24 July 2018 – Manila, Philippines: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), held the ONE: REIGN OF KINGS Official Kick-Off Press Conference today, 24 July at the City of Dreams Manila.

For photos of the ONE: REIGN OF KINGS Official Kick-Off Press Conference, click here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1bRqa8GFr8pVUMzgyg7efmnm9AMEf10yj?usp=sharing

ONE Championship, in conjunction with Globe Telecom, the leading provider of telecommunications services in the Philippines, is launched as the exclusive ONE Championship Super App launch sponsor in the Philippines at the ONE: REIGN OF KINGS Official Kick-Off Press Conference.

Gracing the press conference with their presence were ONE Championship Chairman and CEO, Mr. Chatri Sityodtong, as well as a handful of ONE Championship superstars ready to ignite the Mall of Asia Arena with action and excitement.

In attendance are Globe CCO Mr. Albert de Larrazabal, Globe SVP – Content Business Group Mr. Nikko Z. Acosta, City of Dreams Manila SVP and COO Mr. Kevin Benning, Games and Amusements Board Chairman Mr. Abraham Kahlil B. Mitra.

Top bantamweight contender Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon (18-5) of Baguio City, Philippines will go head-to-head with reigning ONE Featherweight & Lightweight World Champion Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen (11-2) of Sydney, Australia in a highly-anticipated showdown for the ONE Interim Bantamweight World Championship. The two superstars both pack incredible power in each of their fists and will look to put on a show in Manila.

Also on the card are co-main event participants, former ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki (40-8, 1NC) of Tokyo, Japan and Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai (9-2) of Bangkok, Thailand, who will do battle for lightweight supremacy.

In addition, the legendary Renzo Gracie (13-7-1, 1NC) of Brazil will face Yuki Kondo (60-34-9) of Japan in a historic bout between legends of the cage.

Lastly, hometown hero and former ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang (19-6) of Baguio City, Philippines and opponent Aziz Pahrudinov (20-0-1) of Dagestan, Russia were present. Both will compete in a much-anticipated three-round lightweight contest.

Here are some quotes taken from the press conference:

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship:

“ONE Championship is going all-out in the second half of 2018, and we always have something special planned for Manila. In what is perhaps the biggest martial arts spectacle ever held in the Philippines, we have an amazing evening planned for everyone this Friday night. The Mall of Asia Arena will be rocking with action and excitement, delivered by the absolute best in local and international martial arts talent.”

“Kevin Belingon and Martin Nguyen are ready to put on a show. This matchup gives me goosebumps and I know everyone is excited to see how it unfolds. When you put two aggressive and explosive strikers in the cage together, it is sure to produce fireworks. You literally cannot blink when these two guys finally meet at the center of the ONE cage. Given how both are incredible finishers, I don’t expect this bout to go the distance. Bibiano Fernandes is lying in wait, and the winner of this bout goes on to unify the bantamweight world titles!”

“In addition, we have a special treat for all the fans in Manila, as world-famous and legendary martial arts icon Renzo Gracie will be showcasing his talent for the final time in his career against Japanese veteran Yuki Kondo. I have known Renzo for a long time and it is an absolute honor and privilege to give them the stage for which he can perform once again and do what he loves to do in front of the entire world. We are ready to make history once again this Friday night at ONE: REIGN OF KINGS. See you all there!”

Nikko Z. Acosta, SVP – Content Business Group of Globe

“As purveyor of digital lifestyle, we have redefined how Filipinos can enjoy their entertainment whether in music, movies, esports and live shows. We have partnered with global content brands to bring world-class content to every device be it through mobile or at home. Today, we are redefining sports entertainment by partnering with ONE Championship, not only for Filipinos to enjoy professional mixed martial arts, but to also cheer for our Filipino fighters competing for the flag.”

Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon:

“This is without a doubt the biggest bout of my career. Everything that I have worked on to this point, all the countless nights spent in the gym, endless rolls with my teammates at Team Lakay, all the wins and the sacrifices, it all comes down to this. I took this challenge against Martin Nguyen, despite having a guaranteed shot at Bibiano Fernandes already, because I wanted to prove that I never back down from any challenge no matter how big or small. Beating Martin will be huge for my career. He is a two-division world champion at both featherweight and lightweight. If I defeat him, I just beat a two-division world champion. Think about that for a second. I am excited to get into the cage this Friday night and do what I do best.”

Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen, ONE Featherweight & Lightweight World Champion:

“Mad respect to Kevin Belingon for accepting this challenge. He didn’t have to, but he did. And that just speaks volume of the kind of warrior this guy is. I have complete and total respect for a martial artist with his values and principles. In a huge way, I see a lot of similarities between us. We are both hungry, and we are both determined for victory. I have worked extremely hard for this matchup and I am set on my goal, which is the ONE Bantamweight World Championship and to become a three-division world champion and make history. Nothing can stop me from achieving that goal. I feel that this is my time.”

Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki:

“I live to compete, it is my life’s passion. Being able to test my skills against the very best in the world, it’s what I was born to do. I can see myself doing this until I am old. Shannon Wiratchai is a good fighter, he has very good striking skills. But I have faced every kind of fighter in my career, and I have seen everything there is to see inside the cage. When I step back in there, I expect to impose my will on my opponent and get the victory that I have trained very hard for.”

Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai:

“Shinya Aoki is a great legend and he is my idol. I have watched and followed his career for the past 15 years. He is the reason I got into mixed martial arts and started to become an athlete in the first place. To be able to share the cage with him is a huge privilege for me. As such, he deserves nothing but my best. I am prepared to give him the greatest performance of my life. I hope one day I can inspire other people with my performance, just as he inspired me. Can’t wait for this Friday night when I am able to live my dream of competing against Shinya.”

Renzo Gracie:

“To be able to come back after all these years and do this again, it seems surreal to me. But I have been preparing a long time for this. I would like to thank Chatri Sityodtong and ONE Championship for the opportunity, for giving me the global stage once again, and for allowing me to satisfy my craving for competition. This one is for the fans.”

Yuki Kondo:

“This bout has been brewing for a long time. All I can say is that I have much respect for Renzo Gracie and what he has brought to martial arts. I am fully prepared to win this bout however, and I am completely focused on giving a great performance this Friday night. Fans can expect an action-packed bout between us two. Thank you for the opportunity, ONE Championship.”

Eduard “Landslide” Folayang:

“The ONE lightweight division is incredibly deep and with lots of talent. Getting to the top is very hard, but once you are there, it’s a great feeling. I am determined to get back to the top. I can face every opponent, whether they are undefeated or not. I am willing to go in there and go to work. I am working very hard on improving all aspects of my game with my teammates at Team Lakay. Every victory brings me closer to the title again. This time is no different. I will defeat Aziz Pahrudinov and make my way back to the top.”

Aziz Pahrudinov:

“I am grateful for the opportunity to be making my ONE Championship debut this Friday night. ONE Championship is the best in Asian martial arts, and I am excited to be a part of it. I am sure this will do wonderful things for my career. Facing a veteran and a former champion in Eduard Folayang in my debut is a tough challenge, but I have prepared very well for this bout and I will leave the arena as the winner.”

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.

About Globe Telecom

Globe Telecom is a leading full-service telecommunications company in the Philippines, serving the needs of consumers and businesses across an entire suite of products and services including mobile, fixed, broadband, data connections, internet and managed services. Its principals are Ayala Corporation and Singtel who are acknowledged industry leaders in the country and in the region. For more information, visit www.globe.com.ph.

23 July 2018 – Bangkok, Thailand: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced that tickets are now available for the upcoming blockbuster event, ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES, set for 6 October at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand. In the main event, The Ring and WBC Super Flyweight World Champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai will defend his boxing world title. In addition, Thailand’s biggest and brightest martial arts talents are set to take the stage and showcase their incredible skills.

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

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, The Ring and WBC Super Flyweight World Champion, stated: “I am happy and honored to take part in this historical ONE Championship’s event. I was at ONE Championship’s event in Bangkok earlier this year, and it blew my mind with its world class production, entertainment, and fights. I would also like to thank everyone who made this possible. With ONE Championship opening its doors for athletes like me to showcase our talent on the global stage, it means a lot. This is a new challenge, and I love challenges. I am looking forward to defending my WBC World Title belt in ONE Championship.”

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai is one of Thailand’s most celebrated pugilists in history, winning the prestigious WBC Super Flyweight World Championship on two occasions. Holding a professional record of 45-4-1 with 40 knockouts, Sor Rungvisai is ranked No. 6 on the pound-for-pound best boxers list of The Ring Magazine. After regaining the WBC Super Flyweight World Championship in March 2017 and then successfully defending it twice in the USA, Sor Rungvisai will defend his WBC World Title in ONE Championship’s historical event in Thailand.

Apart from Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, other local and international martial arts stars are ready to climb atop the ONE Championship ring to showcase their amazing skills.

Don’t miss an exciting martial arts spectacle as ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES hits Bangkok’s Impact Arena on 6 October! Tickets are now on sale.

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.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (July 19th, 2018) — A new champion will be crowned in the featherweight division and another title could change hands Friday, Aug. 3rd, 2018 as CES MMA returns to Twin River Casino with “CES MMA 51” live on AXS TV.

Reigning CES MMA Lightweight World Champion Nate Andrews (13-1, 5 KOs) of East Providence, R.I., defends his title for the first time in one of two five-round championship bouts on the main card when he faces challenger D’Juan Owens (16-11-1, 4 KOs) of Durham, N.C.

In a battle for the vacant CES MMA World Featherweight Championship, Providence, R.I., native Sean Soriano (11-5, 5 KOs) faces Bangor, Maine, veteran Bruce Boyington (15-11, 7 KOs).

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. 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.

For Andrews, next month’s fight is his first since capturing the then vacant lightweight title with a wild, submission win over Chris Padilla in the main event of “CES MMA 49.” He’s now won seven consecutive bouts since his first and only loss in 2014.

Owens is a familiar face on the New England circuit. The 33-year-old faced former CES MMA title-holder Luis Felix in 2014, then went on to win each of his next three bouts. He enters Aug. 3rdhaving won two of his last three.

A former three-time UFC vet, Soriano makes his sixth appearance with CES MMA on Aug. 3rdafter winning decisively at “CES MMA 44” and “CES MMA 49.” Boyington returns to CES MMA nearly one year to the date of his first appearance back in August of 2017 when he battled Andrews on the main card of “CES MMA 45.” He followed up with a win over Taylor Trahan in February.

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 recently snapped a two-fight losing streak at “CES MMA 50” with a first-round knockout win over Al Jones.

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 current UFC featherweight contender Andre Soukhamthath.

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.”

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.

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

SYDNEY – UFC®, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization and AirAsia today announced that undefeated Australian prospect Jim “the Brute” Crute (7-0), will compete on an upcoming episode of the exciting UFC FIGHT PASS® original series “Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series.”

The original series, now in its second season and available exclusively on Fight Pass, is focused on finding the next generation of athletes ready to compete on the global brand’s active roster. Crute’s journey to the United States has been made possible by UFC’s partnership with AirAsia, as he will also receive the opportunity to train at the UFC Performance Institute®, the world’s first mixed martial arts multi-disciplinary research, innovation and performance center.

Debuting on Episode 6 of Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series, Crute’s bout on Tuesday, July 24, will see the Bendigo born, now Melbourne local fight for his chance to potentially earn a contract with UFC.

“I have been training in MMA since I was four years old, with the intent to one day be a part of UFC,” says Crute. “Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series gets me another step closer to that lifelong dream. The support from AirAsia with flights and accommodations is amazing, as they have made this trip possible. My journey as a mixed martial artist is only at the very beginning, but this opportunity catapults my career. To fight on the world stage, in front of a global audience, it is what I’ve been asking for. I will do whatever is necessary to get the job done.”

AirAsia’s integrated partnership showcases how innovative brands can come together to create authentic life-changing opportunities for athletes around the world and at the same time giving audiences engaging content they can enjoy and Crute is the prime example.

With a #DaretoDream philosophy, the airline’s commitment to development and the future of MMA is sky high, showcased not only through this opportunity but the introduction of the UFC Scholarship program with the inaugural award going to Indonesian women’s strawweight, Linda Darrow last month.

Fans can tune in to watch the program on UFC Fight Pass®, the global brand’s digital subscription service.

For more information on AirAsia, please visit airasia.com or follow AirAsia on Facebook and YouTube (AirAsia), Twitter and Instagram (@airasia).

For more information on UFC, please visit UFC.com. Follow us on, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@ufc).

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 AirAsia

AirAsia, the leading and largest low-cost carrier in Asia by passengers carried, services an extensive network of more than 130 destinations. Since starting operations in 2001, AirAsia has carried more than 500 million guests and grown its fleet from just two aircraft to over 200. The airline is proud to be a truly Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) airline with established operations based in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines as well as India and Japan, servicing a network stretching across Asia, Australia and New Zealand, the Middle East and the US. AirAsia has been named the World’s Best Low-Cost Airline at the annual Skytrax World Airline Awards nine times in a row from 2009 to 2017. AirAsia was also awarded World’s Leading Low-Cost Airline for the fourth consecutive year at the 2016 World Travel Awards, where it beat a field of full-service carriers to become the first ever low-cost carrier to win World’s Leading Inflight Service.

13 July 2018 – Manila, Philippines: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced the complete card for ONE: REIGN OF KINGS, set for the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila this 27 July. The absolute best in local and international martial arts talent are ready to showcase their incredible skills on the largest global stage of martial arts competition.

Once again, ONE Championship’s finest athletes will electrify the Mall of Asia Arena with explosive, action-packed contests. In the main event, hometown hero Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon of Baguio City, Philippines will take on two-division ONE World Champion Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen of Sydney, Australia.

Ticket information for ONE: REIGN OF KINGS is available at www.onefc.com.

Filipino Flyweight Champion 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 the main event of ONE: REIGN OF KINGS, Belingon will compete against Martin Nguyen for the ONE Interim Bantamweight World Championship.

ONE Featherweight & Lightweight World Champion Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen of Sydney, Australia made his professional mixed martial arts debut in 2012. He quickly took the featherweight circuit by storm, winning an eight-man tournament to be crowned Australia’s BRACE MMA Featherweight Champion. Shortly after, he signed with ONE Championship in 2014 and has since put together a string of stunning finishes. Nguyen became the first-ever two-division titleholder in ONE Championship history, having knocked out both Marat Gafurov and Eduard Folayang to become the very best featherweight and lightweight mixed martial artist in the world. At ONE: REIGN OF KINGS, he hopes to become the world’s first three-division mixed martial arts world champion when he takes on Kevin Belingon for the ONE Interim Bantamweight World Championship.

Naksu Champion Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai is Thailand’s top lightweight, and has provided plenty of drama in all his ONE Championship bouts to date. Coupled with his elite martial arts skills, his highly-entertaining walkouts to the ONE cage have also made him a fan favorite. Wiratchai’s explosive power makes him exciting to watch, and he has never been stopped by submission or by strikes in his career. With a background in judo, Wiratchai is highly-effective with trips and throws, but it is his ability to stop opponents in a variety of ways that has stood out in the cage. With his very own “OneShin Striking System” that utilizes creative combinations, Wiratchai has proven to be a well-rounded competitor. Next up, he faces the legendary Shinya Aoki.

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. He now returns to face rising star Shannon Wiratchai next.

A true martial arts legend and 6th degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, Renzo Gracie of the famed Gracie family will resume his legendary martial arts career in ONE Championship after eight years since his last professional bout. Grandson of the famed Gracie Jiu-Jitsu founder Carlos Gracie, and son of 9th Dan BJJ black belt Robson Gracie, Renzo started training in BJJ as a toddler, like most in his family. Over a storied career, he has won multiple competitions, the most prestigious being the ADCC Championship, which he captured twice. A mixed martial artist with a 13-7 record, Gracie has faced the biggest names in the cage, and is a skilled grappler with decades of competition experience under his belt. He makes his way back into the spotlight for the last time to face the veteran Yuki Kondo.

Mixed martial arts veteran Yuki “Sora” Kondo of Japan has more than 100 professional bouts on his resume, lending his talents to famed Japanese mixed martial arts promotion Pancrase for the greater part of the last two decades, where he became a two-division champion. Beginning his professional career in 1996, Kondo has amassed an incredible 60-34-9 record, which includes 19 knockouts and 17 submissions. After years of showcasing his skills, Kondo now marches toward his farewell bout against the legendary Renzo Gracie.

Former ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang of Baguio City, Philippines is an alumni of the Philippine Wushu Team, winning 11 medals including three golds at the SEA Games to become a national hero. Not long after his amateur martial arts career, the Team Lakay veteran took up mixed martial arts and became a professional athlete under the guidance of Filipino martial arts pioneer Mark Sangiao. Folayang captured a Filipino Welterweight Championship in his 2007 debut, and helped ONE Championship kick off its inaugural show in 2011. Five years later, he took on then-lightweight titleholder Shinya Aoki, shocking the Japanese legend with a third round knockout to capture the title. Folayang’s childhood hero Manny Pacquiao called him “one of the legends of mixed martial arts in the Philippines,” elevating the Filipino to superstar status. He returns to action at home in Manila to take on Aziz Pahrudinov.

NAGA Champion Aziz Pahrudinov is an undefeated professional mixed martial artist who hails from Buynaksk, Russia. The 29-year-old who represents the K-Dojo Warrior Tribe is an exciting lightweight proponent that has now joined ONE Championship’s elite lightweight ranks. An extremely high-level grappler and explosive striker, Pahrudinov has built a reputation as a bonafide finisher, featuring close to a 95% finishing rate in competition, whether by submission or by knockout. Now on the biggest global stage of martial arts competition, Pahrudinov is looking to test his skills against the world’s best. He makes his ONE debut against former lightweight titleholder Eduard Folayang.

Multiple-time No Gi BJJ World Champion Garry “The Lion Killer” Tonon of New Jersey, USA began his martial arts career as a wrestler, competing extensively throughout grade school. He was introduced to Brazilian jiu-jitsu at age 14, enrolling at Tom DeBlass’ Ocean County BJJ and became one of DeBlass’ most dedicated students. He won his first BJJ world title in 2008 in the juvenile blue belt division. Today, he is one of the world’s most decorated grapplers, having won multiple tournaments across the globe. He is a former IBJJF World Champion, two-time IBJJF World No-Gi Champion, and four-time Eddie Bravo Invitational Champion. He made his professional mixed martial arts debut in early 2018, stopping Filipino Richard Corminal by second-round TKO. Tonon now makes his way back to face Rahul Raju.

Ultimate Satira Champion Rahul “The Kerala Krusher” Raju is originally from Kerala, India, but moved to Singapore in 2011 to further his studies. He began training in Chinese kung fu at age 14 after losing in a schoolyard scuffle, which triggered a lifelong passion for martial arts. In Singapore, Raju began training at Juggernaut Fight Club in 2013, and soon competed in various combat sports as an amateur before switching focus to competing professionally in the cage. He made his debut in February 2016 with a submission win and has not looked back, running up an impressive record along the way by competing in the Singapore Fighting Championships. After signing with ONE in 2018, Raju vowed to make his mark on the global stage of martial arts competition. He faces dangerous grappler Garry Tonon next.

WMTA World Super Welterweight Champion Armen Petrosyan is a kickboxer from Milan, Italy and is the brother of world-renowned kickboxing legend Giorgio “The Doctor” Petrosyan. Known as an aggressive fighter, Petrosyan is a former two-time Italian Kickboxing Champion and a former European Kickboxing Champion. In 2013, Petrosyan took part in an eight-man tournament, emerging as the overall winner to be crowned the WMTA World Super Welterweight Champion. With a professional kickboxing record of 69-17-1, Petrosyan makes his ONE Super Series debut against Chris Ngimbi in a kickboxing contest.

Being a WKA Muay Thai World Champion, It’s Showtime 70MAX World Champion, and SUPERKOMBAT Champion, Chris “The African Warrior” Ngimbi is one of the very best strikers to have emerged from Africa. Born in Zaire, which is now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ngimbi changed his life when he moved to the Netherlands at age 17, taking up kickboxing shortly after. Following just three months of training, Ngimbi was already stepping into the ring to compete. Ngimbi has faced some of the biggest names in kickboxing, such as Giorgio Petrosyan. He returns to action in Manila to face Armen Petrosyan in a ONE Super Series kickboxing bout.

Two-time Muay Thai World Champion Panicos Yusuf is originally from Limassol, the second-largest city in the island nation of Cyprus. He briefly studied Shotokan Karate as a child, but didn’t seriously train in martial arts until he discovered Muay Thai when he was just 15 years old. Two months after he began training, Yusuf competed in his first Muay Thai bout, and eventually joined the Cyprus national Muay Thai team, traveling to Russia and Lebanon to test his skills in the ring. In 2005, Yusuf relocated to Manchester, England, opening up his own gym named All Powers. He has since compiled almost 40 wins in a sterling professional career, becoming ranked as the United Kingdom’s very best Muay Thai competitor for his weight class. He will take on Han Zi Hao in a ONE Super Series Muay Thai bout.

Top King Muay Thai World Champion Han Zi Hao of China is a Muay Thai practitioner who is based out of Bangkok, Thailand. The 23-year-old already owns an impressive professional Muay Thai record of 57-14 early in his career. A representative of Mad Muay Thai Gym, Han Zi Hao 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 Zi Hao’s first appearance for the promotion will be a tough one however, as the Chinese stalwart takes on Panicos Yusuf in a ONE Super Series Muay Thai bout.

Former ONE Strawweight 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. He is inspired by former ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard Folayang, whom he trains with every day at Team Lakay. In 2016, he got his chance against reigning ONE Strawweight World Champion Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito, falling just short of victory. Despite the setback, Pacio continues to chase his dream of becoming a world champion and has put together three solid victories in his last four outings. Next up, Pacio takes on surging Thai superstar Pongsiri Mitsatit.

Chiang Mai Muay Thai Champion Pongsiri “The Smiling Assassin” Mitsatit hails from the North East of Thailand and was raised in humble surroundings. After repeated encounters with childhood bullying, Mitsatit decided to pick up Muay Thai to learn how to protect himself. Through his hard work and talent, he soon ran up an impressive 72-17 record, and even won a Muay Thai championship in the process. Mitsatit then made his professional mixed martial arts debut in 2014, and has since rapidly emerged as one of Thailand’s most exciting talents. At just 22 years of age, Mitsatit already holds a perfect professional record, including several TKO wins in ONE Championship. Now training at the prestigious Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket, Mitstatit will see action in Manila against Joshua Pacio.

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 four-bout win streak, two of which have ended in exciting finishes. He looks to build on his success by taking on rising Indonesian martial arts star Stefer Rahardian next.

ONE Indonesia Flyweight Tournament Champion Stefer Rahardian has been on a tear ever since he debuted on the global stage of ONE Championship, and quickly became Indonesia’s foremost martial arts star with a perfect professional record. An elite BJJ specialist under the lineage of the legendary Carlson Gracie, Rahardian has claimed gold in various BJJ tournaments around the region. He has utilized his grappling wizardry to sterling success in the ONE cage, running up an impressive professional record with the majority of his victories coming by way of submission. Rahardian is now set to face Rene Catalan in his next contest.

After over 145 wins in the ancient striking art of Kun Khmer, Sor Sey sought a greater challenge and has set his sights on the ONE cage. He decided to add other martial arts disciplines to his arsenal, under the tutelage of famed coach Chan Reach and BJJ black belt Fernando Salvador. Driven by the desire to forge a better future for his family, Sor Sey wants nothing more than to succeed on the global stage of martial arts competition, under the bright lights of ONE Championship. Today one of Cambodia’s best martial artists, Sor Sey continues his search for glory when he takes on Xie Bin.

ONE Hefei Bantamweight Tournament Finalist “The Stalker” Xie Bin grew up in Hunan, China, and trains alongside ONE Championship veterans Li Kai Wen and Ma Jia Wen at Tianjin Top Team. He is part of a new breed of Chinese athletes who have been training in mixed martial arts since the beginning of their careers. At just 20 years old, Xie has tremendous potential to make an impact on ONE Championship’s bantamweight division. With skills in boxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and Muay Thai, Xie is determined to become China’s first-ever male mixed martial arts world champion. He faces Sor Sey in his next outing.

ONE: REIGN OF KINGS

Friday, 27 July

Mall of Asia Arena, Manila, Philippines

Main Event

ONE Interim Bantamweight World Championship

Martin Nguyen vs Kevin Belingon

Mixed Martial Arts: 65.8kg (Bantamweight)

Shannon Wiratchai vs Shinya Aoki

Mixed Martial Arts: 77.1kg (Lightweight)

Renzo Gracie vs Yuki Kondo

Mixed Martial Arts: 83.9kg (Welterweight)

Eduard Folayang vs Aziz Pahrudinov

Mixed Martial Arts: 77.1kg (Lightweight)

Garry Tonon vs Rahul Raju

Mixed Martial Arts: 77.1kg (Lightweight)

Armen Petrosyan vs Chris Ngimbi

ONE Super Series Kickboxing: 72.5kg (Catch Weight)

Panicos Yusuf vs Han Zi Hao

ONE Super Series Muay Thai: 65.8kg (Bantamweight)

Joshua Pacio vs Pongsiri Mitsatit

Mixed Martial Arts: 56.7kg (Strawweight)

Rene Catalan vs Stefer Rahardian

Mixed Martial Arts: 56.7kg (Strawweight)

Sor Sey vs Xie Bin

Mixed Martial Arts: 70.3kg (Featherweight)

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.

Las Vegas – The highly anticipated 28th season of The Ultimate Fighter® will see UFC® middleweight champion Robert Whittaker coach opposite No. 4 ranked contender Kelvin Gastelum. Following the series, which debuts Wednesday, August 29 on FS1, the two will clash for the middleweight title at a date that will be determined in the near future.

The Ultimate Fighter: Heavy Hitters will also feature a dynamic cast of men’s heavyweights and women’s featherweights. Each tournament winner will receive a six-figure UFC contract. Following the series, the live finale will take place on Friday, November 30 at The Pearl at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, NV.

Whittaker (21-4) won The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes as a welterweight and has gone on to become one of the most successful TUF winners in the UFC. He is the reigning UFC middleweight champion and has claimed five post-fight bonus awards in his last four fights.

Gastelum (16-3, 1 NC) also won The Ultimate Fighter, claiming the middleweight trophy during the 17th season of the show. He has been dominant at 185 pounds, taking out former champions and superstars such as Michael Bisping, Jacare Souza and Tim Kennedy.

Below is a full list of competitors (name, age, professional record and fighting out of):

FEMALE FEATHERWEIGHTS

Leah Letson | 25 | 4-1 | Milwaukee, WI

Larissa Pacheco | 23 | 11-2 | Belem, Brazil

Marciea Allen | 36 | 7-2 | Wood Dale, IL

Pannie Kianzad | 26 | 9-3 | Copenhagen, Denmark

Bea Malecki | 26 | 2-0 | Stockholm, Sweden

Julija Stoliarenko | 25 | 4-2-1 | Kaunas, Lithuania

Katharina Lehner | 28 | 7-1 | Cologne, Germany

Macy Chiasson | 26 | 2-0 | New Orleans, LA

MALE HEAVYWEIGHTS

Ben Sosoli | 28 | 6-2 | Melbourne, Australia

Maurice Greene | 31 | 5-2 | St. Cloud, MN

Michel Batista | 34 | 4-0 | Miami, FL

Juan Francisco Espino Diepa | 37 | 8-1 | Las Palmas, Spain

Justin Frazier | 28 | 10-2 | Cave City, AR

Anderson Da Silva | 31 | 3-0-1 | Sao Paulo, Brazil

Przemyslaw Mysiala | 35 | 22-9-1 | Maidenhead, England

Josh Parisian | 28 | 7-2 | Brighton, MI

For more information or current fight news, 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.

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 Pilgrim Media Group
Pilgrim Media Group, a Lionsgate company, produces a wide variety of unscripted and scripted content for television and digital platforms, as well as feature films. The company’s series include Discovery’s Street Outlaws (and spinoffs Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings and Street Outlaws: Memphis), Fast N’ Loud, Misfit Garage, Garage Rehab and Shifting Gears with Aaron Kaufman; My Big Fat Fabulous Life for TLC; two-time NAACP Award-winner Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s for OWN; Two time MMA Award-winner The Ultimate Fighter for FS1, in its 27th season; Wicked Tuna and Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks for National Geographic; and Bring It! and Love at First Flight for Lifetime. Pilgrim also produced the scripted series Recovery Road for Freeform, multiple original movies for Lifetime, and is in development on numerous other scripted projects for TV, film and streaming outlets. Pilgrim’s feature documentary, Soufra (which won two awards at Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival), premiered in North America at DOC NYC, with theatrical runs in New York and Los Angeles, and invitations to screen at international film festivals, including Cannes. The company also continues to produce award-winning content via its digital studio, 1620 Media.

Las Vegas – UFC® will debut in Lincoln, Nebraska with a battle of lightweight contenders guaranteed to deliver fireworks, as No.7-ranked Justin Gaethje faces No.10 Al Iaquinta. Plus, it’s a clash of dynamic flyweight contenders, as No.6-ranked John Moraga goes for his fourth straight win when he takes on undefeated No.14 Deiveson Figueiredo. UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: GAETHJE vs. IAQUINTA goes down Saturday, Aug. 25 from Pinnacle Bank Arena and will air live on FS1.

Though he’s only made three trips to the Octagon®, Gaethje (18-2, fighting out of Arvada, Colo.) has already proven to be must-watch television. Each of his UFC outings have earned Fight of the Night honors, with ‘The Highlight’ also taking home a Performance of the Night bonus for his spectacular TKO win over Michael Johnson in his UFC debut. Following consecutive wars with Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirier, Gaethje is set to re-assert himself as a title threat in the stacked lightweight division.

A heavy-handed striker, Iaquinta (13-4-1, fighting out of Wantagh, N.Y.) turned heads this past April when he stepped in on one day’s notice to face Khabib Nurmagomedov. Though he came up short, Iaquinta put on a gutsy performance that firmly established himself as a 155-pound contender. During his UFC run, Iaquinta has netted impressive wins against Kevin Lee, Ross Pearson, Joe Lauzon, Jorge Masvidal and Diego Sanchez. Iaquinta now looks to crack the division’s top 10 with a show-stealing win over Gaethje.

A former flyweight title challenger, Moraga (19-6, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz.) has fought the 125-pound division’s best. Over the course of his UFC stint, he’s delivered impressive victories against Wilson Reis, Magomed Bibulatov, Justin Scoggins, Dustin Ortiz and Chris Cariaso. Moraga hopes to continue his ascent to another championship opportunity by handing a surging prospect his first loss.

Though he only made his UFC debut one year ago, Figueiredo (14-0, fighting out of Soure, Brazil) has already turned heads in the flyweight division. After stopping Marco Beltran in his debut last June, the rising star edged out Jarred Brooks before earning a dominant TKO win over Joseph Morales. Figueiredo is now poised to crack the top 10 if he can score a spectacular victory against Moraga.

Additional bouts on the card include:

In a battle of strawweight contenders, No.11-ranked Alexa Grasso (10-2, fighting out of Guadalajara, Mexico) takes on No.15 Angela Hill (8-4, fighting out of San Diego, Calif.)
The Ultimate Fighter season 23 winner Andrew Sanchez (10-4, fighting out of Fairfield, N.J.) looks to get back in the win column against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Antonio Braga Neto (9-3 1NC, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Former Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Eryk Anders (10-1, fighting out of Birmingham, Ala.) locks horns with Tim Williams (15-4, fighting out of Millville, N.J.)
Omaha native Drew Dober (19-8 1NC, fighting out of Denver, Colo.) aims to keep his momentum going when he meets The Ultimate Fighter veteran Jon Tuck (10-4, fighting out of Hagatna, Guam)
Submission ace Rani Yahya (25-9 1NC, fighting out of Brasilia, Brazil) goes for his third straight win against tough prospect Luke Sanders (13-2, fighting out of Nashville, Tenn.)

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 FIGHT NIGHT®: GAETHJE vs. IAQUINTA will air live on FS1 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Saturday, August 25, 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®: GAETHJE vs. IAQUINTA go on sale Friday, June 29 at 10 a.m. CT and are priced at $143, $113, $88 and $63 (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, June 27 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, June 28 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.

25 June 2018 – Guangzhou, China: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship (ONE), has just announced the main event of ONE: BATTLE FOR THE HEAVENS, set for Saturday, 7 July, at the Guangzhou Tianhe Gymnasium in Guangzhou, China. Yodcherry Sityodtong of Thailand will take on Kaiting Chuang of Chinese Taiwan for the inaugural ONE Super Series Kickboxing Atomweight World Championship.

Ticket information for ONE: BATTLE FOR THE HEAVENS is available at www.onefc.com.

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “World-class martial arts makes a triumphant return to the beautiful city of Guangzhou with another spectacular event. ONE: BATTLE FOR THE HEAVENS will feature a titanic clash between superstar strikers, as Thailand’s Yodcherry Sityodtong faces Chinese Taiwan’s Kaiting Chuang for the inaugural ONE Super Series Kickboxing Atomweight World Championship. The two will be joined by several of the very best martial arts talent from China and the world, so don’t miss this awesome evening of authentic martial arts action.”

19-year-old Muay Thai phenom Yodcherry Sityodtong makes her long-awaited ONE Championship debut when she competes for the inaugural ONE Super Series Kickboxing Atomweight World Championship. Sityodtong, who represents Evolve MMA in Singapore, features an impressive professional Muay Thai record of 81-18-1. At such a young age, Sityodtong has already garnered many achievements in the ring, having won various Muay Thai world championships throughout her young career. Now, Sityodtong looks to make her first appearance in ONE Super Series, taking on Kaiting Chuang.

23-year-old Kaiting Chuang of Taipei, Chinese Taiwan is making her ONE Championship debut at ONE: BATTLE FOR THE HEAVENS. A professional kickboxer with a record of 16-5, Chuang represents Iron Boxing, and is a Chinese Taiwan Kickboxing Champion. Nicknamed “Killer Bee,” Chuang will go up against Yodcherry Sityodtong in the main event, which is set to crown the first-ever ONE Super Series Kickboxing Atomweight World Champion.

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.

Las Vegas – The 7th annual UFC International Fight Week™ will take place from Tuesday, July 3 through Sunday, July 8, with numerous events taking place throughout Las Vegas, including the Downtown Las Vegas Event Center, The Palms Casino Resort, and T-Mobile Arena.

UFC International Fight Week is highlighted by the prestigious 2018 UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, an easily-accessible and fully interactive two-day UFC Fan Experience® and THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER® FINALE: TAVARES vs. ADESANYA. The week-long festivities are anchored by the highly anticipated Superfight between UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic and UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier in the main event of UFC® 226: MIOCIC vs. CORMIER, presented by Modelo, which takes place on Saturday, July 7 at T-Mobile Arena. Tickets for UFC 226 are available via AXS.

On Thursday, July 5, UFC will host the 2018 UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at 7 p.m. at The Pearl at Palms Casino Resort. The annual ceremony honors contributors and athletes that helped shape UFC and left an indelible mark on the sport of mixed martial arts. Tickets to the induction ceremony are priced at $20.00 (does not include fees), with all proceeds benefitting Three Square Foodbank, southern Nevada’s largest hunger-relief organization. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster. The ceremony will also be streamed live and exclusively on UFC FIGHT PASS®.

Spanning more than 85,000 square feet, UFC’s two-day Fan Experience at the Downtown Las Vegas Event Center will be the one-stop shop for all fight fans, providing unparalleled free access to UFC champions, top-ranked contenders, UFC Hall of Famers, celebrities, legendary fighters, Octagon Girls®, UFC letters and a UFC store dome. This year, the UFC Fan Experience will also host several activations centered around UFC’s 25th anniversary, which is being celebrated throughout the year.

UFC fans will have the opportunity to engage with a record-number of athletes and talent during free autograph sessions and meet and greets at the Downtown Las Vegas Event Center. These sessions will be from 12:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. on Friday, July 6, and 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 7. This free event will be part of the two-day UFC Fan Experience at the Downtown Las Vegas Event Center, which will operate from 12 p.m. – 8 p.m. on Friday, July 6, and 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 7.

Fans will be able to purchase exclusive UFC merchandise at the UFC store dome and at other UFC store locations, while also having the chance to participate in numerous activities with brand partners such as: BODYARMOR, Modelo, Toyo Tires®, Monster Energy, MetroPCS® and Motel 6.

The 27th season of UFC’s landmark reality series, The Ultimate Fighter®, will conclude on Friday, July 6, with THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER® FINALE: TAVARES vs. ADESANYA at T-Mobile Arena. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.

UFC will also host two official pool parties during the week at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino’s Rehab Beach Club on Wednesday, July 4 (11 a.m. – 4 p.m.) and Sunday, July 8 (11 a.m. – 4 p.m.). On Saturday, July 7, the official UFC 226 after party will take place at Hakkasan beginning at 11 p.m.

The UFC International Fight Week app will be the official destination for the most updated schedule of events, as well as the only place to secure your spot for autograph sessions. The app is scheduled to launch on Monday, June 25. All of these exciting events are in addition to the regularly scheduled fight week activities. For additional information, please visit UFC.com/fightweek.

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.

SINGAPORE – UFC®, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, and AirAsia today announced that current “OnePride MMA Pro Never Quit” women’s strawweight champion of Indonesia, Linda Darrow (6-0), has been selected as the first-ever student to be admitted into its UFC® Scholarship program. As part of this scholarship, Darrow, 28, will receive an all-expenses paid trip to the United States to train at the UFC Performance Institute® in Las Vegas, Nevada. Once at the Performance Institute, Darrow will have access to the facilities staff of experts in the fields of strength and conditioning, nutrition and physical therapy to help hone down her skills.

“We are excited to award this scholarship to Linda, as she is a wonderful role model for all aspiring mixed martial artists around the world,” UFC Vice President of International Partnerships Rene Valencia said. “Her journey is just beginning and we are immensely proud of our ground-breaking partnership with AirAsia, who are helping us create new MMA development opportunities for athletes. We look forward to warmly welcoming Linda to Las Vegas and the UFC Performance Institute.”

The four-week curriculum, devised by UFC, will give athletes the opportunity to test themselves and train with the best MMA athletes in a world-class training facility.

“We are very pleased to receive this exciting news that Linda Darrow of Indonesia has been selected as the inaugural UFC training scholarship recipient,” Chairman Komite Olahraga Beladiri Indonesia (KOBI) A. Ardiansyah Bakrie said. “KOBI was established under the Ministry of Sports in Indonesia to support the growth and development of MMA in Indonesia, we appreciate the efforts of UFC and AirAsia as sponsors, and recognise both organisations as further enhancing the credibility of MMA in Indonesia and globally.”

“This is a great honour for the Indonesian MMA community, we are honoured that Linda Darrow the “OnePride MMA Pro Never Quit” Women’s Strawweight Champion of Indonesia, has been selected for this prestigious scholarship,” Chairman, OnePride MMA Indonesia David Burke said. “We would like to thank both UFC and AirAsia for this sponsorship, and hopefully in the future other Indonesian MMA fighters might also be capable of qualifying for other UFC scholarships, this will go a long way to motivating Indonesian MMA Fighters and without a doubt have a positive impact to the MMA community in Indonesia.”

As the world’s first mixed martial arts multi-disciplinary research, innovation and performance center, the Performance Institute is a state-of-the-art 30,000 square-foot facility providing benefits and services to all athletes competing under the UFC banner.

“We’re thrilled to support UFC’s scholarship and contender series programs,” AirAsia Group Head of Branding Rudy Khaw said. “AirAsia is committed to helping people make their dreams come true, whether it’s connecting them to one of our 130 destinations or helping them to become world-class mixed martial artists. We look forward to working together with UFC on these two opportunities for eligible athletes in the Asia-Pacific region.”

UFC’s partnership with AirAsia will also see one athlete from the Asia-Pacific region take part in the UFC’s original content series, Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series. This UFC FIGHT PASS® program is focused on finding the next generation of UFC ready athletes by providing access to the world’s biggest MMA stage in front of UFC President Dana White. Fans can tune in to watch the program on UFC Fight Pass®, the global brand’s digital subscription service.

For more information on AirAsia, please visit airasia.com or follow AirAsia on Facebook and YouTube (AirAsia), Twitter and Instagram (@airasia), Weibo (@????) or WeChat and Zhihu (@????). For more information on UFC, please visit UFC.com. Follow us on, WeChat, Youku, QQ, Facebook (UFC Asia), Twitter and Instagram (@ufc).

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 AirAsia

AirAsia, the leading and largest low-cost carrier in Asia by passengers carried, services an extensive network of more than 130 destinations. Since starting operations in 2001, AirAsia has carried more than 500 million guests and grown its fleet from just two aircraft to over 200. The airline is proud to be a truly Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) airline with established operations based in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines as well as India and Japan, servicing a network stretching across Asia, Australia and New Zealand, the Middle East and the US. AirAsia has been named the World’s Best Low-Cost Airline at the annual Skytrax World Airline Awards nine times in a row from 2009 to 2017. AirAsia was also awarded World’s Leading Low-Cost Airline for the fourth consecutive year at the 2016 World Travel Awards, where it beat a field of full-service carriers to become the first ever low-cost carrier to win World’s Leading Inflight Service.

Weekly MMA Show with Ariel Helwani and Chael Sonnen available today
New Podcast “Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show” to Debut Monday, June 25, Live on Twitter
https://espnmediazone.com/us/files/2018/05/logo-600px-300×130.jpg

ESPN+ will debut today “Ariel & The Bad Guy”, a weekly MMA program hosted by award-winning mixed martial arts (MMA) journalist Ariel Helwani, alongside ESPN MMA analyst, Chael Sonnen. The show will be available today exclusively in the United States on ESPN+ — the recently-launched multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN.

“Ariel & The Bad Guy” will be a fast-paced 30-minute weekly breakdown of the top stories, developments and upcoming fights. A new episode will be available on ESPN+ each Wednesday starting today. In addition to the regularly scheduled episodes, ESPN+ will stream special episodes before and after major mixed martial arts events.

Helwani will also host a new weekly podcast, “Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show,” which will debut live on Twitter on Monday, June 25. Each episode of Helwani’s podcast will be streamed live on Twitter and be available on the ESPN App, ESPN.com and wherever podcasts are available. Helwani will also contribute on MMA on ESPN.Com.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the first-ever multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN. It offers fans thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks.

The ESPN+ lineup includes 18 exclusive, live Top Rank events per year, dozens of fights from other Top Rank undercards, an unmatched library of the greatest fights in boxing history, and two exclusive, original boxing programs: The Boxing Beat with Dan Rafael (Tuesdays) and In This Corner (twice monthly).

It also features hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, Grand Slam tennis, PGA Tour golf, college sports, international rugby, cricket, the full library of ESPN Films (including 30 for 30) and more. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

ESPN+ is an integrated part of the completely redesigned ESPN App. Already the leading sports app, the new ESPN App is the premier all-in-one digital sports platform for fans and is a showcase of the company’s culture of innovation. With a richer, increasingly more personalized experience, the new ESPN App curates all of ESPN’s incredible content into an experience unique to each fan’s individual tastes. ESPN+ is also available through ESPN.com.

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Las Vegas – UFC® today announced that tickets to the 2018 UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be available at 10 a.m. PT on Friday, June 15, via Ticketmaster. The 2018 UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place on Thursday, July 5, at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. Tickets to the 2018 UFC Hall of Fame Induction ceremony are priced at $20.00 (does not include fees), with all proceeds benefitting Three Square Foodbank, southern Nevada’s largest hunger-relief organization.

The UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony stands as one of the marquee events during the 7th annual UFC International Fight Week™, which takes place from Tuesday, July 3 through Sunday, July 8.

The 2018 UFC Hall of Fame class of 2018 includes:

Ronda Rousey (Modern) – Former UFC and Strikeforce bantamweight champion and the first and only UFC women’s champion to successfully defended her title six times.

Bruce Connal (Contributor) – Pioneering television producer who led the production of more than 300 UFC televised events during his 19-year tenure with UFC.

Art Davie (Contributor) – UFC creator and co-founder who partnered with legendary Brazilian jiu-jitsu master Rorian Gracie on a project that would eventually be rebranded to the Ultimate Fighting Championship®.

Matt Serra (Pioneer) – Former UFC welterweight champion and winner of Season four of The Ultimate Fighter®.

Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (Fight) – Classic 2011 fight between former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and UFC 17 middleweight tournament champion and former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Dan Henderson.

To see a complete list of UFC athletes and fights currently enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame, as well as details regarding the UFC Hall of Fame format, please visit UFCHOFFAQ.

Established in 2007 to provide hunger relief, Three Square Food Bank offers wholesome, nutritious food to nonprofit and faith-based organizations, schools and feeding sites that serve a wide range of Southern Nevadans. Three Square’s mission is to provide wholesome food to hungry people, while passionately pursuing a hunger-free community. For more information, please visit THREESQUAREFOODBANK.

To view the UFC Hall of Fame fight library, please visit UFCHOF. For additional information, please visit UFC.com.

About UFC®

UFC® is a premium global sports brand and the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. 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.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (June 14th, 2018) — Andre Ewell is fully aware the entire crowd at Twin River Casino will be rooting for hometown favorite Dinis Paiva when the two face one another Friday for the vacant CES MMA Bantamweight World Title.

“Sweetbread” Paiva (11-6, 6 KOs) practically owns the arena, having fought there 17 times, more than any fighter in CES MMA history.

The cage? Ewell (12-4) says that still belongs to him.

“When I’m on that stage, I don’t get nervous,” Ewell said. “I’m at home.”

“Even though I’m coming out to his hometown, it’s more like, hey, you’re actually visiting my house.”

The Riverside, Calif., native is beaming with confidence as he prepares for the fight of his life against the red-hot Paiva, the East Providence, R.I., bantamweight who has won four in a row and eight of his last nine entering Friday.

Their five-round title bout headlines “CES MMA 50” on AXS TV, the promotion’s 50thshow since its inception in 2010. Paiva earning top billing is fitting considering he debuted at “CES MMA 6” in 2011 and has remained with the promotion ever since, regardless of losing streaks, coaching changes or the typical ebbs and flows that come with being a professional fighter.

Paiva considered walking away after losing five of his first eight fights, but reworked his inner circle and is now on the precipice of winning a world title, an unlikely storybook ending for a fighter who has sacrificed in and out of the gym to get to where he is today.

While Ewell is impressed with Paiva’s rise to stardom — “He definitely has heart and determination,” he said — the 30-year-old former professional boxer is intent on writing his own fairytale finish on the sport’s biggest stage. Winning a world title on AXS TV against the fan-favorite could provide the boost he needs to get to the next level.

“I already know he’s the superhero of Rhode Island,” Ewell said. “I’ve got to come into his territory and do what I do best. Coming into someone else’s backyard and proving you are the top dog is the best feeling in the world.

“I know I’m the best fighter out there. This is going to be my doorway to the UFC. The next fight is definitely the most important fight. All I’ve got to do is do my job and perform.”

Tickets for “CES MMA 50” start at $40 and are available to purchase online at www.cesmma.com, www.twinriver.com, www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at 401-724-2253 or at the Twin River Box Office. The preliminary card begins at 7 p.m. ET, followed by the televised main card at 9.

Ewell is used to being out of his comfort zone, whether it’s in life or mixed martial arts. Growing up as the oldest in a family of nine, he and his siblings moved frequently from California to Texas and back again — four times, to be exact. Being the new kid at every school also forced him to keep his guard up.

“I was always fighting,” he said.

“Me being the oldest, I had to take on a bigger role in the family. I had to grow up a lot faster than most kids. Everything ended up molding me into an adult.”

Ewell wrestled as a youth, then transitioned to taekwondo and boxing. He eventually began his professional fighting career in the boxing ring at the age of 23 in 2011, but the “politics” of the sport drove him away. He was merely fodder for up-and-coming prospects supported financially by well-established promotors. He felt used and walked away from the sport in 2013.

Two years later, following the birth of his son, Eli, he switched to MMA and immediately felt at home.

“I pick things up fast, especially when I have people preaching to me,” Ewell said. “I ended up grasping it quickly.”

With no amateur bouts under his belt, Ewell won his first three fights as a pro before losing three of his next five. Since a split-decision loss to Ryan Lilley in February of 2017, he’s gone on a Paiva-like stretch with wins in seven of his last eight, including three in a row entering Friday.

The bright lights of AXS TV won’t be a factor; he recently fought on the network at Legacy Fighting Alliance 36, defeating Trent Meaux by first-round knockout.

Aside from being the visitor in Paiva’s hometown Friday, Ewell draws motivation from his upbringing, reminiscing about watching his parents put in long hours to provide for his family. He has also had custody issues with his son, now five years old, which motivates him even more to be the best he can be Friday night in what will be the biggest fight of his life.

“Growing up, watching my mom work, my pops always pushing me, I automatically see that grind,” he said. “We didn’t have everything, so that automatically makes you want to push and have something. When it comes to my son, everything, all the emotion, comes out in that moment.

“I know my whole background, how I was raised, where I come from. This is me. I want to be something better than I was yesterday.”

Having been through so much himself, Ewell respects Paiva for battling back despite his early struggles, but the camaraderie goes out the window once the bell rings Friday. This is the opportunity of a lifetime for both fighters and the winner moves one step closer toward achieving his goals.

“To take his record from being not so good and pushing it in the right direction, that’s a product of hard work and positivity, but now he’s meeting someone who works harder and is more dedicated,” Ewell said. “Everything will show inside that cage. He’s a cool cat. I especially like his nickname, but now it’s my lunchtime, because I’m hungry.”

Also highlighting “CES MMA 50,” Ludlow, Mass., welterweight Jon Manley (11-4, 2 KOs) battles Philadelphia’s Jeremiah Wells (4-1, 2 KOs) and Woonsocket, R.I., flyweight Jose Lugo (2-0, 1 KO) makes his network television debut in a rematch against Cortland, N.Y., native Michael Taylor (1-1, 1 KO).

Middleweight Pat McCrohan (3-1, 2 KOs) of Berkley, Mass., returns to face red-hot Worcester, Mass., prospect Reginaldo Felix (5-3, 2 KOs). Bantamweight John Douma (3-0, 2 KOs) of Providence also debuts on the AXS TV platform in a highly-anticipated showdown against Nevada’s Adam Acquaviva (5-3, 1 KO). Also on the main card, female flyweight sensation Maria Rivera (2-0, 1 KO) of Framingham, Mass., puts her unbeaten record on the line against Mallory Martin (3-2, 1 KO) of Denver.

The preliminary card features a welterweight scrap between veteran Toby Oden (2-2, 1 KO) of Milford, Mass., and newcomer Jeremy Puglia of Long Island, who makes his professional debut. Decorated light heavyweight Fabio Cherant (1-0) returns to face Mansfield, Ohio, native Marquis Allen (1-0, 1 KO) and featherweight Brandon Marotte (1-0, 1 KO) of Hempstead, N.H., battles debut Arslan Otchiyev of West Haven, Conn.

Also on the preliminary card, Milford, Mass., bantamweight Kris Moutinho (4-1, 2 KOs) makes his long-awaited return against New York’s Alfred Jones (3-3, 1 KO) and light heavyweight Yorgan De Castro (1-0) of Fall River, Mass., faces David White (0-2) of Cumberland, Md. Flyweights Hilarie Rose (0-1) of Norfolk, Mass., and Thais Sousa (0-2) of Miami search for their first career victories against one another in a special female attraction.

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

Las Vegas – UFC® will return to Los Angeles with a blockbuster bantamweight championship rematch that will see T.J. Dillashaw defend against former champ and No.1 contender Cody Garbrandt. In the co-main event, UFC flyweight champion and No.1 pound-for-pound fighter Demetrious Johnson will run it back with No.2-ranked contender Henry Cejudo. UFC® 227: DILLASHAW vs. GARBRANDT 2 goes down Saturday, August 4 at STAPLES Center and will air live on Pay-Per-View.

Among the most heated rivals in UFC history, Dillashaw (16-3, fighting out of Angels Camp, Calif.) and Garbrandt (11-1, fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.) first locked horns last November. Following a series of exciting back-and-forth exchanges, Dillashaw delivered a spectacular second-round KO to recapture the 135-pound title.

Dillashaw now looks to get the last laugh over his former teammate. A diverse striker and talented grappler, he’s earned victories over a who’s who in the bantamweight division. Over the course of his UFC career, he’s bested Renan Barao (twice), Raphael Assuncao and John Lineker. Another impressive victory will allow him to close the book on his feud with Garbrandt.

As for Garbrandt, the former titleholder aims for a measure of revenge. Known for his highlight-reel knockouts, he tore a path of destruction through the division en route to dethroning Dominick Cruz in 2016. During his UFC stint, the heavy-handed striker has stopped Takeya Mizugaki, Thomas Almeida and Augusto Mendes. Garbrandt now aims to even the score and reclaim the bantamweight championship.

Also, at UFC® 227: DILLASHAW vs. GARBRANDT 2, flyweight champion Johnson (27-2-1, fighting out of Parkland, Wash.) will see a familiar face in Cejudo (12-2, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz.), as he goes for his record 12th consecutive title defense. The two originally met two years ago, with Johnson defending his title via impressive TKO.

Since then, Johnson has picked up three more sensational wins, including highlight-reel submissions against Wilson Reis and Ray Borg. The latter set a new record for UFC title defenses. Johnson has also bested Joseph Benavidez (twice), John Dodson (twice) and Kyoji Horiguchi. He now plans to notch another defense and continue building his already impressive legacy.

An Olympic gold medalist wrestler, Cejudo is gunning for his first UFC championship. A decorated grappler with heavy hands, he’s topped Sergio Pettis, Henry Cejudo and Jussier Formiga during his climb up the flyweight ranks. With the 125-pound title in his sights, Cejudo not only plans to reach his destiny, but also plans to hand Johnson his first loss in almost seven years.

Additional bouts on the card include:

In a clash of featherweight contenders, No.5-ranked Cub Swanson (25-8, fighting out of Palm Springs, Calif.) faces No.9 Renato Moicano (12-1-1, fighting out of Brasilia, Brazil).
No.6-ranked middleweight contender Derek Brunson (18-6, fighting out of Wilmington, N.C.) looks to turn back surging No.12 Antonio Carlos Junior (11-2 1NC, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla. by way of Joao Pessoa, Brazil)
Former women’s bantamweight title challenger and No.10-ranked contender Bethe Correia (10-3-1, fighting out of Campina Grande, Brazil) locks horns with No.12 Irene Aldana (7-4, fighting out of Culiacan, Mexico)
Polyana Viana (10-1, fighting out of Sao Geraldo do Araguaia, Brazil) looks to keep the momentum going when she meets rising star JJ Aldrich (6-2, fighting out of Westminster, Colo.)
Ricardo Ramos (11-1, fighting out of Campinas, Brazil) goes for another highlight-reel KO against streaking Kyung Ho Kang (13-7 1NC, fighting out of Busan, South Korea)
Danielle Taylor (9-3, fighting out of Van Nuys, Calif.) aims to get back in the win column against debuting Weili Zhang (16-1, fighting out of Hebei, China)
Buren Wuliji (10-5, fighting out of Beijing, China) takes on fellow prospect Bharat Khandare (5-3, fighting out of Mumbai, India)
In a battle of exciting prospects, Benito Lopez (9-0, fighting out of Oroville, Calif.) meets Ricky Simon (10-1, fighting out of Vancouver, Wash.)

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® 227: DILLASHAW vs. GARBRANDT 2 will air live on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Saturday, August 4, 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® 227: DILLASHAW vs. GARBRANDT 2 go on sale Friday, June 15 at 10 a.m. PT and are priced at $362.25, $284.60, $232.90, $196.65, $165.60, $134.55, $103.50, $82.80 and $62.10 (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, June 13 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, June 14 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 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.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (June 12th, 2018) — A decade removed from her last professional fight on the worldwide taekwondo circuit, then 25-year-old Maria Rivera never thought she’d get the chance to showcase her talents on national television.

“Life happens very fast,” said the unbeaten female flyweight from Framingham, Mass., “It’s very interesting to see the path it takes you on.”

With only three mixed martial arts fights (one amateur and two as a pro) under her belt, Rivera (2-0, 1 KO) now finds herself in the enviable position of fighting in front of a much larger audience Friday night on AXS TV as she makes her network television debut on the main card of “CES MMA 50” at Twin River Casino.

Rivera, born in Puerto Rico, but now living and training in Framingham, faces Mallory Martin (3-2, 1 KO) of Colorado, a two-time Invicta Fighting Championships vet, in what could be a breakthrough for both fighters.

Women’s MMA has grown exponentially over the years with female fighters headlining major Pay Per View cards and gaining worldwide notoriety. CES MMA president Jimmy Burchfield Sr., one of many pioneers for female boxers through the years, has aided the cause in mixed martial arts by showcasing some of the region’s top female talent through the AXS TV platform.

On a night in which it celebrates its 50th event, CES MMA achieves another first Friday with two female fights on its 12-fight card. Flyweight Hilarie Rose (0-1) from Norfolk, Mass., faces Thais Sousa (0-2) of Miami on the preliminary card.

The televised main card of “CES MMA 50” airs live on AXS TV beginning at 9 p.m. ET with prelims beginning at 7.

Rivera, a mother of three, turns 31 at the end of the month, but women’s MMA does not discriminate against late bloomers. In fact, Rivera has more opportunities now than she would’ve had she peaked in her early 20s, making Friday’s television debut even more impactful as she looks to take her career to the next level.

“I’m very grateful to CES for giving me this opportunity,” Rivera said. “My preparation doesn’t change because I’ll be on TV. I just have to be aware. You’ll feel a little more pressure because it’s on TV and you want to perform well, but I’ve been in tournaments all over the world and that’s pretty much the feeling I always get.”

Tickets for “CES MMA 50” start at $40 and are available to purchase online at www.cesmma.com, www.twinriver.com, www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at 401-724-2253 or at the Twin River Box Office.

Friday will be Rivera’s first fight since March of 2017, but not by choice. She was scheduled to fight on the preliminary card of “CES MMA 44” last May, but her opponent suffered an injury a week before the event. The cancellation may have been a blessing in disguise. Rivera was dealing with a nagging leg injury at the time, but didn’t think much of it.

“I just thought it was tightness in my calf,” she said.

The day her fight got cancelled, Rivera went to the gym for a routine training session. Later that night, she could barely walk. As it turned out, Rivera needed surgery on her right knee, so she went under the knife in September. The recovery went smoothly, but she wasn’t out of the woods yet. Just as she was ready to begin training again later that month, she fell down at home and broke her pinky finger. Doctors inserted a pin to stabilize the injury, forcing her to sit out for another five weeks.

“It was so frustrating, especially because neither injury had anything to do with my training, just everyday life, ironically,” Rivera said. “In all my years of fighting and training, I had never injured myself. The knee injury was my first injury. I had never gotten injured in any of my camps or in practice.”

“That part was frustrating. I didn’t want to rush in and take a fight just because I felt anxious. I wanted to give my body that time to heal. It took a long time, but everything happens for a reason.”

As fate would have it, Rivera’s long-awaited comeback happens to be her toughest test to date in front of a much larger audience than usual. Having fought since she was a child, Rivera is past the point of needing a tune-up fight at this point in her career. She competed in taekwondo tournaments throughout the world, from Mexico to Puerto Rico, until she was 15 years old. When she moved from the United States back to Puerto Rico, she stopped fighting for the next 10 years.

She eventually found her way back into the gym when her children wanted to learn martial arts. Fighting was never part of the plan — “I figured I could use the workout,” she said — but things changed quickly. Rivera began losing weight and soon rediscovered her love for competing.

Within three years, she transitioned to MMA and fought her first and only amateur bout in New Hampshire before making her professional debut shortly thereafter on the preliminary card of “CES MMA 41,” knocking out Sarah Click in the opening round of their scheduled three-round bout.

Aside from the potential payout and the unlimited exposure, MMA offers Rivera more opportunities than taekwondo, especially for a fighter her age. Former UFC bantamweight champion Holly Holm, a professional boxer who transitioned to MMA at a later age, was 33 when she defeated Ronda Rousey three years ago for her first world title and recently starred at UFC 225 with a win over 28-year-old Megan Anderson. Cristiane Justino — a.k.a. “Cyborg” — is the reigning UFC featherweight world champion at 32.

The time is now for female fighters in their 30s, making Rivera’s leap from the CES MMA prelims to the bright lights of AXS TV the most important move in her young career.

“I think I’m still at a good age for this,” she said. “With everything going on in women’s MMA, this is the time to do this. I have a lot to bring to the table.”

East Providence, R.I., native Dinis Paiva (11-6, 6 KOs) faces California’s Andre Ewell (12-4, 7 KOs) for the vacant CES MMA Bantamweight World Title in Friday’s five-round main event.

Also highlighting “CES MMA 50,” Ludlow, Mass., welterweight Jon Manley (11-4, 2 KOs) battles Philadelphia’s Jeremiah Wells (4-1, 2 KOs) and Woonsocket, R.I., flyweight Jose Lugo (2-0, 1 KO) makes his network television debut in a rematch against Cortland, N.Y., native Michael Taylor (1-1, 1 KO).

Middleweight Pat McCrohan (3-1, 2 KOs) of Berkley, Mass., returns to face red-hot Worcester, Mass., prospect Reginaldo Felix (5-3, 2 KOs). Bantamweight John Douma (3-0, 2 KOs) of Providence also debuts on the AXS TV platform in a highly-anticipated showdown against Nevada’s Adam Acquaviva (5-3, 1 KO).

The preliminary card features a welterweight scrap between veteran Toby Oden (2-2, 1 KO) of Milford, Mass., and newcomer Jeremy Puglia of Long Island, who makes his professional debut. Decorated light heavyweight Fabio Cherant (1-0) returns to face Mansfield, Ohio, native Marquis Allen (1-0, 1 KO) and featherweight Brandon Marotte (1-0, 1 KO) of Hempstead, N.H., battles debut Arslan Otchiyev of West Haven, Conn.

Also on the preliminary card, Milford, Mass., bantamweight Kris Moutinho (4-2, 1 KO) makes his long-awaited return against New York’s Alfred Jones (3-3, 1 KO) and light heavyweight Yorgan De Castro (1-0) of Fall River, Mass., faces David White (0-2) of Cumberland, Md.

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

Las Vegas – The week is finally here as UFC FIGHT PASS® exclusive, DANA WHITE’S TUESDAY NIGHT CONTENDER SERIES, returns live on Tuesday, June 12 at 8pm ET. 10 promising MMA athletes will enter the Octagon® looking to capitalize on the world’s toughest job interview as they vie to fulfill their dreams of earning a UFC contract.

Undefeated light heavyweight prospects Dashawn Boatwright (3-0, fighting out of Richmond, Va.) and Alonzo Menifield (6-0, fighting out of Dallas, La.) headline an incredible card setting the tone for the rest of the competition. Coming off two straight finishes, Boatwright has started his pro career with a vengeance in keeping his record unblemished. Menfield, a Contender Series season 1 veteran, has continued his winning ways since his victory in front of Dana White in July of last year, with dominant stoppages against dangerous opponents.

Also featuring on the first episode is a clash of giants when former NFL players Greg Hardy (0-0, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) matches up against Austen Lane (2-0, fighting out of Jacksonville, Fla.) in a heavyweight tilt that could steal the show. For Hardy, this opportunity marks his first professional bout after an undefeated amateur career saw him reel off three straight wins. Looking to sour his welcome to the professional ranks is Lane, an undefeated former Defensive End, who’s four wins have all come via first round KO.

A star-studded broadcast team returns for the series. Former NFL Network’s Total Access host and Emmy award winner Dan Hellie will be handling play-by-play duties, sharing the call on alternating weeks with former ESPN host and current UFC broadcaster Brendan Fitzgerald, whom both earned rave reviews in last summer’s edition of Contender Series. The show’s color commentary panel will be manned by current 155-pound standout Paul Felder and the debut of former middleweight champion of the world Michael Bisping.

Get your access pass to the entire second season of Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series and all live & exclusive events on UFC Fight Pass this summer, as well as the largest MMA library in the world by visiting http://fightpass.ufc.tv/fp/contender/summer All bouts live and subject to change.

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

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.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (June 11th, 2018) — Gary Balletto Jr. never saw it coming. Jon Manley doesn’t anticipate getting in the way.

The punch heard ’round New England — the right cross from Jeremiah Wells that broke Balletto’s jaw at “CES MMA 49” and sent the Rhode Island welterweight to his first loss in five fights — has become sort of a talking point as Manley prepares to face the hard-hitting Philadelphia native who halted the progress of one of the region’s hottest prospects just two months ago.

Manley battles Wells on Friday night in the highly-anticipated co-feature of “CES MMA 50” live on AXS TV from Twin River Casino in a matchup of two fighters with contrasting resumes. The Massachusetts-born Manley (11-4, 2 KOs) boasts three times as many pro fights as his opponent, including a stint on Season 16 of The Ultimate Fighter, but those who get too comfortable in front of Wells (4-1, 2 KOs) tend to pay the price.

Manley has watched enough of the video from “CES MMA 49” — all 57 seconds of it — to know what not to do Friday when he sees for himself whether or not Wells hits as hard as advertised.

The televised main card of “CES MMA 50” airs live on AXS TV beginning at 9 p.m. ET.

“Good, straight one-two. Good jab, good right cross,” Manley said of the shot that ended Balletto’s five-fight win streak, “but I’m not going to be there.

“No fucking way.”

Manley makes his first appearance with CES MMA since May of 2017 when he lost a unanimous decision to Manny Walo at “CES MMA 44.” Since then, he’s won his last two on the regional circuit, but missed the fanfare of fighting under the bright lights of AXS TV. When a scheduled bout against longtime UFC vet Drew Fickett fizzled several weeks ago, Manley signed up to make his Twin River return on CES MMA’s 50th anniversary show, a stacked fight card featuring 12 pro bouts.

“This is awesome!” Manley said. “I kind of got lucky. CES jumped in and gave me Jeremiah, who’s obviously a super tough dude. Big show, obviously the top promotion around and all the exposure — it’s just awesome.

“My last fight [against Ryan Sanders in March] was pretty good, but it’s not like people will see it as much when it’s for CES.”

Don’t expect Wells to be star-struck come Friday. The Philadelphia looked cool and calm in April as the underdog against Balletto and used quick thinking inside the cage to expose a flaw in his opponent’s defense, leading to the biggest win of his young career.

“I saw him coming in with that leg kick and I just wanted to show what I’ve got,” Wells said. “I showed my power. When I hit him the first time, I saw him try to breathe a little more. Then as soon as he kicked me, I came in with the right cross.”

Wells expects more of the same against Manley despite a significant difference in height between he and Balletto. The 6-foot-1 Manley boasts an impressive height and reach advantage over the shorter, more compact Balletto, which means Wells will have to adjust his attack. The same goes for Manley, however, who has to strategize against the shorter, 5-9 Wells.

“If he stands up, that just leaves him vulnerable. I can catch him with the overhand,” Wells said.

“I know he used to be on The Ultimate Fighter and he’s well-rounded, tall, and probably has a lot of cardio. I know he likes to brawl and grind it out, take fighters down. Once he feels my power and sees my speed, I think he’s going to crack. He’s going to fold.”

Manley may have to lean on his experience to get him over the hump. While he doesn’t necessarily draw on technique or any other details from his UFC stint, Manley has learned to simply have more fun with MMA than he did in the past. The schedule for TUF was brutal at times — four fights in six weeks — so the pressure Manley faces now pales in comparison, even under the coveted bright lights associated with CES MMA and AXS TV.

“This shit is serious to me. I want to win and I want to advance my career,” Manley said. “I used to get really nervous — and I still do a little bit — but now it’s just fun.

“I’ve been in so many fights the process of dealing with the fight itself has gotten easier. The Ultimate Fighter helped a bunch. I’m not putting as much stress on myself. I have a lot more tools now. On The Ultimate Fighter, I tried to throw heavy hands, but I wasn’t too technical. Now I’m well-rounded. I can have fun anywhere instead of being tense.”

East Providence, R.I., native Dinis Paiva (11-6, 6 KOs) faces California’sAndre Ewell (12-4, 7 KOs) for the vacant CES MMA Bantamweight World Title in the five-round main event.

Tickets for “CES MMA 50” start at $40 and are available to purchase online at www.cesmma.com, www.twinriver.com, www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at 401-724-2253 or at the Twin River Box Office. The preliminary card begins at 7 followed by the televised main card at 9.

Also on the main card, female flyweight sensation Maria Rivera (2-0, 1 KO) of Framingham, Mass., puts her unbeaten record on the line against Mallory Martin (3-2, 1 KO) of Denver.

Woonsocket, R.I., flyweight Jose Lugo (2-0, 1 KO) makes his network television debut against Cortland, N.Y., native Michael Taylor (1-0, 1 KO) while middleweight Pat McCrohan (3-1, 2 KOs) of Berkley, Mass., returns to face red-hot Worcester, Mass., prospect Reginaldo Felix (5-3, 2 KOs). Bantamweight John Douma (3-0, 2 KOs) of Providence also debuts on the AXS TV platform in a highly-anticipated showdown against Nevada’s Adam Acquaviva (5-3, 1 KO).

The preliminary card features a welterweight scrap between veteran Toby Oden (2-2, 1 KO) of Milford, Mass., and newcomer Jeremy Puglia of Long Island, who makes his professional debut. Decorated light heavyweight Fabio Cherant (1-0) returns to face Mansfield, Ohio, native Marquis Allen (1-0, 1 KO) and featherweight Brandon Marotte (1-0, 1 KO) of Hempstead, N.H., battles debut Arslan Otchiyev of West Haven, Conn.

Also on the preliminary card, Milford, Mass., bantamweight Kris Moutinho makes his long-awaited return against New York’s Alfred Jones (3-3, 1 KO) and flyweights Hilarie Rose (0-1) of Norfolk, Mass., and Thais Sousa (0-2) of Miami search for their first career victories in a special female attraction. Light heavyweight Yorgan De Castro (1-0) of Fall River, Mass., faces David White (0-2) of Cumberland, Md.

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

Las Vegas – UFC® today announced that former UFC and Strikeforce® women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame’s ‘Modern Wing’ as a member of the class of 2018. The 2018 UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place on Thursday, July 5, at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The event will be streamed live and exclusively on UFC FIGHT PASS® starting at 7 p.m. PT.

“There would be no women in UFC without Ronda Rousey,” UFC President Dana White said. “Ronda is an absolute pioneer who helped me personally, and a lot of other people, look at women in combat sports differently. She accomplished everything she set out to do with UFC and became a global icon and role model in the process. Today, the women’s divisions are packed with incredibly talented fighters and they produce some of the best fights you’ll ever see. We’re proud to announce Ronda as the first woman to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.”

Rousey will enter the UFC Hall of Fame as a member of the Modern Wing, joining Forrest Griffin (2013), BJ Penn (2015) and Urijah Faber (2017) as the only members of this distinguished category. Rousey also joins Faber as only the second athlete to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame from the bantamweight division. The “Modern Era” category includes athletes who turned pro on or after November 17, 2000 (when the first UFC event under the unified rules of MMA was held), are a minimum age of 35 or who have been retired for one year or more.

“This is an immense honor, to not only take part in bringing women to the forefront of this sport, but now the UFC Hall of Fame,” Rousey said. “May I be the first of many.”

As the first female fighter signed to UFC following the global brand’s purchase of Strikeforce, Rousey was named the promotion’s first-ever women’s bantamweight champion in November of 2012, and she debuted inside the world-famous Octagon® at UFC® 157: ROUSEY vs. CARMOUCHE, on February 23, 2013 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Ronda defeated Liz Carmouche in the first round via armbar, becoming the first woman to win a UFC bout while defending her title in the process.

A veteran of 14 professional fights during her five-year career, Rousey, the last Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion and first-ever UFC women’s champion, compiled a record of 12-2, setting numerous records, highlighted by her six consecutive successful title defenses, the most by any female champion in UFC history. During her tenure in UFC and Strikeforce, Ronda secured seven submission victories via armbar, tying UFC Hall of Famer Minotauro Nogueria for most armbar submissions in the combined history of UFC, PRIDE, Strikeforce and WEC.

A prolific finisher, Rousey owns records for four of the five fastest finishes in UFC women’s bantamweight history, while her three wins by KO / TKO rank as the second most in UFC women’s bantamweight history. No other fighter in UFC history owns more than two of the five fastest finishes in their respective division.

Rousey’s average cumulative UFC fight time of 3:06 ranks as the second shortest in UFC history (min. five fights) and her collective Strikeforce fight time of 1:36 ranked as the shortest in company history (min. three fights). Ronda’s 14 second armbar submission victory over Cat Zingano at UFC® 184: ROUSEY vs. ZINGANO, was the fastest submission of the Modern Era and of any title fight in UFC history. Rousey also holds the record for fastest submission in Strikeforce history with her 25-second victory over Sarah D’Alelio during her debut at Strikeforce Challengers: Gurgel vs. Duarte on August 12, 2011.

As one of the most complete mixed martial artists in combat sports history, Ronda also holds numerous records for finishing her opponents via knockout. Her 16 second knockout of Alexis Davis at UFC® 175: WEIDMAN vs. MACHIDA is tied as the third-fastest knockout in a title fight in UFC history. Lastly, her 34-second knockout of Bethe Correia at UFC® 190: ROUSEY vs. CORREIA and 1:06 knockout of Sara McMann at UFC® 170: ROUSEY vs. MCMANN, are the second and fourth-fastest knockouts in UFC women’s bantamweight history, respectively.

Ronda headlined six UFC events during her career, including UFC® 193: ROUSEY vs. HOLM, which was held at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Australia on November 15, 2015. UFC 193 recorded a total attendance of 56,214 fight fans, which stands as the largest-attended event in UFC history.

Outside the Octagon, Rousey’s global popularity continued to rise as she was recognized by both her peers and the media with some of the most highly acclaimed awards in sports.

In 2015, Ronda became the first mixed martial artist to win an ESPY award for “Best Fighter,” and she was also acknowledged by ESPN with the ESPY for “Best Female Athlete” in 2014 and 2015, and in 2012 for “Submission of the Year” after her first victory over former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate.

In May of 2015, Sports Illustrated recognized Ronda as “World’s Most Dominant Athlete” as she graced the cover of that month’s issue. Later that month, Rousey also became a published author with the release of her autobiography entitled, “My Fight, Your Fight”, which chronicled her inspiring path from Olympic judo medalist to Hollywood star.

In November of 2015, Ronda became Electronic Arts’ first female global cover athlete with the release of EA SPORTS UFC 2 and also made history as the first woman to be featured on the cover of Men’s Fitness Australia.

While an active UFC athlete, Rousey also became a global movie star, appearing in films such as The Expendables 3, Furious 7 and Entourage, which collectively grossed more than $1.8 billion dollars combined in worldwide sales. She has also headlined popular television shows and series in primetime, hosting Saturday Night Live in 2016 and making a cameo appearance on Blindspot in 2017. Later this year, Rousey will co-star in Mile 22 with Mark Wahlberg and Academy-Award nominated actor John Malkovich.

Along with acting, Rousey is also currently a performer with World Wrestling Entertainment, where she competes weekly as one of the company’s top superstars on Monday Night Raw.

A native of Riverside, California, Rousey’s martial arts career began at age 11, when she started training judo with her mother, AnnMaria, a highly-decorated judoka who became the first American to capture a World Judo Championship in 1984. In 2004, at the age of 17, Ronda won the Gold medal at the World Junior Judo Championships. That same year, she qualified for the 2004 Olympic Games, becoming the youngest judoka to compete in the games that year. In 2006, Rousey won the Bronze medal at the World Junior Judo Championships, becoming the first U.S. athlete to capture two medals at the World Junior Judo Championships. Her ascent as a judoka continued in 2007, as she won the Gold medal at the Pan American Games and Silver medal at the World Judo Championships. In 2008, Ronda captured the Bronze medal at the Olympic Games, making history as the first American to win an Olympic medal in women’s judo since the sport joined Olympic competition in 1992. Overall, Ronda won more than 30 medals and represented the U.S. Judo team in over a dozen international tournaments. She currently resides in California with her husband, UFC heavyweight Travis Browne.

To view Rousey’s UFC FIGHT PASS collection please visit: https://www.ufc.tv/category/ufc-hall-of-fame-ronda-rousey-2018.

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

About UFC®
UFC® is a premium global sports brand and the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. 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.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (June 8th, 2018) — This signature moment in Dinis Paiva’s career, this elusive shot at a world title, almost never came to fruition for the 30-year-old East Providence, R.I., native.

Five years ago, shortly following a loss to Rob Sullivan that dropped his record to 3-5, Paiva decided he was done with mixed martial arts.

“That was it,” Paiva said. “I wanted to quit. I had accepted being a loser.”

It took some convincing, but veteran coach Mike Gresh talked Paiva off the ledge. The rest is history. Paiva (11-6, 6 KOs) has won eight of nine fights since working with Gresh and now fights for the vacant CES MMA Bantamweight World Title next Friday at Twin River Casino against California’s Andre Ewell (12-4, 7 KOs).

The five-round headliner of “CES MMA 50” airs live on AXS TV as part of the televised main card beginning at 9 p.m. ET.

“I’ve paid my dues. I’m not saying I’m better than anyone else, but I feel like it’s my time,” said Paiva, the most prolific active fighter in CES MMA history. “I earned my spot.

“This is a dream come true. I envisioned this moment. I’ve envisioned getting that belt wrapped around my waist.”

The Paiva-Ewell bout is one of 12 on CES MMA’s 50th anniversary celebration. Tickets for “CES MMA 50” start at $40 and are available to purchase online at www.cesmma.com, www.twinriver.com, www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at 401-724-2253 or at the Twin River Box Office. The preliminary card begins at 7 followed by the televised main card at 9.

Paiva’s ascension from also-ran to world-title contender certainly didn’t happen overnight. Gresh’s first move after convincing Paiva to stick with MMA was to work on his fighter’s self-confidence. Then Paiva had to stop worrying about what others think.

At 4-5 following a much-needed win over Franklin Isabel, Paiva signed up to fight at “CES MMA 24” against 11-5 Joe Cushman, whom many thought would be too much for Paiva at that stage in his career.

“There was a lot of talk behind closed doors. People were laughing at me,” Paiva recalled. “People looked at my career, my win-loss record. I was 4-5 fighting a guy like Cushman. It didn’t make sense to a lot of people, but I had the right people around me, people who believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself.”

And shortly thereafter, Paiva became a believer, too, when he floored Cushman just 49 seconds into the first round of their scheduled three-round bout, by far the biggest win of his career. Always a fan-favorite at Twin River, Paiva soon reached households across the nation through CES MMA’s partnership with AXS TV, debuting on the network at “CES MMA 27” with a win over Matt Doherty.

Just when it seemed like nothing could derail Paiva on his journey to the top of the bantamweight division, his four-fight win streak came to a screeching halt in 2015 against Kody Nordby at “CES MMA 31,” a loss Paiva credits with keeping him grounded following his newfound success.

“Every fight in which I’ve followed the game plan, I won. Against Nordby, I lost. I let everyone get under my skin, including Cody,” Paiva said.

“I actually thank him for it at this point. I needed that. I needed that missing piece to learn how to shut everyone else out and stick to the game plan, and that’s where I found my success.”

Since then, Paiva has gone on another four-game win streak, including three wins on AXS TV, most recently at “CES MMA 48” when he put together one of his most complete performances in a three-round bludgeoning of Kevin Barbarena.

With each win, his confidence in Gresh continues to grow, as does his confidence in himself, setting the stage for Friday’s highly-anticipated battle against Ewell for the world title vacated by Andre Soukhamthath when the inaugural champion signed with the UFC.

“I owe my career to Mike Gresh. He saw something in me,” Paiva said. “I didn’t want to be known as a guy who sells tickets and makes people laugh. He convinced me to work on some things and convinced me if I put the right people around me and open my ears and did as I was told, good things would happen.

“I’m really in my zone now. It’s showed in my last few fights. I’m battle-tested. It took me 15 fights to get here.”

In Ewell, Paiva will test his striking against another battle-tested opponent who actually began his combat sports career as a professional boxer. Ewell made the switch to MMA in 2015 and now makes his CES MMA debut following wins in seven of his last eight bouts, including three consecutive first-round finishes.

This will no doubt be Paiva’s toughest test to date, but he has the advantage of fighting in his own backyard at Twin River, the home of each of his first 17 fights as a professional. Having the crowd behind him might be enough to push him over the top as he aims to fulfill a lifelong dream of becoming a world champion.

“He’s long, lean, dangerous, likes to be on his feet. Ten of his 12 wins have been by finish,” Paiva said. “I love it. I love a guy that’s going to come forward and press the action. I think I rise to that kind of occasion. I think it’s shown the better the competition I face, the better I perform.

“He’s one of the best guys I’ve fought, but we won’t really know until we get in there. He’s stepping into my territory. I bring a huge fan base. He’ll know who’s house he’s in.”

Also highlighting “CES MMA 50,” Ludlow, Mass., welterweight Jon Manley (11-4, 2 KOs) battles Philadelphia’s Jeremiah Wells (4-1, 2 KOs) and female flyweight sensation Maria Rivera (2-0, 1 KO) of Framingham, Mass., puts her unbeaten record on the line against Mallory Martin (3-2, 1 KO) of Denver.

Woonsocket, R.I., flyweight Jose Lugo (2-0, 1 KO) makes his network television debut against Cortland, N.Y., native Michael Taylor (1-0, 1 KO) while middleweight Pat McCrohan (3-1, 2 KOs) of Berkley, Mass., returns to face red-hot Worcester, Mass., prospect Reginaldo Felix (5-3, 2 KOs). Bantamweight John Douma (3-0, 2 KOs) of Providence also debuts on the AXS TV platform in a highly-anticipated showdown against Nevada’s Adam Acquaviva (5-3, 1 KO).

The preliminary card features a welterweight scrap between veteran Toby Oden (2-2, 1 KO) of Milford, Mass., and newcomer Jeremy Puglia of Long Island, who makes his professional debut. Decorated light heavyweight Fabio Cherant (1-0) returns to face Mansfield, Ohio, native Marquis Allen (1-0, 1 KO) and featherweight Brandon Marotte (1-0, 1 KO) of Hempstead, N.H., battles debut Arslan Otchiyev of West Haven, Conn.

Also on the preliminary card, Milford, Mass., bantamweight Kris Moutinho makes his long-awaited return against New York’s Alfred Jones (3-3, 1 KO) and flyweights Hilarie Rose (0-1) of Norfolk, Mass., and Thais Sousa (0-2) of Miami search for their first career victories in a special female attraction. Light heavyweight Yorgan De Castro (1-0) of Fall River, Mass., faces David White (0-2) of Cumberland, Md.

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