LAS VEGAS (July 8, 2014) – There will be a distinct international flavor to the “Honor & Glory: Canelo vs. Lara” SHOWTIME PPV® undercard this Saturday, July 12, as top boxers from Brazil, Ireland, Cuba and Puerto Rico all enter the ring in the lead-up to the long-awaited main event between Canelo Alvarez and Erislandy Lara. Featured will be former Olympian Yamaguchi Falcao, Jason Quigley, Yoandris “El Nino” Salinas and John Karl Sosa.

Tickets are still available at the $750, $500, $250, $150, $75 and $50 price ranges, not including applicable service charges. Tickets are limited to eighteen (18) per person with a limit of eight (8) at the $75 and $50 price ranges. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

“This is a very special undercard to kick-off what will be one of the best fight nights of the year,” said Oscar De La Hoya, president and founder of Golden Boy Promotions. “Top level fighters from around the world will be competing in quick succession leading up to the Canelo vs. Lara four-fight pay-per-view event. Fight fans should plan on getting to the MGM Grand Garden Arena early so they don’t miss this top to bottom thrilling card.”

A 2012 Olympic Bronze medalist for Brazil, Sao Mateus native Yamaguchi Falcao (1-0) now makes his home in Los Angeles, where he hopes to one day make a run for world championship gold. Last April 26, the 26-year-old southpaw picked up his first professional victory, shutting out Fernando Najera, and this weekend, he will attempt to keep his unbeaten record intact when he faces Arecibo, Puerto Rico’s Jesus M. Cruz (1-1-1) in a four/six-round middleweight bout.

Fighting out of County Donegal in Ireland, 23-year-old Jason Quigley has been one of Europe’s top amateurs for years, winning several championships and accolades along the way. A member of the Golden Boy Promotions’ roster, Quigley is ready to make his pro debut this Saturday in a four-round middleweight contest against Ocala, Florida’s Howard Reece (2-6, 1 KO).

A veteran of nearly 300 amateur bouts, Cuba’s Yoandris “El Nino” Salinas (20-0-2, 13 KOs) is getting closer to a title shot in the 122-pound weight class. Unbeaten as a pro, the 28-year-old came close in October of 2013 before a controversial draw verdict was rendered in his WBA World Super Bantamweight Title fight against Scott Quigg. Back in the ring and hungrier than ever, Salinas will square off in a 10-round bout against tough Los Angeles native Enrique Quevedo (15-7-1, 9 KOs).

In the six-round welterweight opener, Caguas, Puerto Rico’s John Karl Sosa (11-0, 6 KOs) will seek his third win of 2014 when he meets Michoacan, Mexico’s Luis Bello (5-1, 2 KOs)..

“Honor & Glory: Canelo vs. Lara,” a 12-round junior middleweight fight taking place Saturday, July12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Canelo Promotions and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. In the co-main event, Abner Mares returns to the ring to face Puerto Rico’s Jonathan Oquendo in a 10-round featherweight bout. In the SHOWTIME PPV opening bout, Johan Perez defends his interim WBA Junior Welterweight World Title against Mauricio Herrera in a 12-round matchup. Also, Juan Manuel Lopez meets Francisco Vargas in a 10-round bout for the WBO International Super Featherweight Title. The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. The event can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). For information visit www.SHO.com/Sports. Canelo vs. Lara will be shown on the big screen in movie theaters across the country via Fathom Events. Information will be available at www.fathomevents.com.

Plus, SHOWTIME® will televise undefeated WBO Bantamweight World Champion Tomoki “El Mexicanito” Kameda defending his title in a 12-round bout against No. 1-ranked contender Pungluang Sor Singyu during “Canelo vs. Lara: COUNTDOWN LIVE” (7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT, immediately preceding the live PPV event).

LONDON (July 8) – Oscar De La Hoya has labelled this weekend’s clash between Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez and Erislandy Lara as a battle for ‘honour and glory’.

The boxing legend, and boss at Golden Boy Promotions, will see his premier charge Alvarez take on one of his toughest fights to date when he steps in against the slick Lara at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, live this Saturday night on BoxNation.

The Hall of Famer is well aware of the challenge that faces Alvarez, and despite no title being up for grabs between two of the world’s leading light-middleweights, it was a fight both men wanted as they look to establish their legacy in the sport.

“This fight is not about a title. This fight is about honour and glory,” said De La Hoya. “When people say I didn’t want this fight for Canelo, obviously it wasn’t the first choice. As a promoter you don’t want the most difficult fight out there for him.

“But this is what Canelo’s all about, ultimately it’s his decision, and his decision is a very calculated decision. He’s confident in his abilities, and he wants to fight the very best. That’s the bottom line,” he said.

Though this is anticipated as the 23-year-old Alvarez’s hardest fight since his loss to Floyd Mayweather last September, De La Hoya believes that the former unified 154-pound champion has seen something in Lara, like he did before his victory over Austin Trout.

“Canelo’s a fighter who continues to improve, who continues to grow. He is a fighter who has tremendous, tremendous abilities inside the ring,” said De La Hoya.

“We feel that with Austin Trout, Canelo saw things in Austin Trout, we saw things in Austin Trout, and the same here with Erislandy Lara.

“Yes, he’s very difficult and it’s a difficult style, it’s a tough test in front of him, but like we saw something with Austin Trout you always see something with Erislandy Lara, you see things that obviously Canelo can do and take advantage of.

“But only the fighter can tell you. The fighter can tell you exactly what he saw and what makes him believe that he can beat him,” he said.

The fiery red-headed Alvarez is coming off an impressive stoppage win over Mexican rival Alfredo Angulo.

He suffered a setback when he was convincingly beaten by pound-for-pound star Mayweather but has shown great resolve as he looks to re-establish himself amongst boxing’s best with victory this weekend.

“I improve on every fight and I gain experience, I get better and without an exception this isn’t going to be anything different. We feel very confident and very comfortable,” said Alvarez.

“Lara’s one of the best fighters out there in the world in this weight division, so the winner of this fight will, without a doubt, be the best fighter in the division,” he said.

Throughout the promotion Alvarez has refused to be drawn into the perceived mind-games of the tricky Cuban, who has said that the Angulo he fought and beat was a lesser fighter than the one his younger foe overcame in March.

“I’m not going to get into his games. If I didn’t want the fight [with Lara], the fight wouldn’t be happening. The fight is here because I wanted the fight. And on July 12th we’re going to see who hits who,” he said.

“It doesn’t matter what they say [about Angulo]. They can say whatever they want. I’m not going to lose sleep over that. I know what I did. I know I did a very good fight. But that fight’s behind us. That fight’s in the past. Now I’m preparing for the next fight and for the future,” said Alvarez.

Canelo Alvarez vs Erislandy Lara is live on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD & Virgin 546) this Saturday night. Visit www.boxnation.com to subscribe.

SHELTON, WA (July 8, 2014) -Gary Shaw Productions, ESPN “Friday Night Fights” is heating up when main event fighters Tureano Johnson (14-1, 10 KOs) and Mike Gavronski (14-0-1, 10 KOs) battle in a 10-round middleweight showdown for the Continental Americas USNBC Title. Also, in the 10-round co-feature, lightweights, Art Hovhannisyan (17-1-2, 9 KOs) and Jonathan Maicelo (20-1, 12 KOs) will go to war for WBC International Silver Title.

The ESPN “Friday Night Fights” telecast begins this Friday July 11 at 9:00 p.m. EST / 6:00 p.m. PST from the Little Creek Casino Resort in Shelton, WA.

Johnson vows to make a statement in this fight being that he his last bout against Curtis Stevens was stopped early.

“I can’t let this fight go the distance,” said Johnson, “I don’t want to leave this fight in the judges hands. The goal is to throw hard shots all night and take him out. Gary Shaw said this is a big opportunity for me to get back into the mix at middleweight so I’m coming to put on a show. Everyone should be tuning in this Friday.”

Mike Gavronski knows he’s in a tough fight and promises to be victorious agains Johnson.

“Johnson is a good fighter, but I don’t think he has the talent to be,” said Gavronski. “I’ll be fighting in front of my home town fans and I’m not going to let them down. I will be victorious on Friday night.”

In a crossroads bout, Jonathan Maicelo and Art Hovhannisyan will put everything on the line to advance their careers.

“The time is now for me to step up my game,” said Maicelo, “Shaw said the winner this fight will move on to bigger and better things, so I must win. I will do whatever it takes to get the victory.”

“I’m at a point in my career where I can’t look back, said Art Hovhannisyan. “There is no room for error and on Friday night I’m coming to win. I will break the will of Maicelo to come out on top.”

“The main event and co-main event fighters are at a crossroads in their career,” said Gary Shaw. “I can guarantee the fans watching in attendance and all around the world will see an amazing night of boxing. Whoever comes out on top will be rewarded with the big fight. All the fighters understand the significance of what’s on the line, so I expect to see a tremendous effort from everyone.”

“I also want to thank Brian Kweeder for giving GSP the opportunity to present another night of great ESPN fights,” Shaw continued. “These are real fighters that come to fight in the ring.”

Tickets priced $100, $50, $35 and $20 are on sale now and can be purchased by calling the Little Creek Casino at 1-800-667-7711, onsite at the Little Creek Casino Box Office, or online at www.little-creek.com.

BROOKLYN (July 8, 2014)– Star of David Promotions boss Dmitriy Salita is pleased and excited to announce that Junior Wright, a cruiserweight contender from Chicago,has signed a promotional deal.

The 27-year-old Wright, a three-time (2006, 2008, 2009) Chicago Golden Gloves champion, came to the attention of Salita when he expertly fought Steve Bujaj on Salita’s May 15 card in Brooklyn. That bout, a ten round draw while the vacant WBC International cruiserweight title was up for grabs, drew buzz for being a Fight of the Year candidate.

“Junior Wright is one of the best cruiserweights in the world,” Salita said. “He is the kind of fighter the sport needs. From the early stages of his career he has shown the desire to fight and beat the best available fighters. His last fight was one of the best live fights I have ever seen.”

Wright grew up in a Chicago neighborhood where involvement in gangs could have taken him to a dark place. Instead, he found boxing, and is looking forward to the push that promoter Salita will give him.

“I am very proud to be American, for the opportunities that came my way as a result of my hard work and dedication,” Wright said after signing the deal with Salita. “The great city of Chicago was home to our President, Barack Obama, and I am very inspired by that and want to bring the cruiserweight title to America.”

Currently, the cruiserweight titles are wrapped around the waists of a Pole, a Russian, a Serb, and a Cuban-born boxer. Wright, who won the USA Midwest Regional Championship in 2010, promises to bring some cruiserweight buzz back to the US.

“Junior wants to fight all the champions, like WBA champ Denis Lebedev, WBO champ Marco Huck and WBC champ Krzysztof Wlodarczyk,” Salita said. “The plan is to get him a title shot, and let him work his magic.”

Trained by Rick Wilson and managed by Steve Clemente, the fighter nicknamed “Hurricane” owns a 10-0-1 record, with 9 KO’s. A rematch with Bujaj, probably will be on premium network in order to give this duo the viewing audience they deserve, could well be in the cards, Salita said. Wright’s volume punching, rock-solid grasp of basics, above-average stamina, and fighting spirit won him a theater-full of new fans on the most recent Salita show, and that includes rooters for the New Yorker
Bujaj, all of whom applauded the Illinois boxer after the bell rang to end the fierce tussle.

Wright now has a reputation for besmirching the records of heralded fighters. Bujaj came to the ring with a 12-0 mark and Wright saddled him with a split draw. Back on August 16, 2013, Wright defeated 12-0-1 Nick Kisner, in Chicago. Salita expects that trend to continue from his newest acquisition..

Please check the Star of David website Salitapromotions.com for information on the next fight for Wright, and the other hitters on the growing roster, including heavyweight Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller, middleweight Steven Martinez and junior welterweight Dimash Niyazov.

‘’Saint’’ George Groves (19-0, 15 KOs) returns on 20th September in a final eliminator for the WBC World Super Middleweight title against European Champion Christopher Rebrasse (22-2-3, 5 KOs). Rebrasse’s European title and the vacant WBC Silver Super Middleweight title will also be on the line when the pair meet at the SSE Arena in Wembley.

‘’It is great to be back here in Wembley and back to world-class boxing,’’ said Groves at today’s press conference. ‘’Last time I was here it didn’t go the way I had hoped but I showed that I belong at the top level. In boxing sometimes all it takes is one punch, and it took just one punch to derail my world title ambitions in May. But we are back on the road and the journey will continue on 20th September at the SSE Arena in Wembley.

‘’This is a perfect fight for me. Rebrasse is a good opponent with a good record. Win this fight and I am back in the picture that is vitally important. I can’t wait to be world champion and it will happen in the near future. It is good to be back in boxing and back in at the deep end.”

Groves’ opponent Rebrasse, the reigning European Champion, appeared in a confident mood at today’s press conference, unfazed at the prospect of facing ‘’The Saint’’ on his home soil.

‘’A ring is a ring whether you are in England or France,’’ said Rebrasse. ‘’It may be a risk coming to England but it is a risk I am willing to take. I am looking forward to this fight. We will see what happens on 20th September.’’

Promoter Kalle Sauerland said ‘’We are delighted to be staging our first UK show here at The SSE Arena in Wembley and even more delighted to be working with George. He has proven himself as one of the most exciting Super Middleweights on the planet. He is someone we know can go right the way to the top. We look forward to fireworks on September 20th.’’

Tickets for Groves vs. Rebrasse will go on sale on Friday 11th July at 10am and will be available via 08448 24 48 24 and www.axs.com.

LAS VEGAS (July 7, 2014) – Unbeaten Southern California prospects Santiago Guevara, Oscar Negrete and Joet Gonzalez will make the trip to The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on Wednesday, July 9 when they compete in separate bouts on the Golden Boy Live! undercard aired on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes. The event is part of a mega-fight week capped off by the highly anticipated junior middleweight bout between Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez and Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara on Saturday, July 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and televised live on SHOWTIME PPV®.

In the Golden Boy Live! main event on it’s the return of former world title contender Alfonso Gomez as he battles Ed Paredes in a 10-round junior middleweight bout. Plus, 2012 United States Olympian Joseph “JoJo” Diaz competes in his first 10-round featherweight bout against Guanajuato up-and-comer Ramiro “Zurdo” Robles and 19-year-old phenom Diego “The Golden Kid” De La Hoya risks his unbeaten record against veteran Miguel Tamayo in a six round junior featherweight.

“This is the perfect treat for the fight fans in Las Vegas and we’re bringing an action-packed show to FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes viewers,” said Oscar De La Hoya, president and founder of Golden Boy Promotions. “Ed Paredes can make a big move up the rankings if he can get by the always-dangerous Alfonso Gomez and in Joseph Diaz Jr. and Diego De La Hoya, we’re getting a look at the future of this great sport, but they’ll be tested in their fights.”

U.S. Olympian Joseph Diaz Jr. (11-0, 7 KOs) has used his immense talents to impress the boxing world since the London Games. The 21-year-old from South El Monte, Calif. has shown maturity beyond his years along the way. Diaz is coming off of a shutout win over the 50-fight veteran Luis Maldonado in April. Diaz will stay busy in a 10-round featherweight bout against fellow prospect Ramiro “Zurdo” Robles (11-1-1, 6 KOs) who has compiled a seven-fight win streak heading into this bout. Like his opponent, the Guanajuato southpaw is 21 years old and hungry to make an impression in his United States debut.

Nineteen-year-old Mexicali phenom Diego De La Hoya (5-0, 3 KOs) is starting to garner the buzz once heard by his cousin, newly inducted Hall of Famer Oscar De La Hoya. Looking to stay active in 2014, “The Golden Kid” will be making his fourth appearance in the ring since February. On July 9, De La Hoya will look to keep his win streak alive when he faces Ciudad Obregon’s Miguel Tamayo (14-8-2, 12 KOs) in a six-round junior featherweight matchup. Coming off of a tough loss to top contender Gary Russell Jr., Tamayo hopes to get off to a fast start against De La Hoya and with 11 of his knockouts coming in four rounds or less, he has the tools to pull off the upset.

In a six-round lightweight rematch, Los Angeles’ Santiago Guevara (7-0, 3 KOs) returns to the ring for the third time this year when he faces Las Vegas’ own Rocco Espinoza (4-8). Guevara came out on top of a four-round split decision win over Espinoza in January, but this time around, Espinoza vows to even the score, while Guevara looks to keep the judges out of it.

A former amateur star in Colombia who now makes his home in Los Angeles, unbeaten Oscar Negrete (5-0, 1 KO) has impressed fans with his ring savvy and championship potential. On July 9, he will face Carlos Medina (1-0) of Nayarit, Mexico in a four-round junior featherweight bout. In the opening bout of the evening scheduled for six rounds in the featherweight division, Glendora’s Joet Gonzalez (7-0, 1 KO) faces off against San Diego’s David Clark (6-3, 4 KOs).

Gomez vs. Paredes is a 10-round junior middleweight bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona and O’Reilly Auto Parts. The Joint doors will open at 5:00 p.m. PT and the first fight begins at 5:15 p.m. PT. The FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes broadcast airs live at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets, priced at $95, $65, $35 and $25, not including applicable service charges and taxes, are on sale now and available for purchase by visiting The Joint box office, calling 888.9.AXS.TIX or online at www.axs.com.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.FOXSports.com/FOXSports1, www.FOXDeportes.com, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @AlfonsoSGomez, @JosephDiazJr. and @DiegoDeLaHoya, @FOXDeportes and follow the conversation using #GoldenBoyLive, become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing. For more information on FOX Sports 1 visit www.FOXSports.com/watch/FOXSports1 and become a follower on @FOXSports.

Kelly Swanson
Thanks everyone, for joining us today for what will be the final conference call before “Honor and Glory: Canelo vs. Lara” takes place on Saturday, July 12th at MGM Grand. Live on SHOWTIME PPV®. What an exciting fight! Even out on the street people are talking about who’s going to win this one. So, it’s a pleasure and an honor to have both of the main event fighters taking time out of camp today to talk to us.

The odds show Alvarez being the betting favorite

Canelo Alvarez, Erislandy Lara, Chepo Reynoso (Canelo’s trainer) and Ronnie Shields (Lara’s trainer), and we’re going to start the call with Lara and Ronnie Shields. But to make the official introductions I’d like to introduce Oscar De La Hoya, president and founder of Golden Boy Promotions.

Oscar De La Hoya
Thank you very much, Kelly. Yes, we are counting down the days. Everybody’s really excited. Just to point out to you, the event is almost sold out, a complete sell out. We are also hearing from all the cable operators that this fight is tracking extremely well, so it’s obviously a great indication not only of Canelo’s star power and not only of the great stacked card that we have, but also because this is a great fight that a lot of people feel is a toss-up fight. Before I introduce the trainers and the fighters, let me introduce to you the Vice President of Communications at SHOWTIME®, Chris DeBlasio, to say a few words.

Chris DeBlasio
Thank you, Oscar. And thanks to the press for participating on this call. Some housekeeping from SHOWTIME: Stephen Espinoza, our Executive Vice President and Head of Programming couldn’t join us today and he extends his apologies. So briefly, our Emmy Award-winning documentary series ALL ACCESS has returned to chronicle Canelo and Lara’s preparations for this fight. Our first episode you may have seen premiered last Friday night. Our second episode in advance of the PPV event will be televised on Wednesday, July 9th on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT). We encourage you to tune in. That is the linchpin of the shoulder programming that is airing on SHOWTIME EXTREME®, available on our website, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, as well as on mobile devices via SHOWTIME ANYTIME®.

ALL ACCESS, as I previously mentioned, is the linchpin of that content, but in addition we have past fights from Canelo, Erislandy Lara, Abner Mares and Mauricio Herrera. We have several past fights available; these are some of the gems from each of these fighters’ careers, as well as a ton of other content available throughout the week leading up to the PPV event, including our “Canelo vs. Lara: COUNTDOWN LIVE”, which airs live on SHOWTIME on Saturday, July 12th. The countdown show will air at 7:30 p.m. Eastern/4:30 p.m. Pacific live from MGM Grand, and it will include a live championship fight leading up to the 9:00 p.m.ET/6:00 p.m.PT live SHOWTIME PPV event from MGM Grand.

So, we’re excited about the content and mostly excited about the live fights that will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, as I’m sure the rest of you are looking forward to it.

O. De La Hoya
Thank you very much, Chris. And let me take this opportunity to say a few words. He is a trainer that we all know very well. He’s a great trainer, and he is in Lara’s camp getting him ready for the big showdown, and that is Ronnie Shields. Ronnie?

Ronnie Shields
Thank you, Oscar. I just wanted to say that everything’s going great here in camp. Erislandy Lara’s in great condition. Like always, he’s been doing everything that we’ve asked of him. Our whole team is really, really focused on making sure that you get the best possible fight out there. It’s going to be a really, really great fight. We’re looking forward to it. Lara’s condition is really great, and we really give all the credit to [indiscernible] Jackson [indiscernible] conditioning coach. He’s been doing a great job. And everybody else in camp has really been doing really good, and Lara’s in good spirits. He can’t wait until July 12th to get in the ring with Canelo Alvarez.

O. De La Hoya
Thank you very much, Ronnie. And now let me introduce to you the fighter who hails out of Guantanamo, Cuba. He suffered a controversial decision, lost to Paul Williams in 2011. He’s won the WBA Junior Middleweight World Championship, defeating Alfredo Angulo. He has a great win, a 12-round unanimous decision over Austin Trout. He is obviously here and ready and willing, with a record of 19-1-2, with 12 knockouts, let me introduce to you Erislandy Lara.

Erislandy Lara
Hi to everybody on the call; thank you guys for being present. There’s not much more to talk about. I’m ready to fight. I’m in great shape. And you’ll see against Canelo on July 12th.

Q
Hello, everybody. Thank you. When you came to America to pursue your professional dream to fight, was this everything that you thought it would be, to get into these kinds of fights? I know it took a little while to get here, but you’re here now, how do you feel looking back, the way things have gone over the past few years getting to this point?

E. Lara
One hundred percent. That’s what I wanted to do, that’s the reason I came to this country was to fight in these types of fights, and to fight at this level.

Q
And when you came here Canelo wasn’t a big name or anything at the time, but were you thinking not only world titles and those types of fights, but significant opponents and pay-per-view level fights? Did he even know what pay-per-view was? They don’t have that in Cuba.

E. Lara
Yes. One hundred percent, that’s exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to come to this country and fight the best. That’s what I wanted to do since my seventh professional fight. I was asking to fight for a world title. And championships come and go, but these are the types of fights that will leave history, so that’s what I plan on doing on July 12th.

Q
You and Canelo have a couple of common opponents, both have fought Austin Trout, both have fought Angulo, each one of them had, one was easy for one guy and one was tough for the other guy. I’m curious, do you put any stock into the fact with the way that those went down, or is this just a totally separate situation?

E. Lara
No. They have nothing to do with each other, basically all styles are different. And I’m focused on Canelo and I don’t think it makes a difference on who that he fought in the past. What makes a difference is how our styles mesh, and I plan on dominating Canelo Alvarez on July 12th.

Q
Thank you. You’ve been training Lara for a while now. I just wonder, from the point of view of the trainer, he’s had some really, really outstanding performances, he’s had a couple of fights that were maybe a little inconsistent. How do you go about trying to make sure that we see the dominant top notch Lara come next Saturday, as opposed to the guy that kind of gets through the fight and maybe doesn’t look great but does what he has to do, but maybe there’s a question when the fight’s over in some people’s minds about the result, to have him really primed for that night?

R. Shields
Well, the most important thing is style, and he’s one of these guys that, Canelo, I think is who’s in front of you that makes a big difference in any fight, some guys are hard to get out front, some guys are not. But obviously I think Canelo Alvarez is one of the guys that you know you have to be at your best, and I think that’s what you’re going to see on July 12th. I can’t say that I can worry about anything else other than doing the right things. And we’ve been working on [indiscernible] in camp and he’s showing it up real good in training, everything’s great, the sparring has been really great. So, we’re just looking forward to it and we’re going to follow our game plan on July 12th.

Q
Ronnie, do you think that Lara seems to be a better level of technique and skill than Canelo does, maybe a little bit better quickness, do you think that is going to basically be the difference in the fight, that he can take over because he’s going to basically be making Canelo missing him while he’s countering him?

R. Shields
Yes, without a doubt. Also, I think that Lara is just a better fighter, period, than Canelo. You can’t take anything away from Canelo, he’s a really good fighter, you can’t take anything away from that, but understand this, Erislandy Lara has a better amateur career and he’s having a better pro career. It’s just as simple as that. And Erislandy Lara is one of the best fighters and anybody and everybody who will invite him, so Lara doesn’t have a pick-and-choose career. If you take Canelo’s career, his career has been pick-and-choose.

Q
Ronnie, why is this a good style match up for Erislandy?

R. Shields
Well, it’s a good style match up because if you look at Canelo, he’s one of these guys that, he’s a good puncher with both hands and he’s an arrogant guy, in a great way, because he talks a lot, but he backs it up. And Lara is basically the same way. But when you look at the styles, if you look at Canelo, he’s a guy, he likes to throw combinations. And that’s perfect for Lara, because Lara’s a perfect counter puncher. So, as far as style match up goes, this is going to be a great fight. It’s going to be a great fight because I know both guys are in great condition, and that’s what the people want to see.

Q
Erislandy, why is this a good style match up for you? Why do you feel comfortable going into this fight? And obviously it’s a high stakes fight too.

E. Lara
It’s a good style match up because I know Canelo’s going to try to press forward and press for action, and that’s a style I like. I like guys that come and fight, and I pick them apart, like I’ve done to several guys coming up. These are the fights I like. I like guys who come to fight and I like to put them in the dirt, and that’s what I plan on doing.

Q
The controversy notwithstanding, Ronnie, when he fought Williams everybody at ringside thought he won the fight, and obviously he dominated Trout probably the same way. It occurs to me that both of them are southpaws and skillful fighters, did that have anything to do with why he performed so well against both of those guys, as opposed to Angulo and Molina, both were good fights but there were some people who thought Molina beat him, and obviously Angulo dropped him twice.

R. Shields
Well, I think when you go back, I remember in the Molina fight that we took the fight on very short notice and we really didn’t have a whole lot of time to prepare for Molina. Molina is a good fighter, we can’t take anything away from him, but I still go back and look at that fight, and there’s no way in the world Lara lost that fight. Lara won that fight. He won six rounds of that fight, so I know he won that fight.

But with the Angulo fight, Alfredo Angulo was a tough, tough fighter, and you can’t take that away from him. He was one of the best junior middleweights in the world who can punch with both hands, and Lara as a fighter, he got caught and he went down. But you know what a good fighter does, he gets up and he comes back, and he stopped Angulo.

That’s just the way it is, to have to deal with whether a guy is a southpaw or a right hander. Lara, he fights anybody and everybody. Lara asked for this, he asked for every fight that he’s been in basically because nobody wants to fight him. He only wants to fight the best fighters, and this is why you’ll see him fight on July 12th with Canelo Alvarez.

Q
But the two fights that I mentioned before, though, Trout and Williams, why was he so dominant in those fights, and what did he do well in those fights that you think is part of his signature?

R. Shields
Well, he counter punched and he boxed the way he’s supposed to box. And I think those guys with the come forward styles really complements Lara’s style. But at the same time Lara punches harder than people give him credit for, and on Saturday July 12th you’re going to see that.

Q
I’ve got one more question for Erislandy. One of your countrymen, Yuriorkis Gamboa, lost, and I wonder if you feel any patriotism to step up for the Cubans in the wake of his loss?

E. Lara
Gamboa is Gamboa, and in the Cuban system there’s teams, here, this is an individual sport, I’m focused on what I’ve got to do. It has nothing to do with my game plan or changes what I’ve got to do. My main focus is beating Canelo Alvarez, and that’s what I plan on doing July 12th. And obviously I always want to stand up and show why Cuban boxing’s the best, and that’s what I’m going to do on July 12th. And it has nothing to do with Gamboa, obviously we have completely different styles and we’re completely different fighters. Other than being Cuban, that’s the only thing they have in common.

Q
Mr. Lara a lot of popular fighters would go the easy road and avoid you. Do you feel you owe Canelo some debt of gratitude for actually agreeing to meet you in the ring?

E. Lara
Absolutely not. I don’t owe him anything other than left hands. I forced this fight. It wasn’t because he wanted to take this fight. We’ve been after this fight for two years and I’ve been putting pressure on social media or interviews and jumping on stage, that’s what pressured him to take this fight. I know he didn’t want this fight, and on July 12th you’re going to see the reason why he didn’t want this fight.

Q
Just a quick question. For the year, all in all, through whether it’s Top Rank, Golden Boy, SHOWIME, HBO, pay-per-view results haven’t been too, too impressive. Are you worried about the amount of buys this fight will receive? It’s a very good match up, probably the best all-around match of this year so far, but are you worried that there might be some fatigue as far as buyers go?

O. De La Hoya
No, not at all because, first of all, when you have Canelo involved in a pay-per-view fight, as the numbers show, his very first pay-per-view that he was headlining generated close to 400,000 homes. Having this fight with Erislandy Lara, having the stacked card, people know what they’re going to watch and people are going to tune in to watch a spectacular event, so, we’re not worried one bit whatsoever.

Q
Ronnie, there is no question that Canelo Alvarez was having trouble with Austin Trout up until he dropped him in the seventh. Was it a bad style match up until then, or was it the mere fact that Austin Trout is a big junior middleweight?

R. Shields
Austin Trout is just a good fighter, period, as simple as that. Austin Trout knows his way around that ring. This is why you’ve seen him beat several great fighters. This is why you’ve seen him beat everybody he’s fought up until he met Canelo. And that fight was very, very close, to me, even with the knockdown. But just to say Austin Trout is just a good boxer, no. Austin Trout is a great boxer.

Q
The question was basically, given the political situation in Cuba, have we missed a lot of great fighters that haven’t made it to the U.S.?

E. Lara
Absolutely. Obviously Cuba’s a very strict country, it’s a country that you’ve got to do a lot of things to get over here to be free, and there are a tremendous amount of fighters in Cuba that would be world champions or very good fighters over here that are never able to make it.

Q
My question’s for Erislandy. I’m just curious, Erislandy, if you’ve had a chance to view the fight that Saul Alvarez had with Alfredo Angulo. I wanted to know if you thought that he looked good in that fight, or if he was facing a lesser version of Angulo?

E. Lara
Yes, I was there in person and I didn’t see the same Angulo, the same fighter that I saw in my fight. I thought that it was a decent fight, nothing special, and I dont think that that benefits either guy either way.

Q
Do you feel any extra pressure being the fact that Canelo’s the big star or whether or not he believes he can get a fair decision?

E. Lara
I’ve got no pressure to knockout, the knockout comes along. My main focus is dominating Canelo Alvarez. We have three great officials with the Las Vegas Commission that we know they’re going to do their job, and I’ve got to do my job.

Q
All right, my last question’s for Ronnie Shields. Ronnie, when you’ve got Erislandy Lara and he was experienced, he could come as a fighter, I’m just curious through your time working with him what do you believe you’ve improved in him most?

R. Shields
Well, I think if you look at him everything has improved. I think there’s just an improvement in him on him being just a pure boxer. And he’s probably one of the best counter punchers out there. You’re not going to find anybody else better. That’s number one. And he had that already, but the most important thing is I think is the guys that they put in front of you, and he’s beaten everybody that they’ve put in front of him. What else could you expect from a guy like Erislandy Lara? The kid trains as hard as anybody I’ve ever seen, and this is every day. So, I think it is what it is and it all depends on who’s in front of you.

K. Swanson
Okay, thanks, everybody. Now we’re going to thank Ronnie and Erislandy for joining us. We are now making our way to Canelo Alvarez, who is joining us on the call at this time. So, you guys, thank you so much, and we will see you next week.

O. De La Hoya
Thank you, Canelo. Thank you very much, guys. Thank you to all the press. Let me introduce to you now, he is Canelo’s manager and trainer, to say a few words on how preparation is going and counting down the last few days of training camp Jose “Chepo” Reynoso.

Jose Reynoso
We’re very happy, very optimistic with the work that Saul’s been doing. He’s been working very hard, very happy. And we’re really happy with what has been done and looking forward to July 12th.

O. De La Hoya
Now, I would like to introduce to you, to all the media, one of the most compelling fighters on the planet today, a former World Champion and still just 23 years old, known for his exciting style and charismatic demeanor. He’s been a professional since 2005, and he won the WBC Junior Middleweight title in 2011, and successfully defended it five times. He’s back on track with a March 2014 technical knockout win over Alfredo Angulo, and now making a huge statement for July 12th, facing the very difficult Erislandy Lara. Let me introduce to you the Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, Saul, “El Canelo” Alvarez.

Canelo Alvarez
Good afternoon to everybody. I just want to let you know I’m very happy. I’m happy that the fight’s right around the corner, and I want to let you know that I’m ready. I’m ready for that great night.

Q
The question is for Saul, for Canelo Alvarez, you mentioned that you’ve chosen opponents, more dangerous opponents than both Manny Pacquiao and Mayweather. Do you think that’s going to put you even at a higher plateau, at a higher level in the future?

Canelo
No, the question was asked to me that I was in a position to pick opponents similar to Floyd and Manny, and my response was, look, I pick the most dangerous, the best fights because at the end of the day I fight for the fans and I want to give them the best fights out there. As far as getting further out in my career and reaching new heights, you know, by fighting the toughest fights, by fighting the best fighters out there, that’s how I fulfill myself, taking on the biggest challenges. And time will tell.

Q
Canelo, you know how the passion in the Mexican fans are for futbol, soccer, a victory on the 12th for you, will that give us a little bit of satisfaction that Mexico was eliminated and give us that sense of patriotism?

Canelo
Yes, of course. And when it comes to World Cup Soccer we’re all right there with the patriotism following our country, and I’m hoping that July 12th my victory will give all of my countrymen the same satisfaction as well and keep them happy.

Q
The question is for Oscar, Chris, and Canelo. What do you guys think of Mayweather taking over these dates so important to Mexico, like September, like May, dates that have in the past meant dates of Julio Cesar Chavez and Oscar De La Hoya, and do you see in the future these dates once again becoming dates, like Canelo Alvarez or even Abner Mares, who’s on the card?

O. De La Hoya
Saul “Canelo” Alvarez has given me strict orders, obviously he wants to follow in the footsteps of the great champions hailing from Mexico like Julio Cesar Chavez, fighters that have started the tradition of fighting Cinco de Mayo, started the tradition of fighting in September. Canelo now being a star of his own and a big draw and a person who the fans adore, me, as his promoter, it is my obligation to do what’s best for the fighter. So we’re obviously focusing 100 percent on Erislandy Lara and then we will be sitting down with Saul Canelo Alvarez and plan out his future.

Canelo
I want to retake those dates and bring them back. Those dates are Mexican dates, they’re Mexican independence dates, and yes, for next year I will be fighting, I want to be fighting on those dates.

Q
What now do you expect to see in what you learned from Mayweather, building off the momentum from Angulo, what do you expect to show us tactically against Lara that shows your improvement?

Canelo
Lara and his camp have their strategy and they’re working their game plan. But I’m comfortable with mine. I’m working very hard. I’m working for this fight. Every fight is different. You prepare for every opponent differently. And I’m very confident that come July 12th once we’re in the ring all the other stuff goes out the window and it’s just him and I up in the ring. And that’s what I’m preparing for, and that’s what’s going to take care of business on the 12th.

Q
Oscar, can you weigh in on that? I know you actually stated that you were concerned about him taking this fight and in fact didn’t want this fight necessarily for him. What about Canelo, has changed your mind? Do you expect to see a better Canelo than the one you saw against Floyd and Angulo?

O. De La Hoya
Yes, when people say I didn’t want this fight for him, obviously it wasn’t the first choice. As a promoter you don’t want the most difficult fight out there for him. But this is what Canelo’s all about, ultimately it’s his decision, and his decision is a very calculated decision. He’s confident in his abilities, and he wants to fight the very best. That’s the bottom line. And me as a promoter and me as an ex-fighter, I look at it in two ways. Here I was as a fighter fighting the very best, just like Canelo’s doing, and as a promoter this wasn’t my first choice. But you have to go with what the fighter says, with what the fighter feels. And this is what is most admirable of Canelo Alvarez is that he wants to please the fans. He wants to give the fight fans the most difficult fights out there.

Q
Have you talked to Canelo since he decided, and you’ve all decided, that this is the fight he’s going to take and kind of gotten a glimpse of what he thinks he can do in this fight? And if so, I guess not without revealing too many secrets, what do you think you’re going to see in terms of improvement?

O. De La Hoya
Well, obviously Canelo’s a fighter who continues to improve, who continues to grow. He is a fighter who has tremendous, tremendous abilities inside the ring. We feel that with Austin Trout Canelo saw things in Austin Trout, we saw things in Austin Trout, and the same here with Erislandy Lara, yes, he’s very difficult and it’s a difficult style, it’s a tough test in front of him, but like we saw something with Austin Trout you always see something with Erislandy Lara, you see things that obviously Canelo can do and take advantage of. But only the fighter can tell you. The fighter can tell you exactly what he saw and what makes him believe that he can beat him.

Q
Canelo, Erislandy says that the Angulo that you fought was a lesser Angulo than the one he fought. Tell us, was that an improved Canelo Alvarez, or a lesser Angulo, as Lara said?

Canelo
It doesn’t matter what they say. They can say whatever they want. I’m not going to lose sleep over that. I know what I did. I know I did a very good fight. But that fight’s behind us. That fight’s in the past. Now I’m preparing for the next fight and for the future.

Q
This is a great matchup, but the fight got made at 154 pounds, I hadn’t heard from Canelo, from his own words as to why he was not interested to fight for the title belt that Lara has.

O. De La Hoya
This fight is not about a title. This fight is about honor and glory..

Q
I’m wondering, given that it’s going to be a little bit over the Junior Middleweight limit, as was the fight against Angulo, is it just as the fights go along, is Canelo, is he thinking that with each passing fight that his future is really going to be as a middleweight? Is he having trouble making 154, and does he see big things as a middleweight in the future?

Canelo
No, I feel very comfortable at 154, and I’ll be here for the next few years, if not the rest of my career. I don’t know yet. It’s when my body tells me otherwise that it’s time to move then we’ll do it. But I’m very comfortable right now at 154.

Q
I don’t think that Canelo has a lot of experience against left-handed fighters at this point, so I’m wondering, when he thinks about it or when he’s been training for the fight, what are his views of what kind of issues that stance could cause him, if any, because Lara’s such a technical guy anyway.

Canelo
Definitely, he’s a very good, slick southpaw, a very tricky southpaw, a good one. But I’ve never had problems with southpaws, I’ve been able to adapt. And this won’t be the exception. Thank God, I’ve always been good with southpaws.

Q
Is this opponent anything like Trout in his mind, as he’s viewing the videos or scouted him on his own, or heard from his trainers, are there similarities between the two? And in the Trout fight did he learn anything about how to fight against that kind of fighter?

Canelo
No, definitely we’ve seen improvement. Obviously, I improve on every fight and I gain experience, I get better. and without an exception this isn’t going to be anything different. We feel very confident and very comfortable.

Q
Does Canelo view the fight between himself and Lara as, although no title belt’s at stake and one pound over the limit, but basically the winner of this fight is the best fighter in the world as a junior middleweight?

S. Alvarez
Yes, without a doubt he’s one of the best fighters out there in the world in this weight division, so the winner of this fight will, without a doubt, be the best fighter in the division.

Q
Oscar, I’d like you, if you could, to weigh in on that also. Do you think that the winner of this fight really has a stranglehold on being called the best Junior Middleweight in the world, even though Floyd could come back and even though the fight’s one pound over the weight limit?

O. De La Hoya
Absolutely. This is a junior middleweight fight, and you have the number one and number two guy in the world, so absolutely the winner will be considered the best 154 pound champion.

Q
What do you, as the promoter, view as the next step for the winner of this fight?

O. De La Hoya
We haven’t even discussed it. We haven’t even talked about it. The focus is 100 percent on Lara. After the fight, we will either make an announcement, or just sit down and discuss it with Canelo and his team, and come out with a plan. This fight is so difficult and dangerous that we cannot look past Erislandy Lara. So, no, we are not looking past him right now. Canelo is solely focused on Lara.

Q
Because you complained about his attitude throughout the promotion for this fight, do you feel his attitude to be genuine, or do you think he’s just trying to get inside your head? In other words, do you think he doesn’t like you, or is he just trying to psych you out before fight time?

Canelo
I’m not going to get into his games. If I didn’t want the fight, the fight wouldn’t be happening. The fight is here because I wanted the fight. And on July 12th we’re going to see who hits who.

Q
Throughout the promotion of this fight, Canelo, you’ve said in the press that this fight has become personal with the comments that Lara has made. And I have to ask you, is that just promotion, or do you generally have a dislike towards Erislandy Lara?

Canelo
No, this is real. This is very personal. You guys know me. That’s not my character to be promoting and be talking for promotional issues. This is personal. He [Lara] offended me. He offended my person. He offended Mexican boxing. So, yes, it’s very personal.

Q
How does it make you feel that you’re now in the talks and the names with Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao as the top Pay-Per-View stars in boxing?

Canelo
No, I’m very happy. I’m very proud, because we have to show the world that us as Latinos, us as Mexicans, we can be at the top as well. So, yes, I’m very happy for that.

Q
I just want to get your official prediction for the fight. Do you see this fight going the distance?

Canelo
Yes, exactly the fight is near. And you know what, we’re ready, we’re prepared. I can’t really give you if the knockout comes, but I can guarantee you this, that we’re going to come out with a hand raised.

O. De La Hoya
Thank you. Thank you very much. That was the last question of this conference call. We will see you at Fight Week. The Grand arrivals will be Tuesday at the MGM, so we’re looking forward to that. We have all the festivities all during the week. So, I’m looking forward to that, to spend time with the press, to spend time with the fans and the fighters. We will see you next week. Thank you very much.

# # #

“Honor & Glory: Canelo vs. Lara,” a 12-round junior middleweight fight taking place Saturday, July 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, is promoted by Golden
Boy Promotions and Canelo Promotions and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. In the co-main
event, Abner Mares returns to the ring to face Puerto Rico’s Jonathan Oquendo in a 10-round
featherweight bout. In the SHOWTIME PPV opening bout, Johan Perez defends his interim WBA Junior Welterweight World Title against Mauricio Herrera in a 12-round matchup. Also, Juan Manuel Lopez meets Francisco Vargas in a 10-round bout for the WBO International Super Featherweight Title. The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. The event can be heard in Spanish using secondary
audio programming (SAP). For information, visit www.SHO.com/Sports. Canelo vs. Lara will be shown on the big screen in movie theaters across the country via Fathom Events. Information will be available at www.fathomevents.com.

Tickets are still available at the $750, $500, $250, $150, $75 and $50 price ranges, not including applicable service charges. Tickets are limited to eighteen (18) per person with a limit of eight (8) at the $75 and $50 price ranges. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.mgmgrand.com, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @CaneloOficial, @LaraBoxing, @abnermares00, @jonathanoquen, @juanma_lopez, @elbandido130, @elmaestro1, @mgmgrand, @SHOSports and @Swanson_Comm, follow the conversation using #CaneloLara and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (July 7th, 2014) – The post-fight mayhem might’ve taken more out of Rob Font than the fight itself.

Within moments of his breakthrough win Saturday over George Roop at UFC 175 in Las Vegas, Font went from little-known regional standout to the talk of mixed martial arts, an overnight social media celebrity born from the impact of the fateful, overhand right that sent two careers spiraling in different directions.

“Everything changed,” said Font, the reigning CES MMA featherweight champ from Boston who dominated his UFC debut this past weekend with a first-round knockout win.

“My phone was blowing up. I probably had a thousand messages. Then I’m getting pulled back and forth backstage doing interviews and press conferences. It was crazy. It was mentally tiring, but it was definitely worth it. I got in, got out clean, and got paid. I can’t complain about anything.”

Font’s knockout of Roop at the 2-minute, 19-second mark also earned Font (11-1, 4 KOs) a $50,000 bonus check as one of two Performance of the Night award winners (the other went to female bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey for her 16-second knockout win over Alexis Davis in the co-feature).

“I’m going to buy my girl something nice,” Font said.

Riding a career-best 10-fight win streak (six with CES MMA), Font will take a few days to let it all sink in following his week-long stay in Vegas and then get right back into the gym to prepare for his next fight, which could come as early as September when the UFC returns to Connecticut for the first time since 2005 with UFC Fight Night 50 on Sept. 5. Font even has his sights set on a potential opponent, calling out three-time UFC vet Sergio Pettis moments after beating Roop this past weekend.

The 20-year-old Pettis is the younger brother of UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis.

“I had his last fight recorded before we left for Vegas, and I remember watching it thinking, ‘Man, that would be a great fight for me,’” Font said. “He’s got a big name because of his brother, but he’s real talented, so it’d be a great fight for the fans and a great fight for me. I think I’d run through him, honestly.”

Until then, Font is still basking in Saturday’s win, a debut that all but guarantees he will get the opportunity to become a household name with the UFC, which has always been more important to him than just simply making it to the big stage.

“[UFC president] Dana White pulled me to the side afterward and said, ‘I loved the way you fought out there,’ and told [head trainer] Mark [DellaGrotte], ‘I want to keep this kid busy,’” Font said. “It was a great feeling.”

Knowing he had to drop from 145 pounds to 135 for Saturday’s fight, Font initially worried about adjusting to the speed of his opponent until he learned he was fighting the 6-foot-1 Roop, a taller fighter with a slower delivery.

The height differential didn’t bother the 5-foot-8 Font, who made his name on the northeast circuit dominating taller opponents such as Saul Almeida (6-foot-1) and Tristan Johnson (5-foot-11) while fighting for CES MMA.

“The taller guys are actually a little slower,” Font said. “With the shorter guys, that’s when speed becomes a factor.

“I just had to close the distance. If you watch it again, he kind of grazed me with a baby left hook, but it was real wide. He caught me that one time and I figured if he threw it again I was going to pounce on him. It was just something I picked up on during the fight. His biggest weapon was mainly his kicks because he’s so tall and long. Once I found my range, I just jumped on him.”

Font braced himself for the typical pre-fight jitters generally associated with fighting on the big stage for the first time, but they never came. In fact, Font was worried he might be too calm or too confident as he loosed up backstage.

“It felt like nothing, like another day in the gym,” Font said. “Nothing fazed me. Not the cameras, not [cage announcer] Bruce Buffer, [color commentator] Joe Rogan, the lights, nothing. Everything went smoothly.

“It’s complete chaos,” he added. “Everything is bigger. They have 5,000 people at their weigh-in, but it’s organized. It runs smoothly. We checked in, went to the cage, warmed up, and before I knew it I was out there ready to fight.”

Font, as always, looked cool, calm and collected. Just another day at the office for the UFC’s newest star.

For more information on Font and all of CES MMA’s upcoming events, visit www.cesmma.com, follow CES MMA on Twitter at @CESMMA and Instagram at CESMMA, or “like” CES MMA on Facebook by clicking the corresponding link.

BRISTOL, CT (July 7, 2014) — On the heels of his scintillating ninth-round knockout victory of undefeated Cuban icon Yuriorkis Gamboa to retain his world title, undefeated World Boxing Organization (WBO) lightweight champion TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD will be joining Doug Kezirian as the in-studio guest on this week’s edition of ESPN Friday Fights, which will air live, This Friday! July 11, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT on ESPN2. Topics Crawford and Kezirian will be discussing will most certainly include a recap of Crawford-Gamboa, arguably the Fight of the Year at the midpoint of 2014 as well as making Crawford (24-0, 17 KOs), the Pride of Omaha, a serious consideration for Fighter of the Year.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with SMS Promotions, PS4 and Tecate, Crawford-Gamboa attracted nearly 11,000 fans to the CenturyLink Center in the first world title fight to take place in Omaha, Neb. in 42 years, when Joe Frazier defended his heavyweight title against Ron Stander on May 25, 1972. According to Nielsen Media Research, Crawford-Gamboa, which was televised live on HBO®, was the second-most viewed fight of the year so far on U.S. television, attracting an average audience of 1.208 million viewers to the live, first-time airing.

Heavyweight contender Chris Arreola had successful surgery on his left elbow according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“The doctor said he couldn’t believe that Chris has been fighting all these years with it,” said Arreola’s trainer Henry Ramirez, who was at Kerlan-Jobe Surgery Center with Arreola, who was waiting to be released. “He always favored the arm and this camp it was happening almost every sparring session, especially when he got hit on it. It really bothered him in camp. And he hurt it in the fight.

“The doctor termed it an arthritic elbow. They did a scope. They cleaned up scar tissue and fragments.”

“He had a cortisone shot going into the fight, which he got in late April,” Ramirez said. “But by the time the fight came it had gone away. It’s something he’s been dealing with but it has gotten progressively worse.

When he realized that he had really done it again, former heavyweight champion Ruslan Chagaev went down to his knees on Sunday night at Ahmat Arena in Grozny, Russia. It was legendary Michael Buffer who announced Chagaev’s close but well deserved majority decision win (115:113, 115:113, 114:114) over Fres Oquendo which earned the 35-year-old Uzbek the WBA heavyweight championship for the second time in his career.

No other but Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov was the first to congratulate Chagaev in the ring. While the fight lasted Kadyrov even took charge as chief second coaching “his” champion in the corner. It was the leader of the Chechen Republic who brought this world title fight to Grozny along with promoter Timur Dugazaev (TEREK Box Event). Accordingly Chagaev thanked the President for all his help and support.

“Words cannot express my gratitude to Ramzan Kadyrov for giving me this opportunity. I also want to thank all people of Grozny, Chechnya, Russia, Uzbekisten, Germany and the whole world. This is one of the greatest moments of my life”, said Chagaev immediately after the fight in the ring.

To get to this moment the former world amateur champion had to work his way through twelve tough and close rounds. Chicago based Oquendo showed great stamina – especially given the fact that he arrived in Grozny only 36 hours before the big fight due to personal circumstances. Chagaev started strong and won the first rounds before a cut opened over his left eye and slowed him down.

Oquendo took advantage and managed to steal the middle rounds but Chagaev’s corner with Artur Grigorian and experienced champion coach Fritz Sdunek as cutman managed to stop the bleeding giving Chagaev the chance to bring home the close but clear victory.

In the co-feature “The Black Panther” Juan Carlos Gomez stopped previously unbeaten Goran Delic in the fifth to win the vacant WBA international cruiserweight championship. German heavyweight contender Edmund Gerber came back from a loss to Dereck Chisora with an impressive second-round annihilation of Mexico’s Vicente Sandez to claim the WBC Silver international heavyweight title.

30,000+ fans at sold out Ahmat Arena witnessed a state of the art show. “I have been all over the world and have seen many great shows – but this was the biggest and best event of them all”, said impressed hall-of-fame-referee Stanley Christodoulou. Michael Buffer added, “This show really set new standards. Everybody involved in the promotion did a great job.”

Greg Cohen of Greg Cohen Promotions wishes to congratulate the fighter he co-promotes (along with Adam Wilcock for FightCard Promotions), Dennis “Hurricane” Hogan for winning the WBA Oceania Light Middleweight Championship on Sunday night.

The popular Hogan (19-0-1, 7 KOs) scored a clear split decision over Australia’s Steve Moxon at the Grand Star Receptions in Altona North, Victoria, Australia.

A four-time national amateur champion with over 150 fights in his native Ireland, 29-year-old Hogan now lives and trains in Queensland, Australia. In addition to the WBA belt, in his three-year pro career, Hogan has already won the Queensland State Super Middleweight, Queensland State Middleweight and Australian Middleweight Championships.

He is currently rated #14 by the IBF and with the victory over Moxon, will almost surely crack the WBA’s rankings as well.

“Dennis showed his world-class skills while winning a regional title that will lead to bigger and better things,” said Greg Cohen. “Most ringside observers had him winning 10 out of 12 rounds, but one of the judges inexplicably had it a split decision. Regardless, he won and Adam and I are now planning to have him make his USA debut later this summer.”

Cohen says that because of his personality and exciting style, Hogan is one of those rare fighters that fans adore.

“Dennis is the type of Irish fighter that has that special connection with his fans, like a John Duddy,” continued Cohen. “He is a special kid and we are excited to bring him to the world stage. I send my sincere congratulations to Dennis and to the boxing world: get ready for a new star middleweight from Ireland/Australia. We will have an announcement about his arrival in the US very soon.”

BOLTON (7 July) – Amir Khan was arrested during the early hours of Friday 4th July on suspicion of common assault against two youths. Shortly thereafter he was released on police bail pending further enquiries.

This was a minor incident involving a misunderstanding between Amir Khan and two other youths.

On Monday 7th July Amir was notified by the police that the allegations against him had been withdrawn and the matter would not be pursued any further.

Popular Long Island junior welterweight prospect CLETUS “The Hebrew Hammer” SELDIN is deep in preparations for his ESPN Friday Night Fights debut against veteran BAYAN “The Mongolian Mongoose” JARGAL set for Friday, July 18 at The Paramount in Huntington, New York.

Presented by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, advance tickets for ESPN FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS/”ROCKIN FIGHTS 14″ starting at $50, are on sale through Ticketmaster (Ticketmaster.com), the Star Boxing website (StarBoxing.com) and The Paramount Box Office, phone (631) 673-7300. Doors on the night of the event will open at 6:30 p.m. with the first bell at 7:00 p.m.

Sporting a record of 13-0-0 with ten knockouts, the 27-year-old Seldin is preparing for the toughest foe of his three-year career as Jargal enters the eight round clash with a record of 17-5-3 with 11 knockouts.

Speaking from his training camp in West Palm Beach, Florida, Seldin touched on a number of topics leading up to the fight.

“I’ve seen Jargal fight numerous times, I know he gave Algieri a good fight” said Seldin. “He’s going to want to push the pace which is just my style so fans are in for an all-action scrap. But he’s got a bit of an awkward offense, his punches come from different angles which is something I will have to deal with.”

“I’ve gotten terrific sparring down here in Florida visiting numerous gyms over the last few weeks. I’m based in West Palm Beach but I’ve been all over Florida getting the best sparring, six to ten rounds per day.”

Always moving forward in and out of the ring, Seldin is anxious to make his nationally televised debut. “I always want more, I’m never satisfied whether it’s headlining The Paramount or ESPN, I’ll always want it bigger and better.”

“I was inspired by Chris winning the world title, he had no amateur bouts, I only had about 30 so we’ve both heard the same things about what our limitations are but it just shows what courage, heart and discipline can do.”

Finally, remarking about fighting at The Paramount for the 9th time, Seldin stated, “I love it, my fans and friends pack the place and it feels like I’m hosting a party. There is no better venue in America for boxing than The Paramount.”

Headlining ESPN FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS/”ROCKIN FIGHTS 14″ is an outstanding ten round junior welterweight clash between top rated contenders EMANUEL “The Tranzformer” TAYLOR of Baltimore, Maryland and San Francisco’s KARIM “Hard Hitta” MAYFIELD.

As part of the sensational evening of world class professional boxing, Star Boxing will also pay tribute to “The Fighting Pride of Huntington”, new World Boxing Organization Junior Welterweight Champion CHRIS ALGIERI.

Additional undercard bouts for ESPN FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS/”ROCKIN FIGHTS 14″ will be announced shortly.

The Paramount is located at 370 New York Avenue in Huntington, New York, 11743.

ABOUT ESPN FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS
ESPN Friday Night Fights presented by Corona Extra will begin at 8 p.m. ET live on ESPN2,

Watch ESPN and broadband Spanish-language ESPN Deportes+.
ESPN Deportes will re-brand its coverage as Noche de Combates (formerly Viernes de Combates) with some telecasts on Saturdays.

ESPN2 Commentators/Studio:

Blow-by-blow commentator Joe Tessitore and ringside analyst Teddy Atlas will return to describe the action for ESPN2. Both are recipients of the prestigious Sam Taub Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism presented by the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA): Atlas (2001), Tessitore (2010). Studio host Todd Grisham (@GrishamESPN), will return for his second season providing all the latest boxing news and highlights. Bilingual reporter Bernardo Osuna (@osunaespn), who last year became the series’ first-ever on-site reporter, will contribute to Friday Night Fights in English, and Noche de Combates (Fight Night) in Spanish.

ESPN Deportes Commentators/Studio:

Delvin Rodríguez will call the fights with Pablo Viruega for Noche de Combateson both ESPN Deportes and ESPN Deportes+, while Leopoldo González and Claudia Trejos will anchor the studio. Hall of Fame referee Joe Cortez will join Trejos and González in studio throughout the season, with Osuna providing reports and interviews.

ABOUT STAR BOXING ®
Star Boxing Inc. celebrated its 20th Anniversary in 2012. The company has produced some of the most exciting and memorable boxing events in recent history. Star Boxing continues to work with and develop a number of very exciting world champions, world rated contenders and young prospects. Star Boxing is proud that is has consistently brought credibility, integrity, and exciting fights to the boxing industry. For more information on Star Boxing, visit their official website at www.StarBoxing.com and follow them on Twitter @ Star Boxing and Facebook at Star Boxing.

ABOUT THE PARAMOUNT:
Opened September 30, 2011 this 1,555-capacity live entertainment venue, located in downtown Huntington, Long Island, New York, features; concerts, comedy, boxing, community and other special events in a club/theater setting. With over 30,000 Facebook fans, The Paramount was recently ranked by Pollstar Magazine as the #24 highest attended club-venue worldwide (January-June 2013). A Ticketmaster venue, booked by Live Nation, TheParamount hosts nearly 200 events per year and in less than two years since its inception, has quickly established itself as the premier music venue onLong Island, NY. Some artists who have recently taken the Paramount stage include; Billy Joel, Pitbull, Don Henley, Willie Nelson, B.B. King, ZZ Top, Counting Crows, Primus, Matchbox 20, The Blues Brothers, Limp Bizkit, & many, many, more.

ABOUT THE FOX HOLLOW:
Nestled upon 8 private acres of Long Island’s north shore is the Fox Hollow, which features a state of the art event venue, fine dining restaurant and an all-suite luxury boutique hotel. Owned & operated by the Scotto Brothers, their Above & Beyond philosophy in providing each & every guest with superior services and amenities is paramount. Visit the Fox Hollow online atwww.TheFoxHollow.com & www.TheInnAtFoxHollow.com

ABOUT CAMELOT LIMOUSINE:
Official Sponsor of the Paramount Boxing Series, Camelot Limos is a family owned and operated business located in Nassau County, with over 25 years of professional experience; serving satisfied clientele since 1984. The owners of Camelot Specialty Limos are very active in the business and play a major role in the company’s day-to-day operations. Camelot Specialty Limos, Inc. is an Accredited Member of the Better Business Bureau. www.camelotlimo.com

ABOUT WBAB 102.3:
WBAB 102.3 is the home of Long Island’s Classic Rock anchored by their Long Island Rock ‘N’ Roll Morning Show with Roger and JP. For more information or to listen online, visit their website at
www.wbab.com and follow them on Facebook.com/1023wbab and on Twitter @1023wbab.

Three was the lucky number for Frankie Edgar as he stopped BJ Penn in the 3rd round of their scheduled five round Featherweight bout at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

It was Edgar’s third victory over Penn in the battle of world champions.

Edgar dominated the bout from the beginning as he controlled the action from the stand up and ground position until he started busting up Penn in the 3rd frame. Edgar’s punching and elbows opened up a gash over the left eye of Penn and Edgar was relentless in his assault of Penn until referee Herb Dean mercifully stopped the bout at 4:16 of round three.

Edgar, 145.5 lbs of Toms River, NJ is now 16-4-1. Penn, 145 lbs may have fought his last fight and the native of Hilo, HI is now 16-10-2.

Corey Anderson won the Ultimate Fighter Light Heavyweight championship with a 1st round beat down over Matt Van Buren.

Anderson hit Van Buren with a right hand that sent him reeling into the cage. Anderson continued to pound away and got Van Buren on the ground and continued rocking Van Buren until the fight was stopped at 1:01.

Anderson, 204 lbs of Rockford, IL is now 5-0. Van Buren, 206 lbs of San Diego, CA is 7-3.

Eddie Gordon won the Ultimate Fighter Middleweight title by pounding out Dhiego Lima in the 1st round of their 3-round fight.

Gordon got Lima down and started drilling Lima with hard shots while Lima was prone and the fight was stopped just 71 seconds into the contest.

Gordon, 186 lbs of Uniondale, NY is now 8-1. Lima, 185 lbs of Atlanta, GA is now 10-2.

Derrick Lewis scored a 1st round stoppage over Guto Inocente in a Heavyweight bout.

Lewis had Inocente on the ground and landed 4 crushing blows to the face that bloodied the right eye of Inocente and the fight was stopped at 3:30.

Lewis, 264 lbs of Houston, TX is now 11-2-1. Inocente, 232 lbs of Boca Raton, FL is 6-1.

Dustin Ortiz scored a 3-round split decision over previously undefeated Justin Scroggins in a Flyweight bout.

Ortiz, 125 lbs of Franklin, TN is ranked number 13 and is now 14-3. Scroggins, 124 lbs of Coconut Creek, FL is now 9-1.

Kevin Lee scored a 3-round split decision over Jesse Ronson in a Lightweight bout.

Scores were 30-27 and 29-28 for Lee , 156 lbs and is now 8-1. Ronson, 155 lbs is 13-5.

Leandro Issa acored a 3rd round tap out via arm bar over Jumabieke Tuerxun in the final round of their Bantamweight bout.

The two landed some good shots. Issa was docked a point in round two for grabbing the cage. Issa was dominant in the 3rd round as he almost choked out Tuerxun, landed some hard punches and finally made him submit with the armbar at 3:49 of round three.

Issa, 135.5 lbs of Singapore is now 12-4. Tuerxun, 136 lbs of Xián, China is now 17-2.

Adriano Martins scored an explosive 1-punch knockout over Juan Manuel Puig in the 1st round of their Lightweight bout.

Martins landed a perfect left hand but seconds later he was hit low with a kick. That must have infuriated Martins as he landed a perfect inside right hook that knocked Puig out and the fight was immediately stopped at 2:21.

Martins, 155.5 lbs of Brazil is now 26-7. Puig, 155 lbs of Mexico City is now 11-3.

Patrick Walsh scored a 3-round unanimous decision over Daniel Spohn in a Light Heavyweight bout.

Walsh, 206 lbs of Stoughton, MA won by scores of 29-28 on all cards and is now 5-2. Spohn, 205 lbs of Columbus, OH is now 8-5.

Fres Oquendo finally made his eagerly anticipated arrival to Grozny, Chechnya (Russia) today just in time for the official weigh-in. Due to health issues of his family back at home in Chicago, the Puerto Rican veteran had missed two flights to Russia over the last week causing countless rumors of possible replacements for his WBA world heavyweight championship against local fan favorite Ruslan Chagaev scheduled for tomorrow (Sunday, July 6th).

In the end Oquendo decided not to let down promoter Timur Dugazaev and Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov who put a lot of personal effort in bringing this big fight to Grozny and take the last possible flight from Chicago via Warsaw to the capital of Chechnya in order to save the fight. Oquendo and his team were welcomed very warmly by many fans, journalists and political leaders who followed them to the official weigh-in ceremony shortly after their arrival.

“The Big O” brought 101.9 kg (224.5 lbs) to the scale while Chagaev weighed in a lot heavier at 111.7 kg (246 lbs). Both men were in the range of their average weight for the last couple of fights. In the co-feature Juan Carlos Gomez (89.3 kg / 197 lbs) will take on unbeaten Goran Delic (89.1 kg / 196.5 lbs) for the vacant WBA international cruiserweight championship.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., (July 5, 2014) — World Series of Fighting 155-pound champion Justin Gaethje (12-0) kept his perfect career record intact by stopping previously undefeated and inspirational lightweight Nick Newell (11-1).

That bout served as the headlining bout of Saturday’s “World Series of Fighting 11: Gaethje vs. Newell” event, which took place at Ocean Center. The four-fight main card aired on NBC, a first for the Las Vegas-based promotion.

“All I’ve been asking for is a war, and that’s exactly what Nick gave me today,” Gaethje told WSOF announcer Joey Varner in front of the nationally televised audience. “So I appreciate him, and I thank him.”

Gaethje defended his WSOF Lightweight title and kept his belt by earning the TKO stoppage at 3:09 of the second round of a scheduled five-round fight.

Gaethje and Newell attacked from the opening bell, engaging in a ferocious firefight that entertained the enthusiastic Florida fight fans from the start. Both had moments of success on the feet, but it was Gaethje who began to gain steam as the frame wore on.

As the second round started, it was obvious the pace of the opening round had taken its toll on Newell. Meanwhile, Gaethje seemed to be getting stronger, and his pinpoint striking opened up a cut over his opponent’s left eye. The attending physician came in to view the wound, but a gutsy Newell insisted he was capable of continuing.

“There was a lot of blood,” Gaethje said. “I think it was satisfying to hear him say he was going to take me down, and he wasn’t able to. Because I knew that where he needed to get it and he knew that.”

Unfortunately for him, the courage was only rewarded with more strikes from Gaethje, who used a flashy high kick and a series of straight punches to send Newell to the canvas and seal his own successful title defense.

In the night’s co-main event, veteran fighters Jon Fitch (26-6-1) and Dennis Hallman (53-14-2) battled in a middleweight attraction with Fitch dominating throughout and earning the unanimous decision win, 30-27 on all three cards.

A powerful Fitch low kick swept Hallman to the floor in the early going, and he avoided a few submission attempts from the bottom as he rained down ground-and-pound blows from the top. In the second round, Fitch didn’t bother with the standup game, quickly slamming Hallman to the floor and pounding away with more punches from a dominant position. Hallman briefly threatened with a heel hook, but Fitch rolled through it and continued his assault from the top.

“During the first exchange I got a deep thumb in the eye so I was a little unsteady and didn’t know which way it was going to go,” Fitch said. “That changed the face of the fight because I could only see half of him.”

Bantamweight Cody Bollinger (16-2) picked up his second World Series of Fighting victory with an impressive first-round stoppage of Pablo Alfonso (9-6).

Bollinger was relentless from the start, and when the fight hit the floor, he shifted tirelessly from submission attempt to submission attempt. The non-stop attacks paid off in the form of a rear-naked choke, and Bollinger earned the tap from Alfonso at the 2:37 mark of the first round.

“”My strategy was to stay on my feet and hit him as hard as I could,” Bollinger said after the win. “I think I respected his jiu-jitsu too much, but I should because he’s great at that. I came in here with a lot of hype, and tonight I knew I had to put on a show.”

In the card’s first main-card matchup, lightweights Melvin Guillard (32-13-2) and Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante (18-8-1) engaged in an absolute shootout, just as both promised, but it was “The Young Assassin” who proved victorious in the battle of former training partners.

With punches, kicks and knees flying from the opening bell, the fighters marked an impressive launch of World Series of Fighting’s first live broadcast on NBC. Cavalcante tried to take the fight to the floor in the second frame, but Guillard climbed immediately back to his feet and began to unleash fury on the feet. Two straight punches wobbled Cavalcante, and Guillard pounced on his wounded foe with a barrage of punches and elbows that forced referee Telis Assimenios to stop the fight at the 2:36 mark of the second round.

“I went out there and had a hell of a debut,” Guillard said after the win. “He even got me on the ground, and I got back up and handled business.

“I’m going to take that strap and become the face of this organization. I’m here to make noise.”

In the night’s final preliminary bout, Jake Heun (6-3) returned from a year-long layoff to earn a hard-fought decision win over Kendrick Miree (5-2).

While Miree was successful with a few takedown attempts, he wasn’t able to ever truly capitalize on the position. Meanwhile, Heun peppered his opponent with powerful punches on the feet and racked up enough points to take home a decision win, 29-28 on all three judges’ cards.

Submission specialist Neiman Gracie (2-0) kept his professional record unblemished, but it certainly didn’t come easy. Dustin Holyko (2-1) floored Gracie with a big left hand in the opening round, but he wasn’t able to finish his opponent, and it would come back to cost him in the second frame.

Gracie recovered from the onslaught and brought the fight to the floor in the second round, where he was able to work to the back and scores a tapout by rear-naked choke at 2:21 mark of the frame.

In a 175-pound catchweight contest, Jose Caceres (8-5) outpointed Walber Brito de Barros (6-6) over the course of 15 minutes. While de Barros was a game competitor, Caceres was simply the busier fighters in all aspects of the contest and was justly awarded the win with scores of 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28.

In the night’s first fight, light heavyweight Muhammed DeReese (2-0) outgrappled Rashaun Spencer (4-7) en route to picking a unanimous decision win with scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28.

JON FITCH (RIGHT) DEF. DENNIS HALLMAN MELVIN GUILLARD (WHITE SHORTS) DEF. JZ CAVALCANTE

CODY BOLLINGER DEF. PABLO ALFONSO

MICHELLE ULIBARRI, RAY SEFO, JUSTIN GAETHJE, ALI ABDELAZIZ AND KAT KELLEY

About “WorldSeries of Fighting” (WSOF)
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a world wide premier profesional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters from around the world. For more information please visit WSOF.com. Follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and “World Series of Fighting” President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.

About NBC SPORTS GROUP
When the Comcast-NBCUniversal transaction was completed in January 2011, the sports assets of the two companies combined to form NBC Sports Group, which serves sports fans 24/7 with premier live events, insightful studio shows, and compelling original programming. The sports media company consists of a unique array of broadcast television, cable television, radio and digital sports assets, including NBC Sports, NBC Olympics, NBCSN (NBC Sports Network), Golf Channel, 12 NBC Sports Regional Networks, NBC Sports Radio and all of their respective digital properties. NBC Sports Group possesses an unparalleled collection of television rights agreements, partnering with some of the most prestigious sports properties in the world: the International Olympic Committee and United States Olympic Committee, the NFL, NHL, NASCAR, PGA TOUR, PGA of America, USGA, Churchill Downs, Premier League, MLS, World Series of Fighting, Tour de France, French Open, Formula One, IndyCar and many more.

About Ocean Center
The Ocean Center aims to be recognized as the premier convention facility in the Southeast. The Ocean Center offers competitive rates and excellent customer service and is conveniently located in east Central Florida. A service of Volusia County Government, the Ocean Center can accommodate meetings of 10 to 10,000 and offers more than 205,000 square feet of interior exhibit, meeting and convention space. Learn more at www.oceancenter.com.

There has been lots of confusion over the last couple of days regarding this Sunday’s (July 6th) WBA world heavyweight championship bout between Ruslan Chagaev and Fres Oquendo in Grozny. Rumors said that the fight was off after Oquendo failing to board his plane to Russia twice due to family issues. Possible replacements such as former world champion Shannon Briggs, WBA #9 rated contender Alexander Ustinov and former WBA international champion Alexander Petkovic were waiting in line to jump in as last-minute replacements to get a title shot.

But now they all know that they will have to wait for their opportunity. Because Oquendo and his team finally boarded the plane to leave Chicago today to make it to Grozny in time for the weigh-in. “The fight has never been officially off”, says promoter Timur Dugazaev. “We were always hoping that Fres Oquendo would be able to make it. We understand that he was facing some serious problems over the last week with close family members getting sick and having to go to hospital. But still he will keep his word, fulfill his contract and take his chance to become heavyweight champion of the world.”

Oquendo repeatedly asked for another postponement of the fight which war originally scheduled for June 7th and had already been pushed back for four weeks because of contractual issues between Oquendo and his former promoters. “All those problems haven been solved”, adds Dugazaev. “The last days have been a true war of nerves. We had to cancel TV and photo shootings, the press conference and a public workout. But the most important thing is that the big show can still go on. We could not postpone the event because we have prepared everything in 30,000 seat Ahmat Arena. And we have all the celebrities here who actually arrived before our main event fighter. Now I am just happy that we’re good to go.”

Dugazaev also emphasized that he was never to keen to replace Oquendo with another co-challenger. “You have to understand that the whole city of Grozny is full of 50 feet high posters and banners with Oquendo’s face and name on it”, states Dugazaev. “How should I have explained to people that the guy in the ring is not the guy on all the advertisement? I’m glad that I don’t have to worry about that anymore. Although it also made us proud that so many good fighters would have accepted the bout on short notice. That shows that we cannot have done everything wrong.”

Chagaev vs. Oquendo is the main event of a show that also features German heavyweight contender Edmund Gerber taking on Vicente Sandez from Mexico for the WBC Silver international heavyweight championship and former world champion Juan Carlos Gomez facing unbeaten Goran Delic for the WBA international cruiserweight title. The show will be broadcasted live in over 100 countries worldwide with Michael Buffer being the ring announcer for the main event.

Chris Weidman 185 – Lyoto Machida 184.5
(UFC Middleweight Title)
Ronda Rousey 135 – Alexis Davis 135
(UFC Women’s Bantamweight Title)
Matt Mitrione 254 – Stefan Struve 251.5
Uriah Hall 185 – Thiago Santos 185
Marcus Brimage 135.5 – Russell Doane 136
Urijah Faber 136 – Alex Caceres 135
Ildemar Alcantara 170 – Kenny Robertson 171
Chris Camozzi 185 – Bruno Santos 185
Rob Font 135 – George Roop 135
Guilherme Vasconcelos 185 – Luke Zachrich 185
Kevin Casey 185 – Bubba Bush 185

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., (July 4, 2014) – World Series of Fighting Lightweight champion Justin Gaethje stepped off the scales weighing in at 154.8 pounds, looking rested and relaxed a day before he’s set to face fellow undefeated fighter Nick Newell in the main event of World Series of Fighting 11: “Gaethje vs. Newell” Saturday at Ocean Center.

“I’m feeling great,” Gaethje said. “I got in on Wednesday and I’ve had crab legs, steak, pasta. I played golf yesterday. All the hard work has been done in the gym. I didn’t want to get here and have to stress about making weight.”

Newell said he is friendly with Gaethje and hasn’t been bothered by all his pre-fight knockout talk. “Of course he’s going to say he’s going to knock me out,” Newell said. “He’d be a weirdo to say, ‘I think I’m going to get the decision.’ The fight is going to end before a decision, it’s just going to end with me as the winner.”

The fight is headlined by the lightweight championship bout with the exciting Gaethje (11-0) putting his belt on the line against the extremely tough and talented Newell (11-0). Also on the card, a highly anticipated welterweight matchup pitting Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Jon Fitch (25-6-1, 1 NC) against MMA veteran Dennis Hallman (53-14-2. Additionally, newly signed lightweight Melvin “The Young Assassin” Guillard (31-13-2) debuts against Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante (18-7-1) and Cody “Bam Bam” Bollinger (15-2, 1 NC) faces a dangerous 14-year veteran in Pablo Alfonso (9-5) in an intriguing bantamweight contest.

Tickets for the event start at just $29 and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or WSOF.com. Doors at the Ocean Center will open to fans at 1 p.m. ET local time, with an WSOF.com-streamed undercard beginning at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT. The live, NBC-broadcast four-fight main card begins at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.

The following are the weights from Friday’s weigh-in.

JUSTIN GAETHJE 154.8 lbs. VS. NICK NEWELL 155 lbs.

JON FITCH 183 lbs . VS. DENNIS HALLMAN 181.2 lbs.

JZ CAVALCANTE 155.6 lbs. VS. MELVIN GUILLARD 157.2 lbs.

CODY BOLLINGER 138.4 lbs. VS. PABLO ALFONSO 136 lbs.

KENDRICK MIREE 204.8 lbs. VS. JAKE HEUN 205 lbs.

NEIMAN GRACIE 176 lbs. VS. DUSTIN HOLYKO 175.8 lbs.

JOSE CACERES 173.6 lbs. VS. WALBER BRITO DE BARROS 174.8 lbs.

MUHAMMED DEREESE 206.2 lbs. VS. RASHAUN SPENCER 200.8 lbs.

WSOF ring girls Kat Kelley and Michelle Ulibarri

About “WorldSeries of Fighting” (WSOF)
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a world wide premier profesional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters from around the world. For more i nformation please visit WSOF.com. Follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and “World Series of Fighting” President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.

About NBC SPORTS GROUP
When the Comcast-NBCUniversal transaction was completed in January 2011, the sports assets of the two companies combined to form NBC Sports Group, which serves sports fans 24/7 with premier live events, insightful studio shows, and compelling original programming. The sports media company consists of a unique array of broadcast television, cable television, radio and digital sports assets, including NBC Sports, NBC Olympics, NBCSN (NBC Sports Network), Golf Channel, 12 NBC Sports Regional Networks, NBC Sports Radio and all of their respective digital properties. NBC Sports Group possesses an unparalleled collection of television rights agreements, partnering with some of the most prestigious sports properties in the world: the International Olympic Committee and United States Olympic Committee, the NFL, NHL, NASCAR, PGA TOUR, PGA of America, USGA, Churchill Downs, Premier League, MLS, World Series of Fighting, Tour de France, French Open, Formula One, IndyCar and many more.

About Ocean Center

The Ocean Center aims to be recognized as the premier convention facility in the Southeast. The Ocean Center offers competitive rates and excellent customer service and is conveniently located in east Central Florida. A service of Volusia County Government, the Ocean Center can accommodate meetings of 10 to 10,000 and offers more than 205,000 square feet of interior exhibit, meeting and convention space. Learn more at www.oceancenter.com.

LAS VEGAS (July 4, 2014) – On independence day in the USA, Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara, is grateful to be an American as he celebrates “Fourth of July” in Las Vegas in anticipation of his showdown with Canelo Alvarez. The opportunities that Lara has experienced since arriving in the United States of America have been unbelievable. Having come from a communist country, Erislandy knows firsthand how important freedom is.

“When you’ve lived in a communist country, you really don’t understand how important your freedom is until you lived it,” said Erislandy Lara. “In America if you work hard the opportunities to prosper are endless, that’s why I’m so grateful to be living in the States. To the people who have sacrificed to make this country great, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. America is the best country on earth and I’m proud being an American…I’m living the American Dream!”

Unbeaten in 21 fights with thirteen knockout victories to his credit – Mirko Larghetti will be facing Marco Huck (37-2-1, 26 KOs) for “The Captain’s” WBO Cruiserweight World Championship on August 30. The Gerry Weber Stadium in Halle/Westphalia, Germany will play host to Huck’s 13th defense of the title he acquired back in August of 2009. If successful, the protégé of coach Ulli Wegner will equal Johnny Nelson’s record for the most title defenses in the cruiserweight division.

However, Larghetti has other plans. The Italian is still fuming over the cancellation of his title bid on March 29, which saw Huck injuring the thumb of his right hand in preparation of their fight. “I was ready back then and I am even more ready now,” said the 31-year-old, adding: “Hopefully, Huck is more careful with his hands this time. I want to show him and the boxing fans that I am a better fighter and the man to put an end to his title reign.”

Nevertheless, Huck is not intimidated by the challenger’s taunts, countering: “This will be Larghetti’s first and last world title fight. When I am done with him he will wish not ever having shared the ring with me.” “The Captain” has a motto for this fight: “I will make Spaghetti out of Larghetti!”

Huck was last seen defending his WBO Belt against compatriot Firat Arslan via TKO6 on January 25.

Tickets for the WBO Cruiserweight World Championship on August 30 will go on sale by Monday, July 7, via www.gerryweber-world.de and www.eventim.de.

By Norm Frauenheim-

Erislandy Lara, a Cuban defector, calls himself The American Dream. Nothing new about the nickname.

David Reid, a junior-middleweight from Philadelphia, got the same name after winning an improbable gold with a 1996 Olympic knockout of a heavily-favored Cuban at the Atlanta Games. His dream ended quickly and sadly. Reid, who won a WBA title in only his tenth fight, was finished as a pro after 19 bouts (17-2, 7 KOs) in 2001, because of a detached retina and drooping eyelid that led to fears his vision was in jeopardy.

Henry Cejudo, a wrestler from Phoenix and a U.S.-born son of illegal immigrants, was The American Dream in 2008 when he won gold on Beijing’s Olympic mats in a moment as compelling as Michael Phelps’ record-setting eighth gold in the pool.

Different dreams.

Different stories.

It’s hard to know where the Lara edition of The Dream is headed, mostly because his July 12 showdown against Canelo Alvarez at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand in a Showtime pay-per-view bout is tough to pick. Styles make fights and Lara appears to have an edge in that proven category. He possesses the quick footwork and counter-punching precision that Floyd Mayweather Jr. employed in a dominant decision that left Canelo looking bewildered and overmatched last September. However, bouts of inconsistency on Lara’s resume are impossible to ignore. He drew with Carlos Molina in a bout many thought he lost during a 2011 that included a controversial loss by majority decision to Paul Williams. Yet, Lara was more impressive in beating Austin Trout than was Canelo, who escaped from that one with a decision in April, 2013.

More recent and perhaps more problematic was Lara’s 10th-round TKO over Alfredo Angulo in June, 2013. Angulo knocked down Lara twice, first in the fourth round and again in the ninth. In March, Canelo was never in any serious trouble in stopping Angulo, also in the 10th.

Lara survived Angulo’s one-dimensional power. But Canelo is at his best with combinations, which means a follow-up that Angulo couldn’t really deliver. Lara got up twice from one-punch power. But two-fisted power? It’s one question among many in an intriguing match between fighters closer to the prime than the twilight. Golden Boy Promotions is calling it Honor & Glory. Don’t be surprise if there’s Controversy, too. There’s a 155-pound catch-weight, which means Lara’s 154-pound title, the WBA’s interim version, won’t be at stake. The catch-weight clause appears to be an invitation to miss weight altogether. Canelo has played the scale game before. In 2011, he failed to make a 150-pound catch weight for Matthew Hatton, weighing in at 151.8. Against Angulo, the weight was re-negotiated when Canelo realized he couldn’t make the junior-middle limit. It was re-set at 155.

“Canelo can’t make the weight, so he refused to fight for the title,” Lara said through manager and translator Luis DeCubas, Jr., Wednesday during a conference call. “It’s very disrespectful and my motivation to beat him has increased because of it.”

It appears Lara has managed to annoy Canelo at news conferences and through social media. He interrupted Canelo’s post-fight celebration of his victory over Angulo. At the news conference, he taunted Canelo, demanding that fight him. He has called Canelo “a baby.” Much of it sounds orchestrated. Lara is not the free-wheeling trash-talker that fellow Guantanamo native and Cuban defector Joel Casamayor was. Casamayor used every obscenity and probably introduced a few new ones to the book of expletives. Lara appears to be more distant and calculating. Nonetheless, he’s not afraid of controversy. He kept the pot stirring Wednesday with the conference call’s best comeback. He was asked if he owes Canelo a thank-you for the opportunity in a bout that could be career-maker.

“I don’t owe him nothing other than left hands,” he said through DeCubas. “I forced this fight. It wasn’t because Canelo wanted to take this fight. I’ve been after this fight for two years.”

There’s arrogance in that comment.

Fearlessness, too.

Lara already has encountered plenty to fear. His journey from Cuba isn’t unique. Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig traveled it in his own way. Lara in another. No matter what the path, peril is there. For Lara, it started in Brazil. He and Cuban teammate Guillermo Rigondeaux tried to defect before the 2007 Pan-American Games. They were caught by Brazilian authorities, who sent them back to Cuba. An angry Fidel Castro banned both from boxing. In 2008, Lara escaped Cuba and fled to Mexico on a boat. Then, he headed to Germany. He made his pro debut in Ankara, Turkey, fought once in Germany and then headed for America. But his Dream sometimes looked unattainable. In 2009, he was not granted a license to fight in Tucson. The Arizona State Boxing Commission said he was not able to get a work visa, then mandated in a state which was about to be embroiled in the 2010 immigration controversy over the SB 1070 legislation.

But he endured. Lara fought through the setbacks, came back from each in a way that could have prepared him for
Canelo. There’s no Dream without comebacks. Against Canelo, Lara might have to pull off another one.

DAYTONA BEACH, FLA., (July 3, 2014) – World Series of Fighting’s President Ray Sefo (above, at right) and WSOF welterweight star Jon Fitch (at left) brightened the day of children, patients and staff members during a visit to the Halifax Health Medical Center Pediatrics and Orthopedic wards on Thursday.

“It’s the least we could do to take a few minutes out of our schedule and spend some time with others who are going through a rough time,” Sefo said. “We met some amazing kids today and wish them the best in their recovery.”

The World Series of Fighting promotion’s inaugural NBC-broadcast event, “World Series of Fighting 11: Gaethje vs. Newell,” will take place on Saturday at Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Fla., The undercard will start at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT. The live, NBC-broadcast four-fight main card begins at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.

On Friday at 11 a.m. the public is invited to attend the official weigh-in at the Daytona Beach Hilton.

One-year-old Eli Velazquez (above) took a liking to Sefo, who held the baby while his parents Ty and Lacey looked on. Ty is part of the Armed Forces and recently served a six-month tour of duty in Afghanistan. Fitch thanked him for his service and handed the family tickets to Saturday’s fights.

Eight-year-old Daytona Beach resident Kamar Vernon (above) said he was a huge Washington Redskins fan, but also enjoys watching MMA. Vernon is in the hospital because he suffers from sickle cell anemia.

“You guys made this the best hospital visit a guy could possibly have,” said Jesse Manis, 24 (above), who suffered an injury after falling off a ladder. Manis said he’s hoping to get out of the hospital Friday and planned to make it to the fights.

World Series of Fighting 11 is headlined by a lightweight championship bout with the exciting Justin Gaethje (11-0) putting his belt on the line against the extremely tough and talented “Notorious” Nick Newell (11-0). Also on the card, a highly anticipated welterweight matchup pitting Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Jon Fitch (25-6-1, 1 NC) against MMA veteran Dennis Hallman (53-14-2. Additionally, newly signed lightweight Melvin “The Young Assassin” Guillard (31-13-2) debuts against Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante (18-7-1) and Cody “Bam Bam” Bollinger (15-2, 1 NC) faces a dangerous 14-year veteran in Pablo Alfonso (9-5) in an intriguing bantamweight contest.

Tickets for the event start at just $29 and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or WSOF.com. Doors at the Ocean Center will open to fans at 1 p.m. ET local time, with an NBCSports.com-streamed undercard beginning at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT. The live, NBC-broadcast four-fight main card begins at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.

About WSOF
World Series of Fighting is a professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering an incredible, action-packed entertainment experience for fight fans by producing the best possible matchups between elite fighters from around the globe. For more information please visit WSOF.com. Follow World Series of Fighting on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.

About NBC SPORTS GROUP
When the Comcast-NBCUniversal transaction was completed in January 2011, the sports assets of the two companies combined to form NBC Sports Group, which serves sports fans 24/7 with premier live events, insightful studio shows, and compelling original programming. The sports media company consists of a unique array of broadcast television, cable television, radio and digital sports assets, including NBC Sports, NBC Olympics, NBCSN (NBC Sports Network), Golf Channel, 12 NBC Sports Regional Networks, NBC Sports Radio and all of their respective digital properties. NBC Sports Group possesses an unparalleled collection of television rights agreements, partnering with some of the most prestigious sports properties in the world: the International Olympic Committee and United States Olympic Committee, the NFL, NHL, NASCAR, PGA TOUR, PGA of America, USGA, Churchill Downs, Premier League, MLS, World Series of Fighting, Tour de France, French Open, Formula One, IndyCar and many more.

About Ocean Center
The Ocean Center aims to be recognized as the premier convention
facility in the Southeast. The Ocean Center offers competitive rates and
excellent customer service and is conveniently located in east Central
Florida. A service of Volusia County Government, the Ocean Center can
accommodate meetings of 10 to 10,000 and offers more than 205,000 square
feet of interior exhibit, meeting and convention space. Learn more at
www.oceancenter.com.

NEW YORK (July 3, 2014) – As part of a robust block of programming in advance of the SHOWTIME PPV presentation of “Honor & Glory: Canelo vs. Lara,” on Saturday, July 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, SHOWTIME will televise undefeated WBO Bantamweight World Champion Tomoki “El Mexicanito” Kameda defending his title against No. 1-ranked contender Pungluang Sor Singyu during “Canelo vs. Lara: COUNTDOWN LIVE” (7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT, immediately preceding the live PPV event).

Nearly a week’s worth of live and taped programming will be available on SHOWTIME, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, on mobile devices via SHOWTIME ANYTIME®, and on the premium network’s website at SHO.com/Sports.

The blitz of programming will feature classic fights, the premiere of ALL ACCESS: Canelo vs. Lara Episode 2 on Wednesday, July 9 on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT), the event’s final press conference on Thursday, July 10 (live at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT) and the Official Weigh-In on Friday, July 11 (live at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT). Both the press conference and weigh-in will be streamed live via SHO.com/Sports with the weigh-in also being televised live on CBS Sports Network.

Fight Day coverage begins with a SHOWTIME EXTREME roadblock–five continuous hours of programming beginning at 10 a.m. ET/PT.

Kameda (29-0, 18 KOs), of Tokyo, Japan, will make his second title defense against Sor Singyu (46-2, 31 KOs), of Bangkok, Thailand. Sor Singyu formerly held the same championship belt until losing it to Paulus Ambunda in March 2013. Ambunda lost his belt to Kameda last August in a unanimous decision in the Philippines.

Kameda, who turns 23 on the night of the fight, will face his most experienced opposition yet in Sor Singyu, 26, who has produced three wins in a row since losing the WBO title. Both fighters will be making their U.S. debuts.

Kameda and his two brothers, Koki, 27, and Daiki, 25, are among the most famous boxers in the history of Japanese boxing as all three recently held world titles at the same time. While Tomoki held the WBO Bantamweight Championship, Koki was the WBA Bantamweight Champion until he voluntarily relinquished the title in December in order to move down to flyweight, and Daiki was the IBF Junior Bantamweight Champion until he lost by decision last December.

Below is the list of encore presentations of Classic Fights that will air on SHOWTIME EXTREME beginning Monday, July 7. Note: these programs are currently available on SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and on mobile devices via SHOWTIME ANYTIME® Monday, July 7
Ø Canelo’s action-packed and controversial showdown with Alfredo Angulo (10 p.m. ET/PT)
Ø Lara’s brutal slugfest with Mexican brawler Alfredo Angulo (11:15 p.m. ET/PT)
Tuesday, July 8
Ø Canelo’s memorable win over Austin Trout in front of nearly 40,000 fans at San Antonio’s Alamodome (10:30 p.m. ET/PT)
Ø Lara’s impressive performance against former world champion Austin Trout (11:30 p.m. ET/PT)
Wednesday, July 9
Ø Canelo’s SHOWTIME debut against upset-minded Josesito Lopez (10 p.m. ET/PT)
Ø Lara’s SHOWTIME debut against Ronald Hearns, where he showed why he is one of the most talented and dangerous fighters in the world (11:00 p.m. ET/PT on ShoBox
Ø Abner Mares’ controversial showdown versus Daniel Ponce de Leon (11:10 p.m. ET/PT)
Thursday, July 10
Ø Action-packed showdown between Juan Manuel Lopez and Daniel Ponce de Leon (10:30 p.m. ET/PT)
Ø Showdown of undefeated contenders Francisco Vargas and Brandon Bennett (10:45 p.m. ET/PT)
Ø Mauricio Herrera’s thrilling slugfest with unified super lightweight champion Danny Garcia (11:30 p.m. ET/PT)

# # #

“Honor & Glory: Canelo vs. Lara,” a 12-round junior middleweight fight taking place Saturday, July
12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Canelo
Promotions and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. In the co-main event, Abner Mares returns to the ring
to face Puerto Rico’s Jonathan Oquendo in a 10-round featherweight bout. In the SHOWTIME PPV
opening bout, Johan Perez defends his interim WBA Junior Welterweight World Title against Mauricio
Herrera in a 12-round matchup. Also, Juan Manuel Lopez meets Francisco Vargas in a 10-round bout for
the WBO International Super Featherweight Title. The event will be produced and distributed live by
SHOWTIME PPV beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. The event can be heard in Spanish using secondary
audio programming (SAP). For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports. Canelo vs. Lara will be shown onthe big screen in movie theaters across the country via Fathom Events. Information will be available at www.fathomevents.com

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (July 3rd, 2014) – When Rob Font received a phone call one morning from his head trainer, Mark DellaGrotte, asking if he happened to be sitting down at the moment, Font wasn’t sure what to expect.

“I figured it was either going to be really good or really bad,” Font recalled.

It was the best news of the his life, the call all aspiring mixed martial arts fighters wait for, an invitation to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC).

“Why be in this sport if you’re not trying to get to the UFC? It’s not something you play with,” said Font, the Tampa, Fla., native who now lives and trains out of Boston.

Now that Font (10-1, 3 KOs) has had to time to let it all sink in, make his rounds within the local media circuit and shed the extra 15 or so pounds to move from featherweight to bantamweight, the reigning CES MMA champ is finally in Las Vegas decompressing before he makes his UFC debut Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on the undercard of UFC 175 against George Roop (15-10-1, 4 KOs).

Prior to getting the call from the UFC, Font dominated the northeast at 145 pounds, winning nine consecutive fights, six under the promotional guidance of CES MMA. Now he’ll fight at 130 against the 32-year-old Roop, an eight-time UFC vet with a 4-4 record on the big stage and victories in three of his last four fights.

Roop earned his stripes on the eighth season of the popular reality television series, The Ultimate Fighter, and parlayed his success into undercard bouts at UFC 137, UFC 158 and UFC 160. He also competed for the now-defunct World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), where he beat future UFC title contender Chan Sung Jung, and also defeated former WEC bantamweight champion Brian Bowles at UFC 160.

At this stage, every fight is difficult, so Font is making sure he’s equally prepared mentally, specifically trying to avoid the pre-fight jitters that tend to plague UFC rookies the first time they step inside the octagon. Regional standout Tom Egan, a native of Ireland, admitted the butterflies affected him when he made his UFC debut at UFC 93 in Ireland as the only Irish fighter on the card.

“Honestly, I’m trying not to expect anything,” Font said. “People always talk about the UFC jitters, but I hope it’s not true. I’m expecting it to be another day in the gym, but you never know. The lights are brighter, there are tons of cameras, you see [UFC color commentator] Joe Rogan. It can be overwhelming, but it’s just another fight.”

Having DellaGrotte in his corner is a huge advantage. A former professional Muay Thai kickboxer, DellaGrotte owns the Boston branch of Sityodtong, where Font honed his skills, and has trained several UFC standouts, including Frank Mir, Jorge Rivera, Kenny Florian, Stephan Bonnar and Marcus Davis.

“This is nothing new to him,” Font said. “He’s always kept me level-headed. He knew I put the work in and that it was just a matter of time. He would always pull me to the side and tell me I have what it takes and that I just had do it, so I’ve always trusted him.

“We did everything we had to do. Hard work pays off, and now we’re here.”

Roop’s experience won’t be the only intangible Font has to be wary of. Speed will be a factor, too. Fighting at a lighter weight than usual, Font fully expects Roop to be faster than some of the opponents he’s faced in recent years. The weight-cut itself was a breeze thanks in large part to DellaGrotte’s guidance.

“Right after my last fight, my managers told me to enjoy it, but not party too hard because you never know when you’ll get that call,” Font said. “We did it right. We got a nutritionist on board. I’m finally eating like an adult. Lots of spinach, kale. I’m as light as I’ve ever been. I can handle everything as far as the wrestling and scrambling is concerned, but the big thing is dealing with the speed.”

There’s also the pressure of making sure he not only wins, but also looks sharp in the process. UFC fighters tend to be expendable. Even those who win might end up one-and-done if they don’t do enough inside the cage to pique the viewers’ interest. Font’s made it clear his goal isn’t just to get to the big stage, but to be a fixture for years to come.

“Your job is pretty much on the line every time you fight,” Font said. “You not only have to win, but you have to perform. You’ve got to be exciting. You have to be someone everyone else is talking about the next day. If you’re not that guy, what do they need you for?

“It definitely plays into your nerves, but I’ve always done well with that. I just need to go in there and do what I need to do. It’s great getting a lot of attention now, but I know I have to stay in there and get the job done. It’s one thing to get there, but it’s a whole different animal to stay there and be a household name. That’s my next goal.”

Font is now the second fighter from the northeast to jump directly from CES MMA to the UFC. Boston’s John “Doomsday” Howard, who spent two years with the UFC before the company released him in 2011, bounced back with five consecutive wins under CES MMA’s guidance to earn a return trip to the octagon. CES MMA will continue to break new ground in August when it’s “CES MMA XXV” event airs live on AXS TV, the home of Inside MMA.

“Going back to 2010, before I was even fighting as an amateur, I went to a CES show with [teammate] Tyson [Chartier] and said to him, ‘Hey, man, I would love to fight for this promotion,’” Font recalled. “It was always in the back of my mind that I wanted to fight for CES, especially with how they helped ‘Doomsday.’

“When they finally got me on a card, I knew I didn’t want to fight for anyone else. They have all the top fighters, and it’s an all-pro card, 10 to 11 solid fights, not two pro fights and then a thousand amateur fights. Now with AXS TV, it’s a huge platform. If you’re an up-and-coming amateur, you should definitely consider fighting for CES.”

UFC 175 features the middleweight main event between reigning champion Chris Weidman and former light heavyweight champ Lyoto Machida. The preliminary card, featuring Font’s bout against Roop, will air live on FOX Sports 1 beginning at 8 p.m. ET. Early prelims are available beginning at 7 through UFC Fight Pass on www.ufc.com while the main card begins live at 10 on Pay Per View.

For more information on Font and all of CES MMA’s upcoming events, visit www.cesmma.com, follow CES MMA on Twitter at @CESMMA and Instagram at CESMMA, or “like” CES MMA on Facebook by clicking the corresponding link.

Baltimore, MD (July 3, 2014) – Welterweight star Tori “Sho Nuff” Nelson retained her WIBA title with a hard fought ten round decision over iron-chinned veteran Nicole Woods last Saturday evening at the Du Burns Arena in Baltimore.

Headlining Ponytail Promotions’ “World Championship Boxing”, Nelson was in a tough fight from the opening bell.

Woods, an Atlanta native who fought virtually every top fighter in or near her weight class, used rough antics with the hope Nelson would become frustrated. Nelson, a two division champion from Virginia, fought aggressively in attempt to keep Woods off and landed the more telling blows en route to a competitive victory.

Scores were 98-92 twice and 99-91.

Nelson, a fixture on the pound for pound list, improves to 10-0-3 with 1 knockout.

“I’m proud of the way Tori fought,” said promoter James Hogan of Ponytail Promotions. “Nicole Woods was a very tough opponent and she definitely showed the kind of experience you’d expect of somebody that fought the caliber of opponents she did. This wasn’t an easy fight at all but Tori showed what champions are made of.”

Delaware light heavyweight Frankie “Freight Train” Filippone lived up to his nickname, steamrolling Baltimorean Willie “For Real” Williams in less than a round. In a rematch of a 2010 bout which he won by a close decision, the southpaw Filippone decked Williams with a perfectly timed straight left. Williams showed tremendous heart in getting back to his feet before Filippone swarmed him, scoring a second knockdown and forcing a stoppage at 2:47.

With the victory Filippone improves to 16-4-1 with 3 knockouts while capturing the USBU crown in the process. Williams slips to 13-8-2 (4 KO’s).

Blue chip prospect Tyriesha “Lady Tyga” Douglas of Baltimore by way of Washington, DC passed her toughest test to date, outpointing ultra-tough Texan Cristina Fuentes over six rounds. Douglas, who came close to making the 2012 Olympic Team, displayed fantastic boxing skills and landed good shots, but Fuentes’ chin proved to be made of granite. Douglas was clearly the better boxer, but had to work from bell to bell as Fuentes didn’t give an inch.

Two of the three judges scored the bout 60-54 while a third tally read 58-56 for Douglas. With the win, Douglas improves to 5-0 with 1 knockout and is expected to fight for a world title in the near future.

Middleweight sensation Demond “Dbestatit” Nicholson showed yet again why he’s one of boxing’s most dynamic young fighters, stopping normally durable Cuban veteran Lester Gonzalez in two minutes and fourteen seconds. The Laurel, MD resident ended Gonzalez’ night with a devastating left hook and scored his sixth first round knockout in seven victories.

In other bouts, junior welterweight up and comer Seth Billups scored a hard fought decision over Benjamin Olinga and Travis Reeves topped Lamont Capers, while Jeremy Trussell battled to a disappointing draw against David Rohn.

“Overall this was an excellent card for the fans,” said Hogan. “I’m happy with the way everything turned out and there were a number of competitive matches. Frankie looked the best I’ve ever seen him, Tyriesha once again showed why she’s on the fast track to a world title, Demond is simply incredible and Seth showed a lot of poise. Saturday was definitely a success and Ponytail Promotions will be back to Baltimore shortly.”

For more information, go to Ponytailpromotions.com

Founded in 2014 by respected Baltimore-based boxing businessman James Hogan, Ponytail Promotions envisions becoming one of the top promotional firms in the United States. With a keen interest in both male and female fighters, Ponytail Promotions will run a total of 10-12 shows per year in Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC and North Carolina.

Miami, FL (July 3, 2014) Next Thursday night, July 10, top rated light heavyweight contender HUMBERTO SAVIGNE will battle former world champion JEFF “Left Hook” LACY from the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida and LIVE on FOX Sports 1.

Presented by Iron Mike Productions, the Savigne/Lacy scheduled ten rounder at “JUDGMENT DAY” for the World Boxing Council (‘WBC’) Latino Light Heavyweight Title is the co-featured attraction to the highly anticipated IBF Super Featherweight Title Rematch between ARGENIS “La Tormenta” MENDEZ and RANCES “Kid Blast” BARTHELEMY.

Savigne is currently ranked # 3 by the WBC.

Boxing legend MIKE TYSON is adamant that Savigne is the future undisputed king of the light heavyweight division.

“Savigne can beat both Sergev Kovalev and Adonis Stevenson, he’s got as much power as they do but he’s also a very skilled and intelligent fighter. Boxing fans deserve the chance to see those two fight against someone who has a chance to beat them.”

Sporting a record of 12-1-0 with 9 knockouts, Savigne is on a ten bout-winning streak, having turned professional in 2009 following an illustrious amateur career for the Cuban National Team. Now based in Miami, Florida, the Tyson led charge is looking to repeat the recent success of fellow amateur standouts.

Continued Tyson, “ In just the last couple of weeks, two brilliant amateur stars have fought for world titles, Vasyl Lomachenko schooled the game but overmatched Gary Russell Jr. while Yuriorkis Gamboa stepped up in weight and was knocked out by the former United States National Amateur Champion, WBO champ Terence Crawford.”

“Savigne’s stellar amateur career was just as dominant as Lomachenko’s and Gamboa’s as well as Erislandy Lara’s and Guillermo Rigondeaux’s. His rise has been slower as he struggled for eight years to come to the United States and start a professional career. But now is clearly his time. The question is when will he get his shot at the current light heavyweight world champions who seem to prefer hand picked matchups based upon the criteria that the opponents don’t have knockout power.”

With 450 amateur fights, and recent wins over former world champion Richard Hall and undefeated contender Jackson Junior, Savigne hopes that a win over former world champion Lacy will seal the deal with the major networks and show them that he is ready to battle either Kovalev or Stevenson.

Lacy, 26-4-0 (18KO’s) has been chomping at the bit to get an opportunity to fight a top light heavyweight and is ready to try to return to the top of the rankings, fighting injury free for the first time since his loss to the long running world champion Joe Calzaghe.

“Savigne vs. Lacy promises action from the opening bell and with the card we’ve put together, boxing fans in Miami will see a card that will be talked about for years”, said Tyson.

Opening the FOX Sports 1 telecast will be the nationally televised debut of heralded and undefeated 18-year-old welterweight prospect ERICKSON “The Hammer” LUBIN clashing with Mexican veteran NOE “Platanito” BOLANOS in a scheduled eight round bout.

A sensational off-TV undercard for “JUDGMENT DAY” will be announced shortly.

For more information on “JUDGMENT DAY” please visit the website, www.IMPMIAMI.com. Advance tickets, starting at $49 may be purchased through www.Ticketmaster.com with V.I.P Ringside Table Packages also available.

The American Airlines Arena is located at 601 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, Florida, 33132. For more information, please visit their website at www.aaarena.com. Doors will open on the evening of the event at 6:30 p.m. with the first bell at 8:00 p.m.

For additional information on Iron Mike Productions visit www.IronMikeProductions, follow on Twitter at @IronMikeProd and on Facebook at IronMikeProductionsOfficial.

Las Vegas, Nev. – For the first time in history, the new season of The Ultimate Fighter® will feature an all-female cast and will have a UFC® championship title on the line. The storied reality series will feature a women’s 115-pound tournament to determine the first ever UFC® women’s strawweight champion. UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis and No. 2-ranked lightweight contender, Gilbert Melendez, will serve as coaches and meet in a championship showdown of their own at the conclusion of the season.

The Ultimate Fighter®: A Champion Will Be Crowned kicks off with a two-hour premiere Wednesday, September 10, at 10 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1.

The top 115-pound females on the planet will compete over the course of the season for the honor of being the UFC’s second female champion, alongside bantamweight (135 pound) champion Ronda Rousey. Amongst the cast are two former Invicta FC champions, a former International Kickboxing Federation women’s bantamweight, a United States kickboxing champion, an astrophysicist and a former professional ice hockey player.

In line with previous seasons, the women will be divided into two teams, coached by Pettis and Melendez. The series will follow the teams as they live and train together in preparation for their fights. The culmination of the season will see the two semifinalists meet at The Ultimate Fighter Finale in late 2014, where the inaugural champion will be crowned.

The list of competitors includes fighters hailing from Australia, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, United States and Tasmania. The competitors are listed in alphabetical order (Name, Professional MMA record, Age, Hometown):

Joanne Calderwood (8-0), 27, Glasgow, Scotland
Alex Chambers (4-1), 35, Sydney, Australia
Heather Jo Clark (6-4), 34, Los Angeles, Calif.
Aisling Daly (14-3), 26, Dublin, Ireland
Lisa Ellis (15-8), 31, Olympia, Wash.
Carla Esparza (9-2), 26, Redondo Beach, Calif.
Felice Herrig (9-5), 29, Crystal Lake, Ill.
Angela Hill (1-0), 29, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Emily Peters Kagan (3-1), 32, Bangor, Maine
Justine Kish (4-0), 26, Cramerton, N.C.
Angela Magana (11-6), 30, Farmington, N.M.
Randa Markos (4-1), 28, Windsor, Canada
Rose Namajunas (2-1), 22, Milwaukee, Wis.
Jessica Penne (11-2), 31, Huntington Beach, Calif.
Bec Rawlings (5-3), 25, Launceston, Tasmania
Tecia Torres (4-0), 24, Fall River, Mass.

UFC Champions Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, Matt Serra and TJ Dillashaw have all emerged from The Ultimate Fighter series, which has also produced many of today’s top athletes including, season winners Michael Bisping, Ryan Bader and John Dodson.

For more show information, bios, videos and photos, visit ultimatefighter.com and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @TUFonFS1 or on Facebook.com/TUF.

###

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®

Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paulo, the UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries to 800+ million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. The UFC has a multi-year broadcast agreement with FOX in the U.S. which includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS™, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. UFC also owns over 100 UFC GYM® locations, UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT™ (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC 360 (the internationally distributed magazine), a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, best-selling DVDs and Blu-rays, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, Octagon™ branded apparel and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit www.UFC.com and follow UFC at www.Facebook.com/UFC and Twitter: @UFC.

About FOX Sports 1
FOX Sports 1 is America’s new national multi-sport channel that launched on August 17 in approximately 90 million homes and boasts nearly 5,000 hours of live event, news and original programming annually. The channel has several pillar sports: UFC, MLB, NASCAR, college basketball and football, NFL (ancillary programs), international soccer and Golden Boy boxing, and adds USGA events, including the U.S. Open, and FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2015. FOX SPORTS LIVE is FOX Sports 1’s flagship 24/7 news, opinion and highlights program, providing around the clock coverage through regularly scheduled programs, hourly updates and an information rich ticker. Original programs include: UFC TONIGHT, AMERICA’S PREGAME; NASCAR RACE HUB; MLB WHIPAROUND and the groundbreaking BEING: documentary franchise. FOX Sports GO, a new authenticated mobile sports experience for iPhone, iPad, Android devices and the web, serves as the channel’s digital extension. The app offers more than 1,100 live games and events from cross FOX Sports, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2 and FOX Sports’ 22 regional sports networks, as well as scores, highlights, news, stats and analysis. For more information visit http://foxsports.com/watch/foxsports1.