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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING

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

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

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

Mark Hunt scored a 1-punch, 1st round knockout over former Heavyweight champion Frank Mir in Brisbane, Australia.

Hunt landed a perfect right hand that crumpled Mir to the canvas and Hunt just walked away from a prone Mir and the fight was stopped at 3:01.

Hunt, 264 lbs id 12-10-1. Mir, 264 lbs from Las Vegas, NV is 18-11-1.

Neil Magny scored a 3rd round stoppage over Hector Lombard in a lightweight bout.

After a rough start, where he was almost knocked out in the first minute, Magny came back in round two to deliver some vicious ground and pound in round two. In round three, Magny landed an elbow that got Lombard to the ground and a few shots later the fight was stopped at 46 seconds.

Magny, 170 lbs of Denver, CO is 18-5. Lombard, 170 lbs of Coconut Creek, FL is 34-5-1-2.

Jake Matthews scored a 3rd round chokeout over Johnny Case in a Lightweight bout.

Matthews worked the body with kicks and punches and in round three made Case tap with a rear naked choke at 4:45.

Matthews, 155 lbs of Epping, AUS is 11-1. Case, 155 lbs of Jefferson, IA is 22-5.

In round two, Case began to bleed on the outside of his left eye.

Daniel Kelly scored a come from behind 3rd round stoppage over Antonio Castro Junior in a middleweight bout.

Kelly began to belled from the bridge of his nose in round two. In round three, Kelly was all over Junior and pounded him on the ground viciously until Junior’s nose bled and the fight was stopped at 1:36.

Kelly, 186 lbs of Melbourne, AUS is 11-1. Junior, 186 lbs of Coconut Creek, FL is 6-2-1.

Steve Bosse scored a devastating 1-punch knockout over James Te Huna in a Light Heavyweight bout.

Bosse landed a crushing short right to the jaw that dropped Te Huna cold and the fight was stopped at 52 seconds of round one.

Bosse, 204 lbs of St. Jean, QUE, CAN is 11-2. Te Huna, 205 lbs of Penrith, AUS is 18-9.

Bec Rawlings won a unanimous decision over Sohee Han in a flyweight bout.

Rawlings, 116 lbs of Brisbane, AUS won by scores of 30-27 twice and 29-28 and is now 7-4. Han, 115 lbs of Buson, South Korea is 16-7.

Alan Jouban stopped Brandon O’Riley in the 1st round of their Welterweight bout.

Jouban dropped O’Riley with a double elbow and followed up with a flurry of punches and the fight was stopped at 2:15.

Jouban, 171 lbs of Los Angeles is now 13-4. O’Riley, 168 lbs of Brisbane, AUS is 6-2.

Dan Hooker scored a 1st round Guillotine choke over Mark Eddiva in a featherweight bout.

The end came at 1:24 for Hooker, 146 lbs of Auckland, NZ and is now 14-6. Eddiva, 145 lbs of Baguio City, PHL is now 6-3.

Leslie Smith won a 3-round unanimous decision over Rin Nakai in a bantamweight bout.

Scores were 30-27 and 29-28 twice for Smith, 134 lbs of Pleasant Hill, CA and is now 8-6-1. Nakai, 135 lbs of Japan is 16-2-1.

Viscadu Andrade won a 3-round unanimous decision over Rich Walsh in a welterweight bout.

Andrade, 170 lbs of Sydney, AUS won by scores of 29-28 on all cards and is now 10-4. Walsh, 171 lbs of Sao Paulo, BRA is 18-8.

18 March 2016 – Yangon, Myanmar: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), successfully returned to Myanmar to electrify the beautiful city of Yangon with another evening of world-class mixed martial arts action. Fans flocked to the Thuwunna Stadium to witness the absolute best in local and international mixed martial arts talent compete on the global stage. In the main event of ONE: UNION OF WARRIORS, Aung La N Sang returned home to a raucous crowd cheering his name. Aung La submitted challenger Mohamed Ali via Guillotine Choke in round one.

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

Aung La N Sang returned to Yangon, Myanmar to an eruption of cheers from his hometown crowd. “The Burmese Python” weathered the early storm from opponent Mohamed Ali of Egypt to secure a deep Guillotine Choke to force Ali to tap out. Aung La showed technical finesse as well as true grit and determination in overcoming a spirited effort from Ali. After the bout, Aung La then took the time to call out ONE Middleweight World Champion, Vitaly Bigdash.

“We did it guys! We did it,” said Aung La. “Bigdash, you have my belt! We want that belt!”

Former flyweight champion Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes of Brazil successfully returned to the ONE Cage after losing the title in his last bout, defeating charismatic opponent Eugene Toquero of the Philippines. Midway into the fight, Toquero rocked Moraes with a flying knee and follow up strikes. This caused Moraes to rely on his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills to carry him to victory. Once on the mat, Moraes sunk in a D’Arce Choke to seal the deal.

Tha Pyay Nyo remains unbeaten inside the ONE Cage with a gutsy performance against fellow Burmese fighter Kyal Sin Phyo. The two battled to near exhaustion for three rounds to the delight of the crowd, but in the end, it was Tha Pyay Nyo who emerged victorious. A barrage of strikes which landed for Tha Pyay Nyo compelled the referee to step in and call a halt to the contest.

Evolve-MMA’s Christian “The Warrior” Lee turned in a masterful performance, completely dominating opponent Anthony “The Archangel” Engelen with vicious strikes and solid ground control. Lee showcased his array of dazzling spin kicks but it was his zippy left hooks that found a home on Engelen’s chin. After dropping Engelen with a punch, Lee chased him to the mat and finished him off with ground-and-pound.

Lethwei golden belt champions Kyal Linn Aung and Thway Thit Aung graced the international MMA scene, putting on an exciting performance inside the ONE Cage. Both fighters traded heavy blows for the majority of the three round bout, but Kyal Linn Aung’s infamous punch resistance carried him to victory as he overpowered Thway Thit Aung to win by unanimous decision.

Alex “Little Rock” Silva of Brazil overcame a workmanlike performance from Robin “The Ilonggo” Catalan of the Philippines, winning by submission over his third straight Catalan opponent. Catalan had some success trading blows with Silva at the center of the cage, but Silva constantly looked for the takedown and was finally able to get it deep in the first round. An arm triangle choke forced Catalan to tap out shortly after.

Local mixed martial artists Phoe Thaw and Saw L Lay put on a show for fans in Yangon, exchanging strikes at the center of the cage to loud cheers of the packed crowd. Thaw used his reach advantage to keep L Lay at bay with stinging jabs. On the ground, Thaw gained full mount and delivered ground-and-pound to attain the referee stoppage.

Filipino featherweight Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly of Team Lakay offset a spirited effort from debuting fighter Jordan “Showtime” Lucas of Australia, winning by submission in the first round. After a couple of successful takedowns from Lucas, Kelly was able to sneak in a rear naked choke, forcing the previously unbeaten Australian to tap out.

Burmese combatants Thar A Thal Ta Pwint and Kyaw Kyar gave fans a taste of some local flavor with a good, solid contest. In a short bout, Ta Pwint danced inside the cage victorious after securing mount and finishing Kyar with ground-and-pound.

Myanmar fighters Ye Yint Aung and San Thu Oo kicked off ONE: UNION OF WARRIORS with an exciting encounter of local fighters. Ye Yint Aung overcame a fast start by San Thu Oo to win by technical knockout after gaining mount and unloading ground-and-pound.

Official results for ONE: UNION OF WARRIORS
Middleweight bout: Aung La N Sang defeats Mohamed Ali by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 2:38 minutes of round 1
Flyweight bout: Adriano Moraes defeats Eugene Toquero by Submission (D’Arce Choke) at 4:53 minutes of round 1
Bantamweight bout: Tha Pyay Nyo defeats Kyal Sin Phyo by TKO (Strikes) at 1:36 minutes of round 3
Catchweight bout (73kg): Christian Lee defeats Anthony Engelen by TKO (Strikes) at 4:14 minutes of round 1
Lightweight bout: Kyal Linn Aung defeats Thway Thit Aung by Unanimous Decision
Strawweight bout: Alex Silva defeats Robin Catalan by Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) at 4:32 minutes of round 1
Featherweight bout: Phoe Thaw defeats Saw L Lay by TKO (Strikes) at 2:27 minutes of round 1
Featherweight bout: Edward Kelly defeats Jordan Lucas by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 3:47 minutes of round 1
Bantamweight bout: Thar A Thal Ta Pwint defeats Kyaw Kyar by TKO (Strikes) at 2:58 minutes of round 1
Lightweight bout: Ye Yint Aung defeats San Thu Oo by TKO (Strikes) at 3:50 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.

17 March 2016 – Yangon, Myanmar: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), announced today that the mixed martial artists competing at ONE: UNION OF WARRIORS are on track with their weights and are expected to be ready for all the action which takes place tomorrow evening, 18 March, at Thuwanna Indoor Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar. Main event fighters “The Burmese Python” Aung La N Sang of Myanmar and Egypt’s Mohamed Ali are all set for the headline bout.

Visit the official ONE: UNION OF WARRIORS face-off gallery by clicking: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/92amxnc7jtxm8z5/AAAyRdwpf7rQaZK6UaDrGTNDa?dl=0

CEO of ONE Championship, Victor Cui stated: “Just like true professionals, our ONE Championship athletes are on track with their weight management. Their dedication to perform at their best is truly remarkable. Yangon, get ready for an evening of world-class mixed martial arts action as we rock the Thuwanna Indoor Stadium with an awesome night of fights!”

Aung La N Sang stated: “Walking into the Thuwanna Indoor Stadium in front of my people is going to be an amazing feeling. I can just imagine all the loud cheering. It’s going to be the best feeling, and I’m going to use that to my advantage. All my family that’s still in Myanmar will be there, all my high school friends, and all my schoolmates. It’s going to be pretty crazy.”

Mohamed Ali stated: “Fighting in ONE Championship is a great opportunity for me and I dream of one day becoming champion, but my story has just begun. I will do my absolute best in the cage on fight night, and I hope to get the victory. I know it won’t be easy, but I’m well prepared and ready.”

COMPLETE WEIGH-IN RESULTS

MAIN EVENT
Middleweight bout (84.0kg – 93.0kg): Aung La N Sang VS Mohamed Ali

MAIN CARD
Flyweight bout (56.8kg – 61.2kg): Adriano Moraes VS Eugene Toquero
Bantamweight bout (61.3kg – 65.8kg): Tha Pyay Nyo VS Kyal Sin Phyo
Catchweight bout (73kg): Christian Lee VS Anthony Engelen
Lightweight bout (70.4kg – 77.1kg): Thway Thit Aung VS Kyal Linn Aung
Strawweight bout (52.3kg – 56.7kg): Alex Silva VS Robin Catalan
Featherweight bout (65.9kg – 70.3kg): Saw L Lay VS Phoe Thaw

FACEBOOK LIVESTREAM
Featherweight bout (65.9kg – 70.3kg): Jordan Lucas VS Edward Kelly
Bantamweight bout (61.3kg – 65.8kg): Nay Ruby VS Thar A Thel Ta Puin
Lightweight bout (70.4kg – 77.1kg): Ye Yint Aung VS Yan Naing Aung

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

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

*A final weigh-in will take place three (3) hours before the event to ensure athletes are on target and properly hydrated.

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.

TOKYO – March 16, 2016– RIZIN FF, the combat sports promotion led by former PRIDE FC head Nobuyuki Sakakibara, announced during a press conference today, the return of all-time fan favorite Kazuyuki “Ol’ Ironhead” Fujita (15-10), who will take on recent RIZIN FF Grand Prix tournament runner-up and dangerous knockout artist Jiri “Denisa” Prochazka (16-3-1), in a heavyweight Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) contest at the 10,000 capacity Nippon Gaishi Hall in Nagoya, Japan on Sunday, April 17.

Also announced today for the “Top Presents RIZIN Fighting Federation I” extravaganza next month, was a flyweight (125 pounds) matchup between submission ace Allan “Puro Osso” Nascimento (14-3) and red-hot champion Yuki Motoya (15-4, 1 NC).

Kazuyuki Fujita vs. Jiri Prochazka

During his memorable 16-year career in the fight game, the 6-foot, 45-year-old Fujita of Funabashi, Chiba, Japan has collected two major, professional wrestling championships and faced off with nearly every rival force of his era in MMA’s heavyweight division, including former pound-for-pound king Fedor Emelianenko, Mirko Cro Cop, Wanderlei Silva and Mark Coleman, while competing under the elite promotional banners of PRIDE FC, K-1 and Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye.

Fujita’s notable victories include a first round (6:46) TKO (corner stoppage) of “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” Ken Shamrock, a first round (8:25) KO (punch) of James Thompson and unanimous decisions over Gilbert Yvel and two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) tournament winner and NCAA Division I National Wrestling Champion Mark Kerr.

The 6-foot-4, 23-year-old Prochazka of Hosteradice, Czech Republic is coming off a breakthrough performance in which he scored a first round (1:36) TKO (head kick and knee strikes) of Olympic Judo Gold Medalist Satoshi Ishii in the quarterfinal stage of the RIZIN FF eight-man Grand Prix elimination tournament on December 29, 2015.

Two days later, Prochazka returned to the ring and earned a first round (10:00) TKO (retirement) win over Vadim Nemkov before suffering a first round (5:09) KO (punch) at the hands of superstar “King Mo” Lawal in the championship stage round. Of Prochazka’s 16 career wins, 13 have come by way of (T)KO and 2 by way of submission.

Allan Nascimento vs.Yuki Motoya

Touted as a miniature version of all-time great Anderson Silva, the 24-year-old Nascimento of Sao Paulo, Brazil boasts an astounding 86 percent submission rate, having forced 12 of the 14 opponents he has conquered, to tap out.

At 5-foot-9, Nascimento towers over the majority of his competition in the 125-pound division, and is known for effectively using his reach advantage and high-level Muay Thai skills to frustrate and inflict damage on opponents from a distance, and set up slick submissions.

The 5-foot-7, 26-year-old Motoya of Nagoya is the reigning DEEP flyweight champion and the number one ranked 125-pound fighter in Japan. Motoya is riding a seven-fight win streak, with four of the victories coming by way of TKO or submission.

In his last start on December 29, Motoya faced off with Felipe Efrain at the inaugural RIZIN FF event, outworking Efrain early in the bout before suddenly being floored by a left hand that Efrain followed up on with a series of strikes, prompting the referee to stop the contest. Because Efrain had not made weight for the fight, however, the result was overturned from TKO to no contest.

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 all-time great 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 contest, devastating power puncher Hisaki Kato (5-2) will take on fellow prolific finisher Yuta “Andre” Watanabe (19-6-4).

Additional bouts for “Top Presents RIZIN Fighting Federation I” will be announced soon.

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (March 16, 2016) – M-1 Challenge welterweight champion Murad “Hunter” Abdulaev will make his first title defense, April 8 in M-1 Challenge 65,against undefeated challenger Alexey Kunchenko at Ice Palace Sports Center in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Abdulaev vs. Kunchenko replaces the rescheduled M-1 Challenge lightweight championship bout between defending champion Mansour “Tarzan” Barnaoui and challenger Artem Damkovsky due to injuries suffered by both fighters during training camp.

M-1 Global has also announced an M-1 Challenge 65 match between former M-1 Challenge lightweight champion Maxim Divnich and M-1 Global debuting Robert Turnquest.

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).

Abdulaev (13-1-0, M-1: 4-1-0) captured the vacant M-1 Challenge lightweight title last June at M-1 Challenge 58, taking a five-round decision from Marcelo Brito. A powerful striker always with knockout intentions, Abdulaev (shown above in action) has been out of action since then due to a variety of reasons.

Also a KO specialist like his fellow-Russian opponent, Kunchenko (12-0-0, M-1: 4-0-0) has stopped 10 of his 12 victims inside the distance. The Russian (shown above kicking) was M-1 Global’s 2015 Prospect of the Year.

Divnich (11-1-0, M-1: 5-1-0) captured the vacant M-1 Challenge lightweight crown December 19, 2014, registering a third-round technical knockout (punches) of Dzhambulat Kurbanov (shown above getting hit by Divnich on right) at M-1 Challenge 54.

Fighting out of Pensacola, Florida, American, US Navy veteran Turnquest (5-1-0, M-1: 0-0-0) will be making his M-1 Global debut against Kunchenko. Turnquest (pictured to right) is the Atlas Fights welterweight champion who has a strong Judo background. He competed in the 2013 World Games for military competitors.

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 by 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.

Information

www.M1Global.tv
www.mixfight.ru
www.wmmaa.org

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REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – March 15, 2016 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) today announced the official launch of EA SPORTS™ UFC® 2, available in retail stores and as a digital download on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The game features the largest roster ever for an official UFC® game, boasting more than 250 athletes, including cover stars, UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor and former UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, as well as all-time fighting legends like Mike Tyson, UFC Hall of Famer Bas Rutten, Kazushi Sakuraba, and Bruce Lee – all unlockable by making it to the UFC Hall of Fame in Career Mode. EA SPORTS UFC 2 also introduces a Knockout Physics System that, when paired with thousands of new animations and updated character likenesses, makes knockouts more dynamic and realistic than ever.

“By listening to fans, sharpening our fundamentals, focusing on areas of innovation in gameplay, and adding massive depth to modes, we believe we’ve taken the franchise and MMA games to the next level with this one,” said EA SPORTS UFC 2 Creative Director, Brian Hayes. “We’re excited that it’s finally time to ask fans to stare back at their opponent, bite down on their mouth piece, come out swinging and finish the fight.”

EA SPORTS UFC 2 delivers a mode for every fight fan, including the series introduction of Custom Event Creator, UFC Ultimate Team™, and Live Events which allow players to gain in-game rewards for playing out real-world fight cards before they happen. The game also features the brand-new Knockout Mode, which does away with clinches, grappling and submissions in favor of pure heart-pounding, stand-up fighting action. However, when fights do go to the ground, EA SPORTS UFC 2 gives fighters the tools to master mixed martial arts (MMA), including Grapple Assist, a new graphic overlay that helps fans dominate the clinch and find their next move on the ground.

“This game is an authentic representation of the UFC brand experience, bringing the excitement of the Octagon to life for all fight fans,” UFC Senior Vice President of Global Consumer Products, Tracey Bleczinski said. “From the walkout, incorporating the new UFC Fight Kit, to the intensity of being face-to-face with the top combat sports athletes in the world, this game has it all.”

Assets for EA SPORTS UFC 2 can be found here and game trailers can be watched here.

EA SPORTS UFC 2 is developed by EA Vancouver, and is available now in North America and will be available March 17 worldwide on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. EA Access* members can try the full game for a limited time and get 10% off the digital version of the game on Xbox One. Fans should keep an eye on the website, as well as the EA SPORTS UFC Facebook and Twitter pages to make sure they’re always up-to-date on the latest and greatest news.

EA SPORTS™ is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, fan programs and cross-platform digital experiences. EA SPORTS creates connected experiences that ignite the emotion of sports through videogames, including Madden NFL football, EA SPORTS™ FIFA, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, Rory McIlroy PGA TOUR® golf, and EA SPORTS UFC®.

For more information about EA SPORTS, including news, video, blogs, forums and game apps, please visit www.easports.com to connect, share and compete.

*CONDITIONS, LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS APPLY. SEE EA.COM/EAACCESS/TERMS AND EA.COM/EAACCESS FOR DETAILS.

About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, personal computers, mobile phones and tablets. EA has more than 300 million registered players around the world. In fiscal year 2015, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.5 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality blockbuster brands such as The Sims™, Madden NFL, EA SPORTS™ FIFA, Battlefield™, Dragon Age™ and Plants vs. Zombies™. More information about EA is available at www.ea.com/news.

EA SPORTS, Ultimate Team, SSX, The Sims, Dragon Age, Plants vs. Zombies and Battlefield are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. and its subsidiaries. Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Ultimate Fighting®, UFC®, The Ultimate Fighter®, Octagon Girls®, Submission®, As Real As It Gets®, Zuffa®, Octagon® and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC and affiliated entities in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC or other respective owners. Any use of the preceding copyrighted program, trademarks, trade dress, or other intellectual property owned by Zuffa, LLC is strictly prohibited without the express written consent of Zuffa. All rights are hereby expressly reserved. John Madden, NFL, NHL, NBA, PGA TOUR and FIFA are the property of their respective owners and used with permission. Xbox is a trademark of the Microsoft group of companies. “PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

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.

Las Vegas – UFC® and GuardLab® today announced a global licensing agreement to provide UFC athletes with custom mouthguards. GuardLab, a custom mouthguard company, will also offer UFC branded mouthguards for fight fans to purchase through GuardLab.com and certified GuardLab dentist locations.

“With the ever-changing landscape in professional sports, we’re always looking for the next cutting-edge technology and innovation to aid athletes that compete in the UFC,” UFC Senior Vice President of Global Consumer Products Tracey Bleczinski said. “We are excited to partner with GuardLab as they continue to develop products that help improve the overall performance and wellness of professional athletes.”

“UFC is an exciting world-class organization, and we are thrilled about our partnership to equip and offer their athletes with what we believe to be a transformative piece of sports technology,” GuardLab CEO Aidan Butler said. “We are committed to creating an engaging brand experience and delivering a superior product for athletes everywhere.”

UFC and GuardLab will work in conjunction to consistently educate athletes on general awareness and the overall benefits of wearing protective guards. A complimentary mouthguard will be made available to all UFC athletes beginning immediately at athlete summits and all events. All UFC athletes have the option of wearing this mouthguard during training and while competing at UFC events.

GuardLab is a custom mouthguard company using 3D scanning and 3D printing technologies, engineered with a proprietary Alignment Repositioning Cushion (ARC™). For more information about GuardLab, please visit http://www.guardlab.com/.

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.

About GuardLab®
GuardLab, Inc. is a revolutionary custom mouthguard company headquartered in New York City with a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility on Long Island, New York. GuardLab is a custom mouthguard company using 3D scanning and 3D printing technologies, engineered with a proprietary Alignment Repositioning Cushion (ARC™). The neuromuscular mouthguards are designed to reduce the risk of injury from impact and enhance athletic performance through improved body alignment and increased airflow. Pioneered with two world-class dentists, GuardLab optimizes the bite of the individual athlete and captures the information digitally to create a bespoke neuromuscular mouthguard at a cost, quality and speed that truly disrupts the industry. GuardLab offers upper protection mouthguards for contact and combat sports, lower performance mouthguards for training and endurance sports and recovery guards for light clenching and grinding for sleep and post-training. GuardLab mouthguards are designed to benefit every type of athlete, from active individuals, high school and college players, as well as elite professionals. GuardLab mouthguards are available to consumers through events and a growing nationwide network of dentists found on Guardlab.com. For more information visit Guardlab.com and follow GuardLab on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

MONTE CARLO, Monaco (March 14, 2016)- World Mixed Martial Arts Association (WMMAA) President Vadim Finkelchtein, who founded the sanctioning organization in 2012, continues to lead WMMAA and the sport into a very bright future.

In four short years, WMMAA has already developed into the strongest sanctioning body in the MMA world, hosting some of the sport’s most prestigious championships, as well as creating a highly respected culture in throughout sports worldwide.

Finkelchtein answered some pertinent questions below about WMMAA, its past and future, in addition to addressing the growth of mixed martial arts:

Can you tell us about you and your experience in Martial Arts?
VF: “I practiced judo when I was a kid. Back then there was no MMA whatsoever.”

How did you first enter the world of MMA?
VF: “In 1995, I was offered an opportunity to sponsor an MMA event. That’s when I learned about and fell in love with no holds barred, or free-fight, as it was called then. In 1997, I organized my own event in Russia. The rest is history.”

When did you first hear of MMA and what was your first impression? Did
you expect this sport to grow as much as it has today?
VF: “When I saw my first MMA event in 1995, I was amazed by its scale and how many people came to watch. People were genuinely interested. It was a whole other level and approach to a sports event. And I had seen a lot so I could compare empirically. I have always believed in MMA and expected it would eventually become the number one sport in the world, although back then no one would acknowledge MMA as a sport. Our
athletes and fight teams had a hard time. They were not even welcome in sambo gyms to train there. It was a long and a hard way to change MMA’s image that was deemed as human cock fighting or closely related to organized crime. Thanks to the fact I have never had any relations to crime, when this sport landed in my hands in late 90’s, it
helped greatly as we were able to turn the tide and after all these years to help governments to officially recognize MMA.”

What is your function and main activities within WMMAA?
VF: “I founded the World MMA Association in 2012 because I felt the time had come. MMA is the fastest growing sport and it’s time to start developing it at another level, giving it a new but essential dimension. Due to its popularity, thousands of fans of all ages started practicing in Mixed Martial Arts. At that moment, I had accumulated a vast network in multiple countries. I knew countless numbers of activists across the globe, so the start was destined to happen. From the get-go over 20 countries joined the WMMAA family. At this moment there are over 60 countries and counting.”

How would you assess WMMAA’s progress during its three year existence?
VF: “WMMAA is still in its infancy. Yes, we lack experience and financing, and MMA is a new kind of sport in many regions. But I have to say that we’re growing and the last World Championship in Czech Republic proved it. Over 40 national teams flew to Prague with over 200 athletes. The level of competition evolved so much. The organizational level was also high and we are thankful to our Czech MMA Federation for its great work. This World Championship proved there is demand for MMA around the world.”

What are the main goals of WMMAA and what are the main obstacles facing
the association?
VF: “The goals are to encourage as many countries as possible to join the WMMAA
family, to facilitate them in their struggle to get MMA recognized in their respective countries, helping them develop amateur MMA. There are countless obstacles but I firmly believe we’ll prevail.”

Were there any countries that stood out or surprised you?
VF: “China surprised me a lot. They joined WMMAA recently but since then they’ve shown solid results. Also, I enjoyed the performance of Latin American teams. It was their debut but one Colombian kid (Andrey Roa Ruiz Dumar) won a bronze medal and that was great.

Once again, Russia won the majority of the medals due to amateur MMA there developing with extremely rapid strides ever since early 2012. Fedor Emelianenko is the main locomotive and driving force in Russia. The selection process there is just unbelievable. You can’t imagine how many steps one needs to make in order to become the champion of the Russian Federation. The City Championship, Oblast Championship, regional and national championship. Each of these events consists of at least three fights, which means that a Russian champion will probably have had at least won 15 fights under his belt by the time of the European or World Championships. Only truly the best get to the top. Imagine this: around 7,000 athletes participated in the aforementioned events in 2015.”

What are the 2016 mid-term goals for WMMAA?
VF: “The normal routine is to hold the Asian Championship, Pan-American Championship, multiple referee and judge seminars and certifications, then prepare for the European and, consequently, the World Championship that will coincide with the annual Congress.”

Can you describe what 2015 was like for WMMAA?
VF: “I was amazed with the Asian Championship in Tajikistan with thousands and thousands of fans at the stacked football stadium. I enjoyed watching how many people turned their eyes to an amateur MMA event.”

What words of wisdom would you like to share with the members of WMMAA family?
VF: “I’d ask all WMMAA members to adhere to the agreements and decisions we reached collectively. It pertains to the set of rules, judging process, equipment, unified rules, and youth sports development.”

WMMAA keeps expanding, however, there are still multiple countries that are not yet WMMAA members. Why should any local Federation apply for WMMAA membership?
VF: “WMMAA is the strongest MMA organization there is. We plan to continuously hold regional and world championships and keep developing and evolving. Athletes’ ethical upbringing is also our target. We believe this sport can give so much to the world in various ways and we put a lot of effort into its development. We’ll gladly accept strong and worthy partners into our ranks.”

“We are truly an amateur association, although others may think we are not. The thing is it’s rather hard to verify the real records of MMA athletes. There is no official and ubiquitous database or instance that would provide 100-percentreliable and accurate information pertaining to the amount of fights under someone’s belt. Some amateur fights might be recorded as professional and professional fights as amateur, which was the reason for us canceling the previous rule of pro fight limitation for the time being, in order to develop a new system of fighters’ eligibility evaluation. We are working on that as we speak.”

People keep asking: why should we use SportID and SportData. Can you
explain why it is so essential?
VF: “We are an official and credible sport. Our association ought to be transparent. These databases show the data on athletes, their statistics and numbers. They show the quantitative as well as qualitative growth of mixed martial artists. They facilitate in overseeing the championships registered in SportData, helping to broadcast them. Furthermore, they contain so many functions that it would take me forever to discuss it. Just think of rankings, both individual and national, fighters’ profiles and so on. I need to remind everyone that, based on the Congress decision, the use of and
registration in these databases are mandatory for all our members.”

Information

www.WMMAA.org
www.facebook.com/World.MMA.Association
www.youtube.com/user/TheWMMAA

MMA warriors John “Johnny Merc” Mecurio out of Huntington Beach and a good win away from a possible promotion to Bellator or the UFC will be in tough when he faces veteran fighter in Matt “Berserk” Lagler from San Diego. All this fight offers to fans are two warriors, Mecurio at 7-7 with four of those wins by knockout, and Lagler with 11 wins with four by knockout and five by submission. This fight will be what MMA action is all about.

Not to be overshadowed how about an undefeated amateur MMA star turning pro. It will also happen on April 7th as Gabriel “Vicious Lish” Green, fighting out of Tracy Hess’s Subfighter MMA gym looks to continue his success as a pro. Green was 5-0 as a CAMO amateur with three knockouts and was the #4 ranked welterweight in California. What is amazing is that Green had no previous combat training and won his first bout after only three months of training.

7-0 (7KO’s) Malcolm McAllister pictured above
With Fight Club OC shows always hybrid shows, boxing will also be highlighted with one of the top super middleweight prospects Malcolm McAllister returning to The Hangar. McAllister is an impressive 7-0 with all wins by knockout and has won five of his fights at the OC show venue.

The big boys will be in action as former college football star Adam Stewart turns pro and meets 1-1 Matt McKinney in heavyweight action. Steward played football at Pittsburg State in Kansas and now lives and trains in Huntington Beach. McKinney, out of Oceanside is a former college water polo player and brings a 1-1-1 record to the four rounder.

Santa Ana native and undefeated jr. middleweight Bryan Flores makes his local boxing debut. Flores a graduate of Loyola Marymount University with a degree in Business Administration will look to extend his 3-0 record.

Doors open at 6:30pm with the first bout at 7pm. All tickets priced at $60 are available at www.fightcluboc.com

For Future 2016 Fight Club OC dates and other information go to www.fightcluboc.com.

SANTA MONICA (March 9, 2016) – Bellator MMA is always looking for new and exciting ways to bring the most forward-thinking technology to its ever-increasing fan-base, providing them with unrivaled access to the world-class promotion and its superstars. During the record-shattering “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie” event this past February, Bellator launched a virtual reality initiative, giving fans a new immersive behind-the-scenes experience, from inside Royce Gracie and Kimbo Slice’s locker room before their fights to walking down the ramp with the fighters in front of thousands of fans at the Toyota Center in Houston.

“We’re continuously looking for new ways to leverage technology to bring our fans into the cage so to speak,” said Bellator COO Jason Jordan. “We want to make them feel more connected to the sport of MMA, to the fighters themselves and to the underlying storylines that fuel the emotion and passion of the sport. In this sense, we are very excited about the potential that Virtual Reality holds, and this was unequivocally proven in Houston where we captured some groundbreaking and incredibly immersive footage that I’m sure both hardcore and casual fans alike will enjoy. Not only did we break ratings records that night, but we also raised the creative bar with our VR coverage in terms of literally engulfing fans in the energy and excitement that makes MMA like no other sport.”

To shoot the VR footage, Bellator used three separate six-camera rigs using GoPro cameras including one that was fully spherical, attached to a stabilized, mobile monopod. This camera was used for capturing fighters as they left their locker rooms and entered the arena. Two rigs were tethered to a monitoring command center, which allowed producers to monitor the cameras from each rig. Bellator also used Kolor’s Autopano software to stitch together the footage from the GoPro rigs and Adobe Premiere and After Effects to edit and apply graphics to the final stitch.

CHECK IT OUT: To re-live some of the action from “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie,” fans can check out the Bellator VR Experience by clicking here. It is recommended to use a smartphone or tablet for best results, or better yet a VR headset.

About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

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

09 March 2016 – Manila, Philippines: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has announced nine bouts for ONE: GLOBAL RIVALS which takes place 15 April at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila. Fans in the Philippines will witness all the action live as ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben “Funky” Askren returns to defend his title against hard-charging Russian opponent Nikolay Aleksakhin.

CEO of ONE Championship, Victor Cui stated: “We have an absolutely stacked card planned for fight fans in Manila, and we’re happy to be back at the Mall of Asia Arena for another awesome night of MMA. Each time out, our Manila show gets bigger and better, and this year is no exception.”

Tickets for ONE: GLOBAL RIVALS are available at www.smtickets.com.

Former NCAA Division I All-American and Olympian Ben Askren is a collegiate wrestling legend and one of the finest mixed martial artists in the world today. In just a few fights in ONE, Askren was able to seize the ONE Welterweight World Championship with a resounding technical knockout victory over Nobutatsu Suzuki. The highly-skilled Askren is widely considered to be the absolute best in his division and one of the best fighters in the world pound for pound. His next challenge is a tough one, as he goes head-to-head with Russia’s Nikolay Aleksakhin.

A veteran welterweight from Russia, Nikolay Aleksakhin will make his highly-anticipated return to the ONE Championship cage in Manila this April. Aleksakhin was impressive in his debut for the promotion when he submitted Burenzorig Batmunkh with a rear naked choke within three rounds. Now, Aleksakhin gets the call to face ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben Askren and will look to surprise the crowd with intense action.

Team Lakay bantamweight Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio is one of the most proficient Wushu practitioners in the Philippines. Eustaquio’s accurate striking and cool composure has led him to a few big wins over the course of his career in ONE Championship. In his last bout, Eustaquio scored a scintillating one-punch knockout over Malaysian prospect Saiful Merican. He now looks to replicate his success against Gianni Subba.

Gianni Subba is one of the most promising prospects at ONE. At just 23-years old, Subba is already a seasoned athlete with a stellar 7-1 clip in his young career. He has won his last four bouts and in his last outing, he defeated the highly-regarded Anatpong Bunrad of Thailand. Subba now faces his toughest challenge yet in a bantamweight bout with Geje Eustaquio.

Lowen Tynanes of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, is a 25-year old unbeaten lightweight competitor and one of the most talented fighters in his division. Tynanes uses his aggressive striking approach and no-frills wrestling techniques to subdue his opponents inside the cage. He has defeated some of the biggest names in Asia, and now he is scheduled to take on Japanese veteran Koji Ando.

Koji “The Commander” Ando is one of Japan’s fiercest competitors, having been a mixed martial artist since 2008. The Japanese fighter is never in a boring fight and always remains a threat no matter who the opponent. With an array of diverse striking skills coupled with solid submission grappling credentials, Ando is ready to claim victory once again inside the ONE Cage. This time he battles Lowen Tynanes of the United States.

Featherweight standout Eric “The Natural” Kelly of Baguio City is highly-regarded as perhaps the best homegrown mixed martial artist to come out of the Philippines. The Filipino matches his solid striking techniques with a high-level grappling game, which has resulted in 9 submissions out of 12 victories. Kelly is on the trail for a shot at the featherweight title, but he’ll have to go through Timofey Nastyukhin to get it.

Russia’s Timofey Nastyukhin has notched a series of ferocious finishes since joining ONE Championship, including technical knockouts of top fighters Eduard Folayang and Yusuke Kawanago. He fell short of victory in his last bout against Herbert Burns and Nastyukhin now returns to action against one of the biggest names in the Philippines. He’ll take on grappling specialist Eric Kelly next.

24-year-old Filipino-Australian bantamweight standout Reece “Lightning” McLaren scored the biggest win of his young career in his last bout, a submission victory over Mark “Mugen” Striegl. McLaren showcased great striking skills paired with a technical ground game which resulted in a spectacular come-from-behind finish. McLaren now gets the chance to connect with his Filipino roots as he takes on Muin Gafurov in Manila.

Muin “Tajik” Gafurov of Dushanbe, Tajikistan proved in his ONE Championship debut that he is a relentless, aggressive fighter with solid all-round mixed martial arts skills. He is unbeaten at 10 wins and no losses and is a force to be reckoned with at bantamweight. In his last bout, Gafurov defeated Finnish MMA sensation Toni “Dynamite” Tauru via technical knockout and now he looks to do the same against Reece McLaren.

Team Lakay’s Honorio “The Rock” Banario has long been one of the Philippines’ most respected mixed martial arts veterans. The former ONE Featherweight World Champion, Banario is back and ready to show fans exactly what he’s been working on in the past few months since his last fight. An expert in Wushu, Banario will showcase his lightning quick strikes against fellow Filipino fighter, Vaughn Donayre.

Lightweight standout Vaughn “The Spawn” Donayre is a Filipino mixed martial artist based in Dubai. The Cebu native quit his mechanical engineering job to become a fighter. Donayre is highly regarded as an exciting mixed martial artist constantly in pursuit of a finish and in his next bout, he takes on Filipino MMA veteran Honorio Banario.

Team Lakay’s April Osenio made her much awaited ONE Championship debut against Singapore’s Kirstie Gannaway last year. Although Osenio fell short of victory, the 21-year-old female atomweight learned a lot in her first time inside the ONE Cage. Osenio now looks for her first victory, but it will have to come against fellow Filipino Natalie Gonzales Hills.

Filipino-Australian Natalie Gonzales Hills is a worthy female atomweight contender with a solid record. Her two wins inside the cage have both come by submission, with her ground game proving to be an asset. Aside from grappling, Hills also boasts high-level striking technique to round out her skillset. Against April Osenio, Hills will have to dig deep to emerge victorious.

Young prospect Bernard “Hitman” Soriano of the Philippines will take on Indonesian Sunoto in a three round bantamweight contest, while Team Lakay flyweight Danny Kingad makes his ONE Championship debut against Muhamad Haidar of Malaysia to kick off what should be an action-packed evening of world-class mixed martial arts.

Fans from around the world can witness the action online via live streaming at http://www.onefc.com/livestream. The event will be available for purchase at just US$9.99. For more updates on ONE Championship™, please visit www.onefc.com and follow Twitter and Instagram @ONEFCMMA and Facebookatwww.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.

TOKYO – March 7, 2016– RIZIN FF, the combat sports promotion led by former PRIDE FC head Nobuyuki Sakakibara, announced during a press conference, the signing of all-time Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) great Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva (35-12-1, 1 NC) to a multi-year promotional contract, as well as the first two bouts, one of which will feature Silva, for its second live event that will take place at the 10,000 capacity Nippon Gaishi Hall in Nagoya, Japan on Sunday, April 17.

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

Silva, the former PRIDE middleweight champion and 2003 PRIDE Grand Prix middleweight champion, will team up with a fighter to be determined, in a special grappling “tag match,” the rules for which will be announced soon, and battle a duo consisting of another legend, Kazushi Sakuraba, (26-17-1, 2 NC) and Hideo Tokoro (33-28-2).

Following the April contest, Silva, who held several records under the PRIDE banner, including longest win streak and most KO’s, will compete under MMA rules in future RIZIN FF events.

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

A former HEAT middleweight title holder, the 33-year-old Kato made an explosive debut before a live U.S. television audience on Spike when he scored what was later named “Knockout of the Month” – a crushing, second round (:34) KO (punch) on American star Joe “Stitch ‘Em Up” Schilling at Bellator 139 on June 26, 2015.

To date, all of Kato’s professional victories have come by way of (T)KO.

Watanabe is a 31-year-old grappling ace who boasts a splendid 84 percent finish rate, with 11 of his 19 career wins to date having come by way of submission and another 6 victories having come by way of (T)KO.

The number 10 ranked welterweight in Japan, Watanabe will make his first appearance of 2016 and look to rebound from a first round (2:00) submission (rear-naked choke) defeat at the hands of Keita Nakamura on July 20, 2015, a loss that halted a seven-fight win streak for Watanabe.

In two different women’s bouts, Rena Kubota (1-0 MMA, 31-5-1 shoot boxing) will square off an opponent to be named under shoot boxing rules, while decorated wrestler Kanako Murata (0-0) will make her highly-anticipated MMA debut against an opponent to be announced soon.

The 24-year-old Kubota is a three-time shoot boxing tournament champion who made her much-anticipated MMA debut in stunning fashion at the RIZIN FF New Year’s Eve extravaganza, where she notched a second round (3:31) submission victory over Jleana Valentino with a flying armbar.

The 22-year-old Murata’s impressive resume includes three junior Olympic medals. Her most impressive feat, however, came in 2011 when Murata nearly defeated four-time Olympic gold medalist Saori Yoshida during the All-Japan championships.

Additional bouts for “Top Presents RIZIN Fighting Federation I” will be announced soon.

Follow RIZIN FF:

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

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (March 7th, 2016) — The self-proclaimed “most stubborn person in the world,” Chuck O’Neil admits he probably should’ve put brains over bravado and postponed his middleweight debut in October.

“There were just small regrets I made training-wise,” said O’Neil, who lost that night to Daniel Vizcaya on the main card of “CES MMA XXXI. “Made a couple of stupid decisions and probably should’ve pulled out of the fight, but, you know, you can’t control that now.

“You’ve got to kind of look forward and keep pushing forward.”

With the past behind him, O’Neil (15-8, 5 KOs) returns to the cage Friday night, again fighting on the main card of an AXS TV broadcast at Twin River Casino, when he faces the battle-tested Dennis Olson (14-10, 1 KO) at “CES MMA XXXIII.”

The fight against Vizcaya in October was O’Neil’s first since moving up from the 170-pound welterweight division to 185 pounds, allowing him to focus more on training and less on cutting weight. The downside was the ultra-competitive O’Neil overdid it and, what’s worse, failed to listen to his body when it began to break down.

Not one to make excuses, the Bridgewater, Mass., native brushed off the loss – his second in a row since a signature, 11-second knockout win over Emmanuel Walo in January – and entered his most recent training camp with a more mature outlook.

“Just training smarter,” he said. “Coach Diamond Dave [Keefe] is really smart on not overdoing it. I’m probably my own worst critic and I never think I’m working hard enough or pushing myself hard enough, so I’m staying in constant contact with him as far as what my training schedule is and what I’m doing and making sure I’m taking the ample recovery time to let my body heal and recover so I can put in my best effort.

“Come fight night, I’ll be 100 percent. I feel great. This is probably one of the best fight camps I’ve ever had in my whole career. I feel on point. I feel stronger than ever, my weight’s great, so this is going to be great.”

In Olson, O’Neil is facing a fighter on a similar downward spiral, a rugged, Amerst, N.H., vet who’s also lost his last two bouts. Like O’Neil, Olson is no stranger to big fights; his last bout was a highly publicized regional showdown against Brennan Ward at Bellator 144, which started with a heated stare down at the pre-fight weigh-in and ended with Ward knocking out Olson in the closing seconds of the opening round.

Instead of lamenting the missed opportunity, Ward analyzed both his loss to Ward and his previous loss to Paul Daley at Bellator 140 and hopes to implement a more effective strategy Friday against O’Neil.

“I learned I belong competing at the highest level,” Olson said, “but I still have room for improvement.

“I feel both off those fights could’ve gone either way, but if I can pick out any glaring needs for improvement it would be to take my time and maybe not rush the engagement so much, pick my shots and capitalize. Even though I lost, I still feel like the level of competition boosted my confidence big time.”

The other interesting angle in this fight, aside from the tremendous matchup on paper, is O’Neil and Olson are friends and former trainer partners – workout buddies, according to O’Neil.

“We’d go to the gym and lift together a lot,” he said.

Pleasantries aside, Olson acknowledged, “time goes on and relationships change,” and he hasn’t been shy about his desire to finish the fight fast, regardless of his respect for O’Neil.

“I know he’s been posting saying, ‘This is do or die,’ ‘This is life or death,’ and all this shit, but that’s not what this is, man,” O’Neil said. “You’re not going to kill me. Whatever. I sent him a message when this all came to fruition and just said, ‘Look, man, there’s no need for any disrespect. I don’t not like you.’ He expressed the same thing and I said let’s try to keep this as respectful as possible. No need for any of this bullshit.”

Though he’s been as diplomatic as possible, admitting O’Neil’s strength and conditioning will be a factor, Olson still took a jab at O’Neil’s passion for professional wrestling, suggesting via social media his opponent should “stick to glitter and elbow drops.”

“People like to criticize things they don’t understand,” said O’Neil, who moonlights as a wrestler on the regional circuit in between MMA fights. “They’re looking at it like, ‘Oh, you’re a professional MMA fighter. Why the hell are you doing pro wrestling?’ It’s something I’ve loved since I was a little kid. It’s something that’s fun. I don’t drink, I don’t do drugs, I don’t party. It’s something I do for fun and I have a lot of fun doing it and make a couple of bucks here and there, too, so I can’t really complain.

“If you think all I have is elbow drops and back body drops you’re going to have something else coming for you next Friday.”

O’Neil’s confident his streamlined approach to training camp will leave him feeling as close to 100 percent as possible come Friday thanks to the help of Keefe and his training partners at Tri-Force MMA and Tim Burrill’s Jiu-Jitsu. He’s the same fun-loving fighter with the unmistakable swagger, but perhaps a little smarter now that he’s in his 30s.

“I take really good care of my body,” he said. “I’m really big on strength and conditioning, making sure I’m always foam-rolling and making sure I’ve got the proper blood flow going through my muscular system, so, honestly, I feel better than I’ve ever felt in my life as far as carrying lean muscle mass, as far as feeling strong, durable, coupled with being smarter in training, I feel absolutely amazing.

“I’m healthy, there’s no injuries. Every day my dad texts me asking, ‘No injuries?’ He knows I’m stupid and I get hurt a lot of times. Sometimes it works out better than others. I feel great going into this fight.”

Tickets for “CES MMA XXXIII” are priced at $40.00, $55.00, $100.00 and $125.00 (VIP) and available for purchase online at www.cesmma.com, www.cagetix.com/ces, www.twinriver.com or www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at 401-724-2253/2254, or at the Twin River Casino Players Club. All fights and fighters are subject to change. The undercard begins at 7 p.m. ET with the first televised bout scheduled for 9.

Another champion, the 10th in the promotion’s history, will be crowned in the main event when Woonsocket, R.I., natives Andre Soukhamthath (9-3, 5 KOs) and Kody Norby (6-3) battle for the vacant CES MMA Bantamweight Title in a five-round bout, one of seven on the AXS TV main card.

The always-exciting Matt Bessette (16-7, 4 KOs) of Stafford, Conn., makes his third CES MMA appearance in a featherweight bout against Tito Jones (11-8, 4 KOs) of Panama City, Fla. Bessette is coming off a first-round submission win over Kevin Roddy at Bellator 144 in October after getting knocked out by Lenny Wheeler in his last CES MMA appearance in August.

The main card also features a heavyweight bout between Juliano Coutinho (6-2, 3 KOs) of Boston, by way Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and knockout artist Chaz Morgan (9-1, 7 KOs) of Hammond, La. Coutinho has not fought since April, when Steve Mocco snapped his six-fight win streak at World Series of Fighting 20 while Morgan is looking to avenge his first career loss at the hands of Alex Nicholson in August.

Also in the heavyweight division, Providence’s Greg Rebello (19-6, 11 KOs) puts his three-fight win streak on the line against Newport News, Va., vet Keith Bell (6-6, 4 KOs), who makes his second appearance with CES MMA and first since 2014. Rebello has become a primetime hit with the AXS TV audience, pummeling Tyler King in June and finishing Mike Mucitelli with a highlight-reel knockout in the first round of their scheduled three-round bout in October. The hard-hitting Bell is coming off a 26-second knockout win over Nathan Bryant in January.

Another familiar name with the AXS TV audience, former CES MMA titlist Julian Lane (9-5, 1 KO) of Mansfield, Ohio begins his comeback with a lightweight bout against the dangerous Nate Andrews (7-1, 4 KOs) of East Providence, R.I. Lane has lost back-to-back bouts since piecing together a three-fight win streak under the guidance of CES MMA, including a unanimous decision loss to current CES MMA Lightweight Champion Luis Felix in their rematch at “CES MMA XXX.” Andrews lost his national TV debut to Lane’s former stable mate, Gemiyale Adkins, in August of 2014, but bounced back at “CES MMA XXIX” with a first-round knockout win over Jay Bakanowski.

Rounding out the main card, Providence featherweight Joe Pingitore (5-2-1, 1 KO) makes his second AXS TV appearance in a rematch against Littleton, N.H., native Taylor Trahan (5-5). Pingitore defeated James Grant Murrin at “CES MMA XXIX,” but lost to Trahan via third-round submission in February of 2014. Trahan seeks his first win in his third try with CES MMA and his first overall since September of 2014.

The undercard of “CES MMA XXXIII” features three regional bouts, starring the return of Cranston, R.I., welterweight Gary Balletto Jr. (0-1), the son of former Rhode Island boxer Gary Balletto. Balletto Jr. lost his pro debut to Anthony Giacchina in August and will face New York’s Cruz Johnson, who makes his own debut following a brief, four-fight amateur career in which he finished 2-2.

Featherweight Matt Tullos of Norwood, Mass., makes his debut against Russian Alvi Mochigov (2-0), now fighting out of Fairfield, N.J., while flyweight Shane DeCristoforo (1-1, 1 KO) of Cranston faces Dover, N.J., native Noel Arcibal (1-1, 1 KO).

Visit www.cesmma.com, www.twitter.com/cesmma or www.facebook.com/ces.mma for more information and use the hashtag #CES33 to join the conversation.

— CES —

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (March 4th, 2016) — The challenge of balancing a full-time job in a competitive, fast-paced field with a career as a professional cage fighter is nothing new to Joe Pingitore.

In high school, Pingitore would work during the day for his father’s construction company and then train at night, sacrificing sleep for the thrill of competition after putting in more than eight hours of physical labor.

As a full-time emergency medical technician (EMT) for the past seven years, the Providence, R.I., continues to burn the candle at both ends, though the demands — and expectations — in both fields have increased dramatically over the past year and a half.

Pingitore (5-2, 1 KO) returns to the cage Friday, March 11th, 2016 in a rematch against New Hampshire featherweight Taylor Trahan (5-5), who beat him by submission 13 months ago, on the main card of “CES MMA XXXIII,” airing live on AXS TV at Twin River Casino, Pingitore’s third consecutive fight on national television.

“It’s tough, but mostly every fighter has another job in order to make ends meet. Mine is just a little bit more mentally wearing,” Pingitore said.

“I sometimes do two or three overnights in a week, wake up, and then by the time you get ready to go to that practice at 4 or 5 p.m. the next day, mentally you’re like, ‘I’d rather just stay home and be in bed.’

“Some weeks are worse than others as far as your workload,” he continued. “You never know what you’re going to get on a call or how many calls you’re going to get in a shift. Sometimes I work a day. Like Mondays, I’ll work a 16-hour shift, get out at 4 p.m. and get to practice at 6. Monday is a shitty day, but I pull through. I love what I’m doing and I love being on the ambulance, too, so it makes it easy. If I hated my job and had to do something like that, I don’t think I’d be able to do it.”

With the possibility of more highly-publicized fights and appearances on even bigger stages following his win over James Murrin at “CES MMA XXIX,” Pingitore has no choice but to continue his exhausting balancing act, a routine he admits has become easier to deal with, except during a full fight camp. The worst part? Cutting weight.

“No one realizes what it’s like to diet in that type of situation when you’re always on the road and the easiest thing to do is just pick up some fast food and keep going throughout your day,” he said. “The dieting thing really sucks and obviously when you’re cutting weight you don’t have as much energy as you’d like to. That turns into how you perform throughout your work day, but I make it work.”

Switching camps has helped make the process run more smoothly. After losing to Trahan last February, Pingitore began training at Tri-Force MMA in nearby Pawtucket, owned and operated by former regional standouts Keith and Pete Jeffrey.

“I’ve been improving leaps and bounds over there as far as skill-level goes. I’m doing one-on-ones with Pete Jeffrey two or three times a week now. Every little thing helps. We’ll see what happens next week.”

Three months after the Trahan fight, he agreed to face undefeated bantamweight prospect Darrion Caldwell, a formerNCAA national wrestling champion, at Bellator 141, a major step up in competition. Caldwell won by submission 1 minute, 32 seconds into the opening round and tonight faces former two-time Bellator champion Joe Warren in the main event of Bellator 151 in Oklahoma.

The result that night wasn’t what Pingitore had hoped for, but the experience under the bright lights helped him prepare for his eventual win over Murrin last summer.

“That Bellator fight was the first time I was ever on live TV. I fought a kid I think is going to win the world title at 135,” Pingitore said. “I think he’s going to beat Joe Warren. Fighting a kid like that on that stage, I took the fight not even knowing if I was going to win or not because the kid’s accolades are insane. It was more about seeing what it was like and see what that top level of competition is like, so I’m glad I took that fight.

“When it came time to fight Murrin on AXS TV, the transition was pretty easy.”

Trahan has been trending in the opposite direction. He’s lost four of his last five since beating Pingitore, but has remained active, appearing twice on televised CES MMA cards, and is convinced he’s improved since the aforementioned Pingitore bout despite the string of losses.

“I’ve been working a lot at being a well-rounded fighter and fighting Joe again would show that,” Trahan said. “As far as seeing improvement with Joe, I really haven’t looked at that. I’ve looked at his strengths and weaknesses and have been game-planning on that. I’m planning on a battle and I’m looking forward to March 11th.”

The first time the two fought, Trahan earned the submission via rear-naked choke in the third and final round. Pingitore, a known striker, felt confident on his feet, but lamented letting several opportunities to finish the fight slip through his fingertips.

“I was mostly on my end why he beat me,” Pingitore said. “I gave up my back four times in that fight and the last time I did he snuck in the rear naked on me. He capitalized.

“I knocked him down twice, but I didn’t finish him. I thought I put him out, but the bell saved him. He survived. This time, when I put him down I’m just going to go for broke.”

On March 11th, it’s up to Pingitore and Trahan to show who has improved the most since the last time they faced one another.

“That’s how it is. In the fight game, you’re always progressing,” Pingitore said. “Your styles change, everything changes. Like I said, when I go back and watch my earlier fights and then watch my last fight with Murrin, it’s two totally different fighters. I feel like it depends on who’s coaching you and what kind of game plan you have. I feel like my style has improved leaps and bounds.”

Tickets for “CES MMA XXXIII” are priced at $40.00, $55.00, $100.00 and $125.00 (VIP) and available for purchase online at www.cesmma.com, www.cagetix.com/ces, www.twinriver.com or www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at 401-724-2253/2254, or at the Twin River Casino Players Club. All fights and fighters are subject to change. The undercard begins at 7 p.m. ET with the first televised bout scheduled for 9.

Another champion, the 10th in the promotion’s history, will be crowned in the main event when Woonsocket, R.I., natives Andre Soukhamthath (9-3, 5 KOs) and Kody Norby (6-3) battle for the vacant CES MMA Bantamweight Title in a five-round bout, one of seven on the AXS TV main card.

The co-feature is a potential redemption story for two well-established regional standouts, Chuck O’Neil and Dennis Olson, both of whom who’ve starred on the sport’s biggest stage.

Fighting for the second time since making the jump from welterweight to middleweight, O’Neil (15-8, 5 KOs), a former Ultimate Fighter alum from Bridgewater, Mass., hopes to avenge a loss to Daniel Vizcaya in his 185-pound debut at “CES MMA XXXI” while four-time Bellator vet Olson (14-10, 1 KO), an Amherst, N.H., native fights for the first time since suffering a knockout loss to Brennan Ward at Bellator 144.

The always-exciting Matt Bessette (16-7, 4 KOs) of Stafford, Conn., makes his third CES MMA appearance in a featherweight bout against Tito Jones (11-8, 4 KOs) of Panama City, Fla. Bessette is coming off a first-round submission win over Kevin Roddy at Bellator 144 in October after getting knocked out by Lenny Wheeler in his last CES MMA appearance in August.

The main card also features a heavyweight bout between Juliano Coutinho (6-2, 3 KOs) of Boston, by way Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and knockout artist Chaz Morgan (9-1, 7 KOs) of Hammond, La. Coutinho has not fought since April, when Steve Mocco snapped his six-fight win streak at World Series of Fighting 20 while Morgan is looking to avenge his first career loss at the hands of Alex Nicholson in August.

Also in the heavyweight division, Providence’s Greg Rebello (19-6, 11 KOs) puts his three-fight win streak on the line against Newport News, Va., vet Keith Bell (6-6, 4 KOs), who makes his second appearance with CES MMA and first since 2014. Rebello has become a primetime hit with the AXS TV audience, pummeling Tyler King in June and finishing Mike Mucitelli with a highlight-reel knockout in the first round of their scheduled three-round bout in October. The hard-hitting Bell is coming off a 26-second knockout win over Nathan Bryant in January.

Another familiar name with the AXS TV audience, former CES MMA titlist Julian Lane (9-5, 1 KO) of Mansfield, Ohio begins his comeback with a lightweight bout against the dangerous Nate Andrews (7-1, 4 KOs) of East Providence, R.I. Lane has lost back-to-back bouts since piecing together a three-fight win streak under the guidance of CES MMA, including a unanimous decision loss to current CES MMA Lightweight Champion Luis Felix in their rematch at “CES MMA XXX.” Andrews lost his national TV debut to Lane’s former stable mate, Gemiyale Adkins, in August of 2014, but bounced back at “CES MMA XXIX” with a first-round knockout win over Jay Bakanowski.

The undercard of “CES MMA XXXIII” features three regional bouts, starring the return of Cranston, R.I., welterweight Gary Balletto Jr. (0-1), the son of former Rhode Island boxer Gary Balletto. Balletto Jr. lost his pro debut to Anthony Giacchina in August and will face New York’s Cruz Johnson, who makes his own debut following a brief, four-fight amateur career in which he finished 2-2.

Featherweight Matt Tullos of Norwood, Mass., makes his debut against Russian Alvi Mochigov (2-0), now fighting out of Fairfield, N.J., while flyweight Shane DeCristoforo (1-1, 1 KO) of Cranston faces Dover, N.J., native Noel Arcibal (1-1, 1 KO).

Visit www.cesmma.com, www.twitter.com/cesmma or www.facebook.com/ces.mma for more information and use the hashtag #CES33 to join the conversation.

Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents a pair of world-class live mixed martial arts events this weekend, beginning on Friday, March 4 at 10 p.m. ET, as RFA 36: Barcelos vs. Vannata emanates from Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in Prior Lake, Minnesota. Then, on Saturday, March 5 at 1 p.m. ET, Europe’s preeminent organization returns when KSW 34: New Order invades Hala Torwar in Warsaw, Poland.

RFA 36: Barcelos vs. Vannata will air live exclusively on Fight Network in Canada and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Meanwhile, KSW 34: New Order will be televised live on Fight Network in all territories, including the U.S.

Headlining RFA 36, featherweight champion Raoni Barcelos (9-1) will make the first defense of his title against undefeated prospect Landon Vannata (7-0). In other featured action, Melvin Blumer (12-3) meets Matt Murphy (5-5) in another high-octane featherweight bout, world-ranked flyweight Chico “The King” Camus (14-7, 1NC) joins RFA fresh off an eight-fight UFC stint and he faces three-time promotional vet Matt Brown (10-5), plus Reese Hernandez (14-3-2) takes on Kassius Holdorf (6-1) in welterweight action, Dan Moret (9-2) tangles with Josh Wick (5-1) in a featherweight tilt, plus Logan Storley (2-0) crosses paths with Lemetra Griffin (1-4) in a welterweight contest.

In the KSW 34: New Order main event, the heavyweight championship is up for grabs when beltholder Karol Bedorf (13-2) clashes with British veteran James McSweeney (15-13). In additional title bouts, Tomasz Narkun (11-2) meets Cassio de Oliveira (17-6-1) for the light heavyweight strap, while Artur Sowinski (16-7) and Fabiano Silva (26-6-1) vie for the promotion’s featherweight crown. In other action, Aslambek Saidov (17-4) takes on Yasubey Enomoto (14-6) at 170 pounds, Krzysztof Kulak (26-14-2) meets Maciej Jewtuszko (11-3) in an all-Polish welterweight showdown, plus Antoni Chmielewski (31-14) welcomes Bulgarian Svetoslav Savov (15-5) into enemy territory for their middleweight battle.

In addition to both live events, Fight Network presents live pre and post-fight coverage for UFC 196®: McGregor vs. Diaz, including the final press conference on Thursday, March 3 at 4 p.m. ET, the weigh-ins on Friday, March 4 at 7 p.m. ET, a live Pre-Show leading into the televised prelims on Saturday, March 5 at 7 p.m. ET, plus a live Post-Show immediately following Saturday’s pay-per-view broadcast.

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.

03 March 2016 – Bangkok, Thailand: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), proudly announces its inaugural event in Thailand. Fight fans in Bangkok will be delighted to witness world-class mixed martial arts action live at the Impact Arena on 27 May 2016.

Led by new ONE Championship™ President of Thailand Kamol ‘Sukie’ Sukosol Clapp, ONE: KINGDOM OF CHAMPIONS is set to electrify an arena expected to be packed to the rafters. Headlining the fight card is former multiple-time Lumpinee champion and reigning ONE Strawweight World Champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke. Famous Thai bands Bodyslam and Big Ass are also set to provide explosive musical entertainment to the audience.

For the first time ever, ONE Championship™ will hold its unique brand of live mixed martial arts action deep in the heart of Bangkok. The Kingdom has a history steeped in a rich martial arts background, being the birthplace of Muay Thai. Also known as “The Art of Eight Limbs”, Muay Thai utilizes the eight major contact points of the body in hand-to-hand combat. It is one of MMA’s most widely-used disciplines and its origins can be traced back to 16th century Thailand.

Visit the official ONE: KINGDOM OF CHAMPIONS press conference photo gallery by clicking: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/yutd7qtdti4tf88/AAB5jNTn3HrNolDdhrJquUQia?dl=0.

President of ONE Championship™ Thailand, Kamol ‘Sukie’ Sukosol Clapp stated: “The Kingdom of Thailand has an undeniably rich martial arts history, and I am personally excited to bring ONE Championship™, the world’s most exciting MMA promotion and Asia’s largest sports media property, to fans in the country who have been patiently waiting for years. One of our greatest champions, Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke, cannot wait to return home and defend his belt in front of a hometown crowd.”

Thailand’s own Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke is a former multiple-time Lumpinee stadium champion. He is also the reigning, defending, ONE Strawweight World Champion. He is the first Thai national in history to claim a world championship in MMA. Dejdamrong has built a solid career in ONE Championship™, producing highlight reel finish after finish. His dominance has also proven absolute, having successfully defended his belt against a tough opponent in his last bout. Undefeated after six professional fights, Dejdamrong is delighted to showcase his skills as he returns home to defend his title in front of friends and family in Bangkok.

ONE Strawweight World Champion, Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke stated, “I have waited a long time for this. Coming home to Thailand and performing in front of my people has always been my greatest dream. Now, it’s become a reality. I vow to protect the title and bring the belt back home to Bangkok again as champion. It is an honor and a privilege to receive this opportunity.”

10 Live ONE events will officially be broadcasted throughout this year, aired every Saturday night beginning 12 March 2016 at 10:00pm on Thairath TV.

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.

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.

For Immediate Release – March 2, 2016
Fight Network Presents UFC 196®: McGregor vs. Diaz Pre & Post-Fight Coverage

Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents extensive pre and post-fight coverage for UFC 196®: McGregor vs. Diaz, which takes place on Saturday, March 5 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Fight Network is airing an original UFC 196®: McGregor vs. Diaz Pre-Show all week leading up to the welterweight superfight between featherweight kingpin Conor McGregor and longtime lightweight contender Nate Diaz. A bonus live UFC 196®: McGregor vs. Diaz Pre-Show will air at 7 p.m. ET leading into Saturday’s televised prelims.

In addition, Fight Network is airing the Zuffa LLC.-produced Countdown to UFC 196, an all-access look inside the lives of four fighters bracing for high-stakes showdowns in Las Vegas. Check listings for all airings of the UFC 196®: McGregor vs. Diaz Pre-Show and Countdown to UFC 196.

Fight Network’s live fight week coverage kicks off on Thursday, March 3 at 4 p.m. ET from the David Copperfield Theater at MGM Grand, as the stars of the main and co-main event of UFC 196 meet for the final UFC 196 pre-fight press conference.

The next day, Friday, March 4 at 5 p.m. ET, Fight Network delivers live coverage from the MGM Grand Garden Arena as the UFC launches its new campaign for 2016 with the Unstoppable press conference featuring some of the biggest stars in the UFC, including UFC president Dana White, champions Daniel Cormier, Demetrious Johnson and Luke Rockhold, plus top contenders Jon Jones, Henry Cejudo, Chris Weidman, Junior dos Santos, Ben Rothwell, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson.

Just two hours later on Friday, March 4 at 7 p.m. ET, Fight Network is the destination for the official live UFC 196®: McGregor vs. Diaz weigh-ins, as headliners Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz tip the scales ahead of their main event welterweight showdown.

Immediately following Saturday’s main card, Fight Network will broadcast a live UFC 196®: McGregor vs. Diaz Post-Show, including reactions, highlights, analysis and the live post-fight press conference from Las Vegas.

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, March 6 at 8 p.m. ET, Fight Network presents the Episode 4 premiere of the 10th season of The Ultimate Fighter®: Heavyweights, featuring Roy Nelson, Kimbo Slice, Brendan Schaub, Matt Mitrione and more. The episode will lead into a full encore presentation of UFC 135®: Jones vs. Rampage from September 2011 in Denver, Colorado, which featured a light heavyweight championship clash between titleholder Jon Jones and former champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, plus Josh Koscheck vs. Matt Hughes, Mark Hunt vs. Ben Rothwell, Travis Browne vs. Rob Broughton and Nate Diaz vs. Takanori Gomi.

The full card for UFC 196®: McGregor vs. Diaz includes:

Main Card (Live on PPV, 10 p.m. ET):
-Conor McGregor (19-2) vs. Nate Diaz (19-10)
-Holly Holm (10-0) vs. Miesha Tate (17-5) – UFC women’s bantamweight title
-Gian Villante (14-6) vs. Ilir Latifi (12-4, 1NC)
-Corey Anderson (8-1) vs. Tom Lawlor (9-5, 1NC)
-Amanda Nunes (11-4) vs. Valentina Shevchenko (12-1)

Preliminary Card (Live on TSN2, 8 p.m. ET):
-Brandon Thatch (11-3) vs. Siyar Bahadurzada (21-6-1)
-Erick Silva (18-6, 1NC) vs. Nordine Taleb (10-3)
-Vitor Miranda (12-4) vs. Marcelo Guimaraes (9-1-1)
-Darren Elkins (20-5) vs. Chas Skelly (15-1)

Preliminary Card (Live on UFC Fight Pass, 6:30 p.m. ET):
-Diego Sanchez (27-8) vs. Jim Miller (25-6, 1NC)
-Jason Saggo (10-2) vs. Justin Salas (12-6)
-Julian Erosa (15-3) vs. Teruto Ishihara (8-2-2)

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.

Las Vegas – Two world titles will be on the line when UFC® returns to Las Vegas, as the only two champions in the light heavyweight division over the last five years will once again collide when champion Daniel Cormier defends his title against bitter rival Jon Jones in the main event of UFC 197®: CORMIER vs. JONES 2. The co-main event features the only champion in flyweight history, Demetrious Johnson, and Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo in a 125-pound title showdown. The event takes place in Las Vegas on Saturday, April 23 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

When Cormier (17-1, fighting out of San Jose, Calif.) and Jones (21-1, fighting out of Endicott, N.Y.) meet for the second time, there will be more than a world title on the line. Cormier is looking to cement his place as the undisputed light heavyweight champion in the world and avenge the only loss of his professional career. Jones makes his return with his sights set on the belt he never lost in the Octagon. The former champion, who is widely regarded as one of the best fighters in the history of the sport, looks to prove he’s still the best in the world and take what he feels is rightfully his.

In the co-main event, Johnson (22-2-1, fighting out of Parkland, Wash.) will put his flyweight title on the line for the eighth time against undefeated No. 3 contender Cejudo (10-0, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz.). “Mighty Mouse” is one of the most dominant champions in UFC history, ranked No. 2 on the pound-for-pound list, and a win would tie him for third all-time with Jon Jones with eight consecutive title defenses. Cejudo became the youngest American wrestler to win a gold medal at 21 years old at the 2008 Games in Beijing. A win against Johnson would cement his place as one of the best combat sports athletes in the world.

Also, two of the lightweight division’s most exciting athletes clash as former world champion and current No. 3 Anthony “Showtime” Pettis (18-4, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.) meets No. 8 Edson Barboza (16-4, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). The two striking sensations have combined for 20 knockouts and some of the flashiest and most lethal kicks in mixed martial arts. An early contender for Fight of the Night, both Pettis and Barboza are looking for a big win to put them closer to the top of arguably the most stacked division in the sport.

Additional bouts:
· One of the middleweight division’s top prospects, No. 8 Robert Whittaker (16-4, fighting out of Sydney, Australia) collides with seasoned veteran No. 13 Rafael Natal (21-6-1, fighting out of New York, N.Y.).
· Two of the featherweight division’s brightest young prospects meet as Yair Rodriguez (7-1, fighting out of Chicago, Ill.) and Andre Fili (15-3, fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.) look to continue their climb up the 145-pound ladder.
· No. 13 Jessica Aguilar (19-5, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) and No. 12 Juliana Lima (8-2, fighting out of Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil) meet in a battle of top strawweight contenders.
· Standout strikers Marcos Rogerio De Lima (13-4-1, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) and Clint Hester (11-5, fighting out of Atlanta, Ga.) clash in a middleweight bout.
· Undefeated lightweight prospect James Vick (7-0, fighting out of Fort Worth, Texas) meets versatile Brazilian Glaico Franca (14-3, fighting out of Balneario Camboriu, Santa Catarina, Brazil).
· Submission specialist Efrain Escudero (25-10, fighting out of Tempe, Ariz.) meets Las Vegas’ own Kevin Lee (11-2, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) in a 155-pound bout.
· Dynamic finisher Danny Roberts (12-1, fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla.) and knockout artist Dominique Steele (14-6, fighting out of Cincinnati, Ohio.) face off in a welterweight clash.

Tickets for UFC 197®: CORMIER vs. JONES 2 go on sale Friday, March 4 at 10 a.m. PT and are priced at $850, $600, $400, $300, $200 and $100 (prices do not include applicable service charges and handling fees). Tickets are available for purchase online at www.ticketmaster.com and by phone at (800) 745-3000. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person.

UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, March 2 at 10 a.m. PT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, March 3 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC197®: CORMIER vs. JONES 2 will be available live on Pay-Per-View on Saturday, April 23 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on UFC.TV, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Vubiquity, and in Canada on BellTV, Rogers, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Canal Indigo for a suggested retail price of $49.99 US/CAN for Standard Definition and $59.99 US/CAN for High-Definition.

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.

About MGM Grand

MGM Grand Hotel & Casino is “The Entertainment Authority,” creating the ultimate Las Vegas experience. A variety of accommodations serve every need while guests discover signature dining by celebrity chefs including Tom Colicchio’s Craftsteak, Michael Mina’s PUB 1842, Wolfgang Puck’s Bar & Grill and Michelin three star restaurant, Joël Robuchon. The resort offers a wide-range of world-class entertainment at the MGM Grand Garden Arena; the epic KÀ by Cirque du Soleil; world-famous dance crew Jabbawockeez; master illusionist David Copperfield; Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club; and Hakkasan Las Vegas in addition to a pampering spa and salon and an elaborate 380,000-square-foot conference center. MGM Grand is a wholly owned subsidiary of MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM). For more information and reservations, visit mgmgrand.com, call toll free at (877) 880-0880 or find us on Facebook and Twitter or follow our blog.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (March 2nd, 2016) — A fight more than six years in the making has finally become a reality, and now it’ll be showcased in front of a national television audience.

CES MMA will crown its 10th champion on Friday, March 11th, 2016 on AXS TV when Rhode Island rivals Andre Soukhamthath and Kody Norby battle for the promotion’s vacant bantamweight title in the five-round main event of “CES MMA XXXIII” at Twin River Casino.

Soukhamthath (9-3, 5 KOs) and Nordby (6-3) aren’t just from the same state; they graduated from the same high school, Woonsocket High in northern Rhode Island, less than 20 miles from the capital city of Providence. Though they graduated five years apart, both were accomplished high school wrestlers and both began their professional careers within four months of one another, at which point their rivalry began.

Prior to his last bout at “CES MMA XXXII,” in which he defeated Derek Shorey in 41 seconds, Nordby admitted he’s wanted to fight Soukhamthath since he turned pro in 2012 and promised he’d call out his adversary if he won that night. Soukhamthath, who last fought on the main card of “CES MMA XXXI” with a win over Carlos Galindo, gladly accepted the challenge, adding that he’d like to shut Nordby up next Friday.

Tickets for “CES MMA XXXIII” are priced at $40.00, $55.00, $100.00 and $125.00 (VIP) and available for purchase online at www.cesmma.com, www.cagetix.com/ces, www.twinriver.com or www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at 401-724-2253/2254, or at the Twin River Casino Players Club. All fights and fighters are subject to change. The undercard begins at 7 p.m. ET with the first televised bout scheduled for 9.

The accomplished Soukhamthath has reason to be confident. After losing his pro debut in 2011, the Woonsocket native won his next seven under the guidance of CES MMA, the second-longest win streak in the promotion’s history. Nordby, meanwhile, is a breakthrough star in the making, starting with his surprise win over the red-hot Dinis Paiva at “CES MMA XXXI” in which he ended Paiva’s four-fight win streak via first-round submission. Nordby, who now fights out of nearby Cumberland, has now won three consecutive fights since his last loss in August of 2014, upping his record from 3-3 to 6-3, and has finished each of his last three opponents in the opening round.

The Nordby-Soukhamthath main event is one of seven fights scheduled for the main card on AXS TV. The co-feature is a potential redemption story for two well-established regional standouts, Chuck O’Neil and Dennis Olson, both of whom who’ve starred on the sport’s biggest stage.

Fighting for the second time since making the jump from welterweight to middleweight, O’Neil (15-8, 5 KOs), a former Ultimate Fighter alum from Bridgewater, Mass., hopes to avenge a loss to Daniel Vizcaya in his 185-pound debut at “CES MMA XXXI” while four-time Bellator vet Olson (14-10, 1 KO), an Amherst, N.H., native fights for the first time since suffering a knockout loss to Brennan Ward at Bellator 144.

The always-exciting Matt Bessette (16-7, 4 KOs) of Stafford, Conn., makes his third CES MMA appearance in a featherweight bout against Tito Jones (11-8, 4 KOs) of Panama City, Fla. Bessette is coming off a first-round submission win over Kevin Roddy at Bellator 144 in October after getting knocked out by Lenny Wheeler in his last CES MMA appearance in August.

The main card also features a heavyweight bout between Juliano Coutinho (6-2, 3 KOs) of Boston, by way Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and knockout artist Chaz Morgan (9-1, 7 KOs) of Hammond, La. Coutinho has not fought since April, when Steve Mocco snapped his six-fight win streak at World Series of Fighting 20 while Morgan is looking to avenge his first career loss at the hands of Alex Nicholson in August.

Also in the heavyweight division, Providence’s Greg Rebello (19-6, 11 KOs) puts his three-fight win streak on the line against Newport News, Va., vet Keith Bell (6-6, 4 KOs), who makes his second appearance with CES MMA and first since 2014. Rebello has become a primetime hit with the AXS TV audience, pummeling Tyler King in June and finishing Mike Mucitelli with a highlight-reel knockout in the first round of their scheduled three-round bout in October. The hard-hitting Bell is coming off a 26-second knockout win over Nathan Bryant in January.

Another familiar name with the AXS TV audience, former CES MMA titlist Julian Lane (9-5, 1 KO) of Mansfield, Ohio begins his comeback with a lightweight bout against the dangerous Nate Andrews (7-1, 4 KOs) of East Providence, R.I. Lane has lost back-to-back bouts since piecing together a three-fight win streak under the guidance of CES MMA, including a unanimous decision loss to current CES MMA Lightweight Champion Luis Felix in their rematch at “CES MMA XXX.” Andrews lost his national TV debut to Lane’s former stable mate, Gemiyale Adkins, in August of 2014, but bounced back at “CES MMA XXIX” with a first-round knockout win over Jay Bakanowski.

Rounding out the main card, Providence featherweight Joe Pingitore (5-2-1, 1 KO) makes his second AXS TV appearance in a rematch against Littleton, N.H., native Taylor Trahan (5-5). Pingitore defeated James Grant Murrin at “CES MMA XXIX,” but lost to Trahan via third-round submission in February of 2014. Trahan seeks his first win in his third try with CES MMA and his first overall since September of 2014.

The undercard of “CES MMA XXXIII” features three regional bouts, starring the return of Cranston, R.I., welterweight Gary Balletto Jr. (0-1), the son of former Rhode Island boxer Gary Balletto. Balletto Jr. lost his pro debut to Anthony Giacchina in August and will face New York’s Cruz Johnson, who makes his own debut following a brief, four-fight amateur career in which he finished 2-2.

Featherweight Matt Tullos of Norwood, Mass., makes his debut against Russian Alvi Mochigov (2-0), now fighting out of Fairfield, N.J., while flyweight Shane DeCristoforo (1-1, 1 KO) of Cranston faces Dover, N.J., native Noel Arcibal (1-1, 1 KO).

Visit www.cesmma.com, www.twitter.com/cesmma or www.facebook.com/ces.mma for more information and use the hashtag #CES33 to join the conversation.

SANTA MONICA (March 2, 2016) –Bellator MMA is pleased to announce that one of the most popular, recognizable and beloved fighters in the sport of mixed martial arts, Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva (35-12-1), has signed an exclusive multi-year, multi-fight contract with the promotion. The 39-year-old publicly fielded offers from companies all around the world, but the former Pride FC Middleweight Champion made the decision to take his explosive style to Bellator MMA.

“The Axe Murderer” has fought in some of the most memorable feuds and battles the sport has ever seen. His wars with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Tito Ortiz, Mirko Cro Cop, Vitor Belfort, Dan Henderson, Kazushi Sakuraba, Chuck Liddell, and Michael Bisping are the stuff of legend – but Silva is far from ready to close the book on his illustrious career.

In addition to his Pride FC Middleweight World Championship, Silva’s packed trophy case of accolades includes awards for Fight of the Year (2003, 2004, 2007), KO of the Year (2008), and multiple Fight of the Night awards including one for each of his last three fights, just to name a few. He now looks to continue to provide his award-winning, entertaining fights inside the Bellator cage.

Silva has several options for his first fight with Bellator. Although he has spent the majority of his career at 185-pounds, one of the things that his fans love most about him has been Wanderlei’s willingness to fight the best of the best – even if it was up two weight classes at heavyweight – as proven by his heavyweight wars against guys like Mark Hunt, Gilbert Yvel, Kazuyuki Fujita and Cro Cop; Or, his battles against light heavyweights like Ortiz, and his most recent opponent, Brian Stann, who he knocked out in the second frame.

Silva is the latest in a long line of recent free agent signings made by Scott Coker and Bellator MMA. The former Chute Box competitor joins: Josh Thomson, Phil Davis, Benson Henderson, Sergei Kharitonov and Anastasia Yankova on a roster with champions the likes of: Marcos Galvao, Daniel Straus, Will Brooks, Andrey Koreshkov, Rafael Carvalho, Liam McGeary and Vitaly Minakov,

About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

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

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (March 1, 2016) – The co-main event for “Bellator 153: Koreshkov vs. Henderson” is set, with the news that Patricio “Pitbull” Freire (24-3) will compete against John “Macapa” Teixeira (19-1-2) in featherweight action on April 22 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

In addition, Connecticut’s own “Irish” Brennan Ward (13-3) returns to action in his home state fresh off an impressive victory in Japan, when he welcomes Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos (20-16) into the Bellator MMA fray at 170-pounds.

The two bouts join a main event that features the highly anticipated Bellator debut of Benson “Smooth” Henderson (23-5), as he challenges welterweight champion Andrey Koreshkov (18-1) for his belt. Four preliminary bouts were also announced; additional contests will be added in the coming weeks.

Tickets for “Bellator 153: Koreshkov vs. Henderson” start at just $30 and are on sale now at Bellator.com, Ticketmaster.com and the Mohegan Sun Box Office. The event airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App.

For “Pitbull,” a fight on April 22 is the first step back towards a shot at Daniel Straus’ featherweight title, a belt that Freire held before the two met at “Bellator 145: With A Vengeance.” At 28 years of age and with already 15 fights under the Bellator MMA banner, the Natal-native has been victorious in seven out of his last eight outings and emphatically finished Daniel Weichel in what was a knockout of the year candidate in 2015.

Undefeated in Bellator MMA, including an entertaining victory his last time out against Gleristone Santos; “Macapa” has not suffered defeat since 2012. A product of the highly regarded Nova Uniao team, Teixeira has previously competed in the UFC, where he was a competitor on “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil.” April 22 will only be the fourth time the 29-year-old has fought outside of Brazil.

For Ward, fighting at the Mohegan Sun is like competing in his own backyard. Located 10 miles from his home in New London, Conn., “Irish” has won four times at the Mohegan Sun, all by finish with three KOs and one submission. Most recently, the 27-year-old former NCAA All-American moved up in weight and submitted former heavyweight Ken Hasegawa in Japan while representing Bellator MMA during Rizin FF’s inaugural event this past December. The win brought Ward’s current winning streak to five fights, all coming by way of finish.

Best known to fans as “Cyborg,” Santos enters the Scott Coker-led promotion fresh off a win already in 2016. A veteran of Pride FC and Strikeforce, “Cyborg” has been involved in some memorable tussles against names the likes of: Nick Diaz, Gegard Mousasi, Francis Carmont, and Melvin Manhoef (2x). Now, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt will turn his attention to one of Bellator MMA’s fastest rising stars.

“Bellator 153: Koreshkov vs. Henderson” Updated Fight Card:

Bellator MMA Welterweight World Title Bout: Andrey Koreshkov (18-1) vs. Benson Henderson (23-5)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Co-Main Event: Patricio Freire (24-3) vs. John Teixeira (19-1-2)
Bellator MMA Welterweight Feature Bout: Brennan Ward (13-3) vs. Evangelista Santos (20-16)

Preliminary Card:

Bellator MMA Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Sam Watford (1-0) vs. Dean Hancock (2-0)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Chris Foster (8-4) vs. Felipe Lavandoski (5-0)
Bellator MMA Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Jason Bakanowski (3-2) vs. T.J. Hepburn (4-2)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Pete Rogers (2-3) vs. Mike Mangan (0-3)

About Bellator MMA:
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

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

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (February 29, 2016) – This Friday, Bellator MMA returns to Spike for the third consecutive Friday with “Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell.” The event takes place from the WinStar World Casino & Resort in Thackerville, OK, and features a main event between highly touted undefeated bantamweight Darrion Caldwell (8-0) challenging former two-division world champion and the self-proclaimed “Baddest Man on the Planet” Joe Warren (13-4).
Tickets for “Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” are on sale now and start at just $45. You can purchase tickets at the WinStar World Casino and Resort Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com. Doors for the event open at 5:00 p.m. CT local time, with the first contest taking place 45 minutes later.

“Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” airs live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App.. Additional bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.

Joe Warren (13-4) vs. Darrion Caldwell (8-0)
Warren has just about done it all under the Bellator MMA banner, winning titles at featherweight and bantamweight during his nearly six-year promotional tenure. Now, Warren has his sights set on another run with the 135-pound title, a belt he lost during an intense encounter with Marcos Galvao early in 2015. A 2006 Pan American and World Champion in Greco-Roman competition, the 39-year-old will test himself against a young competitor who excels in the same skillset that Warren has used to his advantage for most of his career, wrestling.

With five impressive outings in a little over a year and a half under the Bellator MMA umbrella, it was only a matter of time before “The Wolf” found himself in a position to compete for a world title. The next stop on the road to championship gold goes through Warren, a man who has held Galvao’s belt already. A standout on the wrestling team at NC State University, the 27-year-old Caldwell most recently submitted Shawn Bunch via rear-naked choke in the first frame, adding to his tally of finishes (4). Initially a featherweight, Caldwell looks much more comfortable now at 135-pounds and as he proclaimed during a recent interview, “I foresee myself competing against Joe [Warren] with a No. 1 contender shot on the line, sooner rather than later.”

Fernando Gonzalez (24-13) vs. Gilbert Smith (12-4)
Gonzalez took a brief hiatus from MMA to compete in the kickboxing portion of the groundbreaking “Bellator MMA: Dynamite 1” event in September, losing a tightly contest decision to world-renowned striker Paul “Semtex” Daley. Gonzalez now returns to his comfort zone of MMA, where he has strung together an impressive four-fight winning streak. A veteran of the Scott Coker-founded Strikeforce promotion, as well as World Extreme Cagefighting, Gonzalez has been competing professionally since 2003.

Smith will be making his Bellator MMA debut against a fighter who is currently in the midst of a four-fight winning streak. “Midnight Magic” is on a bit of a roll of his own, coming into the promotion riding a two-bout winning streak. A veteran of UFC and most recently RFA, Smith won the regional promotion’s welterweight belt in June, defending the title one time before signing with Bellator.

Goiti Yamauchi (19-2) vs. Bubba Jenkins (10-2)
Yamauchi comes into the fight riding a wave of momentum he’s caught after wins against Mike Richman, Martin Stapleton, and Isao Kobayashi. The 23-year-old Japanese fighter has only lost once in six appearances under the Bellator MMA banner and has notched 15 of his 19 wins as a professional by way of submission.

It’s hard to ignore Jenkins inside or outside the Bellator MMA cage, being that “The Highlight Kid” also doubles as a podcast host during his free time. The Arizona State alum notched two straight wins to cap off 2015, most recently, an impressive offensive display against a promising prospect in Jordan Parsons.

Sirwan Kakai (12-3) vs. Joe Taimanglo (21-6-1)
Taimanglo will be making his seventh appearance under the Bellator MMA umbrella, and is riding a two-fight winning streak. A Guam-native, “The Juggernaut” has stopped his opponent in 21 of his victories and has only lost twice in his last 14 fights. Look for the 31-year-old to make an impression against the bantamweight division’s newest commodity.

Kakai is one of Bellator MMA’s latest signings, joining the fray after a two-fight stint in the UFC. “Zohan,” 26, hails from Sweden and owns 10 finishes in his 12 victories as a professional fighter. With a bantamweight title fight one-week prior and another marquee 135-pound pairing in the main event, it will be interesting to see what a win does for Kakai in the grand scheme of things.

Complete “Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” Fight Card:

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Main Event: Joe Warren (13-4) vs. Darrion Caldwell (8-0)
Bellator MMA Welterweight Co-Main Event: Gilbert Smith (12-4) vs. Fernando Gonzalez (24-13)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Goiti Yamauchi (19-2) vs. Bubba Jenkins (10-2)
Bellator MMA Bantamweight Feature Bout: Sirwan Kakai (12-3) vs. Joe Taimanglo (21-6-1)

Preliminary Card:

Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Roger Carroll (16-13) vs. Neiman Gracie (3-0)
Bellator MMA Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Steve Garcia (6-0) vs. Ricky Turcios (5-0)
Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Justin Patterson (6-1) vs. Chance Rencountre (8-1)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Chris Jones (10-3) vs. Ray Wood (5-1)
Bellator MMA Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Derek Palmer (Debut) vs. Jermayne Barnes (0-1)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Steven Peterson (13-4) vs. Stephen Banaszak (5-5)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Treston Thomison (8-4) vs. Aaron Roberson (5-3)

B151_18x24_tunein
About Bellator MMA:
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

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

NEW YORK (Feb. 25, 2016) – Noted mixed martial arts journalist L. Jon Wertheim takes an in-depth and personal look at how Holly Holm, a barely known underdog, was able to knock out women’s MMA queen Ronda Rousey. In the piece, Wertheim visits Jackson Wink MMA Academy in Albuquerque, N.M., the home of Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn. Wertheim investigates how the world-renowned trainers helped guide Holm to victory last November and have established their once-unheralded outpost in Albuquerque as a mecca for some of the best MMA fighters in the world.

Wertheim’s report appears on the next edition of 60 MINUTES SPORTS, premiering Tuesday, March 1 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME. Nathalie Sommer is the producer.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Apple®, Roku®, Amazon and Google. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Hulu, Sony PlayStation® Vue and Amazon Prime Video. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™, and offers Smithsonian Earth™ through SN Digital LLC. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.

Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents a blockbuster megafight this Saturday, Feb. 27 at 4 p.m. ET, as the UFC Fight Night™: Silva vs. Bisping main card emanates from the 02 Arena in London, England.

Fight Network will air the live UFC Fight Night™: Silva vs. Bisping main card exclusively in Canada at 4 p.m. ET, preceded by a live pre-show at 3 p.m. ET.

In the main event, the most celebrated fighter in mixed martial arts history makes his long awaited Octagon return as former middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva (34-6) looks to reestablish his foothold in the middleweight division when he enters enemy territory for a clash with popular British veteran Michael Bisping (28-7). In the co-feature attraction, top 10 contenders collide when former Strikeforce champion Gegard Mousasi (37-6-2) tangles with Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Thales Leites (25-5) in a middleweight duel. Rounding out the star-studded broadcast, undefeated Englishman Tom Breese (9-0) takes on Japanese standout Keita Nakamura (31-6-2) in a welterweight pairing, while London’s own Brad “One Punch” Pickett (24-11) faces Californian Francisco Rivera (11-5) in a bantamweight bout.

Fight Network’s original one-hour UFC Fight Night™: Silva vs. Bisping Pre-Show has been airing all week leading up to the event. Check listings for airings. A bonus live UFC Fight Night™: Silva vs. Bisping Pre-Show will air at 3 p.m. ET leading into Saturday’s main card.

Before they enter the Octagon, Fight Network is your destination for the official live UFC Fight Night™: Silva vs. Bisping weigh-ins on Friday, Feb. 26 at 11 a.m. ET, as headliners Anderson Silva and Michael Bisping tip the scales ahead of their salivating main event showdown.

Immediately following Saturday’s main card, Fight Network will broadcast a live UFC Fight Night™: Silva vs. Bisping Post-Show, including reactions, highlights, analysis and the live post-fight press conference from London.

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, Feb. 7 at 8 p.m. ET, Fight Network presents the Episode 3 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 182: Jones vs. Cormier from Jan. 3, 2015 in Las Vegas, which featured a light heavyweight championship superfight between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier, plus perennial contender Donald Cerrone looks to spoil Myles Jury’s perfect professional run.

The full card for UFC Fight Night™: Silva vs. Bisping includes:

Main Card (Live on Fight Network, 4 p.m. ET):
-Anderson Silva (34-6) vs. Michael Bisping (28-7)
-Gegard Mousasi (37-6-2) vs. Thales Leites (25-5)
-Tom Breese (9-0) vs. Keita Nakamura (31-6-2, 1NC)
-Francisco Rivera (11-5, 1NC) vs. Brad Pickett (25-11)

Preliminary Card (Live on UFC Fight Pass, 12:45 p.m. ET):
-Mike Wilkinson (9-1) vs. Makwan Amirkhani (12-2)
-Davey Grant (9-2) vs. Marlon Vera (7-2-1)
-Scott Askham (13-2) vs. Chris Dempsey (11-3)
-Arnold Allen (10-1) vs. Yaotzin Meza (21-10, 1NC)
-Bradley Scott (10-3) vs. Krzysztof Jotko (16-1)
-Norman Parke (22-4-1) vs. Rustam Khabilov (17-3)
-Daniel Omielanczuk (17-5-1, 1NC) vs. Jarjis Danho (6-0)
-Teemu Packalen (7-1) vs. Thibault Gouti (11-0)

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.

Another sold out/standing-room-only show is taking shape as San Fernando Valley’s only live Professional MMA show returns to the legendary Sportsmen’s Lodge Event Center in Studio City, California on Friday, March 4, 2016. And this time, the boys at Lights Out Promotions and Bash Entertainment are dusting off the California Xtreme Fighting (CXF) banner to fly over the warriors in the cage of the Sportsmen’s Lodge in Studio City.

Many of Southern California’s top fighters have cut their teeth under the CXF Banner including Joe Schilling, Jared Hamman, Tony Ferguson, Joe Condon, Jared Papazian, Francisco Rivera, Aaron Miller, and others. Since CXF’s last event many promoters have tried to fill the void, but none have been able to. “The Return” of CXF has one purpose: to bring together some of Southern California’s top mixed martial arts talent under the same roof for one explosive show.

Here is the stacked card planned for “CXF: The Return” on March 4th at Sportsmen’s Lodge in Studio City:

Pablo Sabori vs Karen Darabedyan – 155 lbs
Shohei Yamamoto vs Erick Gonzalez – 170 lbs
Izic Fernandez vs Marcos Bonilla – 145 lbs
Mosses Murrieta vs John Gendron – 185 lbs
Matthew Spencer vs Idris Wasi – 185 lbs
Bobby Sanchez vs Derrion Chapman – 145 lbs
Taylor Alfaro vs Kyler Phillips – 145 lbs
Chase Gibson vs A.J. Bryant – 145 lbs
Brad Robinson vs Andryii Vasylenko – 220lbs
Keith Cutrone vs Edgar Khachatryan – 185 lbs
Tigran Grigoryan vs Joshua Jones – 170 lbs

“CXF: The Return” presented by In Sync Productions, Lights Out Promotions, and Bash Entertainment, takes place on Friday, March 4, 2016 at Sportsmen’s Lodge Event Center located at 4234 Coldwater Canyon Ave. (cross street Ventura Blvd.) in Studio City, California.

Tickets can be purchased online at
www.valleyfightnight.com or
by calling (626) 388-8888.

Tickets start at $50 for General Admission.

A limited number of VIP bottle service tables are also available.

Doors Open at 6:30pm; First Bout at 7:00pm. All bouts are subject to change.

MONTE CARLO, Monaco (February 25, 2016)- World MMA Association (WMMAA) vice president Tomas Yu, of Albuquerque (NM), who is also president of the WMMAA Pan-American division, took time from his busy schedule to address questions about his MMA background and experience, the sport of MMA and WWMMA in particular.

Can you tell us about you and your experience in Martial Arts?
TY: “I’m from the generation that grew up watching 3 Ninjas, Ninja Turtles… I wanted to be a Ninja! I grew up practicing Tae Kwon Do in Mexico, all the way to my black belt. At age 18, I ventured to practice Aikido and Judo in El Paso, Texas. I loved learning and I always wanted to be a rounded student, which is why I always looked for different arts to offset the weaknesses of the other.”

How did you first enter the world of MMA?
TY: “I was really looking for a place I could introduce my daughter to Martial Arts. I was looking for a more rounded self-defense Martial Art but not a fight club. I was introduced to the sport of MMA by a good friend and pioneer of the sport, Chris Luttrell. I was immediately bonded to the sport, since that is what at one point all Martial Artists are looking for.”

When did you first hear of MMA and what was your first impression? Did
you expect this sport to grow as much as it is now?
TY: “I have been privileged to see the evolution of MMA since 1993 as a teenager, all the way to now, becoming the first Pan-American Division President in the most important Regulation Organization for MMA in the world.”

What is your function and main activities within WMMAA?
TY “My biggest function is to introduce simple business principles to the sport of MMA and keeping Martial Art in MMA. What I mean by that is, the common denominator for every individual Marital Art are (Respect, Loyalty, Honor) and the mixture of martial arts should not represent what people perceive MMA is today. It should be a mixture of Respect, Loyalty and Honor. It should be a much more admired sport.”

How would you assess WMMAA’s progress during its three year existence?
TY: “Well, as an entrepreneur, I’m never satisfied, I always see ways to do things better but the reality is that, in the 25+ years MMA has been evolving and becoming not just a mixture of Martial Arts but also a true blue sport. Many people have tried to add value to the sport with no real success until this past two years with the WMMAA.”

What are the main goals of WMMAA and what are the main obstacles for the association?
TY: “This question has a long and complicated answer! The number one obstacle is pride, pride to admit that past performance or formulas to add value didn’t and won’t work. Pride to admit that working together will pave a new path. The number two obstacle, is UNDERSTANDING, understanding the big picture, like Micro and Macro economics really being two different worlds.

“The sport or art of MMA is much more than what we see on television. There is a much deeper impact to society than pay per view.”

How do you assess the third World Championship that took place in
Prague?
TY: “Moments like these are the ones that 3 years ago we would dream about. Well, last year that dream came true… over 40 countries participated in the beautiful city of Prague. I can’t explain the clash of emotions when you see and hear country after country being announced as they walk into the arena with their head held high as they carry their national flag.

We as an organization created Continental Presidents to be able to perform better follow through and also be more sensitive negotiating in different cultural environments. Our Europe and Czech Organizing Committee did a wonderful job.

Were there any countries that stood out or surprised you?
TY: “The fact they were there, that’s what really stands out! Some countries were participating for the first time. The level of mental competition for some countries was amazing. I can’t wait for the 2016 World Championships.”

What are the2016 mid-term goals for WMMAA PanAm?
TY: “The number one focus for PANAM is the roll-out of our new initiative on ‘Global MMA Officials and Licensing’ to standardize the sport worldwide, but also standardize the officials looking out for the sport.”

Can you describe what 2015 was like for WMMAA?
TY: “2015 was a year of foundations, recruiting, and preparing for the volumes of growth coming our way this year.”

What words of wisdom would you like to share with the members of WMMAA family?
TY: “I have always said that in every sport there is a business behind it, believing: ‘Till this far, MMA is like Capital… it goes where it is welcomed and it stays where it’s treated well'”

WMMAA keeps expanding. However there are still multiple countries that
are not yet WMMAA members. Why should any local Federation apply
for WMMAA membership?
TY: “We are the only organization of its kind. They would be able to get courses, national and international licenses but, most importantly, they can be part of history by allowing athletes in their respective countries to participate in our version of the Olympics of MMA.”

What would you tell them?
TY: “You are not alone. Here is where being part of a team with qualified individuals opening door. Power really does come in numbers.”

People keep asking: why should we use SportID and SportData. Can you
repeat why it is so essential?
TY: “I’ll keep it short. The number one reason – reason enough – is to avoid private owned companies from having biased control on who and how they upload information.”

Information

www.WMMAA.org
www.facebook.com/World.MMA.Association
www.youtube.com/user/TheWMMAA

CONTACT: Bob Trieger, Full Court PRESS, 1.978.590.0470, bobtfcp@hotmail.com @FightPublicist

ABOUT WMMAA: The goal of the World MMA Association is to provide unbiased structure and guardrail the growth of MMA as the official world governing body for Mixed Martial Arts. A non-profit organization founded in 2012, WMMAA is on a mission to develop a standardized and regulated organization, including competition, training, officiating, testing and growth when necessary. More than 50 countries have been granted WMMAA membership.

25 February 2016 – Manila, Philippines: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), announces its return to the vibrant city of Manila in the heart of the Philippines. ONE Championship will again rock the Mall of Asia Arena on 15 April at ONE: GLOBAL RIVALS. In the main event, ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben “Funky” Askren of the United States makes his much awaited return to the ONE Cage to face Russia’s Nikolay Aleksakhin.

CEO of ONE Championship, Victor Cui stated, “We’re always excited for Manila because Filipino fans are so passionate about mixed martial arts that everything just comes naturally! The atmosphere and the excitement in Manila on fight night is truly unparalleled and we anticipate the same when we arrive in April. We have an excellent matchup prepared for fight fans as Ben Askren meets Nikolay Aleksakhin, and we expect nothing less than the absolute best in world-class mixed martial arts action.”

Tickets for ONE: GLOBAL RIVALS are available www.smtickets.com.

Former NCAA Division I All-American, Ben Askren is a collegiate wrestling legend and one of the finest mixed martial artists in the world today. In just a few fights in ONE, Askren was able to seize the ONE Welterweight World Championship with a resounding technical knockout victory over Nobutatsu Suzuki. The highly-skilled Askren is widely considered to be the absolute best in his division and one of the best fighters in the world pound for pound. His next challenge is a tough one, as he goes head-to-head with Russia’s Nikolay Aleksakhin.

Veteran welterweight from Russia, Nikolay Aleksakhin will make his highly-anticipated return to the ONE Championship cage in Manila this April. Aleksakhin was impressive in his debut for the promotion when he submitted Burenzorig Batmunkh with a rear naked choke within three rounds. Now, Aleksakhin gets the call to face ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben Askren and will look to surprise the crowd with intense action.

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 – Legends of mixed martial arts, as well as some of the sport’s brightest young stars will enter the Octagon® when UFC® returns to Tampa for the first time since 2009. With a potential shot at the world title on the line, top contenders Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson collide in the ultra-competitive 155-pound division live on FOX in the five-round main event of UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: NURMAGOMEDOV vs. FERGUSON on Saturday, April 16 at Amalie Arena.

A world-class wrestler, No.2 Nurmagomedov (22-0, fighting out of Dagestan, Russia) poses a serious threat for anyone in the division and boasts an undefeated record that includes a victory over current lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos. Looking to derail the Russian’s hype train is No. 4 Ferguson (21-3, fighting out of Ventura, Calif.), who has reeled off seven straight wins. With a resume that includes victories over Edson Barboza and Abel Trujillo, The Ultimate Fighter® season 13 winner hopes to take one step closer to joining Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, Matt Serra and Carla Esparza as the only fighters to win The Ultimate Fighter as well as a UFC world title.

In the co-main event, No. 7 Rashad Evans (24-4-1, fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla.) looks to climb back up the 205-pound ladder against No. 8 Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (23-10, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil). A former standout wrestler at Michigan State, “Suga” will have to utilize his wrestling pedigree to handle the strength and precision of one of the most aggressive Muay Thai practitioners in Shogun. The ultimate chess match will play out between two former light heavyweight champions finally go toe-to-toe.

Plus, dynamic striker and fourth-ranked Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida (22-7, fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif.) meets heavy-handed No.14 Dan “Hendo” Henderson (31-14, fighting out of Temecula, Calif.) in a rematch of a 2013 showdown won by the Brazilian. Machida’s striking and creative angles have landed him the second most knockdowns in UFC history with 13 (A. Silva 17). Henderson has one of the most feared right hands in the sport which has led to knockouts of elite level fighters such as Shogun, Fedor Emilianenko, Michael Bisping and Wanderlei Silva.

Additional bouts:
· Two of the top strawweights in the world clash as No. 3 Rose Namajunas (5-2, fighting Denver, Colo.) meets No. 4 Tecia Torres (7-0, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) in a rematch that has both hoping for a shot at the world title with a win.
· Rising prospect and No. 8 Beneil Dariush (12-1, fighting out of Yorba Linda, Calif.) returns to the Octagon to face the crafty No. 13 Michael “Maverick” Chiesa (12-2, fighting out of Spokane Valley, Wash.), in a lightweight bout.
· No. 8 women’s bantamweight Bethe Correia (9-1, fighting out of Campina Grande, Paraiba Brazil) returns to the Octagon for the first time since her bout with Ronda Rousey to face No. 13 Raquel Pennington (6-6, fighting out of Colorado Springs, Colo.).
· Knockout artist No. 6 Cub Swanson (21-7, fighting out of Palm Springs, Calif.) clashes with jiu jitsu ace No. 10 Hacran Dias (23-3-1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) in a featherweight bout.
· Brazilian jiu jitsu specialists Cezar “Mutante” Ferreira (9-5, fighting out of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil) and Caio Magalhaes (9-2, fighting out of Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil) meet in a welterweight showdown.
· Well-rounded wrestler Court McGee (17-4, fighting out of Orem, Utah) meets jiu jitsu ace Santiago Ponzinibbio (22-3, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) in a welterweight clash.

Tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: NURMAGOMEDOV vs. FERGUSON go on sale Friday, February 26 at 10 a.m. ET and are priced at $225, $175, $125, $90, $75, $50 and $40 (prices do not include applicable service charges and handling fees). Tickets are available at the McDonald’s Ticket Office at Amalie Arena, online at www.ticketmaster.com and by phone at (800) 745-3000. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person.

UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, February 24 at 10 a.m. ET via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, February 25 starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: NURMAGOMEDOV vs. FERGUSON will air live on FOX at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Saturday, April 16, with the prelims kicking off the evening on FOX at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

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.

AMALIE Arena/Tampa Bay Sports and Entertainment, LLC:
Tampa Bay Sports and Entertainment, LLC is an entity established by Jeff Vinik in March, 2010 to manage the National Hockey’s League’s Tampa Bay Lightning, the Arena Football League’s Tampa Bay Storm and the leasehold rights to AMALIE Arena, the 19,092-seat downtown Tampa home in which the teams play their games. The venue opened in 1996 and was named the Ice Palace at the time, but it became AMALIE Arena in September, 2014 when the family-owned, Tampa Bay-based AMALIE Oil Company elected to partner with Vinik and Tampa Bay Sports and Entertainment. Since Vinik’s purchase in 2010, he has led a complete brand and business transformation of the Lightning, the Storm and the arena which was anchored by a mostly private $85+ million dollar renovation of the publicly owned facility. In 2014-15, the Lightning won the NHL’s Eastern Conference Championship, later appearing in the 2015 Stanley Cup Final.