Mikaela Lauren (26-3, 11 KOs) has signed a long-term promotional contract with Europe’s leading boxing promoter Team Sauerland.

The WBC Female World Super Welterweight Champion joins Team Sauerland’s ever growing stable of Swedish stars including Erik Skoglund, Klara Svensson, Anthony Yigit, Oscar Ahlin and Otto Wallin.

‘’I’m very happy to have signed with Team Sauerland,’’ said Lauren. ‘’They are the biggest promoters in Europe right now and have all the top names in Sweden fighting on their Nordic Fight Night series. I know they have big plans for boxing in Sweden and I’m excited to be a part of this.

‘’To stay at the top, I need a great team behind me and there is no one better than Sauerland. They have been in the business for a long time and know exactly what they are doing.’’

With this new deal in place, Lauren can look forward to some potentially huge fights including a rematch with female pound-for-pound number one Cecilia Brækhus and a domestic showdown with Team Sauerland stable-mate Klara Svensson.

‘’I know Sauerland can deliver me the big fights I want,’’ says Lauren. ‘’I would love a rematch with Cecilia Brækhus and a fight against Klara Svensson.

‘’When I fought Cecilia I was just a novice. I’d only had six fights, but now I’m a World-class fighter. I’ve had twenty-nine fights and I know what the game is about, and I know I can beat Cecilia, especially with the help of Sauerland.

‘’The fight against Klara would be great for Sweden. We are the two biggest female fighters in the country right now and I’m sure it’s a fight everyone would love to see. I would need to move down a weight class and she would need to move up, but I’m sure this could happen. Klara calls herself the Swedish Princess, but after I beat her, I want to be known as the Swedish Queen.’’

Promoter Nisse Sauerland has expressed his delight to have secured the Stockholm-fighter’s signature. ‘’We’re delighted to welcome Mikaela to the team,’’ said Sauerland. ‘’She is one of the best female fighters on the planet and will be an exciting addition to our Nordic Fight Night series. There are a lot of big fights out there for her and we’re looking forward to a long and successful collaboration.’’

Lauren will be fighting as part of Team Sauerland’s Nordic Fight Night series, which is shown live and exclusive on TV10 in Sweden.

DiBella Entertainment won the purse bid that will stage the IBF Jr. Lightweight title bout between Jose Pedraza and Stephen Smith, according to Dab Rafael of espn.com.

Last month, DiBella and Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, who promotes Smith, made a deal for the bout, which was tentatively scheduled for March 26. However, when the fight was not officially scheduled by the IBF deadline for signed contracts to be returned, another purse bid was ordered.

Usually, when that happens, it is because of a disagreement between promoters. However, this time it was over a disagreement between DiBella and Pedraza, who declined to sign for the fight.

Hearn told ESPN that he and DiBella revisited their agreement and that is why he did not bid.

“I didn’t bid because we already reached an agreement with Lou a few days ago,” Hearn said. “We are happy with the package. The purse bid number is irrelevant because of our private agreement.”

LOS ANGELES (March 2, 2016) – WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Champion Canelo Alvarez (46-1-1, 32 KOs) and former two-time world champion and resurgent contender Amir “King” Khan (31-3, 19 KOs) made their final stop off their three-city international press tour in Los Angeles at the Universal CityWalk to discuss their upcoming May 7 showdown at the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Canelo Alvarez vs. Amir Khan will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

In the final stop for the international press tour, the fighters met in Oscar De La Hoya’s hometown of Los Angeles at the Universal CityWalk to promote the upcoming May 7 fight, which was preceded by a visit at the Hard Rock Café at the Times Square in New York City, as well as to Amir Khan’s turf in London. The fighters will meet again to faceoff in Las Vegas in the first major sporting event at the brand new T-Mobile Arena.

Below is what the fighters, their teams and promoter had to say at the press conference:

CANELO ALVAREZ, WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Champion:

“I want to thank everyone, all the press, for coming here today. Whenever I am here I am treated very well. You guys motivate me to keep winning. Because of you, I wake up and want to be triumphant. Not only for me, but for you guys. I am going to prepare like always, 100 percent. Amir khan is a difficult opponent. I am ready for this and much more. We’ll see you May 7.”

AMIR “KING” KHAN, Former Two-Time World Champion:

“First of all, I want to say hello to everyone in Los Angeles. This trip has been amazing for me. This is the biggest fight of my career. Canelo is physically very strong, and come fight night, I will be ready and coming in very happy and very strong.

“It will be like a game of chess. Canelo is very strong. I have a very good trainer who will tell me the right game plan. We will go in to win this fight, and I will prove people wrong. Even though it is Cinco de Mayo, the British fans will come out. In Vegas, there will be more British flags then Mexican flags.

“Thank you for this massive opportunity for this fight. This fight will be an exciting one, and I really believe I can win this fight and if I didn’t I wouldn’t be here.

“Come May 7, everyone will enjoy this fight.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions:

“Let me just say, let’s thank Donald Trump for making this fight happen because we are getting a Mexican and Muslim together to have this fight on Cinco de Mayo!

“This takes me back to Maidana who had Amir down, and Amir fought until the end. Canelo will have to be careful and watch out. This fight will be great and will be wonderful to celebrate on Cinco de Mayo.

“It is not often that two superstars of a sport face off at the peak of their careers. This is such an event, with two of the biggest international fighters fighting at the biggest arena in the world.

“An old saying tells us, ‘styles make fights.’ These fighters have the chance to make this fight not just for them but also for the fans. This is speed vs. power. Khan has amazing footwork, but Canelo has power and strength.

“Size does not matter in this fight. What does is skill, speed, power, intelligence and experience. If you can be in Las Vegas to watch it live in person, watch it on the best boxing network out there-HBO.

“This will be a high intensity fight, with Khan returning to his former promotion home-Golden Boy Promotions.”

EDDY REYNOSO, Head Trainer of Canelo Alvarez:

“After the great performance against Miguel Cotto last November, we shut many mouths, especially Freddie Roach’s. We are inspired for 2016; it’s going to be even better than 2015. We want to fight against the best.

“On May 7, we fight Amir Khan. He is a very good fighter-a great fighter with technical skill. We are going to prepare well so we can win this fight. After this fight, we will fight anyone. We always fight the best, and we’ll fight anyone.”

JOSE “CHEPO” REYNOSO, Manager of Canelo Alvarez:

“We are happy to finish this tour in Los Angeles, our home. We are used to working hard that is why Canelo has conquered so many things, because he words hard.

“Whoever can’t make it live in Las Vegas for this fight on May 7, I am going to recommend something. On May 7, go buy some carne for barbeque. After that, go get some cold Tecates. Go buy Tequila Casa Mexico. And after you buy that, Canelo is going to give you a great victory. Viva Mexico!”

SHAH KHAN, Father and Manager of Amir Khan:

“I would like to thank everybody. This fight was so easy to arrange, unlike with Mayweather or Paciaquo. In the end, they just didn’t want to fight. I want to thank everyone.

“Amir will fight anyone. Canelo was the best to fight after Mayweather because he is now the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and Amir really wanted to fight him.”

VIRGIL HUNTER, Trainer for Amir Khan:

“Thank you to everyone for coming out and bringing boxing to the next level.”

MAURICIO SULAIMAN, President of WBC:

“Two days ago, we were in London where boxing was born 300 years ago. Last night we were in New York, which has been called the Mecca of boxing. Now we are in LA, the boxing capital of the world.

“I am very proud of GB for bringing the best fights, and opening the T-Mobile Arena.

“I am very proud to see two grown models, Canelo and Amir Khan. They show what boxing is all about.

“This fight represents Box Val — boxing for peace, bringing a Mexican and Muslim fighter together.

“I just want to finish wishing the best of luck to the fighters. And long live boxing!”

TONY WALKER, Director at HBO Sports:

“We would like to thank Amir Khan back to HBO. He has his own visions of who might win. You may hear a lot about speed vs. power but we think it is a bit different-it’s about the fans and how these fighters connect with them.”

GUSTAVO GUERRERO, Vice President for Tecate:

“This year is very special for us because we are starting a multi-year sponsor with Golden Boy. Golden Boy makes a promise to bring the biggest fights to the fans, and we promise to serve those fans.

“We wish both fighters the best of luck inside the ring on May 7.”

Tickets are priced at $1,500, $1,200, $1,000, $800, $600, $400, $250 and $150, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 8 per person. Tickets are on sale now. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849). Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.t-mobilearena.com or www.axs.com.

Canelo vs. Khan, a 12-round fight for Canelo’s WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Championships, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Canelo Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate, BORN BOLD, O’Reilly Auto Parts and Casa Mexico Tequila. The mega-event will take place on Saturday, May 7 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com or www.HBO.com/boxing, follow us on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @TMobileArena, @canelo, @amirkingkhan, @OscarDeLaHoya @HBOboxing, become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.Facebook.com/tmobilearena and www.Facebook.com.HBOboxing, join us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @tmobilearena, @canelo, @amirkingkhan, @OscarDeLaHoya and @HBOboxing, and follow the conversation using #CaneloKhan.

Philadelphia, PA (March 2, 2016)– This Saturday night at the Sands Bethlehem Event Center, rising heavyweight contender Joey “The Tank” Dawejko (16-4-2, 9 KO’s) will be back in action when he takes on Ytalo Perea in a scheduled 8-round bout that will be part of the non-televised card before a stacked SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION® event.

Dawejko vs Perea will be streamed Live on GFL.TV beginning at 6:45 ET.

Dawejko is happy to be fighting near his Philadelphia, PA but the 25 year-old and his Club 1957 Management of Mark Cipparone believe that Dawejko will soon have another opportunity in front of the television cameras.

In his last bout, which was televised on ShoBox, on August 28th 2015, Dawejko annihilated Natu Visinia in just 75 seconds . In fact Dawejko, in his last 7outings has destroyed 6 of his last opponents each ending brutally in 1st round KO’s.

“I know that it won’t be long before Joey has a high profile fight. He has been entirely focused on his boxing career and training in Los Angeles with Buddy McGirt,”said Dawejko’s manager Mark Cipparone of Club 1957 Management. “Joey has made dramatic improvements in every aspect and is now truly ready for the top opposition. Not only does Joey have the most exciting thing fans want to see, “KO Power & dynamite in both hands”, but he also has an elite boxing IQ and when combined with his quick movement it is easy to see why ‘The Tank’ is such a problem in the division.”

“We fortunately have been in negotiations with several top promoters in the business after the ShoBox win, but right now Joey is a promotion free agent. Too many promoters have been challenged in this business of boxing when it comes to getting the job done, with even their top prospects, so as a manager who wants great things for his fighters it becomes a complicated task for all parties to agree.”

“Here is what I know, Joey is a very explosive and talented fighter and to say that he is marketable is an understatement. In a nutshell his brand has a value and there is no doubt that very soon one of those top promoters will step in and equal his value with an acceptable promotional agreement. Until then “The Tank” will keep racking up points with every fight that no doubt will continue to increase his marketability in every measure.. Remember he is only 25 and in the Heavy Weight division he is still a baby! ”

“I have no doubt in my mind that I am one of the top Heavyweights in the division and hopefully after Saturday I will get that fight that will put me in position for a major fight,” said Dawejko. “Honestly I see these guys that I can easily beat ranked above me and somehow getting opportunities, but that only motivates me even more.”

“This fight here is the most important fight of my life and I know it. A lot of eyes will be at the Sands. In fact every fight I have from now on is the most important fight of my life. I have made way too many sacrifices to be where and I am not playing around with anyone! I will get the job done, the fans will love me and I will continue to give everything I have until I am World Champ! ”

Club 1957 Management was founded in 2013 by local businessman Mark Cipparone. Cipparone is the owner of the widely successful and popular Rocco’s Collision. Since the formation of Club 1957 Management he has guided the careers of some the top fighters in the country. Currently he manages Heavyweight Joey Dawejko, Welterweight Raymond Serrano,Jr. Lightweight Tevin Farmer & Jr. Welterweight Emanuel Taylor

Brooklyn, N.Y. (Wednesday, March 2, 2016) – After selling out the Five Star Banquet Hall in January, Ronson Frank’s Uprising Promotions will be returning to Long Island City for its second show of 2016 on Saturday, April 9th. Headlining the card will be Uprising Promotions light heavyweight Samuel “Main Event” Clarkson (17-3, 11 KOs), with ultra-popular middleweight Alicia “The Empress” Napoleon (5-0, 4 KOs) also being featured.

“We are really happy to have Samuel Clarkson fighting on our own show,” said Ronson Frank, Uprising Promotions President. “We have been fighting on the B-Side since we started working together, and Samuel has proven himself to be an A-Side fighter every time. It will be nice to have him here in our backyard with an opportunity to take another step further in his career. We are also psyched to have Alicia Napoleon on our card again. We know what Alicia brings to the table. She always brings a lot of people and an exciting fight. With these two headlining, we are expecting another great turnout, and we will soon be announcing a fantastic undercard to support these two fights.”

2015 was an outstanding year for Clarkson, one that saw him win five fights to extend his current winning streak to seven bouts. Among those victories included a decision over former world title challenger Cedric Agnew and knockouts of highly touted prospects Jerry Odom and Lavarn Harvell on ShoBox: The New Generation. The 25-year-old Texas native has been continually improving and showing significant growth in recent camps, and boxing fans can look forward to fireworks when he returns to action on April 9th.

“Fans can expect a really live fight,” Clarkson predicted. “I cannot wait to be back in the ring again, and being able to fight in New York is such a privilege. I am definitely going to show out and make sure that everyone who comes out to these Uprising Promotions fights will be entertained. It is going down, I promise you that.”

Napoleon will take center stage in the co-feature, her second consecutive bout on the Uprising Promotions platform. In her last outing, the Long Island native won in dominant fashion against gritty Hungarian veteran Szilvia Szabados to claim the WBC Women’s Silver Middleweight Championship. The hard-hitting and crafty Napoleon always brings a great crowd to each and every one of her bouts, providing non-stop action for all fans in attendance.

Additional bouts and opponents for both Clarkson and Napoleon will be announced in the coming weeks.

The first bell on April 9th is scheduled for 7:00 PM sharp, with doors opening at 6:30 PM. The Five Star Banquet Hall is located at 13-05 43rd Avenue in Long Island City, and its intimate setting ensures that there is not a bad seat in the house. Tickets are priced at $60 for general admission and $100 for ringside seating, and there is also a table option with dinner. For pricing on those tables, call (516) 451-6773.

This Uprising Promotions card will continue its initiative to KO Autism, with proceeds from the night getting donated to The School For Language and Communication Development (SLCD) in Glen Cove, New York. This show is being sponsored by Brooklyn Brothers, Sleep Inn, Alma Restaurant and Charlie’s Auto Collision in Long Island City.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Next month Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley Jr. are scheduled to meet in a Pay-Per-View bout. We have an obligation to both fighters and, therefore, will proceed to produce and distribute that event. However, we felt it important to leave no uncertainty about our position on Mr. Pacquiao’s recent comments toward the LGBTQ community. We consider them insensitive, offensive and deplorable. HBO has been a proud home to many LGBTQ stories and couldn’t approach this event without clearly voicing our opinion.”

Philadelphia, Pa. (March 2, 2016) – Julian “J-Rock” Williams (21-0-1, 13 KOs) held a media workout on Tuesday in Philadelphia at James Shuler Boxing Gym as he prepares to put his undefeated record on the line in a 154-pound world title eliminator this Saturday, March 5, live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

The SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION® main event pits Williams against Italy’s Marcello Matano (16-1, 5 KOs) as part of a tripleheader live from Sands Bethlehem Events Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Also featured on the telecast will be middleweight contender Antoine Douglas (19-0-1, 13 KOs) facing off against Avtandil Khurtsidze (31-2, 20 KOs) in a 10-round middleweight bout and exciting Detroit prospect Tony Harrison (22-1, 18 KOs) battling former title challenger Fernando Guerrero (28-3, 20 KOs) in a 10-round super welterweight matchup.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by King’s Promotions, are priced at $100, $75 and $50, not including applicable service charges and taxes and are on sale now. Tickets are available HERE at www.ticketmaster.com. To charge by phone call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.

Here is what Julian and his trainer, Stephen Edwards, had to say Tuesday:

JULIAN WILLIAMS

“I am extremely focused. There is a lot at stake this Saturday. I am finally in the position I wanted to be in since turning pro.

“I have come to a conclusion that if people don’t have to fight Julian Williams then they won’t. It hasn’t been that frustrating though because I always have a fight on the books. I can’t worry about the people who won’t fight me. I just have to stay ready and put myself in the mandatory spot. That’s what I am going to do on Saturday night.

“It’s never any challenge fighting at home. I know exactly what I have to do. I don’t cut any corners in camp. The biggest challenge is the waiting because I am so anxious to get in there and get a win, especially in front of my home crowd.

“I always knew I wanted to pursue a boxing career, so I treat it like I want it. I’ve been dreaming about this for a long time and my opportunity is finally here.

“I’ve been a student of the game since I started watching boxing. I want to learn and I want to know everything about boxing.

“It means everything to have my biggest fight to date in my backyard. I know my fans cheer loud and it feels great to have their support in my corner.

“I know everything about my opponent. I probably know what kind of toothpaste he used this morning. I searched high and low for videos of Matano. I am ready because I know he is ready.

“He is a little bit awkward. He seems to have a really good gas tank. He said he wants to take me the distance, so we’ll see.

“The last fight solidified the things that I already knew about myself. I know I am fundamentally sound and I know I am the hungriest fighter in the world.

“I always want to put on an explosive performance. It’s always about a win.

“In about nine months, Philadelphia will have it’s fourth IBF super welterweight champion after David Reid, Robert Hines and Buster Drayton.”

STEPHEN EDWARDS, Williams’ trainer

“We are ready. It’s been a long four-month camp. We thought were going to fight in January, so we’ve been grinding through this rough weather early in the morning. Julian is chomping at the bit and ready to rock ‘n roll.

“We thought we were going to fight Austin Trout in December, and he saw that Julian gave his opponent a concussion and said I don’t want to fight him. It’s just that simple. We have to get past Matano and then we can talk about (super welterweight champion Jermall) Charlo.

“Anybody with two hands and a heartbeat can fight. Matano is ranked and just because he isn’t well known, it doesn’t mean he can’t fight. He is 16-1 and they didn’t have a hard time convincing him to take the fight. The best soldiers are volunteers. Any time someone willingly comes to someone else’s country, you have to take him seriously.

“I don’t want to make a prediction, but Julian will hurt this guy very bad.”

Thursday, March 3

3:00 p.m. PRESS CONFERENCE -OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!
Location: Berks Meeting Room (Located inside Sands Bethlehem Events Center)
77 Sands Blvd.; Bethlehem, PA 18015
2:30 p.m. – Media arrival
3:00 p.m. – Press conference begins

Friday, March 4

6:00 p.m. OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN – OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!
Location: Vision Bar (Located inside Sands Bethlehem Events Center)
77 Sands Blvd.; Bethlehem, PA 18015
5:00 p.m. – Media arrival
6:00 p.m. – Fighters to scales

Saturday, March 5

5:30 p.m. SANDS BETHLEHEM EVENTS CENTER DOORS OPEN
Location: 77 Sands Blvd.; Bethlehem, PA 18015

6:45 p.m. FIRST BOUT

10:00 p.m. SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION BROADCAST BEGINS

NEW YORK (March 2, 2016) – SHOWTIME Sports rolls out its third installment of a year-long salute commemorating 30 years of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING in March with “Legends’’.

This month will be highlighted by legends Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Felix Trinidad, Ricardo “Finito” Lopez and George Foreman. Seven of the most unforgettable and important fights from these legends – some of which have seldom been re-aired since their live presentation – are available now on the network’s on demand platforms and will air will air on “Throwback Thursdays” in March at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME.

The Thursday, March 10 presentation of Marvin Hagler vs. John Mugabi airs exactly 30 years after the final win of Hagler’s Hall of Fame career on March 10, 1986. Hagler vs. Mugabi was the first main event to ever air on SHOWTIME®.

The classic fights, which are also are available on SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, SHOWTIME ANYTIME® and via the network’s standalone streaming service, will be wrapped with brief context and commentary from SHOWTIME Sports host Brian Custer.

Below is the schedule of SHO EXTREME premieres for the month of March:
Tomorrow, Thursday, March 3: Terry Norris vs. Sugar Ray Leonard
Thursday, March 10: Marvin Hagler vs. John Mugabi
Thursday, March 17: Felix Trinidad vs. David Reid
Thursday, March 24: Ricardo Lopez vs. Rosendo Alvarez II
Thursday, March 31: Iran Barkley vs. Thomas Hearns I, George Foreman vs. Gerry Cooney (10:15 p.m. ET/PT), Gerald McClellan vs. Julian Jackson I (10:30 p.m. ET/PT)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About MGM Grand

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kraków, Poland: The upcoming heavyweight showdown between former light heavyweight and cruiserweight world champion Tomasz “Goral” Adamek (50-4, 30 KOs) of Poland and Eric “Drummer Boy” Molina (24-3, 18 KOs) Raymondville, Texas in Kraków on Apr. 2 at the Kraków Arena for the IBF Intercontinental Heavyweight Title will be distributed in North America by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 2 pm ET/11 am PT on both cable and satellite pay-per-view.

In addition to the live pay-per-view telecast in Poland as part of Polsat’s Boxing Night series, US residents will be able to purchase the fight for pay-per-view on via iN Demand, DIRECTV, DISH Network, and Vubiquity in the United States, as well as Rogers TV and SaskTel in Canada, for a suggested retail price of only $29.95. Please contact your local cable or dish provider for more information. This event is presented by Polsat, Main Events and Don King Productions.

The pay-per-view telecast will also include several key undercard bouts: a 10-round cruiserweight fight between Mateusz Masternak vs. Eric Fields, a 10-round cruiserweight fight between Michael Cieslak vs. Francisco Palacios and additional bouts still to be determined.

Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events, Adamek’s promoter said, “Every time Tomasz fights back home in Poland we get numerous requests from his American fans who wish to watch the fight here. We are so excited to be able to provide them with an opportunity to watch this exciting fight here in the US.”

All bouts are subject to change.

HBO Boxing travels to the nation’s capital for an all-action doubleheader when HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: LUIS ORTIZ VS. TONY THOMPSON AND SADAM ALI VS. JESSIE VARGAS is seen SATURDAY, MARCH 5 at 10:00 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from the DC Armory in Washington, D.C., exclusively on HBO. The HBO Sports team will be ringside for the event, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: March 6 (10:15 a.m.) and 8 (12:05 a.m.)

HBO2 playdates: March 6 (3:15 p.m.) and 7 (12:30 a.m.)

The doubleheader will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO and HBO On Demand.

The headlining bout features undefeated Cuban native Luis Ortiz (24-0, 21 KOs) risking his perfect record against veteran Tony Thompson (40-6 27 KOs) in a heavyweight showdown set for 12 rounds. Ortiz, 36, took the division by storm in 2015, compiling three consecutive knockouts over a six-month stretch; most notably, the southpaw handed rising heavyweight prospect Bryant Jennings the first knockout loss of his career. Thompson, 44, will be fighting before a hometown crowd for the first time in more than ten years.

In the evening’s co-main event, a vacant welterweight championship is on the line when Brooklyn’s Sadam Ali (22-0, 13 KOs) takes on Las Vegas’ Jessie Vargas (26-1, 9 KOs) in a scheduled 12-round contest. Ali, 27, has a decorated amateur background, including a spot on the 2008 U.S. Olympic boxing team, and has fought nearly his entire pro career in the northeast, including a 2014 bout at the DC Armory. Vargas, 26, is looking to rebound from his first professional loss last June against world-class performer Timothy Bradley Jr.

This edition of HBO BOXING AFTER DARK marks HBO Boxing’s third trip to the nation’s capital; most recently, a 2011 card featured a hotly contested light welterweight championship bout between Amir Khan and Lamont Peterson.

Launched 20 years ago last month, HBO BOXING AFTER DARK was the network’s initial platform for a host of exciting talents, including Floyd Mayweather, Arturo Gatti, Marco Antonio Barrera, Fernando Vargas, Terence Crawford, Canelo Alvarez, Gennady Golovkin and Sergey Kovalev.

Follow HBO boxing news at hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/hboboxing.

All HBO boxing events are presented in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.
The executive producer of HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is Rick Bernstein; producer, Thomas Odelfelt; director, Johnathan Evans.

Cruiserweight prospect Sam ‘Nowhere2’ Hyde takes his first step into title fight action when he challenges for the vacant International challenge belt against Lithuanian Rolandas Cesna at the Middleton Arena on Saturday night, Live and exclusive on BBTV via www.britishboxers.co.uk

Hyde, 22, is trained by Ensley Bingham and Maurice Core at the Champs Camp in Manchester, a gym steeped in title history. During the 80’s and 90’s the famous Moss Side was synonymous with producing quality boxers and at one point the club had five current British champions, unprecedented at the time.

Hyde is well aware of the history of his coaches and his training domain that was set up in the early 80’s by the late Phil Martin. In recent years Jimmy Kelly had brought some silver wear to the gym and Hyde hopes Saturday night is the start of his own title winning journey.

“I am proud to train at and represent the Champs Camp gym, everybody knows the history of it and my coaches Ensley and Maurice were a big part of the success.” Hyde said.

“Fighting for my first title on Saturday is a special moment, Black Flash Promotions and my manager James Linderman have secured this chance for me and I will take it that’s for sure. I have big plans for my career and getting the Challenge belt around my waist this weekend will be the kick start my career needs.Sam Hyde poster March 5th 2016″This is what I needed, it is a perfect step in the right direction and a great start to 2016, I am confident of winning but I wont take anything for granted, I know Cesna is a tough nut. He is experienced and has had plenty of time to prepare for this and I don’t think he will come all the way from Lithuania to lose, so expect a good scrap.

“All my opponent have been tough lads, but when they start to feel my power they seem to give up so I’m looking forward to testing myself against Cesna and getting the rounds in. I heard he is tough, I’ve watched him, he’s full of tattoos and is a bit of a swinger but I will suss him out and do the job.

“I am really happy also that the weigh in will be the day before the fight.” added Hyde. Usually I weigh in on the day but I am a big guy for the cruiserweight limit so it will be good to have time to carb up and eat before the fight, that will help a lot.

This will be Hyde’s second fight on a Black Flash Promotions show, he scored a 1st round KO over ‘Dangerous’ Dave Vicena in October to secure this title fight and is looking forward to topping the bill at the atmospheric Middleton venue.

“I’m really excited to be fighting on a Black Flash show again, I get along very well with Pat and Chris who put the shows together and everything runs smoothly, it is very professional and you feel looked after and part of something special. I cant thank them enough for securing this fight for me and putting me top of the bill, it’s a good feeling.

“I will be bringing a massive crowd to Middleton, my fans are amazing and the support they are giving me is just great, I can only thank them by performing well and progressing up the ladder. I want to win this belt and dedicate it to them for believing in me and getting behind me, it means the world and hopefully there will be many more belts to come over the years. For now though I’m just concentrating on Cesna this Saturday and then I can start thinking about what comes next.

When we spoke to Hydes opponent Rolandas Cesna this week, we found a boxer up for the challenge, who is coming to Manchester determined to cause an upset and take the belt back to his village in Lithuania, where he would be welcomed home a hero.

“I am very confident of victory over Hyde.” said Cesna. “I have viewed his fights on YouTube and I am not impressed, he has got nothing I haven’t seen or been in the ring with before.

“Fighting for a belt is a very special moment in my career, this is an honour and something that I aim to take advantage of to turn my career around. After my last fight I knew if I won, I would receive this opportunity and I won the fight well. I have had many weeks to prepare for this fight, which usually I don’t have, so this will help me, I am confident of victory.

“In my village I am well known as a boxer and now everyone knows and more people are knowing my next fight. They know I am travelling to the UK for this fight, for a belt and they are behind me and will be watching it and helping me with support.

“I have been training hard in the woods where I live, chopping trees and running on hills, I expect to be in great shape and I am looking forward to making a good fight with Hyde, but I will win by KO I believe.” added a confident Cesna.

On the Undercard:

Unbeaten prospect Zelfa Barrett is in action against Hungary’s Aron Szilagyi in a six rounder. Barrett is a boxer on the way up fast. Tough nut Szilagyi always comes to fight will give it a good go but Barrett should have far too much for the Hungarian and could likely win by KO, as he did in his last fight against Ismail Anwar. But if he goes looking for it, Szilagyi could be dangerous, he has a solid left hook and Barrett can ill afford to get too involved as he fights again the week after on the Terry Flanagan vs Derry Mathews world title fight at the Echo Arena in Liverpool on Saturday March 12th.

Also on the bill is Middleton home town favourites, Matthew Ryan and Alex Rutter, two quality boxers from the Collyhurst and Moston conveyor belt, who have big ambitions for the future.

Ryan, 25, has a tough assignment this time out when he takes on Athertons William Warburton over 6 rounds. The Middleton super-welterweight has been out of the ring since July through injury and is raring to get in there again. In Warburton he is in for a hard nights work and will need to be on song to overcome hard man Warburton, is always the underdog in his fights, but he is renowned for causing upsets when least expected and this could be the fight of the night.

Rutter, unbeaten in 8-fights as recently hooked up with new trainer Pat Barrett and is looking to put on a top performance in-front of his home-town fans. Since joining the Collyhurst and Moston boxing club, Rutter has been given a new lease of life. He will face s stiff test though against Hereford’s Dean Evans a man who will be more than willing to give Rutter the test he needs, another good fight on paper.

In some interesting small hall matchmaking on the undercard, a derby fight made bespoke for the show, sees two local unbeaten lads take on each other in a risky meeting for both. Aaron Michael Jr and Darryl Sharp, who both live literally strides from the arena in Middleton town centre, agreed to meet each other and deserve credit for accepting. Neither wanted to fight a journeyman, so the promoters put it to them to fight each and other and what a fight this could be as both put their unbeaten records.

This looks like being a great show, don’t miss it!

You can watch all the fight action from Middleton Arena LIVE and FREE on BBTV via www.britishboxers.co.uk – Details…

Tickets: Sold Out.

Boxing legend Kostya Tszyu is jetting into Grozny, Chechnya for Saturday’s big Chageav v Browne WBA title fight.

With multiple world titles to his name, Tszyu is regarded as one of the greats of his age and he will certainly be serving as an inspiration to Browne as he attempts to write his own name into the history books.

Australian has never boasted a world champion in the heavyweight division and Browne feels it is his destiny to change that fact.

“Having Kostya fly in for the fight is massive honour,” Lucas said. “I already have the backing of legends such as Larry Holmes, Ricky Hatton and Nigel Benn so to have Kostya behind me would be the icing on the cake.

“Obviously, he’s got a strong connection with Russia and for all I know he might be backing Chagaev, but I definitely hope it’s me he’s rooting for.

“Being told that such a great fighter and such a proud Aussie is coming to the fight really gets me pumped. I can’t wait to get in there now and become Australia’s first world heavyweight champion with a stunning knockout.”

ENDS

LONDON (2 MARCH) Undefeated heavyweight star Hughie Lewis Fury will tackle ‘Dominican Dynamite’ Nagy Aguilera for the vacant WBC International heavyweight title on Saturday, March 26 at The SSE Arena, Wembley.

The scheduled 12-rounder, Fury’s first title fight, will be televised on Channel 5 and act as chief-support to the headlining British middleweight title clash between Nick ‘Bang Bang’ Blackwell and Chris Eubank Jr.

Twenty-nine-year-old Aguilera has been a professional since 2007 and is a former USBA heavyweight title challenger. Born in the Dominican Republic, but now based in New York, rugged Aguilera has fought a number of top heavyweights over the years and time and time again more than held his own.

In 2009 he knocked out former WBC world heavyweight champion Oleg Maskaev inside one round – a major shock at the time – and last time out, in September, Aguilera travelled to Poland to spring a surprise on highly-fancied Marcin Rekowski inside ten rounds; with 14 big knockouts from 20 career wins, he can clearly punch and is well-accustomed to upsetting the applecart.

Aguilera has also provided stern tests for the likes of Tomasz Adamek, Chris Arreola, Antonio Tarver and Dominic Breazeale, and will no doubt come to London full of ambition, keen to build on his promising recent form.

“We had a number of top-class opponents lined up to face Hughie, but, despite being offered great money, they wouldn’t sign,” said Peter Fury, Hughie’s father and trainer. “We decided to take the Aguilera fight because the WBC were happy to sanction it as a WBC International heavyweight title fight and we see it as a genuine test; the fact the WBC sanctioned the contest, and turned down others put to them, shows what they think of Aguilera as an opponent.

“Nobody who has boxed Aguilera has ever had an easy time with him. He’s given them all a hard fight. Even the Olympian Breazeale was given all he could handle for eight rounds. Aguilera gave him fits. He also troubled Adamek and had an absolute war with Arreola.

“He can punch, he comes forward, he’s aggressive, he’s got a jab and some good boxing ability, too. He’s probably a bit too game for his own good at times but he’s by far the best opponent Hughie has faced.

“We’re talking about a guy who comes and gives his all. He will come to win. He’s got ambitions of his own and he’s confident he can do the business on March 26. He’s a dangerman, the kind of guy nobody wants to face.”

Fury, meanwhile, is eight years Aguilera’s junior at 21 and is stepping up to 12-round level for the first time in his promising career. Cousin of world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, Hughie, 18-0 (10 KOs), has excelled over ten rounds in recent times, schooling both Andriy Rudenko and George Arias over that distance, but now feels he is ready to start grabbing titles and climbing the various world rankings.

The ascent begins with Aguilera on March 26 and Peter Fury, the man masterminding his son’s career, is only too aware of the potential danger up ahead.

“Marcin Rekowski was in camp with us for one of Tyson’s fights,” he said. “He was a sparring partner for roughly two months. He was a very, very tough man and super fit. He lived and breathed boxing. He ate all the right foods, trained properly and did everything to the letter. A consummate professional. He could really fight, too.

“The fact that Nagy Aguilera went to Poland and took Rekowski out in the tenth round tells me what kind of man he is. He would have gone to war with Rekowski, who is aggressive and fit, and then come through it and stopped him. That makes him extremely dangerous; he’s a serious challenge for anyone out there.”

*** Tickets for the British middleweight title blockbuster between Nick ‘Bang Bang’ Blackwell and Chris Eubank Jr. are on sale now!

Tickets are priced at £35, £50, £75, £175, £200 and £250 for ringside and can be purchased online at ssearena.co.uk and axs.com or by phoning the SSE Arena, Wembley Box Office on 0844 815 0815 ***

British and Commonwealth Welterweight champion Sam Eggington says he’ll live up to his ‘brawler’ tag and warned Bradley Skeete that he’ll go home empty handed from their clash at the Genting Arena in Birmingham on Saturday night (March 5)

Eggington defends his British strap for the second time and Commonwealth belt for the third against Skeete, who is challenging for the titles for the second time having faced another Birmingham man Frankie Gavin back in November 2014.

The Stourbridge ace’s clash with Skeete has been billed as brawler versus boxer, but big hitting Eggington believes his ability is underrated – although he’s happy to turn it into a tear-up if it means he keeps his belts.

“I am very confident I will beat Bradley in style,” said Eggington. “If I had been asked who I wanted to face as a mandatory, I would have picked Skeete from the top five not to include Kell Brook and Amir Khan. I am confident and I think I will do a better job than Frankie did.

“People say I like a scrap and are saying this is a boxer against a brawler but if I choose to box it will still be competitive and if I choose to have a brawl it will be fun.

“I am not going to say I am a better boxer than Bradley but if I want to box it would be a competitive fight but I am not going to choose to do that through the 12 rounds. It will be a hard fight at times for both of us but it will be harder for Skeete; if he is boxing me I would definitely have an easier time than if I am pressuring him.

“It will be a good fight while it lasts but I am more than confident. I think there is always a possibility of a stoppage. I work hard and even the rounds that people win against me they work hard to win those and they will have to regroup at the end of the round. Every round, win, lose or draw they will be working hard to win that round. He might win a round but then the next round will mine.”

“I am planning to win the British belt outright. It is my first fight of the year and this is my mandatory and hopefully by the middle of the year I can have a voluntary and win the belt outright and be pushing on for other things.”

Eggington’s clash with Skeete is part of a huge night of action in Birmingham where Kal and Gamal Yafai face crucial nights in their blossoming careers.

British Super Flyweight champion Kal can take a huge step towards a World title when he faces Dixon Flores for the vacant WBA Inter-Continental Super-Flyweight title and World title eliminator, while Gamal will challenge Bobby Jenkinson for the Lincoln man’s Commonwealth Super Bantamweight title.

Birmingham pair Michael Rooney and Marcus Ffrench meet for the Midlands Lightweight title while Karl Wiggins defends his Midlands Area Welterweight strap against Ryan Fields, and there’s a host of young local talents in the mix with Super-Middleweight Zach Parker, Lightweight Jordan Cooke, Super Welterweight Ryan Kelly, Super-Featherweight Charlie Williams plus Dublin’s Luke Keeler and Guilford’s Jake Ball.

Tickets are on sale now priced £40, £60 and £100 available from www.theticketfactory.com. VIP tickets priced £150 are available exclusively from www.matchroomboxing.com

St. John’s ABC in Chorlton have become the latest amateur boxing club to benefit from the Matchroom Boxing Foundation.

Members of the Manchester club were presented with a cheque for £5,000 by promoter Eddie Hearn at the weigh-in at the Manchester Arena on Friday ahead of the World Super-Bantamweight blockbuster between Carl Frampton MBE and Scott Quigg, and club chairman and head coach Andy Rea says the donation will revive the fortunes of the club.

“The money is going to have a massive impact on the club and the activities we put on for the kids that come here,” said Rae. “Most of the donation will be spent on improving the club’s facilities. We’ll be investing in a new ring and replacing our old and tired equipment.

“We used to raise money to fund the club from gym shows but had to stop when the ring did not meet AIBA specifications. We have been fund raising for last six months to buy a ring and had still not reached the half-way mark.

“Now we can get some revenue from gym shows again and the club will be able to stand on its own two feet. It’s an exciting time at the club with one of our youth boxers being selected for the England Squad in December and winning a silver at a tournament in Germany. He has just received a letter saying that his place on the team is secure for the next 12 month’s so some of the donation will help with his development.”

Hearn added: “It is vital to invest in the grassroots of the sport. We made our first donation in Liverpool to the Golden Gloves ABC and they are reaping the benefits, and I hope that this donation and our support can have the same effect on St. John’s ABC and its members.”

BETHLEHEM, PA. (March 1, 2016) – Unbeaten middleweight prospect Ievgen Khytrov (12-0, 11 KOs) takes on Alabama’s Kenneth McNeil (9-1, 6 KOs) in a 10-round bout that highlights an exciting undercard taking place this Saturday, March 5 from Sands Bethlehem Events Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

The card features an exciting tripleheader of action live on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT and is headlined by undefeated rising star Julian “J-Rock” Williams in an IBF eliminator for the top ranking at 154 pounds against Italy’s Marcello Matano. Also featured on the telecast is fast-rising middleweight contender Antoine Douglas against Avtandil Khurtsidze and exciting prospect Tony Harrison battling former title challenger Fernando Guerrero.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by King’s Promotions, are priced at $100, $75 and $45, not including applicable service charges and taxes and are on sale now. Tickets are available HERE at www.ticketmaster.com. To charge by phone call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.

The non-televised undercard will be streamed live by GFL.TV

In other action, Philadelphia’s Joey Dawejko (16-4-2, 9 KOs) will compete in an eight-round heavyweight showdown against 2012 Ecuadorian Olympian Ytalo Perea (6-2-1, 4 KOs).

Also in a non-televised bout is unbeaten Terrance Williams (4-0, 1 KO), who faces Anthony Miller (2-1, 2 KOs) in a four-round middleweight contest and the pro debut of Brooklyn’s Chordale Booker against Patrick Kehoe (1-2) in a four-round heavyweight fight.

Rounding out the night of fights is super welterweight prospect Oshaquie Foster (10-1, 7 KOs) in a six-round bout against Brazil’s Claudinei Lacerda (17-14-1, 12 KOs) and Philadelphia’s Amir Shabazz (2-0) against Atlanta’s Hakeem Atkinson (2-1, 1 KO) in a four-round light heavyweight contest.

An Olympian for his native Ukraine, Khytrov also won an Amatuer World Championship before turning pro in 2013. Since then, the 27-year-old has dominated on his way to stopping contenders Josh Luteran and Nick Brinson in addition to previously unbeaten fighters Maurice Louishomme and Aaron Coley. Now training out of Brooklyn, he will be opposed by the 25-year-old McNeil out of Birmingham, Alabama who enters this fight on a six-bout winning streak.

An exciting brawler out of the great fighting city of Philadelphia, Dawejko looks to make it three in a row after delivering stoppages of Natu Visinia and Robert Dunton his last two times out. The 25-year-old has shared the ring with heavyweight world champion Charles Martin and contender Amir Mansour. He faces a stiff test in the 22-year-old Perea. The Ecuadorian Olympian trains out of Howard Beach, New York and picked up his last win via knockout over Oswaldo Sanchez.

LAS VEGAS (March 1, 2016) – Future Hall of Fame candidate Zab “Super” Judah is fighting for his legacy. His road back to the top starts Saturday night, March 12, against upset-minded Josh “Pitbull” Torres, in the 10-round main event kicking off the new monthly pro boxing series, “Knockout Night at the D”, airing live (8 p.m. PT / 11 p.m. ET) on CBS Sports Network live from the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center (DLVEC).

Presented by the D Las Vegas and Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, along with Neon Star Media and Roy Englebrecht Promotions, the “Knockout Night at the D” series’ inaugural event Mar. 12 will take place inside the DLVEC’s 20,000-square-foot tent, located in the heart of the downtown Las Vegas casino district, one block away from the world famous Fremont Street (200 S. 3rd St.).

Judah (42-9, 29 KOs), fighting out of Las Vegas, has been a professional boxer for nearly 20 years. The southpaw has defeated seven world champions during his outstanding career: Junior Witter, Terron Millet, DeMarcus Corley, Raphael Pineda, Corey Spinks, Joshua Clottey and(interim champ) Lucas Matthysse. The Brooklyn native has an outstanding 11-8 (9 KOs) record in world title fights.

Now, though, his past is in the rearview mirror and Judah’s on a mission to capture his sixth world title. That’s what drives the 38-year-old originally from Brooklyn. “I’m very happy to be headlining the first show of the ‘Knockout Night at the D’ series,” Judah said. “I’m always comfortable and happy in the squared ring. I enjoy the sport of boxing and have one more goal…to be six-time world champion of the world!”

Due to a variety of reasons, Judah has been out of action for two years, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he hasn’t been ready to rock in the ring. “I’m very excited to be back in the ring,” Judah remarked. “I helped Floyd (Mayweather) get ready for (Manny) Pacquiao and last May came out of that camp in great shape. I’ve been ready to fight since then.

“I’ve studied him (Torres) and he’s a hungry, young guy with a great opportunity in front of him. We aren’t overlooking him.”

The 24-year-old Torres (15-4-2, 7 KOs) may not have the same name recognition as many of Judah’s past opponents, but the determined prospect from Albuquerque, NM has nothing to lose and everything to gain fighting Judah.

“I believe this fight can be life changing, not only for me, but also for upcoming New Mexico fighters,” Torres commented. “Boxing doesn’t get a lot of attention in my state.”

Torres is a protégé of the late 5-time world champion Johnny Tapia. His brother-in-law, Chris Chavez, now trains Torres, who has been sparring with fellow New Mexican and former world junior middleweight champion, Austin Trout, to prepare for the left-handed Judah.

Torres is also a professional barber who’d like to clip Judah, so to speak. “I haven’t had a promoter or manager,” he explained the need for him to be a barber as well as a pro boxer. “I’ve always had to work to pay bills. It’s just had to be that way in my boxing career.”

Fast rising Las Vegas lightweight star, Mexico-born Chuy “El Huracan” Gutierrez (14-0-1, 4 KOs), meets Leon “The Third Generation” Spinks III (11-3-1, 7 KOs) in the 8-round co-feature.

All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Limited tickets, priced at $65.00 ringside and $20.00 seated general admission, remain on sale at www.Ticketmaster.com or www.DLVEC.com. Suites are $1000.00, up to 10 guests, and includes a beverage package. Taxes and fees apply to all sold tickets.

Doors open at 5:00 p.m. PT with the opening bout scheduled at 6:00 p.m. PT.

The “Knockout Night at the D” series was developed in partnership with DLVEC and Neon Star Media.

CBS Sports Network is available across the country through local cable, video and telco providers and via satellite on DirecTV Channel 221 and Dish Network Channel 158. For more information, including a full programming schedule and how to get CBS Sports Network, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com.

TITLE Boxing is the official apparel and gloves partner for the “Knockout Night at the D” series.
INFORMATION

Website: www.dlvec.com, www.thed.com

Twitter: @thedlasvegas, @dlvec, @DerekJStevens

Instagram: @dlvec, @thedlasvegas

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/dlvec, www.Facebook.com/thedlasvegas

Follow these fighters on Twitter: @SuperJudah, @PitbullTorres, @ElHuracan88, @LeonSpinksIII

NEW YORK CITY (March 1, 2016) – WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Champion Canelo Alvarez (46-1-1, 32 KOs) and former two-time world champion and resurgent contender Amir “King” Khan (31-3, 19 KOs) made their second stop on a three-city international press tour in New York City today at the Hard Rock Café in Times Square to discuss their upcoming May 7 showdown at the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Canelo Alvarez vs. Amir Khan will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

The fighters met in Times Square in New York City before a large crowd of fans for the second press conference of the tour, which was preceded by a stop in London on February 28 and 29. Canelo and Khan will conclude the media tour in Los Angeles at Universal City Walk on Wednesday, March 2. All events are open to the public.

Below is what the fighters, their teams and promoter had to say at the New York City press conference:

CANELO ALVAREZ, WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Champion:

“When I come out, I bring 100 percent and this will be no exception.

“I love coming to New York City, the fans are always great here.

“Amir Khan is a strong fighter, and I know he will be prepared come May 7. It will be an exciting night for the fans.”

AMIR “KING” KHAN, Former Two-Time World Champion:

“I’ve been in training camp for the past six weeks doing strength and conditioning. I felt really strong, too big for my weight class, and I’ve been killing myself trying to come down in weight. Maybe it turns out that Amir Khan is meant to be a middleweight.

“This is a great opportunity for the world title up against a great fighter. I am ready, and I believe in myself.

“When I got the call from Oscar asking, ‘how do you feel about fighting Canelo?’ I said, ‘with my skills, speed and power, I really believe you guys will see something different in this fight.

“Since the Olympic days I want to represent at the highest level. Fans have been supportive and the media have been great. Great Britain is going to take over like we always do. Fans can expect a very exciting fight.

“You have two styles – speed and power and strength and explosiveness. We both have youth, and we both want to fight the best. On May 7 we will be ready for this, and guess what? I am going to win the middleweight world championship.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions:

“Alvarez will be making the first defense of his title, and this is the first ever boxing event at the brand new 20,000 seat arena T-Mobile Arena in the heart of Las Vegas.

“We all know that styles make the fights, and the styles of these two fighters make this event a can’t-miss for diehard fans.

“This will be a classic fight of speed vs. power. Amir is light-speed hand and footwork. Canelo is strength and presents a solid defense.

“I remember when I was favored because I was bigger and more powerful. No one ever thought he would win, but we all know what happened in my bout against Manny Pacquaio – he retired me.”

“This fight will be extremely fan-friendly. Tickets go on sale tomorrow, March 2. This will be Canelo’s third fight since signing an exclusive agreement with HBO – the best network for boxing. Golden Boy promotions will exclusively promote this fight.

“It will be a mega fight with high intensity action between two the most powerful and popular fighters on May 7.

“Amir Khan is a warrior, a fighter who will take on anybody to become great. Nowadays you have fighters that don’t want to fight each other. Amir steps up to the plate and dares to be great.

“I remember the fight Amir Khan had with Marcos Maidana. Maidana went down, and Amir did not. Amir did a tremendous job. That’s who he is – he has heart and passion and fights to the very end. That’s what makes boxing what it is today – the best sport in the world.

EDDY REYNOSO, Head Trainer for Canelo Alvarez:

“We’re facing a very disciplined fighter, young, strong, fast, and very tough. So we have to have a great training camp with a lot of discipline and smarts, and we need all of that so we can be victorious on May 7, and be the best fighters in boxing.”

JOSE “CHEPO” REYNOSO, Manager for Canelo Alvarez:

“We’re here once again in this beautiful city because it’s such an important fight, and we have to be here in New York. Amir Khan is a brave fighter; Canelo is a valiant fighter as well. I have only have one thing to say – It’s Amir against Canelo. I’m picking Canelo. Who will you pick?”

SHAH KHAN, Father and Manager of Amir Khan:

“When we got the call and I asked Amir about Canelo, and Amir said ‘yes, I want that fight’ straight away. After Mayweather, Canelo is the best out there. It is a privilege, and this will be a great night for boxing.”

MAURICIO SULAIMAN, President of WBC:

“It is great to see Amir Khan move up and challenge Alvarez which will be one of the greatest fights in recent history.”

PETER NELSON, Executive Vice President of HBO Sports

“It’s a privilege to be associated with the event, which will be a referendum on speed vs. power. This year is a boxing election year; let’s see if it’s half as tumultuous as the elections going on right now. The politics of boxing have been a deterrent for a lot of boxing fans, but the quality of this fight is going to bring them back.”

Tickets priced at $1,500, $1,200, $1,000, $800, $600, $400, $250 and $150, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 8 per person. Tickets go on sale Wednesday March 2, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849). Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.t-mobilearena.com or www.axs.com.

Canelo vs. Khan, a 12-round fight for Canelo’s WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Championships, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Canelo Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate, BORN BOLD, O’Reilly Auto Parts and Casa Mexico Tequila. The mega-event will take place on Saturday, May 7 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

B-roll and images of the fighters are available for use and download here: bit.ly/canelokhan. Video and photo credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions.
CONTACTS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Preliminary Card:

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

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

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

Emanuel Taylor , who in his last 4 fights fought former WBO world champion Chris Algieri, WBA Jr, Welterweight champ Adrien Broner, undefeated world rated Antonio Orozco, and rated contender Karim Mayfield, looked very sharp as he dismantled the rugged Wilfredo Acuna on the undercard of the Terrance Crawford- Hank Lundy fight at the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden, on Saturday night. The event was televised live on HBO.

Taylor (19-4 14KO Edgewater, MD) started fast as Acuna (16-19 11KO Nicaragua) was a willing participant as the two traded blows freely in the 1st round. Taylor, returning from a 9 month layoff showed no signs of rust as he punished Acuna with crisp combinations to the head and body. Acuna, to his credit, fought gamely and landed a few very hard blows which Taylor shook off.

As the bout wore on Taylor began to hurt Acuna with both head shots and body shots. Taylor opened up the 6th round with multiple hooks to the head of Acuna and continued the assault finally dropping the game Nicaraguan near the end of the round forcing referee David Fields to call a halt at the 2:29 mark of round 6.

Star Boxing promoter Joe DeGuardia had this to say about Taylor’s performance: “Emanuel is a skilled fighter in a very hot Jr. Welterweight division. He fought a very tough kid in Acuna who we have used in the past with Chris Algieri and Cletus Seldin and Acuna always comes to fight. In the past, Emanuel has fallen just short in a couple of close high profile fights (like Adrien Broner and Antonio Orozco), but after tonight he is now on the path to get another great opportunity in his quest to become a world champion”.

Taylor weighed 143.8 and Acuna 144.4 for the fight.

Link to Baltimore Sun article:
http://touch.baltimoresun.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-86056556/

Twitter at @Star Boxing, Instagram at StarBoxing, and
Facebook.com/StarBoxing.

LOS ANGELES (March 1, 2016) – Tickets for the WBC, RING Magazine and Lineal Middleweight Championship battle between Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez (46-1-1, 32 KOs) and former two-time world champion and resurgent contender Amir “King” Khan (31-3, 19 KOs) will go on sale Wednesday, March 2 at 10:00 a.m. PT./1:00 p.m. ET.

The 12-round world championship clash will take place on Cinco de Mayo weekend, Saturday, May 7 at Las Vegas’ newest landmark, the state-of-the-art T-Mobile Arena, located west of the Las Vegas Strip between New York-New York and Monte Carlo. The mega-fight features two of boxing’s most popular and powerful fighters guaranteeing boxing fans non-stop action. The event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets priced at $1,500, $1,200, $1,000, $800, $600, $400, $250 and $150, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 8 per person. Tickets go on sale Wednesday March 2, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849). Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.t-mobilearena.com or www.axs.com.

Canelo vs. Khan, a 12-round fight for Canelo’s WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Championships, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Canelo Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate, BORN BOLD, O’Reilly Auto Parts and Casa Mexico Tequila. The mega-event will take place on Saturday, May 7 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

B-roll and images of the fighters are available for use and download here:bit.ly/canelokhan. video and photo credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions.

Undefeated Tom Baker has been preparing for his English Light-Heavyweight title showdown against Margate’s Jack Morris with a little help from the British Army’s 4th Rifles Battalion.

The Chingford star, a former Southern Area Super-Middleweight Champion, goes head to head with Morris at York Hall on Friday 25th March, exclusively live on BoxNation.

The Rifles is the largest Infantry regiment within the British Army and the 4th Rifles boast the strongest boxing team within the regiment. 24 year-old Baker was put through his paces by the very best boxers the 4th Rifles had to offer.

Baker said: “They were an absolute pleasure to work with. They’re all doing us proud and do a brilliant job at protecting our country. I did 14 rounds with them and we all had a good laugh. They all fancied having a go with me, even the smaller ones!”

Baker stepped up to 175 pounds in his last fight when he outpointed Darren Cruise over ten rounds in July and is now intent on making his mark in the division starting with Morris.

One of 13 children from a Romany gypsy family, Baker has been sparring with Ovill McKenzie at Canning Town’s Peacock Gym. McKenzie, 36, who has previously won a Commonwealth title at light-heavyweight and Commonwealth and British title at cruiserweight, is proving to be the perfect sparring partner for Baker.

“Sparring has been going really well with Ovill. He’s a similar type of fighter to Jack Morris so it’s great preparation for me. Obviously he punches a lot harder than Morris but they’re similar in their boxing style and similar in build. Ovill is the closest style you’re going to get to Morris and I’ve been holding my own with him,” said Baker.

He added: “I’m really pleased with how my training camp is going. I’m feeling fit and well and can’t wait to win that English title. I think the way Morris fights suits me, he comes on and I’m going to pick him off. I’m flying at the moment and fancy my chances to knock him out in the later stages.”

Mark Tibbs, trainer of Baker, invited soldiers from the 4th Rifles Battalion along to the West Ham Boys Amateur Boxing Club for sparring after being impressed by their professionalism and love of boxing.

“They’re a cracking set of lads and we let them use the gym every now and then when we have the space. They do an amazing job at looking after our country so we let them use the gym for nothing; it’s the least we can do,” said Tibbs.

He added: “I had a look at a couple of their bigger lads and thought it would be a good idea to get them in the ring with Tom for a few rounds just to break him to his sparring; before I knew it they’d brought a whole battalion down!”

West Ham ABC was formed in 1922 in the heart of East London and has produced countless national amateur champions over the years. Mark, son of the legendary Jimmy Tibbs, was delighted to welcome the 4th Rifles into his gym.

He said: “My dad and Billy Joe Saunders had one ring while me and Tom took the other. We went through a lot of them, Tom and Billy Joe must have done about 20 rounds a piece! Sam McNess, Ben Smith and Billy Morgan all had a bit of sparring from them as well and it was all good fun and games,”

“The Army has turned those lads into disciplined and respectful men and the way they conducted themselves really lifted my spirits. They came back the next day to present us with a plaque which was a really nice touch. They’re top men and will always be welcome to come down and use the gym.”

Main event on the card see Gary Corcoran and Danny Butler collide for the Vacant WBO Intercontinental Junior Middleweight Championship and chief-support features Tom Baker and Jack Morris clash for the Vacant English Light-Heavyweight Championship. On the undercard, some of the best young prospects continue in their careers: unbeaten light-welterweight ace Romeo Romaeo takes on Prague’s Michal Dufek over eight rounds; Chingford super-featherweight Boy Jones Jnr and Dagenham lightweight Ediz Hussein, both in separate six rounders; West Ham super-welterweight Sammy McNess, Ilford light-heavyweight Anthony Yarde; Welling lightweight Archie Sharp; Chelmsford super-middleweight Billy Long and Sidcup super-featherweight D.P Carr, all compete over four rounds.

Tickets priced at £40 (Unreserved) and £60 (Reserved) are available from Eventim at www.eventim.co.uk or 0844 249 1000 and Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.co.uk or 0844 844 0444

The Channel Of Champions, BoxNation, will televise live and exclusive on Sky 437/HD 490, Virgin 546, TalkTalk 415 and Freeview 255. Subscribe at www.boxnation.com or watch online at watch.boxnation.com and via iPhone, iPad or Android and Amazon devices.

Former world champions Mike Alvarado and Juan Diaz have their opponents set for the March 19 fights in Houston, Texas, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

Former unified lightweight titleholder Diaz (40-4, 19 KOs), known as the “Baby Bull,” will face Mexico’s Fernando Garcia (30-7-2, 19 KOs) in a 10-round lightweight match.

Former junior welterweight titleholder Alvarado (34-4, 23 KOs), of Denver, will face Saul Corral (19-6, 10 KOs), of Mexico, in an eight-round welterweight fight that will open the Unimas telecast.

“It was a serious rotator cuff injury that caused the long layoff and this is the first step back,” Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti told ESPN.com. “He’s hoping to regain the momentum he had before the layoff when he was on the verge of a world title shot. Diaz is ready to go. He feels 100 percent. He’s really amped up to get back in the ring and get this going again. Because the fight is in Houston, there’s more motivation for him to perform as best as he can. The place holds about 3,500 and I think we’ll be full, and Diaz has always loved to fight at home.”

Alvarado has since been to rehab and is said to be clean and sober as he attempts to salvage his career.

“His issues were outside the ring, not an injury like Diaz had,” Moretti said. “But all indications are that he’s taken care of them and he’s been in the gym. We’ve had no calls or reason to doubt him. He’s stayed on the straight path and he knows he has a lot to prove to himself and to his fans. This is the first step to doing that.

“He doesn’t want to go out like he did against Rios. He has pride. It’s a different situation that Juan Diaz’s situation but how do you not give [Alvarado] another opportunity?”

Merseyside favourite Derry Mathews says he wants a war with Manchester’s Terry Flanagan.

The all-action Scouser has promised to go toe to toe with his bitter North West rival when the pair battle it out for the WBO World Lightweight title in their eagerly-anticipated Liverpool Echo Arena showdown on Saturday 12th March, exclusively live on BoxNation.

‘Dirty’ Derry, renowned for his all-out war style of fighting, has vowed to avenge his Prize Fighter loss to Flanagan in 2012 and says he’ll be taking the unbeaten Mancunian deep into the trenches.

“I want a war with Terry and I don’t want him to run. I want to put a proper fight on for the crowd and the paying public. I’ve got my fingers crossed that he stands toe-to-toe with me when we get it on. He’s come out again saying this fight won’t be going the distance but he still won’t name the round he’s going to stop me in. All the pressure is on him now and after the fight he’s going to realise he picked the wrong man to defend his title against,” said Mathews.

Mathews, 32, is looking to mark his 50th professional fight with a world title win in front of his home crowd. The hard-hitting lightweight says he is the most determined fighter in the country and won’t be letting anyone or anything stop him from getting his hands on the ultimate prize.

He said: “I’m going to ask for a new belt on March 12th because I don’t want the one Terry’s got; it’s covered in scratches and I want a fresh one. There’s no way Terry is hungrier than me, then again he might be because I know he was struggling with the weight! As a fighting man he isn’t hungrier than me, I’ve dedicated my life to this sport from the age of eight and I’ve got the chance to win a world title in my own city.”

Manchester City have temporary bragging rights over their North West foes after the goalkeeping heroics of reserve goalkeeper Willy Caballerro left Liverpool fans broken-hearted. However, Mathews says it is the Scousers that will be cheering the loudest after he is finished with Flanangan.

He said: “I’m the big draw in this fight. Everything is settled for me on a plate and I just need to go in there and grab it with both hands. My fans will be out in their thousands come fight night and it’s going to be a long and miserable journey back up the M62 for Flanagan’s fans.”

With fight week rapidly approaching Mathews and trainer Danny Vaughan are bringing their training camp to an end. The Liverpool hero says he couldn’t be in better shape ahead of the biggest night of his career.

He said: “The hard work is all done now and I’m ready to become a world champion. Danny has got me in the best shape possible both physically and mentally and now it’s down to me to get the job done. Everything is perfect and I couldn’t be in a better position right now; there’ll be no excuses on my half and I don’t want him to make any when I beat him.”

Terry Flanagan v Derry Mathews for the WBO World Lightweight Championship headlines the show that also features one of the worlds greatest boxers, Guillermo Rigondeaux, taking on Merseyside hero Jazza Dickens; another star of world boxing, dynamite punching South African Zolani Tete challenges for the Vacant IBF International Bantamweight Championship against Jose Santos Gonzalez; Birmingham ace Tommy Langford defends his WBO Intercontinental Middleweight title against Lewis Taylor; hard-hitting Ellesmere Port’s star Paul Butler will challenge for a championship belt; Blackpool’s Matty Askin defends his English Cruiserweight title against Swindon’s Lawrence Bennett. The undercard features some of the best talent in Merseyside: undefeated leading world title contender Kevin Satchell; red-hot prospect Steven Lewis; European Champion Ryan Farrag; Indian superstar Vijender Singh plus Manchester prospects Macaulay McGowan and Zelfa Barrett and Leicester ace Lyon Woodstock complete the card.

Ticket for ‘A Tale Of Two Cities’ are priced at £40, £60, £80, £100, £150* and are available from:

Eventim
0844 249 1000
www.eventim.co.uk

Liverpool Echo Arena
0844 8000 400
www.echoarena.com

Ticketmaster
0844 844 0444
www.ticketmaster.co.uk

A special V.I.P ticket priced at £250* that includes an inner ringside V.I.P seat, lanyard, complimentary beer, wine and soft drink (between a certain time period) and canapés are available to purchase through the Frank Warren Box Office office only on 01992 505 550.

The Channel Of Champions, BoxNation, will televise live and exclusive on Sky 437/HD 490, Virgin 546, TalkTalk 415 and Freeview 255. Subscribe at www.boxnation.com or watch online at watch.boxnation.com and via iPhone, iPad or Android and Amazon devices.

Ghanaian lightweight star Richard Commey (23-0, 21 KOs) has decided to vacate his Commonwealth title in order to focus on a World title challenge.

The 28 year-old from Accra claimed the Commonwealth strap with a unanimous points decision over Gary Buckland in July 2014 and has since defended it with the seventh-round stoppage of Thompson Mokwana in March 2015.

‘’It has been a great honour to hold the Commonwealth title,’’ said Commey. ‘’Winning the belt against Gary Buckland was one of the proudest moments of my career, and after adding the IBF Intercontinental title to the Commonwealth, I was hoping for more challengers to come forward to face me. Unfortunately this didn’t happen, but in vacating both titles it has left the way open for me to realise my dream of fighting for a World title.’’

Commey, who is undefeated in his twenty-three professional contests, is currently mandatory challenger for the IBF World title, and has welcomed a fight with the reigning Champion Rances Barthelemy.

‘’I have never shied away from a challenge,’’ said Commey. ‘’I’m ready and willing to fight anyone. Barthelemy is a good boxer but I know I can beat him. My goal is to become World Champion and no one will stand in my way!’’

According to promoter Nisse Sauerland, the often-avoided lightweight will not have to wait long for his shot at World honours.

‘’Richard is in a great position, and now, it’s only a matter of time before he gets to challenge for the World title,’’ said Sauerland. ‘’We’re already in talks with the IBF and we expect the fight to take place before the summer.’’