Reigning champ Boyington headlines CES MMA 56

HARTFORD, Conn. (Wednesday, May 15th) — After making history in March, CES MMA continues its Connecticut takeover with CES MMA 56, scheduled for Friday, May 31st, 2019 at the Connecticut Convention Center.

Two months ago, the east coast’s leading mixed martial promotion set a new precedent with the first sanctioned professional MMA event in the state of Connecticut. Now CES MMA returns to Connecticut two weeks from Friday with another loaded fight card featuring a world-title defense, long-awaited pro debuts and the return of several fan-favorites.

Kicking off its week-long media tour, CES MMA will host a press conference to announce the full fight card next Wednesday on May 22nd from 1 to 3 p.m. ET at the Connecticut Convention Center. This event is open to the public.

CES MMA 56 is available on UFC Fight Pass video on demand with Michael Parente handling play-by-play alongside color commentator and longtime UFC vet “Filthy” Tom Lawlor. Showtime is 7 p.m. ET. Tickets for the event are priced at $35.00, $50.00, $125.00 and $150.00 (VIP) and are available for purchase online at www.cesmma.com or www.ctconventions.com or by phone at 401-724-2253. All fights and fighters subject to change.

CES MMA 56 features the return of Connecticut’s Dan Dubuque (8-2, 2 KOs), a Waterbury native who highlighted CES MMA 55 with an electrifying win over Antonio Castillo, this time fighting for a world title when he battles reigning CES MMA Featherweight World Champion Bruce Boyington (16-11, 8 KOs) in a five-round bout, Boyington’s first defense of the title.

The 40-year-old Boyington hasn’t fought since last summer when he won the then vacant title at CES MMA 51, submitting UFC vet Sean Soriano in the main event, but he’s won his last two and seven of 10 overall. Dubuque’s win over Castillo was his fourth in a row and fifth in his last six fights dating back to 2016.

Making his Connecticut debut, Oyster Bay, N.Y., welterweight John Gotti III (3-0, 3 KOs) returns to CES MMA for the third time, battling David Espino (3-2, 2 KOs) of Quincy, Mass., in a three-round bout, and Springfield, Mass., lightweight Nick Newell (14-2, 2 KOs) of Springfield, Mass., makes his promotional debut against an opponent to be determined, also in a three-round bout.

Born with congenital amputation of his left arm, Newell has amassed a loyal fan base in New England fighting for various promotions, including World Series of Fighting, Legacy Fighting Alliance and the UFC, most notably on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series.

The main card features three more Connecticut natives — female featherweight Jessy Miele (7-3, 2 KOs) and welterweight Jesse Kosakowski (3-0) of Waterbury and Hartford heavyweight Parker Porter (6-5, 2 KOs).

Miele battles Spokane, Wash., native Elizabeth Phillips (7-6, 2 KOs) in her third appearance with CES MMA while Kosakowski searches for his fourth win in as many fights in a three-round showdown with hard-hitting Ryan Jett (4-4, 3 KOs) of Charlotte, N.C. Porter goes toe-to-toe with Colorado Springs heavyweight Kevin Sears Jr. (8-5, 3 KOs), who makes his second appearance with CES MMA.

The preliminary card features two pro debut fighters facing another in the bantamweight division as Jornell Lugo of Miami battles Joshua Oxendine of Pembroke, N.C., plus the return of Syosset, N.Y., welterweight Hugh McKenna (1-4), making his first appearance with the promotion since CES MMA 53 against an opponent to be determined.

Also on the CES MMA 56 prelim card, popular New Haven, Conn., atomweight Marisa Messer-Belenchia (2-0) faces pro debut Stephanie Hernandez of Boise, Idaho and Springfield, Mass., bantamweight Will Smith (1-0, 1 KO) battles pro debut Ashiek Ajim of Long Island.

Visit www.cesmma.com, www.twitter.com/cesmma or www.facebook.com/cesmma for more information, or follow CES MMA on Instagram at @CESMMA.




LIVE VIDEO: UFC 237: Post-fight Press Conference




Video: UFC 237 Embedded: Vlog Series – Episode 6




NONG-O GAIYANGHADAO RETAINS ONE BANTAMWEIGHT MUAY THAI WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WITH UNANIMOUS DECISION OVER HIROAKI SUZUKI

10 May 2019 – Bangkok, Thailand: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), once again returned to the Impact Arena in Bangkok to deliver yet another spectacular martial arts event. ONE: WARRIORS OF LIGHT saw the best and the brightest stars in martial arts grace the ONE Circle to showcase their incredible skills. In the main event, reigning ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nong-O Gaiyanghadao successfully retained his World Title, defeating game challenger Hiroaki Suzuki of Japan by unanimous decision after five rounds. In the co-main event, Petchdam Petchyindee Academy of Thailand defeated Elias Mahmoudi of Algeria to capture the inaugural ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Championship.

Visit the official ONE: WARRIORS OF LIGHT photo gallery by clicking: https://bit.ly/onephotos

In the main event of the evening, Muay Thai legend and local Thai superstar Nong-O Gaiyanghadao retained his ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Championship with a completely dominant showing over game but overmatched challenger Hiroaki “Kaibutsukun” Suzuki of Japan. Suzuki took the full force of Nong-O’s mighty right lead roundhouse kick for the duration of the five-round bout, and survived the onslaught to the final bell. Nong-O, however, was ahead every step of the way behind a virtuoso performance. In the end, all three judges scored the bout in favor of Nong-O Gaiyanghadao to win by unanimous decision.

In the co-main event of the evening, Thailand’s “Baby Shark” Petchdam Petchyindee Academy captured the inaugural ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Championship with a gutsy performance, outlasting Algeria’s Elias “The Sniper” Mahmoudi to win via technical decision. Action was intense throughout the contest, with Petchdam unloading his vaunted left leg kicks and Mahmoudi finding success by using his length to his advantage. An illegal blow in the fifth and final round ended matters abruptly however, as Mahmoudi was deemed unable to continue after the break. The bout went to the judges’ scorecards and all three judges scored in favor of the winner, Petchdam Petchyindee Academy.

Japanese veteran Shoko Sato made a successful ONE Championship debut, finishing New Zealand’s Mark “Tyson” Fairtex Abelardo with a furious barrage of ground-and-pound. Following a fierce first round which saw Abelardo come out of the gates aggressively, Sato turned up the heat in the second, taking Abelardo to the mat and finishing him off with strikes from the top. With Abelardo offering no defense, referee Yoshinori Umeki was forced to call a halt to the contest in the second round, awarding Sato with the technical knockout victory.

Muay Thai superstar Rodtang “Iron Man” Jitmuangnon of Thailand sent his hometown crowd of Bangkok into a frenzy, delivering a riveting knockout finish of Cambodia’s Sok Thy. Rodtang came out of the gates blazing, firing a myriad of blistering strikes at Thy, who offered very little defense. It was Rodtang’s thudding leg kicks that did the most damage however, as the Thai warrior endlessly battered Thy’s lower body into submission. Although Thy survived the first round, “Iron Man” put on the finishing touches with another ferocious combination to end matters a little over a minute into the second round.

Local Thai athlete Pongsiri “The Smiling Assassin” Mitsatit authored a thrilling knockout of the Philippines’ Robin Catalan in a strawweight mixed martial arts contest. Catalan started the bout aggressively, pursuing Mitsatit across the ONE Circle with his wushu-style combinations whilst taking Mitsatit’s back. After Mitsatit escaped and action returned to the feet, “The Smiling Assassin” began to unload thunderous knees to Catalan’s body, delivering the final blow to the Filipino’s ribcage to end matters midway through the first round.

China’s “Muay Thai Boy” Zhang Chenglong and Cyprus’ Panicos Yusuf delighted the Impact Arena crowd with an intense striking skirmish in their three-round ONE Super Series kickboxing contest. It was a furious pace from start to end, as both Zhang and Yusuf unloaded their best strikes for the duration of the bout. In the third round, Zhang dropped Yusuf twice and nearly finished the Cypriot, but Yusuf survived to the final bell. In the end, the result was clear as Zhang took home a unanimous decision victory for his efforts.

Japanese veteran Kazuki Tokudome came back from being dominated in the first round, to stopping Australian powerhouse Adrian “The Hunter” Pang in the second with a fierce offensive, winning via technical knockout. The two warriors traded their best offense from the opening bell, tagging each other with powerful combinations. After a Tokudome left straight opened up a cut above Pang’s left eye in the second round however, the official physician deemed Pang unable to continue and Tokudome was awarded the victory.

Cyprus’ Savvas “The Baby Face Killer” Michael put together a spectacular performance, defeating multiple-time Muay Thai World Champion Singtongnoi Por Telakun in a ONE Super Series Muay Thai flyweight contest. Michael’s long reach and pinpoint accurate striking proved to be a problem for the Thai striker, as the Cypriot kept Singtongnoi constantly at the end of his combinations throughout the contest. In the end, all three judges scored the bout in favor of Michael to win by unanimous decision.

Thai superstar Superlek Kiatmoo9 turned in a scintillating performance, punishing opponent Rui Botelho of Portugal for three rounds en route to a unanimous decision victory in a ONE Super Series Muay Thai flyweight bout. After dropping Botelho in the first round with an overhand right, Superlek proceeded to pick Botelho apart for the duration of the contest, showcasing his complete arsenal of offensive weapons. Botelho had his moments, but they were few and far between. In the end, all three judges scored the bout in favor of Superlek.

Former WFL World Champion Pieter “The Archangel” Buist of The Netherlands made a successful ONE Championship debut, coming from behind to topple Japanese grappler Kota “Kong” Shimoishi. After getting controlled on the ground in the first round by the stronger wrestler in Shimoishi, Buist came alive in the second round, connecting on a handful of significant strikes including a right straight that wobbled his Japanese opponent. Buist followed up by landing three technical ground knees to earn the stoppage victory.

Former ONE World Title challenger Janet “JT” Todd of the United States made a triumphant return to the ONE Circle, dominating and then finishing opponent Wang Chin Long of Chinese Taiwan. Todd was faster and sharper with her strikes up to the finish, as Wang played defense for the majority of the contest. Todd dropped Wang three times in round two, earning her a technical knockout in the final second of the frame.

Kicking off ONE: WARRIORS OF LIGHT were strawweights Ovais “The Enigma” Shah of Pakistan and “Wolf of the Grasslands” Hexigetu of China. The two athletes put together a highly-competitive technical battle featuring Shah’s rangey striking and Hexigetu’s wrestling. In the end however, it was Hexigetu who emerged victorious, earning the judges’ nod to win by unanimous decision.

Official results for ONE: WARRIORS OF LIGHT
ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Championship bout: Nong-O Gaiyanghadao defeats Hiroaki Suzuki by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 5 rounds
ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Championship bout: Petchdam Petchyindee Academy defeats Elias Mahmoudi by Technical Decision (TD)
Mixed Martial Arts Bantamweight bout: Shoko Sato defeats Mark Fairtex Abelardo by TKO (Strikes) at 1:58 minutes of round 2
Muay Thai Flyweight bout: Rodtang Jitmuangnon defeats Sok Thy by Knockout (KO) at 1:36 minutes of round 2
Mixed Martial Arts Strawweight bout: Pongsiri Mitsatit defeats Robin Catalan by Knockout (KO) at 3:05 minutes of round 1
Kickboxing Bantamweight bout: Zhang Chenglong defeats Panicos Yusuf by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Mixed Martial Arts Lightweight bout: Kazuki Tokudome defeats Adrian Pang by TKO (Doctor Stoppage) at 1:27 minutes of round 2
Muay Thai Flyweight bout: Savvas Michael defeats Singtongnoi Por Telakun by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Muay Thai Flyweight bout: Superlek Kiatmoo9 defeats Rui Botelho by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Mixed Martial Arts Lightweight bout: Pieter Buist defeats Kota Shimoishi by Knockout (KO) at 3:55 minutes of round 2
Kickboxing Women’s Atomweight bout: Janet Todd defeats Wang Chin Long by Technical Knockout (TKO) at 2:59 minutes of round 2
Mixed Martial Arts Strawweight bout: Hexigetu defeats Ovais Shah by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

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

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship (ONE) is the largest global sports media property in Asian history, and the largest producer of millennial live sports content in Asia. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE is the Home of Martial Arts, and is the world’s largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more. ONE hosts the biggest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world’s best martial artists and world champions on the largest global media broadcast in Asia. ONE eSports, a subsidiary of ONE Championship, runs Asia’s largest global eSports Championship Series with some of the biggest blockbuster game titles in the world. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 2.6 billion potential viewers across 140+ countries with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Startimes, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, Great Sports, Tencent, Star TV, Mediaset Italia, ProSiebenSat.1, Dubai Sports, Turner Sports, and more.




Video: UFC 237 Embedded: Vlog Series – Episode 5




UFC Superstar Megan Anderson to Join Warfare Sports Broadcast Team

Las Vegas, NV (May 10, 2019)- Boxing’s newest digital platform, Warfare Sports is pleased to announce that it has added UFC featherweight contender Megan Anderson to it’s broadcast lineup.

Anderson of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia will make her 1st broadcast appearance after her May 18th fight Felicia Spencer.

Anderson has a record of 9-3 and is coming off a TKO win over former UFC world title challenger Cat Zingano.

Anderson is a six-year professional, and is considered one of the top featherweight’s in the world.

“I’m excited to be joining the Warfare Sports team in an analyst role in 2019. Aside from actually fighting myself, analyzing fights, and interacting with high-level fighters is what I love to do. I’m honored to be a part of this new venture. I can’t wait to get started!” said Anderson

“We are very happy to add someone like Megan Anderson to our broadcast team. She will serve in a variety of roles, and will give a fighter’s perspective. She has fought many of the top fighters in the UFC and we are looking forward to her analysis of the fights,” said Warfare Sports CEO, Jesse Carstairs.

Warfare Sports will present it’s Inaugural fight tonight from The 2300 Arena in Philadelphia with undefeated super middleweight Kalvin Henderson battling Antowyan Aikens in the main event.

The action will be called by International Boxing Hall of Famer Al Bernstein and 18- year boxing insider Marc Abrams.

This Friday event will be available on www.warfaresports.com . The downloadable app, Roku, Apple, Android, Amazon Fire and Smart TV will be available soon.




VIDEO: UFC 237 Embedded: Vlog Series – Episode 1




VIDEO: UFC 237 Countdown: Full Episode




JONATHAN HAGGERTY CAPTURES ONE FLYWEIGHT MUAY THAI WORLD TITLE WITH UPSET OF SAM-A GAIYANGHADAO

3 May 2019 – Jakarta, Indonesia: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), put together another spectacular event at the Istora Senayan. The bustling Indonesian capital of Jakarta played host to ONE: FOR HONOR, which featured the absolute best in local and international martial arts talent. In the main event, England’s Jonathan Haggerty scored a huge upset, capturing the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Championship with a unanimous decision victory over Sam-A Gaiyanghadao.

Visit the official ONE: FOR HONOR photo gallery by clicking: https://bit.ly/onephotos

In an exciting main event at ONE: FOR HONOR, England’s Jonathan “The General” Haggerty scored two knockdowns en route to a unanimous decision victory over Muay Thai legend Sam-A Gaiyanghadao in a close contest. The two striking superstars immediately engaged in a back-and-forth war of attrition from the very first round, tagging each other with powerful combinations. A left jab in the third round dropped Sam-A, as did another left jab in the fifth round. The action was fierce and intense all throughout the contest. In the end all three judges scored the bout in favor of Haggerty who was crowned the new ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion.

In the co-main event of the evening, Kyrgyzstan’s Kiamrian Abbasov spoiled the promotional debut of Japanese mixed martial arts legend Yushin “Thunder” Okami, stopping the welterweight standout in the second round with a plethora of strikes from the top. The first round saw Okami use his veteran savvy to keep Abbasov timid, but Abbasov made a huge adjustment by being more aggressive in the second. After sending Okami crashing to the canvas care of a straight right hand, Abbasov jumped all over him with punches to force the stoppage.

Former ONE Featherweight World Champion Marat “Cobra” Gafurov of Russia authored a dominant performance, outworking opponent Tetsuya Yamada of Japan across three rounds to win a wide unanimous decision. Gafurov spent the majority of the bout in top position, punishing Yamada with ground-and-pound as the Japanese martial artist tried his best to defend himself intelligently. In the end, the relentless pressure of Gafurov proved too much as the Russian stalwart walked away with all three of the judges’ favor.

In a ONE Super Series Bantamweight Muay Thai contest, Yodpanomrung “The Lightning Knee” Jitmuangnon of Thailand turned in a thrilling performance, stopping Tyler Hardcastle of Australia abruptly to end matters in the third and final round. All throughout the bout, Yodpanomrung appeared a step faster and a shade more powerful than Hardcastle, who put forth a valiant effort despite the loss. Collapsing to the canvas from a flying knee right to the midsection, Hardcastle could not beat the 10 count and the referee waved him off.

In a highly-anticipated women’s atomweight showdown, hometown heroine Priscilla Hertati Lumban Gaol put forth a monstrous effort, dominating Cambodian Kun Khmer World Champion Nou Srey Pov over three rounds to score a unanimous decision win. Although Srey Pov came in with a feral appetite for victory, Lumban Gaol kept her composure and consistently mounted the pressure from start to finish. In the end, all three judges scored the bout in favor of the Indonesian.

Vietnamese-American featherweight contender Thanh Le made a successful ONE Championship debut, stopping Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Yusup “Maestro” Saadulaev of Russia in the second round with a well-placed knee. After experiencing great difficulty in dealing with Saadulaev’s grappling skills in the first round, Le knew he had to keep the bout standing in the second. A mere 12 seconds into the second stanza, and Le connected on the bout-ending maneuver to notch the exciting finish.

A fierce bantamweight showdown ensued between South Korea’s Dae Hwan “Ottogi” Kim and China’s Ayideng “The Kazakh Eagle” Jumayi. From the sound of the opening bell, the two warriors had no qualms about trading their most powerful combinations in close quarters. Kim, a former ONE World Title challenger, staggered Jumayi in the final minute of the first round with a right hook, and completed the finish with a pair of thunderous right uppercuts in the corner to earn the technical knockout victory.

ONE Championship promotional newcomer Ryogo “Kaitai” Takahashi of Japan walked away with a huge victory after stopping Malaysia’s Keanu Subba in the first round of a featherweight contest with a ferocious flurry. After a checked leg kick from Subba sent the Malaysian to the canvas, Takahashi followed his opponent and overpowered him on the ground with punches to earn the shockingly quick technical knockout.

Local stars Paul “The Great King” Lumihi and “The Terminator” Sunoto brought the Istora Senayan crowd to its feet with a spectacular showing. A patient and methodical Sunoto dominated the first round of action, as the elder Indonesian martial artist poured on the ground-and-pound early. Lumihi came alive in the second round, making the bout slightly more competitive. But in the third, Sunoto reversed the momentum, taking down Lumihi and punishing him from top position. All three judges scored the bout in favor of the veteran Sunoto.

In a ONE Super Series Bantamweight Muay Thai contest, Japan’s Kenta Yamada overcame a rough first round to put the pressure on opponent Deividas Danyla of Lithuania over the course of the three-round contest to come away with a split decision victory. Yamada found his range in the second round, tagging Danyla with lefts and rights. In the third round, Yamada pulled away ever so slightly, connecting on the cleaner more telling blows. In the end, two of the three judges scored the bout in favor of the former WBC Muay Thai Japan Champion.

Former ONE Cambodia Featherweight Grand Prix finalist Chan Rothana of Cambodia put together a scintillating performance, defeating Indonesian flyweight mixed martial arts champion Rudy “The Golden Boy” Agustian in front of the latter’s hometown crowd. The bout opened up with a spirited exchange of offense on the ground and on the feet. In the end however, it was Rothana who scored a huge technical knockout victory, overwhelming Agustian in the second round with strikes.

Scotland’s Andrew “Maddog Fairtex” Miller made a triumphant return to ONE Super Series, defeating Mohammed “Jordan Boy” Bin Mahmoud of Malaysia. In the first round, Miller scored a quick knockdown after catching a kick and then countering with a right hand that landed right on the chin of Mohammed. In the second round, Miller dropped Mohammed once again, this time with a leg kick. A dominant third round for the Scottish martial artist put the stamp on an incredible performance, as Miller walked away with a unanimous decision victory.

Strawweight standout Adrian “Papua Badboy” Mattheis of Indonesia quickly took apart Himanshu Kaushik of India, piling on the pressure from the sound of the opening bell with a good mix of striking and grappling. It wasn’t long until Kaushik would fold under the pressure, as Mattheis caught him in a rear naked choke and forced the tap.

Kicking off the action at ONE: FOR HONOR in Jakarta were local athletes “Black Ant” Guntur and Angelo “The Unicorn King” Bimoadji. As soon as the bell rang, Bimoadji immediately went for the takedown, sensing he had the advantage on the mat. He then looked to pass guard and slowly transitioned into dominant position. Once in full mount, Bimoadji transitioned into an armbar and forced the tap.

Official results for ONE: FOR HONOR
ONE Super Series Flyweight Muay Thai World Championship bout: Jonathan Haggerty defeats Sam-A Gaiyanghadao by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 5 rounds
Mixed Martial Arts Welterweight bout: Kiamrian Abbasov defeats Yushin Okami by TKO (Strikes) at 1:10 minutes of round 2
Mixed Martial Arts Catch Weight bout (71.4kg): Marat Gafurov defeats Tetsuya Yamada by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
ONE Super Series Bantamweight Muay Thai bout: Yodpanomrung Jitmuangnon defeats Tyler Hardcastle by Knockout (KO) at 2:11 minutes of round 3
Mixed Martial Arts Women’s Atomweight bout: Priscilla Hertati Lumban Gaol defeats Nou Srey Pov by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Mixed Martial Arts Featherweight bout: Thanh Le defeats Yusup Saadulaev by Knockout (KO) at 0:12 minutes of round 2
Mixed Martial Arts Bantamweight bout: Dae Hwan Kim defeats Ayideng Jumayi by TKO (Strikes) at 4:11 minutes of round 1
Mixed Martial Arts Featherweight bout: Ryogo Takahashi defeats Keanu Subba by TKO (Strikes) at 1:46 minutes of round 1
Mixed Martial Arts Bantamweight bout: Sunoto defeats Paul Lumihi by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
ONE Super Series Bantamweight Muay Thai bout: Kenta Yamada defeats Deividas Danyla by Split Decision (SD) after 3 rounds
Mixed Martial Arts Flyweight bout: Chan Rothana defeats Rudy Agustian by TKO (Strikes) at 2:50 minutes of round 2
ONE Super Series Bantamweight Muay Thai bout: Andrew Miller defeats Mohammed Bin Mahmoud by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Mixed Martial Arts Strawweight bout: Adrian Mattheis defeats Himanshu Kaushik by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 4:42 minutes of round 1
Mixed Martial Arts Strawweight bout: Angelo Bimoadji defeats Guntur by Submission (Armbar) at 4:56 minutes of round 1

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

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship (ONE) is the largest global sports media property in Asian history, and the largest producer of millennial live sports content in Asia. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE is the Home of Martial Arts, and is the world’s largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more. ONE hosts the biggest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world’s best martial artists and world champions on the largest global media broadcast in Asia. ONE eSports, a subsidiary of ONE Championship, runs Asia’s largest global eSports Championship Series with some of the biggest blockbuster game titles in the world. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 2.6 billion potential viewers across 140+ countries with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Startimes, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, Great Sports, Tencent, Star TV, Mediaset Italia, ProSiebenSat.1, Dubai Sports, Turner Sports, and more.




UFC TO HOST FIRST EVENT IN SOUTH CAROLINA, JUNE 22 AT BON SECOURS WELLNESS ARENA IN GREENVILLE

Las Vegas – For the first time in UFC® history, the promotion will head to South Carolina as it visits the city of Greenville on June 22. Thrilling matchups featuring some of UFC’s top athletes will be on display in what will be a can’t-miss event for fight fans. The main event is still to be announced.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT ON ESPN+® will stream live from Bon Secours Wellness Arena exclusively on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 22 (in both English and Spanish), with the prelims kicking off at 4 p.m. ET and airing on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes. Doors open at 3 p.m. ET.

Announced bouts on the card include:

No. 10 ranked women’s flyweight Andrea Lee (10-2, fighting out of Shreveport, La.) looks to remain undefeated in the UFC when she takes on No. 11 ranked Montana De La Rosa (10-4, fighting out of Fort Worth, Texas)
Fresh off his “Fight of the Night” bonus-earning effort in Phoenix earlier this year, Bryan Baberena (14-6, fighting out of Glendale, Ariz.) aims to put on another show for the fans when he faces Dana White: Lookin’ for a Fight signee Randy Brown (10-3, fighting out of Queens, N.Y.)
North Carolina native Allen Crowder (10-3, fighting out of Mebane, N.C.) goes for his second consecutive UFC win when he battles former kickboxing champion Jairzinho Rozenstruik (6-0, fighting out of Paramaribo, Suriname)
Dana White’s Contender Series alum Kevin Holland (15-4, fighting out of Fort Worth, Texas) intends to prove that he is the top prospect in the middleweight division by being the first man to KO Alessio Di Chirico (12-2, fighting out of Rome, Italy)
Grappling specialist Ashley Yoder (6-4, fighting out of Temecula, Calif.) hunts for her first UFC submission when she squares off with Japanese standout Syuri Kondo (6-2, fighting out of Tokyo, Japan)
Brazilian middleweight finisher Markus Perez (11-2, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) looks to spoil the UFC debut of Daniel Cormier protégé Deron Winn (5-0, fighting out of San Jose, Calif.)
Flyweight prospect Ariane Lipski (11-4, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil) aims to prove that she can compete with the best in the world when she meets veteran Molly McCann (8-2, fighting out of Liverpool, England)
Andre Ewell (13-5, fighting out of Riverside, Calif.) intends to bounce back into the win column and earn his first UFC finish by taking out Anderson dos Santos (20-7, fighting out of São Paulo, Brazil)

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

Visit the UFC® Press Portal for information and content to support your UFC coverage. Please click here to apply for the event.

Tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT ON ESPN+® go on sale Friday, May 3 at 10 a.m. ET. Tickets are available for purchase online at ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person.

UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, May 1 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, May 2 starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

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About UFC®

UFC® is a premium global sports brand and the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. UFC boasts 278 million fans worldwide and has produced over 460 events in 24 countries since its inception in 1993. Acquired in 2016 by global sports, entertainment and fashion leader Endeavor (formerly WME | IMG), together with strategic partners Silver Lake Partners and KKR, UFC is headquartered in Las Vegas with a network of employees around the world. UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe, while programming is broadcast in over 165 countries and territories to 1.0 billion TV households worldwide in over 40 different languages. UFC FIGHT PASS®, the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports, delivers exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content to fans around the world. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram: @UFC.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. It reached 2 million subscribers in less than a year and offers fans thousands of live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, along with premium editorial content.

Programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB and NHL games, exclusive UFC, Top Rank boxing and PFL fights and events, top domestic and international soccer (Serie A, MLS, FA Cup, UEFA Nations League, EFL Championship, EFL Carabao Cup, Eredivisie, and more), thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and other sports), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby and cricket, new and exclusive series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and can cancel at any time.

ESPN+ is available as an integrated part of the ESPN App (on mobile and connected devices) and ESPN.com. They are the industry-leading all-in-one digital sports platform, delivering a rich, personalized experience to tens of millions of fans every month.

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment enterprise, features more than 50 assets – eight U.S. television networks, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN International, ESPN The Magazine and more. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

About Bon Secours Wellness Arena:

Located in Greenville, SC, the Bon Secours Wellness Arena is a 15,000-seat sports and entertainment arena that hosts live events including family shows, sporting events, concerts, minor league hockey, seminars and conventions. Club seats, party suites and luxury suites with premium services concierge are available in the arena. The Bon Secours Wellness Arena is managed by the Greenville Arena District.




FORMER UFC® WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONS (#1) TYRON WOODLEY AND (#10) ROBBIE LAWLER REMATCH AT TARGET CENTER IN MINNEAPOLIS

Las Vegas – UFC® returns to Minneapolis for the first time in almost seven years with an action-packed card headlined by a thrilling rematch between former welterweight champions, as No. 1 ranked contender

Tyron Woodley takes on No. 10 Robbie Lawler. No.1 ranked flyweight contender Jussier Formiga looks to even the score against No. 2 Joseph Benavidez.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT ON ESPN®: WOODLEY vs. LAWLER 2 will air live from Target Center exclusively on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 29, with prelims kicking off at 6 p.m. ET. Doors open at 5 p.m. ET. All UFC live events on ESPN will also be available in English and Spanish.

A decorated grappler with heavy hands, Woodley (19-4-1, fighting out of St. Louis, Mo.) dethroned Lawler via first-round knockout in July 2016, before holding the welterweight championship for more than two years. During his reign, he compiled successful title defenses against Stephen Thompson, Demian Maia and Darren Till. Woodley now looks to deliver another dominant performance and work his way back to a title shot.

A dangerous KO artist, Lawler (28-13 1NC, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) first captured the championship against Johny Hendricks in late 2014. Lawler then went on to have epic title defenses against Rory MacDonald and Carlos Condit. Lawler has also netted wins over Donald Cerrone, Matt Brown and Josh Koscheck during his career. He now hopes to score a measure of revenge against Woodley to re-assert himself as a title threat.

A black belt in both Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and judo, Formiga (23-5, fighting out of Natal, Brazil) aims to avenge a 2013 loss to Benavidez. A perennial contender, he has delivered spectacular victories against Sergio Pettis, Ben Nguyen, Dustin Ortiz and Wilson Reis. He now hopes to push his win streak to four fights and secure his first UFC title shot.

A two-time title challenger, Benavidez (27-5, fighting out of Las Cruces, N.M.) has remained a top contender in the flyweight division since its inception in 2012. A talented grappler with KO power, Benavidez has picked up impressive wins over current champion Henry Cejudo, Alex Perez, Tim Elliott and Dustin Ortiz (twice). He is now ready to stop Formiga a second time to earn another crack at the belt.

Announced bouts on the card include:

Former welterweight title challenger and No. 12 ranked contender Demian Maia (26-9, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) looks to stop surging Anthony Rocco Martin (16-4, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.)
Minnesota heavyweight Maurice Greene (7-3, fighting out of St. Cloud, Minn.) looks to continue his hot streak against battle-tested Junior Albini (14-5, fighting out of Paranagua, Parana, Brazil)
In an exciting lightweight bout, Drew Dober (20-9, fighting out of Denver, Colo.) takes on Marco Polo Reyes (8-6, fighting out of Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico)
Undefeated Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series signee Alonzo Menifield (8-0, fighting out of Dallas, Tex.) meets submission ace Paul Craig (11-3, fighting out of Coatbridge, Scotland)
Chas Skelly (17-3, fighting out of Arlington, Tex.) meets Jordan Griffin (17-6, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.) in a clash of featherweight standouts
Undefeated newcomer Roman Dolidze (6-0, fighting out of Odessa, Ukraine) squares off with Vinicius Moreira (9-2, fighting out of Brasilia, Brazil)
Highly-touted light heavyweight prospect Dalcha Lungiambula (9-1, fighting out of Cape Town, South Africa) debuts against talented striker Justin Ledet (9-2 1NC, fighting out of Rosharon, Tex.)

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

Visit UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage. Please click here to apply for the event.

Tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT ON ESPN®: WOODLEY vs. LAWLER 2 go on sale Friday, May 3 at 10 a.m. CT. Tickets are available for purchase online at TargetCenter.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person.

UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, May 1 at 10 a.m. CT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, May 2 starting at 10 a.m. CT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

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About UFC®

UFC® is a premium global sports brand and the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. UFC boasts 278 million fans worldwide and has produced over 460 events in 24 countries since its inception in 1993. Acquired in 2016 by global sports, entertainment and fashion leader Endeavor (formerly WME | IMG), together with strategic partners Silver Lake Partners and KKR, UFC is headquartered in Las Vegas with a network of employees around the world. UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe, while programming is broadcast in over 165 countries and territories to 1.0 billion TV households worldwide in over 40 different languages. UFC FIGHT PASS®, the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports, delivers exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content to fans around the world. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram: @UFC.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. It reached 2 million subscribers in less than a year and offers fans thousands of live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, along with premium editorial content.

Programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB and NHL games, exclusive UFC, Top Rank boxing and PFL fights and events, top domestic and international soccer (Serie A, MLS, FA Cup, UEFA Nations League, EFL Championship, EFL Carabao Cup, Eredivisie, and more), thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and other sports), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby and cricket, new and exclusive series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and can cancel at any time.

ESPN+ is available as an integrated part of the ESPN App (on mobile and connected devices) and ESPN.com. They are the industry-leading all-in-one digital sports platform, delivering a rich, personalized experience to tens of millions of fans every month.

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment enterprise, features more than 50 assets – eight U.S. television networks, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN International, ESPN The Magazine and more. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.




AMIR KHAN STEPS IN TO FACE SAYGID GUSEYN ARSLANALIEV IN ONE LIGHTWEIGHT WORLD GRAND PRIX SEMI-FINAL ROUND

30 April 2019 – Singapore: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced that former ONE World Title challenger Amir Khan of Singapore will be stepping in to face Saygid Guseyn “Dagi” Arslanaliev of Turkey in the semi-final round of the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix at ONE: ENTER THE DRAGON which takes place Friday, 17 May at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Ticket information for ONE: ENTER THE DRAGON is available at www.onefc.com.

The 24-year old Khan takes the place of Arslanaliev’s original opponent, Ariel “Tarzan” Sexton of Costa Rica, who was forced to withdraw from the bout after suffering an injury during training.

A Singaporean Muay Thai Champion and former ONE World Title challenger, Khan has shared the Circle with some of the best that the ONE Championship lightweight division has to offer, including former ONE World Champions Eduard “Landslide” Folayang and Honorio “The Rock” Banario, as well as top contenders Adrian Pang and Timofey Nastyukhin.

Khan squares off against one of the hottest lightweight contenders today in Turkey’s Arslanaliev.

A proven finisher with all seven of his wins coming via stoppage, Arslanaliev has dominated all of the challenges he has faced so far in his young career. The 24-year old is currently riding a three-bout winning streak with victories over the likes of Tetsuya Yamada, Timofey Nastyukhin, and most recently a 25-second knockout of former ONE World Title challenger Ev Ting to advance to the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix semi-final round.

ONE: ENTER THE DRAGON features a stacked card headlined by newly-crowned ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki of Japan who is set to defend his title against rising star Christian “The Warrior” Lee of Singapore.

In the co-main event of the evening, Dutch kickboxing superstar Nieky “The Natural” Holzken will take on countryman Regian “The Immortal” Eersel for the inaugural ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Championship.

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

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship (ONE) is the largest global sports media property in Asian history, and the largest producer of millennial live sports content in Asia. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE is the Home of Martial Arts, and is the world’s largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more. ONE hosts the biggest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world’s best martial artists and world champions on the largest global media broadcast in Asia. ONE eSports, a subsidiary of ONE Championship, runs Asia’s largest global eSports Championship Series with some of the biggest blockbuster game titles in the world. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 2.6 billion potential viewers across 140+ countries with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Startimes, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, Great Sports, Tencent, Star TV, Mediaset Italia, ProSiebenSat.1, Dubai Sports, Turner Sports, and more.




ADDITIONAL BOUTS ANNOUNCED FOR ONE: ENTER THE DRAGON IN SINGAPORE ON 17 MAY

22 April 2019 – Singapore: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced additional bouts for ONE: ENTER THE DRAGON, set for 17 May at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Once again, Singapore will play host to world-class martial arts action.

The best and brightest martial arts talent in the world will descend upon the ONE Championship ring to showcase their skills. In the main event, newly-crowned ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki of Japan will defend his title against rising star Christian “The Warrior” Lee of Singapore.

Ticket information for ONE: ENTER THE DRAGON is available at www.onefc.com.

ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki is the most successful submission specialist in Asian martial arts. An iconic figure, he is known for his overpowering ground game, which had already won him titles with WAMMA, DREAM, and Shooto before he began his reign as the king of ONE Championship’s lightweight division.

Aoki is for many the face of Asia in the cage, holding an incredible slew of submission wins and almost 75 percent of his overall victories coming inside the distance. Throughout his fabled career, the Japanese lightweight legend has beaten some of the biggest names in the world, including Tatsuya Kawajiri, Caol Uno, and Eddie Alvarez.

At ONE: A NEW ERA, Aoki defeated celebrated Filipino martial artist Eduard “Landslide” Folayang to become a 2-time ONE Lightweight World Champion.

5-time Pankration World Champion Christian “The Warrior” Lee comes from a family of true martial artists. His oldest sister, ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee, is already an international star with ONE Championship, and his parents are both black belts in various disciplines who began teaching their children techniques from a very early age.

A highly-decorated martial artist, Lee holds black belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Total Defense System and is an astonishingly early achiever. In fact, he was voted Most Outstanding Athlete at the 2013 FILA World Championship after winning five World Titles across the disciplines of BJJ, pankration, mixed martial arts, and submission grappling.

In his last bout, Lee defeated Team Lakay veteran Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly of the Philippines via first-round technical knockout. He now moves up to lightweight to challenge Aoki for the ONE Lightweight World Title.

In the co-main event of the evening, Dutch kickboxing superstar Nieky “The Natural” Holzken will take on countryman Regian “The Immortal” Eersel for the inaugural ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Championship.

Holzken is a multiple-time kickboxing World Champion who began boxing at the age of 10, later expanding on his skills to add kickboxing and Muay Thai to his repertoire.

Holzken competed extensively in all three disciplines, compiling over 100 combined wins on his way to Dutch and European championships, as well as several World Titles. A sensational striker, Holzken’s entertaining style has already seen him secure almost 50 knockouts in kickboxing and an additional 11 in the boxing ring.

Eersel, meanwhile, represents the famed Sityodtong Amsterdam Muay Thai camp and has made a name for himself as a Lion Fight Super Middleweight World Champion and an MFC Kickboxing World Champion.

He first began his martial arts journey by training in taekwondo at the age of eight. After experiencing success in taekwondo competition as well as amateur kickboxing, Eersel decided to turn professional and has since put together an incredible record of success.

The ONE Super Series Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix kicks off at ONE: ENTER THE DRAGON, featuring eight of the world’s best kickboxers.

Two-division Lumpinee Stadium World Champion and WMC World Champion Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy of Thailand draws 2-time K-1 World Max Champion Giorgio “The Doctor” Petrosyan of Italy in the first round, while two-division Lion Fight World Champion Smokin’ Jo Nattawut of Thailand faces 2-time K-1 World Max Champion Andy “Souwer Power” Souwer of Amsterdam

In the other bracket, the legendary Yodsanklai “The Hero” IWE Fairtex of Thailand takes on WBC and A1 Muay Thai World Champion Samy “AK47” Sana of France, while 2-time Russian Challenge and 2-time TNA Kickboxing World Champion Dzhabar “Gengis Khan” Askerov of Russia takes on former K-1 World Champion Enriko “The Hurricane” Kehl of Germany.

Multiple-time Karate World Champion Sage Northcutt stands tall among the brightest young mixed martial arts stars of today. A lifelong martial artist, Northcutt has been training under the instruction of his father ever since he was four years old, and he was an incredibly accomplished athlete in the discipline of karate. He won an astounding 77 World Titles as a youth and was even inducted into the Black Belt Magazine Hall of Fame in 2012.

Northcutt rose to prominence quickly in mixed martial arts, beginning his slate with seven straight wins in top North American promotions. In 2018, he joined the world’s best martial artists in ONE Championship on the back of three straight victories. He now makes his promotional debut against Cosmo “Good Boy” Alexandre.

Alexandre is an accomplished kickboxer and is a Lion Fight Super Middleweight World Champion and it’s Showtime 77MAX World Champion.

Like many Brazilians, Alexandre played football in the streets from a very young age. He even had a blossoming career as a professional footballer, but he gave it all up at the age of 19 to pursue Muay Thai instead. It turned out to be one of the best decisions he ever made.

Alexandre has since put together a phenomenal combat sports career, winning numerous World Titles in both Muay Thai and kickboxing. Known as one of the best strikers Brazil has ever produced, Alexandre has faced some of the biggest names in the striking arena, including the likes of John Wayne Parr, Sakmongkol Sithchuchok, Yodsanklai Fairtex, and Giorgio Petrosyan.

On top of his striking career, however, Alexandre is also mixed martial artist riding a seven-bout winning streak. He is now tasked to welcome Northcutt to the world’s largest martial arts organization.

In the semi-final round of the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix, Costa Rica’s Ariel “Tarzan” Sexton goes head-to-head against Turkish sensation Saygid “Dagi” Guseyn Arslanaliev.

Sexton is a 2-time Costa Rica BJJ National Champion whose passion for martial arts was born after witnessing the art of Muay Thai on a trip to Thailand when he was young. But it wasn’t until he started training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu however when he truly shined. Today, Sexton owns a black belt in BJJ under the legendary Renzo Gracie.

Arslanaliev, on the other hand, is a Dagestani BJJ Champion who took up martial arts when he was just five years old. He went on to place on the podium at numerous BJJ tournaments around Europe, even earning the title of Azerbaijan Open BJJ Champion. In wushu, he is a former Russian and Armenian national champion, as well as a three-time champion in both Azerbaijan and Dagestan, showcasing his all-around skill set.

Singaporean Muay Thai champion and former ONE World Title contender Amir Khan makes his return to the ONE Championship stage when he faces promotional newcomer Iurie Lapicus of Italy.

Khan has faced the biggest names in ONE Championship’s lightweight division, including former ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard Folayang just last November. He is now tasked to welcome Lapicus in his ONE Championship debut.

Singapore-based Muay Thai legend and former ONE Strawweight World Champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke soldiers on as he locks horns with China’s Miao Li Tao.

Dejdamrong is a multiple-time Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Champion across different divisions. As a professional, he would compete multiple times each month and was a veteran of over 300 bouts by the time he retired from the sport. He transitioned to mixed martial arts in 2014 and has since put together an impressive winning record.

Miao began training in wushu when he was young in order to protect himself from bullying. Making martial arts his professional career, Miao later moved to Beijing where he now trains at Fight Brothers camp, where he has picked up Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and sharpens his growing skills among some of the finest Chinese martial artists today.

Former ONE World Champions Alex “Little Rock” Silva of Brazil and Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito of Japan will meet head-on inside the ring for the third time in this highly-anticipated trilogy bout.

The two met twice before, the first encounter ending in a dominant victory for Silva which saw the Brazilian capture the ONE Strawweight World Title in a dominant performance. Months later, Naito exacted revenge on his conqueror and took back the World Title via close split decision. Now at one win apiece, Silva and Naito look to settle the score in their epic rivalry.

Submission grappling superstar Garry “The Lion Killer” Tonon of the United States makes a quick turnaround to face Yoshiki Nakahara of Japan in a featherweight contest.

Tonon has impressed so far in his time in the ONE Championship Circle, winning all four of his bouts up to this point by scintillating finish. In his most recent outing, Tonon methodically broke down Dutch-Indonesian featherweight Anthony Engelen at ONE: A NEW ERA in Tokyo. The American now jumps up to face perhaps the toughest test of his career thus far in Nakahara, who is a former Gladiator Featherweight Champion.

Former ONE World Title challenger Mei “V.V” Yamaguchi of Japan takes on China’s Meng Bo.

Yamaguchi is a veteran of the Asian women’s mixed martial arts scene and has challenged for the ONE Women’s Strawweight World Title twice so far in her career. With a great mix of powerful striking and impeccable grappling, Yamaguchi emerges as one of her division’s top contenders. She now welcomes 2-time Chinese mixed martial arts champion Meng Bo to ONE Championship.

Lastly, Singapore’s Rahul “The Kerala Krusher” Raju takes on the Philippines’ Richard “Notorious” Corminal in an exciting preliminary contest.

More bouts at ONE: ENTER THE DRAGON to be announced at a later date.

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

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship (ONE) is the largest global sports media property in Asian history, and the largest producer of millennial live sports content in Asia. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE is the Home of Martial Arts, and is the world’s largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more. ONE hosts the biggest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world’s best martial artists and world champions on the largest global media broadcast in Asia. ONE eSports, a subsidiary of ONE Championship, runs Asia’s largest global eSports Championship Series with some of the biggest blockbuster game titles in the world. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 2.6 billion potential viewers across 140+ countries with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Startimes, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, Great Sports, Tencent, Star TV, Mediaset Italia, ProSiebenSat.1, Dubai Sports, Turner Sports, and more.




COMPLETE CARD ANNOUNCED FOR ONE: WARRIORS OF LIGHT IN BANGKOK ON 10 MAY

18 April 2019 – Bangkok, Thailand: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced the complete card for ONE: WARRIORS OF LIGHT, set for the Impact Arena in Bangkok for Friday, 10 May. Once again, Thailand will play host to another world-class evening of martial arts action. The very best in local and international martial arts talent will showcase their skills on the ONE Championship stage.

In the main event, reigning ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nong-O Gaiyanghadao of Thailand will defend his title against Hiroaki Suzuki of Japan. In the co-main event, Muay Thai superstar Petchdam Petchyindee Academy of Thailand takes on Elias “The Sniper” Mahmoudi of Algeria for the inaugural ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Championship.

Ticket information for ONE: WARRIORS OF LIGHT is available at www.onefc.com.

A living legend in the world of Muay Thai, multiple-time World Champion Nong-O Gaiyanghadao has captured nearly every major accolade in the sport and is considered one of the greatest strikers of all time.

Born to a family of farmers, Nong-O began his Muay Thai career at the tender age of nine. After a few years of sharpening his skills, he decided to leave home for Bangkok when he was 14 years old to pursue Muay Thai full-time, both living and training at his camp.

Nong-O made his first appearance at the famed Rajadamnern stadium a year later, winning a decision in an undercard bout. This set off an incredible run of success across over 300 bouts, including two Thailand national Muay thai championships, four Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Championships in different divisions, and a Rajadamnern Stadium Muay Thai World Championship.

Earlier this year, Nong-O captured the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title with a unanimous decision victory over China’s Han Zi Hao at ONE: CLASH OF LEGENDS. He is now set to make the first defense of his World Title against Japan’s Hiroaki “Kaibutsukun” Suzuki.

Japanese striker Suzuki is one of the most exciting talents in ONE Super Series. He burst onto the scene with a spectacular performance against Deividas Danyla last November, and then followed up the victory with another scintillating showing against Mohammed “Jordan Boy” Bin Mahmoud last January.

Now, Suzuki enters the biggest bout of his career thus far, as he challenges Nong-O Gaiyanghadao for the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title.

In the co-main event of the evening, Thailand’s very own Petchdam “Baby Shark” Petchyindee Academy attempts to make history as the first ever ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion when he takes on opponent Elias “The Sniper” Mahmoudi.

Petchdam is a multiple-time Muay Thai World Champion known for his devastating left kick, which is responsible for the majority of his wins. He trains out of the famed Petchyindee Academy in Bangkok alongside fellow Muay Thai World Champions Petchmorakot and Sorgraw. Over the course of his stellar career, the Thai hero has claimed several prestigious accolades, including Lumpinee Stadium and WBC World Muay Thai Championships, as well as a Toyota Marathon Tournament Title.

Now Petchdam has the opportunity to add the most valuable prize in martial arts to his trophy case — the ONE World Title.

Mahmoudi, on the other hand, is also a multiple-time Muay Thai World Champion who has trained in the sport since he was just five years of age. His competitive fire would see him fly to Muay Thai’s home country of Thailand at the age of nine, where he won his first professional bout with a flying knee knockout to earn the nickname of “The Sniper.”

Over the course of his career thus far, Mahmoudi has already compiled an excellent winning record with several knockouts on the way to World Titles in WMF, WPMF, and MTGP. He now looks forward to his first ONE World Title opportunity.

Japanese lightweight standout Kazuki Tokudome is back in action as he faces tough veteran Adrian “The Hunter” Pang of Australia in a three-round lightweight contest.

Tokudome is a former Pancrase Lightweight World Champion who trains out of Paraestra Hachioji in his native Japan, while Pang is a former Legend FC Lightweight Champion known for his extreme toughness and durability. The two warriors will throw down in what should be a clash of highly-aggressive come-forward action stars who bring fans to the edge of their seats.

Muay Thai superstar Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon of Thailand will once again showcase his incredible striking skills, this time against Cambodia’s Sok Thy.

Like many Thai warriors before him, two-time Omnoi Stadium Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang started training at a young age when he was just seven years old. He had his first professional Muay Thai bout at the age of 10.

Rodtang initially trained at a small camp in his hometown of Pattalung, but soon began traveling to the famed Jitmuangnon Camp in Bangkok in pursuit of better training. He would make the move permanent in order to train full-time and pursue his dreams of becoming a World Champion.

Sok Thy, meanwhile, is a Cambodian National Kun Khmer Champion. His father sent Thy and his older brother to a live-in training camp when he was just seven years old. A phenomenally hard worker, Thy already has hundreds of bouts under his belt. He even competed for a Muay Thai title in Thailand’s famed Lumpinee Stadium in 2017, and is the first Cambodian to ever do so.

Japanese mixed martial arts star Kota “Kong” Shimoishi will take on the Netherlands’ Pieter “The Archangel” Bruist. Shimoishi is a former Shooto Welterweight Tournament Champion while Bruist is a WFL World Champion. The two figure in a three round lightweight mixed martial arts contest.

Japanese bantamweight hopeful Shoko Sato is set to make his ONE Championship debut against New Zealand’s Mark “Tyson” Fairtex Abelardo in what should be an action-packed matchup.

Sato is a former Shooto Bantamweight Champion and a mixed martial arts veteran who is known for his knockout power. Nearly half of Sato’s overall victories have come by knockout finish. Abelardo, on the other hand, is a winner of the prestigious ONE Warrior Series and is also known for his finishing ability. This clash is guaranteed to produce fireworks as both competitors know not how to back down.

Local hero Pongsiri “The Smiling Assassin” Mitsatit of Thailand makes his highly-anticipated return to action opposite Robin “The Ilonggo” Catalan of the Philippines.

Mitsatit is a Chiang Mai Muay Thai Champion who decided to pick up Muay Thai to learn how to protect himself, as well as help to support his family financially. Through his hard work and talent, he soon ran up an impressive 72-17 record. Mitsatit made his professional mixed martial arts debut in 2014, and has rapidly emerged as one of Thailand’s most exciting talents.

Catalan is a Muay Thai World Champion who started training in martial arts in 2006 with hopes of following in the footsteps of his older brother Rene, a multiple-time wushu world champion. He would go on to win numerous tournaments in both wushu and Muay Thai, including the Philippines National Wushu Sanda Championship in 2007 and 2008, and a IFMA Muay Thai World Championship in 2011.

Former CMSL Champion “Wolf of the Grasslands” Hexigetu of China will figure in what is expected to be an intense strawweight showdown with ONE Championship newcomer, Dangal Grappling Champion Ovais “The Enigma” Shah of Pakistan. The two square off in a three-round strawweight contest that features an interesting clash of styles.

Top King Muay Thai World Champion “Muay Thai Boy” Zhang Chenglong of China will take on two-time Muay Thai World Champion Panicos Yusuf of Cyprus in a ONE Super Series kickboxing contest.

Two-time Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Champion and superstar Superlek Kiatmoo9 of Thailand will return to the ONE Championship stage to face WKA European Champion Rui Botelho of Portugal in a ONE Super Series Muay Thai showdown.

Lumpinee Stadium World Champion and Muay Thai legend Singtongnoi Por Telakun of Thailand will face WMC Muay Thai World Champion Savvas Michael of Cyprus in a ONE Super Series Muay Thai contest.

Former ONE World Title challenger Janet “JT” Todd of the United States will take on Chinese striker and former WAKO Champion Chin Long Wang in the first bout of the evening to kick off ONE: WARRIORS OF LIGHT.




UFC® INTERNATIONAL FIGHT WEEKÔ HEADLINED BY TWO BLOCKBUSTER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTS

Las Vegas – The eighth annual International Fight WeekÔ will feature a stacked card headlined by a pair of thrilling world championship fights streaming exclusively on ESPN+. Light heavyweight champion and No. 2 ranked pound-for-pound fighter Jon Jones defends against dangerous No. 3 ranked contender Thiago Santos. Also, two-division champion and No. 6 pound-for-pound fighter Amanda Nunes puts her bantamweight belt on the line against former titleholder and No. 2 ranked Holly Holm.

UFC® 239: JONES vs. SANTOS takes place Saturday, July 6 at T-Mobile Arena and will stream live nationally on Pay-Per-View exclusively through ESPN+ in the U.S. at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT in both English and Spanish. ESPN+ is the exclusive provider of all UFC Pay-Per-View events to fans in the United States as part of an agreement announced last month and continuing through 2025.

Fans will be able to purchase UFC® 239: JONES vs. SANTOS online at ESPNPlus.com/PPV and then will be able to watch it via the web or on the ESPN App on any connected device. ESPN+ is available as an integrated part of the ESPN app on all major mobile and connected TV devices and platforms, including Amazon Fire, Apple, Android, Chromecast, PS4, Roku, Samsung Smart TVs, X Box One and more.

Preliminary fights will air nationally in English and Spanish on ESPN and ESPN Deportes television networks starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT with the early prelims simulcast on UFC Fight Pass and ESPN+ at 6:15 p.m. ET/3:15 p.m. PT.

Arguably the most dominant champion in UFC light heavyweight history, Jones (24-1 1NC, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) will go for his third title fight victory in less than seven months. Over the course of his career, he’s taken out the biggest names in MMA. Jones holds spectacular wins over Daniel Cormier, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, Shogun Rua, Lyoto Machida and Alexander Gustafsson (twice). He once again aims to steal the show against one of the division’s toughest strikers.

A vicious KO artist, Santos (21-6, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) turned heads when he joined the 205-pound weight class less than a year ago. Since the move, he has netted incredible knockout victories against Jan B?achowicz, Jimi Manuwa and Eryk Anders. Santos has also earned an impressive TKO finish over recent title challenger Anthony Smith. The heavy-handed kickboxer now looks to put on another striking clinic and capture his first UFC world championship.

The first woman to hold championships in two UFC divisions, Nunes (17-4, fighting out of Miami, Fla. by way of Pojuca, Brazil) made history by knocking out Cris Cyborg in only 51 seconds to secure the featherweight championship this past December. Considered to be the greatest female fighter in MMA history, she has also finished former champs Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate, as well as Olympic silver medalist Sara McMann. Nunes now has her sights set on the bantamweight division’s most decorated striker.

Former champion Holm (12-4, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) turned the MMA world on its head following a highlight-reel head-kick KO win over previously unbeaten Ronda Rousey in 2015 to capture the title. A multiple time boxing and kickboxing champion, she has also delivered sensational victories against former title challengers Bethe Correia and Raquel Pennington. She is now gunning to reclaim her championship and hand Nunes her first loss in more than four years.

Additional bouts on the card include:

In a battle of heavyweight KO artists, No. 2 ranked contender Francis Ngannou (13-3, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. by way of Batie, Cameroon) locks horns with former champion and No. 3 Junior Dos Santos (21-5, fighting out of Salvador, Brazil)
Surging welterweight contenders collide as No. 4 ranked Jorge Masvidal (33-13, fighting out of Miami, Fla.) takes on undefeated No. 5 Ben Askren (19-0 1NC, fighting out of Hartland, Wisc.)
No. 6 ranked light heavyweight contender Jan B?achowicz (23-8, fighting out of Warsaw, Poland) welcomes No. 2 ranked middleweight Luke Rockhold (16-4, fighting out of Santa Cruz, Calif.) to the 205-pound division
In a clash of The Ultimate Fighter winners, season one champ Diego Sanchez (31-11, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) faces season 15 victor Michael Chiesa (15-4, fighting out of Spokane Valley, Wash.)

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

Visit UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage. Please click here to apply for the event.

Tickets for UFC® 239: JONES vs. SANTOS go on sale Friday, April 19 at 10 a.m. PT. Tickets are available for purchase online at www.axs.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person.

UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, April 17 at 10 a.m. PT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, April 18 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

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About UFC®

UFC® is a premium global sports brand and the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. UFC boasts 278 million fans worldwide and has produced over 460 events in 24 countries since its inception in 1993. Acquired in 2016 by global sports, entertainment and fashion leader Endeavor (formerly WME | IMG), together with strategic partners Silver Lake Partners and KKR, UFC is headquartered in Las Vegas with a network of employees around the world. UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe, while programming is broadcast in over 165 countries and territories to 1.0 billion TV households worldwide in over 40 different languages. UFC FIGHT PASS®, the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports, delivers exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content to fans around the world. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram: @UFC.

About T-Mobile Arena

T-Mobile Arena, the 20,000-seat venue located on the Las Vegas Strip between Park MGM and New York-New York, opened April 6, 2016. The arena hosts more than 100 events annually including major headline entertainment, awards shows, UFC, boxing, basketball and other sporting events, family shows and special events. T-Mobile Arena also is the home of the Vegas Golden Knights, a National Hockey League expansion team and the city’s first professional sports team. The city’s newest landmark, recently named the No. 1 venue on Billboard Magazine’s 2018 Arena Power List as well as the “Best New Major Concert Venue” by Pollstar Magazine, features 50 luxury suites, more than two dozen private loge boxes, complete broadcast facilities, and other specially designed exclusive hospitality offerings and fan amenities destined to create a guest experience second to none. Toshiba Plaza, an adjacent two-acre outdoor entertainment space, features performance stages, a variety of video screens and other interactive content and display areas. Industry-leading architect Populous designed T-Mobile Arena to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s standards for LEED® Gold Certification. T-Mobile Arena is a privately funded joint venture between AEG and MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM). For more information, visit T-MobileArena.com or follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About ESPN+

ESPN+, which surpassed one million paying subscribers in just five months, is the premium multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN.

ESPN+ offers UFC fans 20 exclusive UFC on ESPN+ Fight Nights per year, as well as an extensive lineup of on-demand UFC programming, original shows (including “Dana White’s Contender Series”), classic fights and more. In addition to live and on-demand UFC content included in the ESPN+ subscription, fight fans will be able to purchase and watch UFC PPV events via ESPN+ and within the ESPN app, for a separate cost.

In addition to UFC, ESPN+ offers fans thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, as well as premium editorial content. ESPN+ is an integrated part of the ESPN App, the leading sports app and the premier all-in-one digital sports platform for fans. The ESPN App is available across nearly all major mobile and connected device platforms and delivers a rich, personalized experience that curates ESPN’s content around each fan’s individual tastes. ESPN+ is also be available through ESPN.com.

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment enterprise, features more than 50 assets – eight U.S. television networks, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN International, ESPN The Magazine and more. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.




ONE CHAMPIONSHIP ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH GLOBAL ASSOCIATION OF MIXED MARTIAL ARTS (GAMMA)

16 April 2019 – Singapore: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced a multi-year seven-figure partnership with Global Association of Mixed Martial Arts (GAMMA), the independent governing body for the sport of mixed martial arts worldwide.

Based in Amsterdam, GAMMA is a non-profit organization founded in 2018 made up of thought leaders and pioneers in mixed martial arts across five continents with decades of experience in the sport. GAMMA is headed by its President, Alexander Engelhardt, and its members are made up of national federations across over 60 countries.

GAMMA’s objective is to obtain international recognition for mixed martial arts as an Olympic sport, in order to give all amateur mixed martial artists the platform and opportunity to fulfill their dream of competing on the Olympic stage.

As part of this partnership, ONE Championship will support GAMMA’s efforts to obtain Olympic recognition for mixed martial arts. In addition, ONE will also work with GAMMA to develop and promote best practices in health and safety standards, anti-doping regulations, and competition rules for the daily safe practice of competitive mixed martial arts at the amateur level.

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “ONE Championship is thrilled to announce a multi-year partnership with GAMMA, the world’s independent governing body of the sport of mixed martial arts. As a lifelong martial artist, I am personally invested in developing the amateur mixed martial arts scene, and ensuring that all athletes have the right foundation and support to pursue a professional career in this sport.”

With support from ONE Championship, GAMMA is set to hold its Amateur MMA World Championships in Singapore this November, showcasing the world’s biggest and brightest young martial arts talents on the most prestigious global amateur mixed martial arts platform.

Alexander Engelhardt, President of GAMMA, stated: “On behalf of GAMMA, I would like to thank ONE Championship for their support and commitment to the sport of mixed martial arts. As a lifelong karate practitioner, I am passionate about delivering the same level of international recognition to the discipline of mixed martial arts. Both GAMMA and ONE celebrate the authentic martial arts values of integrity, humility, honor, respect, courage, discipline, and compassion in the same spirit as the Olympics. With this philosophical foundation, GAMMA and ONE aim to elevate the sport of mixed martial arts and prepare it for entry into the Olympics.”

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

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship (ONE) is the largest global sports media property in Asian history, and the largest producer of millennial live sports content in Asia. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE is the Home of Martial Arts, and is the world’s largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more. ONE hosts the biggest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world’s best martial artists and world champions on the largest global media broadcast in Asia. ONE eSports, a subsidiary of ONE Championship, runs Asia’s largest global eSports Championship Series with some of the biggest blockbuster game titles in the world. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 2.6 billion potential viewers across 140+ countries with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Startimes, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, Great Sports, Tencent, Star TV, Mediaset Italia, ProSiebenSat.1, Dubai Sports, Turner Sports, and more.




RICH “ACE” FRANKLIN NAMED TO UFC HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2019

Las Vegas ­– UFC® today announced that former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin has been named to the UFC Hall of Fame class of 2019 as a Pioneer. The 2019 UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by Toyo Tires®, will take place on Friday, July 5 in Las Vegas. The event will be streamed live and exclusively on UFC FIGHT PASS®.

“Rich Franklin is one of the original, big stars of UFC, from when we first bought the company,” UFC President Dana White said. “Rich helped us take the sport of mixed martial arts to another level and put UFC on the map during the early days. Rich has always been a class act. He’s a guy who would fight anyone and do whatever it took to help grow the sport of MMA. He is a true legend and I’m honored to call him my friend.”

Franklin will enter the UFC Hall of Fame as the 16th member of the Pioneer Era wing. The Pioneers Era category includes athletes who turned professional before November 17, 2000 (when the unified rules of mixed martial arts were adopted), are a minimum age of 35, or have been retired for one year or more.

“This induction is less of my doing and more of the culmination of the many hours each coach, training partner and my manager spent with me,” said Franklin. “So often people talk about the sacrifices an athlete has to make to succeed, but my friends and family sacrificed far more for my career. Few people in this world live out a childhood dream and turn a hobby into a career, let alone end with Hall of Fame recognition, and God has blessed me with both. I am humbled by the support of my fans over the years and those particularly persistent on this induction.”

A veteran of 37 professional fights during his 13-year career, Franklin compiled a record of 29-7, 1 NC (14-6 UFC), which included wins over UFC Hall of Famers Ken Shamrock and Chuck Liddell, former UFC middleweight champion Evan Tanner, and former PRIDE® middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva.

Franklin made his UFC debut as a light heavyweight on Saturday, April 25, 2003 at UFC® 42: SUDDEN IMPACT, defeating Evan Tanner via TKO (punches) in the first round. After winning his first three UFC bouts, Rich would headline UFC’s first-ever live network cable show, The Ultimate Fighter® 1 Finale, against Ken Shamrock. Franklin defeated Shamrock via TKO in the first round, earning him a title shot in a rematch against UFC middleweight champion Evan Tanner at UFC® 53: HEAVY HITTERS.

UFC® 53: HEAVY HITTERS took place on June 4, 2005 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey and would mark Franklin’s first UFC bout at middleweight. Tanner, in his first title defense, entered UFC 53 having won eight of his previous 10 UFC fights, losing only to Franklin and UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz during a five-year stretch.

Franklin and Tanner both came out aggressive from the beginning, exchanging punches and kicks throughout the first round, with Evan landing a right hand that floored “Ace” with :30 seconds left, stealing the round. Franklin recovered for the second round, setting the pace through the fourth round, out-striking Tanner. At the 3:25 mark of the fourth round, the bout was stopped by the New Jersey State Athletic Commission doctor due to a large cut over Tanner’s left eye. As a result of his victory, Rich earned a spot as a coach for season 2 of The Ultimate Fighter®, opposite his good friend, UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes.

Franklin, who won his first seven UFC fights, successfully defended his middleweight title against Nate Quarry and David Loiseau, before losing the belt to Anderson Silva in October 2006. Franklin’s career was far from over after his lost to Silva, as he repeatedly battled the best inside the Octagon, compiling seven more wins before retiring in 2012. Following his UFC career, Rich became a combat sports executive, joining ONE Championship as Vice President in 2014.

A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Franklin earned both his Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Master’s degree in Education from the University of Cincinnati. Rich began his post-college career as an educator, teaching math at Oak Hills High School in Cincinnati. His unique path to the Octagon led Franklin to become one of the sport’s most respected and popular ambassadors, as he helped to educate a generation of fans about MMA, making him a key figure in the growth of UFC following the first season of The Ultimate Fighter.

The remaining inductees of the UFC Hall of Fame class of 2019 will be announced in the coming weeks leading to the 8th Annual UFC International Fight Week™, taking place from Wednesday, July 3 – Sunday, July 7 in Las Vegas.

To view Franklin’s UFC FIGHT PASS collection please visit: https://www.ufc.tv/category/ufc-hall-of-fame-rich-franklin-2019.

To view the Hall of Fame fight library, please visit UFCHOF. To see a complete list of UFC athletes and fights enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame, as well as details regarding the UFC Hall of Fame format, please visit UFCHOFFAQ. For additional information, please visit UFC.com.

About UFC®
UFC® is a premium global sports brand and the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. UFC boasts more than 278 million fans worldwide and has produced over 460 events in 24 countries since its inception in 1993. Acquired in 2016 by global sports, entertainment and fashion leader Endeavor (formerly WME| IMG), together with strategic partners Silver Lake Partners and KKR, UFC is headquartered in Las Vegas with a network of employees around the world. UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe, while programming is broadcast in over 165 countries and territories to more than 1.0 billion TV households worldwide in 40 different languages. UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service, delivers exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content to fans around the world. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram: @UFC.




MARTIN NGUYEN STOPS NARANTUNGALAG JADAMBAA TO RETAIN ONE FEATHERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

12 April 2019 – Manila, Philippines: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), once again ignited the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila for another evening of world-class martial arts action. ONE: ROOTS OF HONOR highlighted the biggest and brightest stars of ONE Championship who came out to showcase their incredible skills. In the main event, reigning ONE Featherweight World Champion Martin Nguyen retained his title with a scintillating knockout of Narantungalag Jadambaa. In the co-main event, Joshua “The Passion” Pacio avenged a prior loss to Yosuke Saruta to be crowned 2-time ONE Strawweight World Champion.

Visit the official ONE: ROOTS OF HONOR photo gallery by clicking: https://bit.ly/onephotos

In the main event of ONE: ROOTS OF HONOR, Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen of Vietnam and Australia continued his reign over the featherweight division with a spectacular knockout victory over former World Champion Narantungalag Jadambaa of Mongolia to retain the ONE Featherweight World Title. Nguyen and Jadambaa exchanged thunderous strikes in the opening round, both looking to end the night early. In the second round, Nguyen punished Jadambaa with powerful kicks to the leg before unleashing a perfectly-placed flying knee to take the Mongolian star out and remain the featherweight division’s king.

In the co-main event, Joshua “The Passion” Pacio of the Philippines reclaimed the ONE Strawweight World Championship in highlight-reel fashion after knocking out Japan’s Yosuke “The Ninja” Saruta in their highly-anticipated World Title rematch. Pacio survived some early trouble courtesy of a first-round knockdown from Saruta and began getting more comfortable with his strikes as the bout wore on. In the fourth round, Pacio caught Saruta with a well-timed high kick that instantly knocked Saruta out.

Japan’s Tatsumitsu “The Sweeper” Wada booked his ticket to the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Semi-final round after defeating Cuban Greco-Roman Wrestling World Champion Gustavo “El Gladiador” Balart via unanimous decision. The former DEEP Flyweight World Champion Wada utilized his height and reach advantage to outstrike Balart and keep the relentless Cuban grappler at bay. After three rounds of action, Wada earned the victory and the right to face Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson in the next round of the flyweight tournament.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion Leandro “Brodinho” Issa showcased his elite grappling skills with a first-round submission win over China’s Fu Chang Xin. Issa brought the action to the ground early and wasted no time in imposing his will on the mat, working his way into an armbar with relative ease. Issa then transitioned into a triangle choke before locking in another deep armbar to force the tap from Fu in the opening round.

Romanian kickboxer Andrei “Mister KO” Stoica prevailed over Morocco’s Ibrahim “Mr. Cool” El Bouni in an action-packed ONE Super Series kickboxing bout. The two world-class light-heavyweight strikers figured in an intense back-and-forth bout as they stood toe-to-toe and went strike-for-strike until the final bell. After three rounds of action, it was Stoica who was declared the winner.

Unbeaten American James Nakashima picked up a massive win after an apparent knee injury rendered former World Title contender Luis “Sapo” Santos of Brazil unable to continue in the second round of their welterweight contest. Santos found success in the early moments of the bout, using his elite-level Muay Thai striking to punish Nakashima in the stand up. In the second round however, Nakashima countered a kick with a takedown and landed awkwardly on Santos’ left leg, ultimately leading to the stoppage.

Filipino featherweight contender Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly weathered a storm of submission attempts from South Korean grappler Sung Jong Lee to score a second-round TKO win in front of his hometown crowd. Kelly fought off a wave of kneebar and heel hook attempts from Lee, who was in constant pursuit of grappling exchanges. Kelly turned the tables in the second round however, as he fended off yet another submission attempt and pounded Lee out with piston-like punches for the stoppage win.

Brazilian kickboxing World Champion Anderson “Braddock” Silva announced his arrival to the global stage of ONE Championship, knocking out Australia’s Andre “The Giant” Meunier in the first round of their ONE Super Series kickboxing bout. The hard-hitting heavyweights wasted no time in providing fireworks as they traded massive combinations right off the bat. Midway through the opening round, Silva connected on a counter-right hook that knocked Meunier out cold instantly.

“Pretty Boy” Kwon Won Il of South Korea bounced back in a big way after making quick work of Filipino veteran Eric “The Natural” Kelly with a flash knockout in the first round. Kwon landed a well-placed right straight that rocked and dropped Kelly. The Korean prospect finished things off with some ground-and-pound for the stoppage win in just 19 seconds.

Thai legend Saemapetch Fairtex was once again victorious on the ONE Super Series stage, as he outstruck Serbian-American Ognjen Topic en route to a hard-earned a majority decision win. Saemapetch was aggressive from the opening bell, overwhelming Topic with a seemingly unending barrage of strikes. Topic rallied late in the final round, but it proved to be too late, as Saemapetch walked away with the judges’ decision.

China’s “The Stalker” Xie Bin scored another impressive win after submitting Afghanistan’s Ahmad Qais Jasoor in the second round. It was a competitive opening round between the two bantamweight contenders, as they displayed their grappling skills by trading submission attempts. In the second round, Xie wasted little time in getting the action to the ground and worked his way into a deep D’Arce choke that left Jasoor with no other option but to tap out.

Singaporean flyweight Niko Soe was triumphant in his return to the ONE Championship Circle, defeating Indonesian wrestling champion Eko Roni Saputra via doctor stoppage due to injury. Soe connected on a glancing elbow midway through the first round that opened up a cut on Saputra’s head, prompting an official halt to the action. After getting inspected by the cageside physician, it was ruled that Saputra would be unable to continue and Soe was awarded the TKO victory.

Lerdsila Phuket Top Team of Thailand put on a striking clinic as he defeated Japan’s Momotaro via unanimous decision in their ONE Super Series Flyweight Muay Thai bout. The multiple-time Muay Thai World Champion utilized a masterful mix of thunderous kicks and well-timed throws to outclass the Japanese striker on all fronts. After three rounds of action, Lerdsila earned the nod from all three judges.

Vietnamese-American women’s atomweight and ONE Championship newcomer Bi “Killer Bee” Nguyen was impressive in her promotional debut, dominating Indonesia’s Dwi Ani Retno Wulan en route to a first-round TKO win. Nguyen was relentless as she took Wulan down to the mat early in the opening round. From there, Nguyen seamlessly transitioned into full mount and punished her opponent with strikes from the top to pick up the stoppage victory.

Kicking off the action at ONE: ROOTS OF HONOR, Filipino flyweight Ramon “The Bicolano” Gonzales continued his impressive run in ONE Championship by making quick work of Japan’s Akihiro Fujisawa with a submission win in the first round. Fujisawa attempted a takedown early in the first round but found himself getting caught in a deep guillotine choke. Gonzales postured up and tightened the choke, forcing Fujisawa to tap out abruptly.

Official results for ONE: ROOTS OF HONOR
ONE Featherweight World Championship bout: Martin Nguyen defeats Narantungalag Jadambaa by Knockout (KO) at 1:07 minutes of round 2
ONE Strawweight World Championship bout: Joshua Pacio defeats Yosuke Saruta by Knockout (KO) at 2:43 minutes of round 4
ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Quarter-final bout: Tatsumitsu Wada defeats Gustavo Balart by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Catch Weight (68.0 KG) bout: Leandro Issa defeats Fu Chang Xin by Submission (Armbar) at 3:03 minutes of round 1
ONE Super Series Light Heavyweight Kickboxing bout: Andrei Stoica defeats Ibrahim El Bouni by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Welterweight bout: James Nakashima defeats Luis Santos by TKO (Injury) at 0:56 minutes of round 2
Featherweight bout: Edward Kelly defeats Sung Jong Lee by TKO (Strikes) at 2:51 minutes of round 2
ONE Super Series Heavyweight Kickboxing bout: Anderson Silva defeats Andre Meunier by Knockout (KO) at 1:14 minutes of round 1
Featherweight bout: Kwon Won Il defeats Eric Kelly by Knockout (KO) at 0:19 minutes of round 1
ONE Super Series Bantamweight Muay Thai bout: Saemapetch Fairtex defeats Ognjen Topic by Majority Decision (MD) after 3 rounds
Bantamweight bout: Xie Bin defeats Ahmad Qais Jasoor by Submission (D’Arce Choke) at 2:27 minutes of round 2
Flyweight bout: Niko Soe defeats Eko Roni Saputra by TKO (Doctor Stoppage) at 3:03 minutes of round 1
ONE Super Series Flyweight Muay Thai bout: Lerdsila Phuket Top Team defeats Momotaro by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Women’s Atomweight bout: Bi Nguyen defeats Dwi Ani Retno Wulan by TKO (Strikes) at 3:55 minutes of round 1
Flyweight bout: Ramon Gonzales defeats Akihiro Fujisawa by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 1:19 minutes of round 1

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




COMPLETE CARD ANNOUNCED FOR ONE: FOR HONOR IN JAKARTA ON 3 MAY

10 April 2019 – Jakarta, Indonesia: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced the complete card for ONE: FOR HONOR, set for 3 May at Istora Senayan in the bustling Indonesian capital of Jakarta. Once again, the absolute best in world-class martial arts talent will storm the ONE Championship ring to showcase their incredible skills. In the main event, ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Sam-A Gaiyanghadao of Thailand will defend his title against Jonathan Haggerty of the United Kingdom.

Ticket information for ONE: FOR HONOR is available at www.onefc.com.

ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Sam-A Gaiyanghadao is ready to return to action and defend his World Title against Jonathan Haggerty in the main event of ONE: FOR HONOR.

Over the course of a stellar 25-year career spanning more than 400 bouts, multiple-time Muay Thai World Champion Sam-A has captured titles across several weight classes, and is now known as one of the very best Muay Thai kickboxers of all time.

Born to a family of farmers in Buriram, a province in northeastern Thailand, Sam-A began his competitive Muay Thai career at the young age of 9. Seeking to take his career to the next level, Sam-A moved to Bangkok when he was 15 years old, and he began training at the famed Petchyindee Muay Thai academy before making his debut at the prestigious Rajadamnern and Lumpinee stadiums. His hard work and dedication soon paid off as he blazed a trail in the sport to emerge as a living legend in the ring.

The challenger, Haggerty, is already an accomplished martial artist, despite his relative youth. He began training in Muay Thai at the age of 7 under the watchful eye of his father, John, who was himself an active competitor.

Haggerty quickly racked up multiple accolades in the sport of Muay Thai as an amateur becoming a three-time English Champion, three-time British Champion, and winning a European title as well. As a professional, his resume is still growing, but he has dominated almost everyone he has faced to date, winning almost all of his bouts via knockout while facing the sport’s elite. Now he gets the chance to challenge Muay Thai legend Sam-A Gaiyanghadao for the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title.

Japanese legend Yushin “Thunder” Okami of Japan is set to make his ONE Championship debut opposite Kiamrian Abbasov of Kyrgyzstan.

Okami is one of the most prolific martial artists to emanate from Japan over the last two decades. With a career that began in 2002, Okami has competed in numerous weight classes — from light heavyweight all the way down to welterweight — in various Japanese promotions including Pride and Pancrase.

A Prime Selection GP Welterweight Champion, Abbasov was raised by a single mother in his hometown of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan’s capital city. There, he began his martial arts journey with Greco-Roman wrestling, and later added boxing to his arsenal.

Early in his career, he won two tournament championships, including a one-night tournament in December 2016, where he beat three different men in one night. Today, he is one of Kyrgyzstan’s top martial arts athletes. He is now tasked to welcome Okami to ONE Championship.

A battle between talented grapplers is set to go down at featherweight when Japan’s Tetsuya Yamada meets Russia’s Marat “Cobra” Gafurov.

Yamada is a promising young martial artist with a distinct ability to seek out highlight-reel stoppages. He made his ONE Championship debut in January of 2016 in an extremely high-level wrestling showdown against Eduard Folayang of the Philippines.

A seasoned grappler, most of Yamada’s victories have come by spectacular finish, with the ability to end bouts either by submission or knockout.

Former ONE Featherweight World Champion Gafurov is looking to forge a comeback trail on the way back to World Title contention. The veteran martial artist is a strong and powerful grappler, with the ability to seek out devastating submissions in any situation. Nicknamed “Cobra,” Gafurov’s constricting style has proven difficult to overcome as he has defeated some of the biggest names in ONE Championship including Narantungalag Jadambaa, Martin Nguyen, Ev Ting, and Kazunori Yokota.

Taking on Yamada, Gafurov will be put to the test against a fellow skilled grappler in what should be a technical feast for the fans.

In a ONE Super Series Muay Thai contest, Thailand’s Yodpanomrung Jitmuangnon will take on Tyler Hardcastle of Australia.

Yodpanomrung is considered by Thai boxing pundits as one of the top pound-for-pound Muay Thai practitioners in the world. Having 300 professional bouts under his belt, Yodpanomrung has built a reputation as being an explosive striker with stunning knockout power. He has won numerous championships throughout his career, including the WMC and WPMF World Championship titles.

In a women’s atomweight showdown, Indonesia’s own Priscilla Hertati Lumban Gaol is looking to bounce back from a slow start in 2019 when she takes on Cambodia’s Nou Srey Pov.

Indonesian national wushu champion Lumban Gaol had an exceptional 2018, competing for a total of six times and going 5-1 on the year. She has emerged as one of Indonesia’s fastest rising stars, having turned in a series of spectacular performances to captivate the local audience.

On the other hand, Nou Srey Pov is a Kun Khmer World Champion with a 91-8-2 record in the discipline. She made her ONE Championship debut last February, defeating the popular Rika Ishige at ONE: CLASH OF LEGENDS. She is now looking for the second victory in her mixed martial arts career.

Making his ONE Championship debut is Thanh Le of the United States who takes on Russia’s Yusup “Maestro” Saadulaev.

Thanh Le sports a professional record of 8-2. A powerful striker, seven of Thanh Le’s victories have come by knockout, and one by submission. A bonafide finisher, he takes on dangerous Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Saadulaev in what should be an exciting matchup.

Indonesian mixed martial arts star the “Terminator” Sunoto will also see action. The veteran athlete will face countryman Paul Lumihi, in his ONE Championship debut.

In addition, Chinese martial arts prospect Ayideng Jumayi will go up against former ONE World Title challenger Dae Hwan Kim of South Korea.

Malaysian superstar Keanu Subba, who hones his skills at the renowned Bali MMA in Indonesia, is back in action.

Former MIMMA Featherweight Champion Subba is the younger brother of Gianni Subba, who is one of ONE Championship’s top flyweights. Following in his older brother’s footsteps, Keanu became interested in mixed martial arts in 2005, after watching a reality TV show which centered around the sport.

Today, he is one of the most highly-regarded featherweight prospects in ONE Championship. Since making his promotional debut in October 2015, Subba has stopped several opponents, all in the first round. Subba is tasked to welcome newcomer Ryogo Takahashi of Japan to the promotion.

In a ONE Super Series Muay Thai contest, Japan’s Kenta Yamada will meet Deividas Danyla in an exciting matchup between striking superstars. Yamada is a former WBC Muay Thai Japan Champion who hails from Tokyo.

Danyla is a former IMC Muay Thai World Champion. After great success in the Lithuanian and European scene, where he captured four national and two regional championships, Danyla moved to Thailand in 2017 in search of a greater challenge. He has since faced a host of elite competition in Muay Thai, and proved he has what it takes to be counted amongst the world’s best.

Unbeaten Indonesian mixed martial arts prospect Rudy Agustian makes his highly-anticipated return to ONE Championship opposite Cambodia’s Chan Rothana.

Agustian and Rothana are known as two aggressive offensive innovators, with Agustian coming into the matchup on the heels of three impressive victories, including two submissions. Rothana, on the other hand, is a Kun Khmer champion and a powerful striker with imminent knockout power.

In a ONE Super Series Muay Thai contest, Scottish Muay Thai prodigy Andrew Miller takes on Malaysia’s Mohammed “Jordan Boy” Bin Mahmoud who makes a quick turnaround after ONE: A NEW ERA.

In ONE Championship’s Japanese debut, Mohammed impressed with an incredible performance despite dropping a unanimous decision to Cyprus’ Panicos Yusuf. “Jordan Boy” now looks to get back on the winning track by taking on the skilled Miller.

Indonesian rising star Adrian “Papua Badboy” Matheis is a martial artist competing in ONE Championship’s talented strawweight division. He takes on India’s Himanshu Kaushik.

In the ONE: TITLES & TITANS strawweight tournament in August 2016, Matheis defeated both Rustam Hutajulu and Roso Nugroho via scintillating knockouts in one night to be crowned tournament champion. In his most recent outing, Matheis defeated countryman Abdul Aziz Calim via second-round submission.

Kaushik will be looking to use Matheis as a springboard, however. The seven-time Indian Wushu Champion wants to prove he is a top contender, and he can accomplish that by defeating the Indonesian warrior.

Kicking off the action at ONE: FOR HONOR are Indonesian strawweights Guntur and Angelo Bimoadji.




MARTIN NGUYEN AND NARANTUNGALAG JADAMBAA STARE DOWN AT ONE: ROOTS OF HONOR OFFICIAL KICK-OFF PRESS CONFERENCE

9 April 2019 – Manila, Philippines: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), in collaboration with City of Dreams Manila, recently held the ONE: ROOTS OF HONOR Official Kick-Off Press Conference last Tuesday, 9 April at the City of Dreams in Manila.

In attendance were main event competitors, reigning ONE Featherweight World Champion Martin Nguyen and challenger Narantungalag Jadambaa, co-main event participants, reigning ONE Strawweight World Champion Yosuke Saruta and challenger Joshua Pacio, as well as Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, Chatri Sityodtong.

Ticket information for ONE: ROOTS OF HONOR is available at www.onefc.com.

Photo: https://drive.google.com/open?id=18ojr4tVE223jUks193ug21ImtCVTLX4L

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “ONE Championship is back in Manila, and it’s always a pleasure to visit the Philippines. We’re here to celebrate Asia’s greatest cultural treasure — martial arts. We’re not here to sell fights, we’re here to build martial arts heroes who ignite the world with strength, hope, dreams, and inspiration. By telling their stories, we share the true values of martial arts with the world, which will always be our mission. See you all this Friday night for ONE: ROOTS OF HONOR. It’s going to be a fantastic show.”

Martin Nguyen, ONE Featherweight World Champion, stated: “It’s my fourth time competing here in Manila, and I’ve always felt at home here. It’s an honor to share my talent with you all. Thank you to all the fans for the support. Challenging the legend Jadambaa himself, it’s such an honor. I would like to thank ONE Championship for placing their trust in me. I’ll bring a hundred percent into the cage, and god willing, I’ll walk out of the arena still champion.”

Narantungalag Jadambaa, ONE World Title Challenger, stated: “First of all, I would like to thank ONE Championship for the opportunity to compete for the ONE World Title once again. This is not about age, this is about passion. Martial arts is my life and I hold the utmost respect for anyone who has the courage to step inside that cage. I will bring even more courage into the cage this Friday. I respect Martin Nguyen for what he has done for our sport and it is an honor to face him. I will do my best and the best man will walk out of the cage with the title.”

Yosuke Saruta, ONE Strawweight World Champion, stated: “Coming to the Philippines and representing Japan and the Japanese culture, it is such a huge honor for me. I know Joshua Pacio has a lot of fans here, and I respect him as a martial artist. All I can say is that we will both bring our best into the cage this Friday night. It’s going to be an exciting fight, and I plan on getting my hand raised in the end as the victor. Thank you all for having me.”

Joshua Pacio, ONE World Title Challenger, stated: “I would like to thank ONE Championship for giving me another chance to fight for the title. I know the magnitude of this matchup and how important this rematch with Yosuke Saruta is. I wasn’t at my best in that first fight, so I want to go out there and prove that I can do much better. He’s a great fighter, and I have so much respect for him. But I have the hopes and dreams of an entire country on my shoulders, and I can’t let the fans down. I’m coming to regain the belt. It’s going to be a war this Friday.”

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

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship (ONE) is the largest global sports media property in Asian history, and the largest producer of millennial live sports content in Asia. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE is the Home of Martial Arts, and is the world’s largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more. ONE hosts the biggest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world’s best martial artists and world champions on the largest global media broadcast in Asia. ONE eSports, a subsidiary of ONE Championship, runs Asia’s largest global eSports Championship Series with some of the biggest blockbuster game titles in the world. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 2.6 billion potential viewers across 140+ countries with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Startimes, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, Great Sports, Tencent, Star TV, Mediaset Italia, ProSiebenSat.1, Dubai Sports, Turner Sports, and more.




ONE CHAMPIONSHIP HOSTS MEDIA DAY FOR EKO RONI SAPUTRA IN JAKARTA

5 April 2019 – Jakarta, Indonesia: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), recently hosted a Media Day for Indonesian wrestling champion, Eko Roni Saputra, at the Westin Hotel in Jakarta. Last Friday, 5 April, Saputra showcased his skills in various demonstrations for media in attendance. Saputra is set to make his ONE Championship debut at ONE: ROOTS OF HONOR, scheduled for 12 April at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.

Ticket information for ONE: ROOTS OF HONOR is available at www.onefc.com.

Photo: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1PALahUxFF82LzRr6eRpnYTnVbnH8-3XA

Eko Roni Saputra, ONE Athlete, stated: “I am greatly honored to be part of an amazing company such as ONE Championship. To be among the best martial artists in the world competing on the biggest martial arts platform is definitely a dream come true for me. I have been blessed to have found success in wrestling, and I have every intention of achieving the same in the mixed martial arts world. I am prepared to put in the work and make the sacrifices so that one day, I can bring back a World Championship to Indonesia. Indonesia is a hotbed of talent in mixed martial arts, and I am proud to follow in the footsteps of some of the most talented competitors to come out of the country. Like them, I am ready to make an impact on the ONE Championship stage.”

Regarded as the No. 1 freestyle wrestler in Indonesian history, Eko Roni Saputra is one of ONE Championship’s latest acquisitions, further bolstering its burgeoning roster of world-class athletes. Known for his dynamic style and explosive takedowns, Saputra has won numerous medals in various international competitions, including the prestigious Southeast Asian Games.

Training out of Singapore, the 27-year-old Indonesian grappler hones his craft at the world-renowned Evolve MMA, advancing his skills in different martial arts disciplines such as wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Muay Thai.

After dominating the amateur wrestling ranks with his exquisite talent, Saputra fully realizes his dream to be a professional mixed martial artist as he is scheduled to make his ONE Championship debut against Singapore’s Niko Soe at ONE: ROOTS OF HONOR.

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

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship (ONE) is the largest global sports media property in Asian history, and the largest producer of millennial live sports content in Asia. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE is the Home of Martial Arts, and is the world’s largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more. ONE hosts the biggest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world’s best martial artists and world champions on the largest global media broadcast in Asia. ONE eSports, a subsidiary of ONE Championship, runs Asia’s largest global eSports Championship Series with some of the biggest blockbuster game titles in the world. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 2.6 billion potential viewers across 140+ countries with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Startimes, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, Great Sports, Tencent, Star TV, Mediaset Italia, ProSiebenSat.1, Dubai Sports, Turner Sports, and more.




ONE SUPER SERIES WORLD TITLE BOUTS SET FOR ONE: WARRIORS OF LIGHT IN BANGKOK ON 10 MAY

5 April 2019 – Bangkok, Thailand: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced ONE: WARRIORS OF LIGHT, set for the Impact Arena in Bangkok for Friday, 10 May. Once again, Thailand will play host to another world-class evening of martial arts action. The very best in local and international martial arts talent will showcase their skills on the ONE Championship stage.

In the main event, reigning ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nong-O Gaiyanghadao of Thailand will defend his title against Hiroaki Suzuki of Japan. In the co-main event, Muay Thai superstar Petchdam Petchyindee Academy of Thailand takes on Elias “The Sniper” Mahmoudi of Algeria for the inaugural ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Championship.

Ticket information for ONE: WARRIORS OF LIGHT is available at www.onefc.com.

A living legend in the world of Muay Thai, multiple-time World Champion Nong-O Gaiyanghadao has captured nearly every major accolade in the sport and is considered one of the greatest strikers of all time.

Born to a family of farmers, Nong-O began his Muay Thai career at the tender age of nine. After a few years of sharpening his skills, he decided to leave home for Bangkok when he was 14 years old to pursue Muay Thai full-time, both living and training at his camp.

Nong-O made his first appearance at the famed Rajadamnern stadium a year later, winning a decision in an undercard bout. This set off an incredible run of success across over 300 bouts, including two Thailand national Muay Thai championships, four Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Championships in different divisions, and a Rajadamnern Stadium Muay Thai World Championship.

Earlier this year, Nong-O captured the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title with a unanimous decision victory over China’s Han Zi Hao at ONE: CLASH OF LEGENDS. He is now set to make the first defense of his World Title against Japan’s Hiroaki Suzuki.

Japanese striker Suzuki is one of the most exciting talents in ONE Super Series. He burst onto the scene with a spectacular performance against Deividas Danyla last November, and then followed up the victory with another scintillating showing against Mohammed “Jordan Boy” Bin Mahmoud last January.

Now, Suzuki enters the biggest bout of his career thus far, as he challenges Nong-O Gaiyanghadao for the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title.

In the co-main event of the evening, Thailand’s very own Petchdam Petchyindee Academy attempts to make history as the first ever ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion when he takes on opponent Elias “The Sniper” Mahmoudi.

Petchdam is a multiple-time Muay Thai World Champion known for his devastating left kick, which is responsible for the majority of his wins. He trains out of the famed Petchyindee Academy in Bangkok alongside fellow Muay Thai World Champions Petchmorakot and Sorgraw. Over the course of his stellar career, the Thai hero has claimed several prestigious accolades, including Lumpinee Stadium and WBC World Muay Thai Championships, as well as a Toyota Marathon Tournament Title.

Now Petchdam has the opportunity to add the most valuable prize in martial arts to his trophy case — the ONE World Title.

Mahmoudi, on the other hand, is also a multiple-time Muay Thai World Champion who has trained in the sport since he was just five years of age. His competitive fire would see him fly to Muay Thai’s home country of Thailand at the age of nine, where he won his first professional bout with a flying knee knockout to earn the nickname of “The Sniper.”

Over the course of his career thus far, Mahmoudi has already compiled an excellent winning record with several knockouts on the way to World Titles in WMF, WPMF, and MTGP. He now looks forward to his first ONE World Title opportunity.

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

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship (ONE) is the largest global sports media property in Asian history, and the largest producer of millennial live sports content in Asia. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE is the Home of Martial Arts, and is the world’s largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more. ONE hosts the biggest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world’s best martial artists and world champions on the largest global media broadcast in Asia. ONE eSports, a subsidiary of ONE Championship, runs Asia’s largest global eSports Championship Series with some of the biggest blockbuster game titles in the world. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 2.6 billion potential viewers across 140+ countries with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Startimes, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, Great Sports, Tencent, Star TV, Mediaset Italia, ProSiebenSat.1, Dubai Sports, Turner Sports, and more.




SHINYA AOKI TO DEFEND ONE LIGHTWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AGAINST CHRISTIAN LEE AT ONE: ENTER THE DRAGON

5 April 2019 – Singapore: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced ONE: ENTER THE DRAGON, set for 17 May at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Once again, Singapore will play host to world-class martial arts action. The best and brightest martial arts talent in the world will descend upon the ONE Championship cage to showcase their skills. In the main event, newly-crowned ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki of Japan will defend his title against rising star Christian “The Warrior” Lee of Singapore.

Ticket information for ONE: ENTER THE DRAGON is available at www.onefc.com.

ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki is the most successful submission specialist in Asian martial arts. An iconic figure, he is known for his overpowering ground game, which had already won him titles with WAMMA, DREAM, and Shooto before he began his reign as the king of ONE Championship’s lightweight division.

Aoki is for many the face of Asia in the cage, holding an incredible slew of submission wins and almost 75 percent of his overall victories coming inside the distance. Throughout his fabled career, the Japanese lightweight legend has beaten some of the biggest names in the world, including Tatsuya Kawajiri, Caol Uno, and Eddie Alvarez.

At ONE: A NEW ERA, Aoki defeated celebrated Filipino martial artist Eduard “Landslide” Folayang to become a 2-time ONE Lightweight World Champion.

Five-time Pankration World Champion Christian “The Warrior” Lee comes from a family of true martial artists. His oldest sister, ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee, is already an international star with ONE Championship, and his parents are both black belts in various disciplines who began teaching their children techniques from a very early age.

A highly-decorated martial artist, Lee is a member of the famed Evolve Fight Team in Singapore, who trains amongst his accomplished elite peers. Lee holds black belts in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Total Defense System, and is an astonishingly early achiever. In fact, he was voted Most Outstanding Athlete at the 2013 FILA World Championship after winning five world titles across the disciplines of BJJ, pankration, mixed martial arts, and submission grappling.

In his last bout, Lee defeated Team Lakay veteran Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly of the Philippines via first-round technical knockout. He now moves up to lightweight to challenge Aoki for the ONE Lightweight World Title.

Multiple-time Karate World Champion “Super” Sage Northcutt stands tall among the brightest young mixed martial arts stars of today. A lifelong martial artist, Northcutt has been training under the instruction of his father ever since he was four years old, and he was an incredibly accomplished athlete in the discipline of karate. He won an astounding 77 World Titles as a youth, and was even inducted into the Black Belt Magazine Hall of Fame in 2012.

Northcutt rose to prominence quickly in mixed martial arts, beginning his slate with seven straight wins in top North American promotions. In 2018, he joined the world’s best martial artists in ONE Championship on the back of three straight victories. He now makes his promotional debut against Cosmo “Good Boy” Alexandre.

Alexandre is an accomplished kickboxer and is a Lion Fight Super Middleweight World Champion and it’s Showtime 77MAX World Champion.

Like many Brazilians, Alexandre played football in the streets from a very young age. He even had a blossoming career as a professional footballer, but he gave it all up at the age of 19 to pursue Muay Thai instead. It turned out to be one of the best decisions he ever made.

Alexandre has since put together a phenomenal combat sports career, winning numerous world titles in both Muay Thai and kickboxing. Known as one of the best strikers Brazil has ever produced, Alexandre has faced some of the biggest names in the striking arena, including the likes of John Wayne Parr, Sakmongkol Sithchuchok, Yodsanklai Fairtex, and Giorgio Petrosyan.

On top of his striking career however, Alexandre is also a mixed martial artist riding a seven-bout winning streak. He is now tasked to welcome Sage Northcutt to the world’s largest martial arts organization.

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

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship (ONE) is the largest global sports media property in Asian history, and the largest producer of millennial live sports content in Asia. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE is the Home of Martial Arts, and is the world’s largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more. ONE hosts the biggest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world’s best martial artists and world champions on the largest global media broadcast in Asia. ONE eSports, a subsidiary of ONE Championship, runs Asia’s largest global eSports Championship Series with some of the biggest blockbuster game titles in the world. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 2.6 billion potential viewers across 140+ countries with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Startimes, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, Great Sports, Tencent, Star TV, Mediaset Italia, ProSiebenSat.1, Dubai Sports, Turner Sports, and more.




UFC RETURNS TO CHICAGO WITH TWO PREMIER CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTS

Las Vegas – Nearly one year after Chicago hosted one of the most exciting cards of the year, UFC® returns to the Windy City with another thrilling event featuring two premier title fights, streaming exclusively on ESPN+. Men’s flyweight champion and No. 5-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world Henry Cejudo moves up in weight to attempt to become only the fourth athlete in history to hold two UFC titles simultaneously when he faces No. 1-ranked bantamweight contender Marlon Moraes for the vacant 135-pound championship. Also, women’s flyweight champion and No. 15-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world Valentina Shevchenko looks to defend her title for the first time against No. 1-ranked contender Jessica Eye.

UFC® 238: CEJUDO vs. MORAES takes place Saturday, June 8 at United Center and will be live nationally on Pay-Per-View exclusively through ESPN+ in the U.S. at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT in both English and Spanish.

ESPN+ is the exclusive provider of all UFC Pay-Per-View events to fans in the United States as part of an agreement announced last month and continuing through 2025.

Fans will be able to purchase UFC® 238: CEJUDO vs. MORAES online at ESPNPlus.com/PPV and then will be able to watch it via the web or on the ESPN App on any connected device. ESPN+ is available as an integrated part of the ESPN app on all major mobile and connected TV devices and platforms, including Amazon Fire, Apple, Android, Chromecast, PS4, Roku, Samsung Smart TVs, X Box One and more.

Preliminary fights will air nationally in English and Spanish on ESPN and ESPN Deportes television networks starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT with the early prelims simulcast on UFC Fight Pass and ESPN+ at 6:15 p.m. ET/3:15 p.m. PT.

Cejudo (14-2, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz.) looks to join an exclusive club home to Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier and Amanda Nunes as the only athletes to hold two UFC championships simultaneously. A former Olympic gold medalist in wrestling, Cejudo successfully made the jump to MMA six years ago and has already defeated some of the biggest names in the sport, including former UFC champions Demetrious Johnson and TJ Dillashaw. Now, Cejudo looks to prove that he is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world by moving up in weight and becoming the only person to finish Moraes in the UFC.

Competing in the first UFC title fight of his career, Moraes (22-5-1, fighting out of Tom’s River, N.J. by way of Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) aims to prove that he is the true king of the bantamweight division. Known for his spectacular finishing ability, Moraes earned his title shot with three impressive first-round stoppages in a row over fellow top-contenders Aljamain Sterling, Jimmie Rivera and Raphael Assuncao. Moraes now hopes to net his fourth consecutive post-fight bonus and join the pound-for-pound ranks by taking out Cejudo with another impressive performance.

Shevchenko (16-3, fighting out of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan) won the vacant UFC flyweight championship in December with a dominant victory over long-time rival and former strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Throughout her career, Shevchenko has established herself as one of the most dangerous competitors in all of women’s MMA, having defeated former bantamweight champion Holly Holm and top contender Julianna Pena. She now looks to continue her undefeated flyweight reign by being the first person to stop Jessica Eye in her UFC career.

Gunning to capitalize on the momentum of her current winning streak, Eye (14-6, fighting out of Cleveland, Ohio) competes for the first UFC championship of her career. Undefeated since moving to flyweight last year, Eye has impressed with victories over Kalindra Faria, Jessica-Rose Clark and top-ranked contender Katlyn Chookagian. Now, Eye intends to shock the world by becoming the first flyweight to defeat Shevchenko and stake her claim as one of the best mixed martial artists in the world.

Additional bouts on the card include:

In a battle of top-ranked women’s strawweight contenders, No. 3-ranked Tatiana Suarez (7-0, fighting out of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) aims to stay undefeated by taking out No. 3-ranked Nina Ansaroff (10-5, fighting out of Weston, Fla.)
No. 12-ranked Felice Herrig (14-8, fighting out of Crystal Lake, Ill.) looks to defend her spot in the rankings by being the first person to defeat Yan Xiaonan (9-1, fighting out of Beijing, China) in the UFC.
Heavyweight brawlers battle to break into the top 10 as No. 11-ranked Tai Tuivasa (10-1, fighting out of Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia) meets No. 14-ranked Blagoy Ivanov (17-2, fighting out of Sofia, Bulgaria)
No. 3-ranked Katlyn Chookagian (11-2, fighting out of Kenilworth, N.J.) hopes to reinsert herself into the women’s flyweight title picture by taking out fan-favorite No. 6-ranked Joanne Calderwood (13-3, fighting out of Glasgow, Scotland)
Chicago’s own No. 11-ranked featherweight Ricardo Lamas (19-7, fighting out of Chicago, Ill.) intends to defend his home soil with an impressive performance against No. 15-ranked Calvin Kattar (19-3, fighting out of Methuen, Mass.)

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

Visit UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage. Please click here to apply for the event.

Tickets for UFC® 238: CEJUDO vs. MORAES go on sale Friday, April 5 at 10 a.m. CT. Tickets are available for purchase online at ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person.

UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, April 3 at 10 a.m. CT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, April 4 starting at 10 a.m. CT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

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About UFC®

UFC® is a premium global sports brand and the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. UFC boasts 278 million fans worldwide and has produced over 460 events in 24 countries since its inception in 1993. Acquired in 2016 by global sports, entertainment and fashion leader Endeavor (formerly WME | IMG), together with strategic partners Silver Lake Partners and KKR, UFC is headquartered in Las Vegas with a network of employees around the world. UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe, while programming is broadcast in over 165 countries and territories to 1.0 billion TV households worldwide in over 40 different languages. UFC FIGHT PASS®, the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports, delivers exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content to fans around the world. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram: @UFC.

About United Center

The United Center is a state-of-the-art campus, including a 960,000 square-foot multi-use entertainment facility and over four additional buildings, that has welcomed more than 55 million fans since opening in 1994. Home of the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League, the United Center hosts more than 200 events each year, including the best sporting events, musical performers, family shows and special events in the industry. An iconic legacy and commitment to superior service makes the United Center one of the premiere venues in the world.

For more information, please visit www.unitedcenter.com

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. It reached 2 million subscribers in less than a year and offers fans thousands of live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, along with premium editorial content.

Programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB and NHL games, exclusive UFC, Top Rank boxing and PFL fights and events, top domestic and international soccer (Serie A, MLS, FA Cup, UEFA Nations League, EFL Championship, EFL Carabao Cup, Eredivisie, and more), thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and other sports), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby and cricket, new and exclusive series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and can cancel at any time.

ESPN+ is available as an integrated part of the ESPN App (on mobile and connected devices) and ESPN.com. They are the industry-leading all-in-one digital sports platform, delivering a rich, personalized experience to tens of millions of fans every month.

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment enterprise, features more than 50 assets – eight U.S. television networks, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN International, ESPN The Magazine and more. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.




SAM-A GAIYANGHADAO TO DEFEND ONE FLYWEIGHT MUAY THAI WORLD TITLE AGAINST JONATHAN HAGGERTY AT ONE: FOR HONOR IN JAKARTA

2 April 2019 – Jakarta, Indonesia: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced ONE: FOR HONOR, set for 3 May at Istora Senayan in the bustling Indonesian capital of Jakarta. Once again, the absolute best in world-class martial arts talent will storm the ONE Championship ring to showcase their incredible skills. In the main event, ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Sam-A Gaiyanghadao of Thailand will defend his title against Jonathan Haggerty of the United Kingdom.

Ticket information for ONE: FOR HONOR is available at www.onefc.com.

ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Sam-A Gaiyanghadao is ready to return to action and defend his World Title against Jonathan Haggerty in the main event of ONE: FOR HONOR.

Over the course of a stellar 25-year career spanning more than 400 bouts, multiple-time Muay Thai World Champion Sam-A has captured titles across several weight classes, and is now known as one of the very best Muay Thai kickboxers of all time.

Born to a family of farmers in Buriram, a province in northeastern Thailand, Sam-A began his competitive Muay Thai career at the young age of 9. Seeking to take his career to the next level, Sam-A moved to Bangkok when he was 15 years old, and he began training at the famed Petchyindee Muay Thai academy before making his debut at the prestigious Rajadamnern and Lumpinee stadiums. His hard work and dedication soon paid off as he blazed a trail in the sport to emerge as a living legend in the ring.

The challenger, Haggerty, is already an accomplished martial artist, despite his relative youth. He began training in Muay Thai at the age of 7 under the watchful eye of his father, John, who was himself an active competitor.

Haggerty quickly racked up multiple accolades in the sport of Muay Thai as an amateur becoming a three-time English Champion, three-time British Champion, and winning a European title as well. As a professional, his resume is still growing, but he has dominated almost everyone he has faced to date, winning almost all of his bouts via knockout while facing the sport’s elite. Now he gets the chance to challenge Muay Thai legend Sam-A Gaiyanghadao for the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title.

Additional bouts at ONE: FOR HONOR will be announced at a later date.

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

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship (ONE) is the largest global sports media property in Asian history, and the largest producer of millennial live sports content in Asia. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE is the Home of Martial Arts, and is the world’s largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more. ONE hosts the biggest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world’s best martial artists and world champions on the largest global media broadcast in Asia. ONE eSports, a subsidiary of ONE Championship, runs Asia’s largest global eSports Championship Series with some of the biggest blockbuster game titles in the world. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 2.6 billion potential viewers across 140+ countries with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Bandsports, Startimes, Premier Sports, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, OSN, Great Sports, Tencent, Turner Sports, and more.




SHINYA AOKI CHOKES OUT EDUARD FOLAYANG TO CAPTURE ONE LIGHTWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

31 March 2019 – Tokyo, Japan: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), put together a historic evening of world-class martial arts at the iconic Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo. ONE: A NEW ERA delivered a collection of compelling matchups and exciting finishes. In the main event, Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki of Japan submitted Eduard “Landslide” Folayang of the Philippines to be crowned the new ONE Lightweight World Champion.

Visit the official ONE: A NEW ERA photo gallery by clicking: https://bit.ly/onephotos

Japanese mixed martial arts legend Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki put on a masterful display of grappling dominance as he submitted Filipino icon Eduard “Landslide” Folayang to be crowned the new ONE Lightweight World Champion. After flashing a high kick, Aoki shot in for a single leg and put Folayang on the mat with a takedown. He then swiftly transitioned into an arm-triangle choke from half guard. Aoki tightened his squeeze and put Folayang to sleep before celebrating the victory in front of his hometown crowd.

Defending ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan of China continued her reign of dominance over the division after defeating challenger “Unstoppable” Angela Lee of Singapore by TKO in the fifth and final round. Lee was aggressive and had Xiong in a number of dangerous submission attempts, but the champion was lighting Lee up on the feet the entire bout. In the final round, Xiong punished Lee with hard kicks to the midsection and fierce punch combinations that forced the referee to intervene and award Xiong with the stoppage win.

Myanmar’s Aung La N Sang successfully retained his ONE Middleweight World Championship with a spectacular second-round TKO victory over Ken Hasegawa of Japan. Aung La N Sang was dominant all throughout the bout, punishing Hasegawa with an arsenal of powerful punches and thunderous kicks. A stiff right straight from Aung La N Sang late in the second round spelled the beginning of the end for Hasegawa, as the defending champion followed up with ground-and-pound to score the finish in dominant fashion.

An unfortunate sequence of events turned in the ONE Bantamweight World Title clash between champion Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon of the Philippines and former titleholder Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes of Brazil. Fernandes, who was in the driver’s seat after two rounds of action, landed a takedown in the third round but was left unable to continue after Belingon connected on a flurry of illegal elbows to the back of the head. Belingon was shown a Red Card and was automatically disqualified. Fernandes was then awarded the ONE Bantamweight World Title.

In a ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix quarter-final contest, 12-time Flyweight Mixed Martial Arts World Champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson of the United States made a successful ONE Championship debut as he submitted Yuya “Little Piranha” Wakamatsu of Japan. Although Wakamatsu would land a few clean punches to keep Johnson on his toes, the American showcased his impeccable grappling skills to transition from one position to the next with relative ease. After grabbing a hold of Wakamatsu’s neck in the second round, Johnson secured a deep guillotine choke to force the tap.

Russia’s Timofey Nastyukhin welcomed Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez of the United States to ONE Championship, finishing the former 4-time Lightweight Mixed Martial Arts World Champion inside of the first round of a ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix quarter-final bout. After a few brief exchanges at range, Nastyukhin closed the distance and hurt Alvarez with a left straight, sending him reeling towards the cage fence. Nastyukhin then unloaded a barrage of punches as Alvarez covered up before the referee called a halt to the contest.

In a ONE Super Series Kickboxing contest, Muay Thai legend Yodsanklai “The Hero” IWE Fairtex put on a dominant performance in his highly-anticipated rematch with the Netherlands’ Andy Souwer, knocking out his rival in the second round. The first round saw fierce action from the opening bell, with Yodsanklai dropping Souwer early. Towards the end of the round, the Thai warrior hurt Souwer again and nearly finished him. Less than a minute into the second round, and Yodsanklai put on the finishing touches as Souwer hit the canvas for the last time.

In a ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix quarter-final bout, former ONE World Title challenger Danny “The King” Kingad and Pancrase Flyweight Champion Senzo Ikeda figured in an intense war of attrition for three whole rounds. It was an incredible performance from the two amazing athletes, as they both showcased their full repertoire of skills. In the end, it was Kingad who was awarded a close unanimous decision victory for his efforts.

In a ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix quarter-final bout, former ONE Flyweight World Champion Kairat Akhmetov of Kazakhstan overcame a spirited effort from Reece “Lightning” McLaren of Australia to win by unanimous decision after three rounds. McLaren had great difficulty taking the bout to the ground, as Akhmetov utilized his Greco-Roman wrestling to control the action in the clinch. On the feet, Akhmetov found a home for his left hook on McLaren’s chin, as he connected cleanly on multiple occasions. In the end, all three judges saw the bout in favor of Akhmetov.

Muay Thai icon Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon continued his winning ways as he eked out a tough split decision win over France’s Hakim Hamech in a ONE Super Series Muay Thai contest. The two-world class strikers stood toe-to-toe for the action-packed bout, thrilling the crowd with their crisp combinations. In the end, it was Rodtang who earned the close decision.

Former WBC Muay Thai Super Bantamweight World Champion Joseph “The Hurricane” Lasiri of Italy notched his first ONE Super Series win after edging out Japan’s Hiroki Akimoto via majority decision. Lasiri started out strong and had Akimoto on the defensive in the opening round. Akimoto battled back and made it an exciting back-and-forth contest in the succeeding rounds. After three rounds of action, it was Lasiri who came away with the victory.

Japanese women’s atomweight star Mei “V.V.” Yamaguchi bucked a slow start and scored a third-round submission win over Russia’s Kseniya “The Tigress” Lachkova. Lachkova’s height and reach proved to be a problem early for the DEEP Jewels Featherweight World Champion, who had trouble closing the distance. In the third and final round, Yamaguchi was able to take Lachkova down and secure a deep armbar for the slick submission win in front of her hometown crowd.

Multiple-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion Garry “The Lion Killer” Tonon of the United States made easy work of Indonesia’s Anthony “The Archangel” Engelen. Tonon closed quarters on Engelen early, taking him down with a swift double leg in the opening moments of the featherweight contest. On the mat, the American truly shined, transitioning to various dominant positions whilst remaining in full control of the action. With less than a minute to go in the first round, Tonon secured Engelen’s back and pounded him out to win by technical knockout.

2-time Muay Thai World Champion Panicos Yusuf of Cyprus and Mohammed “Jordan Boy” Bin Mahmoud of Malaysia put together an exciting three-round ONE Super Series Muay Thai contest. The two bantamweights traded powerful combinations all throughout the bout, but it was Yusuf who landed the more telling blows. In the end, all three judges scored the bout in favor of Yusuf to win by unanimous decision.

A spirited clash between two lightweight hopefuls ensued to kick off ONE: A NEW ERA. After a few moments of solid action on the feet, South Korea’s Yoon Chang Min locked in a deep rear naked choke to force India’s Bala Shetty to tap with less than a minute to go in the first round.

Official results for ONE: A NEW ERA
ONE Lightweight World Championship bout: Shinya Aoki defeats Eduard Folayang by Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) at 2:34 minutes of round 1
ONE Women’s Strawweight World Championship bout: Xiong Jing Nan defeats Angela Lee by TKO (Strikes) at 1:37 minutes of round 5
ONE Middleweight World Championship bout: Aung La N Sang defeats Ken Hasegawa by TKO (Strikes) at 4:41 minutes of round 2
ONE Bantamweight World Championship bout: Bibiano Fernandes defeats Kevin Belingon by Disqualification (DQ)
ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Quarter-final bout: Demetrious Johnson defeats Yuya Wakamatsu by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 2:40 minutes of round 2
ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix Quarter-final bout: Timofey Nastyukhin defeats Eddie Alvarez by TKO (Strikes) at 4:05 minutes of round 1
ONE Super Series Kickboxing Catch Weight bout (72.0kg): Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex defeats Andy Souwer by Knockout (KO) at 0:51 minutes of round 2
ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Quarter-final bout: Danny Kingad defeats Senzo Ikeda by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Quarter-final bout: Kairat Akhmetov defeats Reece McLaren by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
ONE Super Series Flyweight Muay Thai bout: Rodtang Jitmuangnon defeats Hakim Hamech by Split Decision (SD) after 3 rounds
ONE Super Series Flyweight Kickboxing bout: Joseph Lasiri defeats Hiroki Akimoto by Majority Decision (MD) after 3 rounds
Women’s Atomweight bout: Mei Yamaguchi defeats Kseniya Lachkova by Submission (Armbar) at 3:18 minutes of round #3
Featherweight bout: Garry Tonon defeats Anthony Engelen by TKO (Strikes) at 4:12 minutes of round 1
ONE Super Series Bantamweight Muay Thai bout: Panicos Yusuf defeats Mohammed Bin Mahmoud by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Lightweight bout: Yoon Chang Min defeats Bala Shetty by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 4:16 minutes of round 1

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

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship (ONE) is the largest global sports media property in Asian history, and the largest producer of millennial live sports content in Asia. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE is the Home of Martial Arts, and is the world’s largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more. ONE hosts the biggest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world’s best martial artists and world champions on the largest global media broadcast in Asia. ONE eSports, a subsidiary of ONE Championship, runs Asia’s largest global eSports Championship Series with some of the biggest blockbuster game titles in the world. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 2.6 billion potential viewers across 140+ countries with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Bandsports, Startimes, Premier Sports, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, OSN, Great Sports, Tencent, Turner Sports, and more.




8TH ANNUAL UFC INTERNATIONAL FIGHT WEEK™ TAKES OVER LAS VEGAS FROM JULY 3 – 7

Las Vegas – UFC® today announced that the 8th Annual UFC International Fight Week™ will take place in Las Vegas from Wednesday, July 3, through Sunday, July 7, headlined by UFC® 239, presented by Modelo, the 2019 UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, and a two-day, interactive UFC Fan Experience®.

Among the highlights, the prestigious 2019 UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by Toyo Tires® will be held on Friday, July 5, and will honor specific achievements and contributions to UFC and the sport of Mixed Martial Arts.

On Friday, July 5, and continuing on Saturday, July 6, fans will be able to take part in an easily-accessible and fully interactive, free two-day UFC Fan Experience at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center. The two-day fan experience will feature meet and greets, autograph sessions, and partner activations that provide unprecedented access to UFC champions, top-ranked contenders, Hall of Famers, and other UFC personalities.

In addition, fans from around the world who converge on Las Vegas for UFC International Fight Week will be able to enjoy the open workouts, weigh-ins, press conferences and live entertainment of a traditional Fight Week leading to the schedule’s culminating event, UFC® 239, on Saturday, July 6, at T-Mobile Arena.

Details regarding UFC Hall of Fame inductees and venue, the bout card for UFC 239, and additional events for UFC International Fight Week will be announced at a later date. Beginning in June, fans can download the UFC International Fight Week app on the App Store and Google Play.

About UFC®

UFC® is a premium global sports brand and the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. UFC boasts more than 278 million fans worldwide and has produced over 460 events in 24 countries since its inception in 1993. Acquired in 2016 by global sports, entertainment and fashion leader Endeavor (formerly WME | IMG), together with strategic partners Silver Lake Partners and KKR, UFC is headquartered in Las Vegas with a network of employees around the world. UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe, while programming is broadcast in over 165 countries and territories to more than 1.0 billion TV households worldwide in 40 different languages. UFC FIGHT PASS®, the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports, delivers exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content to fans around the world. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram: @UFC.




EDUARD FOLAYANG AND SHINYA AOKI FACE-OFF AT ONE: A NEW ERA OFFICIAL KICK-OFF PRESS CONFERENCE

28 March 2019 – Tokyo, Japan: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), recently held the official ONE: A NEW ERA Kick-Off Press Conference on 28 March at the Ritz Carlton in Tokyo. In attendance were main event competitors, reigning ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang and the challenger, former titleholder Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki, who were both accompanied by Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, Mr. Chatri Sityodtong.

Also in attendance were competitors in three co-main events, including ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan and her challenger, ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee, ONE Middleweight World Champion “The Burmese Python” Aung La N Sang who defends his title against Ken Hasegawa, ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon who puts his belt on the line against the legendary Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes, and finally, Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson and Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez who are set to make their ONE Championship debuts.

Photo: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1plRWvYXIUzY_aYgoH4cFPRSyAJKM-t6V

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “We don’t sell fights like every other organization in the world. We build heroes who ignite the world with hope, strength, dreams, and inspiration. This is ONE Championship. As a lifelong martial artist, I want the world to see the true beauty of martial arts. Our heroes, our World Champions, they exemplify the very best of humanity. I am very excited to be here in Japan. We are the only truly global sports media property in Asia celebrating our greatest cultural treasure, martial arts. ONE: A NEW ERA is the biggest martial arts event in the history of the world.”

Eduard Folayang, ONE Lightweight World Champion, stated: “I am well-prepared for this bout. I am so happy to be here in Japan for this historic event. I know Shinya [Aoki] has prepared well also and I am expecting the very best from him. This rematch is three years in the making. It’s an honor to face Shinya again. I believe this event is going to be explosive. History will be made.”

Shinya Aoki, ONE World Title Challenger, stated: “I am thankful that ONE Championship is in my home country. This is a great step forward for martial arts in Japan. I am laser focused for this coming match. I’ve trained very hard for my opponent. This Sunday night, I am confident I can achieve victory and become World Champion once again.”

Xiong Jing Nan, ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion, stated: “I will face a tough opponent in Angela Lee, but I am confident I can defend my title. Sunday, Angela and I will bring the best of us. I would like to say thank you for the opportunity to compete and showcase my skills on such a huge platform. I want to give the fans a fight they will never forget.”

Angela Lee, ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion, stated: “We’ve been training for Xiong Jing Nan for a while now. I think her style and my style match up perfectly. We’re both very aggressive. Going for this second World Title at strawweight is a dream I’ve had for a long time. Thank you so much for the warm welcome, Japan. I am so excited. This Sunday, 31 March, history will be made.”

Aung La N Sang, ONE Middleweight World Champion, stated: “It’s an honor and a dream come true for me to be fighting here in Japan. I want to thank Japan for the hospitality. Ken Hasegawa is a worthy opponent and I can’t wait to run it back with him. This is going to be a fight that fans will definitely enjoy. I am super excited to put on a show for you all this Sunday.”

Ken Hasegawa, ONE World Title Challenger, stated: “This rematch is very important for my career. Last year, we did battle and I gave everything I had. This time, I plan to do the same. I am willing to do whatever it takes to win. Aung La N Sang is an amazing champion, but I plan to shock the world this Sunday.”

Kevin Belingon, ONE Bantamweight World Champion, stated: “This is my first time fighting in Japan, and I’m very happy to be here. I know how important this third fight is with Bibiano [Fernandes]. I’ve trained very hard and fans will be happy with my performance. Looking back at our previous encounters, I know my opponent well now. I think he knows who I am also. I’m looking forward to putting on another show and hopefully get the knockout.”

Bibiano Fernandes, ONE World Title Challenger, stated: “Kevin [Belingon] is a great champion. He has earned everything he has now, and I’m happy for him. But I really truly believe I won the first fight. In this third fight, I’m going to take the belt back. I’m going to prove to everyone that I’m still the best in the world and start a new reign as World Champion.”

Eddie Alvarez, ONE Athlete, stated: “I am focused on my opponent, Timofey [Nastyukhin]. I asked for the most dangerous guy, and I got him. I’ve trained very hard for this fight. My mind and body are ready. I’m looking at that shiny belt right there, it’s the only one I don’t have. That’s the goal. Whatever it takes, however long it takes, my goal is to win the ONE Championship World Title.”

Demetrious Johnson, ONE Athlete, stated: “This is the next step in my evolution as an athlete. It should be interesting. For me it’s a long time coming, fighting in front of my Japanese fan base. I’m not taking Yuya Wakamatsu lightly. I just want to go out there and do what I do best, be the best Demetrious Johnson I can be.”

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

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship (ONE) is the largest global sports media property in Asian history, and the largest producer of millennial live sports content in Asia. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE is the Home of Martial Arts, and is the world’s largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more. ONE hosts the biggest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world’s best martial artists and world champions on the largest global media broadcast in Asia. ONE eSports, a subsidiary of ONE Championship, runs Asia’s largest global eSports Championship Series with some of the biggest blockbuster game titles in the world. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 2.6 billion potential viewers across 140+ countries with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Bandsports, Startimes, Premier Sports, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, OSN, Great Sports, Tencent, Turner Sports,




EXCITING WELTERWEIGHT MATCHUP HEADLINES UFC® DEBUT IN ROCHESTER AS (#4) RAFAEL DOS ANJOS BATTLES (#5 – LW) KEVIN LEE

Las Vegas – UFC® heads to Rochester, N.Y. for the first time with a marquee matchup featuring former UFC lightweight champion and No. 4-ranked welterweight contender Rafael Dos Anjos welcoming former interim lightweight title challenger and No. 5-ranked lightweight Kevin Lee to the 170-pound division. In a high-stakes rematch at bantamweight, undefeated prospect and No. 6-ranked contender Aspen Ladd looks to prove that her first win over No. 2-ranked flyweight contender Sijara Eubanks was no fluke.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT ON ESPN+®: DOS ANJOS vs. LEE will stream live from Blue Cross Arena exclusively on ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 18, with prelims kicking off at 5 p.m. ET. Doors open at 4 p.m. ET. All UFC live events on ESPN+ will also be available in English and Spanish.

A perennial top contender since joining UFC over a decade ago, Dos Anjos (28-11, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) has defeated some of the biggest names in the sport. He holds impressive victories over former UFC champions Anthony Pettis, Benson Henderson and Robbie Lawler. A fan-favorite for his aggressive fighting style, Dos Anjos now aims to work his way back into the title picture by spoiling Lee’s welterweight debut and earning his eighth UFC post-fight bonus.

Hailed as the next generation of MMA talent since he debuted in the UFC at just 21 years old, Lee (17-4, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) looks to make a statement in his welterweight debut. While at lightweight, Lee impressed with notable stoppage victories over Francisco Trinaldo, Michael Chiesa and Edson Barboza. Now, Lee intends to make an immediate impact in his new division by being the first man to finish Dos Anjos at 170-pounds and asserting himself as one of the top contenders for the belt.

One of the top rising women’s prospects in the UFC, Ladd (7-0, fighting out of El Dorado Hills, Calif.) aims to break into the top-5 rankings for the first time in her career. Still only 24 years old, Ladd has finished all but one of her opponents, including stopping former title challenger Tonya Evinger and multiple-time Muay Thai world champion Lina Lansberg. Now, Ladd looks to improve on the only decision victory on her resume by being the first person to finish Eubanks in their rematch.

A multiple-time jiu-jitsu world champion, Eubanks (5-2, fighting out of Toms River, N.J.) competes at bantamweight for the first time in her UFC tenure. A finalist on The Ultimate Fighter: 26, Eubanks has established herself as one of the top contenders in women’s MMA by following her appearance on the show with dominant victories over Lauren Murphy and Roxanne Modafferi. Now, Eubanks looks to even the score with Ladd and show that she is worthy of title contention in any division she competes in.

Announced bouts on the card include:

Heavyweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3 and the current No. 12-ranked middleweight contender Antonio Carlos Junior (11-2, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) aims to extend his winning streak to six when he battles Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series signee Ian Heinisch (12-1, fighting out of Englewood, Colo.)
Looking for her eight stoppage victory in a row, Megan Anderson (9-3, fighting out of Kansas City, Mo. by way of Gold Coast, Australia) welcomes the debuting Felicia Spencer (6-0, fighting out of Orlando, Fla. by way of Montreal, Quebec, Canada) to the UFC women’s featherweight division
Looking to stay unbeaten at middleweight in the UFC, Zak Cummings (22-6, fighting out of Kansas City, Mo.) intends to hand undefeated prospect Trevin Giles (11-0, fighting out of Houston, Texas) his first career loss
Lightweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter: 27 Michael Trizano (9-0, fighting out of Ramsey, N.J.) looks to maintain his perfect record by taking out Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series signee Grant Dawson (13-1, fighting out of Lee’s Summit, Mo.)
In a light heavyweight slugfest that is sure to please fans, Patrick Cummins (10-5, fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla.) meets proven veteran Ed Herman (24-14, fighting out of Portland, Ore.)

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

Visit the UFC® Press Portal for information and content to support your UFC coverage. Please click here to apply for the event.

Tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT ON ESPN+®: DOS ANJOS vs. LEE go on sale Friday, March 29 at 10 a.m. ET. Tickets are available for purchase online at ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person.

UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, March 27 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, March 28 starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

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About UFC®

UFC® is a premium global sports brand and the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. UFC boasts 278 million fans worldwide and has produced over 460 events in 24 countries since its inception in 1993. Acquired in 2016 by global sports, entertainment and fashion leader Endeavor (formerly WME | IMG), together with strategic partners Silver Lake Partners and KKR, UFC is headquartered in Las Vegas with a network of employees around the world. UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe, while programming is broadcast in over 165 countries and territories to 1.0 billion TV households worldwide in over 40 different languages. UFC FIGHT PASS®, the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports, delivers exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content to fans around the world. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram: @UFC.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. It reached 2 million subscribers in less than a year and offers fans thousands of live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, along with premium editorial content.

Programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB and NHL games, exclusive UFC, Top Rank boxing and PFL fights and events, top domestic and international soccer (Serie A, MLS, FA Cup, UEFA Nations League, EFL Championship, EFL Carabao Cup, Eredivisie, and more), thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and other sports), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby and cricket, new and exclusive series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and can cancel at any time.

ESPN+ is available as an integrated part of the ESPN App (on mobile and connected devices) and ESPN.com. They are the industry-leading all-in-one digital sports platform, delivering a rich, personalized experience to tens of millions of fans every month.

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment enterprise, features more than 50 assets – eight U.S. television networks, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN International, ESPN The Magazine and more. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

About Blue Cross Arena

Blue Cross Arena at The War Memorial is located in Rochester, NY on the Genesee River. The 11,215-seat multi-purpose facility is host to a variety of entertainment and athletic events, including the American Hockey League’s Rochester Americans and National Lacrosse League’s Rochester Knighthawks.

In addition to hockey and lacrosse, Blue Cross Arena hosts a wide variety of events such as concerts, family shows and other sporting events. For more information, visit bluecrossarena.com and follow Blue Cross Arena at Facebook.com/BlueCrossArenaRochester and Twitter: @BlueCrossArena.




UFC® RETURNS TO OTTAWA WITH LIGHTWEIGHT THRILLER BETWEEN (#4) AL IAQUINTA AND (#9) DONALD CERRONE

Ottawa, Canada – UFC® will return to Ottawa with a thrilling lightweight battle between No. 4 ranked contender Al Iaquinta and No. 9 Donald Cerrone. In a clash of middleweight contenders, No. 8 ranked Derek Brunson looks to re-assert himself in the title picture against No. 14 and Ontario native Elias Theodorou.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT ON ESPN+®: IAQUINTA vs. COWBOY will stream live from Canadian Tire Centre exclusively on ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 4 with prelims kicking off on ESPN+ at 5 p.m. ET. All UFC live events on ESPN+ will also be available in English and Spanish.

A talented grappler with knockout power, Iaquinta (14-4-1, fighting out of Wantagh, N.Y.) returned to action in December with a spectacular win over Kevin Lee. During his UFC stint he’s picked up impressive wins against Diego Sanchez, Jorge Masvidal, Joe Lauzon and Ross Pearson. He now aims to build on his momentum with a victory over one of the biggest names in MMA.

A perennial favorite who’s equally dangerous striking as he is on the mat, Cerrone (35-11 1NC, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) stormed back into the lightweight division with a show-stealing victory over Alexander Hernandez. He also holds highlight-reel victories against Edson Barboza, Mike Perry, Matt Brown and Rick Story. Cerrone is now ready to continue his climb back up the 155-pound ranks.

A NCAA Division II wrestler with heavy hands, Brunson (18-7, fighting out of Wilmington, N.C.) has fought the who’s who of the 185-pound division. During his UFC run, he’s delivered spectacular knockout wins against former light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida, Uriah Hall, Sam Alvey and Ed Herman. He now looks to make a statement on enemy territory against a rising contender.

Winner of The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Australia, Theodorou (17-2, fighting out of Toronto, Canada) aims to crack the middleweight top 10. An unorthodox and diverse fighter, he has picked up hard-fought victories over Eryk Anders, Trevor Smith, Cezar Ferreira and Sam Alvey. He’s now set to stake his claim as a title contender against one of the division’s most battle-tested competitors.

Announced bouts on the card include:

Submission ace and No. 9 ranked heavyweight contender Aleksei Oleinik (57-11-1, fighting out of Moscow, Russia) makes 70th professional appearance against dangerous Walt Harris (11-7 1NC, fighting out of Birmingham, Ala.).
The Ultimate Fighter winner Brad Katona (9-0, fighting out of Winnipeg, Canada) aims to remain undefeated when he takes on gritty Merab Dvalishvili (8-3, fighting out of Long Island, N.Y. by way of Tbilisi, Georgia)
Tristar Gym’s Aiemann Zahabi (7-1, fighting out of Montreal, Canada) is back in action against Vince Morales (7-2, fighting out of Ontario, Ore.)
Marc-Andre Barriault (11-1, fighting out of Quebec City, Canada) makes his highly anticipated debut against Andrew Sanchez (11-4, fighting out of Fairfield, N.J.)
Nordine Taleb (14-6, fighting out of Montreal, Canada) takes on fellow welterweight KO artist Siyar Bahadurzada (23-7, fighting out of Amsterdam, The Netherlands by way of Kabul, Afghanistan)
Arjan Bhullar (8-1, fighting out of Vancouver, Canada) battles unbeaten Juan Adams (5-0, fighting out of Houston, Tex.) in a clash of rising heavyweights
Mitch Gagnon (12-4, fighting out of Sudbury, Ont., Canada) returns against tough Brian Kelleher (19-10, fighting out of Seldan, N.Y.)
Sarah Moras (5-5, fighting out of Kelowna, B.C., Canada) takes on Leah Letson (5-2, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.) in a battle of The Ultimate Fighter veterans
Kyle Nelson (12-2, fighting out of Huntsville, Ont., Canada) drops down to featherweight against Matt Sayles (6-2, fighting out of San Diego, Calif.)

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

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UFC FIGHT NIGHT ON ESPN+®: IAQUINTA vs. COWBOY will air live from Canadian Tire Centre on ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT on Saturday, May 4. Early prelims stream on ESPN+ at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT. Doors open at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.

Tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT ON ESPN+®: IAQUINTA vs. COWBOY go on sale Friday, March 22 at 10 a.m. ET and are available for purchase online at www.ticketmaster.ca. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person.

UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, March 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, March 21 starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.