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Thank You, Axl Rotten (And R.I.P.)

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

INVICTAFC.COM TO STREAM INAUGURAL ALL-WOMEN’S MMA EVENT LIVE APRIL 28 FROM KANSAS CITY, KAN.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (March 28, 2012) – Invicta Fighting Championships will stream its inaugural all-women’s professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event live in its entirety, free of charge to a worldwide audience on the promotion’s website, InvictaFC.com, from Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan. on Saturday, April 28.

“Since we announced the formation of Invicta, we’ve received tremendous support and interest from fight fans around the world who are eager to watch some of the best fighters in the women’s field of MMA compete in our first event,” said Invicta President and Co-Founder Shannon Knapp.

“The live stream,” continued Knapp, “is the best way to give fans, no matter where they are located, the opportunity to participate and take in the action as it unfolds and, at the same time, establish the forthcoming Invicta website as an online destination for women’s MMA content.”

The live stream on InvictaFC.com will begin at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST with the event’s five-bout preliminary card and continue with the seven-bout main card.

The first-ever Invicta Fighting Championships event will be headlined by a long-awaited featherweight (145 pounds) rematch between superstar Marloes Coenen (19-5) of The Netherlands and Romy Ruyssen (5-1) of France.

In the co-main event, two 29-year-old submission specialists - Jessica Penne (8-1) of Laguna Hills, Calif. and Lisa Ellis-Ward (14-7) of Lacey, Wash.- will square off with one another at strawweight (105 pounds).

Undefeated rising star Cat “Alpha” Zingano (6-0) of Denver, Colo. will square off with fellow hard-hitting prospect and professional boxer Anita “El Tigre” Rodriguez (5-2) of Dallas, Texas in a featured bantamweight (135 pounds) bout.

Strikeforce bantamweight star and United States Marine Liz “Girl-Rilla” Carmouche (5-2) of San Diego, Calif. will square off with unbeaten prospect Ashleigh Curry (1-0) of Kansas City, Mo.

Another Strikeforce bantamweight competitor, Sarah D’Alelio (4-2) of San Jose, Calif., will face Shana “Rock Solid” Nelson (5-2) of Hibbing, Minn.

Leslie Smith (3-2) of Pleasant Hill, Calif. will meet Kaitlin Young (7-5) of St. Louis Park, Minn. at bantamweight and Sally Krumdiack (9-4) of Bellingham, Wash. will duke it out with Sarah Schneider (5-5) of Kansas City, Mo. at flyweight (115 pounds).

In preliminary card action, Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc (7-5) of Tulsa, Okla. will take on Amy Davis (2-2) of Idaho Falls, Idaho at strawweight. Sarah Maloy (2-2) of Ada, Okla. will meet Michele Gutierrez (3-2) of Las Vegas, Nev. in a super flyweight (125 pounds) tilt. Mollie Estes (1-0) of Lake Lotawana, Mo. will face Randi Miller (0-0) of Broomfield, Colo. at featherweight. Unbeaten Ashley Cummins (2-0) of St. Louis will battle Sofia Bagherdai (4-1) of Upland, Calif. at flyweight. Jessica Philippus (0-0) of Marshall, Mo. will make her professional debut against Meghan Wright (1-3) of Cincinnati, Ohio in a strawweight matchup.

All bouts have been approved by the Kansas State Athletic Commission.

About Invicta Fighting Championships:

Invicta Fighting Championships 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 competitors and identifying and developing future superstars of the sport.

SOURCE: Witz End Communications, Inc.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Programming Alert: HBO Latino's 'Destino Deporte' ('Sports Destination')

According to an HBO Latino press release, on Monday, April 9, at 8 PM ET, the network will premier 'Destino Deporte,' a documentary which claims to go "beyond the scores and statistics to cover the unexplored side of sports."

Although I have no idea what was filmed, or even when, one of the program's topics will be "the triumphs and tragedy of lucha libre in Mexico City."

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

(CORRECTED LINK) HD-VIDEO PREVIEW: 'ONCE IN A LIFETIME - ROCK VS. CENA'

Looks like a winner ... Enjoy, courtesy of WWE and NBCUniversal:

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

“ONCE IN A LIFETIME – ROCK VS. CENA” TO AIR ON 11 NBCU NETWORKS

STAMFORD, Conn., March 20, 2012 – WWE (NYSE:WWE) and NBCUniversal are joining forces to televise “Once in a Lifetime – Rock vs. Cena,” an epic one-hour special that follows WWE Superstars The Rock® and John Cena® on their respective roads to WrestleMania® XXVIII. This first ever behind-the-scenes special premieres Monday, March 26 on USA Network at 8/7c and will also air on NBCUniversal networks including Syfy, Bravo, E!, Oxygen, G4, Style, NBC Sports Network, mun2, CLOO and Universal HD leading up to WrestleMania on Sunday, April 1st at 7:00 p.m. ET.

This lifestyle special is a candid and compelling look at two of the biggest icons in sports entertainment history as they prepare for their Once in a Lifetime main event match. From touring and training on the road to Hollywood movie sets to the 54th Annual Daytona 500, this in-depth look with exclusive footage gives viewers unprecedented access and a glimpse into the personal lives of these men.

About WWE

WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE programming is broadcast in more than 145 countries and 30 languages and reaches more than 500 million homes worldwide. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Istanbul and Tokyo.

Additional information on WWE (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on our global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/.

SOURCE: WWE

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

RUFF And Mandt Bros. Announce First Full Season Of MMA In China Beginning With March 24 Fight In Chongqing

In the world's most populous nation, RUFF is the ultimate name in Mixed Martial Arts as the only professional MMA organization exclusively sanctioned by Chinese government

SHANGHAI, March 14, 2012 -- With the bell set to ring in its first event of 2012, RUFF (Ranik Ultimate Fighting Federation), in partnership with Los Angeles-based Mandt Bros. Productions and Beijing's Wushu Administrative Center, held a press conference in Shanghai today to announce its first full season and the 2013 Super Fight, a title fight to crown China's first MMA national champions.

The announcement, made by Joel Resnick of RUFF and Neil Mandt of Mandt Bros., came ten days ahead of RUFF 3 on March 24, and further outlined the Super Fight details. In addition to the championship belt, winners of each weight class, including the newly introduced 125 lbs. (57 kg.) Flyweight Division, will become instant millionaires in China, earning RMB 1,000,000 for claiming the title.

RUFF, the first professional mixed martial arts (MMA) organization sanctioned by the government of China, recently signed a development deal with Mandt Bros. to lead all television production, beginning with the March 24 contest, to be broadcast around the Chinese mainland the following week.

In October 2010, after four years of negotiating with the Wushu Administrative Center, the governing branch of Chinese combat sports, RUFF founders Joel Resnick and Saul Rajsky secured the rights to produce and promote live professional MMA events in China. RUFF held its first two fights in late 2011, setting the stage for an exciting year of growth for the first and only MMA organization in China.

About Ranik Ultimate Fighting Federation (RUFF)

Headquartered in Shanghai, Ranik Ultimate Fighting Federation (RUFF) has the exclusive rights to produce and promote live MMA events as a sanctioned sport in China, by permission of the General Administration of Sport of China and the Wushu Administrative Center. Its first two MMA events were produced in late 2011 in Shanghai and Chongqing. The next event is scheduled take place on March 24 in Chongqing. For more information, please visit www.ruffchina.com.

About Mandt Bros. Productions

Brothers Neil and Michael Mandt are partners in the four-time Emmy Award-winning production company Mandt Bros. Productions, headquartered in Los Angeles. Between them, they have earned four Emmy Awards, nine Emmy nominations, among numerous other accolades. Their projects include the critically acclaimed feature film Last Stop for Paul, its TV adaptation "Next Stop for Charlie" (Showtime) and other television projects which have included "Destination Truth" (Syfy), "Jim Rome is Burning" (ESPN), "Ice Brigade" (Food Network), "Strangers in Danger" (Fuel TV) and "The Car Show" (Speed Network).

SOURCE: Mandt Bros. Productions

Card Update - Bellator Fighting Championships 64

The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Friday, April 6, 2012
Live on MTV2 @ 8:00 PM ET
Lineup subject to change


NON-TELEVISED (Live on spike.com @ 7&10 PM ET)

TELEVISED
* Ben Askren vs. Douglas Lima - Welterweight title
* Chris Horodecki vs. Mike Richman - lightweights
* bantamweight tournament - quarterfinals
* featherweight tournament - semifinals

Monday, March 5, 2012

New Season Of Bellator Premiers On Tr3s

Talented Latinos & World Class Fighters step into the cage for Season Six

Spanish-language announcers George X & Manny Rodriguez call fights for Hispanic audiences, every Sunday at 10:00pm (ET) starting March 11th

MIAMI, March 5, 2012 -- Tr3s: MTV, Musica y Mas, the bilingual/bicultural entertainment destination for Hispanics in the US, delivers more mixed martial arts (MMA) fights with the premiere of the 6th season of Bellator Fighting Championships in Spanish. The world class MMA platform will feature the most dynamic fighters in the industry including Latino Bellator Middleweight World Champion Hector Lombard. Bellator in Spanish will premiere every Sunday starting March 11th at 10pm (ET) on Tr3s.

"Tr3s is the perfect platform for the vibrant mixed martial arts action of Bellator," commented Charlie Singer SVP of Content and Creative for Tr3s. "Hispanic audiences continue to identify themselves with this beloved cultural sport, and religiously tune into our MMA lineup week-after-week. Partnering with Bellator allows us to deliver on our audience's enthusiastic appetite for more engaging and innovative MMA content."

Bellator Fighting Championships is the first MMA promotion to hold an internationally televised tournament format. Unlike other organizations, Bellator's live fights and tournaments are structured so that the fighter's talent and ability determines their rank in the cage. This season will be stacked with great talent including Latino heavy-hitters Alexis "The Exorcist" Vila, Eddie Alvarez, Chris "The Assassin" Lozano, Douglas Lima, Eduardo "Dudu" Dantas, among others.

George X is one of the most admired Spanish-language announcers in Mexico, calling the shots in multiple sports including the NBA, the Winter Olympics and the Super Bowl. Extreme sport fanatics know George X as the face and voice of ESPN's Spanish-language X-Games coverage. An MMA expert, George X pens articles in various publications including Extreme Fighting. George joined the Bellator team in 2009.

Manny Rodriguez, previously ranking as the Heavyweight Champion for King of the Cage, has taken on the role as announcer for multiple MMA Live broadcasts in Mexico and has played a key role in the Spanish division of Bellator since its inception in 2009.

About Bellator Fighting Championships

Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company headquartered in Chicago. Bellator, Latin for Warrior, is partnered with entertainment industry leaders Viacom and Fremantle Entertainment, and is the world's leading tournament-based mixed martial arts organization. Bellator's Founder, Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment professional with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes. Bellator Fighting Championships' executive team is comprised of top industry professionals in the areas of live event production, television production, fighter relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.

About Tr3s: MTV, Musica y Mas

Tr3s: MTV, Musica y Mas, owned and operated by MTV Networks Latin America, reaches 6.1 million Hispanic TV households (45% of US Hispanic Total TV HH) and 34 million total TV households. The network's programming embraces the trilogy of cultures that represents Latino life – Latin American plus American equals US Latino – through original productions, key acquisitions, and content from MTV Networks' portfolio of entertainment brands. Tr3s embraces the key lifestyle aspects of Latino identity -- milestones, making it and music -- as well as social responsibility through its initiative "Agentes de Cambio," which tackles issues that affect Latinos today. The network also taps into the growing number of Latinos that are digitally connected through www.tr3s.com.

SOURCE: Tr3s

Full Fight Card Released For WMMA'S McCorkle Vs. Heden: Fighting For A Better World

WMMA Announces Impressive Lineup for Its Inaugural Event

LITTLE FALLS, NJ, 03/05/12 -- Worldwide Mixed Martial Arts, Inc. (WMMA) is proud to release their complete fight card for their inaugural charitable event benefiting the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) and the U.S. Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2). The event will take place on March 31, 2012 at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, TX.

Last month, WMMA announced that they will be hosting the inaugural event and a portion of the gate will be donated to the WWP and AW2. WMMA believes mixed martial arts is bigger than the company, therefore it has chosen to honor and provide assistance to our service members by partnering with organizations that are experts in assisting our real warriors and their families.

"We take pride in our fights," stated William McFarlane, President of WMMA. "Our fans mean the world to us and our gratitude will be shown through the events that we produce; that means the most action-packed bouts and the very best of mixed martial arts. Most importantly, it means supporting our real heroes and true fighters, our military, our soldiers, our families. This event is for them."

Fans of WMMA will also be treated to an amazing undercard, which is set to be streamed live on WMMA's website, www.wmmasports.com. Broadcast plans for the main card will be announced very soon.

McCorkle vs. Heden: Fighting For A Better World

Main Card:

1. Sean McCorkle vs. Brian Heden (Super Heavyweight)
2. Thomas Denny vs. Karo Parisyan (170lbs)
3. Lyle Beerbohm vs. Derrick Noble (170lbs)
4. Drew Fickett vs. Kevin Knabjian (170lbs)
5. Jamaine Facey vs. Willie Parks (185lbs)
6. Rodney Wallace vs. Derrick Mehmen (205lbs)

Under Card:

7. Darrill Schoonover Paul Buentello (265lbs)
8. Frank Gomez vs. Chris Gruetzemacher (145lbs)
9. Deutsch Pu'u vs. Esteves Jones (265lbs)
10. Lionel Lanham vs. Brad Peterson (185lbs)

McCorkle vs. Heden: Fighting For A Better World will take place on Saturday, March 31st at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased on Ticketmaster. Full card is subject to change.

For more information on WMMA, please visit http://www.wmmasports.com.

Worldwide Mixed Martial Arts Sports, Inc. ("WMMA") is more than the sport of mixed martial arts. WMMA is a premier sports and entertainment enterprise dedicated to the global, responsible development of the sport of mixed martial arts through the promotion of culture and humanitarian values founded on the principles and traditions of balanced mental, physical and spiritual development.

SOURCE: WMMA