Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents a live broadcast of ONE Championship: Warrior’s Quest this Friday, May 22 at 8:30 a.m. ET, emanating from Kallang, Singapore’s Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Fight Network’s live broadcast will air exclusively in Canada and Turkey.

In the main event, ONE lightweight champion Shinya Aoki puts his title on the line against No. 1 contender Koji Ando.

In another historic championship clash, Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke faces Rey Doliguez for the right to be crowned the inaugural ONE strawweight (115) champion.

The stacked card also features a lightweight bout between Kuat Khamitov and Lowen Tynanes, a battle between flyweights Stephen Langdown and A La Ten Hei Li, Russia’s Timofey Nastyukhin will drop down to featherweight to take on top contender Rob Lisita, streaking featherweights Ev Ting and Marat Gafurov are set to clash in a showdown of top contenders, lightweight Eddie Ng will return to action to take on Ariel Sexton, Amir Khan and Shannon Wiratchai will push theough with their much awaited matchup, Singapore’s Benedict Ang will make his debut against Pakistan’s Waqar Umar, while Angela Lee faces Aya Saber in a women’s strawwright bout.

Shinya Aoki is the ONE lightweight champion and one of the best grapplers in mixed martial arts. Aoki has one of the most diverse grappling arsenals in the sport, and has finished 25 of his 37 victories via submissions. Aoki won the ONE lightweight title by submitting Kotetsu Boku, and continued his reign by forcing Kamal Shalorus to tap out. He now faces one of his toughest tests to date as he takes on Koji Ando.

Koji Ando is a Japanese Judo practitioner currently riding a five-fight winning streak. Ando became the number one contender by finishing both Rafael Nunes and Zorobabel in impressive fashion. With an array of diverse striking skills coupled with solid submission grappling credentials, Ando poses the toughest test to Aoki’s ONE lightweight championship reign.

Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke is a Muay Thai world champion who is currently undefeated in mixed martial arts. Amnuaysirichoke has received the highest accolades in Muay Thai, being a 3x Lumpinee champion, Thailand’s National Champion and the Omnoi Stadium Champion and holds an overall Muay Thai record of 282-65. Muay Thai, an ancient form of martial art originating from Thailand is coincidentally one of the most effective methods of hand-to-hand combat. The discipline is also one of the most widely used skill bases in modern mixed martial arts.

Known as a technical fighter with quick hands and lightning quick feet, Amnuaysirichoke has some of the most unique and creative striking combinations in the sport of Muay Thai. His transition to ONE Championship gave him an opportunity to potentially achieve as much success in mixed martial arts. He burst onto the scene last year and finished all four of his opponents convincingly. Amnuaysirichoke now drops a division to strawweight with the opportunity to be crowned the champion in the division.

Roy Doliguez is a Filipino mixed martial artist currently riding a 6-1 record. Considered one of the best strawweights in Asia, Doliguez solidified that standing by avenging the only loss of his career. Doliguez is also a professional boxer with more than 40 professional boxing bouts. This bout will feature two contrasting striking styles and it will be interesting to see who triumphs and walks away with the ONE Strawweight championship.

Kuat Khamitov is a Kazakhstani lightweight who has won his last six bouts. He is one of the most experienced mixed martial artists to emerge from Central Asia and has won 18 of 21 bouts. Khamitov will look to emulate the success of countryman Igor Svirid, who is the reigning ONE middleweight champion.

Lowen Tynanes is an undefeated mixed martial artist hailing from Hawaii. Just 24 years of age, Tynanes has impressed in his victories over Vuyisile Colossa and Felipe Enomoto. Tynanes comes from a fighting family, and has even once competed on the same night as his father Miles. Tynanes is a ferocious competitor who is always willing to engage in back-and-forth brawls with an opponent in pursuit of the finish.

Stephen Langdown is a professional mixed martial artist from Singapore. One of the brightest prospects in the country, Langdown has proven his success inside the ONE Championship cage. On 22 May, he gets to showcase his skills once again in front of 12,000 fans in his hometown.

A La Teng Hei Li is a Chinese mixed martial artist. He hails from inner Mongolia and grew up wrestling. A veteran of the mixed martial arts scene in China, Hei Li now gets the opportunity to pit his skills against some of the best in the world in ONE Championship.

Rob Lisita is an Australian mixed martial artist and one of the top strikers in the ONE Championship featherweight division. Lisita has built up a solid fan following thanks to the impressive striking displays throughout his career, including knockout wins over Yusuke Kawanago and Rodolfo Marques. Lisita has faced the best of the best in his class, and will now welcome Nastyukhin into the ultra-talented featherweight division.

Timofey Nastyukhin announced his arrival on the global stage with a devastating knockout of Eduard Folayang last December. After a series of ferocious striking exchanges, Nastyukhin landed a perfectly timed flying knee on Folayang, effectively ending the bout in just one round. The knockout is considered by most as one of the best knockouts of 2014. He now returns to action against a fellow striker. Nastyukhin will move down to his preferred featherweight division to take on Australian knockout artist Rob Lisita.

Ev Ting is a featherweight of Malaysian descent currently based in New Zealand. Ting has won all three of his bouts since making his ONE Championship debut. He has demonstrated his striking and grappling prowess, finishing Yohan Mulia Legowo, Edward Kelly and Cary Bullos all in impressive fashion. Ting is set to make his case for the ONE Featherweight World Championship belt currently held by Jadambaa Narantungalag, but he would first need to overcome Marat Gafurov.

Marat Gafurov hails from Novokuznetsk in Russia. He is currently undefeated in ten professional mixed martial arts bouts. He made a statement in his ONE Championship debut, convincingly defeating perennial contender Rob Lisita with a kick and rear-naked choke sequence. The victory propelled Gafurov to the top of the list of contenders, and he now has an opportunity to solidify his status by adding another victory to his win column.

Eddie Ng is a Hong Kong lightweight who has dazzled in his multiple appearances in the ONE Championship cage. Ng has won four of his five bouts in ONE and returns to action after a one-year layoff determined to continue his ascent. A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu purple belt, Ng has never gone to a decision in his professional mixed martial arts career thanks to his exciting style.

Ariel ‘Tarzan’ Sexton is a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu black belt with an impressive record of eight wins and three losses. He was born in Canada but now lives in Costa Rica. After discovering Jiu-Jitsu in 2001, he quit his day job and dedicated his life to mastering the art, before transitioning to mixed martial arts. His grappling acumen was on full display in his victories which he finished with a variety of submission moves.

Amir Khan is a Singaporean mixed martial artist with an undefeated amateur record who has competed in the U.S. He is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Blue Belt under Relson Gracie, and also has competitive wrestling and Muay Thai experience. With more than seven years of combat sports experience under his belt, Khan now takes on Shannon Wiratchai after being victorious all of his ONE Championship bouts so far.

Shannon Wiratchai is the top featherweight to emerge from Thailand. He has showcased an aggressive, brawling style every time he steps into the ONE Championship cage, making him a favourite among fans. Wiratchai is a practitioner of the Chinese martial art Baguazhang, and will once again look to exhibit the martial art in mixed martial arts action.

Benedict Ang is one of the top prospects to emerge from Singapore. Ang is undefeated in amateur mixed martial arts competition. At just 19 years old, Ang will become one of the youngest mixed martial artists to step into the ONE Championship cage. Ang trains at Evolve MMA alongside top stars such as ONE welterweight champion Ben Askren and ONE lightweight champion Shinya Aoki. Possessing dynamic striking skills and solid grappling, he will get the opportunity to test himself against the best in the world as he makes his promotional debut.

Waqar Umar is a Pakistani mixed martial arts standout. Umar impressed in local competition and has received the opportunity to compete at Asia’s largest mixed martial arts organization. A student of Pakistani MMA pioneer Bashir Ahmad, Umar is an aggressive brawler and also combines his striking skills with diverse submission skills. He will be looking to notch his first win inside the ONE cage when he locks horns with Singapore’s Benedict Ang.

Angela Lee is currently living in Hawaii and is of Singapore and Korean descent. The eldest child of two Taekwondo instructor parents, Angela grew up practicing various forms of martial arts, and quickly built an impressive resume. Her list of accolades includes being state wrestling champion and World Athlima Pangration Federation champion. She is also a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu purple belt, and an amateur strawweight champion in mixed martial arts. Lee now makes her much-awaited professional debut as she takes Aya Saber.

Aya Saber is an Egyptian kickboxing champion who has transitioned into mixed martial arts. After falling short in her last first two ONE Championship bouts, Saber will look for a victory against one of the most promising young prospects in Angela Lee. A distinguished striker, Saber now gets a shot at redemption as she makes her return to the ONE cage.

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.

Atlantic City, NJ (May 20,2015)–This Friday night,May 22, boxing returns to the Claridge in Atlantic City with a full 9-bout card promoted by King’s Promotions in association with DeeLee Promotions.

Welterweight Bryant Perella will take part in his first eight-round bout when he takes on tough German Perez.

In the main event, undefeated super bantamweight Juan “Baby Tito” Dominguez will take on Mario Antonio Macias in a bout scheduled for 8-rounds.

Perella, 26 years-old of Lehigh Acres, Florida has a record of 8-0 with seven knockouts and has stopped five straight.

He already has quality victories over Benito Tovar (3-0-1), which was a first-round stoppage and his last bout when he stopped Justin Johnson in four rounds on February 20.

“Everything is good. I am going to make weight and take care of business,”said Perella when contacted on Tuesday.

“I know Perez is tough. He is 11-1 and from Mexico. I have not seen video on him but I am preparing for a rough fight. I know a lot of guys Tijuana come forward and are aggressive.”

Perella came from a quality amateur career where he went 70-9 and placed in quite a few national tournaments.

“I consider myself a smart boxer with speed and explosive power.”

Perella, who has already scored a stoppage win in Las Vegas, is excited to see action in the traditional east coast hotbed of boxing in Atlantic City.

“My first fight in Atlantic City is a dream come true. Next to Las Vegas it is the best place to fight and it motivated me throughout camp.”

In Perez, the fight is a step up as the Tijuana native is unbeaten in his last seven bouts and is already competed in an eight-round bout.

“For me to have my first eight round fight is a step up. This step up will really help me. I am going to relax and box then I will be able to break him down and get him out of there.”

Perella is dedicating the fight to 18-year old Devin Raynaer who recently passed away in a car accident.

“He was a friend of mine and I am dedicating this bout to him. I just want to thank my fans for supporting me and I am ready for an exciting fight.”

In 8 round bouts:

John Magda (9-0, 6 KO’s) of Rutherford, NJ will fight Miguel Angel Manguia (31-32-1, 25 KO’s) in a Super Middleweight bout.

Gervonta Davis (10-0, 9 KO’s) of Baltimore, MD will take on Alberta Mora (5-3, 1 KO) of Mexico City in Featherweight bout.

In 6-round bouts:

Super Middleweight Antuwyan Aikens (9-0, 1 KO) of Atlantic City will fight Edgar Perez (6-13, 3 KO’s) of Chicago, IOL

Jamontay Clark (5-0, 3 KO’s) of Cincinnati, OH will battle Jonathan Garcia (4-13, 1 KO) of Aguada, PR in a Welterweight bout.

Jr. Welterweight Keenan Smith (6-0, 2 KO’s of Philadelphia) will take Luis Rodriguez (3-3, 2 KO’s) of Carolina, PR.

In 4-round bouts:

Kareem Martin (4-0-1, 3 KO’s) of Washington, D.C. will fight Donald Sanchez (2-1, 1 KO) of Albuquerque, NM. in a Welterweight bout.

Pro debuting Light Heavyweight Carlos Gongora of Brooklyn, NY will battle Efigenio Perez (0-4) of Puerto Rico.

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

PHOENIX – May 19, 2015 – Iron Boy Promotions continues to expand its stable of stand-out prospects with the signing of Tucson-based junior welterweight Alfonso Olvera. Olvera, who fought for Iron Boy Promotions in El Paso last October, joins the up and coming promotional company with a professional record of 3-1, 1KO. ‘

Olvera, who by most standards, began his boxing career late at the age of 20, won the state and regional Golden Gloves tournament in his weight division three times, finishing his amateur career with a record of 51-4. Olvera made his professional debut at Iron Boy 16 at the company’s first show in El Paso, Texas. He faced El Paso’s Francis Beniquez, who was also making his pro debut. It was an action-packed bout that saw Olvera win by technical knockout in the third round.

Olvera faced his first loss when he traveled to New York City in his second bout to face Ivan Baranchyk (6-0, 5KO). “I made a decision after this fight,” said Olvera. “I wasn’t ready going into this fight. I hadn’t trained right, and to be honest, this loss was the low point of my career and life. I promised myself I’d never not be ready again. There will never be a next time like this. From here on out, I will work harder, stay focused and stay ready.”

Olvera rebounded from the loss with a wide unanimous decision win over Josue Garcia (3-3, 2KO), again in his opponent’s hometown of El Paso. He then received the call to face Abraham Lopez on the undercard of Beltran-Ao on May 1st, the day before “the fight of the century,” Mayweather-Pacquiao. Walking away with a majority decision win, Olvera relished the opportunity to fight during such a momentous weekend. “I don’t have words to describe it,” said Olvera. “It was so exciting to fight during such a big weekend. I felt so many emotions during and after the fight.”

For their part, Iron Boy Promotions’ leadership is excited to add Olvera to its growing stable of fighters. “Olvera is a great fighter, and a great person,” said Roberto Vargas, Iron Boy Promoter. “He really impressed me with his professionalism and fan friendly, all action fighting style.” Mike Sanchez, the promotional company’s matchmaker, is impressed with Olvera’s fundamentals. “He started late, so he’s already grown into the fighter he’s going to be, size wise. He’s already a man. He’s got good fundamentals, he’s mature, and has already competed against the best in the country.”

“I give all the honor and glory to God,” said Olvera of the signing. “All the victories are his. He’s letting me borrow them. This is such a wonderful opportunity, such a blessing, to sign with Iron Boy Promotions. I’ve been going to their shows, and always hoped to have the opportunity to be part of the Iron Boy team.”

Olvera lives in Tucson, Arizona, with his wife Ashley, his son Jacob, and his daughters, Giselle and Priscilla. He credits them for his motivation to get to the gym every day. “I want to give my family, my wife, my kids, my parents, the very best. I’m doing this for them. It’s hard work, and a lot of sacrifice, and I’m working really hard for my family.”’

Olvera fights this Saturday, May 23rd at Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona. Doors are at 4pm, and first bell is at 5pm. The event streams live and free beginning at 8PST at www.ironboyboxing.com. Tickets are priced $30, 50 and 65, and are available at www.ironboyboxing.com or at the Celebrity Theatre Box Office.

Las Vegas – The first inductees for the new look UFC Hall of Fame have been announced. Jeff Blatnick – a key personality during the UFC’s formative years – and the April 2005 rematch between Matt Hughes and Frank Trigg will be inducted as in this year’s Contributor and Fight categories, respectively.

The announcements were made moments ago on UFC Tonight, the UFC’s official magazine show on FOX Sports 1. The formal induction will take place at a gala event on Saturday, July 11 at the UFC Fan Expo, during the UFC’s annual International Fight Week.

Jeff Blatnick will be posthumously inducted as a UFC Hall of Fame Contributor, in recognition for his historically significant services to the UFC and the sport of mixed martial arts.

UFC President Dana White said: “Jeff Blatnick is a name that newer fans may not be familiar with, but this guy was a huge part on the UFC’s development in the 1990s. He pushed for greater regulation, unified rules and – because he was an Olympic gold medalist in wrestling – he had credibility with everyone in the sport. It is our honor to recognize his huge contributions to the UFC by inducting him into the UFC Hall of Fame.”

Blatnick’s story is an incredible one. In 1982 he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma – a form of cancer – and had to undergo life-saving surgery and chemotherapy. Astonishingly, he won the super-heavyweight Greco-Roman wrestling gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympics in Los Angeles less than two years later. He became a national hero and inspiration for cancer patients worldwide.

A decade later, Blatnick caught an early UFC event. He immediately recognized the sport behind the spectacle and joined the organization as lead color commentator from UFC 4 (December 1994) through to UFC 34 (November 2001). In those seven years at Octagonside, Blatnick educated a generation of fight fans on the finer points of grappling and sportsmanship. But, perhaps more importantly, as the Commissioner of the UFC (1998 to 2001) Blatnick is widely credited with coining the term “mixed martial arts” and championing its use to describe the emerging sport.

As Commissioner, Blatnick served as a key member of the group who drew up what would become the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts – the framework for all regulated MMA around the world to this day. In his later years, the New York born Blatnick served as an MMA judge for many different state commissions; in fact Blatnick’s final contribution to the UFC came as a ringside judge at the UFC 152 event, just weeks before he passed away in October 2012.

Lori Blatnick, Jeff’s widow, will accept her late husband’s UFC Hall of Fame induction on his behalf.

She said: “Jeff would have been so honored to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. It’s awesome, and it is right that he is recognized. He worked so hard to improve the sport and keep it alive in the 1990s. People in the industry, or have been around the UFC for years, they know what Jeff did behind the scenes but the viewers who watch the fights today probably haven’t heard of him. That’s probably because of Jeff’s character, he was very humble and didn’t like to talk about himself. But it is great he will now be recognized in such a huge way.”

Joining Blatnick in the class of 2015 will be Matt Hughes and Frank Trigg, who will be inducted together for their April 2005 rematch in the newly-minted Fight wing of the UFC Hall of Fame.

Hughes vs Trigg II took place on April 16, 2005, at UFC 52 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. It was a rematch from 2003, where UFC welterweight champion Hughes defeated reigning WFA champion Trigg inside four minutes.

Trigg won two bouts to earn a chance to avenge his loss to Hughes, and the build-up to the rematch saw Trigg goad the champion with a relentless campaign of insults.

UFC President Dana White said: “I’ve said it a million times over the last 10 years, Hughes vs Trigg II is one of my favorite fights ever. In four minutes five seconds, it showed everything that is great about the UFC.”

The full fight can be watched on UFC FIGHT PASS here: http://www.ufc.tv/video/matt-hughes-vs-frank-trigg-ufc-52

Hughes now becomes a two-time UFC Hall of Famer, having already been recognized by the Hall in 2010 for a legendary career which included two reigns as UFC welterweight champion.

Hughes said: “When I got my hand raised, I thought I’d just come through a tough fight. It was only afterwards, when my team were congratulating me on this great win, that I started to realize this wasn’t just another fight. Then Dana called me a few days later telling me it was the best fight he’d ever seen and, in the years since, I get asked about that one rematch with Trigg about as much as I do any big fight I’ve ever been in.”

Hughes added: “I occasionally get invited to speak to servicemen, and I try and speak to them about never giving up when they are in bad situations. The fight I use as an example is the second Trigg fight; I was in a very bad situation, I’d been hit low, I was hurt, rocked, Trigg had my back and he had me in a choke. But I didn’t panic and as long as you don’t panic, you don’t quit on yourself and you have a little time, you can get out of even the worst of situations.”

Trigg said: “This is a great honor. Every great fight has a winner and a loser, but I am very proud that, 10 years on, people still ask me about this fight. I may not have won the UFC title that night, but this goes some way to make up for that.”

The inductees in the Modern Era and Pioneer Era categories will be announced this weekend as part of scheduled UFC 187 programming.

The UFC Hall of Fame 2015 induction ceremony will take place on July 11 as part of the UFC Fan Expo in Las Vegas. Fans with tickets to the UFC Fan Expo will be able to attend the UFC Hall of Fame 2015 event for no additional cost. Tickets to the UFC Fan Expo are available at www.ufcfanexpo.com with two-day passes beginning at $60 online and $65 onsite. One-day passes begin at $35 online and $45 onsite.

To visit the UFC Hall of Fame fight library – which includes the induction speeches for the first 12 UFC Hall of Famers – go to www.ufc.tv/category/ufc-hall-of-fame-library.

For additional information please visit UFC.com, and follow UFC on Twitter @ufc.

ORANGE, Calif. (May 20, 2015) – Rising junior welterweight prospect Giovani Santillan (16-0, 9 KOs) suffered an injury during training camp, and consequently will not be featured in Thompson Boxing Promotions main event, next Friday, May 29. Santillan was scheduled to face the talented Kendal Mena (20-1, 11 KOs).

Thompson Boxing’s 15th Year Anniversary show, titled “Path to Glory,” will continue with a triple-header featuring the free-swinging super bantamweight Danny Roman (14-2-1, 5 KOs) of Los Angeles facing Chris Martin (28-5-3, 9 KOs), a savvy boxer-puncher from San Diego (8-rounds).

Also on the card, featherweights Efrain Esquivias (17-3-1, 10 KOs) of Carson, Calif. and Jose Haro (8-1-1, 6 KOs) of Salt Lake City (8-rounds). Esquivias, who not long ago was in an IBF title eliminator with future world champion Jhonatan Romero, is trying to climb back to elite level status.

In the other marquee match up, super bantamweight Juan Reyes (12-1-3, 2 KOs) of Riverside, Calif. brings his exciting brand of boxing to the more experienced Robert Castaneda (21-9-1, 15 KOs) of Mexico in an 8-round scrap.

“Since all three fights are worthy of main event status, we will be doing something a little different in determining the show order,” said Alex Camponovo, matchmaker and general manager at Thompson Boxing. “Next Thursday, during the weigh in, we will draw numbers as to which one of these fights are the main event, co-feature, and special attraction.”

“Determining the order of fights through a chance system speaks to the strength of the card,” said Ken Thompson, president of Thompson Boxing. “It is a fantastic way for us to celebrate fifteen years in the boxing business.”

Tickets for “Path to Glory” are priced at $40, $60, & $100, and are available for purchase online at ThompsonBoxing.com, or calling 714-935-0900. The event takes place at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.

There is intrigue and drama for each of the fights featured in the triple-header. Roman is riding a six fight winning streak, while the veteran Martin is trying to get his career back on track after dropping two straight.

“Roman is a classic, in your face type of fighter that pressures you relentlessly,” Thompson said. “Martin likes to counter-punch, so this fight will have plenty of fireworks.”

Esquivias, who was a top contender at 122 pounds, has moved up to featherweight in hopes of shaking up that division. He faces a young charge in Haro that packs power and is searching for a signature win.

Reyes, who is never in a dull fight, will have his hands full with the experienced and heavy handed Castaneda.

In other action, undefeated lightweight prospect Cesar Villarraga (6-0, 4 KOs), a former Colombian Olympian, meets an opponent to be named later (6-rounds).

Opening the “Path to Glory” event is junior welterweight Rigoberto Flores (6-1, 2 KOs) of Los Angeles. An opponent will be announced at a later date (4-rounds).

Ken Thompson launched Thompson Boxing Promotions in May 2000, and since then, the company has enjoyed tremendous success. The fifteen-year-old promotional company boasts a diverse list of former and current world champions that are currently, or at one point, promoted by Thompson Boxing Promotions. The list includes: Yohnny Perez, Timothy Bradley, Jhonatan Romero, and Darleys Perez (interim).

The company continues to grow and nurture the future stars of the sport by carefully mapping the careers of young and talented prospects, such as: Josesito Lopez, Juan Carlos Burgos, Artemio Reyes, Efrain Esquivias, Giovani Santillan, Jose Roman, Cesar Villarraga, Carlos Carlson, LaRon Mitchell, among others.

Doors open at 6:00 p.m, and the first bell rings at 7:30 p.m. The Doubletree Hotel is located at 222 N Vineyard Ave, Ontario, CA 91764 and can be reached at (909) 937-0900.

“Path to Glory” is presented by Thompson Boxing Promotions and sponsored by Lucas Oil, in association with LATV Networks.

For additional information please visit ThompsonBoxing.com. For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please check our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ThompsonBoxing. To follow the conversation on social media, please use hash tags #ThompsonBoxing & #PathtoGlory.

Philadelphia, PA (May 20 2015)– Banner Promotions is pleased to announce the signing of undefeated and world ranked Jr. Welterweight contender Mauro Maximiliano Godoy to an exclusive promotional contract.

Godoy, 25 years old of Centenario, Argentina, has a record of 19-0 with 8 knockouts and is the current Argentina Super Lightweight champion and the WBO Latino Jr. Welterweight title. He is currently ranked number-9 by the WBO.

“We are happy to get this young contender in the fold,” said Banner Promotions President Arthur Pelullo.

“He comes on great recommendation from Daniel Castro who has been working with him. We have seen some footage, and we feel Mauro has the potential to be a star here in the United States and throughout the world. He has many options, as the 140 pound division is loaded with quality talent, and we expect to get him a major fight sooner rather than later.”

Said Daniel Castro, representative for Godoy, “Mauro is very happy
to sign with Banner Promotions, which is one of the major promoters in the world. He is looking to have good opportunities to become a world champion in the future. He is a hard working fighter who is always in the gym and ready to fight. We saw what Banner has done with Ruslan Provodnikov, and Mauro wants good fights and maybe an opportunity to fight Provodnikov.”

Godoy has fought his entire career in Argentina, and he won the WBO Latino Jr. Welterweight crown with a 5th round stoppage over Federico Malespina on May 9, 2014. He won the vacant Argentina Super Lightweight title with a 10-round unanimous decision over Cesar Inalef (18-3-1) on September 19, 2014. Godoy made his only defense in his last bout when he stopped Jorge Fredes in 6 rounds on November 21, 2014.

New York (May 19, 2015) – Miguel Cotto (39-4, 32 KO’s), the reigning WBC and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Champion and the first native of Puerto Rico to become world champion in four different weight classes will defend his titles against former Two-Time World Champion Daniel Geale (31-3, 16 KO’s) of Australia on June 6, 2015 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn in a 12-round fight that will be televised live on HBO. Geale hosted a New York City media workout this afternoon at Mendez Boxing Gym in preparation for his title challenge against Cotto. Here’s what Geale, and his American promoter Gary Shaw, had to say:

Daniel Geale – Former Two-Time World Champion

“Cotto has trouble in stages against guys that move and use their reach. He knows that’s what I’m going to be doing and he’s going to be trying to counter that with aggression and coming forward. I’m going to use my abilities and not get caught up in his game plan.”

“The game plan is to go in and fight my fight. It’s not to get sucked in. It’s not to get caught up in what he [Cotto] is doing. It’s to do what I do best.”

“This is going to be a huge fight for me. Fighting a guy like Miguel who’s fought some of the greatest fighters is going to be a great test. We’re going in very confident.”

“I want this one badly. It’s something that we have wanted for a while and I’m extremely excited. I’ve got guys like Gary Shaw and my team at the Grange from Australia and they are working very hard behind the scenes. I’m just going to worry about my job and they do their job greatly. I just worry about getting myself in perfect condition.”

Gary Shaw – President of Gary Shaw Productions

“If Daniel wins, Cotto has a rematch clause, so if Cotto wants the immediate rematch then that’s what he gets. If not, according to WBC, it would be GGG again, but it doesn’t make a difference. Daniel will fight anybody, anywhere. We went to Germany and fought Strum on his territory. He’s coming to New York which is Cotto’s town. It just doesn’t make a difference when you have a great fighter.”

“It’s going to be a great show and the fans are going to get what they want. Tune in for a great fight on June 6. It’s going to be a great night of boxing.”

PHOTOS: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/z79x0xvv00sz9ry/AABaWoy8ok7_iOGswn3K0t85a?dl=0

PHOTO CREDIT: Ed Mulholland/Roc Nation Sports www.edmulholland.photoshelter.com

Cotto vs. Geale, a 12-round fight for Cotto’s WBC and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Championships, takes place Saturday, June 6 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn and will be televised live on HBO. The fight is presented by Roc Nation Sports and Miguel Cotto Promotions in association with Gary Shaw Productions and is sponsored by Cerveza Tecate and Venue Kings. In addition to the great action inside the ring, the event will feature several notable Roc Nation touches that will further serve spectators with an enhanced fan experience, including Roc Nation and Grammy nominated artist Big Sean taking to the ring for a special performance prior to the main event. The event will be hosted by notable emcee “The Voice of New York” Angie Martinez and will also feature hit master DJ Lobo who will serve alongside Martinez throughout the night. Tickets priced at $500, $350, $250, $200, $150, $120, $100, $80, $50 and $25, not including applicable service charges and taxes, are available for purchase at www.barclayscenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com and at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. To charge by phone, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Doors open at 6:00 PM, the first fight begins at 6:15 PM and the HBO telecast begins at 10:30 PM ET/PT.

For more information please visit www.rocnation.com. Follow Roc Nation on Twitter and Instagram @rocnation and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RocNation.

For more information, visit www.hbo.com/boxing, follow on Twitter and Instagram at @HBOBoxing and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing.

LAS VEGAS, NV (May 19, 2015) – After getting Manny Pacquiao ready for his mega-fight with Floyd Mayweather, Gary Shaw Productions’ and Antonio Leonard Promotions’ undefeated super-lightweight prospect, Kenneth Sims Jr. (6-0, KOs), is now preparing WBC Lightweight champion Jorge Linares (38-3, 25 KOs) for his upcoming title defense against Kevin Mitchell (39-2, 29 KOs).

Kenneth Sims Jr. has been sparring with Linares, giving him great work, while learning from the best fighters in the world. The experience has been instrumental in the development of Sims Jr., who resides in Chicago, Illinois.

“Training with Linares and Pacquiao has been a great learning process for me and my dad who’s my trainer,” said Kenneth Sims Jr. “I want to thank Gary Shaw for setting up these sparring opportunities. I’ve preformed really well and my confidence is at an all-time high. After sparring with these great champions, I know I have the skills to become something special in this sport and I’m going to take it one fight at a time. Gary and Antonio Leonard are working on my next fight and I should be returning to the ring shortly.”

“Kenneth Sims Jr. is a special talent with an amateur pedigree to take his professional career to championship level,” Gary Shaw said. “Antonio and I are going to continue to bring him up the right way, give him tough fights, so he can be prepared for the big fights that lie ahead. Everything I’m hearing from these training camps and the sparring sessions Sims Jr. is having is positive. Kenneth is only going to get better and that makes me very happy.”

Lou DiBella
Thanks, everybody for joining us for Premier Boxing Champions on NBC press call. The card is Saturday, May 23rd. That’s the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend at Boston’s Agganis Arena. The start time on NBC is 4:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. PT.

Tickets for the live event, which is being promoted in associated with Murphys Boxing are priced at $250, $200, $100, $75, $50 and $35, and they’re available at ticketmaster.com. To charge by phone, call Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000. Again, the NBC broadcast goes on at 4:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. PT.

We’re going to start the call by talking to our co-main event fighters, the guys are going to open the telecast. That’s light-heavyweight contender Edwin Rodriguez taking on undefeated light-heavyweight contender Craig Baker. Craig is 10-0 with 12 KO. He’s coming off a KO of highly regarded Umberto Savigne in his last fight and he’s looking to upset the apple cart and derail the career of Edwin Rodriguez who’s looking for another shot at a world title; this time at 175 pounds.

Craig is promoted by Sampson Boxing. Craig, if you’d like to say a few words.

CraigBaker
Well, I’m just grateful to have the opportunity to fight on such a grand field again. It clearly is what I dream about. It’s one of those things I’ve always looked forward to since I was little bity kid.

L. DiBella
Thank you. Edwin Rodriguez, the pride of Worchester, Massachusetts and is fighting in his home state. This is his second fight at light heavyweight. His only loss is to Andre Ward, one of the pound-for-pound fighters in the world and Edwin believes at light heavyweight he’s stronger, better and that he can win the title. So, Edwin, would you like to say a few words?

Edwin Rodriguez
Yes. First of all, I’d like to thank you, Lou, for bringing me back on NBC and giving me such a great opportunity and also to Al Haymon and the NBC crew. I’m ready to show the world that I’m one of the best or the best 175 pound fighter in the world. I just got to prove it and this is one of the steps to do it, fighting an undefeated fighter, Craig Baker, who’s hungry and I’m excited because I know that he’s hungry; I’m hungry to get at that elite level. It’s going to be a great fight for the fans.

Q
Yes, I have a question for each of you if you don’t mind. Craig, how do you feel about fighting Edwin so close to his hometown?

C. Baker
At the end of the day that doesn’t really matter to me because everyone is out to pretty much beat the crap out of you. So, it doesn’t matter where you fight. It’s the competition, and that’s how I take it.

Q
Edwin, what will it mean to you to fight so close to Worcester?

E. Rodriguez
It means a lot because I haven’t fought at home for about four years now. So, I’m excited to come back and fight close to home with family and friends supporting me. It’s something that helps me and pushes me to take it to the next level.

Q
Edwin, first question; how do you feel at light-heavyweight? Are you more comfortable now than you were at super middleweight? Do you feel stronger, and is your stamina a little better?

E. Rodriguez
I feel great now. I feel like 175 is the weight that I belong at. I feel like I’m strong and I’m fast and I feel like I’m the best light heavyweight. I just need the opportunity to prove it, and this is one of them and I’m excited.

Q
You’re with Al Haymon. Adonis Stevenson is with Al Haymon. Is that what boxing and fans can assume, that this is all building towards a fight with Adonis Stevenson for the title?

E. Rodriguez
Right now, I’m focused on Baker. He’s an undefeated hungry fighter, but that’s the goal. I want to fight the best guy so I can prove that I’m the best. Adonis Stevenson is a good fighter. He has proved he’s the world champion and that’s who I want in the future. So, I’m just setting myself up and I’m working hard to look impressive against Baker and to get my opportunity to show the world that I’m on the best.

Q
Craig, just what is it about Edwin that impresses you and what will you have to do to beat him?

C. Baker
Well, I’m really impressed with the improvements that he’s made. I see him pushing forward, pushing issues and always in your face. That’s good. I like that. At the end of the day, I just have to show up and fight. That’s the way I take the game. I have to bring my A game at all times and that’s what I do.

Q
I was looking at the records of a lot of your opponents. You fought a lot of guys with pretty poor records. Why is that and why did you make the step up a couple of fights ago?

C. Baker
I just felt like it was time, man.

Q
Edwin, what impresses you about Craig Baker?

E. Rodriguez
He’s a hungry fighter and it doesn’t matter who he’s fought. He’s undefeated and you can’t take an undefeated fighter lightly, especially one that defeated a guy that had over 400 amateur fights and was a big prospect in the pros, like Savigne. You can’t take a guy like Craig Baker lightly.

Q
You’ve defeated undefeated fighters in the past. So, how is your confidence level going in when you fight somebody who hasn’t lost?

E. Rodriguez
I believe a lot of my skills and I’m very confident, but I’m not stupid. I know that a fighter who’s undefeated comes in with a very strong mentality and I’m ready. I’ve been working hard for this fight knowing that this guy is undefeated and I have to take that away from him. But at the same time, we’ve got to respect everyone because we’re all competitors and it’s all about looking good and winning and he’s just in my way right now.

L. DiBella
Thank you. The main event of the evening is a super middleweight world title fight and it features two guys that have been engrained into boxing since they were amateurs. James DeGale is an Olympic gold medalist. He’ll be facing Andre Dirrell. James is from England; Andre from the US. Andre was a bronze medalist in the Olympics. This is a match of two of the very best super middleweights in the world and figures to be a terrific fight.

James is promoted by Matchroom Boxing and Eddie Hearn is on the call. When you go to Q&A, if anyone has a question for Eddie, Eddie is available. We’re going to start with James DeGale. James, would you like to say a few words? James is 21-1, with 14 KOs.

James DeGale
Yeah, my time is here. My time is here, next Saturday. I’ve trained extremely hard and you’re in for a treat because you’re going to watch two very talented hungry fighters next Saturday fight it out for a world title. I honestly think it’s going to be a hell of a fight, one I’m confident of winning. So, fasten your seatbelts, man. It should be good.

L. DiBella
Thank you, James. Andre Dirrell, please say a few words.

Andre Dirrell
I agree with James. This is going to be a very good fight. I’ve trained my butt off as well. Everything went very smoothly this camp. He’s a hungry fighter. I’m a hungry fighter. We are both in desperate need or desperate want of a world title and I myself feel very confident and I’m excited about this match, man. He feels like he’s an undefeated fighter. I feel like I’m an undefeated fighter, but we both have a lot to prove, man. So, we’re going to come to the full effect and I believe it’s going to be a great show.

L. DiBella
Thank you, Andre. We’re going to open it up to questions now. One more time, it’s PBC on NBC broadcast. It will be on May 23rd, Saturday afternoon of Memorial Day Weekend, 4:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. PT. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster, 1-800-745-3000 and we’re going to open it up for questions now.

Q
This is for James. This is your first fight in the United States and also, this is the first time a lot of people are going to get to see you because you’re going to be on national television. What are you expecting in terms of the energy and what it’s going to be like performing in a completely new audience?

J. DeGale
Yeah. I’m looking forward to it. I’m used to it as well because obviously back in England I’m promoted by Matchroom, a well-known commercial company. So, I box on big shows in front of 10,000-20,000 people. It should be good. They have a lot of Irish and English over there. So, I should have some good support and I’m looking forward to it.

Q
Let me follow-up with another question. There was a time that you considered retiring from the sport and becoming a personal trainer. Can you talk about that a little bit and looking back, are you glad you made the right decision to continue to do boxing?

J. DeGale
Yeah. It’s pretty simple. I was going through a hard time with my promoter at the time and I was a bit depressed because I wasn’t getting my chances and I wasn’t getting the right fights and I boxed on small shows. I basically was a bit depressed and I couldn’t motivate myself properly. So, yeah, that was the way it was and then I made the change to Matchroom and things have just gone from pretty bad to really great.

Obviously, my last two performances speak for themself. I boxed Brandon Gonzales, an undefeated American, a confident American. He come over to America and I boxed him front of 80,000 people and knocked him out in four rounds.

Then four months later, I boxed Periban. If you don’t know Marco Antonio Periban, he boxed Sakio Bika for the world title and lost on a split decision and I knocked him out in three rounds. So, I’m confident. I’m feeling good, and I’m motivated very well at the minute.

Q
Andre, when you brother lost, he lost a close decision .What was your conversation with Anthony like because you lost a close fight you thought you’d won. So, how have you been able to converse with him about getting through that loss?

A. Dirrell
Well, I didn’t have to say much because he was confident after the fight, but I pretty much had him realize that you’ve had a bad night after he had a terrific camp, but I believe that’s where he left it. He left it in that. When it came to fight time, he had a few setbacks leading up to the fight and unfortunately, he lost, but we saw a lot of things that he needs to correct. I told him to watch the fight over and over again because that’s what I used to do in my fight, any fight that I feel bad about. So, I just told him keep his confidence up, man and stay on that run, man. Don’t lay off at all. That’s all we can do, man. I’ve learned a lot from past experience and one thing’s for certain; you can’t take anything from the past and bring it to the future. Only confidence.

So, I’m feeling good, man. He’s excited for me and I’m going to keep that name alive and keep the Dirrell name going.

Q
Everybody talks about the super middleweights, they talk about Andre Ward. But it seems like some people forget how good of a boxer that you are because you had to take this time off. With this being on NBC and getting in front of a large audience, are you looking at this as an opportunity to put your name back in that conversation for people who may have forgotten how good Andre Dirrell is?

A. Dirrell
People know and in the end, it’s my job to keep my name lean. I haven’t had the opportunity to do that as well. I had a major setback as well, but with that I stayed in the game, stayed sharp. I was sharp in my last couple of performances. I’m looking forward to the future and this is the breakout fight like I said. James is one hell of a fighter. He has a lot of heart, a lot of spunk, a lot of energy, man, and he wants to win.

If you want to put me in front of a fighter for a world championship fight, then James DeGale is bar none one of the best to do it in front of. So, I’m excited about this fight. I think this is probably one of the biggest fights from Premier Boxing Champion that they’ve had and I’m excited to be on that big stage. So, I want a breakout performance and I did everything in camp to make sure I can do so.

Q
How does it feel to be the first Brit on the verge of making some boxing history?

J. DeGale
It feels great, but I need to stay focused and keep my eye out on the prize. That’s what I have to do. But, you know what? A lot of people say I’m obsessed about making history, about becoming the first Olympic gold medalist from Great Britain to win a genuine world title. But you know what? I am. I am because that’s what drives me and that’s what makes me train hard every day. So, yeah, I’m looking forward to it.

Q
Okay, and you touched on a little bit there. I mean not so long ago you were boxing in front of a couple of hundred people at the shopping center in Blue Water and now you’re making noise on TV in America. How does that feel, the difference?

J. DeGale
Well, it’s fantastic. Sure a lot of credit has to go to Eddie Hearn. I’m a buzz fire. I like the big audience. I like the big lights. I’m just feeling real relaxed, chilled and ready to perform next Saturday. I’m buzzing. I really can’t wait; just being in America and knowing that I’m going to make my debut next Saturday in front of millions of Americans and back in the UK as well. It’s going to be fantastic.

Q
Andre, this fight seems to be your highest profile fight since five years ago when you had the Abraham fight, when he got DQ’ed. You were leading at that time. Can you tell us at this point, where are you physically and mentally compared to where you were when you were obviously at the top of the division five years ago?

A. Dirrell
Well, I look at it all from a mental aspect. As of now, man, I’m grown tremendously in my mind. I’ve realized how important boxing is to me and what it takes to become world champion, the work you have to put in and I just follow those guidelines every day. I’m a very motivated fighter, very self-motivated. A lot of fighters run with music, have to listen to music.

If I can hear my punches while I’m hitting the bag, I’m motivated. So, nothing motivates me more than hard work and that’s all I look for. The fight is won in the gym, not on fight night. It’s what you do in the gym, not how hard you put up a fight.

I’ve done all of that and more. I feel very relaxed. I’m very energetic and I’m feeling the vibe already and I really can’t wait to make Saturday myself. I feel I have a lot to prove and I have a different Andre Dirrell to show, one that’s just as sharp, just as fast, just as brave, but just has a bigger mental capacity. I’m excited about next week.

Q
What do you think your advantages are over James DeGale in this fight?

A. Dirrell
We’re pretty much evenly matched and I actually like that scenario because I know I’m faster. I know I’m smarter and I know I’m a better boxer. It’s just as simple as that. But, none of that can come into play without hard work, and I know he’s worked his ass off, man. He has to come over to America just like I went over there to England to try to fight for a world championship.

I know what kind of guy I’m going to face come the 23rd. I’ve worked my butt off like I said, , and with those advantages, I’ve put the hard work in so I can display that. I just feel like I’ll be the better man that night.

Q
James, tell us why you think you’re confident that you’re going to be able to win this fight?

J. DeGale
Momentum is a big thing. Look at my last two performances against good, quality opponents and look his last three. Listen, I come from good pedigree and so does Andre. We’re good, quality, young fighters. But I just think overall, I’m better. I think he struggles. He doesn’t like it when it gets hard in there. He’s a competent fighter, but he likes it when he’s dictating the pace and he’s on the front foot.

Well listen, I’m not going to let him rest. He thinks this is going to be a boxing match. Well, this ain’t. I’m telling him now. This ain’t going to be a boxing match. I’m going in there and I’m taking the title. I’m taking it. I’m ripping it away from him.

Q
Do you think you’re a really improved fighter? I know that the loss that you had to Groves was very controversial, but how much do you think you’ve improved since that fight with Groves?

J. DeGale
It’s like night and day. Listen, and another thing, I was in this for two years as well. I had two operations on my groin. So, I couldn’t throw my shots with any power. I couldn’t run the ring properly. Even in the fight at Wembley in front of 80,000 I wasn’t 100% right. Even against Periban I wasn’t 100% right. Now I’m 100% right, fully healthy, fully focused and mentally right. So, you’re going to see me step up again next Saturday.

Q
James, you mentioned about being a buzz fighter and this is the biggest stage, the biggest pressure you’ve ever been under. So, does this mean we’re going to see your best ever performance?

J. DeGale
I honestly do. The way I’ve been in the gym training, sparring, running, I honestly think you’re going to see the performance of my career so far. My last couple of fights after my injuries have been sorted and I just got better and better and I think this one is going to top it and winning my world title as well and making history.

Q
But, do you deal with the pressure and does that inspire you more?
JamesI thrive on it. You know me. I thrive in it. I’m just looking forward to it. As I say, it’s my debut as a professional in America. So, I’m buzzing right now. You don’t understand. I’m just really looking forward to it.

Q
Andre. You’ve obviously fought Carl Froch and you’ve watched video of James I imagine. How do they compare as fighters and who do you rate as a better fighter?

A. Dirrell
As far as skill, I can give it to James DeGale, but as far as toughness, mental toughness, physical toughness, that’s Carl Froch. We all know how mentally strong he is. So, I have to give the edge to Carl Froch in that aspect, but as I said before, I know DeGale is coming to fight and no one gets in that ring and fights me as they want to fight. You know what I’m saying? Just like he thinks it’s going to be an easy fight. I feel like I have a lot more to prove as well.

So, I’m looking to bring the fight as well and I’m working hard in the gym. I made it tough on myself. The more pressure you actually put on me, the more dangerous I become.

I’m really excited as well, man. I have a lot to prove. He has a lot to prove. This is going to be the best fight yet on Premier Boxing Champions.

Q
Basically for Andre, there was a chance obviously this fight could end up going to Britain. You’ve been to Britain before and you were very unlucky against Carl Froch. Was that something you were against, to face another title fight in Britain?

A. Dirrell
I’m not going to say that because I enjoyed my time over there. I believe I won the fight like I said and it just didn’t go my way unfortunately. I don’t like to judge my future fights based on past. I look forward to fighting in Britain again, in England again, the UK again whenever that day may come. I had a lot of fans over there; I have a lot of fans over there and I enjoy my time over there. I’ve been going over there since the amateurs. I enjoy it very much and I’m a world-class fighter. So, I want to be displayed on a world-class level.

I’m definitely looking forward to it. If it was over there, if it had to be over there, so be it. I would have came over there to fight James. We are world competitors, world-class. We fight for world titles. Why should it be in America all the time? This is a world-class sport and we should treat it like one.

Q
Arthur Abraham kind of robbed you of your great win when he hit you on the floor. That was looking like such a great performance that night. In the sort of layup after that, how close did you come to actually having to retire? Was there ever a time you thought you might not box again?

A. Dirrell
I was going through some stuff with my family. I actually wanted to. I knew in my heart that I’d get my time again. I knew my time would come. I knew I had a chance of getting out of my contract. So, I kept training. Of course, there were times that I would hit slumps and feel like I’m doing it for nothing, but it was quite a stressful time for me. I think I always knew that I would be able to get back in that ring. So, I stayed busy and it didn’t really totally veer me away from the sport, but I do know the feeling.

I did feel like any moment could come up to where that it could be over just like that and I had to deal with it and I could easily retire. If it happened again, I just might. I knew that my time was coming again. There’s always hope there. I just kept pushing forward and here I am now.

Q
One for you, James, quickly. You’re in Florida now. Can you tell us where you are and how’s it going?

J. DeGale
Yeah, no, I’m in Miami. I’ve been training here for the past week. So, we climatized and we adjusted and we’re ready to go.

L. DiBella
Just a couple of final words. Thank you, Edwin, Craig, Andre and James. This is a great undercard that features a lot of New England talent and I want to acknowledge Murphys Boxing, our friend Ken Casey who’s with the legendary Irish band, the Dropkick Murphys, and is helping us with local promotion. We’re going to have a lot of announcements coming about some great fight week activities.

Premier Boxing Champions on NBC, PBC on NBC Saturday, May 23rd at Boston’s Agganis Area, 4:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. PT for the beginning of the broadcast. Tickets for the live event are available at Ticketmaster.com. To charge by phone, call Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000. Tune into NBC on Saturday, May 23rd, but if you can be with us in Boston, join us at the Agganis Arena. Thank you, everybody, for joining us.

* * *

Tickets for the return of big-time boxing to Boston, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Murphys Boxing, are priced at $250, $200, $100, $75, $50 and $35, not including applicable service charges and taxes, and are on sale now. Tickets will be available at www.ticketmaster.com. To charge by phone, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com www.nbcsports.com/boxing, www.AgganisArena.com and www.dbe1.com, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @AndreDirrell, @JamesDeGale1, @LouDiBella, @DropkickMurphys, @MurphysBoxing, @NBCSports and @AgganisArena and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.facebook.com/NBCSports, www.facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment, www.Facebook.com/DropkickMurphys and www.facebook.com/MurphysBoxing. Follow the conversation using #PremierBoxingChampions and #PBConNBC

LOS ANGELES (May 19) – Back on top of the boxing world after winning his third division world championship last December, Venezuela’s Jorge “El Niño De Oro” Linares will travel to London, England to defend his WBC Lightweight title for the first time against top British contender “Mighty” Kevin Mitchell at The O2, live on Sky Sports Box Office on Saturday, May 30. The WBC Lightweight World Championship is presented by Matchroom Boxing and Golden Boy Promotions in association with Akihiko Honda’s Teiken Boxing Gym and will be featured on the televised undercard of Kell Brook vs. Frankie Gavin.

“I am excited and honored to be defending my third world championship title in London,” said Jorge Linares. “This third title is something I have worked very hard for and I would like to thank my team, my family, Golden Boy Promotions and Akihiko Honda’s Teiken Boxing Gym for all their support throughout my journey. I have had a great training camp focusing on the skills that I need to defeat an opponent like Kevin Mitchell. I know he is a strong and aggressive fighter and I feel his style of fighting will suit me. This will not be an easy fight.”

“This is the making of my career,” said Kevin Mitchell. “I will win this fight and create a legacy as an unbeaten world champion. I know Jorge Linares is a three-weight world champion and a classy fighter – if you allow him to do what he wants to do, but I believe I will shut him down. I’ve matured, I feel secure with the team around me and I have left that party boy behind, I am enjoying it again. There’s excitement in me, Tony Sims is getting the best out of me as a result; it’s a good feeling. I know I am going to win this fight.”

“Jorge Linares is a world champion fighter and is determined to give Kevin Mitchell a difficult time in the ring as he looks to defend his title on May 30,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Founder and President of Golden Boy Promotions. “Mitchell may have hometown advantage but Linares’ speed and skill will give Mitchell a considerable challenge in the ring. Make no mistake though: this will be a difficult fight for both Linares and Mitchell and one that is sure to excite.”

Tickets are available now with limited numbers priced at £40, £60, £80, £100 and £200 that can be purchased at www.theO2.co.uk and on 0844 856 0202. The £400 VIP packages are exclusively available through www.matchroomboxing.com.

A former world champion at the featherweight and super featherweight divisions, Barinas, Venezuela native Jorge “El Niño De Oro” Linares (38-3, 25 KOs) made it a trio of titles on December 30, 2014 when he knocked out Javier Prieto in four rounds in his adopted hometown of Tokyo, Japan to take the vacant WBC Lightweight Championship. It was another milestone in the 13-year career of the 29-year-old Linares, who has been one of boxing’s best of this era. Winner of bouts over Oscar Larios, Rocky Juarez, Jesus Chavez and Nihito Arakawa, Linares puts his seven-fight winning streak on the line against Mitchell.

A decorated amateur and professional boxer who has long been considered an elite European lightweight, “Mighty” Kevin Mitchell (39-2, 29 KOs) may have come up short in previous title fights against Michael Katsidis and Ricky Burns, but with six consecutive wins, five by knockout, under his belt, the 30-year-old from Dagenham is showing top form as he heads into the biggest fight of his career. Currently the WBC Silver Lightweight Champion, a title he won by stopping Daniel Estrada in eight rounds in January, Mitchell will have all of England behind him when he faces off against Linares on May 30.

Jorge Linares vs. Kevin Mitchell is a 12-round fight for the WBC Lightweight World Championship presented by Matchroom Boxing and Golden Boy Promotions in association with Akihiko Honda’s Teiken Boxing Gym. The Sky Sports Box Office broadcast airs live at 5:00 p.m. GMT.

Atlantic City, NJ (May 19,2015)–This Friday night,May 22, boxing returns to the Claridge in Atlantic City with a full 10-bout card promoted by King’s Promotions in association with DeeLee Promotions.

In one of the featured undercard bouts, undefeated super middleweight, Antuwyan Aikens makes his return after a 13-month layoff when he takes on tough Edgar Perez in a bout scheduled for 6-rounds.

In the main event, undefeated super bantamweight Juan “Baby Tito” Dominguez will take on Mario Antonio Macias in a bout scheduled for 8-rounds.

Aikens (9-0, 1 KO) of Atlantic City will be making his 7th appearance in his hometown and is ready to get his career on track after going through “The Business Side of Boxing.”

“I had a good camp. We weren’t getting the right deals so we took the time off. We re-evaluated our career and wanted to see what direction we wanted to go in. We hope that this fight with King’s Promotions will bring us better fights, “said the 26 year-old Aikens.

In Perez, he is fighting a guy who not only has been with top competition as he has fought 10 undefeated fighters but also holds a win over previously undefeated Atlantic City based Light Heavyweight Lavarn Harvell.

“I know that Perez is a brawler. I know he beat Harvell. So for that I know it is a challenge and I look forward to that but I plan on giving him a boxing lesson.”

Harvell, has been busy working at the Tri-Care Medical transport Company but knows that he needs to look good in front of his hometown fans.

“It means a lot to mean to fight here at home. I am glad to be back and make the most of it. I am looking forward to a good fight and please the fans.”

8 round bouts:

Bryant Perella (11-0, 7 KO’s) of Lehigh Acres, FL will battle German Perez (11-1-3, 3 KO’s) of Tijuana, MX in a Welterweight bout.

John Magda (9-0, 6 KO’s) of Rutherford, NJ will fight Miguel Angel Manguia (31-32-1, 25 KO’s) in a Super Middleweight bout.

Gervonta Davis (10-0, 9 KO’s) of Baltimore, MD will take on Alberta Mora (5-3, 1 KO) of Mexico City in Featherweight bout.

In 6-round bouts:

Middleweight Caleb Hunter Plant (6-0, 5 KO’s) of Ashland City, TN will fight an opponent to be named.

Jamontay Clark (5-0, 3 KO’s) of Cincinnati, OH will battle Jonathan Garcia (4-13, 1 KO) of Aguada, PR in a Welterweight bout.

Jr. Welterweight Keenan Smith (6-0, 2 KO’s of Philadelphia) will take Luis Rodriguez (3-3, 2 KO’s) of Carolina, PR.

In 4-round bouts:

Kareem Martin (4-0-1, 3 KO’s) of Washington, D.C. will fight Marques Jackson (3-15, 2 KO’s) of Atlanta, GA in a Welterweight bout.

Pro debuting Light Heavyweight Carlos Gongora of Brooklyn, NY will battle Efigenio Perez (0-4) of Puerto Rico.

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

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (May 18, 2015) – With an incredible four-fight Spike-broadcast main card already locked up for next month’s “Bellator: Kongo vs. Volkov” event, Bellator MMA officials are now turning their attention to the evening’s Spike.com-streamed preliminary lineup.

The first preliminary contest booked features featherweight standout Bubba “The Highlight Kid” Jenkins (8-2), as he looks to build his way back to a title shot against 28-fight veteran Joe “The Nose” Wilk (18-10).

Featuring a heavyweight contest between French striking specialist Cheick Kongo (22-10-2) and former Bellator MMA Heavyweight World Champion Alexander “Drago” Volkov (24-5), “Bellator: Kongo vs. Volkov” takes place June 26 at Kansas Star Event Center Arena in Mulvane, Kan.

Additional announced matchups include lightweights Dave “The Caveman” Rickels (16-3) vs. John “The Natural” Alessio (35-17), former Bellator MMA featherweight champion Pat “Paddy Mike” Curran (20-7) vs. Goiti Yamauchi (18-2) and a contest between middleweight sluggers with Joe “Stitch ‘Em Up” Schilling (2-4) vs. Hisaki Kato (4-1) on the event’s featured portion.

The night’s main card airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/ 8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts stream on Spike.com at 7 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. CT.

Additional bouts will be announced shortly.

Tickets for “Bellator: Kongo vs. Volkov,” which start at just $17 and include cageside seats for just $97, are currently available at Ticketmaster.com.

Jenkins, a former NCAA Division I wrestling champion at Arizona State University, also earned All-American honors during a separate stint at Penn State University. Just 27 years of age, Jenkins has already fought seven times under the Bellator MMA banner and is considered one of the top up-and-coming fighters in the 145-pound division. “The Highlight Kid” was one step away from a shot at the Bellator MMA Featherweight World Title before coming up short against Georgi Karakhanyan at Bellator 132 in January. The Corona, Calif. resident now looks to get back on the winning track at Bellator 139.

Wilk is a 33-year-old Kansas native who already boasts 28 professional contests to his name and made his Bellator MMA debut this past October, where he suffered a TKO loss to fellow Sunflower State veteran Ricky Musgrave. Wilk has been a staple on the Midwestern scene since 2007 and has incredibly fought to a judges’ decision only once in his 28 appearances. He’s at his most dangerous on the mat, where he’s earned a remarkable 15 of his 18 career victories by way of submission.

“Bellator MMA: Kongo vs. Volkov” – Friday, June 26, Kanas Star Event Center Arena, Mulvane, Kansas

Main Card (9 p.m. ET)

Bellator Heavyweight Main Event: Cheick Kongo (22-10-2) vs. Alexander Volkov (24-5)
Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Dave Rickels (16-3) vs. John Alessio (35-17)
Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Pat Curran (20-7) vs. Goiti Yamauchi (18-2)
Bellator Middleweight Feature Fight: Joe Schilling (2-4) vs. Hisaki Kato (4-1)

Preliminary Card

Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Bubba Jenkins (8-2) vs. Joe Wilk (18-10)

About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 400 million homes worldwide in over 120 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

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

About Kansas Star Arena
The Kansas Star Arena, a Boyd Gaming facility, is located just off Exit 33 on the Kansas Turnpike and is adjacent to the Kansas Star Casino. The 42,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Kansas Star Arena is south-central Kansas’ home for big-name national acts such as Journey, Pat Benatar, Championship Rodeo, mixed martial arts events and more. The Arena accommodates up to 6,500 guests for headliner events. In 2014, Midwest Gaming and Travel awarded the Kansas Star more than 25 honors in its annual Reader’s Choice Awards, including “Best Concert Venue” in the state of Kansas. For more information, visit kansasstarcasino.com. Connect with Kansas Star Arena at facebook.com/kansasstararena and www.kansasstarcasino.com/entertain/arena. Headquartered in Las Vegas, Boyd Gaming is a leading diversified owner and operator of 22 gaming entertainment properties located in Nevada, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and New Jersey. Boyd Gaming and Kansas Star Casino press releases are available at boydgaming.mediaroom.com.

ORANGE, Calif. (May 19, 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.

The Boxcino Tournament is Promoted by Banner Promotions and televised on ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights” (ESPN2 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT). The show on Friday is co-promoted through Thompson Boxing Promotions and Banner Promotions.

The undercard features crafty super bantamweight Isaac Zarate (10-1-1,1 KO) of Los Angeles against Fernando Fuentes (5-4-1, 1 KO) of Hemet, Calif. Outside of the two televised bouts, the 8-round fight between Zarate and Martinez is among the most eagerly anticipated fights of the night.

“Zarate is one of the most exciting, young boxers in the 122 lb. division,” said Ken Thompson, president of Thompson Boxing. “He won’t blow you away with power, but his hand speed and work rate are definitely worth the cost of admission.”

“I’m looking forward to a great night of boxing,” said Artie Pelullo, president of Banner Promotions. “It’s a great card all around, and the Boxcino finals will be fan friendly fights where two new world title contenders will emerge.”

Zarate, a southpaw, makes life difficult for opponents by using an unlimited energy supply to launch punches from all sorts of angles. He’s elusive in that he darts in and out of danger spots, which makes landing combinations on him a difficult matter.

“I try not to stay in the same spot for too long,” said the 23-year-old Zarate. “By moving and changing the pace, my opponents typically can’t time my movements.”

In other action, Colombian lightweight Andres Figueroa (5-0, 3 KOs) faces fellow prospect Angel Martinez (5-1-1, 1 KO) of San Antonio, Tex. in a 6-round fight.

Humberto Rubalcava (1-0, 1 KO), a Riverside native who turned professional in April, faces super bantamweight Richard Tallmadge, who will be making his pro debut (4-rounds).

A pair of young welterweights in Eridani Leon (2-1) of Mexico and Isaac Freeman (1-1, 1 KO) of Los Angeles square off in a 4-round bout.

Also, Canadian junior middleweight prospect Cody Crowley (3-0, 2 KOs) will fight an opponent to be named later (4-rounds).

Opening the event is undefeated super bantamweight Adam Lopez (11-0, 6 KOs) of San Antonio going up against the veteran Miguel Tamayo (16-12-2, 14 KOs) of Mexico (6-rounds).

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.

BOSTON (May 19, 2015) – Boston-area fans will be treated to fireworks this Memorial Day weekend as a full slate of exciting undercard fights come to Agganis Arena on Saturday, May 23. The undercard action is highlighted by Boston’s own Danny O’Connor (25-2, 9 KOs) taking on the fighting pride of Vermont, Chris Gilbert (13-1, 10 KOs) in an eight-round welterweight battle for the New England welterweight championship title.

Undercard fights will support the Premier Boxing Champions on NBC show featuring the super middleweight showdown between Olympic medalists Andre Dirrell (24-1, 16 KOs) and James DeGale (20-1, 14 KOs) and Edwin Rodriguez (26-1, 17 KOs) taking on the undefeated Craig Baker (16-0, 12 KOs).

O’Connor vs. Baker will put two of the most popular fighters in the New England area on display as the slick boxing O’Connor will look to pick apart the hard-charging Gilbert. The bout will be the final event of the evening and close down the show in spectacular fashion at Agganis Arena.

“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to fight Chris in Boston,” said O’Connor. “Being able to do what I love in front of my hometown fans that have supported me since day one is very meaningful to me”

“I’m very excited to have the opportunity to fight on such an amazing card,” said Gilbert. “I’m coming off a first round knockout last week and I plan to bring the same intensity, aggressiveness and hard hitting style into the ring this week. O’Connor has been at the top of the welterweight division, whether in the amateurs or pros, and I’m excited to see how my skills compare.”

“This is a fight that local fight fans have been eager to see for a long time,” said Ken Casey, President and CEO of Murphys Boxing. “New England’s premiere welterweight versus New England’s hardest hitting welterweight. Pride can be worth more than money sometimes and the right to call yourself ‘New England welterweight’ champ is very important to a fighter in this close knit community.”

The undercard will also feature a highly anticipated 10-round middleweight contest that pits Gary O’Sullivan (20-1, 13 KOs) against Melvin Betancourt (29-1, 23 KOs) as both men look to prove themselves as contenders in the division.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Murphys Boxing, are priced at $250, $200, $100, $75, $50 and $35, not including applicable service charges and taxes, and are on sale now. Tickets will be available at www.ticketmaster.com. To charge by phone, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.

Further action will feature the six round featherweight bout between local favorite Ryan Kielczweski (22-1, 6 KOs) and Anthony Napunyi (15-14, 8 KOs) and a six round junior lightweight bout that showcases Logan McGuinness (22-0-1, 10 KOs) taking on Christian Esquivel (17-13, 15 KOs). Plus undefeated prospect Immanuel Aleem (12-0, 8 KOs) facing David Toribio (21-14, 14 KOs) in a six or eight round middleweight swing bout.

Also stepping into the ring at Agganis Arena is undefeated knockout artist Jonathan Guzman (18-0, 18 KOs) who takes on Christian Esquivel (27-6, 20 KOs) in an eight-round junior featherweight matchup. Heavyweight prospect Danny Kelly (7-1-1, 1 KO) will take on Curtis Lee Tate (7-5, 6 KOs) in a six-round heavyweight attraction while Antonio Russell (1-0,1 KO) taking on Brandon Garvin (0-1) in a four round bantamweight fight. Kicking off the action in the arena is undefeated prospect Edwin Espinal (5-0, 4 KOs) who will take on Alvaro Enriquez (12-13-2, 4 KOs) in a four round light heavyweight fight.

A former National Golden Gloves champion who has fought as a pro since 2008, O’Connor was set to face former two-division champion Paulie Malignaggi, but will now return home for a May 23 bout. The 30-year-old out of Framingham, Massachusetts is coming off of back-to-back knockout victories over Michael Clark and Andrew Farmer and looks to leave a big impression on his hometown fans.

A hard-hitting fighter out of Windsor, Vermont, Gilbert has become a staple throughout New England, appearing on cards all around the region since turning pro in 2011. The 30-year-old boasts an impressive knockout percentage and just last week recorded his tenth professional stoppage with a first round knockout over Raphael Valenzuela. He takes a step up in competition when he battles O’Connor on May 23.

A resident of Cork, Ireland, O’Sullivan will be fighting for the fifth time as a professional in the state of Massachusetts, where he is yet to lose. At 30-years-old, he has won his last four fights since a defeat to Billy Joe Saunders in 2013, including three straight by knockout. He will take on a strong opponent making his U.S. debut in Betancourt. The fighter out of Villa Gonzalez, Dominican Republic has won nine fights in a row.

A runner-up in the 2008 National Golden Glove tournament, the 25-year-old Kielczweski has become a staple fighting in his home state of Massachusetts. Born and raised in Quincy, he hopes to rebound from the first loss of his career, a split decision defeat to Danny Aquino in April of this year. He will take on the 32-year-old Napunyi, who is coming off of a third round TKO victory over Joshua Omukhulu in January of this year. Fighting out of Canal Point, Florda, he hopes to make it back-to-back victories on May 23.

Fighting out of Ontario, Canada, McGuinness will make his second start in the U.S. after debuting in April with a first round TKO over Carlos Fulgencio at Memorial Hall in Massachusetts. The 27-year-old will take on the 35-year-old Cuevas out of Mexico City.

An undefeated prospect out of Richmond, Virginia, the 21-year-old Aleem will take on the very dangerous and experienced 35-year-old Toribio out of Miami.

With a perfect knockout percentage, the 25-year-old Guzman looks to build off of his Massachusetts debut, which saw him knockout Juan Guzman in the fifth round in February of this year. Fighting out of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic he returns to the ring to take on 28-year-old Esquivel out of Temoaya, Mexico.

The 23-year-old Kelly will return to the same city where he delivered a first round TKO of Eric Newell in June 2014 looking for another big victory. The fighter out of Washington D.C. will take on the 31-year-old Tate out of Oakland, Tennessee.

Another native of Washington D.C., Russell made his professional debut this year with a second round knockout over Harold Reyes in January. The 22-year-old takes on Philadelphia’s Garvin.

A 22-year-old prospect who has racked up five wins since turning pro in February of this year, Espinal will get back in the ring again on May 23. The fighter out of Providence, Rhode Island will take on the 33-year-old Enriquez out of Tlaxcala, Mexico.

BRISTOL (19 MAY) By Lee Haskins: I don’t envy the task facing Ryosuke Iwasa next month. Not only does he have to fight me, he also has to fight me in Bristol of all places. For a man that has never fought outside his native Japan before, this could prove to be one hell of a hurdle to overcome.

My guess is that he won’t find it easy at all. I don’t know what sort of reception the Bristolians will give him, but I can’t imagine it will be too welcoming. I can’t see him getting too many cheers. That’s all part of boxing, though. I’ve had the same treatment when I’ve boxed away.

My last fight, for example, took place in Monte Carlo. And though it wasn’t in my opponent’s hometown, it was still yet another fight away from home, in France against a Frenchman. I’m used to it now.

My opponent in Monte Carlo, Omar Lamiri, was very awkward and difficult at times. I hurt him early on in the first round and then he didn’t want to know too much. He was trying to spoil after that. Whenever I came in, he’d throw some crazy punches and hope to catch me. I wanted him to come at me and put on my back foot a little bit – so I could open him up and counterpunch him – but he just wouldn’t play my game. He wouldn’t come forward or throw too many shots. So, in the end, it was me who initiated the action and came forward. It got messy at times, but I thought it was still a good fight. I felt in control.

The good news is we’re able to hang on to that European title I won against Lamiri, and we’ll see what happens to it after this fight on June 13. If I was to somehow lose on June 13, I’d be able to keep the European and defend it at some point. But I’m really not contemplating that at this stage. All my focus is on beating Iwasa and getting that IBF world bantamweight title.

I always dreamed about becoming a world champion, before I even started boxing, and I always thought I’d fight for a major title. But then I got to a point in my pro career where I started thinking, maybe I’ll just never get one. Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. People kept asking me when I was going to get a world title shot and it started to get a bit annoying after a while. I had to tell them I wasn’t really worried about the world title and that I was just concentrating on winning fights.

What I used to do was get a fight and then look past it to the next one. I’d always be thinking one step ahead – but not in a good way. It meant I wouldn’t be as focused or train as hard as I should have done. That’s when slip-ups happen and you go downhill a little bit. I know that now.

I’m just delighted this fight has come around and I’ve now got the opportunity. That’s all I ever wanted – the opportunity. Win or lose, I can say I have fulfilled my dreams of fighting for a version of the world title. I’ve won every major belt and, on June 13, I can say I’ve also fought for a world title. I’ve done everything I could possibly do in this game and I’m a very happy guy.

What makes me even happier is that I know this opportunity has come along at the right time for me. While I’ve always been a good fighter, I lacked concentration and discipline in training and there were a lot of vital things I didn’t do back in the early days. But now I’m older and wiser and I train a lot harder than I did in my twenties. That, in turn, makes me a much better fighter.

I’ve also got kids and responsibilities now, which force you to grow up and mature as a person. That has definitely helped improve me as a boxer. It’s kept me grounded. It’s made me realise the importance of staying in the gym and winning fights. It took a little while.

Saying that, though, straight after this fight on June 13 I’m booked to go to Magaluf for a stag-do. I guess I’m still a big kid at heart.

*** Bristol’s Lee Haskins and Japanese star Ryosuke Iwasa contest the vacant IBF interim world bantamweight title on June 13 at the Action Indoor Sports Centre, Bristol, LIVE on Channel 5 ***

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BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, U.S.A. – On Friday night, May 22, 2015, undefeated professional boxer, Gervonta “Tank” Davis (Baltimore, Maryland/pro record: 10-0, 9 KOs) returns to the ring against Alberto “Ironman” Mora Zuniga (Mexico/pro record: 5-3-0, 1 KO) at the Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Davis’ bout on the “Rumble At The Claridge” fight card is scheduled for eight rounds, and will be presented by King’s Promotion, in association with DeeLee Promotions. The main event on May 22 will be Juan Dominguez (Brooklyn, NY/pro record: 18-0, 12 KOs) vs. Jonathan Perez (Colombia/pro record: 33-10, 27 KOs). No television information has been announced for the May 22 fight.

In his previous fight on February 20, 2015, Davis defeated Puerto Rico’s Israel “Macho” Suarez (Puerto Rico/pro record: 4-5-2, 1 KO) at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, winning by knockout at 2:13 of Round 1. Moments into the fight, the twenty-year-old Davis dropped Suarez with a vicious barrage of punches, ending the contest after just 47 seconds.

Davis wants to continue his success in New Jersey. He stated, “I’m excited for my first eight round fight on Friday night at the Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City. I’m fighting at 130 lbs just to see how my power and speed feels at that weight. The other night, I ran from East Baltimore to West Baltimore and my wind was great. I know there are a lot of people coming up from Baltimore to see me fight on Friday. I will be ready for whatever my opponent tries to do.”

Gervonta said this fight has special meaning for him. “I’m dedicating this fight to Valerie Barnes, who recently died from cancer. She was my best friend’s mother. Justin “Fiddle” Carter is like a brother to me, and his family is my family. His mom treated me like her son, and I appreciate everything she did for me. I’m wearing pink for this fight and her name will be written on my trunks. On fight night, my team will wear ‘Fight Cancer’ t-shirts in her memory.”

The city of Baltimore garnered national headlines this month, in the aftermath of the controversial death of Freddie Gray. Citizen unrest, rioting, and looting necessitated the help of the National Guard to restore order and stabilize the city. Davis said, “My neighborhood was in the middle of it all. Lots of people in my city are angry about things they see every day. I want to show people that they can work out their frustrations and do positive things with their lives. This fight on May 22 is also dedicated to my people in the city of Baltimore.”
Davis’ longtime boxing trainer Calvin Ford said, “Within the last month, Gervonta participated in peaceful youth gatherings, school visits, and lots of community events. Councilman Nick Mosby has given support to our team and he participates in many of Gervonta’s endeavors. We recently had a big event at Upton Boxing Gym. Gervonta had a sparring session with Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, and she presented him with a community award. He is doing the right things to become a real leader for his community, and I’m proud of him.”

Ford addressed the upcoming fight. He said, “I do have some concerns going into this fight. Gervonta is fighting his first eight-rounder, and we are trying the 130 lbs weight class to see how he performs. My sources tell me that our opponent, Alberto Mora Zuniga, is a scrappy fighter. He has lots of experience, and he’s looking forward to challenging an undefeated fighter. He also has several wins by knockout in Mexico that aren’t listed on his pro record. We’ve had multiple distractions and interruptions in this camp because of the events in Baltimore, but we’ve worked through them. We have a very effective game plan. Gervonta just needs to stay focused leading into this fight, and we will be victorious.”

Davis added, “I’ll be ready on May 22. I want media and the fans to keep me in mind as a top prospect for 2015. For those of you coming to the fight, you will see me put on a great show. Thank you to my manager Al Haymon and promoter Marshall Kauffman of King’s Promotions for allowing me to fight on Friday’s card. Thank you to my team, Shoe City, Yekim Customs, Tvche, Everlast, Nike Boxing, Athlete Performance Solutions, Baltimore Parks and Recreation, Upton Boxing Center, Rashaan Brave, Arli Lima, Trevor Holman of Holman Photos, Ethika, and Councilman Nick Mosby for all of their support. On Friday night, I will be 11-0. Keep supporting me, and I’ll fight for you.”
General admission tickets ($50) to Davis’ fight on Friday, May 22 can be purchased in Baltimore by calling (410) 622 6034. Tickets are also available online at www.claridge.eventbrite.com, with ticket prices listed at $100 (VIP), $75 (Ringside) and $50 (General Admission), plus taxes and fees. Weigh-ins on May 21 will be open to the public, and will take place on the 3rd Floor of the Claridge Hotel. On fight night, May 22, the doors of the Celebrity Theater (located within the Claridge Hotel) will open at 6:00 pm, with the first fight scheduled for 6:45 pm. The Claridge Hotel is located at 123 S Indiana Ave, Atlantic City, NJ, 08401. Self-parking is $12, and Valet parking is $15. The Claridge Hotel phone is (844) 224-7386 or (609) 487-4444.

Follow Gervonta Davis on Instagram: @GervontaDavis or http://instagram.com/gervontadavis
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PHOENIX – May 18, 2015 – Boxing in Arizona is alive and well, as Iron Boy Promotions kicks off Iron Boy 22 fight week, and its second consecutive fight week in a row. Phoenix boxing fans are still reeling from Jose Benavidez Jr.’s successful world title defense last Friday at US Airways Center versus a very game Jorge Paez, Jr. That event, produced by Top Rank Boxing in association with Iron Boy Promotions, brought new faces out to enjoy Arizona’s talent, and furthered Arizona’s re-emergence as a boxing hotbed in the eyes of fans nationwide, as the event was televised nationally on TruTV.

Iron Boy Promotions returns to Celebrity Theatre Saturday to showcase up-and-coming Phoenix and Tucson talent, and will once again offer boxing fans a free, high quality live stream of the event at www.ironboyboxing.com.

In his first hometown appearance in over a year, 23-year old welterweight Jose Marruffo (5-2-1, 0KO) will face Tucson’s Rashawn McCain (2-3, 0KO) in a six round contest. Both fighters are known for their all-in, all-heart style in the ring. It’s this style that earned Marruffo respect of boxing fans in New Mexico when he dropped a controversial decision to Albuquerque’s Josh Torres in August of last year. Torres walked away with the USNBC title, but Marruffo won the crowd with a spectacular performance that was overlooked by the judges. Local boxing media embraced Marruffo as their own, keeping Albuquerque fans up to date on his career progress. Marruffo has since earned his fifth victory, winning a wide unanimous decision over favored Alberto Herrera, brother of Mauricio Herrera, in a six round contest in Herrera’s hometown in March.

Emilio “Milo Time” Garcia (9-1-1, 2KO) makes his long-awaited return to the ring Saturday, in a six round super bantamweight bout. It will be Garcia’s first fight this year, and his fans are greatly anticipating the opportunity to call out, “What time is it?” as Garcia makes his way to the ring. The answer, by the way, is “Milo Time,” and Garcia looks to impress in his 2015 debut.

Iron Boy Boxing’s newest signee, Tucson-based junior welterweight Alfonso Olvera, makes his Phoenix debut at Iron Boy 22. Olvera is coming off a majority decision win over California’s Abraham Lopez on the undercard of May 1st’s Beltran vs. Ao card in Las Vegas.

Iron Boy Boxing prospects Junior Rodriguez (1-0, 1KO) and Edgar Brito (3-1-1, 2KO) make their returns in separate bouts. Rodriguez was slated to fight at Iron Boy 20 in April, but was sidelined with an illness during fight week. Rodriguez wowed fans in his debut, scoring a first round knockout over Fernando Alvarez in his February professional debut.

Nate Gallimore, Eddie De La Huerta and Edgar Nava round out the card.
The official Iron Boy 22 weigh-in will take place Friday, May 22nd at Crescent Crown Distributing, 1640 W. Broadway Road in Mesa at 5p.m. It is open to the public and fans are encouraged to attend.

Iron Boy 22 takes place this Saturday, May 23rd at Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona. Doors are at 4pm, and first bell is at 5pm. The event streams live and free beginning at 7:30PST at www.ironboyboxing.com. Tickets are priced $30, 50 and 65, and are available at www.ironboyboxing.com or at the Celebrity Theatre Box Office.

Baltimore, MD (May 18, 2015) – Jake Smith’s Baltimore Boxing Promotions will honor the Baltimore Police Department during a special Olympic style card Friday, May 29 at Michael’s Eighth Avenue in Glen Burnie, MD.

Tickets for “Blood, Sweat & Tears” can be purchased by calling 410-375-9175 or going to Baltimoreboxing.com. Individual tickets start at $25 and VIP tables of 10 are available for $500. All VIP ticketholders can enjoy free hors d’oeurves from 7-8 pm, the best seats in the house and a special meet and greet with five time world champion Vinny Paz.

During the recent Baltimore Riots, a number of officers were hit with rocks, bricks and others items while attempting to stop violent protests. Overall, more than 100 officers were injured trying to prevent further damage to the city. During the evening, Baltimore Boxing will have a special ceremony honoring the department for their courageous efforts to stop violent protesters.

“Baltimore was a very scary place last month,” said Smith. “I had to shut my gym down and know a lot of people had their businesses destroyed. If it weren’t for the brave men and women in law enforcement, things would’ve been even worse. I commend them for the job they did and honoring them during the card is the least that I can do.”

Fast rising heavyweight Sam “Vanilla Gorilla” Crossed returns to the ring less than three weeks after his most recent bout when he defends his East Coast Heavyweight crown in the main event. Crossed, who is turning professional after this fight, has shown tremendous improvement and always gives fans their monies worth. His opponent will be announced shortly.

Welterweight Allen Burris looks to continue his hot streak against an opponent TBD in the co-featured bout of the evening and other bouts will be announced shortly.

In addition to honoring the policemen and women, Baltimore Boxing is proudly teaming up with Unified Efforts. Since their founding in 2012 by former Baltimore detective Debbie Ramsey, Unified Efforts is a full-service bullying prevention organization that has helped raise awareness throughout the Charm City. To assist with the program, Baltimore Boxing will donate tickets and proceeds from a 50/50 raffle on fight night.

“This is going to be our second time working with Unified Efforts,” said Smith. “Debbie has a great heart and it was an excellent experience having her at our card last November. We are very glad to have Debbie and Unified Efforts promoting a great message in association with the fight card. Michael’s Eighth Avenue has been our most popular venue and was sold out for the last card so I advise everybody to purchase their tickets early because this will be a special event for the community.”

For more information on Baltimore Boxing Promotions, visit Baltimoreboxing.com

Las Vegas – UFC® announced today that The Ultimate Fighter® Finale, originally scheduled for South Florida, will now cap off the 4th annual UFC International Fight Week™ (IFW) in Las Vegas, with the event taking place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Sunday, July 12, the night after the double title fight mega-card UFC 189: ALDO vs. MCGREGOR, in the same venue. From July 8 through July 12, the UFC will host over a dozen events with more opportunities than ever to meet UFC stars with the newly expanded UFC Fan Expo®. Attracting fans from around the world, UFC International Fight Week has truly become a global celebration of combat sports.

This year, the UFC Fan Expo is taken to a new level as it takes over the Sands Expo at Venetian/Palazzo, where it will have the largest footprint of any previous Expo ever held in Las Vegas. Delivering over 555,000 square feet of a fully interactive and immersive UFC fan experience, the UFC Fan Expo will also boast one of the largest lineups of combat sports tournaments held under one roof with 4,000 athletes from over 30 countries competing in eight different sports.

Fans attending UFC Fan Expo will have access to the 2015 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, UFC Reebok experience, and truly immerse themselves in the fighter’s life – from having their hands wrapped, to measuring their hand speed and strength against the pros, as well as stepping into the sacred Octagon®.

Beginning May 18, fans can pre-register and join the UFC fan community at www.ufcregister.com to make the most of their UFC International Fight Week experience. They can earn UFC Rewards points and automatically upload UFC activation images and video to their Facebook and Twitter accounts.

UFCFightWeek.com is the official destination for the most current list of scheduled events, with an official UFC International Fight Week App launching late-June in the Apple and Google Play stores.

The following events are currently scheduled for UFC International Fight Week:

Wednesday, July 8
· IMMAF Amateur MMA World Championships at The Flamingo (beginning Monday, July 6)
· Official UFC 189 Open Workouts
· UFC Community Day

Thursday, July 9
· IMMAF Amateur MMA World Championships at The Flamingo
· USJJO Ju-Jitsu National Championships at Harrah’s Las Vegas
· Liquid pool party at Aria hosted by UFC stars
· Official UFC 189 press conference at MGM Grand
· Charity bowling at Brooklyn Bowl with UFC fighters

Friday, July 10
· UFC Fan Expo (Day I)
o USBJJF American Jiu Jitsu Championships (Gi and No Gi)
o WAKO North American Amateur Kickboxing Championship
o ISKA Vegas Open
o The Ultimate Wrestling Championships
· UFC Gym® Fitness Challenge ($35,000 Prize Money)
· Official UFC 189 Weigh-In at MGM Grand Garden Arena
· Official UFC 189 UFC Kit Unveil at MGM Grand Garden Arena
· Meet UFC stars as they takeover downtown Las Vegas
· UFC presents free concert at Fremont Street Experience
· USJJO Ju-Jitsu US International Open at Harrah’s Las Vegas

Saturday, July 11
· UFC Fan Expo (Day II)
o IMMAF Amateur MMA World Championships Finals
o USBJJF American Kids Jiu Jitsu Championships
o WAKO North American Amateur Kickboxing Championship
o ISKA Vegas Open
o The Ultimate Wrestling Championships
· Ulti-man 5k with UFC President Dana White in support of Three Square
· UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at UFC Fan Expo
· UFC 189: ALDO vs. MCGREGOR at MGM Grand Garden Arena
· UFC 189 viewing parties at MGM, Ri Ra Irish Pub, Double Barrel and more
· Official UFC 189 After Party

Sunday, July 12
· Bud Light Pool Party at Monte Carlo Resort and Casino
· The Ultimate Fighter Finale at MGM Grand Garden Arena

Tickets for UFC Fan Expo are currently on sale at www.ufcfanexpo.com with two day passes beginning at $60 online and $65 onsite. One-day passes begin at $35 online and $45 onsite. *Events are subject to change.

For additional information please visit UFC.com, and follow UFC Fight Week on Twitter @UFCFightWeek.

###

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.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (May 18, 2015) – A card loaded with explosive contests has received one more potential slugfest, as middleweight sluggers Joe “Stitch ‘Em Up” Schilling (2-4) and Hisaki Kato (4-1) will clash in the fourth and final main-card matchup of next month’s “Bellator MMA: Kongo vs. Volkov” event which airs live on Spike.

Headlined by a heavyweight contest between French striking specialist Cheick Kongo (22-10-2) and former Bellator MMA Heavyweight World Champion Alexander “Drago” Volkov (24-5), “Bellator MMA: Kongo vs. Volkov” takes place June 26 at Kansas Star Event Center Arena in Mulvane, Kan.

Additional matchups include lightweights Dave “The Caveman” Rickels (16-3) vs. John “The Natural” Alessio (35-17) and former Bellator MMA Featherweight Champion Pat “Paddy Mike” Curran (20-7) taking on Goiti Yamauchi (18-2).

The night’s main card airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/ 8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts stream on Spike.com. Additional bouts will be announced shortly.

Tickets for “Bellator MMA: Kongo vs. Volkov,” which start at just $17 and include cage side seats for just $97, are currently available at Ticketmaster.com.

The 31-year-old Schilling has been fighting professionally since 2006, starting his combat sports career in muay Thai, where he earned both U.S. and world titles. Since he’s turned his focus to MMA, Schilling continues to compete in kickboxing events, as well, working his way to GLORY’s Last Man Standing tournament this past June, competing three times in a single evening. Schilling made his Bellator MMA debut in November, scoring a “Knockout of the Year” candidate stoppage of noted striker Melvin Manhoef.

A karate stylist who first made his name in Japan in the sport of Kudo – a hybrid version of MMA that involves fighting in a gi, gloves and a mask – the 32-year-old Kato will fight in the U.S. on June 26th for the first time. Kato’s transition in 2013 to traditional MMA rules has proven to be a rousing success, as he’s earned four knockout victories in his first five bouts. Three of those wins were earned in the first round, including an April 2014 victory that came in just 53 seconds.

“Bellator MMA: Kongo vs. Volkov” – Friday, June 26, Kanas Star Event Center Arena, Mulvane, Kansas

Bellator Heavyweight Main Event: Cheick Kongo (22-10-2) vs. Alexander Volkov (24-5)
Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Dave Rickels (16-3) vs. John Alessio (35-17)
Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Pat Curran (20-7) vs. Goiti Yamauchi (18-2)
Bellator Middleweight Feature Fight: Joe Schilling (2-4) vs. Hisaki Kato (4-1)

About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 400 million homes worldwide in over 120 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

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

About Kansas Star Arena
The Kansas Star Arena, a Boyd Gaming facility, is located just off Exit 33 on the Kansas Turnpike and is adjacent to the Kansas Star Casino. The 42,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Kansas Star Arena is south-central Kansas’ home for big-name national acts such as Journey, Pat Benatar, Championship Rodeo, mixed martial arts events and more. The Arena accommodates up to 6,500 guests for headliner events. In 2014, Midwest Gaming and Travel awarded the Kansas Star more than 25 honors in its annual Reader’s Choice Awards, including “Best Concert Venue” in the state of Kansas. For more information, visit kansasstarcasino.com. Connect with Kansas Star Arena at facebook.com/kansasstararena and www.kansasstarcasino.com/entertain/arena. Headquartered in Las Vegas, Boyd Gaming is a leading diversified owner and operator of 22 gaming entertainment properties located in Nevada, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and New Jersey. Boyd Gaming and Kansas Star Casino press releases are available at boydgaming.mediaroom.com.

LAS VEGAS (May 18, 2015) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) has released women’s world strawweight (115 pounds) champion Jessica “JAG” Aguilar from her remaining contractual obligations that spanned one additional fight with the world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion, so that she can ideally pursue competition where it is strongest in her weight division.

“We wish Jessica all the best, and hope that she will achieve everything she wants to in her career that is blossoming,” said WSOF President Ray Sefo. “We sat down with Jessica and her manager and we all agreed that she needs to move on to a place where she can compete against the best 115 pound women in the world.

“We have an incredible and fast-growing roster of world-class athletes at WSOF,” continued Sefo, “but we do not have the best fighters in this particular women’s weight class, so it was time to shake hands and amicably part ways.”

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 bantamweight 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.

ORANGE, Calif. (May 18, 2015) – This Friday night at the Omega Products Outdoor Arena, the 2015 Boxcino finals will take place in the heavyweight and jr. middleweight divisions.

The fights will be televised on ESPN Friday Night Fights beginning at 10 PM ET.

The 2015 Boxcino Tournament is promoted by Banner Promotions.

Friday’s show is promoted by Thompson Boxing and Banner Promotions.

The stakes just grew even more as two more belts have been added to each final bout.

In the heavyweight final between Andrey Fedosov and Donovan Dennis, the WBA Fedelatin and the WBO Intercontinental titles will be on the line, in addition to the Boxcino 2015 Heavyweight championship.

In the Jr. middleweight bout between Brandon Adams and John Thompson, the NABA Interim Super Welterweight title as well as the WBO Intercontinental Jr. Middleweight belts will be contested for, in addition to the Boxcino 2015 Jr. Middleweight title.

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.

LOS ANGELES (May 18, 2015) — Former two-division world champion and highly-rated pound for pound fighter TIMOTHY “Desert Storm” BRADLEY JR. and undefeated World Boxing Association (WBA) super lightweight world champion JESSIE VARGAS will make their long-awaited 2015 debuts when they square off in a 12-round welterweight rumble, Saturday, June 27, under the stars at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. The Southern California natives’ fight will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing, beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

These two gladiators boast a combined record of 57-1-1 (21 KOs) — a winning percentage of 97%.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Tecate, tickets to the Bradley vs. Vargas welterweight event go on sale Tomorrow! Tuesday, May 19, at 10:00 a.m. PT. Priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25, (plus applicable taxes and fees), tickets can be purchased online at http://www.axs.com, by telephone at (888) 929-7849 or at the StubHub Center box office, Monday – Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Suites are available by calling (877) 604-8777. For information on group discounts, please call (877) 234-8425.

“I’m excited to be back in the ring with an undefeated champion,” said Bradley. “I look forward to the challenge and to take his 0 away from him on June 27th.”

“I am thrilled to have this fight,” said Vargas. “I will be facing a very talented fighter and when you have two great talents with a lot of heart it always makes for a great fight. I always elevate my game against better competition. I am ready to show and prove that I am one of the best fighters out there. There is not one doubt in my mind that everyone will enjoy this fight. I look forward to giving the fans the best of Jessie Vargas on June 27. ”

“Tim Bradley, one of the sport’s elite fighters, will be looking to take another big step toward regaining a world title belt, while Jessie Vargas, a young and hungry world champion, will be moving up to a new weight division in the biggest test of his professional career. It’s a great matchup of Southern California natives in a perfect setting for their fans at StubHub Center,” said Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank.

“The last time Timothy Bradley, Jr., entered the ring at the StubHub, he left having given the fans the fight of the year,” said Peter Nelson, Vice President of programming, HBO Sports. “Now, he returns for his 2015 debut against one of boxing’s undefeated rising attractions, Jessie Vargas, in a fight that augurs to have great action and impact in the loaded welterweight division.”

Bradley (31-1-1, 12 KOs), from Palm Springs, Calif., a former two-division world champion, from 2008 to 2014, who unified the junior welterweight titles twice during his previous four-year reign, returns to the ring following a controversial draw against one-time interim world champion Diego Chaves last December. The judges were taken to task by ringside media who had Bradley winning handily, an argument bolstered by the fact that Bradley landed 73 more punches than Chaves and controlled almost every round. Bradley continues his comeback since suffering his first professional loss, in his welterweight championship rematch against Fighter of the Decade Manny Pacquiao on April 12, 2014. Before the Pacquiao rematch, Bradley posted three consecutive career-best victories. After moving up in weight and beating Pacquiao in 2012 to capture the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown, Bradley co-starred in the Fight of the Year on March 16, 2013, at StubHub Center, winning a brutal 12-round decision over future world champion Ruslan Provodnikov though Bradley was suffering from a concussion throughout most of the fight. Seven months later, Bradley encored with a virtuoso performance in defeating three-division world champion and Mexican icon Juan Manuel Márquez on October 12, 2013, proving that Bradley is indeed one of boxing’s elite pound for pound fighters.

Vargas (26-0, 9 KOs), a native of Los Angeles who now lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, is trained by former four-division world champion and future Hall of Famer Roy Jones, Jr. Vargas captured the WBA super lightweight title on April 19, 2014 in Las Vegas, winning a unanimous decision over undefeated defending champion Khabib Allakhverdiev. It was a close and competitive fight that proved Vargas’ grit as he bit down hard during the championship rounds to pull away with the victory and the world championship belt. Vargas successfully defended his title twice that same year, winning unanimous decisions over undefeated contender Anton Novikov in Las Vegas and former world champion Antonio DeMarco in Macao, China on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao – Chris Algieri world welterweight pay-per-view card. Vargas’ impressive resume also includes victories over former world champions Stevie Forbes and Vivian Harris and top contenders Josesito Lopez, Lucky Boy Omotoso, Ray Narh and Lanardo Tyner.

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

LAS VEGAS (May 18, 2015) – The lineup for World Series of Fighting’s (WSOF.com) world championship doubleheader on Friday, June 5 continues to come together, and six contests featuring some of Canada’s top up-and-coming fighters, not to mention a Brazilian veteran, traveling to hostile territory, have been booked for the evening’s preliminary card.

The new additions include lightweights Stephen “Big Bad” Beaumont (7-2) vs. Mukai “The Afrikan Assassin” Maromo (8-4), light heavyweights Victor “The Finnisher” Valimaki (18-9) vs. Thiago Goncalves (17-4), welterweights Mark “Sweet Dreams” Drummond (7-2) vs. Michael “The Messenger” Hill (7-3), lightweights Garret “Nasty” Nybakken (7-7) vs. Nick “The Savage” Hrabec (3-1), middleweights Marcus “The Loudmouth Assassin” Hicks (20-24) vs. Matt “The Riotmaker” Baker (12-7) and lightweights Mike “The Storm” Scarcello (7-3-1) vs. Dan “Daniel San” Lariviere (4-2).

Headlined by a world featherweight (145 pounds) championship showdown between reigning kingpin Lance Palmer (9-1) and Canadian challenger and battle-tested veteran Chris “The Polish Hammer” Horodecki (21-5-1), WSOF 21: Palmer vs. Horodecki will also feature a much-anticipated contest between WSOF World Heavyweight Champion Smealinho “The Prince” Rama (9-1), who will put his coveted title on the line against Bulgarian standout Blagoi Ivanov (11-1).

The night’s main card airs live on NBCSN, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, while preliminary bouts stream live on WSOF.com.

Tickets for the event, which start at just $56, are currently on sale at Ticketmaster.com.

Stephen Beaumont, a Hayabusa Training Centre fighter from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, makes his WSOF debut. Six on Beaumont’s nine professional fights have ended in the opening round. He now meets cross-town rival Maromo and fellow WSOF newcomer Mukai Maromo, who was born in Zimbabwe but now trains at Edmonton’s Complete Fitness and Martial Arts.

A true veteran of the sport with 14 years of experience, Victor Valimaki hails from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and trains at UFC Gym Sherwood Park. Valimaki has shown well-rounded skills in his career, earning six of his career wins by knockout and another seven by submission. He now faces 34-year-old veteran Thiago Goncalves of Maceio, Alagoas, Brazil. With 11 years of professional experience, Goncalves has built an impressive career mark fighting around the globe and is now part of the fast-rising Pitbull Brothers fight team.

Mark Drummond hails from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and trains at Complete Fitness and Martial Arts. After losing in his professional debut in 2010, Drummond has since gone 7-1 in his past eight appearances, including a February knockout over Spencer Jebb at WSOF 18. Meanwhile, Michael Hill fights under the WSOF banner for the third time after previously banking a decision win over Ryan Dickson and a TKO of Richard Arsenault.

Garret Nybakken of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, looks for his first WSOF victory after falling short in his promotional debut in February against Dan Lariviere. He faces fellow Edmonton-based fighter Nick Hrabec, who looks to make a positive impact in his promotional debut.

Marcus Hicks, of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, is undefeated under the WSOF banner, racking up first-round submission victories over Graham Park and Markhaile Wedderburn. Meanwhile, Matt Baker – a Team Nogueira fighter from Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada – has become a mainstay on the WSOF schedule, making his sixth appearance for the promotion.

Mike Scarcello, a Hayabusa Training Centre fighter out of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, brings a four-fighting winning streak to the cage. He now meets Dan Lariviere of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, who is 3-1 in his past four fights, including a February win over Garret Nybakken at February’s WSOF 18 event.

MAIN CARD

World Featherweight Championship:
(Champion) Lance Palmer (9-1) vs. (Challenger) Chris Horodecki (21-5-1)

World Heavyweight Championship:
(Champion) Smealinho Rama (9-1) vs. (Challenger) Blagoi Ivanov (11-1)

PRELIMINARY CARD

Stephen Beaumont (7-2) vs. Mukai Maromo (8-4)
Victor Valimaki (18-9) vs. Thiago Goncalves (17-4)
Mark Drummond (7-2) vs. Michael Hill (7-3)
Garret Nybakken (7-7) vs. Nick Hrabec (3-1)
Marcus Hicks (20-24) vs. Matt Baker (12-7)
Mike Scarcello (7-3-1) vs. Dan Lariviere (4-2)

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.

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

CARDIFF (18 MAY) By Nick Blackwell: I’ve been really inactive my whole career, so it hasn’t been too frustrating sitting out the ring for six months waiting for this British title fight with John Ryder.

In fact, it was only when I signed with my promoter, Mick Hennessy, that my career picked up and I had two fights in a couple of weeks. That was a real eye-opener for me. Suddenly I was active and not just someone who got a call last-minute to be an opponent.

They were two very tough fights as well. I fought Sergey Khomitsky in Monte Carlo and believed that with an extra round I would have stopped him, and then I fought Nathan King who was practically a light-heavyweight. I wanted to impress people in both of those fights. I was looking to make a statement. Maybe I tried too hard at times and put a bit too much pressure on myself.

A few months after I got a draw with Khomitsky, he got the call to face Adam Etches, another British middleweight. The result? Well, I knew it was coming. To be totally honest, I was even planning on putting on a double – Khomitsky to knockout Etches and Kell Brook to get his opponent (Jo Jo Dan) out of there before six. I was gutted I didn’t get round to doing it.

I knew how strong Khomitsky was. You can feel it in there with him. If Etches had fought with his brain a bit, and stayed away from him for four or five rounds, let him tire out, he could have then had a chance to take over and maybe even put him away late on. But he didn’t do that.

He’s got a fake record, he’s fought a lot of weak opponents, and everybody was telling him how powerful he was. He genuinely thought he’d go out there, walk through Khomitsky and knock him out. But nobody has done that to Khomitsky before. Reality hit Etches in the form of Khomitsky’s right hand.

It’s no good having an undefeated record if you’re not learning anything along the way. All that will happen is you’ll end up fighting someone like Khomitsky – your first real test – and end up getting your arse whooped. We’ll see how Etches comes back. I hope he can come back stronger.

I’ve only met Etches once and he seemed a decent kid. But his manager, Richard Poxon, bad-mouthed me in an interview and said why should an unbeaten fighter like Etches give someone like me a payday. I thought that was really disrespectful. Etches hadn’t fought anyone. Then he fought Khomitsky, who I was very close to stopping before our fight ended, and was knocked out. If Etches had knocked out Khomitsky in a few rounds, then I’d eat some humble pie. People would say, ‘Oh, that just goes to show how good Nick Blackwell really is.’ But that didn’t happen. I stood toe-to-toe with Khomitsky for six rounds and nearly stopped him and Etches got knocked out in four.

Another fight that interested me this year was the world middleweight title fight between Gennady Golovkin and Martin Murray. I was hoping to go out to Monte Carlo for it but training got in the way and I had to stay and watch it from home.

Still, Murray put on a really good performance, I thought. I knew he’d go rounds with Golovkin because he’s a tough lad and can take a shot. Usually, once Golovkin lands, they go over or re-think their game plan, but Murray stuck with it and landed some good shots of his own. He just took a bit too much punishment in the end. Fair play to Martin Murray, though. He showed he belonged at that level.

If the Golovkin fight ever came up in my career, I’d happily take it. I’d be 100% confident I’d go in there and win. You have to think that way. If you don’t, he’s already beaten you. Too many fighters doubt themselves before they even step into the ring with him. It’s crazy.

Then again, he’s taking over the middleweight division now and I don’t see anybody beating him anytime soon. He’s a bit of a monster, really.

John Ryder is where it all starts for me, though. I want to get this British title and take it from there. I’ve got a lot riding on this fight. I’ve already lost two British title shots and I can’t afford to lose a third.

I know I’ve got to beat him up badly as well because it’s on an Eddie Hearn/Matchroom show and I won’t get any favours from the judges. I’ll have to either knock him out or beat him up badly for every single round. That’s what I plan to do. Let’s see what he’s got…

*** Hennessy Sports’ Nick Blackwell fights John Ryder for the vacant British middleweight title on May 30 at the O2 Arena, LIVE on Sky Sports Box Office ***

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

www.channel5.com
www.maxinutrition.com
www.hennessysports.com
www.skysports.com

18 May 2015 – Singapore: Asia’s largest mixed martial arts organization with a 90% market share, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has announced that for the first time ever, preliminary bouts will be streamed live on Facebook on 22 May for ONE: WARRIOR’S QUEST which takes place at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore. After the final preliminary bout, the main card resumes on pay-per-view, including the main event — a battle for the ONE Lightweight World Championship between defending champion Shinya
“Tobikan Judan” Aoki and Koji “The Commander” Ando.

Fans can watch the fights live on ONE Championship’s official Facebook page (http://facebook.com/onefcmma) at no cost. The Facebook livestream will begin at 7:00pm local time and will end after the final preliminary bout.

After which, fans can then continue watching all the action of ONE: WARRIOR’S QUEST at http://oneppv.com.

ONE: WARRIOR’S QUEST features a showdown between ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki and challenger Koji “The Commander” Ando. It will be an epic battle of two Japanese warriors who aim for the top of a stacked division. Also, Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke will face Filipino Roy Doliguez for the right to be crowned the inaugural ONE Strawweight World Champion.

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.

Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev – WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion
“Hello everybody. Thank you for comes here. What I can say? I already said enough for my side. I am sure it is going to be very interesting fight. Why? Because Nadjib has very good and big motivation to be champion and my desire is to get my four titles. I think that will happen this year, that I fight a unified fight. Fight against Nadjib is for me next step. I am not going to say that I will, I will and I will, is words of trash talkers. I am going to show what I can in the ring.

“Everyone welcome to Vegas July 25 to Mandalay Bay and have a nice time. Thank you very much for your attention, for my promoter, Kathy Duva, and manager [Egis Klimas] that they turn their attention to me, sign me and now my career is in their hands. I like it. Everything I have right now is good.

“Also I am very happy that my fight is on HBO. I am happy and I am going to be best in my division. I am not finished of my collection of all of my belts. I shoot and I must to get one more, WBC title. Just give me opportunity to fight against WBC Champion. I don’t care whether it be Adonis Stevenson or another guy. I don’t care.

“Right now I am not even thinking about this because my next fight will be big fight and not an easy fight against Nadjib Mohammedi. I think so enough to say. Thank you very much again.”

Mohammedi & Kovalev
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Nadjib “Iron Djib” Mohammedi – IBF Mandatory Challenger
“For me is big opportunity. My first time in USA just one years now. I respect Sergey Kovalev now is champion of light heavyweight but I don’t come here for joke or for play or for game. I want be world champion. I work with Abel Sanchez in Big Bear for this. I am not stupid. I know what you think about me. I am not naïve. This fight is very, very difficult for me but I say it is very difficult for Sergey. It is not difficult just for me because I am very smarter, I am faster.

“On 25 of July I am ready with my team, I am ready for this fight. I am ready for Sergey. I am the new generation of light heavyweight because I don’t want the same fight of another opponent. Thank you very much to Kathy Duva, my promoter. Thank you very much my team. Thank you very much my co-managers, Vince Caruso and Jon Ali. Thank you, Abel Sanchez. I will see you 25 of July for the big fight. I promise you this is a big, big fight. Thank you very much.”

Duva & Kovalev
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Kathy Duva – CEO of Main Events
“Less than two years ago Sergey Kovalev was a struggling fighter trying to make a name for himself. Since then he has fought on HBO six times. He is about to go into his seventh fight on HBO. He has become, not just the light heavyweight champion of the world, but he has unified three of the light heavyweight titles. Last year he was named the fighter of the year by Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, The New York Post, USA Today, SherDog and UCN Live. Some of you are here today and thank you so much. It I a hell of an accomplishment to be the Fighter of the Year, you can’t do that every year, no matter who you are. To go from being completely unknown to being the man in the light heavyweight division in less than two years is a remarkable accomplishment.

“I don’t think any of us would be here without the support of the fine people at HBO. Today I get to proudly announce that Sergey Kovalev gets to remain with HBO, the company that has taken him this far. It is his intention and our intention to remain with HBO for the rest of his career, if that is possible. This is the company that has led boxing for the last 30 odd years in this country. It is unquestionably the #1 boxing network in the world. It is the place to be if you want to have a high-profile career in this sport and maintain it for a long time.

“About a year ago Nadjib Mohammedi came to the United States for the first time. He earned his shot at a title by becoming the #1 contender. He has worked hard over the last year to maintain that position and prepare himself for the opportunity to fight for the world title. Now he gets the privilege of fighting for all three of those belts.

“Now that Sergey has moved to the west coast and has made a home for himself and his family here in Los Angeles we are moving his home base. I had a lovely meeting with Richard Sturm at MGM a few weeks ago and he confirmed to me that MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay want to be in the Sergey Kovalev business. As I see a vacuum opening up in Vegas for big names I think Sergey Kovalev is the kind of guy who can step in there and fill that vacuum. His fights are electrifying and exciting and thrilling. That is what boxing fans should expect when they put their money down to come and see a fight.

“Main Events has a great history with Mandalay Bay which is one of the best facilities in the country, in the world. On a personal note it is great to be going back there. We brought Fernando Vargas there years ago and had some great, great nights there and some great, great memories there. We are going to make some new ones now. It is a new beginning. It is a new beginning with HBO. It is a new beginning with Mandalay Bay. Yet it all feels very familiar because this was the same team that was making Fernando one of the biggest box office attractions in the country.

“Peter Nelson from HBO is not here because of your famous LA traffic but if he were here he would tell you that the event will start at 10:00 PM on July 25 on HBO. There will be a co-feature and we are still working on what that is going to be and we will announce that when we know. The tickets will be going on sale next week and will be priced very affordably for the fans from $25 up to $300. We want to fill up the room. We want to encourage the true boxing fans. Something that I noticed when I went to the big fight a few weeks ago at MGM that the crowd was missing the true fight fans but I want to see those people come out for this fight. Those fans will be very pleased. I have had the great pleasure to be ringside a number of times for Sergey’s fights and it is thrilling.

“This will be a 12-round fight for the WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Championships. It is an IBF mandatory bout. Sergey is 27-0-1 with 24 knockouts from Russia and Nadjib is 37-3, with 23 knockouts from France.

“To Vince’s point, that is one of the things that is great about boxing, everybody has a story. Everybody has been through adversity. If not for miracles I think everyone standing on this dais, myself included, would not be standing here right now. I think that is part of what keeps this sport alive and is what makes it so compelling is the stories behind everybody. The truth is Nadjib came here last June as an opponent basically. He came here and won a fight he wasn’t expected to win; he earned his place and has worked for a long time with Abel Sanchez. He has taken advantage of this time to work with a great trainer in Abel Sanchez and believe me we are very well aware of it. With an awkward style and a great trainer, his great heart and drive that this is not going to be an easy night for anybody.

“Having said that, Sergey Kovalev is something very special, we all know that. To me he is exactly what boxing is supposed to be, somebody who goes out there and gives their all gives 1,000% every time. He keeps the crowd entertained. He keeps the fight exciting. He makes it fun to be there. That is why we tend to focus on him and his future. We don’t mean it as an insult to anybody. That is what we have, it is called a star.”

Kovalev & Klimas
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Egis Klimas – Manager of Sergey Kovalev
“Good afternoon everybody. Thanks for coming for this press conference in the beautiful city of Los Angeles. Thank you Kathy [Duva]. She is doing a very good job. When I brought Sergey to Kathy a couple of years ago at that point nobody knew him. Some people knew Kovalev in boxing but not much and not like he is known today.

“Vince [Caruso] was talking about how we have not seen bad days in Sergey’s career but I would say it is completely the opposite. I brought Sergey in 2009 from Russia I put him in Don Turner training camp in North Carolina which is in the middle of nowhere. The closest store is about five miles away. All around there are corn fields, bugs, bears, snakes and he stayed where Don had built his boxing gym. At that time I had many fighters going to that camp and besides Sergey and Gradovich I would say the longest somebody was there was like three months before they would call me and tell me they were done. They would go to New York or Chicago and today they are nobody and I have not even heard about them. Some are taxi drivers now but this gentleman stayed there and didn’t complain a single word for a year and a half.

“I used to go to Don’s camp, me and Don would jump in a van and drive around the country just to get the fights. I saw big talent and Don Turner saw big talent in him but I could not convince any of the promoters. I talked to Top Rank. I talked to Golden Boy. I talked to Lou DiBella. I talked to everybody about giving him a chance until one day Don Turner introduced me to Kathy see said she would try and see what is going to happen.

“The biggest fight that we had in our career was Darnell Boone. Sergey wasn’t ready for it so it went all eight rounds and was not a good fight. Main Events asked me how I felt about fighting Darnell Boone again. I thought Sergey was no going to like that. I called Sergey and I told him, he said he it was great and he wanted to do that. He said, ‘I want to see how I improved from almost two years past. That’s a fight I want.’ That was when I realized I really had a good fighter here with a good heart. Of course the second time he did a great job with Darnell Boone. It was two rounds. He was a completely different guy. He was on TV. He was on the big stage. He has had hard times.

“I want to thank HBO for giving us this very good opportunity for the rest of his career. I wanted to thank again Kathy and Mandalay Bay for having us there. Don’t miss fight on July 25.”

Caruso & Mohammedi
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Vince Caruso – Co-Manager of Nadjib Mohammedi
“There is not much to say when you fight the #1 guy. Whether I like him or not Sergey Kovalev is the #1 guy in boxing today, especially after what we saw two weeks ago I would say he is undoubtedly #1. He is the top tier. He is a very bad dude and we are going in there with that in mind.

“I am not going to get up here and say that Nadjib is going to come in there and do this or we are guaranteeing a win. You can’t guarantee anything in this business. The only thing I can guarantee you is that on the 25th of July Nadjib Mohammedi is going to make the 175 pound contracted weight limit, that will be a guarantee. #2 he is going to come in there with a game plan that if he does execute and he does listen to Abel Sanchez, his trainer, he has a very good shot at winning this fight. Because even though Sergey might be stronger, and he might be bigger, and he might have been on the big stage a lot more than Nadjib has, there is one thing that I believe we have the edge in, and that is desire.

“When you have been held down your whole life, your whole career, a career that started in 2005, and you have to fight in rooms that are smaller than this, with no TV coverage, no press, that is hard times. I don’t think Sergey Kovalev goes through hard times. Nadjib Mohammedi has gone through hard times. He came to Big Bear before his fight on the Hopkins-Kovalev undercard back in November. His trainer that he has been with for 14 years got detained at the airport and could not get in for that fight. So me and his co-manager, Jon Ali, had to figure out who was going to work the corner. Sullivan Barrera, our friend who is also here today, was on that card already and he was working with Abel Sanchez. I have always said after I watched Nadjib on June 21st of last year, that he is the perfect style fighter for Abel Sanchez’s training methods. He fights that Mexican style. He is a straight-ahead blood and guts fighter. There is nothing really special about him. His strength is his heart. Show me a guy with heart who is sick and tired of being broke and sick and tired of getting the short end of the deal and I am going to show you a winner. Nothing ever lifts adrenaline more than the desire to change your life. That is what we need to look at going in against this guy because he is a killer. He is #1, the big cheese. That is what we want. We want high risk because we want high reward.

“With all due respect to Kathy, she talks about all these great future plans she has with Kovalev but I would have waited until this Mohammedi fight was in the books before you made any long term plans. I know nobody gives us a chance and he is probably a 15-1 underdog. We are the dog but everybody on this team has overcome something. This guy has overcome the temptations of the mafia-ridden streets of France. He went into the food business and took care of his mother and his brothers and his sister. He worked hard. He wanted to become a professional fighter. He is here. Jon Ali, my co-manager, is a professional singer. He is a great pop singer and that is why he is not here today. 11 years ago I was a junkie and I was in a Las Vegas rehab. I never thought I would be on the big stage again but I am. This team has a lot of desire. We are going to win this fight and we are going to win it with heart.”

About Kovalev-Mohammedi
WBO, WBA an:d IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (27-0-1, 24 KOs) will compete in his first mandatory title defense against Nadjib “Iron Djib” Mohammedi (37-3, 23 KOs) on July 25 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, Nevada. The fight will be telecast live on HBO World Championship Boxing® and ticket and undercard information will be released shortly.

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Singapore – UFC® today announced that it will bring its first ever live event to Seoul, South Korea, on November 28, 2015 at the city’s Olympic Park Gymnastics Arena. This marks the third UFC event in Asia in 2015 and continues to reaffirm the Asian market as a region with explosive growth potential.

With a number of successful fighters in the UFC, South Korea has drawn upon its martial arts legacy to nurture and develop some of the top stars in the sport. Athletes such as Dong Hyun Kim, Chan Sung Jung & Hyun Gyu Lim have proven the quality of mixed martial arts (MMA) in South Korea. Additionally, UFC fighter and celebrity Choo Sung-hoon, also known as Yoshihiro Akiyama, has a huge following in the region and has been a great global ambassador of Korean MMA for over a decade.

Executive Vice President and General Manager, UFC Asia, Kenneth Berger said: “The UFC in Asia is growing at an impressive pace and this event in Seoul will mark our second new market this year. South Korea has some of Asia’s best MMA athletes and this event is fully expected to illustrate just how powerful and technical these fighters have become. As usual we will bring a truly international fight card to the region, giving our loyal fans and those new to the sport a thrilling night to remember.”

The UFC is the fastest growing sports organization in the world and is viewed as the pinnacle of MMA by both athletes and fans. With close to 40 Asian fighters signed, the UFC in Asia is growing at an exponential rate. Previous events in the region have taken place in Macao, Manila, Singapore and Tokyo, attracting tens of thousands of fans and millions of TV viewers.

The UFC Fight Night Seoul event will be broadcast all over the world giving the UFC’s international fans a taste of the immense passion and support South Korean fans have for MMA.

Details of how to register and purchase tickets will be released soon.

For the latest UFC information, visit www.ufc.com.

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About the 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.

Brooklyn, N.Y. (Friday, May 15, 2015) – Ronson Frank’s Uprising Promotions returned to the Brooklyn Masonic Temple on Friday night, putting on an action-packed card that featured comeback fights and a historical one, as well as providing a platform for some young local boxers to display their talents.

In the main event of the evening, Brooklyn junior lightweight “Kid” Gary Stark (24-3, 8 KOs) ended a nearly five-year layoff to face battle-tested veteran Jose Silveria (15-14, 6 KOs). From the opening bell, Stark was showing very little rust and looked to be much fresher than any man who has not fought since 2010 should ever be. He was boxing very well behind the jab, showing good movement and dictating the action with ring generalship.

Over the first five rounds of the six-frame affair, Stark continued at the same pace, boxing from the outside and picking his spots when he wanted to engage. By using controlled aggression in a tactical display, he was seemingly well ahead on the scorecards when the final round began. In that sixth frame, Stark opted for a more defensive approach, making sure that he was not making himself vulnerable for any unnecessary damage.

With six rounds in the books, this bout headed to the cards. The first score read aloud was an absolutely puzzling 57-57 count, sending a shockwave throughout the entire venue. However, that card was rebutted with 59-55 and 58-56 tallies in favor of Stark, officially making his comeback a triumphant one.

In co-feature bout, Delen “Sniper” Parsley (12-1, 4 KOs) returned after a year out of the ring, battling the always-game Troy Artis (3-6-1, 2 KOs) in middleweight action. At the opening bell, Artis immediately swarmed Parsley, but the Brooklyn native displayed good defense and remained patient before starting to pick his spots. Over the next two frames, Artis tried to apply the same type of aggression that he showed early, while Parsley looked to take advantage of his height and reach advantage. The Brooklyn native also began to focus his attack more on the body, which seemed to be causing Artis to slow down a bit when the third round concluded.

As it would turn out, the bell never rang to begin the ensuing frame, and the fight was waved off before the fourth round could get underway. Citing an undisclosed injury to Artis, his corner stated to the referee that he would be unable to continue, making Parsley the victor in this contest via TKO.

New York boxing history was also made on the card tonight, as flyweights Susan Reno (1-4-2, 0 KOs) and Paola Ortiz (1-5-1, 0 KOs) fought in a six-frame encounter that consisted of three-minute rounds. It marked the first time ever in the State of New York that two female boxers competed in three-minute rounds.

Throughout the six frames, a good technical match-up ensued. Reno used the approach of a tight guard and trying to be more methodical in her punch selections, while Ortiz worked behind shifty movement and a more slippery approach. Both fighters displayed some good boxing, switching up stances while working well off the bend and slipping punches. At no point did either woman appear to be affected by the extended rounds, but it did look as if Ortiz was able to do just a bit more than her New York counterpart.

When the judges were called upon after 18 minutes of action, Ortiz saw herself victorious for the first time of her professional career with scores of 59-55 (twice) and 58-56.

In somewhat of an upset, gritty Puerto Rican Edgardo Junior Marin (1-4-1, 0 KOs) was able to take Cuban sensation Marcos Forestal (3-0, 2 KOs) the distance for the first time of his young pro career. As an amateur, Forestal was a three-time Cuban national champion with 300 bouts that included just 10 defeats.

From the opening bell of this match-up, Forestal came with relentless pressure, swinging his punches from wide and unpredictable angles. However, Marin proved to be a live participant in the fight, even confirming that Forestal is capable of taking a clean punch on a few occasions.

While Marin was able to hang in tough and force the ringside officials into the outcome, Forestal was in dominant control throughout the majority of the four-frame contest. When this fight concluded, all of the judges were in agreement, awarding Forestal with a shutout on each of the three cards.

In middleweight action, two Brooklyn natives squared off as Villi Bello (2-1, 0 KOs) and Jonathan Jeter (0-3-1, 0 KOs) took center stage. With a Muay Thai background, Bello had a bit of an unorthodox approach that made his angles harder to read, and that seemed to put him in a situation where he was landing the cleaner shots. The judges also saw it that way, eventually giving Bello the unanimous decision with three scores of 40-36.

A junior welterweight pairing between Victor Vazquez (3-1, 1 KO) and Jeremy Graves (0-4, 0 KOs) provided the Brooklyn spectators with an incredible four-round battle, one that put the approving fans on their feet when the final bell rang. In the bout, the two men immediately stepped into a phone booth and did not leave at any point. The wall-to-wall action was seemingly controlled by Vazquez over the first half of the contest, but the tide quickly changed in the third frame.

Soon after the third round got underway, Vazquez was hit with a perfectly-timed counter left hand, and he found himself on the canvas for an eight-count. Vazquez recovered from the blow quickly enough that he nearly stopped his opponent late in that same frame, but the knockdown made it very interesting when the fourth and final round got underway. Vazquez did seem to get the better of the activity again in those last three minutes, and he was eventually awarded a unanimous decision win by flush counts of 39-37 from all three judges.

In the opening bout of the night, a couple of Queens super middleweights got the action started as DeVaun Lee (4-1, 2 KOs) met tough opposition in Deferson LeGrand (3-3, 2 KOs). Over the course of the first two frames, LeGrand tried to apply pressure, but Lee was able settle in and box well while switching levels behind the jab. In the third round, an aggressive LeGrand stepped into a perfectly timed right hand, and it hurt him. After LeGrand buckled back into the ropes, Lee seized the opportunity and did not let him off the hook. He intelligently closed the distance between them before stepping off briefly and then jumping back in to swarm. After landing a barrage of punches that became increasingly less defended, the referee in charge was forced to step in and end the fight.

The official time of the stoppage came at 2:35 of the third frame, giving Lee a TKO victory.

The show tonight, titled Last Man Standing, continued the initiative of Uprising Promotions to KO Autism, with proceeds getting donated to The School For Language and Communication Development (SLCD) in Glen Cove, New York. This card was sponsored by Ronson Frank Fitness, Sleep Inn, Alma Restaurant, Resolution Sports and Charlie’s Auto Collision in Long Island City.

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

TEMECULA, Calif. (May 15, 2015) – While Brandon “Bull” Halsey (9-0) can no longer say he’s Bellator MMA’s Middleweight World Champion, he’s still managed to show his talent with a one-sided destruction of proven veteran Kendall “Da Spyder” Grove (21-15).

The contest served as the feature main event of Friday’s “Bellator: Halsey vs. Grove” card at Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, Calif.

Halsey nearly finished the fight in the early going, moving to an arm-triangle choke that would have finished a lesser opponent, but Grove somehow battled through the effort. Still, it was a one-sided round for the former champ.

Grove was able to avoid such a precarious position in the second, but he was still forced to be on the defensive throughout most of the frame. With a high-paced wrestling attack, Halsey simply pushed his way to the floor and enjoyed top position for almost the entirety of the round.

The pattern continued as the fight wore on, with Halsey simply overpowering his opponent and constantly earning himself the dominant position. Grove briefly threatened with an armbar in the fourth frame, but Halsey simply yanked his limb free and pounded away with punches shortly after until he earned the TKO win at the 2:25 mark of the frame.

The undefeated Halsey, who was stripped of the Bellator MMA Middleweight World Title for failing to make weight, will look to again earn the belt in his next appearance.

“I was my own worst enemy. It was how I performed. He didn’t throw anything at me that I wasn’t ready for. I was just trying to tough through the injury. I had to tough it out and come out with the victory,” Halsey said.

“Obviously, you want to be as dominant as possible. I just felt like I couldn’t explode through my combinations or explode through the fight and finish how I wanted to. But like I said, you’ve got to deal with adversity, and I did it the best I could,” Halsey continued.

“I learned my lesson. I thank Bellator. I apologize to the commission. It’s unprofessional not to make weight. No excuses, but anybody knows that it’s hard to cut weight with an injury. The belt’s just a decoration, so I’m still the champ in my eyes. No one has taken the belt from me.”

In the night’s co-main event, former Bellator MMA Bantamweight World Champion Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas (17-4), of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, took a step toward another shot at the title with a hard-fought decision victory over the hard-hitting Mike “The Marine” Richman, of Rose Mount, Minn.

While Richman showed excellent takedown defense throughout the 15-minute affair, Dantas’ work rate helped him earn the favor of the judges. Constantly pressing and looking to bring the fight to the floor, Dantas was able to just edge out Richman on the cards, 29-28 according to all three officials.

“I went out there and fought the way I trained to fight,” Dantas said after the win. “I knew Mike Richman was going to come with everything, but I wanted to win this fight and get back to the title. The only fight that makes sense next is for the title.

In a welterweight contest, Fernando “The Menifee Maniac” Gonzalez (24-13), of Menifee, Calif., scored a thrilling, come-from-behind victory over “Curtious” Curtis Millender (7-2), of San Bernardino, Calif.

With Millender enjoying a six-inch height advantage, the smaller Gonzalez struggled to score points in the first two rounds. But when the fight hit the floor in the third, Gonzalez latched onto a guillotine choke and earned a tap from his opponent at the 1:14 of the final round.

“I’m 4-0 right now,” Gonzalez said after the win. “That’s one step closer to the title, and I’m excited to get in there and mix it up with whoever is next.”

With the result, Gonzalez now boasts four-straight Bellator MMA victories and put himself in line for a potential shot at the promotion’s Welterweight Title.

In the night’s first main-card matchup, undefeated prospect Darrion “The Wolf” Caldwell (7-0), of Rahway, N.J., used a superior wrestling game to outwork more experienced opponent Rafael “Morcego” Silva (22-5), of Lajes, Brazil, en route a unanimous-decision victory.

With Caldwell scoring takedowns throughout the matchup, Silva looked for submissions when available, but he simply couldn’t find the necessary hold to work past his opponent’s defense. Instead, Caldwell kept his pressure high, and judges awarded him the fight, 29-28 on all three cards.

After the victory, Caldwell made it clear he’s clearing his way to a shot at the Bellator MMA World Title.

“I don’t think there are any fighters out there as explosive as me at 135 pounds, or as fast,” Caldwell said. “Eventually, I’ll be able to prove that.”

In the night’s final preliminary bout, Guam’s Joe Taimanglo (21-6-1) scored a third-round knockout of Mexico’s Antonio Duarte (18-6).

Additionally, featherweight prospect Jordan Parsons (11-1), of San Diego, Calif., earned a third-round decision win over the previously undefeated Brazilian Julio Cesar Neves Jr. (30-1).

In a light heavyweight contest, Virgil Zwicker (14-4-1), of Temecula, Calif., earned a first-round knockout win over Razak Al-Hassan (12-5), of Milwaukee, Wisc.

And in the night’s first fight, Ricky “The Sniper” Rainey (11-3), of Gastonia, N.C., earned a second-round knockout win over Jessie Juarez (22-10), of Torrance, Calif.

Brandon Halsey (9-0) def. Kendall Grove (21-15)
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Eduardo Dantas (17-4) def. Mike Richman (18-6 )
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Fernando Gonzalez (24-14) def. Curtis Millender (7-2)
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Darrion Caldwell (7-0) def. Rafael Silva (22-5)
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About Bellator MMA

Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 400 million homes worldwide in over 120 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About Spike:

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