MONTREAL (September 10, 2014) – All of his hard work, determination and perseverance is paying off for super middleweight contender Schiller Hyppolite (13-1, 9 KOs), who has cracked the world rankings for the first time at No. 15 in the latest International Boxing Federation (IBF) ratings.

In his most recent fight this past August 16, the 28-year-old Hyppolite outclassed Irish super middleweight champion J.J. “Slick” McDonagh (10-3) by way of a unanimous 10-round decision (99-91, 98-92 and 96-94) for his eighth consecutive victory..

United Kingdom’s James DeGale is the No. 1-rated 168-pound fighter in the IBF (No. 2 is unrated). Hyppolite, fighting out of Montreal, is the fifth-highest rated North American super middleweight, behind the following Americans: No. 5 Julius Jackson, No. 7 Brandon Gonzales, No. 11 Derek Edwards and No. 14 Rogelio Medina.

“Little known to date outside of Quebec,” his promoter Camille Estephan (Eye of the Tiger Management) said, “Schiller Hyppolite is an absolutely amazing boxer who is now, in our opinion, a must see fighter. He will soon explode on the international boxing scene. We are pleased that the IBF recognizes him after only 14 professional fights, His skills rank him among the elite in this highly competitive division, which was once dominated by Canadian fighters like Adonis Stevenson, Jean Pascal and Lucian Bute.”

Hyppolite joined several of his EOTTM world-ranked stable-mates: middleweight David Lemieux (WBC #2, IBF #5, WBO #8), lightweights Dierry “Dougy Style” Jean (WBC #10, IBF #15) and Ghislain “Mani” Maduma (IBF #8), and welterweight Antonin Decarie (WBC #6), IBF #11 and WBO #12). EOTTM heavyweight Bermane “B. Ware” Stiverne is the reigning WBC world champion.

A native of Haiti, Hyppolite is following closely in the footsteps of his fellow countrymen such as Stiverne, Jean, Stevenson and Pascal.

EOTTM will soon announce plans for Hyppolite’s upcoming fights that, hopefully, will elevate his status into a top 5 world rating.

For further information about EOTTM, Hyppolite or any of his stable-mates please visit www.eottm.com and follow on Twitter @eotmvd.

LAS VEGAS (Sept. 10, 2014) – With a stacked card coming to The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino this Thursday, Luis “The Real King Kong” Ortiz, Lateef “Power” Kayode, Jesus “El Jinete” Cuellar and Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez sat down with the media in Las Vegas to discuss their respective title bouts airing live on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes.

Here is what the fighters said Thursday:

LUIS ORTIZ, Undefeated Heavyweight Contender

“I have worked very hard for this fight and it’s a great opportunity and I’m not going to waste it.

“I have seen one or two of Kayode’s fights and I am prepared. You will see my preparation materialize in the ring on Thursday night.

“Kayode is a trash talker and I take that as a sign of weakness.

“A lot of heavyweight fighters are in Cuba in amateur competitions, but I take pride in knowing that I am a professional Cuban heavyweight.

“I am going to continue working and doing my part and fight whoever steps up. I am the next heavyweight champion. I am going to keep doing my part so I can get there.”

“When I need to be a power puncher, I will do it. When I need to box, I will do it. When I need to be defensive, I will do it. When I need to attack and get the job done, I will do it. If there is a specific name for all of those styles – then that is the kind of fighter I am.”

LATEEF KAYODE, Undefeated Heavyweight Contender

“I feel as good as I did at cruiserweight, I’m still the same powerful guy.

“My trainer Freddie Roach has spent a lot of time in the gym with me. He has taught me a lot about my opponents and how to take advantage of them.

“I notice the difference when Freddie tells me things to adjust my game. He helped me with my footwork and positioning. He taught me new ways to make my opponents pay.

“Freddie told me that if I listen to him I will have no problem with this guy. He’s there to make life easier for me.

“I will be able to keep composure and keep calm in the ring. It’s not an easy task to fine-tune my brute force and strength but I feel great about where I am.

“After I knock Ortiz out or whatever I do to him, after that I will leave it up to my manager to try to get me a fight with Klitschko. I’m not scared to fight anybody.”

JESUS CUELLAR, WBA Interim Featherweight World Champion

“I feel good and ready. I have been training with Robert Garcia for this fight and we had a great camp.

“I feel blessed that the Latino fans especially the Mexican fans have been following me and giving me the support I need.

“I know that this is going to be a hard fight. I’ve been training hard for it in intense camp and I’m here to do my job and take the victory home.

“The fans expect me to show how I box and I am prepared to go the distance but I am also ready for it if it goes faster than that.

JUAN MANUEL LOPEZ, Former Two-Division World Champion

“This is a difficult fight but I’ve been a two-division world champion, and I wasn’t going to take easy fights that the public and my fans wouldn’t respect.

“We know 100 percent that my career is at stake and I can’t afford a loss, but that’s why we came ready and in the best possible shape. I don’t want my career to end on a note like the Francisco Vargas loss. We know what’s ahead of us and what this fight means. It’s very important for me.

“The person who I thought would have tried to convince me to retire was my mother. She’s been my biggest supporter and my biggest fan. She was there at the Vargas fight, and I really thought she was going to try to convince me to stop boxing. But she’s continued supporting and backing me 100 percent.

“Of course, I want to go for one big payday and retire. That’s every fighter’s dream, to get the biggest payday and retire. I always said at 32 I’d like to retire, but things happened to stall that a little bit. But I’m not going to go past 34. I want to retire before then.

“I see a very strong fighter in Jesus Cuellar. I see a young fighter that wants to be the best in the world and a champion. That makes him very dangerous. My advantage is that I’ve been here on this stage and the experience that I have at this level, you cannot buy it.”

# # #

Ortiz vs. Kayode, a 12-round bout for the vacant WBA Heavyweight World Title, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Mayweather Promotions, in association with Greg Cohen Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra, O’Reilly Auto Parts and Mexico, Live it to believe it!. The FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes broadcast airs live at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT.

Tickets, priced at $95, $65, $35 and $25, not including applicable service charges and taxes are on sale now and are available for purchase by visiting The Joint box office, calling 888.9.AXS.TIX or online at www.axs.com.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.mayweatherpromotions.comor www.FOXSports.com follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing @MayweatherPromo, and follow the conversation using #GoldenBoyLive and #OrtizKayode, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions.comand visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @mayweatherpromotions and @Swanson_Comm. For more information on FOX Sports 1 visit www.FOXSports.com/FOXSports1 and become a follower on Twitter at @FOXSports @FOXSports1 and @FOXSportsPR.

Kal Yafai (11-0, 8 KOs) will face Herald Molina (17-8-3, 7 KOs) for the vacant IBF Inter-Continental Super Flyweight title at the SSE Arena, Wembley on Saturday September 20, live on Sky Sports.

Yafai landed the Commonwealth title in style in Leeds in May, blasting away Yaqub Kareem inside three rounds, and the unbeaten Birmingham talent says he’ll take the first steps on the road to World title glory on the undercard of George Groves’ European Super Middleweight and WBC World title final eliminator clash with Christopher Rebrasse.

“I want to win a World title at Super Flyweight and I don’t think that I am far away from achieving that,” said Yafai. “I came back from a long time out and won the Commonwealth title and I felt great and showed the injury has not affected my power. So if I can pick up another title and get some more rounds, I’ll be in a great position to step up to World level sooner rather than later.”

Yafai is joined on the undercard by five of his Matchroom Boxing stablemates in Olympic gold medal star Luke Campbell MBE who faces Krzysztof Szot, former British Light Welterweight champion Darren Hamilton, unbeaten duo Martin J. Ward and Ricky Boylan and Kal’s younger brother Gamal.

Yafai’s clash with Molina is part of ‘Return of the Saint’ at the SSE Arena Wembley live on Sky Sports. Tickets are available via axs.com or by calling 08448 24 48 24.

Las Vegas, Nevada – Two of the biggest punchers in the heavyweight division collide at UFC® FIGHT NIGHT BRASILIA this Saturday, and fans around the world can catch the action live and on-demand on UFCFIGHTPASS.com, the UFC’s digital streaming service.

UFC No.4 ranked heavyweight and former title challenger Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva returns to action after his fight of the year performance vs Mark Hunt last December, getting the chance to fight in his native Brazil for the very first time as a professional. Standing in the way of a storybook return for the giant is former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski, who remains one of the most accomplished strikers in the division.

UFC color commentator Joe Rogan believes this rematch of a May 2010 Strikeforce fight (which you can watch now on UFC FIGHT PASS here) will be explosive.

Rogan said: “I can’t imagine this being anything other than the most insane, aggressive fight until it ends. Bigfoot Silva is one of the best heavyweights in the division. If you look at his stoppage victory over Alistair Overeem, it was one of the most devastating finishes we’ve seen in the history of the UFC. That’s what this man can do.

“In Andrei Arlovski, he’s facing a man who, at one time, was the most feared striker in the division. He was just storming through heavyweights, and if Andrei can get back to that form, if he can regain that level of performance, he can make a serious run in the UFC heavyweight division.”

For an embeddable video of Rogan’s breakdown of the main event, click here.

Fight week flash quotes from Brazil.

BIGFOOT ON – FINALLY – FIGHTING IN BRAZIL
“I’m so excited, you must understand this is actually my first professional fight in Brazil. I fought once before in Brazil on a small show but that wasn’t as a professional, no-one know who I was, and this time I have the great support of the fans, my friends and family will be there – and it is actually my birthday this week (Sunday, September 14). So I am very excited for this fight, this is almost as big a fight for me as when I fight for the UFC heavyweight belt. Winning this fight means everything to me.”

BIGFOOT ON GOING ONE BETTER THIS TIME
“Last time we fought he underestimated me and I won on points, but this time he knows I am (world class) and can beat him. He will have prepared for what I do, but I am a much better fighter than I was four years ago. I fought for the title, I have beaten fighters like Overeem, Fedor and the others. I’m a different guy now.

“He’s an awesome striker, he hits very hard, and I know he’s going to try to knock me out. But he tried that last time, and other people have tried that, too, and he won’t be able to get that done. It won’t work. He needs a plan “B” because he won’t knock me out.

“I don’t want to win on a decision this time, not fighting in Brazil in the main event. The people who come to see me will have something to celebrate with me. I will knock him out or submit him. One round or last round, I will finish him. I’m going to knock him out. I will be looking to knock him out with every strike, that I promise.”

ARLOVSKI ON NEEDING TO IMPRESS
“I didn’t fight my best and I am not happy with my performance or the fight (vs Brendan Schaub at UFC 174). I was nervous, too anxious to impress after not fighting in the UFC for so long. Now, I want to remind everyone what I am about (vs Bigfoot) and I will have the chance to do that against (Bigfoot) because he comes to fight.

“I will perform much better this Saturday. It will be an attack, attack, attack fight from both of us. I have trained very hard, worked on many aspects of my game, and I promise my fans and everyone who watches this will be a great fight. The UFC has trusted me by putting me in the main event, and I will (reward that trust). The fans won’t be disappointed, I promise.”

ARLOVSKI ON FIGHTING IN BRAZIL
“Oh, the Brazil fans are going to boo and boo me! I know they will boo and chant things at me, I expect that. They can have a good time during the walk-outs and the introductions, booing me then, but I will shut them up in the first round. If there’s one guy cheering for me in the entire building, you will hear him loud, because Bigfoot’s fans will be quiet once the fight starts. They will have nothing to cheer about after the first round.”

ARLOVSKI ON GETTING REVENGE OVER BIGFOOT
“We fought four years ago and I lost by decision. I am excited to get the chance at the rematch. I will knock him out, and then I won’t hear about the first fight again. He says he will knock me out. He said that and good luck, because that won’t happen.”

ARLOVSKI ON WHAT HE CAN DO IN THE UFC
“I still feel young, I have energy and power. Now I am with Greg Jackson I still feel like I am improving as a fighter and that I can be a (factor) in the UFC heavyweight division. Bigfoot is ranked in the top five, and this is a huge chance for me to prove everything I am talking about. I need to get that knockout, I need that finish and I will go after it in the Octagon.”

UFC FIGHT PASS is available now at UFCFIGHTPASS.com on personal computers, iPad, iPhone, Chromecast, Android, Samsung, LG Smart TV and Roku. Subscriptions are $9.99 month to month, $8.99 per month for six months or $7.99 per month for a one-year subscription.

All bouts live and subject to change. Visit UFC.com for more information.

LAS VEGAS (Sept. 10, 2014) — World Series of Fighting’s return to Canadian soil just became more of a must-see event as the organization is excited to announce the entire fight card for the live NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) televised event at the EXPO Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on Saturday, Oct. 11, including the inaugural World Series of Fighting heavyweight championship bout and co-main event between fast-rising stars Smealinho “The Prince” Rama (8-1) of Calgary, Alberta Canada and Derrick “Caveman” Mehmen (18-5) of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

In the highly-anticipated main event, superstars Jake Shields (29-7-1) of San Francisco, Calif. and Ryan “The Real Deal” Ford (22-4) of Edmonton will square off in a welterweight (170 pounds) matchup.

Riding a two-fight winning streak, the 22-year-old Canadian Rama halted the unbeaten run of standout grappler Steve Mocco in his World Series of Fighting Canada debut in February. “The Prince” has earned seven finishes in eight victories thus far in his promising career, all of them inside the first round of action.

Representing American Top Team, Mehman has posted six consecutive victories to earn this championship opportunity, the last three coming inside the World Series of Fighting decagon. After scoring a memorable, second-round KO win over Rolles Gracie in his promotional debut, the 29-year-old reeled off back-to-back, unanimous decision wins over Scott Barrett and Dave Huckaba to secure his place opposite Rama in this historic heavyweight tilt.

Also joining the main card is a featherweight (145 pounds) matchup between Chris Horodecki (20-5-1) of London, Ontario, Canada and Luis Huete (6-1) of Calgary, Alberta, Canada as well as a light heavyweight (205 pounds) contest between Misha Cirkunov (7-2) Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Teddy Holder (8-1) of Memphis, Tenn.

A pro for nearly a decade, the 26-year-old Horodecki has won two of his last three starts and proudly carries the Team Tompkins name into battle against Huete, a winner of three straight, with all six of his career wins by having come by (T)KO or submission.

Cirkunov is an elite grappler and national judo and wrestling champion who has established himself as someone to watch in the light heavyweight division. Making his World Series of Fighting debut, Holder has scored seven first-round KO finishes in his eight career victories.

In preliminary card action, Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and hometown favorite Luke Harris (10-2) of Edmonton will be looking to add another submission win to his resume when he faces hard-hitting road warrior Jared Hamman (13-6) of Denver, Colo. at light heavyweight. Harris has won 10 of his last 11 fights, all remarkably by first-round submission.

The live NBCSN telecast of the four-fight World Series of Fighting 14: “U.S. vs. Canada” main card begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
Tickets for World Series of Fighting 14: “U.S. vs. Canada” start at just $49 and are on sale now at ticketmaster.com. The fight card is as follows:

MAIN CARD

Jake Shields (29-7-1) vs. Ryan Ford (22-4) at 170 pounds
Derrick Mehman (18-5) vs. Smealinho Rama (8-1) for inaugural heavyweight tile
Chris Horodecki (20-5-1) vs. Luis Huete (6-1) at 145 pounds
Teddy Holder (8-1) vs. Misha Cirkunov (7-2) at 205 pounds

PRELIMINARY CARD

Jared Hamman (13-6) vs. Luke Harris (10-2) @205 pounds
Jose Rodriguez (7-3) vs. Stephan Beaumont (7-2) at 160 pounds
Tim Hague (16-8) vs. Sandy Bowman (3-0) at 265 pounds
Michael Hill (7-2) vs. Danny Davis Jr. (10-8-1) at 170 pounds
Hakeem Dawodu (3-0) vs. Mike Malott (4-0) at 145 pounds
Cody Krahn (15-9) vs. Matt Baker (10-7) at 195 pounds
David Swanson (2-0) vs. Roger Alves (2-1) at 155 pounds

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 NBC Sports Network
NBC Sports Network (NBCSN), part of the NBC Sports Group, is dedicated to serving passionate sports fans. Now in more than 80 million homes, the network is the cable television home of the Summer and Winter Olympics, National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Soccer (MLS), IZOD IndyCar Series, Tour de France and the 34th America’s Cup, and beginning in 2013, the Premier League and Formula One. In addition, NBC Sports Network features college football, college basketball, college hockey, outdoor programming, horse racing surrounding the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup, Fight Night boxing, Ironman, the Dew Action Sports Tour and USA Sevens Rugby. The network is also home to original programs such as Costas Tonight, The Crossover, NFL Turning Point, Pro Football Talk and The Dan Patrick Show. NBC Sports Network is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.

LAS VEGAS — September 9, 2014 — The American Boxing Association, the United States’ only All-American sanctioning body, will attend this Saturday’s Box Fan Expo. During the event, the ABA plans to present Chazz Witherspoon with the American Boxing Association’s Heavyweight Title Belt, and Cleotis “Mookie” Pendarvis with the Welterweight Title Belt.
“We are excited to attend this unprecedented event,” said American Boxing Association President Dean Smith. “Both Chazz and Mookie are deserving of this honor, and we are thrilled to present them with these titles at the Box Fan Expo.”

For his part, Witherspoon is honored to become the first Heavyweight Champion. “I’m definitely honored. I feel privileged to represent the belt, and I’m really glad they thought of me to represent the belt. I try to conduct myself as a gentleman. That’s my nickname. I try to be an example to the kids, and to anyone I come in contact with. I definitely won’t do anything to diminish or tarnish the reputation of the belt because I try to conduct myself as a champion in life.”

Witherspoon plans to defend his title as soon as October or November.

As ABA Champions, both Witherspoon and Pendarvis will have life insurance policies established in their names, and financed by the ABA. “Many fighters find themselves unable to attain life insurance because of their professions, and worry about their families’ future,” said ABA Vice President Juan Curiel. “We want to give all American Boxers access to life insurance for their families, and plan to have folks on hand at the Expo to talk to fighters and coaches. We hope all of the Box Fan Expo attendees stop by our booth so we can introduce ourselves and the ABA.”

#######

The American Boxing Association (ABA) was created to allow for American boxers to have a belt to fight for and defend with a sense of national pride. Like our counterparts in Great Britain, and other parts of the world, the ABA aims to provide an opportunity for American citizens to fight for and defend a patriotic title. The opportunity is available for all American boxers with requisite experience, drive, and dedication.

Orlando, FL (September 10, 2014) – From Marvis Frazier to Tracy Harris Paterson and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, boxing’s had many sons of legendary fighters looking to make a name for themselves as a prizefighter.

Some had great success, while others were viewed as irrelevant fighters that received undeserved publicity since they had famous fathers. Those who don’t know junior lightweight Christian “MC” Camacho will immediately recognize the last name and ask if he’s related to the late, great Hector Camacho.

For the record, the answer is yes, but the 22-year-old is looking to build his own legacy, not just live off his father’s name.

“I honestly don’t like when people ask me if we’re related because I want to be looked at as Christian Camacho the individual, not just Hector Camacho’s son,” said the Orlando native.

Camacho started boxing around age five and had a solid amateur career, becoming a two-time Florida State Golden Gloves titlist, New York Golden Gloves champion and U19 tournament medalist. Overall, he had more than 150 amateur bouts and spent time training at the famed Mayweather Boxing Club.

Even with everything seemingly on his side, he quickly found out about the shady business that is professional boxing.

In his pro debut, Camacho had multiple opponent and venue changes before officially facing an opponent named Enrique Angeles Jr in Distrito Federal, Mexico. He was told that Angeles was 1-1 and coming off of a loss.

Camacho unfortunately dropped a decision against a fighter he later found out had a significant experience advantage.

“After the bout, I found out he was actually 9-1 and fought for Mexico City in the World Series of Boxing. I had good sources tell me a few days after the fight that he had a number of bouts that took place in Mexico which weren’t on his Boxrec.”

With the disappointment surrounding his pro debut behind him, Camacho returned in June to outclass Jason Vera and has his sights set on one day becoming a top fighter.

“I believe I’m very talented and have what it takes (to make it to the top). I have been fighting my entire life and even though my father is the reason I’m fighting we’re very different. I’m right handed, consider myself very humble and have been told that I’m more of a puncher. Regardless, I’m not looking for any special treatment or circumstances because I believe my talent will get me where I need to be not my last name.”

Camacho, 1-1, returns to the ring September 20 in a four round special attraction bout as part of World Wide Elite Entertainment’s “The Comeback”, which is headlined by a cruiserweight bout between Francisco Palacios and Epifanio Mendoza.

Promoted by World Wide Elite Entertainment, tickets to “The Comeback” are $25 for general admission, $45 to sit ringside and $500 for VIP tables of 6 with bottle service included. They’re on sale by calling 561-702-7068. All ticketholders over the age of 21 are invited to a special post-fight party hosted by DJ Erick at the Mela Room, located at 9677 S. Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando.

About World Wide Elite Entertainment:

Founded in 2014 by noted boxer Francisco Palacios and Alejandra Quintero, World Wide Elite Entertainment’s a full-service promotional firm with the goal is to right many of boxing’s wrongs. Their focal point will be guiding talented but misled fighters that weren’t provided fair opportunities in the past due to managerial or promotional issues. For more information, go to showentertainment.org or facebook.com/pages/World-Wide-Elite-Entertainment/530432297086225.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Sept. 9th, 2014) — Father-son relationships in boxing are often as unpredictable as the sport itself.

Some work, some don’t. Renowned trainer Enzo Calzaghe guided his son, Joe Calzaghe, to five world championships, including a stretch as the longest-reigning super middleweight champion of all time, in addition to a perfect 46-0 record before the younger Calzaghe retired in 2009.

The dynamic between Floyd Mayweather Sr. and Floyd Mayweather Jr. has always made for eclectic TV drama, but the sport undeniably drove a wedge between the two in the early 2000s with Mayweather Jr. choosing his uncle, Roger Mayweather, as his head trainer instead of his father and Mayweather Sr. at one point agreeing to train Oscar De La Hoya to fight his own son.

In the case of Ray Oliveira Jr., and his father, “Sucra” Ray Oliveira, a highly successful fighter from New Bedford, Mass., who starred during the sport’s mainstream boom in the 1990s, boxing actually brought them closer together, establishing a relationship that didn’t exist during Oliveira Jr.’s teenage years.

“If it wasn’t for boxing, we’d be distant. There wouldn’t be much of anything,” said Oliveira Jr., the newest member of the CES Boxing team who makes his professional debut Friday, Sept. 12, 2014 on the undercard of CES’ “Title For Title” card at Twin River Casino.

“That’s where his focus is. The gym. Boxing. At times, when I turned away from boxing and had too much going on in my life, whether it was my own kids or work, we didn’t have much of a relationship.

“But I love my dad,” he continued. “He’s awesome. That’s why, for me, boxing is more than just a sport.”

Himself a father of two — a 4-year-old son, Tyson, who he insists wasn’t named after the legendary Mike Tyson, and a 3-year-old daughter Myah — Oliveira Jr. is now ready to enter the family business, making his debut Friday following a brief, but productive, amateur career against Angel Valdez of Providence.

His father will be in his corner, a textbook ending to a story with its fair share of stormy chapters. Oliveira Jr., who’ll turn 24 on Thursday, grew up in and out of foster homes until he was 17. He was born just two months after his father’s professional debut, so while Oliveira Sr. was wrapped up in his own career and taking care of his other children (Oliveira Jr. is one of nine children fathered by Oliveira Sr.), Oliveira Jr. spent most of his childhood living with his mother, but that household wasn’t steady either as she constantly batted drug addictions, forcing Social Services to intervene.

“He had a lot of children to keep up with,” Oliveira Jr. said of his father, “but that’s no excuse.”

Oliveira Jr.’s aunt, who lived in nearby Springfield, adopted him when he was nine, but he also found solace with the Livramentos, Joann and Nathan, a local family from New Bedford with strong boxing roots. The late Nathan Livramento, who himself boxed and once trained Oliveira Sr. at his local gym before relocating to Atlanta, was a major influence for Oliveira Jr. He spent many years in that household while in and out of foster care and couldn’t help being drawn into the sport, which was a lifestyle for the Livramentos.

“Boxing was always in the house. It was always on TV. Their sons boxed. Their dad was a trainer,” he said. “Because I was always in the gym, it was a part of my life. It was just there for me. I didn’t have any real plans for it back then. I just knew it was what I wanted to do.

“I guess you could say there was always that ambition to be something great.”

The relationship between father and son remained icy until Oliveira Sr.’s father died seven years ago.

“Until he passed away, I didn’t realize how much I missed him,” Oliveira Sr. said. “I didn’t want the same for my son.”

At 17, Oliveira Jr. moved back to New Bedford and began reconnecting with his father, a process that included forgetting the past and focusing on the present.

“By that point, I considered myself an adult,” Oliveira Jr. “I had been taking care of myself for so many years, even when I was living with my aunt. I was used to it. I had a lot to learn, but I was still an adult, so for me it was like, ‘I’m grown now. I don’t need a dad.’ Having someone try to be a father to me would’ve been hard for me to accept. I probably would’ve pushed him away and been distant. I like the way we built it back up.”

“It was definitely tough not being a part of his life all those years,” Oliveira Sr. said. “I told him, ‘There will be a lot of sacrifices you won’t like.’ Christmases. Thanksgivings. Birthdays. I would miss a lot of those. I said to him, ‘You’ll hate me now, but when you grow up you’ll understand why I did it.’

“I think he understands now.”

In some ways, the Oliveiras are more like friends than father and son, but Oliveira Sr. knows when to intervene like any father would, especially when it comes to guiding his son’s career.

“The way I was raised by my aunt, and the morals I have within myself, I still respect him as a father,” Oliveira Jr. said. “When he wants something done, you’d assume I was raised by him. That’s just how it is.

“But our relationship is very friendly. He gives me a lot of advice. We do a lot of things together, but he does step back and play the father role when I may be entering a certain situation or not making the right decision. He’ll say, ‘No, that’s not the way you do it.’ He does help in those ways.”

“I’m really, really proud of him,” added Oliveira Sr. “I tell him that all the time. You want your child to be better than you. I tell him, ‘You’re a better father than I was. You’re a better man than I ever was. Now it’s up to you to be a better fight than I was.'”

Whether or not Oliveira Jr. gets to that level remains to be seen. Either way, boxing is, and always will be, a part of his life. It brought him and his father together after more than 15 years apart, and it introduced him to his best friend, Scott Sullivan, another CES Boxing protégé who will also make his debut on Friday’s card.

“For me, it’s just there. I’m not sure how to describe it,” he said. “So much of my life was based on boxing. My son loves it, and it helps us connect. My daughter loves to watch boxing. If I didn’t box 100 percent, I don’t know what I’d do with myself.”

“It’s still a learning process for him,” Oliveira Sr. said. “I remember his first week of training. He said, ‘Dad, I hate this,’ and I told him, ‘It’s going to get even harder.’ When I had a fight, I was in that gym and I was dedicated. The real champions are built in that gym. That’s where I want him to be like me, dedicating himself in the gym.”

He’s in the right hands, back with his father after more than a decade apart, proving some father-son relationships in boxing are about more than just wins and losses.

Tickets for “Title For Title” are on sale now at $45.00, $60.00, $76.00 and $125.00 (VIP) and can be purchased online at www.cesboxing.com or www.twinriver.com or by phone at 401-724-2253/2254. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

The main event is a special eight-round title bout with two belts on the line. Rich Gingras (14-4-1, 9 KOs) of Lincoln, R.I., will defend his N.E. Light Heavyweight Title against Joey McCreedy (15-7-2, 6 KOs) of Lowell, Mass., the reigning Universal Boxing Federation (UBF) Northeast champion.

Worcester, Mass., junior middleweight Khiary Gray-Pitts (1-0, 1 KO) faces Sergio Cabrera (0-2) of Boston andSullivan takes on Moises Rivera (0-3) of Boston in his debut. Italian-American cruiserweight Antonio Mignella (3-0, 3 KOs) of Providence, nicknamed “Little Rocky,” will battle Louisana’s Alvin Varmall Jr. (2-0, 2 KOs) in a four-round bout.

Shelito Vincent (12-0, 1 KO) of New London, Conn., will return in a six-round bout, and Cranston welterweight Nick DeLomba (4-0) will face 15-fight veteran Christian Steele of Staunton, Va., in a six-round bout. “Title For Title” also features the professional debut of Cranston native and U.S. Air Force veteran Zack Christy, who takes on Saul Almeida of Framingham, Mass., in a four-round super middleweight bout.

Visit www.cesboxing.com for more information, follow CES Boxing on Twitter at @CESBOXING and Instagram at CESBOXING, or “like” CES Boxing on Facebook.

LAS VEGAS (Sept. 9, 2014) – With weeks of hard training behind them, we enter fight week for Floyd “Money” Mayweather and Marcos “El Chino” Maidana at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Take a look back at some of the best verbal sparring that has gone on between Mayweather, Maidana and their camps:

Floyd Mayweather, Eleven-time, Five-division World Champion

From the press tour:

“My hand got raised so I don’t need to make any adjustments. He needs to make some major changes and probably get a new trainer if he wants to have a chance against me.”

From his media conference call:

“I didn’t say it was tough or it was hard to make adjustments. I said I took my time. If you look at the interviews, I said he came out kind of wild, and I took my time and kept my composure. I can make adjustments and I can adapt to any style.”

From his media day:

“Watching a fight from the outside is totally different than from what’s going on in the inside. He may have been attacking but I was countering, throwing body shots. That affected his thought process and he fought different after that.”

Marcos Maidana, Former Welterweight World Champion

From the press tour:

“Floyd can say whatever he wants about me. He knows that I gave him the toughest fight of his life. The only difference is this time I will knock him out.”

From his media conference call:

“This time around I’m training to win. I know what to expect. I know Mayweather now, his style, what he brings to the table. I’m coming to win. I have more concentration, no excuses whatsoever.”

“Yes, this fight I’m not going to respect him. I’m not going to respect him. I’m going to go at him, and I want him to fight like a man. Stop crying like a little [expletive] and fight.”

From his media day:

“Right after the fight, I honestly felt that I had won. I was the aggressor and the one looking to attack. But, the judges saw differently but I am still happy with the way I fought. I absolutely thought I won the first fight, and I will win again on Sept. 13.”

Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions

From the press tour:

“The last fight produced a winner, MAYHEM will produce a champion.”

“MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2. Pitting Floyd, a fighter who has everything to lose, against Maidana, a fighter who has everything to gain.”

From Mayweather’s media conference call:

“Floyd is not about crying and complaining, but a lot of these situations with dirty fighters that come up, he just takes the high road to it. He preaches all these kind of things to members of his team, people in camp; it’s all about just being positive and turning a negative situation into a positive.”

From Mayweather’s media day:

“Maidana has done a lot of trash talking because of that supreme confidence that he has. He is going to come in tremendous shape and Floyd will have his hands full. It’s going to be great. This fight will be better than the first fight.”

Robert Garcia, Maidana’s Trainer

From the press tour:

“You’ve been bringing up stories about dirty fighting, dirty this, dirty that. Guess what? This fight is going to be rougher for you. You better be ready.”

From Maidana’s media conference call:

“Maidana is going to come in with an aggressive style that nobody, not even the best boxer can get away with, and Mayweather’s not going to get away with it.”

From Maidana’s media day:

“I don’t like the way that Floyd talks about my fighter. On the media tour he was telling everyone that my fighter fights like an MMA fighter and was constantly disrespecting him and I didn’t appreciate that.”

# # #

“MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2,” a 12-round world championship bout for Mayweather’s WBA Welterweight Belt and WBC Welterweight and Super Welterweight World Titles takes place Saturday, Sept. 13 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas and is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra, O’Reilly Auto Parts and “The Equalizer” in theaters Sept. 26 and Mexico – Live it to Believe It!. The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV® (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT) and is the fourth fight of a six-fight deal between Mayweather and Showtime Networks Inc. In the co-main event, Leo Santa Cruz defends his WBC Super Bantamweight Title against Manuel Roman in a 12-round bout and Miguel Vazquez faces Mickey Bey in a 12-round bout for the IBF Lightweight World Championship. In the pay-per-view opener, Alfredo Angulo squares against James De La Rosa in a 10-round middleweight bout (162 lbs.). The event will be also available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

Plus, SHOWTIME will televise John Molina Jr. against experienced Humberto Soto in a 10-round junior welterweight bout during “Mayweather vs. Maidana 2: COUNTDOWN LIVE” (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, immediately preceding the live pay per view event).

Mayweather vs. Maidana 2 will be shown on the big screen in over 500 movie theaters across the country via Fathom Events. For more information visit www.FathomEvents.com

LONDON (Sept 9) – Floyd Mayweather will not allow out-of-the ring distractions to take away his focus as he gears up for his highly-anticipated rematch with Argentine assassin Marcos Maidana.

The boxing superstar has faced a tumultuous few weeks ahead of this Saturday night’s clash, live on BoxNation, following a distasteful pop from rapper 50 Cent at his reading ability before it was announced he was being sued by his former partner Shantel Jackson.

Michigan born Mayweather, speaking on the attack from 50 Cent, says he is unfazed by the distractions which have come his way and has put them aside in the lead up to his mega-showdown with Maidana.

“I’m truly blessed to be where I’m at. I try not to focus on that type of stuff. My job is to focus on my children, make sure my children and my family are in the best position, and stay focused upon my craft, which is boxing,” said Mayweather.

“Nothing can steer me the wrong way; I don’t focus on everything, it’s why I don’t focus on clown stuff. That’s for the circus. My job is to stay focused on boxing. I got to where I got to by being smart, making smart moves, and doing what’s best for Floyd Mayweather.

“I know what I can and I can’t do. You guys don’t know when you’re dealing with pay-per-view you have to read at least 60 to 70 teleprompters, and I don’t think they could choose a better person for the job than myself. I go out there and I do it with no problem.

“Making fun of a person because they can’t read is not funny – it’s tragic. If I really couldn’t read it would make my accomplishments even more amazing. I don’t know if 50 Cent is a boxing promoter, I don’t know if he’s making music – my focus is Floyd Mayweather,” he said.

The world’s number one pound-for-pound star was unexpectedly given his toughest fight in years when he stepped in the ring with knockout artist Maidana in May.

The bout saw the then WBA welterweight champion Maidana, with a record of 31 knockouts in his 35 wins, take the early rounds before Mayweather clawed it back on the scorecards to win on points.

However, it was the rough and rugged approach of the 31-year-old Maidana which threw the 11-time world champion of his gameplan and led him to voice his concerns over the refereeing by Tony Weeks, with the experienced Kenny Bayless stepping in for the rematch.

“The job of the referee is to be fair and not lean towards my side or not lean towards Maidana’s side. I’m pretty sure the last time Leonard [Ellerbe] and my team didn’t know that Robert Garcia was going to tell his guy to go out there and be extremely dirty,” he said.

“My health is more important than money or anything else. I have to be healthy to go out there and perform the way that I do, and I truly believe in having a career after the sport of boxing is over.

“I said this before in some of my past interviews, this is not the Internet, this is boxing. If you guys notice, I got tackled, the guy tried to knee me, I got a head butt, and there were rabbit punches, and there were low blows, and the list goes on and on.

“That night I had to do two jobs; I had to be the boxer and referee, so I had to do two jobs. But Tony Weeks, he’s a future Hall of Fame referee and he does an extraordinary job in the sport of boxing, and so does Kenny Bayless,” said Mayweather.

Stepping into the ring with Maidana again will be only the second time in his professional career in which Mayweather has gone into a rematch.

The first time was successive back-to-back victories over the great Jose Luis Castillo in 2002, with the current WBA Super and WBC welterweight champion – who will also be defending his WBC light-middleweight title – looking to draw on that experience.

“I just have to go out there and just be me and be first. I can’t really say how the fight is going to play out, but I’m pretty sure he’s going to be once again extremely dirty and wild, and my job is to keep everything under control the best way that I can,” said Mayweather.

“With Castillo I already knew what he had done the first fight. But, with me the commentators persuade people to think a certain way. Put it on mute, put your TV on mute and watch the fight, you’ll look at the fight in a total different way.

“I can look at a fight and hear the commentators start saying certain things, and I’ll be like ‘what is he talking about, what is he watching’. So it’s the same situation with this rematch with Maidana,” he said.

Mayweather vs. Maidana 2 is live on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 546, TalkTalk 525) this Saturday night. Visit www.boxnation.com to subscribe.

-Ends-

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

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

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

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

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

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

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

ESPN will present extensive pre- and post-fight coverage across its platforms in English and Spanish of the 12-round Floyd Mayweather Jr. (46-0, 26 KOs) vs. Marcos Maidana (35-4, 31 KOs) Welterweight title rematch scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 13, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Highlights:

Television
· SportsCenter:

o Pre- and post-fight analysis and interviews throughout the week led by host Robert Flores and boxing experts Dan Rafael, Teddy Atlas, and bilingual reporter Bernardo Osuna from Las Vegas.

o Live interview with Mayweather on Thursday (6:20 p.m.).

o Live coverage of Friday’s weigh-in (approx. 6:15 p.m. ET).

· ESPN Deportes:

o A Los Golpes (Tuesday, Sept. 9, 10 p.m.): Osuna and David Faitelson will provide the latest news and information about the fight from the show’s new state-of-the-art studios in Los Angeles.

o Golpe a Golpe (Thursday, Sept. 11, 10 p.m.): Jorge Eduardo Sánchez, Claudia Trejos, Osuna, and analysts Juan Manuel Márquez, Joe Cortez and Faitelson will provide the latest news and analysis from Las Vegas.

o Golpe a Golpe weigh-in show (Friday, Sept. 12, 6 p.m.): Sánchez, Trejos, Osuna, Márquez, and Faitelson will provide interviews, highlights and analysis live from the weigh-in Las Vegas. The show will include a live interview with Maidana.

o Golpe a Golpe pre-fight and post-fight show (Saturday, Sept.13, 7 p.m.; Sunday, Sept. 14, 2 a.m.): Sánchez, Trejos, Osuna, Márquez, Faitelson, and Cortez will provide pre-fight coverage live from Las Vegas. ESPN Deportes will then air a special post-fight show.

o ESPN Deportes news and information platforms will also have pre- and post-fight news, interviews and analysis throughout the week.

Digital

· ESPN3:

o Coverage of the Wednesday, Sept. 10, press conference (4 p.m.) and Friday, Sep. 12, weigh-in (6 p.m.) will be live on ESPN3 via WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One to fans who receive their Internet or video subscription from an affiliated provider.

· ESPN.com:

o Comprehensive coverage, including pre- and post-fight features, videos and blogs from Rafael and Brian Campbell.

o “Fight Credential,” ESPN.com’s home page for all Mayweather vs. Maidana coverage, will be updated with features, video, photos and social media from all platforms throughout the week and through the fight.

o Making the Rounds, ESPN.com’s original boxing show, will be in Las Vegas providing the latest news and analysis. The show will be hosted by ESPN Chicago’s Ray Flores, with analysis from Rafael and Campbell.

o ESPN3 live streams of Wednesday’s press conference and Friday’s weigh-in.

Schedule of Mayweather vs. Maidana 2 Coverage Across ESPN Platforms:
Date
Time (ET)
Coverage
Network/Platform
Tues, Sep 9
10 p.m.
A Los Golpes
ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN
Wed, Sep 10
4 p.m.
Mayweather vs. Maidana Press Conference
ESPN3, ESPN.com
Thurs, Sep 11
6:20 p.m.
Live SportsCenter Interview with Mayweather
SportsCenter

10 p.m.
Golpe a Golpe from Las Vegas
ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN
Fri, Sep 12
6 p.m.
Mayweather vs. Maidana Live Weigh-in
ESPN3, ESPN.com, SportsCenter

Golpe a Golpe: Weigh-in Show
ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN
Sat, Sep 13
7 p.m.
Golpe a Golpe: Pre-Fight Show
ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN

2 a.m.
Golpe a Golpe: Post Fight Show
ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN

Pre- and Post-Fight Coverage on SportsCenter
SportsCenter

QUEENS, NY (September 9th, 2014) – Jonathan Batista has been tapped to fight undefeated Jr. Middleweight Frank Galarza in a 10-round Jr. Middleweight bout that will headline a 10 bout card promoted by New Legend Boxing on September 20th, 2014 at the Resorts World Casino New York City.

Batista, 29 years of age, from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic has a record of 14-3 with 7 of his wins coming by way of knockout. He turned professional in 2010 and has been in the ring with former world champion Kermit Cintron, Emanuel Lartey and John Thompson. Galarza of Brooklyn, New York is undefeated at 14-0-2 with 9 knockouts and has been on a roll with wins against three undefeated fighters, in his last four bouts. The 29 year-old Galarza won the New York State Jr. Middleweight title with a 4th round stoppage over Rich Neves (6-0-1) last September at Resorts World Casino New York City. He followed that up with a huge 2nd round knockout this past January over John Thompson (14-0) on ShoBox, The New Generation. After a stoppage over Franklin Gonzalez in April, Galarza returned to ShoBox with an 8-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Sebastien Bouchard (8-0) on May 16, 2014 at the MGM Grand in Foxwoods, Connecticut.

The undercard will feature many of the best up and coming prospects in the Tri-State Area

In 6-round Bouts:

Angel Garcia (7-2, 2 KO’s) of Brooklyn, NY will fight Trevis Hall (5-1-1, 1 KO) of Georgetown, Guyana in a Super Featherweight bout.

Featherweight Allan Phelan (6-2, 4 KO’s) from County Kildare, Ireland will battle Francisco Arellano (4-3, 1 KO’s) of Houston, TX.

Danny Aquino (15-2, 10 KO’s) of Meriden, CT will take on Jhovany Collado (4-9-2, 1 KO) of Jamaica, Queens, NY in a Super Bantamweight fight.

Floriano Pagliara (15-6-2, 7 KO’s) of Italy, will take on an opponent to be named in a Super Featherweight bout.

In 4 Round bouts:

Super Middleweight Devaun Lee (2-0, 1 KO) of Jamaica, Queens, will square off against Troy Artis (3-4-1, 2 KO’s) of the Bronx, NY.

Jay Rodriguez (2-0-1, 2 KO’s) of Queens, NY will box James Jenkins (1-1-1) of Atlanta, Georgia in a Cruiserweight bout.

Jordan Rodriguez of Brooklyn, NY will make his pro debut against Angel Siguenza (0-1) of Queens, NY in a Bantamweight fight.

Doors Open 6:00PM / First Bout 7:00PM

Tickets on sale now…

GENERAL ADMISSION $50 / RINGSIDE $125* May be purchased online at: www.newlegendboxing.com or by calling (718) 487-4474

* RINGSIDE will be sold on a first come, first served basis…

** All Bouts Subject to Change

Resorts World Casino New York City is located at:
110-00 Rockaway Blvd. Jamaica, NY 11420

Directions and Transportation: Http://rwnewyork.com/visit-resorts-world

CORPORATE ADVERTISING SPONSORSHIP PACKAGES ALSO AVAILABLE

9 September 2014 – Kuala Lumpur: Asia’s largest mixed martial arts organization with a 90% market share, ONE Fighting Championship™ (ONE FC), powered by Tune Talk, returns to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for another blockbuster event on 17 October 2014 at the historic Stadium Putra. The fight card will feature a main event clash between two top featherweights in Marat Gafurov and Rob Lisita. Malaysia’s Ev Ting meets Philippines’ Edward Kelly in the co-main event. A bout between Singapore’s Stephen Langdown and Malaysia’s Raymond Tan has also been added to the card.

Fight fans have been eagerly awaiting the return of ONE FC to Kuala Lumpur after closely following the intense, non-stop, adrenaline-pumping action that has accompanied the promotion throughout its multi-city tour this year. The wait is finally over and Malaysian fans will once again be treated to yet another night of world-class mixed martial arts action.

Priority sales of tickets for ONE FC: ROAR OF TIGERS, presented by Tune Talk, is currently available till 10 September. Fans can enjoy 30% off tickets during priority sales. Log on to www.AirAsiaRedTix.com for further details.

CEO of ONE Fighting Championship™ Victor Cui stated, “We are coming back to the capital of Malaysia to put on one of the greatest fight cards the city has seen to date. ONE FC is putting together a fight card that will blow away the millions of passionate fight fans all around the world. Marat Gafurov and Rob Lisita are two of the best featherweights in the world. Both of them have a penchant for putting on exciting battles, and I think the fans will be in for a treat. We are also extremely excited to have Tune Talk as an official partner of ONE FC once again. Tune Talk has been actively promoting the growth of mixed martial arts in Malaysia together with ONE FC and with their partnership, we are set to bring another massive event to Kuala Lumpur with ONE FC: ROAR OF TIGERS!”

Marat Gafurov is undefeated after 8 fights, having emerged as the top featherweight in Europe. He possesses vicious ground and pound that has led him to six spectacular finishes so far. Prior to signing with ONE FC, he was the reigning M-1 Global Featherweight Champion. He joins an exciting Featherweight division that is currently ruled by Jadambaa Narantungalag. Gafurov will be looking to earn himself a title opportunity in the near future.

Rob Lisita is an Australian featherweight who has been on a tear in recent bouts. He has won seven of his last nine contests. Lisita is ruthless in going for the finish and has seen the final bell only three times in his 14 victories. One thing you cannot deny is that Rob Lisita always brings the action to the cage. He’s constantly looking to finish his opponent any chance he can get and fans can be sure of another stunning performance from the Australian.

Ev Ting is regarded as one of Malaysia’s top MMA fighters. Ting is of Malaysian Chinese ancestry but his family relocated to New Zealand when he was seven years old. It was an MMA highlight reel that he discovered on the internet that first sparked his interest in training in the sport, and he quickly found a home at Auckland MMA in 2009. After an undefeated stint as an amateur, Ting made his professional debut in 2011 and has since won seven of nine bouts. Ting made a successful ONE FC debut by knocking out Yohan Mulia Legowo in June and now gets the opportunity to compete in his country of birth for the first time.

Edward Kelly is one of the brightest prospects to come out of the Philippines, and boasts an impressive record of five wins and one loss in his fledging career. The brother of ONE FC featherweight #1 contender Eric Kelly, Edward possesses many similar traits as his brother, such as the relentless pursuit of the finish as well as being multi-faceted and able to emerge on top in every situation.

Raymond Tan is a founding member of Penang Top Team and is ranked as one of the best bantamweights in Malaysia. He initially began training in Taekwondo before he moved into mixed martial arts as he grew older. The lanky Tan boasts one of the longest reach in both his punches and kicks in the Bantamweight division and will leverage that advantage against Langdown.

Stephen Langdown returns to the ONE FC cage to take on Tan. Langdown is equally adept at both striking and grappling. He is a very solid, well-rounded fighter who is looking to catapult himself into the top of his division. The bout between Langdown and Tan features a clash of two of the top prospects in ONE FC and both mixed martial artists will be determined to prove themselves. Fans around Asia can catch all the action live on STAR Sports. Check your local listings. Also, fans from around the world can witness the action online via live streaming at www.onefc.livesport.tv. The first two undercard fights are available for viewing free-of-charge and the main card fights will be available for purchase at just US$9.99.

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

***
About One Fighting Championship
With a 90%+ market share in Asia, ONE Fighting 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 Fighting 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.

About Tune Talk
Tune Talk is the fastest-growing Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) in Asia, officially launching commercial services in Malaysia in 2009. Our target is to provide super low rates and exciting incentives to the market. Our prepaid service offers voice, SMS, data and BlackBerry packages that meet the demands for a simple, value-for-money product with easy accessibility and a wide distribution reach. As a member of the Tune Group of companies, we have the advantage of providing a completely unique lifestyle service with offers by Tune Money, Tune Hotels, Tune Insurance, BIG Loyalty Programme and AirAsia. For more information, please visit www.tunetalk.com.

About Tune Group of Companies
Tune Group is a conglomerate of lifestyle businesses co-founded by Tan Sri Tony Fernandes and Dato’ Kamarudin Meranun. The Tune Group of companies are Tune Air (a substantial shareholder of AirAsia), Tune Hotels, Tune Money (holding company of Tune Insurance), Tune Talk, Tune Box, Tune Studios, Tune Tones, Caterham F1 Team, Queens Park Rangers Football Club (QPR) and Educ8 Group (owner of Epsom College in Malaysia).

LAS VEGAS (Sept. 8, 2014) – “MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2” SHOWTIME PPV undercard fighters Manuel “Suavecito” Roman, Miguel “Títere” Vázquez, Mickey “The Spirit” Bey and James De La Rosa have wrapped up their training camps and have made their way to Las Vegas to set the stage for the most anticipated rematch of the year. Expectations are high, but the Saturday, Sept. 13 undercard promises to deliver, live on SHOWTIME PPV (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT) from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

In the main event, undefeated 11-time world champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather will square off against Marcos “Chino” Maidana in a 12-round world championship bout for Mayweather’s WBA Welterweight, WBC Welterweight and WBC Super Welterweight World Titles.

In the co-feature, Leo “Terremoto” Santa Cruz will put his WBC Super Bantamweight World Title on the line against Roman. In the second pay-per-view fight of the evening, Vázquez will defend his IBF Lightweight World Championship against Bey in a 12-round bout. In the opening fight of the telecast, Alfredo “El Perro” Angulo will face De La Rosa in a 10-round middleweight bout.

Fight week has arrived, and as the fighters prepare for their bouts, Roman, Vázquez, Bey and De La Rosa answered some questions about how they’ve trained for boxing’s biggest stage.

MANUEL ROMAN

Q: We’re less than a week away from fight night. How are you feeling physically?

A: There’s a little fatigue, but after training camp I’ll be in good shape.

Q: Where did you train and who did you train with?

A: In South Gate, Calif. with my trainer Salvador Casillas.

Q: What made you decide to train there?

A: I’ve been with Salvador for a couple of years and we wanted to keep things consistent.

Q: What did you do to pass the time when you’re not at the gym?

A: I like to be with my family. I rest a lot, and we like to go to the park for walks.

Q: What motivates you most during training camp?

A: This is pay-per-view and on Floyd Mayweather’s undercard. There aren’t a lot of fighters who get this opportunity so I want to take advantage.

Q: You make a living in the toughest, most hardnosed sport there is. So what makes you truly happy?

A: Performing at my best for the fans is motivation. My family comes first though. Them being happy is most important.

Q: Did any family come along with you for training as you prepare for this fight?

A: They all live close by, but my dad is always around. He’s my biggest supporter.

Q: You’re coming off of consecutive wins. Do you think that you’re carrying some momentum heading into your fight with Leo Santa Cruz?

A: Yes, of course. I feel great coming off of those two wins and there shouldn’t be any ring rust.

Q: Santa Cruz has said that you have nothing to lose coming in to this fight and everything to gain. Do you agree with his assessment?

A: That’s actually a good way to say it. I agree with him.

Q: Are you doing anything special to prepare for Leo’s style of fighting? Do you see anything unique about his style that you’re looking to expose?

A: I’m going to need to throw a lot of counter punches, and I’ll have to have a lot of oxygen to handle all the punches (Santa Cruz) will throw.

MIGUEL VAZQUEZ

Q: We’re less than a week away from fight night. How are you feeling physically?

A: I’m feeling very good and strong. I’m prepared in every way and ready to win.

Q: Where did you train and who did you train with?

A: With with Javier Capetillo Sr. at the Ponce De Leon Boxing Gym in Montebello, Calif.

Q: What made you decide to train there?

A: It’s a great private gym that I’m familiar with.

Q: What did you do to pass the time when you’re not at the gym?

A: I tried to rest and spend time with my family. That’s what I like to do with my free time.

Q: What motivates you most during training camp?

A: The Lord helps me and takes me to victory. That’s my greatest motivation.

Q: You make a living in the toughest, most hardnosed sport there is. So what makes you truly happy?

A: Jesus Christ and the money.

Q: Did any family come along with you for training as you prepare for this fight?

A: Yes, it’s been great having my family around. They help make camp more comfortable and are very supportive.

Q: You’re coming off of 13 consecutive wins. Do you think that momentum will help you come Sept. 13?

A: Yes, the momentum is definitely going to help. I’m just very motivated to get another win and keep this going.

Q: This will be your third fight at MGM Grand. Do you believe that your previous experiences there will help you, and if so, how?

A: Yes, the experience should help. I’ve matured more too and that is going to help also. I’m mentally prepared for this fight.

Q: You’ve been getting more and more professional experience against American fighters. Do you notice any major differences between Mexican and American fighters?

A: No, I feel like all fighters are complicated and risky. I prepare for each of them the same.

Q: Are you doing anything special to prepare for Mickey’s style of fighting? Do you see anything unique about his style that you’re looking to expose?

A: I really don’t watch too much video to study guys. I trust my trainer and let him guide me as far as the strategy is concerned.

MICKEY BEY

Q: We’re less than a week away from fight night. How are you feeling physically?

A: I feel great. I was ahead of schedule. We’ve been putting in a lot of work to get to this point.

Q: Where did you train and who did you train with?

A: I’ve been preparing with Floyd Mayweather Sr. at Mayweather Boxing Club.

Q: What made you decide to train there?

A: I’ve been training there for a while, so we just wanted to continue with what’s been successful.

Q: What have you been doing to pass the time when you’re not at the gym?

A: I don’t do that much actually. I rest. I might drop by the gym to see Floyd train. Other than that I just eat, sleep and train.

Q: What motivates you most during training camp?

A: I want to become a world champion. I know I could have done it a while ago, but I’m with the right team now and I have the opportunity.

Q: You make a living in the toughest, most hardnosed sport there is. So what makes you truly happy?

A: Living up to the expectations that I set for myself.

Q: You’re coming off of consecutive wins. Do you think that you’re carrying some momentum heading into your fight with Miguel Vazquez?

A: Yes, absolutely. I’m always working on improving. I think I improve rapidly and I’ll do whatever I can to get better.

Q: You’ve fought at MGM Grand once before. Do you believe that your previous experience there will help you, and if so, how?

A: As long as there’s a ring, it doesn’t matter where it is. If there’s a ring I’m going to fight. I might enjoy fighting on the biggest stage, but the fight is going to be the same no matter where it happens.

Q: Do you think that your 10th round loss to John Molina Jr. last year was a setback for you, and did you learn any particular lessons from that defeat?

A: It wasn’t a setback because I won every round. I started playing around at the end and he got me. I only really got hit three times, and he kind of blindsided me at the end. The fight was easy though.

Q: How’s everything going with Floyd Mayweather Sr. in training? Are you doing anything new this time around in training camp?

A: We stepped things way up this time around. We’re doing old school stuff. People wonder why he’s such a good trainer. It’s because he came up around guys who worked with greats like Joe Louis and Sugar Ray Robinson. We’ve been working on some of the same things those guys practiced.

Q: Are you doing anything special to prepare for Miguel’s style of fighting? Do you see anything unique about his style that you’re looking to expose?

A: Yes, there are things I can expose. I’m not preparing any differently though. I’m good at adapting and my preparation helps me be ready for everything.

JAMES DE LA ROSA

Q: We’re less than a week away from fight night. How are you feeling physically?

A: I feel really good. This is probably the best I’ve ever felt and the closest I stayed on weight throughout camp.

Q: Where did you train and who did you train wtih?

A: I’m trained in my hometown of Harlingen, Texas with my dad.

Q: What made you decide to train there?

A: I wanted to be close to my family.

Q: What have you been doing to pass the time when you’re not at the gym?

A: I’m always at the gym. I’m always trying to stay consistent and doing something to keep myself loose.

Q: What motivates you most during training camp?

A: The opportunity that I have and the spot that I’m in right now. Sometimes it takes fighters a long time to recover from losses, but I have the opportunity to keep on going and prove that I belong.

Q: You make a living in the toughest, most hardnosed sport there is. So what makes you truly happy?

A: Being in the ring makes me happy. My kids keep me happy of course, but being at the gym and in the ring is always on my mind. I love what I do, and I love putting on a show for the people. I’ve been boxing since I was eight. So I really love everything about the sport.

Q: Did any family come along with you for training as you prepare for this fight?

A: My dad’s my head trainer so he motivates and pushes me. I’ve always asked my dad to treat me like any other fighter. So he works with me and always encourages me.

Q: After dropping two of your last four bouts, do you think your fights with Conyers and Willis were setbacks for you?

A: They were losses, but I learned a lot from both of those fights. Now I’m coming back harder than ever, and I know what I have to do to continue being successful in this sport.

Q: This will be your first fight at MGM Grand. Angulo has fought there once before earlier this year. Do you think that his familiarity having fought there previously will play to his advantage?

A: No, because when I get in the ring I feel that it’s my time to put on a show. It doesn’t matter who I’m fighting or where he’s been. Whether the crowd is rooting for him or not, he’s going to know my name by the end of the night.

Q: Are you doing anything special to prepare for Angulo’s style of fighting? Do you see anything unique about his style that you’re looking to expose?

A: I’ve seen a lot of stuff that I hope to expose. There are lots of things that he does wrong, and we’ve been working so that I can capitalize on them once we get in the ring.

# # #

“MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2,” a 12-round world championship bout for Mayweather’s WBA Welterweight Belt and WBC Welterweight and Super Welterweight World Titles takes place Saturday, Sept. 13 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas and is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra, O’Reilly Auto Parts and “The Equalizer” in theaters Sept. 26 and The Mexican Tourism Board – Mexico: Live it to Believe It!. The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV® (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT) and is the fourth fight of a six-fight deal between Mayweather and Showtime Networks Inc. In the co-main event, Leo Santa Cruz defends his WBC Super Bantamweight Title against Manuel Roman in a 12-round bout and Miguel Vazquez faces Mickey Bey in a 12-round bout for the IBF Lightweight World Championship. In the pay-per-view opener, Alfredo Angulo squares against James De La Rosa in a 10-round middleweight bout (162 lbs.). The event will be also available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

Plus, SHOWTIME will televise John Molina Jr. against experienced Humberto Soto in a 10-round junior welterweight bout during “Mayweather vs. Maidana 2: COUNTDOWN LIVE” (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, immediately preceding the live pay per view event).

Mayweather vs. Maidana 2 will be shown on the big screen in over 500 movie theaters across the country via Fathom Events. For more information visit www.FathomEvents.com

Davie, FL: As Angino “The Nightmare” Perez (17-5, 15 KOs) prepares, with his trainer, Javier Centeno, to face Karl “Dynamite” Dargan (16-0, 8 KOs) on Sept. 20 at Foxwoods Resort Casino and live on broadcast NBC Fight Night, he feels no pressure because, as Centeno puts it, “He has nothing to lose.” Angino, or Gino as he is known to those closest to him, is a 31 year old junior welterweight who accepted a fight with the undefeated Dargan at lightweight for the Junior NABF Lightweight Title because the pressure would all be on Dargan. According to Centeno, “Gino is the type of guy that always feels the pressure is on the other guy. He has nothing to lose. He is going in against a guy that is undefeated. Gino has some losses on his record. He’s the type of fighter that is just going to go out there, do his work and whatever the outcome is, it is.”

For the first time in a long time, Perez and his team have adequate time to prepare at Sweatbox Boxing and Fitness in Davie, FL. For his last several fights, Perez had only one to two weeks’ notice but, this time, the Miami native has ample time to prepare. He said, “I am managing myself and promoting myself and there have been no good fights offered to me. The fights I have been offered in the past were always on short notice where I didn’t have time to train.” But this time is different according to Centeno, “At this point in his career, we want to make a run for something so we need to make sure that we strategize. We need to make sure we get at least five to six weeks minimum training camp before each fight. Training camp has been different because we have been able to work our way into a routine. In the past he had no strategy to do anything; his training camp consisted of getting into the gym, skipping rope, hitting the bags, getting in some sparring and that’s it. We’ve been working on his strength, his endurance and his power and we have been sparring in between as well.”

With regards to sparring, Perez and Centeno wanted to find sparring partners to emulate Dargan’s style. Centeno said, “I watched Dargan’s last fight with Flores as well as his previous fight with Chazz McDowell. We know that Dargan is a counter puncher but he can also be very aggressive. We have been trying to get him in the ring with guys that can do both. Gino likes to bang. He likes to get in there but he’s getting older and, if he wants to survive in the fight game, he’s going to have to adapt a little bit. We are preparing for everything: preparing for if Dargan comes in aggressive and preparing for Dargan being a counter-puncher.”

“The Nightmare”
Photo Courtesy of:
Sweatbox Boxing & Fitness

This fight requires Perez to step down in weight from junior welterweight to lightweight. According to Perez, he has had to make several adjustments to his diet to come in at the lower weight, “This time I am eating healthy and my body feels a lot different and stronger. We have sparred with a lot of heavier guys. I am taking things more serious. I finally decided to take my career into my own hands.” Therefore, Centeno is not concerned about Perez making the weight for Sept. 20, “We know he can make the weight and make it comfortably. He’s been eating right; his diet has been completely changed. He is just very lean and strong.”

Dropping down to a lower weight class sometimes means losing power, but Centeno does not think that will be a problem for Perez because they have been sparring with heavier opponents, “Because Gino has some pop behind his punches, and we tend to go through a lot of the lighter guys pretty quickly. We wanted to make sure we were getting some heavier guys in who can really bang so they can take some of his power. Our sparring sessions have really impressed me. He is really strong even against some of these heavier guys. We have had guys in there sparring with him at 165 or 170, they are getting hit and they are feeling it.”

About September 20:

The Sep. 20th special afternoon edition of NBC Fight Night will take place at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT and will feature a ten-round cruiserweight match-up between Thabiso “The Rock” Mchunu and Garrett “The Ultimate Warrior” Wilson for the NABF Cruiserweight Title and a ten-round lightweight match-up between Karl “Dynamite” Dargan and Angino “The Nightmare” Perez for the Junior NABF Lightweight Title. The undercard bouts will be announced shortly. Tickets are $100, $75 and $40 and are available through Foxwoods.com and Ticketmaster.com. The card is presented by Main Events, Peltz Boxing and Showpony Promotions in association with Banner Promotions. The special NBC Fight Night broadcast will begin live at 3:00 PM ET/12:00 PM PT.

NBC Sports Live Extra:

NBC Sports Live Extra: NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will live stream Fight Night at 3 PM ET/12 PM PT on September 20. For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.

About Foxwoods® Resort Casino

Foxwoods Resort Casino is one of the premier entertainment destinations in the Northeast. As the largest resort casino in North America, Foxwoods offers a vast array of gaming in six casinos; AAA Four-Diamond hotels, restaurants from gourmet to express, world-renowned spas, awarding-winning golf, state-of-the-art theaters, and exclusive retailers. Perfect for both recreation and business, Foxwoods provides modern and versatile convention and meeting space to infuse new life into any meeting or event. Foxwoods Resort Casino is owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. For a comprehensive look at Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation visit Foxwoods.com.

FOLLOW US:

Official hashtag: #FightNight
www.mainevents.com
Twitter: @main_events
Facebook: facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing
www.nbcsports.com
Twitter: @NBCSN
Facebook: facebook.com/NBCSports
www.peltzboxing.com
Twitter: @PeltzBoxing
Facebook: facebook.com/PeltzBoxingPromotions
www.foxwoods.com
Twitter: @FoxwoodsCT
Facebook: facebook.com/Foxwoods

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Sept. 8th, 2014) — No one needs to explain the significance of this fight to Joey McCreedy.

Shortly after he hit the canvas three times in a loss to Sean Monaghan in April, McCreedy knew his next fight would more than likely be the biggest of his career.

“This is do or die for,” said the Lowell, Mass., native, who’ll face Rich Gingras on Friday, Sept. 12, 2014 at Twin River Casino. “I’m almost 30 now.

“In boxing, when you get to seven, eight, sometimes nine losses, you start becoming an opponent. I’m not letting my body go through that, being a punching bag just taking fights for money and getting embarrassed. I’m training real hard for this fight. I want to get back on track to where I was before.”

Long before he stepped in the ring with the undefeated Monaghan in Las Vegas, long before Gingras (14-4-1, 9 KOs) made Rhode Island his home turf, McCreedy (15-7-2, 6 KOs) was a fan-favorite and perennial headliner at Twin River.

Lauded for his take-no-prisoners approach in the ring, a style that kept fans coming back each time, McCreedy fought 11 consecutive bouts at Twin River between 2008 and 2010, winning five times with two draws. The last one, a lopsided loss to Providence’s Vladine Biosse in 2010 on the undercard of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights, marked the unceremonious end of McCreedy’s run in the Ocean State.

Shortly thereafter, he wound up with a different promoter, no longer under the guidance of CES Boxing, and fought everywhere from Nova Scotia to Burbank, Ill. His return to Rhode Island on Friday is about more than just trying to capture Gingras’ N.E. Light Heavyweight Title while defending his own Universal Boxing Federation (UBF) Northeast belt, a unique headliner on a card appropriately named “Title For Title.”

In fact, McCreedy has gone as far as to say Gingras’ title “doesn’t mean anything,” because even if he wins he’ll vacate the belt and move back down to 168 pounds, where he feels more comfortable against opponents his size.

“I can’t fight at 175, not at the level where I want to be,” he said. “I realized that when I fought in Vegas.”

What McCreedy really wants is to reclaim his turf and rekindle the magic from his prime when he was as popular at Twin River as almost any fighter born in Rhode Island.

“That’s my second home. I fought there long before Rich did,” McCreedy said. “I had a great run there until things went sour. I’m glad to be back, I’m glad to be bringing my fans back and I’m glad to be working with [CES president Jimmy Burchfield] again. Not a lot of people are willing to give you a second chance in this sport.”

Now it’s up to McCreedy to make the most of this opportunity, and he knows it’ll take more than an arena packed with rabid fans to get him past the tough, hard-hitting Gingras. Born in New Hampshire, but now living and training out of Lincoln, R.I., Gingras has emerged as Twin River’s No. 1 headliner since Peter Manfredo Jr. retired. He’s also the reigning N.E. Light Heavyweight champion after knocking out Jaime Velazquez for the vacant title in June.

In addition to the two titles on the line, Friday’s eight-round main event is also a battle between the old and the new in terms of Rhode Island boxing royalty, though it’s worth noting McCreedy is still only 29 while Gingras turned 33 in March.

“Fighting Rich is like looking in a mirror,” McCreedy said. “He fights just like me. This will be the Fight of the Year. He’s a great fighter. He’s been through a lot of ups and downs, too.

“I have a lot of respect for [his trainers] Orlondo [Valles] and Jose [Santos]. Jose is a good friend of mine. He cornered me in Vegas. I love his whole team, but everyone knows when you step through those ropes it’s a whole different ballgame. At that point, he doesn’t like me and I don’t like him.”

The experience in Las Vegas, which featured the ironic twist of one of Gingras’ trainers, Santos, working McCreedy’s corner, is one McCreedy wouldn’t change for anything despite the loss.

“I gave it all I had, but [Monaghan] was just the better man that night,” he said. “He was more experienced, taller. Being in that atmosphere, maybe I got a little star-struck. I knew what kind of pressure I was under and what would happen had I won. It was a lot of pressure to take on, but it was awesome. I met a lot of great people.

“It was a special thing for me to fight in the same ring where legends fought. [Mike] Tyson fought there, [my trainer] Micky [Ward] fought there. [Sugar Ray] Leonard. Everyone fought there. Just to be in the same ring as Floyd [Mayweather] was a great experience.”

The pressure he faced that night boxing on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley rematch in what is now the fight capital of the world should help ease his mind when he steps back into the spotlight Friday.

“I won’t be bothered by it at all,” he said. “No pressure. I’ve been in the ring plenty of times. I just have to work hard. Hopefully, I come out victorious.

“I’m sure Rich is doing the same thing. We both have something to prove.”

Tickets for “Title For Title” are on sale now at $45.00, $60.00, $76.00 and $125.00 (VIP) and can be purchased online at www.cesboxing.com or www.twinriver.com or by phone at 401-724-2253/2254. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Worcester, Mass., junior middleweight Khiary Gray-Pitts (1-0, 1 KO) faces Sergio Cabrera (0-2) of Boston: junior middleweight Ray Oliveira Jr. of Fall River, Mass., battles fellow newcomer Angel Valdez in his pro debut and Fall River lightweight Scott Sullivan takes on Moises Rivera (0-3) of Boston in his debut. Italian-American cruiserweight Antonio Mignella (3-0, 3 KOs) of Providence, nicknamed “Little Rocky,” will battle Louisana’s Alvin Varmall Jr. (2-0, 2 KOs) in a four-round bout.

Shelito Vincent (12-0, 1 KO) of New London, Conn., will return in a six-round bout, and Cranston welterweight Nick DeLomba (4-0) will face 15-fight veteran Christian Steele of Staunton, Va., in a six-round bout. “Title For Title” also features the professional debut of Cranston native and U.S. Air Force veteran Zack Christy, who takes on Saul Almeida of Framingham, Mass., in a four-round super middleweight bout.

Visit www.cesboxing.com for more information, follow CES Boxing on Twitter at @CESBOXING and Instagram at CESBOXING, or “like” CES Boxing on Facebook.

Philadelphia, PA (September 8, 2014)–One of the hottest fighters in the world, undefeated Julian “J Rock” Williams (16-0-1, 10 KO’s) is preparing for his showdown with fellow undefeated Eliezer Gonzalez (14-0, 9 KO’s) on Thursday, September 11 at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The 24 year-old Williams of Philadelphia has been climbing the ranks and gaining attention due to his spectacular performances on willingness to take on anyone while doing in front of national television audiences.

This fight has all the makings of an action packed slugfest as Williams has six knockouts in his last eights fights while Gonzalez has stopped six in a row.

Williams has impressive wins over Hector Rosario (7-1-2); Jonel Tapia (8-2-1); Jeremiah Wiggins (10-1-1). Williams started to get be noticed after his three-knockdown unanimous decision over former world champion Joachim Alcine (33-4-1). Williams was on his way to a win over undefeated Hugo Centeno (19-0) before a cut over Centeno’s eye forced a no-contest. Williams stopped three consecutive high quality opponents in Orlando Lora (29-4-2), former world title challenger Freddy Hernandez (30-6) and his last bout when took out contender and Abel Sanchez trained Michael Medina (26-4-2) in eight rounds on May 24.

The date of the fight has significance as it takes place on September 11. Williams will honor the fallen of that fateful day 13 years ago by wearing USA themed trunks and robe.

One bit of irony is that on September 15, 2001, another Philadelphia fighter in Bernard Hopkins was set to face an undefeated Puerto Rican star in Felix Trinidad. Unfortunately that bout had to be postponed due to the events of 9-11 and Trinidad was trained by the same man that will be in Gonzalez corner. That being Felix Trinidad Sr.

Said Williams, “I don’t know much about Eliezer Gonzalez but I do know he’s undefeated and he’s trained by Felix Trinidad Sr.. I also know he’s scored a lot of KO’s lately. But that doesn’t mean anything to me because those KO’s weren’t against Julian “J Rock” Williams. I will find out how hard he can punch when we get in the ring. I know what I’m on the verge of and I can not allow Gonzalez to alter my destiny. I expect a shootout and that’s just fine with me. I can fight any type of fight I have to, to win. But everyone remembers the last time there was a match between Puerto Rico vs Philadelphia. In fact it was in September of 2001 when the the 9-11 incident occurred. Bernard Hopkins defeated the great Felix Trinidad. We are going to reenact that fight. I will play Bhop and he can play Tito.”

Stephen Edwards, the trainer of Williams has been happy with the progress of his pupil and he knows a win over Gonzalez will help Williams continue on the path to a world title.

“He put it all together in the last fight. I am usually very critical of him but I would have to nitpick in order to criticize that last fight. He fought a great fight. He was a violent, smooth, boxer puncher. He put a terrible beating on a game, motivated fighters\ who’s back was up against the wall. Going into this fight we started camp June 9th. There is no room for a let down for Julian. He understands he has to win and win impressively. There are a lot of quality guys in the super welterweight division and a sub par performance can put you in the back of the line,” said Edwards.

“I’m glad he’s fighting an undefeated guy because undefeated guys fight with a sense of entitlement. They have an aura about them. They don’t want to lose. I picked this guy from a short list and I’m glad our team got it done. This is Gonzalez’s big opportunity knocking off an Al Haymon fighter and Julian understands that. At this stage in his career I don’t want any gimme fights for him. They won’t do him any good because if he continues his success he’s going to be fighting for a title within a year.”

Brooklyn, N.Y. (September 5, 2014) – Ronson Frank’s Uprising Promotions returned to action on Friday night at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple, in association with former WBO Middleweight Champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin. Six pro bouts and four amateur contests were on the docket, with Eileen Olszewski (9-5-3, 1 KO) and Christina Fuentes (3-6-4, 0 KOs) battling to a split draw in the main event. Victorious on the card were a pair of Uprising Promotions fighters, with undefeated 140-pounder Wesley Ferrer (5-0, 4 KOs) earning a first round stoppage while Irish welterweight Darren Mangan (1-0, 0 KOs) pitched a shutout in his professional debut.

In the main event, UBF/IFBA Flyweight Champion Eileen Olszewski (9-5-3, 1 KO) found a game Christina Fuentes (3-6-4, 0 KOs) on the opposite side of the ring. Possessing a distinct height advantage, Olszewski began the fight by trying to walk down her opponent, but Fuentes used nice footwork to work her way out of danger while picking her spots when she saw an opening. Over the middle rounds, Fuentes was the clear aggressor and was fighting with a noticeable amount of confidence. She appeared to be in complete control of the action until the sixth frame when Olszewski started finding success with short hooks on the inside, peppering her Texan counterpart with sharp shots to finish off the stanza.

In the seventh round, things leveled out a bit, followed up by an eighth frame that consisted entirely of close-range exchanges throughout its two-minute timeslot. The duo kept the level of action high during that final stanza, banging it out all the way until the concluding bell.

The tightly contested action made it a tough job on the ringside judges, which was evidenced by three scorecards that were all over the place. The first card announced was 78-74 in favor of Olszewski, followed up by a 77-75 tally in favor of Fuentes. The last count was even at 76-76, making the end result of this contest a split draw.

In the co-main event of the evening, former New York Golden Gloves standout Wesley Ferrer (5-0, 4 KOs) continued what has been nothing short of an electrifying start to his professional career. Facing a tough Shiwone Gortman (4-5-2, 2 KOs), Ferrer displayed great foot and hand speed from the opening bell, and he was in total control of the action. Using feints to offset the timing of Gortman, Ferrer eventually set up what would be the game-winner in the final minute of the first frame. From the orthodox position, Ferrer backed Gortman into the neutral corner before quickly switching to the southpaw stance to unload a crushing left hook to the liver that immediately crumbled his opposition. In an obvious state of tremendous pain, the blow was too much for Gortman to continue, and he was ultimately counted out at the 2:21 mark of the opening stanza.

Making his highly anticipated professional debut on this card was welterweight Darren Mangan (1-0, 0 KOs), who recently made the move from his native Ireland to New York City to work under the instruction of trainer Colin Morgan. The man on the other side of the ring from him was Kashif Muhammad (0-1), a Harlem resident who was also making his first outing as a professional prize fighter. Mangan appeared to quickly shake off any pre-bout jitters that he may have had, immediately coming forward and unloading a massive number of punches. He then kept that same work rate throughout the four rounds of action, showing good movement and ring generalship along the way. Fitness also proved to be in favor of Mangan, who maintained an intense pace while throwing punches in bunches to the body and head of a very durable Muhammad.

When all was said and done in this pairing, Mangan was awarded for his dominant performance, earning flush 40-36 tallies from the ringside officials.

In what was considered to be the Fight of the Night by most in attendance, junior welterweights Italy Martinez (1-2-1, 1 KO) and Ian James (3-9-1, 1 KO) participated in a non-stop brutal slugfest that went the entirety of its six allotted frames. In the opening round, James worked Martinez to the ropes and began unloading some heavy punishment, although Martinez seemed to be absorbing the punches quite well while he let James burn off some fuel.

In the second stanza, the two combatants stepped into a phone booth, and they did not leave its tight confines for a single second over the next three rounds. Every time James appeared to hurt Martinez with a flurry, the determined Mexican fighter quickly began to counter as if the damage had only awakened him. The duo continued to engage in a back-and-forth battle that put the Brooklyn Masonic Temple fans on their feet, and it was not until the fifth frame that they even attempted to fight at any type of distance. Working behind his jab increasingly more, Martinez began finding openings for some well-timed combinations, and the bout was still very much in question when the sixth round bell rang to signal the end of this entertaining scrap.

After the first judge revealed an even 57-57 count, James emerged victorious in an upset win that was confirmed by a pair of 58-56 scorecards from the remaining pair of ringside officials.

In junior middleweight action, Corona native Frank Castillo (3-0, 2 KOs) put on an impressive performance against a resilient Jonathan Jeter of Brooklyn. Each round of this contest was quite competitive, with Castillo getting off the crisper shots against a pressuring Jeter. Castillo timed the advances of his opponent well, and a hard counter right hand in the second stanza opened a cut on the left eye of Jeter that played a role in the final three frames of the bout. Castillo did buckle Jeter late in the third round after delivering a thundering overhand right, but the tough Brooklyn resident was able to gather himself well enough to get through to the bell. Behind on the cards, Jeter made a valiant effort to spoil the night for Castillo and his team in the last round, but both men remained standing when the fourth and final frame concluded.

With a tally of 40-36 matched alongside a pair of 39-37 cards in his favor, the victor in this outing was Castillo, who went the distance for the first time in his short professional career.

The first professional bout on the slate got the night started with some early fireworks, as unbeaten super middleweight Max Tassy (3-0, 1 KO) hammered Bilal Ali Salaam Jr. (0-1) with a devastating left hand in the opening moments of the first round. The vicious shot would prove to be all Tassy would need to earn his third professional win, scoring the one-punch knockout just 23 seconds into the affair.

Proud supporters of the FDNY and NYPD, Uprising Promotions conducted a fundraiser on Friday night that benefited children with autism. Proceeds from the evening will be donated to The School For Language and Communication Development in Glen Cove, New York.

Tonight’s show was sponsored by Brooklyn Brothers, Frank Brothers Fitness, Gotham Gym and Trinity Boxing. For more information on Uprising Promotions, make sure to follow us on Instagram and Twitter (@UprisingNYC), as well as by liking our fan page on Facebook.

New York, NY (9/5/14) – On Saturday, October 4th, DiBella Entertainment and Warriors Boxing will stage a thrilling SHOWTIME Boxing Special Edition with reigning undefeated IBF champion Rances “Kid Blast” Barthelemy (20-0-0-1NC, 12KO’s) defending his super featherweight title against former world title challenger and IBF #3-rated Fernando Saucedo (52-5-3, 8KO’s). The main event is promoted in association with Sampson Boxing. This card will air live on SHOWTIME beginning at 9 pm ET/PT from the Fox Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino, in Mashantucket, Conn.

In the co-feature, two highly ranked junior middleweights will collide in an exciting 10-round matchup when Willie Nelson (23-1-1, 13 KO’s) faces Vanes Martirosyan (34-1-1, 21 KO’s). This contest is promoted in association with Rumble Time Promotions and Goossen Tutor Promotions.

After defecting from his native Cuba, former amateur star Barthelemy successfully made his pro debut in 2009 and immediately began turning heads with his electric performances. Nicknamed “Kid Blast”, the highly gifted boxer with devastating knockout power in both hands quickly moved up the ranks of the 130lb. division. In June 2013, Barthelemy moved himself to the #1 spot in the IBF world ratings when he scored a second-round knockout over contender Fahsai Sakkreerin with a single body shot in their official IBF title eliminator.

Next up for Barthelemy was IBF champion Argenis Mendez this past January. Barthelemy took the fight right to Mendez and had him in trouble almost immediately in the first round. In the second, Barthelemy landed a barrage of punches to drop Mendez with just under 15 seconds to go in the round. Mendez was able to beat the count, but, as the bell was sounding to end the frame, Barthelemy landed a vicious combination that knocked Mendez out cold. Initially, referee Pete Podgorski ruled Barthelemy the victor by way of knockout. However, following review of the bout weeks later, the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry determined that Barthelemy’s final blows came after the bell had rung and changed the result of the fight to a ‘No Contest.’ The IBF ordered an immediate rematch and the two met sixth months later, with Barthelemy winning by unanimous 12-round decision, officially taking the IBF belt from Mendez. Now, the 28-year-old Barthelemy is ready to make the first defense of his title when he takes on the tough Argentinean Saucedo.

Saucedo is no stranger to championship opportunities, having fought for the Super WBA world featherweight championship against long reigning champion Chris John back in 2010. The bout against John was the last time that Saucedo tasted defeat, with the dogged Argentinean moving up in weight and reeling off 14 consecutive victories. The move up in weight also seemed to have brought more power to Saucedo’s punches, as seven of his eight career knockouts have come during his current winning streak. Last year, Saucedo claimed the vacant WBC Silver super featherweight championship with a 12-round unanimous decision over Sergio Medina. Now, he is looking to rip Barthelemy’s IBF strap from around his waist when the two meet on October 4th.

“We are so excited that Showtime Boxing will be televising Rances Barthelemy’s first defense,” said Leon Margules, President of Warriors Boxing & Promotions, LLC. “We believe that Rances will be a star for many years to come and is showing his mettle by fighting #3-ranked Fernando Saucedo in his first defense, who is on quite a roll himself. Working with a great resort like Foxwoods and with my friend Lou DiBella on this stellar show is a pleasure for us.”

A native of Cleveland, OH, Willie Nelson, rated #5 by the WBC, is one of the most talented and dangerous 154-pounders in the world. Since his lone loss to once-beaten Vincent Arroyo via majority decision on ShoBox in 2011, Nelson has switched trainers, moved up in weight and has never looked better, winning seven straight bouts. Following a 10-round unanimous decision over the 12-0 Yudel Johnson on Showtime, Nelson has scored sensational victories against the 13-0 John Jackson and 32-2 Luciano Cuello via unanimous decision as well as a brutal first-round TKO of Michael Medina. After annihilating Darryl Cunningham inside one round on the Cotto-Martinez undercard this past June, Nelson last fought and defeated the gritty Mexican 17-2-2 Luis Grajeda on August 8. Showing tremendous heart, Nelson overcame a couple moments of adversity, getting tagged by Grajeda’s heavy hands, to outbox him the rest of the way en route to winning a 10-round unanimous decision. Nelson is on the doorstep to challenging for his first world title and is hungrier than ever to get his shot, but Vanes Martirosyan is standing in his way.

Martirosyan, an eight-time National champion, finished his amateur career with a stellar 120-10 record prior to turning pro in 2005. Amassing several minor title belts, Martirosyan soon built a reputation as a dangerous 154lb. contender and potential future champion. Between 2009-’11, Martirosyan picked up the NABF, NABO, WBA International and WBC Silver junior middleweight titles, including an impressive 10-round unanimous decision victory over the 22-0 Joe Greene held at Yankee Stadium. In November 2012, Martirosyan challenged Cuban prodigy Erislandy Lara, breaking him down with pressure and a powerful right hand. However, following a fight-ending severe cut over Martirosyan’s left eye resulting from an unintentional clash of heads, the bout was halted and ruled a draw on the scorecards. One year later, Martirosyan received a shot at the vacant WBO title against the 19-0 Demetrius Andrade, but he would ultimately suffer his first defeat via close, split decision. In his last bout, on March 21, 2014, Martirosyan scored a 10-round unanimous decision win over a tough Mario Lozano. Currently ranked #4 by the WBO, #8 by the IBF and #9 by the WBC, Martirosyan is zeroing in on another title opportunity, but he must first get by the resolute Nelson.

“I am excited to be co-promoting this event with Leon Margules and Warriors Boxing,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Willie Nelson versus Vanes Martirosyan is a great matchup between two of the better fighters in the stacked 154lb. division. It is a tremendous opportunity for the winner to catapult himself to a world title shot in his next fight.”

“As Foxwoods strives to maintain our market leadership position in casino sports, boxing remains an important part of our overall entertainment platform. Lou DiBella is one of the best boxing promoters in the world and never fails to deliver a world-class event,” said Scott Butera, President and CEO of Foxwoods Resort Casino.

Additional undercard bouts will be announced shortly.

Tickets, priced at $150, $90 and $45, are currently on sale and can be purchased online at Foxwoods.com, by calling the Foxwoods’ box office at 800-200-2882, or in person at the Foxwoods’ box office. Tickets may also be purchased through any Ticketmaster outlet or online at Ticketmaster.com. Doors open at 6:00pm, with the first bout scheduled for 6:30pm.

San Diego, CA -September 5, 2014–
Two title bouts will kick off a championship day as co-feature bouts to the highly anticipated rematch between IBF Super Bantamweight champion Kiko Martinez (31-4, 23 KO’s) taking on undefeated Carl Frampton (18-0, 13 KO’s)

The show can be seen live and exclusively in the United States in AWE- A Wealth of Entertainment beginning at 3:30 PM ET / 12:30 PM PT.

The show will take place in front of an expected rabid crowd of over 16,000 in an outdoor stadium at the Titanic Quarter in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

In a 12-round bout for the IBF Inter-Continental Middleweight title, Eamonn O’Kane will defend his title when he takes on Virgilijus Stapulionis.

In the bout that will precede the main event, Marco McCullough will defend the WBO European Featherweight title against former world champion Dmitry Kirillov.

“We are pleased to have these two title fights added to the card. The fights will get the crowd ready for the great fight between Martinez and Frampton. To have two Irishmen fighting for titles will only add to a great atmosphere which will make for terrific television,”said AWE President Charles Herring

McCollough (10-1, 6 KO’s) will be making the 1st defense of his crown that he won on June 20 when he scored a 10-round unanimous decision over Martin Parlagi (14-0) in Belfast. He has good wins over Valentin Marinov (4-1-1), Michael Kelly (8-2-1), Noel O’Brien (3-0). He won the Irish Featherweight title with a 9th round stoppage over former world title challenger Willie Casey (14-2).

Kirillov was a former IBF Bantamweight champion. He has had many quality wins in his career and will be looking for one more run at world glory.

Kirillov turned pro in 1998 and won his first twenty bouts as he won the WBC Youth Super Flyweight title with a win over Christopher Denicker (5-1-2). He made two defenses of the title which was highlighted by a 10-round unanimous decision over Junver Halog (15-1-1). Kirillov lost his first opportunity at a world title when he lost a close unanimous decision to Masamori Tokuyama in Japan. Kirillov won five in a row which included a 12-round unanimous decision over Renaldo Lopez (25-2-2) which put him in line for chance against IBF Bantamweight champion Luis Perez. Perez escaped with a split decision.

Perez had to vacate the title which set Kirillov up for his title winning opportunity against former U.S. Olympian Jose Navarro. He made one defense of the title with a draw with Cecililo Santos before losing the title to Vic Darchinyan.

Kirillov has won two straight which includes his last bout when scored 6-round unanimous decision over Andrey Kostin on September 19, 2013 in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

O’Kane of Northern, Ireland has a record of 12-1 with 6 knockouts and he will look to add the IBF Intercontinental belt to a collection that already has seen O’Kane win the coveted Prizefighter tournament with quality wins over Anthony Fitzgerald (13-2); Ryan Greene (5-0) and J.J McDonagh (6-1) in 2012.

O’Kane defeated Fitzgerald in the rematch to claim the Irish Middleweight title. He won the IBF Inter-Continental title with a 12-round unanimous decision over former European champion Kerry Hope. In his last bout, O’Kane won the EBC International Silver championship with a 1st round stoppage over Alvaro Garona (13-3) on April 4 in Belfast.

Stapulionis of Lithuania has a record of 23-3 with 16 knockouts. He is no stranger to fighting in the United Kingdom as this will be his 4th fight there. He has wins over undefeated Rinats Batertdinovs, Thomas Mazvydas, Richard Williams (21-4-1), Niko Jokinen (21-0), Jokinen (21-1) and his bout he scored a 1st-round stoppage over Zoltan Kiss Jr. in Lithuanaia on July 24.

Please check www.awetv.com for boxing updates

About AWE LIVE BOXING

AWE Live Boxing features live world title championship and elimination bouts showcasing today’s most exciting fighters. Since the inception of AWE’s live boxing events in 2011, AWE has earned multiple Boxing Writers Association of America nominations for “Fight of the Year” and has featured over thirty world class boxing events. In 2013, AWE showcased all live bouts featuring heavyweight David Price. AWE aired live the stunning upsets of Tony Thompson over David Price, along with Adonis Stevenson and Tony Bellew cards, who fought each other for the Light Heavyweight championship; 2008 Olympic Gold Medal winner James DeGale. AWE brought boxing fans two of the most controversial bouts which saw Ricky Burns keep his Lightweight title against Ray Beltran and the debatable stoppage that saw Carl Froch retain his title against George Groves. AWE fans have witnessed the explosive power of undefeated heavyweight Tyson Fury multiple times on the network, including Fury’s victory over Kevin Johnson.

About AWE – A Wealth of Entertainment

A Wealth of Entertainment (“AWE”) features a wide range of lifestyle and entertainment programming from exotic travel and outrageous homes to live world championship boxing. AWE is featured on over a hundred cable providers, including AT&T U-Verse, ch 147 and 1147 in HD and Verizon FiOS TV, ch 169 and 669 in HD. For more information, please visit www.awetv.com.

Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents a live broadcast of the rematch between Carl Frampton and Kiko Martinez for the IBF super bantamweight title this Saturday, Sept. 6, at 2 p.m. ET.

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

Promoted by Cyclone Promotions and distributed by Octapixx Live, the stacked boxing event emanates from Titanic Quarter in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and also features a 12-round super flyweight clash between Jamie Conlan and Jose Estrella, as well as an IBF Intercontinental middleweight championship showdown pitting crowd favorite Eamonn O’Kane against Lithuania’s Virgilijus Stapulionis.

In other featured bouts, Belfast’s Marco McCullough throws down with Dmitry Kirillov over 10 rounds, Ceferino Rodriguez meets Mike Miranda in another 10-rounder, Conrad Cummings battles Robert Talarek over six rounds, and in four-round special attractions, Anthony Cacace takes on Dawid Knade, while Matthew Wilton faces Adam Cieslak.

Carl Frampton has been on course for a world title challenge for the past twelve months and has proven that he deserves his shot with convincing wins over the likes of Jeremy Parodi, in a European title defence, and Hugo Cazares, in a world title eliminator. The man they call ‘The Jackal’ has quickly become one of the most famous sportsmen in Northern Ireland as well as one of the most feared boxers on the planet with a string of scintillating performances on his home turf.

A jubilant Frampton stated, “I’m over the moon to be fighting for a world title in my hometown, I have to thank my team for making this happen and now it is time for me to deliver. I am fully focused on September the 6th and Kiko Martinez. It’s been my dream since I started boxing to become a World champion and I have worked so hard to get this far, now is the time for me to fulfil that dream in front of the best fans in the world.”

IBF super bantamweight champion Kiko Martinez has been in the form of his life of late. Since losing a thrilling encounter to Frampton in Belfast in February of last year, ‘La Sensación’ has captured the world title and made two successful defences in Spain and Japan. The twenty-eight year old champion has now made the transition to world-beater and currently looks to be one of the most dangerous super bantamweights on the planet. One thing that never leaves the Alicante native’s mind though is a return bout with his Belfast rival Frampton after the ‘The Jackal’ ripped his European title away from him in the ninth round of an epic battle at the Odyssey Arena. Martinez may be world champion but he will not be content until he has righted what he sees as an ‘off night’ in Belfast sixteen months ago.

“Since the 9th of February 2013, when I get up at five in the morning to go training, I remember him. For me, to defeat him is a greater motivation than the chance to unify the belts. I will never forget that night and I will prove that it was just a bad day for me. I am world champion now and my legacy will be bigger for facing Carl Frampton,” stated a focused Martinez

Belfast has waited a very long time for the return of a boxing superstar and Carl Frampton is now within in touching distance of emulating mentor and manager Barry McGuigan by becoming champion of the World. Frampton’s army of supporters will be pleased to know that the contest will take place in Northern Ireland at a venue to be announced shortly. In what will be one of the biggest nights in the history of Northern Irish sport, 27-year-old Frampton will get his chance to become champion of the world in front of his home fans.

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.

LAS VEGAS (Sept. 5, 2014) -We are just over a week to go until “MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2” and for the boxing fans who can’t make it to the MGM Grand Garden Arena and still want to experience this event live, Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions are pleased to announce that several Las Vegas locations will be offering closed-circuit telecasts of “MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2.”

Tickets for the closed circuit telecasts are priced at $75, not including handling fees. All seats are general admission and select venues are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased via Ticketmaster (800-745-3000), www.ticketmaster.com, MGM Resorts International Contact Center (866-740-7711), and all MGM Resorts International ticket offices. You must be 21 years of age or older to purchase tickets.

**Guests are encouraged to pick up their tickets at least 4 hours prior to event time to prevent waiting in long lines at event time.

Properties hosting these telecasts are MGM Grand Premier Ballroom, Monte Carlo Diablos, Monte Carlo The Pub, Monte Carlo Double Barrel, Mirage Events Center and Bellagio Hyde Lounge.

# # #

“MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2,” a 12-round world championship bout for Mayweather’s WBA Welterweight Belt and WBC Welterweight and Super Welterweight World Titles takes place Saturday, Sept. 13 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas and is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra, O’Reilly Auto Parts, “The Equalizer” in theaters Sept. 26 and The Mexican Tourism Board – Mexico: Live it to Believe It!. The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV® (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT) and is the fourth fight of a six-fight deal between Mayweather and Showtime Networks Inc. In the co-main event, Leo Santa Cruz defends his WBC Super Bantamweight Title against Manuel Roman in a 12-round bout and Miguel Vazquez faces Mickey Bey in a 12-round bout for the IBF Lightweight World Championship. In the PPV opener, Alfredo Angulo squares against James De La Rosa in a 10-round middleweight bout (162 lbs.). The event will be available in Spanish through secondary audio programming (SAP).

Mayweather vs. Maidana will be shown on the big screen in over 500 movie theaters across the country via Fathom Events. For more information visit www.FathomEvents.com

LONDON (Sep 5) – WBC super-bantamweight world champion Leo Santa Cruz has opened the door to a potential blockbuster showdown with Irish sensation Carl Frampton.

The Belfast banger takes on IBF champion Kiko Martinez this Saturday night in front of 16,000 local fans, as he hunts his first world title, live and exclusive on BoxNation.

Should he prevail, the 27-year-old could set up a mammoth unification clash with superstar Santa Cruz, with the Mexican even willing to cross the Atlantic if it makes sense.

“I think Carl will beat Kiko Martinez and become champion then it’s a fight that I would love to make happen between us,” said Santa Cruz. “If my team think it’s the right move I have no objection coming to fight in Belfast. It will be a huge fight with two world champions and it’s the type of fight that fans love to see – a unification fight.

“We both have business to take care of first – I have my fight with Manuel Roman on September 13th and he has to beat Kiko Martinez – but if we both win then maybe we could be sharing the ring together,” he said.

The unbeaten 26-year-old believes that a fight with Frampton would be the all-action affair that fans love to see.

“Carl’s been saying he wants to fight me and I’ve seen him in a couple of fights. He’s a great fighter, undefeated, he comes forward like me and throws parallel punches and pressures a lot. So I think it would make a really great fight for the fans,” said Santa Cruz.

“With both our styles it could be a ‘Fight of the Year’ because we both throw a lot of punches and are aggressive. It would be a very exciting fight wherever it happens,” he said.

Frampton’s mind, however, is strictly on doing the business this weekend, well aware that he can’t look too far ahead just yet.

He faces Martinez for the second time, having overcome him early last year via a ninth round stoppage but the Ulsterman says he hasn’t done anything different this time around in training and is adamant he won’t let complacency slip in.

“The only thing different in this camp is it’s been a little bit longer than the last camp with Kiko. I’ve prepared very hard. I’m in a good frame of mind and completely focused on Kiko Martinez,” said Frampton.

“I’ve done exactly what I’ve done in every single fight before, but obviously the only problem that there could be in this fight is complacency from me. And I understand that, but I’m not going to let that happen,” he said.

Frampton has captured the imagination of the Belfast boxing public, with a sell-out expected at the purpose built stadium in the Titanic Quarter, the stuff of dreams for the local hero.

“I’m the challenger in this fight, but to have a stadium purpose built for me as the challenger, in my own backyard, for a world title fight is kind of what dreams are made of.

“So I’m excited, and have been for a long time. I just can’t wait to get in the ring now and become a world champion and make my family and fans proud,” Frampton said.

Frampton vs Martinez is live on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 546, TalkTalk 525) this Saturday at 7pm. Visit www.boxnation.com to subscribe.

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

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

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

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

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

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

LAS VEGAS (Sept. 5, 2014) – With undefeated Canadian contender Josh Hill forced to withdraw from a planned title fight with reigning World Series of Fighting bantamweight (135 pounds) champion Marlon Moraes (13-4-1) of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. via Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, submission ace Cody Bollinger (16-2) of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. has agreed to step up on short notice and face Moraes in the headlining bout of the World Series of Fighting 13 event at Sands Bethlehem Event Center in Bethlehem, Penn. on Saturday, Sept. 13, live on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN).

Moraes and Bollinger will meet in a 140-pound catchweight contest, and while World Series of Fighting officials initially expected the contest to be a non-title affair, Moraes is so confident in his chances, he’s promised to send Bollinger the bantamweight title belt should “The Cali Cowboy” prove victorious.

“I don’t know how we can make it official, but as far as I’m concerned, this is a title fight,” said a fired up Moraes. “Anytime I’m fighting, I’m fighting as a champion and I’m defending my belt. I don’t know how everybody else will see it but, to me, this is my next title fight and, if Cody wins, I’ll send him my belt. If I’m going to be a champion, I have to beat everybody I fight.”

“This is an amazing opportunity that came my way from a first-rate fight promotion, and I plan on making my fans proud,” said Bollinger. “I will be ready to go at it full force come fight time, shock the world and put an end to Marlon’s win streak.”

“World Series of Fighting 13: Moraes vs. Bollinger” takes place Saturday, Sept. 13, at Sands Bethlehem Event Center in Bethlehem, Penn. Tickets for the event, which include cageside seats for just $129, are currently on sale at Ticketmaster.com.

Doors to the venue open at 5 p.m. ET, with a full preliminary card getting underway at 6 p.m. ET. The live, NBCSN-broadcast main card kicks off at 9 p.m. ET.

“I thought Moraes vs. Hill was going to be an incredible championship fight, but this new pairing might better,” World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo said. “Marlon isn’t exactly Cody’s biggest fan, and Marlon guaranteed me he was going to knock Cody out. Meanwhile, Cody didn’t hesitate for one moment when he was given the opportunity to step in on just 10 days’ notice, proving what a warrior he really is at heart.

“Now with Marlon promising to put his belt on the line despite fighting at 140 pounds, I think this fight just got even more interesting.”

Brazilian striking specialist Moraes has staked his claim as one of the biggest superstars of World Series of Fighting, a process that started nearly two years ago when he upset former WEC champion Miguel Torres by split decision. He then registered additional wins against Tyson Nam, Brandon Hempleman and Carson Beebe before claiming the inaugural World Series of Fighting bantamweight title fight against Josh Rettinghouse earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Bollinger fought most recently in July, earning a first-round submission win over Pablo Alfonso. While the 23-year-old impressed with his performance, he struggled to make weight for the bantamweight matchup and was planning a move to 145 pounds. However, the opportunity to take on Moraes was too enticing to pass up, and Bollinger believes he’ll prove his worth by defeating World Series of Fighting’s bantamweight title holder.

World Series of Fighting matchmaker Ali Abdelaziz said didn’t expect the belt to be on the line for the contest but is happy to honor the wishes of his two athletes in what’s quickly shaping up to be an epic grudge match.

“Cody simply can’t make 135 pounds in a little more than a week, but he’s confident he can beat Marlon, and that’s why he took this fight,” Abdelaziz said. “And honestly, I think Marlon offering to put his title on the line anyway shows what an incredible champion he is. I’ve been telling everyone for a while now, I think Marlon Moraes is the best bantamweight fighter in the world. I think he can beat anybody in the world at 135 pounds – anybody. Now he’s proving that he has the true heart of a champion, as well, willingly moving up in weight for this challenge and promising to put his belt on the line, anyway. It’s incredible.”

About World Series of Fighting (WSOF)
World Series of Fighting (WSOF) is a worldwide premier professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters from around the world. For more information please visit WSOF.com. Follow World Series of Fighting on Twitter (@MMAWorldSeries) and World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo (@SugarRaySefo).

About NBC Sports Network
NBC Sports Network, part of the NBC Sports Group, is dedicated to serving passionate sports fans. Now in more than 80 million homes, the network is the cable television home of the Summer and Winter Olympics, National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Soccer (MLS), IZOD IndyCar Series, Tour de France and the 34th America’s Cup, and beginning in 2013, the Premier League and Formula One. In addition, NBC Sports Network features college football, college basketball, college hockey, outdoor programming, horse racing surrounding the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup, Fight Night boxing, Ironman, the Dew Action Sports Tour and USA Sevens Rugby. The network is also home to original programs such as Costas Tonight, The Crossover, NFL Turning Point, Pro Football Talk and The Dan Patrick Show. NBC Sports Network is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.

About Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem
Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem opened May of 2009 in Eastern Pennsylvania. It is situated on the site of the historic Bethlehem Steel plant and located approximately 60 minutes from Philadelphia and the northern New Jersey suburbs and 90 minutes from New York City. Sands Bethlehem offers over 3,000 state-of the-art slot machines and 200 table games including a 36 table poker room, as well as a 300-room hotel and over 12,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. Culinary offerings include three signature restaurants from celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse – Emeril’s Chop House, Burgers And More by Emeril and Emeril’s Italian Table. The casino also features the Carnegie Deli, St. James Gate Irish Pub and Carvery, Steelworks Buffet and Grill, Croissanterie, Chopstick, Joli Bakery and Café and the varied offerings and cuisines of The Market Gourmet Express. It is also home to the Coil bar, Infusion lounge and Molten lounge, which features live entertainment 7 nights a week. The Outlets at Sands Bethlehem launched at the property in November 2011. The Sands Bethlehem Event Center, which opened at the property in May 2012 and includes over 14,000 sq. ft. of flexible multipurpose and tradeshow space, accommodates meetings, conventions and a variety of entertainment events.

London (5 Sept) Due to a back injury Tyson Cave has been forced to withdraw from the Commonwealth Super Bantamweight title fight against champion Kid Galahad at Ponds Forge, Sheffield on 20th September.

Hennessy Sports can confirm that the unbeaten number 15 ranked WBO Latino Super Bantamweight champion and former WBC World Youth champion Adeilson Dos Santos will now face Kid Galahad in an international super bantamweight contest.

The fight will be shown live on Channel 5 and is sponsored by MaxiNutrition.

Kid Galahad said “I’m gutted that Cave has pulled out with a back injury, personally I don’t think he fancied it and didn’t want to face me. He knew I would be too good and too strong for him.”

“I haven’t seen too much of Dos Santos to be honest but he is unbeaten, world ranked in the WBO and was highly ranked in the WBC ratings until they removed him when he fought for the WBO Latino title.

“But that doesn’t worry me, I will be bringing my A game and whoever steps in the ring with me on the 20th will be getting knocked out.”

Adeilson Dos Santos said. “I am very well trained for this match, I know that my opponent is very good but I want to come out of this “battle” as a winner and bring a great win back to Brazil.

Promoter Mick Hennessy said. “I have watched footage of Dos Santos , he is young, unbeaten, fresh, big at the weight and dangerous and I consider this to be a harder fight than the Cave fight.”

Adam Etches will be fighting Samir Santos Barbosa for the IBF International Middleweight title and Popular Sheffield fighter Scott Jenkins will also be in action along with local fighters Atif Shafiq, Sam O’Maison, Callum Hancock, Jordan Gill of Chatteris and Tyson’s brother Young Fury in his 2nd professional fight.

The packed crowd will also see highly regarded featherweight prospect Yusuf Safa from Bexleyheath in action.

Limited tickets for the Hennessy Sports promoted event at Ponds Forge, Sheffield, priced at £35 general admission and £100 ringside are still available to purchase by calling the SIV ticket box office on 0114 223 3777.

Tickets are also available from www.sivtickets.com or in person at the Sheffield City Hall, Crucible Theatre and Motorpoint Arena Sheffield.

New York-based Uprising Promotions, in association with former WBO Middleweight Champion Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin, returns to action on Friday night for its next show, which will be held at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple at 317 Clermont Avenue #4 in Brooklyn. Six professional fights and four amateur bouts are slated for the card, with the first bell coming at 7:30 p.m.

Eileen Olszewski (112.2 lbs. / 9-5-2, 1 KO) vs. Christina Fuentes (113.4 lbs. / 3-6-3)

Wesley Ferrer (135.6 lbs. / 4-0, 3 KOs) vs. Shiwone Gortman (136 lbs. / 4-4-1, 2 KOs)

Kashif Muhammad (146.2 lbs. / PD) vs. Darren Mangan (147 lbs. / PD)

6 Rds: Ian James (138.8 / 2-9-1, 1 KO) vs. Italy Martinez (139.8 / 1-1-1, 1 KO)

4 Rds: Frank Castillo (153.2 lbs. / PD) vs. Jonathan Jeter (153.4 / 0-0-1)

4 Rds: Max Tassy (167.4 lbs. / 2-0, 0 KOs) vs. Bilal Ali Salaam Jr. (165.2 lbs. / PD)

Tickets for the card at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple are priced at $50 for general admission and $100 for ringside seating. Proud supporters of the FDNY and NYPD, Uprising Promotions is also pleased to announce that a fundraiser will be taking place on September 5th to benefit children with autism. Proceeds from the night will be donated to The School For Language and Communication Development in Glen Cove, New York.

This upcoming show is being sponsored by Brooklyn Brothers, Frank Brothers Fitness, Gotham Gym and Trinity Boxing. For more information on Uprising Promotions, make sure to check out www.UprisingPromotions.com and also like our fan page on Facebook.

Mashantucket, CT: Sullivan Barrera (12-0, 7 KOs) the undefeated light heavyweight from Cuba has set his sights on West Virginia native Eric “The 1 Armed Bandit” Watkins (10-7-1, 5 KOs) for an eight-round battle on the Mchunu-Wilson undercard Sept. 20 at Foxwoods Resort Casino. This will be Sullivan’s first fight training with world-renowned trainer Abel Sanchez. Sanchez is best known for training WBA Middleweight World Champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin from Kazakhstan.

Barrera, 32, made his professional debut in 2009 and knocked out his first five opponents in the first or second round. Since then he has had continued success securing both the WBO Latino and WBA Fedelatin Light Heavyweight Titles. Most recently, he knocked out Lee Campbell in the sixth round at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs on Jun. 21, 2014. This will be his third fight in 2014 (in addition to the knockout of Campbell he defeated Larry Pryor via unanimous decision on Apr. 4, 2014 at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, PA). This will be the first eight-round fight of his professional career and his first in Connecticut (the majority of his professional fights have taken place in his new home state of Florida). Barrera said, “I’m looking forward to Sep. 20. I’ve been in Big Bear training really hard and I’m ready to give the fans another great show. Training with my new trainer, Abel Sanchez, in Big Bear has been a great move for my career. I feel strong, I’m in excellent shape and everyday I continue to sharpen my skills. I’m excited for what’s to come in my career working with Abel.” Sullivan’s co-manager, Luis Molina, added, “We are excited to be back in action again and we are looking forward to another ‘W.’ Sullivan is in great shape. With his new trainer, Abel Sanchez, he has been able to master some things.”

Barrera
Photo Credits: Rich Graessle/Main Events

Sullivan now trains at Sanchez’s facility in Big Bear, CA alongside GGG and other top notch fighters. According to Sanchez he and Barrera took some time to adjust to one another but now he has been able to incorporate changes to Sullivan’s routine, “It has taken us awhile to blend together but he is very open-minded and a very diligent worker so we are having fun trying new things out. We are getting him in a different kind of shape because Big Bear tends to do that. Sullivan training around Golovkin and some of the other champions that we have here has been very beneficial because it has helped him understand what it takes to get to that level. We are looking forward to him trying some of these new things out on Sep. 20.”

Eric Watkins
Photo Courtesy of:
Eric Watkins

Watkins, 28, may be four years younger than Barrera but he has 18 professional fights, as compared to Barrera’s 12 professional fights, since making his professional debut in 2010 (Aug. 28, 2010 – four-round unanimous decision victory over Roy Fitzgerald in West Virginia). Eric won his first four professional fights (Fitzgerald; Feb. 4, 2011 – David Markert four-round unanimous decision; Mar. 26, 2011 – Gonzales Jones third-round TKO; and Apr. 30, 2011 – Terrence Watson first-round KO). Watkins is looking to stop and three-fight losing streak (Oct. 12, 2013 – Trevor McCumby via unanimous decision; Jan. 25, 2014 – Dustin Craig Echard via third round TKO; and Mar. 29, 2014 – Bobby Thomas Jr. via ten-round split decision).

Peter McGinley, Watkins’ trainer/manager had this to say about the fight with Barrera, “We are very excited to have this opportunity to compete against an undefeated fighter of this caliber. We hope he trains for this fight harder than he’s ever trained before. If he doesn’t he will truly regret it.” Watkins added only, “Want some, get some!”

According to Main Events’ matchmaker Jolene Mizzone, Barrera wants to take his career to the next level. She said, “Barrera has been asking us to step up the competition and because he made the move across country to Big Bear away from his friends and family for a new trainer has proven to us he is serious about taking his career to the next level.” She added, “The key to a good boxer-trainer relationship is clicking. Abel and Sullivan appear to be clicking well so far.”

About September 20:

The Sep. 20th special afternoon edition of NBC Fight Night will take place at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT and will feature a ten-round cruiserweight match-up between Thabiso “The Rock” Mchunu and Garrett “The Ultimate Warrior” Wilson for the NABF Cruiserweight Title and a ten-round lightweight match-up between Karl “Dynamite” Dargan and Angino “The Nightmare” Perez for the Junior NABF Lightweight Title. The undercard bouts will be announced shortly. Tickets are $100, $75 and $40 and are available through Foxwoods.com and Ticketmaster.com. The card is presented by Main Events, Peltz Boxing and Showpony Promotions in association with Banner Promotions. The special NBC Fight Night broadcast will begin live at 3:00 PM ET/12:00 PM PT.

NBC Sports Live Extra:

NBC Sports Live Extra: NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets – will live stream Fight Night at 3 PM ET/12 PM PT on September 20. For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.

About Foxwoods® Resort Casino

Foxwoods Resort Casino is one of the premier entertainment destinations in the Northeast. As the largest resort casino in North America, Foxwoods offers a vast array of gaming in six casinos; AAA Four-Diamond hotels, restaurants from gourmet to express, world-renowned spas, awarding-winning golf, state-of-the-art theaters, and exclusive retailers. Perfect for both recreation and business, Foxwoods provides modern and versatile convention and meeting space to infuse new life into any meeting or event. Foxwoods Resort Casino is owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. For a comprehensive look at Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation visit Foxwoods.com.

FOLLOW US:

Official hashtag: #FightNight
www.mainevents.com
Twitter: @main_events
Facebook: facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing
www.nbcsports.com
Twitter: @NBCSN
Facebook: facebook.com/NBCSports
www.peltzboxing.com
Twitter: @PeltzBoxing
Facebook: facebook.com/PeltzBoxingPromotions
www.foxwoods.com
Twitter: @FoxwoodsCT
Facebook: facebook.com/Foxwoods

NUTLEY, NJ (September 4, 2014)–Vito Mielnicki’s GH3 Promotions is proud to announce the signing of undefeated Super Bantamweight Glenn Dezurn to an exclusive promotional contract.

Dezurn, 26 years-old of Baltimore, Maryland has compiled a professional record of 4-0 with three knockouts.

“This is a great company and I will continue to prove that I am going to be a champion”, said Dezurn.

“I want to thank Vito and I look forward to doing big things.”

Dezurn had a stellar amateur career as he amassed a reported 89-4 record and won many regional tournaments. Dezurn almost made the 2012 Olympic trials but was defeated by future Olympian Raynell Williams.

He turned pro on July 20, 2013 with a 4-round unanimous decision over Marquise Pierce in Baltimore.

That was the only time he has gone the distance as he has stopped three consecutive opponents which includes his last bout when he stopped Andre Canada in one-round on July 25 in Verona, New York.

“It was a body shot. I was working my way in and took my time. I exposed a weakness to his body and nailed him with a good shot to the rib cage.”

Dezurn is tentatively scheduled to fight on September 12 in Fort Washington, Maryland then he will come back on October 24 at the Ukrainian Cultural Center in Somerset, New Jersey on a big card promoted by GH3 Promotions.

Dezurn will campaign at 122 lbs and will eventually fill out at Featherweight..

He joins fellow undefeated Beltway area fighters Middleweight Anoine Douglas and Super Middleweight Jerry Odom under the GH3 Promotions banner.

“I am close to Antoine. We came up together and we are like brothers. I see how GH3 is moving him and I feel if I can get moved like that, big things will happen for me,”finished Dezurn.

Said promoter Vito Mielnicki, “Glenn is a very good prospect. It is rare to find a kid like him in the lower weights on the east coast. He has a good pedigree and he can punch. We are really excited to watch him progress into a championship caliber fighter.

Douglas and Odom will both appear on October 24 at the Ukrainian Cultural Center in Somerset, New Jersey.

TULSA, OK (Sept. 4, 2014) – Two consummate performers in WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross and recently retired UFC superstar Chael Sonnen have teamed up to form what is bound to be one of the most memorable commentary teams in sports entertainment history, and will call the world-class Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) action on the LIVE pay-per-view telecast of BattleGrounds MMA: ‘O.N.E.’ from BOK Center in Tulsa, Oka. on Friday, October 3.

Headlined by the first one-night, eight-man tournament in Tulsa since UFC 4 in 1994, BattleGrounds MMA: ‘O.N.E.’ will award its welterweight (170 pounds) winner a grand prize of $50,000.

BattleGrounds MMA ‘O.N.E.’ will be distributed at a price point of $19.95 in the United States and Canada by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing, beginning at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST on October 3 on both cable and satellite pay-per-view carriers iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH and Avail-TVN in the United States and Bell TV in Canada. A pre-show will begin at 9 p.m. EST/6 p.m. PST.

“As a longtime fan of MMA, to be asked to call the fights for the BattleGrounds MMA event is amazingly exciting for me,” said Ross, a 2007 WWE Hall of Fame inductee. From commentator to referee to executive and even occasional wrestler, Ross has played a multitude of roles for the world’s leading professional wrestling league.

“I’ve broadcast NFL and XFL games,” continued Ross, “FOX Sports boxing and WWE action, but MMA is a new adventure and one that I’m enormously excited about contributing to. To launch this phase of my broadcasting career in my home state, and with Chael Sonnen at cageside makes it an ideal opportunity and a bucket list experience.

“This is going to be a TV event that any MMA fan won’t want to miss,” said Sonnen, who recently retired from the sport that he competed in as a professional since 1997. A three-time UFC championship challenger, Sonnen fought his last 11 career bouts inside The Octagon and enjoyed a stint as an analyst for FOX Sports Network. “I am thrilled to be working with a legend like Jim Ross and, together, we are going to make the BattleGrounds MMA event one of the most exciting extravaganzas in combat sports history.”

Slated for action in the single-elimination tournament is submission ace Cody “AK Kid” McKenzie (15-4) of Spokane, Wash.; two-time, one-night tournament winner Brock Larson (37-8) of Brainerd, Minn.; hard-hitting brawler Luigi “The Italian Tank” Fioravanti (24-11) of St. Louis, Mo.; Urijah Faber protégé David “Bulletproof” Mitchell (14-4) of Lower Lake, Calif.; Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert Roan “Jucao” Carneiro (16-9) of Atlanta, Ga.; and Trey “That Just Happened?” Houston (11-2) of Bixby, Okla.

Dennis “Superman” Hallman and Chris Honeycutt, originally slated for action in the tournament, will be replaced by two competitors to be announced soon. Additional bouts for the telecast as well as a preliminary bout card will also be announced soon.

Tickets for the event, priced from $65, can be purchased online at www.bokcenter.com as well as at Arby’s Box Office at the BOK Center, all ticket outlets, or by calling 1-800-7-BOKCTR.

Doors at BOK Center open at 6 p.m. CST on Oct. 3. The first preliminary bout will begin at 7:15 p.m.

About BattleGrounds MMA

BattleGrounds MMA (www.battlegroundsone.com) is a world championship professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion designed to place combative sports athletes on a major stage in the most challenging and exciting format possible: one-night, single-elimination tournaments that reveal the toughest competitors in their respective weight divisions. Launched by Olympic wrestling legend Kenny Monday and Bryan O’Rourke in 2012 as a regional organization in Tulsa, OK to unearth promising new talent in one of MMA’s biggest hotbeds, the promotion is quickly capturing the hearts of fans nationwide as it brings about an exciting new era in the world’s fastest growing sport.

About the BOK Center:
The BOK Center is Tulsa’s state-of-the-art sports and entertainment venue that opened in fall 2008. The 19,199-seat arena is home to the WNBA Tulsa Shock and the CHL Tulsa Oilers. The BOK Center was designed to host major concerts, family shows, ice shows, and other world class entertainment. Owned by the City Of Tulsa, the BOK Center is part of Vision 2025, a project to grow economic and community infrastructure for future generations. In 2011, the BOK Center won the prestigious International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) Venue Excellence Award.

About SMG
Founded in 1977, SMG provides management services to more than 230 public assembly facilities including convention and exhibition centers, arenas, stadiums, theatres, performing arts centers, equestrian facilities, science centers and a variety of other venues. With facilities across the globe, SMG manages more than 14.4 million square feet of exhibition space and over 1.75 million sports and entertainment seats. As the recognized global industry leader, SMG provides venue management, sales, marketing, event booking and programming, construction and design consulting, and pre-opening services for such landmark facilities as McCormick Place & Soldier Field in Chicago, Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, Houston’s Reliant Park and the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. SMG also offers food and beverage operations through its concessions, catering and special events division, SAVOR, currently servicing more than 100 accounts worldwide. For more information visit www.smgworld.com.