New York City, New York (July 22, 2010) – With stunning submission and knock-outs, Europe’s next mixed martial arts superstars put forth incredible performances at the M-1 Selection 2010 – Eastern and Western Europe Finals on July 22 from Moscow, Russia; fans around the globe were able to capture the action via live streaming of […]
New York City, New York (July 22, 2010) – With stunning submission and knock-outs, Europe’s next mixed martial arts superstars put forth incredible performances at the M-1 Selection 2010 – Eastern and Western Europe Finals on July 22 from Moscow, Russia; fans around the globe were able to capture the action via live streaming of the event on the M-1 Global website.
“This was a fantastic night of mixed martial arts,” says Evgeni Kogan, Director of Operations of M-1Global. “The streaming telecast was effective in sharing the event with fans around the world and the tournament winners are continuing to a make their mark on the sport’s world stage. This is a great lead in to the Americas Semi Finals happening August 7th.”
The Finals bouts featured European fighters looking capture the title of M-1 Selection Champion
Tournament Bout Results:
· Samil` Tingadziev def. Andrei Embolaev Light Heavyweight
The “M-1 Selection” is the world’s premiere MMA competition where the next generation of superstars are given the opportunity to showcase their skills on the world stage with fighters being eliminated after only one loss; victory will advance the winning fighters throughout the tournament and earn them a trip to the championship event where they will compete for the coveted “M-1 Selection” title.
The “M-1 Selection” tournament is broken down into global regions: Western Europe, Eastern Europe and the Americas with each region hosting three rounds and a final of the ““M-1 Selection” tournament. The winning fighter in each weight class will gain the opportunity to fight on the larger international stage.
The tournament features some of the best up-and-coming fighters from each region as they begin the journey towards a tournament victory.
Go to www.M-1Global.com for additional information.
SAN DIEGO (July 22, 2010) – Former UFC and Strikeforce heavyweight title challenger Paul “The Headhunter” Buentello believes his August 14 showdown against 2-time UFC heavyweight champion Tim “Maine-iac” Sylvia, headlining “War on the Mainland,” is the type of match-up MMA fans have been clamoring for when the power striking pair battle for the vacant […]
SAN DIEGO (July 22, 2010) – Former UFC and Strikeforce heavyweight title challenger Paul “The Headhunter” Buentello believes his August 14 showdown against 2-time UFC heavyweight champion Tim “Maine-iac” Sylvia, headlining “War on the Mainland,” is the type of match-up MMA fans have been clamoring for when the power striking pair battle for the vacant Powerhouse World Promotions (PWP), LLC Heavyweight Championship, live on Pay-Per-View from Bren Events Center in Irvine, California.
“War on the Mainland,” presented by Powerhouse World Promotions, is being distributed by Integrated Sports Media at 10:00PM ET/7:00PM PT in North America on cable and satellite Pay-Per-View via iN Demand, DIRECTV, Avail-TVN and DISH Network, as well as Viewer’s Choice, Bell TV and Shaw PPV in Canada, for a suggested retail price of only $29.95. It will also be available in the United Kingdom via Primetime Live. The PPV card will also be streamed live on Internet PPV outside of the United States, Canada and United Kingdom by going to www.WarontheMainland.com.
“It’s a great match-up,” Buentello said, “one that fans there in the arena or watching at home will be out of their seats, because they’re going to be on their feet from beginning to end. Because I’m finally fighting Tim makes this fight more interesting. I respect him as a fighter. We were supposed to fight before but it didn’t happen and here it is now. We’re two top heavyweight competitors. Everybody knows what I’m about – my nickname (‘The Headhunter’) says it all.”
The 6’ 2”, 250-pound Buentello, fighting out of Amarillo, Texas, has defeated “Tank” Abbott, Justin Eilers, and Mike Kyle, as well as Gary Goodridge (DEC3) and Kirill “Baby Fedor” Sidelnikov (TKO3) in a pair of high-profile Affliction-promoted shows.
Buentello (27-12-0) has stopped 17 of his 27 victims, while the 6’ 8”, 300-pound Sylvia (26-6-0), fighting out of Bettendorf, Iowa, has also knocked out 17 foes. Tim has defeated many of the world’s top MMA heavyweights and super heavyweights, including Andrei Arlovski (2) Brandon Vera, Jeff Monson, Wes Sims, Ricco Rodriguez, Mike Whitehead (2), Ben Rothwell and Jason Lambert.
“Sylvia versus Buentello; everybody know what it’s all about,” Paul noted. “Neither one of us are submission guys. We’re both big guys who throw big punches. Fans know well in advance that they’re going to get their money’s worth.”
“I switched my training camp to Long Beach (CA) for this fight,” Buentello added. “I’m now training with Antonio McGee. It’s been a great camp so far.”
Sylvia-Buentello is one of three PWP title fights (5 X 5, all other fights are 3 X 5). Former WEC titlist Jason “The Punisher” Lambert (25-11-0) meets 8-time World Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion Allan Goes (17-3-0) for the vacant PWP Light Heavyweight title belt. Former UFC title challenger Thales Leite (17-3-1) takes on Strikeforce veteran Falaniko “Niko” Vitale(27-9-0) for the PWP Middleweight crown.
Fan favorite, former UFC Lightweight Champion Jens “Little Evil” Pulver (22-13-1), meets Diego “El Nino” Garijo (4-1-0) in a Special Lightweight Attraction.
Also fighting on “War on the Mainland” is Brazilian middleweight Gustavo “Ximu” Machado (18-8-1) vs. Rick Reeves (10-3-0) and Mexican welterweight Jorge “The Naked Man”Ortiz (16-5-1) vs. veteran Terry Martin (19-8-0).
Undercard fights featuring local fighters include lightweights Joao Silva (3-2-0) vs. Erin Beach (1-0-0), lightweights Cleber Luciano (3-3-0) vs. Todd Willingham (2-4-2), welterweightsA.J. Mathews (3-0-0) vs. Sean Choice (1-0-0), and pro-debuting lightweights Evan Aitkins vs. Chad McCausland. All fights and fighters are subject to change.
Tickets, ranging from $35.00 to $110.00 reserved and $110.00 to $295.00 on the floor, are on sale at the Bren Events Center Box Office (10 AM/PT-6 PM/PT, Mon-Fri), going on line to www.bren.uci.edu or www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling 1.949.824.5000.
Doors open at 5:00 PM/PT, first bout 6:15 PM/PT, first PPV bout 7 PM/PT – 10 PM/ET. Go to www.WarontheMainland.com or www.bren.uci.edu for additional information.
Vendor opportunities and sponsorships are available by calling 1.858.798.1541.
Edmonton, Alberta (Canada): The Fight Club (TFC), one of the top fight promotions in Canada, will return to action with “TFC 11: Full Force” on Friday September 10th. “Full Force” will showcase a main event rematch between TFC Light Heavyweight Champion Martin “The Stress” Desilets and UFC veteran Victor “The Matrix” Valimaki. The belt will […]
Edmonton, Alberta (Canada): The Fight Club (TFC), one of the top fight promotions in Canada, will return to action with “TFC 11: Full Force” on Friday September 10th. “Full Force” will showcase a main event rematch between TFC Light Heavyweight Champion Martin “The Stress” Desilets and UFC veteran Victor “The Matrix” Valimaki. The belt will be on the line as these two lock horns once again, as TFC 11 will be held at the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta. Doors will open at 7 PM, and the fights will begin at 8 PM. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster, http://www.thefightclub.ca/, or (780) 451-8000.
In their first bout, which took place at “TFC 10: High Octane” this past March, Desilets and Valimaki laid it all on the line, throwing punches with abandon. In the end, Desilets was able to outlast his foe en route to a TKO victory with only ten seconds left in the first round. He gained Valimaki’s light heavyweight strap in the process. Check out the full fight here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEVf9dK3NR4. Now, these two will look to exceed their performances from their first fight at“Full Force.” Valimaki will attempt to regain his lost crown, while Desilets will do everything he can to hold onto it. Regardless of who comes out on top, the true winners will be the fans.
TFC Light Heavyweight Champion Martin “The Stress” Desilets (10-2-0-1) has only been to a decision once in his career, and has finished his opponent in every one of his victories. The Team Legion fighter, who trains with UFC fighter Jonathan “The Road Warrior” Goulet, is a six-foot tall native of Canada, and always brings the excitement in his bouts. He holds a TKO victory over current UFC contender Krzysztof Soszynski, and will look to make it two in a row against Valimaki at “Full Force.”
Victor “The Matrix” Valimaki (16-6), a veteran of the UFC, was riding a seven-fight win streak when he stepped into the cage against Desilets to defend his belt. Now, the nine-year MMA veteran will attempt to start another win streak by stopping the champ and getting his strap back. A native of Edmonton, Alberta, Valimaki holds victories over notables Dan “The Beast” Severn, Jason “Dooms” Day, and Vernon “Tiger” White. At “Full Force,” he’ll try to add Desilets to that list.
“Full Force” will also feature TFC favorites Ryan McGillivray, Rio Wells, Mitch Clarke, Luke Harris, Jordan McKay, and many more. Look for additional fights to be announced in the coming weeks. The event will be shown on The Fight Network on tape delay, and news on a press conference will be announced soon. For more information, please visit our website at http://www.thefightclub.ca/
About The Fight Club
The Fight Club (TFC) was founded in 2007, and is headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta. It was established to promote the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA), which is considered the fastest growing professional sport in the world. TFC will present the best the world of MMA has to offer, to Canadian audiences and specifically to the fans of Edmonton, Alberta with spectacular live events that will showcase Canada’s top fighters. For additional information on The Fight Club, please visit http://www.thefightclub.ca/
NEW ORLEANS, La. (July 22, 2010) — Bellator Fighting Championships will bring its action-packed brand of mixed martial arts to the Big Easy this fall during a nationally-televised show at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts in downtown New Orleans on Thursday, Sept. 9th.
The show marks the first time that a major MMA […]
NEW ORLEANS, La. (July 22, 2010) — Bellator Fighting Championships will bring its action-packed brand of mixed martial arts to the Big Easy this fall during a nationally-televised show at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts in downtown New Orleans on Thursday, Sept. 9th.
The show marks the first time that a major MMA promotion has traveled to New Orleans in nearly 10 years and the first time that the 36-year-old theater will host a professional sporting event. Tickets go on sale at 1 p.m. CT Friday at Ticketmaster.com.
The event, Bellator 28, will be headlined by two semifinal-round bouts in Bellator’s ongoing Season 3 tournaments as well as two “Qualifier Fights” for Bellator’s Season 4 Lightweight and Featherweight Tournaments. Those fights will feature:
– New Orleans-area native and beloved UFC veteran Rich “No Love” Clementi (36-16-1) vs. Bellator Season 2 veteran Carey Vanier (9-3) at 155 lbs., and
– Bellator Season 2 veteran Georgi “Insane” Karakhanyan (13-2-1) vs. undefeated Texas-based submission ace Chas Skelly (7-0) at 145 lbs.
“We are really happy to be bringing Bellator to the die-hard MMA fans in New Orleans,” said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “The Mahalia JacksonTheater is the perfect venue to continue the semifinal rounds of our Season 3 tournaments and to host a couple of great “Qualifier Fights” that will help build our tournaments at 145 and 155 for our fourth season.”
The theater, which opened in January 1973 with a performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s Messa di Requiem, is home to the New Orleans Opera Association and the New Orleans Ballet Association and regularly plays host to stage plays such as Mama Mia, the Color Purple, Wicked and Avenue Q. The theatre was shuttered for more than three years after it suffered extensive damage from Hurricane Katrina, but celebrated a triumphant grand re-opening in January 2009.
Bellator 28 will once again be broadcast LIVE nationwide on FOX Sports Net and during special weekend highlight shows on NBC, Telemundo and the cable network mun2.
For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator.
About Bellator Fighting Championships
Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company based in Chicago. Bellator’s founder/CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment professional with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes. Bellator Fighting Championships’ executive team is comprised of top industry professionals in the areas of live event production, television production, fighter relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.
SAN JOSE, Calif. (July 22, 2010) – Four women, three fights, one night!
With a world title shot on the line, STRIKEFORCE Women’s welterweight prospects Miesha “Takedown” Tate, Carina “Beauty But The Beast” Damm, Hitomi “Girlfight Monster” Akano and Maiju Kujala will compete in the first-ever STRIKEFORCE Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) women’s single-elimination tournament at STRIKEFORCE […]
SAN JOSE, Calif. (July 22, 2010) – Four women, three fights, one night!
With a world title shot on the line, STRIKEFORCE Women’s welterweight prospects Miesha “Takedown” Tate, Carina “Beauty But The Beast” Damm, Hitomi “Girlfight Monster” Akano and Maiju Kujala will compete in the first-ever STRIKEFORCE Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) women’s single-elimination tournament at STRIKEFORCE Challengers on Friday, Aug. 13, from Dodge Theatre in Phoenix, Ariz., live on SHOWTIME®.
The draw to determine the semi-final matchups for the two-round tournament will take place at the Official Weigh-In on Thursday, Aug. 12. A complete list of tournament rules will be provided in the coming days.
The SHOWTIME telecast (live at 11p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast) will begin with the two semi-final bouts. The winners of each bout will compete in the tournament final later that night, just before the main event matchup of Joe Riggs vs. Louis Taylor. Each of the three tournament fights are scheduled for three, 3-minute rounds.
“We are going to fast-track these four talented prospects in a quest to determine the best in this deep women’s division,” STRIKEFORCE CEO Scott Coker said. “Having all four women square off on one night with the chance to separate themselves from the pack is what STRIKEFORCE Challengers is all about.”
The tournament winner will become the official No. 2 contender in the competitive STRIKEFORCE women’s welterweight division. This Friday, July 23, live on SHOWTIME (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast), current world champion Sarah Kaufman will risk her 135-pound crown against top-ranked challenger Roxanne Modafferi. The winner of that title fight will face Marloes Coenen next. The tournament winner will be the next in line.
“Marloes has made the move down to welterweight and she will get the next title fight,” Coker said. “She has proven that she belongs in the cage with our champion. So, after the tournament, we’ll have another legitimate contender to challenge for the title.
“We will have some terrific women’s matchups at 135 pounds in the next several months. It all starts this Friday with Kaufman and Modafferi, which is an excellent fight.”
The 23-year-old, 5-foot-7 Tate (9-2), of Olympia, Wash., is known for her superior skills, athleticism and determination. She notched her eighth professional victory on March 26, 2010, by submitting previously unbeaten Zoila “The Warrior Princess” Frausto with a textbook armbar in the second round (4:09) of a hard-fought bout during a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event on SHOWTIME at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif.
As a teenager, Tate joined her high school boys’ wrestling team in order to compete in a fast-paced, aggressive sport. She was introduced to MMA by a friend in college and, soon thereafter, her desire to challenge herself led to the birth of a professional career.
Recently, Tate began using her MMA skills for a noble cause – rape prevention. Last month, she began production on a DVD in which she and MMA legend Frank Shamrock thoroughly demonstrate MMA techniques that can be used by women to effectively defend themselves against attackers.
Damm (15-3), a 31-year-old resident of Brazil and sister of STRIKEFORCE veteran Rodrigo Damm, has been dubbed “Barbie Girl” by the Brazilian media because of her striking appearance. While competing in Japan in 2006, the 5-foot-4 Damm gained widespread public notoriety and was featured in a clothed pictorial for the Japanese edition of Playboy magazine.
A student of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu since the age of 15 and a professional mixed martial artist since 2004, Damm enters the tournament on a stellar 10-fight win streak. Her last victory, a first-round TKO (punches) over Aline Serio, came last Feb. 27 in Brazil. The Aug. 13 tournament will mark Damm’s third start in The United States. On April 3, 2008, she submitted (armbar) Sophie Bagherdai in the second round (1:52) in Los Angeles. One month later, she crushed Lashonda Knox with a knee strike in just 11 seconds in Racine, Wisc.
Akano, a 35-year-old who fights out of Tokyo, Japan, is a former champion of the Japanese women’s promotion Smackgirl and is an expert in submission holds. Fifteen of her 22 career victories have come by way of submission.
In her professional MMA debut in Tokyo on Nov. 26, 2004, the 5-foot-4 Akano lost a unanimous decision to Megumi Yabushita, but bounced back and reeled off seven straight wins, the last of which was a unanimous decision over American star Debi Purcell in Smackgirl on Feb. 15, 2006.
On April 11, 2009, Akano made her STRIKEFORCE debut when she moved up in weight to challenge the No. 1 female fighter in the world, Cris Cyborg. Despite giving up size to the naturally bigger 5-foot-7, 145-pound Cyborg, Akano fought valiantly and took the hard-hitting Brazilian into the third and final round before being stopped via strikes.
Three months after the loss to Cyborg, Akano rebounded and forced Miki Morifuji to tap out from an armbar in the second round (4:17) in Tokyo.
A woman of many talents, Akano is known for using “Between the Sky,” a song she wrote, as her entrance music.
Kujala (4-1), a native of Imatra, Finland, has already been victorious in tournament competition, winning a single-elimination tournament in The Netherlands on March 27. In the semifinal round of the event, Kujala submitted Akvile Vitkauskaite with a rear-naked choke in the second stanza (4:12) and, in the championship bout, she earned a unanimous decision over Titiana van Polanen after 10 minutes of battle.
Kujala brings a three-fight winning streak to the STRIKEFORCE Challengers cage. Her sole loss came to Aisling Daly via unanimous decision on Nov. 7, 2009.
Tickets for the STRIKEFORCE Challengers event are on sale at the Dodge Theatre Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at (800) 745-3000, and online at www.livenation.com and www.STRIKEFORCE.com.
In the main event, Phoenix native and MMA star Joe “Diesel” Riggs (32-12) will square off with knockout artist Louis Taylor (6-1) at a catch weight of 182 pounds.
A former super heavyweight who once competed at over 300 pounds, the 27-year-old Riggs is now a dangerous threat in multiple STRIKEFORCE divisions. He holds the rare distinction of having competed at heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight and welterweight during the course of an eight-year career.
Taylor, of Chicago, has rattled off two consecutive knockout wins since the STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL: Fedor vs. Rogers event in Chicago, Ill. on Nov. 7, 2009. The 5-foot-11 Taylor has scored knockouts in four of his six victories and has only gone to the judges’ scorecards once in his pro career.
Dodge Theatre doors will open at 5:15 p.m. MT for the STRIKEFORCE Challengers event. The first preliminary bout will begin at 6 p.m. and the first main card bout will begin at 8 p.m.
The SHOWTIME telecast will begin at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast.)
STRIKEFORCE Challengers, where tomorrow’s champions are born, is a proving ground for up-and-coming MMA fighters. The series is designed to provide today’s top prospects with the opportunity to step-up their level of competition and demonstrate their ability in a nationally televised event.
About STRIKEFORCE
STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.” In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.
Spike TV will showcase two of “The Ultimate Fighter’s” most prominent recent alumni, Matt Mitrione (season 10) and CB Dollaway (season 7), in live undercard bouts from “UFC 119: Mir vs. Nogueira 2” on Saturday, September 25 at 9:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM PT from Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN.
In a battle of […]
Spike TV will showcase two of “The Ultimate Fighter’s” most prominent recent alumni, Matt Mitrione (season 10) and CB Dollaway (season 7), in live undercard bouts from “UFC 119: Mir vs. Nogueira 2” on Saturday, September 25 at 9:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM PT from Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN.
In a battle of up-and-coming heavyweights, the outspoken “The Ultimate Fighter 10” alum Matt Mitrione (2-0) takes on Joey Beltran. Mitrione, a former NFL defensive lineman with the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings, defeated fellow NFL alum Marcus Jones last December on the “The Ultimate Fighter 10” finale card in his first official fight in the Octagon®. He followed that up with a dominating performance over wildly popular “The Ultimate Fighter 10” castmate Kimbo Slice, winning via TKO in the second round. Fighting out of Indianapolis, IN, Mitrione is looking to ascend the division ranks against Beltran, who is also a perfect 2-0 in his UFC career.
Joey Beltran (12-3), fighting out of Carlsbad, CA, is a rising prospect in the heavyweight division. The 28-year-old heavy hitter has won his first two UFC contests, defeating Rolles Gracie via TKO at UFC 109 this past February and a three-round decision over Tim Hague in May at UFC 113.
CB Dollaway (11-3) gained national acclaim on “The Ultimate Fighter 7,” making it to the series finale against Amir Sadollah in June 2008. Fighting out of Tempe, AZ, Dollaway has been victorious in four of his last five trips into the Octagon, including most recently a decision over Goran Reljic at UFC 110 in February.
Throughout his extensive mixed martial arts career, middleweight Joe Doerkson (46-12), fighting out of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, has battled with many of the biggest names in the sport. His resume includes victories over Chris Leben, Patrick Cote, Lee Murray, along with a hard-fought battle against UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes. He has currently won his last seven MMA bouts, including a second round submission win over Tom Lawlor at UFC 113 this past May.
Other bouts on the card might air on Spike TV, to be determined by the length of the fights.
Spike TV is available in 98.6 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. A unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV 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 www.spike.com/press.
