Las Vegas – UFC^® continues its run of shows at UFC APEX with a thrilling bantamweight contenders’ bout that will see No. 5 ranked Rob Font take on No. 8 Marlon Vera. The co-main event will see former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski  go for his fourth consecutive win when he meets Jake Collier.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: FONT vs. VERA will take place Saturday, April 30 UFC APEX in Las Vegas. The main card will be available on ESPN and ESPN Deportes, as well as simulcast in English and Spanish on ESPN+, starting at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT. The prelims will kick off on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT.

Exciting striker Font (19-5, fighting out of Woburn, Mass.) entered the bantamweight Top 5 with a three-year undefeated run beginning in 2018. During this time, he secured exciting wins against former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt, Marlon Moraes and Sergio Pettis. Font now aims to defend his spot in the rankings by becoming the first fighter to finish Vera.

Diverse finisher Vera (18-7-1, fighting out of Chone, Manabí, Ecuador) looks to continue his ascent up the 135-pound ladder with another show-stealing performance. Throughout his UFC run, he has earned memorable victories over former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, Davey Grant and Sean O’Malley. Vera now intends to stop Font to crack the division’s Top 5 for the first time in his career.

Arlovski (33-20 2NC, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) looks to extend his record for most wins in UFC heavyweight history to 23. A seasoned MMA veteran, he holds notable victories against former titleholders Fabricio Werdum, Frank Mir and Tim Sylvia. Arlovski now has his sights set on dispatching another rising heavyweight to earn a shot at a Top 15 ranked contender.

Collier (13-6, fighting out of Cuba, Mo.) hopes to further cement his heavyweight run by taking out his first former champion. A former UFC middleweight, he has delivered impressive wins over Chase Sherman, Gian Villante and Marcel Fortuna. Collier is now gunning for another finish at heavyweight by delivering a highlight-reel performance.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• Andre Fili (21-8 1NC, fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.) squares off with Joanderson Brito (12-3-1, fighting out of Bauru, Sao Paulo, Brazil) at featherweight
• Jared Gordon (18-4, fighting out of Queens, N.Y.) meets Grant Dawson (17-1-1, fighting out of Lee’s Summit, Mo.) in an intriguing lightweight bout
• Perennial fan favorite Darren Elkins (27-10, fighting out of Portage, Ind.) battles Tristan Connelly (14-7, fighting out of Vancouver, B.C., Canada) at featherweight
• Krzysztof Jotko (23-5, fighting out of Orneta, Poland) takes on Gerald Meerschaert (34-14, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.) in a clash of middleweight veterans
• Daniel Lacerda (11-2, fighting out of Valença, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) faces Francisco Figueiredo (12-4-1 1NC, fighting out of Soure, Para, Brazil) at flyweight
• Gabe Green (10-3, fighting out of San Pedro, Calif.) meets unbeaten Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner Yohan Lainesse (8-0, fighting out of Saint-Bruno, Quebec, Canada) in a welterweight bout
• Natan Levy (6-1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. by way of Herzliya, Israel) and Mike Breeden (10-4, fighting Lee’s Summit, Mo.) each vie for their first UFC victory in a lightweight bout
• Gina Mazany (7-5, fighting out of Kansas City, Mo.) takes on Shanna Young (8-5, fighting out of Knoxville, Tenn.) at flyweight
• Undefeated flyweight Tatsuro Taira (10-0, fighting out of Naha, Okinawa, Japan) debuts against Dana White’s Contender Series signee Carlos Candelario (8-1, fighting out of Hartford, Conn.)

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

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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 21.3 million subscribers.

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Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

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.

LAS VEGAS (April 21, 2022) — Lightweight Raymond “Danger” Muratalla, a Southern California dynamo with eight consecutive knockouts, is aiming for another show-stopping performance in Las Vegas. Muratalla will fight New Orleans native Jeremy Hill in an eight-rounder Saturday, April 30, on the undercard of the Oscar Valdez-Shakur Stevenson WBC/WBO junior lightweight title unification tilt at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Valdez-Stevenson, an eight-round lightweight co-feature between U.S. Olympic silver medalist Keyshawn Davis and Esteban Sanchez, and Nico Ali Walsh-Alejandro Ibarra will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Muratalla-Hill and additional undercard action will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.

Muratalla (13-0, 11 KOs) grew up fighting in his father’s backyard boxing ring in Fontana, a well-known cultivator of talent that saw everyone from Ryan Garcia to 2016 U.S. Olympian Karlos Balderas step through the ropes. After a fruitful amateur career, Muratalla turned pro in Mexico in 2016 and worked his way up the SoCal circuit before signing a long-term deal with Top Rank. In 2020, he won two fights inside the MGM Grand Las Vegas Bubble and emerged as a contender to watch in 2021. Last November, he made the most of his opportunity on the televised Terence Crawford-Shawn Porter PPV undercard, stopping Elias Araujo in five rounds. Hill (16-2, 11 KOs) won his first 14 fights before a 1-2 skid that saw him drop competitive decisions to Steven Ortiz and Nahir Albright. He kicked off his 2022 campaign with a second-round knockout over Jonathan Perez in New Orleans.

In other undercard bouts:
Junior lightweight contender Andres “Savage” Cortes (16-0, 9 KOs), a Las Vegas native who recently inked a long-term contract with Top Rank, looks to make a hometown statement versus Alexis del Bosque (18-5-1, 9 KOs) in an eight-rounder. del Bosque is 5-0-1 in his last six fights, while Cortes is coming off brutal knockout wins over Mark Bernaldez and former world title challenger Genesis Servania.

Cleveland-born lightweight sensation Abdullah Mason (1-0, 1 KO), who turned 18 years old earlier this month, goes for 2-0 in a four-rounder against Luciano Ramos (1-2). Mason made his pro debut last November as a 17-year-old, knocking out Jaylan Phillips in two rounds.

Recent U.S. Olympian Troy Isley (4-0, 2 KOs), from Alexandria, Virginia, will fight in a six-round middleweight bout against an opponent to be named. Isley has won two bouts since advancing to the Round of 16 at the Tokyo Olympics.

Rising lightweight Charlie Sheehy (2-0, 2 KOs), the Bay Area product with a pair of devastating knockouts to begin his pro career, goes for his third straight against New Orleans native Burnell Jenkins (2-1, 1 KO) in a four-rounder. Jenkins has won two fights since losing his pro debut in 2019.

Junior welterweight prospect Antoine Cobb (1-0, 1 KO), Stevenson’s close friend and training partner, returns against the upset-minded Jaylan Phillips (1-2, 1 KO) in a four-rounder. Cobb made his pro debut last October with a sensational first-round stoppage on the Stevenson-Jamel Herring undercard.
Promoted by Top Rank, tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting AXS.com.

Hialeah, FL / April 21, 2022 – When professional boxing returns to Hialeah Park for the second time this year on Saturday May 7, 2022 for Una Gran Noche de Boxeo Cubano 2, it’s not a stretch at all to say that Ulysees Diaz will be “the most interesting fighter on the card.”

Diaz is 41 years old, a veteran yet relatively inexperienced professional boxer, with only 13 pro bouts on his 12-1 (11 KOs) record dating back to his debut in January of 2017.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to telling the tale of the Cuban-born, Miami- based cruiserweight.

Start with the fact that he grew up in Miami with the incredibly accomplished rapper and singer Pitbull. “We’re like brothers,” Diaz said. “We’ve been best friends since we were little kids.”

Add that Diaz has an incredible social media presence, including 54,300 followers of his uly_monster Instagram page, that will create significant added exposure when Hialeah Park Casino, in association with Warriors Boxing and Rivalta Boxing, presents Una Gran Noche de Boxeo Cubano 2 on May 7.

And factor in that Diaz also holds the record for the fastest knockout in all of combat sports history, a three-second one punch KO of Daniele Benedetto in a Bare Knuckles Boxing bout, and it’s easy to see why promoter Henry Rivalta is excited to have Diaz on the card.

“He’s nicknamed ‘The Monster’ for a reason,” Rivalta explained. “He’s exciting in the ring, he goes right for the knockout, and he brings a big fan base with him. We’re thrilled that he’s on the card for Una Gran Noche De Boxeo Cubano 2!”

“I’m a technical brawler,” noted Diaz. “I’m not a kid anymore, so I push myself physically to keep in shape. I don’t take any days off from training, I eat well, and I get plenty of sleep.”

Diaz will fight on the early part of the undercard of Una Gran Noche De Boxeo Cubano 2 against an opponent not yet named.

The May 7 festivities will be highlighted by two title fights, one featuring the undefeated Cuban heavyweight prospect and Mike Tyson look-alike Lenier “El Justiciero” Peró (6-0, 3 KOs) against Hector Perez (7-4, 3 KOs) for the NABO Heavyweight championship and the other pitting cruiserweight Anthony “White Chocolate” Martinez (12-1, 11 KOs) against #15 IBF contender David Light (17-0, 11 KOs) of New Zealand for the WBO International Cruiserweight title.

Before the main events on the May 7 card, Cuban super-lightweight Orestes Velazquez (3-0, 3 KOs), coming off a victory in “the fight of the night” on the January 28 card at Hialeah Park, faces former WBO champion Juan Carlos Salgado (27-9, 16 KOs), Cuban welterweight Livan Navarro (11-1, 7 KOs) returns to the ring for the first time since his only defeat to face tough Mexican veteran Silverio Ortiz (37-29, 18 KOs), and Cuban super-bantamweight Ariel Perez de la Torre (7-0, 5 KOs) risks his undefeated status against the well-experienced Lucas Baez (37-21-5, 20 KOs).

Tickets for Una Gran Noche de Boxeo Cubano 2 are now on sale through the Hialeah Park web site at www.hialeahpark.com.

Alen Babic will look to keep his destructive knockout streak going when he takes on Adam Balski for the vacant WBC Silver Bridgerweight Title on the undercard of Joshua Buatsi’s huge domestic Light-Heavyweight clash with Craig Richards at The O2 in London on Saturday May 21, live worldwide on DAZN (excluding New Zealand and Australia).
 
The big-hitting Croat took six rounds to take out Frenchman David Spilmont on the undercard of Joseph Parker’s rematch with Derek Chisora last time out in December – taking ‘The Savage’s’ record to ten knockouts from ten fights since turning pro in July 2019.
 
Northampton’s WBC and IBF Super-Lightweight World Champion Chantelle Cameron (15-0, 8 KOs) defends her crowns against Argentina’s former World Champion Victoria Noelia Bustos (23-6) as she waits for a date for her huge Undisputed clash with WBA and WBO ruler Kali Reis.
 
Liverpool’s Robbie Davies Jr (22-3, 15 KOs) looks to build on his impressive stoppage win over Henry Lundy back in December when he puts his WBA Continental Super-Lightweight Title on the line against another American Javier Molina (22-4, 9 KOs).
 
Catford’s Ellie Scotney (4-0) was made to work hard as she battled past Jorgelina Guanini to earn the WBA Intercontinental Super-Bantamweight crown at the famous Alexandra Palace in February – she puts that belt on the line against Argentina’s former World Champion Maria Cecilia Roman (16-6-1).
 
Elsewhere on the card there’s action for Takeley Light-Heavyweight youngster ‘The Gentleman’ John Hedges (5-0, 1 KO), former Team GB Olympian turned Cruiserweight prospect Cheavon Clarke (1-0, 1 KO) and London Super-Lightweight talent Shiloh ‘Sugar Shy’ Defreitas (3-0, 2 KOs).

Harlem Eubank (13-0, 5 KOs) says he is going to put on a show when he faces Sean ‘Masher’ Dodd (17-6-1, 3 KOs) on Friday May 13 as part of an action-packed night of free-to-air boxing at the Indigo at the O2, live on Channel 5.
 
The 28-year-old returns to action following an impressive performance on the undercard of cousin Chris Eubank Jr’s grudge match with Liam Williams in February, which saw the Brighton boxer force former IBF Intercontinental Champion Viorel Simion to retire at the end of the fifth-round.
 
The exciting Super Lightweight now has the opportunity to showcase his skills in front of a huge television audience on Channel 5 as he looks to become the latest star name to emerge from his famous fighting family.
 
“This is a fight where I’m going to learn a lot and I think I’m going to show people a lot as well,” said Eubank. “It’s the perfect next step on my journey. I’ve got big dreams in boxing, big aspirations and this is a fight that will help me gain the experience I need to get to the next level.
 
“Boxing on Channel 5 is great. I watched my cousin Chris boxing on Channel 5 when he was coming up. There’s nothing better than terrestrial television when you’re going from the ground up. Channel 5 gives you that audience. It’s not just people who would watch boxing normally. It’s going to be people who might just flick on to Channel 5, see the boxing is on and tune in. I want to engage with these people to build my fanbase and to build the sport. I want people to see my fight, enjoy it, and then follow the journey from there.
 
“It’s been great since signing with Wasserman. They’ve provided me with the fights I need and kept me active. I got to fight on my cousin Chris’ undercard which was a big milestone for me, and now they’re looking to propel me onto the next stage and develop my career in the right way at the right time. This fight has come at a good time for me. Sean is a very experienced fighter and it’s going to be a good test but I’m going to come through with flying colours. I’m excited to get out there and put on a show!”
 
The return of Josh Kelly (10-1-1, 6 KOs) against Xhuljo Vrenozi (18-4,3 KOs), Harlem Eubank (13-0, 5 KOs) versus Sean Dodd (17-6-1, 3 KOs) and the hotly anticipated British Middleweight Title clash between Linus Udofia (17-0, 9 KOs) and Denzel Bentley (15-1-1, 13 KOs) will top a stacked card in the capital as Wasserman Boxing launch their first free-to-air event live on Channel 5 on Friday May 13 at the Indigo at the O2, in association with William Hill, Numan and Infinitum Entertainment.
 
Tickets are on sale now and available via www.wassermanboxing.com

LIVERPOOL, APRIL 21 – Paul Butler and Jonas Sultan squared off for the final time ahead of their WBO interim world bantamweight title clash in Liverpool. 

Sultan has stepped in as a late replacement for John Riel Casimero to face local hero Butler at the M&S Bank Arena in the headline fight at Probellum Liverpool on Friday night. 

Sam Maxwell came face to face with Alejandro Meneses ahead of their scrap for the IBO super-lightweight title with Peter McGrail and Jazza Dickens among those who also hit the scales at the Hilton Hotel. 

The packed card will be shown live, free and exclusive on Probellum.com with the opening bout of the night due to start at 4:30pm. 

MAIN EVENT? 

WBO INTERIM WORLD BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE 

Paul Butler (33-2) 117.8lbs 

Jonas Sultan (18-5) 117.6lbs 

8 Rounds Super Bantamweight Contest? 

Peter McGrail (3-0) 124.4lbs 

Uriel Lopez (15-17-1)?124.2lbs 

? 
IBO WORLD SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE 

Sam Maxwell (16-0) 138.8lbs 

Alejandro Meneses (15-5) 139.2lbs 

? 
10 Rounds Featherweight Contest? 

James Dickens (30-4) 126lbs 

Andoni Gago (25-4-4) 125.2lbs 

? 
8 Rounds Super Middleweight Contest? 

Rocky Fielding (29-2) 175.4lbs 

Timo Laine (30-17) 171.4lbs 

?
4 Rounds Bantamweight Contest? 

Will Cawley (1-0) 119.6lbs 

Marius Vysniauskas (2-12) 117.6lbs 

? 
4 Rounds Super Featherweight Contest? 

Harry Kinsella (Debut) 130lbs 

Christian Narvaez (16-38-6) 131lbs 

? 
4 Rounds Super Bantamweight Contest? 

Joe McGrail (2-0) 122lbs 

Mohammed Alwarith (0-2) 121.6lbs 

4 Rounds Lightweight Contest? 

Frankie Stringer (Debut) 136lbs 

Simas Volosinas (7-102) Weighs in on day 

? 
4 Rounds Super Featherweight Contest 

Steven Cairns (2-0)?133lbs 

Jose Hernandez (4-41-1) 127lbs 

1630? 

6 Rounds Bantamweight Contest? 

Blane Hyland (5-1)?118lbs 

Stephen Jackson (1-15) 117lbs 

LAS VEGAS, NV (April 19, 2022) – Boxing returns to Las Vegas on May 5, 2022, as Reid Boxing will put on a spectacular Cinco de Mayo show, featuring two prospects putting their undefeated records on the line. Lester Martinez (11-0, 10 KOs), a power punching slugger from Guatemala City, Guatemala, will square off against Juan Abraham Villegas (17-0, 13 KOs) of Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, in a 10-round super middleweight main event bout.

The event titled, Thursday Night Fight Vibes, will take place at the Sahara Event Center. Tickets priced $20, $25, $35, $50, $75, $100 and $150 (VIP), are on sale now and can be purchased at Eventbrite.com. The Sahara Event Center located on East Karen Avenue in Las Vegas, NV. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. PT, first fight starts at 7:15 p.m. PT.

The co-main event will showcase Robin Sirwan Safar (14-0, 10 KOs) vs. Christian Thomas (11-0, 9 KOs) in an additional battle of undefeated prospects putting their unbeaten records to the test. Safar vs. Thomas, an 8-round bout, will be in the light heavyweight division.

The undercard bouts will be loaded with more exciting fights as heavyweights DeAndre Savage (3-0, 3 KOs) and Antonio Zapeda (3-0, 3 KOs), will battle in a scheduled 6-round bout. Again, someone’s “0” must go.

Rising star, Able Mendoza (32-0, 25 KOs), will risk his unbeaten record against Ricardo Proano (11-4, 9 KOs) in a 10-round lightweight bout. Mendoza, who hails from El Paso, TX, has been making noise in the lightweight division, and promises to bring the heat on fight night.

Other undercard bouts:

Light heavyweight Britton Norwood (10-4-1, 7 KO) of Las Vegas, NV, will face Juan Higuera (4-0, 3 KOs) of Tijuana, Mexico. (6-rounds)

Welterweight Jeremy Nichols (9-2-1, 3 KOs) of Las Vegas, NV, will battle Joseph Bonas (7-1, 6 KOs) of Detroit, MI. (6-rounds)

Super featherweight Sha’rhod Williams (3-0, 3 KOs) of Las Vegas, NV, will face Shamar Canal (1-0, 1 KO) of Albany, NY. (4-rounds)

Welterweight Anthony Demonte (4-0, 3 KOs) and super bantamweight Andy Beltran (4-0, 2 KO) will all face opponents TBA.

POMONA, CA (April 20, 2022) – Lightweight sensation, Ernesto “Tito” Mercado (5-0, 5 KOs), who has knocked out every opponent he has faced, will return on Thursday, May 12, 2022, against Jose Zaragoza (8-4-1, 2 KOs). The scheduled 6-round bout will take place in Montebello, California, at the Quiet Cannon Country Club, promoted by Tom Loeffler’s 360 Promotions airing live on UFC Fight Pass.

Mercado is one of the most active fighters in the lightweight division and has stopped his last four opponents in the first round, with his last being a 36-fight veteran in Daniel Evangelista Jr. (20-14-2, 16 KOs), who was thought could take him rounds. It is clear Mercado’s power is different compared to his peers. His upcoming fight against Zaragoza will be his third bout of 2022.

“I want to be the most feared lightweight in the world, I have stopped every opponent I have faced, and this fight will be no different as I plan to come out throwing bombs,” said Mercado, who looks to be the hardest-hitting lightweight prospect in the world right now. “I’m always looking for opponents to give me more rounds, but I’ve been getting them hurt early, and when that happens my instinct is to always go for the knockout. I know the next level of competition will be different where I will have to go the distance, but it’s been nice ending fights early. The goal is to stay as active as possible so I can get into the world title picture by the end of next year.”

Mercado will look to get his sixth knockout in a row on May 12th, and with his knockout power, appears to be one of the most exciting fighters in all of boxing.

“My only focus right now is winning a world title and bringing it back to the gym with my father,” continued Mercado. “Everything is secondary to that goal. In 2022 I’ve been extremely active and it’s making me a better fighter, my confidence is at an all-time high. I want to be respected as the best lightweight of this era. I am chasing greatness, I think a lot of fighters now are not fighting with the pride you’d see in fighters from the 80s, and I am built from that cloth. I’m definitely like to consider myself as a throwback fighter”

LONDON (April 20, 2022) —The drama surrounding whether Dillian Whyte would show up for Wednesday’s press conference was much ado about nothing. The WBC Interim heavyweight champion arrived on time, and he and WBC/Lineal/Ring Magazine heavyweight champion Tyson Fury exchanged more pleasantries than trash talk three days out from their showdown at Wembley Stadium (ESPN+ PPV, 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT).

Fury will defend his crown on the world-famous football pitch Saturday in front of a UK-record crowd of approximately 94,000. This is what Fury, Whyte, Queensberry Promotions’ Frank Warren, and Top Rank President Todd duBoef had to say.

Tyson Fury

“We’ve had a great preparation. There are never any complaints from me. We always do what we can do in training camps and do the best that we can do on the night. I’m sure Dillian Whyte’s had a great training camp as well. He’s a good fighting man. The fans are in for a real treat. I know Dillian. I know him personally, and he knows me. And we’re going to rock n’ roll on fight night. We’re ready to throw down and treat us all to a hell of a barnstorm.”

“It’s been an amazing journey. From where I started all those years ago to the ups and downs and being away from boxing and being fat as f**k, 28 stone. To coming back and being mentally out, a druggie and an alcoholic—all of the rest of the stuff—I’m not ashamed of it. It’s a part of who I am. To coming back and getting back to the top of the world and having three big fights with Deontay Wilder over there in the U.S., and now being back in England after all these years, four years away, and now I’m fighting my old pal Dillian Whyte back at home for all the glory and all the belts. Who would have thought it? We’re looking forward to an awesome, memorable night. This will break all records.”

“Dillian Whyte is a good fighter. He is a good, strong, solid man. He’s big. He’s strong. He’s tough. He’s game. He’s got good power. He’s knocked out a lot of men. He’s had a good learning career as well. He’s got a lot of experience in the fight game. He’s definitely a man that needs a lot of respect. And that’s why I’ve given all this training camp we’ve had. I’ve had everything I can possibly do to train for this. I’ve haven’t left any stones unturned. I’ve trained as hard for Dillian as I have for Wilder or Klitschko

Dillian Whyte

“It means everything to me to be fighting in my home country, and especially because it’s for the world title at Wembley. It’s not too far from where I’m from. It means everything. It’s massive. It’s a moment I’ve been waiting for. It’s a big fight. Like Tyson said, we didn’t expect to be here. But I’m here, but I’ve taken risks time and time again. I’ve had a couple slipups along the way, but I’m here and I’m ready to go. You won’t hear any bullsh*t from me. I’m ready to go.”

On Not Showing Up to Promotional Events
“There was no strategy. There are two sides to his story. You only hear one side of the story because one side says a lot of things. Because I didn’t say anything, everyone was saying ‘you’re scared’ and ‘you’re hiding.’ I ain’t scared of sh*t. I ain’t hiding from sh*t. Stuff needed to get done. Obviously, the fight was signed.  But there were other things behind the scenes that needed to get signed. Me and Frank got together. Credit due to him as me and my team were trying to pick up the phone for a long time to get stuff done.”

“This is one of those fights where I’ve been working on being adaptable. I’m going to have to adapt, make smart decisions, when I need to do what and how I need to do it, and how I need to approach what I’m doing. So that’s it. There’s no strategy here. That’s it. I just need to go in there and do my thing.”

Todd duBoef

“This is more than boxing. This is the world of sport. This is a global epicenter for entertainment and sport. It’s a tribute to all of us in the room. It’s a tribute to Frank Warren, BT Sport and especially these two prizefighters who have brought it all for the many years and hard work in the gym to elevate the sport. The world is all going to be watching, not only 94,000. This is an honor to be a part of, and it’s going to be a wonderful night. We will all remember this.”

Frank Warren

“You’ve got the best heavyweight of his generation, the lineal champion and the WBC champion against a young man over there in Dillian who was been waiting…How long have you been waiting for this fight? 1700 days? He’s been waiting for this fight for 34 years. And it’s here now. He’s got the fight. And, we know he’s in great shape. But he’s got to train hard when you fight a guy like Tyson Fury. He’s told me that it’s been the best training camp that he’s ever had. So, you’ve got both of these guys in tip-top fighting condition. So, what are you going to get on the night of the fight? A great fight.”
UPCOMING FIGHT WEEK SCHEDULE
Thursday, April 21: Fury vs. Whyte Undercard Press Conference
12:30 p.m. UK/7:30 a.m. ET/4:30 a.m. PT

Streaming on Top Rank’s YouTube and Twitter pages

Friday, April 22: Fury vs. Whyte Weigh-In
2:30 p.m. UK/9:30 a.m. ET/6:30 a.m. PT
Live on ESPN2 and Top Rank’s YouTube and Twitter pages

Saturday, April 23: Fury vs. Whyte Fight Day
PPV Broadcast
2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT
CLICK HERE for ESPN+ Event Order Page

Fury vs. Whyte, 12 rounds, Fury’s WBC/Lineal/Ring Magazine Heavyweight titles

Anthony Cacace vs. Jonathan Romero, 10 rounds, Vacant WBO International Junior Lightweight title

Isaac Lowe vs. Nick Ball, 12 rounds, Vacant WBC Silver Featherweight title

David Adeleye vs. Chris Healey, 8 rounds, heavyweight

Tommy Fury vs. Daniel Bocianski, 6 rounds, light heavyweight

PLANT CITY, Florida (April 20, 2022): The sweet science is about to experience a revolutionary change, and it all starts with two action-packed battles in the light heavyweight and featherweight divisions.

ProBox TV, the first and only global sports streaming and media company dedicated exclusively to the sport of professional boxing, will host its first live broadcast on May 20 as IBF No. 1 Contender Fanlong Meng (17-0, 10 KOs) and former two-time world champion Jean Pascal (35-6-1, 20 KOs) meet in a 12-round clash for a top spot in the 175-pound division.

In the co-feature, former champion Xu Can (18-3, 3 KOs) makes his highly anticipated return against rugged Mexican warrior Brandon Benitez (18-2, 7 KOs) in a 10-round bout that is guaranteed to produce a war.

Ticket and undercard information for the event will be announced shortly. The entire event will be streamed live on ProBox TV from the Company’s Events Center in Plant City, Florida.

Meng is a 34-year-old southpaw who has been craving for a meaningful challenge. He made his professional debut in 2015 following a decorated amateur career where he represented China in the 2012 Olympic Games. Since then, he has captured two regional titles, the WBO Oriental and the IBF Intercontinental Light Heavyweight Titles. The native of Chifeng City, China is eager to step up in opposition in order to put himself in line for a world title. But in order to do so, he’ll have to take on the toughest, most dangerous test of his career against a former world champion.

“I’m so excited to get back in the ring and face former world champion Jean Pascal on May 20,” said Meng. “This fight is so unique for a lot of different reasons. It’s my first time as the main event fighter. It’s the first time I face a former world champion, and it’s the first time we will live stream in China so that 1.5 billion people can support. It’s also my first time fighting on ProBox, my home turf. I’ve been training very hard here in Florida. Camp has been great. I can’t wait to put on a good show.”

Pascal is generally considered to be one of the top light heavyweights of the past 15 years. In 2009, he defeated Adrian Diaconu to capture the WBC Light Heavyweight World Title. He defended it twice before capturing the IBO Light Heavyweight World Championship in a unification fight with Chad Dawson.

Pascal eventually lost the belts in a 2011 rematch to Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins, but had world title opportunities during the next few years against the likes of Sergey Kovalev and Dmitry Bivol. He will need to defeat Meng if he wants to remain a player in the division, and if age is a significant factor, then that means he’ll need to resort to using power and strength to stop the younger man early.

“It’s been a long time coming,” said Pascal. “I’m back with a lot to prove and a fire under my ass. This fight with Meng is a great opportunity for me to get right back where I belong, the top of the division. He’s a good fighter. He’s undefeated for a reason, but he’s never been in with anybody like me. After this fight, he and Ahmed Elbiali will have something in common, losses to me in Florida in fights his people should have never made.”

Can is a former world champion who is known for his volume punching and relentless action. The native of Fuzhou, China captured the WBA Featherweight World Title with a unanimous decision victory over Jesus Rojas in January 2019. He made defenses against Shun Kubo and Manny Robles III before losing the belt against Leigh Wood in July 2021.

Can will look to bounce back against a tough challenge in Benitez, a 24-year-old native of Queretaro, Mexico whose only losses have come against undefeated boxers. Benitez will enter this fight coming off a four-fight win streak.

“I’m excited to return to the ring in this tough fight against Brandon Benitez,” said Can. “Fans know my style. They know that I like to throw lots of punches. So when it’s a fight between me and a Mexican warrior like Benitez, you know it will be a war.”

“I am ready and excited for this opportunity to face a former world champion,” said Benitez. “This is the opportunity I’ve been fighting for all my life. I know it will be a difficult fight where there’ll be a lot of punches thrown, but I will be in great shape to not only throw more than my opponent, but also to win convincingly.”

In addition to this double main event, ProBox TV subscribers will be treated with an innovative tournament series titled “Last Chance.” Additional details will be announced shortly.

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ABOUT PROBOX TV
ProBox TV is the first and only global sports streaming and media company dedicated exclusively to the sport of professional boxing. Founded by former CEO of Iron Mike Productions Garry Jonas in partnership with the legendary Roy Jones Jr., Juan Manuel Marquez, Antonio Tarver, and Paulie Malignaggi, ProBox TV’s mission is to deliver real boxing fans an improved experience when watching and following the sport—all for the nominal monthly price of $1.99. Download the ProBox TV app or visit www.ProBoxTV.com to learn more. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Reddit.

As a business we have faced unprecedented levels of unfair scrutiny and criticism since the sanctioning by the US Government of Daniel Joseph Kinahan.

It is a matter of public record that Mr Kinahan’s involvement in MTK ceased in 2017, and despite repeated reassurances in this regard, unfounded allegations about his ongoing association with us and our fighters persist.

Since leading promoters have now informed us that they will be severing all ties with MTK and will no longer work with our fighters, we have taken the difficult decision to cease operations at the end of this month. 

MTK prospered because we always put the long term interests of our fighters at the heart of what we do. Our priority in the weeks ahead will be to ensure that our world class boxers are supported to find new partnerships as swiftly as possible.

MTK gyms are operated independently so will remain open for the foreseeable future. Further announcements will be made in due course.

Thank you to all the fans who have supported us over the last decade.

LIVERPOOL, APRIL 20 – Paul Butler will face WBO Intercontinental bantamweight champion Jonas Sultan in his huge homecoming fight at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena which tops a thrilling Probellum card on April 22.

With John Riel Casemiro being forced to pull out of facing Butler for the second time in the space of a few months, his Filipino countryman Sultan has been mandated to step up to fight for the interim bantamweight world title by WBO.

Butler (35-2, 15 knockouts) faces Sultan (18-5, 11 knockouts) after the Filipino’s unanimous decision victory over Carlos Carabello at Madison Square Garden in October.

The exciting Sultan – nicknamed One Punch – is unbeaten since his move up to bantamweight last year, also knocking out American Sharone Carter in August.

Speaking about the fight, Sultan said: “This is a big moment for me and I am hungry for it. There is a lot of hard work that has gone into my preparation and it was meant to be that I get in the ring against Butler this week.

“I will be dedicating this fight to my friend Ali Tazeem who tragically died last week. I have been training with him since we came over to the UK to prepare for this fight and I am 100% focused on bringing the belt home to his family when I win on Friday night.”

The huge bantamweight clash heads up the mouthwatering Probellum card which also sees Sam Maxwell’s IBO super-lightweight world title fight against Alejandro Meneses.

Local favourites Jazza Dickens, and brothers Peter and Joe McGrail complete the home interest in a night sure to entice a partisan local support in one of Britain’s boxing hotbeds.

The show will be join live, free and exclusive on Probellum.com

INDIO, CA (April 19, 2022) – Palmdale’s Joel Diaz, Jr. (26-2, 22 KOs) and San Diego’s Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta (32-3-3, 17 KOs) hosted a media workout today ahead of their 10-round lightweight fight on Thursday, April 21st at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, CA. Also in attendance was undefeated prospect Manuel Flores (11-0, 8 KOs) of Coachella, CA, who is set to face the veteran Victor Ruiz (23-12, 16 KOs) of Tijuana, Mexico in an 8-round super bantamweight fight.

The card will feature other Southern California prospect fighters including Jousce “Tito” Gonzalez (11-0-1, 10 KOs) from Glendora, CA, taking on Jairo Lopez (27-14, 17 KOs) of Apodaca, Mexico in an 8-round co-main lightweight bout. Also on the card, San Diego’s top prospect Jorge Chavez (1-0, 1 KOs) is scheduled for a 4-round super featherweight fight against Miguel Marquez (0-2) from Phoenix, AZ. Finally, Los Cabos, Mexico’s Jan Salvatierra (7-1, 3 KOs) will participate in a 6-round flyweight event against Ernie Marquez (10-17-2, 3 KOs) of Fort Morgan, CO. The fights will be streamed live on DAZN worldwide and also on the Golden Boy Boing YouTube channel starting at 6:00 p.m. PT / 9:00 p.m. ET.

Below are what the fighter’s had to say about their upcoming fights.

JOEL DIAZ, JR, LIGHTWEIGHT CONTENDER:

“I feel on top of the world headlining a card on Golden Boy and DAZN. This is a big opportunity for me and I will make sure to take advantage of it.

“I have some unfinished business at 135. I went up to 140 because a had a good opportunity but I do feel like I still have a lot to do at 135. This weight is comfortable for me, and I want to continue where I left off.

“I do have to make a statement against Mercito Gesta to show who Joel Diaz, Jr. is. Inside of the ring you will see the brawler but we are going to be more patient and be ready to go the distance. I have a new trainer. I have new skills and I am ready to put those skills on display during this fight.”

MERCITO GESTA, LIGHTWEIGHT CONTENDER:

“I think my experience will give me the edge on this fight. I need to be smart and use my experience and speed to be able to secure the victory on Thursday.

“It’s a great comeback fight for me and for him as well. I know we have both been off for a while but I have kept myself busy, kept training to stay in shape.

“I have fought hard-hitting guys in the past. I have fought pressure fighters. When I faced Oscar Mesa he was also a hard puncher, a knock-out fighter, but I won that fight. So, it’s not new to me, I am used to this type of fighter. I feel confident in my abilities and fans will see that on Thursday night.

“I do believe that if I give a good performance on Thursday I will be put up on the list of the lightweight division and hopefully get bigger fights. I have been working very hard everyday even though I didn’t have a fight scheduled. I wanted to stay busy and stay in shape. Hopefully all the training and sparring will pay off and I will do very well on Thursday.”

MANUEL FLORES, BANTAMWEIGHT PROSPECT:

“This is going to be my second fight this year, but the first time in my hometown since 2015 when I was still in the amateurs. It’s a blessing to be able to have the support of my friends and family here in the Coachella Valley. I am now able to showcase my skills as a professional.

“My opponent has a lot of experience and I have made sure to prepare for it. I know he is a south paw so we have selected sparring partners that are lefties so I can have an idea of what it will be like to face someone like him.

“I want to get in as many fights as I can this year and staying active. I like that these shows are at Fantasy Springs, there is a big boxing fan base here.”

Tickets for Diaz Jr. vs. Gesta are on sale now, Friday, March 25, 2022 at 10 a.m. PT. Tickets are priced at $45, $35 and $25 plus applicable facility fees and service charges. Tickets are available at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino box office, by calling 1-800-827-2946, or by purchasing online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

Diaz, Jr. vs. Gesta is a 10-round super lightweight fight presented by Golden Boy. The fight is sponsored by

The fight will take place on Thursday, April 21 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, CA, and will be streamed live worldwide on DAZN.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #DiazJrGesta #GBFightNight

Queens, New York (April 19, 2022) – Star Boxing is pleased to announce the signing of 2018 and 2019 New York Ring Masters Champion (formally the Golden Gloves), RONNY REYES to a promotional agreement. Ronny will make his pro debut on Saturday, May 7 at Star Boxing’s “Borough Boxing” located at St. John’s famed Carnesecca Arena in Queens, New York.

Ronny grew up on the Lower East Side of New York City, where he currently resides with his sister, who he helped raise. Now 25, Reyes is a college graduate with a degree from SUNY Delhi. When not fighting, Ronny is a certified personal trainer at Underdog Boxing and Fitness located in the Bronx, managed by Mainstreet Underdog. (3448 E Tremont Ave, Bronx, NY 10465). Aside form Ronny’s two Ring Masters Championships, over his 7 year amateur career, he was crowned 2019 Metro Champion and was a National Representative. He concluded his amateur journey with 25 fights winning 20.

Reyes had this to say about the signing,”It’s official! The signing is complete and May 7th we fight! We are going to put on a show. You are not going to want to miss it!”

Star Boxing brings professional boxing to Carnesecca Arena on May 7 for the first time in the famed venues existence. “Ronny Reyes is a good example of the local, NYC centric talent we hope to build through our fight series in partnership with St. John’s University. It all begins on May 7. Come and join us from the start,” said Star Boxing CEO JOE DEGUARDIA. A massive “Borough Boxing” fight card will be announced this week.

Tickets for “Borough Boxing” are on sale NOW and can be purchased by clicking HERE. The fight card will be announced soon. Doors will open at 6:30 PM ET and fists will fly at around 7:30 PM ET.

“Borough Boxing” is presented by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing on May 7, 2022 at Carnesecca Arena at St. John’s University in Queens, NY.

On Saturday, May 21, Benavídez will face former world champion David Lemieux in a 12-round showdown for the vacant Interim WBC Super Middleweight Title headlining live on SHOWTIME from Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona in a Premier Boxing Champions event.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and will see hard-hitting Cuban prospect Yoelvis Gómez taking on Mexico’s Jorge Cota in the 10-round super welterweight co-main event.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Sampson Boxing and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and are available for purchase through Ticketmaster.com at the link HERE.

Here is what the roundtable participants had to say Saturday:

DAVID BENAVIDEZ

On his aggressive style:

“Every fight I go into, I either want to get a knockout or a stoppage. I think I have five straight stoppages since I came back from my suspension. That’s the plan. I want to go in there and I don’t want to leave any doubt. The stoppage is always the main thing I go for.”

On facing David Lemieux:

“With the style that David Lemieux has, it’s basically tailormade for my style to go in there and stop him. But it’s not going to be easy. David Lemieux is really motivated too. He’s fighting for another title just like I am. He’s a big puncher. I’m going in there and I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be a fun fight.

“As one of the best super middleweights in the world, you have to work around your opponents not trying to exchange with you. You have to learn how to deal with adversity. I don’t want to be like Edgar Berlanga who says I didn’t knock this guy out because he was running from me the whole fight. You’re going to get people that run from you the whole fight. It’s up to you to figure that out and try to knock them out.”

On moving up to light heavyweight:

“I feel like besides Caleb Plant or Jermall Charlo, Demetrius Andrade is the only other fight that makes sense. These other fighters I want are Caleb Plant, Jermall Charlo and even Edgar Berlanga. And if not, I think it might be time to go up to 175 pounds. I’ve been trying to make all these fights happen for a long time. I feel like right now, when I win the WBC interim title, I’ll have a little bit more leverage. But if I can’t make them happen, it’s because the fighters don’t want to make the fight with me happen.

On facing Canelo Alvarez:

“To be honest, right now I’m kind of forgetting about a Canelo fight because he’s over there doing his thing. He’s going to fight Bivol and then Golovkin. So, I feel like I have to take this route and fight everybody over here. At the end of the day, that’s going to give me the experience I need. Canelo is where he’s at because he has experience. He’s fought a lot of great fighters, so if I go the same route and fight all these great fighters and beat them, then I’ll have enough experience to go in there and have the confidence to beat Canelo.”

On facing Caleb Plant:

“I hope Caleb Plant is serious about fighting in the second half of the year. I’m serious. We’ve let this fight marinate as long as possible. Now it’s going to be an even better position because once I get the WBC interim title against David Lemieux, there will be no excuse not to fight me. He said he wants the rematch with Canelo. Well, this is the best step to do it.”

On fighting in his home state of Arizona:

“I think fighting in Arizona again is going to be even better than last time. This time, it’s for the WBC interim title. A title fight against another great ex-champion. People out there love me. I have a lot of fans and supporters in Arizona. I’m excited. A lot of people are going to be there and I’m definitely going to put on a show.”

STEPHEN ESPINOZA

On a Benavidez vs. Plant matchup:

“It makes sense. I think one thing that the pandemic reminded everybody is that it can be taken away at any minute. This could all disappear. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that coming out of the pandemic, we have had no issue making tough fights. If you look at our schedule, it’s all tough fights. Nobody is getting easy fights. I do think that this has had an effect on people. These are fights that need to be made. Life is short, so let’s do it.”

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

On Saturday, May 14, Charlo and WBO World Champion Brian Castaño will meet in a rematch of one of 2021’s most significant fights as they again seek to become the first ever undisputed 154-pound champion in the four-belt era live on SHOWTIME from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif., headlining a Premier Boxing Champions event.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and also features rising welterweight star and pound-for-pound talent Jaron “Boots” Ennis battling unbeaten Custio Clayton in the co-main event.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Lions Only Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased through AXS.com. Ennis vs. Clayton is promoted in association with D&D Boxing.

Here’s what the roundtable participants had to say on Saturday:

JERMELL CHARLO

On not leaving the rematch in the judge’s hands:

“I want to knock this guy out. This is the Jermell from earlier, back when I was fighting four-rounders and I was trying to end those fights. I want to be that guy for 12 rounds now.”

On becoming undisputed at 154:

“This is one of the achievements a fighter can have – to fight to be undisputed, so I’m going to enjoy this moment and I’m going to have fun when I’m in there on May 14, five days before my birthday. I’m ready to win this fight impressively. I make all of my former opponent somebody – Tony Harrison, Lubin, all these fighters who fought me before. Nobody knew who Brian Castaño was before I fought him. And I hope I get the judges who really understand boxing. Everyone is used to me knocking everyone out that when I don’t knock someone out, it’s an issue. This is a skillful sport, you have to pay the bills for this.”

A different Charlo this time around:

“I’m locked in a little bit different this time. I’m more dedicated than I’ve ever been. I’m hungrier. I don’t know what’s next after this opportunity in my life and I’m glad that God gave me the opportunity to face the same guy and just put on a better performance. This is about me being the best Jermell Charlo.

“I was having back spasms (in his preparation for the last fight). I want to say that I came into this camp doing things the old school way now. At first, I was being superstar Jermell Charlo. I put that aside and now this is about me digging deeper into the Jermell Charlo that I really am and testing myself with my training and swimming, running, stuff that I went away from because of the stardom before.”

On fighting the winner of Spence-Crawford:

“I have no intention on fighting my stablemate (Spence). Terence Crawford can get that work. I don’t care about him. I don’t know him, and he doesn’t know me. We can make it happen. But when you have an emotional tie to someone, it’s like fighting my twin brother. Now like Spence said, if that money is right, and you put that brick bread out there, we’re going to get in there with anybody. We’re not going to turn down anyone, neither will Spence. But Crawford hasn’t done anything at 154. How do you want him to fight me? I’m trying to become undisputed right now. How are we talking about someone who hasn’t even fought in the division? How did he just jump from there to there? What connection does he have?”

On Facing Sebastian Fundora:

“This is what I do. When you become a champion like that, you have mandatory after mandatory after mandatory. You have all these people in the way. Maybe I’ll be the shot-caller and make the decision who I want to fight next. Fundora? Go fight someone else? Crawford? You guys fight each other. I’m busy.”

On his legacy:

“Once the story is written and the book is finished, everyone’s going to come back and say that Jermell Charlo did a really good job at 154. I held it down. I’m proud of what I’ve done in the division, but I have to get Castaño out of the way. I have to show all the fans why I’m the No. 1 guy that’s been the No. 1 guy for so many years. I possess a different type of strength. I have a different type of power when I punch. I’m the Hagler and Hearns put together and I have 12 rounds to do it.”

Hall of Fame bound if he beats Castaño?

“I might get an opportunity to make a move in my life like that. That’s what’s important. What’s important is leaving a legacy and I want to leave a legacy for my children and it’s not about right now. The legacy is for the future so I’m writing my book and if I don’t get the eyes and the viewers, that’s ok. I’m not begging to be the most popular boxer. I’m just doing this for my future.”

On criticism he stayed on the ropes too much in the first fight:

“In boxing sometimes, you have to fight off the ropes. Yeah, I could have done better by not being on the ropes. But I fought myself off the ropes. Who got hurt more? Who got buckled? To me, I want all the action. At the end of the day, maybe I won’t be on the ropes that much and get back into the center of the ring. He didn’t throw as many punches as he usually does against me. Why? Because he got hurt. The fight would have ended if he had thrown more punches. I’m going to smash him this time around.”

STEPHEN ESPINOZA

On Jermell Charlo:

“I want to go back to something about what ‘Mell said about appreciating him while he’s here, and that really resonated with me, and I hope it resonates with you because the sport of boxing needs boxers like Jermell Charlo. Not just in the ring – being passionate and athletic, putting on a show and entertaining people. But also doing things like this, outside of the ring. People are always saying, ‘We need personalities in this sport. We need larger than life characters.’ We have one here. We have a larger-than-life person in the ring and outside of the ring and I hear people say, “He’s angry, he’s this, he’s that.’ That is passion. What you’re hearing is not anger. It’s passion and a commitment to the sport, and I think Jermell is the kind of fighter that, when he’s gone, I think there will be a greater appreciation for him, and I think we need to appreciate him when he’s here because fighters like Jermell are critical to the health of the sport. They draw people in. They impress people in the ring. They attract eyeballs outside of the ring. You guys see it.”

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For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow #CharloCastano2, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotionss or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxing.

LAS VEGAS (April 19, 2022) – “CELEBRITY” Making of A Champion (CMOAC), presented by New G Media Entertainment, LLC is accepting international casting call applications from professional boxers worldwide for its upcoming franchise boxing reality show made for Network Television.

“The future boxing stars of tomorrow are with us today,” CMOAC spokesperson Cosmo said.

Professional boxers may go to: https://www.celebritymakingofachampion.com to learn more about “CELEBRITY” Making of A Champion’s international casting call and apply to be considered as a cast member.

In addition to becoming reality celebrity television stars, successful participants not only can seize the opportunity to cash in, but they can also position themselves for a regional title fight, as well as a likely top 15 world ranking. CMOAC plans to match natural rivals from diverse ethnic backgrounds to showcase contrasting fighting styles, and their compelling back stories.

Lastly, promotional free agents with interesting, if not unique backgrounds outside the ring, are urged to apply for a shot to become a celebrity champion, which will open doors that are closed to most if not all prizefighters. The inaugural seasons will feature several competitions in different weight classes, culminating with a $1,000,000 winner’s purse for both men and women in each category.

INFORMATION:

JOIN CMOAC CLUBHOUSE & VOTE for your favorite Champion Protégée.

Visit CMOAC website at: https://www.celebritymakingofachampion.com

SOCIAL MEDIA:

CMOAC

CelebrityMakingofAChampion

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Orlando, FL (April 19, 2022) – Unbeaten junior welterweight Nestor Bravo has signed a co-promotional agreement with American Dream Presents, Boxlab Promotions and GH3 Promotions.

Hailing from Arecibo, Puerto Rico, Bravo was a standout amateur. In 2012, Bravo was an alternate for the Puerto Rico Olympic Boxing Team. He won a gold medal at the 2012 Caribbean Games, bronze at the Independence Cup and owns a victory over Olympic Gold Medalist Robson Conceicao.

As a pro, Bravo’s a perfect 20-0 with 14 KO’s. He joined boxing’s paid ranks in 2015 and knocked out his first six opponents. In 2019, Bravo became the WBC Latino lightweight champion after defeating Emiliano Martin Gracia via unanimous decision.

“I feel extremely blessed for this opportunity to fight on the Entrobox Series,” said Bravo, who has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and plans to become a lawyer after his boxing career. “There’s a large Puerto Rican community in the Orlando area that does a great job of supporting the sport. The plan is to keep winning and do so impressively so I can get in the ring with one of the top 140 pound fighters.”

Bravo returns to the ring Saturday, May 21 and will face contender Fernando David Saucedo, 63-9-3 (10 KO’s) of Argentina in an eight round contest. Bravo-Saucedo will be televised at 9 PM ET as part of Entrobox Fight Series on Bally Sports Network from the Caribe Royale in Orlando, FL

“Nestor Bravo is one of Puerto Rico’s top young talents and the entire boxing world will see the kind of fighter he is” said Ron Johnson, CEO of American Dream Presents. “He’s got a big following and a bright future outside of the ring as well but most importantly, he’s very humble. We’re very excited to have Nestor fighting for us and believe he has what it takes to become one of the world’s top junior welterweights.”

Tickets are on sale at https://www.ticketmaster.com/bally-sportsentrobox-championship-boxing-orlando-florida-05-21-2022/event/22005C889425AF5F.

Doors open at 5 pm and the opening bout takes place at 6.

A four diamond resort, the Caribe Royale is a 1,388 room resort that provides a luxurious and relaxing experience for guests of all ages. Amenities include a spa, five restaurants, kid’s splashpad and playground, a two-story fitness center and a large outdoor pool featuring a 75 foot waterside. Fully re-imagined and renovated with over $127m in improvements and expansion Caribe Royale is the premier all suite hotel in Orlando.

SIOUX CITY, IA (April 23, 2022) – It’s official, Sena “The African Assassin” Agbeko (24-2, 19 KOs) and former WBO Inter-Continental Champion Apollo “Kidd” Thompson (19-4, 7 KOs) will square off in a historic fight on April 23, 2022, from the Abu Bekr Temple in Sioux City, Iowa. Agbeko vs Thompson, at 8-rounds Super Middleweight bout, will air live on FiteTV available at:

? Sioux City Fight Night: Sena Agbeko vs Apollo Thompson – Official PPV Live Stream – FITE

While still in Ghana, Sena earned titles as Ghanian’s World Middleweight Championship and West African Super Middleweight Championship and with 19 devastating KOs, he is sure to cause havoc and pain for anyone in the division.

Apollo “Kidd” Thompson had an extensive amateur career. His final record was 89-22 and along the way, he won New Jersey Golden Gloves six times. Thompson fought for a world title vs Liam Smith and was ahead on the cards till he got caught in the 7th round. Notable wins against fighters like Brandon Adams and Stanyslav Skorokhod have made him a real threat to worry about as he returns to the ring after a four-year hiatus.

“The decision to get into boxing was influenced by a lot of factors,” said Agbeko. “First, I always played sports in school, I played basketball, handball, ran cross country and later did field events like discuss and shot putt but the collegiate level in Ghana doesn’t offer sports and I felt like I needed to keep going with my sports ambitions. I had two options, soccer, or boxing so I went with boxing. Another factor was the influence of the great Azumah Nelson, one of the greatest fighters from Africa. I remember as kids, our parents would wake up at 3 or 4am in Ghana to catch his fights. It was inspiring and I wanted to do the things he did too. The final thing was watching the Ghana boxing team at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. I was inspired and wanted to win a medal for my country by competing. Though that was never realized, it definitely set me on by boxing path as I began training in the fall of 2008.”

“I actually believe that I’m a greatest boxer,” said Thompson. “If you don’t believe that you are the greatest boxer you shouldn’t be in this game. Once you start doubting yourself you have already lost. My plan is to become the best-that’s it. Once I achieve my goal then I’ll be impressed with myself. Then I’ll feel that I actually accomplishing something as far as right now I’m just stepping up in the brackets.”

The Co-Main event will feature Heavyweight sensation Istvan “The Hammer” Bernath (9-0, 7KOs). As an amateur, he won a silver medal in the super-heavyweight division at the 2008 EU Championships and at the 2009 EU Championships. Bernath will be tested against a wily veteran with knockout power of his own when he goes up against Milton Nunez (37-28-1, 32KOs).

Another notable fight on the card is Efrain Morales (7-1, 3KOs) vs Brent “Mr. Hollywood” Oren (4-8, 1KO).

A stacked undercard features many competitive bouts. Local fighter Traevon “Kid Cobra” Kroger will be making his debut vs Michael Mendez. Austin Pederson and Corey McIntosh have some local “beef” to squash. Come see it live or order it on FiteTV!

LONDON (April 19, 2022) —WBC/Lineal/Ring Magazine heavyweight world champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury is comfortable as a solo artist. After Dillian Whyte did not show up to Tuesday’s open workout in London, Fury thrilled the home fans on his own. Fury, who will battle Whyte on ESPN+ PPV this Saturday at Wembley Stadium (2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT), turned southpaw and went through the fight week paces with his head trainer, SugarHill Steward.

A crowd of more than 94,000 is expected for this all-UK showdown, which would be one of the largest audiences in combat sports history.

Without Whyte to share the spotlight, this is some of what Fury had to say.
 
“Frank Warren and the boys have done a fantastic job. It’s been a great promotion. Looking forward to a fantastic event.”

“I think it’s gonna be real for {Whyte}. If not today or tomorrow or this week, then as soon as I hit him in the mouth on Saturday night. Then, he knows it’s real!”

“I’ve been boxing quite a bit as a southpaw in camp. We’ll see. Whatever works. If that don’t work, we’ll switch off to orthodox. If that don’t work, we’ll switch back up. I might just go square on!”

On Whyte not showing up to the workout

“That’s Dillian’s concern. That’s none of my business. Dillian Whyte, I’m sure he’s got his reasons why he’s not here today. Whatever they are, good luck to him, and I’ll see him on the fight night.”

“I’ve said this is my last fight, and it will be.”

“I’m overwhelmed with the support I’ve had over the years. It’s been fantastic. 94,000 people, it’s unbelievable, it’s amazing stuff.”

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (April 19, 2022) – The Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame (CBHOF) has announced its 2021 award winners to be honored at the 16TH annual CBHOF Gala Induction Dinner on Saturday night, May 21, in the Uncas Ballroom at Mohegan Sun.

East Hartford’s “Marvelous” Mykquan Williams has been selected as the 2021 Connecticut Professional Boxer of the Year. Williams could become the first CBHOF triple-crown winner having previously been the Amateur Boxer of the Year. All that’s left for the gifted super welterweight, who had a 16-0-1 (7 KOs) overall pro record entering 2022, including the WBC USNBC super lightweight title, is a future CBHOF inductee. In his lone 2021 fight, Williams won a 10-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Yeis Gabriel Solano (15-0), who landed on the canvas in the 8th round.

East Hartford High School junior Jahnyah Lumpkin is the Ronald Roy Amateur Boxer of the Year. Lumpkin won seven of nine fights in 2021, defeating nationally ranked fighters and earning a silver medal at the National Silver Gloves Championships. Her only losses were to nationally rated opponents. A National Honor Society student who fights out of the Charter Oak Academy, Lumpkin finished fourth at the U.S. National Championships.

Attorney Jeffrey Dressler is the George Smith Contribution to Boxing Award winner. He is Charter Oak Academy Board member, as well as a member of the Connecticut State Boxing Commission, and active member of UA Boxing since 1992. He is also an accomplished ring announcer who has helped young boxers succeed outside the ring through Mega Education, the scholastic incentive system he founded.

The Will Hutt Professional Official of the Year Frank Lombardi, of Danbury, is one of the most accomplished judges in boxing. He has judged more than 600 bouts, highlighted by his judging of the first Arturo Gatti-Micky Ward fight at Mohegan Sun, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, voted as the Fight of the Year by several organizations.

Earning praise for her abilities as an official is old hat for 2021 Amateur Official of the Year Heather Concepcion, whose selection for this prestigious award for the second time. As president of the Connecticut USA Boxing Committee, she was able to revive amateur boxing in Connecticut despite COVID-19 restrictions. Concepcion has managed registration, secretarial duties, chairmanship, and vice president responsibilities with Conn. USA Boxing during her career.

The inaugural Willie Pep Courage Award recipient is Jason Jakubowski for being so active in community service in the Greater Hartford area for many years. This award will be presented annually to an individual or entity throughout the community who displays extraordinary courage. He was a longtime coach in the West Hartford Youth Baseball League. Mr. Jakubowski is president and CEO of Foodshare, which distributes more than 13 million meals each year to local food pantries and community kitchens in Central Connecticut. Jakubowski oversaw the distribution of food to hundreds of thousands of individuals and families during the pandemic.

“The Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame is so proud to announce this year’s annual award winners,” CBHOF President John L. Laudati said. “Congratulations to repeat winners Mykquan Williams and Heather Conception. Young Ms. Lumpkin is a deserving winner as is renowned boxing Judge Frank Lombardi. Few people have contributed as much to the Sport of Boxing and the youth of Hartford as Jeffrey Dressler. We at the CBHOF are especially proud to present the inaugural Willie Pep Courage Award to celebrate the 100th birthday anniversary of the legendary Willie Pep.”

The CBHOF Class of 2021 inductees are retired boxers Mike “Machine Gun” Oliver, of Hartford, and New Haven’s Elvin Ayala, Hartford referee Danny Schiavone, Glastonbury’s (Hartford Civic Center executive director) Frank E. Russo, Manchester trainer Jose “Papo” Colon, and New Haven manager Mike Criscio.

The CBHOF Class of 2020 consists entirely of “Old Timers”, will also be inducted on May 21: Jimmy Leto, of Hartford, Waterbury’s Eddie Dolan, New Haven’s Al Gainer, and Meridian’s Steve Carr, as well as New London’s coach Mosey King, commissioner Barbara Dunn, and Hartford journalist/editor William J. “Bill” Lee.

Tickets for the CBHOF 16th annual Gala Induction Dinner, reasonably priced at $90.00, are on sale and available to purchase by calling Sherman Cain at 860.212.9029 and Rider Productions at 860.413.9067. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. ET, followed by a full sit-down dinner at 7 p.m. ET.

Go online to www.ctboxinghof.org for additional information about the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame, its 16th annual Gala Inductee Dinner, event sponsorship opportunities, and past CBHOF inductees.

ABOUT CBHOF: The Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame was founded in 2004 to honor and celebrate the careers of outstanding individuals involved in the sport of boxing. Its inaugural Induction Ceremony & Dinner was held in 2005. Connecticut’s rich boxing history could never have flourished if it weren’t for the achievements of those enshrined in the Hall of Fame. The CBHOF’s new location is in the Sky Casino at Mohegan Sun.

As a non-profit organization, the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame is deeply committed to keeping the fighting spirit of Connecticut thriving through various charitable contributions.

We regret to announce that Bob Yalen has today stepped down as CEO of MTK Global for personal reasons.

We would like to thank him for all of his efforts on behalf of the business and his leadership of our team.

Bob Yalen said: “I am incredibly proud of the success of MTK Global and I feel privileged to have served as President and CEO since 2018.

“However, the pressure of the last few weeks has been particularly intense. I need to consider the impact on myself and my family. So after four years leading MTK, I think it’s time for me to step aside to take on new challenges.”

Los Angeles, CA (April 18, 2022) Tom Loeffler’s 360 Promotions has announced a full card of fights for the highly anticipated return on Thursday, May 12  of its acclaimed Hollywood Fight Nights series at the Quiet Cannon – Montebello Country Club.

The event headlined by Top, Undefeated Irish Rising Star Callum Walsh, (2-0, 2 KOs) of Riverside, CA will be broadcast live globally on UFC Fight Pass, linked here for subscription >> https://bit.ly/3uJOnTE.

Just 21-years-old, the internationally heralded Walsh, guided by Hall of Famer Freddie Roach, will clash with fellow undefeated prospect Luis ‘The Sniper’ Garcia, (3-0, 1 KO), of San Diego, CA in the scheduled six-round, super welterweight main event.

Co-featured Jalen ‘Sky’ Walker, (10-0-1, 9 KO’s), of Los Angeles, CA battles Adan Ochoa, (12-2, 5 KOs) in a highly anticipated eight-round featherweight clash.

In a women’s lightweight bout, Chelsey Anderson, (4-0, 1 KO), of Yorba Linda, CA battles San Diego southpaw Jessica Juarez, (3-1, 1 KO), in a scheduled six rounder.

In a special attraction amateur bout, Son of the Legendary Manny Pacquiao, Manny Pacquiao Jr. will compete in a three-round featherweight bout against an opponent to be announced.

Light heavyweights will be in action as Hollywood Fight Nights fan favorite, Marco Deckmann, (8-1, 7 KOs), of North Hollywood, CA looks to extend his five-bout winning streak against Jasper McCargo, (4-2-2, 2 KOs), of Richmond, CA.

Competing in the featherweight division, Omar Cande Trinidad, (7-0-1, 5 KOs), of Los Angeles, CA will face an opponent to be announced over six scheduled rounds.

Also, in the featherweight division, Dariial Kuchmenov, (3-0, 2 KOs), of Los Angeles, CA will compete in a four rounder against an opponent to be announced.

Lightweight prospect 19-year-old Ruben ‘Gallito’ Islas, (4-0, 3 KOs), of Rialto, CA hits the ring in a four-round bout against an opponent to be announced.

Rounding out the card, in a battle of super lightweight newcomers, David Romero, (1-0, 1 KO), of Los Angeles, CA battles pro debuting Fernando Gaytan of Hemet, CA in a four rounder.

Advance tickets are now on-sale starting at $150 (VIP Ringside), $100 (Preferred Seating) and $80 (Reserved Seating), online at Hollywood Fight Nights / Seating. The Quiet Cannon – Montebello Country Club is located at 901 via San Clemente, Montebello, CA 90640. Doors will open on the night of the event at 5:30 p.m. PT. For more information on the venue please visit www.QuietCannon.com.

About Tom Loeffler

Loeffler holds the record for having promoted the most heavyweight world title fights this century while promoting all the championship fights of Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko for K2 Promotions, a company he founded with the brothers. Tom also brought the Spotlight to the Flyweight division launching the Superfly Series on HBO that highlighted stars including Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, Juan Francisco Estrada, Kazuto Ioka, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Carlos Cuadras. Tom is best known for his work with Gennadiy “GGG” Golovkin building him into an international superstar as the reigning middleweight world champion for the last 10 years. He strategically secured global sponsorship deals with Jordan Brand, Hublot, Tecate, Chivas, and Bijan. Tom has also worked with Hall of Fame fighters Shane Mosley, James Toney and Kevin Kelley as well as hosting the US debut of Naoya Inoue. 

About 360 Promotions:

During 2017, Tom Loeffler founded 360 Promotions to provide rising boxers additional opportunities to develop their talents. 360 Promotions produced the acclaimed ‘Superfly’ series giving exposure to tremendous talents in the lighter divisions including world champions; Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez, Juan Francisco Estrada, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, Naoya Inoue and Kazuto Ioka. In 2018, 360 Promotions launched the Hollywood Fight Nights series at the Avalon Nightclub in Hollywood, CA. Hollywood Fight Nights is billed as the VIP boxing experience which provides a platform for rising boxers to develop their talents as future champions.

About UFC FIGHT PASS^®:

UFC FIGHT PASS^® is the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports. Since launching in 2013, UFC FIGHT PASS is now available in more than 200 countries and territories. UFC FIGHT PASS provides its members with unlimited access to live UFC FIGHT PASS Prelims; live mixed martial arts and combat sports from around the world; original series and historical programming; special features; behind-the-scenes content; in-depth interviews; and up-to-the minute reports on the world of combat sports. UFC FIGHT PASS subscribers also have 24/7 access to the world’s largest fight library, featuring more than 20,000 bouts from dozens of combats sports organizations, as well as every fight in UFC history. Fight fans can access UFC FIGHT PASS on personal computers, iOS and Android mobile devices, Apple TV, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, Samsung Smart TVs, LG Smart TVs, and Sony TVs with Android TV. For more information, please visit www.ufcfightpass.com or @UFCFightPass on Twitter, and Instagram and on Facebook at facebook.com/ufcfightpass.

Social Media

#HollywoodFightNights

#UFCFightPass

Twitter

@UFCFightPass

@360BoxingPromos

@TomLoeffler1

 @howlerhead

Facebook

@UFCFightPass

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Website

www.360Promotions.us

QUINCY, Mass. (April 18, 2022) – Boxers make only one professional debut and Brockton (MA) welterweight David Ribeiro is excited to make his May 7th on the “Hometown Royalty” in the first pro boxing event held in nearby Bridgewater (MA), at Bridgewater Veterans Club in Bridgewater, Massachusetts (85 Cottage St.).

“Hometown Royalty” is presented by Granite Chin, in association with Cappiello Boxing Promotions and Shearns Boxing Promotions.

Fighting out of the “City of Champions,” Brockton son Ribeiro was a celebrated amateur having won gold medals at the 2020 New England Golden Gloves, 2019 King of the Ring, and the regional Mike Tyson Tournament.

Ribeiro quickly realized that there are several key differences between amateur and pro boxing, as well as the importance of keeping his poise despite being excited, especially with his family, friends and fans screaming his name with every thrown punch.

“The big difference is in preparation, physically and mentally, and it’s also more about promoting the event to get people to come,” Ribeiro explained about turning pro. “There’s a buzz here in Brockton. I’m excited!

“I’ll need to stay disciplined and humbled in the gym. Train now, celebrate later. I’m never really satisfied and always want to better myself and stay humble. I’ve had good sparring and I’m in top shape. I’m fighting a little lighter – welterweight – and that requires more cardio work. There are a few pounds difference between amateur and pro welterweight divisions. No headgear will allow me to see better in the ring. This is a different level. There is much more preparation and training as a pro.”

Ribeiro’s opponent for their 4-round bout is Fernando Perez (0-3), of Plymouth (MA).

“My team does the research on my opponents, and they train me to be prepared,” Ribeiro said. “They train me to win, I fight. I leave all the research to my team. I want to have an impressive pro debut to get people excited to see me fight against and look forward to my future.”

“I’m excited to have David’s pro debut close to his home,” Granite Chin president Chris Traietti commented. “I’ve heard nothing but great things about him in and out of the ring. I look forward to seeing his pro career get started and flourish. May 7th is simply the first step in what I know will be a successful journey.”

Holbrook (MA) junior welterweight Mike “Bad Man” Ohan, Jr. (14-1, 8 KOs) faces “El Chino” Aubel (8-9, 7 KOs), of Argentina, in the 8-round main event. Ohan is dropping down in weight from welterweight, in which he captured and defended the New England title.

Former world-rated Ryan “The Polish Prince” Kielczweski (30-6, 11 KOs), of Quincy (MA), takes on Argentinian lightweight Mario Lozano (18-5-1, 9 KOs), in the 8-round co-featured event. The 32-year-old Kielczweski was a 2008 National Golden Gloves silver medalist, as well as a 2-time New England Golden Gloves Champion.

Undefeated New Bedford light heavyweight Edet Mkpanam (6-0, 5 KOs), a 2018 New England Golden Gloves runner-up, fights Scott “Bombz” Lampert (2-4, 2 KOs) in a 6-rounder, while Fall River (MA) welterweight Damon Towns (4-0, 3 KOs) meets Robert Bricks (0-9) in a 4-round match.

Card subject to change.

Tickets are on sale, $60.00 standing room and $40.00 floor seats, and available for purchase at www.TicketRiver.com (Search: Hometown Royalty).

INFORMATION:

Facebook.com/GraniteChin

Twitter: @Granite_Chin

Coventry, England – (April 16 2022) – Hometown hero Dylan Cheema (5-0, 1 KOs) emerged as the winner of the BOXXER Series lightweight tournament tonight as he beat Rylan Charlton (9-3-1, 4 KOs) by unanimous decision to claim the 40-thousand-pound prize at the Skydome Arena in Coventry, live on Sky Sports.

The former kickboxing world champion from Coventry didn’t have an easy road to the final however as Cheema had to fend off the likes of Scott Melvin (5-1, 1 KOs) and Otis Lookman (1-1, 1 KOs) on the way.

The final was an all-out war from the opening bell, both men landed powerful shots that had all in attendance grimacing. The pair were feeling the effects of the previous fights and were breathing heavily at the end of the round. It asked the question of who was hungrier to win.

Cheema and Charlton traded numerous punches in the second round and at times it seemed Charlton was flat out on his feet, but he kept mustering the energy to answer Cheema back.

The third and final round was one to go down in the BOXXER Series history books as all in attendance were speechless in what they were witnessing. Both men put the hard hours in during training camp and it showed in the ring with the end-to-end action. The Coventry crowd were treated to a great night of tournament boxing.

The BOXXER Series victory at lightweight not only led Cheema to an eye-watering amount of cash but a step in the right direction as more opportunities under the BOXXER and Sky Sports banner await the 25-year-old.

Cheema’s route to the final was a hard earnt one that had his home crowd of Coventry entertained. After an explosive first round stoppage victory over Otis Lookman in the quarter finals, Cheema faced Scott Melvin in the semis which was easily fight of the night until the final.

Melvin looked comfortable throughout the second round against Cheema, he wasn’t afraid to showboat in front of the Coventry crowd on the night. However, it was Cheema that was landing the more convincing punches.

The final round had the crowd in awe as both fighters bit down on the gum shield and came out swinging. Melvin was able to slip some of the forward attacks from Cheema but saw himself on the end of a lot of heavy blows that was the difference for the judges at ringside.

Melvin’s journey to the semi-final against Cheema was a difficult one for himself personally as he was drawn against fellow stablemate Tion Gibbs (8-1, 0 KOs) who is most notably recognised as the brother of Cori Gibbs, BOXXER series Liverpool champion.

An interesting fight from the moment it was drawn earlier in the week, both fighters shared the same corner and were anticipating a meeting in the final. Both men fought hard, and it was hard to split the two before the final bell. Melvin took the victory via a split decision.

Before Charlton joined Cheema in the final, he stopped the experienced Shaun Cooper (13-4, 0 KOs) in the final round of their semi final meeting. Charlton was a handful in every fight he took part in on the night with his super aggressive style of fighting, living up to his nickname ‘The pint-sized powerhouse’.

Cooper was able to stay on the back foot at times and land long, looping shots over the top of the guard of Charlton who remained consistent on the front foot. A brutal body shot landed in the final round that saw Cooper drop to the canvas in agony and wanting no more.

The bookies favourite and Sky Sports Boxing regular Charlton defeated Nottingham based fighter Joe Underwood Hughes (7-1, 1 KOs) prior to his semi final appearance in a gruelling quarter final clash which could have gone either way.

Charlton remained on the front foot throughout all three rounds with Hughes doing a fantastic job to stay with his man following the onslaught.

Shaun Cooper, who formerly held the WBO Youth lightweight title, matched up against 22-year-old Brooklyn Tilley (3-1, 0 KOs) in the final quarter final of the evening in Coventry.

Tilley who was spurred on by his loyal fanbase struggled to convince the judges at ringside as Cooper had his hand raised and his name booked into the semi final with Charlton. The judges scored it 29-28 all in favour of a split decision victory for Cooper.

BOXXER Series returns to Sky Sports next month as the tournament hits Sheffield on May 21st, showcasing eight hungry cruiserweights waiting for their time to shine.

Fight results

Final: Dylan Cheema (5-0, 1 KOs) def. Rylan Charlton (9-3-1, 4 KOs) – Unanimous decision 29-28, 29-28, 29-28 Cheema 3×3 lightweight.

Semi final one: Dylan Cheema (5-0, 1 KOs) def. Scott Melvin (5-1, 1 KOs) – Split decision 29-28 Melvin, 29-28 Cheema, 29-28 Cheema 3×3 lightweight.

Semi final two: Rylan Charlton (9-3-1, 4 KOs) def. Shaun Cooper (13-4, 0 KOs) – 3rd rnd KO, 3×3 lightweight

Quarter final one: Dylan Cheema (5-0, 1 KOs) def. Otis Lookman (1-1, 1 KOs) – 1st rnd TKO, 3×3 lightweight.

Quarter final two: Scott Melvin (5-1, 1 KOs) def. Tion Gibbs (8-1, 0 KOs) – Split decision 29-28 Melvin, 29-28 Gibbs, 29-28 Melvin 3×3 lightweight.

Quarter final three: Rylan Charlton (9-3-1, 4 KOs) def. Joe Underwood Hughes (7-1, 1 KOs) – Unanimous decision 29-28, 29-28, 29-28 Charlton 3×3 lightweight.

Quarter final four: Shaun Cooper (13-4, 0 KOs) def. Brooklyn Tilley (3-1, 0 KOs) – Unanimous decision 29-28, 29-28, 29-28 Cooper 3×3 lightweight.

JASON CUNNINGHAM RETAINED his European super bantamweight title with a sixth round stoppage of previously unbeaten challenger Terry Le Couviour at the Telford International Arena on Saturday night.

It was a successful and spectacular second defence of his coveted title for the Doncaster man who has his eyes firmly fixed on a world title tilt.

Le Couviour came perilously close to being counted out in just the second round when Cunningham unloaded a vicious left uppercut to the body that floored the Frenchman, who got up at nine.

Le Couviour was down again in the third as Cunningham was exploiting the weakness at will and the 16-0 man was being outclassed by his more experienced opponent, although he managed to compose himself a little in the fourth.

Cunningham pummelled the body again in the fifth and Le Couviour looked vulnerable once more and it was all over in the sixth when another left under the ribs saw Le Couviour wanting no more and the fight was waved off after 53 seconds of the round.

Nathan Heaney extended his unbeaten record to 15-0 with a successful defence of his IBO International middleweight title against the dangerous Diego Ramirez.

Heaney was felled by a dynamite left from Ramirez near the end of the first round after what was a controlled beginning from the Stoke favourite. It was quickly clear that a looping left was the danger shot from the Argentinean and Heaney would have to be on his guard.

Heaney regrouped and largely dominated the second, putting the 27-year-old under severe pressure towards the end of the round. Heaney applied caution as he worked his way through the third, patiently landing the telling blows.

There were warning signs again for Heaney in the fourth as Ramirez enjoyed some success and the 32-year-old was strongly advised by his corner not to get involved in a shootout.

Heaney was snuffing out the threat and coming up with good work of his own as the final rounds approached. He asserted control over proceedings and just needed to stay out of the way of wild swings.

Heaney worked his way through and took the verdict with scores of 97-93, 98-91, 97-92.

Andrew Cain took all of 10 seconds to extinguish the threat of Pablo Ariel Gomez to win the WBC International Silver title at super bantamweight. A clubbing right hand poleaxed the Argentinean and, after John Latham’s count, the official time was given as 19 seconds.

“I was just thinking seek and destroy,” said Cain in the aftermath of his eighth stoppage in nine unbeaten fights. Cain is in line to face the winner of the forthcoming British title battle between Marc Leach and Liam Davies.

Eithan James passed the first stern examination of his young career by outsmarting the rough and always ready Ben Fields over eight. The 21-year-old remained composed against the robust Birmingham man with a reputation for removing the 0 from the records of prospects.

The classy James from Northampton picked off his more experienced opponent over the opening and middle rounds before Fields finally managed to get up closer and enjoyed some success.

James did not shy away from battle and will benefit from the experience with an English title eliminator looming. Despite taking a booming shot to the temple in round eight, James prevailed and moved to 8-0 via a 78-75 scoreline from referee Michael Alexander.

A lively scrap was had between Worcester welter Owen Cooper and his game opponent Richard Helm over six. The first round brought about an entertaining trade-up between the pair before Cooper established a rhythm and began to impose himself on the Rochdale man.

Cooper, just 21, was dominating by the fourth round and punished the older man to the body, which took away the ambition of the 35-year-old, but he wasn’t to surrender. Helm rallied in the final round, but Cooper moved to 6-0 with John Latham’s scorecard reading 59-56 in his favour.

Liverpool super bantamweight Brad Strand, now 7-0, displayed a combination of skill and spite to overcome the previously 11-1 Ally Mwerangi in a biggest career test. After plotting his way through most of the first four, Strand rocked his Tanzanian opponent at the end of the round.

The 25-year-old followed up in the fifth with a stinging onslaught and kept Mwerangi at bay with pockets of speedy and smart work. Mwerangi was docked a point in the final round for use of his head and the scorecard read a convincing 60-53 margin for the Everton Red Triangle product.

Earlier on, York welterweight George Davey was judged to have drawn with Serge Ambomo, with the score being marked up at 57-57.

In the opening fights of the evening, Bradley Thompson – the flyweight brother of Liam Davies – registered his fourth win as a pro with a third round stoppage of Francisco Rodriguez. The Spaniard was saved after 1.16 of the round.

Promising welterweight powerhouse George Bance, now 3-0, scored his first win via KO, stopping Des Newton after 1.48 of round two. At super lightweight, Telford local Macaulay Owen overcame Liam Richards with a shutout 40-36 victory on the cards to move to 3-0 as a pro.

COSTA MESA, CA (April 15, 2022) – Super lightweight rising star, Ernesto “Tito” Mercado (5-0, 5 KOs), remained undefeated scoring his fourth consecutive first round knockout, this time against battle tested veteran Daniel Evangelista Jr. (20-14-2, 16 KOs). The six-round bout, promoted by Englebrecht Promotions & Events on the popular Fight Club OC series, took place at The Hangar in Costa Mesa, CA.

Mercado came out guns blazing as soon as the bell rang and send Evangelista to the canvas in the opening minuet of round one, then followed up with two more knockdowns before the referee stopped the bout at the 1:37 mark. With another impressive knockout victory, Mercado is on the fast track to bigger fights.

“I’ve been saying in all my interviews that there are no more killers in the sport of boxing, and I wanted to come out again and show the world that I’m one of those throw back fighters like Mike Tyson,” said the Pomona, California native, Mercado. “I was hoping to get some rounds in against Evangelista, but I got him hurt early and took him out. Once I see my opponent hurt, my mindset is to finish him off. I want to be known as the next great knockout artist in boxing.”

At 20-years old, Mercado feels he’s one of the top prospects in boxing. After knocking out four of his five opponents within two round or less to start off his career, he’s well on his way to super stardom.

“I’ve never drank or smoke, so my body and mind is at one hundred percent when I step in the ring,” concluded Mercado, who was an Olympic alternate. “I feel if I keep working hard in and out of the ring, stay focused on the task at hand, I’ll become a world champion at some point. I’m grateful to my dad and trainer, Ernesto Mercado Sr., for keeping me on the straight and narrow, and all my supporters for helping me on my journey to the top. I’m putting everyone on notice in the lightweight and super lightweight divisions.”

WBC, WBA and IBF Welterweight World Championship Unification – 12 Rounds

Errol Spence Jr. – 146 ¼ lbs.

Yordenis Ugás – 146 ¾ lbs.

Referee: Laurence Cole; Judges: Tim Cheatham (Nev.), Glenn Feldman (Conn.), Steve Weisfeld (N.J.)

Lightweight Bout – 10 Rounds

Isaac Cruz – 134 ¾ lbs.

Yuriorkis Gamboa – 134 ¼ lbs.

Referee: Mark Calo-oy; Judges: Javier Alvarez (Texas), Jesse Reyes (Texas), Jose Roberto Torres (P.R.)

Note: Cruz made weight on second attempt after initially coming in at 136 ½ lbs.

Lightweight Bout – 10 Rounds

Jose Valenzuela – 134 ¾ lbs.

Francisco Vargas – 134 ½ lbs.

Referee: Mark Calo-oy; Judges: Josef Mason (Colo.), Chris Migliore (Nev.), Jesse Reyes (Texas)

Welterweight Bout – 10 Rounds

Cody Crowley – 144 ½ lbs.

Josesito Lopez – 146 ½ lbs.

Referee: Laurence Cole; Judges: Tim Cheatham (Nev.), Glenn Feldman (Conn.), Steve Weisfeld (N.J.)

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING^® – Saturday, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

WBA Welterweight Title Bout – 12 Rounds

Radzhab Butaev – 146 ½ lbs.

Eimantas Stanionis – 146 ½ lbs.

Referee: Rafael Ramos; Judges: Javier Alvarez (Texas), Robert Hoyle (Nev.), Jose Roberto Torres (P.R.)

Super Lightweight Bout – 10 Rounds

Brandun Lee – 142 ½ lbs.

Zachary Ochoa – 141 ¼ lbs.

Referee: Mark Calo-oy; Judges: Tim Cheatham (Nev.), Josef Mason (Colo.), Chris Migliore (Nev.)

Note: Contracted weight is 143 pounds

The most trusted and experienced team in combat sports will be on the pay-per-view call. 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 SHOWTIME telecast team – Emmy^® award-winning reporter Jim Gray, unofficial scorer Steve Farhood and world-renowned ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr.  Former junior middleweight world champion Raúl “El Diamante” Marquez and sportscaster Alejandro Luna will serve as expert analysts in Spanish on Secondary Audio Programming (SAP). On the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast, Hall of Famer Barry Tompkins calls the action from ringside with veteran combat sports reporter Brian Campbell and Marquez serving as expert analysts.

The executive producer of SHOWTIME PPV is four-time Emmy award winner David Dinkins Jr., the director is Bob Dunphy, son of legendary Hall of Famer Don Dunphy. The producer of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is Richard Gaughan with Rick Phillips directing.

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ABOUT SPENCE VS. UGAS

Spence vs. Ugás will see WBC and IBF world champion Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. and WBA world champion Yordenis Ugás square off in a welterweight title unification clash that headlines a SHOWTIME PPV on Saturday, April 16 from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas in a Premier Boxing Champions event.

The pay-per-view telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features exciting lightweight contender Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz taking on veteran former world champion Yuriorkis Gamboa in the 10-round co-main event.

The lineup also includes unbeaten José Valenzuela battling former world champion Francisco “El Bandido” Vargas in a 10-round lightweight fight, plus unbeaten Cody Crowley faces veteran contender Josesito López in a 10-round duel of all-action welterweights that kicks off the telecast.

Preceding the pay-per-view will be a special edition of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® headlined by WBA Welterweight Champion Radzhab Butaev and top contender Eimantas Stanionis. The telecast begins live at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT and also features unbeaten rising star Brandun Lee taking on Zachary Ochoa in a super lightweight bout.

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