Thursday, January 24, 2008

Philly native headlines Showtime MMA card on Friday


Friday’s ShoXC card at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City will showcase Philadelphia’s Eddie Alvarez (11-1) against Robb Ebanez (16-5), of Hilo, Hawaii, in a fight at 160 pounds.

The co-feature will match England's Paul Daley (16-6-2) with Sam Morgan (19-9), of St. Paul, Minn., in a 170-pound scrap.

Other televised fights are Bobby McMaster (8-2), of Boston, Mass., will try to regain his winning ways against the dangerous Bao Quach (11-8-1), of Huntington Beach, Calif., at 150 pounds; Kala Kolohe Hose (4-1), of Honolulu, faces Fred Belleton (5-1), of Stoughton, Mass., at 185 pounds; and Kedzie (9-6), of Albuquerque, N.M., by way of Greenwood, Ind., will attempt to win her fourth straight when she battles Tonya Evinger (5-3), of Reno, Nev., by way of Oak Grove, Mo., at 140 pounds.

Scheduled non-televised undercard bouts include: Zach Makovsky (3-0), of Philadelphia, vs. Wilson Reis (2-0), of Philadelphia at 140; James “Binky’’ Jones (4-5), of Baltimore, Md., vs. Mark Getto (1-3-1), of Philadelphia, at 160; Sergio Vinagre (2-1), of New Jersey, vs. Brett Linebarger (2-1), of New Jersey, at 185; Joe Shilling (pro debut), of Los Angeles, vs. Matt Makowski (1-0), of Philadelphia, at 170; and Drew Puzon (1-1), New Jersey, vs. Charlie Brennemen (5-0), of Philadelphia, at 170 pounds.

The fights are scheduled for three, 5-minutes rounds with the exception of Kedzie-Evinger, which is slated for three, 3-minute rounds.

“The timing and situation of this fight couldn’t be better,’’ said Alvarez, who will be making his EliteXC debut. “I am super excited about putting on a great show. That it is in my backyard and on SHOWTIME is as good as it gets. The ball is in my court. It’s my job to blow the roof off the place. Ebanez is a slugger. He brings it every time. With our styles, it is a really good main event. It can’t be anything but a tremendous fight.’’

A two-time high school All-American wrestler, Alvarez, 23, is an explosive striker who battled his way into MMA from Kensington.

“Trouble seemed to find me and I wound up getting into fights on the street so I decided to take it a little more seriously and really learn how to fight,’’ said the former Bodog star. “Like I said, the timing of signing for this fight with EliteXC couldn’t be better,’’ Alvarez said. “I was wishing an opportunity like this would come along, and it did."

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