know I will be the underdog once again, but I guarantee you I will give the fight of my life. I am optimistic and I already fought in England as an amateur. Having the crowd against me does not bother me at all.”

Olympic gold medal hero Luke Campbell MBE will return to action on the bill, 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.




TOMMY LANGFORD: “I’M A GRADE ABOVE TAYLOR. I’LL PUNISH HIS MISTAKES.

A brilliant 2015 took unbeaten Brummie middleweight Tommy Langford to the cusp of contention. Now it’s time to transform rich potential into something more concrete.

The 26 year old former England amateur skipper dips his toes into 12 round championship waters for the first time next month when he fronts up to Dronfield’s Lewis Taylor in a quality clash for the vacant Commonwealth title at Liverpool’s Echo Arena.

The fight serves as a tasty hors d’oeuvre to WBO World Lightweight Champion Terry Flanagan’s shootout with Derry Mathews.

‘Last year was fantastic for me,’ admits the articulate Devon born sports science graduate who has won 15 straight as a pro.

‘I had four good wins, won my first title (WBO Inter-Continental) and got a 10 rounder under my belt. Finally my performances are getting me credit and other people are starting to agree that I’m as good as I always thought I was.

‘In addition to my fights, throughout the year I really benefitted from quality sparring with the likes of Chris Eubank Jr, Liam and Callum Smith, Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam and Liam Williams. Mixing with such quality lads has been vital for my learning.

‘Sparring fighters beneath my ability can be intense but it lacks the intelligence, the cuteness, the mental challenges. Against the calibre I’m sparring now, you can waste nothing because every little mistake gets punished. It’s been really beneficial for my development. I’ve always had good offence. This forces me to eradicate silly defensive mistakes.

‘I’ve got all the punches. Now I need to improve my ring generalship, develop a greater understanding of when to throw which punches. At this level, you can’t afford to get game plans wrong.’

A stylish, highly skilled operator, schooled by respected local coach Tom Chaney in Hall Green, Langford has latterly added some bite to his often beautiful boxing. Four of his last six victims failed to cross the finishing tape though he concedes he is more a breaker of hearts than bones.

‘I’ve never professed to be a banger but my punches hurt and my work rate combined with my boxing ability makes me every bit as dangerous,’ says the diehard West Bromwich Albion fan.

‘When I’m constantly throwing and landing, opponents have got to defend or get out the way. It must be very frustrating, highly demoralising. You notice their heads drop mid fight. When I land four or five in a row, it’s exciting for the fans.’

Ominously, Langford’s career path continues to mimic that of fellow Baggie Richie Woodhall – the former WBC Super-Middleweight champion – with whom he is so frequently compared.

Tommy says: ‘It’s ironic that, like Richie, my first major title shot will be for the Commonwealth. Richie reigned on the Commonwealth throne for a long time, before adding European and world titles. Let’s hope the similarities continue.’

Having impressively dispatched imports from Mexico, Argentina and Poland in his last three gigs, the six footer squares off with 18-1-1 Derbyshire rival Taylor in a fight that would have been a fitting bill topper at any small hall venue in the Midlands.

‘I really enjoyed the attention of being main event at Wolverhampton Civic against Rios but it’s equally good to be part of these massive bills. Rather conveniently the Baggies are away at Everton that day so hopefully a lot of fans will stay up for my fight,’ says Langford who already holds the WBO Inter-Continental belt and a world ranking of six with the same governing body.

‘Cristian Rios, who I shut out in October, was Argentine champion and a very good fighter but not recognised on these shores. So fighting a top ten domestic rival from the same region heightens interest, gives the fans and press something to get their teeth into.

‘Lewis is a big tall middleweight like myself, a good stand up boxer with a decent jab. He’s pretty busy himself so the fans are likely to see an exciting fight, a good spectacle. I want to win in fights like that. It’s better for recognition.

‘But it’s a case of levels and I aim to show that I’m a grade above Taylor. He’ll find there’s a difference between throwing lots of shots at defensive minded journeyman and getting away with the same thing against a contender like me. I’ll punish his mistakes.

‘I WILL win but the manner I win is increasingly vital this year if I’m to throw my name into the hat for a world title challenge to Billy Joe Saunders.

‘I intend to deliver a performance that’ll separate myself from all the other domestic contenders. That will open doors for me. I’m confident I’ll force another stoppage.’

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

Eventim

0844 249 1000

www.eventim.co.uk

Liverpool Echo Arena

0844 8000 400

www.echoarena.com

Ticketmaster

0844 844 0444

www.ticketmaster.co.uk

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

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




FALANGAN AND MATHEWS GO OUT OF THIS WORLD AHEAD OF CELESTIAL EVENT OF THE DECADE

Terry Flanagan (640x360)
To some, tonight’s planetary alignment of Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter may signal the end of times for Earth, but for WBO World Lightweight Champion Terry Flanagan and challenger Derry Mathews it could mean a catastrophic end to one of their careers.

The celestial event of the decade begins this evening and will last until mid-February – close to when Flanagan and Mathews clash on Saturday 13th February at the Liverpool Echo Arena – in the galaxy’s biggest lightweight collision in years, exclusively live on the BoxNation.

A fifth star will join the heavenly line-up and light-up the sky on fight night when Manchester ace Flanagan puts his undefeated record and WBO crown on the line against his hard-hitting Liverpool rival, Mathews, as the two rival claim for bragging rights in the bitter battle between the two rival cities.

The last time the planets lined up was in 2005, the year when Ricky Hatton’s career went into orbit following his sensational win over Undisputed World Champion Kostya Tszyu, and both Flanagan and Mathews know a victory will send their career into a cosmic trajectory against the best 135 pound fighters in the universe.

And a keen observer of both spectacular cosmic events is Britain’s first ever astronaut to walk in space, Tim Peake, from his International Space Station, orbiting at 250 miles up in the sky.

Unbeaten Flanagan says he’ll maintain his perfect record and make a successful second defence of his title: “Mathew’s is on another planet if he thinks he can beat me and when I knock him out he will end up on another planet. I’ve told him that I’m the fittest man on the planet, there’s no way he’ll keep up with my pace and strength, I’m a robot in the ring and I’m programmed to destroy. I’ve got rockets in my fists, look what I did to Diego Magdaleno, can Mathews stand up to that kind of firepower? Once I’ve dealt with Mathews, just like my Manchester brother Ricky Hatton, I’m going on to unify world titles. This is going to be one gigantic cosmic explosion and Mathews is going to end up in a black hole.”

Fiery Mathews fired back by saying he’ll expose Flanagan: “On fight night I’ll be fit and ready to put on an out-of-this-world performance against Flanagan who’s on for a real hiding. His head must be in space because he’s running his mouth off like he’s some super-human fighter and I’ll show everybody that he’s just an average boxer. How can he say he’s got rockets in his fist when I’ve knocked-out 20 out of 38 and he’s only got 12 knockouts in 29 fights? The first clean shot I land on Flanagan’s chin and he’ll be joining Tim Peake as the second Brit to do a space walk. I’ll prove that I’m the best 135 pounder in Liverpool, on Earth and in the Galaxy.”

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

Eventim

0844 249 1000

www.eventim.co.uk

Liverpool Echo Arena

0844 8000 400

www.echoarena.com

Ticketmaster

0844 844 0444

www.ticketmaster.co.uk

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

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




James decisions Molina

Jamal James
Jamal James remained perfect with a 10-round unanimous decision over former U.S. Olympian Javier Molina in a Welterweight bout at Club Nokia in Los Angeles, California.

James, 145 1/2 lbs of Minneapolis, MN won by scores of 99-91, 98-92 and 97-93 and is now 19-0. Molina, 146 3/4 lbs of Norwalk, CA is 17-2.

James outlanded Molina 178-68.

Caleb Plant remained undefeated with a 6th round stoppage over Adasat Rodriguez in a scheduled 8-round Super Middleweight bout.

Rodriguez was cut in round one over his left eye from an accidental headbutt. Plant dominated the fight and in round six, landed a huge left hook that rocked Rodriguez and a follow up combination in the corner forced the bout to be stopped at 2:37.

Plant, 167 3/4 lbs of Nashville, TN is 12-0 with 9 knockouts. Rodriguez, 167 3/4 lbs of Spain is 11-5-2.

David Benavidez scored a 2nd round stoppage over Kevin Cobbs in a scheduled 8-round Super Middleweight bout.

Banavidez rocked Cobbs in round two with a left hook and continued to pummel him until the fight was stopped at 1:08.

Benavidez, 170 1/4 lbs of Phoenix, AZ is 12-0 with 11 knockouts. Cobbs, 170 3/4 lbs of Burlington, Vermont is now 10-2.

Malcolm Mcallister scored a 2nd round stoppage over Tyrone Selders in a scheduled 6-round Super Middleweight bout.

McAllister rocked Selders with a left that forced an 8-count. The two stood toe to toe and landed hard shots in round two. McAllister had a cut around his right eye. He came back to land some massive shots that was capped off by a left hook and body shot and the fight was stopped at 2:39.

McAllister, 162 1/4 lbs of Long Beach, CA is 7-0 with 7 knockouts. Selders, 162 3/4 lbs of Baton Rouge, LA is 9-7-1.




Karim Mayfield Steps In to Fight Dmitry Mikhaylenko on Kovalev-Pascal II Co-Feature Set for Saturday, January 30 Televised Live on HBO®

mayfieldweighsf206
Montreal, Quebec, Canada: Last week, Ray Robinson suffered injuries in a car accident which caused him to withdraw from his scheduled fight against undefeated welterweight Dmitry “The Mechanic” Mikhaylenko (20-0, 9 KOs). Today Karim “Hard Hitta” Mayfield (19-2-1, 11 KOs) agreed to step in and replace Robinson in the ten-round welterweight co-feature on the Saturday, Jan. 30 HBO World Championship Boxing® telecast which features the much-anticipated rematch between Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (28-0-1, 25 KOs) and Jean Pascal (30-3-1, 17 KOs) for the WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Championship. The Mikhaylenko-Mayfield bout will be for the vacant USBA Welterweight Title. The HBO telecast begins at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

Mikhaylenko, 29, from Gelendzhik, Russia, is co-promoted by Main Events and German Titov Promotions. “The Mechanic” is undefeated and stopped his last three opponents, including former interim super lightweight titleholder Johan Perez. This will be his second fight in Canada; he stopped Felipe De la Paz in the fifth round on the undercard of Kovalev-Pascal I.Mikhaylenko is not one to question any of his opponents. He is in shape all year round and a win against a notable, dangerous, and equally determined guy in Mayfield would be exactly what he needs to be taken seriously in this stacked welterweight division.

Mayfield, a San Francisco, California native now promoted by Greg Cohen Promotions, made his professional debut in 2006 and went undefeated for the first eight years of his professional career. After suffering back-to-back losses in his first two fights in 2014, which included a close-decision against former title contender Thomas Dulorme, he returned to defeat Michael Balasi of Hawaii in an eight-round unanimous decision victory in his last fight on Nov. 8, 2014. He has been inactive for a year but a win over a ranked Mikhaylenko will be an instant game-changer in his career, and can be the difference in getting his name back in the mix.

Main Events’ CEO, Kathy Duva, said, “We were devastated when we learned about Robinson’s accident. Very few fighters would agree to take a fight on such short notice, especially a fight which opens the HBO telecast for such a high-profile event like Kovalev-Pascal II. Mayfield, however, jumped at the opportunity. He wants to step in against an undefeated ranked prospect like Mikhaylenko in an attempt to re-establish himself as a contender. Mikhaylenko has no doubt whatsoever about his abilities inside the ring. He didn’t even blink at the change in opponents. Short notice or not, this is a great fight!”

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. 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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Kovalev-Pascal II Media Conference Call Quotes

Sergey Kovalev
Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev – WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion

On Pascal changing his training camp:
“What he says and what he will do in the ring is two different things.”

On his game plan for this fight:
“I don’t have any plans for the fight. We will go to the ring. A boxing fight is a street fight. No rules. It doesn’t matter what he will bring. I must be ready for anything. I don’t think about Pascal. I don’t think about what he will be. He has good motivation and he has a new coach, but I just should be ready for anything. If he will bring something better, it doesn’t matter.”

On being overconfident in the rematch:
“I am prepared the same with 100% responsible and I understand he is more motivated for this fight – more than the first one. He wants to be looking good in front of his fans in Canada but I am sure, and I know, that half of his fans shoot to my side after the last fight. He will pay for this January 30. We will see January 30 who he is. Usually who fought against me they are not going on in their careers afterwards. I didn’t destroy him because referee stopped the fight and saved his career. He forgot to say to referee thank you for saving my career. I have to finish my job. It should be a very different fight.”

On being angry at Pascal:
“This fight is personal fight. It is something personal for me. It is not everything true that he is speaking. I understand for why he is doing this. He is trying to make me angry. I am giving him a reminder. I didn’t do my job last time. I should have stopped his career.”

On his potential fight with Andre Ward:
“Andre ward is a great boxer. I am very happy he came to my division and we can make a very good fight for the fans. I want to fight with him, but now I have to stay focused on my next fight with Jean Pascal. ”

Jean Pascal – Former light heavyweight world champion

On changing trainers:
“Freddie Roach is a great coach. The big difference is he has the eye of the tiger. He sees things that other people can’t see. With his experience, he just polishes it for me. Camp is going beyond my expectations. The last ten days I was tired but now I am right back on track.”

On drug testing:
“It is just to show the world that we are in a clean sport and we are clean boxers. We can show the world that we are clean athletes. I am happy Sergey agreed to do this.”

On the early stoppage:
“Kovalev said I am talking a lot, but he is the one that is talking a lot. He says he is going to knock me out and end my career. I am still on top. I am still here. I am still selling out arenas even though I am not a champion. Sergey talks a lot. I hope this time he is going to be able to back it up.”

On John David Jackson’s comments:
“John David Jackson should mind his own business. He is not in my body and in my mind. He doesn’t know shit about me. I am still a warrior. I am still in my prime. The first fight was stopped early. Sergey was winning but I was coming back.”

On the bad blood between him and Kovalev:
“I know what I have to do to win this fight. Freddie Roach taught me what I needed to learn. The 30th I am going to apply everything that Freddie taught me. The last fight everyone was saying I need a rematch because it was Kovalev’s closest fight ever. It is going to be a good fight. The main thing for me is to stay focused.”

On why this fight will be different:
“This is all about continuing to improve myself with a new trainer, new technique and new approach. This will allow me to demonstrate a new Jean Pascal in the ring on January 30.”

On the importance of the first two rounds:
“I am not looking to make any excuses for the first couple rounds of the first fight. I am making those changes with Freddie Roach now and I do not anticipate being in the same mindset in this fight.”

On short training camp with Freddie Roach:
“I am not starting from scratch. I have many years of boxing. We are just tweaking some small mistakes to deliver big changes.”

Kathy Duva – CEO, Main Events

“We liked it so much the first time we are going to do it again. Ticket sales are beyond our projections so we are very happy. We have two great warriors who are going to create some fireworks and everyone is going to be entertained. We want to thank HBO and our good friends at Interbox. We really enjoy working with both of them.”

On whether or not Pascal deserves the rematch:
“People have short memories. Many members of the media felt he earned a rematch. That was what most people were asking when the fight ended. There are other options out there and the economics are best here. Jean Pascal is still the best available fighter willing to get in the ring with Sergey. He is coming in with Freddie Roach, which brings more to the table. Sergey and Pascal are going to give their best. We think our fighter can win and so does the Pascal side.”

“We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible next week.”

Pierre Duc – President, Interbox

“Many thanks to HBO for allowing this to happen again. Thanks to Main Events and Sergey Kovalev for coming here again to defend his titles. It is our third project in the year with Main Events. This sets an example for how promoters should be working together. Kovalev-Pascal I was nothing short of spectacular. We are expecting an even greater performance again next week. Do not miss this great evening.”

On current ticket sales:
“We were closer to what we sold on the first fight. By the time we get to the Belle Centre I think there will be about 9,000 fans in the building.”

“We wish all the best for the two fighters. May the best man win. Those who are going to be watching are going to be given a phenomenal night. Looking forward to seeing everyone on January 30.”

John David Jackson – Trainer, Kovalev

“When we talk about the first fight, we talk about the mistakes that were made. This is a grudge match. It isn’t hard to get him motivated. Now we need to cross all the T’s and dot all the I’s. The fight with Gonzalez on the last card, Pascal looked shot. I don’t see much more he can do. He is going to have to make a dog fight in the ring to stand with Sergey.”

“Pascal may not be the same fighter that he once was but he is still dangerous. Sergey is ready and motivated. He wants to make a statement with this fight. No shortcomings on our side. We will be ready come fight night.”

On Freddie Roach:
“It could make a difference. It depends on the student you have. I don’t know if Pascal can do that. He has been around for a while and has been a champion. How much can Freddie teach him in one fight? It usually takes me three or four fights to really work out all the kinks with a fighter.”

Freddie Roach – Trainer, Pascal

On changes made with Pascal in this training camp:
“He is boxing a lot better. We are shortening the combinations up. He is definitively ready to fight. You will see a much better fighter this time around. It is a short amount of time. Jean has picked it up quickly. His power is still there also. If he fights smart, he can win this fight.”

On the importance of the earlier rounds:
“We don’t want him to fall into his old style and lay on the ropes. Jean Pascal doesn’t work with Roy Jones anymore because Pascal is better than Jones.”

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. 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. 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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Instagram: @Main_Events
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WSOF28: MORAES VS. BARAJAS WORLD BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP HITS ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, LIVE ON NBCSN

LAS VEGAS (January 19, 2016) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today that reigning bantamweight (135 pounds) champion Marlon Moraes will make the third defense of his coveted title against fast-rising star Joseph Barajas at Next Level Sports Complex in Garden Grove, Calif. on Saturday, Feb. 20, live on NBCSN at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

In the bantamweight co-main event at WSOF28, Timur “Lucky” Valiev will put his 10-fight win streak on the line against fellow rising star Chris “El Guapo” Gutierrez, who is unbeaten in his last 7 starts.

Priced from $39.99, tickets for WSOF28: Moraes vs. Barajas go on sale tomorrow, Wednesday, Jan. 20, at 10 a.m. PT, at WSOF.com.

“Beginning with Marlon Moraes, the top dog in the division, the 135-pound superstars are going to be out in full force with a lot at stake at WSOF28,” said World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo.

Marlon Moraes vs. Joseph Barajas

The prolific, 27-year-old Moraes (15-4-1) of Nova Friburgo, Brazil retained his crown for the second time on August 1, 2015, submitting Sheymon Moraes with a rear-naked choke in the third round (3:46) of their matchup.

Since the inaugural World Series of Fighting event on November 12, 2012 when he earned a split decision over decorated superstar Miguel Torres, Moraes, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and former Muay Thai champion, has been unstoppable defeating several seasoned adversaries along the way, including Tyson Nam, Cody Bollinger, Josh Hill and Josh Rettinghouse, whom Moraes defeated by way of unanimous decision to become the first-ever World Series of Fighting bantamweight kingpin on March 29, 2014.

Barajas (12-1) of Vista, Calif. is coming off his World Series of Fighting debut on November 20, when he scored a third round (4:06) TKO (punches) on Erik Villalobos at WSOF25.

Beginning with his professional debut on February 20, 2011 when he submitted Robert Carlos with a triangle choke in the first round (1:32) of action, Barajas was perfect for over two years, running to 10 consecutive wins, a streak that culminated with his explosive, first round (:51) TKO (punches) of Leonte King on September 21, 2013.

Timur Valiev vs. Chris Gutierrez

Fighting out of the famed Jackson-Winklejohn camp, the 26-year-old Valiev (10-1) of Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia has remained undefeated since his second professional start on July 22, 2011, and has racked up four consecutive wins under the World Series of Fighting banner in his last four efforts.

In the first of two appearances in the decagon cage in 2015, Valiev scored a devastating, first round (1:39) TKO on Ed West with a barrage of elbow strikes and punches at WSOF19 on March 28. Valiev closed out the year with a unanimous decision victory over Tito Jones at WSOF23 on September 18.

The number one ranked bantamweight in the state of Oklahoma, Gutierrez (8-1-1) of Greenville, Texas is a ferocious, 24-year-old striker who has earned five of his eight professional career wins by way of TKO, with each of the five finishes having come with an onslaught of punches.

Gutierrez is coming off his second straight, unbeaten year as a professional, claiming two wins in 2015. In his last start, he earned a unanimous decision over Bendy Casimir on August 22.

Additional WSOF28 bouts will be announced soon.

ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING

“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a worldwide premier professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters from around the world. For more information please visit WSOF.com and follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries. WSOF and World Series of Fighting are registered trademarks of MMAWC, LLC.

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




Pacquiao vs. Bradley: Saturday, April 9 Presented Live by HBO Pay-Per-View

Pac May Pc 1
LAS VEGAS, NV (January 19, 2016) — Boxing’s only eight-division world champion and the reigning Fighter of the Decade, Congressman MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO, and five-time world champion TIMOTHY “Desert Storm” BRADLEY, will collide in a 12-round World Welterweight Championship battle of pound for pound titans, Saturday, April 9, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. This will also mark the first time former Trainers of the Year Freddie Roach and Teddy Atlas have faced each other from opposite corners. Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with MP Promotions, the Pacquiao vs. Bradley world championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets to Pacquiao vs. Bradley, priced at $1,204, $804, $604, $404, $254,and $154, not including applicable service fees, go on sale This Friday! January 22, at 1:00 p.m. ET / 10:00 a.m. PT. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at mgmgrand.com or ticketmaster.com.

“I look forward to my battle with Timothy Bradley on April 9 and giving boxing fans a fight they will always remember,” said Pacquiao. “This fight has a very special meaning to me and I will pour every ounce of my being — physically, emotionally and spiritually — into preparing for Bradley. He has my full attention. I dedicate this fight to my fans and to my countrymen throughout the world who have kept me in their prayers. And as always, I fight to bring glory to the Philippines.”

“I’ve never needed to light a fire under Manny to get him ready for a fight. He’s a professional,” said Roach. “April 9 will be Manny’s finest hour.”

“I have always dedicated myself to who I am on fight night. However on April 9th I will not only have dedicated myself to that but also delivering the performance that everyone has long awaited,” said Bradley.

“The greatest responsibility we have is to care for our families. But our greatest privilege is to be given a challenge to achieve something special that our families can share and always remember. Fighting Pacquiao is exactly that challenge,” said Atlas.

“I am looking forward to this fight between Manny Pacquiao and Tim Bradley. We will see how much Manny has recovered from shoulder surgery and whether he has been able to retain all of his power. We saw in Tim’s last fight a new, improved Tim Bradley thanks and largely due to his astute trainer Teddy Atlas. One thing is for sure, this fight will be vastly different from the first two these two warriors have had,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank.

“Manny Pacquiao has had an electrifying career and is destined to be enshrined in the Boxing Hall of Fame. Fight fans worldwide are attracted to his spirited fighting style and the grace and humility he displays outside the ring. He is one of the sport’s giants,” said Peter Nelson, Executive Vice President, HBO Sports. “Timothy Bradley Jr. has consistently beaten the odds and produced a brilliant career that has but a single blemish on it. Now on April 9, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Bradley gets to try and avenge the one loss on his record.”

Richard Sturm, president of Sports and Entertainment for MGM Resorts International, said, “We are thrilled to host the third fight in what has become a fantastic rivalry between two extremely talented fighters at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in April. There is no doubt both Pacquiao and Bradley will arrive to Las Vegas ready to face-off in an incredible showdown, providing boxing fans worldwide a conclusion to this storied trilogy.”

Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38 KOs), the lone congressional representative from the Sarangani province in the Philippines and an international icon, is the only fighter to win eight world titles in as many different weight divisions. A three-time Fighter of the Year and the Boxing Writers Association of America’s “Fighter of the Decade,” Pacquiao’s resumé features victories over present and future Hall of Famers, including Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley, Juan Manuel Márquez and Bradley. From 2008 to 2010, five of his seven victories were world title victories in five different weight classes, from 130 to 154 pounds. No active boxer has sold more live tickets in the U.S. than Pacquiao, who is also credited with over 18 million domestic pay-per-view buys. He returns to the ring after a disappointing unanimous decision loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. The May 2 world championship fight generated a record 4.5 million pay-per-view buys and over $400 million in television revenue alone.

Bradley (33-1-1, 13 KOs), from Palm Springs, Calif., a two-division world champion who has held a world title every year since 2008, completed his comeback from his sole professional loss, to Pacquiao in their world title rematch, and a controversial draw against former interim world champion Diego Chaves — both in 2014 — when he beat undefeated world champion Jessie Vargas on June 27, to reclaim the WBO welterweight world title. Bradley put an exclamation point on his banner 2015 year in his title defense, under the guidance of new trainer Teddy Atlas, by knocking out former world champion Brandon Rios on November 7. It was the first time Rios had ever been stopped in his 11-year, 36-bout professional career, sending him into a temporary self-imposed retirement. A consensus Top-10 pound for pound fighter, Bradley returns to the ring a new fighter thanks to Atlas’ tutelage. A former junior welterweight world champion who unified the junior welterweight titles twice during his previous four-year world championship reign, Bradley moved up to the 147 pound division and beat Pacquiao on June 9, 2012 to capture the WBO welterweight crown for the first of three consecutive career-best victories. Bradley followed that by co-starring in the Fight of the Year on March 16, 2013, at StubHub Center, winning a brutal 12-round decision over future world champion Ruslan Provodnikov though Bradley was suffering from a concussion throughout most of the fight. Seven months later Bradley encored with another virtuoso performance in defeating three-division world champion and Mexican icon Juan Manuel Márquez on October 12, 2013, at The Forum, proving that Bradley is indeed one of boxing’s elite pound for pound fighters.

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

About MGM Grand:

MGM Grand Hotel & Casino is “The Entertainment Authority,” creating the ultimate Las Vegas experience. A variety of accommodations serve every need while guests discover signature dining by celebrity chefs including Tom Colicchio’s Craftsteak, Michael Mina’s PUB 1842, Wolfgang Puck’s Bar & Grill and Michelin three star restaurant, Joël Robuchon. The resort offers a wide-range of world-class entertainment at the MGM Grand Garden Arena; the epic KÀ by Cirque du Soleil; world-famous dance crew Jabbawockeez; master illusionist David Copperfield; Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club; and Hakkasan Las Vegas in addition to a pampering spa and salon and an elaborate 380,000-square-foot conference center. MGM Grand is a wholly owned subsidiary of MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM). For more information and reservations, visit mgmgrand.com, call toll free at (877) 880-0880 or find us on Facebook and Twitter or follow our blog.




VIDEO: WATCH PACQUIAO – BRADLEY 3 LA PRESS CONFERENCE LIVE AT AT 3:30 PM ET




DAVID LEMIEUX TO MAKE HIS GRAND RETURN TO THE RING AGAINST JAMES DE LA ROSA IN MONTREAL, CANADA

David Lemieux
MONTREAL (Jan. 19, 2016) – After a sell-out at The Mecca of Boxing, Madison Square Garden, in New York, on October 17, 2015, Eye of the Tiger Management and Golden Boy Promotions is proud to announce, that former IBF Middleweight Champion, David Lemieux (34-3, 31 KOs) will keep his promise to return to his hometown, Montreal, Quebec, Canada for his first fight of 2016. On March 12, hometown fans, will witness, Lemieux’s grand return against San Benito, Texas’ “King” James de la Rosa (23-3, 13 KOs) in an exciting battle at Montreal’s Olympia Theatre , live on Indigo and all pay-per-view channels across Canada starting at 9:00 p.m. ET.

“I am happy to be fighting in my hometown,” said David Lemieux. “I’m very hungry to get back in the ring and I am ready to climb my way back to the top of the middleweight division. I know de la Rosa is a serious threat and I can promise all my hometown fans that I will be ready to give them all a great show on March 12.”

“A new trainer and a new strength and conditioning coach, have created a new James de la Rosa,” said James de la Rosa. “I have no problem going to his hometown to show him and everyone else, that he isn’t what he is hyped up to be. I’m going to Montreal to win.”

“The goal is to offer our devoted fans a major gala and a memorable evening,” said Camille Estephan, President of Eye of the Tiger Management. “We owe our success to our loyal supporters and when David promised to box in Montreal he created a hope, by honoring it, and now fans will witness the grand return of their champion.James De La Rosa is a serious opponent whom we cannot take lightly and I know David will be ready for him on March 12.”

“David Lemieux is one of the great champions of the middleweight division and we can’t wait to see him back in action,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “Golden Boy Promotions is behind David 100 percent and fighting against James De La Rosa will be a big test for him and his first step on his journey to once again becoming a world champion.”

“James is always game for big opportunities, he has never met a fight he didn’t like,’ said Adrian Clark, President and CEO of AC Sports Management, LLC and manager to James de la Rosa. “There will be fireworks in Montreal on March 12 and after the smoke settles, James de la Rosa will stand victorious.”

Tickets for the event are on sale now starting at $59 CAN and $349 CAN for ringside and available at www.admission.com. For further information, please visit us at www.eottm.com and www.goldenboypromotions.com or Follow us on Twitter @Lemieuxboxing, @KingJamesDLR, @EOTMVD and @GoldenBoyBoxing.

David Lemieux vs. James de la Rosa, is a 12-round fight presented by Eye of the Tiger Management in association with Golden Boy Promotions. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. E.T. and the first fight begins at 7:00 p.m. E.T. The event will be broadcast in HD for $59.99 and $54.99 in SD on Indigo and all pay-per-view channels across Canada starting at 9:00 p.m. E.T. and the undercard will be televised by TVA Sports starting at 7:00 p.m. E.T.

Currently ranked as one of the top middleweight fighters by the WBC and IBF, former IBF World Middleweight Champion David Lemieux is making his grand return to the ring on March 12 after a sell-out crowd at The Mecca of Boxing, Madison Square Garden in New York, when he faced Gennady Golovkin for the Unified Middleweight World Championship on October 17. Before his face off against Golovkin, Lemieux was coming off of his ninth consecutive victory over Hassan N’Dam and seventh consecutive knockout against Gabriel “King” Rosado last December. The 27-year-old Lemieux was victorious in dominant fashion capturing the vacant IBF Middleweight Title against Hassan N’Dam on June 20 in his hometown of Montreal, Canada. Dropping N’Dam four times, the hard-hitting Canadian won a wide, 12-round unanimous decision. Lemieux made his HBO and United States debut in headline fashion with a fantastic performance stopping top contender Gabriel Rosado in the tenth round on December 6 in Brooklyn, New York.

“King” James De la Rosa is the fighting pride of Harlingen, Texas, boasting a record of 23 wins, against 3 losses, with 13 wins coming by way of knockout. De la Rosa has been boxing since he was five years old and became a professional boxer at the age of 17. De la Rosa holds key victories over Abel Perry, Tim Coleman and Tyrone Brunson. De la Rosa’s biggest victory came on Sept.12, 2014, against the Mexican legend, Alfredo “El Perro” Angulo on the Showtime pay-per-view telecast of Mayweather-Maidana II. “King” took 2015 off to a great start with new trainer James Johnson and All-American track & field strength and conditioning coach, Hickel Woolery.




BOXING STAR VIJENDER SINGH VISITS ATTRACTION DEDICATED TO HIS MUSICAL HEROES THE BEATLES

Vinjander Singh
India’s boxing sensation Vijender Singh, who’s preparing for his first fight in Liverpool recently revealed he is a huge Beatles fan and headed straight to The Beatles Story after a press conference in the city last week.

Singh, who’s undefeated in three fights with three knockouts, features on the undercard of the huge Saturday 13th February card at the Echo Arena, sat through the war of words at the press conference between WBO World Lightweight Champion Terry Flanagan and Derry Matthews and then headed to Liverpool’s world famous attraction.

After the tensions over the big fight eased, the 2008 Olympic Bronze medallist from Gurgaon, a city 32 kilometres south-west of New Delhi, decided to relax by taking a nostalgic trip through the history of the Fab Four at The Beatles Story at Albert Dock.

The attraction was recently voted as the best attraction in the North and Scotland in the UK at the Worldwide Attraction Awards, putting them in the same league as the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty and Magic Kingdom.

Beatles fan Singh said: “I’ve loved The Beatles for many years – their reach is global.

“It’s hard to go anywhere and find people who don’t know the band.

“This is my first time in Liverpool and it’s great to visit the Beatles Story and learn more about my musical heroes.

“I’m looking forward to returning to the city and hope as many fans as possible come and join me at the fight in February.”

Martin King, Director of The Beatles Story, said: “It has been great to welcome Vijender to the Beatles Story following his press conference in the city.

“We’re glad he enjoyed his time at the attraction and we wish him the best of luck ahead of his fight from everyone here at The Beatles Story.”

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

Eventim

0844 249 1000

www.eventim.co.uk

Liverpool Echo Arena

0844 8000 400

www.echoarena.com

Ticketmaster

0844 844 0444

www.ticketmaster.co.uk

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

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




RYDER: KHOMITSKY CARRIES THE ‘FEAR FACTOR’

John Ryder says he has the ‘fear factor’ ahead of his WBA International Middleweight title clash with ‘Brit Basher’ Sergey Khomitsky at the Copper Box Arena in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on January 30, live on Sky Sports.

Ryder is looking to kick 2016 with a big win over the Belarussian banger but the Islington man is fully aware of the threat he carries.

Khomitsky’s last outing in the UK saw him poleaxe talented Sheffield starlet Adam Etches with a brutal one-punch KO in March, and the Copper Box was the scene of his clinical assault on popular Londoner Frank Buglioni in April 2014.

Islington man Ryder is gunning to get back into the exciting mix of young Middleweight stars in the UK, but he knows he has to be on his guard against Khomitsky.

“There’s a fear factor for me in this fight, 100 per cent,” said Ryder. “I’m doing things majorly differently to how I’ve approached fights before and that element of fear is in me as I know what Khomitsky is capable of. Take no notice of his age, the last thing to go in a fighter is their power, he’ll have that until the end, so I know that this is a dangerous fight.

“He’s showed power at Super-Middleweight and then shown that he can make Middleweight and keep that power. He takes his opportunities where he can, whether they are at 168lbs or 160lbs, but he’s had plenty of time to prepare for this fight so I expect him to be at his best.

“It was over a year since we were meant to fight and it didn’t happen for one reason or another. But looking back at the mistakes I’ve made since then, and you think if that fight had happened a year ago, it could’ve been a bad night for me, but now I feel that it is a fight that I will definitely win.

“My diet and training has changed a lot since losing to Nick Blackwell. The most important thing in a loss is to learn from it. I don’t want to lose any more fights and I know that I have put in hard work and the right type of work to get the win.”

Ryder’s clash with Khomitsky is part of a huge night of action in east London as Super-Middleweight star George Groves takes on Italian Andrea Di Luisa for the vacant WBC International title.

John Wayne Hibbert defends his Commonwealth and WBC International Super Lightweight titles against Tommy Martin 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

Tickets for January 30 are also available from http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/ – StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing and Anthony Joshua MBE.




Greg Cohen Promotions and Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions Announce Co-Promotional Partnership on ‘Championship Boxing on CBS Sports Network’ Series in 2016

Greg Cohen of Greg Cohen Promotions (GCP) is happy to announce he will be teaming up with Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions (RJJ) to continue his successful “Championship Boxing on CBS Sports Network” series of boxing shows.

GCP and RJJ will be co-promoting a nationally televised, world-class event at least once a month for the next 12 months, beginning with their debut on February 19, 2016, at the WinnaVegas Casino & Resort in Sloane, Iowa.

Specific match-ups will be announced soon.

CBS Sports Network, the 24-hour home of CBS Sports, is available across the country through local cable, video and telco providers and via satellite on DirecTV Channel 221 and DISH Network Channel 158. For more information, including a full programming schedule and how to get CBS Sports Network, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com.

“I could not be happier about teaming up with such a first-rate promotional outfit as Roy Jones Jr Boxing and their team to present 12-15 outstanding boxing shows in the next 12 months,” said Greg Cohen. “We’ve had great success with last year’s CBS Sports Network shows, but the addition of such a world-renowned name as Roy Jones adds a strong element of greatness to each presentation. And the addition of the RJJ stable of fighters makes the possibility for several exciting match-ups. I am proud to be affiliated with CBS Sports Network and especially my close business associates at RJJ.”

“I am extremely honored to work with such a reputable network such as CBS and distinguished partner, Greg Cohen,” stated Keith Veltre, CEO of Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions. “CBS will no doubt bring more recognition to both our companies, worldwide. I am excited about this new avenue to showcase the RJJ roster to the boxing world. My thanks to Greg Cohen and the team at CBS Sports and I look forward to being part of this exciting series of shows, as a promoter and as a lifelong fan of boxing.”

GCP began the “Championship Boxing on CBS Sports Network” series last year in April and has already featured world-class fighters such as current interim WBA World Lightweight Champion Ismael Barroso, former world title challengers Lateef “Power” Kayode, “Hurricane” Dennis Hogan, and lightweight contender Tony “Lightning” Luis.
About Greg Cohen Promotions
One of boxing’s premier promotional outfits, Greg Cohen Promotions (GCP) is a well-respected name for staging world-class professional boxing events and promoting elite professional fighters throughout the world.

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

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

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

Cohen currently promotes multiple world champion and boxing superstar Zab Judah and former world champion Kendall Holt, as well as current world-rated contenders including top undefeated cruiserweight Lateef Kayode, long-time elite middleweight “Mean” Joe Greene, lightweight KO artist Ismael Barroso, top super featherweight Arash Usmanee, Canadian lightweight and TV action hero Tony Luis; WBA and five-time Irish National Amateur Champion, Dennis Hogan; and Australian lightweight prospect Josh King.

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

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