Las Vegas – July 29, 2013 Rocktagon 28 “Journey of Champions – El Paso” had it all—spectacular fights, an energetic crowd, and an ending so shocking, it will keep fans talking for weeks to come.

On Friday night, Rocktagon made its official debut in El Paso, Texas with an event that not only exceeded expectations, but also will likely go down as having one of the year’s best fight cards.

In the main event, Martin Sano Jr. left chaos in his wake after a controversial first-round knockout over “Bad Ass” Billy Colon.

Earlier in the week, Colon, a submission specialist, said he wanted to “keep the fight standing” and “look for the knockout.” This ultimately proved to be his undoing against a technically efficient striker like Sano, who took advantage of an early opening and landed a massive right hand that sent Colon hurling backwards on the canvas.

Sano immediately followed up with a few ground punches, which actually helped Colon regain consciousness. Colon recovered and appeared to be working for a leg lock, but the referee had already made his move after the initial knockdown in calling a halt to the fight 27 seconds into the first round.

A stunned Colon could do nothing more than look on in disbelief as Sano paraded around the cage in celebration of his third straight pro victory.

Every attempt from Colon to protest the stoppage fell on deaf ears following the fight. There is no rewind button for MMA referees, and all decisions are final.

While Sano likely wishes the bout would have ended more decisively, he’ll take a win however he can get it, especially over a highly respected veteran like Colon.

Quick finishes appeared to be the staple of the entire main card. In the co-main event, Patrick “Skar” Dixon wasted little time in submitting Fort Bliss Combatives team member Anthony Stevens.

The margin for error in MMA is small at a professional level and Stevens learned the hard way after a simple slip on a failed takedown attempt gave Dixon the split second he needed to transition to back mount and latch on the rear naked choke for the tap at 2:40 of the first round.

Many had to watch the replay just to see exactly what happened. Dixon could just as easily change his nickname to “Neo” from The Matrix for his cat-like reflexes and ability to counter so quickly off a mistake.

Speaking of mistakes, Joe Torrez is definitely learning from his after turning in a disappointing performance against Rodrigo Sotelo.

Initially, Torres controlled the bout with an early takedown off a beautiful belly to back suplex and a deep rear naked choke attempt. Sotelo somehow managed to weather the storm and get back to his feet.

Torrez appeared to panic after the failed submission attempt, and he became overzealous in the standup exchanges. This proved to be a big mistake against Sotelo, who found an opening for a huge uppercut that hurt the New Mexico native.

It was all downhill from there as Sotelo swarmed Torrez with a barrage of unanswered strikes to net the first round TKO stoppage at 2:42.

Perhaps the craziest fight of the night and quite possibly an early candidate for “Fight of the Year” was the lightweight scrap between Brian Castillo and Matthew Hunt.

For 15-minutes, Castillo and Hunt battled it out in an epic bout that should serve as the epitome of modern-day MMA. Fans and fighters dream about fights like this that incorporate every aspect of fighting while simultaneously providing exciting, non-stop action.

Castillo and Hunt left everything in the cage on Friday night in a bout that will be remembered for years to come. In the end, all three judges saw the contest in Castillo’s favor, but Hunt can certainly walk with his head held high.

In other bouts, Alida Gray earned a second round TKO stoppage over Jessica Armstrong; Stacey Sigala bullied Jazmin Quezada in a unanimous decision; Adam McGurk submitted David Ruelaz in the second round by rear naked choke; Julio Hinojosa earned a blistering 52-second TKO over Ibrahim “Lion Heart” Eid; Jesus Urbina submitted Alan Lerma in the first round by rear naked choke and Randy McCarty stopped Derek Perkins in the second round by TKO.

Former UFC heavyweight Darrill Schoonover made a special guest appearance during the event, and it was announced that he would be featured on Rocktagon’s card when the promotion returns to El Paso on September 28.

Until then, he is hard at work preparing for his August 25 bout in Russia against Alexander Emelianenko, the brother of legendary heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko.

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 on two coasts 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 and filmed to air on multiple networks throughout North America, including Comcast, Comcast SportsNet, and the Fight Network.

Brace yourself as two of the best Cruiserweights in California are scheduled for a head on collision August 17, 2013, at the Pala Casino. The SoCal Battle of the Badges Main Event will feature UCA Cruiserweight State Champion Brian Stevens, Los Angeles Sheriff Dept. as he looks to defend his title against #1 ranked Jamaal Brathwaite, Orange County Sheriff Dept. in a blockbuster rematch. Don’t miss your opportunity to see the most anticipated rematch in Public Safety Boxing History. See it live at the Pala Resort & Casino. Doors open at 5 PM, Fights start at 6 PM. Ticket prices are $20 for general admission $30 for ringside. Tickets can be purchased at the Pala Casino Box Office, 1-877-946-7252. For more information, visit www.unitedcombatassociation.com

LAS VEGAS (July 29, 2013) – Joe Murphy’s loss will be Jared “The Jackhammer” Papazian’s gain.
After Murphy suffered a rib injury in training and was forced to withdraw from his scheduled World Series of Fighting 4 bout with John Robles (7-1), Papazian (15-10) answered the call and has agreed to serve as a replacement opponent on just two weeks’ notice.

Papazian and Robles now meet in a bantamweight contest at “World Series of Fighting 4: Spong vs. DeAnda” on Aug. 10 at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif. Adding intrigue to the contest, both men consider the other a friend, and the two have remained in contact through text and social media since the fight was booked.
The bout takes place on the evening’s preliminary card, which streams on World Series of Fighting’s official website, WSOF.com, ahead of the NBC Sports Network-televised main card.
Fighting as a professional since 2008, Papazian is best-known for past clashes with world-class talent such as Abel Cullum, Mike Easton, Tim Elliott and Dustin Pague. A California native, Papazian is a former King of the Cage 135-pound champion and now makes his first World Series of Fighting appearance. Meanwhile, Robles also makes his World Series of Fighting debut. The 30-year-old Californian, who owns six knockouts in his seven career wins, has been training at New Mexico’s famed Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA ahead of the matchup.
Murphy, who suffered the first loss of his professional career in a controversial World Series of Fighting 3 contest, will fight again for the promotion in the near future. However, an immediate schedule for his return has not yet been established.
The NBC Sports Network-televised World Series of Fighting 4 card features a light heavyweight showdown between world kickboxing champion turned unbeaten MMA upstart Tyrone “King of the Ring” Spong and fellow hard-hitting knockout artist Angel “The Dream” DeAnda.
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.

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.

With many unanswered questions surrounding Saturday’s UFC 163, ESPN’s SportsCenter is turning to “The Answer” – Frankie Edgar – to provide analysis of this weekend’s Rio de Janeiro card beginning Friday afternoon and continuing through Sunday. Edgar sat down with ESPNFrontRow.com on Sunday to discuss. Read more in this week’s Front Row Tweeteback.

Demetrious Johnson retained the UFC Flyweight title with a fifth round submission over Jon Moraga at the Key Arena in Seattle.

Johnson made Moraga tap out with a Kimora Armbar just 1:17 before the final bell.

Johnson, 124.5 lbs of Parkland, WA is now 18-2-1. Moraga, 125 lbs of Phoenix, AZ is now 13-2.

In a lackluster three round Welterweight bout, Rory Macdonald scored a unanimous decision over Jake Ellenberger.

Scores were 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 for Macdonald, 170 1/2 lbs of Montreal ans is now 15-1. Ellenberger, 171 lbs of Lake Forrest, CA is now 29-7.

Robbie Lawler scored a second round stoppage over Bobby Volker when Lawler landed a vicious left kick to the head.

The time was for Lawler, 170 1/2 lbs of Coconut Creek, FL and is now 21-9-1. Volker, 170 lbs of Kansas City is now 24-10

Liz Carmouche scored a second round stoppage over Jessica Andrade in a scheduled three round Bantamweight bout.

Carmouche git Andrade on the ground and landed seven consecutive shots while Andrade was prone on the ground and the bout was stopped at 3:57 of round two.

Carmouche, 136 lbs of San Diego is now 8-3. Andrade, 134 lbs of Brazil is now 9-3.

New Jersey’s top name in MMA promotions, The Darwish Brothers, proudly announce their next blockbuster show: EFC WARRIOR on Saturday, August 24, in the Grand Ballroom at Trump Taj Mahal Casino Hotel in Atlantic City.

EFC WARRIOR will host no less than four exciting title fights, headlined by the EFC’s newest champion, the colorful and brash New Yorker Christopher Vallaro (6-2), who will defend his EFC Light Heavyweight Championship for the first time, against New Jersey’s dangerous Mustafa Khalil (3-1) of Lionheart MMA.

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.

In the very special co-featured bout, female warriors Jen Lopez (4-1) from AMA Fight Club in Whippany, NJ, and Roya Darvishian (5-2) of Lloyd Irvin MMA in Camp Springs, MD, will fight a rematch to their sensational and unforgettable battle last February (won by Darvishian) and, in the process, will vie for the EFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship.

Also scheduled for title-fight clashes that night are 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 Andrew Salas (2-1) of Zealous Nation MMA in Middlesex, NJ, for the EFC Middleweight Championship.

“Four title fights in one night, plus so many other great matchups. I’m excited. This is definitely our biggest show yet,” said event co-promoter Hani Darwish. “Chris Vallaro is a star in the making with his personality and toughness. His fights are always exciting and he brings a lot of flair to the cage that fans either love or love to hate. His opponent, Mustafa Khalil, is a beast. In the co-main, we’ve got the female bout, which, like their first fight, is going to be a fight of the year candidate in the New Jersey MMA scene. Both those girls will eventually be stars of the sport and they’re having the rematch everyone wants to see on our show. Every match-up is extremely competitive and solid. I’m very proud to be part of this.”

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.
Contact

Suzan Dee
(973) 653-5449

suzan@efcmma.com
Website: www.EFCMMA.com

Twitter: @EFC_MMA, @hanidarwishmma
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/efcmmafights

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (July 22, 2013) – In her first mixed-martial-arts fight since retiring from boxing, Holly “The Preacher’s Daughter” Holm registered a devastating knockout in her Legacy Fight Championship fight debut this past Friday night at Arena Theater in Houston, Texas.

Holm (4-0, 4 KOs) is on her way to becoming even greater force in MMA than she was in boxing, in which she captured 14 world titles in three different weight classes. She stopped Allana “Hands of Stone” Jones (2-3) with a highlight reel-like, KO Kick of the Year candidate at 2:22 of the second round in Legacy FC 21.

“Lenny (Fresquez, Holm’s promoter) told me she was a special person “an ecstatic Mike Maynard (Legacy FC president) said after the fight. “She really lived up to all the hype. It is great to have her in Legacy’s stable. We are very excited to work with Holly and the team of Jackson/Winklejohn. No doubt this girl will also be the biggest name in MMA also. It is not only a pleasure to work with her, but am really impressed by what a great person she is as well as her entire team.”

Fighting out of Team Jackson-Winkeljohn, Holm overcame blurry vision in the opening round, the result of getting unintentionally poked in the eye. She started out moving and striking, then effectively mixed in front and head kicks. Mid-way through the second round, Holm unloaded a picture-perfect left kick to Jones’ head, immediately ending the fight as the referee rushed in before Holm did additional damage to her semi-conscious opponent.

Holm was a consummate boxer, recording only nine knockouts 38 professional boxing matches (33-2-3), however, in four MMA fights to date she has stopped all four opponents, three via kicks, not punches.

She is competing in the 135-pound weight class, the only women’s division in the UFC, dominated right now by Ronda Rousey.

“Holly’s very skilled and working on her wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu,” Holm’s manager/trainer Mike Winkeljohn said. “We’re fine-tuning her skills on the way to the top. The ultimate goal is to win the highest MMA title out there, whether that’s by beating Ronda Rousey or somebody else at that time, to be the best in the world. It’s Holly’s time to showcase her MMA skills.”

Her longtime fight promoter, Lenny Fresquez, plans to feature Holm on a show November 2 at Route 66 Casino Hotel in Albuquerque.

“This was one of the most exiting nights of my career working with Holly and Mike,” Fresquez added. “I always knew she was going to be a force to be reckoned with in MMA but not so fast. We have never waited around for anybody and now everybody understands why. Holly has so many options. We just ran out of people in boxing; no threats for her. Now, she has plenty of challenges.”

For more information about Holly Holm go online to www.FresquezProductions.com

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA (July 18, 2013) – World Series of Fighting’s first-ever four-man tournament kicks off Sept. 14 with a pair of middleweight matchups, as David Branch (12-3) meets Danillo “Indio” Villefort (14-4) and Elvis “The King” Mutapcic (13-2) faces Jesse “JT Money” Taylor (26-9) at “World Series of Fighting 5: Johnson vs. Kyle.”
Both bouts are scheduled for the NBC Sports Network-televised main card of World Series of Fighting 5, which takes place at Revel Casino Hotel’s Ovation Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. The winners will meet on a future World Series of Fighting card to claim the tournament crown and establish themselves as the company’s No. 1 contender at 185 pounds.
Tickets for the fight card, which start at just $29, go on sale this Friday, July 19, at 10 a.m. ET at all Ticketmaster locations, Ticketmaster.com and charge-by-phone at (800) 745-3000. A light heavyweight slugfest between knockout artist Anthony “Rumble” Johnson (15-4) and slugger Mike “MAK” Kyle (20-9-1) serves as the evening’s main event.

Branch, of Brooklyn, N.Y., fights for the third time under the World Series of Fighting banner. The Renzo Gracie protégé, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, defeated former World Extreme Cagefighting champion Paulo Filho and kickboxing specialist Dustin Jacoby in his first two appearances.
Villefort, of Coconut Creek, Fla., made his World Series of Fighting debut in March, when he earned a decision win over three-time UFC veteran Kris McCray. A 29-year-old Brazilian native and member of Florida’s famed Blackzilians team, Villefort is 5-1 in his past six fights and owns black belts in both Brazilian jiu-jitsu and judo.
Mutapcic, who was born is Bosnia and now resides in Des Moines, Iowa, makes his World Series of Fighting debut. The 26-year-old currently boasts a five-fight win streak and is an incredible 10-1 in his past 11 fights. During that run, he claimed the middleweight title of Canada’s Maximum Fighting Championship promotion but relinquished that belt to chase the World Series of Fighting crown.
Taylor, of San Diego, Calif., brings a six-fight win streak to his World Series of Fighting debut. A seven-year veteran of the sport, the 29-year-old Taylor holds championship titles on two continents after recent outings in Europe and Australia. Taylor has long been featured on the sport’s biggest stages with past appearances for noted promotions such as the UFC, Strikeforce and DREAM.
World Series of Fighting 5 features a five-fight main card in addition to a full lineup of preliminary contests. Additional bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.
The live, two-and-a-half-hour NBC Sports Network telecast of the World Series of Fighting 5 main card begins at 9 p.m. ET. The night’s preliminary bouts stream live on World Series of Fighting’s official website, WSOF.com, beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET.
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.

ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA (July 17, 2013) – Six-time world champion Ray Sefo and current World Series of Fighting No. 1 welterweight contender Josh Burkman, one of the hottest stars in all of mixed martial arts, will headline this weekend’s World Series of Fighting Fan Fest on Saturday, July 20, in Ontario, Calif.

The first-ever World Series of Fighting Fan Fest, which serves as the official kick off to festivities associated with August’s “World Series of Fighting 4: Spong vs. DeAnda” event, runs from noon to 4 p.m. at Dave & Buster’s in Ontario, located at 4821 Mills Circle.
Included in the World Series of Fighting Fan Fest will be a meet-and-greet autograph session with, among others, Sefo, a two-time hall of famer, and Burkman, who’s coming off a stunning first-round submission of perennial welterweight contender Jon Fitch.
The Fan Fest also will feature World Series of Fighting training and demonstrations session, photo opportunities with the World Series of Fighting ring girls and other World Series of Fighting athletes, ticket giveaways for “World Series of Fighting 4: Spong vs. DeAnda,” a punching machine competition and the grand prize of a Boost Mobile phone plus two cageside tickets for World Series of Fighting 4.
The NBC Sports Network-televised World Series of Fighting 4 card takes place Aug. 10 at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif., and features a light heavyweight showdown between world kickboxing champion turned unbeaten MMA upstart Tyrone “King of the Ring” Spong and fellow hard-hitting knockout artist Angel “The Dream” DeAnda.
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.

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 – July 15, 2013 The MMA boom is underway as Rocktagon Worldwide brings its national tour to the Lone Star State on July 26 with Rocktagon 28 “Journey of Champions –El Paso.”

Fans craving consistent, high-quality MMA events featuring professional fighters from all over the globe should be intrigued by Rocktagon’s Texas debut.

Rocktagon 28 could soon be looked back on as the event that helped reignite the MMA scene in the El Paso area.

A featured bout between submission aces Billy “The Puerto Rican Assassin” Colon and Martin Sano Jr. will serve as the headliner for this blockbuster fight card. The clichéd mantra, “don’t blink,” is certainly relevant considering both fighters have a 100-percent finish rate.

Colon, who has competed all over the United States, hopes a significant edge in experience leads him to the Promised Land against Sano, a highly-touted prospect with an unblemished record.

At only 22-years-old, Sano exudes the kind of confidence one expects in a future champion, but it’ll be interesting to see how he performs on the big stage in front of a savvy veteran like Colon. This will also be his first venture from welterweight to middleweight. With a lighter weight cut, all signs are pointing to fans seeing the best Sano yet.

In the co-main event, fireworks can be expected on the feet when heavy-handed slugger Patrick “Skar” Dixon meets Fort Bliss Combatives team member Anthony Stevens.

While some fighters rely on point scoring, Dixon tends to take the road less traveled, which typically consists of throwing haymakers and leaving opponents curled up in the fetal position.

Stevens, on the other hand, is more of a tactician. He always pushes forward, but his smooth boxing style tends to negate wild, standup exchanges.

Dixon isn’t the type of fighter to linger around outside the pocket. The deciding factor in this bout will be Stevens’ ability to maintain separation and overcome Dixon’s berserker-like fighting style. These two contrasting styles should certainly make for an entertaining fight.

From top to bottom, Rocktagon 28 will be jam-packed with great professional bouts. The full fight card, which is subject to change, is listed below:

Main Event
Billy Colon (6-4) vs. Martin Sano Jr. (2-0)

Co-Main Event
Patrick Dixon (4-5-1) vs. Anthony Stevens (3-1-1)

Rodrigo Sotello Jr. vs. Joseph Torrez
Alida Gray vs. Jessica Kennett
Jazmin Quezada vs. Stacey Sigala
David Ruelaz vs. Adam McGurk
Brian Castillo vs. Matthew Hunt
Julio Hinojosa vs. Ibrahim “Lion Heart” Eid
Jesus Urbina vs. Alan Lerma
Ryan McCarty vs. Derek Perkins

Rocktagon 28 “Journey of Champions” will be live on July 26 at Buchanan’s Event Center, located at 11540 Pellicano Dr. in El Paso, Texas. Tickets starting at $30 are available online at www.RocktagonWorldwide.com. Limited VIP tables are also available by calling 440-934-4MMA.

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 27 events on two coasts 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 via the Rocktagon Sports & Music Network and filmed to air on multiple networks throughout North America, including Comcast, Comcast SportsNet, and the Fight Network.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA (July 16, 2013) – With a return to active competition on the horizon, World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo has officially elected to take a temporary leave from his executive role.

“I’m looking forward to another chance to step into the cage, but before I do, I felt taking a temporary leave from my executive duties was the right thing to do,” Sefo said. “I’m fortunate to have an outstanding team at World Series of Fighting which I know will handle our operations while I’m gone. And after my fight, I’ll step back into my role as World Series of Fighting President.”
Sefo returns to the cage on Aug. 10, where he meets Dave Huckaba (20-5) of Sacramento, Calif., on the NBC Sports Network-televised main card of World Series of Fighting 4, which takes place at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif.
Sefo, an 18-year veteran of combat sports, is best-known as a six-time Muay Thai world champion and eight-time K-1 World Grand Prix participant. However, he’s also a longtime trainer at the famed Xtreme Couture gym in Las Vegas and has previously competed three times under mixed martial arts rules.
In fact, between his kickboxing, boxing and MMA experience, Sefo boasts 99 total combat-sports appearances. His most recent outing was a March 2012 kickboxing bout against respected veteran Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, and Sefo has since maintained hope that he would have a chance to compete just one more time.
“Even though I took on an executive role at World Series of Fighting, I never actually retired from active competition,” Sefo said. “About three years ago, I set a personal goal of reaching the century mark, 100 fights, and then calling it quits. Now I’m excited to say I have a chance to do that.
“But I knew I couldn’t be the president of World Series of Fighting and fight for the company at the same time. To try and do so would have been a disservice to all of our fighters and my team at WSOF, not to mention me as an athlete and to all of the fans who will be watching me in action again. I’m fortunate to work with an outstanding group at World Series of Fighting, and I have total confidence their work will allow the success we’ve enjoyed so far to continue on Aug. 10.”
Tickets for World Series of Fighting 4, which start at just $29, are currently on sale at all Ticketmaster outlets.
Doors at Citizens Business Bank Arena open at 4 p.m. PT local time (7 p.m. ET), and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 5 p.m. PT local time (8 p.m. ET).
The 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 World Series of Fighting’s official website, 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.

REVEL CASINO HOTEL, ATLANTIC CITY (July 15, 2013) – A light heavyweight slugfest between knockout artist Anthony “Rumble” Johnson (15-4) and slugger Mike “MAK” Kyle (20-9-1) headlines World Series of Fighting’s return to Revel Casino Hotel’s Ovation Hall in on New Jersey’s Revel Atlantic City on Sept. 14.

The contest serves as the main event of “World Series of Fighting 5: Johnson vs. Kyle,” which airs live on NBC Sports Network and marks the promotion’s second visit to the world-class venue.
Tickets for the fight card, which start at just $29, go on sale this Friday, July 19, at 10 a.m. ET at all Ticketmaster locations, Ticketmaster.com and charge-by-phone at (800) 745-3000.
With 23 knockout victories between them, both Johnson and Kyle are fierce strikers capable of downing any foe with a single blow.
Johnson, of Boca Raton, Fla., made his World Series of Fighting debut at the promotion’s very first event and delivered a “Knockout of the Year” candidate finish of the durable D.J. Linderman. The 29-year-old Blackzilians product returned to action in March and scored a convincing decision win over former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight titleholder Andrei Arlovski.
Johnson now returns to the light-heavyweight division on the strength of a five-fight win streak and quickly is establishing himself as one of World Series of Fighting’s most dynamic athletes.
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 list 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 in May, 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. Additional bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.
The live, two-and-a-half-hour NBC Sports Network telecast of the World Series of Fighting 5 main card begins at 9 p.m. ET. The night’s preliminary bouts stream live on World Series of Fighting’s official website, WSOF.com, beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET.

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 (July 9, 2013) – An intriguing lightweight bout between 14-year MMA veteran Antonio “Mandingo” McKee (28-5-2) and undefeated “Lethal” Lewis Gonzalez (8-0) and a light-heavyweight matchup pitting Lew “The Titan” Polley (12-4) against Dutch standout Hans Stringer (21-5-2) are among four new contests that have been added to the preliminary card of next month’s “World Series of Fighting 4: Spong vs. DeAnda” event, which takes place Aug. 10 at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif.

Additionally, Cleber Luciano product Joe Murphy (6-1) faces John Robles (7-1) in a bantamweight contest, and Isaac “High Risk” Gutierrez (5-3) faces Victor “Joe Boxer” Valenzuela (12-6-2) in a 150-pound catchweight fight.

The four new bouts join a previously announced feature between welterweight star Jorge Santiago (25-11) of Boca Raton, Fla., and Gerald “Hurricane” Harris (21-5) of Tulsa, Okla., on the evening’s five-fight preliminary card, which streams live on World Series of Fighting’s official website, WSOF.com.

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) headline a five-fight main card that airs live on NBC Sports Network. Tickets for the event, 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.

The 43-year-old McKee, of Lakewood, Calif., brings an impressive career mark to the cage and is an incredible 17-2-1 in his past 20 fights. A former Maximum Fighting Championship lightweight titleholder, McKee is also the head trainer at California’s Bodyshop Fitness. Meanwhile, Gonzalez, of Turlock, Calif., is a two-time state high school wrestling champion. Fighting professionally since September 2011, the 25-year-old has posted seven stoppage wins among his eight career victories.

Los Angeles’ Polley is a seven-year veteran of the sport and brings a two-fight win streak to the cage. He meets Blackzilians fighters Stringer, of Zevenbergen, Netherlands, a 26-year-old who has lost just one fight in his past 13 appearances.

Murphy, of Huntington Beach, Calif., returns to the World Series of Fighting cage after suffering the first loss of his career in controversial fashion after dropping a contentious decision to Carson Beebe in June. He’ll look to rebound against Robles, of Hawthorne, Calif., who has lost just once in eight career outings.

And kicking off the night is a Southern California showdown as Gutierrez, of Downey, Calif., meets Valenzuela of nearby Covina, Calif.

Doors at Citizens Business Bank Arena open on Aug. 10 at 4 p.m. PT local time (7 p.m. ET), and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 5 p.m. PT local time (8 p.m. ET).

The 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).

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 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.

On Thursday, August 15th on the Fight Club OC show in The Hangar at the OC Fair & Event Center, the biggest, literally, the biggest mixed martial arts fight in Orange County history will take place! All fans in attendance will see two giant MMA fighters in action when Fullerton’s 6’8″ Jack May put his perfect 4-0 record on the line against San Diego’s 6’5″ Keishaun Hill who is 1-0. What these two “big guys” also bring to the Fight Club OC show almost unblemished records, both as amateurs and as pros. May is a former Glory and K-1 fighter and was 3-1 as an amateur, while Hill was a perfect 9-0 as an amateur with all wins coming by knockout. This means that on August 15th one of these fighters will taste defeat for the first time….so get ready for a war!

Fullerton’s 6’8″ Jack May
Vs.

San Diego’s 6’5″ Keishaun Hill

The August 15th card might be as good as any fight card in the country, as it features it unique hybrid show, with four pro boxing bouts and three pro mma bouts. The other featured mma bout will highlight top prospect out of Fullerton in 2-0 Curtis Millender, as he will be in tough against Bakersfield’s 4-1 JC LLames, in what might be a fight of the year in the making. The other mma bout will feature the pro debut of Jose Huerta, who is trained by top boxing guru Mondo Huerta, and will face Anaheim’s 1-0 Mauricio Diaz.

2-0 Curtis Millender (pictured right)

The boxing portion of the show will be highlighted by an IFBA World Lightweight Championship fight between Rhonda Luna vs Crystal Morales. This is now a rematch for a championship belt, after Luna won a close unanimous decision on the June 6th show. And Anaheim prospect 1-0 Dwain Victorian will look to go to 2-0 vs Ricardo Cubias out of Riverside.

Crystal Morales (left) vs. Rhonda Luna (right)

1-0 Dwain Victorian (right)

View Highlights from Fight Club OC June 6th Show

Tickets priced at $50 are on sale online at www.fightcluboc.com.

Toronto, Canada – UFC® light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones returns to Air Canada Centre® in Toronto on Saturday, September 21 to defend his title against Swedish contender Alexander “The Mauler” Gustafsson. The Ultimate Fighting Championship® announced today that tickets for this five-round championship bout will go on sale to the general public on Thursday, July 11 at 10 a.m. EST.

At just 25 years old, Jones is one the most dominant fighters in UFC light heavyweight history. His 12 wins are 2nd most in the division’s history while his five consecutive title defenses tie him with UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz’s light heavyweight record.

Gustafsson, 26, enters the bout with a near spotless record, having won six straight while holding a 15-1 all-time record (7-1 in the UFC). Injury forced him off an April card in his native Sweden however his previous bout saw him earn a unanimous decision over former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio Rua in December 2012.

“Jon Jones is re-writing the record book for the light heavyweight division,” UFC President Dana White said. “He is one of the pound-for-pound best in the world with a record-tying five straight title defenses by age 25. This bout with Gustafsson is an awesome fight. Alex is a big man plus he’s mean and hungry – and excited for the opportunity to fight Jones.”

Jones and Gustafsson will join Tom Wright, UFC Director of Canadian Operations, at a public press conference at Real Sports Bar & Grill® (15 York St., Toronto) on Tuesday, July 9 at 12p.m. EST. Media interested in attending the event should RSVP by email to Carolyn Blakely (cblakely@ufc.com) by July 8.

In addition to the Jones-Gustafsson showdown, Toronto will also see another UFC belt on the line as interim bantamweight champion Renan Barao (32-1, 1 NC, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) will look for his second straight title defense against No.4 ranked contender Eddie Wineland (20-8-1, fighting out of Chesterton, Indiana). The pair were to meet at UFC 161 in June but injury forced Barao off the card as he now brings his impressive unbeaten streak (30 victories, 1 no-contest) against the former WEC bantamweight champion.

Other bouts for UFC 165 include two heavyweights making their Octagon® debut and four Canadians in action:
? Heavyweights Daniel Omielanczuk (15-3-1, 1 NC, fighting out of Warsaw, Poland) vs. Nandor Guelmino (11-4-1, fighting out of Vienna, Austria)

? Welterweights Stephen Thompson (7-1, fighting out of Simpsonville, South Carolina) vs. London, Ontario’s Chris Clements (11-4-0, 1 NC)

? Brazilian lightweight Michel Prazeres (16-1) vs. Woodbridge, Ontario’s Mark Bocek (11-5)

? Lightweight Myles Jury(12-0, fighting out of San Diego, California) vs. Montreal’s Mike Ricci (9-3)

? Japan’s Norifumi Yamamoto (18-6, 1 NC) vs. Montreal’s Ivan Menjivar (25-10) in a bantamweight contest

Tickets for UFC® 165: JONES vs. GUSTAFSSON go on sale Thursday, July 11 at 10 a.m. EST and are priced at $450, $300, $200, $150, $95 and $75. Tickets will be available at the Air Canada Centre® box office, by calling Ticketmaster at 1-855-985-5000 or online at www.ticketmaster.ca. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.

UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Tuesday, July 9 at 10 a.m. EST via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Wednesday, July 10, starting at 10 a.m. EST. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC 165, presented by Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag…In stores October 29th, will be available live on Pay-Per-View on September 21 at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST on UFC.TV®, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, and in Canada on Shaw Communications, Bell TV, Sasktel, Viewer’s Choice Canada and Indigo (French) for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US/$49.99 CAN for Standard Definition and $54.99 US/$59.99 CAN for High Definition.

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

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto 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.

MAIN EVENT: CageSport Featherweight Title
Drew Brokenshire def. Shorty Weikel RNC 2nd Round 4:01

SEMI-MAIN EVENT: Featherweight Title Eliminator
Lee Morrison def. Julian Erosa UD(30-27)(30-27)(30-27)

UNDERCARD
Alfonso Gonzales def. Josh Hewson TKO1(strikes) 1:55

Hadley Griffith def. Elisha Helsper UD(29-28)(29-28)(29-28)

Gary Winslow def. Jacob Solis TKO1(strikes) 1:27

Arjay Murphy def. Montrez Tinson Triangle Choke 1st Round 1:24

Zach Conn def. Trent Tyler TKO2(strikes) 0:19

Gustavo Lopez def. Dylan Atkinson TKO2(strikes) 1:12

Josh Rettinghouse def. Zach Skinner KO1(punch) 3:26

FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE FIGHT

Shorty Weikel – 144.5

Drew Brokenshire – 145

FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE ELIMINATOR

Lee Morrison – 146

Julian Erosa – 146.5

UNDERCARD

Josh Hewson – 188

Alfonso Gonzales – 185.5

Contract Weight: 185+1

Zach Skinner – 139.5

Josh Rettinghouse – 141

Contract Weight: 140+1

Elisha Helsper – 126

Hadley Griffith – 124.5

Contract Weight: 125+1

Dylan Atkinson – 136

Gustavo Lopez – 136

Contract Weight: 135+1

Arjay Murphey – 144.5

Montrez Tinson – 153

Contract Weight: 135+1

Jacob Solis – 155.5

Gary Winslow – 155.5

Contract Weight: 155+1

Trent Tyler – 171

Zach Conn – 171

Contract Weight: 170+1

Tacoma, WA (July 3, 2013) – The Northwest’s premier fight promotional company, Halquist Productions, will once again be returning to the local fight scene next year. Ten shows have been scheduled throughout 2014 at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, WA, giving the best fighters in the region another round of opportunity to showcase their talent and work their way up the ranks. In the 2013 schedule, the August date has switched from Battle at the Boat and is being replaced with CageSport XXVI.

Comparable to previous years, five Battle at the Boat boxing events will go along with five CageSport MMA events that will alternate throughout the entire year.

2013 has been an outstanding year for Halquist Productions’ Battle at the Boat and CageSport and will look to help pave the way for a successful 2014.

Olympian boxer, Zahir Raheem, officially signed on with the promotion in pursuit of once again challenging for a world title. In his comeback to boxing with Halquist Productions, Raheem easily defeated his first two opponents and will look to solidify his case as a junior welterweight contender at Battle at the Boat 93. Fight fans will get to see Raheem in 2014 as he works his way into contention.

CageSport’s televised event on regional sports network, ROOT SPORTS, in late2012, helped the promotion take off in 2013, selling out shows and even catching the attention of the United Fight Alliance which is in the process of airing CageSport XXIV into over 100 million homes around the United States. The booming exposure along with the tremendous MMA talent in the region brings hope of a big year ahead for Halquist Productions and CageSport.

2014 Halquist Productions Schedule

January 11th – Battle at the Boat 94

February 8th – CageSport XXIX

March 22nd – Battle at the Boat 95

May 3rd – CageSport XXX

June 7th – Battle at the Boat 96

July 19th – CageSport XXXI

August 23rd – Battle at the Boat 97

October 4th – CageSport XXXII

November 15th – Battle at the Boat 98

December 12th – CageSport XXXIII

Due to high demand, in the 2013 calendar, Halquist Productions has decided to officially switch the August event from Battle at the Boat 93 to CageSport XXVI. Battle at the Boat 93 will now take place on November 2nd. The Originally scheduled November 2nd event, Battle at the Boat 94, will kick off the 2014 season on January 11th.

Halquist Productions continues to be the premier fight promoter in the Northwest and strives to maintain honesty, integrity, and quality. Fighters such as: Miesha Tate, Bryan Caraway, Mike Chiesa, Sam Sicilia, and John Albert have all fought on previous CageSport promotions and are currently fighting for the UFC. Halquist Productions has promoted fights that have been seen on ESPN, HBO, and ShowTime. For more information about Halquist Productions, CageSport, and Battle at the Boat, please visit www.halquistproductions.com and the official Facebook and Twitter Pages.

Tacoma, WA (July 2, 2013) – Professional mixed martial artists are once again traveling to the entertainment capital of the Northwest for Halquist Productions’ professional MMA series, CageSport. CageSport XXV, set for Saturday, July 6th at the Emerald Queen Casino will feature the Northwest’s premier featherweights as Tacoma’s Drew Brokenshire (6-1) will attempt to defend his title for the second time when he takes on Oregon’s Shorty Weikel (9-3) in the main event. In the Semi-Main Event, Yakima’s Julian Erosa (10-1) will battle it out against Okanogan’s Lee Morrison (8-3) in a title eliminator match.

Tickets for CageSport XXV are still available and can be purchased at the Emerald Queen Casino’s box office and at any Ticketmaster outlet. Prices are: $35, $55, and $100.

Crowd favorite, Drew Brokenshire, has quickly caught the attention of Northwest fight fans after a lengthy amateur career where he accumulated a record of (17-5) and solidified his status as the most decorated amateur in the Northwest. Now as a professional, training primarily with West Coast Fight Team and Ludus FC, he has worked his record up to 6-1 along with capturing the CageSport featherweight title, making him one of the most intriguing prospects in the region. A second title defense against Weikel will give Brokenshire an even bigger push into national talks.

The semi-main event has turned out to be the most anticipated match of the night as fans have long awaited the day that Lee Morrison steps into the cage with Julian Erosa. Adding more intrigue to the bout is that it has been formed into a featherweight title eliminator fight, meaning that the winner of this fight will get the opportunity to take on the winner of the Brokenshire/Weikel fight in August for the CageSport Featherweight title.

“We’re very excited to have the four best featherweights in the Northwest finally stepping into the cage at the same time in a tournament format,” said promoter, Brian Halquist. “The winner of the two headliners will be back on August 24th, which was just added to the schedule to put to rest who the true featherweight champion really is.”

The undercard features a stacked lineup full of some of the Northwest’s best mixed martial artists including a premier middleweight bout between Josh Hewson and Alfonso Gonzales that could push the winner into talks for an opportunity to fight for CageSport’s middleweight title, currently held by AMC Pankration’s, Brent Knopp.

Josh Hewson (3-0) vs. Alfonso Gonzales (2-0)
Elisha Helsper (0-3) vs. Hadley Griffith (debut)
Jacob Solis (3-1) vs. Gary Winslow (0-1)
Arjay Murphy (1-3-1) vs. Josh Wright (2-0)
Trent Tyler (debut) vs. Zach Conn (debut)
Gustavo Lopez (1-0) vs. Dylan Atkinson (1-0)
Zach Skinner (7-8) vs. Josh Rettinghouse (7-2)

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

About Halquist Productions

Brian Halquist Productions is the Northwest’s premier fight promotional company and has promoted events on Showtime, HBO and ESPN. Brian Halquist started Brian Halquist Productions, Inc. in 1989, when he promoted up and coming heavyweight boxing contender, Joe “The Boss” Hipp. In 1997, the Emerald Queen Casino and Brian Halquist Productions started the popular northwest boxing series, “The Battle at the Boat,” bringing boxing back to the Pacific Northwest. In 2008, Brian Halquist Productions promoted Strike Force at the Tacoma Dome and 7,500 fans attended the Bob Sapp MMA fight. With the success of the Tacoma Dome MMA show, Brian Halquist Productions once again teamed up with the Puyallup Tribe of Indians and the Emerald Queen Casino to present their own brand of MMA, “CageSport.”

About CageSport

The first CageSport event was in June 2008 and resulted in a sold out, standing room only show at the Emerald Queen Showroom. Brian Halquist Productions and the Emerald Queen Casino immediately scheduled more CageSport shows, giving current UFC fighters such as: Miesha Tate, Bryan Caraway, Mike Chiesa, Sam Sicilia, and John Albert opportunities to showcase their abilities on the promotion and get nationally recognized. In 2012, the promotion took off when CageSport XXI became the first show in the series to be aired on television, appearing on regional sports network, ROOT SPORTS. A few shows later, the promotion joined Jay Adams’ United Fight Alliance (UFA) giving CageSport the capability to be televised in over 100 million homes in the United States.

Las Vegas, Nevada – Anderson Silva’s reign of terror over the middleweight division began with a three-minute mauling of Rich Franklin in October 2006 and, in the seven years since, “The Spider” has barely been challenged inside the Octagon®, turning away a Who’s Who in the 185-pound and even 205-pound divisions.

However, a growing number of experts expect that challenge to finally emerge in the form of undefeated No. 1 contender Chris Weidman at UFC® 162: SILVA vs. WEIDMAN on July 6 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nev.

Leading Las Vegas oddsmakers make the 9-0 Weidman the shortest underdog to face Silva in over five years, since then-reigning PRIDE® FC champion Dan Henderson collided with the Brazilian back in March 2008. The sportsbooks believe a Weidman victory this Independence Day Weekend is more likely than a Chael Sonnen victory was at last summer’s Independence Weekend event, despite Sonnen having famously dominated the Silva for four-plus rounds in a previous bout.

And UFC president Dana White said: “Every fighter out there that I’ve talked to and every fighter we’ve interviewed thinks Weidman is going to beat Anderson. All the pros think this is the biggest challenge Anderson has ever faced in the UFC. These are the guys who know the sport, the pros, and they are all saying Weidman could really shock the world. This is a huge fight in the middleweight division.”

Here some of the biggest names in the UFC weigh in on what could be the upset of the year.

Chael Sonnen (two-time title UFC middleweight title challenger to Anderson Silva)

“Listen, he has two wins over me, it does me no good at all to bash Anderson publically now that our thing is over. But that’s not what I am doing here. I think Anderson is an excellent fighter, an awesome fighter, but he’s just not winning this fight.

“I think Weidman takes Anderson down at will, I think he blows past Anderson’s guard, and I think he finishes him. Taking Anderson down isn’t a hard thing to do. Chris will get to Anderson’s head, hurt him with ground and pound, and submit Anderson within three rounds with a D’arce choke or similar. Weidman is a younger version of me – and a better version when it comes to aspects like top game. I took Anderson down repeatedly, and while I punched him all night, I don’t have the submissions Weidman has. Weidman is going to have the same success I had with a ground attack but then he’s going to choke Anderson.

“The seven-year reign is over. That’s genuinely what I feel.”

Ronda Rousey (reigning UFC women’s bantamweight champion)

“I think Anderson Silva is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, but Weidman is the absolute worst possible matchup for him. It’ll definitely be interesting and I’m excited to see what happens on the night.”

Matt Serra (former UFC welterweight champion, trains BJJ with Weidman)

“Chris is going to shock a lot of people. The combination of Chris’s skillset, which is a bad matchup for Anderson on any day, and his mentality to win is going to result in a huge win. Everyone sees what this kid has skill-wise, and Chris doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. He’s a beast, he’s an animal. He will take this fight to Anderson Silva – but unlike some of the other guys, he will do it with aggression and skills. He’s the complete fighter to beat Anderson.”

Miesha Tate (former women’s bantamweight champion, No.3 UFC contender)

“Chael Sonnen almost beat Anderson based on being a wrestler. And Weidman is a more dynamic wrestler than Sonnen – and Weidman doesn’t get caught in submissions. Weidman’s wrestling definitely gives him a chance.”

Georges St-Pierre (two-time and reigning UFC welterweight champion)

“I believe it’s a bad matchup for Anderson Silva. Very bad, style wise. Anderson’s weaknesses are Weidman’s strengths. I’ve trained with Weidman and his wrestling is on another level. Not only is Chris Weidman going to beat Anderson Silva, I believe he’s going to finish Anderson. I believe it’s not going to last too long, this fight. This fight will shock a lot of people. I’ve trained with Weidman and I know how good he is. He will be the champion. Anderson is smart, though, and is fighting Chris after a long layoff for injury. That’s why it is important for Weidman to have a great camp. But if Weidman gets though camp with no problems, he will win this fight.”

Kenny Florian (UFC Tonight host, three-time UFC title challenger)

“Weidman is going to be Anderson’s biggest challenge. Weidman is a guy who can take you down, has a tremendous ground and pound game and has excellent submissions as well. I think his D’Arce choke can pose a lot of problems for Anderson Silva when the fight hits the ground. The way Anderson tries to get to his feet – and the way Weidman controls opponents on the ground using their heads – will leave Anderson very vulnerable to the D’Arce.

“If you look at what my UFC Tonight co-host Chael Sonnen did to Silva – he won all five completed rounds over two fights – and not just kinda slightly won. He dominated, and Weidman is a bigger, stronger, younger and harder-hitting version of Chael. I don’t think there is any fighter in the world who can hope to beat Anderson on the feet, but I think Weidman can and will get this to the ground and, once there, I expect him to be in a huge position to win the fight.”

Michael Bisping (No. 4 ranked middleweight contender)

“With Weidman, I think he’s got a hell of a shot at becoming the new champion. Anderson Silva is the greatest of all time but, believe me; Weidman has a very bad style for him. A nightmare style, really. Weidman will be able to take Anderson down, and do serious damage when he does so. Weidman has a great ground game, and that’s where Anderson has shown vulnerabilities. Chael Sonnen took Anderson down at will and Anderson hardly ever got himself up; he had to wait for the end of the round. When I fought Chael I got up every time and punched him in the face. Anderson is the best fighter of all time, but his weakness is wrestling and Weidman is at least as good as Chael in that area.

“Also, you have to factor in that Anderson has been doing this for a very long time now. He’s put his body through a lot in the gym over the years and we all get old eventually. Beating guys like one-legged Canadians and broken down, semi-retired light heavyweights is one thing, but if Weidman can back his mouth up and really take the fight to Anderson I think he can do this.”

Gray Maynard (two-time UFC lightweight title challenger)

“If anyone is going to beat Anderson Silva, and stop this guy retiring with the belt, undefeated in the UFC, for sure it is Chris Weidman. Weidman is the only guy I can point to in the division and go ‘This guy can do it, this guy can beat Anderson’.”

Daniel Cormier (No. 2 ranked UFC heavyweight contender)

“I am always partial to wrestlers, but I honestly think Weidman has the tools to win this fight. Anderson is the greatest of all-time, but Weidman has the blueprint set by Chael Sonnen. It’s not like he has to spend a round or two figuring out what he has to do to win. Just follow the game plan that Chael had success with: take Anderson down and pound on him. I think Anderson’s takedown defense has improved over the years, but Chris is such a good wrestler he will get the job done. I pick Weidman by decision.”

Frank Mir (two-time UFC heavyweight champion)

“Anderson has shown one weakness – he can be controlled on the ground by powerful wrestlers – and Weidman is the most powerful wrestler there is in the division. Everyone is making the comparison to Chael Sonnen, but while Chael controlled Anderson on the ground and landed shots, he couldn’t hurt Anderson and that was his undoing. Weidman can hurt Anderson with ground and pound and he can submit Anderson.

“The only way I see Weidman not winning is if he has a macho thing where he has illusions of striking with the best striker in the world. But I think he’s too smart for that. I’m not just saying he’s got a great shot, I am picking Weidman to win.”

Alan Belcher (UFC middleweight contender)

“Weidman has all tools; on paper he can do this. Anderson always seems to find a way to win, but everyone is human, and style wise, I don’t like this for Anderson. Weidman’s really good on the top, and he could sub Anderson. He’s that good on the ground. What worries me about Weidman is he knows just enough to get himself into trouble on the feet. He is just good enough to land a shot or two and think he can win standing up. But he can’t. No one can beat Anderson standing. Weidman has to get this to the ground, and when that happens it is Chris Weidman’s fight, Chris Weidman’s world. If this hit the floor in the first round, it is going to be insane because Weidman could sub Anderson Silva in the very first round.”

Roger Gracie (UFC 162 fighter, middleweight)

“Weidman’s grappling is at a very high level. He has some very good submissions. He can put a lock on anyone – any world class grappler. I think he’s that good that he can tap anyone, including me or Anderson Silva.”

TJ Grant (No.3 contender, UFC lightweight title)

“Personally, I feel Weidman has the tools to win. He’s young, confident and his grappling is on a completely different level. You never want to pick against Anderson Silva, but I give a slight edge to Weidman.”

Luke Rockhold (No.7 UFC middleweight contender)

“This is a 50/50 fight. I’ve not thought that about an Anderson fight in a long time, but this can go either way.”

John Moraga (No.4 flyweight contender)

“I’m going out of a limb and say Weidman is taking him out. He is real determined and confident and that’s the key to beating a legend. Weidman is going to let it all go, and I think his style is all wrong for Anderson. I can see Weidman dominating, actually.”

Rick Story (UFC welterweight contender)

“I can see Weidman grinding out a points win by controlling most of the fight on the ground. Ask Chael Sonnen, five rounds is a long time not to make a mistake in Anderson’s guard, but Chris is so young and hungry I think he can do it.”

Johny Hendricks (No.1 welterweight contender)

“Anderson doesn’t like to start fast but I think in this fight he needs to get going early. Weidman is coming off a long layoff and Anderson should take advantage, jump on him, and go for the first round KO. But if Weidman gets to the later rounds, his wrestling and being so young will take over. I think Weidman has the style and the skills to win this fight and I pick him to win a decision.”

Dominick Cruz (UFC bantamweight champion, FOX Sports Analyst)

“Weidman can absolutely do it. But against Anderson Silva the pressure is on not to make a mistake while he uses his strikes to set up a takedown. That is the critical thing for Weidman. I’ve spent some time with Chris, he’s a smart dude, and he knows he’s not going to try to strike with Anderson. And he has to be conscious of that fact: Striking wise, Weidman cannot compete against Anderson on any level. At all. The reason he was able to land that elbow against Mark Munoz was Munoz was trying to set up for a takedown just as much as Weidman was and, knowing that, Weidman was waiting for the overhand right and that allowed him to land that elbow. He cannot land anything like that against Anderson.

“Weidman has to have the exact same game plan as Chael Sonnen; everyone is saying that is the blueprint for him to win this fight. But here’s the problem: Anderson had two fights with Chael and has had over 30 minutes of Octagon time with that exact strategy. Anderson went through at least two camps expecting that to be his opponent’s strategy. Anderson’s takedown defense is light years away from where it was even two years ago. Remember, takedown defense is only one aspect of one discipline in MMA – and it is one of the easiest aspects to improve on.

“But Weidman can still get him down. Anderson takes anything from a minute to half a round to figure out his opponent’s distance and timing, and Chris has to make use of that to score a takedown. Once he has Anderson down, he can strike very well, and I expect him to pass and force Anderson into a scramble. Anderson usually waits in his guard for a chance to escape or counter, but Chris hits hard enough and is active enough to force Anderson to try to get back up fast. That’s where I see Weidman winning the fight, in the scramble as Anderson tries to get back up.”

Tickets for UFC®162: SILVA vs. WEIDMAN, presented by BUD LIGHT® are priced at $1200, $850, $600, $400, $250 and $125. Tickets are available at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.

UFC®162: SILVA vs. WEIDMAN will be available live on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on UFC.TV, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, and in Canada on BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US/$49.99 CAN for Standard Definition and $54.99 US/$59.99 CAN for High Definition.

About UFC Fight Week

The UFC and Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) are partnering to make Fourth of July week not just a Las Vegas tradition, but the ultimate week-long celebration of the UFC for fans around the world. Some of the biggest properties in Las Vegas will be hosting UFC themed events, including the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Mandalay Bay, Lagasse’s Stadium at the Palazzo, Fremont Street Experience, Golden Nugget, South Point, and more. The signature sporting occasion will feature the largest ever gathering of fighters, unprecedented access to UFC stars, exclusive pool parties hosted by Octagon Girls™, a concert, UFC Fan Expo®, charitable events in the community, Tuff-N-Uff amateur MMA tournament, official UFC parties, and, of course, the week will culminate with one of the biggest sporting events of the year, UFC® 162: SILVA vs. WEIDMAN. For more information, visit http://www.visitlasvegas.com/ufc and http://www.ufc.com/fightweek.

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

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto 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®, which airs on FX.

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 2.6 million followers on Twitter. Ancillary UFC businesses include best-selling DVDs and video games, an internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, a new franchise in development with EA, UFC GYM®, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo® festivals, branded apparel and trading cards.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (June 27, 2013) – Streaking submission specialist Charmaine “Not So Sweet” Tweet (4-3) of Regina, Saskatchewan Canada will replace an injured Julia Budd in a featherweight (145 pounds) main card bout against powerhouse Ediane Gomes (10-2) of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. via Sao Paulo, Brazil at the highly-anticipated Invicta Fighting Championships women’s world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event at Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City on Saturday, July 13, live on Pay-Per-View.

Additionally, Norma Center (2-0) of Albuquerque, N.M. will square off in a strawweight (115 pounds) contest with fellow undefeated rising star Joanne Calderwood (6-0) of Glasgow, Scotland after Calderwood’s original opponent, Sarah “White Tiger” Schneider of Raytown, Mo., was forced to withdraw from the bout due to a leg injury.

The 6-foot, 36-year-old Tweet is a winner of three straight fights, including her last start on June 1 when she submitted Amanda Bell in the first round (4:18) of their meeting with a rear-naked choke.

The 5-foot-6, 32-year-old Gomes, meanwhile, will enter the cage on a four-fight winning streak. Her last two victories – a first round (4:19) submission (rear-naked choke) of Katalina Malungahu and a unanimous decision over JEWELS star Hiroko Yamanaka occurred at Invicta FC 3 and Invicta FC 4, respectively.

All 4 of Tweet’s professional victories have come by way of submission while Gomes has claimed 7 of her 10 career wins by way of submission.

Center is a 25-year-old protégé of master trainer Greg Jackson. She made her pro debut on March 23, earning a unanimous decision over Rachael Cummins, after amassing a perfect 4-0 record as an amateur.

The 26-year-old Calderwood is a ferocious striker who has notched four of her six career victories by way of (T)KO. In her Invicta FC debut last October 6, Calderwood decimated Ashley Cummins with a

Tickets for Invicta FC 6, priced from $35, are on sale online at TicketFly.com.

In the main event of the stacked 13-bout card, ferocious KO artist and pound-for-pound sensation Cris Cyborg (11-1, 1 NC) of Curitiba, Brazil will face off with fellow superstar and submission ace Marloes Coenen (21-5) of The Netherlands in the first-ever Invicta FC world featherweight (145 pounds) championship bout.

The showdown between rivals Cyborg and Coenen marks a highly-anticipated rematch to their explosive, barnburner first fight in Sunrise, Fla. on Jan 30, 2010 in which Cyborg emerged victorious by way of TKO (punches) in the third and final scheduled round (3:40) of action.

In the strawweight co-main event, a pair of undefeated stars in JEWELS champion Ayaka Hamasaki (9-0) of Tokyo, Japan and Claudia Gadelha (9-0) of Mossoro, Rio Grande Do Norte Brazil will put their untarnished records on the line against each other.

In other action on the Invicta FC 6 main card, three-time Invicta FC fight winner Sarah D’Alelio (7-3) of San Jose, Calif. will take on undefeated upstart Lauren Taylor (6-0) of Anchorage, Alaska at bantamweight (135 pounds).

After her second Invicta FC “Fight of the Night” performance, prolific striker Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith (5-3-1) of Pleasant Hill, Calif. will drop from bantamweight to flyweight and face off with Jennifer Maia (7-2) of Curitiba, Parana Brazil. Maia is coming off her second consecutive win, a unanimous decision over superstar Zoila Frausto Gurgel, at Invicta FC 5 on April 5.

Former Invicta FC world atomweight (105 pounds) champion Jessica Penne (10-2) of Huntington Beach, Calif. will look to rebound from her hard-fought defeat at the hands of Michelle Waterson in the main event of Invicta FC 5 when she squares off with battle-tested road warrior Nicdali “The Night Queen” Riveral-Calanoc (8-6) of Tulsa, Okla.

Crowd-pleasing finisher “Rowdy” Bec Hyatt (5-2) of Brisbane, Queensland Australia will look to notch her second straight victory under the Invicta FC banner in a strawweight showdown with JEWELS star Mizuki Inoue (5-1) of Nagoya, Aichi Japan. Inoue has won all five her professional stars to date by way of submission inside of two rounds of action.

Hard-hitting Muay Thai stylist Miriam Nakamoto (1-0) of Dublin, Calif. will square off with Duda “Diamond” Yankovich (1-1) of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil in a bantamweight bout.

A four-bout preliminary card will be highlighted by a strawweight collision between unbeaten upstarts Rose Namajunas (2-0) of St. Paul, Minn. and Tecia “The Tiny Tornado” Torres (2-0) of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Namajunas captured the attention of the entire MMA fight world when she scored a stunning, 12-second submission on Kathina Catron at Invicta FC 5.

Ashley “Smashley” Cummins (3-1) of St. Louis, Miss. will face Emily Kagan (2-1) of Albuquerque, N.M. at strawweight.

Power striker Veronica “The Heartbreaker” Rothenhausler (1-0) of Sacramento, Calif. will collide with Mollie Estes (1-2) of Oceola, Miss. in a featherweight scrap.

Cassie Robb (0-1) of Casper, Wyo. will meet Livia Von Plettenberg (1-1) of Vienna, Wien Austria in the event’s opening strawweight bout.

The live Pay-Per-View telecast of the nine-bout Invicta FC main card will begin at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT on both cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand, DISH, Avail-TVN in the United States and Bell TV in Canada, for a suggested retail price of only $14.95.

Invicta FC 6 will also stream live in its entirety, including the four-bout preliminary card, beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT.

Doors at Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City open at 5:00 p.m. CT and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 6:00 p.m.

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.

About Ameristar Kansas City

Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City is owned and operated by a wholly owned subsidiary of Ameristar Casinos, Inc. (NASDAQ-GS: ASCA), and is a premier property characterized by a state-of-the-art casino floor and outstanding dining, lodging and entertainment options. The property features the largest casino and the most games in the Kansas City area, as well as one of the largest poker rooms in the Midwest. Ameristar offers nine diverse dining venues — The Horizon Buffet, The Falcon Bakery, Pearl’s Oyster Bar, Great Plains Cattle Co., Amerisports Brew Pub, Casino Deli, Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque, Burger King and Sbarro The Italian Eatery, as well as the Star Club, a private players’ lounge. Entertainment amenities include the Star Pavilion, featuring national headliners; Depot #9, with popular regional and local acts; the Regal Cinema’s Kansas City 18 Theater; Hi-Vi video arcade; and Kids Quest, a supervised child-care facility. The property also includes a 184-room hotel. The property was awarded “Favorite Casino” for the Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association’s 2012 Visitor Choice Awards. Best Casino in 2012 Ingram’s Magazine “Best of Business Awards;” in the 2003, 2005, 2007 – 2009, 2011 Kansas City Magazine’s “Best of Kansas City” readers’ poll and 2011 Best Casino in Home in the Northland Magazine’s readers’ poll. Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City also was awarded Best Steakhouse, Best Buffet, Best Live Poker and Best Tournaments in the 2012 Casino Player Magazine’s “Best of Gaming” awards.

Kansas City, MO (USA): Global Warrior Challenge is proud to announce the formation of its commentary team for this Saturday’s “British Invasion” broadcast, which will emanate from the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri, and will be shown live on Pay-Per-View. Handling play-by-play duties for the fight card will be highly-respected “Inside MMA” lead reporter/news anchor Ron Kruck. Providing color commentary will be former UFC® Lightweight Champion Jens “Lil’ Evil” Pulver, and “MMA H.E.A.T.” host Karyn Bryant will also join the announce table. In addition, well-respected ring announcer Mike Markham.

Ron Kruck has been part of the HDNet team since 2003, and is part of the ultra-popular “Inside MMA” broadcast team alongside MMA legend Bas Rutten and host Kenny Rice. Kruck has produced weekly features, including “Kruck’s Korner,” which showcases unique people and stories from the MMA world, as well as “Inside America’s Gyms,” which highlights different training facilities across the country. Kruck has also done play-by-play announcing for the International Fighting League, Shark Fights, and other MMA promotions. In 2010, the multi-talented broadcaster returned to his mainstream sports roots as one the sideline reporters for the fledgling United States Football League, working with Rice and Paul Maguire. Kruck graduated with honors from the University of Colorado in 1993 with a degree in Broadcast News Journalism.

Karyn Bryant is a TV pioneer, as she was the first African-American woman to anchor a primetime cable program. At 22, she began her broadcasting career as an MTV VJ. Since then, she has hosted countless programs, including TNT’s “Rough Cut” and CNN’s “Talk Back Live.” In 2004, the Brown University graduate was chosen to co-anchor CNN’s revamped “Showbiz Tonight” program. “Showbiz” was the country’s only live, primetime, hour-long daily entertainment news show at the time, and when the series premiered in early 2005, Bryant earned the distinction of being the first African-American woman anchoring in primetime on any cable news channel. In 2006, she joined the Showtime Championship Boxing announce team of Steve Albert, Al Bernstein, and Jim Gray, and was then invited by CBS to join their Saturday Night Fights announce team for their new primetime mixed martial arts program. Currently, she hosts the well-received syndicated mixed martial arts program, “MMA H.E.A.T.”

Jens “Lil’ Evil” Pulver is a bona fide legend whose place in MMA history is secure. The battles he’s waged in both the ring and the cage with the likes of Joe “Daddy” Stevenson, Din Thomas, John Lewis, Caol Uno, Dennis “Superman” Hallman, Takanori Gomi, Hayato “Mach” Sakurai, Urijah Faber, and B.J. Penn, who he beat for the UFC® lightweight strap, helped put the lightweight class on the map. With 19 combined appearances in the UFC®, WEC®, and PRIDE, “Lil’ Evil,” is considered one of the most exciting and popular lightweight fighters of all time. He brings a very unique perspective to

Mike Markham is one of the combat sports’ world’s elite ring announcers, and his voice has been heard in venues and on broadcasts across the globe. Combat sporting events are elevated to a higher level by his signature sound as fans and fighters alike are engaged and impacted in a unique and powerful way. Mike’s delivery has been forged through years of experience in the arenas of broadcasting, live announcing and voice over work. The result has been the establishment of a standard of excellence.

At “BRITISH INVASION,” eleven action-packed fights are scheduled that will feature some of the best fighters from the United States and the United Kingdom as they battle each other in a country versus country format. The first in a series of country versus country events put on by GWC, the main event of this fight card will feature MMA/pro wrestling superstar Bobby Lashley, UFC® vet Oli Thompson, former UFC® Heavyweight Champion Ricco “Suave” Rodriguez, powerful rising star Marcin Lazarz, former Ultimate Fighter winner Kendall Grove, Drew Fickett, Jake Heun, L.C. Davis, and many more.

“THE BRITISH INVASION: U.S. VS. U.K.” will take place on Saturday, June 29th, live at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Doors will open at 7 PM, and the first bout is scheduled for 7:30 PM. Tickets for this electrifying event are on sale right now through www.SprintCenter.com, charge-by-phone at (888) 929-7849, or in-person at the Sprint Center Box Office. Ticket prices are $37, $52, $62, $77, $92, and $102.

The official weigh-ins for this event will be held at the Pepper Mill & Co. Restaurant, located in Atchison, Kansas. VIP tickets will be available for those that wish to meet the fighters. This will be a community event for all ages, and open to the public, with tons of food and fun.

This highly-anticipated MMA showdown will be beamed on Pay Per View on cable and satellite in the United States and Canada. The event will be in High Definition, and it will be available in both English and Spanish (where available). “THE BRITISH INVASION: U.S. VS. U.K.” will be distributed live on Pay Per View beginning at 9 PM EST/6 PM PST by Multi Vision Media, Inc. The suggested retail price is $29.95. It will be available in over 80 million households via IN DEMAND, Avail-TVN, DIRECTV, and DISH Network. The Executive Producer of the event is Brian Ricco.

For all the latest excitement on “THE BRITISH INVASION: U.S. VS. U.K.” from Global Warrior Challenge, please head to http://www.gwcfights.com/.

ansas City, MO (USA): Rising mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion Global Warrior Challenge (GWC) is excited to announce that MMA/pro wrestling superstar Bobby Lashley will be competing at its inaugural MMA event, “THE BRITISH INVASION: U.S. vs. U.K.,” which will take over the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri on Saturday, June 29th. Though Lashley’s opponent is still in process of being finalized, the bout will surely only add to the action-packed fights already scheduled , which will feature some of the best fighters from the United States and the United Kingdom as they battle each other in a country versus country format. The first in a series of country versus country events put on by GWC, the main event of this fight card will feature former UFC® Heavyweight Champion Ricco “Suave” Rodriguez, who will try to stop the young and powerful rising star Marcin Lazarz. In the co-main event, 12-year fight veteran Jimmy Ambriz will face off with the likes of UFC® vet Oli Thompson.

There are many other well-known MMA stars competing on this incredible fight card, including Kendall Grove, Drew Fickett, Andre Winner, Jake Heun, L.C. Davis, and many more.

The official weigh-ins for this event will be held at the Pepper Mill & Co. Restaurant, located in Atchison, Kansas. VIP tickets will be available for those that wish to meet the fighters. This will be a community event for all ages, and open to the public, with tons of food and fun.

“THE BRITISH INVASION: U.S. VS. U.K.” will take place on Saturday, June 29th, live at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Doors will open at 7 PM, and the first bout is scheduled for 7:30 PM. Tickets for this electrifying event are on sale right now through www.SprintCenter.com, charge-by-phone at (888) 929-7849, or in-person at the Sprint Center Box Office. Ticket prices are $37, $52, $62, $77, $92, and $102.

This highly-anticipated MMA showdown will be beamed on Pay Per View on cable and satellite in the United States and Canada. The event will be in High Definition, and it will be available in both English and Spanish (where available). “THE BRITISH INVASION: U.S. VS. U.K.” will be distributed live on Pay Per View beginning at 9 PM EST/6 PM PST by Multi Vision Media, Inc. The suggested retail price is $29.95. It will be available in over 80 million households via IN DEMAND, Avail-TVN, DIRECTV, and DISH Network. The Executive Producer of the event is Brian Ricco.

Bobby Lashley (8-2 (2 T/KO’s, 4 submissions, 2 decisions) is a freak athlete who’s natural talents combined with his top tier work ethic have propelled him to the elite level of amateur wrestling, pro wrestling, and now mixed martial arts. A drawing card no matter what sports he’s participating in, Lashley transcends the simple label of “athlete.”

Lashley attended Missouri Valley College, where he won three national college amateur wrestling championships between 1996 and 1998. In 1997 and 1998 he was the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Wrestling Champion. Lashley later joined the United States Army, where he continued to wrestle. A 2004 Olympic hopeful, a knee injury ended those plans, and he turned his attention toward pro wrestling.

In 2004, the 6’2,” 260-plus Lashley signed a developmental deal with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and went on to eventually win two ECW World Championships and the WWE United States Championship. Among his many memorable moments in the WWE, Lashley was part of the main event in what is largely considered the biggest Wrestlemania in history, as he defended Donald Trump’s hair against WWE CEO Vince McMahon in the legendary Hair vs. Hair match at Wrestlemania 23 in 2007.

A member of American Top Team Altitude in Colorado, Lashley made his pro MMA debut as a heavyweight in December 2008, winning a 41-second TKO over Joshua Franklin. Since then he has battled veterans such as Jason Guida, Bob Sapp, Wes Sims, Chad Griggs, James Thompson and more. Six of Lashley’s eight wins have come via stoppage, including four in the first round. Lashley last fought on June 7 when he stopped 19-fight veteran Kevin Asplund via second round submission.

As an actor Lashley has appeared in such films as the 2010 MMA-themed movie “Beatdown,” also starring Michael Bisping, Mike Swick and Heath Herring, the 2011 movie “Blood Out,” also starring Val Kilmer and 50 Cent, and most recently, the 2012 comedy “Walk-ins Welcome” directed by Jonathan Stein.

For all the latest excitement on “THE BRITISH INVASION: U.S. VS. U.K.” from Global Warrior Challenge, please head to

HOBOKEN, N.J. (June 20, 2013) – Two of the premier women mixed-martial-arts fighters in the world, Cris Cyborg (11-1) and Marloes Coenen (21-5), headline the July 13th Invicta Fighting Championships 6 pay-per-view event, airing live from Ameristar Casino Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri.

Brazilian KO artist Cyborg, arguably the top pound-for-pound fighters in women’s MMA, and equally dangerous Dutch submission specialist Coenen, will battle in a three, five-minute round rematch for the inaugural Invicta FC World Featherweight (145-pounds) title. “Cyborg” won their first meeting on January 30, 2010, in an action-packed fight that ended on a technical knockout (punches) in the final round.

“We are excited about bringing the Invicta FC brand of women’s world championship Mixed Martial Arts to television for the first time with this tremendous rematch between two of the world’s top women fighters,” said Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp. “This is yet another step forward for women’s MMA and we are extremely proud to be leading the charge.”

“Invicta FC 6,” presented by Invicta Fighting Championships, is being distributed in North America by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 9:00 p.m. ET – 6:00 p.m. PT on both cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand, DISH, Avail-TVN in the United States and Bell TV in Canada, for a suggested retail price of only $14.95.

“We’re excited to be distributing Invicta FC 6 to MMA fans in the U.S.,” Integrated Sports Media president Doug Jacobs said. “Women’s MMA has exploded and Invicta Fighting Championships has led the charge. Fighting stars from all over the world are coming out July 13th for Invicta FC 6. Cyborg is one of the most recognizable and entertaining superstars in women’s MMA. Fans really enjoy watching her fight and she’s in tough again with another bonafide star, Coenen. It’s our pleasure to be part of this great top-to-bottom women’s MMA show on July 13th.”

The co-main event showcases a pair of undefeated strawweights (115 lbs.) sporting identical 9-0 professional records – Japanese invader and JEWELS champion Ayaka Hamasaki and Brazilian sensation Claudia Gadelha.

Three-time Invicta FC fight winner Sarah D’Alelio (7-3), fighting out of San Jose (CA), takes on unbeaten Texas bantamweight (135 lbs.) prospect Lauren Taylor (6-0), while California (Pleasant Hills) striker Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith (5-3-1) shoots for her third “Fight of the Night” performance, dropping down from bantamweight to flyweight (125 lbs.)for a throw-down with another gifted Brazilian, Jennifer Maia (7-2).

Also scheduled to fight on the undercard are atomweight (105 lbs.) Jessica Penne (10-2, California) vs. Nicdali “The Queen Queen” Rivera-Calanoc (8-6, Oklahoma), strawweight (Joanne Caldwell (6-0, Scotland) vs. Sarah “White Tiger” Schneider (6-6, Missouri), featherweight Ediane “India” Gomes (10-2, Florida) vs. Julia Budd (5-2, Canada), strawweight “Rowdy” Bec Hyatt (5-2, Australia) vs. Mizuki Inaoue (5-1, Japan), bantamweight Miriam Nakamoto (2-0), California) vs. Duda “Diamond” Yankovich (1-1, Brazil), strawweight Rose Namajunas (2-0, Minnesota) vs. Tecia “The Tiny Tornado” Torres (2-0, Florida), strawweight Ashley Cummins (3-1, Missouri) vs. Emily Kagan (2-1, New Mexico), featherweight Mollie Estes (1-2, Missouri) vs. Veronica “The Heartbreaker” Rothenhausier (1-0, California), and atomweight Livia Von Plettenberg (1-1, Austria) vs. Cassie Robb (0-1, Colorado).

All fights, excluding the main event and co-main event, feature three, five-minute round fights. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Invicta Fighting Championships: Invicta is a world championship Mixed Martial Arts 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, Invicata is committed to pioneering the future growth of women’s MMA by promoting the best possible match-ups between female competitors and identifying and developing future superstars of the sport. For more information about Invicta or its events and fighters visit www.invictafc.com or follow on Twitter @InvictaFights.

Integrated Sports Media: North America’s leading distributor of International Pay-Per-View and Closed Circuit sports events has presented World Championship and world-class mixed martial arts shows featuring Fedor Emelianko, Tim Sylvia, Bobby Lashley, Mirko Filipovic, Bob Sapp, Jeff Monson and Roy Nelson, in addition to World Championship and world-class boxing matches featuring Gennady Golovkin, Erik Morales, Vitali Klitschko, Ricky Hatton, Cristian Mijares, Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones, Jr., Tomasz Adamek, Paulie Malignaggi, Ivan Calderon, Rocky Martinez, Nicolai Valuev, Amir Khan, Marco Antonio Barrera, Arthur Abraham, David Haye, John Ruiz, Wilfredo Vasquez, Jr., Brian Viloria, Giovani Segura and Ruslan Chagaev. In addition, Integrated Sports Media has distributed numerous International soccer matches featuring teams like Real Madrid, Club America of Mexico and the National Teams of Argentina, Honduras, El Salvador and the USA. For more information on upcoming Integrated Sports events visit www.integratedsportsnet.com or follow on Twitter @IntegratedPPV.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (June 20, 2013) –Tickets priced from $29, for the star-studded World Series of Fighting Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif. on Saturday, August 10, go on sale beginning at 10 a.m. PST tomorrow, Friday, June 21 at www.axs.com, Citizens Business Bank Arena box office, and charge-by-phone at 888-929-7849.

Slated for the live, fight-five NBC Sports Network telecast of the World Series of Fighting event is a light heavyweight (205 pounds) showdown between world kickboxing champion turned unbeaten MMA upstart Tyrone “King of the Ring” Spong (1-0) of Boca Raton, Fla. via Suriname and fellow hard-hitting KO artist Angel “The Dream” DeAnda (11-2) of Oakdale, Calif.

The 27-year-old Spong is a veteran of 77 professional kickboxing bouts while DeAnda has scored (T)KOs in 10 of his 11 career MMA victories, including his last four starts

Red-hot Marlon Moraes (10-4) of Jupiter, Fla. will battle fellow streaking bantamweight (135 pounds) 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 (2:55) KO of rival star Tyson Nam by way of head kick at the World Series of Fighting event on March 23 – 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 put on his fighting trunks and combat gloves to face heavy-handed KO artist Dave Huckaba (20-5) of Sacramento, Calif.

Sefo, also a two-time Hall of Famer, has faced and defeated nearly every major rival of his era in the kickboxing ring, while Huckaba, a dangerous and seasoned power puncher, has earned 16 of his 20 career victories by way of (T)KO.

“This will be, without a doubt, our finest event to date in terms of the talent lined up from top to bottom,” said Sefo. “As a promoter, I am extremely proud of this fight card that our company has assembled for our fourth live event and, as a fighter who still has the burning desire to compete, I am naturally excited to have the opportunity to step in the cage and show what I can do in there against a seasoned opponent.”

In other main card action, Tyson Griffin (16-6) of Santa Rosa, Calif. will face off with fellow lightweight (155 pounds) star J.Z. Cavalcante (17-7-1) of Deerfield Beach, Fla. via Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Newly signed, undefeated phenomenon “Notorious” Nick Newell (9-0) of Springfield, Mass. will square off with Keon “The Black Assassin” Caldwell (9-1) of Moultrie, Ga. in another lightweight scrap. Newell has earned eight of his nine career wins by (T)KO or submission while, similarly, Caldwell has notched eight of his nine career victories by way of (T)KO.

In preliminary card action, welterweight (170 pounds) stars Jorge Santiago (25-11) of Boca Raton, Fla. via Rio de Janeiro and Gerald “Hurricane” Harris (21-5) of Tulsa, Okla. will collide.

Additional preliminary card bouts will be announced soon.

Doors at Citzens Business Bank Arena will open at 4:00 p.m. PST and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 5 p.m.

The live NBC Sports Network telecast of the World Series of Fighting event will begin at 10:30 p.m. EST/7:30 p.m. PST.

ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING
Based in Las Vegas, Nev., 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 www.WSOF.com. Follow World Series of Fighting on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.

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, Nevada – Former UFC® and PRIDE® champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (21-7, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil) will meet controversial and charismatic light heavyweight contender Chael Sonnen (28-13-1, fighting out of West Linn, Ore.) on Saturday, August 17 at the TD Garden in Boston, Mass. The main event highlights an action-packed card that will serve as the inaugural live sports broadcast on the newly minted network, FOX SPORTS 1.

“We’re finally coming back to Boston and we’re bringing the most stacked card in UFC history,” UFC President Dana White said. “In the main event, former UFC light heavyweight champion Shogun Rua takes on Chael Sonnen, who once again stepped up and asked for a big fight. Then we have Alistair Overeem vs. Travis Browne in a heavyweight fight. Both of those guys have heavy hands, so I expect someone to get knocked out! The rest of the card is loaded with exciting fights, including Urijah Faber vs. Yuri Alcantara, Matt Brown vs. Thiago Alves, Boston’s Joe Lauzon vs. Michael Johnson, Uriah Hall vs. Nick Ring, and Irish superstar Conor McGregor vs. Andy Ogle. Boston, we’re coming back on Aug. 17!”

In addition, Alistair Overeem (36-12-1, fighting out of Amsterdam, Netherlands) returns to the Octagon® to face Travis Browne (14-1-1, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) in a heavyweight showdown that is sure to deliver.

Also, former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber (28-6, fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.) looks for his third straight win as he meets dynamic Brazilian bantamweight Yuri Alcantara (27-4, Soure Para, Brazil).

Other bouts for UFC® on FOX SPORTS 1: SHOGUN vs. SONNEN include:
Resilient striker Matt Brown (19-11, fighting out of Columbus, Ohio) vs. Brazil’s Thiago Alves (24-8, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.)
The Ultimate Fighter® 17 finalist Uriah Hall (8-3 fighting out of New York, N.Y.) vs. Canadian Nick Ring (13-2, fighting out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada) in a middleweight battle.
Submission specialist Joe Lauzon (22-8, fighting out of Bridgewater, Mass.) vs. lightweight Michael Johnson (13-8, fighting out of Springfield, Mo.)
England’s Brad Pickett (24-7, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) vs. bantamweight contender Michael McDonald (15-2, fighting out of Modesto, Calif.)
· Former WEC featherweight champion Mike Brown (26-8, fighting out of Portland, Maine) faces Sweden’s Akira Corassani (13-4-1, fighting out of New York, N.Y.).
· The Ultimate Fighter® 14 season winner Diego Brandao (21-8, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) vs. featherweight Daniel Pineda (17-9, Houston, Texas).
· Ireland’s Conor McGregor (13-2, fighting out of Dublin, Ireland) vs. England’s Andy Ogle (9-2, fighting out of Sunderland, England)
· Cody Donovan (8-2, fighting out of Denver, Colo.) vs. light heavyweight Ovince Saint Preux (13-5, fighting out of Knoxville, Tenn.)
· The Ultimate Fighter® 13 season finalist Ramsey Nijem (8-3, fighting out of Orem, Utah) vs. lightweight James Vick (4-0, fighting out of Fort Worth, Texas)

Tickets for UFC® on FOX SPORTS 1: SHOGUN vs. SONNEN, go on sale Thursday, June 20 at 10 a.m. ET and are priced at $300, $225, $150, $100, $75 and $50. Tickets will be available at all Ticketmaster locations. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.

UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Tuesday, June 18 at 10 a.m. ET via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Wednesday, June 19 starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

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

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto 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®, which airs on FOX SPORTS 1.

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, 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.

Las Vegas, Nevada – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) confirmed today the next international installment of its famed reality show will feature two leading Commonwealth mixed martial arts countries, as Canada meets Australia in The Ultimate Fighter Nations™. Series veterans Patrick Côté (20-8) and Kyle Noke (20-6-1) were officially named coaches of the 22nd edition of the show, which will feature welterweight (170lbs) prospects.

UFC President Dana White’s exclusive announcement: http://www.ufc.com/media/tuf-nations-can-au-dana-white-announcement

A nine-year veteran of the UFC, Côté appeared on the reality series in 2006 when he joined a cast of UFC alumni in The Ultimate Fighter: The Comeback. Originally from Rimouski, Quebec, the bilingual fighter was the first Canadian to reach the series final, and remains only one of two Canadian fighters’ to have done so. Côté then went on a five-fight win streak in the UFC, and earned a shot at Anderson Silva’s UFC middleweight title.

Noke, a native of Dubbo, New South Wales, joined the reality series ranks when he fought his way onto season 11, The Ultimate Fighter®: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz. He was Hall of Famer Liddell’s No.1 pick, and reached the quarterfinals. He has since gone 4-2 in the UFC, including an impressive Submission of the Night win over Chris Camozzi and a devastating KO last time out over Charlie Brenneman.

Tryouts for The Ultimate Fighter Nations™: Canada vs. Australia will begin in September. Both countries will host casting opportunities, the first in Sydney and the second in Toronto. Further details and registration forms will be available as of July 1st at http://www.ufc.com/TUFNations.

The Ultimate Fighter Nations™ is expected to debut in early 2014. It will air nationally in Canada on Sportsnet and TVA Sports and on FX in Australia. A complete broadcast schedule will be announced at a later date.

The Ultimate Fighter, which debuted in 2005, has launched the careers of more than 100 UFC fighters and has produced past champions such as Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, Michael Bisping and Matt Serra. This will be Australia’s second participation in the series, having taken part in the second international edition battling the U.K. in The Ultimate Fighter The Smashes: U.K. vs. Australia. Welterweights were most recently featured on The Ultimate Fighter 16 and The Ultimate Fighter Brasil 2, when Colton Smith and Leonardo Santos emerged as season winners.

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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. The UFC is the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world with events distributed residentially through North American cable and satellite providers including iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, and in Canada on BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice. 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®.

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 FX 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.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (June 13, 2013) – Rival welterweight (170 pounds) superstars Jon Fitch (24-5) of Fort Wayne, Ind. and Josh Burkman (25-9) of Salt Lake City, Utah weighed in at 171 pounds and 170 pounds, respectively, one day before their much-anticipated Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) rematch in the main event of the World Series of Fighting four-bout telecast, live on NBC Sports Network from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on Friday, June 14.

Welterweight co-main event opponents Tyson “Man of” Steele (10-1) of Saskatoon, Canada and Steve Carl (19-3) of Belle Plaine, Iowa tipped the scales at 170 pounds and 169.5 pounds, respectively.

All 14 other fighters on the nine-bout card, with the exception of featherweight (145 pounds) preliminary card bout competitor Jeff Smith (10-1) of Harrisburg, Pa., made weight the first time around. Smith weighed in at 146.4 pounds, just .4 pounds over the limit, for his meeting with Jerrod Sanders (11-1) of Oklahoma City, Okla.

In other live NBC Sports Network televised World Series of Fighting action, grappling specialists Lyle “Fancy Pants” Beerbohm (21-2) of Spokane, Wash. and Jacob “Feelgood” Volkmann (15-4) of White Bear Lake, Minn. will square off at lightweight (155 pounds)

Undefeated prospect Justin Gaethje (8-0) of Denver, Colo. will collide with Brian “The Bandit” Cobb (20-7) of Bakersfield, Calif., in a lightweight contest and the first televised main card bout of the night.

In preliminary card action, battle-tested submission specialist John Gunderson (34-14) of Houston, Tex. will be pitted against Dan “The Upgrade” Lauzon (16-4) of Bridgewater, Mass. in another lightweight tilt. All 16 of Lauzon’s professional career victories have come by way of (T)KO or submission.

Carson “Little Juggernaut” Beebe (13-2) of Schaumburg, Ill. will face undefeated submission ace Joe Murphy (6-0) of Huntington Beach, Calif. in a bantamweight (135 pounds) tilt.

Jeff Smith (10-1) of Harrisburg, Pa. will take on fellow, featherweight (145 pounds) streaking star Jerrod Sanders (11-1) of Oklahoma City, Okla.

Undefeated prospects Krasimir Mladenov (9-0) of Borica, Bulgaria and Kendrick Miree (5-0) of Atlanta, Ga., will square off at middleweight (185 pounds).

Brenson Hansen (4-1) of Las Vegas will battle Josh Montalvo (2-1) of San Benito, Texas in a featherweight matchup.

Tickets for the star-studded, nine-bout World Series of Fighting event, priced from $29 (plus applicable service fees), are on sale at the Hard Rock Hotel Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com and charge-by-phone at 800.745.3000.

The four-bout main card will air live on NBC Sports Network, beginning at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT.

Doors at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino will open at 4:30 p.m. PT and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 5:30 p.m.

ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING
Based in Las Vegas, Nev., 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 www.WSOF.com. Follow World Series of Fighting on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.

About The Joint
The Joint is a 4,000-person capacity venue that serves as a sophisticated, intimate and unparalleled entertainment destination. The Joint features seven Luxury Suites, a VIP Studio Level, state-of-the-art sound system, superior video system and a production package tailor-made for artist comfort. It has received numerous accolades including “Best Concert Venue” in Las Vegas Review – Journal’s “Best of Las Vegas” awards 2010 – 2012, “Best Music Venue” in 2012 Las Vegas Weekly Awards, “No. 1 Hottest Club in America” award by Billboard Magazine in 2011, “Best Live Music Venue in Las Vegas” by MetroWize.com in 2011, “Best New Major Concert Venue” at the 2010 Pollstar Awards, and “Best Live Music Venue” in AOL City’s Best 2010 awards. The Joint delivers unforgettable live music experiences with performances by both legendary and ground-breaking artists including Paul McCartney, The Killers, Bon Jovi, Kenny Chesney, Arcade Fire, Avenged Sevenfold, Rise Against, Paramore, Muse, Drake and No Doubt. The venue created the successful concept of rock ‘n’ roll residencies with Supernatural Santana: A Trip Through the Hits, Mötley Crüe in Sin City, Guns N’ Roses Appetite for Democracy and Def Leppard VIVA Hysteria! as well as Tiësto In Concert, featuring the world’s No. 1 electronic DJ and producer Tiësto. For additional information, visit www.thejointlasvegas.comor call 702.693.5583 or 702.693.5000.

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.