Retired Women’s MMA Star Named Combate Americas Fight Director

NEW YORK – July 13, 2017 – Combate Americas has named retired, former women’s Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) world champion Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc, a Fight Director for the Hispanic sports and media franchise.

The appointment makes Rivera-Calanoc the first Mexican American woman in history to be charged with leading recruitment and matchmaking efforts for a combat sports organization.

Based in Las Vegas, Nev., Rivera-Calanoc, a training partner of former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) world champion Miesha Tate, will be responsible for managing the rapidly expanding field of women athletes that compete for the Combate Americas live television event series, both in the U.S., and internationally in Latin America.

She will also participate in the recruiting and matchmaking processes for the Combate Americas men’s division.

“We are thrilled to welcome Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc to our fast-growing and robust team of executives,” said Combate Americas CEO and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) co-founder Campbell McLaren.

“Throughout her involvement in the sport,” continued McLaren, “Nicdali has been the consummate professional both in and out of competition, and we are confident that her vast experience as a professional athlete, will be a conduit to success working with the new generation of the sport that Combate Americas is investing in.”

Rivera-Calanoc has made history with Combate Americas twice before, competing in both the franchise’s first-ever, live televised U.S. event in Las Vegas in 2015, as well as its first live televised event in Mexico last January with Tate in her corner.

A 10-year veteran of professional MMA competition, Rivera-Calanoc was ranked amongst the top 10 fighters in the world in three different weight classes – flyweight (125 pounds), strawweight (115 pounds) and atomweight (105 pounds) – at three different points in her career.

On August 23, 2008, Rivera-Calanoc was crowned a world champion after defeating Shawn Tamaribuchi by way of unanimous decision in a flyweight contest in Shawnee, Okla.

Born in Chihuahua, Mexico, Rivera-Calanoc immigrated to the U.S. at age 5 with her family, and was raised in Tulsa, Okla. She returned to her roots in Chihuahua annually until her latter teenage years.

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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.




Fight Network to Live Broadcast UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: NELSON vs. PONZINIBBIO PRELIMS

TORONTO – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 multi-platform channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, today announced extensive live coverage for this Sunday’s UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: NELSON vs. PONZINIBBIO from Glasgow, Scotland, highlighted by the live two-hour UFC FIGHT NIGHT PRELIMS at 1:00 p.m. ET. The main card will be televised live on TSN5.

In featured prelim bouts, welterweights Danny Roberts (13-2) and Bobby Nash (8-2) collide, No. 14-ranked flyweight Alexandre Pantoja (17-2) takes on Neil Seery (16-12), Charlie Ward (3-2) fights Galore Bofando (4-2) in a welterweight tilt, plus Danny Henry (10-2) and Daniel Teymur (6-0) open the festivities with a lightweight bout.

Sunday’s live coverage on Fight Network begins at 12:00 p.m. ET with the UFC FIGHT NIGHT PREFIGHT SHOW, featuring No. 6-ranked UFC strawweight Michelle Waterson joining middleweight champion Michael Bisping and retired contender Kenny Florian as desk analysts alongside host Karyn Bryant and reporter Heidi Androl conducting on-site fighter interviews in Scotland.

The action wraps up immediately following the main event with the UFC FIGHT NIGHT POSTFIGHT SHOW at approximately 6:00 p.m. ET, featuring highlights, analysis and post-fight interviews.

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.




COMBATE AMERICAS ADDS FIVE NEW BOUTS TO STACKED “COMBATE CLÁSICO” LINE UP IN MIAMI ON THURSDAY, JULY 27

NEW YORK – July 11, 2017 – Combate Americas and Relevent Sports, a division of RSE Ventures, today announced five new marquee bouts to its upcoming “Combate Clásico” professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event in Miami, Fla., on Thursday, July 27.

Making his return to the Combate Americas cage La Jaula is top-ranked bantamweight (135 pounds) star Ricky “El Gallero” Palacios (8-1), who will move up to the featherweight (145 pounds) division for the second time in his Combate Americas career to face his toughest test to date – two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) veteran and Nate Diaz protégé, Chris Avila (5-4) of Stockton, Calif.

“This is shaping up to be our most stellar fight card, from top to bottom, to date. With the matchup between Ricky Palacios and Chris Avila, we are destined for another memorable night of electrifying action in La Jaula,” Combate Americas CEO Campbell McLaren said.

Fresh off his triumphant victory over another former UFC star Roman “El Gallito” Salazar at Combate 13 on April 20, the hard-hitting 30-year-old Palacios of Mission, Texas, also an unbeaten professional boxer, looks to extend his five-fight winning streak.

The 24-year-old Avila of the famed Cesar Gracie Fight Team makes his debut in La Jaula following a pair of hard-fought decisions under the UFC.

In bantamweight action, the red-hot Marcelo “Pitbull” Rojo (11-4) aims for his fourth consecutive win and second straight inside La Jaula following his blistering, technical knockout win over Ivan Hernandez “Brasil” Flores at Combate 12 last March in Tijuana, Mexico.

The 29-year-old Argentinian will be paired off against Puerto Rican sensation Billy Molina (5-3), 30, making his Combate Americas debut after last month’s return to action in Bayamon.

Joining the featherweight (145 pounds) division for “Combate Clásico” is undefeated Venezuelan finisher Alberto Montes (3-0). Fighting out of the MMA Masters gym in Miami, the 23-year-old prospect locks horns with 30-year-old Combate Americas veteran Jonathan Quiroz (2-2) of Long Beach, Calif.

Grizzled veteran Irvin “The Beast” Rivera (5-3), best known for his thrilling, back-and-forth wars with Jose “Ghost” Ceja, looks to get back to his winning ways at the expense of prolific bantamweight wrestler Chino Duran (8-9), who makes his return to Combate Americas after a torrid run on the Florida MMA circuit.

Rounding out the newest additions to “Combate Clásico” is 24-year-old Joey “El Cazador” Ruquet (4-1), coming off consecutive wins in La Jaula and ready to make a run at the top of the bantamweight division by tangling with Florida’s own Vinney “The Instigator” Pantaleon (1-1).

Tickets for “Combate Clásico” are on sale online at Ticketon.com. Additional bouts will be announced in the coming days.

The “Combate Clásico” live MMA event will join a nearly week-long extravaganza that begins with a match between marquee soccer clubs Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain at Hard Rock Stadium on July 26 as well as concerts, parties and other interactive events prior to El Clásico Miami on July 29.

For more information on El Clásico Miami fans can visit elclasicomiami.com and internationalchampionscup.com.

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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 Relevent Sports
Relevent Sports provides an innovative approach to building a soccer presence in the United States and around the globe. Relevent Sports showcases the best match-ups and tournaments in soccer featuring the top clubs, international teams and players. Since 2013, Relevent Sports has organized the International Champions Cup; the premier preseason tournament featuring the top European clubs with matches in North America, Europe and Asia. Utilizing brand development, grassroots planning, corporate sponsors and international touring, Relevent Sports promotes and grows the love of soccer worldwide.

About the International Champions Cup
The International Champions Cup is the world’s premier summer soccer tournament organized by Relevent Sports, featuring the best clubs from around the world. A staple property of Relevent Sports and RSE Ventures, the International Champions Cup works with leading sponsors such as Heineken, Nike, Orlando and Ally, among others, to bring the best in soccer to iconic sports venues across North America, Europe and China.

The International Champions Cup has hosted some of the most iconic matchups in the world, including the two most attended soccer matches in U.S. history. First came when Real Madrid C.F. and Manchester United F.C. drew 109,318 fans to Michigan Stadium at the University of Michigan. Real Madrid C.F. returned to the “Big House” to take on Chelsea F.C. in front of 105,826 fans, second all-time, as part of the 2016 tournament. The International Champions Cup also has hosted the most attended soccer matches in Minnesota (64,101 at U.S. Bank Stadium) and Ohio (86,641 at Ohio Stadium) state history. In its four-year history, Real Madrid C.F., Manchester United F.C., Juventus F.C. and Paris Saint-Germain F.C. have all won installments of the tournament.




ONE CHAMPIONSHIP ANNOUNCES ONE: QUEST FOR GREATNESS FOR KUALA LUMPUR ON 18 AUGUST

10 July 2017 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced another blockbuster evening of authentic martial arts action. ONE: QUEST FOR GREATNESS is set to return to the iconic Stadium Negara on 18 August for another spectacular showcase of Asia’s top martial arts talent. In the main event, undefeated ONE Featherweight World Champion Marat “Cobra” Gafurov of Russia puts his world title on the line against top contender Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen of Australia.

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

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “It is always an exciting time in Kuala Lumpur whenever our world-class athletes climb atop Asia’s biggest and grandest martial arts stage. Our warriors are eager to put on a show for fans in Kuala Lumpur, and it is our honor to have them perform in this marvelous city. Marat Gafurov and Martin Nguyen are two of the promotion’s finest featherweights. They have met before, with Gafurov taking victory via submission in their first encounter. This time, however, a better-prepared and refocused Nguyen vows to finally bring the title back to Sydney.”

Marat “Cobra” Gafurov of Dagestan, Russia, is the reigning ONE Featherweight World Champion. An undefeated martial artist with 15 wins and no losses, Gafurov is a high-level grappler with 11 of his wins coming by impressive submission over top-caliber opponents. Rarely challenged and always dominant, Gafurov captured the featherweight title in 2015 with a gutsy victory over former champion Narantungalag Jadambaa in an epic battle. In his last bout, Gafurov defeated Jadambaa once again in a rematch a year later to cement his claim as the undisputed ONE Featherweight World Champion. He will defend his title next against Australia’s Martin Nguyen.

28-yea old Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen of Sydney, Australia, is a former featherweight title challenger with a 8-1 professional record. His only loss came at the hands of reigning ONE Featherweight World Champion Marat Gafurov, when he stepped up to accept their first showdown on just a few days’ notice. None of Nguyen’s victories have gone to a decision, giving him five solid knockout wins as well as three victories by submission. In his last bout, Nguyen defeated Japanese veteran warrior Kazunori Yokota via first-round knockout. Nguyen’s all-around skill set allows him to compete at the highest level as a professional. In a highly-anticipated rematch, Nguyen once again receives a shot at the ONE Featherweight World Championship when he takes on Marat Gafurov for the second time.

Ev “E.T.” Ting is a professional martial artist with deep roots in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Living and training out of Auckland, New Zealand, Ting owns a stellar 13-4 professional record, including four wins by submission and four exciting knockouts. A winner of four of his last five bouts over top-caliber opponents, Ting is one of the most talented competitors to come out of Malaysia. In his most recent bout, Ting challenged ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard Folayang, falling by unanimous decision in a gruelling five-round matchup. Ting now returns to Kuala Lumpur to face another challenge in Nobutatsu Suzuki.

A 39-year old Japanese veteran from Tokyo, Nobutatsu Suzuki is the former ONE Welterweight World Champion. With a professional record of 11-2-2, Suzuki is adept in both striking and grappling, also possessing well-rounded wrestling ability. He first captured the inaugural title with a victory over veteran competitor Brock Larson, only to succumb to now-reigning champion Ben Askren in the bout following. After a break from competition, Suzuki now returns as a lightweight to face Ev Ting.

Agilan “Alligator” Thani of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, will be making his return to the ONE Championship cage following his first shot at a world title opposite reigning ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben Askren. Although Thani fell short of victory against the American, he gained a great amount of experience as a result and has emerged as a more seasoned combatant. The 21-year old is 7-1 as a professional, with five of his seven victories ending in the first round. All of Thani’s victories have come by exciting finish. The young Malaysian has shown steady improvement in each outing. He is now set to take on Sherif Mohamed.

Sherif “The Shark” Mohamed is a professional martial artist from Cairo, Egypt, with a 8-3 record. The Evolution Light Heavyweight Champion, Sherif is a well-versed kickboxer and wrestler with all eight of his wins coming by finish. Of his total victories, Sherif owns four submissions and four knockouts, proving his versatility and well-rounded game. In his last bout, the Egyptian Top Team standout made his ONE Championship debut opposite Igor Subora. This time, Sherif takes on top welterweight Agilan Thani.

Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon of the famed Team Lakay in Baguio City, Philippines, is one of the country’s most talented martial artists. With a professional record of 15-5, Belingon is known as a fierce competitor with the ability to finish opponents in a variety of methods. The 29-year old wushu stalwart owns six big knockouts on his resume, and is one of the most feared strikers in the bantamweight division. In his last bout, Belingon stopped Finnish grappling sensation Toni “Dynamite” Tauru with a volley of devastating strikes. He now takes on another tough task ahead in Reece McLaren.

25-year old Reece “Lightning” McLaren is a Filipino-Australian professional martial artist from Toowoomba, Australia. He made his ONE Championship debut in 2015 with a spectacular submission victory over top bantamweight contender Mark Striegl, and then followed up that win with a unanimous decision over highly-regarded prospect Muin Gafurov. In his last bout, McLaren challenged Bibiano Fernandes for the ONE Bantamweight World Championship, falling just short of victory by way of split decision. Next up, he takes on Filipino striker Kevin Belingon.

Malaysia’s Gianni Subba is a 24-year old flyweight prospect from Kuala Lumpur. He spends time carefully honing his craft with talented teammates, including brother Keanu, at Bali MMA in Indonesia. A winner of five of his last six bouts, Subba is a seasoned athlete with a stellar 8-2 clip in his young career. Five of his seven wins have come either by submission or by crowd-pleasing technical knockout. In his next assignment, the crafty Riku Shibuya poses a stern challenge.

Japanese martial arts sensation Riku “The Outsider” Shibuya won the hearts of fans with his exciting, unorthodox style and powerful combinations. With a professional martial arts record of 13-3-2, Shibuya has figured in a series of exciting battles throughout his career. A former ONE Flyweight World Championship title contender, Shibuya is a veteran and easily one of the most enjoyable competitors to watch. In his last bout, the 32-year old took on Roy Doliguez in January 2016 to win a unanimous decision. After a recuperative break, Shibuya returns to take on Gianni Subba in what should be an intense matchup.

31-year old Ann “Athena” Osman of Kota Kinabalu is Malaysia’s premier women’s combat sports star. Training out of the coastal locale of Sabah, the female warrior hones her craft at Borneo Tribal Squad, advancing her skills in various disciplines such as wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and Muay Thai. A well-rounded martial artist, Osman likes to use her strength to overpower opponents and is extremely aggressive, always looking for the finish. Osman will take on Singapore’s May Ooi in her return to the ONE Championship cage.

Singaporean female strawweight prospect May Ooi is a professional martial artist and a ONE Championship newcomer. With a 2-2 professional record, Ooi is a hard-working competitor possessing well-rounded striking and grappling skills. A former swimmer, Ooi represented Singapore in the 1992 Summer Olympics held in Barcelona. Today, she is one of the country’s most talented martial artists. Ooi is set to make her ONE Championship debut opposite Malaysia’s Ann Osman.

26-year old Robin Catalan of Iloilo City, Philippines, is a member of the Catalan fighting family and a professional martial artist competing in the ONE Championship strawweight division. He currently owns a record of six wins and two losses, which includes two wins by submission and two by knockout. In his last bout, Catalan went head-to-head with fellow Filipino warrior Jeremy Miado to nab the win via split decision. Now, Catalan is set to face former ONE Strawweight World Champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke of Thailand.

Former ONE Strawweight World Champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke is a three-time Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai world champion who has a 7-2 record as a professional martial artist. He is known as a technical striker with quick hands and lightning feet, employing some of the most unique and creative combinations. As a martial artist with over 25 years of competitive experience, Dejdamrong is a seasoned veteran. In his last bout, Dejdamrong took on Indonesia’s Adrian Matheis to bag a first-round knockout victory. Next, the Thai warrior goes up against Robin Catalan.

22-year old Keanu Subba of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is one of the most promising young talents in ONE Championship’s featherweight ranks. He is 5-2 as a professional after making a name for himself as a MIMMA featherweight champion. In his most recent bout, Subba trumped fellow top prospect Ahmed Mujtaba of Pakistan, winning impressively by first-round submission. Subba’s experience inside the ONE Championship cage as a young fighter has taught him great lessons that he says has helped him improve his overall game. He is set to face Christian Lee in a highly-anticipated clash of young stars.

19-year old Christian “The Warrior” Lee, younger brother of reigning ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee, began his professional martial arts career on an absolute tear, railing off five straight victories by thrilling finish. He has impressed fans with his ability to seek out stoppage wins over top-caliber opponents. In his last bout, Lee toppled Chinese prospect Wan Jianping via first-round technical knockout to improve his record to 6-1. Known as an unpredictable striker with unorthodox grappling technique, Lee is now set to face rival Keanu Subba of Malaysia.

Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly is a 33-year old Filipino martial arts talent and one of the brightest featherweight prospects to emerge from the Philippines. A professional martial artist with a complete striking and grappling skill set, Kelly brings Team Lakay’s world-renowned wushu to centerstage as he looks to showcase his expertise inside the ONE Championship cage. Kelly has won his last three outings by spectacular finish. In his last bout, Kelly scored a third-round technical knockout of veteran competitor Sunoto of Indonesia. Kelly seeks to continue his amazing run, this time against Emilio Urrutia.

Emilio “The Honey Badger” Urrutia is an American martial artist from Miami, Florida. The 30-year old made his professional debut in 2013, and has since produced a solid 9-4 record. A skilled grappler, four of Urrutia’s nine total victories have come by submission. Training out of the renowned Tiger Muay Thai gym in Thailand and Juggernaut Fight Club in Singapore, Urrutia is set to make his ONE Championship debut as a featherweight. He will take on Filipino sensation Edward Kelly.

38-year old Rene “The Challenger” Catalan of Manila, Philippines, is a 2006 Asian Games gold medalist in wushu. He made his ONE Championship debut in 2013 against Brazil’s Alex Silva, and has since amassed a 2-2, 1 No Contest professional record. In September of 2016, Catalan notched his first victory in the promotion with a unanimous decision over Zhang You Liang. In his most recent bout, Catalan submitted Adrian Matheis by armbar in the second round. Now Catalan is looking for his third straight victory, this time against Bu Huo You Ga.

24-year old martial artist Bu Huo You Ga of China is a ONE Championship prospect with a professional record of four wins and two losses. He made his promotional debut in January of 2016 in the ONE Changsha Bantamweight Tournament, winning against Cai Chang Bo in his first bout, but losing to Ma Haobin shortly after. Months later, Bu Huo You Ga returned to competition as a flyweight to win the 2016 ONE Hefei Flyweight Tournament. Early in his professional career, Bu Huo You Ga has shown an incredible fighting spirit with solid striking and grappling offensive skills. Now ready to take his career to the next level, Bu Huo You Ga takes on Filipino wushu specialist Rene Catalan.

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 118+ 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.




LIVE VIDEO: UFC 213 POST FIGHT PRESS CONFERENCE




EARLY UFC 213 RESULTS


Number-14 ranked Heavyweight Aleksei Oleinik made number-9 ranked Travis Browne tap in the 2nd round of their heavyweoght bout.

With cuts over both eye, Oleinik got behind Browne and made him tap from a rear-naked choke at 3:44.

Oleinik is now 52-10-1. Browne drops to 18-7-1.

Chad Laprise stopped Brian Camozzi in the 3rd round of their welterweight bout.

Laprise landed a hard body blow that sent Camozzi to the canvas. Referee Herb Dean stopped the bout at 1:27 after several hard punches on the ground.

Laprise is 12-2. Camozzi is 7-4.

Thiago Santos stopped Gerlad Meerschaert in the 2nd round of their middleweight bout.

In round one, Meerschaert was poked in the eye. Santos was cut around the right side of his forehead and Meerschaert was bleeding from the nose in the opening frame. In round two, Santos pounded Meershcaert with four hard shots on the ground and the bout was stopped at 2:04.

Santos, 186 lbs of Rio De Jenairo, BRA is 15-5. Meerschaert, 184.5 lbs of Milwaukee, WI is 26-9.

Belal Muhammad won a unanimous decision over Jordan Mein in a welterweight bout.

In round one, Mein was cut over his left eye.

Muhammad won by scores of 30-27 and 29-28 and is now 12-2. Mein is 29-12.




Video: The Ultimate Fighter Redemption Finale: Post-fight Press Conference




Video: UFC 213: Official Weigh-in




Video: M-1 Challenge 81: Geronimo Dos Santos vs Sergei Kharitonov fight promo, July 22, Ingushetia




Video: The Ultimate Fighter Redemption Finale: Official Weigh-in




Fight Network Presents ENFUSION LIVE #51 from Halifax this Saturday, July 8 at 8:00 p.m. ET

TORONTO – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 multi-platform channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents the Canadian debut of ENFUSION LIVE this Saturday, July 8 at 8:00 p.m. ET, as ENFUSION LIVE #41 emanates from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, headlined by a five-round showdown between England’s Iman Barlow and Canadian Ashley Nichols for the Enfusion -54 kg world championship.

The live broadcast of ENFUSION LIVE #41 will air at 8:00 p.m. ET on Fight Network across Canada. The full line-up includes:

-54kg World Title – Iman Barlow (England) vs. Ashley Nichols (Canada)
-80kg – Thomas Dalziel (Canada) vs. Ariel Abreu (USA)
-85kg – Mark MacKinnon (Canada) vs. Joey George (Canada)
-75kg – Justin Condie (Canada) vs. Matthew Kendell (Canada)
-70kg – Chris McMillan (Canada) vs. Kyle Nelson (Canada)
-60kg – Lenny Wheeler (Canada) vs. Desmond Johnson (Canada)

Ahead of ENFUSION LIVE #41, the UFC 213 PREFIGHT SHOW will air live at 7:00 p.m. ET, featuring final predictions and analysis from Las Vegas, including UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping and retired contender Kenny Florian serving as desk analysts with host Karyn Bryant and reporter Megan Olivi conducting on-site interviews.

The live UFC 213 POSTFIGHT SHOW airs at approximately 1:00 a.m. ET, recapping the championship doubleheader featuring the rematch between Amanda Nunes and Valentina Shevchenko, plus the clash between Yoel Romero and Robert Whittaker for the interim middleweight crown.

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.




Fight Network Delivers Extensive UFC Fight Week Coverage, Including THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER FINALE PRELIMS Live Across Canada


TORONTO – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 multi-platform channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, will deliver extensive live UFC fight week coverage for THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER FINALE: JOHNSON vs. GAETHJE and UFC 213: NUNES vs. SHEVCHENKO 2 from Las Vegas, including live WEIGH-INS, PREFIGHT and POSTFIGHT shows and a live broadcast of THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER FINALE PRELIMS across Canada on Friday, July 7 at 7:00 p.m. ET.

The coverage begins on Thursday, July 6 at 7:00 p.m. ET with the live ceremonial WEIGH-INS for THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER FINALE: JOHNSON vs. GAETHJE, as headliners Michael “The Menace” Johnson and Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje tip the scales ahead of their pivotal lightweight showdown in the main event.

On Friday, July 7 at 5:00 p.m. ET, Fight Network presents the live ceremonial WEIGH-INS for UFC 213: NUNES vs. SHEVCHENKO 2, as Amanda Nunes, Valentina Shevchenko, Yoel Romero and Robert Whittaker all weigh in ahead of their five-round championship clashes on pay-per-view.

Immediately following the live weigh-ins, Fight Network will broadcast THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER FINALE PREFIGHT SHOW at 6:00 p.m. ET followed by the live PRELIMS at 7:00 p.m. ET.

THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER FINALE PREFIGHT SHOW will feature former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and retired contender Kenny Florian serving as desk analysts with host Karyn Bryant and reporter Megan Olivi conducting on-site interviews.

THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER FINALE PRELIMS will feature an intriguing women’s strawweight encounter between Angela “Overkill” Hill (6-3) and Ashley “SpiderMonkey” Yoder (5-2), a welterweight matchup between TUF contestants James Krause (23-8) and Tom “Da Tank” Gallicchio (19-10), a light heavyweight pairing between battle-tested veterans Ed “Short Fuse” Herman (24-12, 1NC) and CB “The Doberman” Dollaway (16-9), plus a women’s bantamweight matchup pitting Jessica “Evil” Eye against undefeated newcomer Aspen Ladd (5-0).

At the conclusion of Friday’s main card on TSN5, the live broadcast of THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER FINALE POSTFIGHT SHOW airs at approximately 12:00 a.m. ET, featuring highlights, analysis and post-fight interviews.

On Saturday, July 8 at 7:00 p.m. ET, UFC middleweight champion Michael Biping will join the desk for the UFC 213 PREFIGHT SHOW, featuring final predictions and analysis from Las Vegas.

At the conclusion of Saturday’s pay-per-view, the live UFC 213 POSTFIGHT SHOW airs at approximately 1 a.m. ET, recapping all the exciting action.

Additional UFC fight week content on Fight Network includes Countdown to UFC 213, a behind-the-scenes look at the men and women involved in Saturday’s championship bouts, a three-hour special on UFC Hall of Fame inductee Kazushi Sakuraba entitled SAKURABA: GRACIE HUNTER, plus post-fight press conference highlights airing on Sunday, July 9.

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.




COMBATE AMERICAS ADDS KYRA BATARA VS. VANESA RICO ATOMWEIGHT GRUDGE MATCH TO “COMBATE CLÁSICO” ON JULY 27 IN MIAMI

NEW YORK – July 6, 2017 – Combate Americas today announced the highly-anticipated atomweight (105 pounds) showdown pitting grappling sensation Kyra “Mogwai” Batara (5-4) against Judo black belt Vanesa Rico (2-2) at the upcoming “Combate Clásico” 10-bout professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event in Miami, Fla., on Thursday, July 27, televised live on Azteca America and ESPN LATAM.

Tickets for “Combate Clásico” are on sale online at Ticketon.com.

Nearly six months after failing to make weight for her Combate 11 main event, the 22-year-old Batara (5-4) of Las Vegas, Nev., a protégé of jiu-jitsu legend Eddie Bravo, will risk her undefeated record in La Jaula, the Combate Americas cage, at Miami’s Mana Wynwood venue, following a bitter rivalry that continues to intensify on social media.

“It’s no secret there’s bad blood between us and I am excited to ‘bring the heat’ to Miami and ignite a ‘Fight of the Night’ performance on such a grand stage,” Batara said. “Being from Las Vegas, I don’t like to gamble, but if there’s one thing I’m willing to bet on, it’s myself.”

Making her U.S. debut, the 36-year-old Rico (2-2) of Alicante, Spain, holds a second-degree black belt in Judo and is a 13-year member of the Spanish national Judo team and former national freestyle wrestling champion. Her two professional MMA career victories to date both came by way of submission.

“I was really looking forward to fighting for Combate in February but unfortunately, Kyra robbed me of that chance with her unprofessional behavior by missing weight,” Rico said. “I hope that Kyra comes ready this time because I am very motivated to show the world who I am. I’ve waited so long now to get in the cage at Combate, it’s my time!”

The “Combate Clásico” live MMA event will join a nearly week-long extravaganza that begins with a match between marquee soccer clubs Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain at Hard Rock Stadium on July 26 as well as concerts, parties and other interactive events prior to “El Clásico Miami” on July 29.

The event will air live in the U.S. on Azteca America and live on ESPN LATAM in Latin America at 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT. It will also air the following night, Friday, July 28 on TV Azteca in Mexico. Additional matchups for “Combate Clásico” will be announced soon.

For more information on El Clásico Miami fans can visit elclasicomiami.com and internationalchampionscup.com.

# # #

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 TV AZTECA
TV Azteca is one of the two largest producers of Spanish-language television programming in the world, operating two national television networks in Mexico, El trece and Azteca 7, through more than 300 owned and operated stations across the country. TV Azteca affiliates include Azteca US, a broadcast television network focused on the rapidly growing U.S. Hispanic market, and Azteca Web, an Internet company for North American Spanish speakers.

ABOUT AZTECA AMERICA’S NETWORK
Azteca America engages Spanish-language viewers by creating unique, passionate and enlightening content that is relevant to the daily lives of our audience. Wholly owned by Mexican broadcaster TV Azteca, S.A.B. de C.V. one of the two largest producers of Spanish-language content in the world, Azteca America complements its Mexican programs with an innovative lineup of shows from third-party producers and distributors to ensure the finest programming for its audience. The company provides tailored, multi-platform advertising solutions for clients seeking to reach the most dynamic consumer group in the country.




FITE TV to stream Rizin Fighting Federation World-Grand Prix 2017 action

NEW YORK CITY (July 6, 2017) – FITE TV has announced it will stream Rizin Fighting Federation World Grand-Prix 2017 action Sunday, July 30, starting at 1 a.m. ET / 10 p.m. PT (Saturday, July 29), live from Saitama Super Arena in Japan.

FITE TV is a Combat Sports Network that features MMA, boxing and wrestling programming. FITE gives viewers the choice to watch the program on line at www.FITE.tv/v/2kfjw, on their mobile device or their WIFI connected television using the FITE app. The FITE app may be downloaded for free at Google Play or the ITunes app store.

The July 30th Rizin Fighting Federation (RFF) event, scheduled to feature 11 exciting fights, is available to watch on the FITE app and website for a suggested price of only $19.99.

“We are thrilled to be the exclusive digital distributor for the Rizin World Grand Prix,” FITE TV COO Michael Weber said. “This will be our second live event from Rizin and we are looking forward to seeing their exciting brand of action and presentation. This event continues our commitment to bringing the best of Asian combst sports to FITE TV viewers.”

Eight women fighters will be part of the loaded July 30th RFF card, headlined by the opening round of RFF Grand-Prix 2017, welterweight division, including former UFC title contender Kyoji Horiguchi (19-2-0) vs. Japanese fan-favorite Hideo Tokoro (34-9-2), former UFC standout Anthony Birchak (13-4-0) vs. DEEP Bantamweight Champion Takafumi Otsuka (22-13-2), and heavyweight standout Amir Aliakbari (6-1-0) vs. Bellator and WSOF veteran Tyler King (12-5-0).

No. 1 ranked female MMA heavyweight and multiple Jiu Jjitsu world champion, Gabi Garcia (4-0-0), takes on four-time Russian National Boxing champion Oskanda Gagloeva, who will be making her pro debut. The 5′ 9″, 225-pound Gagloeva will be the most accomplished striker Garcia has ever faced.

RFF has been putting emphasis on its women’s division, welcoming new talent in their professional debuts, such as San Francisco-native Shimju Auclair against Sheena Star, of Michigan.

Bantamweight Grand Prix
(opening round, bracket A)

Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Hido Tokoro
Anthony Birchak vs. Takafumi Otsuka
Keita Ishibashi vs. Khalid Taha

(Super Fights)

Tenshin Nasukawa vs. Kizaemon Saiga
Miyouu Yamamoto vs. Cassie Robb
Satoru Kitaoka vs. Yuseke Yachi
KING Reina vs. Seini Draughn
Amir Aliakbari vs. Tyler King
Teodoras Aukstuolis vs. Karl Albrektsson

(all fights and fighters subject to change)

MMA fans may watch the entire RFF card simply by downloading the FITE app and then cast the fight to the big screen by using the instant stream-to-TV function. The FITE app works with any Wi-Fi connected television around the world iOS an d Android-devices, as well as streaming devices such as Roku, Chromecast and more. Fans may also watch the fights live on the FITE website at www.fite.tv from any computer.

Additional PPV fights are scheduled on FITE TV on a weekly basis.

ATTENTION WEBMASTERS

To become a FITE TV affiliate and earn $1.00 per download, put the video player on your website, and simply add this line of embedded code:

INFORMATION:
www.fite,.tv
Twitter: @FiteTV
ABOUT FITE TV: FITE TV (www.fite.tv) is a programming network that brings live and on-demand ring sports programs to MMA, Muay Thai, wrestling and boxing fans around the world. With only access to a smartphone and a connected TV, with the FITE app, viewers can watch live events, on-demand programming, interviews and fighting sports related movies and documentaries on the big TV screen.

FITE TV has worked with the leading combat sports promoters in the world including Golden Boy Promotions, Sauerland Boxing, Ring of Honor Wrestling, Impact Wrestling, Professional Fighters League, Rizin, Max Muay Thai and others.

FITE TC is a full-fledged TV programming network, FITE televises live pay-per-views and TV tapings on a weekly schedule.

FITE was launched on February 9th, 2016 as a product of Flipps Media Inc, a company that brings digital entertainment content (movies, news and video) on television with its patented tap-to-stream functionality. Flipps Media Inc. is funded by EarlyBird Venture Capital, Tim Draper and LAUNCHub.




ONE CHAMPIONSHIP POSTS IMPRESSIVE SOCIAL MEDIA GROWTH FOLLOWING MYANMAR EVENT

06 July 2017 – Singapore: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), hosted a blockbuster event in front of a packed Thuwunna Indoor Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar last Friday, 30 June, posting record-high social media growth statistics. ONE: LIGHT OF A NATION saw Myanmar crown its first ever world champion in any sport, electrifying a raucous crowd cheering on its new champion in front of a global audience.

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship stated: “The atmosphere in Yangon was absolutely incredible. It was an emotional moment for our new world champion, and an amazing achievement for the nation of Myanmar. Broadcast to millions of people all around the world, ONE: LIGHT OF A NATION was a magical evening of authentic martial arts action, true warrior spirit, and unbridled bravery.”

For the night of 30 June, ONE Championship posted record-breaking social media numbers, enjoying another sharp acceleration of its audience reach, scale, and engagement numbers. The organization gained more than 80,000 new fans on the evening — a four hour affair that featured nine spectacular martial arts bouts including the blockbuster main event. The overall social media statistics registered 5.4 million video views on the day, including over 3.2 million video views with 80 thousand shares for the main event recap.

In data sourced directly from Nielsen, Facebook and Repucom earlier this year, ONE Championship continues to experience exponential growth for 2017.

ONE has catapulted its video view numbers from 312 thousand video views in 2014 to a whopping annualized rate of 600 million video views for 2017 (based on actual results from the first half of 2017). Other key metrics across social media and TV broadcast registered similar exponential growth rates.

Furthermore, the annual TV broadcast per country and the peak TV ratings share numbers have increased dramatically based on the data. From an average of just 12-18 hours of TV broadcast in 2014, ONE has increased that number to 100-2800 hours. It has also seen its peak TV ratings share spike to 11-26% from 1-2% just three years ago.

ONE Championship has posted three blockbuster events in a row as of current, with Manila’s ONE: KINGS OF DESTINY, Singapore’s ONE: DYNASTY OF HEROES, and now Yangon’s ONE: LIGHT OF A NATION, with each event garnering record-breaking numbers in the country of origin. As the promotion hits the next gear in the second half of the year, it is poised to continue this blistering pace beginning with shows lined up for Surabaya, Macao, and Kuala Lumpur.

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 118+ 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.




Amazing LA Coliseum MMA Show This Saturday, Save $10

In what could be the most amazing looking Mixed Martial Arts show layout ever, the Inaugural Coliseum Gladiator MMA Championship Series kicks off this Saturday night July 8th at the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum with eight big Semi Final bouts featuring some of the top young MMA fighters that Southern California has to offer and fighting in the shadow of the iconic Olympic rings and cauldron.

The first ever Southern California mixed martial arts show that will span four months and award eight Championship Belts is one MMA show fans don’t want to miss at the Greatest Stadium in the World.

Eight winners from this Saturday night show advance to the Championship Round on September 23th so fans can be assured of great MMA action at all eight bouts.

With the cage set up on the Peristyle Plaza end of the Coliseum and centered just in front of the center arch with the Olympic Rings and Cauldron overlooking all the action, the 1,400-seat venue will give fans access to a Plaza Park with specialty foods, a cigar lounge and the entire Coliseum will shine as the massive Coliseum video board will be lit up.

Reserve seat tickets are priced at $40 and $50 and can be purchased at www.coliseumgladiatormma.com. To get your $10 discount go to www.coliseumgladiatormma.com and click on Special Discount Offer and use code….COLMMA.

Coliseum gates open at 6pm with all the action beginning at 7pm.




ADDITIONAL BOUTS CONFIRMED AT ONE: CONQUEST OF KINGS IN SURABAYA, INDONESIA

05 July 2017 – Surabaya, Indonesia: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced additional bouts for ONE: CONQUEST OF KINGS. The inaugural event in Surabaya is set to take place on 29 July, at the GOR Kertajaya Arena. In the main event, reigning champion Kairat Akhmetov will face interim titleholder Adriano Moraes to crown the undisputed ONE Flyweight World Champion.

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

An unbeaten flyweight contender from the famed Team Lakay, Danny “The King” Kingad is a professional martial artist with a perfect five-win record. A true warrior from the mountains of the Cordilleras and one of the top prospects to come out of Baguio City, Philippines, Kingad is a tremendous striker, and is a former 2015 Regional Wushu Champion. In his most recent bout, Kingad met a tough test in Malaysia’s Muhammad Aiman, putting on a complete performance en route to a unanimous decision victory. In his next contest, Kingad will take on Hexigetu.

32-year-old Hexigetu of Inner Mongolia, China, is a professional martial artist with a record of four wins and two losses. With an inherent ability to strike and grapple coupled with a highly-aggressive style, Hexigetu is eager to join a deep roster of talent to seek success inside the ONE Championship cage. Training out of China Top Team, the Chinese flyweight hopeful is making his promotional debut opposite top prospect Danny Kingad of the Philippines.

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 Champion. In his last outing, Rahardian impressed with a thorough unanimous decision victory over flamboyant Filipino striker Eugene Toquero. Unbeaten at six wins and no losses, Rahardian puts his unblemished record on the line once more against Niko Soe.

Singaporean flyweight prospect Niko Soe is 24-year-old with a 3-1 professional martial arts record. He possesses a well-rounded skill set, complete with a great kickboxing base and a capable ground game. In his most recent bout, Soe defeated Malaysia’s Muhamad Haidar via first-round submission. Training out of Impact MMA in Singapore, Soe will look to impress once more in his next outing, as he aims for victory against Stefer Rahardian.

In addition to the exciting card, ONE Championship is also set to hold the 2017 Surabaya Bantamweight Tournament, which will feature Indonesia’s top martial arts talents as they battle it out for the distinction of being crowned Tournament Champion.

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

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship is the largest 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 118+ 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.




Video: Dana White: Lookin’ for a Fight – Season 2 Ep.3




Audio: UFC International Fight Week Media Conference Call




Fight Network to Live Broadcast ONE Championship: Light of a Nation & LFA 15 Tomorrow — Friday, June 30

TORONTO – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 multi-platform channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents a pair of live mixed martial arts events this Friday, June 29, beginning at 9:30 a.m. ET with ONE Championship: Light of a Nation from Yangon, Myanmar. Later, at 9 p.m. ET, Fight Network presents LFA 15: Odoms vs. Vanderaa live from Shawnee, Oklahoma.

Airing live on Fight Network in Canada this Friday at 9:30 a.m. ET, ONE Championship: Light of a Nation is headlined by a clash for the ONE middleweight championship, as undefeated Russian Vitaly Bigdash (9-0) defends against Myanmar native Aung La Nsang (19-10). In other action, Jenny Huang (5-1) meets Mei Yamaguchi (15-10-1) in a women’s strawweight bout, Bruno Pucci (4-2) takes on Jimmy Yabo (5-4) in a featherweight fight, plus some of the region’s top local prospects will enter the ONE cage at Thuwunna National Indoor Stadium.

Airing live on Fight Network in Canada and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East at 9 p.m. ET, LFA 15: Odoms vs. Vanderaa features a showdown for the LFA heavyweight title, as Richard Odoms (12-3) throws down with undefeated Jared Vanderaa (5-0). Also on the card, Cortez Coleman (13-7) takes on Chris Harris (8-1) in a middleweight bout, Braden Smith (7-1) faces Manny Meraz (9-3) in a welterweight tilt, Derrick Adkins (9-4) meets Dan Moret (11-3) in a lightweight encounter, Tyler Shinn (7-3) and Kendall Carnahan (5-0) lock horns in the bantamweight division, plus Justin Rader (6-2) looks to snap the perfect streak of Emmanuel Rivera (6-0) in a featherweight matchup.

Both events will be available to Canadian viewers during Fight Network’s ongoing free preview.

In addition, Fight Network presents NEW JAPAN PRO- WRESTLING’s first-ever U.S. event – the G1 SPECIAL IN USA – this Saturday, July 1 at 8 p.m. ET. Fight Network will televise the 4+ hour event live in Canada and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The full card includes:

IWGP Heavyweight Championship
Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Cody

IWGP Tag-Team Championship
Guerillas of Destiny (c) vs. War Machine

IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Championship Tournament – Round 1
Kenny Omega vs. Michael Elgin
Tetsuya Naito vs. Tomohiro Ishii
Juice Robinson vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
Hangman Page vs. Jay Lethal

8-Man Tag-Team Match
David Finlay, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Jay White & KUSHIDA vs. Billy Gunn, Sho Tanaka, Yohei Komatsu & Yoshitatsu

8-Man Tag-Team Match
Dragon Lee, Jyushin Thunder Liger, Titan & Volador Jr. vs. BUSHI, EVIL, Hiromu Takahashi & SANADA

10-Man Tag-Team Match
BULLET CLUB (Bad Luck Fale, Marty Scurll, Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson & Yujiro Takahashi) vs. CHAOS & ROH (Rocky Romero, Beretta, Will Ospreay Jay Briscoe & Mark Briscoe)

Fight Network is currently available on free preview on cable carriers across Canada.

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.




M-1 Global returns to Finland for first time in 9 years

SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia (June 28, 2017) – M-1 Global, one of the largest mixed-martial-arts organizations in the world, has announced its return to Finland for the first time in nine years, August 5, as top fighters from Finland, Russia, America and across Europe will compete in M-1 Challenge 82.

M-1 Challenge 82 will be streamed live from Helsinki, Finland 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.

Hartwall Arena, the largest ice hockey arena in Finland, will host M-1 Challenge 82. The famous venue seats between 12,000 and 15,000 spectators, pending the event, and it has hosted the 1997, 2003 and 2012 World Ice Hockey Championships.

Past M-1 Challenge events have featured leading Finnish fighters over the years such as Marcus “Caveman” Vanttinen (pictured on left), Juha-Pekka Vainikainen, Niko Puhakka, Janne Tulirinta, Toni Valtonen and Lucio “Spartan” Linares. Some of these fighters will be competing August 5 at M-1 Challenge 82.

M-1 Global’s newest signed fighter, Vanttinen (24-6-0, M-1: 2-2-0), is a veteran member of the Team Finland. The 29-year-old Vanttinen faces Russian light heavyweight prospect Mikhail Ragozin (8-2-0, M-1: 1-0-0) at M-1 Challenge 82 main event.

Mikael “Hulk” Silander (16-5-0, M-1:0-0-0), 31, has an appropriate nickname. Powerfully built and possessing explosive physical force, he puts pressure on his rivals from the first second of the battle, using his grappling skills to his full advantage. Having won 15 of his 20 fights, Silander is matched against M-1 Challenge title challenger Viali Branchuk (22-6-0, M-1: 2-2-0), of Ukraine,

Finnish fan-favorite Janne “Jamba” Elonen-Kulmala (15-5-0, M-1: 0-0-0) makes his M-1 Global debut versus Brazilian bantamweight Heliton dos Santos (15-6-0, M-1: 0-1-0). Elonen-Kulmala will be fighting in front of his hometown fans in Helsinki.

Valtonen (27-15-0, M-1: 6-2-0) returns to M-1 action against Ukrainian heavyweight Boris “Bora” Polezhay (16-6-0, M-1: 1-1-0. Valtonen has been an MMA fighter for 14 years and for much of that time-period he has been one of the stars of Finnish MMA-promotion, Fight Festival, which was successful at the 2009 M-1 World Championship Challenge. Valtonen fought in KSW and Shooto competitions. Another Helsinki native on the M-1 Challenge 82, Valtonen figures to have tremendous support at Hartwell Arena.

Son Le “Buddah” Binh (5-2-0, M-1: 1-1-0), 28, lives and trains in Gothenburg, representing the Finnish team, East Front. The 28-year-old first competed in MMA competition only five years ago, but he has since had a total of eight amateur and professional fights. Although relatively inexperienced, his strong performances have resulted in him being Sweden’s No. 3 ranked bantamweight.

Binh is always in great physical shape and he has very good stamina. All eight of his fights went the distance but none were boring. In a contest against another Swedish prospect, Bilal Musa, Bing fractured his leg at the beginning of the second round, yet fought through the paid to earn victory by way of a three-round decision. In his very interesting M-1 debut against Emin Guseyov, who has an excellent strike technique. Binh used his wrestling and grappling skills, which he was taught by coach Babak Nejad, who also trains UFC star Anthony Johnson, to win a three-round decision.

Negotiations with several other leading fighters in Finland are also being concluded and their fights against foreign fighters will be announced shortly. Fighters from the United States, Brazil, France, Portugal, Sweden, Russia, Ukraine and Poland are also expected to compete on the M-1 Challenge 82 event.

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 81: July 22, 2017 in Ingushetia, Russia
M-1 Challenge 82: August 5, 2017 in Helsinki, Finland
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!




Sensational heavyweight showdown announced for “M-1 Challenge 81: Battle in the Mountains 6” Sergei Kharitonov vs. Geronimo Dos Santos

SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia (June 28, 2017 – M-1 Global has announced a sensational heavyweight shodeown between two International stars, Sergei “The Paratrooper” Kharitonov and Geronimo “Mondragon” Dos Santos, at the July 22nd M-1 Challenge 81: Battle in the Mountains 6, to be held in the Republic of Ingushetia.

The international MMA event will coincide with the 25th anniversary celebration of the Republic of Ingushetia.

The M-1 Challenge bantamweight championship fight between defending champion Pavel Vitruk (14-2-0), and interim titlist Movsar Evloev (7-0, M-1: 7-0) had been previously announced for M-1 Challenge 81.

The two giant heavyweights fighting on the card are each world ranked by Fightmatrix, both preferring early endings as they have 40 combined knockouts. This exciting duel is a fitting addition for such a grand tournament like M-1 Challenge 81: The Battle of the Mountains 6.

Russian strongman Kharitonov (24-6-0, M-1: 4-0-0) is coming off a devastating, one-punch knockout of American Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou in the opening round of their main event fight, June 15 in China, at M-1 Challenge 80. Kharitonov (pictured below on right vs. Kenny Garner) has stopped 15 of his 24 victims to date.

The fifth-highest rated Brazilian heavyweight in world ranking, Santos (39-18-0, M-1: 0-0-0) looks like a frightening bodybuilder, displaying 290-pounds of cut muscle on his 6′ 3″ frame. In his 57 pro MMA fights around the world, he has 39 victories, 25 coming by knockout. Although this will be his M-1 debut, Santos has fought several times in Russia, reaching the final of the Ahmat Grand Prix, where he lost to Zelimkhan Umievu. Last December, he dropped a unanimous decision to Evgeny Erokhin at MFP: Cup of the Eastern Borders 2. Santos is returning once again to Russia on July 22 to take on an MMA monster in Kharitonov, hoping to defy the legendary Russian mixed martial artist.

Additional fights will soon be announced
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!




ONE CHAMPIONSHIP RENEWS PARTNERSHIP WITH BROADCAST GIANT ABS-CBN

28 June 2017 – Manila, Philippines: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced that the company has renewed its partnership with ABS-CBN, the Philippines’ leading media and entertainment organization. The multimedia conglomerate, with a reach that spans the entire nation and millions of homes all around the globe, will have access to all ONE Championship content, including live events in the Philippines.

ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history and the largest media broadcast in Asia, streamed to a potential one billion homes in over 118 countries worldwide. Among the best Asian martial artists and world champions in ONE Championship are Filipino athletes who have exemplified courage and honor inside the ONE Championship cage.

ONE Championship and ABS-CBN initially commenced their monumental partnership in 2016, resulting in a successful year filled with memorable mixed martial arts (MMA) events across the region.

In 2017, the two global giants have continued to enjoy incredible success, highlighted by one of the most watched sporting events in Asian history, ONE: KINGS OF DESTINY which took place last April. The event achieved the highest rating of any martial arts program and edged out live 2017 NBA Playoffs coverage in the Philippines, according to Nielsen Sports.

Both ONE Championship and ABS-CBN are poised to continue this tremendous collaboration for an extended period.

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “ONE Championship is proud to announce its renewed partnership with Philippine television network giant ABS-CBN. ABS-CBN is by far the largest TV broadcaster in the Philippines with reach that spans the entire country, as well as internationally to millions of homes across the globe. The sport of mixed martial arts has seen an amazing year in the Philippines so far, and we are excited to continue this awesome trend of delivering a unique and authentic martial arts experience to fans all across the country.”

Dino Laurena, Head of ABS-CBN Integrated Sports, stated: “Our continued partnership with ONE Championship is a huge boost to our advocacy of promoting sports, including mixed martial arts, to the Filipino audience. We believe that more than to just entertain and to inspire, sports can change people’s lives for the better. We are proud to be partnering with the largest sports media property in Asia, ONE Championship, in bringing a world-class MMA experience to our viewers. Who knows, one of them could be a future ONE champion, following the lead of Eduard Folayang and Brandon Vera.”

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 118+ 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.

About ABS-CBN Corporation
ABS-CBN Corporation is the Philippines’ leading media and entertainment organization. The Company is primarily involved in television and radio broadcasting, as well as in the production of television and radio programming for domestic and international audiences and other related businesses. ABS-CBN produces a wide variety of engaging world-class entertainment programs in multiple genres and balanced, credible news programs that are aired on free-to-air television. The company is also one of the leading radio broadcasters, operating eighteen radio stations throughout the key cities of the Philippines. ABS-CBN provides news and entertainment programming for eight channels on cable TV and operates the country’s largest cable TV service provider. The Company also owns the leading cinema and music production and distribution outfits in the country. It brings its content to worldwide audiences via cable, satellite, online and mobile. In addition, ABS-CBN has business interests in merchandising and licensing, mobile and online multimedia services, glossy magazine publishing, video and audio post production, overseas telecommunication services, money remittance, cargo forwarding, TV shopping services, theme park development and management, property management and food and restaurant services, and cinema management, all of which complement and enhance the Company’s strength in content production and distribution. The Company is also the first TV network in the country to broadcast in digital. In 2015, it commercially rolled out its digital TV box, ABS-CBN TVplus, to prepare for the country’s switch to digital TV.

About ABS-CBN Sports + Action (S+A)
ABS-CBN Sports + Action (S+A) is the free TV sports channel of ABS-CBN Corporation, the Philippines’ leading media and entertainment company. As a champion of sports development in the country and of Filipino athletes, it aims to promote great human values and to inspire heroism among Filipinos through its coverage of local and international sports events, as well as its production of original sports content. For details and more information, follow ABS-CBN Sports on Facebook and Twitter (@abscbnsports) or logon to the official website, sports.abs-cbn.com




ONE: KINGS & CONQUERORS SET FOR 5 AUGUST IN MACAO

27 June 2017 – Macao, China: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has announced its second blockbuster event in Macao, China. ONE: KINGS & CONQUERORS will once again light up the glamorous Cotai Arena of The Venetian Macao with a showcase of authentic martial arts action. In the main event, ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano Fernandes of Brazil will take on top contender Andrew Leone of the United States.

Ticket information for ONE: KINGS & CONQUERORS is available at www.onefc.com

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “ONE Championship is thrilled to announce another amazing extravaganza at the world-class Cotai Arena in Macao. Our last show did extremely well to showcase our unique brand of world-class martial arts action, and we are excited to do it all over again this August. We have an amazing card planned for fans all across the world, including a blockbuster championship showdown between tremendous competitors in Bibiano Fernandes and Andrew Leone. The interesting clash of styles should provide fans a solid matchup.”

37-year-old Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes of Brazil is the reigning ONE Bantamweight World Champion, and widely considered one of the best bantamweights in the world. He made his promotional debut back in 2012 and captured the title in 2013, and has since then remained unbeaten inside the ONE Championship cage, showcasing tremendous striking and grappling ability. A winner of his last 12 bouts, including three submissions and two knockouts, Fernandes is set to defend his title against Andrew Leone.

Andrew Leone of Cortland, New York, is a 27-year-old martial artist who trains alongside some of the most talented combat sports athletes in Asia at the renowned Bali MMA gym in Bali, Indonesia. With a standout record of eight wins and only two losses, Leone is coming off three solid victories over top caliber opponents, earning him a shot at the ONE Bantamweight World Championship. In his next bout, Leone will challenge Bibiano Fernandes for the world title.

27-year-old Timofey Nastyukhin is a professional martial artist from Russia competing in ONE Championship’s stacked lightweight division. He owns a 10-3 record, with all of his wins coming by spectacular finish. With four submissions and six knockouts on his resume, Nastyukhin is considered one of the finest offensive forces in the promotion. He announced his arrival on Asia’s biggest stage with an emphatic flying knee knockout victory over Eduard Folayang in 2014, and also owns stoppage wins over top talents Rob Lisita and Yusuke Kawanago. This time, Nastyukhin is set to face Koji Ando.

Koji “The Commander” Ando is one of Japan’s fiercest competitors, having been a professional martial artist since 2008. The Japanese combatant is never in a boring bout, and always remains a threat no matter the opponent. With an array of diverse striking skills coupled with solid submission grappling credentials, Ando is ready to claim victory once again inside the ONE Championship cage. This time, he battles Timofey Nastyukhin.

Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai of Thailand is a staple in exciting and memorable battles inside the ONE Championship cage. A mainstay of Bangkok Fight Lab, he trains in various martial arts disciplines at home in Bangkok, including Muay Thai, boxing, wrestling, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. An offensive innovator, Wiratchai likes to be creative with his striking, employing a myriad of unpredictable off-angle elbows and kicks. Wiratchai seeks to continue his winning ways in ONE Championship as he takes on the veteran Rob Lisita.

34-year-old “Ruthless” Rob Lisita of Campbelltown, Australia, is known as a relentless offensive force, armed with powerful striking combinations intended to score highlight-reel knockouts. He is 14-9 as a professional martial arts athlete, and has proven to be a fixture in big bouts owing to his fan-friendly style. A veteran competitor who has faced the best in his division and beyond, Lisita looks to continue fulfilling his goal of competing against the promotion’s top contenders. His next assignment is fierce striker Shannon Wiratchai.

21-year-old Joshua Pacio of Baguio City is a professional martial arts athlete with a 9-1 record. He is one of the Philippines’ most talented strawweights. A member of the famed Team Lakay MMA gym, Pacio is a wushu specialist with a solid grappling repertoire. All but one of his career victories have come by spectacular finish, including five wins by submission and three wins by knockout. A former ONE Strawweight World Championship title challenger, Pacio is looking to bring himself back to title contention with another victory. A tough task is ahead of Pacio, however, as he is slated to lock horns with Hayato Suzuki.

30-year-old Hayato Suzuki of Saitama, Japan, is a professional martial arts athlete with an unblemished 16-0-2 record. Spending the majority of his career competing in his native Japan, Suzuki is known as a well-rounded warrior who has the ability to stop his foes with his heavy hands and technical grappling skills. Out of 16 wins, Suzuki has finished 11 of his opponents, including six by submission and five by knockout. He is set to make his ONE Championship debut against rising star Joshua Pacio.

35-year-old standout Eric “The Natural” Kelly of Baguio City is widely considered one of the best homegrown martial arts athletes to come out of the Philippines. The wushu practitioner combines solid striking techniques with high-level grappling skills, which has resulted in nine impressive submissions and one knockout out of 12 total victories. Kelly’s most impressive showing to date came via a hard-fought submission win over Rob Lisita in 2014, a performance which earned him a US$50,000 ONE Warrior Bonus. In his next bout, Kelly will face tough striker Kotetsu Boku.

Kotetsu “No Face” Boku, although originally from South Korea, is a Japanese martial arts legend and the former ONE Lightweight World Champion. With more than 30 professional bouts on his resume, Boku has the experience of a seasoned veteran and has seen it all inside the cage. Always a crowd pleaser, Boku utilizes his dynamic boxing background with world-class grappling to subdue his opponents. He’ll now get the chance to put on a show once again opposite Eric Kelly.

Unbeaten 28-year-old “Rock Man” Chen Lei of Changsha, China is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner and the Shanghai Open BJJ Champion. His ability to grapple has led Chen to five straight victories as a professional martial artist. In his last bout, Chen made his ONE Championship debut a successful one, defeating Jeremy Meciaz by first-round technical knockout. Chen now moves on to his next contest, a tough assignment against Saiful Merican.

Saiful “The Vampire” Merican of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is an explosive bantamweight striker who starts bouts fast, always looking to end matters early. He has had great success inside the ONE Championship cage with his fan-friendly and aggressive style. In his last bout, Merican stopped Burn Soriano, winning by TKO at the end of the first round. This time, Merican takes on the surging Chen Lei.

28-year-old Herbert “The Blaze” Burns of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is one of the most talented featherweights in ONE Championship. The grappling specialist has a penchant for locking in bout-ending submissions, and is a legitimate threat to any opponent on the mat. With his strong background in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Burns is widely considered as one of the top contenders in the division. He squares off against Russian combatant Magomed Idrisov next.

Professional martial arts athlete Magomed Idrisov is a newcomer in ONE Championship, competing previously for local Russian promotion M-1 Global. He owns a 7-1 record comprising of four wins by decision and three by knockout. Since dropping his first bout as a professional, Idrisov has gone on to win six straight contests, which includes capturing the M-1 Global featherweight title. He will now look to take his talents to the global stage of Asian martial arts. Idrisov will take on tough grappler Herbert Burns in his promotional debut.

Rika “Tinydoll” Ishige is a 28-year-old female atomweight from Bangkok, Thailand. She is of mixed Japanese and Thai heritage, beginning her martial arts training at age nine with aikido and taekwondo. Heavily influenced by her late father who trained in judo, Ishige went on to hone her skills as a martial artist, and turned pro earlier this year. In her last bout, Ishige defeated Nita Dea, impressing fans with her solid grappling skills. She is currently on a two-bout winning streak in ONE Championship. Next up, Ishige takes on the Philippines’ Jomary Torres.

Jomary Torres is a female atomweight contender from the Philippines with a 1-0 professional martial arts record. In her last bout, Torres dominated opponent Krisna Lindaga to win by unanimous decision after three rounds. Torres is set to make her ONE Championship debut against Thai competitor Rika Ishige.

Leandro Ataides of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is a 30-year-old martial arts veteran who owns a professional record of nine wins and three losses, with only two of Ataides’ victories reaching the final bell. In his last bout, Ataides scored a much-needed win, stopping Mohamed Ali with a highlight-reel flying knee that was named ONE’s Knockout of the Year 2016. Despite mixed results so far in his career, the hard-charging Ataides remains a force to be reckoned with at middleweight and will look to excite the crowd by defeating his next opponent, Michal Pasternak.

Middleweight contender Michal Pasternak of Pinczow, Poland, is a tall and lanky martial artist with a 12-2 professional record. A well-rounded competitor, more than half of Pasternak’s victories have come either by knockout or by submission. In May of 2016, Pasternak challenged Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend Roger Gracie for the inaugural ONE Light Heavyweight World Championship, falling short of victory. Now, Pasternak takes on Leandro Ataides.

Malaysian warrior Marc Marcellinus makes his return to the ONE Championship cage and to professional competition after taking a short break. He is a solid competitor with solid all-around skills and a knack for striking. Marcellinus is set to go shot for shot with Vietnam’s Tran Quang Loc, who is making his professional 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 118+ 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.




ONE CHAMPIONSHIP HOLDS INAUGURAL EVENT IN SURABAYA, INDONESIA WITH ONE: CONQUEST OF KINGS

21 June 2017 – Surabaya, Indonesia: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced its inaugural event in Surabaya, Indonesia which is set to take place 29 July at the GOR Kertajaya Arena. The capital of East Java will play host to ONE: CONQUEST OF KINGS, featuring the absolute best in world-class martial arts talent. In the main event, Kairat Akhmetov will face Adriano Moraes to crown the undisputed ONE Flyweight World Champion.

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

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “There is always a tremendous atmosphere and excitement when ONE Championship visits Indonesia, and it is a delight to finally announce our first event for fans in Surabaya. We’re coming at you live and ready to showcase the world’s most authentic display of martial arts. We have a thrilling main event planned, with ONE Flyweight World Champion Kairat Akhmetov facing Interim Champion Adriano Moraes, in a rematch of their first encounter to crown the undisputed king of the division.”

Kairat Akhmetov of Kazakhstan is undefeated inside the mixed martial arts cage. He boasts an unblemished 23-0 record over his six years as a professional. Akhmetov employs a devastating attack with power in both hands, as well as a tenacious wrestling game that overpowers his opponents. In Akhmetov’s last bout, he defeated top flyweight and former champion Adriano Moraes to capture the ONE Flyweight World Championship. Now, the two are set for a much-anticipated rematch in Surabaya.

Interim ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes had his initial title reign cut short, when he met Kairat Akhmetov in November of 2015, losing via split decision. It was a close bout, but Akhmetov’s wrestling proved difficult to handle, even for an athlete of Moraes’ caliber. As champion, Moraes was skillful and dominant, and was rarely opposed inside the ONE Championship cage. In his most recent bout, Moraes secured the Interim Flyweight World Title with a victory over Tilek Batyrov. The rematch with Akhmetov will determine the rightful owner of ONE Championship gold in a highly-anticipated title unification bout.

For the first time ever, a Traditional Silat Bout will be held at ONE: CONQUEST OF KINGS, showcasing the beauty and authenticity of the ancient Indonesian combat discipline at the forefront of Asian martial arts. Top Silat practitioners, Khamid Wichaksana and Muchamad Fauzi, are set to display their amazing skills in front of a packed crowd eager for authentic traditional martial arts action.

32-year-old Toni “Dynamite” Tauru of Utti, Finland, is a professional martial arts athlete competing in ONE Championship’s bantamweight division. He owns a record of 11 wins and five losses, including one draw, with eight of his wins coming impressively by submission. A feared grappling specialist, Tauru is a former European MMA champion and has shown an incredible ability to finish his opponents with high-level techniques. Now, Tauru is tasked to take on Leandro Issa.

Leandro “Brodinho” Issa is a 33-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion black belt from Sao Paulo, Brazil, who trains and competes out of the world-renowned Evolve Fight Team in Singapore. With a record of 13 wins and six losses, including nine wins by submission and one by knockout, Issa has proven to be an exciting competitor with a penchant for spectacular victories. A pioneer of ONE Championship’s bantamweight division, Issa returns to the cage to face Toni Tauru.

Marcin Prachnio is a Polish martial arts athlete with an impressive 12-2 professional record. He’s on a seven bout win-streak, including five wins by devastating technical knockout. He is currently unbeaten in ONE Championship, overcoming three tough challenges in Alexandre Machado, Leandro Ataides, and most recently, Jake Butler. Prachnio is now ready to make his return to the ONE Championship cage to stake his claim as one of the top contenders for the middleweight title. Machado’s next assignment is the veteran Gilbert Galvao.

Gilberto “Giba” Galvão is a 35-year-old martial arts veteran from Sao Paulo, Brazil, with extensive experience in the sport of mixed martial arts. A solid top contender at middleweight, Galvao has competed largely in Brazil and has compiled 29 total victories, more than half of which have ended in submissions. In his last bout, Galvao debuted for the promotion with a stunning victory over Japanese veteran Tatsuya Mizuno. The exceptional grappler is back and will take on Marcin Prachnio.

Indonesian martial artist “The Terminator” Sunoto is a ONE Championship bantamweight with a 6-3 professional mixed martial arts 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. His next bout will be against Rocky Batolbatol.

Rocky Batolbatol of the Philippines is a former professional boxer who has transitioned smoothly into mixed martial arts. The hard-hitting Filipino constantly uses well-placed combinations in search of spectacular knockouts and will be looking for a stoppage against his next opponent. In his most recent bout, Batolbatol fell short of victory against rising star Christian Lee. He’ll have his hands full once again, this time with Indonesia’s Sunoto who has proven to be a grappling stud.

Mixed martial arts prospect Jerome S. Paye of Jakarta, Indonesia has experienced mixed results so far in his professional career, amounting to a 2-3 record. Making his ONE Championship debut in February of 2016, 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 challenger, Paye will now take on Yodsanan Sityodtong in search of his first victory inside the ONE Championship cage.

42-year old 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 KOs in boxing and all three of his mixed martial arts victories ending in similar fashion, expect Sityodtong to always be on the lookout for an abrupt ending to his contents. Currently riding a two-bout winning streak, Sityodtong will be going for number three against Jerome S. Paye.

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 118+ 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.




Video: UFC Fight Night Singapore: Post-fight Press Conference




Fight Network to Live Broadcast UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Holm vs. Correia Main Card Saturday & TKO 39: Ultimatum Tonight

TORONTO – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 multi-platform channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents the stacked main card for UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: HOLM vs. CORREIA from Singapore this Saturday, June 17 at 8 a.m. ET, airing live on Fight Network across Canada.

In the main event, former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm (10-3) looks to right her ship in her 135-pound return opposite Brazilian banger and former title challenger Bethe Correia (10-2-1). Former UFC heavyweight champion and No. 8 heavyweight contender Andrei Arlovski (25-14) is featured in the co-main event against fast-rising Polish star and No. 13-ranked Marcin Tybura (15-2). Rounding out the four-bout main card, top welterweights in pursuit of their fourth consecutive victory will collide when South Korean judoka and No. 7-ranked Dong Hyun Kim (22-3-1) battles American Top Team product Colby Covington (11-1), while former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos (25-9) makes his long awaited welterweight debut against No. 11 contender Tarec Saffiedine (16-6).

UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: HOLM vs. CORREIA will re-air in its entirety this Saturday at 6 p.m. ET and 9 p.m. ET.

But first, tonight, June 16 at 6 p.m. ET, Fight Network presents a live broadcast of TKO 39: Ultimatum across Canada, emanating from St. Roch, Quebec, Canada. The 16-bout card is headlined by a pivotal featherweight matchup pairing Ontario-based featherweight William Romero (10-5) against top Quebec prospect Charles Jourdain (4-0). The card will also showcase the entertaining Laramie brothers, as featherweight T.J. Laramie (5-2) takes on American Jimmy Spicuzza (7-4), while bantamweight Tony Laramie (3-0) meets Louis Jourdain (3-1). Meanwhile, middleweight Strahinja Gavrilovic (5-4) will make his return against Fritz Paul (10-4) and undefeated Brazilian welterweight Davis dos Santos (3-0) battles Frenchman Yacine Bandaoui (7-6).

Canadian viewers can take advantage of Fight Network’s free preview on cable carriers across the country to see all the live action this weekend.

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.




Sergei Kharitonov puts Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou To sleep in opening round

HARBIN, China (June 16, 2017) – MMA heavyweight star Sergei Kharitonov continued his dominance in M-1 Global competition, knocking out Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou midway through the opening round of last night’s M-1 Challenge 80 main event, held in Harbin, China.

Cameroon-native Sokoudjou (18-8-0, M-1: 0-1-0), fighting out of the United States, was nailed on the chin by a straight right thrown by Kharitonov (25-6-0, M-1: 4-0-0), who immediately jumped on top of his fallen foe, firing two more powerful hammer-punches to the head, until the referee halted the action.

But it really was a classic one-punch KO by Kharitonov, who remains undefeated in M-1 Global competition at 4-0-0.

Checkout this one-punch KO

or go here to view:
https://m1global.tv/news/m1_challenge_80_kharitonov_vs_sokoudjou_event_results/

M-1 Challenge featherweight champion Ivan “Buki” Buchinger (32-5-0, M-1: 7-1-0), of Slovakia, successfully defended his title, submitting Russian challenger Timur Nagibin (9-3-0, M-1: 5-2-0) in round three via a rear naked choke.

German featherweight Sascha Sharman (13-3-0, M-1: 1-1-0) did the same to his opponent, Musu “Iron King” Nuertiebieke (7-3-0, M-1: 0-1-0), of China, except Sharman finished the show at the 1:03 mark of the opening round.

Australian welterweight Corey “Major” Nelson (18-6-2, M-1: 0-0-1) and Alexander “Iron Capture” Butenko (43-12-1, M-1: 9-2-1) fought to a three-round majority-draw, while Russian featherweight Mikhail Korobov (11-3-1, M-1: 1-2-1) also used a rear naked choke to submit Asirkebai Jinensibieke (12-5-0, M-1: 0-1-0) in the first round.

On the preliminary card, Russian middleweight Artem Kazbanov (8-1-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Chinese welterweight Kuerbanjiang Tuluosibake (2-1-0, M-1: 1-0-0) and Russian lightweight Adam Tsurov (7-5-0, M-1: 6-2-0) all won three-round unanimous decisions, respectively, against Nosherwan “Savage” Khanzada (3-4-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Ukrainian Makim “Mad Max: Melnik (3-4-0, M-1: 1-2-0) and previously undefeated Fu Kangkang (4-1-1, M-1: 0-1-0), of China.

Brazilian light heavyweight Carlos “Cachorrao” Edueardo (16-4-0, M-1: 2-0-0) stopped previously undefeated German, Rene Hoppe (7-1-0, M-1: 2-1-0), in the first round on the advice of the doctor. Georgian bantamweight Ivbragim Navruzov (4-0-1, M-1: 1-0-1) took a three-round split decision from Huyixibai Huyixibai (14-5-0, M-1: 0-1-0), of China.

Once again, M-1 Global promoted a true international event as the 20 competing athletes represented 10 different countries: Russia, United States, Slovakia, Germany, Brazil, Australia, Ukraine, Pakistan, Georgia and China.

Complete results below:

OFFICIAL RESULTS
(all winners listed first)

MAIN CARD

MAIN EVENT – HEAVYWEIGHTS
Sergei Kharitonov (25-6-0, M-1: 4-0-0), Russia
KO1 (Punches – 2:39)
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (18-8-0, M-1: 0-1-0), USA

M-1 CHALLENGE FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSIP
Ivan Buchinger (32-5-0, M-1: 7-1-0), Slovakia
WSUB3 (Rear Naked Choke – 3:24)
Timur Nagibin (9-3-0, M-1: 5-2-0), Russia
(Buchinger retains M-1 Challenge featherweight title)

FEATHERWEIGHTS
Sascha Sharma (13-2-0, M-1: 1-1-0), Germany
WSUB1 (Rear Naked Choke – 1:03)
Muso Nuertiebieke (7-3-0, M-1: 0-1-0), China

WELTERWEIGHTS
Alexander Butenko (43-12-1, M-1: 9-2-1), Ukraine
D3
Corey Nelson (18-6-2, M-1: 0-0-1), Australia

FEATHERWEIGHTS
Mikhail Korobov (11-2-1, M-1: 1-2-1), Russia
WSUB1 (Rear Naked Choke – 1:18)
Asirkebai Jinensibieke (12-5-0, M-1: 0-1-0), China

PRELIMINARY CARD

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS
Carlos Eduardo (16-4-0, M-1: 2-0-0), Brazil
WTKO1 (Doctor Stoppage – 1:06)
Rene Hoppe (7-0-0, M-1: 2-0-0), Germany

MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Arten Kazbanov (8-1-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Russia
WDEC3
Nosherwan Khanzada (3-4-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Pakistan

BANTAMWEIGHTS
Ibragim Navruzov (4-0-1, M-1: 1-0-1), Georgia
WDEC3
Huyixibai Huyixibai (14-5-0, M-1: 0-1-0), China

WELTERWEIGHTS
Kuerbanjiang Tuluosibake (2-1-0, M-1: 1-0-0, China
WDEC3
Makim Melnik (3-4-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Ukraine

LIGHTWEIGHTS
Adam Tsurov (7-5-0, M-1: 6-2-0), Russia
WDEC3
Fu Kangkang (4-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0), China

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!




Video: UFC Fight Night Singapore: Official Weigh-in




Video: UFC Fight Night Singapore: Q&A with Stephen Thompson, Juliana Pena, Jorge Masvidal, and Dan Hardy