With only 17 days to go before Arthur Abraham (42-4, 28 KOs) locks horns with Robert Stieglitz (47-4-1, 27 KOs) in their fourth WBO World Super Middleweight title contest, the champion and his coach Ulli Wegner, yesterday, opened the doors to their training camp at the Olympic Centre in Kienbaum, Germany.

Talking to the media in attendance, Wegner revealed his pleasure at ‘King’ Arthur’s preparations. ‘’Our training has gone better than expected,’’ said the 73 year-old coach. ‘’Arthur has even been sending cruiserweights to the canvas in sparring. Stieglitz has no hope. He knows only one tactic, and that’s just to come forward. Arthur is superior to him in every respect. That’s why I expect a clear victory on July 18. Anything else would be a disaster.’’

Wegner’s confidence is shared by Abraham who is promising a conclusive finish to his fourth encounter with Stielglitz.‘’I have already beaten him twice, and in our second fight I was beaten by injury,’’ said the 35 year-old champion. ‘’I can guarantee that the fourth fight will be our last. Robert throws a lot of punches, but he has no killer blow. Although I cannot promise a KO, I will leave the audience in no doubt over who the better boxer is.’’

As an added incentive Wegner has given his fighter the following ultimatum: ‘’If Arthur loses this fight, it’s over!’’ Revealing that should he lose the star coach would leave his pupil and advise him to hang up his gloves. To which, Abraham declared: ‘’I will not lose! I plan on continuing my career for at least another two years and then retiring along with my coach and my world championship belt.’’

Arthur Abraham’s WBO World Super Middleweight title defence against Robert Stieglitz takes place on July 18 at the Gerry Weber Stadium in Halle. Tickets are available by calling the Gerry Weber Ticket Centre on (+49) 5201 81 80 or online via gerryweber-world.de and tickethall.de. All the action will be shown live on SAT.1 in Germany and Sky Sports in the UK.

NEW YORK (June 30, 2015) – The popular and respected prospect-oriented developmental boxing series ShoBox: The New Generation will celebrate its 14th anniversary on Friday, July 17, with a quadrupleheader live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) featuring eight promising boxers with a combined record of 125-4-4 with 1 No Contest and 75 knockouts.

Six of the fighters competing at the Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, Pa., are undefeated and will risk their perfect records against each other, including headliners Antoine “Action” Douglas (17-0-1, 11 KOs), of Washington, D.C., and Istvan “The Prince” Szili (18-0-2, 8 KOs), of Frenkendorf, Switzerland, who will clash in a 10-round middleweight bout.

In two clashes of unbeatens preceding Douglas-Szili, Derrick “Take It To The Bank’’ Webster (19-0, 10 KOs), of Glassboro, N.J., faces Russia’s Arif “Mayhem’’ Magomedov (15-0, 9 KOs) in an 10-round 160-pound scrap and Adam “Mantequilla” Lopez (12-0, 6 KOs), of San Antonio, tangles with the Dominican Republic’s Eliezer “The Little Assassin” Aquino (17-0-1, 11 KOs) in an 10-round super bantamweight bout.

Which of the unbeatens will keep their unblemished records intact?

Since it premiered on July 21, 2001, 125 fighters – and counting – suffered their initial defeats on ShoBox.

The opening eight-rounder will match hard-hitting once-beaten Jerry “The King’s Son” Odom (13-1, 1 NC, 12 KOs), of Washington, D.C., against Samuel Clarkson (14-3, 8 KOs), of Cedar Hills, Texas, in a super middleweight tussle.

The four-fight telecast will jump-start an action-packed weekend on SHOWTIME and CBS Sports that will feature three different boxing series. It concludes with a day-night Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on CBS and SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® doubleheader from the Don Haskins Center at UTEP in El Paso, Texas, on Saturday, July 18.

Douglas, 23, Odom, 22 and Lopez, 24, appeared on the March 13 ShoBox from Westbury, N.Y. Douglas, making his third start on the network, registered a sixth-round TKO over Thomas LaManna; Odom, in his second ShoBox start, scored a first-round TKO over Andrew Hernandez; and Lopez won his ShoBox debut with a second-round knockout over Pablo Cruz.

“Part of the strength of Shobox is watching fighters develop after multiple viewings,’’ ShoBox expert analyst and boxing historian Steve Farhood said. “In the cases of Douglas, Odom and Lopez, they’re at different stages of their careers but we’ve seen them before and we’re anxious to see how they develop.

“Douglas seems the furthest along of the three, but he survived a roadblock when he drew with Michel Soro [an eight-rounder that was part of the 200th ShoBox telecast on July 25, 2014] and he’s rebounded strongly. He remains one of the most exciting prospects to watch.

“Odom is a legitimate puncher. In his last fight he erased the one blemish in his career and at 22 years old he’s in the infancy of what promises to be a top-level career.

“Lopez looked polished in his ShoBox debut and we’re all looking forward to seeing him grow.’’

Douglas was a top-notch amateur who made it to the 2011 U.S. Olympic Trials. He’s been extremely active since going pro in October 2012. He fought twice in 2012, nine times in ‘13 and six times in ‘14.
Douglas pitched a shutout in his 12th pro start, winning his ShoBox debut and knocking out one of his opponent’s teeth in an entertaining but one-sided eight-round decision over previously unbeaten Marquis Davis (8-0-2 going in) in January 2014. He’s won four in a row since boxing a 10-round draw with former world title challenger Soro (23-1-1 going in) on July 25, 2014, on ShoBox.

An excellent boxer-puncher with good skills, movement and punching power, Douglas has gone the full 10-round distance one time, the full eight-round distance one time and six full rounds four times.

Wise beyond his years due to a tough upbringing, Douglas grew up in Washington D.C., the product of a broken home. He moved around various foster homes in his early years. “I come from a troubled childhood, born prematurely to a drug addicted mother,” he said. “They told my mom I wouldn’t grow to be a fully functional human, I wouldn’t be able to walk, talk, move or speak.’’

Douglas didn’t see much of his father, who flitted in and out of his life.

Szili, 32, is making his United States and ShoBox debut. A five-year-pro has fought the majority of his fights in Switzerland, Italy and Hungary. He captured the Universal Boxing Federation middleweight title with a sixth-round TKO over Mathias Zemski in his last fight on Aug. 30, 2014, in Switzerland.

A multiple medalist during a longtime amateur career (1997-2005), Szili turned pro in October 2009. A determined, well-conditioned sort who is best known for his left straight shot-right hook combination, he sums up his life in and out of the ring simply:

“What I do, I do it in 100 percent and I never give anything up,’’ he said.

Webster, 6-foot-4, 33-year-old, hails from a fighting family. His uncle, Tim Witherspoon, is a former heavyweight world champion and his cousin, Chazz Witherspoon, was a former heavyweight contender. This will be his debut on ShoBox.

A highly touted southpaw, Webster got a late start in boxing and had limited amateur experience. He won his pro debut on a four-round split decision in May 2009 before proceeding to build his career on devastating knockouts and a quick tongue. He’s always willing to hype himself and his fights.

Webster’s won two in a row by knockout, including a fifth-round TKO over William Johnson last May 29.

Magomedov, 22, who recently signed with Kathy Duva’s Main Events, is ranked in the Top 10 at 160 pounds by the WBA (No. 2), WBO (No. 6) and WBC (No. 8). He’ll be appearing for the first time on ShoBox and this is his third consecutive bout fighting in the United States.

A pro since January 2013, he went 8-0 that year and 5-0 in 2014. In his last outing, the steadily improving Magomedov registered one knockdown en route to a 2:37, first-round TKO over Darnell Boone on May 22 in Las Vegas. Last April 2, he won his stateside debut with a lopsided eight-round decision over veteran Derrick Findley in Costa Mesa, Calif.

Lopez was born in Phoenix but grew up in Los Angeles. An aggressive counter-puncher trained by former two-time world champion Carlos “Famoso” Hernandez, he’s won two consecutive fights since dropping Cruz, unquestionably his toughest foe to date, two times in the second round of a match stopped without a count at 1:35 of the session.

This will be the fourth fight of the year and the second scheduled eight-rounder for Lopez, a top amateur before going pro in February 2012. In his last outing a four-fight knockout streak ended when he had to settle for a shutout six-round unanimous decision over Miguel Tamaya last May 15.

“I’m more of a boxer, a counter-puncher,’’ Lopez said. “I make them miss and I make them pay. But I feel I’ve got good power. I can take a guy out with either hand. But I’m very economical. I don’t really waste punches. I like to make every punch count, and every punch that does count is going to hurt the guy.’’

Aquino makes for exciting fights; his slugfests with Jonathan Arias in February 2009 and Norberto Jimenez in May 2013 were candidates for Fight of the Year in the Dominican Republic. He’s also making his United States and ShoBox debut after campaigning exclusively in his native Dominican Republic since turning pro in February 2007.

A crowd favorite on the Caribbean island because of his Mike Tyson-like bobbing-and weaving attack style, the cocky, confident Aquino has won three in a row, all by knockout, since boxing to a fifth-round technical draw with Jimenez. Aquino’s last seven victories have all come inside the distance.

In his last start, Aquino retained his WBC Fecarbox 115-pound title with a third-round TKO over Racci Rosa on Sept. 27, 2014. Aquino was ahead 20-18 on all the scorecards when the bout ended at 1:35.

Odom, a top amateur and 2012 National Golden Gloves Champion at 178 pounds, is a big puncher who makes for exciting scraps. He had a 12-fight win streak end on Jan. 9, 2015, when he was disqualified in the fourth round for continuing to punch and land shots after he’d dropped Hernandez with a flurry of punches. The crowd booed, but Hernandez was clearly down.

In the rematch on ShoBox, Odom hurt Hernandez early with a right behind the ear. He trapped Hernandez along the ropes, continued to land clean shots and the ref stepped in and stopped it at 2:47.

In his ShoBox debut, Odom recorded two knockdowns — in the fourth and seventh rounds — en route to stopping previously undefeated Vilier Quinonez (8-0 going in) in the seventh round on July 25, 2014.

Clarkson, a 24-year-old southpaw making his ShoBox debut, has won four straight and seven out of eight. He is 2-0 in 2015. In his most recent fight he scored a sixth-round TKO over Jay Williams last April 3. Clarkson’s most noteworthy victory came two outings ago when he took an eight-round split decision over former world title challenger Cedrick Agnew last Feb. 20.

A two time Texas Golden Gloves State Champion at 175 Pounds and Police Athletic League National Champion at 175 pounds, Clarkson logged knockout victories in five of his first six fights after turning pro in August 2011.

The event is promoted by GH3 Promotions in association with Greg Cohen Promotions, Main Events and King’s Promotions.

In the July 18 SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING main event, Mexican superstar and former middleweight world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (48-2-1, 32 KOs, 1 NC,) will try to regain his winning ways when he meets Mexico’s Marcos Reyes (33-2, 24 KOs) in a 10-round 168-pound match.

The live SHOWTIME telecast (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) will include a 12-rounder for the vacant IBF Super Flyweight World title between unbeatens McJoe Arroyo (16-0, 8 KOs) of Puerto Rico and Arthur Villanueva (27-0, 12 KOs) of the Philippines.

Just hours earlier from the Don Haskins Center, PBC on CBS (live at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT) will offer a terrific doubleheader. In the main event, undefeated British superstar Carl Frampton (20-0, 14 KOs) will make his U.S. debut when he defends his IBF Super Bantamweight World title against Alejandro “Cobrita” Gonzalez Jr. (25-1-2, 15 KOs). The co-main event will feature exciting heavyweight Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola (36-4, 31 KOs) against an opponent to be determined.

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 Mike Arnold 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 58 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, 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.

PHILADELPHIA–Vyacheslav Shabranskyy was dropped twice in the first round but came back to stop Paul Parker in round three of a scheduled 10-round Light Heavyweight bout at the 2300 Arena.

Parker struck in round one when he landed a hard left that buckled and eventually dropped Shabranskyy early in the first round. Shabranskyy was clearly hurt and was wobbling around the ring as he was getting hit by Parker’s shots and fell again to the canvas in the last minute of the round. Shabranskyy was able to steady himself in round two and in round three he landed a right hand that hurt Parker. That set off a barrage of punches that spun a prone Parker to eat more shots and referee Gary Rosato stopped the bout at 2:36 of round three.

Shabranskyy, 179.7 lbs of Los Angeles, CA is now 14-0 with 12 knockouts. Parker, 177.6 lbs of Toledo, OH is now 7-1.

D’Mitrus Ballard win a 6-round unanimous decision over Josue Obando in a Light Heavyweight bout.

Ballard, 169.4 lbs of Washington, DC won by scores of 60-54 and 58-56 twice and is 8-0. Obando, 1681 lbs of Guadalajara, MX is now 11-6.

Lamont Roach won a 6-round unanimous decision over Christian Santibanez in a Lightweight bout.

Roach, 133.6 lbs of Washington, DC won by scores of 60-54 twice and 59-55 and is now 8-0. Santibanez, 134 lbs of San Antonio, TX is 3-5.

Kevin Rivers Jr. remained perfect with a 3rd round stoppage over Luis Lizarraga in a scheduled 6-round Super Featherweight bout.

Rivers dropped Lizarraga in round two with a huge left hook. Rivers came out in round three and landed two thudding left hooks and referee Gary Rosato stopped the bout at 24 seconds of round three.

Rivers. 125.5 lbs of Palmer Park, MD is now 12-0 9 knockouts. Lizarraga, 127.9 lbs of Merida, MX is 5-5-1.

Victor Vasquez scored a 4th round stoppage over Osnel Charles in a sheduled 6-round Lightweight fight. It was the 3rd meeting between Charles and Vasquez

Charles won the first two bouts.

Vasquez dropped Charles at the end of round one with a hard left hook. Charles came back in round two to hurt Vasquez when he landed a big left hook that wobbled the Philadelphia native. Seconds later it was Vasquez who landed a hard four punch combination on the ropes.

In round four, Vasquez landed a big right hand that sent Charles into the ropes. Referee Benji Esteves rendered a 8-rount before Charles stumbled into a far corner and the bout was stopped at 44 seconds of round four.

Vasquez, 135.6 lbs of Philadelphia is 19-9-1 with 9 knockouts. Charles, 135.9 lbs of Atlantic City, NJ is 10-14-1.

Tyrone Luckey won a 4-round unanimous decision over Gang Yong Kim in a Super Featherweight bout.

Luckey dropped Kim in round one with a left hook. Kim came back in round two and tagged Luckey with a hard right. Later in the round, Kim scored a knockdown when a right hand drove Luckey into the ropes and was ruled a knockdown by referee Gary Rosato.

Luckey, 129 1/2 lbs of Middletown, NJ won by scores of 38-36 on all cards and is now 6-4-2. Kim, 130 lbs of Philadelphia is 4-2.

Damon Allen remained undfeated by stopping Luis Rodriguez after round four of their scheduled 6-round Super Lightweight bout.

ALlen, 135.8 lbs of Philadelphia is 7-0 with 3 knockouts. Rodriguez, 138.4 lbs of Carolina, PR is 3-5.

Sergei, how bad did you want this rematch?

SK: “The rematch with Kenny Garner is extremely important fight for me. This fight will be held in Kazakhstan where many of my fans will come to support me. Our last fight in China didn’t go as I planned. Kenny is a dangerous fighter, though he is at an advanced age already. I did a lot to prepare myself for this fight and I hope to show a spectacular fight on July 3.”

What went wrong at your last fight with “Deuce”?

SK: “Well, Kenny showed a really impressive ground game and had almost succeeded in holding me in parter. He even tried to make a submission on me. That was a total surprise. In addition, I didn’t have a full complete training camp for that fight as I had been preparing for the kickboxing championship. But I promised M-1 Global to fight him no matter what and I did.”

What mistakes did you make in your 1st fight with Garner?

SK: The only one: I didn’t prepare well for that fight. I’d spent too much time to prepare for my kickboxing fight and was extremely exhausted. That was a risk but I gave my word to Vadim Finkelchtein (M-1 Global president) and M-1 to fight. So, I didn’t have a choice. Now it will all be different as I’ve just completed training camp and I’m ready.”

What edge do you have over Garner?

SK: “My stand-up game is, for sure, a significant competitive edge. I used to fight in kickboxing a lot, so I’m confident in my striking. He, on the other hand, has a benefit in parter (ground game) and wrestling.”

Tell us about your training camp in Thailand?

SK: “I was training there with Alistair Overeem and other fighters from Europe and Brazil. In addition, I visited my coach in Belarus. The major part of my work was dedicated to conditioning and parter game.”

Was your training with Alistair Overeem useful for you?

SK: “That’s for sure. Overeen is a Top-10 best heavyweight in the World. So, I think training with him was good for me and that it will show in my fight with Kenny.”

Would you like to fight for the M-1 Global heavyweight title belt with Marcin Tybura?

SK: “I’d like that for sure! I don’t turn down any fight. I’m still the only Russian fighter who defeated current UFC champ Fabricio Werdum. And I have a lot of wins over noticeable fighters such as Nogueira, Overeem, Arlovski, and Rua. They are elite MMA fighters, they are champions. I’ve never turned down any fight. If M-1 offers me a fight with Marcin Tybura. I will accept that fight immediately. I would accept it right now.”

Are you thinking about calling it a career these days?

SK: “Not at all. I’m young and I think that my fighting career is only at its beginning. I’m ready for big fights!”

__________________________________________________________________

M-1 Challenge 59 will be streamed live from Kazakhstan in high definition on www.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register at www.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all of the action on their computers, as well as on Andriod and Apple smart phones and tablets.

Fight Network will air M-1 Challenge 59 live on Cablevision’s Optimum TV, Grande Communications, Shentel Cable and Armstrong Cable in the U.S., as well as nationwide in Canada, Roku devices across North America, and globally in more than 30 countries throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Information:

www.mixfight.ru

www.wmmaa.org

www.M1Global.tv

Twitter & Instagram:

@M1GlobalNews
@VFinkelchtein
@M1Global

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/pages/M-1-Global/145250878842244
ABOUT M-1 GLOBAL: Founded in 1997, M-1 Global has established itself in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) as the premier entity for discovering and developing the world’s next-generation of superstar fighters. With its office in St Petersburg, Russia, the M-1 brand has staged more than 160 events worldwide, including M-1 Selection, M-1 Challenge, M-1 Global and M-1 Global HWGP events, in addition to co-promoting Strikeforce events and M-1 Global on the U.S. network, Showtime. Captivating live, television and broadband audiences with its superior production values and match-ups, M-1 Global events have featured some of the sport’s top names, including legendary heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Gegard Mousasi, Alistair Overeem, Keith Jardine, Ben Rothwell, Melvin Manhoef, Sergei Kharitonov, Aleksander Emelianenko, Roman Zentsov, Yushin Okami, Mike Pyle, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Amar Suloev, Chalid Arrab and Stephan Struve. 2015 promises to be another sensational year of world-class competition with a full calendar of Challenge events fueled by a talent-rich contention system ranking M-1 Global Champions among the greatest fighters in the sport.

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

Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents Golden Boy Promotions’ return to the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, as Golden Boy Live! features undefeated star Vyachslav “Lion Heart” Shabranskyy of Los Angeles returning to the ring after a stellar performance on March 12, going up against undefeated Paul Parker of Ohio in the 10-round cruiserweight main event tonight, June 30.

Fight Network’s live broadcast of Golden Boy Live! will air live exclusively in Canada at 8 p.m. ET.

In the co-main event, undefeated rising star, D’Mitrius Ballard of Washington D.C. will take on Josue Obando of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico in a six-round light heavyweight fight; and fellow undefeated Washington D.C. boxer Lamont Roach Jr. will face San Antonio’s Christian Santibanez in a six-round lightweight televised bout. Fighting to make airtime, local fighter Damon Allen will go head-to-head against Luis “Yeye” Rodriguez of Carolina, Puerto Rico in a six-round super lightweight swing bout.

Coming off of an impressive technical knockout victory over Fabiano Pena to gain the USNBC Light Heavyweight title on March 12, Vyacheslav “Lion Heart” Shabranskyy (13-0, 11 KOs) is looking to continue his winning streak in 2015. A native of Zhytomyr, Ukraine and now making his home in Los Angeles, Shabranskyy is a powerful puncher who put together an impressive 2014 campaign, facing and quickly defeating: Lamont Williams, Paul Vasquez, Michael Gbenga, Demetrius Walker, Emil Gonzalez and Garrett Wilson.

Fighting out of Toledo, Ohio, Paul Parker (7-0, 4 KOs) has made a name for himself in his hometown stopping every opponent since his professional debut in 2012. The relative newcomer most recently faced Brian Holstein in August of 2014, winning the fight by knockout in the first round. Previously, Parker fought four times in 2013 defeating Dwayne Williams, Darryl Johnson, James Shorter and Joshua Skipper along the way. Now, is his toughest fight to date, Parker will be looking to continue his winning streak when he faces Vyacheslav Shabranskyy on June 30.

A decorated amateur star, the professional run of D’Mitrius Ballard (8-0, 7 KOs) thus far has been nothing short of spectacular. Just 22 years old, Ballard has shown power, speed and ring generalship all while exciting fans from New York to Texas to his home of Washington, D.C. Coming off a 70- second knockout of Jason Zabokrtsky in March, Ballard is chasing after more spectacular finishes this year.

Making his U.S. debut, from Gudalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, Josue Obando (11-5, 9 KOs), will be looking to impress critics in his first fight of 2015. Having last seen the ring in November of 2014 against Bruno Sandoval, Obando is a hungry fighter looking for redemption. The fighter was undefeated in 2013, winning his fights against Jorge Lujan and Felipe Macias via knockout. June 30, will be a test for Obando as he looks to start off 2015 with a victory when he faces D’mitrius Ballard.

Nineteen-year-old lightweight phenom Lamont Roach Jr. (7-0, 3 KOs) has been a dazzling force in the ring following an impressive amateur career and as he piles up the wins, boxing insiders see him as a young man with world championship potential. Looking to test himself once again in his return to the 2300 Arena where he stopped Herbert Quartey in January, Roach is ready for anyone placed in front of him in the ring.

After two hard losses at the beginning of his professional career in 2013, Christian Santibanez (3-4, 2 KOs) was triumphant in his only fight of 2014 against Daniel Arriaga in his hometown of San Antonio, Texas. Already in 2015, Santibanez has participated in in four fights, boasting two victories over Jose Dolores and Ivan Moreno in Coahuila de Zaragoza, Mexico. After a tough loss to Ruslan Madiev at Fantasy Springs Resort & Casino in Indio, Calif., Santibanez will look to defeat Lamont Roach Jr. this month at the 2300 Arena.

Damon Allen (6-0, 2 KOs) of Philadelphia is a relative newcomer to the sweet science. Allen last fought in 2014 respectively defeating Antony Linenfelser via technical knockout and Hector Marengo via unanimous decision. A professional boxer since 2012, the 20-year old will be making his 2015 debut after a year out of the ring.

With a strong professional debut in June 2012, Puerto Rican fighter Luis Rodriguez (3-4, 2 KOs) won his first three fights against Israel Muniz, Luis Oritz, and Luis Guzman, and was defeated by Jose Santiago. Rodriguez made his U.S. debut in 2015 against Mykal Fox in Washington D.C., and followed up with fights against Kenneth Sims. Jr. at Madison Square Gardens in New York and Keenan Smith in Atlantic City.

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

June 30, 2015 (New York City, NY): UFC® and Reebok today unveiled the first-ever UFC Fight Kit. Built for high-performance athleticism, the UFC Fight Kit will be worn by every athlete that steps into the Octagon® and symbolizes UFC’s continuing evolution in the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) with a line of apparel developed with fighters, for fighters by Reebok. The kit will debut for the first time in the Octagon at UFC® 189: ALDO vs. MCGREGOR on July 11.
Built for pride and designed for performance, the official UFC Fight Kit by Reebok features innovations that support strength, speed, and flexibility, while allowing each athlete to prominently display their names and country pride on kit pieces:
§ STRENGTH: Sublimated graphic execution and reinforced double welded seam sealing construction for durability and reduced abrasion.

§ SPEED: Lightweight low-profile construction for weight reduction and streamlining.

§ COMFORT: PlayDry moisture management technology quickens drying time by rapidly moving moisture away from the body, allowing fighters to maintain optimum body temperature in the heat of battle.

§ FLEXIBILITY: 360° multi-directional stretch fabric and laser cut side vents for functional mobility. Anti-slipping technology ensures form fitting for every fighter position.

§ PRIDE: Country specific badging and athlete’s name with iconic on-garment placement.

The UFC Fight Kit has three variations: Champion Kit – featuring black and grey colors with iconic gold trim, worn only by current champions, Country Kit – with country specific colors and badging, and Universal Kit – using black and silver with a global badge, available to all athletes on the roster. The UFC Fight Kit includes the official UFC walkout jersey, variations of the Octagon short, the Octagon skort, the walkout hoodie, and assorted performance tops for women.
“Today is an historic moment for UFC, our athletes, Reebok and the sport of mixed martial arts,” UFC President Dana White said. “We’ve teamed up with an amazing global partner to take this sport to the next level, and we’ve done just that with the UFC Fight Kit. This gear was built and designed specifically for MMA athletes. Not only does it elevate the look of the sport – it revolutionizes the way they train, compete and perform.”
“The UFC Fight Kit is a landmark moment for Reebok’s partnership with the UFC as well as the sport as a whole,’ said Matt O’Toole, Reebok’s President. “UFC athletes represent some of the toughest and most dedicated humans in the world and Reebok is proud to develop the first-ever dedicated kit to support and enable their greatness in the Octagon.”
Beyond the Octagon, Reebok also launches its Reebok Combat collection today. Providing high performance apparel for people who fight for a living and those who want to train like a fighter.
“MMA is an exciting sport that is on the forefront of fitness and conditioning and Reebok Combat offers a full collection of training apparel to support those who like to train like a fighter. Reebok Combat is part of our holistic commitment to growth and support of MMA at all levels and we are excited to see the reaction to this brand new category from all corners of the world,” said Todd Krinsky, Vice President at Reebok.
The UFC Fight Kit will be available for pre-sale on www.ufcstore.com and www.reebok.com as of June 30. It will officially launch at Sports Authority on July 7 and Reebok FitHubs on July 10, in the US and Canada, as well as being available at the UFC Fan Expo® in Las Vegas July 10-11. International release dates to be announced. The Reebok Combat collection will also be available on www.reebok.com beginning July 1.
Images of UFC athletes featured in the UFC Fight Kit are available at Getty Images: www.gettyimages.com/collections/ufc.
-END-
About Reebok
Reebok International Ltd., headquartered in Canton, MA, USA, is a leading worldwide designer, marketer and distributor of fitness and lifestyle footwear, apparel and equipment. An American-inspired global brand, Reebok is a pioneer in the sporting goods industry with a rich and storied heritage in running, training and fitness. Reebok is committed to helping consumers fulfil their potential and be “fit for life.” Reebok develops products, technologies and programming which enable consumers to live a healthy lifestyle and have fun doing it. Reebok connects with the fitness consumer wherever they are and however they choose to stay fit – whether it’s training, running, walking, dance, yoga or aerobics. Reebok Classics leverages the brand’s fitness heritage and represents the roots of the brand in the sports lifestyle market. A subsidiary of the adidas Group, Reebok operates under the multiple divisions of the Reebok brand, Reebok-CCM Hockey and the Sports Licensed Division. Reebok is the exclusive outfitter of CrossFit and the Reebok CrossFit Games, the official title sponsor of the Reebok Spartan Race, and exclusive apparel provider for Les Mills. Discover Reebok at the following locations: http://facebook.com/reebok, http://twitter.com/reebok, http://youtube.com/reebok, http://news.reebok.com/

About UFC®
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the UFC® is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in 158 countries and territories to over one billion TV households worldwide in 21 different languages. 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.

Big Bear Lake, CA:
On July 25, 2015, Nadjib “IronDjib” Mohammedi (37-3, 23 KOs) the current IBF #1 contender, will face WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (27-0-1, 24 KOs) at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada and live on HBO World Championship Boxing. For the biggest fight of his career, Mohammedi will have world-renowned trainer Abel Sanchez in his corner. Abel is best known for his work with current WBA and WBC Middleweight Champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin.

Nadjib Mohammedi
Photo Credits: David Spagnolo/Main Events

Sanchez trains fighters out of his own compound in Big Bear Lake, California called The Summit. According to Abel, “The Summit is a training camp where the guys live almost year-round. There is anywhere from 10-12 fighters there at any time. They cook for themselves. They fend for themselves. They live like a family. The fact that there are so many champions training there and so many high-end guys training there motivates everybody to try to excel to that higher level. They live like a family so it’s not a competition; it is more of a motivational thing. There is no off time.”

This will be the second training camp for Mohammedi, 30, at The Summit with Sanchez. He is from Gardanne, Bouches-du-Rhône, France so training with Abel has meant temporarily relocating to the United States for his extended training camps. Abel believes Nadjib has fully committed to life at The Summit and his system, “He has given me everything. He’s not questioning anything. He is allowing me to do what we do here but he is very strong-minded. He understands that we have a difficult fight in front of us, so I am happy that he has given himself to me as far as not questioning anything. That allows me to try to mold him like I want to mold him but change the things that I need to change.”

When asked about this upcoming fight with Kovalev, Sanchez replied, “Sergey has evolved into a very destructive force. Sergey has evolved because John David Jackson is a heck of a coach. Sergey has evolved into that kind of fighter that you are going to have to be at your best to beat. Because of that we have a tough task in front of us, but that is what these guys work for. That is why Nadjib is rated #1 and fought all those fights before to get a chance at the world title. On the 25th we have that.”

IronDJib Mohammedi
Photo Credits:
Rich Graessle/Main Events

With 40 professional career fights under his belt, Mohammedi is a veteran who saw some big fights in his home country, France. However, as Abel explained, veterans can sometimes come with bad habits. Abel elaborated, “His experience so far has been a benefit because, with those previous fights he had in France, he was a big name over there. Therefore, he’s not going to be so awed by the environment of a big fight. He has had some success with big crowds and bigger venues, so hopefully that will transcend over to this fight. We are going to have a lot fans in the stands and we are going to have a lot of people screaming for Sergey. As far as bad habits, you create bad habits just by being successful. I think that if you don’t have somebody pushing you and correcting those things, you tend to do things that are not conducive to being a better fighter. Those things we are addressing and those things we can’t completely change, but we are going to hopefully correct them in time and make him a better fighter.”

According to Nadjib, Abel has been an amazing mentor and father-figure to him over the last several months. He said, “Since I got to Big Bear Lake my life has changed. I already knew what spirit of a team was, but here I found a family. Abel is like a big brother, an uncle, he act almost like a dad with me. He can see every details and he always push me out of the limits. With him and Ben Lira I know that I am ready for this war!”

About Kovalev vs. Mohammedi

WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (27-0-1, 24 KOs) will compete in his first mandatory title defense against Nadjib “Irondjib” Mohammedi (37-3, 23 KOs) on Saturday, July 25 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, Nevada. The co-feature will include a ten-round light heavyweight match-up between Jean Pascal (29-3-1, 17 KOs) and Yunieski Gonzalez (16-0, 12 KOs). Tickets are on sale now and start at $25. Tickets can be purchased through TicketMaster and all MGM Resorts Properties Ticket Offices. The HBO World Championship Boxing® telecast begins at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

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Juergen Braehmer (46-2, 34 KOs) will defend his WBA World Light Heavyweight Championship against Konni Konrad (21-1-1, 11 KOs) on September 5 in Dresden.

Ahead of his fifth successive world title defence, the 36 year-old two-time world champion is relishing a return to the Saxon capital. ‘’I have good memories from fighting in Dresden,’’ said Braehmer. ‘’It was here that I came back from my first world title defeat to claim the European strap in 2009. The city has not seen much boxing since then, but now I’m returning as world champion, and ready to change that!’’

For the challenger, the fight at the EnergieVerbund-Arena offers him the chance of a lifetime. Konrad was a young aspiring boxer who following a narrow points defeat to Denis Inkin retired in 2006. In the following years he worked as a dustman, but despite his change of circumstance, the dream of becoming World Champion never left him.

Thanks to Felix Sturm, in 2012 he was given a second chance to achieve his dream. Returning to the ring, the fighter from Cologne began to climb back up the rankings, claiming the WBA International title and eventually earning himself a shot at Braehmer’s crown.

‘’Konnie was on his way to the top when he lost everything,’’ said promoter Kalle Sauerland. ‘’He has since proved his fighting spirit by working his way back up the rankings and back into position to challenge for the world title. Certainly Juergen is favourite, but I expect Konnie to push him to the limit and do everything he can to take his belt!’’

The experienced champion will take no notice of Konrad’s underdog status. Braehmer is aware of the threat he poses and is unwilling to underestimate his September 5 opponent. ‘’As a world champion you cannot afford to underestimate anyone,’’ said the Schwerin-southpaw. ‘’If you do your title will soon be gone. Konrad is strong boxer with a lot of heart, but with the right game plan I’m sure I will beat him.’’

Tickets for the WBA World Light Heavyweight Championship fight between Juergen Braehmer and Konni Konrad are on sale now and available via tickethall.de.

PHILADELPHIA (June 19) – Lightweight prospect Victor Vasquez (18-9-1, 8 KOs) highlights a trio of Philadelphia fighters competing in a special night of boxing when Golden Boy Live! returns to the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia TONIGHT! The card also includes another pair of Philadelphia rising stars, super lightweight Damon Allen (6-0, 2 KOs) and lightweight Gang Yong Kim (4-1).

Boxing legend and future hall of famer Bernard Hopkins, a business partner with Oscar De La Hoya at Golden Boy Promotions, will also be in attendance cheering on his fellow hometown fighters.

Tickets are priced at $50 and $75 and are available by calling (215) 765-0922 and (215) 568-2400 or online at peltzboxing.com and wanatix.com.

The seven-bout fight card will feature undefeated and current USNBC light heavyweight champion Slava Shabranskyy (13-0, 11 KOs) against Paul Parker (7-0, 4 KOs) of Toledo, OH in a 10-round light heavyweight main event. In the co-main event, D’Mitrius Ballard (9-0, 8 KOs) of Washington, D.C., takes on Josue Obando (11-5, 9 KOs) of Guadalajara, Mexico, in a six-round light heavyweight contest. Golden Boy Live! will be televised nationally on Fox Sports 2 and Fox Deportes.

Coming off two straight victories at the 2300 Arena, Vasquez will challenge Osnel Charles (10-13-1, 1 KO) of Atlantic City, NJ, in a six-round contest. Last year, Vasquez lost an eight-round decision to Charles at Harrah’s Philadelphia. In his last bout on March 6, Vasquez stopped Jose Guzman of the Bronx, NY, in four rounds. In October, Vasquez earned a unanimous-decision win over Gerald Smith of Philadelphia.

Making his 2015 debut, Allen will face Luis Rodriguez (3-4, 2 KOs) of Carolina, Puerto Rico, in a six-round super lightweight bout. A relative newcomer to the sweet science, Allen, 22, last fought in 2014, defeating Antony Linenfelser of Rockford, IL, via technical knockout and Hector Marengo of Arecibo, Puerto Rico, via unanimous decision.

Originally from Seoul, South Korea, Kim will battle Tyrone Luckey (5-4-2, 5 KOs) of Middletown, NJ, in a four-round lightweight contest. On May 8, Kim made is Philadelphia debut at the 2300 Arena, earning a four-round decision over Edgardo Torres, of Vineland, NJ. The 26-year-old junior lightweight turned pro in Korea in 2007, but quit after losing a four-round decision. He resurfaced in 2012 and won three fights in Korea, all by decision. He did not fight again for more than three years until moving to Philadelphia. He is managed by Paul Lee and trained by Zahir Justice.

Opening the telecast, Lamont Roach Jr. (7-0, 3 KOs) of Washington, D.C., will face Christian Santibanez (3-4, 2 KOs) of San Antonio, TX in a six-round lightweight event. Also, Kevin Rivers, Jr. (11-0, 8 KOs) of Cheverly, MD, faces Luis Lizarrag (5-4-1, 2 KOs) of Merida, Mexico, in a six-round super featherweight fight.

Tonight’s event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Joe Hand Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra and Mexico – Live It To Believe It! Doors open at 6 p.m. and the first bell rings at 6:45 p.m. The FOX Sports 2 and FOX Deportes broadcast airs live at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.

LONDON (30 JUNE) New British middleweight champion Nick Blackwell has dared challenger Damon Jones to try and keep up with the pace he sets when they collide on July 25 at Derby Arena, LIVE on Channel 5.

The Trowbridge pressure fighter is renowned for his high-octane style and relentless work-rate and indeed won the British title in May by outlasting and halting John Ryder inside seven rounds.

His first challenger Jones, though a southpaw like Ryder, presents a different set of problems.

“He’s unbeaten and he probably feels like he’s got nothing to lose,” said Blackwell. “If he wins this fight, the floodgates will open and he can do big things in his career.

“But that’s not going to happen. If he thinks I’m overlooking him or not training hard for this fight, he’s got that totally wrong. I’ve been training as hard for this fight as I did for the John Ryder fight and, in my mind, this fight with Jones is every bit as important, if not more so.

“I’m not underestimating Jones at all. I think it will be a trickier fight than the John Ryder fight.”

Although a standout amateur who won a Senior ABA title at the tender age of 17, Leeds’ Jones has yet to go beyond six rounds as a professional. He sees it as no big deal. Blackwell, however, believes it may well lead to his downfall on July 25.

“He’s a good technical boxer and he’s going to try and and outbox me,” said the 24-year-old champion. “He’ll jab and move.

“But he has holes in his game that I think I can exploit. He’s never gone past six rounds, for example, and I’m the sort of fighter who gets stronger and stronger as the fight goes on. I’m going to put him in positions that he’s never been in before. It will be interesting to see how he copes with it.

“When I first started boxing, I’d spar a lot of people who fought the way I do now – high guard, keep coming forward, high energy and busy – and they were the worst fighters to box against, especially if you were doing lots of rounds. Damon Jones is going to find that out the hard way on July 25.

“He might hit me with the odd shot, but I’m going to keep coming forward, keep working, keep catching him and eventually I’ll break him. He’s going to have to be 15-round fit just to last rounds with me because I’m going to get stronger and stronger as the fight goes on.”

*** Tickets for Blackwell vs. Jones can be purchased from the Derby Arena Box Office on 01332 255800 or by visiting www.derbylive.co.uk ***

*** Blackwell vs. Jones will be televised live on Channel 5 on July 25, while the supporting undercard will be televised live earlier in the evening on Spike ***

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ORANGE, Calif. (June 29, 2015) – In the “New Blood” main event, lightweight Jose Roman (21-1, 14 KOs) soundly defeated veteran Marco Antonio Lopez (24-7, 15 KOs) through eight rounds in what amounted to a satisfying win for the Los Angeles area native.

“Lopez came in with a lot of experience against world class competition,” said Roman, who won with scores 78-73, 79-72, 77-74. “I dropped him in the second, and from there I was able to settle into a nice rhythm.”

It was a left hook upstairs that downed Lopez. Roman appeared to grow stronger as the fight continued. He consistently landed heavy punches in virtually every round. Lopez, for his part, countered nicely and backed up Roman on several occasions, but the veteran from Mexico didn’t have enough to win on Friday night from the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.

Cesar Villarraga (8-0, 4 KOs), a former Colombian Olympian, thoroughly outpointed veteran Jose Araiza (34-13-1, 25 KOs) in the “New Blood” co-main event. Villarraga started slow, but eventually picked up momentum in the middle and late rounds. Scores read 60-54, and 59-55 twice.

It took heavyweight LaRon Mitchell (8-0, 8 KOs) about two-and-a-half rounds to figure out Roy McCrary (4-4, 3 KOs), but once he did, the San Francisco native put his knockout power on full display. Mitchell, who is also a teacher at St. Elizabeth Elementary in Oakland, connected on a combination in the middle of the third round that dropped the heavier McCrary.

McCrary would get up, but Mitchell wasn’t done. With the crowd on its feet and salivating for a knockout, Mitchell put the pressure on and connected with a left to the chin, just before the bell. McCrary crumbled to the floor and Mitchell went home with a third round knockout win, his eighth in a row.

“I’m getting more and more comfortable in the ring,” Mitchell said. “He was a little bit awkward, but I was able to outmaneuver him and land combinations in the third.”

Junior featherweights Fernando Fuentes (6-5, 1 KO) and Joe Perez (5-4-1, 4 KOs) entertained the sold out crowd by routinely engaging one another in the middle of the ring. Fuentes, from Hemet, Calif., touched up Perez to the tune of a unanimous decision win with scores 39-37, and 40-36 twice. Perez was unable to keep a tight guard throughout the fight, which made it easier for Fuentes to find seams and land telling blows.

Opening the “New Blood” card was crowd favorite Humberto Rubalcava (3-0, 3 KOs) of Westminster, Calif. He smashed his way to another knockout win. It was Washington native Isaiah Najera (0-1) that took the beating this time. Rubalcava connected flush with a left hook for the first knockdown. The second was a straight right that spelled the end for Najera. The referee stopped the fight at the 2:36 mark of the first round.

Next up for Thompson Boxing, Darleys Perez (32-1, 20 KOs) defends his WBA world lightweight championship when he meets Anthony Crolla (29-4-2, 11 KOs) in Crolla’s hometown of Manchester, U.K., on Saturday, July 18. Perez, who is from Colombia, is co-promoted by Thompson Boxing and Gary Shaw Productions.

Later in July, Thompson Boxing returns to the Doubletree Ontario on Friday, July 24. Full details will be announced soon.

“New Blood” was presented by Thompson Boxing Promotions and sponsored by Lucas Oil, in association with LATV Networks.

For more information, please visit ThompsonBoxing.com.

For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please check our Facebook Page, find us on Google+ and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @ThompsonBoxing.

New York, NY (6/29/15) – Next Wednesday, July 8th, DiBella Entertainment’s Broadway Boxing series will return to the famed B.B. King Blues Club and Grill in midtown Manhattan. The exciting 11-bout card will be the latest installment of the acclaimed long-running series. Headlining the card will be popular junior lightweight prospect Bryant “Peewee” Cruz (14-0, 7KO’s) as he puts his undefeated record on the line against the heavy-handed Martin Cardona (19-5, 14KO’s) in their junior lightweight matchup scheduled for eight rounds.

Also appearing in separate eight-round feature bouts will be junior middleweight prospects Patrick Day and Shawn Cameron. Day (10-1-1, 6KO’s), a former #1-rated US amateur, is set to take on Lenwood Dozier, while the undefeated Cameron (9-0, 4KO’s) squares off against Francisco Reza.

Making his DBE and NYC debut is fast-rising Kazakhstan prospect Sergey Lipinetc (6-0, 5KO’s) as he challenges the once-beaten Kendal Mena (20-1, 11KO’s) in a special-attraction welterweight eight-round contest. An outstanding amateur, as well as a world champion in MMA, the 26-year-old Lipinetc’s rise up the rankings of the 140lb. division is expected to be meteoric. With explosive power in both hands, and a seek-and-destroy style, Lipinetc is as fan-friendly as it gets. The bout on July 8 will be Lipinetc’s second thus far of 2015 and, now with the backing of DBE, he hopes to become even more active as he hones in on a world title shot in the not-so-distant future.

Returning to action for already the fifth time this year will be knockout artist Ivan Baranchyk (7-0, 6KO’s) as he looks to continue his streak of devastating knockouts when he opposes Alfred Hall in their six-round super lightweight matchup. All four of Baranchyk’s previous opponents this year have failed to make it out of the second round, with three of the knockouts coming in the very first frame. Baranchyk is coming off of his most explosive knockout to date, scoring an astonishing three-second K.O. over Angel Figueroa on June 20th. The hard-hitting Baranchyk is determined to continue his streak when he squares off against Hall.

Also competing on the card will be New York-native Mikkel LesPierre (8-0-1, 3KO’s) as he looks to keep his undefeated record intact when he faces Larry Ventus in their six-round super lightweight contest.

Exciting super middleweight prospect Steed Woodall (7-0-1, 5KO’s) will also see action, as he takes on once-beaten DeVaun Lee (4-1, 2KO’s) in an intriguing six-round matchup. An amateur standout in the UK, the now 21-year-old Woodall relocated to the US in early 2014 and made his successful debut in March of that year at just 19 years of age. The bout on July 8 will be Woodall’s third thus far in 2015.

Former NY Golden Gloves champion Peter Dobson (4-0, 3KO’s) will meet William Walters in a six-round welterweight matchup.

Super middleweight Dauren Yeleussinov (2-0, 2KO’s) returns for the second time this year, facing off against Henry Beckford in a six-round matchup.

Maxito Sainvil (2-0, 1KO) will clash against Danny Rosenberger in their scheduled four-round welterweight bout.

Rounding out the card will be a battle of female middleweights as Alicia Napoleon (2-0, 2KO’s) swaps leather with Natalie King in a four-round affair.

Tickets are currently on sale and are priced at $125, $100, $75 and $55. Tables are also available for purchase for this event, with VIP tables going for $1,000 per table (5 seats at $200 per seat), Ringside tables for $500 (5 seats at $100), and $375 tables (5 seats at $75). Tickets are available for purchase by calling the DiBella Entertainment office at (212) 947-2577. Doors open at 6:30pm with the first bout scheduled for 7:00pm.

LAS VEGAS (June 29, 2015) – Former world champion Beibut Shumenov (15-2, 10 KOs) meets cruiserweight contender and NBC boxing analyst B.J. Flores (31-1-1, 20 KOs) on Saturday, July 25 on Premier Boxing Champions on NBCSN live from The Pearl at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas with televised coverage beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

The evening’s televised co-feature will showcase a pair of undefeated rising contenders as Jordan Shimmell (19-0, 16 KOs) faces Isiah Thomas (14-0, 6 KOs).

“I’m excited to get back in the ring July 25th on NBCSN to be a part of this huge fight,” said Shumenov. “Flores is a good fighter with experience, so I expect a very good, entertaining fight. I am very happy to be fighting in Las Vegas. I am enjoying working with my head coach, Ismael Salas, and my two assistant coaches, Jeff Grmoja and Rodney Crisler. Every day has been productive and I’ve been learning something new.”

“Commentating for PBC is something I enjoy, but boxing is my passion. I am a boxer first,” said Flores. “I look forward to proving myself against a former world champion, an Olympian and a guy who is highly respected and regarded. This is the type of fight that PBC wants. Good competitive fights and that is what this is going to be. I’m very eager to be in a position like this. Beibut is a guy that I had always wanted to fight. He is a very good fighter. There is nothing bad to say about him. It is a great opportunity for me.”

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Mayweather Promotions are priced at $100.50, $75.50, $50.50, and $20.50, plus applicable fees, and go on sale tomorrow, June 30 at noon PT. Tickets may be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling the Pearl Box Office at 702-994-3200 or Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.

“Mayweather Promotions is pleased to bring another great night of fights to Las Vegas and viewers watching on NBCSN,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “With two top cruiserweight contenders entering the ring, this will be an action-packed event for as long as it lasts.”

“We welcome Mayweather Promotions back to The Pearl and look forward to hosting another night of fantastic fights live for the whole world to see,” said Billy Conn, Vice President of Entertainment and Special Events at Palms Casino Resort.

A native of Shymkent, Kazakhstan fighting out of Las Vegas, Shumenov looks to make his mark in the cruiserweight division in the same way he soared to the top at light heavyweight. The 31-year-old won his world title by defeating Gabriel Campillo in Las Vegas in 2010. The 2004 Olympian for Kazakhstan went on to defend his title five times and will look for a big win in the city he now calls home.

Twice a U.S. National Champion as an amateur, the 36-year-old Flores seeks his biggest professional win on July 25 in Las Vegas. Flores has also begun to make his mark on the boxing world as an analyst for PBC on NBC. Born in San Francisco but fighting out of Chandler, Arizona, Flores comes into this bout on a seven-fight win streak including his most recent effort, a third round TKO over Kevin Engel in Oct. 2014.

The 26-year-old Shimmell is a former amateur standout who became the first heavyweight to win four Michigan Golden Gloves titles. Undefeated as a pro, the Hudsonville-native has ended his last seven bouts inside of the distance including his most recent victory, an April stoppage of Carlos Reyes.

A product of Emanuel Steward’s Kronk Gym in Detroit, Thomas was trained by the late famed trainer throughout an amateur career that included two Junior Olympic titles and a gold medal at the World Cadet Championships. Since turning pro in 2008 the 26-year-old is yet to lose and recently defeated Brad Austin in February.

For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, www.nbcsports.com/boxing and www.mayweatherpromotions.com,follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @Beibut_Shumenov, @BJFloresBoxing, @MayweatherPromo, @NBCSports, and @PearlAtPalms and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.Facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions and www.facebook.com/NBCSports.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, former world champion Oscar De La Hoya has decided to stay retired after flirting with a comeback last week.

“Over the last six months I’ve had a front row seat as Golden Boy [Promotions] fighters including Canelo Alvarez, Bernard Hopkins, Lucas Matthysse, Jorge Linares and David Lemieux have stepped into the ring and shown what boxing should be all about — a commitment to fight the best, to respect the sport and to put the fans first,” De La Hoya said in a statement. “As a professional athlete and someone who has spent almost his entire life in boxing, not a day goes by when I don’t think about coming back — and the performances of these Golden Boy fighters has only added to my desire to return to the ring.

“But I am retired, and after speaking to my family and following a great deal of introspection, I have decided to stay retired. However, I do so with knowledge that many fighters today still pride themselves on the same principles that I adhered to throughout my career. It is now through boxers like those I mentioned and dozens of other Golden Boy Promotions fighters that those values live on.”

“To the many thousands of fans who over the last couple of weeks encouraged me to come out of retirement and fight again, I thank you,” De La Hoya said. “You can rest assured that I will spend the rest of my days around this wonderful sport, even though those days won’t be spent inside the ropes.”

De La Hoya told ESPN.com on Monday that he even sparred 10 rounds with a young fighter — he said he did not know his name — on Saturday morning and did well.

“I still got it,” De La Hoya said.

After the sparring session, De La Hoya said he went home to have “the talk” with his wife, Millie, and their children about whether he should pursue the comeback. He said the plans ended with that conversation.

“My wife was all for it,” De La Hoya told ESPN.com. “But my kids didn’t want to see old Papa get hurt.”

LAS VEGAS (June 29, 2015) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today that it has re-signed three of its decorated, reigning world champions – middleweight (185 pounds) kingpin David Branch, undefeated lightweight (155 pounds) champion Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje and bantamweight (135 pounds) titleholder Marlon Moraes – to new, exclusive, multi-year agreements.

“We are thrilled to have these three incredible champions on board with WSOF for the long haul again,” said WSOF President Ray Sefo. “Justin and Marlon are both homegrown superstars that we have been building since we opened the doors at WSOF, while David, who came to us as an established star, has grown into an even more dynamic and dominant mixed martial artist since joining the WSOF roster.

“All three fighters, continued Sefo, “are a testimony to our product and the world-class brand we have been building, and we look forward to ushering WSOF into its next phase of growth with them on board.”

The 33-year-old Branch (16-3) of Brooklyn, N.Y. is in the midst of a spectacular, six-fight win streak that he has put together with wins over the likes of Dustin Jacoby, Paulo Filho, Jesse Taylor and Yushin Okami.

A student of MMA legend Renzo Gracie, Branch, who has finished over 60 percent of his opponents during his 8 year professional career, notched his latest win, a second round (1:28) technical submission (shoulder choke) win over Jesse McElligott, on April 10 at WSOF 20.

Gaethje (14-0), a 26-year-old phenom who hails from Safford, Ariz., is coming off a March 28 conquest of seasoned battler Luis Palomino that served as the main event at WSOF 19.

Before a hometown crowd, Gaethje, who has earned 11 of his 14 career wins by way of (T)KO, engaged in an all-out slugfest, for nearly three full rounds before finally scoring a TKO victory with an onslaught of leg kicks and punches that downed Palomino at the 3:57 mark of the third stanza.

Moraes (14-4-1) of Howell, N.J. via Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will put his 9-fight win streak on the line, in his second WSOF title defense, when the 27-year-old faces undefeated star Sheymon Moraes at the star-studded “WSOF 22: Palhares vs. Shields” event, live on NBCSN from Planet Hollywood Resort Casino on Sat., Aug. 1.

Branch, Gaethje and Moraes will all be featured on “WSOF Unstoppable: The Road Ahead” on NBC on Saturday, July 11, beginning at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT. The special, two-hour program, co-hosted by retired MMA icon Bas Rutten, NBCSN veteran announcer Todd Harris and Gracie, will include interviews with all three WSOF world champions as well as their respective, recent championship bouts.

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

Bethlehem, PA (June 29, 2015)–On Friday, July 17 at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem, Derrick Webster (19-0, 10KO’s) of Glassboro, New Jersey will take on Arif Magomedov for the NABO Middleweight title which will serve as the co-feature of a big quadruple-header that will be televised live on SHOWTIME’s award winning ShoBox: The New Generation.

The fight is scheduled for 10-rounds.

The bout is promoted by GH3 Promotions, Greg Cohen Promotions and Main Events and will support the 10-round Middleweight main event event between undefeated fighter’s Antoine Douglas (17-0-1, 11 KO’s) of Burke, VA and Istavan Szili (18-0-2, 8 KO’s) of Frenkendorf, Switzerland. In another title clash, Adam Lopez (12-0, 6 KO’s) of San Antonio, Texas will take on Eliecer Aquino (17-0-1, 11 KO’s) of Higuey, Dominican Republic in a 10-round Super Bantamweight bout for the WBA FEDELATIN and WBC Interim Latino titles. The opening bout will pit Super Middleweight’s Jerry Odom (13-1, 11 KO’s) of Washington, DC and Samuel Clarkson (14-3, 8 KO’s) of Ceder Hill, TX in a bout scheduled for 8-rounds.

Some of the best talent in the country will be on display on the non-televised undercard as scheduled to appear will be Boxcino 2015 Jr. Middleweight champion John Thompson (17-1, 6 KO’s) of Newark, NJ; Light Heavyweight Lavarn Harvell (14-1, 7 KO’s) of Atlantic City, NJ; Super Middleweight Christopher Brooker (3-0, 3 KO’s) of Philadelphia, PA; Super Bantamweight Manny Folly (4-0, 3 KO’s) of Philadelphia, PA; Lightweight Samuel Teah (5-1, 3 KO’s).

Lightweight Bienvenidio Diaz (2-0, 2 KO’s) of Paterson, NJ will fight Oscar Bonilla (3-1-2, 2 KO’s) of New Haven, Connecticut in a bout scheduled for four rounds.

Also on the card will be a 4-round Jr. Middleweight bout between Ricky Nuno (1-0) of Bethlehem, PA taking on Tim Kunkel.

Tickets are priced at $100, $75 and $50 and can be purchased at Ticketmaster and www.ticketmaster.com

GH3 Promotions features undefeated Middleweight Antoine Douglas, Super Middleweight’s Jerry Odom & Derrick Webster, undefeated Super Bantamweight Adam Lopez as well as Boxcino 2015 Jr. Middleweight Champion John Thompson, Jr., undefeated Welterweight Jerrell Harris,undefeated Super Bantamweight Qa’id Muhammad, lightweight Oscar Bonilla, Heavyweight Natu Visinia and Light Heavyweight Lavarn Harvell to the GH3 Promotions stable.

LONDON (29 JUNE) Middleweight challenger Damon Jones believes age will be no barrier when he steps up in class to face British champion Nick Blackwell on July 25 at Derby Arena, LIVE on Channel 5.

The promising 22-year-old has looked faultless so far in his professional career – winning 13 bouts on the spin – but has yet to go past six rounds and has yet to meet a competitor quite like Blackwell. Not that it matters in Jones’ mind, of course.

“I think this opportunity has come at exactly the right time,” he said. “I’ve been a professional since I was 18 and I feel the apprenticeship is over. I’m now ready for the step up.

“There’s no pressure at all on me, and this helps with training. It brings the best out of me.

“Nick is the favourite and I’m the underdog, but he’s used to going into fights as the underdog and then upsetting the odds. He’s used to going into fights with no stress or pressure on him. It will be interesting to see how he deals with being the champion and headlining an event.

“All I know is it will be good to be 22 and the British middleweight champion.”

Despite his relative lack of pro experience, Jones boasts an amateur career consisting of 79 fights (only seven of which were losses) and won a Senior ABA title at the tender age of 17. He was also a nine-time national champion, a Youth Commonwealth Games gold medallist, a three-time Junior ABA champion and a three-time CYP champion. Suffice to say, he has much in the way of fighting pedigree.

“I had an incredible amateur career and when I turned pro my first ambition was to win the British title,” said the Leeds man. “I think that’s every boxer’s dream.

“Some good amateurs go on to have crap pro careers, but I’m not going to go that way. I’m 22 now and ready to show people I’m a fully-fledged pro capable of winning titles.

“I’m young, I’m hungry, I’m undefeated and I want to box the best people now. Boxing on these little shows against fighters with no ambition is not bringing out the best in me. I’m not having to raise my game.

“But I know when I step up in class on July 25, my game will go to a whole new level. People are going to see a completely different Damon Jones that night. They’ll be really surprised.”

As for Blackwell, the reigning champion, Jones sees a man with obvious dangers, but one he can get the better of when they collide on July 25.

“I watched Nick win the title against John Ryder last month and thought he put on a good performance,” said Jones. “But Ryder was committing too much in the early rounds. He was on Nick’s chest and he didn’t need to be there.

“He got caught with a good shot and fair play to Nick – he did the job. He grabbed the opportunity when it came. I had Ryder winning most of the rounds, but, as is always the case with boxing, one punch changed it all.

“There were plenty of chinks in Blackwell’s armour that night, though – stuff I can look at and work on. It was good that he was facing a southpaw because it gave me the opportunity to see how Blackwell operates against one, even though I’m a completely different fighter to Ryder and we have completely different styles.

“Blackwell’s a good come-forward fighter, he’s strong and I’ve got to be careful. I can’t get caught with silly shots. I’ve got to be clever against him. As we saw against Ryder, he’s a strong kid and, if he sees the opportunity, he will take it. I’ve got to be switched on throughout.

“I’m going to be sharp, show plenty of angles and use good footwork. I think if I can put all of that together, it will cause Blackwell big problems. I’m also a tall guy – just over six-foot – and I’ll use my height and reach advantages to control him. I’ve got a lot of advantages going into this fight.”

*** Tickets for Blackwell vs. Jones can be purchased from the Derby Arena Box Office on 01332 255800 or by visiting www.derbylive.co.uk ***

*** Blackwell vs. Jones will be televised live on Channel 5 on July 25, while the supporting undercard will be televised live earlier in the evening on Spike ***

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By Bart Barry-

DALLAS – Four miles southeast of this city’s downtown center stands Gexa Energy Pavilion, a 20,000-seat outdoor amphitheater whose stage Friday hosted a deep roster of pioneers in a musical genre then-known as rap – as in Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” – and now known as hip-hop. For those enchanted by the seedling genre in its great years, 1985-1992, Friday was an ecstasy of nostalgia and enduring craftsmanship.

Would that welterweight Timothy Bradley’s decision victory over Jessie Vargas Saturday night in Carson, Calif., kindled such praise, but when a referee marks the first interview conducted after a sporting event of any kind, one can safely assume that event disappointed spectators. So it went with Bradley-Vargas 1, a middling affair until the final moments, when Bradley ran himself into a Vargas righthand, got buckled, staggered a bit, held on, and made it to referee Pat Russell’s chosen stopping place, which as everyone now has been told a dozen times and as many different ways, was not on the 3:00 mark.

The idea Bradley – who pedaled himself unconsciously through about 11 rounds with Ruslan Provodnikov, and managed to remain conscious, too, for a combined 36 rounds across from Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez – was but one blow from being stopped by a career junior welterweight with nine knockouts in 26 prizefights, in his debut at 147 pounds, is quite nearly absurd. But as neither HBO nor promoter Top Rank has an idea what to do with Bradley, still, a rematch birthed by a controversy inspired by true events is the best idea currently in the offing. One no longer pities Bradley quite deeply as he did in the aftermath of the Provodnikov match, when Bradley dutifully shortened his own life with a heroic apology for decisioning Pacquiao and thereby sabotaging in 2012 (until Marquez did it perfectly six months later, and Top Rank subsequently and effortfully resurrected Pacquiao) the Fight to Save Boxing, which did quite the opposite this May.

Bradley is not a welterweight, whatever says the thickening of his physique, and his lack of welterweight power manifests itself in two obvious ways. Firstly, in seven matches, Bradley has yet to knock-out, or even knock-down, anyone as a welterweight – despite hurling himself awkwardly enough at every opponent to ruin feet and ankles, and perform what could only be called a contortionist feat on the blue mat against Provodnikov th’t yogis, to this day, cannot replicate. And secondly, that Bradley loses his balance so often, and badly, by overcommitting to punches that barely dent or mark the men he strikes flush with them.

The move that causes Bradley the most trouble is his orphan-the-children righthand that, when it misses, finds him fully crossed-over and pointedly aware of how precariously he’s mispositioned himself. Generally, after the righthand misses, Bradley sets his eyes on the tops of his own shoes, hopes not to get hit, returns his weight to his left foot (now his back foot), and quickly uncrosses his legs. He’s an elite athlete, even among what elite athletes make their livings in prizefighting, and that athleticism, once a fundamental hindrance, most likely, a hindrance to his adoption of boxing fundamentals, is now what allows him to do well as he does.

Jessie Vargas, too, exceeded expectations, Saturday, offering a competitive opponent to Bradley, and making the final minute of the fight more interesting than its 35 predecessors. Vargas certainly did not win, and were there a feasible or even novel opponent for Bradley, victory over Vargas would be declared and boxing would move on without a rematch at the end of the year, but as there is not, Unfinished will become Business’s modifier, and a more-tentative Timothy Bradley will outbox Vargas by wide margins whenever the rematch happens.

There was a two-year stretch in which I attended three-of-four Bradley matches, in Las Vegas, and yet it didn’t cross my mind to attend Saturday’s tilt. Why not? Two reasons, again: Firstly, Timothy Bradley, while remaining a model citizen and fighter boxing would be well-advised to replicate a few hundred times, is not always enthralling to watch, and the higher his weight climbs, the more apparent this becomes. And secondly, there was Big Daddy Kane and Melle Mel and Sugarhill Gang and Doug E. Fresh and Whodini and LL Cool J – “Kings of the Mic” – to see in this city, Friday.

The term “classic hip-hop” appears now to encompass the genuinely talented part of Friday’s show, while the less-talented part of Friday’s show, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, is from a later era discovered by trailblazers who, despite their collective greatness as performers, proved no better at spotting talent than Shane Mosley during his brief time as a Golden Boy Promotions partner. There was not a single oath spoken, sung or rapped in the opening four hours of Friday’s show, and then Bone Thugs-n-Harmony began its sloppy, pointless set, and one couldn’t escape from vulgarity – the word motherf**ker fairly creaking under the weight of a performance it now had to shoulder.

That is not some priggish commentary about family values, either; it’s an aesthetic criticism.

Today, consumers of hip-hop expect, proudly demand even, lyrics written between and a first- and third-grade reading level. It was not that way in the beginning. Big Daddy Kane’s lyrics resonate almost 30 years after one first hears them, and so do LL Cool J’s. The songs Public Enemy released before 1992 are more relevant to current events, 25 years later, than 90-percent of the garbage hip-hop has become since the fateful year Dr. Dre released “The Chronic.”

“Oh, but you don’t understand ‘the industry’ and ‘the branding’ and ‘what’s hot’ and . . .” – just stop it; no man wants to hear another man talk like a teenage girl.

In the short run, little in life finds its governance in a meritocracy, and the long run, by its very nature, rarely gets survived by what artists it promotes. May some sense of that continue to bring solace to both Timothy Bradley and Big Daddy Kane.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

According to Dan Rafael of espn.con, a purse bid has been ordered for a Heavyweight title bout between Wladimir Klitscko and Tyson Fury.

CARSON, Calif. – Nothing is ever easy for Timothy Bradley.

Or predictable

In a career full of controversial decisions and crazy finishes, there was another wild ride for Bradley.

Bradley wound up winning a unanimous decision over Jessie Vargas Saturday. But it was in a 12-round fight that referee Pat Russell stopped about seven seconds before it was supposed to end and about five seconds after Bradley was rocked by a huge right hand.

Confusion reigned for a couple of minutes, Vargas thought Russell stopped it because Bradley was hurt and couldn’t continue. Vargas celebrated, thinking he had scored a huge upset. His corner men and friends jumped into the ring to celebrate with him. Meanwhile, Bradley appeared confused. He shook his head in disbelief at what looked to be a loss.

“I knew where I was at all times,’’ said Bradley, who stumbled backwards from an overhand right by Vargas. “I knew where I was at all times. All of sudden, the referee was waving his hands. I didn’t know what was going on.’’

Nobody did.

Turns out, Russell stopped the fight because he thought it was over.

“I thought I heard the bell,’’ Russell told HBO’s Max Kellerman in a chaotic scene at the center of the ring.
Maybe, Russell heard the 10-second warning and mistook it for the final bell. Or maybe he heard an inadvertent bell from somewhere in the StubHub crowd. Maybe, maybe, maybe. It’s only certain that he didn’t stop the fight because of what he saw in Bradley.

“I made the call based on what I heard,’’ Russell said.

That meant the fight went to the scorecards. All three favored Bradley. Judge Max DeLuca had it 116-112. Rocky Young scored it 117-111. On Kermit Bayless’ card, it was 115-112.

Finally, Bradley (32-1-1,12 KOs) could celebrate. In the sudden turn of events, however, there was only frustration for Vargas (26-1, 9 KOs).

“Those seven seconds cost me the fight,’’ he said.
He complained that he wasn’t allowed to finish Bradley. He was denied a triumphant finish, he said.

“Let me finish what I started,’’ he said to Bradley while asking for a rematch.
Okay, Bradley said.
No telling how crazy an encore might be.

Except for seven seconds, Bradley appeared to control the bout

Doubt appeared to creep into Vargas’ eyes as early as the second round. Bradley was applying pressure with muscle and authority. As the round ended, Vargas smiled at him. There was a question, perhaps a prayer, in that smile. It was as if Vargas couldn’t believe that Bradley could sustain the pace.

But he did at a punishing rate. Bradley repeatedly stepped inside Vargas’ four-inch advantage in reach, delivering blows to body and head with the thudding impact of that old jackhammer he swung around during an old-school training camp.

At the end of the fifth, Vargas found himself with his back on the ropes. He would be there again and again in a futile attempt to elude Bradley’s tireless pursuit. There was just nowhere else to go for Vargas in his first bout against a welterweight who is among the division elite.

Bradley was stronger and he knew it. By the seventh, there was a look of resignation instead of doubt on Vargas’ face. By the ninth, there was almost a look of dread. By the tenth, there was inevitability.

But, in the end, there was only chaos. Nothing for new for Bradley

Oscar Valdez down early, wins easily

If the prospect stage is about lessons, super-featherweight Oscar Valdez got one. Passed it, too. But it wasn’t the A-plus kind of grade that put Valdez at the top of the honor roll through his first 16 fights. More like a B-minus.

Ruben Tamayo, a fellow Mexican with a journeyman’s record (23-6-4, 15 KOs) surprised Valdez (17-0, 14 KOs) early with some thing of a pop quiz. Valdez, a two-time Olympian, was on the canvas in the first round.

It wasn’t exactly clear how he got there. Valdez appeared to get his feet tangled up after Tamayo knocked him off balance with a left. Maybe, he tripped. Maybe, Tamayo’s power put him there. Maybe, both.

Whatever it was, it was a momentary stunner.

Valdez looks surprised, even embarrassed. The good news is that he quickly recovered with a poised attack that included stinging jabs to the head and combos to the body. The bad news was that he couldn’t finish Tamayo, who was penalized a point in the seventh for a low blow. Still, it was enough for a 98-90, 99-90, 98-90 win on the scorecards.

Next lesson, please

On The Undercard
The Best: Providence featherweight Toka Khan Clary (16-0-0-1, 10 KOs) landed a huge hook at the end of the sixth round, dropping Colombian Jonathan Perez (33-12, 27 KOs) just as the bell sounded. It looked as if Perez never heard the bell. It also looked as if he had no clue at what hit him or even where he was. He was unconscious before he ever hit the canvas, knocked out at 2:59 of the sixth.

The Rest: Chicago welterweight Ed Brown (6-0, 6 KOs) scored a second-round knockout of Jose Maruffo (7-3-2,) of Phoenix. It was dull, but it was decisive as junior-welterweight Abraham Lopez (1-1) of Rowland Heights scored a unanimous decision over Mexican Joann Valenzuela (1-4-1, 1 KO). And Los Angeles featherweight Leonardo Chavez (4-1, 3 KOs) scored a second-round knockdown and was never threatened in winning a unanimous decision over Mexican Jair Quintero (4-5-2).

By Norm Frauenheim-

CARSON, Calif. – Light-heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev said he didn’t watch Andre Ward’s comeback victory over Paul Smith and instead concentrated on his July 25 title defense against Nadjib Mohammedi.

“Empty talk right now,’’ Kovalev said Saturday during an hour-long session with reporters before a card featuring Timothy Bradley-Jessie Vargas at StubHub Center.

The internet is on fire with speculation about a Ward-Kovalev fight in the wake of Ward’s ninth-round stoppage of Smith on June 20 in Oakland, Calif.

The unbeaten Ward, a ringside analyst for HBO Saturday night, is still deliberating about whether he’ll move to light-heavy or stay at super-middleweight. He fought Smith at a catch-weight, 172 pounds. The guessing game is that Ward is moving toward a big-money showdown against either Kovalev or middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin.

Kovalev manager Egis Klimas said he did watch Ward’s comeback, his first bout in about 19 months.

“He’s interesting,’’ Klimas said. “He’s a different kind of fighter. A very good fighter.’’

Klimas also foresees a Ward-Kovalev showdown, which he says would be “the biggest fight for Sergey.’’

Meanwhile, Kovalev, who faces Mohammedi in a mandatory defense at Las Vegas Mandalay Bay, had plenty to say about Adonis Stevenson, who holds the WBC’s version of the light-heavyweight title.

Kovalev, who is training in nearby Big Bear, continued to call Stevenson a piece of excrement.

“Because he’s running from me,’’ Kovalev said.

Mulvane, Kan. (June 26, 2015) – Cheick Kongo (23-10-2) utilized a vast array of elbow strikes to defeat Alexander Volkov (24-6) via unanimous decision in the main event of Bellator MMA: “Kongo vs. Volkov” from Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kan., on Friday.

The Frenchman was relentless with his takedown attempts and “Drago” was unable to use his length to ward them off, spending a good duration of the heavyweight encounter on his back.

With the victory, Kongo improves to 4-2 under the Bellator MMA umbrella, while Volkov has now dropped two consecutive decisions.

In the co-main event, Dave Rickels (16-3, 1 NC) was seemingly en route to a spectacular stoppage of John Alessio (35-17, 1 NC) but an ill-advised knee to the head of a downed Alessio resulted in a no contest.

The 26-year-old Derby, Kan. native had the former World Extreme Cagefighting competitor wobbled against the cage, but the roar of the hometown fans may have clouded his decision making, as Rickels threw the knee and as a result referee Rob Hinds waved off the fight.

“Kansas, I’m so sorry,” Rickels said. “The fight was going exactly as I expected. You will see me do this again, except next time, I’m going to legally finish my opponent. I kneed him in the head, I screwed up, I could’ve stopped at any second but I just wanted to finish it.”

In what will undoubtedly end up as a “knockout of the year” candidate, Hisaki Kato (5-1) finished Joe Schilling (2-5) with a second-round Superman punch to impress in his Bellator MMA debut.

“I believed in myself. I know I have really heavy hands and it took just one big shot to knock him out,” Kato said after the fight. “I feel I did a great job of representing Japanese MMA. It’s not only about grappling, we are also strikers as well.”

Kato showcased his grappling the first round, nullifying the world-class muay Thai of Schilling on the ground. But after a few even exchanges to open the second slate, Kato struck with a perfectly placed punch that sent those in attendance into a frenzy. It’s worth noting that the Japanese international has won all five of his fights by KO or TKO.

In the opening main card bout of the evening, Pat Curran (21-7) got back on the winning track with a unanimous (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) decision over a game Emmanuel Sanchez (10-2).

Curran was originally slated to face Goiti Yamauchi, but an injury created the opportunity for Sanchez to fill-in on short notice. The two featherweights maintained a torrid pace over the course of 15 minutes, but the three judges appointed by the Kansas commission all ruled in favor of the former 145-pound champion.

After the fight, “Paddy Mike” promised to continue improving on his craft.

“I really needed this win,” Curran said. “I want to thank him for stepping up on three weeks notice and taking the fight. I’m going to keep coming, I have a lot to improve and keep working on. I’m going to head back to the gym and keep getting better.”

Josh Koscheck Signing:

Bellator MMA also announced the signing of Josh “Kos” Koscheck (17-10) to a multi-fight deal. The welterweight comes to the Scott Coker-led promotion from the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) where he amassed his record fighting some of the most notable names in the welterweight division, including Georges St. Pierre and Matt Hughes.

Koscheck, is a former Division I wrestling champion who now joins an ultra-competitive welterweight division, where a rematch against Paul Daley could possibly come to fruition.

Preliminary Results:

Frederick Brown (3-1) stopped Derek Bohi (6-4) with punches in the Bellator 139 dark main event. The technical knockout came :29 seconds into the first round.

Aaron Ely (5-2) utilized his slick grappling skills to submit Jeimeson Saudino (8-5) with a standing guillotine choke at 1:05 of round two. “The Cyborg” has earned all of his five victories by way of submission.

The lone women’s fight on the Bellator 139 card did not disappoint, as Bryanna Fissori (2-0) earned a unanimous 29-28 decision win against Iony Razafiarison (2-1). The difference was the third and final frame, where “The Pink Ranger” secured a full mount and rained down punches, seeking the finish and receiving the benefit of the doubt from the judges.

Alex Huddleston (6-1) is making a habit of finishing scraps early, finishing his opponent Javy Ayala (8-4) via rear-naked choke a mere 72-seconds after the opening bell sounded. With the win, “The Shaved Gorilla” has two first-round finishes in his two fights under the Bellator MMA banner.

Before Augusto Sakai (10-0) and Daniel Gallemore (4-3) could get off their stools for a third round, Gallemore’s corner stopped the fight. Somewhere along the way, “Big Kansas” began having trouble seeing, giving Sakai the win via TKO and keeping the Brazilian fighter’s record unblemished to begin his professional career.

Bubba Jenkins (9-2) got back to his winning way against Joe Wilk (19-10) on Friday night, finishing the Kansas-native with punches at 1:00 of round one. “The Highlight Kid” improved to 6-2 inside the Bellator MMA cage.

It took 15 tightly contested minutes to find a winner between lightweights Pablo Villaseca (9-1) and Bobby Cooper (12-5). In the end, two judges scored the fight in favor of the man they call “Super Duper,” giving him the split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) victory.

In the opening bout of the evening, Gaston Reyno (4-0, 2 NC) made quick work of Greg Scott (3-4), picking up the submission win after only 1:17 of featherweight action.

Jamal James 146.7 – Mike Balasi 147.6
Juan Carlos Rojas 162.3 – Caleb Plant 164.1
Alex Martin 148.5 – Jeremiah Wiggins 151
Christian Molina 138.5 – Justin Johnson 137.5
Robert Ramos 136 – Ismael Serrano 135
Desmond Moore 123.2 – Mike Hefflinger 128
Kyrone Davis 161 – Jose Alberto Leal 159
Alvaro Enriquez 171.5 – Carlos Gongora 170
Benjamin Burgos TBA – Chris Colbert 125.2
Antonio DuBose 128.6 – Jesus Lule 128.4

Promoter: King’s Promotions
Venue: Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem
1st Bell: 6:45 PM ET

Tickets are priced at $100, $75 and $50 and can purchased at ticketmaster and www.ticketmaster.com

Dominic Wade scored a debated split decision over former world champion Sam Soliman in a Middleweight bout at the Little Creek Casino in Shelton, Washington.

The difference in the fight was a controversial knockdown scored by Wade when it looked like it was a more of a push.

Wade, 162 1/2 lbs of Washington, DC won by scores of 97-92, 95-94 while Soliman took a card 96-93.

Wade is now 18-0. Soliman, 161 1/2 lbs of Melbourne, Australia is now 44-13-1.

Wade landed just 74-317 punches while Soliman landed 98-450.

Erickson Lubin scored 1st round stoppage over Ayi Bruce in a scheduled 8-round Jr. Middleweight bout

Lubin dropped Bruce in round one from an accumulation of punches. Seconds later, it was another flurry that sent Bruce down and did not beat referee Ray Corona’s count at 2:49 of round one.

Lubin, 152 1/2 lbs of Orlando, FL is now 11-0 with 8 knockouts. Bruce, 151 1/2 lbs of Silver Spring, MD is 15-10.

Oscar Rivas remained undefeated by scoring a 1st round stoppage over Jason Pettaway in a scheduled 8-round Heavyweight bout.

Rivas dropped Pettaway with a right hand to the body that was not ruled a knockdown as Rivas hit Pettaway when he was down. Referee Robert Byrd docked two points from Rivas. Rivas then dropped Pettaway following a barrage of punches and a right hand. Rivas dropped Pettaway again with a left hand and Byrd called off the bout at 2:25.

Rivas, 24 1/2 lbs of Montreal, CAN is 17-0 with 12 knockouts. Pettaway, 222 lbs of Huntington, WV is 17-3.

Dennis Hogan remained undefeated by scoring a 10-round unanimous decision over Kenny Abril in a Super Welterweight bout at the Senaca Niagara Casino & Hotel in Niagara, New York.

Hogan, 152 lbs of Queensland, AUS is won by scores 97-93 twice and 96-94 and is now 22-0-1. Abril, 151 lbs of Rochester, NY is 14-8-1.

Former world title challenger Tony Luis won an 8-round unanimous decision over Edward Valdez in a Lightweight bout.

Luis, 137 1/2 lbs of Cornwall, ONT, CAN won by scores of 80-72 twice and 79-73 and is now 20-3. Valdez, 136 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is now 13-11-2.

Jarrell Miller remained undefeated as he scored a 1st round stoppage over Excell Holmes in a scheduled 8-round Heavyweight bout.

Miller landed a barrage of punches on an already bloodied Holmes and referee Charlie Fitch stopped the bout at 2:44 of round one.

Miller, 269 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is 14-0-1 with 12 knockouts. Holmes, 250 lbs of Buffalo, NY is 2-6-1.

Paul Mendez won a 10-round split decision over David Lopez in a Super Middleweight bout in Salinas, California.

Mendez, 163 lbs of Salinas, CA won by scores of 98-92 and 97-93 while Lopez took a card 96-94.

Mendez is now 17-2-2. Lopez, 167 lbs of Nogales, MX is 41-16-1.

Andy Vences scored a 4th round stoppage over Santiago Guevara in a scheduled 8-round Jr. Lightweight bout.

Vences landed a right hand to the side of the face that sent Guevara to the canvas. Guevara got to his feet he could not continue at 37 seconds of round four

Vences, 131 lbs of San Jose, CA is now 12-0 with 8 knockouts. Guevara, 130 lbs of Los Angeles, is 8-2.

Alan Sanchez won a 8-round unanimous decision over late replacement Carlos Lozano in a Middleweight bout.

Sanchez, 155 lbs of Fairfield, CA won by scores of 80-72 and 79-73 twice and is now 16-3-1. Lozano, 156 lbs of Ensalnda, MX is 7-5.