WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 23, 2016) – Lightweight contender Anthony Peterson (36-1, 24 KOs) looks to show off in his hometown when he battles Ghanaian Olympian Samuel Neequaye (22-1, 15 KOs) in a 10-round bout on Friday, April 1 at the DC Armory in Washington, D.C.

The April 1 event features a Premier Boxing Champions on Spike tripleheaderwhich is headlined by four-division world champion Adrien “The Problem” Broner taking on British contender Ashley “The Treasure” Theophane with televised coverage beginning at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.

Additional action inside the ring features 168-pound contender J’Leon Love (21-1, 11 KOs) in a 10-round bout against Nigeria’s Michael Gbenga (17-24, 16 KOs).

Further undercard attractions will see a trio of D.C. natives enter the ring as 23-year-old middleweight prospect Demond Nicholson (16-1, 16 KOs) faces Ghana’s Joshua Okine (22-4, 15 KOs) in an eight-round bout, 20-year-old unbeaten welterweight Kareem Martin (7-0-1, 3 KOs) in a six-round bout against Somner Martin (5-1, 3 KOs) and 21-year-old Patrick Harris (8-0, 5 KOs) in a six-round lightweight bout against Ghana’s Samuel Amoako (21-8, 15 KOs).

Rounding out the action is 24-year-old Shyngyskhan Tazhibay (2-0, 2 KOs) out of Kazakhstan but training out of Washington, D.C., who will face 23-year-old Georgia-native Riarus Dudley (2-0-1, 2 KOs) in a four-round welterweight showdown.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by About Billions Promotions and Mayweather Promotions in association with HeadBangers Promotions, are priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, and are on sale now. To purchase tickets visit: www.ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster locations, or call (800) 745-3000.

The brother of former world champion Lamont Peterson, the 31-year-old Peterson hopes to soon make a name for himself in a world title fight. Owner of wins over Daniel Attah, Dominic Salcido, Mike Oliver and Marcos Leonardo Jimenez, the Washington, D.C. product is looking to win his seventh consecutive fight when he enters the ring in his hometown. He takes on Neequaye out of Ghana who now trains in Maryland. He represented Ghana at the 2008 Olympics and most recently defeated Eugenio Lopez.

A once-beaten contender at 168-pounds, the 28-year-old Love bounced back from his lone defeat to dominate Scott Sigmon in March, Jason Escalera in June and Marcus Upshaw in September to get himself back in the world title mix. The Inkster, Michigan native owns wins over Marco Antonio Periban, Derrick Findley and Lajuan Simon on his way to contender status. He takes on the Nigerian-born Gbenga who defeated Marcus Vinicius de Oliveira in February.

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www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions. Highlights available to embed at www.youtube.com/premierboxingchampions. PBC on Spike is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

OAKLAND, CA (March 23, 2015) – On Tuesday, March 22, Two-Time World Champion and top-rated pound-for-pound fighter Andre Ward (28-0, 15 KOs) and number one rated IBF light heavyweight contender Sullivan Barrera (17-0, 12 KOs) participated in a media workout at King’s Gym in Oakland, California in advance of their March 26 fight at Oracle Arena in Oakland. Ward and Barrera will meet in 12-round IBF number one position and mandatory position eliminator bout televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT. NABF Featherweight Champion Joseph “Jojo” Diaz Jr. (19-0, 11 KOs) and top-rated featherweight contender Jayson “Star” Velez (23-1-1, 16 KOs) were also in attendance during the workout ahead of their 10-round NABF Featherweight title fight which will open up the HBO telecast.

After shadowboxing in the ring and a few rounds on the punching bags, all four fighters participated in interviews with media members in attendance. Super Bowl Champion and Oakland native Marshawn Lynch, an avid Andre Ward supporter, made a special appearance during the workout in support of Ward.

Below is what the fighters had to say during the final media workout:

ANDRE WARD, Two-Time World Champion and top-rated pound-for-pound fighter:

“I feel good and I am ready to go. I’m peaking at the right time. I’m just excited to get it on Saturday night.

“I used to drive by Oracle Arena on 880 as a kid on my way to King’s Gym and wonder if I could make it there one day and [trainer] Virgil [Hunter] used to say with confidence, ‘You’re going to headline there.’ As I got older, I used to go to some of the cards put on in the arena. I was still an amateur and I would just dream. Next thing you know, in 2009, I was in a sink or swim fight against Edison Miranda. If I won, there was probably a good chance that I would get a title shot and the rest is history. Here we are again, it’s my 7th time at Oracle and it’s still a blessing.

“It was the right time to move to light heavyweight. It was a combination of not having the right guys to fight or guys that didn’t want to fight me. I want to be great. These are the types of moves you have to make. I’m a student of the sport and when I study the sport, this is what greats have always done. They move up. The great ones find a way to get it done and I want to be in that conversation.

“Barrera is a big body. He’s confident. Seems to be a good puncher. We did not pick him because he’s a soft touch. We picked him because he was going to get me ready and show me what this weight class is all about. If you look at my career, there’s a place for tune-ups which I haven’t had a lot of. You want to fight the best and if you aren’t fighting the best, you want to fight the number one contender. That’s what we’re doing.

“I think I am evolving into an efficient fighter. I’m moving when I have to move. I think that’s the beauty of any athlete who doesn’t abuse his body and really takes his craft seriously. I’ve seen some articles claiming I missed my prime. It’s crazy to me. I feel that I am as good as I have ever been. I’ve been in a boxing gym without much of a break for the past 20 years. My brain thanked me for the last two years. My body thanked me. It might give me another two years in my career.

“I have to just be me. Who I am is enough. I don’t have to show up for Kovalev in the crowd on Saturday night. We just have to implement the game plan. I think that’s going to send the message it’s supposed to send and if it doesn’t, then he’ll [Kovalev] get the message when we fight.

“If I don’t win this fight, there’s nothing down the road. If I don’t win this fight, I don’t deserve to fight for the title. That’s the reality of my situation.

“Barrera has never fought a guy like me before, so they can talk a good game. They can dominate the headlines leading up to the fight. They can say all the slick stuff they want to say. We just want to dominate the headlines Sunday morning after the fight is over. That’s what I’m focused on.”

SULLIVAN BARRERA, Number one rated IBF light heavyweight contender:

“I’m stronger than Ward. I have the Cuban background and I learned a lot of skills there. More than anything, the determination to overcome anything in front of me will help me defeat Ward on March 26.

“Once I am in the ring, it’s my house.

“Whatever Ward has, I will adjust to it and overcome it.

“I have two hands. He has two hands. I have a job to do on March 26.

“I know Ward and Kovalev are very highly respected and they create a lot of money and a lot of interest, but they don’t know what Sullivan Barrera is capable of doing. I will prove that on Saturday.

“I’m not really a guy that has to look for a knockout. My boxing skills speak for themselves. I am fighting Andre Ward and fighting here in Oakland, so I don’t think a decision will be rendered in my favor.

“To all the fans, especially the Cuban fans that have supported me please know that come Saturday, I am going to do everything I have to do to come out victorious.”

JOSEPH DIAZ JR., NABF Featherweight Champion:

“I can’t expect what Jayson did to Ronny Rios during this fight. I’ve got to go in there, test him out and adjust when I am in the ring.

“If the opportunity presents itself where he’s hurt and I see that my punches are overwhelming him, then of course I’m going to get in there, be aggressive and make sure I take him out as early as possible.

“I know getting on the inside, cutting off the ring and taking it to the body right away will break him down. That’s going to make him not move as much and later on in rounds I can land vicious blows to the head. I’m going to take it to the body right away.

“Mentally I am 100% ready. This is a big stage in my career, so I’m mentally focused. I’m well prepared. I feel like this is the moment I have been waiting for my whole entire life. I feel like I’m ready for this and I can’t wait for March 26. I trained very hard for this fight and I’m well prepared for it.

“I really want to make a statement this fight. I want to show the world that Joseph Diaz could be the next big thing in boxing, so I trained very hard to put on a great fight for the fight fans, be very aggressive and make it a war in there. I hope that Jayson Velez is 110% ready because I want him to be at his best.

“If I win this fight and make a statement, I think I can move to contender status and hopefully get a world title shot by the end of this year. I want to fight tough opponents this year because I want to show the world who I am.

“I feel like a beast when I step into the ring and I can see it in sparring. Whenever I’m landing effective blows, I can tell that I am hurting my opponent.”

JAYSON VELEZ, Top-rated featherweight contender:

“At my level, every guy is a top contender. I have to train harder and improve my defense. I’ve been working on that.

“If you see my last three or four fights, you will see that I have been dominating in the first couple of rounds and then I run out of gas, I have been working on my stamina so that won’t happen on March 26.

“I have seen Diaz’s fights. We’ve sparred a couple of times. He’s got speed. He’s got a hunger. It’s his HBO debut, so he’s definitely motivated, but so am I. It’s going to be a great fight.

“I want to be champion of the word. I know he wants it too. On Saturday, we will know who wants it more. We both want to win and we are both training for a win. A fight between power and speed is a great match-up. Not to mention he’s Mexican and I’m Puerto Rican. You can expect a great fight and it’s not one you want to miss.”

Ward vs. Barrera, a 12-round IBF number one position and mandatory position eliminator which is presented by Roc Nation Sports in association with Main Events, takes place Saturday, March 26, 2016 at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. The event is sponsored by Corona Extra, Ticketmaster, Corporate Travel Management Solutions (ctms), Glad, Lyft, Zappos, BodyArmor, SAN Nutrition, Shoe Palace, The Waterfront Hotel and Visit Oakland. The event will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT. Opening the HBO telecast will be Joseph Diaz Jr. vs. Jayson Velez in a 10-round fight for the NABF Featherweight title presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Miguel Cotto Promotions.

Tickets priced at $300, $150, $100, $50 and $25, not including applicable service charges and taxes are available at all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com (bit.ly/WardBarreraTix) and charge by phone at (800) 745-3000.

Follow the conversation on Twitter by using #WardBarrera.

For more information, please visit www.rocnation.com, www.mainevents.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.promocionesmiguelcotto.com, www.hbo.com/boxing, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @rocnation, @main_events, @goldenboyboxing, @cottopromotions and @HBOBoxing and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RocNation, www.facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing, www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing.

Indian fight sensation Vijender Singh is back in his homeland and today met with the honourable Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi at his office in South Block.

Undefeated Singh demolished Alexander Horvath earlier this month to take his record to 4-0 with 4 knockouts and has returned home from a brief visit ahead of a busy forthcoming fight schedule.

Red-hot Singh will feature next on the big Copper Box Arena card on Saturday 30th April on the undercard of Billy Joe Saunders’ WBO World Middleweight title defence against Max Bursak.

Then he’s next up on the undercard of his stablemate Jack Catterall’s WBO Intercontinental Super-Lightweight title defence on Friday 13th May in Bolton.

Whilst meeting Mr. Modi, Singh discussed his big Indian ‘homecoming’ on Saturday 11th June in New Delhi and the present popularity of boxing in the country before presenting the premier with a pair of boxing gloves.

Singh said afterwards, “It was pleasure meeting the Prime Minister. I am happy that Modiji is following my pro bouts very closely and he discussed a lot with me about my previous bouts. I have invited him to my title bout scheduled in Delhi on 11 June and he assured me that he will attend it. He also discussed with me the present scenario of Indian boxing and asked me to send my inputs for the betterment of the sport in the country. He wished me goodluck for my next two bouts in the UK before coming back to India for title fight”.

HBO Boxing heads to the Bay Area for an action-packed doubleheader featuring a top pound-for-pound fighter and one of the sport’s most-heralded prospects when WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: ANDRE WARD VS. SULLIVAN BARRERA AND JOSEPH DIAZ JR. VS. JAYSON VELEZ is seen SATURDAY, MARCH 26 at 9:45 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Cal., exclusively on HBO. The HBO Sports team will call the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.
Other HBO playdates: March 27 (9:00 a.m.) and 29 (11:30 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: March 27 (3:00 p.m.) and 28 (12:15 a.m.)
The doubleheader will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO and HBO On Demand.
Making his 2016 debut before a hometown crowd, Andre Ward (28-0, 15 KOs) moves up to 175 pounds to battle Cuban native Sullivan Barrera (17-0, 12 KOs) of Miami, Fla., in a light heavyweight bout scheduled for 12 rounds. Ward, 32, has succeeded at every level, compiling a nearly perfect record as an amateur, winning a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 2008 Olympic Games in Athens and enjoying a seven-year reign as super middleweight champ. This will mark Ward’s sixth fight at Oracle Arena and fifth on HBO.
Barrera, 34, is also unbeaten and holds a three-fight knockout streak. Since his 2009 pro debut following a standout amateur career in Cuba, he has fought nearly all his bouts as a light heavyweight, which should give him an advantage over the shorter Ward. Barrera will be making his HBO debut, having previously appeared on HBO Latino.
In the evening’s co-feature, Joseph Diaz Jr. (19-0, 11 KOs) puts his undefeated record on the line against Jayson Velez (23-1-1, 16 KOs) in a featherweight contest scheduled for ten rounds. Rising prospect Diaz, 23, is coming off a busy 2015 in which he logged five impressive wins, and will be making his HBO debut. Velez, 27, looks to rebound from his first professional loss, to Ronny Rios in November. Appearing on HBO in 2014, Velez battled Evgeny Gradovich to a split draw in his first world title shot.
Immediately following the telecast, HBO will present the debut of the half-hour special “Legacy on the Line: From Bradley to Pacquiao,” previewing the April 9 pay-per-view event.
Follow HBO boxing news at hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/hboboxing.
All HBO boxing events are presented in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.
The executive producer of WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is Rick Bernstein; producer, Dave Harmon; director, Johnathan Evans.
® WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.

WBO Middleweight king Billy Joe Saunders will be appearing as a studio guest on Channel 5’s live coverage of Chris Eubank Jr’s showdown with British Champion Nick Blackwell this Saturday.

Saunders, 23-0-0 12 KO’s, holds wins other both men and will be providing expert analysis on the evening’s bout. The undefeated Hatfield star is hoping to witness Eubank Jr’s second career loss.

“I can’t say I’m too excited about seeing his ugly face. I’m going to be supporting Nick Blackwell and I hope he knocks Eubank out spark cold,” said Saunders.

“Nick is probably one of the nicest blokes I’ve met in boxing. I’ve shared the ring with him and he’s a tough fighter. He’s a very respectful kid and you don’t see him knocking out beginners in sparring,” Saunders added.

Eubank passed up a shot at WBA world champion Daniel Jacobs in order to take on Blackwell, 25. The Brighton middleweight has completely written off Blackwell’s chances and announced beating him would be for the good of British boxing; Saunders disagrees.

Saunders, who’s preparing for the first defence of his WBO World Middleweight title against Max Bursak on Saturday 30th April at the Copper Box Arena, said: “The best result is for Nick to do his talking in the ring. He’s got a very good chance of beating him. Eubank struggles at the weight and as we saw against Spike he was dying out and got hurt; he could be in trouble on Saturday,”

“If Blackwell can get himself in the fight for the first four or five rounds he’s in with a good chance of winning. He’s got a good work rate and I expect him to come on strong in the second half.”

British boxing great Carl Froch says WBO Middleweight King Billy Joe Saunders has the skills to take out Kazakh middleweight king Gennady Golovkin.

Froch, a four-time super-middleweight world champion, refuses to jump on the GGG bandwagon and has backed the undefeated Saunders to prove he is the world’s true middleweight champion.

Speaking to The Sun, the retired super-middleweight supremo said: “I’m not putting Golovkin on this pedestal that everyone has him on. Who has he beaten that Billy Joe couldn’t? His reputation is inflated. He’s obviously a very good fighter and can punch very hard but he’s a small middleweight,

“Beat somebody who is quality, beat him in style and I’ll start talking about you like you’re the next Sugar Ray Leonard or something.”

Froch added: “When I watch Golovkin, I see him getting hit with shots. He walks through them to land his but he’s wide open coming forward.”

The Jimmy Tibbs trained Hatfield star, 23-0-0 12 KO’s, makes the first defence of his world title against Golovkin’s compatriot ‘Mad’ Max Bursak; a man who boasts wins over British Champion Nick Blackwell and Brian Vera.

Saunders has previously expressed his desire to take on Golovkin in a massive summer showdown at the Emirates or Wembley and is now even more determined to nail down a lucrative world title unification fight.

He said: “Since I’ve won the world title I’ve grown in confidence. Having a man of Carl Froch’s experience backing me to win has given me even more of a boost. Carl Froch was one of the best fighters about so for him to say that is something. I already know in myself that I’ve got the beating of Golovkin with the right tactics.”

WBO World Middleweight Champion Billy Joe Saunders makes the first defence of his title against “Mad” Max Bursak and headlines an action-packed card that also features: The Vacant European Cruiserweight title between Ovill McKenzie and Dmytro Kucher; Ryan Walsh defends his British Featherweight Championship against James Tennyson; Anthony Nelson defends his Commonwealth Super-Flyweight Championship against Jamie Conlon. On the undercard fast rising undefeated heavyweight sensation Hughie Fury, Erith super-bantamweight Lewis Pettitt; Chingford super-featherweight Boy Jones Jnr; Indian middleweight sensation Vijender Singh; Chelmsford super-middleweight Billy Long, West Ham super-welterweight Sammy McNess; Sidcup super-featherweight D.P Carr; West Ham super-lightweight Ben Smith; Hornchurch super-lightweight Sanjeev Sahota; Nantwich heavyweight Nathan Gorman and Enfield super-middleweight Barney Joe Jones, all feature.

Tickets priced at £30, £40, £60, £80, £100, £150, £200 are available from See Tickets 0871 230 7148 and www.seetickets.com, Eventim 0844 249 1000 and www.eventim.co.uk, Ticketmaster 0844 8440 444 and www.ticketmaster.co.uk

The Channel Of Champions, BoxNation, will televise live and exclusive on Sky 437/HD 490, Virgin 546, TalkTalk 415 and Freeview 255. Subscribe at www.boxnation.com or watch online at watch.boxnation.com and via iPhone, iPad or Android and Amazon devices.

LONDON (23 MARCH) Former WBA interim world middleweight champion Chris Eubank Jr. says the 16 knockouts on his career record suggest he’s a bigger puncher than British champion Nick ‘Bang Bang’ Blackwell and if there’s any doubt he’ll prove it when they collide this Saturday (March 26) at The SSE Arena, Wembley.

Last year Eubank Jr. stopped Dmitry Chudinov, Tony Jeter and Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan within the scheduled distance, while Blackwell, 19-3-1 (8 KOs), halted the highly-rated John Ryder in seven rounds and then scored one of the knockouts of the year in a sixth-round win over unbeaten southpaw Damon Jones.

“You’ve just got to look at the records to see who the bigger puncher is,” says Eubank Jr. “Look at how many knockouts we both have. It speaks for itself.

“He’s definitely not making it through twelve rounds. Whether he quits, gets stopped or gets knocked out, he’s not making it to the final bell. If he wants to go in there and be the big I am, Mr. Big Man, who’s not scared of Chris Eubank Jr., then he will get knocked out. He should have been working on his defence. If he thinks he’ll blow me out, he’s the one getting knocked out.”

Common belief is that Blackwell will use his work-rate, toughness and fitness to attempt to overwhelm the challenger on March 26, but Eubank Jr. says he’ll need a whole lot more if he’s to hold on to his British middleweight crown.

“It’s a fatal error if he has only got a Plan A,” says Eubank Jr. “It’s an extremely dangerous way of preparing for a fight.

“Until you get in the ring with a guy, you don’t know what he’s capable of. You shouldn’t be only training, practicing and sparring a certain way just because that’s what you’re good at. You’ve got to cover all areas. It’s like going into a casino and playing roulette and putting all your money on zero. It’s stupid.”

Whether he decides to box Blackwell or brawl with him, Eubank Jr. promises one thing – it will make for excitement.

“I think any fight that involves me is a potential ‘Fight of the Year’,” he says. “I’ve never had a boring fight. Never. Not many fighters can say that.

“Number one is win and number two is to look good while winning. Once I start winning, then we can throw some bits of sexiness into the performance to make it something that people will talk about afterwards.

“I don’t want to be one of those guys who is winning and just continues doing the same thing they’ve been doing the entire fight. I want to get people on the edge of their seats. I like to do things that make people go ‘wow’. Unfortunately for Nick Blackwell I’ve got some very nice tricks up my sleeve for March 26.”

*** Tickets for the British middleweight title blockbuster between Nick ‘Bang Bang’ Blackwell and Chris Eubank Jr. are priced at £35, £50, £75, £175, £200 and £250 for ringside and can be purchased online at ssearena.co.uk and axs.com or by phoning the SSE Arena, Wembley Box Office on 0844 815 0815 ***

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In September 1968, Jimmy Ellis retained the World Heavyweight title with a controversial fifteen-round decision over Floyd Patterson at the Råsunda Football Stadium in Stockholm. 48 years later, big-time boxing returns to the Swedish capital when the Nordic Fight Night hits the Hovet on April 23.

‘’This is going to be the biggest boxing event in Stockholm for almost fifty-years,’’ said promoter Nisse Sauerland. ‘’The Hovet has a fantastic history of hosting World-class boxing, with legends such as Sonny Liston and Ingemar Johansson having fought there. Now, it’s time for the next generation of fighters to take their place among these boxing greats and welcome in a new era of Swedish boxing!’’

IBF Intercontinental Light Heavyweight Champion Erik Skoglund (24-0, 11 KO) tops the bill with tough twelve-round test against the dangerous South African Ryno ‘The Lion’ Liebenberg (17-2, 12 KOs).

The 24 year-old from Nyköping brought professional boxing back to Sweden last September when defending his IBF title against Oleksandr Cherviak – the first fight over championship distance since the ban on professional boxing in 1969.

Three months later, the ‘Swedish Sensation’ returned with a one-sided points victory over the American knockout specialist Derek Edwards – the only man to have beaten current Swedish World Champion Badou Jack.

‘’Last year, we brought boxing back to Sweden,’’ said Skoglund. ‘’Now, we need big shows like this to build even more interest in the sport. It’s great to be a part of such a big event in the capital city. I look forward to fighting at the Hovet.

‘’It will be a tough fight against Liebenberg, but I’m confident I have what it takes to win, and I hope by beating him, I will prove I’m ready for a World title challenge.’’

Mikaela Lauren (26-3, 11 KOs) defends her WBC Female Super Welterweight World title against former IBF World Champion Ivana Habazin (15-2, 6 KOs).

Having recently signed a long-term promotional contract with Team Sauerland, the Stockholm fighter is looking forward to getting back in the ring to face the 26 year-old Croatian.

‘’This is a fight I’ve wanted for a long time,’’ said Lauren, who returns following a fifth-round TKO victory over Jennifer Retzke. ‘’I’m training harder than ever and I will be ready to defend my title on April 23.

‘’It’s a dream come true for me to fight at my hometown arena. The Hovet is only five minutes away from my house. This makes the fight extra special for me, and I promise to deliver the fans my best performance yet.’’

Lauren’s domestic rival Klara Svensson (15-1, 5 KOs) is also in action on April 23. ‘The Swedish Princess’ will step through the ropes for the first-time since her WBC World title challenge in a rematch with Lucia Morelli (19-5, 9 KOs).

‘’I’ve taken some time out of the ring, but now I’m back and stronger than ever,’’ said the Malmo-boxer, who meets Morelli in a repeat of their entertaining interim WBC Female World Light Welterweight title fight in November 2014.

‘’This is the first time I have faced the same opponent twice, and I’m looking forward to the challenge. Lucia is a good boxer, and she will want revenge. I will be prepared for another tough fight.’’

Fan favourite Anthony ‘Can You Dig It?!’ Yigit (16-0-1, 7 KOs) takes his place on the undercard. The London 2012 Olympian faces Englishman Chris Goodwin (19-2-1).

‘’I’m excited to be fighting in my hometown for the first time as a professional,’’ said the 24 year-old Swede. ‘’Goodwin is a tough opponent. I think our styles will gel well and make for an entertaining fight.’’

The ‘Golden Boy’ Oscar Ahlin (13-1, 11 KOs), who is currently in Las Vegas sparring with Swedish World Champion Badou Jack, is also on the undercard, alongside Sundsvall heavyweight Otto Wallin (14-0, 10 KOs), who is in the UK sparring Anthony Joshua ahead of the Olympic Gold medallist’s IBF World title challenge.

Tickets for the Nordic Fight Night on April 23 at the Hovet in Stockholm go on sale today at 10am and are available online via www.globearenas.se and www.AXS.com, by calling (+46) 0771-31 00 00 and from the Stockholm Globe Arenas Box Office.

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (March 22, 2016) – Olympic Bronze Medalist Andre Dirrell (24-2, 16 KOs) takes on Australia’s Blake Caparello (22-1-1, 6 KOs) in a 10-round super middleweight attraction as Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) returns to Spike on Friday, April 29 from Taj Mahal Casino and Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Also on the same card, Dirrell’s brother, former world champion Anthony “The Dog” Dirrell (28-1-1, 22 KOs) will meet former world title challenger Caleb “Golden” Truax (26-2-2, 16 KOs) in a 10-round super middleweight affair as part of an exciting night of PBC on Spike action beginning at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.

The former 168-pound titleholder Anthony and two-time title challenger Andre are both prime for another run at championship gold, but will have stiff competition from opponents who have recently had their own title opportunities.

“April 29 is going to be a fun night of boxing,” said Andre. “Caparello is hungry just like me and he’s fighting for his career so I know he’s a very dangerous man. Everything in camp has been perfect so far. I’m excited that both Anthony and I will get to showcase our skills and spread our family name even more on the same Spike show.”

“It’s an honor to be fighting on the same card as my brother,” said Anthony. “It’s going to be a great night of boxing. Truax is a good, rugged fighter who will bring out the best in me. I need someone to push me to the max. My prediction is always a knockout.”

Caparello scored a first round knockdown in his 2014 world title bout before losing to Sergey Kovalev, while Caleb Truax battled middleweight champion Daniel Jacobs in a PBC on Spike co-feature in 2015, failing to Jacobs in the final stanza.

“This is a huge opportunity for me to show the world that I am one of the best 168-pounders in all of boxing,” said Caparello. “This is the weight class where I belong. Dirrell is a former Olympian and, like myself, a world title challenger. I expect a very tough fight on October 17, but I know that I will be victorious.”

“This is a fight that I have to take advantage of and win,” said Truax. “It’s another great opportunity for me and I’m putting everything into training. Dirrell is a good, athletic fighter with skills. It’s a tough task but I’m up for it. I’m bringing my A-game so he better do the same.”

“April 29 will be an outstanding night,” said Marshall Kauffman of King’s Promotions. “Having the Dirrell brothers on the same card will be a great and unique night of boxing. Both are exceptional talents and they are in with two guys who are looking for breakthrough wins in Blake Caparello and Caleb Truax.”

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by King’s Promotions, are priced at $100, $75 and $50, are available at all Ticketmaster outlets and are on sale now.

An amateur standout that won two U.S. World Championships in addition to his Olympic Bronze medal, the 32-year-old Andre Dirrell is ready to return to the ring after an illness delayed his previously scheduled bout against Caparello. The fighter out of Flint, Michigan holds victories over Arthur Abraham and Curtis Stevens and only has two narrow losses on his resume.

A crafty fighter out of Victoria, Australia, Caparello won his first 20 professional fights primarily fighting out of his home country. He owns victories over Michael Bolling, Jorge Olivera, Allan Green and previously unbeaten Robert Berridge. The 29-year-old most recently scored a unanimous decision over Affif Belghecham in June and after his scheduled bout with Dirrell was delayed, he defeated Luke Sharp by decision.

Anthony Dirrell has seen more adversity than most throughout his career as his time in boxing has been seriously jeopardized twice, first in December 2006 when he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma and was sidelined for 20 months and again in May 2012 when he broke his lower left leg and left wrist in a motorcycle accident. The Flint, Michigan-native never let that hold him down as he kept winning fights and working his way up the professional ranks. In 2014 he won his first championship when he defeated defending champion Sakio Bika. His road back to a 168-pound title began in September when he dominated the action against Marco Antonio Rubio on his way to a unanimous decision victory.

Born in Osseo, Minnesota, Truax is an experienced veteran who has fought professionally since 2007. Fighting mostly in his home state, the 31-year-old won his first 14 fights. He dropped a 2012 showdown to Jermain Taylor but went undefeated in his next eight fights to earn the fight against Jacobs. Most recently, Truax stopped veteran Melvin Betancourt in the fourth round in February.

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com and www.spike.com/shows/premier-boxing-champions.
Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @AndreDirrell, @BlakeCaparello, @AnthonyDirrell, @GoldenCalebT, @SpikeTV, @SpikeSports, @KingsBoxing_and @Swanson_Comm and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions.
Highlights available to embed at www.youtube.com/premierboxingchampions. PBC on Spike is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

LOS ANGELES (March 22, 2016) – Undefeated contenders GILBERTO “Zurdo” RAMIREZ, ÓSCAR VALDEZ and JOSE RAMÍREZ, former world champion EVGENY GRADOVICH and Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum hosted a Los Angeles Media Workout on Tuesday at Fortune Gym. The fighters worked out and discussed their upcoming championship fights on the Manny Pacquiao – Timothy Bradley NoTrump pay-per-view undercard (http://lat.ms/1o41mcT).

GILBERTO RAMIREZ
“This is my time. I have a lot of respect for Arthur Abraham. He’s a great champion. I know he’s working hard in training camp as am I. It’s going to be a great fight. I have to be smart in this fight. We are working on keeping the pressure on Abraham by throwing high volumes of punches and staying on top of him. I’m going to be a second skin on him. I feel a great sense of history fighting to become Mexico’s first super middleweight champion. It is a great honor representing my country in this fight. All I am thinking about is April 9. Looking past this fight is meaningless. The future is now.”

ÓSCAR VALDEZ
“My vast amateur background has prepared me to adapt to many different boxing styles. Gradovich is a breakthrough opportunity for me professionally. A victory over him is a big step that will lead me to a world title shot. I’m not feeling any pressure. I want this fight. I have trained my whole life for this fight. I stand up for The President but Donald Trump doesn’t deserve my respect.”

EVGENY GRADOVICH
“I have I lived and breathed this fight since training camp began. It’s all I have thought of. I’m an old school Mexican-style fighter. I love Julio César Chávez, Juan Manuel Márquez, Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales. I know everyone thinks Valdez is the future star of boxing but I love this sport too much to allow him to beat me and move me down. I’m going to start fast and keep my foot on the gas pedal.”

JOSE RAMÍREZ
“It’s a dream come true fighting on a card headlined by a fight between Manny Pacquiao and Tim Bradley. Millions of people around the world will be watching us fight. It’s what I have dreamed of since I first entered a gym as a boy. The fans from the Central Valley have been very loyal to me and I am very loyal to them. I am proud to represent our common causes that mean so much to the farmers, specifically water issues. I used to be a picker. I picked peppers. I want to help bring a tomorrow to the farmers and their families. Everyone counts. I am honored to be a voice for them. They are not alone. I am a first generation American. I was proud to represent the U.S. in the Olympics because of the ideals that are the foundation of this country. Donald Trump lacks the education to understand this and why those ideals make our country is so. I want to show and share the lesson that you can succeed.”

BOB ARUM
“All these fighters here today need to win and win impressively. They do that and the sky is the limit for them. Zurdo’s skill set and size give him an advantage over Abraham who is a strong, tough fighter. I am very proud of this NoTrump undercard and everything it symbolizes.”

*********************************************

Gilberto Ramirez (33-0, 24 KOs), from Mazatlan, Mexico, co-promoted by Zapari Boxing Promotions, the World Boxing Organization (WBO) No. 1 super middleweight contender and mandatory challenger, will get his first world title shot when he challenges WBO super middleweight champion ARTHUR ABRAHAM (44-4, 29 KOs), of Berlin Germany. Valdez (19-0, 16 KOs), of Nogales, Mexico, the WBO’s No. 1 featherweight contender, will defend his NABO featherweight title against former International Boxing Federation (IBF) featherweight champion Gradovich (21-1-1, 9 KOs), a Russian native who lives in Oxnard, Calif. Jose Ramírez (16-0, 12 KOs), of Avenal, Calif., and a 2012 U.S. Olympian, will defend his World Boxing Council (WBC) Continental America super lightweight title against MANNY PEREZ (25-11-1, 6 KOs), of Denver, CO.

These six warriors boast a combined record of 158-16-2 (96 KOs) — a winning percentage of 90% — with a victory by knockout ratio of 61%.

HBO Sports presents LEGACY ON THE LINE: FROM BRADLEY TO PACQUIAO. Chronicling the lessons and controversies Bradley has endured in his high-profile rivalry with the boxing legend from the Philippines, the special debuts THIS SATURDAY, MARCH 26 (midnight-12:30 a.m. ET/PT) and is narrated by Liev Schreiber.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with MP Promotions and Tecate, the Pacquiao vs. Bradley world championship event will take place on Saturday, April 9, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT. The Abraham vs. Ramirez world championship fight will be co-promoted by Sauerland Event and Zapari Boxing Promotions.

Remaining Tickets to Pacquiao vs. Bradley world championship event are priced at $1,204, $804, $604, $404, $254 and $154, not including applicable service fees. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets are also available for purchase at mgmgrand.com or ticketmaster.com.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, www.hbo.com/boxing or www.mgmgrand.com 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 #PacBradley to join the conversation on Twitter.

Former three-division champion “Sugar” Shane Mosley is proud to announce that he is bringing International Boxing Hall of Fame member Roberto “Manos De Piedra” Duran on as his trainer for his upcoming world title fight.

Duran, who defeated several of the top names in sport and is regarded by many as the greatest Latino fighter of all time, is looking to make Mosley into an even greater force in boxing.

After ending a brief retirement, Mosley went 2-0 in 2015 and in the upcoming few days will announce his next fight which will be for a world title. Mosley has stated on numerous occasions that he came back to the sport to face the biggest possible names and believes that Duran will help him achieve his goals.

“I am very happy to have Duran on my team. This is the type of addition that will push me even farther,” said Mosley. “He is a fighter that I looked up to when I was coming up. How can you not learn from a legend like him?”

Follow Mosley on Twitter @ShaneMosley_ for details on his soon to be announced fight.

LOS ANGELES (March 22, 2016) – Undefeated top prospects featured on the undercards of Antonio Orozco vs. Miguel Acosta on March 25 and Manuel Avila vs. Rene Alvarado on April 1, hosted Los Angeles media workout today ahead of their scheduled fights. Fighters, Jason “El Animal” Quigley (9-0, 8 KOs), Emilio Sanchez (11-0, 8 KOs), Oscar Torres (8-0, 4 KOs), Edgar “Kid Neza” Valerio (5-0, 3 KOs), Pablo “The Shark” Rubio Jr. (4-0, 3 KOs) and newcomer Tenochtitlan “T-Dog” Nava were all in attendance to show off some of their boxing skills in ring.

Below is what the fighters had to say about their upcoming fights:

Video of the workout is also available on Golden Boy Promotions’ YouTube page:

JASON “EL ANIMAL” QUIGLEY, Middleweight Prospect:

“It can be hard to be so far away from home, especially on this past St. Patrick’s Day holiday but I had a great day out celebrating with friends this year. My last fight was a learning experience, I know mistakes happen and I know not to lose control for next time.

“David Lemeuix is a great guy and boxer. We are both in this sport to be the best we can. To be honest, the Olympics first caught my attention but at the end of the day I’ve left that behind. I’m in professional boxing, and fighting as amateur is a completely different sport.”

EMILIO SANCHEZ, Featherweight Prospect:

“I’m really excited for my upcoming fight in Fantasy Springs this week. I’ve been training really hard in the gym and I’m hoping to move up to 10-rounders this year.

“I know this will be a good fight and if the knock out comes, I’ll be ready to take it.”

EDGAR “KID NEZA” VALERIO, Featherweight Prospect:

“From the looks of my opponent’s record, it seems like it will be a very good fight.

“I’ve been going in hard and keeping it consistent in the gym. I’m hoping after this fight to move on up to eight-rounders.”

TENOCHTITLAN “T-DOG” NAVA, Super Featherweight Prospect:

“It’s a great honor to be among stalemates like Nick Arce and Rafael Gramajo at the Westside Boxing Club. I had a really great amateur career of about 35 fights and couldn’t be more excited for my LA Fight Club professional debut next Friday.”

PABLO “THE SHARK” RUBIO JR., Super Bantamweight Prospect:

“It feels great to be out there and have so many supporters and fans cheering me on with Team Shark. My goal is to put on a great fight. I always go into the ring the best I can be and I’m always on the lookout for a huge knockout.”

OSCAR TORRES, Welterweight Prospect:

“I haven’t seen any video of my opponent, but I’m ready to take him on.

“I feel very happy and prepared for LA Fight Club next week. My opponent was changed, so I’ve had to switch up my workout routine in the gym to get the big knock out on fight night.

“Ultimately, my goal is to sign with Golden Boy Promotions and become a World Champion.”

Antonio Orozco vs. Miguel Acosta, is a 10-round welterweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by “Cerveza Tecate, Born Bold.” The Boxeo Estelar broadcast will air live on Estrella TV at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT. The card will also stream live on EstrellaTV.com and on YouTube via Fenomeno Studios. The Ring TV live stream will begin at approximately 5:30 p.m. PT through 7:00 p.m.

LA FIGHT CLUB: Manuel Avila vs. Rene Alvarado is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by “Cerveza Tecate, Born Bold” and Carmelita Chorizo. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. and the first bout begins at 5:30 p.m. The Estrella TV Boxeo Estelar broadcast will air live on Friday, April 1 at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT and will stream live simultaneously on estrellaTV.com and on YouTube via Fenomeno Studios: youtube.com/FenomenoStudios. The Ring TV live stream will begin at approximately 5:30 p.m. PT through 7:00 p.m.

Tickets for the event are on sale now and are priced at $45, $35, $25 and can be purchased at the Fantasy Springs Box Office, by calling (800) 827-2946 or online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

Tickets for LA FIGHT CLUB are on sale starting at $20 with new Flex Passes, Group Tickets and Bold Experience upgrades are available for purchase now at www.goldenboypromotions.com, the Golden Boy Promotions Facebook page, by calling 213-233-2957 or by emailing LAFightClub@goldenboypromotions.com.

Albany –UFC® Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Lorenzo Fertitta applauded the overwhelming, bipartisan New York State Assembly passage of legislation to legalize and regulate professional mixed martial arts (MMA) in New York. The passage of A.2604-C, sponsored by Assembly Majority Leader Joseph Morelle and 72 other Assembly sponsors, means the bill has now passed both houses and will be sent to Governor Andrew Cuomo for his approval.

Fertitta stated: “This has been a long time coming and on behalf of our New York UFC athletes and fans, I want to offer heartfelt thanks to Speaker Heastie, Majority Leader Morelle and all the Members of the Assembly – Democrats and Republicans – who voted for this bill.

“Joe Morelle has worked tirelessly to educate his colleagues and build support for legalizing professional MMA and regulating both professional and amateur MMA. He has worked closely with Senator Joe Griffo, who has shepherded this effort in the Senate, where the bill has passed with strong bipartisan support for the last seven years, and MMA fans owe both a huge debt of gratitude,” Fertitta said.

Fertitta noted all the support the bill has garnered over the last several years.

“New York’s amazing arenas – upstate and downstate – have worked with us to advocate passage of this bill. So, too, have restaurants, hotels, businesses and others who recognize the economic value professional MMA can bring to New York,” Fertitta said. “Our athletes have been extraordinary. More than 20 have been to Albany to help educate legislators about the fastest growing sport in the world. And our fans have been phenomenal. Through letters and phone calls, rallies and social media, New York’s MMA and UFC fans have lent their voices of support. It took a while, but their voices have been heard.”

UFC has committed to holding at least four events per year in New York for the first three years after professional MMA is legalized and regulated in New York. Fertitta renewed that commitment.

“While there are still additional steps that have to occur before professional MMA becomes a reality in New York, I want to assure our fans that if Governor Cuomo signs the bill into law and the State Athletic Commission puts in place the appropriate regulations, we look forward to hosting our first New York event in the world’s most famous arena – Madison Square Garden, home to so many epic sporting events throughout the decades,” Fertitta said. “We also look forward to scheduling events in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, Albany, and Brooklyn. We are excited.”

# # #

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 150 countries and territories to more than one billion TV households worldwide in 21 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 at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

LAS VEGAS (March 22, 2016) – New York State passed landmark legislation today permitting future Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) competitions to take place there.

World Series of Fighting CEO Carlos Silva made the following remarks:

“This is an exciting and historic day for our great sport. Those who have been lobbying for the legalization of MMA in NY State, including World Series of Fighting’s new COO Michael Mersch, should be commended for their persistence and commitment to seeing through the passage of legislation that will finally allow fans to watch live MMA in the Empire State, and fighters to compete there. We recently opened an office in Manhattan so, along with our television partner, NBC, we are looking forward to bringing our brand of professional MMA to New York very soon.”

ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING

“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a worldwide premier professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters 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.

Kevin Bizier wants to take Kell Brook’s IBF World Welterweight title at the Sheffield Arena live on Sky Sports on Saturday night and add his name to the list of great Canadian World champions.

Bizier landed the mandatory challenger spot with an impressive win over unbeaten American Fredrick Lawson in November, the second Canadian fighter to land a mandatory shot at Brook after Jo Jo Dan faced him in his first defence a year ago.

Canadian stars Adonis Stevenson, Lucian Bute, Jean Pascal and David Lemieux have all topped the world in recent years, and Bizier wants to fulfil a childhood dream and make a name for himself in the Steel City.

“Canadian boxing is in a good place right now with some great fighters and great champions with the likes of Bute, Stevenson, Pascal and Lemieux,” said Bizier. “But I want to make a name for myself now and prove I belong at World level, they have opened the road for Canadian fighters to come and make big statements on the biggest stage.

“I followed my Dad into the gym and the second I put the gloves on I knew that it was what I wanted to do. Now I am on the cusp of fulfilling my dreams of being the champion of the World and I am going to leave everything in the ring to make that dream come true.

“I’m a strong guy and I like to have a fight. Dan is more stylish but also relies on holding too. Lawson was the kind of guy I like to fight as he wants to trade punches and I like that, Kell is open too so I think that our styles will gel.

“I know Kell is a great fighter, he’s the complete package. He’s fast, strong, he punches hard, he’s got good ring IQ, but we’re coming here with a game plan and I am confident that I can take his title.”

Bizier’s clash with Brook is part of a huge night of action in the Steel City as Hull’s Olympic gold medal star Luke Campbell MBE returns to action in a Yorkshire derby with Dewsbury’s Gary Sykes for the vacant Commonwealth Lightweight title.

Adam Etches is straight back into title action on the card, Sheffield Heavyweights Dave Allen and Richard Towers clash in a British title eliminator and Andy Townend meets Craig Poxton for the English Super-Featherweight title.

Tickets priced at £40, £60, £80, £100 and £150 are on sale now from the Sheffield Arena on 0114 2565656 and at www.sheffieldarena.co.uk. VIP tickets priced at £250 are exclusively available from www.matchroomboxing.com.

Tickets for March 26 are also available from http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/ – StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing.

LAS VEGAS (March 22, 2016) –World Series of Fighting has appointed distinguished Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) industry veteran and sports attorney Michael Mersch, its new Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel, effective immediately.

Mersch brings to the world championship MMA league, over eight years of experience as a senior level executive and Assistant General Counsel for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). In his latest role, he served as General Counsel and Chief Political Advisor for the Nevada Attorney General.

“I am excited to re-enter the MMA business with one of the premier players and recognizable brands in the space,” said Mersch. “With its robust team of media and sports business executives as well as blue-chip partners, beginning with NBC and IMG, World Series of Fighting is in the midst of an exciting phase of growth with great things on the horizon.”

“We are looking forward to having Michael Mersch bring his wealth of industry specific knowledge, experience and relationships to our growing enterprise, and are confident that he will be a driving force in the next chapter of our business,” said World Series of Fighting CEO Carlos Silva.

In his new, dual role, Mersch will be responsible for overseeing World Series of Fighting’s business operations and legal affairs; negotiating and drafting all talent, television, venue, sponsorship and merchandising legal agreements; and spearheading and managing all government relations efforts on behalf of the league.

A frequent guest speaker for the Sports Lawyers Association as well as numerous MMA industry summits, Mersch is recognized as one of the foremost experts on legislation and regulation in the world’s fastest growing sport.

World Series of Fighting action returns to NBCSN, live from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday, April 2, beginning at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT.

In the main event of the star-studded, world championship doubleheader, reigning world middleweight (185 pounds) champion David Branch (17-3) will put his coveted title on the line against top contender Clifford Starks (13-2) while, in the co-main event, superstars Jon Fitch (27-7-1, 1 NC) and Joao “The Brazilian Samurai” Zeferino (20-7) will square off with the vacant world welterweight (170 pounds) crown at stake.

ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING

“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a worldwide premier professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters 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.

LONDON (22 MARCH) Carshalton’s Lenny Daws and Madrid’s Ruben Nieto will again clash for the European super-lightweight title after Daws’ promoter, Mick Hennessy, struck a deal with Team Nieto to stage the rematch in England before the summer.

This will be Daws’ third crack at the European title and comes as a result of a controversial disqualification loss to Nieto in December.

That night Daws was ahead on all three scorecards going into round ten of an all-out war when he was inexplicably disqualified by referee Freddy Rafn for an alleged deliberate head-butt. The decision sparked widespread condemnation and the European Boxing Union (EBU) were quick to order an immediate rematch between the pair.

“This is great news for Lenny Daws, who more than deserves to become a European champion, and great news for all the fans who witnessed a classic first time round but felt robbed of a conclusive ending,” said promoter Mick Hennessy.

“The Daws-Nieto rematch gives both boxers the chance to set the record straight and finish the fight properly this time.

“I’ve no doubt it will be another ‘Fight of the Year’ contender and I’ve no doubt Lenny Daws will be crowned the new European super-lightweight champion.”

The specific date and venue of the Daws-Nieto rematch will be announced soon.

FOLLOW US ON ON TWITTER @HENNESSYSPORTS
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LONDON (22 MARCH) Chris Eubank Jr. has warned reigning British middleweight champion Nick ‘Bang Bang’ Blackwell to look out for the uppercut when the pair clash at The SSE Arena, Wembley on March 26, live on Channel 5.

The Brighton-born challenger, a former WBA interim world middleweight champion, is known for his explosive and damaging uppercut – used to defeat many previous foes – and he’s earmarked that particular shot as one which could come in handy on Saturday night.

“Blackwell has a weak defence,” he said. “He’s open a lot of the time and I feel like I can definitely capitalise on this lack of defence.

“I’ve watched his last few fights. Nothing I’ve seen impresses me or worries me. His style and attributes are nothing special. He’s a British-level fighter and I’m world-level. The public will see the difference once we step into the ring.

“I watched his fight with Max Bursak and noticed he was getting caught with a lot of uppercuts. Obviously, I’m not Max Bursak. I’m a level above him. If he’s catching Blackwell with uppercuts, I know what’s going to happen when he gets caught with mine.

“I’m sure he thinks he’s going to prepare for all that – to avoid my uppercuts – and he probably thinks that’s all I’m going to be relying on, which is good. The uppercuts are on his mind. I know that. He’s already said I’ll go in there thinking I’m just going to take him out with uppercuts. But I’m a fighter who always does the unexpected. Everybody will see what I’ve got up my sleeve for this guy.”

Eubank Jr. promises he’ll have plenty of other weapons to use on the night, weapons he’ll use to show Blackwell isn’t the immovable force many have made him out to be.

“Blackwell couldn’t be further from an immovable force,” said Eubank Jr. “He might stand in front of you, but he can be moved. I’m the same. I can also move. I actually enjoy situations in fights where I have to box going backwards. That’s a skill in itself. Not a lot of fighters are able to do that. I can. I can fight going forward and I can fight going backwards.

“I mix things up and do the unexpected. People like to think I’ll go in there and go toe-to-toe – I can if I want – but I also have other options I can use to take this guy out. It’s going to be exciting.”

*** Tickets for the British middleweight title blockbuster between Nick ‘Bang Bang’ Blackwell and Chris Eubank Jr. are priced at £35, £50, £75, £175, £200 and £250 for ringside and can be purchased online at ssearena.co.uk and axs.com or by phoning the SSE Arena, Wembley Box Office on 0844 815 0815 ***

FOLLOW US ON ON TWITTER @HENNESSYSPORTS
For more information on Channel 5, MaxiNutrition and Hennessy Sports:

www.channel5.com
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Brooklyn, N.Y. (Monday, March 21, 2016) – Ronson Frank’s Uprising Promotions will be returning to action at the Five Star Banquet Hall on Saturday, April 9th, with stablemate Samuel “Main Event” Clarkson (17-3, 11 KOs) taking on Hungarian veteran Istvan Zeller (30-10, 9 KOs) for the NABF Jr. Light Heavyweight Championship in the main event.

“This is a blessing. I’m training hard like this dude is trying to take everything away from me,” Clarkson stated. “I slipped up before in my career, and now I refuse to lose. I will be coming back home with that belt.”

A Texas native, Clarkson won five fights in 2015 to extend his current winning streak to seven bouts. Among those victories included a decision over former world title challenger Cedric Agnew and knockouts of highly touted prospects Jerry Odom and Lavarn Harvell on ShoBox: The New Generation. The 25-year-old has been continually improving and showing significant growth since signing with Uprising Promotions last year, and April 9th marks the first time that he has officially fought on a card hosted by the promotion.

“I am so happy that I am finally able to fight on an Uprising Promotions card,” Clarkson remarked. “To fight in New York on top of that is such a blessing. Some fighters never get to fight in New York or ever even see New York, so for me to be able to fight for a belt in New York is something that I cannot wait to do. The fans can expect a great fight. I plan on knocking this dude out, and I am coming as vicious as I have ever been. I’m trying to be as brutal as possible come April 9th.”

Ultra-popular New Yorker Alicia “The Empress” Napoleon (5-0, 4 KOs) will also be featured on the April 9th docket, her second consecutive bout on the Uprising Promotions platform. In her last outing, the Long Island native won in dominant fashion against gritty Hungarian veteran Szilvia Szabados to claim the WBC Women’s Silver Middleweight Championship. The hard-hitting and crafty Napoleon always brings a great crowd to each and every one of her bouts, providing non-stop action for all fans in attendance.

Supporting those two feature bouts will be an incredible undercard that will showcase some top rising contenders and young prospects.

Among those slated for action are 2012 USA and PAL national champion Patrick Day (11-2-1, 6 KOs), who also won the New York Golden Gloves at 152 pounds in 2012. The former USA Olympic alternate was undefeated in his first 10 professional bouts as a welterweight before falling to unbeaten Alantez Fox on ShoBox: The New Generation in 2015.

Returning again to the Uprising Promotions stage will be Brooklyn middleweight Akil Auguste (7-1, 6 KOs), whose lone loss came after challenging NABF junior middleweight titleholder Louis Rose in just his third professional bout. Auguste is a fighter who is not afraid to test himself, and his crowd-pleasing style has made him a must-see attraction anytime he steps into the ring.

Back for the second session of his pro campaign will be light heavyweight Stephen Frank (1-0, 1 KO), who stepped up to combat 15-fight veteran Marlon Farr in his professional debut this past January, stopping Farr in the fourth frame of an Uprising Promotions card.

Two bouts scheduled to occur on the program include a super welterweight pairing between Matthew Armstrong (1-0) and Malik Joe (0-1), as well as a women’s flyweight scrap between two-time New York Golden Gloves champion Natalie Gonzalez (1-0) and pro debuting Rachel Sazoff.

Additional combatants on the April 9th show include Brooklyn lightweight Jude Franklin (1-0, 1 KO), hard-hitting Brooklyn heavyweight Romarick Ngoula (4-0, 4 KOs), New York featherweight Jose Gonzalez (1-0) and undefeated Uprising Promotions middleweight Kemahl Russell (8-0, 6 KOs), who won the Jamaican edition of the Contender Boxing Series last July.

The first bell on April 9th is scheduled for 7:00 PM sharp, with doors opening at 6:30 PM. The Five Star Banquet Hall is located at 13-05 43rd Avenue in Long Island City, and its intimate setting ensures that there is not a bad seat in the house. Tickets are priced at $60 for general admission and $100 for ringside seating, and there is also a table option with dinner. For pricing on those tables, call (516) 451-6773.

This Uprising Promotions card will continue its 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. This show is being sponsored by Brooklyn Brothers, Sleep Inn, Alma Restaurant and Charlie’s Auto Collision in Long Island City.

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

Winter Haven, FL (March 21, 2016) – As a young boy growing up in Puerto Rico, Jose Medina looked up to the same fighters that are forever etched in their rich boxing history.

From Felix Trinidad to Miguel Cotto and Juan Manuel Lopez, Medina had many outstanding fighters to admire. There was one major difference however. Medina was significantly larger than all of the greats that grew up on the boxing crazed island that sits 1,100 miles south of Key West.

At 6’3 260 lbs, Medina is more than 75 pounds bigger than the largest native Puerto Rican to capture a world title in Jose Torres. Those sizing up Medina before seeing him in action may question his conditioning but the 19-year-old is not just sheer bulk though. In the gym, stablemates called him “Kung Fu Panda” due to his shockingly impressive agility and nimbleness inside the squared circle.

As an amateur, Medina captured three Puerto Rican National Championships before relocating to Florida in 2015 where he captured the Florida State Police Athletic League (PAL) title along with Silver in the Paul Murphy Championships. He also quickly gained a large following, as the Orlando area has one of the largest Puerto Rican populations in the US.

However, that doesn’t mean there weren’t doubters.

“When he first came here, he never did strength training before,” said trainer Marco Fazzani. “People saw him when we first went into gyms and they thought he was a slouch because of his appearance. That until we got him in the ring and everybody realized Medina is no joke. Since he’s been training here, he grew two inches and became a lot physically stronger. We’re also working every day to improve his physique.”

On March 4, Medina made his professional debut at the A La Carte Event Pavilion in Tampa against Richard White. Admittedly nervous, Medina overcame the expected jitters that came with removing the headgear for the first time and scored a second round knockout.

Having gone through the White bout without incident, Medina is fighting for the second time in less than 30 days when he meets Todd Bradley of Brandon, FL in a four round bout as part of Mad Integrity Fight Sports’ “Bombs Away 5” Saturday, April 2 at the Bayfront Hilton in St. Petersburg, FL. As a fighter who is still developing in many aspects, Medina understands the importance of staying busy and is excited rather than nervous for his second professional fight.

“I’m very thankful to be fighting on this card,” said Medina. “We’re expecting a great turnout on April 2. I’ve seen Bradley fight before but I never give my game plan away. Most importantly, I want to give my fans great entertainment and emerge victorious.”

Promoter Joey Orduna of Mad Integrity Fight Sports, who was admittedly surprised when seeing Medina in action, is looking forward to having him on the card.

“Jose has a ton of talent and he is definitely going to be a staple in the Tampa-St Petersburg area as he develops. He’s already got a very good fan base and as a heavyweight with speed and power, the amount of people that follow him will only grow. I’m excited to see him go to work on the 2nd and believe those that haven’t seen him before are in for a treat.”

The Medina-Bradley matchup is featured on a ten bout card promoted by Mad Integrity Fight Sports at the Bayfront Hilton in St Petersburg, FL. The card includes a number of Sunshine State scraps including the main event between welterweight Ali Tareh, 13-11-5 (6 KO’s) of Tampa against Juan Aguirre, 6-16-1, of Jacksonville in an eight rounder along with the highly anticipated lightweight matchup between St. Petersburg’s Jose “Lil’ Pacquiao” Resendez, 4-0 (2 KO’s), and Raul Chirino, 7-1 (3 KO’s), out of Miami. The card features a total of ten bouts and tickets from $35 are on sale now by calling 813-507-5110.

For more information and updates, please visit Facebook.com/Madintegrityfightsports.

Leading up to the highly anticipated third pay-per-view encounter between elite prizefighters Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley Jr. set for Saturday, April 9 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, HBO Sports presents LEGACY ON THE LINE: FROM BRADLEY TO PACQUIAO. Chronicling the lessons and controversies Bradley has endured in his high-profile rivalry with the boxing legend from the Philippines, the special debuts SATURDAY, MARCH 26 (midnight-12:30 a.m. ET/PT), immediately following a previously announced “HBO World Championship Boxing®” doubleheader, and is narrated by Liev Schreiber.

Other HBO playdates: March 27 (11:15 a.m.), 28 (11:30 a.m., 5:30 a.m.), 30 (6:00 p.m.) and 31 (1:30 p.m.), and April 4 (3:35 p.m.) 6 (11:00 a.m., 11:30 p.m.), 8 (7:15 p.m., 2:00 a.m.) and 9 (5:00 p.m.)

HBO2 playdates: March 29 (9:45 p.m.) and 31 (2:00 p.m.), and April 1 (5:00 p.m., 1:45 a.m.), 2 (1:45 p.m.), 5 (10:30 a.m.), 8 (11:45 p.m.) and 9 (10:30 a.m.)

The show will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO® and HBO On Demand®.

After two matchups with future Hall of Famer Manny Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38 KOs), welterweight star Timothy Bradley Jr. (33-1-1, 13 KOs) is in pursuit of a legacy. The Palms Springs, Cal., resident experienced frustration and criticism when he scored a controversial split decision win in their first encounter and lost the rematch two years later via unanimous decision, his only loss in 35 professional bouts.
Interviews for LEGACY ON THE LINE: FROM BRADLEY TO PACQUIAO include Timothy Bradley Jr.; Monica Bradley, his wife and business manager; father Ray Bradley; and trainer Teddy Atlas, who has added a new dimension to Bradley’s fighting style.
Widely recognized for its engaging storytelling presentations, HBO Sports has won ten George F. Peabody Awards for production excellence,
For more information, visit www.hbo.com/boxing; become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing and follow on Twitter and Instagram at @HBOBoxing. Follow the conversation using the hashtag #PacBradley.
Pacquiao vs. Bradley takes place Saturday, April 9 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.

LONDON (21 MARCH) Undefeated heavyweight star Hughie Lewis Fury will now face seasoned American Dominick Guinn on March 26 at The SSE Arena, Wembley, following an injury to original opponent Nagy Aguilera.

The fight will be a 12-round international heavyweight contest.

Born in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Guinn was once a highly-rated young heavyweight prospect tipped for the top by many boxing experts. ‘The Southern Disaster’ scored wins against the likes of Audley Harrison, Duncan Dokiwari and Michael Grant, as well as a spectacular knockout of Jean-Francois Bergeron, and was known for his smooth skills, good defence and durability.

Now 40, Guinn, 35-10-1 (24 KOs), continues to ply his trade at a good level and has yet to be stopped in an accomplished 15-year professional career. His last fight against Donnie Davis in Salt Lake City ended in a first-round knockout win.

*** Tickets for the British middleweight title blockbuster between Nick ‘Bang Bang’ Blackwell and Chris Eubank Jr. are priced at £35, £50, £75, £175, £200 and £250 for ringside and can be purchased online at ssearena.co.uk and axs.com or by phoning the SSE Arena, Wembley Box Office on 0844 815 0815 ***

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Undefeated Indian star Vijender Singh will fight next on the undercard of the big World Championship card at the Copper Box Arena, London, on Saturday 30th April.

It had been announced that Singh would feature on the Saturday 2nd April show at the Harrow Leisure Centre in London, but following a reschedule he has been moved, instead, onto the undercard of Billy Joe Saunders’ WBO World Middleweight title defence against Max Bursak.

Singh, who took his record to 4-0 in Liverpool earlier this month with a blistering fourth round stoppage of Alexander Horvath, will fight in a four-round contest against an opponent to be announced.

The red-hot star will then fight on Friday 13th May at the Premier Suite in the Macron Stadium, Bolton, on the undercard of his stablemate Jack Catterall who defends his WBO Intercontinental Super-Lightweight title against Joe Hughes.

In the summer he is scheduled to make his highly-anticipated homecoming in India where he will fight for the first time as a professional in his homeland in front of thousands of his adoring fans.

An excited Singh said, “I’m thrilled to be fighting on the same card as the WBO World Middleweight Champion Billy Joe Saunders on Saturday 30th April at the Copper Box Arena. Saunders is in the position that I want to be in one day, the middleweight champion of the world. Then I can look forward to my next date on Friday 13th May in Bolton, where my good friend and gym-mate Jack Catterall is headlining, which will be another great night. So it’s a busy few months ahead and then of course I will be making my big homecoming in India which will be absolutely amazing and I can’t wait.”

WBO World Middleweight Champion Billy Joe Saunders makes the first defence of his title against “Mad” Max Bursak and headlines an action-packed card that also features: The Vacant European Cruiserweight title between Ovill McKenzie v Dmytro Kucher; Ryan Walsh defends his British Featherweight Championship against James Tennyson.

Tickets priced at £30, £40, £60, £80, £100, £150, £200 are available from See Tickets 0871 230 7148 and www.seetickets.com, Eventim 0844 249 1000 and www.eventim.co.uk, Ticketmaster 0844 8440 444 and www.ticketmaster.co.uk

The Channel Of Champions, BoxNation, will televise live and exclusive on Sky 437/HD 490, Virgin 546, TalkTalk 415 and Freeview 255. Subscribe at www.boxnation.com or watch online at watch.boxnation.com and via iPhone, iPad or Android and Amazon devices.

ROVIDENCE, R.I. (March 21st, 2016) — The world’s fastest-growing mixed martial arts promotion, CES MMA, kicks off the spring of 2016 with its busiest month yet, two dynamic shows in two different states in a whirlwind two-week stretch.

The new season begins Friday, April 1st at The Fox Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn., with “CES MMA 34” featuring the return of CES MMA Welterweight Champion Chris Curtis defending his title live on AXS TV and continues Saturday, April 16th with “CES MMA 35” at the North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, Mass., with a stacked pro-am card that includes Massachusetts standouts Pedro Gonzalez and Rico DiSciullo and an added twist with a handful of amateurs competing for a CES MMA promotional contract.

The next two events mark the promotion’s first venture outside of its homebase in Rhode Island since November of 2013, also at Foxwoods. In addition, “CES MMA 35” marks the promotion’s Massachusetts debut while “CES MMA 34” is its 10th televised event on AXS TV since its network television debut in 2014.

Tickets for both events can be purchased online at www.cesmma.com or by phone at 401-724-2253/2254. Tickets for “CES MMA 34” are priced at $40.00, $60.00 and $100.00 (VIP) and can also be purchased online at www.foxwoods.com, by phone at 800-200-2882 or at the Fox Theater Box Office while tickets for “CES MMA 35” are priced at $35.00, $50.00 and $100.00 (VIP) and can also be purchased online at www.nsmt.org, by phone at 978-232-7200 or at the North Shore Music Theatre Box Office. All bouts are subject to change. Showtime for both events is 7 p.m. ET.

Curtis (13-4, 5 KOs), a Cincinnati native who captured the CES MMA title in January with a knockout win over Gil de Freitas at “CES MMA 32,” makes his first title defense in the five-round AXS TV main event at Foxwoods against Philadelphia’s Nah-Shon Burrell (12-6, 8 KOs), one of televised bouts on the main card.

A two-time Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) and three-time Bellator vet, Burrell owns wins over Jesus Martinez and Brazilian Yuri Villefort, the younger brother of former UFC standout and current World Series of Fighting contender Danillo Villefort, in addition to competing in Bellator’s welterweight tournament in 2014.

The main card of “CES MMA 34” also features a middleweight bout between Calvin Kattar (14-2, 6 KOs) of Methuen, Mass., and Cortland, N.Y., vet Kenny Foster (11-10, 1 KO), a seven-time Bellator vet. Johnny Campbell (11-7, 5 KOs) of Boston battles Matt Lozano (5-3, 2 KO) of Red Lion, Pa., in a bantamweight bout and heavyweight Steve Skrzat (8-7, 7 KOs) of Burrillville, R.I., faces Rollinsford, N.H., vet Kevin Haley (4-3, 1 KO). Also on the main card, Ludlow, Mass., lightweight Leon Davis (7-3, 1 KO) faces Lorawnt-T Nelson (7-4, 5 KOs) of Arvada, Colo.

The “CES MMA 34” preliminaries feature four exciting bouts, including a flyweight showdown between unbeatens Carlos Candelario (2-0) of New Britain, Conn., and Syracuse’s Luay Ashkar (2-0), plus the professional debuts of bantamweight Geoffrey Then and Michael Maldonado, both fighting out of Danbury, Conn. Then battles Merab Dvalishvili (1-2, 1 KO) of Long Island, N.Y., and Maldonado faces Stoughton, Mass., native George Nassar (1-0). The prelims also feature a light heavyweight bout between Cape Cod’s Matt Thompson (19-10, 7 KOs) and Anton Berzin (3-1) of Philadelphia. The 29-fight veteran Thompson appeared for CES MMA in 2014 and defeated Eric Bedard via submission.

“CES MMA 35,” the promotion’s first foray into The Bay State, features several of Massachusetts’ rising stars, including the Gloucester veteran Gonzalez (10-5, 9 KOs), who battles Boston bantamweight Andres Jeudi (7-5, 3 KOs) in the main event.

Quincy middleweight Mike Rodriguez (2-0, 2 KOs) puts his perfect record on the line against Buck Pineau (1-2) of Ashland, Maine in a rematch of their amateur bout in which Pineau won by third-round submission. Pineau returns to CES MMA for the first time since October when an arm injury cut short his match against Pat McCrohan at “CES MMA XXXI.”

Rounding out the pro portion of “CES MMA 35,” Medford lightweight Lewis Corapi (6-2, 3 KOs) faces Keenan Raymond (3-2, 1 KO) of Providence, R.I., who scored his first career knockout win in January at “CES MMA 32,” and Boston’s Devin Carrier (0-1) searches for his first win as a pro in a lightweight bout against Meriden, N.H., native Wayne Ahlquist (1-2, 1 KO). DiSciullo (5-0, 2 KOs), an undefeated Peabody native with three appearances each for Bellator and CES MMA, will be featured in a separate bantamweight bout.

On the amateur side, Yardy Kim faces Nick O’Connell in a bantamweight bout; welterweight Jamie Collins battles Jon Ciampa and Aaron Reverdes faces Joao Ramos in a featherweight bout. Providence’s Marquis Brewster, 5-1 as an amateur with two knockouts, faces Billy Keenan (6-2, 2 KOs) of Salem, Mass., and Boston’s Sean Murrin (1-0, 1 KO) battles featherweight John Douma (2-1) of Providence. All amateurs on the undercard are competing for a promotional contract with CES MMA.

Visit www.cesmma.com, www.twitter.com/cesmma or www.facebook.com/ces.mma for more information and use the hashtags #CES34 and #CES35 to join the conversation.

LAS VEGAS (March 21, 2016) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today the addition of five preliminary card bouts to its highly-anticipated WSOF30: Branch vs. Starks world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) doubleheader event at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday, April 2, live on NBCSN at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT.

Topping the undercard bill that will stream live, in its entirety on an embeddable video player on WSOF.com, beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, will be a welterweight (170 pounds) collision between Abubakar Nurmagomedov (11-1-1) and Matt “The Thunder From Down Under” Frincu (7-1).

The adopted brother and training partner of superstar Khabib Nurmagomedov, the 26-year-old Abubakar, who hails from Dagestan, Russia is riding a three-fight win streak, while Frincu of Tempe, Ariz. via Queensland, Australia will put a five-fight win streak on the line.

Nurmagomedov boasts an impressive 82 percent finish rate, while Frincu has earned six of his seven professional wins to date by way of (T)KO or submission.

In lightweight (155 pounds) preliminary card action, undefeated knockout artist Steve “Thunderbeast” Kozola (6-0) will make his World Series of Fighting debut against fellow fast-rising star Gil Guardado (5-1).

On fire since his professional debut victory in July 2013, Kozola of San Diego, Calif. via Chicago, Ill. comes to World Series of Fighting after producing back-to-back, devastating KO victories – each with a furious onslaught of punches – under the promotion of Bellator.

On January 16, 2015, Kozola scored a second round (1:25) KO on Jonathan Rivera at Bellator 132 and, on March 15, 2015, he scored a first round (2:22) KO on Ian Butler at Bellator 137.

Guardado of Las Vegas will look to notch his third consecutive win after two dominant performances inside the World Series of Fighting decagon cage.

The 30-year-old Xtreme Couture prodigy submitted Pete Martin with a guillotine choke in the first round (3:31) of action at WSOF22 on August 1, 2015, and closed out the year with a unanimous decision victory over Giga Chikadze at WSOF26 on December 18.

In a flyweight (125 pounds) scrap, Carlos Garcia (1-1) of San Bernardino, Calif. will make his professional debut against Jason Pacheco (1-0) of Las Vegas.

Adam Aquaviva (4-2) of Las Vegas will face off with Andres Ponce (3-2) of Tempe in a bantamweight tilt and, in the opening preliminary card matchup, Jeff Roman (1-2-1) of Las Vegas will square off with Nick Salantri (0-1) at welterweight.

A sixth, middleweight (185 pounds) preliminary fight featuring Clinton Williams (7-3) of Las Vegas will be announced soon.

Priced from $20, tickets for WSOF30: Branch vs. Starks, are available for purchase online at WSOF.com and AXS.com.

Doors at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino will open for the event at 4 p.m. PT, and the first preliminary bout will begin at 5 p.m.

In the main event, reigning World Series of Fighting middleweight champion David Branch (17-3), the league’s first-ever, two-division title holder, will put his coveted crown on the line against top contender Clifford Starks (13-2).

In the co-main event, superstar Jon Fitch (27-7-1, 1 NC) will battle recent World Series of Fighting one-night, eight-man tournament runner-up Joao “The Brazilian Samurai” Zeferino (20-7) with the vacant World Series of Fighting welterweight championship at stake.

Elsewhere on the four-fight, live NBCSN telecast, submission expert Vinny “Pezao” Magalhaes (13-7) will square off with Jake “The Honey Bear” Heun (9-4) in a light heavyweight (205 pounds) contest, while World Series of Fighting newcomer and knockout artist Abu “Gladiator” Azaitar (11-1-1) will lock horns with Danny “Dee1” Davis, Jr. (11-10-1) at welterweight.

ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING

“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a worldwide premier professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters 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.

ABOUT NBCSN
NBCSN, part of the NBC Sports Group, is dedicated to serving passionate sports fans. Now in more than 85 million homes, the Emmy Award-winning network is the cable television home of the Summer and Winter Olympics, National Hockey League (NHL) – including two games of the Stanley Cup Final — Premier League, Formula One, IndyCar, Tour de France, the 34th America’s Cup, and beginning in 2015, NASCAR. In addition, NBCSN features college football, college basketball, college hockey, cycling, outdoor programming, horse racing surrounding the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup, Fight Night boxing, Ironman, the Dew Tour and USA Sevens Rugby. The network is also home to original programs such as Costas Tonight, NFL Turning Point, Pro Football Talk, The Dan Patrick Show, and NASCAR America. NBCSN is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.

About Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is Las Vegas’ off-strip playground, just minutes and less than three miles from McCarran International Airport. The premier destination entertainment resort is owned by Brookfield Real Estate Finance Fund II and managed by WG-Harmon, LLC, a subsidiary of Warner Gaming, LLC. Built in 1995, the property completed a $700 million expansion in 2010. Hard Rock Hotel & Casino offers an energetic entertainment and gaming experience with the services and amenities associated with a boutique luxury resort hotel. The property is known for its innovative nightlife and music scene where acts such as The Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi, Paul McCartney, Incubus, Foo Fighters, Carlos Santana, Mötley Crüe, Guns N’ Roses and KISS have all performed. Features of the property include an 11-story Casino Tower with 640 rooms and suites, 17-story Paradise Tower with 490 rooms and suites; the 15-story HRH All-Suite Tower with 359 suites, eight spa villas and seven penthouse suites; 60,000 square feet of casino space featuring Peacock High-Limit gaming and Asian gaming amenities; 80,000 square feet of flexible meeting and convention space; more than $4 million in rare music memorabilia; Reliquary Water Sanctuary, Spa & Salon; 4.8 acres of tropical pool paradise, which was voted as the No. 1 “Best Hotel Pool” in the 2015 USA Today 10Best Readers Choice contest; the world-famous pool party REHAB Beach Club; live music/entertainment venues The Joint and Vinyl; Hart & Huntington Tattoo Co.; restaurants Culinary Dropout, Nobu, The Ainsworth, 35 Steaks + Martinis, Pink Taco, Mr. Lucky’s Café and ?Fú; a fitness center; and trendsetting retailers John Varvatos, Affliction and Rocks The Jewelers. For room availability and additional information call 800.HRD.ROCK (800.473.7625) or visit hardrockhotel.com. Follow Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest news and updates.

Red-hot super-featherweight prospect Zack Davies wants to Welsh boxing’s next big star.

The unbeaten man from Gorslas is gunning for his sixth professional victory when he fights over six rounds at Bethnal Green’s York Hall this Friday night.

24 year-old Davies enjoyed a glittering amateur career at Welsh, British and International level that saw him compete at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Since joining the professional ranks the Welsh wizard has racked up five straight wins; his latest coming in Russia at the VBT Arena on the undercard of Maccarinelli’s showdown with legend Roy Jones Jr.

“It was an amazing show to be involved in. Obviously it was very different to what I’m used to but it was all good experience. I’ve looked up to both men my whole life so fighting on their undercard was like a dream come true for me. I want to be fighting at that level one day so it gave me motivation to really push on. There must have been over ten thousand people packed into the arena and the atmosphere was brilliant,” said Davies.

Unsurprisingly, Maccarinelli ended the 47-year-old’s night with a brutal knockout. Proud Welshman Davies had front row seats to witness the former WBO World Cruiserweight champion dropped Jones with a big uppercut in the fourth round.

“Enzo is a man that I’ve always looked up to in the gym,” said the prodigy from West Wales. “He’s achieved great things in his career and I’d like to follow in his footsteps. Our fighting styles are very different but what he’s achieved in boxing is great for Wales. Lee Selby is another guy who I have a lot of respect for. I’ve sparred with him before and he’s a very good fighter; I’d love to be in his position in the future.”

The hard-hitting Welshman says he possesses the armoury to propel himself to the very top of the domestic super-featherweight scene and is relishing the opportunity to showcase his talent again.

He said: “I’d like to think of myself as an intelligent boxer. I use my boxer’s brain to outthink my opponents but I can also mix it up a bit and have a fight. I have a high work rate and like to keep as busy as possible. If you come to one of my fights you’re going to be entertained that’s for sure.”

Davies, a self-confessed trainer holic, is cutting no corners ahead of his York Hall clash. The Welshman is gearing up for another big year and with Gary Lockett in his corner he has all the tools and ability to make an impact in 2016.

He said: “All I’m focusing on is improving every day and getting in as many fights as I can. I had five fights in my first year as a pro so I’m aiming to fit in another five or six this year. Under Gary’s guidance I’m confident I can carry on winning and climbing the ranks,”

“I’m coming on good. My first two fights were four rounders and the last three have been six rounders. Alexander Saltykov was a tough journeyman with a few wins to his name and I stopped him in the fourth round which showed how far I’ve come.”

WBO Middleweight King Billy Joe Saunders says Chris Eubank Jr will never be on his level.

The unbeaten Hatfield star (23-0-0 12 KO’s) has warned his rival that he’ll have to step his game up if he is to earn an eagerly-anticipated rematch to avenge the sole loss of his career inflicted by Saunders.

“At the end of the day everyone knows that I’m chasing a big fight with Golovkin. That’s a big money fight and I want to test myself against the very best to see how good I am,” said Saunders.

“For the Eubank fight to happen he’s got to get past Nick Blackwell first. I’ve got more options than just Chris Eubank; I’ve got three or four options,” Saunders added.

Saunders put Eubank to the sword back in November 2014 to retain his British, European and Commonwealth titles. Since then the 26 year-old has gone on to reach the very top of the fight game by bagging himself a world title; an achievement that he believes Eubank will never match.

He said: “Eubank says that going for the British title is something that he wants to do but I think that he knows in his own mind and his own head that he’s not ready for a rematch with me,”

“He can’t step up to my level, he’s a British level fighter. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I don’t think he’ll ever win a world title.”

WBO World Middleweight Champion Billy Joe Saunders makes the first defence of his title against “Mad” Max Bursak and headlines an action-packed card that also features: The Vacant European Cruiserweight title between Ovill McKenzie v Dmytro Kucher; Ryan Walsh defends his British Featherweight Championship against James Tennyson.

Tickets priced at £30, £40, £60, £80, £100, £150, £200 are available from See Tickets 0871 230 7148 and www.seetickets.com, Eventim 0844 249 1000 and www.eventim.co.uk, Ticketmaster 0844 8440 444 and www.ticketmaster.co.uk

The Channel Of Champions, BoxNation, will televise live and exclusive on Sky 437/HD 490, Virgin 546, TalkTalk 415 and Freeview 255. Subscribe at www.boxnation.com or watch online at watch.boxnation.com and via iPhone, iPad or Android and Amazon devices.

Germany’s youngest professional boxer Leon Bauer (7-0, 6 KOs) makes his American debut on April 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The 17 year-old super middleweight talent will be fighting on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao’s third and final fight with Timothy Bradley, which also features countryman ‘King’ Arthur Abraham’s WBO World title defence against Gilberto Ramirez.

In crossing the Atlantic, Bauer will not only become the youngest German fighter to have fought in Las Vegas, but also the youngest fighter to have ever been licensed to box in the fight capital of the World.

On April 9, Bauer will be 17 years and 233 days old, breaking the previous record of Jose Benavidez, who was 10 days older when making his professional debut in 2010 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

‘’This is going to be an incredible moment for me,’’ said Bauer. ‘’I’m very grateful to my promoter Team Sauerland for giving me this opportunity. I look forward to being a part of such a huge occasion and showcasing my skills in front of the American fans.’’

‘’I think Leon will prove very popular with the American audience. He may even become the next German Wunderkind,’’ said promoter Kalle Sauerland in a reference to one of Germany’s most successful sporting exports, NBA superstar, Dirk Nowitzki.

‘’He has a bright future ahead of him. At just 17 years of age, he has already shown a lot of potential, and with the right guidance, we are sure he can go all the way!”

LONDON (21 MARCH) British middleweight champion Nick ‘Bang Bang’ Blackwell has paid tribute to the skills of former British, Commonwealth and European super-middleweight champion ‘Saint’ George Groves following a number of sparring sessions in his company and says he’s now more confident than ever of defeating his next opponent, Chris Eubank Jr., on March 26.

Blackwell and Eubank Jr. collide at the SSE Arena, Wembley this weekend, live on Channel 5, and the champion from Trowbridge has been using time spent in the ring with Groves to sharpen his tools and get him well-prepared for the task at hand.

“It has been really good,” said Blackwell. “George is big, strong, very fast and he hits hard. He’s also a really nice lad. I appreciate him letting me go to his gym and spar.

“I learnt a lot from George and got some decent rounds in. I didn’t feel 110% in all of the spars we had, but it was nice to know that George still had some nice things to say about me.

“I’ve had good sparring at my gym but sometimes you have to take yourself out of your comfort zone and get in with people who are world-class and have competed at a higher level. George Groves is world-class. He has boxed world-class fighters and he has been in some massive events. He has been there and done it. Eubank Jr. hasn’t. He might like to pretend he has, but he really hasn’t.”

Though the respective styles of Groves and Eubank Jr. are anything but similar, Blackwell is nevertheless encouraged by the work he was able to produce while in the ring with a former world title challenger.

“Mentally, it’s great,” he said. “You feel good going into a fight like this knowing you’ve sparred countless rounds with a world-class guy from a weight class above.

“George’s jab is phenomenal. It’s probably the best jab I’ve ever come across. When you take one of his jabs, it’s like being hit by a right hand. It’s very sharp and he’s very strong.

“Eubank Jr. doesn’t really use a jab that much, and he’s certainly not going to hit as hard as Groves. I’m in a great place. I’m ready.”

Groves, it seems, is also a believer. Last week he said, “I’ve always been impressed by Blackwell when watching him fight. He’s a fighter who doesn’t seem afraid of anything; a lot of fighters say they’ll fight anyone, but he really means it. He loves a challenge.

“He boxed on one of my undercards against Billy Joe Saunders, pushed him really close, and I’ve kept an eye on him ever since. But it was nice to finally do some sparring with him because I’d heard a lot about his sparring sessions over the years – he’s got quite the reputation.

“Obviously he’s a fit lad with a great work-rate. He throws loads of punches. And, over the course of three sparring sessions, he showed he was a very good fighter. He punches well inside, he finds angles that don’t seem to be there, and he is happy to put it on you from the word ‘go’. He’s a real physical presence in the ring.”

*** Tickets for the British middleweight title blockbuster between Nick ‘Bang Bang’ Blackwell and Chris Eubank Jr. are priced at £35, £50, £75, £175, £200 and £250 for ringside and can be purchased online at ssearena.co.uk and axs.com or by phoning the SSE Arena, Wembley Box Office on 0844 815 0815 ***

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LOS ANGELES (March 21, 2016) – Before WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Champion, Canelo Alvarez (46-1-1, 32 KOs) and former two-time world champion Amir “King” Khan (31-3, 19 KOs) step into the ring at the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, May 7 for the biggest fight of 2016 thusfar, three hard-hitting bouts have been confirmed to get fight fans ready for the main event.

Canada’s biggest boxing star and former IBF Middleweight World Champion David Lemieux (34-3, 31 KOs) will be looking to make an impression and use his power against the swift contender from Passaic, New Jersey, Glen “Jersey Boy” Tapia (23-2, 15 KOs) in a 10-round middleweight co-main event.

As part of the televised undercard, top rated contender, Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera (22-5, 7 KOs) of Riverside, Calif. will move up to welterweight to face East Los Angeles’ undefeated star Frankie “Pitbull” Gomez (20-0, 13 KOs)in a 10-round welterweight fight sure to excite boxing fans.

Opening up the pay-per-view telecast, heavy-handed Brazilian star Patrick Teixeira (26-0, 22 KOs) is set to face former world title challenger Curtis “Showtime” Stevens (27-5, 20 KOs) in a 10-round career-defining middleweight bout.

The live mega event, which matches some of boxing’s most popular and recognizable fighters against each other in exciting matchups will be produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

“I am back,” said David Lemieux. “I am coming back strong and ready to be on top of the middleweight division where I belong.”

“This is a make or break moment,” said Glen Tapia. “I can’t wait to show everyone what I am made of. People will see a new and improved Glen Tapia and this is the best place to show it; as part of a stellar undercard. I know David will be a tough opponent, but I am ready for this challenge to take on the best in the division and show the world a fully realized Glen Tapia.”

“We want to give back to the fans with this undercard and provide thrilling, action-packed bouts leading up to the main event with Canelo Alvarez vs. Amir Khan on May 7,” said Oscar De La Hoya. “We appreciate the fans support and wanted to give them the best bang for their buck with these televised undercard fights. To watch exciting, competitive undercard bouts leading up to the biggest boxing event so far of 2016 will help to create buzz by the time Canelo and Amir reach the ring and fans pay to feel a part of that electric atmosphere.”

“I am extremely happy for David to be on such a high profile card as the co-main event to Canelo Alvarez vs. Amir Khan,” said Camille Estephan, President of Eye of the Tiger Management. “David is motivated, now more than ever, to reconquer his status as a world champion and winning this fight will get him closer to his goal. I am confident David will put on a fight to remember on May 7.”

“This is a great opportunity for Glen, he knows he has to be at his best against a warrior like Lemeuix,” said Pat Lynch, Manager to Glen Tapia. “I know he is up for the challenge and will give everyone Mat 7a great fight to remember.”

“May 7 is the day I have to slaughter another young lion to prove myself again,” said Mauricio Herrera. “Frankie Gomez is a strong fighter that will bring the absolute best out of me. I will be in tip top shape for the mega-event.”

“This is the kind of fight I have been training for my entire career,” said Frankie Gomez. “Herrera is a recognized and ranked fighter, he has a lot of experience and it’s my chance to prove myself and show everyone who has doubted me, what I can do in the ring. I feel very excited to be part of a great undercard, fans can expect an exciting night, don’t miss it.”

“I am excited to be part of one of the biggest boxing events of the year,” said Patrick Teixeira. “I promise to go out to the ring fully prepared for the best Curtis Stevens and show that I am a fighter to be feared in the middleweight division. I want to thank my team and Golden Boy Promotions for this opportunity, and on May 7 fans can expected to see an exciting fight opening the televised event.”

“This guy is a zero and has got to go,” said Curtis Stevens. “I’m ready to start climbing up in the rankings again and am happy to be on this great HBO card with my man Canelo Alvarez.”

“This is a great crossroads match up for Curtis on a big platform,” said Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events. “He needs to deliver on May 7th and I know he will!”

Tickets priced at $1,500, $1,000, $800, $600, $400, $250 and $150, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person (a limit of 10 per person at the $1,500, $1,000, $800, $600 and $400 price levels and a limit of two [2] per person at the $250 and $150 price level) are on sale now. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849). Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.t-mobilearena.com or www.axs.com.

Canelo vs. Khan, a 12-round fight for Canelo’s WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Championships, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Canelo Promotions and sponsored by “Cerveza Tecate, Born Bold”, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Casa Mexico Tequila and DOOM® — Fight Like Hell on May 13. David Lemieux vs. Glen Tapia is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Eye of the Tiger Management and Patrick Teixeira vs. Curtis Stevens is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Main Events. The mega-event will take place Saturday, May 7 at T-Mobile 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.

Currently ranked as one of the top middleweight fighters by the WBC and IBF, former IBF World Middleweight Champion David Lemieux is making his return to the ring on May 7 after a sell-out crowd at The Mecca of Boxing, Madison Square Garden in New York, when he faced Gennady Golovkin for the Unified Middleweight World Championship on October 17. Before his face off against Golovkin, Lemieux was coming off of his ninth consecutive victory over Hassan N’Dam in June 2015 and seventh consecutive knockout against Gabriel “King” Rosado last December 2014. The 27-year-old Lemieux was victorious in dominant fashion capturing the vacant IBF Middleweight Title against Hassan N’Dam on June 20 in his hometown of Montreal, Canada. Dropping N’Dam four times, the hard-hitting Canadian won a wide, 12-round unanimous decision. Lemieux made his HBO and United States debut in headline fashion with a fantastic performance stopping top contender Gabriel Rosado in the tenth round on December, 2014 in Brooklyn, New York. Now, Lemieux is ready to fight Glen Tapia in a memorable mega event in Las Vegas.

Known as one of the most exciting fighters to watch in the sport, Glen “Jersey Boy” Tapia will be looking for an opportunity to start off 2016 with a victory when he faces power-puncher David Lemieux on May 7. A professional since 2008, the 26-year-old is a tough fighter who has taken on some of the fiercest opposition in the sport, including match-ups against James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland, Daniel “The Rock” Dawson, and Michel Soro. One of the most decorated amateur fighters of his time, Tapia has competed for the NABO and USBA super welterweight titles. Now, Tapia has set his sights on becoming a world champion as he prepares for his fight on May 7.

Fan favorite Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera has established his reputation over the years with an old school approach that has seen him show off the technical aspects of the sweet science like few others. Throw in a warrior’s heart and the 35-year-old from Riverside, California is a must-see for all followers of the sport. Owner of wins over former world champions Ruslan “The Siberian Rocky” Provodnikov, Johan “El Terrible” Perez and, most recently, “Hammerin” Hank Lundy, Herrera’s only defeats over the last two years have been controversial decision losses to current world champions Danny “Swift” Garcia and Jose Benavidez. Now moving up to 147 pounds, he expects to be better than ever.

East LA’s Frankie “Pitbull” Gomez is known for his exciting style and powerful punches. He is the owner of 13 knockouts in three rounds or fewer and can also box, as shown in his near-shutout victories over longtime contenders Vernon “Ice Man” Paris in July of 2014 and Jorge “Pantera” Silva in October of 2015. A decorated amateur who won the 2009 United States Championship and earned a Silver medal in the 2009 World Championships, Gomez is ready to face the top opposition and chase his dreams of a world championship in 2016.

From Sombrio, Santa Catarina, Brazil and residing in Sao Paulo, southpaw Patrick Teixeira has paid his dues on the way up the middleweight ladder and after putting together a perfect record, the Brazilian star will take on his biggest test to date in former world title challenger Curtis “Showtime” Stevens. An active fighter who has competed around the world since turning professional in 2009, the 25-year-old will make his Las Vegas debut this May after scoring big knockout wins over Patrick Allotey and Don Mouton in 2015.

One of the most exciting knockout artists in boxing, Curtis “Showtime” Stevens hails from the same Brownsville, Brooklyn neighborhood that produced the legendary Mike Tyson, and Stevens, like “Iron Mike,” enjoys nothing more than a fast finish on fight night. Winner of two of his last three, with knockouts of Patrick “The Machine” Majewski and current number one IBF Middleweight contender Tureano Johnson, the 31-year-old former NABF middleweight champ can make his case for another world title shot with a win over Teixeira on May 7.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, follow us on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @canelo, @amirkingkhan, @OscarDeLaHoya and @HBOboxing, become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing or www.Facebook.com/HBOboxing, join us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @canelo, @amirkingkhan, @OscarDeLaHoya and @HBOboxing, and follow the conversation using #CaneloKhan.