TOKYO – March 7, 2016– RIZIN FF, the combat sports promotion led by former PRIDE FC head Nobuyuki Sakakibara, announced during a press conference, the signing of all-time Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) great Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva (35-12-1, 1 NC) to a multi-year promotional contract, as well as the first two bouts, one of which will feature Silva, for its second live event that will take place at the 10,000 capacity Nippon Gaishi Hall in Nagoya, Japan on Sunday, April 17.

Priced from 100,000 yen, tickets for “Top Presents RIZIN Fighting Federation I” are on sale and can be purchased online at TicketBis.com.

Silva, the former PRIDE middleweight champion and 2003 PRIDE Grand Prix middleweight champion, will team up with a fighter to be determined, in a special grappling “tag match,” the rules for which will be announced soon, and battle a duo consisting of another legend, Kazushi Sakuraba, (26-17-1, 2 NC) and Hideo Tokoro (33-28-2).

Following the April contest, Silva, who held several records under the PRIDE banner, including longest win streak and most KO’s, will compete under MMA rules in future RIZIN FF events.

In a 180 pound MMA rules contest, devastating power puncher Hisaki Kato (5-2) will take on fellow prolific finisher Yuta “Andre” Watanabe (19-6-4).

A former HEAT middleweight title holder, the 33-year-old Kato made an explosive debut before a live U.S. television audience on Spike when he scored what was later named “Knockout of the Month” – a crushing, second round (:34) KO (punch) on American star Joe “Stitch ‘Em Up” Schilling at Bellator 139 on June 26, 2015.

To date, all of Kato’s professional victories have come by way of (T)KO.

Watanabe is a 31-year-old grappling ace who boasts a splendid 84 percent finish rate, with 11 of his 19 career wins to date having come by way of submission and another 6 victories having come by way of (T)KO.

The number 10 ranked welterweight in Japan, Watanabe will make his first appearance of 2016 and look to rebound from a first round (2:00) submission (rear-naked choke) defeat at the hands of Keita Nakamura on July 20, 2015, a loss that halted a seven-fight win streak for Watanabe.

In two different women’s bouts, Rena Kubota (1-0 MMA, 31-5-1 shoot boxing) will square off an opponent to be named under shoot boxing rules, while decorated wrestler Kanako Murata (0-0) will make her highly-anticipated MMA debut against an opponent to be announced soon.

The 24-year-old Kubota is a three-time shoot boxing tournament champion who made her much-anticipated MMA debut in stunning fashion at the RIZIN FF New Year’s Eve extravaganza, where she notched a second round (3:31) submission victory over Jleana Valentino with a flying armbar.

The 22-year-old Murata’s impressive resume includes three junior Olympic medals. Her most impressive feat, however, came in 2011 when Murata nearly defeated four-time Olympic gold medalist Saori Yoshida during the All-Japan championships.

Additional bouts for “Top Presents RIZIN Fighting Federation I” will be announced soon.

Follow RIZIN FF:

Website – http://www.rizinff.com/en/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/rizinfightingfederation/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/rizin_PR

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (March 7th, 2016) — The self-proclaimed “most stubborn person in the world,” Chuck O’Neil admits he probably should’ve put brains over bravado and postponed his middleweight debut in October.

“There were just small regrets I made training-wise,” said O’Neil, who lost that night to Daniel Vizcaya on the main card of “CES MMA XXXI. “Made a couple of stupid decisions and probably should’ve pulled out of the fight, but, you know, you can’t control that now.

“You’ve got to kind of look forward and keep pushing forward.”

With the past behind him, O’Neil (15-8, 5 KOs) returns to the cage Friday night, again fighting on the main card of an AXS TV broadcast at Twin River Casino, when he faces the battle-tested Dennis Olson (14-10, 1 KO) at “CES MMA XXXIII.”

The fight against Vizcaya in October was O’Neil’s first since moving up from the 170-pound welterweight division to 185 pounds, allowing him to focus more on training and less on cutting weight. The downside was the ultra-competitive O’Neil overdid it and, what’s worse, failed to listen to his body when it began to break down.

Not one to make excuses, the Bridgewater, Mass., native brushed off the loss – his second in a row since a signature, 11-second knockout win over Emmanuel Walo in January – and entered his most recent training camp with a more mature outlook.

“Just training smarter,” he said. “Coach Diamond Dave [Keefe] is really smart on not overdoing it. I’m probably my own worst critic and I never think I’m working hard enough or pushing myself hard enough, so I’m staying in constant contact with him as far as what my training schedule is and what I’m doing and making sure I’m taking the ample recovery time to let my body heal and recover so I can put in my best effort.

“Come fight night, I’ll be 100 percent. I feel great. This is probably one of the best fight camps I’ve ever had in my whole career. I feel on point. I feel stronger than ever, my weight’s great, so this is going to be great.”

In Olson, O’Neil is facing a fighter on a similar downward spiral, a rugged, Amerst, N.H., vet who’s also lost his last two bouts. Like O’Neil, Olson is no stranger to big fights; his last bout was a highly publicized regional showdown against Brennan Ward at Bellator 144, which started with a heated stare down at the pre-fight weigh-in and ended with Ward knocking out Olson in the closing seconds of the opening round.

Instead of lamenting the missed opportunity, Ward analyzed both his loss to Ward and his previous loss to Paul Daley at Bellator 140 and hopes to implement a more effective strategy Friday against O’Neil.

“I learned I belong competing at the highest level,” Olson said, “but I still have room for improvement.

“I feel both off those fights could’ve gone either way, but if I can pick out any glaring needs for improvement it would be to take my time and maybe not rush the engagement so much, pick my shots and capitalize. Even though I lost, I still feel like the level of competition boosted my confidence big time.”

The other interesting angle in this fight, aside from the tremendous matchup on paper, is O’Neil and Olson are friends and former trainer partners – workout buddies, according to O’Neil.

“We’d go to the gym and lift together a lot,” he said.

Pleasantries aside, Olson acknowledged, “time goes on and relationships change,” and he hasn’t been shy about his desire to finish the fight fast, regardless of his respect for O’Neil.

“I know he’s been posting saying, ‘This is do or die,’ ‘This is life or death,’ and all this shit, but that’s not what this is, man,” O’Neil said. “You’re not going to kill me. Whatever. I sent him a message when this all came to fruition and just said, ‘Look, man, there’s no need for any disrespect. I don’t not like you.’ He expressed the same thing and I said let’s try to keep this as respectful as possible. No need for any of this bullshit.”

Though he’s been as diplomatic as possible, admitting O’Neil’s strength and conditioning will be a factor, Olson still took a jab at O’Neil’s passion for professional wrestling, suggesting via social media his opponent should “stick to glitter and elbow drops.”

“People like to criticize things they don’t understand,” said O’Neil, who moonlights as a wrestler on the regional circuit in between MMA fights. “They’re looking at it like, ‘Oh, you’re a professional MMA fighter. Why the hell are you doing pro wrestling?’ It’s something I’ve loved since I was a little kid. It’s something that’s fun. I don’t drink, I don’t do drugs, I don’t party. It’s something I do for fun and I have a lot of fun doing it and make a couple of bucks here and there, too, so I can’t really complain.

“If you think all I have is elbow drops and back body drops you’re going to have something else coming for you next Friday.”

O’Neil’s confident his streamlined approach to training camp will leave him feeling as close to 100 percent as possible come Friday thanks to the help of Keefe and his training partners at Tri-Force MMA and Tim Burrill’s Jiu-Jitsu. He’s the same fun-loving fighter with the unmistakable swagger, but perhaps a little smarter now that he’s in his 30s.

“I take really good care of my body,” he said. “I’m really big on strength and conditioning, making sure I’m always foam-rolling and making sure I’ve got the proper blood flow going through my muscular system, so, honestly, I feel better than I’ve ever felt in my life as far as carrying lean muscle mass, as far as feeling strong, durable, coupled with being smarter in training, I feel absolutely amazing.

“I’m healthy, there’s no injuries. Every day my dad texts me asking, ‘No injuries?’ He knows I’m stupid and I get hurt a lot of times. Sometimes it works out better than others. I feel great going into this fight.”

Tickets for “CES MMA XXXIII” are priced at $40.00, $55.00, $100.00 and $125.00 (VIP) and available for purchase online at www.cesmma.com, www.cagetix.com/ces, www.twinriver.com or www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at 401-724-2253/2254, or at the Twin River Casino Players Club. All fights and fighters are subject to change. The undercard begins at 7 p.m. ET with the first televised bout scheduled for 9.

Another champion, the 10th in the promotion’s history, will be crowned in the main event when Woonsocket, R.I., natives Andre Soukhamthath (9-3, 5 KOs) and Kody Norby (6-3) battle for the vacant CES MMA Bantamweight Title in a five-round bout, one of seven on the AXS TV main card.

The always-exciting Matt Bessette (16-7, 4 KOs) of Stafford, Conn., makes his third CES MMA appearance in a featherweight bout against Tito Jones (11-8, 4 KOs) of Panama City, Fla. Bessette is coming off a first-round submission win over Kevin Roddy at Bellator 144 in October after getting knocked out by Lenny Wheeler in his last CES MMA appearance in August.

The main card also features a heavyweight bout between Juliano Coutinho (6-2, 3 KOs) of Boston, by way Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and knockout artist Chaz Morgan (9-1, 7 KOs) of Hammond, La. Coutinho has not fought since April, when Steve Mocco snapped his six-fight win streak at World Series of Fighting 20 while Morgan is looking to avenge his first career loss at the hands of Alex Nicholson in August.

Also in the heavyweight division, Providence’s Greg Rebello (19-6, 11 KOs) puts his three-fight win streak on the line against Newport News, Va., vet Keith Bell (6-6, 4 KOs), who makes his second appearance with CES MMA and first since 2014. Rebello has become a primetime hit with the AXS TV audience, pummeling Tyler King in June and finishing Mike Mucitelli with a highlight-reel knockout in the first round of their scheduled three-round bout in October. The hard-hitting Bell is coming off a 26-second knockout win over Nathan Bryant in January.

Another familiar name with the AXS TV audience, former CES MMA titlist Julian Lane (9-5, 1 KO) of Mansfield, Ohio begins his comeback with a lightweight bout against the dangerous Nate Andrews (7-1, 4 KOs) of East Providence, R.I. Lane has lost back-to-back bouts since piecing together a three-fight win streak under the guidance of CES MMA, including a unanimous decision loss to current CES MMA Lightweight Champion Luis Felix in their rematch at “CES MMA XXX.” Andrews lost his national TV debut to Lane’s former stable mate, Gemiyale Adkins, in August of 2014, but bounced back at “CES MMA XXIX” with a first-round knockout win over Jay Bakanowski.

Rounding out the main card, Providence featherweight Joe Pingitore (5-2-1, 1 KO) makes his second AXS TV appearance in a rematch against Littleton, N.H., native Taylor Trahan (5-5). Pingitore defeated James Grant Murrin at “CES MMA XXIX,” but lost to Trahan via third-round submission in February of 2014. Trahan seeks his first win in his third try with CES MMA and his first overall since September of 2014.

The undercard of “CES MMA XXXIII” features three regional bouts, starring the return of Cranston, R.I., welterweight Gary Balletto Jr. (0-1), the son of former Rhode Island boxer Gary Balletto. Balletto Jr. lost his pro debut to Anthony Giacchina in August and will face New York’s Cruz Johnson, who makes his own debut following a brief, four-fight amateur career in which he finished 2-2.

Featherweight Matt Tullos of Norwood, Mass., makes his debut against Russian Alvi Mochigov (2-0), now fighting out of Fairfield, N.J., while flyweight Shane DeCristoforo (1-1, 1 KO) of Cranston faces Dover, N.J., native Noel Arcibal (1-1, 1 KO).

Visit www.cesmma.com, www.twitter.com/cesmma or www.facebook.com/ces.mma for more information and use the hashtag #CES33 to join the conversation.

— CES —

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (March 4th, 2016) — The challenge of balancing a full-time job in a competitive, fast-paced field with a career as a professional cage fighter is nothing new to Joe Pingitore.

In high school, Pingitore would work during the day for his father’s construction company and then train at night, sacrificing sleep for the thrill of competition after putting in more than eight hours of physical labor.

As a full-time emergency medical technician (EMT) for the past seven years, the Providence, R.I., continues to burn the candle at both ends, though the demands — and expectations — in both fields have increased dramatically over the past year and a half.

Pingitore (5-2, 1 KO) returns to the cage Friday, March 11th, 2016 in a rematch against New Hampshire featherweight Taylor Trahan (5-5), who beat him by submission 13 months ago, on the main card of “CES MMA XXXIII,” airing live on AXS TV at Twin River Casino, Pingitore’s third consecutive fight on national television.

“It’s tough, but mostly every fighter has another job in order to make ends meet. Mine is just a little bit more mentally wearing,” Pingitore said.

“I sometimes do two or three overnights in a week, wake up, and then by the time you get ready to go to that practice at 4 or 5 p.m. the next day, mentally you’re like, ‘I’d rather just stay home and be in bed.’

“Some weeks are worse than others as far as your workload,” he continued. “You never know what you’re going to get on a call or how many calls you’re going to get in a shift. Sometimes I work a day. Like Mondays, I’ll work a 16-hour shift, get out at 4 p.m. and get to practice at 6. Monday is a shitty day, but I pull through. I love what I’m doing and I love being on the ambulance, too, so it makes it easy. If I hated my job and had to do something like that, I don’t think I’d be able to do it.”

With the possibility of more highly-publicized fights and appearances on even bigger stages following his win over James Murrin at “CES MMA XXIX,” Pingitore has no choice but to continue his exhausting balancing act, a routine he admits has become easier to deal with, except during a full fight camp. The worst part? Cutting weight.

“No one realizes what it’s like to diet in that type of situation when you’re always on the road and the easiest thing to do is just pick up some fast food and keep going throughout your day,” he said. “The dieting thing really sucks and obviously when you’re cutting weight you don’t have as much energy as you’d like to. That turns into how you perform throughout your work day, but I make it work.”

Switching camps has helped make the process run more smoothly. After losing to Trahan last February, Pingitore began training at Tri-Force MMA in nearby Pawtucket, owned and operated by former regional standouts Keith and Pete Jeffrey.

“I’ve been improving leaps and bounds over there as far as skill-level goes. I’m doing one-on-ones with Pete Jeffrey two or three times a week now. Every little thing helps. We’ll see what happens next week.”

Three months after the Trahan fight, he agreed to face undefeated bantamweight prospect Darrion Caldwell, a formerNCAA national wrestling champion, at Bellator 141, a major step up in competition. Caldwell won by submission 1 minute, 32 seconds into the opening round and tonight faces former two-time Bellator champion Joe Warren in the main event of Bellator 151 in Oklahoma.

The result that night wasn’t what Pingitore had hoped for, but the experience under the bright lights helped him prepare for his eventual win over Murrin last summer.

“That Bellator fight was the first time I was ever on live TV. I fought a kid I think is going to win the world title at 135,” Pingitore said. “I think he’s going to beat Joe Warren. Fighting a kid like that on that stage, I took the fight not even knowing if I was going to win or not because the kid’s accolades are insane. It was more about seeing what it was like and see what that top level of competition is like, so I’m glad I took that fight.

“When it came time to fight Murrin on AXS TV, the transition was pretty easy.”

Trahan has been trending in the opposite direction. He’s lost four of his last five since beating Pingitore, but has remained active, appearing twice on televised CES MMA cards, and is convinced he’s improved since the aforementioned Pingitore bout despite the string of losses.

“I’ve been working a lot at being a well-rounded fighter and fighting Joe again would show that,” Trahan said. “As far as seeing improvement with Joe, I really haven’t looked at that. I’ve looked at his strengths and weaknesses and have been game-planning on that. I’m planning on a battle and I’m looking forward to March 11th.”

The first time the two fought, Trahan earned the submission via rear-naked choke in the third and final round. Pingitore, a known striker, felt confident on his feet, but lamented letting several opportunities to finish the fight slip through his fingertips.

“I was mostly on my end why he beat me,” Pingitore said. “I gave up my back four times in that fight and the last time I did he snuck in the rear naked on me. He capitalized.

“I knocked him down twice, but I didn’t finish him. I thought I put him out, but the bell saved him. He survived. This time, when I put him down I’m just going to go for broke.”

On March 11th, it’s up to Pingitore and Trahan to show who has improved the most since the last time they faced one another.

“That’s how it is. In the fight game, you’re always progressing,” Pingitore said. “Your styles change, everything changes. Like I said, when I go back and watch my earlier fights and then watch my last fight with Murrin, it’s two totally different fighters. I feel like it depends on who’s coaching you and what kind of game plan you have. I feel like my style has improved leaps and bounds.”

Tickets for “CES MMA XXXIII” are priced at $40.00, $55.00, $100.00 and $125.00 (VIP) and available for purchase online at www.cesmma.com, www.cagetix.com/ces, www.twinriver.com or www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at 401-724-2253/2254, or at the Twin River Casino Players Club. All fights and fighters are subject to change. The undercard begins at 7 p.m. ET with the first televised bout scheduled for 9.

Another champion, the 10th in the promotion’s history, will be crowned in the main event when Woonsocket, R.I., natives Andre Soukhamthath (9-3, 5 KOs) and Kody Norby (6-3) battle for the vacant CES MMA Bantamweight Title in a five-round bout, one of seven on the AXS TV main card.

The co-feature is a potential redemption story for two well-established regional standouts, Chuck O’Neil and Dennis Olson, both of whom who’ve starred on the sport’s biggest stage.

Fighting for the second time since making the jump from welterweight to middleweight, O’Neil (15-8, 5 KOs), a former Ultimate Fighter alum from Bridgewater, Mass., hopes to avenge a loss to Daniel Vizcaya in his 185-pound debut at “CES MMA XXXI” while four-time Bellator vet Olson (14-10, 1 KO), an Amherst, N.H., native fights for the first time since suffering a knockout loss to Brennan Ward at Bellator 144.

The always-exciting Matt Bessette (16-7, 4 KOs) of Stafford, Conn., makes his third CES MMA appearance in a featherweight bout against Tito Jones (11-8, 4 KOs) of Panama City, Fla. Bessette is coming off a first-round submission win over Kevin Roddy at Bellator 144 in October after getting knocked out by Lenny Wheeler in his last CES MMA appearance in August.

The main card also features a heavyweight bout between Juliano Coutinho (6-2, 3 KOs) of Boston, by way Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and knockout artist Chaz Morgan (9-1, 7 KOs) of Hammond, La. Coutinho has not fought since April, when Steve Mocco snapped his six-fight win streak at World Series of Fighting 20 while Morgan is looking to avenge his first career loss at the hands of Alex Nicholson in August.

Also in the heavyweight division, Providence’s Greg Rebello (19-6, 11 KOs) puts his three-fight win streak on the line against Newport News, Va., vet Keith Bell (6-6, 4 KOs), who makes his second appearance with CES MMA and first since 2014. Rebello has become a primetime hit with the AXS TV audience, pummeling Tyler King in June and finishing Mike Mucitelli with a highlight-reel knockout in the first round of their scheduled three-round bout in October. The hard-hitting Bell is coming off a 26-second knockout win over Nathan Bryant in January.

Another familiar name with the AXS TV audience, former CES MMA titlist Julian Lane (9-5, 1 KO) of Mansfield, Ohio begins his comeback with a lightweight bout against the dangerous Nate Andrews (7-1, 4 KOs) of East Providence, R.I. Lane has lost back-to-back bouts since piecing together a three-fight win streak under the guidance of CES MMA, including a unanimous decision loss to current CES MMA Lightweight Champion Luis Felix in their rematch at “CES MMA XXX.” Andrews lost his national TV debut to Lane’s former stable mate, Gemiyale Adkins, in August of 2014, but bounced back at “CES MMA XXIX” with a first-round knockout win over Jay Bakanowski.

The undercard of “CES MMA XXXIII” features three regional bouts, starring the return of Cranston, R.I., welterweight Gary Balletto Jr. (0-1), the son of former Rhode Island boxer Gary Balletto. Balletto Jr. lost his pro debut to Anthony Giacchina in August and will face New York’s Cruz Johnson, who makes his own debut following a brief, four-fight amateur career in which he finished 2-2.

Featherweight Matt Tullos of Norwood, Mass., makes his debut against Russian Alvi Mochigov (2-0), now fighting out of Fairfield, N.J., while flyweight Shane DeCristoforo (1-1, 1 KO) of Cranston faces Dover, N.J., native Noel Arcibal (1-1, 1 KO).

Visit www.cesmma.com, www.twitter.com/cesmma or www.facebook.com/ces.mma for more information and use the hashtag #CES33 to join the conversation.

Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents a pair of world-class live mixed martial arts events this weekend, beginning on Friday, March 4 at 10 p.m. ET, as RFA 36: Barcelos vs. Vannata emanates from Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in Prior Lake, Minnesota. Then, on Saturday, March 5 at 1 p.m. ET, Europe’s preeminent organization returns when KSW 34: New Order invades Hala Torwar in Warsaw, Poland.

RFA 36: Barcelos vs. Vannata will air live exclusively on Fight Network in Canada and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Meanwhile, KSW 34: New Order will be televised live on Fight Network in all territories, including the U.S.

Headlining RFA 36, featherweight champion Raoni Barcelos (9-1) will make the first defense of his title against undefeated prospect Landon Vannata (7-0). In other featured action, Melvin Blumer (12-3) meets Matt Murphy (5-5) in another high-octane featherweight bout, world-ranked flyweight Chico “The King” Camus (14-7, 1NC) joins RFA fresh off an eight-fight UFC stint and he faces three-time promotional vet Matt Brown (10-5), plus Reese Hernandez (14-3-2) takes on Kassius Holdorf (6-1) in welterweight action, Dan Moret (9-2) tangles with Josh Wick (5-1) in a featherweight tilt, plus Logan Storley (2-0) crosses paths with Lemetra Griffin (1-4) in a welterweight contest.

In the KSW 34: New Order main event, the heavyweight championship is up for grabs when beltholder Karol Bedorf (13-2) clashes with British veteran James McSweeney (15-13). In additional title bouts, Tomasz Narkun (11-2) meets Cassio de Oliveira (17-6-1) for the light heavyweight strap, while Artur Sowinski (16-7) and Fabiano Silva (26-6-1) vie for the promotion’s featherweight crown. In other action, Aslambek Saidov (17-4) takes on Yasubey Enomoto (14-6) at 170 pounds, Krzysztof Kulak (26-14-2) meets Maciej Jewtuszko (11-3) in an all-Polish welterweight showdown, plus Antoni Chmielewski (31-14) welcomes Bulgarian Svetoslav Savov (15-5) into enemy territory for their middleweight battle.

In addition to both live events, Fight Network presents live pre and post-fight coverage for UFC 196®: McGregor vs. Diaz, including the final press conference on Thursday, March 3 at 4 p.m. ET, the weigh-ins on Friday, March 4 at 7 p.m. ET, a live Pre-Show leading into the televised prelims on Saturday, March 5 at 7 p.m. ET, plus a live Post-Show immediately following Saturday’s pay-per-view broadcast.

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

03 March 2016 – Bangkok, Thailand: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), proudly announces its inaugural event in Thailand. Fight fans in Bangkok will be delighted to witness world-class mixed martial arts action live at the Impact Arena on 27 May 2016.

Led by new ONE Championship™ President of Thailand Kamol ‘Sukie’ Sukosol Clapp, ONE: KINGDOM OF CHAMPIONS is set to electrify an arena expected to be packed to the rafters. Headlining the fight card is former multiple-time Lumpinee champion and reigning ONE Strawweight World Champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke. Famous Thai bands Bodyslam and Big Ass are also set to provide explosive musical entertainment to the audience.

For the first time ever, ONE Championship™ will hold its unique brand of live mixed martial arts action deep in the heart of Bangkok. The Kingdom has a history steeped in a rich martial arts background, being the birthplace of Muay Thai. Also known as “The Art of Eight Limbs”, Muay Thai utilizes the eight major contact points of the body in hand-to-hand combat. It is one of MMA’s most widely-used disciplines and its origins can be traced back to 16th century Thailand.

Visit the official ONE: KINGDOM OF CHAMPIONS press conference photo gallery by clicking: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/yutd7qtdti4tf88/AAB5jNTn3HrNolDdhrJquUQia?dl=0.

President of ONE Championship™ Thailand, Kamol ‘Sukie’ Sukosol Clapp stated: “The Kingdom of Thailand has an undeniably rich martial arts history, and I am personally excited to bring ONE Championship™, the world’s most exciting MMA promotion and Asia’s largest sports media property, to fans in the country who have been patiently waiting for years. One of our greatest champions, Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke, cannot wait to return home and defend his belt in front of a hometown crowd.”

Thailand’s own Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke is a former multiple-time Lumpinee stadium champion. He is also the reigning, defending, ONE Strawweight World Champion. He is the first Thai national in history to claim a world championship in MMA. Dejdamrong has built a solid career in ONE Championship™, producing highlight reel finish after finish. His dominance has also proven absolute, having successfully defended his belt against a tough opponent in his last bout. Undefeated after six professional fights, Dejdamrong is delighted to showcase his skills as he returns home to defend his title in front of friends and family in Bangkok.

ONE Strawweight World Champion, Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke stated, “I have waited a long time for this. Coming home to Thailand and performing in front of my people has always been my greatest dream. Now, it’s become a reality. I vow to protect the title and bring the belt back home to Bangkok again as champion. It is an honor and a privilege to receive this opportunity.”

10 Live ONE events will officially be broadcasted throughout this year, aired every Saturday night beginning 12 March 2016 at 10:00pm on Thairath TV.

About Thairath TV
A household name familiar to all Thai news readers, Thairath is the most powerful daily newspaper in Thailand. With more than a million copies of consistent daily circulation since 1962, Thairath has established a strong foothold as a leader in Thai society for more than 60 years and counting. Dedicated, experienced, and skilled in delivering human-centric news and a variety of content relevant to the daily lives of Thais, Thairath reaches out to its massive reader base through both classic and cutting-edge channels. This includes print, websites, smartphone and tablet applications, SMS subscriptions, and social networks. Adding to its array of platforms, Thairath has also ventured into the broadcast business by officially joining the digital TV industry, creating and adding fresh perspectives to the Thai television industry through news and entertainment programs under the name “Thairath TV.” Since its launch in April 2014, Thairath TV has lifted the industry standard with innovative news presentation techniques including immersive graphics to help report compelling stories to the mass audience. Additionally, those cutting edge technologies are the main driving forces which put Thairath TV on top in live sport broadcasting. With these establishments and the eagerness to continue to grow, Thairath aims to eventually become a content provider on a global scale.

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship™ has partnered with FOX and STAR Sports for an unprecedented 10-year cable television deal with a coverage that spans 70+ countries across the world.

For Immediate Release – March 2, 2016
Fight Network Presents UFC 196®: McGregor vs. Diaz Pre & Post-Fight Coverage

Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents extensive pre and post-fight coverage for UFC 196®: McGregor vs. Diaz, which takes place on Saturday, March 5 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Fight Network is airing an original UFC 196®: McGregor vs. Diaz Pre-Show all week leading up to the welterweight superfight between featherweight kingpin Conor McGregor and longtime lightweight contender Nate Diaz. A bonus live UFC 196®: McGregor vs. Diaz Pre-Show will air at 7 p.m. ET leading into Saturday’s televised prelims.

In addition, Fight Network is airing the Zuffa LLC.-produced Countdown to UFC 196, an all-access look inside the lives of four fighters bracing for high-stakes showdowns in Las Vegas. Check listings for all airings of the UFC 196®: McGregor vs. Diaz Pre-Show and Countdown to UFC 196.

Fight Network’s live fight week coverage kicks off on Thursday, March 3 at 4 p.m. ET from the David Copperfield Theater at MGM Grand, as the stars of the main and co-main event of UFC 196 meet for the final UFC 196 pre-fight press conference.

The next day, Friday, March 4 at 5 p.m. ET, Fight Network delivers live coverage from the MGM Grand Garden Arena as the UFC launches its new campaign for 2016 with the Unstoppable press conference featuring some of the biggest stars in the UFC, including UFC president Dana White, champions Daniel Cormier, Demetrious Johnson and Luke Rockhold, plus top contenders Jon Jones, Henry Cejudo, Chris Weidman, Junior dos Santos, Ben Rothwell, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson.

Just two hours later on Friday, March 4 at 7 p.m. ET, Fight Network is the destination for the official live UFC 196®: McGregor vs. Diaz weigh-ins, as headliners Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz tip the scales ahead of their main event welterweight showdown.

Immediately following Saturday’s main card, Fight Network will broadcast a live UFC 196®: McGregor vs. Diaz Post-Show, including reactions, highlights, analysis and the live post-fight press conference from Las Vegas.

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

This Sunday, March 6 at 8 p.m. ET, Fight Network presents the Episode 4 premiere of the 10th season of The Ultimate Fighter®: Heavyweights, featuring Roy Nelson, Kimbo Slice, Brendan Schaub, Matt Mitrione and more. The episode will lead into a full encore presentation of UFC 135®: Jones vs. Rampage from September 2011 in Denver, Colorado, which featured a light heavyweight championship clash between titleholder Jon Jones and former champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, plus Josh Koscheck vs. Matt Hughes, Mark Hunt vs. Ben Rothwell, Travis Browne vs. Rob Broughton and Nate Diaz vs. Takanori Gomi.

The full card for UFC 196®: McGregor vs. Diaz includes:

Main Card (Live on PPV, 10 p.m. ET):
-Conor McGregor (19-2) vs. Nate Diaz (19-10)
-Holly Holm (10-0) vs. Miesha Tate (17-5) – UFC women’s bantamweight title
-Gian Villante (14-6) vs. Ilir Latifi (12-4, 1NC)
-Corey Anderson (8-1) vs. Tom Lawlor (9-5, 1NC)
-Amanda Nunes (11-4) vs. Valentina Shevchenko (12-1)

Preliminary Card (Live on TSN2, 8 p.m. ET):
-Brandon Thatch (11-3) vs. Siyar Bahadurzada (21-6-1)
-Erick Silva (18-6, 1NC) vs. Nordine Taleb (10-3)
-Vitor Miranda (12-4) vs. Marcelo Guimaraes (9-1-1)
-Darren Elkins (20-5) vs. Chas Skelly (15-1)

Preliminary Card (Live on UFC Fight Pass, 6:30 p.m. ET):
-Diego Sanchez (27-8) vs. Jim Miller (25-6, 1NC)
-Jason Saggo (10-2) vs. Justin Salas (12-6)
-Julian Erosa (15-3) vs. Teruto Ishihara (8-2-2)

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

Las Vegas – Two world titles will be on the line when UFC® returns to Las Vegas, as the only two champions in the light heavyweight division over the last five years will once again collide when champion Daniel Cormier defends his title against bitter rival Jon Jones in the main event of UFC 197®: CORMIER vs. JONES 2. The co-main event features the only champion in flyweight history, Demetrious Johnson, and Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo in a 125-pound title showdown. The event takes place in Las Vegas on Saturday, April 23 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

When Cormier (17-1, fighting out of San Jose, Calif.) and Jones (21-1, fighting out of Endicott, N.Y.) meet for the second time, there will be more than a world title on the line. Cormier is looking to cement his place as the undisputed light heavyweight champion in the world and avenge the only loss of his professional career. Jones makes his return with his sights set on the belt he never lost in the Octagon. The former champion, who is widely regarded as one of the best fighters in the history of the sport, looks to prove he’s still the best in the world and take what he feels is rightfully his.

In the co-main event, Johnson (22-2-1, fighting out of Parkland, Wash.) will put his flyweight title on the line for the eighth time against undefeated No. 3 contender Cejudo (10-0, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz.). “Mighty Mouse” is one of the most dominant champions in UFC history, ranked No. 2 on the pound-for-pound list, and a win would tie him for third all-time with Jon Jones with eight consecutive title defenses. Cejudo became the youngest American wrestler to win a gold medal at 21 years old at the 2008 Games in Beijing. A win against Johnson would cement his place as one of the best combat sports athletes in the world.

Also, two of the lightweight division’s most exciting athletes clash as former world champion and current No. 3 Anthony “Showtime” Pettis (18-4, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.) meets No. 8 Edson Barboza (16-4, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). The two striking sensations have combined for 20 knockouts and some of the flashiest and most lethal kicks in mixed martial arts. An early contender for Fight of the Night, both Pettis and Barboza are looking for a big win to put them closer to the top of arguably the most stacked division in the sport.

Additional bouts:
· One of the middleweight division’s top prospects, No. 8 Robert Whittaker (16-4, fighting out of Sydney, Australia) collides with seasoned veteran No. 13 Rafael Natal (21-6-1, fighting out of New York, N.Y.).
· Two of the featherweight division’s brightest young prospects meet as Yair Rodriguez (7-1, fighting out of Chicago, Ill.) and Andre Fili (15-3, fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.) look to continue their climb up the 145-pound ladder.
· No. 13 Jessica Aguilar (19-5, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) and No. 12 Juliana Lima (8-2, fighting out of Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil) meet in a battle of top strawweight contenders.
· Standout strikers Marcos Rogerio De Lima (13-4-1, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) and Clint Hester (11-5, fighting out of Atlanta, Ga.) clash in a middleweight bout.
· Undefeated lightweight prospect James Vick (7-0, fighting out of Fort Worth, Texas) meets versatile Brazilian Glaico Franca (14-3, fighting out of Balneario Camboriu, Santa Catarina, Brazil).
· Submission specialist Efrain Escudero (25-10, fighting out of Tempe, Ariz.) meets Las Vegas’ own Kevin Lee (11-2, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) in a 155-pound bout.
· Dynamic finisher Danny Roberts (12-1, fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla.) and knockout artist Dominique Steele (14-6, fighting out of Cincinnati, Ohio.) face off in a welterweight clash.

Tickets for UFC 197®: CORMIER vs. JONES 2 go on sale Friday, March 4 at 10 a.m. PT and are priced at $850, $600, $400, $300, $200 and $100 (prices do not include applicable service charges and handling fees). Tickets are available for purchase online at www.ticketmaster.com and by phone at (800) 745-3000. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person.

UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, March 2 at 10 a.m. PT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, March 3 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC197®: CORMIER vs. JONES 2 will be available live on Pay-Per-View on Saturday, April 23 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on UFC.TV, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Vubiquity, and in Canada on BellTV, Rogers, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Canal Indigo for a suggested retail price of $49.99 US/CAN for Standard Definition and $59.99 US/CAN for High-Definition.

About UFC®
UFC® is a premium global sports brand and the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Sao Paulo and Singapore, 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 over 150 countries and territories to more than one billion TV households worldwide in 21 different languages. UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service, delivers exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content to fans around the world. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

About MGM Grand

MGM Grand Hotel & Casino is “The Entertainment Authority,” creating the ultimate Las Vegas experience. A variety of accommodations serve every need while guests discover signature dining by celebrity chefs including Tom Colicchio’s Craftsteak, Michael Mina’s PUB 1842, Wolfgang Puck’s Bar & Grill and Michelin three star restaurant, Joël Robuchon. The resort offers a wide-range of world-class entertainment at the MGM Grand Garden Arena; the epic KÀ by Cirque du Soleil; world-famous dance crew Jabbawockeez; master illusionist David Copperfield; Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club; and Hakkasan Las Vegas in addition to a pampering spa and salon and an elaborate 380,000-square-foot conference center. MGM Grand is a wholly owned subsidiary of MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM). For more information and reservations, visit mgmgrand.com, call toll free at (877) 880-0880 or find us on Facebook and Twitter or follow our blog.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (March 2nd, 2016) — A fight more than six years in the making has finally become a reality, and now it’ll be showcased in front of a national television audience.

CES MMA will crown its 10th champion on Friday, March 11th, 2016 on AXS TV when Rhode Island rivals Andre Soukhamthath and Kody Norby battle for the promotion’s vacant bantamweight title in the five-round main event of “CES MMA XXXIII” at Twin River Casino.

Soukhamthath (9-3, 5 KOs) and Nordby (6-3) aren’t just from the same state; they graduated from the same high school, Woonsocket High in northern Rhode Island, less than 20 miles from the capital city of Providence. Though they graduated five years apart, both were accomplished high school wrestlers and both began their professional careers within four months of one another, at which point their rivalry began.

Prior to his last bout at “CES MMA XXXII,” in which he defeated Derek Shorey in 41 seconds, Nordby admitted he’s wanted to fight Soukhamthath since he turned pro in 2012 and promised he’d call out his adversary if he won that night. Soukhamthath, who last fought on the main card of “CES MMA XXXI” with a win over Carlos Galindo, gladly accepted the challenge, adding that he’d like to shut Nordby up next Friday.

Tickets for “CES MMA XXXIII” are priced at $40.00, $55.00, $100.00 and $125.00 (VIP) and available for purchase online at www.cesmma.com, www.cagetix.com/ces, www.twinriver.com or www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at 401-724-2253/2254, or at the Twin River Casino Players Club. All fights and fighters are subject to change. The undercard begins at 7 p.m. ET with the first televised bout scheduled for 9.

The accomplished Soukhamthath has reason to be confident. After losing his pro debut in 2011, the Woonsocket native won his next seven under the guidance of CES MMA, the second-longest win streak in the promotion’s history. Nordby, meanwhile, is a breakthrough star in the making, starting with his surprise win over the red-hot Dinis Paiva at “CES MMA XXXI” in which he ended Paiva’s four-fight win streak via first-round submission. Nordby, who now fights out of nearby Cumberland, has now won three consecutive fights since his last loss in August of 2014, upping his record from 3-3 to 6-3, and has finished each of his last three opponents in the opening round.

The Nordby-Soukhamthath main event is one of seven fights scheduled for the main card on AXS TV. The co-feature is a potential redemption story for two well-established regional standouts, Chuck O’Neil and Dennis Olson, both of whom who’ve starred on the sport’s biggest stage.

Fighting for the second time since making the jump from welterweight to middleweight, O’Neil (15-8, 5 KOs), a former Ultimate Fighter alum from Bridgewater, Mass., hopes to avenge a loss to Daniel Vizcaya in his 185-pound debut at “CES MMA XXXI” while four-time Bellator vet Olson (14-10, 1 KO), an Amherst, N.H., native fights for the first time since suffering a knockout loss to Brennan Ward at Bellator 144.

The always-exciting Matt Bessette (16-7, 4 KOs) of Stafford, Conn., makes his third CES MMA appearance in a featherweight bout against Tito Jones (11-8, 4 KOs) of Panama City, Fla. Bessette is coming off a first-round submission win over Kevin Roddy at Bellator 144 in October after getting knocked out by Lenny Wheeler in his last CES MMA appearance in August.

The main card also features a heavyweight bout between Juliano Coutinho (6-2, 3 KOs) of Boston, by way Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and knockout artist Chaz Morgan (9-1, 7 KOs) of Hammond, La. Coutinho has not fought since April, when Steve Mocco snapped his six-fight win streak at World Series of Fighting 20 while Morgan is looking to avenge his first career loss at the hands of Alex Nicholson in August.

Also in the heavyweight division, Providence’s Greg Rebello (19-6, 11 KOs) puts his three-fight win streak on the line against Newport News, Va., vet Keith Bell (6-6, 4 KOs), who makes his second appearance with CES MMA and first since 2014. Rebello has become a primetime hit with the AXS TV audience, pummeling Tyler King in June and finishing Mike Mucitelli with a highlight-reel knockout in the first round of their scheduled three-round bout in October. The hard-hitting Bell is coming off a 26-second knockout win over Nathan Bryant in January.

Another familiar name with the AXS TV audience, former CES MMA titlist Julian Lane (9-5, 1 KO) of Mansfield, Ohio begins his comeback with a lightweight bout against the dangerous Nate Andrews (7-1, 4 KOs) of East Providence, R.I. Lane has lost back-to-back bouts since piecing together a three-fight win streak under the guidance of CES MMA, including a unanimous decision loss to current CES MMA Lightweight Champion Luis Felix in their rematch at “CES MMA XXX.” Andrews lost his national TV debut to Lane’s former stable mate, Gemiyale Adkins, in August of 2014, but bounced back at “CES MMA XXIX” with a first-round knockout win over Jay Bakanowski.

Rounding out the main card, Providence featherweight Joe Pingitore (5-2-1, 1 KO) makes his second AXS TV appearance in a rematch against Littleton, N.H., native Taylor Trahan (5-5). Pingitore defeated James Grant Murrin at “CES MMA XXIX,” but lost to Trahan via third-round submission in February of 2014. Trahan seeks his first win in his third try with CES MMA and his first overall since September of 2014.

The undercard of “CES MMA XXXIII” features three regional bouts, starring the return of Cranston, R.I., welterweight Gary Balletto Jr. (0-1), the son of former Rhode Island boxer Gary Balletto. Balletto Jr. lost his pro debut to Anthony Giacchina in August and will face New York’s Cruz Johnson, who makes his own debut following a brief, four-fight amateur career in which he finished 2-2.

Featherweight Matt Tullos of Norwood, Mass., makes his debut against Russian Alvi Mochigov (2-0), now fighting out of Fairfield, N.J., while flyweight Shane DeCristoforo (1-1, 1 KO) of Cranston faces Dover, N.J., native Noel Arcibal (1-1, 1 KO).

Visit www.cesmma.com, www.twitter.com/cesmma or www.facebook.com/ces.mma for more information and use the hashtag #CES33 to join the conversation.

SANTA MONICA (March 2, 2016) –Bellator MMA is pleased to announce that one of the most popular, recognizable and beloved fighters in the sport of mixed martial arts, Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva (35-12-1), has signed an exclusive multi-year, multi-fight contract with the promotion. The 39-year-old publicly fielded offers from companies all around the world, but the former Pride FC Middleweight Champion made the decision to take his explosive style to Bellator MMA.

“The Axe Murderer” has fought in some of the most memorable feuds and battles the sport has ever seen. His wars with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Tito Ortiz, Mirko Cro Cop, Vitor Belfort, Dan Henderson, Kazushi Sakuraba, Chuck Liddell, and Michael Bisping are the stuff of legend – but Silva is far from ready to close the book on his illustrious career.

In addition to his Pride FC Middleweight World Championship, Silva’s packed trophy case of accolades includes awards for Fight of the Year (2003, 2004, 2007), KO of the Year (2008), and multiple Fight of the Night awards including one for each of his last three fights, just to name a few. He now looks to continue to provide his award-winning, entertaining fights inside the Bellator cage.

Silva has several options for his first fight with Bellator. Although he has spent the majority of his career at 185-pounds, one of the things that his fans love most about him has been Wanderlei’s willingness to fight the best of the best – even if it was up two weight classes at heavyweight – as proven by his heavyweight wars against guys like Mark Hunt, Gilbert Yvel, Kazuyuki Fujita and Cro Cop; Or, his battles against light heavyweights like Ortiz, and his most recent opponent, Brian Stann, who he knocked out in the second frame.

Silva is the latest in a long line of recent free agent signings made by Scott Coker and Bellator MMA. The former Chute Box competitor joins: Josh Thomson, Phil Davis, Benson Henderson, Sergei Kharitonov and Anastasia Yankova on a roster with champions the likes of: Marcos Galvao, Daniel Straus, Will Brooks, Andrey Koreshkov, Rafael Carvalho, Liam McGeary and Vitaly Minakov,

About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About Spike:
Spike is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (March 1, 2016) – The co-main event for “Bellator 153: Koreshkov vs. Henderson” is set, with the news that Patricio “Pitbull” Freire (24-3) will compete against John “Macapa” Teixeira (19-1-2) in featherweight action on April 22 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

In addition, Connecticut’s own “Irish” Brennan Ward (13-3) returns to action in his home state fresh off an impressive victory in Japan, when he welcomes Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos (20-16) into the Bellator MMA fray at 170-pounds.

The two bouts join a main event that features the highly anticipated Bellator debut of Benson “Smooth” Henderson (23-5), as he challenges welterweight champion Andrey Koreshkov (18-1) for his belt. Four preliminary bouts were also announced; additional contests will be added in the coming weeks.

Tickets for “Bellator 153: Koreshkov vs. Henderson” start at just $30 and are on sale now at Bellator.com, Ticketmaster.com and the Mohegan Sun Box Office. The event airs live and free on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App.

For “Pitbull,” a fight on April 22 is the first step back towards a shot at Daniel Straus’ featherweight title, a belt that Freire held before the two met at “Bellator 145: With A Vengeance.” At 28 years of age and with already 15 fights under the Bellator MMA banner, the Natal-native has been victorious in seven out of his last eight outings and emphatically finished Daniel Weichel in what was a knockout of the year candidate in 2015.

Undefeated in Bellator MMA, including an entertaining victory his last time out against Gleristone Santos; “Macapa” has not suffered defeat since 2012. A product of the highly regarded Nova Uniao team, Teixeira has previously competed in the UFC, where he was a competitor on “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil.” April 22 will only be the fourth time the 29-year-old has fought outside of Brazil.

For Ward, fighting at the Mohegan Sun is like competing in his own backyard. Located 10 miles from his home in New London, Conn., “Irish” has won four times at the Mohegan Sun, all by finish with three KOs and one submission. Most recently, the 27-year-old former NCAA All-American moved up in weight and submitted former heavyweight Ken Hasegawa in Japan while representing Bellator MMA during Rizin FF’s inaugural event this past December. The win brought Ward’s current winning streak to five fights, all coming by way of finish.

Best known to fans as “Cyborg,” Santos enters the Scott Coker-led promotion fresh off a win already in 2016. A veteran of Pride FC and Strikeforce, “Cyborg” has been involved in some memorable tussles against names the likes of: Nick Diaz, Gegard Mousasi, Francis Carmont, and Melvin Manhoef (2x). Now, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt will turn his attention to one of Bellator MMA’s fastest rising stars.

“Bellator 153: Koreshkov vs. Henderson” Updated Fight Card:

Bellator MMA Welterweight World Title Bout: Andrey Koreshkov (18-1) vs. Benson Henderson (23-5)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Co-Main Event: Patricio Freire (24-3) vs. John Teixeira (19-1-2)
Bellator MMA Welterweight Feature Bout: Brennan Ward (13-3) vs. Evangelista Santos (20-16)

Preliminary Card:

Bellator MMA Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Sam Watford (1-0) vs. Dean Hancock (2-0)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Chris Foster (8-4) vs. Felipe Lavandoski (5-0)
Bellator MMA Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Jason Bakanowski (3-2) vs. T.J. Hepburn (4-2)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Pete Rogers (2-3) vs. Mike Mangan (0-3)

About Bellator MMA:
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About Spike:
Spike is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (February 29, 2016) – This Friday, Bellator MMA returns to Spike for the third consecutive Friday with “Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell.” The event takes place from the WinStar World Casino & Resort in Thackerville, OK, and features a main event between highly touted undefeated bantamweight Darrion Caldwell (8-0) challenging former two-division world champion and the self-proclaimed “Baddest Man on the Planet” Joe Warren (13-4).
Tickets for “Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” are on sale now and start at just $45. You can purchase tickets at the WinStar World Casino and Resort Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com. Doors for the event open at 5:00 p.m. CT local time, with the first contest taking place 45 minutes later.

“Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” airs live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App.. Additional bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.

Joe Warren (13-4) vs. Darrion Caldwell (8-0)
Warren has just about done it all under the Bellator MMA banner, winning titles at featherweight and bantamweight during his nearly six-year promotional tenure. Now, Warren has his sights set on another run with the 135-pound title, a belt he lost during an intense encounter with Marcos Galvao early in 2015. A 2006 Pan American and World Champion in Greco-Roman competition, the 39-year-old will test himself against a young competitor who excels in the same skillset that Warren has used to his advantage for most of his career, wrestling.

With five impressive outings in a little over a year and a half under the Bellator MMA umbrella, it was only a matter of time before “The Wolf” found himself in a position to compete for a world title. The next stop on the road to championship gold goes through Warren, a man who has held Galvao’s belt already. A standout on the wrestling team at NC State University, the 27-year-old Caldwell most recently submitted Shawn Bunch via rear-naked choke in the first frame, adding to his tally of finishes (4). Initially a featherweight, Caldwell looks much more comfortable now at 135-pounds and as he proclaimed during a recent interview, “I foresee myself competing against Joe [Warren] with a No. 1 contender shot on the line, sooner rather than later.”

Fernando Gonzalez (24-13) vs. Gilbert Smith (12-4)
Gonzalez took a brief hiatus from MMA to compete in the kickboxing portion of the groundbreaking “Bellator MMA: Dynamite 1” event in September, losing a tightly contest decision to world-renowned striker Paul “Semtex” Daley. Gonzalez now returns to his comfort zone of MMA, where he has strung together an impressive four-fight winning streak. A veteran of the Scott Coker-founded Strikeforce promotion, as well as World Extreme Cagefighting, Gonzalez has been competing professionally since 2003.

Smith will be making his Bellator MMA debut against a fighter who is currently in the midst of a four-fight winning streak. “Midnight Magic” is on a bit of a roll of his own, coming into the promotion riding a two-bout winning streak. A veteran of UFC and most recently RFA, Smith won the regional promotion’s welterweight belt in June, defending the title one time before signing with Bellator.

Goiti Yamauchi (19-2) vs. Bubba Jenkins (10-2)
Yamauchi comes into the fight riding a wave of momentum he’s caught after wins against Mike Richman, Martin Stapleton, and Isao Kobayashi. The 23-year-old Japanese fighter has only lost once in six appearances under the Bellator MMA banner and has notched 15 of his 19 wins as a professional by way of submission.

It’s hard to ignore Jenkins inside or outside the Bellator MMA cage, being that “The Highlight Kid” also doubles as a podcast host during his free time. The Arizona State alum notched two straight wins to cap off 2015, most recently, an impressive offensive display against a promising prospect in Jordan Parsons.

Sirwan Kakai (12-3) vs. Joe Taimanglo (21-6-1)
Taimanglo will be making his seventh appearance under the Bellator MMA umbrella, and is riding a two-fight winning streak. A Guam-native, “The Juggernaut” has stopped his opponent in 21 of his victories and has only lost twice in his last 14 fights. Look for the 31-year-old to make an impression against the bantamweight division’s newest commodity.

Kakai is one of Bellator MMA’s latest signings, joining the fray after a two-fight stint in the UFC. “Zohan,” 26, hails from Sweden and owns 10 finishes in his 12 victories as a professional fighter. With a bantamweight title fight one-week prior and another marquee 135-pound pairing in the main event, it will be interesting to see what a win does for Kakai in the grand scheme of things.

Complete “Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” Fight Card:

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Main Event: Joe Warren (13-4) vs. Darrion Caldwell (8-0)
Bellator MMA Welterweight Co-Main Event: Gilbert Smith (12-4) vs. Fernando Gonzalez (24-13)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Goiti Yamauchi (19-2) vs. Bubba Jenkins (10-2)
Bellator MMA Bantamweight Feature Bout: Sirwan Kakai (12-3) vs. Joe Taimanglo (21-6-1)

Preliminary Card:

Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Roger Carroll (16-13) vs. Neiman Gracie (3-0)
Bellator MMA Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Steve Garcia (6-0) vs. Ricky Turcios (5-0)
Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Justin Patterson (6-1) vs. Chance Rencountre (8-1)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Chris Jones (10-3) vs. Ray Wood (5-1)
Bellator MMA Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Derek Palmer (Debut) vs. Jermayne Barnes (0-1)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Steven Peterson (13-4) vs. Stephen Banaszak (5-5)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Treston Thomison (8-4) vs. Aaron Roberson (5-3)

B151_18x24_tunein
About Bellator MMA:
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About Spike:
Spike is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

NEW YORK (Feb. 25, 2016) – Noted mixed martial arts journalist L. Jon Wertheim takes an in-depth and personal look at how Holly Holm, a barely known underdog, was able to knock out women’s MMA queen Ronda Rousey. In the piece, Wertheim visits Jackson Wink MMA Academy in Albuquerque, N.M., the home of Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn. Wertheim investigates how the world-renowned trainers helped guide Holm to victory last November and have established their once-unheralded outpost in Albuquerque as a mecca for some of the best MMA fighters in the world.

Wertheim’s report appears on the next edition of 60 MINUTES SPORTS, premiering Tuesday, March 1 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME. Nathalie Sommer is the producer.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Apple®, Roku®, Amazon and Google. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Hulu, Sony PlayStation® Vue and Amazon Prime Video. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™, and offers Smithsonian Earth™ through SN Digital LLC. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.

Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents a blockbuster megafight this Saturday, Feb. 27 at 4 p.m. ET, as the UFC Fight Night™: Silva vs. Bisping main card emanates from the 02 Arena in London, England.

Fight Network will air the live UFC Fight Night™: Silva vs. Bisping main card exclusively in Canada at 4 p.m. ET, preceded by a live pre-show at 3 p.m. ET.

In the main event, the most celebrated fighter in mixed martial arts history makes his long awaited Octagon return as former middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva (34-6) looks to reestablish his foothold in the middleweight division when he enters enemy territory for a clash with popular British veteran Michael Bisping (28-7). In the co-feature attraction, top 10 contenders collide when former Strikeforce champion Gegard Mousasi (37-6-2) tangles with Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Thales Leites (25-5) in a middleweight duel. Rounding out the star-studded broadcast, undefeated Englishman Tom Breese (9-0) takes on Japanese standout Keita Nakamura (31-6-2) in a welterweight pairing, while London’s own Brad “One Punch” Pickett (24-11) faces Californian Francisco Rivera (11-5) in a bantamweight bout.

Fight Network’s original one-hour UFC Fight Night™: Silva vs. Bisping Pre-Show has been airing all week leading up to the event. Check listings for airings. A bonus live UFC Fight Night™: Silva vs. Bisping Pre-Show will air at 3 p.m. ET leading into Saturday’s main card.

Before they enter the Octagon, Fight Network is your destination for the official live UFC Fight Night™: Silva vs. Bisping weigh-ins on Friday, Feb. 26 at 11 a.m. ET, as headliners Anderson Silva and Michael Bisping tip the scales ahead of their salivating main event showdown.

Immediately following Saturday’s main card, Fight Network will broadcast a live UFC Fight Night™: Silva vs. Bisping Post-Show, including reactions, highlights, analysis and the live post-fight press conference from London.

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

This Sunday, Feb. 7 at 8 p.m. ET, Fight Network presents the Episode 3 premiere of the 10th season of The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights, featuring Roy Nelson, Kimbo Slice, Brendan Schaub, Matt Mitrione and many more. The episode will lead into a full encore presentation of UFC 182: Jones vs. Cormier from Jan. 3, 2015 in Las Vegas, which featured a light heavyweight championship superfight between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier, plus perennial contender Donald Cerrone looks to spoil Myles Jury’s perfect professional run.

The full card for UFC Fight Night™: Silva vs. Bisping includes:

Main Card (Live on Fight Network, 4 p.m. ET):
-Anderson Silva (34-6) vs. Michael Bisping (28-7)
-Gegard Mousasi (37-6-2) vs. Thales Leites (25-5)
-Tom Breese (9-0) vs. Keita Nakamura (31-6-2, 1NC)
-Francisco Rivera (11-5, 1NC) vs. Brad Pickett (25-11)

Preliminary Card (Live on UFC Fight Pass, 12:45 p.m. ET):
-Mike Wilkinson (9-1) vs. Makwan Amirkhani (12-2)
-Davey Grant (9-2) vs. Marlon Vera (7-2-1)
-Scott Askham (13-2) vs. Chris Dempsey (11-3)
-Arnold Allen (10-1) vs. Yaotzin Meza (21-10, 1NC)
-Bradley Scott (10-3) vs. Krzysztof Jotko (16-1)
-Norman Parke (22-4-1) vs. Rustam Khabilov (17-3)
-Daniel Omielanczuk (17-5-1, 1NC) vs. Jarjis Danho (6-0)
-Teemu Packalen (7-1) vs. Thibault Gouti (11-0)

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

Another sold out/standing-room-only show is taking shape as San Fernando Valley’s only live Professional MMA show returns to the legendary Sportsmen’s Lodge Event Center in Studio City, California on Friday, March 4, 2016. And this time, the boys at Lights Out Promotions and Bash Entertainment are dusting off the California Xtreme Fighting (CXF) banner to fly over the warriors in the cage of the Sportsmen’s Lodge in Studio City.

Many of Southern California’s top fighters have cut their teeth under the CXF Banner including Joe Schilling, Jared Hamman, Tony Ferguson, Joe Condon, Jared Papazian, Francisco Rivera, Aaron Miller, and others. Since CXF’s last event many promoters have tried to fill the void, but none have been able to. “The Return” of CXF has one purpose: to bring together some of Southern California’s top mixed martial arts talent under the same roof for one explosive show.

Here is the stacked card planned for “CXF: The Return” on March 4th at Sportsmen’s Lodge in Studio City:

Pablo Sabori vs Karen Darabedyan – 155 lbs
Shohei Yamamoto vs Erick Gonzalez – 170 lbs
Izic Fernandez vs Marcos Bonilla – 145 lbs
Mosses Murrieta vs John Gendron – 185 lbs
Matthew Spencer vs Idris Wasi – 185 lbs
Bobby Sanchez vs Derrion Chapman – 145 lbs
Taylor Alfaro vs Kyler Phillips – 145 lbs
Chase Gibson vs A.J. Bryant – 145 lbs
Brad Robinson vs Andryii Vasylenko – 220lbs
Keith Cutrone vs Edgar Khachatryan – 185 lbs
Tigran Grigoryan vs Joshua Jones – 170 lbs

“CXF: The Return” presented by In Sync Productions, Lights Out Promotions, and Bash Entertainment, takes place on Friday, March 4, 2016 at Sportsmen’s Lodge Event Center located at 4234 Coldwater Canyon Ave. (cross street Ventura Blvd.) in Studio City, California.

Tickets can be purchased online at
www.valleyfightnight.com or
by calling (626) 388-8888.

Tickets start at $50 for General Admission.

A limited number of VIP bottle service tables are also available.

Doors Open at 6:30pm; First Bout at 7:00pm. All bouts are subject to change.

MONTE CARLO, Monaco (February 25, 2016)- World MMA Association (WMMAA) vice president Tomas Yu, of Albuquerque (NM), who is also president of the WMMAA Pan-American division, took time from his busy schedule to address questions about his MMA background and experience, the sport of MMA and WWMMA in particular.

Can you tell us about you and your experience in Martial Arts?
TY: “I’m from the generation that grew up watching 3 Ninjas, Ninja Turtles… I wanted to be a Ninja! I grew up practicing Tae Kwon Do in Mexico, all the way to my black belt. At age 18, I ventured to practice Aikido and Judo in El Paso, Texas. I loved learning and I always wanted to be a rounded student, which is why I always looked for different arts to offset the weaknesses of the other.”

How did you first enter the world of MMA?
TY: “I was really looking for a place I could introduce my daughter to Martial Arts. I was looking for a more rounded self-defense Martial Art but not a fight club. I was introduced to the sport of MMA by a good friend and pioneer of the sport, Chris Luttrell. I was immediately bonded to the sport, since that is what at one point all Martial Artists are looking for.”

When did you first hear of MMA and what was your first impression? Did
you expect this sport to grow as much as it is now?
TY: “I have been privileged to see the evolution of MMA since 1993 as a teenager, all the way to now, becoming the first Pan-American Division President in the most important Regulation Organization for MMA in the world.”

What is your function and main activities within WMMAA?
TY “My biggest function is to introduce simple business principles to the sport of MMA and keeping Martial Art in MMA. What I mean by that is, the common denominator for every individual Marital Art are (Respect, Loyalty, Honor) and the mixture of martial arts should not represent what people perceive MMA is today. It should be a mixture of Respect, Loyalty and Honor. It should be a much more admired sport.”

How would you assess WMMAA’s progress during its three year existence?
TY: “Well, as an entrepreneur, I’m never satisfied, I always see ways to do things better but the reality is that, in the 25+ years MMA has been evolving and becoming not just a mixture of Martial Arts but also a true blue sport. Many people have tried to add value to the sport with no real success until this past two years with the WMMAA.”

What are the main goals of WMMAA and what are the main obstacles for the association?
TY: “This question has a long and complicated answer! The number one obstacle is pride, pride to admit that past performance or formulas to add value didn’t and won’t work. Pride to admit that working together will pave a new path. The number two obstacle, is UNDERSTANDING, understanding the big picture, like Micro and Macro economics really being two different worlds.

“The sport or art of MMA is much more than what we see on television. There is a much deeper impact to society than pay per view.”

How do you assess the third World Championship that took place in
Prague?
TY: “Moments like these are the ones that 3 years ago we would dream about. Well, last year that dream came true… over 40 countries participated in the beautiful city of Prague. I can’t explain the clash of emotions when you see and hear country after country being announced as they walk into the arena with their head held high as they carry their national flag.

We as an organization created Continental Presidents to be able to perform better follow through and also be more sensitive negotiating in different cultural environments. Our Europe and Czech Organizing Committee did a wonderful job.

Were there any countries that stood out or surprised you?
TY: “The fact they were there, that’s what really stands out! Some countries were participating for the first time. The level of mental competition for some countries was amazing. I can’t wait for the 2016 World Championships.”

What are the2016 mid-term goals for WMMAA PanAm?
TY: “The number one focus for PANAM is the roll-out of our new initiative on ‘Global MMA Officials and Licensing’ to standardize the sport worldwide, but also standardize the officials looking out for the sport.”

Can you describe what 2015 was like for WMMAA?
TY: “2015 was a year of foundations, recruiting, and preparing for the volumes of growth coming our way this year.”

What words of wisdom would you like to share with the members of WMMAA family?
TY: “I have always said that in every sport there is a business behind it, believing: ‘Till this far, MMA is like Capital… it goes where it is welcomed and it stays where it’s treated well'”

WMMAA keeps expanding. However there are still multiple countries that
are not yet WMMAA members. Why should any local Federation apply
for WMMAA membership?
TY: “We are the only organization of its kind. They would be able to get courses, national and international licenses but, most importantly, they can be part of history by allowing athletes in their respective countries to participate in our version of the Olympics of MMA.”

What would you tell them?
TY: “You are not alone. Here is where being part of a team with qualified individuals opening door. Power really does come in numbers.”

People keep asking: why should we use SportID and SportData. Can you
repeat why it is so essential?
TY: “I’ll keep it short. The number one reason – reason enough – is to avoid private owned companies from having biased control on who and how they upload information.”

Information

www.WMMAA.org
www.facebook.com/World.MMA.Association
www.youtube.com/user/TheWMMAA

CONTACT: Bob Trieger, Full Court PRESS, 1.978.590.0470, bobtfcp@hotmail.com @FightPublicist

ABOUT WMMAA: The goal of the World MMA Association is to provide unbiased structure and guardrail the growth of MMA as the official world governing body for Mixed Martial Arts. A non-profit organization founded in 2012, WMMAA is on a mission to develop a standardized and regulated organization, including competition, training, officiating, testing and growth when necessary. More than 50 countries have been granted WMMAA membership.

25 February 2016 – Manila, Philippines: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), announces its return to the vibrant city of Manila in the heart of the Philippines. ONE Championship will again rock the Mall of Asia Arena on 15 April at ONE: GLOBAL RIVALS. In the main event, ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben “Funky” Askren of the United States makes his much awaited return to the ONE Cage to face Russia’s Nikolay Aleksakhin.

CEO of ONE Championship, Victor Cui stated, “We’re always excited for Manila because Filipino fans are so passionate about mixed martial arts that everything just comes naturally! The atmosphere and the excitement in Manila on fight night is truly unparalleled and we anticipate the same when we arrive in April. We have an excellent matchup prepared for fight fans as Ben Askren meets Nikolay Aleksakhin, and we expect nothing less than the absolute best in world-class mixed martial arts action.”

Tickets for ONE: GLOBAL RIVALS are available www.smtickets.com.

Former NCAA Division I All-American, Ben Askren is a collegiate wrestling legend and one of the finest mixed martial artists in the world today. In just a few fights in ONE, Askren was able to seize the ONE Welterweight World Championship with a resounding technical knockout victory over Nobutatsu Suzuki. The highly-skilled Askren is widely considered to be the absolute best in his division and one of the best fighters in the world pound for pound. His next challenge is a tough one, as he goes head-to-head with Russia’s Nikolay Aleksakhin.

Veteran welterweight from Russia, Nikolay Aleksakhin will make his highly-anticipated return to the ONE Championship cage in Manila this April. Aleksakhin was impressive in his debut for the promotion when he submitted Burenzorig Batmunkh with a rear naked choke within three rounds. Now, Aleksakhin gets the call to face ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben Askren and will look to surprise the crowd with intense action.

For more updates on ONE Championship™, please visit www.onefc.com and follow Twitter and Instagram @ONEFCMMA and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONEFCMMA

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship™ has partnered with FOX and STAR Sports for an unprecedented 10-year cable television deal with a coverage that spans 70+ countries across the world.

Las Vegas – Legends of mixed martial arts, as well as some of the sport’s brightest young stars will enter the Octagon® when UFC® returns to Tampa for the first time since 2009. With a potential shot at the world title on the line, top contenders Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson collide in the ultra-competitive 155-pound division live on FOX in the five-round main event of UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: NURMAGOMEDOV vs. FERGUSON on Saturday, April 16 at Amalie Arena.

A world-class wrestler, No.2 Nurmagomedov (22-0, fighting out of Dagestan, Russia) poses a serious threat for anyone in the division and boasts an undefeated record that includes a victory over current lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos. Looking to derail the Russian’s hype train is No. 4 Ferguson (21-3, fighting out of Ventura, Calif.), who has reeled off seven straight wins. With a resume that includes victories over Edson Barboza and Abel Trujillo, The Ultimate Fighter® season 13 winner hopes to take one step closer to joining Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, Matt Serra and Carla Esparza as the only fighters to win The Ultimate Fighter as well as a UFC world title.

In the co-main event, No. 7 Rashad Evans (24-4-1, fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla.) looks to climb back up the 205-pound ladder against No. 8 Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (23-10, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil). A former standout wrestler at Michigan State, “Suga” will have to utilize his wrestling pedigree to handle the strength and precision of one of the most aggressive Muay Thai practitioners in Shogun. The ultimate chess match will play out between two former light heavyweight champions finally go toe-to-toe.

Plus, dynamic striker and fourth-ranked Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida (22-7, fighting out of Los Angeles, Calif.) meets heavy-handed No.14 Dan “Hendo” Henderson (31-14, fighting out of Temecula, Calif.) in a rematch of a 2013 showdown won by the Brazilian. Machida’s striking and creative angles have landed him the second most knockdowns in UFC history with 13 (A. Silva 17). Henderson has one of the most feared right hands in the sport which has led to knockouts of elite level fighters such as Shogun, Fedor Emilianenko, Michael Bisping and Wanderlei Silva.

Additional bouts:
· Two of the top strawweights in the world clash as No. 3 Rose Namajunas (5-2, fighting Denver, Colo.) meets No. 4 Tecia Torres (7-0, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) in a rematch that has both hoping for a shot at the world title with a win.
· Rising prospect and No. 8 Beneil Dariush (12-1, fighting out of Yorba Linda, Calif.) returns to the Octagon to face the crafty No. 13 Michael “Maverick” Chiesa (12-2, fighting out of Spokane Valley, Wash.), in a lightweight bout.
· No. 8 women’s bantamweight Bethe Correia (9-1, fighting out of Campina Grande, Paraiba Brazil) returns to the Octagon for the first time since her bout with Ronda Rousey to face No. 13 Raquel Pennington (6-6, fighting out of Colorado Springs, Colo.).
· Knockout artist No. 6 Cub Swanson (21-7, fighting out of Palm Springs, Calif.) clashes with jiu jitsu ace No. 10 Hacran Dias (23-3-1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) in a featherweight bout.
· Brazilian jiu jitsu specialists Cezar “Mutante” Ferreira (9-5, fighting out of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil) and Caio Magalhaes (9-2, fighting out of Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil) meet in a welterweight showdown.
· Well-rounded wrestler Court McGee (17-4, fighting out of Orem, Utah) meets jiu jitsu ace Santiago Ponzinibbio (22-3, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) in a welterweight clash.

Tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: NURMAGOMEDOV vs. FERGUSON go on sale Friday, February 26 at 10 a.m. ET and are priced at $225, $175, $125, $90, $75, $50 and $40 (prices do not include applicable service charges and handling fees). Tickets are available at the McDonald’s Ticket Office at Amalie Arena, online at www.ticketmaster.com and by phone at (800) 745-3000. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person.

UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, February 24 at 10 a.m. ET via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, February 25 starting at 10 a.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: NURMAGOMEDOV vs. FERGUSON will air live on FOX at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Saturday, April 16, with the prelims kicking off the evening on FOX at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

About UFC®
UFC® is a premium global sports brand and the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Sao Paulo and Singapore, 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 over 150 countries and territories to more than one billion TV households worldwide in 21 different languages. UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service, delivers exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content to fans around the world. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

AMALIE Arena/Tampa Bay Sports and Entertainment, LLC:
Tampa Bay Sports and Entertainment, LLC is an entity established by Jeff Vinik in March, 2010 to manage the National Hockey’s League’s Tampa Bay Lightning, the Arena Football League’s Tampa Bay Storm and the leasehold rights to AMALIE Arena, the 19,092-seat downtown Tampa home in which the teams play their games. The venue opened in 1996 and was named the Ice Palace at the time, but it became AMALIE Arena in September, 2014 when the family-owned, Tampa Bay-based AMALIE Oil Company elected to partner with Vinik and Tampa Bay Sports and Entertainment. Since Vinik’s purchase in 2010, he has led a complete brand and business transformation of the Lightning, the Storm and the arena which was anchored by a mostly private $85+ million dollar renovation of the publicly owned facility. In 2014-15, the Lightning won the NHL’s Eastern Conference Championship, later appearing in the 2015 Stanley Cup Final.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (February 22, 2015) – This Friday, Bellator MMA brings a world championship matchup between two highly skilled mixed martial arts practitioners when bantamweight champion Marcos “Loro” Galvao (17-6-1) defends his strap against former champion and former friend and training partner, Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas (17-4) at “Bellator 150: Galvao vs. Dantas 2.

The event emanates from the Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kansas this Friday, February 26, and airs live on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App. Tickets for “Bellator 150: Galvao vs. Dantas 2,” which start at just $27, are on sale now at KansasStarEventCenter.com or Ticketmaster.com, as well as the Kansas Star Arena box office.

In addition to the title fight, a heavyweight co-main event of Cheick Kongo (23-10-2) against Vinicius Queiroz (8-3) will anchor the number two spot. Also on the card, Kendall Grove (22-15) takes on Francisco “Kiko” France (13-3-1), hometown favorite David Rickels (16-4, 1 NC) will return to action against Bobby Cooper (12-5), plus the Bellator MMA debut of newly signed women’s flyweight Lena Ovchynnikova (10-3), who takes on Rebecca Ruth (5-1).

“Loro,” who has fought for world-renowned promotions the likes of World Extreme Cagefighting and Shooto since 2003, will be competing for the 11th time under the Bellator MMA banner. The 34-year-old is presently in the midst of a four-fight winning streak and has emerged victorious in seven of his last eight scraps. In his last outing, Galvao finished Joe Warren at “Bellator 135: Warren vs. Galvao” via submission to win his first-ever championship and fulfil a promise he made to his mother before her unfortunate passing.

Meanwhile, Dantas will be looking to duplicate the success he had against Galvao in their first meeting, which resulted in a second-round knockout at “Bellator 89.” Last May, the 27-year-old Nova Uniao product dispelled of Mike Richman via unanimous decision at “Bellator 137: Halsey vs. Grove.” The Bellator Season 5 Bantamweight Tournament winner is looking to become a two-time bantamweight champion come October 23.

Kongo will be making his eighth appearance under the Bellator MMA banner, looking to add to his impressive promotional mark of 5-2. The Parisian native has fought a who’s who in the mixed martial arts landscape, with notable wins against Mirko Cro Cop, Pat Barry, Matt Mitrione, and Alexander Volkov already on his record. In his last outing – which just so happened to be inside the Kansas Star Arena — Kongo impressively defeated Volkov via unanimous decision.

After nearly two years out of action, Queiroz returned to the Bellator MMA cage against Ewerton Teixeira at “Bellator 139: Kongo vs. Volkov,” defeating his fellow Brazilian opponent via second round arm-triangle choke. “Spartan” hopes to plant the seeds for a busy 2016 with the matchup against Kongo, where a win can undoubtedly place him in the midst of the heavyweight title picture.

Grove capped off 2015 with an emphatic knockout of Joey Beltran at “Bellator 143: Warren vs. Davis,” in September. The winner of “The Ultimate Fighter: 3,” has fought professionally since 2003 for promotions all around the world, notably ProElite and UFC. This will be “Da Spyder’s” sixth appearance under the Bellator MMA banner as he hopes to climb back towards a 185-pound title shot – he competed for the gold last year against Brandon Halsey.

A veteran of Strikeforce, “Kiko” France has strung together a five-fight winning streak as of late, most recently handing the formerly undefeated Ben Reiter the first loss of his young career at “Bellator 146: Kato vs. Manhoef.” It’s safe to classify the 33-year-old Arizona native as a “submission specialist,” with 12 of his 13 wins as a professional coming by way of making his opponent tap.

A Bellator MMA event in Mulvane, Kansas just wouldn’t be the same without “The Caveman,” who will return to action for the first time since competing against Michael Chandler this past November. Rickels always comes ready to put on a show, whether it’s on his way to the cage, or when he’s taking on a who’s who of Bellator MMA lightweight talent. The 27-year-old will be making his 16th appearance under the promotional banner.

The last time Bobby Cooper fought inside the Kansas Star Arena, he took home a closely contested split decision victory over “Bellator 147” co-headliner Pablo Villaseca. Now, “Super Duper” will look to move to 3-0 under the Bellator MMA banner when he faces Rickels in hostile territory. It’s worth noting that the Missouri native has only lost twice in his last eight MMA appearances.

Hailing from Ukraine, Ovchynnikova will enter the fray fresh off a new exclusive, multi-fight contract with Bellator MMA. “Hunter” has previously fought the likes of Joanne Calderwood and at only 28-years-old has already competed professionally since 2006. Now, Ovchynnikova looks to solidify herself as a top contender in the budding women’s flyweight division on February 26 against a tough foe in Ruth.

“Becky” Ruth was undefeated in 2015, winning all three of her matchups by technical knockout under the Shamrock Fighting Championships banner. The lone loss on the Missouri native’s record came against Resurrection Fighting Alliance champion Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger, via controversial split decision.

Complete “Bellator 150: Galvao vs. Dantas 2” Fight Card:

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Title Main Event: Marcos Galvao (17-6-1) vs. Eduardo Dantas (17-4)
Bellator MMA Heavyweight Co-Main Event: Cheick Kongo (23-10-2) vs. Vinicius Queiroz (8-3)
Bellator MMA Lightweight Feature Bout: Dave Rickels (16-4, 1 NC) vs. Bobby Cooper (12-5)
Bellator MMA Middleweight Feature Bout: Kendall Grove (22-15) vs. Francisco France (13-3-1)
Bellator MMA Flyweight Feature Bout: Lena Ovchynnikova (10-3) vs. Rebecca Ruth (5-1)

Preliminary Card:

Bellator MMA Heavyweight Feature Bout: David Hammons (1-1) vs. Kyle Noblitt (1-0)
Bellator MMA Middleweight Feature Bout: Brandon Farran (12-10) vs. Gregory Babene (16-11)
Bellator MMA Welterweight Feature Bout: Manny Meraz (7-1) vs. Andre Fialho (5-0)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Gaston Reyno (5-0) vs. Chuka Willis (6-2)
Bellator MMA Middleweight Feature Bout: Chris Harris (4-0) vs. Julian Marquez (2-0)
Bellator MMA Lightweight Feature Bout: Marcio Navarro (14-11) vs. Henry Lindsay (4-5)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Thai Clark (5-0) vs. Deron Carlis (4-1)
Bellator MMA Lightweight Feature Bout: Jason Witt (7-2) vs. Jonathan Gary (11-6)

About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 400 million homes worldwide in over 120 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About Spike:
Spike is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

About Kansas Star Arena
The Kansas Star Arena, a Boyd Gaming facility, is located just off Exit 33 on the Kansas Turnpike and is adjacent to the Kansas Star Casino. The 42,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Kansas Star Arena is south-central Kansas’ home for big-name national acts such as Journey, Pat Benatar, Championship Rodeo, mixed martial arts events and more. The Arena accommodates up to 6,500 guests for headliner events. In 2014, Midwest Gaming and Travel awarded the Kansas Star more than 25 honors in its annual Reader’s Choice Awards, including “Best Concert Venue” in the state of Kansas. For more information, visit kansasstarcasino.com. Connect with Kansas Star Arena at facebook.com/kansasstararena and www.kansasstarcasino.com/entertain/arena. Headquartered in Las Vegas, Boyd Gaming is a leading diversified owner and operator of 22 gaming entertainment properties located in Nevada, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and New Jersey. Boyd Gaming and Kansas Star Casino press releases are available at boydgaming.mediaroom.com.

In the battle of Cowboys, Donald Cerrone forced Alex Oliveira in the first round of their scheduled five round Welterweight bout at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, PA.

Cerrone got Oliverira down and got him in a front triangle choke and Oliveira tapped immediately at 2:33.

Cerrone, 170 lbs of Albuquerque, NM is 29-7-1.  Oliveira, 171 lbs of Rio de Jineriro, BRA is 13-3-1-1.

Derek Brunson stopped Roan Carneiro in the first round of their Middleweight bout.

Brunson had Carneiro on the ground and landed about 30 consecutive punches and the fight was stopped at 2:38.

Brunson, 186 lbs of Wilmington, NC is 15-3.  Carniero, 184.5 lbs of Atlanta, GA is 20-10.

Cody Garbrandt stopped Augusto Mendes in the first round battle of undefeated Featherweights.

Garbrandt dropped Mendes with an overhand right.  Garbrandt celebrated briefly but landed two more punches on the ground and the fight was stopped at 4:18.

Garbrandt, 140 1/2 lbs of Sacramento, CA is 8-0.  Mendes, 142 lbs of Glendale, AZ is 5-1.

Dennis Bermudez won a three round unanimous decision over Tatsuya Kawajiri in a Featherweight bpout.

Bermudez, 146 lbs of Lindhurst, NY won by scores of 29-28 on all cards and is now 16-5.  Kawajiri, 146 lbs of Ibaraki , JP is 35-7-2.

Chris Camozzi stopped Joe Riggs in the first round of their Middleweight bout.

Camozzi landed a jab and he followed that up with five knees to the face and Riggs fell to the canvas and the fight was stopped at 26 seconds.

Camozzi, 185.5 lbs of Englewood, CO is now 23-10.  Riggs, 186 lbs of Glendale, AZ is 41-17-1.

James Krause won a unanimous decision over Shane Campbell in a Lightweight bout.

Krause, 155.5 lbs of Lee Summitt, MO won all cards 29-28 and is now 23-7. Campbell, 156 lbs of Kelowna, BC, CAN is 12-4.

Sean Stricland stopped Alex Garcia in the final round of their Welterweight bout.

Strickland bloodied Garcia around the eye. In round three, Strickland wobbled Garcia all over the Octagon until a huge right hand dropped Garcia and the bout was stopped at 4:25 of round three.

Strickland, 170.5 lbs of Corona, CA is 17-1. Garcia, 171 lbs of Montreal, CAN is 13-3.

Oluwale Bamgbose stopped Daniel Sarafian in round one of their Middleweight bout.

Bamgbose landed a big left kick to the head that knocked Sarafian down and two hard punches later the fight was stopped at 1:00.

Bamgbose, 185 lbs of New York is 6-1. Sarafian, 186 lbs of Sao Paulo, BRA is 10-6.

Anthony Smith won a three round unanimous decision over Leonardo Augustu Leleco in a Middleweight bout.

In round two, Lelenco began to bleed from his forehead.

Smith, 185.5 lbs of Omaha, NE won by scores of 29-28 on all cards and is now 25-11. Leleco, 184.5 lbs of Salvador, BRA is 11-2-1.

Nathan Coy won a three round unanimous decision over Jonivan Webb in a Welterweight bout.

Coy, 170 lbs of Coconut Creek, FL won by scores of 29-28 on all cards and is now 15-6. Wbb, 169 1/2 lbs of Marlton, NJ is now 8-2-1.

20 February 2016 – Jakarta, Indonesia: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), rocked the Istora Senayan with another evening of world-class mixed martial arts action. The best in local and international MMA athletes graced the stage at ONE: TRIBE OF WARRIORS to provide an unforgettable experience for the packed crowd in Jakarta. In the main event, Luis Santos returned to the ONE Championship cage with another epic performance, defeating Rafael Silva by technical knockout.

Visit the official ONE: TRIBE OF WARRIORS photo gallery by clicking: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ivh34n9pza3q94o/AADwuMwRg-gnDecd5AIBoQyTa?dl=0

In the main event of the evening, Luis “Sapo” Santos of Brazil delivered the goods in a successful return to the ONE Championship cage by making quick work of Portugal’s Rafael “The Machine” Silva. After a brief moment where both fighters carefully sized each other up, Santos unleashed a single knee to Silva’s body which dropped him to the mat. A technical ground kick from Santos landed shortly after and the referee stepped in to stop the contest.

An exciting battle of dynamic strikers ensued as Kotetsu “No Face” Boku went head-to-head against Vincent “Magnivincent” Latoel. After an electric first round from both fighters, Boku’s accurate striking started to take its toll in the second. With Boku in full mount, the Japanese veteran went immediately for the ground-and-pound to earn the technical knockout.

Colossal heavyweights Marcin Prachnio and Alexandre Machado traded some serious leather at the center of the cage in a crowd-pleasing fight. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist Machado looked to take matters to the ground but Prachnio had different plans. After rocking Machado with a punch, Prachnio followed up with a lethal combination of strikes, forcing the stoppage.

American wrestler Andrew Leone earned a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over the durable Koetsu Okazaki of Japan after spending two years away from professional competition. Leone drove Okazaki with his cage control and various takedowns throughout the fight. Although Okazaki found success with ground-and-pound late in the second round, Leone regained command in the third by taking Okazaki’s back and threatening with a choke. All three judges saw the bout in favor of the American.

Anthony “The Archangel” Engelen of the Netherlands made quick work of featherweight prospect Rocky “The Outlaw” Batolbatol of the Philippines, forcing the latter to tap out due to a rear naked choke in round one. Batolbatol used his boxing to keep Engelen temporarily at bay but once the Dutch fighter was able to close the gap, things went south quickly for the Filipino. An outside leg trip brought the fight to the mat where Engelen was quick to secure Batolbatol’s back and lock in the submission.

The Philippines’ Trestle Tan returned to the winner’s circle with a submission victory over Djatmiko Waluyo. Tan secured a rear naked choke to force the tap in the first round.

“Unstoppable” Angela Lee continued her winning ways by defeating Rebecca Heintzman of the United States with another submission — her fourth straight as a professional. Although Heintzman had some success in striking exchanges, Lee dominated in the grappling department, eventually securing a rear naked choke to force the stoppage in the second round.

Jimmy “The Silencer” Yabo of the Philippines made quick work of Pakistan’s Bashir Ahmad, earning the stoppage in under 30 seconds. As Ahmad rushed in aggressively, Yabo stepped back to unleash a sharp counter right hook which landed on the button, dropping the Pakistani. With Ahmad out in one fell swoop, the referee called a halt to the bout.

Indonesians Yohan Mulia Legowo and Mario Satya Wirawan set the pace of the entire card with a furious energy, attacking each other with vicious strikes from the opening bell. After the action wound up against the cage, Legowo secured a standing Guillotine choke and pulled guard, forcing Wirawan to tap out.

Li Hao Jie of China and Jerome S Paye of Liberia kicked off ONE: TRIBE OF WARRIORS with a gruelling three-round scrap. Li dominated in his ONE Championship debut with striking and takedowns to earn a unanimous decision.

Official results for ONE: TRIBE OF WARRIORS
Welterweight bout: Luis Santos defeats Rafael Silva by TKO (Strikes) at 1:17 minutes of round 1
Catchweight bout (71.5 kg): Kotetsu Boku defeats Vincent Latoel by TKO (Strikes) at 4:04 minutes of round 2
Heavyweight bout: Marcin Prachnio defeats Alexandre Machado by TKO (Strikes) at 2:44 minutes of round 1
Catchweight bout (64kg): Andrew Leone defeats Koetsu Okazaki by Unanimous Decision
Featherweight bout: Anthony Engelen defeats Rocky Batolbatol by Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
Welterweight bout: Trestle Tan defeats Djatmiko Waluyo by Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
Female catchweight bout (54.5kg): Angela Lee defeats Rebecca Heintzman by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 1:08 minutes of round 2
Catchweight bout (71.5kg): Jimmy Yabo defeats Bashir Ahmad by Knockout at 0:21 minutes of round 1
Featherweight bout: Yohan Mulia Legowo defeats Mario Satya Wirawan by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 1:44 minutes of round 1
Bantamweight bout: Li Hao Jie defeats Jerome S Paye by Unanimous Decision

In case you missed the action log on to www.onefc.com/livestream for the full replay of the fights at only US $9.99.

For more updates on ONE Championship™, please visit www.onefc.com and follow Twitter and Instagram @ONEFCMMA and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONEFCMMA

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship™ has partnered with FOX and STAR Sports for an unprecedented 10-year cable television deal with a coverage that spans 70+ countries across the world.

MOSCOW (February 20, 2016) – Veteran Russian fighters Alexander Shlemenklo and Alexander Volkov were the big winners in M-1 Challenge 64 action last night at Olympic Stadium in Moscow.

Shlemenko (52-9-0), a three-time Bellator champion, returned to M-1 Global in grand style, winning a close but unanimous decision over former 2-division M-1 Challenge division Vyacheslav Vasilevsky (28-3-0), of Russia, in their M-1 Global Grand Prix Middleweight Tournament match. Shlemenko advances to the championship final later this year to face the winner of the other semifinals fight (April 8) at M-1 Challenge 65 between reigning M-1 Challenge middleweight champion Ramazan Emeev (13-3-0) and Brazilian Maiquel “Big Rig” Falcao (35-8-0). Emeev was the 2015 M-1 Global Fighter of the Year.

M-1 Global’s newly signed Alexander “Drago” Volkov (25-6-0), of Russia, captured the vacant M-1 Challenge heavyweight championship, defeating Estonian strongman Denis Smoldarev (11-2-0) by way of a third-round submission via a triangle choke.

In the M-1 Challenge Bantamweight Semifinals Eliminator matches, Pavel Vitruk (13-2-0) and Ukrainian Vitaly Branchuk (21-5-0) both won unanimous decisions to advance to the championship final to determine the new M-1 Challenge bantamweight champion. Vitruk got past his previously undefeated Kazakh opponent Sergey Morozov (6-1-1), while Branchuk got the better of Antun “Killer” Racic (18-7-0), of Croatia.

Late replacement Vladimir Kathyhin (32-6-1), of Ukraine, won a decision over American middleweight Joe Ray (13-5-0) in the other main card fight.

On the preliminary card, Russian middleweight Magomed Mutaev (7-2-0), Russian welterweight Maksin Grabovich (3-2-0) and Ukrainian featherweight Andrey “Iron” Lezhnev (8-5-0) were all unanimous decision winners, respectively, against Ukrainian Vadim “Archie” Orischak (5-5-0), German Stefan Larisch (8-4-0) and Russian Timur Nagibin.

Russian heavyweight Kurban Ibragimov (4-1-0) knocked out Dmitriy Mikutsa (5-3-0), of Ukraine, in the opening round, while Russian middleweight Valery “The Russian Hammer” Myasnikov (9-1-1) locked in a rear naked choke on Ukrainian foe Vyacheslav “Bison” Bogomol (8-2-0) to win by second-round submission.

Complete results and picture gallery below (all winners listed first):

MAIN CARD

MAIN EVENT
M-1 GLOBAL GRAND PRIX MIDDLEWEIGHT TOURNAMENT – SEMIFINALS
Alexander Shlemenko (52-9-0, M-1: 3-0-0), Russia
WDEC5
Vyacheslav Vaselevsky (27-4-0, M-1: 10-2-0), Russia
(Shlemenko advances to M-1 Global Grand Prix middleweight final)

CO-FEATURE
VACANT M-1 CHALLENGE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Alexander Volkov (25-6-0, M-1: 9-3-0), Russia
WSUB3 (Triangle Choke – 0:32)
Denis Smoldaraev (11-2-0, M-1: 7-2-0), Estonia
(Volkov captures M-1 Challenge heavyweight title)

M-1 CHALLENGE BANTAMWEIGHT SEMIFINALS ELIMINATOR
Pavel Vitruk (13-2-0, M-1: 7-2-0), Russia
WDEC3
Sergey Morozov (6-1-0, M-1: 2-1-0), Kazakhstan

Vitaly Branchuk (21-5-0, M-1: 1-1-0), Ukraine
WDEC3
Antun Racic (18-7-0, M-1: 3-4-0), Croatia

(Vitruk & Branchuk advance to M-1 Challenge bantamweight title fight)

MIDDLEWEIGHTS

Vladimir Katyhin (32-6-1, M-1: 2-0-0), Ukraine
WDEC3
Joe Ray (13-5-0, M-1: 0-1-0, United States

PRELIMINARY CARD

HEAVYWEIGHTS
Kurban Ibragimov (4-1-0, M-1: 3-1-0, Russia
WKO1 (4:33)
Dmitriy Mikutsa (5-3-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Ukraine

MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Magomed Mutaev (7-2-0, M-1: 4-0-0), Russia
WDEC3
Vadim Orischak (5-5-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Russia

Valery Myasnikov (9-1-1, M-1: 1-1-1), Russia
WSUB2 (Rear Naked Choke – 2:37)
Vyacheslav Bogomol (5-2-0, M-1: 1-1-0), Russia

WELTERWEIGHTS
Maksin Grabovich (3-2-0, M-1: 3-0-0), Russia
WDEC3
Stefan Larisch (8-4-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Germany

FEATHERWEIGHTS
Andrey Lezhnev (8-5-0, M-1: 2-1-0), Ukraine
WDEC3
Timur Nagibin (5-2-0, M-1: 1-1-0), Russia

Information

www.M1Global.tv
www.mixfight.ru
www.wmmaa.org

Twitter & Instagram:

@M1GlobalNews
@VFinkelchtein
@M1Global

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/M-1-GlobalNews

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 170 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. 2016 promises to be another sensational year of world-class competition, featuring a full calendar of Challenge events, fueled by a talent-rich contention system to rank 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 a trio of exciting live mixed martial arts events this weekend, beginning on Friday, Feb. 19 at 10 p.m. ET with RFA 35: Moises vs. Castillo from Orem, Utah. The following night, Saturday, Feb. 20 at 9 p.m. ET, World Series of Fighting returns with WSOF 28: Moraes vs. Barajas from Garden Grove, Calif. Finally, Fight Network presents live coverage of UFC Fight Night™: Cowboy vs. Cowboy, including the live prelims, which take place Sunday, Feb. 21 from Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Penn.

Fight Network will air the live UFC Fight Night™: Cowboy vs. Cowboy prelims exclusively in Canada at 7 p.m. ET. The main card airs live on TSN2 at 9 p.m. ET.

In featured prelim action on Sunday night, Montreal-based “Dominican Nightmare” Alex Garcia (13-2) battles once-beaten American welterweight standout Sean “Tarzan” Strickland (16-1). Meanwhile, Brazil’s Daniel Sarafian (10-5) looks to make it two straight when he collides with Oluwale Bamgbose (5-1) in a middleweight matchup, Anthony “Lionheart” Smith (24-11) makes his Octagon return against newcomer Leonardo Augusto Leleco (11-1, 1NC) in a middleweight bout, plus Jonavin Webb (8-1) throws down with Nathan Coy (14-6) in the welterweight televised opener.

Fight Network’s original one-hour UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Cowboy Pre-Show, which premieres on Thursday, Feb. 18 at 6 p.m. ET, will serve as a lead-in to the live prelims on Sunday night. Check listings for additional airings.

Before they enter the Octagon, Fight Network is your destination for the official live UFC Fight Night™: Cowboy vs. Cowboy weigh-ins on Saturday, Feb. 20 at 4 p.m. ET, as headliners Donald Cerrone and Alex Oliveira tip the scales ahead of their anticipated welterweight showdown.

Immediately following Sunday’s main card, Fight Network will broadcast the official live UFC Fight Night™: Cowboy vs. Cowboy post-fight press conference in its entirety.

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

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

Main Card (Live on TSN2, 9 p.m. ET):
-Donald Cerrone (28-6, 1NC) vs. Alex Oliveira (13-2-1, 1NC)
-Derek Brunson (14-3) vs. Roan Carneiro (20-9)
-Cody Garbrandt (7-0) vs. Augusto Mendes (5-0)
-Dennis Bermudez (15-5) vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri (35-8-2)
-Chris Camozzi (22-10) vs. Joe Riggs (41-16, 1NC)
-James Krause (22-7) vs. Shane Campbell (12-3)

Preliminary Card (Live on Fight Network, 7 p.m. ET):
-Alex Garcia (13-2) vs. Sean Strickland (16-1)
-Daniel Sarafian (10-5) vs. Oluwale Bamgbose (5-1)
-Anthony Smith (24-11) vs. Leonardo Augusto Leleco (11-1, 1NC)
-Jonavin Webb (8-1) vs. Nathan Coy (14-6)

Preliminary Card (Live on UFC Fight Pass, 5:30 p.m. ET):
-Marion Reneau (6-2) vs. Ashlee Evans-Smith (3-1)
-Lauren Murphy (8-2) vs. Kelly Faszholz (3-0)
-Anthony Hamilton (14-4) vs. Shamil Abdurakhimov (15-3)

WSOF 28 on Saturday night at 9 p.m. ET is headlined by reigning bantamweight champion Marlon Moraes (15-4-1) making the third defense of his coveted title against fast-rising star Joseph Barajas (12-1). In the bantamweight co-main event, Timur “Lucky” Valiev (10-1) will put his 10-fight winning streak on the line against fellow rising star Chris “El Guapo” Gutierrez (8-1-1), who is unbeaten in his last seven fights. Rounding out the card, Jamie “The Chosyn 1” Yager (6-4) battles Greg Parker (5-1), while Ozzie Alvarez (6-3) meets Andrew “The” Ramm (4-3) in a pair of welterweight matchups.

The live festivities get underway on Friday night at 10 p.m. ET, as RFA 35 features a clash for the RFA lightweight championship with late replacement Thiago Moises (6-1) challenging regional standout Dave Castillo (19-7). In other action, Thiago Alves (9-3) meets David Putvin (7-1) in a 160-pound affair, welterweight sensation James Nakashima (4-0) risks his perfect record against fellow unbeaten Brad Darrington (4-0), Dervin Lopez (7-3) takes on Joe Rodriguez (7-3) in a middleweight pairing, Ricky Steele (4-0) faces Lynn Schulz (5-2) in a bantamweight bout, plus Curtis Blaydes (4-0) looks to stay perfect in a heavyweight slugfest with Luis “The Hulk” Cortez (3-2).

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

19 February 2016 – Jakarta, Indonesia: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), announced today that the mixed martial artists competing at ONE: TRIBE OF WARRIORS have made weight and are ready for all the action which takes place tomorrow evening, 20 February at the Istora Senayan in Jakarta, Indonesia. All fighters have passed medicals, and are in the process of preliminary weight and hydration checks. All bouts are on track as scheduled.

Visit the official ONE: TRIBE OF WARRIORS weigh-in photo gallery by clicking: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6k384krsvdao0f3/AABoZfKfuYDUszYYrjf_77sta?dl=0.

CEO of ONE Championship, Victor Cui stated, “Our ONE Championship athletes are professionals through and through. Their dedication to proper weight management and being able to perform at their absolute best makes them true warriors of mixed martial arts. Jakarta is all set for action this Saturday night, and things are shaping up to be an amazing evening.”

Tickets for ONE: TRIBE OF WARRIORS, are available at http://www.kiostix.com/tuk_kiostixevt/one-championship-tribe-of-warriors-2/.

COMPLETE WEIGH-IN RESULTS
MAIN EVENT
Welterweight bout (77.2kg – 83.9kg): Luis Santos VS Rafael Silva

MAIN CARD
Indonesia Warrior Catchweight bout (70.3kg): Vincent Latoel VS Kotetsu Boku
Catchweight bout (64 kg): Koetsu Okazaki VS Andrew Leone
Heavyweight bout (102.2kg – 120.2kg): Marcin Prachnio VS Alexandre Machado
Featherweight bout (65.9kg – 70.3kg): Anthony Engelen VS Rocky Batolbatol
Featherweight bout (65.9kg – 70.3 kg): Yohan Mulia Legowo VS Mario Satya Wirawan
Bantamweight bout (61.3kg – 65.8kg): Jerome S. Paye VS Li Hao Jie

UNDERCARD
Welterweight bout (77.2kg – 83.9kg): Djatmiko Waluyo VS Trestle Tan
Catchweight bout (71.5 kg): Bashir Ahmad VS Jimmy Yabo
Catchweight bout (54.5 kg): Angela Lee VS Rebecca Heintzman

Fans from around the world can witness the action online via live streaming at http://www.onefc.com/livestream. The event will be available for purchase at just US$9.99.

For more updates on ONE Championship™, please visit www.onefc.com and follow Twitter and Instagram @ONEFCMMA and Facebookatwww.facebook.com/ONEFCMMA

*A final weigh-in will take place three (3) hours before the event to ensure athletes are on target and properly hydrated.

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship™ has partnered with FOX and STAR Sports for an unprecedented 10-year cable television deal with a coverage that spans 70+ countries across the world. A final weigh-in will take place three (3) before the event to ensure athletes are on target and in great condition.

Houston, TX, (February 18, 2016) – Scott Coker, President of Bellator MMA and one of combat sport’s most accomplished promoters, will launch “Bellator Kickboxing” this April with his partners at Spike. The announcement was made today at a press conference ahead of “Bellator 149: Shamrock vs. Gracie,” which airs tomorrow night on Spike at 9e/8c.

Bellator Kickboxing will feature many of the world’s best kickboxers including Joe Schilling, Raymond Daniels, Kevin Ross, Keri Melendez and Anastasia Yankova, who were in attendance at today’s press conference. The current Bellator MMA team based out of Santa Monica, CA will run the new league.

Coker has over 30 years of experience promoting combat sports, overseeing both K-1 and Strikeforce Kickboxing leagues during his illustrious career. “Kickboxing is a thrilling, non-stop action-packed sport that I believe will resonate with MMA fans,” said Coker. “Our first goal is to develop stars and showcase these incredible athletes on the #1 home for combat sports, Spike TV.”

The first event for Bellator Kickboxing will be a co-promoted show with Bellator MMA and Oktagon Kickboxing on April 16 at the Pala Alpitour in Torino, Italy.

The Bellator Kickboxing event’s headliner will feature Melvin Manhoef vs. Alexandru Negrea as well as a 5-round title fight when current ISKA 72kg champion Mustapha Haida will move up in weight to challenge Karim Ghajii for his ISKA 75 KG belt. Other participants competing at the inaugural Bellator Kickboxing extravaganza include Ross, Daniels and Denise Kielholtz. Opponents for these participants will be announced in the near future.

The event will also include “Bellator 152,” a mixed martial arts card will feature Alessio Sakara vs. Brian Rogers, and also features Bellator MMA stars Patricky “Pitbull” Freire, Brent Primus, Anastasia Yankova and A.J. McKee.

Bellator Kickboxing’s debut event will air on Spike Saturday, April 16 at 9:00pm ET/PT on brief tape delay. Earlier that day, Spike will broadcast Bellator MMA’s first international show, “Bellator 152,” LIVE at 3:00pm ET.

Details on future events will be announced in the near future.

About Bellator MMA:
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About Spike:
Spike is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

M-1 GLOBAL GRAND PRIX MIDDLEWEIGHT TOURNAMENT – SEMIFINALS – 5 X 5
Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (51-9-0, M-1: 2-0-0), Russia 184 ½ lbs. (83.8 kg)
vs.
Vyacheslav Vaselevsky (27-3-0, M-1: 10-1-0), Russia 184 ½ lbs. (83.8 kg)

CO-FEATURE
VACANT M-1 CHALLENGE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP – 5 X 5
Alexander “Drago” Volkov (24-6-0, M-1: 8-3-0), Russia 236 ½ lbs. (107.5 kg)
vs.
Denis Smoldaraev (11-1-0, M-1: 7-1-0), Estonia 269 ½ lbs. (122.4 kg)

M-1 CHALLENGE BANTAMWEIGHT SEMIFINALS ELIMINATOR – 3 X 5
Pavel Vitruk (12-2-0, M-1: 6-2-0), Russia 135 lbs. (61.3 kg)
vs.
Sergey Morozov (6-0-0, M-1: 2-0-0), Kazakhstan 134 lbs. (60.9 kg)

Antun “Killer” Racic (18-6-0, M-1: 3-3-0), Croatia 134 lbs. (61.0 kg)
vs.
Vitaly Branchuk (20-5-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Ukraine 134 ½ lbs. (61.1 kg)

MIDDLEWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Joe Ray (13-4-0, M-1: 0-0-0, United States 184 lbs. (83.6 kg)
vs.
Vladimir Katyhin (31-6-1, M-1: 1-0-0), Ukraine 183 ½ lbs. (83.4 kg)

PRELIMINARY CARD

HEAVYWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Kurban Ibragimov (3-1-0, M-1: 2-1-0, Russia 230 lbs. (104.5 kg)
vs.
Dmitriy Mikutsa (5-2-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Ukraine 239 ½ lbs. (108.8 kg)

MIDDLEWEIGHTS- 3 X 5
Magomed Mutaev (6-2-0, M-1: 3-0-0),Russia 185 lbs. (84.0 kg)
vs.
Vadim “Archie” Orischak (5-4-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Russia 184 lbs. (83.6 kg)

Valery “The Russian Hammer” Myasnikov (8-1-1, M-1: 0-1-1), Russia 185 lbs. (84.0 kg)
vs.
Vyacheslav “Bison” Bogomol (5-1-0, M-1: 1-0-0) 183 lbs. (83.3 kg)

WELTERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Stefan Larisch (8-3-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Germany 168 ½ lbs. (76.6 kg)
vs.
Maksin Grabovich (2-2-0, M-1: 2-0-0), Russia 168 lbs. (76.3 kg)

FEATHERWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Andrey “Iron” Lezhnev (7-5-0, M-1: 1-1-0) 145 lbs. (65.8 kg)
vs.
Timur Nagibin (5-1-0, M-1: 1-0-0), Russia 145 lbs. (65.8 kg)

WHAT: M-1 Challenge 64

WHEN: Friday, February 19, 2016

WHERE: Olympic Stadium, Moscow, Russia

PROMOTER: M-1 Global

M-1 Challenge 64 will be streamed live from Moscow 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 Android and Apple smart phones and tablets.

Information:

www.M1Global.tv
www.mixfight.ru
www.wmmaa.org

Twitter & Instagram:

@M1GlobalNews
@VFinkelchtein
@M1Global

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/M-1-GlobalNews

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 170 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. 2016 promises to be another sensational year of world-class competition, featuring a full calendar of Challenge events, fueled by a talent-rich contention system to rank 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!

LAS VEGAS (February 17, 2016) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) came out of the gates swinging to begin the new year and its fourth year of operation, generating impressive NBCSN television viewership figures for its first live event of 2016, as well as record levels of traffic and engagement on its web platform and a pair of new sponsor partners.

The live NBCSN telecast of WSOF27: Firmino vs. Fodor, which took place at the FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn. on Saturday, Jan. 23, generated an average viewership of 213,000, and peaked at 245,000, up 13% from NBCSN’s World Series of Fighting 2015 average. An immediate replay of the event that began at midnight, garnered another 111,000 viewers.

The number of unique visits to the league’s website skyrocketed by 515 percent between December and January, while World Series of Fighting secured two new sponsor partners in Talk2Legends and 1800 Tequila.

“It has been a tremendous start to a very promising year, and this is just the beginning,” said World Series of Fighting CEO Carlos Silva. “With a full schedule of world championship live events; a new, athlete-focused web TV series that we will be rolling out; and a host of other opportunities we are exploring with potential partners, it’s going to be an exciting year for World Series of Fighting and MMA fans.

“We are off to a great start, and we have a lot more in store for fans, with a new live event nearly every month this year,” said World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo. “We made some strong additions to our fighter roster last year, and fans can expect to see some more top level talent join our ranks in 2016.”

“We are looking forward to continued growth of the league and delivering our audience another year of exciting world championship MMA action,” said Gary Quinn, NBC Sports Group’s vice president of programming.

WSOF.com engagement soared by 400 percent between December and January, and the number of user sessions increased by 480 percent over the same time period. World Series of Fighting’s social media channels (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) all achieved their highest reach and levels of engagement since the

The partnerships with Talk2Legends and 1800 Tequila kicked off during WSOF27 last month. Utilizing the Talk2Legends video chat app, World Series of Fighting offered fans unprecedented, one-on-one access to both its athletic and NBCSN on-air talent, including Chael Sonnen, Bas Rutten, Jon Fitch and reigning, undefeated world lightweight (155 pounds) champion Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje.

Live World Series of Fighting action returns to NBCSN from Garden Grove, Calif. on Saturday, Feb. 20 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT with WSOF28: Moraes vs. Barajas. Headlining the four-bout telecast will be a world bantamweight (135 pounds) championship showdown between reigning kingpin Marlon Moraes (15-4-1), who will risk his title against fast-rising star, Joseph Barajas (12-1).

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 and follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries. WSOF and World Series of Fighting are registered trademarks of MMAWC, LLC.

16 February 2016 – Yangon, Myanmar: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), in partnership with AGD Bank, returns to Yangon to bring world-class mixed martial arts (MMA) action to combat sports fans in Myanmar. The Thuwanna Indoor Stadium is set to play host to ONE: UNION OF WARRIORS on 18 March. The card will be headlined by hometown hero, “The Burmese Python” Aung La N Sang, as he takes on Mohamed Ali of Alexandria, Egypt.

CEO of ONE Championship, Victor Cui stated, “Last year, as part of our growth plan to bring opportunities to countries with a rich history in martial arts, we entered Myanmar for the first time in June, bringing our signature brand of world-class MMA to fans here in Yangon with the support of Z Corp, Skynet, the Lethwei Federation, and the Ministry of Sports. This time, we intend to play off our success and establish yet another amazing night of MMA action.”

With 25 professional fights on his resume, Aung La N Sang is arguably one of the world’s most renowned fighters from Myanmar, with a constricting style of fighting that has earned him the moniker of the “Burmese Python”. Born in Myitkyina in the mountainous Kachin State, Aung belonged to an ethnic minority known as the Kachin. He sought asylum in the United States when he was 18 years old but was always proud of his heritage. Victorious in his ONE Championship debut, Aung now returns to the ONE Cage to headline against Mohamed Ali.

Mohamed Ali of Alexandria, Egypt, is a mixed martial arts veteran with a 10-7 record. He was unsuccessful in his ONE Championship debut against Jake Butler in 2014, being stopped within three rounds, but showed true grit and determination in a tough bout. Ali now looks for redemption as he makes his way back to the spotlight in a main event battle against Myanmar’s Aung La N Sang.

Former ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes had his title reign cut short in his last bout, dropping a heartbreaking split decision to current titleholder Kairat Akhmetov. As champion, Moraes was skillful and dominant, and was rarely opposed inside the ONE Cage. Now, he’s on the comeback trail, and his next bout is against rising Filipino flyweight Eugene Toquero.

Flyweight standout Eugene Toquero is a former celebrity mixed martial arts and fitness coach in his native Manila, Philippines. The 165cm Filipino stalwart has a knack for highlight reel striking techniques and operates at a pace which opponents find hard to keep up with. In his last bout, Toquero improved his record to 8-2 with a technical knockout victory over China’s Li Wei Bin. Now he faces his toughest test to date in Brazil’s Adriano Moraes.

17-year-old Christian Lee, younger brother of Angela “Unstoppable” Lee, has impressed in his first two outings in ONE Championship. Lee is riding the momentum of two stoppage wins inside the ONE Cage, one by highlight reel knockout and the other by crafty submission. Lee looks to continue his early success but will face a stern test when he takes on fellow rising star, Keanu Subba of Malaysia.

At just 21 years of age, Keanu Subba is a former amateur MMA champion and one of the most promising young talents on ONE Championship’s roster. Subba is on a three-fight win streak that saw him stop countryman Rayner Kinsiong by technical knockout in his last bout. With momentum in his favor, the promising Subba will look to replicate his success by taking on Christian Lee next.

Robin “The Rock” Catalan of Iloilo City, Philippines, is making his ONE Championship debut against 33-year-old Alex “Little Rock” Silva of Brazil. Catalan is a mixed martial artist and trainer currently based in Metro Manila, while Silva is 3-1 as a professional and riding a two-fight win streak.

For more updates on ONE Championship™, please visit www.onefc.com and follow Twitter and Instagram @ONEFCMMA and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONEFCMMA

About ONE Championship™

ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship™ has partnered with FOX and STAR Sports for an unprecedented 10-year cable television deal with a coverage that spans 70+ countries across the world.

About AGD Bank

AGD Bank aims to build the future for a progressive Myanmar. Myanmar is embarking on several decades of fundamental change. The future will look very different, and it will be full of opportunities that will touch every aspect of the lives of the people of Myanmar. At AGD Bank, our vision is to provide the vitally important banking infrastructure that will make a lasting and sustainable impact on this future, building the economic foundations for a progressive Myanmar.

In order to achieve our vision, we will deliver banking excellence through inspired and outstanding customer service. We will strive in everything we do to set our own unique, industry-leading, standard for banking excellence. We will accomplish this by always focusing on future opportunities and translating these into a commitment to outstanding levels of service, delivered day after day to each and every customer, helping them fulfil their needs and achieve their aspirations.

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (February 15, 2016) – M-1 Global has announced that M-1 Challenge 65 has been rescheduled from March 4 to April 8 at Ice Palace Sports Center in St. Petersburg, Russia.

The Ice Hockey World Championships will be held this May in St. Petersburg and Moscow. Many sports venues in St. Petersburg are closed in March due to renovations, resulting in the switched date for M-1 Challenge 65.

In the M-1 Challenge 65 main event, reigning M-1 Challenge middleweight champion Ramazan Emeev (13-3-0, M-1: 7-1-0) will take on Brazilian challenger Maiquel “Big Rig” Falcao (35-8-0, M-1: 0-0-0) in the M-1 Grand Prix middleweight semifinals match.

The other M-1 Grand Prix middleweight semifinals match is set as three-time Bellator champion Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (51-9-0, M-1: 2-0-0) takes on former M-1 Challenge middleweight and light heavyweight titlist Vyacheslav Vasilevsky (27-3-0, M-1: 10-1-0) at this Friday’s (Feb. 19) M-1 Challenge 64 at Olympic Stadium in Moscow.

The winners of Shlemenko vs. Vasilevsky and Emeev vs. Falcao will advance to the M-1 Grand Prix middleweight championship later this year.

In other M-1 Global news, M-1 Challenge lightweight champion Mansour “Tarzan” Barnaoui’s (13-2-0, M-1: 2-2-0) title defense versus challenger Artium Damkovsky (20-9-0, M-1: 10-6-0), has been moved from M-1 Challenge 64 to M-1 Challenge 65.

Replacing Barnaoui vs. Damkovsky on M-1 Challenge 64 is a classic striker-wrestler matchup between American Joe Ray (13-4-0, M-1: 0-0-0) and Nodar Kudukhashvili (10-2-0, M-1: 2-1-0), of Georgia.

M-1 Challenge 64 & 65 will be streamed live from Russia 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 Android and Apple smart phones and tablets.

Information

www.M1Global.tv
www.mixfight.ru
www.wmmaa.org

Twitter & Instagram:

@M1GlobalNews
@VFinkelchtein
@M1Global

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/M-1-GlobalNews

LBUQUERQUE, N.M. (February 15, 2016) – The second annual World MMA Association (WMMAA) Pan-American Congress, recently held at The Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was a major success by all standards.

(L-R) — WMMAA Pan-American president Tomas Yu, MMA superstar
Jon Jones and legendary coach Chris Luttrell

“The Pan-American Movement”, as it was named, brought together sports, tourism, and education for a common goal with more than 12 participating countries.

The Congress provided a rare opportunity for the entire WMMAA Pan-American family to collaborate with special partnerships like The Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce and The Mexico Consulate in Albuquerque, University of New Mexico Global Education Department. PANAM Members, representatives of National Federations, Commissions, Association and the Organizing Committee of the WMMAA Pan-American Championship (OCPC), as well as athletes, coaches, media, sponsors and other stakeholders to meet and discuss issues of importance to the entire MMA movement.

In his closing speech to the Congress, Pan-American Division President Tomas Yu paid tribute to the excellent collaboration between Pan-American members.

“If you asked me to sprawl a couple of times, I would most definitely need some nitro coffee from Villa Myriam before I run out of breath, followed by the guaranteed use of Sore No More,” Yu said. “But when it comes to fighting for our youth, for our MMA global goals – for cleaner competition, for a healthier, more peaceful and more flourishing SPORT – I will sprawl-jab-cross-kick like a champion. I will sprint the steepest trail in the Sandia Mountains. I will never stop until we raise our hands by victory. I am counting and exhorting all involved in the MMA industry to join us. We must go for the KO.”

Over the course of the three-day Congress and 13-day PANAM Camp, there were special guest such as Legacy Champion Damacio Page, former UFC champion Jon “Bones” Jones and Carlos Condit. Participants heard from many respected speakers such as Health Committee Director Curt Chavez from eVOLV Strong, Hector Molina, Director of PANAM Regulatory Committee and Director of PANAM Medical Committee, Dr. Justo Pavia. The congress had interesting discussions on the following themes: athletes, 2016 Expo MMA, structure of the “WMMAA Pan-American Movement”, global officials’ license and database, new era of Digital Sports Marketing Revolution, and the 2016 Pan-American Championships.

Each day was divided in two general sessions with a half-day devoted to Rules and Regulations discussions for PANAM. The plenary sessions were followed by three simultaneous breakout sessions on respective sub-themes.

All sessions were live-cast over the internet to allow the general public to hear discussions as it happened.

Two sessions began with presentations from a panel of speakers. The moderators of each panel were then responsible for the ensuing discussion period, which gave participants an opportunity to voice their opinions on issues. The main points from each session were carefully recorded by “ENLACE” – the new exclusive WMMAA correspondent program – to inform the Editorial Committee of the discussions at the end of each day. The final document reflected the main ideas to come out of the proceedings in Albuquerque, as well as information collected through the virtual WMMAA Pan-American Congress, allowing the WMMAA Pan-American family and public to submit written contributions.

The mission of the 2016 WMMAA Pan-American Congress was to bring together sports, tourism and education for a united front and review the status of the WMMAA PANAM Movement in today’s evolving global society. Information was gathered and opinions sought regarding its future, in addition to providing structure, guidance, proposals and recommendations to all constituents and other stakeholders of the WMMAA PANAM Movement for its structured showcase and harmonious development within the global youth community.

The 2016 WMMAA Pan-American Congress was a great success and has left the WMMAA Pan-American Movement with a blueprint for the future. It is now time, once again, for the PANAM family to translate words into action: We are the Future of MMA!

Information:

www.WMMAA.org
www.facebook.com/World.MMA.Association
www.facebook.com/WMMAA-Pan-American-Division-694183597342781/?fref=ts
www.facebook.com/Noticias-WMMAA-1011671952178470/

SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (February 10, 2015) – The main card of “Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” on March 4 is complete with today’s announcement that Gilbert Smith (12-4) will replace Michael Page and now face Fernando Gonzalez (24-13) in the evening’s co-main event.

In addition, Sirwan Kakai (12-3) will make his promotional debut against Joe Taimanglo (21-6) in the fourth and final main card contest. Seven preliminary scraps have also been confirmed and can be found below.
Tickets for “Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” are on sale now and start at just $45. You can purchase tickets at the WinStar World Casino and Resort Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com. Doors for the event open at 5:00 p.m. CT local time, with the first contest taking place one hour later.

“Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” airs live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App.

Smith will be making his Bellator MMA debut against a fighter who is currently in the midst of a four-fight winning streak. “Midnight Magic” is on a bit of a roll of his own, coming into the promotion riding a two-bout winning streak. A veteran of UFC and most recently RFA, Smith won the regional promotion’s welterweight belt in June, defending the title one time before signing with Bellator.

Gonzalez took a brief hiatus from MMA to compete in the kickboxing portion of the groundbreaking “Bellator MMA: Dynamite 1” event in September, losing a tightly contest decision to world-renowned striker Paul “Semtex” Daley. Gonzalez now returns to his comfort zone of MMA, where he has strung together an impressive four-fight winning streak. A veteran of the Scott Coker-founded Strikeforce promotion, as well as World Extreme Cagefighting, Gonzalez has been competing professionally since 2003.

Kakai is one of Bellator MMA’s latest signings, joining the fray after a two-fight stint in the UFC. “Zohan,” 26, hails from Sweden and owns 10 finishes in his 12 victories as a professional fighter. With a bantamweight title fight one-week prior and another marquee 135-pound pairing in the main event, it will be interesting to see what a win does for Kakai in the grand scheme of things.

Taimanglo will be making his seventh appearance under the Bellator MMA umbrella, and is riding a two-fight winning streak. A Guam-native, “The Juggernaut” has stopped his opponent in 21 of his victories and has only lost twice in his last 14 fights. Look for the 31-year-old to make an impression against the bantamweight division’s newest commodity.

Updated “Bellator 151: Warren vs. Caldwell” Fight Card:

Bellator MMA Bantamweight Main Event: Joe Warren (13-4) vs. Darrion Caldwell (8-0)
Bellator MMA Welterweight Co-Main Event: Gilbert Smith (12-4) vs. Fernando Gonzalez (24-13)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Feature Bout: Goiti Yamauchi (19-2) vs. Bubba Jenkins (10-2)
Bellator MMA Bantamweight Feature Bout: Sirwan Kakai (12-3) vs. Joe Taimanglo (21-6-1)

Preliminary Card:

Bellator MMA Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Chris Jones (10-3) vs. Ray Wood (5-1)
Bellator MMA Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Steve Garcia (6-0) vs. Ricky Turcios (5-0)
Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Justin Patterson (6-1) vs. Chance Rencountre (8-1)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Treston Thomison (8-4) vs. Aaron Roberson (5-3)
Bellator MMA Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Roger Carroll (16-13) vs. Neiman Gracie (3-0)
Bellator MMA Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Derek Palmer (Debut) vs. Jermayne Barnes (0-1)
Bellator MMA Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Shane Peterson (13-4) vs. Stephen Banaszak (5-5)

About Bellator MMA:
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About Spike:
Spike is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

Las Vegas, Nevada – The biggest month in the two-year history of UFC FIGHT PASS®, UFC’s over-the-top digital streaming service, has arrived.

On Saturday, February 27, former UFC middleweight champion and pound-for-pound great Anderson Silva will return to the Octagon to face elite contender Michael Bisping. The clash between two of the most established fighters in the 185-lbs division can only be seen exclusively on UFC FIGHT PASS.

UFC Senior Vice President and UFC FIGHT PASS General Manager Eric Winter said: “Anderson Silva vs Michael Bisping is a can’t-miss match-up with huge implications for the entire division. UFC is underlining its commitment to FIGHT PASS – and our great FIGHT PASS customers – by making FIGHT PASS the only place you can see not only Silva vs Bisping, but the entire 13-fight card live from London.”

Click here for footage of Bisping video-bombing FIGHT PASS customers.

Winter announced a raft of exciting shoulder programming which will count down the weeks and days until Silva and Bisping square off in the center of the sold-out O2 Arena.

Winter added: “Silva vs Bisping is a huge fight, not just for FIGHT PASS but also on its own terms, and FIGHT PASS will present the definitive coverage of the build-up to the February 27 showdown. Coming later this month, the inaugural episode of the new UFC Battle Lines will focus on Silva and Bisping’s preparation going into the fight. Plus camera crews are already shadowing the London card fighters for a series of the critically acclaimed UFC Embedded.”

Both UFC Battle Lines: Silva v Bisping and the episodes of UFC Embedded: Silva v Bisping will drop during the final week leading to UFC FIGHT NIGHT: SILVA vs BISPING. Additionally, FIGHT PASS will present the following original programming supporting Silva vs Bisping:

Michael Bisping’s Greatest Feuds (premieres Feb 22)
Bisping has been known to talk a little trash from time to time and here “The Count” recalls all the incidents and insults of his most bitter feuds in the UFC.

Fightography: Ian Freeman (premieres Feb 23)
Before Michael Bisping, heavyweight Ian Freeman was the face of British MMA. The first Brit to compete in the UFC, “The Machine” scored the upset of 2002 when he blasted Frank Mir to defeat in the UFC’s inaugural event in the UK. For the first time, Freeman speaks openly about the family tragedy that struck just hours before the greatest fight of his career.

The Best of Cage Rage, Volume 1 – With Michael Bisping (premieres Feb 12)
Cage Rage was a British based MMA organization that enjoyed major successes during its 2002 – 2008 years of operation. A host of major names, and future UFC stars, completed in Cage Rage. In the first of a regular series, Bisping introduces eight of the biggest fights in the Cage Rage archive – including his own epic battles over the Cage Rage light heavyweight title and Silva’s first run as a middleweight champion.

FIGHT PASS has also resurfaced other great Silva v Bisping exclusive and Original Programming, including Greatest Hits: Anderson Silva, Main Event: Silva vs Belfort, Main Event: Silva vs Sonnen II, Fightography: Michael Bisping and Britain’s Ultimate Fighter along with presenting collections of all of Silva and Bisping’s greatest fights.

In addition to UFC FIGHT NIGHT: BISPING vs SILVA, three MMA events from around the world will live-stream exclusively on FIGHT PASS in February: Shooto Brazil 61 on February 13, Victory FC 48 on February 19 and EFN Moscow on February 26.

Winter said: “February is a huge month for FIGHT PASS. From Original Programming, to live MMA events from three continents to a must-see main event featuring the greatest UFC champion of all time – FIGHT PASS has it all this month.”

UFC FIGHT PASS is available now on personal computers, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android, Chromecast, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV and Roku devices.

About UFC®
UFC® is a premium global sports brand and the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Sao Paulo and Singapore, 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 over 150 countries and territories to more than one billion TV households worldwide in 21 different languages. UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service, delivers exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content to fans around the world. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter and Instagram: @UFC.

Stephen Thompson announced himself as a contender as he stopped former world Welterweight champion Johny Hendricks in the first round of their scheduled 5-round Welterweight bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Thompson landed a perfect right hand that hurt Hendricks and continued to land punched and a couple of massive kicks until Hendricks was on the ground. two punches later and the fight was stopped at 3:31

Thompson, 170 lbs of Simpsonville, SC is 12-1. Hendricks, 170 lbs of Fort Worth, TX is 17-4.

Roy Nelson won a unanimous decision over Jared Rosholt in a Heavyweight bout.

Nelson, 258 lbs of Las Vegas won by scores of 30-27 twice and 29-28 and is now 21-12. Rosholt, 245 lbs of Arlington, TX is 14-3.

Ovince Saint Preux won a unanimous decision over Rafael Feijao in a Light Heavyweight bout.

Saint Preux, 206 lbs of Knoxville, TN won by 30-27 scores on two cards & 29-28 and is now 19-7. Feijao, 205 lbs of Rio de Jineiro, BRA is 12-7-1.

Joseph Benavidez won a 3-round unanimous decision over Zack Makovsky in a Flyweight bout.

Benavidez, 125 lbs of Sacramento, CA won by scores of 30-27 twice and 29-28 and is now 24-4. Makovsky, 125 lbs of Philadelphia, PA is 19-7.

Misha Cirkunov choked out Alex Nicholson in round two of their Light Heavyweight bout.

Cirkunob locked in a rear naked on Nicholson who already had a jaw injury and he tapped out at 1:28.

Cirkunov, 206 lbs of Toronto, CAN is 11-2-1. Nicholson of Orlando, FL is 6-2.

Mike Pyle scored a 3rd round stoppage over Sean Spencer in a Welterweight bout.

In round three, Pyle landed a reverse punch and landed some vicious knees to the face until the bout was stopped at 4:25.

Pyle, 170 lbs of Las Vegas is 27-11-1. Spencer, 170 lbs of Dallas, TX is 12-5.

Josh Burkman won a 3-round unanimous decision over KJ Noons in a Welterweight bout.

Both guys had bloody noses but Burkman won by scores of 30-27 on all cards.

Burkmann, 156 lbs is 28-12-1. Noons, 156 lbs of San Diego is 13-9-1.

Derrick Lewis stopped Damian Grabowski in round one of their Heavyweight bout.

Lewis pounded Grabowski on the canvas that opened up a nasty cut on the top of the head. After more punishment the fight was stopped at 2:17.

Lewis, 263 lbs of Houston, TX is 14-4-1. Grabowski of Opole, POL is 20-3.

Justin Scoggins with a 3-round unanimous decision over Ray Borg in a Flyweight bout.

Borg was bleeding from the nose in the 2nd round.

Scoggins, 125 lbs of Spartenburg, SC won by scores of 30-27 twice and 30-26 and is now 11-2. Borg, 125 lbs of Albuquerque, NM is 9-2.

Diego Rivas scored an explosive 2nd round knockout over Noad Lohat in a Featherweight bout.

Rivas caught Lohat with an explosive jumping kick on the jaw that slumped Lohat down to the canvas and after a couple punches the fight was stopped at 23 seconds of round two

Rivas, 144 lbs of Chile is 7-0. Lohat, 145 lbs of San Jose, CA is 10-1.

SANTA MONICA (February 6, 2015) – Bellator MMA is proud to announce the signing of Chris “The Crippler” Leben (22-11) to an exclusive multi-year, multi-fight contract. The former World Extreme Cagefighting Middleweight World Champion has fought professionally since 2002, and holds the record for most fights in the UFC at 185-pounds (22).

Since taking a break from the sport in 2014, Leben has resided in San Diego, Calif. and served as a coach at Victory MMA & Fitness. Known for his tendency to put on an exciting show each and every time he enters the cage, Leben was a member of the inaugural cast of “The Ultimate Fighter” alongside fellow Bellator MMA competitors Stephan Bonnar and Josh Koscheck. The 35-year-old has fought elite talent throughout his mixed martial arts tenure, against names the likes of: Wanderlei Silva, Anderson Silva, Brian Stann, Michael Bisping, Patrick Cote, Mark Munoz, and Bellator MMA’s own Alessio Sakara.

“If I were to draw up the prototypical Bellator MMA competitor, there would be parts of Chris [Leben] in there,” Bellator MMA President Scott Coker said. “The guy has never had a boring fight and as I’ve said from day one, we’re going to continue to grow from the ground up and buy from the top down. I know that Chris still has a lot of fight left in him and I’m excited to see him fight We are hoping to see his Bellator debut this Spring.”

“Focusing on just coaching at Victory MMA has been amazing, but recently, I started to get the itch to compete again,” Leben said. “So I extended an olive branch to the people at Bellator and here I am. I’m in great shape, I love the possible matchups this roster has to offer and I’m ready to show the world why they call me ‘The Crippler.’”

Leben joins a budding roster of Bellator MMA talent, with recent signings that include: Benson Henderson, Anastasia Yankova, Lena Ovchynnikova, and Sergei Kharitonov.

It has yet to be determined what weight class Leben will compete at, but when asked what division he hopes to settle in, Leben made it clear: “I’ll go wherever the big fights are.”

About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About Spike:
Spike is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.