Bellator takes action against Jackson

BURLINGTON, NJ - Bellator MMA filed an injunction to stop veteran star Quinton "Rampage" Jackson from fighting in an April 25 bout promoted by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). 

The suit for an injunction and related relief was filed in the Chancery Division of the Superior Court in Burlington County, New Jersey in an attempt to compel Jackson to honor his contractual agreement with Bellator.  

According to Bellator, Jackson completed only three fights of his exclusive six-fight contract with the group and should be barred by contract from fighting for any promoter other than Bellator.

"We look forward to having one of our MMA stars fighting for Bellator again," the company said in a statement.

UFC releases full Atlantic City card

ATLANTIC CITY - The UFC has announced the full undercard for its July 16 event at Revel Resort.

The UFC Fight Night card, which will be televised on FOX Sports 1, is headlined by a five-round lightweight bout between Donald Cerrone and Garden State native Jim Miller.

Cerrone (23-6, 1 NC, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) is currently riding a three-fight win streak and is the fifth-ranked lightweight contender while Miller (24-4, 1 NC, fighting out of Whippany, N.J.) is No. 7 in the world.

The other fights will be:

    Welterweights Rick Story (16-8) vs. John Howard (22-9).
    Lightweights Gleison Tibau (37-10) vs. Pat Healy(31-18, 1 NC).
    Twelfth-ranked lightweight Edson Barboza (13-2) vs. Evan Dunham (14-5).
    Flyweights John Lineker (23-7) vs. Alptekin Ozkilic (9-2).
    Bantamweights Aljamain Sterling (9-0) vs. Hugo Viana (8-2).
    Featherweights Lucas Martins (14-1) vs. Jim Alers (13-1).

WSOF weigh-in results

ATLANTIC CITY - The official weigh in for World Series of Fighting 5 "Arlovski vs. Kyle" on NBCSN took place on Friday at the Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, N.J. 

The five-bout televised broadcast will air LIVE on Saturday at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. Main-event heavyweight Andrei "The Pit Bull" Arlovski (19-10) weighed in at 240 pounds even while his opponent Mike "MAK" Kyle (20-9-1) tipped the scales at 218.5 pounds.

Said Arlovski: "I'm excited to face Mike and I'm ready to go. I didn't watch any of his past fights. My team studied him and I have a game plan that I will execute. The World Series of Fighting 5 has been a great promotion to fight for."

Said Kyle: "I want to thank Ray Sefo and The World Series of Fighting for everything they've done for me. They're going to make me a star. I have a bright future with this group and it's just great to be a part of it all."

The evening's preliminary card features an additional five bouts, which stream live on World Series of Fighting's official website, WSOF.com, beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

 Andrei Arlovski (19-10) 240 lbs. vs. Mike Kyle (20-9) 218.5 lbs.

 

Danillo Villefort (13-4) 185 lbs. vs. David Branch (12-3) 185.8 lbs.

Derrick Mehmen (15-5) 246.8 lbs. vs. Rolles Gracie (8-1) 249.2 lbs.

 

Elvis Mutapcic (13-2) 186 lbs. vs. Jesse Taylor (26-9) 185 lbs. 

 

Georgi Karakhanyan (21-3) 145.2 lbs. vs. Waylon Lowe (14-4) 146.2 lbs.

 

Rick Glenn (13-2) 144.8 lbs. vs. Artur Rofi (6-0) 146 lbs. 

 

Sidemar Honorio (8-3) 136 lbs. vs. Jimmie Rivera (12-1) 136 lbs.

 

Rich Patishnock (5-1) 170.6 lbs. vs. Gregor Gracie (7-3) 170.6 lbs.

  

Andrew Osborne (7-5) 160.6 lbs. vs. Ozzie Dugulubgov (4-1) 160.2 lbs. 

 

Darren Costa (0-1) 186 lbs. vs. Neiman Gracie (0-0) 185 lbs. 

EFC Warrior set for Trump Taj Mahal tonight

The EFC: WARRIOR MMA Event is set for the Grand Ballroom at Trump Taj Mahal Casino Hotel in Atlantic City tonight.

"We have our first female main event, which is the rematch of a sensational fight," said event co-promoter Hani Darwish when talking about the card. "Plus we have two other title fights between some of the most popular fighters in Jersey. The entire card is strong top to bottom and the fans have acknowledged it by supporting the young fighters in this event."

Darwish says he's happy to be working with the Taj Mahal to build this successful MMA series.

"The Trump with their slot specials for ticket buyers and their overall professionalism to work with has been wonderful. It truly is a perfect situation to be in as a promoter and I'm very grateful. I'm looking forward to another unforgettable event this Saturday.

EFC WARRIOR will feature in its main event Maryland MMA fighter Roya Darvishian (5-2) taking on Whippany, New Jersey's Jen Lopez (4-1) EFC Women's Bantamweight Championship in the featured bout, as well as two more title fights, as Gabriel Ruiz (3-2) of the EFC Fight Club in Woodland Park, NJ will face Jovany Alvarez (4-2) from Modern Martial Arts in Englishtown, NJ, for the EFC Featherweight Championship; and the always exciting Barat Jan (3-0) of Eagle Martial Arts in Boonton, NJ, will take on Victor Romero (3-3) of Modern Martial Arts in Englishtown, NJ, for the EFC Middleweight Championship.

 

Twelve other exciting bouts are also on the schedule for tonight.

 

EFC WARRIOR

SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 2013

GRAND BALLROOM/TRUMP TAJ MAHAL CASINO HOTEL, ATLANTIC CITY

Welterweight (over 140 to 147 lbs.)

Anthony Verdesco from Lionheart Modern Martial Arts in South Amboy, New Jersey will fight Brandon Browne of Modern Martial Arts in Englishtown, New Jersey

Lightweight (over 130 to 135 lbs.)

Kevin Gocklin of the Ironbound Fight Club in Newark, New Jersey will face Adam Sylvester (1-1) Rosky Combat Sports Training Center in Rahway, New Jersey

Lightweight (over 130 to 135 lbs.)

Will Dodd of EFC Fight Club in Woodland Park, New Jersey will take on Damon Bonner (0-3) of Millville, New Jersey

Middleweight (over 154 to 161 lbs.)

Nick Manela (1-0) from Ricardo Almeida Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy in Robbinsville, New Jersey, will battle Nile Dillon (0-2) of Sparta NJ Mixed Martial Arts in Lafayette, New Jersey

Super Welterweight (over 147 to 154 lbs.)

Tyreek Jacobs (1-0) of EFC Fight Club in Woodland Park, New Jersey will take on Raeph Koch of Camp Sao Lak in Kenilworth, New Jersey

Welterweight (over 140 to 147 lbs.)

Justin Hinds (0-1) Kurt Pellegrino's Mixed Martial Arts & Fitness Academy in Belmar, New Jersey will go against Charles Argilan (1-0) Worthington Martial Arts

EFC Featherweight Championship (over 122 to 126 lbs.)

Gabriel Ruiz (3-2) of EFC Fight Club in Woodland Park, New Jersey will face Jovany Alvarez (4-2) of Modern Martial Arts in Englishtown, New Jersey

Welterweight (over 140 to 147 lbs.)

Rodrigo Correa of the Ironbound Fight Club in Newark, New Jersey, will make his debut against Matt Firneno (1-0) of Nick Catone's Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Brick, New Jersey/RJ BJJ

Light Heavyweight (over 168 to 175 lbs.)

Nicholas Kracsun (2-1) from Lionheart Modern Martial Arts in South Amboy, New Jersey will face Andres Velasques (1-0) of Pure Mixed Martial Arts in Denville, New Jersey

Light Heavyweight (over 168 to 175 lbs.)

John Monaco of Blue Line Defense and Fitness in Ewing, New Jersey, will battle Andy Segovia of Tiger Schulmann's Kickboxing and Mixed Martial Arts in Cherry Hill, New Jersey

Super Welterweight (over 147 to 154 lbs.)

Tim Dooling (2 -1) of Blue Line Defense and Fitness in Ewing, New Jersey, will battle   Nate Fultz of Nick Catone's Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Brick, New Jersey/RJ BJJ

Junior Heavyweight (over 197 to 210 lbs.)

Tim Lutke (1-0) of AllStar BJJ/MMA in Kenilworth, New Jersey, will face Mike Forte (2-1) from Alex Wilkie's Martial Arts Academy, in Bridgewater, New Jersey

Super Lightweight (over 135 to 140 lbs.)

Robert Wallin (2-0) of Carmine Zocchi Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy of Queens, New York will go against Ricky Bandejas (6-1) of Nick Catone's Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Brick, New Jersey/RJ BJJ

EFC Middleweight Championship (over 154 to 161 lbs.)

Barat Jan (3-0) of Eagle Martial Arts in Boonton, New Jersey, will take on Victor Romero (3-3) of Modern Martial Arts in Englishtown, New Jersey

           

MAIN EVENT

EFC Bantamweight Championship (over 112 to 118 lbs.)

Jennifer Lopez (4-1) of AMA Fight Club of Whippany, New Jersey, will rematch against Roya Darvishian (5-2) of Lloyd Irvin's Martial Arts Academy in Camp Springs, Maryland

All bouts subject to change.

Karakhanyan, Lowe bout completes WSOF card in Atlantic City

LAS VEGAS - A featherweight contest between Millennia MMA standout Georgi "Insane" Karakhanyan (21-3-1) and American Top Team product Waylon Lowe (14-4) completes the NBC Sports Network-televised main card for next month's "World Series of Fighting 5: Arlovski vs. Kyle" event.

The night's NBC Sports Network-televised main card also includes previously announced middleweight tournament bouts between David Branch (12-3) vs. Danillo "Indio" Villefort (14-4) and Elvis "The King" Mutapcic (13-2) vs. Jesse "JT Money" Taylor, as well as a heavyweight matchup of Rolles Gracie (8-1) vs. Derrick "Caveman" Mehmen (15-5).

A former professional soccer player, Karakhanyan has been fighting professionally since 2006. Born in Russia to Armenian parents, the 28-year-old now resides in Riverside, Calif., where he trains at the highly respected Millennia MMA academy. Karakhanyan currently boasts a seven-fight win streak that includes victories over big-show veterans Din Thomas, Hiroyuki Takaya and Micah Miller.

Lowe makes his second appearance for World Series of Fighting. The 32-year-old Pennsylvania native debuted for the promotion in March and made an instant impact, scoring a first-round knockout over Cameron Dollar at WSOF 2. The contest was Lowe's first at 145-pounds after competing for the previous seven years as a lightweight.

World Series of Fighting 5's two-and-a-half-hour NBC Sports Network telecast airs live at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT. A full preliminary card, which includes Gregor Gracie (7-3) vs. Rich Patishnock (5-1) and Neiman Gracie (0-0) vs. Darren Costa (0-1) streams on World Series of Fighting's official website, WSOF.com, beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.

VIDEO: UFC on FS1 Sonnen vs. Shogun highlights

Philadelphia's Alvarez back with Bellator

Philadelphia native Eddie Alvarez has ended his lengthy legal battle with the Bellator MMA promotion and re-signed with the group.

The former lightweight champion will return to Bellator for a Nov. 2 pay-per-view title match against current kingpin Michael Chandler. The bout will serve as the semifinal for a card headlined by former UFC stars Tito Ortiz and Rampage Jackson. 

Chandler, a former All-American wrestler at Missouri, beat Alvarez to win the title back in 2011.

Alvarez's original Bellator contract expired in October and UFC offered him a deal guaranteeing pay-per-view royalties on his first show with the company as well as further shows if he was champion. The contract also included at least one appearance on FOX television and eight fights overall.

Bellator had a one year matching rights period and equaled the guaranteed financial terms, but substituted its TV partner Spike in place of FOX.

Alvarez wanted the UFC deal and claimed the rights were not matching because the exposure on FOX was far greater than Spike, and PPV points from Bellator meant nothing because the company had never done a PPV show. 

With a long legal battle looming Alvarez and Bellator worked out a settlement which included the title rematch with Chandler on the company's first PPV show. 

Spong earns decision victory over Angel Deanda in WSOF 4

ONTARIO, Calif. - Ten-time world kickboxing champion Tyrone "King of the Ring" Spong (2-0) earned his second career mixed-martial-arts victory, outstriking an inedibly tough Angel "The Dream" DeAnda over the course of the three-round headliner of Saturday night's "World Series of Fighting 4: Spong vs. DeAnda" event.

The NBC Sports Network televised event drew a crowd of 5,000 fans at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif.

Spong was patient throughout the 15-minute contest, calmly walking forward and picking DeAnda apart with thunderous leg kicks and powerful punches. DeAnda was hobbled from the low kicks in the second frame, but he refused to quit and constantly looked for opportunities to launch his own attacks.

Spong turned up the heat in the final round, slashing at the legs and firing punches to the chin. DeAnda never backed down, returning fire until the very end, but it was Spong who was awarded the clearcut unanimous-decision win.

"I went in with no expectations, and I wanted to feel him out and see what he was made of," Spong said. "DeAnda is a strong guy. He surprised me with how much punishment he was able to take."

In the night's bantamweight co-feature, top-ranked fighter Marlon Moraes improved to 3-0 as a World Series of Fighting athlete, dominating a tough Brandon Hempleman throughout an entertaining 15-minute matchup.

Moraes' aggressive striking and technical Muay Thai cut Hempleman's forehead in the opening round, and his powerful leg kicks left his opponent hopping on one leg in the second. But even with the blood flowing and his movement limited, Hempleman continued to press forward, waving to the crowd as he tried to turn the tide.

Moraes, who suffered a broken finger and injured foot in the opening 10 minutes, slowed his attack in the final frame, but the spectacular performance through the first two rounds was enough to earn him a unanimous-decision win, 30-27 on all three judges' cards.

"Man, that guy was tough," Moraes said after the win. "He just kept coming forward."

The incredible story of lightweight Nick Newell (10-0) earned another heartwarming chapter on Saturday night, as he scored a first-round submission win over Keon Caldwell (9-2).

Newell, who was born with a condition known as congenital amputation and has just one fully-formed arm, slipped under an early Caldwell striking attempt and took him to the floor. Caldwell quickly returned to the feet, but Newell instantly deposited him on the canvas a second time. Once he was firm in top position, Newell quickly latched in a guillotine choke and rolled off to his side and squeezed, earning the tap at the 2:07 mark of the first.

"It was a great honor to fight in front of this crowd and all the troops that came out to support me," Newell said. "Can't wait to do it again."

In a featured heavyweight attraction, heavyweight Dave Huckaba (21-5) earned an impressive second-round finish of kickboxing legend and World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo (2-2).

Sefo appeared to be getting the better of Huckaba as the action unfolded in the second round. Sharp leg kicks left Huckaba limping, and Sefo fired in several staggering punches, as well. With Huckaba fading, Sefo launched a massive high kick toward his opponent's head, but it missed by mere inches. Huckaba alertly slipped the strike and unleashed a furious flurry of counter punches, scoring first with uppercuts and then a barrage of hooks to a covering Sefo that forced a halt to the bout with 28 seconds left in the second round.

"Right now, I am on top of the world," Huckaba said after the win. "I can't even describe what I am feeling. Nobody except my team thought I could win this fight. I mean, I was fighting a legend, right?

"This is such a dream come true. Can you believe this? I got my chance and made the most of it."

The bout is expected to serve as the final appearance of Sefo's Hall of Fame career.

Veteran lightweights Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante and Tyson Girffin combined to put on an exciting standup battle in the night's first main-card contest.

The pair took turns trading heavy shots for the opening two rounds, with Cavalcante pressing forward and Griffin expertly countering as he circled on the outside. Both fighters were willing to engage, and the ensuing battles brought the crowd to its feet.

With the fight even heading into the final round, Cavalcante scored a key takedown and moved to his opponent's back. With Griffin trapped underneath him, Cavalcante punched away with one hand while looking for the choke with the other. Referee Jason McCoy warned Griffin to advance his position and ultimately elected to call the fight 97 seconds into the final round in a decision that proved unpopular with the losing fighter, as well as most of the fans in attendance.

"It was a bad stoppage," Griffin said. "He got me in a bad position, and as I was trying to work my way out the ref decided to stop the fight."

Meanwhile, Cavalcante admitted he was disappointed with the way the bout ended but felt he was well on his way to the win.

"For me, a win is a win, and I love to win," Cavalcante said. "But I hate to win this way. I don't want the fans to boo. I want them to be happy. I want to win convincingly.

"I wasn't surprised the ref stopped it. He gave three warnings, but Griffin never did anything to improve his position. I'm not saying he couldn't continue, but he did nothing to improve his position."

In the night's final preliminary contest, Gerald Harris (22-5) earned a unanimous-decision win over Jorge Santiago (25-12) in a fight "Hurricane" thought he had won in the opening round.

While the two started with a moderate pace, things picked up dramatically in the closing seconds, as Harris lifted Santiago high in the air. The Brazilian defended by wrapping his arm over the cage, though Harris eventually slammed him to the floor, anyway. As the referee stepped in to deduct a point from Santiago for the foul, Harris thought the fight was over and began to celebrate the win. However, the contest carried on.

Harris outwrestled Santiago in the second round, leaving him with a with a healthy lead on the cards heading into the final frame. Santiago recognized the urgency in the situation and came out firing heavy leather, but Harris, who later said he broke his hand in the opening round, simply stalled out until the final bell, when he was awarded a unanimous decision based on his work in the first two frames.

After the win, Harris said his injured hand forced him to fight conservatively in the final five minutes.

"I knew I couldn't punch with him," Harris said. "I couldn't squeeze at all."

Still, "Hurricane" said he's excited to get back to action as quickly as possible.

"Once this wrist heals, I'm excited to get back in the cage with whoever World Series of Fighting puts in front of me."

Undefeated lightweight prospect Lewis Gonzales (9-0) showed incredible resiliency against gritty veteran Antonio McKee (28-6-2), earning a unanimous-decision win in a bout cut short by an accidental foul.

McKee dominated the early action, taking the fight to the floor and moving immediately into a rear-naked choke attempt that seemed destined to end the fight. But Gonzales battled through the hold and escaped to top position in the closing seconds of the round.

The second round was again a wrestling battle, but this time it was Gonzales who controlled the positioning en route to claiming the round, setting up an intriguing final frame.

McKee again looked for a takedown to open the third, but Gonzales defended the effort and again secured a dominant position. Unfortunately, he scored with an elbow to the back of McKee's head, forcing referee Jason McCoy to step in and call a foul, which he deemed accidental and therefore did not deduct a point. McKee rolled on the floor in pain and could not continue the fight, and judges were directed to score the partial frame, which ended just 43 seconds into the five-minute period. All three judges leaned toward Gonzales, and he was awarded a unanimous decision win, 29-28 on all three cards.

In a bantamweight battle of two friends, Jared Papazian (16-10) outpointed John Robles (7-2) in a spirited three-round affair.

It was Robles who looked better in the early going, flooring Papazian with a massive right hand. But "The Jackhammer" crawled up off the deck and dominated the remainder of the action. Taunting Robles for the rest of the fight, Papazian used a vicious left hand and several thudding knees to the body to slow his opponent en route to claiming a unanimous-decision win.

Papazian, who replaced an injured Joe Murphy on just two weeks' notice, improved to 2-1 in his past three appearances. Top prospect Robles saw a two-fight win streak snapped.

The event opened with a thrilling 150-pound catchweight contest, as 10-year veteran Victor "Joe Boxer" Valenzuela (13-6-2) survived a first-round knockdown to rally for a second-round submission win over fellow Californian Isaac "High Risk" Gutierrez (5-4).

Valenzuela was in trouble in the early going, as a Gutierrez combination sent him to the deck. But "Joe Boxer" returned to his feet and cleared his head, hanging on to the end of the round. The momentum shifted in the second, when Valenzuela was able to bring his opponent to the mat, move to the back and sink in a rear-naked choke at the 2:41 mark.

Valenzuela improves to 5-1 in his past six fights. Gutierrez falls to 1-3 in his past four appearances

Johnson and Kyle to headline WSOF 5 in Atlantic City

ATLANTIC CITY - A light heavyweight slugfest between knockout artist Anthony "Rumble" Johnson (15-4) and puncher Mike "MAK" Kyle (20-9-1) headlines World Series of Fighting's return to Revel Casino Hotel in Ovation Hall Saturday, Sept. 14.

The contest serves as the main event of "World Series of Fighting 5: Johnson vs. Kyle," which airs live on NBC Sports Network and marks the promotion's second visit to the seaside resort.

With 23 knockout victories between them, both Johnson and Kyle are fierce strikers, capable of downing any foe with a single blow.

Johnson, of Boca Raton, Fla., made his World Series of Fighting debut on the promotion's first event and delivered a "Knockout of the Year" candidate finish of the durable D.J. Linderman.  The 29-year-old Blackzilians product returned to action on the World Series of Fighting 2 at the Revel during March and scored a convincing decision win over former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight titleholder Andrei Arlovski.

Johnson now returns to the light-heavyweight division on the strength of a five-fight win streak and quickly is establishing himself as one of World Series of Fighting's most dynamic athletes.

Meanwhile, Kyle is a 12-year veteran of the sport who hails from one of MMA's most-respected fight camps, American Kickboxing Academy.  A resident of San Jose, California, Kyle is no stranger to the spotlight and has stepped in the cage against a who's who list of MMA's top fighters in two weight classes, including Paul Buentello, Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante, James Irvin, Gegard Mousasi, Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva Krzysztof Soszynski and Fabricio Werdum, among others.

Kyle fought most recently during May, when he needed just 21 seconds to score a knockout win over 86-fight veteran Travis "Diesel" Wiuff.

World Series of Fighting 5 features a five-fight main card in addition to a full lineup of preliminary contests. Additional bouts will be announced.

The live, two-and-a-half-hour NBC Sports Network telecast of the World Series of Fighting 5 main card begins at 9 p.m. ET. The night's preliminary bouts stream live on World Series of Fighting's official website, WSOF.com.

Former UFC star Fitch to headline WSOF 3

LAS VEGAS, Nev. –World Series of Fighting will The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas for its latest Mixed Martial Arts event, headlined by a welterweight (170 pounds) rematch between Jon Fitch (24-5) and Josh Burkman (25-9) on Friday, June 14.

The show will be televised live on NBC Sports Network, beginning at 11 p.m. ET.

In the light heavyweight (205 pounds) co-main event, hard-hitting, 27-year-old Tyrone Spong (1-0),  a decorated champion and veteran of 77 professional kickboxing bouts, will make his much-anticipated, second start under MMA rules against fellow KO artist Angel DeAnda (11-2).  DeAnda has scored TKOs in 10 of his 11 career victories, including his last four starts. 

Curran tops Shamhalaev to keep Bellator featherweight crown

Atlantic City, N.J. (The Phanatic Magazine) – Bellator featherweight champion Pat Curran defended his title by besting Shahbulat Shamhalaev with a guillotine choke in the first round at the Revel Resort in Atlantic City on Thursday night.

“Thanks for Shahbulat and taking the fight on short notice," Curran said. "This was a big opportunity for him and I thank him for stepping up to the fight."

Doug Marshall overwhelmed Brett Cooper with a first round TKO to win the Bellator middleweight tournament championship, while Frodo Khasbulaev earned the lightweight tournament title with a unanimous decision victory over Mike Richman, winning all three rounds on all three scorecards (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

Marshall and Khasbulaev each earned a $100,000 tournament prize and a guaranteed title shot. 


"When I entered this tournament I was the dark horse and now I am $100,000 richer and I have a title shot coming," Marshall said. "I am really looking forward to the fight against (middleweight champion) Alexander (Shlemenko). Thank you very much for this opportunity.”


Khasbulaev will now face highly-regarded lightweight kingpin Michael Chandler, a former All-American wrestler at the University of Missouri.


In a welterweight feature fight Rick Hawn knocked out former UFC star Karo Parisyan via strikes in the second round.

“Thank you Karo for taking this fight and it has been a long time coming," Hawn said.  "I respect him as a fighter and this wasn’t an easy fight. I am happy to get the win and I wish him the best of luck in the future.”

“I don’t want to make any excuses," Parisyan countered. "This is the fourth time Bellator has given me a shot. I felt obligated to take the fight, but I felt like I was in the right place to take it. He is a great competitor and I respect him as an athlete. Hopefully I will be back and I can prove myself one more time.”


In other matches welterweight Lyman Good defeated Dante Rivera via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27,30-27); in a catchweight bout at 173 pounds Sam Oropeza topped Shedrick Goodridge via TKO (strikes) in round 2; Tom DeBlass beat Carlos Brooks via doctor stoppage in the second round of another catchweight encounter at 188.

 Lightweight Phillipe Nover won a unanimous decision over Darrell Horcher (29-28,30-27,30-27);  Jimmie Rivera earned a 140-pound catchweight win beating Brian Kelleher via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28,29-28); featherweight Will Martinez KO'd Brent Hess in the first round; Kevin Roddy used an armbar to stop Brylan Van Artsdalen in another featherweight bout and light heavyweight Liam McGeary destroyed Anton Talamantes with elbows and punches just 1:18 into the fight.

Video: Bellator MMA highlights from Atlantic City

WSOF gears up for next test

WSOF president Ray Sefo

By John McMullen
jmcmullen@phanaticmag.com

ATLANTIC CITY - The sport of Mixed Martial Arts has exploded over the last decade, so much so that the industry's leader, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, doesn't have enough work for its growing stable of fighters.

The pay-per-view juggernaut opened some eyes last month by releasing former world champion Jon Fitch, a top star for years in both the middleweight and welterweight divisions. Fitch, though,  had gone 1-2-1 in his last four bouts and his grinding style didn't always translate to the box office in an entertainment-based business.

Fitch and 15 others fighters were cut loose by the UFC and a new doctrine was established -- win (or at least sell tickets), otherwise, you're gone.

Enter the World Series of Fighting, which has joined Bellator as an alternative for top-level fighters like Fitch, who quickly signed a deal with the fledgling promotion after UFC jettisoned him.

Although WSOF has only promoted one card thus far, it's already on the map thanks in large part to Jeff Cokin, a veteran television rights negotiator and former NBC executive who brought the promotion together with the new NBC Sports Network.

The first event, a Nov. 3, 2012 card from the Planet Hollywood Resort in Las Vegas, headlined by former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski and Devin Cole, was both an artistic success as well as a solid ratings producer for the re-branded network.

So much so that Cokin was able to get the second card, which takes place on Saturday at Atlantic City's Revel Resort, on NBCSN as well as well as Univision Deportes.

"The first one was a time buy," Cokin said in a telephone interview earlier this week. "NBC was so impressed with everything, from the card to the production, they signed on for three more years."

Saturday's broadcast will also mark the first time a live MMA event will air on Univision Deportes, an offspring of the powerful Univision Network.

"Networks are looking for more of the product (MMA)," Cokin said. "The day I closed the NBC deal, another network was calling me and asking about getting involved."

In today's world of on-demand viewing, Cokin believes professional sports is the one commodity that has proven its immunity from falling ratings and the fast-forward mentality of DVD viewers, something very important to potential advertisers.

Ray Sefo, the New Zealand born kickboxer, boxer and mixed martial artist, is the WSOF president. A former six time Muay Thai World champion and eight time K-1 World Grand Prix Finals tournament participant, Sefo is thrilled to be involved on the ground floor of something that can only help the sport he
has dedicated his life to.

"It was very important to our league and the sport as a whole to be able to come out on national television on NBC and do so well, " Sefo said.

To do well again the main event must deliver in Atlantic City.  Arlovski, who has gone unbeaten in his last five fights including a first round smashing of Cole in the main event of the inaugural WSOF show, is back to headline Saturday's event against another former UFC fighter, Anthony "Rumble" Johnson.

"I just know he's tough and he'll give me a test for three rounds," Arlovski said when discussing Johnson. "He doesn't need to cut any weight and he just focused on hard work at the gym. We'll see. He wants to beat me and I want to beat him even more. We all have one goal. We're gonna see who's gonna be the better man this fight."

The undersized Johnson was once a standout in the UFC's welterweight division but was plagued by weight issues and was released after a shaky move up to middleweight. In his 205-pound debut in WSOF, he upended D.J. Linderman and quickly called out Arlovski, something right out of the Chael Sonnen book of fight-building and a shrewd mood by Johnson.

"Everything is still there," Johnson said when asked about the move up to heavyweight. "The speed and power is still there. I'm still an athlete. I don't feel like I'm sacrificing anything. Andrei is a bit bigger than me and heavier than me. That's it."

Perhaps understanding the UFC would be able to cherry-pick any fighter who stands out, building the brand is Sefo's top priority.

"Our goal is to put on exciting fights, make sure we challenge ourselves," Sefo said. "We're not here to challenge UFC. We're here to challenge ourselves and make sure the next show is as good as the last one if not better. Our goal is to keep putting on exciting fights for the fans and fights that make sense for our guys as well.

"We want to crown a champion by the fourth event. Everyone should look at being a champion as the ultimate in any sport at any level."

In the world of television, a network deal is like the championship belt. UFC has FOX and STRIKEFORCE used to be on CBS.

"There are a lot of avenues to build upon," Cokin said. "Pay-per-view is one but getting on NBC is another and who knows,  maybe (the WSOF) will do so well, they will want it."

World Series of Fighting 2 -- Arlovski vs. Johnson preview -- Live in Atlantic City on March 23

EFC Relentless Results from Atlantic City

Saturday, March 9, 2013
Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City
Xanadu Theater

Matthew Murphy vs. Mustafa Khalil
Khalil wins via TKO referee stoppage due to punches at 0:50 of round one.

Montsir Mohammad vs. Victor Oquendo
Mohammad wins via guillotine at 0:59 of round two.

Eddie Diaz vs. Kevin Bradham
Diaz wins via armbar at 1:44 of round one.

Joseph Curcio vs. Barat Jan
Jan wins unanimous decision in three rounds, all three judges 29-28.

Nick Mauriello vs. Sean Castagna
Mauriello wins via rear naked choke at 0:23 of round one.

Gabriel Ruiz vs. Damon Bonner
Ruiz wins via armbar at 2:16 of round one.

Tim Dooling vs. Ibrahim Yoldas
Dooling wins via disqualification at 2:58 of round two due to illegal head strikes

Robert Bodden vs. Salvador Lopez
Bodden wins unanimous decision in three rounds 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 Sinclair.

Marley D'Ettore vs. Katlyn Chookagian
Chookagian wins via armbar at 1:20 of round one.

Nicholas Kracsun vs. Nile Dillon
Kracsun wins unanimous decision in three rounds, all three judges 29-28.

Adam Timberlake vs. Maxim Calixte
Timberlake wins via TKO referee stoppage due to punches at 2:12 of round one.

Christopher Vallaro vs. Alejandro Dominguez
Vallaro wins via guillotine at 2:53 of round two.

Fabian Rosario vs. Danny Massa 

Rosario wins via unanimous decision in three rounds, all three judges 30-27.

World Series of Fighting announces undercard for Atlantic City

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – World Series of Fighting announced its Mixed Martial Arts undercard for the NBC Sports Network special headlined by the heavyweight showdown between Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski (19-9) and Anthony “Rumble” Johnson (15-3).

Local product Kris McCray (8-4) of Toms River, N.J. will be in a middleweight (185 pounds) scrap against battle-tested Danillo “Indio” Villefort (13-4) of Coconut Creek, Fla., and Waylon Lowe (13-4) of Philadelphia, Pa. will square off with Cameron Dollar (11-4) of Colorado Springs, Colo. in a featherweight (145 pounds) tilt, from Ovation Hall at Revel in Atlantic City, N.J. on Saturday, March 23.

No strangers to Atlantic City, having fought there nine times (combined) professionally, Ozzy Dugulubgov (3-1) of Hackensack, N.J. will go up against undefeated prospect Chris Wade (5-0) of Long Island, N.Y. in a catchweight (160 pounds) bout.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and welterweight (170 pounds) upstart Igor Gracie (5-3) of Rio de Janeiro will face Rich Patishnock (4-1) of Whippany, N.J.

The six-bout preliminary card will be topped by a featherweight collision between streaking Duke Roufus protégé Rick “The Gladiator” Glenn (12-2) of Milwaukee, Wisc., and undefeated submission specialist Alexandre”Pulga” Pimentel (12-0) of Rio de Janeiro.

In the bantamweight (135 pounds) co-main event, red-hot 29-year-old star Tyson Nam (12-4) of Portland, Ore., will face off with two-time national Muay Thai champion and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt Marlon Moraes (9-4) of Jupiter, Fla., via Nova Friburgo, Brazil.

“We are excited to bring the World Series of Fighting brand of MMA to Atlantic City, where some of the greatest fights in history have taken place,” said World Series of Fighting President and six-time world kickboxing champion and two-time Hall of Famer, Ray Sefo.  “Andrei Arlovski, Anthony Johnson and Marlon Moraes are all coming off superb performances on our inaugural fight card, and Tyson Nam has been on fire of late, so we felt that it was essential to showcase these stars at the top of our first card on the East Coast.”

Also slated for action on the five-bout TV card are welterweight sensation Josh Burkman (24-9) of Salt Lake City, Utah, who will collide with former UFC star Aaron “A-Train” Simpson (12-4) of Phoenix, Ariz., and former PRIDE Fighting Championships superstar and WEC champion Paulo Filho (23-4) of Rio de Janeiro, who will face off with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt David Branch (11-3) of Brooklyn, N.Y., in a middleweight bout.

Explosive finisher J.Z. Cavalcante (16-6) of Deerfield Beach, Fla., via Brazil, will take on unbeaten, emerging star Justin Gaethje (7-0) of Greeley, Colo., at lightweight (155 pounds).

Coming off his second consecutive victory, a unanimous decision over Mike “300” Hayes Dec. 16, Arlovski, a 33-year-old, 6-foot-4-inch, former UFC heavyweight champion, shined in the main event of the inaugural World Series of Fighting card Nov. 3 in Las Vegas, crumbling fellow power puncher Devin Cole with a barrage of blows in the first round (2:37).

Likewise, the 28-year-old, 6-foot-2-inch Johnson dominated D.J. “Da Protégé” Linderman in the first-ever World Series of Fighting co-main event, scoring a first-round (3:58) KO of Linderman with a punch.  The victory was Johnson’s fourth straight.

Nam made waves Aug. 25 when he pulled off a stunning upset on reigning Bellator bantamweight champion Eduardo Dantas, scoring a first-round (1:36) KO (punch) in a non-title bout in Brazil.  Nam will put a four-fight win streak on the line in his World Series of Fighting debut.

The 24-year-old Moraes shocked the world on the first World Series of Fighting card, beating former WEC champion Miguel Torres to the punch repeatedly for the majority of three rounds en route to being being awarded a split decision victory.  The win was Moraes’ third straight.

Ruiz looks to take another step at EFC card in Atlantic City

Gabriel Ruiz, the EFC's 125-lb dynamo, knew he loved to fight, but not much else when he wandered into the Extreme Fight Club Gym in Woodland Park, New Jersey, a couple years ago. The 22-year-old played some sports and wrestled senior year of high school, but other than street fights, was a blank slate.

Two years later, the "blank slate" is on a two-fight winning streak and headed into the biggest fight of his life when takes on fellow Jersey resident Damon Bonner on Saturday, March 9, 2013, in the Xanadu Theater at Trump Taj Mahal Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, as part of "The Darwish Brothers Presents EFC: Relentless" MMA event.

In the night's main event, Bloomfield, New Jersey's undefeated Fabian "The Baby Face Killer" Rosario (6-0) will defend his EFC Welterweight Championship against Danny "Massacre" Massa (2-2) of Westchester Fight Club in New Rochelle, New York.

"I'm kind of a late starter," admits Ruiz. "But it's going really good. I'm an all-around fighter now. I like grappling, but I'm a stand-up fighter in my heart. I've got good takedown defense and I'm comfortable everywhere in the cage."

Ruiz credits trainer Hani Darwish for his quick transformation into a formidable fighter.

"I look up to Hani. He's a good guy and a good inspiration for me. He helps me out a lot with my conditioning, my skills, everything."

That trust wasn't broken even when Ruiz began his fighting career with two consecutive losses.

"I never felt like giving up. I'm the kind of person who never gives up. I always come back strong. You have to learn from your failures. Now I'm on a two-fight winning streak and I'm going to win this fight and make it three!"

Trainer Darwish holds Ruiz in high regard as well.

"Gabe is a guy with a huge heart who never backs down. He's been matched very tough and has come a long way in a short amount of time. When he steps in the cage you can always expect a good fight. He's constantly improving and will have a successful career in the sport. Gabe is like a little brother to me. He practically lives in the gym and has a burning desire to be a champion inside and outside the cage."

Ruiz, who is also currently in school for Heating and Cooling, says his goal is to rack up 10 consecutive amateur wins and then, when Darwish gives the word, turn professional. The ultimate dream is a crack at the UFC.

"I feel like I have a lot of potential, so I'm just going with the flow, step by step. I get up, do my exercise and run, do a 45-minute workout and then go to school. From school, I go straight to the gym. I teach classes there, but while I'm teaching, I am reviewing my own technique. Then I train for two hours, sparring and grappling, then go home and do another quick workout.  I'm just going to work hard on everything I want because life is not easy. You gotta keep working hard and stay positive."

Tickets for "The Darwish Brothers Presents EFC: Relentless" are priced at $45, $55, $65, $75, $100 and $125 Cageside and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com, by calling 800-745-3000, or at the Trump Taj Mahal box office on fight night.

World Series of Fighting headed to Atlantic City

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – World Series of Fighting announced the main event for its upcoming card at the Revel Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. on Saturday, March 23.

A heavyweight showdown between Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski (19-9) and Anthony “Rumble” Johnson (15-3) will headline things at Ovation Hall and live on NBC Sports Network.

In the bantamweight (135 pounds) co-main event, red-hot 29-year-old star Tyson Nam (12-4) of Portland, Ore. will face off with two-time national Muay Thai champion and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt Marlon Moraes (9-4) of Jupiter, Fla. via Nova Friburgo, Brazil.

 “We are excited to bring the World Series of Fighting brand of MMA to Atlantic City, where some of the greatest fights in history have taken place,” said World Series of Fighting President and six-time world kickboxing champion and two-time Hall of Famer, Ray Sefo.  “Andrei Arlovski, Anthony Johnson and Marlon Moraes are all coming off superb performances on our inaugural fight card, and Tyson Nam has been on fire of late, so we felt that it was essential to showcase these stars at the top of our first card on the East Coast.”

Also slated for action on the five-bout TV card are welterweight (170 pounds) sensation Josh Burkman (24-9) of Salt Lake City, Utah, who will collide with former UFC star Aaron “A-Train” Simpson (12-4) of Phoenix, Ariz., and former PRIDE Fighting Championships superstar and WEC champion Paulo Filho (23-4) of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, who will face off with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt David Branch (11-3) of Brooklyn, N.Y. in a middleweight (185 pounds) bout.

Explosive finisher J.Z. Cavalcante (16-6) of Deerfield Beach, Fla. via Brazil will take on unbeaten, emerging star Justin Gaethje (7-0) of Greeley, Colo. at lightweight (155 pounds).

Coming off his second consecutive victory, a unanimous decision over Mike “300” Hayes on Dec. 16, Arlovski, a 33-year-old, 6-foot-4, former UFC heavyweight champion, shined in the main event of the inaugural World Series of Fighting card on Nov. 3, crumbling fellow power puncher Devin Cole with a barrage of punches in the first round (2:37) of action.

Likewise, the 28-year-old, 6-foot-2 Johnson dominated D.J. “Da Protégé” Linderman in the first-ever World Series of Fighting co-main event, scoring a first round (3:58) KO on Linderman with a punch.  The victory was Johnson’s fourth straight.

Nam made waves on Aug. 25 when he pulled off a stunning upset on reigning Bellator Bantamweight Champion Eduardo Dantas, scoring a first round (1:36) KO (punch) on Dantas in a non-title bout in Brazil.  Nam will put a four-fight win streak on the line in his World Series of Fighting debut.

The 24-year-old Moraes shocked the world on the first World Series of Fighting card, beating former WEC champion Miguel Torres to the punch repeatedly for the majority of three rounds before being awarded a split decision victory.  The win was Moraes’ third straight.

A six-bout preliminary card will be topped by a featherweight (145 pounds) collision between streaking Duke Roufus protégé Rick “The Gladiator” Glenn (12-2) of Milwaukee, Wisc. and undefeated submission specialist Alexandre”Pulga” Pimentel (12-0) of Rio de Janeiro.

Waylon Lowe (13-4) of Philadelphia, Pa. will square off with Cameron Dollar (11-4) of Colorado Springs, Colo. in a featherweight tilt.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and welterweight upstart Igor Gracie (5-3) of Rio de Janeiro will face an opponent to be announced as will welterweight Ozzy Dugulubgov (3-1) of Hackensack, N.J.

Battle-tested Danillo “Indio” Villefort (13-4) of Coconut Creek, Fla. will square off with a middleweight opponent to be announced.

Additional preliminary card bouts are expected to be announced soon.

Doors at Ovation Hall at Revel will open at 5:30 p.m. EST and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 6:30 p.m. The live NBC Sports Network telecast of the World Series of Fighting event will begin at 9:30 p.m. EST/6:30 p.m. PST.

WSOF announces first card on NBC Sports Network

Hard-hitting heavyweight KO artists Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski (17-9) and Devin Cole (20-9) will collide on the highly-anticipated, inaugural World Series of Fighting Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight card, live on NBC Sports Network from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday, Nov. 3.

“We are thrilled to welcome both Andrei and Devin to the World Series of Fighting roster and to have them headline our first live event,” said World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo.  “Both of these heavyweights have delivered some incredibly memorable highlights during their careers and their matchup should be a barnburner.”

The 33-year-old, 6-foot-4, 250 pound Arlovski made his first major statement in the sport of MMA, winning the interim UFC heavyweight championship by forcing rival Tim Sylvia to tap out from a heel hook just 47 seconds into their matchup on Feb. 5, 2005.

Four months later, Arlovski defended his title, toppling Justin Eilers with an onslaught of punches in the first round (4:10) of their matchup in Atlantic City, N.J.  Shortly after the victory, Arlovski was promoted to UFC heavyweight champion and went on to earn wins over the likes of Paul “The Headhunter” Buentello,  Fabricio Werdum and Jake O’Brien before parting ways with the UFC and using his punching power to score a third round (1:13) KO on Ben Rothwell and a second round (1:46) TKO on Roy Nelson, respectively.

Andrei Arlovski

Of late, Arlovski has returned to vintage form, taking out Ray Lopez with a barrage of punches in the third stanza (2:43) of their matchup in Honolulu, Hawaii on Aug. 27, 2011, and scoring a crushing third round (4:59) KO on Travis Fulton with a monstrous head kick on Nov. 5, 2011.

The fact that the 35-year-old, 6-foot-4, 250 pound Cole has earned 10 of his 20 career victories by way of KO might lead one to believe he is a pure striker.  On the contrary, however, he is a lifelong wrestler as well.

In 2001, Cole received All-American honors after leading Southern Oregon University to a national wrestling championship.  Two years later, he burst onto the MMA scene, winning 10 of first 11 professional bouts.  Amongst his best conquests to date are those over Travis Wiuff, Mike Kyle, D.J. Linderman and Mike “300” Hayes.

Cole will look to notch his third consecutive victory.  He recently made his second-career trip to premiere training camp American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Fla. in order to prepare with some of the world’s premiere mixed martial artists for the showdown with Arlovski.

The live NBC Sports Network telecast of the World Series of Fighting event will begin at 10:30 p.m. EST/7:30 p.m. PST.

In other main card action, bantamweight (135 pounds) superstar Miguel Angel Torres (40-5) of East Chicago, Ind. will battle an opponent to be announced.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Gregor Gracie (7-2) of Rio de Janeiro will face off with red-hot prospect Tyson Steele (9-1) in a welterweight (168 pounds) contest; Josh Burkman (23-9) of Salt Lake City, Utah will battle fellow star Gerald “Hurricane” Harris (21-4) of Tulsa, Okla. in a welterweight bout.

Fast-rising star Ronys Torres (25-4) will meet dangerous submission specialist Brian “The Bandit” Cobb (19-7) of Bakersfield, Calif. in a lightweight (155 pounds) matchup.

In an undercard scrap, seasoned warrior Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante (16-6-1) Deerfield Beach, Fla. by way of Brazil will take on submission wizard John Gunderson (34-14) of Las Vegas.

Additional undercard bouts will be announced soon.

CSN to air combat sports show featuring MMA, boxing and pro wrestling

(The Phanatic Magazine) - The GFL Combat Sports Network (GFL.tv) and Comcast SportsNet have  announced a partnership to launch a weekly combat sports series commencing with its first airing date this Saturday night (Aug. 25, 2012). 

GFL will provide combat sports content for both The Comcast Network and Comcast SportsNet.

“We are able to offer Comcast SportsNet a diverse programming schedule to include the best MMA, Boxing, Muay Thai, Kickboxing & Professional Wrestling events this region has to offer. This is a great opportunity for fighters to showcase their talents and grow their fan base in their community.  I guarantee our audience 2 things: action packed shows and that many fighters from this series will go on to become world champions,” said GFL CEO and Founder David Klarman.

Starting on August 25, GFL will bring the best in mixed martial arts (MMA), boxing, Muay Thai and professional wrestling to The Comcast Network (TCN) and Comcast SportsNet (CSN) viewers in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC, Delaware, New Jersey and even some parts of New York.  

Air times will be in primetime from 8-10 PM EST Saturday evenings on TCN-PA and TCN-MA, with replays on Sunday evenings from 8-10 PM EST on Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia and 11:30 PM – 1:30 PM EST on Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic.

“We are extremely pleased to embark on a new relationship with Go Fight Live to provide fans with great MMA and boxing matchups as we bolster our Saturday Night Fight Night programming on The Comcast Network,” said Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia Director of Programming Bob Selah.

The initial Programming schedule is as follows:

8/25 & 26 – Friday Night Fights from Dover Downs Hotel and Casino (Boxing)
9/1 & 2 – Cage Wars XVII  (MMA)
9/8 & 9 – Boxing at Bally's: Joel Diaz vs Guillermo Sanchez (Boxing)
9/15 & 16 – New Breed Fighters  (MMA - Not GFL)
*9/22 & 23 –  Ring of combat XLII – (MMA)
9/29 & 30 – Friday Night Fights from Dover Downs (Boxing)
10/6 & 7 -  IZW (Professional Wrestling)
10/13 & 14 – Battle at Bally’s II -Take On Promotions (Muay Thai)
10/20 & 21 – Fight Night from Harrahs, PA (Boxing)
10/27 & 28 – Cage Wars XVIII (MMA)

*After Football Game