LAS VEGAS (May 19, 2016) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) today announced a complete, seven-bout preliminary fight card for its WSOF31: Ivanov vs. Copeland world heavyweight championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event, live on NBCSN at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT from Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn. on Friday, June 17.
The WSOF31 undercard lineup includes the promotional debut of heavyweight knockout artist Lorenzo Hood (9-3), who will square off with fellow finisher Tyler “The Marauder” King (10-4).
The 6-foot-3, 27-year-old Hood of Chicago, Ill. is a former professional football player turned MMA wrecking machine who has notched all 9 of his professional victories by way of (T)KO in the first round of battle.
King, a 6-foot-5, 35-year-old resident of North Attleboro, Mass. has earned 8 of his 10 career wins via (T)KO or submission. He is coming off a 51-second submission (heel hook) of Eric Bedard on April 16.
In another heavyweight contest, Juliano “Banana” Coutinho (7-2) of Cape Cod, Mass. via Rio de Janeiro, Brazil will look to secure his second straight victory when he faces off with Team AKA product Justin Willis (3-1) of San Jose, Calif.
Willis, who is riding a three-fight win streak, was originally slated to face Chris “Huggy Bear” Barnett on the main card portion of the bill.
Returning to the decagon cage for the fourth time, submission specialist Tom “Tommy Gunnz” Marcellino (7-4) of Amsterdam, N.Y. will take on Devin Powell (6-1) of South Berwick, Maine in one of three lightweight (155 pounds) matchups on the WSOF31 preliminary bout card.
Powell boasts won four straight fights, three by way of (T)KO or submission.
In welterweight (170 pounds) action, Robert Fonseca (10-3, 1 NC) of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil will seek his fourth consecutive victory when he squares off with Sean Lally (4-2) of Orleans, Mass.
Saul “The Spider” Almeida (18-6) of Boston, Mass. will make his third start in the decagon cage in a lightweight matchup with prolific power striker Bruce “Pretty Boy” Boyington of Bangor, Maine.
Thirty-year-old rising star Rodrigo “The Young Lion” Almeida of Woburn, Mass. will do battle with Ben Pierre-Saint (9-4) of Superior, Wisc. at bantamweight (135 pounds).
In the leadoff preliminary card fight, unbeaten Sam Watford (2-0) of Mount Vernon, N.Y. will face Christian “The Terminator” Torres (0-0) of Endicott, N.Y.
Priced from $39.99, tickets for WSOF31: Ivanov vs. Copeland are on sale at WSOF.com and Foxwoods.com.
Doors at The Grand Theatre at Foxwoods Resort Casino will open at 5 p.m. ET, and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 6 p.m.
In the live NBCSN televised main event, reigning world heavyweight champion Blagoy Ivanov (13-1) will risk his title against Josh “Cuddly Bear” Copeland (13-1) while, in the lightweight co-main event, superstars Jason “The Kansas City Bandit” High (19-5) and Mike “The Martian” Ricci (11-4) will square off with their division’s number one contender ranking at stake.
Elsewhere on the live NBCSN telecast, John “Doomsday” Howard (23-12) will make his highly-anticipated World Series of Fighting debut against submission expert Thiago “Minu” Meller (20-7) at welterweight.
In a featherweight (145 pounds) tilt between two prolific strikers, Luis “Baboon” Palomino (24-12) will battle former world championship challenger Sheymon Moraes (8-1).
ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING
“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 and follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries. WSOF and World Series of Fighting are registered trademarks of MMAWC, LLC.
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.
About Foxwoods® Resort Casino
Foxwoods Resort Casino is the premier resort destination 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.
