Las Vegas – Former UFC® heavyweight champion Bas Rutten will take his rightful place alongside other legendary innovators of the sport in the UFC Hall of Fame. Rutten, who also dominated the Japanese Pancrase organization’s championship landscape during his 33 fight career, will join icons including Royce Gracie, Dan Severn and Chuck Liddell in the Pioneer Era wing of the new-look UFC Hall of Fame.

The Pioneer Era category recognizes great fighters who turned professional before November 17, 2000, when the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts were created and widely adopted. All but one of Rutten’s 33 professional MMA bout were fought in the 1990s, with many of his greatest accomplishments taking place in Pancrase, which used hybrid rules, single-round fights and open-handed striking.

After dominating the competition in Japan, Rutten finally entered the UFC Octagon at UFC 18, on January 8, 1999. Hyped as the greatest MMA fighter in the world, he defeated Tsuyoshi Kohsaka by knockout and returned at UFC 20 four months later to defeat Kevin Randleman to win the vacant UFC heavyweight world title. Rutten was the fourth man to hold the UFC heavyweight championship and third former holder of that belt to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.

UFC President Dana White surprised Rutten with the news during an interview on the Inside MMA Show, which Rutten co-hosts. Rutten was concluding an interview previewing tonight’s UFC 187 Pay-Per-View event when White informed the Dutchman that he would be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame on July 11.

“We have International Fight Week in Las Vegas in July,” White began. “And on July 11, at the UFC Fan Expo, you will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.”

The footage of the exchange can be view here: https://youtu.be/JiIgQe9y-vQ

“I never expected to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame,” Rutten said afterwards. “I won the UFC heavyweight title, but injuries cut my UFC run short. Most of my big wins were in Japan. I saw the new UFC Hall of Fame format and I thought maybe I could get in eventually as a Contributor because of my years of commentating. But I’m so honored that the UFC recognized what I did as a fighter.”

Asked about the biggest wins of his career, Rutten said: “My pro debut against Ryushi Yanagisawa, he outweighed me by 45lbs but I knocked him out. Then the two wins over Frank Shamrock, winning the Pancrase title from Minoru Suzuki, my two wins in the UFC, of course, meant a lot to me and beating Masakatsu Funaki in the rematch. He was the first person to beat me, he talked a lot of crap, and in the rematch for the title I slaughtered him.”

All those fights available now on UFCFIGHTPASS.com here: http://www.ufc.tv/category/ufc-hall-of-fame-bas-rutten

Born in Tilburg, Netherlands Rutten is the first European to join the UFC Hall of Fame. Now aged 50 and living in Los Angles, California, Rutten originally took up the martial arts as a child to fend off school bullies, who perhaps saw an easy victim in the asthmatic Rutten. Discovering a natural talent for striking, Rutten quickly moved on from school bully-level competition and, by age 20, was an established international kickboxer.
In September1993, he accepted an invitation to compete at the inaugural Pancrase event in Urayasu, Japan. The event – which took place two months before UFC 1 – featured submission wrestling mixed with striking, although no close fist strikes were permitted to the head.

Rutten’s first Pancrase opponent, Japanese kickboxer Ryushi Yanagisawa, spent two days in the hospital after the Dutchman dispatched him with palm-strikes and knees. On that night, the Dutchman’s career-long reputation as a terrifying striker was forged.

He defeated early MMA icons like Vernon White, Guy Mezger and future UFC champions Maurice Smith and Frank Shamrock twice each during this period. In 1995, Rutten won the King of Pancrase title from legend Minoru Suzuki. His finest hour in Japan came at the Pancrase 1996 Anniversary Show where the Dutchman avenged his first pro defeat, knocked out Masakatsu Funaki to win a classic encounter.

In 1999, Rutten signed with the UFC and immediate set his sights on the UFC heavyweight title, eventually beating Randleman on points. His plan was to immediately drop down to light heavyweight and become the first ever two-division UFC champion; however a series of injuries cut short his career.

He returned for a farewell fight – vs unheralded Ruben Villareal – seven years later in a WFA event in July, 2006.

UFCFIGHTPASS.com subscribers can watch Rutten’s greatest fight – including five newly-uploaded Pancrase battles – here: LINKLINKLINKLINKLINK. In time, Rutten’s entire career, from pro debut to retirement match, will be available on FIGHT PASS.

FightMetric, the official statistics provider for the UFC, ran the numbers on Rutten’s career. They back up the Dutchman’s inclusion into the UFC Hall of Fame and then some. In the 4-hours, 27-minutes and 8-seconds he spent as a pro fighter, Rutten scored 13 knockdowns without getting dropped himself, his significant strike accuracy was 70.6% – the highest FightMetric has ever recorded, attempted a record 53 submissions and successfully swept his opponents a record 46 times.

And, incredibly for a fighter who had 15 wins via submission, Rutten never attempted a single takedown in his entire career. Clearly, “El Guapo” had a unique and extremely effective style.

He finished his career on a 22-fight unbeaten streak. Rutten’s overall MMA record stands at 28 wins, 4 losses, and one draw.

Rutten joins Contributor Jeff Blatnick and Fight Hughes vs Trigg II in the UFC Hall of Fame’s class of 2015. The final inductee – the Modern Era representative – will be announced tonight during the UFC 187 Prelims on FOX Sports 1.

NEW YORK, NY (May 22, 2015) – Square Ring Promotions and Hitz Boxing announced today that District Court Judge Ronnie Abrams for the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York issued a 41-page final opinion and order in Oquendo vs. Terek Box Event (Case no. 14-cv-9835) awarding Oquendo damages and interest in excess of $800,000 against Chagaev’s promoter, Terek Box Event, and a permanent injunction enjoining Terek from, among other things, “promoting or managing Ruslan Chagaev in any bout for the World Boxing Association (“WBA”) World Heavyweight Championship or in any bout at which his WBA championship would be at stake, other than such a bout between Fres Oquendo and Mr. Chagaev.”

On May 12, 2015, Chagaev participated in a press conference with Rafael Pianeta to announce a bout on July 11, 2015 at the GETEC Arena in Magdeburg, Germany for the WBA World Championship. On May 14, 2015, the Court issued an order for Terek to show cause why it should not be held in contempt of court for violating the Court’s preliminary injunction prohibiting Terek from promoting or managing Chagaev in a WBA title bout other than a rematch with Oquendo. The contempt of court proceedings are scheduled to be heard on June 4, 2015.

“We have provided a copy of the Court’s final decision to the WBA and its counsel and are awaiting the WBA’s public announcement on this matter,” said John Wirt, CEO of Square Ring Promotions. “The U.S. Federal Court has unambiguously spoken and issued a well-reasoned opinion in upholding Oquendo’s contract for a $1 million purse and his right to a rematch with Chagaev, and we are confident that the WBA will do the right thing and respect the Court’s decision on this matter.”

“I’m very happy that we now have a final court decision that shows what we have been telling the world for months,” said Bobby Hitz, President of Hitz Boxing. “Oquendo made sacrifices and went to Grozny when his wife and newborn baby were sick. He performed his end of the deal; now it is time for Chagaev and his promoter to honor the agreement and pay Oquendo his purse and give him the rematch he was promised. The WBA can no longer turn a blind eye and must now step in and bar the Chagaev vs. Pianeta fight.”

“First and foremost, I want to thank God for this great victory in my career through the courts and for finally getting justice,” said Fres Oquendo. “I’ve been hard at work training and getting ready for my rematch for the WBA title. Thanks to everyone and all my fans who have been so supportive of me and my family during all of this. And a very big thank you to my attorneys, Judd Burstein and Peter Schalk for believing in me and winning this case.”

“It’s been 10 years since Fres and I embarked on a journey to win the heavyweight championship of the world,” said Tom Tsatas, Oquendo’s long-time advisor. “We have been laughed at. Cheated. Ripped off. Knocked down. And we are still standing. We finally have people who believed in us, fought for us, and like us, are not quitters but rather champions of what’s right. This is a win for Fres, for the underdog, for the U.S., for the little guy, and for boxing. Never give up no matter who you’re up against. If God is with you, who can be against you?”

Oscar De La Hoya:

Thank you very much, everyone. To all the media who is participating, we are extremely, extremely excited to announce today, an upcoming fight on June 20th live from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada: Lemieux vs. N’Dam. They will be fighting for the IBF vacant Middleweight World Title, and we are extremely proud to announce that this event is being presented by Eye of the Tiger Management and Golden Boy Promotions in association with Evenko.

We strongly feel that in Canada-obviously they love their hockey-but that’s not the only sport that they follow. Canadians also love their boxing with passion, and we anticipate a full house at the Bell Centre on June 20th in Montreal. So, that’s a fight that everybody in Canada will be looking forward to.

Lemieux vs. N’Dam is a terrific fight and they are in probably one of the most dangerous and one of the most exciting weight classes that boxing has today.

When you talk about the middleweight division, you think about the greats in boxing history. And on June 20th, Lemieux and N’Dam will have the opportunity to cement and to start creating their own history, eventually getting to the top and being mentioned with the greats of this division, the middleweight division.

As you know, Lemieux has been taking the world by storm. He, not only generates huge ratings on HBO, but he’s being looked upon as the emerging next star in the middleweight division, and N’Dam, his record speaks for itself. His style speaks for itself. There’s nothing that anyone can say negatively about N’Dam because he always comes to fight. He’s in the fight of his life and probably the most important fight of his career, and he knows that. We anticipate a tremendous fight on June 20th.

Let me at this moment introduce to you the director of boxing for King Sports who will make some comments and introduce Hassan N’Dam, that is Paul King.

Paul King:

Hey, Oscar. Thanks a lot, my man. First of all, we’re excited and we’re proud to be doing our first event with you. So Oscar and Eric and everybody at Golden Boy, we want to thank you for that.

At this point, I just want to move forward and I would like to put Hassan on for his interview. Hassan, are you there?

Hassan N’Dam:

I feel good. It’s the fight that I’ve been waiting for for a very long time, since I beat Curtis Stevens and I’m the official challenger. For me, it’s just a logic continuity after the Curtis Stevens fight. I’m happy that this fight is taking place because I was sick of waiting for this. For me, the opponent is not important.

Before David Lemieux, two other boxers refused to fight me. The fact that David Lemieux accepted to fight me was a relief. I’m just waiting with impatience for June 20th, because I’ll be able to show to the world what I have in my head, in my legs and in my arms.

Thank you.

Oscar De La Hoya:

Thank you very much, Hassan, and just to remind everyone, Hassan N’Dam has a record of 31-1 with 18 knockouts. So with Lemieux’s style and Hassan’s style, it calls for again one of those terrific fights that can’t be missed.

Also, thank you very much, Hassan, for your comments. We can now open it up to the media for a couple of questions for Hassan.

Question:

The question for Hassan is: how does David Lemieux save up against some of your previous fighters? You fought Curtis Stevens. You fought Peter Quillin. What is Lemieux’s quality? Is he better than Stevens? Do you see him as better than Quillin or a notch below?

Hassan N’Dam:

Every boxer has his style and every boxer has his own strategy. Stevens’s strategy will not be the same as David Lemieux’s strategy. Boxing is a difficult sport. I respect each and every opponent that I have. Every opponent that will face me will be taken very seriously. Each fighter, the better ones and the lesser ones, are all considered equal for me when I’m going into a fight.

Question:

Yes. With the current resurgence of the middleweight division-when you talk about the middleweight division the names that come to mind are: Cotto, GGG, Lee, Quillin, Geale and now Pennello in the mix. They tend to forget two names, which are Lemieux and N’Dam. After Saturday, one of y’all’s names will be mixed with those guys. How do you all feel about that and what does it mean to you?

Hassan N’Dam:

I always look at these things the right side. I’ve always been considered as an outsider. And, I’ve always proven my skills with each and every one of my opponents. I’ve proved to everyone that I have the [indiscernible] to be where I am at that given moment after each fight.

From the moment when I started competing in world championship fights-I fought only undefeated, tough opponents and I beat them. Except for [indiscernible] and that’s the only one, but everyone knows . Today, everyone is talking about the hard-hitter facing me. But people tend to forget what I’ve done before when I’ve faced other hard-hitting boxers. One day my skills, my talent and my efforts will be recognized and acknowledged and then I’ll be in that midst.

Question:

Yes, Paul, are you still on the line?

Paul King:

Yes.

Question:

Okay, I have a question with Hassan. I know this fight was being negotiated and there was some issue-I don’t know if there were issues or just rumors of issues of the financial terms, which led to the purse. I was just wondering if you could briefly speak to that.

Paul King:

Whatever went on before, everything got sorted out. Hassan is here. He’s in camp. Golden Boy is along with us, and we’ll be in Montreal on the 20th ready to fight.

Question:

Thanks. Well, I appreciate that. I have one question for Hassan. Just how he feels about having to go to David Lemieux’s backyard. Like he said, he goes on the outside looking in. So does he just see this as one more chance to upset the odds?

Hassan N’Dam:

Everywhere I fight, I feel like it’s my backyard. I feel like I’m at home. I was born in Cameroon, but I made a name for myself in France. Today, I fight in LA like I’m at home. On June 20th, I’ll be in my room in Canada.

Question:

Okay, great. Thanks. I appreciate that. Then Oscar, I just have one question for you.I know this fight is going to be shown on Canada pay-per-view. I was just wondering if efforts are still being made to try and secure US TV for this fight.

Oscar De La Hoya:

Yes. We are talking to various networks here in the US and that’ll be sorted out. We’ll have an announcement very soon.

Question:

Okay. I know you can’t speak to any network. Are you optimistic it will be on US TV though?

Oscar De La Hoya:

It will be on US TV. Absolutely, yes.

Question:

Yes. Thank you. I’ll ask my question in French, if you don’t mind. Sorry for those who don’t understand my French. Hassan. [speaking foreign language.]

Moderator (Question):

I’ll just translate the question for everyone. So, he’s asking, he says your only defeat in your career happened against Peter Quillin. So can you go over that and tell us what have you learned from that defeat, and can you use anything against David Lemieux?

Hassan N’Dam:

I’ve explained this many times to people and this is, I hope, the last time I’ll have to explain it, because my career is moving forward and not looking backwards. I fought Peter Quillin without being prepared. I had only a three-week notice and I didn’t even do any sparring.

The only reason I took this fight with a three-week notice is because they threatened to strip me from my belt, and since I am a man, if I was to lose my title, I thought I might as well lose it in the ring.

I had no strategy to beat Peter Quillin. I just had to improvise to do-to do my own style. And fight with my heart. Which I think I did very well.

Today, this situation is very different. My team changed. My training camp is much better. I am steady in my head to do a brilliant fight.

Question:

Merci. If I could just have a second question. [Speaking foreign language.]

Moderator (Question):

He says why did he not show up at the press conference at the last minute?

Hassan N’Dam:

I was told very, very late. I had a very short notice for this press conference. My preparation was already completely scheduled. When I was told about this press conference, I was in the French Alps because I do a high altitude free training camp, and I was just about to depart for Los Angeles to continue my training camp. I didn’t want to travel a lot and get tired.

I’m preparing this fight on June 20th. That’s my main focus, is to travel to Montreal, win the title and go home with my title.

Question:

This is for Hassan. You mentioned impatience following the fight versus Curtis Stevens. How does that motivate you? Does it give you motivation going into this fight against N’Dam seeing that it’s been a while since you got back into the ring?

Basically, I just wanted-cause he said-he mentioned impatience following the fight against Stevens. Does that give him added motivation going into the fight against Lemieux?

Hassan N’Dam:

Yes, it adds up to the motivation because I finally have a name. I know the face of my opponent so I’ve been just waiting all this time.

Question:
[Speaking foreign language.]

Moderator (Question):

She says: you’re talking of yourself like a boxer that’s underestimated and what’s your strategy to beat David Lemieux?

Hassan N’Dam:

My strategy is very simple. I’m a complete boxer. David Lemieux says that he’s different than what he used to be. But I am a very complete boxer and I’m going to use all of the tools I have to beat him. That’s it.

Moderator:

At this time, we have no further questions. I’d like to turn it over to Hassan for final comments.

Hassan N’Dam:

The final comment is, you know, I know everyone is talking about the fact that I am unhappy of the purse that I am getting for the fight. Of course, I am not very happy because I’ve heard several comments coming from my opponent’s camp saying that he’s going to have the largest purse in his career. I would like the idea, rules for the purse to be respected, and that is the purse must be split at 50/50, and there’s no additional money. I don’t want to talk about that anymore, but I just hope that the rules are going to be respected.

I just have a message for David Lemieux if he is on the line. Man, you better get ready because the spot you’re in, the challenger spot you’re in, you didn’t earn it. You got it by chance, by luck. I’m going to prove to you and to the entire world that you do not have the level of [indiscernible]. When you had the chance to become mandatory challenger, you always blew your chances. That’s all I have.

Oscar De La Hoya:

Thank you very much. Paul, thank you very much, N’Dam.

And now to introduce to you Team Lemieux. I would like to say it has been a great pleasure to work with this nice young man I’ll be introducing to you. He is president of Eye of the Tiger management. That is Camille Estephan. Camille.

Camille Estephan:

Hello, everybody. Thank you, Oscar, for the wonderful work and team N’Dam for being here today, unlike the Montreal visit that didn’t happen. I’d like to thank the press for the attention they’re giving to this fight. The fight that is majorly important in a very, very hard division that’s now the middleweight division. We believe that there will be a statement made on June 20th in Montreal at the Bell Centre.

The Bell Centre will be hosting an event that will be historical. It’s historical because it will mark a great name coming up. We believe in David Lemieux to do right at making a statement. But as well, it’s a celebration of a 35-year date in 1980. June 20th, Roberto Duran fought Sugar Ray Leonard at the Olympic Stadium and won a great historical fight. So, we’re pleased and thrilled to be making history again in Montreal for the wonderful boxing fans that supported us throughout the years and I’ve been there for David. So, it’s wonderful. Thank you, Eric and Oscar, to give the opportunity to David to give back to his fans on a wonderful June 20th coming up.

I’d like to introduce you to, as well, David and bring him to say a few words. I’m very proud of the work that he’s putting in, as always, for the last few years we’ve been working together and very, very looking forward to his performance on June 20th. David.

David Lemieux:

Hello. I’m here. Very excited for this fight. I’ve been waiting for a long time to be able to face the world champion in our division and to be able to become a world champion. It is my time, and I’ve been working since I was a young kid at this to be where I am today. I’m working extremely hard. This is to-date the best camp I’ve ever had. My physical strength is much better than it ever has been.

Everything is kind of coming into perfection for this fight. I’m extremely confident in this fight and what I am to expect with Hassan N’Dam, for I understand his boxing abilities. I understand everything about him. I’ve watched him. We studied him very well. I know his strengths, and I know his weaknesses. And I know my strength, and I know my weaknesses or whatever it is. There’s nothing I am concerned about in this fight with what I am doing today and everyday.

It’s going to be a great event. It’s going to be very explosive, and hopefully, it’s going to mark a historical event in Montreal and a great fight for 2015, to give to the fans all what they want, what they need. They’ve got two top athletes in the ring, and it’s going to be great. Two hungry guys; one much hungrier than the other. But, talk is cheap. We’ll keep everything cool for the fight on June 20th.

I’m very excited and very confident. I’m looking very forward to this fight. I’m very, very happy, and to fight N’Dam when other fighters turned him down. I would never turn down any fighter if the skills are right, good or great or whatever they are. With all my abilities, I’m in total confidence with myself, with my group, with my people, and with my surroundings, and every world we’re going to take, we’re going to be together. We’re going to be strong, and we’re going to have a big army around me. I’m willing to do all the damage, and on June 20th, I’m going to open a lot of eyes. It’s going to be very exciting.

Oscar De La Hoya:

Thank you very much, David. Before we open it up to questions for the media-just want to point out that David Lemieux, you take a look at his record, which is 33-2 with 31 knockouts. He has one of the top tail percentages of any fighter today. He has an explosive style. He’s hungry. He’s determined. He’s ready to go.

This is a very important and historical at the Bell Centre. Canada will be behind this event 100%. Golden Boy Promotions is really proud to be working with Eye of the Tiger and David. This will be our first fight since signing a deal with David, so we are just thrilled, excited, and happy, to be going out there for the whole week promoting this great event in Canada.

Now we can open it up to the media for questions for David. Thank you.

Question:

Hello, everybody. Thank you. Hello, David.

David Lemieux:

Hello.

Question:

David, my question for you is related to the loss that N’Dam took against Peter Quillin. He said on his part of the call that he had only three weeks to prepare for that fight and did not spar, but the results of the fight was he got knocked down, I believe it was five times, and obviously lost the decision. The question is: you are known for your very good punching power. He was on the deck five times against the best opponent that he has faced in his career. When you think about that, or do you think about that, do you think that this is looking like another knockout for David Lemieux?

David Lemieux:

He’s a great fighter. I’m not underestimating him, and I would never compare myself to any other fighters, especially not to Peter Quillin. He’s a good fighter but my abilities are very different, and I’m sure that any athlete can get knocked down but I think when Hassan will put the glove to his knee and that bell will ring in the first round, he will never [indiscernible] with me in his entire career. But we’ll see on June 20th.

Question:

Well, when you know that he got knocked down five times, and you know the kind of power that you possess, does it make you lick your chops a little bit?

David Lemieux:

No because anybody I’m willing to go in the ring with, I’m going to hurt them regardless if it is an undefeated title who has never been knocked down or some guy who has been knocked down. To me, it makes no difference because I have one goal in my mind. It’s to destroy and to be able to do it the best way I can throughout the whole fight. If it doesn’t happen in the first round, or the fifth, or the sixth, I’ll still try to the twelfth. There’s always going to be patience from my side.

Question:

I want to ask you, I don’t know if you had a chance to see it. Did you watch the Gennady Golovkin fight on Saturday night and his performance against Willie Monroe?

David Lemieux:

No. I’m just concentrating on this fight right now. I’m not paying attention to any other boxing. Just concentrating on my fight and on my [indiscernible], and that’s it.

Question:

How big of a deal is it for you, David, that this fight is going to take place in Montreal where you, obviously, that’s your hometown? By all accounts, you’re developing a very nice fan base up there. How significant is it for you to be able to fight for one of the world titles in front of those people in Montreal?

David Lemieux:

I’m very, very happy with it. It’s a dream come true. I’m working extremely hard. My fans always supported me here from my downsides, to my upsides and to my greater side. But now I’m a different person and I’m ready to bring this title home and to be sure, for all the fans to enjoy this great night of boxing at home in our backyard and just from a walk away from home. So, it’s good for me.

Question:

Alright. Very good. David, I wish you good luck. Thank you very much.

David Lemieux:

Thank you.

Question:

Hi, David. My question is this. On N’Dam’s side of the call, he said that you didn’t earn this spot, that you were lucky. Why do you think he would say something like that and does that bother you that he said you didn’t earn, regardless of what you’ve done in your career. He says you got this by luck?

David Lemieux:

Well, that’s only going to make him look foolish when I beat him on the 20th, that’s all. There’s no luck in boxing. It’s a hard man’s work. It’s life or death in the ring. It’s not a game, and there’s no such thing as luck in boxing. I’ve earned my right to be where I am, and I will be where I want to be. So, whatever his comment is, I disregard it and I don’t concern myself with his opinion.

Question:

Yes. This question is for David. You’re one of the names that kind of get forgotton in the middleweight division and if you win on Saturday, it’s going to change dramatically. You’re going to get thrown right up there with the upper echelon of this division. What does that mean to you? What does this fight mean to you?

David Lemieux:

It’s something I’ve known, I’ve understood and I’m ready for it. My name has been in people’s ears, but it hasn’t been out there to expose potential yet. So June 20th will signify earning the right to have my name out there with the top of the world. It’s extremely important. Of course every fight is extremely important, but especially this one. It’s another degree of importance. I’m training extremely hard, and I’m not going to miss my shot.

Question:

Good answer. Is unifying the titles, is that in your future? Do you see you trying that?

David Lemieux:

Yes. Sure. I’ll fight whoever there is to fight. I’m always up for challenges, and this is what I do as a champion. This is my duty. I’ll defend whatever there is to defend. I’m always going to be fighting the best. So, I’ll be all set for that [indiscernible].

Question:

Hi, David. How are you doing today?

David Lemieux:

I’m doing great. How are you?

Question:

Good. Thank you. My question comes from Hassan’s comments at the end of his conference. Do you think he is underestimating you as a fighter or do you think it was just a comment out of disrespect for you and how does that motivate you for the fight?

David Lemieux:

I think he has no clue of whom he’s going to face on June 20th and that’s going to be to my advantage. I don’t concern myself with his opinion or what he has to say about who he has faced and the challenges I’ve had in my life and my career, whatever it is. That’s my personal issues, and I aim to prove otherwise and June 20th will be the day when I will prove that. So, I don’t concern myself with anything. I’m very focused, and I’m ready. I’m ready for anything.

Question:

Great. Another question I have for you is he has more experience in championship fights. He’s gone, I think four or five more twelve-round fights than you have. Do you think his experience or your lack of experience in the later rounds will be a disadvantage for you?

David Lemieux:

Not at all. Nothing’s going to change the scenario of the fight. My experience has been great, and I’m ready to fight anybody in the middleweight division. Whatever style they have, it’s not going to be an issue.

Question:

Hello. This is a question for Oscar. Golden Boy and you have really been delivering. Your last two fights were Matthysse, Provodnikov, and then Canelo, Kirkland. This is another great matchup between N’Dam and Lemieux. I was just wondering, I read that HBO had a pass on this fight, and I was wondering why they would pass on a great fight like this.

Cecilia Zuniga:

Hey, Karl, this is Cecilia. Oscar had to step off the call to do a quick meeting in regards to TV rights to this particular fight. So, he’s no longer on the call, unfortunately. Sorry.

Karl Freitag:

Okay. Alright. That’s all I’ve got. Thank you.

Cecilia Zuniga:

Okay. Thank you.

Question:

Yes. I’m going to ask my question in French. [Speaking foreign language.]

Moderator: [Speaking foreign language.]

David Lemieux: [Speaking foreign language.]

Moderator: [Speaking foreign language.]

Moderator:

And I would not like to turn it over to David for final comments.

David Lemieux:

June 20th is going to be a great night of boxing. For all the fans around the world, don’t miss this fight. If you blink, you might miss it. It’s going to be a great night and very explosive. I’m actually very excited and very happy to be fighting Hassan N’Dam. Thank you.

Moderator:

And I’d like to turn it over to Camille for final comments.

Camille Estephan:

Well, the stage is set, and the chips are down, and like David said, don’t blink. It’s going to be an explosive fight that is made for the fans. Golden Boy has, like you guys mentioned, been putting on great fights that are extremely competitive, and this is one that is very promising. We’re working very hard on making sure that it will be a wonderful event for the Montreal fans with great explosive fireworks in the ring. So don’t miss it. Thank you very much.

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David Lemieux vs. Hassan N’Dam is a 12-round fight for the vacant IBF
Middleweight World Championship presented by Eye of the Tiger Management and Golden Boy Promotions in association with Evenko. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. ET and the first bell rings at 6:45 p.m. ET. The live Canadian PPV telecast airs at 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT.

Tickets start at $70 (CAD), taxes and service charges included, are on sale now at www.evenko.ca and at the Bell Centre box office. For further information, please visit us at and www.eottm.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.evenko.ca or call 1-855-310-2525. Follow us on Twitter @Lemieuxboxing, @EOTMVD, @GoldenBoyBoxing and @evenko.

LOS ANGELES (May 22) – Golden Boy Live! on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes returns to Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love, on Tuesday, June 30 for a special night of boxing from the 2300Arena. In the main event, current USNBC Light Heavyweight Champion Vyacheslav “Lion Heart – Chingonskyy” Shabranskyy (13-0, 11 KOs) of Los Angeles is scheduled for a 10-round light heavyweight bout. In the co-main event, east coast undefeated rising star, D’Mitrius Ballard (9-0, 8 KOs) of Washington D.C., will fight in an eight-round light heavyweight matchup. Opening up the telecast Lamont Roach Jr. (7-0, 3 KOs) will face Christian Santibanez (3-4, 2 KOs) of San Antonio, Texas in a six-round lightweight event.

In the non-televised undercard, in a trio of respective six-round bouts, super featherweight Kevin “K-Smoove” Rivers, Jr. (11-0, 8 KOs) of Cheverly, Maryland, super lightweight Damon Allen (6-0, 2 KOs) of Philadelphia, and lightweight Victor Vasquez (18-9-1, 8 KOs) also of Philadelphia. Opening up the night, South Korea native Gang Yong Kim (4-1) fights in his adopted hometown of Philly in a four-round lightweight bout. Opponents for all fights will be announced shortly.

Tickets for the event are priced at $50 and $75 and are on sale now by calling (215) 568-2400, (215) 364-9000 or (215) 765-0922, online at www.wanatix.com or www.peltzboxing.com, and at the 2300Arena, 2300 S. Swanson St., Philadelphia, PA 19148.

“Golden Boy Promotions is happy to return to Philadelphia for this exciting night of fights on June 30,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Founder and President of Golden Boy Promotions. “Philadelphia is a fight fan’s town, with a rich boxing history, so I’m thrilled to return to the city for this event for Golden Boy Live!”

“I am excited to be fighting as the main event for Golden Boy Live! on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes,” said Vyacheslav Shabranskyy. “This will be my first headlining event and I am ready to entertain and prove to all the fans in Philadelphia that I am worthy of my title and am a serious contender in the light heavyweight division.”

Coming off of an impressive technical knockout victory over Fabiano Pena to gain the USNBC Light Heavyweight title on March 12, Vyacheslav “Lion Heart – Chigonskyy” Shabranskyy is looking to continue his winning streak in 2015. A native of Zhytomyr, Ukraine and now making his home in Los Angeles, Shabranskyy is a powerful puncher who put together an impressive 2014 campaign, facing and quickly defeating: Lamont Williams, Paul Vasquez, Michael Gbenga, Demetrius Walker, Emil Gonzalez and Garrett Wilson.

A decorated amateur star, the professional run of D’Mitrius Ballard thus far has been nothing short of spectacular. Just 22 years old, Ballard has shown power, speed and ring generalship while exciting fans from New York to Texas to his home of Washington, D.C. Coming off a 70- second knockout of Jason Zabokrtsky in March, Ballard is chasing after more spectacular finishes this year.

Nineteen-year-old lightweight phenom Lamont Roach Jr. has been a dazzling force in the ring following an impressive amateur career and as he piles up the wins, boxing insiders see him as a young man with world championship potential. Looking to test himself once again in his return to the 2300 Arena where he stopped Herbert Quartey in January, Roach is ready for anyone placed in front of him in the ring.

Undefeated since his professional debut in 2012, Kevin “K-Smoove” Rivers, Jr. of Cheverly, Maryland is eager to get back in the ring after an impressive technical knockout victory over Stephon McIntyre in January of this year. The fighter has been steadily moving up the ranks accumulating wins over other stand-out prospects, Xavier Montelongo and Karl Garcia in 2014. Now the 24-year-old fighter is ready to continue his winning streak in his second fight of 2015.

Damon Allen of Philadelphia is a relative newcomer to the sweet science. Allen last fought in 2014 respectively defeating Antony Linenfelser via technical knockout and Hector Marengo via unanimous decision. A professional boxer since 2012, the 20-year old will be making his 2015 debut after a year out of the ring.

Philadelphia native Victor Vasquez is an experienced fighter looking to impress in his second fight of 2015. The lightweight fighter was last seen in the ring in March, defeating Jose L. Guzman via fourth-round technical knockout. The fighter is looking to keep the momentum going and add another win to his record when he fights on June 30.

Gang Yong Kim, a Philly transplant from South Korea, is a newcomer to the sport who was last seen in his USA debut at the 2300 Arena on May 8, defeating Edgardo Torres via unanimous decision. The 26-year-old fighter will be looking to impress the fans of his new hometown when he faces a new foe in a four-round lightweight bout at the 2300 Arena.

The June 30 event featuring Vyacheslav Shabranskyy is a 10-round light heavyweight bout promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Joe Hand Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra and Mexico – Live It To Believe It! Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and the first bell rings at 7:00 p.m. The FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes broadcast airs live at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.FOXSports.com/FOXSports1, www.FOXDeportes.com, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @FOXSports, @FOXSports1, @FOXDeportes, @JoeHandPromo and, become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page, www.facebook.com/FOXDeportes, www.facebook.com/JoeHandPromotionsand visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @JoeHandPromo

Las Vegas ? UFC® is pleased to announce the renewal of a multi-year partnership with DISH Network L.L.C. to continue providing all of the biggest and most anticipated UFC Pay-Per-View (PPV) events of the year to DISH’s approximately 14 million customers. The agreement will provide UFC fans the opportunity to tune in, this Saturday, May 23 for an epic night of fights, featuring two championship bouts on UFC® 187: JOHNSON vs. CORMIER at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Terms of the deal were not made public.

The new agreement was announced by Marshall Zelaznik, UFC Chief Content Officer: “We are thrilled that DISH will continue to carry UFC PPV events and featured content. Together with DISH we will continue to deliver all of our premium content for years to come.”

For the upcoming schedule, go to: http://www.mydish.com/pay-per-view/sports-and-events/mma

Tickets for UFC® 187: JOHNSON vs. CORMIER are on sale online at www.ticketmaster.com and by phone at (800) 745-3000. Tickets are also available at MGM Resorts International box office. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person.

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About UFC

UFC® is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Singapore and Sao Paulo, 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 134 countries and territories to over 700 million TV households worldwide in 21 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT® (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, UFC branded apparel, DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

About DISH

DISH Network Corp. (NASDAQ: DISH), through its subsidiaries, provides approximately 13.978 million pay-TV subscribers, as of Dec. 31, 2014, with the highest-quality programming and technology with the most choices at the best value. Subscribers enjoy a high definition line-up with more than 200 national HD channels, the most international channels, and award-winning HD and DVR technology. DISH Network Corporation is a Fortune 250 company. Visit www.dish.com.

Farewell, Friday Night Fights: Boxing Series Airs Finale Tonight

What was it like condensing 17 years of FNF into a video essay?
Joe Tessitore: “It’s always harder to write shorter than longer, add in the fact that this production, and this crew, and many in the boxing business attached to this show have been like family to me and it was nearly impossible to cross the line of knowingly not mentioning, thanking or any other necessary litany that could be created. I wanted to simply identify the DNA of the series and I hope we did that. Our senior coordinating producer Matt Sandulli was very helpful in giving me the freedom to express what I wanted to.”

For the past 17 years, ESPN Friday Night Fights, which will celebrate its final show tonight with the highly anticipated finals of Boxcino 2015 (10 p.m. ET, ESPN2), showcased some of the best bouts in the boxing industry and introduced fans to future stars and champions.

ESPN began televising boxing April 10, 1980, making the sport a weekly television staple again for the first time since 1964. Beginning this summer, Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN (PBC on ESPN), will bring boxing to a new level never seen before on the network when the series debuts July 11 (ESPN, 9 p.m.)

Tonight’s telecast will include a special video essay written and voiced by longtime blow-by-blow commentator Joe Tessitore in which he summarizes what Friday Night Fights has meant to the fan and boxing community over the last 17 years. ESPN.com and Friday Night Fights contributor Nigel Collins also looks back at the series.

ESPNFrontRow.com caught up with ESPN senior coordinating producer Matt Sandulli, who has overseen ESPN’s boxing production for the last nine years, for more insight. Read full Q&A

— 30 —

Corona, California (May 22, 2015)–Tonight at the Omega Products Outdoor Arena, John Thompson (16-1, 5 KO’s) looks to win the Boxcino Jr. Middlweight championship when he takes on Brandon Adams in the finale of ESPN Friday Night Fights.

Thompson weighed in at a ready 153.2 at Thursday’s weigh in and he looks in prime shape to not only win the title but enter the world rankings.

“John has been really working hard in Virginia. This is his 2nd training camp down there and after his layoff we have really seen the improvement and his confidence,”said Thompson’s promoter Vito Mielnicki of GH3 Promotions.

Thompson, who literally entered the tournament at the last second when Cleotis Pendarvis failed to make weight for his opening round bout with Ricardo Pinnel. Thompson went out and boxed very soundly to win the unanimous decision.

In his semifinal bout with previously undefeated Stanyslav Skorokhod, Thompson peppered the undefeated Ukrainian fr.om the outside and mixed it up on the iniside en route to winning the split decision on April 10 in Bethlehem, PA.

Now Thompson will take on the Boxcino veteran Adams with the eye on becoming a major player in the crowded Jr. Middleweight division

“I have believed in John since day one. A lot of people jumped off the bandwagon since his loss to Frank Galarza. But I always knew he had the ability to compete at the highest level and tonight he will prove that I am excited for not only tonight but the future of John. He is just 26 and is best boxing is ahead of him,” finished Mielnicki

Photo By Emily Harney / Banner Promotions

GH3 Promotions features undefeated Middleweight Antoine Douglas, Super Middleweight’s Jerry Odom & Derrick Webster, undefeated Super Bantamweight Adam Lopez as well as Jr. Middleweight John Thompson, Jr., undefeated Welterweight Jerrell Harris,undefeated Super Bantamweight Qa’id Muhammad, undefeated lightweight Oscar Bonilla, Heavyweight Natu Visinia and Light Heavyweight Lavarn Harvell to the GH3 Promotions stable.

Before they battle it out in Brooklyn, click here or below to watch Amir Khan and Chris Algieri face off on the Lip Sync Battle stage featuring host LL COOL J and Colorful Commentator Chrissy Teigen.

The highly anticipated Amir Khan vs. Chris Algieri fight takes place Friday, May 29th at 9:00pm ET/6:00pm PT LIVE on Spike.

Amir Khan vs. Chris Algieri – “Mama Said Knock You Out”

Friday, May 29th – 9 ET/ 6PT
PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS
at Barclays Center LIVE ON SPIKE
Amir Khan vs. Chris Algieri
Javier Fortuna vs. Bryan Vasquez

Las Vegas – One of the most intense rivalries in the history of The Ultimate Fighter® will be settled once and for all as powerhouse gyms American Top Team (ATT) and the Blackzilians battle it out for South Florida bragging rights. The Ultimate Fighter: American Top Team vs. Blackzilians finale will take place Sunday, July 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas to close out the 2015 International Fight Week activities.

The main event will feature two of the welterweight division’s top strikers as ninth-ranked Jake Ellenberger (30-9, fighting out of Lake Forest, Calif.) clashes with standup sensation Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson (10-1, fighting out of Simpsonville, S.C.). Ellenberger has 20 knockouts including 13 first-round finishes on his resume, in addition to a stellar wrestling pedigree to help in countering Thompson’s 52-0 professional kickboxing record.

Additionally, hard-hitting No. 15 lightweight contender Jorge Masvidal (28-9, fighting out of Miami, Fla.) will move up to welterweight and welcome The Ultimate Fighter Brazil season 1 winner, Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt Cezar “Mutante” Ferreira (9-4, fighting out of Belo Horizonte, Brazil) to the 170-pound division.

Also, former Invicta FC atomweight champion Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson (12-4, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) will make her promotional debut against The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned competitor Angela Magana (11-7, fighting out of Phuket, Thailand).

Also scheduled for the card:
· Looking to make it five consecutive wins, Caio Magalhaes (9-1, fighting out of Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil) takes on Josh Samman (11-3, fighting out of Tallahassee, Fla.), a winner of back-to-back second-round knockout victories.

· Plus, submission specialist Trevor “Hot Sauce” Smith (12-6, fighting out of Tukwila, Wash.) meets Dan Miller (14-7, 1NC, fighting out of Whippany, N.J.) as he makes a return to the Octagon for the first time since 2013.

For more information or current fight news, visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

Tickets for THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER® FINALE: AMERICAN TOP TEAM vs. BLACKZILIANS go on sale Friday, May 29 at 10 a.m. PT and are priced at $178, $128, $93, and $78. Tickets are available for purchase at www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call (888) 929-7849. Tickets also are available at the MGM Grand Garden Arena box office. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.

UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Wednesday, May 27 at 10 a.m. PT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, May 28 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER® FINALE: AMERICAN TOP TEAM vs. BLACKZILIANS will air live on FOX Sports 1 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on Sunday, July 12, with the prelims kicking off the evening on FOX Sports 1 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

About UFC®

UFC® is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Singapore and Sao Paulo, 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 134 countries and territories to over 700 million TV households worldwide in 21 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT® (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, UFC branded apparel, DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

About MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
MGM Grand Hotel & Casino is “The Entertainment Authority,” creating the ultimate Las Vegas experience. The hotel features the astonishing KÀ by Cirque du Soleil; Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club; master illusionist David Copperfield and world-class entertainment at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. MGM Grand offers signature restaurants by celebrity chefs including Tom Colicchio’s Craftsteak, Michael Mina’s PUB 1842, Emeril Lagasse’s New Orleans Fish House, Wolfgang Puck’s Bar & Grill and Michelin three star and Forbes Five-Star restaurant, Joël Robuchon. The resort recently remodeled all rooms and suites in its main tower and launched the industry’s first-ever STAY WELL Collection. MGM Grand is home to many of today’s hottest DJs including Tiësto, Calvin Harris and Steve Aoki who share residencies between Hakkasan Las Vegas Restaurant and Nightclub and WET REPUBLIC, The Strip’s hottest day life destination. The hotel also features a state-of-the-art, non-smoking Five Green Key conference center, the Grand Spa, Cristophe Salon and an inviting six-acre pool complex. Upscale accommodations include SKYLOFTS at MGM Grand, an exclusive boutique luxury hotel within the hotel and The Signature at MGM Grand, a luxury all-suite, non-gaming hotel located adjacent to the main resort. MGM Grand is a wholly owned subsidiary of MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM). For more information and reservations, visit mgmgrand.com, call toll free at (877) 880-0880 or find us on Facebook and Twitter.

22 May 2015 – Singapore: Asia’s largest mixed martial arts organization with a 90% market share, ONE Championship™ (ONE), made a triumphant return to Singapore with another spectacular evening of world-class mixed martial arts. ONE: WARRIOR’S QUEST delighted fans to a night of heart-thumping action, as the best fighters from all across Asia and the entire world went to battle inside the ONE cage. In the main event, Shinya Aoki defeated Koji Ando to remain the ONE Lightweight World Champion. Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichok became the ONE Strawweight World Champion after beating Roy Doliguez of the Philippines.

Visit the official ONE: WARRIOR’S QUEST photo gallery by clicking:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ogw4tb66e3467d5/AABAVUM5CDb9aMVF3VZN7O0Da?dl=0

Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki retained his ONE Lightweight World Championship with a victory over Japanese compatriot Koji “The Commander” Ando. It was a calculated start from both fighters in the first two rounds, but action picked up in the third when Aoki shot for a takedown and a near-submission. The fourth round was all Aoki as the seasoned grappler spent five minutes smothering Ando on the ground. The fifth round saw much of the same action as Aoki cruised to a unanimous decision.

In a contest for the inaugural ONE Strawweight World Championship, Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichok overcame his toughest challenge yet, in the form of Filipino Boxing champion Roy Doliguez. For the entire fight, both Dejdamrong and Doliguez blasted each other with powerful strikes. Dejdamrong found consistent success with his Muay Thai while Doliguez opted to shoot for takedowns while countering with his world-class Boxing. By the end of the fourth, both fighters were completely exhausted but somehow found a way to fight on. In the fifth, the heated exchanges proved too much for Doliguez as he was deemed unable to continue. Dejdamrong was crowned champion after the fight went to a decision.

A highly-anticipated matchup between featherweights Ev Ting and Marat Gafurov ended in spectacular fashion, with Gafurov continuing his unbeaten streak with another tremendous submission victory over a high-level opponent. Gafurov made quick work of Ting, completely dominating the Malaysian fighter with his incredible skills on the ground. Towards the end of the first round, Gafurov was able to lock in a very deep rear naked choke that sealed the deal.

Hawaii’s Lowen Tynanes dominated Kuat Khamitov for three rounds in a gruelling lightweight bout. A fairly timid first round saw Tynanes stalk an overly defensive Khamitov. Action picked up in the second as Tynanes was able to close the gap on Khamitov with a few successful takedowns. In the third, Tynanes banked on his superior wrestling ability to smother Khamitov on the mat with vicious ground and pound. All three judges were in favor of Tynanes via unanimous decision.

In a close-quarters battle, elite mixed martial artists Eddie Ng and Ariel Sexton went to war inside the ONE cage in an absolute epic. The end result was an impeccable submission victory by the tenacious Sexton, who put his entire offensive arsenal on display against his toughest opponent yet. In the first round, Sexton pressed Ng against the cage as Ng remained dangerous, countering with quick punches and kicks. As the tension built up in the second, Sexton turned to his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and after taking Ng to the mat, secured a rear naked choke to force Ng to tap out.

In an intense featherweight encounter, Shannon Wiratchai and Amir Khan took to the cage to go shot for shot, bringing the crowd to the edge of their seats in excitement. In the end, Wiratchai did just enough to defeat Khan, earning a hard-fought split decision. All three rounds were immensely heated as Khan and Wiratchai traded devastating blows, with each fighter having their moments. Although Khan scored on a couple of takedowns, Wiratchai showcased a tremendous variety of strikes and did just enough to claim victory.

Angela Lee made a successful ONE Championship debut with an electrifying submission finish over Aya Saeid Saber. The highly-regarded fighter from Hawaii showcased her powerful striking to the delight of the hometown crowd. It also didn’t take long for Lee to prove her mettle on the ground, as she took Saber down with a Koshi Guruma and transitioned into an armbar that caused Saber to tap out.

In an impressive display of striking and wrestling, A La Teng Hei Li defeated Singapore’s Stephen Langdown by referee stoppage, using multiple takedowns to dominate the first round while doing damage on the ground. In the second, Li increased his aggression with his striking, leaving the referee with no choice but to stop the bout as Langdown could not defend against the onslaught. Li was awarded with the TKO victory.

Making his professional MMA debut, 19-year old Benedict Ang figured in a tough scrap against opponent Waqar Umar, putting in three solid rounds en-route to a unanimous decision victory. Ang took the fight straight to Umar, scoring on various takedowns and near submissions. Umar played defense most of the fight while Ang used his superior wrestling to control the action and earn the judges’ nod.

Two energetic flyweights kicked off the action at ONE: WARRIOR’S QUEST. Yang Jian Bing defeated Ali Yaakub in the second round, after using his mat skills for the majority of the fight to secure an armbar submission.

Official results for ONE: WARRIOR’S QUEST
ONE Lightweight World Championship bout: Shinya Aoki defeats Koji Ando by Unanimous Decision
ONE Strawweight World Championship bout: Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichok defeats Roy Doliguez by Unanimous Decision
Featherweight bout: Marat Gafurov defeats Ev Ting by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 4:30 minutes of round 1
Lightweight bout: Lowen Tynanes defeats Kuat Khamitov by Unanimous Decision
Lightweight bout: Ariel Sexton defeats Eddie Ng by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 1:10 minutes of round 2
Featherweight bout: Shannon Wiratchai defeats Amir Khan by Split Decision
Women’s Strawweight bout: Angela Lee defeats Aya Saeid Saber by Submission (Armbar) at 1:43 minutes of round 1
Bantamweight bout: A La Teng Hei Li defeats Stephen Langdown by TKO (Strikes) at 0:51 minutes of round 2
Featherweight bout: Benedict Ang defeats Waqar Umar by Unanimous Decision
Flyweight bout: Yang Jian Bing defeats Ali Yaakub by Submission (Armbar) at 0:49 minutes of round 2

In case you missed the action log on to www.onefc.com/livestream for the full replay of the fights at only US $9.99.

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

About ONE Championship™
With a 90%+ market share in Asia, ONE Championship™ is Asia’s largest Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organization. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship™ has partnered with FOX and STAR Sports for an unprecedented 10-year cable television deal with a coverage that spans 70+ countries across the world.

22
June 6: Miguel Cotto vs. Daniel Geale – Live on HBO at 10:30 p.m.

June 13: Nicholas Walters vs. Miguel Marriaga & Felix Verdejo vs. Ivan Najera – Live on HBO at 10 p.m.

June 27: Timothy Bradley Jr. vs. Jessie Vargas – Live on HBO at 9:45 p.m.

July 25: Sergey Kovalev vs. Nadjib Mohammedi – Live on HBO at 10 p.m.

All times are ET/PT.

LONDON (22 May) – Boxing has enjoyed an incredible year in 2015 with BoxNation at the forefront having screened the biggest and best fights around.

In the past few weeks alone ‘The Channel of Champions’ has shown some of the highest viewed fights in years live and exclusive including the thrilling toe-to-toe war between Lucas Matthysse and Ruslan Provodnikov, heavyweight legend Wladimir Klitschko’s defence of his world titles against Bryant Jennings, Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez’s brutal knockout of James Kirkland and Kazakh ace Gennady Golovkin’s stunning win over Willie Monroe Jr.

Those eye-catching battles will undoubtedly go down among the top highlights of a remarkable year with BoxNation set to keep delivering with an unbelievable value-for-money lineup over the summer.

The non-stop live boxing action starts tonight when Russian kingpin Alexander Povetkin takes on the Cork based Cuban Mike Perez as both slug it out to see who will compete for the charismatic Deontay Wilder’s WBC heavyweight world title next up.

Then, next Friday night, live from the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn, one of boxing’s most exciting fighters is back when British welterweight star Amir Khan takes on Chris Algieri as he looks to get his name into the Floyd Mayweather sweepstakes for September.

28-year-old Khan is coming-off a dazzling display against the tricky Devon Alexander in his last matchup but will have to be at his best against former champion Algieri who is fighting in his hometown under respected new head trainer John David Jackson.

A host of top fights keep coming on BoxNation when Puerto Rican idol Miguel Cotto takes on former two-time world champion Daniel Geale in a bout that could lead to a superfight for the victor.

Four-weight world champion Cotto has enjoyed a revival under Hall of Fame coach Freddie Roach and is looking more dangerous than ever as he eyes a showdown with Canelo Alvarez should he prevail on June 6th.

Featherweight assassin and reigning WBA Super champion Nicholas Walters will be out a week later on June 13th as he puts his title on the line against knockout king Miguel Marriaga.

The Columbian holds a win over the unbeaten Walters in the amateurs, with the Jamaican hitter out for revenge and looking to continue his fine form that has seen him destroy 2012 Fighter of the Year Nonito Donaire last October.

Top welterweight Tim Bradley is hoping to cement his name at the pinnacle of the 147 pound division but will have his work cut out against rising American Jessie Vargas who goes up against the experienced 31-year-old in his breakout fight.

Vargas is mentored by fight legend Roy Jones Jr, having once trained under the Mayweather banner, and is well aware that a win over Bradley will catapult him to the top of the division.

Plus, on July 11th from the Manchester Velodrome, lightweight Terry Flanagan will have home advantage as he challenges for the vacant WBO world title against Jose Zepeda.

Both men are undefeated but Manchester born Flanagan, with a record of 27-0, will look to capitalise on fighting in front of his home crowd against 25-year-old big-hitting Zepeda, who has knocked out 20 opponents in his 23 wins.

There is even more big-hitting to come on BoxNation when one of the world’s most feared knockout artists Sergey Kovalev defends his prized WBA, WBO and IBF light-heavyweight titles against Frenchman Nadjib Mohammedi.

The 175-pound hitman has made light work of his previous 27 opponents, putting 24 of them to sleep along the way, and will be out to do much of the same against Mohammedi as he eyes a megafight with rival Adonis Stevenson in the near future.

Jim McMunn, Managing Director of BoxNation, said: “BoxNation is enjoying an amazing year with a host of record breaking fights having been screened live and exclusive on the channel. 2015 has already witnessed some unbelievable matchups and things just get better on BoxNation with a jam-packed summer schedule featuring the biggest and best names around. BoxNation continuously looks to deliver the best fights from around the world at a genuinely affordable and value-for-money price for our subscribers. The next few weeks on BoxNation is truly a fight fan’s dream.”

To subscribe to BoxNation (on Sky/Virgin/TalkTalk/ Livesport.tv/Apps) for just £12 a month please visit boxnation.com.

-Ends-
About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £12* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

BoxNation is proud to support Fight for Peace, a charity that uses boxing and martial arts combined with education and personal development to realise the potential of young people in communities that suffer from crime and violence. Buy LUTA (www.luta.co.uk) clothing and support Fight for Peace.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Collazo and Mayweather vs Maidana.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.525), online at Livesport.tv and via apps (ios, Android). BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.

Juan Dominguez 122.5 – Mario Antonio Macias 124
Antuwyan Aikens 175 – Edgar Perez 183
Gervonta Davis 132 – Alberto Mora 130
Keenan Smith ??? – Luis Rodriguez 142
John Magda 168 – Miguel Angel Munguia 166
Bryant Perella 152 – German Perez 157
Kareem Martin 150 – Donald Sanchez 150
Jermonta Clark 150 – Jonathan Garcia 152
Carlos Gongora 170 – Efigenio Perez 174

Promoters: King’s Promotions and DeeLee Promotions
Venue: The Claridge
1st Bell: 6:45 / Doors at 6:00 PM ET

Tickets can be purchased for $100, $75 and $50 by clicking www.claridge.eventbrite.com or by calling call 610 587 5950 or 609 868 4243

Andrey Fedosov 220.5 – Donovan Dennis 219
(Boxcino Heavyweight championship)
John Thompson 153.2 – Brandon Adams 154.7
(Boxcino Jr. Middleweight championship)
Fernando Fuentes 122 – Isaac Zarate 122
Angel Martinez 131.8 – Andres Fabian Figueroa 132.2
Richard Tallmadge 118.4 – Humberto Rubalcava 120.7
Isaac Freeman 146.5 – Danny Leon 146.1
Adam Lopez 122.9 – Miguel Tamayo 121

Promoters: Banner Promotions & Thompson Boxing
Venue: Omega Products International Outdoor Arena
TV: ESPN 2 (10 PM ET/7 PM PT)
1st bell: 6:15 PT

“Knockout Night at the D”
Friday, May 22, 2015
Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, the D Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada

CBS Sports Network, Same-Day Tape Delay
Doors 6:30pm, First Bell 7:30pm
Championship Title Boxing/Square Ring Boxing

Richard Commey, 135 vs. Bahodir Mamadjonov, 134.4
vacant IBF Inter-Continental Lightweight Title

Arif Magomedov, 161 vs. Darnell Boone, 157
Jesus Gutierrez, 138 vs. Angel Hernandez, 133.4
Kimdo Boykin, 225 vs. Keith Barr, 215.4
Michael Gaxiola, 126.8 vs. Salvador Lopez, 126

TORONTO | NEW YORK (May 21, 2015) – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, continues its loaded week of live fights this weekend, building off the momentum of live telecasts of ONE Championship: Warrior’s Quest and Hard Knocks Fighting 43 on Friday, May 21.

Poland-based MMA powerhouse KSW returns on Saturday, May 22 at 2 p.m. ET, as KSW 31: Materla vs. Drwal emanates from Gdansk’s Ergo Arena, headlined by a clash for the KSW middleweight title, as Polish compatriots Michal Materla (21-4) and Tomasz Drwal (21-4-1) vie for 185-pound supremacy.

Fight Network’s live broadcast of KSW 31: Materla vs. Drwal will air on Cablevision’s Optimum TV, Grande Communications, Shentel Cable and Armstrong Cable in the U.S., nationwide in Canada, Roku devices across North America, and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

The KSW light heavyweight title is also on the line as Slovakian former Bellator kingpin Attila Vegh (29-5-2) battles Croatian former UFC contender Goran Reljic (14-4)

In another blockbuster pairing, Polish strongman Mariusz Pudzianowski (8-3) faces one of his toughest career tests against submission ace Rolles Gracie (8-3).

In other featured bouts, Polish heavyweight Karol Bedorf (11-2) meets seasoned Australian striker Peter Graham (10-8), Brazilian UFC veteran Jay Silva (9-9-1) throws down with Germany’s Aziz Karaoglu (7-6) in middleweight action, Polish light heavyweights Tomasz Narkun (9-2) and Karol Celinski (12-5-1) are on a collision course, plus Kamil Szymuszowski (12-4) and Maciej Jewtuszko (11-2) meet in a clash of top Polish welterweights.

Following KSW 31: Materla vs. Drwal, the attention shifts to the sport’s biggest stage, as UFC 187: Johnson vs. Cormier airs live on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET from Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena.

But first, Fight Network presents the UFC 187 Weigh-ins Live on Friday, May 21 at 7 p.m. ET, as middleweight champion Chris Weidman and challenger Vitor Belfort tip the scales in Las Vegas, plus Anthony “Rumble” Johnson and Daniel Cormier go toe-to-toe ahead of their vacant light heavyweight title showdown.

On Saturday, May 22, Fight Network has all the pre-fight coverage leading into the highly anticipated event with the UFC 187 Pre-Show Live at 7 p.m. ET, featuring previews, predictions and analysis.

Post-fight coverage, highlights, reactions and the live press conference will air immediately following the event on Fight Network’s UFC 187 Post-Show Live.

In addition to all the live pre and post-fight coverage, Fight Network is the Canadian destination for UFC library content, specials and series, including UFC Unleashed, UFC Now, UFC Ultimate Insider and classic UFC PPV events. All airings are listed at tv.fightnetwork.com.

On Sunday, May 23, live kickboxing will take over the airwaves at 3 p.m. ET, as Enfusion Live 28 emanates from Amsterdam, Holland.

The event will feature a one-night, single-elimination -70 kg tournament. In opening round bouts, Turkey’s Tayfun Ozcan and Fatih Ozkan battle Morocco’s Redouan Larkoubi and Aziz Kallah, respectively.

Additionally, Dutch female stars Rachel Adamus and Sheena Widdershoven will vie for the Enfusion -67 kg world championship.

For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit tv.fightnetwork.com and follow on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.

SALINAS, CALIF. (May 21) – Shining a light on homegrown talent, Golden Boy Live! on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes will bring a thrilling night of boxing featuring top local prospects set to hit the Salinas Storm House on June 26. In the main event, Fairfield standout Alan Sanchez (15-3-1, 8 KOs) will battle Canadian welterweight titlist Steve Claggett (21-3-1, 14 KOs) for the vacant IBA Americas Welterweight title in a 10-round bout.

In the co-main event, Salinas-native Paul “El Gallo Negro” Mendez (18-2, 9 KOs) will take on David “The Destroyer” Lopez (41-15-1, 25 KOs) of Nogales, Mexico in a 10-round super middleweight bout. In a televised six-round lightweight bout, Andy “The Shark” Vences (11-0, 7 KOs) of San Jose, Calif. will face Santiago “El Lobito” Guevara (8-1, 3 KOs) of Los Angeles, Calif. Fighting for airtime, Oscar “El Tigre” Godoy (13-4, 6 KOs) of Watsonville, Calif. will fight in a six-round welterweight bout against an opponent to be announced.

Featured in non-televised match-ups, Oscar Rojas (0-2) of Salinas, Calif. will take on a soon-to-be-announced opponent in a four-round lightweight bout, and Salinas-native Josue Lugo will make his professional debut against Andrew Tinae (0-3) of San Ardo, CA in a four-round heavyweight bout.

Also on the non-televised undercard two sets of brothers and Salinas-natives will fight in special amateur bouts. First Pete Tavarez (55-5) will take on Alda Alfaro (15-2) in a super flyweight bout and Andy Tavarez (40-10) will face Angel Alfaro (30-10) in a strawweight fight.

Tickets for the event go on sale today and are priced at $40, $50, $65 and $125 for VIP and are available online at www.pacopresentsboxing.com or by calling (831) 261-3214.

“This fight will allow the winner to take their career to the next step.” said Oscar De La Hoya, Founder and President of Golden Boy Promotions. “Claggett, is coming off of a tough win in Calgary, and Sanchez is determined to get back in the ring and prove himself as a top contender. This fight will be an edge-of-your-seat, can’t miss fight in Salinas.”

“After a successful, undefeated year in 2014, I am ready to continue my current winning streak and start this year off strong,” said Alan Sanchez. “Claggett will be a tough opponent. He is a smart and experienced fighter, but I have faced seasoned fighters before and will be ready for him. Having my fans in from Fairfield will give me the extra motivation I need to secure victory against Claggett and show the world that I have what it takes to become a champion.”

“Sanchez has proven himself in the ring and will be a tough opponent,” said Steve Claggett. “I have had two good fights this year and have what it takes to defeat Sanchez. This fight will be a good one but ultimately will show my fans why I am the reigning Canadian title holder and will be the next American title holder.”

Hailing from Fairfield, Calif., Alan Sanchez is a Mexican-American professional boxer, who has come a long way in just 19 fights, defeating the likes of top-level foes like Ed Paredes, Jose Luis Ramirez Jr., Jorge Silva, Miguel Angel Munguia, Manuel Leyva and Artemio Reyes. Making his professional debut in June of 2009, Sanchez has quickly garnered attention for himself as a fast-rising boxing prospect. He will now contend for his first title against Steve Claggett on June 26.

Current Canadian welterweight champion Steve Claggett made his professional debut in September 2008 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He quickly rose through the ranks amassing an impressive number of wins throughout his career, culminating with the Canada welterweight title victory over Tebor Brosch at the Deerfoot Inn & Casino in his hometown of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Claggett will now look to add the American IBA welterweight title to his list of achievements as he hopes to overcome Alan Sanchez at the Salinas Storm House next month.

Paul “El Gallo Negro” Mendez is a 26-year old fighter from Delano, Calif., is the current IBA middleweight titleholder, defeating Ernesto Berrospe at the Cache Creek Casino Resort in Brooks, Calif. in January 2015 and successfully defended his title against Berrospe again in April. Mendez will look to continue his current four-win streak as he goes up against Alonso Lopez in Salinas.

Hailing from Nogales, Mexico, Alonso “The Destroyer” Lopez, is an experienced fighter with over 50 fights under his belt. Starting his professional career in 1995, the 37-year-old fighter is no afraid of a challenge and has recently faced Don George, Jose Uzcategui and Marcos Reyes. Now the Nogales native is looking to add another win to his record when he faces Mendez on June 26.

Undefeated since his professional debut in 2012, Andy “The Shark” Vences is looking to continue his winning streak when he faces Santiago Guevara on June 26. A native of San Jose, Calif., the relative new comer has already taken out seasoned fighters Adolfo Landeros and has won his two last fights via knockout against Sergio Najera and Cesar Valenzuela.

Santiago “El Lobito” Guevara is a rising undefeated lightweight prospect that has been moving up the boxing ranks since his professional debut in 2011 and has consistently stayed busy, most recently defeating Erick Aguirre and Rocco Espinoza in 2014 and fought Carlos Morales this past March in a close six-round battle. Now, Guevara is looking to get back on the winning streak in his second fight of the year when he faces Vences on June 26.

Sanchez vs. Claggett is a 10-round bout for the vacant IBA Americas Welterweight Title. It is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Don Chargin Productions, Paco Presents Boxing and Jorge Marron Productions and sponsored by Corona Extra and Mexico – Live It To Believe It! Doors open at 5:00 p.m. and the first bell rings at 5:30 p.m. The FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes broadcast airs live at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.pacopresentsboxing.com, www.FOXSports.com/FOXSports1, www.FOXDeportes.com, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @PacoPresentsBox, @FOXSports, @FOXSports1, @FOXDeportes and, become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page, www.facebook.com/PacoPresentsBoxing, www.facebook.com/FOXDeportes and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, and @PacoPresentsBox.

ESPN2, ESPN3 and ESPN Deportes will present exclusive coverage in the U.S. of the 12-round WBC World Heavyweight title eliminator between contenders Alexander Povetkin (28-1-1, 20 KOs) and Mike Pérez (21-1-0, 13 KOs) on Friday, May 22. The winner will become the mandatory challenger for Deontay Wilder’s heavyweight belt. The card, from Moscow is presented by K2 Promotions.

ESPN3 will carry the fight live and will also include additional live undercard bouts beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET. ESPN2 will televise the fight on tape-delay at 9 p.m. leading into the Boxcino 2015 finals on the series finale of ESPN Friday Night Fights. ESPN Deportes will also televise the fight on tape-delay at 9 p.m. leading into its Noche de Combates telecast.

ESPN2 and ESPN3’s presentation will utilize the English-language world feed. Pablo Viruega and Delvin Rodríguez will call the fights for ESPN Deportes, while Leopoldo González and Claudia Trejos will co-anchor the studio.

ESPN3’s live presentation will also include:

· The 12-round WBC World Cruiserweight title fight between titleholder Grigory Drozd (39-1, 27 KOs) and Lukasz Janik;

· A cruiserweight bout between 2008 Olympic gold medalist Rakhim Chakhkiev (22-1, 17 KOs) and undefeated Junior Wright (13-0-1, 11 KOs);

· A cruiserweight matchup between undefeated Dmitry Kudryashov (17-0, 17 KOs) and Vikapita Meroro (28-4, 14 KOs).

HIDALGO, TX (May 21, 2015) — Undefeated Mexican knockout artist GILBERTO “Zurdo” RAMIREZ, the No. 2 world-rated super middleweight contender with the matinee idol looks, will headline an all-action card on Friday, June 26, at State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, TX. Ramirez will be taking on DERECK “The Black Lion” EDWARDS in a 10- round super middleweight bout which will be televised live on The MetroPCS Friday Night Knockout on truTV® at 10:00 p.m. ET. The live boxing series is presented by truTV and Top Rank®, and produced in association with HBO Sports®. Find truTV on YOUR TV: http://trutvishere.com/

Promoted by Top Rank and Zapari Boxing Promotions, in association with Nord Boxing Promotions and Zanfer Promotions, tickets to the Ramirez-Edwards boxing event go on sale Tomorrow! Friday, May 22, at 10:00 a.m. CT. Priced at $35, $25, $15, plus VIP tables of ten (10) at $800, $650 and $550, tickets can be purchased at the State Farm Arena box office, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at (956) 843-6688.

“My opponent Derek Edwards is a dangerous fighter with good skills and lot of experience,” said Ramirez. “I will be ready for the best of him. I expect a war. We have been having a great training camp and I will give the fans the fight they want to see. I’m really motivated to be in the ring in June 26. I’m very happy for this opportunity that Top Rank is giving me, to appear on its new truTv boxing series. This is the third time that I am fighting in Texas. It feels like home to me because the fans always treat me very well. I really like the people from Texas because there are big boxing fans.”

“Gilberto Ramirez is one of the top 168-pounders in the world, but June 26 he’ll have to prove it,” said Carl Moretti, vice president of Top Rank. “Derek Edwards with his KO win over current world champion Badou Jack is the test that Gilberto needs to pass in order to gain his world title opportunity. Not an easy task”

Ramirez (31-0, 24 KOs), a two-fisted super middleweight wrecking machine who hails from Mazatlan, Mexico, is world-rated No. 2 by the World Boxing Council (WBC) and the World Boxing Organization (WBO), and No. 3 by the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and the World Boxing Association (WBA). A sensational young contender, Ramirez, 23, has won four of his last five bouts by knockout. Last year featured career-best performances which included an NABF-NABO title victory over Giovanni Lorenzo via fifth-round stoppage, a WBO International title knockout victory over Junior Talipeau and a successful defense of his NABF and WBO International titles, stopping Fulgencio Zuniga in the eighth round. He returns to the ring fresh from a 10-round unanimous decision victory over once-beaten Maxim Vlasov on January 24. Ramirez will once again be putting his titles on the line, this time against division gatekeeper Edwards (27-4-1, 14 KOs), of Las Vegas, NV. Last year Edwards scored a first-round knockout of previously undefeated Badou Jack, who recently won the WBC super middleweight world title. He finished the year losing a 12-round decision to once-beaten one-time world title challenger Andre Dirrell.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo or www.twitter.com/truTV. Use the Hashtags #truTVBoxing and RamirezEdwards to join the conversation on Twitter.

The first live Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN (PBC on ESPN) telecast will feature a star-studded 12-round welterweight matchup between undefeated Keith “One Time” Thurman (25-0, 21 KOs) and Luis Collazo (36-6, 19 KOs) when the series debuts on ESPN on Saturday, July 11, at 9 p.m. ET. The opening fight will showcase a 10-round junior middleweight matchup between undefeated Tony Harrison (21-0, 18 KOs) and Willie Nelson (23-2-1, 13 KOs). ESPN3 will also carry live the preliminary bouts at a time to be determined. The card will be held in Tampa, Fla., at a site to be named.

In March, ESPN announced a multi-year agreement, to televise Premier Boxing Champions, a series created for television by Haymon Boxing, featuring top-level fights between many of boxing’s biggest names. PBC on ESPN will air 12, two-hour live shows annually on ESPN and ABC. ESPN Deportes, ESPN’s Spanish-language network, will also televise all PBC on ESPN fights as part of its Noche de Combates series and ESPN International will present coverage across its networks in Latin America, Brazil, the Caribbean and Pacific Rim. Live coverage will also be available through WatchESPN on computers, smartphones, tablets, Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One via an affiliated video provider.

Blow-by-blow commentator Joe Tessitore and analyst Teddy Atlas, both recipients of the prestigious Sam Taub Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism presented by the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA), will call the fights ringside on ESPN and ABC. Additional on-air commentators will be announced at a later date.

Florida’s Thurman—who is widely regarded to be the heir apparent in the division when Floyd Mayweather retires—is coming off a unanimous decision win against welterweight contender Robert Guerrero, while New York’s Collazo is looking to score another victory following a second-round TKO win over Christopher Degollado. Harrison, fighting out of Detroit, scored a third-round TKO win over Pablo Munguia in his last fight, while Cleveland’s Nelson is looking to rebound from a unanimous decision loss to Vanes Martirosyan.

Boxing on ESPN
Boxing has been a staple of ESPN’s programming for 35 years. ESPN began televising boxing on April 10, 1980 – the network’s first year on the air – when weekly boxing returned to television for the first time since 1964. For the past 17 years, ESPN Friday Night Fights has showcased some of the best bouts in the boxing industry and introduced fans to future stars and champions. Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN will take fights to a level never seen before on the network.
About Haymon Boxing Management
Haymon Boxing Management is based in Las Vegas, Nevada, and manages and advises more than 200 professional fighters.

For more information on Premier Boxing Champions, visit:

premierboxingchampions.com, facebook.com/premierboxingchampions, or https://twitter.com/premierboxing

INDIO, CALIF. (May 21) – Golden Boy Promotions fighters Eric “The Outlaw” Hunter (20-3, 10 KOs), Abraham “Chamaco” Lopez (17-0-1, 12 KOs) and Joet Gonzalez (10-0, 4 KOs), who are preparing to battle in the ring this Friday, May 22 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif., found time to reflect on what Memorial Day means to them and give thanks to the brave veterans and active-duty servicemen and women in the four U.S. military branches.

Eric Hunter will take on seasoned contender Antonio Escalante (29-7, 20 KOs) of El Paso, Texas in a 10-round super welterweight bout as the main event for Golden Boy Live! on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif. Also Abraham Lopez will fight in a 10-round featherweight co-main televised event against Alfred Tetteh (19-3-1, 15 KOs) of Washington, D.C., and Joet Gonzalez will face seasoned fighter Jose A. Berranza (36-32-2, 28 KOs)of Mexico in an eight-round featherweight bout.

Here is what they had to say:

ERIC HUNTER, Featherweight Contender:

What does Memorial Day mean to you?
Memorial Day is a special day to remember and appreciate the men and women who protect our country.

Did you or any one important to you serve in the military, past or present? If so, who?
A: My father served for five years and my uncle, from my father side, served for 11 years, both were in the Army.

Marines, Army, Navy or Air Force?
I would join the Marines.

Do you have a message for veterans or other military service men and women for Memorial Day this year?
Thank you for your service. I dedicate this fight on May 22 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino to all the service men and women. Without them, we wouldn’t be here today.

ABRAHAM LOPEZ, Featherweight Prospect:

What does Memorial Day mean to you?
To me, Memorial Day is a day to remember and honor those who are in and have served in the U.S military. It’s a time to reflect and appreciate those who sacrificed and gave their lives to defend our great country.

Did you or any one important to you serve in the military, past or present?
My uncle Carlos Aldana served in the U.S military. He is a Vietnam veteran. My good friend Robert Villalobos served in the Marines and did two tours in Fallujah, Iraq. My uncle Hector Capristo served in the Army. I have more friends that served and are currently serving in the military. You guys know who you are, that went to La Puente High School.

Do you have a military hero? If so, who is it and why are they a hero to you?
I don’t have a specific military hero, I have military heroes. The people who served and are currently serving in the military are my heroes. To put their lives on the line for us to continue to do what we do is courageous and honorable. That’s why everyone in the military are my heroes.

Marines, Army, Navy or Air Force? Why?
Marines, Army, Navy or Air Force…Wow tough question. I pick all of them because they’re all amazing people. But the Marine’s devil dog mascot looks cool.

Do you have a message for veterans or other military service men and women for Memorial Day this year?
To all of those that have served in the military I would like to applaud you and say thank you for your services and sacrifices that you have done for me, my family and the country. I am forever grateful. To those who are currently serving, I say thank you, be careful and get back home safe.

JOET GONZALEZ, Featherweight Prospect:

What does Memorial Day mean to you?
Memorial Day to me means remembering all those that have passed away serving our country.

Marines, Army, Navy or Air Force? Why?
I like them all, they all play a different role in protecting our country. But if I had to pick I would go with the Marines because I have friends that have served, and that are in the service right now.

Do you have a message for veterans or other military service men and women for Memorial Day this year?
To all the veterans and military service men and women, thank you all for the sacrifices you guys make and for keeping our beautiful country safe.

Hunter vs. Escalante is a 10-round featherweight bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra and Mexico, Live It To Believe It! Doors open at 5:00 p.m. and the first bell rings at 5:30 p.m. The FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes broadcast airs live at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.

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

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.FOXSports.com/FOXSports1, www.FOXDeportes.com, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @FOXSports, @FOXSports1, @FOXDeportes and, become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page, www.facebook.com/FOXDeportes and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing.

New York, NY (May 21, 2015) – Newly crowned WBC-USNBC 154 pound champion Boyd “Rainmaker” Melson will serve as a special guest speaker at Thomas Jefferson Middle School Friday, May 22 in Lodi, NJ.

A 2003 West Point graduate, Melson serves as an Army Reserve Officer, donates 100% of his purses to Teamfighttowalk.com and works a full time job. Between his aforementioned commitments along with training and making weight, Melson’s had to overcome many difficulties both personally and professionally. As a professional boxer, the native New Yorker’s built an impressive 15-1-1 record with 4 wins by knockout. On May 8, he scored the biggest win of his career, dominating Mike Ruiz over 10 rounds to capture the WBC-USNBC championship.

During his speech, Melson will discuss what it’s like to get knocked down by life when pursuing dreams, how to stay focused on goals, choices in life and the different paths life could take a person based on those choices.

“I’m very thankful for the opportunity,” said Melson. “There are many kids that need the proper guidance or fuel to light their fire. I believe everybody has the potential to make something of themselves. What it comes down to is making the right choices and staying on track even when life throws you a curveball. My goal is to relate to these students and inspire them to stay focused while making smart choices for their futures.”

For more information on Boyd Melson and Team Fight to Walk, visit Teamfighttowalk.com

Corona, CA (May 21, 2015)–Tomorrow night in Corona, California, undefeated Super Bantamweight Adam Lopez returns to the ring for the third time in three months when he battles Miguel Tamayo in bout scheduled for six rounds at the Omega Products Outdoor Arena.

The bout will be on the undercard of the Boxcino finals where Lopez GH3 Promotions stablemate John Thompson takes on Brandon Adams in Jr. Middleweight championship bout.

“Training went really well. I did a lot of sparring to get ready for Tamayo who is a southpaw,” said Lopez.

Lopez, who has a record of 11-0 with six knockouts will be fighting for the third time since March 13, is coming off of two consecutive 2nd round knockouts with the first being over undefeated Pablo Cruz that was nationally televised by ShoBox.

“I feel good about keeping active and having fights to keep me busy. It is a good confidence boost to keep me active.”

In Tamayo, he is fighting a guy that has 30 fights under his belts (16-12-2, 14 KO’s) and has been in the ring with former world title challenger Cesar Seda, current world champion Gary Russell Jr and prospects Diego De La Hoya &McWilliams Arroyo.

“He is a veteran journeyman. He fought guys like Russell and De La Hoya so it is a measuring stick and it will put me in a category that I should start getting more notice. I don’t care what the others did with him. I am just going out to do my thing and win the fight.”

Even though the 24 year-old Lopez is from San Antonio, Texas, he has California roots and did not grow up far from Corona.

“I am from California and not too far from Corona. I fought here as an amateur and am excited to fight here as a professional.”

“I am excited GH3 is keeping me active and have been fighting every month. This is exactly what I need to do. I am going to go out there and do my thing. I am excited and honored to be fighting on the Boxcino finals show and on the last ESPN Friday Night Fights card,”finished Lopez.

Said Lopez promoter Vito Mielnicki of GH3 Promotions, “We are happy to have Adam fight on this card. With John fighting in Boxcino, it gives Adam a chance to fight close to where he grew up and get him exposure on the West coast.”

GH3 Promotions features undefeated Middleweight Antoine Douglas, Super Middleweight’s Jerry Odom & Derrick Webster, undefeated Super Bantamweight Adam Lopez as well as Jr. Middleweight John Thompson, Jr., undefeated Welterweight Jerrell Harris,undefeated Super Bantamweight Qa’id Muhammad, undefeated lightweight Oscar Bonilla, Heavyweight Natu Visinia and Light Heavyweight Lavarn Harvell to the GH3 Promotions stable.

Hyannis, Massachusetts [May 21, 2015] – Hyannis native Jesse Barboza (9-1-1, 5 KO’s) is coming home to headline a pro boxing event August 8th at the Hyannis Youth & Community Center (HYCC) as he takes on Pennsylvania’s Jesse Oltmanns (10-5, 7 KO’s) in an 8 round fight for the vacant Northeast Heavyweight Championship.

Barboza, a 2004 graduate of Barnstable High School where he excelled on the football field as a Fullback and Linebacker for the Red Raiders, will be fighting for the first time as a professional in front of his hometown crowd. It will also be his first main event and first pro fight for a title of any kind.

“I am extremely excited to fight in Hyannis,” said Barboza of his homecoming fight. “I think every fighter when they start fighting wants to comeback and fight in their hometown. I’ve gotten so used to fighting two hours away from home that I can’t wait to fight with my home crowd behind me.”

Standing across the ring from him when the bell rings will be Bartonsville, PA native Jesse Oltmanns. Oltmanns represents Barboza’s most stern test as a pro fighter thus far. He has previously fought current WBC Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder (33-0, 32 KO’s) and former cruiserweight world title challenger Matt Godfrey (21-3, 11 KO’s).

“I’m looking forward to fighting in beautiful Cape Cod in the heart of summer,” said Oltmanns. “I don’t think Jesse Barboza is going to show me anything I haven’t seen before, but I can show him some things he’s never seen before. I just want to make sure that belt is adjustable to large because I’ll be coming home with the title.”

“Jesse Oltmanns is a tough guy,” admitted Barboza of his opponent. “The only time I’ve seen him lose is against some of the best fighters in this profession. I’m looking forward to this challenge, and I don’t expect it to be easy, but I want to see where I’m at as a pro fighter against a respected veteran who’s fought some of the best.”

The event will be presented by Boston Boxing Promotions. It will be the first professional boxing event held in Hyannis since 2006. General admission tickets are $40 and are on sale now at www.CapeCodBoxing.com. Fans are urged to purchase tickets early due to limited availability. Additional bouts to be announced in the weeks to come.

Boston Boxing Promotions is dedicated to the resurgence of professional boxing at the regional level, particularly in the New England area. To learn more about the promotion, you can follow them on Twitter @BostonProBoxing, join the promotion’s official Facebook page “Fight For Boston,” and visit the promotion’s website www.BostonBoxingPromotions.com.

New York, May 21— To quote a Yogi Berra-ism ? , Bronx-based promoter Joe DeGuardia says it will be “deja vu all over again” when Star Boxing’s, Chris Algieri, squares off against Amir Kahn at the Barclays Center on Friday night, May 29. In other words, the underdog Algieri will pull off the upset just as he did against Ruslan Provodnikov last year at the same Brooklyn venue.

“I’m thrilled to be back at the Barclays Center with Chris Algieri, which is the same arena where he shocked the world winning the World Championship with his upset over Ruslan Provodnikov,” said DeGuardia. “Now, we are here again, in the same underdog position, against Amir Kahn. Once again I fully expect Chris to walk out of the Barclays Center ring with his hand raised in victory.”

The Algieri (20-1, 8 KOs) vs. Kahn (30-3, 19 KOs) 12-round welterweight affair will headline the Premier Boxing Champions series card from Barclays on Spike TV, air time is at 9:00 PM.

21 May 2015 – Singapore: Asia’s largest mixed martial arts organization with a 90% market share, ONE Championship™ (ONE) announced today that the mixed martial artists competing at ONE: WARRIOR’S QUEST have made weight and are ready for all the action which takes place tomorrow evening at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore. Reigning ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya Aoki weighed-in at 70.1kg while the challenger, Koji Ando stepped onto the scales at 70.2kg ahead of their main event showdown. The featherweight bout between Robert Lisita and Timofey Nastyukhin has been cancelled due to failed medical clearance by Lisita.

Visit the official ONE: WARRIOR’S QUEST weigh-in photo gallery by clicking:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/7pof14b9qwz30a2/SFZmzHv8q8.

ONE Lightweight World Champion, Shinya Aoki, stated, “I have respect for Koji Ando, especially since he is my fellow countryman. He has a good ground game and he strikes pretty decently as well. However, I have been training really hard on all areas of my game. I’m ready for Ando come fight night.”

The challenger, Koji Ando, stated, “I’ve worked too hard for too long for this opportunity, and I can assure all the fans that when I step inside that cage, I’ll be ready to give the performance of a lifetime. Whatever the outcome of the fight, one thing is certain, Shinya will know he was in a real battle.”

Tickets for ONE: WARRIOR’S QUEST are still on sale at http://www.sportshub.com.sg/. Ticket categories begin with the full cageside experience at S$1,488. Tickets priced at $158, $58 and $38 are also available. Prices include ticketing fee.

MAIN EVENT
ONE Lightweight World Championship bout: Shinya Aoki (70.1kg/154lbs) VS Koji Ando (70.2kg/154.5lbs)

MAIN CARD
ONE Strawweight World Championship bout: Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichok (51.8kg / 114lbs) VS Roy Doliguez (51.6 kg / 113.5lbs)
Featherweight bout: Ev Ting (65.8kg / 145lbs) VS Marat Gafurov (65.8kg / 145lbs)
Lightweight bout: Lowen Tynanes (69.7kg / 153lbs) VS Kuat Khamitov (70.3kg / 154.5lbs)
Lightweight bout: Eddie Ng (70.3kg / 154.5lbs) VS Ariel Sexton (70.2kg / 154.5lbs)
Bantamweight bout: Stephen Langdown (61.2kg / 134.5lbs) VS A La Teng Hei Li (61.2kg / 134.5lbs)

UNDERCARD
Featherweight bout: Amir Khan (65.5kg / 144lbs) VS Shannon Wiratchai (65.8kg / 145lbs)
Featherweight bout: Benedict Ang (65.3kg / 143.5lbs) VS Waqar Umar (65.6kg / 144lbs)
Women’s Strawweight bout: Angela Lee (51.8 kg / 114lbs) VS Aya Saeid Saber ( 51.7kg / 114 lbs)
Flyweight bout: Ali Yaakub (55.3 kg/ 121.5lbs) VS Jianbing Yang (56.7 kg/ 125lbs)

Fans from around the world can witness the action online via live streaming at http://www.onefc.com/livestream. The event will be available for purchase at just US$9.99.

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

About ONE Championship™
With a 90%+ market share in Asia, ONE Championship™ is Asia’s largest Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organization. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship™ has partnered with FOX and STAR Sports for an unprecedented 10-year cable television deal with a coverage that spans 70+ countries across the world.

Arthur Abraham (42-4, 28 KOs) has vowed to bring an end to his feud with domestic rival Robert Stieglitz (47-4-1, 27 KOs) when the German super middleweights contest the WBO World title for a fourth time on July 18 at the Gerry Weber Stadium in Halle.

The fighters began their now familiar pre-fight routine with a kick-off press conference today, in which the reigning champion promised to provide a conclusive finish to their long-standing rivalry. ‘’Four fights with Robert is enough for me,’’ declared Abraham. ‘’Of course, victory is always the most important thing, but on July 18, I don’t just want to win, I want to win decisively and prove once and for all that I am the better man!’’

Abraham holds the advantage, having triumphed in two of their three previous encounters, but while ‘King Arthur’ eyes a conclusive third victory, Stieglitz aims to settle the score with a second win over the Berlin-based boxer. ‘’I have analysed all three of our fights in detail,’’ reveals Stieglitz. ‘’With the right tactical adjustments, I have no doubt that this time I will be victorious!’’

Ahead of their anticipated fourth encounter, Abraham’s coach Ulli Wegner has compared July 18’s battle with Germany’s most heated soccer rivalry. ‘’This is ‘Der Klassiker’,’’ declared the 73 year-old. ‘’The Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund of German boxing! Just like Munich vs. Dortmund, this great rivalry always promises excitement! Arthur must enter the ring in top condition or risk losing his position at the top of the super middleweight division.’’

Stieglitz’s coach Dirk Dzemski shares Wegner’s excitement, predicting a ‘’spectacular fight’’ at the Gerry Weber Stadium. ‘’This fight will be on a knife’s edge,’’ said Dzemski. ‘’Both boxers know how hard it will be to beat the other and fans can look forward to a spectacular fight. Arthur had better be well prepared because we’re ready for it!’’

Tickets for the ‘Final Showdown’ Abraham vs. Stieglitz IV are available by calling the Gerry Weber Ticket Centre on (+49) 5201 81 80 or online via www.gerryweber-world.de and www.tickethall.de. All the action will be shown live on SAT.1 in Germany and Sky Sports in the UK.

Toronto | New York – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents a live broadcast of Hard Knocks Fighting 43 this Friday, May 22 at 11 p.m. ET from Markin MacPhail Centre in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Fight Network’s broadcast will air on Cablevision’s Optimum TV, Grande Communications, Shentel Cable and Armstrong Cable in the U.S., nationwide in Canada, Roku devices across North America, and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

In the main event, Calgary-based Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai black belt Nick Ring (13-3) makes his first post-UFC appearance against MFC and King of the Cage veteran Jason Zentgraf (8-2).

Hard Knocks light heavyweight champion Misha Cirkunov (8-2) makes his first defense of the championship in his co-main event clash with Shaun Asher (10-1-1), who makes his promotional debut riding a five-fight winning streak.

The Hard Knocks welterweight championship is also on the line as titlist Sergej Jusekic (14-7-2) looks for his fourth straight win opposite Grudge Training Center product LT Nelson (6-2).

In other pro matchups, Joel Powell (8-5) battles Jordan McKay (7-2) in the welterweight division, lightweights Aaron Gallant (6-6) and Mike O’Neill (4-4) will square off, Owen Carr (5-3-1) takes on Ryan Connor (5-2) in a bantamweight bout, light heavyweights Devon Smith (1-1) and Trent Rowell (2-3) throw down, plus flyweight Keegan Oliver (2-3) meets the debuting Derek Folk (0-0).

Fight Network’s live broadcast airs following IMPACT Wrestling from 9 to 11 p.m. ET in Canada, and live globally at 11 p.m. ET.

For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit tv.fightnetwork.com and follow on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.

ORANGE, Calif. (May 20, 2015) – ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights” final broadcast features two outstanding fights in the heavyweight and junior middleweight divisions that will decide the 2015 Boxcino Champions.

The 10-round junior middleweight final showcases Boxcino tournament veteran Brandon Adams (16-1, 12 KOs) of Los Angeles against the smooth boxing skills of John Thompson (16-1, 5 KOs) of Newark, New Jersey. The finalists will compete for the Boxcino crown on Friday, May 22, from the Omega Products Outdoor Arena in Corona, Calif. Also on the line – the NABA Interim Super Welterweight title, and the WBO Intercontinental Junior Middleweight belt.

Tickets for the Boxcino Finals are priced at $50, $70, & $100, and are available for purchase online at ThompsonBoxing.com or by calling 714-935-0900.

The double main event features heavyweight talents Donovan Dennis (14-2, 11 KOs) of Davenport, Iowa and Andrey Fedosov (27-3, 22 KOs) of Russia in a 10-round fight to determine the 2015 Boxcino Heavyweight Champion. Dennis-Fedosov will also fight for the WBA Fedelatin and WBO Intercontinental heavyweight titles.

Brandon Adams– 17-1, 12 KO’s John Thompson– 16-1, 5 KO’s
Los Angeles, CA Newark, NJ
Nickname–“The Cannon” “Apollo Kidd”
Age: 25 Age: 26
Has won 3 straight bouts (all by stoppage) Has won two straight bouts
66.7 KO % 29.4 KO%
Has fought 74 rounds (4.1 Rounds/Bout) Has fought 78 rounds (4.59 Round/Bout)
5’9″ 6’1″
70″ Reach NA
Opp Rec: 157-99-16 100-45-9

The Omega Products Outdoor Arena is located at 1681 California Ave., Corona, CA 92881 and can be reached at 951-737-7447. Doors open at 5:45 p.m. PT. and the first bout begins at 6:15 p.m. PT.

For additional information please visit www.banner-promotions.com & ThompsonBoxing.com and. For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please check our Facebook page, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @bannerboxing and @ThompsonBoxing.

LAS VEGAS (May 20, 2015) –World championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) has signed three new devastating forces, two of whom have yet to be beaten, to its fast-growing roster of world-class talent.

Undefeated Vagab Vagabov (15-0) of Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia; unbeaten Magomed “Gladiator” Bibulatov (9-0) of Grozny, Chechnya, Russia; and Magomed “Tiger” Magomedov (10-1) of Khasavyurt, Dagestan, Russia have each signed an exclusive, multi-fight, multi-year agreement to compete under the WSOF banner.

Each fighter’s WSOF debut, which will be announced soon, will also represent his first start in the U.S.

“We are excited to welcome these three fast-climbing, young stars to the WSOF roster and expect them to shake things up in the world of MMA,” said WSOF President, six-time world champion and two-time Hall of Famer Ray Sefo.

“Over the last couple of years,” continued Sefo, “we have seen a tremendous amount of high-caliber talent being unearthed from Russia, and I am proud to say that WSOF has been pro-active and played a significant part in these discoveries, and will continue to search and sign the most promising talent from this part of the world as well as elsewhere around the globe.”

Vagabov, a 29-year-old middleweight (185 pounds), boasts an incredible 74 percent finish rate over the course of his 15 professional fights, with 7 of his wins having come by way of (T)KO and 4 of his victories via submission. He is coming off a second round (2:43) TKO (punches) of Chris Katanga in Moscow, Russia on April 18.

A 26-year-old flyweight (125 pounds), Bibulatov notched his 9th career win on March 14, scoring a first round (1:30) KO on Eduardo Felipe in Grozny. Bibulatov’s best accolade to date is perhaps his victory of a one-night, eight-man tournament in Lamego, Portugal on Aug. 24, 2013, when he defeated three consecutive opponents, including two by way of first round submission, to emerge the winner of the single-elimination affair.

Magomedov is a surging bantamweight (135 pounds) who will put a nine-fight win streak and an outstanding finish rate of 70 percent when he makes his WSOF debut. In his last start, Magomedov earned a unanimous decision over Paata Robakidze in Astana, Kazakhstan on May 24, 2014.

WSOF action returns to NBCSN live on Friday, June 5 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

In the main event of a world championship doubleheader, reigning WSOF world featherweight (145 pounds) champion Lance Palmer (9-1) of Sacramento, Calif. will put his title on the line for the first time when he collides with Chris Horodecki (21-5-1) of London, Ontario, Canada.

In the world heavyweight championship co-main event, Smealinho “The Prince” Rama (9-1) of Calgary, Alberta, Canada will risk his title for the first time against Blagoi Ivanov (11-1) of Sofia, Bulgaria.

About “World Series of Fighting” (WSOF)
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a world wide 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. Follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and “World Series of Fighting” President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.