Fight week is here, and featherweight champion Georgi Karakhanyan (23-3-1) defends his title for the first time agains Rick Glenn (14-2) in the co-main event of “World Series of Fighting 10: Branch vs. Taylor.” The event takes place at Las Vegas’ Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Saturday, June 21 and will be televised live on NBCSN at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT local time).
The championship tripleheader topped by a main event of David Branch (13-3) vs. Jesse Taylor (27-9) for World Series of Fighting’s inaugural middleweight title, as well as the world’s no. 1 ranked women’s strawweight and current World Series of Fighting champion Jessica “Jag” Aguilar (17-4), who will defend her belt against Japanese contender Emi “The Kamikaze Angel” Fujino (13-7).??
Additionally, the main card will include intense matchups of lightweights Tyson Griffin (16-7) vs. Luiz “Buscape” Firmino (17-6) and featherweights Nick Lobosco (7-0) vs. Lance Palmer (7-1).
In the headlining bout of the WSOF.com-streamed preliminary fights, heavyweight sluggers Dave Huckaba and Derrick Mehmen will go toe-to-toe in an fight that is sure to produce fireworks.
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Georgi Karakhanyan
What are your thoughts and impressions of your next opponent, Rick Glenn?
“He deserves the title shot. He’s 2-0 in the World Series of Fighting. He’s long and lanky with a style like Erik Koch and Anthony Pettis. He has a great coach – Duke Roufus, whom I respect. My last two World Series of Fighting opponents, Waylon Lowe and Lance Palmer, were very tough and so is Rick Glenn. I don’t underestimate him but I’m coming into this fight with lots of confidence.”
Are you making any special preparations for Rick Glenn?
?”I’m just sparring with a lot of tall southpaws. This will be my fourth southpaw opponent and I think I’m a very bad match-up for southpaws because of my roundhouse kicks. I’m unbeaten versus southpaws (3-0).
“I’m going to stay on my game and come up with new things. You know, I don’t want to be a boring fighter; I want to put on an exciting show for the fans. I’ve put an extreme amount of time in this sport and I haven’t fought the way that I expect myself to fight. I keep going to the gym every day to become the fighter I’ve always visualized. I haven’t fought the way I want to fight.”
Where would you rank yourself among the world’s best featherweights?
“For sure Top 10, even Top 5. I’ve faced tougher opponents during my first two fights in World Series of Fighting than some guys in other organizations. I’m willing to take chances and I’m willing to fight all of the top guys to climb up the ladder.”
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Derrick Mehmen quotes & tweets:
“I’ve said it before, you can’t fix stupid,” Mehmen said in one of his tweets. “@Badmanhuckaba the 21st the world will see (how) delusional your really are.”
“After I whoop @BadmanHuckaba a**, who’s next? Might as well set that s*** up @MMAWorldSeries”
“He’s got some power in his hands and he’s a brawler,” said Mehmen, who has never been knocked out. “He doesn’t have a whole lot of technique or anything … but I’m impressed that he’s a tough guy. … He’s got a punchers chance. I’ve got the power, technique and I’m more well-rounded. I can take it to the ground if I want, but I don’t have to take it to the ground. He’s not taking me down. If I do take him down I’m going to dominate him. He’s got nothing for me on the ground, for sure. The only chance he has to win this fight is one lucky punch.”
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Dave Huckaba quotes:
“He’s got a big mouth really,” Huckaba said. “He’s badmouthed my family and me. He’s disrespectful to the sport. MMA is a sport of respect, man. It’s a sport of two men doing battle, it’s not about trash talking. He’s just a young kid that doesn’t know any better.
“He’s not even that good of a fighter, man. He’s got an overhand right and grappling and that’s about it.… I’m going to knock him out.”
Huckaba started training at 31 (no BJJ, wrestling, martial arts training prior)
“I mostly train in my garage and I still beat up top-level fighters. I still beat up people from the world’s biggest MMA gyms. There’s no other way to explain my success other than ‘heart’ and putting in the work. I’m just a gifted athlete.”
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 NBC Sports Network
NBC Sports Network, part of the NBC Sports Group, is dedicated to serving passionate sports fans. Now in more than 80 million homes, the network is the cable television home of the Summer and Winter Olympics, National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Soccer (MLS), IZOD IndyCar Series, Tour de France and the 34th America’s Cup, and beginning in 2013, the Premier League and Formula One. In addition, NBC Sports Network features college football, college basketball, college hockey, outdoor programming, horse racing surrounding the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup, Fight Night boxing, Ironman, the Dew Action Sports Tour and USA Sevens Rugby. The network is also home to original programs such as Costas Tonight, The Crossover, NFL Turning Point, Pro Football Talk and The Dan Patrick Show. NBC Sports Network is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.
About Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is Las Vegas’ off-strip playground, just minutes and less than three miles from McCarran International Airport. The premier destination entertainment resort is owned by Brookfield Real Estate Finance Fund II and managed by WG-Harmon, LLC, a subsidiary of Warner Gaming, LLC. Built in 1995, the property completed a $750 million expansion in 2010. Hard Rock Hotel & Casino offers an energetic entertainment and gaming experience with the services and amenities associated with a boutique luxury resort hotel. The property is known for its innovative nightlife and music scene where acts such as The Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi, Paul McCartney, Incubus, Foo Fighters, Carlos Santana, Mötley Crüe and Guns N’ Roses have all performed. Features of the property include an 11-story Casino Tower with 640 guest rooms, 17-story Paradise Tower with 490 rooms and suites and the all-suite HRH Tower with 359 suites, eight spa villas and seven penthouse suites; 72,000 square feet of casino space featuring Peacock High-Limit gaming and Asian gaming amenities; 80,000 square feet of flexible meeting and convention space; more than $4 million in rare music memorabilia; Body English Nightclub; Reliquary Water Sanctuary, Spa & Salon; 4.5 acres of tropical pool paradise housing world-famous pool parties REHAB Sunday and RELAX Monday; live music/entertainment venues The Joint and Vinyl; Hart & Huntington Tattoo Co.; restaurants Culinary Dropout, Nobu, The Ainsworth, 35 Steaks + Martinis, Pink Taco, Mr. Lucky’s Café and ?Fú; a state-of-the-art fitness center and trendsetting retailers John Varvatos, Affliction, Love Jones, Rocks The Jewelers and Rock Paper Photo. For room availability and additional information call 800.HRD.ROCK (800.473.7625) or visit hardrockhotel.com. Follow Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest news and updates.