New York City, New York (July 21, 2010) – Seeking out Europe’s next mixed martial arts superstars, M-1 Global’s highly anticipated M-1 Selection 2010 – Eastern and Western Europe Finals take place live from Moscow, Russia on Thursday July 22; live streaming of the event is available on the M-1 Global website starting at 11:30AM […]
New York City, New York (July 21, 2010) – Seeking out Europe’s next mixed martial arts superstars, M-1 Global’s highly anticipated M-1 Selection 2010 – Eastern and Western Europe Finals take place live from Moscow, Russia on Thursday July 22; live streaming of the event is available on the M-1 Global website starting at 11:30AM EST / 8:30am PST.
“The M-1 Selection European Finals have been a testament to our quest to find the sport’s newest superstar fighters, says Evgeni Kogan, Director of Operations of M-1Global. “Making this event more memorable is our ability to stream the event live to our North American fan base overseas and to those in Europe who were unable to attend.”
The Finals bouts feature European fighters looking capture the title of M-1 Selection Champion
Tournament fights include:
· Samil` Tingadziev and Andrei Embolaev Light Heavyweight
· Mairbek Taisumov and Victor Kuku Lightweight
· Berrie Bunthof and Abner Lloveras Welterweight
· Rafal Moks and Ahmed Bayrak Middleweight
· Thomasz Narkun and Davit Tkeshelashvili Light Heavyweight
· Alexander Romashenko and Guram Gugenishvili Heavyweight
· Arsen Ybaidulaev and Artem Damkovskii Lightweight
· Shamil` Zavyrov and Magomedrasul Khasbulaev Welterweight
· Magomed Sultanakhmedov and Alexei Beliaev Middleweight
· Maxim Grishin and Alexander Volkov Heavyweight
· Vitalii Minakov and Vitalii Yalovenko Heavyweight
· Marvin Aboeli and Magomed Shikhshabekov Welterweight (Super Fight)
To watch the fights live, go to www.m-1global.com or www.mixfight.ru. The M-1 Selection 2010 – Europe Finals will start at 7:30pm Moscow time (11:30am EST / 8:30am PST).
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.
EVERETT, Wash. (July 20, 2010) – Mike “Mak” Kyle doesn’t mind admitting it. His consistent presence in church on Sunday mornings over the last four years coincides with the date Kyle would just as soon forget: May 5, 2006.
That’s when the STRIKEFORCE light heavyweight (205 pounds) Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter was disqualified from […]
EVERETT, Wash. (July 20, 2010) – Mike “Mak” Kyle doesn’t mind admitting it. His consistent presence in church on Sunday mornings over the last four years coincides with the date Kyle would just as soon forget: May 5, 2006.
That’s when the STRIKEFORCE light heavyweight (205 pounds) Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter was disqualified from his fight against Brian Olsen at WEC 20 for attacking Olsen following the bell. After an 18-month suspension from the sport, redemption has been sweet for the 30-year-old Kyle, who has won four fights in a row and eight out of nine and is the last fighter to defeat superstar Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante.
Kyle (16-7-1), a resident of San Jose, Calif., steps back into the cage on a stacked STRIKEFORCE Challengers fight card at Comcast Arena at Everett, live on SHOWTIME® at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast), this Friday, July 23.
“It’s really helped me change my life around a little bit and get my goals straight,” said Kyle, who will face Atlanta’s Abongo Humphrey (7-1). “I’ve always been real spiritual. It’s just something I look forward to. I look up for the power and the strength to get through every day.”
Kyle attends a Bethel Christian church and says he doesn’t miss many Sundays. “It seems like every time I’m there (at church) the pastor Fred Allen has a lesson that’s directed just for me. It’s amazing how the spirit works.”
Kyle says he’s open to share his religious faith to his fellow fighters at American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) in San Jose where he trains, but doesn’t try to push it on them. “It seems like now people seem to be getting more spiritual, but we don’t talk much about it,” he said. “At AKA it’s a very good team atmosphere. After our workouts we all get around and talk about what’s going on with our lives.”
He still doesn’t know exactly why he did what he did against Olsen, but he has an idea. “I do know I was wrong for doing it,” Kyle said. “Now I’m just trying to figure out what makes me tick as a fighter. I think what it comes down to was that I was in there fighting scared.
“Once you get me to react, I’m fighting off emotion. When I got suspended it really made me want to do some soul-searching. Am I really just this angry person? People were saying all kinds of (stuff) about me. That really hurt me. I was saying, ‘That’s not really me at all.’ It made me want to look at myself from all sides.”
Just two months after replacing Renato “Babalu” Sobral against Cavalcante and surprising everyone by stopping Cavalcante with punches on the STRIKEFORCE: Lawler vs. Shields undercard in St. Louis, Mo., Kyle was back as a substitute, this time replacing Alistair Overeem against UFC and PRIDE veteran, Fabricio Werdum, at STRIKEFORCE: Carano vs. Cyborg on Aug. 15, 2009. Kyle’s night ended early with a first-round submission after getting caught in a guillotine choke at 1:24.
But he said he had to smile on June 26, when he was sitting cage-side at HP Pavilion in San Jose, watching Werdum pull off arguably the greatest upset in MMA history by conquering the world’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter Fedor Emelianenko in just over one minute.
“It made me feel a lot better,” Kyle said. “I can say I lasted a little bit longer than Fedor. At least I really hit (Werdum). It didn’t really look like (Werdum) got rocked. I think he baited (Fedor) in and maybe just got clipped a little bit. It looks like he fell on his butt and said, ‘Come on, come on.’ I know that was his game plan.
“It really boosted my spirits because I didn’t just lose to anyone. He’s one of the best in the world. And, since that loss I’m on a winning streak with four in a row, including a five-round decision (against Tony Lopez in Mescalero, New Mexico) at 9,000 feet.
Kyle is preparing for Humphrey by working out at AKA, receiving help from guys like former STRIKEFORCE Lightweight (155 pounds) Champion Josh Thomson, football legend turned MMA fighter Herschel Walker and trainer Bob Cook.
Kyle said he’s been most impressed with Walker. “He really is a great guy,” he said. “And you know what it is about Herschel, he’s so humble. When he walked into that gym he wanted to be a fighter. There was not an ‘I’m a Heisman winner, pro running back’ attitude. He knew he was starting at the bottom of the totem pole. It tripped me out. It was amazing with all the things he’s accomplished in life. He’s very humble.”
Having fought three times in 2010, there isn’t much free time for Kyle, who said he enjoys fishing to relax. “My dad lives in Idaho and, so after this fight, I’d like to go up there and relax a little bit,” said Kyle, who said he once caught a 19-pound catfish as a 10-year-old. “I have two boys from my first marriage that still live up there so I’d like to get up there and be in their lives a little more. Their names are Andrew (age 11) and Isaiah (age 10).”
Kyle said he plans to marry his fiancé of eight years Stephanie Serna sometime next summer.
But right now, his focus remains strictly on Friday’s challenge.
“I really want to look good next Friday night,” he said. “It’s not just about going out there and just winning this fight. I want to go out there and really put on a show. Being back with STRIKEFORCE and on SHOWTIME, I just want to go out there and look amazing and make people turn their heads and say, ‘Wow!’
Tickets for the event can be purchased at the Comcast Arena at Everett box office (866-332-8499) as well as online at ComcastArenaEverett.com and STRIKEFORCE’s official website (www.strikeforce.com).
Comcast Arena at Everett doors will open for the STRIKEFORCE Challengers event at 5:15 p.m. The first preliminary bout will begin at 6 p.m. PT. The first main card bout will start at 8 p.m.
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.
Mark Pavelich is promising a world-class card for the Maximum Fighting Championship’s first stop in Brandon.
Tickets go on sale today for MFC 26: Retribution, slated for Friday, Sept. 10 at Westman Place, with the mixed martial arts card broadcast live on HDNet in Canada, the United States and Mexico.
“It’s going to be the biggest mixed […]
Mark Pavelich is promising a world-class card for the Maximum Fighting Championship’s first stop in Brandon.
Tickets go on sale today for MFC 26: Retribution, slated for Friday, Sept. 10 at Westman Place, with the mixed martial arts card broadcast live on HDNet in Canada, the United States and Mexico.
“It’s going to be the biggest mixed martial arts card to come to Manitoba … and outside the UFC, probably the biggest in Canada, ever,” said Pavelich, the owner/president of MFC, Canada’s top MMA association.
“I couldn’t be any more excited to come to your city. … I like the Keystone Centre, I watched the Memorial Cup on television and I liked the atmosphere in the arena when I was watching it and I thought, that’s where I’m going to put a show on.”
The card will feature the likes of former UFC veteran Wilson Gouveia, The Ultimate Fighter 6 alumnus Richie (The Dirty Samurai) Hightower, as well as Brandon’s top two local fighters making their MFC debut in Curtis Demarce and Steve Fader, with the main event to be announced next week.
“We will have major league fighters on this card,” Pavelich said. “I’m coming to Brandon and I’m not bringing some subpar fight card. I am bringing the biggest one that my company has put on in 10 years. I have a few scenarios and I want to put on a great main event so that people go ‘Wow, this is unbelievable’ …
“We might put in Ryan (The Big Deal) Jimmo (13-1), who is an MFC product who has won 14 fights in a row and just smashed Wilson Gouveia in his last fight in the Maximum Fighting Championship. So he might fight in the main event.”
Confirmed fighters include Canadian welterweight Ryan (The Real Deal) Ford (12-2), MFC lightweight champion Antonio (Mandingo) McKee (24-3-2) of Los Angeles in a title fight against Brazilian Luciano Azevedo (16-8), as well as Brazilian light heavyweight Glover Teixeira (9-2) and British middleweight Tom (Kong) Watson (12-3).
A top light heavyweight bout will feature crowd favourite Dwayne Lewis (11-5) of Fort McMurray, Alta., battling Gouveia (12-8), an MMA veteran with American Top Team from Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
The Brandon boys, Demarce (9-7) and Fader (2-1), will get the night started as Demarce puts his five fight winning streak up against Hightower (8-4), of Phoenix, Ariz., in a lightweight clash.
“What I’ve seen from Curtis Demarce, I think he has a very good possibility of winning that fight,” Pavelich said.
“Curtis Demarce belongs in the Maximum Fighting Championship. … He has earned that spot to do so, he has won a lot of fights in a row, he looks really good and I’m really excited.”
Meanwhile, Fader faces rival Nick Hrynchyshyn (2-1) of Sylvan Lake, Alta., while Nathan Gunn (7-2) of Thunder Bay, Ont., will battle Dami Egbeyemi (3-0) of Regina.
Tickets are available via Ticketmaster (726-3555) or at www.ticketmaster.ca, with the event slated to begin at 7:15 p.m. (broadcast at 9 p.m.).
What a crazy back and forth going on between Butterbean and the promoter for 4 time World’s Strongest Man, Mariusz Pudzianowski. Got to love these not quite relevant MMA stars trying to get some hype. Here’s the press release:
WARSAW, Poland (July 20, 2010) – Recent critical quotes by former Pride FC fighter Eric […]
What a crazy back and forth going on between Butterbean and the promoter for 4 time World’s Strongest Man, Mariusz Pudzianowski. Got to love these not quite relevant MMA stars trying to get some hype. Here’s the press release:
WARSAW, Poland (July 20, 2010) – Recent critical quotes by former Pride FC fighter Eric “Butterbean” Esch regarding Mariusz Pudzianowski have initiated a terse response from the 5-time World’s Strongest Man’s promoter in Poland, KSAW Federation, which has been organizing MMA events in Europe since 2004.
The popular “Butterbean,” who is a former pro boxer and sumo competitor, publicly insulted Pudzian in the aforementioned press release – saying, among other things, “as strong as he is, he (Pudzianowski) punches like a girl’ — and promised a knockout victory if he ever meets the Pole in MMA competition.
KSW Federation has expressed its discontent with the opinions formulated by ’Butterbean,” noting that as an official of MMA promoter Moosin, Esch used Mariusz as the main attraction this past May on its pay-per-view event held in Worcester, Massachusetts.
“I don’t understand the reasoning behind Esch’s statements,” KSW co-owner Martin. Lewandowski said. “One would think it’s just a publicity stunt. However, if Butterbean is really interested in this bout, we can seriously consider it. But in order to do that, we need more precise declarations from Esch.”
KSW co-owner Maciej Kawulski added, “’Butterbean’ is an MMA superstar in the USA. Mariusz would have to deal with an extremely experienced opponent, who’s also an uncompromising competitor in the ring. His fighting style is very brutal and aggressive. If Mariusz improves his conditioning — I know he is working on it with professionals — this fight could end up being an unforgettable show for all KSW fans. Once both sides express interest in the fight, KSW Federation will try to book this bout.”
Moosin, based in South Korea-based, has promoted MMA shows in South Korea and the United States and, in conjunction with the International Taekwon-Do Federation, plans expansion into to China, Poland and Australia.
Go to www.MoosinUSA.com for more information about Moosin.
Moosin: A global event promoter based out of Seoul, South Korea, in conjunction with the International Taekwon-Do Federation, Moosin is known for bringing fans the finest in mixed martial arts competition. Moosin is revolutionizing the MMA industry by merging an international roster of talented fighters with recognizable stars from the world or music, sports and popular culture. Moosin pits warrior against warrior, featuring a hybrid of MMA and hard-hitting Moosin-style kickboxing, in hand-to-hand battles of skill, honor and art.
CHICAGO, Ill. (July 20, 2010) — Cole Konrad, the two-time NCAA wrestling champion who is undefeated since making the transition into MMA earlier this year, is the latest confirmed participant in Bellator Fighting Championships’ upcoming Season 3 Heavyweight Tournament.
The 26-year-old Konrad, a protégé and training partner of reigning UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, will enter […]
CHICAGO, Ill. (July 20, 2010) — Cole Konrad, the two-time NCAA wrestling champion who is undefeated since making the transition into MMA earlier this year, is the latest confirmed participant in Bellator Fighting Championships’ upcoming Season 3 Heavyweight Tournament.
The 26-year-old Konrad, a protégé and training partner of reigning UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, will enter the tournament looking to improve on the unblemished 4-0 record he has compiled since making his pro debut in January. His two most recent wins came during special “Feature Fights” at Bellator 17 and Bellator 22 in May and June.
Standing at 6 feet, 5 inches tall and tipping the scales at 265 lbs., Konrad is the seventh confirmed participant in the tournament along with undefeated European finisher Damian “The Polish Pitbull” Grabowski, power-punching British behemoth Neil Grove, heavy-handed UFC veteran Eddie Sanchez, Spanish submission ace Rogent Lloret, Seattle-area knockout artist Mike “300” Hayes and Georgia-based ground-and-pound specialist Scott Barrett.
The tournament begins Aug. 12th on FOX Sports Net.
“Cole Konrad’s pedigree as a wrestler is obviously second-to-none and he is quickly developing other aspects of his MMA arsenal as well,” said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “Between Warren at 45 and Askren at 70, world class wrestlers have had a very good run with Bellator, and Cole could certainly follow in those footsteps.”
Konrad, who grew up in Neenah, Wis., won the NCAA wrestling championships at 285 lbs. while competing at the University of Minnesota in 2006 and 2007 and won a gold medal at the 2005 Pan-American Games. He has been training with Lesnar, a fellow U. of M. alumnus, for the past year and a half.
“This tournament is going to provide me with the greatest test that I’ve faced so far in my fighting career,” Konrad said. “But this is exactly the kind of test I’m looking for. I want to get as many fights under my belt as I can and I want to keep fighting tougher guys. This tournament is going to allow me to do that.
“I’m taking it one fight at a time, but I’m planning on winning this tournament. If I wasn’t planning on winning, I wouldn’t bother showing up.”
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 headquartered 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.
New York City, New York (July 19, 2010) – Showing his support for the M-1 Selection tournament in the USA, Fedor Emelianenko will be in attendance for the Semi Finals event August 7, 2010 at Bally’s Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
“Fedor and M-1 Global are committed to finding the next generation of MMA […]
New York City, New York (July 19, 2010) – Showing his support for the M-1 Selection tournament in the USA, Fedor Emelianenko will be in attendance for the Semi Finals event August 7, 2010 at Bally’s Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
“Fedor and M-1 Global are committed to finding the next generation of MMA superstars,” says Evgeni Kogan, M-1’s Director of Operations. “As the corner stone of the M-1 Global stable of athletes, Fedor felt it was imperative he attend the event in the US to show his support and encouragement.”
A press Q&A will be held at 5pm EST on Saturday August 7 at Bally’s Casino Hotel and followed by an autograph session at 6:15 in preparation to kick-off of the Americas Semi Final event.
The semi-final round bouts feature rising American stars; all expecting to demonstrate spectacular athleticism as they create fireworks within the ring.
Tournament fighters include:
Josh Bacallao and GeorgeSheppard Lightweight Division
Pat Audinwood and Dennis Bermudez Lightweight Division
Robert Rodriguez and Daniel Viscaya Light Heavyweight Division
Tom Gallicchio and Aaron Meisner Welterweight Division
Reggie Pena and Colin Schrader Welterweight Division
Shane Primm and Mike Geurin Middleweight Division
Tyson Jeffries and Plinio Cruz Middleweight Division
Byron Byrd and Mike Foster Light Heavyweight Division
Medi Hassan and Pat Bennett Heavyweight Division
Andrei Kapylov and Kenny Garner Heavyweight Division
Jose Rodriguez and Eric Oganov Welterweight Division
· Additional bouts to be announced
The M-1 Selection 2010 – Americas Final round match-ups will be determined at the conclusion of the August 7th event in preparation for the September 18th showcase of the 2010 M-1 Selection Championships.
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.
How to see the fights:
The Semi-Finals and Finals of the M-1 Selection tournament will take place live on August 7 and September 18 at the coveted Bally’s Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Tickets are priced from $35.00-$125.00 and are available to purchase through www.TicketMaster.com.
Doors open at 7.00 pm, first fight at 7:30 PM/ET.
Free broadcast coverage of the entire 2010 M-1 Selection tournament will be available live to viewers worldwide on www.M-1global.com and selected affiliate partner sites.
Go to www.M-1Global.com for additional information.
