Las Vegas – UFC® returns to the Bayou State with a light heavyweight showdown between Lafayette’s Daniel Cormier and fifth-ranked Ryan Bader on Saturday, June 6 at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. This marks the first UFC event in New Orleans since 2011.

Born and raised in the heart of Cajun Country, third-ranked UFC light heavyweight Cormier (15-1, fighting out of San Jose, Calif.), comes home to face rising contender Bader in hopes of getting another shot at the 205-pound world title. The former two-time U.S. Olympian makes his return to the Octagon® after challenging UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones at UFC 182 in January. Fueled by another chance at the world title, “DC” looks to put on an impressive performance against Bader to cement his place at the top of the division’s contenders.

Since winning The Ultimate Fighter® Season eight, Bader (20-4, fighting out of Tempe, Ariz.) has made a steady climb through the 205-pound rankings by besting top-ranked opponents Phil Davis, Ovince Saint Preux, former UFC light heavyweight champion Rampage Jackson and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. After rattling off four consecutive wins, the former two-time Division I All-American wrestler at Arizona State University has earned a shot against one of the UFC’s elite in Cormier. With a win over DC, a title shot for Bader will undoubtedly soon follow.

In addition to Cormier’s homecoming, UFC FIGHT NIGHT® showcases Louisiana’s best as former LSU fullback and member of the 2007 NCAA Division I National Football Championship team Shawn Jordan (17-6, fighting out of Baton Rouge, La.) meets New Orleans-born Derrick Lewis (12-3, 1NC, fighting out of Houston, Texas), whose resume includes 11 knockout victories. Plus, after making an impressive UFC lightweight debut against Diego Ferreira at UFC FIGHT NIGHT: MENDES vs. LAMAS, surging lightweight contender Dustin ‘The Diamond’ Poirier (17-4, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) makes a quick return to the Octagon to fight in his home state of Louisiana.

Additional bouts include:

· Knockout artist and No. 9 heavyweight Ben Rothwell (34-9, fighting out of Kenosha, Wis.) will meet (No. 13) Matt Mitrione (9-3, fighting out of Indianapolis, Ind.), the owner of three consecutive first-round knockout wins.

· 13th-ranked middleweight Tim Boetsch (18-8, fighting out of Sunbury, PA by way of Lincolnville, Maine) goes head-to-head with former STRIKEFORCE and PRIDE champion Dan Henderson (30-13, fighting out of Temecula, Calif.) in a 185-pound showdown.

· MMA veteran Brian Ebersole (51-16-1, 1NC, fighting out of Phuket, Thailand) takes on heavy-hitting Omari Akhmedov (14-2, fighting out of Makhachkala, Russia), an owner of 10 first-round finishes.

· The Ultimate Fighter®: Brazil contestant Daniel Sarafian (10-5, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) meets Ricardo Abreu (5-1, fighting out of Las Vegas) at 185 pounds.

· The Ultimate Fighter Season 15 standout Joe Proctor (10-3, fighting out of Bridgewater, Mass.) meets TUF® Season 13 cast member Justin Edwards (9-4, fighting out of Bellefontaine, Ohio) in a lightweight bout.

· Former bantamweight title challenger Joe Soto (15-3, fighting out of Porterville, Calif.) makes his second UFC appearance against Anthony Birchak (11-2, fighting out of Tucson, Ariz.).

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

Previous UFC events held in the state of Louisiana: UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: SHIELDS vs. ELLENBERGER (9/17/2011, New Orleans), UFC 37: High Impact (05/10/2002, Bossier City), UFC 27: Ultimate Bad Boyz (09/22/2000, New Orleans), UFC 24: First Defense (03/10/2000, Lake Charles), UFC 22: Only One Can Be Champion (09/24/1999, Lake Charles), UFC 18: The Road to the Heavyweight Title (01/8/1999, New Orleans), and UFC 16: Battle in the Bayou (3/13/1998, New Orleans).

Tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: CORMIER vs. BADER go on sale Friday, April at 10 a.m. CT and are priced at $175, $125, $90, $75 and $50 (plus applicable service charges). Tickets are available for purchase at all Ticketmaster outlets including the Smoothie King Center box office, online at www.ticketmaster.com or via Phonecharge at (800) 745-3000. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: CORMIER vs. BADER will air live on FOX Sports 1 at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT on Saturday, June 6, with the prelims kicking off on FOX Sports 2 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

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 129 countries and territories to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT® (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, UFC branded apparel, DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

Las Vegas – UFC® today announced a partnership with the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) in a move to champion the growth of safe, clean mixed martial arts (MMA) at the amateur level. UFC® will work closely with the IMMAF and provide vital financial and administrative backing, while also leveraging the vast global platform the UFC has built for communication and education initiatives.

Formed in 2012, the IMMAF has undertaken a number of important initiatives including athlete safety, regulatory work and grass roots development of the sport as well as being the global governing body of amateur MMA with 40 national federation members.

Lou Lauria, UFC Vice President for Federation Relationships and Corporate Social Responsibility said: “UFC® believes in the ability of amateur sport to affect positive change in society and is committed to contributing to those efforts globally. If you are an amateur MMA athlete, you should become engaged with the IMMAF on the national and community level and contribute to the positive developments being made in the sport.”

IMMAF Chief Executive Officer Densign White also believes the partnership will help elevate amateur MMA at all levels of the sport, saying: “IMMAF’s renewed and strengthened partnership with UFC is game-changing for MMA as a whole. Not only do we have the continued support of a key originator of contemporary mixed martial arts, but also of the world’s biggest player in the sport; based on its confidence that IMMAF can and is making a difference.

“IMMAF’s main work is to develop safety standards for all participants, particularly at recreational and amateur levels. The forward thinking approach of UFC in supporting IMMAF, which evolved from the MMA community for the MMA community, will surely help the sport to develop. Longer term it will enable the sport to prosper and grow to a point where its participants can enjoy the same levels of protection, education, respect and benefits as those practicing other sports. UFC partnership will help IMMAF substantially on many levels, from commercial to technical to media, and in turn this will benefit amateur MMA’s practitioners globally.”

Additionally, UFC® will again play host to the IMMAF World Championships as part of International Fight Week, which in 2014 saw 110 male and female athletes represent 22 countries in over 100 fights. The tournament, which runs from July 6 through 11, will culminate at the UFC Fan Expo at the Sands Expo & Convention Center, July 10-11, 2015 in Las Vegas and will be broadcast live on UFC FIGHT PASS. The IMMAF World Championships of MMA is the first international competition for amateur MMA to be organized by a non-profit, democratic governing body in accordance with Olympic values.

Tickets to the UFC Fan Expo are available at www.ufcfanexpo.com with two-day passes beginning at $60 online and $65 onsite. One-day passes begin at $35 online and $45 onsite.

For additional information please visit UFC.com, and follow UFC on Twitter @ufc.

For more information regarding the IMMAF, please visit www.immaf.org and follow on Twitter @IMMAFed

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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 129 countries and territories to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT® (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, UFC branded apparel, DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

About the IMMAF
The International Mixed Martial Arts Federation is the international democratic body for the sport of amateur MMA, representing MMA worldwide and working with all stakeholders – athletes, coaches, referees, governments, athletic commissions, sports confederations, international organizations, professional promoters and more. Founded from within the amateur MMA community for the amateur MMA community, the purpose of the IMMAF is to protect and further the development and recognition of the sport of MMA on all amateur levels, enabling international competition through the organization of non-profit, democratic national federations. www.immaf.org

SANTA BARBARA, CA (April 7, 2015) – Gary Shaw Productions rising star, welterweight Francisco “Chia” Santana (22-3-1, 10 KOs), is riding a 10-fight winning streak going into his highly anticipated clash with undefeated 2008 U.S. Olympian, Sadam “World Kid” Ali (21-0, 13 KOs). Santana gives his thoughts on this match-up, his training camp and fighting at Madison Square Garden on the undercard of Klitschko vs. Jennings. The doubleheader will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Training camp update…
“Training camp is going as planned. I’ve added a few new things that will be on display April 25th. Right now it’s about sharpening up the tools that got me here. There is nothing that needs to be changed. I’ve been active so I know I’ll be ready to showcase my talents on HBO come fight night.”

Reflects on his journey to Madison Square Garden…
“It’s been a hard fought journey to get where I’m at today. After suffering a few losses I decided I was going to dedicate my life to this sport and give it my all. With a lot of hard work and support from my promoter Gary Shaw, I’m now fighting on the biggest stage at the most prestigious venue in boxing. Madison Square Garden is where every fighter dreams they can fight. It’s my time to show the world I’m on the championship level.”

Relationship with Trainer Joseph “Hoss” Janik…
“When you have the right trainer in your corner, it’s truly a blessing. Hoss is the man and he always tells me like it is. If I’m not doing something right he’ll let me know right away, he doesn’t beat around the bush. I’m on a ten fight winning streak and he has a lot to do with it. You couldn’t ask for a better man in the corner.”

Sparring at Wild Card Boxing Gym…
“When you walk into the Wild Card gym you know going in its going to be a rugged day of sparring. The gym is filled with world champions and top prospects. You can’t replicate the work you get there.”

On his matchup with Sadam Ali…
“Sadam Ali is a world class fighter with elite boxing skills, but I feel my style will give him problems. He puts his punches together well and he made a strong statement in his last fight against Abregu. A win against Ali will propel me into a world title fight. Believe me when I say I’m going to bring it on April 25th, it’s going to be a brutal war!”

Sadam Ali vs. Francisco Santana is a 10-round welterweight bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Gary Shaw Productions. The HBO World Championship Boxing telecast begins at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Wladimir Klitschko vs. Bryant Jennings is presented by K2 Promotions and Gary Shaw Promotions in association with Madison Square Garden.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.garyshawproductions.com, and www.hbo.com/boxing, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @GaryShawBoxing and @HBOBoxing, become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page, Gary Shaw Productions Facebook Page, or www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing and @HBOboxing.

TORONTO | NEW YORK (April 7, 2015) — Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents a pair of exciting mixed martial arts events this Friday, April 10, beginning at 2:15 p.m. ET with M-1 Challenge 56 from Olympic Stadium in Moscow, Russia, followed by a one-hour tape delay broadcast of RFA 25: Lawrence vs. Toomer from Sioux Falls, South Dakota at 11 p.m. ET.

In the M-1 Challenge 56 main event, a much anticipated rematch pits M-1 Challenge middleweight champion Vyacheslav Vasilevsky against challenger Ramazan Emeev, plus M-1 Challenge featherweight champion Ivan “Buki” Buchinger faces Aliyar Sarkerov.

Fight Network’s live broadcast of M-1 Challenge 56 will air on Cablevision’s Optimum TV, Grande Communications, Shentel Cable and Armstrong Cable in the U.S., nationwide in Canada, Roku devices across North America, and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. (Note: RFA 25 will not be available on Fight Network’s U.S. feed)

In their first fight last September, Vasilevsky captured the belt from Emeev by way of fourth-round stoppage from punches, while Buchinger captured the vacant title with a fourth-round stoppage of Tural Ragimov in the “Fight of the Night” this past October. Buchinger hasn’t lost a fight in nearly 3 ½ years, winning seven in a row and 10 of his last 11.

The fight card for M-1 Challenge 56 includes:

-Vyacheslav Vasilevsky (26-2) vs. Ramazan Emeev (11-3) – M-1 middleweight title
-Ivan Buchinger (28-4) vs. Aliyar Sarkerov (13-4) – M-1 featherweight title
-Konstantin Gluhov (28-15) vs. Ante Delija (12-2)
-Valery Myasnikov (8-1) vs. Kristijan Perak (8-1)
-Javier Fuentes (2-1) vs. Nikolay Kaushansky (6-1)
-Rakhman Makhazhiev (2-1) vs. Alexey Makhno (8-3)

Airing at 11 p.m. ET following Fight Network’s weekly Canadian premiere of IMPACT Wrestling, RFA 25: Lawrence vs. Toomer will feature a main event between RFA featherweight champion Justin “The American Kidd” Lawrence and No. 1 contender “Super” Sam Toomer, who will be looking to keep his undefeated record intact. In the co-main event, Gabriel “Zangief” Checco meets fellow Brazilian Francisco “Kiko” France for the middleweight title.

The fight card for RFA 25: Lawrence vs. Toomer includes:

-Justin Lawrence (6-2) vs. Sam Toomer (9-0) – RFA featherweight title
-Gabriel Checco (8-1) vs. Francisco France (11-3-1) – RFA middleweight title
-TJ Hepburn (4-0) vs. LaRue Barley (5-0)
-Khalil Rountree (2-0) vs. Cameron Olson (2-0)
-Jordon Larson (5-1) vs. Jarrod ‘LHeureux (7-1)
-Josh Rave (21-11) vs. Geane Herrera (6-0)

On Saturday, April 11, catch the UFC Fight Night: Gonzaga vs. Cro Cop 2 main card live on Fight Network in Canada at 3 p.m. ET. Live pre-fight coverage will lead into the main card on Saturday afternoon with Fight Network’s UFC Pre-Show Live at 2 p.m. ET, featuring previews, predictions and analysis.

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

HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. (April 7, 2015) – SACRÉ BLEU! We have all heard of France’s New Wave style of filmmaking but has FLOYD “Money” MAYWEATHER decided to incorporate New Wave training into his preparations for his battle against Fighter of the Decade Congressman MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO or is he just a fish out of water? Their welterweight world championship unification battle takes place Saturday, May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

By the looks of the footage Mayweather posted on his Instagram account http://www1.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/boxing/9793142/floyd-hits-the-pool it seems like the undefeated reigning welterweight and super welterweight world champion is underwater from the pressure of his impending battle with the man he has finally been forced to fight — eight division world champion and boxing superhero Pacquiao!

“Sounds like we should start calling him Floyd “Flipper” Mayweather,” said Hall of Famer and seven-time Trainer of the Year World-Famous Freddie Roach. “Team Mayweather would be wise to add a lifeguard to their corner on fight night because Manny is taking ‘Mr. 47 and 1’ into deep water. Swimming lessons or whatever he thinks he is doing will not help him survive the shark-infested waters he will be entering on May 2. I’m betting his little buddy Justin Bieber will be walking him into the ring singing this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azEOeTX1LqM.”

Promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Top Rank Inc., the Mayweather-Pacquiao live pay-per-view telecast will be co-produced and co-distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View® and SHOWTIME PPV® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

# # #

For more information visit: www.mayweatherpromotions.com, www.toprank.com, www.hbo.com/boxing, www.SHO.com/Sports, and www.mgmgrand.com and follow on Twitter at @floydmayweather, @MannyPacquiao, @mayweatherpromo, @TRBoxing, @HBOboxing, @SHOSports, and @Swanson_Comm, and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FloydMayweather, www.facebook.com/TopRankMannyPacquiao www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.facebook.com/TRBoxing, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOsports.

LAS VEGAS (April 6, 2015) – World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) announced today that it has withdrawn Melvin Guillard from his scheduled, live NBCSN televised lightweight (155 pounds) co-main event matchup with Ozzy Dugulubgov, and replaced Guillard with streaking finisher Lucas Montoya, who was originally slated for preliminary card action at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn. on Friday, April 10.

Guillard was pulled from the WSOF 20 card after failing to deliver his required medical exam results by the April 6 deadline.

The lightweight matchup between Nick Newell (11-1) of Springfield, Mass. and Joe Condon (12-7) of Victorville, Calif. has been designated the new WSOF 20 co-main event. Montoya’s original opponent, Abdula Dadaev, will no longer compete on the card, but will receive his fight purse.

“We are disappointed that we are in a position where we have to pull Melvin from this event but, given the fact that he did not turn in his required medical exam results by this morning’s deadline, we were left with no other choice but to do so,” said WSOF President Ray Sefo.

“Melvin and his camp were reminded more than once about the hard deadline,” continued Sefo, “yet they failed to deliver what was necessary in order for him to compete.”

Montoya (8-3) of Layton, Utah will enter the cage on a four-fight win streak, with three of the four victories having come by way of TKO or submission. His opponent, Dugulubgov (6-2) of Hackensack, N.J., is looking for his second straight win after delivering a thunderous KO (punch) on Keon Caldwell at WSOF 13 on Sept. 13, 2014.

The live NBCSN telecast of WSOF 20: Branch vs. Markes will begin at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

In the main event, superstars David Branch (15-3) of New York, N.Y. and Ronny Markes (15-3) of Natal, Rio Grande Do Norte, Brazil will collide in a contest that represents the second matchup in the WSOF multi-event tournament that will crown its winner the inaugural WSOF world light heavyweight (205 pounds) champion.

Making their respective WSOF debuts, undefeated Ben Fodor (5-0-1), also known as costumed crime fighter “Phoenix Jones” of Seattle, Wash., and fellow rising star and Iraq war veteran Emmanuel Walo (7-2-1) of Jersey City, N.J. will throw down in a welterweight (170 pounds) contest.

Steve Mocco (4-1) of Coconut Creek, Fla. will battle Juliano Coutinho (6-1) of West Yarmouth, Mass. in a heavyweight tilt and the first bout on the live NBCSN telecast.

A six bout preliminary card will precede the live televised main card.

Tickets for the WSOF 20: Branch vs. Markes, priced from $39.99, are on sale at Ticketmaster.com.

Doors at the Grand Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino open at 5:00 p.m. ET, and the first preliminary bout begins at 6:00 p.m.

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

About Foxwoods ® Resort Casino
Foxwoods Resort Casino is one of the premier entertainment destinations in the Northeast. As the largest resort casino in North America, Foxwoods offers a vast array of gaming in six casinos; AAA Four-Diamond hotels, restaurants from gourmet to quick-service, world-renowned spas, award-winning golf, state-of-the-art theaters, and exclusive retailers. Perfect for both recreation and business, Foxwoods provides modern and versatile convention and meeting space to infuse new life into any meeting or event. Foxwoods Resort Casino is owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. For a comprehensive look at Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation visit Foxwoods.com.

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

Chester, PA (April 6, 2015)–On Saturday night, April 25, boxing returns to Harrahs Philadelphia with a terrific card promoted by King’s Promotions and XFE.

In the main event, undefeated lightweight Omar Douglas will see action in an eight-round bout when he takes on an opponent to be named.

Douglas of Wilmington, Delaware has a record of 13-0 with ten knockouts. He turned pro on May 27, 2011 with a 3rd round disqualification victory over Eric Hall.

Douglas won the NABA USA Super Featherweight title with a 2nd round stoppage over Jean Javier Soto. Douglas also has a quality win with a 8-round unanimous decision over Jesse Carradine (8-2-2). In his last bout, Douglas scored an explosive first round stoppage over Osnel Charles on December 5, 2014 at Harrahs Philadelphia.

In a six-round co-feature, Kyrone Davis (6-0, 3 KO’s) of Wilmington, DE will fight Carlos Garcia (7-13-1, 7 KO’s) of Aguada, PR in a super middleweight bout.

In an eight-round bout, Javonte Starks (11-0, 7 KO’s) of Minneapolis, MN. will take Jeremiah Wiggins (10-3-1, 5 KO’s) of Newport News, VA in a welterweight bout..

Also in six-round bouts:

Angel Ocasio (7-0, 2 KO’s) of Philadelphia will take on Shiwone Gortman (4-6-1, 2 KO’s) of Grand Prairie, TX. in a Jr. welterweight bout.

Earl Newman (4-0, 3 KO’s) of Brooklyn, NY will fight Lamont Capers (4-5) of Hawley, PA in a light heavyweight bout.

Adam Kownacki (8-0, 8 KO’s) of Brooklyn, NY will try to keep his perfect knockout streak going when he fights Randy Easton (3-6-1, 3 KO’s) of Sunbury, PA in a heavyweight bout.

Stephen Fulton (4-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia will fight Jamal Parram (7-10-1, 5 KO’s) of St. Louis, MO in a featherweight bout.

Former U.S. Olympian, Raynell Williams (6-0, 3 KO’s) of Cleveland, OH will square off with Darryl Hayes (3-4, 1 KO) of Houston, TX in a lightweight bout.

In four-round bouts:

Christpher Brooker (1-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia, PA take on Vincent Floyd (1-1-1) of Philadelphia, PA in a super middleweight bout.

Stephan Shaw (3-0, 3 KO’s) of St. Louis, MO will battle Dan Bolden (3-3, 1 KO) of Louisiana in a heavyweight bout.

Tickets for this great night of boxing cost $100, $75 and $50 and can be purchased by calling 610-587-5950 or www.hboxing.eventbrite.com

The 1st bout will start at 7 PM with the doors opening at 6 PM.

Las Vegas – In a further commitment to the health and safety of its athletes, UFC® announced today the hiring of Jeff Novitzky as Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance. Novitzky will spearhead the development of the organization’s clean initiative education program designed to ensure that every athlete competes with natural ability on an even playing field.

A federal agent for the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since 2008, Novitzky led investigations into companies suspected of illegal distribution of dietary supplements and designer steroids. Prior to joining the USFDA, Novitzky was a special agent for the Internal Revenue Service in their Criminal Investigation Department, where he oversaw and investigated some of the highest-profile performance enhancing drug (PED) cases in professional sports. A former collegiate athlete who played basketball for San Jose State University from 1989-91, Novitzky graduated with a degree in accounting.

UFC is committed year-round to the health, safety, and education of its athletes. Led by Novitzky, UFC will continue to invest in state of the art sports science studies, further develop its out-of-competition PED testing policy and enrich its education and prevention programs.

“There is no bigger advocate of clean professional sports than Jeff Novitzky,” UFC Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Lawrence Epstein said. “When we announced our commitment for an enhanced drug testing program in February, we wanted to ensure that the best people would be helping move this program forward and Jeff will lead the UFC in developing the most comprehensive anti-doping policy in professional sports.”

Novitzky added: “I am thrilled to be joining a world-class organization like UFC, that is committed to taking the necessary steps to ensure all of its athletes are competing in a clean sport. I am confident that UFC will be able to create a new gold standard testing program and implement it so a sustainable and level playing field is provided for all athletes.”

As part of its broader athlete health program, which includes the Athlete Accident Insurance Plan implemented in 2011, UFC announced in February the development of an expanded drug-testing program that will increase out-of-competition testing and pledged significant financial commitments for targeted testing protocols. Novitzky will play a leading role in the creation and implementation of the program, scheduled to be unveiled in July 2015.

Novitzky, who will join the UFC later this month in the organization’s Las Vegas headquarters, will be made available to the media in the coming weeks.

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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 129 countries and territories to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S., which annually includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network, as well as The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT® (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, UFC branded apparel, DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

LOS ANGELES (April 6) – Frankie “Pitbull” Gomez hosted a special roundtable on Thursday, April 2 at The Belasco Theater, with members of the media to discuss his upcoming bout against Humberto “La Zorrita” Soto, which will serve as the co-main event for Canelo Alvarez vs. James Kirkland on May 9 at Minute Maid Park, Houston. Oscar De La Hoya, Founder and President of Golden Boy Promotions and Peter Nelson, HBO Sports Vice President of Programming were also in attendance.

Below is what they had to say at the roundtable:

FRANKIE GOMEZ, Super Lightweight Contender:

“I would like to thank Golden Boy Promotions and HBO for giving me the opportunity to show the world what I can do in the ring. I plan to conquer the 140 weight class and May 9 is a great way to show the fans my strengths as a fighter.

“Soto has a lot of experience, he is a former world champion, and I know our fight will be exciting. I like the pressure of this fight. It motivates me to train harder.

“I am training at 100 percent to make sure I am ready for May 9. This is not going to be an easy fight. I will plan to go 10 rounds against Soto.

“After Soto, the next step is take on world champions. I am ready and I know I have to train with the best and be disciplined. By the end of this year, I think I will be ready for someone like Danny Garcia, but it also depends on the plans that my manager and Golden Boy Promotions have for me.

“I have trained with both Lucas Matthysse and Ruslan Provodnikov, and I can’t decide who will win the fight on April 18. They are both great, aggressive fighters. Ruslan keeps coming at you, he is relentless and Lucas is a fast, hard puncher. It’s going to be a tough fight.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Founder and President of Golden Boy Promotions:

“We are announcing the return of Frankie Gomez; we are all excited to see a young fighter with so much talent take on a tough fighter like Humberto Soto on May 9. Soto is a dangerous fighter who is undefeated since 2012 and beat John Molina last year.

“We are happy and grateful to HBO for the opportunity to show this tremendous, action-packed fight. HBO is about bringing the best fights to the fans, everything else is just boxing.

“140-147 pounds is the weight class for Frankie. It’s an exciting weight class that is full of talented fights and world champions. The weight class has young and veterans fighters and Frankie will challenge the very best. We believe in Frankie and support him 100 percent..

“Canelo vs. Kirkland is the perfect spot to showcase the next generation, the next world champion, and Frankie is the future. He will be fighting in front of 40,000 roaring fans and it’s the perfect launching pad for Frankie. We know he is ready and we know he wants this.

“The audience will be watching a young fighter who is the whole package. He is smart, aggressive, fast and has explosive punching power. People will love him. May 9is just the beginning for Frankie.

“Frankie has a hunger, humility and passion that are missing in a lot of fighters today. I have seen him in the ring during his fights and during his training and I can see that there is passion and fire in his style. There is something special about Frankie and it’s just a matter of bringing it out. We need to guide him towards his goal to becoming a world champion.

“Freddie Roach is a genius. He knows how to bring out the best in a fighter. He is an aggressive trainer that will get you in great shape but at the same time Freddie is smart and teaches a fighter to be smart. I think he is the perfect trainer for Frankie. I know he will guide him in the right direction.”

PETER NELSON, HBO Sports Vice President of Programing:

“We are privileged to have him on the network against the great Humberto Soto. This will be one of the best shows on May 9, in Houston, Texas. We know this is a major step in his career.

“We believe that Frankie has the potential to carve a name for himself in the sport. He comes from a great amateur pedigree.

“I saw him sparring with Ruslan Provodnikov at Wild Card Boxing Gym, and he was impressive.”

A stellar amateur who won the 2009 United States Championship and earned a silver medal in the 2009 World Championships, East Los Angeles’ Frankie “Pitbull” Gomez (18-0, 13 KOs) has impressed every step of the way since then. Owner of 12 knockouts in three rounds or less, Gomez can also box when he wants to, as shown in his near-shutout victory over longtime contender Vernon Paris last July. Gomez is ranked eighth in the world by the IBF. On May 9 as the co-main event for Canelo Alvarez vs. James Kirkland at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas, Gomez will attempt to make the move into the title picture with a victory over Humberto “La Zorrita” Soto. Gomez is under the tutelage of multiple winner “Trainer of the Year” and International Boxing Hall of Famer Freddie Roach.

Tickets for May 9 Canelo vs. Kirkland are priced at $350, $150, $100, $50, $25 and $10, plus applicable fees and service charges, and are on sale now and available for purchase at Astros.com/boxing, the Minute Maid Park Box Office (Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) all Ticketmaster outlets, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000, online at www.ticketmaster.com. There is a 19-ticket limit per household.

Canelo Alvarez vs. James Kirkland is a 12-round super welterweight bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Canelo Promotions, SMS Promotions and Leija*Battah Promotions. The fight will take place Saturday, May 9 at Minute Maid Park in Houston Texas and is sponsored by Corona Extra, Mexico – Live it to Believe it!, Fred Loya Insurance and O’Reilly Auto Parts. Doors open at 2:00 p.m. CT and first bout starts at 2:10 p.m. CT, the HBO World Championship Boxing telecast begins at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

An all-new edition of 24/7 Alvarez/Kirkland debuts Tuesday, May 5 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.canelopromotions.com.mx, www.smsboxing.com, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.astros.com/boxing, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @SMS_Boxing, @HBOBoxing, @Canelo, @KOKirkland, @Astros @LeijaBattahPR become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/SMSBoxing, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing or www.facebook.com/astros and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @smsboxing and @HBOboxing, @Canelopower, @Kirklandsworld. Follow the conversation using #CaneloKirkland.

Nutley, NJ(April 6, 2015)– Hard-hitting slugger/boxer, Steve Belmontes, 1-0 of Corpus Christi, TX has signed a multi-year deal with GH3 Promotions.

Belmontes made his professional debut August 7, 2014 in his hometown of Corpus Christi against slick boxing James Burns. Steve dominated the fight; winning by unanimous decision. “I am always looking for the knockout. Burns was tough because he moved and used the ring well but I know how to cut off the ring and make guys do what they don’t want to do, which is exchange with me”.

Steve, like his brother is managed by 28 year old manager, Adrian Clark of Dallas, TX who finalized the deal with Vito Mielnicki last week. “I’ve been telling everyone that Steve is a steal. He has 100 amateur fights, good boxing pedigree and a style that will sell if pushed correctly. After one phone conversation with Vito and doing my research I knew GH3 was the best way to go. This is an exciting time for everyone involved.”

“This is another great signing for us,”said GH3 Promotions Vito Milenicki.

“He fits into our structure of signing the best young fighters in the world and we are excited to have Steve fighting for GH3 Promotions.”

Belmontes is the younger brother of lightweight contender Jerry Belmontes, who provided his brother with sound advice before signing, “I just told him to stay in the gym and take advantage of every opportunity. I’ve been with Golden Boy, Top Rank and Main Events; I know Steve learned from my mistakes and will make be an exciting guy to watch every time he is in the ring.”

Belmontes will make his debut under the GH3 banner on May 22 in Las Vegas as part of a card that will be televised on CBS Sports Network.

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

The “Championship Boxing on CBS Sports Network” event on Friday, April 17, from the Grand Casino Hinckley in Hinckley, Minnesota, is taking shape.

Presented by Greg Cohen Promotions and produced by David Schuster’s Winner Take All Productions, “Championship Boxing on CBS Sports Network” will be headlined by Ireland’s WBA #12- and IBF #11-rated “Hurricane” Dennis Hogan (20-0-1, 7 KOs) taking on Philadelphia’s hard-punching Tyrone “Young Gun” Brunson (22-4-1, 21 KOs) for the WBA Oceana Super Welterweight Championship.

In the 10-round televised co-feature, Canada’s world rated and fast-rising lightweight star Tony “Lightning” Luis (19-2, 7 KOs) will make the first defense of his WBC Continental Americas Championship against Memphis, Tennessee, veteran Ira Terry (26-13, 16 KOs).

In the eight-round televised opener, undefeated Saint Paul, Minnesota, middleweight Rob “Bravo” Brant (14-0, 8 KOs) will face Miami via Colombia’s Dionisio “Mister Nocaut” Miranda (22-10-2, 19 KOs).

Tickets for “Championship Boxing on CBS Sports Network” start at $35 and can be purchased at the Grand Casino Hinckley Box Office from 8 am to 10 pm (1-800-GRAND21) or at all Ticketmaster outlets, or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

30-year-old Dennis Hogan was a four-time national amateur champion with over 150 fights in his native Kildare, Ireland. He now lives and trains in Queensland, Australia. Hogan is the current WBA Oceania Light Middleweight Champion. In his four-year pro career, Hogan has also won the Queensland State Super Middleweight, Queensland State Middleweight and Australian Middleweight Championships.
30-year-old Tyron Brunson holds the boxing record for consecutive first-round knockouts with 19. The previous record was held by former world champion Edwin Valero. As an amateur, Brunson won the youth tournament Silver Gloves and the Pennsylvania State Golden Gloves. His amateur record was 82-12.

27-year-old Tony Luis, from Cornwall, Ontario, is enjoying an amazing 2015 thus far. In January, Luis pulled off a dominant 10-round unanimous-decision upset victory over then IBF #15 rated Karl “Dynamite” Dargan. Then on February 20, he and fiancé Manon Latulippe welcomed the birth of their first child, a son named Miguel. Luis is rated #11 in the world by the WBA and #14 by the IBF.

24-year-old Rob Brant was a heavily decorated amateur boxer before turning professional in 2012. After starting boxing at age 16 in 2007, just two years later, Brant went on to win the 2009 and 2010 National Golden Gloves, as well as the 2010 Upper Midwest Golden Gloves. Brant was also the 2009 USA National Champion and a 2008 Platinum Gloves Runner Up. As a professional, Brant trains with fellow Minnesota native and upcoming world-title challenger Caleb Truax at the Minnesota Top Team Eagan facility.

“This superb card will get the CBS Sports Network series off to a tremendous start and I’m happy we were able to put it together,” said Greg Cohen of Greg Cohen Promotions. “Dennis Hogan is a future star in boxing and what better way to introduce him to the United States and the world than to have him face a deadly puncher such as Tyrone Brunson? Tony Luis will be defending his championship and we’ve got Minnesota’s boxing prodigy, Rob Brant in the opener. I want to thank all the tremendous team at the Grand Casino Hinckley for their tremendous support and we look forward to a groundbreaking world-class event.”

The live broadcast of “Championship Boxing on CBS Sports Network” will begin at 10:00 PM, ET. On fight night, the doors will open at 6 pm and the action starts at 7 pm. The Grand Casino Hinckley is located at 777 Lady Luck Drive in Hinckley, Minnesota. For more information, visit www.grandcasinomn.com or call 800-472-6321.

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About Greg Cohen Promotions

One of boxing’s premier promotional outfits, Greg Cohen Promotions (GCP) is a well-respected name for staging world-class professional boxing events and promoting elite professional fighters throughout the world.

Founder and CEO Greg Cohen has been involved with professional boxing in various capacities since the late 1980s, honing his craft and establishing himself as a shrewd international boxing businessman.

Distinguished by his ability to spot and develop raw talent, Cohen made headlines for his expert guidance of, among many others, former WBA Junior Middleweight Champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout, who Cohen helped guide from unknown New Mexico prospect to elite pay-per-view level superstar.

In addition to Trout, Greg Cohen Promotions has worked with established names such as former unified and two-time heavyweight champion Hasim “The Rock” Rahman (50-8-2, 41 KOs); and all-time-great multiple-weight class world champion James “Lights Out” Toney (74-7-3, 45 KOs).

Current world-rated contenders in the GCP roster include Arash Usmanee, universally recognized as a top-10 super featherweight; former WBA International Middleweight Champion and world-rated middleweight contender Jarrod Fletcher; top-rated featherweight Joel Brunker; cruiserweight Lateef Kayode; Canadian lightweight and TV action hero Tony Luis, and WBA and five-time Irish National Amateur Champion, Dennis Hogan; and Rising Welterweight sensation Cecil McCalla.

Greg Cohen Promotions has hosted world-class boxing events in the finest venues throughout the United States and the world and has also proudly provided talent and/or content for several television networks including HBO, Showtime, ESPN, NBC Sports Network, MSG and FOX Sports Net.

Philadelphia, PA—If Amir Mansour has his way, when he steps into the ring on Friday evening, May 8, at the 2300 Arena, Joey Dawejko, his opponent in the other corner, will be clean-shaven for their 10-round heavyweight showdown. The Mansour-Dawejko contest is attracting more interest than any other local pairing in Philadelphia in recent memory. The 1,300-seat building figures to be sold out long before Teddy Atlas and the ESPN 2 cameras arrive in town.

“Dawejko is going to have to cut that beard,” Mansour said. “It defies the boxing rules. He can’t come in with that big, long beard. He’s been getting away with it probably because nobody has been saying anything. The (Pennsylvania) boxing commission knows he can’t some into the ring with that big, old beard. He’s hiding his chin. They’re supposed to tell him to shave it.”
Mansour, 42, is from Wilmington, DE, but he trains and fights out of Philadelphia. His 21-1 record includes 16 knockouts and his only loss was via 10-round decision last year to Steve Cunningham in a fight in which he had Cunningham down twice and almost out in the fifth round.
In his last match Nov. 8 at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem (PA), Mansour scored a one-punch, seventh-round knockout over Fred Kassi, of New Orleans, which SportsIllustrated voted the Knockout of the Year for 2014.
Dawejko, 24 of Philadelphia, has won six in a row, the last four by one-round knockout. His 14-3-2 mark includes seven knockouts. He needed only 27 seconds to demolish Enobong Umohette, of Milwaukee, WI, on March 6 at the 2300 Arena.
The May 8 winner figures to be in the mix of the best heavyweights in the world.
“At the end of the day, it doesn’t make a difference the way I approach the fight,” Mansour said, “but it’s a little thing like the beard which dudes use to cheat. I’m aiming for your chin and sometimes you can miss by just a few inches. Then if you’re in a clinch, they can rub that beard in your face and irritate the skin and stuff like that.
“There’s a reason why the boxing rules say he’s not allowed to come into the ring with his beard over a certain length.
“I want it shaved; I want him uncomfortable. He’s isn’t going to hide behind that beard. But at the end of the day, I don’t fear the beard; I’m going to smear the beard.”

About May 8

The Mansour-Dawejko fight headlines a seven-bout card at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia. Doors open at 6 pm; first fight is 7pm. The card will be televised live by ESPN 2 at 9 pm. Tickets are $55 and $80 and can be purchased by calling Peltz Boxing (215-765-0922) and Wanamaker’s Tickets (215-568-2400). Tickets also can be purchased online at www.peltzboxing.com and www.wanatix.com. The May 8 card is promoted by Peltz Boxing, Joe Hand Promotions and BAM Boxing.

LAS VEGAS (April 6, 2015) – Legendary Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) superstar and trainer Renzo Gracie will serve as a special guest color commentator alongside veteran play-by-play announcer Todd Harris, for the live NBCSN telecast of the star-studded WSOF 20: Branch vs. Markes event at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn. on Friday, April 10.

“It is an honor to be able to have an all-time great and member of MMA’s First Family like Renzo Gracie join the WSOF team and call our fights from cageside,” said WSOF President, six-time world champion and two-time Hall of Famer Ray Sefo. “The keen, technical insight that Renzo has the ability to provide should be a real treat for fans tuning into the NBCSN telecast, which is loaded with some of the world’s top martial arts fighting talent.”

Gracie, a sixth degree black belt under his uncle, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu pioneer Carlos Gracie, Jr., has faced and defeated a host of rival, decorated icons from MMA’s early years, including Russian Sambo master Oleg Taktarov, kickboxing sensation Maurice Smith, Hall of Famer Pat Miletich and Carlos Newton.

As a trainer, Gracie has excelled similarly, and is responsible for advancing the careers of Georges St-Pierre, Chris Weidman, Matt Serra, Frankie Edgar and a number of other active and retired MMA world champions and superstars.

Along with Harris and fellow MMA legend and WSOF color commentator Bas Rutten, Gracie hosted WSOF Unstoppable: Road To The Championship, a 90-minute special program that premiered on NBC last December, and looked back at the most exciting highlights and complete rounds that took place in the WSOF decagon cage in 2013 and 2014.

The five-bout NBCSN telecast of WSOF 20 will be headlined by a showdown between superstars David Branch (15-3) of New York, N.Y. and Ronny Markes (15-3) of Natal, Rio Grande Do Norte, Brazil that represents the second matchup in the WSOF multi-event tournament that will crown its winner the inaugural WSOF world light heavyweight (205 pounds) champion.

In the lightweight (155 pounds) co-main event, Melvin “The Young” Assassin Guillard (32-14-2, 2 NC) of New Orleans, La. will collide with fellow hard-hitting, KO artist Ozzy Dugulubgov (6-2) of Hackensack, N.J.

Making their respective WSOF debuts, undefeated Ben Fodor (5-0-1), also known as costumed crime fighter “Phoenix Jones” of Seattle, Wash., and fellow rising star and Iraq war veteran Emmanuel Walo (7-2-1) of Jersey City, N.J. will collide in a welterweight (170 pounds) contest.

Steve Mocco (4-1) of Coconut Creek, Fla. will battle Juliano Coutinho (6-1) of West Yarmouth, Mass. in a heavyweight tilt.

Leading off the live NBCSN telecast that will begin at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT, is a lightweight matchup between Nick Newell (11-1) of Springfield, Mass. and Joe Condon (12-7) of Victorville, Calif.

A seven bout preliminary card will precede the live televised main card.

Tickets for the WSOF 20: Branch vs. Markes, priced from $39.99, are on sale at Ticketmaster.com.

Doors at the Grand Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino open at 5:00 p.m. ET, and the first preliminary bout begins at 6:00 p.m.

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

About Foxwoods ® Resort Casino
Foxwoods Resort Casino is one of the premier entertainment destinations in the Northeast. As the largest resort casino in North America, Foxwoods offers a vast array of gaming in six casinos; AAA Four-Diamond hotels, restaurants from gourmet to quick-service, world-renowned spas, award-winning golf, state-of-the-art theaters, and exclusive retailers. Perfect for both recreation and business, Foxwoods provides modern and versatile convention and meeting space to infuse new life into any meeting or event. Foxwoods Resort Casino is owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. For a comprehensive look at Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation visit Foxwoods.com.

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

Tacoma, Washington (April 6th 2015) – Brian Halquist Productions and CageSport MMA are proud to welcome back Super Fight League, Asia’s largest MMA organization for their fourth show stateside. Super Fight League 40 America will go live from the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Washington on Saturday, April 25th at 7:00PM.

Headlining this explosive night of fights will be talented Tacoma native Drew “The Eternal Fire” Brokenshire (10-3) versus the always dangerous Jason Gray (4-1) in a 3-round main event. Brokenshire will be looking to get back on track after suffering two consecutive losses, most recently in February of 2015 against Yakima native and Super Fight League America Featherweight and Lightweight champion, Julian Erosa. It’s a similar scenario for his opponent, as Enumclaw, Washington’s Jason Gray will also be looking to bounce back from a defeat in December of 2014 at Super Fight League America 2.

In the semi-main event of the evening, undefeated Hector Lopez (4-0) of Yakima, Washington looks to keep his perfect record alive against crafty veteran Gurdarshan Mangat (6-1) of British Columbia, Canada. Mangat has proven himself all over the world, with his fights taking place as far away as New Delhi, India. Lopez on the other hand, has competed exclusively at the EQC during his young career, and will be looking to continue his climb up the Bantamweight ladder with a win over a tough and savvy opponent.

The card will be rounded out with seven undercard fights.

Tickets for Super Fight League 40 are on sale now through the Emerald Queen Casino box office as well as all Ticketmaster locations and start at only $35. Fans are encouraged to reserve their seats early, as this event will sell out. Super Fight League America 40 is brought to you by Brian Halquist Productions and CageSport MMA. For more information, please visit www.halquistproductions.com as well as the CageSport MMA Facebook page.

Valley Forge, PA (April 6, 2015)–On Saturday night, April 18, at the Valley Forge Casino Resort, King’s Promotions will present an outstanding night of boxing that will be headlined by an intriguing 8-round super middleweight bout between Phillip Jackson Benson and Darnell Boone.

Benson of Brooklyn, New York has a record of 15-1 with 14 knockouts and has won twelve straight fights with eleven of those coming via the stoppage route.

Boone of Atlanta, Georgia is known as one of the”toughest outs” in the sport and may have most deceiving record in boxing that reads 20-21-4 with nine knockouts.

Boone is coming off a third round stoppage over Dionisio Miranda (22-9-2) on October 11, 2014 in St. Petersburg, Florida.

In the eight-round co-feature, undefeated welterweight Jamal James (15-0, 8 KO’s) of Minneapolis, Minnesota will see action against an opponent to be named.

In eight-round bouts:

Immanuwel Aleem (11-0, 7 KO;s) of Richmond, VA. will take on Emmnauel Sanchez (6-2, 1 KO) of Laredo, Texas in a middleweight bout.

David Grayton (10-0, 8 KO’s) of Washington, D.C. will fight Grayson Blake (6-3, 2 Ko’s) of State College, PA. in a welterweight bout.

Jarrett Hurd (14-0, 8 KO’s) of Accokeek, MD. will battle tough veteran Eric Mitchell (23-11-2, 11 KO’s) of Philadelphia in a middleweight bout.

In six-round bouts:

Milton Santiago (9-0, 3 Ko’s) of Philadelphia will take on Ray Velez (3-6-1, 1 KO) of Brooklyn, NY. in a jr. welterweight bout.

Ivan Golub (6-0, 4 KO’s) of Brooklyn, NY will box Thomas Allen (4-7, 4 KO’s) of St. Joseph, MO. in a middleweight bout.

Dauren Yeleussinov (1-0, 1 KO) of Brooklyn, NY. will fight Julio Garcia (6-8, 3 KO;s) of Rinocn, PR. in a super middleweight bout.

Dennis Galarza (7-1, 4 KO’s) of Brooklyn, NY battles Jesus Lule (7-11, 1 KO) of Fort Myers, FL. in a lightweight fight.

In four-round bouts:

Sammy Berman (1-0, 1 KO) of Collegeville, PA. will tangle with Courtney Knox (1-4) of North Carolina in a welterweight bout.

Kevin Garcia (0-1) of Philadelphia will take on Eric Hall (0-3) of Philadelphia in a lightweight bout.

Tickets for this great night of boxing are $100 for VIP (Includes 2 drinks and food), $75 for ringside and $50 for General Admission and be purchased by clicking www.vfboxing.eventbrite.com or calling King’s Promotions at 610-587-5950

Corona, Calif. (April 6, 2015) – Lightweight standout and Boxcino 2014 Lightweight champion, Petr Petrov (36-4-2, 16 KOs) made a strong case for a future world title shot with his one-sided, unanimous decision win against former world champion Gamaliel Diaz (39-12-3, 18 KOs) in the main event of ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights” from the Omega Products Outdoor Arena in Corona, Calif. Scores were 98-89, 97-90 twice.

The event was promoted by Thompson Boxing and Banner Promotions.

Throughout the ten round fight, Petrov used superior hand speed to tag the slower Diaz. He scored a knockdown in the seventh round, and from that point forward, Petrov controlled the fight with his accurate jab and stingy defense.

“Diaz was a good opponent,” said the 32-year-old Petrov. “He was experienced and knew how to get out of danger. He knows how to hold and slow down a fight, but after a ten-month lay off, I can say that we’re back. I’m ready for a world title shot. That’s my goal.”

In the co-main event, 2012 Olympic Bronze medalist Taras Shelestyuk (12-0, 8 KOs) remained undefeated against Juan Rodriguez (12-2, 5 KOs). Shelestyuk battled through a nasty cut over his right eye caused by an accidental clash of heads in the fourth round.

“Rodriguez is a tough southpaw,” said Shelestyuk, who is co-promoted by Thompson Boxing and Banner Promotions. “It was the second time in my career that I’ve been cut. It was tough to see with all the blood, but the cut made me focus more because I thought the doctor might stop the fight, and I didn’t want that. I wanted to show my ability and I did by winning by a wide margin.”

The opening bout between junior welterweights Emanuel Robles (13-0-1, 3 KOs) of San Diego and Wilberth Lopez (5-5, 1 KO) of Tucson, Ariz. was an entertaining, back-and-forth affair. Robles jumped out to an early lead, but Lopez came on strong toward the end. Robles scored a unanimous decision win with scores 58-56, 59-55, twice.

“It was a great fight,” Robles said. “He came ready to fight. I’m glad I was able to put on a good show. I got tired toward the end, but I’ll get back in the gym and get better.”

In other bouts, welterweight Darius Ervin (1-0) of Indio, Calif. notched his first professional win against Isaac Freeman (1-1, 1 KO) of Los Angeles. The majority decision scores read: 39-37, 40-36, and 38-38.

Junior lightweight Michael Norato (1-0, 1 KO) started his professional career in electrifying fashion by knocking out Sopuan Rin (1-2-1) at the 2:14 mark of the second round. Norato put Rin on his back three times in the second round, which stirred the crowd into a frenzy.

“It’s a great way to start my career,” Norato said. “I can’t wait for my next fight.”

Super bantamweight Humberto Rubalcava (1-0, 1 KO) of nearby Riverside, had a memorable pro debut by knocking out Christian Lorenzo (2-3, 1 KO) of Los Angeles in the second round with a powerful right hook that nearly sent Lorenzo through the ropes.

“This is what boxing is all about,” Rubalcava said. “I gave the fans what they wanted to see.”

MIAMI (April 6, 2015) – Veteran boxing manager John Seip has signed highly decorated Italian amateur boxer Daniele Marco Scardina to an exclusive managerial contract.

Seip is best known for guiding Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin to the World Boxing Organization (WBO) world middleweight title. The native New Yorker also manages rising British super middleweight Steed “The Stallion” Woodall (7-0-1, 5 KOs).

The 21-year-old Scardina hails from Rozzano, a town of less than 40,000 people in the Province of Milan. He started boxing in 2008 at the age of 16, following in his uncle’s footsteps who was a boxer at that time, as well as Daniele’s role model.

Scardina, who had 56 amateur bouts, captured top honors in numerous Italian tournaments including the Rovereto National, National Silver Glove, and two National Golden Gloves. He also won a bronze medal at an International event.

In 2013, he boxed for the Italia Thunder Boxing Team in the World Series of Boxing, winning his only match against a German opponent.

Scardina first caught Seip’s attention at the world famous 5th St. Gym in Miami Beach, originally opened in 1950 by Chris Dundee, and the home of countless world champions have trained there including Muhammad Ali, Carmen Basilio, Willie Pastrano, Emile Griffith, Archie Moore, Roberto Duran, Sonny Liston, and Willie Pep. The rich tradition continues at the new 5th St. Gym, located nearby at 1434 Alton Street, where top fighters from around the world such as Bernard Hopkins still train.

“I first saw him training at the 5th St. Gym and he looked like a typical amateur,” Seip explained. “He threw wide punches and didn’t know how to throw a good jab. Trainers Guy Laieta and Dino Spencer started working with him and now he’s using his reach, fighting at a distance, and throwing combinations of jabs and hooks. He’s passionate about boxing, listening and learning every day. Daniele has good hand speed and power. He’s a handsome kid, too. I saw something in him, intangibles, and decided to sign him.

“Dino is an owner who has created a top-notch gym with great sparring opportunities in an atmosphere featuring so many talented fighters who really push each other. It’s already apparent that Danielle has improved his skills training there. He’s long, fast and powerful. His work ethic is incredible; he’s the first in the gym, last to leave. You can’t hurt this kid, either. We all believe that he has a very bright future.”

Scardina hits heavy-bag at 5th St. Gym in Miami Beach

Unlike fighters from Russia and former Soviet-bloc nations, as well as those from Latin America who come to the United States to establish their professional boxing careers, Italian-born fighters rarely have followed the same route as Scardina, who moved to Miami last year and sleeps on the floor of his brother’s apartment.

The lone Italian-born world champion who fought professionally in America is Vito Antuofermo (50-7-2, 21 KOs), who was the WBC/WBA middleweight champion in 1979-1980. Antuofermo, though, moved with his family to Brooklyn from Puglia, Italy when he was 17 and he learned how to box in America.

“I have always wanted to be a champion in America,” Scardina said. “That’s the American dream for me. I think I’ll have a great opportunity in this country to be the greatest boxer I can be with the right help. John Seip is the right manager for me because he believes we can the world championship together as a team.”

Scardina’s favorite boxers are Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali, Guillermo Rigondeaux and Miguel Cotto. “I’m working on perfection as an outside fighter and to main my arms closer,” Scardina added. I’m fighting to become world champion.”

Scardina is expected to make his pro debut this May or June.

Follow Scardina on Instagram @danieletoretto.

April 6, 2015 – HBO Sports® debuts an all-new installment of “2 Days” when the feature segment returns Tonight at 10:15 p.m. (ET/PT) with a behind-the-scenes look at undefeated sensation Terence Crawford, one of boxing’s fastest rising stars.

“2 Days” is a revealing and intimate look at a 48-hour span in the life of a boxer in the lead-up to one of his fights and the next edition will focus on Omaha native Terence Crawford. HBO cameras followed the 2014 BWAA “Fighter of the Year” last November when he defeated Ray Beltran on Thanksgiving Weekend in front of the hometown fans. The win was Crawford’s 25th consecutive triumph as a pro and his last at 135 pounds where he was the premier lightweight performer. His upcoming fight will see the 27-year-old make his debut at 140 pounds.

HBO air times include: April 6 (10:15 p.m.), 9 (5:30 p.m. & 12:35 a.m.), 12 (1:15 p.m.), 13 (8:15 a.m.), 15 (1:45 p.m. & 10:15 p.m.), 17 (2:00 a.m. & 7:15 p.m.) and 18 (8:45 a.m.).

HBO2 air times include: April 8 (11:50 a.m. & 8:00 p.m.), 10 (2:40 a.m. & 4:30 p.m.), 11 (10:05 a.m.), 14 (3:30 p.m.), 17 (11:00 p.m.) and 18 (4:30 p.m.).

HBO Latino air times include: April 6 (10:15 p.m.), 9 (5:30 p.m.), 12 (1:15 p.m.), 13 (8:15 a.m.), 15 (1:45 p.m. & 9:45 p.m.), 17 (2:25 a.m.) and 18 (8:45 a.m.).

All times are ET/PT.

Crawford is slated to return to the ring on Saturday, April 18 when he meets the formidable Thomas Dulorme from the College Park Center at the University of Texas Arlington on HBO Boxing After Dark. The event will be part of terrific split site doubleheader on HBO starting at 9:45 p.m. (ET/PT).

“2 Days” will also be available on the HBO On Demand® service, HBO GO® and at www.hbo.com/boxing as well as various other new media platforms that distribute the series.

By Bart Barry–

“If you’re gonna write about boxing, you need facts and grittiness and maybe even some awkward bad writing. It can’t be perfect. It can’t be ethereal. It can’t be self-contained. It can’t be its own art. It has to be bled into by the fighting itself.

“But only the defeat is permanent in boxing. And I guess the point of the book is to ask, could it really ever be any other way?

“Again and again and again and again and again and again and again.

“Until you can’t ask it anymore because you’re fucking tired of it.”

So states Gabe Oppenheim in the introduction of his book “Boxing in Philadelphia” (Rowman & Littlefield; $45.00), and if he fails to meet that standard it is only for a lack of awkwardness in his “bad writing” – an element his book noticeably lacks. Oppenheim treats boxing often as a metaphor, as writers often do with boxing, but Oppenheim does it on boxing’s terms, more fairly, more roughly, than most writers who treat boxing – as opposed to boxers who later try their bruised hands with sentences – in an effective way that feels like he wrote the first drafts too smoothly then went back and scuffed them with truth.

Oppenheim alludes to something like this, as well, in his introduction:

“It’s not just that boxers grows suspicious when a clearly out-of-place white college student tries to enter their gym to talk to them; it’s that I, too, grow suspicious of myself, not wanting to take advantage of anyone, to exploit people’s real lives.”

There’s wisdom in that sentence, written well about a form of suspicion that confronts anyone empathetic enough to write well and arrogant enough to choose boxing for a subject. We all go through it initially – in the olden days, many were assigned a boxing beat by an editor at a newspaper that no longer exists (replaced by Associated Press stories, and slideshows), and had that as an exculpating reason for wandering in a gym where they clearly did not belong – because anyone who does not go through it does not write well about our sport, regardless of readership size or class.

My pathway through suspicion was headgear and gloves, being just athletic and large enough to prevent permanent damage, and a shortcut like this: Once a man has put his knuckles on you, he trusts you because he knows you’re available for him to do it again if need be, and he knows he didn’t give you more than 2/3 of his power, whatever your closed eye and bleeding mouth say of it.

Oppenheim’s pathway through suspicion was an aged former trainer, Mr. Pat, and many, many hours. After the quality of the prose and the depth of admiration the author feels for his subjects, commitment is what resonates most about this book. To write a book like this about lesser-known figures in a lesser city requires much, much more than would a book about Joe Frazier and Bernard Hopkins’ favorite Philly cheesesteak spot or Oscar De La Hoya’s escape from East Los Angeles; those men’s stories are well-trod and research material is ample, and researching – now known as googling – is far easier than confronting the rejection of a fighter’s suspicion or a trainer’s unreturned phone calls or a possemember’s idiotic snickering.

Oppenheim faced these discomfiting forms of rejection and wrote about them, most clearly in his treatment of Meldrick Taylor, the Olympic gold medalist who came a fabled two seconds from beating Mexican Julio Cesar Chavez in his prime – something no man officially did (though of course we know how that Pernell Whitaker fight actually went, three years after Chavez broke Taylor). Taylor’s sorry condition is well known today, and both he and those close to him are understandably reticent about it, a matter Oppenheim writes creatively round, drawing instead connective tissue between Taylor and the then-decaying city that raised him.

“‘Awtheysaynottoomanykidouttometheywrotebadthingsaboutme –
‘theamanamesaidIwaswashedup,’ Taylor slurs and mumbles without pause,” writes Oppenheim, in an innovative attempt at drawing a literary map of punch-drunkenness.

Oppenheim also follows closely the careers of two contemporary Philadelphia prospects, Teon Kennedy and Mike Jones, both of whose careers effectively ended on a Manny Pacquiao undercard, June 9, 2012, when Guillermo Rigondeaux dropped Kennedy five times in as many rounds, and Randall Bailey brought 15,000 spectators to a collective start by stretching Jones with a chastening right uppercut.

“It’s an inevitable fact about most jobs that increased success leads to increased stability,” Oppenheim writes about the trajectories Kennedy’s and Jones’ careers followed. “In boxing, on the other hand, success breeds irregularity.”

Oppenheim notes with a touch of irony the fighting city of Philadelphia’s two celebrated prospects, Jones and Kennedy, did not emerge as champions the way Danny Garcia – not exactly Puerto Rican, not quite Philly – somehow managed to do. There’s something touchingly Philadelphian about that development, too; as anyone who’s attended a sporting contest of any kind in Philly can tell you, those folks love to make a lot of noise when they’re completely wrong.

“Boxing in Philadelphia” ends on a slightly false note of optimism about both the city and the fight game. While Philadelphia tries to replicate other cities’ purported urban renaissances – think: hipster lofts in abandoned warehouses – boxing now accelerates towards a day, arriving before 2020, when its sole promoter owns the media that covers his events; if boxing thrives again, it will be as professional wrestling in gloves. And on that day, Oppenheim’s book will be deservedly considered one of the last good books written about our sport.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

Adonis Stevenson retained his Light Heavyweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Sakia Bika at the Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec City, Canada.

In round six, Stevenson dropped Bika with a straight left. In round nine, Stevenson scored a 2nd knockdown with a lead left to the head.

Stevenson, 175 lbs of Montreal won by scores of 116-110, 115-110 and 115-111 and is now 26-1. Bika, 174 1/2 lbs of New South Wales, AUS is now 32-7-3.

Artur Beterbiev remained perfect by scoring a crunching 4th round stoppage over former world champion Gabriel Campillo in round four of a scheduled 10-round Light Heavyweight bout.

Beterbiev scored a knockdown in round one from a hard right that was follwed up by a combination, In round four, Beterbiev landed a booming right on the ropes that snapped Campillos head back as he crumbled to the canvas and the fight was over at

Beterbiev, 175 lbs is now 8-0 with 8 knockouts. Campillo, 174 1/2 lbs of Madrid, Spain is now 25-7-1.

ADONIS STEVENSON: 174 ½ Pounds

SAKIO BIKA: 174 ½ Pounds

ARTUR BETERBIEV: 175 Pounds

GABRIEL CAMPILLO: 174 ½ Pounds

(TV Swing Bout)

JULIAN WILLIAMS: 154 ½ Pounds

JOEY HERNANDEZ: 155 pounds

LINCOLN, R.I. (April 3rd, 2015) – Undefeated world champion Shelly Vincent retained her Universal Boxing Federation (UBF) title and brought home an additional piece of hardware Friday with a unanimous decision win over challenger Christina Ruiz at Twin River Casino.

In what figured to be the toughest test of her career against the hard-hitting Texan, Vincent (14-0) perhaps fought her best fight to date, aggressively out-working the slick-boxing Ruiz (7-8-3) to earn a 98-92, 98-92, 97-93 win, defending her UBF super bantamweight title and capturing the vacant International Boxing Association (IBA) 122-pound world championship.

Fighting in the 10-round headliner of “The Revival,” presented by CES Boxing, Vincent expected a challenge similar to what she faced in November when she beat Jackie Trivilino to earn the then-vacant UBF title. Ruiz, a San Antonio native with three world-title fights already on her resume, brought a similar resume to the table, but wasn’t as aggressive as Trivilino, instead choosing to counterpunch in an attempt to use her power to her advantage.

Vincent, as is often the case, was the aggressor, stalking down Ruiz and wearing down her opponent in the later rounds. The eighth and ninth turned into slugfests with both fighters exchanging blows in the center of the ring and the 10th ended in exciting fashion as the two stood toe-to-toe for one last flurry.

In the end, Vincent did enough to earn the win, landing more the effective, cleaner blows on a consistent basis. She’s now 2-0 in world title fights and still undefeated as she continues to climb the ladder in the 122-pound division.

Facing the toughest test of his career, unbeaten Providence super middleweight Angel Camacho Jr. (14-0) passed with flying colors, earning a 58-56, 60-54, 59-55 unanimous decision win over gritty veteran Chris Chatman (12-5-1) of Jersey City, N.J.

Fighting for the first time since November, Camacho looked much more poised and focused than he did in his return to the ring five months ago, using his height and reach advantage to keep Chatman at bay. While Chatman tried to work the body and break down Camacho on the inside, Camacho wisely kept his distance and used his footwork to weave in and out of danger.

Chatman came on strong in the second half of the fight, showing a second wind that wasn’t present during his win over Paul Gonsalves in November, a clear sign of his improved conditioning, which Chatman felt would work to his advantage instead. With the win, Camacho is now firmly near – or at – the top of the list among the elite super middleweights in New England.

In the most complete performance of his career, unbeaten Cranston, R.I., welterweight Nick DeLomba (7-0, 1 KO) dominated Joe Wilson Jr. (3-2) of Hartford, Conn., showcasing power unseen in his previous fights en route to his first career stoppage.

After a back-and-forth opening round, DeLomba began turning up the pressure and eventually sent Wilson to the canvas midway through the second. Wilson got back to his feet and tried to reestablish his jab, but DeLomba continued to box effectively on angles while displaying impeccable footwork and earned the stoppage at the 2:59 mark of the third round Wilson’s corner threw in the towel.

Fighting for the first time in Rhode Island and for the first time under the guidance of new trainer Vinny Paz, Lawrence, Mass., cruiserweight Jean Pierre Augustin (4-0-1) fought to a 39-37, 38-38, 38-38 majority draw against New Haven, Conn., vet Solomon Maye (1-4-1).

The fight turned sloppy at times with Maye charging at Augustin and Augustin repeatedly backpedaling and tumbling through the ropes. Neither fighter gained much momentum at any point during the bout and Augustin could not keep his footing long enough to work the perimeter and use his superior height to his advantage.

New Bedford, Mass., junior middleweight Ray Oliveira Jr. (4-0, 2 KOs) kept his perfect record intact in the opening bout of the evening, outworking Providence’s Luis Felix (0-5) to earn a hard-fought unanimous decision win, 39-37, 40-36, 39-37.

Felix tried to circle the ring and keep Oliveira chasing him, but Oliveira cut the ring off effectively and landed the cleaner blows. Instead of being able to out-box Oliveira on the perimeter, Felix found himself in defense mode trying to throw punches while backpedaling. Oliveira closed out the fourth and final round in impressive fashion to earn his second win of 2015 and second since February.

Worcester, Mass., middleweight Khiary Gray-Pitts (6-0, 4 KOs) also remained unbeaten, making quick work of New Haven, Conn., veteran Greg McCoy (3-5). Gray-Pitts landed a clean right early in the opening round that briefly put McCoy on the canvas. McCoy popped back up immediately, but referee Joey Lupino stopped the bout at the 40-second mark to save McCoy from further punishment. Gray-Pitts has now won his last two fights by first-round knockout.

Also on the undercard, Freddy Sanchez (4-0, 3 KOs) earned an impressive win in his Twin River debut, bloodying New Bedford’s Briam Granado (1-1) via third-round knockout.

The hard-charging Granado fought valiantly against the taller Sanchez as the two exchanged blows through the first two rounds, but Sanchez began boxing circles around Granado and landing the cleaner shots, at times sending Granado tumbling backwards.

A hard, overhand right by Sanchez late in the second round opened a cut over Granado’s left eye. Granado survived that round, but began getting pummeled again in the third until he could no longer continue. The fight at ended at the 1:51 mark, the first loss of Granado’s career and Sanchez’s fourth consecutive win.