Las Vegas – UFC^® returns to the APEX with a middleweight clash that will see No. 7 ranked Roman Dolidze battle No. 12 Nassourdine Imavov. Also on the card, No. 13 ranked lightweight contender Renato Moicano meets No. 15 Drew Dober.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: DOLIDZE vs. IMAVOV will take place Saturday, February 3 at UFC APEX in Las Vegas. The entire card will stream exclusively on ESPN+ in English and Spanish with the prelims beginning at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT followed by the main card at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.

Additionally, the finals for ROAD TO UFC Season 2 will air live at 11:30 p.m. ET / 8:30 p.m. PT on UFC Fight Pass from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas on Saturday, February 3, following the broadcast of UFC FIGHT NIGHT^®: DOLIDZE vs. IMAVOV.

UFC Apex VIP Experience packages are available via On Location, UFC’s Official VIP Experience Provider. Enjoy exclusive access with an official ticket package that includes premium seating, all-inclusive hospitality, in-seat beverage service, meet-and-greets with UFC octagon girls and more. Visit UFCVIP.com for more information.

ROAD TO UFC is a ground-breaking “win and advance” tournament that takes top MMA prospects from Asia and gives them a pathway to a UFC contract. Season 2 started with 32 mixed martial arts athletes, with eight competing in each of four men’s weight classes: flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight and lightweight. The athletes in ROAD TO UFC came from China, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Thailand.

The opening round took place on May 27 and 28 at the UFC Performance Institute Shanghai, and the semifinals took place following UFC FIGHT NIGHT: HOLLOWAY VS THE KOREAN ZOMBIE in Singapore on August 27. Following the conclusion of the finals for ROAD TO UFC Season 2, the four winners will be awarded UFC contracts.

Dolidze (12-2, fighting out of Batumi, Georgia) looks to deliver another signature KO in his first UFC main event. Known for his highlight-reel finishes, Dolidze rose through the middleweight ranks with bonus-earning stoppages of Jack Hermansson, Phil Hawes and Kyle Daukaus. He now aims to begin his 2024 campaign with a statement victory and break into the Top 5.

Imavov (12-4, fighting out of Paris, France) returns to the Octagon planning to reignite his run towards the title. A well-rounded competitor who has finished nine of his 12 victories, he holds notable wins over Joaquin Buckley, Edmen Shahbazyan and Ian Heinisch. Imavov now has his sights set on becoming the first person to finish Dolidze in impressive fashion.

Grappling ace Moicano (17-5-1, fighting out of Brasília, Federal District, Brazil) aims to build another win steak by defending his spot in the rankings. A high-level Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, all 10 of his finishes have come via submission, including wins over Brad Riddell, Alexander Hernandez and Cub Swanson. Moicano now seeks to make quick work of Dober and turn his attention to the top of the division.

Knockout artist Dober (27-12 1NC, fighting out of Denver, Colo.) looks to add to his record for most knockouts in UFC lightweight history. Among the most exciting athletes in the division, Dober’s last seven wins have come by KO, including finishes of Ricky Glenn, Bobby Green and Terrance McKinney. He now plans to notch his biggest victory yet and insert himself into the title conversation. 

Additional bouts on the card include:

• No. 8 ranked flyweight contender Viviane Araujo (12-5, fighting out of Brasília, Federal District, Brazil) aims to hand No. 11 Natalia Silva (16-5, fighting out of Pingo D’Agua, Minas Gerais, Brazil) her first UFC loss
• William Gomis (13-2, fighting out of Paris, France) returns to action against Melsik Baghdasaryan (8-2, fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif.) in a featherweight bout
• Gilbert Urbina (7-3, fighting out of Mercedes, Texas) meets Charles Radtke (8-3, fighting out of Naples, Fla.) in a welterweight contest
• Flyweight action sees Luana Carolina (9-4, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) take on Julija Stoliarenko (11-8-2, fighting out of Visaginas, Luthuania)
• Aliaskhab Khizriev (14-0, fighting out of Makhachkala, Dagestan) defends his undefeated record against Makhmud Muradov (26-8, fighting out of Bukhara, Uzbekistan) in an exciting middleweight tilt
• Fan favorite Molly McCann (13-6, fighting out of Liverpool, England) aims for another signature KO against fellow striker Diana Belbita (15-8, fighting out of Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada) at strawweight
• Welterweights Themba Gorimbo (11-4, fighting out of Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa) and Kiefer Crosbie (10-4, fighting out of Dublin, Ireland) collide in an all-action bout
• JeongYeong Lee (10-1, fighting out of Daegu, South Korea) looks to remain undefeated in the UFC when he faces Blake Bilder (8-1-1, fighting out of Costa Mesa, Calif.) at featherweight
• Nate Maness (15-3, fighting out of Henderson, Ky.) plans to knock Azat Maksum (17-0, fighting out of Rayimbek, Almatinskaia Oblast, Kazakhstan) from the ranks of the unbeaten in a flyweight matchup
• Landon Quinones (7-2-1, fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla.) seeks to spoil the UFC debut of Dana White’s Contender Series signee MarQuel Mederos (8-1, fighting out of Littleton, Colo.)
• Heavyweight Dana White’s Contender Seriesalums clash as Thomas Petersen (8-1, fighting out of Webster, Minn.) meets Jamal Pogues (10-4, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.)

ROAD TO UFC Season 2 Finale Bouts:

·         Flyweight Final: 22-year old dedicated finisher Jiniushiyue “Little King Kong” (13-2, fighting out of Sichuan, China) faces decorated national wrestler 21-year old Rei Tsuruya (8-0, fighting out of Chiba, Japan).

·         Bantamweight Final: Experienced, aggressive striker Xiao Long (26-7, fighting out of Hunan, China) faces well-rounded grinder Chang Ho Lee (9-1, fighting out of Goyang, South Korea).

·         Featherweight Final: Iconic aggressive strikerKaiwen (12-5, fighting out of Hunan, China) faces seasoned, intelligent tactician Yizha (24-4, fighting out of Sichuan, China).

·         Lightweight Final: Former UFC athlete and strong finisher Rongzhu (24-5, fighting out of Sichuan, China) faces power wrestler Shin Haraguchi (7-0 1NC, fighting out of Kagoshima, Japan).

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

###

About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 700 million fans and 233 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 over 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s active fighter roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global sports and entertainment company Endeavor and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About ESPN+

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About ESPN

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

LOS ANGELES (December 14, 2023) – Undefeated super middleweight prospect Darius “DFG” Fulghum (9-0, 9 KOs) concluded a memorable 2023, knocking out Pachino “Chino” Hill on December 2nd in the second round, in his hometown of Houston on a Golden Boy Promotions card headlined by Ryan Garcia vs. Oscar Duarte on a live DAZN stream from Toyota Center.

The 27-year-old Fulghum was 6-for-6 in 2023 with six knockouts, all since May, increasing his perfect pro record to 9-0 with nine knockouts. In Darius’ six fights this year, he has only needed 16 total rounds to stop his six opponents.

In 2023, Fulghum started working with 3 Point Management (3 PM), a growing Los Angeles-based company, in addition to signing an exclusive promotional contract with Golden Boy Promotions.

“Everything that has happened in my boxing career has been perfect timing,” Fulghum commented, even when I was an amateur. I graduated (from college) in 2019, right before the pandemic, and I was able to work my schedule around to compete in The Nationals.

“I don’t know how I could have had a better year other than winning a world title, but that wasn’t realistic right now. I had a perfect year, six fights in seven months, all won by knockout. I learned so much this year in and out of the ring like the process. . I never take days off. I’m gaining all the experience I’ll need to get that world title belt. Everything has been in sync, and I give a lot of the credit to my family for always supporting me.”

A licensed nurse in Texas with a degree from Prairie View A & M University, Fulghum was a decorated amateur boxer, ranked No. 1 in the USA as a heavyweight, despite fighting as a light heavyweight/super middleweight as a pro. He captured top honors at the 2018 National Golden Gloves Tournament and 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. All of his amateur accomplishments were achieved while he attended college.

Fighting at home as a pro for only the second time during his career, Fulghum wanted to do something special for his family, friends, and fans in Houston. He did just that…..

Team Fulghum came up with the idea for him to wear his Prairie View A & M cap and gown during his walk up to the ring and after the fight when his hand was raised in victory by referee Mark Calo-oy.

“I loved it,” Fulghum added. “Me and my team wanted to make my first fight in Houston something special. I’m so happy it came out really nice. Everything was absolutely ridiculous, Houston really showed up. I felt the love.”

If 2023 was a banner year, Fulghum plans to make 2024 a breakthrough campaign.

“I want to make noise in my division next year and 168 (lbs.) is tight,” Fulghum concluded. “People are starting to notice me, but I don’t have the leverage right now to call out anybody, never mind (David) Benavidez, Canelo (Alvarez), (Jermell) Charlo or (Jaime) Munguia. Next year, I want people to watch me fighting tough competition.”

Perfect timing!

INFORMATION:

Instagram/X (Twitter)/Linkedin: @DariusFulghum

MINNEAPOLIS – December 14, 2023 – Undefeated WBA Super Middleweight Champion and Minneapolis fan-favorite David Morrell Jr. and knockout artist Sena Agbeko went face-to-face Thursday at the final press conference before they meet in the SHOWTIME main event this Saturday, December 16 from The Armory in Minneapolis in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

The press conference also featured exciting contenders Chris “Primetime” Colbert and Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela, who meet in a 12-round WBA Lightweight Title Eliminator as they rematch in the co-main event, plus all-action former world champions Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero and Andre Berto, who square off in a 10-round welterweight rematch in the telecast opener at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

The telecast had previously been scheduled to include WBC Flyweight World Champion Julio Cesar Martinez facing unbeaten Angelino Cordova, however that fight has now been postponed after Martinez experienced visa issues trying to enter the country.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Warriors Boxing, are on sale now and can be purchased at The Armory at http://ArmoryMN.com/ and through Ticketmaster.

Here is what the fighters had to say Thursday:

DAVID MORRELL JR.

“When you disrespect me, you’re gonna suffer. When you talk like that to my face, now it’s time for the punishment. I’m going to knock his ass out in the sixth or seventh round this Saturday night. My Christmas present for him is gonna be a knockout.”

“This is a great opportunity to headline the last fight on SHOWTIME. I was ready for him in April and I’m ready for him now. I’ll show him and anyone who doubts me.

“it’s going to be worse for him now. I’m better now than if we had fought in April. I’m taking him right out now.

“I’m really just focused on Agbeko. My body and my mental are 100%. I’m not thinking about David Benavidez right now. I’ll come for him after Agbeko. I’m taking this guy out first. 

“I feel great to have this opportunity. My family is coming here to watch me for the first time. This is my time and this is my moment. I want everything.

“Having my family here doesn’t put pressure on me. It takes the pressure away. It’s going to make me feel great and clear my head, since I don’t need to worry about how they are doing in Cuba anymore. Once I’m inside the ring, my focus will be fully on Agbeko.”

SENA AGBEKO

“I’ve always had the mindset that I want to be the top guy at super middleweight. I want to face the best. That’s what I’ve wanted since the beginning.

“I can’t hate a man who’s on the same mission as me. We both want to be world champion. We were supposed to fight in April, and I believe that someone went to great lengths to stop the fight from happening then.

“I wanted this fight because of what I know about myself. There’s so much that I’ve done that people have chosen to ignore. I just wanted a chance. I’ve just needed the stage to prove it.

“I fought to get this fight back, because I deserved it. I’m grateful to the universe, and to David and his team for accepting the fight.

“I truly believe that his team thinks I’m a sheep coming to the slaughter house. But they don’t know that I’m a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

“This will be the culmination of everything I’ve ever dreamed of. It’s been a long 12 years. I’ve trained the whole time like I’m fighting for a world title. To win this fight Saturday night will mean everything to me. I want to add my name to a long line of Ghanaian champions.”

CHRIS COLBERT

“I’m not forced to do anything. I’m my own boss. This was the option that I chose. I’m tired of hearing him talk. I’ve always wanted to prove myself.

“He’s a sore loser, but he comes to fight. He’s gonna come to fight. I want to prove to the world and to his fans that he didn’t win. I’m gonna come dominate. I want him to take his loss like a man.

“It’s not about how you start, it’s about how you finish. He dropped me in the first 30 seconds and he didn’t’ finish me. It says a lot about him as a fighter. He had 2:30 to finish me in the first round.

“He got tired. I landed so many jabs. Saturday night I’m gonna make him stop crying about this. I’m ready.” 

JOSE VALENZUELA

“I learned I have to keep my foot on the gas. It was pretty clear to everyone that I won. He said that I was a bum, but it looked like he was getting jumped in there. Everything happens for a reason and I’m happy to be back.

“I made the adjustments that I had to make. Saturday I’m knocking him out. I had a tremendous training camp.

“I’m gonna knock this clown out. It’s over for him. I can see in his eyes that he’s scared. He said he had different plans after the first fight. But he had to come back here to face me.”

ROBERT GUERRERO

“These fists are hungry and I gotta feed them. It’s been a long time coming. Things change, but like my dad always told me, ‘the older the bull, the stiffer the horn.’ We’re ready to go.

“The last time we fought, I was really a 135-pounder fighting at 147. I’ve grown into the weight now. It’s gonna be a lot different match now.

“We were both in Las Vegas out there running and doing our camps. I’m ready and I’m excited to do it again. When you run at that elevation in Las Vegas, there’s nothing like it.

“If you know Robert Guerrero, you know I come for war. We come no matter what. It’s just what we do. We’re warriors.”

ANDRE BERTO

“Anybody who follows me, they know I stay in shape. This is a fight that I felt like I always needed to get back. Same thing with Victor Ortiz. I shouldn’t have even stepped into the ring against Guerrero when we first fought. I’m on a revenge tour now before I leave this game.

Robert is a great fighter of course, and he did what he did. But I’m hungry for this one. I still think about situations from that fight back then. I’m hungry to get this one back. We had a hell of a training camp and we’re gonna get it.

“I wasn’t in the right space mentally or physically when we first thought. I only gained four pounds after the weigh-in. Even then he barely beat me. I’m not taking anything from Robert, because he’s a beast.

“Now, even at this age, I’m feeling like a beast right now. I’m focused right now. I didn’t pull any punches in camp. I had young studs pushing me every day. I feel good and I feel fresh.”

#          #          #

ABOUT MORRELL VS. AGBEKO

Morrell vs. Agbeko will see undefeated WBA Super Middleweight Champion and Minneapolis fan-favorite David Morrell Jr. battle knockout artist Sena Agbeko headlining action live on SHOWTIME on Saturday, December 16 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from The Armory in Minneapolis.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will begin at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and feature exciting contenders Chris “Primetime” Colbert and Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela in a 12-round WBA Lightweight Title Eliminator as they rematch in the co-main event, and all-action former world champions Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero and Andre Berto squaring off in a 10-round welterweight rematch in the telecast opener.

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

MINNEAPOLIS – December 14, 2023 – The previously scheduled matchup between WBC Flyweight World Champion Julio Cesar Martinez and unbeaten Angelino Cordova has been postponed. Martinez experienced visa issues trying to enter the country, forcing the bout to be rescheduled for next year.

The fight had been set to appear on the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast this Saturday night headlined by undefeated WBA Super Middleweight Champion and Minneapolis fan-favorite David Morrell Jr. battling knockout artist Sena Agbeko from The Armory in Minneapolis and presented by Premier Boxing Champions. The telecast will continue as a tripleheader.

Exciting contenders Chris “Primetime” Colbert and Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela will meet in a 12-round WBA Lightweight Title Eliminator as they rematch in the co-main event, while all-action former world champions Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero and Andre Berto square off in a 10-round welterweight rematch in the telecast opener.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Warriors Boxing, are on sale now and can be purchased at the Armory at http://ArmoryMN.com/ and through Ticketmaster.

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

Jesse Rodriguez says he wants to be remembered as a legend of the sport – and that starts by taking Sunny Edwards’ belt and unbeaten record as they clash in a Flyweight unification blockbuster at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona on Saturday night, live worldwide on DAZN.
 
WBO king Rodriguez (18-0 11 KOs) returns to the state where he landed his first World title back in February 2022 when he defeated Carlos Cuadras to land the WBC Super-Flyweight strap. The San Antonio star defended that title twice with wins over Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Israel Gonzalez before becoming a two-weight champion on home turf in April by seeing off Christian Hernandez.
 
Edwards (20-0 4 KOs) finally gets the blockbuster showdown that he’s been craving after becoming the IBF champion in April 2021 with a trademark classy win over Moruti Mthalane in London. A pair of successful defenses in Dubai followed in December against Jayson Mama and in March over Muhammad Waseem before victory in defense number three followed in his adopted Sheffield hometown over Felix Alvarado.
 
It’s a first ever unification bout for both men and the victor will be crowned the number one in the division, and is exactly the sort of bout that the 25 year old American feels he can get his teeth into. ‘Bam’ knows that Edwards has the goods to make it an exciting fight but having already seen off a modern-great in Rungvisai, Rodriguez feels that he’s a step too far for the Briton.
 
“This fight is going to be exciting,” said Rodriguez. “The sky is the limit for me; anybody, anywhere. He’s a very good fighter, very technical, very skillful, fast, smart. I knew one day down the line we would meet up and here it is. He hasn’t been in with someone with the skills I have, and with the power on top of that. I don’t care what it takes, I’m going to win, I’m taking his belt, and I’m taking his ‘0’. I’m going to knock him out.
 
“I want to be remembered as a legend, as a fighter that never dodged a fight. I’m here for a good time, not a long time. I feel like I have what it takes to not only drop him but to finish the fight early. 
 
“I decided to get an AirBnB for this fight and separate myself from the camp house. There’s a lot on the line, so I wanted to be as comfortable as possible, so little things like that play a big part in training camp. 
 
“I do this to myself because I want to have a better life. I have a daughter on the way, I want to provide everything she ever needs. I’m a lot more motivated, every day i think about my daughter. I want to provide everything for her, so I am going extra hard, harder than I ever have before. What does it take to be the best? It’s hard work, dedication, sacrifice, heart and a lot of will. 
 
“My jaw feels good. It’s a little numb but the doctor said it would be like that for a while. I’m felt a little crack and then my ear started ringing so I knew something was up. I was able to bear it and finish the fight. I didn’t enjoy the win. I went straight to the hospital and got surgery on the Monday, and then I was on the six-week diet, strictly pudding, smoothies, milkshakes, whatever I could eat without chewing was what I was on, but as long as I’ve got my coffee, I’m good.
 
“A lot of things have changed since becoming World champion. In San Antonio, they treat me like a king. I go into restaurants and get free food and free coffees in the coffee shops. I was living at home before the World title fight, but after winning the title I got my own apartment and started living on my own. Life has been amazing since then. I appreciate what I did that day, but it’s in the past now. I have the biggest fight of my life coming up and I use that feeling as motivation because I know winning this one would be ten times what I felt back then.”
 
Rodriguez and Edwards clash on a stacked night of action in Arizona, with chief support action provided by the the WBA World Super-Bantamweight title eliminator battle between former champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev (11-1 8 KOs) and #2 ranked Mexican Kevin Gonzalez (26-0-1 13 KOs).
 
The main event stars unbeaten British World ruler Edwards, and four more Brits cross the pond to end their 2023 in the US. Galal Yafai (5-0 4 KOs) defends his WBC International Flyweight title against Rocco Santomauro (22-2 6 KOs), Peter McGrail (8-0 5 KOs) fights in the States for the first time in the paid ranks, and fights for his first pro title as he takes on Ja’Rico O’Quinn (16-1-1 8 KOs) for the WBA Continental Super-Bantamweight belt. McGrail’s younger brother Joe McGrail (7-0 3 KOs), who fights for the eighth time in the pros against Brandon Rosales Marquez (6-5-2) over six rounds at Featherweight. The fifth Brit to step through the ropes on the night will be rising star Junaid Boston (7-0 6 KOs), with the Rotherham talent tackling unbeaten Detroit man Gordie Russ II (6-0 6 KOs) over eight rounds at Super-Welterweight.
 
Completing the line-up in Arizona are Californian Arturo Popoca (11-0-1 7 KOs) who faces Carlos Mujica (8-3 3 KOs) over eight rounds at Super-Bantamweight and Albert Gonzalez (5-0 2 KOs) who takes on Robenilson Vieira de Jesus (5-1 1 KO) over six rounds at Featherweight.

Sunny Edwards believes he’s unbeatable when he is at his best – and plans to prove that in his unification battle with Jesse Rodriguez at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona on Saturday night, live worldwide on DAZN.
 
Edwards (20-0 4 KOs) finally gets the blockbuster showdown that he’s been craving after becoming the IBF champion in April 2021 with a trademark classy win over Moruti Mthalane in London. A pair of successful defenses in Dubai followed in December against Jayson Mama and in March over Muhammad Waseem before victory in defense number three followed in his adopted Sheffield hometown over Felix Alvarado.
 
It’s a first ever unification bout for both men as WBO king Rodriguez (18-0 11 KOs) returns to the state where he landed his first World title back in February 2022 when he defeated Carlos Cuadras to land the WBC Super-Flyweight strap. The San Antonio star defended that title twice with wins over Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Israel Gonzalez before becoming a two-weight champion on home turf in April by seeing off Christian Hernandez.
 
Fight fans and pundits alike have been salivating over the prospect of these two men finally getting their hands on each other, with a raft of previews pouring over their respective traits and finding it hard to separate them. But for the Briton, there’s no doubt in his mind that he adds a second belt to his waist on Saturday night and says it doesn’t matter who is in the ring, if he’s at his best, there’s only ever going to be one winner.
 
“I don’t have to overthink it; I know the best of me is capable of beating anyone at this weight and the weights above,” said Edwards. “After I beat Bam, I feel there’s a lot more still to come. That’s the first step, unified champion of the world, it sounds good. Bam has got quick hands, good feet, heavy hands as well. He’s a great fighter, but he’s not been in with me yet.
 
“I was made for this. I’ve never had anything else; I’ve never done anything else; I’ve never really wanted anything else. I don’t do it for anyone, to make anyone proud. If anything, the compliments and the flattery makes me feel uneasy. Everywhere I’ve gone throughout my life I’ve had people saying nothing but good things about how good I am.
 
“I feel like my last fight was a kind of pre-season for this one. This fight was always spoken and thought about. I’ve stayed in the gym straight out of that fight in June and I’ve applied myself, so I am genuinely raring to go.
 
“I like a build-up, but that’s more for the fans than for me, I like them to be excited for the fight. Maybe I’m more of the spiteful one, the outspoken one, the confident one. Whereas he’s a very good fighter but he seems uneasy in public, he isn’t happy in front of the camera, he’s not confident in front of groups of people. If he wasn’t a boxer, you wouldn’t see much of him at all.”
 
Edwards and Rodriguez clash on a stacked night of action in Arizona, with chief support action provided by the the WBA World Super-Bantamweight title eliminator battle between former champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev (11-1 8 KOs) and #2 ranked Mexican Kevin Gonzalez (26-0-1 13 KOs).
 
The main event stars unbeaten British World ruler Edwards, and four more Brits cross the pond to end their 2023 in the US. Galal Yafai (5-0 4 KOs) defends his WBC International Flyweight title against Rocco Santomauro (22-2 6 KOs), Peter McGrail (8-0 5 KOs) fights in the States for the first time in the paid ranks, and fights for his first pro title as he takes on Ja’Rico O’Quinn (16-1-1 8 KOs) for the WBA Continental Super-Bantamweight belt. McGrail’s younger brother Joe McGrail (7-0 3 KOs), who fights for the eighth time in the pros against Brandon Rosales Marquez (6-5-2) over six rounds at Featherweight. The fifth Brit to step through the ropes on the night will be rising star Junaid Boston (7-0 6 KOs), with the Rotherham talent tackling unbeaten Detroit man Gordie Russ II (6-0 6 KOs) over eight rounds at Super-Welterweight.
 
Completing the line-up in Arizona are Californian Arturo Popoca (11-0-1 7 KOs) who faces Carlos Mujica (8-3 3 KOs) over eight rounds at Super-Bantamweight and Albert Gonzalez (5-0 2 KOs) who takes on Robenilson Vieira de Jesus (5-1 1 KO) over six rounds at Featherweight.

ORLANDO, FL – December 14, 2023 – Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) today announced the highly-anticipated 8-round cruiserweight battle between Jake “The Problem Child” Paul (7-1, 4 KOs) vs. Andre August (10-1, 5 KOs) on Friday, December 15, preceded by MVP’s 10-round special championship feature of Shadasia “The Sweet Terminator” Green (13-0, 11 KOs) vs. Franchón Crews-Dezurn (8-2, 2 KOs) for the WBC super middleweight title and the WBA Interim Championship title, is the highest recorded gate for a boxing event in Orlando’s history. Puerto Rican fighter Miguel Cotto’s bout vs. Delvin Rodriguez at the Amway Center, which has a capacity of 20,000, in October 2013 previously held the record in Orlando. Tickets for Paul vs. August, presented by CELSIUS Essential Energy Drink, also broke the record for highest average ticket price, matching the average ticket price of Paul’s latest fight vs. Nate Diaz at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. 

Since headlining his first fight, Paul has broken records at every arena he’s fought at across his 9-fight professional career, and his upcoming bout vs. August in Orlando marks a new city record. Paul’s record-setting appearance in Dallas, TX for Paul vs. Diaz was the highest boxing gate and second biggest combat sports gate ever at the American Airlines Center. Previously, Paul vs. Silva broke a record for the second highest combat sports gate at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, and Paul vs. Woodley II set the record for the highest combat sports gate at Amalie Arena in Tampa. Paul vs. Woodley I was the highest boxing gate ever at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland. 

Paul vs. August will headline Most Valuable Prospects IV, which will feature additional action-packed bouts between light middleweights Yoenis Tellez (6-0, 5 KOs) vs. Livan Navarro (15-1, 9 KOs) for the WBA Continental Latin Americas title and heavyweights Lorenzo Medina (8-0, 7 KOs) vs. Joshua Temple (12-2, 10 KOs). 

Most Valuable Prospects IV continues the commitment from MVP co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian to highlight the world’s best up-and-coming boxing talent. All events within Most Valuable Prospects in 2023 have taken place on Friday nights at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, FL. The series has been renewed for six installments in 2024 and DAZN will air the series globally across its platforms as a part of its subscription package. CELSIUS Essential Energy Drink acts as the presenting sponsor of the Most Valuable Prospects Series, with DraftKings serving as the Official Sports Betting Partner for Most Valuable Prospects IV.

Paul vs. August fight week events are free to the public and continue today, Thursday, December 14 at the Caribe Royale Resort. The public weigh-ins begin at 6:00PM ET, with doors opening at 5:00PM ET. The weigh-ins will be shown live on Jake Paul’s YouTube channel, MVP’s YouTube channel, and DAZN’s YouTube channel.

“It’s unbelievable that Jake made his debut in 2020, also in Florida, and sold less than 1500 tickets with a miniscule gate,” said Mike Leanardi, Director of Boxing of MVP. “Now in 2023, we’re back in Florida, this time Orlando, and despite it being a week before Christmas and him facing a formidable but unknown opponent, Jake broke Miguel Cotto’s record for the highest gate and average ticket price of any boxing event in Orlando’s history. Just being mentioned in the same breath as Cotto speaks volumes to Jake’s starpower. If anyone still doubts Jake Paul, I’m proud to say they’ve been proven wrong yet again. Thank you Caribe Royale and Boxlab Promotions for being a great partner for this record-breaking night.”

“On behalf of Caribe Royale and Boxlab Promotions we’re extremely proud to be a part of the highest grossing boxing event in Orlando history,” said Amaury Piedra, Managing Director of Caribe Royale Resort and President of Boxlab Promotions. “This just further validates the fact that Orlando has become the capital of Championship Boxing in Florida and the entire Southeast!”

For more information, follow on Twitter via @JakePaul, @MostVPromotions, and @DAZNBoxing or on Instagram via @JakePaul, @MostValuablePromotions, and @DAZNBoxing.

How to watch DAZN  

• Visit DAZN.com and follow the steps to sign up now
• Once signed up, download the DAZN app to watch on any device
• Go to the app store on your chosen device, search ‘DAZN’ and download the DAZN app  
• DAZN is available on your phone, tablet, smart TV, streaming devices such as Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and gaming consoles. 
• Connect multiple devices to your account to watch at home or on the go  

About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)

Most Valuable Promotions was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. MVP have produced Jake Paul’s last five global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Diaz match. The promotion company also signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head to head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, recently earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which was the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.

About DAZN

DAZN is a leading digital sports platform in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Canada, US and the UK.? Its wide range of exclusive content includes top-flight football from the world’s most popular competitions – Bundesliga, English Premier League, J.League, LaLiga, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League, in addition to the biggest sports from around the world – Formula 1, NFL, NBA, MotoGP and the UFC.? 

DAZN is the NFL’s global partner and, from the 2023 season, will be the only place for fans around the world to watch every NFL match through the NFL Game Pass International add-on subscription. DAZN is a global home for boxing and combat sports through its partnerships with Matchroom Boxing the Professional Fighters League, and a global home for Women’s Football with UEFA Women’s Champions League and Finetwork Liga F.? DAZN is adding more and more sport to its platform to create a destination for sports fans.?

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DAZN is reimagining the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, bet, play, share, socialize, and buy tickets, NFTs and merchandise. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN.?

DAZN is available on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs and game consoles, ensuring that fans have access to a ground-breaking rights catalog and slate of incredible content. In the UK and globally, DAZN can be accessed on Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic Smart TVs and on Games Consoles including PlayStation and Xbox. Subscribers also have access to DAZN on their Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast and Apple TV and can find the app on their iPhone, iPad, and android mobile devices. DAZN is available as an Amazon Channel on Amazon Prime TV and can be viewed on Channel 429 on Sky in the UK and Ireland.   

DAZN is a global, privately-owned company with employees in over 25 countries. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit?www.dazngroup.com.??

THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED middleweight collision between Hamzah Sheeraz and Liam Williams has got a new date and will take place on Saturday 10 February at London’s Copper Box Arena, live on TNT Sports.

Tickets for Sheeraz vs Williams are on sale at 12pm tomorrow (Friday 15 December) available from ticketmaster.co.uk.

The fight between the undefeated Sheeraz and former world title challenger Williams was originally set to go ahead in early December before Sheeraz suffered a perforated eardrum in training that forced the fight into 2024.

Now the fiercest test of the Ilford man’s professional career to date is back on and Sheeraz is already hard at work preparing over in Los Angeles, where he has been for the last week, with trainer Ricky Funez at the Ten Goose Boxing Gym.

During the recovery period of Sheeraz, Williams, 31, reminded us all that he has lost none of his old menaces by making more or less a minute’s work of Florin Cardos at York Hall at the end of November.

With a new date now booked in, festive celebrations for both men are now firmly put on hold.

“I am back in the flow of things now, grafting away,” reported 24-year-old Sheeraz. “Like I said last time, I think this is the perfect fight for me and it is not one that I can really take lightly. Hopefully, God willing, it will be a good camp and come February 10 I will get the job done in a good fashion and I will be a name that the middleweights start calling out and wanting to fight.

“Festivities are cancelled for me this year. Normally we do a little dinner and whatnot together with all the family because it is an excuse to do so. This will be the first time in my whole boxing career that I will have to grind through it. Sacrifice is nothing new to me and it is what you have to do to get to the top and go that extra mile to make it happen.”

To have a fight date confirmed, one that can reboot his middleweight prospects, Welshman Williams is happy to ditch the Christmas trimmings, even though with two children, he knows temptation will not be completely removed from his household.

“I am over the moon now the fight has been rescheduled,” said the KO-artist from Clydach Vale. “It is obviously not the best time with Christmas just around the corner now. With having kids it is going to be a little bit more difficult and there is gonna be a lot of food hanging about the house!

“There is obviously a lot on the line for me. It is a big opportunity with the belt we are fighting for and, realistically, I need to win if I want to get back onto that world title stage.”

Promoter Frank Warren added: “I really believe we are in for something very special at the Copper Box on February 10. It will be a classic collision of youth versus experience, a young fighter on the up against one looking to prove he still belongs.

“It provides a cracking fight to kick us off in 2024 a week before we head over to Riyadh for the big undisputed heavyweight fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.

“I believe Hamzah is destined to reach the very top, but he will be tested like never before against Liam. This is a fight not to be missed.”

Tickets for Sheeraz vs Williams on 10 February 2024 at the Copper Box Arena, Stratford go on sale at 12pm tomorrow (Friday 15 December) available from ticketmaster.co.uk.

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Copper Box Arena, managed by GLL, a charitable social enterprise and worker-owned cooperative, operating under the community-brand, Better.

Miami, FL (December 13, 2023 ) Peter Kahn, President of Fight Game Advisors, has announced today the signing of undefeated featherweight prospect John Laryea, (12-0-1, 10 KOs), from the boxing rich country of Ghana.

Ranked #15 by the World Boxing Organization (WBO), the 23-year-old Laryea has already claimed victory in four bouts scheduled for twelve rounds. Most recently he defended the WBO African Featherweight Title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Gabriel Odoi Laryea (no relation) on October 7, 2023 at the famed Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra, Ghana.

Additional recent victories for the hard-hitting Laryea include Solomon Martey (TKO-6), George Krampah (KO-2) and Sebastianus Natanael (TKO-4).

Stated Peter Kahn, “As I have said many times before, Ghana has such a rich boxing history not only in Africa, but in the entire world. I am very excited to be working with John Laryea and his team to guide John to the next level towards becoming a world champion.” 

In regards to the announcement, John Laryea said, “This news hit me so good and I can’t stop thinking about the day my coach and manager told me about the good news . I am very grateful to my manager Samuel Anim Addo and my coach Carl Lokko for changing my life as a professional boxer. It’s time for me to work harder so that I can become a world champion for Ghana.”

“I am looking forward to working with my team and Peter Kahn as I prepare to fight on the biggest stages in boxing. Still God is my Strength!”

Stated Samuel Anim Addo, “It is great to have Peter Kahn on board as we plan to move to the next level with the right partner of the John Laryea project. I am glad and honored to have Peter on board. I just want John to remember that ‘Everyday is Business’”

Continued Coach Carl Lokko about the partnership, “With the building up of John Laryea to the world stage, having Peter Kahn coming on to join the great team we already have will make us much stronger. With Peter onboard, John will have the opportunities to maximize his talents on the world stage.”

Kahn has a wealth of experience working with fighters from Ghana including the organizing of Emmanuel Tagoe’s fight with boxing superstar Ryan Garcia on April 9, 2022.

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Peter Kahn was the recipient of the prestigious 2022 Manager of the Year award from the Boxing Writers Association of America and was inducted into the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame in 2023.

A South Floridian since 1992, Kahn has been working in professional boxing for thirty years. Learning from the ground up, Kahn began as an amateur boxer in South Florida. His operational work with boxing icon Don King started in May of 1995 for the then biggest promotional company in the world. During this time, Kahn worked intimately on many memorable promotions featuring boxing superstars Mike Tyson, Julio Cesar Chavez, Felix Trinidad, Terry Norris, and Ricardo Lopez.

In 2003, Kahn joined startup boxing promotional company Warriors Boxing Promotions as Director of Boxing Operations. His work there included the signing of numerous world champions and producing  countless world championship fights including memorable battles for Hector Camacho and Michael Moorer. His success also included working with three-time, two-division world champion Randall Bailey, who Kahn went on to manage. 

As an acclaimed boxing manager, one of Kahn’s earliest clients was former IBF super featherweight world champion and now a renowned trainer of champions, Robert Garcia. Kahn has gone on to manage many world champions and top prospects over the last fifteen years. In 2021 and 2022, Kahn was the only manager in the history of boxing to guide undisputed male and female fighters simultaneously; lightweight George Kambosos Jr. and super middleweight Franchón Crews-Dezurn. Kahn is currently the manager of fast rising star, junior middleweight Xander Zayas and many other world ranked contenders and highly regarded prospects through his company Fight Game Advisors. 

Since 2017, Kahn has been a boxing contributor to Forbes and CBS Sportsline. Kahn is also the Associate Producer of Netflix Original Series Fightworld. 

MINNEAPOLIS – December 13, 2023 – Former world champion Alberto Puello will return to take on fellow unbeaten Ector Madera in an eight-round super lightweight showdown as they headline the SHOWTIME BOXING COUNTDOWN show this Saturday, December 16 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from The Armory in Minneapolis.

Action live on the SHOWTIME SPORTS YouTube channel and SHOWTIME Boxing Facebook page will also feature middleweights Kyrone Davis and Cruse Stewart in an eight-round attraction, plus light heavyweight contender Lawrence King duels Alex Theran in a six-round fight. The streaming presentation will be hosted by award-winning MORNING KOMBAT live digital talk show hosts Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell.

These fights precede a four-fight SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING^® telecast headlined by undefeated WBA Super Middleweight Champion and Minneapolis fan-favorite David Morrell Jr. battling knockout artist Sena Agbeko and beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Warriors Boxing, are on sale now and can be purchased at the Armory at http://ArmoryMN.com/ and through Ticketmaster.

Puello (21-0, 10 KOs) will return to action for the first time since August 2022 when he captured the WBA Super Lightweight World Championship with a victory over Batyr Akhmedov. A native of San Juan de la Maguana, Dominican Republic, Puello now resides and trains in Las Vegas. Pueloo first shot up the rankings in July 2019, when he bested the previously unbeaten Jonathan Alonso via unanimous decision to capture an interim title. He will return to The Armory in Minneapolis for the second time, after previously scoring a unanimous decision over hometown favorite Veshawn Owens in December 2021. He will face Bakersfield, California’s Madera (11-0, 6 KOs), who now resides in Stockton and who will step up in competition to challenge the former champion Puello. The 27-year-old has fought professionally since 2016, and has put together a pair of three-fight knockout streaks so far. He last fought in 2022, scoring victories over Timothy Parks in August and Alejandro Frias Rodriguez in December.

The 29-year-old Davis (17-3-1, 6 KOs) will look to pick up a second victory in 2023 after previously dominating Cristian Fabian Rios in January to earn a unanimous decision. That victory came after a run that saw Davis battle two-time champion Anthony Dirrell to a draw in February 2021, before stepping in as a late replacement two fights later to drop a hard-fought contest against super middleweight superstar David Benavidez. An amateur standout representing Wilmington, Delaware, Davis trains in Philadelphia under the tutelage of top trainer Stephen “Breadman” Edwards. He duels the Maple Grove, Minnesota resident Stewart (8-2, 6 KOs) who will look to bounce back from a pair of defeats to unbeaten rising contender Elijah Garcia and then-unbeaten Hakim Lopez in 2022. The 34-year-old turned pro in 2018 before reeling off eight-straight victories.

A native of San Bernardino, California, King (13-1, 11 KOs) is a frequent sparring partner of undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez and enters this fight on a nine-bout winning streak. Since a narrow decision defeat in his fifth pro fight, the 27-year-old has stopped eight of his last nine opponents. King has already earned two victories in 2023, including most recently stopping veteran contender Marco Reyes after six rounds in June. He will be opposed by Colombia’s Theran (23-12, 15 KOs), who now trains in Lynn, Massachusetts. The 33-year-old turned pro in 2011 and has fought a slew of contenders including Anthony Yarde, Yunieski Gonzalez and Radivoje Kalajdzic.

Highlighting the non-televised undercard is talented junior middleweight contender Joey Spencer in a six-round bout against Argentina’s Marcelo Bzowski.

The non-televised undercard will also see exciting rising prospect Michael Angeletti (9-0, 7 KOs) step in for an eight-round super bantamweight bout against Mexico’s Angel Contreras (13-7-2, 7 KOs), unbeaten super middleweight Shawn McCalman (14-0, 7 KOs) facing Cristian Olivas (22-9, 19 KOs) in an eight-round duel and unbeaten super lightweight prospect Jose Chollet (2-0, 2 KOs) battling Lyle McFarlane (2-2, 1 KO) in a four-round matchup.

Rounding out the card is a pair of Mayweather Promotions rising prospects as unbeaten super middleweight John Easter steps in for a four-round fight against South Carolina’s Javier Frazier, while lightweight Charles Harris Jr. squares off against Minneapolis’ Marlin Sims in a six-round battle.

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ABOUT MORRELL VS. AGBEKO

Morrell vs. Agbeko will see undefeated WBA Super Middleweight Champion and Minneapolis fan-favorite David Morrell Jr. battle knockout artist Sena Agbeko headlining action live on SHOWTIME on Saturday, December 16 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from The Armory in Minneapolis.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will begin at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and feature exciting contenders Chris “Primetime” Colbert and Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela in a 12-round WBA Lightweight Title Eliminator as they rematch in the co-main event. Plus, WBC Flyweight World Champion Julio Cesar Martinez defends his world title against unbeaten contender Angelino Cordova and all-action former world champions Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero and Andre Berto square off in a 10-round welterweight rematch in the telecast opener.

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

Los Angeles, CA (December 12, 2023) Tom Loeffler’s 360 Promotions has announced an outstanding battle added to the Saturday, January 27 event at the Commerce Casino featuring an eight-round light heavyweight clash between undefeated fighters; Umar Dzambekov, (8-0, 5 KO’s) of Los Angeles and Curtis Millender, (3-0, 2 KOs), of Placentia CA.

The January 27 event, broadcast globally on UFC FIGHT PASS, is headlined by the ten-round WBC Continental Americas Featherweight Championship between Undefeated Rising Star Omar Trinidad, (14-0-1, 11KO’s), of Boyle Heights, CA and Cross-Town Rival Jose ‘El Mudo’ Perez, (11-2-2, 5 KOs), of Oak Hills, CA.

Advance tickets priced at $250, $150, $100 and $80 can be purchased online at www.360Promotions.us. The Commerce Casino, ‘The World’s Largest Card Room and Site of the LA Poker Classic’, is located at 6131 Telegraph Road, Commerce, CA 90040. For more information and directions visit their website.

Stated Tom Loeffler, “Coming off an impressive win against tough veteran Frederic Julan at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on November 9, Umar Dzambekov is coming right back on January 27. He is in with another tough opponent, undefeated Curtis Millender. Millender is an experienced combat sports fighter and is coming to win this fight; this is a great addition to our first event kicking off the 2024 schedule at the Commerce Casino.”

Trained by Marvin Somodio at the famed Wild Card Boxing Gym in Hollywood, CA, the 26-year-old powerhouse Dzambekov starts his 2024 campaign following an exceptionally busy 2023 with six exciting victories. In addition to the eight-round unanimous decision over Julan, Dzambekov also defeated David Zegarra (KO-1), Kwame Ritter (UD-8), Crispulo Javier Andino (KO-3), Nathan Sharp (KO-3) and Anthony Fleming (KO-4).

The upset minded Millender returns to battle following an eight-round decision over hometown favorite Ryan Ford on May 26, 2023 in Alberta, Canada. His other two victories, both knockouts, came in Costa Mesa, CA over Kealil Kanekoa (April 27, 2023) and in his pro debut against John Mercurio (February 17, 2022). He also holds a professional MMA record of 21-9

Additional fights for the January 27th event will be announced shortly.

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LOS ANGELES, CA: (December 12, 2023): The undefeated, former World Champion Jaime Munguía (42-0, 33 KOs) hosted a media day in Los Angeles today ahead of his 12-round super middleweight clash against former Interim World Champion John “The Gorilla” Ryder (32-6, 18 KOs) of the U.K. The explosive fight night, which is presented in association with Zanfer Boxing and Matchroom Boxing, will take place at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona on Saturday, January 27 and broadcast worldwide on DAZN.

Here is what today’s participants had to say:
JAIME MUNGUÍA, FORMER WORLD CHAMPION:
“I am thankful to Golden Boy and to Zanfer for this opportunity. Ryder is a great opponent and I know that this fight will open many doors.”

“I am not desperate for a knockout of John Ryder. I feel like I have the capabilities and I am fully prepared and trained to knock him out. If it happens, it will happen naturally.”
FREDDIE ROACH, TRAINER TO JAIME MUNGUÍA:
“Jaime Munguía is a really good puncher. He trains really hard every day. He’s ready to go 12-rounds any day of the week.”
FERNANDO BELTRAN, CEO OF ZANFER BOXING:
“It’s been a ride with Jaime Munguía and I am really proud of him. He’s a very loyal kid, and very hard-working. It’s been a pleasure to work with him, and to be involved in his career has been a privilege.”
OSCAR DE LA HOYA, CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF GOLDEN BOY:
“The future starts today. Jaime has a tough challenge ahead of him, and with the addition of Freddie Roach in his corner we hope that he can do the job that Canelo couldn’t. We are very proud of Jaime Munguía and we expect a great 2024 for him.”

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Munguía vs. Ryder is a 12-round fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Matchroom Boxing. The event will be available worldwide to all subscribers on DAZN, both live and on demand.

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

NEW YORK, NY (December 12, 2023) DiBella Entertainment is thrilled to congratulate both Miyo Yoshida and Amanda Galle on becoming world champions over the weekend.

On Saturday, Miyo Yoshida seized the IBF Bantamweight World Title with a unanimous decision victory against Australian Ebanie Bridges at the Chase Center, in San Francisco, CA, live on DAZN Pay-Per-View, as part of the Haney-Prograis undercard. Taking the bout on short notice as a late replacement opponent, oddsmakers had Yoshida, of Kagoshima, Japan, as a 7-1 underdog. With her eight-year-old daughter watching from ringside, Yoshida outworked Bridges over 10 entertaining rounds, often finding a home for her overhand right. After a hard-fought battle by both fighters, the scorecards read 99-91 twice, and 97-93, all for Yoshida. With the win, Yoshida, 17-4, is now a three-time, two-division world champion. She previously held the WBO Super Flyweight World Title twice.

“Ebanie Bridges was a great champion and it was a very tough fight,” said Yoshida. “I really want to say it is thanks to Lou and DiBella Entertainment that I was able to become a world champion again after only one year in the United States. I am very grateful to all of them. Coming in as a late replacement, we only had about two weeks to train for this title match. However, I joined with Team Sosa and I believe that my victory was made possible thanks to the support of the entire team.”

“I am so proud of Miyo,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “What an epic performance to win a third world title. A thrill for a hard-working, dedicated, single mom to realize this dream in front of her little girl! Miyo is a warrior and she beat a warrior. I am so happy for one of the nicest people in boxing.”

Photo Credit: Jeff Lockhart Photo

On Sunday, Amanda Galle, of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, defeated Niorkis Carreno, of Trujillo, Venezuela, to capture the IBO Bantamweight World Title. The two fought at Rebel Entertainment Complex in Toronto, with Galle winning by unanimous decision via tallies of 98-92, 97-93, and 96-94. The event was promoted by Lee Baxter Promotions, who co-promotes Galle with DiBella Entertainment. Galle, now 9-0-1 (1 KO), used her footwork, angles and speed to outbox the experienced Carreno, 24-4 (19 KOs), who was a three-time world title challenger entering the bout.

“I’m on a mission to be what I am destined to be. On Sunday, I became the new IBO World Bantamweight Champion,” said Galle. “The ultimate goal for me is being the undisputed bantamweight world champion. I am made for this. I am now reaping the rewards for all of my dedication and hard work in boxing for the past 16 years. Everything beforehand prepared me for this moment and whatever is to come ahead.”

“I knew when I signed Amanda to a co-promotional deal with Lee Baxter that she had the potential to become a world champion and I am thrilled to see her achieve her dream,” said DiBella. “She worked incredibly hard to reach this moment in her career and there are even bigger hurdles to overcome that I know she’ll be prepared for. Amanda Galle is one of the best fighters at bantamweight and she is ready to take on the division’s elite.”

On the undercard in Toronto, world ranked super lightweight contender Jessica Camara, of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, earned a dominant victory against Mexican Estafania Orozco Oliva. Stopping Oliva at the 1:18 mark of the fourth round, Camara improved to 12-4, with 3 KOs. Camara is rated #1 by the WBC and #7 by the WBO. In 2021, she challenged Kali Reis for the unified WBA/WBO/IBO Super Lightweight World Championship, losing a very close split decision.

DiBella Entertainment

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Facebook: @DiBellaEntertainment

LOS ANGELES (December 12, 2023) – Back on October 21st, undefeated super flyweight John “Scrappy” Ramirez, after waiting 10-plus months to fight in a World Boxing Association (WBA) title eliminator, the pride of South Central Los Angeles destroyed his Panamanian opponent, Ronal Batista (15-3, 9 KOs), dropping him twice to close the DAZN show in the fourth and final round.

The 27-year-old Ramirez, who was ranked No. 2 (No. 1 was unrated) and matched against No. 7 Batista, automatically became the No. 1-ranked, mandatory challenger for WBA Super Flyweight World Champion Kazuto Ioka (30-2-1, 15 KOs), of Japan, who last June dethroned defending world champion Joshua Franco (116-112 twice and 115-113) in a rematch of their previous draw.

“Nothing is promised in this business, so I’m not sitting around waiting,” Ramirez said. “I continue working hard because I believe in me and my team. If this fight (vs. Ioka) isn’t happening right away, my team will get me in a good fight. I’ve got to move on. I’ll just beat the next guy and I’ll still be the mandatory contender. I’ll be even better learning, getting more experience and I can redefine my skill set. And he’s (Ioka) getting older and I’m still young.”

An electrifying fighter of Belizean and Honduran descent, rising star Ramirez has patiently waited to learn about his impending world title shot. Ioka has until one year after he won the title (June 24, 2023) to make a mandatory defense, but reports spread quickly after Ioka’s his last fight that his next fight would be against lineal and World Boxing Council (WBC) Super Flyweight World Champion Juan Francisco Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs) in a title unification match on New Year’s Eve in Ioka’s hometown of Tokyo. Negotiations stalled for the Ioka-Estrada unification showdown and collapsed. It was recently announced that Ioka will fight on New Year’s Eve in Japan for the 12th time, not against Estrada, but versus Josber Perez (20-3, 18 KOs), of Venezuela, the WBA’s No. 8 world rated super flyweight.

Meanwhile, “Scrappy” Ramirez has stayed in top condition training with and sparring Regis Prograis (29-2, 24 KOs) at Brickhouse Boxing Club in N. Hollywood, California. Prograis was preparing for his title defense last Saturday against Devin Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) in San Francisco. Since his last fight “Scrappy” has also cracked The Ring magazine’s independent ratings at No. 10.

“I worked with Regis who was getting ready for his fight with Haney,” Ramirez noted. “That’s what I’ve been doing, going to different training camps, when I’m free. I get more knowledge working at different training camps, learning other ways to train, working in different cultures. No vacations for me. I’ll go on to the next camp with a different fighter who has a big fight. Doing what I do keeps it fun for me and I keep learning.”

It’s Scrapp Time! Ramirez is ready, willing, and able to fight Ioka anytime the reigning champion wants, even in Tokyo, if the offered deal makes sense.

Ioka has won seven of his last eight fights (7-0-1) since his last loss on December 31, 2018 in Macau, when he lost a 12-round split decision to WBO Super Flyweight World Champion Donnie Nietes (41-1-5), which Ioka avenged in their July 13, 2022 rematch, in which Toka took a 12-round unanimous decision in Tokyo to be crowned WBO world champion.

“I’ll fight him in Japan, on the moon…..anywhere he wants,” Ramirez added. “I AM READY NOW, it’s Scrapp Time! My time will come.”

In addition to defeating Franco and Nietes, Ioka has defeated Francisco Rodriguez, Jr. (34-4-1) and McWilliams Arroyo (17-3), respectively, by way of 12 and 10-round unanimous decisions, as well as knocking out current No. 2 WBA contender Kosei Tanaka (15-0) and Aston Palicte (25-2-1).

Having fought outside of his native Japan only three times — Philippines, China and in Inglewood, California – it’s a safe bet that Ioka will insist on defending his title in his native Japan.

“Scrappy” Ramirez works with 3 Point Management (3 PM), a rising Los Angeles-based managerial company that has a growing stable of gifted boxers, including former world super middleweight champion and current WBA cruiserweight mandatory challenger Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (45-1, 30 KOs), WBA Intercontinental Light Heavyweight Champion Kareem Hackett (12-0, 6 KOs), super middleweights Darius “DFG” Fulghum (9-0, 9 KOs), Cem “Champ” Kilic (17-1, 11 KOs), and heavyweight Zach Spiller (4-0, 3 KOs).

INFORMATION:

Facebook: /JohnRamirez

Instagram: @Scrappyboxing

(Dec. 12, 2023) — Italian featherweight Francesco Grandelli returns against unbeaten Belgian Stefan Voda in the 12-round main event this Saturday, Dec. 16 at Palasport Le Cupole in Turin, Italy. 

In the eight-round junior welterweight co-feature, Spanish contender Sandor Martin takes on Belgium’s Mohamed El Marcouchi.

Grandelli-Voda, Martin-Marcouchi and additional undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+ at 2:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. PT.

Grandelli (17-2-2, 3 KOs) began his pro career with a decision win over Marco Iuculano in May 2015. He experienced an early draw in his fourth fight and suffered his first loss in his sixth fight before scoring 11 straight wins ahead of a split draw against Mauro Forte. Following a decision win over Kane Baker, Grandelli suffered a first-round stoppage loss in a rematch with Forte in May. He bounced back with a six-round decision win over Emiliano Salvini in July. Voda (14-0, 5 KOs) is a five-year pro who has spent his entire pro career fighting in his homeland. The unbeaten 30-year-old returns after a unanimous decision win against Maicol Velazco in April.

Martin (41-3, 14 KOs) authored the 2021 Upset of the Year when he stunned Mikey Garcia by majority decision and sent the four-weight world champion into retirement. Martin, who hails from Barcelona, Spain, followed up the Garcia triumph with a 10-round unanimous decision over Jose Felix last April. He suffered a split decision loss against Teofimo Lopez last December, but bounced back with a sixth-round knockout win against Arblin Kaba in July. El Marcouchi (29-3, 12 KOs) heads to this contest following a second-round knockout against Giorgi Gviniashvili in May.

In other ESPN+ streaming bouts:

• Maxim Prodan (21-2-1, 16 KOs) will fight in an eight-round welterweight clash against Argentina’s Miguel Cesario Antin (20-12-1, 8 KO). Prodan, a Ukrainian-born warrior residing in Italy, is coming off a second-round knockout win over Mirko Marchetti in March.
   
• Italian southpaw Biagio Grimaldi (5-1, 3 KOs) looks to avenge his defeat against Darwin El Badaouy (2-2-1, 1 KO) in an eight-round lightweight rematch. Badaouy defeated Grimaldi via decision in March. 

# # #

Las Vegas – UFC^® returns to Honda Center with a blockbuster featherweight championship bout that will see Alexander Volkanovski defend against undefeated No. 5 ranked contender Ilia Topuria. Also, No. 2 ranked contender Merab Dvalishvili collides with No. 3 Henry Cejudo in a pivotal bantamweight clash.

UFC^® 298: VOLKANOVSKI vs. TOPURIA takes place Saturday, Feb. 17 in Anaheim, Calif. with the main card at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on ESPN+ PPV. The prelims will be available on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, as well as simulcast in English and Spanish on ESPN+, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The early prelims will kick off at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT on ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass.

UFC^® 298: VOLKANOVSKI vs. TOPURIA tickets will go on sale Friday, Dec. 15 at 10 a.m. PT 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, Dec. 13 at 10 a.m. PT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, Dec. 14 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

Media members wishing to apply for fight week credentials may sign up here.

Volkanovski (26-3, fighting out of Windang, NSW, Australia) plans to kick off his 2024 campaign by securing his sixth UFC featherweight title defense. Unbeaten at 145 pounds, he holds impressive victories over Yair Rodriguez, Max Holloway and Brian Ortega. Volkanovski now intends to hand Topuria his first career loss in emphatic fashion.

Topuria (14-0, fighting out of Alicante, Spain) hopes to keep his undefeated record intact by dethroning Volkanovski with a career-defining performance. A well-rounded competitor with heavy hands, he holds memorable wins against Josh Emmett, Bryce Mitchell and Ryan Hall. Topuria now aims to finish Volkanovski and begin his reign atop the featherweight ladder.

Surging Dvalishvili (16-4, fighting out of Long Island, N.Y. by way of Tbilisi, Georgia) has his sight set on taking out another former UFC champion. A relentless grappler and striker, he has earned notable victories over Petr Yan, Jose Aldo and Marlon Moraes. Dvalishvili now looks to stake his claim for a title shot by securing his 10^th consecutive win.

Former two-division champion Cejudo (16-3, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz.) plans to hand Dvalishvili his first loss in six years. A 2008 Olympic gold medal wrestler, he has delivered exciting victories against Dominick Cruz, T.J. Dillashaw and Demetrius Johnson. Cejudo now aims to make his case for a championship opportunity by halting Dvalishvili’s momentum with a dominant performance.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• No. 3 ranked strawweight contender Tatiana Suarez (11-0, fighting out of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) hopes to remain undefeated when she takes on No. 4 Amanda Lemos (13-3-1, fighting out of Pará, Brazil)
• No. 9 ranked heavyweight contender Tai Tuivasa (15-6, fighting out of Western Sydney, NSW, Australia) locks horns with No. 10 Marcin Tybura (24-8, fighting out of Uniejow, Poland)
• No. 15 ranked middleweight contender Anthony Hernandez (11-2 1NC, fighting out of Dunnigan, Calif.) squares off with rising Ikram Aliskerov (15-1, fighting out of Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia)
• No. 14 ranked flyweight contender Andrea Lee (13-8, fighting out of Shreveport, La.) battles Miranda Maverick (14-5, fighting out of Denver, Colo. by way of Buffalo, Mo.)
• Marcos Rogerio de Lima (21-10-1, fighting out of Ribeirâo Pires, Brazil) faces Justin Tafa (7-3 1NC, fighting out of Brisbane, Australia) in a hard-hitting heavyweight tilt
• Zhang Mingyang (16-6, fighting out of Qingdao, China) takes on Brendson Ribeiro (15-5 1NC, fighting out of Curitiba, Parana, Brazil) in a clash of debuting light heavyweights
• Yusaku Kinoshita (6-3, fighting out of Osaka, Japan) meets fellow Dana White’s Contender Series signee Danny Barlow (7-0, fighting out of Memphis, Tenn.) at welterweight

For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts are live and subject to change.

###

About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 700 million fans and 243 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 over 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 80 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO) and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC and @UFC on X, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok: @UFC. 

About Honda Center

Located in the heart of Orange County, Honda Center has remained a premier entertainment and sports venue since its opening in 1993. Home to the 2007 Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks, the arena hosts a variety of events, including sold-out concerts, family entertainment, and thrilling sports competitions. Over the past three decades, the Honda Center has remained an iconic and beloved destination for live entertainment in Southern California, with over 4,500 events and 44 million guests, paving the way for an even more exciting future. It will serve as the anchor of the innovative ocV!BE community, a 100-acre one-of-a-kind, immersive district designed to bring people together through shared experiences.

About ESPN+ 

https://espnpressroom.com/us/espnplus/

About ESPN

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

DORCHESTER, MA – CES Boxing has been quietly adding to its impressive stable of fighters as 2023 comes to an end.  Most recently, the Providence based outfit signed 28-year-old lightweight prospect Tevin “Hitman” Regis (1-0, 1 KO) to an exclusive promotional agreement.

“I am thrilled to sign Tevin,” said CES founder, Jimmy Burchfield, Sr.  “I was blown away by his pro debut in August and am convinced that he has the poise, skill and charisma to become a star in the loaded lightweight division.”

Regis made his pro debut on August 5th a memorable one, knocking out Joshua Zimmerman in devastating fashion in the first round at the Polar Park in Worcester, MA. Sitting ringside that night was Burchfield, Sr., who was so impressed with Tevin’s performance that he immediately scheduled a meeting with brothers Marc and Nico Gargaro, who train and manage Regis, respectively, out of the Nonantum Boxing Club in Newton, MA. 

The moment was a very special one for Regis, whose mother tragically passed away only a few weeks before his pro debut. 

“I lost my mom on July 5th, and my fight was literally a month later on August 5th,” laments Regis.  “In the hospital few weeks before she passed away, my mom told me that she dreamt about the fight and saw me win my pro debut.  When I won the fight and had my hand raised, I felt like I was in that dream.  It was a special feeling.  For the outcome to be a 1st round knockout and to then get the attention of Jimmy and CES, it felt like a dream come true.” 

While Regis grew up watching the likes of Roy Jones, Jr., Floyd Mayweather, and Mike Tyson, he never considered a career in the squared circle.  The Dorchester native instead played football his entire life, from Pop Warner through college football at Fitchburg State University to playing semi-pro for a few years after that. It wasn’t until his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer when Tevin was 24 that he became inspired to fight.
 
“My mom was fighting breast cancer since 2019,” explains Regis.  “That was a big part of what drove me to boxing.  She was going through her own fight.  She always stood strong and showed me how strong she was, and I felt like I wanted to pick a fight of my own.” 

Looking for a place to train, Regis found the Nonantum Boxing Club, where he quickly picked up the nuances of the Sweet Science from Marc Gargaro, who was a US Olympic team coach from 2017 to 2021.  Only 4 years and 20 amateur bouts later, the pair decided to try the pro ranks.

“I kind of landed in the perfect place,” reflects Regis of signing with CES Boxing.  “I paid a lot of attention to the boxing scene in Massachusetts over the last few years, and CES is pretty much the biggest promotional company out there.  I had a short amateur career, but I have a great trainer with a lot of experience.  He’s so technical that I was able to develop my skills in a shorter timeframe.”

“Tevin is going to move fast,” said Gargaro, who now also serves as the head coach of Team Combat League’s Boston Butchers. “I’ve seen him perform well against top talent and he has the power to end a fight at any moment.  We’re excited about signing with CES.  I think it’s a perfect move for him and his career.” 

Regis’ first assignment with CES is a homecoming bout to kick off the new year, when he faces East Hartford, CT’s Salvatore Pugliares (0-1-1) at Freeport Hall in Dorchester, MA on January 13th. 

“I don’t know too much about him personally,” admits Regis of Pugliares.  “I’ve seen one of his fights and got a sense of his fighting style.  I’m just preparing to be the best me in front of my friends and family, and I’m not too worried about what he can do.”

With a new promoter in tow and a homecoming fight on the schedule, 2024 looks to be a promising year for the lightweight prospect.

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

INFORMATION

CES Boxing is one of the top promotions on the East Coast.  Founded in 1992 by Jimmy Burchfield Sr., CES Boxing has promoted many world class fighters, including Jamaine Ortiz, Juiseppe Cusumano, Hank Lundy, Vinny Paz, Peter Manfredo, Mariusz Wach, Jason Estrada, Matt Godfrey, Chad Dawson and Ray Oliveira. CES Boxing has promoted such super fights as “The Thriller on Triller: Tyson v Jones Jr.”, “Mayweather vs. Gotti III” and “The Contender: Manfredo v Pemberton”.

The first day of the 102nd World Boxing Association (WBA) Convention will be held at the Caribe Royale Hotel, in Orlando, Florida, where different events will take place until December 14th. 

The agenda will open at 9:00 a.m. (local time) with the General Assembly of the organization, which will be led by the president of the organization, Gilberto Jesus Mendoza, along with all the members of the Executive board in a general discussion.

At 2:00 p.m., the Championships Committee and the Ratings Committee will gather, to discussed issues related to the weight divisions will be discussed, with the participation of promoters who will have the right to speak in these discussions.

Finally, in the evening, the opening ceremony will be held with the participation of all the special guests and world boxing figures who will attend this convention.

The event will continue in consecutive days until next Thursday, when different topics of world interest will be discussed.

NEW YORK (December 15, 2023) Tomorrow night at New York’s Sony Hall, DiBella Entertainment fighter Tsendbaatar Erdenebat steps into the ring to face Yohan “La Fiera” Vasquez, headlining “Holiday Fight Night 2”. Erdenebat (7-0, 3 KOs), from Tsetserleg, Mongolia, will put his undefeated record on the line when he takes on the tough and tested Vasquez (25-4, 20 KOs).

The fight will stream live and free at videos.boxinginsider.com. The card is promoted by Larry Goldberg’s Boxing Insider Promotions.

It has been a busy and active year for the southpaw Erdenebat, who is fighting for the fourth time in 2023. He is coming off of a 10-round points victory against Wensong Liu (11-2-1, 8 KOs) in September. The 27-year-old Mongolian prospect has been matched tough throughout his short career, fighting in his first 10-rounder in only his second pro bout.

Vasquez, who hails from The Bronx, NY, by way of the Dominican Republic, is coming off of a hard-fought 10-round decision loss to Filipino Charly Suarez (16-0, 9 KOs) in Tulsa, OK.

“I want to end the year strong,” said Erdenebat. “I am facing an opponent that hasn’t lost by knockout. Hopefully, I am going to come out victorious and give him his first knockout loss. I’m not going to force it. If it comes naturally, great. If not, I will use my skills, experience and power to dominate all of the rounds. I’m prepared for a full eight-round fight.

“I want to make a good impression in this fight so that I will have bigger and tougher opposition in the future,” he continued. “To get there, I know I need to make a statement with this fight.”

“This is an important fight for Tsendbaatar competing in his first main event against an experienced foe,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “With his vaunted power, fearless attitude, and fan-friendly style, Tsendbaatar creates excitement whenever he fights and he has the potential to become a world class contender.”

Erdenebat grew up on the countryside steppes of the Mongolian grassland, living a nomadic lifestyle with his family, herding horses and livestock, which helped him to develop his lauded strength. As an amateur, Erdenebat was a two-time Olympian, competing in the 2016 Rio Games and 2020 Tokyo Games. Accumulating an impressive 147-41 record, Erdenebat won 11 Mongolian National titles, as well as gold medals at the AIBA Asian Championships twice, the 2018 Asian Games, and a bronze medal at the 2019 AIBA World Championships.

Tickets for “Holiday Fight Night 2” start at $95 and are available via ticketmaster.com. Doors to Sony Hall open at 6:30pm, and first bell is at 7:30pm.  

DiBella Entertainment

Instagram: @DiBellaEnt

Twitter: @LouDiBella, @DiBellaEnt

Facebook: @DiBellaEntertainment

Denver (November 20, 2023) –As 2024 approaches, Super Middleweight Michael Oliverira is poised to become a player in the division.

The 33-year-old has a record of 22-2 with 16 knockouts and is ready to show the world that he is the fighter that won his first 16 fights and was looked at as a world title contender.

Oliveira, who now resides in Denver after living in Miami via his native Brazil, will be back in March in a bout weighing 170 lbs and will campaign at 168.

“I am now back with internationally known matchmaker) Jon Beninati and he helped me with coaches and potential sponsors. John has been around a lot of world champions, so I know he can help me. I have been training every day and working on my conditioning and getting my weight down,” said Oliveira.

“I am thinking of two or three fights to get back and then I will look for a significant opportunity.”

Oliveira has been practically inactive over the last decade, but he did not sit idly on the sidelines.

“I had some injuries and took some time to become a Police Officer. I moved to Denver and am a Police officer here.

The former Brazilian soccer player only had two amateur fights, and is now engaged with a son, is not taking a second chance in the squared circle lightly.

“I feel that I was young and did not take advantage of the people that I had around me. I am more mature, and I have developed my man strength. I feel that given the proper opportunity, I will knock it out of the park.

WORCESTER, Mass. (December 10, 2023) – Undefeated welterweight prospect Denzel “Double Impact” Whitley (13-0, 7 KOs) settled unfinished business in last night’s “Pandemonium at The Palladium 2” main event, presented by Granite Chin Promotions (GCP), at the famed Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts.

All of the action was streamed live on BXNGTV.com from the famed Palladium in Worcester. GCP partnered with Project New Hope, a Worcester-based charity that supports veterans and their families.

In a fight that almost happened several times in the past, unbeaten welterweight Whitley and Larson finally met to settle unfinished business for the vacant Junior North American Boxing Federation (NABF) Welterweight Championship. Neither had fought in a 10-rounder until last night.

After a “feeling out” first round, the strategy was for Whitley to keep his hands high and effectively counter punch, while the tough, rugged Larson more than lived up to his nickname (“Lionheart”), charging forward and throwing punches from various angles. A steady diet of counter punches enabled Whitley to take control, knocking Larson’s mouthpiece out twice early in the fight when Whitley trapped him in the corners.

The action somewhat slowed in the sixth and seventh rounds as the always poised Whitley continued to breakdown a game Larson, who kept coming at the start of the eighth, but Whitley remained dominant and unfazed by Larson’s aggressive style.

Larson was penalized a point in the ninth round when his mouthpiece came out for the fifth time during the clash. Clearly the Fighter of the Night, Whitley only had to remain upright to win, but he chose to fight right to the end, firing shots until the final bell. The judges’ wide range of scoring resulted in a somewhat questionable 10-round split decision win for Whitley (99-90, 97-92, 92-97.

“He (Larson) said he was strong, and he was,” Whitley said after the fight. “That kid is tough. If you judge by competition in a full fight this was my best fight. Every time he threw his right hand, I countered with uppercuts. I thought I was going to get him out of there, but when I had him on the ropes, he got too close to me for me to have the right range, and he got out and came right back. I have to give it up to him. The question going into this fight was who was left in New England for the winner. I think I will have to move around, fighting outside of New England in 2024, and hopefully I’ll move up in the WBC rankings after this win.”

Denzel Whitley is crowned the new NABF Welterweight Champion

Whitley is also the reigning Massachusetts and United States Boxing Federation (USBF) Welterweight Champion.

Hometown favorite Kendrick “Peppa” Ball, Jr. (22-1-3, 12 KOs), of Worcester, captured his third title belt, the vacant USBF light heavyweight, stopping his Venezuelan opponent, former WBA Fedelatin Super Welterweight Champion Heber Rondon (20-6, 13 KOs), at the tail end of the first round. Ball drilled Rondon with a body shot and unleashed a couple of additional punches that dropped Rondon on his back. Ball added the USBF belt to his hardware collection that includes the New England middleweight and WBC USA Silver super middleweight straps.

Marshfield (MA) welterweight Joe Bush, a 2023 New England Golden Gloves silver medalist, turned in a spectacular pro debut performance versus Jemorean Smith (0-2). Bush stopped Smith with a perfectly placed shot to the stomach that dropped Smith to his knees. He failed to beat the referee’s 10-count for a Bush knockout at the 58-second mark of round one.

Joe Bush had his hand raised in victory in his pro debut

Coming out of the corner with vengeance in his eyes, aggressive Douglas (MA) junior middleweight Robert Degaetano (2-0, 2 KOs) blasted out Devon Grant (0-7) in the opening round, flooring Grant three times to earn a technical knockout victory.

Degaetano unloaded a barrage of unanswered punches for the first knockdown, followed by a six-punch combination for the second, and a left to the head and right to the body sent Grant down again and the referee waved off the action.

In arguably the Fight of the Night, Worcester junior middleweight Khiary “Too Sharp” Gray (17-6, 13 KOs) won a very competitive six-round unanimous decision (58-56 X 3) over cagey Jimmy “The Quiet Storm” Williams (18-14-2, 6 KOs), despite the New Haven fighter recording the lone knockdown of the fight. Gray fought for the first time in two years and his ring rust showed as he missed punches early, but he buzzed Williams in the second and buckled his opponent’s knees in the fourth. A former college football player who only two years ago defeated world champion Yuri Foreman, Williams used his experience and athleticism to great advantage, scoring a flash knockdown in the fourth.

Undefeated Springfield (MA) lightweight prospect Carlos “El Gallo” Gonzalez extended his win streak to nine with his eighth knockout. Gonzalez sent Nathan Benichou (2-19-1, 2 KOs) to the canvas in the opening round via a quick left-right combination. Gonzalez attacked full force in the second and closed the show with a lightning quick one-two.

Scituate (MA) heavyweight Kevin “Big Gulp” Nagle improved to 5-0 with his fifth knockout when pro-debuting Tadeu Costa was unable to continue after three rounds.

Cuban southpaw Danny Lafos Poll (3-0, 3 KOs) sent junior middleweight Bryan Goldsby (5-20) to the canvas three times by the middle of round one. The first was by way of a left cross, second a body shot, and the last a left to the head after which the referee stopped the fight.

Junior welterweight Carlos Marrero III (6-9-3, 1 KO) registered a mild upset, knocking out Tyrone “Hands of Stone” Luckey (16-23-4, 12 KOs) with a straight right hand in the second round. It was Marrero’s first knockout of his 18-fight pro career.

Famous Wilson (3-0, 3 KOs) dropped super middleweight Nata Gomes (0-3) with a body shot, followed by another knockdown, when the referee halted the action at 2:15 of the opening round.

Springfield junior welterweight Edwine Humaine (3-0, 3 KOs) only needed 19 seconds to stop pro-debuting Terrence Richardson, who was dropped by a three-punch combination, never recovering from the first shot to the body.

Four-time New England Golden Gloves champion Keno Luna, of Worcester, will need to wait a little longer for his pro debut. His scheduled fight last night was cancelled when his opponent, Moises Rivera, didn’t show up at the venue to fight even though he weighed in the day before.

Complete results below:

OFFICIAL RESULTS

MAIN EVENT – VACANT JUNIOR NABF WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

Denzel Whitley (13-0, 7 KOs), Holyoke, MA.

WDEC10 (99-90, 97-92, 92-97)

Kenny Larson (7-1-1, 5 KOs), Salem, MA.

(Whitley won vacant Junior NABF welterweight title)

VACANT USBF LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

Kendrick Ball, Jr. (22-1-3, 13 KOs), Worcester, MA

WKO1 (2:59)

Heber Rondon (20-6, 13 KOs), Los Teques, Venezuela

(Ball won vacant USBF light heavyweight title)

HEAVYWEIGHTS

Kevin Nagle (5-0, 5 KOs), Scituate, MA

WTKO3 (3:00)

Tadeu Costa (0-1), Boston, MA by way of Brazil

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS

Famous Wilson (3-0, 2 KOS), Stoney Brook, NY

WTKO1 (2:15)

Nata Gomes (0-3), Los Angeles, CA

JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHTS

Robert Degaetano (2-0, 2 KOs), Douglas, MA

WKO1 (1:02).

Devon Grant (0-7), Harlem, NY

Khiary Gray (18-6, 13 KOs), Worcester, MA

WDEC6 (58-56, 58-56, 58-56)

Jimmy Williams (18-14-2, 6 KOs), New Haven, CT

Danny Lafos Poll (3-0, 3 KOs), Santiago, Cuba

WTKO1 (1:43)

Bryan Goldsby (5-20, 0 KOs), Macon, GA

Keno Luna (0-0, 0 KO), Worcester, MA

CANCELED

Moises Rivera (0-9), Worcester, MA

WELTERWEIGHTS

Joe Bush (1-0, 1 KO), Marshfield, MA

WKO1 (0:58)

Jemorean Smith (0-2), Wilson, NC

JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS

Carlos Marrero III (6-9-3, 1 KOs), Bridgeport, CT

WKO2 (0:53)

Tyrone Luckey (16-23-4, 12 KOs), Manahawkin, NJ

Edwine Humaine (3-0, 3 KOs), Springfield, MA by way of Haiti

WKO1 (0:19)

Terrence Richardson (0-1), Wilson, NC

LIGHTWEIGHTS

Carlos Gonzalez (9-0, 8 KOs), Springfield, MA

WTKO2 (1:20)

Nathan Benichou (2-19-1, 2 KOs), Puebla City, Mexico by way of France

WORCESTER, Mass. (December 9, 2023) – The official weigh in for tonight’s “Pandemonium at The Palladium 2” pro boxing event, presented by Granite Chin Promotions (GCP), was held yesterday at Mackao Restaurant in Worcester, Massachusetts.

All of the action will be streamed live on BXNGTV.com from the famed Palladium in Worcester. GCP has partnered with Project New Hope, a Worcester-based charity that supports veterans and their families.

Tickets are on sale and available for purchase online at www.ThePalladium.net. Limited tickets may be available to buy at the Palladium Box Office on fight night.

Event starts at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Fighters’ weights below:

OFFICIAL WEIGHTS

MAIN EVENT – VACANT JUNIOR NABF WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (10)

Denzel Whitley (12-0, 7 KOs), Holyoke, MA 147 lbs.

Kenny Larson (7-0-1, 5 KOs), Salem, MA 147 lbs.

VACANT USBF LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (8)

Heber Rondon (20-5, 13 KOs), Los Teques, Venezuela 177 lbs.

Kendrick Ball, Jr. (21-1-3, 12 KOs), Worcester, MA 180 lbs.

WELTERWEIGHTS (4)

Joe Bush (pro debut), Marshfield, MA 147 lbs.

Jemorean Smith (0-1), Wilson, NC 143.5 lbs.

JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHTS (4)

Robert Degaetano (1-0, 1 KO), Douglas, MA 152 lbs.

Devon Grant (0-6), Harlem, NY 145 lbs.

JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHTS (6)

Khiary Gray (17-6, 13 KOs), Worcester, MA 154 lbs.

Jimmy Williams (18-13-2, 6 KOs), New Haven, CT 153.5 lbs.

LIGHTWEIGHTS (4)

Nathan Benichou (2-18-1, 2 KOs), Puebla City, Mexico by way of France 134.5 lbs.

Carlos Gonzalez (8-0, 7 KOs), Springfield, MA 135 lbs.

HEAVYWEIGHTS (4)

Kevin Nagle (4-0, 4 KOs), Scituate, MA 293 lbs.

Tadeu Costa (pro debut), Boston, MA by way of Brazil 262 lbs.

JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHTS (4)

Bryan Goldsby (5-19, 0 KOs), Macon, GA 152 lbs.

Danny Lafos Poll (2-0, 2 KOs), Santiago, Cuba 154.5 lbs.

JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHTS (4)

Moises Rivera (0-9), Worcester, MA 154 lbs.

Keno Luna (pro debut), Worcester, MA 154 lbs.

JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS (4)

Tyrone Luckey (16-22-4, 12 KOs), Manahawkin, NJ 144.5 lbs.

Carlos Marrero III (5-9-3, 0 KOs), Springfield, MA 142.5 lbs.

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS (4)

Famous Wilson (2-0, 1 KO), Stoney Brook, NY 162 lbs.

Nata Gomes (0-2), Los Angeles, CA 167.5 lbs.

JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS (4)

Terrence Richardson (pro debut), Wilson, NC 150 lbs.

Edwine Humaine (2-0, 2 KOs), Springfield, MA by way of Haiti 153 lbs. 

(card subject to change)

_______________________________________________________________________

INFORMATION:  

Facebook.com/GraniteChin

Twitter: @Granite_Chin

12×3 mins – WBO World Cruiserweight Championship

CHRIS BILLAM-SMITH  – 14st 3lbs / 199lbs

MATEUSZ MASTERNAK – 14st 2 lbs / 198lbs

8×3 mins – Light Heavyweight Contest

BEN WHITTAKER – 12st 6lbs / 174lbs

STIVEN LEONETTI DREDHAJ – 12st 8lbs / 176lbs

8×2 mins – Welterweight Contest

LAUREN PRICE – 10st 6 lbs / 146lbs

SILVA BORTOT – 10st 2lbs 5oz / 142lbs

10×3 mins – Vacant English Super Welterweight Championship

LEE CUTLER – 10st 13lbs / 153lbs

KINGSLEY EGBUNIKE – 10st 12lbs / 152lbs

10×3 mins – Vacant WBC Silver International Welterweight Championship

MICHAEL MCKINSON – 10st 6lbs / 146lbs

MUSAH LAWSON – 10st 3 lbs / 143lbs

6×2 mins – Bantamweight Contest

FRANCESCA HENNESSY – 8st 8lbs / 120lbs

LUCRECIA BELEN ARRIETA – 8st 7lbs / 119lbs

6×3 mins – Light Heavyweight Contest

LEWIS EDMONDSON – 12st 12lbs / 180lbs

DMYTRO FEDAS – 12st 13lbs / 181lbs

RETURN OF THE KING: Chris Billam-Smith vs Mateusz Masternak takes place on Sunday, December 10 at the Bournemouth International Centre and will be broadcast live and exclusively on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland and Peacock in the USA.

This event is presented in association with official partners bet365, Everlast, WOW HYDRATE, Integritas Property Group and Who Dares Gyms.

6 x 3 mins Super-Featherweight contest
 
SHAMAR CANAL (132lbs)          vs.        JOSE ANTONIO MESA (131.8lbs)
Albany, New York                                  Durango, Mexico
 
Followed by
 
8 x 2 mins Super-Featherweight contest
 
BEATRIZ FERREIRA (130lbs)       vs.        DESTINY JONES (129.8lbs)
Sao Paulo, Brazil                                   Austin, Texas
 
Followed by
 
8 x 3 mins Middleweight contest
 
AMARI JONES (159.2lbs)           vs.       QUILISTO MADERA (160lbs)
Oakland, California                               Stockton, California
 
LIVE ON DAZN PPV (USA) AND DAZN (R.O.W) FROM 5PM
 
10 x 2 mins IBF World Bantamweight title
 
EBANIE BRIDGES (117.8lbs)       vs.        MIYO YOSHIDA (117.6lbs)
New South Wales, Australia                   Kagoshima, Japan
 
Followed by
 
10 x 3 mins IBF International and vacant WBA Continental Latin-American Lightweight titles
 
ANDY CRUZ (134.4lbs)                 vs.        JOVANNI STRAFFON (134lbs)
Matanzas, Cuba                                    Mexico City, Mexico
 
Followed by
 
10 x 3 mins WBO Intercontinental Super-Lightweight title
 
LIAM PARO (140lbs)                  vs.        MONTANA LOVE (140lbs)
Brisbane, Australia                                Cleveland, Ohio
 
Followed by
 
12 x 3 mins WBC World Super-Lightweight title
 
REGIS PROGRAIS (139lbs)         vs.       DEVIN HANEY (140lbs)
Houston, Texas                                      San Francisco, California

Brandon Benitez 125.3 vs Rigoberto Hermosillo 125.9

Adelaida Ruiz 115.3 vs Mayela Perez 115.9

George Acosta 130.9 vs Richard Medina 131.4

Adrian Corona 134.7 vs Erick Benitez Garcia 134.4

Mario Hernandez 117.4 vs Adrian Alavarado 118

Mark Magsayo 130.7 vs Isaac Avelar 132.4

Anthony Cuba 134.9 vs Angel Barrera 135

Nelson Guerrero 121.3 vs Arturo Herrera 122

Lienard Sarcon 124.5 vs Frank Gonzalez 123.2

“New Blood” takes place at Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California, on Saturday, December 9, 2023. The venue is located at 20434 S Santa Fe Ave, Long Beach, CA 90810, easily accessible from the 405, the 710 and 91 freeways, just a few miles from the Dignity Health Sports Park, formerly know as the StubHub Center.

Televised fights will broadcast live in Spanish on FOX Deportes, and the entire card will stream live on, www.FightStars.Network?. In addition, fans will be able to see the fights tape delayed on Estrella TV.

Doors open for “New Blood” at 4:00 pm PT with the first fight starting at 4:55 pm PT. Televised fights on FOX Deportes will start at 7:00 pm PT. Tickets priced $50, $75, $100, $150 (Plus applicable fees), are available for purchase now by calling 800-283-8699, by text at 702-591-1638, or online at

www.cbnpromotions.com. Thunder Studios is located at 20434 S Santa Fe Ave, Long Beach, CA 90810.

This event is sponsored by Bud Light, HUSTLER Casino – LA’s only luxury Casino. Tequila Mandala – 100% Agave Azul, and Shoe Palace, Community comes first.

(ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT)

    •  Robeisy Ramirez 125.6 lbs. vs. Rafael Espinoza 125.3 lbs
(Ramirez’s WBO Featherweight World Title – 12 Rounds)

   •   Xander Zayas 153.6 lbs vs. Jorge Fortea 153.7 lbs
(Junior Middleweight — 10 Rounds)

(ESPN+, 5:40 p.m. ET/2:40 p.m. PT)

•    Bruce Carrington 125.8 lbs  vs. Jason Sanchez 125.7 lbs 
 (Featherweight — 10 Rounds)

•  Richard Torrez Jr. 230.8 lbs vs. Curtis Harper 273.9 lbs
 (Heavyweight  — 8 Rounds)

•   Jahi Tucker 155.2 lbs vs. Francisco Daniel Veron 155.1 lbs
 (Junior Middleweight — 8 Rounds)

•   Rohan Polanco 142.9 lbs vs. Keith Hunter 139.3 lbs
 (Junior Welterweight — 8 Rounds)

•   Tiger Johnson 141.6 lbs vs. Jimmer Espinosa 141.2 lbs
 (Junior Welterweight — 8 Rounds)

•   Damian Knyba 264.1 lbs vs. Michael Coffie 290.9 lbs
 (Heavyweight — 8 Rounds)

MINNEAPOLIS.- December 8, 2023 – Undefeated WBA Super Middleweight Champion and Minneapolis fan-favorite David Morrell Jr. will battle knockout artist Sena Agbeko headlining action live on SHOWTIME^® on Saturday, December 16 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from The Armory in Minneapolis.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will feature exciting contenders Chris “Primetime” Colbert and Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela in a 12-round WBA Lightweight Title Eliminator as they rematch in the co-main event, and WBC Flyweight World Champion Julio Cesar Martinez defends his world title against unbeaten contender Angelino Cordova. Plus, in a special attraction telecast opener, all-action former world champions Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero and Andre Berto will square off in a 10-round welterweight rematch. The show will be the final boxing telecast from SHOWTIME SPORTS^® after 37 years.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and Warriors Boxing, are on sale now and can be purchased at the Armory at http://ArmoryMN.com/ and through Ticketmaster.

“David Morrell has built a truly dedicated fanbase in Minneapolis and will look to show his legions of fans, and fans around the world, why he’s undeniably one of the most dangerous super middleweights in the sport,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “It’ll be bombs away in the main event because Sena Agbeko comes to end fights early and will look to inflict damage for as long as the fight lasts. With three more highly competitive fights on the SHOWTIME undercard, fight fans will be in for another loaded night of action on December 16.”

A Cuban-native who came to Minneapolis to begin his pro career in 2019, Morrell (9-0, 8 KOs) has quickly shown off the talents that made him a standout in Cuba’s storied amateur scene. The 25-year-old recently scored a violent first-round knockout of Olympic Bronze medalist Yamaguchi Falcao in their April clash. He captured an interim title by dominating then-unbeaten Lennox Allen in August 2020 in just his third pro fight. Morell, who trains in Texas with renowned coach Ronnie Shields, added two dominant knockout victories in 2022 as he stopped Kalvin Henderson in June before a 12th-round TKO of the previously unbeaten Aidos Yerbossynuly in November. December 16 will mark Morrell’s sixth appearance at The Armory, and his fourth headlining slot.

“It’s a great honor to be fighting in the main event on SHOWTIME’s final show, especially in Minneapolis at The Armory where I call home,” said Morrell. “I’m going to bring my best effort forward and give the fans a spectacular performance worthy of this occasion. I specifically asked for the Sena Agbeko fight because he was saying I was avoiding him. Now that the fight is on, I’m going to punish him. I’m dedicating this fight to my family and all the fans that will be watching this event.”

Originally from Ghana and now fighting out of Nashville, Tennessee, Agbeko (28-2, 22 KOs) enters this fight having won his last five contests and 13 of his last 14. The 31-year-old won three times in 2022, including earning a unanimous decision over the previously unbeaten Isaiah Steen last October on SHOBOX: The New Generation^®. The only blemish on Agbeko’s record since 2014 is a decision loss in 2021 against top 168-pound contender Vladimir Shishkin. Most recently, Agbeko stopped Bruno Leonardo Romay in two rounds in October.

“This fight against Morrell is career defining for me as it will determine where I stand in the super middleweight hierarchy of boxing,” said Agbeko. “With 30 fights under my belt, it’s now or never, and more than anything, it’s an opportunity to be etched in the history books, so it is absolutely important to me that I win. I’m very happy to have this opportunity to fight for the WBA belt on SHOWTIME where I’ve fought throughout my career. My objective is to win and end the year on a very high note and also use it as a catalyst to even greater fights next year against the very best in the division. Fight fans should definitely expect a thriller to end the year.”

Representing his native Brooklyn, N.Y., Colbert (17-1, 6 KOs) bounced back from a first-round knockdown in the first fight against Valenzuela to emerge victorious with a 95-94 score on all three cards, a decision disputed by Valenzuela and others. The 27-year-old will hope to repeat the victory and establish himself as a top contender at 135 pounds. Colbert entered the first fight off a hard-fought defeat to former super featherweight world champion Hector Luis Garcia in February 2022. After a decorated amateur career, Colbert turned pro in 2015 and took out three undefeated fighters in his first eight bouts. Since then, he took care of a slew of former champions and contenders including Jezzrel Corrales, Jaime Arboleda and Tugstsogt Nyambayar to establish himself as a potential future world champion.

“I’m happy to be back to quiet this sucker once and for all,” said Colbert. “I’m going to show him that there are levels to this boxing game. See you on December 16.”

The 24-year-old Valenzuela (12-2, 8 KOs) appeared to have Colbert hurt and nearly out after the first round knockdown in their first fight. He will look to finish the job if presented the opportunity in the rematch. Born in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, Valenzuela would have earned a big bounce back victory had he finished Colbert, following a September 2022 defeat to Edwin De Los Santos. Valenzuela, who turned pro in 2018, was sensational prior to that loss, including a first-round knockout of former world champion Francisco Vargas in April 2022 and a five-bout knockout streak before earning his first 10-round decision in a victory over Deiner Berrio in September 2021.

“Training camp is going great so far and I’m preparing really hard for this fight,” said Valenzuela. “I’ve improved a lot. I’m very excited to come back, put it all on display and settle the score when we get into the ring on December 16.”

Trained by the renowned Eddy Reynoso, Martinez (20-2, 15 KOs) first captured his flyweight world title with a ninth-round stoppage of Cristofer Rosales in his stateside debut in December 2019. The 28-year-old has gone on to defend the title five times, besting previously unbeaten opponents Jay Harris and Samuel Carmona, while most recently stopping Ronal Batista in May. A native of Mexico City, Martinez’s only blemish since a split-decision loss in his pro debut was a decision loss to future Hall of Famer Roman Gonzalez in March 2022.

“I’m very excited to return to the ring and I’m having a great training camp to prepare for this fight,” said Martinez. “My goal is to unify titles in this division next year, and I know that I have to beat Cordova to reach that goal. I’m fully focused on him right now, because I can’t get the biggest fights without being impressive on December 16. I’m planning to deliver a spectacular performance.”

The 28-year-old Cordova (18-0-1, 12 KOs) earned a career-best victory in his last outing, as he bested former world champion Angel Acosta on his way to a 10-round unanimous decision victory in April. A native of Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela, Cordova has yet to taste defeat since debuting in 2017, with a draw in just his fourth fight as the only blemish. He made his U.S. debut in June 2022, defeating Axel Aragon Vega by decision before the triumph over Acosta.

“I’m blessed to have this great opportunity to fight for the WBC world title,” said Cordova. “I want to thank Miguel Cotto and the rest of my team for their support. It’s a dream come true. I have worked very hard for this fight on December 16 and I’m ready to show my skills and become the new WBC Flyweight World Champion.”

Guerrero (37-6-1, 20 KOs) is a three-time world champion who has won world titles at featherweight and super featherweight, and has fought a stacked lineup of elite fighters, including Floyd Mayweather, during a superb career. The Gilroy, California native most recently defeated former champion Victor Ortiz in August 2021, running his current winning streak up to four. His 2012 triumph over Berto saw him drop his opponent in rounds one and two on his way to earning the interim WBC welterweight title. That win led directly to the Mayweather fight, as Guerrero would eventually go on to challenge other great welterweights of the era including Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia.

“I won my first world title on SHOBOX, so it’s an honor to be fighting on the last SHOWTIME Boxing event,” said Guerrero. “I’m ready to give the fans another great performance. Everyone knows that when I step into the ring, it’s going to be all action. Berto and I already went to war once, and now we’re gonna meet again. At the end of the day, the fans are gonna win.”

A long-time mainstay of the sport who’s delivered memorable moments, fights and knockouts again and again, Winter Haven, Florida’s Berto (32-5, 24 KOs) returns for revenge against Guerrero, who edged him out via decision in their all-action 2012 brawl. A 2004 Olympian representing Haiti, Berto twice held a 147-pound world championship, first winning the WBC belt with a 2008 stoppage of Miguel Angel Rodriguez. He would go on to defend the title five times, and reclaimed his status by winning the IBF title over Jan Zaveck in 2011. Berto owns victories over Victor Ortiz, Devon Alexander, Josesito Lopez and has challenged Floyd Mayweather and Shawn Porter in a career that has seen Berto engage in numerous Fight of the Year bouts.

“I’m excited to be performing again and to help close out a legendary chapter of SHOWTIME boxing,” said Berto. “This rematch with Robert Guerrero has been looming in my spirit for years. It’s a fight that I always wanted to get back before I left this game. I’m the type of man who loves to right his wrongs, the same way that I did with Victor Ortiz. I’ve had a hell of a camp and I’m looking forward to putting on a hell of a performance on December 16.”

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

BOURNEMOUTH, UK (December 8, 2023) – Chris Billam-Smith and Mateusz Masternak exchanged words at the final pre-fight press conference today ahead of their WBO World Cruiserweight Title clash at the Bournemouth International Centre on Sunday, December 10, live on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland and Peacock in the USA.

A sold-out crowd awaits local hero Billam-Smith, who having realised his dream by winning the WBO World Title with a victory over Lawrence Okolie at the Vitality Stadium in May returns to Bournemouth for his first defence against the Polish powerhouse Masternak.

Masternak, who has shared the ring with many of the top names in the cruiserweight division throughout his impressive 52-fight career and who holds more knockout wins than Billam-Smith has had fights, will be aiming to spoil the champion’s homecoming party and fulfil his own world title ambition.

A stacked undercard features 2020 Olympic Medallists Ben Whittaker, who takes on Stiven Leonetti Dredhaj, and Lauren Price, who faces former European Champion Silvia Bortot, with both fighters looking to continue their rapid rise towards title contention.

Lee Cutler contests the vacant English Super Welterweight Title against Kingsley ‘Obi’ Egbunike in a potentially show stealing scrap, Michael McKinson and Musah Lawson battle for the WBC International Silver Welterweight belt, Lewis Edmondson returns against Dmytro Fedas and Francesca Hennessy faces Lucrecia Bellen Arrieta in her second pro bout.

PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES:

CHRIS BILLAM-SMITH:

“The dream was always to win the World Title at the Bournemouth Stadium and I got the opportunity to do that. Before that, we fought for years to get shows down here – and now we’ve had four back-to-back. We’ve got a great time with BOXXER and Sky Sports, we did our part to make it happen, and of course the fans who have turned out to create the amazing atmospheres that everyone loves. I can’t wait to walk out on Sunday as defending champion.

“People don’t have the time of their life, and then give up on life. That’s not how it works. For me, I’m a proud champion. Now I want to cement that legacy and on Sunday night, walking out in front of that crowd gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.

“As long as Masternak’s career has been, as many big fights as he’s had – I don’t think he would have ever experienced an atmosphere like this.”

MATEUSZ MASTERNAK:

“My journey in boxing has been going on for a long time. I believe the preparation for this fight has been magical. I believe on December 10th, the WBO belt will be mine.

“I had a deal with my wife. If I wanted a third baby, I had to become World Champion. Now my daughter is 5, so I have to keep my promise.”

BEN WHITTAKER:

“This year’s been a bit of a nuisance, a bit stop and start, but Sunday I’m back at it and in 2024 we’re going to really get the ball rolling again.

“There’s many things I can show on Sunday. I’ve showboated, I’ve done this, I’ve done that. I could just come in, break him down, and get out of there – who knows, we’ll see on Sunday.

“We’ve sparred. I asked for 8, and he left after 6.

“Sunday will be called The Italian Job.  Hopefully he’s not fearful because that’ll make for a better fight. I want him to come and bring the fight and try and bring something out of me that no-one else has. After I beat him on Sunday, we look on to 2024.”

LAUREN PRICE:

“This is a step up again. I’m a completely different fighter to Mayer and I think I’ll prove that on Sunday. I know Sylvia. She’s game, she’s tough, but I believe I’m a level above and I plan to have another solid performance on Sunday, then push on for a big 2024.

“In my last performance, I boxed a girl with an 18-1 record with 10 knock outs. In each fight I’ve stepped up and importantly this year I’ve stayed active. This is my 6th pro fight, and my 4th fight this year. When I’m active and I’ve been in the gym is when I’m at my best. I want to keep this momentum and put on a great performance on Sunday to show what I’m about. I want the winner of Mayer and Jonas in 2024.”

BEN SHALOM, BOXXER Founder and CEO:

“What a journey. To be defending the World Title back in Bournemouth is pretty incredible. We looked at this as simply a great fight.

“Sometimes watching Chris Billam-Smith as a promoter, you think ‘be a bit smarter, be a bit cleverer, don’t take the shots’, but he knows only one way. He gives us entertainment every single time. After the last performance, we wanted a great fight.

“Masternak has done the same throughout his career. He’s never fought for a World Title before which is remarkable to think about. To only have two losses on his record in 57 is special.

“I’m expecting a great fight. I know Masternak has been preparing for this for a long time. His team are ready for this. They believe this is their moment, but Chris wants to show that he’s world level and he’s here to stay at world level, to stay as world champion. This is the moment where he proves his dominance of the division.”

RETURN OF THE KING: Chris Billam-Smith vs Mateusz Masternak takes place on Sunday, December 10 at the Bournemouth International Centre and will be broadcast live and exclusively on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland and Peacock in the USA.

This event is presented in association with official partners bet365, Everlast, WOW HYDRATE, Integritas Property Group and Who Dares Gyms.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA (December 8, 2023): With less than a month away for the highly anticipated return of undefeated, knockout sensation Vergil Ortiz, Jr. (19-0, 19 KOs) of Grand Prairie, Texas, who will participate in a 12-round super welterweight fight against Accra, Ghana’s Fredrick “General Okunka” Lawson (30-3, 22 KOs), Golden Boy has finalized a stacked undercard. The event is scheduled to take place at The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas on January 6, 2024 and will be broadcast worldwide on DAZN.

As the co-main event, the U.K. ‘s Ohara “Two Tanks” Davies (25-2, 18 KOs) will fight against El Tigre, Venezuela’s Ismael Barroso (24-4-2, 22 KOs). The fight, which was rescheduled from the original Dec. 2 fight date, is a 12-round match for the WBA Super Lightweight Interim World Championship and is presented in association with TGB Promotions.

Making a splash as a newly-signed Golden Boy fighter, El Monte’s Arnold Barbosa Jr. (28-0, 10 KOs) will participate in a 10-round super lightweight clash. Also on the DAZN undercard, Ukraine’s Sergiy Derevyanchenko (14-5, 10 KOs) will participate in a 10-round fight. Opponents for both will be announced in the coming weeks.

Tickets for Ortiz Jr. vs. Lawson are on sale and are priced at $200, $150, $100 and $50 plus applicable fees. A limited amount of Golden Boy VIP Experience tickets will also be available for purchase with exclusive merchandise and fight night upgrades included. Standard and VIP tickets can be purchased at AXS.com or GoldenBoyPromotions.com.

On the Golden Boy Boxing Prelims: Ortiz vs. Lawson card streamed live on YouTube and Facebook Watch, undefeated NABF Welterweight title holder Raul “El Cugar” Curiel (13-0, 11 KOs) will participate in a 10-round fight against Elias Diaz (12-1, 7 KOs) of National City, California. In an eight-round cruiserweight fight, Tristan Kalkreuth (12-1, 9 KOs) will return to fight after a vicious fifth-round knockout victory last October 2023. He will face Tacoma, Washington’s Marquise Weston (15-2-1, 8 KOs).

Also in the prelims, Santa Ana’s Johnny “Sugar Cane” Cañas (2-0, 1 KO) will participate in a four-round super lightweight fight. Opening the fight night and making their professional debut, Emiliano Gandara of Dallas, Texas will participate in a four-round super welterweight fight. Opponents for both will be announced soon.

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Ortiz Jr. vs. Lawson is a 12-round fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions. The fight will take place on Saturday, January 6 at The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas and will be streamed live worldwide on DAZN. Davies vs. Barroso is a 12-round fight for the WBA Super Lightweight Interim World Championship presented by Golden Boy in association with TGB Promotions.

Media interested in applying for a credential can apply by clicking HERE. Media credential applications are due by EOD, January 3, 2024.

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

About AEG Presents
Combining the power of the live event with a focus on true artist development, AEG Presents is a world leader in the music and entertainment industries. Operating across five continents, the company has an unparalleled commitment to artistry, creativity, and community. Its tentpole festivals and multi-day music events — which include the iconic Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival and the legendary New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival alongside British Summer Time at Hyde Park, Stagecoach, Hangout Festival, Electric Forest, Rock En Seine and All Points East — continue to set the bar for the live music experience. AEG Presents promotes global tours for artists such as Justin Bieber, Blackpink, Kenny Chesney, Celine Dion, Elton John, Karol G, Paul McCartney, Katy Perry, The Rolling Stones, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, and Tyler, The Creator, in addition to — through its network of clubs, theatres, arenas, stadiums and renowned partner brands such as The Bowery Presents, Concerts West, Frontier Touring, Goldenvoice, Marshall Arts, Messina Touring Group, PromoWest Productions, and Zero Mile Presents — creating and developing an unmatched infrastructure for artist development and audience reach. More information can be found at www.aegpresents.com.

About The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
Exclusively booked and managed by AEG Presents, The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas is a premier live entertainment venue featuring the most highly-regarded talents in music and comedy. Formerly The Joint, the venue has hosted some of the top names in entertainment across countless genres since its inception, including iconic acts such as Paul McCartney, Bert Kreischer, Blink-182, Drake, Guns N’ Roses, Imagine Dragons, Journey, Karol G, Kenny Chesney, The Killers, Machine Gun Kelly, Nine Inch Nails, Prince, Rex Orange County, Santana, The 1975, and countless others.

The Theater provides an immersive setting for guests to experience both legendary and groundbreaking artists on a variety of levels, from intimate performances with 1,800 guests to large-scale, full-capacity experiences with 4,600 guests. Setting the bar for the most luxury in-venue concert experience, The Theater offers exclusive VIP offerings, including luxury private suites tended by dedicated VIP hosts, top-shelf spirits, a private expedited entry, in-venue merchandise delivery, custom swag, VIP social lounges and more, guaranteed to give guests an unparalleled live entertainment and VIP experience at every touchpoint. To learn more about the venue’s VIP service or to book, please email TheTheaterVIP@aegpresents.com. For tickets or more information on The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, visit virginhotelslv.com/venue/the-theater.

NEW YORK (December 8, 2023)–Split-T Management fighters will be on display on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Friday night in Bethlehem, PA, undefeated junior welterweight Shamara Woods will make her Split-T debut when she takes on Michaele Nogue at The Wind Creek Event Center.

Woods, who is 2-0 is 27 years-old of Allentown, PA, and began boxing at the age of 14. She embarked on an amateur career that saw her compete in 37 fights and won the WBA International Amateur Title and three Undisputed Promotions Titles.

Dubbed ‘Pure Perfection”, Shamara also has a background in Muay Thai and Kickboxing.

Woods, who is a single mother of a seven year-old boy, turned professional on April 1st with a unanimous decision over Sarah Click in Orlando, Florida. Woods followed that up with a unanimous decision over former world title challenger Samone Da Silva on May 12th in Orlando.

Nogue of Egg Harbor, New Jersey is 2-4 and is coming off a defeat to Carla Torres on October 5th in Washington, D.C.

Woods weighed 140.2 lbs at Thursday’s weigh-in, while Nogue was 139.8 lbs.

The bout can be seen live on BXNGTV.com at 6:45 PM ET.

On Saturday in Pembroke Pines, Florida, undefeated junior welterweight Tiger Johnson continues his climb up the prospect ladder when he takes on Jimerr Espinosa in an eight-round bout.

The former United States Olympian, Johnson is now 10-0 with five knockouts. The 25 year-old has wins over Xaver Madrid (3-0), Esteban Garcia (15-1), Mike Ohan Jr. (16-1), Jonathan Montrel (15-1) and an eight-round decision over Ricardo Quiroz (13-2) on September 15th in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Espinosa of Mexico City is 15-1 with 14 knockouts. The 25 year-old has wins over Luis Salas (8-2) and a first round stoppage over Emiliano Cruz on May 27th in Mexico.

The Johnson – Espinosa fight can be seen on ESPN+ at 5:40 PM ET.

Johnson is promoted by Top Rank.

Sunday in Toronto, former world title challenger, Jessica Camara takes on Farina Roemling in a six-round bout.

The Montreal native, Camara is 11-4 with two knockouts. The 35 year-old Camara has wins over Dalia Velazquez (5-1) and former world champion Heather Hardy (22-1). Camara is coming off a six-round unanimous decision over Joanna Chavarria Lopez on July 22 in New Brunswick, Canada.

Roemling of Cologne, Germany is 5-1 with one knockout. The 30 year-old is coming off a 10-round unanimous decision over Angelika Oles on November 18th in Germany.

Both Woods and Camara are managed by Brian Cohen.