According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Last Saturday night’s Pay Per view between Gennady Golovkin and David Lemieux generated 150,000 buys.

“It will do just over 150,000 buys, which was the number we originally based things on when we talked to [Lemieux promoter] Golden Boy about making the fight to determine how much Lemieux would need and what Gennady would need,” said K2”s Tom Loeffler said.

“I thought it would have a good chance to break 200,000, but with all the college football games and no way to predict the Mets would be playing the Cubs — a high-end playoff series — it was tough,” he said. “A lot of people were watching baseball in those big markets, but overall, we were happy with the event. When you can sell every single ticket to Madison Square Garden and generate a gate of over $2 million, you’re happy.”

HBO Sports senior vice president Mark Taffet, who runs HBO PPV, said the event was a strong first-time pay-per-view effort for Golovkin, regarded by many as a future face of boxing in the wake of Floyd Mayweather’s retirement last month.

“Golovkin-Lemieux met or exceeded every benchmark of success which was set going into the event,” Taffet told ESPN.com. “The PPV buys solidly met expectations even amidst the Mets-Cubs national telecast registering the highest-ever TBS baseball playoff viewership, including the PPV-critical markets of New York and Chicago. This, combined with the palpable excitement of the sold-out crowd in Madison Square Garden and the in-ring performances by Gennady Golovkin and [co-feature winner Roman] ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez, encourage us that the next great era of boxing has begun and will continue with the highly-anticipated [Miguel] Cotto-Canelo [Alvarez)] megafight on Nov. 21.”

“But we’ve always taken risks to get Gennady where he’s at,” Loeffler. “And so we thought it was the right step at this point. It was worth it. We generated a lot of money with the pay-per-view, delay rights from HBO, the closed circuit and the international revenue.

“A lot of people focus on the American market, but he had one of the highest rated international shows in the U.K. on BoxNation, on SAT.1 in Germany and the biggest channel in Russia. He was also on Polsat, the biggest channel in Poland, for the first time. And on top of that, the Garden told us we broke the merchandise record for any boxing event there: over $122,000.”

“He is the type of fighter who can fight on HBO and still have a significant budget or have a big fight on pay-per-view,” Loeffler said. “I thought we gave the fans a lot of value with considering the ticket prices and the price of the pay-per-view. It was their first time on pay-per-view, and even though we thought it might break 200,000, we certainly don’t look at it as a negative. The fight still generated more than the license fee would have been from HBO, and the international sales were very strong, as were our sponsorships.”

PHOENIX (Oct. 22, 2015) – The six fighters who’ll be fighting on ShoBox: The New Generation tomorrow/Friday, Oct. 23, live on SHOWTIME® (10:30 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, Ariz., made weight Thursday on their first attempts inside The Lucky Saloon at Fort McDowell Casino in Fort McDowell, Ariz.

Undefeated Rob “Bravo” Brant (17-0, 11 KOs), of St. Paul, Minn., faces Louis “The Unknown” Rose (13-2-1, 5 KOs), of Los Angeles, in a 10-round bout for the vacant WBC Continental Americas middleweight title in the main event. In eight-round co-features, unbeaten Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller (14-0-1, 12 KOs), of Brooklyn, N.Y., will face Ahror “Aha” Muralimov (14-1, 11 KOs), of Houston, Texas via Uzbekistan, in a heavyweight match and Lavarn “Baby Bowe” Harvell (15-1, 8 KOs) of Atlantic City will face Samuel “The Main Event” Clarkson (16-3, 10 KOs), of Cedar Hills, Texas, in a light heavyweight scrap.

A scheduled fight between unbeaten Filipino prospect Harmonito Dela Torre (16-0, 11 KOs) and Angel “El Gato” Luna (11-1-1, 6 KOs) was cancelled Wednesday due to problems with travel.

On Friday, all but Clarkson will be making their ShoBox debuts.

The Weights: Brant weighed 158½ pounds, Rose 159; Miller tipped scale at 280½ pounds, Muralimov 238; and Harvell and Clarkson both weighed 177 pounds.

Tickets for the event, presented by Greg Cohen Promotions and Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Promotions in association with Iron Boy Promotions, GH3 Promotions, Fight Card Promotions, Salita Promotions and Winner Take All Productions, are priced at $65 Ringside, $50 reserved and $30 general admission and are available online at www.celebritytheatre.ticketforce.com.

Here’s what the fighters had to say prior to the weigh-in:

ROB BRANT

“I’m really excited about this fight. This is definitely the biggest step-up for me in my career, fighting on a premium network and headlining for the first time. At one point, I probably didn’t think it was possible. But it’s what you work for. When you make that step from amateur to pros this is what you work for and where you want to get.

“Rose is a really tough guy, very determined, and you know he wants to win very badly. There are different circumstances and we are on opposite sides of the spectrum; he’s been homeless and knows what can happen if he doesn’t have success. He knows he has to win. He has his defensive flaws and may not have huge power but he is very athletic and must be respected.

“There is no way I take him lightly. Rose knows what he’s fighting for and what another loss could mean. I know what he’s fighting for. I fight for all my reasons, too.

“I’m not going out thinking I need to knock him out or impress anyone. I think, in victory, it will be impressive enough because of the opponent he is. That’s basically my mindset before every fight. I want the win, I know I’ll have to work to beat him but I’m not going to force it. I’ll take the “W” anyway I can.

“I like where I’m at in my career. I feel I’ve been groomed properly and that I’m improving and taking away positives from each guy I fight. I feel I’m becoming more of a puncher-boxer. In the amateurs, I relied on speed and boxing. But in the pro’s you fight differently. I’ve been staying in the pocket more.

“This is going to be a great fight on Friday night.’’

LOUIS ROSE

“I keep beating guys I’m not supposed to. I guess I love being the underdog. I love it when people say this and that and that I have no chance.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. There’s really nothing he can do to beat me. I don’t want to go back to where I was before. This is my opportunity and I can’t let it slip away.

“This fight certainly is another step up, but I feel I am continuing to improve in all areas. I still have my looks, so I haven’t been hit in the face that much. I think my power has been the biggest difference for me. I’m hitting harder than I was before.

“I always work hard. I stay in the gym. I’m very hungry. I think this is my time. Some describe my style as awkward but I consider it more one-of-a-kind. I can box or pressure you. I think tomorrow I will be the pressure guy.

“I feel I’ve fought the better opposition. Give me his opponents and give him my opponents and see how I compare.

“I spar with tough guys. I don’t think he is better than some of the unbeaten guys I’ve fought. Brant can be totally ready but there’s nothing he’s going to be able to do that I won’t be able to do.

“This is my opportunity of a lifetime. I am going to win this fight. I’m not taking anything away from Brant – he’s still a lot better than other guys at this point. It’s going be a very rough fight. My game is to make you mad, get you off your game and then take advantage.

“I’m going to stick with nickname forever – even when I’m known.

“I’m beyond excited about fighting in the main event on ShoBox. This is a tremendous accomplishment for me. I’ve come a long way but I couldn’t have done it without discipline and a ton of hard work.”

JARRELL MILLER

“I was born to do this. I was born to kick ass. Some guys play football, some play basketball, but I’m here to hurt you.

“I started to box two years after my kickboxing career. Actually, I made more money kickboxing, but I’m still young so I decided to focus 100 percent on boxing. It’s not that big a transition although some of the basics were different, of course.

At 27, I feel I’ve really honed into what I’m supposed to do. I’m ready to put on a show. I am what the heavyweight division is missing. No one has bought into my story yet, my martial arts background, etc., but once they see me knocking out all these guys, they’ll remember.

“I weigh 280 pounds, but I’m not an out-of-shape 280. I’m strong and mean, solid. I swing for the fences.

‘This is a big step for me, my first eight-rounder, my first time on SHOWTIME. I really want to hurt and impress people. Maybe in a couple more fights I’ll start looking to get in some rounds. But not tomorrow. I want to not just hurt you but destroy you.

“I’m used to fighting shorter guys, I’ve sparred with them for this fight. I’ve done my homework, I’ll be fine and I’m really excited about this fight.

“I have a team that’s been there, I’m the only one who hasn’t. I want this bad, I want to hurt guys every fight, I’m looking for KO’s. I’m not one of those who say ‘if the knockout come, it comes.’ That’s not me at all. I’m not about ‘ifs.’ I’m going to bring it.”

AHROR MURALIMOV

“I know it’s important for me to be aggressive, get inside, give him lots of head movement, stay busy and stay behind the jab. The jab may be the key.

“I lost to Rossy in my last fight but he had a lot of experience and he knows how to survive. So I feel I have a lot to prove in this fight. I can’t afford to make another mistake.

“This is a good fight for me on Friday. I’m confident and ready.

“I’m honored and very excited to be fighting on my first ShoBox. This is such a major opportunity for me. You’re going to see a side of me you’ve never seen.

LAVARN HARVELL

“This is my biggest opportunity and my toughest fight to date, fighting on ShoBox against Clarkson. It is my introduction to American boxing fans on television so it doesn’t get more exciting than that. I’ve fought two southpaws before and I’ve seen Clarkson, who I know is a good fighter.

“I’ve had management and promotional issues but they are all in the past. I’m ready to fight and want to make a good impression

“This is also my first eight-rounder, but it is a step-up fight for both of us. I like to box and use movement but I am totally prepared to fight and win.”

SAMUEL CLARKSON

“I had great sparring and a lot of positive people around me for this camp. I am in a great place; everything has been great.

“We want and are always looking for the bigger fights, but this is another step, and we’re ready.

“I’ve won six straight fights. After I lost to Jesse Hart, I was listening too much to what others had to say. But now I believe in myself. I feel like my timing, skills, reflexes, everything basically, is better than ever.

“I’m not that familiar with Harvell and I’ve prepared for everything, but mostly I concentrate on what I have to do. I’ve had solid sparring so I’m really prepared for this fight.

“I’ve been knocked down and got up to win. I’ve been cut and won with blood. No one can take my heart away from me win, lose or draw. I’m a fighter. I know what it’s like to deal with adversity and win. I’ll fight anyone.’’

# # #

About ShoBox: The New Generation
Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. Some of the growing list of the 63 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Omar Figueroa, Nonito Donaire, Devon Alexander, Carl Froch, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Juan Manuel Lopez, Chad Dawson, Paulie Malignaggi, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams and more.

Fresh off his 3rd round stoppage over Matias Vidondo, Luis Ortiz will jump right back in the ring on December 19 when he takes on Bryant Jennings at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York and televised on HBO Boxing After Dark.

Top Rank has the opening fight on the telecast (10:15 p.m. ET/PT) and made a 10-round junior lightweight bout between former featherweight titlist Nicholas “Axe Man” Walters, who is moving up in weight, and big puncher Jason Sosa.

“With a mix of speed, power and amateur pedigree that is second-to-none, Luis Ortiz has quickly established himself as a force in the heavyweight division,” said Ortiz promoter Oscar De La Hoya. “Luis is so hungry to continue his rise in the division that he has agreed to fight an enormously talented opponent in Bryant Jennings just two months after Luis’ destruction of Matias Vidondo.”

Said Jennings promoter Gary Shaw, “It’s my pleasure to bring another great heavyweight showdown to the boxing fans, with Bryant Jennings taking on an undefeated fighter like Luis Ortiz. The fans know that I have always, and will continue, to put on real, competitive fights.”

CHICAGO — October 22, 2015 — For every loud proclamation that boxing is dead, that the demise of the sweet science is imminent, there is quietly whispered a story about a fighter who got up off the canvas to finish a fight, or an underdog who prevailed…it’s these stories that keep boxing fans captivated. One such story played out last Friday night in Brooklyn. Donovan George headlined TruTV’s Friday Night Knockout series, facing Seanie Monaghan in a bout scheduled for ten rounds.

In addition to noting Geoge’s incredible heart and resilience, most post-fight articles, as well as social media posts and tweets from fight night noted the ‘wincing’ that occurred every time George threw his right hand after it was broken during the second round. Begging the ringside doctor to allow him to continue, George took Monaghan’s onslaught through the remaining eight rounds, unable to mount a successful attack due to his broken hand. He wasn’t going to lay down and stop fighting, and he wasn’t going to be taken out of the fight.

The lead-up to fight night was punctuated with a promise from George to “clean out the Top Rank stable at 168 pounds,” first defeating Monaghan, and then setting his sights on Jesse Hart. In George’s eyes, the plan hasn’t changed. He and his promoter, Bobby Hitz, only hope that Monaghan has a desire to fight a healthy Donovan George.

“It was such a terrific fight that we hope Seanie will give us another shot,” said Promoter Bobby Hitz. “It is our hope that Seanie and Top Rank will do it. The fans want it, deserve it, and boxing needs it.”

HBO Boxing Insider Kieran Mulvaney goes one on one with Terence Crawford. Crawford vs. Jean happens Saturday, October 24 live on HBO at 9:30pm ET/PT

LOS ANGELES (October 22, 2015) – Continuing its legacy of seeking out the best and brightest in boxing, Golden Boy Promotions has signed super welterweight contender Jorge “Destroyer” Melendez (29-5-1, 27 KOs) of Vega Baja, Puerto Rico and undefeated middleweight boxing legacy Bastie Samir (14-0-1, 14 KOs) of Accra, Ghana.

A dangerously aggressive rising star and former WBC Caribbean Boxing Federation, WBO Latino and WBA Fedecaribe super welterweight titleholder, Melendez has repeatedly proved to audiences he is one to watch, most recently with a first-round technical knockout victory over Antonio Rodriguez in June 2015. After a stellar amateur career in Ghana that included qualifying for the 2008 Olympics, winning the 2007 African Championship in the welterweight division and leading Ghana’s national team, Samir relocated to the U.S. to pursue his professional career and has quickly captivated fans with an impressive 14 wins and his undefeated status.
“First of all, I would like to thank Golden Boy Promotions for the trust placed on me,” said Melendez. “Also, I would like to thank my team for always working hard for my best interest. It’s a pleasure and honor to be part of an experienced and respectable team like Golden Boy, and I will continue to proudly represent my island of Puerto Rico. All of the 154 and 160 pounders out there better be ready now that we will be having great wars in the big venues. The DESTROYER is back!!”
“I look forward to continuing the legacy of boxing that has been in my family for decades,” said Bastie Samir. “I will be a force to be watched this coming year and thank Golden Boy for the opportunity to continue my boxing career in the ring. I couldn’t ask for a better support team than my family, management team, and trainer Kenny Adams to keep me ready.”
“Golden Boy’s roster showcases the best upcoming and experienced fighters and the addition of Jorge and Bastie only furthers our mission of bringing the best talent aboard our team,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “Jorge and Bastie are fighters to be feared in the ring, we are excited to be with them as they continue their paths to becoming champions.”
As an amateur, Melendez impressed fans amassing a record of 48 wins and only five losses, as well as representing Puerto Rico twice in international tournaments. In 2007, Melendez made his professional debut against Juan Aguirre, resulting in a draw, and quickly followed up with a nine win streak from 2007 to 2009. In December 2010, Melendez defeated William Correa to clench the vacant WBA Fedecaribe super welterweight title, and successfully defended the title against Chad Greenleaf in April 2011. Continuing his winning streak, he claimed the interim WBO Latino super welterweight title, battling Eric Mitchell in October 2011 and later defeated challenger Marcus Willis in April 2012 to stay the titleholder. In March 2014, Melendez was awarded the vacant WBC Caribbean Boxing Federation (CABOFE) super welterweight title when he defeated Richard Gutierrez in Caguas, Puerto Rico. Melendez started 2015 off on shaky ground with a tough loss to Ievgen Khytrov at the MGM Grand Marquee Ballroom in Las Vegas in March, but quickly rebounded with an impressive first-round victory over Antonio Rodriguez in June in La Romana, Dominican Republic.
Hailing from Accra, Ghana, Bastie Samir accumulated an impressive amateur record of 96-7, a number four world ranking and qualification in the light heavyweight division for the 2008 Olympics for Ghana. He captained Ghana’s national team and won the African Championship in the welterweight division in May 2007. Now living and training in Las Vegas, Samir relocated to the U.S. to pursue a professional career and made his pro debut defeating Marvin Blair in November 2008 at the Valenica Ballroom in York, Pennsylvania. He has followed up his first triumph with wins in both the U.S. and his home country, amassing a 14-bout winning streak, featuring impressive victories over Billy Cunningham in November 2010 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Eddie Hunter in February 2011 at Club Nokia in Los Angeles, and most recently, Marciano Commey in November 2013 at the Will Power Boxing Complex in Accra, Ghana.
More information on Jorge’s and Bastie’s next fight will be announced soon. For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @OscarDeLaHoya, @DestroyerPR and @BastieSamir become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing or follow on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing and @OscarDeLaHoya.

Toronto – Following a late main event change due to injury, Fight Network’s live UFC Fight Night™ telecast on Saturday, October 24 from 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland will now be headlined by a flyweight showdown between Ireland’s own Paddy “The Hooligan” Holohan (12-1-1) and American Louis “Da Last Samurai” Samurai (9-1).

Fight Network will air the live UFC Fight Night™: Holohan vs. Smolka main card exclusively in Canada from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET. The event will be replayed in its entirety in primetime at 9 p.m. ET and again at 10 p.m. PT for viewers on the West Coast.

In the main event, Holohan takes on Smolka in a clash of fiery flyweight contenders. In other featured bouts, Northern Ireland’s Norman Parke (21-4-1) welcomes Iranian-born Swedish lightweight Reza “Mad Dog” Madadi (13-3) back to the octagon, Denmark’s Nicolas “Sharpshooter” Dalby (14-0) meets England’s Darren Till (13-0) in a showcase of undefeated welterweight prospects, plus Irish flyweight veteran Neil Seery (15-11) battles Guam native Jon Delos Reyes (8-4).

Tonight, Thursday, Oct. 22 at Midnight ET, Fight Network premieres a one-hour UFC® Fight Night Dublin Pre-Show, which features previews, predictions and analysis for the event, and also serves as a lead-in to the live main card. All airings are listed at www.fightnetwork.com.

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

This Sunday, Oct. 25 at 9 p.m. ET, catch a full encore presentation of UFC 187: Johnson vs. Cormier from May 23, 2015 in Las Vegas, which featured Daniel Cormier vs. Anthony Johnson and Chris Weidman vs. Vitor Belfort in a pair of memorable championship bouts, plus a can’t-miss “Round of the Year” contender between Andrei Arlovski and Travis Browne.

The full card for UFC Fight Night™: Holohan vs. Smolka includes:

Main Card (Live on Fight Network, 4 p.m. ET)
-Paddy Holohan (12-1-1) vs. Louis Smolka (9-1)
-Norman Parke (21-4-1) vs. Reza Madadi (13-3)
-Nicolas Dalby (14-0) vs. Darren Till (13-0)
-Neil Seery (15-11) vs. Jon Delos Reyes (8-4)

Preliminary Card (Live on UFC Fight Pass, 1:15 p.m. ET)
-Stevie Ray (18-5) vs. Mickael Lebout (14-4-1, 1NC)
-Aisling Daly (15-5) vs. Ericka Almeida (7-1)
-Scott Askham (13-1) vs. Krzysztof Jotko (15-1)
-Cathal Pendred (17-4-1) vs. Tom Breese (8-0)
-Darren Elkins (19-5) vs. Rob Whiteford (12-2)
-Bubba Bush (8-3) vs. Garreth McLellan (11-3)

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

NEW YORK (Oct. 22, 2015) – SHOWTIME Sports® will chronicle the buildup to the Dec. 5 all-Brooklyn showdown between WBA Middleweight World Champion Daniel Jacobs and undefeated former champion Peter Quillin with its latest installment of the Emmy award-winning series “ALL ACCESS.”

“ALL ACCESS: Jacobs vs. Quillin” will premiere on Tuesday, Nov. 17 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME. This one-episode chapter of the revealing documentary series joins “INSIDE THE NFL” (9 p.m. ET/PT) and “A SEASON WITH NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL” (10 p.m. ET/PT) in the SHOWTIME Sports Tuesday programming lineup.

“ALL ACCESS” will introduce viewers to two colorful and charismatic fighters on a collision course toward a career-defining moment. It will welcome viewers into the personal life of Brownsville native Daniel Jacobs, an inspirational cancer survivor balancing an agenda of charitable endeavors, fatherhood and training for the toughest fight of his boxing career. Peter Quillin–Brooklyn’s adopted son–will peel back the curtain on his New York journey, a rocky road that winds from a homeless shelter to a stint at an IHOP as the former champion looks to claim another belt.

It all leads to the Battle for Brooklyn on Saturday, Dec. 5, live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) from Barclays Center. Winner takes the belt and Brooklyn.

“ALL ACCESS” earned a Sports Emmy for the second consecutive year this May, taking home the honors for Outstanding Sports Documentary Series at the 36th Annual Sports Emmy Award ceremony in New York City. The revealing documentary series, which chronicles the buildup and aftermath of boxing’s biggest prizefights, won its first Sports Emmy at the 2014 ceremony for Outstanding Edited Sports Event Coverage with “ALL ACCESS: Mayweather vs. Canelo Epilogue.”

# # #

Barclays Center’s BROOKLYN BOXING™ programming platform is presented by AARP. For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports follow on Twitter @SHOSports, @DanielJacobsTKO, @KidChocolate, @LouDiBella, @BarclaysCenter and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports, www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment and www.Facebook.com/barclayscenter.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (October 22, 2015) – Following an impressive stoppage during the main card of the groundbreaking “Bellator MMA: Dynamite 1” card in September, Josh “The Punk” Thomson (21-8, 1 NC) will make his main event debut against Pablo “El Gallo” Villaseca (10-1) on Friday, December 4 at The San Jose State University Event Center.

In addition, the co-headliner of “Bellator 147: Thomson vs. Villaseca” will feature a marquee featherweight contest, when Georgi “Insane” Karakhanyan (24-4-) goes toe-to-toe with Daniel “The Weasel” Weichel (35-9).

The pair of contests will air live on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, while preliminary bouts will stream on Spike.com at 5 p.m. PT.
Tickets for “Bellator 147: Thomson vs. Villaseca” go on sale this Friday, October 23 at 10 a.m. PST and will be available at the San Jose State University Event Center Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster and Bellator.com. Ticket prices start at only $30 and doors for the event open at 4 p.m. local time, with the first bout taking place shortly after.

After choosing to sign with Bellator MMA following runs in Strikeforce, Pride Fighting Championships, and the UFC, Thomson impressed on his home turf with a third-round arm-triangle choke submission of Mike Bronzoulis on September 19. Escaping injury free, the American Kickboxing Academy standout returns to action before the year’s end, with lightweight title aspirations on his mind in 2016.

Standing opposite of the mixed martial arts veteran will be Villaseca, a 29-year-old Chilean who also competed on September 19, albeit for a regional promotion in Argentina. “El Gallo” has laced up the gloves for Bellator MMA once prior, suffering the lone loss of his career against Bobby Cooper at “Bellator 139: Kongo vs. Volkov.”

Making his return to the Bellator MMA cage following an injury ahead of what was slated to be his shot at Patricio “Pitbull” Freire’s 145-pound title at “Bellator 138: Unfinished Business,” Karakhanyan will look to solidify his role as the undisputed No. 1 contender when he makes his sixth appearance for the Scott Coker-led promotion since 2010. A product of Millenia MMA in Rancho Cucamonga, CA., fans of “Insane” won’t have to leave the state to see their guy fight on December 4.

There wasn’t much doubt that Weichel was defeating “Pitbull” before getting caught with a perfectly placed punch in the second round. Now, the road back to the featherweight title leads directly through the man who was supposed to compete for the championship before withdrawing due to injury. A native of Germany, Weichel has only tasted defeat twice in 14 fights, competing for promotions around the world the likes of M-1 Global and Shooto. At only 30 years of age, Weichel has already amassed 35 victories, stopping his opponent in 26 of them.

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.

Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents an explosive doubleheader this Friday, Oct. 23, beginning with a live broadcast of Hard Knocks Fighting 46 at 11 p.m. ET, which emanates from Calgary, Canada’s Markin Macphail Centre. Then, at 1 a.m. ET, catch a short tape delayed presentation of Golden Boy Live! from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif., headlined by undefeated featherweight sensation Joseph Diaz Jr. (17-0, 10 KOs) battling Mexican brawler Ruben Tamayo (23-6-4, 15 KOs) over 10 rounds.

Fight Network’s live Hard Knocks Fighting 46 broadcast will air nationwide in Canada, across the U.S. on Cablevision’s Optimum TV, Suddenlink Communications, Grande Communications, Shentel Cable and Armstrong Cable, and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The Golden Boy Promotions telecast airs on Fight Network exclusively in Canada.

In the Hard Knocks Fighting 46 main event, Jesse Arnett (8-4) and Dimitri Waardenburg (11-6) vie for the promotion’s vacant bantamweight crown. In other featured bouts, Dia Grant (9-12) meets Curtis Demarce (14-13), Valeria Maejia (2-1) tangles with Lindsay Garbatt (2-1), Alexi Argyriou (2-0) looks to extend his perfect run against Mike O’Neill (5-24) and Pat Pytlik (1-0) throws down with Tiago Tavares (2-1).

Headlined by Diaz Jr. vs. Tamayo, Golden Boy Live will also feature Frankie “Pitbull” Gomez (18-0, 13 KOs) against Tijuana, Mexcio’s Jorge “Pantera” Silva (19-9-2, 15 KOs) in a 10-round welterweight affair.

The live action continues on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 4 p.m. ET, as Fight Network presents the live main card for UFC Fight Night™: Poirier vs. Duffy exclusively in Canada.

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.

NEW YORK (Oct. 22, 2015) – Unbeaten rising star Antoine “Action” Douglas will fight on ShoBox: The New Generation for a fifth time when he takes on Les “Lock N Load” Sherrington in a clash of world-ranked middleweights in the main event of a quadrupleheader live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) on Friday, Nov. 6, at Downtown Las Vegas Events Center (DLVEC), across from the D Las Vegas in iconic Downtown Las Vegas.

The popular prospect-oriented boxing series premiered in July 2001 and has produced 63 world champions to date. Antoine’s fifth ShoBox appearance will tie him with eight other fighters for second place on the all-time list (the ShoBox appearance record is held by Chris Avalos with six appearances). All of the fighters with five or more ShoBox appearances went on to challenge for a world title, five triumphed -Andre Ward, Ishe Smith, Robert Guerrero, Kendall Holt and Badou Jack-and three fell short -Avalos, Mike Arnaoutis and Sechew Powell. A sixth five-time Shobox participant, Lateef Kayode, is scheduled to challenge WBA Cruiserweight World Champion Denis Lebedev on Nov. 4.

Douglas, of Burke, Va., is the WBA’s ninth-ranked contender. He will enter the 10-round bout for the WBA and WBO International 160-pound titles with a record of 18-0-1, 12 KOs. Australia’s Sherrington, the WBA’s No. 12th-rated contender, is 35-7, 30 KOs.

“Douglas has been consistently entertaining throughout his fights on ShoBox and is fighting another older, more-experienced opponent once again,” said ShoBox expert analyst Steve Farhood. “Part of the satisfaction of watching fighters develop on ShoBox is seeing them graduate to contender status. Douglas is just about at that point; he is taking his final classes.”

The 10-round ShoBox co-feature will match former international amateur standout and 2012 Olympic Bronze Medalist, Ukrainian southpaw Taras “Real Deal” Shelestyuk (12-0, 8 KOs), of Los Angeles, Calif. against experienced Aslanbek Kozaev (26-1-1, 7 KOs), of Vladikavkaz, Russia, in a welterweight bout.

Two eight-rounders will round out the four-fight telecast: southpaw “Killa” Keenan Smith (8-0, 3 KOs) of Philadelphia battles Benjamin “Da Blaxican” Whitaker (10-1, 2 KOs) of San Antonio in a super lightweight scrap and O’Shaquie “Ice Water” Foster (8-0, 5 KOs) of Orange, Texas, confronts “Tsunami Sam” Teah (6-1, 2 KOs) of Philadelphia in a lightweight match.

All but Douglas will be making their ShoBox debuts in an event promoted by GH3 Promotions and Banner Promotions. All eight boxers will be fighting in Las Vegas for the first time. Tickets are priced at $100.50, $75.50, $40.50, $25.50 and $20.50 and are available for purchase at www.ticketmaster.com.

Douglas, 23, has been impressive in four consecutive victories since he boxed a draw with former world title challenger Michel Soro in an eight-rounder that was part of the 200th ShoBox telecast on July 25, 2014. Douglas has won his last two starts by knockout: on July 17, a third-round TKO over Istvan Szili and on March 13, a sixth-round TKO over Thomas LaManna.

“This is a very good matchup for me,” said Douglas. “I feel I’m in the right place on my career. I want to move up the ranks and earn a title shot.

“I have seen Sherrington and he is tall and long. He likes to fight on the inside. He has lost to Sam Soliman. I’ve been in camp with Soliman and he’s not a big puncher.

“This is my first fight in Las Vegas, I’m very excited. Las Vegas is the boxing mecca of the world. This is a huge step up for me.”

Douglas, a top amateur who made it to the 2011 U.S. Olympic Trials, has been extremely active since turning pro in October 2012. He fought twice in 2012, nine times in ’13, six times in ’14 and this would be his third start this year.

Sherrington of Burleigh, Gold Coast, Australia, will be fighting outside of his native land for the first time in this, his U.S. and 2015 debuts. He’s won two in a row and is 8-1 in his last nine fights, the loss coming to former IBF World Middleweight Champion Soliman in December 2013.

Since the bitter defeat to Soliman that knocked him out of the world rankings, Sherrington has been looking to redeem himself in a major matchup in a major stage. This is his opportunity.

“This fight is something I have been waiting my whole career for and I plan on giving it my best shot,” he said. “I can’t wait to get over to America and showcase my skills. Fighting top-tier fighters is all I’ve ever asked.”

The well-conditioned 6-foot, 33-year-old Sherrington turned his career around after losing his pro debut in April 2002 and going 4-3 in his first seven starts. Since March 2006, he’s 25-3 while winning several minor titles. In his last start on Dec. 2014 he captured the WBA Oceania Middleweight Title with a shutout 10-round decision over Samir Santos Barbosa.

Taras Shelestyuk made his debut at the late age of 27. A prospect at 147 pounds, he was an amateur standout (195-15) in Ukraine with extensive international experience. He was the Gold Medalist at the 2011 World Championships and a Bronze Medalist at the 2012 Olympics, both at 152 pounds.

The 5-foot-10 29-year-old, who was born in Makeevka, Ukraine, is trained by International Boxing Hall of Famer, Freddie Roach. Shelestyuk is a lefthander with solid skills, movement and punching power who has exclusively campaigned in the United States since turning pro in March 2013. He went 6-0 in 2013, 3-0 in 2014, and is 3-0 this year. He’s coming off a unanimous eight-round decision over Juan Rodriguez last April 3 in Ontario, Calif. He’s gone eight rounds twice.

Regarding his nickname, Shelestyuk said, “My nickname is ‘Real Deal,’ and it means that I prove what I say in the business that I do.”

Kozaev, 29, 5-foot-7, is making his 2015 debut and fifth U.S. start. He won his first two before losing his outing before last on a 12-round decision to prospect Ray Robinson in an NABO welterweight title fight on Feb. 21, 2014. He’s short for the welterweight class and is spotting Shelestyuk 3 ½ inches in height.

Smith, the 2008 National Golden Gloves Featherweight Champion and a 2007 Junior Olympic National Champion, turned pro in April 2010-at 130 pounds.

The 5-foot-7, 25-year-old will be making his fourth start of the year after fighting just one time in both 2012 and 2011. He’s won two of his three fights in 2015 by knockout, including any easy second-round knockout over Lavell Hadley last Aug. 15 in Atlantic City. This will be his second fight since signing with GH3 Promotions and his first since his mother died in late September.

“This has been a rough training camp as my mom passed away and we had the funeral on Sept. 29,” Smith said. “Going through that is extra motivating and I am dedicating this fight to her. I am excited to be in my first television bout. I can’t wait for Nov. 6.”

Smith went 72-4 in the amateurs. Two of the victories came against current world-ranked contender Amir Imam.

Whitaker, a 5-foot-9, 31-year-old, has fought in Texas in all but one of his fights. He’s been impressive in his three fights this year, winning them all by clear and convincing eight-round decisions.

Whitaker produced a career-best victory two outings ago when he soundly out-tallied previously undefeated knockout artist and local favorite, Skender Halili. Also, Whitaker captured the vacant WBC United States (USNBC) and U.S.A. Texas State Super Welterweight titles by outpointing Rodolfo Gomez on Jan. 16 in Laredo.

“Talk is cheap, this fight is going to be a war,” said Whitaker, a three-year pro who was victorious in his first seven pro fights and also owns a win over previously undefeated Felipe Rivas. “He wants to keep his undefeated record but I am trying to get to where I want to be.”

Foster, 22, will be making his eight-round debut. A pro since August 2012, he’s made short work of his last two opponents, scoring opening-round knockouts over Darius Jackson (1:03) and Frank Jordan (1:26) on Sept. 26 and Aug. 22, respectively.

“It is going to be a great fight. I am glad for the opportunity,” said Foster, who’s been brought along carefully after a 100-plus amateur career in which he advanced to the 2012 U.S. Olympic Games Trials where he lost to unbeaten pro prospect, Joseph “Jo-Jo” Diaz.

“I have been training really hard. I have looked at Teah and he throws a lot of wide and wild punches. I am looking forward to fighting in Las Vegas.”

The 2011 Houston Golden Gloves and 2010 PAL National Champion, Foster was a five-time Ringside National Champion and two-time National Junior Golden Gloves Champion.

Teah, 28, a lightweight, will also be making his eight-round debut. All seven of his previous starts have been scheduled for four rounds. Since suffering his lone setback on a majority four-round decision to undefeated Laviasas Williams on July 25, 2014, Teah has won two in a row, both on shutout four-round decisions, including a 40-36 whitewash against Raymond Velez in his lone start this year on July 17.

Barry Tompkins will call the ShoBox action from ringside with Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

# # #

About ShoBox: The New Generation
Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. Some of the growing list of the 63 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Omar Figueroa, Nonito Donaire, Devon Alexander, Carl Froch, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Juan Manuel Lopez, Chad Dawson, Paulie Malignaggi, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams and more.

About Downtown Las Vegas Events Center
Located at the corner of Third St. and Carson Ave. across from the D Las Vegas, the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center can accommodate up to 11,000 guests and features state-of-the-art stage, sound and lighting. The open-air design is inviting to both tourists and locals and offers the perfect spot for concerts, conventions and other large-scale events. Embracing the uninhibited spirit of Downtown Las Vegas, the new venue plays host to a line-up of curated events including premier concerts, food festivals and more. The venue is also the first entertainment arena in Las Vegas to accept Bitcoin as currency. For more information, visit www.dlvec.com or follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @DLVEC.

NASHVILLE, TN (October 22, 2015) – Unconquered super-middleweight prospect, Caleb “Sweet-Hands” Plant (10-0, 8 KOs), returns to the ring October, 31, 2015 against an opponent TBA at the NRG Arena in Houston, Texas. The card is headlined by Jermell “Iron Man” Charlo (26-0, 11 KOs) vs. Joachim Alcine (35-7-2, 21 KOs) as Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on NBCSN will telecast the live event beginning at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT. Plant’s fight will serve as the swing bout for the televised portion of the PBC broadcast.

In his last outing, Plant went 8-rounds for the first time in his career, winning a lopsided unanimous decision against Jamar Freeman. Known for having power in both hands, Caleb was able to drop Freeman in the third round before cursing to victory. Plant’s mindset coming into this fight is to end the fight with a knockout.

“This will be my sixth time fighting this year and I’m learning more about myself with each fight,” said Caleb Plant. “Going the distance in my last fight was something new to me but I proved I can into the later rounds if I have to. To be honest though, nothing feels better than getting the knockout. In this fight I’m going to be more aggressive and let my punches go. Nothing reckless, but heavy bombs will be thrown. A knockout is what I’ll be seeking before the final bell rings.”

Tickets priced $163, $109, $49 and $22, plus applicable fees are on sale now and can be purchased by calling Leija*Battah Promotions at (210) 979-3302 or at all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at (800) 745-3000, via the internet at www.ticketmaster.com and at the NRG Stadium South Ticket Windows.

WBO World Middleweight Champion Andy Lee has denied that he is overlooking his forthcoming mega-fight with rival Billy Joe Saunders and is eyeing up a showdown against Gennady Golovkin.

Lee met face-to-face with Saunders at today’s press conference as the clock counts down to their Saturday 19th December barnstormer at the Manchester Arena, but rumours have been circulating that Lee’s team have been negotiating a fight with top pound-for-pounder GGG.

The Irishman shot down the rumours and says he would be a fool to overlook his undefeated mandatory WBO challenger who he recognises as his most dangerous opponent to date.

“It would be stupid of me or Adam Booth to look past Saunders as he’s the next man I’m facing in the ring and he’s a dangerous fighter who could take my title. There’s no way at all I’d be overlooking him. Golovkin is the golden carrot for everyone in the middleweight division but I have to deal with Saunders first,” Said Lee.

Hatfield star Saunders is fully focussed on Lee and the biggest moment of his career and there is no thought of Glolovkin on his mind.

He said, “I do hope that Lee is concentrating on this fight because I’m going all out to take his title. He’s a clever man and I know he wouldn’t be looking past me, so I was surprised to hear that today. Golovkin is the main man in the division at the moment, but when I win the title then he’s going to be calling me out for the WBO belt if he wants to unify them,”

He ridiculed recent comments from Chris Eubank Jnr’s father, Johnny English, who said his son would destroy Golovkin and reminds them that he outclassed Jnr. and handed him his first defeat.

Saunders added, “I’m not going to shoot my mouth off like ol’ Johnny English and Jnr. who are living on another planet if they think they can destroy Golovkin, self confidence is good but that is just plain stupidity. The old man reckoned his son would beat me, but I handed Jnr. back to him beaten and broken and now he’s got to fight the man that I also beat, Spike O’Sullivan, to try and rebuild his career,”

“This is a real fight for the world title between me and Lee, this is the real thing. I guarantee there’s going to be someone going down at some point in the fight, but one’s things for sure I’m coming away with the belt.”

Tickets are priced at £40, £50, £75, £100, £200 and £300 are available from

www.frankwarren.com

TicketMaster
0844 844 0444
www.ticketmaster.co.uk

Eventim
0844 249 1000
www.eventim.co.uk

Manchester Arena
0161 950 5000
0161 950 5229 (disabled access bookings)
www.manchester-arena.com

*Tickets are subject to a booking fee.

The Channel Of Champions, BoxNation, will televise the show live and exclusive on Sky 437/HD 490, Virgin 546 and Talk Talk 415. Subscribe at www.boxnation.com Or watch online at Livesport.tv and via iPhone, iPad or Android.

TERENCE CRAWFORD

“Dierry Jean is a good fighter. I am not overlooking him. There is a lot at stake for both of us. One of the secrets to my success has been to never look past an opponent or train less than 110% for a fight. It’s all about focus and keeping the blinders on. If you don’t respect the talents of the man in the opposite corner then you’re asking for trouble.

“It was a great honor being the [2014] Fighter of the Year. It was so big. A lot of great fighters never won it and for me to win it at such an early age is quite humbling.

“This will be MY show on Saturday night. Jean will not dictate the fight to me.

“Who cares if Jean sparred with Manny Pacquiao? That’s sparring.

“Bodywise, I feel comfortable and much stronger at 140 than I did at 135.

“I feel great being home in Omaha. I can’t think of a better place to make the first defense of my junior welterweight world title. It’s going to be a great fight and a great event. I am so Omaha. I wear it on my trunks…on my sleeve…and in my heart.

DIERRY JEAN

”Terence Crawford is the HBO darling. But I will hurt him.

“Fighting in Omaha will have no effect on me. No pressure. I’m not here to win over Crawford’s hometown fans. I’m here to beat their champion.

“My training camp lasted eight weeks and I sparred with southpaw and orthodox fighters switching up every two rounds.

“I was a sparring partner for Manny Pacquiao in his last camp. He taught me how to fight a southpaw. I even used the shoulder roll on him. Manny was so quick and strong. He threw his whole body into every punch.

“I love being the underdog. I’m always the underdog. I’m used to it. I’m going to show everyone that I’m the top man in the junior welterweight division. I’m going to shock the world! Everything is in my favor.

“I’m dedicating this fight to my big brother who passed away two months ago. I plan to go to Haiti after the fight and visit his grave.

“I learned a lot from my loss to Lamont Peterson when we fought last year. It was my first world title fight. I went full out trying to get the early knockout and by the fourth round I was really gassed. I rallied in the later rounds but then I ran my tank empty.

“This time I’m going to box Crawford and if I catch him with a good punch I will finish him. It’s all about being first…first with the jab and first with the counter punch.”

TACOMA, Wash. – The World Boxing Association-NABA United States super middleweight championship will be on the line when Mike Gavronski squares off against Dashon Johnson in the main event of Brain Halquist Productions’ Battle at the Boat 103 on Nov. 7 at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma.

The title fight will be a rematch for the two super middleweights as they went the full 10 rounds in a thrilling bout on Jan. 9 with Gavronski winning by unanimous decision, appearing as the 98-91, 98-91, 95-94 winner on the judge’s scorecards.

“Both of these guys leave everything they have in the ring when they fight,” promoter Brian Halquist said. “They will battle. That was certainly the case when they fought the first time. Both landed huge punches in an action-fueled bout. We expect the sequel to be even better.”

The 29-year-old Gavronski (20-1-1, 12 KOs) has been unstoppable in his hometown of Tacoma, posting a perfect record of 7-0 at the Emerald Queen Casino.

Gavronski made a name for himself locally as an amateur when he captured three Tacoma Golden Gloves championships before turning pro five years ago. He made his pro debut on Jan. 9, 2010 at the Emerald Queen, defeating Darren Anzai by third-round TKO.

Unbeaten through his first 14 fights, Gavronski suffered his only loss to date on July 11, 2014 when he dropped a 10-round decision to current WBC Silver middleweight titlist Tureano Johnson in a match for the vacant WBC Continental Americans middleweight title.

Gavronksi responded by winning his next six bouts, including a 10-round unanimous decision over Laatekwei Hammond on Aug. 15 at the Emerald Queen.

“The Emerald Queen Casino crowd loves Mike not because he’s simply a Tacoma native, but because of what he does each and every time he steps into the ring,” Halquist said. “Mike always puts on a show. He never backs down and has an iron jaw.”

Gavronski’s mettle should once again be tested against Johnson (17-19-3, 5 KOs).

Johnson rebounded from his loss to Gavronski to win his last two contests, including a unanimous decision over Elias Espadas in his most recent bout on Aug. 27.

Johnson is also a former MMA fighter, posting a career record of 9-2-0 while appearing on two UFC Fight Night cards.

Tickets are available through the EQC box office and all Ticket Master Outlets. Doors open at 6 p.m. with preliminary bouts starting at 7 p.m.

The semi-main event features a clash of powerful middleweights when undefeated Isaac Tadeo (5-0-0, 3 KOs) faces Cameron Sevilla-Rivera (6-1-1, 5 KOs) in a bout that should showcase plenty of power as the two fighters have combined to KO 8 of their 13 opponents.

In the featured undercard bout, Jeremy McCleary of Buckley, Wash., and U.S. Army veteran Heath Cline meet in a battle of featherweights.

For more information please visit www.Halquistproductions.com.

Phoenix, Ariz. (Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015) – Ronson Frank’s Uprising Promotions was notified today that a Friday night bout on ShoBox: The New Generation between Uprising featherweight Angel Luna (11-1-1, 6 KOs) and Harmonito Dela Torre (16-0, 11 KOs) has been officially cancelled. The cancellation is due to the tragic effects of Typhoon Koppu, which ravaged Dela Torre’s home country of the Philippines this week.

Luna was entering the contest after an impressive win over Jose Lopez, who was previously undefeated in 16 fights. That meeting occurred at Barclays Center in June on the Miguel Cotto vs. Daniel Geale undercard, with Luna flooring Lopez twice as he cruised to a six-round unanimous decision.

Dela Torre was scheduled to make his American debut in the bout.

Uprising Promotions will still be making an appearance on ShoBox: The New Generation this Friday night when light heavyweight Samuel “The Main Event” Clarkson (16-3, 10 KOs) meets once-beaten Lavarn Harvell (15-1, 8 KOs). The fight will be Clarkson’s second showcase on ShoBox this year, with his last time being a third round TKO of highly regarded prospect Jerry Odom in July. The Texas native has since picked up his third straight stoppage win via a first round TKO of Rayford Johnson in August, which was his sixth overall victory of the past year. In addition to the Odom win, that impressive streak also includes a decision over former world title challenger Cedric Agnew.

Uprising Promotions also recently announced a new member to its stable, with the addition of super welterweight Sheldon Moore (14-3-1, 10 KOs). The Belgian native comes to the promotion following a fifth round knockout of Zoltan Sera this past May. A winner of three of his last four bouts, with the lone loss being to unbeaten Brooklyn contender Frank Galarza, the 5-foot-10 Moore has 10 stoppages over the 14 victories on his resume. A boxer-puncher who is not afraid to test himself, Moore has faced nine opponents with three or less defeats.

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

The 2014 BWAA Fighter of the Year returns to the ring before an admiring hometown crowd with a new junior welterweight crown to defend when WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: TERENCE CRAWFORD VS. DIERRY JEAN is seen SATURDAY, OCT. 24 at 9:30 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from Century Link Center in Omaha, Neb. The HBO Sports team will call all the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: Oct. 25 (9:00 a.m.) and 26 (11:30 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: Oct. 25 (3:30 p.m.) and 27 (11:00 p.m.)
Omaha native Terence Crawford (26-0, 18 KOs), who turned 28 on Sept. 28, has enjoyed a meteoric rise over the past two years, and was recently honored by the BWAA as 2014’s Fighter of the Year. He overwhelmed Thomas Dulorme in April to earn a new title belt at 140 pounds. Now, he returns to a venue that will be filled with supporters, striving to enhance his standing as one of the sport’s greatest talents.
Dierry Jean (29-1, 20 KOs), 33, a native of Port-au-Prince, Haiti and now based in Montreal, is riding a four-bout winning streak, three of them by knockout. He is looking to score one of the top upsets in a weight class filled with exciting fighters and matchups.
Scheduled for 12 rounds, the Crawford-Jean bout was originally part of a previously announced doubleheader that also included a heavyweight title fight between Wladimir Klitschko and Tyson Fury, which was postponed to Nov. 28 due to injury.
Leading off the telecast will be the exclusive replay of two sensational title bouts that took place last Saturday night at a sold out Madison Square Garden. Middleweight title-holder and 160-pound powerhouse Gennady Golovkin remained undefeated and registered his 21st consecutive ring KO with an eighth-round TKO victory over David Lemieux and flyweight champ Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez scored a thrilling ninth-round TKO against challenger Brian Viloria, reaffirming his standing as the sport’s No. 1 pound-for-pound attraction.
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 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is Rick Bernstein; producer, Dave Harmon; director, Johnathan Evans.
® WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.

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Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents extensive live coverage of UFC Fight Night™: Poirier vs. Duffy, which takes place this Saturday, October 24 from 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland.

Fight Network will air the live main card exclusively in Canada from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET. The event will be replayed in its entirety in primetime at 9 p.m. ET and again at 10 p.m. PT for viewers on the West Coast.

In the main event, red-hot lightweight fan favorite Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier (18-4) battles Ireland native Joseph Duffy (13-1), the last man to defeat interim featherweight champion Conor McGregor. In other exciting main card pairings, Ireland’s own Paddy “The Hooligan” Holohan (12-1-1) takes on American Louis “Da Last Samurai” Samurai (9-1) in a clash of fiery flyweight contenders, Northern Ireland’s Norman Parke (21-4-1) welcomes Iranian-born Swedish lightweight Reza “Mad Dog” Madadi (13-3) back to the octagon, plus Denmark’s Nicolas “Sharpshooter” Dalby (14-0) meets England’s Darren Till (13-0) in a showcase of undefeated welterweight prospects.

On Thursday, Oct. 22, Fight Network premieres a one-hour UFC® Fight Night Dublin Pre-Show, which features previews, predictions and analysis for the event, and also serves as a lead-in to the live main card. In addition, Fight Network is airing another one-hour special entitled, UFC BreakDown: UFC Fight Night Dublin, hosted by UFC commentators Dan Hardy and John Gooden. Other shoulder programming for UFC Fight Night™: Poirier vs. Duffy can be seen during Fight News Now Extra, including On The Fly specials profiling Joseph Duffy, Paddy Holohan and fight week, offering viewers unparalleled access into the training and lives of the fighters and buildup leading to the hotly anticipated event. All airings are listed at www.fightnetwork.com.

Fight Network will also televise the live weigh-ins for UFC Fight Night™: Poirier vs. Duffy on Friday, October 23 at 11 a.m. ET, as all the fighters tip the scale one day before entering the Octagon.

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

This Sunday, Oct. 25 at 9 p.m. ET, catch a full encore presentation of UFC 187: Johnson vs. Cormier from May 23, 2015 in Las Vegas, which featured Daniel Cormier vs. Anthony Johnson and Chris Weidman vs. Vitor Belfort in a pair of memorable championship bouts, plus a can’t-miss “Round of the Year” contender between Andrei Arlovski and Travis Browne.

The full card for UFC Fight Night™: Poirier vs. Duffy includes:

Main Card (Live on Fight Network, 4 p.m. ET)
-Dustin Poirier (18-4) vs. Joseph Duffy (13-1)
-Paddy Holohan (12-1-1) vs. Louis Smolka (9-1)
-Norman Parke (21-4-1) vs. Reza Madadi (13-3)
-Nicolas Dalby (14-0) vs. Darren Till (13-0)

Preliminary Card (Live on UFC Fight Pass, 1 p.m. ET)
-Stevie Ray (18-5) vs. Mickael Lebout (14-4-1, 1NC)
-Neil Seery (15-11) vs. Jon Delos Reyes (8-4)
-Aisling Daly (15-5) vs. Ericka Almeida (7-1)
-Scott Askham (13-1) vs. Krzysztof Jotko (15-1)
-Cathal Pendred (17-4-1) vs. Tom Breese (8-0)
-Darren Elkins (19-5) vs. Rob Whiteford (12-2)
-Bubba Bush (8-3) vs. Garreth McLellan (11-3)

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

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (Oct. 21, 2015) – Undefeated heavyweight Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller unofficially began his boxing career by protecting himself on the streets of his Flatbush neighborhood as a teenager. More than a decade later, the Brooklyn bruiser has transformed a lifetime of beating the odds into a career where he deals beatings to his opponents, and he doesn’t plan to slow down anytime soon.

“Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller is an incredible talent and a fighter who I believe will resurrect the age of the dominant American heavyweight,” said boxing champion-turned-promoter Dmitriy Salita, who co-promotes Miller with Greg Cohen Promotions. “I have known Jarrell since he was 16 years old. He is the full package with all the tools to be a dominant heavyweight world champion for years to come.”

The next task for the 6-4, 245-pound Miller (14-0-1, 12 KOs) – like everything about the heavyweight – is big. The bruising, brooding Brooklyn Brawl alum with a perfect professional boxing record looks to earn win No. 15 this Friday, Oct. 23, when his bout with Akhror Muralimov of Uzbekistan (16-1, 13 KOs) – a daunting big man himself who has competed in his last two fights at 256 lbs. – is co-featured live on ShowBox. The event airs live from the Celebrity Theater in Phoenix, Ariz., at
10:30 p.m. E.T. on Showtime.

“Akhror Muralimov is no easy task on October 23 but I believe Jarrell has all the skills to make a dominant statement and put himself on the map with the best heavyweights in the world,” said Salita of his big-time protégé.

Miller, who has also had success in his pro fight career as a muay thai kickboxer, is a former New York Golden Gloves heavyweight finalist. Miller’s last pro boxing win came via an impressive first-round TKO over 278-pound heavyweight Excell Holmes on June 26 in Niagara Falls. Prior to that dominating victory, the big brawler scored a second-round TKO earlier that month over 249-pound foe Damon McCreary on June 4, at Salita’s Brooklyn Brawl event at the Paramount Theater in downtown Brooklyn.

In upcoming local action, Salita will once again provide NYC with a night of pugilistic prowess as the former IBF, WBA and NABA International Junior Welterweight Champion brings his Brooklyn Brawl series back to South Brooklyn on Thursday, Oct. 29. The Aviator Sports and Events Center will serve as the next proving ground for many New York City-based rising stars; the exciting undercards building toward featured events, where Alicia “Slick” Ashley and Christina McMahon (7-0, 3 KOs) will square off for the WBC Super Bantamweight title and top-10 world-ranked bantamweight contender, Nikolay Potapov, makes his U.S.A. debut. Doors open at 6 p.m. with the first bout scheduled for 6:30 p.m., as the Brooklyn Brawl looks to once again captivate New York City with fistic fury. Tickets begin at $20 and are available by calling 1-844-890-2120 or by visiting SalitaPromotions.com.

For tickets, more about the participants and additional updates on the Thursday, Oct. 29, Brooklyn Brawl please log on to SalitaPromotions.com and AviatorSports.com. Follow all the action via social media leading up to the event – and on fight night – at@BrooklynBrawlNY on Twitter and Instagram, or by accessing the hashtag #BrooklynBrawl.

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 21, 2015) – Gary Russell Jr. (26-1, 15 KOs) will make the first defense of his WBC Featherweight World Title when he takes on Oscar Escandón (24-2, 16 KOs) in the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® main event on Saturday, Nov. 14 from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, live on SHOWTIME (10:45 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are priced at $155, $105, $80, $55 and $30, not including applicable fees, and are on sale now. Tickets may be purchased at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino box office, by calling 888-9-AXS-TIX, or online at www.axs.com.

“It’s going to take all of my skills and my whole arsenal to defend my belt on November 14,” said Russell Jr. “Escandón is a strong, durable fighter with a lot of power. I will have to be on my A-game and I believe I will be able to showcase my skills when I get in the ring.”

“I’m very thankful for the opportunity to fight Gary Russell Jr. for his world title,” said Oscar Escandón. “I feel strong going into this fight. Moving up to featherweight has given me the added weight to be at my full strength. I’ve been training hard with Ruben Guerrero, who’s been doing a great job preparing me for Russell’s southpaw attack. I guarantee that I’m going to make it a rough fight.”

“Gary Russell Jr. is one of the sports brightest young stars,” said Tom Brown of TGB Promotions. “Winning the featherweight world title against Jhonny Gonzalez was an outstanding feat and he’s chosen a very tough initial defense against the heavy handed Oscar Escandón. We’re very excited to work with the great teams at SHOWTIME and
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on this terrific event.”

The evening’s co-main event will be announced shortly, as will the full undercard of action.

Russell Jr., of Capitol Heights, Md., makes his first start since dethroning defending champion Jhonny Gonzalez via fourth round TKO in March in Las Vegas. The talented and quick-fisted southpaw dropped the veteran Gonzalez three times en route to capturing his first world title. The only blemish on the record of the 2008 U.S. Olympian is a close majority decision loss to Vasyl Lomachenko in a bout for a vacant world championship in June of 2014 on SHOWTIME.

Escandón, of Ibague, Colombia, is a former interim WBA World Super Bantamweight titlist – he lost the belt in April in a close, split decision to Moises Flores at StubHub Center but complained after the loss that a broken finger in his right hand prevented him from throwing any meaningful punches. A former amateur standout who represented his native Colombia in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Escandón won his U.S. debut and the interim WBA belt with a 12-round split decision over Tyson Cave last December. He has knocked out 10 of his last 14 opponents and is trained by Ruben Guerrero, father of long-time welterweight contender Robert Guerrero.

Escandón, who holds a career-best seventh-round TKO over then-undefeated Jesus Cuellar in 2011, will be making his third consecutive start in the U.S. as he moves up in weight to 126 pounds to challenge Russell Jr.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports follow on Twitter @SHOSports, @MrGaryRussellJr, @Escandonbox; @TGBPromotions, @HardRockHotelLV and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports.

Philadelphia , PA (October 20, 2015)–On Friday night, November 20
, King’s Promotions will present a big night of professional boxing at the
2300 Arena in South Philadelphia.

Highlighting the 10 bout card will be streaking Jr. Lightweight Frank De Alba taking on Jesus Lule in a bout scheduled for 6-rounds.

De Alba of Reading, PA has a record of 16-1-2 with six knockouts and has won 14 straight bouts and is unbeaten in his last 16.

He has wins over Andrew Bentley (1-0), Benjamin Burgos (1-0) and in his last bout when he scored a 6th round stoppage over Benjamin Gomez Uribe (14-3) on May 29th in Philadelphia.

Lule of Fort Myers, Florida has a record of 7-14-1 with 1 knockout.

The 31 year-old Lule turned professional in 2010 and is known for taking on top contenders such as Dodie Boy Penalosa Jr. (9-0), Vic Pasillas (4-0), Oscar Valdez (6-0), Kiun Evans (7-0), Alberto Machado (7-0), Avery Sparrow (2-0), Wang Zhiman (1-0), Dennis Galarza (7-1) and Mason Menard (29-1).

Lule also tangled with undefeated Antonio DuBose twice. The first fight ended in a spirted draw while Lule’s most recent outing, he dropped a 6-round unanimous decision to DuBose on September 19 in Chester, PA.

A packed undercard of local talent has been assembled.

In a 6-round Super Middleweight bout, Antowyan Aikens (10-0, 1 KO) of Atlantic City, NJ will take on James Johnson (7-2, 7 KO’s) of VKilleen, Texas.

In 4-round Bouts:

Christopher Brooker (4-1, 4 KO’s) of Philadelphia, PA will fight Mike Rodriguez (0-3) of Springfield, MA in a Super Middleweight bout.

Terrence Williams (4-0, 1 KO) of Harrisburg, PA will take on veteran Edgar Perez (6-16, 3 KO’s) of Chicago, IL in a Super Middleweight bout.

Ryan Bivins (0-1) of Philadelphia battles pro debuting Daryl Bunting of Vineland, NJ in a Super Middleweight bout.

Hafiz Montgomery (1-0) of York, PA will fight Devon Mosley (0-3-1) of Capitol Heights, Maryland in a Cruiserweight affair.

Tyrell Colston of Philadelphia will make his pro debut against Yuwshua Zadok (2-4-1, 2 KO’s) of Atlanta, GA in a Cruiserweight fight.

Ely Mendez (1-1) of Reading, PA will take on Roberto Irrizarry (3-1-1) of Cherry Hill, NJ in a Featherweight contest.

Corey Morley of Philadelphia will make his pro debut against Brian Donahue (3-13-2) of Philadelphia in a Heavyweight fight.

Scott Kelleher (2-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia will box Kevin Garcia (1-1-1) of Phoenixville, PA in a Lightweight contest.

Tickets can be purchased for $100, $75 and $50 by and be purchased by clicking

https://2300arena.showare.com/ordertickets.asp?p=43&backurl=default.asp

Denis Douglin is out, and the veteran Derrick Findley (22-16-1, 14 KOs) is in as the opponent for Star Boxing’s undefeated, Australian sensation Zac Dunn in the super middleweight Main Event on Saturday night, October 24, at The Paramount in Huntington, New York.

Douglin perforated his left ear drum in a recent sparring session, and is not fit to fight under doctor’s orders, it was announced today by Star Boxing president Joe DeGuardia. Due to the 11th hour injury, Dunn’s American unveiling will not be in defense of his IBO Super Middleweight Championship, and is instead a 10-round contest.

Findley is certainly ring-ready, coming off a third round TKO of the veteran Antwun Echols just a week ago on October 17 in Indiana. He is a 31-year-old native of Chicago, fighting out of Gary, Indiana. Matchmaker Ron Katz says that Findley is “very tough, and always comes to fight.”

Dunn, the just-signed “Wonder from Down Under,” is in his final preparations at the nearby Academy of Boxing in Huntington Station, a stone’s throw from where he will make his United States debut. There is a final workout open to the media on Thursday at 3:30 PM.

DeGuardia has choreographed an action-packed undercard to accompany Dunn’s bow in Saturday’s installment of the popular Rockin’ Fights series.

In one co-featured attraction, undefeated beauty Alicia Napoleon(4-0, 4 KO’s/Lindenhurst, NY) will make her Paramount debut against Kita Watkins (7-13, 1 KO/Tyler, TX) for the IWBF Interim Woman’s World Title.

In the second co-feature, Hicksville’s Anthony Karperis (11-1, 4 KO’s), on the heels of his devastating KO win on the last Rockin’ Fights show, returns in an eight-round Super Lightweight bout against Tyrone Luckey (7-4-2, 5 KO’s/Middletown, NJ).

In a “Battle of the Boroughs” for Brooklyn bragging rights between two Star Boxing standouts, unbeaten Constantin Bejenaru (9-0, 3 KO’s/Brooklyn) will square off against Joel Shojgreen (8-1, 7 KO’s/Queens) in an eight-round Cruiserweight contest.

Queens native and a definite crowd pleaser, Danny Gonzalez (9-0, 3 KO’s/Woodhaven, NY), puts his career unbeaten streak on the line when he takes on tough Justin Johnson (6-9-4/Pittsburgh, PA) in a Junior Welterweight matchup.

Dunn is now ranked #8 by the WBC, and has reeled off 18 straight professional victories without defeat, including 15 by way of knockout. Fighting exclusively in Australia as a professional, Dunn will be making his American debut at The Paramount.

Dunn comes off a snazzy 12-round decision over the well-thought-of Max Bursak, the winner of 31 career fights, to take the vacant IBO title on June 27 to secure the belt at the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton, Australia. His previous five triumphs were all scintillating knockouts in seven rounds or less. Two ultra-impressive KOs were second round annihilations of Beibi Berrocal, a 14-time winner, on March 6, and Kyung-Suk Kwak on March 16, 2014, setting the stage for Zac’s shot at the title. Dunn did not disappoint the Australian faithful.

For more information visit official website at www.StarBoxing.com and follow on Twitter @ Star Boxing and Facebook.com/StarBoxing.

Hyannis, Massachusetts [October 21, 2015] – Cape Cod light heavyweight Paul Gonsalves (8-7-1, 4 KO’s) will return to the ring on Saturday, November 28th at Barnstable High School as he takes on veteran Jose Humberto Corral (19-19, 12 KO’s) in an eight-round fight. This fight will serve as the co-feature to the Jesse Barboza – Francisco Mireles main event. Tickets are available at CapeCodBoxing.com.

Gonsalves was victorious in his most recent bout this past August in Hyannis against Mexico’s Rafael Valenzuela via first round TKO. The bout marked the Harwich native’s first fight in his home region of Cape Cod as a professional boxer.

Gonsalves is a savvy ring veteran who has previously fought on national stages such as his close ESPN televised decision loss to the undefeated Mike Lee. He has fought in venues as prestigious as Madison Square Garden and Mohegan Sun Casino.

“Just happy to be fighting for the second time in my home,” said Gonsalves, “looking forward to put on a great show against a tough guy (despite his looks) that is coming off a win and before that went all eight rounds with the tough Vinnie Carita.”

Jose Humberto Corral is also coming off a victory earning a unanimous decision in his most recent outing against Francisco Rubio in Mexico in September. Corral has twice challenged for regional WBC titles and was a member of the Mexican national team as an amateur. He has previously shared the ring with current WBC USNBC Cruiserweight champion Chris Traietti, former WBO middleweight champion Peter Quillen and former light heavyweight title challenger Ismayl Sillah.

“I love Massachusetts,” said Jose Humberto Corral recently through a translator, “I love the Red Sox and I love to fight. I look forward to November in Cape Cod.”

Boston Boxing Promotions’ first foray into Cape Cod was a success over the summer. The event featured five professional boxing matches, was attended by a capacity crowd of over 800 spectators and featured two knockouts that will be in consideration for KO of the year. Full length video of the bouts from that night are available online at www.CapeCodBoxing.com in anticipation of Boxing’s returning to Cape Cod on November 28th.

The November 28th event will be presented by Boston Boxing Promotions. Boston Boxing Promotions is dedicated to the resurgence of professional boxing at the regional level, particularly in the New England area. To learn more about the promotion, you can follow them on Twitter @BostonProBoxing, join the promotion’s official Facebook page “Boston Boxing Promotions,” and visit the promotion’s website www.BostonBoxingPromotions.com .

LINCOLN, R.I. (Oct. 21st, 2015) — Chip Pollard knows his upcoming title bout against Gil de Freitas won’t be a walk in the park. He hopes it’s more like a tango for two.

“If you want to play my game, I’m more than willing,” Pollard said. “You can’t consider yourself a striker and then run when you face someone who wants to strike with you.

“I want someone who’ll be a fun dance partner.”

Whether or not it’s fun for other side remains to be seen, but heavy hands and quick strikes will be the No. 1 menu item Friday, Oct. 30th, 2015 when Pollard (10-8, 5 KOs) and de Freitas (17-5, 6 KOs) face one another for the vacant CES MMA Welterweight Title in the five-round main event of “CES MMA XXXI” live on AXS TV from Twin River Casino.

Known for his boxing background and impeccable head movement, the Plymouth, Mass., native Pollard has long been considered one of the top strikers in the northeast, while the Brazilian de Freitas has been a wrecking machine of late, winning each of his last four fights, including two by knockout.

“I am on a win streak and I plan on keeping it that way Oct. 30th,” de Freitas said. “I’m training hard for it and I want that belt. I will end the night with that belt around my waist!”

Needless to say, Pollard has other ideas. Never one to shy away from a challenge, he lost both of his fights in 2013, dropping his record to 7-6, yet still accepted a challenge in March of 2014 against Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) vet Tom Egan. Pollard won by unanimous decision and has since won two more times, including a nationally-televised knockout win over Dan Lauzon on the main card of “CES MMA XXX.”

“Whenever I used to play basketball, I never expected to win every game of the season. At some point you lose. Whatever,” Pollard said. “You bounce back. I never really think about winning or losing. I just try to fight to the best of my abilities.

“If I fight like I should, I will leave with the win. That’s all that really matters.”

So, how does one approach fighting de Freitas, who absolutely annihilated his opponents (former welterweight champ Chuck O’Neil and George Sheppard) the last two times he fought for CES MMA?

“I see myself hitting and not getting hit,” Pollard said. “Sometimes you get in a brawl like I did with Ralph Johnson [in January]. Ideally, it’ll be just like the sweet science, hit without getting hit.”

“I definitely don’t care what his plans are,” countered de Freitas. “I’m only focusing on imposing my game plan and ending this fight with a brutal knockout. I want to make a statement in this fight.”

Given their respective backgrounds, logic suggests this fight won’t go the full five rounds. No ground and pound or any breaks in the action, just a back-and-forth slugfest that promises to deliver as advertised.

“When CES asked me what kind of opponent I wanted, ideally it was someone like Gil,” Pollard said. “Gil will be coming a me, trying to put me away. That’s the fight I like being in and it’s the kind of fight I like watching, two guys standing up trying to put the other one down.”

Despite all the talk of his striking ability, the key to Pollard’s success might actually be his defense, a skillset he picked up while working with his boxing coaches and sparring with professional boxers at the Cape Cod Fighting Alliance. His head movement, a lost art with some MMA fighters, is one of his greatest strengths.

“You don’t see it too often in MMA, except for the upper echelon strikers,” he said. “Look at any kickboxer or pro boxer. The level of head movement is usually a lot higher than it is in MMA.

“I bring my striking to the highest level so I can compete with anybody. I feel I can hold my own against anyone in striking.”

Will it be enough to capture the vacant CES MMA title on Oct. 30th? Having built his record in Brazil, de Freitas is still somewhat of an unknown in the northeast despite now training out of Team Link in Ludlow, Mass. That could change come Oct. 30th with another nationally-televised win.

“I’m not sure if I’m a secret,” de Freitas said, “but anyone who doesn’t know me will know who I am after this fight!”

“He has very heavy hands. You don’t want to get hit by him. No too many people do,” added Pollard. “He’s a very powerful guy and very good on the ground. It should be a fun night.

“Me, I’ve always fought pretty much anybody. If they say I’m fighting so and so on this date, I say let’s do it. I’m always going to be fighting someone tough. It’s just another day at the office.”

Tickets for “CES MMA XXXI” are priced at $50.00, $55.00, $100.00 and $125.00 (VIP) and available for purchase online at www.cesmma.com or www.twinriver.com, www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at 401-724-2253/2254, or at the Twin River Players Club. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Also on the main card, O’Neil (15-7, 5 KOs) of Bridgewater, Mass., makes the move to the middleweight division against Daniel Vizcaya (8-3, 2 KOs) of Aurora, Ill.; Providence, R.I., heavyweight Greg Rebello (18-6, 10 KOs) faces Syracuse, N.Y., vet Mike Mucitelli (7-2, 1 KO); and bantamweight Dinis Paiva (7-5, 4 KOs) of East Providence, R.I., looks to extend his four-fight win streak against Cumberland, R.I., vet Kody Nordby (4-3).

The main card also features the return of Woonsocket, R.I., native Andre Soukhamthath (8-3, 4 KOs) in a bantamweight bout against Carlos Galindo (10-3, 3 KOs) of Woburn, Mass. Providence middleweight Eric Spicely (7-0, 2 KOs) puts his unbeaten record on the line in his toughest test to date against Charlotte, N.C., vet Aaron Johnson (13-9, 1 KO) and Remo Cardarelli (5-2) of Milford, Mass., makes his CES MMA debut in a flyweight bout against New York native Darren Mima (6-4, 1 KO).

The preliminary card includes a flyweight bout between Carlos Candelario (1-0) of New Britain, Conn., and Jesse Gutierrez (1-1) of West Roxbury, Mass., in addition to a middleweight bout between Buck Pineau (0-1) of Ashland, Maine and Berkley, Mass., native Pat McCrohan, who is making his professional debut. Flyweights David Baxter (1-0) of Bellingham, Mass., and newcomer Brandon Warne of Ovid, N.Y., battle in a three-round bout and featherweight Shane Manley (2-2) of Cortland, N.Y., battles Taylor Trahan (5-3) of Littleton, N.H.

For more information on “CES MMA XXXI” visit www.cesmma.com, follow @CESMMA on Twitter and Instagram and “like” the official CES MMA Facebook fan page.

LOS ANGELES (Oct. 20, 2015) – 2012 U.S. Olympian and undefeated top prospect Joseph “Jojo” Diaz Jr. (17-0, 10 KOs) and Frankie “Pitbull” Gomez (18-0, 13 KOs), 2009 U.S. Amateur Champion and 2009 WorldChampionship Silver Medalist, hosted a Los Angeles media workout today ahead of their respective bouts this Friday, Oct. 23 live on Estrella TV’s Boxeo Estelar from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, Calif.

Diaz Jr. is scheduled to take on Mexican brawler Ruben “Canelito” Tamayo (23-6-4, 15
KOs) in a 10-round featherweight bout main event. In the co-main event of the evening, Gomez is set to face Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico’s Jorge “Pantera” Silva (19-9-2, 15KOs) in a 10-round welterweight classic Mexican brawl.

Below is what the fighters had to say at today’s media workout:

JOSEPH “JOJO” DIAZ JR., Undefeated Featherweight Top Prospect:

“Training camp has been going very well. I feel very strong and ready for this fight. I had a two month training camp. The first month I focused on my strength and conditioning, getting my legs and arms stronger. After that, I trained with my father and focused on fundamentals.

“I studied my opponent Ruben Tamayo and I know he is tall with range and likes to keep his distance so we are focused on landing effective body shots. I want to make a statement with this fight and beat Ruben Tamayo down and take him out. If Ruben wants to try to outbox or bang on me, I will be able to respond in the ring.

“This Friday at Fantasy Springs the fans can expect a ferocious Joseph Diaz Jr. in the ring. I’m very determined and I want to hurt Ruben Tamayo. I’m going to be smart and aggressive. It’s going to be a great night of boxing.”

FRANKIE “PITBULL” GOMEZ, Undefeated Welterweight Prospect:

“It’s been a great experience working with Freddie Roach. I’ve had a lot of great sparring sessions. I’ve learned how to step into the punches, throw better body shots, move the head after you throw punches.

“I feel blessed for Freddie to think and say that I am one of the most talented guys he is training right now. It makes me want to work harder.

“I feel very prepared for this fight. I have been sparring with great fighters, Ruslan Provodnikov, Viktor Postol and Miguel Cotto. I feel strong. All the fans will enjoy my fight, not only will it be entertaining but I will get to showcase my skills set.

“I don’t like boxing, I love it. I plan to stay in the gym 24/7. It’s going to be different now.”

Tickets for the event are on sale now and are priced at $25, $35, and $45 at the Fantasy Springs Box Office, by calling (800) 827-2946 or online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

Diaz vs. Tamayo is a 10-round featherweight bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. and the first bout begins at 5:30 p.m. The Boxeo Estelar broadcast will air live on Estrella TV at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.The card will also stream live on EstrellaTV.com and on YouTube via Fenomeno Studios. The Ring TV live stream will begin at approximately 5:30 p.m. PT through 7:00 p.m. and can be viewed on RingTVLive.com, YIPTV.com, Fightsports.tv, UCNLive.com, Facebook.com/RingTV, Livestream.com, and The Ring TV Channels on Roku, Amazon Fire.

Las Vegas – Two of the most electrifying strikers in the sport will ring in the New Year as welterweight champion Robbie Lawler looks to make a second successful title defense against fourth-ranked Carlos Condit on Saturday, Jan. 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. In a division that has become known for its epic title fights in recent years, we have seen all out battles between the likes of Georges St-Pierre and Johny Hendricks, Hendricks and Lawler (twice) and most recently, an all-time great between Lawler and Rory MacDonald. With more than 30 knockout victories between the two, Lawler and Condit are primed to put on another welterweight title fight for the history books.

Lawler (26-10, 1 NC, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) is coming off one of the greatest fights in mixed martial arts history, a knockout victory over top-ranked MacDonald at UFC® 189, and looks to keep the momentum going when he clashes with Condit. Since returning to the Octagon® in 2013, “Ruthless” has amassed a 7-1 record that includes knockout victories over MacDonald, Jake Ellenberger and Josh Koscheck. Currently the sixth-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world, a win over Condit could place Lawler amongst the all-time greats at 170 pounds.

Condit (30-8, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.), the former UFC® interim welterweight champion and the last WEC welterweight champion, is no stranger to high profile fights, having gone to the championship rounds with the likes of St-Pierre and Nick Diaz, and successfully defending the WEC belt three times. “The Natural Born Killer” has finished 27 of his 30 pro victories – 14 by way of submission – showing that the 31-year-old known for his devastating striking has the ability to finish the fight wherever the fight goes.

For additional bouts or current fight news, visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

Visit the UFC® Press Portal for information and content to support your UFC coverage.

Tickets for UFC®195: LAWLER vs. CONDIT go on sale Friday, Oct. 23 at 10 a.m. PT and are priced at $804, $604, $404, $304, $204 and $104. Tickets are available for purchase at www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets are also available at the MGM Grand box office. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.

UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Wednesday, Oct. 21 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, Oct. 22 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC®195: LAWLER vs. CONDIT will be available live on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on UFC.TV, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, and in Canada on BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US/$49.99 CAN for Standard Definition and $54.99 US/$59.99 CAN for High -Definition.

About UFC®

UFC® is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in 134 countries and territories to over 700 million TV households worldwide in 21 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT® (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, UFC branded apparel, DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

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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 astonishing KÀ by Cirque du Soleil; 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.

MONTREAL (October 20, 2015) – Montreal’s adopted son and light heavyweight contender Artur Beterbiev (9-0, 9 KOs) will not be fighting November 28 at the Centre Vidéotron in Quebec City. The Groupe Yvon Michel-promoted boxer injured his shoulder during training last week, forcing him to withdraw from his bout.

Beterbiev is currently world rated at No. 2 by both the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Organization (WBO), as well as No. 3 by the World Boxing Association (WBA) and No. 4 by the World Boxing Council (WBC).

The decision was made this morning (Tuesday) after the two-time Russian Olympian met GYM’s doctor, Francis Fontaine, and surgeon David Baillargeon determined Beterbiev needs minor but necessary surgery to his right shoulder.

“Under my supervision, Artur had a magnetic resonance examination Friday,” Dr. Fontaine explained. “After a meeting this morning, we have decided that Artur’s surgery would be performed in the next few days by specialist Dr. Baillargeon. We expect a complete recovery followed by a return to the ring at the beginning of 2016.”

“I am extremely frustrated and disappointed by the situation,” Beterbiev said. “I was preparing myself hard to give another great show to the fans, November 28, but I will be back stronger in 2016.”.

The fighter will start his rehabilitation four days after his surgery, under the wing of physiotherapist Hugo Lettre, from Evolution Physio.

“We have absolute confidence in our medical staff, including the talented Dr. Baillargeon,” GYM president Yvon Michel added. “This is the same doctor that saved the shoulder, which was in a really worst state, and the career of Jean Pascal, in January 2010. Seven months later, Jean defended his title belt, in spectacular fashion, against Chad Dawson.”