Las Vegas – UFC^® welcomes back fans at full capacity when it returns to VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. on April 24 with a stacked card headlined by three championship bouts. The main event will see a thrilling welterweight championship rematch when Kamaru Usman defends against No. 4 ranked contender Jorge Masvidal. Women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko goes for her fifth consecutive title defense against No. 1 ranked contender Jessica Andrade. In a highly anticipated women’s strawweight championship bout, Zhang Weili faces former champion and No. 1 ranked contender Rose Namajunas.

UFC 261: USMAN vs. MASVIDAL 2 will take place Saturday, April 24 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. Early prelims will stream on ESPN+ in English and Spanish beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT along with UFC Fight Pass, with ESPN2 joining programming in progress at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.  The prelims will continue on ESPN+ and simulcast on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and the ESPN+ Pay-Per-View main card will kick off at 10 p.m. ET/7p.m. PT.

UFC 261: USMAN vs. MASVIDAL 2 tickets will go on sale Friday, March 26 at 10 a.m. ET and are available for purchase at ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. UFC Fight Club^® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, March 24 at 3 p.m. ET via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, March 25 starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

“I said almost a year ago that we would bring an event back to Jacksonville with fans and I’m pumped that we are bringing a badass card with three title fights for UFC 261 in front of 15,000 fans,” UFC President Dana White said. “I appreciate the support of Governor DeSantis, Mayor Lenny Curry and VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena to make this event happen. We are back!”

“UFC rocks. Dana White is the man. And Jacksonville is ready for a great event. Let’s get ‘er done!” Governor Ron DeSantis said.

“In the words of Bruce Buffer, ‘It’s time!’ Time to get back to in-person sporting events and time that the world sees, once again, that there’s no better host city than Jacksonville, Fla.” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said. “We are grateful that Dana White and his staff recognize that Jacksonville is home to world-class sports entertainment facilities. I also want to thank Governor DeSantis for his strong leadership throughout the pandemic. Because of his actions, Jacksonville is able to host this signature sporting event that will be viewed worldwide. For the thousands of UFC fans who have been waiting for this moment, we welcome you back to Jacksonville and I will see you ringside next month.”

No. 3 ranked men’s pound-for-pound fighter Usman (18-1, fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla. by way of Auchi, Nigeria) kicked off his 2021 campaign with an impressive TKO win over former teammate Gilbert Burns in February. On top of besting Masvidal in their first encounter last July, Usman has also delivered sensational victories against Colby Covington, Tyron Woodley and Rafael Dos Anjos. Usman now has his sights set on securing his fourth title defense by proving his first win over Masvidal was no fluke.

Masvidal (35-14, fighting out of Miami, Fla.) looks to make good on his second 170-pound title opportunity by delivering another highlight-reel finish. Owner of the fastest KO in UFC history at six seconds over Ben Askren in 2019, he has also delivered spectacular stoppage wins against Nate Diaz, Donald Cerrone and Darren Till. Masvidal now aims to even the score with Usman and capture the UFC welterweight championship.

No. 2 women’s pound-for-pound fighter Shevchenko (20-3, fighting out of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan) is gunning to continue her dominant title reign against one of her toughest tests to date. Undefeated since moving to flyweight in 2018, she holds memorable stoppage victories against Katlyn Chookagian, Jessica Eye and Priscila Cachoeira. Shevchenko now hopes to add another former UFC champion to her resume and prove she is undoubtably the top women’s flyweight in the world.

Former strawweight champion and No. 5 women’s pound-for-pound fighter Andrade (21-8, fighting out of Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) immediately made an impact upon moving to the flyweight division by delivering a vicious TKO win over top contender Katlyn Chookagian in October. She has also earned exciting victories against Karolina Kowalkiewicz, Tecia Torres and Claudia Gadelha. Andrade now vies to become only the second female fighter in UFC history to win titles in two separate divisions.

This bout will mark No. 3 women’s pound-for-pound fighter Zhang’s (21-1, fighting out of Beijing, China) first appearance since her 2020 Fight of the Year win over Joanna Jedrzejczyk one year ago. Currently riding a 21-fight win streak, she has also secured notable victories against Tecia Torres, Jessica Aguilar and Danielle Taylor since joining the UFC roster in 2018. Zhang now looks to take out another high-profile former titleholder to continue her run at the top of the strawweight division.

No. 4 women’s pound-for-pound fighter Namajunas (10-4, fighting out of Denver, Colo.) is gunning to become the first ever two-time champion in UFC strawweight history. Originally featured as a cast member on season 20 of The Ultimate Fighter, Namajunas has delivered impressive wins over Joanna Jedrzejczyk (twice), Michelle Waterson and Paige VanZant. Namajunas now aims to become the first fighter to defeat Zhang in almost eight years to reclaim the 115-pound belt.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• No. 9 ranked middleweight contender Uriah Hall (17-9, fighting out of Queens, N.Y.) takes on former champion and No. 11 Chris Weidman (15-5, fighting out of Baldwin, N.Y.) in a rematch more than 10 years in the making
• Former light heavyweight title challenger and No. 6 ranked contender Anthony Smith (34-16, fighting out of Omaha, Neb.) hopes to stop the momentum of No. 13 Jimmy Crute (12-1, fighting out of Bendigo, Victoria, Australia)
• Exciting welterweights Alex Oliveira (22-9-1 2NC, fighting out of Tres Rios, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and Randy Brown (12-4, fighting out of Queens, N.Y.) collide in a bout guaranteed to deliver action
• Middleweight prospects Karl Roberson (9-3, fighting out of Neptune, N.J.) and Brendan Allen (15-4, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.) meet in a clash on Dana White’s Contender Series contract winners
• Danaa Batgerel (8-2, fighting out of Erdenetsagaan, Sukhbaatar, Mongolia) squares off with Kevin Natividad (9-2, fighting out of Tempe, Ariz.) in an exciting bantamweight bout
• Aoriqileng (18-6, fighting out of Inner Mongolia, China) faces Dana White’s Contender Series signee Jeff Molina (8-2, fighting out of Olathe, Kan.) in a battle of debuting bantamweights
• Johnny Munoz (10-1, fighting out of Norco, Calif.) takes on Jamey Simmons (7-3, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.) in a bantamweight bout
• Kazula Vargas (10-4, fighting out of Mexico City, Mexico) looks to secure his first UFC victory against newcomer Rongzhu (17-3, fighting out of Aba, Sichuan, China) at lightweight
• Dwight Grant (10-3, fighting out of San Jose, Calif.) and Stefan Sekulic (12-3, fighting out of Novi Sad, Serbia) face off in an entertaining welterweight bout
• Na Liang (15-4, fighting out of Heilongjiang, China) makes her UFC debut opposite Ariane Carnelossi (12-2, fighting out of Presidente Prudente, Sao Paulo, Brazil) at strawweight

Visit the UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage. Please click here to apply for the event.

###

About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 625 million fans and 142 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 approximately 900M TV households across more than 175 territories. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 70 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC was acquired in 2016 by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, along with strategic investors Silver Lake Partners and KKR. UFC 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 VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena

VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, nominated for the 2020 Academy of Country Music Award’s ‘Arena of the Year,’ is North Florida’s premier arena for entertainment greats such as Chris Stapleton, Dave Matthews Band, Elton John, Jason Aldean, P!nk and is home to the Jacksonville IceMen and the Arena Bowl Champions Jacksonville Sharks. VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena is managed by ASM Global, the world’s leading venue management and services company connecting people through the power of live experience. ASM Global manages over 300 sports and entertainment stadium, arenas, theaters and convention centers worldwide and is committed to bringing its guests the ultimate event experience in Northeast Florida.

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 12.5 million subscribers.

Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $5.99 a month (or $59.99 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 offer that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu (ad-supported) — all for just $12.99/month.

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features nine 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.

Michael McKinson says he is ready to announce himself as the best Welterweight in the country when he takes on Chris Kongo for the WBO Global Welterweight Title at the Europa Point Sports Complex in Gibraltar on Saturday March 27, live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and on DAZN in all other markets excluding the UK and Ireland.

Portsmouth’s McKinson has won all nineteen of his professional contests, with two of those wins coming via knockout, and the 26-year-old prospect has picked up the WBC Youth World, WBC International Silver and WBO European Welterweight Titles in an impressive run. 

Kongo comes into this weekend’s battle of the unbeaten Welterweights coming off the back of a breakout win over Luther Clay at Fight Camp lust summer, but ‘The Problem’ believes he is a level above Bracknell’s Clay and is determined to prove it in ‘The Rumble On The Rock’. 

“I found out recently that maybe he wanted to fight me a couple of years ago,” said McKinson. “I must have had a Title fight lined up. I’ve been in some decent level fights for a good few years now whereas he hasn’t. He had a tough time getting fights. I’ve been in quite a few Title fights now. He was very inactive and very frustrated for a while.

“I always want to fight the guys that have a big platform and the guys that have a lot of hype around them. I want to prove myself as the best Welterweight in the UK. I’ve been calling for big fights for quite a while. After my last fight, the one name that I called out in my post fight interview was Chris. Then we got on somebody’s Instagram live and there was a bit of back and forth.

“It has all been respectful to be fair. I knew that Chris would fight me. I’ve been wanting a big fight for a while and nothing really materialised until my manager Lee Eaton from MTK called me and asked me if I’d fight Chris in six weeks. I said definitely. The three extra weeks because of the delay have just been a bonus. 

“I’ve started from the very bottom. I’m from a small fighting city really, Portsmouth. I’ve had to do things the hard way. I’ve been the B side many times before. I’ve fought for no money; I’ve come up the hard way with little publicity. I wasn’t a top amateur which didn’t help me when I first turned pro. 

“You’ve got two hungry ambitious confident lads, unbeaten lads coming to the ring and fighting each other. It’s great for the boxing public. I was impressed that he got Luther Clay out of there and stopped him. I’ve sparred with Luther Clay a lot in the past. He’s in with a different kettle of fish this time. He will notice that very early.”

Kongo vs. McKinson is part of a huge night of action in Gibraltar, Alexander Povetkin (36-2-1, 25 KOs)rematches Dillian Whyte (27-2, 18 KOs) with the Interim WBC Heavyweight World Title on the line, Bermondsey’s Ted Cheeseman (16-2-1, 9 KOs) meets Liverpool’s James Metcalf (21-0, 13 KOs) for the vacant British Super-Welterweight Title, Ipswich Heavyweight talent Fabio Wardley (10-0, 9 KOs) steps-up again against USA’s former World Title challenger Eric Molina (27-6, 19 KOs), Manchester Super-Featherweight Campbell Hatton – son of British fight legend Ricky Hatton – makes his professional debut against Jesus Ruiz, Heavyweight contender Eric Pfeifer (7-0, 5 KOs) locks horns with Nick Webb (16-2, 12 KOs) and Wembley Super-Featherweight Youssef Khoumari ( 11-0-1, 4 KOs) faces Birmingham’s Kane Baker (14-7). 

London, UK (24 March 2021) Two-Time World Champion Amir Khan is backing red-hot talent Tal Singh to become the first ever Sikh world champion boxer.

Khan is advising the 26-year-old from Liverpool who is expected to make his highly anticipated professional debut this summer.

Light-flyweight Singh began his amateur boxing career relatively late at 18, but with his natural talent he quickly progressed through the ranks in just 14 fights.

He’s already made history as the first Singh to ever win the England Boxing National Championship in 2018 and incredibly won the title again the following year.

Singh’s undoubted potential also caught the eye of former World Heavyweight Champion David Haye and trainer Ruben Tabares when he trained at the Hayemaker gym alongside Haye for many years.

Not only does the boxing world highly rate him, but he also has a big celebrity following, including magician Dynamo, rapper Tinie Tempah, WWE Champion Jinder Mahal, singer Jay Sean and Bollywood signer and music producer Maj Musik.

Singh believes that this will be a turning point for boxing’s popularity in the Sikh community and his success will inspire widespread Punjabi participation in the sport.

He said, “I’m really excited for what the future holds, having Amir behind me and creating something special legacy wise for the both of us being in one team! I’ve been working really hard for many months alongside Amir in Bolton.  I know there is a lot of pressure on me being Amir’s first and only fighter that he’s looking after, but I’m confident I will deliver on everything Amir believes and sees in me.  I really do think we can do something special together and we’re thrilled to share this news with the world.”

Khan is delighted to be working with Singh and know’s what it’s like to break down barriers. He said, “I’m so happy to working with Tal and I will be putting all my energy into taking him to the top and becoming the first ever Sikh world champion boxer.  He’s breaking down boundaries, just like I did when I became the first ever British-Pakistani world champion to open the doors for the Muslim community in boxing.  I see in him the dedication, mentality and focus to become a world champion.  I know what it takes to be a world champion and I see that in him.  So much so, that I believe in 10 fights he will be world class and ready to fight for a title.  My job is to take him to the top, if I didn’t believe in him I wouldn’t waste my time as I’m still a boxer myself, but with Tal I know he’s committed and dedicated to achieving his dream.”

Khan also added that Singh features in one of the forthcoming episodes of the reality show Meet The Khans: Big in Bolton that starts on BBC3 next Monday.

(March 24, 2021) — Same date, new time. The desert duel between WBO junior lightweight world champion Jamel “Semper Fi” Herring and former two-weight world ruler Carl “The Jackal” Frampton —Saturday, April 3 from Caesars Bluewaters Dubai — will stream live and exclusively in the United States on ESPN+ at a new start time of 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.

The main event stream will begin with an intriguing co-feature, as undefeated Kazakh star Zhankosh Turarov (24-0, 17 KOs) will defend his WBO Intercontinental junior welterweight strap against Belfast native Tyrone McKenna (21-2-1, 6 KOs).

The undercard, including the return of former four-weight world champion Donnie Nietes, will now stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT.

Belfast’s Frampton (28-2, 16 KOs), the 2016 Fighter of the Year, hopes to become the island of Ireland’s first three-weight world champion. Herring (22-2, 10 KOs), a U.S. Marine veteran and 2012 Olympian, has made two defenses of the title he won in a shocking upset over Masayuki Ito nearly two years ago.

SATURDAY, April 3, 2021

ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT

Jamel Herring vs. Carl Frampton, 12 rounds, Herring’s WBO Junior Lightweight World Title

Zhankosh Turarov vs.Tyrone McKenna, 10 rounds, Turarov’s WBO Intercontinental Junior Welterweight Title

ESPN+, 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT

Keyshawn Davis vs. Richman Ashelley, 6 rounds, lightweight

Donnie Nietes vs. Pablo Carrillo, 10 rounds, vacant WBO International Junior Bantamweight Title

Tursynbay Kulakhmet vs. Heber Rondon, 10 rounds, Kulakhmet’s WBC International Super Welterweight Title

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 12.5 million subscribers.
  
Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $5.99 a month (or $59.99 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 $12.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $18.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – March 23, 2021 – Ahead of Ring City USA’s first world title fight in a main event, seven-division world champion and future Hall of Famer Amanda Serrano (39-1-1, 29 KOs) and three-division titlist Daniela Bermudez (29-3-3, 10 KOs) both made weight successfully. On Thursday night, live on NBC Sports Network (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT), the two pound-for-pound champions will battle for Serrano’s WBO and WBC featherweight world titles from Plaza del Quinto Centenario in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. Available on NBC Sports Network and NBC Sports app in the United States and Puerto Rico, bonus undercard action begins around the world at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT on Twitch.

Co-featured on the NBC Sports Network broadcast is a pair of eight-round super bantamweight fights featuring identical twin brothers. Puerto Rico’s Abimael ‘Manos de Piedra’ Ortiz (8-0-1, 4 KOs) battles Mexico-born Eduardo ‘Lalo El Gemelo’ Baez (18-1-2, 6 KOs), who now fights out of Calexico, Calif., while hard-hitting Carlos ‘Purin’ Caraballo (13-0-0, 13 KOs) of Ponce, P.R., hits the squared circle against Leonardo ‘Leon’ Baez (18-3-0, 9 KOs) of Mexicali, Mexico.

Headlining the Twitch undercard broadcast, which begins at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT, Juan Carlos ‘El Indio’ Camacho (11-1, 6 KOs) of Juana Diaz, P.R., clashes with Marvin Solano (23-5, 8 KOs) in a scheduled eight-round bantamweight bout. Competing in an eight-round junior middleweight bout, two San Juan natives will battle when Luis Midyael ‘Diamante Negro’ Sanchez (8-1, 6 KOs) faces Ryan Pino (8-5-2, 4 KOs). Hitting the squared circle in a six-round flyweight bout, highly touted prospect Oscar Collazo (2-0, 2 KOs) of Villaiba, P.R. challenges veteran Francisco ‘El Remanche’ Bonilla (6-9-3, 3 KOs) of Chihuahua, Mexico. Fighting in an eight-round women’s super flyweight bout, former three-time world champion Arely ‘Ametralladora’ Mucino-Reyes (28-3-2, 10 KOs) of Monterrey, Mexico battles Lucia ‘Maravilla’ Hernandez-Nunez (7-10) of Mexico City, Mexico. Opening up the action on the Twitch portion of the broadcast in a four-round lightweight bout, 19-year-old Angel Carranza-Jimenez (1-0, 1KO) of Hatillo, P.R. faces off against battle-tested veteran Eduardo Melendez (5-29, 1 KO) of Ponce, P.R.

Official weights and officials from Puerto Rico:

WBO & WBC Featherweight Title Fight – 10 Rounds

Amanda Serrano – 124.8 lbs.

Daniela Bermudez – 125.0 lbs.

Referee: Roberto Ramirez, Jr.

Judges: Lisa Giampa, Thomas Nardone, Nelson Vazquez.

Super Bantamweight Fight – 8 Rounds

Abimael Ortiz – 121.8 lbs.

Eduardo Baez – 121.6 lbs.

Referee: Luis Pabon

Judges: Nelson Vazquez, Luis Ruiz, Idalia Parra.

Super Bantamweight Fight – 8 Rounds

Carlos Caraballo – 120.2 lbs.

Leonardo Baez – 119.6 lbs.

Referee: Roberto Ramirez, Jr.

Judges: Luis Ruiz, Idalia Parra, Carlos Colon.

Bantamweight Fight – 6 Rounds

Juan Carlos Camacho – 116.4 lbs.

Marvin Solano – 117.6 lbs.

Referee: Roberto Ramirez, Jr.

Judges: Carlos Colon, Luis Ruiz, Nelson Vazquez.

Junior Middleweight Fight – 8 Rounds

Luis Midyael Sanchez – 149.6 lbs.

Ryan Pino – 147.6 lbs.

Referee: Luis Pabon

Judges: Nelson Vazquez, Luis Ruiz, Idalia Parra.

Super Flyweight Fight – 6 Rounds

Oscar Collazo – 111.6 lbs.

Francisco Bonilla – 111.6 lbs.

Referee: Roberto Ramirez, Sr.

Judges: Carlos Colon, Idalia Parra, Nelson Vazquez.

Super Flyweight Fight – 8 Rounds

Arely Mucino-Reyes – 115.0 lbs.

Lucia Hernandez-Nunez – 109.2 lbs.

Referee: Roberto Ramirez, Jr.

Judges: Carlos Colon, Idalia Parra, Luis Ruiz.

Lightweight Fight – 4 Rounds

Angel Carranza-Jimenez – 130.8 lbs.

Eduardo Melendez – 131.6 lbs.

Referee: Roberto Ramirez, Sr.

Judges: Carlos Colon, Luis Ruiz, Nelson Vazquez.

Catch up on fight week in Puerto Rico ahead of tomorrow’s stacked card, including the Official Trailer for Serrano vs. Bermudez and fighter features hosted by Ring City’s Curran Bhatia with Amanda Serrano and Daniela Bermudez.

Subscribe to Ring City USA on Twitch for undercard action and an exclusive post-fight presentation following the evening’s main event. Follow Ring City USA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest updates during fight week in Puerto Rico or visit www.ringcityusa.com for more information. 

About Ring City USA

Ring City, which launched in 2020, is boxing’s newest sports media platform. Working in tandem with a variety of promoters and talent, its new boxing series places an emphasis on competitive matchups that genuinely test the fighters and excite the fight fans. Ring City provides great fights in the ring and compelling shoulder programming outside of the ring. Ring City is the proving ground where up-and-coming talent can earn their stripes and launch themselves into the upper echelon of boxing stardom. 

On Saturday night at London’s Copper Box Arena, the British and Commonwealth super middleweight title will be on the line for the highly-anticipated shoot-out between former world amateur champion Willy Hutchinson (13-0) and the rugged and ruthless Lennox Clarke (19-1-1).
 
While we cannot wait for the action to unfold, there was plenty of talking going on when Dev Sahni brought the pair together for an e-Press Conference earlier this week.
 
Hutchinson v Clarke will be shown, live and exclusive, on BT Sport from 7pm on Saturday.
 
If you were to become British and Commonwealth champion on Saturday night, what would it mean to you?
LC: Obviously it would mean everything and all the hard work we have been putting in would pay off. I am fully confident that it is going to pay off and it is going to be a good fight, I can guarantee that. You are gonna get more than 100% from me so I am confident of getting the win.
 
It will be a special night for you Willy, if you can pull this off. What will becoming champion mean to you?
WH: Of course it will mean a lot. It is a good fight, I am not debating that and that this fella isn’t coming to win. Of course he is coming to win. I am looking for the best of what he is going to bring and it will be a good fight, I am ready to rock n roll! I can’t really call him anything because I have heard good things about him. He can fight and so can I, so I can only say there is going to be fireworks on the night.
 
I haven’t stopped training, since I’ve been professional I haven’t stopped training. I have never been one of these to start training and then take a month off. After my last fight I was straight back in the gym and, after one of them, I was training on the night of the fight. Listen, I am more than ready, I am as ready as ever and ready to become the next British and Commonwealth super middleweight champ.
 
Lennox, Willy is 13-0 so far and has looked pretty good in beating the guys he’s been facing. What makes you different to the other guys?
LC: He knows who he’s been fighting and, obviously, all of the British boxing fans know who he’s been fighting. They are nothing on me. What I’m going to bring is hell, a different ball game to who he has been up against. They have been coming over and it has been routine wins for him. From the first bell to the last bell I am going to be on him. He is a good fighter, but he has got a hell of a lot of pressure to live up to. They are blowing smoke up his arse saying he is the next Calzaghe. I beg to differ and he is going to have the pressure of me as well from one to 12 rounds – if he is still there.
 
I guarantee fireworks and nothing but fireworks. He can laugh but I can guarantee fireworks on my behalf.
 
WH: Listen, when one of these hits you on the chin, mate, we’ll see.
 
LC: Make sure mate, I am not one of those dustbins you have been bowling over. Let’s be real.
 
WH: Truth, you are like a little dustbin, a walking forward little troll.
 
LC: In that case you will take me out then? The pressure is on you mate. I am happy I get the best of you because, after I beat you, I will get the recognition that I deserve and want.
 
WH: You know what it is, you’ve got more chance of flying to the moon and back than ever beating me. That is the truth.
 
LC: I am ready, more than ready. So let’s ‘ave it man and let’s go for it.
 
Lennox mentioned there about pressure and, when you turned pro, it was with fanfare and having Shelly Finkel as manager and Frank Warren calling you the next Calzaghe. Are you feeling the pressure at all?
WH: What pressure have I got on me, man? I am just chilling and I don’t need to have any pressure on me. As long as I do what I can do, I have no pressure. What I do on the night will show what I am all about.
 
Listen, it will be a good fight, I am not saying it won’t. They are saying it is my biggest test to date, but I have boxed all around the world and have beaten the best in the world. The only person you’ve ever fought is Lerrone Richards and he vacated his titles so as not to fight me.
 
LC: We were ready on December 5^th and, fair enough, you was ill but you needed more time to get ready. Just turn up this time and keep up the same energy.
 
WH: I’ve been boxing and staying in the gym.
 
LC: Listen, you have steamed over little one round jobbies mate. They are not making you ready for me. You were king of the amateurs, king of the kids bro. You haven’t beaten no-one. Your career is done, it is the end of you now bro, trust me.
 
Lennox, are you surprised that he has taken this fight because it feels like a huge jump?
LC: It is a massive jump for him. He is a good fighter and he’s got belief in himself. Personally, I think it is a little too early for him because it is a massive step-up, but you can’t knock the kid. We’ll see on the night because talk is cheap. We’re both ready, it is going to be a hell of a fight and I am excited.
 
Frank Warren said he could be the next Joe Calzaghe. What do you think about that?
LC: Well, if he is the next Calzaghe I am the next Nigel Benn, so there you go. Let’s have it, Calzaghe v Benn. That’s what’s going down.
 
WH: Fair enough, but what is Lerrone Richards then, who beat you? Muhammad Ali?
 
LC: I am going to punch holes in you, break you up.
 
WH: He is coming to win! I am so grateful I have a man who is coming to win, who wants to break me down, kill me and knock me out. I am welcoming that and this is what it is all about.
 
Are you expecting the hardest fight of your career?
WH: It is the hardest fight.
 
LC: It is the hardest fight of his career. It is the hardest fight of his life. We can all talk shit, but it is done now, let’s get ready, get cracking. He says I got beaten by Richards, but we all have stuff going on in camp and I shouldn’t have boxed. But this kid will have a fully able me in front of him, no excuses, I’m going to punch holes in him from round one to round 12, if he is still there. If his ticker don’t go. I’ll tell you what bro, let’s just fight. Let’s have it Gypsy-style.
 
WH: Why?
 
Willy, how much confidence have you got in your power heading into this fight?
WH: I can punch and the lower I have got in weight the harder I am punching – and that is the truth. The lightest I’ve weighed is the hardest I’ve punched. It is not all about punch power, this little man here can punch, all of us can punch. It is about getting them right and putting him to sleep. When this man come to fight I will put him to sleep.
 
LC: You’re putting no-one to sleep, you’ll be going to sleep, or quitting. You’ve got quit in you and you have already pulled out once.
 
What makes you say that Lennox?
LC: When you are in there with someone and you are going to be questioning yourself and all that. I will be coming at him and he is not going to like it.
 
WH: I have never questioned myself in my life.
 
LC: You want to hope I come in like my last fight, but I am leaving nothing in that ring.
 
WH: There won’t be nothing left of you once I have finished with you. Behave yourself.
 
LC: My fitness is there this time and I am banging. He will get the best version of me and I want the best version of him. We are in for a good night, it will be a fan-friendly fight and I will be getting crowned British and Commonwealth champion.
 
What is the key to you winning this fight, Willy?
LC: He is gonna run like a little bitch.
 
WH: It makes me laugh that this little man thinks he’s stronger than me. I’ll jab, stab, move and groove him, I’ll stand in the middle and I’ll punch holes in him. There is not a chance on this earth that this man can beat me. What chance have I got in boxing if this little man beats me?
 
If we fight I will knock lumps off him, if we box I will jab the lugs off him. I will throw so many jabs that after the fourth round he won’t want to come out. Just come out swinging.
 
What’s going to happen in there on Saturday night, Willy?
LC: I’m gonna knock him out. I’m going to stop him.
 
WH: The prediction? It depends if he has got a chin or not, doesn’t it? If he’s got a chin it will be an absolute boxing lesson. If he can take a walloping off me then it will be a boxing lesson. If not, he is asleep. Simple as that.
 

NEW YORK – MARCH 24, 2021 – SHOWTIME Sports and BELLATOR MMA have set the announce team for the promotion’s debut on the premium television network, SHOWTIME, on Friday, April 2 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. Veteran play-by-play announcer Mauro Ranallo will host the series and call the action alongside MMA’s most famous referee-turned analyst “Big” John McCarthy. Additional analysis and reporting will be provided by MMA sportscaster and television personality Jenn Brown and former STRIKEFORCE world champion Josh Thomson with special guest contributions from BELLATOR’s undefeated featherweight contender A.J. McKee.

With over 35 years of sportscasting experience, Ranallo has provided the audio track for many of the most iconic moments in combat sports history. Lending his voice to a variety of combats sports and entertainment events including WWE, NJPW, PRIDE FC, STRIKEFORCE and SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, along with BELLATOR Kickboxing and BELLATOR MMA, Ranallo has proven to be one of the most versatile, prolific and knowledgeable broadcasters in sports.

“I am elated that the BELLATOR broadcasting band is getting back together and coming to the preeminent home for premium combat sports, SHOWTIME,” said Ranallo, who has served BELLATOR broadcasts intermittently since June 2017. “Big John is a virtual encyclopedia of MMA, and together, we are going to give fight fans the most passionate commentary in the sport.”

There are few people in the world with more “cage time” than John McCarthy. The world-renowned referee stepped out of the cage and into the BELLATOR announcers’ booth in 2018, bringing with him an intricate level of knowledge as both a former referee and a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. McCarthy also possesses a strong understanding of the Unified Rules of MMA, considering he was a huge contributor to their creation.

“I am so stoked that BELLATOR MMA is back and better than ever on SHOWTIME,” said McCarthy. “The month of April is going to be pure fireworks with multiple world championship fights and the start of the Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix! The fact that I get to be in the booth commentating with a one-of-a-kind play-by-play announcer like Mauro Ranallo is just the icing on the cake. Let’s get it on!”

The promotion’s first event live on SHOWTIME will be BELLATOR MMA 255: Pitbull vs. Sanchez 2, headlined by the highly anticipated semifinal matchup of the Featherweight World Grand Prix. BELLATOR’s two-division world champion Patricio “Pitbull” will attempt to defend his title in a rematch against the man who he claims gave him the hardest fight of his career, Emmanuel Sanchez. The winner will advance as the BELLATOR Featherweight World Champion and defend the title against BELLATOR’s homegrown phenom McKee, who has already advanced to the tournament finale. McKee will join the announce team to provide his unique perspective in preview of the April 2 fights and to react as his next opponent is revealed in the main event.

“I may be young, but I’ve been in the gym learning about MMA from the world’s best fighters since I was in diapers,” said McKee. “I’ve obtained a lot of knowledge and experience since then and I’m looking forward to sharing it on the SHOWTIME telecast with this great team. I’m very excited to see who will come out on top in the main event. I just want to know who is bringing me my belt.”

Including the premiere event, BELLATOR MMA on SHOWTIME will launch with three consecutive weeks of action-packed fights. Following the Featherweight World Grand Prix Semifinals on April 2, BELLATOR will begin the highly anticipated Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix, featuring eight of the top stars from the deepest 205-pound division in the sport, with two quarterfinal fights on both Friday, April 9 and Friday, April 16. All three events will air live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on SHOWTIME.

BELLATOR MMA on SHOWTIME is produced by Jon Norton and directed by Rick Beczynski. The executive producer of BELLATOR MMA is Scott Fishman. The executive producer for SHOWTIME Sports is David Dinkins Jr.  

As part of the launch of BELLATOR MMA on SHOWTIME, the network is offering viewers who are new to the SHOWTIME streaming service a 30-day free trial, followed by a discounted monthly subscription fee of $4.99/month for the next six months. Viewers can sign up at SHO.com/BellatorMMA.

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About BELLATOR

BELLATOR MMA is a leading global mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, BELLATOR events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, BELLATOR can be seen on SHOWTIME. BELLATOR is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. BELLATOR is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About SHOWTIME

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc., owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME^®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL^™ and FLIX^®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND^®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL^™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND^®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME^®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME^®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS, and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Amazon, Apple^®, Google, LG Smart TVs, Oculus Go, Roku^®, Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox One and PlayStation^®4. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Amazon’s Prime Video Channels, Apple TV Channels, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, Hulu, The Roku Channel, Sling TV and YouTube TV. Viewers can also watch on computers at Showtime.com. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV^®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com. 

CARSON, CALIF. (March 24, 2021) – Cuban star and WBA Super Welterweight Champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara will seek a third world title in a second weight class when he faces veteran contender Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna for the WBA Middleweight Title in the main event of FOX PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes Saturday, May 1 as part of a stacked night of boxing from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

The broadcast begins at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT and precedes the FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View event headlined by former unified heavyweight world champion Andy “The Destroyer” Ruiz Jr. battling all-action heavyweight Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola, which tops a stellar boxing extravaganza all taking place at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

The FOX PBC Fight Night co-main event will see top featherweight contender Eduardo Ramírez take on hard-hitting Isaac Avelar in a 12-round fight for the vacant interim WBA Featherweight Title.

The event is promoted by TGB Promotions. Tickets go on sale Friday, March 26 at 10 a.m. PT and can be purchased at AXS.com for the event that includes an action-packed lineup of FOX PBC Fight Night and FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View fights. Dignity Health Sports Park will be open to fans in a limited capacity, with all guests remaining socially distanced and subject to local and state health guidelines throughout the event.

“Erislandy Lara has had a long reign as an elite 154-pounder and now has his sights set on a new challenge in the star-studded middleweight division,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “He will bring his renowned skills and style to this tough matchup against the young and rangy Thomas LaManna. With fast-rising Mexican contender Eduardo Ramírez squaring off against the young exciting Mexican brawler Isaac Avelar in the co-main event, this primetime lineup is an ideal way to load up an already stacked night of boxing at Dignity Health Sports Park, leading up to the return of Andy Ruiz Jr. against Chris Arreola live on pay-per-view.”

Lara (27-3-3, 15 KOs) was the longest reigning 154-pound world champion before he lost a tough split-decision to Jarrett Hurd in a title unification match in 2018 that was the unanimous “Fight of the Year”. Lara returned from that fight and battled current 154-pound world titleholder Brian Castano to an exciting draw in another narrow fight that could have gone Lara’s way. Lara has since scored back-to-back triumphs with a knockout of Ramon Alvarez in 2019 to capture his current title, and a decision over Greg Vendetti in August 2020. Lara has faced a slew of the top 154-pounders in the sport, including Canelo Alvarez, ahead of his middleweight debut.

“I’m excited to be making my 2021 debut on a huge platform live on FOX,” said Lara, who was born in Guantanamo, Cuba and now trains in Las Vegas. “Thomas LaManna is a tall middleweight with a lot of experience and I’m taking this fight very seriously, like always. I arrived weeks ago for training camp and Ismael Salas immediately got me working on the fundamentals of boxing. At this stage in my career, I’m all-action, fighting on the inside, and letting my hands fly. I’m going to make a statement in this fight with a knockout.”

The Belleville, New Jersey-native LaManna (30-4-1, 12 KOs) was riding an eight-fight unbeaten streak, which included seven wins plus a draw against Gabriel Bracero, before losing to Jorge Cota in January 2020. He won back-to-back middleweight fights in January and October entering this showdown, knocking out Jorge Pimentel and Juan de Jesus Gonzalez. Prior to his two most recent knockouts, LaManna dropped a narrow decision to Brian Mendoza in August 2020.

“It’s been a long time coming and now I’m finally getting my chance to accomplish my ultimate dream of becoming a champion,” said the 29-year-old LaManna. “This is the land of opportunity and I’m getting mine on May 1. I’ve put my heart, blood and soul into this game. I’m the definition of the ‘American dream’. People can write me off if they want, because at the end of the day, there’s no doubt that I’m coming to win. This is my time.”

Fighting out of Sinaloa, Mexico, Ramírez (24-2-3, 11 KOs) has risen up the featherweight rankings with back-to-back sensational knockout victories, stopping Leduan Barthelemy in November 2019 before most recently blasting out Miguel Flores in December 2020. The 28-year-old is currently riding a streak of wins in four of his last five fights since losing to then 126-pound champion Lee Selby in 2017. He’s won 15 of his last 18 fights overall, with his only other blemishes coming in a draw against Barthelemy that was later avenged, and a decision loss to
Claudio Marrero.

“This fight is very important for my career because it puts me one step closer to fighting for a world title again,” said Ramírez. “But I will not be looking past Avelar, who is coming off a big win and will be coming to fight like a proud Mexican, just like I do. I will be in top shape and ready to achieve this step toward my dream of getting another chance at a world title. No disrespect to my opponent, but I will win, no matter what it takes.”

The 23-year-old Avelar (17-2, 10 KOs) most recently won a wide unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Sakaria Lukas in December 2020, stopping a two-fight skid that included a loss to super bantamweight world champion Stephen Fulton. The Aguascalientes, Mexico native was unbeaten in his first 16 pro fights, including a 2019 triumph over Juan Antonio Lopez in his U.S. debut.

“I’m coming into this fight strongly believing that I’m going to stop Eduardo Ramírez,” said Avelar. “I’ve been hurting and stopping sparring partners during camp, so I’m fully prepared for a war. This is going to be a spectacular fight like Rafael Marquez vs. Israel Vazquez. I’ve been improving my game quite a bit in the last year. I asked for this fight, and I’m going to make Ramírez regret accepting it.”

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Viewers can live stream the PBC shows on the FOX Sports and FOX NOW apps or at FOXSports.com. In addition, all programs are available on FOX Sports on SiriusXM channel 83 on satellite radios and on the SiriusXM app.
For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes and @TGBPromotions become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxsports & www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.

CARSON, CALIF. – (March 24 , 2021) – Former unified heavyweight world champion Andy “The Destroyer” Ruiz, Jr. will battle all-action heavyweight Chris “The Nightmare’’ Arreola in the main event of an all-Mexican boxing extravaganza on Saturday, May 1 headlining a FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

The pay-per-view begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT with an undercard stacked from top to bottom with fan-friendly, action-packed matchups, as the co-feature will see former world champion Omar “Panterita” Figueroa, Jr. clash with Abel Ramos in a 12-round welterweight bout. Sensational super welterweight contender Sebastián “The Towering Inferno’’ Fundora takes on hard-hitting Jorge “El Demonio’’ Cota in a 12-round battle and rising welterweight star Jesús Ramos, Jr., the nephew of Abel Ramos, duels U.S. Olympian Javier “El Intocable” Molina for 10-rounds of welterweight action.

The event is promoted by TGB Promotions. Tickets go on sale Friday, March 26 at 10 a.m. PT and can be purchased at AXS.com. Dignity Health Sports Park will be open to fans in a limited capacity, with all guests remaining socially distanced and subject to local and state health guidelines throughout the event.

The FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View is priced at $49.95.

“This pay-per-view card is one of the best all-action lineups that I can remember and is loaded with fighters who know nothing but delivering toe-to-toe combat. Headlining the card is the only heavyweight champion of Mexican descent, Andy Ruiz, Jr., taking on Chris Arreola, the first serious Mexican-American heavyweight contender,’’ said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “Andy Ruiz Jr. shocked the sports world when he destroyed Anthony Joshua to win heavyweight titles at Madison Square Garden. No upset in recent years has been nearly as big a story as Ruiz stunning Joshua and no boxer of Mexican descent weighing more than 175 pounds had ever won a championship before him. Ruiz has re-dedicated himself and is focused on regaining the heavyweight crown and Arreola is determined to make one more run at the title.

“The pay-per-view undercard matchups are toss-up fights that predicate great action, featuring top young contenders, a former world champion and an Olympian. No matter what happens on May 1, boxing fans will be the real winners.”

Ruiz and Arreola, two Mexican-American heavyweights from Southern California, have been circling each other for years. They both had designs on becoming the first fighter of Mexican descent to win the heavyweight title. Ruiz won it and lost it, while Arreola still hungers for it. This high-stakes match will determine who remains in the hunt.

Ruiz (33-2, 22 KOs) shocked the boxing world in 2019 when he was brought in as a late replacement to face heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua and turned the tables on the champion, knocking him out in the seventh round and taking home the titles. The 31-year-old from Imperial, California lost his rematch with Joshua by unanimous decision, but has now rededicated himself to regaining the heavyweight championship.

“I can’t wait to get back in the ring on May 1,” said Ruiz, who is now being trained by renowned coach Eddy Reynoso. “Training with coach Eddy in his gym has been amazing. I’m around great fighters like Canelo Alvarez and we’re putting in the work so that I can look better than ever.

“I have known Chris Arreola since I turned professional. He’s a Mexican warrior just like me, and I expect him to come at me with everything he’s got. This is going to be an action packed event between fighters who do not go backwards. I will be smart and ready to do whatever it takes to get the win and put myself back in position to become heavyweight champion again.”

Arreola (38-6-1, 33 KOs) has a career that has spanned 17 years and he remains one of the most dangerous heavyweights in the sport. Born in East Los Angeles to parents from Mexico, Arreola has fought for the heavyweight championship three times and come up short. He began working with renowned trainer Joe Goossen before his last match against Adam Kownacki and appeared to have turned back the clock. It was a back-and-forth, up-tempo match and Goossen’s work with Arreola was on full display. Arreola acquitted himself well, but came up on the short end of the decision.

“Training with Joe Goossen is tedious, hard work,” said Arreola, whose father was a boxer who would take him to Mexico to watch the legend Julio Cesar Chavez, Sr. train. “We’re doing everything that we can so that when Ruiz and I face each other, fight fans will get treated to an all-out war between the two best Mexican-American heavyweights to ever step in the ring. This matchup should be a fan friendly fight, and I plan on winning behind all of my hard work.”

The 31-year-old Figueroa (30-1-1, 19 KOs) is from a fighting family along with his younger brother Brandon, the WBA Super Bantamweight Champion. Figueroa won the WBC Lightweight World Championship with a unanimous decision victory over Nihito Arakawa in a 2013 “Fight of the Year” and successfully defended the title two times before moving up to super lightweight in 2015. In his last fight in 2019, he fought Yordenis Ugas, who is currently the WBA Welterweight World Champion, losing a unanimous decision.

“I’ve been training with Joel Diaz for the last six weeks and doing everything necessary leading up to this fight,” said Figueroa. “This is the best shape I’ve ever been in this far out from a fight, because I now realize what I need to do differently to ensure the longevity of my career. I’m training and preparing the right way. I can’t wait to prove on May 1 that I belong with the elite fighters in this division.”

Abel Ramos (26-4-2, 20 KOs) is also from a fighting family. His older brother, Jesús, Sr. trains him, and his nephew, Jesús, Jr., is a spectacular welterweight prospect featured on this pay-per-view undercard. Ramos, 29, is from Casa Grande, Arizona and lost a narrow split decision to Yordenis Ugas in his last fight. He got a chance to display both his comeback ability and his punching power in his previous fight before Ugas, when he scored a last second KO victory against Bryant Perrella. Ramos was trailing on all the judges’ scorecards at the time of the knockout.

“This fight will be exciting because Omar’s boxing style and my boxing style match up perfectly for an action-packed fight,” said Ramos. “I expect him to put on the pressure like he always does. But I will be prepared for that and anything else he brings on fight night. A victory over Omar will put me in position to fight for a world title again. I want to earn that shot with a great performance and prove that I can beat the best fighters in the division.”

Fundora (16-0-1, 11 KOs) continues to rise up the super welterweight ranks and his match against the veteran Jorge Cota will be his toughest to date. He steps into the squared circle showing off the skills of a rugged boxer who is just as comfortable fighting on the inside as on the outside. The 23-year-old Fundora’s mother is Mexican and his father is Cuban, and both were boxers. He was born in West Palm Beach, Florida but now lives and trains in Coachella, California. Fundora is coming off a knockout victory over Habib Ahmed last December.

“I’m really looking forward to fighting Jorge Cota on this big event on May 1,” said Fundora, who at 6-foot-6 looks like he should be setting up on the wing of a basketball court rather than squaring off in a boxing ring. “I’m laser-focused because I know this will be a tough test for me. I’m sure that he will be training hard too, but I’ll be up for the challenge and I look forward to showing off my skills and fighting for all the hard-working people out there.”

Cota (30-4, 27 KOs) is a rugged slugger who always comes to fight. He has been in the ring with unified 154-pound world champion Jermell Charlo, former unified world champion Jeison Rosario and top contender Erickson Lubin. Cota, 33, is from Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico and is coming off a powerful knockout victory over Thomas LaManna last January. With his experience and power, Cota will present a challenge yet-unseen by the rising Fundora.

“I am treating this fight like it is do-or-die for my career,” said Cota. “Fundora is very tall, but he can be hit. I think my style works well against his. I can’t wait to prove what I can do on May 1.”

Ramos (15-0, 14 KOs), the nephew of welterweight contender Abel Ramos, has paved his way to stardom in the talent-laden welterweight division with highlight-reel KOs. He has scored five-straight knockout victories following his only pro fight that went the distance, which came in a June 2019 unanimous decision over Kevin Shacks. He steadily increased the toughness of competition in 2020 and he has continued that trend in 2021. In his last fight, Ramos scored a spectacular knockout victory over rugged veteran Jesus Emilio Bojorquez in February.

“I’m looking to make a statement in this fight against a tough opponent in Javier Molina,” said Ramos, a 20-year-old from Casa Grande, Arizona. “We know it’s a big step up, but my team and I feel like it’s time the world sees my talent. Molina will bring out some of the many things that I’m capable of. This win would prove that I’m not just any prospect. Fight fans don’t want to miss this one, because they’re going to see an exciting glimpse of what I can do in the ring.”

The 31-year-old Molina (22-3, 9 KOs) also grew up in the sport, as his father was an amateur boxer. Molina was on the 2008 U.S. Olympic boxing team, while his twin brother, Oscar, represented Mexico in the 2008 Olympics. He has an older brother, Carlos, who also is a boxer. Fighting out of Norwalk, California, Molina is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Jose Pedraza last September. Before that, he scored a unanimous decision victory over veteran contender Amir Imam.

“I’m excited for this fight and for the opportunity to face an unbeaten prospect in Jesús Ramos,” said Molina. “A lot of people are probably counting me out, but I’m ready to prove all the doubters wrong. This is going to be a great fight that fans won’t want to miss on May 1.”

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For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes and @TGBPromotions become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxsports & www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.

QUEBEC CITY, Ontario, Canada (March 24, 2021) – Fresh off his recent third-round stoppage of Sylvera “Sly” Louis in their rematch, World Boxing Council (WBC) No. 1 rated bridgerweight Oscar “Kaboom” Rivas (27-1, 19 KOs) is on a special mission to not only become the first bridgerweight world champion but capture the world heavyweight crown as well.

A 2008 Colombian Olympian, Rivas is currently rated as the WBC’s No. 1-rated contender in the bridgerweight division (-224 lbs.), and No. 9 in The Ring magazine’s heavyweight rankings.

Prior to his rematch with Louis, Rivas hadn’t fought in 20 months due mainly to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Never-the-less, “Kaboom” remained professional, training throughout his ring absence, and now he’s positioned to fight for the inaugural WBC bridgerweight title.

“I love this sport,” Rivas said from his Montreal home. I dedicate my life to boxing. I never stopped training because I love it and I can’t live without it. I am an athlete! The pandemic didn’t make things easy for me or anybody else, especially for a natural heavyweight like me.

“In the ring, I am having fun, and that’s what drives me. After I was able to knockdown my opponent (Louis) in the first round, my coach asked me to take advantage of the opportunity to box because I hadn’t fought in 20 months. I hadn’t stepped in the ring and that’s what I enjoy every minute of.”

Even though he’s on the precipice of winning his first world title, as a bridgerweight fighter, Rivas will not be fully satisfied without becoming a 2-division world champion.

“I want to be the bridgerweight and heavyweight World champion without a doubt,” he explained. “My mission is timeless. For some reason, the big boys in the heavyweight division don’t want to fight me. There would have been good reasons for Dillian Whyte to give me a rematch, to clear any doubts! I love Tyson Fury but when he was looking for a dance partner last December, my name was dropped first even though we had the same promoter. I can only assume that they consider I am too dangerous for them. By becoming the WBC bridgerweight World champion, I assume that those big boys will be more intrigued to fight me, and I can’t wait. Now, more than ever.

“I am a heavyweight and I always tried to stay under 235 pounds throughout my career to exploit my speed, so the bridgerweight class became a natural fit for me. Now, I am aiming to become champion of the world in two divisions. Bring them all on!”

Rivas’ most likely will know who his opponent will be for the WBC bridgerweight title fight in June in the coming days. The names often mentioned are No. 3 rated Bryant Jennings (24-4, 14 KOs), 2-time world heavyweight title challenger, or built-up South African cruiserweight, No. 2 ranked Kevin Larena (26-1, 13 KOs).

“My team has been working very hard during this unbelievable time (pandemic) to organize a significant fight for me.” Rivas noted. “I just can’t wait to step back into the ring with anybody.”

Rivas still has unfinished business with Whyte, who is the only pro to defeat Rivas, albeit under questionable circumstances. Last August, Whyte won a 12-round unanimous decision, after been knockdown with an uppercut in the 9th round, in their vacant WBC Interim heavyweight title fight, but prior to their fight, unbeknownst to Team Rivas, Whyte had apparently tested positive for a banned substance during training camp. A UK Anti-Doping investigation somehow later cleared Whyte of any wrongdoings.

Last August, Whyte was knocked out in the fifth round by Alexander Povetkin in their WBC Interim title fight and Povetkin will defend his title this weekend in Gibraltar versus Whyte.

Oscar Rivas can’t wait to let his fists go “Kaboom” on his next opponent, whomever and whenever that is, as he continues his special mission.

?FACEBOOK: @groupeyvonmichel
INSTAGRAM: @groupeyvonmichel
TWITTER: @yvonmichelGYM

GroupeYM

ABOUT THE YVON MICHEL GROUP (GYM):

Groupe Yvon Michel is a professional boxing promotion organization, founded in 2004 by Yvon Michel, Alexandra Croft and Bernard Barré, all still active within the company, which is the most prolific organization in the history of professional boxing in Canada. Since its founding GYM has organized 155 events in Quebec, participated in 36 international galas outside of Quebec. Six boxers became world champions, Joachim Alcine, Jean Pascal, Adonis Stevenson, Artur Beterbiev, Eleider Alvarez and Marie-Eve Dicaire. Sixteen of the organization’s boxers have fought 48 world championship bouts with an excellent record of 24 wins, 22 losses and 2 draws. During this period major American television networks were more active than ever in coming to Quebec to broadcast GYM’s most important events. On 34 occasions major American networks presented a GYM event, an exceptional showcase of Quebec knowledge including HBO (8), Showtime (7), ESPN2 (10), Wealth TV (4), Spike TV (2), ESPN (1), CBS (1) and NBC Sports (1).

Greg Cohen Promotions proudly announces the signing of current WBA World Light Flyweight Champion Carlos “CCC” Canizales to a promotional contract.

The Caracas, Venezuela-born Canizales (22-0-1, 17 KOs) is a rare gem in the sport, a two-handed one-shot puncher with excellent boxing skills. A three-time national champion in Venezuela as an amateur, Canizales turned professional in 2014 and won 16 consecutive fights before fighting to a draw with then WBA World Champion Ryoichi Taguchi of Japan in 2016. Given another title chance in 2018, Canizales made good on his tremendous potential by taking a 12-round unanimous decision over another Japanese fighter, Reiya Konishi, for the regular version of the WBA title.

He would successfully defend the strap later that year by dropping and stopping China’s Lu Bin in 12 rounds on the Pacquiao-Matthysse undercard and again in 2019 via unanimous decision over former champion Sho Kimura before his career stalled due to a shortage of willing opponents and the worldwide pandemic.

By signing with the US-based promotional company GCP, Canizales says he’s hoping to get a lot busier in the future.

“I am very happy to sign with GCP and I appreciate the opportunity,” said Canizales. “I trust that GCP will help take my career to another level with more opportunities on a much larger stage.”

28-year-old Canizales says he’s not fussy when it comes to who he’d like to fight, whether it be a showdown against undefeated Unified and WBA Super Champion Hiroto Kyoguchi, current Interim WBA Champion Daniel Matellon of Cuba or any other names in his division.

“I want to fight,” continued Canizales. “I am not worried about the opponent. I just want to show that I am a true champion and I want to fight the best competition at 108 lbs and beyond. Even though it’s been almost two years for me without fighting, due to lack of opponents who want to fight and then the pandemic, I feel I’m still at my best because I have stayed true to the gym while hoping to return.”

“Carlos Canizales is already a huge star in Venezuela and the next superstar in boxing waiting to happen,” said his new promoter, Greg Cohen. “He has incredible power, blinding speed, elite technical skills and a very high ring IQ. All he needed was the right promoter to help him land the fights he will need to become everything he can be. I’m very happy to be working with him and his team and I predict big things from him in the coming months and years.”

While Cohen says no fights are written in stone yet for Canizales’ future, he is working hard to secure an opponent and will be making an announcement in the near future.

LOS ANGELES, March 24, 2021 — Triller Fight Club today announced that former IBF Titleholder Steve Cunningham will replace Antonio Tarver on its April 17 event at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Triller Fight Club is a partnership between leading music and social media platform Triller andSnoop Dogg, and is spearheaded by visionary producer Ryan Kavanaugh.

Stevenson joins a card with Jake Paul taking on former Bellator and OneFC Championship champion Ben Askren in the main event, while super lightweight Regis Prograis (New Orleans), a former world champion and arguably one of the top two super lightweights in the world, takes on Ivan Redkach (Shostka, Ukraine); and Joe Fournier (London) challenges music icon and worldwide star Reykon (Envigado, Colombia).

The rest of the card will be announced shortly.

Cunningham (29-9-1), from Philadelphia, is one of the most durable and difficult veteran boxers today. He began his professional career in 2000 with a 19 fight winning streak before taking the IBF Cruiserweight title from Krzysztof Wlodarczyk in 2007. He regained the crown with a fifth round stoppage on cuts of Troy Ross in 2010, and may be best known for a hard fought heavyweight loss to Tyson Fury in 2013, a fight which Fury called the toughest of his career. 

The lineup for the four-hour Pay Per View show will include performances by Justin Bieber, The Black Keys, Doja Cat, Saweetie, Diplo, Major Lazer, and the exclusive world premiere of the hip hop supergroup Mt. Westmore (Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Too $hort and E-40) performing for their first time ever together. Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Bert Marcus will lead and direct the creative storytelling for the Triller Fight Club event.

The lead up to April 17 officially also includes an original series exclusively on Triller and FITE. “PRBLM CHILD” is a raw, all-access look into the life of one of the world’s most polarizing and controversial personalities, YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul, as he trains for his fight vs. Askren. The series also will include boxing legends Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Ryan Garcia, Jorge Masvidal andSnoop Dogg, among many more.

In addition to being a co-owner, Snoop also provides strategic counsel to Triller Fight Club, helping to select fighters and musical acts for the show-stopping events. An entertainment expert who has successfully maneuvered through a range of projects in a variety of different fields, Snoop secured his spot as a fan favorite during Triller’s first sporting event, Tyson vs. Jones.

iNDemand, the leading transactional video-on-demand and PPV programming provider in North America, will serve as the exclusive U.S. and Canadian cable, satellite, and telco PPV provider for the event. Fans will be able to order the event on PPV through their existing cable, satellite and telco PPV providers, including Xfinity, Spectrum, Contour, Fios, and Optimum in the U.S., as well as leading providers in Canada.

FITE, the premier PPV digital platform, will handle worldwide live pay-per-view streaming distribution online, and via FITE mobile and Smart TV apps, game controllers and all major OTT devices as well as power TrillerFightClub.com.

The suggested PPV retail price for the event is $49.99 (U.S. & Canada). Fans outside North America can check the FITE link at https://www.fite.tv/watch/jake-paul-vs-ben-askren/2p8y0/ for international pricing. All fight information can be found at TrillerFightClub.com, which features fight news, announcements, promotional videos, and the digital portal to buy the event.

**HOW TO WATCH THE APRIL 17, 2021, TRILLER FIGHT CLUB PPV EVENT**

TV: Cable, satellite & telco PPV providers, including Xfinity, Spectrum, Contour, Fios, and Optimum in the U.S., as well as leading providers in Canada.

Worldwide Streaming: FITE.TV and all FITE mobile, Smart TV, game controller and OTT apps as well as the event microsite hub: TrillerFightClub.com

About Triller Fight Club:

Triller Fight Club is built around the idea of four quadrant entertainment; bringing fans of music, entertainment and action sports together for an unprecedented experience. Launched in 2020 with the Tyson vs. Jones PPV fight TFC shattered all digital fight PPV records and became the 8th most successful Fight PPV in history. Since then, it is has continued to evolve into the vision of founders Ryan Cavanaugh and Snoop Dog to continue to redefine the sport of boxing as a media property, by pairing some of the world’s hottest and most dynamic music and entertainment talent with a growing roster of elite, telegenic and eclectic athletes, both legends of their discipline and rising stars from around the world.

Over 20,000 tickets were sold on a record-breaking day one of the limited pre-sale for the blockbuster unification showdown between Canelo Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders on Saturday May 8 at AT&T stadium in Arlington, TX, live worldwide on DAZN.
TICKETS REMAIN ON PRE-SALE UNTIL 10PM CT ON WEDNESDAY MARCH 24 AT SEATGEEK.COM – PRE-SALE CODE ‘MATCHROOM’
Canelo fights at the home of the Dallas Cowboys for the second time in his career and returns to his traditional Cinco De Mayo weekend date after COVID robbed him of that in 2020.

The Mexican superstar is aiming to take a massive step to becoming the first 168lb undisputed champion from his homeland and the stakes couldn’t be higher, as if he hands Saunders a first career defeat and takes his WBO crown, just one piece of the puzzle will remain.

Saunders, who will be completing his training camp in Las Vegas, will be looking to stop the rot for British fighters facing Canelo and grab the biggest win of his career to date against the 30 year old – it’s an occasion that has already captured the attention of fight fans, and promoter Eddie Hearn believes we’re heading for something special on May 8.

“Today we have seen record breaking numbers for what promises to be a huge celebration on Cinco De Mayo weekend,” said Hearn. “Canelo fighting on Cinco De Mayo has become a staple of the boxing calendar, and I am honored to be promoting this captivating fight at the home of the Dallas Cowboys.

“With one more day of pre-sale to go before the tickets go on general sale on Thursday morning, I am confident that we’re going to have a full house in the Lone Star state for one of the most important fights of 2021.”

Tickets starting from just $40 (plus fees) remain on pre-sale until 10pm CT on Thursday March 25, and tickets then go on general sale at 10am CT on Friday March 26 at SeatGeek.com.

About AT&T Stadium:
AT&T Stadium is one of the largest, most technologically advanced entertainment venues in the world.  Designed by HKS and built by Manhattan Construction, the $1.2 billion stadium features two monumental arches, the world’s largest HDTV video board cluster, an expansive retractable roof and the largest retractable end zone doors in the world.  Features of the stadium include seating for 80,000 and expandability for up to 100,000, over 300 luxury suites, club seating on multiple levels and the Dallas Cowboys Pro Shop, open to the public year-round.  The stadium is also home to a world-class collection of contemporary art, made up of over 50 pieces from an international array of curated artists displayed on the walls and in the grand public spaces of the venue.  In addition to being the Home of the Dallas Cowboys since opening in 2009, the stadium has hosted Super Bowl XLV, the 2010 NBA All Star Game, the 2014 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four, the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship Game and the annual Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. The venue has also played host to high school and college football, concerts, championship fights, international soccer matches, and other special events.  For more information, go to www.attstadium.com.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – March 23, 2021 – Boxing legend Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez met with the media on Tuesday to provide a glimpse inside the training camp of Eduardo and Leonardo Baez, the identical twins who will fight on the main card of Ring City USA’s final event from Puerto Rico, live on NBC Sports Network this Thursday, March 25 (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT).

Thursday’s main event from the Plaza del Quinto Centernario in Old San Juan is the previously announced 10-round title fight featuring seven-division world champion and future Hall of Famer Amanda Serrano (39-1-1, 29 KOs) defending her WBO and WBC featherweight world titles against current two-division titlist Daniela Bermudez (29-3-3, 10 KOs). 

“Chocolatito” was a training and sparring partner the last two months with identical twin brothers Eduardo and Leonardo Baez, both of whom are featured on the loaded undercard this Thursday. Head trainer Marcos Caballero, who held camp in Coachella, Calif. for the three fighters, is in Puerto Rico this week to work both corners. On March 13, Gonzalez and long-time rival Juan Francisco Estrada engaged in a sure-fire ‘Fight of the Year’ candidate, an epic clash which still has the boxing world buzzing. This past weekend Gonzalez received a hero’s welcome in his hometown of Managua, Nicaragua.

In an eight-round bantamweight clash, Puerto Rico’s Abimael ‘Manos de Piedra’ Ortiz (8-0-1, 4 KOs) battles Mexico-born Eduardo ‘Lalo El Gemelo’ Baez (18-1-2, 6 KOs), who now fights out of Calexico, Calif. Also featured on the NBC Sports Network card is an eight-round battle in the super-bantamweight division when hard-hitting Carlos ‘Purin’ Caraballo (13-0-0, 13 KOs) of Ponce, P.R., hits the squared circle against Leonardo ‘Leon’ Baez (18-3-0, 9 KOs) of Mexicali, Mexico.

Gonzalez spoke with the media to share insights from training camp with the Baez twins, in addition to his mentality following his controversial decision loss to Juan Francisco Estrada on March 13. Below are highlights from his conversation with the media: 

ROMAN “CHOCOLATITO” GONZALEZ

On the chance for the Baez brothers to fight on Ring City: “This is a great opportunity. They are two young fighters who are taking great advantage of their opportunities. They have a great staff behind them and at the same time, they take advantage of the opportunities. You can see it in their work ethic in the gym. These types of opportunities for prospects are a big step up and they are ready.”

On what the brothers learned from him: “I tried to teach them a lot. I tried to teach them through my experience. I wanted to show them that conditioning inside of the ring is key so I would throw a lot of punch combinations during sparring so that they would be used to that high intensity interval training in the ring.”

On what’s impressed him with the Baez brothers: “They are very strong, and they know how to combine their punches very well. On top of that, they have a great work ethic. They always push forward in the ring and have great conditioning so that is a great factor.”

On the improvements of the Baez brothers: “They are learning. They have learned to combine their hands a lot more with faster ability in their punches. I believe their physical conditioning has improved a lot too. They have been doing their physical and strength, along with boxing, with me.”

On how working with the Baez brothers helps him: “It’s a fountain of youth. It’s great to train alongside prospects like the Baez brothers. They have a great amount of energy and it rubs off. It’s great chemistry to work not just with prospects but really good prospects. They help me a lot in my preparation.”

On Leonardo’s last fight against Jason Maloney: “I don’t think every fight is the same. For that fight, he only had two weeks to prepare. But for this fight, he is well prepared, and I know he is going to come out with the victory.”

On how he tells the brothers apart: “One of them, in their last fight, had stitches in their head so I identify them by the scar but before I couldn’t.”

On whether he watched his fight against Estrada: “Only highlights. The game plan that we focused on in the gym was well executed but the decision wasn’t there.”

On his mindset after the fight: “I feel well. I feel happy and loved with my family. I am happy with the outcome of my preparation even though the decision wasn’t there.”

On the suspension of judge Carlos Sucre: “I feel good about it. It’s the best that they have done. I believe that it looks toward bringing justice to all boxers.”

On retirement: “I’ve never said, and never even hinted, at retirement. I gave an excellent fight against Estrada and I am not going to retire after that great victory.”

Follow Ring City USA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest updates during fight week in Puerto Rico or visit www.ringcityusa.com for more information.

About Ring City USA

Ring City, which launched in 2020, is boxing’s newest sports media platform. Working in tandem with a variety of promoters and talent, its new boxing series places an emphasis on competitive matchups that genuinely test the fighters and excite the fight fans. Ring City provides great fights in the ring and compelling shoulder programming outside of the ring. Ring City is the proving ground where up-and-coming talent can earn their stripes and launch themselves into the upper echelon of boxing stardom. 

Chris Kongo is ready to prove he is the best Welterweight in the country by becoming the first man to beat 19-0 Michael McKinson when the pair collide this Saturday March 27 at the Europa Point Sports Complex in Gibraltar, live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and on DAZN in all other markets excluding the UK and Ireland.

Bermondsey’s Kongo clinically dispatched Luther Clay in nine rounds to win the WBO Global Title at Fight Camp last summer, taking full advantage oh his first opportunity of the big stage to extend his unbeaten record to 12-0 with seven knockouts.

Saturday’s clash with Portsmouth’s McKinson is a big step-up for the 28-year-old, who has drawn confidence from the valuable rounds he’s banked sparring with unified World Super-Lightweight Champion Josh Taylor ahead of his Undisputed clash with Jose Ramirez. 

“I’m the underdog in this fight,” said Kongo. “I’ll win it. I’ve got a better skillset, I’m stronger, a lot faster and it’s all about being smart in the ring and I believe I’m the best and the smartest in the UK – period. 

“The Kongo-McKinson story began when we sparred three years ago, only the one spar, he didn’t come back after that. I’ve got the big platform and I’ve got the Title now – he’s got no more Titles. He’s looking for the opportunity, so he’s coming to me. My focus is still the same, getting to the top and trying to get rid of McKinson. 

“I’ve been sparring top fighters, a guy that’s going on to become Undisputed Champion of the World. I can’t get any better preparation than that, so I’m fully ready and focused. To be able to spar a World Champion before I go into a British level fight is wicked. It’s going to up my game and it has. I’ve been able to feel it, I’ve seen it. I feel a lot better and I feel a lot sharper.  

“A lot of people are mentioning me in the mix with the likes of Conor Benn and Josh Kelly, now it’s my time to put my stamp on the division. I believe I am the best in the UK. Now it’s my time coming up, and I believe right now is the worst time to fight me. Michael McKinson, I’m bringing fireworks and I’m bringing the heat so make sure you’re ready.”

Kongo vs. McKinson is part of a huge night of action in Gibraltar, Alexander Povetkin (36-2-1, 25 KOs)rematches Dillian Whyte (27-2, 18 KOs) with the Interim WBC Heavyweight World Title on the line, Bermondsey’s Ted Cheeseman (16-2-1, 9 KOs) meets Liverpool’s James Metcalf (21-0, 13 KOs) for the vacant British Super-Welterweight Title, Ipswich Heavyweight talent Fabio Wardley (10-0, 9 KOs) steps-up again against USA’s former World Title challenger Eric Molina (27-6, 19 KOs), Manchester Super-Featherweight Campbell Hatton – son of British fight legend Ricky Hatton – makes his professional debut against Jesus Ruiz, Heavyweight contender Eric Pfeifer (7-0, 5 KOs) locks horns with Nick Webb (16-2, 12 KOs) and Wembley Super-Featherweight Youssef Khoumari ( 11-0-1, 4 KOs) faces Birmingham’s Kane Baker (14-7). 

LOS ANGELES (March 23, 2021) – Former WBC Super Welterweight World Champion Tony “Superbad” Harrison will enter the ring to face hard-hitting southpaw Bryant “Goodfella” Perrella in the super welterweight main event of FOX PBC Fight Night and on FOX Deportes Saturday, April 17 from Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles.

Televised coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features undefeated rising contender Omar “El Relampago” Juarez stepping up versus veteran Jessie Roman in the 10-round super lightweight co-main event. The telecast opener will see the return of sensational prospect Vito Mielnicki Jr. against James Martin in an eight-round welterweight matchup.

The event will be promoted by TGB Promotions and will take place without fans in attendance at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall, an AEG venue, in downtown Los Angeles.

“Former world champion Tony Harrison is one of the brightest stars in the super welterweight division and will look to show that he’s ready to reclaim a world championship live in primetime on April 17,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “Tony’s will and skill makes him a tough matchup for anyone at 154-pounds, but he will also have all he can handle in the very talented Bryant Perrella, who will be making his debut in the division. This exciting main event is buoyed by rising stars Omar Juarez and Vito Mielnicki Jr. competing in separate fights as part of a jam-packed night on FOX that boxing fans won’t want to miss.”

The pride of Detroit, Michigan, Harrison (28-3, 21 KOs) spent his early boxing career under the tutelage of the late Emanuel Steward in the legendary Kronk Gym. As a professional, the 31-year-old was still considered one of the most skilled fighters in the sport despite coming up short in his first two attempts at a world title. The third time was the charm for Harrison, who shocked the boxing world in December 2018 by outpointing long-time champion Jermell Charlo to earn the WBC title in Brooklyn on FOX. Their rematch one year later ranks among the best fights of 2019. Harrison and Charlo fought mano-a-mano until Charlo stopped him in the eleventh round to regain the belt.

“Due to the pandemic, we’ve lost a lot of people over the last year, including my father Ali Salaam, and I’m dedicating this fight and the rest of my career to him,” said Harrison. “My father was always there in my corner, and I’ll continue with him right by my side spiritually. But my brother L.J. is my head trainer now and we’re working hard to prepare for a tough fighter in Perrella. I’m coming off the longest layoff of my career, so I’m just excited to get back in action. The realest fighter in the game is coming back and I’m glad we’re going to be bringing this fight to everyone on free TV on FOX. This fight will be fireworks and I’ll be looking out for whenever it’s execution time. When I see the opportunity, I’ll knock his head off and put it on my mantle.”

The 31-year-old Perrella (17-3, 14 KOs) began boxing at age 15, amassing an impressive 70-9 amateur record before turning pro in 2012. Fighting out of Fort Myers, Florida, Perrella rose quickly through the pro ranks, stopping 13 of his first 14 opponents, including a second-round TKO over previously-unbeaten David Grayton in June 2016. Three months later, he suffered his first pro defeat against current welterweight world champion Yordenis Ugas. Perrella bounced back from a close loss to Luis Collazo in August 2018 with a decision victory over Breidis Prescott and a stoppage of Domonique Dolton in his 2019 campaign. In Perrella’s last bout, in February 2020, he was on the short end of a controversial, last-second knockout at the hands of Abel Ramos, in a bout where Perrella was ahead on scorecards.

“I’ve made big changes in my game and they will reflect a more proficient fighter when I step in against Tony Harrison,” said Perrella. “I don’t care about status or resume heading into this fight. I’m coming to do what I do best, and that’s dominate. I can’t wait to get in there and perform on April 17.”

Juarez (10-0, 5 KOs) has been lauded as much for his work outside the ring as he has for what he’s accomplished in it. After graduating high school in his native Brownsville, Texas, Juarez dedicated himself to giving back to the state’s youth. Still only 21, he has spoken to close to 40,000 community members and received recognition from the Texas State Senate and the Texas House of Representatives. In the ring, Juarez was a highly decorated amateur who turned pro in September 2018. He notched four wins in 2020, including a vicious first-round TKO over Raul Chirino on December 26 that signaled his readiness for the next level.

“Words can’t describe how blessed I am to be fighting on FOX once again,” said Juarez. “As always, I’m going into this fight against Jessie Roman with victory on my mind. This will be my toughest fight to date, and I know what needs to be done to come out on top. I left Brownsville to be in San Antonio with my trainer Rick Nunez and we have a great game plan in place. Training camp has already started, and I’ll be ready to go come fight night. April 17 can’t come soon enough. It’s go time!”

The 29-year-old Roman (22-4, 11 KOs) represents a significant step up in class for Juarez. A respected amateur, Roman won his first 16 pro bouts before a disputed majority decision loss to Carlos Sanchez in Sanchez’s native Mexico. He appeared headed for a potential world title shot after stopping Luis Joel Gonzalez in April 2017 and following it up with a TKO over Erick Daniel Martinez that June. However, the Garden Grove, California native was derailed by a points loss to dangerous veteran and former amateur rival Javier Molina in June 2018.

“After a setback comes a major comeback,” said Roman. “I know that because I always come back stronger than before. I can’t wait to square-off against Juarez and prove that once again, all while bringing a great fight for the fans to enjoy.”

Representing Roseland, New Jersey, Mielnicki (8-0, 5 KOs) began turning heads during an exceptional amateur career where he compiled a 147-22 record and was named the Most Outstanding Boxer of the 2011 Junior National Golden Gloves amongst many accolades before turning pro. The 18-year-old was able to add four victories to his ledger in 2020 and he kicked off his 2021 campaign with a knockout of Noe Lopez in February on FOX.

“Training is going great. I always stay ready so I don’t have to get ready,” said Mielnicki. “I’m glad that I’m getting right back in the ring so I can showcase my skills again. In my last fight, I introduced myself to the world on the biggest viewing platform of my career. I expect a tough strong Philly fighter in the ring with me on April 17 and I’m excited to return to FOX with another great performance.”

The 23-year-old Martin (6-2) first turned pro in 2017 and won his first four fights to begin his career. Fighting out of Philadelphia, Martin has won two of his last three showdowns dating back to late 2019, and his most recent outing saw him drop a decision to unbeaten prospect Xander Zayas in February.

“I am going to box smart and bring the pressure,” said Martin. “I know my opponent is a good fighter and a win over him would get me a lot of notice. I look forward to showcasing all of my skills in this fight on April 17.”

#

Viewers can live stream the PBC shows on the FOX Sports and FOX NOW apps or at FOXSports.com. In addition, all programs are available on FOX Sports on SiriusXM channel 83 on satellite radios and on the SiriusXM app.

For more information: visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and www.foxdeportes.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @PBConFOX, @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes, @TGBPromotions @WarriorsBoxingProm, and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/foxsports & www.facebook.com/foxdeportes.

BOSTON (March 23, 2021) – The best boxing brothers from Utah since the famed Fullmers may be Salt Lake City super lightweight Ignacio (8-0-1, 5 KOs) and junior lightweight Gabriel Chairez (3-0-1, 2 KOs), who recently signed exclusive managerial contracts with Ryan Roach’s Fighter Locker.

“I signed with Ryan because he treats his fighters like family and I’m big on family,” 29-year-old Ignacio explained. “I feel that in boxing, you need someone that knows the backend of the sport and its business side as well, because it’s a dirty business and I feel he’s the guy that’s going to take me and my brother to world titles.”

“I believe that it was the right choice to sign with Ryan because, in this sport, you need to stay busy fighting,” 24-year-old Gabriel (pictured above) said. “I haven’t been nearly as busy as I’d like, but Ryan will be the manager to change that and keep me fighting consistently. He comes from one of the biggest family names in boxing.”

“I got a call from a friend in boxing saying you have to check out these Chairez brothers in Utah,” Fighter Locker president Ryan Roach explained. “I reached out to Ignacio and we had a lengthy conversation about their amateur background and personal goals. They both fought some outstanding amateurs, beating a few great professional fighters today. It was a package deal, and I was excited to land the pair. As fighters, I think they are where they need to be to win world titles. Now, it’s my job to guide them.”

The Chairez brothers were solid amateur boxers. Ignazio (41-19) was a multiple state and regional Golden Gloves champion and USBL International Tournament gold medalist. He also fought in the 2012 Olympic Qualifier and defeated the likes of Abraham Nova and Jesus Vasquez in the amateurs. Gabriel (55-17) won the Utah Golden Gloves four straight years, in addition to the Rocky Mountain International Championships. He was ranked No. 7 in the USA in the 132-pound weight class in 2015-2016.

The Chairez brothers may not have been directly influenced in boxing by the much older Fullmers but, of course, they are aware of the Fullmers and what they represent in boxing in general and Utah in particular. Hall of Famer Gene Fullmer was a 2-time World middleweight champion who was 2-1-1 against legendary Sugar Ray Robinson. His brother Don was a world title challenger and Jay also boxed professionally.

“I’ve met the Fullmers,” Ignacio reported. “They are really kind people.” Gabriel, added, “I got a chance to meet the Fullmers and I’ve sparred at their gym. They were a little too much before my time, but I have the outmost respect for them.”

Ignacio describes himself as a pressure fighter like his idol, Miguel Cotto, mixed with a little Windy Wright; Gabriel is a pure boxer with pop who often switches levels to stalk and finish off his opponent.

The Chairez brothers have similar goals to get and stay busy as they develop into world-class fighters and, hopefully, world champions.

“I want to generate enough wealth that my family can live and have better lives than what I had,” Ignacio concluded. “It’s always about improving and helping my parents. I also want to help kids in my community by opening a gym to help kids and young adults stay out of trouble. I want to show them that, if you put your al into something, you can accomplish what you want.”

“My long-term goal is to overcome the odds to become world champion,” Gabriel added. “Utah isn’t known for having great boxers and I want to change that outlook. I also want to inspire Utah youths.”

The Ignacio brothers recently made their Fight Locker debuts as Ignacio knocked out his opponent in the second round, while Gabriel fought to a questionable draw.

Fighter Locker’s growing stable of gifted boxers includes California super flyweight Rocco “So Cal Kid” Santomauro (21-1, 6 KOs), Troy, NY ABF American West super lightweight Ray Jay “The Destroyer” Bermudez (12-0, 9 KOs), Toronto, Canada welterweight West Haven, CT super welterweight Jimmy “Quiet Storm” Williams (16-5-2, 5 KOs), super middleweight “The Amazing” Shawn McCalman (7-0, 4 KOs), U.S. Army super bantamweight Daniel Bailey, Jr. (2-0, 1 KO), lightweight Leonel de los Santos (2-0, 2 KOs), a 2-time Dominican Republic Olympian, pro-debuting Boston featherweight Troy Anderson, Jr., and pro-debuting Dominican Republic welterweight Juan Solano.

INFORMATION:
WEBSITE: fighterlocker.com, punch4parkinsons.com
FACEBOOK: /fighterlocker
TWITTER: @RoachRyan
INSTAGRAM: @RyanRoach82

ABOUT FIGHTER LOCKER: Established in 2019, Fighter Locker is a comprehensive sports agency that manages professional boxers. Fighter Locker also helps to brand boxers by finding their voice with a 100-percent customized service. Fighter Locker does not really believe in working models. It believes in partnership optimization models in motion.

Fighter Locker uses four creative steps because it believes in “the foundation is everything”: 1. wisely conceived, 2. creatively restrained, 3. Proudly judged, 4. sharply targeted.

FORMER AMATEUR STAR Levi Frankham has joined his cousins – Josh and Charles Frankham – in signing a promotional agreement with Frank Warren to fight under the Queensberry Promotions banner.

Frankham, 20, from Cranleigh, is preparing to make his professional debut following a lengthy application process to obtain his professional licence. He began training to join the pro ranks in late 2019 and applied for his licence in early 2020. Then lockdown came into force and all applications were placed on hold until late in the year.

Frankham bided his time and used the opportunity to further learn his craft and now finds himself on the cusp on making his professional introduction.

The super welterweight, coached by leading South Coast trainer Wayne Batten, brings with him a strong amateur background, with him having won two Junior ABA titles, a Three-Nations, an NABC title, along with being a National amateur champion.

“I am over the moon to have been signed by Frank Warren,” said Levi. “He is one of the best promoters in the world and his track record in developing young fighters is second to none.

“I am blessed to start off my professional career with the best promoter and a top TV platform. I can’t wait to get going and I can promise I will bring excitement for the fans watching.

“It is amazing that three Frankhams, three cousins, are all signed by the same promoter and it would be a dream for us all to appear on the same show at some point.

“It was frustrating having to wait for so long to get going, but it could also be a blessing because it has given me the time to make improvements in the gym that will serve me well when I step into the ring.”

Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren added: “I am thrilled to add another Frankham to our ranks and Levi is a quality young fighter who we have had great reports on. He is an impressive young man who is totally dedicated to the sport.

“We have known about Levi for some time since he started working with Wayne down in Southampton and I am looking forward to setting him off on his pro journey. He has been forced to be patient to get going due to the pandemic delaying his licence application last year, but he has used the time well and has worked hard in the gym preparing for his first professional fight.

“Wayne is delivering quality young fighters to our platform – such as Mark Chamberlain, Ryan Garner and Josh Frankham – and I expect Levi to enjoy similar success as he sets about making his mark in the sport.”

LOS ANGELES, March 22, 2021– Triller Fight Club today announced that Peter Kahn has been named to the newly created position of Chief Boxing Officer. Kahn, a Boxing Writers Association of America 2019 and 2020 Manager of the Year nominee, is an industry veteran who has worked both on the promotional side and management side at the highest level for 25 years. Triller Fight Club is a partnership between Triller and Snoop Dogg spearheaded by Ryan Kavanaugh.

“We are excited have Peter formally join us in this critical role as we expand and advance the boxing side of Triller Fight Club,” Kavanaugh said. “In a very short period of time as we set up for our April 17^th, June and July events it became clear that he is one of the smartest, most respected people in the sport, as well as someone who shares our vision for changing the way boxing can be presented as a sports and entertainment property. His input to date has been invaluable, and it will continue to grow as we expand our business this year and beyond.”

“I am looking forward to adding quality fights and providing the fans with matchups that will appeal to the hard-core and casual boxing fans alike to complement the four-quadrant model of Triller Fight Club that consists of influencers, legends, music artists and contemporary fighters.” Kahn said. “I will work closely with the major promoters and managers in the sport to find ways to elevate the profiles of the fighters while providing entertainment to the pay-per-view audience. The Triller platform itself is an excellent vehicle for the fighters to grow their brand, connect with fans and build their social media following as they progress in their careers.”

Kahn’s role as Chief Boxing Officer will consist of overseeing all boxing related aspects to the Triller Fight Club events that will include incorporating high-level matches at the world championship, contender and top prospect level. Kahn is a boxing contributor to Forbes and Associate Producer of Original Netflix Series “Fightworld.”

The Florida resident is the manager of George Kambosos Jr, who will be fighting Teofimo Lopez on the Triller Fight Club event in June for the undisputed lightweight championship of the world as part of Triller Fight Club’s second event of 2021.

The April 17 card will be Triller Fight Club’s first in a series of 2021 special events, following the debut record setting Tyson vs. Jones PPV fight in 2020, which shattered all digital fight PPV records and became the 8th most successful Fight PPV in history. In the headline matchup April 17 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Jake Paul takes on former Bellator and OneFC Championship champion Ben Askren, with all bouts seen on the main Pay Per View card. The event will also feature super lightweight Regis Prograis (New Orleans) taking on Ivan Redkach (Shostka, Ukraine); heavyweight MMA Bad Boy Frank Mir (Las Vegas) will battle legendary light heavyweight Antonio Tarver (Orlando, Fla.); and Joe Fournier (London) will challenge music icon and worldwide star Reykon (Envigado, Colombia).

The PPV will also include an unparalleled music and entertainment experience, including performances by Justin Bieber, The Black Keys, Doja Cat, Saweetie, Diplo, Major Lazer, and the exclusive world premiere of the hip hop supergroup Mt. Westmore (Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Too $hort and E-40) performing for their first time ever together.

In addition to being a co-owner, Snoop also provides strategic counsel to Triller Fight Club, helping to select fighters and musical acts for the show-stopping events. An entertainment expert who has successfully maneuvered through a range of projects in a variety of different fields, Snoop secured his spot as a fan favorite during Triller’s first sporting event, Tyson vs. Jones.

iNDemand, the leading transactional video-on-demand and PPV programming provider in North America, will serve as the exclusive U.S. and Canadian cable, satellite, and telco PPV provider for the event. Fans will be able to order the event on PPV through their existing cable, satellite and telco PPV providers, including Xfinity, Spectrum, Contour, Fios, and Optimum in the U.S., as well as leading providers in Canada. 

FITE, the premier PPV digital platform, will handle worldwide live pay-per-view streaming distribution online, and via FITE mobile and Smart TV apps, game controllers and all major OTT devices as well as power TrillerFightClub.com.

The suggested PPV retail price for the event is $49.99 (U.S. & Canada). Fans outside North America can check the FITE link at https://www.fite.tv/watch/jake-paul-vs-ben-askren/2p8y0/ for international pricing. All fight information can be found at TrillerFightClub.com, which features fight news, announcements, promotional videos, and the digital portal to buy the event. 

**HOW TO WATCH THE APRIL 17, 2021, TRILLER FIGHT CLUB PPV EVENT**

TV: Cable, satellite & telco PPV providers, including Xfinity, Spectrum, Contour, Fios, and Optimum in the U.S., as well as leading providers in Canada.

Worldwide Streaming: FITE.TV and all FITE mobile, Smart TV, game controller and OTT apps as well as the event microsite hub: TrillerFightClub.com

About Triller:

The Triller Network is a consolidation of companies, apps and technologies and the first of its kind leading the move into Internet 3.0. Triller Network pairs the culture of music with sports, fashion, entertainment and influencers through a 360-degree tech and content-based vertical. The Triller Network—which includes the globally popular Triller app used by musicians, celebrities, athletes, and overall culture setters—has more than 300 million users worldwide. Unlike other apps it is often compared to, such as TikTok, it encourages its users to post the content created utilizing the Triller app across other social media platforms and websites. The network owns proprietary ad-tech and ad AI which is uniquely tied to the content rather than as is traditional to the user. By tracking the content, the Triller Network empowers its tastemakers and users to push their content virally to affiliated and un-affiliated sites and networks reaching tens of millions of additional users daily. Data from its AI suite, direct influencer and artists relationships is generated from both the on app and on the on and off network information and used both to program longer-form content, connect users across the web with the content and provide monetization opportunities maximizing brand partnership integrations. Having launched Highly successful campaigns starting with the app, and continuing throughout the entire tech ecosystem, with some of the biggest brands in the world including Pepsi, McDonalds, Weedmaps, DraftKings, L’Oreal, and many others, the Triller Network offers brands a unique content and technology integration. Branded content is integrated at the Triller app level, making direct deals with the influencers and celebrities who post the content. This branded content is pushed to and through thousands of affiliated and non-affiliated sites, apps, social networks and is ultimately integrated into valuable long-form Triller Network content, such as boxing PPV, live fashion shows, and episodic reality content on TrillerTV. Some of the more than 50 original half-hour TrillerTV shows include The D’Amelios Family’s Must Haves, Jennifer Lopez In The Morning, Jake Paul: Staying On Top, 2 Chainz Let’s Do It, Hypehouse’s Hanging With The Hype, Ur Lov’d: the Noah Beck Show, Fat Joe’s Masterclass, The Perez Hilton Show, and Violet Benson’s Too Tired To Be Crazy, among others. Triller Network includes Triller Fight Club which launched last year With the highly successful Tyson Jones Fight which shattered digital PPV records and became the 8th highest selling Boxing PPV of all time.

LAS VEGAS (March 22, 2021) — RJJ Boxing on UFC FIGHT PASS® returns to Mexico for the first time in 2021 on Thursday, April 1st – no April Fool’s jokes – presented by Roy Jones, Jr. Boxing Promotions and De La O Promotions, at Polideportivo Centenario, Los Mochia, Sonora, Mexico

A pair of Latino title fights will showcase a quartet of gifted boxers in the main event and co-feature, other fights are loaded with talent as well. The action will be streamed live and exclusively on UFC FIGHT PASS®, the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports, starting at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT. To sign-up for UFC FIGHT PASS, please visit www.ufcfightpass.com.

“We love promoting in Mexico with our friend, promoter Emanuel Romo (De La O Promotions),” RJJ Boxing CEO/co-founder Keith Veltre said. “This is unquestionably RJJ’s best show ever in Mexico. It’s stacked from top to bottom, including two title fights, and showcasing several potential stars of the future.”

World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight champion Antonio “Paulinho” Soares (11-1, 8 KOs), fighting out of Brazil, defends his crown against his Mexican challenger, Alan “Lachorro” Solis (12-0-1, 7 KOs), in the 10-round headliner. The Brazil vs. Mexico rivalry will certainly be heated inside the ring.

In the 8-round co-featured event, World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight title holder Mauricio “Trompas” Pintor (23-3-1, 14 KOs), of Mexico, will defend his title against San Antonio’s Kendo “Tremendo” Castaneda (17-3, 8 KOs), a former NABA super lightweight champion. Pintor is the nephew of Hall of Famer and -2-division World champion Lupe Pintor.

Mexican fan favorite Luis “Koreano” Torres (10-0, 7 KOs), the reigning WBC Youth Silver lightweight titlist, takes on his dangerous fellow countryman Jose “Cuate” Paez (13-1-1, 10 KOs) in an 8-round, non-title fight. Torres vs. Perez is an elimination bout with the victor advancing to the inaugural World Cup Boxing Series starting in June.

Undefeated Cuban super welterweight prospect Yoelvis “La Joya” Gomez (3-0, 3 KOs), living out of Guatemala, steps up in terms of quality opposition in an 8-roumd bout versus Mexican knockout artist Luis “Desarmador” Pina (20-4, 15 KOs). A technically sound, aggressive power puncher, the 2-time Cuban Youth National champion Gomez is the son of 1980 Olympic gold medalist Jose Gomez.

Also scheduled to fight on the undercard, off-UFC FIGHT PASS, is a trio of Las Vegas-based boxers in 4-rounders against opponents to be determined: flyweights Kevin Urrutia (1-0, 1 KO) and pro-debuting Yarida Bustillos, as well as super bantamweight Andy Beltran (1-0, 1 KO).

Card subject to change.

INFORMATION:

Websites: http://www.RoyJonesJrBoxing.com, www.ufcfightpass.com
Facebook: /UFCFightPass, /KeithVeltre
Twitter: @UFCFightPass, @Keith_Veltre, @RoyjonesJRfa @RoyJonesJrOfficial
Instagram: @UFCFightPass, @KeithVeltre, @RoyJonesJrBoxing

ABOUT ROY JONES JR, BOXING PROMOTIONS: Co-founded in 2013 by 10-time world champion Roy Jones, Jr. and Keith Veltre, Roy Jones, Jr. (RJJ) Boxing Promotions is on its way to reinventing boxing. RJJ has already made a huge impact in the boxing community in a few short years. Creating exhilarating content for UFC Fight Pass, CBS Sports, Showtime, ESPN and beIN Sports in some of the finest venues across the country, RJJ has proven it is conquering the sweet science of the sport.

Based in the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas, NV, Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions is climbing to the top at a fast pace, adding young talent to its growing stable: NABF super flyweight champion, IBF #8 and WBC # 14 Jade “Hurricane” Bornea (15-0, 10 KOs); two-time world title challenger, bantamweight “Mighty” Aston Palicte (26-4-1, 22 KOs); NABF welterweight champion, WBC #15 and Santiago “Somer” Dominguez (24-0, 18 KOs); former NABA welterweight champion Kendo “Tremendo” Castaneda (17-3, 8 KOs), former Interim World middleweight title challenger John “The Phenom” Vera (20-1, 12 KO), unbeaten super middleweight prospect Juan “Just Business” Barajas (11-0-1, 7 KOs), and former WBC World Youth heavyweight titlist Alexander “The Great” Flores (18-3-1, 16 KOs).

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.

Philadelphia, PA (March 19, 2021) – A special Day-Night Doubleheader of boxing is planned for Saturday afternoon and evening at the 2300 Arena, where local favorites, Donald Smith & Dylan Price will headline respective shows.

The shows, which are promoted by Price Promotions, will begin at 4:30 and 8 PM

Headlining the evening card will be super flyweight Dylan Price taking on Gabriel Bernardi for an NBA Regional Super Flyweight title.

The eight-round bout will feature the undefeated Price, who has a record of 12-0 with nine knockouts.

The 22 year-old Price is a four-year pro and is coming off a fourth-round stoppage over Samuel Gutierrez on January 16th in Chester, Pa.

Bernardi of Puerto Rico is 5-1 with two knockouts. Bernardi is also a four-year pro, and is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Jose Ocasio on October 4, 2019 in Kissimmee, Florida.

Also in the evening session, Rashan Adams takes on Da’vaughtae Bess (0-1) of St. Louis in a super lightweight bout.

David Pena (0-4-1) of Annapolis, Md. takes on Antonio Allen (1-11-1, 1 KO) of Philadelphia in a junior welterweight bout.

Boimah Karno takes on Rasheem Cook in a battle of pro debuting welterweights.

All three of those bouts are scheduled for four-rounds.

Headlining the afternoon session will be featherweight Donald “No Love” Smith taking on Braulio Avila in a fight scheduled for six-rounds.

Smith of Philadelphia, has a record of 10-1 with six knockouts, is a five-year veteran. Smith is looking to get back in the win column following dropping a six-round unanimous decision to William Foster III on February 6th at the 2300 Arena.

Avila of Tiaxcala, Mexico is 3-7 with one knockout. The 35 year-old is a seven year pro, and has faced four undefeated opponents. He is coming off a decision loss to undefeated Angel Israel Rodriguez on January 25, 2020 in Los Angeles, California.

In four-round bouts, Isaiah Johnson of Sicklerville, NJ makes his pro debut against an opponent to be announced.

Sharif Rahman (4-0, 3 KOs) of Las Vegas takes on an opponent to be named in a super welterweight contest.

Naheem Parker (1-0, 1 KO) of Camden, NJ takes on an opponent to be announced in a lightweight contest.

Also now available is the 3rd episode of Dylan Price 7on7

Tickets for this special night range from $250 VIP (which includes food and beverage) and $50-1$150 for the evening show; And $200 for VIP and $50-$150 for the afternoon show and Tickets can be purchased by calling 856-842-7577 or pboxingpromotions.com

San Juan, Puerto Rico – March 22, 2021 – Ring City USA has announced a loaded seven-fight undercard for this Thursday’s event, the third and final of the boxing outfit’s residency in Puerto Rico, which will be presented live from Plaza del Quinto Centenario in Old San Juan. The March 25 event will be broadcast live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on NBC Sports Network and NBC Sports app in the United States and Puerto Rico. Outside the United States, Ring City’s undercard action will be available on Twitch.

Headlining Thursday’s event from Old San Juan is the previously announced 10-round title fight featuring seven-division world champion and future Hall of Famer Amanda Serrano (39-1-1, 29 KOs) defending her WBO and WBC featherweight world titles against current two-division titlist Daniela Bermudez (29-3-3, 10 KOs).

Co-featured on the NBC Sports Network broadcast, in an eight-round bantamweight clash, Puerto Rico’s Abimael ‘Manos de Piedra’ Ortiz (8-0-1, 4 KOs) battles Mexico-born Eduardo ‘Lalo El Gemelo’ Baez (18-1-2, 6 KOs), who now fights out of Calexico, Calif. A resident of Cidra, Puerto Rico, Ortiz has won six fights in a row, including a ten-round unanimous decision over former world title challenger Chris Avalos in his most recent start on November 30, 2019. Baez is undefeated over his last ten bouts and returns to the Ring City USA ring following an eight-round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Narek Abgaryan on the December 17, 2020 card at the Wild Card Boxing Gym in Los Angeles.

Also featured on the NBC Sports Network card is an eight-round battle in the super-bantamweight division when hard-hitting Carlos ‘Purin’ Caraballo (13-0-0, 13 KOs) of Ponce, P.R., hits the squared circle against Leonardo ‘Leon’ Baez (18-3-0, 9 KOs) of Mexicali, Mexico. The 25-year-old Caraballo has earned a well-deserved reputation for his show-stopping knockouts, eight of which have come in the first three rounds. He returns to action following a first-round knockout of perennial contender Mike Oliver in February 2020 in San Juan, P.R. Also 25-years-old, the upset-minded Baez looks to return to the win column after suffering a loss to Jason Moloney in June 2020 following a six-fight win streak.

Headlining the Twitch portion of the broadcast, Juan Carlos ‘El Indio’ Camacho (11-1, 6 KOs) of Juana Diaz, P.R., clashes with Marvin Solano (23-5, 8 KOs) in a scheduled eight-round bantamweight bout. The 24-year-old Camacho anxiously returns to battle following a 15-month layoff. His last fight against Lucas Fernandez Leone in October 2019 was cut short in the fourth round due to a cut suffered by Leone as a result of an accidental headbutt. Fighting out of the boxing hotbed of Managua, Nicaragua, Solano is victorious in two of his last three fights, including a 10-round unanimous decision over contender Dewayne Beamon in November 2019.

Competing in an eight-round junior middleweight bout, two San Juan natives will battle when Luis Midyael ‘Diamante Negro’ Sanchez (8-1, 6 KOs) faces Ryan Pino (8-5-2, 4 KOs). The 26-year-old Sanchez, victorious in his first eight professional bouts, looks to re-enter the win column following a hotly contested eight-round defeat against Patrick Cora. The Bronx, New York-bred Pino also looks to hit the win column after an eight-round decision loss to Kevin Johnson in February 2020.

Hitting the squared circle in a six-round flyweight bout, highly touted prospect Oscar Collazo (2-0, 2 KOs) of Villaiba, P.R. challenges veteran Francisco ‘El Remanche’ Bonilla (6-9-3, 3 KOs) of Chihuahua, Mexico. Following a heralded amateur career including a gold medal at the 2019 Pan American Games, the Newark, New Jersey born Collazo has quickly impressed in the professional ranks, most recently scoring a second-round knockout against Kevin Jusino in December 2020.

Fighting in an eight-round women’s flyweight bout, former three-time world champion Arely ‘Ametralladora’ Mucino-Reyes (28-3-2, 10 KOs) of Monterrey, Mexico battles Lucia ‘Maravilla’ Hernandez-Nunez (7-10) of Mexico City, Mexico. Victorious in her last seven fights, Mucino-Reyes is coming off of a nearly two-year layoff as she starts the path toward regaining a world championship. In her last start Hernandez-Nunez won a hard-fought six round decision over Esmeralda Torres on November 16, 2019.

Opening up the action on the Twitch portion of the broadcast in a four-round lightweight bout,

19-year-old Angel Carranza-Jimenez (1-0, 1KO) of Hatillo, P.R. faces off against battle-tested veteran Eduardo Melendez (5-29, 1 KO) of Ponce, P.R.

Follow Ring City USA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest updates or visit www.ringcityusa.com.

About Ring City USA

Ring City, which launched in 2020, is boxing’s newest sports media platform. Working in tandem with a variety of promoters and talent, its new boxing series places an emphasis on competitive matchups that genuinely test the fighters and excite the fight fans. Ring City provides great fights in the ring and compelling shoulder programming outside of the ring. Ring City is the proving ground where up-and-coming talent can earn their stripes and launch themselves into the upper echelon of boxing stardom. 

LOS ANGELES, CA (March 22, 2021) – Thompson Boxing Promotions’ bantamweight contender, Saul “The Beast” Sanchez (16-1, 9 KOs), is looking to fight for a bantamweight world title by the end of the year. Sanchez, who is trained by Manny Robles, is currently on a four-fight win streak and ranked #3 in America on BoxRec.com for bantamweights.

This past Friday, March 19th, Sanchez defeated Frank “El Castigador” Gonzalez (8-2, 4 KOs), by way of a first-round knockout on a card promoted by All Star Boxing. Sanchez, who showed utter dominance in the bout, is now looking for the top names in the division.

“I am open to any and all world champions in the bantamweight division,” said Sanchez, who won the WBA Fedecentro Bantamweight Title on Friday. “Whether it is Naoya Inoue, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Reymart Gaballo, or any of the other world champions – I am ready! I have trained my whole life for this moment, and I am prepping to seize upon the opportunity.”

“Saul has come along way since he suffered his only defeat, which was a split decision loss,” stated promoter Ken Thompson, “Sanchez is on a nice winning streak and we will do out part to get him in position to fight a top name. His future is bright.”

“We believe Saul has made that turn in his career, where he is ready for the championship level,” said Alex Camponovo, Thompson Boxing’s general manager. “Right now, we are looking at the landscape of the bantamweight division with the goal of getting Sanchez in a big fight.”

“I know that I have made great strides to get to the highest levels of the sport, and I feel that after this past performance, I am putting myself in the best position for a world title,” continued the 23-year-old Southern California boxer. “I have a great promoter in Thompson Boxing, and I know my time is coming soon.”

ELITE FORMER AMATEUR and 2-0 professional Charles Frankham has signed with Frank Warren to fight under the Queensberry banner.

‘Boom Boom’ began life in the pro ranks in May 2018 with a points victory over Tzemal Xouseinoglou in Nottingham before returning to the ring the following month to score a first round stoppage over Ilgvars Krauklis at York Hall.

Prior to turning pro, the 21-year-old enjoyed a hugely decorated stint in the amateurs that yielded 11 National titles – including the junior ABAs and the Three Nations twice – along with a World Youth Championship bronze medal and gold at the Commonwealth Games and European Championships.

Frankham trains in Loughborough under the stewardship of Angel Fernandez.

“I needed a change and Frank is a great promoter,” said Frankham, grandson of former British light heavyweight champion Johnny Frankham. “He has got so much great talent at the moment – including another Frankham (Josh) as well – and at this point in time, and in the future, Frank is right for me.

“Queensberry and Frank is definitely the place to be for young fighters, one million per cent. Frank has been getting all his fighters out during this difficult period and, now I am part of the team, I am looking forward to getting back in the ring myself.

“I am still young and I have got a load of time to achieve my goals. I just want to be active and I have said all along that if I just get a couple of fights then I will fight anyone. I think I settled into the pro style pretty well and I believe I was always suited to it, although I know every young fighter says that when they turn over.”

A rare blot on Frankham’s amateur card came in the 2018 senior ABAs when he was defeated over three rounds by now promotional stablemate Mark Chamberlain. Frankham doesn’t rule out a revenge mission in the paid ranks.

“Definitely, that is not a problem and it will be a good fight down the line. A card with us Frankhams on would be a good one too.”

Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren added: “I am delighted to welcome Charles to the team. He was an exceptional amateur and he clearly has a bright future as a professional.

“He wants and needs to be kept busy and our track record over recent times during this pandemic has demonstrated our total commitment to the ongoing development of our young fighters and we will quickly get Charles’ career back on track and guide him towards a successful future.”

MIAMI (March 22, 2021) – Representatives of Evander Holyfield expressed frustration after Mike Tyson’s representatives refused to accept a $25,000,000 guarantee from Team Holyfield to participate in Tyson v Holyfield 3 at the Hard Rock Stadium to kick off Memorial Day weekend. The parties have been in intense negotiations for several months and Team Holyfield sincerely believed a deal was imminent, especially after the Hard Rock threw its support behind the project, and there were multiple other offers conveyed to Team Tyson. However, Team Tyson’s demands recently became untenable, and not what Mike Tyson had originally agreed on in direct conversations with Holyfield.

The event was to occur at the beautiful Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins NFL franchise, Super Bowl games, and many other world class sporting events and entertainment, and would have been the ideal setting for the trilogy finale of this great rivalry between two of the greatest legends in the history of boxing. While neither side has announced publicly that the fight is not going to happen, with negotiations at a standstill and the date rapidly approaching, it seems unlikely that this fight will occur as planned.

“We thought this was a done deal but it quickly fell apart when Tyson’s people declined all offers,” said Kris Lawrence, Evander Holyfield’s manager. “We were negotiating in good faith all along and it appears we just ended up wasting our time.”

BoxNation and Premier Sports have today announced live coverage of the rescheduled fight between Joe Smith Jr. (26-3, 21 KOs) and Maxim Vlasov (45-3, 26 KOs) for the vacant WBO Light Heavyweight Title in Tulsa, OK including top heavyweight prospect Efe Ajagba in the co-feature. Vlasov had to pull out last month when he tested positive for Covid-19 but having recovered, the fight with Smith Jr is back on and scheduled for April 10^th.

Smith, the 31-year-old native hailing from Long Island, rose to prominence when he brutally knocked out the legendary Bernard Hopkins in 2016. In 2020, he began the year off with a split-decision victory over Jesse Hart and ended it with another vicious knockout victory over former world champion Eleider Alvarez. 

34-year-old Vlasov, meanwhile, is a veteran of the sport who previously established himself as a contender in the Cruiserweight division, where he challenged for an interim world title. Since moving down to Light Heavyweight, he’s gone 3-0, knocking out Omar Garcia before scoring back-to-back decision victories over Issac Chilemba and Emmanuel Martey.  

In the 10-round co-feature, unbeaten heavyweight contender Efe Ajagba will take on Brian “MVP” Howard. Ajagba (14-0, 11 KOs), a 2016 Nigerian Olympian, is one of world boxing’s most accomplished young heavyweights. At 26 years old, he’s already knocked out the likes of longtime contender Amir Mansour and former world title challenger Razvan Cojanu. He made his Top Rank debut last September and outlasted veteran Jonathan Rice via decision over 10 rounds. Howard (15-4, 12 KOs) is an 11-year pro who has split a pair of bouts since moving up to heavyweight. In August 2019, he knocked out 2008 Puerto Rican Olympian Carlos Negron in the first round.

New customers signing up to watch this event can do so easily via the Premier Sports website. More upcoming fights for April and May are expected to be announced shortly.

ENDS

ABOUT PREMIER SPORTS

Premier Sports was founded in 2009 is available on Sky, Virgin TV and the Premier Player. In the Premier Sports bundle on Sky, Virgin TV and Premier Player, customers can enjoy Premier Sports 1, Premier Sports 2, BoxNation and LaLigaTV.

Premier Sports 1 is on Sky channel 412 and Virgin channel 551. Premier Sports 2 is on Sky channel 435 and Virgin Channel 552. FreeSports is available free on Sky Channel 422, Virgin Media Channel 553, on Channel 64 on Freeview and BT and on Freesat Channel 252.

The channels are also available to pubs, clubs and other commercial premises throughout the UK.

Premier Sports also broadcast LaLiga, Serie A, Scottish Cup football, 152 games from the Guinness PRO14, 15 games a week from the NHL, GAA and the home of NASCAR in the UK.

ABOUT BOXNATION

BoxNation began broadcasting in 2011 and has featured some of the best fights from home and abroad in the 9 years it has been on air. BoxNation is currently available on Sky channel 427, Virgin TV channel 546, BT TV and Talk Talk channel 415.

Premier Sports: www.premiersports.com                                            FreeSports: www.freesports.tv

Los Angeles, CA (March 22, 2021) – This past Saturday, heralded featherweight prospect Jalen Walker remained perfect by stopping veteran Julian Aristule in round three of a scheduled six-round bout at the Airport Hilton in Miami.

Waker came out very composed as he calmly landed solid combinations to the head and body of Aristule.

In round two, Walker began to pick up the pace and then placed a nice left to the body that put Aristule down to a knee. With Walker in control, he came out in round three and landed another perfect right to the body that sent Aristule down for a second time, and the bout was halted.

With the win, Walker continues to ascend, and the native of Los Angeles raises his perfect mark to 8-0 with seven knockouts. Aristule of Argentina, falls to 34-15.

“I’m happy with my performance. When I was in there, I had seen how I improved since my last fight, especially with the combination punching and the body shots I was landing in there,” said Walker.

“After the first knockdown, I knew that it was a matter of time it was going to be over with. I just want to get back in there and I want to fight again soon very soon.”

“It’s always good to see and gauge progress with a young fighter like Jalen, and we’re very happy with what we saw. We thank Aristule and his team for taking the match,” said Clemente Kwan of Waterfront Management.

Co-manager Rene Symonds stated, “This was a very composed performance against a 48-fight veteran. He put money In the bank by going to the body, and eventually knocking him out with a stabbing punch to the mid section. Jalen showed ring IQ, and real power on Saturday!”

Derek Chisora and Joseph Parker will collide in a huge Heavyweight clash on a blockbuster night of action that sees Irish star Katie Taylor defend her Undisputed Lightweight crown against former amateur rival Natasha Jonas and undefeated WBA Light-Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol put his Title on the line against Craig Richards, as well as the return of Chris Eubank Jr, live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and on DAZN in all markets excluding the UK, Ireland, China, New Zealand and Samoa.

Former World Title challenger Chisora (32-10, 23 KOs) was last seen pushing Ukraine’s pound-for-pound star Oleksandr Usyk all of the way in their 12-round battle for the WBO Intercontinental Heavyweight Title at The SSE Arena, Wembley last October, and the fan favourite is chomping at the bit for his next challenge.

A meeting between the pair scheduled for October 2019 fell through at three-and-a-half weeks’ notice when Parker’s team revealed he was suffering from the aftereffects of a spider bite. Chisora, who was unconvinced with Team Parker’s reasons for pulling out in 2019, has labelled Parker a ‘chicken’ in recent weeks and says he has unfinished business with the Heavyweight contender. 

Former WBO World Champion Parker (28-2, 21 KOs) is fresh off a hard-fought 12-round decision over long-time amateur nemesis Junior Fa at Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand last month that settled an 11-year old rivalry with his compatriot, a win that he hopes will kickstart his route back to the top of the Heavyweight division. 

Ranked at No.3 with the WBO, New Zealand’s Parker is well known on these shores having defended his WBO Title against Hughie Fury at Manchester Arena in September 2017, before taking unified ruler Anthony Joshua the distance at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff in March 2018. His last appearance in the UK came against Dillian Whyte in a dramatic points loss in July 2018.

“We’ve been here before, in 2019 I flew to Vegas to film the ‘Face To Face’ with Parker, I called Haye as soon as I left and told him, ‘This guy isn’t going to get in the ring with me’, I could see the fear in his eyes,” said Chisora. “Now, second time around I hope he fights, I’m looking forward to the fight, I cannot wait to get back in the ring! I love fighting, it is what I love the most. Good luck to Joseph Parker and his new team, we shall see you for WAR on May 1^st!”

“I’m excited to start this new chapter in my career with a new coach and some fresh ideas,” said Parker. “I’ve settled in and Andy and I are bonding well. Chisora and I have unfinished business and inside the ring one of us will get the job done. I am well aware that a win on British soil and on world-wide television will put me in pole position whereas a loss will be catastrophic.  I am more than up for the challenge. Bring it on Del Boy.”

Taylor (17-0, 6 KOs) defeated Jonas (9-1-1, 7 KOs) in the quarter-final stages of the London 2012 Olympic Games on route to capturing Ireland’s first gold medal of the summer. The pair will meet again nearly ten years down the line with Taylor’s WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO and Ring Magazine Lightweight World Titles on the line. 

Since their first meeting in the amateurs, Taylor has gone on to cement herself as the best female fighter on the planet by winning World Titles in the Lightweight and Super-Lightweight divisions and remaining undefeated in all 17 of her professional contests. ‘KT’ was last seen outclassing her WBA Mandatory Challenger Miriam Gutierrez with a masterful display in November. 

‘Miss GB’ came agonisingly close to winning her first World Title at the age of 36 last summer when she battled to a thrilling draw with WBC and IBO Super-Featherweight Champion Terri Harper at Matchroom Fight Camp. It was the first time that two British women had competed against each other for a Word Title, and the all-action fight more than lived up to the occasion. 

“Natasha proved in her last fight that she is still performing at the highest level so it’s a great challenge for me and I’m really looking forward to it,” said Taylor. “It’s a fight that people have been asking for and those are the type of fights you want to be part of.

“People still talk about our fight in the 2012 Olympics and I think that proved to be a real eye opener for people in terms of what women’s boxing is all about. I’m expecting another tough fight on May 1^st and I’m looking forward to successfully defending my Titles.”

“I’m really excited about getting the fight, I made a lot of noise about not wanting to go down in level or class after establishing myself on the world stage in my last fight,” said Jonas. “I know Katie is a different type of animal to Terri Harper, but I believe every time I’m asked to step up, I do. I said I wanted to be a champion and anybody at 130 to 140 was in my sights, I know I’m a world class boxer and I can win a World Title. 

“From the minute Eddie signed me this fight has been on the cards. Me and Katie had a great story from the Olympics, and we have both been pioneers in our own way. I’m glad that it’s happening and it’s a great fight for women’s boxing and for British and Irish boxing.”

Russia’s Bivol (17-0, 11 KOs) is regarded as one of the best technical boxers in the sport, mixing his dazzling skills with KO power. The 30-year-old was elevated to full WBA 175lbs World Champion from interim champion ahead of his 12th pro fight with Trent Broadhurst in Monte Carlo in November 2017 and celebrated with a devasting one-punch KO in the first round.  Bivol has subsequently defended his crown five times, but has been away from the ring since October 2019 when he widely outpointed Lenin Castillo at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago.

Richards (16-1-1, 9 KOs) delivered a Fight of the Year contender last time out in December against fierce rival Shakan Pitters as he stopped the Birmingham man in nine rounds to earn the British Light-Heavyweight crown. ‘Spider’ is ranked at No.8 in the WBA world rankings and has earned his shot by remaining undefeated since sole career loss against former World Title challenger Frank Buglioni in October 2017.

“I have been out of the ring for a year and a half and I have sorely missed boxing,” said Bivol. “I can’t wait to step through the ropes for my next fight on May 1^st. I have always wanted to fight in the UK and I’m happy to tick that box. Craig Richards is a fast and technical boxer and I’m expecting a great fight as I make another defence of my World Title.”

“I feel good and I feel very confident,” said Richards. “I know that he’s renowned as one of the best fighters out there, but I just believe that I’ve got the tools to beat him and I’m very confident in my abilities. I know I’ve got power as well, and I’ve got a very good chin. We’ve been planning for everything and anything.

“We know he’s been operating at world level for a long time and can bring different things to the table. I raise the level of my performance against my better opponents. The bigger the fight the better I perform. A fight like Bivol will allow me to go through my gears to show what I’m really about.”

Having previously campaigned at Super-Middleweight, Eubank Jr (29-2, 22 KOs) returned to the Middleweight division to claim the WBA Interim Middleweight World Title for the second time with a TKO win over former World Title challenger in December 2019, while making his US debut at the Barclays Centre in New York. In what will be his first fight back in the UK in over two years, the Brighton man faces Manchester’s Marcus Morrison (23-3, 16 KOs), who is enjoying a seven-fight winning streak that stretches back to June 2018.

“This is a good fight for me,” said Eubank Jr.  “Since signing with Sauerland my camp has been firing on all cylinders, I’ve been training with Roy in Miami and focussing on improving my game. I have the absolute best people around me, I have everything I need to push on to that next level and dominate the Middleweight scene.

“People have a lot to say about me and my career. There’s talks about why fights haven’t happened previously, but all I’ve been doing is focussing on number one, training hard and making sure I’m always ready. I’m now in the best place I can be and I’m ready to take what is mine.”

“I’m well aware that this is a massive opportunity and fight for me and my career,” said Morrison. “I got into boxing at the age of 7, and these are the type of fights I’ve always wanted to be involved in. Chris is a very good fighter, and I know what he brings to the table. I honestly believe the best version of me is still to be seen, and I look forward to showing it on the night. I can’t afford to not leave everything in there on May 1.”

“This is one of the strongest shows we’ve promoted and there is still even more to come,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Chisora vs. Parker is a brilliant style match up that has been brewing for years and Taylor vs. Jonas is one of the biggest fights in women’s boxing. The Eubanks are always box office and it’s a massive chance for Marcus Morrison after his brilliant win in Italy. Craig Richards goes for World Title glory against the brilliant Russian Dmitry Bivol and there are further announcements to follow. Buckle up and enjoy this one!”

“WAR Chisora realises this is a massive opportunity to gate-crash the Heavyweight division,” said David Haye of Hayemaker Promotions. “He has come close, in his last battle against unified Cruiserweight World Champion and No.1 ranked Heavyweight Usyk, two of the judges’ score cards had it 7 rounds to 5 –  winning just one more round would have captured a draw and Derek would have retained his WBO International Title that night. Since, he has been working, living the life of a professional. Derek doesn’t simply want to beat Joseph Parker, he wants to make a statement to the world. This is his time.”

“There’s definitely unfinished business between Parker and Chisora,” said David Higgins, Founder and Director of DUCO Events. “I think the fight will be a real fan pleaser. It could be the Heavyweight Fight of the Year. You’ve got Chisora who likes to stand and trade and come forward, and then you’ve got Parker who has the speed and the pedigree. This fight has got a bit of history and it has been building for a while. It’s fantastic that it’s finally happening. This is a proper 50-50 matchup where the winner could go on to a World Title shot and the loser will go to the scrapheap. Credit to both Parker and Chisora for putting it all on the line.”

Tickets for the huge Heavyweight rematch between Alexander Povetkin and Dillian Whyte taking place at the Europa Point Sports Complex in Gibraltar on Saturday March 27 are on sale TOMORROW (Saturday March 20) at 10am GMT and 11am CET via www.buyticket.gi – Gibraltar’s first online tickets sales platform.
 
‘The Body Snatcher’ (27-2, 18 KOs) has a chance to exact revenge over Russia’s Povetkin (36-2-1, 25 KOs) following his shock defeat to the former World Champion in the final weekend of Matchroom Fight Camp last August. 
 
Tickets for the much-heralded Interim WBC Heavyweight World Title clash are priced as follows:
 
VIP: £150 including Hospitality + £35 for a government-mandated Antigen test (provided locally by MMS) + a [£10] Booking Fee
 
VVIP: £350 including Enhanced Hospitality + £35 for a government-mandated Antigen test (provided locally by MMS) + a [£15] Booking Fee 
 
Doors for the event open at 5.45pm local time and bouts for fans will begin at 6pm. The Hospitality area will remain open from 6pm until 11pm. All interested ticket purchasers will be advised of all of the applicable conditions for attendance including the requirement to undertake a rapid test on Sat 27^th March.
 
 Ticket Purchase Requirements

• STRICTLY only those who are GIBRALTAR HEALTH AUTHORITY registered may attend this event 
• Negative lateral flow test on the day of the event
• Photo ID and Vaccination card or proof of contracting Covid 19 within the last 180 days by way of certificate from the GHA (please note this certificate can take up to 24hrs week days to receive). 
• Further requirements to attend this event are available on www.buyticket.gi

Povetkin vs. Whyte 2 tops a huge night of action in Gibraltar, Bermondsey’s Ted Cheeseman (16-2-1, 9 KOs) meets Liverpool’s James Metcalf (21-0, 13 KOs) for the vacant British Super-Welterweight Title, Ipswich Heavyweight talent Fabio Wardley (10-0, 9 KOs) steps-up again against USA’s former World Title challenger Eric Molina (27-6, 19 KOs), Manchester Super-Featherweight Campbell Hatton – son of British fight legend Ricky Hatton – makes his professional debut and undefeated Welterweights Chris Kongo (12-0, 7 KOs) and Michael McKinson (19-0, 2 KOs) will collide for the WBO Global Title.

18:00 LIVE ON SKY SPORTS FACEBOOK

8 x 3 mins Middleweight contest
BRADLEY REA 11st 5lbs 0oz v LEE CUTLER 11st 4lbs 5oz
(Stretford, England)                    (Bournemouth, England)

followed by

19:00 LIVE ON SKY SPORTS & DAZN

6 x 2 mins Featherweight contest
RAMLA ALI 9st 0lbs 6oz v BEC CONNOLLY 9st 0lbs 5oz
(Bethnal Green, England via Somalia)     (Swindon, England)

followed by

10 x 3 mins vacant WBA Continental Cruiserweight Title
CHRIS BILLAM-SMITH 14st 3lbs 0oz v VASIL DUCAR 14st 2lbs 8oz
(Bournemouth, England)                       (Brno, Czech Republic)

followed by

6 x 2 mins International Featherweight contest
ELLIE SCOTNEY 8st 10lbs 13oz v MAILYS GANGLOFF 8st 6lbs 13oz
(Catford, England)                          (Aix-les-Bains, France)

followed by

10 x 3 mins WBA Intercontinental Super-Welterweight Title 
ANTHONY FOWLER 10st 13lbs 13oz v JORGE FORTEA 10st 12lbs 7oz
(Liverpool, England)                               (Sueca, Spain)

followed by

10 x 3 mins International Super-Featherweight contest
JOE CORDINA 9st 6lbs 6oz v FAROUKH KOURBANOV 9st 4lbs 8oz
(Cardiff, Wales)                         (Liege, Belgium)

followed by

12 x 3 mins vacant WBO Cruiserweight World Title
LAWRENCE OKOLIE 14st 3lbs 6oz v KRZYSTOF GLOWACKI 13st 13lbs 13oz
(Hackney, England)                             (Walcz, Poland)