TWO WORLD CHAMPION VS WORLD CHAMPION SUPER-BOUTS SET FOR SINGAPORE ON 9 NOVEMBER

20 September 2018 – Singapore: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced that ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan will defend her title against ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee in a super-bout. This will be the main event of ONE: HEART OF A LION, which is set for Friday, 9 November at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Ticket information ONE: HEART OF THE LION is available at www.onefc.com.

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “ONE Championship is coming home to Singapore this November, and we have an amazing evening planned for martial arts fans in the Lion City. Two incredible world champions, the best in their divisions, are set to go head-to-head in a highly-anticipated super-bout. ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion Xiong Jing Nan will step up to the plate to defend her title against ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee in what will be the biggest martial arts spectacle in Asia this year. It’s a thrilling match-up that should have fans on the edge of their seats in excitement. With the two stars being feared finishers, I don’t expect this bout to go the distance. In addition, the highly-anticipated rematch between reigning ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano Fernandes and Filipino superstar Kevin Belingon is going down. It’s going to be an awesome matchup that fans will surely not want to miss!”

“The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan began her career competing in professional boxing, and she was originally inspired to pick up the sport by her father, who imparted in her values of courage and integrity. Featuring a wide array of skills, she bagged a gold medal at the prestigious China Open Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament in 2017. Since winning the inaugural ONE Women’s Strawweight World Championship this past January, the Beijing, China native has made two successful title defenses. In her most recent bout, she defeated Samara Santos of Brazil to successfully retain her title and push her record to 16-1. Up next, the 30-year-old travels to Singapore to defend her championship against Angela Lee.

“Unstoppable” Angela Lee is considered one of ONE Championship’s most outstanding athletes. The Singaporean captured the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship with an awe-inspiring victory over Mei Yamaguchi in May 2016, and she has since defended the title successfully on multiple occasions. Lee’s beautiful combination of elite striking and grappling has proven to be a potent formula for success, as she has remained undefeated in her career. In her most recent bout, she beat Yamaguchi once again, showcasing her wide array of skills en route to a unanimous decision victory. Lee is now set to challenge Xiong Jing Nan for the ONE Women’s Strawweight World Championship.

38-year-old Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes of Brazil is the reigning ONE Bantamweight World Champion, and widely considered one of the best martial artists in the world bar none. He made his ONE Championship debut back in 2012 and captured the bantamweight world title in 2013. Since then, Fernandes has remained unbeaten inside the ONE Championship cage, showcasing tremendous striking and grappling ability and an unwavering will to win. In his most recent bout, Fernandes defeated two-division titleholder Martin Nguyen by split decision in a World Champion vs. World Champion super-bout. In his next title defense, Fernandes is set to defend his championship against Kevin Belingon in a highly-anticipated rematch.

30-year-old Filipino superstar Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon of Team Lakay hails from Kiangan, Ifugao province. He made his professional cage debut in 2007, winning his first nine bouts while capturing a local flyweight title. After joining ONE Championship in 2012, Belingon put together a series of tremendous performances, including several highlight-reel finishes, to earn a shot at ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano Fernandes in early 2016. Although Belingon failed to capture the title, he has since been on a warpath back to world title contention, putting together a sensational win streak which includes huge knockout wins over several former world title challengers. In his most recent outing, Belingon scored one of the biggest wins of his career, defeating two-division ONE World Champion Martin Nguyen. Up next for Belingon is a shot at ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano Fernandes.

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

About ONE Championship™

ONE Championship is the largest global sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Championship 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. The world’s most exciting martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world’s best martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 1.7 billion potential viewers across 138 countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Bandsports, Startimes, Premier Sports, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, OSN, and more.

CHUCK LIDDELL AND TITO ORTIZ LAS VEGAS PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES

LAS VEGAS (SEPT. 14, 2018): Chuck Liddell (30-8, 20 KOs) and Tito Ortiz (19-12-1, 8 KOs) hosted a pressconference today at the David Copperfield Theater at MGM Grand to formally announce their three-round main event on Saturday, Nov. 24 at the “Fabulous” Forum in Inglewood, California. The fight will be presented live on Pay-Per-View beginning at 6:00 p.m. PT/9:00 p.m. ET.

Here’s what today’s participants had to say at the press conference:

CHUCK LIDDELL, Mixed Martial Arts Legend:
“I know Tito is hoping that I’m a shell of the man I was because that’s the only way he would have a chance against me. But he’s going to find out in November that I’m not. I still hit just as hard and I wrestle just as well. He’s going to get knocked out. Thank you guys for having me. I’m excited to be back in the sport. I’m excited to prove to everyone that you can do anything you put your mind to. I’m going it knock him out!”

TITO ORTIZ, Mixed Martial Arts Legend:
“On November 24 and live at the Forum, I will have the opportunity to put you out once and for all. I fought Chael Sonnen last year. I choked him out in two and a half minutes. He’s still in a heavyweight tournament and he’s still beating guys. Chuck hasn’t fought in over ten years. I see the opportunity to finally shut this guy up and finally get my hand raised on my terms.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions
“We are very excited to announce what will be a monumental event. Golden Boy Promotions hosted its first event many years ago and it was a success. So we know what we are getting ourselves into. We also know that are doing this for the betterment of the fighter, like we’ve always done. We’re giving fighters another platform to get exposure for their great skills. I’m happy we will be hosting this fight featuring two MMA legends.”

Liddell vs. Ortiz 3 is a three-round light heavyweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions. The fights will take place on Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018 at the ‘Fabulous’ Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The fight will be presented live on Pay-Per-View beginning at 6:00 p.m. PT/9:00 p.m. ET.

Tickets for Liddell vs. Ortiz 3 are on sale now. Tickets are priced at $30, $50, $100, $150, $300, $500 and Ringside VIP $1,000. (Limited Number Ringside VIP Available Access To The Forum Club Included) Prices do not include applicable facility fees and service charges, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.fabulousforum.com or www.ticketmaster.com, and also at the Forum Box Office.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com. Follow on Twitter
@GoldenBoyBoxing, @TitoOrtiz, and @ChuckLiddell. Become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, https://www.facebook.com/titoortizhbbb
and https://www.facebook.com/ChuckLiddell/
. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing and @OscarDeLaHoya. Follow the conversation using #OrtizLidell3.

Photos and videos are available to download by clicking here or by copying and pasting link: http://bit.ly/LiddellOrtizIII into a browser. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for photos and videos used.

Video: Chuck Lidell vs Tito Ortiz – Press Conference

https://www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyFN/videos/1936220416400519/

AUNG LA N SANG TO DEFEND ONE MIDDLEWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AGAINST MOHAMMAD KARAKI

13 September 2018 – Yangon, Myanmar: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced the main event for ONE: PURSUIT OF GREATNESS, set for Friday, 26 October, at the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar. Reigning ONE Middleweight World Champion “The Burmese Python” will defend his title against Mohammad Karaki.

Ticket information for ONE: PURSUIT OF GREATNESS is available at www.onefc.com.

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “ONE Championship returns to Yangon this October with another blockbuster evening of world-class martial arts! Everytime we visit Yangon, it’s always a spectacle. Aung La N Sang is a two-division titleholder and an absolute phenom, beloved by his people for his immense skill in the martial arts arena, and his ability to unite everyone whenever he performs. He embodies the true values of martial arts and is a tremendous champion with a big heart. Aung La N Sang is in for another tough test, however, as Lebanon’s Mohammad Karaki is no doubt a worthy challenger to the middleweight throne. It’s going to be absolutely electric at the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium once again!”

Aung La N Sang is Myanmar’s most successful athlete in history, whose impressive submission skills has earned him the moniker of ”The Burmese Python”. Born in Myitkyina in the mountainous Kachin State, he belongs to an ethnic minority known as the Kachin. Aung La N Sang captured the ONE Middleweight World Championship with a unanimous decision victory over Vitaly Bigdash in June of 2017. In February 2018, he defeated Brazil’s Alexandre Machado to be crowned the ONE Light Heavyweight World Champion. Next up, the 33-year-old is set to defend his middleweight title against Mohammad Karaki.

Undefeated Lebanese mixed martial arts star Mohammad “O Lutador” Karaki is a 27-year-old middleweight with an unblemished professional record of 9-0. The Phoenix Middleweight Champion, Karaki is considered one of the greatest mixed martial artists from the middle east. He also formerly held the Desert Force light heavyweight and middleweight titles. Of his nine victories, only one bout reached the final bell. With five submissions and three captivating knockouts to his name, Karaki is a feared finisher who is expected to bring the firepower when he meets “The Burmese Python” Aung La N Sang for the ONE Middleweight 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™

Video: UFC 229: Khabib vs McGregor – It’s About to Go Down

THE THIRD FIGHT IS ON! CHUCK LIDDELL TO BATTLE TITO ORTIZ IN FINAL CHAPTER OF HISTORIC RIVALRY

LOS ANGELES (Sept. 12, 2018): The final chapter of most historic rivalry in mixed martial arts history will take place as Chuck Liddell (30-8, 20 KOs) takes on Tito Ortiz (19-12-1, 8 KOs) in a three-round main event on Saturday, Nov. 24 at the “Fabulous” Forum in Inglewood, California. The fight will be presented live on Pay-Per-View beginning at 6:00 p.m. PT/9:00 p.m. ET.

Liddell was a former kickboxer who became a veritable legend in the sport of MMA. Liddell defended the UFC Light Heavyweight crown four times against the likes of Tito Ortiz, Randy Couture and Jeremy Horn. Liddell, who also has victories against Alistair Overeem and Wanderlei Silva, will return to the cage after eight years to fulfill what he says is his fans’ biggest desire.

“I’ve already knocked him out twice,” said Chuck Liddell. “I’m doing this for my fans because this is the one fight they all keep asking me for, and they want to see him knocked out. Tito is a punk, but I also want to inspire people and show them that the only limitations we have are the ones we put on ourselves. For me, it’s a fight to right some wrongs from the past and to renew my strength and discipline. My focus is laser sharp, and I can’t wait to see blood! Tito is going down! I’m thrilled to be partnered with Golden Boy Promotions for this event because they understand the sacrifice that we fighters make to entertain the world. Together we are going to bring the biggest event in MMA history. November 24, you better be watching!”

Known worldwide as the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy,” Ortiz became one of the first stars of mix martial arts and has faced the likes of Ken Shamrock, Forrest Griffin, Wanderlei Silva, Vitor Belfort and Ryan Bader. Ortiz held the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship for three years and is considered one of the most important figures the sport has ever had. Ortiz will return after first-round submission victory against Chael Sonnen in January 2017 and will look to return to Inglewood, Calif. to finish a rivalry what was started several years ago.

“It’s extremely important that I finish this the way I want to,” said Tito Ortiz. “Liddell was my friend. He says he’s not my friend, well great. We’re enemies, and that’s just the way it is. Now it’s time for fans to buy this pay-per-view to watch one of the best fights of my career. Chuck will come in thinking he can knock me out. He’ll come in swinging for the fences, but I’ll knock his ass out. Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions has stepped up to give fans what they want after 25 years of mixed martial arts. To be a partner in such a big promotion has always been my dream.”

“This event will be huge for sports fans around the world,” said Oscar De La Hoya, CEO and Chairman of Golden Boy Promotions. “Liddell and Ortiz are two of the most recognized fighters in mixed martial arts history. They are legends in the sport. Everyone remembers that their rivalry helped put the sport on the map, and we’re excited to host the next and final chapter of this historic rivalry.”

The undercard of this event will be fully stacked with competitive mixed martial arts bouts. Details will be announced shortly.

Tickets for Liddell vs. Ortiz 3 go on sale Friday, Sept. 14, 2018 at 10:00 am PT. Tickets are priced at $30, $50, $100, $150, $300, $500 and Ringside VIP $1,000. (Limited Number Ringside VIP Available Access To The Forum Club Included) Prices do not include applicable facility fees and service charges, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.fabulousforum.com or www.ticketmaster.com, and also at the Forum Box Office.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @TitoOrtiz, and @ChuckLiddell. Become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, https://www.facebook.com/titoortizhbbb and
https://www.facebook.com/ChuckLiddell/. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing and @OscarDeLaHoya. Follow the conversation using #LiddellOrtiz3.

VIDEO: UFC 229: Khabib vs McGregor – The Wait is Over

BELLATOR TO SIGN WFL’S ‘FINAL 8’ HEAVYWEIGHT GRAND PRIX AND MMA LIGHTWEIGHT TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS

LOS ANGELES – Bellator announced today the organization will reward the winner of World Fighting League’s upcoming “Final 8” Grand Prix, as well as the MMA Lightweight Tournament Finale, with a Bellator contract. The events take place over two days on Saturday, Sept. 22 through Sunday, Sept. 23 from Topsportcentrum in Almere, Netherlands and are set to air on Spike Netherlands.

Owned by famed Dutch kickboxer Melvin Manhoef, the Netherlands-based promotion is currently home to many of the best Dutch kickboxers and mixed martial artists. Following an impressive combat sports career that spans two and a half decades, including successful runs in DREAM, Cage Rage and Bellator, Manhoef began promoting fights under his WFL banner in 2015. Most recently, Manhoef defeated Remy Bonjasky in the final bout of his kickboxing career at WFL 16.

Similar to renowned K-1 events, the kickboxing tournament on Sept. 22 commences with eight competitors who will need to claim victory three times in one evening to become champion. The “Final 8” Grand Prix kicks off with several explosive first-round heavyweight matchups, including Murat Aygun vs. Fabio Kwasi, Sam Tevette vs. Clyde Brunswijk, Andrei Stoica vs. “Boy Boy” Martin and Fred Sikking vs. Nordine Mahieddine. Sikking vs. Nordine replaces the previously announced contest between Ibrahim El Bouni and Levi Rigters.

In the MMA Lightweight Tournament Finale on Sept. 23, Pieter Buist (13-4) meets Soli Abdeselam Mohamed (4-3), better known to fans as “Sully Bull,” in a battle to determine the victor at 155 pounds. Buist, nicknamed “The Archangel,” is currently riding a four-fight win streak, including two WFL victories, while Bull has also won his previous two bouts inside the WFL cage.

In addition to the “Super 8” Grand Prix on Sept. 22, the card will also feature Bellator Kickboxing’s Jorina Baars (44-0-3) in a highly anticipated superfight with two-time WFL World Champion Anissa Haddaoui (42-3-1). Fighting out of Den Helder, Netherlands, the 29-year-old Baars remains one of the most dangerous kickboxers and Muay Thai fighters on the planet, famously defeating Cris Cyborg in 2014. Having earned gold in both professional kickboxing and Muay Thai, the Dutch-born Haddaoui looks to make a name for herself against a fellow veteran in Baars. Fans can expect fireworks between these two exciting and elite fighters.

For more information, please visit WorldFightingLeague.com and WFLTickets.com.

****

Bellator MMA

Bellator is a leading global mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on both Paramount Network and DAZN, the world’s first truly dedicated LIVE sports streaming service. Bellator is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

UFC® DEBUTS IN MONCTON WITH CLASH BETWEEN LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT KNOCKOUT ARTISTS (#2) VOLKAN OEZDEMIR AND (#9) ANTHONY SMITH

Moncton, Canada – UFC® will debut in Moncton, New Brunswick with a battle of light heavyweight contenders between No.2-ranked Volkan Oezdemir and No.9 Anthony Smith. UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: VOLKAN vs. SMITH goes down Saturday, October 27 from Avenir Centre and will air live on FS1. The event will broadcast in Canada on TSN and RDS.

A former 205-pound title challenger, Oezdemir (15-2, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla., USA by way of Fribourg, Switzerland) tore through the UFC ranks following his arrival in early 2017. After earning a short-notice decision win against Ovince Saint Preux, he scored rapid-fire knockouts over Misha Cirkunov and Jimi Manuwa. He now aims to stop a surging contender and stake his claim among the division’s elite.

Previously a middleweight mainstay, Smith (30-13, fighting out of Omaha, Neb., USA) has wasted no time since moving up to light heavyweight this June. Over the course of a seven-week span, he delivered spectacular first-round knockout wins over former champions Rashad Evans and Mauricio Rua. With momentum on his side, he now aims to continue his ascent up the light heavyweight ranks.

Additional bouts on the card include:

Light heavyweight contenders collide when No.10-ranked Misha Cirkunov (13-4, fighting out of Toronto, Canada by way of Riga, Latvia) faces No.13 Patrick Cummins (10-4, fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla., USA)
In a clash of dangerous finishers, Gian Villante (16-10, fighting out of Bellmore, N.Y., USA) takes on Ed Herman (24-13 1NC, fighting out of Portland, Ore., USA)
Artem Lobov (14-14-1 1NC, fighting out of Dublin, Ireland by way of Nizhny Novgorod, Russia) returns to action against Zubaira Tukhugov (18-4, fighting out of Grozny, Chechen Republic, Russia)
Atlantic Canada’s Gavin Tucker (10-1, fighting out of Halifax, Canada) moves down to bantamweight against Andre Soukhamthath (12-6, fighting out of Lake Worth, Fla. USA)
Nordine Taleb (14-5, fighting out of Montreal, Canada by way of St. Tropez, France) meets Sean Strickland (19-3-1, fighting out of Corona, Calif., USA) in a welterweight bout
No.14 women’s bantamweight Sarah Moras (5-4, fighting out of Kelowna, B.C., Canada) squares off with Talita Bernardo (5-2, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Thibault Gouti (12-4, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M., USA by way of Roulouse, France) locks horns with Nasrat Haqparast (9-2, fighting out of Montreal, Canada by way of Hamburg, Germany)
Alex Garcia (15-4, fighting out of Montreal, Canada by way of Santiago, Dominican Republic) battles Court McGee (19-6-1, fighting out of Orem, Utah, USA)
Stevie Ray (21-7, fighting out of Fife, Scotland) welcomes Jessin Ayari (16-4, fighting out of Nuremberg, Germany) to the lightweight division
Indo-Canadian heavyweight Arjan Bhullar (7-1, fighting out of Vancouver, Canada) looks to defend home soil against fellow prospect Marcelo Golm (6-1, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil)
Calvin Kattar (18-3, fighting out of Metheun, Mass., USA) looks to rebound against UFC newcomer Chris Fishgold (17-1-1, fighting out of Liverpool, England)
Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series contract winner Te Edwards (6-1, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz., USA) will make his UFC debut against Don Madge (7-3-1, fighting out of Cape Town, South Africa)

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.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: VOLKAN vs. SMITH will air live on FS1 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Saturday, Oct. 27, with the prelims kicking off the evening on FS1 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and on UFC FIGHT PASS® at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT.

Tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: VOLKAN vs. SMITH go on sale Friday, Sept. 14 at 10 a.m. ADT and are priced at $197.87, $158.30, $118.72, $92.34 and $65.96 CAD (does not include fees). Tickets 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, Sept. 12 at 10 a.m. ADT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, Sept. 13 starting at 10 a.m. ADT. 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. Celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2018, UFC boasts more than 284 million fans worldwide and has produced over 440 events in 22 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 160 countries and territories to 1.1 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.

About SMG:

Since 1977, SMG has provided management services to more than 220 public assembly facilities worldwide, including arenas, stadiums, theatres and performing arts centers, equestrian facilities, convention, congress and exhibition centers, science centers and a variety of other venues. Across the globe, SMG manages more than 14 million square feet of exhibition space and more than 1.75 million arena and theatre seats. As the recognized global industry leader, SMG provides venue management, sales, marketing, event booking and programming, construction and design consulting, and pre-opening services. SMG also offers food and beverage operations through its concessions and catering company SAVOR, currently serving more than 100 accounts worldwide. For more information visit www.smgworld.com

Video: UFC 228: Weigh-in

Video: UFC 228 Embedded: Vlog Series – Episode 4

VIDEO: UFC 228 Embedded: Vlog Series – Episode 3

VIDEO: UFC 228 Countdown: Full Episode

Video: UFC 228 Embedded: Vlog Series – Episode 1

UFC® CELEBRATES 25TH ANNIVERSARY WITH ACTION-PACKED CARD HEADLINED BY (#3) FRANKIE EDGAR VS. (#10) CHAN SUNG JUNG

Las Vegas, Nevada – UFC® will celebrate its 25th anniversary by returning to where it all began—Denver, Colo. In a thrilling featherweight contenders’ bout, No.3-ranked Frankie Edgar will battle No.10 Chan Sung Jung. Also, No.12-ranked welterweight Donald Cerrone will throw down with Mike Perry in a fight guaranteed to deliver fireworks. UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: EDGAR vs. KOREAN ZOMBIE takes place Sat., November 10 at Pepsi Center and will air live on FS1.

A former lightweight champion and two-time featherweight title challenger, Edgar (21-6-1, fighting out of Toms River, N.J.) has beaten some of the biggest names in MMA. Over the course of his storied career, he’s earned impressive victories over B.J. Penn (three times), Cub Swanson (twice), Urijah Faber, Chad Mendes and Jeremy Stephens. He now aims to steal the show and stake his claim for another title shot against one of the division’s most aggressive and dynamic finishers.

Among the most exciting fighters on the UFC roster, Jung (14-4, fighting out of Seoul, South Korea) is known for his spectacular highlight-reel finishes. The Korean Zombie is the only fighter in UFC history to win by twister submission and holds one of the fastest KO wins at seven seconds. He returned to action last year following mandatory military service with a first-round KO over Dennis Bermudez. Jung hopes to continue his climb up the featherweight ranks and earn the biggest victory of his career.

The co-main event will feature two perennial fan favorites in a bout that could take home Fight of the Night honors.

Former lightweight title challenger and Denver native Cerrone (33-11 1NC, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) has delivered some of the most thrilling fights inside the Octagon®. Since moving to welterweight in 2016, he’s earned impressive stoppage wins against Yancy Medeiros, Matt Brown, Rick Story and Patrick Cote. He now looks to rebound with a victory in his hometown.

A hard-hitting KO artist, Perry (12-3, fighting out of Orlando, Fla.) immediately turned heads when he joined the UFC in 2016. Known for his aggressive striking, Perry’s netted impressive KO victories over Jake Ellenberger, Danny Roberts, Hyun Gyu Lim and Alex Reyes. On the heels of his first decision win, over Paul Felder in July, he’s poised to add a MMA superstar to his resume.

Additional bouts on the card include:

Recent women’s bantamweight title challenger and No.4-ranked contender Raquel Pennington (9-7, fighting out of Colorado Spring, Colo.) squares off with former women’s featherweight champion and No.5-ranked bantamweight contender Germaine de Randamie (7-3, fighting out of Utrecht, The Netherlands)
In a clash of former flyweight title challengers, No.3-ranked contender Joseph Benavidez (25-5, fighting out of Las Cruces, N.M.) locks horns with No.4 Ray Borg (11-3, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.)
Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series contract winner and Colorado native Maycee Barber (4-0, fighting out of Fort Collins, Colo.) makes her UFC debut against Maia Stevenson (6-5, fighting out of San Diego, Calif.)
The Ultimate Fighter 27 winner Mike Trizano (8-0, fighting out of Ramsey, N.J.) faces castmate Luis Pena (5-0, fighting out of Saint Charles, Mo.
Ashley Yoder (5-4, fighting out of Temecula, Calif.) takes on Amanda Cooper (4-4, fighting out of Bath, Mich.) in a strawweight bout
Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series alum Alonzo Menifield (7-0, fighting out of Dallas, Tex.) debuts against Saparbeg Safarov (8-2, fighting out of Makhachkala, Russia)
Chas Skelly (17-2, fighting out of Arlington, Tex.) returns against Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series contract earner Bobby Moffett (12-3, fighting out of Homewood, Ill.)

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.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: EDGAR vs. KOREAN ZOMBIE will air live on FS1 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Saturday, Nov. 10, with the prelims kicking off the evening on FS1 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and on UFC FIGHT PASS® at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT.

Tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: EDGAR vs. KOREAN ZOMBIE go on sale Friday, Sept. 7 at 10 a.m. MT and are priced at $150, $120, $90, $70 and $50 (does not include fees). Tickets are available for purchase online at www.altitudetickets.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person.

UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, Sept. 5 at 10 a.m. MT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, Sept. 6 starting at 10 a.m. MT. 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. Celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2018, UFC boasts more than 284 million fans worldwide and has produced over 440 events in 22 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 160 countries and territories to 1.1 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.

COMPLETE CARD ANNOUNCED FOR ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES

4 September 2018 – Bangkok, Thailand: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced the complete card for ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES, which is set to ignite the Impact Arena in Bangkok on Saturday, 6 October. Once again, the biggest and brightest stars in martial arts are ready to grace the ONE Championship ring. In the main event, reigning The Ring and WBC Super Flyweight World Champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai of Thailand will defend his title against Iran “MagnifiKO” Diaz of Mexico.

Ticket information for ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES is available at www.onefc.com.

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai is one of the most celebrated pugilists in Thailand’s history, winning the prestigious WBC Super Flyweight World Title on two occasions. Holding a professional record of 46-4-1 with 41 knockouts, Sor Rungvisai is ranked No. 5 on the pound-for-pound best boxers list of Boxrec.com and No. 7 on The Ring Magazine’s rankings. After regaining the WBC Super Flyweight World Title in March 2017 and then successfully defending it two times, Sor Rungvisai will now defend his WBC World Title in ONE Championship’s historical event in Thailand against challenger Iran Diaz.

Iran “MagnifiKO” Diaz of Sonora, Mexico is one of the fastest rising talents in Mexican boxing. Born and raised in a country known for its passionate love for pugilism, Diaz holds a professional record of 14-2-3, with 6 knockouts to his name. His most notable victories have come over dangerous former World Champions Hernan “Tyson” Marquez and Luis Concepcion. Recently, Diaz is a winner of three of his last five contests, and is riding a wave of momentum heading into his next bout. The hard-hitting Diaz will face Srisaket Sor Rungvisai for the WBC Super Flyweight World Title.

23-year-old “Killer Bee” Kai Ting Chuang of Chinese Taipei is the reigning ONE Super Series Atomweight Kickboxing World Champion. She began boxing as a young teenager and later earned a college scholarship to the National Taiwan University of Sport, where she began training in kickboxing and Muay Thai. She also made frequent trips to Japan to compete in Shootboxing and kickboxing matches. Earlier this year, Chuang brought her talents to ONE Super Series, where she shocked the world with a dominant performance over Yodcherry Sityodtong to win the atomweight World Title. With a professional kickboxing record of 17-5, Chuang represents Iron Boxing, and is a three-time WAKO National Kickboxing Champion. She is set to defend her title now against Stamp Fairtex.

20-year-old Stamp Fairtex of Pattaya, Thailand, is one of the most recent additions to the ONE Super Series female roster. She is a North Eastern Muay Thai Champion and one of the fastest rising talents in the striking arts. With a professional record of 60-15-5, Stamp represents the world-renowned Fairtex gym in Thailand. Known for her powerful kicks and fast combinations, Stamp will be making her ONE Super Series debut when she challenges Kai Ting Chuang for the ONE Super Series Kickboxing Atomweight World Championship.

Former ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya 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 dominant run as a ONE lightweight. 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 veteran has beaten some of the biggest names in the world, including Tatsuya Kawajiri, Caol Uno, and Eddie Alvarez. A winner of his last two bouts in impressive fashion, Aoki is now set to face Ev Ting in his next match.

Ev “E.T.” Ting is a 29-year-old martial arts standout and former ONE World Title challenger from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Living and training out of Auckland, New Zealand, Ting owns a stellar 16-4 professional record, which includes four wins by submission and five by knockout. A winner of seven of his last eight bouts, Ting is one of the most talented competitors to come out of Malaysia. In his most recent bout, Ting defeated highly-regarded Japanese veteran Koji Ando by unanimous decision. “E.T.” is now set to face another top lightweight in former ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya Aoki.

Nong-O Gaiyanghadao is considered by Thai boxing purists as one of the top pound-for-pound Muay Thai practitioners in the world. He is a four-time Lumpinee Stadium champion, Rajadamnern Muay Thai world champion, two-time Thailand national champion, and two-time Fighter of the Year. He is also a five-division world champion in the sport. Nong-O is known for the incredible speed, power and precision behind all his strikes. After a successful ONE Super Series debut earlier this year, Nong-O is set to make his return to the ONE Championship ring opposite Mehdi Zatout.

ISKA and WBC World Champion Mehdi Zatout’s passion for Muay Thai was first ignited when he was 10 years old. Over the course of a highly-successful career spanning more than 20 years, the French striker would go on to travel to Thailand more than 50 times to train and compete, amassing over 100 competitive bouts under kickboxing and Muay Thai rules. After winning two national titles in France, a European championship, and two World Titles, the man they call “Diamond Heart” now finds himself among the world’s best strikers in ONE Super Series. Zatout is set to face Nong-O Gaiyanghadao in a Muay Thai bout.

Alain “The Panther” Ngalani, a Cameroon-born martial artist who trains out of Impakt MMA in his home of Hong Kong, has a terrifying combination of power and speed, and is always looking to end matches early. Owning a kickboxing record of 25-8-1 (2 NC), which includes 23 knockouts, Ngalani is a four-time Muay Thai and kickboxing heavyweight world champion. After regularly competing in mixed martial arts, the 43-year-old made his ONE Super Series kickboxing in his last bout against Tarik Khbabez. Ngalani seeks victory once again, this time against Andre Meunier.

Four-time Kickboxing World Champion Andre “The Giant” Meunier grew up in a rough neighborhood in Melbourne, Australia, and originally trained in martial arts to learn self-discipline. A proven knockout artist, Meunier trains out of the Ultimate Kickboxing gym under James Roesler, and also regularly travels to Thailand to sharpen his skills with former WMTA Light Heavyweight Champion Nick Kara. Having competed all over Australia and Asia, Meunier has faced some of the striking arena’s biggest names, and has never backed down from a challenge. That warrior spirit will serve him well in ONE Super Series, as he goes up against Alain Ngalani in his next contest.

Leandro “Brodinho” Issa is a 35-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion black belt from Sao Paulo, Brazil, who trains and competes out of the world-renowned Evolve Fight Team in Singapore. With a professional mixed martial arts 16-6-0, including 10 wins by submission and two by knockout, Issa has proven to be an exciting competitor with a penchant for spectacular victories. A pioneer of ONE Championship’s bantamweight division, Issa will take on top Tajikistani talent Muin Gafurov in his next assignment.

22-year-old bantamweight competitor Muin “Tajik” Gafurov features a relentless and aggressive style with solid all-around mixed martial arts skills. He owns a stellar 14-2-0 professional mixed martial arts clip and is known as one of the top talents to come out of Tajikistan. Gafurov utilizes a frenetic fighting pace that opponents find difficult to match, featuring high-level grappling techniques and powerful striking. A force to be reckoned with in his weight class, Gafurov is riding a four-bout win streak, and will make his highly-anticipated return to ONE Championship by taking on top contender Leandro Issa.

35-year-old Andy “The Destroyer” Souwer is a Dutch kickboxer from Amsterdam in the Netherlands. He is the former K1 World Max Champion and is a well-respected kickboxer in the world of striking martial arts. With a professional kickboxing record of 160-20-1, Souwer is known as an accomplished veteran of the sport. Now ready to take his talents to the bright lights of ONE Championship, Souwer is set to make his ONE Super Series debut against Anthony Njokuani.

38-year-old Anthony “The Assassin” Njokuani is a Nigerian kickboxer and Muay Thai practitioner who hails from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Representing One Kick’s Gym, Njokuani is a former State Muay Thai Champion, and one of the most well-regarded veterans in the sport of kickboxing. With a professional kickboxing record of 25-1-0, Njokuani is scheduled to make his ONE Super Series debut against Andy Souwer in a much-awaited three-round kickboxing bout.

One of the most highly-regarded Muay Thai practitioners actively competing in the sport, Petchmorrakot Wor. Sangprapai of Bangkok, Thailand is a two-division Lumpinee Stadium Champion and WMC Champion. With a Muay Thai record of 156-33-2, the 24-year-old has already garnered many accolades despite his relatively young age. Featuring wins over some of the biggest names in the discipline, including the legendary Saenchai PKSaenchaimuaythaigym, Petchmorrakot will return to action against Alaverdi Ramazanov.

23-year-old Alaverdi “Dagger” Ramazanov is a Russian martial artist and Muay Thai practitioner who lives and trains out of Pattaya, Thailand. Representing the prestigious Venum Training Camp, he is a three-time IFMA Champion with a stellar professional record of 57-3-0. At a young age, Ramazanov has already accomplished much early in his career and is now ready to showcase his skills on the biggest global stage of competition in ONE Championship. Ramazanov makes his debut against Petchmorrakot Wor. Sangprapai in a ONE Super Series Muay Thai contest.

32-year-old Hayato Suzuki of Ibaraki Prefecture in Japan, is a veteran mixed martial artist with an impressive professional record of 18-1-2. Spending the majority of his career competing in his native Japan, Suzuki is known as a highly-skilled competitor with the ability to finish his foes with heavy knockout power and technical grappling skills. Out of 18 wins, Suzuki has finished 13 of his opponents impressively, including eight by submission and five by knockout. A former Grachan Flyweight Champion, Suzuki will now face the surging Rene Catalan in his next contest.

Multiple-time Wushu World Champion Rene Catalan of the Philippines is one of the most decorated wushu artists ever to make the transition to mixed martial arts. Having won both the Wushu World Championship and Wushu World Cup two times each, Catalan is undoubtedly one of the very best in the world to have taken up the discipline. He has also won gold medals for wushu at the Asian Games, SEA Games, and Asian Championships. Catalan inevitably joined ONE Championship in 2013, gaining valuable experience by taking on some top strawweight talents. The veteran is currently riding an impressive five-bout win streak, two of which have ended in exciting finishes. Catalan continues his rise through the ranks by taking on the dangerous Hayato Suzuki next.

31-year-old Sagetdao “Deadly Star” Petpayathai is a Muay Thai specialist and a four-time Lumpinee Stadium champion who has won every major title in Muay Thai. Voted by Thai media as one of the greatest Muay Thai practitioners in history, Sagetdao is known for his highly technical knowledge in all of Muay Thai’s varied techniques. Concluding his Muay Thai career with a record of 162-62-1, Sagetdao transitioned to mixed martial arts in 2017, acing his first three bouts with flying colors. In his next outing, Sagetdao will be taking on Fabio Pinca.

34-year-old Fabio Pinca is a highly-decorated French-Italian Muay Thai kickboxer known for his technical and precise offensive style. He is a martial artist who hails from Lyon, France and is a two-time WBC World Muay Thai Champion, French Muay Thai champion, WPKC European Kickboxing Champion, and Rajadamnern Stadium World Champion. With a professional Muay Thai record of 99-24-4, Pinca will now try his hand at mixed martial arts, when he makes his professional debut against Sagetdao Petpayathai.

Rika “Tinydoll” Ishige is a 29-year-old female atomweight from Thailand who trains out of Tiger Muay Thai and Bangkok Fight Lab. She is of mixed Japanese and Thai heritage, beginning her martial arts training at age nine with aikido and taekwondo. Heavily influenced by her late father who trained in judo, Ishige went on to hone her skills as a martial artist. All of Ishige’s victories have ended via impressive finish, showcasing her high-level grappling skills. Ishige is today considered one of Thailand’s martial arts pioneers. She returns to action against Bozhena Antoniyar.

23-year-old Bozhena Antoniyar of Yangon, Myanmar is a mixed martial arts atomweight prospect and boxer. A two-time Myanmar National Boxing Champion with fast and powerful hands, Antoniyar represents Transcend Gym in Yangon and will look to make waves in ONE Championship when she returns to action on the biggest global stage of martial arts competition. After a successful promotional debut, defeating Shwe Sin via first-round technical knockout in her previous outing, Antoniyar will now face Thai star Rika Ishige in her next contest.

20-year-old Muay Thai prodigy Petchdam Gaiyanghadao is a fast rising Muay Thai star from Bangkok, Thailand. Representing the prestigious Petchyindee Academy, Petchdam is a WBC Muay Thai World Champion with a stellar professional record of 91-13-7. Now ready to make his ONE Super Series debut, Petchdam will climb into the ONE Championship ring to face Kenny Tse.

23-year-old Kenny “The Pitbull” Tse is a Chinese kickboxer and Muay Thai practitioner who trains out of Melbourne, Australia. Known for his aggressive and fluid striking style, Tse owns a professional Muay Thai record of 39-5-0 and represents Team Ultimate Australia. A K1 Commonwealth Champion, Tse will now take his talents to ONE Super Series when he faces Petchdam Gaiyanghadao in a three-round Muay Thai contest.

Rin Saroth is a martial artist from Phnom Penh, Cambodia. He is a KWC 3 Featherweight Tournament Finalist with a Kun Khmer record of 110-22-0. He made his ONE Championship debut in December 2015 at ONE: KINGDOM OF KHMER, winning by first-round armbar submission over Mission Ali. Since then, the 25-year-old has improved his skills and gained valuable experience. Saroth is now set to face off against Fu Chang Xin in his next outing.

Fu Chang Xin began training to compete in mixed martial arts in 2011, and took the plunge by making his professional debut just three years later. He has since experienced great success, winning the majority of his bouts via stoppage, even claiming the CKF Championship along the way. In his most recent bout, Fu made a successful ONE Championship debut when he stopped Rustem Ensebayev via first-round technical knockout. He brings his impressive win streak into his next contest, which will come against Rin Saroth.

16-year-old Riri Nasukawa of Chiba, Japan is a highly-regarded Japanese female kickboxing prospect. After an extensive amateur career which saw her go 30-3-0 before making a successful professional debut in her last bout, Nasukawa now finds herself on the big stage in ONE Championship. A two-division Big Bang Champion, Nasukawa is set to make her ONE Super Series debut opposite Rudzma Abubakr.

18-year-old Rudzma “El Chavacana” Abubakr of Zamboanga City, Philippines is a well-touted Filipino female kickboxer and Muay Thai practitioner. As an amateur in Muay Thai with a record of 15-4-0, Abubakr is an East Asian Muay Thai Gold Medalist. Now ready to make her ONE Super Series debut, Abubakr will take on Riri Nasukawa in a three-round ONE Super Series kickboxing contest.

Indonesia’s Dodi “The Maung” Mardian is a silat practitioner and an Indonesian combat sports veteran. Also skilled in the arts of Muay Thai and sanda, Mardian made his cage debut in 2016 after deciding to showcase his talent on the biggest stage of competition. The 34-year-old is looking to make a name for himself as he seeks to put his skills to the test in the world’s toughest proving ground for martial arts. In his next contest, Mardian will take on Ramon Gonzales

31-year-old Ramon “The Bicolano” Gonzales is a mixed martial artist from the Philippines, representing Burn Soriano’s Hitman MMA. He has proven his karate mastery in competitions all over the world, and is a two-time Philippine National Kyokushin Karate Champion. Gonzales determined to fully showcase his potential in ONE Championship as he makes his fourth appearance in the promotion against Dodi Mardian.

ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES

Saturday, 6 October

Impact Arena, Bangkok, Thailand

Main Event

WBC Super Flyweight World Championship

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai vs Iran Diaz

Co-Main Event

ONE Super Series Kickboxing Atomweight World Championship

Kai Ting Chuang vs Stamp Fairtex

ONE Super Series Kickboxing: 52.2kg

Shinya Aoki vs Ev Ting

Mixed Martial Arts: 77.1kg

Nong-O Gaiyanghadao vs Mehdi Zatout

ONE Super Series Muay Thai: 65.8kg

Alain Ngalani vs Andre Meunier

ONE Super Series Kickboxing: 120.1kg

Leandro Issa vs Muin Gafurov

Mixed Martial Arts: 65.8kg

Andy Souwer vs Anthony Njokuani

ONE Super Series Kickboxing: 77.1kg

Petchmorrakot Wor. Sangprapai vs Alaverdi Ramazanov

ONE Super Series Muay Thai: 65.8kg

Hayato Suzuki vs Rene Catalan

Mixed Martial Arts: 56.7kg

Sagetdao Petpayathai vs Fabio Pinca

Mixed Martial Arts: 70.3kg

Rika Ishige vs Bozhena Antoniyar

Mixed Martial Arts: 52.2kg

Petchdam Gaiyanghadao vs Kenny Tse

ONE Super Series Muay Thai: 61.2kg

Rin Saroth vs Fu Chang Xin

Mixed Martial Arts: 65.8kg

Riri Nasukawa vs Rudzma Abubakr
ONE Super Series Kickboxing: 47.6kg

Dodi Mardian vs Ramon Gonzales

Mixed Martial Arts: 61.2kg

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™

Audio: UFC 228: Media Conference Call

Video: UFC 228: Montano vs Shevchenko – Championship Dreams

TOP-RANKED HEAVYWEIGHTS NGANNOU AND BLAYDES COLLIDE TO HEADLINE UFC BEIJING ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24

BEIJING, CHINA – UFC® today confirmed its first-ever event in Beijing, China, will be headlined by top-tier heavyweights, with both men eagerly planning to use this matchup to enter the title contention zone. In a highly anticipated rematch between no. 4-ranked heavyweight Francis Ngannou (11-3, fighting out of Las Vegas, USA) and no. 3-ranked Curtis Blaydes (10-1, fighting out of Chicago, USA), these two standout competitors will be looking to make a statement on Saturday, November 24 at the Cadillac Arena. Tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT® BEIJING: NGANNOU vs. BLAYDES, Presented by General Tire, are on-sale now via Damai.cn and 247tickets.com.

This will be the second time that “The Predator” Ngannou and “Razor” Blaydes meet inside the world-famous Octagon®, with their first fight ending with Ngannou, a native of Cameroon capturing the victory by TKO after the second round in April 2016. Since this win, Ngannou has decisively won four of his last six fights, with three knockouts and one submission, all in the first round.

Two years later, Blaydes has gone on to defeat heavyweight legends including Mark Hunt and former Strikeforce® heavyweight champion and interim DREAM heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem. With a four-fight winning streak powering him, the Chicago standout will be looking to continue his rise to the top and potentially earn his place in front of heavyweight champion and UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier.

“After our sellout debut in Shanghai last November, we are thrilled to host our second event in Mainland China,” UFC VP of Asia Pacific Kevin Chang said. “Our main event features two top ranked heavyweights with huge title implications, and together with our rising Chinese stars, UFC Fight Night Beijing on November 24th will be a night to remember.”

UFC is working together with Endeavor China, a subsidiary of Endeavor, to deliver the live event.

“Endeavor China is excited to once again bring UFC – the world’s premier professional MMA organization – to Chinese audiences. After the great success of last year’s event in Shanghai, we are happy to announce that this year’s UFC Fight Night event will take place in the country’s capital, Beijing,” said Michael Ma, Endeavor China CEO. He continued, “MMA’s popularity is quickly rising in China, and we look forward to bringing our growing fanbase the best that UFC has to offer.”

Fans in China will be given a night to remember as the heavyweight stars lead an international card of skilled mixed martial artists. Each athlete will demonstrate their abilities and eagerness to impress the Beijing crowd and UFC fans around the world.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT® BEIJING: NGANNOU vs. BLAYDES, Presented by General Tire also includes the following matchups. Bouts are subject to change:

· Chinese heavyvweight prospect Yaozhong Hu (3-1, fighting out of Beijing, China) meets knockout artist Rashad Coulter (8-4, fighting out of Dallas, , USA)

· In a women’s flyweight showdown, well-rounded Yanan Wu (9-2, fighting out of Xi’an, China) faces Shana Dobson (3-3, fighting out of Fort Worth, USA)

More fights will be announced in the coming weeks, and fans can keep up to date with the latest event information by following us on Weibo: @UFC???????, Wechat: UFC???????(ufcofficial) Youku, QQ, Facebook (UFC Asia), Twitter and Instagram (@ufc), and use our official hashtag: #UFCBEIJING

Tickets are on sale now for UFC Fight Night® BEIJING: NAGANNOU vs. BLAYDES, Presented by General Tire via Damai.cn and 247tickets.com. Ticket categories are Lower Bowl 1 RMB1,480, Lower Bowl 2 RMB1,280, Lower Bowl 3 RMB880, Lower Bowl 4 RMB680, Upper Bowl 1 RMB480, Upper Bowl 2 RMB380, Upper Bowl 3 RMB280.

UFC VIP Experience packages and floor seats are now available. VIP Packages start at RMB 9,880 (row 3), RMB 13,880 (row 2), to RMB 16,680 (row 1), each with exclusive VIP privileges. Remaining floor seats are RMB 3,880.

About UFC®

UFC® is a premium global sports brand and the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. Celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2018, UFC boasts more than 284 million fans worldwide and has produced over 440 events in 22 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 160 countries and territories to more than 1.1 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.

About Endeavor China

Endeavor China is a subsidiary of Endeavor (formerly WME | IMG), a global leader in sports, entertainment and fashion operating in more than 30 countries. Formed through an investment group that includes Sequoia Capital China, Tencent, FountainVest Partners and Focus Media, Endeavor China is focused on building upon Endeavor’s longstanding presence in the region and advancing its growth across entertainment and sports.

About General Tire

The General Tire brand originated from Fort Mill, South Carolina in 1915 and owns the world’s largest tire site in Uvalde, Texas. The brand is part of Continental Tires, a company of Germany-based Continental AG. For over a century, General Tire has been passionately committed to its core values of Performance, Reliability, and American Heritage. The brand offers consumers a wide range of tire products, including high-performance tires, passenger car tires and off-road tires. General Tire strives to unleash the potential of every SUV, providing a fearless driving experience to adventure-loving APAC drivers – Anywhere is Possible with General Tire.

UFC® TO LAUNCH 25-PART SHORT FILM SERIES TO CELEBRATE 25TH ANNIVERSARY

Las Vegas – UFC®, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, today announced details of a 25-part documentary series that will debut in September to celebrate the company’s silver anniversary. Entitled UFC 25 Years in Short, the compilation of short films will present 25 captivating UFC stories, one for each year of the promotion’s existence, which will examine UFC’s amazing evolution, fascinating characters, and lasting influence.

UFC 25 Years in Short will launch on Monday, September 17 on UFC FIGHT PASS®, the promotion’s digital subscription streaming service. Films will premier one at a time, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT. The series will be rolled out in just over an eight-week span, culminating with the final film on Monday, November 12, UFC’s official 25th anniversary.

Many of the shorts will be helmed by award-winning directors and producers, including several alums of ESPN’s landmark 30 for 30 film series, including Nick and Colin Barnicle, Adam Condal, Jason Hehir, Rory Karpf, Dan Marks, and Matt Ogens.

“This project is a fun way to tell the history of UFC,” said UFC President Dana White. “Each one of these films is linked to a pivotal moment in the UFC timeline, and together they represent our complete story. We’re working with some amazingly talented directors and producers on this project, and I think UFC fans will really enjoy these films.”

UFC 25 Years in Short will have a special, worldwide preview on UFC’s YouTube channel on Friday, September 14, with the episode entitled ‘COUNTRY BOY CAN SURVIVE: The Story of Matt Hughes’ Fight for Survival.’ The film, directed by Emmy Award-winning documentarian and ESPN Films veteran Rory Karpf, recounts the emotional and inspiring story of Hall of Famer and dominant two-time UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes, who had a meteoric rise through the ranks and later fought a critical battle for survival after a near-fatal automobile accident.

UFC 25 Years in Short – September Premiere Dates and Summaries*

Film #1 – OCTO: The Disputed Origin Story of the UFC Octagon
In 1993, the UFC was born in an 8-sided cradle of combat, and promoters, TV producers, and Hollywood set designers still dispute who is the Octagon’s true creator.
Premier Date: Monday, September 17

Film #2 – THE LION’S DEN: The Story of the First Mixed Martial Arts Team
In 1994, Ken Shamrock assembled the first ever MMA team, the Lion’s Den, and showed that success in the ultimate individual sport was a team effort.
Premiere Date: Wednesday, September 19

Film #3 – ULTIMATE ACCESSORY: The Story of the UFC Championship Belt
Since 1995, UFC belts have become the ultimate accessory prized by all MMA fighters, but their history is a little known, and often surprising, story.
Premiere Date: Friday, September 21

Film #4 – BLACKOUT: The Story of the Political Crusade to Keep UFC Off TV
In 1996, a political crusade to ban ultimate fighting successfully pressured the cable TV industry to stop airing UFC events, nearly extinguishing the new sport.
Premiere Date: Monday, September 24

Film #5 – JUDGEMENT DAY: The Story of the UFC Getting Run Out of Town
In 1997, UFC 12 was set to take place in Buffalo. However, the day prior, New York changed its laws to effectively ban MMA in the state for the next 20 years. The event then found a new home in Dothan, Alabama.
Premiere Date: Wednesday, September 26

Film #6 – THE ICE AGE: The Story of Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell, UFC’s Breakthrough Star
Chuck Liddell, who connected with knockout punches and with fans around the world like no UFC fighter before him, became UFC’s first true crossover superstar.
Premiere Date: Friday, September 28

*October and November schedules will be announced at a later date

About UFC®
UFC® is a premium global sports brand and the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. Celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2018, UFC boasts more than 284 million fans worldwide and has produced over 440 events in 22 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 160 countries and territories to 1.1 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.

YOSHITAKA NAITO TO DEFEND ONE STRAWWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AGAINST JOSHUA PACIO IN REMATCH

17 August 2018 – Jakarta, Indonesia: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced its return to Indonesia’s bustling capital city of Jakarta. The Jakarta Convention Center will once again play host to another exciting evening of world-class martial arts action. ONE: CONQUEST OF HEROES, set for Saturday, 22 September will see the biggest and brightest stars take to the ONE Championship cage to showcase their incredible skills. In the main event, reigning ONE Strawweight World Champion Yoshitaka Naito of Japan will defend his title against rising star Joshua Pacio of the Philippines.

Ticket information for ONE: CONQUEST OF HEROES is available at www.onefc.com.

Reigning ONE Strawweight World Champion Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito is one of the most successful martial artists to ever emerge from Japan. In just four short years since debuting in 2012, Naito conquered the notoriously competitive Japanese martial arts scene, capturing the Shooto Strawweight Title. Since making his ONE Championship debut in 2016, Naito has captured the ONE Strawweight World Championship on two occasions, defeating former champions Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke and Alex Silva. Naito is now set to defend his title against former opponent Joshua Pacio in an epic rematch.

Former ONE World Title challenger Joshua “The Passion” Pacio of Baguio City, Philippines was inspired to take up martial arts ever since he was 12 years old. After an undefeated amateur career, Pacio soon made his professional debut, where he went 6-0 before making it to the global stage of ONE Championship. In 2016, he got his chance against reigning ONE Strawweight World Champion Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito, falling just short of victory. Now riding a three-bout winning streak, Pacio has earned a rematch against the champion, and will now face Naito for the ONE Strawweight World Championship.

23-year-old Yuya “Little Piranha” Wakamatsu is a mixed martial artist from Kagoshima, Japan. Holding a professional record of 10-2, Wakamatsu is an aggressive knockout artist with shocking power. With nine of his 10 victories coming by way of knockout, Wakamatsu is a force to be reckoned with at flyweight. A winner of 10 of his last 11 bouts, Wakamatsu has decided to take his talents to the ONE Championship cage. He makes his promotional debut against Danny Kingad.

Danny “The King” Kingad, a premier flyweight talent from the famed Team Lakay of Baguio City, is a wushu champion with a professional record of 10-1. A true warrior from the mountains of the Philippines, the 22-year-old is a tremendous striker who possesses well-rounded grappling skills. In November 2017, Kingad challenged reigning ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano Moraes, and fell short in his quest of capturing the world title. In his most recent bout, “The King” moved forward by defeating rising Chinese star Ma Hao Bin by unanimous decision. Up next, he returns to action against newcomer Yuya Wakamatsu.

Former ONE Flyweight World Champion Kairat “The Kazakh” Akhmetov was inspired by his father, an amateur champion in Greco-Roman wrestling. Akhmetov began training in martial arts in 2000, and proved to be as talented as his father, eventually becoming a three-time National Greco-Roman Wrestling Champion. Akhmetov then joined ONE Championship in 2015, shocking former flyweight champion Adriano Moraes to capture the title. He eventually surrendered the belt back to Moraes in a rematch and has since been on a quest to return to title contention. Akhmetov can get one step closer to his goal if he can get past his next opponent, Ma Hao Bin.

“The Southern Eagle” Ma Hao Bin is unbeaten in ONE Championship. Ma, a Chinese national freestyle wrestling champion, made his professional debut in January 2016, where he defeated Wu Ting Shen and Bu Huo You Ga in a single evening of action to claim the ONE Changsha Bantamweight Tournament Championship. Since then, the 24-year-old has strung together an impressive 11-3 professional record, which includes four wins by submission and two by knockout. Ma now returns to action against Kairat Akhmetov.

Former SEA Games Wushu Bronze Medalist Priscilla Hertati Lumban Gaol began training in wushu at the age of 17, after taking up an opportunity to compete for the Indonesian national team. She was highly successful in this regard, capturing both an Indonesian National Wushu Championship and a local boxing title. She even won a bronze medal in wushu at the Southeast Asian Games, with her striking success spurring her towards a career in mixed martial arts. Lumban Gaol is set to face Jomary Torres in her next outing.

Undefeated Filipino talent Jomary Torres is from Sindangan, in the Zamboanga del Norte province of the Philippines. With an unblemished professional record of 4-0, Torres currently sharpens her skills under the watchful eye of famed Filipino wushu world champion, ONE veteran Rene Catalan. Torres is riding a wave of momentum, having won the first four bouts of her career, including three inside the ONE Championship cage. In her most recent outing, Torres stunned Team Lakay star April Osenio to win by first round knockout. Her next assignment is against Priscilla Hertati Lumban Gaol.

Besides capturing the IBC Featherweight Championship, Victorio Senduk competed in wushu at the Southeast Asian Games, medaling in 2007 and 2011. He first began training in karate at age 14, and within three short years, proved talented enough to become a professional martial artist. His run of success in the cage as well as in the wushu arena brought him to the attention of ONE Championship, and he soon achieved his dream of competing on the global stage by making a successful debut at ONE’s inaugural Indonesia event in 2012. He now faces off against the veteran Sunoto.

WKF Indonesia Champion “The Terminator” Sunoto is from East Java, but moved to Jakarta in 2012 to pursue his martial arts dreams. He first started training in taekwondo as a child, but soon picked up other disciplines while travelling around the country to compete in several tournaments. Besides becoming a regional sanda champion, Sunoto also currently holds the rank of brown belt in traditional Japanese jiu-jitsu, and is a member of the Indonesian national sambo team, belying his growing all-around skills. Sunoto signed with ONE Championship in 2015, and has since put on many thrilling displays. Sunoto will take on Victorio Senduk in his next outing.

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™

KHABIB NURMAGOMEDOV AND CONOR MCGREGOR BATTLE IN BIGGEST FIGHT IN UFC HISTORY

Las Vegas – UFC® lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov will defend his title against former two-division champ and No.1 contender Conor McGregor in the most anticipated fight in the promotion’s history. The co-main event will see a battle between heavyweight KO artists, as No.2-ranked contender Derrick Lewis will lock horns with No.5-ranked Alexander Volkov. UFC® 229: KHABIB vs. MCGREGOR takes place Saturday, Oct. 6 from T-Mobile Arena and will air live on Pay-Per-View.

Known for his crushing pressure and ground game, the undefeated Nurmagomedov (26-0, fighting out of Dagestan, Russia) has proven to be unstoppable inside the Octagon®. Over the course of his spectacular run, he’s earned dominant wins over Edson Barboza, Michael Johnson, Rafael Dos Anjos, Abel Trujillo and Thiago Tavares. Nurmagomedov’s last outing saw him best Al Iaquinta to capture the lightweight championship. He now looks to earn his first successful title defense in a grudge match for the ages.

McGregor (21-3, fighting out of Dublin, Ireland) looks to reclaim his belt against his most heated rival yet. The bout marks his return from competing against Floyd Mayweather in the biggest global boxing match ever seen on Pay-Per-View. In the Octagon, he’s delivered incredible victories against Nate Diaz, Jose Aldo, Chad Mendes, Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway. He became a two-division champion by knocking out Eddie Alvarez in 2016, and he now aims to take his top spot back against his toughest test to date.

Heavy-handed Lewis (20-5 1NC, fighting out of Houston, Tex.) looks to stake his claim for a title shot with another vicious finish. During his UFC stint, “The Black Beast” has earned impressive finishes against Marcin Tybura, Travis Browne and Gabriel Gonzaga. His last outing saw him earn a decision win over recent title challenger Francis Ngannou. He is now primed to put away another surging contender.

A champion outside the UFC, Volkov (29-6, fighting out of Moscow, Russia) is currently riding an impressive six-fight win streak. Following victories against Stefan Struve, Roy Nelson and Timothy Johnson, the Russian standout netted a spectacular KO win over former champ Fabricio Werdum in March. Volkov is now ready to deliver a show-stealing performance to earn a UFC title shot.

Additional bouts on the card include:

In a pivotal clash of flyweight contenders, No.2-ranked Sergio Pettis (17-3, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.) takes on No.5-ranked Jussier Formiga (21-5, fighting out of Natal, Brazil)
No.7-ranked light heavyweight contender Ovince Saint Preux (22-11, fighting out of Knoxville, Tenn.) looks to stop undefeated No.12 Dominick Reyes (9-0, fighting out of Victorville, Calif.)
No.7-ranked strawweight contender Michelle Waterson (15-6, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) squares off with No.8 Felice Herrig (14-7, fighting out of Crystal Lake, Ill.)
Rising bantamweight Sean O’Malley (10-0, fighting out of Glendale, Ariz.) will look to keep his perfect record intact against streaking Jose Quinonez (8-2, fighting out of San Diego, Calif. by way of Tlaltenango, Mexico)
No.11-ranked bantamweight contender Lina Lansberg (8-3, fighting out of Malmo, Sweden) meets Yana Kunitskaya (10-4 1NC, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M. by way of Murmansk, Russia)
Gritty welterweight Ryan LaFlare (13-2, fighting out of Farmingdale, N.Y.) aims to continue building momentum against tough prospect Tony Martin (12-4, fighting out of Boston, Mass.)

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.

UFC® 229: KHABIB vs. MCGREGOR will air live on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Saturday, Oct. 6, with the prelims kicking off the evening on FS1 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and on UFC FIGHT PASS® at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT.

Tickets for UFC® 229: KHABIB vs. MCGREGOR go on sale Friday, Aug. 17 at 10 a.m. PT and are priced at $2,505, $2,005, $1,505, $1,005, $755, $555, $405, $355, $305, $255, $205 (does not include fees). 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, Aug. 15 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, Aug. 16 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. Celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2018, UFC boasts more than 284 million fans worldwide and has produced over 440 events in 22 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 160 countries and territories to 1.1 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.

About T-Mobile Arena

T-Mobile Arena, the 20,000-seat venue located on the Las Vegas Strip between New York-New York and Park MGM, 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. This fall T-Mobile Arena welcomed 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 “2017 Venue of the Year” by Billboard Touring” 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 the T-Mobile Arena website at www.t-mobilearena.com.

CES MMA makes Philly debut Friday with CES MMA 52

PHILADELPHIA (Aug. 13th, 2018) — Three months after successfully launching its New York division, CES MMA continues its east-coast expansion Friday night in the City of Brotherly Love.

The region’s leading mixed martial arts promotion makes its Philadelphia debut at the famed 2300 Arena with “CES MMA 52” live on AXS TV.

The event features six televised bouts, highlighted by the homecoming of Philly native Jeremiah Wells (5-1, 2 KOs), who fights for the vacant CES MMA World Welterweight Title in the five-round main event against Moorestown, N.J., native Jason Norwood (18-5, 5 KOs), plus four amateur bouts on the preliminary card.

The AXS TV main card begins at 9 p.m. ET with preliminary amateur bouts beginning at 7. Tickets for “CES MMA 52” are priced at $55.00, $75.00 and $125.00 and are available online at www.cesmma.com or www.2300arena.com.

Ohio’sChris Curtis reigned as CES MMA’s welterweight champion for two and a half years, including a successful defense against Norwood at “CES MMA 49,” before vacating the belt to compete on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series. Curtis won his fight, but didn’t earn a UFC contract and promptly retired.

Curtis is the second CES MMA welterweight champion to vacate the belt in the last three years; Dominique Steele, who won it from former title-holder Chuck O’Neil, signed with the UFC shortly after capturing the title on AXS TV. Curtis defended it twice, but the belt is now vacate again with two worthy challengers ready to add their name to the short list of CES MMA champions.

Wells is making his third appearance with CES MMA this year. His debut put him on the map as he landed a killer right hand that pulverized fan-favorite Gary Balletto Jr. at “CES MMA 49.” Two months later, Wells dominated Jon Manley to earn a unanimous decision win at “CES MMA 50” in the promotion’s welterweight title eliminator, setting the stage for Friday’s championship showdown.

Norwood will be his toughest test to date. The 34-year-old New Jersey native had won six of seven prior to his bout against Curtis at “CES MMA 49” and boasts experience with a number of different promotions, including Bellator and King of the Cage.

Wells is joined by six additional Philadelphia fighters on the main card, including Strikeforce, UFC, Bellator and CES MMA vet Nah-Shon Burrell (15-10, 10 KOs), who battles Temple Hills, Md., native Ron Stallings (14-8, 6 KOs) in a middleweight showcase.

Burrell made his first and only appearance with CES MMA at Foxwoods Resort Casino in 2016, defeating Curtis in a non-title bout at “CES MMA 34.” The well-traveled Burrell has also competed overseas in Russia with Absolute Championship Berkut. Friday will be his first fight on U.S. soil since June of 2017. The three-time UFC vet Stallings makes his long-awaited CES MMA debut after his scheduled bout with Justin Sumter at “CES MMA 50” was postponed following Sumter’s appearance on DWTNCS.

Fellow Philly native and submission specialist Pat Sabatini (8-2) makes his promotional debut against Omaha’s Boimah Karmo (5-4, 1 KO) in a three-round featherweight bout and heavyweight knockout artist Chris Daukaus (5-2, 4 KOs) of Philly faces Brentwood, N.Y., Jahsua Marsh (3-3, 2 KOs).

Seven of Sabatini’s eight wins have come by submission, including a win via rear-naked choke against Francisco Isata in December and a heel hook submission win over John de Jesus in September. Daukaus has won three in a row overall and back-to-back fights by knockout, most recently defeating Plinio Cruz in December in the first round of a scheduled three-round bout. Marsh makes his second appearance with CES MMA after defeating Ras Hylton in New York in May.

In the middleweight division, Philly’s Joe Pfyer (1-0, 1 KO) faces Derek Wilson Jr. (2-1, 1 KO) of Atlanta and Philly natives Eugene Aubrey and Ed Shupe make their pro debuts against one another in the opening bout of the main card. Pfyer earned his first career win via first-round knockout over Steven Covington in May. Wilson Jr. debuted with Bellator in 2017 and has won back-to-back fights since then, including his first career knockout over Brooks Conley in July.

The amateur preliminary card features six additional Pennsylvania fighters, among them light heavyweight Mark Khavinson, lightweights Shawn Stefanelli and Jace Kendle and welterweight Nick Bord.

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

COMPLETE CARD ANNOUNCED FOR ONE: BEYOND THE HORIZON IN SHANGHAI

06 August 2018 – Shanghai, China: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced the complete card for ONE: BEYOND THE HORIZON, set for Saturday, 8 September at the Baoshan Arena in Shanghai, China. Once again, the absolute best in local and international martial arts talent will take to the ONE ring to showcase their amazing skills. In the main event, reigning ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan of China will defend her title against Samara “Marituba” Santos of Brazil.

Ticket information for ONE: BEYOND THE HORIZON is available at www.onefc.com.

“The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan of China is the reigning ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion. With a professional record of 15-1, Xiong began her career competing in professional boxing and was inspired by her father, who imparted in her values of courage and integrity. Featuring a wide array of skills, “The Panda” bagged a gold medal at the prestigious China Open Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament in 2017. In her last bout, she defeated Laura Balin to successfully retain her ONE Women’s Strawweight World Championship for the first time. Up next, the 30-year-old defends her title against Samara Santos.

Samara “Marituba” Santos of Brazil is a 25-year-old female mixed martial artist who is set to make her promotional debut at ONE: BEYOND THE HORIZON. A former Salcaterra Marajo Fight Strawweight Champion, Santos has gained solid experience competing largely in her home country of Brazil for the majority of her career. She has amassed a 12-5-1 record over the past three years as a professional, including six wins by submission. In her first appearance in ONE, Santos will take on defending ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion Xiong Jing Nan.

Former ONE Featherweight World Champion Honorio “The Rock” Banario is originally from a small farming town in the mountainous Benguet region of the Philippines. Banario earned a wushu scholarship to attend the Cordillera Career Development College in Baguio, and won several national tournaments. Although he spent most of his time competing against Team Lakay, he was intrigued by an invitation to train with them, and decided to take it up. Under the guidance of head coach Mark Sangiao, he developed into one of the team’s top talents. In recent years, “The Rock” has proven to be one of the most dangerous competitors atop ONE’s lightweight division. He takes on Amir Khan next.

Former Singaporean Muay Thai champion Amir Khan moved to the United States to attend high school in Louisiana, where he began cross-training in wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu under BJJ black belt Relson Gracie. Upon returning to Singapore in 2014, Khan joined Evolve MMA and became a part of its famed competition team. He then joined ONE that same year, and has since accumulated several highlight-reel finishes, highlighting his immense talent and growing skills. In his most recent bout, Khan stopped South Korean Sung Jong Lee with punches in the second round. Up next, Khan takes on veteran Honorio Banario.

Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly trains at the famed Team Lakay alongside the likes of former ONE World Champions Eduard Folayang and Honorio Banario. With several impressive finishes against the world’s best on his record, Kelly has emerged as a contender in his own right. He even owns the second-fastest knockout in ONE featherweight history, a blistering 21-second finish of Meas Meul. The 34-year-old is a complete martial artist who looks to showcase Team Lakay’s world-renowned wushu every time he competes. Kelly has won four of his last six bouts, all by spectacular finish. He will now take on former ONE World Title challenger Christian Lee.

Christian “The Warrior” Lee, younger brother of reigning ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee, began his professional career on an absolute tear, railing off five straight victories by thrilling finish. The 20-year-old has impressed fans with his ability to seek out stoppage wins over top-caliber opponents in an exciting, fan-friendly style. A former Pankration World Champion, Lee has won four of his last five bouts, showcasing his impressive skills inside the ONE cage. In his most recent outing, Lee challenged two-division ONE World Champion Martin Nguyen for the ONE Featherweight World Championship. Now, he is ready to return to action against Edward Kelly.

Ognjen Topic is one of the United States’ top-ranked kickboxers. He is a three-time Muay Thai World Champion, and two-time national champion. Training out of his home base of North Jersey Muay Thai, Topic makes frequent trips to Thailand to sharpen his skills at Eminent Air Gym in Bangkok. He began training in taekwondo, and earned his black belt before transitioning to Muay Thai at the age of 18 after falling in love with the art. Since then, he has stepped into the ring over 50 times against Muay Thai legends such as Saenchai, Coke Chunhawat, and Paowarit Sasiprapa. Along the way, he won WBC and WKA USA national championships, as well as World Titles in the Muay Thai Grand Prix, IKF, and Lion Fight. Known for his highly technical style, Topic will now face Tukkatatong Petpayathai in a ONE Super Series kickboxing contest.

Two-time Muay Thai World Champion Tukkatatong Petpayathai came from humble beginnings in a small countryside village in the Buriram region of Thailand. He was introduced to the world of Muay Thai by watching bouts on television with his father, and by the age of 10, he was already competing in his first bouts. Driven to further his success, he moved to Bangkok to train at the famed Kiatpetch gym when he was 14 years old. Tukkatatong has competed at the most famous stadiums in Thailand, including Lumpinee and Rajadamnern, facing the biggest names in the sport. He has amassed more than 270 professional bouts over the course of his illustrious 20-year career, capturing two World Titles at the famed Channel 7 Stadium along the way. Tukkatatong now makes his second appearance in ONE to take on Ognjen Topic in a ONE Super Series kickboxing bout.

Former Trench Warz Featherweight Champion Roman “Boom” Alvarez was born and raised in Guam, and he currently still lives in his childhood home. Alvarez has put together an excellent 8-2 record, competing in Guam, Saipan, and the Philippines, and has won titles in both the cage and the grappling arena. He currently trains at Spike 22 under celebrated veteran coach Melchor Manibusan, and sharpens his skills every day alongside some of the top mixed martial artists in North America. Now that he has a chance to make his mark on the world in ONE, he will do whatever it takes to realize his dreams of international glory. Alvarez faces the dangerous Daichi Takenaka next.

Former Shooto Pacific Rim Featherweight Champion Daichi Takenaka of Osaka, Japan was always athletic as a child. He played soccer and ran track in his youth, and began training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu after discovering it by playing video games. He is a grappling specialist who excels in executing the rear-naked choke, a move he has used to dispatch four of his opponents in his career. He joined ONE in February 2018, making his debut against the highly-regarded Dae Hwan Kim. Rocking an unblemished 11-0-1 professional record, Takenaka is considered one of the hottest tickets at bantamweight. He now puts his undefeated record on the line against Roman Alvarez.

Top King Muay Thai World Champion Han Zi Hao of China is a Muay Thai practitioner who is based out of Bangkok, Thailand. The 22-year-old already owns an impressive professional Muay Thai record of 57-15 early in his career. A representative of Mad Muay Thai Gym, Han now finds himself looking to showcase his incredible striking skills on the biggest global stage of martial arts competition, joining elite athletes in the world of striking martial arts as part of ONE Super Series. Han’s first appearance for the promotion was a difficult one, however, as the Chinese stalwart took on the tough Panicos Yusuf. He now returns to action to face Stergos Mikkios in a ONE Super Series Muay Thai contest.

Proudly representing Sityodtong Global is Stergos “Greek Dynamite” Mikkios, who has won numerous Muay Thai titles in the United States including Triumph Kombat, AKBF, and Friday Night Fights championships. Although he only started training in Muay Thai six years ago, it soon became his passion and purpose in life. He even quit his job, sold most of his possessions, and moved to Thailand to train and compete full-time. With a Muay Thai record of 19-9-2, Mikkios now showcases his talents on the global stage in ONE. In his most recent contest, Mikkios figured in one of the most entertaining Muay Thai bouts yet against Ognjen Topic. Now Mikkios comes back to the ONE ring looking for redemption against Han Zi Hao in a ONE Super Series Muay Thai bout.

Shanghai Open BJJ Champion Chen Lei is from Changde, in China’s Hunan province. He first started his martial arts journey by training in boxing and Muay Thai, and then later switched his focus to the cage over the past few years. He even won a regional BJJ championship in Shanghai after developing his ground game. Training out of Equilibrium Beijing, Chen has since amassed a perfect 8-0 record in professional competition, showing his outstanding potential. This includes an impressive promotional run of three stoppage wins in 2017, when he defeated Malaysian Muay Thai star Saiful Merican and Indonesian grappling champion Jeremy Meciaz in stunning fashion. Next up, Chen takes on Muhammad Aiman.

Although former MIMMA Featherweight Champion Muhammad Aiman is from Negeri Sembilan, he grew up in cities all around Malaysia due to his parents’ careers. At the age of 16, he picked up boxing, which proved to be the beginning of a fruitful martial arts journey that continues to this day. Having conquered the Malaysian amateur scene, Aiman then set his sights on international glory as a professional with ONE, and made a successful debut in September 2016. He has since registered wins over several tough opponents, including BJJ champion Eduardo Novaes, and has made a name for himself as a thrilling young talent to watch. Aiman looks to continue his quest for greatness against China’s Chen Lei.

Former eight-time Kickboxing World Champion and professional boxer Daniel “The Rock” Dawson is an Australian martial artist who competes out of Perth, Western Australia. With a kickboxing record of 53-13, and a boxing record of 40-5-1 with 26 knockouts, Dawson is one of Australia’s most respected combat sports athletes. He has had a very successful career competing in events across Australia, China, Japan, Thailand, New Zealand and the United States. “The Rock” has now decided to take his talents to the prestigious ONE Super Series, where he joins a long list of striking legends. In his promotional debut, Dawson faces Mustapha Haida in a ONE Super Series kickboxing match.

Mustapha “The Flying Dragon” Haida is a former ISKA Kickboxing World Champion. The 29-year-old from Florence, Italy owns a professional kickboxing record of 38-7-3, training out of Fight Club Firenze at home in Florence. With experience competing under Glory, Super Kombat, Kunlun Fight and Bellator Kickboxing, Haida owns notable victories over opponents such as Andy Souwer, Enriko Kehl, Dzianis Zuev and Abdallah Mabel. He is ranked among the Top 10 welterweights in the world. Looking to prove his skills on the biggest global stage of martial arts competition, Haida now takes his talents to ONE Championship, where he faces Daniel Dawson in a ONE Super Series kickboxing bout in his debut.

Former two-time Muay Thai World Champion Hakim Hamech is a Muay Thai specialist and kickboxer from Lyon, France. Representing Team-NAS-R.K., Hamech has amassed a professional Muay Thai record of 42-8, and has impressed with his speed and power. After building a stellar professional career, Hamech now joins ONE Super Series to showcase his skills under the bright lights of the ONE ring, alongside the biggest tickets in striking martial arts. In his promotional debut, Hamech will search for his first victory in the promotion when he faces Japan’s Yukinori Ogasawara in a ONE Super Series Muay Thai contest.

Former WBC Japan Super Bantamweight Muay Thai Champion Yukinori Ogasawara was born and raised in Tokyo. After a regular childhood hanging around his father’s convenience stores, he finally found his calling when he was 15 years old. On a whim, he had signed up to take up kickboxing at Crosspoint Kichijoji near his house, and it would become a turning point in his life. Ogasawara then spent three years studying abroad in Vancouver, Canada, but never stopped training, even competing in an amateur kickboxing match there. He soon made his professional kickboxing debut, and has since amassed an excellent 15-4-4 record, winning a national title along the way. He faces Hakim Hamech up next in a ONE Super Series Muay Thai contest.

Former three-time National Kun Khmer Champion Phat Soda grew up as an orphan, and got into a lot of confrontations because of bullying. However, martial arts allowed him to turn his life around when he started training in Kun Khmer in 2012, and he has since accumulated over 100 bouts, winning national titles three years in a row. Driven by a desire to make a name for his country on the global stage, Soda joined ONE, and will attempt to show the effectiveness of Kun Khmer to the world. In his return to action, Soda takes on the tough Elipitua Siregar.

Former Indonesian National Wrestling Champion Elipitua Siregar came from humble beginnings, having been born to a family struggling to make ends meet in Indonesia’s North Sumatra region. His family sent him to live with his uncle in Jakarta in order to learn discipline. That would come in the form of enforced wrestling training, which would not just reform the young Siregar, but change his life forever. The young Indonesian competed in wrestling throughout his academic career, and racked up numerous medals at the national level. After such a long run of domestic success, he turned his attention to international glory in the cage, and joined ONE. Determined to become one of Indonesia’s most elite martial artists, Siregar will now face Phat Soda.

ONE: BEYOND THE HORIZON

Saturday, 8 September

Baoshan Arena, Shanghai, China

Main Event

ONE Women’s Strawweight World Championship

Xiong Jing Nan vs Samara Santos

Mixed Martial Arts: 56.7kg (Women’s Strawweight)

Honorio Banario vs Amir Khan

Mixed Martial Arts: 77.1kg (Lightweight)

Edward Kelly vs Christian Lee

Mixed Martial Arts: 70.3kg (Featherweight)

Ognjen Topic vs Tukkatatong Petpayathai

ONE Super Series Kickboxing: 65.8kg (Bantamweight)

Roman Alvarez vs Daichi Takenaka

Mixed Martial Arts: 65.8kg (Bantamweight)

Han Zi Hao vs Stergos Mikkios

ONE Super Series Muay Thai: 65.8kg (Bantamweight)

Chen Lei vs Muhammad Aiman

Mixed Martial Arts: 65.8kg (Bantamweight)

Daniel Dawson vs Mustapha Haida

ONE Super Series Kickboxing: 72.5kg (Catch Weight)

Hakim Hamech vs Yukinori Ogasawara

ONE Super Series Muay Thai: 61.2kg (Flyweight)

Phat Soda vs Elipitua Siregar

Mixed Martial Arts: 56.7kg (Strawweight)

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

About ONE Championship™

ONE Championship is the largest global sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Championship 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. The world’s most exciting martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world’s best martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 1.7 billion potential viewers across 136 countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Bandsports, Startimes, Premier Sports, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, OSN, and more.

UFC® RETURNS TO CHINA WITH FIRST-EVER EVENT IN BEIJING ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24

BEIJING, CHINA – UFC® today confirmed its first-ever event in Beijing, China, will be held at the Cadillac Arena on Saturday, November 24. Limited early bird tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT® BEIJING, Presented by General Tire, are on-sale now via Damai.cn and 247tickets.cn.

Following last year’s highly successful sell-out debut in mainland China, UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, is primed to deliver another thrilling night of action to fans in Beijing. Over the past few years, UFC has worked to identify and nurture the talents of top tier Chinese athletes who have shown great strength, skill and determination to succeed inside the Octagon®. UFC fans around the world have witnessed the sharp rise of local athletes such as Li Jingliang, Song Yadong, Yan Xiaonan, Song Kenan, and Pingyuan Liu, who have put their respective divisions on notice.

“China is the next frontier for the growth of UFC and the sport of mixed martial arts, and this market is paramount to our success internationally,” UFC Vice President of Asia-Pacific Kevin Chang said. “We are excited to bring our next live event to China’s capital and show the world just how far we have come. Our loyal fans in China demand nothing but the best, and one year on since our debut in Shanghai, UFC Fight Night® BEIJING, Presented by General Tire, is set to be a night to remember.”

UFC will be working together with Endeavor China, a subsidiary of Endeavor to deliver the live event.

Once again the live UFC event in China will be presented by General Tire, Mitchell Golledge, Head of Marketing RE PLT Tyres APAC stated, “The General Tire brand speaks to consumers that possess an adventurous spirit who believe that Anywhere is Possible. We are thrilled to take this next adventure to Beijing, a city where tradition meets the contemporary – just as martial arts now meets UFC.”

A limited amount of discounted Early Bird Tickets in riser categories for UFC Fight Night® BEIJING, Presented by General Tire are on sale now via Damai.cn and 247tickets.com. Riser ticket categories are Lower Bowl 1 RMB1,480, Lower Bowl 2 RMB1,280, Lower Bowl 3 RMB880, Lower Bowl 4 RMB680, Upper Bowl 1 RMB480, Upper Bowl 2 RMB380, Upper Bowl 3 RMB280.

UFC VIP Experience packages and floor seats are available at a later date. VIP Packages start at RMB 9,880 (row 3), rmb 13,880 (row 2), to rmb 16,680 (row 1), each with exclusive VIP privileges. Remaining floor seats are rmb 3,880.

Further details on UFC FIGHT NIGHT® BEIJING, Presented by General Tire will be announced in coming weeks. Keep up to date with all the latest news by following us on Weibo: @UFC???????, Wechat: UFC???????(ufcofficial) Youku, QQ, Facebook (UFC Asia), Twitter and Instagram (@ufc), and use our official hashtag: #UFCBEIJING

About UFC®

UFC® is a premium global sports brand and the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. Celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2018, UFC boasts more than 284 million fans worldwide and has produced over 440 events in 22 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 160 countries and territories to more than 1.1 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.

About Endeavor China

About General Tire

VIDEO: UFC 227 Embedded: Vlog Series – Episode 4

Soriano-Soukhamthath bond knows no limits

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Aug. 1st, 2018) — As Sean Soriano inches closer to his first world title fight Friday night at Twin River Casino, it’s impossible for the Providence, R.I., native to temper his excitement.

The team is stronger than ever, anchored by his closest friend, Andre Soukhamthath, himself a former CES MMA world champion now contending among the best bantamweights in the world for the UFC.

Soukhamthath, along with his father, renowned Muay Lao coach William Soukhamthath, will once again corner Soriano (11-5, 5 KOs) on Friday, Aug. 3 rd, 2018 when he faces Maine’s Bruce Boyington (15-11, 7 KOs) for the vacant CES MMA World Featherweight Title in the five-round co-main event of “CES MMA 51” live on AXS TV.

“That guy is one of most humble people I’ve ever met in this world,” Soriano said of Soukhamthath, who vacated CES MMA’s featherweight title when he signed with the UFC in 2017. “Seeing him fulfill his dreams gives me motivation to try to catch up. Seeing him flourish is amazing. His father is one of my first trainers. He’s the first one to ever hold pads for me. It’s nice to have them in my corner for this fight.”

There’s an unbreakable bond between the younger Soukhamthath and Soriano, built through years of friendship, loyalty and oftentimes difficult conversations between the two as they motivate one another both in and out of the cage.

Soriano set the standard at the age of 23 when he became the first Rhode Island-born fighter to earn a UFC contract following wins in each of his first seven fights. At the time, Soriano lived in southern Florida, where he trained with the Blackzilians, a renowned MMA team lauded for the development of former UFC champions Vito Belfort and Rashad Evans.

The experience at the top of the ladder was a dizzying, short-lived one for Soriano, who lost his first three fights with the promotion and was subsequently released a little over a year later. His closest friend, Soukhamthath, had just suffered a setback of his own, losing to Brian Kelleher at “CES MMA 28” in March of 2015. That’s when Soriano convinced Soukhamthath it was time to think outside the box and join him in South Florida to work alongside some of the best fighters and trainers in the world. Soriano knew it was the only way Soukhamthath would reach that next level.

“I whooped his ass a little bit and then he knew, ‘OK, it’s time to upgrade training partners,'” Soriano said with a laugh.

“He’s the reason I came down here,” said Soukhamthath, who still lives and trains in Boca Raton even with the original Blackzilians all but dismantled at this point. “If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have felt comfortable. It brought us closer. This experience has opened so many doors for me, the people he’s introduced me to. I’ve made relationships with people who I value tremendously, and it’s all because of him.”

Within two years, Soukhamthath finally got the call when the UFC booked him in a last-minute bout against Albert Morales at UFC 209 in Nevada. Nine months later, he earned his first win with the promotion and subsequently signed a new five-fight extension.

Even with so much going on in life, from his newfound success in the cage to his family life at home with his wife and two sons, Soukhamthath continues to help Soriano in his own quest to return to the UFC. If he thinks Soriano is cutting corners in his preparation, he has no problem speaking his mind. That’s the kind of relationship they have.

“That’s better in my opinion,” Soukhamthath said. “Then you realize who really cares and who doesn’t.”

The roles have reversed in the sense that Soriano now looks up to Soukhamthath as the measuring stick for where he wants to be live, both personally and professionally.

“He’s on a different path than me,” Soriano said. “He has a family, a house. It’s a different path, but we help each other. He knows I have very big dreams and very big goals.

“Seeing him buy a house kind of rubs off on me. Seeing him as a father, that’s the biggest thing I respect about him. Me and my father never really had that relationship.”

For Soriano, it’s about loyalty and staying true to the people who’ve stayed by his side through thick and thin. He realized friendships are fleeting in combat sports — or all professional sports, for that matter — and it can get awfully lonely once the success tapers off.

“When I got signed to the UFC, my phone did not stop ringing for two days. Calls, texts, Facebook messages. Then after every loss, it was a little less. After I got cut, I got three or four texts. It was like God giving me a sign, telling me who I need to cut off.”

The Soukhamthaths remained loyal and continue to guide Soriano down the right path. Today, Soriano is much older and certainly wiser than he was at 23 trying to handle the stress and the newfound fame associated with a UFC contract, even if he’s “1,000 percent” more guarded then before. The way he sees it, the timing is right for a return to the UFC. He’s better equipped to handle what’s expected of him.

“I will never be satisfied with just being there,” he said. “The goal is to get back, get a big run in the UFC and get a title there, too. I like belts.

“What I went through after getting cut, not a lot of fighters will bounce back from that. I had to do a lot of digging down deep inside, even reevaluate some friends, people who only come around when you get some shine.

“I had to mature. Life outside the cage is good.”

As for Boyington, Soriano admits he hasn’t done much studying outside of a few fights, nor does he intend to get bogged down by too much detail. Boyington last fought for CES MMA a year ago at “CES MMA 45” against Nate Andrews, now the reigning CES MMA World Lightweight Champion who also defends his title on Friday night.

“He fought Nate, but Nate is a different fighter with a different game plan,” Soriano said. “You just have to worry about his stupid, flashy kicks. He has good cardio. That’s the only thing about him that’s intimidating, if you can even call it that.

“If you’ve seen me fight, I have pretty good kicks of my own and they’re a lot harder. We’ll see how he can take mine also.”

Each fight is its own entity, but the true constant is the support Soriano has from his lifelong friend, whom he considers a brother — “My kids call him Uncle Sean,” Soukhamthath — and the team that’s been with him from the start. Loyalty is fleeting in MMA with some fighters switching camps whenever they lose, but Soriano knows who he can count on the most. They’ll be with him again Friday in the biggest fight of his career.

“Loyalty goes a long way. You’ll have wins and losses in this game. That’s the guarantee,” Soriano said, “but some people like to switch people around when they lose. You’ve got to stay loyal to the people that are loyal to you.”

Added Soukhamthath: “Whether he wins or loses, I’m always behind him. I’m always on team Soriano. We’re just kids from Rhode Island coming from nothing. He’s not done yet. We’re in this together. One day, one of us is going to be the main event at [The Dunkin’ Donuts Center] and the other is going to be the co-main event. I really believe that.”

Tickets for “CES MMA 51” start at $44.00 and are available online at www.cesmma.com, www.twinriver.com or www.cagetix.com, by phone at 401-724-2243 or at the Twin River Casino Players Club.

Andrews (13-1, 5 KOs), of East Providence, R.I., defends his title for the first time in the main event when he faces challenger D’Juan Owens (16-11-1, 4 KOs) of Durham, N.C.

The two title bouts are part of a six-fight main card beginning live at 9 p.m. ET. The preliminary card begins at 7.

Also on the main card, Hollis, N.H., bantamweight Dylan Lockard (3-1, 1 KO) makes his fourth CES MMA appearance when he faces Eria, Pa., vet Brandon Seyler (8-6, 1 KO). Lockard looks to rebound from a loss at “CES MMA 48” in February while Seyler searches for his second consecutive win in his fourth appearance with the promotion. Seyler earned his first and only win with CES MMA at “CES MMA 45,” submitting fan-favorite Kris Moutinho 3:08 into the opening round.

Moutinho (5-2, 2 KOs), a Milford, Mass., native, also fights on the main card as he aims for his sixth career win and second in a row. Moutinho faces Fayetteville, N.C., native Da’Mon Blackshear (5-1).

Lightweight Lewis Corapi (7-3, 3 KOs) of Medford, Mass., ends a 21-month layoff in a comeback bout against Le Roy, N.Y., native Jacob Bohn (6-5, 1 KO), also on the main card. Aug. 3rd is Corapi’s sixth appearance with CES MMA. He last fought in November of 2016, defeating Vovka Clay by unanimous decision, and last fought for CES MMA in June of 2010 in a lightweight showdown against former title-holder Julian Lane. Bohn narrowly defeated Kenny Foster by split decision in May at “CES MMA NY 1” in Long Island in a thrilling, back-and-forth battle.

Featherweight Blair Tugman (10-7) of North Haven, Conn., joins Corapi in fighting for the first time in nearly 12 months when he rounds out the main card in a showdown against two-time CES MMA vet Shane Manley (4-3) of Cortland, N.Y. Manley last fought in February at “CES MMA 48” when he beat Lockard by unanimous decision. Tugman, an eight-time Bellator vet, has won three of four overall, but hasn’t fought since August of 2017. Aug. 3rd will be his third appearance with CES MMA and first since 2013 when he faced Soukhamthath at Twin River.

The preliminary card features the return of fan-favorites Hilarie Rose (1-1) of Norfolk, Mass., and unbeaten light heavyweight Fabio Cherant (2-0) of Wrentham, Mass. Cherant faces Maine’s Buck Pineau (1-5) while the flyweight sensation Rose steps back in the cage less than two months after earning her first career win at “CES MMA 50” in a flyweight bout against Louisiana’s Ivana Coleman (1-3)

Also on the preliminary card, bantamweight Jesse Pires (0-1) of Fall River, Mass., battles Jeff Silva (1-3) of nearby Lawrence. Pires aims to rebound from a loss in his pro debut against Michael Taylor at “CES MMA 46.” Silva split his last two bouts, including a win over Kenny Rodriguez in June of 2017 in New Hampshire.

West Haven, Conn., female atomweight Marissa Messer-Belencia (1-0) makes her long-awaited CES MMA debut against Los Angeles vet Kaiyana Rain (1-3) and heavyweight Eric Bedard (6-7, 4 KOs) of Providence returns to the cage for the first time since 2016 when he battles Ras Hylton (2-1, 2 KOs) of Augusta, Maine.

Bedard boasts seven appearances with CES MMA over the span of five years, starting with his debut at “CES MMA 8” in 2011 and continuing with his epic trilogy against regional rival Tyler King. Hylton debuted with CES MMA on the landmark Long Island venture in May against New Yorker Jahsua Marsh.

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

Video: UFC 227 Embedded: Vlog Series – Episode 1

KEVIN BELINGON DOMINATES MARTIN NGUYEN TO WIN ONE INTERIM BANTAMWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

27 July 2018 – Manila, Philippines: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), electrified the packed Mall of Asia Arena with another evening of authentic world-class martial arts action. The state-of-the-art showground played host to ONE: REIGN OF KINGS, featuring the absolute best in local and international martial arts talent. In the main event, hometown hero Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon of Baguio City, Philippines overcame a stiff challenge from two-division ONE World Champion Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen, winning by unanimous decision to claim the ONE Interim Bantamweight World Championship.

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

In the main event of ONE: REIGN OF KINGS, Filipino dynamo Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon derailed Martin Nguyen’s goal to become a three-division world champion by outclassing the ONE Featherweight and Lightweight World Champion with his striking superiority. With his hometown crowd cheering behind him, Belingon effortlessly picked Nguyen apart in the stand-up, jolting the two-division titleholder with stunning left hooks and perfectly-executed spinning back kicks. In the end, all three judges scored the bout in favor of Belingon to win by unanimous decision after an intense five-round affair, bringing home the ONE Interim Bantamweight World Championship.

Kevin Belingon, ONE Interim Bantamweight World Champion, stated: “I can’t explain this feeling, I’m the happiest athlete tonight. Thank you to all the people who came out to support me, and of course to ONE Championship, my team, my coaches and trainers, and my teammates. To Martin [Nguyen], it was an honor fighting you. You’re such a great athlete and champion. I trained very hard for this fight, just to get this belt. I’m proud to be a champion representing the Philippines. My friend Bibiano [Fernandes], I respect him as a champion, but we’re in the same weight class and I’m the top contender. So there is no escape in facing me. I hope you recover fast and we can make the fight this year.”

In the co-main event of the evening, former ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki of Japan smoothly steered to a first-round stoppage victory over Thai martial arts superstar Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai. It quickly became the beginning of the end for Wiratchai just minutes into the first round, as he was effortlessly taken down by Aoki. On the mat, Aoki barely gave Wiratchai room to breathe, raining down a torrent of punishing elbows that compelled the referee to step in and call a halt to the contest. The victory earned Aoki GoDaddy Knockout of the Night honors.

Brazilian legend Renzo Gracie made a triumphant return to mixed martial arts competition after eight long years, having his hand raised in victory at the expense of Japanese martial arts pioneer Yuki Kondo. Following a lengthy feeling-out process between the two grizzled veterans in the first round, Gracie shifted gears in the second frame and immediately drove his foe to the mat. Taking Kondo’s back, Gracie fastened a wrenching rear naked choke with no hesitation, which left his opponent no choice but to tap.

Hometown hero Eduard “Landslide” Folayang of Baguio City, Philippines turned in another complete performance, earning a unanimous decision win over previously unbeaten Aziz Pahrudinov of Russia. Folayang operated behind a relentless stream of leg kicks that left Pahrudinov hampered throughout the three-round contest. Connecting on his combinations with laser-like precision, Folayang dominated the bout as the three judges sitting cageside awarded him the victory.

International grappling superstar Garry “The Lion Killer” Tonon of the United States was successful in his second appearance in the ONE Championship cage, defeating Rahul “The Kerala Krusher” Raju of India via submission in round three. After testing his striking abilities for the majority of the first two rounds, Tonon went back to his strengths in the third, taking the action to the canvas where he fastened a deep rear naked choke to seal the deal.

After falling short in his ONE Super Series debut two months ago, two-time Muay Thai World Champion Chris Ngimbi sought the redemption that he desired, edging out Armen Petrosyan via split decision in their three-round catch weight kickboxing showdown. Although Petrosyan kept himself aggressive all throughout the contest, Ngimbi landed the more telling blows from bell to bell, which was enough to persuade two of three cageside judges to score in his favor.

In a ONE Super Series Muay Thai contest, former ONE Warrior Series entrant Panicos Yusuf of Cyprus earned a unanimous decision victory over Han Zi Hao of China after a gruelling three-round affair. Operating behind a sound game plan and well-placed strikes, Yusuf countered Han consistently with a myriad of combinations off the back foot. In the end, all three judges scored the bout in favor of Yusuf.

Former ONE World Title challenger Joshua “The Passion” Pacio of the Philippines notched his third-straight victory, authoring a spectacular submission victory over rising Thai superstar Pongsiri Mitsatit in the first round. After an emphatic slam to the canvas, Pacio finished the job with a straining armlock, leaving Mitsatit with no other choice but to tap.

Former Lumpinee and Rajadamnern Stadium World Champion Chamuaktong Fightermuaythai of Thailand showcased his world-class striking skills, defeating challenger Brown Pinas of the Netherlands via unanimous decision. Making his ONE Super Series debut, Chamuaktong dazzled, putting his treacherous Muay Thai clinch game on full display, while connecting on a plethora of elbows and knees from close quarters. All three judges scored the bout in favor of Chamuaktong after three rounds.

Filipino martial arts veteran Rene Catalan emerged as an early crowd favorite, bringing the Mall of Asia Arena crowd to their feet with a rousing performance. Over the course of three rounds, Catalan exhibited dynamic striking, feints, sweeping low leg kicks, and a powerful left hook that had highly-regarded opponent Stefer Rahardian of Indonesia in trouble on multiple occasions. In the end, all three judges scored the bout in favor of Catalan to win by unanimous decision.

Kicking off ONE: REIGN OF KINGS was Chinese featherweight sensation “The Stalker” Xie Bin. After a brief grappling exchange on the mat, Xie made quick work of Cambodia’s Sor Sey, finishing with a deep guillotine choke that put his opponent to sleep early in the first round.

Official results for ONE: REIGN OF KINGS

ONE Interim Bantamweight World Championship bout: Kevin Belingon defeats Martin Nguyen by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 5 rounds

Lightweight bout: Shinya Aoki defeats Shannon Wiratchai by TKO (Strikes) at 2:16 minutes of round 1

Welterweight bout: Renzo Gracie defeats Yuki Kondo by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 1:40 minutes of round 2

Lightweight bout: Eduard Folayang defeats Aziz Pahrudinov by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

Lightweight bout: Garry Tonon defeats Rahul Raju by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 3:27 minutes of round 3

ONE Super Series (Muay Thai) Catch Weight (72.5kg) bout: Chris Ngimbi defeats Armen Petrosyan by Split Decision (SD) after 3 rounds

ONE Super Series (Muay Thai) Bantamweight bout: Panicos Yusuf defeats Han Zi Hao by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

Strawweight bout: Joshua Pacio defeats Pongsiri Mitstatit by Submission (Armlock) at 3:37 minutes of round 1

ONE Super Series (Muay Thai) Catch Weight (68.0kg) bout: Chamuaktong Fightermuaythai defeats Brown Pinas by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

Strawweight bout: Rene Catalan defeats Stefer Rahardian by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

Featherweight bout: Xie Bin defeats Sor Sey by Submission (Guillotine) at 1:55 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 is the largest global sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Championship 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. The world’s most exciting martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world’s best martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 1.7 billion potential viewers across 136 countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Bandsports, Startimes, Premier Sports, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, OSN, and more.

UFC® RETURNS TO DALLAS WITH A PAIR OF SPECTACULAR CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTS

Las Vegas – UFC® will return to Dallas, Tex. with a highly anticipated welterweight championship bout that will see Tyron Woodley defend against undefeated No.2-ranked contender Darren Till. Also, women’s flyweight champion Nicco Montano makes her first defense versus No.1-ranked contender Valentina Shevchenko. UFC® 228: WOODLEY vs. TILL goes down Saturday, Sept. 8 at American Airlines Center and will air live on Pay-Per-View.

Unbeaten for almost four years, UFC welterweight champ and No.7-ranked pound-for-pound fighter Woodley (18-3-1, fighting out of St. Louis, Mo.) goes for his fourth successful title defense. Known for his elite wrestling and knockout power, he has earned victories against Stephen Thompson, Demian Maia, Robbie Lawler, Kelvin Gastelum and Carlos Condit. Woodley now aims to stop a surging and unbeaten contender dead in his tracks.

A diverse and cerebral striker, Till (17-0-1, fighting out of Liverpool, England) has been on a tear since joining the UFC roster three years ago. He’s earned incredible wins over Donald Cerrone, Bojan Velickovic, Wendell de Oliveira and Stephen Thompson, the latter coming in front of his hometown crowd this past May. With momentum and unwavering confidence on his side, Till is now on the cusp of the becoming the first undefeated UFC welterweight champion.

Also at UFC® 228: WOODLEY vs. TILL, two dynamic flyweights battle for the top spot in the newly minted 125-pound division.

Montano (5-2, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) conquered The Ultimate Fighter: A New World Champion tournament to become the inaugural champ in December. Though she was seeded at #14, she put together an incredible run that saw her net impressive victories against Lauren Murphy, Montana Stewart and Barb Honchak. Montano then took home the title with a thrilling win over Roxanne Modafferi at the live finale. She is now gunning for her first successful defense.

A former title challenger at 135-pound, Shevchenko (15-3, fighting out of Lima, Peru by way of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan) holds wins over many of the biggest names in women’s MMA. Though she failed to dethrone bantamweight champ Amanda Nunes, she holds spectacular wins over Holly Holm, Julianna Pena and Sarah Kaufman. She then put the flyweight division on notice when with her vicious victory over Priscila Cachoeira in February. A decorated kickboxer, Shevchenko now looks to add UFC gold to her resume.

Additional bouts on the card include:

No.14-ranked featherweight contender Zabit Magomedsharipov (15-1, fighting out of Dagestan, Russia) squares off with No.15 Yair Rodriguez (11-2, fighting out of Chicago, Ill. by way of Parral, Mexico) in a bout guaranteed to deliver fireworks
In a pivotal strawweight fight, No.2-ranked contender Jessica Andrade (18-6, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) locks horns with No.4 Karolina Kowalkiewicz (12-2, fighting out of Lodz, Poland)
No.8-ranked bantamweight contender Aljamain Sterling (14-3, fighting out of Uniondale, N.Y.) looks to keep his momentum going against surging No.10 Cody Stamann (17-1, fighting out of Sparta, Mich.)
Former strawweight champion and No.6-ranked contender Carla Esparza (14-5, fighting out of Irvine, Calif.) takes on undefeated No.9 Tatiana Suarez (7-0, fighting out of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.)
Exciting bantamweight contenders collide when No.5-ranked Jimmie Rivera (21-2, fighting out of Ramsey, N.J.) faces No.7 John Dodson (21-9,fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.)
Perennial fan favorite Jim Miller (28-11 1NC, fighting out of Sparta, N.J.) faces Alex White (12-3, fighting out of Farmington, Mo.)
Dallas flyweight Ryan Benoit (10-5, fighting out of Dallas, Tex.) looks for another highlight-reel finish when meets Roberto Sanchez (8-1, fighting out of Houston, Tex.)
Surging hometown middleweight Charles Byrd (9-4, fighting out of Dallas, Tex.) goes for his fifth straight win against dangerous striker Darren Stewart (8-3 1NC, fighting out of London, England)’
Dallas welterweight Geoff Neal (9-2, fighting out of Dallas, Tex.) goes for his fourth straight win against gritty Frank Camacho (21-6, fighting out of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands)

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.

UFC® 228: WOODLEY vs. TILL will air live on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Saturday, Sept. 8, with the prelims kicking off the evening on FS1 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and on UFC FIGHT PASS® at 6:15 p.m. ET/3:15 p.m. PT. Doors open at 5:15 p.m. ET/2:15 p.m. PT.

Tickets for UFC® 228: WOODLEY vs. TILL go on sale Friday, July 27 at 10 a.m. CT and are priced at $350, $275, $225, $175, $125, $100, $85, $70 and $60 (does not include fees). Tickets are available for purchase online at www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person.

UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, July 25 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, July 26 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. Celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2018, UFC boasts more than 284 million fans worldwide and has produced over 400 events in 21 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 1.1 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.

About American Airlines Center

Designed by architectural wizard David M. Schwarz and Dallas based HKS, Inc., American Airlines Center is considered one of the nation’s top arenas. Since opening its doors in 2001, the Center has been setting the precedent for sporting and live entertainment events. Bringing in a wide variety of big name shows as well as being home of both the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars, American Airlines Center consistently displays its unique versatility. Venue’s Today Magazine named American Airlines Center the 5th busiest arena in the U.S. and the 8th busiest in the world in 2017.