(March 29, 2023) — The show goes on. WBC/WBA light flyweight world champion Kenshiro “The Amazing Boy” Teraji was supposed to face WBO champ Jonathan Gonzalez in a three-belt unification tilt Saturday, April 8, at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. Gonzalez withdrew with an illness, and Teraji will now defend his titles against undefeated American challenger Anthony Olascuaga

The five-fight card will also feature Tenshin Nasukawa’s debut as a professional boxer. The former multi-division kickboxing world champion will face Yuki Yonaha in a six-round junior featherweight attraction.

Teraji-Olascuaga, Nasukawa-Yonaha and additional bouts will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+ starting at 3 a.m. ET/12 a.m. PT.

Teraji (20-1, 12 KOs) captured his first world title by defeating Ganigan Lopez for the WBC 108-pound strap. Teraji made eight defenses before losing the belt via 10th-round TKO to Masamichi Yabuki. The 31-year-old avenged the loss by stopping Yabuki in the third round of their rematch to regain the title. Teraji then notched his most impressive victory last November by stopping Hiroto Kyoguchi in the seventh round to unify the WBC and WBA championships.    

Olascuaga (5-0, 3 KOs), a 24-year-old upstart from Los Angeles, turned pro in 2020 and won a regional flyweight belt in his third pro bout. He went 3-0 in 2022, toppling Gilberto Pedroza by unanimous decision in March, stopping the previously unbeaten Gustavo Perez Alvarez in six in May, and icing Marco Sustaita in one round last October. He will make his 108-pound debut against Teraji.

In other scheduled action on the ESPN+ stream:

• Takuma Inoue (17-1, 4 KOs) vs. Liborio Solis (35-6-1, 16 KOs), 12 rounds, vacant WBA Bantamweight World Title—The younger brother of pound-for-pound phenom Naoya Inoue has won four straight fights since challenging Nordine Oubaali for the WBC crown. Solis, a former junior bantamweight world champion, will be making his fifth attempt at a bantamweight world title.
   
• Kiko Martinez (44-11-2, 31 KOs) vs. Reiya Abe (24-3-1, 10 KOs), 12 rounds, IBF Featherweight World Title Eliminator —Spanish warrior Martinez is a two-weight world champion who hopes to regain the IBF featherweight crown currently held by Top Rank’s Luis Alberto Lopez. He is coming off a stunning fourth-round stoppage over European champion Jordan Gill. Abe has won five straight fights and has never been knocked out in the paid ranks.
   
• Jin Sasaki (14-1-1, 13 KOs) vs. Keita Obara (26-4-1, 23 KOs), 12 rounds, Sasaki’s WBO Asia Pacific Welterweight Title.

# # #
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STOCKTON, Calif. (March 29, 2023) — Undefeated Kazak phenom Janikbek “Qazaq Style”Alimkhanuly will defend his WBO middleweight world title in the main event against Canadian contender Steven Butler on Saturday, May 13, at Stockton Arena in Stockton, California.

In the co-feature, former two-time world title challenger Jason “Mayhem” Moloney will face big-punching Filipino contender Vincent Astrolabio for the vacant WBO bantamweight title.

Alimkhanuly-Butler and Moloney-Astrolabio will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Featured on the EPSN+-streamed undercard is the return of “Stockton’s King,” Gabriel Flores Jr. (21-2, 7 KOs). The 22-year-old will fight in an eight-round lightweight bout and hopes to rebound from last July’s loss to Giovanni Cabrera.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Eye of the Tiger, ticket information will be announced shortly.

“We are excited to bring two world championship fights to the wonderful fight city of Stockton,” said Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum. “Janibek is the most avoided middleweight in the world, but Steven Butler did not hesitate to take on the challenge. Jason Moloney has been close to a world title before, but he’ll need to be at his best to defeat a determined Filipino in Vincent Astrolabio.”

“I’m very proud of the character Steven has shown to work his way back to the top,” said Camille Estephan, President of Eye of the Tiger. “We are not going to miss our chance. We’re going to cause a surprise on May 13.”

Janibek (13-0, 8 KOs), a native of Zhilandy, Kazakhstan, took the fast track to title contention after representing his country in the 2016 Olympics. He captured his first pair of regional titles in 2019 by defeating Cristian Olivas. In 2021, Janibek stopped former world champions Hassan N’Dam and Rob Brant. The following year, the 29-year-old blasted out Danny Dignum in two rounds to capture the interim WBO middleweight title, earning a shot at then-champion Demetrius Andrade. Janibek was elevated to world champion after Andrade elected to move up in weight rather than defend his title. The southpaw defended his title against Denzel Bentley via a 12-round decision last November.

“All of the middleweights have run scared, so I give Steven Butler a lot of credit for accepting the fight,” Janibek said. “I want to unify the division, but I cannot overlook Butler. He is a tough, powerful challenger, and I look forward to giving a tremendous show to the fans in Stockton and those watching on ESPN.”

Butler (32-3-1, 26 KOs) is a nine-year pro from Montreal, Canada. He captured the IBF North American belt via first-round knockout against Janks Trotter in 2016 before suffering his first defeat against then-undefeated Brandon Cook the following year. Butler bounced back with eight knockout victories before decisioning Vitalii Kopylenko to capture the WBC International middleweight title. The 27-year-old then traveled to Japan to challenge Ryota Murata for the WBA title in a valiant but unsuccessful effort. Butler is now coming off four wins, two of them by knockout.

Butler said, “No detail will be spared in this training camp. Expect a big upset on May 13. I am confident that I will bring the belt back to Quebec.”

Moloney (25-2, 19 KOs) began his career in the paid ranks as a junior featherweight before moving down to 118 pounds in 2017. As a bantamweight, he scored three knockout wins in a row before losing to Emmanuel Rodriguez via split decision in his first world title opportunity. He then stopped four opponents in a row before challenging pound-for-pound king Naoya Inoue for the unified bantamweight championship. Moloney is coming off four consecutive wins, including a third-round knockout over Filipino contender Aston Palicte.

“On May 13 I will become champion of the world. Nineteen years of hard work, countless sacrifices, and complete dedication to the sport all come down to this moment,” Moloney said. “Whatever it takes to have this world championship wrapped around my waist, nothing will stop me. I want to say a big thank you to Top Rank and my team for giving me this opportunity.” 

Astrolabio (18-3, 13 KOs) is a 25-year-old native of the Philippines who burst onto the scene last year with a 10-round unanimous decision against former unified world champion Guillermo Rigondeaux. Last November, he dropped Nikolai Potapov three times before stopping him in the sixth round to earn a crack at his first world title.

“Ever since I started boxing my dream was to fight for a world title, and dreams do come true with hard work,” Astrolabio said. “I have played this moment over and over in my head, and I will not be denied the world title. I want to thank my promoter, Manny Pacquiao, and Sean Gibbons for getting me this WBO bantamweight world title shot.”

In undercard action, streaming live and exclusively on ESPN+:

• In an eight-round middleweight bout, former U.S. amateur star Javier Martinez (8-0, 2 KOs) makes his 2023 debut. Martinez dominated the durable Marco Delgado last November in a career-best performance.
   
• Atlanta-based welterweight standout Brian Norman Jr. (23-0, 19 KOs) comes back in an eight-rounder. Norman made his Top Rank debut in January with an eight-round decision over Rodrigo Damian Coria.
   
• Junior lightweight prospect Haven Brady Jr. (9-0, 4 KOs) makes his second appearance of 2023 in an eight-rounder. Brady turned back the gritty challenge of Ruben Cervera in January to improve to 9-0.

Long Island, NY (March 29, 2023) – The buzz is in the air, which can only mean one thing, another critically acclaimed “Rockin’ Fights” is around the corner at The Paramount. On Saturday May 13, Star Boxing returns to Pollstar’s #1 rated Club Venue in the World for the 44th edition of “Rockin’ Fights,” for an event that is shaping up as a night to be remembered.

With great anticipation, returning to the ring is newly sworn-in officer for the Suffolk County Police Department and hometown undefeated super lightweight prospect, ALEX “EL TORO” VARGAS (Bellport, NY 12-0 4KO’s). Vargas makes his highly anticipated return to the ring at “Rockin’ Fights” after taking time off due to his required police academy training. After the 18 month police training hiatus, Vargas will walk into that ring for the first time as a Police Officer. Long Island is clamoring for the return of “El Toro” in an 8-round super lightweight bout and tickets have been moving fast.

Two other exciting 8-round bouts will be featured along with the return of Alex Vargas. Fans will be treated to the return of former WBC FECARBOX Champion, and Paramount veteran, DANNY “EL GALLO” GONZALEZ (20-4-1 8KO’s) as he faces Dublin, Ireland’s KEANE “ICE MAN” MCMAHON (7-3 4KO’s) in a cross-roads welterweight bout. Both Gonzalez and McMahon are looking to capitalize on the opportunity with the hope that a victory on May 13 will catapult into a bigger opportunity.

In another highly anticipated bout, Star Boxing will do a “take 2” on undefeated super lightweight and former Irish prospect of the year, “THE SILENT ASSASSIN” RYAN O’ROURKE (9-0 2KO’S) who will throw down with southpaw, DASHAUN “TOO SWEET” JOHNS (Brooklyn, NY 4-2 3KO’S) in a step-up fight that will pit two hungry, up and coming fighters in an significant early career 8-round fight. O’Rourke returns to the United States where he has gained momentum with his recent victories at Star Boxing’s “Shore Wars” and “Rivers Casino Fight Night.” John’s returns to the Paramount for the second time, stating that for him, this fight is “unfinished business.” The previously scheduled O’Rourke-Johns bout in March was postponed due to O’Rourke falling ill with the flu.

In a 6-round light heavyweight bout, Irish born, Yonkers based, undefeated power puncher, and former Star Boxing intern, HARLEY “HEAVY HANDS” BURKE (7-0 6KO’s), will make his Star Boxing debut at The Paramount when he takes on KAMRON HUMPHREY (3-1 2KO’s) of Brooklyn, New York. Burke will fight in his home state of New York for the first time against Humphrey who will make his second appearance in the “Rockin’ Fights” series. Humphrey earned a TKO victory last March at Rockin’ Fights 41, but on May 13, Burke hopes to put an end to Humphrey’s success at the venue.

Bronx-bred fire fighter LOU “IL MARTELLO” MAIETTA (2-3-1) will lace up the gloves in a rematch with LEVAN LOUTSOUPITZE (Astoria, NY 0-1) over 4 rounds at the light heavyweight max. The two fought an entertaining 4 rounder in Star Boxing’s “Jersey City Fight Night,” and had the crowd on their feet with every blow. Loutsoupitze vows to avenge his loss, meanwhile Maietta looks to prove his unanimous decision victory was no fluke.

Finally, in 4 rounds of action, Passaic New Jersey’s, ERICK PEREZ will make his pro debut in a super featherweight bout vs DOM BREEN of Staten Island, New York (0-1).

Star Boxing CEO, JOE DEGUARDIA, had this to say about Rockin’ Fights 44, “We are happy to be back at The Paramount on May 13. It is our home away from home, and we are happy to provide the opportunity for local fighters to compete at another one of our thrilling shows. We congratulate and are proud of Alex Vargas in accomplishing his goal of becoming a Suffolk County Police Officer. We look forward to his return to the ring along with the other thrilling fights scheduled. Each fight has its own great story line. From police officers, to firemen, to rematches and unfinished business, ‘Rockin’ Fights’ 44 brings both the action and intriguing stories for what should make for a great night of fights.”

“ROCKIN’ FIGHTS” 44 TICKETS ON SALE NOW

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FIGHT NIGHT: SATURDAY, MAY 13, 2023 AT THE PARAMOUNT

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Created in 2011, the “Rockin’ Fights” series has developed elite boxing talent and has produced former WBO Light Heavyweight World Champion, the “Common Man”, JOE “THE BEAST” SMITH JR. (Mastic, Long Island 28-4 22KO’s) and former WBO Super Lightweight World Champion, CHRIS ALGIERI (Huntington, NY 25-4 9KO’S), two of only four Long Island World Champions EVER.

“ROCKIN’ FIGHTS” 44 is presented by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing.

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Top Rank Boxing on ESPN presented by AutoZone Ramírez vs. Dogboe will stream live this Saturday, April 1 at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT exclusively on ESPN+. The event takes place at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa in Tulsa, OK.  

The main event features a battle for the vacant WBO featherweight world championship between 29-year-old Cuban sensation Robeisy “El Tren” Ramírez (11-1, 7 KOs) and the 28-year-old Ghanaian former world champion Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe (24-2, 16 KOs). 

Ramírez enters the title bout having won 11 straight, including a successful return victory over Adán Gonzáles who stunned Ramírez via split decision in his pro debut. Now the highly decorated amateur prodigy and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist steps up to the plate in his first-ever world title opportunity. 

The fighting pride of Africa, Dogboe was born in Ghana and now resides in London, England as he looks to become a two-division world champion. Dogboe previously held the WBO junior featherweight world title, including one successful title defense before going nearly 24-straight rounds in back-to-back wars against Emanuel Navarrete. Since then, “Royal Storm” has bounced back with four-straight victories to set up his next world title opportunity. 

The co-feature includes a 10-round featherweight match-up between two-time world title challenger Joet González and Mexico’s José Enrique Vivas.

González (25-3, 15 KOs) debuted in the pro ranks in 2012 and was 23-0 before facing Shakur Stevenson for the vacant WBO featherweight title in 2019. He dominated veteran Miguel Marriaga before losing his second attempt at the WBO strap in a 2021 Fight of the Year contender against Emanuel Navarrete. González stopped Joe Santísima via ninth-round TKO last March before dropping a split decision to Dogboe in July. Vivas (22-2, 11 KOs) is coming off last May’s split decision victory over Edy Valencia.

ESPN’s Joe Tessitore will call the action with Hall of Famers Andre Ward and Timothy Bradley, Jr. as analysts; Mark Kriegel and Bernardo Osuna will serve as reporters.

ESPN.com

Out Friday: How Robeisy Ramírez’s Disastrous Debut Nearly Derailed All He Worked For, by Ben Baby

Original Content: Blood, Sweat & Tears: Ramírez vs. Dogboe

Ahead of the April 1 event, ESPN will air Blood, Sweat & Tears: Ramírez vs. Dogboe, a 30-minute all-access preview that will feature both training camps ahead of the battle for the vacant WBO featherweight world championship.

In addition to the air times below, Blood, Sweat & Tears: Ramírez vs. Dogboewill also be available for replay on-demand in the ESPN App and on ESPN.com and ESPN+. 

Blood, Sweat & Tears: Ramírez vs. Dogboe 

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Los Angeles, CA (March 29, 2023) The Son of a Legend, Gabriel Silva, will make his professional boxing debut on Friday, April 14 at the next Hollywood Fight Nights event from the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles, CA and broadcast live internationally on UFC FIGHT PASS (Subscribe Here / 50% Discount Using ‘March’ Password Until 3/3123. The event is promoted by Tom Loeffler’s 360 Promotions.

The 25-year-old Silva, the son of UFC legend Anderson Silva, will be featured in a four-round middleweight bout. The Hawthorne, CA native, trained by the renowned Manny Robles, 

has an 8-1 professional kick-boxing record.

Said the younger Silva, “I am very excited to be making my professional debut on April 14 at the Commerce Casino. My trainer Manny Robles and I have been working very hard to put on a great show.”

“Big thanks to my Dad for his support and to Tom Loeffler and 360 Promotions for this opportunity.” Following an iconic career, father Anderson Silva will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.

“We’re very excited to announce the addition of Gabriel Silva’s pro debut to this almost sold-out event on April 14,” said Tom Loeffler. “Gabriel has been training diligently with Manny Robles and we’re looking forward to a great performance for the fans in attendance and those watching on UFC FIGHT PASS.”

“This is our first event at Commerce Casino which we moved to accommodate more fans than the Quiet Cannon and we’re trending towards another advance sell-out with only 100 tickets still remaining for sale.”

The April 14 event is headlined by a can’t miss cross-town rivalry featherweight showdown between popular, hard-hitting Omar Cande Trinidad, (11-0-1, 9 KOs), of Los Angeles, CA and Downey, CA native Adan Ochoa, (12-2, 5 KOs), scheduled for eight rounds.

Remaining tickets for April 14 priced at $200, $150, $100, $80 and $60 can be purchased online at www.360Promotions.us.The Commerce Casino is located at 6131 Telegraph Road, Commerce, CA 90040. Doors will open on the night of the event at 6:00 p.m. For more information and directions please visit www.CommerceCasino.com

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LOS ANGELES, CA (March 29, 2023) – In preparation for his upcoming fight on April 29 in Arlington, Texas, Vergil Ortiz, Jr. has had to pull out of his main event versus Eimantas Stanionis for the WBA Regular Welterweight World Championship due to a flare-up with rhabdomyolysis. Ortiz was diagnosed in March 2022 with the serious condition which can cause permanent organ damage and can be potentially fatal. He is expected to make a full recovery and return to the ring later this year.

“Vergil works tirelessly to prepare for his fights and this is of course a huge disappointment for Golden Boy, him and his family,” said Chairman and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “Despite this setback, I truly believe Vergil remains focused and will accomplish his goal of becoming a world champion this year and going on to become the top welterweight in the division.”

More information on the April 29 event will be announced shortly.

Philadelphia (March 28, 2023)–- On Friday night, April 14th, R and B Promotions will make it’s Philadelphia debut when they present an 11-bout card at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.

Taking part in the six-round main event will be undefeated Feargal McCrory taking on Eduardo Pereira Dos Reis in a lightweight fight.

McCrory of Coalisland, Northern Ireland is 13-0 with six knockouts. The 30 year-old is a eight-year professional who has wins over Jay Carmey (5-1-2)Callum Busutil (2-0) and Brayan Mairena (10-2-1). McCrory stropped Aelio Mesquita in one-round on February 11th in Atlantic City.

Dos Reis of Brazil is 24-11 with 19 knockouts. The 33 year-old is a 15 year-pro with wins over Thiago Cristino Bento (1-0), Daniel Lima Santos (4-1).

In Six-round bouts:

Gian Garrido (9-0, 7 KOs) of Flushing, New York takes on an opponent to be named in a middleweight contest.

Naheem Parker (5-0, 2 KOs) of Camden, NJ takes on an opponent to be named in a lightweight bout,

In four-round bouts:

James White (1-0, 1 KO) of Warwick, PA fights debuting Wilfiried Aby of Philadelphia in a light heavyweight bout.

Seeng Voong (0-1) of Philadelphia takes on Miguel Garcia (1-0) of Somers Point, NJ in a junior lightweight tussle.

Juan Davila (2-0, 1 KO) of Franklin, New Jersey fights Tony Johnson (0-1) of Tucson, Arizona in a lightweight clash.

Rahiem Davis Cooke (1-4) of Philadelphia battles Genesis Wynn (1-3) of Denver in a welterweight fight.

Thomas Santiago of Philadelphia makes his long awaited pro debut against an opponent to be named in a super middleweight fight.

In a battle of pro debuting junior middleweights, Jamar Lynch of Philadelphia faces Allen Otto of Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

Daniel Bean of Old Bridge, New Jersey makes his pro debut against Donald Hoskins II (0-0-1) of Kalamazoo, Michigan in a heavyweight bout.

Leonidas Soprandis (1-1-1, 1 KO) of Greece takes on pro debuting Adrian Lescay Baro of Miami Gardens, Florida in a junior welterweight contest.

Tickets are $60, $75, $100 and $175 and can be purchased by clicking the following link.

https://2300arena.showare.com/orderticketsvenue.asp?p=448

LAS VEGAS (March 28, 2023) — Two of boxing’s pound-for-pound best will battle for lightweight supremacy as Devin “The Dream” Haney defends his undisputed crown against Ukraine’s three-division world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko on Saturday, May 20, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Haney vs. Lomachenko will stream live on Top Rank on ESPN+ PPV, the exclusive digital distributor for the event in the United States, beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. The PPV will be priced at $59.99 and additionally be available via cable and satellite pay-per-view providers.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Devin Haney Promotions and DiBella Entertainment, tickets starting at $104, plus applicable service charges, go on sale Friday, March 31 at 10 a.m. PT and will be available to purchase at axs.com.

“Devin Haney is the sport’s brightest young superstar, and he’s taking on a tremendous challenge against one of this generation’s best pound-for-pound fighters in Vasiliy Lomachenko. This is what boxing is all about,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Devin and Loma are sensational boxers, and I’m sure it will be a memorable fight.”

Haney (29-0, 15 KOs) will fight in the U.S. for the first time since defeating George Kambosos Jr. in Australia twice last year to capture and retain the undisputed championship. The 24-year-old has been on a unique path since turning pro in Mexico in 2015 when he was 17. He made his stateside debut on the Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley III undercard at MGM Grand Garden Arena in 2016. Following a fourth-round stoppage over then-undefeated Zaur Abdullaev, Haney was awarded the WBC lightweight world championship. He defended that strap against unbeaten contender Alfredo Santiago and former world champions Yuriorkis Gamboa, Jorge Linares and Joseph Diaz Jr. He became the undisputed king last June with a 12-round tour de force in Melbourne in front of more than 40,000 Kambosos supporters. 

“Lomachenko is a good fighter and future Hall of Fame candidate,” Haney said. “I take nothing away from him or what he has done in the sport of boxing. Although he didn’t give me a shot when I challenged him in 2019, I won’t be petty. This is the fight the fans really want, and I made it happen. I’ve gotten two times better since the Kambosos rematch, and believe it or not, the better my opponent is, the better I perform. I can’t wait for this fight. I know Lomachenko has an extremely high boxing IQ, and I will show the world on May 20 that I’m the best fighter on the planet. I’m ready to defend my undisputed title in devastating fashion.”

Lomachenko (17-2, 11 KOs) is a two-time Olympic gold medalist who compiled a staggering 396-1 record as an amateur before winning world titles at featherweight, junior lightweight and lightweight. As a lightweight, he knocked out Jorge Linares to capture the WBA and Ring Magazine titles, won the WBO strap against Jose Pedraza, and added the vacant WBC title to his collection with a 12-round decision over Luke Campbell in London. The 35-year-old lost his belts in a close fight against Teofimo Lopez in October 2020 but regained his form with one-sided drubbings over Masayoshi Nakatani and Richard Commey the following year. After a nearly 11-month layoff spent serving with a territorial defense battalion in his native Ukraine, Lomachenko held off unbeaten contender Jamaine Ortiz last October.

Lomachenko said, “My goal is to become the undisputed lightweight champion, and Devin Haney is the man with the belts. I respect his boxing IQ and am excited for this challenge.”

MONTREAL (March 28, 2023) — Canadian Heavyweight Champion Alexis Barrière (9-0-0, 7KO) Returns to the ring on April 20 at the Cabaret du Casino de Montreal. His opponent, 34-year-old Mike Marshall (6-4-1, 4KO), of Danbury, Connecticut, is the reigning New England Heavyweight Champion.

Barrière returns to the ring just one month after a brilliant points victory on March 18 against Zamig Atakishiyev (8-1-1, 6KO), of Azerbaijan. Barrière, 27, a former member of Canada’s National Team, has been the most active boxer in the country for the past two years. Despite the COVID pandemic and the slowdown in activities, April 20^th will be his 10th fight in his 25- month pro career.

This event is presented by Mise-O-Jeu in collaboration with Bell Media.

“I am extremely impressed by Alexis’ development and progress over the past 2 years,” said GYM President Yvon Michel. “We are happy with this collaboration with New Era for the promotion of Alexis’ fights and I thank Yan Pellerin and Peter George for their trust. Alexis Barrière is a skilled, young heavyweight with strong fundamentals and superior ring intelligence. He has everything it takes to become a very big popular star.”

A total of 6 fights will be presented. fresh off his most dazzling career win last month over Francy Ntetu (17-5-0, 4KOs). light heavyweight Terry Osias (11-0-0, 5KOs) will be showcased in the co-feature, The 36-year-old Osias, who will be fighting his 10th fight at the Casino de Montréal, had to put his career on hold for more than a year, drawing on his great determination and profound resources to overcome a serious illness. Now, totally recovered and more resolute than ever, he intends to make up for lost time.

Undefeated flyweight Alexas “Iron Lady” Kubicki (6-0-0, 0KO), 19 years old only and already world ranked IBF #4, WBO #10, and WBC #14, is in an eight-round Special Female Attraction. The gifted southpaw has had an impressive career to date. In her last 2 fights, she has already registered 10-round victories against former world champions Isabel Millan (29-9-2, 9KO) and Maria Salinas (25-9-6, 7KO), both hailing from Mexico.

Also in action is veteran Yan Pellerin (13-2-0, 5KO), who  once again trades his status as a promoter for that of a boxer. This ever-popular former NABO Light Heavyweight Champion will face 27–year-old Mexican Alexis Olmos (7-4-0, 3KOs) in a 6-round clash.

Also on the program are light heavyweight Petar Gavrilovic (5-0-0, 1KO) and the explosive Kevin Menoche (7-0-0, 5KO).

Tickets are on sale at www.ticketmaster.ca, on the www.groupeyvonmichel.ca website, or by contacting GYM directly at info@groupeyvonmichel.ca.

Without advertising interruptions, will be available in French and English on the www.GYMboxe.tv platform for the modest sum of $29.99.

Card subject to change.

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ABOUT YVON MICHEL GROUP (GYM):  

Groupe Yvon Michel is a professional boxing promotion organization, founded in 2004 by Yvon Michel, Alexandra Croft and Bernard Barré, who are still active in the company, the most prolific in the history of professional boxing in Canada. Since its foundation, GYM has promoted 166 events in Quebec, all televised in Quebec on RDS, TVA Sports or Radio-Canada, as well as participated in 38 international events outside Quebec. Eight GYM boxers have become world champions: Joachim Alcine, Jean Pascal, Adonis Stevenson, Artur Beterbiev, Eleider Alvarez, Marie-Eve Dicaire (twice), Oscar Rivas and Kim Clavel. Nineteen boxers from the organization have delivered 54 world championship fights, maintaining an excellent record of 30 wins, 22 losses and 2 draws. During this period, major American television networks were more active than ever in coming to Quebec to broadcast the most important events of the organization.

ORLANDO, Fla. (March 27 2023) – Unbeaten Polish cruiserweight Adrian “Pretty Boy” Pinheiro (10-0-1, 9 KOs) will be seeking redemption this Saturday night (April 1) on the “Night of Redemption” card at Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida.  

“Night of Redemption,” co-promoted by Orlando Boxing Promotions and Boxlab Promotions, will be streamed live on pay-per-view from Orlando on www.bxng.tv.

The 25-year-old Pinheiro (10-0-1, 9 KOs), fighting out of Orlando, is coming off his lone non-victory as a professional, when he fought Isaiah Thompson to a six-round split draw this past February 25.

“I wasn’t happy about the decision in my last fight,” Pinheiro said. “It was a close fight, a few rounds could have gone one way or the other, but I thought I had won. I understand.  That’s why you don’t leave it up to the judges. I took it as a lesson. I did learn a lot and I’ll keep learning and improving every fight.

“This fight seems like redemption for me. I’m excited to be headlining for the first time and in my first scheduled eight-round fight. A lot of people expected more from me in my last fight. I have another opportunity to show what I can do. I didn’t have much of an amateur career, so I’m learning on the go as a pro. Every day, every fight, I’m always trying to learn. In 2023, I want to showcase my talent to the boxing world. I hope this fight will lead to bigger fights for me with more exposure. I’d like to fight on the undercard of a big show by the end of the year. I have a good team with my promoter, Vito Mielnicki (GH3 Promotions), and my trainer, Tony Blanco.”

“I am very proud of the work Adrian has put into his craft to be in this position,” Blanco remarked. “Headlining his first show with only 11 pro fights says a lot about his work ethic. I am also proud to be part of his boxing journey and I look forward to what the future holds for him if he continues his path.”

Pinheiro, currently rated No. 13 by the NABA,  faces Demetrius Banks (12-12-2, 5 KOs), of Detroit, who is best known for ruining the 2014 professional debut of Antwaun Tubbs, the son of former world heavyweight champion Tony Tubbs, by registering a four-round technical knockout.

‘My opponent is a tough fighter who has upset a few people,” Pinheiro added. “He is more experienced than me, so I’m not taking him lightly. This fight is the next step for me.”

Undefeated 22-year-old Jeovanny “El Rayo” Estela, 10-0, 3 KOs) will face the toughest test of his young career in the six-round co-feature versus Saul “Navajo” Corral (23-20, 13 KOs), the former WBC FECARBOX welterweight champion from Mexico. Estela is a fan favorite in his hometown of Orlando, while Corral has been in tough during his career, including fights with world champions Sadam Ali and Victor Ortiz.

Miami-based Cuban fighter Idalberto Umara (9-1, 6 KOs) will make his first title defense of the WBA Fedecaribe lightweight belt against challenger Braulio “El Chavo” Rodriguez (23-20, 13 KOs) in a 10-round clash.

Umara captured the Fedecaribe championship in his last fight, February 25, 2023, at Caribe Royale in Orlando by way of a second-round technical knockout of Deivi Julio. Rodriguez is a former WBC Latino super featherweight champion.

Two other Cuban boxers are scheduled to be in action. Miami-based welterweight Damian Lascaille (3-0, 2 KOs) vs. TBA in a four-rounder, while Las Vegas heavyweight Henrich Ruiz Cordoba (1-0, 1 KO) is matched in a six-rounder against veteran Mexican fighter Jose “Olympico” Humberto Corral (20-32, 12 KOs), the older brother of Saul Corral.

Orlando cruiserweight Daine Smikle (1-0), a former member of the Jamaican National Boxing Team, is in a four-round match versus Tyler Jacques (0-5-1).

Also fighting in the undercard is four-round bouts are Orlando super welterweight Ramiro De Jesus (2-0, 1 KO) vs. pro-debuting Bryan Duran, of Miami; Orlando cruiserweight A’Mire “Devine” Lewis (4-0, 3 KOs) vs. Twon Smith (3-6, 2 KOs), Orlando lightweight and Puerto Rico native Jonathan Cortes (1-0, 1 KO) vs. Paul Amaro (0-1); Puerto Rican lightweight Carlos Rosario (5-1, 3 KOs) vs. Michael Gaxiola (4-36), Pennsylvania’s pro-debuting lightweight Shamara “Pure Perfection” Woods vs. Orlando’s Sarah “Switch Kick” Click (1-2-1, 0 KOs),  heavyweight Brandon Lynch (3-0, 3 KOs) vs. Dennys Reyes (3-4, 1 KO), pro-debuting Haitian featherweight Giovanni Louis vs. Waverly Bagby (1-11-1, 1 KO), and super middleweight Jamar Pemberton (3-0, 3 KOs), of Las Vegas, vs. Honduran Juan Celin Zapata (7-22-2, 2 5 KOs).

Card subject to change.

Tickets are priced at $100.00 (ringside), $75.00 reserved seating, $40.00 general admission and available to purchase at https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/22005E67806EB93E.

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

INFORMATION :  

www.cariberoyale.com

Twitter : @BoxLab

Instagram: @orlandoboxing, @orlandoboxingclub, @boxlab, @heavy_ap

About Caribe Royale Orlando Resort

Located just minutes from the Walt Disney World® Resort in the nation’s number one convention and tourist destination, Caribe Royale Orlando is the only AAA Four Diamond all-suite meetings resort in Orlando. A TripAdvisor 2022 Travelers’ Choice Award winner – among just 10 percent of hotels worldwide to receive the distinction – the upscale Caribe Royale is emerging from a $140 million renovation that includes fully remodeling all of its one-bedroom suites, an all-new 50,000-square-foot grand ballroom (bringing the total meeting space to 220,000 square feet), and an inviting new lobby. Being privately-owned, Caribe Royale offers meeting planners faster approval cycles and more flexibility to create stand-out events. To learn more or to book a visit, event or meeting, visit www.cariberoyale.com. Follow the all-suite convention hotel on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (@cariberoyale), and LinkedIn. #cariberoyaleorlando

LAS VEGAS, NV (March 27, 2023) – The boxing world was in awe on Saturday, March 25th as 19-year-old super featherweight, Demler “The War Machine” Zamora III (11-0. 9 KOs), added another victory to his undefeated record, defeating Jesus Abel Ibarra (15-1, 7 KOs) by third-round knockout. The scheduled eight-round bout took place as the final fight of the night on the Benavidez vs. Plant card at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

From the opening bell, it was clear that Zamora, a southpaw, meant business. He came out strong and aggressive, setting up his attack with an educated jab. At the end of the first round, Zamora caught Ibarra with a devastating straight left off the one-two combo, sending the undefeated fighter to the canvas. Although Ibarra managed to get back to his feet, it was clear that he was in trouble.

The second round saw Ibarra trying to regain his composure, but Zamora continued to apply pressure and landed several hard shots to the body and head. In the third round, Zamora again caught Ibarra with a sweeping left hook, off another one-two combination that sent him down for the second time. This time, Ibarra was unable to get back to his feet, and the referee called a halt to the fight early in round three.

Zamora’s victory was a testament to his skill, power, and determination. Despite his young age, he has shown that he has what it takes to compete at the highest level in the sport. With his impressive record and destructive knockout power, Zamora who spars elite talent in Vegas, is rapidly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the super featherweight division.

“I took this fight on two weeks’ notice because I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to fight on this card.” said Zamora, who was born and raised in Las Vegas. “In addition, I’m always in great shape and I believe in myself. Knocking out an undefeated fighter of this caliber, is a testament of my hard work and the team behind me. I feel with a few more fights, I’ll move from prospect to contender.”

But it wasn’t just the fans who were impressed with Zamora’s performance. Sitting ringside to watch the fight were boxing legends Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Gervonta “Tank” Davis. Mayweather, who has been known to spot rising stars early in their careers, has known Zamora since he was 8-years-old, when he started training at the Mayweather Boxing Club with his uncle Roger Mayweather.

“Seeing Floyd and Tank sitting ringside for my fight was a great feeling.” Zamora concluded. “I had step up my game, turn up and show out. My confidence has skyrocketed, and I know I can hang with the best of them.”

Overall, DJ “The War Machine” Zamora’s victory over Jesus Abel Ibarra was a highlight of the Benavidez vs. Plant undercard. His impressive display of power and skill caught the attention of not only the fans but also some of the biggest names in the sport. With his unblemished record and growing reputation, Zamora is sure to be a fighter to watch in the coming years.

LOS ANGELES, CA (March 27, 2023): Golden Boy Promotions announced today the signing of 20-year-old lightweight prospect Johnny “Sugarcane” Cañas to its promotional banner.

“I want to thank Oscar De La Hoya, Eric Gomez and the entire Golden Boy Team for this opportunity to begin my professional boxing career under their promotion,” said Johnny Cañas. “I also want to thank my TKO Boxing team, Hector Lopez, Abraham Perez, and everyone who has shaped my career up until this point. The hard work ethic and discipline will only increase from this point forward.”

“Johnny Cañas has all the qualities of a future world champion. He’s been in the gym with world class fighters, battle tested veterans and trainers. Golden Boy is confident that he will make waves in the sport,” said Chairman and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “We’re excited to welcome Johnny to the Golden Boy Family and for him to begin what we expect to be a flourishing career with us.”

Representing Santa Ana, California, Johnny was dubbed as “Sugarcane” due to his tall height that matched his last name when translated into English. Despite a short amateur career, he participated in the U.S. National Team having only 8 total amateur fights.

Since 2018 Cañas has been trained by Hector Lopez at TKO Boxing Gym in Santa Ana. Cañas has had the opportunity to sharpen up his skills and learn from professionals all throughout Southern California including Alexis Rocha, Ronny Rios, Luis Nery, Raymond Murattala, and many other great fighters.

Cañas will be making his professional debut soon.

Johnny Cañas Instagram: @sugarcaneboxing

Los Angeles, CA (March 27, 2023) Tom Loeffler’s 360 Promotions’ has announced the signing of 20-year-old knockout artist Cain Sandoval, (8-0, 8 KOs), of Sacramento, CA to an exclusive, multi-fight promotional contract.

Sandoval battles hard-hitting Jose Angulo, (14-5, 7 KOs), of Guayaquil, Ecuador in a scheduled six-round lightweight battle on Friday, April 14 at the Commerce Casino, the next Hollywood Fight Nights event broadcast live internationally on UFC FIGHT PASS (Subscribe Here / 50% Discount Using ‘March’ Password Until 3/3123.

“We’re very excited to announce the signing of Cain Sandoval,” said Tom Loeffler. “Since turning professional in August 2021 he has been among the most talked about young fighters in California. He’s clearly got the power and knockouts boxing fans love, now our job is to provide him with the right opportunities and further exposure at our live events and on UFC FIGHT PASS.”

Said Sandoval, “Tom Loeffler’s track record speaks for itself. He’s been one of the very best boxing promoters for over 20 years and I feel very comfortable joining his team and very excited to have my fights broadcast on UFC FIGHT PASS. I can’t wait for April 14.”

Five of Cain Sandoval’s show-stopping knockouts have come in the first round. Most recently he knocked out Pedro Angel Cruz in the third round on February 18, 2023 in Daly City, CA. Among the notable undefeated fighters Jose Angulo has battled include Ernesto Mercado, Jousce Gonzalez and Alejandro Guerrero.  

The April 14 event is headlined by a can’t miss cross-town rivalry featherweight showdown between popular, hard-hitting Omar Cande Trinidad, (11-0-1, 9 KOs), of Los Angeles, CA and Downey, CA native Adan Ochoa, (12-2, 5 KOs), scheduled for eight rounds.

Remaining tickets for April 14 priced at $200, $150, $100, $80 and $60 can be purchased online at www.360Promotions.us.The Commerce Casino is located at 6131 Telegraph Road, Commerce, CA 90040. Doors will open on the night of the event at 6:00 p.m. For more information and directions please visit www.CommerceCasino.com

Attached Photo / 360 Promotions

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MILWAUKEE – March 27, 2023 – The full card has been announced for the Saturday, April 1, “Gamebred Boxing 4” pay-per-view event (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) from Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, presented by Jorge Masvidal’s Gamebred Boxing.

In the main event, Boxing Hall of Famer Roy Jones Jr. and former UFC and WEC World Champion Anthony Pettis of Milwaukee will go toe-to-toe in an intriguing six-round heavyweight clash between two of combat sports’ most skilled, accomplished and popular champions.

A colorful array of boxing and MMA’s best highlight the exciting undercard, including former UFC and Cage Rage World Light Heavyweight Champion Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort (1-0, 1 KO) making his second official pro boxing appearance in a six-round heavyweight battle against debuting fellow Brazilian and former Strikeforce middleweight champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza.

The grappler Souza holds an MMA victory over Belfort, but the quick-fisted southpaw Belfort is much more established in the ring, having defeated the great Evander Holyfield by TKO in a September 2021 exhibition bout, in addition to his official first-round boxing KO over Josemario Neves in 2006.

In another MMA crossover bout, all-time great UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo of Brazil will compete in a second-sport rematch against former MMA foe and top UFC contender Jeremy Stephens. The pair first met five years ago in an entertaining struggle won by Aldo that garnered him “Performance of the Night.” The two MMA vets will meet this time in a six-round welterweight affair.

Also on the main card, Milwaukee’s own undefeated former NABF Champion and rising contender Luis Feliciano (16-0, 8 KOs) will take on durable veteran Clarence Booth (21-7, 13 KOs) of Florida in an eight-round super lightweight bout, while Florida’s undefeated Devin Cushing (12-0, 9 KOs) will face Argentine veteran Damian David Marchiano (18-11-1, 7 KOs) in a six-round super featherweight tussle.

Former UFC contender Pearl Gonzalez will take on fellow mixed martial artist turned social media star Gina Mazany in a six-round featherweight showdown. Brooklyn’s Gonzalez is already 2-0 with one KO as a boxer. Originally from Alaska, Mazany will be making her boxing debut.

Kicking off the pay-per-view telecast will be a six-round heavyweight battle between 11-1 MMA/3-1 Bareknuckle fighter Dillon “Bad Boy” Cleckler and Bellator MMA and fellow bareknuckle competitor Josh “The Hammer” Burns.

“If you’re on the fence about buying this PPV, we don’t blame you. You more than likely don’t have a clue how these fights will play out, and to tell you the truth, neither do we,” said Jorge Masvidal, CEO of Gamebred Boxing. “We have no idea if wisdom beats youth in the Roy Jones vs Anthony Pettis fight, we have no idea who wins between one of the greatest strikers in MMA history, Vitor Belfort, against the former BJJ World Champion, Jacare Souza. We can all sit and make assumptions about what we think will happen between Jose Aldo and Jeremy Stephens, but you know what they say about assumptions. If there’s one thing we can promise and deliver on is that there will be sheer violence and sweet science. Bottom line, you’re just gonna have to tune in April 1st to find out.”

“I can’t think of a time we’ve seen five former World Champion from two different sports on 1 fight card,” said Dean Toole, President of Gamebred Boxing. “The best thing about this entire event is the eyeballs on the young incredible talent coming up. Undefeated prospects like Luis Feliciano, Devin Cushing and Javier Zamarron will really showcase our mission statement here at Gamebred Boxing and that’s to build new stars and promote upcoming talent. We want to build our own roster and have those fighters eventually headlining these big events. On Saturday night they’ll get an opportunity to steal the show.”

The pay-per-view can be purchased through InDEMAND, PPV.com and UFC Fight Pass PPV, with tickets to the live event available through FiservForum.com and Ticketmaster.com.  Additional event details will be announced shortly.

Several preliminary bouts are also on tap, headed up by former UFC and BKFC fighter Joe Riggs taking on fellow UFC alum Markus Perez in a six-round cruiserweight bout. Riggs replaces UFC vet Paul Daley who was forced to withdraw.

Also scheduled is a double pro debut between female fighters, as Vegas via Vietnam’s Bi Nguyen will face Myrtle Beach via Vietnam’s Andy Nguyen in a four-round bantamweight contest. This will be the rubber match between the two MMA competitors turned boxers with each previously claiming a victory over the other.

Rounding out the preliminary action will be a female four-round lightweight bout, as MMA fighters Danielle Wynn and Danielle Cohen will meet, with Cohen making her pro debut, while Wynn is 0-1 in boxing. Wisconsin southpaw Javier “El Guerito” Zamarron (2-0, 2 KOs) will take on debuting South Carolinian, MMA competitor Roberto Armas in a four-round super featherweight matchup.

Lastly, Florida’s Cade Howell (3-1, 3 KOs) will appear in a four-round welterweight bout vs. an opponent that is TBA.

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ABOUT GAMEBRED BOXING 4: JONES JR. VS. PETTIS

Gamebred Boxing 4 will be headlined by combat sports legends Roy Jones Jr. and Anthony Pettis going toe-to-toe in a boxing showdown on Saturday, April 1 headlining the “Gamebred Boxing 4” pay-per-view event from Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee in an event presented by Jorge Masvidal’s Gamebred Boxing.

For more information on Gamebred Boxing visit www.gamebredboxing.com, and follow on Twitter @Gamebredboxing, on Instagram @GamebredBoxingPromotions and on their YouTube Channel.

PARAMUS, NJ — Scott Abella, promoter of Abella Boxing, has rejuvenated and shifted fight shows back to where they’re supposed to be in his home state of New Jersey. This Saturday night April 1, Abella Boxing Promotions will deliver their third show in the span of 12 months – Bergen County Fight Night 3 at The Terrace and Biago in Paramus, New Jersey – PPV Available on Bergen Audio Visual – $24.99

The historic event will include a six-fight card: three six-round bouts and three four-rounders. Headlining the main event, a six-round super lightweight bout, ‘The Rematch,’ between Nicky “The Bull” Vitone (9-1-1, 7 KO) and Jordan Rosario (4-10-0).

In July of 2021 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, Rosario defeated Vitone by a split decision in a four-round welterweight bout, marking the 26-year-old’s first career loss. Everyday since, the Italian out of Pine Brook, New Jersey, better known as “The Bull,” looks back on that night, being his hardest critic.

“I wouldn’t be the boxer I am today without Jordan and that fight,” Vitone said. “Ever since that loss, I’ve grown tremendously, and that fight definitely brought me down to Earth. It was very tough with mental fortitude, but honestly I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

“All respect towards Jordan, but it’s just business at the end of the day. I just feel like I’m going back to take what’s mine from the beginning. Everything happens for a reason. Everyday, that fight is in the back of my head, so I’m excited to be in New Jersey again in front of my friends and family. It’s gonna be one of the best fights of the night, I can guarantee you that.”

Since suffering his first loss, “The Bull,” has gone on a full head of steam, recording five consecutive victories with two coming via knockout, and plans to keep the pace going on Saturday night April 1.

“I’m a different fighter since that last fight,” Vitone said. “I’m excited for it. I’m ready for it on April 1st.”

Despite all the hype and lead up to “The Rematch” in Bergen County Fight Night 3, Vitone’s not letting the noise get to him. He went into depth on what’s fortified him into where he’s at today: his Italian heritage from his father, Frank Vitone, who was born in Bari, Italy, and immigrated to the United States at a young age.

“I really look at my father as the American Dream,” Vitone revealed. “He came here with no money, didn’t speak English, and had to teach himself the language. He grew up in Jersey City, worked his butt off to get to where he’s at and provided an amazing life for me, my two sisters and my mother, so I’m blessed”

“I definitely try to represent the Italian-American people everyday in that ring,” he explained. “I feel like the sport definitely needs someone like me. I really do fight for the people, and I really do look at myself as the people’s champ. I leave everything in that ring everyday.”

Remaining Six-Round Bouts
Raymond “The Scientist” Cuadrado, (5-0-0, 20 KO%), of Ridgewood, Queens, NY, will put his undefeated record up on the line against Usiel Hernandez (2-1-0) in a junior lightweight bout.

Mike “The Champ” Lee (9-2-0, 63.6 KO%) of Jersey City, New Jersey, takes on Antonio Sanchez (7-16-3) in a welterweight bout.

Four-Round Bouts
Christian “Veneno” Otero (4-3-0, 28.5 KO%) of Harlem, NY will go toe-to-toe with southpaw Vinnie Denierio (3-7-0) in a lightweight bout.

Dane Guerrero, of Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, is set to make his pro-debut against Andre Hinmon (0-2-0) in a super middleweight bout.

Kevin Hernandez (0-0-1), of Bergenfield, New Jersey will go up against George Gethers (0-3-0) in a welterweight bout.

PPV Available for $24.99 on Bergen Audio Visual
The broadcast team includes ABC 7 Sports and Eyewitness News anchor Anthony Johnson, senior boxing columnist Rich Mancuso and pro-fighter John “Bodyshot” Leonardo (9-1-1, 4 KO), of Manalapan, New Jersey, with special guest appearances to be determined.

Bergen County Fight Night 3, presented by Abella Boxing Promotions is sponsored by NY METRO PROMOTION & PRINTING, TEAM PARAMUS COLLISION, PARAMUS 186 PBA, SKULL FUEL ENERGY DRINK, WIRED PRODUCTS, MYPAL BY PALADINO ENTERPRISES – NEW JERSEY’S PREMIER, HOME SERVICE APP, TURN KEY DATA, TIRE WHEEL PERFORMANCE CENTER, CIBAO MEAT PRODUCTS “TRADICIÓN DE CALIDAD”

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION – BERGEN COUNTY FIGHT NIGHT 3
WHEN: Saturday Night April 1st, 2023
WHERE: The Terrace at Biagio Ristorante located on 293 Paramus Road, Paramus, NJ 07652
BOUTS: 3 Six-Round Bouts, 3 Four-Round Bouts (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
TICKETS: EVENT IS SOLD OUT
PPV/STREAMING: Bergen Audio Visual – $24.99

Follow on Instagram: @abellaboxing
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/AbellaBoxingPromotions

For any further questions, or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Thank you from Abella Boxing Promotions.

Harlem Eubank will use his headlining slot on Wasserman Boxing’s second action-packed show in a week to make a statement about his title intentions for the year. 

Live and free-to-air on Channel 5 from 10pm on Friday, the unbeaten Eubank returns to York Hall to take on Mexican hardman Christian Uruzquieta over 10 rounds and aims to set up a shot at the British title next. 

Wasserman Boxing, in association with Ladbrokes, Numan and Infinitum Entertainment, have put together a card that is, pound-for-pound, as talent-crammed as any you will see anywhere, and it comes straight off the back of their sold-out show in Bolton last week, with 1.5m people tuning in to watch on Channel 5.

Super lightweight star Eubank tops this week’s event that also sees the return of the destructive Matty Harris, one Britain’s most fearsome heavyweight prospects, who has blasted his way through his last three opponents in the first round. 

Harris expects to add to his highlight reel of knockouts, when trading punches with Milos Veletic, in a fight that nobody thinks will go the six-round distance. 

There also a tasty looking title tussle between Harry Scarff and Jordan Dujon on Friday’s show. 

It’s Derby vs Barnet as Scarff and Dujon battle for the WBO European super welterweight belt. 

Germany’s world-rated super welterweight Abass Baraou fights for a second time in the UK, at York Hall on Friday night, in an eight-round dust-up with Ferenc Katona. 

You don’t want to miss the British debut of Baraou’s compatriot, Sophie Alisch, the fearsome featherweight, who is being primed for world honours. 

Alisch takes on the seasoned Bec Connolly, who has tested a string of emerging fighters in recent years including Skye Nicolson and Ebanie Bridges, and so Germany’s Sophie will aim to lay down a marker as she looks to take her career to the next level. 

Make sure to keep an eye on Finchley’s Jesse Brandon, a protégé of Anthony Joshua, and a super lightweight with a massive future. 

Brandon made his debut at York Hall in November and returns to the spiritual home of British boxing this week to tackle Spain’s Borja Lopez over four rounds. 

There’s a buzz around the professional journey of Codie Smith, which starts this week with Wasserman Boxing. 

Smith boxed for England and Great Britain on the international amateur stage, but now turns his attention to the pro ranks and a four round featherweight fight with Luca Genovese on Friday night.

There is also a pro debut for Jurrell Patterson and a heavyweight outing for Peter Belberov. 

Eubank vs Uruzquieta, live and free-to-air on Channel 5, from 10pm on Friday 

MEDIA REMINDER 

Tuesday March 28 – MEDIA DAY AND OPEN WORKOUT 

Location: Bronx LDN, Vicarage Grove, Camberwell, London, SE5 7LP 

Time: 12:30pm arrival for a 1pm start 

Participants:  

• Harlem Eubank 
• Christian Uruzquieta 
• Marnie Swindells 
• Matty Harris 
• Abass Baraou 
• Kalle Sauerland 
• Adam Booth 

The weigh-in for Eubank vs Uruzquieta takes place on Friday, March 30 at 1pm, with the location to be confirmed. 

Cranston, RI – Father Time catches up to everyone, but he’s still chasing Jaime “Hurricane” Clampitt.

The 46-year-old Clampitt won her 24th professional bout Saturday in the main event of CES Boxing’s Rhode Wars 3 card at the Historic Park Theatre & Event Center, out-classing Miami’s Taynna Cardoso for a 79-73 unanimous decision win on all three scorecards. The show was CES’ first at the Park Theatre, built in 1924 and recently renovated under new ownership.

Clampitt christened the venue Saturday with a vintage performance fitting for a classic theater setting. A four-time world champion and International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame inductee, Clampitt initially launched her comeback in 2021 after eight years out of the ring. A win over Kim Wabik in February of 2022 shook off some of the ring rust, but a loss to 21-year-old Miranda Reyes in June planted some seeds of doubt as the Warwick, RI, resident carefully began plotting her next steps.

With a more focused approach in camp, including hiring a physical therapist and sports psychologist, Clampitt looked better than ever Saturday, boxing circles around Cardoso (5-3), who had just gone eight hard rounds in a much closer majority decision loss to Heather Hardy in February.

On Saturday, Clampitt was a step ahead, looking much faster, sharper, and more reactive than she did in June and shows no signs of slowing down as she approaches her 47th birthday in July. Where this win takes her next remains to be seen, but it’s clear Clampitt is far from done as she continues to find her place in this new era of women’s boxing – a path she and many others paved for the current torch-bearers.

On a night that featured six fights – and the debut of CES’ first female ring announcer, Margaret Cresta – Alejandro Paulino (12-0, 10 KOs) and Anthony Velasquez (12-0, 11 KOs) provided ample firepower.

Paulino, the fast-rising unbeaten super featherweight from New London, CT, demolished St. Louis’ Derrick Murray (17-8-1) via technical knockout in the opening round. A flurry of shots early in the round put Murray in defense mode before Paulino snuck in a short left hook that caught Murray directly on the chin and sent him crashing to the canvas. Murray made it to his feet, but stumbled into the ropes trying to take a step forward, prompting referee Johnny Callas to wave it off.

Velasquez, the hard-hitting Springfield, MA, super welterweight, also made quick work of his opponent, blasting the durable Rodrigo Lopes Rodrigues (8-5) of Brazil in the opening round with a barrage of punches that forced referee Joey Lupino to step in and quickly stop the fight.

The newest addition to the CES family, Velasquez is on the fast track to success and will return to the ring at CES’ next event April 22 at Mohegan Sun Arena. He and Paulino, 26 and 24 years of age, respectively, continue to dominate the regional circuit and now boast 24 wins with 21 combined knockouts.

Fan-favorite Gary Balletto III, who grew up just miles from the Park Theatre in Cranston, also put on a show in his unanimous decision win over Raphael Torres of Marlborough, MA. Both fighters entered unbeaten and fought at cruiserweight with Balletto simply out-working Torres over six hard rounds to earn a 60-54, 60-54, 59-55 victory. The two-sport star who also competes as a welterweight in mixed martial arts is now 4-0 in boxing, following in the footsteps of his father, Gary “Tiger” Balletto.

Johnston, RI, middleweight James Maner (3-0) scored an early knockdown en route to a 40-35 unanimous decision win on all three scorecards over debut Everet Desilets (0-1) over Pawtucket, RI; and welterweight Jeffrey Gonzalez (2-0) of East Haven, CT, won a spirited 39-37, 37-39, 39-37 split decision over Jesus Salas (1-2) of New Bedford, MA.

For more information, follow CES Boxing on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @CESBOXING.

INFORMATION

CES Boxing is one of the top promotions in the northeast and one of the few to successfully promote both mixed martial arts and professional boxing. Launched in 1992 by longtime boxing judge Jimmy Burchfield Sr., the promotion is the only in professional boxing to boast two reigning WBC Youth world champions in lightweight Jamaine Ortiz and featherweight Irvin Gonzalez. CES Boxing recently teamed with UFC FIGHT PASS, the world’s No. 1 streaming platform for combat sports, to showcase its events to a worldwide audience, and worked as a promotional consultant for the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. pay-per-view event in November of 2020.

Celebrating its 99th anniversary, the Historic Park Theatre & Event Center is a 1,015-seat performance art theatre that originally opened in 1924 and reopened in October of 2022 under new ownership with major renovations that include the newly-launched Park Place Café, Comedy Park, and Rolfe Supper Club on the second floor. Owned by restaurateurs Ed Brady and Jeff Quinlan, the historic Park, located across the street from Cranston City Hall at 848 Park Ave., is capable of hosting an array of events and will expand later this year to include tributes to Queen, Bruce Springsteen, and Michael Jackson. The Park Theatre will be a space for the Rhode Island community to come together and bring history back to life.

LAS VEGAS –  It was contentious. It was surprising. It was ugly. It wasn’t everything David Benavidez thought it would be. Or promised it would be.

But it was a victory, a big one that enhanced his chances at climbing to the top of boxing’s marquee and into its pound-for-pound argument.

He beat Caleb Plant Saturday night, scoring a unanimous decision at the MGM Grand in Showtime pay-per-view bout. But it was neither the beat-down he vowed nor the blood-letting he threatened. Plant survived. His jaw stayed intact. He was still upright after six rounds. He didn’t go to the hospital.

Benavidez had promised to shatter that jaw. He said he would knock him out within six rounds. He promised him a trip to the emergency room. 

But, in the end, he hugged Plant. He praised him. Instead of contempt, there were congratulations.

“I would talk shit,” said Benavidez (27-0, 23 KOS), who had talked enough of it to fill a couple of metropolitan sewers. “But I like this guy now.”

It was an astonishing comment. Maybe,  peace-on-earth is possible, after all.. Benavidez and Plant had behaved as though they would be enemies until the bitter end. And that’s how the super-middleweight bout — a so-called title eliminator for a shot at undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez — began.

Just seconds before the opening bell echoed throughout a sold out arena, Referee Kenny Bayless ordered them to touch gloves, a gesture of respect. They didn’t.

For the next 12 rounds, however, they were forced to respect each other. Benavidez moved forward, stubbornly and seemingly sure that one of his promises would become reality. But Plant had other ideas and perhaps more resilience than the Phoenix-born fighter expected 

.

Plant ( 22-2, 13 KOs) threw body shots and moved around the ring, trying to take advantage of every inch in its 22-by-22 feet of real estate. Benavidez stalked and often mocked. He followed Plant to his corner after the ninth, talking to the back of Plant’s head as if to say the end was near. It wasn’t. 

Plant came roaring out of his corner for the 10th, throwing a low blow as a warning shot.

He wasn’t finished. But he was behind on the cards. Tim Ceathham scored it, 115-113. David Moretti had it 116-112. On Steve Weisfeld’s card, it was 117-111. All for Benavidez, whose size and strength were dominant factors over the five six rounds.

“I feel good, my mind’s right,” Plant said. “David is a helluva fighter. It’s a big rivalry but that’s what boxing is all about. We came here and settled it like men. I take nothing from David. We haven’t been the best of friends but we got into the ring and we settled it like men.”

In the super-middleweight division, there’s much more to settle, of course. For the 26-year Benavidez, the victory might represent the beginning of a new stage, especially if Canelo agrees to fight him.

“I just want to tell everyone that I have a lot of respect for Canelo Alvarez but he has to give me that shot now,” he said. “That’s what everyone wants to see. Let’s make it happen.

“I don’t think Canelo is trying to avoid me. I just feel like he has a lot of options. But now the fans are calling for this fight, the legends are calling for this fight, so let’s make it happen.”

Even Caleb Plant would agree.

Cheers welcomed Benvidez, the first to enter the jammed arena. There were boos for Plant, who He wasn;t far from his hometown. He grew up on on the westside of Phoenix. It sounded if a lot.

Third Benevidez beging to cuut off the ring during the round’s finl minute. In the opening    

Jesus Ramos wins dominant stoppage

Jesus Ramos moved up the scale, hoping to be a good fit.

For one night, at least, the fit looked to be perfect. 

For Ramos (20-0, 16 KOs), the prospects look promising at junior-middleweight.

Ramos, of Casa Grande AZ, dominated Joseph Spencer, forcing his corner to surrender at 1:25 of the seventh round in the final fight Saturday before Showtime’s Pay-Per-View biggie, David Benavidez-versus-Caleb Plant at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand.

It didn’t take long for Ramos, a former welterweight and Abel Ramos’ nephew, to show that he’s very comfortable at junior-middleweight. Very dangerous, too

Late in the first round, Ramos threw a short left that landed like the hammer on a  pulled trigger. It crashed off Spencer’s chin and sent him crashing onto the canvas. A resilient Spencer (16-1, 10 KOs) , of Fenton Mich., got up. But it also set up the inevitable. Ramos continued to walk down, push around Spencer before his corner told referee Tony Weeks “no mas.”

Chris Colbert gets ups from knockdown to win controversial decision 

Jose Valenzuela’s first impression rocked and rolled.

But Chris Colbert survived. Make that thrived.

Colbert got up from a first-round knockdown to win a controversial decision — 95-94 on all three cards — over Valenzuela Saturday night on the Showtime pay-per-view card featuring David Benavidez-versus-Caleb Plant.

A roaring crowd expressed its outrage over the decision from judges Glenn Feldman, Lias Giampa and Don Trella. Colbert stuck his tongue out at the booing fans and Valenzuela, junior-middleweight and Benavidez stablemate.

“You called me a loser,” Colbert screamed at Valenzuela.

An angry Valenzuela then looked at broadcaster Jim Gray as he prepared for an interview in the middle of the ring.

“Who do you think won,?” Valenzuela asked.

“I ask the questions,” Gray said..

There was no question about what happened during the fight’s first few seconds. The opening bell still echoed through the arena when Valenzuela landed a thunderbolt-like left. 

Colbert and Valenzuela heard the ref’s instructions.

They touched gloves.

Valenzuela dropped Colbert.

One-two-three,  all in one quick sequence.

Looking like the best leftie since Fernando, Valenzuela (12-2, 8 KOs) ducked and came up with a left that Colbert (16-1, 6 KOs) never saw. It was astonishing that Colbert got up. He calls himself Prime Time. He knew there was still some left in the hour glass and prove it repeatedly by coming back with solid shots from the second through the 10th rounds.

 He was up and on his feet, fighting back at about the same time former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder walked into the arena and toward his ringside seat.

Cody Crowley win emotional decision in punishing fight with Abel Ramos

Abel Ramos wanted to make a statement. 

Instead, he got one.

Cody Crowley delivered it repeatedly with stubborn  pressure and wicked uppercuts in a punishing majority decision over Ramos Saturday in the first televised bout on the Showtime pay-per-view card featuring David Benavidez-versus-Caleb Plant  at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand.

The bout, a WBC title eliminator, was close and somewhat controversial. Crowley (22-0, 9 KOs) was the winner on judge Chris Migliore’s card, 116-112. He he won on Steven Wiesfeld’s card, 11-113. However, judge Tim Cheatham scored it a draw, 115-115.

In the eleventh, it looked as if Ramos (27-6-2, 21 KOs) might have a chance. Ramos, of Casa Grande AZ, landed a short right that buckled Crowley’s knees. Referee Robert Hoyle ruled that Ramos had scored a knockdown. It looked as if  the Canadian touched the canvas with a glove as he tried to stay on his feet. But video replay showed that he had not.

The knockdown was overturned from ringside before the 12th and final round. . A punishing victory belonged to Crowley.

An emotional Crowley (22-0, 9 KOs) came into the welterweight title eliminator determined to win one for his late dad, who committed suicide in June. Crowley cried during news conferences when asked about him during news conferences before the welterweight bout.

Crowley was fighting for a lost dad. Fighting for his dad’s memory. And fighting to make a statement against the mental illness that led to his father’s tragic death.

Consider it delivered.

Kevin Gonzalez remained undefeated with a 10-round unanimous decision over Jose Sanmartin in a super bantamweight fight.

Scores were 99-91, 98-92 and 97-93 for Gonzalez, 121.4 lbs of Culican, MEX is 26-0-1. Sanmartin, 121.8 lbs of Barranquilla, COL is 34-7-1.

Orestes Velazquez, a Cuban living in Miami, had advantages in reach, power and energy. 

That and more proved to be too much for Argentine Marcelino Lopez (37-3-1, 22 KOs) throughout 10-rounds of junior-welterweight bout, the first on card featuring David Benavidez-Caleb Plant Saturday at the MGM Grand’s Grand Garden Arena.

Velazquez’ long jab dictated the pace as it landed repeatedly, sending echoes throughout a mostly empty arena hours before the main event. Velazquez (7-0, 6 KOs) won easily on all three scorecards –99-91, 97-93, 99-91. 

Las Vegas – UFC^® today announced that former WEC^® and UFC lightweight Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame’s ‘Modern Wing’ as a member of the Class of 2023. The 2023 UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by Toyo Tires^®, will take place on Thursday, July 6, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The event will be streamed live an exclusively on UFC FIGHT PASS^®.

“Cowboy Cerrone is one of the best lightweights in UFC history,” UFC President Dana White said. “Cowboy consistently fought the best of the best for over a decade inside the Octagon and set a ton of records in the process. He was also a complete savage who would fight anyone at any time. He is a true legend, and it will be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame as part of International Fight Week.”

Cerrone will enter the UFC Hall of Fame as a member of the Modern Wing, joining others in this distinguished category, including Forrest Griffin (2013), BJ Penn (2015), Urijah Faber (2017), Ronda Rousey (2018), Michael Bisping (2019), Rashad Evans (2019), Georges St-Pierre (2020), Khabib Nurmagomedov (2022), Daniel Cormier (2022) and Jose Aldo (2023). The “Modern Era” category includes athletes who turned pro on or after November 17, 2000 (when the first UFC event under the unified rules of MMA was held), are a minimum age of 35, or who have been retired for one year or more.

A veteran of 55 fights during his 16-year professional MMA career, Cowboy compiled a record of 36-17 (2 NC), securing victories over UFC veterans Jim Miller and Edson Barboza, former WEC lightweight champions Rob McCullough and Jamie Varner, former UFC lightweight champions Charles Oliveira and Eddie Alvarez, and former WEC and UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson.

Cerrone made his professional MMA debut on February 11, 2006, as part of Ring of Fire 21, submitting his opponent, former UFC lightweight Nate Mohr, via triangle choke in the first round. Cowboy would win his next six fights across three MMA promotions, before joining World Extreme Cagefighting as an undefeated lightweight with a 7-0 record.

Donald made his WEC debut on September 5, 2007, on the prelims of WEC^® 30: McCULLOUGH vs. CRUNKILTON, which took place at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Cowboy’s 56-second submission victory (triangle choke) over Kenneth Alexander would be overturned and recategorized as a no contest, but he would secure victories in his next two fights over Danny Castillo and Rob McCullough to earn a shot to win the WEC lightweight title against Jamie Varner in the main event of WEC 38.

WEC^® 38: VARNER vs. CERRONE took place on January 25, 2009, at the San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, Calif., and served as Cowboy’s first headlining event as a professional mixed martial artist. Jamie and Donald put on an amazing fight that would go the distance, with Varner winning via split decision.

Although that was his first loss under the WEC banner, Cowboy would bounce back by winning four of his next six bouts, including his rematch with Varner, before the organization was absorbed by Zuffa.

Over the next five years, Cerrone would win 19 of his next 23 fights, becoming one of the most consistently active and beloved contenders in the UFC lightweight division. He would continue to fight the biggest names in both the lightweight and welterweight divisions during the final six years of his career. He retired in July 2022 after a loss to Jim Miller at UFC 276.

Cerrone enters the UFC Hall of Fame with an impressive resume that includes:

UFC / WEC:

• Most finishes in UFC / WEC history combined – 20

• Most wins in UFC / WEC history combined – 29

UFC:

• Most KO / TKO by kick in UFC history – 7

• Most knockdowns in UFC history – 20

• Tied for second-most finishes in UFC history – 16

• Tied for second-most wins in UFC history – 23

• Third most fights in UFC history – 38

UFC lightweight division:

• Second-most wins in UFC lightweight history – 17

• Tied for second-most knockdowns in UFC lightweight history – 11

• Tied for fourth-most finishes in UFC lightweight history – 10

• Fifth-most significant strikes landed in UFC lightweight history – 1,127

Outside the Octagon, Cerrone has been honored with several awards during his career, including being recognized by the Fighters Only World MMA Awards as the Breakthrough Fighter of the Year in 2011, and receiving Fight of the Year honors by Sports Illustrated and Sherdog.com for his 2009 fight against Benson Henderson for the interim WEC lightweight title.

A native of Denver, Colo., Cowboy began his martial arts career by training in kickboxing and Muay Thai. Cerrone holds an undefeated 28-0-1 record as a professional Muay Thai artist and competed in professional boxing. He currently resides in Edgewood, New Mexico, with his wife, Lindsay, and three sons.

To view Cerrone’s UFC FIGHT PASS collection please visit: https://ufcfightpass.com/playlist/13235/donald-cerrone-ufc-hall-of-fame. To see a complete list of UFC athletes and fights enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame, as well as details regarding the UFC Hall of Fame format, please visit UFC.com/HOF. For additional information, please visit UFC.com.

NEW HEAVYWEIGHT STAR Moses Itauma will be back in the ring on April 15 at the Copper Box Arena, having been added to the card headlined by the Joe Joyce-Zhilei Zhang showdown.

Itauma, just 18, moved to 2-0 as a professional in Telford tonight where he inflicted a first defeat on the Argentinean Ramon Ibarra.

The World and European youth gold medallist will step up to six round action in London.

Tickets to see Itauma in action on the showdown between Joe Joyce and Zhilei Zhang on Saturday, 15 April at the Copper Box Arena, London are on sale now from: ticketmaster.co.uk.

JOE JOYCE WILL defend his WBO Interim World Heavyweight title against the Chinese giant Zhilei Zhang at the Copper Box Arena on Saturday April 15, live on BT Sport.

Super lightweight Sonny Liston Ali will fight in a six-rounder with Dagenham super welterweight Joel Kodua fighting over four.

In a battle of former world champions, Jose Ramirez stopped Richard Commey in round 11 of a scheduled to 12-round junior welterweight bout in front of nearly 15,000 fans at The Save Mart Center in Fresno, California.

In round 11, Ramirez dropped Commey with an uppercut. Later in round, it was a body that put Commey to his knees at 2:31.

Ramirez, 140 lbs of Avenal, CA is 28-1 with 18 knockouts. Commey, 140 lbs of Accra, GHA 30-5-1.

Estrada Decisions Rupprecht To Unify Strawweight Titles

Seniesa Estrada scored a 10-round unanimous decision over Tina Rupprecht to unify the WBA and WBC Strawweight titles.

Estrada, 104.2 lbs of East Los Angeles won by scored of 100-90 on all cards and is now 24-0. Rupprecht, 104.8 lbs of Augsburg, GER is 12-1-1.

Mireles win Split-Decision over Mailata

6’9″ heavyweight Antonio Mireles picked him self off the deck to win a six-round split decision over Patrick Mailata

In round three, Mailata landed a short right that wobbled and eventually sent the big Mireles to the canvas. Mireles took four-rounds on two cards as he on by scores of 57-56 twice and Mailata took a card 57-56.

Mireles, 265.4 lbs of Des Moines, IA is 7-0. Mailata, 321.4 lbs of Apia, SAM is 6-2.

Raymond Muratalla stopped Humberto Galindo in round nine of their 10-round lightweight bout.

In round one, Galindo dropped Muratalla with a right hand. In round four, Muratalla dropped Galindo with a left to the liver.

In round nine, Muraralla dropped Galindo with a body shot combination that made Galindo stay on his knee for the 10-count at 2:46.

Muratalla, 136.6 lbs of Fontana, CA is 17-0 with 14 knockouts. Galindo, 136 lbs of Riverside, CA is 14-3-1.

Charlie Sheehy remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over Angel Rebollar in a lightweight bout.

In round six, Sheehy was cut on the left eyelid from an accidental headbutt.

Sheehy, 134.8 lbs of Brisbane, CA won by scores of 60-54 and 58-56 twice is now 6-0. Rebollar, 133.4 lbs of Los Angeles is 6-2.

Jessie James Guerrero and Eduardo Alvarez battled to a four-round majority draw in a light flyweight bout.

In round two, Guerrero was cut over the right eye from an accidental headbutt.

Scores were 40-36 for Guerrero and 38-38 twice. Guerrero, 109 lbs of Gilroy, CA is the nephew of former world champion Robert Guerrero is 3-0-2. Alvarez, 108.6 lbs of Maywood, CA is 0-2-1.

Ricardo Ruvalcaba stopped Marco Antonio Cardenas in round one of their scheduled six-round junior welterweight bout.

Ruvalcaba dropped Cardenas with a step around body shot, and the fight was stopped at 2:59 of round one.

Ruvalcaba, 140.8 lbs of Ventura, CA is 8-0-1 with seven knockouts. Cardenas, 140.4 lbs of Salem, OR is 9-8-1.

Subara Murata scored a first round stoppage over Jose Negrete in a scheduled four-round junior featherweight bout.

In round one, Murata dropped Negrete with a straight left to the chin. Negrete got to his feet, but he was wobbling all over the place and the fight was stopped.

Murata, 121.8 lbs of Tokyo, JAP is 4-0 with four knockouts. Negrete, 121.4 lbs of Hartford, CA is 2-2.

Manchester, England – 25th March 2023 –  WBO Cruiserweight Champion Lawrence Okolie returned to Sky Sports to retain his World Championship in a confident unanimous decision victory over the previously-undefeated New Zealand champion and WBO #1 contender David Light at the AO Arena, Manchester.

Despite having been out of the ring for over a year, Okolie dominated the fight with scorecards of: 119-108, 117-110, and 116-112, showing class and skill under his new trainer SugarHill Steward, a relationship looking likely to bear even richer fruit in future.

The North London native controlled the range of the fight very successfully with a pawing jab that stopped Light from getting into position to land any damaging shots. When Light did get close, Okolie used effective short hooks from within the clinch.

While the jab did most of the work for Okolie in the early rounds, the right hand did find its mark at an increasing frequency as the fight went on. The resulting damage accumulated to the point Light was running on fumes by the end of the fight and the scorecards remained lopsided despite a point deduction for Okolie in the 11th round. 

With Okolie a proven one-shot fight-finisher, Light showed he has a genuinely world-class chin by not being knocked down in the 10th and 11th rounds, but he could do little else than try to remain standing as the fight went on.

Lawrence Okolie said to Sky Sports after the fight: “David Light was extremely tough, but there’s no excuses and we use it to get better. I hurt him in the second half of the fight, and he was dancing round the ring away from me, but he had strong defenses and was able to survive. I’ll fight anyone, if you think you’re good enough to beat me, meet me in the ring and let’s fight.”

Britain is teeming with cruiserweight talent in the form of fighters like Richard Riakporhe and Chris Billam-Smith, but Lawrence Okolie has the right to claim to be at the very top of the pile, having made multiple defenses of his world championship against top opposition, and looking set to keep getting better after ending his period of inactivity and finding a new world-class trainer.

Who of the exciting Brits in the division will end up on top in the end is still to be seen, but it is undeniable Lawrence Okolie is right at the centre of a golden era of British boxing at 200lbs, and has huge fights with BOXXER coming for him very soon.

Televised Card Results:

Lawrence Okolie def. David Light – UD (119-109, 117-110, 116-112)

Frazer Clarke def. Bogdan Dinu – RTD Rd 2 (3:00)

Michael Gomez Jr def. Levi Giles – SD (97-93, 97-94, 95-96)

Karriss Artingstall def. Linzi Buczynski – PTS (60-54)

Callum Simpson def. Celso Neves – KO Rd 3 (1:36)

Full Undercard Results

Frazer Clarke def. Bogdan Dinu – RTD Rd 2 (3:00)

Olympic bronze medalist and top domestic heavyweight, Frazer Clarke, took the fifth stoppage of his six-fight career, forcing an opponent that has never quit before in Bogdan Dinu to end the fight on his stool with broken ribs, despite Clarke getting cut from a clash of heads.

Clarke switched up his offense effectively to the head and the body throughout the two rounds of the fight, and counter-punched well when Dinu tried to clinch and make the fight ugly. 

Frazer Clarke has again staked himself at the top of the British Heavyweight scene, and will be hungry to have big fights against top opposition in the next 12 months.

Frazer Clarke said to Sky Sports after the fight: “Bogdan Dinu saved the show, so respect to him and his family. I knew I’d hurt him to the body a few times in the fight, but I rushed in and didn’t give myself the space to hit him on the other side, and at points I was throwing shots from too far out. I’m always improving and I hope I can get out again soon.”

Ben Shalom, BOXXER CEO & founder, said: “Frazer Clarke is in the best physical shape of his career so far. I think he’s really enjoying himself right now and he’s going from strength to strength. We’re aiming for the British title by the end of the year.”

Michael Gomez Jr def. Levi Giles – SD (97-93, 97-94, 95-96)

Son of a boxing legend, Michael Gomez Jr can now call himself a champion in his own right after winning a razor-tight, action-packed fight for the English Super Featherweight Championship. 

Gomez Jr never stopped coming forward for the whole 30 minutes of action, showing impeccable fitness to keep a pace up that won him the fight. Gomez Jr had to come through adversity to take victory, with Giles dominating the start of the fight, showing his grit and determination to win.

Giles has significant success by targeting Gomez Jr’s body with jabs in the first half of the fight especially, forcing Gomez Jr to back-up and reset without Giles having to take any damage. 

As the fight went on, Gomez Jr was able to close the distance more often and have the success that his more front-foot, close-brawling style can bring. Giles remained the neater fighter, but Gomez Jr was able to find the target more often.

Both men will have gained fans and improved as boxers from tonight’s 10 round war, and both will come back again much stronger in future.

Michael Gomez Jr said to Sky Sports after the fight: “I was confident I’d done enough to win the fight. There’s no way I lost more than four rounds. He deserves a rematch though, hopefully down the line we can do it again for a bigger title.”

Levi Giles said to Sky Sports after the fight: “It’s a learning curve. I thought I did enough to win the fight, but we learn from these experiences and we’ll come again strong in future.”

Karriss Artingstall def. Linzi Buczynski – PTS (60-55)

Tokyo 2020 Olympic medalist and fast-moving professional prospect, Karriss Artingstall, gave a confident, intelligent performance to move to 3-0 as a professional and dominate a talented opponent in Linzi Buczynski. 

Artingstall was happy to stand in her opponent’s range, making her miss and making her pay, or even being willing to take a few shots to give a few back, backing her boxing intelligence and punch power to be able to do more damage than she would take.

Artingstall looks supremely confident as a professional, and gained invaluable experience in this fight, she looks set to climb through the ranks quickly in the fast-moving world of women’s boxing, and no-one has been able to slow her down in her professional career so far.

Karriss Artingstall said to Sky Sports after the fight: “I had a great camp, I think I could have easily done a few more rounds. My opponent gave me a lot to think about, I didn’t have it all my own way, so it’s a good bout to have under my belt for the future.”

Callum Simpson def. Celso Neves – KO Rd 3 (1:36)

Barnsley’s new superstar, Callum Simpson, made a sensational Sky Sports debut with a cold-blooded knockout in the third round. Simpson came close to a stoppage victory in the first two minutes of the fight, sending Celso Neves to the canvas with a powerful right hand. 

Neves was able to beat the referee’s count and boxed smartly to survive the rest of the first two rounds. 

Simpson threw an inch-perfect right hook, just a fraction of a second faster than Neves threw an identical one, around half way through the third round that clattered into Neves’s jaw and collapsed him onto the floor of the ring, with the referee deeming him unable to continue despite stumbling to his feet before the count of 10.

Callum Simpson showed he deserves the hype surrounding him on his BOXXER debut, earning the ninth knockout of his undefeated 11 fight career, and catching a lot of eyes who may have never seen him fight before tonight, but will make sure never to miss any of his fights from now on.

Callum Simpson said to Sky Sports after the fight: “I’ve been working towards this since I was nine, since my dad brought me into a boxing gym at age nine. I wanted the stoppage in the first round, but I’m happy to have got it. I want to be fighting for titles by the end of the year.”

Ben Shalom, BOXXER CEO & Founder, said: “We’ve been quietly excited about this man for a long time. He’s the sleeping giant of British boxing. He’s already operating at a very high level and now we want to go all the way with him.”

Rhys Edwards def. Brian Phillips – PTS (60-55)

Rhys Edwards took a huge step towards following in the footsteps of his World Champion stablemate Joe Cordina by handily winning an evenly-matched fight against Brian Phillips that many thought could be a serious challenge for the Welshman. 

Edwards managed the range of the fight with veteran-like skill, making sure that Phillips’s high output was totally unable to do any damage to him, while Edwards could move into range, land powerful shots, and move back out again.

Edwards is now 14-0 as a professional, and gained a huge amount of fight-experience from these six rounds. He looks set for massive fights from now on in his career, and to keep moving up to the top of the boxing world.

Aaron McKenna def. Jordan Grant – PTS (60-54)

Ireland’s impressive 23-year-old prospect at 147lbs, Aaron McKenna, moved to 16-0 as a professional in dazzling fashion, smashing a tough opponent in Jordan Grant in a fight where McKenna came within moments of a stoppage on multiple occasions. 

Grant showed tremendous grit to see the final bell under a constant barrage from McKenna, who didn’t drop from his rapid pace of output for the whole six rounds of the fight.

Grant even found a few opportunities to fire back while facing McKenna’s whirlwind, occasionally landing shots that kept McKenna on his toes, but the fight’s overall direction is shown by McKenna’s perfect showing on the referee’s scorecard.

Shakiel Thompson def. Robert Talarek – PTS (59-54)

Sheffield’s future superstar ‘Dr Steel’ Shakiel Thompson battered a 47-fight-veteran in Robert Talarek from pillar to post for six rounds in the 10th victory of his undefeated career. 

Somehow Talarek refused to be stopped despite the 18 minutes of punishment, with Thompson in the sixth round especially landing a number of brutal straight right hands that would have knocked out almost any other opponent. 

Thompson’s dominance was unaffected by a point being taken away from him in the final round, taking a clean sweep on the card otherwise.

Harvey Lambert def. Casey Brown – PTS (40-37)

Exciting 6’3” Super Welterweight prospect Harvey Lambert cruised to another victory in only the second fight of his professional career, consistently landing the better punches and doing the better work against a vastly more experienced opponent in Casey Brown. 

Lambert looked calm and collected across the four rounds of the fight, failing to lose a single one of them on the referee’s scorecard.

Full Card Results: 

Lawrence Okolie def. David Light – UD (119-108, 117-110, 116-112)

Frazer Clarke def. Bogdan Dinu – RTD Rd 2 (3:00)

Michael Gomez Jr def. Levi Giles – SD (97-93, 97-94, 95-96)

Karriss Artingstall def. Linzi Buczynski – PTS (60-54)

Callum Simpson def. Celso Neves – KO Rd 3 (1:36)

Rhys Edwards def. Brian Phillips – PTS (60-55)

Aaron McKenna def. Jordan Grant – PTS (60-54)

Shakiel Thompson def. Robert Talarek – PTS (59-54)

Harvey Lambert def. Casey Brown – PTS (40-37)

Prospects deliver on Okolie vs Light undercard

Tonight’s undercard action, live at the AO Arena, Manchester, and streamed live on the Sky Sports Boxing YouTube channel, kicked off in style.

A raft of massively exciting young fighters showing the world why they are so highly regarded and why BOXXER has the greatest stable of fighters in British boxing today.

22-year-old Welsh talent Rhys Edwards shone in a fight against a seriously formidable opponent, undoubtedly adding everyone in the arena to his already sizable list of fans, while devastating middleweight Shakiel Thompson once again showed his savage punch power. 

None of the electrifying BOXXER prospects on the undercard lost a round to their opponent in an unprecedented display of talent and skill against a raft of dangerous opponents who would have given a lesser set of fighters a lot of problems.

Full Undercard Results:

Rhys Edwards def. Brian Phillips – PTS (60-55)

Aaron McKenna def. Jordan Grant – PTS (60-54)

Shakiel Thompson def. Robert Talarek – PTS (59-54)

Harvey Lambert def. Casey Brown – PTS (40-37)

The event’s main card is live and exclusive in the UK on Sky Sports Action from 7pm and Sky Sports Main Event from 8pm.

Rhys Edwards def. Brian Phillips – PTS (60-55)

Rhys Edwards took a huge step towards following in the footsteps of his World Champion stablemate Joe Cordina by handily winning an evenly-matched fight against Brian Phillips that many thought could be a serious challenge for the Welshman. 

Edwards managed the range of the fight with veteran-like skill, making sure that Phillips’s high output was totally unable to do any damage to him, while Edwards could move into range, land powerful shots, and move back out again.

Edwards is now 14-0 as a professional, and gained a huge amount of fight-experience from these six rounds. He looks set for massive fights from now on in his career, and to keep moving up to the top of the boxing world.

Aaron McKenna def. Jordan Grant – PTS (60-54)

Ireland’s impressive 23-year-old prospect at 147lbs, Aaron McKenna, moved to 16-0 as a professional in dazzling fashion, smashing a tough opponent in Jordan Grant in a fight where McKenna came within moments of a stoppage on multiple occasions. 

Grant showed tremendous grit to see the final bell under a constant barrage from McKenna, who didn’t drop from his rapid pace of output for the whole six rounds of the fight.

Grant even found a few opportunities to fire back while facing McKenna’s whirlwind, occasionally landing shots that kept McKenna on his toes, but the fight’s overall direction is shown by McKenna’s perfect showing on the referee’s scorecard.

Shakiel Thompson def. Robert Talarek – PTS (59-54)

Sheffield’s future superstar ‘Dr Steel’ Shakiel Thompson battered a 47-fight-veteran in Robert Talarek from pillar to post for six rounds in the 10th victory of his undefeated career. 

Somehow Talarek refused to be stopped despite the 18 minutes of punishment, with Thompson in the sixth round especially landing a number of brutal straight right hands that would have knocked out almost any other opponent. 

Thompson’s dominance was unaffected by a point being taken away from him in the final round, taking a clean sweep on the card otherwise.

Harvey Lambert def. Casey Brown – PTS (40-37)

Exciting 6’3” Super Welterweight prospect Harvey Lambert cruised to another victory in only the second fight of his professional career, consistently landing the better punches and doing the better work against a vastly more experienced opponent in Casey Brown. 

Lambert looked calm and collected across the four rounds of the fight, failing to lose a single one of them on the referee’s scorecard.

Main Card Running Order:

Callum Simpson vs Celso Neves – 8 x 3 minute rounds at Super Middleweight

Karriss Artingstall vs Linzi Buczynski – 6 x 2 minute rounds at Featherweight

Michael Gomez Jr vs Levi Giles – 10 x 3 minute rounds for the English Super Featherweight Championship

Frazer Clarke vs Bogdan Dinu – 8 x 3 minute rounds at Heavyweight

Lawrence Okolie vs David Light – 12 x 3 minute rounds for the WBO World Cruiserweight Championship.

NEW YORK (March 25, 2023)-6’9″ undefeated heavyweight Antonio Mireles will be back in action as he takes on Patrick Mailata tonight at The Save Mart Center in Fresno, California.

The fight can be seen live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 PM ET.

The 25 year-old Mireles is 6-0 with six knockouts, and has looked spectacular in his early pro career. Mireles already has stoppages over two undefeated foes in Brandon Hughes (2-0) and Eric Perry (5-0-1). The win over Perry came on November 12, 2022 in Las Vegas.

Mailata of Crem, Utah is 6-1 with three knockouts. The 28 year-old Mailata has a win over undefeated Jorge Sevilla Acosta (2-0). Mailata has won two in a row, which includes his first round stoppage over Francois Russell on March 26, 2022 in Little Rock Arkansas.

Mireles weighed 265.4 lbs. Mailata was 321.4 lbs at Friday’s weigh-in.

Mireles is managed by Split-T Management and promoted by Top Rank.

Photo by Mikey Williams / Top Rank via Getty Images.

Atlantic City, NJ (March 25, 2023 )–Weights for Saturday Night’s Rising Star Promotions at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

Kristian Prenga 255 – Sam Crossed 208

(NBA Continental Title and NABA Heavyweight Titles

Anthony Johns 112 – Ramon Velasquez 116.5

Justin Figueroa 154 – Manuel Moreira 154

Malik Nelson 125,5 – Joseph Adorno 127.5

Francisco Rodriguez 134 – Marco Dorame 134.4

Gabe Gerena 131 – Joshua Maldonado 132

Avious Griffin 146.5 – Jose Gazzo 140=9

Isaah Flaherty 157.5 – Dewayne Williams 161,5

Derek Starling 276 – Dennis Vance Jr. 273

Promoter : Rising Star Promotions

Venue: Boardwalk Hall

1st Bell: 7 PM ET

Stream: BXNGTV.com

Tickets are available for $65, $85, $150 and $200 and can be purchased BY CLICKING HERE

Lyndon Arthur remains on track to fight for the world title in May after flooring late replacement Boris Crighton on the way to a unanimous points win. 

Arthur, live and free-to-air on Channel 5, in association with Ladbrokes, Numan and Infinitum Entertainment, had to bide his time against his former sparring partner from Scotland, after original opponent Braian Suarez failed a medical on Thursday. 

Suarez’s withdrawal meant the vacant IBO light heavyweight world title was no longer on the line, but Arthur could afford no mistakes against Crighton on the Wasserman Boxing card at the University of Bolton Stadium, if he wanted to challenge for the belt later this year. 

And though the spirited Crighton made life difficult for ‘King’,  Manchester’s Arthur refused to be ruffled and proved his world class credentials down the stretch in front of a sell-out crowd.

After a strong eighth session, Arthur hurt ‘Blade’ in round nine and then detonated a huge right hand to send Crighton to the canvas late in the 10th.

Crighton rose to his feet to hear the final bell but Arthur was awarded the victory with scores of 98-92, 96-93 and 99-91 by the ringside judges and he now turns his attention back to the IBO world title.

Arthur, now 22-1, said: “Crighton literally came in at the last minute and I was supposed to be fighting someone completely different, with a completely different style, for the title.
“It was scrappy at times but, in the end, it was a good 10 rounds for me and we keep moving.”

Wasserman Head of Global Boxing, Kalle Sauerland said: “We march on, to May and the world championship for Lyndon Arthur.
“We have had it confirmed by the IBO that Lyndon is now mandatory challenger for the vacant belt and we will find out his opponent in the next few weeks, but there will be a world title for Lyndon Arthur in May.”

Also live in front of the Channel 5 audience, Kane Gardner edged out Conah Walker after an electric eight rounds in Bolton.

Local hero Gardner was given the nod 78-76 over Wolverhampton’s Walker but both men emerged with huge credit after delivering a thrilling contest.

The fearsome flyweight Chloe Watson closed the show by extending her unbeaten professional record to 5-0 with a four round win over Romina Sosa.

Watson, coached by Ricky Hatton, set a lightning quick pace against her Argentinean rival and, roared on by her loyal army of fans, took a well deserved 39-37 victory.

James Moorcroft earned a shot at the English welterweight title with a devastating second round stoppage of Nathan Bennett. 

Moorcroft, trained by Manchester legend Anthony Crolla, sent Bennett to the floor after a barrage of heavy shots and though his Liverpool rival beat the count, the referee decided he was in no fit state to continue. 

Victory in this final eliminator now secures Wigan’s Moorcroft a shot at English glory. 

Crowd favourite Niall Brown and Bahadur Karami engaged in a fight-of-the-night contender over six punishing rounds. 

Both men received a standing ovation, but it was Brown who had his hand raised, winning 59-55 on the official’s card. 

Unbeaten German middleweight Denis Radovan saw his blood-stained battle with Fouad El Masaoudi brought to a premature finish in round five. 

The ringside doctor deemed the cut above El Masaoudi’s eye was too severe for him to continue and so at 1:45 of the round, the fight was stopped with the referee having Radovan 50-46 ahead at the time. 

Other undercard results:  

Bobby Faulkner 40-36 Georgi Velichkov 

Sultan Zaurbek WTKO5 Facundo Arce 

Oliver Zaren 40-36 Frane Radnic

Alex Murphy 40-36 Liam Fox 

Katharina Thanderz 77-75 Ioana Fecioru  

Ashley Marron WRTD1 Daryl Pearce  

WBC Super Middleweight Title (Interim) – 12 Rounds

David Benavídez – 166 ¾ lbs.

Caleb Plant – 167 ¼ lbs.

Referee: Kenny Bayless; Judges: Tim Cheatham (Nev.), Dave Moretti (Nev.), Steve Weisfeld (N.J.)

Super Welterweight Bout – 10 Rounds

Jesús Ramos – 153 ¼ lbs.

Joey Spencer – 153 ¼ lbs.

Referee: Tony Weeks; Judges: Max DeLuca (Calif.), Patricia Morse Jarman (Nev.), David Sutherland (Okla.)

Lightweight Bout – 10 Rounds

Chris Colbert – 134 ½ lbs.

Jose Valenzuela – 134 lbs.

Referee: Celestino Ruiz; Judges: Glenn Feldman (Conn.), Lisa Giampa (Nev.), Don Trella (Conn.)

WBC Welterweight Title Eliminator – 12 Rounds

Cody Crowley – 145 ¼ lbs.

Abel Ramos – 146 lbs.

Referee: Robert Hoyle; Judges: Tim Cheatham (Nev.), Chris Migliore (Nev.), Steve Weisfeld (N.J.)

SHOWTIME PPV COUNTDOWN

Stream Live at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

on the SHOWTIME SPORTS^® YouTube Channel and the

SHOWTIME Boxing Facebook Page

Super Bantamweight Bout – 10 Rounds

Kevin Gonzalez – 121 ½ lbs.

José Sanmartin – 121 ½ lbs.

Referee: Allen Huggins; Judges: Max DeLuca (Calif.), Lisa Giampa (Nev.), David Sutherland (Okla.)

Super Lightweight Bout – 10 Rounds

Orestes Velazquez – 142 lbs.

Marcelino Lopez – 141 ¾ lbs.

Referee: Tony Weeks; Judges: Patricia Morse Jarman (Nev.), Chris Migliore (Nev.), Don Trella (Conn.)

Veteran sportscaster Brian Custer will host the SHOWTIME PPV telecast while versatile combat sports voice Mauro Ranallo will handle blow-by-blow action alongside Hall of Fame analyst Al Bernstein and three-division world champion Abner Mares. Three Hall of Famers round out the telecast team – Emmy^® award winning reporter Jim Gray, world-renowned ring announcer Jimmy Lennon, Jr., and boxing historian Steve Farhood as unofficial scorer. The executive producer is four-time Emmy award winner David Dinkins, Jr. with Bob Dunphy, son of Hall of Fame boxing announcer Don Dunphy, directing. Sportscaster Alejandro Luna will call the action in Spanish on Secondary Audio Programming (SAP) with former world champion and SHOBOX: The New Generation^® commentator Raúl “El Diamante” Marquez serving as the expert analyst. 

The SHOWTIME PPV COUNTDOWN show is hosted by award-winning MORNING KOMBAT live digital talk show hosts Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell, who also serves as an analyst alongside Marquez on SHOBOX.

#          #          #

ABOUT BENAVIDEZ VS. PLANT

Benavídez vs. Plant will see undefeated former two-time WBC Super Middleweight Champion David “The Mexican Monster” Benavídez and former IBF Super Middleweight Champion Caleb Plant meet in a high-stakes, 12-round showdown for Benavídez’s Interim WBC Super Middleweight Title live on SHOWTIME PPV on Saturday, March 25 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

In the co-main event, unbeaten rising stars Jesús “Mono” Ramos and Joey Spencer will go toe-to-toe in a 10-round super welterweight scuffle, as each fighter looks to make their claim as the future of the 154-pound division. The action will also see rising lightweights Chris “Primetime” Colbert and Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela meet in a 10-round duel, while unbeaten welterweight contender Cody Crowley faces the hard-hitting Abel Ramos in the telecast opener at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow #BenavidezPlant, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotionss or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxing.

    •  Jose Ramirez 140 lbs. vs. Richard Commey 140 lbs
(WBC Junior Welterweight Title Eliminator — 12 Rounds)

   •   Seniesa Estrada 104.2 lbs vs. Tina Rupprecht 104.8 lbs
(WBA, WBC & Ring Magazine Minimumweight World Titles — 10 Rounds)

•  Antonio Mireles 265.4 lbs vs. Patrick Mailata 321.4 lbs
 (Heavyweight — 6 Rounds)

(ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT)

•    Raymond Muratalla 136.6 lbs vs. Humberto Galindo 136 lbs
 (Lightweight— 10 Rounds)

•  Charlie Sheehy 134.8 lbs vs. Angel Rebollar 133.4 lbs
 (Lightweight — 6 Rounds)

•   Jessie James Guerrero 109 lbs vs. Eduardo Alvarez 108.6 lbs
 (Light Flyweight — 4 Rounds)

•  Ricardo Ruvalcaba 140.8 lbs vs. Marco Antonio Cardenas 140.4 lbs
 (Junior Welterweight — 6 Rounds)

•    Subaru Murata 121.6 lbs vs. Jose Negrete 121.4 lbs
 (Junior Featherweight — 4 Rounds)

Las Vegas – UFC^® returns to the APEX with a pivotal clash in the heavyweight division that will see No. 3 ranked Sergei Pavlovich take on No. 4 Curtis Blaydes. The co-main event will see bantamweight contenders No. 8 Song Yadong and No. 10 Ricky Simon square off.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: PAVLOVICH vs. BLAYDES will take place Saturday, April 22 at UFC APEX in Las Vegas. The entire card will be available on ESPN+ in English and Spanish, with the main card starting at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT and the prelims beginning at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT.

The hard-hitting Pavlovich (17-1, fighting out of Moscow, Russia) sets out to deliver a sixth consecutive first-round knockout in his first UFC main event. The Russian-born striker has delivered devastating finishes against formidable foes Tai Tuivasa, Derrick Lewis, and Shamil Abdurakhimov, and now has his sights set on putting away Blaydes and becoming a viable title contender.

Heavyweight veteran Blaydes (17-3 1NC, fighting out of Chicago, Ill.) aims to showcase another dominant performance. Throughout his UFC run, Blaydes has scored numerous memorable victories, including wins over Tom Aspinall, Chris Daukaus, and former UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos. Blaydes now intends on extinguishing Pavlovich’s win streak and proving that he deserves a shot at the heavyweight throne.

China’s Song (19-7-1 1NC, fighting out of Heilongjiang, China) looks to regain momentum with a decisive win over a surging contender. An unrelenting force in the bantamweight division, he holds wins over Marlon Moraes, Marlon Vera, and Casey Kenney. Song now plans to defeat another ranked contender in Simon.

Simon (20-3, fighting out of Vancouver, Wash.) looks to start 2023 with a bang by handing out a show-stealing win. A versatile finisher, he has delivered impressive wins over elite competition such as Merab Dvalishvili, Raphael Assunção, and Jack Shore. Simon is now gunning to deliver a highlight-reel performance against Song to inch his way closer to the Top 5 rankings.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• UFC veteranBrad Tavares (19-7, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) looks to deliver a stellar showing against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Bruno Silva (13-5-2, fighting out of Bauru, Sao Paulo, Brazil) at middleweight
• An electrifying welterweight bout sees Jeremiah Wells (11-2, fighting out of Philadelphia, Penn.) lock horns with the always entertaining Matthew Semeslberger (11-4, fighting out of Frederick, Md.)
• Exciting lightweights Bobby Green (29-14-1, fighting out of Fontana, Calif.) and Jared Gordon (19-6, fighting out of Astoria, N.Y.) look to steal the show
• Iasmin Lucindo (13-5, fighting out Fortaleza, Brazil) meets The Ultimate Fighter season 30 finalist Brogan Walker (8-3, fighting out of Hagåtña, Guam) at flyweight
• Dana White’s Contender Series signee Caio Borralho (13-1, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) goes toe-to-toe with Michal Oleksiejczuk (18-5, fighting out of Barki, Poland) in an exciting middleweight matchup
• Rick Glenn (22-6-2, fighting out of Des Moines, Iowa) battles Christos Giagos (19-10, fighting out of Deerfield Beach, Fla.) at lightweight
• At bantamweight, Rani Yahya (28-10-1, fighting out of Brasilia, Brazil) looks to break the three-fight win streak of Montel Jackson (13-2, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.)
• A stylistic thriller pits No. 9 ranked bantamweight Karol Rosa (16-4, fighting out of Niteroi, Brazil) against Sanda black belt Norma Dumont (8-2, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) at featherweight
• A fiery flyweight contest sees undefeated Rafael Estevam (11-0, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) make his UFC debut against fellow Dana White’s Contender Series signee Carlos Candelario (8-3, fighting out of Springfield, Wash.)
• Guaranteed fireworks are set for the heavyweight division as The Ultimate Fighter season 30winner Mohammed Usman (9-2, fighting out of Denver, Colo.) takes onundefeated UFC newcomer Junior Tafa (4-0, fighting out of Queensland, Australia)
• An exciting featherweight tilt will see Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner Francis Marshall (7-0, fighting out of N.J.) put his perfect record on the line against William Gomis (11-2, fighting out of Paris, France)
• Heavy-handed striker Priscila Cachoeira (12-4, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and Karine Silva (15-4, fighting out of Curitiba, Parana, Brazil) square off at flyweight
• Bantamweights start the night’s action as The Ultimate Fighter season 30 finalist Brady Hiestand (7-2, fighting out of Spokane Valley, Wash.)meets Batgerel Danaa (12-4, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.)

Visit the UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage.

###

About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 688 million fans and 198 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 24.9 million subscribers. Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices).

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

Boxing is heading into Beast Mode. 

English football’s biggest cult hero Adebayo Akinfenwa is the new voice of boxing, live on Channel 5, after signing up with Wasserman Boxing, to become the MC for tonight’s huge show in Bolton. 

Akinfewa, known to football fans around the world as ‘The Beast’, will kick-off his ring announcing journey as Lyndon Arthur faces the dangerous late replacement Boris Crighton live in front of a huge audience on free-to-air TV, in association with Ladbrokes, Numan and Infinitum Entertainment. 

The larger-than-life former striker played almost 800 times, and scored over 200 goals, in a career that saw him become one of the game’s most colourful and recognised characters. 

Described by Pep Guardiola as a “legend of English football”, the iconic Akinfenwa will now bring his booming voice and heavyweight personality to the boxing ring. 

“Boxing better get ready for some Beast Mode energy” roared Akinfenwa  

“When I retired from football last year, I made it clear that I wanted to try my hand at a lot of different things, and being a big-time boxing MC was top of that list. 

“Everyone knows I’m a huge boxing fan and I cannot wait to bring my Beast energy to Bolton on Friday night, on a huge night for Lyndon Arthur, live on Channel 5, with Wasserman Boxing. 

“The atmosphere on Friday night is going to be electric and I cannot wait to announce the fighters to the ring.” 

Akinfenwa, known as the strongest striker in the world during his playing days, amassed a huge army of followers because of his footballing exploits but hopes to win new fans by stepping through the ropes, and picking up the mic. 

“Big time boxing on Channel 5 just got a whole lot bigger!” buzzed Wasserman Head of Global Boxing, Kalle Sauerland. 

“We are thrilled to have Adebayo announcing the fighters to ring, live on Channel 5, on Friday night and the Beast Mode energy he is going to bring will crank up the excitement levels for Lyndon Arthur’s dangerous fight against Crighton. 

“Adebayo became a huge fan favourite in football and we know the boxing fans are going to love him!” 

Lyndon Arthur vs Boris Crighton is live and free-to-air on Channel 5 at 10pm.

Tickets are available from Wassermanboxing.com