MEDFORD, Mass. (April 04, 2014) – Promoter John “The Quietman” Ruiz, former two-time World Boxing Association heavyweight champion, has announced the postponement of the new American Fighting Championship’s (AFO) inaugural Pro-Am mixed-martial-arts show that was scheduled on Saturday night, April 26 at Tyngsboro Sports Center in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts.

AFO’s launching of “The Battle Series: AFO Redemption” amateur tournament, which will feature some of New England’s top fighters in various weight classes, was to highlighted the Apr. 26th show.

The postponement was due to a variety of reasons, primarily the late addition of a major sponsor willing to make a substantial financial investment in the show and tournament, as well as providing a custom made trophy to be awarded to the gym producing the most winners in the tournament.

“We didn’t want to rush and promote our first show just for the sake of doing it,” Ruiz explained. “We just ran out of time. We had a lot of fighters contact us to fight in our tournament, but the new sponsor wants more gyms competing against each other to establish bragging rights to go along with a sizable cash award and trophy. It’s very important for all us associated with AFO to make sure our first show is of high quality, featuring entertaining, competitive fights. We couldn’t insure that for April 26th and had to make a difficult decision to postpone that event.”

Another reason for the delay in the new AFO’s inaugural event is a USO trip to Afghanistan that Ruiz is involved in that which was originally supposed to happen in February but was recently rescheduled to happen later this month. Ruiz committed himself to the trip and he would have been away for the final few weeks of preparation for the Apr. 26 show.

“It’s a good news, bad news situation,” Ruiz continued. “We are disappointed having to postpone our first show, but we have a title sponsor behind us and that’s going to help a lot. We apologize for any inconveniences this postponement is for fighters, trainers and fans alike. Our staff will have sufficient time to recruit fighters for the tournament, as well as further develop relationships with MMA gyms and fighters throughout New England. We are looking at several venues and television options for this summer and will make a formal announcement about the exact date when everything has been finalized.”

For more information about the AFO and Quietman Sports Gym, please visit www.afomma.com, www.quietmansports.com, www.facebook.com/QuietmanSports or www.facebook.com/afomma.com.

Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents a pair of live events this Saturday, April 5, beginning with BAMMA 15 at 4 p.m. ET, immediately followed by Enfusion Edition 16.

Headlining BAMMA 15 from Copper Box Arena at London’s Olympic Park is a heavyweight clash featuring the highly anticipated BAMMA debut of former Britain’s Strongest Man Oli “The Spartan” Thompson against “Albanian Psycho” Gzim Selmani.

The event also features former “TUF” competitor Colin “Freakshow” Fletcher against U.S. veteran Tony “Lionheart” Hervey, plus a BAMMA Lonsdale British welterweight title bout between Wayne Murray and Leon “Rocky” Edwards. Additionally, Harry McLeman will face Andy De-Vent in a BAMMA Lonsdale British middleweight title fight.

Meanwhile, premier kickboxing organization Enfusion will invade The Hague, Netherlands for its 16th edition, featuring a welterweight world title fight pitting Mohammed Jaraya against Mohamed Galaoui.

In other action-packed Enfusion matchups, Kevin Miruka battles Ismael Benali, Marieke Post meets Kristy Ooms, Paolo Renna takes on Reda Narain, Sam Tevette throws down with Mohamed Boubkari and Hicham El Gaoui clashes with Andri Panov.

All the festivities will kick off on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET live only on Fight Network.

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

For More Information Contact:

Fight Network
Chad Midgley
VP Programming & Production
chad@fightnetwork.com
www.fightnetwork.com

Fight Network
Ariel Shnerer
Programming & Communications Manager
ariel@fightnetwork.com
www.fightnetwork.com

About Fight Network:

Fight Network (www.fightnetwork.com) is the world’s premier combat sports network dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, including fights, fighters, fight news and fight lifestyle. The channel is available on all major carriers in Canada, select countries in Europe, across the Middle East and North Africa on OSN, on select U.S. carriers including a programming block on Pursuit Channel (www.pursuitchannel.com), and on TSN Radio in Canada via its program “Live Audio Wrestling,” and its programming on Sirius XM Channel 167, as well as its recent acquisition of My Combat Channel. Fight Network’s parent company Anthem Media Group Inc. also owns a significant interest in the Pursuit Channel and launched Fantasy Sports Network (FNTSY) across North America in March 2014.

MAIN EVENT – M-1 CHALLENGE FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP – 5 X 5
MARAT GAFUROV (8-0-0, 1 KO/TKO, 5 SUB), Champion, Dagestan, Russia 144 ½ LBS.
LEE MORRISON (13-3-0, 4 KO/TKO, 4 SUB), Challenger, Okanogan, Washington, USA 144 ½ LBS.

(L-R) Marat Gafurov, M-1 promoter Vadim Finkelchtein and Lee Morrison

CO-FEATURE – HEAVYWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
JEFF MONSON (49-17-1, 3 KO/TKO, 29 SUB), Miami, Florida, USA 237 ¾ LBS.
CHABAN KA (6-3-1, 0 KO/TKO, 5 SUB), Villeneuve-d’ Ascq, France 246 ½ LBS.

(L-R) — Jeff Monson, M-1 promoter Vadim Finkelchtein and Chaban Ka

HEAVYWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Marcin TYBURA (9-0-0, 3 KO/TKO, 4 SUB), Lodz, Poland 242 ½ LBS.
MARIO “Gladiator” PEREK (23-33-1, 12 KO/TKO, 7 SUB), Dubrovnik, Croatia 219 ½ LBS.

(L-R) — Marcin Tybura, M-1 promoter Vadim Finkelchtein and Mario Perak

LIGHTWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
IVAN BUCHINGER (25-4-0, 6 KO/TKO, 15 SUB), Gabcikovo, Slovania 153 ¾ LBS.
SERGEY GOLYAEV (23-10-0, 6 KO/TKO, 12 SUB), St. Petersburg, Russia 154 ¼ LBS.

(L-R) — Sergey Golyaev, M-1 promoter Vadim Finkelchtein and Ivan Buchinger

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
LUIS FERNANDO MIRANDA (11-0-1, 4 KO/TKO), 6 SUB), Rio Grande, Rio Grande Do Sol, Brazil 202 LBS.
VASILY BABICH (9-2-0, 3 KO/TKO, 5 SUB), Yeupatoria, Ukraine 202 ½ LBS.

(L-R) — Luis Fernando Miranda, M-1 promoter Vadim Finkelchtein and Vasily Babich

WELTERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
JULIEN WILLIAMS (4-1-0, 0 KO/TKO, 4 SUB), Orlando, Florida, USA 170 LBS.
RASUL ABDULAEV (3-0-0, 1 KO/TKO, 0 SUB), Kolpino, Russia 169 ¾ LBS.

(L-R) — Rasul Abdulaev, M-1 promoter Vadim Finkelchtein and Julien Williams

FEATHERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
KAMIL MARON (4-1-0, 0 KO/TKO, 3 SUB), Tarnov, Poland 145 LBS.
GEORGY FUROV (2-1-0, 1 KO/TKO, 0 SUB), Orenburg, Russia 145 LBS.

(L-R) — Georgy Fursov and Kamil Maron

WELTERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
ALEXEI KUNCHENKO (2-0-0, 1 KO/TKO, 1 SUB), Tyumen, Russia 168 LBS.
ANATOLY SAFRONEV (19-20-0, 3 KO/TKO, 8 SUB), Kharkiv, Ukraine 169 ¾ LBS.

(L-R) — Anatoly Safronev, M-1 promoter Vadim Finkelchtein and Alexei Kunchenko

FEATHERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
MURAD MIRZABEKOV (1-0-0, 0 KO/TKO, 0 SUB), Orenburg, Russia 144 ½ LBS.
SAID MAADZIEV (0-1-0), St. Petersburg, Russia 144 ½ LBS.

(L-R) — Murad Mirzabekov, M-1 promoter Vadim Finkelchtein and Said Maadziev

WHAT: M-1 Challenge 47: Battle in the Heart of the Continentent

WHEN: Friday, April 4, 2014

WHERE: Orenburgzhye Sport Hall, Orenburg, Orenburg Blast, Russia

PROMOTER: M-1 Global

LIVE BROADCAST: FREE at www.m-1global.tv (Friday, April 4 at 11 a.m. / 8 a.m. PT in U.S.A.). Also On Russia 2 throughout Russia and the Commonwealth of Individual States (CIS), as well as across the Middle East on Abu Dhabi Sports Channels

INFORMATION: https://www.facebook.com/pages/M-1-Global/145250878842244

ABOUT M-1 GLOBAL: Founded in 1998, M-1 Global has established itself in the realm of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as the premiere entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With offices in St Petersburg, Amsterdam and Los Angeles and affiliates in Seoul, Tokyo and Paris, the M-1 brand has staged more than 150 events worldwide, including the M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge and M-1 Global and M-1 Global HWGP events, in addition to co-promoting Strikeforce events and M-1 Global on the Showtime network in the United States. 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 Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Aleksander Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Keith Jardine, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Roman Zentsov, Yushin Okami, Mike Pyle, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Amar Suloev, Chalid Arrab and Stephan Struve. 2014 promises to be another sensational year of world-class competition with a full calendar of Challenge events fuelled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global’s Champions amongst the greatest in the sport. M-1 Global’s greatest asset is renowned heavyweight fighter, Fedor Emelianenko.

SPN3 will present exclusive live coverage in the U.S. of BAMMA 15 Saturday, April 5, at 4 p.m. ET. BAMMA is Europe’s flagship Mixed Martial Arts promotion. The event, from the UK’s iconic Copper Box Arena, in London’s Olympic Park, will be headlined by Heavyweights Oli Thompson (12-5) and Gzim Selmani (5-1).

About ESPN3
ESPN3 is ESPN’s live multi-screen sports network, a destination that delivers thousands of exclusive sports events annually. It is accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app and streamed on televisions through ESPN on Xbox LIVE to Gold members, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Roku. The network is currently available to more than 92 million homes at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider. The network is also available at no cost to approximately 21 million U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers, smartphones and tablets connected to on-campus educational and on-base military broadband and Wi-Fi networks.

Tacoma, WA (April 1, 2014) – Northwest fight fans have a super fight on the way and CageSport MMA will be the place to be on May 3rd, when featherweight champion, Drew “The Eternal Fire” Brokenshire (9-1) challenges lightweight champion, Justin “Ruckus” Harrington (6-1) for the lightweight title in the main event of a stacked CageSport 30 lineup. Also being featured is Tacoma’s Alfonso Gonzales (4-0) taking on Moses Lake’s Jared Torgeson (10-9) in a fight to become a top contender to challenge Brent Knopp for the CageSport middleweight title.

Tickets for CageSport 30, scheduled for Saturday, May 3rd at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, WA are on sale and can be purchased online through Ticketmaster and at the EQC box office. Prices start at $35. Fans are encouraged to buy their tickets early as they are expected to be a hot commodity among the Northwest fight scene.

Since turning professional in in 2012, Brokenshire has run right through the Northwest featherweight division, only being defeated by Lee Morrison who is now currently fighting for Europe’s number one MMA promotion, M-1 Global. After the defeat Brokenshire went on a tear, defeating Julian Erosa for the CageSport featherweight title and has since defended the belt three times in what has become part of a five fight win streak. Taking on Justin Harrington at CageSport XXX will undoubtedly be one of Brokenshire’s toughest challenges yet.

“While we develop my skills we are looking for challenges in my bouts to see where my strengths and weaknesses are so we can continue to work on them,” said Brokenshire when asked about his thoughts in wanting a fight with Harrington. “Justin Harrington is the perfect guy to test me so we can do just that. We want to step up to face the toughest opponents we can, so that is why I asked for the fight with the champ.”

The undefeated Harrington, who turned professional on the same day as Brokenshire, also has the makings of becoming the next great Northwest MMA star. In his six professional fights, the lightweight champion has finished every single one of his opponents before time expired. Training out of the well-respected Combat Sport and Fitness gym in Enumclaw headed by former UFC fighter, Jeff Hougland, Harrington will be no easy task for Brokenshire when the two step into the cage to headline CageSport 30.

An interesting matchup on the undercard to keep your eye on is the bout featuring Jared Torgeson and Alfonso Gonzales, where the winner will possibly get the opportunity to take on CageSport middleweight champion, Brent Knopp for the title at the next CageSport. The full undercard will be announced shortly.

Doors for CageSport 30 open at 6 PM with the first fight scheduled for 7 PM. For more information about CageSport 30 and all other Halquist Productions events, please visit www.halquistproductions.com and the official Facebook and Twitter pages of CageSport MMA and Battle at the Boat.

About CageSport MMA
Halquist Productions’ CageSport MMA continues to be the longest running and leading all professional MMA promotion in the Northwest. The promotion has drawn fighters from all over the region such as: Miesha Tate, Bryan Caraway, Sam Sicilia, and Michael Chiesa, who have all fought on former CageSport cards and going on to become UFC superstars. CageSport has become a top MMA promotion in the country for northwest fighters to gain experience and exposure as they continue to dedicate their lives in hoping to one day sign with the UFC.

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (April 1, 2014) — Four-time French Olympian Joel Bouzou, president and founder of Peace and Sports (www.peace-sport.org), has been appointed Vice President of World Mixed Martial Arts Association (WMMAA).

Bouzou captured a gold medal at the 1987 World Championship Modern Pentathlon, in addition to representing France in 1980, 1984, 1988 and 1994 Olympic Games, winning a Bronze Medal in 1984 as a team member.

Peace and Sports is a neutral international organization based in Monaco, under the patronage of Prince Albert II, founded in 2007 to promote the use of sport to foster dialogue and reconciliation everywhere it’s needed.

WMMAA’s goal is to be the official world governing body for Mixed Martial Arts. A non-profit organization founded in 2012, WMMAA is on a mission to develop a standardized and regulated organization, including competition, training, officiating, testing and growth when necessary. More than 400 countries have been granted WMMAA membership.

The head of WMMAA is President Vadim Finkelchtein, also the president of M-1 Global, the largest MMA group in Russia and Europe. WMMAA’s honorary president is legendary Fedor Emelianenko, considered by many to be the greatest MMA fighter of all-time.

Bouzou’s start in MMA was through an introduction by his wife to Finkelchtein. “Interest in collaboration was mutual,” Bouzou explained. “Vadim does very much for the development of MMA in the whole world and is interested in popularization of this sport. I see enormous peacemaking potential in mixed martial arts. We had a conversation during which we found the points of contiguity and drew up a plan of our collaboration. Both is us – Vadim and I – analyzed carefully all pros and cons. And as a result we decided that collaboration has to take place.

“The first important steps for MMA development have already been done. The national MMA federations already exist in many countries. Tutors, seminars and master classes are being conducted all over the world. Fighters are excellent role models for our society. There are two fighters, two opponents. Each of them has his own story. One is a winner, the other is a loser. But they respect each other. If there is no opponent there is no fight. And you can be a hero, real winner and a good fighter, only if you are a good opponent. To respect the rules and your opponent is important here. It unites sportsmen and it is an example for society.”

Last October, WMMAA hosted the inaugural World MMA Championships held in St. Petersburg, Russia, which made history as amateur MMA fighters from all over the world competed for national pride in front of an audience of millions via television and internet broadcasts. The second annual World MMA Championships is scheduled to be held this September in Minsk, Belarus.

“I’m sure one of the basic tasks for us is to increase the interest of MMA in government,” Bouzou continued. “For this purpose it is necessary to develop master classes, seminars and conferences. Also, we will conduct different social programs in partnership with the Peace and Sports organization. Presenting MMA through collaboration with Peace and Sports, we will show to governments and society that mixed martial arts can be a very useful type of sport which can help with the solution of social problems.

“I consider it is important to carry MMA’s philosophy to the people. It is the philosophy of respect to the opponent and following rules. It is not just a show. It is a prime example that even irreconcilable rivals can unite for a general aim.

“The social side of sport – education, developing programs, competitions, popularization of sport among children and youth – is important to the state. If government is sure MMA can play an important role for society, that fighters can become excellent examples for people, they will support development of this sport. Fights, tournaments, and shows are spectacular and exciting, but it goes more to business. My goal is to show that MMA also has a strong social side.”

A recent WMMAA meeting
Seated far left, V.P. Joel Bouzou, and far center, President Vadim Finkelshtein

For more information about WMMAA, please visit www.WMMAA.org

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (March 31, 2014) – The opportunity American featherweight contender Lee “American Bulldog” Morrision (13-3-0, 4 KO/TKO, 4 SUB) has trained so hard for finally arrives April 4 on M-1 Challenge 47: Battle in the Heart of the Continent,” airing free worldwide on M-1Global.tv, live from Orenburgzhe Sport Hall in Orenburgh, Russia. Morrison takes on unbeaten M-1 Challenge featherweight champion Marat Gafurov (8-0-0, 1 KO/TKO, 5 SUB) in the highly-anticipated main event.

Unbeaten in his last eight fights, dating back nearly three years, Morrison will be fighting a long way from his home in Okanogon, Washington. The 28-year-old former collegiate wrestling star, at North Dakota College and Menio College in California, won his M-1 Global debut in his last fight (Oct. 20, 2013) with a hard fought split decision over Mikhail Malyutin at M-1 Challenge 42 to earn “Fight of the Night” honors. He also positioned himself as the No. 1 M-1 Challenge featherweight contender.

His first fight in Russia may have been somewhat surreal for him but this trip he’s on a mission to bring the coveted M-1 Challenge belt home to America. “Fighting in Russia the first time was quite interesting because it was like I was fighting alone in my head,” Morrison explained what it was like for him. “I traveled internationally to fight in a big organization. I had never been there and fans hadn’t see me before. Everything was breathtaking the last fight but this fight won’t be as much of a culture shock for me. Interest is even greater because a title is on the line this time.

“I’m coming to show what I’m capable of doing and hope to have my hand raised at the end of the fight. I’m a guy who is explosive. I’ve worked hard on conditioning; muscle movement – when to release and when to maintain – because I needed to prepare for a five-round fight. Seeing how I’ve been a wrestler all my life, I to try to stand-up and move around more in every fight. I’ve worked on my stand-up but I’m not really certain what will happen once the fight starts.”

The 29-year-old Gafurov is a jiu-jitsu world champion from Russia who won the inaugural M-1 Challenge featherweight championship Nov. 15, 2013, choking Vugar Bahshiev into a submission at M-1 Challenge 35. In his first and only title defense to date, Gaforov stopped Yuri Ivlev by way of punches in the second round, last November at M-1 Challenge 41.

“He’s undefeated, one of the top featherweight fighters in the world,” Morrison talked about his opponent. “Gafurov’s tough, very talented, strong and a Russian fighting at home. He’s the cream-of-the-crop. A win will elevate me to another level.”

An intriguing co-feature pits another American, ageless Jeff “The Snowman” Monson (49-17-1, 3 KO/TKO, 29 SUB), against French heavyweight Chaban Ka (6-3-1, 0 KO/TKO, 5 SUB) in a rematch of their 2011 fight that ended in a draw.
Monson is an MMA icon whose 16-year professional MMA career includes six fights in Russia (3-3-0), highlighted by a loss by decision to the great Fedor Emelianenko, as well as a win by submission (north-south choke) over Fedor’s younger brother, Alekander Emelianenko.

M-1 Challenge 47 will also be broadcast live on Russia 2, the terrestrial channel, throughout Russia and the Commonwealth of Individual States (CIS), as well as across the Middle East on Abu Dhabi Sports Channels.

Chief support on the undercard will be provided by a Special Heavyweight Attraction featuring unbeaten Polish heavyweight Marcin “Tybur” Tybura (9-0-0, 3 KO/TKO, 4 SUB) and always dangerous Croatian powerhouse Maro “Gladiator” Perak (23-3-1, 12 KO/TKO, 7 SUB).

Slovakian lightweight Ivan “Buki” Buchinger (25-4-0, 6 KO/TKO, 15 SUB) is out seeking revenge against Russian veteran Sergey Golyaev (23-10-0, 6 KO/TKO, 12 SUB), who in 2010 needed only 21 seconds to become the first to knockout Buchinger.

Another American invader fighting on the loaded M-1 Challenge 47 event, making his M-1 Global debut, is Floridian welterweight Julien “J-Smoove” Williams (4-1-0, 0 KO/TKO, 4 SUB), who faces unbeaten Russian grappling specialist Rasul Abdulaev (3-0-0, 1 KO/TKO, 0 SUB), the 2013 National and European amateur MMA champion.

Also fighting on the undercard is a pair of featherweight prospects, Kamil Maron (4-1-0, 0 KO/TKO, 3 SUB), pf Poland, vs. Georgy Fursov (2-1-0, 1 KO/TKO), of Russia; Brazilian light heavyweight Luis Fernando “Hulk” Miranda (11-1-0) vs. Ukrainian National MMA champion Vasily Babich (9-2-0, 3 KO/TKO/5 SUB); Russian welterweight Alexei Kunchenko (2-0-0, 1 KO/1 SUB) tests himself vs. Ukrainian veteran Anatoly “Doctor” Safronev (19-20-0, 3 KO/TKO/8 SUB); and Murad Mirzabekov (1-0) vs. Said Maadziev (0-1-0) rounds-out this entertaining card in a battle of young Russian featherweights.

All fights and fighters are subject to change.

The M-1 Challenge series has traditionally introduced a new wave of potential MMA stars, showcasing elite athletes from Russia and across Europe. M-1 Global is the No. 1 European MMA organization, as well as one of the oldest in the world, dating back to 1998. Superstar Fedor Emelianenko, considered by many to be the greatest fighter in MMA history, has been the face of M-1 Global around the combat sports world for the past decade.

Go on Facebook for more information about M-1 Global and M-1 Challenge 47 at https://www.facebook.com/pages/M-1-Global/145250878842244.

ABOUT M-1 GLOBAL: Founded in 1998, M-1 Global has established itself in the realm of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as the premiere entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With offices in St Petersburg, Amsterdam and Los Angeles and affiliates in Seoul, Tokyo and Paris, the M-1 brand has staged more than 150 events worldwide, including the M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge and M-1 Global and M-1 Global HWGP events, in addition to co-promoting Strikeforce events and M-1 Global on the Showtime network in the United States. 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 Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Aleksander Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Keith Jardine, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Roman Zentsov, Yushin Okami, Mike Pyle, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Amar Suloev, Chalid Arrab and Stephan Struve. 2014 promises to be another sensational year of world-class competition with a full calendar of Challenge events fuelled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global’s Champions amongst the greatest in the sport. M-1 Global’s greatest asset is renowned heavyweight fighter, Fedor Emelianenko.

Las Vegas, Nevada – Former UFC® heavyweight champion and pro-wrestling superstar Brock Lesnar is back in the public consciousness this week, and the Ultimate Fighting Championship® organization’s digital subscription service UFC FIGHT PASS is premiering a retrospective on the 280-pound beast’s unique legacy as a mixed martial arts fighter.

Available immediately on UFC FIGHT PASS, “The Best of the Beast” anthology features all seven of Lesnar’s UFC fights, archive material including footage of Lesnar’s amateur wrestling career and – in addition – exclusive interviews with pro-wrestling stars “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Jim Ross, each of whom discuss Lesnar’s journey from pro-wrestling to the UFC Octagon®.

Wrestling Hall of Fame announcer Jim Ross was the man who scouted and eventually signed NCAA freestyle wrestling heavyweight champion Lesnar to a seven-figure pro-wrestling contract. Offering a unique perspective on Lesnar’s time in the UFC, Ross said: “Brock is a once in a generation athlete, he could have excelled in any number of sports that he turned his attention to. But – and he won’t mind me saying this one bit – he has a nasty streak in him. So I always suspected he’d do well when he went to the UFC. That said, I think what he accomplished as a MMA fighter, with little training and in such a short amount of time, was something very special.”

Wrestling superstar and Hollywood action hero Johnson, who has performed in the ring with Lesnar, said: “Giving Brock Lesnar a shot in the UFC after just one win in MMA was a risk for the UFC. And they threw everything at him – Frank Mir in his first fight. But what Brock managed accomplish in such a short amount of time was historic and I’m not sure if it will happen again.”

Steve Austin, action movie hero, podcaster and the iconic star of pro-wrestling’s biggest boom period, said: “I’m a huge UFC fan and, from a fan’s perspective, Brock brought a lot of excitement to the UFC’s heavyweight division. Brock’s also a friend of mine, so I’m biased, but I think that if fans really look at what he accomplished in a short amount of time, they will see he’s as good as anyone in the history of the heavyweight division.”

Entering the Octagon for the first time as a 1-0 novice in February 2008, Lesnar competed in the UFC until December 2011. In that time, he defeated UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture, two-time UFC champion Frank Mir, and respected veteran Heath Herring, and overcame near-impossible odds to submit the previously unbeaten Shane Carwin. He retired from competition following back-to-back first round defeats to reigned UFC champ Cain Velasquez and No.6 ranked contender Alistair Overeem.

UFC FIGHT PASS Chief Content Officer Marshall Zelaznik said: “Brock Lesnar looms large in the annuals of the UFC and we’re excited to present our subscribers with the chance to relive his incredible career in the Octagon on UFC FIGHT PASS.”

For more information go to UFC.com and UFCFIGHTPASS.com.

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT™ (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC and on Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

LAS VEGAS – Brazilian submission master Rousimar Palhares (17-6) needed just 69 seconds to take the World Series of Fighting welterweight title away from former champ Steve Carl (21-4).

And it was his signature move – the heel hook – that led “Toquinho” to victory.

The championship fight headlined Saturday’s “World Series of Fighting 9: Carl vs. Palhares” event at Las Vegas’ Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and aired on NBCSN.

Making his World Series of Fighting debut, Palhares wasted little time in shooting the fight to the floor. From there, he rolled for Carl’s leg, and the end was near. Looking first for a kneebar, Palhares then turned to his patented finishing hold, wrenching the inverted heel hook until Carl was forced to tap and hand over the belt.

In the night’s co-feature, Marlon Moraes claimed (13-4-1) claimed World Series of Fighting’s inaugural bantamweight title with a dominating decision win over a gutsy Josh Rettinghouse (10-3).

Rettinghouse looked to push the pace early, but Moraes’ excellent defensive wrestling skills kept him on the feet, and his crisp muay Thai provided all the offense he would need. A sharp counter punch floored Rettinghouse in the first, but he crawled back to his feet and soldiered on. Moraes came forward with thunderous leg kicks that wobbled Rettinghouse early and often and left him nearly immobile for the final few rounds.

A game Rettinghouse pushed forward until the final bell, but in the end, Moraes was simply too much and cruised to a decision win, earning a championship belt in the process.

Fighting for the first time under the World Series of Fighting banner, Japanese middleweight Yushin Okami (30-8) proved he’s still one of the world’s best fighters, as he dominated Bulgarian opponent Svetlozar Savov (12-5).

Savov simply had no match for Okami’s powerful wrestling attack and found himself on his back early and often. Pushing easily to mount in both the first and second rounds, Okami dominated the fight on the floor and eventually set up an arm-triangle choke and cranking the hold until he earned the tap with 14 seconds left in the frame.

Afterward, Okami admitted he had hoped to show off his striking skills but realized the importance of a win.

“My gameplan was to use my striking game, but once we got going, I saw that he had good distance, so I was forced to change my gameplan,” Okami said.

In a key welterweight fight, Josh Burkman (27-10) picked up another highlight-reel win with a stunning knockout of Tyler Stinson (27-10).

While Stinson was the vaunted knockout artist, it was Burkman who landed a crushing lead right from a southpaw stance, sending his opponent crashing to the floor. Burkman made sure he had no time to recover, landing a huge follow-up right hand that ended the fight at the 2:15 mark of the first.

“The one thing I didn’t want to do was stand in front of him,” Burkman said after the win. “I knew he had enough respect for my hands, and if he hurt me, I was going to take it to wrestling.”

In the night’s first main-card matchup, lightweight Johnny Nunez (5-0) kept his career mark perfect with a hard-fought split-decision win over Ozzy Dugulubgov (5-2).

The aggressive Nunez set the tone early in each round, pushing forward with reckless abandon. Dugulubgov proved a tough foe, defending takedown attempts and answering back with submission attempts of his own.

Ultimately, while Dugulubgov had frequent moments in dominant positions, his inability to capitalize on the advantages cost him, and Nunez was awarded a split-decision win. Afterward, Nunez said he wasn’t concerned with anyone claiming controversy in the call.

“I don’t care what anybody says,” Nunez said. “I’m not worrying about anyone but myself and my team.”

In the night’s featured preliminary contest, Mike Corey (13-3-1) looked downright dominant in a second-round submission win over Shane Kruchten (11-3).

The shorter Corey dealt well with Kruchten’s reach, leaping in with powerful punches and dropping him in the opening round. In the second, Corey took Kruchten to the floor, peppered him with punches and moved quickly to his back. While Kruchten tried to defend, Corey muscled in a rear-naked choke attempt and squeezed until he earned the tap at the 2:59 mark of the round.

Bryson Hansen (7-1) made an immediate impact in World Series of Fighting’s bantamweight division, needing just 46 seconds in his promotional debut to score a TKO win over Sean Cantor (1-1).

Hansen looked for a takedown early in the fight, and while Cantor defended well, he also exposed his chin in the process. Hansen seized the opportunity, unleashing a barrage of left hands that stunned Cantor and forced a quick TKO stoppage.

Featherweight prospect Chris Gruetzemacher (12-1) made his long-awaited World Series of Fighting debut in impressive fashion, thoroughly dominating longtime veteran John Gunderson (34-16-2). Using a grinding wrestling attack, Gruetzemacher had Gunderson on the defense from start to finish, and “Gritz” was awarded a clear-cut decision win.

While his brother, Bryson, would later duplicate the feat, Brenson Hansen (6-2) picked up a victory, downing Boostayre Nefarios (2-2) via decision. Nefarios appeared to hold in the edge in speed and quickness, but Hansen moved constantly forward, firing heavy punches and outworking his opponent en route to the victory.

In an early welterweight matchup, Danny Davis (9-8-1) turned in one of the more impressive efforts of his career, outworking Phil Dace (9-5) over the course of three rounds and scoring a unanimous-decision win.

The night’s first fight saw lightweight JimmySpicuzza (3-0) keep his perfect career mark intact with an impressive, first-round submission win over Gil Guardado (2-1).

ESPN Deportes brings Brazil’s Jungle Fight 67 to U.S. viewers Saturday, March 29 at 8 p.m. EST LIVE from the Costa Cavalcanti Gymnasium in Foz de Iguazu. The 67th edition of Jungle Fight will feature nine bouts by MMA’s most promising young talent, highlighted by the flyweight belt dispute between Mario Israel and Jonas Bilharinho.

Both fighters are coming into the match with no losses in their careers and a great reputation of being well-rounded athletes within the MMA scene. While Jonas Bilharinho trains at Team Nogueira with the Rodrigo Minotauro and Rogério Minotouro team, the current champion, Isreal, has the support of Alexandre “Capitão” and Rayner Silva – both champions in their category of Jungle Fight.

“This fight between Jonas Bilharinho and Mário Israel has the making of one of the best fights of all time,” said Wallid Ismael, former athlete and President of Jungle Fight. “It is a fight between two unbeaten rising stars of the national MMA scene. They are both outstanding Brazilian fighters, and I am sure we will hear a lot more from them.”

The first time Jungle Fight was held in Foz de Iguazu was August 2013. According to the Secretary of Sports Anderson Andrade, the event brought great visibility to the city, which called for a new edition in 2014 during the city’s 100th anniversary.

In addition to being considered a cradle for many popular MMA fighters, Jungle Fight distinguishes itself for inspiring and recruiting young fighters from poor communities, such as Cidade de Deus and Mangueira. Jungle Fight Championship also donates a portion of its proceeds to promote education, protect the endangered Amazon rainforest and support social programs.

The nine matchups are as follows (subject to change):

Jonas “Speed” Bilharinho (Team Nogueira) vs. Mario Israel (Top Life Amazonas) – 135 lbs.

Fabian Quintanar (Chakal MX Team – Mexico) vs. Richard Godoy (Thai Brasil/Foz do Iguaçu) – 145 lbs.

Alan Miguel (Fight Club BFC) vs. Rivaldo Junior (Top Life Amazonas) – 135 lbs.

Paulo “Smash” Durão (KRteam/novauniao-Portugal) vs. Cesar “Goku” Arzamendia (Fight Center Gym/Paraguai ) – 155 lbs.

Brandon Gushiken (Chakal & Ludus Fight Team – USA) vs. Aldo Ariel Villalba (Fight
Center Gym – Paraguay) – 125 lbs.

Bruno Silva (XGym/Team Nogueira) vs. Leandro Vasconcelos (SST / Foz do Iguaçu) – 155 lbs.

Apostolis de Andrade (CM System) vs. Gilberto ‘Pantoja’ (Lotus Club/ Macapá) – 125 lbs.

Gabriel Silva (XGym/ Team Nogueira) vs. Willian Vogado (SST/ Foz do Iguaçu) – 135 lbs.

Edson Jairo (SST MMA/Foz do Iguaçu) vs. Fabian Armoa (Dog Brothers/Argentina) –170 lbs.

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (March 26, 2014) – American fighters Lee “American Bulldog” Morrision (13-3-0, 4 KO/TKO, 4 SUB) and Jeff “The Snowman” Monson (49-17-1, 3 KO/TKO, 29 SUB) will be featured April 4 on M-1 Challenge 47: Battle in the Heart of the Continent, airing free worldwide on M-1Global.tv, live from Orenburgzhe Sport Hall in Orenburgh, Russia.

Morrison challenges unbeaten M-1 Challenge featherweight champion Marat Gafurov (8-0-0, 1 KO/TKO, 5 SUB) in the main event, while Monson takes on French heavyweight Chaban Ka (6-3-1, 0 KO/TKO, 5 SUB) in a rematch of their 2011 fight that ended in a draw.

Morrison, fighting out of Okanogon, Washington, is unbeaten in his last eight fights, dating back nearly three years. The 28-year-old was a collegiate wrestler at North Dakota College and Menio College in California. He was 8-0 as an amateur MMA fighter before turning pro in 2007. Morrison made his M-1 Global debut in his last fight (Oct. 20, 2013), winning a hard fought split decision over Mikhail Malyutin at M-1 Challenge 42, earning Fight of the Night honors, as well as the No. 1 contender position for Morrison.

The 29-year-old Gafurov is a jiu-jitsu world champion from Ukraine who lives in Russia. He won the inaugural M-1 Challenge featherweight championship Nov. 15, 2013, choking Vugar Bahshiev into a submission at M-1 Challenge 35. In his first and only title defense to date, Gaforov stopped Yuri Ivlev by way of punches in the second round, last November at M-1 Challenge 41.

Monson was a standout wrestler in college at Oregon State and Illinois. He went on to become the two-time ADCC Submission Wrestling and No Gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion. The 43-year-old veteran has fought in Russia three times (3-3-0), including a loss by decision to the great Fedor Emelianko, as well as a win by submission north-south choke) over Fedor’s younger brother, Alexander Emelianko.

The 6′ 2″ Ka has split a pair of Russian fights, losing by first-round submission (strikes) to Marcin Tybura in 2013 at M-1 Challenge 41, after winning his M-1 Global debut earlier that year to Alexei Kudin by first-round submission (choke) at M-1 Challenge 38.

M-1 Challenge 47 will also be broadcast live on Russia 2, the terrestrial channel, throughout Russia and the Commonwealth of Individual States (CIS), as well as across the Middle East on Abu Dhabi Sports Channels.

Providing chief support on the undercard in a Special Heavyweight Attraction is a potential show-stealing clash between two of the most exciting European heavyweights, undefeated Marcin “Tybur” Tybura (9-0-0, 3 KO/TKO, 4 SUB) and dangerous Maro “Gladiator” Perak (23-3-1, 12 KO/TKO, 7 SUB). Tybura was scheduled to challenge M-1 Challenge champion and fellow Polish heavyweight, Damian Grabowski, at M-1 Challenge 46. Grabowski, however, had to withdraw due to a neck injury and Tybura was rescheduled to fight Apr. 4. The high-regarded Perak, fighting out of Croatia, accepted the most significant challenge of his career to fight Tybura.

Revenge seeking lightweight Ivan “Buki” Buchinger (25-4-0, 6 KO/TKO, 15 SUB) vacated his Cage Warriors title and joined M-1 Global to become its first Slovakian champion. His plans call for a rematch Apr. 4 against veteran lightweight Sergey Golyaev (23-10-0, 6 KO/TKO, 12 SUB) and then a move down in weight to M-1’s stacked featherweight division. Buchinger has won 13 of his last 16 fights and Golyaev was one of three who defeated Buchinger during the aforementioned period, needing only 21 seconds to become the first to knockout Buchinger.

Another American invader fighting on the loaded M-1 Challenge 47 event is Floridian welterweight Julien “J-Smoove” Williams (4-1-0, 0 KO/TKO, 4 SUB), who tangles with an unbeaten Russian, Rasul Abdulaev (3-0-0, 1 KO/TKO, 0 SUB). Williams makes his M-1 debut after going 2-0 in Bellator competition. He faces 2013 National and European amateur MMA champion Abdulaev, a physically strong individual who prefers to fight on the ground.

Also fighting on the undercard is lightweight prospects Kamil Maron (4-1-0, 0 KO/TKO, 3 SUB) vs. Georgy Fursov (2-1-0, 1 KO/TKO), as well as Brazilian light heavyweight Luis Fernando “Hulk” Miranda (11-1-0) vs. undefeated Ukrainian National MMA champion Vasily Babich (7-0-0).

Poland-native Maron, unlike many Alexander Nevsky-trained fighters who are well-prepared for stand-up battles, has won three of four fights by submission. Fursov is a young, Russian fighter trying to establish himself.

Miranda has a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and only one of his fights has gone the full distance. Babich is a strong puncher and kicker who stopped highly-regarded Russian prospect Artur Alibulatov by TKO.

All fights and fighters are subject to change.

The M-1 Challenge series has traditionally introduced a new wave of potential MMA stars, showcasing elite athletes from Russia and across Europe. M-1 Global is the No. 1 European MMA organization, as well as one of the oldest in the world, dating back to 1998. Superstar Fedor Emelianenko, considered by many to be the greatest fighter in MMA history, has been the face of M-1 Global around the combat sports world for the past decade.

Go on Facebook for more information about M-1 Global and M-1 Challenge 47 at https://www.facebook.com/pages/M-1-Global/145250878842244.

ABOUT M-1 GLOBAL: Founded in 1998, M-1 Global has established itself in the realm of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as the premiere entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With offices in St Petersburg, Amsterdam and Los Angeles and affiliates in Seoul, Tokyo and Paris, the M-1 brand has staged more than 150 events worldwide, including the M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge and M-1 Global and M-1 Global HWGP events, in addition to co-promoting Strikeforce events and M-1 Global on the Showtime network in the United States. 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 Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Aleksander Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Keith Jardine, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Roman Zentsov, Yushin Okami, Mike Pyle, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Amar Suloev, Chalid Arrab and Stephan Struve. 2014 promises to be another sensational year of world-class competition with a full calendar of Challenge events fuelled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global’s Champions amongst the greatest in the sport. M-1 Global’s greatest asset is renowned heavyweight fighter, Fedor Emelianenko.

Las Vegas, Nev. – On Wednesday, April 16, Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) fans will get their fill of the UFC’s long-running reality series, The Ultimate Fighter®, as FOX Sports 1 showcases the season-ending The Ultimate Fighter Nations Finale live from Quebec City, followed by the two-hour premiere of the hotly anticipated 19th season headlined by former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and two-division champion BJ Penn.

In the 19th edition of the series, 16 middleweight (185 lbs.) and 16 light heavyweight (205 lbs.) fighters will square off in the most challenging sports tournament on television. The premiere episode will determine the eight men from each division who will successfully move into The Ultimate Fighter house and compete for a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and a six-figure contract with the UFC.

See this season’s newly released promos featuring Frankie Edgar, BJ Penn and the latest cast of Ultimate Fighters.

The successful fighters will be divided into two teams, coached by Edgar and Penn respectively. The series will follow the teams as they live and train together in preparation for their fights. Then, both coaches will settle their score once and for all at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on Sunday, July 6, in the main event of The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale.

“Frankie Edgar is a guy who many believed should have fought at 145 pounds but fought at 155 pounds and beat everybody including BJ Penn – twice,” said UFC president Dana White. “This kid went from being a one-dimensional wrestler to having some of the best hands, knockouts and toe-to-toe wars.

“BJ Penn is one of the legends in the sport. He basically built the 155-pound division in the sport and had championship belts at 155 and 170 pounds. I can’t wait to see this third fight.”

The competitors are, in alphabetical order (name, professional MMA record, age, fighting out of):

The competitors are:
Corey Anderson (3-0), 24, Lincoln, Ill.
Cathal Pendred (13-2), 26, Dublin, Ireland
Kelly Anundson (6-1), 29, Deerfield Beach, Fla.
John Poppie (3-1), 24, Ettrick, Wis.
Anton Berzin (3-1), 24, Philadelphia, Pa.
Doug Sparks (7-2), 31, Bloomington, Ind.
Josh Clark (7-2), 29, Richmond, Ky.
Daniel Spohn (8-3), 29, Columbus, Ohio
Chris Fields (8-4), 30, Dublin, Ireland
Joshua Stansbury (4-2), 29, East Liverpool, Ohio
Matthew Gabel (8-3), 28, Le Mars, Iowa
Ian Stephens (4-0), 25, Ringgold, Ga.
Lyman Good (15-3), 28, New York, N.Y.
Adam Stroup (5-1), 27, Denver, Colo.
Eddie Gordon (6-1), 29, Uniondale, N.Y.
Nordine Taleb (8-2), 32, Montreal, Canada
Jacob Heun (6-3), 26, Coconut Creek, Fla.
Hector Urbina (16-8), 26, Coconut Creek, Fla.
Mike King (5-0), 30, Naples, Fla.
Matt Van Buren (6-2), 27, Chula Vista, Calif.
Tyler King (7-1), 33, North Attleboro, Mass.
Bojan Velickovic (8-2), 33, Delray Beach, Fla.
Dhiego Lima (8-1), 33, Sugar Hill, Ga.
Daniel Vizcaya (7-2), 28, Aurora, Ill.
Adrian Miles (14-5), 30, Biloxi, Miss.
Patrick Walsh (4-1), 25, Stoughton, Mass.
Tyler Minton (5-1), 26, Johnson City, Tenn.
Tim Williams (8-1), 27, Millville, N.J.
Todd Monaghan (8-2), 31, Clinton, Iowa
Roger Zapata (5-1), 27, New York, N.Y.
Cody Mumma (5-1), 30, Henderson, Colo.

The official headshots may be downloaded using the following link: ftp://upload:upload@ftp.ufc.com/2014-03-19-TUF-19-CAST-32-PRE-ELIMINATION-HEADSHOTS.zip (cut and paste link into your web browser to properly download files).

The Ultimate Fighter®: Team Edgar vs. Team Penn will run for 13 weeks in its regularly scheduled timeslot of 10 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1. Each episode’s winners will advance in the single-elimination tournament, which will culminate in a three-hour finale, live from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on Sunday, July 6.

Many of today’s most recognizable names in the UFC have emerged from The Ultimate Fighter series, which also produced champions such as Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans and Matt Serra and season winners Michael Bisping, Ryan Bader and Nate Diaz.

For more show information, bios, videos and photos, visit ultimatefighter.com and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter under our new name @UltimateFighter or on Facebook.com/TUF.

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, the UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S. which includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. UFC also owns over 100 UFC GYM® locations, UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT™ (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC 360 (the internationally distributed magazine), a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC and Twitter: @UFC.

FOX Sports 1
FOX Sports 1 is America’s new national multi-sport channel that launched on August 17 in approximately 90 million homes and boasts nearly 5,000 hours of live event, news and original programming annually. The channel has several pillar sports: college basketball and football, MLB (in 2014), NASCAR, NFL (ancillary programs), international soccer, UFC and Golden Boy boxing, and adds USGA events, including the U.S. Open, and FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2015. FOX SPORTS LIVE is FOX Sports 1’s flagship 24/7 news, opinion and highlights program, providing around the clock coverage through regularly scheduled programs, hourly updates and an information rich ticker. Original programs include: AMERICA’S PREGAME; MLB WHIPAROUND; NASCAR RACE HUB; CROWD GOES WILD, a new live sports entertainment talk show hosted by Regis Philbin; and the groundbreaking BEING: documentary franchise. FOX Sports GO, a new authenticated mobile sports experience for iPhone, iPad, Android devices and the web, serves as the channel’s digital extension. The app offers more than 1,100 live games and events from cross FOX Sports, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2 and FOX Sports’ 22 regional sports networks, as well as scores, highlights, news, stats and analysis. For more information visit www.FOXSports.com/FOXSports1.

Las Vegas – As part of UFC International Fight Week™, thousands of fans from all over the world will celebrate their passion for mixed martial arts (MMA) during UFC Fan Expo® July 5-6 at Mandalay Bay Convention Center. During the two-day event fans will have access to the sport’s biggest names, interact with industry icons and more than 150 vendors, participate in exhibitions, fighter autograph and training sessions, and enjoy other special events and competitions. The UFC Fan Expo will culminate with the exciting conclusion of The Ultimate Fighter® 19 Finale on Sunday, July 6 at Mandalay Bay Events Center.

Tickets and VIP packages for the UFC Fan Expo are on sale NOW at www.ufcfanexpo.com. Tickets for Saturday, July 5 are priced at $45, while tickets for Sunday, July 6 are priced at $40. A two-day pass is also available and is priced at $60. Fans are encouraged to buy their tickets now and save, as ticket pricing will increase at the door. Ticket on-sale for The Ultimate Fighter® 19 Finale will be announced at a later date.

This marks the fifth UFC Fan Expo held in Las Vegas since its inception in 2009, with additional UFC Fan Expos being held in Boston, London, Toronto and Houston.

Activities, appearances and sessions will be announced in the coming weeks. Current highlights include:

· 50+ UFC stars and celebrities

· Youth and adult, grappling and mixed martial arts tournaments

· Autograph sessions with fighters

· Q&A sessions with fighters and personalities

· Training and development sessions with some of the most influential figures in MMA

· Live performances that showcase Las Vegas’ entertainment

· Interactive fan events

To receive the latest news and updates on UFC Fan Expo, exclusive deals and discounts, Training & Development sessions and more, sign up for the official Expo newsletter (www.ufcfanexpo.com/newsletter) or follow @UFCFanExpo.

About UFC International Fight Week™

UFC International Fight Week™ returns to the Fight Capital of the World July 1-6, 2014. The weeklong celebration includes something for everyone from entertainment, dining and arts to charitable events, shopping and, of course, all things UFC. The event will also feature for the first-time ever, two huge fight cards in one weekend in the UFC’s hometown – UFC® 175 and The Ultimate Fighter® 19 Finale. Other fan favorite activities will return including UFC Fan Expo, a pool party with Octagon Girls®, training sessions with fighters, a free concert, weigh-ins and more! Tickets and event details are available at www.UFCFightWeek.com.

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, the UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S. which includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. UFC also owns over 100 UFC GYM® locations, UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT™ (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC 360 (the internationally distributed magazine), a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC and Twitter: @UFC.

“Steve Carl is a tremendous athlete, and I have a great deal of respect for him. He is the champion in an extremely tough welterweight division. I’m blessed to be in a position to challenge him for his title, so now I need to go out there and do my best and show the world that I deserve that belt more than he does.”

“I am working hard every day in camp with Team Nogueira. My team has been very good for me, both in supporting me through a transitional period and helping me prepare for one of my biggest fights to date. I get to work out in the gym with several legends in the sport, and they are pushing me every day to become the best fighter I can be.”

“I am confident in my skills and abilities here at any weight, but I feel great at 170 pounds. I don’t want to underestimate my opponent, but I think that I’m capable of becoming welterweight world champion at the World Series of Fighting, or any other organization for that matter.”

“I don’t have much to say about the past at this point. I am focusing all of my energy on this fresh start with World Series of Fighting and I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue fighting elite fighters on an internationally televised and well respected organization.”

“I was approached by several organizations and had many offers on the table, but I felt that World Series of Fighting was the best option for me at the moment. Their welterweight division is very deep with top talent like Steve Carl, Jon Fitch, Josh Burkman, Tyler Stinson, Gerald Harris, and I am anxious to test myself against all of them.”

YUSHIN OKAMI QUOTES

Favorite meal: “Yakiniku”

Jushin “Thunder” Liger

The Okami family dogs

Follow Yushin on Instagram

“My manager told me I had been released from the UFC on the wire. I don’t remember my reaction much. I guess I was surprised at first, but I always prepare the worst when I lose, so I recovered my composure with time. Thankfully I received offers from many promotions as soon as my release was announced. I received offers from Japan, Asian promotion, and also promotions from Europe.”

“When World Series of Fighting presented an offer for me, I was very happy. WSOF is a new promotion, so history is going to be made here and now, and I plan on being a part of it. I think that the great opportunity to make history and the exposure with NBC made the difference for me. I think that the center of the MMA is North America.”

“My nickname actually comes from a Japanese pro wrestler named Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger. He is a great fighter, and our names rhymed so it stuck.”

“World Series of Fighting has several powerful middleweight fighters, and I know that this would be a better challenge for me. Svetlozar Savov has high physical ability and I feel his movement of one-on-one is very powerful. He is a young, energetic fighter with an aggressive fighting style. But my skills are more evolved, and I will put pressure on him at all times an attack him with a wider range of skill. I’m sure this will bring me a victory.”

“My main focus and only goal is to become the World Series of Fighting champion, and I’m going to start on that March 29 with Savov. Don’t miss it!”

# # #

“World Series of Fighting 9: Carl vs. Palhares,” which features a welterweight title fight between champ Steve Carl and challenger Rousimar Palhares, as well as Marlon Moraes vs. Josh Rettinghouse for the inaugural World Series of Fighting bantamweight title, takes place March 29 at Las Vegas’ Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

Tickets for World Series of Fighting 9, which start at just $39, are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com. Tickets can also be purchased at The Joint box office or by phone at (800) 745-3000. The night’s featured fights air live on NBCSN at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT local time) following preliminary bouts that stream on World Series of Fighting’s official website, WSOF.com.

NBCSN-TELEVISED MAIN CARD
Champion Steve Carl vs. Rousimar Palhares – for welterweight title
Marlon Moraes vs. Josh Rettinghouse – for inaugural bantamweight title
Yushin Okami vs. Svetlozar Savov
Josh Burkman vs. Tyler Stinson
Ozzy Dugulubgov vs. Johnny Nunez

WSOF.COM-STREAMED PRELIMINARY CARD
Shane Kruchten vs. Mike Corey
Chris Gruetzemacher vs. John Gunderson
Sean Cantor vs. Bryson Hansen
Phil Dace vs. Danny Davis
Brenson Hansen vs. Boostayre Nefarios
Jimmy Jones vs. Rudy Morales
Gil Guardado vs. Jimmy Spicuzza

About “World Series of Fighting” (WSOF)
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a world wide premier profesional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters from around the world. For more information please visit WSOF.com. Follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and “World Series of Fighting” President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.

About NBC Sports Network
NBC Sports Network, part of the NBC Sports Group, is dedicated to serving passionate sports fans. Now in more than 80 million homes, the network is the cable television home of the Summer and Winter Olympics, National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Soccer (MLS), IZOD IndyCar Series, Tour de France and the 34th America’s Cup, and beginning in 2013, the Premier League and Formula One. In addition, NBC Sports Network features college football, college basketball, college hockey, outdoor programming, horse racing surrounding the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup, Fight Night boxing, Ironman, the Dew Action Sports Tour and USA Sevens Rugby. The network is also home to original programs such as Costas Tonight, The Crossover, NFL Turning Point, Pro Football Talk and The Dan Patrick Show. NBC Sports Network is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.

About Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is Las Vegas’ off-strip playground, just minutes and less than three miles from McCarran International Airport. The premier destination entertainment resort is owned by Brookfield Real Estate Finance Fund II and managed by WG-Harmon, LLC, a subsidiary of Warner Gaming, LLC. Built in 1995, the property completed a $750 million expansion in 2010. Hard Rock Hotel & Casino offers an energetic entertainment and gaming experience with the services and amenities associated with a boutique luxury resort hotel. The property is known for its innovative nightlife and music scene where acts such as The Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi, Paul McCartney, Incubus, Foo Fighters, Carlos Santana, Mötley Crüe and Guns N’ Roses have all performed. Features of the property include an 11-story Casino Tower with 640 guest rooms, 17-story Paradise Tower with 490 rooms and suites and the all-suite HRH Tower with 359 suites, eight spa villas and seven penthouse suites; 72,000 square feet of casino space featuring Peacock High-Limit gaming and Asian gaming amenities; 80,000 square feet of flexible meeting and convention space; more than $4 million in rare music memorabilia; Body English Nightclub; Reliquary Water Sanctuary, Spa & Salon; 4.5 acres of tropical pool paradise housing world-famous pool parties REHAB Sunday and RELAX Monday; live music/entertainment venues The Joint and Vinyl; Hart & Huntington Tattoo Co.; restaurants Culinary Dropout, Nobu, The Ainsworth, 35 Steaks + Martinis, Pink Taco, Mr. Lucky’s Café and ?Fú; a state-of-the-art fitness center and trendsetting retailers John Varvatos, Affliction, Love Jones, Rocks The Jewelers and Rock Paper Photo. For room availability and additional information call 800.HRD.ROCK (800.473.7625) or visit hardrockhotel.com. Follow Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest news and updates.

Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents a live European doubleheader this Saturday, March 22, beginning at 4 p.m. ET with a live broadcast of Cage Warriors 66 from Ballerup Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark, immediately followed by Enfusion Live from Dublin, Ireland at approximately 6 p.m. ET.

A vacant welterweight title fight headlines Cage Warriors 66 as home favorite Nicolas Dalby takes on Ukraine’s Sergei Churilov, while Swedish-born Norwegian prospect Jack Hermansson faces Spaniard Enoc Solves Torres.

The full fight card for Cage Warriors 66 live on Fight Network includes:

-Sergei Churilov vs. Nicolas Dalby (welterweight title)
-Mohsen Bahari vs. Bruno Carvalho
-Damir Hadzovic vs. Tommy Maguire
-Martin Akhtar vs. Toni Tauru
-Jack Hermansson vs. Enoc Solves Torres
-Robbie Olivier vs. Martin Svensson

Fight Network’s live HD broadcast of Cage Warriors 66 will be aired nationwide in Canada, as well as internationally as part of Fight Network’s expansion on ZON in Portugal, Telenet in Belgium, D-Smart in Turkey, ZAP in Angola and Mozambique, and OSN across the Middle East and North Africa.

Meanwhile, Enfusion’s 15th live edition features Hicham El Gaoui vs. Adian Brooks, Tomasz Bukowski vs. Tristan Tate, Mark Casserly vs. Alexandros Chatzichronoglou, Iman Barlow vs. Lorena Klijn and Ilias Bulaid vs. Paul Norton.

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

Las Vegas – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) and Las Vegas are teaming up for the third annual UFC International Fight Week™ July 1-6, 2014. The weeklong celebration for fans around the world returns with its biggest plans yet and something for everyone including entertainment, dining, arts, charitable events, shopping and, of course, all things UFC. The event will also feature for the first-time ever, two huge fight cards in one weekend in the UFC’s hometown of Las Vegas – UFC 175 and The Ultimate Fighter® 19 Finale and multiple events offered around town every day.

Several of the hottest locations in Las Vegas will host UFC themed events and fans will have access to UFC stars and celebrities. The UFC Fan Expo® will also return with new activities, youth and adult, grappling and martial arts tournaments, fan contests, live performances showcasing Las Vegas talent, more main stage activities, and exciting experiences for fans to interact with fighters. Other fan favorite activities will return including a pool party with Octagon Girls®, training sessions with fighters, a free concert, weigh-ins and more. Appearances, activities and on-sale dates will be announced in the coming weeks. Tickets and event details are available at www.UFCFightWeek.com. UFC Fan Expo tickets are on sale NOW at www.UFCFanExpo.com.

“Two of the world’s most recognizable brands, UFC and Las Vegas, have developed a strong and successful partnership that delivers unrivaled excitement to millions of loyal fans around the world,” said Rossi Ralenkotter, president/CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “UFC International Fight Week provides fans with unprecedented access to UFC stars and no destination matches the passion and energy like Las Vegas.”

During UFC International Fight Week, tens of thousands of fans head to Las Vegas, the UFC’s hometown and fight capital of the world, to meet UFC fighters and talent, experience what Vegas has to offer and witness action-packed events. Some of the most memorable UFC events in history have taken place around Fourth of July weekend. To date, the UFC has hosted more than eighty events in Las Vegas, which have drawn more than half a million fans. The last UFC International Fight Week event generated more than $146 million in economic impact for Las Vegas.

UFC Fight Club® members will enjoy exclusive members-only benefits during UFC International Fight Week including VIP access at select events, 10% off discount offer on UFC Fan Expo tickets, The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale and UFC 175 pre-sale offers and more. For more information on becoming a UFC Fight Club member visit www.ufcfightclub.com.

Get your VIP package today! The UFC VIP Experience packages together your tickets with behind-the-scenes access to the official weigh-ins, backstage tours, meet and greet and autograph signings with top UFC stars, Q&A sessions, and photo opportunities, access to an in-arena VIP party room, a chance to hold the championship belt inside the Octagon® and more!

To book travel for UFC International Fight Week visit www.lasvegas.com/ufc or www.ufcfightweek.com. Stay connected with UFC International Fight Week news on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/UFCFightWeek), Twitter and Instagram (@UFCFightWeek).

Assets: To view the UFC International Fight Week sizzle, please visit www.UFC.com (full link: http://www.ufc.com/media/ufc-intl-fight-week-sizzle).

About Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, the UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S. which includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. UFC also owns over 100 UFC GYM® locations, UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT™ (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC 360 (the internationally distributed magazine), a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC and Twitter: @UFC.

About the LVCVA
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is charged with marketing Southern Nevada as a tourism and convention destination worldwide, and also with operating the Las Vegas Convention Center and Cashman Center. With more than 150,000 hotel rooms in Las Vegas alone and 10.8 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space citywide, the LVCVA’s mission centers on attracting ever increasing numbers of leisure and business visitors to the area. For more information, go to www.lvcva.com or www.LasVegas.com.

LAS VEGAS (March 18, 2014) – World Series of Fighting hosted a media conference call on Tuesday with “World Series of Fighting 9: Carl vs. Palhares” headliners Steve Carl and Rousimar Palhares, as well as main-card competitors Marlon Moraes, Josh Rettinghouse, Josh Burkman and Tyler Stinson. Joining the fighters on the call was WSOF President Ray Sefo and WSOF Executive Vice President Ali Abdelaziz.

“World Series of Fighting 9: Carl vs. Palhares,” takes place March 29 at Las Vegas’ Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Tickets for World Series of Fighting 9, which start at just $39, are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com. Tickets can also be purchased at The Joint box office or by phone at (800) 745-3000. The night’s featured fights air live on NBCSN at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT local time) following preliminary bouts that stream on World Series of Fighting’s official website, WSOF.com beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. PT local time).

The following are highlights from the conference call:

RAY SEFO:
On the possibility of Nick Newell fighting for a world title:
“You know Nick has been making a lot of noise about fighting for the title and I do think he deserves a shot at fighting for that title. Ali and I have spoken about it but there is still not 100 percent confirmation on when that would happen. But without a doubt Nick Newell is definitely in line for that title shot. The kid has proven himself time and time again. He’s an amazing fighter and a huge inspiration to many. I think it’s about time we stepped up and gave him that opportunity.”

ALI ABDELAZIZ:
“This is best fight card we’ve ever put together and the best fight card of the year. You don’t know what’s going to happen I don’t know what’s going to happen in the main event. Next week we are going to make a big announcement that is really going to change the face of MMA. It’s going to be big news and exciting for the fans. Everyone knows the UFC is No. 1 and we are competing against ourselves every day to be No. 1. There will be separation between the UFC and us and then there will be everyone else.

“I knew Marlon (Moraes) before World Series of Fighting. I believe that Marlon is the best 135-pounder in the world. I believe he can beat anyone in any organization. I believe he has grown and is so talented. He can wrestle with ground game. He’s one of the best strikers in the sport. The sky is the limit for him. On the other hand, Josh Rettinghouse has fought an Olympic bronze medalist (Alexis Vila) and he out-wrestled him. I believe this fight is so competitive and I believe a lot of people are overlooking Josh. I believe this is going to be the best fight of the night.”

STEVE CARL:
“This is an amazingly stacked card. Not even as a competitor but even as a fan I’m ready to watch this and compete. I can’t wait for next weekend. It’s going to be a blast.

“(Rousimar) is definitely a very talented fighter and deserves to keep fighting. I don’t know if giving him a title shot right away was really deserving. But at the same time all the controversy surrounding him really does put him in a perfect spot to be in a title spot because there will be so many people tuning into this fight. Whereas if he was just fighting a regular fight on this main card there wouldn’t be as big a buzz. But now that he’s back in it for a title shot the whole world is watching.”

Q: What is your plan if Palhares is immediately going to your legs in this fight?
“Quite simply if he wants it to turn it into a leg-lock war my goal is to simply keep it a fight and that’s about it. Wherever this fight goes he has the ability to go to the leg-lock from wherever. I need to stay aware to where my legs are in comparison to his body and I need to keep this to a fight instead of getting deep into a leg-lock where I’m no longer able to fight but rather just have to defend myself.”

ROUSIMAR PALHARES:
“I am excited for this opportunity and we will make an exciting fight on Saturday night. I am so grateful to the WSOF for this opportunity.”

MARLON MORAES:
“I’m happy with the opportunity and that they gave Josh the chance now. It’s time to show everybody what I’ve been working on and to be the best. I can’t wait.”

Q: How is the transition been from Muay Thai to full-cage fighting?
“It was hard. I had a hard time finding myself inside the cage because it’s a different sport. But as I moved to the United States I started to train with different guys with different styles of fighting like wrestlers and Jiu Jitsu. My trainers are showing me the things I need to use in MMA fights.”

JOSH RETTINGHOUSE:
“Marlon’s a great fighter and I’m a big fan of his. I honestly didn’t expect this opportunity but of course I’m going to jump all over it. I think it will be really exciting and you’ll have to tune in.”

JOSH BURKMAN:
“I’m excited to get back in there. I didn’t have a great performance last time out. So I’ve just gone back and looked at a lot of things I was doing, including fight week. And I believe I’ve fixed a lot of those things. I think I was really comfortable going into the fight with Steve Carl. I think the biggest problem I had with my winning streak was that it made me a little complacent in where I was and what I was doing. When you lose it creates that frustration and that adversity and makes you question things to get better. And I think that’s all that fight did was make me better at my training and a little more disciplined. And I think it will make for the best performance of my career going forward and starting with this fight.”

TYLER STINSON:
“You saved the best for last. I’m just so excited to get back in there and ready to show Ray and Ali that I’m capable of fighting world-class fighters and Burkman is just that. He’s not on the conference call yet. I don’t if he’s just too Hollywood or if he’s just scared to talk to me, but I’m going to go out there and do what I do and knock his lights out.”

NBCSN-TELEVISED MAIN CARD
Champion Steve Carl vs. Rousimar Palhares – for welterweight title
Marlon Moraes vs. Josh Rettinghouse – for inaugural bantamweight title
Yushin Okami vs. Svetlozar Savov
Josh Burkman vs. Tyler Stinson
Ozzy Dugulubgov vs. Johnny Nunez

WSOF.COM-STREAMED PRELIMINARY CARD
Mike Corey vs. Shane Kruchten
Chris Gruetzemacher vs. John Gunderson
Sean Cantor vs. Bryson Hansen
Phil Dace vs. Danny Davis
Brenson Hansen vs. Boostayre Nefarios
Jimmy Jones vs. Rudy Morales
Gil Guardado vs. Jimmy Spicuzza

About “World Series of Fighting” (WSOF)
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a world wide premier profesional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters from around the world. For more information please visit WSOF.com. Follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and “World Series of Fighting” President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.

About NBC Sports Network
NBC Sports Network, part of the NBC Sports Group, is dedicated to serving passionate sports fans. Now in more than 80 million homes, the network is the cable television home of the Summer and Winter Olympics, National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Soccer (MLS), IZOD IndyCar Series, Tour de France and the 34th America’s Cup, and beginning in 2013, the Premier League and Formula One. In addition, NBC Sports Network features college football, college basketball, college hockey, outdoor programming, horse racing surrounding the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup, Fight Night boxing, Ironman, the Dew Action Sports Tour and USA Sevens Rugby. The network is also home to original programs such as Costas Tonight, The Crossover, NFL Turning Point, Pro Football Talk and The Dan Patrick Show. NBC Sports Network is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.

About Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is Las Vegas’ off-strip playground, just minutes and less than three miles from McCarran International Airport. The premier destination entertainment resort is owned by Brookfield Real Estate Finance Fund II and managed by WG-Harmon, LLC, a subsidiary of Warner Gaming, LLC. Built in 1995, the property completed a $750 million expansion in 2010. Hard Rock Hotel & Casino offers an energetic entertainment and gaming experience with the services and amenities associated with a boutique luxury resort hotel. The property is known for its innovative nightlife and music scene where acts such as The Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi, Paul McCartney, Incubus, Foo Fighters, Carlos Santana, Mötley Crüe and Guns N’ Roses have all performed. Features of the property include an 11-story Casino Tower with 640 guest rooms, 17-story Paradise Tower with 490 rooms and suites and the all-suite HRH Tower with 359 suites, eight spa villas and seven penthouse suites; 72,000 square feet of casino space featuring Peacock High-Limit gaming and Asian gaming amenities; 80,000 square feet of flexible meeting and convention space; more than $4 million in rare music memorabilia; Body English Nightclub; Reliquary Water Sanctuary, Spa & Salon; 4.5 acres of tropical pool paradise housing world-famous pool parties REHAB Sunday and RELAX Monday; live music/entertainment venues The Joint and Vinyl; Hart & Huntington Tattoo Co.; restaurants Culinary Dropout, Nobu, The Ainsworth, 35 Steaks + Martinis, Pink Taco, Mr. Lucky’s Café and ?Fú; a state-of-the-art fitness center and trendsetting retailers John Varvatos, Affliction, Love Jones, Rocks The Jewelers and Rock Paper Photo. For room availability and additional information call 800.HRD.ROCK (800.473.7625) or visit hardrockhotel.com. Follow Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest news and updates.

Las Vegas, Nevada – In the aftermath of the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) organization’s 20th anniversary, the UFC is kicking off its next two decades with a fresh twist on its storied reality television series, The Ultimate Fighter®. For the first time ever, the series’ 20th season will feature an all women cast in the UFC’s newest weight division and a new title for the winner – that of UFC champion.

In addition to the lucrative contract with the UFC, the winner of this season of The Ultimate Fighter® will be crowned the UFC strawweight division’s inaugural champion.

Women in the 115-pound division are invited to attend the official tryouts in Las Vegas, Nev. on Monday, April 28. Candidates must be female, between the ages of 21 and 34 years of age, have the legal ability to live and work in the United States, and have professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight experience – holding a winning record (with verifiable records). Applications, which should be completed and brought to the tryouts, can be found online at http://www.ufc.com/tuf20. Tryout details are provided below:

Where:
Palace Station Hotel, 2411 West Sahara Avenue, Las Vegas, Nevada 89102
Tryouts will be held in the Grand Ballroom

When:
Monday, April 28
Registration begins @ 8:00 a.m. PT

Fighters will be required to grapple & hit pads. Please bring appropriate gear.

*Applicants will be notified at the end of the tryouts if they have been selected to participate in the casting finals process. If selected, applicants must be prepared to stay in Las Vegas until May 1.

Questions can be directed to: tufcasting@ufc.com

The Ultimate Fighter, which debuted in 2005, has launched the careers of more than 100 UFC fighters and produced champions such as Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans and Matt Serra and season winners including Michael Bisping, Ryan Bader and Nate Diaz.

The Ultimate Fighter 20 will begin filming in May and premiere on FOX Sports 1 on Sept. 10

###

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, the UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S. which includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. UFC also owns more than100 UFC GYM® locations, UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT™ (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC 360 (the internationally distributed magazine), a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC and Twitter: @UFC.

LAS VEGAS, (March 18, 2014) – On March 29, when World Series of Fighting welterweight champion Steve Carl and challenger Rousimar Palhares headline World Series of Fighting 9, live on NBCSN, fans will find out who is the better fighter, but who is the smartest World Series of Fighting fan? For the first time ever, that question will be answered when fans participate in SHOUT TV’s “Champions Challenge” game.

The stakes are high as the fan that racks up the most points will win a new Ducati Monster street bike valued at nearly $10,000.

While stars such as Marlon Moraes, Josh Rettinghouse, Yushin Okami, Josh Burkman and Tyler Stinson compete in the cage, fans watching the event live at the Hard Rock Casino & Hotel or on television at home can collide “mano y mano” in a battle of wits for cash, prizes and a Ducati 696 motorcycle.

The popular “Champions Challenge” game allows fans to intellectually spar against one another during this and other live events by trying to predict the outcomes of certain scenarios such as, “Which fighter will land the most leg kicks?” or “Which fighter will win?”

The challenge will be played during the World Series of Fighting 9, 10 and 11 live events thanks to a recent partnership between the skyrocketing Las Vegas-based pro fight league and SHOUT TV, the leader in real-time fan engagement.

“After the fights, somebody’s riding home on a brand new Ducati,” said SHOUT TV CEO Darl McBride. “SHOUT is partnering with World Series of Fighting to bring a new twist to cagefighting. Instead of just wondering which fighter will win, fans will be asking themselves ‘How big of a prize can I win tonight?’ Why just be a fan or a spectator when you could be a player or a participant? Think of it as a series of intellectual cage matches for fans.

“We think SHOUT and World Series of Fighting are very synergistic. Why should fighters be the only winners? Why can’t the fans win, too?”

“SHOUT TV is the leader at engaging and entertaining sports fans in trivia and one-on-one competitions, so they’re a great fit for World Series of Fighting and our fast-growing international expansion,” said World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo. “MMA fans are the most rabid and loyal fans in the world, and this free application offers one more tool for fans to interact and win valuable prizes while watching our world-class athletes fight during live broadcasts.”

SHOUT TV’s real-time challenges have engaged and entertained fans competing against each other during the Super Bowl, soccer, NFL, NBA and MLB games, as well as the Daytona 500, Oscars, Grammys and reality shows like “The Bachelor.”

Signing up and competing in the SHOUT fan competitions is free and fast. SHOUT can be downloaded by visiting the Apple, iPhone or Android stores (using search word: “Shout”). SHOUT can also be downloaded from this link: http://www.shout2win.com. Prizes awarded to fan winners during the WSOF events will range from gift cards to Amazon or Starbucks ($5 up to $25) to iPads and Xboxes, all the way up to the Ducati Monster.

About SHOUT

SHOUT TV is led by CEO Darl McBride and other Founders who share a love of sports and mobile technology. Prince Abdullah bin Mosaad bin Abdulaziz al Saud recently became SHOUT’s largest investor, providing the capital to fuel SHOUT’s growth plans. In addition to McBride, he joins a team of investors that also includes Deron Williams of the Brooklyn Nets, Ron Heinz, Partner of Signal Peak Ventures and a number of successful angel investors. Prince Abdullah, 47, and grandson of the founder of Saudi Arabia, King Abdulaziz, is a prominent businessman and industrialist who also has a love of football, both American and soccer style.

The company’s mobile Android and iPhone Apps provide engagement for fans before, during and after live events. SHOUT keeps fans excited and engaged with a platform for continuous interaction whether or not they are physically at the event. Through the “game within a game” concept and model, SHOUT gives brands and fans a broad new arena in which to engage, making every event a richer and better experience for all. For more information about partnerships, sponsorships and upcoming event opportunities, visit www.shout2win.com. #Shout or contact us at 844-SHOUT2WIN.

SHOUT – The Ultimate Fan Challenge. Watch. Play. Win

SHOUT and Vote are the registered trademarks of SHOUT TV, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About “World Series of Fighting” (WSOF)
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a world wide premier profesional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters from around the world. For more information please visit WSOF.com. Follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and “World Series of Fighting” President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.

Las Vegas, Nevada – For the first time since UFC 77 in 2007, the Ultimate Fighting Championship® is bringing the Octagon® back to Cincinnati on Saturday, May 10 at U.S. Bank Arena. In the evening’s main event, Ohio’s own Matt Brown takes on Erick Silva in a five-round main event bout featuring two of the UFC’s most exciting welterweights.

Having won six consecutive bouts inside the Octagon, the seventh-ranked Matt “The Immortal” Brown (20-11, fighting out of Columbus, Ohio) is in the best form of his career and more focused than ever on making a run at the UFC welterweight title. At 33, the Xenia, Ohio native has defeated some of the division’s most dangerous athletes, including Mike Pyle and Mike Swick on his way towards a main event encounter with Silva.

A Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace who has trained alongside Anderson Silva and Jacare Souza, Erick Silva (16-4, 1NC, fighting out of Vila Velha, Espirito Santo, Brazil) has seen his share of highlight reel performances in the UFC. After defeating Charlie Brenneman, Jason High, and most recently Takenori Sato in a bout that earned him a “Performance of the Night” award, the 29-year-old Silva is looking to make his presence known in the welterweight division. With both fighters having a reputation for finishing fights, fans can expect an explosive showdown when these two take center stage.

In addition, former Golden Gloves boxer and current No. 10 ranked contender Costas Philippou (12-4, 1NC, fighting out of Long Island, N.Y.) returns to action against the flashy Lorenz Larkin (14-2, 1NC, fighting out of Riverside, Calif.) in a clash of middleweight strikers.

The main card also features:
Former featherweight title contender Erik Koch (14-3, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wis.) competing for the second time at lightweight in the UFC against “The Detroit Superstar” Daron Cruickshank (14-4, fighting out of Detroit, Mich.).
The Ultimate Fighter® Brazil season two standout William “Patolino” Macario (8-1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) taking on Neil Magny (9-4, fighting out of Denver, Colo.) at welterweight.
An incredible heavyweight bout between the 6’4” Soa “The Hulk” Palelei (20-3, fighing out of Perth, Australia) and the debuting South African MMA champion Ruan Potts (8-1, fighting out of Cape Town, South Africa).
A battle of flyweights as ninth-ranked Chris Cariaso (16-5, fighting out of Tucson, Ariz.) squares off against the undefeated Louis Smolka (7-0, fighting out of Kapolei, Hawaii).

Also scheduled for the card:
A battle between The Ultimate Fighter® season three veteran and fan-favorite Ed Herman (21-9, 1NC, fighting out of Fort Collins, Colo.) and Rafael Natal (17-5-1, New York, N.Y.) at middleweight.
Japanese striker Kyoji Horiguchi (12-1, fighting out of Tokyo, Japan) drops to flyweight to take on No. 14 Darrell Montague (13-3, fighting out of Chino, Calif.).
Undefeated Brazilian prospect Yan Cabral (11-0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) meets promotional newcomer Alexander Yakovlev (21-4-1, fighting out of Saint Petersburg, Russia) at welterweight.
Current No. 4 contender and former title challenger Eddie Wineland (21-9-1, fighting out of Chesterton, Ind.) faces the returning Johnny Eduardo (26-9, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) in a bantamweight bout.
Training partner of Ronda Rousey and The Ultimate Fighter® season five competitor Manvel Gamburyan (16-9, Hollywood, Calif. by way of Leninakan, Armenia) takes on the always tough eighth-ranked Nik Lentz (26-6-2, 1NC, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla. by way of Eden Prairie, Minn.) at featherweight.
Justin Salas (11-5, fighting out of Denver, Colo.) meets Ben Wall (7-1-1, fighting out of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia) at lightweight.
Welterweights Anthony Lapsley (25-6, 2NC, fighting out of Indianapolis, Ind.) and Albert Tumenov (12-2, fighting out of Fairfield, N.J.) to square off.

Tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT: BROWN vs. SILVA, go on sale Friday, March 21 at 10 a.m. ET and are priced at $175, $100, $75 and $50. Tickets are available for purchase at www.ticketmaster.com. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges. Tickets are also available at www.usbankarena.com and the U.S. Bank Arena box office.

UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Wednesday, March 19 at 10 a.m. ET via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, March 20 starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT: BROWN vs. SILVA will air live on FOX Sports 1 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Saturday, May 10, with the prelims kicking off the evening on FOX Sports 2 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

For more information or current fight news, visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto, Sao Paulo, Beijing and Singapore, UFC produces more than 30 live events annually and is the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. In 2012, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group. The agreement includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, with additional fight cards and thousands of hours of programming broadcast on FOX properties FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. This also includes the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter®, which airs on FOX Sports 1.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries and territories, to nearly 882 million TV households worldwide, in 28 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and Australia via Main Event and in French throughout Quebec via Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website, UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with more than 2.7 million followers on Twitter. Ancillary UFC businesses include best-selling DVDs and video games, an internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV® offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, a new franchise in development with EA, UFC GYM®, UFC Fight Club® affinity program, UFC Fan Expo® festivals, branded apparel and trading cards.

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (March 14, 2014) – German challenger Stephan Puetz (9-3-0) captured the M-1 Challenge light heavyweight title tonight, upsetting defending champion Viktor Nemkov (19-5-0) by split decision in a highly entertaining and competitive M-1 Challenge 46 main event, at Yubileyny Sports Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Puetz came on strong in the second-half of the fight, overcoming a serious cut over his left eye from an uppercut, to survive a battle of attrition with Nemkov. The 6′ 6″, 26-year-old from Munich had already won the titles of all three major German MMA organizations.

Nemkov has trained with legendary Fedor Emelianenko, who was seated at ringside, in Staryi Oskol since he was a youngster. He had won the M-1 Challenge 205-pound title in his last fight against Vasily Babich (SUB2 – arm-bar).

Living legend Fedor Emelianenko

Nemkov caught Puetz with a sharp three-punch combination early in the opening round and moved for a takedown. Puetz attempted to stand-up, using the cage, but Nemkov put him back into the guard position. Puetz escaped a deep guillotine, triangle and arm-bar and another guillotine by Nemkov. The German came out attacking in the second round but he’s taken down by Nemkov, who landed a few punches and looked for a submission. The fighters were back on their feet and Puetz ended the round with a takedown.

In the third round, Puetz came out clinching and using his knees, following with a move to take the back of Nemkov, who seeps to the top of guard. Puetz started to take control of the fight at this point against a tiring Nemkov. Puetz came out aggressive for the fourth round as Nemkov counter punches, but the aforementioned cut is opened on Puetz’ eyebrow. After a short break in which the cageside doctor examined Puetz’ cut, the action got fast and furious with Puetz having a decisive edge in the action.

Team Puetz celebrates after the decision was announced
The fight came down to the fifth and final round. The German closed the show strong, taking Nemkov down and unleashing a flurry of effective strikes. The fight was nearly stopped but Nemkov survived only to lose a split decision and his M-1 Challenge title.

In the co-feature, Konstantin “Lacplesis” Gluhov (27-14-0), of Latvia, and American heavyweight Kenny “Deuce” Garner (12-6-0) exchanged bombs through their action-packed rematch of a year ago, in which Gluhov won a controversial decision. The Latvian connected on powerful strikes and numerous leg kicks in the first-half of the opening round but Garner somehow managed to takedown his opponent. Gluhov got to his feet but was taken down again and the American used his ground-and-pound attack to his advantage in a fairly even first round. Garner took the second round, landing strong strikes from a distance and then had a successful takedown. A poke in the eye couldn’t deter Garner in the third round. He threw some effective punches but Glukhov connected on several well-placed counters. The two warriors traded bombs right to the end as Gluhov won a unanimous but close three-round decision in an real fight.

Konstantin Gluhov (R) kicks Kenny Garner

Russian middleweight Anatoly Tokov (12-1-0) became the M-1 Global No. 1 rated middleweight contender by destroying Albert Duraev (4-3-0), knocking his countryman out cold in the first-round off a side mount.

Ukrainian featherweight Pavel Vitruk (11-0-0) kept his perfect record intact, punching his way to a first-round victory by submission against Brazilian Clayton Santos (0-1-0) in his pro debut. Santo started out by landing a couple of leg-kicks, then pulling guard with Vitruk working from the top. Santos, who after the fight was in great pain with a possible broken hand, was trapped in the corner and Vitruk kept punching until Santos tapped out.

Veteran lightweight Artiom Damkovsky (16-0-0), of Belarus, won a three-round unanimous decision over Russian Zulfikar Usmanov (5-3-0). The two dangerous strikers went toe-to-toe with Damkovsy winning round one. He came out strong for the second, using hard leg-kicks to control the action. Usmanov tried to attack his tired opponent but it was a case of too little, too late.

Russian welterweight Magomed Mustafaev (9-1-0) forced Andrei Koshkin (3-3-0) to tap out due to a heel-hook. The two skilled fighters went back and forth in an exciting opening round, going for submissions with great seeps, escapes and reverses. In the second, Koshkin takes top position but got caught in a heel-hook and tapped out as he grimaced in pain.
Azerbaijan heavyweight Zaur Hadjibabaev (1-0-0) won his pro debut when Yuriy Dobko (0-1-0), of Belarus, suffered a dislocated shoulder throwing a punch only 46-seconds into the opening round and was unable to continue.

Promising featherweight Tural Ragimov (8-1-0) turned in an impressive performance, punching out a game Aliyar Sarkerov (6-3-0) for a win by second round knockout. The two Russian fighters went for unsuccessful submissions by heel-hooks in the first round but Ragimov’s ground-and-pound game was the difference. Ragimov picked up the action in the second, displaying strong strikes and sprawls and ending the fight with a barrage of punches from the top position.

Nickita “Piranha” Chistyakov (1-1-0) won his first pro fight by submission (rear naked choke) against pro-debuting Shamil Radzhabov (0-1-0) in a battle of young Russian heavyweights. Radzhabov had a slight advantage in round one but in the second, Chistyakov landed several good punches, took a side-mount position on the ground. He followed his coach’s instructions, working elbows and knees to Radzhanov’s body. “Piranha” used his momentum to get his opponent’s back, ending the fight on a very deep rear-naked choke.

Ukrainian heavyweight Evgeni Gurayanov (6-1-0) stopped pro-debuting Russian Kurban Ibragimov (0-1-0) by way of punches in the second round. Neither fighter wanted to go to the mat. Guryanov took the opening round because of his kicking and counter punching. Guryanov took the mount early in the second, blasting away with a series of punches, then took his back and continued landing powerful punches. Ibragimov didn’t answer the referee’s call and the fight was halted.

Up Next: M-1 Challenge 47 will be held April 4, 2-014 in Orenburg, Russia. M-1 Global middleweight champion Ramazan Emeev (11-2-0), of Russian, will defend his title in the main event against Russian challenger Andrei “White Shark” Semenov (34-9-0).

For more information about M-1 Global please visit https://www.facebook.com/pages/M-1-Global/145250878842244.

Full results and photo gallery below:

MAIN EVENT – M-1 CHALLENGE LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Russia Stephan Puetz (9-3-0), Germany WDEC5 Viktor Nemkov (19-5-0),
(Puetz won the M-1 Challenge light heavyweight title)

CO-FEATURE – HEAVYWEIGHTS
Konstantin Gluhuv (27-14-0), Latvia WDEC3 Kenny Garner (12-6-0), USA

HEAVYWEIGHTS
Evgeni Guryanov (6-10-0), Ukraine WKO/TKO2 (2:07 – punches) Kurban Ibragimov (0-1-0), Russia
Zaur Hadjibabaev (1-0-0), Azerbaijan WKO/TKO1 (0:46 – shoulder injury) Yuriy Dobko (0-1-0), Belarus

MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Anatoly Tokov (12-1-0), Russia WKO/TKO1 (3:21 – punches) Albert Duraev (4-3-0), Russia

WELTERWEIGHTS
Magmoed Mustafaev (9-1-0), Russia WSUB2 (0:39 – ankle lock) Andrei Koshkin (3-3-0), Russian

LIGHTWEIGHTS
Artiom Damkovsky (16-9-0), Belarus WDEC3 Zulfikar Usmanov (5-3-0), Russia

FEATHERWEIGHTS
Pavel Vitruk (11-0-0), Ukraine WSUB1 (3:33) Clayton Santon (0-1-0), Brazil

Tiral Ragimov (8-1-0), Russia WKO/TKO2 (1:37 – punches) Aliyar Sarkerov (12-5-0), Russia.

Nikita Chistayuakov (1-1-0), Russia WSUB2 (3:33 – rear naked choke) Shamil Radzhabov (0-1-0), Russia

Viktor Nemkov on top of Stephan Puetz

Konstantin Gluhov kicks Kenny Garner

Magomed Mustafaev pounds Andrei Koshkin

Andrei Koshkin screams before tapping out vs. Magomed Mustafaev

Kenny Garner (R) strikes Konstantin Gluhov (L)

Pavel Vitruk finishes off Clayton Santos

Aliyar Sarkerov has a hold of Tural Ragimov

Yuriy Dobko is in pain after dislocating his shoulder

Artiom Damkovsy attacks Zulfikar Usmanov

Nikita Chistyakov applies winning rear naked choke on Shamil Radzhabov

Nikita Chistyakov celebrates his first pro win

Evgeni Guryanov (R) and Kurban Ibragimov (R) kick each other
ABOUT M-1 GLOBAL: Founded in 1998, M-1 Global has established itself in the realm of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as the premiere entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With offices in St Petersburg, Amsterdam and Los Angeles and affiliates in Seoul, Tokyo and Paris, the M-1 brand has staged more than 150 events worldwide, including the M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge and M-1 Gobal and M-1 Global HWGP events, in addition to co-promoting Strikeforce events and M-1 Global on the Showtime network in the United States. Captivating live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and matchups, M-1 Global events have featured some of the sport’s top names, including Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Aleksander Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Keith Jardine, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Roman Zentsov, Yushin Okami, Mike Pyle, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Amar Suloev, Chalid Arrab and Stephan Struve. 2014 promises to be another sensational year of world-class competition with a full calendar of Challenge events fuelled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global’s Champions amongst the greatest in the sport. M-1 Global’s greatest asset is renowned heavyweight fighter, Fedor Emelianenko.

LINCOLN, R.I. (March 13th, 2014) – Listed below are the final weights for all of the participants for “CES MMA XXII,” live mixed martial arts scheduled for Friday, March 14th, 2014 at Twin River Casino in Lincoln, R.I. The first bout is scheduled for 7 p.m.

LUIS FELIX
Johnston, R.I.
10-7, 3 KOs
156

DREW FICKETT
Tucson, Ariz.
42-20, 3 KOs
155

JOHN JOHNSTON
Reading, Mass.
5-0, 5 KOs
258

JOSH HENDRICKS
Barberton, Ohio
19-9, 5 KOs
259

CHUCK O’NEIL
East Bridgewater, Mass.
12-6, 4 KOs
170

ROGER CARROLL
Dade City, Fla.
13-10
170

CHARLES ROSA
Del Ray Beach, Fla.
6-0, 2 KOs
170

THOMAS EGAN
Dorchester, Mass. (Kildare, Ireland)
7-4, 6 KOs
184

CHIP MORAZA-POLLARD
Plymouth, Mass.
7-6, 4 KOs
185

ANDRES JEUDI
Somerville, Mass.
5-2, 1 KO
155 ½

BRENDAN ROONEY
Shelton, Conn.
5-1
156

BRENDAN FLEMING
Marshfield, Mass.
3-2
141

ROBERT SULLIVAN
Baltimore, Md.
3-1
139 ½

JOSH LABERGE
Fall River, Mass.
8-4, 3 KOs
151

STEVE MCCABE
Philadelphia, Pa.
6-14, 5 KOs
150

KYLE BOCHNIAK
Winthrop, Mass.
1-0
150

MARIUS ENACHE
Philadelphia, Pa.
1-2
154

TOMMY VENTICINQUE
Warwick, R.I.
0-1
170

RICK RIVERA
Springfield, Mass.
Pro debut
169 ½

Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents a live broadcast of ONE Fighting Championship 14: War of Nations mixed martial arts action from Stadium Negara in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysiathis Friday, March 14, at 7 a.m. ET.

Fight Network’s live broadcast will be re-aired on Saturday night, March 15, at 9 p.m. ET.

The main event will crown ONE FC’s first welterweight champion when Nobutatsu Suzuki and Brock Larson clash inside the ONE FC cage.

Two of the top bantamweights in Asia, Kevin Belingon and Dae Hwan Kim, will meet in the co-main event, while Adriano Moraes battles Yasuhiro Urushitani and Shinichi Kojima throws down with Andrew Leone in a pair of pivotal flyweight bouts.

ONE FC: War of Nations will also see the heavily anticipated rematch of Asia’s top female mixed marital artists as Sherilyn Lim takes on Ann Osman.

Two-time BJJ world champion Ariel Sexton takes on UFC veteran Kamal Shalorus in lightweight action with former ONE FC champion KotetsuBoku facing Frenchman Arnaud Lepont in another 155-pound clash.

Rounding out the card, Malaysian MMA star Peter Davis battles Pakistan’s Waqar Umar, Filipino featherweight champion Harris Sarmiento tangles with No-Gi BJJ world champion Herbert Burns and Malaysian Muay Thai specialist SaifulMerican takes on Cambodian standout KhimDima.

CEO of ONE Fighting Championship Victor Cui stated, “Following the resounding success of ONE FC’s jam-packed events in Malaysia in 2013, we are returning to Kuala Lumpur with one of the best cards in the organization’s history. Fans around the world have been eagerly awaiting the next ONE FC World Championship title belt to be introduced, and now, the wait is over. The ONE FC Welterweight division is filled with the most talented mixed martial artists in the world and we will crown the best of the best when Nobutatsu Suzuki meets Brock Larson. Our passionate fans in Malaysia will be treated to a night of unforgettable mixed martial arts action!”

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

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (March 12th, 2014) — When heavyweight John Johnston made his professional mixed martial arts debut three years ago at the age of 40 with only a few Muay Thai fights under his belt, competing for a title was the last thing on this mind.

“It was one of those things I always thought about,” he said, “but never imagined it could happen.”

As if often the case in a sport as unpredictable as MMA, dreams sometimes come true, and Johnston’s dream of fighting for a title will, in fact, become a reality Friday, March 14th, 2014 when the unbeaten Reading, Mass., heavyweight faces Josh Hendricks for the vacant CES MMA championship at “CES MMA XXII” at Twin River Casino.

Hendricks (19-9, 5 KOs), a 37-year-old Mansfield, Ohio veteran, will have experience on his side, which includes a brief stint with the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC), but Johnston (5-0, 5 KOs) has launched his young career with five knockout wins in five fights, making this a must-see five-rounder on a stacked undercard that also includes seven-time UFC vet Drew Fickett.

“I respect Josh,” Johnston said. “He’s had his run. He’s had some great fights, but every fight is different. I’m expecting the fight of my life.”

In addition to his appearance on UFC 91 in 2008, which ended in a knockout loss to Boston-based heavyweight Gabriel Gonzaga, Hendricks has other ties to New England. He beat Connecticut’s Josh Diekmann at Twin River in 2012 and recently fought West Yarmouth, Mass., prospect Juliano Coutinho, who happens to be Johnston’s jiu-jitsu coach. Johnston actually worked Coutinho’s corner in that fight and has also sparred with Gonzaga, but won’t rely too heavily on the input of others when it’s his turn to face Hendricks.

“Everyone is different,” Johnston said. “When Juliano fought Josh it was a totally different fight because Juliano is real comfortable on the ground and there wasn’t much standup.

“We watch a lot of tapes on the people we’re fighting and figure out what we have to do and what the game plan will be. Going into a fight, we’re always well-prepared and ready to take the fight wherever it goes.”

If Hendricks takes it to the ground, so be it, Johnston says, but the 6-foot-4, 257-pound heavyweight would prefer to trade hands with Hendricks given the fact he’s won all five of his fights by knockout — four in the first round. That doesn’t mean he’s one-dimensional, even if some opponents believe that’s the case.

“My ground game gets overlooked because people never see it,” Johnston said.

Johnston has worked with Division I wrestlers, most notably former Iowa State Hawkeye Quinn Boyce, and fellow MMA vet Pat Walsh to improve his ground game, which has come a long way since his pro debut three years ago.

One of the rare instances where Johnston had to use his wrestling and jiu-jitsu occurred in his second pro fight in 2011 against Shaun Durfee when he slipped on the canvas on the way into the cage and broke his ankle. In the opening round, Johnston thought he saw an opening for a head kick and tried to execute, but his support foot — the one with the broken ankle — gave way and he fell against the cage. Durfee immediately took him to the ground and tried his best to earn a submission, but Johnston held his ground and survived the round.

The fight didn’t last much longer with Johnston earning the stoppage 38 seconds into the second round.

“I was fighting on a broken ankle and he couldn’t submit me or finish me,” Johnston said. “I’m mostly a standup fighter, which is fine with me. I’d rather people see that.”

As far as conditioning goes, particularly for a 43-year-old fighter who has never fought past the second round, Johnston isn’t concerned, not with all the training he’s done since the end of 2013.

“I haven’t had any breaks for a while,” he said. “My last fight was in January and I trained nine weeks for that, and when that was over I got right back into the gym. I’m not worried at all about my conditioning. Our coaches put us through the wringer here. I’ll be ready to go all five rounds.”

Johnston’s improbable run began more than a decade ago when he began training under Mark DellaGrotte at Siyodtong in Boston. Johnston was one of the school’s head Muay Thai trainers, but soon began working — and sparring — with established veterans Jorge Rivera, Stephan Bonnar and Marcus Davis.

“I got the itch to fight,” Johnston said.

After a long talk with DellaGrotte, who has hesitant at first to let Johnston turn pro at the risk of losing one of his best trainers, Johnston made his debut in 2011. Three years later at 43, he’s fighting for a title against a former UFC vet. It’s an improbable story, but not an impossible one, further prove that dreams do come true.

“This is what I do full-time now,” Johnston said. “I’m looking at this one fight at a time. CES is a real good organization and has taken care of me. I’d love to continue with them, but if Bellator or someone like that gets in touch with me, hopefully I can get to a big show before I get to the point where I have to retire. I’m 43 now. I’m not getting any younger, but I’ll keep going until my body tells me I can’t.”

Tickets for “CES MMA XXII” are on sale now at $40.00, $55.00, $100.00 and $125.00 (VIP) and can be purchased online at www.cesmma.com or www.twinriver.com or by phone at 401-724-2253/2254. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

The main event of “CES MMA XXII” features Fickett (42-20, 3 KOs) battling Providence’s Luis Felix (10-7, 3 KOs) in a lightweight bout. Several undercard bouts could steal the show, including the highly-anticipated middleweight bout between UFC vet Thomas Egan (7-4, 6 KOs) of Dorchester, Mass., and Plymouth, Mass., veteran Chip Moraza-Pollard (7-6, 4 KOs) a former Reality Fighting and Bellator contender. Egan, born and raised in Kildare, Ireland, starred on UFC 93 in Ireland.

Looking to keep the momentum going from his win over Chris Woodall in November, former TUF vet Chuck O’Neill (12-6, 4 KOs) of East Bridgwater, Mass., will battle Dade City, Fla., welterweight Roger Carroll (13-10) in a three-round bout. Caroll has won 11 bouts by submission. Lightweight contender Andres Jeudi (5-2, 1 KO) of Somerville, Mass., will face Brendan Rooney (5-1) of Shelton, Conn.

Also on the undercard, rising featherweight star and Johnson & Wales alum Charles Rosa (6-0, 3 KOs) of Boynton Beach, Fla., will return to Twin River for the fourth time in a three-round bout against Philadelphia veteran Brylan Van Artsdalen (9-9, 1 KO), an eight-time Bellator veteran.

Marshfield, Mass., featherweight Brendan Fleming (3-2) will take on Baltimore’s Robert Sullivan (3-1); fellow featherweight Josh LaBerge (8-4, 3 KOs) of Fall River, Mass., will battle Philadelphia’s Steve McCabe (6-14, 5 KOs); Tommy Venticinque (0-1) of Warwick, R.I., will face Rick Rivera of Springfield, Mass., in a welterweight bout; and Winthrop, Mass, featherweight Kyle Bochniak (1-0) will aim for his second win of the year when he faces Marius Enache (1-2) of Philadelphia.

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (March 10, 2014) – Red-hot Russian light heavyweight champion Victor Nemkov (19-4-0, 3 KO/TKO, 9 SUB) defends his M-1 Global title this Friday against German challenger Stephan Puetz (9-1-0, 4 KO/TKO, 3 SUB), headlining M-1 Challenge 46, at Yubileyny Sports Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Stary Oskol-native Nemkov rides a nine-fight win streak into M-1 Challenge 46, highlighted by his title-winning performance in M-1 Challenge 43, in which his deadly arm-lock forced Vasily Babich to tap-out.

The 26-year-old Puetz is one of the best German light heavyweights in a very competitive European division. He has a perfect record in Germany’s No. 1 promotion, Respect FC.

“The first large event of the year will herald big things to come from M-1 Global in 2014,” M-1 Global president Vadim Finkelchtein said. “We’re all very excited for the 205-pound title fight between Nemkov and Puetz, uncoubtedly two of the best Light Heavyweights in Europe. Don’t sleep on Gluhovvs. Garner, which will be a slugfest of the ages, and Tokov vs. Duraev for the No. 1 contender fight at 185 pounds.”

M-1 Challenge 46 will air live on Russia 2, the terrestrial channel, throughout Russia and the Commonwealth of Individual States (CIS), as well as across the Middle East on Abu Dhabi Sports Channels.

M-1 Global is the No. 1 European MMA organization, as well as one of the oldest in the world, dating back to 1998. Superstar Fedor Emelianenko, considered by many to be the greatest fighter in MMA history, has been the face of M-1 Global around the combat sports world for the past decade.

The M-1 Challenge series has traditionally introduced a new wave of potential MMA stars, showcasing elite athletes from Russia and across Europe. Many fighters who fall into the aforementioned category will be showcased on M-1 Challenge 46.

The M-1 Challenge 46 event undercard is loaded from top-to-bottom, featuring seven Super Fights. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

The most explosive M-1 Challenge 46 fight of the night could very well turn out to be between Latvian knockout artist Konstsantin “Lacplesis” Gluhov (26-14-0, 20 KO/TKO, 3 SUB) and dangerous American heavyweight Kenny “Deuce” Garner (12-5-0, 8 KO/TKO/2 SUB). A World champion in Muay Thai and kickboxing, Gluhov is a tremendous striker who defeated Garner by split decision in M-1 Challenge 38. A knockout puncher and great showman, Garner is an underrated wrestler and grappler who has put eight of his 12 victims to sleep.

Konstsantin Gluhov Kenny Garner

Russian middleweight Anatoly Tokov (11-0-0, 7 KO/TKO, 2 SUB) battles fellow countryman Albert Duraev (4-2-0, 1 KO/TKO, 2 SUB) in their No. 1 contender fight. A notoriously slow starter who is nearly unstoppable in the last round, Takov trains in Stary Oskol with Fedor’s legenday coaches, Mikhail Voronov and Alexander Mitchkov. Duraev’s lone loss in M-1 Global competition came against its current middleweight champion, Ramazan Emeev.

Undefeated Ukrainian featherweight prospect Pavel Vitruk (10-0-0, 2 KO/TKO/1 SUB) puts his unbeaten record on the line against upset-minded Brazilian invader Yuri “Killa” Maia (12-2, 8 KO/TKO). One of the smallest featherweights in M-1Global, Vitrun has a kickboxing background and he prefers to stay on his feet. The 20-year-old Maia, who will be going for his ninth knockout win, represents the stiffest test of Virtuk’s young career.

Spanish welterweight Daniel “The Gladiator” Tabera (17-5-0, 4 KO/TKO, 6 SUB) takes on Russian grappler Magomed Mustafaev (8-1-0, 5 KO/TKO, 3 SUB) in an intriguing match. Making his welterweight debut after fighting in all weight classes from middleweight to heavyweight, Tabera is a tough fighter with invaluable experience. Mustafaev is a highly-touted prospect who has won his last seven fights in a row.

Spanish featherweight Agoney Romero (3-1-1, 1 KO/TKO) faces Russian nemesis Nikita Chistayakov (0-1-0). Undefeated in two fights held in Russian, Romero has vastly improved his striking technique. Chistyakov, who trains with Vitruk, is a clear underdog in this match-up.

French featherweight Jerome Bouisson (12-4-0, 2 KO/TKO/7 SUB) meets Azerbaijani Tural Ragimov (7-1-0, 3 KO/TKO, 3 SUB). The well-rounded French fighters is a strong grappler, while Ragimov will be making his M-1 Global debut.

Russian lightweight Zulfikar Usmanov (5-2-0, 4 SUBS) throws-down with Belarussian veteran Artiom Damkovsky (15-9-0, 6 KO/TKO, 1 SUB). Usmanov faces a must-win situation in order to remain fighting at the elite level. Striking sensation Damkovsky is a highly entertaining fighter, as well as a former M-1 Global Selection and Challenge champion.

Go Facebook for more information about M-1 Global and M-1 Challenge 46 at https://www.facebook.com/pages/M-1-Global/145250878842244.
ABOUT M-1 GLOBAL: Founded in 1998, M-1 Global has established itself in the realm of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as the premiere entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With offices in St Petersburg, Amsterdam and Los Angeles and affiliates in Seoul, Tokyo and Paris, the M-1 brand has staged more than 150 events worldwide, including the M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge and M-1 Gobal and M-1 Global HWGP events, in addition to co-promoting Strikeforce events and M-1 Global on the Showtime network in the United States. Captivating live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and matchups, M-1 Global events have featured some of the sport’s top names, including Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Aleksander Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Keith Jardine, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Roman Zentsov, Yushin Okami, Mike Pyle, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Amar Suloev, Chalid Arrab and Stephan Struve. 2014 promises to be another sensational year of world-class competition with a full calendar of Challenge events fuelled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global’s Champions amongst the greatest in the sport. M-1 Global’s greatest asset is renowned heavyweight fighter, Fedor Emelianenko.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (March 10th, 2014) — Forget everything you think you know about Luis Felix.

After years of treating mixed martial arts like a hobby, the Providence-based lightweight is ready to go “all in” as he prepares for the toughest test of his career Friday night at Twin River Casino.

“No more excuses,” said Felix (10-7, 3 KOs), who’ll face seven-time Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) veteran Drew Fickett in the main event of “CES MMA XXII” on Friday, March 14th, 2014.

“I’ve pretty much put everything aside to focus on fighting and make a run at being elite and making it to the next level. This is all I do now. No more secondary job. I’m pretty much all in at this point.”

Despite a tremendous wrestling background, which helped him become a state champion at nearby Cranston East High School, and his willingness to fight anyone at any given time, the knock on Felix through the years was his conditioning — or lack thereof — and whether or not he took the sport seriously.

“In the past, I wasn’t always all in,” he said. “It was always fun, but I used it as a hobby.”

It showed. Felix spent the first three years of his professional career teetering on the brink, never winning more than two consecutive fights. A loss to Joe DeChaves in 2010, which, to this day, Felix says was “the biggest fluke,” pushed Felix to jump right back into the cage less than a month later against then-unbeaten prospect Joe Proctor. Felix pulled off the upset, knocking out Proctor in the second round.

“I had been fighting every month, so I was in great shape,” Felix said. “By the time I stepped in with Proctor, I had gotten much better as a fighter.”

Proctor eventually made his way to the big stage two years later, starring in Season 15 of The Ultimate Fighter, but the fight paid more immediate dividends for Felix, whose career path changed dramatically after handing Proctor his first career loss. He suddenly realized what he could accomplish when motivated.

“I really started taking it more seriously after that,” he said. “All the hype was behind [Proctor] at the time and where he was going. After that fight, I started talking with [UFC veteran] Jorge Rivera and a few other coaches and really began buckling down. Ever since then, the way I go about this has been completely different.”

The win over Proctor was merely a precursor to what unfolded over the next three years. Since then, Felix has won four of his last five fights, including a win over another UFC vet, Marc Stevens, earning Felix the reputation as a fighter who saves his best for his biggest fights. Felix also upended Boston-based prospect Lucas Cruz in December. Cruz was 6-1 at the time and owned wins over Pete Jeffrey and John Ortolani before losing by split decision to Felix.

“For me, it’s a challenge, like when they’re saying, ‘Oh, this guy is that good,’ or, ‘This guy is better than you,’ or, ‘This guy has done this,'” Felix said. “Having that kind of challenge in front of me is motivation enough for me to get after it.”

Facing Fickett (42-20, 3 KOs) is a similar challenge. At his best, Fickett is one of the most dangerous fighters in the sport, having beaten both Kenny Florian and Josh Koscheck, but his own self-destructive past — alcohol abuse, etc. — has put him in a similar “do or die” mode where every fight could be the end of the road or the beginning of a new journey.

“Knowing someone like him, who has been at that level and fought some of the best in the world, I know where I want to go and where I want to be in this sport,” Felix said. “To fight someone of his caliber is just another challenge.

“I don’t know what it does immediately for me, but I know what’s at stake for me personally and where I want to be. This fight for me is everything. I’m not looking past it. I’m not looking at where it will put me. I’m just focusing on this challenge in front of me.”

Just how serious is Felix these days? Not only is he working with Rhode Island-based boxing coach Vic Fagnant, who he considers “the biggest blessing” in his career the past two years, he’s also been working on his strength and conditioning with former CES MMA lightweight champion Mike Campbell, who pressed Felix to train with him for five years until he finally decided to take his advice in preparation for this upcoming fight.

“That’s been a whole new spectrum for me,” Felix said. “I never really lifted weights or did strength training. Working with Campbell and seeing the things he’s done as an athlete really opened my eyes. I already feel such a big difference in my explosive strength in a short amount of time.

“From the first day I went in there, it was like learning something new. Now I look forward to going in there and training and getting my ass kicked.”

Felix also has a manager, Patsy Sperduto, who has helped keep him on track. Having a trustworthy inner-circle with people looking out for his best interests is a far cry from the days when Felix simply agreed to take fights just to stay active. It’s a new look for a fighter hoping to make that final push toward being elite. No more excuses. He’s finally “all in.”

“I’m taking this as a career and trying to move forward with it,” Felix said. “Being dedicated and putting in the training I need has really helped me.”

Tickets for “CES MMA XXII” are on sale now at $40.00, $55.00, $100.00 and $125.00 (VIP) and can be purchased online at www.cesmma.com or www.twinriver.com or by phone at 401-724-2253/2254. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Several undercard bouts at “CES MMA XXII” could steal the show, including the highly-anticipated middleweight bout between UFC vet Thomas Egan (7-4, 6 KOs) of Dorchester, Mass., and Plymouth, Mass., veteran Chip Moraza-Pollard (7-6, 4 KOs) a former Reality Fighting and Bellator contender. Egan, born and raised in Kildare, Ireland, starred on UFC 93 in Ireland.

Looking to keep the momentum going from his win over Chris Woodall in November, former TUF vet Chuck O’Neill (12-6, 4 KOs) of East Bridgwater, Mass., will battle Dade City, Fla., welterweight Roger Carroll (13-10) in a three-round bout. Caroll has won 11 bouts by submission. Lightweight contender Andres Jeudi (5-2, 1 KO) of Somerville, Mass., will face Brendan Rooney (5-1) of Shelton, Conn.

Also on the undercard, rising featherweight star and Johnson & Wales alum Charles Rosa (6-0, 3 KOs) of Boynton Beach, Fla., will return to Twin River for the fourth time in a three-round bout against Philadelphia veteran Brylan Van Artsdalen (9-9, 1 KO), an eight-time Bellator veteran.

Marshfield, Mass., featherweight Brendan Fleming (3-2) will take on Baltimore’s Robert Sullivan (3-1); fellow featherweight Josh LaBerge (8-4, 3 KOs) of Fall River, Mass., will battle Philadelphia’s Steve McCabe (6-14, 5 KOs); Tommy Venticinque (0-1) of Warwick, R.I., will face Rick Rivera of Springfield, Mass., in a welterweight bout; and Winthrop, Mass, featherweight Kyle Bochniak (1-0) will aim for his second win of the year when he faces Marius Enache (1-2) of Philadelphia.

Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents a live broadcast of GLORY 14 Zagreb, the world’s premier kickboxing action, on Saturday, March 8, beginning at 4 p.m. ET.

Emanating from Zagreb, Croatia’s Arena Zagreb, GLORY 14 Zagreb is headlined by world-renowned heavyweight Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (22-7-0, 12 KOs) making his GLORY debut against fellow living legend Remy Bonjasky (98-12-0, 36 KOs). The bout is a rematch from 2002, which Filipovic won by TKO.

The fight card also features a lightweight world title fight and a one-night, four-man middleweight contender tournament.

GLORY’s lightweight world title is on the line in the co-headliner as No. 1 ranked Andy “The Machine” Ristie (41-3-1, 21 KOs) faces rising American contender Ky Hollenbeck (46-3-0, 23 KOs), currently ranked No. 5. Both fighters last competed at GLORY 12 New York, where Ristie knocked out Giorgio Petrosyan and Robin van Roosmalen to become GLORY lightweight tournament world champion, and Hollenbeck defeated Warren Stevelmans by unanimous decision.

In a one-night, four-man tournament to establish GLORY’s next middleweight contender, No. 5 ranked Sahak Parparyan (40-10-5, 19 KOs) of Armenia battles No. 6 ranked Jason Wilnis (21-3-1, 6 KOs) of the Netherlands. On the other side of the bracket, American prospect Dustin Jacoby (4-3-0, 3 KOs) meets Brazilian Alex Pereira (11-1-0, 8 KOs). The contender tournament winner earns a spot in GLORY’s middleweight world championship tournament later this year.

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

For More Information Contact:

Fight Network
Chad Midgley
VP Programming & Production
chad@fightnetwork.com
www.fightnetwork.com

Fight Network
Ariel Shnerer
Programming & Communications Manager
ariel@fightnetwork.com
www.fightnetwork.com

About Fight Network:

Fight Network (www.fightnetwork.com) is the world’s premier combat sports network dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, including fights, fighters, fight news and fight lifestyle. The channel is available on all major carriers in Canada, select countries in Europe, across the Middle East and North Africa on OSN, on select U.S. carriers including a programming block on Pursuit Channel (www.pursuitchannel.com), and on TSN Radio in Canada via its program “Live Audio Wrestling,” and its programming on Sirius XM Channel 167, as well as its recent acquisition of My Combat Channel. Fight Network’s parent company Anthem Media Group Inc. also owns a significant interest in the Pursuit Channel and launched Fantasy Sports Network (FNTSY) across North America in March 2014.

Las Vegas, Nevada – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® organization announced that UFC FIGHT PASS™, the UFC’s new digital subscription service, is now available around the world.

Following a hugely successful initial launch in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand in December, fans in 178 countries and territories across the globe will now be able to enjoy UFC FIGHT PASS’s unbeatable combination of live fights, original programming and unlimited access to the world’s biggest mixed martial arts fight library.

UFC Chief Content Officer Marshall Zelaznik said: “UFC FIGHT PASS is now available across the globe, in 178 countries and territories in total, and we are very excited that fans around the world can get UFC FIGHT PASS in time for all the great action this weekend.

“First, live from London on Saturday, we have a stacked card from the famed O2 Arena headlined by the world’s No.1 light heavyweight contender Alexander Gustafsson risking his UFC title shot against the most devastating puncher in the division, the unbeaten Jimi Manuwa.

“Then, from 10pm ET/7pm PT on Sunday night, we have the premiere of the most eagerly-awaited season of The Ultimate Fighter® ever, featuring bitter rivals Wanderlei Silva and Chael Sonnen. There’s never been a better time to check out UFC FIGHT PASS.”

UFC FIGHT PASS is available right now, with a free seven day trial, in the following countries and territories:

USA, Canada, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Australia, East Timor, Fiji, Kiribati,Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Falkland Islands, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Greenland, Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Vatican City, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Yemen.

All bouts live and subject to change. Visit UFCFightPass.com or more information.

Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, the UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S. which includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. UFC also owns over 100 UFC GYM® locations, UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT™ (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC 360 (the internationally distributed magazine), a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC and Twitter: @UFC.