News
UNDEFEATED MIKE LEMAIRE CAPTURES
ROAD TO GLORY USA
MIDDLEWEIGHT TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP
IN LOS ANGELES
SPLENDID RUN EARNS 26-YEAR-OLD RISING STAR A $20,000 GRAND PRIZE AND
ONE-YEAR GLORY CONTRACT
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Feb. 9, 2013) – Before a roaring crowd at Hollywood Park Casino, a superbly fit and undefeated Mike Lemaire (9-0, 3 KOs) of San Diego, Calif. ran to three consecutive victories, including a third round (2:26) KO of Eddie “Showtime” Walker (11-2-1, 9 KOs) of Atlanta, G! a. in the championship round of the ROAD TO GLORY USA eight-man middleweight (187 pounds/85 kilograms) tournament on Saturday, Feb. 9.
For his efforts, Lemaire was awarded a tournament grand prize of $20,000 and a one-year development contract with GLORY, the world’s new premiere kickboxing league.
“For me, this tournament was all about the contract with GLORY; Money is just money, but the contract is a tremendous opportunity,” said the 26-year-old, 6-foot-1 Lemaire, a protégé of former world Muay Thai champion Melchor Menor. “I’ll fight anyone (GLORY) puts in front of me now – anyone, anywhere, anytime. I’ve got a lot to work on and a lot to learn, but I’m here to stay.”
Lemaire overcame tremendous odds against Walker after being pushed to new limits by fellow prospect Andrew Kapel (12-4, 10 KOs) of Minneapolis, Minn. in the tournament’s semifinal stage. Walker, by contrast, was relatively fresh and well-rested after scoring a second round (1:26) KO on Edgar Del Fierro (18-5, 14 KOs) of Fresno, Calif. in the quarterfinal stage and a second round (2:13) TKO on Van “The General” Wyk Povey! (33-4-1, 22 KOs) in the semifinal stage of the tournament.
Kapel sent Lemaire to the canvas in the first round with a round kick to the head, but Lemaire beat the referee’s count and continued to move forward and press the action, scoring repeatedly with his right hand over the course of the bout. After the third and final scheduled round of the matchup came to a close, the bout was declared a draw, sending the fight into a fourth, “sudden victory round” to determine a winner.
Lemaire took charge in the added round, cracking Kapel with his right hand and repeated round kicks, including one to the head towards the end of the round before Lemaire was declared the winner of the hard-fought contest by split decision.
In the tournament championship bout, Walker began stalking Lemaire in the outset as he had done to his first two opponents.
After turning the tides with his r! ight hand and rallying in the middle of the first round, Lemaire continued his momentum in the second, finding his rhythm and putting pressure on Walker with quick hand combinations. Then, a sudden hard right leg kick from Lemaire found its mark on the left thigh of Walker, who crumbled to the canvas in pain.
Walker made it to his feet and through the round, but his leg was noticeably battered. In the third round, Lemaire went after Walker’s bad leg, putting Walker down three more times with leg kicks before the referee stepped in and stopped the fight.
In the quarterfinal round of the tournament, Lemaire overwhelmed Russian import Evgeny “The Beast From The East” Zotov (5-3, 3 KOs) of Sevierville, Tenn., putting Zotov down and out for the count with a thunderous head kick in the second round (:48) of the fight.
COMPLETE ROAD TO GLORY USA MIDDLEWEIGHT TOURNAMENT RESULTS:
Tournament Reserve Fight:
Afam Egbochuku def. Jacob Poss via KO – Round 2 (1:08)
Quarterfinal Round:
Eddie Walker def. Edgar Del Fierro via KO – Round 2 (1:26)
Van Wyk Povey def. Jonarh Junio via TKO (two knockdown rule) - Round 1 (1:23)
Andrew Kapel def. Casey Greene via split decision - 29-28, 28-29, 29-28
Mike Lemaire def. Evgeny Zotov via KO – Round 2 (:48)
Semifinal Round:
Eddie Walker def. Van Wyk Povey via TKO (two knockdown rule) – Round 2 (2:13)
Mike Lemaire def. Andrew Kapel via split decision (after sudden victory round) - sudden victory round scores: 10-9, 9-10, 10-9
Championship Round:
Mike Lemaire def. Eddie Walker via KO – Round 3 (2:26)
About GLORY:
GLORY World Series (www.gloryworldseries.com) is the world's new premier kickboxing league, producing live events across the globe and offering up to $2 million in prize money to the winners of one-night, 16-man ‘Grand Slam’ tournaments, which are open to only the best fighters in each of six different weight classes. The fight series also includes 8-man ‘Slam’ tournaments and events with traditional, single bouts.
With television deals spanning every continent, online live video streaming of all shows and the world's largest online martial arts library, GLORY is one of the world's most widely distributed sporting organizations.
Owned and operated by Glory Sports International (GSI), the organization has offices in the UK, Holland, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and so! on in the USA. Its personnel include an unprecedented mix of accomplished entrepreneurs and senior level executives from the diverse worlds of finance, sports marketing, television and martial arts fighting.
In 2013, GLORY launched the ROAD TO GLORY tournament fight series to identify and develop new kickboxing talent in The United States, Japan and elsewhere around the globe into future champions and superstars of the sport.
source press release
WOMEN’S SUPERSTAR ZOILA FRAUSTO GURGEL
SIGNS WITH INVICTA FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Set to face submission expert Jennifer Maia in April
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Feb. 5, 2012) – Flyweight (125 pounds) superstar Zoila Frausto Gurgel (12-2) of Cincinnati, Ohio has signed a multi-fight contract with Invicta Fighting Championships and will make her debut for the women’s world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion at its next event on an April date to be announced soon.
Frausto Gurgel will square off with submission expert Jennifer Maia (6-2) of Curitiba, Parana Brazil.
“We are thrilled to welcome Zoila, an established superstar in the sport, to the Invicta FC roster and are looking forward! to seeing her compete in our rapidly growing flyweight division,” said Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp. “Zoila has turned in a number of thrilling performances while rising through the ranks of fighters over the last few years, and we are confident that she will help raise the bar of competition even further in the Invicta FC cage.”
The 29-year-old Frausto Gurgel, the wife of former UFC and Strikeforce competitor Jorge Gurgel, is coming off a sensational, 6-1 run in Bellator Fighting Championships action that included victories over rival superstars Rosi Sexton, Jessica Aguilar and submission wizard Megumi Fuji, who entered the Oct. 28, 2010 matchup with Frausto Gurgel with a perfect 22-0 record. Frausto Gurgel edged out a split decision to snap Fuji’s unbeaten run that began in 2004, and become the first Bellator women’s strawweight (115 pounds) champion in history.
During the Bellator stint, Frausto Gurgel also handed Jessica Penne the only defeat of her career before Penne went on to become the first-ever Invicta FC champion at atomweight (105 pounds).
“I am excited to join Invicta FC, where the best women fighters in the world are competing,” ! said Frausto Gurgel, whose 22-year-old sister Stephanie Frausto, also fights for Invicta FC as an atomweight. “Invicta FC has become more than just a promotion – it’s evolved into an entire movement for women’s MMA, and I’m proud to represent that movement while continuing to fight and beat the best opponents out there.”
About Invicta Fighting Championships:
Invicta Fighting Championships (www.invictafc.com) is a world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight series dedicated to providing female athletes with a major platform to hone their skills on a consistent basis. Founded in 2012 by longtime MMA executive Shannon Knapp and sports aficionado Janet Martin, Invicta is committed to pioneering the future growth of women’s MMA by promoting the best possible matchups between female competito! rs and identifying and developing future superstars of the sport.
source press release
ANDREW WHITAKER NAMED
NEW GLORY CEO
SINGAPORE (Feb 5, 2013) - – Glory Sports International, the parent company of the world’s new premiere kickboxing league, GLORY World Series, today announced the appointment of former WWE Executive VP Andrew Whitaker to the position of global CEO of Glory Sports International.
“We are excited that Andrew has agreed to assume the leadership mantel at GLORY in the pivotal role of CEO, on the front lines of our fast-growing organization,” said GLORY Sports International Chairman, co-founder, and award-winning hedge fund investor Pierre Andurand. “Andrew’s breadth of global experience in the media space is a tremendous asset to GLORY’s day-to-day business.”
“Andrew joining as CEO is an imp! ortant milestone in the development of GLORY as a company and kickboxing as a sport. We've had an incredible first year – we have over 40 of the world’s top kickboxing athletes signed to us exclusively, we've staged four amazing events, achieved TV distribution in 200 countries and trended No. 1 globally on Twitter on New Year’s Eve 2012 – GLORY and kickboxing are for real. As we start a new season in 2013, we have a calendar of over 10 events on 3 continents, an active global standard for athlete rankings, and we are rolling out a successful global format for kickboxing tournaments with our Grand Slams, Slams and Road to GLORY events. In addition, we are fully committed to entering the US market, and we are delighted Andrew has joined GLORY to oversee all this growth.”
Marcus Luer, co-founder of Glory Sports International, who has spearheaded GLORY’s rapid global expansion as interim-CEO over the last ! year since its inception, will resume the title Managing Director, allowing him to drive many of GLORY’s initiatives in Asia where he continues as CEO and founder of Asia’s leading, full-service sports marketing agency, TSA.
“At the same time,” Andurand continued, “this move will free up Marcus to focus on building the GLORY brand in the territories where his experience and business relationships are greatest.”
Whitaker will be spearheading the opening of a new GLORY office in the tri-state region of the United States.
"I am looking forward to taking a hands-on approach to driving the growth of what I have believed, for months, is an incredible combat sports entertainment product with tremendous global appeal,” said Whitaker, who previously served on the GLORY Sports International Board of Directors as Non-Executive Director.
“Our kickboxing rules distinguish our sport by requiring elite athleticism, skill, and! honor, from GLORY kickboxers, and produce some of the most exciting knockouts ever seen in combat sports. Our martial artists define the word ‘warrior,’, and our superb level of production makes our live events one of the most fan-friendly entertainment experiences in the world. GLORY has already redefined the standard for kickboxing, and has all the elements necessary to become a major player in the global sports industry,” continued Whitaker.
“I look forward to working with Andrew again and continuing our successful partnership which began over 10 years ago while he was with WWE. Together, we ushered the wrestling brand into Asia,” said Luer. “GLORY is truly a global product now, which operates on a 24/7 basis with events and offices across three different continents – the U.S., Europe, and Asia.
Prior to joining GLORY Sports International, Whitaker was the Managing Partner ! of Kings Highway Media, a global brand and media distribution advisory that serves sports and entertainment IP rightsholders, private equity and venture capital.
Whitaker also served as the Executive Vice President of International for NYSE-listed WWE Inc. where he was responsible for establishing and growing the leading professional wrestling entertainment company’s business via sales, marketing, promotion and public and government relations across television, digital media, live events, licensing and PPV/VOD.
Last week, GLORY debuted its new ROAD TO GLORY development fight series uniquely designed to identify and develop future kickboxing champions and other superstars in the U.S. and elsewhere, with an eight-man light heavyweight tournament (209 pounds/95 kilograms) at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tulsa, Okla. On Saturday, Feb. 9, the ROAD TO GLORY series heads to Hollywood Park Casino in Los Angeles, Calif. with an eight-man middleweight (187 pounds/85 kilograms) tournament.
!
The next stop for GLORY’s championship series, home to the world’s greatest kickboxers, will be Excel Arena in London, England, where a stacked fight card, headlined by a heavyweight showdown between superstar Tyrone Spong (68-6-1 42 KO’s) and decorated, all-time great Remy “The Flying Gentleman” Bonjasky (77-15, 40 KO’s), will take place on Saturday, March 23.
For more information, visit www.gloryworldseries.com
About GLORY:
GLORY World Series (www.gloryworldseries.com) is the world's new premiere kickboxing league, producing live events across the globe and offeri! ng a total of US$2 million in prize money to the winners of one-night, 16-man ‘Grand Slam’ tournaments and 8-man “Slam” tournaments, which are open to only the best fighters in each of GLORY’s six different weight classes. The fight series also includes events with traditional single bouts which include Title Fights for individual Weight class Championships.
With major events in the US, Europe and Japan and television deals spanning every continent, online live video streaming of all shows and the world's largest online martial arts library, GLORY is the world's fastest growing new Sports properties.
Owned and operated by Glory Sports International (GSI), the organization has offices in the Singapore, UK, Netherlands, Japan, Singapore and in the USA. Its personnel include an unprecedented mix of accomplished entrepreneurs and senior level executives from the diverse worlds of finance, sports marketing, television and martial arts fighting.
In 2013, GLORY launched the ROAD TO GLORY tournament fight series to identify and develop new kickboxing talent in The United States, Japan and elsewhere around the globe into future champions and superstars of the sport.
source press release
Road To Glory
DUSTIN JACOBY PULLS OFF MIRACLE TOURNAMENT WIN, AFTER ACCEPTING ENTRY ON 48 HOURS NOTICE, IN FIRST-EVER ROAD TO GLORY USA EVENT
EARNS $20,000 GRAND PRIZE AND
ONE-YEAR GLORY WORLD SERIES CONTRACT
TULSA, Okla. (Feb. 2, 2013) – After accepting the opportunity to fight just one day before the event, 24-year-old Dustin Jacoby (9-3) of Arenzville, Illin. rose to the occasion, defeating three consecutive opponents, all by way of (T)KO, in one night to capture the inaugural ROAD TO GLORY USA light heavyweight (209 pounds/95 kilograms) tournament championship at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa on Friday, Feb. 1.
Jacoby was called on to compete just 4! 8 hours in advance of the event and drove to Tulsa from Arenzville, after Manuel Quezada, one of the original eight entrants, suddenly withdrew from the tournament for unknown reasons.
In the tournament’s quarterfinal stage, reigning ISKA world champion Randy “Boom Boom” Blake (25-2, 17 KOs) of Tulsa, a local superstar and favorite to win the tournament, battered the left leg of Jacoby and hammered Jacoby with punching combinations for over two rounds. In the third stanza, though, Jacoby suddenly countered with a flurry that put Blake down and forced the referee to intervene and stop the bout at the 1:43 mark of the final scheduled round.
In the semifinal stage, Jacoby faced off with Roy “Wreckin’ Ball” Boughton (9-4, 8 KOs), who had defeated Daniel “Sandman” Brison (9-3, 6 KOs) by way of unanimous decision to advance past the quarterfinal stage. After eating a right h! and, Jacoby responded with a series of stiff jabs that snapped Boughton’s head back.
Jacoby exploded with a knee strike to the head that sent Boughton to the canvas. Boughton beat the referee’s 10 count, but was put down for the second time with a Jacoby left hook to the body. The tournament’s “two knockdown rule” took effect, giving Jacoby the TKO victory at the 2:47 mark of the second round.
With a considerable amount of momentum behind him, Jacoby came out the aggressor in the tournament’s championship round, against previously undefeated Brian Collette (19-1, 16 KOs), who had scored a second round (:14) KO on Jeremy Freitag in the quarterfinal round of the event and a first round (1:29) TKO on Kyle Martin in the semifinal stage of the tournament.
Jacoby began connecting with a series of stiff jabs and a left hook to Collette’s body. With ! less than 10 seconds remaining in the opening round of action, Jacoby unloaded a barrage that put Collette on the mat face first, unable to recover. Jacoby was declared the victor of the bout by way of first round (3:00) KO.
COMPLETE ROAD TO GLORY USA LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT TOURNAMENT RESULTS:
Tournament Reserve Fight:
John King def. Jason Bloom via unanimous decision – 29-28, 29-28, 30-27
Quarterfinal Round:
Roy Boughton def. Daniel Brison via unanimous decision – 30-26, 29-27, 29-27
Dustin Jacoby def. Randy Blake via TKO – Round 3 (1:43)
Kyle Martin def. Myron Dennis via unanimous decision – 28-29, 29-28, 29-28
Brian Collette def. Jeremy Freitag via KO – Round 2 (:14)
Semifinal Round:
Dustin Jacoby def. Roy Boughton via TKO – Round 1 (2:47)
Brian Collette def. Kyle Martin via TKO – Round 1 (1:29)
Championship Round:
Dustin Jacoby def. Brian Collette via KO – Round 1 (3:00)
About GLORY:
GLORY World Series (www.gloryworldseries.com) is the world's new premier kickboxing league, producing live events across the globe and offering up to $2 million in prize money to the winners of one-night, 16-man ‘Grand Slam’ tournaments, which are open to only the best fighters in each of six different weight classes. The fight series also includes 8-man ‘Slam’ tournaments and events with traditional, single bouts.
With television deals spanning every continent, online live video streaming of all shows and the world's largest online martial arts library, GLORY is one of the world's most widely distributed sporting organizations.
Owned and operated by Glory Sports International (GSI), the organization has offices in the UK, Holland, Tokyo, Malaysia, Singapore and! soon in the USA. Its personnel include an unprecedented mix of accomplished entrepreneurs and senior level executives from the diverse worlds of finance, sports marketing, television and martial arts fighting.
In 2013, GLORY launched the ROAD TO GLORY tournament fight series to identify and develop new kickboxing talent in The United States, Japan and elsewhere around the globe into future champions and superstars of the sport.
source press release
The Kentucky Boxing and Wrestling Authority have granted John Prisco of Xtreme Fighting Championships his promoters license and the XFC is heading to Kentucky for the promotions first Pro show in the Bluegrass State and second nationally televised event of 2013. Today it was posted on the KBWA event calendar that the XFC will be rolling the production trucks into the Kentucky International Convention Center in Downtown, Louisville on April 19th.
After successful events in Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Greece, the XFC has shown why they are a international powerhouse. XFC 19 sold out the Grady Cole Center in Charlotte, North Carolina and showcased some of the very best events that Tennessee has ever seen in just 2012. Last year, we saw the rise of Nick Newell, Scott Holtzman, and a growing list of elite athletes added to the roster of stars. Already announced in 2013 has been the signing of several "next generation" MMA & Wmma superstars and veteran'd fighters. Make no bones about it, the XFC is making a huge statement to remain solidified as one of the top promotions in the country.
XFC 23 will mark the expansion of women's MMA as John Prisco has already announced Stephanie Eggink will battle Angela Magana in the co-main event and newly signed Atomweight Angelica Chavez will make her XFC debut, marking this event as the first time multiple female bouts have been shown live on national television on AXStvfights.
"After thousands of requests from our fans, a great push from the local media on BluegrassMMA Radio & others, and a very good relationship that we've built over the years with some of the local promoters, it is time for us to return to the Bluegrass State. I can't thank our Kentucky fans enough that have been traveling in to Tennessee to see our shows. We've got a very large fan base in that region and I can see this becoming a permanent stop for the XFC. I am very excited for the April show. I know the fans are ready and we are too." said Prisco. "I encourage all local fighters to contact Brandon Higdon to inquire the open spots on the undercard."
The excitement will have time to build as the remainder of the fight card is rumored to be finalized in the next 3 weeks and is set to feature several of the XFC's current fighters, as well as bouts featuring the best fighters in the Kentucky region looking to earn their XFC contract. The event will air live on AXS TV and tickets will be on sale beginning Feb 8th. As the fight card builds you can follow the updates by going to www.OfficialXFC.com/xfc23. You can also follow them on Twitter at @OfficialXFC and like their Facebook page Official XFC.
Check out more current news at www.OfficialXFC.com
source XFC
ROAD TO GLORY USA
HITS LOS ANGELES WITH
STACKED MIDDLEWEIGHT TOURNAMENT ON FEB. 9
WINNER OF EIGHT-MAN TOURNAMENT
RECEIVES $20,000 GRAND PRIZE AND
ONE-YEAR CONTRACT WITH
WORLD’S NEW PREMIERE KICKBOXING LEAGUE
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
LOS ANGELES, Calif.(Jan. 23, 2013) – GLORY, the world’s new premiere kickboxing league, will bring it’s ROAD TO GLORY USA fight series, intent on discovering America’s next great fighting superstars, to Hollywood Park Casino in Los Angeles with a stacked, one-night, eight-man middleweight (187 pou! nds) tournament on Saturday, Feb. 9.
Tickets for the event, headlined by the ROAD TO GLORY USA single-elimination tournament, are priced from $40 and can be purchased by phone at 877-446-7962. The tournament is being held as part of a Dennis Warner-promoted WCK fight card also featuring five Muay Thai bouts.
“We are excited to showcase our new ROAD TO GLORY development series for prospective future superstars in the sports and entertainment mecca of Los Angeles,” said GLORY CEO Marcus Luer. “Our fight team headed by legendary trainer Cor Hemmers has hand-picked a group of eight hungry, aspiring world champions from various parts of the U.S., looking to make it to the global stage that GLORY’s championship level events take place on. To get there, though, they will have to show they have what it takes by persevering in this highly-competitive tournament.&rd! quo;
Enlisted for the eight-man tournament are red-hot prospect Eddie “Showtime” Walker (9-1-1, 7 KOs) of Atlanta, Ga., hard-hitting Andrew Kapel (11-3, 10 KOs) of Minneapolis, Minn., seven-time South African kickboxing champion Van “The General” Wyk Povey (32-3-1, 22 KOs) of Dublin, Calif. via Pretoria, South Africa.; California State Champion Edgar Del Fierro (18-4, 14 KOs) of Fresno, Calif.; former Karate and Sambo champion Evgeny Zotov (5-2, 3 KOs) of Knoxville, Tenn.; undefeated upstart Mike Lemaire (6-0) of San Diego, Calif.; Casey Green (5-5) of Santa Monica, Calif.; and Jonarth Junio (8-4, 1 KO) of Bellflower, Calif.
The winner of the ROAD TO GLORY USA middleweight tournament will be awarded a grand prize of $20,000 and a one-year contract with GLORY where he will have the opportunity to compete in the world’s most prestigious one-nigh! t GLORY kickboxing tournaments that award up to $600,000 in prize money.
A tournament “alternate” bout on the card will pit Afram Egbochuku (2-0, 2 KOs) of San Diego against Jacob “King Cobra” Poss (9-1, 4 KOs) of Los Angeles. Should any of the tournament’s quarterfinal round fight winners be unable to return to the ring for semifinal round action due to injury sustained en route to victory, the winner of the matchup between Egbochuku and Poss will take the injured fighter’s place in the tournament.
A draw to determine the ROAD TO GLORY USA middleweight tournament’s quarterfinal round matchups will take place on a date and at a location to be announced soon.
Doors at the first floor showroom at Hollywood Park Casino will open for the event at 5 p.m. PST and the first preliminary bout begins at 6 p.m.
About GLORY:
GLORY World Series (www.gloryworldseries.com) is the world's new premier kickboxing league, producing live events across the globe and offering up to $1,000,000 in prize money to the winners of one-night, 16-man ‘Grand Slam’ tournaments, which are open to only the best fighters in each weight class. The fight series also includes 8-man ‘Slam’ tournaments and events with traditional, single bouts.
With television deals spanning every continent, online live video streaming of all shows and the world's largest online martial arts library, GLORY is one of the world's most widely distributed sporting organizations.
Owned and operated by Glory Sports International (GSI), the organization has offices in the UK, Holland, Tokyo, Malaysia, Singapore and soon in the USA. Its personnel include an unprecedented mix of accomplished entrepreneurs and senior level executives from the diverse worlds of finance, sports marketing, telev! ision and martial arts fighting.
In 2013, GLORY launched the ROAD TO GLORY tournament fight series to identify and develop new kickboxing talent in The United States and elsewhere around the globe into future champions and superstars of the sport.
About Hollywood Park Casino:
Located just three miles east of the world renowned Los Angeles International Airport, Hollywood Park Casino – the first casino in the U.S. to be based at a racetrack – has served as one of the nation’s premier gaming facilities since opening its doors in July 1994. The Casino’s six-story, 220,000 square-foot Las Vegas-style gaming facility plays host to more than 3,000 visitors daily, seven days a week. Open 24 hours, the Casino’s beautiful art deco facility provides 65 tables of the most popular poker games, such as Hold’em, 7-Card Stud, Omaha, and Mexican Poker. In addition to poker, the Casino displays 35 tables of California card games! that include Blackjack, Caribbean Stud, Pai Gow Poker, Pai Gow Tiles, Baccarat, and Super Pan 9. What’s more, the horse racing-themed Casino allows patrons to place both live and simulcast racetrack wagers – for such world famous domestic and international tracks as Santa Anita and Del Mar – from the convenience of their seats. The Casino also offers nightly bingo in the 1,000-seat bingo facility – the largest charitable bingo operation west of the Mississippi. The Casino’s luxurious amenities include spectacular banquet facilities and meeting rooms as well as 24-hour concierge service, health club, massage center, an exclusive VIP lounge, and valet parking service. For more information about Hollywood Park Casino, please call (800) 888-4972 or visit our website at www.playhpc.com.
Source press release
TULSA, Okla.(Jan. 16, 2013) – GLORY, the world’s new premiere kickboxing league, will kick off it’s highly-anticipated ROAD TO GLORY USA fight series to discover America’s next great fighting superstars, with an eight-man, single-elimination light heavyweight (209 pounds) tournament at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tulsa, Okla. on Saturday,! Feb. 1.
Tickets for the event, headlined by the ROAD TO GLORY USA tournament, are priced from $42 and can be purchased at www.hardrockcasinotulsa.com. The one-night tournament is being promoted in conjunction with retired world kickboxing champion Dale “Apollo” Cook’s Xtreme Fight Night 11 card.
Reigning ISKA Kickboxing Champion Randy “Boom Boom” Blake (25-1, 17 KOs) of Owasso, Okla. has been tabbed for action in the eight-man tournament affair and will be joined by dangerous, undefeated rising stars Brian “The Lion” Collette (17-0, 14 KOs) of Norfolk, Va. and Kyle “The Ragin’ Cajun” Martin (7-0, 4 KOs) of New Orleans, La. as well as by KO artist Roy “Wreckin’ Ball” Boughton (8-3, 8 KOs) of Concord, Calif., Muay Tha! i standout Myron “The Future” Dennis (10-2, 4 KOs) of Oklahoma City, Okla., Urijah Faber-protégé Jeremy “The Freak” Freitag (8-3, 1 KO) of Sacramento, Calif., tournament savvy Daniel “Sandman” Brison (9-2, 6 KOs) of Greenville, W. Va. and WBC world-ranked professional boxer and kickboxer Manuel “El Toro” Quezada (10-2, 8 KOs) of Wasco, Calif.
“This event marks the beginning of an intensive mission to identify and develop young up and coming fighters into future GLORY superstars and world champions,” said GLORY CEO Marcus Luer.
“ROAD TO GLORY is our development series. This is where you have to first show us that you have what it takes to be a GLORY fighter. Only the winner is guaranteed a chance to fight in our main GLORY shows which are held all over the world.
“We realiz! e that there is a significant pool of aspiring kickboxing champions in The United States but, to date, a lack of opportunity has been a major barrier, prohibiting Stand up fighters here from fulfilling their dreams of becoming the best in the world in what they do. GLORY is committed to changing this with our ROAD TO GLORY USA fight series.”
The winner of the ROAD TO GLORY USA light heavyweight tournament will be awarded a grand prize of $20,000 and a one-year contract with GLORY where he will have the opportunity to compete in the world’s most prestigious one-night GLORY kickboxing tournaments that award up to $600,000 in prize money.
A tournament “alternate” bout on the card will pit Jason “The Scorpion” Broom (2-0, 2 KOs) of Sapulpa, Okla. against John King (3-1, 2 KOs) of Amarillo, Tex. Should any of the tournament’s quarterfinal round fight winn! ers be unable to return to the ring for semifinal round action due to injury sustained en route to victory, the winner of the matchup between Broom and King will take the injured fighter’s place in the tournament.
A draw to determine the tournament’s quarterfinal round matchups will take place on a date and at a location to be announced soon.
Doors at The Joint open for the event at 7 p.m. CST and the first preliminary bout begins at 7:15 p.m. The main card headlined by the tournament begins at 8 p.m.
About GLORY:
GLORY World Series (www.gloryworldseries.com) is the world's new premier kickboxing league, producing live events across the globe and offering up to $1,000,000 in prize money to the winners of one-night, 16-man ‘Grand Slam’ tournaments, which are open to only the best fighters in each weight class. The fight series also includes 8-man ‘Slam’ tournaments and events w! ith traditional, single bouts.
With television deals spanning every continent, online live video streaming of all shows and the world's largest online martial arts library, GLORY is one of the world's most widely distributed sporting organizations.
Owned and operated by Glory Sports International (GSI), the organization has offices in the UK, Holland, Tokyo, Malaysia, Singapore and soon in the USA. Its personnel include an unprecedented mix of accomplished entrepreneurs and senior level executives from the diverse worlds of finance, sports marketing, television and martial arts fighting.
In 2013, GLORY launched the ROAD TO GLORY tournament fight series to identify and develop new kickboxing talent in The United States and elsewhere around the globe into future champions and superstars of the sport.
Source press release
Xtreme Fighting Championships has been incorporating Women’s MMA into their events since 2009. As the promotion has grown, so has the demand to see more action from the XFC women’s divisions. To meet that demand, the rising promotion announced that they will be moving to two female bouts per event and recently signed several new female fighters. Included in the roster additions for 2013 is 26 year old Flyweight Pearl Gonzalez, who signed a multi-fight deal. Set to make her debut under the XFC banner in late February at XFC 22, Gonzalez is set to fight fellow rising star Suzie Montero live on national television on axstv.
Gonzalez is relatively new to professional MMA, with only one Pro fight on her record. But, the self-proclaimed “girly girl” has been involved with mixed martial arts for almost as long as she can remember. Growing up in a tough neighborhood of Chicago, Gonzalez was raised by her single father who worked long hours to support her and couldn’t always be home when school let out. To keep Pearl off the streets and away from gangs and violence, he entered his 11 year old daughter into martial arts classes at Chicago’s Combat-Do.
At Combat-Do, Pearl trained in MMA, Japanese jiu-jitsu, and kickboxing while getting involved with amateur competitions at a very young age. At just age 12, Pearl joined a pankration team and began competing in tournaments while training with some of today’s top MMA fighters. Gonzalez says she even remembers a time when veteran Shoney Carter was giving her pointers and insight as she prepared for upcoming fights. She went on to earn two amateur MMA titles, a NAGA tournament, and an Absolute jiu-jitsu belt before making the decision to turn pro.
Stepping into the Pro game, Gonzalez dropped a majority decision in her first fight against top ranked knock out artist Munah Holland. Holland, as XFC fans know, is also responsible for the sole blemish on XFC-vet Marianna Kheyfets record, and has also knocked out journey-woman fighter Carina Goncalves. While it was a very tough matchup for a pro debut, Gonzalez claims it was also one of the best learning experiences thus far in her career and wouldn’t mind a rematch later on down the road, saying, “I like that fight again if it came up, but I see myself winning next time.”
But first, Gonzalez will have to conquer challenger Suzie Montero at XFC 22 in February. Montero brings a record of 1-1 to the bout, fighting under one of the most prestigious teams in the country, American Top Team in Florida. Gonzalez sized up her opponent briefly, saying, “She has good stand up, a very active guard. She’s aggressive and fights with a lot of emotion.” Gonzalez quickly added, “I like to stand and bang too, but I’m ready for any aspect of the fight, where ever it goes.”
Pearl Gonzalez (0-1) and Suzie Montero (1-1) will be in the Featured Bout position at XFC 22 on February 22. To see Gonzalez in her first appearance under the XFC banner visit www.OfficialXFC.com to purchase tickets. For more information on the event and upcoming XFC news, follow the promotion on Facebook and Twitter ‘@OfficialXFC’. XFC 22: ‘Crossing the Line’ is presented by ICRealTime Security Solutions and ThroatPunch Ind. Apparel. The event will air live on AXStv on February 22 from the Grady Cole Center in Charlotte, North Carolina at 9pm
Source XFC Press release
XFC to double televised WMMA divisional bouts, signing MORE females
XFC Women – wmma
XFC announces increase in WMMA divisional bouts
Xtreme Fighting Championships has been at the forefront of WMMA since 2008, when it introduced their WMMA division with world class boxer, turned MMA fighter, Chevelle Hallback. Instant popularity of female fights in the XFC began to spread throughout the MMA industry, and the company known for finding the Next Generation of MMA Fighters followed up their promise of finding and building rising stars, by signing Marianna Kheyfets following their Open Fighter Tryout in 2010. Soon after, Kheyfets had her first fight live on national television to the HDNet viewers and thousands in attendance at the St. Pete Times Forum. Kheyfets went on to win 5 straight fights, quickly becoming a fan favorite and leaving HDNet viewers wanting more WMMA. Her success secured a spot not just for herself, but for other female fighters in the industry to have an opportunity to fight live on TV at future XFC events.
Blast ahead, three years later, where the XFC has now significantly increased the number of women on their roster, featuring three of the industry’s most solidified weight classes (Atomweight, Flyweight, & Strawweight). Now moving into 2013, the promotion has announced another significant increase, in their efforts to remain one of the leading supporters of Women in mixed martial arts. At XFC 23 in April, the XFC announced this morning that they are scheduling, 2 female bouts on the live side of the AXStv broadcast of XFC 23 in April. Something that no other promotion on national television is currently doing.
XFC President John Prisco has announced a tentative agreement between Stephanie Eggink versus newly signed Angela Magana on tap, not only as part of the announced female double header, but also in the co-main position at XFC 23. Additionally, Angelica Chavez of the Chavez Dojo in New Mexico will make her XFC debut on the same card, with her opponent expected to be named in coming weeks. Prior to the April event, XFC fans will also see women’s MMA action in February at XFC 22, where Amateur phenom champion (now Pro) Pearl Gonzalez makes her XFC and national television debut against Suzie Montero at the Grady Cole Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
XFC has already added Eggink, Magana, Gonzalez, and Chavez to the growing roster here in 2013, and the promotion is rumored to be adding several more fighters to each weight class, in preparation for title fights that could take place before the year’s end. To keep up with the XFC women’s divisions, bout announcements, and signings, visit www.OfficialXFC.com and follow the promotion daily on Facebook and Twitter ‘@OfficialXFC’.
Here is the cast for TUF 17
source USA Today
