SCHULTZ, NELSON DEFEND BELTS, MCGIVERN WINS IFL TITLE IN LAS VEGAS

Courtesy of the International Fight League:

World Class Fight Center, Team Quest Take Camp Victories

LAS VEGAS, February 29, 2008 – Lightweight Ryan Schultz (North Platte, Neb.) and heavyweight Roy Nelson (Las Vegas) defended their respective International Fight League titles and middleweight Ryan McGivern (Bettendorf, Iowa) won his first belt before 3,931 at the IFL event tonight at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

Schultz ground out a unanimous decision over John Gunderson (Medford, Ore.) to retain his title, maintaining strong position throughout the match. Most of the bout was contested on the ground, with both fighters escaping potential chokes in the final two rounds.

Nelson earned a first-round TKO victory over Fabiano Scherner (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) to defend his heavyweight crown. Nelson took Scherner down midway through the round and used a flurry of right hands to secure the stoppage at 3:20.

In what many felt was the best bout of the night, McGivern topped defending champion Matt Horwich (Portland, Ore.) by unanimous decision in a battle in which both fighters had strong moments. Horwich nearly secured an armbar at the end of the second round, when McGivern was likely saved by the bell. In the closing seconds of the fourth round, McGivern delivered a series of strikes that staggered the former champion, but the champion held on until the bell.

In the camp vs. camp matchups which preceded the Championship bouts, World Class Fight Center and Lion’s Den/Team Quest were victorious. Rafael Dias (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) starting things off well for Mario Sperry’s WCFC in its win over Team Tompkins with a victory at 145 lbs. over Santino Defranco (Tempe, Ariz.) by way of rear naked choke submission two minutes into the first round. At 185 lbs., hometown favorite Josh Haynes (Las Vegas) defeated Leopoldo Serao (San Francisco) via unanimous decision to even the camps at one win apiece. WCFC took two out of three bouts when Alexandre Ferreira (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) recorded a rear naked choke over Lew Polley (Coconut Creek, Fla.), just 0:20 into the first round.

Jake Ellenberger (Omaha, Neb.), representing Team Quest, decisioned Pat Healy (St. Louis) to open his camp’s matchup with Ken Shamrock’s Lion’s Den. Schultz’s win over Gunderson secured the triumph for Team Quest, while Nelson’s win provided the final 2-1 margin.

Prior to the team matchups, Ian Loveland (Portland, Ore.) submitted Dennis Davis (Las Vegas) via guillotine choke in the second round of their featherweight contest.

IFL Las Vegas
Friday, February 29, 2008

Preliminary Bout
145 lbs.: Ian Loveland (Portland, Ore.) def. Dennis Davis (Las Vegas) via submission (guillotine), 2nd, 0:58

Team Tompkins vs. World Class Fight Center (Mario Sperry)
145 lbs.: Rafael Dias (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), WCFC, def. Santino Defranco (Tempe, Ariz.) via submission (rear naked choke), 1st, 2:03
185 lbs.: Josh Haynes (Las Vegas), Team Tompkins, def. Leopoldo Serao (San Francisco) via decision (unanimous) after three rounds
205 lbs.: Alexandre Ferreira (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), WCFC, def. Lew Polley (Coconut Creek, Fla.) via submission (standing guillotine choke), 1st, 0:20

Team Quest (Matt Lindland) vs. Lion’s Den (Ken Shamrock)
170 lbs.: Jake Ellenberger (Omaha, Neb.), Team Quest, def. Pat Healy (St. Louis) via decision (unanimous), after three rounds
*155 lbs.: **Ryan Schultz (North Platte, Neb.), Team Quest, def. John Gunderson (Medford, Ore.) via decision (unanimous), after five rounds
*265 lbs.: **Roy Nelson (Las Vegas), Lion’s Den def. Fabiano Scherner (Portland, Ore.) via TKO (strikes) 1st, 3:20

Championship Bout
*185 lbs.: Ryan McGivern (Bettendorf, Iowa) def. **Matt Horwich (Portland, Ore.) via decision (unanimous), after five rounds

*Championship Bout
**Defending Champion

About the IFL

International Fight League™ (IFL) has its headquarters in New York and offices in Las Vegas. For more information about IFL, please see: www.ifl.tv.