TORONTO – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 multi-platform channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents an action-packed weekend of live combat sports, including tonight’s live presentation of the prelims for UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Saint Preux vs. Okami from Saitama, Japan at 8:00 p.m. ET. The live action kicks off today, Friday, Sept. 22 at 4:00 p.m. ET with Phoenix Fighting Championship 3: UK vs. The World from London, England.

Immediately following tonight’s live broadcast of the UFC FIGHT NIGHT PRELIMS, Fight Network will live broadcast LFA 23: Krantz vs. Nakashima from Bossier City, Louisiana at 10:00 p.m. ET. And on Saturday, Sept. 23, M-1 Challenge 83: Ragozin vs. Halsey emanates from Kazan, Russia at 12:30 p.m. ET. But first, the M-1 Selection 15 undercard will air live at 10:00 a.m. ET.

Tonight’s two-hour UFC FIGHT NIGHT PRELIMS from Saitama, Japan at 8:00 p.m. ET will feature four exciting matchups, as welterweights Keita Nakamura (32-8-2, 1NC) and Alex Morono (13-4) collide, No. 5-ranked flyweight Jussier Formiga (19-5) fights Ulka Sasaki (20-4-2), undefeated strawweight Syuri Kondo (5-0) faces Chan-Mi Jeon (5-1), while Shinsho Anzai (9-2) and Luke Jumeau (12-3) open the telecast with a thrilling welterweight bout.

Ahead of tonight’s live PRELIMS, Fight Network will live broadcast the UFC FIGHT NIGHT PREFIGHT SHOW, featuring coverage from the industry’s premier mixed martial arts analysts, as UFC welterweight Alan Jouban makes his desk analyst debut with champions Daniel Cormier and Michael Bisping, along with host Karyn Bryant and reporter Megan Olivi conducting on-site fighter interviews. At the conclusion of Saturday’s live main card on TSN2, the live UFC FIGHT NIGHT POSTFIGHT SHOW airs at approximately 1:00 a.m. ET, recapping all the exciting action.

Today’s live broadcast of Phoenix Fighting Championship 3: UK vs. The World from London, England at 4:00 p.m. ET will feature world championship Muay Thai bouts, as Stephen Wakeling battles Cheick Sidibe, while Artur Saladiak clashes with Youssef Boughanem. The mixed martial arts portion of the card includes several intriguing bouts, as Pavel Doroftei (18-4) meets Brazilian kickboxing star Saulo Cavalari (0-0), Antonina Shevchenko (1-0), the sister of UFC women’s bantamweight contender Valentina Shevchenko, takes on Anissa Haddaoui (0-1), and British prospect Bola Omoyele (8-4) faces well-travelled French veteran Moise Rimbon (23-11-3). The card airs live on Fight Network in Canada and over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Tonight’s live presentation of LFA 23: Krantz vs. Nakashima at 10:00 p.m. ET features a championship doubleheader, as Derrick Krantz (20-9) tangles with James Nakashima (7-0) for the LFA welterweight title, while Andrea Lee (7-2) throws down with Jamie Thorton (4-3) for the LFA women’s flyweight title. In other featured bouts, Ryan Spann (10-5) takes on fellow light heavyweight Lemarcus Tucker (5-2), undefeated lightweights Brandon Shavers (4-0) and Bryan Billiot (5-0) collide, plus Sabina Mazo Isaza (3-0) fights Linsey Williams (1-1) in a women’s flyweight tilt. The card airs live on Fight Network in Canada and over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Airing live on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 12:30 p.m. ET, M-1 Challenge 83: Ragozin vs. Halsey is headlined by a light heavyweight bout pitting former Bellator champion Brandon Halsey (9-3) against Russia’s Mikhail Ragozin (8-2). The M-1 flyweight title will also be on the line, as Vadim Malygin (11-2-1) battles Aleksander Doskalchuk (7-2). Also on tap is a lightweight bout between Raul Tutarauli (17-4) and Vladimir Kanunnikov (8-0), a featherweight bout between Nate Landwehr (8-2) and Mikhail Korobkov (13-2-1) and a bantamweight bout between Luan Fernandes (7-2) and Sergey Morozov (9-2). The main card will be live broadcast on Fight Network exclusively in Canada.

The M-1 Selection 15 prelims at 10:00 a.m. ET will be live broadcast on Fight Network in the U.S., Canada and over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East, highlighted by a lightweight showdown between Brian Hooi (14-5) and Viktor Kolesnik (11-2-1). In other action, Ali Albagachiev (0-0) makes his first professional appearance opposite lightweight Ruslan Khisamutdinov (4-3), Brazilian featherweight Diego D’Avila (18-6) takes on Kyrgyzstan’s Busurmankul Abdibait Uulu (6-4), Ukrainian light heavyweight Vadim Shabadash (4-2) battles newcomer Kirill Kuzmin (0-0), and Aleksandr Osetrov (1-v0) faces Lenar Suleymanov (0-0) in a showcase of Russian bantamweight prospects.

For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit www.fightnetwork.com, follow us on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.

21 September 2017 – Singapore: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced its blockbuster 2018 calendar featuring 24 massive events taking place in iconic cities across Asia. The promotion continues to set the bar for authentic world-class martial arts, bringing a unique experience to fans all over the region. Apart from events previously held in major Asian cities, ONE Championship also introduces inaugural events in new markets South Korea and Japan.

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “We are thrilled to announce our incredible 2018 calendar of events for ONE Championship. We have 24 massive shows planned for all sports fans in Asia and will continue to showcase the absolute best in martial arts, delivered by our homegrown martial arts superheroes. 2018 is going to be an epic year of action and I can’t wait to get things started.”

ONE Championship is experiencing a phenomenal 2017, featuring historic matchups across the board, especially in the second half of the calendar year. With six huge events lined up in the coming months, ONE promises to close the year out with a bang.

So far, three titles have changed hands as new champions Aung La N Sang, Martin Nguyen, and Adriano Moraes were crowned. Some of the promotion’s biggest stars such as Ben Askren and Angela Lee have continued to stamp their dominance in their respective divisions. Authentic martial arts matches were introduced in live events, including traditional Lethwei and Silat bouts, as well as the first ever Grappling Super-Match in ONE Championship history featuring martial arts legend Shinya Aoki of Japan and Brazilian jiu-jitsu star Garry Tonon of the United States.

Furthermore, ONE Championship has posted unprecedented statistical increases in social media and television reach as well as new monumental partnerships with some of the world’s biggest global brands. While 2017 certainly continues to be spectacular for the promotion, 2018 already promises to be even better as ONE Championship pulls out all the stops to become the global leader in martial arts and sports entertainment.

ONE Championship 2018 Calendar of Events

Jakarta, Indonesia
20 January

Manila, Philippines
26 January

Yangon, Myanmar
24 February

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
9 March

Bangkok, Thailand
24 March

Manila, Philippines
20 April

Jakarta, Indonesia
12 May

Singapore
18 May

Shanghai, China
26 May

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
8 June

Beijing, China
June

Manila, Philippines
27 July

Seoul, South Korea
July

Bangkok, Thailand
11 August

Shanghai, China
18 August

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
15 September

Jakarta, Indonesia
22 September

Tokyo, Japan
September

Bangkok, Thailand
6 October

Manila, Philippines
16 November

Singapore
23 November

Jakarta, Indonesia
8 December

Shanghai, China
15 December

Bangkok, Thailand
22 December

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 sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Championship is the home of martial arts. 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 billion potential viewers across 128+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including FOX Sports, Setanta, MNC, Astro, Thairath TV, ABS-CBN, TV5, MYTV, HTV, OSN and more.

NEW YORK – September 20, 2017 –Combate Americas today announced a historic, one-night, eight-man bantamweight (135 pounds) tournament – “COPA COMBATE” – the winner of which will have heroically battled through three bouts in one night to earn a $100,000 grand prize and the inaugural winner’s cup, in Cancun, Mexico on Saturday, Nov. 11.

The epic event will take place on the 24th anniversary of the now legendary UFC 1, which was executive produced by Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) co-founder and Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren, and which was also headlined by a one-night, eight-man tournament that forever changed the world of combat sports.

“We are excited to unveil the first ‘COPA COMBATE’ tournament ever, and to revitalize and deliver to fans one of the most compelling and athletically challenging formats for a live fight show,” said McLaren.

“When I launched the UFC 24 years ago, we changed the world and, on November 11, we are going to do so again with a dynamic tournament that assembles a collection of fighters that most deserve to represent their respective countries,” continued McLaren. “These fighters will put their national pride on the line with a substantial payoff.”

Hailing from the U.S., Latin America and Spain, the eight “Copa Combate” competitors, whose names will be announced soon, will go to war in La Jaula, the Combate Americas competition cage, over the course of three tournament stages – quarterfinal, semifinal and championship – before the eventual winner is crowned.

The event also marks the first time in history that fighters will represent their respective countries on a quest to win the inaugural ‘COPA.’

The eight competitors will be separated into four tournament brackets, with the top four fighters given seeded positions based on their worldwide rankings. Quarterfinal stage opponents for the four fighters will be determined based on a lottery ball drawing.

The host venue in Cancun for “Copa Combate,” as well as ticket on-sale information for the event, will be announced soon.

# # #

ABOUT COMBATE AMERICAS
Combate Americas, LLC. is the premier Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise, designed to build Latino fighting champions and serve Hispanic fans, one of the world’s most avid groups of prize fighting enthusiasts. The Combate Americas franchise includes weekly TV programming, live events and mobile programming. The company’s CEO, Campbell McLaren, is universally recognized as the co-founder/co-creator of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). New York Magazine described McLaren as “the marketing genius behind the UFC” and Yahoo! Sports proclaimed that he “knows more about the sport than just about anyone in it today.” With an unprecedented product and a blue-chip ownership and management team, Combate Americas is poised to break new ground and bring about a new era in world championship level MMA competition.

19 September 2017 – Manila, Philippines: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced another blockbuster evening of world-class martial arts action as ONE: LEGENDS OF THE WORLD hits the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila on 10 November. In the main event, reigning ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang defends his title against ONE Featherweight World Champion Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen in a cross-divisional showdown of epic proportions.

Ticket information for ONE: LEGENDS OF THE WORLD is available at www.onefc.com.

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “ONE Championship continues to push the boundaries of sports and entertainment with each event, and our next show in Manila is going to be absolutely phenomenal. Two world champions in their respective weight classes are set to go head-to-head in a cross-divisional showdown that will be talked about the world over. Newly minted ONE Featherweight World Champion Martin Nguyen will take on reigning ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard Folayang in a bout that is sure to produce fireworks.”

Eduard Folayang, ONE Lightweight World Champion, stated: “As a martial artist, I am constantly in search of the biggest challenges, the biggest tests of my skills. As champion, I welcome any and all challengers. Martin [Nguyen] is one of the best in the world and it is an honor to share the ONE Championship cage with him. This is a bout for the fans, and I can’t wait to perform in front of my hometown crowd in Manila once again. I have complete respect for my opponent’s skills and together with my brothers at Team Lakay, my coach Mark Sangiao, I’m preparing to showcase the best version of Eduard Folayang on 10 November.”

Martin Nguyen, ONE Featherweight World Champion, stated: “New Years’ will be coming early this year, because in this fight there will definitely be fireworks. I’m out not only to make a statement, but to go down in history as the best to ever compete under the ONE Championship banner. I have the utmost respect for the lightweight champion, and will definitely not take his skills for granted. But this is going to be a dog fight. It’s the first time two champions in different divisions go head-to-head in ONE, and I am excited to give the performance of a lifetime. The real winner of this bout will be the fans at the Mall of Asia Arena.”

Eduard “Landslide” Folayang of the legendary Team Lakay in Baguio City is one of the Philippines’ most experienced martial artists. After nearly a decade of competing in various promotions, Folayang has amassed an impressive 18-5 professional record. The 33-year-old veteran is currently riding a four-bout winning streak against high-profile opponents, including an emphatic technical knockout victory over Japanese legend Shinya Aoki to capture the ONE Lightweight World Championship in 2016. Showcasing a highly-improved wrestling and grappling arsenal, Folayang thoroughly defeated top challenger Ev Ting in his first title defense last April. Now set to return to the ONE Championship cage in Manila, Folayang will face ONE Featherweight World Champion Martin Nguyen in a cross-divisional showdown.

28-year-old Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen of Sydney, Australia, is a highly-skilled finisher and one of the most talented featherweights in martial arts. In his most recent bout, Nguyen stepped into the ONE Championship cage last August, scoring the biggest victory of his career when he stopped former undefeated featherweight champion Marat “Cobra” Gafurov in Macao to capture the ONE Featherweight World Championship. Sporting a 9-1 professional record, Nguyen’s all-around skill set allows him to compete at the highest level of competition. In a much-anticipated battle between division champions, Nguyen is set to face the Philippines’ Eduard Folayang in Manila.

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 sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Championship is the home of martial arts. 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 billion potential viewers across 128+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including FOX Sports, Setanta, MNC, Astro, Thairath TV, ABS-CBN, TV5, MYTV, HTV, OSN and more.

19 September 2017 – Manila, Philippines: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced another blockbuster evening of world-class martial arts action as ONE: LEGENDS OF THE WORLD hits the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila on 10 November. In the main event, reigning ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang defends his title against ONE Featherweight World Champion Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen in a cross-divisional showdown of epic proportions.

Ticket information for ONE: LEGENDS OF THE WORLD is available at www.onefc.com.

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “ONE Championship continues to push the boundaries of sports and entertainment with each event, and our next show in Manila is going to be absolutely phenomenal. Two world champions in their respective weight classes are set to go head-to-head in a cross-divisional showdown that will be talked about the world over. Newly minted ONE Featherweight World Champion Martin Nguyen will take on reigning ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard Folayang in a bout that is sure to produce fireworks.”

Eduard Folayang, ONE Lightweight World Champion, stated: “As a martial artist, I am constantly in search of the biggest challenges, the biggest tests of my skills. As champion, I welcome any and all challengers. Martin [Nguyen] is one of the best in the world and it is an honor to share the ONE Championship cage with him. This is a bout for the fans, and I can’t wait to perform in front of my hometown crowd in Manila once again. I have complete respect for my opponent’s skills and together with my brothers at Team Lakay, my coach Mark Sangiao, I’m preparing to showcase the best version of Eduard Folayang on 10 November.”

Martin Nguyen, ONE Featherweight World Champion, stated: “New Years’ will be coming early this year, because in this fight there will definitely be fireworks. I’m out not only to make a statement, but to go down in history as the best to ever compete under the ONE Championship banner. I have the utmost respect for the lightweight champion, and will definitely not take his skills for granted. But this is going to be a dog fight. It’s the first time two champions in different divisions go head-to-head in ONE, and I am excited to give the performance of a lifetime. The real winner of this bout will be the fans at the Mall of Asia Arena.”

Eduard “Landslide” Folayang of the legendary Team Lakay in Baguio City is one of the Philippines’ most experienced martial artists. After nearly a decade of competing in various promotions, Folayang has amassed an impressive 18-5 professional record. The 33-year-old veteran is currently riding a four-bout winning streak against high-profile opponents, including an emphatic technical knockout victory over Japanese legend Shinya Aoki to capture the ONE Lightweight World Championship in 2016. Showcasing a highly-improved wrestling and grappling arsenal, Folayang thoroughly defeated top challenger Ev Ting in his first title defense last April. Now set to return to the ONE Championship cage in Manila, Folayang will face ONE Featherweight World Champion Martin Nguyen in a cross-divisional showdown.

28-year-old Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen of Sydney, Australia, is a highly-skilled finisher and one of the most talented featherweights in martial arts. In his most recent bout, Nguyen stepped into the ONE Championship cage last August, scoring the biggest victory of his career when he stopped former undefeated featherweight champion Marat “Cobra” Gafurov in Macao to capture the ONE Featherweight World Championship. Sporting a 9-1 professional record, Nguyen’s all-around skill set allows him to compete at the highest level of competition. In a much-anticipated battle between division champions, Nguyen is set to face the Philippines’ Eduard Folayang in Manila.

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 sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Championship is the home of martial arts. 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 billion potential viewers across 128+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including FOX Sports, Setanta, MNC, Astro, Thairath TV, ABS-CBN, TV5, MYTV, HTV, OSN and more.

TORONTO – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 multi-platform channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents three live mixed martial arts events this weekend, highlighted by the live prelims for UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Rockhold vs. Branch on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 8:00 p.m. ET. The live action kicks off tonight, Friday, Sept. 15 at 9:30 p.m. ET with Combate Americas: El Grito en La Jaula followed by a live broadcast of ONE Championship: Total Victory on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 9:30 a.m. ET.

The two-hour UFC FIGHT NIGHT PRELIMS from Pittsburgh on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 8:00 p.m. ET will feature a collision between lightweights Tony Martin (12-3) and Canada’s Olivier Aubin-Mercier (10-2), Anthony Hamilton (15-7) fights Daniel Spitz (5-1) in a heavyweight tilt, No. 10-ranked middleweight Krzysztof Jotko (19-2) faces No. 14-ranked Uriah Hall (13-8), while bantamweights Luke Sanders (11-1) and Felipe Arantes (18-7-1, 2NC) open the telecast.

Ahead of Saturday’s live PRELIMS, Fight Network will live broadcast the UFC FIGHT NIGHT PREFIGHT SHOW, featuring coverage from Pittsburgh from the industry’s premier mixed martial arts analysts. Retired UFC contenders Kenny Florian and Yves Edwards work as studio desk analysts with host Karyn Bryant and reporter Heidi Androl conducting on-site fighter interviews. At the conclusion of Saturday’s live main card on TSN2, the live UFC FIGHT NIGHT POSTFIGHT SHOW airs at approximately 1 a.m. ET, recapping all the exciting action.

But first, Combate Americas presents a nine-bout fight card for Mexican Independence Day tonight at 9:30 p.m. ET from Redlands, Calif., headlined by a featherweight matchup between Jose “Froggy” Estrada (3-1) and Izic “Lionheart” Fernandez (2-3). In the women’s atomweight co-main event, former Eddie Bravo protégé Kyra Batara (6-4) faces off with Jenna Serio (3-2).

On Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. ET, ONE Championship: Total Victory emanates from Jakarta, Indonesia, headlined by a flyweight clash between Kairat Akhmetov (23-1) and Geje Eustaquio (9-5). In other featured action, Stefer Rahardian (5-0) battles Sim Bunsrun (3-3) at flyweight, Alain Ngalani (2-3) meets Hideki Sekine (7-1) at heavyweight and Yago Bryan (3-2) takes on Roy Doliguez (6-4) in another flyweight encounter.

Fight Network’s live telecasts of UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Rockhold vs. Branch and ONE Championship: Total Victory are available exclusively in Canada, while Combate Americas: El Grito en La Jaula will be live broadcast in Canada and over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit www.fightnetwork.com, follow us on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.

14 September 2017 – Singapore: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced another thrilling spectacle as it returns home to Singapore on Friday, 24 November. The Singapore Indoor Stadium is set to play host to ONE: IMMORTAL PURSUIT, featuring the absolute best martial artists in the world.

In the main event, undefeated ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee defends her title against Japanese martial arts veteran Mei “V.V” Yamaguchi in a much-anticipated rematch of their epic first encounter in 2016. In the evening’s co-main event, ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben “Funky” Askren steps inside the cage for the final time in his perfect career to defend his title against Japanese legend Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki.

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

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “This is going to be the biggest event we have ever put together for martial arts fans in Singapore and around the world. Two of the most dominant world champions in ONE Championship history are set to grace the cage in a single evening of world-class entertainment. Angela Lee and Mei Yamaguchi are ready for an encore to their phenomenal first bout in 2016 in a rematch of epic proportions, while Ben Askren will perform for his fans for the final time against the legendary Shinya Aoki. It’s a night fans will certainly not want to miss.”

21-year-old “Unstoppable” Angela Lee of Singapore is considered one of ONE Championship’s most outstanding athletes. She captured the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship with an awe-inspiring victory over Mei Yamaguchi in 2016, and has since then defended the title successfully on two occasions. Lee’s beautiful combination of elite striking and grappling has proven to be a potent formula for success, as she has remained unbeaten in her career. In the most recent bout of an impressive run, Lee dominated top contender Istela Nunes, showcasing her wide array of skills despite suffering from illness. She now returns to Singapore to defend her title against Mei Yamaguchi in a much-anticipated rematch.

34-year old Japanese martial arts veteran Mei “V.V” Yamaguchi is a female atomweight standout and a former ONE world title challenger from Tokyo. She is the DEEP Jewels Featherweight Champion, and owns seven submissions and two knockouts in her 27-bout professional career. In 2016, Yamaguchi challenged Angela Lee for the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship in an epic showdown that would later win multiple ‘Fight of the Year’ honors from international media publications. In her last bout, Yamaguchi submitted top contender Jenny Huang impressively within just two rounds. With the victory, Yamaguchi earned the right to challenge for the world title once more opposite the champion Angela Lee.

A former NCAA Division I All-American and US Olympian, Ben “Funky” Askren is a collegiate wrestling legend and one of the finest martial artists in the world today. Askren joined ONE Championship in 2014, taking the promotion by storm and capturing the ONE Welterweight World Championship with a resounding technical knockout victory over Nobutatsu Suzuki. Since then, Askren has successfully defended the title three times, and has stopped six of his last seven opponents to maintain a perfect 17-0 professional record. In what is being billed as the last bout of Askren’s illustrious professional career, the American is set to defend his title against the legendary Shinya Aoki of Japan.

Global martial arts veteran Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki of Shizuoka, Japan, is one of the world’s most decorated athletes. He is the DREAM Lightweight Champion, former Shooto Welterweight Champion, and the former ONE Lightweight World Champion. The 34-year-old Aoki is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under the famed Yuki Nakai and has won multiple grappling tournaments all over the world. Aoki also holds a black belt in judo and is widely considered one of the best pure grapplers in professional martial arts competition today. In his next bout, Aoki makes his ONE Championship welterweight debut, taking on reigning ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben Askren of the United States for the title.

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 sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Championship is the home of martial arts. 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 billion potential viewers across 128+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including FOX Sports, Setanta, MNC, Astro, Thairath TV, ABS-CBN, TV5, MYTV, HTV, OSN and more.

WORCESTER, Mass. (September 13, 2017) – Former UFC heavyweight title challenger Gabriel “Napao” Gonzaga will make his professional boxing debut Saturday night, October 26, on the “New England’s Future 4” card, promoted by Rivera Promotions Entertainment (RPE), at the DCU Center (Exhibition Hall) in Worcester, Massachusetts.

“New England’s Future 4” (NEF4) is presented by Rivera Promotions Entertainment (RPE), which is owned and operated by retired three-time, two division world champion Jose Antonio Rivera and his son, Anthonee (A.J.) Rivera.

Former WBU Americans and IBU North American cruiserweight champion Vinnie “American Nightmare” Carita (16-1-1, 15 KOs), rated No. 6 by the North American Boxing Organization (NABO), headlines against an opponent to be determined in the eight-round main event.

“RPE is excited to have an athlete of Gonzaga’s caliber making his pro debut on our NEF4 boxing event,” promoter Jose Antonio Rivera said. “We are happy that boxers and MMA athletes trust us in terms of what we are trying to do to help them build their careers.”

The 38-year-old Gonzaga teaches Brazilian Ju-Jitsu (BJJ) in Worcester and lives nearby in Ludlow. Now retired from mixed-martial-arts competition (17-11-0, 7 KOs, 9 SUBs, 1 DEC), the 6′ 2″, 260-pound Gonzaga holds 4th degree black belt in BJJ. The highlight of his MMA career was at the 2007 UFC 70 held in Manchester, United Kingdom, in which he knocked out K-1, Pride and Rizen champion Mirko Cro Cop with a head kick in the opening round, positioning Gonzaga for his unsuccessful challenge of UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture in his next fight.

Gonzaga also defeated Ben Rothwell, Shawn Jordan and Chris Tuchscherer, among the more notable UFC fighters he faced in the Octagon.

“When I first saw Gabriel sparring,” Gonzaga’s trainer Rocky Gonzalez said, “I knew he had potential to beat a lot of heavyweights around. He had a lot going on at that time and he was still under contract with the UFC. Now, it’s a great opportunity for him.”

Tickets, priced at $75.00 (ringside) and $45.00 (general admission), are on sale and available to purchase at the DCU Center box office, www.dcu.centerworcester.com, by contacting Jose Rivera (elgallojar@gmail.com/508.864.6954), AJ Rivera
(anthoneerivera@gmail.com/774.272.2269) or any of the fighters

Doors open at 6:30 p.m., first bout 7:00 p.m. ET.

Sponsors include Lundgren Honda, Championsofhealth.usna.com, and American Pyramids.

Part of the proceeds will go to Worcester Latino Dollars For Scholars.

SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia (September 13, 2017) – The M-1 Challenge 83 main card is set for the first international mixed-martial-arts event ever held in the Republic of Tatarstan, September 23, in Kazan, Russia,

M-1 Challenge 83 will be streamed live from Kazan in high definition on www.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register at www.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all the action on their computers, as well as on Android and Apple smart phones and tablets.

World-class light heavyweight contenders Mikhail Ragozin (8-2-0, M-1: 3-0-0), representing New Stream Team, Storm School and Club Boets, and Brandon “Bull” Halsey (9-3-0, M-1: 0-1-0) are matched against each other in the main event, while Aleksander Doskalchuk (7-1-0, M-1: 1-0-0) takes on Vadim “Bad Santa” Malygin (11-2-1, M-1: 2-1-1).

Last May in his most recent action, 25-year-old Ragozin (pictured below) stopped Alan Bispo,of Brazil, in the third round at M-1 Challenge 78. The Russian fighter hadn’t fought in M-1 Global competition since 2015.

Halsey, 30, is from Huntington Beach, California. A wrestler from the California State University in Bakersfield, Halsey captured the Bellator middleweight title three years ago by way of an opening-round submission (choke) of Russian MMA star Alexander Shlemenko, who avenged that loss with a knockout of Halsey in the first round this past June at M-1 Challenge 79. Halsey had difficulty dropping weight for his rematch with Shlemnenko and he immediately decided to move up in weight to light heavyweight.

Ukraine-born Doskalchuk (pictured below on left) rides a four-fight win streak, including a three-round unanimous decision last May at M-1 Challenge 78 over Son Le Binh.

The winner of his last three fights, Malygin (pictured below on right) is a Russian flyweight on a three-fight win streak, including a win by three-round unanimous decision over Fabricio “Bill” Sarraff at M-1 Challenge 78.

Also scheduled to fight on the M-1 Challenge 83 card is undefeated Russian lightweight prospect Vladimir Kanunnikov (8-0-0), who will be making his M-1 Global debut against Georgian Raul Tutalrauli (17-3-0, M-1: 5-1-0). American featherweight Nate “The Train” Landwehr (8-2-0) will also be making his M-1 Global debut versus veteran Russian fighter Mikhail Korobkov (13-2-1, M-1: 1-2-1), while Brazilian lightweight Diego (D’Avila) Davella (18-6-0, M-1: 1-1-0) takes on former Interim M-1 Challenge lightweight title challenger Alexey Nevzorov (12-3-0, M-1: 6-2-0), of Russia.

The M-1 Challenge 83 preliminary card will showcase local pro fighters such as Ruslan Khisamutdinov, Kirill Kuzmen and Lenar Suleymanov.

INFORMATION:

www.M1Global.tv
www.mixfight.ru
www.wmmaa.org

Twitter & Instagram:

@M1GlobalNews
@VFinkelchtein
@M1Global

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/M-1-GlobalNews

M-1 CHALLENGE EVENT CALENDAR:

M-1 Challenge 83: Sept. 23, 2017 in Kazan, Russia
M-1 Challenge 84: October 27, 2017 in St. Petersburg, Russia
M-1 Challenge 85: November 10, 2017 in Moscow, Russia
ABOUT M-1 GLOBAL: Founded in 1997, M-1 Global has established itself in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as the premier entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With its office in St Petersburg, Russia, the M-1 brand has staged more than 200 events worldwide, including M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge, M-1 Global and M-1 Global HWGP events, in addition to co-promoting Strikeforce events and M-1 Global on the U.S. network, Showtime. Captivating live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and match-ups, M-1 Global events have featured some of the sport’s top names, including legendary heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Keith Jardine, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Sergei Kharitonov, Aleksander Emelianenko, Roman Zentsov, Yushin Okami, Mike Pyle, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Amar Suloev, Chalid Arrab and Stephan Struve. 2017 has been another sensational year of world-class competition, featuring a full calendar of Challenge events, fueled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global Champions among the greatest fighters in the sport.

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

TORONTO – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 multi-platform channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents a jam-packed all-Canadian weekend of live mixed martial arts action, starting tonight, Friday, Sept. 8 at 6:00 p.m. ET with TKO 40: Dénouement from Montreal, Quebec. On Saturday, Sept. 9 at 10:00 p.m. ET, Z Promotions presents Fight Night Medicine Hat 4 from Medicine Hat, Alberta. Fight Network will also deliver extensive pre and post-fight coverage of UFC 215: Nunes vs. Shevchenko 2 from Edmonton, Alberta.

Headlining tonight’s live broadcast of TKO 40: Dénouement across Canada at 6:00 p.m. ET, highly touted Toronto-based prospect Todd Stoute (9-3) battles Quebec City’s Marc-André Barriault (7-1) in a light heavyweight showdown. The co-feature pits Brazil’s Joao Luis Nogueira (24-6) against red-hot Montreal-based fan favorite Alex Morgan (7-2) in a featherweight bout. Brazilian UFC veteran Maiquel Falcao (38-10) will also make his long-awaited TKO debut against Bosnian-born Quebecer Strahinja Gavrilovic (6-4). In other marquee matchups, Ricardeau Francois (14-10) looks to hand undefeated heavyweight Adam Dyczka (5-0) his first professional blemish, unbeaten Brazilian Leo Xavier (4-0-1) meets Frenchman Yacine Bandaoui (8-6) at welterweight, Japan’s Atsushi Fujino (3-0) looks to keep his perfect record in tact against Quebec-based bantamweight prospect Louis Jourdain (4-1), plus bantamweight Keith Lee (1-1), the brother of UFC interim lightweight title contender Kevin Lee, faces Eric Daigneault (2-3).

While TKO 40: Dénouement airs in Canada, LFA 22: Heinisch vs. Perez will air live tonight, Friday, Sept. 8 at 10:00 p.m. ET on Fight Network’s international feed in 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East, featuring a clash of undefeated rising stars for the LFA middleweight title, as Ian Heinisch (8-0) meets Markus Perez (8-0). In the co-main event from Broomfield, Colorado, Gilbert Smith (12-6) and Ben Smith (15-4) collide in an exciting rematch at a 190-pound catch-weight.

Saturday’s live broadcast of Fight Night Medicine Hat 4 at 10:00 p.m. ET will air live in Canada, the U.S. and 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The bantamweight championship is on the line in the main event, as surging Canadian Jesse Arnett (12-4) pursues the biggest win of his career against UFC veteran Johnny Bedford (23-13-1). A pair of legends square off for the middleweight crown, as Joe Riggs (45-17) and Shonie Carter (51-31-7) cross paths for the first time in their storied careers. Montreal’s Peter Grajcar (5-0) will also put his welterweight title on the line against CES MMA champion Chris Curtis (16-5). Nova Scotia’s UFC flyweight veteran Chris Kelades (10-3) will make his first appearance for the promotion opposite Calgary’s Keegan Oliver (6-5).

Ahead of Saturday’s live event, Fight Network will live broadcast the UFC 215: Nunes vs. Shevchenko 2 PREFIGHT SHOW at 7:00 p.m. ET in Canada, featuring final predictions and analysis from Edmonton, Alberta with the industry’s premier mixed martial arts analysts. UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping and welterweight champion Tyron Woodley work as studio desk analysts with host Todd Grisham and reporter Megan Olivi conducting on-site fighter interviews.

At the conclusion of Saturday’s pay-per-view, the live UFC 215 POSTFIGHT SHOW airs at approximately 1:00 a.m. ET, recapping all the exciting action.

For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit www.fightnetwork.com, follow us on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.

?8??? September 2017 – Jakarta, Indonesia: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced additional bouts for ONE: TOTAL VICTORY, set for the Jakarta Convention Center on 16 September. In the main event, former ONE Flyweight World Champion Kairat Akhmetov of Kazakhstan takes on Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio of the Philippines. In addition to the blockbuster headline bout, a series of compelling matchups have been put together featuring the absolute best in local and international martial arts talent.

Ticket information for ONE: TOTAL VICTORY is available at www.onefc.com

Former ONE Flyweight World Champion Kairat Akhmetov is a veteran martial artist from Almaty, Kazakhstan. The 29-year-old boasts a solid 23-1 professional record amassed during a stellar martial arts career which has seen him dominate his opponents with tenacious wrestling and powerful striking. In his most recent appearance inside the ONE Championship cage, Akhmetov faced divisional rival Adriano Moraes for the right to be crowned the undisputed ONE Flyweight World Champion. Akhmetov fell just short of victory, losing by unanimous decision in a close bout. Determined to earn another shot at ONE Championship gold, a victory over Geje Eustaquio, whom Akhmetov will challenge in his next contest, could be the ticket to another title opportunity.

Top flyweight contender and former world title challenger Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio of Baguio City, Philippines, is one of the most skilled martial artists in Asia, and a highly-decorated wushu practitioner. His solid striking and grappling skill set has led to huge victories over the course of a six-year professional martial arts career. Training in the high altitudes of the Philippines’ mountainous region, Eustaquio hones his craft alongside world-class teammates at the fabled Team Lakay. In his most recent bout, Eustaquio defeated fellow striker Anatpong Bunrad via split decision in a rematch. Known for his incredible ability to keep calm in the face of adversity, Eustaquio is set to headline ONE: TOTAL VICTORY opposite former ONE Flyweight World Champion Kairat Akhmetov.

Top Indonesian prospect Stefer Rahardian impressed in his ONE Championship debut by winning the ONE: TITLES & TITANS Flyweight Tournament in August of 2016. Rahardian finished both Yotha Hutagalung and Hendrick Wijaya by first round rear-naked choke to become the tournament winner. In his last outing, Rahardian outperformed Eugene Toquero to win by unanimous decision in three rounds. Now unbeaten at six wins and no losses, Rahardian puts his unblemished record on the line against Sim Bunsrun.

Sim Bunsrun is a 24-year-old KWC 3 Flyweight Tournament Champion currently competing in ONE Championship’s stacked flyweight division. He aced his first two assignments in the organization with flying colors, submitting compatriot Kun Sichan in December 2015 before outpointing Liu Peng Shuai a year later. Bunsrun now returns to the ONE Championship cage to go up against Indonesia’s Stefer Rahardian.

Cameroonian Alain “The Panther” Ngalani, who trains out of Impakt MMA in Hong Kong, is an exciting heavyweight contender with massive size and brutish strength. With the agility and the quickness of a lighter competitor, Ngalani is a terrifying combination of size and speed and is always looking to end matches early. A former kickboxing titleholder, Ngalani now looks to surprise local fans in attendance with another spectacular performance as he takes on former title challenger Hideki Sekine.

Japanese heavyweight Hideki “Shrek” Sekine holds a professional record of seven wins and one loss. He is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and has won multiple grappling tournaments across the globe. Known for his brute strength and technical grappling ability, Sekine owns three victories by submission and another three by knockout. In his last outing, he challenged Filipino-American superstar Brandon Vera for the ONE Heavyweight World Championship. Sekine looks to place himself back on the winning track as he squares off with Alain Ngalani.

25-year-old Yago Bryan of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is a former Shooto South American Strawweight Champion who took on former ONE Strawweight World Champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke in his promotional debut. Skilled in both the striking and grappling arts, Bryan is making his way back to the ONE Championship cage, this time against Roy Doliguez of the Philippines.

Roy Doliguez is a considered one of the best strawweights in Asia. Doliguez is also a former professional boxer with more than 40 pro bouts. He made his promotional debut in 2015, vying for the inaugural ONE Strawweight World Championship against Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke. His next bout will be against a fellow former title contender in Yago Bryan.

Indonesian martial artist “The Terminator” Sunoto is a WKF Indonesia Champion with a 6-3 professional record. With a penchant for grappling, three of Sunoto’s six victories have come by submission. The 32-year-old is known as an aggressive competitor who never backs down from a challenge. In his last bout, he scored a first-round stoppage victory over Cambodia’s Chan Heng. Sunoto looks to continue his winning ways as he is set to duke it out with Thai Rithy.

19-year-old Thai Rithy of Cambodia is a KWC Featherweight Champion who will make his ONE Championship debut as part of the promotion’s stacked featherweight division. He holds a professional record of five wins and two losses. Four of his five career victories have come by way of submission. Rithy is scheduled to make his first appearance inside the ONE Championship cage against Sunoto.

Jeremy “The Predator” Meciaz is a 25-year-old Indonesian National Grappling Champion who made the transition to professional martial arts competition in 2017. In the same year, he made his ONE Championship debut against unbeaten Chinese prospect Chen “Rock Man” Lei. Meciaz now returns to the cage seeking victory, but will have to go through Hisyam Samsudin to claim success.

Hisyam “Zephyrus” Samsudin of Malaysia is a former WBF Asia-Pacific Light Heavyweight Boxing Champion who trains at the highly-regarded Borneo Tribal Squad with Ann “Athena” Osman and AJ “Pyro” Lias Mansor. Samsudin likes to pepper opponents with heavy handed strikes, utilizing his world-class boxing base. Samsudin’s next assignment is against Jeremy Meciaz.

“The Little Squirrel” Liu De Li Ge Ri Hu is an Inner Mongolia Wrestling Champion, holding a professional record of two wins and two losses. Liu De Li aims to make an astounding statement in his ONE Championship debut as he is booked to square off with Ramon Gonzales.

30-year-old Ramon “The Bicolano” Gonzales is a flyweight standout from the Philippines, representing Burn Soriano’s Hitman MMA. He has proven his karate mastery in competitions all over the world, but the former two-time Philippine National Kyokushin Karate Champion is determined to fully showcase his potential in ONE Championship. He will make his third appearance under the promotion’s banner against Liu De Li Ge Ri Hu.

Liberian combatant Jerome S. Paye made his ONE Championship debut in February 2016 against China’s Li Hao Jie. In the bout, Paye showcased a well-rounded set of techniques, stifling his opponent with an array of striking combinations. With the ability to make bouts difficult for any opponent, Paye will make his return to the ONE Championship cage in Jakarta, Indonesia to face former boxing world champion Yodsanan Sityodtong.

Former WBA Boxing World Champion Yodsanan “Little Tyson” Sityodtong of Thailand is known as a devastatingly powerful puncher, with the ability to utilize his heavy hands to stop foes with trademark combinations. With 47 knockouts in boxing and all three of his victories inside the ONE Championship cage ending in similar fashion, expect Sityodtong to always be on the lookout for an abrupt ending to his contests. Currently riding a two-bout winning streak, Sityodtong will be going for number three against Jerome S. Paye.

24-year-old Adrian Matheis of Jakarta, Indonesia, is a martial artist competing in ONE Championship’s talented strawweight division. In the ONE: TITLES & TITANS strawweight tournament in August 2016, Matheis defeated both Rustam Hutajulu and Roso Nugroho via scintillating knockouts in one night to be crowned tournament champion. In his next bout, Matheis crosses paths with the debuting Phat Soda.

28-year-old Phat Soda is a three-time National Khun Khmer Champion. In his glory days as a Cambodian kickboxing competitor, he left fans on the edge of their seats with his lightning-quick and pinpoint striking. Soda looks to emulate his Khun Khmer success in ONE Championship as he steps in the cage with Adrian Matheis.

Kicking off the action at ONE: TOTAL VICTORY are two promising young bantamweight prospects. Striking specialist Riski Umar takes on compatriot Adi Nugroho in a three-round contest. Umar is set to make his professional debut in his first ONE Championship stint, while Nugroho is determined to have his hand raised in his second appearance under the organization’s umbrella.

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 sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Championship is the home of martial arts. 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 billion potential viewers across 128+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including FOX Sports, Setanta, MNC, Astro, Thairath TV, ABS-CBN, TV5, MYTV, HTV, OSN and more.

Many are calling it the strongest line up of local MMA pro fighters in years as the Queen Mary, Roy Englebrecht Promotions, and Alliance MMA present Rumble On The Water 3 this coming Saturday evening, September 9th at 7pm at the Queen Mary waterfront outdoor venue.

The solid line up of pro mma warriors at Rumble 3 feature a number of fighters who have fought for Bellator, RFA, and Combate Americas, and will now bring that same skill and action to Long Beach.

How about La Habra’s 6-3 Jacob “Lil Badger” Rosales vs 4-2 Alex Arredondo from Phoenix!

Jacob “Lil Badger” Rosales above

How about Redondo Beach’s 4-2 Tommy “The Spainard” Aaron out of Black House vs 11-3 Justin “Guitar Hero” Jaynes out of Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas!

Tommy “The Spaniard” Aaron above

How about 7-4 Mike Segura out of Subfighter in San Juan Capistrano vs 7-5 Jimmy Spicuza another Xtreme Couture fighter!

Mike Segura above

How about Huntington Beach’s 5-5 Albert “Buenas Noches” Tapia vs 5-3 Kyle “Hooiser” Estrada from Sherman Oaks!

How about OC’s 1-0 Desmond Torres out of Oyama in Irvine vs Temecula’s Team Quest pro debuter Ricky Furar.

Tickets priced at only $60 are on sale at www.queenmary.com, with gates opeing at 6pm and start of Rumble 3 at 7pm.

02 September 2017 – Shanghai, China: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), sent shockwaves throughout the crowd at the 15,000-seater Shanghai Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai, China with an exciting evening of world-class martial arts action. ONE CHAMPIONSHIP: SHANGHAI showcased a series of compelling bouts, punctuated by a thrilling headliner that left fans on the edge of their seats. In the main event, Ben “Funky” Askren of the United States retained the ONE Welterweight World Championship, defeating Zebaztian “The Bandit” Kadestam of Sweden.

Visit the official ONE CHAMPIONSHIP: SHANGHAI photo gallery by clicking: http://bit.ly/onephotos

In the main event of ONE CHAMPIONSHIP: SHANGHAI, reigning ONE Welterweight World Champion and one of the best martial artists in the world pound-for-pound, Ben “Funky” Askren of the United States easily took care of Zebaztian “The Bandit” Kadestam of Sweden, taking his younger foe down to the mat at will with his world-class wrestling and finishing him with a volley of punches. On the mat, the former US Olympian effortlessly secured a mount position and relentlessly pounded on the Swedish striker to compel veteran referee Yuji Shimada to halt the action in the second round.

Ben Askren, ONE Welterweight World Champion, stated: “I really had a wonderful time in Shanghai. Thanks for having me. It’s an honor to be here. To everyone who is watching from all around the world, thank you guys so much, it means the world to me.”

Askren added: “I am ready for anyone in the world who wants to step up to the plate and challenge me for my title.”

In the co-main event of the evening, Chinese flyweight prospect Ma Hao Bin returned to the ONE Championship cage against compatriot Hexigetu, and his performance certainly did not disappoint. Known by the moniker “The Southern Eagle,” Ma once again proved his mettle on the ground with another technical grappling showcase, converting several takedown attempts, ultimately winning by guillotine choke with ten seconds remaining in the second round.

Singaporean prospect Amir Khan continued his winning roll inside the ONE Championship cage by stopping Jaroslav Jartim of Czech Republic. Khan wasted no time in bringing the action to the mat with a successful takedown. Once on the ground, Khan rained down heavy blows to punish Jartim. Although Jartim found a way to return to his feet, Khan easily secured the finish in the stand-up trade with a left high kick and strong right cross. Jartim succumbed shortly after as the referee deemed him unable to continue. The technical knockout conquest earned Khan his fifth straight victory.

In one of the most exciting matchups of the evening, Xu Chun Yan of China and Eh Ya Nut of Cambodia put on a spectacular showcase of aggression to the roar of a packed crowd as the two competitors engaged in a skirmish in the opening moments of the strawweight contest. Although she is known for her boxing background, Xu flaunted her solid ground game to pacify her Cambodian opponent’s firepower in the stand-up trade, wearing down Eh Ya Nut and steering her to a decisive victory by way of unanimous decision.

Japanese veteran Tetsuya Yamada claimed his first win under the ONE Championship umbrella, submitting China-based American Kyle Rozewski. The finish came swiftly when Yamada effortlessly took Rozewski down to the canvas and fastened a rear-naked choke to earn the victory in the first round.

Sagetdao Petpayathai of Thailand was successful in his second outing as a ONE Championship athlete, defeating Mahmoud Mohamed of Egypt. The Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai legend lit up Mohamed with his powerful striking, tagging the Egyptian with lightning quick elbows and thudding punch combinations. Petpayathai opened up his hands and drove Mohamed to the mat where he unleashed the bout-ending sequence to clinch the victory by technical knockout in the first round.

“Supermom” Miao Jie of China made a triumphant promotional debut in ONE Championship by submitting Mona Samir of Egypt. Miao got the job done by forcing Samir to tap with an armbar submission in just 49 seconds of the very first round.

In a battle of Chinese lightweight standouts, Zhang Ze Hao came out on top of Li Cheng Chao. Having a solid game plan to topple Li, Zhang delivered a sensational performance, forcing his opponent to succumb to strikes in the third round.

Xie Chao of China and Marc Marcellinus of Malaysia kicked off ONE CHAMPIONSHIP: SHANGHAI in exciting fashion. Both men wasted no time in going to battle at the center of the cage. With the two stalwarts spent after just a few minutes of action, it was Xie who came away with the win via submission in the first round.

Official results for ONE CHAMPIONSHIP: SHANGHAI
ONE Welterweight World Championship bout: Ben Askren defeats Zebaztian Kadestam by TKO (Strikes) at 4:09 minutes of round 2
Flyweight bout: Ma Hao Bin defeats Hexigetu by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 4:50 minutes of round 2
Lightweight bout: Amir Khan defeats Jaroslav Jartim by TKO (Strikes) at 3:46 minutes of round 1
Strawweight bout: Xu Chun Yan defeats Eh Ya Nut by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Featherweight bout: Tetsuya Yamada defeats Kyle Rozewski by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 1:55 minutes of round 1
Featherweight bout: Sagetdao Petpayathai defeats Mahmoud Mohamed by TKO (Strikes) at 1:41 minutes of round 1
Strawweight bout: Miao Jie defeats Mona Samir by Submission (Armbar) at 0:49 minutes of round 1
Lightweight bout: Zhang Ze Hao defeats Li Cheng Chao by TKO (Strikes) at 2:53 minutes of round 3
Featherweight bout: Xie Chao defeats Marc Marcellinus by Submission (Kimura) at 1:28 minutes of round 1

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

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, 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 sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Championship is the home of martial arts. 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 billion potential viewers across 128+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including FOX Sports, Setanta, MNC, Astro, Thairath TV, ABS-CBN, TV5, MYTV, HTV, OSN and more.

1 September 2017 – Shanghai, China: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), recently held the ONE CHAMPIONSHIP: SHANGHAI Official Face-Off, featuring main event combatants ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben Askren of the United States and challenger Zebaztian Kadestam of Sweden. The two martial artists squared off in front of media at the Char Bar at the Hotel Indigo Shanghai on The Bund, Thursday, 31 August in Shanghai, China.

Photos of the ONE CHAMPIONSHIP: SHANGHAI OFFICIAL FACE-OFF can be found here: http://bit.ly/oneshanghaifaceoff

Ben Askren, ONE Welterweight World Champion, stated: “In this sport, it’s you against the other guy. You make or break your own destiny. I want to be in control of the outcome at all times. Being a champion goes far beyond just wearing that gold belt around my waist. It is also about how you carry yourself as champion, and how you inspire others with the way you train and compete. Kadestam is a tough guy, he showed that in his last bout. But it doesn’t matter what his strengths and weaknesses are. At the end of the day, he can’t stop my wrestling. He’s going to be on his back, and I’m going to be pounding away until the referee stops the contest.”

Zebaztian Kadestam, ONE world title challenger, stated: “I always enjoy a good battle between two martial artists testing themselves. Ben Askren is one of the best martial artists in the world, and this is the reason I chose to come to ONE Championship, for an opportunity to test myself against the absolute best. Martial arts is my life and I believe I am going to be a martial artist until the day I die. Nothing is going to take me away from this. I am coming into the cage with everything I have. You can expect the best version of Zebaztian Kadestam when I step onto that battlefield.”

A former NCAA Division I All-American, Ben “Funky” Askren of the United States is a collegiate wrestling legend and a US Olympian who represented the nation at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He is universally recognized as one of the finest martial artists in the world today. Askren joined ONE Championship in 2014, winning the ONE Welterweight World Championship in just his second bout. Askren has since successfully defended the title twice, including his most recent victory, a first-round submission of young Malaysian star Agilan Thani in May. Sporting an unblemished 16-0 professional record, Askren seeks to continue his reign as champion, this time against Zebaztian Kadestam.

Zebaztian “The Bandit” Kadestam of Sweden holds an outstanding professional record of 9-3, and is a tremendous competitor with a wide array of striking and grappling techniques. Seven of his nine career victories have come by way of knockout. Kadestam made a successful ONE Championship debut last May when he defeated Luis Santos, upsetting the top welterweight contender via a come-from-behind third-round knockout. Kadestam’s resounding victory quickly earned him a title opportunity, as he is now booked to face the toughest opponent of his career in Ben Askren.

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 sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Championship is the home of martial arts. 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 billion potential viewers across 128+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including FOX Sports, Setanta, MNC, Astro, Thairath TV, ABS-CBN, TV5, MYTV, HTV, OSN and more.

TORONTO – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 multi-platform channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents three star-studded live mixed martial arts events this weekend, highlighted by the live main card for UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Volkov vs. Struve on Saturday, Sept. 2 at 3:00 p.m. ET. The live action kicks off tonight, Sept. 1 at 9:00 p.m. ET with LFA 21: Noblitt vs. Branjao followed by a live broadcast of ONE Championship: Shanghai, featuring the return of undefeated phenom Ben Askren, on Saturday, Sept. 1 at 7:00 a.m. ET.

The stacked main card for UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Volkov vs. Struve emanates from Rotterdam, Netherlands on Saturday, Sept. 2 at 3:00 p.m. ET, headlined by an explosive heavyweight clash between No. 7-ranked Russian Alexander Volkov (28-6) and No. 8-ranked Dutchman Stefan Struve (28-8). Rounding out the four-bout telecast is a welterweight matchup pitting Afghanistan’s Siyar Bahadurzada (22-6-1) against unbeaten Australian Rob Wilkinson (11-0), a women’s bantamweight showdown between Brazil’s Talita de Oliveira (4-1) and American Marion Reneau (7-3-1) and a welterweight bout featuring England’s Leon Edwards (13-3) against rugged American scrapper Bryan Barberena (13-4). Leading into the main card telecast, Fight Network will present an encore of UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Struve vs. Miocic from September 2012, which kicks off at 12:00 p.m. ET. The UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Volkov vs. Struve main card will re-air on Saturday night in primetime at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Saturday’s live action gets an early start at 7:00 a.m. ET with ONE Championship: Shanghai from China, headlined by a showdown for the ONE welterweight championship, as undefeated American wrestler Ben Askren (16-0) defends his crown against Swedish challenger Zebaztian Kadestam (9-3). In other featured bouts, Mongolia’s Narantungalag Jadambaa (12-5) collides with Japan’s Tetsuya Yamada (21-5-2) in a featherweight bout and Singapore’s Amir Khan (7-2) meets the Czech Republic’s Jaroslav Jartim (8-6-1) in a lightweight tilt.

But first, Legacy Fighting Alliance invades Branson, Missouri tonight, Sept. 1 at 9:00 p.m. ET, for LFA 21: Noblitt vs. Branjao. In the main event, a pair of undefeated prospects will face off as American Kyle Noblitt (8-0) battles Brazilian Antonio Paulo Branjao (4-0). In other action, Grady Hurley (14-1) takes on Kevin Holland (9-3) in a middleweight matchup, TJ Brown (9-4) faces Trey Ogden (8-1) in a lightweight bout, Katy Collins (7-2) and Shannon Sinn (3-5) square off in the women’s flyweight division, Jeremiah Cullum (5-1) looks to hand Charles Johnson (4-0) his first professional setback in a flyweight tilt, Oscar Valdez (7-4) meets Yazan Hajeh (5-0) at 145 pounds, plus Dakota Bush (3-0) risks his perfect record against fellow lightweight Jose Martinez (7-2).

Fight Network’s live telecasts of UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Volkov vs. Struve and ONE Championship: Shanghai are available exclusively in Canada, while LFA 21: Noblitt vs. Branjao will be live broadcast in Canada and over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit www.fightnetwork.com, follow us on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.

29 August 2017 – Singapore: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced the addition of senior executive Jack Lim to its executive leadership team. Jack Lim joins the company as Chief Commercial Officer of ONE Championship and will be responsible for uniting all of ONE Championship’s existing revenue streams while leading the way for new and exciting growth opportunities.

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “I am thrilled to announce the addition of Jack Lim to our executive leadership team. Jack is one of Asia’s most seasoned business leaders in the media industry. Without a doubt, our success is due to our amazing leaders and staff at ONE Championship. To unlock the full monetization of our assets, ONE Championship needs a strong and seasoned leader to think through all of our assets and how best to optimize them across all revenue streams. With Jack joining our senior leadership team, I am excited at the possibilities for ONE Championship.”

Prior to joining ONE Championship, Jack Lim served as Chief Commercial Officer of Mediacorp, Vice President of Media Sales for Sony Pictures Asia, and Director of International Sales for CNBC Asia Pacific. During this time, he honed his skills and capabilities for building brands and growing businesses across the media and tech industries. With an MBA in International Business, Lim is a transformational growth leader with demonstrated success in digital and content strategy, consultative selling, integrated marketing, with a proven track record in operating in some of the world’s most prolific blue chip organizations such as GE, IBM, and Sony.

At ONE Championship, Lim will be overseeing the explosive growth opportunities for the promotion as it looks to expand on its existing partnerships while creating new global partnerships. He will also be responsible for uniting and leading all of ONE Championship’s existing revenue streams, overseeing sponsorships, media rights, merchandising, ticketing, and brand licensing, as well as developing additional paths of revenue for ONE Championship.

Jack Lim, Chief Commercial Officer of ONE Championship, stated: “I am honored to join such a world-class senior leadership team at ONE Championship. The breadth and depth of insights and experiences I’ve gained from working in world class multinationals will go a long way in driving ONE Championship’s global growth in the years to come. The team at ONE is incredibly passionate, with the technical expertise necessary for aggressive execution, and the heart to overcome any obstacle. The opportunities are limitless for ONE Championship.”

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

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Championship is the home of martial arts. 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 billion potential viewers across 128+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including FOX Sports, Setanta, MNC, Astro, Thairath TV, ABS-CBN, TV5, MYTV, HTV, OSN and more.

NEW YORK – August 29, 2017 – Combate Americas announced today that it has partnered with Southern California-based leisure operator Hybrid One to produce multiple, live televised Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) events in California’s Inland Empire, beginning with a nine-bout fight card for Mexican Independence Day, at The Amphitheater at Splash Kingdom Waterpark in Redlands on Friday, Sept. 15.

“Combate Americas: El Grito en La Jaula,” the event that kicks off the partnership, will air live on Azteca America in the U.S. and on ESPN Latin America at 10 p.m. ET, and will be headlined by a featherweight (145 pounds) matchup between ferocious, 26-year-old rising star Jose “Froggy” Estrada (3-1) of Oxnard, Calif. and gritty battler Izic “Lionheart” Fernandez (2-3) of Santa Ana, Calif.

In the women’s atomweight (105 pounds) co-main event, former Eddie Bravo protégé Kyra “Mogwai” Batara (6-4) of Las Vegas, Nev., fresh off her second-round submission victory over 12-time Spanish National Judo Champion Vanesa Rico, will make a quick return to La Jaula, the Combate Americas cage, where the 22-year-old will face off with Jenna Serio (3-2) of New York, N.Y.

Priced from $40, tickets for “Combate Americas: El Grito en La Jaula” are on sale at Ticketon.com.

“We are excited to partner with Hybrid One, and continue the rapid expansion of our live event series to yet another market in Southern California, beginning with a phenomenal fight card in honor of Mexican Independence Day,” said Combate Americas CEO and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) co-founder Campbell McLaren.

“We acquired Splash Kingdom in April of this year with the vision of transforming it into the Inland Empire’s leading entertainment destination. Today’s partnership with Combate Americas represents a significant step toward realizing that vision,” said Hybrid One co-founder and co-owner Ryan Sauter.

Following the kick-off event on Sept. 15, Combate Americas expects to return to the Redlands venue in December.

A second women’s atomweight matchup at “Combate Americas: El Grito en La Jaula” will pit two professional debut competitors – Brenda Enriquez (0-0) of Salt Lake City, Utah against Shyann Farmer (0-0) Alamogordo, N.M.

The 28-year-old Enriquez is coming off a stellar amateur career during which she amassed a 7-1 record, with 6 of her victories coming by way of either (T)KO or submission.

Farmer is a 24-year-old upstart who collected an amateur record of 4-1.

Elsewhere on the fight card, undefeated, emerging star Rafael “Gifted” Garcia (4-0) of Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico will make his second start in La Jaula and face off with three-time Combate Americas veteran Marcos “El Matador” Bonilla (4-4) of Los Angeles, Calif. in a featherweight contest.

In a battle between unbeaten lightweights (155 pounds) Javier “Habanero” Garcia (2-0) of Covina, Calif. will take on Guillermo Gonzalez (3-0) of San Bernardino, Calif.

Fresh off his first-round submission victory at Combate Americas on May 5, Ralph “The Spyder Monkey” Acosta (17-12) of Riverside, Calif. will collide with Cub Swanson student Gareth De La Cruz (6-1) of Palm Springs, Calif.

Doors at The Amphitheater at Splash Kingdom Waterpark open at 6 p.m. The first bout will begin at 6:30 p.m.

COMPLETE “COMBATE AMERICAS: EL GRITO EN LA JAULA” FIGHT CARD

Featherweight Main Event (Live on Azteca America and ESPN Latin America):
Jose Estrada vs. Izic Fernandez

Atomweight Co-Main Event (Live on Azteca America and ESPN Latin America):
Kyra Batara vs. Jenna Serio

Preliminary Card:
Featherweight: Rafael Garcia vs. Marcos Bonilla
Lightweight: Javier Garcia vs. Guillermo Gonzalez
Atomweight: Brenda Enriquez vs. Shyann Farmer
Flyweight: Ralph Acosta vs. Gareth De La Cruz
Flyweight: Isaac Camarillo vs. Heber Castillo
Catchweight (140 pounds): Angel Gonzalez vs. Julio Aguilera
Middleweight: Santiago Diaz vs. Alex Thompson

# # #

ABOUT COMBATE AMERICAS
Combate Americas, LLC. is the first U.S. Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise in history, designed to build Latino fighting champions and serve Hispanic fans, one of the world’s most avid groups of prize fighting enthusiasts. The Combate Americas franchise includes reality TV programming, live events and mobile programming. The company’s CEO, Campbell McLaren, is universally recognized as the co-founder/co-creator of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). New York Magazine described McLaren as “the marketing genius behind the UFC” and Yahoo! Sports proclaimed that he “knows more about the sport than just about anyone in it today.” With an unprecedented product and a blue-chip ownership and management team, Combate Americas is poised to break new ground and bring about a new era in world championship level MMA competition.

ABOUT HYBRID ONE
Hybrid One (“H1”) is a fast-growing provider of technology-enhanced products, services, and experiences in the leisure and hospitality industries. H1 currently includes five subsidiaries: The Wall, a popular Orange County restaurant featuring over 50 taps of self-serve craft beer paired with international street food. The brand is expanding to Redlands, California in the fall of 2017. Splash Kingdom is a recently-acquired water park and entertainment center in Redlands, California. H1 Labs is developing proprietary technologies for the leisure and hospitality industries, starting with The Wall’s groundbreaking self-pour beer system. H1 Advisors is helping infuse “Disney DNA” into entertainment and leisure projects around the world. And Hybrid Enterprises leverages vertical integration opportunities, with manufacturing operations in China and Mexico.

22 August 2017 – Jakarta, Indonesia: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced ONE: TOTAL VICTORY, set for 16 September at the Jakarta Convention Center in Indonesia. The evening promises another spectacular showcase of authentic martial arts action, delivered by the absolute best in local and international martial arts talent. In the main event, former ONE Flyweight World Champion Kairat Akhmetov of Kazakhstan takes on Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio of the Philippines.

Ticket information for ONE: TOTAL VICTORY is available at www.onefc.com

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “Jakarta has remained one of ONE Championship’s most exciting destinations. The bustling capital city of Indonesia provides a perfect backdrop for our unique brand of world-class authentic martial arts action. An amazing event is planned for fans in Jakarta, as we bring to you a tremendous clash between two top flyweights in Kairat Akhmetov and Geje Eustaquio. It’s going to be another awesome evening of compelling bouts, so join us as we broadcast live around the world!”

Former ONE Flyweight World Champion Kairat Akhmetov is a veteran martial artist from Almaty, Kazakhstan. The 29-year-old boasts a solid 23-1 professional record amassed during a stellar martial arts career which has seen him dominate his opponents with tenacious wrestling and powerful striking. In his most recent appearance inside the ONE Championship cage, Akhmetov faced divisional rival Adriano Moraes for the right to be crowned the undisputed ONE Flyweight World Champion. Akhmetov fell just short of victory, losing by unanimous decision in a close bout. Determined to earn another shot at ONE Championship gold, a victory over Geje Eustaquio, whom Akhmetov will challenge in his next contest, could be the ticket to another title opportunity.

Kairat Akhmetov of Kazakhstan, stated: “I am excited to get back in the cage and compete. Defeat is part of this game, the important thing is to come back better. The body is ready, the mind is strong, and the spirit is willing. [Geje] Eustaquio is one of the best competitors in the division and a victory over him will mean a lot. I have one goal, and that is to get back my title. I will take care of anyone who stands in my way.”

Top flyweight contender and former world title challenger Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio of Baguio City, Philippines, is one of the most skilled martial artists in Asia, and a highly-decorated wushu practitioner. His solid striking and grappling skill set has led to huge victories over the course of a six-year professional martial arts career. Training in the high altitudes of the Philippines’ mountainous region, Eustaquio hones his craft alongside world-class teammates at the fabled Team Lakay. In his most recent bout, Eustaquio defeated fellow striker Anatpong Bunrad via split decision in a rematch. Known for his incredible ability to keep calm in the face of adversity, Eustaquio is set to headline ONE: TOTAL VICTORY opposite former ONE Flyweight World Champion Kairat Akhmetov.

Geje Eustaquio of the Philippines, stated: “This is a huge bout against a former world champion, it is very important to me. Thank you ONE Championship for the opportunity. I will showcase my best skills in this bout and take home the win for the Philippines. [Kairat] Akhmetov is a world-class martial artist and I can’t wait to test my skills against him. When the cage door closes, it’s time for battle. I will make sure to come well prepared.”

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 sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia featuring the best Asian martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship is broadcast to over 1 billion viewers across 128+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including FOX Sports, MNC, Astro, Thairath TV, ABS-CBN, Claro, Bandsports, HTV, Mediacorp, Premier Sports, OSN and more.

18 August 2017 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), once again electrified the iconic Stadium Negara in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with another evening of authentic world-class martial arts action. ONE: QUEST FOR GREATNESS delivered a series of compelling bouts, performed by the absolute best in local and international martial arts talent. In the main event, Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen shocked the world by stopping Marat “Cobra” Gafurov in their rematch to become the new ONE Featherweight World Champion.

Visit the official ONE: QUEST FOR GREATNESS photo gallery by clicking: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ivh34n9pza3q94o/AADwuMwRg-gnDecd5AIBoQyTa?dl=0

In the main event of ONE: QUEST FOR GREATNESS, Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen of Australia completed his journey through ONE Championship’s featherweight ranks by upsetting previously-unbeaten Russian champion Marat “Cobra” Gafurov via knockout within two rounds to clinch the highly-coveted ONE Featherweight World Championship. Gafurov dominated the first round with his magnificent grappling arsenal, but Nguyen found his groove in the second frame as he tore apart his Russian foe with his striking. Recognizing an opening, Nguyen countered Gafurov’s jab with an overhand right that knocked out the now former champion at the center of the ONE Championship cage. Nguyen’s remarkable conquest of Gafurov earned him the “GoDaddy Knockout of the Night” award.

Martin Nguyen, newly crowned ONE Featherweight World Champion, stated: “I just want to dedicate this fight, not only to Malaysia for being so welcoming and having such a beautiful country. This is for my dad. He was my inspiration for the whole camp when I mentally broke. (He and) the boys kept me together. I’ve got a deadly overhand right, but it’s not my only weapon. Thank you to Marat [Gafurov] for giving me the opportunity.”

In the co-main event of the evening, former world title challenger Ev “E.T.” Ting of Malaysia placed his name back in the winner’s column by overwhelming Japanese veteran and former ONE Welterweight World Champion Nobutatsu Suzuki to win by devastating technical knockout. From the opening bell, Ting paced himself well, keeping Suzuki at range with his accurate striking before executing the end sequence. After staggering Suzuki with a combination, Ting swarmed his opponent to score the referee stoppage.

22-year-old Agilan “The Alligator” Thani of Malaysia authored one of the most dominant performances of the night, placing himself back on the winning track with a unanimous decision victory over Sherif “The Shark” Mohamed of Egypt. Showing off new skills and techniques that he learned from training with the world-famous Team Quest, Thani swamped Mohamed with his wrestling while stifling his opponent with submission attempts. The former world title challenger finished the three-round welterweight contest on a strong note, delivering crisp ground strikes to the delight of his roaring countrymen.

Filipino knockout artist Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon completed yet another scintillating finish, his second in a row, by defeating Australian submission specialist Reece “Lightning” McLaren by knockout. Belingon finished the job in just 62 seconds, dropping his Australian opponent with a hard right straight before punctuating with follow-up strikes on the ground to compel referee Olivier Coste to step in and halt the contest. The revered Team Lakay veteran recorded his seventh knockout win as a professional with the impressive triumph over McLaren.

In a clash of high-caliber flyweights, Malaysia’s Gianni Subba captured a hard-earned victory in front of a jubilant hometown crowd by routing Japan’s Riku “The Outsider” Shibuya. Subba showcased his pinpoint accurate striking early on, peppering Shibuya with stinging right hands and spinning back-kicks in the first round. Although Shibuya easily converted his takedown attempts in the succeeding rounds to avoid striking exchanges, Subba kept himself active on the canvas, fishing for submissions while landing the more telling blows. In the end, Subba’s efforts were rewarded with a unanimous decision.

“Mighty” May Ooi of Singapore scored a major victory in her ONE Championship debut by submitting Malaysian female martial arts superstar Ann “Athena” Osman in the first round. After surviving a huge right hand from Osman, Ooi took matters to the canvas, where she maneuvered her cage counterpart with ease courtesy of her impeccable ground game. The 41-year-old Singaporean executed a flawless transition into a rear-naked choke that left Osman no choice but to tap out.

Former ONE Strawweight World Champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke of Thailand brushed off a lackluster start to topple Robin “The Ilonggo” Catalan of the Philippines via second-round technical knockout. Showcasing tremendous power with every strike and drawing cheers from the crowd after each landed blow, Dejdamrong’s thunderous knees proved too much for Catalan as the Filipino lost his footing, forcing the referee to wave it off and award the victory to the celebrated Thai kickboxer.

Christian “The Warrior” Lee of Singapore exhibited stellar form, proving himself a top featherweight contender in ONE Championship by scoring an impressive submission over Malaysia’s Keanu Subba. Both highly-touted prospects started out aggressively, but it was Lee who showed a more capable set of grappling skills. Lee spun a web of crafty grappling to overwhelm Subba as the 19-year-old Singaporean standout was able to get the submission finish in the third round, making Subba tap from a wrenching armbar.

Emilio “The Honey Badger” Urrutia of the United States made a triumphant promotional debut in ONE Championship by edging out Team Lakay stalwart Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly of the Philippines in their three-round featherweight encounter. Urrutia relied on his solid ground game to pacify his Filipino opponent’s firepower in the stand-up trade, wearing down Kelly and steering him to a decisive victory by way of unanimous decision.

Kicking off ONE: QUEST FOR GREATNESS was a strawweight encounter between wushu practitioner Rene Catalan of the Philippines and Chinese grappling prodigy Bu Huo You Ga. After dropping his opponent with a clean left straight in first round, Catalan secured top control and went to work. With a dominant top game, Catalan notched his third straight victory, defeating Bu Huo as all three judges saw the bout in favor of Catalan to win by unanimous decision.

Official results for ONE: QUEST FOR GREATNESS
ONE Featherweight World Championship bout: Martin Nguyen defeats Marat Gafurov by Knockout at 1:27 minutes of round 2
Lightweight bout: Ev Ting defeats Nobutatsu Suzuki by TKO (Strikes) at 3:29 minutes of round 1
Welterweight bout: Agilan Thani defeats Sherif Mohamed by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Bantamweight bout: Kevin Belingon defeats Reece McLaren by Knockout at 1:02 minutes of round 1
Flyweight bout: Gianni Subba defeats Riku Shibuya by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Women’s strawweight bout: May Ooi defeats Ann Osman by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 3:27 minutes of round 1
Strawweight bout: Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke defeats Robin Catalan by TKO (Strikes) at 0:46 minutes of round 2
Featherweight bout: Christian Lee defeats Keanu Subba by Submission (Armbar) at 1:11 minutes of round 3
Featherweight bout: Emilio Urrutia defeats Edward Kelly by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Strawweight bout: Rene Catalan defeats Bu Huo You Ga by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

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

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, 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 sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia featuring the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship is broadcast to over 1 billion viewers across 128+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including FOX Sports, MNC, Astro, Thairath TV, ABS-CBN, Claro, Bandsports, HTV, Mediacorp, Premier Sports, OSN and more.

17 August 2017 – Shanghai, China: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced its inaugural event in Shanghai, China, which is set to take place on 2 September, at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center. The bustling metropolis will play host to ONE CHAMPIONSHIP: SHANGHAI, featuring the absolute best in local and international martial arts talent. In the main event, ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben Askren of the United States returns to the ONE Championship cage to defend his title against challenger Zebaztian Kadestam of Sweden.

Ticket information for ONE CHAMPIONSHIP: SHANGHAI is available at www.onefc.com

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “China is one of our biggest markets, and the focus has been to really bring the rich cultural history of martial arts in China to the forefront. It is a delight to finally announce our inaugural event in the beautiful city of Shanghai. We are coming at you live and ready to showcase the world’s most authentic display of martial arts. With an exhilarating main event prepared for our fans in Shanghai, Ben Askren is ready to defend his ONE Welterweight World Championship against Swedish challenger Zebaztian Kadestam. The interesting clash of styles should provide fans a solid matchup. Moreover, we have an amazing card planned for fans all across the world. This is a live event you would not want to miss!”

Apart from the announcement of ONE CHAMPIONSHIP: SHANGHAI and its highly-anticipated headlining bout, ONE Championship has also ventured into partnerships with Didi Chuxing, I-Fitness, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

Didi Chuxing is the world’s largest comprehensive one-stop mobile transportation platform which offers a full range of mobile tech-based mobility options for over 300 million users across 400 Chinese cities. Meanwhile, I-Fitness leads in fitness curriculum operations research and development in China, which is devoted to building the best fitness market operation upgrade platform in the country with more than ten independent research and development courses.

Furthermore, TAT is the first organization in Thailand to be specifically responsible for the promotion of tourism. TAT supplies information and data on tourist areas to the public, publicizes Thailand with the intention of encouraging both Thai and international tourists to travel in and around Thailand, conducts studies to set development plans for tourist destinations, and cooperates with and supports the production and development of personnel in the field of tourism.

Sityodtong added: “I am thrilled to announce this partnership with Didi Chuxing, I-Fitness, and TAT as our partnership signifies another incredible moment for martial arts in Asia and ONE Championship. As a lead up to the biggest martial arts event in Shanghai, China on 2 September, ONE Championship will roll out a massive campaign across all media platforms throughout the country.”

A former NCAA Division I All-American, Ben “Funky” Askren of the United States is a collegiate wrestling legend and a US Olympian who represented the nation at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He is universally recognized as one of the finest martial artists in the world today. Askren joined ONE Championship in 2014, winning the ONE Welterweight World Championship in just his second bout. Askren has since successfully defended the title twice, including his most recent victory, a first-round submission of young Malaysian star Agilan Thani in May. Sporting an unblemished 16-0 professional record, Askren seeks to continue his reign as champion, this time against Zebaztian Kadestam.

Zebaztian “The Bandit” Kadestam of Sweden holds an outstanding professional record of 9-3, and is a tremendous competitor with a wide array of striking and grappling techniques. Seven of his nine career victories have come by way of knockout. Kadestam made a successful ONE Championship debut last May when he defeated Luis Santos, upsetting the top welterweight contender via a come-from-behind third-round knockout. Kadestam’s resounding victory quickly earned him a title opportunity, as he is now booked to face the toughest opponent of his career in Ben Askren.

41-year-old Narantungalag Jadambaa of Ulaangom, Mongolia, is one of the top talents in ONE Championship’s deep featherweight division. At 12 wins and five losses, Jadambaa has faced the biggest names in Asian martial arts and has posted wins over notable ONE Championship stars Kotetsu Boku and Eric Kelly. Featuring incredible strength, durability and skill, Jadambaa is recognized among the very best in the world, having been the former ONE Featherweight World Champion. In his most recent bout, Jadambaa fell just short of victory in an epic rematch with reigning champion Marat Gafurov. Next, he faces Japanese grappler Tetsuya Yamada.

27-year-old Tetsuya Yamada of Kanigawa, Japan, is a promising young martial artist with a distinct ability to seek out highlight-reel stoppages. He made his ONE Championship debut in January of 2016 in an extremely high-level wrestling showdown against Eduard Folayang of the Philippines. A seasoned grappler, 14 of Yamada’s 18 career victories have come by spectacular finish, including six submissions. After a brief stint in other promotions, Yamada returns to the ONE Championship cage to take on former ONE Featherweight World Champion Narantungalag Jadambaa.

Chinese bantamweight contender Miao Li Tao is set to make his ONE Championship promotional debut against 23-year-old Liu De Li Ri Ge Hu. The two competitors are set to do battle at ONE CHAMPIONSHIP SHANGHAI in front of a packed stadium filled to the rafters with their hometown fans. Miao, who represents the Fighting Brothers Gym in Beijing, is a Sanda and boxing practitioner while Liu De Li, who represents Long Yun MMA in Harbin, specializes in Mongolian wrestling.

Beijing-based former professional boxer Xu Chun Yan is set to make her ONE Championship debut, and will take on 19-year-old Cambodian Eh Ya Nut in a showdown of talented young strikers. Eh Ya Nut possesses valuable experience inside the ONE Championship cage, having competed in the promotion in December of 2015. Xu, a former WBC Intercontinental champion, will test her skills against the Khun Khmer specialist in an exciting striking battle.

Making their highly-anticipated ONE Championship debut, “The Sweeping Monk” Chen Geng Min will take on opponent Peng Xue Wen of Guangdong in a three-round strawweight contest. Chen, a multiple time Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion, is 3-0 in professional martial arts competition, and is a mainstay of AMA Gym in Shanghai. Peng, on the other hand, sports a 2-1 professional martial arts record and is the former 2014 National Youth Greco Roman Wrestling Champion. The two warriors are set for what is expected to be a high-level grappling affair.

30-year-old Sagetdao Petpayathai is a Muay Thai specialist and a four-time Lumpinee Stadium champion who has won every major title in Muay Thai. He made his professional cage debut last March at home in Bangkok, defeating Malaysia’s Kelvin Ong via first-round technical knockout. Voted by Thai media as one of the greatest Muay Thai practitioners in history, Petpayathai is known for his highly technical knowledge in all of Muay Thai’s varied techniques. Petpayathai will be taking on Mahmoud Mohamed in his second bout inside the ONE Championship cage.

Mahmoud Mohamed of Cairo, Egypt, is a ONE Championship lightweight competitor with a 4-4-1 professional martial arts record. He made his promotional debut in January of 2016, showcasing well-rounded striking and grappling skills against talented young opponent Christian Lee. In his most recent bout, Mohamed took on former lightweight contender Bashir Ahmad. He now returns to action seeking victory, but will have to go through Sagetdao Petpayathai to claim success.

30-year-old “Supermom” Miao Jie of Shanghai, China is a professional martial artist with a 2-1 record. A talented grappler, Miao recently placed third overall as a purple belt at the 2017 IBJJF World Championships in Long Beach, California, USA. Looking to make a name for herself in Asia’s premier martial arts organization, Miao seeks to showcase her complete skills as she makes her ONE Championship debut against Mona Samir.

Female flyweight competitor Mona Samir of Cairo, Egypt, is a professional martial artist with a 1-3 record. Samir made her ONE Championship debut in September of 2015 against Singapore’s Angela Lee, and returned to the promotion a year later to face Michelle Nicolini. Featuring a well-rounded set of skills, Samir is determined to claim victory inside the ONE Championship cage. Having faced the biggest names in women’s martial arts in Asia, Samir is ready to utilize her experience as an advantage against opponent Miao Jie.

22-year-old Singaporean lightweight prospect Amir Khan is a professional martial artist with a stellar 7-2 record. He is considered one of the most promising young talents to represent Singapore on the international stage of martial arts. Khan is currently riding a four-bout win streak, which includes one win by submission and three by devastating knockout. In his most recent outing, Khan needed just a little over a minute to finish Rajinder Singh Meena with punches. Next in line for Khan is the dangerous Jaroslav Jartim.

Prague-based martial arts star Jaroslav Jartim of Czech Republic will return to the ONE Championship cage following an unsuccessful debut last April at the hands of Honorio Banario. With a professional record of eight wins, six losses and one draw, Jartim remains a highly-capable competitor with tremendous finishing ability. Of his eight victories, three have come by submission and three by knockout. The Penta Gym Prague representative is set to face top Singaporean lightweight prospect Amir Khan.

Shanghai-based competitors “The Ghost” Zhang Ze Hao and former boxer Li Cheng Chao are set for their first appearance inside the ONE Championship cage. Zhang, a proponent at the AMA Shanghai Gym, is 2-2 as a professional and sanda and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner. Li, representing the Dragon Warrior Gym, is also 2-2 as a professional, and comes from a boxing background. The two are set for a three-round battle on the preliminary card of ONE CHAMPIONSHIP: SHANGHAI.

Kicking off the action at ONE CHAMPIONSHIP: SHANGHAI are two promising young bantamweight prospects. Malaysian warrior Marc Marcellinus is set to return to the ONE Championship cage opposite Vietnam’s Tran Quang Loc. Marcellinus has already competed twice for the promotion, taking on Singapore’s Stephen Langdown in 2013 and Thailand’s Anatpong Bunrad in 2014. After a long break from professional competition, Marcellinus returns to face Tran, an exciting prospect from Ho Chi Minh City who is making his professional martial arts debut.

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 sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia featuring the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship is broadcast to over 1 billion viewers across 128+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including FOX Sports, MNC, Astro, Thairath TV, ABS-CBN, Claro, Bandsports, HTV, Mediacorp, Premier Sports, OSN and more.

SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia (August 16, 2017) – M-1 Global president Vadim Finkelchtein recently sat down with mixfight.ru to discuss the recent M-1 Challenge 82 in Finland, M-1 Challenge 83 in next month in Kazan, Russia, and what fight he considers to be the most anticipated this autumn.

M-1 Challenge 82 tournament has just ended in Helsinki. Tell us your impressions and did everything go as planned beforehand?

VF: “Yes, the tournament fully met our expectations. We initially set it very high, promoting M-1 Challenge 82 at the largest venue in Finland, Hartwall Arena. In the history of Finland’s MMA tournaments, prior to our show, MMA shows had never been held in large arenas. There were halls for 1,500 to 2,000 viewers, at most, and that’s why M-1 Global had such as a large responsibility. I am very glad that we managed to fill the arena by 70-80 percent, setting record attendance for MMA tournaments in Finland. Our matchmakers did a great job. They managed to gather some of the best Finnish fighters for this tournament and found some worthy opponents for them as well. This attracted a lot of attention to the tournament, of course, for Finnish MMA fans.”

Do you plan to come back to Finland and hold tournaments on a regular basis there?

VF: “Undoubtedly! We have such intentions. We have seen good interest in our tournaments, not only on the part of the audience, but television and the media as well. This year we have signed a contract with one of the leading TV channels of Finland – RUUTU — to broadcast all M-1 Challenge tournaments. I think we will definitely return next year to Finland.”

When is the next M-1 Challenge tournament and where?

VF: “The next tournament will be held in Kazan (Russia) on September 23rd. This will be the first M-1 tournament in this city and we’re thoroughly prepared for it. The main event for M-1 Challenge 83 is a fight between Brandon Halsey and Mikhail Ragozin, one of the most promising Russian heavyweights. Mikhail is a pupil of Alexander Shlemenko, who is also a New Stream team fighter.”

Fans are now excited about the tournament in St. Petersburg, of course, especially the title super-bout between two bright punchers, Alexei Kunchenko and Sergei Romanov. What do you expect from this fight?

VF: “I’m sure this fight will be the pinnacle of the entire season in Russian MMA. This will be a duel between the two strongest fighters in this weight category in Russia, but it’s also a fight between two bright and prominent shock-punchers. Kunchenko has never been defeated. He is more experienced of the two, he has already won the belt and has defended it a few times. And Romanov is very hungry, winning fighter, who improves progressively as a professional from fight to fight. And, of course, there will be crowded fan sectors on his side in St. Petersburg. Already, as of today, 2 ½ months before the tournament, Sergey’s fans have bought more than 1000 tickets! I myself am looking forward to this fight!”

INFORMATION:

www.M1Global.tv
www.mixfight.ru
www.wmmaa.org

Twitter & Instagram:

@M1GlobalNews
@VFinkelchtein
@M1Global

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/M-1-GlobalNews
ABOUT M-1 GLOBAL: Founded in 1997, M-1 Global has established itself in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as the premier entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With its office in St Petersburg, Russia, the M-1 brand has staged more than 200 events worldwide, including M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge, M-1 Global and M-1 Global HWGP events, in addition to co-promoting Strikeforce events and M-1 Global on the U.S. network, Showtime. Captivating live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and match-ups, M-1 Global events have featured some of the sport’s top names, including legendary heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Keith Jardine, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Sergei Kharitonov, Aleksander Emelianenko, Roman Zentsov, Yushin Okami, Mike Pyle, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Amar Suloev, Chalid Arrab and Stephan Struve. 2017 has been another sensational year of world-class competition, featuring a full calendar of Challenge events, fueled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global Champions among the greatest fighters in the sport.

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

PHOENIX (August 12, 2017) -The Iron Boy MMA 7 card will air tonight on pay-per-view LIVE from Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona.

Integrated Sports Media will distribute “Iron Boy MMA 7” live in the United States, starting at 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT, on cable, satellite and internet pay-per-view via DirecTV, iN Demand, Vubiquity, and DISH, in addition to being available worldwide on the FITE app and website (www.FITE.tv
), for a suggested retail price of only $19.95.

IRON BOY MMA 7 PPV CARD

MAIN EVENT – FEATHERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Randy Steinke (17-11-1, IB 1-0-), Glendale, AZ 145 lbs.
Frank Baca (16-4-0, (IB: 0-0-0), Albuquerque, NM 143.7 lbs.

CO-FEATURE – FEATHERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
“Rollin'” Noland Hyland (3-1-0, IB: 1-0-0), Mesa, AZ147 lbs.
Andres “The Punisher” Ponce (3-3-0, IB: 0-1-0), Yuma, AZ 149 lbs.

(plus other exciting fights)

Tickets are priced at $55.00, $40.00 and $30.00 and available to purchase online at www.ironboy.com or at the Celebrity Theatre box office.

INFORMATION:
www.integratedsportsnet.com, www.ironboy.com, www.fite.tv

Twitter: @IntegratedPPV, @ironboyboxing, @FiteTV
ABOUT INTEGRATED SPORTS MEDIA: North America’s leading distributor of International Pay-Per-View and Closed-Circuit sports events has presented World Championship and world-class boxing matches featuring Ricky Hatton, Christian Mijares, Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones, Jr., Ivan Calderon, Rocky Martinez, Nicolai Valuev, Amir Kahn, Marco Antonio Barrera, Arthur Abraham, David Haye, John Ruiz, and Ruslan Chagaev. In addition, Integrated Sports Media distributed numerous International soccer matches showcasing teams like Club America of Mexico and the National Teams of Argentina, Honduras, El Salvador and the USA, as well as World Championship and world-class mixed martial arts shows featuring Fedor Emelianenko, Tim Sylvia, Bobby Lashley, Bob Sapp, Jeff Monson, and Roy Nelson. For more information on upcoming Integrated Sports events visit www.integratedsportsnet.com.

ABOUT IRON BOY PROMOTIONS: Based in Arizona, Iron Boy Promotions (IBP) is dedicated to bringing high-powered, quality combat sports to Arizona and beyond. Through its network of professionals, IBP is working hard to get local talent into the international spotlight.