Martin Kampmann 170 – Carlos Condit 170.5
Abel Trujillo 155 – Roger Bowling 155.5
Benny Alloway 170 – Zak Cummings 170.5
Jason High 171 – James Head 170.5
Hatsu Hioki 146 – Darren Elkins 145
Brandon Thatch 170 – Justin Edwards 170
Pepy Abedi 184.5 – Dylan Andrews 185
Bubba McDaniel 185 – Brad Tavares 186
Erik Perez 135.5 – Takeya Mizugaki 135.5
Robert Whittaker 170.5 – Court McGee 170
Brian Melancon 170 – elvin Gastelum 170
Rafael dos Anjos 155.5 – Donald Cerrone 156

LAS VEGAS (Aug. 26, 2013) – A trio of contests have been added to September’s “World Series of Fighting 5: Arlovski vs. Kyle” lineup, as Rick “The Gladiator” Glenn (13-2-1) meets Artur Rofi (6-0), Ozzy Dugulubgov (4-1) faces Andrew “Ozzy” Osbourne (7-5) and Sidemar “Sideco” Honorio (8-3) takes on Jimmie “El Terror” Rivera (12-1).

With the additions to the evening’s preliminary fight card, the World Series of Fighting 5 lineup now includes 10 total fights.

Tickets for World Series of Fighting 5 are currently on sale at all Ticketmaster locations, Ticketmaster.com and charge-by-phone at (800) 745-3000. A heavyweight slugfest between sambo master Andrei “The Pit Bull” Arlovski (19-10) and slugger Mike “MAK” Kyle (20-9-1) serves as the evening’s main event.

The night’s NBC Sports Network-televised main card also includes previously announced middleweight tournament bouts of David Branch (12-3) vs. Danillo “Indio” Villefort (14-4) and Elvis “The King” Mutapcic (13-2) vs. Jesse “JT Money” Taylor, as well as a heavyweight matchup of Rolles Gracie (8-1) vs. Derrick “Caveman” Mehmen (15-5) and a featherweight contest between Georgi Karakhanyan (21-3-1) and Waylon Lowe (14-4).

An Iowa native, featherweight Glenn now lives in Wisconsin, where he’s a part of Milwaukee’s famed Roufusport MMA Academy. Training since he was a teenager, the 24-year-old prospect opened his career at just 3-2 but has since gone 11 straight fights without a loss. Glenn made his World Series of Fighting debut in March, where he earned a third-round knockout over Alexandre Pimentel.

Glenn now meets New Jersey’s own Rofi, a Team Bittencourt fighter who has earned all six of his career wins by way of stoppage. After opening his career in October 2010 with a knockout win, Rofi has since tapped out five consecutive opponents.

The Russian-born Dugulubgov, now a resident of Hackensack, N.J., fights for a second time under the World Series of Fighting banner. The 24-year-old Renzo Gracie-trained fighter debuted for the promotion in March, earning a unanimous-decision win over Chris Wade.

Dugulubgov faces North Carolina’s Osbourne, who fights out of Angel’s Gym in Fayetteville, in a 160-pound catchweight contest. Fighting professionally since April 2011, Osbourne is 4-1 in his past five contests, with the lone loss in that stretch coming to former Ring of Combat champion Ryan LaFlare.

Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian bantamweight Honorio trains at Renzo Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. After opening his career with seven wins in his first eight appearances, Honorio has struggled in recent bouts with top prospects Aljamain Sterling and Sean Santella but is poised to make a statement against a tough Rivera, who brings an impressive 11-fight win streak to the contest.

Rivera, a Team Tiger Schulmann fighter, hasn’t tasted defeat since 2008. In fact, before turning pro, Rivera compiled an amateur record of 7-0, giving him an incredible 19-1 career mark at all levels of competition. Along the way, Rivera picked up 135-pound belts for highly respected regional promotions King of the Cage and Ring of Combat.

World Series of Fighting 5’s two-and-a-half-hour NBC Sports Network telecast airs live at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT. The five-bout preliminary card, which also includes previously announced matchups of Gregor Gracie (7-3) vs. Rich Patishnock (5-1) and Neiman Gracie (0-0) vs. Darren Costa (0-1) streams on World Series of Fighting’s official website, WSOF.com, beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.

ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING
World Series of Fighting is a professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering an incredible, action-packed entertainment experience for fight fans by producing the best possible matchups between elite fighters from around the globe. 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 REVEL
Revel is smoke-free and features more than 1,800 rooms with sweeping ocean views. A member of the American Express Gold Hotel Collection, the resort houses a 130,000-square-foot casino with more than 2,000 slot machines, nearly 100 table games, electronic tables and a Poker Room. Designed to embrace its natural surroundings, Revel curates a collection of daylife and nightlife experiences crafted to bring the outside in and the inside out. Indoor and outdoor pools, gardens, lounges, and a 32,000-square-foot spa provide guests with a relaxing resort, while an outstanding collection of 14 restaurant concepts from award-wining chefs and restaurateurs, live entertainment featuring marquee acts and international artists, nightclubs, a casino that feels like a theatre and a collection of boutiques in The Row tailor to each guest’s passions. Revel was most recently named one of the Best Hotels in the Northeast by Amtrak’s Arrive magazine and one of the Top 10 Best New Hotels in the U.S. by Gayot.com.

To start your Revel journey, visit www.revelresorts.com. To receive the latest updates on Revel, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/revel and follow @revelresorts on Twitter and Instagram. Revel is located on the Boardwalk at Revel Blvd in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

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.

Whippany, New Jersey’s Jen Lopez (5-1) evened the score with arch rival Roya Darvishian (5-3) on Saturday night (August 24) at the Grand Ballroom at Trump Taj Mahal Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and won the EFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship in the process.

Fighting in the main event of “The Darwish Brothers Presents EFC: WARRIOR” MMA event, Lopez won a spirited, highly competitive unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28 and 30-27), avenging the split decision loss she suffered earlier this year.

In the two other EFC title fights scheduled, 40-year-old Barat Jan (4-0) of Eagle Martial Arts in Boonton, New Jersey, won the EFC Middleweight Championship with a unanimous decision (29-28 X 3) over Victor Romero (3-4) of Modern Martial Arts in Englishtown, New Jersey; and Gabriel Ruiz (3-2-1) of the EFC Fight Club in Woodland Park, New Jersey fought to a draw against Romero’s teammate Jovany Alvarez (4-2-1) from Modern Martial Arts.

Complete Results from EFC WARRIOR

Jennifer Lopez vs. Roya Darvishian
Lopez wins unanimous decision in three rounds, 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27

Barat Jan vs. Victor Romero
Jan wins unanimous decision in three rounds, all three judges 29-28

Gabriel Ruiz vs. Jovany Alvarez
This bout is ruled a majority draw after three rounds, 28-28, 28-28 and 29-28(Ruiz)

Ricky Bandejas vs. Robert Wallin
Bandejas wins via tap due to rear naked choke at 2:53 of round three

Tim Lutke vs. Mike Forte
Lutke wins via TKO referee stoppage at 0:10 of round one

Tim Dooling vs. Nathaniel Fultz
Fultz wins via tap due to armbar at 2:42 of round two

Andres Segovia vs. John Monaco
Segovia wins unanimous decision in three rounds, 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28

Nicholas Kracsun vs. Andres Velasquez
Velasquez wins via tap due to rear naked choke at 2:03 of round two

Rodrigo Correa vs. Matt Firneno
Firneno wins unanimous decision in three rounds, all three judges 30-26

Justin Hinds vs. Charles Argilan
Hinds wins unanimous decision in three rounds, all three judges 29-27

Raeph Koch vs. Tyreek Jacobs
Jacobs wins tap due to guillotine at 1:56 of round two

Nile Dillon vs. Nicholas Manela
Dillon wins unanimous decision in three rounds, all three judges 29-28

Jorge Luna vs. Andrew Smith
Smith wins via TKO referee stoppage at 1:35 of round one

William Dodd vs. Damon Bonner
Dodd wins via tap due to head and arm choke at 1:21 of round one

Adam Sylvester vs. Kevin Gocklin
Gocklin wins via tap due to armbar at 2:11 of round one

Anthony Verdesco vs. Brandon Browne
Verdesco wins via tap due to rear naked choke at 1:54 of round two

For more information on EFC and its fighters, visit the EFC website: www.efcmma.com.

Tacoma, WA (August 25th, 2013) – In a night full of fast paced action at Halquist Productions’ CageSport XXVI, heavyweight champion, Anthony Hamilton, stayed the course ending his fight with Matt Kovacs midway through the first round via TKO. The stoppage followed the pattern of a night that consisted of six first round TKO’s and only one fight going the distance. Hamilton retained his CageSport heavyweight title while further establishing himself as a top heavyweight in the Northwest.

CageSport XXVI featured ten professional MMA bouts that left fans with nothing, but an adrenaline rush and anticipation for CageSport XXVII, set for Saturday, October 5th at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, WA. Tickets for the next CageSport are available and can be purchased at the Emerald Queen Casino box office and through Ticketmaster.

Much like Hamilton’s last three fights, he wasted no time in pressing the fight as right when the bell sounded he squared up with Kovacs and took him to the ground. It didn’t take long to realize who was leaving the cage victorious as Hamilton immediately took back control and threw a relentless ground n pound attack that Kovacs couldn’t keep up with. At 2:14 into the fight, the referee had seen enough and stepped in to stop the fight giving Hamilton his first successful CageSport title defense while improving his record to 10-2.

In the semi-main event, Spokane’s Josh Rettinghouse advanced his professional record to 9-2 with a convincing victory over Jeff Hatton. The scrappy bantamweights were the only fighters who took their bout the full distance leaving the decision in the judge’s hands. After three rounds, all three judges unanimously scored the fight 30-27 for Rettinghouse.

Exciting undercard news happened as Harrison Bevens (6-1) and Justin Harrington (5-0) both left the Emerald Queen Casino victorious and more importantly, with new contracts. After the semi-main event concluded, it was announced that Bevens and Harrington would meet in the main event of CageSport XXVII in October with the vacant CageSport lightweight title on the line.

Bevens may have had the knockout of the year at CageSport XXVI when he dropped Dave Shepherd cold with a vicious three punch combo that went completely unblocked leaving the packed showroom on their toes and in awe.

CageSport XXVI Results:
Hector Lopez def. Chris Wheaton 2:56 RD3 Submission(Triangle Choke)
Josh Solis def. Lonya Champion 1:56 RD1 TKO(punches)
Gary Winslow def. Montrez Tinson 3:21 RD1` TKO(punches)
Jeff Sweeney def. Jacob Solis 0:30 RD1 TKO(punches)
Eduardo Torres def. Alex Eastman 3:22 RD1 Submission(Rear Naked Choke)
Ian Williams def. Zach Conn 4:16 RD3 TKO(punches)
Harrison Bevens def. Dave Shepherd 0:16 RD3 KO(punch)
Justin Harrington def. Levi Peaslee 1:36 RD1 Submission (Arm Triangle Choke)
Josh Rettinghouse def. Jeff Hatton UD (30-27)(30-27)(30-27)
Anthony Hamilton def. Matt Kovacs 2:14 RD1 TKO(punches)

Halquist Productions continues to be the leading fight promoter in the Northwest, promoting CageSport MMA and Battle at the Boat boxing. CageSport has helped paved the way for fighters such as: Brian Caraway, Miesha Tate, Michael Chiesa and Sam Sicilia who are all currently signed on with the UFC. For more information about CageSport XXVI and all other Halquist Production events, please visit www.halquistproductions.com and the official Facebook and Twitter Pages of Halquist Productions, CageSport MMA, and Battle at the Boat.

# # #

Photos from CageSport XXVI are not immediately available. They will be posted on the official CageSport Facebook page later tonight or early tomorrow.

MAIN EVENT: Heavyweight
Anthony Hamilton – 264
Matt Kovacs – 252

SEMI-MAIN EVENT: 135+1
*Josh Rettinghouse – 137.5
Jeff Hatton – 135.5

UNDERCARD
Justin Harrington – 155
Levi Peaslee – 155.5
Contract Weight: 155+1

Jeff Sweeney – 156
Jacob Solis – 155
Contract Weight: 155+1

Chris Wheaton – 123
Hector Lopez – 125.5
Contract Weight: 125+1

Harrison Bevens – 156
Dave Shepherd – 156
Contract Weight: 155+1

Ian Williams – 170.5
Zach Conn – 170.5
Contract Weight: 170+1

Lonya Champion – 155.5
Josh Solis – 154.5
Contract Weight: 155+1

Gary Winslow – 156
Montrez Tinson – 154.5
Contract Weight: 155+1

Alex Eastman – 136
Eduardo Torres – 136
Contract Weight: 135+1

*Rettinghouse and Hatton agreed to fight via compensation from the Rettinghouse camp due to missing weight.

Tickets are nearly sold out for tonight’s (Saturday, August 24), “The Darwish Brothers Presents EFC: WARRIOR” MMA Event in the Grand Ballroom at Trump Taj Mahal Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

“It’s a combination of factors,” said event co-promoter Hani Darwish. “We have our first female main event, which is the rematch of a sensational fight. Plus we have two other title fights between some of the most popular fighters in Jersey. The entire card is strong top to bottom and the fans have acknowledged it by supporting the young fighters in this event.”

Darwish says he’s happy to be working with the Taj Mahal to build this successful MMA series.

“The Trump with their slot specials for ticket buyers and their overall professionalism to work with has been wonderful. It truly is a perfect situation to be in as a promoter and I’m very grateful. I’m looking forward to another unforgettable event this Saturday.

EFC WARRIOR will feature in its main event Maryland MMA fighter Roya Darvishian (5-2) taking on Whippany, New Jersey’s Jen Lopez (4-1) EFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship in the featured bout, as well as two more title fights, as Gabriel Ruiz (3-2) of the EFC Fight Club in Woodland Park, NJ will face Jovany Alvarez (4-2) from Modern Martial Arts in Englishtown, NJ, for the EFC Featherweight Championship; and the always exciting Barat Jan (3-0) of Eagle Martial Arts in Boonton, NJ, will take on Victor Romero (3-3) of Modern Martial Arts in Englishtown, NJ, for the EFC Middleweight Championship.

12 other exciting bouts are also on the schedule for tonight.

Tickets for EFC WARRIOR are priced at: $125, $100, $67 and $46 and are on sale now by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-736-1420 or online at www.ticketmaster.com, at the EFC website: www.efcmma.com, or at the Trump Taj Mahal box office on fight night.

###

EFC WARRIOR
SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 2013
GRAND BALLROOM/TRUMP TAJ MAHAL CASINO HOTEL, ATLANTIC CITY

Welterweight (over 140 to 147 lbs.)
Anthony Verdesco from Lionheart Modern Martial Arts in South Amboy, New Jersey will fight Brandon Browne of Modern Martial Arts in Englishtown, New Jersey

Lightweight (over 130 to 135 lbs.)
Kevin Gocklin of the Ironbound Fight Club in Newark, New Jersey will face Adam Sylvester (1-1) Rosky Combat Sports Training Center in Rahway, New Jersey

Lightweight (over 130 to 135 lbs.)
Will Dodd of EFC Fight Club in Woodland Park, New Jersey will take on Damon Bonner (0-3) of Millville, New Jersey

Middleweight (over 154 to 161 lbs.)
Nick Manela (1-0) from Ricardo Almeida Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy in Robbinsville, New Jersey, will battle Nile Dillon (0-2) of Sparta NJ Mixed Martial Arts in Lafayette, New Jersey

Super Welterweight (over 147 to 154 lbs.)
Tyreek Jacobs (1-0) of EFC Fight Club in Woodland Park, New Jersey will take on Raeph Koch of Camp Sao Lak in Kenilworth, New Jersey

Welterweight (over 140 to 147 lbs.)
Justin Hinds (0-1) Kurt Pellegrino’s Mixed Martial Arts & Fitness Academy in Belmar, New Jersey will go against Charles Argilan (1-0) Worthington Martial Arts

EFC Featherweight Championship (over 122 to 126 lbs.)
Gabriel Ruiz (3-2) of EFC Fight Club in Woodland Park, New Jersey will face Jovany Alvarez (4-2) of Modern Martial Arts in Englishtown, New Jersey

Welterweight (over 140 to 147 lbs.)
Rodrigo Correa of the Ironbound Fight Club in Newark, New Jersey, will make his debut against Matt Firneno (1-0) of Nick Catone’s Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Brick, New Jersey/RJ BJJ

Light Heavyweight (over 168 to 175 lbs.)
Nicholas Kracsun (2-1) from Lionheart Modern Martial Arts in South Amboy, New Jersey will face Andres Velasques (1-0) of Pure Mixed Martial Arts in Denville, New Jersey

Light Heavyweight (over 168 to 175 lbs.)
John Monaco of Blue Line Defense and Fitness in Ewing, New Jersey, will battle Andy Segovia of Tiger Schulmann’s Kickboxing and Mixed Martial Arts in Cherry Hill, New Jersey

Super Welterweight (over 147 to 154 lbs.)
Tim Dooling (2 -1) of Blue Line Defense and Fitness in Ewing, New Jersey, will battle Nate Fultz of Nick Catone’s Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Brick, New Jersey/RJ BJJ

Junior Heavyweight (over 197 to 210 lbs.)
Tim Lutke (1-0) of AllStar BJJ/MMA in Kenilworth, New Jersey, will face Mike Forte (2-1) from Alex Wilkie’s Martial Arts Academy, in Bridgewater, New Jersey

Super Lightweight (over 135 to 140 lbs.)
Robert Wallin (2-0) of Carmine Zocchi Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy of Queens, New York will go against Ricky Bandejas (6-1) of Nick Catone’s Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Brick, New Jersey/RJ BJJ

EFC Middleweight Championship (over 154 to 161 lbs.)
Barat Jan (3-0) of Eagle Martial Arts in Boonton, New Jersey, will take on Victor Romero (3-3) of Modern Martial Arts in Englishtown, New Jersey

MAIN EVENT
EFC Bantamweight Championship (over 112 to 118 lbs.)
Jennifer Lopez (4-1) of AMA Fight Club of Whippany, New Jersey, will rematch against Roya Darvishian (5-2) of Lloyd Irvin’s Martial Arts Academy in Camp Springs, Maryland

###

Ticket buyers to the Saturday, August 24, “EFC WARRIOR” event in the Grand Ballroom at Trump Taj Mahal can bring their ticket to the promo booth, sign up for a Trump card, and will then receive $10 free bonus slot dollars on to the card, which can be used at any slot machine at the Taj on fight night.

For more information on EFC and its fighters, visit the EFC website: www.efcmma.com.

Doors open at 7 pm on fight night and the first bout is at 8 pm.

All bouts subject to change.

WARNING: Tickets are going fast, support your local fighters by purchasing them now before it’s too late.

23 August 2013 – Singapore: ONE Fighting Championship™ (ONE FC), the biggest Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion in Asia announced today a partnership with PT. Kawasaki Motor Indonesia, the leading manufacturer and distributor of motorcycles in Indonesia. Kawasaki Motor Indonesia is known for its product quality and innovations, such as the world famous “Ninja” series. This exclusive partnership between ONE FC and Kawasaki Motor Indonesia will start at ONE FC: CHAMPIONS & WARRIORS which takes place live from Istora Senayan on 13 September.

CEO of ONE Fighting Championship™ Victor Cui stated, “We are proud to welcome Kawasaki Motor Indonesia on board as an official partner of ONE FC. ONE FC is committed to working with only the best brands and organizations globally and this partnership is a testament to that. Kawasaki Motor Indonesia has a long history of success and innovation in Indonesia.”

Yusuke Shimada, Assistant General Manager of PT. Kawasaki Motor Indonesia said, “Kawasaki Motor Indonesia only partners with elite organizations and athletes from around the world. I am excited to add the top promotion in Mixed Martial Arts to the list by partnering with ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is leading the way in making MMA the biggest sports in Indonesia and Kawasaki Motor Indonesia looks forward to working with ONE FC in the months and years to come.”

PT. Kawasaki Motor Indonesia was established on 18 February, 1994 as a joint venture between Kawasaki Heavy Industries LTD (Japan) with the Indonesian organization PT. Sumber Selatan Nusa. It has quickly grown to become one of the largest sports bike manufacturers and distributors in Indonesia and their premium “Ninja” series has become one of the most popular models in the country, even winning the “Net Promoter Star” award from SWA. Kawasaki manufactures 160,000 units of motorcycles components annually in Indonesia.

Tickets for ONE FC: CHAMPIONS & WARRIORS are on sale now at Kiostix (www.kiostix.com). Ticket categories begin with the full Red Carpet and cage-side experience for VVIPs at IDR 2,500,000. Tickets priced at IDR 1,500,000, IDR 750,000, IDR 500,000, and IDR 250,000 are also available. All applicable service charges apply.

For more updates on ONE Fighting Championship™, please visit www.onefc.com and follow @ONEFCMMA on Twitter and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONEFCMMA.

About ONE Fighting Championship™
Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Fighting Championship™ (http://www.onefc.com) is one of the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization. ONE Fighting Championship™ hosts the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Fighting Championship™ has partnered with FOX and STAR Sports for an unprecedented 10-year cable television deal with a coverage that spans 70+ countries across the world.

The complete card has been announced for The Darwish Brothers’ latest MMA blockbuster: EFC WARRIOR, being held this Saturday (August 24) in the Grand Ballroom at Trump Taj Mahal Casino Hotel in Atlantic City.

12 support bouts are scheduled in addition to the three big title fights, headlined by Maryland’s Roya Darvishian (5-2) rematching Whippany, New Jersey’s Jennifer Lopez (4-1) for the EFC Bantamweight Championship; Gabriel Ruiz (3-2) of the EFC Fight Club in Woodland Park, NJ facing Jovany Alvarez (4-2) from Modern Martial Arts in Englishtown, NJ, for the EFC Featherweight Championship; and Barat Jan (3-0) of Eagle Martial Arts in Boonton, NJ, facing Victor Romero (3-3) of Modern Martial Arts in Englishtown, NJ, for the EFC Middleweight Championship.

Tickets for EFC WARRIOR are priced at: $125, $100, $67 and $46 and are on sale now by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-736-1420 or online at www.ticketmaster.com, at the EFC website: www.efcmma.com, or at the Trump Taj Mahal box office on fight night.

EFC WARRIOR
SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 2013
GRAND BALLROOM/TRUMP TAJ MAHAL CASINO HOTEL, ATLANTIC CITY

Welterweight (over 140 to 147 lbs.)
Anthony Verdesco from Lionheart Modern Martial Arts in South Amboy, New Jersey will fight Brandon Browne of Modern Martial Arts in Englishtown, New Jersey

Lightweight (over 130 to 135 lbs.)
Kevin Gocklin of the Ironbound Fight Club in Newark, New Jersey will face Adam Sylvester (1-1) Rosky Combat Sports Training Center in Rahway, New Jersey

Lightweight (over 130 to 135 lbs.)
Will Dodd of EFC Fight Club in Woodland Park, New Jersey will take on Damon Bonner (0-3) of Millville, New Jersey

Middleweight (over 154 to 161 lbs.)
Nick Manela (1-0) from Ricardo Almeida Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy in Robbinsville, New Jersey, will battle Nile Dillon (0-2) of Sparta NJ Mixed Martial Arts in Lafayette, New Jersey

Super Welterweight (over 147 to 154 lbs.)
Tyreek Jacobs (1-0) of EFC Fight Club in Woodland Park, New Jersey will take on Raeph Koch of Camp Sao Lak in Kenilworth, New Jersey

Welterweight (over 140 to 147 lbs.)
Justin Hinds (0-1) Kurt Pellegrino’s Mixed Martial Arts & Fitness Academy in Belmar, New Jersey will go against Charles Argilan (1-0) Worthington Martial Arts

EFC Featherweight Championship (over 122 to 126 lbs.)
Gabriel Ruiz (3-2) of EFC Fight Club in Woodland Park, New Jersey will face Jovany Alvarez (4-2) of Modern Martial Arts in Englishtown, New Jersey

Welterweight (over 140 to 147 lbs.)
Rodrigo Correa of the Ironbound Fight Club in Newark, New Jersey, will make his debut against Matt Firneno (1-0) of Nick Catone’s Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Brick, New Jersey/RJ BJJ

Light Heavyweight (over 168 to 175 lbs.)
Nicholas Kracsun (2-1) from Lionheart Modern Martial Arts in South Amboy, New Jersey will face Andres Velasques (1-0) of Pure Mixed Martial Arts in Denville, New Jersey

Light Heavyweight (over 168 to 175 lbs.)
John Monaco of Blue Line Defense and Fitness in Ewing, New Jersey, will battle Andy Segovia of Tiger Schulmann’s Kickboxing and Mixed Martial Arts in Cherry Hill, New Jersey

Super Welterweight (over 147 to 154 lbs.)
Tim Dooling (2 -1) of Blue Line Defense and Fitness in Ewing, New Jersey, will battle Nate Fultz of Nick Catone’s Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Brick, New Jersey/RJ BJJ

Junior Heavyweight (over 197 to 210 lbs.)
Tim Lutke (1-0) of AllStar BJJ/MMA in Kenilworth, New Jersey, will face Mike Forte (2-1) from Alex Wilkie’s Martial Arts Academy, in Bridgewater, New Jersey

Super Lightweight (over 135 to 140 lbs.)
Robert Wallin (2-0) of Carmine Zocchi Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy of Queens, New York will go against Ricky Bandejas (6-1) of Nick Catone’s Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Brick, New Jersey/RJ BJJ

EFC Middleweight Championship (over 154 to 161 lbs.)
Barat Jan (3-0) of Eagle Martial Arts in Boonton, New Jersey, will take on Victor Romero (3-3) of Modern Martial Arts in Englishtown, New Jersey

MAIN EVENT
EFC Bantamweight Championship (over 112 to 118 lbs.)
Jennifer Lopez (4-1) of AMA Fight Club of Whippany, New Jersey, will rematch against Roya Darvishian (5-2) of Lloyd Irvin’s Martial Arts Academy in Camp Springs, Maryland

###

Ticket buyers to the Saturday, August 24, “EFC WARRIOR” event in the Grand Ballroom at Trump Taj Mahal can bring their ticket to the promo booth, sign up for a Trump card, and will then receive $10 free bonus slot dollars on to the card, which can be used at any slot machine at the Taj on fight night.

For more information on EFC and its fighters, visit the EFC website: www.efcmma.com.

Doors open at 7 pm on fight night and the first bout is at 8 pm.

All bouts subject to change.

WARNING: Tickets are going fast, support your local fighters by purchasing them now before it’s too late.

LAS VEGAS (Aug. 22, 2013) – A featherweight contest between Millennia MMA standout Georgi “Insane” Karakhanyan (21-3-1) and American Top Team product Waylon Lowe (14-4) completes the NBC Sports Network-televised main card for next month’s “World Series of Fighting 5: Arlovski vs. Kyle” event.

Tickets for WSOF 5 are currently on sale at all Ticketmaster locations, Ticketmaster.com and charge-by-phone at (800) 745-3000. A heavyweight slugfest between sambo master Andrei “The Pit Bull” Arlovski (19-10) and slugger Mike “MAK” Kyle (20-9-1) serves as the evening’s main event.

The night’s NBC Sports Network-televised main card also includes previously announced middleweight tournament bouts between David Branch (12-3) vs. Danillo “Indio” Villefort (14-4) and Elvis “The King” Mutapcic (13-2) vs. Jesse “JT Money” Taylor, as well as a heavyweight matchup of Rolles Gracie (8-1) vs. Derrick “Caveman” Mehmen (15-5).

A former professional soccer player, Karakhanyan has been fighting professionally since 2006. Born in Russia to Armenian parents, the 28-year-old now resides in Riverside, Calif., where he trains at the highly respected Millennia MMA academy. Karakhanyan currently boasts a seven-fight win streak that includes victories over big-show veterans Din Thomas, Hiroyuki Takaya and Micah Miller.

Lowe makes his second appearance for World Series of Fighting. The 32-year-old Pennsylvania native debuted for the promotion in March and made an instant impact, scoring a first-round knockout over Cameron Dollar at WSOF 2. The contest was Lowe’s first at 145-pounds after competing for the previous seven years as a lightweight.

World Series of Fighting 5’s two-and-a-half-hour NBC Sports Network telecast airs live at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT. A full preliminary card, which includes Gregor Gracie (7-3) vs. Rich Patishnock (5-1) and Neiman Gracie (0-0) vs. Darren Costa (0-1) streams on World Series of Fighting’s official website, WSOF.com, beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.

ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING
Based in Las Vegas, the fight capital of the world, World Series of Fighting is a professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering an incredible, action-packed entertainment experience for fight fans by producing the best possible matchups between elite fighters from around the globe. 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 REVEL
Revel is smoke-free and features more than 1,800 rooms with sweeping ocean views. A member of the American Express Gold Hotel Collection, the resort houses a 130,000-square-foot casino with more than 2,000 slot machines, nearly 100 table games, electronic tables and a Poker Room. Designed to embrace its natural surroundings, Revel curates a collection of daylife and nightlife experiences crafted to bring the outside in and the inside out. Indoor and outdoor pools, gardens, lounges, and a 32,000-square-foot spa provide guests with a relaxing resort, while an outstanding collection of 14 restaurant concepts from award-wining chefs and restaurateurs, live entertainment featuring marquee acts and international artists, nightclubs, a casino that feels like a theatre and a collection of boutiques in The Row tailor to each guest’s passions. Revel was most recently named one of the Best Hotels in the Northeast by Amtrak’s Arrive magazine and one of the Top 10 Best New Hotels in the U.S. by Gayot.com.

To start your Revel journey, visit www.revelresorts.com. To receive the latest updates on Revel, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/revel and follow @revelresorts on Twitter and Instagram. Revel is located on the Boardwalk at Revel Blvd in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

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.

LAS VEGAS (Aug. 21, 2013) – The First Family of Mixed Martial Arts will leave a significant imprint on World Series of Fighting’s next event as three different members of the Gracie clan will appear on the eagerly anticipated Sept. 14 card at Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ.

In addition to a recently announced heavyweight contest between Rolles Gracie (8-1) and Derrick “Caveman” Mehmen (15-5), Gregor Gracie (7-3) meets Rich Patishnock (5-1) in a welterweight bout, and Neiman Gracie (0-0) makes his professional MMA debut against Darren Costa (0-1) in a middleweight contest at “World Series of Fighting 5: Arlovski vs. Kyle.”

Rolles Gracie vs. Mehmen takes place on the evening’s two-and-a-half-hour NBC Sports Network telecast, which airs live at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT.

Gregor Gracie vs. Patishnock and Neiman Gracie vs. Costa are both scheduled for the evening’s preliminary card, which streams on World Series of Fighting’s official website, WSOF.com beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT, and precedes the evening’s NBC Sports Network-televised main card.

Tickets for World Series of Fighting 5 are currently on sale at all Ticketmaster locations, Ticketmaster.com and charge-by-phone at (800) 745-3000. A heavyweight slugfest between sambo master Andrei “The Pit Bull” Arlovski (19-10) and slugger Mike “MAK” Kyle (20-9-1) serves as the evening’s main event.

Rolles Gracie is a third-degree black belt in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, as well as judo. Born in Rio de Janeiro, Rolles currently resides in Holmdel, N.J., where he serves as a lead instructor at the famed Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy. Rolles has lost just once in nine career contests, and all eight of his wins have come by way of submission.

Mehmen, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, who matches Rolles’ 6-foot-4 frame, trains with one of the world’s best squads at American Top Team. A seven-year veteran of the sport, Mehmen currently boasts a three-fight win streak and has earned 10 of his 15 career wins by way of knockout.

Gregor Gracie is a two-time world champion jiu-jitsu player who returns to the World Series of Fighting cage for a second time. The 26-year-old Brazilian suffered a disappointing TKO loss to upstart Tyson Steele at World Series of Fighting’s debut event last November and now looks for a return to the form that has seen him earn six of his seven career victories by submission.

Gregor now meets Patishnock, a resident of Whippany, N.J., and member of the Garden State’s famed AMA Fight Club. Patishnock made his World Series of Fighting debut in March and earned a TKO win over another member of the Gracie clan, Igor Gracie, when doctors called a halt to the bout at the end of the first round. Fighting professionally for two years, Patishnock has tasted defeat just once in six contests.

Another member of Renzo Gracie’s fight team, the 25-year-old Neiman Gracie has thus far in his career focused exclusively on grappling conquests but now transitions to MMA for the first time. He meets Maryland’s Darren Costa, who made his professional debut in May but suffered a second-round TKO loss.

ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING
Based in Las Vegas, the fight capital of the world, World Series of Fighting is a professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering an incredible, action-packed entertainment experience for fight fans by producing the best possible matchups between elite fighters from around the globe. 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 REVEL
Revel is smoke-free and features more than 1,800 rooms with sweeping ocean views. A member of the American Express Gold Hotel Collection, the resort houses a 130,000-square-foot casino with more than 2,000 slot machines, nearly 100 table games, electronic tables and a Poker Room. Designed to embrace its natural surroundings, Revel curates a collection of daylife and nightlife experiences crafted to bring the outside in and the inside out. Indoor and outdoor pools, gardens, lounges, and a 32,000-square-foot spa provide guests with a relaxing resort, while an outstanding collection of 14 restaurant concepts from award-wining chefs and restaurateurs, live entertainment featuring marquee acts and international artists, nightclubs, a casino that feels like a theatre and a collection of boutiques in The Row tailor to each guest’s passions. Revel was most recently named one of the Best Hotels in the Northeast by Amtrak’s Arrive magazine and one of the Top 10 Best New Hotels in the U.S. by Gayot.com.

To start your Revel journey, visit www.revelresorts.com. To receive the latest updates on Revel, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/revel and follow @revelresorts on Twitter and Instagram. Revel is located on the Boardwalk at Revel Blvd in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

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.

The odds would seem to be stacked against Whippany, New Jersey, MMA fighter Jen Lopez (4-1) in her next fight.

Not only will she be going for her first MMA title in her first career main event, but she will also be facing the only woman to ever defeat her, Maryland’s Roya Darvishian (5-2).

Lopez and Darvishian will rematch for the EFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship in the main event of The Darwish Brothers Presents: EFC WARRIOR, this Saturday (August 24) in the Grand Ballroom at Trump Taj Mahal Casino Hotel in Atlantic City.

Tickets for EFC WARRIOR are priced at: $125, $100, $67 and $46 and are on sale now by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-736-1420 or online at www.ticketmaster.com, at the EFC website: www.efcmma.com, or at the Trump Taj Mahal box office on fight night.

“It’s a little added pressure,” admitted Lopez. “Our last fight was a split decision; it was close and I’ve corrected my mistakes this time. This time I’m fighting as if my life depended on it. Last time, it wasn’t that I didn’t give it my all, but this time, I’m going in smarter than last time and I’m going in with all my heart.”

Lopez, a striker at heart with good all-around skills, says she’s excited to be back in the cage with an opponent as formidable as Darvishian.

“She’s a go-getter, very aggressive. I respect her. There are not a lot of female fighters with good technique, but she’s one of the few. And a lot of females aren’t good wrestlers, but she’s good. I look forward to this fight because I am happy to be fighting a female fighter who can really fight. She’ll be tough. Beating her will be enjoyable because it won’t come easy. People will respect this win even more.

A testament to the strength of willpower, 23-year-old Lopez is a personal trainer during the day and a bartender at night, yet still finds time to train two or three times a day at MMA Fight Club in Whippany and AllStar Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Kenilworth.

“I get home at four in the morning to wake up at six or seven to go training. I have a female teammate at AllStar. Working with guys is not the same feel. The guys I work out with bust my ass and push me, but it’s not the same as fighting a female close to your weight and strength, who can give you that actual feel of getting in the cage.”

Healthy, in perfect shape and ready for her biggest career fight to date, Jen Lopez says she’s enjoying her first stint as a main event fighter.

“This is the first time everyone is taking about one of my fights and asking me for interviews. It’s definitely a new experience for me. I’m getting experience in how to do interviews and it’s preparing me for the future for when I do turn pro, getting me used to it. I love it.”

Event co-promoter Hani Darwish says he’s expecting an even better performance from both ladies. “These women are both tremendous talents and both know what’s at stake. Jen Lopez knows what she did wrong in the first fight and will be coming full force to avenge her only loss. I expect their second fight to be another classic.”

EFC WARRIOR will host two more title fights, as Gabriel Ruiz (3-2) of the EFC Fight Club in Woodland Park, NJ will face Jovany Alvarez (4-2) from Modern Martial Arts in Englishtown, NJ, for the EFC Featherweight Championship; and the always exciting Barat Jan (3-0) of Eagle Martial Arts in Boonton, NJ, will take on Victor Romero (3-3) of Modern Martial Arts in Englishtown, NJ, for the EFC Middleweight Championship.

###

Ticket buyers to the Saturday, August 24, “EFC WARRIOR” event in the Grand Ballroom at Trump Taj Mahal can bring their ticket to the promo booth, sign up for a Trump card, and will then receive $10 free bonus slot dollars on to the card, which can be used at any slot machine at the Taj on fight night.

For more information on EFC and its fighters, visit the EFC website: www.efcmma.com.

Doors open at 7 pm on fight night and the first bout is at 8 pm.

All bouts subject to change.

WARNING: Tickets are going fast, support your local fighters by purchasing them now before it’s too late.

If Maryland MMA fighter Roya Darvishian seemed a bit nervous this week, it’d be perfectly understandable.

After all, a huge crowd is expected this Saturday (August 24) to watch the 21-year-old, as she appears in her first main event, (and the first ever staged by the organization hosting the show) against a very tough opponent, at one of Atlantic City’s top casinos.

Naturally, some might be feeling the pressure, but if Darvishian is feeling it, she’s certainly not showing it.

Darvishian (5-2) will face Whippany, New Jersey’s Jen Lopez (4-1) in the featured bout this Saturday night in the Grand Ballroom at Trump Taj Mahal Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, as The Darwish Brothers present their latest MMA blockbuster: EFC WARRIOR.

Tickets for EFC WARRIOR are priced at: $125, $100, $67 and $46 and are on sale now by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-736-1420 or online at www.ticketmaster.com, at the EFC website: www.efcmma.com, or at the Trump Taj Mahal box office on fight night.

“There’s not really any added pressure; a fight is a fight for me,” explained Darvishian after a sparring session with her boyfriend of three years, fellow MMA fighter Marcus “Menace” Daniels. “At my first couple fights it was a little nerve wracking. I still get nervous, but once you’re in there, it’s time to do what you do. Your body just takes over and there are no more nerves. I’m just focused on winning. I don’t care who’s around or if it’s the main event. All of my focus is just on the fight.”

The two female warriors already had a sensational war last February 16 at Xtreme Caged Combat: Mayhem, with Darvishian emerging victorious by split decision. The stakes are upped, however, in the rematch as they will be competing for the EFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship.

Darvishian says she’s been preparing for another tough fight, mixing her training time between Lloyd Irvin MMA in Camp Springs, Maryland, and Sugar Ray Leonard’s Boxing Gym.

“She (Lopez) lost last time, so she’ll come at me even harder this time. I didn’t really do anything different for this one; I’m just trying to get better at the stuff I’ve been doing. I feel very good.”

Darvishian works nights at UPS and spends her days working toward her dream of pioneering a 105-lb female division in the UFC.

“The UFC has definitely been my goal since I started. I’m working my way up to be a fighter for them, even if they don’t have anybody my size yet that they’ve signed. I work at night, so I have my whole day to train. And that’s all I really do is train.

While so many have said the two ladies put on a classic performance in their first encounter, Darvishian says she has little memory of the fight.

“People say it was a good fight, but I don’t really remember it because my body just kind of took over. I remember in the third round, we boxed. I already knew I had won the first two rounds. I just want to get in there and show how much I’ve improved and put on a great performance for the people.”

“Roya is a true credit to the sport,” said event co-promoter Hani Darwish. “She’s in fantastic shape and ready to put on another great show. I can easily picture both these women becoming MMA stars someday and I’m very excited to be hosting this important rematch.”

EFC WARRIOR will host two more title fights, as Gabriel Ruiz (3-2) of the EFC Fight Club in Woodland Park, NJ will face Jovany Alvarez (4-2) from Modern Martial Arts in Englishtown, NJ, for the EFC Featherweight Championship; and the always exciting Barat Jan (3-0) of Eagle Martial Arts in Boonton, NJ, will take on Victor Romero (3-3) of Modern Martial Arts in Englishtown, NJ, for the EFC Middleweight Championship.

###

Ticket buyers to the Saturday, August 24, “EFC WARRIOR” event in the Grand Ballroom at Trump Taj Mahal can bring their ticket to the promo booth, sign up for a Trump card, and will then receive $10 free bonus slot dollars on to the card, which can be used at any slot machine at the Taj on fight night.

For more information on EFC and its fighters, visit the EFC website: www.efcmma.com.

Doors open at 7 pm on fight night and the first bout is at 8 pm.

All bouts subject to change.

WARNING: Tickets are going fast, support your local fighters by purchasing them now before it’s too late.

Tacoma, WA (August 19th, 2013) – Halquist Productions is returning with CageSport MMA to the Emerald Queen Casino this weekend where current heavyweight champion, Anthony Hamilton (9-2), will attempt to defend his title against the fearless, Matt Kovacs (8-11). In the semi-main event, Josh Rettinghouse will put his 8-2 record on the line when he takes on Aberdeen’s Jeff Hatton (7-3) in a three round bout that is expected to be one of the scrappier fights of the evening.

Tickets for CageSport XXVI, set for Saturday, August 24th, at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, WA, are available and can be purchased at the Emerald Queen Casino box office and online through Ticketmaster. Prices start at $35 for general admission. First Row VIP tickets are still available.

CageSport heavyweight champion, Anthony Hamilton, has practically been unstoppable since being defeated last August. Since that fight, Hamilton has gone on to defeat three different opponents, all in the first round, with not one fight going longer than a minute and 37 seconds, which includes his 38 second victory over Bill Widler for the CageSport heavyweight title.

Hamilton will get his first chance to defend that title this weekend, but it will be no easy task with Matt Kovacs hungry for revenge. In 2010, Kovacs held the CageSport title when he defeated Corey Williams via first round TKO, but wasn’t able to hold on to it as he lost it in his first title defense attempt against Nick Braker. Adding more intrigue to the fight is that this will be a rematch for Kovacs who was defeated by Hamilton in a title fight in 2011. It’s certain that Kovacs is hungrier than ever to even the score and take back what once belonged to him.

Jeff Hatton and Josh Rettinghouse, fighting in the semi-main event, are two of the top bantamweight fighters in the region who have a lot to prove when they step into the cage this Saturday. Both have lots of promise in their professional MMA careers, but are in the process of revamping their rank as both have been defeated during CageSport bantamweight title fights. A victory at CageSport XXVI will go a long way in helping them fight their way back to another opportunity at championship gold.

Eight other thrilling bouts are set to take place on the 24th, featuring all local talent hoping to catch the attention of the national MMA media.

UNDERCARD: All three rounds
Justin Harrington (4-0) vs. Levi Peaslee (1-3)
Jeff Sweeney (debut) vs. Jacob Solis (0-1)
Chris Wheaton (1-4) vs. Hector Lopez (debut)
Harrison Bevens (5-1) vs. Dave Shepherd (5-3)
Ian Williams (6-1) vs. Zach Conn (1-0)
Lonya Champion (0-1) vs. Josh Solis (1-0)
Gary Winslow (1-2) vs. Montrez Tinson (0-1)
Alex Eastman (debut) vs. Eduardo Torres (1-1)

Doors for CageSport XXVI will open at 6 PM with the first fight scheduled for 7 PM. Halquist Productions has created a world class promotional company with CageSport MMA and Battle at the Boat boxing. After partnering with the United Fight Alliance, CageSport will soon be available to be viewed across the nation in over 100 million homes giving fighters the exposure that Halquist Productions prides itself in offering. For more questions about CageSport XXVI and all other Halquist Production events, please visit www.halquistproductions.com and the official Facebook and Twitter pages of Halquist Productions, CageSport MMA, and Battle at the Boat.

Las Vegas, Nev. – On Wednesday, Sept. 4, history will be made as the Ultimate Fighting Championship®’s long-running reality series, The Ultimate Fighter®, makes its debut on America’s new sports network, FOX Sports 1. UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey and No.1 title contender Miesha Tate serve as coaches in the first ever season to feature women as coaches and cast members. The Ultimate Fighter®: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate kicks off with a two-hour premiere beginning at 10 p.m. ET.

In this 18th edition of the series, 16 men and 16 women bantamweight (135 lbs.) fighters will face off in the most challenging sports tournament on television. The premiere episode will determine the eight men and eight women who will successfully move into The Ultimate Fighter house and compete for a Harley Davidson motorcycle and a six-figure contract with the UFC®.

Catch a series preview here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wl0MSMgIW4g&feature=youtu.be

The successful fighters will then be divided into two teams, coached by Rousey and Tate respectively. The series will follow the teams as they live and train together in preparation for their fights. The coaches will then face off in the Octagon® for the women’s bantamweight title on Saturday, Dec. 28, at UFC® 168: WEIDMAN vs. SILVA at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

“This season of The Ultimate Fighter was monumental, as we had women as coaches and competitors – fighting and living together with the men – for the first time ever,” UFC president Dana White said. “Obviously the fierce rivalry between Ronda and Miesha is going to get everyone’s attention, but it doesn’t take away from their dedication and success as coaches and the level of talent this season. One of the things that always makes The Ultimate Fighter great is the fights, and this season continues to deliver. Since we added the women’s division earlier this year, they’ve been putting on awesome fights, and the streak continues on the show, giving the men some serious competition and setting up some Fight-of-the-Night worthy battles.”

“FOX Sports 1 is now the exclusive home of the UFC. To have a show that packs this kind of power and gives our viewers a raw, emotional look into becoming an MMA professional is reality television at it’s best. We can’t wait for the September 4th premiere,” said FOX Sports 1 Co-president Eric Shanks.

The Ultimate Fighter®: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate will anchor FOX Sports 1’s UFC Wednesday block and run for 13 weeks. 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 Saturday, November 30. Tickets set to go on sale to the public on October 11.

The list of finalists was trimmed from more than 200 applicants, with the final fighters hailing from the United States, Canada, England, Ireland and Sweden. The competitors are, in alphabetical order (Name, Professional MMA record, Age, Fighting Out Of):

Shayna Baszler (15-8), 33, Sioux Fall, S.D.
Revelina Berto, (3-1), 24, Winter Haven, Fla.
Jessamyn Duke (2-0, 1NC), 27, Richmond, Ky.
Tonya Evinger (11-6), 32, Lake St. Louis, Mo.
Laura Howarth (4-0), 26, Hove, East Essex, ENG
Tara LaRosa (21-3), 35, Albuquerque, N.M.
Valerie Letourneau (4-3), 30, La Prairie, CAN
Bethany Marshall (4-1), 25, Newport News, Va.
Sarah Moras (3-1), 25, Kelowna, CAN
Margaret “Peggy” Morgan (2-0), 33, Nashua, N.H.
Gina Mazany (3-0), 25, Seattle, Wash.
Roxanne Modafferi (15-10), 30, Yokohama, JPN
Julianna Pena (4-2), 24, Spokane, Wash.
Raquel Pennington (3-3), 24, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Jessica Rakoczy (1-3), 36, Las Vegas, Nev.
Colleen Schneider (4-3), 31, Las Vegas, Nev.

Christopher Beal (7-0), 28, Somis, Calif.
Cody Bollinger (14-3), 22, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
Louis Fisette (6-1), 23, Winnipeg, CAN
Rafael Freitas (6-0-1), 29, Albuquerque, N.M.
David Grant (8-1), 27, Bishop Auckland, ENG
Tim Gorman (9-2), 30, West Des Moines, Iowa
Anthony Gutierrez (4-0), 22, Lee’s Summit, Mo.
Emil Hartsner (4-0), 23, Luberod, SWE
Joshua Hill (9-0), 26, Binbrook, CAN
Chris Holdsworth (4-0), 25, Woodland Hills, Calif.
Patrick Holohan (9-0-1), 25, Dublin, IRL
Sirwan Kakai (9-1), 23, Coconut Creek, Fla.
Daniel Martinez (18-4), 28, San Diego, Calif.
Matthew Munsey (4-1), 26, Hollywood, Fla.
Lee Sandmeier (9-0), 30, Knoxville, Iowa
Michael Wootten (6-0), 24, Liverpool, ENG

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 @TUFonFS1 or on Facebook.com/TUF.

###

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 and Beijing, 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 FX and FUEL TV. This also includes the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter®, moving to FOX Sports 1 in September 2013.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries, to nearly 800 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 nearly 2.4 million followers on Twitter. Ancillary UFC businesses include best-selling DVDs and video games, UFC FIT®, an in-home fitness and nutrition program, 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.

FOX Sports 1
FOX Sports 1 is a new national 24-hour multi-sport channel launching on August 17 and boasts nearly 5,000 hours of live event, news and original programming annually. The channel has eight pillar sports: college basketball and football, MLB (in 2014), NASCAR, NFL (ancillary programs), USGA events including the U.S. Open (2015), soccer and UFC. College football is highlighted by regular season coverage of Big 12, Pac-12 and Conference USA games, while the college basketball spotlight shines on the Big East, Big 12, Pac-12 and Conference USA and the Big East men’s basketball tournament. Starting in 2014, select MLB League Championship Series and Division Series games as well as regular season games are coming to the channel. FOX Sports 1 also carries select NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events beginning in 2015; NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races; the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race; and all Speedweeks coverage, including Daytona 500 Qualifying, Sprint Unlimited at Daytona, (2014, 2017-22) the Budweiser Duel, and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NCWTS Practice and Qualifying sessions. Additionally, FOX Sports 1 carries NASCAR RACEDAY, NASCAR VICTORY LANE and RACE HUB shows. The channel also carries the world’s most prolific club soccer competitions, like UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and CONCACAF Champions League, along with the world’s oldest soccer competition, the FA Cup; plus CONCACAF Gold Cup; CONCACAF Qualifiers, EURO 2016 Qualifiers; 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers; FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2015 and 2019; FIFA Men’s World Cup in 2018 and 2022. In addition to Saturday pay-per-view preliminary cards, Wednesday nights are home to the UFC with UFC TONIGHT, live events and THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER. In Feb. 2014, FOX Sports 1 partners with The Jockey Club for newly created package of nationally televised races featuring the leading horses in the country. 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: FOX FOOTBALL DAILY, CROWD GOES WILD, a new live sports entertainment talk show hosted by Regis Philbin; and the groundbreaking BEING: documentary franchise. For more information visit www.FOXSports.com/FOXSports1.

The Darwish Brothers and the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City have decided to once again offer their very successful $10 Bonus Slot Dollar opportunity to attendees of their upcoming MMA show.

Ticket buyers to the Saturday, August 24, “EFC WARRIOR” event in the Grand Ballroom at Trump Taj Mahal can bring their ticket to the promo booth, sign up for a Trump card, and will then receive $10 free bonus slot dollars on to the card, which can be used at any slot machine at the Taj on fight night.

Tickets for EFC WARRIORare priced at: $125, $100, $67 and $46 and are on sale now by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-736-1420 or online atwww.ticketmaster.com, at the EFC website: www.efcmma.com, or at the Trump Taj Mahal box office on fight night.

EFC WARRIOR will host no less than three exciting title fights, headlined by the rematch of a sensational war last February between Jen Lopez (4-1) from AMA Fight Club in Whippany, New Jersey, and arch-rival Roya Darvishian (5-2) of Lloyd Irvin MMA in Camp Springs, Maryland for the EFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship.

“This slot promotion was so successful that we’re bringing it back,” said event co-promoter Hani Darwish of The Darwish Brothers. “The fans who come to our shows get to watch the best of New Jersey MMA in action and then, after the show, they can play the best slots in the city at the best casino. It’s win/win.”

###

In the other co-featured bouts, Gabriel Ruiz (3-2) of the EFC Fight Club in Woodland Park, NJ will face Jovany Alvarez (4-2) from Modern Martial Arts in Englishtown, NJ, for the EFC Featherweight Championship; and the always exciting Barat Jan (3-0) of Eagle Martial Arts in Boonton, NJ, will take on Victor Romero (3-3) of Modern Martial Arts in Englishtown, NJ, for the EFC Middleweight Championship.

For more information on the EFC and its fighters, visit the EFC website: www.efcmma.com.

Doors open at 7 pm on fight night and the first bout is at 8 pm. All bouts subject to change.

WARNING: All EFC events sell out. Purchase your tickets now before it’s too late.

LAS VEGAS (Aug. 14, 2013) – The man who was victorious in the featured bout of World Series of Fighting’s very first event will return once again to headline for the promotion.

Andrei “The Pit Bull” Arlovski (20-10) will compete in the main event of next month’s World Series of Fighting 5 against slugger Mike “MAK” Kyle (20-9-1) in a heavyweight bout on Saturday, Sept. 14 at New Jersey’s Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City. Arlovski is a replacement for the injured Anthony “Rumble” Johnson.

The live, two-and-a-half-hour NBC Sports Network telecast of the World Series of Fighting 5 main card begins at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT. The night’s preliminary bouts stream live on World Series of Fighting’s official website, WSOF.com, beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the fight card, which start at just $29, are currently on sale at all Ticketmaster locations, Ticketmaster.com and charge-by-phone at (800) 745-3000.

Arlovski, a former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight titleholder, hails from Belarus and currently resides in Chicago. The 34-year-old knockout artist made his World Series of Fighting debut this past November, when he earned a first-round TKO victory over Devin Cole. He returned to the promotion in March, when he suffered a hard-fought, unanimous-decision loss to “Rumble” Johnson. The result snapped a five-fight win streak for Arlovski, who remains one of the most popular figures in mixed martial arts.

Meanwhile, Kyle is a 12-year veteran of the sport who hails from one of MMA’s most-respected fight camps, American Kickboxing Academy. A resident of San Jose, Calif., Kyle is no stranger to the spotlight and has stepped in the cage against a who’s who of MMA’s top fighters in two weight classes, including Paul Buentello, Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante, James Irvin, Gegard Mousasi, Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, Krzysztof Soszynski and Fabricio Werdum, among others.

Kyle fought most recently on May 24, when he needed just 21 seconds to score a knockout win over 86-fight veteran Travis “Diesel” Wiuff.

World Series of Fighting 5 features a five-fight main card in addition to a full lineup of preliminary contests. Middleweight tournament opening-round matchups of Dave Branch (12-3) vs. Danillo Villefort (14-4) and Elvis Mutapcic (13-2) vs. Jesse Taylor (26-9) have been booked, and additional bouts will be announced soon.

The nationally televised event, which airs live on NBC Sports Network, marks the promotion’s second visit to the world-class venue.

“After a very successful first event with the promotion this past March, We are very excited to welcome back the World Series of Fighting on NBC Sports Network to Revel Casino Hotel,” said Entertainment Consultant Bernie Dillon. “We are looking forward to another great night of fights.”

Offered WSOF President Ray Sefo, “We’re very happy to be headed back to Revel. They treated us so well during our first event and we had a great showing from the fans out there. The people at the hotel and venue are first-class and we look forward to a successful event on Sept. 14 and many more in the future.”

ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING
Based in Las Vegas, the fight capital of the wo rld, World Series of Fighting is a professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering an incredible, action-packed entertainment experience for fight fans by producing the best possible matchups between elite fighters from around the globe. For more information please visit WSOF.com. Follow World Series of Fighting on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries.

ABOUT REVEL
Revel is smoke-free and features more than 1,800 rooms with sweeping ocean views. A member of the American Express Gold Hotel Collection, the resort houses a 130,000-square-foot casino with more than 2,000 slot machines, nearly 100 table games, electronic tables and a Poker Room. Designed to embrace its natural surroundings, Revel curates a collection of daylife and nightlife experiences crafted to bring the outside in and the inside out. Indoor and outdoor pools, gardens, lounges, and a 32,000-square-foot spa provide guests with a relaxing resort, while an outstanding collection of 14 restaurant concepts from award-wining chefs and restaurateurs, live entertainment featuring marquee acts and international artists, nightclubs, a casino that feels like a theatre and a collection of boutiques in The Row tailor to each guest’s passions. Revel was most recently named one of the Best Hotels in the Northeast by Amtrak’s Arrive magazine and one of the Top 10 Best New Hotels in the U.S. by Gayot.com.

To start your Revel journey, visit www.revelresorts.com. To receive the latest updates on Revel, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/revel and follow @revelresorts on Twitter and Instagram. Revel is located on the Boardwalk at Revel Blvd in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

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.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Aug. 13, 2012) – Twenty-eight year-old strawweight (115 pounds) superstar Felice “Lil’ Bulldog” Herrig (9-4) of Crystal Lake, Ill. has signed an exclusive, multi-fight agreement with women’s world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion Invicta Fighting Championships.

Herrig, a winner of four consecutive fights and protégé of MMA star Jeff Curran, will make her Invicta FC debut later this year.

“I couldn’t be happier than I am now, after signing with Invicta FC,” said Herrig. “I have seen them do so much for women and really give them a chance to shine. I don’t think anyone realized how big Invicta FC would become, and I am truly proud to say I have found a home with them.

“We are excited about bringing Felice, one of the brightest, young talents in the women’s field of MMA, under the Invicta FC umbrella,” said Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp. “Felice has overcome a lot of stiff competition, thus far, during her career, and we are looking forward to seeing her perform against some of the top women in the world who fight for Invicta FC.”

A seasoned striker who began her fight career as a kickboxer, Herrig was initially introduced to a national audience as a competitor on Fight Girls, the Oxygen network reality series that followed a group of women Muay Thai fighters vying for greatness in Thailand’s national sport. Herrig emerged victorious over a champion in Thailand before the series concluded.

Herrig went on to become a world Muay Thai champion, winning the International Kickboxing Federation bantamweight crown on November 15, 2008 by earning a unanimous decision over Katie Meehan in Chicago. She also enjoyed a stint fighting in Chuck Norris’ now-defunct kickboxing promotion, World Combat League.

In her last MMA start on March 28, Herrig earned a split decision victory over Heather Clark in Tampa, Fla.

About Invicta Fighting Championships:

Invicta Fighting Championships (www.invictafc.com) is a world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight series dedicated to providing female athletes with a major platform to hone their skills on a consistent basis. Founded in 2012 by longtime MMA executive Shannon Knapp and sports aficionado Janet Martin, Invicta is committed to pioneering the future growth of women’s MMA by promoting the best possible matchups between female competitors and identifying and developing future superstars of the sport.

History will be in the making in the Grand Ballroom at Trump Taj Mahal Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, on Saturday, August 24, when New Jersey’s premier MMA promoters, The Darwish Brothers, will present EFC WARRIOR a night of full-contact cage fighting topped by, for the first time in EFC history, a female main event.

In a rematch to their sensational war last February, Jen Lopez (4-1) from AMA Fight Club in Whippany, New Jersey, will once again lock up with arch-rival Roya Darvishian (5-2) of Lloyd Irvin MMA in Camp Springs, Maryland. Their three-round female war will be the featured bout at EFC WARRIOR and will also be for the EFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship.

Tickets for EFC WARRIOR are priced at: $125, $100, $67 and $46 and are on sale now by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-736-1420 or online at www.ticketmaster.com, at the EFC website: www.efcmma.com, or at the Trump Taj Mahal box office on fight night.

Darvishian and Lopez met on February 16 at Xtreme Caged Combat: Mayhem and, after three of the most brutal rounds in female MMA this year, Darvishian was able to secure a razor-thin split decision victory. This time, with a title on the line, they will fight three more rounds and Lopez is on a mission for revenge.

With EFC Light Heavyweight Champion Christopher Vallaro forced to withdraw from the event with a broken nose, event co-promoter Hani Darwish says he didn’t hesitate to elevate the two ladies into the main event.

“I’m extremely proud to be hosting a female main event at one of our shows,” said event co-promoter Hani Darwish. “These ladies truly deserve to be honored this way after the show they put on in their first match-up. Both of them are extremely talented athletes and they’re both very eager to get in the cage again.”

EFC WARRIOR will host two more title fights, as Gabriel Ruiz (3-2) of the EFC Fight Club in Woodland Park, NJ and Jovany Alvarez (4-2) from Modern Martial Arts in Englishtown, NJ, will fight for the EFC Featherweight Championship; and the always exciting Barat Jan (3-0) of Eagle Martial Arts in Boonton, NJ, will take on Victor Romero (3-3) of Modern Martial Arts in Englishtown, NJ, for the EFC Middleweight Championship.

For more information on the EFC and its fighters, visit the EFC website: www.efcmma.com.

Doors open at 7 pm on fight night and the first bout is at 8 pm. All bouts subject to change.

WARNING: Tickets are going fast, support your local fighters by purchasing them now before it’s too late.

Aug. 10, ONTARIO, Calif. – Ten-time world kickboxing champion Tyrone “King of the Ring” Spong (2-0) earned his second career mixed-martial-arts victory, outstriking an inedibly tough Angel “The Dream” DeAnda over the course of the three-round headliner of Saturday night’s “World Series of Fighting 4: Spong vs. DeAnda” event.

The NBC Sports Network televised event drew a crowd of 5,000 fans at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif.

Spong was patient throughout the 15-minute contest, calmly walking forward and picking DeAnda apart with thunderous leg kicks and powerful punches. DeAnda was hobbled from the low kicks in the second frame, but he refused to quit and constantly looked for opportunities to launch his own attacks.

Spong turned up the heat in the final round, slashing at the legs and firing punches to the chin. DeAnda never backed down, returning fire until the very end, but it was Spong who was awarded the clearcut unanimous-decision win.

“I went in with no expectations, and I wanted to feel him out and see what he was made of,” Spong said. “DeAnda is a strong guy. He surprised me with how much punishment he was able to take.”

In the night’s bantamweight co-feature, top-ranked fighter Marlon Moraes improved to 3-0 as a World Series of Fighting athlete, dominating a tough Brandon Hempleman throughout an entertaining 15-minute matchup.

Moraes’ aggressive striking and technical Muay Thai cut Hempleman’s forehead in the opening round, and his powerful leg kicks left his opponent hopping on one leg in the second. But even with the blood flowing and his movement limited, Hempleman continued to press forward, waving to the crowd as he tried to turn the tide.

Moraes, who suffered a broken finger and injured foot in the opening 10 minutes, slowed his attack in the final frame, but the spectacular performance through the first two rounds was enough to earn him a unanimous-decision win, 30-27 on all three judges’ cards.

“Man, that guy was tough,” Moraes said after the win. “He just kept coming forward.”

The incredible story of lightweight Nick Newell (10-0) earned another heartwarming chapter on Saturday night, as he scored a first-round submission win over Keon Caldwell (9-2).

Newell, who bas born with a condition known as congenital amputation and has just one fully-formed arm, slipped under an early Caldwell striking attempt and took him to the floor. Caldwell quickly returned to the feet, but Newell instantly deposited him on the canvas a second time. Once he was firm in top position, Newell quickly latched in a guillotine choke and rolled off to his side and squeezed, earning the tap at the 2:07 mark of the first.

“It was a great honor to fight in front of this crowd and all the troops that came out to support me,” Newell said. “Can’t wait to do it again.”

In a featured heavyweight attraction, heavyweight Dave Huckaba (21-5) earned an impressive second-round finish of kickboxing legend and World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo (2-2).

Sefo appeared to be getting the better of Huckaba as the action unfolded in the second round. Sharp leg kicks left Huckaba limping, and Sefo fired in several staggering punches, as well. With Huckaba fading, Sefo launched a massive high kick toward his opponent’s head, but it missed by mere inches. Huckaba alertly slipped the strike and unleashed a furious flurry of counter punches, scoring first with uppercuts and then a barrage of hooks to a covering Sefo that forced a halt to the bout with 28 seconds left in the second round.

“Right now, I am on top of the world,” Huckaba said after the win. “I can’t even describe what I am feeling. Nobody except my team thought I could win this fight. I mean, I was fighting a legend, right?

“This is such a dream come true. Can you believe this? I got my chance and made the most of it.”

The bout is expected to serve as the final appearance of Sefo’s Hall of Fame career.

Veteran lightweights Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante and Tyson Girffin combined to put on an exciting standup battle in the night’s first main-card contest.

The pair took turns trading heavy shots for the opening two rounds, with Cavalcante pressing forward and Griffin expertly countering as he circled on the outside. Both fighters were willing to engage, and the ensuing battles brought the crowd to its feet.

With the fight even heading into the final round, Cavalcante scored a key takedown and moved to his opponent’s back. With Griffin trapped underneath him, Cavalcante punched away with one hand while looking for the choke with the other. Referee Jason McCoy warned Griffin to advance his position and ultimately elected to call the fight 97 seconds into the final round in a decision that proved unpopular with the losing fighter, as well as most of the fans in attendance.

“It was a bad stoppage,” Griffin said. “He got me in a bad position, and as I was trying to work my way out the ref decided to stop the fight.”

Meanwhile, Cavalcante admitted he was disappointed with the way the bout ended but felt he was well on his way to the win.

“For me, a win is a win, and I love to win,” Cavalcante said. “But I hate to win this way. I don’t want the fans to boo. I want them to be happy. I want to win convincingly.

“I wasn’t surprised the ref stopped it. He gave three warnings, but Griffin never did anything to improve his position. I’m not saying he couldn’t continue, but he did nothing to improve his position.”

In the night’s final preliminary contest, Gerald Harris (22-5) earned a unanimous-decision win over Jorge Santiago (25-12) in a fight “Hurricane” thought he had won in the opening round.

While the two started with a moderate pace, things picked up dramatically in the closing seconds, as Harris lifted Santiago high in the air. The Brazilian defended by wrapping his arm over the cage, though Harris eventually slammed him to the floor, anyway. As the referee stepped in to deduct a point from Santiago for the foul, Harris thought the fight was over and began to celebrate the win. However, the contest carried on.

Harris outwrestled Santiago in the second round, leaving him with a with a healthy lead on the cards heading into the final frame. Santiago recognized the urgency in the situation and came out firing heavy leather, but Harris, who later said he broke his hand in the opening round, simply stalled out until the final bell, when he was awarded a unanimous decision based on his work in the first two frames.

After the win, Harris said his injured hand forced him to fight conservatively in the final five minutes.

“I knew I couldn’t punch with him,” Harris said. “I couldn’t squeeze at all.”

Still, “Hurricane” said he’s excited to get back to action as quickly as possible.

“Once this wrist heals, I’m excited to get back in the cage with whoever World Series of Fighting puts in front of me.”

Undefeated lightweight prospect Lewis Gonzales (9-0) showed incredible resiliency against gritty veteran Antonio McKee (28-6-2), earning a unanimous-decision win in a bout cut short by an accidental foul.

McKee dominated the early action, taking the fight to the floor and moving immediately into a rear-naked choke attempt that seemed destined to end the fight. But Gonzales battled through the hold and escaped to top position in the closing seconds of the round.

The second round was again a wrestling battle, but this time it was Gonzales who controlled the positioning en route to claiming the round, setting up an intriguing final frame.

McKee again looked for a takedown to open the third, but Gonzales defended the effort and again secured a dominant position. Unfortunately, he scored with an elbow to the back of McKee’s head, forcing referee Jason McCoy to step in and call a foul, which he deemed accidental and therefore did not deduct a point. McKee rolled on the floor in pain and could not continue the fight, and judges were directed to score the partial frame, which ended just 43 seconds into the five-minute period. All three judges leaned toward Gonzales, and he was awarded a unanimous decision win, 29-28 on all three cards.

In a bantamweight battle of two friends, Jared Papazian (16-10) outpointed John Robles (7-2) in a spirited three-round affair.

It was Robles who looked better in the early going, flooring Papazian with a massive right hand. But “The Jackhammer” crawled up off the deck and dominated the remainder of the action. Taunting Robles for the rest of the fight, Papazian used a vicious left hand and several thudding knees to the body to slow his opponent en route to claiming a unanimous-decision win.

Papazian, who replaced an injured Joe Murphy on just two weeks’ notice, improved to 2-1 in his past three appearances. Top prospect Robles saw a two-fight win streak snapped.

The event opened with a thrilling 150-pound catchweight contest, as 10-year veteran Victor “Joe Boxer” Valenzuela (13-6-2) survived a first-round knockdown to rally for a second-round submission win over fellow Californian Isaac “High Risk” Gutierrez (5-4).

Valenzuela was in trouble in the early going, as a Gutierrez combination sent him to the deck. But “Joe Boxer” returned to his feet and cleared his head, hanging on to the end of the round. The momentum shifted in the second, when Valenzuela was able to bring his opponent to the mat, move to the back and sink in a rear-naked choke at the 2:41 mark.

Valenzuela improves to 5-1 in his past six fights. Gutierrez falls to 1-3 in his past four appearances.

LINCOLN, R.I. (Aug. 9th, 2013) – Only one spot separated Rob Font and Chris Foster in the ratings entering Friday night, but Font proved the distance is much greater with a dominating performance at Twin River Casino.

Ranked No. 3 in the northeast, Font (7-1, 2 KOs) captured Classic Entertainment & Sports’ vacant featherweight title in the main event of Friday’s mixed martial arts show at the Event Center, stopping the 4th-ranked Foster (7-3) with a series of unanswered blows at the 4-minute, 1-second mark of the opening round.

The Boston, Mass., native, who has now won six consecutive fights, turned the tide late in the opening round by brilliantly feigning a switch kick and catching Foster with a hard, right uppercut that sent the Meriden, Conn., featherweight drifting toward the cage. Font began hammering the stunned Foster with a series of short lefts and rights, mixing in elbows and flying knees, and eventually sent Foster to the canvas for good with a vicious right elbow to the temple. Seconds later, referee Kevin MacDonald wisely stopped the bout with Foster unable to defend himself.

Font became just the fourth champion in CES history, joining inaugural middleweight champion Todd Chattelle, reigning middleweight champion John Howard, and reigning lightweight champion Mike Campbell.

In the co-feature, a fight ranked among popular MMA website Sherdog.com’s worldwide must-watch list, Brazilian welterweight Gil de Freitas (15-5, 5 KOs) blasted former Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) contender Chuck O’Neil (11-6) at the 3:37 mark of the opening round to earn his fifth career knockout. O’Neil, who entered the bout ranked No. 1 in the northeast among welterweights, maintained a steady pace early in the fight by utilizing his jab, but once the two stood toe-to-toe, the powerful de Freitas took control. After a hard uppercut by O’Neil, de Freitas answered with a series of combinations, eventually sending O’Neil to the canvas and forcing referee Dan Miragliotta to stop the fight.

On the undercard, bantamweight Sophanirith Am (2-0, 1 KO) of Revere, Mass., won for the second time in as many fights, stopping newcomer Devin Pilkington (0-1) of Johnston, R.I., at the 2:24 mark of the second round following a slow start in the opening round. Middleweight Cheyenne Vazquez (1-0) of Boston won his debut by split decision, narrowly beating Framingham, Mass., native Terrell Clark, 30-27, 28-29, 29-28. In bantamweight action, Matt Doherty (2-0) of Salem, Mass., earned a technical knockout win over Johnny Campbell (5-5) of Plymouth, Mass., when the ringside physician stopped the bout at the end of the second round after Campbell dislocated his right shoulder. Campbell sustained the injury midway through the second round will trying to cushion a landing, but fought valiantly despite Doherty’s efforts to end the bout with ground-and-pound.

Lightweight Andrew Osborne (7-5, 2 KOs) of Fayetteville, N.C., spoiled Springfield, Mass., native Damien Trites’ (6-6) return to the cage, stopping Trites at 4:34 of the opening round. Fighting for the first time since 2011, Trites hit the deck late in the round following an overhand right from Osborne, who seized the opportunity and finished Trites with a series of unanswered blows. Making his Twin River debut, Delray Beach, Fla., resident and Peabody, Mass., native Charles Rosa (4-0, 2 KOs) made quick work of Rocky Hill, Conn., welterweight Silvester Murataj (0-2), earning the knockout victory 46 seconds into the opening round. Rosa has yet to advance past the first round in each of his first four bouts.

Friday’s show also featured the Twin River debut of former UFC middleweight competitor Tom Egan (6-3, 5 KOs), who stopped Framingham veteran Aldos Santos (3-2) 3:27 into the opening round. Egan has now won two consecutive bouts while Santos lost in his first fight since 2008. Bantamweight Rob Sullivan (2-1) of Baltimore, Md., used sheer strength to overwhelm East Providence, R.I., fan favorite Dinis Paiva Jr. (3-5) in a 29-28, 29-28, 29-28 unanimous decision while Brazilian heavyweight Juliano Coutinho (4-1), fighting out of Cape Cod, Mass., dominated the feisty Eric Bedard (5-4) of Providence in a 30-27, 30-27, 30-27 unanimous decision.

205 Angel Deanda lbs. vs. Tyrone Spong 205 lbs.

Brandon Hempleman 136 lbs. vs. Marlon Moraes 136 lbs.

Dave Huckaba 264 lbs.vs. Ray Sefo 255 lbs.

156 Keon Caldwell lbs. vs. Nick Newell 155 lbs.

JZ Cavalcante 156 lbs. vs. Tyson Griffin 156 lbs.

Gerald Harris 171 lbs. vs Jorge Santiago 170 lbs.

Antonio McKee 155 lbs. vs. Lewis Gonzalez 156 lbs.

Jared Papazian 136 lbs. vs. John Robles 134 lbs.

Isaac Gutierrez 150 lbs. vs. Victor Valenzuela 150 lbs.

Aug. 9, ONTARIO, Calif. – Combatants in tomorrow nights WSOF 4 weighed in at Dave & Busters this afternoon. Tomorrows fights take place at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif. and airs live on NBC Sports Network at 7:30 p.m. PT (10:30 p.m. ET).

The four-fight undercard, including Jorge Santiago vs. Gerald Harris, will stream live online at www.wsof.com beginning at 5 p.m. PT.

Doors for the event open at 4 p.m. PT, and tickets which start at just $29, are currently on sale at www.axs.com, the Citizens Business Bank Arena box office and charge-by-phone at (888) 929-7849.

IRVINE, Calif. – Aug. 8, 2013 – Boost Mobile, a leader in the no-contract wireless industry with its exclusive Monthly Unlimited with Shrinking Payments no-contract service, is uniting with WSOF, a professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering an incredible, action-packed entertainment experience for fight fans by producing the best possible matchups between elite fighters from around the globe.

To celebrate its entrance into the partnership, Boost Mobile is unveiling the “Cage Rattler of the Night” award, a first-ever fan-voted award at WSOF 4 taking place on Aug. 10 at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif., and airing live on the NBC Sports Network at 7:30 p.m. PDT.

“The WSOF partnership is a great way to showcase Boost’s willingness to go to the mat to give MMA fans a voice in their sport,” said Steve Gaffney, vice president-Corporate Marketing, Boost Mobile. “We are looking forward to WSOF 4 to unveil the Boost Mobile Cage Rattler of the Night award, which will be determined by the fans. Building on Boost’s commitment to consumers, with its $55 Android Monthly Unlimited no-contract plans, the fighter receiving the most votes will receive a $5,500 cash prize.”

During the fight, fans will be asked to tweet the fighter’s last name, with the hash tags #RATTLETHECAGE #WSOF4, for the fighter who demonstrates the most heart or who came out of nowhere for a comeback knockout – whatever it means to “rattle the cage” in the minds of fight fans everywhere. The fighter with the most votes will not only be designated as the Boost Mobile Cage Rattler of the Night but also will receive $5,500 during a WSOF 5 ceremony Sept. 14 in Atlantic City, N.J. For details and official rules, fans can visit www.twitter.com/boostmobile.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Boost Mobile,” said Keith Evans, chief operating officer, WSOF. “The ability to integrate with our fans watching the fights on the NBC Sports Network and then having them vote to determine what fights they like is an invaluable asset as we both increase our footprint in our respective businesses.”

In addition, Boost will also be executing local marketing efforts leading up to each fight, including radio remotes with fighter appearances and ticket giveaways at Boost retail stores, on-site activities at each fight and social media content featuring behind-the-scenes video and interviews of fighters.

Boost Mobile offers no-annual contract[1] wireless phones and service, including the $55 Android Monthly Unlimited plan with Shrinking Payments[2]. For every six on-time payments, the cost of Boost Mobile’s Monthly Unlimited plan shrinks by $5, eventually getting down to as low as $40 a month for unlimited nationwide talk, text and picture messaging, Web[3], email and calls to 411. Payments do not need to be consecutive to qualify for the next savings milestone.

About Boost Mobile
Boost Mobile offers wireless phones and services with no long-term contracts. Boost Mobile redefines value for wireless consumers with its Monthly Unlimited with Shrinking Payments no-contract service, where the longer you stay the less you pay with on-time payments for unlimited voice, text messaging, Web, email and calls to 411. Boost Mobile offers nationwide service on the Nationwide Sprint Network, reaching more than 279 million people and with no long-distance fees. Boost Mobile offers a selection of quality handsets from BlackBerry, HTC, Kyocera, LG, Motorola and Samsung, ranging from entry-level to Android™ smartphone devices available nationwide at nearly 20,000 major retail stores, including Best Buy, Kmart-Sears, RadioShack, Target, Family Dollar, Walgreens and Walmart, independent wireless dealer locations, and on HSN, a leading TV home shopping network. Re-Boost® Cards are available at approximately 100,000 locations throughout the United States. Experience Boost Mobile on the Web at Facebook and Twitter; and purchase products at www.boostmobile.com.

About World Series of Fighting
Based in Las Vegas, the fight capital of the world, World Series of Fighting is a professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering an incredible, action-packed entertainment experience for fight fans by producing the best possible matchups between elite fighters from around the globe. 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 – The Ultimate Fighter®, The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s® long-running reality series, which 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, will be holding tryouts for its 19th season in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Middleweight (185lbs) and light heavyweight (205lbs) fighters are invited to attend the season 19 casting on Tuesday, August 27, ahead of Wednesday night’s UFC® FIGHT NIGHT: CONDIT vs. KAMPMANN 2, also in Indiana.

Middleweights were most recently featured on season 17, The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen, where Kelvin Gastellum emerged the winner; while light heavyweights were last featured on season 8, The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir, with the victory captured by Ryan Bader.

This September, the series moves to its new home on FOX Sports 1 with the two-hour season premiere of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate, featuring UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey and fierce rival Miesha Tate, set to air Wednesday, September 4 at 11 PM ET.

The Ultimate Fighter 19 candidates must be between 21 and 34 years old, be able to legally live and work in the United States, have a minimum of three professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fights, and hold a verifiable winning record. Applications, which should be completed and brought to the tryouts, can be found online at http://www.ufc.com/tuf19. Tryout details are provided below:

Where:
The Westin Indianapolis
50 S Capitol Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46204
*Tryouts will be held in the CAPITOL ROOM

When:
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Registration begins at 7:00AM
Tryouts begin at 9:00 AM.

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 advance in the selection process. Successful candidates will be required to be present at final casting in Las Vegas on September 2, 2013.

Questions can be directed to: tufcasting@ufc.com.
###

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 and Beijing, 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 FX and FUEL TV. This also includes the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter®, moving to FOX Sports 1 in September 2013.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries, to nearly 800 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 nearly 2.4 million followers on Twitter. Ancillary UFC businesses include best-selling DVDs and video games, UFC FIT®, an in-home fitness and nutrition program, 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.

August 7th, 2013 (Tacoma, WA) – Northwest fight fans are in for a treat when two of the Northwest’s most exciting heavyweights clash on August 24th at the Emerald Queen Casino to take what they believe is rightfully theirs, the CageSport Heavyweight Title. Current champion, Anthony Hamilton (9-2), earned the heavyweight title back in December of last year when he defeated Bill Widler via KO, 38 seconds into the match. Coming up, he’ll have a fearless opponent in previous heavyweight champion, Matt Kovacs (8-11).

In the semi-main event, top northwest bantamweights and submission specialists, Jeff Hatton (7-3) and Josh Rettinghouse (8-2), will put on what is expected to one of the more action packed bouts of the night. Rettinghouse is coming off an impressive first round knockout victory over Zach Skinner at CageSport XXV.

Tickets for Halquist Productions’ CageSport XXVI, set for Saturday, August 24th, are on sale now and can be purchased at the Emerald Queen Casino box office and through Ticketmaster. Prices range from $35 for general admission and up to $100 for VIP front row tickets.

Hamilton, the current CageSport heavyweight champion, is coming off three straight dominating victories giving him tons of momentum going into his first attempt at defending his title. All three of those victories have come in less than two minutes into the first round which includes two knockouts and one arm bar submission. Also on his resume is a 4-0 amateur record along with wrestling for Highline Community College and earning All American Honors for the program in 2000.

Kovacs will go into CageSport XXVI looking to earn the title that he once held. In 2010 he defeated a tough 19-5 Corey Williams via first round TKO to earn the vacant heavyweight title in dominating effort.

This will not be Kovacs’ first time in the cage with Hamilton. In 2011, they faced each other in a title match on another northwest promotion where he came out on the losing side due to submission via strikes. When Kovacs enters the cage against Hamilton for the second time, he’ll look to use his experience with high pressure fights to his advantage as he’s been in seven professional title fights over his 19 fight career.

“We have an exciting card coming up with our heavyweight title on the line,” said promoter, Brian Halquist. “Fight fans all across the United States will be able to watch CageSport events by the end of the month when the United Fight Alliance will syndicate our show to over 100 million homes, giving the northwest fight scene the attention that it truly deserves.”

Halquist Productions’ CageSport MMA continues to be the most prominent MMA series in the Northwest. UFC fighters: Miesha Tate, Bryan Caraway, Sam Sicilia, Mike Chiesa, and many more have all participated in past CageSport events, showcasing their abilities on their way to national stardom. For more information about Halquist Productions and CageSport XXVI including a full fight card, please visit www.halquistproductions.com and the official Facebook and Twitter Pages of Halquist Productions, CageSport MMA, and Battle at the Boat.

LINCOLN, R.I. (Aug. 7th, 2013) — Rob Font has the utmost respect for his opponent in Friday night’s title bout at Twin River Casino, not to mention a unique description of his worthy adversary.

“He’s like the black Chuck Liddell,” Font said of Chris Foster, whom he’ll face Friday, Aug. 9th, 2013 in a five-round bout for Classic Entertainment & Sports’ vacant mixed martial arts featherweight championship.

“He’s got great hands, but likes to take it to the ground, too. You have to be prepared for everything when you face a guy like him. I’m definitely going to bring it to him.”

Font-Foster might not pack the same global punch as some of Liddell’s classic Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) wars, such as his two title fights against Randy Couture or his showdown against Wanderlei Silva in 2007, but, given what’s at stake, it might be the most important regional bout of 2013.

The Boston native Font (6-1, 1 KO) has won five consecutive bouts since suffering his first career loss last year and is now ranked No. 3 in the northeast among 145-pounders, while Foster (7-2, 4 KOs), a Meriden, Conn., enters Friday’s bout ranked fourth following the biggest win of his career against Andres Jeudi in April. As far as title bouts go, this is a classic in the making, featuring two worthy opponents anxious to fight the best in their weight class, a possible prelude to this region’s next great rivalry.

“I want to face the toughest fighters — the tougher the better,” Foster said. “Font’s a real, tough dude. I’ll need to bring my ‘A’ game Friday night.”

“I always want to keep testing myself,” added Font. “This is a great opportunity for both us. We’re fighting for CES’ first featherweight championship. We’re making history. That’s huge.”

Foster narrowly beat Jeudi by split decision in a five-round bout in April, and Font faced an equally tough test that same month against the previously-unbeaten Lucas Cruz. Font won by unanimous decision, but had to fight his way back following a close shave in the second round.

“I learned a lot about myself in that fight,” Cruz said. “It got scary in the second round when he got my back. He had me in a choke, but I got out of it.”

Strange as it seems, Font has actually fared better against fighters with significant reach advantages, as was the case when he outworked the 6-foot-1 Saul Almeida in February. Font kept his taller opponent at bay with an effective jab, showcasing what might be his not-so-secret weapon against Foster.

“He’s got pretty good boxing skill,” Foster said, “but I have a good boxing background, too. It’ll be a good, back-and-forth battle. I can see him switching it up — stand-up, takedowns. I’ll be expecting whatever comes my way.”

“This will be explosive,” countered Font. “He throws a lot of combinations. He’s a great boxer. He has that great jab, too, so I’ll definitely be trying to split that jab and utilize my own. My jab is my best weapon, so I’ll be keeping it in his face the whole night — lots of leg kicks and jabs. Hopefully that sets up the big left- and right-hook combinations.”

With so many similarities between the two fighters, this one might come down to the intangibles. Foster fought five full rounds in his last bout; Font has never trained for or fought in a five-round bout. That has the potential to be a difference-maker if this fight goes past the third, but Font hopes his new training regimen will keep him fresh in the event this one goes the distance.

After struggling to make weight in his fight against Cruz, Font switched up his diet.

“I’m eating like a big boy now — eating my vegetables,” he said with a laugh.

As a result, he entered fight week feeling stronger than ever without having to worry about cutting too much excessive weight in advance of Thursday’s weigh-in.

“I’m lighter than I’ve ever been,” Font said. “I’m ready to go. I’m in great shape. I have to be knowing there’s a chance I might have to go five rounds.

“After that Cruz fight, I went to Sacramento to work at [UFC veteran] Urijah Faber’s Ultimate Fitness. I came back a week later and started my camp for this fight. It’s been a long time since I started eating clean and my weight has been right on point.

“The only advantage is he has gone five rounds. Mentally, he knows what it takes. I hope it doesn’t go five rounds, but I know I can go five. I’m in shape.”

In the end, Font thinks it’ll come down to “who wants it more,” which sounds clichéd until you consider the fact both he and Foster are so evenly-matched.

“His two losses were by submission, so he has holes in his game, but I’m sure he’s working on them,” Font said. “There’s lot of pressure, and the crowd will be going wild. It’ll be a great fight.”

Added Foster: “I want to go as far as I can in this game and fight whoever comes my way. Rob Font is at the top, so I’m glad to have this opportunity to fight him.”

“Gold Rush” will also feature a welterweight showdown between former UFC veteran and Bridgewater, Mass., native Chuck O’Neil (11-5, 3 KOs) and Brazilian Gil de Freitas (14-5, 4 KOs), now training out of Team Link in Ludlow, Mass.

Tickets for “Gold Rush” are $36.00, $56.00, $101.00 and $126.00 and can be purchased by calling CES at 401.724.2253/2254, online at www.cesmma.com or www.twinriver.com, at the Players Club booth at Twin River, or through any TicketMaster location. Doors open 6 p.m. with the first bout scheduled for 7.

The undercard also features the Rhode Island debuts of UFC veteran Tom Egan (5-3, 4 KOs) of Dorchester, Mass. (by way of Ireland), and Delray Beach, Fla., welterweight Charles Rosa (3-0), who will fight in separate three-round bouts. Egan will face Framingham, Mass., middleweight Aldo Santos (3-1, 1 KO) while Rosa will battle Silvester Murataj (0-1) of Rocky Hill, Conn.

Fan-favorite Dinis Paiva Jr. (3-4, 1 KO) of East Providence, R.I., will face Rob Sullivan (1-1) of Baltimore, Md., in a bantamweight bout and Springfield, Mass., lightweight Damien Trites (6-5, 1 KO) will return to Twin River against Fayetteville, N.C., veteran Andrew Osborn (6-5, 1 KO). Also returning to Twin River, Salem, Mass., bantamweight Matt Doherty (1-0, 1 KO) will battle Johnny Campbell (5-4, 3 KOs) of Plymouth, Mass., while Brazilian Juliano Coutinho (3-1, 2 KOs) clashes with Providence’s Eric Bedard (5-3, 3 KOs) in a highly-anticipated heavyweight bout. Bantamweight Sophanarith Am (1-0) of Revere, Mass., will face Johnston, R.I., newcomer Devin Pilkington and Cheyenne Vasquez (0-0) of Boston will battle Framingham’s Terrell Clark (1-0, 1 KO) in a middleweight bout. All fights and fighters subject to change.

(Twin River has waived its 18+ rule for “Gold Rush.” Anybody under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult and must enter through the West entrance).

LINCOLN, R.I. (Aug. 6th, 2013) — What others might consider a passing fancy or status symbol means far more to Bridgewater, Mass., welterweight Chuck O’Neil.

“I’m not doing this to be cool or have pictures on Facebook,” O’Neil said matter-of-factly.

O’Neil, ranked No. 1 by his peers in the northeast, is instead continuing a journey to get back to the stage most fighters only dream of reaching. A former contestant on the Ultimate Fighting Championships’ The Ultimate Fighter reality television series in 2011, O’Neil has won his last two bouts inside the cage and is perhaps one or two more victories from another date with destiny. This time, O’Neil hopes to stick around for a while – perhaps the rest of his career if things go well.

“I want to get back there and stay there,” said O’Neil (11-5, 3 KOs), who’ll face 10th-ranked Brazilian Gil de Freitas (14-5, 4 KOs) on Friday, Aug. 9, 2013 on the undercard of Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports’ “Gold Rush” mixed martial arts event at Twin River Casino in Lincoln, R.I.

“So many guys are concerned with going to the UFC, but won’t take the tough fights. They just want to get there. That’s not me. I’m going to keep pushing, whether I’m a fill-in or I get back there the normal way. There’s still that same fire under my butt.”

O’Neil’s road back to the top hasn’t been easy; in December, he made his Twin River debut with a hard-fought win over local fan-favorite Keith Jeffrey, one of the top welterweights in the northeast, and then survived an early scare in June against last-minute replacement Ralph Johnson, who caught him on the chin in the opening seconds before eventually tiring out and succumbing to O’Neil’s ground game. With Johnson on his back unable to defend himself, O’Neil won by knockout (excessive blows) a minute and a half into the fight, escaping Twin River with another much-needed win.

The uncertainty between who and where he’d be fighting prior to the bout against Johnson (several potential bouts fell through before the event in June) took its toll on O’Neil, but the early scare also reminded him to never take anyone – or anything – for granted, a lesson he won’t need to learn the hard way against de Freitas.

“I remember sitting in the locker room [before the fight in June] thinking, ‘Let’s just get this over with,'” O’Neil said. “It was a weird situation going through so many different opponents and changing venues, but there’s no excuse.

“I came out stupid, and Ralph came out with guns blazing. Luckily, I had the wherewithal to grab him on the way down and finish him. Even though he might not have been a top-ranked guy, you have to treat everyone like they are.”

That same rule will apply to de Freitas, a member of Team Link in Ludlow, Mass., and arguably the toughest opponent O’Neil has faced since he battled the UFC’s Chris Cope and Marcus Davis in back-to-back fights in 2011. Though de Freitas has lost three of his last five fights, he’s faced some of Brazil’s premier welterweights; the three opponents he’s lost to during that stretch have 72 combined wins, including Erick Silva, who’s appeared on five UFC cards since April of 2011 with three wins to his credit.

“This fight is exactly what Gil is looking for,” said de Freitas’ trainer, Marco Alvan. “He’s at the point in his career where he needs to challenge the guys who’ve been there to prove he belongs there, too. Chuck is as good as it gets. He’s No. 1 for a reason.

“Gil needs to win this fight and win it convincingly to put himself in the conversation. Being a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, I predict he’ll win by submission late in the second round or early in the third. His Jiu-Jitsu skills will show up in the fight.”

Stamina worked in O’Neil’s favor when he fought Johnson, who took the fight on short notice and ran out of steam midway through the opening round, but de Freitas has gone the distance 12 times in 19 fights, so he’s accustomed to the workload.

“He won’t gas out,” O’Neil said of de Freitas. “He’s super tough. He comes from a great camp and has a fought a laundry list of tough opponents. He’s a power-puncher who loves to get your back to the cage and dirty-box you. He won’t back down, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. We’ll put on a good show. I’m really looking forward to this fight.”

O’Neil’s aware the UFC is always right around the corner, and there’s always a possibility of the right people watching on fight night, as evident by the fact Boston’s John “Doomsday” Howard recently punched his ticket back to the big stage after winning four consecutive fights under CES’ promotional guidance. If he makes it back, O’Neil will do so as a stronger, more mature fighter both in and outside of the cage. As much as his experience on TUF made him a household name, he credits his outside influences with helping him develop through the years.

“Honestly, it’s about having the right people around you,” he said. “My coach, Nate Ryan, doesn’t just make me a better fighter, but he helps me in my career as a person, too, helping me mature. Having a guy like that around me is huge.

“I went through that phase in 2005 and 2006 when I first started training mixed martial arts walking around talking about, ‘Oh, yeah, I fight!” but that means nothing. I’ve grown up in this sport. I know what it takes now and I’m more concerned about winning and growing as a fighter, not trying to be a jackass.”

Along with the O’Neil-de Freitas showdown, “Gold Rush” will also feature a historic featherweight battle between prospects Rob Font (6-1) of Boston and Chris Foster (7-2, 4 KOs) of Meriden, Conn., for the vacant CES MMA title.

Tickets for “Gold Rush” are $36.00, $56.00, $101.00 and $126.00 and can be purchased by calling CES at 401.724.2253/2254, online at www.cesmma.com or www.twinriver.com, at the Players Club booth at Twin River, or through any TicketMaster location. Doors open 6 p.m. with the first bout scheduled for 7.

The undercard also features the Rhode Island debuts of UFC veteran Tom Egan (5-3, 4 KOs) of Dorchester, Mass. (by way of Ireland), and Delray Beach, Fla., welterweight Charles Rosa (3-0), who will fight in separate three-round bouts. Egan will face Framingham, Mass., middleweight Aldo Santos (3-1, 1 KO) while Rosa will battle Silvester Murataj (0-1) of Rocky Hill, Conn.

Fan-favorite Dinis Paiva Jr. (3-4, 1 KO) of East Providence, R.I., will face Rob Sullivan (1-1) of Baltimore, Md., in a bantamweight bout and Springfield, Mass., lightweight Damien Trites (6-5, 1 KO) will return to Twin River against Fayetteville, N.C., veteran Andrew Osborn (6-5, 1 KO). Also returning to Twin River, Salem, Mass., bantamweight Matt Doherty (1-0, 1 KO) will battle Johnny Campbell (5-4, 3 KOs) of Plymouth, Mass., while Brazilian Juliano Coutinho (3-1, 2 KOs) clashes with Providence’s Eric Bedard (5-3, 3 KOs) in a highly-anticipated heavyweight bout. Bantamweight Sophanarith Am (1-0) of Revere, Mass., will face Johnston, R.I., newcomer Devin Pilkington and Cheyenne Vasquez (0-0) of Boston will battle Framingham’s Terrell Clark (1-0, 1 KO) in a middleweight bout. All fights and fighters subject to change.

(Twin River has waived its 18+ rule for “Gold Rush.” Anybody under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult and must enter through the West entrance).

LAS VEGAS (Aug. 6, 2013) – It’s fight week in Ontario, Calif., and fans are invited to attend Friday’s “World Series of Fighting 4: Spong vs. DeAnda” official weigh-ins.

Dave & Buster’s, located in Ontario at 4821 Mills Circle, hosts the proceedings, and fighters are scheduled to step on the scale at 4 p.m. PT local time. The ceremony is free and open to the public. Those who can’t attend the weigh-in can still watch the session on World Series of Fighting’s official website, WSOF.com.
The NBC Sports Network-televised World Series of Fighting 4 event takes place this Saturday, Aug. 10, at the nearby Citizens Business Bank Arena and features a light heavyweight showdown between world kickboxing champion turned unbeaten MMA upstart Tyrone “King of the Ring” Spong (1-0) and fellow hard-hitting knockout artist Angel “The Dream” DeAnda (11-2).
Tickets for the huge, 10-fight event start at just $29 and are on sale at AXS.com, the Citizens Business Bank Arena box office and charge-by-phone at (888) 929-7849.
In the night’s co-feature, red-hot Marlon Moraes (10-4-1) of Jupiter, Fla., battles fellow fast-rising bantamweight Brandon “Hot Rod” Hempleman (9-1) of Boise, Idaho. The 25-year-old Moraes is coming off his fourth consecutive victory – a stunning first-round knockout of rival star Tyson Nam by way of head kick at March’s World Series of Fighting 2 event – while Hempleman is a winner of six consecutive fights.
In other main card action, World Series of Fighting president and six-time world kickboxing champion Ray Sefo (2-1) of Las Vegas will shed his business attire and briefcase and put on his fighting trunks and combat gloves to face heavy-handed knockout artist Dave Huckaba (20-5) of Sacramento, Calif.
Additionally, undefeated phenomenon “Notorious” Nick Newell (9-0) of Springfield, Mass., squares off with fellow lightweight Keon “The Black Assassin” Caldwell (9-1) of Moultrie, Ga. And in the night’s first main-card contest, Tyson Griffin (16-6) of Santa Rosa, Calif., meets fellow lightweight star Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante (17-7-1) of Deerfield Beach, Fla.
Saturday night’s live, two-and-a-half-hour NBC Sports Network telecast of the World Series of Fighting 4 main card begins at 7:30 p.m. PT local time (10:30 p.m. ET). The night’s preliminary bouts stream live on WSOF.com.

ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING
Based in Las Vegas, the fight capital of the world, World Series of Fighting is a professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering an incredible, action-packed entertainment experience for fight fans by producing the best possible matchups between elite fighters from around the globe. For more information please visit WSOF.com. Follow World Series of Fighting on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries.
ABOUT CITIZENS BUSINESS BANK ARENA
Citizens Business Bank Arena, built and owned by the City of Ontario, operated by AEG Facilities, includes 9,500 fixed seats with additional “portable” seating risers to accommodate capacities of 11,089 for concerts, 9,736 for ice hockey and 10,832 for basketball. The 225,000 square foot venue features 36 luxury suites located on two levels and a continuous concourse hosting a variety of refreshment stands, merchandise kiosks, a VIP club and other fan amenities. Citizens Business Bank Arena hosts ice hockey and a variety of other sporting competitions, concerts, family shows, special events, conventions, school and community activities as well as private events. The Arena is home to Ontario Reign, an ECHL Premier AA Hockey Team. The venue is the biggest and most modern arena within the Inland Empire, an area with over 4.1 million people. It is located in the City of Ontario, on a 37-acre parcel located between Haven Avenue and Milliken Avenue, Fourth Street and the I-10 Freeway. For more information and future updates please visit: CBBankArena.com
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.

Las Vegas, NV – August 2, 2013 Rocktagon Worldwide has announced the addition of Steve Bleecker to the promotion’s executive team, effective immediately.

Bleecker will serve as the Director of Regulatory Affairs and National Matchmaking, working closely with the state commission offices and overseeing the matchmaking department.

He has been immersed in the martial arts world since the age of five and has since traveled the globe to further his practice, earning multiple black belts in several systems along the way. Bleecker was instrumental in the move to organize and legalize amateur mixed martial arts in California and has been with the California Amateur Martial Arts Organization (CAMO) since its inception in 2009. CAMO is the exclusive authority governing MMA, pankration, and combat jui jitsu at the amateur level under the California State Athletic Commission. Although he will step down as Chief Inspector, Bleecker will continue his involvement with CAMO as a League Inspector in Central and Northern California.

“I am excited to join the Rocktagon Worldwide team,” Bleecker said. “Rocktagon has emerged as one of the top promotions on the national scene and this position gives someone with my skill set the opportunity to expand what I have already been doing, which is bringing together the martial arts community.” He went on to say, “I am passionate about all aspects of combat sports and I am looking forward to working with athletes and regulatory bodies throughout the country.”

Rocktagon Worldwide CEO James Jeda is pleased to have Bleecker on board. “With events in multiple states, our organization has grown to the point where there was a need for this position…for someone to serve both as a liason with the different athletic commissions and to head up the matchmaking team. Steve has been a trusted advisor in many ways, especially in terms of rules and regulations. I am happy to have him on board. His knowledge and credibility will be an asset as we continue to expand our presence on the national scene,” Jeda said.

Rocktagon MMA is the mixed martial arts division of Rocktagon Worldwide, a sports and music entertainment company. Founded in mid-2010, Rocktagon MMA has successfully completed 28 events and is the only promotion able to offer four types of shows to meet the needs of various markets: all Amateur, all Professional, Pro-Am, and Rock-n-Rage. Rock-n-Rages are premium events combining the cage of mixed martial arts with a stage featuring live musical performances by well-known artists. All Rocktagon MMA events are streamed live globally on the Rocktagon Sports Music Network and filmed to air on multiple networks throughout North America, including Comcast, Comcast SportsNet, and the Fight Network. Rocktagon MMA has several events in multiple markets scheduled this fall, including Texas, Ohio, and Indiana.