Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents another stacked card from Resurrection Fighting Alliance as the promotion heads back to southern Calfornia for RFA 23: Murphy vs. Ware at The Hangar at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, Calif.

The entire main card will be televised live at 10 p.m. ET nationwide in Canada and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

RFA 23: Murphy vs. Ware will feature a main event between two of the world’s most exciting bantamweight prospects as Joe Murphy returns to the RFA octagon fresh off a spectacular RFA debut in December. He will face fellow RFA vet and southern California native Terrion “Flash” Ware in a high-stakes bantamweight showdown.

In the co-main event, former RFA title contender Gabriel “Zangief” Checco and “TUF 11” alum Joseph “Leonidas” Henle will meet in a middleweight bout.

“Joe Murphy vs. Terrion Ware will be an exciting main event between two of the top bantamweight prospects in the sport,” stated RFA president Ed Soares. “They have both proven themselves on the talent-rich southern California MMA scene and in the RFA octagon. This will be a fantastic fight in our return to Orange County at RFA 23.”

Murphy (8-1) returns to the RFA two months after a spectacular promotional debut. Murphy, who was born and raised in Orange County, needed less than three minutes to dispatch world class jiu-jitsu practitioner Bruno Frazatto via TKO at RFA 21 and will be riding that momentum into the same building where that demolition took place. Murphy is a Cleber Luciano protégé that made a name for himself on the national jiu-jitsu and submission grappling circuit. He also excelled in high school wrestling, which has given him a very potent and balanced style of grappling for MMA. These skills have translated into five submission wins in his MMA career before he got to showcase his potent striking skills in December. Murphy is eager to shine once again on the international stage in the main event of RFA 23.

“I’m honored to get the main event spot in my hometown at RFA 23,” stated Murphy. “Facing Terrion Ware is a brilliant move by the matchmaker, because we both show up to bring it.”

Ware (12-3) returns to the RFA after making a successful promotional debut at RFA 12. Ware took that fight at RFA 12 on a week’s notice after his teammate Marcus Kowal suffered an injury a week before the fight. Ware stepped up and submitted RFA vet Zac Chavez in the second round via rear-naked choke in a bout that impressed everyone in attendance. In the time since, Ware has won and defended a regional title and is eager to get back in the RFA octagon.

“This is a great match-up between two high-level guys,” Ware explained. “Joe Murphy is a high-level grappler and that’s what you get with the RFA. You’re only going to fight high-level guys on their way up and that’s what Murphy is going to get with me. Getting to fight in the main event for the RFA doesn’t happen for a lot of people, so I feel very fortunate and look forward it.”

The co-main event of RFA 23 will also see the return of Gabriel “Zangief” Checco (7-1). Checco returns to the RFA after headlining RFA 19 in a bout that saw the winner Jake Collier take home the RFA middleweight title and immediately get signed by the UFC. Checco realizes what is at stake with a big win in the RFA and the newly promoted jiu-jitsu black belt is eager to show what he can do in his sophomore performance for the promotion.

“I’m excited about this fight, because I feel like I will be fighting in my second home of southern California. It’s only a few hours from Las Vegas, where I now live.” stated Checco. “I also feel less pressure in this fight, than I did in my North American debut where I fought for the belt. Joseph Henle is a good wrestler and likes the ground game, which is what I like, but I’m also feeling very confident in my hands. I’m looking forward to this new challenge.”

Awaiting Checco, will be Henle (9-1-1) who is a native of southern California that many remember from his time competing on the eleventh season of the UFC’s hit reality show The Ultimate Fighter. In the first episode, Henle submitted current UFC star Constantinos Philippou via armbar to earn a spot in the house. Since competing on the show, Henle has compiled an impressive 6-1-1 record, while competing in the United States and Canada. Henle is now ready to make a statement in the RFA octagon.

“I’m really excited about this opportunity to fight for the RFA,” Henle explained. “Checco is a really solid, well-rounded guy. He brings the wood when he throws and he has a really good ground game. This is an exciting challenge and I look forward to showing everyone what I can do.”

The main card of RFA 23 will also include a high-octane featherweight showdown between RFA fan favorites Raoni Barcelos (7-1) and Jamal Parks (5-0). In the lightweight division, undefeated jiu-jitsu world champion Marcelo “Lapela” Mafra (6-0) faces RFA vet Ricky Legere Jr. (19-6) who will be making his lightweight debut. In the women’s strawweight division, RFA fan favorite Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger (4-1) looks for her third straight RFA win against the undefeated and highly-touted Maria Rios (2-0). RFA 23 will also see the return of two exciting middleweights as John Hackleman Jr. (2-1), the son of famed MMA trainer John Hackleman, returns to face Blake Troop (3-2).

The entire main card of RFA 23: Murphy vs. Ware will be televised live on Fight Network starting at 10 p.m. ET on Friday, Feb. 6.

RFA 23 will be the promotion’s second event in Orange County and its fifth event to take place in southern California. It will be the first time the RFA has visited “The Golden State” of California in 2015.

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

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (February 3, 2015) – Injury has forced Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist Talita Nogueira (6-0) to withdraw from next week’s “Bellator MMA: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko.” However, 24-year-old Zamora Boxing product Gabrielle “Gabanator” Holloway (4-1) has agreed to step in on short notice and will now face Julia Budd (6-2).

A Virginia native, Holloway fought most recently in January, picking up a decision win over Lacie Jackson. She now steps up on less than two weeks’ notice with the hopes of making an impact on the national stage.

Nogueira is expected to make her official Bellator MMA debut later this year.

“Bellator MMA: Manhoef vs. Shlemenko” takes place next Friday, Feb. 13, at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif. The evening’s four-fight main card airs on Spike TV.

Bellator 133: Friday, Feb. 13, Save Mart Center, Fresno, Calif.

Main Card on Spike TV (9 p.m. ET)
Bellator Middleweight Main Event: Melvin Manhoef (29-12-1) vs. Alexander Shlemenko (50-9)
Bellator Featherweight Feature Fight: Pat Curran (20-6) vs. Daniel Weichel (34-8)
Bellator Women’s Featherweight Feature Fight: Julia Budd (6-2) vs. Gabrielle Holloway (4-1)
Bellator Welterweight Feature Fight: Chris Honeycutt (5-0) vs. Clayton MacFarlane (4-0)

Preliminary card on Spike.com (8 p.m. ET)
Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Art Arciniega (14-4) vs. Emilio Chavez (7-5)
Bellator Middleweight Prelim Fight: Blake Watkins (4-0) vs. George Zuniga (3-0)
Bellator Flyweight Prelim Fight: Paul Ruiz (5-2) vs. Nicolas Sperling (3-2)

Preliminary card on Spike.com (Following Manhoef vs. Shlemenko)
Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Nick Bustamante (2-0) vs. Luis Jauregui (2-1)
Bellator Light Heavyweight Prelim Fight: John Paul Elias (2-0) vs. Cody Sons (0-1)
Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Jonathan Contrestano (4-0) vs. Ryan Tobar (3-1)
Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Ray Cervera (8-2) vs. Adam Piccolotti (4-0)
Bellator Welterweight Prelim Fight: Mason Fowler (1-0) vs. TBD

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 TV:
Spike TV 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 TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’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.

LAS VEGAS (February 3, 2015) – With five new streamed matchups set, the full nine-bout lineup is now complete for WSOF 18: Moraes vs. Hill at Edmonton Expo Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on Thursday, Feb. 12.

The new additions include welterweights Andrew “Andrewconda” McInnes (5-1) vs. Cody “AK Kid” McKenzie (15-6), welterweights Mark “Sweet Dreams” Drummond (6-2) vs. Spencer “The Jedi” Jebb, lightweights Dan “Daniel San” Lariviere (3-2) vs. Garret “Nasty” Nybakken (6-6), as well as middleweights Matt “The Riotmaker” Baker (11-7) vs. Ali “The Monster” Mokdad (6-3) and middleweights Marcus “The Loudmouth Assassin” Hicks (19-24) vs. Graham Park (3-1).

In addition to the new contests, there are also a handful of changes to the NBCSN-broadcast main card, as injury has scrapped a planned matchup between Antonio Carvalho and Chris Gruetzemacher. In its place is a new matchup of lightweights Mukai “The Afrikan Assassin” Maromo (8-4) vs. Jose “The Rockstar” Rodriguez (7-3).

Lastly, injury also forced Brandt Dewsbery out of a planned welterweight fight with Shane “Shaolin” Campbell (10-2), and Derek “The Gargoyle” Boyle (13-6) has agreed to serve as a replacement opponent.

WSOF 18: Moraes vs. Hill is headlined by a world bantamweight championship showdown between reigning champion Marlon Moraes (13-4-1) and undefeated challenger Josh Hill (10-0).

Priced from just $50, tickets for the event are currently on sale at Ticketmaster.com and WSOF.com. The four-fight main card airs on NBCSN at 9 p.m. ET (7 p.m. MT local time).

Baker vs. Mokdad and Hicks vs. Park stream on WSOF.com prior to the main card beginning at 8 p.m. ET (6 p.m. MT local time). Meanwhile, McInnes vs. McKenzie, Drummond vs. Jebb and Lariviere vs. Nybakken stream on WSOF.com after the evening’s main card.

Mukai Maromo, of Edmonton, Alberta, is a Complete Fitness and Martial Arts fighter who makes his World Series of Fighting debut. Fighting professionally since 2010, Maromo boasts four of his eight career wins by knockout and owns a 2011 victory over World Series of Fighting veteran Sabah Fadai. He now meets Jose Rodriguez, of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, who began his professional career in 2007 and has earned all but one of his career wins by stoppage, including three by knockout and three by submission.

Andrew McInnes, of Edmonton, Alberta, opened his professional career in 2011 with a TKO loss to current undefeated welterweight prospect Chad Laprise. However, McInnes has since bounced back with five consecutive submission wins, four of which have come in the opening round. Included in those is an 18-second shoulder choke victory, as well as a 15-second guillotine choke. He now meets Cody McKenzie, of Spokane, Wash. Best known as a cast member on “The Ultimate Fighter 12,” McKenzie boasts 13 of his 15 career wins by submission and at one point finished 10-straight fighters via first-round guillotine choke.

Mark Drummond, of Edmonton, Alberta, made his WSOF debut in February 2014, suffering a disappointing submission loss to Brandt Dewsbery. However, he has since bounced back with a decision victory over Jarid Bussemakers and now looks to win for the first time in the WSOF decagon. He now meets Spencer Jebb, of Grand Prairie, Alberta, who brings a seven-fight winning streak to the cage. Six of his nine career wins have come by way of knockout.

Daniel Lariviere, of Ottawa, Ontario, and Garret Nybakken, of Edmonton, Alberta, each make their World Series of Fighting debuts.

LOCAL FEATURE FIGHTS (Streaming on WSOF.com – 11 p.m. ET)

Andrew McInnes (5-1) vs. Cody McKenzie (15-6)
Mark Drummond (6-2) vs. Spencer Jebb (9-3)
Dan Lariviere (3-2) vs. Garret Nybakken (6-6)

MAIN CARD (NBCSN – 9 p.m. ET)

WSOF bantamweight champ Marlon Moraes (13-4-1) vs. Josh Hill (10-0)
Derek Boyle (13-6) vs. Shane Campbell (10-2)
Mukai Maromo (8-4) vs. Jose Rodriguez (7-3)
Hakeem Dawodu (3-0) vs. Tristan Johnson (9-5)

PRELIMINARY CARD (Streaming on WSOF.com – 8 p.m. ET)

Matt Baker (11-7) vs. Ali Mokdad (6-3)
Marcus Hicks (19-24) vs. Graham Park (3-1)

About “World Series of Fighting” (WSOF)

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

ABOUT NBCSN

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

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (February 3, 2015) – Bellator MMA’s return to WinStar World Casino has received two additional high-level matchups with Francis “Limitless” Carmont (22-10) meeting Guilherme Viana (6-1) in a light heavyweight affair and Dakota Cochrane (18-7) facing Ryan Couture (9-3) at lightweight.

The two new contests join the main card of “Bellator: Warren vs. Galvao,” which takes place on Friday, March 27, at WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Okla. The night’s main card, featuring previously announced bouts between Bellator MMA Bantamweight World Champion Joe Warren vs. top contender Marcos Galvao and another blockbuster bantamweight attraction between Mike Richman vs. Eduardo Dantas, airs live and free on Spike TV at 9 p.m. EST/ 8 p.m. CST, while preliminary bouts stream on Spike.com at 6:30 p.m. EST/ 5:30 p.m CST.

Tickets for “Bellator: Warren vs. Galvao,” which include VIP Seating for just $75, are already on sale at Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com. Additional bouts are expected to be announced shortly.

Carmont is a 33-year-old Frenchman who has long been considered among the world’s best middleweights but now moves up to 205 pounds. A primary training partner of MMA great Georges St-Pierre, Carmont boasts notable wins over Chris Camozzi, Lorenz Larkin, Tom Lawlor, and Costas Philippou, among others. Eighteen of his 22 career wins have come by way of stoppage, with eight knockouts and 10 submission. Carmont now makes his Bellator MMA debut.

His opponent Viana also fights in the Bellator MMA cage for the first time. A 6-foot-4 Brazilian import, Viana has earned victories in six of his first seven professional appearances. All six wins came by knockout or submission, and Viana’s lone loss came via decision. Prior to this appearance, Viana was best known internationally as a cast member of “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3,” where he was selected to compete as a heavyweight.

Nebraska-born lightweight Cochrane is a five-year professional who competes for the second time under the Bellator MMA banner. The 28-year-old boasts career wins over the likes of former WEC champion Jamie Varner and “The Ultimate Fighter 8” champion Efrain Escudero, as well as MMA notables Anton Kuivanen, Marcus LeVesseur, Joe Stevenson and Carey Vanier. However, he came up short in Bellator MMA debut, losing to former tournament finalist Alexander “Tiger” Sarnavskiy, and now looks to notch his first win for the promotion.

Couture was born in Washington but now calls Las Vegas home. Well-known as the son of former multiple-time world champion Randy Couture, Ryan has competed 12 times in his professional career, with every one of those contests taking place under the bright lights of a national promotion. In September, the 32-year-old Couture made his Bellator MMA debut, earning a first-round submission win over Tom Bagnasco. With the result, Couture now boasts a three-fight winning streak.

For more information visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA, and check out Bellator on Facebook.

“Bellator: Warren vs. Galvao” – Friday, March 27, WinStar World Casino, Thackerville, Okla.

Bellator Bantamweight Title Fight: Champ Joe Warren (12-3) vs. Marcos Galvao (16-6-1)
Bellator Bantamweight Feature Fight: Eduardo Dantas (16-4) vs. Mike Richman (18-5)
Bellator Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Francis Carmont (22-10) vs. Guilherme Viana (6-1)
Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Dakota Cochrane (18-7) vs. Ryan Couture (9-3)

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 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 TV:
Spike TV 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 TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’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.

Las Vegas, Nevada – The UFC®, along with UFC women’s bantamweight champion “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey, are happy to announce they have selected a winner for the Ronda Rousey Walkout T-Shirt Design Contest. In October 2014, the UFC called upon all fans, artists and designers to show off their creativity by submitting an original design to be worn by Rousey during her walkout at UFC® 184: ROUSEY vs. ZINGANO in Los Angeles.

Over 1,000 designs were submitted by UFC fans from all over the country. Rousey and the UFC panel of judges hand-picked the winning design based on two criteria: 50-percent creativity/originality and 50-percent on the submission that best captures Ronda Rousey’s personality.

“Thanks to everyone who submitted their designs for the contest. There were so many amazing options and I’m really excited to walkout wearing the winning design at UFC 184 because it perfectly represents my style and personality,” Rousey said.

Along with the recognition of being the creator of the official walkout shirt, the winning contestant receives the Ultimate UFC Pack. This prize pack includes an EA Sports™ UFC® VIP Kit (Sony PlayStation® 4 and controllers, a copy of EA SPORTS UFC, and Century UFC fight gloves in an Octagon™ container), Monster UFC Octagon™ headphones and earbuds, 10 walkout t-shirts with the winning design and one walkout t-shirt autographed by Ronda.

The undefeated Rousey (10-0, fighting out of Venice, Calif.) will be wearing the winning design as she enters the Octagon® to defend her title against fellow unbeaten and No. 1 contender Cat Zingano (9-0, fighting out of Broomfield, Colo.) at UFC 184 live at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles on Saturday, Feb. 28.

Men’s, Women’s and Youth T-shirts, Unisex Zip Up Hoodies and Hats with the winning design will be available for purchase online starting today at the UFC Store.

Tickets for UFC® 184: ROUSEY vs. ZINGANO, presented by Bud Light, are on-sale now. Tickets are available for purchase online at www.staplescenter.com, via axs.com, or by phone at 888-929-7849, and are available at the STAPLES Center Box Office. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.

UFC®184: ROUSEY vs. ZINGANO, presented by Bud Light, will be available live on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on UFC.TV, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, and in Canada on BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US/$49.99 CAN for Standard Definition and $54.99 US/$59.99 CAN for High -Definition.

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About UFC®
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, UFC® is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in 129 countries and territories to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT® (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, UFC branded apparel, DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

LINCOLN, R.I. (Jan. 30th, 2015) – Ultimate Fighter alums Chuck “Cold Steel” O’Neil and Julian “Nitrane” Lane defended their respective CES MMA titles Friday night on the main card of “CES MMA XXVII” on AXS TV, each in much different fashion.

Lane (9-3-1), the Mansfield, Ohio, native who captured CES MMA’s vacant lightweight belt in August, needed all five rounds to hold onto his title while O’Neil needed a mere 11 seconds to bring his welterweight crown back to his hometown of East Bridgewater, Mass.

Facing the red-hot Emmanuel Walo (7-2-1) of Jersey City, who had won seven of eight entering Friday, O’Neil came out swinging and clipped Walo square on the chin with an overhand night. Referee Kevin MacDonald stopped the fight as Walo crashed to the canvas, wrapping up O’Neil’s fourth consecutive win and sixth in his last seven fights.

Continuing to make Rhode Island his second home, Lane won for the third time at Twin River, narrowly beating Somerville, Mass., vet Lucas Cruz (7-3) by split decision, 48-47, 47-48, 48-47, to retain the CES MMA lightweight title he won in August, also on AXS TV.

Reminiscent of his win over Gemiyale Adkins last June, Lane controlled the early rounds by mixing up his left jab and rear leg kicks to keep Cruz at a distance. Cruz’s best round was the fourth, when he scored a takedown midway through and maintained side guard for the remainder of the round, but Cruz didn’t let his hands go until the closing seconds, allowing Lane to survive despite momentarily giving up his back.

Lane bounced back in the fifth and final round, again peppering Cruz with his jab, and then closed out strong with a single-leg takedown in the closing minutes, preventing Cruz from executing his game plan. Judges Wayne Lima and Brian Minor scored it in favor of Lane while judge Nick Mahmood scored it in favor of Cruz. The Ultimate Fighter alum has won four consecutive bouts dating back to November of 2013.

Seven months removed from his impressive knockout win over Joe Cushman, New England’s Most Improved Fighter Dinis Paiva (6-5, 4 KOs) took another step in the right direction in his network television debut, knocking out Salem, Mass., bantamweight Dan Cormier (3-2) 10 seconds into the opening round of their scheduled three-round bout.

The East Providence, R.I., native came out swinging, clipping Cormier with a right cross shortly after the opening bell and landing an effective combination before finishing Cormier for good with another left to the chin. Referee Kevin MacDonald quickly stopped the bout as Cormier fell to the canvas. Paiva has now won three consecutive bouts, all by first-round knockout.

A late addition to the main card, Boston featherweight Kyle Bochniak (4-0) dominated in his AXS TV debut, earning a 30-27, 30-26, 30-27 unanimous decision win over Long Island vet Thomas English (5-6).

Providence, R.I., lightweight Luis Felix (12-8) rebounded from his loss on AXS TV in August with a hard-fought 30-27 unanimous decision win over Richmond, Va., vet D’Juan Owens (11-9). The pace picked up in the second round as two exchanged flurries in the center of the ring with Felix landing the cleaner, more effective shots. The slugfest continued in the third, but Felix took control with a handful of critical takedowns, allowing him to use his strong wrestling background to his advantage.

Ultimate Fighter alum Jon Manley (9-2) of Ludlow, Mass., submitted Dedham, Mass., welterweight Brett Oteri via American armbar at the 3:17 mark of the second round in a wildly entertaining, back-and-forth bout. Manley spent the majority of the opening round peppering Oteri with lefts and rights until Oteri clipped him on the chin with a right cross late in the round, sending Manley stumbling toward the cage.

Oteri landed two more clean rights before picking up Manley and slamming him to the canvas, which actually worked in Manley’s favor because it allowed him to recover and survive the round. Oteri began the second round by landing more flurries, momentarily stunning Manley, but Manley turned the tables with a crucial takedown and eventually worked his way into the armbar, earning his fourth career submission.

Once Bochniak found his distance after a slow opening round, he busted English open with a series of rights and short elbows. Bochniak scored a key takedown late in the second and nearly finished the fight with a flurry of elbows and fists. The third round was more of the same with Bochniak dominating the stand-up and coasting to his fourth consecutive victory.

Peabody, Mass., featherweight Rico Disciullo and Providence middleweight Eric Spicely both remained unbeaten Friday with victories on the preliminary card.

In the most entertaining bout of the preliminaries, Disciullo (4-0) earned a 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 unanimous decision win over newcomer Mak Kelleher (0-1) of Selden, N.Y., who made his professional debut. Disciullo came out swinging in the opening round, landing a series of overhand rights, but Kelleher scored a takedown late in the round and closed out the final minute with a flurry of hammerfists.

Saved by the bell in round one, Disciullo opened the second round with back-to-back roundhouse head kicks to catch Kelleher off guard and fought effectively in the third to stave off the hard-charging Kelleher in a bout much closer than the scores indicated.

Spicely improved to 6-0 with his third career submissions, forcing Dover, N.H., native Kevin Haley (3-3) to tap out via heel hook at the 2-minute, 26-second mark of the opening round.

Also on the undercard, Dorchester, Mass., lightweight Andres Jeudi (7-4, 3 KOs) – fighting on just 24 hours notice – stopped veteran Jeff Anderson (11-10) of Pawtucket, R.I., at 2:03 of the opening round with a flurries of lefts and rights, the last one sending Anderson tumbling to the canvas and forcing referee Dan Miragliotta to stop the bout.

Fan-favorite James Murrin (2-2) of South Boston, Mass., had his hands full with scrappy featherweight vet Robert Sullivan (5-3) of Baltimore as Sullivan used his sheer strength to grind out a 29-28, 30-27, 30-27 unanimous decision win. Murrin tried to trade hands with Sullivan, but Sullivan consistently scored takedowns and wore out Murrin with effective ground-and-pound over the first two rounds. Murrin finally had his opportunity late in the third and unleashed a series of overhand rights that stunned Sullivan, but didn’t have enough time to score a knockout and salvage the win.

Flyweight Chris Cole (4-2) of North Attleboro, Mass., also dominated in his bout against East Providence, R.I., native Dan Cormier (4-5), earning a 30-27 unanimous decision win.

The televised portion of “CES MMA XXVII” began at 9 p.m. ET and aired live on AXS TV.

LINCOLN, R.I. (Jan. 30th, 2015) – Peabody, Mass., featherweight Rico Disciullo and Providence, R.I., middleweight Eric Spicely both remained unbeaten Friday with victories on the preliminary card of “CES MMA XXVII” at Twin River Casino.

In the most entertaining bout of the preliminaries, Disciullo (4-0) earned a 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 unanimous decision win over newcomer Mak Kelleher (0-1) of Selden, N.Y., who made his professional debut. Disciullo came out swinging in the opening round, landing a series of overhand rights, but Kelleher scored a takedown late in the round and closed out the final minute with a flurry of hammerfists.

Saved by the bell in round one, Disciullo opened the second round with back-to-back roundhouse head kicks to catch Kelleher off guard and fought effectively in the third to stave off the hard-charging Kelleher in a bout much closer than the scores indicated.

Spicely improved to 6-0 with his third career submissions, forcing Dover, N.H., native Kevin Haley (3-3) to tap out via heel hook at the 2-minute, 26-second mark of the opening round.

Also on the undercard, Dorchester, Mass., lightweight Andres Jeudi (7-4, 3 KOs) – fighting on just 24 hours notice – stopped veteran Jeff Anderson (11-10) of Pawtucket, R.I., at 2:03 of the opening round with a flurries of lefts and rights, the last one sending Anderson tumbling to the canvas and forcing referee Dan Miragliotta to stop the bout.

Fan-favorite James Murrin (2-2) of South Boston, Mass., had his hands full with scrappy featherweight vet Robert Sullivan (5-3) of Baltimore as Sullivan used his sheer strength to grind out a 29-28, 30-27, 30-27 unanimous decision win. Murrin tried to trade hands with Sullivan, but Sullivan consistently scored takedowns and wore out Murrin with effective ground-and-pound over the first two rounds. Murrin finally had his opportunity late in the third and unleashed a series of overhand rights that stunned Sullivan, but didn’t have enough time to score a knockout and salvage the win.

Flyweight Chris Cole (4-2) of North Attleboro, Mass., also dominated in his bout against East Providence, R.I., native Dan Cormier (4-5), earning a 30-27 unanimous decision win.

The televised portion of “CES MMA XXVII” began at 9 p.m. ET and aired live on AXS TV.

LINCOLN, R.I. (Jan. 29th, 2015) – Listed below are the results from the official weigh-in of “CES MMA XXVII,” scheduled for Friday, Jan. 30th, 2015 at Twin River Casino.

The participants of both co-main event title bouts, featuring CES MMA lightweight champion Julian Lane of Mansfield, Ohio and challenger Lucas Cruz of Boston and reigning CES MMA welterweight champion Chuck O’Neil of East Bridgewater, Mass., and Jersey City, N.J., challenger Emmanuel Walo, each made weight. The remaining weigh-in results are listed below. Doors open at 6 p.m. and showtime is 7 p.m. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Friday’s event is the launch of CES MMA’s 2015 Twin River Fight Series and the first of five events airing live on AXS TV. Tickets starting at $41.00 are available online at www.cesboxing.com or www.twinriver.com or by phone at 401-724-2253/2254.

JON MANLEY
Ludlow, Mass.
8-2, 3 submissions
170

BRETT OTERI
Dedham, Mass.
12-5, 1 KO, 7 submissions

LUIS FELIX
Cranston, R.I.
11-8, 4 KOs, 5 submissions
156

D’JUAN OWENS
Richmond, Va.
11-8, 4 KOs, 3 submissions
160

DINIS PAIVA
East Providence, R.I.
5-5, 3 KOs, 1 submission
137

MATT DOHERTY
Salem, Mass.
3-1, 2 KOs, 1 submission
136

KYLE BOCHNIAK
Boston, Mass.
3-0, 1 KO, 1 submission
146

THOMAS ENGLISH
Long Island, N.Y.
5-5, 2 KOs, 1 submission
145 ½

RICO DISCIULLO
Peabody, Mass.
3-0, 1 KO
146

MAK KELLEHER
Selden, N.Y.
Pro debut
146

JAMES MURRIN
South Boston, Mass.
2-1, 2 KOs
145 ½

ROBERT SULLIVAN
Baltimore, Md.
4-3
145 ½

ERIC SPICELY
Providence, R.I.
5-0, 2 KOs, 2 submissions
198

ANDRES JEUDI
Dorchester, Mass.
6-4, 2 KOs
166

JEFF ANDERSON
Pawtucket, R.I.
11-9, 2 KOs
158 ½

CHRIS COLE
North Attleboro, Mass.
3-2, 2 submissions
124

DAN CORMIER
East Providence, R.I.
4-4, 1 KO
124

Singapore – The UFC® today announced their inaugural, and much anticipated UFC Fight Night Manila event in partnership with SM Lifestyle Entertainment inc. The first UFC event in Asia of 2015 will take place in Manila on the 16th May 2015 at the city’s destination venue, SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Executive Vice President and General Manager, UFC Asia, Ken Berger said: “We are thrilled to be kicking off our Asia event calendar in Manila this year. The UFC has a loyal and passionate fan base in the Philippines and we’re looking forward to bringing the very best of mixed martial arts (MMA) to Manila for the first time. We have found a great event partner in SM Lifestyle Entertainment inc. and are excited that the SM Mall of Asia Arena will be home to a historic UFC event that fans will remember for years to come.”

“We are really excited to have the first UFC event in the Philippines,” says President of SM Lifestyle Entertainment, Mr. Edgar Tejerero, “We are happy to share that this is the only UFC event to take place in South East Asia this year.” He continues. “At SM Lifestyle Entertainment, Inc., we are determined to bringing topnotch sports and entertainment events for the enjoyment of every Filipino. We have already introduced the first pre-season game of a globally-renowned basketball association, and have recently brought the world’s top tennis players into our venue. It is only fitting that SM Lifestyle Entertainment, Inc. welcomes the MMA phenomenon which is UFC into the Philippines.”

The UFC is the fastest growing sports organization in the world and is viewed as the pinnacle of MMA by both athletes and fans. With close to 40 Asian fighters signed, the UFC in Asia is growing at an exponential rate. Previous events in the region have taken place in Macao, Singapore and Tokyo attracting tens of thousands of fans and millions of TV viewers. Last November, former UFC champion Carlos “The Natural Born Killer” Condit was in Manila for a media tour and fan experience, hosting an open workout event which attracted over 4,000 fans.

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

Tickets will go on-sale in March, launched in conjunction with SM Tickets at www.smtickets.com.

###

About the UFC®
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the UFC® is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in 129 countries and territories to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT® (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, UFC branded apparel, DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

28 January 2015 – Singapore: Asia’s largest mixed martial arts organization with a 90% market share, ONE Fighting Championship™ (ONE FC), has announced its return to Kuala Lumpur with another blockbuster event. ONE FC: AGE OF CHAMPIONS is set to take place on 13 March at the iconic Stadium Putra. The main event will feature a ONE FC Flyweight World Championship bout wherein incumbent champion Adriano Moraes will be defending his title against Japanese stalwart Asuka ‘Riku Shibuya’ Mikami. Malaysian mixed martial arts superstars Peter Davis and Ann Osman are also expected to be featured on the card.

ONE FC will also return to Manila, Philippines for ONE FC: VALOR OF CHAMPIONS on 24 April and to Singapore on 22 May for ONE FC: WARRIOR’S QUEST. ONE FC: VALOR OF CHAMPIONS will be held at the state-of-the-art MOA Arena while ONE FC: WARRIOR’S QUEST will be held at the 12,000-seater Singapore Indoor Stadium. Originally scheduled to be held in Jakarta, Indonesia on 14 February, ONE FC: ODYSSEY OF CHAMPIONS will be moved to a later date.

Ben Askren will defend his ONE FC Welterweight World Championship for the first time at ONE FC: VALOR OF CHAMPIONS. Standing opposite him in the ONE FC cage will be Brazilian MMA veteran Luis Santos, who made quick work of Bakhtiyar Abbasov in his ONE FC debut.

Tickets for ONE FC: AGE OF CHAMPIONS, presented by Tune Talk, are on sale from 19 January at www.AirAsiaRedTix.com. Ticket categories begin with the full Red Carpet and cageside experience for VVIPs at RM388 followed by VIP RM278, Gold RM168, Silver RM108 and Bronze RM58. Early bird promotions for Gold, Silver and Bronze categories are available until 31 January. Prices include ticketing fee.

CEO of ONE Fighting Championship™, Victor Cui, stated, “We are kicking off 2015 with three spectacular events lined up to start the year. ONE FC: AGE OF CHAMPIONS will see the return of ONE FC Welterweight World Champion Ben Askren as he takes on one of the toughest challenge of his career against Luis Santos. Ben Askren is the absolute best in the world and we are excited to see him up against the highly skilled Luis Santos. We are also ecstatic at the chance to be back in Manila on 24 April and in Singapore on 22 May to treat fans to world-class mixed martial arts action!”

Adriano ‘Mikinho’ Moraes is the reigning ONE FC Flyweight World Champion. He has looked unstoppable since moving to ONE FC’s flyweight ranks, notching three submission victories in a row whilst capturing the inaugural ONE FC Flyweight World Championship in the process. He is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt with aggressive takedowns and freakish athleticism complementing his submission skills.

Asuka ‘Riku Shibuya’ Mikami is a Japanese flyweight star and one of the brightest talents to emerge from the country in recent years. He boasts a stellar 11-2 record and has not lost since 2009. Mikami possesses impressive striking skills highlighted by professional kickboxing experience. After building a solid foundation in Japan, he now faces the biggest test in his career after signing with Asia’s largest mixed martial arts organization.

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 two fights in ONE FC, Askren was able to seize the ONE FC Welterweight World Championship with a resounding technical knockout victory over Nobutatsu Suzuki. At 14 wins with no losses, 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 pits his skills against veteran mixed martial artist from Brazil, Luis Santos.

Luis ‘Sapo’ Santos is a mixed martial arts veteran from Brazil with over 70 professional fights on his record, featuring 61 wins with over half of those wins by either TKO or KO. With a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a penchant for spectacular finishes, Santos made his successful ONE FC debut last November with an emphatic KO of Bakhtiyar Abbasov. Against Ben Askren, Santos is expected to come in at full strength for a shot at the ONE FC Welterweight World Title.

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

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

LINCOLN, R.I. (Jan. 27th, 2015) — The trophy was a nice touch. The glowing recommendation from his father meant even more.

After switching trainers in 2014, helping him win both of his fights and earn the award for New England’s Most Improved Fighter, featherweight Dinis Paiva enters the next chapter of his career Friday night with another key addition to his corner.

“My father has been an important figure in my life, but he hasn’t always been my biggest fan,” said the East Providence, R.I., native, who makes his network television debut Friday, Jan. 30th, 2015 when he faces Matt Doherty on the main card of “CES MMA XXVII” live on AXS TV from Twin River Casino.

“Knowing he’s on the other side of the camera watching me and following me is more motivating than I can put into words.”

Growing up in a Portuguese family, Paiva’s father was always partial to soccer. Combat sports were a foreign concept. He didn’t dislike MMA. He just didn’t understand it.

“He’s growing to like it,” Paiva said. “I even catch him watching UFC every now and then.”

He won’t be watching Friday’s event cageside at Twin River, but he will be watching from his second home in Florida, rooting for his son with a close group of friends.

“Before he left, he told me, ‘Listen, I’ve got all these guys down here who are big fans. They’re coming over to watch the fight. You’ve got to get past this 5-5 record. You’ve got to do this!’ It motivates me,” Paiva said. “I got teary-eyed knowing my father is proud. He’s falling in love with the sport through me.”

The new-and-improved Paiva (5-5, 3 KOs) faces a tremendous challenge against Doherty (3-1, 2 KOs), a Salem, Mass., native who hasn’t fought since April when he suffered his first career loss to current UFC bantamweight Tateki Matsuda. But this isn’t the same inconsistent Paiva who wandered the first three years of his career, alternating wins and losses and struggling to develop rhythm.

Paiva now trains out of the Cape Cod Fighting Alliance (CCFA) under the guidance of veteran trainer and former pro Mike Gresh, a decision he admits was one of the most difficult of his career, but one that has been validated by his recent success.

Gresh, nicknamed “Loco Lobo,” has helped Paiva mature both physically and mentally, an important key to his turnaround in 2014. Paiva won both of his fights last year, highlighted by his thrilling first-round knockout win over Joe Cushman in June, and Gresh earned his own slice of recognition by winning the N.E. Trainer of the Year award.

“Most importantly, I believe in myself,” Paiva said. “For the longest time, I just fought to fight because I’m a nutcase. I love the sport. But I really believe in myself now. I know I belong at the top of my division among the best 135-pounders in New England.

“It was more of a mental block than anything else,” he continued. “I would win, then I’d lose, then I’d win, then I’d lose again. It took someone like Gresh, who’s been around the game so long, to show me and expose me to everything. I’m mentally strong. He told me I’d be top 10 by the end of the year, but I didn’t believe it until it started happening.”

“He’s like the Obi-Wan Kenobi of New England MMA. He’s trained me in my Jedi mindset.

Paiva’s knows the hardware doesn’t mean much unless he keeps improving in 2015, starting with Friday’s fight against Doherty, which could be a turning point in his young career. Thanks to the network television audience, he’ll have plenty of support, starting in his hometown of East Providence and stretching all the way to Florida, where his biggest fan will be watching.

“Actions speak louder than words,” Paiva said. “You hear guys all the time tell you how they’re 10 times better than they were, so on and so forth, but what I’ve done speaks for itself. I’ve improved a lot. Come Friday night against a tough guy like Matt Doherty, it’s going to show.

“I can’t be broken. I can’t be beat at this point with the mental strength I have.”

Tickets for “CES MMA XXVII” are on $40.00, $55.00, $100.00 and $125.00 (VIP) and can be purchased online at www.cesboxing.com or www.twinriver.com or by phone at 401-724-2253/2254. All bouts are subject to change.

Two title bouts highlight the main card, including Bourne, Mass., welterweight Chuck O’Neil (14-6, 4 KOs) defending his CES MMA title against Jersey City’s Manny Walo (7-1-1, 1 KO) in a five-round bout and a five-round lightweight showdown between CES MMA’s reigning 155-pound champion, Julian Lane (8-3-1, 1 KO) of Mansfield, Ohio and Somerville, Mass., challenger Lucas Cruz (7-2, 4 KOs).

Also on the main card, Dedham, Mass., welterweight Brett Oteri (12-5, 1 KO) battles Ludlow, Mass., vet Jon Manley (8-2) and Providence’s Luis Felix (11-8, 4 KOs) faces D’Juan Owens (11-8-1, 4 KOs) of Durham, N.C.

The undercard of “CES MMA XXVII” features six bouts, including a three-round featherweight showdown between Kyle Bochniak (3-0, 1 KO) of Boston and Long Island vet Thomas English (5-5, 2 KOs) and a lightweight bout between battle-tested veteran Jeff Anderson (11-9, 2 KOs) of Pawtucket, R.I., and Medford, Mass., prospect Lewis Corapi (6-1, 3 KOs).

Middleweight Eric Spicely (5-0, 2 KOs) of Providence faces Terrell Clark (2-1, 1 KO) of Worcester, Mass., and South Boston’s James Murrin (2-1, 2 KOs) battles Baltimore’s Robert Sullivan (4-3) in a featherweight bout. Flyweights Chris Cole (3-2) of Andover, Mass., and Dan Cormier (4-4, 1 KO) of East Providence, R.I., battle in a three-round bout and featherweight Rico Disciullo (3-0, 1 KO) of Peabody, Mass., faces newcomer Mak Kelleher of Selden.

LINCOLN, R.I. (Jan. 22nd, 2015) — The Chuck O’Neil preparing to enter the cage next Friday is a smarter, savvier version of the raw talent who first stepped foot inside the hexagon eight years ago.

“I’d just fight and say, ‘Screw this guy. I’m going to punch him in the face,'” O’Neil said. “That was my logic behind fights.”

Nearly a decade later, the Bourne, Mass., native is a student of the game, a technician who now watches film, studies tendencies and prepares in advance of each upcoming fight. The game plan these days is far more sophisticated than just cocking back and firing a right hand at a moving target, perhaps the main reason O’Neil has evolved from a fringe contender on the regional circuit to the reigning CES MMA welterweight champion.

“You’ll see even more improvement from my last fight to this next fight,” O’Neil promised.

The next opportunity for O’Neil (14-6, 4 KOs) comes Friday, Jan. 30th, 2015 in the main event of “CES MMA XXVII” when he defends his title in a five-round bout against Jersey City veteran Manny Walo (7-1-1, 1 KO) at Twin River Casino. The fight will air live on AXS TV, the first of five CES MMA events scheduled for network television in 2015.

It’ll be difficult for O’Neil to top his win over Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) alum Ricardo Funch in October, a fight in which O’Neil submitted the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt via arm bar in the second round, but Walo might force his hand. The 27-year-old vet has won seven of his last eight fights and hasn’t lost since dropping a three-round decision to Michael Wilcox in his pro debut.

“He’s a very tough opponent,” O’Neil said of Walo. “Coming off the win against Ricardo, I came back to [CES MMA matchmaker] Pat Sullivan and said, ‘Look, I want a tough opponent.’

“That’s what it’s going to take to get back to a bigger show. Yeah, I’ve won three in a row, but I need to keep fighting tough opponents. They found one in Manny Walo. I expect him to come out guns blazing looking to rip my head off, take me down and smash me out on the ground.

“These are the kind of fights that bring out the best in me. I’m healthy and I’m ready to keep going. It’s time to make this push and make something happen in this sport.”

Tickets for “CES MMA XXVII” are on $40.00, $55.00, $100.00 and $125.00 (VIP) and can be purchased online at www.cesboxing.com or www.twinriver.com or by phone at 401-724-2253/2254. All bouts are subject to change.

The Walo-O’Neil title bout highlights a stacked main card featuring six nationally-televised bouts, including a five-round lightweight showdown between CES MMA’s reigning 155-pound champion, Julian Lane (8-3-1, 1 KO) of Mansfield, Ohio and Somerville, Mass., challenger Lucas Cruz (7-2, 4 KOs). Lane is fresh off a nationally-televised win over Providence, R.I., lightweight Luis Felix, who also returns Jan. 30th on the main card in a three-round bout D’Juan Owens (11-8, 4 KOs) of Richmond, Va.

Also on the main card, Woonsocket, R.I., bantamweight Andre Soukhamthath (8-2, 4 KOs) faces Brian Kelleher (11-7, 5 KOs) of Seldon, N.Y., while Dedham, Mass., welterweight Brett Oteri (12-5, 1 KO) battles Ludlow, Mass., vet Jon Manley (8-2). The opening bout on AXS TV features East Providence, R.I., bantamweight Dinis Paiva (5-5, 3 KOs) battling Matt Doherty (3-1, 4 KOs) of Salem, Mass.

O’Neil’s rise back to the top of the regional welterweight rankings comes more than a year half after his devastating knockout loss to Brazilian Gil de Freitas, a blow he considers nothing more than a minor detour on his road back to the UFC, where he starred in Season 13 of the promotion’s The Ultimate Fighter reality television series.

“The big thing was I knew I made a lot of mistakes in that [loss to de Freitas]. It was time to work on my boxing issues,” O’Neil said. “I worked on my footwork and movement and began cross-training at Tri-Force, working with boxing coach Dave Keefe. It’s a huge difference.”

With wins over Chris Woodall and Roger Carroll under his belt, O’Neil challenged Funch, a four-time UFC vet, and pulled out a victory he admits ranks “pretty high up there” on his list of career accomplishments.

“Ricardo is a beast,” O’Neil said. “We came up around the same time, but when I came up I was just some scrubby guy throwing crappy punches and relying on last-ditch effort submissions. He was out there mauling people and I’m thinking to myself, ‘Wow, this guy is awesome!’ To be able to go out and perform as well as I did was awesome.

“I’ve gone from a submission grappler to a jiu-jitsu practitioner now. People look at me and say I’m this or I’m that. I’m an MMA fighter. I’m prepared to go wherever the fight takes me.

“I’m not just going out there to get a win. I’m looking to make a statement and that’s what I’m going to do.”

The undercard of “CES MMA XXVII” features six bouts, including a three-round featherweight showdown between Kyle Bochniak (3-0, 1 KO) of Boston and Long Island vet Thomas English (5-5, 2 KOs) and a lightweight bout between battle-tested veteran Jeff Anderson (11-9, 2 KOs) of Pawtucket, R.I., and Medford, Mass., prospect Lewis Corapi (6-1, 3 KOs).

Middleweight Eric Spicely (5-0, 2 KOs) of Providence faces Terrell Clark (2-1, 1 KO) of Worcester, Mass., and South Boston’s James Murrin (2-1, 2 KOs) battles Baltimore’s Robert Sullivan (4-3) in a featherweight bout. Flyweights Chris Cole (3-2) of Andover, Mass., and Dan Cormier (4-4, 1 KO) of East Providence, R.I., battle in a three-round bout and featherweight Rico Disciullo (3-0, 1 KO) of Peabody, Mass., faces newcomer Mak Kelleher of Selden.

Tacoma, Washington (January 22nd, 2015) Brian Halquist Productions and CageSport MMA are proud to announce Super Fight League America 3, live from the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Washington on Saturday, February 21st 2015 at 7:00pm.

Coming off one of the most talked about shows the northwest has seen in years, Super Fight League America 3 promises fans another thrilling night of action inside the cage. Once again, there will be two championship fights, this time in the men’s 145lb and 170lb divisions. The main event of the evening will feature the most anticipated rematch in northwest MMA’s history, as Tacoma’s own Drew “The Eternal Fire” Brokenshire (10-2) takes on Yakima’s Julian “Juicy J” Erosa (13-2) to become the first ever SFLA Featherweight Champion. In the semi-main event of the evening, Ben “Flat Top” Fodor (4-0-1), better known as Seattle Superhero Phoenix Jones, returns to the EQC for a shot at the 170lb Welterweight Championship, this time against Lynwood, Washington’s CJ “Siege” Marsh (5-7).

It’s a rematch they both knew was coming. Drew “The Eternal Fire” Brokenshire and Julian “Juicy J” Erosa. Ever since Brokenshire handed Erosa his first professional loss in December of 2012, Yakima-native Erosa has been clamoring for another shot at the man that beat him. When asked about Erosa constantly calling him out, Brokenshire had this to say:

“Our first fight was so competitive, but I feel like I beat him pretty decisively. He must feel like he still has something to prove. I’ve been trying to find new competition because I don’t really like rematches. He’s been fighting the same guys over and over and I don’t feel like he’s earned his way back to fight me again.”

“That’s ridiculous! So I don’t deserve this fight just because I didn’t go to Russia and get beat up?” said Erosa when asked to respond. “Drew changed weight classes so he wouldn’t have to fight me again. He’s been ducking me for two years. I’m going to show everyone that he’s the one that doesn’t deserve this fight.” Since their first fight, Erosa has gone 4-1, capturing the SFL America 155lb. Championship in the process. After having his heart tested in their first bout, Julian thinks his mental toughness will be the difference this time around. “Yakima is a small town,” he said. “But we have a lot of dedicated people here and we push each other. I didn’t know how to handle losing last time. But I’m more experienced and mentally tough now. I’m a different fighter. I’ll be ready.”

Brokenshire on the other hand, is looking to bounce back after suffering a loss in August of this year during a fight in Russia. “It’s been the longest layoff of my career.” said Brokenshire. “But I’ve improved a lot, especially on the ground.” With each fighter’s huge fan base in tow, these men will certainly put on a show that is not to be missed.

In the semi-main event, fans packed into the EQC showroom will get another opportunity to see a rising star in MMA and a real life super hero, Ben Fodor, or as you may know him, Phoenix Jones. Fodor has patrolled the streets of western Washington for years now; preventing crime and assisting police on an almost nightly basis. After battling Enumclaw’s Tyson Cunningham to a controversial draw in December of 2014, Fodor will look to regain his momentum and get back to his winning ways against the heavy-handed CJ Marsh.

Tickets for Super Fight League America 3 are on sale now through the Emerald Queen Casino box office as well as all Ticketmaster locations. Tickets start at only $35 and fans are encouraged to get theirs early, as this event will sell out. Doors open at 6 PM with the first fight scheduled for 7 PM. For more info please visit www.halquistproductions.com and the CageSport MMA Facebook page.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (January 21, 2015) – Injury has forced the delay of a heavily anticipated matchup between Bobby Lashley (12-2) and James Thompson (20-14) but Bellator MMA officials have announced a blockbuster fight to replace it in Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (14-4) vs. Cheick Kongo (22-9-2). Also Andre Santos (37-9) has stepped in for the injured welterweight champion Douglas Lima (26-5), and will now face the always-dangerous Paul Daley (35-13).

The new contest is scheduled for the televised portion of “Bellator: British Invasion,” which takes place on Friday, February 27, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The night’s main card airs live on Spike TV, while preliminary bouts stream on Spike.com.

Tickets for “Bellator: British Invasion,” which start at just $25, are already on sale at Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com. Additional bouts are expected to be announced shortly.

“We’re disappointed we had to delay these fights between Bobby Lashley and James Thompson, and Douglas Lima and Paul Daley, but I have no doubt that these matchups will be fantastic once they eventually come to fruition,” Bellator MMA CEO Scott Coker said. “Fortunately, we’re able to replace the bouts with equally entertaining contests for our fans.”

“King Mo” Lawal fights for the 10th time for Bellator MMA and has established himself as one of the most recognizable superstars in the sport. A standout wrestler who normally competes at light heavyweight, the former NCAA Division I All-American and Pan American gold medalist has earned 11 of his 14 career MMA wins by knockout, including recent striking stoppages of Joe Vedepo and Dustin Jacoby. The former Bellator MMA tournament winner and Strikeforce light heavyweight world champion now moves up to heavyweight for the first time since 2009 to challenge himself against Kongo.

Kongo, a 6-foot-4 Frenchman, is a former professional kickboxer who boasts black belts in both Karate and Kendo. A multiple-time world champion in kickboxing, Kongo now focuses solely on MMA and has built a 4-1 record under the Bellator MMA banner. Training at Wolfslair MMA Academy in London, Kongo most recently flashed his well-rounded game by scoring a first-round submission over fellow striker Lavar Johnson in a September matchup. Kongo’s lone Bellator loss came in a five-round contest for the Bellator MMA Heavyweight World Championship, in which he went five full rounds with Vitaly Minakov but came up short in a decision result.

Paul Daley is a highly feared and respected veteran with dynamite in both fists, which earned him the nickname “Semtex”. The 31-year-old from Nottingham, England has won an impressive 74% of his 35 victories by way of knockout. Having fought for Scott Coker under the Strikeforce banner, rejoining him at Bellator was a no brainer. Daley took to the internet to share his feelings on the injury to Lima, stating: “Nervous, Scared??…..I understand, preparing to fight me…. I would be. It’s ok…. guess you get to have a few more photo shoots with the belt…. My focus has shifted, same date, new opponent…. British Invasion at Bellator 134.”

The new opponent his focus has shifted to is Andre “Chatuba” Santos. A veteran of the sport in his own right, the Rio De Janeiro fighter has two more wins than Daley in four less fights. Santos defeated James Terry at Bellator 129, in what was his first fight on American soil. He now has his sights set on Daley, with hopes to win his seventh straight fight.

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 TV:
Spike TV 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 TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’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.

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (Jan. 21, 2015) – M-1 Global’s 2015 season-opening event, M-1 Challenge 55: Guram Gugenishvili Memorial Show, is gradually developing into an exciting, stacked event on February 21 in Tbilisi, Georgia.

The latest fights to be added to M-1 Challenge 55, dedicated to the memory of the first M-1 Challenge heavyweight champion, Guran Gugenishvili, is an intriguing middleweight clash between American invader Luigi “The Italian Tank” Fioravanti and Georgian favorite Nodar Kudukhashvili, along with undefeated featherweight prospect Pavel Vitruk taking on upset-minded Max Coga.

Last week, M-1 Global announced two heavyweight fights for M-1 Challenge 55: past M-1 Challenge title challenger Denis Smoldarev (9-1-0, 3 KO/TKO, 4 SUB), of Estonia, vs. Croatian challenger Maro Perak (23-4-1, 12 KO/TKO, 7 SUB), as well as former M-1 Challenge heavyweight champion Kenny “Deuce” Garner (14-8-0, 7 KO/TKO, 3 SUB), of America, vs. Chechen prospect Aslambek “Titan” Musaev(5-1-0, 1 KO/TKO, 2 SUB).

M-1 Challenge 55 will be streamed live 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 Andriod and Apple smart phones and tablets.

Fioravanti (25-12-0, 10 KO/TKO, 6 SUB), fighting out of Florida, is coming off of an impressive first-round stoppage (punches) of
Ruslan Khaskhanov this past December at
M-1 Challenge 54 & ACB 12. He recently signed a new promotional contract with M-1 Global.

The 33-year-old Italian-American joined the U.S. Marines after graduating from high school. He started training in kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in California and Iraq while active in the military. Fioravanti, who holds a second-degree black belt in Pancrase Pankration, has won three of his last four fights

Kudukhashvili (7-1-0, 2 KO/TKO, 3 SUB) is considered one of the strongest of a new generation of Georgian MMA fighters. In 2013, he won the WMMAA championships, defeating Russian champion Shamil Abdulaev in the final competition.

In eight professional MMA fights to date, Kudukhashvili has lost only once, by third-round decision to Jamaican-born Uriah “Prime Time” Hall, winner of the The Ultimate Fighter 17. Kudukhashvili will be making his M-1 Global debut against Fioravanti.

The 24-year-old Vitruk (12-0-0, 3 KO/TKO, 2 SUB) , fighting out of Ukraine, is a rising M-1 Challenge star with a perfect 5-0 record in M-1 Challenge competition dating back to 2013 at M-1 Challenge: Fedor vs. Rizzo. Considered one of the best featherweight prospects in the MMA world today, Vitruk was 2-0 last year, defeating a pair of Brazilians challengers, Rafael Miranda (KO/TKO1 – punches) at M-1 Challenge 53 and Clayton Santos (SUB1 – punches) at M-1 Challenge 46.

Training out of the famed Alexander Nevsky Club in St. Petersburg, Russia, Vitruk has his sights firmly set on M-1 Challenge featherweight champion Ivan Buchinger, who is a Team MMA Spirit stablemate of Coga.

A lightweight champion at home in Germany, Coga will be in fighting in his second M-1 Challenge event having lost last May by first-round knockout (kick) to lightweight contender Max Divnich at M-1 Challenge 47.

The loss to Divnich resulted in a Team Coga decision for him to drop down one weight division to featherweight. In his last action, Coga bounced back strong with an impressive victory in his featherweight debut this past November at Fair FC 2, stopping previously undefeated (5-0-0 pro, 4-0-0 amateur records) Gabriel Sobo in the third round.

All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Fight Network will air M-1 Challenge 55 live on Cablevision’s Optimum TV, Grande Communications, Shentel Cable and Armstrong Cable in the U.S., as well as nationwide in Canada, Roku devices across North America, and globally in more than 30 countries throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Information

www.mixfight.ru
www.wmmaa.org
www.M1Global.tv
www.M-1Global.com

Twitter & Instagram:

@M1Global
@VadimFinkelchtein
@M1GlobalNews

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/pages/M-1-Global/145250878842244
ABOUT M-1 GLOBAL: Founded in 1997, M-1 Global has established itself in the realm of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as the premiere entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With offices in St Petersburg, Amsterdam and Los Angeles and affiliates in Seoul, Tokyo and Paris, the M-1 brand has staged more than 150 events worldwide, including the M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge and M-1 Global and M-1 Global HWGP events, in addition to co-promoting Strikeforce events and M-1 Global on the Showtime network in the United States. Captivating live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and matchups, M-1 Global events have featured some of the sport’s top names, including Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Aleksander Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Keith Jardine, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Roman Zentsov, Yushin Okami, Mike Pyle, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Amar Suloev, Chalid Arrab and Stephan Struve. 2014 promises to be another sensational year of world-class competition with a full calendar of Challenge events fueled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global’s Champions amongst the greatest in the sport. M-1 Global’s greatest asset is renowned heavyweight fighter, Fedor Emelianenko.

ABOUT M-1GLOBAL.TV: Enjoy MMA action now in high definition brought to you by M-1Global.tv, offering only the best fights from M-1 Global and other MMA organizations. M-1Global.tv is a great platform developed specifically to bring together the most exhaustive fight video database. It also provides an easy and intuitive interface, helping everyone to start using the platform in no time while avoiding any spoilers. Besides watching the past fights on demand at any time convenient to the customer, viewers are able to enjoy the action LIVE, all available to M-1Global.tv users through a low-priced month to month digital subscription. Your world of action. Anytime!

Las Vegas, Nevada – Two world titles are on the line when the UFC® returns to the American Airlines Center in Dallas on Saturday, March 14 as lightweight champion Anthony “Showtime” Pettis defends his title for the second time when he meets No. 1 contender Rafael dos Anjos and newly-crowned women’s strawweight champion Carla Esparza makes her first title defense against top contender Joanna Jedrzejczyk. The last UFC event in Dallas in 2014 saw Johny Hendricks defeat Robbie Lawler to claim the UFC welterweight title in front of a sold out crowd.

In his first title defense at UFC 181, Pettis (18-2, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wis.) submitted Gilbert Melendez to retain his title, capping off a stellar year that saw him sign with Reebok and become the first UFC athlete to ever grace the cover of the iconic Wheaties box. Known for his flashy fight style that’s seen him finish his last four opponents, Pettis is looking to further establish himself as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

Riding a three-fight win streak that includes victories over Nate Diaz and former champ Benson Henderson, dos Anjos (23-7, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) hopes to become only the third man to ever defeat Pettis. A 17-fight veteran of the Octagon®, dos Anjos can add his name to the record books by becoming the first Brazilian UFC lightweight champion.

The co-main event will feature Esparza (11-2, fighting out of Irvine, Calif.) in her first title defense since becoming the inaugural UFC women’s strawweight champion by defeating Rose Namajunas last month. Esparza will look to use her high-level wrestling to combat the striking prowess of undefeated No. 1 contender Jedrzejczyk (8-0, fighting out of Olsztyn, Poland). A five-time Muay Thai world champion, Jedrzejczyk has never lost in the Octagon, compiling victories over 12th-ranked Juliana Lima and 2nd-ranked Claudia Gadelha to earn the shot at Esparza.

In addition, former UFC welterweight champion and Dallas resident Johny Hendricks (16-3, fighting out of Dallas, Texas) will meet sixth-ranked contender Matt Brown (21-12, fighting out of Columbus, Ohio) in an exciting bout guaranteed to produce fireworks. Both men were involved in Fight of the Year candidates with current champion Robbie Lawler in 2014 and are hoping to secure another crack at the champ with an impressive win in Texas.

Also, ninth-ranked heavyweight Roy Nelson (21-10, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) will collide with No. 11 Alistair Overeem (38-14, 1 NC, fighting out of Amsterdam, The Netherlands). The two fan favorites have no shortage of finishing power, as they’ve combined for 53 total finishes – 29 knockouts and 24 submissions. With the division wide open, these heavy hitters hope to take one step closer to a UFC title shot.

Other bouts for UFC 185 include:
· The Ultimate Fighter season 9 winner Ross Pearson (18-8, 1 NC, fighting out of San Diego, Calif. by way of Sunderland, England) and Sam Stout (21-10-1, fighting out of London, Ontario, Canada) meet in a battle of lightweight strikers.

· Brother of main eventer Anthony Pettis, Sergio Pettis (12-1, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.) moves to the flyweight division to take on Dallas’ own Ryan Benoit (7-3, fighting out of Dallas, Texas).

· Former title challenger and ninth-ranked Chris Cariaso (17-6, fighting out of Tucson, Ariz.) collides with Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo (7-0, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz.) in a flyweight bout.

· The Ultimate Fighter: Nations winner Elias Theodorou (10-0, fighting out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada) takes on Texas’ Roger Narvaez (7-1, fighting out of Corpus Christi, Texas) in a middleweight matchup.

Tickets for UFC® 185: PETTIS vs. DOS ANJOS go on sale Friday, January 23 at 10 a.m. CT and are priced at $300, $225, $150, $100, $75 and $50 (prices do not include applicable service charges). Tickets are available for purchase online at www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at (800) 745-3000 and will be available at the American Airlines Center box office. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person.

Get your VIP package today! The UFC VIP Experience packages together your tickets with behind-the-scenes access to the official weigh-ins, backstage tours, meet and greet and autograph signings with top UFC stars, Q&A sessions, and photo opportunities, access to an in-arena VIP party room, a chance to hold the championship belt inside the Octagon® and more!

UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Wednesday, January 21 at 10 a.m. CT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, January 22 at 10 a.m. CT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC®185: PETTIS vs. DOS ANJOS will be available live on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on UFC.TV, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, and in Canada on BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $49.99 US/CAN for Standard Definition and $59.99 US/CAN for High -Definition.

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in 129 countries and territories to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT® (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, UFC branded apparel, DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

American Airlines Center
Designed by architectural wizard David M. Schwarz and Dallas based HKS, Inc., American Airlines Center is considered one of the nation’s top arenas. Since opening its doors in 2001 American Airlines Center has been setting the precedent for sporting and live entertainment events. Bringing in a wide variety of big name shows as well as being home of both the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars, the American Airlines Center consistently displays its unique versatility. In 2014, Venue’s Today Magazine named American Airlines Center the 4th busiest arena in the U.S. and the 10th busiest in the world.

NEW YORK, NY (January 20, 2015) – The statistics don’t lie. With more than 90 UFC athletes bred from his stable over the course of the last 15 years, former world champion and Ring of Combat (ROC) President Lou Neglia has proven, more so than any other Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promoter, that he has a keen ability to identify future fighting superstars and world champions.

Just days before the live pay-per-view telecast and GoFight Live (www.gfl.tv) stream of Ring of Combat 50, featuring seven championship bouts and four undefeated rising stars, including 2007 NCAA Division I National Wrestling Champion and lightweight (155 pounds) finisher Gregor Gillespie (3-0); bantamweight (135 pounds) phenom and former Golden Gloves boxing champion Julio Arce (6-0) and brutal middleweight (185 pounds) KO artist Oluwale “Holy War Angel” Bamgbose (3-0) on Friday, Jan. 23 at the Tropicana Resort & Casino in Atlantic City, N.J., a host of Neglia’s greatest discoveries reflected on their experiences in the promotion that catapulted their careers into the next stratosphere and that has been aptly dubbed the “American Idol of MMA” by MixedMartialArts.com.

Chris Weidman: Undefeated UFC Middleweight Champion and four-time ROC veteran

“Ring of Combat is the best fighting organization in the world at getting fighters ready for the UFC. I had some of the toughest fights of my career there, which gave me the experience of fighting the best, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without Lou Neglia and Ring of Combat.”

Frankie Edgar: Former UFC Lightweight Champion and two-time ROC veteran

“(ROC is) one of the premier organizations, not only across the country, but especially here in New Jersey. It’s been great for east coast fighters to showcase their talents, and a great platform for guys to make a name for themselves and get into the UFC.”

“Lou’s been a great guy and supporter of MMA. Being a former fighter himself, he knows what it takes to get guys to the top, and he’s helped a lot of guys out tremendously.”

Matt Serra: Retired, former UFC Welterweight Champion and four-time VATV (Neglia’s former promotion) veteran:

“Lou Neglia is a stand-up guy and a good friend of mine. Prior to the UFC, I only fought in Lou’s promotions. He always treated me great and has been a real solid guy with my fighters. He has the best up and coming show on the east coast.”

Costas Philippou: UFC middleweight and nine-time ROC veteran

“ROC is very organized. I knew in advance who I was fighting, when I should be in Atlantic City, and they even told me where to do my medicals, so I could do everything in one place.”

On the day he got the call from the UFC: “One day my manager called and offered me a short notice fight for the UFC. When I asked Neglia, he not only released me from my contract, but he was genuinely happy for me, that I was getting a shot at the big show.”

Al Iaquinta: UFC lightweight, The Ultimate Fighter: Live cast member and seven-time ROC veteran

“My overall experience was a great one fighting for Lou and Ring of Combat. I feel that I was brought along and matched fairly in my bouts. I had a few very tough fights, which prepared me for my future in the sport.”

On making it to UFC: “I tried out for The Ultimate Fighter, made it through the tryouts and was asked to be on the show. It was a great opportunity for me…Lou was very happy that I had been asked to be on TUF and was being given the chance to prove that I belonged in the UFC.”

Eddie Gordon: UFC middleweight, The Ultimate Fighter season 19 winner and nine-time ROC veteran

“I loved and still love ROC. It’s the best regional promotion out there and it prepared me for the UFC.”

“My best memory from ROC was winning that light heavyweight belt before walking out to the cage, feeling and feeding off the energy of the crowd. Team Truck always packed the house!”

On making it to the UFC: “While I was with ROC, I had a buzz that the UFC was interested in me mainly because of my great teammates Chris Weidman and Al Iaquinta. They both were doing great. I had to keep winning and training, and then I got the call to be on The Ultimate Fighter, which I won.”

“Lou Neglia is the man. He always believed in me, and said (since) my first amateur fight for ROC that, if I kept working hard and listening to (trainer) Ray Longo, that I would make it to the UFC, and he was right.”

At a suggested retail price of $17.99, the live cable television pay-per-view broadcast and the live GFL.tv online stream of Ring of Combat 50 begins at 9 p.m. EST/6 p.m. PST on Jan. 23.

Additionally, a live, free-of-charge preview show featuring two preliminary card bouts from the event begins exclusively on GFL.tv at 8:30 p.m. EST/5:30 p.m. PST.

The 25-year-old Arce, who hails from Queens, N.Y., will put his title on the line in the co-main event against battle-tested Thomas Vasquez (7-2) of Horn Lake, Miss.,

Gillespie, a four-time All-American wrestler for Edinboro University, will square off with Justin Stewart (0=0) of Greene, N.Y.

Bamgbose of New York, N.Y. will battle Devon “Bam Bam” Morris (1-3) Niles, Mich. for the vacant Ring of Combat national middleweight title. To date, the 27-year-old Bamgbose has conquered all three of his opponents by way of first round TKO.

In the main event, 25-year-old Jeff Lentz (9-4-1) of Mays Landing, N.J. will square off with fellow up-and-coming finisher, 26-year-old George “Lights Out” Sheppard (15-9) of Newport News, Va., for the promotion’s vacant, national lightweight championship.

Lentz has earned 6 of his 9 career victories by way of (T)KO (4) or submission (2), while Sheppard has notched 11 of his 15 career wins to date via (T)KO (9) or submission (2).

Unbeaten Randy “Rude Boy” Brown (2-0) of Queens will lock horns with Mike Winters (7-4) of Cortland, N.Y. for the vacant Ring of Combat national welterweight (170 pounds) strap.

Ring of Combat flyweight (125 pounds) champion, Matt “Razor Sharp” Rizzo (7-2) of Levittown, Penn. will risk his title against Corey Simmons (5-6) Defiance, Ohio.

Phillipe “The Filipino Assassin” Nover (8-5) of Brooklyn, N.Y. will square off against Dan Cion (4-1) of Farmingdale, N.Y. for the Ring of Combat East Coast lightweight title.

Kenny Foster (11-8) of Selden, N.Y. will battle Mike Santiago (12-9) of Wood Dale, Ill. for the Ring of Combat East Coast featherweight (145 pounds) belt.

Tickets for Ring of Combat 50, priced from $55 to $135, can be purchased online at RingofCombat.com, the Tropicana Resort & Casino box office and Ticketmaster.com.

Doors at the Tropicana Resort & Casino showroom open at 8:00 p.m. EST.

###

About GFL:

GFL (www.gfl.tv) is a fast-growing media and sports entertainment company that utilizes a proprietary technology to deliver the most exciting LIVE combat sports events worldwide and an incredible viewing experience to a global audience. With a diverse mix of combat sports properties, GFL is the premier online destination for live boxing, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Muay Thai, kickboxing, Jiu-Jitsu and more. Since its inception in 2007, GFL has streamed more than 2,500 live events with over 10,000 hours of combat sports content. In addition to its web platform, GFL is available on Roku, IPhone, IPad, as well as other internet ready devices, and broadcasts a weekly, two-hour, syndicated fight TV show on CSN, TCN and SNY, as well as live pay-per-view events directly to iN DEMAND.

About Ring of Combat:

Ring of Combat is one of the longest running and most successful MMA promotions in the country. More than 80 ROC fighters have moved on to the UFC and other top promotions, including former UFC champions Frankie Edgar and Matt Serra and current UFC Middleweight Champion, Chris Weidman. It is because of this success, finding great but unknown talent and preparing them for the world stage, that Ring of Combat has earned the reputation of being called the “American Idol” of MMA. Lou firmly believes that great fights make great fighters!

For more information about Ring of Combat, please visit their website at: www.ringofcombat.com

About Lou Neglia:

Louis Neglia is a three-time World Kickboxing Champion, a former U.S. Kickboxiing Champion, a Florida Karate Champion, New York State Champion, and an Eastern American Karate Champion. No opponent has lasted more than three rounds against Louis Neglia since he won his first World Championship in 1980. Lou is an eight-degree Black Belt, and retired from competition in 1985 with a career record of 34 wins and only 2 losses. He was named Fighter Of the Year in 1984 and was inducted into the Karate Hall of Fame. He starred in four motion pictures(“A Hard Way to Die”,”Super Weapon”,”Fist of Fear”,and “One Down”, “Two To Go”). Featured articles have been written about him in the top American and International magazines and newspapers.

For more information about Lou Neglia’s, please visit his website at: www.louneglia.com

TEMECULA, CALIF. (Jan. 16, 2015) – Bellator MMA Featherweight World Champion Patricio Pitbull (23-2) was pushed to the limit by tenacious challenger Daniel Straus (22-6), but in the end, the Brazilian showed a ton of heart and retained his title with a gutsy fourth-round submission win.

The contest headlined Friday’s “Bellator: Pitbull vs. Straus” at Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, Calif.

Known for his wrestling, Straus showed improved striking skills throughout the bout, as he used his reach and quickness to frustrate Pitbull and open a cut over the champ’s right eye. But Pitbull refused to relent his title and used a late fourth-round takedown to work himself on to his opponent’s back, where he sunk in a rear-naked choke that ended the fight with just 11 second left in the round.

“I knew he’d come out striking,” Pitbull said after the win. “He’s a former world champion and one of the best strikers on the planet.

“I stuck to my gameplan and showed why I’m the champion. AND STILL!”

Pitbull already knows his next opponent, as Georgi Karakhanyan (24-4-1) picked up an incredibly impressive win over top featherweight prospect Bubba Jenkins (8-2).

The two-time D1 All-American Jenkins went quickly to his preferred attack, looking for the takedown, but Karakhanyan was waiting with the perfect counter: a guillotine choke.

Karakhanyan missed on his first attempt at the hold, but when they returned to the feet, Jenkins again looked for the takedown but left his neck behind. Karakhanyan happily cinched up the hold and put Jenkins to sleep with a spectacular finish at the 1:49 mark of the first.

Karakhanyan said he looks forward to the opportunity to erase the frustration of a 2011 loss to Pitbull.

“I’m very excited that I’m getting a title shot,” Karakhanyan said. “I’d love to fight Patricio and get my revenge.”

In additional main-card action, local hero Virgil Zwicker (13-4-1) edged out Houston Alexander (16-11-1) by split decision, while Fernando Gonzalez (23-13) outstruck Marius Zaromskis (20-9) en route to a unanimous decision win.

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 TV:
Spike TV 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 TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’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 – (January 16, 2015) The legend of Kimbo is back on Spike. One of MMA’s most recognizable names, the wildly popular former internet sensation Kimbo Slice has signed an exclusive, multi-fight deal with Bellator MMA and will make his promotional debut later this year.

Bellator officially announced the signing moments ago on Spike TV during the “Bellator: Pitbull vs. Straus” event when Bellator’s Jimmy Smith caught up with the Miami slugger via Skype (#technology).

“I’ve been trying to keep busy as much as possible,” said Slice. “Been boxing over the past couple of years. My current record [as a boxer] is 7-0. Bellator is up there in the tops and they’re giving me the opportunity to fight on primetime and Spike TV. You know you can’t resist Spike TV.

“You gotta think, I’m still hungry out there. I haven’t got my fill yet. Whoever steps up to the plate, they got to bring it. I’m comin to get it.”

“Anyone who has been to a Kimbo Slice fight has felt a thick, electric, tension in the air,” said Bellator President Scott Coker. “The man has a proven knack for evoking excitement every time he steps inside a cage, and that fits perfectly with the kind of fights we aim to put together.”

Born in the Bahamas and raised in Florida, Slice started his combat sports career on the streets of Miami, where he competed in unsanctioned prize fights on camera. The bouts were viewed by millions on the Internet, establishing Slice as a true viral sensation.

Slice turned his attention to mixed martial arts in 2007, picking up a submission win over former WBO heavyweight boxing champion Ray Mercer in an exhibition contest to begin his career. He would go on to compete professionally for both the UFC and EliteXC, where he would notch wins over MMA legend Tank Abbott, as well as fellow sluggers Houston Alexander and James Thompson.

Slice walked away from the sport in 2010 to focus on a career in boxing, where he went undefeated in seven professional contests. Six of those wins came by knockout.

Nearly five years after his final MMA appearance, Slice now returns to the sport, where the 6-foot-2 heavyweight slugger again looks to stand toe-to-toe with anyone willing to put on a pair of four-ounce gloves and trade blows in the pocket.

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 TV:
Spike TV 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 TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’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.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Jan. 16, 2015) – The highly-anticipated World Series of Fighting (www.wsof.com) welterweight (170 pounds) main event between superstars Jake Shields (30-7) of San Francisco, Calif. and Brian Foster (22-6) of Sallisaw, Okla. was made official after Shields weighed in at 170 pounds and Foster clocked in at 169.8 pounds one day before the live, five bout NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) televised Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday, January 17.

Originally slated to face off with undefeated Johnny Nunez (5-0) of Las Vegas in the co-main event, Brian “The Bandit” Cobb (20-8) withdrew from the commitment due to a knee injury he sustained during a workout yesterday, and was replaced by Joe Condon (11-7) of Victorville, Calif. Nunez weighed in at 155.6 pounds and Condon, who was originally scheduled to fight Jimmy Spicuzza (5-2) of Las Vegas, registered a weight of 156 pounds after originally coming in heavy at 157.4 pounds.

Although Spicuzza’s bout was scrapped from the preliminary card, which now has three fights, the fighter was paid both his contracted purse and win bonus by WSOF.

The five-bout main card will air live, beginning at 9 p.m. EST on NBCSN, as well as online domestically and internationally, free of charge, on NBCSports.com. The live preliminary card stream will begin at 7 p.m. EST on an embeddable video player on www.wsof.com.

Priced from $29.99, tickets for WSOF 17: Shields vs. Foster are on sale at Ticketmaster.com and WSOF.com.

Doors at Axis Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino will open at 3 p.m. PST. The first preliminary bout will begin at 4 p.m.

COMPLETE WSOF 17: SHIELDS VS. FOSTER WEIGH-IN RESULTS:

Main Card:

Main Event: Welterweight (170 pounds) Bout

Jake Shields (30-7) (170 lbs.) vs. Brian Foster (22-6) (169.8 lbs.)
San Francisco, Calif. Sallisaw, Okla.

Co-Main Event: Lightweight (155 pounds) Bout

Johnny Nunez (5-0) (155.6 lbs.) vs. Joe Condon (11-7) (156 lbs.)
Las Vegas, Nev. Victorville, Calif.

Middleweight (185 pounds) Bout

Krasimir Mladenov (11-0) (185.8 lbs.) vs. Brendan Kornberger (5-0) (185 lbs.)
Bulgaria Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Bantamweight (135 pounds) Bout

Bryson Hansen (7-2) (135.2 lbs.) vs. Rudy Morales (3-1) (135 lbs.)
Las Vegas, Nev. Las Vegas, Nev.

Welterweight (170 pounds) Bout

Danny Davis, Jr. (10-8-1) (170 lbs.) vs. Adam Cella (6-2) (171.6 lbs.)
Las Vegas, Nev. St. Louis, Mo.

Preliminary Card:

Featherweight (145 pounds) Bout

Jordan Rinaldi (8-6) (145.8 lbs.) vs. Soslan Abanokov (4-2) (145.8 lbs.)
Las Vegas, Nev. Brooklyn, N.Y.

Flyweight (125 pounds) Bout

Taylor McCorriston (8-6) (126 lbs.) vs. Donavon Frelow (2-0) (125 lbs.)
Las Vegas, Nev. Las Vegas, Nev.

Middleweight (185 pounds) Bout

Jamie Point (1-0) (186 lbs.) vs. Trey Williams (0-0) (185.8 lbs.)
Las Vegas, Nev. Reno, Nev.

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

ABOUT 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.

LONDON – The UFC® today announced the appointment of David Allen as its Senior Vice President and General Manager of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

Allen first joined the UFC in December of 2013 as Director of Events, Marketing and Communications for EMEA. Throughout his 13 months with the organization, Allen has helped grow and develop the organization’s London office, and provided valuable leadership during a busy year for the region highlighted by sold out shows in London and Dublin in 2014.

Dublin born Allen kicked off his sports career with sportswear manufacturer Adidas in 1994. In 1998, he made the move to Nike where he held sales positions in the UK and EMEA business ahead of his promotion to General Manager of Nike Football EMEA in 2006. In this role, Allen led the team to over $1 Billion in sales and the market leader position in the critical markets of UK, Italy, France and Spain.

In 2010, Allen took on a new challenge within the Nike family and accepted the role of General Manager EMEA and USA for the UMBRO brand. He was responsible for creating the vision of the UMBRO brand, growing revenues, developing and delivering turnaround strategies to key markets.

In his new role, Allen will continue to be based in the London office overseeing the UFC’s business in the EMEA region and report to UFC Chief Global Brand Officer Garry Cook.

On the appointment, Cook said: “I have had the privilege of working with David over many years and his dedication, determination and drive will add great value. The UFC looks forward to the further growth of the brand in EMEA under David’s tutelage, as the organization targets new markets, partnerships and opportunities, including it’s largest European event to date in Stockholm next week.”

David Allen added: “”I am grateful for the confidence the company has placed in me and I look forward to working with a great team, both here in EMEA and in our Las Vegas office, as we work together to grow the UFC business across the region.”

###

About the UFC®
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, UFC® is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in 129 countries and territories to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT® (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, UFC branded apparel, DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

ANTA MONICA, Calif. (January 15, 2015) – Its game time! Bellator athletes participating in tomorrows nights highly anticipated “Bellator: Pitbull vs. Straus” took to the scales and all made weight today at the Cabaret Theater inside Pechanga Resort & Casino.

“Bellator: Pitbull vs. Straus” will take place from Pechanga Resort & Casino with the first fight taking place at 4 p.m. PT and streaming LIVE on Spike.com. The televised portion of the night will air LIVE and FREE on Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET.

“I am all there mentally and I’ve been there for the past eight weeks and beyond that. I couldn’t be more ready for tomorrow.” – Daniel Straus

“You want to know something, I am going to raise the level of competition here and no one is going to be able to beat me in this sport. Tomorrow Straus is going to have a problem.” – Patricio Pitbull

Featherweight Champion Patricio Pitbull (144.3) vs. Daniel Straus (143.4)

Bubba Jenkins (145.9) vs. Georgi Karakhanyan (145.8)

Virgil Zwicker (206) vs. Houston Alexander (203.4)

Fernando Gonzalez (171) vs. Marius Zaromskis (169.4)

PRELIMINARY CARD PHOTOS
Dustin Jacoby (185.5) vs. John Salter (185.8)
Everett Cummings (232) vs. Jason Glaza (237.3)
Jonathan Rivera (155.7) vs.Steve Kozola (155.5)
Derek Anderson (156) vs. Danny Navarro (155.4)
Fabian Gonzalez (135.4) vs. Albert Morales (134.6)
Luc Bondole (185) vs. Chris Herrera (184.6)

Bellator 132: Friday, Jan. 16, Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula, Calif..

Main Card (9 p.m. ET)

Bellator Featherweight Title Fight: Champ Patricio Pitbull (22-2) vs. Daniel Straus (23-5)
Featherweight Feature Fight: Bubba Jenkins (8-1) vs. Georgi Karakhanyan (23-4-1)
Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Virgil Zwicker (12-4-1) vs. Houston Alexander (16-10-1)
Welterweight Feature Fight: Fernando Gonzalez (22-13) vs. Marius Zaromskis (20-8)

Preliminary Card (7 p.m. ET)

Middleweight Prelim Fight: Dustin Jacoby (10-4) vs. John Salter (10-3)
Catchweight (239 pounds) Prelim Fight: Everett Cummings (8-0) vs. Jason Glaza (2-1)
Lightweight Prelim Fight: Jonathan Rivera (4-0) vs.Steve Kozola (4-0)
Lightweight Prelim Fight: Derek Anderson (11-1) vs. Danny Navarro (12-4)
Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Fabian Gonzalez (2-0) vs. Albert Morales (0-0)
Middleweight Prelim Fight: Luc Bondole (4-0-1) vs. Chris Herrera (2-1)

About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 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 TV:
Spike TV 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 TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’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.

Tacoma, Washington (January 13, 2015) After an incredible 2014, Brian Halquist Productions started off the new year with an incredible night of fights at Battle at the Boat 99 with Mike Gavronski stealing the show, defeating Dashon Johnson in an energetic 10 round main event this past weekend. The Pacific Northwest ‘s premier combat sports promoter, is primed and ready for an even bigger 2015.

The last year has seen some incredible action from the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, with both Battle at the Boat boxing and CageSport MMA showcasing the absolute best up and coming local talent.

Battle at the Boat has consistently produced great fights over the past 12 months and is only getting better, with top local talents such as Mike Gavronski, Jeremy McCleary and Marcelino Pineda leading the way. Northwest fight fans have witnessed incredible bouts and thrilling knockouts leaving the Emerald Queen Casino showroom buzzing. March 28th 2015 will bring Battle at the Boat 100 to the EQC, and the promotion has big plans to celebrate its remarkable 100th show.

This past year has brought with it new and exciting opportunities to the CageSport promotion as well. The northwest’s leader in MMA announced it’s partnership with Super Fight League, Asia’s largest MMA organization in October and went on to produce two of the best, most talked about event’s in the promotions history. With over 85,000 viewers watching the live stream on YouTube, the world has embraced Super Fight League America with open arms.

In October, SFL America crowned their first two champions, as a pair of Californians, Victor Henry and Colleen Schneider captured the SFLA men’s and women’s 135lb. Championships on the same night. The second event in December featured two more belts up for grabs, this time in the men’s Welterweight and Lightweight Divisions. The welterweight bout was one for the ages, as Ben Fodor a.k.a. the Seattle Superhero Phoenix Jones battled Enumclaw’s Tyson Cunningham to a draw. Meanwhile, Julian Erosa left no doubt in the lightweight division, beating Harrison Bevens by a stunning second round knockout.

Looking to the future, Brian Halquist Productions will continue to promote the absolute best local boxing and MMA talent throughout the New Year, with a complete schedule of Battle at the Boat and Super Fight League America events, all live from the Emerald Queen Casino.

January 9th – Battle at the Boat 99 (special Friday night edition)

February 21st – Super Fight League America #3

March 28th – Battle at the Boat 100

April 25th – Super Fight League America #4

May 30th – Battle at the Boat 101

July 11th – Super Fight League America #5

August 15th – Battle at the Boat 102

September 26th – Super Fight League America #6

November 7th – Battle at the Boat 103

December 12th – Super Fight League America #7

Tickets to all Brian Halquist Production events can be purchased through all Ticketmaster locations as well as the Emerald Queen Casino box office. For more info on CageSport MMA or Battle at the Boat, please visit us at www.halquistproductions.com and the facebook pages of Battle at the Boat and CageSport MMA.

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (Jan. 15, 2015) – A potentially explosive heavyweight match between past M-1 Challenge title challenger Denis Smoldarev and veteran Maro “Man Machine” Perak has been added to M-1 Global’s 2015 season-opening event, February 21, at M-1 Challenge 55: Guram Gugenishvili Memorial Show in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Former M-1 Challenge heavyweight champion Kenny “Deuce” Garner (14-8-0, 7 KO/TKO) versus Chechen prospect Aslambek “Titan” Musaev (5-1-0, 1 KO/TKO, 2 SUB) was announced earlier this week.

M-1 Challenge 55, honoring the memory of the first M-1 Challenge heavyweight champion Guram Gugenishvili, will be streamed live 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 Andriod and Apple smart phones and tablets.

The 24-year-old Smoldarev (9-1-0, 3 KO/TKO, 4 SUB) and dangerous Perak (23-4-1, 12 KO/TKO, 7 SUB), ironically, are both coming off losses to reigning M-1 Challenge heavyweight champion Marcin “Tybur” Tybura (12-0-0, 3 KO/TKO, 7 SUB).

Smoldarev, fighting out of Estonia, was choked into a submission by Tybura in the opening round of their title fight last November at M-1 Challenge 53: Battle in the Celestial Empire in Beijing, China. Despite getting in a few early shots on Tybura, Smoldarev allowed the defending champion to fight on the ground, resulting in a rear naked choke that halted the action.

The invaluable experience he gained in his last fight, though, should enable Smoldarev to grow as an overall MMA fighter, something he desperately will need fighting a battle-tested opponent such as Perak.

Perak, 32, is the lone fighter in M-1 Challenge competition to extend Tybura past the first round. The tough Croatian was stopped by Tybura’s punches in the third round of their fight this past April at M-1 Challenge 47: Battle in the Heart of the Continent in Orenburg, Russia.

Perak also has revenge on his mind. Last year, Smoldarev defeated one of Perak’s students, Ante Delija, by second-round submission. The most impressive victory on the aggressive fighting Perak’s record, perhaps, is his stoppage of Bob Sapp in 2011.

All fights and fighters are subject to change. Additional fights will soon be announced.

Fight Network will air M-1 Challenge 55 live on Cablevision’s Optimum TV, Grande Communications, Shentel Cable and Armstrong Cable in the U.S., as well as nationwide in Canada, on Roku devices across North America, and globally in more than 30 countries throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Information

www.M-1Global.com

www.mixfight.ru

www.WMMAA.org

www.M1Global.TV

Twitter & Instagram:

@M1Global

@VadimFinkelchteinM1

@M1GlobalNews

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/pages/M-1-Global/145250878842244
ABOUT M-1 GLOBAL: Founded in 1997, M-1 Global has established itself in the realm of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as the premiere entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With offices in St Petersburg, Amsterdam and Los Angeles and affiliates in Seoul, Tokyo and Paris, the M-1 brand has staged more than 150 events worldwide, including the M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge and M-1 Global and M-1 Global HWGP events, in addition to co-promoting Strikeforce events and M-1 Global on the Showtime network in the United States. Captivating live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and matchups, M-1 Global events have featured some of the sport’s top names, including Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Aleksander Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Keith Jardine, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Roman Zentsov, Yushin Okami, Mike Pyle, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Amar Suloev, Chalid Arrab and Stephan Struve. 2014 promises to be another sensational year of world-class competition with a full calendar of Challenge events fueled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global’s Champions amongst the greatest in the sport. M-1 Global’s greatest asset is renowned heavyweight fighter, Fedor Emelianenko.

ABOUT M-1GLOBAL.TV: Enjoy MMA action now in high definition brought to you by M-1Global.tv, offering only the best fights from M-1 Global and other MMA organizations. M-1Global.tv is a great platform developed specifically to bring together the most exhaustive fight video database. It also provides an easy and intuitive interface, helping everyone to start using the platform in no time while avoiding any spoilers. Besides watching the past fights on demand at any time convenient to the customer, viewers are able to enjoy the action LIVE, all available to M-1Global.tv users through a low-priced month to month digital subscription. Your world of action. Anytime!

Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, today announced extensive live programming for UFC Fight Night™: McGregor vs. Siver this Sunday, Jan. 18 in Boston, Mass.

Fight Network will televise the live prelims exclusively in Canada from 7 to 10 p.m. ET. The main card is scheduled to air live on TSN2 at 10 p.m. ET.

The prelims will feature a welterweight matchup between Irishman Cathal Pendred (15-2-1) and Virginia native Sean Spencer (12-3), as well as a welterweight bout pitting Boston’s own John Howard (22-10) against California native Lorenz Larkin (14-4, 1NC), who makes his first appearance in the welterweight division. Meanwhile, Chinese prospect Lipeng Zhang (9-7-1) clashes with once-beaten New Yorker Chris Wade (8-1) in lightweight action, Irish flyweight sensation Patrick Holohan (10-1-1) looks to return to the win column against debuting Oklahoma native Shane Howell (13-8), Iowa’s Johnny Case (19-4) attempts to extend his winning streak to 10 against New Jersey-based lightweight newcomer Frankie Perez (9-1), and Massachusetts native Charles Rosa (9-1) and Miami-based Sean Soriano (8-2) kick off the festivities at featherweight.

Fight Network will also present a live broadcast of the official UFC Fight Night™: McGregor vs. Siver weigh-ins on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 4 p.m. ET as Conor McGregor and Dennis Siver tip the scales ahead of their highly anticipated main event showdown, plus former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson and red-hot contender Donald Cerrone take center stage before their third meeting in the co-main event.

Live pre-fight coverage will lead into the prelims on Sunday evening with a one-hour pre-show at 6 p.m. ET from Fight Network studios, featuring previews, predictions and analysis.

A live post-show will air on Fight Network immediately following the main card at approximately 12 a.m. ET, featuring highlights, recaps and the live post-fight press conference.

In addition to all the live pre and post-fight coverage, Fight Network will be airing two UFC specials throughout the week, which will also serve as the lead-in to the pre-show and prelims on Jan. 18. All airings are listed at tv.fightnetwork.com.

UFC Rising: Conor McGregor is a 30-minute special focusing on the brash Irishman, as he breaks down his best performances in the Film Room and his overwhelming athleticism in The Lab, then a look at what’s next for this featherweight supernova.

UFC Special: 2015 Preview is a one-hour preview show hosted by Jon Anik alongside Brian Stann and Dominick Cruz. Get an in-depth look at the UFC calendar with predictions, previews and analysis, plus an exclusive interview with UFC president Dana White.

Post-fight coverage continues on Monday’s edition of 5 Rounds on Fight Network, which debuts at 7 p.m. ET and features a comprehensive breakdown of the event.

The full card for UFC Fight Night™: McGregor vs. Siver includes:

Main Card (Live on TSN2, 10 p.m. ET):

-Conor McGregor (16-2) vs. Dennis Siver (22-9)
-Donald Cerrone (25-6) vs. Benson Henderson (21-4)
-Uriah Hall (9-4) vs. Ron Stallings (12-6)
-Norman Parke (20-2-1) vs. Gleison Tibau (32-10)

Preliminary Card (Live on Fight Network, 7 p.m. ET):

-Cathal Pendred (15-2-1) vs. Sean Spencer (12-3)
-John Howard (22-10) vs. Lorenz Larkin (14-4, 1NC)
-Lipeng Zhang (9-7-1) vs. Chris Wade (8-1)
-Patrick Holohan (10-1-1) vs. Shane Howell (13-8)
-Johnny Case (19-4) vs. Frankie Perez (9-1)
-Charles Rosa (9-1) vs. Sean Soriano (8-2)

Preliminary Card (Live on UFC Fight Pass, 6 p.m. ET):

-Sean O’Connell (15-6) vs. Matt Van Buren (6-3)
-Joby Sanchez (6-1) vs. Tateki Matsuda (10-6)

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

Continuing to empower fitness enthusiasts around the world through its tough fitness approach, Reebok announces today its partnership with UFC featherweight contender, Conor McGregor. The signing follows the recent announcement of Reebok’s groundbreaking partnership with the UFC, the world’s leading mixed martial arts organization, and builds upon the global fitness brand’s impressive roster of UFC athletes which includes UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, and former UFC welterweight champion Johny Hendricks amongst others.

Proving his potential truly is limitless, in two years Conor McGregor went from young up-and-comer to one of the most exciting athletes in the sport of MMA. “Conor’s hard work, determination and confidence have gotten him to where he is today,” said Reebok Brand President Matt O’Toole. “His passion and his commitment to continual self-improvement are a true reflection of the Reebok brand.”

According to UFC President Dana White, “Conor is without a doubt one of the most exciting fighters we have ever had in the UFC.”

Born in Dublin, Ireland, twenty –six year old McGregor represents Reebok’s first UFC athlete that originates from and trains in Europe. Officially ranked no.5 in the UFC featherweight division, McGregor is steadily growing in popularity as he rides a 12-fight win streak and builds on his impressive 16-2 record. McGregor continues his journey to the division title this Sunday at UFC Fight Night: McGregor vs. Siver in Boston, Mass., where he will wear his first-ever “Reebok Walkout T-Shirt” when he takes on 10th-ranked Dennis Siver.

McGregor will play an important role in launching Reebok’s new collection of footwear and apparel specifically created for the 35 million people around the world who train like fighters. “I believe my potential in the Octagon is limitless, but it all comes down to the training you put in pre-fight,” said McGregor. “With a top fitness brand like Reebok behind me, there’s no telling what I can do in the Octagon.”

“In addition to being one of the fastest growing sports in the world, MMA is also one of the most demanding in terms of conditioning and fitness. Reebok believes that by pushing ourselves to the brink and testing our limitations, we have the power to transform ourselves not only physically but also mentally and socially,” said O’Toole.

For further information and assets please visit the Reebok News Stream at news.reebok.com

For further information on UFC please visit www.ufc.com

END

About Reebok

Reebok International Ltd., headquartered in Canton, MA, USA, is a leading worldwide designer, marketer and distributor of fitness and lifestyle footwear, apparel and equipment. An American-inspired global brand, Reebok is a pioneer in the sporting goods industry with a rich and storied fitness heritage. Reebok develops products, technologies and programming which enable movement and is committed to accompanying people on their journey to fulfill their potential. Reebok connects with the fitness consumer wherever they are and however they choose to stay fit – whether it’s training, running, walking, dance, yoga or aerobics. Reebok Classics leverages the brand’s fitness heritage and represents the roots of the brand in the sports lifestyle market. A subsidiary of the adidas Group, Reebok operates under the multiple divisions of the Reebok brand, Reebok-CCM Hockey and the Sports Licensed Division. Reebok is the exclusive outfitter of CrossFit and the Reebok CrossFit Games, the official title sponsor of the Reebok Spartan Race and exclusive apparel provider for Les Mills. For more information, visit Reebok at www.reebok.com or, for the latest news at http://news.reebok.com/. Or, discover Reebok at the following locations: http://facebook.com/reebok; http://twitter.com/reebok; and http://youtube.com/reebok

About UFC®

Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the UFC® is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in 129 countries and territories to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT® (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, UFC branded apparel, DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (Jan. 13, 2015) – Former M-1 Challenge heavyweight champion Kenny “Deuce” Garner will take on powerful Chechen prospect Aslambek “Titan” Musaev in the initial fight announced by M-1 Global for its 2015 season-opening event, M-1 Challenge 55, on Saturday night, February 21, in Tbilisi, Georgia.

M-1 Challenge 55: Guram Gugenishvili Memorial Show will be streamed live 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 Andriod and Apple smart phones and tablets.

Garner (14-8-0, 7 KO/TKO, 4 SUB) fought an epic trilogy with Gugenishvili, the first M-1 Challenge heavyweight champion, with the American winning two of three fights. Garner holds the longest reign of the coveted M-1 Challenge heavyweight title, 1-½ years, from October 14, 2011 to April 9, 2013.

In his last fight this past November 25 at M-1 Challenge 53: Battle in the Celestial Empire in Beijing, China, as a late replacement for injured Satoshi Ishii, the hard-punching Floridian lost to the great Sergei Kharitonov (21-5-0), by way of a technical knockout when the doctor stopped the fight in the third round due to injury.

In 2013, Musaev (5-1-0, 1 KO/TKO, 2 SUB) won the WAMMA tournament final, defeating Rasul Islamov. The powerful Chechen also holds the Guinness Book world record for weight lifting with only one arm (right), making him a dual-threat as a dangerous striker as well as for applying strong holds.

Musaev has displayed his physical strength at public events by lifting cars, heavy objects and even people. His only career loss as a professional MMA fighter was to former UFC champion Brett “The Grim” Rogers last October.

Additional fights will soon be announced. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Fight Network will air M-1 Challenge 55 on Cablevision’s Optimum TV, Grande Communications, Shentel Cable and Armstrong Cable in the U.S., as well as nationwide in Canada, on Roku devices across North America, and also globally in more 30 countries throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Information

www.M-1Global.com

www.mixfight.ru

www.WMMAA.org

www.M1Global.TV

Twitter & Instagram:

@M1Global

@VadimFinkelchteinM1

@M1GlobalNews

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NEW YORK, NY (January 12, 2015) – GoFight Live (www.gfl.tv), the world’s premier online destination for live combat sports, announced today that it has partnered with legendary world champion Lou Neglia’s Ring of Combat, which has sent over 90 professional fighters to the UFC, to bring the promotion’s historic, 50th Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event featuring seven championship bouts, to live pay-per-view television as well as to a live global audience on GFL.tv, on Fri., Jan. 23, from the Tropicana Resort & Casino in Atlantic City, N.J.

At a suggested retail price of $17.99, the live cable television pay-per-view broadcast and the live GFL.tv online stream of Ring of Combat 50 begins at 9 p.m. EST/6 p.m. PST on Jan. 23. Additionally, a live, free-of-charge preview show featuring two preliminary card bouts from the event begins exclusively on GFL.tv at 8:30 p.m. EST/5:30 p.m. PST.

“We are thrilled to team up with GoFight Live, which gives us the opportunity to showcase this event – a major milestone for Ring of Combat – to fight fans all over the globe,” said Neglia, whose organization has been touted by MixedMartialArts.com as “The American Idol of MMA” because of its unmatched track record of discovering future superstars of the sport.

To date, Ring of Combat is responsible for jumpstarting the careers of reigning UFC middleweight kingpin Chris Weidman, retired, former UFC champion Matt Serra; and UFC superstars Frankie Edgar; Al Iaquinta; Uriah Hall; Ryan LaFlare; Costas Philippou and Edson Barboza, among others.

Frankie Perez, a nine-time Ring of Combat veteran who was originally slated to compete on the upcoming 50th event, withdrew from his scheduled title fight after being called up to make his UFC debut on Jan. 18.

Amongst the crop of rising stars that are slated for action at Ring of Combat 50 and that have been touted as potential, future UFC competitors are undefeated Ring of Combat national bantamweight (135 pounds) champion Julio Arce (6-0) of Queens, N.Y., who will put his title on the line in the co-main event against battle-tested Thomas Vasquez (7-2) of Horn Lake, Miss., and undefeated, former NCAA Division I wrestling champion and four-time All- American for Edinboro University Gregor Gillespie (3-0) of Wantagh, N.Y., who will square off with Justin Stewart (0=0) of Greene, N.Y. in one of the pay-per-view pre-show matchups on GFL.tv.

Unbeaten KO artist Oluwale “Holy War Angel” Bamgbose (3-0) of New York, N.Y. will battle Devon “Bam Bam” Morris (1-3) Niles, Mich. for the vacant Ring of Combat national middleweight (185 pounds) title.

Since making his professional debut at Ring of Combat 45 on June 14, 2013 with a blistering first round (2:45) TKO (punches) of Fikret Darzanoff, the 27-year-old Bamgbose has been unstoppable, continuing his dominant success with two more first round stoppages – a TKO (punches) of Michael Elshamy on Jan. 24, 2014, and a TKO (doctor stoppage) of Steve Nichols on Sept. 19, 2014 – both in Ring of Combat action.

In the main event, 25-year-old Jeff Lentz (9-4-1) of Mays Landing, N.J. will square off with fellow up-and-coming finisher, 26-year-old George “Lights Out” Sheppard (15-9) of Newport News, Va., for the promotion’s vacant, national lightweight (155 pounds) championship.

Lentz has earned 6 of his 9 career victories by way of (T)KO (4) or submission (2), while Sheppard has notched 11 of his 15 career wins to date via (T)KO (9) or submission (2).

Unbeaten Randy “Rude Boy” Brown (2-0) of Queens will lock horns with Mike Winters (7-4) of Cortland, N.Y. for the vacant Ring of Combat national welterweight (170 pounds) strap.

A Jamaican import, the 24-year-old Brown made his professional debut under the Ring of Combat banner on May 16, 2014, submitting Steve Tyrrell with an armbar in the first round (1:53) of their meeting. On Sept. 19, 2014, Brown turned in another powerful performance, finishing Leonard Simpson by way of second round (:52) TKO with a barrage of punches.

Brown will face his toughest test to date in Winters, a veteran of more than five times as many fights than Brown. Winters has yet to be finished by an opponent since making his professional debut in 2010, and reeling off wins in his first four starts – three by way of TKO.

Ring of Combat flyweight (125 pounds) champion, Matt “Razor Sharp” Rizzo (7-2) of Levittown, Penn. will risk his title against Corey Simmons (5-6) Defiance, Ohio.

Rizzo is coming off a brilliant first round (3:40) submission (rear-naked choke) of Jimmy Grant at Ring of Combat 49 on Sept. 19, 2014, avenging a KO (punch) defeat at the hands of Grant, just one fight before that, on May 16, 2014. Prior to the loss, Rizzo had collected four straight wins – three via first round submission.

Phillipe “The Filipino Assassin” Nover (8-5) of Brooklyn, N.Y. will square off against Dan Cion (4-1) of Farmingdale, N.Y. for the Ring of Combat East Coast lightweight title.

Nover, 30, is aiming for his third consecutive win, after earning back-to-back unanimous decisions over Darrell Horcher and Mike Santiago on April 4, 2013 and June 14, 2013, respectively. The victory over Horcher represented Nover’s final start of a 2-1 stint fighting for Bellator.

Cion, also 30 years of age, is looking for his second straight win in what will be his first appearance since June 1, 2012 when he decimated Casey Milliken in just 18 seconds with an onslaught of punches.

Kenny Foster (11-8) of Selden, N.Y. will battle Mike Santiago (12-9) of Wood Dale, Ill. for the Ring of Combat East Coast featherweight (145 pounds) belt.

Tickets for Ring of Combat 50, priced from $55 to $135, can be purchased online at RingofCombat.com, the Tropicana Resort & Casino box office and Ticketmaster.com.

Doors at the Tropicana Resort & Casino showroom open at 8:00 p.m. EST.

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About GFL:

GFL (www.gfl.tv) is a fast-growing media and sports entertainment company that utilizes a proprietary technology to deliver the most exciting LIVE combat sports events worldwide and an incredible viewing experience to a global audience. With a diverse mix of combat sports properties, GFL is the premier online destination for live boxing, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Muay Thai, kickboxing, Jiu-Jitsu and more. Since its inception in 2007, GFL has streamed more than 2,500 live events with over 10,000 hours of combat sports content. In addition to its web platform, GFL is available on Roku, IPhone, IPad, as well as other internet ready devices, and broadcasts a weekly, two-hour, syndicated fight TV show on CSN, TCN and SNY, as well as live pay-per-view events directly to iN DEMAND.

About Ring of Combat:

Ring of Combat is one of the longest running and most successful MMA promotions in the country. More than 80 ROC fighters have moved on to the UFC and other top promotions, including former UFC champions Frankie Edgar and Matt Serra and current UFC Middleweight Champion, Chris Weidman. It is because of this success, finding great but unknown talent and preparing them for the world stage, that Ring of Combat has earned the reputation of being called the “American Idol” of MMA. Lou firmly believes that great fights make great fighters!

For more information about Ring of Combat, please visit their website at: www.ringofcombat.com

About Lou Neglia:

Louis Neglia is a three-time World Kickboxing Champion, a former U.S. Kickboxiing Champion, a Florida Karate Champion, New York State Champion, and an Eastern American Karate Champion. No opponent has lasted more than three rounds against Louis Neglia since he won his first World Championship in 1980. Lou is an eight-degree Black Belt, and retired from competition in 1985 with a career record of 34 wins and only 2 losses. He was named Fighter Of the Year in 1984 and was inducted into the Karate Hall of Fame. He starred in four motion pictures(“A Hard Way to Die”,”Super Weapon”,”Fist of Fear”,and “One Down”, “Two To Go”). Featured articles have been written about him in the top American and International magazines and newspapers.

For more information about Lou Neglia’s, please visit his website at: www.louneglia.com