15 April 2016 – Manila, Philippines: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), put on a spectacular show at the 20,000-capacity Mall of Asia Arena, featuring the absolute best in local and international mixed martial arts talent. Geje Eustaquio turned in a masterful performance against young Malaysian prospect Gianni Subba to win by unanimous decision in the co-main event. In the main event, ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben “Funky” Askren overcame a spirited performance from Russian contender Nikolay Aleksakhin to win by unanimous decision in a five-round Super Fight.

Visit the official ONE: GLOBAL RIVALS photo gallery by clicking: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ivh34n9pza3q94o/AADwuMwRg-gnDecd5AIBoQyTa?dl=0

In the main event of the evening, the United States’ Ben “Funky” Askren overcame a tremendous effort from Nikolay Aleksakhin of Seltso, Russia to win by unanimous decision in a five-round Super Fight. Askren put on an amazing display of high-level wrestling to score on multiple takedowns, maintaining control of Aleksakhin on the ground while doing damage from the mounted crucifix position. Aleksakhin connected on a few solid strikes, but it wasn’t enough to trump Askren’s overall solid performance.

In a much-awaited bantamweight contest, Team Lakay’s Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio completely outclassed top Malaysian prospect Gianni Subba in an exciting three-round bout in front of Eustaquio’s home crowd in Manila. Eustaquio kept Subba at bay all night at the end of his lightning fast kicks and sharp counterpunching. Subba could not get his offense going as Eustaquio dominated from end-to-end to earn the unanimous decision.

Lightweight standout Lowen Tynanes of Ewa Beach, Hawaii defeated highly-regarded Japanese veteran Koji “The Commander” Ando by unanimous decision in a gruelling contest. Tynanes used his superior wrestling skills to control the action in the cage, while also getting the better of Ando in the stand-up with his powerful leg kicks and straight right hand. After three rounds, Ando couldn’t amount to much as Tynanes ran away with the judges’ nod.

Filipino-Australian fighter Reece “Lightning” McLaren showed the world that he is an absolute force to be reckoned with by dominating former combat sambo world champion Muin “Tajik” Gafurov over three rounds. McLaren completely shut down Gafurov with his impeccable mat and cage control, displaying a high-level grappling game that Gafurov had no answer to. McLaren wins a unanimous decision in a very technical affair.

A memorable lightweight contest ensued between Filipino combatants Honorio “The Rock” Banario and Vaughn “The Spawn” Donayre. Banario dominated the striking exchanges, landing the right hand over the top frequently and with good, solid power. The former featherweight champion also controlled action on the ground, almost finishing the fight with an armbar submission, showcasing his improved grappling. In the end, Banario did just enough to earn the unanimous decision.

In an intense, crowd-pleasing fight, Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen and China’s Li Kai Wen brought fans up to their feet with a display of fierce and explosive striking exchanges. The two fighters unloaded on each other from the opening bell. As they traded blows, Li dropped Nguyen with a punch but Nguyen was able to withstand the damage and recover. Once on the ground, Nguyen’s superiority showed as he was able to control Li’s back and finish the fight with punches from the top.

Team Lakay’s Joshua Pacio debuted for ONE Championship with a solid victory over Rabin Catalan, remaining an unbeaten young prospect. Pacio controlled the action from top position after scoring on a big slam over Catalan, landing some heavy blows in the first round. In the second round, Pacio again scored with a big overhead slam. This time, Pacio was able to step over into mount and finish the fight with ground-and-pound.

Team Lakay’s lady warrior April Osenio impressed the crowd with vastly improved grappling skills to win by submission over British-Filipina fighter Natalie Gonzales Hills in a battle of female atomweights. Although Hills was able to take Osenio down successfully, it was Osenio who was dangerous on the back. In her rubber guard, Osenio needed only a brief moment to latch on the fight-ending armbar.

Indonesia’s Sunoto overcame an ill-advised kimura attempt by Filipino contender Burn “Hitman” Soriano to win by technical knockout. After Sunoto found himself in mount position, the Indonesian fighter unloaded a volley of strikes to force the stoppage just minutes into the first round.

Team Lakay’s Danny Kingad made an impressive ONE Championship debut with a victory over Malaysia’s Muhamad Haidar to kick off an exciting evening at ONE: GLOBAL RIVALS. Kingad showcased his wrestling ability by shooting for a double-leg takedown and taking Haidar for a ride with two emphatic slams before finishing the Malaysian off with ground-and-pound.

Official results for ONE: GLOBAL RIVALS
Catchweight Super Fight (85.3kg): Ben Askren defeats Nikolay Aleksakhin by Unanimous Decision
Bantamweight bout: Geje Eustaquio defeats Gianni Subba by Unanimous Decision
Lightweight bout: Lowen Tynanes defeats Koji Ando by Unanimous Decision
Bantamweight bout: Reece McLaren defeats Muin Gafurov by Unanimous Decision
Lightweight bout: Honorio Banario defeats Vaughn Donayre by Unanimous Decision
Featherweight bout: Martin Nguyen defeats Li Kai Wen by TKO (Strikes) at 4:44 minutes of round 1
Catchweight bout (57.4kg): Joshua Pacio defeats Rabin Catalan by TKO (Strikes) at 3:19 minutes of round 2
Women’s Atomweight bout bout: April Osenio defeats Natalie Gonzales Hills by Submission (Armbar) at 3:23 minutes of round 1
Catchweight bout (67.3kg): Sunoto defeats Burn Soriano by TKO (Strikes) at 3:50 minutes of round 1
Flyweight bout: Danny Kingad defeats Muhamad Haidar by TKO (Strikes) at 2:20 minutes of round 1

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

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

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

Las Vegas – Following today’s landmark bill signing by Governor Andrew Cuomo to legalize and regulate professional mixed martial arts (MMA) in New York, UFC® announced that it will host a major Pay-Per-View event at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, November 12.

Additionally, UFC will be adding another live event in Upstate New York before the end of the year. The organization has pledged four events per year for the first three years after passage of the bill. The events will be held in Upstate cities such as Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, and Albany, in addition to Madison Square Garden and the Barclays Center.

Today’s bill signing and event date announcements cement mixed martial arts’ incredible future in the state of New York, and reaffirm UFC’s commitment to a market that is home to many top stars including former UFC champions Jon Jones, Chris Weidman and Rashad Evans, and countless other title contenders.

“I want to thank Governor Andrew Cuomo, Assembly Majority Leader Joseph Morelle, Senator Joe Griffo and the many other leaders in the state of New York for legalizing and regulating the sport of mixed martial arts,” said UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta. “Our commitment to bringing incredible live events to New York starts immediately, as we’ve planned a major Pay-Per-View event at Madison Square Garden on November 12. It’s going to be a historic, monumental moment for this sport and our passionate fans when the Octagon finally arrives in New York.”

“Today marks a great day for both MMA fans and New York,” said Joel Fisher, executive vice president, Marquee Events and Operations, The Madison Square Garden Company. “We think it’s only fitting that the first UFC event is taking place at The World’s Most Famous Arena and look forward to these world-class athletes becoming part of The Garden’s storied history.”

Further information about the upcoming live event at Madison Square Garden will be announced in the weeks to come.

###

About UFC®
UFC® is a premium global sports brand and the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Sao Paulo and Singapore, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 150 countries and territories to more than one billion TV households worldwide in 21 different languages. UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service, delivers exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content to fans around the world. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

14 April 2016 – Manila, Philippines: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE) has just announced a monumental deal with the Philippines’ leading media and entertainment company, ABS-CBN. The multimedia conglomerate, with a reach that spans the entire nation and millions of homes all around the globe, will broadcast coverage of live ONE Championship events in Asia to fight fans across the Philippines on its sports channel ABS-CBN Sports + Action. ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history and the largest media broadcast in Asia with streams to a potential one billion homes in over 75 countries. Among the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions in ONE Championship are Filipino mixed martial artists who have exemplified courage and honor inside the ONE Cage, helping make ONE Championship what it is today.

Apart from unprecedented coverage of live ONE Championship mixed martial arts (MMA) events across the region via ABS-CBN Sports + Action, ABS-CBN will also bring to Filipino fight fans ONE Championship’s events in glorious High Definition (HD) on ABS-CBN Sports + Action HD on SkyCable Ch166. Morever, regular weekly programming of ONE Championship’s world-class content will also be seen on free TV on ABS-CBN Sports + Action, bringing Asia’s favorite local and global MMA superstars closer to Filipino audiences several days a week, all year round.

CEO of ONE Championship, Victor Cui stated: “ONE Championship is proud to announce its partnership with television network giant ABS-CBN. ABS-CBN is by far the largest TV broadcaster in the Philippines with reach that spans the entire country, as well as internationally to millions of homes across the globe. We’re excited at the multitude of possibilities this tremendous opportunity presents to bring our unique brand of world-class mixed martial arts action to Filipino fight fans all over the world.”

“The Philippines is fortunate to enjoy such a rich martial arts culture. We are also proud to have one of the greatest Filipino combat sports athletes in history, boxing’s only eight-division world champion and Filipino ring icon Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao, as co-owner of ONE Championship. The possibilities are endless, and it has everyone at ONE Championship buzzing with excitement at what’s to come,” Cui added.

ABS-CBN Integrated Sports head Dino Laurena, meanwhile, said the network’s partnership with ONE Championship is another step towards ABS-CBN’s goal of promoting sports development in the nation. “When we said we are committed to helping develop sports in the country, we knew we would have to give exposure not just to popular sports like basketball or boxing. ABS-CBN has played a big role in promoting mixed martial arts in the country for many years, and we hope to continue leading the way by supporting exciting and quality fight leagues in MMA or mixed martial arts, such as ONE,” he said.

ABS-CBN Corporation is the Philippines’ leading media and entertainment organization. Primarily involved in television and radio, the company has since expanded and now owns the leading cinema and music production/distribution outfits in the country, and operates the largest cable TV service provider as well. ABS-CBN also has business interests in merchandising, licensing, mobile and online multimedia services, publishing, video and audio post production, overseas telecommunication services, money remittance, cargo forwarding, TV shopping services, food and restaurant services, theme park development and management, and property management. These investments are all aimed at making positive changes in the media landscape and strengthening the fiscal position valued by stakeholders.

For more updates on ONE Championship™, please visit www.onefc.com and follow Twitter and Instagram @ONEFCMMA and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONEFCMMA. For more information on ABS-CBN Sports, visit sports.abs-cbn.com and follow ABS-CBN Sports’ official Facebook and Twitter accounts, @abscbnsports.

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

About ABS-CBN Corporation
ABS-CBN Corporation is the Philippines’ leading media and entertainment organization. The Company is primarily involved in television and radio broadcasting, as well as in the production of television and radio programming for domestic and international audiences and other related businesses. ABS-CBN produces a wide variety of engaging world-class entertainment programs in multiple genres and balanced, credible news programs that are aired on free-to-air television. The company is also one of the leading radio broadcasters, operating eighteen radio stations throughout the key cities of the Philippines. ABS-CBN provides news and entertainment programming for eight channels on cable TV and operates the country’s largest cable TV service provider. The Company also owns the leading cinema and music production and distribution outfits in the country. It brings its content to worldwide audiences via cable, satellite, online and mobile. In addition, ABS-CBN has business interests in merchandising and licensing, mobile and online multimedia services, glossy magazine publishing, video and audio post production, overseas telecommunication services, money remittance, cargo forwarding, TV shopping services, theme park development and management, property management and food and restaurant services, all of which complement and enhance the Company’s strength in content production and distribution. The Company is also the first TV network in the country to broadcast in digital. In 2015, it commercially rolled out its digital TV box, ABS-CBN TVplus, to prepare for the country’s switch to digital TV.

LAS VEGAS (April 12, 2016) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) today announced the addition of three star-studded matchups to complete the main card for its WSOF31: Ivanov vs. Copeland world heavyweight championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event, live on NBCSN at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. from Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn. on Friday, June 17.

In a second heavyweight matchup, dynamic, rising star Chris “Huggy Bear” Barnett (14-2) will make his World Series of Fighting debut against Team AKA prodigy Justin Willis (4-1).

Also stepping in the decagon cage for the first time, battle-tested warrior John “Doomsday” Howard (23-12) will collide with submission expert Thiago “Minu” Meller (20-7) in a welterweight (170 pounds) affair.

In a featherweight (145 pounds) scrap between two prolific strikers, Luis “Baboon” Palomino (24-12) will face off with former world championship challenger Sheymon Moraes (8-1).

In the main event, reigning world heavyweight champion Blagoy Ivanov (13-1) will risk his title against Josh “Cuddly Bear” Copeland (13-1) while, in the lightweight (155 pounds) co-main event, superstars Jason “The Kansas City Bandit” High (19-5) and Mike “The Martian” Ricci (11-4) will square off with their division’s number one contender ranking at stake.

Chris Barnett vs. Justin Willis

After spending the last year and a half making waves in Japan, the 5-foot-9, 29-year-old Barnett of Tampa, Fla. will suit up as “Huggy Bear,” and make his way onto a major stage in the U.S. for the first time in his career.

With heavy hands and tremendous agility for a fighter of his massive stature, Barnett has notched 12 of his 14 career victories by way of (T)KO, and has celebrated his wins in flamboyant fashion, with everything from cartwheels to breakdancing to hand stands.

Like Barnett, the stocky, 6-foot-3, 28-year-old Willis, a training partner of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) greats Cain Velasquez and Daniel Cormier, has been enjoying success in Japan under the promotion of Inoki Genome Federation (IFG).

Willis will make his first start of 2016, and look to extend his win streak to four consecutive bouts. In his last effort on August 29, he earned a unanimous decision over Rizvan Kuniev in Tokyo.

Luis Palomino vs. Sheymon Moraes

The 5-foot-8, 35-year-old Palomino of Miami, Fla. via Lima, Peru is coming off an epic year in which he engaged in two, all-out wars with reigning, undefeated World Series of Fighting lightweight champion Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje, both of which earned “Fight of the Month” honors.

After closing out 2015 with a gutsy appearance in World Series of Fighting’s first-ever, one-night, eight-man tournament in which he scored a devastating, first round (4:55) TKO (punches) on Rich Patishnock in the event’s quarterfinal stage, before being stopped in the semifinal stage of battle via second round (4:19) TKO (punches) at the hands of eventual tournament winner Brian Foster, Palomino will return to the featherweight division where he has held two world titles.

The 5-foot-8, 25-year-old Moraes of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil returned to form in his last bout, decimating fellow knockout artist Robbie “Problems” Peralta by way of TKO (punches) in the second round (3:21) of their matchup at WSOF26.

A seasoned Muay Thai stylist, Moraes ran to seven straight victories in his first seven starts as a professional MMA competitor before being handed his first career defeat by way of third round (3:46) submission (rear-naked choke) in a title bid against reigning bantamweight (135 pounds) champion Marlon Moraes.

John Howard vs. Thiago Meller

Following his second stint with the UFC that spanned seven bouts and included victories over Uriah Hall, Siyar Bahadurzada and Cathal Pendred, the 5-foot-7, 33-year-old Howard of Boston, Mass. will aim to rebound from a second round (:21) KO (punches) loss to Tim Means on December 10.

To date, Howard has notched 15 of his 23 career victories by way of (T)KO or submission. During his initial run with the UFC between January 2009 and June 2011, Howard scored a memorable, third round (4:55) KO (punches) on submission ace Dennis “Superman” Hallman on December 5, 2009, marking his third consecutive conquest in the league.

Meller of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil will look to collect his second win in a row, following his first round submission (rear-naked choke) of Leonardo Rodriguez on June 26, 2015.

The 5-foot-10, 33-year-old Meller, a near 13-year veteran of the sport, has emerged victorious in 14 of his 20 career wins, by way of submission.

The preliminary bout card lineup for WSOF31: Ivanov vs. Copeland will be announced soon.

Priced from $39.99, tickets for the event are on sale at WSOF.com and Foxwoods.com.

Doors at The Grand Theatre at Foxwoods Resort Casino will open for WSOF31: Ivanov vs. Copeland, at 5 p.m. ET, and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 6 p.m.

ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a worldwide premier professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters from around the world. For more information please visit WSOF.com and follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries. WSOF and World Series of Fighting are registered trademarks of MMAWC, LLC.

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

About Foxwoods® Resort Casino
Foxwoods Resort Casino is the premier resort destination 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 quick service, world-renowned spas, award-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.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (April 11th, 2016) — The world’s fastest-growing mixed martial arts promotion is six days away from debuting in a new state, opening new doors for a new crop of fighters hoping their careers travel the same path as some of their more well-known predecessors.

CES MMA makes its Massachusetts debut Saturday, April 16th, 2016 at the historic North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, Mass., with “CES MMA 35,” sponsored by Foxwoods Resort Casino, an exciting pro-am event featuring 12 total bouts, seven on the pro side and an additional five amateur bouts with each fighter competing for a promotional contract.

Debuting in September of 2010, the Rhode-Island based promotion hosted 31 of its first 34 events at the Twin River Event Center, which has since become its home base. During that span, the company has expanded into Connecticut, hosting three events at Foxwoods, gained worldwide exposure through its broadcast partnership with AXS TV, and played a key role in helping several fighters pave their road to the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC).

Expansion beyond Rhode Island and Connecticut was only a matter of time, and with the promotion’s momentum continuing to build following nine nationally televised events over the past year and a half, the timing for a Massachusetts debut couldn’t be better.

With a capacity of 1,800, the North Shore Music Theatre provides the perfect backdrop; the historic venue is well for hosting many award-winning musicals and celebrity concerts over the past six decades since it first opened its doors in 1955 and remains the largest operating regional theater in New England under the new ownership of Bill Hanney.

“For a number of years we have discussed bringing the show to Massachusetts,” CES vice president Jimmy Burchfield Jr. said. “With all the incredible talent in this region, the most difficult challenge was finding the right venue partner. The North Shore Music Theatre is it. This special Saturday night event will showcase some of the most exciting fighters in the region.

“Come witness what everyone is talking about. CES MMA: The gateway to the UFC!”

“Our team is the best in combat sports,” added CES president and longtime boxing promoter Jimmy Burchfield Sr. “We were the first promoters to bring mixed martial arts to Rhode Island and now we’re proud to bring our brand to Massachusetts. It’s been a long time coming.

“Massachusetts fighters are among the best in the sport, a rich tradition that includes local legends such as Jorge Rivera, Kenny Florian and John “Doomsday” Howard, and the fans are incredibly loyal. This is just the beginning for CES MMA. Our company has grown exponentially over the past two years and I guarantee we’ll continue to expand both in New England and beyond.”

“CES MMA 35” is headlined by the return of Gloucester, Mass., Pedro Gonzalez (10-5, 9 KOs), who ends a two-year layoff against Boston’s Andres Jeudi (7-5, 3 KOs) in the main event, in addition to the third and final installment of the regional trilogy between North Attleboro, Mass., heavyweight Tyler King (9-4, 3 KOs) and Providence’s Eric Bedard (6-6, 4 KOs).

The event will also feature a special ceremony honoring Massachusetts pros Charles Rosa and Rob Font, both of whom starred with CES MMA before getting the call from the UFC.

Rosa, a Peabody, Mass., native, debuted with the UFC in October of 2014 and has since won twice, beating fellow CES MMA alumni Sean Soriano and Kyle Bochniak. A Tampa, Fla., native who eventually relocated to Boston, Font is 2-0 under the UFC banner, including a win over another CES alum, Joey Gomez, and returns to the cage in May on the undercard of UFC 198.

Thanks in large part to their success on the regional circuit, Rosa and Font are among CES MMA’s notable alumni to advance to the UFC, a list that also includes Soriano, Bockniak, Gomez, Tateki Matsuda and Dominique Steele.

“I fought and had to do all the training and that stuff on my own and travel all around the world to get the best training, from [Floyd] Mayweather’s boxing gym in Vegas all the way to Holland to work on my kickboxing, but [CES MMA] helped me get to the UFC,” Rosa said.

“They helped build me and gave me that feeling of being comfortable knowing my opponent wasn’t going to change or they’re going to pull some crazy thing last minute. They always got me the right opponent at the right time and the fact their fights are on TV, sometimes you can fight and nobody sees you, but being put on AXS TV and being on the highlights, they have all the right people around you that can get you to where you want to get to.”

In addition to creating ample opportunities with its annual Twin River Casino Fight Series, which includes five to six events per year, CES MMA also fosters a comfortable, family-like work environment for its fighters, spearheaded by the grassroots promotion of the Burchfields and matchmaker / director Pat Sullivan.

“They’re standup, good businessmen and they’re good people, too,” Rosa said. “A lot of promoters can be scumbags. They lie and they do things, but the thing about Pat Sullivan and the Burchfields, they’re always honest, good people and they always look out for the fighters’ best interest, which is very rare in this sport. They’re not always trying to make a buck.

“Yeah, it’s a business and that’s what they have to do, but you don’t have to lie along the way. They do things the right way. The have good business ethics and they’re good people. They’re a family and they treat like you part of their family. When you have a business that’s grounded in such good values, you’ll have success.”

While CES MMA is taking time to honor its past on Saturday, all eyes are on the potential future stars fighting on this weekend’s card, including Boston’s Lewis Corapi (6-2, 3 KOs), a two-time CES MMA vet who returns to face Providence’s Keenan Raymond (3-2, 1 KO) in a lightweight bout.

“CES making the expansion to Massachusetts, and hopefully other states in the future, is a huge positive for the local MMA landscape,” Corapi said. “As a local fighter we all know that CES is the promotion to fight for because of the quality of their shows, how they treat us as entertainers and their record of having guys move from CES to the UFC.

“With CES moving to Massachusetts, us Massachusetts fighters get a chance to showcase our skills closer to home and get a bigger group of fans out to the events. Having more fans at the events and introducing CES to new people that otherwise would not have seen it is extremely beneficial. It also shows that CES is really solidifying their hold on being the northeastern powerhouse promotion for MMA events.”

As one of eight Massachusetts natives fighting on the professional side of Saturday’s event, not including five additional amateurs from the Bay State, Corapi is hoping to carve a path similar to his predecessors — and, in some cases, training partners — who’ve gained widespread notoriety with the UFC.

“CES’s track record of advancing fighters to the UFC is something that is extremely attractive to me,” Corapi said. “I don’t want to say that it provides extra motivation for me, because I’m training for every single fight with everything I have, however, it does provide me with extra motivation to get onto a CES show.

“I know several fighters personally that have made that trip from CES to the UFC — Charles Rosa, Rob Font, Kyle Bochniak, John Howard — and seeing them get to the UFC helps reinforce the crazy notion that I will in fact make it there as well. If I’m given the choice between fighting for another promotion, even for more money, and fighting for CES, I’ll always go with CES because it helps me more in my long-term goals.”

With what Corapi hopes is a raucous cheering section behind him on Saturday at the North Shore, CES MMA’s Massachusetts debut figures to be a tremendous success. The sky’s the limit for both the promotion and the fighters.

“As much as I have enjoyed fighting for CES at Twin River Casino, it ends up being a bit of a hassle to get down there with all of the traffic and the nightmare that is Friday afternoon,” Corapi said. “I have many fans that won’t make the trek down to Rhode Island because of the distance, so with this card being in my ‘backyard’ there are a ton of people that are finally willing and able to come see me fight in person.”

Added Rosa: “I think it’s going to be a great show and I think it’s going to be a really good night.”

Tickets for “CES MMA 35” are priced at $35.00, $50.00 and $100.00 (VIP) and can also be purchased online at www.nsmt.org, by phone at 978-232-7200 or at the North Shore Music Theatre Box Office. Doors open at 6 p.m. ET and the first bout begins at 7. All bouts are subject to change.

Also on the pro portion of the card, Quincy, Mass., middleweight Mike Rodriguez (2-0, 2 KOs) puts his perfect record on the line against Buck Pineau (1-2) of Ashland, Maine in a rematch of their amateur bout in which Pineau won by third-round submission.

Boston’s Devin Carrier (0-1) searches for his first win as a pro in a lightweight bout against Meriden, N.H., native Wayne Ahlquist (1-2, 1 KO); Fall River, Mass., lightweight Josh LaBerge (9-5, 4 KOs) faces 37-fight vet Ran Weathers (18-21, 6 KOs) of Albuquerque, N.M.; and Rico DiSciullo (5-0, 2 KOs), an undefeated Peabody native with three appearances each for Bellator and CES MMA, will face Ohio’s Jake Constant (6-9, 2 KOs) in a rematch. The two went toe-to-toe at “CES MMA XXX” with Constant forced to tap out in the opening round due to a shoulder injury.

On the amateur side, Mark Bordieri of Foxborough, Mass., faces Nick O’Connell of Cranston, R.I., in a bantamweight bout; welterweight Jamie Collins of Woonsocket, R.I., battles Boston’s Jon Ciampa; and Aaron Reverdes of Pawtucket, R.I., faces Joao Ramos of Framingham, Mass., in a featherweight bout.

Also on the amateur portion of the card, Providence’s Marquis Brewster faces Billy Keenan of Salem, Mass., and Boston’s Sean Murrin (1-0, 1 KO) battles featherweight John Douma (2-1) of Providence. All amateurs are competing for a promotional contract with CES MMA.

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

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (April 10, 2016) – M-1 Challenge middleweight champion Ramazan Emeev won last night at M-1 Challenge 65 to advance to the M-1 Global Grand Prix Middleweight Championship, while undefeated challenger Alexey Kunchenko defeated defending champion Murad “Hunter” Abdulaev to become the new M-1 Challenge welterweight titlist, at CSC Sibur Arena in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Ramazan (14-3-0, M-1: 810), the 2015 M-1 Global Fighter of the Year, used a choke hold on his Brazilian opponent, Maiquel “Big Rig” Facao (35-9-0, M-1: 0-1-0), in their M-1 Grand Prix middleweight semifinals match. The main event ended at the 2:50 mark of the opening round as Ramazan advances to face three-time Bellator champion Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (51-9-0, M-1: 2-0-0) in the upcoming M-1 Grand Prix Middleweight Championship showdown.

Emeev finishes off Falcao

In the co-feature, undefeated Russian Alexey Kunchenko (13-0-0, M-1: 5-0-0) wrested the M-1 Challenge welterweight title from his fellow countryman, defending champion Murad “Hunter” Abdulaev (14-1-0, M-1: 5-1-0), whose corner stopped the bout in the fourth round.

New champ Kunchenko strikes

Former M-1 Challenge lightweight champion Max Divnich (12-1-0, M-1: 6-1-0) put himself back into title contention with an impressive second-round stoppage on punches of M-1 Global-debuting American opponent Robert “TQ” Turnquest (5-2-0, M-1: 0-1-0).

Russian middleweight prospect Artem Frolov (6-0-0, M-1: 2-0-0) kept his unbeaten pro record intact, submitting Kristijan “Klitschko” Perak (8-3-1, M-1: 0-2-1) in the first round by way of an arm-bar.

Rounding out the main card, Russian welterweight Sergei Romanov (8-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0) stopped Brazilian Sergio “Sergingo” de Fatima (12-3-1, M-1: 0-1-0) in the first round of a battle featuring a pair making their M-1 Global debut.

On the preliminary card, Russian light heavyweight Murad Kamilov (6-5-0, M-1: 1-1-0) was victorious when the corner of Brazilian veteran Charles “Gracie” Andrade (28-28-0, M-1: 1-3-0) corner stopped the match in the second round, Russian welterweight Danila Prikaza (3-0-1, M-1: 2-0-0) remained unbeaten with a first-round stoppage of Azerbaijan foe Manaf Damirli (1-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Ukrainian lightweight Alexander “Iron Capture” Butenko (40-11-0, M-1: 7-1-0) won his 40th pro fight with a three-round decision over German Sascha Sharma (8-3-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Russian lightweight Damir Ismagulov (5-2-0, M-1: 3-1-0) forced an opening-round submission of Ukrainian Vyacheslav Ten (12-8-2, M-1: 0-2-0) via a rear naked choke, and in a St. Petersburg MMA SuperCup match, Russian Salman Magomedov (3-0-0, M-1: 0-1-0) choked out Georgian pro-debuting Zurab Jojua (0-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0) with an arm triangle in the second round.

Complete results:

MAIN CARD

M-1 GLOBAL GRAND PRIX MIDDLEWEIGHT TOURNAMENT – SEMIFINALS
Ramazan Emeev (14-3-0, M-1: 8-1-0), Russia
WSUB 1 (Choke – 2:50)
Maiquel Falcaio (35-6-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Brazil

M-1 CHALLENGE WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Alexey Kunchenko (13-0-0, M-1: 5-0-0), Russia
WTKO4 (Corner Stoppage – 3:12)
Murad “Hunter” Abdulaev (13-2-0, M-1: 4-2-0), Russia
(Kunchenko won M-1 Challenge welterweight title)

LIGHTWEIGHTS
Maxim Divnich (12-1-0, M-1: 6-1-0), Russia
WKO/TKO2 (Punches – 4:40)
Robert “Turnquest (5-2-0, M-1: 0-1-0), USA

MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Artem Frolov (6-0-0, (M-1: 3-0-0), Russia
WSUB1 (Armbar – 4:54
Kristijan Perak (8-3-1, M-1: 0-2-1), Croatia

WELTERWEIGHTS
Sergei Romanov (8-1-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Russia
WKO/TKO1 (Punches – 3:44)
Sergio de Fatima (12-2-1, M-1), Brazil

PRELIMINARY CARD

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS
Murad Kamilov (6-5-0, M-1: 1-1-0), Russia
WSUB2 (Corner Stoppage – 3:35)
Charles Andrade (28-28-0, M-1: 1-3-0), Brazil

Danila Prikaza (3-0-1, M-1: 2-0-0), Russia
WTKO1 (Punches – 4:33)
Manaf Damirli (1-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Azerbaijan

LIGHTWEIGHTS
Alexander Butenko (40-11-0, M-1: 7-1-0), Ukraine
WDEC3
Sascha Sharma (8-3-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Germany

Damir Ismagulov (5-2-0, M-1: 3-1-0), Russia
WSUB1 (Rear Naked Choke – 2:30)
Vyacheslav Ten (12-8-2, M-1: 0-2-0), Ukraine

Salman Magomedov (3-0-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Russia
(Arm Triangle Choke – 3:10)
Zurab Jojua (0-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Georgia

Emeev dominated

Kunchenko & Abdulaev

Divnich kicks Turnquest

Frolov & Perak

Romanov vs. de Fatima

Prikaza rocks Damirli

Butenko & Sharma

Ismagulov & Ten

Magomedov & Jojua

Information

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www.wmmaa.org

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (April 8th, 2016) — Their first two fights were so good, Tyler King and Eric Bedard figured it was worth trading blows one last time.

“The feeling was, ‘We have to do this,'” said King, who won the first bout between the two in 2012.

“Everybody wants to see it,” added Bedard, who avenged that loss in the rematch two years later.

Coincidentally, the two crossed paths in December at another event, squashed their differences and discussed a third and final fight. Just like that, a trilogy was born.

The rubber match will take place Saturday, April 16th, 2016 on the undercard of “CES MMA 35” at the North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, Mass., sponsored by Foxwoods Resort Casino.

Both King (9-4, 3 KOs) and Bedard (6-6, 4 KOs) are coming off back-to-back losses, so if a third fight was going to happen, it was now or never, especially with rumors swirling about King’s impending retirement. There was bad blood between the two, admits Bedard, a misunderstanding stemming from a rival promoter’s attempt to book the fight long before either side was ready, but that’s in the past now.

With two fights between them in the books, both ending in first-round knockouts lasting a grand total of 5 minutes, 56 seconds, there’s nothing but mutual respect along with a corresponding desire to “settle the score,” a common phrase in the fight game both King and Bedard are using loosely leading up this rubber match.

“I can’t help but respect the guy,” said King, a North Attleboro, Mass., native. “He goes in there and mixes it up with all the toughest guys. If you look at his last two fights, he fought Matt Thompson, who just fought Anton Berzin, and I know Matt and train with Matt and he’s a tough prick. He’s been around forever. Then he went out and fought Parker Porter, who I think is the best heavyweight in New England. He’s not taking easy fight, so I can’t help but respect the guy.”

Added the Providence, R.I., native Bedard: “When he came up to me at the fight in December, he said, ‘I’m not going to talk any shit. Let’s just get the fight done.’ I was cool with that. I have respect for him. Anyone who gets in that cage and fights, I’ve got to respect you. There are a lot of different personalities. Some people rub you the wrong way. I rub people the wrong way. It is what it is.”

Pleasantries aside, both sides are willing to do whatever it takes to win next weekend’s third and final installment. In Bedard’s case, that means more of the same, even if his approach is as predictable as it is effective.

“I never really have a strategy to fight,” he said. “I’m going to walk out there and everyone knows what I’m going to do. You can ask anyone who’s ever seen me fight. I’m going to walk out there and I’m going to throw bombs. Anybody that trains with me, they know I walk forward and throw bombs.

“Yeah, I’m not that great on the ground,” Bedard admits. “One of my two submissions is a tap out due to strikes. I just pounded the guy until he gave up. Realistically, I have one submission.

“I won’t try to give up position to go for a submission. I’ll punch you in the face. If there’s a position where I can crack you with an elbow, that’s what I’ll do. If you turn around and do something stupid and leave your neck out there, I’ll rip your head off, but that’s about all I’ll do. I’m not going to go for an omoplata or a gogoplata. You’re going to see keylocks, kimuras, guillotines, that’s about it.”

King plans on adding a new wrinkle to his game plan, even if the perception is he and Bedard know each other too well to fool one another at this point.

“I’m going to put out something he’s never seen before,” King said. “Don’t get me wrong, he trains with some of the best guys in New England, so I’m sure he’s seen plenty, but, hey, I’m me. I’m a different fighter.

“One thing I try to do is evolve every time out. I was much different fighter coming off my layoff. I had a couple of tough fights and had to go back and analyze what I’ve done. I’m going to have some new things out there. It’s not going to be the same old, same old. If you’re not evolving, you’re getting worse, and I pride myself on getting better every time I go out there.”

Whether next weekend’s fight ends in another quick knockout or unfolds over the course of three hard rounds, neither fighter will lean on excuses when the trilogy is finally over. Why start now? Both King and Bedard have owned up to their shortcomings in their losses and are ready to accept whatever happens on the 16th, win or lose.

“One thing in my career is I’ve had guys who I’ve beaten soundly make a ton of excuses and I promised myself I’d never do that,” King said, “so the one thing I’m going to say is he was the better man that night. There’s no two ways around it. I can’t say, ‘This happened,’ or, ‘I was pissed off because my dog ran away.’ None of that. You get in the cage and it is what it is. I have to be better this time out.”

“He won the first fight. I’m not going to take anything away from him,” Bedard said. “I’ve watched the fight since then and I’ve had a couple of people come up to me and say out of the blue, ‘Hey, when you fight Tyler you were winning that fight until you got caught.’ Whatever. He caught me and he won. That’s how it is. I don’t look back at fights and say, ‘Well, I could’ve,’ or, ‘I should’ve,’ or, ‘I was winning until …’ It doesn’t matter. Look at the Cheick Kongo fight [against Pat Barry]. [Barry] knocked him [down] three times, Kongo came back and knocked him out. You don’t win the fight until the ref raises your hand at the end and calls your name.”

Tickets for “CES MMA 35” are priced at $35.00, $50.00 and $100.00 (VIP) and can also be purchased online at www.nsmt.org, by phone at 978-232-7200 or at the North Shore Music Theatre Box Office. Doors open at 6 p.m. ET and the first bout begins at 7. All bouts are subject to change.

Headlining “CES MMA 35” is the return of Gloucester, Mass., bantamweight Pedro Gonzalez (10-5, 9 KOs), who faces Boston’s Andres Jeudi (7-5, 3 KOs) in the main event.

Having battled injuries and setbacks for more than a year and a half, Gonzalez steps back into the cage for the first time since 2014 against the seasoned Jeudi, who has squared off against regional standouts Saul Almeida, Matt Bessette, Leon Davis, Chris Foster and Lucas Cruz.

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

Rounding out the main card of “CES MMA 35,” Medford, Mass., lightweight Lewis Corapi (6-2, 3 KOs) faces Keenan Raymond (3-2, 1 KO) of Providence, R.I., who scored his first career knockout win in January at “CES MMA XXXII,” and Boston’s Devin Carrier (0-1) searches for his first win as a pro in a lightweight bout against Meriden, N.H., native Wayne Ahlquist (1-2, 1 KO). Corapi looks to rebound from a stunning second-round knockout loss to Jay Bakanowski at “CES MMA XXVIII.” Fall River, Mass., lightweight Josh LaBerge (9-5, 4 KOs) faces 37-fight vet Ran Weathers (18-21, 6 KOs) of Albuquerque, N.M.

Rico DiSciullo (5-0, 2 KOs), an undefeated Peabody, Mass., native with three appearances each for Bellator and CES MMA, will face Ohio’s Jake Constant (6-9, 2 KOs) in a rematch. The two went toe-to-toe at “CES MMA XXX” with Constant forced to tap out in the opening round due to a shoulder injury.

On the amateur side, Mark Bordieri of Foxborough, Mass., faces Nick O’Connell of Cranston, R.I., in a bantamweight bout; welterweight Jamie Collins of Woonsocket, R.I., battles Boston’s Jon Ciampa; and Aaron Reverdes of Pawtucket, R.I., faces Joao Ramos of Framingham, Mass., in a featherweight bout.

Also on the amateur portion of the card, Providence’s Marquis Brewster faces Billy Keenan of Salem, Mass., and Boston’s Sean Murrin (1-0, 1 KO) battles featherweight John Douma (2-1) of Providence. All amateurs are competing for a promotional contract with CES MMA.

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

08 April 2016 – Singapore: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), in partnership with Official Timekeeper G-Shock, Under Armour, Mah Motors, and Marvel´s Captain America: Civil War, returns to the Lion City with another heart-thumping evening of world-class mixed martial arts action. Nine exciting new bouts are scheduled to take place on 6 May at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. In the main event, Singapore’s Angela Lee is set to do battle with Japan’s Mei Yamaguchi for the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship. In the co-main event, ONE Middleweight World Champion Vitaly Bigdash will defend his title against challenger Aleksei Butorin.

Tickets for ONE: ASCENT TO POWER are available at http://www.sportshubtix.com.sg.

“Unstoppable” Angela Lee of Waipahu, Hawaii, is one of the promotion’s most promising young prospects regardless of gender and weight class. Lee, who is of Singaporean and Korean descent, has strong roots in Singapore and trains at Asia’s premiere mixed martial arts gym, Evolve MMA. Lee’s beautiful combination of solid striking and grappling skills has proven to be a potent formula for success as she remains unbeaten so far in her MMA career. Lee will now challenge Japanese MMA veteran Mei Yamaguchi for the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship.

33-year-old Japanese MMA veteran Mei “V.V” Yamaguchi is a female atomweight from Tokyo with a 15-8 professional mixed martial arts record. She is the current Deep Jewels Atomweight Champion and has won her last three bouts, including two by knockout. Yamaguchi’s experience and championship mettle will prove to be the biggest test of the surging Angela Lee’s career in a battle for the ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship.

ONE Middleweight World Champion Vitaly Bigdash of Rostov-on-don, Russia, will be making the first defense of his title since winning the belt back in October. Bigdash’s resounding technical knockout victory over former champion Igor Svirid is one of the most action-packed fights under ONE Championship, and he showcased tremendous heart and resolve to overcome a devastating attack by Svirid to score the upset. Now, he takes on his first challenger as champion in Aleksei Butorin.

St. Petersburg, Russia’s middleweight contender Aleksei Butorin debuted successfully in ONE Championship with an exciting knockout over highly-regarded Leandro Ataides last September. Butorin made waves with his frightening knockout power and relentless attack, showing fans why he remains undefeated in his seven-year mixed martial arts career. Now, Butorin receives the opportunity to fight for the title against ONE Middleweight World Champion Vitaly Bigdash.

Former ONE Featherweight World Champion Narantungalag Jadambaa of Mongolia makes his highly-anticipated return to the ONE cage since losing his title to current titleholder Marat “Cobra” Gafurov in an instant classic last November. Jadambaa and Gafurov went back-and-forth for four gruelling rounds before Gafurov was able to unseat the former champion. Jadambaa is now officially on the comeback trail, but will face tough foe Kotetsu Boku next.

Kotetsu “No Face” Boku, although originally from South Korea, is a Japanese mixed martial arts legend and former ONE Lightweight World Champion. With more than 30 professional fights on his fight resume, Boku has the experience of a seasoned veteran and has seen it all inside the cage. Always a crowd pleaser, Boku gets to showcase his dynamite fists once again as he takes on fellow former champion Narantungalag Jadambaa.

Needing no introduction, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu master Roger Gracie of the Gracie fighting family returns to ONE Championship seeking to continue his winning ways. In Gracie’s last bout, he overcame a dangerous James McSweeney to win via third-round technical knockout at ONE: WARRIOR’S WAY. This time, Gracie takes on unbeaten middleweight contender Michal Pasternak.

Undefeated 32-year-old Michal Pasternak of Pinczow, Poland, was successful in his ONE Championship debut against Rafael Silva, prevailing by decision to extend his win streak to 11. More than half of his victories have come either by knockout or submission, and he’ll be put to the test against Roger Gracie in a highly-anticipated three-round middleweight contest.

French mixed martial artist Sylvain Potard is an aggressive and powerful contender who has enjoyed mixed success in the ONE Championship cage. He is a 12-fight veteran who possesses experience and solid technique to match his undoubted power. In his promotional debut, he defeated highly-regarded American wrestler Jake Butler by knockout. Now, he returns to ONE to face Tatsuya Mizuno.

Tatsuya Mizuno is a 34-year-old Japanese mixed martial arts veteran from Tokyo. His extensive professional MMA record of 14 wins and 11 losses has given him knowledge and experience that is a cut above the level of many fighters. Mizuno uses his great all-round striking and grappling skills to subdue his opponents, and he gets another chance for victory inside the ONE Cage against Sylvain Potard.

Christian “The Warrior” Lee, younger brother of Angela “Unstoppable” Lee, has impressed in his first few outings in ONE Championship. Lee is riding the momentum of three stoppage wins inside the ONE Cage, two by highlight-reel knockout and the other by crafty submission. Lee looks to continue his early success but will face a stern test when he takes on the Philippines’ Cary Bullos.

32-year-old Filipino featherweight contender Cary “The Prince” Bullos is the URCC Visayas Bantamweight Champion. He has finished all his opponents in his seven wins, making him one of the top mixed martial arts prospects in the Philippines. Bullos fell short of victory in his first two appearances inside the ONE Cage, but he’s determined to get back in the win column by defeating Singapore’s Christian Lee.

21-year-old Singaporean mixed martial arts prospect Amir Khan will make his much-anticipated return to competition following a win over Filipino Jimmy Yabo back in November. Khan of Evolve MMA is a five-fight ONE Championship veteran who has only lost once inside the ONE Cage. The young gun is well-rounded and very aggressive, and will look to take on Chang Ching Hsiung next.

Taiwanese mixed martial artist “The Lightning” Chang Ching Hsiung will be making his ONE Championship debut. At four wins and three losses, Chang is a Sanda specialist and a solid prospect. He is the former Chinese Taipei K-1 Rules champion as well as the former Sanda-King champion. His first foray into Asia’s largest MMA promotion will be a tough one, when he takes on the promising young Amir Khan.

Unbeaten young Singaporean Benedict Ang has two wins and no losses inside the ONE Cage. The 19-year-old featherweight from Evolve MMA defeated mixed martial arts veteran Yohan Mulia Legowo in his last bout, stopping the Indonesian after two rounds of hard action. The highly-skilled Ang will showcase his talents once more when he faces Filipino Jimmy Yabo.

The Philippines’ Jimmy “The Silencer” Yabo is a former URCC standout with an impressive mixed martial arts record of five wins and two losses. He boasts a perfect knockout percentage, having finished all five of his opponents by KO within the distance, including his last bout when he felled Pakistan’s Bashir Ahmad with one punch. A rededicated Yabo is now looking for victory, but he’ll have to go through tough Singaporean Benedict Ang to get it.

Undefeated 21-year-old Dagistani Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev impressed fans in his first appearance in the ONE Cage last January, winning by technical knockout at just over 30 seconds into the first round against Mishal Alfad. Arslanaliev brought the crowd to the edge of their seats from the opening bell, swarming his opponent with fearless aggression and impressive wrestling technique. Arslanaliev will take on China’s Ma Jia Wen next.

Chinese standout Ma Jia Wen is 2-1 inside the ONE Cage, and a victor in his last bout against compatriot Wang Ya Wei last November at ONE: DYNASTY OF CHAMPIONS – Beijing II. Ma is part of a quickly rising contingent of rock-solid Chinese mixed martial artists, and will look to put his skills further to the test against aggressive Dagistani standout Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev.

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

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

Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents extensive live coverage of UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: ROTHWELL vs. DOS SANTOS from Zagreb Arena in Zagreb, Croatia.

Fight Network will air the live UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: ROTHWELL vs. DOS SANTOS prelims exclusively in Canada this Sunday, April 10 at 12 p.m. ET, preceded by a pre-show at 11 a.m. ET. The main card airs live on TSN2 at 2 p.m. ET.

In the featured prelim, Denmark’s undefeated Nicolas “Sharpshooter” Dalby (14-0-1) faces his toughest test to date against rugged American veteran Zak Cummings (18-4). Meanwhile, British bantamweight Ian Entwistle (9-2) throws down with Mexico’s Alejandro Perez (17-6), Russian lightweight Mairbek Taisumov (24-5) welcomes Bosnia’s Damir Hadzovic to the world-famous Octagon®, plus Croatia’s own Filip Pejic (10-1-1) welcomes Poland’s Damian Stasiak (9-2) into enemy territory for a bantamweight clash.

Before all the action, the fighters will come face-to-face during Fight Network’s live broadcast of the UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: ROTHWELL vs. DOS SANTOS weigh-ins on Saturday, April 9 at 11 a.m. ET, as headliners Ben Rothwell and Junior dos Santos tip the scales ahead of their heavyweight main event showdown.

Following Saturday’s main card, Fight Network will broadcast the live UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: ROTHWELL vs. DOS SANTOS post-fight press conference in its entirety, featuring all the aftermath.

In addition to all the live events, Fight Network is the destination for UFC library content, specials and series, including The Ultimate Fighter, UFC Unleashed, UFC Now, UFC Ultimate Insider and classic UFC PPV events.

This Sunday, April 10 at 8 p.m. ET, Fight Network presents the Episode 7 premiere of the 10th season of The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights, featuring Roy Nelson, Kimbo Slice, Brendan Schaub, Matt Mitrione and many more. The episode will lead into a full encore presentation of UFC 156: Aldo vs. Edgar from Feb. 2, 2013 in Las Vegas, featuring the first encounter between Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar ahead of their rematch for the interim featherweight title at UFC 200. In other featured attractions, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira meets Rashad Evans and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva faces Alistair Overeem.

The full card for UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: ROTHWELL vs. DOS SANTOS includes:

Main Card (Live on TSN2, 2 p.m. ET):
-Ben Rothwell (36-9, #4) vs. Junior dos Santos (17-4, #5)
-Derrick Lewis (14-4, 1NC) vs. Gabriel Gonzaga (17-10)
-Francis Ngannou (6-1) vs. Curtis Blaydes (5-0)
-Timothy Johnson (9-2) vs. Marcin Tybura (13-3)
-Igor Pokrajac (25-12, 1NC) vs. Jan Blachowicz (18-5)
-Maryna Moroz (6-1) vs. Cristina Stanciu (5-0)

Preliminary Card (Live on Fight Network, 12 p.m. ET):
-Nicolas Dalby (14-0-1) vs. Zak Cummings (18-4)
-Ian Entwistle (9-2) vs. Alejandro Perez (17-6)
-Mairbek Taisumov (24-5) vs. Damir Hadzovic (10-2)
-Filip Pejic (10-1-1) vs. Damian Stasiak (9-2)

Preliminary Card (Live on UFC Fight Pass, 10:30 a.m. ET):
-Rob Whiteford (12-3) vs. Lucas Martins (15-3)
-Jared Cannonier (7-1) vs. Cyril Asker (7-1)
-Alessio Di Chirico (9-0) vs. Bojan Velickovic (13-3)

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

For More Information Contact:

Fight Network
Ariel Shnerer
Director, Programming & Communications
ashnerer@anthemse.com
www.fightnetwork.com

About Fight Network:

Fight Network (www.fightnetwork.com) is the world’s premier combat sports network dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, including fights, fighters, fight news and fight lifestyle. The channel is available on Cablevision’s Optimum TV, Suddenlink Communications, Grande Communications and Armstrong Cable in the U.S., all major carriers in Canada, Roku devices across North America, over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East and on TSN Radio in Canada via its program “Live Audio Wrestling.” Fight Network’s parent company Anthem Sports & Entertainment Corp. launched Fantasy (FNTSY) Sports Network (www.fantasysportsnetwork.com) across North America in March 2014 and also holds a significant ownership interest in Pursuit Channel.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (April 7th, 2016) — They say it’s sometimes better to be lucky than good, but Pedro Gonzalez hasn’t even had enough good fortune lately to show he good he might be.

How many fighters have had to withdraw from a fight due to a poison ivy outbreak? The list — if there is one — is probably short, yet it actually happened to Gonzalez not too long ago, canceling what would’ve been a must-see bout against Chris Foster.

A series of strange mishaps have kept Gonzalez (10-5) on the shelf for far too long. Other than Muay Thai fights, Gonzalez hasn’t competed since June of 2014, but still carries a three-fight win streak into his long-awaited return Saturday, April 16th, 2016 in the main event of “CES MMA 35” at the historic North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, Mass.

The talent and the foundation are there. The Gloucester, Mass., native now needs the consistency and activity to put his name back in the mix among the best bantamweights in the northeast.

“I want to go somewhere,” said Gonzalez, who fights Boston’s Andres Jeudi (7-5, 3 KOs) in next Saturday’s main event. “I need someone who can sign me so I can perform like I know I can.”

A win next weekend would be a step in the right direction. The experienced Jeudi, who has faced regional standouts Saul Almeida, Matt Bessette, Leon Davis and Lucas Cruz, among others, makes his seventh CES MMA appearance on the 16th, so he knows what to expect at this level. He’s also the more effective striker of the two, whereas Gonzalez is a noted submission specialist with nine of his 10 wins coming by submission.

“I feel like if I overwhelm him with my striking, he’ll try to take me down,” Jeudi said. “I’ve always had those guys who want to strike or say they want to strike until I hit them once.

“He can try to make the attempt to submit me, but I’ve fought some pretty good grapplers, brown belts, and even they couldn’t submit,” continued Jeudi, who’s never been stopped in 12 pro fights. “He can make all the attempts he wants, but I don’t think he’s going to submit me.”

Though not considered a striker, Gonzalez competed at Lion Fights 26 in November, a Muay Thai event, and stood toe-to-toe with Sean Fagan, winning by unanimous decision. Jeudi promises to bring a different look into next weekend’s fight, perhaps more well-rounded than in the past.

“I’m going to go into this fight as an MMA fighter and not a Thai boxer,” he said. “Pedro has fought for Lion Fights a bunch of times, but this is MMA, not Muay Thai.”

Gonzalez doesn’t care how he wins as long as he leaves Beverly with his streak intact. Coming from a region where so many fighters have carved their path to the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) through CES MMA — Rob Font, Tateki Matsuda, Kyle Bochniak, to name a few — it’s hard for Gonzalez to not feel as though his long layoff might’ve prevented him from getting the call instead.

“This is probably one of my greatest opportunities,” Gonzalez said. “It’s not televised, but just to fight close to home and headline for CES, I can’t thank them enough for this opportunity. I just want to shine now.

“If things go well, I’d love to be on one of those televised cards and go from there. A lot of guys who come from CES have gone onto the UFC. I’ve been here a long time, eight years in the game. I just feel like it’s my time. It’s now. I need to put in the work and I need to get there. I have two kids I need to support. Money right now isn’t where it needs to be. I need big bucks and I need the right fights. I want to get there.

“Those other guys that got there, they were busy. The UFC wants guys that are busy. They were busy, they looked good and they got the call.”

Whatever prevented Gonzalez from staying as active as he needed to be, he’s put that in the rearview mirror and is instead focused on the present. Three days away from his anticipated return, his weight is on point and — “fingers crossed,” as he says — there’s nothing standing in his way of stepping back inside that cage.

“I had some injuries in camp and I was still fighting injuries from my last fight in November, but, luckily, I’m healthy and I feel good,” Gonzalez said. “I feel good about this one.”

Tickets for “CES MMA 35” are priced at $35.00, $50.00 and $100.00 (VIP) and can also be purchased online at www.nsmt.org, by phone at 978-232-7200 or at the North Shore Music Theatre Box Office. Doors open at 6 p.m. ET and the first bout begins at 7. All bouts are subject to change.

Sparks will fly in the heavyweight division when Tyler King (9-4, 3 KOs) of North Attleboro, Mass., faces Providence’s Eric Bedard (6-6, 4 KOs) for the third time in four years with each fighter having won once by first-round knockout. King beat Bedard in February 2012, only to have Bedard avenge the loss nearly two years to the date in 2014.

There’s even more at stake in the rubber match as each fighter looks to snap a two-fight losing streak. King last fought in October, losing to Patrick Walsh at World Series of Fighting 24, while Bedard suffered a submission loss to Parker Porter at Bellator 140.

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

Rounding out the main card of “CES MMA 35,” Medford, Mass., lightweight Lewis Corapi (6-2, 3 KOs) faces Keenan Raymond (3-2, 1 KO) of Providence, R.I., who scored his first career knockout win in January at “CES MMA XXXII,” and Boston’s Devin Carrier (0-1) searches for his first win as a pro in a lightweight bout against Meriden, N.H., native Wayne Ahlquist (1-2, 1 KO). Corapi looks to rebound from a stunning second-round knockout loss to Jay Bakanowski at “CES MMA XXVIII.”

Rico DiSciullo (5-0, 2 KOs), an undefeated Peabody, Mass., native with three appearances each for Bellator and CES MMA, will face Ohio’s Jake Constant (6-9, 2 KOs) in a rematch. The two went toe-to-toe at “CES MMA XXX” with Constant forced to tap out in the opening round due to a shoulder injury.

On the amateur side, Mark Bordieri of Foxborough, Mass., faces Nick O’Connell of Cranston, R.I., in a bantamweight bout; welterweight Jamie Collins of Woonsocket, R.I., battles Boston’s Jon Ciampa; and Aaron Reverdes of Pawtucket, R.I., faces Joao Ramos of Framingham, Mass., in a featherweight bout.

Also on the amateur portion of the card, Providence’s Marquis Brewster faces Billy Keenan of Salem, Mass., and Boston’s Sean Murrin (1-0, 1 KO) battles featherweight John Douma (2-1) of Providence. All amateurs are competing for a promotional contract with CES MMA.

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

07 April 2016 – Bangkok, Thailand: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE) will hold its historic inaugural Thailand event in the ancient city of Bangkok. On 27 May, the Impact Arena will play host to ONE: KINGDOM OF CHAMPIONS, marking ONE Championship’s first foray into Thailand. The event features hometown hero ONE Strawweight World Champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke in the card’s headline bout against undefeated Japanese champion Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito.

Tickets for ONE: KINGDOM OF CHAMPIONS will be available from Friday, 8 April at https://www.thaiticketmajor.com/

President of ONE Championship Thailand, Kamol ‘Sukie’ Sukosol Clapp stated: “This is monumental progress for the sport of mixed martial arts in the world and in Thailand, and also one giant step forward for ONE Championship as we bring martial arts back home to the ancient city of Bangkok. There is nothing like the atmosphere of a live ONE Championship event, and we want to show fans exactly what is in store. With the country’s top rock bands electrifying the stadium, ONE: KINGDOM OF CHAMPIONS is poised for an incredible evening of adrenaline-pumping action.”

ONE Strawweight World Champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke is a three-time Lumpinee stadium Muay Thai world champion and is also undefeated as a professional mixed martial artist. He is known as a technical fighter with quick hands and lightning feet, employing some of the most unique and creative striking combinations as a martial artist with over 25 years of competitive experience. He now defends his title against Japanese fighter Yoshitaka Naito in the headline bout at ONE: KINGDOM OF CHAMPIONS.

Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito of Chiba, Japan, is an unbeaten mixed martial artist with a perfect 10-0 record. He has four wins by submission and one knockout under his belt. The 32-year-old, who made a name for himself at Japan’s world-famous Korakuen Hall competing as the Shooto featherweight champion, will be fighting outside of his native Japan for the first time, and it will be in a contest for the ONE Strawweight World Championship against Thai titlist Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke.

Marat “Cobra” Gafurov of Russia is the reigning ONE Featherweight World Champion, and is undefeated with 13 wins. A former M-1 featherweight champion, Gafurov defeated the top-ranked fighters in his weight class with relative ease in his first four bouts with ONE Championship. Out of his 13 victories, 9 have come by submission, proving that Gafurov is an absolute force to be reckoned with on the ground. He will defend his belt against Kazunori Yokota.

38-year-old Kazunori Yokota of Chiba, Japan, is a mixed martial arts fixture with over 12 years of professional fight experience under his belt. The current Deep featherweight champion, Yokota is one of the toughest fighters in the division. He sports a stellar record of 25 wins and just five defeats, and will be making his ONE Championship debut in a title bout against reigning ONE Featherweight World Champion Marat Gafurov.

Russia’s Timofey Nastyukhin has notched a series of ferocious finishes since joining ONE Championship, including stoppage wins over top fighters Eduard Folayang and Yusuke Kawanago. Although he fell short of victory in his last bout against Herbert Burns, Nastyukhin now returns to action against one of the biggest names in Asian MMA when he takes on striking specialist Rob Lisita.

33-year-old “Ruthless” Rob Lisita of Campbelltown, Australia, is making his highly-anticipated return to the ONE Cage. Lisita last featured in a submission loss to reigning ONE Featherweight World Champion Marat “Cobra” Gafurov in 2014, and took some time off from competition shortly after. At 14-7, the ruthless striker Lisita is back, and promises an overall improved mixed martial arts game. He’ll do battle against Timofey Nastyukhin in what promises to be an instant classic.

29-year-old Leandro Ataides of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will return to the ONE Cage following a harrowing knockout loss to Aleksei Butorin in 2015. Ataides, 29, strung together eight straight victories before encountering his first setback, but still remains a force to be reckoned with at middleweight. With an enormous chip on his shoulder, Ataides looks to get back on track by defeating his next opponent, Marcin Prachnio.

Marcin Prachnio is a Polish mixed martial artist with an impressive 10-2 professional record. He’s won his last five bouts, four of which by devastating technical knockouts. The attacking machine was victorious in his first appearance inside the ONE Cage, ousting Alexandre Machado just last February, and is making a quick turnaround to face the returning Leandro Ataides.

Thailand’s Anatpong “Mak Mak” Bunrad is one of the fiercest competitors at flyweight. He has a standout 5-2 professional mixed martial arts record and has defeated top fighters the likes of Geje Eustaquio and Marc Marcellinus. Bunrad likes to pepper opponents with heavy-handed strikes and powerful kicks, utilizing his world-class Muay Thai to earn hard-fought victories. Bunrad’s next assignment is against Filipino contender Eugene Toquero.

Flyweight standout Eugene Toquero is a former celebrity mixed martial arts and fitness coach in his native Manila, Philippines. The Filipino stalwart has a knack for highlight-reel striking techniques and operates at a pace which opponents find hard to keep up with. In his last bout, Toquero narrowly missed out on a spectacular finish of former ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano Moraes, losing by submission in a tough contest. Now he faces Thailand’s Anatpong Bunrad next.

41-year-old Muay Thai veteran Yodsanan “Little Tyson” Sityodtong of Thailand is making his return to professional mixed martial arts competition following a brief stint in ONE Championship back in 2012. With the opportunity to compete in Bangkok, Sityodtong just simply could not pass up the chance to perform in front of his hometown crowd. He’ll take on fellow striking specialist Chrech Kosal.

Cambodian bantamweight prospect Chrech Kosal has two wins and only one loss as a professional mixed martial artist. A Khun Khmer specialist, Kosal is fast, quick on his feet, and powerful with his strikes. Thailand and Cambodia are set to rekindle their rivalry when Kosal meets Muay Thai specialist Yodsanan Sityodtong.

10 Live ONE events will officially be broadcasted throughout this year, aired every Saturday night at 10:00pm on Thairath TV.

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

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship™ has partnered with FOX and STAR Sports for an unprecedented 10-year cable television deal with a coverage that spans 70+ countries across the world.
About Thairath TV

A household name familiar to all Thai news readers, Thairath is the most powerful daily newspaper in Thailand. With more than a million copies of consistent daily circulation since 1962, Thairath has established a strong foothold as a leader in Thai society for more than 60 years and counting. Dedicated, experienced, and skilled in delivering human-centric news and a variety of content relevant to the daily lives of Thais, Thairath reaches out to its massive reader base through both classic and cutting-edge channels. This includes print, websites, smartphone and tablet applications, SMS subscriptions, and social networks. Adding to its array of platforms, Thairath has also ventured into the broadcast business by officially joining the digital TV industry, creating and adding fresh perspectives to the Thai television industry through news and entertainment programs under the name “Thairath TV.” Since its launch in April 2014, Thairath TV has lifted the industry standard with innovative news presentation techniques including immersive graphics to help report compelling stories to the mass audience. Additionally, those cutting edge technologies are the main driving forces which put Thairath TV on top in live sport broadcasting. With these establishments and the eagerness to continue to grow, Thairath aims to eventually become a content provider on a global scale.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (April 5th, 2016) — CES MMA’s loaded spring schedule continues Saturday, April 16th, 2016 with the promotion’s Massachusetts debut, a star-studded Bay State spectacular featuring rising stars in the professional and amateur ranks.

“CES MMA 35,” sponsored by Foxwoods Resort Casino at the historic North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, Mass., comes just two weeks after a successful nationally televised event at The Fox Theater in Connecticut, the third and final installment of CES MMA’s whirlwind New England tour of three dates in a month-long span.

In addition to six pro bouts on the main card, including the final leg of an epic regional trilogy, next weekend’s event features an added bonus with 10 amateurs competing for a contract with the fastest-growing promotion in mixed martial arts.

Tickets for “CES MMA 35” are priced at $35.00, $50.00 and $100.00 (VIP) and can also be purchased online at www.nsmt.org, by phone at 978-232-7200 or at the North Shore Music Theatre Box Office. Doors open at 6 p.m. ET and the first bout begins at 7. All bouts are subject to change.

Headlining “CES MMA 35” is the return of Gloucester, Mass., bantamweight Pedro Gonzalez (10-5, 9 KOs), who faces Boston’s Andres Jeudi (7-5, 3 KOs) in the main event.

Having battled injuries and setbacks for more than a year and a half, Gonzalez steps back into the cage for the first time since 2014 against the seasoned Jeudi, who has squared off against regional standouts Saul Almeida, Matt Bessette, Leon Davis, Chris Foster and Lucas Cruz.

Sparks will fly in the heavyweight division when Tyler King (9-4, 3 KOs) of North Attleboro, Mass., faces Providence’s Eric Bedard (6-6, 4 KOs) for the third time in four years with each fighter having won once by first-round knockout. King beat Bedard in February 2012, only to have Bedard avenge the loss nearly two years to the date in 2014.

There’s even more at stake in the rubber match as each fighter looks to snap a two-fight losing streak. King last fought in October, losing to Patrick Walsh at World Series of Fighting 24, while Bedard suffered a submission loss to Parker Porter at Bellator 140.

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

Rounding out the main card of “CES MMA 35,” Medford, Mass., lightweight Lewis Corapi (6-2, 3 KOs) faces Keenan Raymond (3-2, 1 KO) of Providence, R.I., who scored his first career knockout win in January at “CES MMA XXXII,” and Boston’s Devin Carrier (0-1) searches for his first win as a pro in a lightweight bout against Meriden, N.H., native Wayne Ahlquist (1-2, 1 KO). Corapi looks to rebound from a stunning second-round knockout loss to Jay Bakanowski at “CES MMA XXVIII.”

Rico DiSciullo (5-0, 2 KOs), an undefeated Peabody, Mass., native with three appearances each for Bellator and CES MMA, will be featured in a separate bantamweight bout. DiSciullo last appeared in August on the main card of “CES MMA XXX,” defeating Ohio’s Jake Constant, who tapped out in the opening round due to a shoulder injury.

On the amateur side, Mark Bordieri of Foxborough, Mass., faces Nick O’Connell of Cranston, R.I., in a bantamweight bout; welterweight Jamie Collins of Woonsocket, R.I., battles Boston’s Jon Ciampa; and Aaron Reverdes of Pawtucket, R.I., faces Joao Ramos of Framingham, Mass., in a featherweight bout.

Also on the amateur portion of the card, Providence’s Marquis Brewster faces Billy Keenan of Salem, Mass., and Boston’s Sean Murrin (1-0, 1 KO) battles featherweight John Douma (2-1) of Providence. All amateurs are competing for a promotional contract with CES MMA.

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

TOKYO – April 4, 2016– RIZIN FF, the combat sports promotion led by former PRIDE FC head Nobuyuki Sakakibara, announced today that legendary Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) pioneer and former professional wrestling standout Kiyoshi Tamura (32-13-3), will join forces with fellow decorated icon Wanderlei Silva (35-12-1, 1 NC) in the special grappling tag team matchup that will headline the highly-anticipated, star-studded extravaganza in Nagoya Japan, on Sunday, April 17.

Tamura and Silva will tussle with another all-time great Kazushi Sakuraba, (26-17-1, 2 NC) and Hideo Tokoro (33-28-2) in the unique, one-of-a-kind bout.

The affair marks the first time since December 31, 2008 that the 5-foot-11, 46-year-old Tamura, recognized for his elite level catch wrestling skills and quick, fluid movements, will see action in combat.

In his last start under MMA rules on the K-1 – Dynamite!! New Year’s Eve mega-card in Saitama, Japan, Tamura earned his third consecutive win, a unanimous decision over Sakuraba.

While competing for the likes of PRIDE, K-1, Rings, DREAM and UWF International, Tamura compiled an extensive resume of conquests, including those over eventual UFC champions Pat Miletich, Maurice Smith and Dave Menne, as well as superstars Renzo Gracie and Jeremy Horn.

Tamura was groomed by famed pro wrestling trainers Billy Robinson, Nobuhiko Takada and Akira Maeda, to eventually become a force in the sport’s middleweight division. In his final bout before retirement, Tamura notched a victory over fellow hybrid MMA star and professional wrestler Josh Barnett, on November 23, 2005.

Priced from 100,000 yen, tickets for “Top Presents RIZIN Fighting Federation I” are on sale and can be purchased online at Ticketbis.com.

In other action on the star-studded fight card, 13-fight UFC veteran and action fighter Daron Cruickshank (16-8, 1 NC) will collide with submission expert Shinji “Torao Supernova” Sasaki (16-8-3) in a lightweight (155 pounds) matchup.

In a women’s open weight bout, decorated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion and women’s MMA heavyweight prospect Gabi Garcia (1-0) will collide with two-time Pankration champion Anna Malyukova (1-0).

Hard-hitting knockout artists Chris “Huggy Bear” Barnett (14-2) and Kirill Sidelnikov (8-4) will go to war in a heavyweight battle.

Recent RIZIN FF Grand Prix tournament semifinalist Teodoras Aukstuolis (8-3) will square off with former K-1 champion Jaideep “Heart” Singh (2-1 MMA; 40-10, 13 KO’s kickboxing) in a 216- pound catchweight fight.

Sambo world champion Vadim Nemkov (5-1) will take on undefeated, aggressive-minded striker and top Nordic prospect “King” Karl Albrektsson (4-0) in a light heavyweight (205 pounds) tilt.

In a 180-pound MMA rules catchweight contest, devastating power puncher Hisaki Kato (5-2) will take on fellow finisher Yuta “Andre” Watanabe (19-6-4).

Returning to action for the first time in five years, beloved heavyweight Kazuyuki “Ol’ Ironhead” Fujita (15-10), will face recent RIZIN FF Grand Prix tournament runner-up and dangerous knockout artist Jiri “Denisa” Prochazka (16-3-1).

In flyweight (125 pounds) action, submission ace Allan “Puro Osso” Nascimento (14-3) will lock horns with red-hot champion Yuki Motoya (15-4, 1 NC).

Women’s amateur wrestling champion Kanako Murata (0-0) will make her highly-anticipated, professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) debut against rising star Natalya Denisova (2-1) in a 116-pound catchweight affair.

LAS VEGAS (April 1, 2016) – Following last week’s historic passage of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) legislation by the New York State Assembly, World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) today re-enforced its commitment to bringing its prestigious brand of league competition to the Empire State with an announcement that it has signed a letter of intent to acquire the New York City-based MMA World Expo, and that, pending New York State Athletic Commission approval, it plans to stage a series of bouts at the seventh annual affair at Manhattan’s Jacob Javits Center in December.

“This is a very exciting and momentous time for our great sport, so we could not be more thrilled to take significant steps towards becoming owners of the MMA World Expo, which has been consistently delivering an incredible fan experience for the last six years and which will make for a great home for live World Series of Fighting action at a landmark location in Manhattan,” said World Series of Fighting CEO Carlos Silva.

The announcement comes three months after World Series of Fighting opened the doors to a satellite office in midtown Manhattan.

Two weeks ago, the company announced the appointment of Michael Mersch to the dual role of Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel. While serving as Assistant General Counsel for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Mersch was one of the key figures involved in the effort to legalize MMA in New York State.

Since launching in 2009, The MMA World Expo has hosted dozens of MMA celebrity guests, including Randy “The Natural” Couture, Anderson Silva, Matt Hughes, Fabricio Werdum and Matt Serra.

The annual convention is also the site of an array of martial arts seminars instructed by legendary trainers, as well as competitions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai and catch wrestling, and brings together industry pioneers, vendors, athletes, trainers and fans.

World Series of Fighting will announce additional details about its MMA World Expo acquisition plans, including its intent to promote live bouts at the event this year.

Live World Series of Fighting action returns to NBCSN on Saturday, April 2 at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT with WSOF30: Branch vs. Starks that will be headlined by a middleweight (185 pounds) championship showdown between defending kingpin David Branch (17-3) and top contender Clifford Starks (13-2).

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 and follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries. WSOF and World Series of Fighting are registered trademarks of MMAWC, LLC.

01 April 2016 – Singapore: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), in partnership with G-Shock, Under Armour, MAH Pte. Ltd., and Marvel´s Captain America: Civil War, has just announced its glorious return to the Lion City with another heart-thumping evening of world-class mixed martial arts action. Nine exciting bouts are scheduled to take place on 6 May at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. In the main event, ONE Middleweight World Champion Vitaly Bigdash will defend his title against challenger Aleksei Butorin. Also, Singapore’s Angela Lee is set to do battle with Japan’s Mei Yamaguchi for the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship in the co-main event.
Tickets for ONE: ASCENT TO POWER are available at http://www.sportshubtix.sg.

Check out the official TVC for ONE: ASCENT TO POWER here: https://www.facebook.com/ONEFCMMA/videos/vb.173291132694150/1068335273189727/?type=2&theater.

CEO of ONE Championship, Victor Cui stated: “Finally, we’re home in Singapore, and I know a lot of our fans here have been waiting a long time for our return. As usual, we have a fantastic night of world-class mixed martial arts action planned for all the fans in attendance. Expect to be at the edge of your seats as we bring you two big title fights featuring our top ONE athletes.”

ONE Middleweight World Champion Vitaly Bigdash of Rostov-on-don, Russia, will be making the first defense of his title since winning the belt back in October. Bigdash’s resounding technical knockout victory over former champion Igor Svirid is one of the most action-packed fights under ONE Championship, and he showcased tremendous heart and resolve to overcome a devastating attack by Svirid to score the upset. Now, he takes on his first challenger as champion in Aleksei Butorin.

St. Petersburg, Russia’s middleweight contender Aleksei Butorin debuted successfully in ONE Championship with an exciting knockout over highly-regarded Leandro Ataides last September. Butorin made waves with his frightening knockout power and relentless attack, showing fans why he remains undefeated in his seven-year mixed martial arts career. Now, Butorin receives the opportunity to fight for the title against ONE Middleweight World Champion Vitaly Bigdash.

“Unstoppable” Angela Lee of Waipahu, Hawaii, is one of the promotion’s most promising young prospects regardless of division and weight class. Lee, who is of mixed Canadian and Korean descent, has roots in Singapore and trains at Asia’s premiere mixed martial arts gym, Evolve MMA. Lee’s beautiful combination of solid striking and grappling skills has proven to be a potent formula for success as she remains unbeaten so far in her MMA career. Lee will now challenge Japanese MMA veteran Mei Yamaguchi for the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship.

33-year-old Japanese MMA veteran Mei “V.V” Yamaguchi is a female atomweight from Tokyo with a 15-8 professional mixed martial arts record. She is the current Deep Jewels Atomweight Champion and has won her last three bouts, including two by knockout. Yamaguchi’s experience and championship mettle will prove to be a big test for the surging Angela Lee in a battle for the ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship.

Former ONE Featherweight World Champion Narantungalag Jadambaa of Mongolia makes his highly-anticipated return to the ONE cage since losing his title to current titleholder Marat “Cobra” Gafurov in an instant classic last November. Jadambaa and Gafurov went back-and-forth for four gruelling rounds before Gafurov was able to unseat the former champion. Jadambaa is now officially on the comeback trail, but will face tough foe Kotetsu Boku next.

Kotetsu “No Face” Boku, although originally from South Korea, is a Japanese mixed martial arts legend and former ONE Lightweight World Champion. With more than 30 professional fights on his fight resume, Boku has the experience of a seasoned veteran and has seen it all inside the cage. Always a crowd pleaser, Boku gets to showcase his dynamite fists once again as he takes on fellow former champion Narantungalag Jadambaa.

Needing no introduction, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu master Roger Gracie of the Gracie fighting family returns to ONE Championship after more than a year away from professional competition. In Gracie’s last bout, he overcame a dangerous James McSweeney to win via third-round technical knockout at ONE: WARRIOR’S WAY in 2014. This time, Gracie takes on unbeaten middleweight contender Michal Pasternak.

32-year-old Michal Pasternak of Pinczow, Poland, is returning to professional mixed martial arts competition after a year-long layoff since his last bout. The undefeated Pasternak was successful in his ONE Championship debut against Rafael Silva, winning by decision to extend his win streak to 11. More than half of his victories have come either by knockout or by submission, but he’ll be put to the test against Roger Gracie in a highly-anticipated three-round middleweight contest.

French mixed martial artist Sylvain Potard is an aggressive and powerful contender who has enjoyed mixed success in the ONE Championship cage. He is a 12-fight veteran who possesses experience and solid technique to match his undoubted power. In his promotional debut, he defeated highly-regarded American wrestler Jake Butler by knockout. Now, he returns to ONE to face Tatsuya Mizuno.

Tatsuya Mizuno is a 34-year-old Japanese mixed martial arts veteran from Tokyo. His extensive professional MMA record of 14 wins and 11 losses has given him knowledge and experience that is a cut above the level of many fighters. Mizuno uses his great all-round striking and grappling skills to subdue his opponents, and he gets another chance for victory inside the ONE Cage against Sylvain Potard.

Christian Lee, younger brother of Angela “Unstoppable” Lee, has impressed in his first few outings in ONE Championship. Lee is riding the momentum of three stoppage wins inside the ONE Cage, two by highlight-reel knockout and the other by crafty submission. Lee looks to continue his early success but will face a stern test when he takes on the Philippines’ Cary Bullos.
32-year-old Filipino featherweight contender Cary “The Prince” Bullos is the URCC Visayas Bantamweight Champion. He has finished all his opponents in his seven wins, making him one of the top mixed martial arts prospects in the Philippines. Bullos fell short of victory in his first two appearances inside the ONE Cage, but he’s determined to get back in the win column by defeating Singapore’s Christian Lee.

Unbeaten young Singaporean Benedict Ang has two wins and no losses inside the ONE Cage. The 19-year-old featherweight from Evolve MMA defeated mixed martial arts veteran Yohan Mulia Legowo in his last bout, stopping the Indonesian after two rounds of hard action. The highly-skilled Ang will showcase his talents once more when he faces Filipino Jimmy Yabo.

The Philippines’ Jimmy “The Silencer” Yabo is a former URCC standout with an impressive mixed martial arts record of five wins and two losses. He boasts one of the best knockout percentages in the division, having finished all five of his opponents within the distance, including his last bout when he felled Pakistan’s Bashir Ahmad with one punch. A rededicated Yabo is now looking for victory, but he’ll have to go through tough Singaporean Benedict Ang to get it.

Undefeated 21-year-old Dagistani Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev impressed fans in his first appearance in the ONE Cage last January, winning by technical knockout at just over 30 seconds into the first round against Mishal Alfad. Saygid brought the crowd to the edge of their seats from the opening bell, swarming his opponent with fearless aggression and impressive wrestling technique. Saygid will take on China’s Ma Jia Wen next.

Chinese standout Ma Jia Wen is 2-1 inside the ONE Cage, and a victor in his last bout against compatriot Wang Ya Wei last November at ONE: DYNASTY OF CHAMPIONS – Beijing II. Ma is part of a quickly rising contingent of rock-solid Chinese mixed martial artists, and will look to put his skills further to the test against aggressive Dagistani standout Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev.

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

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

Two heavyweight bouts are better than one, and fight fans will have a double dose of the big guys on next Thursday’s April 7th Fight Club OC show in The Hangar at the OC Fair & Event Center, with the action getting underway at the NEW 2016 STARTING TIME of 7:00pm.

Former college football player and Huntington Beach resident Adam Stewart will face Oceanside’s Matt McKinney in one heavyweight bout, with the 6-7 Stewart making his pro debut against the 1-1 McKinney, a former college water polo player.

In the other heavyweight matchup it will be another former collegiate football player Dakota Walker vs LA’s Cashton Young, with both fighters standing at 1-0.

Santa Ana’s Ricky Frausto will make his pro boxing debut on the April 7th show against Stockton’s 1-1 Cesar Hernandez.

The boxing portion of the hybrid show will also feature undefeated 11-0 (9KO’s) middleweight prospect Nate Gallimore out of Evanston, IL meeting tough Luis Alfredo Lugo with a 14-24-1 (5KO’s) record.

Mixed Martial Arts action on April 7th will be “off the charts” as Huntington Beach’s John Mercurio at 7-7 (4KO’s) meets San Diego’s 11-12-1 (4KO’s) Matt Lagler in what should be a stand up war. Plus, San Pedro’s Gabriel Green one of the top amateur mma fighters in the state will make his pro debut in The Hanger facing Chula Vista’s 2-0 Andrew Lagdaan. Green is destined to be a big time fighter so fans will get to see him start his pro career here in Orange County.

REMEMBER – Happy Hour at Baja Blues starts at 5:30pm and Hangar doors open at 6:30pm with the show starting at 7pm. Tickets available online at www.fightcluboc.com

LAS VEGAS (March 30, 2016) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today that it has finalized the lineup for the WSOF30: Branch vs. Starks, world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) doubleheader event, with the addition of a sixth preliminary card bout – a middleweight (185 pounds) matchup between Clinton Williams (7-3, 1 NC) and Rex “T-Rex” Harris (8-2) – at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday, April 2, live on NBCSN at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT.

Additionally, a broken nose has forced Gil Guardado to withdraw from his scheduled lightweight (155 pounds) matchup with undefeated Steve Kozola (6-0), who will now face Matt “The Sleeper” Church (3-1) in a 160-pound catchweight affair, and Jeff Roman (1-2-1) will square off with Zach Bunnell (0-0) in a welterweight (170 pounds) preliminary card contest.

The 5-foot-11, 32-year-old Williams is looking to rebound from a narrow, split decision defeat at the hands of Jake “The Honey Bear” Heun at WSOF26 on December 18, 2015.

One fight prior to the loss, Williams submitted Jared Hatch with a shoulder choke in the third round (4:10) of their matchup on November 14, 2015.

The 6-foot, 33-year-old Harris of West Pittston, Pa. is riding a four-fight win streak. In his last start, Harris, who has earned 7 of his 8 career victories by way of (T)KO or submission, edged out a split decision over Justin Torrey at WSOF24 on October 17, 2015.

Church of Las Vegas will attempt to notch his fourth consecutive win, after three straight finishes, the last of which came on March 4 when he submitted Pat DeFranco with a leglock in the first round (2:55) of their matchup.

Tickets for WSOF30: Branch vs. Starks are available for purchase online at WSOF.com and AXS.com.

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

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

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

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

MAIN CARD (Live on NBCSN)

World Series of Fighting Middleweight Championship Main Event:
David Branch (Champion) vs. Clifford Starks (Challenger)

World Series of Fighting Vacant Welterweight Championship Main Event:
Jon Fitch (Challenger) vs. Joao Zeferino (Challenger)

Light Heavyweight: Vinny Magalhaes vs. Jake Heun
Welterweight: Abu Azaitar vs. Danny Davis, Jr.

PRELIMINARY CARD (Live on WSOF.com)

Welterweight: Abubakar Nurmagomedov vs. Matt Frincu
Middleweight: Rex Harris vs. Clinton Williams
Catchweight (160 pounds): Steve Kozola vs. Matt Church
Flyweight: Carlos Garcia vs. Jason Pacheco
Bantamweight: Adam Acquaviva vs. Andres Ponce
Welterweight: Jeff Roman vs. Zach Bunnell

ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a worldwide premier professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters from around the world. For more information please visit WSOF.com and follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries. WSOF and World Series of Fighting are registered trademarks of MMAWC, LLC.

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

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

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (March 30th, 2016) — It takes a certain characteristic, an inherent, natural ability, to perform at your best when you know the whole world’s watching.

In mixed martial arts, some fighters wilt under the pressure of the sport’s biggest stage. Others excel. In its brief history with AXS TV, CES MMA has developed a rapidly-growing culture of fighters that have peaked when the cameras begin rolling.

Dinis Paiva, Kody Nordby, Luis Felix, Greg Rebello — they’re all part of a short list of regional standouts who’ve gained immeasurable popularity through their exposure on national television. They’ve performed at their best under the most intense scrutiny, similar to a basketball player who drains the game-winning shot or a baseball player who comes up with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth.

Ludlow, Mass., vet Leon Davis (7-3, 1 KO) thinks he has what it takes to earn the label of a clutch performer and hopes to once again succeed on the AXS TV platform Friday night when he faces lightweight Lorawnt-T Nelson (7-4, 5 KOs) of Arvada, Colo., on the main card of “CES MMA 34” at The Fox Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino.

“Fighting on national television doesn’t really change anything,” Davis insists. “I always go into every fight with the mindset and preparation to give 100 percent.”

Even so, it’s hard to deny Davis’ early appeal to the network television audience. He made his AXS TV debut in August on the main card of “CES MMA XXX,” defeating Andres Jeudi by unanimous decision. With another televised fight on deck this week, a second win could make him an AXS TV favorite, and it’s no secret what that kind of exposure can do.

Ohio welterweight Dominique Steele made only one appearance with CES MMA on the AXS TV format and parlayed his televised win over Chuck O’Neil in June of 2015 into a promotion to the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC), where he’s scheduled to fight again in April on the undercard of UFC 197 in Las Vegas.

“The TV platform has brought out the best in me,” Davis said. “I have always fought the toughest opponents that are out there and I’ve always been thankful to [CES MMA vice president] Jimmy Burchfield Jr. and [matchmaker] Pat Sullivan and the rest of the CES MMA staff for letting me make the most of my professional career and for the guidance to get where I ultimately want to be, which is the UFC.”

Davis has fought some of the best competition in the region, including Nate Andrews, Lewis Corapi and Jimmy Davidson, the latter whom he defeated at “CES MMA XXVI” in his most recent appearance with the promotion. Sandwiched in between was his lone appearance with the World Series of Fighting on NBC Sports, a knockout loss to Islam Mamedov, his only loss over the past two and a half years.

Nelson is no pushover either. A two-time Bellator vet, five of his seven wins have come by knockout and he’s only gone the distance twice in 11 pro fights. Only time well whether or not the AXS TV platform is right for Davis, but another win Friday would be a good start toward building some rapport with the network’s loyal fan base.

“I train my fucking ass off and I go out there leaving no regrets,” Davis said. “I always leave everything in the cage.”

Tickets for “CES MMA 34” are priced at $40.00, $60.00 and $100.00 (VIP) and can be purchased online at www.cesmma.com, www.ticketmaster.com or www.foxwoods.com, by phone at 401-724-2253/2254 or 800-200-2882, or at the Fox Theater Box Office. All bouts are subject to change. Showtime is 7 p.m. ET.

The five-round main event of “CES MMA 34” features the return of reigning CES MMA Welterweight Champion Chris Curtis (13-4, 5 KOs) of Cincinnati, who defends his title for the first time in a rematch against Philadelphia’s Nah-Shon Burrell (12-6, 8 KOs), one of five televised bouts on the AXS TV Fights main card.

Curtis and Burrell fought one another in October of 2010 with Curtis winning by unanimous decision, Burrell’s first loss in three pro fights. Burrell won his next six, including three in a row with Strikeforce before the promotion was bought out by the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC).

The main card of “CES MMA 34” also features a middleweight bout between Calvin Kattar (14-2, 6 KOs) of Methuen, Mass., and Cortland, N.Y., vet Kenny Foster (11-10, 1 KO), a seven-time Bellator vet. Kattar last fought in 2013, beating Gabriel Baino for his sixth consecutive win, and is also remembered for defeating Saul Almeida at CES MMA’s “Real Pain” pay per view event in Providence in 2012. The 5-foot-8 Foster boasts win over Lester Caslow and Eric Larkin and also went the distance against 30-fight vet Anthony Morrison at Bellator 108.

Heavyweight Steve Skrzat (8-7, 7 KOs) of Burrillville, R.I., faces Rollinsford, N.H., vet Kevin Haley (4-3, 1 KO). Also on the main card, Johnny Campbell (11-7, 5 KOs) of Boston battles Matt Lozano (5-3, 2 KO) of Red Lion, Pa., in a bantamweight bout.

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

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

LAS VEGAS (March 29, 2016) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today that it will return to Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn. with a stacked lineup of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fights led by a world heavyweight championship showdown between reigning kingpin Blagoy Ivanov (13-1) and Josh “Cuddly Bear” Copeland (13-1), live on NBCSN at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on Friday, June 17.

In the lightweight (155 pounds) co-main event, superstars Jason “The Kansas City Bandit” High (19-5) and Mike “The Martian” Ricci (11-4) will square off with the number one contender ranking at stake.

Priced from $39.99, tickets for WSOF31: Ivanov vs. Copeland, go on sale on Friday, April 1 at 10 a.m. ET, at WSOF.com and Foxwoods.com.

“We are looking forward to returning to the great state of Connecticut, and putting on another phenomenal world championship event featuring some of our top superstars, for fans at Foxwoods Resort Casino,” said World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo.

Blagoy Ivanov vs. Josh Copeland

Ivanov of Sulfia, Bulgaria is a 5-foot-11, 29-year-old Judo black belt and Sambo master who has earned 11 of his 13 career MMA wins by way of (T)KO or submission. At the 2008 World Sambo Championships, he made his first big mark in combat sports, defeating all-time great Fedor Emelianenko.

Ivanov made his way to World Series of Fighting after a near-flawless, 8-fight run under the promotion of Bellator, posting an overall, 7-1 record there. He seized the World Series of Fighting heavyweight championship from Smealinho Rama, forcing Rama to tap out from a guillotine choke in the third round (1:17) of their matchup on June 5, 2015, and successfully defended the title for the first time on October 17, scoring a second round (4:33) TKO on Derrick Mehman with a barrage of punches.

Copeland of Denver, Colo. is coming off his World Series of Fighting debut victory, a unanimous decision over Mike “300” Hayes, at WSOF29 on March 12. The 6-foot-1, 33-year-old teammate of undefeated World Series of Fighting lightweight champion Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje has notched 8 of his 13 career wins, to date, via (T)KO or submission.

Jason High vs. Mike Ricci

Following his near 18-month absence from competition, High of Kansas City, Miss. made his long-awaited return to the cage on November 20 at WSOF25, after signing an exclusive, multi-fight contract with World Series of Fighting, and scored a thunderous, second round (:47) KO on Estevan Payan with a head kick-punches combination.

The 5-foot-9, 34-year-old High, a veteran of the UFC and Strikeforce, initially caught the attention of the MMA world while fighting at an elite level in Japan under the promotion of K-1 and Dream where he faced and defeated the likes of Andre Galvao and Hayato “Mach” Sakurai. High also holds a victory over retired phenom Jordan Mein.

Ricci of Montreal, Quebec, Canada reached the final round on the 16th season of the hit competition reality show The Ultimate Fighter.

The 6-foot, 30-year-old member of famed trainer Firas Zahabi’s Tristar Gym fight team is looking for his fourth consecutive win, after defeating the likes of Jorge Gurgel, George Sotiropoulos and Joe Condon, whom Ricci conquered by way of first round (2:41) KO with a head kick at WSOF25.

Doors at The Grand Theatre at Foxwoods Resort Casino will open for WSOF31: Ivanov vs. Copeland, at 5 p.m. ET, and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 6 p.m.

Additional bouts will be announced soon.

ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a worldwide premier professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters from around the world. For more information please visit WSOF.com and follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries. WSOF and World Series of Fighting are registered trademarks of MMAWC, LLC.

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

About Foxwoods® Resort Casino
Foxwoods Resort Casino is the premier resort destination 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 quick service, world-renowned spas, award-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.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (March 29th, 2016) — You’d think a last-minute change of opponent would unnerve a fighter, or, at the very least, provide a minor annoyance when it occurs so close to showtime.

Johnny Campbell doesn’t seem to mind. Rodrigo Almeida, Matt Lozano — they’re just roadblocks on his path to stardom.

“Opponents are only a minor detail,” said the Boston-based flyweight, who stars on the AXS TV main card of “CES MMA 34” Friday night at Foxwoods Resort Casino’s Fox Theater.

“The man looking in the mirror is my only real opponent. I’m ready for war of all kinds.”

Campbell (11-7, 5 KOs) was originally supposed to face fellow Massachusetts native Almeida, but was forced to switch gears two weeks out when Almeida suffered an ankle injury. Some minor chest-bumping ensued between the two via social media, but Campbell quickly put it behind him and instead began focusing on his new opponent, Lozano (5-3, 1 KO), a 27-year-old Reading, Pa., native with amazing big-fight experience.

Five of Lozano’s eight pro fights have occurred with either Bellator, Legacy or the World Series of Fighting, three of the most recognized promotions in mixed martial arts.

Campbell insists there aren’t many differences between Rodrigo and his new opponent, therefore consolidating his training leading up to the fight, but that might not even be the biggest hurdle he needs to overcome by Friday. This will be Campbell’s first fight on national television. He appeared at WSOF 20, but starred on the prelims, not the main card.

Cambell acknowledges his opponent is “hungry” — “hungry enough to jump on a tough fight on short notice,” he said — but doesn’t expect any of that to be a factor once the bell rings.

“Hunger isn’t the key here, necessarily,” Campbell said. “I’m going to be cool, calm and calculated. This is my time. I was born for these moments. He will crumble.”

The tough-talking Campbell has never been one to back away from a tough fight. After losing to Matt Doherty in his first appearance with CES MMA back in 2013, he won his next six fights, including victories over regional standouts Kody Nordby, who recently challenged for the CES MMA Bantamweight Title, and Billy Giovanella.

Up next was his WSOF debut in April of 2015, which ended in a unanimous decision loss to New Yorker Darren Mima, who recently appeared at “CES MMA XXXI.” Campbell jumped right back in later that year against two-time Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) vet Tateki Matsuda. Friday’s fight against Lozano is not only a chance to end a minor two-fight skid, but a major opportunity to showcase his ability on a network synonymous with helping fighters get the exposure they need.

“The mindset for this one is 100 percent I’m blessed to be doing what I love in front of a huge audience on the biggest stage of my career,” he said. “I’m going in with the focused intention of winning, not because I have to, but because I deserve this.

“I’ve sacrificed and given back and now I’m taking what’s mine. My notoriety. My money. My fame.”

Getting to the next level is sometimes all about being in the right place at the right time. Campbell, if need be, could look directly at his most recent opponent, Matsuda, who made the jump to the UFC at a modest 10-5 when Dustin Kimura suffered an injury in advance of UFC Fight Night 50.

Anyone on Friday’s card could be next, including Campbell or Lozano, making this a big, but perhaps short, night, especially with Campbell predicting major fireworks.

“Knockout finish, second round,” Campbell said matter-of-factly. “I will land big shots and he will wilt.”

Tickets for “CES MMA 34” are priced at $40.00, $60.00 and $100.00 (VIP) and can be purchased online at www.cesmma.com, www.ticketmaster.com or www.foxwoods.com, by phone at 401-724-2253/2254 or 800-200-2882, or at the Fox Theater Box Office. All bouts are subject to change. Showtime is 7 p.m. ET.

The five-round main event of “CES MMA 34” features the return of reigning CES MMA Welterweight Champion Chris Curtis (13-4, 5 KOs) of Cincinnati, who defends his title for the first time in a rematch against Philadelphia’s Nah-Shon Burrell (12-6, 8 KOs), one of five televised bouts on the AXS TV Fights main card.

Curtis and Burrell fought one another in October of 2010 with Curtis winning by unanimous decision, Burrell’s first loss in three pro fights. Burrell won his next six, including three in a row with Strikeforce before the promotion was bought out by the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC).

The main card of “CES MMA 34” also features a middleweight bout between Calvin Kattar (14-2, 6 KOs) of Methuen, Mass., and Cortland, N.Y., vet Kenny Foster (11-10, 1 KO), a seven-time Bellator vet. Kattar last fought in 2013, beating Gabriel Baino for his sixth consecutive win, and is also remembered for defeating Saul Almeida at CES MMA’s “Real Pain” pay per view event in Providence in 2012. The 5-foot-8 Foster boasts win over Lester Caslow and Eric Larkin and also went the distance against 30-fight vet Anthony Morrison at Bellator 108.

Heavyweight Steve Skrzat (8-7, 7 KOs) of Burrillville, R.I., faces Rollinsford, N.H., vet Kevin Haley (4-3, 1 KO). Also on the main card, Ludlow, Mass., lightweight Leon Davis (7-3, 1 KO) faces Lorawnt-T Nelson (7-4, 5 KOs) of Arvada, Colo.

Skrzat returns to CES MMA for the first time since 2011 having resurrected his career with wins in three of his last four bouts while Davis aims for his fifth win with CES MMA following recent victories over Jimmy Davidson and Andres Jeudi.

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

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

TOKYO – March 29, 2016– RIZIN FF, the combat sports promotion led by former PRIDE FC head Nobuyuki Sakakibara, announced that famed women’s amateur wrestling champion Kanako Murata (0-0) will make her highly-anticipated, professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) debut against rising star Natalya Denisova (2-1) in a 116-pound catchweight affair at the “Top Presents RIZIN Fighting Federation I” extravaganza at Nippon Gaishi Hall in Nagoya, Japan on Sunday, April 17.

The 5-foot-1, 22-year-old Murata of Ehime, Japan will compete under MMA rules for the first time after amassing a collection of accolades as an amateur wrestler, including three junior Olympic medals.

Murata’s most impressive achievement came in 2011 when she nearly defeated three-time Olympic gold medalist Saori Yoshida during the All-Japan championships.

An MMA student since 2015, Murata has been training under the command of DEEP Featherweight Champion Kazunori Yokota and former DREAM competitor Takeshi Yamazaki, and has been sparring predominantly with male fighters.

Denisova of Cheboksary, Russia will seek her third consecutive win in what will mark her first appearance under the RIZIN FF banner. In her last start on September 26, she utilized her sharp, aggressive striking arsenal to finish Marina Lvova in the second round (:32) of battle with a barrage of punches.

The 25-year-old Denisova gained worldwide recognition for the first time four years ago after video surfaced of her defeating a male opponent in an MMA bout.

Priced from 100,000 yen, tickets for “Top Presents RIZIN Fighting Federation I” are on sale and can be purchased online at Ticketbis.com.

In the main event, former PRIDE FC middleweight champion and prolific superstar Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva (35-12-1, 1 NC) will team up with a fighter to be announced soon, in a special grappling “tag match,” and battle a duo consisting of fellow legend, Kazushi Sakuraba, (26-17-1, 2 NC) and Hideo Tokoro (33-28-2).

Prolific striker and 13-fight UFC veteran Daron Cruickshank (16-8, 1 NC) will collide with submission expert Shinji “Torao Supernova” Sasaki (16-8-3) in a lightweight (155 pounds) matchup.

Hard-hitting knockout artists Chris “Huggy Bear” Barnett (14-2) and Kirill Sidelnikov (8-4) will go to war in a heavyweight battle.

In women’s open weight action, decorated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion and women’s MMA heavyweight prospect Gabi Garcia (1-0) will collide with two-time Pankration champion Anna Malyukova (1-0).

Recent RIZIN FF Grand Prix tournament semifinalist Teodoras Aukstuolis (8-3) will square off with former K-1 champion Jaideep “Heart” Singh (2-1 MMA; 40-10, 13 KO’s kickboxing) in a 216- pound catchweight fight.

Sambo world champion Vadim Nemkov (5-1) will take on undefeated, aggressive-minded striker and top Nordic prospect “King” Karl Albrektsson (4-0) in a light heavyweight (205 pounds) tilt.

In a 180-pound MMA rules catchweight contest, devastating power puncher Hisaki Kato (5-2) will take on fellow finisher Yuta “Andre” Watanabe (19-6-4).

Returning to action for the first time in five years, beloved heavyweight Kazuyuki “Ol’ Ironhead” Fujita (15-10), will face recent RIZIN FF Grand Prix tournament runner-up and dangerous knockout artist Jiri “Denisa” Prochazka (16-3-1).

In flyweight (125 pounds) action, submission ace Allan “Puro Osso” Nascimento (14-3) will lock horns with red-hot champion Yuki Motoya (15-4, 1 NC).

Follow RIZIN FF:

Website – http://www.rizinff.com/en/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/rizinfightingfederation/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/rizin_PR

NEW YORK – March 28, 2015 – Combate Americas, the first-ever U.S. Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise founded by Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) co-creator Campbell McLaren, today announced the return of its epic, action-packed “Road To the Championship” fight series to NBC UNIVERSO, the modern entertainment and sports cable channel for Latinos, with a weekly, one-hour program, beginning Monday, April 18, at 12 a.m. ET/9 p.m. PT, from Los Angeles, Calif.

A total of 30 bouts featuring the most fearsome, emerging Hispanic MMA fighters, including Imagen Award-winning Combate Americas reality series contestant and professional boxer Ricky “El Gallero” Palacios (5-1 MMA, 2-0-1 boxing), Urijah Faber protégé Erick Sanchez (6-2), John “Sexy Mexy” Castaneda (9-2) and women’s atomweight standout and Eddie Bravo pupil Kyra “Mogwai” Batara (4-3), will unfold over the course of a 30-day period.

“We are thrilled to be featured in a new, weekly slot that will allow us to continuously showcase the best and most exciting young Hispanic fighters and future world champions” said McLaren.

“Since we launched our franchise,” continued McLaren, “NBC Universo has played an instrumental part in helping Combate Americas engage a national Hispanic audience, so we look forward to returning to their incredible platform, and entertaining and inspiring new and existing MMA fans throughout the U.S.

“Combate Americas is a great place for fighters of Latin backgrounds to shine in front of martial arts fans”, said Bilai Joa Silar, Senior Vice President of Programming and Production at NBC Universo. “It’s very exciting to have another season of Combate Americas on NBC Universo. We’re sure our audience will be thrilled with each fight scheduled since they will all feature top notch fighters.”

Additional participating fighters and matchups will be announced soon, as will the Los Angeles location for the kick-off event and host venues for subsequent events.

The first weekly show on April 18 will mark the third event in the “Road To The Championship” series. Following the sixth event in the series, which kicked off on September 17, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nev., the most successful competitors in each weight class will be placed in the first Combate Americas world championship bouts in history.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (March 28th, 2016) — CES MMA invades Foxwoods Resort Casino for the first time in more than two years Friday, April 1st, 2016 with “CES MMA 34,” airing live on AXS TV.

The event, held at The Fox Theater, features the return of reigning CES MMA Welterweight Champion Chris Curtis (13-4, 5 KOs) of Cincinnati, who defends his title for the first time in a rematch against Philadelphia’s Nah-Shon Burrell (12-6, 8 KOs), one of five televised bouts on the AXS TV Fights main card.

Tickets for “CES MMA 34” are priced at $40.00, $60.00 and $100.00 (VIP) and can be purchased online at www.cesmma.com, www.ticketmaster.com or www.foxwoods.com, by phone at 401-724-2253/2254 or 800-200-2882, or at the Fox Theater Box Office. All bouts are subject to change. Showtime is 7 p.m. ET.

Curtis and Burrell fought one another in October of 2010 with Curtis winning by unanimous decision, Burrell’s first loss in three pro fights. Burrell won his next six, including three in a row with Strikeforce before the promotion was bought out by the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC).

The 26-year-old Burrell went on to fight twice under the UFC banner, defeating Brazilian Yuri Villefort, the younger brother of former UFC standout and current World Series of Fighting contender Danillo Villefort, and made three additional appearances with Bellator, competing in the promotion’s welterweight tournament in 2014.

A self-described reformed “headcase” who once lamented his inability to capitalize on major opportunities, Curtis finally got his big break in January, defeating champion Gil de Freitas at “CES MMA XXXII” to capture the CES MMA Welterweight Title.

Curtis’ climb to the top of the welterweight food chain ironically began with a loss in his professional debut in 2009, but the Ohio native battled through injuries and other missteps over the next seven years to land a well-deserved title bout with Freitas, once considered an unstoppable force on the regional circuit.

The win over Freitas came at the right time, just two years after Curtis participated on Bellator’s Fight Master reality television series, losing in his opening bout after tearing a knee ligament during training camp, a setback Curtis described as “the story of my life.”

Since his breakthrough victory in January, Curtis is now ready for the next chapter. A win Friday would be his fourth in a row and seventh in his last eight bouts dating back to 2013. Following his most recent appearance with Bellator, Burrell has returned to the northeast, facing fellow Bellator stable mate Lyman Good in Atlantic City in May and stopping WSOF vet Ryan Dickson in November.

The main card of “CES MMA 34” also features a middleweight bout between Calvin Kattar (14-2, 6 KOs) of Methuen, Mass., and Cortland, N.Y., vet Kenny Foster (11-10, 1 KO), a seven-time Bellator vet. Kattar last fought in 2013, beating Gabriel Baino for his sixth consecutive win, and is also remembered for defeating Saul Almeida at CES MMA’s “Real Pain” pay per view event in Providence in 2012. The 5-foot-8 Foster boasts win over Lester Caslow and Eric Larkin and also went the distance against 30-fight vet Anthony Morrison at Bellator 108.

Johnny Campbell (11-7, 5 KOs) of Boston battles Matt Lozano (5-3, 2 KO) of Red Lion, Pa., in a bantamweight bout and heavyweight Steve Skrzat (8-7, 7 KOs) of Burrillville, R.I., faces Rollinsford, N.H., vet Kevin Haley (4-3, 1 KO). Also on the main card, Ludlow, Mass., lightweight Leon Davis (7-3, 1 KO) faces Lorawnt-T Nelson (7-4, 5 KOs) of Arvada, Colo.

Lozano steps up to replace Rodrigo Almeida, who was forced to withdraw due to injury. Lozano appeared on two Bellator undercards in 2012 and later starred for the WSOF in 2014. Skrzat returns to CES MMA for the first time since 2011 having resurrected his career with wins in three of his last four bouts while Davis aims for his fifth win with CES MMA following recent victories over Jimmy Davidson and Andres Jeudi.

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

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

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (March 28, 2016) – The main card is set for the April 9th M-1 Challenge 65 event, streaming for FREE on www.M-1Global.tv, live from CSC Sibur Arena in St. Petersburg, Russia

Ramazan Emeev (13-3-0, M-1: 7-1-0), reigning M-1 Challenge middleweight champion, takes on Brazilian challenger Maiquel “Big Rig” Falcao (35-8-0, M-1: 0-0-0) in the M-1 Challenge 65 main event. Emeev vs. Falcao is an M-1 Grand Prix middleweight semifinals match with the winner advancing to the final later this year against the other M-1 Grand Prix middleweight semifinals winner, former three-time Bellator champion Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (52-9-0, M-1: 3-0-0).

M-1 Challenge welterweight champion Murad “Hunter” Abdulaev (13-1-0, M-1: 4-1-0) will make his first title defenseagainst undefeated challenger Alexey Kunchenko
(12-0-0, M-1: 4-0-0).

Former M-1 Challenge lightweight champion Maxim Divnich (11-1-0, M-1: 5-1-0) and M-1 Global debuting Robert Turnquest (5-1-0, M-1: 0-0-0), who is fighting out of Pensacola, Florida, USA.

Rounding out a strong main card is a middleweight match between Kristijan “Klitschko” Perak (13-8-0, M-1: 0-1-1), of Croatia, and undefeated Russian prospect Artem Frolov (5-0-0, M-1: 2-0-0); American heavyweight Jeremy “The BAMF” May (13-8-0, M-1: 1-0-0), fighting out of Vero Beach, Florida, USA, squares off against Evgeni Myakinkin (13-7-0, M-1: 1-1-0), of Russia

The preliminary card has four fights scheduled this far with Brazilian welterweight Sergio “Serginho” de Fatima (12-2-1 (M-1: 0-0-0) vs. Sergei Romanov (7-1-0, M-1: 0-0-0), of Russia; Ukrainian lightweight Alexander “Iron Capture” Butenko (39-11-0, M-1: 6-1-0) vs. Sascha Sharma (8-2-0, M-1: 0-0-0), of Germany; Ukrainian lightweight Yyacheslav Ten (12-7-2, M-1: 0-1-0) vs. Damir Ismagulov (4-2-0, M-1: 2-1-0); Russian lightweight Salman Magomedov (2-0-0, M-1: 0-0-0) vs. pro-debuting Zurab Jojua, of Georgia.

WATCH FOR FREE: M-1 Challenge 65 will be streamed live from Russia in high definition on www.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card for FREE by simply logging on to register at www.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all of the action on their computers, as well as on Android and Apple smart phones and tablets.

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TOKYO – March 24, 2016– RIZIN FF, the combat sports promotion led by former PRIDE FC head Nobuyuki Sakakibara, announced during a press conference today, that it has inked five new, star-studded Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) bouts for its much-anticipated mega-event in Nagoya, Japan on Sunday, April 17, including a lightweight (155 pounds) contest between newly signed striking sensation Daron Cruickshank (16-8, 1 NC) and submission expert Shinji “Torao Supernova” Sasaki (16-8-3), as well as a heavyweight matchup between fellow knockout artists Chris “Huggy Bear” Barnett (14-2) and Kirill Sidelnikov (8-4)

In women’s open weight action, decorated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion and women’s MMA heavyweight prospect Gabi Garcia (1-0) will collide with two-time Pankration champion Anna Malyukova (1-0).

Recent RIZIN FF Grand Prix tournament semifinalist Teodoras Aukstuolis (8-3) will square off with former K-1 champion Jaideep “Heart” Singh (2-1 MMA; 40-10, 13 KO’s kickboxing) in a 216- pound catchweight fight.

Sambo world champion Vadim Nemkov (5-1) will take on undefeated, aggressive-minded striker and top Nordic prospect “King” Karl Albrektsson (4-0) in a light heavyweight (205 pounds) tilt.

Daron Cruickshank vs. Shinji Sasaki

Cruickshank of Wayne, Mich. will set foot in the RIZIN FF ring for the first time, following a 4-year, 13-fight stint with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) that included wins over rival stars Yves Edwards, Erik Koch and Anthony Njokuani.

A two-time NCAA Division III wrestling national qualifier for Olivet College and a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, the 5-foot-8, 30-year-old Cruickshank has gained admiration from fans worldwide with his set of explosive striking skills.

Sasaki of Hiroshima, Japan is a former Shooto Pacific Rim champion in the midst of a three-fight win streak. In his last start on March 12, the 5-foot-9, 35-year-old who has earned 10 of his 16 career wins by way of submission, scored a thunderous, 40-second TKO on Won Sik Park with a storm of punches.

(Above: Chris “Huggy Bear” Barnett, clad in his signature, full-body bear suit, stands behind MMA legends Fedor Emelianenko (left) and Wanderlei Silva (right) at a press conference in Japan before Barnett’s first round TKO victory over Shinichi Suzukawa on New Year’s Eve 2014)

Chris Barnett vs. Kirill Sidelnikov

With heavy hands, incredible agility for his massive physique and an eccentric personality that spawned his “Huggy Bear” moniker, Barnett of Tampa, Fla., has been making noise in the MMA world of late.

The 5-foot-9, 29-year-old who makes his ring entrances wearing a full-body bear suit and celebrates his victories by performing breakdance moves and cartwheels in the ring, has earned 12 of his 14 career wins to date by way of (T)KO. In his last start, he scored a first round TKO (punches) on Shinichi Suzukawa, in Tokyo on December 31

Sidelnikov of Stary Oskol, Russia is a 5-foot-11, 27-year-old former protégé of all-time MMA great Fedor Emelianenko. On December 29, he made his return to the ring after a five-year hiatus, scoring a devastating, first round (2:23) TKO (punches) on Carlos Toyota at the inaugural RIZIN FF event in Saitama, Japan.

Gabi Garcia vs. Anna Malyukova

A six-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion and ninth degree black belt, the 6-foot-2, 30-year-old Garcia of Los Angeles, Calif. via Sao Paulo, Brazil will return to the RIZIN FF ring for the second time after scoring a first round (2:36) TKO (punches) on Lei’d Tapa on December 31.

Malyukova of Penza, Penza Oblast, Russia is a former collegiate basketball star turned Russian MMA Championship and World Cup of MMA winner. After amassing a near unblemished, amateur career record of 7-1, Malyukova made her professional debut on September 26, 2015, earning a unanimous decision over Tatiana Portova.

Teodoras Aukstuolis vs. Jaideep “Heart” Singh

The 6-foot, 24-year-old Aukstuolis of Ukmerge, Lithuania is a national Judo champion who has been dubbed the “Lithuanian Werewolf” by Japanese fans who witnessed the young fighter use his aggressive style to knock out (punch) Bruno Henrique Cappelozza in the first round (3:32) of the RIZIN FF Grand Prix tournament’s quarterfinal stage of battle on December 29, 2015, before being ousted by eventual tournament champion “King Mo” Lawal in the semifinal round

All but one of Aukstuolis’ wins, thus far, have come by way of (T)KO or submission.

Singh of Punjab, India is a 6-foot-6, 28-year-old, former K-1 and RISE heavyweight kickboxing tournament champion who took his biggest risk to date when he stepped in the ring with Emelianenko in the main event of the RIZIN FF kick-off event on December 31, losing to the iconic Russian fighter by way of first round (3:02) TKO (punches).

Singh’s highest profile win to date came at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 Final event in Tokyo, Japan when he scored a first round (2:58) KO on Russian superstar Sergei Kharitonov with a right hook.

Vadim Nemkov vs. Karl “King” Albrektsson

Another protégé of Emelianenko and the younger brother of M-1 Global light heavyweight kingpin Viktor Nemkov, the 23-year-old Vadim of Stary Oskol is a three-time national and 2014 world combat Sambo champion.

Nemkov reached the semifinal stage of the RIZIN FF Grand Prix tournament on December 29, finishing Goran Reljic by way of first round (2:58) TKO (punches) before being ousted from the eight-man playoff by Jiri Prochazka.

The 6-foot-2, 22-year-old Abrektsson of Sweden will make his RIZIN FF promotional debut as one of the hottest emerging forces in Europe. With a fearless, straightforward style of offense, the Pancrase Gym team member has finished all four of his professional opponents inside of two rounds, via (T)KO or submission.

Priced from 100,000 yen, tickets for “Top Presents RIZIN Fighting Federation I,” which takes place at Nippon Gaishi Hall, are on sale and can be purchased online at Ticketbis.com.

In the main event, former PRIDE FC middleweight champion and prolific superstar Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva (35-12-1, 1 NC) will team up with a fighter to be announced soon, in a special grappling “tag match,” and battle a duo consisting of fellow legend, Kazushi Sakuraba, (26-17-1, 2 NC) and Hideo Tokoro (33-28-2).

In a 180-pound MMA rules catchweight contest, devastating power puncher Hisaki Kato (5-2) will take on fellow finisher Yuta “Andre” Watanabe (19-6-4).

Returning to action for the first time in five years, beloved heavyweight Kazuyuki “Ol’ Ironhead” Fujita (15-10), will face recent RIZIN FF Grand Prix tournament runner-up and dangerous knockout artist Jiri “Denisa” Prochazka (16-3-1).

In flyweight (125 pounds) action, submission ace Allan “Puro Osso” Nascimento (14-3) will lock horns with red-hot champion Yuki Motoya (15-4, 1 NC).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

# # #

About UFC®
UFC® is a premium global sports brand and the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Sao Paulo and Singapore, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 150 countries and territories to more than one billion TV households worldwide in 21 different languages. UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service, delivers exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content to fans around the world. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

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

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

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

ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING

“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a worldwide premier professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters from around the world. For more information please visit WSOF.com and follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries. WSOF and World Series of Fighting are registered trademarks of MMAWC, LLC.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING

“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a worldwide premier professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters from around the world. For more information please visit WSOF.com and follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries. WSOF and World Series of Fighting are registered trademarks of MMAWC, LLC.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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