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Roger Bowling And Bobby Voelker To Rematch At Strikeforce Challengers Event Oct. 22

Undefeated welterweight “Relentless” Roger Bowling (8-0) will step back into the cage to rematch “Vicious” Bobby Voelker (22-8) on Oct. 22 in Fresno, Calif. Both men will headline the Strikeforce Challengers event in their May rematch in which Bowling earned a technical decision (unanimous) victory after an unintentional eye poke ended the […]

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Undefeated welterweight “Relentless” Roger Bowling (8-0) will step back into the cage to rematch “Vicious” Bobby Voelker (22-8) on Oct. 22 in Fresno, Calif. Both men will headline the Strikeforce Challengers event in their May rematch in which Bowling earned a technical decision (unanimous) victory after an unintentional eye poke ended the fight in the third round.

“It was unfortunate and frustrating my last fight had to finish that way,’’ Bowling said. “I felt it ruined the first couple rounds that I worked really hard for. But it was just one of those things that can happen. If you get poked in the eye, you can’t open it. And if you can’t open your eye, they’re not going to let you fight.”

Here is the full Press Release.
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SAN JOSE, CALIF. (Sept. 13, 2010) – Five months after their initial encounter, an exciting battle that ended prematurely due to an accidental poke in the eye, “Relentless” Roger Bowling will put his unbeaten record on the line one more time against “Vicious” Bobby Voelker in a collision of welterweights (170 pounds) in the main event of a STRIKEFORCE Challengers Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight card presented by Rockstar Energy Drink at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif., live on SHOWTIME® at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast), on Friday, Oct. 22.

Undefeated prospect and Fresno resident Billy Evangelista will make his long-awaited return to the cage when he faces Waachiim “Native Warrior’’ Spiritwolf in a 165-pound catch weight bout. Heavyweight star and Madera, Calif. native Lavar “Big” Johnson will continue his miraculous return to the sport in a matchup against an opponent to be determined.

A special pre-sale ticket purchase opportunity for the event will take place for “STRIKEFORCE Insider” e-newsletter subscribers, beginning at 10 a.m. PT on Wednesday, Sept. 15, and ending at 10 p.m. PT. on Thursday, Sept. 16. STRIKEFORCE Insiders will receive a special e-newsletter with the pre-sale code.

Tickets go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. PT on Friday, Sept. 17, and will be available for purchase at the Save Mart Center box office, select Save Mart Supermarkets, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online and STRIKEFORCE’s official website.

The 5-foot-8, 27-year-old Bowling (8-0), of Columbus, Ohio, won a unanimous three-round technical decision over the 6-foot, 31-year-old Voelker (22-8), of Kansas City, Kan., during a STRIKEFORCE Challengers presentation on May 21 in Portland, Ore., on SHOWTIME.

Bowling, who trains in Cincinnati with, ironically, Team Vision, was ahead by the scores of 29-28 on the three judges’ scorecards when an excellent, crowd-pleasing fight was halted at 1:38 of the third round after he could not continue due to an unintentional poke in the right eye he had received.

The talented, aggressive-minded Bowling entered the fight, his STRIKEFORCE debut, with high expectations and the rising star lived up to the billing and his nickname as he punished Voelker, particularly during the majority of the first two rounds.

This will be the first start since for Bowling, a pro since June 2007 who had won his seven previous fights inside the distance, six of which came in the first round.

Voelker, who was in the midst of a major rally against Bowling when the bout came to a disappointing end, has maintained a busy schedule since turning pro in February 2006. He has fought once since the Bowling match, winning a hard-fought, three-round split decision over Cory Devela last July 23 on STRIKEFORCE Challengers at Everett, Wash.

It was the eighth victory in 11 starts for the hard-trying, determined Voelker, who registered a dramatic, come-from-behind second-round TKO (punches) over Erik Apple at STRIKEFORCE: Challengers on Nov. 20, 2009, in Kansas City.

“Both Roger and I have great hearts and I’m looking forward to doing it again with him.’’ said Voelker, whose left eye was cut in the first. Like he did against Apple, Voelker showed an incredible chin, heart and remarkable resolve and resiliency by staging a dramatic comeback in the third stanza after absorbing an inordinate amount of punishment in the first two rounds.

At the end of the second round, a seemingly exhausted Voelker impressively managed to take down Bowling. It was still going Voelker’s way at the outset of the third as he rocked Bowling, who had never had a fight go past two rounds, with combinations.

But shortly thereafter, moments after the referee had separated the fighters when they were clinched against the cage, one of the seams on the outside of Voelker’s gloves grazed Bowling’s right eye. Unable to continue, the fight went to the scorecards and Bowling got a decision based on the strength of the first two rounds.

“It’s an unfortunate thing,’’ Voelker said. “We had a great war and we just wanted to end it with a great war in the last 3:22. Things happen, accidents happen. He wasn’t able to see and couldn’t continue. He won the first two rounds so he got the decision. There it is. We can do it again. We’ll both be back.’’

The start for Evangelista (10-0, 1 No Contest), a Muay Thai specialist, will be his first since Nov. 6, 2009, when the 5-foot-8, 29-year-old earned a unanimous decision over hard-hitting brawler Jorge Gurgel at STRIKEFORCE Challengers at Save Mart Center. An injury sustained in the bout with Gurgel has kept Evangelista sidelined.

In his outing before last on May 15, 2009, on STRIKEFORCE Challengers, Evangelista fought Mike Aina. The result was initially ruled a victory by disqualification for Aina, but it was later overturned and ruled a no contest by the California State Athletic Commission after Evangelista appealed. Replays showed Evangelista’s knee struck Aina in the shoulder, not the head, as the referee originally believed.

Spiritwolf (8-6-1), a resident of San Diego, Calif., will make his debut for STRIKEFORCE. A two-fight winning streak and three-fight unbeaten streak (2-0-1) in 2010 ended for the 5-foot-8, four-year pro when he lost a decision to Delson Heleno on Sept. 4.

A Native-American who is of Navajo and Yaqui descent, Spiritwolf registered an impressive first-round TKO over Crafton Wallace in his outing before last on May 22.

Johnson, a second-round TKO (punches) winner over then-undefeated Lolohea Mahe last March 26 in the main event of STRIKEFORCE Challengers at Save Mart Center, will be making his second start since he was gunned down while attending a family barbeque during the July 4 holiday in 2009.

The 6-foot-2, 33-year-old Johnson survived three gunshot wounds sustained during the walk-by shooting that led to the death of a cousin. A father of two boys, ages eight and five, Johnson spent 30 days in a hospital, fighting for his life, and several more months rehabilitating.

Taking all that into consideration, he was pleased with his comeback performance, “I felt great,” he said. “The whole comeback thing was rough, but I took baby steps and came along. Now, I’m ready to fight again.’’

Save Mart Center doors will open for the STRIKEFORCE Challengers event at 4:45 p.m. The first preliminary bout will begin at 5:30 p.m. PT. The first main card bout will start at 8 p.m.

Heavyweight Josh Barnett Signs With Strikeforce

Heavyweight Josh Barnett (29-5) has signed a multi-fight deal with Strikeforce. No word on when his first will take place or who he might face, but we’re sure speculation will abound about a fight with Fedor Emelianenko. “The Babyfaced Assassin” was going to face Fedor in August of 2009 at the failed Affliction: […]

Heavyweight Josh Barnett (29-5) has signed a multi-fight deal with Strikeforce. No word on when his first will take place or who he might face, but we’re sure speculation will abound about a fight with Fedor Emelianenko. “The Babyfaced Assassin” was going to face Fedor in August of 2009 at the failed Affliction: Trilogy event. The bout, event, and Affliction MMA all fell apart after Barnett was officially pulled 10 days before the fight by the California State Athletic Commission for testing positive for anabolic steroids.

Barnett is riding a six fight win streak that began in March of 2008 with a submission win over Hidehiko Yoshida at Sengoku 1, and currently sits with a TKO victory against Geronimo dos Santos at Impact FC 1 – The Uprising: Brisbane this past summer.

Here is the full Strikeforce Press Release.
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NEW YORK (Sept. 13, 2010) – Two-time champion and top world-ranked heavyweight superstar Josh “The Babyfaced Assassin” Barnett has signed a multi-fight agreement to compete for world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion STRIKEFORCE.

“STRIKEFORCE is the home of the best heavyweight division in the world and I’m proud to be able to call it my home now,” said the 32-year-old Barnett (29-5), an expert in catch wrestling who hails from Seattle, Wash.

“I’m looking forward to competing amongst the greatest fighters in the world and fighting my way to another world title.”

The 6-foot-3, 255-pound Barnett became the youngest UFC champion in history at age 24 when he scored a second-round TKO (4:35) on MMA legend Randy “The Natural” Couture in Las Vegas, Nev., on March 22, 2002. In his sixth career fight, Barnett submitted wrestling and MMA legend Dan “The Beast” Severn with an armbar in the fourth round (1:21) in Hawaii.

In addition to his achievements in America, Barnett has spent a good portion of his career competing in top tier promotions overseas, including the now defunct PRIDE Fighting Championships in Japan where he notched memorable victories over the likes of Aleksander Emelianenko, Mark Hunt and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. On Oct. 21, 2006, Barnett took part in PRIDE’s first event on U.S. soil, submitting Pawel Nastula with a toe hold in the second round (3:04) at Las Vegas’s Thomas & Mack Center.

In 2008, Barnett competed in another Japanese promotion, Sengoku. After submitting (heel hook) Hidehiko Yoshida in Tokyo on March 5, 2008, Barnett returned to action on May 18, 2008, and earned a unanimous decision over top-ranked rival and fellow American Jeff “The Snowman” Monson.

Barnett signed an agreement to compete in Japan’s DREAM promotion earlier this year. Last March 22, he made his debut with the organization, submitting former K-1 tournament champion and devastating power puncher, “Mighty Mo” Siligia, with a kimura at 4:41 of the first round.

On July 10, Barnett followed up the strong showing with a first-round TKO (punches) over Geronimo dos Santos in the main event of a fight card in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Martin “The Stress” Desilets Scores Second Straight Victory Over Victor Valimaki

French Canadian fighter, Martin “The Stress” Desilets (11-2) earned a second straight win over opponent Victor Valimaki defending his TFC light-heavyweight title.
With the win Desilets may be poised to move on to bigger and better things, fans may expect to see him in a Bellator cage soon.
Here is the full Press Release.
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Edmonton, Alberta (Canada): Martin […]

French Canadian fighter, Martin “The Stress” Desilets (11-2) earned a second straight win over opponent Victor Valimaki defending his TFC light-heavyweight title.

With the win Desilets may be poised to move on to bigger and better things, fans may expect to see him in a Bellator cage soon.

Here is the full Press Release.
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Edmonton, Alberta (Canada): Martin “The Stress” Desilets came into his rematch with UFC veteran Victor Valimaki at Friday’s TFC 11: “Full Force” with a lot of questions laid at his feet. Some wondered if his first victory over Valimaki, which took place at TFC 10: “High Octane” in March, was a fluke. Some questioned whether or not Desilets was a dirty fighter due to groin strikes that occurred in the bout. Well, those questions have all been answered, as The Fight Club fans saw “The Stress” (11-2) land a knee “full force” and take out Valimaki (16-7) at only 37 seconds of the first round. Now truly the undisputed TFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Desilets only question now is “who’s next?”

“Full Force” also featured a Canadian Lightweight Championship match between the undefeated Mitch Clarke and Josh Machan, who entered the tilt on a seven-fight winning streak. After a tough first round, Clarke was able to maneuver his prey into a submission, squeezing out a rear-naked choke victory at 33 seconds of the 2nd round, capturing the title in the process. The newly-minted champ runs his record to a perfect 8-0, while Machan’s winning streak is stopped, bringing his record to 7-4.

Also at TFC 11, rising young Canadian welterweight star Ryan “The Kid” McGillivray defeated late replacement Markhaile “Showtime” Wedderburn in an exciting matchup. After an action-packed first round, McGillivray (11-4-1) caught Wedderburn (10-8) in a fight-ending armbar submission, making him undefeated in his last four fights. The night wasn’t a total loss for the Machan family, as Josh’s brother Ryan (12-5) was able to conquer the challenge brought by James McCutcheon (3-3) via TKO (ref stoppage due to unanswered punches). Also featured at “Full Force” was ex-CFL player Rio Wells, who continued his winning ways by stopping fellow former football player Chuck Pelc via TKO due to strikes. Wells stays undefeated as a pro, and has won all four of his fights via knockout.

Here are the full results of TFC 11: “Full Force:”

205 lbs: TFC World Light Heavyweight Champion Martin Desilets (11-2) defeated Victor Valimaki (16-7) via TKO (knee) Round 1, 0:37
155 lbs: Mitch Clarke (8-0) defeated Josh Machan (7-4) for the TFC Canadian Lightweight title via submission (rear-naked-choke) Round 2, 0:33
170 lbs: Ryan McGillivray (11-4-1) defeated Markhaile Wedderburn (10-8) via submission (arm bar) Round 2, 2:42
170 lbs: Ryan Machan (12-5) defeated James McCutcheon (3-3) via TKO (punches) Round 1, 2:25
170 lbs: Rio Wells (4-0) defeated Chuck Pelc (2-2) via TKO (punches) Round 2, 1:00
130 lbs: Sy Jewett (2-0) defeated Rachael Swaetz (3-2) via split-decision (29-28, 30-27, 28-29)
170 lbs: Max Dalsin (4-2) defeated Darcy Boizard (1-2) via TKO (knees) Round 1, 1:15
140 lbs: Adam Bodwell (1-0) defeated Reece Chapman (0-1) via submission (guillotine choke) Round 1, 4:37
155 lbs: Steve Beaumont (1-0) defeated Dean Cox (0-1) via TKO (punches) Round 1, 3:17

Josh Thompson To Meet Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante On Oct. 9 Strikeforce Card

Former Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson (17-3) will appear in the upcoming Strikeforce: San Jose event on Oct. 9. He’ll face Brazilian lightweight Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante (15-3-1) in what is sure to be an exciting matchup.
Thomson is 1-1 in his last two fights earning a submission (rear-naked-choke) over Pat Healy at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. […]

Former Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson (17-3) will appear in the upcoming Strikeforce: San Jose event on Oct. 9. He’ll face Brazilian lightweight Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante (15-3-1) in what is sure to be an exciting matchup.

Thomson is 1-1 in his last two fights earning a submission (rear-naked-choke) over Pat Healy at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum this summer. “The Punk” is 9-1 in his past ten though.

Cavalcante, meanwhile, is 1-2 in his last three earning a split decision over Katsunori Kikuno at DREAM.15. “JZ” has only fought once in 2010 and 2009.

Here is the full press release.
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NEW YORK (Sept. 10, 2010) – On a night when STRIKEFORCE will present a World Championship Doubleheader that includes a grudge rematch between defending welterweight champion Nick Diaz and KJ Noons, former STRIKEFORCE belt-holder and local favorite Josh Thomson (17-3) will meet world-ranked Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante (15-3-1) of Brazil in an important lightweight fight Saturday, Oct. 9, at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

The winner between Thomson and Cavalcante, both world-ranked at 155 pounds, could be next up to challenge STRIKEFORCE World Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez.

Healthy again after injuries sidelined him for 15 months in 2008-‘09, Thomson turned back a determined bid from game Pat “Bam Bam’’ Healy of Portland, Ore., to score a hard-fought, third-round submission in his most recent start last June 26 at HP Pavilion.

The popular, exciting, crowd-pleasing Thomson earned the victory over Healy in a tight, even match via rear-naked choke at 4:27 of the third despite injuring his ribs along the way.

In his first effort back after the lengthy layoff, Thomson, who shut out Melendez across five rounds to capture the STRIKEFORCE world 155-pound belt on June 27, 2008, lost a thrilling rematch to Melendez by the scores of 49-46 twice and 49-47 on Dec. 19, 2009, at HP Pavilion.

“Fans expect me to fight guys the caliber of JZ and so do I. I want to fight all the best lightweights,’’ said the 5-foot-10 Thomson, who turns 32 on Sept. 21. “Right now STRIKEFORCE has a bunch of top fighters at 155 pounds. There’s always going to be talk about a third fight with Gilbert, but that will come when the time is right.

“In the meantime, I need to keep taking it one fight at a time and I need to continue to win. There are plenty of great fights out there for me, and this is definitely one of them.’’

A prominent member of American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) in San Jose, Thomson is 9-1 in his last 10 starts.

It will be the eagerly awaited STRIKEFORCE debut for Cavalcante, a former consensus top five-ranked lightweight and two-time K-1 Hero’s lightweight Grand Prix champion who signed with the San Jose-based organization earlier this year.

Not unlike Thomson, Cavalcante has had to fight through injuries the last few years — most significantly, a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee that sidelined him for several months.

“I train very hard against very good guys every day,’’ said the 5-foot-8, 27-year-old Cavalcante, a top performer in Japan the last few years who is coming off a split decision victory over Katsunori Kikuno last July 10 at DREAM 15 in Japan. It was JZ’s first start in nearly 13½ months, the longest layoff of his career.

“I think I could have performed better in my last fight,’’ JZ said, “but it was my first in a long time and ring rust was a factor. But, now, I feel great and I’m excited to be able to get back to doing what I love to do.’’

After suffering his initial pro loss in his third outing in July 2004, Cavalcante went 12-0-1 before fighting a hotly disputed No Contest with former world No. 2-ranked lightweight, Shinya Aoki, in a March 2008 fight that was called due to illegal elbow strikes. Six weeks later, he dropped a decision to Aoki in a match in which the Brazilian sustained a severely bruised rib and tore cartilage in his costal area.

Cavalcante has performed in Japan for several years so he doesn’t figure to be intimidated by the surroundings when he faces Thomson on his home turf.

“I’m happy to be 100 percent healthy and fighting in America,’’ JZ said. “Once the bell sounds, it will just be Thomson and I in there. This is a tremendous opportunity to re-establish myself against a former world champion. The fight is very important. The winner could be fighting for the STRIKEFORCE title.’’

Tickets for STRIKEFORCE: Diaz vs. Noons II are on sale at Ticketmaster.com, at the HP Pavilion ticket office, or by phone at (800) 745-3000. Doors will open at 4 p.m. PT. The first live, non-televised fight is at 4:30 p.m.

Diaz (22-7, 1 NC) will defend against Noons (9-1) in the main event. Diaz, of Stockton, Calif., has not lost a fight since he faced Noons, losing via disputed first-round TKO on Nov. 7, 2007. He has won seven in a row. Noons, of San Diego, Calif., has won his last six fights, including the thrilling slugfest against Diaz that ended when a cageside physician halted the proceedings due to excessive cuts around Diaz’ eyes.

In the co-feature, undefeated STRIKEFORCE Women’s Welterweight World Champion Sarah Kaufman (12-0) of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, will make the second defense of her 135-pound title against No. 1 contender and Dutch superstar Marloes Coenen (17-4).

Another featured fight will pit an emerging star, up-and-coming Luke Rockhold (7-1), of Santa Cruz, Calif., against the vastly more experienced, 2000 Olympic Games wrestling silver medalist, Matt “The Law” Lindland (22-7), of Oregon City, Ore., in a middleweight (185 pounds) contest.

MFC 26 Recap – Antonio McKee Victorious

Press Release
It wasn’t the homecoming party that Ryan Ford wanted, but it was the coming out party that Douglas Lima deeply desired.
Stunning a vastly partisan crowd in his opponent’s home town, Lima (15-4) scored a second-round submission victory over Ford (12-3) in the co-main event of MFC 26: Retribution held Friday night at the River […]

Press Release

It wasn’t the homecoming party that Ryan Ford wanted, but it was the coming out party that Douglas Lima deeply desired.

Stunning a vastly partisan crowd in his opponent’s home town, Lima (15-4) scored a second-round submission victory over Ford (12-3) in the co-main event of MFC 26: Retribution held Friday night at the River Cree Resort and Casino just outside Edmonton, Alberta, and live on HDNet Fights.

Following an exciting back-and-forth opening round, Lima found Ford’s arm dangling after a takedown and smoothly transitioned into a tapout finish at the 48-second mark of the middle frame. From once unknown to instant title contender, it was a perfect turn of events for the ATT Atlanta product.

“I want the belt now,” declared Lima, who also secured the Submission of the Night award. “I was promised if I win this fight they will give me a title shot. That’s what I want – please.”

The victory was Lima’s third straight and put a halt to Ford’s four-fight string of success while also souring the much-ballyhooed return of Ford to the MFC where his promising career began.

While Lima positioned himself in the welterweight title picture, reigning MFC lightweight champ Antonio McKee left no doubt as to who wears the biggest crown in the organization. Much-maligned for his “boring” style and vowing to retire if his opponent could last the five-round distance with him, McKee (25-3-2) punished Brazilian foe Luciano Azevedo (16-9) with a wicked slam and then proceeded to demolish him with relentless ground-and-pound.

Two devastating elbows strikes carved a huge gash in Azevedo’s forehead and a after a brief check by the ringside physician, referee Frank Geric waved the fight to a rightful stoppage just 3:11 into the opening stanza. The victory was just McKee’s third TKO win of his career and the Lakewood, California, product not only retained his belt but remains unbeaten in his past 15 fights spanning seven years. Though only seven of his 25 career wins have been of the non-decision variety, this decisive verdict should serve some notice to McKee’s many critics that he can truly be an entertaining finisher.

“Whoever the MFC puts in front of me next, I’ll whoop their ass too,” said McKee. “I guess it’s not true – you can teach an old dog new tricks. And I want to thank (HDNet commentator) Guy Mezger for bringing the best out of me.”

Two other fighters made serious impacts at MFC 26, both ending their respective bouts with impressive knockouts. Despite spending much of the first round on his back, David Heath sent foe Solomon Hutcherson back to his corner after the opening five minutes with badly bleeding – and likely broken – nose. That was only the tip of the damage iceberg that was in store for Hutcherson.

Heath (16-6) brought a huge roar from the capacity crowd when he opened Round 2 with a spinning backfist that very nearly dropped Hutcherson. And moments later, Heath did put Hutcherson (11-7) down for good with a well-placed right hand and follow-up hammerfists that brought an explosive ending to the fight at 3:46 of the second round. The result, which garnered Knockout of the Night kudos for the Tulsa, Oklahoma, native, was particularly noteworthy for Heath as it was his first test in the middleweight ranks, dropping down from light heavyweight. While there’s still work to be done, Heath served notice that he is a serious threat in search of a title belt.

The same can also now likely be said of Dwayne Lewis, who redeemed himself for a poor showing at MFC 25 against Emanuel Newton by taking out Mike Nickels only 1:30 into their 205-pound contest. Lewis (12-5) dropped Nickels (8-4) twice with short uppercuts in the clinch and then pounded down Nickels for good with more sharp and heavy shots. Lewis, one of the organization’s most-popular figures, made a clear-cut case for a new multi-fight contract with his most-impressive outing since dusting off Marvin Eastman at MFC 23.

In another middleweight bout, Jesse “JT Money” Taylor (16-6) didn’t inflict a lot of damage, but kept positional advantage and went after enough submissions to easily pull away from brash Brit Tom “Kong” Watson. While his ring entrance electrified the crowd, Watson (12-4) was unable to unleash his vaunted striking attack under the relentless wear of Taylor’s well-executed game plan. All three judges scored the bout 30-26 in Taylor’s favour – Watson having been deducted one point in Round 1 for holding the ropes during takedown attempts.

The night’s televised card opened with two of the MFC’s newest young guns squaring off and it was Curtis Demarce (11-7) using a slick triangle choke to coax the tapout from Tyson Steele (6-1) at the 4:09 mark of Round 2.

Other results:

Ford Robertson def. Andrew Buckland – unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Aaron Berke def. Ryan Ballingall – tapout via rear-naked choke, 0:35 Round 2
Chad Freeman def. Theo Brisley – tapout via armbar, 3:04 Round 1

Shine Fights’ Reveals Lightweight GP Tournament Matchups

Shine Fight Promotions has revealed the upcoming matchups for this Friday’s lightweight Grand Prix Tournament. The event will consist of an eight-man, one-night, tournament and will be featured on a pay-per-view (check your local service provider to see if they are carrying the event) live from the First Council Casino in Newkirk, OK.
Here are […]

Here are the matchups for the GP Tournament.

Here is the full Press Release
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NEWKIRK, OK (SEPTEMBER 8, 2010) – The first-round matchups for the Sept 10 Shine Fights Promotions Grand Prix Tournament from the First Council Casino in Newkirk, OK have been finalized, it was announced today by Shine Fights COO Jason Chambers.Chambers stated, “It is no secret that we have faced a barrage of challenges with this tournament; however the Shine team has persevered and done an amazing job of ensuring both the fighters and fans get to be part of an amazing show Sept 10th.” The tournament will follow the Nevada State Athletic Commission rules. Below is list of the tournament’s matchups, which will be broadcast on PPV:

Drew “Knight Rider” Fickettvs. Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennett

Drew Fickett: 37-13 with 3TKO/KOs, 26 submissions. This Tucson, Arizona native is only 30 years old but has competed in fifty professional fights. A submission specialist, he holds notable victories over UFC stalwarts Josh Koscheck, Kurt Pellegrino,Dennis Hallman, and Kenny Florian, as well as UFC veterans Josh Neer, Edwin DeWees,Keita Nakamura, Mark Weir, and Derrick Noble. In addition, he defeated fellow tourney entrant Carlo Prater via submission in their first bout back in 2004.

Charles Bennett: 23-17-2 with14 TKO/KOs, 6 submissions. One of the most controversial fighters in MMA history, the 30-year-old Ocala, Florida native is known for his antics in and out of the cage. He’s been known to insult opponents, disrespect referees, and has even brawled with other fighters backstage. Once quoted atsaying that ground fighting “is like making love…it’s not real fighting,”Krazy Horse has attempted to clean up his act in recent years. Regardless,fight fans know that they will be entertained when “Krazy Horse” is on thecard. Bennett holds notable wins over former EliteXC Lightweight Champion KJNoons, UFC veteran Gerald Strebendt, and WEC Bantamweight contender Yoshiro Maeda, and has faced some of the world’s best lightweights in Takanori Gomi,Tatsuya Kawajiri, Jeff Curran, and Urijah Faber.

Rich “Cleat” Crunkilton vs.Carlo Prater

Rich Crunkilton: 16-3 with7 TKO/KOs, 6 submissions. The 30-year-old Ft. Lauderdale, Florida native is known for his devastating throws and slams, high kicks, and wild punches. A product of the famed American Kickboxing Academy,“Cleat” has faced top 155ers during the course of his career, including BaoQuach, Hermes Franca, former WEC Lightweight Champion “Razor” Rob McCullough,and “The Fugitive” Dave Hansen.

Carlo Prater: 24-7-1 with 2TKO/KOs, 12 submissions. Hailing from Sao Paolo, Brazil,Prater began competing in professional mixed martial arts in 2002. The ground fighter challenged then-WEC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit for the title at WEC 32 in 2008, putting up a valiant effort before succumbing to his bigger opponent. Now based in Texas,Prater has set his eyes on the Shine title. He possesses notable victories over UFC lightweight Spencer “The King” Fisher, Condit (in their first bout),Strikeforce fighter Pat Healy, and UFC veteran Keith Wisniewski

James Warfield vs. “Alley Cat” KyleBaker

James Warfield: 21-6 with 15TKO/Kos, 6 submissions. A veteran of many MMA organizations, Warfield is known for his reputation as a finisher, having never won by anything other than a stoppage. The Sun Prairie, Wisconsin native trained in Jeet Kune Do and karate as a child, but has blossomed into a full-fledgedmixed martial artist. He’s faced quality competition throughout his six-year fight career, including UFC veteran Rory Markham, former TUF contestant Seth Baczynski, and former top ten-ranked lightweight Yves Edwards.

Kyle Baker: 9-4 with 7 TKO/KOs, 1 submission. One of the most well-rounded fighters in Virginia, “Alley Cat” trains withthe famed MMA Institute in Harrisonburg.Dubbed “the hardest hitting man in Virginia,”Baker is the WKA Muay Thai Champion, as well as a former ISKA Kickboxing Champion. In addition, Baker was a high school state champion wrestler, and currently holds a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. The 29 year-old Baker stands 5’11”, and usually competes in the welterweight division. He holds a victory over two-time UFC veteran Chad Reiner, and has defeated fellow GrandPrix participant Drew Fickett.

Shannon Gugerty vs. Dennis Bermudez

Shannon Gugerty: 12-5 with 3 TKO/Kos, 9 submissions. Gugerty is a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under famed grappler Dean Lister.He began his professional MMA career successfully with a submission victory over current WEC mainstay Cub Swanson. After amassing a 10-2 record, he was invited to compete for the Ultimate Fighting Championships, where he has foughtfive times. During his time with the UFC, Gugerty was able to rack up wins over Dale Hartt and Matt Grice. The 28 year-old San Diego native trains at Victory MMA with fellow notables Jeremy Stephens, Court McGee, Toby Imada, Peter Sobotta, Joe Brammer, and Tomas Drwal.

Dennis Bermudez: 8-0 with 3TKO/KOs, 1 submission. This rising young lightweight has carved out an unblemished 8-0 record as a professional MMA fighter. A former Division 1 All American wrestler, Bermudez has the type of ground game that makes fight aficionados stand up and take notice. Included in that group is former longtime WEC Featherweight Champion Urijah Faber, who recently brought in the talented wrestler to his camp in order to help him prepare for future fights.

The GrandPrix Tournament will be beamed on PPV on cable and satellite in the United States and Canada. The event will be in High Definition and it will be available in both English and Spanish (where available).The Grand Prix Tournament will be distributed ive on Pay Per View beginning at 9 p.m. EST/6 p.m. PST by Multi Vision Media,Inc.The suggested retail prices $29.95.

Ticket Information: Tickets for the Mixed Martial Arts Tournament at the First Council Casino on Friday, September 10 at 8:00 p.m.Tickets which are on sale now are priced at$250, $175, $95, $65, and $35. Tickets will be available through Ticketstorm.com and the First Council Casino box office by calling 866-966-1777.

To learn more aboutShine Fight Promotions, visit www.shinefights.com or follow the organization on Twitter Twitter.com/ShineFightsMMA, Myspace(www.myspace.com/ShineFights), YouTube(www.youtube.com/ShineFights) or become a fan on Facebook.