Press Release – Glasgow, Scotland (April 12, 2013) – TOMORROW’S Cage Warriors 53 headliners Jim Alers and Joni Salovaara are both on weight for their CWFC featherweight title bout at the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow, Scotland.
The pair came in under the 145lbs limit at this afternoon’s weigh-ins, as they prepare to clash in a bid to succeed Conor McGregor as the next champion of the Cage Warriors featherweight division.
All other main-card fighters also hit the mark after stepping on to the scales, with only Jean N’Doye failing to make the contracted weight for his Facebook prelim against Richie Edgeworth.
N’Doye, aiming to make the cut to bantamweight for the first time, could only go as far as 137.2lbs and therefore surrenders 25 percent of his purse to Edgeworth.
Press Release – Glasgow, Scotland (April 12, 2013) – TOMORROW’S Cage Warriors 53 headliners Jim Alers and Joni Salovaara are both on weight for their CWFC featherweight title bout at the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow, Scotland.
The pair came in under the 145lbs limit at this afternoon’s weigh-ins, as they prepare to clash in a bid to succeed Conor McGregor as the next champion of the Cage Warriors featherweight division.
All other main-card fighters also hit the mark after stepping on to the scales, with only Jean N’Doye failing to make the contracted weight for his Facebook prelim against Richie Edgeworth.
N’Doye, aiming to make the cut to bantamweight for the first time, could only go as far as 137.2lbs and therefore surrenders 25 percent of his purse to Edgeworth.
MAIN CARD
Joni Salovaara (144.6lbs) v Jim Alers (144.4lbs) – vacant CWFC featherweight title bout
Sally Krumdiack (114.8lbs) v Joanne Calderwood (115.9lbs) – strawweight
Chris Scott (185lbs) v Mats Nilsson (184.8lbs) – middleweight
Jason Cooledge (155.7lbs) v Jason Ball (156lbs) – lightweight
Paul Marin (125.5lbs) v Neil Seery (125.1lbs) – flyweight
James Pennington (135.4lbs) v James Doolan (135.5lbs) – bantamweight
FACEBOOK PRELIMS
Richie Edgeworth (136lbs) v Jean N’Doye (137.2lbs)* – bantamweight
Joe Laurence (125.4lbs) v Mark Connor (125.9lbs) – flyweight
*Fighter missed contracted weight, surrendering 25 percent of his purse to his opponent
Press Release – Newport Beach, CA. (April 10, 2013) – After closing out a highly successful inaugural season on Spike TV, Bellator announced today it will hold four-man tournaments over the summer in the Heavyweight, Light Heavyweight and Bantamweight divisions. “We are always striving to enhance every aspect of the Bellator formula for our fighters […]
Press Release – Newport Beach, CA. (April 10, 2013) – After closing out a highly successful inaugural season on Spike TV, Bellator announced today it will hold four-man tournaments over the summer in the Heavyweight, Light Heavyweight and Bantamweight divisions.
“We are always striving to enhance every aspect of the Bellator formula for our fighters and fans,” Bellator CEO & Chairman Bjorn Rebney said. “Our Champions consistently defending their titles against world class challengers who’ve earned their title shots creates a win/win for those two crucial groups. Three stacked 4-man tournaments over our Summer Series on Spike is another great step in our growth and evolution”
Bellator has historically held classic eight-man tournaments featuring a collection of top talent from around the world. The eight-man tournament fields will continue this fall, live on Spike TV and in Spanish language on mun2.
Dates, venues and the final 4 for this Summer’s Heavyweight, Light Heavyweight and Bantamweight tournaments will be announced shortly.
For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA, follow Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney @BjornRebney and check out Bellator on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BellatorMMA
About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is the world’s largest tournament based Mixed Martial Arts organization. Televised to nearly 500 Million homes worldwide in over 107 countries, Bellator’s majority owner is entertainment giant Viacom. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. With over 150 world-class athletes under contract, Bellator is home to many of the sport’s top mixed martial artists. Bellator’s founder & CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment executive with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes. Bellator’s core philosophy is that title shots should be earned, not given. This belief gave rise to Bellator’s real sport, tournament-based format, which gives Bellator’s tournaments a true playoff feel that keeps the sport true and distances itself from the subjective side of fighting sports found in organizations that utilize a matchmaking/casting formula. 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 Newport Beach, California.
About Spike TV:
Spike TV 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 TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’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 mun2
mun2 is the leading Hispanic cable network for young millennial adults 18-34. From reality to music, on-air to digital, mun2 creates original content that resonates across a multi-screen platform. Young, vibrant and unabashedly Latino, mun2 has a distribution to over 38 million households. The network is part of Telemundo Media, a division of NBCUniversal.
Press Release – New York, NY – April 10, 2013 – Spike TV’s debut season Bellator MMA was a ratings success for the network, delivering an average of 861,000 viewers, culminating with 952,000 viewers for its finale event this past Thursday, April 4. Emanating from venues all around the country, Bellator’s live events on Spike […]
Press Release – New York, NY – April 10, 2013 – Spike TV’s debut season Bellator MMA was a ratings success for the network, delivering an average of 861,000 viewers, culminating with 952,000 viewers for its finale event this past Thursday, April 4. Emanating from venues all around the country, Bellator’s live events on Spike TV improved the timeslot (Thursdays from 10pm-12:00am) in the hard-to-reach male demographic of Men 25-34 by 36% (compared to last year).
Bellator’s shift from MTV2 to Spike TV proved to be a ratings bonanza for the rising MMA league. The most recent season 8 on Spike TV delivered +388% more viewers than Season 7 on MTV 2 and +403% more viewers than Season 6. Also of note, the weekly encore presentation of the Bellator events drew an average of 336,000 on Thursday night (12:00-2:00am) – thus the weekly cume was an impressive 1,197,000 viewers.
Competitively, Bellator MMA consistently placed in the top 10 in cable among Men 18-34 and Men 18-49 in the timeslot. For the live finale last week, Bellator placed #6 with Men 18-49 with a 0.7 rating. Also, Bellator’s April 4 event was a hit on social media as it ranked #5 on cable for tweets during episode airtime, the highest during this season.
“As the television home of mixed martial arts, we were thrilled to deliver to our fans an exciting, action-packed live Bellator event each week with the compelling story-telling and high production values viewers expect from Spike,” said Kevin Kay, President, Spike TV.
“The response from fans on television and in-arena was tremendous this season,” Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney said. “Our partners at Spike have given Bellator an enormous platform to showcase some of the best mixed martial arts on the planet. And…this is just the beginning”
(*delivery numbers includes time-shifting)
About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is the world’s largest tournament based Mixed Martial Arts organization. Televised to nearly 500 Million homes worldwide in over 107 countries, Bellator’s majority owner is entertainment giant Viacom. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. With over 150 world-class athletes under contract, Bellator is home to many of the sport’s top mixed martial artists. Bellator’s founder & CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment executive with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes. Bellator’s core philosophy is that title shots should be earned, not given. This belief gave rise to Bellator’s real sport, tournament-based format, which gives Bellator’s tournaments a true playoff feel that keeps the sport true and distances itself from the subjective side of fighting sports found in organizations that utilize a matchmaking/casting formula. 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 Newport Beach, California.
About Spike TV:
Spike TV 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 TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’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 mun2
mun2 is the leading Hispanic cable network for young millennial adults 18-34. From reality to music, on-air to digital, mun2 creates original content that resonates across a multi-screen platform. Young, vibrant and unabashedly Latino, mun2 has a distribution to over 38 million households. The network is part of Telemundo Media, a division of NBCUniversal.
Press Release – LOS ANGELES, CA – On this week’s UFC TONIGHT, UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz guest hosts and interviews his archrival Urijah Faber about his upcoming main card fight at THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER 17 FINALE. Plus, Cruz and Kenny Florian breakdown the fight, and UFC women’s champ Ronda Rousey weighs in on Miesha […]
Press Release – LOS ANGELES, CA – On this week’s UFC TONIGHT, UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz guest hosts and interviews his archrival Urijah Faber about his upcoming main card fight at THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER 17 FINALE. Plus, Cruz and Kenny Florian breakdown the fight, and UFC women’s champ Ronda Rousey weighs in on Miesha Tate vs. Cat Zingano. Plus news on Hector Lombard, Conor McGregor and more on this week’s UFC TONIGHT.
UFC TONIGHT’s Kenny Florian on THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER 17 FINALE main card matchup between Urijah Faber vs. Scott Jorgensen: “They’re both similar fighters and both come from wrestling backgrounds, but what concerns me a little bit is the fact that Urijah Faber got Scott Jorgensen into the game. Any time you have that relationship, it’s like you’re a big brother. Will Scott Jorgensen respect Urijah too much heading into this fight?”
UFC TONIGHT Guest Analyst Dominick Cruz on Faber vs. Jorgensen: “I’ve wanted to see this fight back in the WEC days. Scott Jorgensen has done outstanding things lately and is on a win streak now. It’s going to be a high-paced fight. If you train with a fighter and if he brings you into the sport, you get this misconception that he is your teacher. Is Jorgensen in it mentally or will Faber give the big brother role toward him and get the W?”
Cruz predicts Faber over Jorgensen: “I’ve got to go with Faber. I think Jorgensen creates a lot of problems in durability and his wrestling ability that will make Faber think. But Faber’s explosiveness, speed and technique are going to win the fight.”
Faber on fighting Jorgensen, who he’s trained with in the past: “I haven’t trained with him much over the last couple years. It’s been more of a friendship. It’s going to be a little bit weird. It’s easy to punch or elbow someone in the face when you don’t care for them very much, but this is a different scenario.”
Faber on why he’s OK with fighting Jorgensen now: “We put off the fight for a long time. I was at 145 for most of the time and we were able to avoid the fight. You can’t avoid everybody. You’ve got to bite the bullet and today’s the day and I’m ready to rock.”
Faber on if he thinks Cruz still deserves to be the champ: “I do. Dominick and I don’t necessarily get along, but I can respect that the guy’s earned what he has. The bottom line is you can take the belt away, but everybody’s going to still want to see him go back and fight the top guy. You don’t want to see guys at the top of the food chain fighting guys at the bottom. That’s called a mismatch. They do that in boxing, but they don’t do that in MMA. Yeah, Dom, keep the belt. Shine it, take care of it, and sleep with it next to your pillow. You’ll have to get through (Renan) Barao first, which is very tough and a good match up, and then I’m looking to get back in there and have a go at it myself.”
Ronda Rousey on her prediction for Miesha Tate vs. Cat Zingano: “I have no clue. To be honest, both of them are amazing fighters. I think I’d prefer to coach against Miesha, so I’m rooting for her, but to have two undefeated fighters fight for a title, which it would be against Cat, would be an amazing experience as well. I’m the champ, I’m here to fight the best, so may the best girl win, and I’ll be here waiting for you.”
Cruz predicts Miesha Tate over Cat Zingano: “I love that it’s both of their debuts in the UFC, but I have to go with Tate. I think she’s got the cleaner technique on the grappling end.”
UFC TONIGHT Insider Ariel Helwani on Hector Lombard going down to 170: “I spoke to Lombard today and he’s about to work with Mike (Dolce) because he wants to get leaner. He walks around at 205 and he feels that at his height, it’s not really at his best interest to be fighting at 185. He knows the UFC wants him to go down. First thing’s first, he needs to have nose surgery. He broke his nose fighting Yushin Okami so the surgery is coming up next for him – hopefully next week. After that, he’s going to focus on that cut down to 170.”
Helwani on Conor McGregor fighting at 145: “Conor told me yesterday that he’s down with fighting at UFC ON FOX Sports 1 on August 17. Dana White wants him to fight in Boston. He did say if he had his druthers, he’d want that fight to happen at 155 pounds, not 145, which is what he fought at on Saturday. This is the first time that he’ll be leaving Europe to go fight, and considering the travel and everything that goes on with that, he’d like his first fight in North America to be at 155. The UFC has told him they want him to fight at 145 so we’ll see what happens with that.”
Helwani on Alexander Gustafsson: “His manager Manos Terzitane said that Alex is a week or two away from getting cleared. They’ve told the UFC that if someone gets injured at 205, they want to step in on short notice. They want to fight for the title – the winner of Jon Jones vs. Chael Sonnen on April 27. If they can’t get the title fight, they want to fight Lyoto Machida next. Their ultimate goal would be against Machida – the number-one contender fight – and then they want to fight for the title.”
Helwani on Nate Diaz: “Cesar Gracie is no longer managing Nate Diaz. For the first time in his MMA career, Diaz has a new manager and that is Mike Kogan. I talked to Mike and Cesar about this, and both would not confirm nor deny the story. Cesar Gracie is still training Nate, but he’s just no longer managing him.”
Cruz on his recovery: “I’m getting better every day. The doctor just cleared me to run and to jump rope, so I’m on the path.”
UFC TONIGHT
UFC TONIGHT is the official weekly news and information show of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The show is co-hosted by veteran UFC fighter and multiple title contender Kenny Florian and UFC light heavyweight contender Chael Sonnen. Leeann Tweeden contributes, while three-time World MMA Awards Journalist of the Year Ariel Helwani adds insider news.
Follow FUEL TV and the talent on Twitter at: @FUELTV; @UFCTonight; @kennyflorian; @arielhelwani; @LeeannTweeden; @TheDomin8r;
For a complete listing of FUEL TV shows, go to: http://www.fuel.tv/schedule. For more information, go to www.fuel.tv, www.fuel.tv/ufc and on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/fueltv
To get FUEL TV on your television, go to www.fuel.tv/getfueltv, or call 877-4 FUEL-TV.
Press Release – 10 April 2013 – Manila: ONE Fighting Championship™ (ONE FC), in association with Universal Reality Combat Championship (URCC), returns to the fight capital of Asia on Friday, 31 May, with the highly anticipated first title defense of hometown hero ONE FC Featherweight World Champion Honorio “The Rock” Banario. Banario will put it […]
Press Release – 10 April 2013 – Manila: ONE Fighting Championship™ (ONE FC), in association with Universal Reality Combat Championship (URCC), returns to the fight capital of Asia on Friday, 31 May, with the highly anticipated first title defense of hometown hero ONE FC Featherweight World Champion Honorio “The Rock” Banario. Banario will put it all on the line when he takes on Japanese submission specialist Koji Oishi. Plus, pound-for-pound king Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes returns to the famed ONE FC cage when he squares off against Japanese MMA sensation Koetsu Okazaki for the ONE FC Bantamweight Interim Title. All the action will take place at the 20,000-seater SM Mall of Asia Arena in what is expected to be the greatest fight card ever compiled in ONE FC history. After selling out arenas throughout Asia it is finally time for ONE FC to return to the Philippines.
CEO of ONE Fighting Championship™ Victor Cui stated, “ONE FC will be back in the fight capital of Asia on 31 May with a stacked fight card that is sure to get the adrenaline pumping for the passionate Filipino fight fans. This event could possibly be the largest in ONE FC’s history and features the top names in MMA, headlined by ONE FC Featherweight World Champion Honorio Banario. Of course, having one of the greatest fighters on earth fighting on this card in Manila is sure to be a special night for MMA. Bibiano Fernandes always brings his best when he steps into the cage. Close to 20,000 fans will pack out the SM Mall of Asia Arena to witness the greatest sporting spectacle in the world.”
Tickets for ONE FC: RISE TO POWER will launch in Casino Filipino branches across the Philippines starting on 19 April 2013.
Fans from around the world can witness the action online via live streaming at www.onefc.livesport.tv. The first two undercard fights are available for viewing free-of-charge and the main card fights will be available for purchase at just US$9.99.
ONE FC Featherweight Champion Honorio “The Rock” Banario is one of the top Mixed Martial Artists in the world today. He is a member of the legendary Team Lakay where he trains alongside fellow ONE FC fighters Eduard Folayang and Kevin Belingon under head coach Mark Sangiao. Banario comes from a Wushu background, an ancient Chinese martial art whose practitioners are recognizable by a diverse range of striking techniques. Despite his striking credentials, five of Banario’s eight wins were by submission, proving how versatile he really is. Banario captured the ONE FC crown when he defied all odds by defeating his fellow countryman Eric Kelly at ONE FC: RETURN OF WARRIORS via TKO. Banario will be looking to hold onto his title when he battles the ever so tough submission specialist from Japan, Koji Oishi.
Koji Oishi is a 35 year-old Japanese mixed martial arts veteran and former Lightweight King of Pancrase. He comes from a wrestling and karate background and is renowned for leaving everything on the line in brawls against some of the best in the business, including Chris Lytle, Carlos Condit and both of the Diaz brothers.
ONE FC Bantamweight World Champion Soo Chul Kim is currently undergoing shoulder surgery and will be out of action for an indefinite period of time. Therefore, ONE FC officials have decided that an interim ONE FC Bantamweight World Championship title will be introduced until Kim is ready to make a comeback.
Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes is undeniably one of the best fighters in the world today. His never-ending gas tank, explosive take-downs and lighting fast strikes have garnered him a huge fan base amongst Asian and international fans alike. Fernandes made his ONE FC debut in August 2012 at ONE FC: PRIDE OF A NATION where he defeated journeyman Gustavo Falciroli via unanimous decision. A veteran who has fought countless Japanese fighters, Fernandes will have his toughest test yet when he battles Japanese sensation Koetsu Okazaki.
Okazaki is the latest top Japanese fighter to sign for ONE FC and is one of the most experienced fighters in the entire bantamweight division. He is a tenacious competitor known to never back down from any opponent. Okazaki specializes in submissions but he is not afraid to go toe-to-toe with anyone if that is what it takes to get the win. Okazaki knows that a win over Fernandes will get him the global recognition that he deserves and the ONE FC Bantamweight Interim Title wrapped around his waist.
For more updates on ONE Fighting Championship™, please visit www.onefc.com and follow on Twitter @ONEFCMMA and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONEFCMMA.
About ONE Fighting Championship™
Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Fighting Championship™ (http://www.onefc.com) is Asia’s largest mixed martial arts organization. ONE Fighting Championship™ hosts the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Fighting Championship™ has partnered with STAR Sports, the number one leader in sports content, for an unprecedented 10-year cable television deal with a coverage that spans across 70+ countries in Asia.
Press Release – LOS ANGELES – Powered by the growing popularity of Ultimate Fighting Championship® programming, FUEL TV continues the strong audience growth exhibited in 2012, opening this year with its most-watched quarter ever, a span that featured five of the network’s top-10 most-watched days, according to Nielsen Media Research. The growth stories, however, don’t […]
Press Release – LOS ANGELES – Powered by the growing popularity of Ultimate Fighting Championship® programming, FUEL TV continues the strong audience growth exhibited in 2012, opening this year with its most-watched quarter ever, a span that featured five of the network’s top-10 most-watched days, according to Nielsen Media Research. The growth stories, however, don’t stop there.
FUEL TV’s March performance tied with February 2013 as the network’s highest-rated ever in both households and in its M18-49 target demographic thanks to the record-shattering viewership of UFC ON FUEL TV 8: SILVA VS. STANN on Saturday, March 2. Additionally, March was FUEL TV’s second most-watched month of all time in total viewers, just behind February 2013. On March 2, FUEL TV logged three of its four most-watched programs ever, plus its most-watched day and most-watched prime time ever.
FUEL TV’s second-most watched program also took place in the quarter, with the UFC ON FX 7: BELFORT VS. BISPING PRELIMS on Saturday, Jan. 20, delivering FUEL TV 255,000 total viewers.
Additional Audience Highlights:
FUEL TV’s first quarter of 2013 topped the first quarter of 2012 by +50% in households, +44% on total viewers and +33% among M18-49.
March 2013 outperformed March ’12 by +100% on households, +75% on total viewers and +63% among M18-49.
FUEL TV’s two most-watched days in network history and five of the top ten all occurred during the first quarter of 2013, led by March 2, which averaged 131,000 total viewers and 78,000 M18-49.
The network televised its four most-watched programs of all time and six of the top ten during the first quarter of 2013 – led by UFC® ON FUEL TV 8 on March 2, which shattered records by delivering an average of 485,000 total viewers and 282,000 M18-49, easily becoming the most-watched program in network history.
FUEL TV continues its coverage of the UFC® this week two shows around THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER 17 FINALE. The network telecasts the live UFC WEIGH-IN SHOW (6:00 PM ET) on Friday, April 12, and live UFC POSTFIGHT SHOW (12:00 AM ET) on Saturday, April 13.
FUEL TV
FUEL TV is the only cable and satellite television network that features the exciting world of adrenaline and thrill-seeking sports as well as high energy entertainment programming. This includes UFC®, surfing, motocross, BMX and more. With more hours of UFC® coverage than any other network, FUEL TV is the ultimate destination for live fights, weigh-ins, prelims, pre- and postfight coverage, results and more. This new generation of sports provides a rich landscape of some of the most vibrant and action-packed television entertainment in the world. See why adrenaline sports fans call FUEL TV the channel they never turn off. FUEL TV, part of FOX Sports Media Group, was launched July 1, 2003 and is seen in more than 36 million U.S. homes and can be accessed by broadband, mobile devices and other digital platforms such as iTunes®. FUEL TV programming is available in more than 50 countries around the world with 24/7 channels operating in Australia and Europe. To subscribe to FUEL TV, call 877-4 FUEL-TV. For program times and other information, visit www.fuel.tv.
FOX Sports Media Group
FOX Sports Media Group (FSMG) is the umbrella entity representing News Corporation’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, FSMG includes ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing partnerships. FSMG includes FOX Sports, the sports television arm of the FOX Broadcasting Company; Fox’s 20 regional sports networks, their affiliated regional web sites and FSN national programming; SPEED and SPEED2; FOX Soccer, FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Soccer 2Go; FUEL TV; FOX Deportes and FOX College Sports. In addition, FSMG also encompasses FOX Sports Interactive Media, which includes FOXSports.com on MSN, Whatifsports.com Scout.com and Yardbarker.com. Also included in the Group are Fox’s interests in joint-venture businesses Big Ten Network, BTN 2Go and STATS, LLC, as well as licensing agreements that establish the FOX Sports Radio Network and FOX Sports Skybox restaurants.
