Josh Warrington insists Patrick Hyland has his full attention as he prepares to defend his WBC International Featherweight title at the First Direct Arena in Leeds on July 30, live on Sky Sports.

Warrington puts his title on the line for the third time against Hyland as the Leeds hero looks to build up momentum for a World title shot. The 25 year old has been busy planning his August wedding and has had to contend with continued talk of a potential World title clash with IBF king Lee Selby, but Warrington knows he has to be on his guard in his latest outing.

Hyland enters the bout having challenged for the WBC World title against the talented American Gary Russell Jr in March and Warrington knows he has to be at his best against the dangerous Irishman to protect his World title ambitions – putting both World title talk and his forthcoming nuptials to the back of his mind.

“There’s a lot at risk against Patrick but that’s how it should be,” said Warrington. “I’ve seen how he fights and I know I’m not going to have to go looking for him. He comes to fight and has a dig on him, you need that bit of fear factor to go into fights and that’s what I have got – it should be a great fight for the fans on top of a brilliant card. The fans are going to be here from 5pm until the last bell and they’re in for a treat.

“Patrick has been on my radar for a while, a good year or so, he’s a very good fighter and as tough as they come, he’s got a good KO ratio and I am in for another hard night. I didn’t expect to be getting such a hard fight with the wedding coming up, I thought it might have been a bit of a tick over in the States or Germany, but all of a sudden there’s guys that want to fight and Eddie wanted to come back to Leeds with me headlining so we’ve got another tough fight in front of us with Patrick.

“I’m not looking at any other fight than a World title fight if I come through against Patrick. Whether it’s Selby or any of the other World champion’s, it doesn’t matter I’m ready now and I really want a World title fight next.

“That’s why my full attention is on Patrick. I know that this is a really tough fight against a guy that has operated at a higher level than I have, so I need to prove that I’m ready for the biggest fights out there.”

Warrington’s clash with Hyland is part of a huge night of action in Leeds as Luke Campbell MBE faces his toughest test in the paid ranks to date in the shape of former World champion Argenis Mendez.

Huddersfield man Tyrone Nurse defends his British Super Lightweight title in an all-Yorkshire affair with Hull’s Tommy Coyle, bitter Heavyweight rivals Dillian Whyte and Dave Allen meet for the vacant WBC International title, Barnsley’s Josh Wale gets a shot at the Commonwealth Super-Bantamweight title against Birmingham’s unbeaten starlet Gamal Yafai and classy Belfast man Ryan Burnett defends his WBC International Bantamweight title.

Tickets are on sale now priced at £30, £40, £60 and £100 available from the First Direct Arena at www.firstdirectarena.com and on 0844 248 1585. VIP tickets priced at £150 are available exclusively from Matchroom Boxing at www.matchroomboxing.com.

Tickets for July 30 are also available from http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/ – StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing.

ARLINGTON, TEXAS (July 18, 2016) – AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, will give a big Texas welcome to former two-division world champion Canelo Alvarez (47-1-1, 33 KOs) and WBO Junior Middleweight World Champion Liam “Beefy” Smith (23-0-1, 13 KOs) as it hosts their world championship showdown on Saturday, September 17. As the third boxing match ever held at AT&T Stadium, Canelo vs. Smith will guarantee a star-studded affair for all in attendance to witness Canelo take on one of the hardest punchers in the junior middleweight division. Canelo vs. Smith will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Canelo and Smith will launch a two-city press tour today, July 18 with a press conference at AT&T Stadium starting at 3:00 p.m. CST. The heavy-handed combatants will then head to London, England for a press conference at The Landmark Hotel on July 20, 2016.

Located in Arlington, Texas, AT&T Stadium is home to one of the most iconic and successful sports teams in history – the Dallas Cowboys. Now the site will welcome boxing’s biggest star, Canelo on Saturday, September 17.

“Texas loves Canelo, and Canelo loves Texas so it was a no-brainer to have this fight at AT&T Stadium,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “Texas is like Canelo’s second home, and he has stated that he wants to fight in Texas once a year for his fans. My friend Jerry Jones extended the invitation to Canelo to fight at AT&T Stadium so it was an easy decision for us.”

“AT&T Stadium was built to host great events like Canelo vs. Smith,” said Jerry Jones, the Dallas Cowboys Owner, President and General Manager. “Having Canelo Alvarez, one of the best fighters in the world, in this stadium will be a thrill for not only the fans of North Texas but also for boxing fans around the world.”

After his defeats over Austin “No Doubt” Trout at the Alamodome in San Antonio in front of 40,000 fans and a devastating knockout of James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland at Minute Maid Park, in Houston in front of 31,000 fans, Canelo will make his grand return to Texas in a fight destined to break his previous attendance records.

Given the recent tragedy that struck the Dallas Police and Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Officers, Golden Boy Promotions and the Dallas Cowboys have pledged to donate a percentage of proceeds to a charity of the Dallas Police Department and DART’s choosing.

“We are deeply saddened and mourn the loss of the dedicated Dallas Police and DART Officers that paid the ultimate sacrifice giving their lives to protect this community,” Jones and De La Hoya said in a joint statement. “In memory of these brave officers, we will donate a portion of the proceeds from this event in support of their loved ones, the others affected and the Dallas community.”

Tickets for Canelo vs. Smith will go on sale, Thursday, July 21 at 10:00 a.m. PT/12:00 p.m. CDT/1:00 p.m. ET, and are priced at $750, $500, $300, $200, $100, $85, $50 and $40, not including applicable service charges with a total ticket limit of 8 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also will be available for purchase online at www.ticketmaster.com. Additionally, walk up purchases are available at the AT&T Stadium Box Office (Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m. CT to 5:00 p.m. CT).

Canelo vs. Smith, a 12-round fight for the WBO Junior Middleweight World Championship, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Frank Warren and Canelo Promotions, sponsored by “Tecate, BORN BOLD” and Casa Mexico Tequila. The event will take place on Saturday, September 17 and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.frankwarren.com, www.attstadium.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, follow us on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @Canelo, @LiamBeefySmith, @OscarDeLaHoya, @FrankWarren_tv, @ATTStadium and @HBOboxing, become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.Facebook.com/frankwarrenpromotions, www.Facebook.com/ATTStadium or www.Facebook.com/HBOboxing, join us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @Canelo, @LiamBeefySmith, @ATTStadium, @OscarDeLaHoya and @HBOboxing, and follow the conversation using #CaneloSmith.

B-roll and images of the fighters are available for use and download HERE or by copying and pasting: bit.ly/CaneloSmith. Video and photo credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions.

David Allen has warned Dillian Whyte he needs to be ready for 12 hard rounds when they clash for the vacant WBC International Heavyweight title at the Frist Direct Arena in Leeds on July 30, live on Sky Sports.

Allen took the clash with Whyte at three weeks’ notice but the Doncaster man is not concerned about a lack of fitness – saying that he’s the naturally fitter man and it’s the Brixton banger that needs to make sure he’s grafted in the gym in order to stay with the pace Allen will set.

“Dillian can have all the time in the world to prepare but it doesn’t matter,” said Allen. “I come from a track and field and football background – I am a fit man. No Heavyweight in the country bar Joshua can me match me for fitness.

“If Dillian is World class and can do 12 rounds at a pace, I’m up against it – he’s bigger than me, stronger than me, punches harder than me and is probably a better boxer, but if he can’t do 12 rounds at a pace then I am going to beat him.

“I’m not the biggest guy in the world but he’s got to be able to do 12 three minute rounds with me because I am not going to go anywhere. Say what you want about me, I’ll be in his face for 12 rounds at a pace – and Dillian is bang in trouble if he cannot do that.

“I’m not a Floyd Mayweather – I haven’t got the fancy tricks, I will be putting it all on the line, heart and soul balls to the walls for 12 rounds at a high pace – it’s going to be a hard, hard for both of us. I’m going to let my hands go but I’m not a fancy dan, it’s going to be a rough and tough war, and he needs to be ready.”

Allen dismissed concerns that the short notice could cost him on the night as he enters his first fight under new trainer Dominic Ingle.

“People are saying it’s come too soon and that I’m not ready for this, but when an opportunity comes along, you have to take it,” said Allen.

“For the first time in my life I’m starting to be professional, I’ve been ticking over in the gym and I’ve had a couple of weeks to get myself into the best condition possible. I’ve been ticking over in the gym and living the right life for a pro fighter, eating right, running lots and getting my weight right.

“Three weeks is a long time for me – that’s not been on my mind. Maybe it’s an advantage to him but mentally I’ve never wanted something so bad in my life. I’m in good shape, I’ve got my sparring in and this is too big to pass up because who knows when something like this will turn up again? I could say no and spend 18 months doing four-rounders at the Doncaster Dome. You have to grasp it with both hands.”

Allen’s clash with Whyte is part of a huge night of action in Leeds where Josh Warrington defends his WBC International Featherweight title against Patrick Hyland.

Luke Campbell MBE faces his toughest test in the paid ranks to date in the shape of former World champion Argenis Mendez, Huddersfield man Tyrone Nurse defends his British Super Lightweight title in an all-Yorkshire affair with Hull’s Tommy Coyle, Barnsley’s Josh Wale gets a shot at the Commonwealth Super-Bantamweight title against Birmingham’s unbeaten starlet Gamal Yafai and classy Belfast man Ryan Burnett defends his WBC International Bantamweight title.

Tickets are on sale now priced at £30, £40, £60 and £100 available from the First Direct Arena at www.firstdirectarena.com and on 0844 248 1585. VIP tickets priced at £150 are available exclusively from Matchroom Boxing at www.matchroomboxing.com.

Tickets for July 30 are also available from http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/ – StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing.

18 July 2016 – Macau, China: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced its first event in Macau, China. ONE: HEROES OF THE WORLD is set to take place on Saturday, 13 August, in the Cotai Arena at The Venetian Macao. All bouts save for one have been confirmed. In the main event, former ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano Moraes will take on elite wrestler Andrew Leone for the Interim ONE Flyweight World Championship.

Victor Cui, CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “ONE continues its rise as the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts promotion with another massive fight card planned in Macau next month. We have some tremendous match-ups for fight fans out there, including a thrilling main event between two of the world’s best flyweights in Adriano Moraes and Andrew Leone.”

Tickets for ONE: HEROES OF THE WORLD are available at www.onefc.com.

“Real champions pick themselves up when they are down,” said top contender Moraes. “I feel renewed as a fighter and ready to reclaim my place at the top of my division. I’m going to get inside the cage against Andrew [Leone] and show the world that I’m back.”

“It’s my time now. I’ve been working very hard on my game, and feel I’m at that point in my career where I’m ready to just take the reins and show everyone who I am,” said Andrew Leone. “With an amazing team behind me, I have all the tools I need to compete at the highest level.”

Former ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes is a highly-skilled Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt with solid striking techniques. As champion, Moraes was rarely opposed inside the cage, using his long limbs to wreak havoc from range while posing the constant threat of submissions on the ground. He is on the comeback trail to regain his title, but first he’ll have to get past the talented Andrew Leone.

26-year-old flyweight Andrew Leone of Cortland, New York, made waves in ONE Championship when he debuted with a victory over top Filipino flyweight Geje Eustaquio in 2013. He has since strung together two solid victories over high-level opponents, including a unanimous decision over Japanese MMA veteran Koetsu Okazaki in his last bout. Now Leone looks to continue his winning ways by taking on his toughest assignment yet in former champion Adriano Moraes.

Adrian “The Hunter” Pang is a mixed martial arts veteran from Queensland, Australia, with a 22-8-2 professional record. Throughout his storied career, Pang has decimated opponents with his powerful strikes, overwhelming them with brute strength. In his last bout, Pang easily handled Malaysian star Peter Davis, stopping him with punches just 48 seconds into the first round. In his next bout, Pang will take on top Filipino lightweight Eduard Folayang.

Eduard “Landslide” Folayang is one of the Philippines’ most well-rounded mixed martial artists, amassing an impressive 15-5 record over eight years as a professional competing in various promotions. A ONE Championship veteran since its first event in 2011, Folayang is a famed wushu champion who has won tournaments all across Asia, but he has also recently added solid grappling to his growing skill set. He now takes on his sternest challenge yet in Adrian Pang.

Eddie “The Magician” Ng is a 30-year-old lightweight standout originally from Hong Kong. A ONE Championship veteran who has been with the promotion since its first event in 2011, Ng is known for being a devastating striker with lightning quick hands and feet, as well as a highly technical grappler with a wide range of submissions. He returns to the ONE Championship cage against former champion Honorio Banario.

A former ONE Featherweight World Champion, Team Lakay’s Honorio “The Rock” Banario has long been one of the Philippines’ most respected mixed martial arts veterans. His vast cage experience has brought him all over Asia, encompassing several memorable battles against top divisional talent. Among his many talents, wushu expert Banario’s strength lies in his striking, but he has recently improved on his grappling as well. He is now ready to showcase his growing skills against Eddie Ng.

Christian Lee, younger brother of ONE Women’s Atomweight Champion Angela “Unstoppable” Lee, has impressed in his first few outings inside the ONE Championship cage. His growing skillset boasts unorthodox and unpredictable striking techniques, as well as technical grappling and creative submission maneuvers. The undefeated Lee is riding the momentum of five straight stoppage wins inside the ONE cage—three by highlight reel knockout and the other two by crafty submission—and looks to continue his early success against Martin Nguyen, his toughest opponent to date.

27-year-old Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen of Sydney, Australia, is a former ONE Featherweight title challenger with a 6-1 professional mixed martial arts record. All of Nguyen’s victories have come within the distance in the form of four solid TKO wins and two submissions, proving how dangerous he is in all areas. Nguyen’s complete skillset allows him to compete at the highest level as a professional, and he’ll be seeking to re-enter title contention with a victory against the promising Christian Lee.

Alain “The Panther” Ngalani trains out of Impakt MMA in Hong Kong, and is a veteran heavyweight contender with massive size and strength. Armed with the agility and quickness of a lighter fighter, Ngalani is a terrifying combination of size and speed, and is always looking to end fights early. In his last bout, Ngalani needed just a little over a minute to stop Ukraine’s Igor Subora, winning by TKO in the first round. Ngalani now looks to entertain local fans in attendance with another spectacular performance as he takes on Alexandre Machado.

Brazilian heavyweight champion Alexandre “Bebezao” Machado is a rare breed of heavyweight with a penchant for submissions. A Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt, he currently sports a 7-2 professional mixed martial arts record, and will be making his second appearance inside the ONE cage. He will have his hands full dealing with the hulking Alain Ngalani in what promises to be a classic and colossal clash of striker vs. grappler.

In the evening’s initial bout offerings, rising Chinese prospects Ma Jia Wen and Ma Hao Bin take on Filipino veteran Jimmy Yabo and Cambodian star Chan Rothana respectively, while Thai national wrestling champion Kritsada “Dream Man” Kongsrichai takes on Team Lakay’s undefeated prospect Joshua Pacio.

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com and follow Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia featuring the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship is broadcast to over 1 billion viewers across 118+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including FOX Sports, Setanta, MNC, Astro, Thairath TV, ABS-CBN, TV5, Physique TV, MYTV, HTV, Esporte Interativo and more.

INGUSHETIA, Russia (July 17, 2016) – Former two-time M-1 Challenge heavyweight champion Denis Smoldarev (13-2-0, M-1: 8-2-0) positioned himself for another title shot, taking a decision from former M-1 Challenge heavyweight champion Kenny “Deuce” Garner (16-10-0, M-1: 9-8-0), last night in the M-1 Challenge 69: Battle in the Mountains 5 main event, at Targin in Ingushetia, Russia.

The judges were very busy as five of six main event fights went the full distance, headlined by Smoldarev, representing Estonia, defeated American veteran Garner by way of a unanimous three-round decision.

Smoldarev was in control vs. Garner

American featherweight Lee “Bulldog” Morrison (15-7-0, M-1: 2-4-0) fell short against Ukrainian Andrey “Iron” Lezhnev (9-6-0, M-1: 3-2-0), dropping a three-round unanimous decision.

In another featherweight match, Sergey Morozov (7-1-0, M-1: 3-1-0), of Kazakhstan, won a three-round decision versus always tough Ukrainian Andrey “Iron” Lezhnev (8-7-0, M-1: 2-3-0).

Brazilian heavyweight Marcus “Montanha” Vinicius Lopes’ (10-4-0, M-1: 1-0-0) M-1 Global debut was a success as he won a three-round decision over Russian Kurban “Shkaf” Ibragimov (5-2-0, M-1: 3-2-0).

Russian flyweight Khamzat Dalgiev (6-1-0, M-1: 3-1-0) turned in an impressive performance, stopping Spaniard Ronny Gomez (3-5-0, M-1: 0-1-0) midway through the opening round on punches.

Croatian featherweight Antun “Killer” Racic (18-7-1, M-1: 3-4-1) unbeaten Russian prospect Movsar Evloev (5-0-1, M-1: 5-0-1), who took the fight on late notice, fought to a three-round draw..

Rounding out the main card are two other featherweight bouts: Brazilian Rafael Dias (11-3-0, M-1: 0-0-0) vs. Kazakh Sergey Morozov (6-1-0, M-1: 2-1-0)

In preliminary card action, Russian lightweight Lom-Ali Nalgiev (7-4-0, M-1: 4-0-0) remained undefeated in M-1 Global competition, winning a three-round majority decision over Gabriel Sabo (7-1-1, M-1: 1-0-0), of Switzerland, while Russian featherweight Zaur Akhmedov (1-0-0, M-1: 1-0-0) won his M-1 Global debut with a three-round decision against Adam Gagiev (0-2-1, M-1: 0-2-0).

Russian light heavyweight Amirkhan Guliev (3-1-0, M-1: 3-0-0) used a heel hook for a win by opening-round submission versus Spaniard Darwin Rodriguez (0-2-0, M-1: 0-1-0); Russian welterweight Magomed Maasaev (1-0-0, M-1: 1-0-0) locked in a triangle choke on Russian Ingiskhan Ozdoev (1-3-0, M-1: 1-3-0) for a submission victory in the second round; Adam Gagiev (1-1-0, M-1: 1-1-0) won a three-round decision over Russian pro-debuting Zaur Akhmedov (0-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0).

In the M-1 Medieval Knight fight between Russian heavyweights, Rustam Kukurkhoev won by second-round technical knockout over Vitaly Kravchenko.

Complete results and photo gallery below:

MAIN CARD
(all winners listed first)

HEAVYWEIGHTS
Denis Smoldarev (12-2-0, M-1: 8-2-0), Estonia
WDEC3
Kenny Garner (16-10-0, M-1: 9-8-0), Russia

Marcus Vinicius Lopes (10-4-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Brazil
WDEC3
Kurban Ibragimov (5-2-0, M-1: 3-2-0), Russia

FEATHERWEIGHTS
Rafael Dias (12-3-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Brazil
WDEC3
Sergey Morozov (6-2-0, M-1: 2-2-0), Kazakhstan

Andrey Lezhnev (9-6-0, M-1: 3-2-0), Ukraine
WDEC3
Lee Morrison (15-7-0, M-1: 2-4-0), USA

Antun Racic (18-7-1, M-1: 3-4-1), Brazil
DRAW3
Musa Kazikhanov (3-0-1, M-1: 0-0-1), Russia

FLYWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Khamzat Dalgiev (6-1-0, M-1: 3-1-0), Russia
WKO/TKO1 (Punches – 2:28)
Ronny Gomez (4-4-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Spain

PRELIMINARY CARD

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS
Amirkhan Guliev (3-1-0, M-1: 3-0-0), Russia
WSUB1 (Heel Hook – 3:16)
Darwin Rodriguez (0-2-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Spain

WELTERWEIGHTS
Magomed Maasaev (1-0-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Russia
WSUB2 (Triangle Choke – 1:50)
Ingiskhan Ozdoev (1-3-0, M-1: 1-3-0), Russia

LIGHTWEIGHTS
Lom-Ali Nalgiev (7-4-0, M-1: 4-0-0), Russia
WDEC3
Gabriel Sabo (6-2-1, M-1: 0-1-0), Switzerland

Sergey Astapov (7-4-0, M-1: 2-0-0), Ukraine
WKO/TKO1 (Punches – 1:10)
Abubaker Mestoev (1-1-0, M-1: 1-1-0), Russia

FEATHERWEIGHTS
Adam Gagiev (1-1-1, M-1: 1-1-0), Russia
WDEC3
Zaur Akhmedov (0-1-0, M-1: 010-0), Russia

M-1 MEDIEVAL KNIGHT FIGHT – HEAVYWEIGHTS
Rustam Kukurkhoev, Russia
WKO/TKO2
Vitaly Kravchenko, Russia

(L-R) – Kenny Garner & Denis Smoldarev

Dalgiev vs. Gomez

Sabo vs. Nalgiev

Kravchenko vs. Kukurkhoev

Information

www.M1Global.tv
www.mixfight.ru
www.wmmaa.org

Twitter & Instagram:

@M1GlobalNews
@VFinkelchtein
@M1Global

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/M-1-GlobalNews

New York, NY, July 16, 2016 – The most action-packed, hardest-hitting weekend in sports this summer will be not be in Rio – but in Anaheim – as Spike Sports presents two world-class events on back-to-back nights. Bellator MMA’s Benson Henderson (23-6) and Patricio “Pitbull” Freire (25-3), two of the most exciting mixed martial arts fighters in the world, do battle on Friday, August 26 (10:00pm-12:00am ET/PT). The action continues the next day with Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero (33-4-1) taking on David Emanuel Peralta (25-2-1) on Saturday, August 27 (9:00-11:00pm ET/PT). Both events will emanate from Honda Center in Anaheim, CA.

Benson Henderson has fought and beaten many of the best fighters in the world. His impressive resume includes victories over: Frankie Edgar, Donald Cerrone, Gilbert Melendez, Nate Diaz, Jim Miller and Bellator’s Josh Thomson. But “Smooth” has never faced an angry “Pitbull” in one of the most important fights of his life.

Patricio “Pitbull” Freiere is a former featherweight world champion who is stepping up to lightweight in the biggest challenge of his decorated career. In a Shakespearean twist, a win over Henderson would put him in line for a title shot against recently crowned 155-pound champion Michael Chandler, who scored a brutal knockout over Patricio’s brother to secure the division’s crown. But to avenge his brother’s loss, he must first defeat the highly-regarded “Bendo.”

Henderson is also in need of a big win as his recent Bellator debut was spoiled by welterweight champion Andrey Koreshkov. The hard-hitting Russian scored a unanimous decision victory in a five-round brawl against Henderson this past April at “Bellator 153: Koreshkov vs. Henderson.”

Robert Guerrero is among the biggest names in boxing today, having fought the sport’s marquee names like Floyd Mayweather. A former world champion in multiple weight classes, he owns signature victories over Andre Berto and Joel Casamayor. But now Guerrero is on a quest to return to the top of the welterweight division beginning with this matchup on August 27. He must defeat the hard-hitting Argentinian slugger David Emanuel Peralta to see his dreams of sitting atop the division realized once again.

The tripleheader also features all-action slugger Alfredo Angulo (24-5)taking on battle-tested Freddy Hernandez (33-8)in a battle of Mexican brawlers. A fan favorite in Southern California, Angulo enters this fight coming off of two knockout victories and he will look to make it three in a row when he steps into the ring on August 27. A veteran of many exciting 154-pound contests, Angulo is looking to continue to make noise in the middleweight division against Hernandez, who has won his last three fights heading into this showdown.

Rounding out the night of televised fights is 2012 U.S. Olympian Terrell Gausha (18-0) putting his undefeated record on the line against the Bronx’s Steve Martinez (16-2). Fighting out of Cleveland, Gausha has risen up the rankings with five victories in 2015 and a seventh round stoppage of Orlando Lora in April. Now he will test himself against against the dangerous Martinez, who has recorded knockouts in 13 of his 16 victories.

Tickets for the August 27 event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are priced at $31, $58, $108 and $203, plus applicable fees, and are on sale Wednesday, July 20. Tickets are available via ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster retail locations or by calling 800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the Honda Center Box Office.

About Bellator MMA:
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About Premier Boxing Champions:
Premier Boxing Champions is a live boxing series created for TV and cable by Haymon Boxing. The series features the greatest array of international boxing talent in all weight divisions, with fighters representing over 10 countries including the United States and Mexico. From former Olympians to Champions of all nationalities, the series can be seen on over ten networks in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the UK.

About Spike:
Spike is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, www.spike.com/shows/premier-boxing-champions, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing.

TOKYO – July 16, 2016 – RIZIN FF, the combat sports federation headed by former PRIDE Fighting Championships boss Nobuyuki Sakakibara, announced at a press conference today that all-time great Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (MMA: 31-11-1, 1 NC; Kickboxing: 23-8, 12 KO’s) will come out of retirement and return to Japan, where his legendary career was born, to compete in the highly-anticipated, 16-man, open weight “Grand Prix” tournament that begins in Tokyo on Sunday, Sept. 25.

A former PRIDE and K-1 Grand Prix tournament champion, Filipovic earned his place as one of the greatest martial arts combatants in history with an elite set of striking skills that helped him earn the most first round finishes as well as the most head kick knockouts in PRIDE history.

It was also announced today that 4 of the 16 Grand Prix participants, including superstar Wanderlei Silva (35-12-1, 1 NC) of Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, will receive a bye in the first stage, and automatically advance to the tournament’s second, or quarterfinal stage, which will take place at a location to be announced on Thursday, Dec. 29.

Joining Sakakibara, Filipovic and Silva at the press conference were veteran warhorse Kazuyiki Fujita (15-11) of Funabashi, Chiba, Japan and former sumo wrestling champion turned MMA upstart Baruto Kaito (1-0) of Estonia, both of whom have been tabbed for battle in the first stage of the tournament.

The round of 16 matchups will be announced at the end of July.

In other, single-fight action on September 25, two striking sensations – Daron Cruickshank (17-8, 1 NC) and Andy Souwer (MMA: 1-0, Kickboxing: 159-19, 98 KO’s) – will collide in a lightweight (155) affair.

Cruickshank of Wayne, Mich. is a 13-fight veteran of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) who made a successful RIZIN FF debut on April 17, scoring a first round (4:36) TKO with a series of kicks on a downed Shinji Sasaki.

A longtime kickboxing icon, Souwer of Den Bosch, Netherlands, is a two-time winner of the K-1 World Max tournament and a four-time Shootboxing world champion. On December 31, 2015, he made his long-awaited MMA rules debut at the inaugural RIZIN FF event in Saitama, Japan, decimating Yuichiro “Jienotsu” Nagashima by way of first round (5:29) KO with an onslaught of punches.

Unbeaten women’s light heavyweight and nine-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Gabi Garcia (2-0) and three-time junior Olympic wrestling medalist and undefeated flyweight (125 pounds) MMA star Kanako Murata (3-0) of Ehime, Japan will each see action against an opponent to be announced soon.

Garcia of Porto Alege, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil made quick work of both of her MMA opponents to date, scoring a first round (2:36) TKO (punches) in her professional debut on Lei’d Tapa at the RIZIN FF promotional kick-off event on December 31, and submitting Anna Malyukova with an armbar in the second round (2:04) of battle at the RIZIN FF affair on April 17.

Just 22 years of age, Murata made her professional MMA debut under the promotion of RIZIN FF on April 17, notching a unanimous decision over Natalia Denisova, and has since already competed twice more, defeating Maia Kahaunaele-Stevenson via third round (3:43) TKO (punches) and Ilona Wijmans by way of first round (1:17) TKO (punches), on June 4 and July 7, respectively.

Kizaemon Saiga (2-1) of Sakai, Osaka, Japan will take on fellow upstart Asen Yamamoto at a weight to be determined.

Women’s shoot boxing champion and unbeaten MMA competitor Rena Kubota (1-0) of Osaka, Japan will make her second start under MMA rules against an opponent to be announced.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada (July 16, 2016) – Steven Wilcox and Jesus Singwancha will square off in the eight round main event of Lee Baxter Promotions’ inaugural “Next Generation” card Thursday, July 28 at Danforth Music Hall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

The “Next Generation” fight series is set to showcase boxers on the rise with championship aspirations. Most of the boxers fight out of Canada but some will travel from various parts of the globe to showcase their skills.

Living and fighting out of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, Wilcox has an excellent 13-1-1 professional ledger with five victories by way of knockout. Last year, he fought undefeated Mick Gadbois for the WBC International title but the belt remained vacant following a draw. The 26-year-old Wilcox dominated his last two bouts, winning virtually every round against Luis Armando Juarez and Pedro Navarrete respectively. However, he’s expected to have his hands full on July 28.

Born as Jesus Kakonge in Congo, Singwancha now boxes out of Montreal and was matched astonishingly tough from the day he turned pro. In addition to facing three unbeaten foes in his first five fights, he was pitted against world title challenger Tabtimdaeng Na Rachawat (now 52-3), Narong Boonchan (23-2) and former two-division world champion Sirimongkol Singwancha who owns a jaw-dropping 90-2 professional record. Currently at 21-9 with 8 wins by knockout, Jesus Sinwancha is on a five fighting winning streak, most recently outpointing the aforementioned Gadbois.

“This is going to be a heck of a fight,” exclaimed Lee Baxter. “Steven is an outstanding boxer but he’s never fought anybody as tough, rugged and experienced as Singwancha. Steven believes he has what it takes to get to the next level but knows he can’t sleep on Singwancha, who is riding his own wave of confidence coming off of consecutive victories over two well-regarded fighters in Roody Pierre-Paul and Mick Gadbois. Fans are in for a real treat here!”

In the semi-main event, cruiserweight Tim “The Irish” Cronin of Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada challenges Slovakia’s Kristof Demendei over six rounds. Cronin, 7-1-1 (2 KO’s), is unbeaten in eight fights after dropping his pro debut and fought most of his career in Ontario. Demendei, 10-1-2 (6 KO’s), will fight in the Great White North for the first time and lost his last bout via decision to once-beaten Marco Scafi in June.

Debuting super middleweights Augistino D’Aluisio and Mike Miller are scheduled to duke it out over four rounds and super welterweight Mayron Zeferino will have his first fight against opponent to be announced. Rounding out the card is newcomer Mladen Mijas of Ontario versus 5-1 Slovakian David Vyletel in the heavyweight division. All three fights are scheduled for four rounds

Other bouts will be announced shortly.

Baxter said “there were some recent changes to the card but needless to say, we’ve got competitive matches across the board. All of the boxers on the card believe they have what it takes to be included in the next generation of boxing stars and are coming to put on a great show July 28.”

Sponsored by Everlast, Vonbets, Hardknocks Boxing Club & Labatts Brewery, tickets to the “Next Generation” are on sale now for $45, $55 and $65 by logging onto Ticketmaster.Ca. Doors open at 6:30 pm and the first fight is scheduled for 7:30.

INDIO, CALIFORNIA (July 15, 2015) – The Coachella Valley was treated to a night full of action at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, featuring the return to the ring of two of the most exciting fighters in the featherweight division live on Estrella TV’s Boxeo Estelar. With a special appearance by former five-division boxing world champion and International Boxing Hall of Famer Sugar Ray Leonard, Metta World Peace, and Golden Boy Promotions’ fighters: Joseph “Jojo” Diaz, Jr., Gilberto “El Flaco” Gonzalez, Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera, Diego De La Hoya, and the newest member Virgil Ortiz, Jr.; the night kept all the fans on their feet as they watched a night of exciting boxing.

The main event of the night featured former world title challenger Jayson “La Maravilla” Velez (23-3-1, 16 KOs) of Juncos, Puerto Rico, taking on the Nicaraguan warrior Rene “Gemelo” Alvarado (24-7, 16 KOs) in a 10-round featherweight fight that went the distance. The evenly matched fighters consistently traded blows and it was Velez who attempted to use his boxing skills in the first few rounds. By the fifth round, both fighters began to fight from the inside as came at each other for a classic brawl with both landing effective shots. An accidental head butt in the sixth round did stun the fighters, but that did not stop them from keeping the momentum going. A close fight, the judges awarded a split decision victory to the former WBC Silver Featherweight Champion, Rene Alavardo with scores of 96-94, 96-94 and 97-93 for Velez.

“This is a very important victory for me,” said Rene Alvarado. “I have been fighting tough prospects and fighting such a notable fighter like Velez proves that I am still a force in this division. I want to keep the momentum going and come back as soon as I can. I will be back in the gym next week to stay in shape and be ready for the next fight.”

In the co-main event of the night, undefeated prospect Rashidi “Speedy” Ellis (16-0, 11 KOs) of Boston retained his undefeated record when he took on Luis “La Roca” Hernandez (12-2, 7 KOs) of Rio Pierdas, Puerto Rico. Ellis made sure to keep the pressure on Hernández but in the fourth round was caught by a solid left hook that sent him to the canvas. Hernandez saw an opportunity and aggressively came after Ellis as Ellis tried to keep his distance in what became the most exciting bout of the night. Ellis adjusted his game and began using is jab and counterpunching when Herenandez attacked. This plan proved successful as Ellis was awarded the decision with scores of 78-73 by all three judges.

“He caught me with a good shot,” said Rashidi Ellis. “But I felt that the adjustments I made to make sure he didn’t catch me again were effective. I wanted to make sure that I kept moving and continued to land clean shots. That is what gave me the victory tonight.”

Opening up the Estella TV broadcast, decorated amateur, Cesar Diaz of Palmdale, Calif. made his professional debut against Isau Duenez (1-5) of Monterey, Mexico. Diaz, was not shy in the first rounds of his scheduled four-round featherweight fight, aggressively coming at Duenez while landing hard punches to the body. The punches were effective as they continued to overwhelm Duenez and in the third round the referee called the fight awarding Diaz his first professional victory via technical knockout.

“This victory motivates me to keep going,” said Cesar Diaz. “I have a great corner and felt very comfortable and calm in my first fight as a professional. I felt that I was properly prepared for this fight, I have a team that gave me the best sparring. Fighting professionally is more fun, knowing that I can go in the ring and finish my opponent is very exciting and I am looking forward to the next fight.”

Part of the non-televised undercard and streaming on RingTVLive.com, Azat Hovanissyan (9-2, 8 KOs) of Glendale, Calif. took on Sacramento’s Mario Ayala (4-3-1, 1 KOs) in a schedule six-round super bantamweight fight. In the fifth round, Hovanissyan sent Ayala to the canvas as the crowd cheered on the fighters. Making the count, Ayala was not able to shake off Hovanissyan and the fight was called off by the referee.

“I am very excited about this victory,” said Azat Hovanissyan. “I have been off for more than a year and I am glad I was able to shake the ring rust. I am ready to fight again and ready to come back at eight to 10 rounds.”

Indio, Calif.’s Marco Magdaleno (4-0, 2 KOs) put on a great display of dominance as he faced, Hugo Padilla (3-7, 2 KOs) of Aguascalientes, Mexico in a four-round lightweight bout. In the first two rounds, Magdaleno aggressively came after Padilla, cornering him in the ropes with his quick combinations. By the third round, Magdaleno began to out-box Padilla, effectively using his jab and counter punching. In the end, the judges awarded Magdaleno the victory via unanimous decision with scores of 40-36, 40-36 and 39-37.

“Padilla was a tough fight, he came prepared,” said Marco Magdaleno. “I felt like the guy was very durable and my corner and I decided that it would be best to box him, hit him with the best and cleanest shots to secure the victory. I trust my team and Joel Diaz always knows when we have to switch it up, he brings out the best in me.”

Opening the night Jhon Leon (1-0, 1 KO) of Los Angeles made an impression in his first professional fight knocking out his opponent Jose Huerta (0-1-1) of Villahermosa, Mexico in the first round knockout of their scheduled four-round welterweight.

“Winning this fight is the prize after so much sacrifice,” said John Leon. “I have been fighting since I was 11 years old and have been on the Colombian Olympic team and now to finally start my career as a professional is a dream comes true. I can’t wait until my next fight, I am ready to keep putting in the work to become the next world champion.”

Jayson Velez vs. Rene Alvarado was a 10-round super featherweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by “Tecate, BORN BOLD”. Doors opened at 5:00 p.m. and the first bell rang at 5:30 p.m. The Boxeo Estelar broadcast will aired live on Estrella TV at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT. The card will also streamed live on EstrellaTV.com and on YouTube via Fenomeno Studios. The RingTVlive.com live stream will began at approximately 5:00 p.m. PT through 7:00 p.m.

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.estrellatv.com, follow on twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @EstrellaTV, and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, http://www.facebook.com/EstrellaTVNetwork, visit us on Instagram at @GoldenBoyBoxing and @EstrellaTV; and follow the conversation using #BoxeoEstelar.

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (July 15, 2016)–Yesterday at Brighton Park in front of The Claridge Hotel, Rising Promotions held an open workout that showcased fighters that will compete on a big night of boxing that will take place on Friday, July 22nd at The Claridge

Welterweight’s Anthony “Juice” Young and Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna, who will compete in the main event and co-feature respectively were two of the fighters featured at the workout.

Below are quotes and photos from each fighter’s workout:

Anthony Young: “We prepared for 6 hard rounds and we will make it look like easy work. It’s always good to fight at home and feed off the energy of the crowd. There is nothing like it. My opponent is a durable veteran, he has over 40 fights . We have to go out there and execute the gameplan and get the win.”

Thomas LaManna: ” I’m excited to be fighting at The Claridge again, This is our 4th show at the Claridge and I am looking forward to bringing excitement to the fans come next Friday night. Camp was great, I started in Las Vegas and finished back home in New Jersey. I’m in great shape and can’t wait to fight.”

Dallas Holden

Photos by Kenny Ludwig

ABOUT JULY 22ND

On Friday night, July 22nd, welterweight, Anthony “Juice” Young will headline a great night of boxing against Eduardo Flores in a scheduled 6-round welterweight bout at The Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City.

Welterweight Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna (20-1, 8 KO’s) will take part in a six-round co-feature bout against Engleberto Valenzuela (10-7, 3 KO’s) of Sonoroa, MX

In an eight round bout light heavyweight bout, Fenlong Meng (7-0, 5 KO’s) of Chifeng, China battles Daniel Judah (24-10-3, 11 KOs) of Brooklyn, NY

In an eight-round heavyweight bout, Zhang Zhilei (10-0, 7 KO’s) of Zhoukou, China takes on Rodney Hernandez (10-4-1, 3 KO’s) of Modesto, California.

In a six round heavyweight bout, Tri-State Heavyweight champion Dan Pasciolla (7-1-1) of Brick, NJ will battle Dante Selby (2-1-1) of Philadelphia, PA in a rematch.

Marvin Johnson (0-0-1) of Millville, NJ will take on Lamont White (0-1) of Washington, DC in a lightweight bout scheduled for four-rounds.

Pro debuting bantamweight’s Kevin Asmat of North Bergen, NJ and Dallas Holden of Atlantic City will collide in a four round bout.

Appearing in a four-round bout will be pro debuting super featherweight Donald Smith of Philadelphia, taking on Cameron Cain of Indiana.

Bantamweight Christian Carto (1-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia, PA takes on pro debuting Christopher Nelson of Indiana

Tickets are $125 for premium, $77 Ringside stage and $52 reserved and are available at www.risingboxingpromotions.com or 609-487-4444

Facebook.com/risingstarboxing
Instagram: @risingpromo

About Rising Promotions:

Rising Promotions was created with the intent of becoming a house hold name with the key objective of Rising Promotions being able to coordinate an array of diversified special events within the sports and entertainment industry, The CEO and partners at Rising Promotions feel that the opportunities for growth are endless. We would like to give opportunities to up and coming professional as well as amateur boxers that other promoters would not readily give opportunity to. The events that Rising plans to coordinate will provide much needed affordable, family-friendly sports entertainment.

Photos by Kenny Ludwig

LAS VEGAS (July 15, 2016) — Sugar Ray Leonard, a member of the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame’s (NVBHOF) inaugural class in 2013, will return to the Hall’s 2016 induction ceremony to pay tribute to the late Muhammad Ali. Leonard, who won a 1976 Olympic gold medal and world titles in five weight classes as a pro, will give a speech, “What Muhammad Ali Meant to Me,” as part of the annual induction dinner on Saturday, July 30 at Caesars Palace.

Ali was inducted into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame in 2015. His health prevented him from attending, but his daughter, Rasheda, accepted the honor in his place.

As a special treat on July 30, Ali’s widow, Lonnie Ali, will attend the ceremony as a guest of the World Boxing Council and its president, Mauricio Sulaiman.

Inductees for the NVBHOF’s fourth class are boxers Ray “Boom Boom”Mancini, Pernell Whitaker, Christy Martin, Ricardo Lopez and Freddie Little; trainers Kenny Adams, Thell Torrance and Johnny Tocco and journalists Tim Dahlberg and James “Smitty” Smith.

Remaining tickets are available at the NVBHOF’s website at nvbhof.com for $300
or $175 (ceremony and dinner) or $75 (ceremony only). The Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame is a 501 c-3 organization and all proceeds benefit boxing-related charities.

James Robinson 152 vs. Justin Johnson 153
Rosalinda Rodriguez 118 vs. Samantha Salazar 117
Joshua Jones 137.5 vs. Ahmet Kayretli 137.5
Khali Thorn 160 vs. Zarief Brand 161
Nick Kisner 216 vs. Steve Tyner 210

Venue: Roar at the Shore- Main Stage
Promoter: Bizzarro Promotions

MONTE CARLO, Monaco(July 15, 2016)- The World Mixed Martial Arts Association (WMMAA) has issued an announcement regarding an appeal recently filed by Stefano Sartori, manager of Brazilian fighter Fabio Maldonado, to reassess the result of his June 17th fight with Fedor Emelianenko, which headlined Fight Nights Global 50 in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

WMMAA General Secretary & Senior Vice President Alexander Engelhardt (pictured to right) has declared that Emelianenko vs. Maldonado, which was originally ruled a majority decision victory in favor of Emeliananko, officially be changed to a draw.

Team Malondado’s appeal to the WMMAA was filed claiming a conflict of interest because all of the judges are employed by the Russian MMA Union, of which Emelianenko serves as president, as well as for the initial appeal to the Russian MMA Union, a sanctioned WMMAA member, being unjustly rejected by the head jury.

Engelhardt was appointed by WMMAA present Vadim Finkelchetein to handle the appeal procedure. A committee was formed comprised of Engelhardt, Hector Molina (Mexico), Chairman of the Rules, Regulations and Referee Committee; Ino Alberga (The Netherlands), Member of the Rules, Regulations and Referee Committee; Poalo Biotti (Italy), Chairman Ethics and Disciplinary Committee; Zaya Zaya (Australia), Member Professional Referee Committee.

In addition, independent judge Marco Broersen (The Netherlands), Chairman of Professional Referee Committee and Ethics and Disciplinary Committee, was responsible for selecting an independent judges’ panel to reassess the original result. The three-judges were Youri Lamoureux (Canada), Lukasz Bosacki (Poland) and Alexey Zemskov (Russia).

Each of the three aforementioned judges scored the first round in favor of Emelianenko, 10-8, and the second and third rounds for Maldonado, 10-9 each, resulting in a 28-28 draw.

The appeal procedure was divided into two parts for review in terms of whether the procedural mistakes related to the fight were made and that an independent international judges’ panel had to review the fight.

The WMMAA came to the conclusion that the appeal was legitimate and it was accepted due to the fact one of the fighters, Emelianenko, as President of the Russian MMA Union, and Head of Judges, Radmir Gabdullin, had a working relationship that could potentially affect the judgmental decisions. The WMMAA made it clear that it wasn’t saying the aforementioned relationship led to a different outcome of the result, just that it was an unfortunate choice.

Additionally, the WMMAA ruled that initially refusing the appeal was a mistake based on WMMAA amateur rules as Emelianenko vs. Maldonado was conducted under WMMAA rules.

The appeal decision that resulted in the result being changed to “Unanimous Draw” was accepted by the WMMAA, which informed Fight Nights, the promoter of Emelianko vs. Maldonado, Emelianenko, Sartori and the Russian MMA Union of its decision, and that it official had closed the appeal.

Schedule of Major 2016 MMA Events
http://wmmaa.org/events/

Aug.3-8 – Asian MMA Championship in Hwasun, South Korea
http://wmmaa.org/events/2016_asia_hwasoon/

Sept. 14-16 – European MMA Championship in Tbilisi, Georgia
http://wmmaa.org/events/31/

Oct. 7-9 – Inaugural Pan-American Championships in Santiago, Chile
http://wmmaa.org/news/design-chosen-for-the-2016-pan-american-championship-950/

Nov. 18-20 – World MMM Championship in Macau, China
http://wmmaa.org/events/38/

Information

www.WMMAA.org
www.facebook.com/WMMAA-665064310170463/
www.youtube.com/user/TheWMMAA
Twitter: @theWMMAA
Instagram: @worldmmaa

Since you’ve been working with Freddie, what’s been the biggest improvement in your game?

VIKTOR POSTOL: Every training camp that I’m here, I’m getting more serious. I’m getting more power, more speed, learning new combinations with Freddie. Overall, improving in every fashion.

You have mentioned that Matthysse is better than Crawford. Can you tell us why?

VIKTOR POSTOL: It is my subjective opinion, but it is my opinion from what I have seen and from the opposition that Matthysse has had before he fought me and the opposition that Crawford has had I think that Matthysse is a better fighter and more experienced fighter.

Freddie, have you done anything with Postol for these last three fights that would increase his power?

FREDDIE ROACH: These last three training camps the opponents were different and we take into consideration what the other fighter brings to the table also. For Crawford we have had to get ready for lefty and orthodox styles of fighting also, and bring in the right sparring partners at the right time and work on him fighting as a southpaw and fighting as a righty so there is nothing that Crawford is going to surprise us with. We have seen a lot of tape on him. He is a good young fighter but I think we are a far better fighter because our two knockout wins in the last three fights are against far better fighters and I think Crawford is still being built up.

Yesterday, Crawford spoke of Postol’s holding tactics and using elbows and said he would speak to referee Tony Weeks about it. What is your response?

VIKTOR POSTOL: I think with the experience and the respect level of Weeks and the level of fights that he has been in I think that Tony Weeks will know what is legal and what is not legal and he will make sure that no illegal activity happens and I think he is a professional and I don’t think he needs to be told what has to be done.

FREDDIE ROACH: Pretty much I agree that Tony Weeks is one of the best referees in the world and he will call the fight as he sees it and all we are asking for is a fair shake from the referees and judges in this fight.

Are you preparing Viktor for specific things that Crawford may do or are you preparing him for everything?

FREDDIE ROACH: We pretty much prepare for everything. I study a lot of tape and I watch for a lot of his mistakes and his habits and so forth and things we can take advantage of and we work on that very hard and that’s why Viktor is 100% ready for the fight.

Yesterday Crawford spoke about how he thinks the fight will go – he said he can brawl or trade or box. How do you feel it will go? What is your prediction?

VIKTOR POSTOL: It’s hard for me to predict but I think that both of us want to fight and we are both champions and both of us are going to be aggressive and both of us want to win by knockout. I think that will make this a very aggressive and exciting fight. It may go from a chess match to a brawl and back. You never know, but I think it will be an exciting fight and make sure no one misses it.

What type of a fight would favor Viktor?

FREDDIE ROACH: You know, Viktor has a height advantage and a little bit of a reach advantage. He sets things up real well with his left hand. He is a complete fighter. He trains really hard. He comes here to be with me for eight weeks at a time. We get along really well and we work really well together. He boxed the other day and he is peaking and he’s ready for the fight and he is in great shape. I think this is a good opportunity and I think Crawford is underestimating us a little bit but he’s going to pay for that.

Do you think that the Crawford fight will be easier than the Matthysse fight?

VIKTOR POSTOL: No, not at all. Every fight is different. Matthysse and Crawford are two different style fighters. I never expect any fight to be easy and no one fights the same. Everybody is difficult.

There is talk about the winner of this fight getting a Pacquiao fight. Is this something you would be interested in or no because he is a stable-mate?

VIKTOR POSTOL: As far as the trainer…we have a team and we would sit down with Freddie and decide how we can make this fight happen.

CARL MORETTI: Yes I think there is a possibility depending on how this fight goes and who the winner is. Why not add him to the Pacquiao sweepstakes? Being that he would be declared champion by two sanctioning bodies at 140, it would have to be decided if Manny is going to fight at 140 when he returns or stay at 147. I would love to see Freddie Roach run back and forth to different corners – that would be great. Now he runs around Wild Card without knowing where he is going – this would be even better. He runs upstairs and downstairs at Wild Card – why can’t he run back and forth to different corners?

You spoke about Crawford becoming a pay-per-view star by winning spectacularly on July 23, but could Postol become a pay-per-view star if he does the same?

VIKTOR POSTOL: Definitely I hope so and I want to do everything in this fight that would take me towards that goal. I want to make this an exciting fight.

CARL MORETTI: Obviously, a win over Crawford would raise his profile tremendously. Becoming a pay-per-view star at this point I think is a lot to reach for because pay-per-view is really based on match-ups and how much the public grasps onto you. I think if you are Viktor, you would want to unify the titles or fight the best challenge out there. Clearly the winner is going to have a bright future if the fight is what it expects to be and I think the loser is in the playoffs for anyone as well. A lot of questions will be answered on the 23rd but not about being pay-per-view stars yet. It is the match-ups that matter and this is the best match-up at 140. Maybe it is a rematch if it is that good of a fight but you don’t know yet.

What is the feeling of the Russians and Ukrainians when they come to fight in the US?

VIKTOR POSTOL: There are a lot of great fighters now from Europe that are creating a lot of buzz in the United States, which is the Mecca of the world of boxing. Here is where you have to make things happen and I am happy for them and it is great the this country is giving them and myself an opportunity and it’s great that the boxers are performing at a level that they are performing at.

FREDDIE ROACH: You know Terence Crawford and the University of Nebraska have one thing in common. Nebraska is in the Big 10 and on the 23rd; Crawford is going to get the Big 10-count from the referee. (Written in Nebraska Red per Freddie’s instructions)

Freddie, if Postol were to win and did want to fight Pacquiao, how difficult would it be for you?

FREDDIE ROACH: It wouldn’t be the worst position in the world because I feel that Viktor has done everything to get ready for this fight. I think we have the right style and the right opponent. And if that does happen I will have to deal with it. Going to the Philippines for a long time or staying here. It could happen but it would put me in a pretty good place either way because I really like working with both fighters – they both have a great work ethic and I look forward to that predicament.

But there would be no way you would train against Manny right?

FREDDIE ROACH: Yes, Manny and I have been together for fifteen years and it would be very difficult to go against him of course, but you know Viktor is a very good fighter also and I’m not sure if Marvin [Somodio] would be his chief cornerman or not – but Marvin being a Filipino maybe not, we’ll see (laughing).

How has Postol progressed since your first training camp – in Philippines when Manny was preparing for Algieri – had he sparred with Manny?

FREDDIE ROACH: He sparred with Manny and he gave us great work and it was very competitive and he really got Manny ready for that fight. It was a great training camp but that was a little while ago and everyone is getting a little older and a little bit more mature and he is definitely a tough fight for anyone in the world. When he and Manny sparred together there was great action there.

Was there much consideration to put this fight in Omaha? Viktor has fought everywhere. Is Terence done with Omaha?

CARL MORETTI: No, I don’t think Terence is done with Omaha. There was some concern from the Postol side not to go into the backyard of Terence Crawford. Secondly, when you are doing a pay-per-view event, you want to try and stay in a major market, whether it is New York, Las Vegas or Los Angeles that are used to pay-per-view events. So the combination of both sort of led us to Las Vegas. From a Crawford point of view we know that he is the best fighter out of Omaha and we know what he can do in Omaha, that’s why we brought him to New York and we wanted to do a fight on the west coast to expose him to more people out there — broaden his fan and media base — and when you are talking west coast you are talking Las Vegas and Los Angeles. So for a combination of those reasons, that’s how we ended up in Las Vegas. I do think Terence will fight in Omaha again – he will never abandon Omaha.

In Closing…

FREDDIE ROACH: I would like to wish everyone good luck and I can’t wait to get this one started.

VIKTOR POSTOL: Thank you to all of the fans that support me and I am waiting for everyone to come on July 23rd to watch the fight. And if you can’t make it to Las Vegas, watch it live on pay-per-view.

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“COUNTDOWN: CRAWFORD vs. POSTOL WORLD TITLE UNIFICATION” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSKJh2HdATE&feature=share

HBO Sports Presents “TERENCE CRAWFORD: MY FIGHT”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f6wef8egeM&feature=youtu.be

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Undefeated junior welterweight champions TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD (28-0, 20 KOs) and “The Iceman” VIKTOR POSTOL (28-0, 12 KOs) will go mano a mano in a 12-round world title unification fight to determine the lineal king of the exciting 140 pound division. Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Tecate and the motion picture “Hands of Stone,” the Crawford vs. Postol World Boxing Organization (WBO) / World Boxing Council (WBC) / The Ring junior welterweight world championship event takes place Next Saturday! July 23, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT. Remaining tickets are priced at $304, $204, $104, and $54, not including applicable service fees. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call AXS at (888) 929-7849. Tickets are also be available for purchase at mgmgrand.com or AXS.com (http://bit.ly/24ORYhs)

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtag #CrawfordPostol to join the conversation on Twitter.

# # #

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (Media):

DENIS SMOLDAREV (11-2-0, M-1: 7-2-0), Estonia 270 lbs. (122.7 kg)
vs.
KENNY “Deuce” GARNER (16-9-0, M-1: 9-7-0), Russia 271 ½ lbs. (123.3 kg)

MARCUS “Montanha” VINICIUS LOPES (9-4-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Brazil 225 lbs. (102.3 kg)
vs.
KURBAN “Shkaf” IBRAGIMOV (5-1-0, M-1: 3-1-0), Russia 224 lbs. (101.9 kg)

FEATHERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5

RAFAEL DIAS (11-3-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Brazil 133 ½ lbs. (60.7 kg)
vs.
SERGEY MOROZOV (6-1-0, M-1: 2-1-0), Kazakhstan 134 ½ lbs. (65.6 kg)

ANDREY “Iron” LEZHNEV (8-6-0, M-1: 2-2-0), Ukraine 144 lbs. (65.4 kg)
vs.
LEE “Bulldog” MORRISON (15-6-0, M-1: 2-3-0), USA 144 lbs. (65.6 kg)

ANTUN “Killer” RACIC (18-7-0, M-1: 3-4-0), Brazil 136 lbs. (62.0 kg)
vs.
MUSA KAZIKHANOV (3-0-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Russia 136 lbs. (62.0 kg)

FLYWEIGHTS – 3 X 5

RONNY GOMEZ (3-4-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Spain 145 lbs. (65.8 kg)
vs.
KHAMZAT DALGIEV (5-1-0, M-1: 2-1-0), Russia 145 lbs. (65.8 kg)

PRELIMINARY CARD

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS – 3 X 5

DARWIN RODRIGUEZ (0-1-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Spain 203 lbs. (92.4 kg)
vs.
AMIRKHAN GULIEV (2-1-0, M-1: 2-0-0), Russia 208 lbs. (94.7 kg)

WELTERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
MAGOMED MAASAEV (pro debut), Russia 171 lbs. (77.8 kg)
vs.
INGISKHAN OZDOEV (1-2-0, M-1: 1-2-0), Russia (M-1: 1-2-0) 173 ½ lbs. (78.9 kg)

LIGHTWEIGHTS – 3 X 5

GABRIEL SABO (6-1-1, M-1: 0-0-0), Switzerland 154 lbs. (70.0 kg)
vs.
LOM-ALI NALGIEV (6-4-0, M-1: 3-0-0), Russia 155 lbs. (70.6 kg)

SERGEY “Bender” ASTAPOV (6-4-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Ukraine 155 lbs. (70.4 kg)
vs.
ABUBAKER MESTOEV (pro debut), Russia 155 ½ lbs. (70.7 kg)

FEATHERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5

ZAUR AKHMEDOV (pro debut), Russia 140 ½ lbs. (63.9 kg)
vs.
ADAM GAGIEV (0-1-1, M-1: 0-1-0), Russia 208 lbs. (94.7 kg)

MEDIEVAL KNIGHT FIGHT — HEAVYWEIGHTS

VITALY KRAVCHENKO, Russia 244 lbs. (110.9 kg)
vs.
RUSTAM KUKURKHOEV, Russia 234 lbs. (106.2 kg)

WHEN: Saturday, July 16, 2016

WHERE: Targim, Ingushetia, Russia

PROMOTER: M-1 Global

LIVE STREAM: www.m-1global.tv (5 a.m. ET / 2 a.m. PT in USA)

Information

www.M1Global.tv
www.mixfight.ru
www.wmmaa.org

Twitter & Instagram:

@M1GlobalNews
@VFinkelchtein
@M1Global

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/M-1-GlobalNews

NEW YORK (Friday, July 15, 2016) – Next Friday night, Ronson Frank’s Uprising Promotions will return to the Five Star Banquet Hall in Long Island City, with Alicia “The Empress” Napoleon (6-0, 5 KOs) headlining another loaded card. In addition to a great night of boxing, Uprising Promotions will also honor the late legend Muhammad Ali with their show entitled “Rumble Young Man Rumble.”

“We are looking forward to returning to the Five Star Banquet Hall next Friday night,” said Ronson Frank, Uprising Promotions President. “We have an entertaining show lined up with plenty of compelling action fights. Alicia Napoleon always puts on a great performance and packs the house, and the bouts supporting that fight are being matched well with a nice combination of intrigue and competitiveness. As is the case every time Uprising Promotions puts on a show, it will be another great night of boxing next Friday at the Five Star Banquet Hall.”

The main event of the evening will feature the return of Napoleon (6-0, 5 KOs) against 20-bout veteran Kita Watkins. The last time Napoleon competed on an Uprising Promotions show was in January, where she decisioned Szilvia Szabados in an action-packed bout that earned her the WBC Silver Female Super Welterweight Title. Currently the top-ranked female super welterweight in the country and number four in the world, Napoleon is known for bringing an entourage of supporters and putting on an entertaining fight.

Fresh off another pair of knockout victories after stopping Glenn Thomas on the last Uprising Promotions show in April, heavyweight Romarick Ngoula (7-0, 7 KOs) will meet battletested veteran Jon Bolden of New York. Also slated to participate in lightweight action is rising prospect Jude Franklin (3-0, 3 KOs), a popular New York fighter who has dealt with each of his three professional bouts inside the distance.

Queens middleweight Villi Bello (4-1-1, 1 KO) is set to meet undefeated Newark resident Anthony Jones (4-0-1, 1 KO) on July 22nd, competing on his fourth overall Uprising Promotions card. Also returning to action next Friday night will be undefeated New York welterweight Maxito Sainvil (3-0-1, 1 KO), who will be fighting on his third Uprising Promotions docket. Sainvil will be facing gritty opposition in 12-bout veteran Ray Velez, who has never fought an opponent with more than one loss throughout his professional career.

Additional bouts planned for the July 22nd show include an encounter between two young featherweights in Ariel Lopez and Wuesi Johnson, while a women’s contest between undefeated lightweight Betha Aracil (2-0, 2 KOs) and converted mixed martial artist Gabby Holloway is additionally on the schedule. Undefeated super bantamweight Shawn Simpson (1-0, 1 KO) is also slated for action against Juan Munoz, while light heavyweights Julian Frederic and Damon Lewis will clash as well.

This card will also feature a super featherweight attraction between Romain Tomas and Grashino Yancy, as well as former New York Golden Gloves winner Jose De La Rosa and Ecuador Olympian Luis Perozo competing in separate bouts.

Sponsorship opportunities for this exciting night are available now for any companies or local businesses who are interested in showcasing themselves. To inquire about becoming a sponsor, message us on Facebook or call (516) 451-6773.

This Uprising Promotions card will continue the initiative to KO Autism, with proceeds from the night getting donated to The School For Language and Communication Development (SLCD) in Glen Cove, New York. For ticket information, message us on Facebook or call (516) 451-6773.

For more information on Uprising Promotions and to keep up with all of our latest news, make sure to check out UprisingPromotions.com and follow us on social media: @UprisingNYC

NEW YORK (July 15, 2016) – Prospect Jerry Odom steps up to face Julius Jackson in a matchup of super middleweights next Friday, July 22 on ShoBox: The New Generation live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT) from Foxwoods Resort Casino in
Mashantucket, Conn.

The hard-hitting Odom (13-2-1, 12 KOs) replaces Ronald Ellis, who pulled out of the bout on Thursday with a right hand injury.

Odom was deep in training and looking to bounce back from a controversial draw with Ellis in February on ShoBox when he received the opportunity to face Jackson (19-1, 15 KOs). Jackson is the older brother of John and son of former two-division world champion Julian “The Hawk” Jackson.

“I have been training for a few fights that fell through. I’m in shape and ready to go,” Odom said. “When my team got the call we decided it was the right decision to take this opportunity.

“My power will be a big factor. Jackson has faced punchers before, but he hasn’t faced one like me. This is a great opportunity, and I will put on a show next Friday.”

Undefeated top 10-ranked super bantamweight Adam “Mantequilla” Lopez (15-0, 7 KOs) faces Roman Ruben Reynoso (18-1-1, 7 KOs) in the 10-round main event. In an eight round lightweight bout, O’Shaquie Foster (10-1, 7 KOs) meets Rolando Chinea (12-1-1, 6 KOs).

The July 22 ShoBox telecast marks the 15-year anniversary of the celebrated prospect developmental series.

Golovkin and Brook meet at the London venue on September 10 live on Sky Sports Box Office and HBO and fight fans have snapped up the tickets in a heartbeat to see pound-for-pound star Golovkin box in the UK for the first time against the unbeaten IBF World Welterweight champion.

Two more World title contests were added this week as bitter rivals Lee Haskins and Stuart Hall rematch X years after their first fight, this time with Haskins’ IBF World Bantamweight crown on the line and Charlie Edwards lands a World title shot in just his ninth pro fight as he takes on IBF Flyweight king Johnriel Casimero.

Martin J. Ward and Andy Townend clash for the vacant British Super-Featherweight title and Conor Benn tastes his fourth night of action in the paid ranks, with more fights to be added soon.

Face value tickets for September 10 are available from http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/ – StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing and Anthony Joshua.

At today’s official weigh-in at the Hilton Cardiff Hotel, undefeated WBA World Super-Bantamweight Champion Guillermo Rigondeaux and British Super-Bantamweight Champion Jazza Dickens both hit the weight on the scales ahead of tomorrow’s world title showdown.

Cuban great Rigondeaux, 16-0 10 KO’s, and Merseyside hero Dickens co-headline tomorrow night’s mouth-watering show at the Ice Arena Wales. Undefeated Rigondeaux hit the scales at 8st 9lbs with his challenger Dickens also came in at 8st 9lbs.

WBO World Lightweight Champion Terry Flanagan weighed in at 9st 8lbs ahead of his defence against South Africa’s Mzonke Fana who also came in at 9st 8lbs.

Clydach Vale puncher Liam Williams made weight ahead of his British Super-Welterweight defence against Wembley’s Gary Corcoran. Williams came in at 10st 13lbs while Corcoran came in a little lighter at 10st 11lbs.

Londoner Bradley Skeete made weight at 10st 6lbs ahead of his WBO European Welterweight defence against Frenchman Alex Lapelley who came in at 10st 5lbs.

Lastly, Baggies bomber Tommy Langford hit the scales at 11st 5lbs ahead of his WBO Intercontinental Middleweight defence against Finlands Timo Laine (11st 5lbs)

BoxNation, the Channel of Champions, will televise the show live and exclusive on Sky 437/HD 490, Virgin 546, TalkTalk 415, Freeview 255 and also on smart connected devices via multiple platforms. Go to www.boxnation.com to see how you can watch this fight and more live!

Fort Myers, FL (July 15, 2016) – Unbeaten sensation Bryant “Goodfella” Perrella will look to take another step up the welterweight ladder when he meets 2008 Olympian Yordenis Ugas Friday, July 12 at the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY.

The card is promoted by Kings Promotions and will be televised as part of Premier Boxing Champions’ ESPN Boxing series at 9 pm ET.

Living and fighting out of Fort Myers, FL, Perrella’s 14-0 with 13 wins by knockout and he’s stopped eight of his last 11 foes in less than three rounds. On June 4, Perrella captured the attention of the boxing world with a dominant second round knockout of previously unbeaten David Grayton. Following his victory, which came on the heels of Muhammad Ali’s passing, Perrella gave an Ali-eqsue interview where he expressed his desire to fight the best fighters at 147 pounds. Less than two weeks after the win, Perrella was back in the gym.

Opposing him will be crafty Cuban Yordenis Ugas. Born in Santiago de Cuba but now living and fighting out of Miami, FL, Ugas has a solid 15-3 professional ledger with 7 KO’s. Prior to his pro career, he shined as a member of the famed Cuban Amateur Team. Ugas won the 2005 Pan American Championships, 2005 Senior World Championships, 2006 Central America and Caribbean Games, 2007 Pan American Games and four Cuban National Championships. In 2008, Ugas represented his country in the Olympics and won the bronze medal. Ugas was last seen dropping a competitive decision to highly touted Amir Imam and Perrella will be his fourth unbeaten foe, none of which have stopped him.

Perrella said of Ugas “I think he’s a good fighter and the fact he’s never been knocked out motivates me. I take it as a challenge and I plan to be the first to stop him. I’m obsessed with becoming the best because this is who I am. I grind like no other and put on great performances for the fans. August 12 will be no different!”

Tickets from $25 are on sale now and can be purchased in person at the Turning Stone Box Office, by calling 877.833.SHOW, or online at Ticketmaster.com.

Fans can interact with Perrella on Twitter @bryantperrella or at Facebook.com/teamperrella

Martin J. Ward and Andy Townend will clash for the vacant British Super-Featherweight title at The O2 in London on September 10, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Unbeaten Essex talent Ward has impressed in his reign as WBC International champion with three strong wins in defences against Sergio Blanco, Mario Pisanti and Ruddy Encarnacion since forcing Maxi Hughes to retire after five rounds of their clash for the belt in April 2015.

English champion Townend also enters the fight on great form, unbeaten in his last nine outings where he picked up the English belt with a stoppage win over Femi Fehintola in four rounds in May 2015 and defending it twice inside the distance against Lee Glover and Craig Poxton.

The fight lands on the huge triple-World title night in Greenwich, topped by Gennady Golovkin vs. Kell Brook, and Ward wants his clash with Townend to steal the show.

“I can’t wait to finally get in the ring and fight for the British title,” said Ward. “It’s the belt that all British fighters want to win and to fight for it on such a huge bill is great.

“Andy has been in great form and shown he has got power at the weight, but I believe I’ll have to much for him and it promises to be a great fight.”

“This is another outstanding match-up on an already packed night of boxing,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Martin has done his apprenticeship and is now ready for the Lonsdale belt against a very dangerous Andy Townend – it’s a real ‘pick em’ championship fight.”

Ward’s clash with Townend is part of a huge night in London as pound-for-pound star Golovkin defends his WBA, WBC, IBF and IBO World Middleweight titles against IBF Welterweight World champion Brook.

Stuart Hall is out for revenge in his rematch with IBF World Bantamweight champion Lee Haskins, Charlie Edwards challenges Johnriel Casimero for the IBF World Flyweight title and Conor Benn tastes his fourth night of action in the paid ranks.

Face value tickets for September 10 are available from http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/ – StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing and Anthony Joshua.

“Just a couple days ago, my promoter Tom Loeffler called me and said Kell Brook wants to fight me. This is big news for me, I know him, he’s very good fighter.”

“Kell Brook is the best in his division and a big test for me. It will be a great show for everybody watching on TV or in the arena.”

“The Special One” KELL BROOK
“It’s great to be in New York today. I’ve looked down in history and see what the greats did, Sugar Ray Leonard and Sugar Ray Robinson.

“It’s going to be a very hard fight; we’re going to go through hell in this training camp.”

“I want to give back to the fans and give them the best fights possible. I’m ready for the challenge Gennady Golovkin brings and ready to win the fight.”

TOM LOEFFLER/K2 Promotions
“We have to give Kell Brook a lot of credit for taking the fight. Eddie is in a similar position in regards to lining up opponents. Fights happen if both fighters want to fight and that’s why this fight came together so quickly.”

“This fight is truly the best fighting the best. The best welterweight versus the best middleweight.”

“Eddie has announced some great undercard fights which have also been added to this show. Additionally, we just announced Roman Gonzalez vs. Carlos Cuadras for September 10 in Los Angeles at the Fabulous Forum. This means we’ll have four undefeated fighters battling September 10 on HBO.”

“Gennady has sold out Madison Square Garden and the Forum in his last two fights. A young man from Kazakhstan with 22 knockouts in a row, he’s very likable guy and somebody that boxing fans want to cheer for.”

“There is a big demand for tickets and this fight will sell out quickly making it the third arena in three major cities and two countries that Gennady will have sold out. It doesn’t get any bigger than that when it comes to international marketability.”

EDDIE HEARN/Matchroom Boxing
“Tom Loeffler faced the same struggles as I, I’m so glad we were able to put together this fight in such an efficient manner.”

“Great Britain right now is the epicenter of world boxing; we have 13 world champions. Kell Brook is the best pound for pound fighter among them.”

“Kell Brook was one of the first fighters I signed as a promoter. We’ve been waiting for a night like this for a long, long time. We’ve offered numerous champions and challengers millions of dollars to fight Kell Brook and all we’ve received has been silence and bluster.”

‘To be a great you have to do something great and just like Kell Brook’s heroes Sugar Ray Leonard and Sugar Ray Robinson who moved up from welterweight to win middleweight titles, Kell Brook is a great fighter.”

“This is 71-0, 36-0 vs. 35-0, two of the very best fighters in the world.”

ABEL SANCHEZ, Trainer of Golovkin
“I look forward to matching wits with the two of the best trainers, Dominic and Brendan Ingle, in the UK. This should be the type of fight that we all remember for a long time.”

DOMINIC INGLE, Trainer of Brook
“Kell Brook is going into this fight as a massive underdog for the first time in a long time. He’s moving up two weight classes to fight the most feared man in boxing.” We’re relishing the challenge, Kell Brook has plenty of ambition. Beating Gennady Golovkin is
the greatest challenge.”

————–
Golovkin is known as “The Most Exciting, Hardest-Hitting, Most Feared Fighter in the World.” From recently selling out arenas in New York City (Madison Square Garden) and Los Angeles (The Fabulous Forum) in consecutive fights to his sponsorships with the JORDAN Brand, Apple, Samsung, and Bijan, Golovkin is one of the most marketable boxers in the world.

Golovkin’s record includes 22 straight knockouts in addition to 16 consecutive world title defenses. His 91.4% knockout ratio is the highest in boxing’s middleweight division history.

Britain’s pound-for-pound number one fighter, Kell Brook, is out to shock the world when he steps up two weight divisions to take on the fearsome Gennady Golovkin.

The unbeaten Sheffield star achieved his childhood dream in August 2014 when he travelled to California to rip the IBF World Welterweight title from Ohio’s highly-rated and then-unbeaten Shawn Porter by majority decision. He has since defended the title on three occasions, defeating Jo Jo Dan, Frankie Gavin and Kevin Bizier, all by stoppage.

BIRMINGHAM, AL. (July 14, 2016) – Heavyweight world champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder and two-time title challenger Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola went face-to-face Thursday at the final press conference before they headline Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes this Saturday, July 16 from Legacy Arena at the BJCC in Birmingham, Alabama.

In attendance at the press conference and featured in televised action beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT were undefeated Sammy “The Sergeant” Vasquez Jr. and Olympic gold medalist Felix Diaz, who square off in a 10-round welterweight bout, plus rising star Erickson “Hammer” Lubin and Mexico’s Ivan Montero, who meet in a super welterweight attraction.

The televised action will switch over to FS1 and FOX Deportes immediately following the conclusion of the FOX telecast with action headlined by undefeated welterweight Jamal James battling exciting contender Wale Omotoso. Additional action on FS1 and FOX Deportes features former world champion Vic Darchinyan and undefeated heavyweight Gerald Washington in separate bouts.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in
association with TGB Promotions and Bruno Event Team, start at only $20 and are on sale now. For tickets please visit www.alabamatitlefight.com and www.ticketmaster.com.

Fighters spoke to media at the BJCC’s Arena Club inside the same venue that will host a stacked night of fights on Saturday night.

Here is what the fighters had to say Thursday:

DEONTAY WILDER

“I’ve wanted to hit somebody since May. I got teased but now it’s time. And I get to do it at home. There’s no better place to do it.

“We’ve had a few guys that we could have chosen, but there were certain guys we didn’t want to give a short notice opportunity. We needed a certain type of fighter for this job.

“We need someone who will fight with their heart and take this opportunity and make the most of it. Does he deserve the title shot? No he doesn’t. He knows it. But is Chris Arreola the perfect guy for this fight? Of course he is.

“Chris is lucky to get a third chance at a title. There’s a lot of prospects who would love to fight him just to get a chance to fight for this belt. We needed a special person for this situation and I blessed Chris Arreola with the opportunity.

“It’s time to fight. He’s ‘The Nightmare’ and I’m a knockout artist. What makes me special is the way I knock people out. Go look at the people I’ve knocked out and see what I’ve given them.

“This is going to be another story for me to write in the history books. I can feel it. It’s going to be a great show. Don’t miss it.

“I appreciated everyone who comes out for me when I’m here fighting at home. I’m really excited about this show. You know the words at the end of the night will be ‘And still! Heavyweight champion of the world.'”

CHRIS ARREOLA

“I’m ready for this fight. I’m more ready than I’ve ever been. I’m hungry. This isn’t a cakewalk. I respect Deontay, that’s why I trained for you. Come fight time, there’s no respect, it’s time to fight.

“One thing no one can question about me is my heart. I’m going to come at him but be smart. My goal is to take home that title and make history.

“I want to thank Deontay for giving me this opportunity. I am a sleeping giant. I’m being underestimated. Place your bets on me and make some money.”

SAMMY VASQUEZ JR.

“Me and Felix Diaz are both coming to bring it. It’s going to be a tough fight for him and myself. People have to watch this fight. To me he’s undefeated and I’m coming in undefeated. We’re putting it all on the line in this fight.

“Felix and I have worked together and we’re friends, but this is business. He knows that I’m going to bring it like I do every fight. It’s a great opportunity to be showcased on this card.

“If you feel that you’re the best in your weight division, then it doesn’t matter who they put in front of you. My opponent doesn’t matter; we’re going to get the job done. I have to fight quality opponents to be able to step up to the next guy.

“Felix Diaz is a great competitor and he’s a very tough fighter. He has a tremendous amount of talent and he never stops coming, just like I do.

“I’m a pressure fighter. I like to show the crowd how I get down. I’m an undefeated fighter and I will remain that way Saturday night. I’m here to take care of business.

“I need wins like this to get fights with Danny Garcia and Keith Thurman and I need to do it decisively.

“If I can get this win I definitely want Danny Garcia. He’s a Philadelphia guy. I’m from Pittsburgh, it’d be a fun matchup. We’re both marketable guys and I think it’d be a huge fight.

“I just want to fight the best. That’s what I’m here for. I’ll fight anybody. I want to get a world title.”

FELIX DIAZ

“I want to thank everyone who is here today. Everything is ready to go. We’ve had a great training camp leading up to this fight.

“I know that Sammy is a very good fighter. We’ve been stablemates before, but this is business. I’m going to do what I have to do to be victorious on Saturday.

“I’m ready to get in the ring and do anything that I can on Saturday to get the victory.”

ERICKSON LUBIN

“This is a great opportunity on a big card. I’m here to showcase my talent and show why I’m one of the best 154-pound fighters in the world.

“This is a stepping stone for me. I know this is a tough Mexican who will be a great opponent. I just took care of business early a few weeks ago in Chicago and I’m looking to do the same thing Saturday. I’m here to steal the show.

“I want to thank my team for helping me in training camp and getting me to this moment. It’s ‘Hammer Time’ on Saturday.”

JAMAL JAMES

“We always stay ready in the gym. It’s always training camp. I’m at a point in my career where I have to be ready at all times. When the call comes, I’m ready.

“We’re working on some things that we wanted to tighten up from the last fight and I can’t wait to show everybody my improvements.

“Wale has been in there with some great competitors. We had to make sure everything is tightened up because he’s a strong guy. He has a good knockout ratio so you have to watch out for power punches.

“A lot of guys I fight are shorter than me. I’m one of the tallest welterweights in the game. A lot of guys have to fight me the same way, so we know what to expect. Our defense is tight and I’m sitting down on my punches more than ever.

“It’s a blessing to be on a card like this. I was very excited when I got the call. Deontay Wilder is a heavyweight champion and it’s a stacked card. It’s a great honor. I’m happy to keep stepping up in competition and in platform.

“I’m a class-act in the ring. I’m trying to bring the master skill back to boxing. But I’m ferocious at the same time. You won’t be mad because I always give you a great show.”

GERALD WASHINGTON

“I’m looking to go out there and take care of my business. We’ve worked hard in training camp and we’re prepared for anything.

“I’m going to use my speed and athleticism. The goal is to execute my game plan. Hopefully I can stay busy, land something big and get him out of there.

“My grandfather is actually from Alabama so I have roots here. It’s very exciting to be on an undercard for Deontay Wilder defending the heavyweight world title. I have to perform and be exciting so that I one day I can be fighting a great champ like Deontay Wilder.

“I’m different than I was before. This is going to be the best me stepping in there Saturday. I’m looking to get him out of there.”

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com,www.alabamatitlefight.com www.dbe1.com,www.TGBPromotions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and foxdeportes.com follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @BronzeBomber, @NightmareBoxing @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes, @LouDiBella, @TGBPromotions and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxing, www.facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment. www.facebook.com/foxsports and www.facebook.com/foxdeportes. Follow the conversation using #PBConFOX. PBC on FOX is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

NEW YORK – July 14, 2016 – Combate Americas, the first-ever U.S. Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise, today announced its return to UFC FIGHT PASS® with a stacked, 10-bout fight card that will air live from The Exchange in Los Angeles, Calif. on Thursday, Aug. 11 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Tickets for “Aspira A Mas Presents Combate Americas: Combate Ocho,” priced from $40, are on sale at ItsMySeat.com as well as at The Exchange box office. UFC FIGHT PASS is available on personal computers, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android, Chromecast, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV and Roku devices.

In the featherweight (145 pounds) main event, Urijah Faber protégé Erick Sanchez (7-2) of Sacramento, Calif. will look for his third win in the Combate Americas cage, or “La Jaula,” and fourth consecutive victory overall when he squares off with dangerous finisher Angel “Tito” Cruz (5-2) of Rio Piedras, P.R.

In the women’s atomweight (105 pounds) co-main event, emerging star Kyra “Mogwai” Batara (5-3) of Las Vegas, Nev. will collide with battle-tested veteran Lisa Ellis (15-10) of Olympia, Wash.

“We are excited to be back in action on UFC FIGHT PASS with a tremendous fight card featuring the best, up-and-coming Hispanic fighters in the U.S., some of whom have been climbing the ranks with explosive performances under our promotion since last year and others whom we recently recruited because of their outstanding results elsewhere,” said McLaren.

In other action on the five-fight main card, ferocious knockout artist Jonathan “Dragon” Martinez (8-1) of Plainview, Texas will battle fellow finisher Benjamin Vinson (8-3-1) of Portland, Ore. in a flyweight (125 pounds) contest.

Another flyweight matchup will see undefeated, submission ace Heinrich “Ricky Scraps” Wassmer (4-0) of Los Angeles put his perfect record on the line against dangerous puncher Benji “The Brawler” Gomez (5-5) of Oxnard, Calif.

Izic Fernandez (2-1) of Santa Ana, Calif. and Marcos Bonilla (3-2) of Los Angeles will face off in a featherweight scrap.

In preliminary card action, Yoandy Carrillo (1-0) of Naples, Fla. will battle Erick Gonzalez (4-1) of Los Angeles.

Carrillo, the cousin of former World Boxing Association (WBA) world lightweight champion Richar Abril, is coming off a devastating, second round (:19) knockout (punches) of George Hernandez at Combate Americas on April 25.

Gonzalez, who has notched three of his four professional career wins by way of (T)KO, was also victorious at the Combate Americas event on April 25, earning a split decision over Victor Martinez.

In another lightweight preliminary bout, Jose “Froggy” Estrada (1-0) of Oxnard, Calif. will return to action after his explosive debut in La Jaula, in which the 25-year-old scored a highlight reel, first round (1:44) knockout (punch) on Jonathan Quiroz on April 18, and collide with Christian Cardona (0-1) of Las Vegas, Nev.

Elsewhere on the preliminary bout card, Jonathan Santa Maria (3-3) of Whittier, Calif. will face Albert Tapia (3-5) of Huntington Beach, Calif. in a flyweight affair.

Unbeaten Daniel Rodriguez (1-0) of Alhambra, Calif. will meet Hector Saldana (1-2) of Murrieta, Calif.

The final undercard bout will be announced soon.

# # #

ABOUT COMBATE AMERICAS
Combate Americas, LLC. is the first U.S. Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise in history, designed to build Latino fighting champions and serve Hispanic fans, one of the world’s most avid groups of prize fighting enthusiasts. The Combate Americas franchise includes reality TV programming, live events and mobile programming. The company’s CEO, Campbell McLaren, is universally recognized as the co-founder/co-creator of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). New York Magazine described McLaren as “the marketing genius behind the UFC” and Yahoo! Sports proclaimed that he “knows more about the sport than just about anyone in it today.” With an unprecedented product and a blue-chip ownership and management team, Combate Americas is poised to break new ground and bring about a new era in world championship level MMA competition.

About UFC®
UFC® is a premium global sports brand and the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Sao Paulo and Singapore, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 156 countries and territories to more than 1.1 billion TV households worldwide in 29 different languages. UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service, delivers exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content to fans around the world. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram: @UFC.

York, Penn. (July 14, 2016) – Undefeated welterweight prospect Steve Weimer will be back in action this Friday night when he squares off with Jose Valderrama in a four-round bout at The Wolf Gym in Weimer’s hometown of York, Pennsylvania.

The 26 year-old will be making his third appearance of 2016. He has been kept active since signing with Jeter Promotions.

“Training has been good. I am just in the process of making weight,”said Weimer on Wednesday night.

In Valderrama, Weimer is facing a veteran, who has faced 11 undefeated opponents.

“I know Valderrama is from Puerto Rico and my style should be good for this fight. He likes to come forward and I will look to pick my shots.”

Despite Valderrama’s record of 5-14, Weimer is taking this fight seriously.

“I train two or three times a day for as much as eight hours. I stay in good shape all the time. I know I am three inches taller than him. I plan to feel him out in round one and then get him out of there. I am ready to get this win and move on to the next fight,”

Since moving to his new promoter, Weimer has been kept active and feels that big things are in the near future.

“With Jeter Promotions, I feel that I will get a couple more fights this year and look for something big early next year.””

LAS VEGAS (July 14, 2016) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today that it has signed another heralded star – welterweight (170 pounds) powerhouse Paul “The Gentleman” Bradley (23-6, 2 NC) – to an exclusive, multi-fight agreement.

The 5-foot-9, 33-year-old Bradley of San Diego, Calif. will make his debut inside the World Series of Fighting decagon cage on a date to be announced.

“We are excited to welcome aboard Paul Bradley, and look forward to having him test his skills in our highly competitive welterweight division,” said World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo. “Paul has fought and triumphed over some top caliber opposition during his 10-year career, so we are confident that he will be a great addition to our roster.”

In his last start on January 29, Bradley, who originally hails from Tama, Iowa, scored a stunning, 40-second TKO (punches) on previously undefeated, rising star and fellow, former collegiate wrestling ace Chris Honeycutt at Bellator 148.

A veteran of both the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Strikeforce and a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rampage vs. Team Forrest reality series, Bradley will look for his third consecutive win when he competes under the World Series of Fighting promotional banner for the first time.

Prior to the victory over Honeycutt, Bradley notched a unanimous decision over Josh “The Dentist” Neer at Bellator 129 on October 17, 2014.

A lifelong athlete, Bradley twice earned All-American honors while wrestling for the University of Iowa. He placed as high as fourth in the NCAA national championships during his tenure at the NCAA Division I program.

Live World Series of Fighting action returns to NBCSN on Saturday, July 30 at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT, with star-studded event featuring two world championship rematches.

In the main event of WSOF32, reigning bantamweight (135 pounds) champion Marlon Moraes (16-4-1) will risk his title for the second time against Josh “Gentleman” Hill (14-1) while, in the co-main event, featherweight (145 pounds) champion Alexandre “Capitao” Almeida (18-5) will defend his title against the fighter he took it from – Lance Palmer (10-2).

ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING

“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a worldwide premier, professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion partnered with NBC, NBCSN and international media distribution giant, IMG. Established in 2012 and headquartered in Las Vegas with satellite offices in New York City and Boston, the company is dedicated to delivering an incredible experience for sports fans by producing action-packed, live fights between elite athletes from around the world. For more information please visit WSOF.com and follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries. WSOF and World Series of Fighting are registered trademarks of MMAWC, LLC.

What did you think about Viktor Postol’s performance against Lucas Matthysse and did it surprise you at all?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I feel as though Postol did what he needed to do to win. I think he did a lot of holding and using his elbows that the ref didn’t see. But all in all he did what he had to do to get the job done. I picked him to win in that fight anyway so it was a good victory.

There were blogs that went out on Tuesday where you were complimentary of Postol but he was not of you. Going as far as saying Matthysse was better than you…

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Well, that’s what he is supposed to say. He is supposed to say he is going to destroy anybody that he is going to step in the ring with, but to my knowledge, I don’t care what he says because come July 23rd he is going to have to show me, he is not going to just be able to tell you. He knew who to fight. He had the option of fighting either me or Matthysse and he thought Matthysse was the easier fight because he knew if he was going to fight Terence Crawford he knew what was going to happen.

There have been stories about Manny Pacquiao coming back and you were mentioned as an opponent recently. Does it up the stakes for you since he may return?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I am not thinking about Manny Pacquiao at all. I am focusing on Viktor Postol and that’s it – that is all.

You two have a common opponent – Hank Lundy. You stopped him and Postol beat him by decision – does that give you any more confidence coming into the fight?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: No, styles make fights. That was a few years back and I don’t look at it as a confidence booster. I just know my skills and my ability in the ring – I believe that I am going to get the job done on July 23rd.

You have 20 knockouts to his 12 – do you feel you have the advantage in power?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I feel, all around, I can do whatever I want in there. If I have to box, I box. If I have to brawl, I brawl. If I have to trade, I trade. In those types of fights, I have the power to back you up. All in all, I feel like my IQ is what takes me to the next level.

Does the rough type style, like Yuriorkis Gamboa and like Postol, bother you and how do you overcome it?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Not at all. I just be myself and stay relaxed. Stay composed and do what I came to do. Do what we’ve been working on in camp and everything else will fall into place. The approach is to go in there and do what we have been working on. Each fight is different and every fighter is different. Gamboa was a real crafty fighter and so is Postol, but Postol poses a different threat than Gamboa so we will have to see what he poses on fight night.

Do you plan to go southpaw often and how do you prepare for his jab?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: We just have to see how the fight goes. It’s funny how all of the people are giving Postol all of the credit for his jab but nobody is talking about how good my jab is. So I’m loving it. I’m loving it. I’m loving it how everyone is talking about how good his jab is.

Why are you training in Colorado Springs. Is it to get away from home?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: We have been training in Colorado Springs for about four years – so if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. We have been having good success out there. You get away and we get to have a great camp. Plus the high altitude gives us a little edge.

When you go to that altitude for camp, how long does it take for you to adjust? Those are serious runs at serious altitude?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I adjust real quick since I am used to going out there. The first couple of days and the first couple of workouts you feel it but then your body gets acclimated to the climate.

Are you worried about Postol’s grabbing, holding tactics?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: That’s not my problem and I can’t be concerned about it. I can just hope the referee notices it and does something about it.

Would you say Postol is a dirty fighter?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I wouldn’t say that he is dirty. He fights to win. He is trying to do whatever he can to win. Some things are not allowed and some things some referees let you do more than others.

Pacquiao coming back…last year it was mentioned you were not well known enough to fight Pacquiao on pay-per-view. What do you think this fight will do for you?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: It will help me tremendously, but again, I am not thinking about that fight right now or whether I may be fighting him or if I put on a good show. My main focus is Viktor Postol.

CARL MORETTI: It is the meaning of when you get the best two guys fighting each other the winner comes out as the best in the division and unfortunately in boxing we don’t get that a lot. So you have a unified champion who is clearly the best fighter in the division and I think what you’ll see is a lot of talk about Terence being in the top three pound-for-pound after this, because of the accomplishment. It’s not just to unify the title or to try to unify the title. If the title-holder is kind of weak – and I don’t mean to put down other fighters or other champions – but there are champions out there that really, from talent, just aren’t that good or as good as they can be. With Postol, everybody’s eyes opened up when he knocked out Matthysse, who apparently was the second coming of Carlos Monzon – I don’t know where that came from, but that ended quickly, and if Crawford does what he is capable of doing, I think his value clearly skyrockets by beating another champion that is well-respected. You hear other champions say “I want to unify” and you don’t even know who the other champion is in the division. Take the same meaning here – Crawford-Postol means a lot. If Crawford beats Postol it means a lot.

Before this fight was made, was it a priority for you to unify the titles? Some want to fight the best, some want to unify…where do you stand?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I just want to fight and be recognized as the best in my division. That’s it. So if going through Postol means that’s how I get there, then so be it. But from the standpoint of my division, I want to fight all of them, until I move up.

Do you feel like you would want to continue to unify or is it not a big deal to you?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Well, I don’t know. Right now it is not. All of my focus is on Postol. I don’t worry about all of the extra things that is around the division right now.

Do you worry about Postol’s height advantage? It is about three inches and that plus the reach could be concerning…

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I have fought a lot of tall opponents in my career. This is not the first tall opponent that I have ever fought and it’s not going to be something new to me. It’s not going to be something that I have never seen before. So I am not concerned about his height or his jab or anything because I have seen it before.

Do you view this fight as the biggest of your career so far?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Of course – this is a very big fight for me at a very critical time of my career. This fight is more meaningful than the Gamboa fight, at the moment, because this fight can take me to that next level beyond the level that I’m on right now. This fight means a lot and I do look at it as the biggest fight of my career to date.

Did you have any reaction when you heard that Manny Pacquiao was coming back?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: No, not at all. I didn’t even worry about it and I didn’t care and I didn’t even know because that’s not my main focus.

Since this is your first fight on pay-per-view, do you feel like your name is getting out there more?

I don’t really know how to answer that because I feel like my name is out there already, but I do feel like my name could be bigger than it is. But at the same time, that is not something that I focus on, that is something that will develop in time. I promote my self as well as my promoters who promote me.

In the documentary you mentioned how you got a second chance after being shot in the head. Is that something you think about all the time?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Yes, of course. I don’t think about it a lot, because I like to put it in the past and put it behind me and move on with my life. But sometimes I do think about how I got a second chance and make the best of it.

How did it feel having HBO follow you around Omaha and talk to your family, something that a lot of fighters don’t have happen to them?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: It was pretty cool to see myself on HBO and to see all the things that they do in making the special and I was happy to be a part of it.

Do you have a new hope of getting in the ring with Manny Pacquiao if you defeat Postol?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I’m not worried about that now so I don’t think about it.

How do you think your mother and grandmother did on the HBO show? They didn’t seem to be camera shy at all…

TERENCE CRAWFORD: They did good (laughing).

Bryan, we have spoken to Terence about Postol’s antics – holding and elbows…do you do anything in preparation for that or do you just overlook it?

BRYAN McINTYRE: Me and the other coaches (Coach Saul and Red), we sat down and talked about it and we are going to let referee Tony Weeks know that we are very concerned about whet he does in the ring.

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I would like to thank everyone, fans and media alike, for the support and I hope everyone watches on HBO Pay-Per-View. It is going to be a great night of boxing and we are going to put on a great show.

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HBO Sports Presents “TERENCE CRAWFORD: MY FIGHT”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f6wef8egeM&feature=youtu.be

“COUNTDOWN: CRAWFORD vs. POSTOL WORLD TITLE UNIFICATION” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSKJh2HdATE&feature=share

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Undefeated junior welterweight champions TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD (28-0, 20 KOs) and “The Iceman” VIKTOR POSTOL (28-0, 12 KOs) will go mano a mano in a 12-round world title unification fight to determine the lineal king of the exciting 140 pound division. Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Tecate and the motion picture “Hands of Stone,” the Crawford vs. Postol World Boxing Organization (WBO) / World Boxing Council (WBC) / The Ring junior welterweight world championship event takes place in Nine Days, Saturday, July 23, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT. Remaining tickets are priced at $304, $204, $104, and $54, not including applicable service fees. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call AXS at (888) 929-7849. Tickets are also be available for purchase at mgmgrand.com or AXS.com (http://bit.ly/24ORYhs)

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtag #CrawfordPostol to join the conversation on Twitter.

The 26 year-old has a perfect mark of 21-0 with 11 knockouts and currently ranked number-2 by the WBA. He is the current IBO Lightweight champion.

Ndongeni is a native of The Duncan Village area of Eastern Cape, South Africa, which produced world champions Vuyani Bungu, Mbuleo Botile and Simphiwe Vetyeka.

Ndongeni began boxing at the age of 17 and competed in 29 amateur bouts.

In just his 10th professional fight, Ndongeni captured the South African Super Featherweight title. He later added the South African Lightweight title.

Ndongeni also captured the WBA Pan African Lightweight title with a win over former world champion Mzonke Fana.

He is now looking for bigger title opportunities and with the new co-promotional agreement, Ndongeni is closer to realizing that goal.

“This is a dream come true,” said Ndongeni. “Every boxer who dreams of the big time dreams of America.”

“Every boxer dreams of making it in America. I have outgrown South Africa, where I have fought and beaten all the contenders. I’m prepared to fight anyone. All I want is the chance. I’m grateful to Banner Promotions for this opportunity. I won’t let them down.”

A member of the Xhosa Tribe, Ndongeni is a local hero, whose fans sing and dance whenever he fights. He even has his own praise song, “Nank uNivema whee Nomeva,” which his supporters sing out during his fights.

“Nomeva” means The Wasp.

He is trained by Colin Nathan, who states, “Everything Xolisani Ndongeni does is against the book, but somehow it works for him. He’s very charismatic and a great guy to work with. I think the United States audience will really warm to him.”

“Xolisani has two things going for him: a hunger to succeed borne from his impoverished upbringing, and his natural fighting ability. He’s very unorthodox, but he somehow makes it work. I’m hoping this venture into the US is the springboard to a great international career in one of the most dynamic weight divisions,”said Rodney Berman of Golden Gloves Promotions.

Banner Promotions President, Arthur Pelullo said, “We are excited to get Xolisani in a major fight. It’s always a pleasure to work with my good friend Rodney Berman of Golden Gloves. He always has the best fighters in South Africa, and we feel we have a world champion with Xolisani. We look forward to helping him get the major opportunities that he covets and deserves.”

BIRMINGHAM, AL. (July 13, 2016) – Heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder, two-time heavyweight title challenger Chris Arreola, undefeated welterweight Sammy Vasquez Jr. and Olympic Gold medalist Felix Diaz participated in a media workout Wednesday as they near their respective Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes matchups taking placeSaturday, July 16 from Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.

Televised coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features unbeaten rising star Erickson Lubin battling once beaten brawler Ivan Montero in addition to the Wilder vs. Arreola and Vasquez Jr. vs. Diaz bout. The televised action will switch over to FS1 and FOX Deportes immediately following the conclusion of the FOX telecast.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in
association with TGB Promotions and Bruno Event Team, start at only $20 and are on sale now. For tickets please visit www.alabamatitlefight.com and www.ticketmaster.com.

The fighters worked out at Round 1 Boxing in Vestavia Hills, Alabama as they prepare for the card headlined by the hometown favorite, Wilder, making the fourth defense of his heavyweight title.

Here is what the fighters had to say Wednesday:

DEONTAY WILDER

“When it comes to Deontay Wilder, people look for the knockouts and I deliver. What separates me from other heavyweights is the fashion in which I knock guys out. I don’t just knock you out, I really put you out.

“Arreola definitely has a style prone to a knockout. He’s a pressure fighter who will come forward all night. That plays to my style. I love pressure fighters who give me a challenge. They keep me moving and thinking. I love the sweet science and the art to it.

“I never look at films of opponents because I want to be surprised and I want to give myself a mental challenge in there. That’s what makes this sport so great.

“Birmingham has showed me love from day one. I don’t just represent my city; I represent the state. Everywhere is my home. Birmingham understands entertainment and excitement and what I’m trying to bring to people here.

“I’m here to defend my title against a very hungry fighter. It’s a life-changing event for the man who holds the belt at the end of the night.

“I never look past anybody. But I can look through them. Before I became a champion, I said I wanted to be an active champion. Just like I was active coming up. This has been my longest time away from the ring, so if all goes well on Saturday, I want to be back in the next few months.

“I have an ability to get out of bed and fight. I can do things that regular fighters can’t do. I don’t do miles of roadwork. I’m blessed with stamina.

“This is my gift to give back to my state. Boxing is growing fast here. Me and Jay Deas have always wanted to do this. It warms my heart that we’re living our dreams.”

CHRIS ARREOLA

“Deontay is a very tough opponent so I have to come hard this time. This is my third world title shot and I have to make it count. The first time I was too young, the second time I got caught with a shot, but this time I’ll be ready for anything.

“Fighting a guy like Wilder, I have to be ready for anything. But he has to be ready too. I’m no slouch. I have fire and he’s another person in my way. I’m here to get it.

“There’s no challenge to get ready for a fight. I’m a boxer, this is what I do and this is what I love to do. Boxing is the most gentlemanly sport there is. You beat each other up then you shake hands like nothing happened. I’ve been grinding every day in the gym for this.

“This is a big night for both of us. It’s a great opportunity to be on primetime. People are going to be watching for free at sports bars and it puts us out there. They’re going to watch two big men on display going for it all.

“I took it one day at a time in camp. I had to grind and get better every single day. I fear no man. I respect the man, but I don’t fear him. Everybody knows that I fight coming forward. I have to be smart and I have to move in angles.

“I want to leave a legacy behind. When they talk about Chris Arreola, they’re going to say ‘he did it.’ I took the long road but here we are now.

“I expect him to have a lot of fans and he’s very deserving of that. He’s made things happen in this state and this state is lucky to have a fighter like him. But no one can get in there with him. The fans can’t fight for him. I love the fans, but they’re just there to watch. It’s just me and Wilder in there Saturday.

“Beating Bermane Stiverne and defending the title how he has, I definitely respect Deontay. The humility that Deontay has shown has been impressive. He was more brash coming up the rankings and flamboyant. Now he’s come into his own and he understands who he is.

“The biggest difference between now and earlier in my career is that I’m comfortable with myself. My main motivation is being a boxer. I’m a boxer first. It’s not about who has the better six-pack.

“Weaknesses are something that I have to bring out of Deontay. Someone different shows up every fight. We have a plan but we’ll have to expose him while I’m in the ring. You can see videos all day, but it might not be the same guy in the ring.”

SAMMY VASQUEZ JR.

“I think this fight goes eight rounds at the most. It’s tough to predict and he’s a shifty guy but I’m confident. I’m going to key in on the body and try to wear him out. I’ll be smart about it, because I have to make a statement in this fight.

“My reach and my height will give me an advantage but he’s a slick fighter. All of these things can be advantages, but they can also work against you. I like to box and keep my opponent at range. I can’t let him smother me. We’re very prepared for his best shots.

“I think it’s going to be a great fight. He has a great amateur pedigree but I think I’ve made more impact as a pro. We’re equals and it’ll make for an explosive fight.

“Diaz is a slick southpaw, just like Luis Collazo. He’s had a couple decent names on his resume. I think Lamont Peterson fell into Diaz’s trap a little bit, which made that a close fight. He’s coming up to my weight, but he brings it and he’s dangerous.

“It feels good to be here. It’s been a long training camp leading up to an unbelievable card like this. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to be here. My coach (Charles Leverette) is from Alabama and he represents the state hard, so I’ve been on the ‘Roll Tide’ bandwagon.

“When I was young I remember watching great heavyweight title fights and now to be on the undercard of one is incredible. There are kids out there looking at me and Deontay in the same way. It’s amazing. It’s a blessing that really boosts my career and lets people get to know me better.”

FELIX DIAZ

“Sammy is a very good opponent of course. He’s undefeated right now, but he won’t be after Saturday.

“Moving up to 147 is going to be great for me and allow me to be at my very best. I think I can do big things in this division and Saturday night will be the start.

“What you train for and what happens in the ring are two different things. I’m prepared for anything that could happen in the ring.

“I have a great team and training camp has gone very well. I’ve been ready to fight for a long time and I can’t wait to get in the ring.

“Everyone should come out, because it’s going to be a great fight. I’m very confident in my ability to pull off this victory.”

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com,www.alabamatitlefight.com www.dbe1.com,www.TGBPromotions.com, http://www.foxsports.com/presspass/homepage and foxdeportes.com follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @BronzeBomber, @NightmareBoxing @FOXSports, @FOXDeportes, @LouDiBella, @TGBPromotions and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxing, www.facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment. www.facebook.com/foxsports and www.facebook.com/foxdeportes. Follow the conversation using #PBConFOX. PBC on FOX is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

New York, July13- Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing returns to Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT on, Saturday, July 23rd for the highly anticipated return of Connecticut’s favorite son at the Sun. The summer bash, Slugfest at the Sun, will feature an exciting night of action beginning at 7:30pm.

Former USBA Welterweight Champion and multi world title challenger Delvin Rodriguez (28-8-4 16KO Danbury, CT), returns to the ring taking on Iraqi war veteran Shawn Cameron (10-1 5KO Bronx, NY) in a 10 round Jr. Middleweight contest.

Rodriguez, who last fought in June 2015, challenged Erislandy Lara for the WBA World Jr. Middleweight title that night, dropping a 12 round decision to the champion.

Rodriguez has fought a who’s who over the course of his long career including such elite fighters as Miguel Cotto, the aforementioned Lara, and Austin Trout, but may be best remembered for his scintillating battle with Pawel Wolak on July 15, 2011, which garnered ‘Fight of the Year” award.

Rodriguez has challenged for the world championship on 3 different occasions and feels he still has something left to prove taking on the hungry and tough, Shawn Cameron.

Cameron, who has just 11 fights under his belt, sees this as the opportunity he has been waiting for. Cameron served 2 tours of duty in Iraq and knows a win over a well-known contender like Delvin Rodriguez will do wonders for his career.

Promoter Joe DeGuardia had this to say about the fight “Once again Delvin Rodriguez returns to familiar settings, The Mohegan Sun, where he has fought many times. Delvin knows at this point of his career he cannot afford any slip ups and is taking on a dangerous, younger opponent in Shawn Cameron who knows a win over a name like Delvin will land him bigger fights. I expect another exciting fight which is the norm for Delvin and I’m very happy to be back at The Sun”.

Tickets are $150.00, $95.00 & $45.00 and $30.00 and are on sale now at the Mohegan Sun Box Office and through Ticketmaster. Ticketmaster customers may log on to ticketmaster.com or call Ticketmaster’s national toll free Charge By Phone number 1.800.745.3000.