Cage FX Fight Schedule

Posted on | February 12, 2011 | 1 Comment

Cage Fighting Xtreme upcoming events..

March 12, 2011

Rumble in the Jungle

Jungle Plex

8 Natalie Way

Plymouth, MA

April 23, 2011

Beantown Brawl, “It’s No Tea Party”.

Dorchester Armory

70 Victory Road

Boston, MA

April 30, 2011

The “Maine Event”

Stevens Ave Armory

772 Stevens Ave

Portland, ME

AMERICAN MILITARY HERO TIM KENNEDY TO MEET MELVIN MANHOEF AT STRIKEFORCE IN COLUMBUS, OHIO, MARCH 5, LIVE ON SHOWTIME®

Posted on | February 12, 2011 | No Comments

Luke Rockhold Withdraws Due To Leg Injury

World Championship Doubleheader at Nationwide Arena

Features Feijao Vs. Henderson In Main Event;

Event to be Held in Conjunction With Arnold Sports Festival

NEW YORK (Feb. 10, 2011) – Melvin “No Mercy’’ Manhoef (24-8-1) of Amsterdam, Holland, will replace an injured Luke Rockhold and face American Military hero Tim Kennedy (12-3) of Fort Bragg, N.C., in a featured fight at middleweight (185 pounds) on a STRIKEFORCE World Championship Doubleheader on Saturday, March 5, at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

The promising Rockhold withdrew after suffering an injury to his left leg during training.

“Man, this is beyond really disappointing,’’ said Rockhold, a winner of six in a row. “I’d been feeling great and working hard and was really pumped for the fight with Kennedy.

“I know injuries are part of the game, but I want to fight. That’s what I do. It’s pretty swollen now, but once my leg is 100 percent I’m coming back with a vengeance.’’

Manhoef, who’s one of MMA’s most devastating and offensive-minded stand-up fighters, is making his second start for STRIKEFORCE on SHOWTIME. In his debut on Jan. 30, 2010, Manhoef had mostly manhandled hard-hitting, former two-time world champion Robbie Lawler before getting caught and losing in the first round.

The exciting, crowd-pleasing Manhoef does not know the meaning of a full night’s work. The Destructive Dutchman has registered KO or TKO victories in all but one of his 24 victories.

Manhoef, a winner in seven of his last 11, has participated in more than 60 professional fights between MMA and kickboxing, but is seeking his first MMA victory in the United States.

“I come to fight and give my very best,’’ the 5-foot-8, 34-year-old Manhoef said. “I am very, very hungry. I need to win this fight. I am looking forward to fighting Tim Kennedy.’’

Born in Suriname, Manhoef relocated to Rotterdam with his family when he was three years old. He was introduced to the sport of Muay Thai by a brother at the age of 18.

The popular Kennedy is an American military hero who’s toured the Middle East multiple times, and earned the Army’s Bronze Medal Star medal for valor under fire.

This will be the 5-foot-11, 31-year old’s fifth start for STRIKEFORCE and his first since losing a close, hard-fought decision to “Jacare” Souza in a fight for the then-vacant STRIKEFORCE middleweight title on Aug. 21, 2010, on SHOWTIME.

The disputed defeat ended a four-fight winning streak for Kennedy, who has split two fights against Jason “Mayhem’’ Miller.

In the March 5 main event, Dan Henderson (26-8), of Temecula, Calif., will challenge defending belt-holder Rafael “Feijao’’ Cavalcante (10-2) of Brazil for the STRIKEFORCE World Light Heavyweight (205 pounds) Championship. In a second world title fight, Marloes “Rumina’’ Coenen (18-4) of the Netherlands will risk her lightweight title for a first time against No. 1 135-pound contender, Miesha “Takedown’’ Tate (11-2), of Tacoma, Wash.

Undefeated Billy Evangelista (11-0) of Fresno, Calif., will take on Jorge Masvidal (20-6) of Miami, Fla., at lightweight (155 pounds) in a previously announced televised bout.

The event, STRIKEFORCE’s first in the state of Ohio, will take place in conjunction with The Arnold Sports Festival, the nation’s largest health and fitness exposition founded by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Tickets are on sale at the Nationwide Arena ticket office, online at Ticketmaster.com and Strikeforce.com and Ticketmaster by phone at (800) 745-3000.

Drew Pariano, Mark Cody, Mike Duroe, Bobby Douglas and Jeff Murphy on this weeks Takedown Wrestling!

Posted on | February 12, 2011 | No Comments

Des Moines, Iowa

Hello again Wrestling Fans! This week we’re back in our Brute Adidas studios. Join Scott Casber, Ryan Freeman, Geoff Murtha, Steve Foster and our own Jeff Murphy brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods.

This week we look at Northwestern and Drew Pariano as they prepare for the Big 10’s. We’ll Talk with Mark Cody about his team and success on the year. We’ll talk with Cornell College Head Coach Mike Duroe about the 2012 Olympic Trials, Legendary Coach Bobby Douglas joins us to update us on his new book by Craig Sesker called Bobby Douglas: Life and Legacy of an American Wrestling Legend. Jeff Murphy will join us for our Kemin Big 10 and Big 12 review.

Join us LIVE 9 to 11 AM cst for Takedown Wrestling. Listen on radio, on computer, your Blackberry or iPhone with the iHeartRadio App.

Our Guests Include: (All times Central)

* 9:01 Drew Pariano- Head Coach of Northwestern University
* 9:20 Mark Cody-Head Coach of American University
* 9:40 Mike Duroe- Head Coach Cornell College
* 10:01 Bobby Douglas joins us to update us on his new book by Craig Sesker – Bobby Douglas: Life and Legacy of an American Wrestling Legend.
* 10:20 Jeff Murphy- Kemin’s Top 20 Report
* 10:50 Maureen Roshar- Wildrose Resorts

Steve ‘USS’ Cunningham – A True World Champion, In the Fullest Sense Of The Word

Posted on | February 12, 2011 | 1 Comment

By Gianluca (Rio) Di Caro

On Saturday Steve ‘USS’ Cunningham, will make his first defense, of his second reign, as the IBF Cruiserweight Champion of World against the tough Serbian born Enad Licina at the RWE Rhein-Ruhr Sporthalle in Muelheim, Germany.

During his career Cunningham has proven to be one of the few World Champions who is unfazed by fighting on his opponent’s home turf. In fact it seems that he actually thrives on this type of challenge, which is handy because on Saturday night Cunningham will again be fighting in his opponent’s home country – Licina has fought eighteen times, out of his twenty one fight career, in his adopted homeland of Germany.

Cunningham, who had fought all over America before hitting the International scene, has never had a true ‘home’ fight, the nearest he fought to his home city of Philadelphia being when he faced Tomasz ‘Goral’ Adamek in Newark, New Jersey back in 2008.

Ports of call for the former Navy man include Brakpan, South Africa, where he beat former WBU & IBO Cruiserweight Champion Sebastiaan Rothmann, Katowice and Warsaw in Poland, Bielefeld and Neubrandenburg in Germany.

Both of Cunningham’s Championship winning bouts took place in Europe. His first, against Krzysztof ‘Diablo’ Wlodarczyk was at the Spodek in Katowice, Poland on the 26th May 2007. This was Steve’s second trip to Poland to face Wlodarczyk following a highly controversial ‘Home Cooked’ split decision in favour of ‘Diablo’ when they first met in Warsaw for the vacant title some six months earlier.

At the IBF ordered rematch Cunningham plain outboxed Wlodarczyk, as he did the previous time, and in the fourth round forced Wlodarczyk to take to one knee for a count which proved to be just enough to overcome any home advantage Wlodarczyk held and for Cunningham to emerge victorious.

For his first defense the globe trotting Cunningham set sail for Germany and a meeting with Marco “Kapt’n” Huck on the 29th December 2007. Against Huck, the bookies favourite, Cunningham looked stronger, tougher and harder punching than he had either time against Wlodarczyk. Huck was struggling to hold up against Cunningham’s aggressive approach and was being backed up and hurt nearly every round. The final round was an even more one sided affair with Cunningham chasing Huck around the ring throwing heavy right after heavy right until Huck’s corner, with just one minute and 4 seconds to go, threw the towel in the ring to save their charge further punishment or worse still a knockout loss.

Next up for Cunningham was a far shorter trip, just an hour or so train journey from his Philadelphia home, to the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey to face Jersey City based Polish expat Tomasz “Goral” Adamek. Whilst on paper this could be deemed a home fight for Cunningham to those ringside it felt more an away match due to many Polish fans that had turned out to support their hero.

From the opening bell Cunningham out punched Adamek and looked set to cruise his way through the fight dominating and controlling it in supreme style. However in the second round, just as Cunningham looked to be going for an early finish, Adamek threw a countering hook catching Cunningham with his forearm and sending Cunningham off balance and down to the canvas. Cunningham jumped up in an instant.

Determined to win back the lost points, Cunningham fought even harder and in the fourth had Adamek reeling and rocking. With just seconds to go Adamek, who had barely thrown a punch for almost the whole round, caught the off balance Cunningham and put him on the deck once more. Again Cunningham leaps to his feet after barely touching the canvas.

With two knockdowns against him Cunningham seemed determined to go for a knockout and looked well on his way to getting it when in the eighth the very same thing happened again. Just as Cunningham looked to finish his challenger off after a frantic exchange, Adamek caught a fast back stepping Cunningham off balance to send him down again, Cunningham was up again before the referee could even start the count.

The final rounds were superb Cunningham fought like a demon to try and make up the lost points and Adamek fought hard for survival.

When the final bell rang the consensus of the majority of the press corps was that the champ had done enough to be declared victor or, at least earn a draw to retain his crown. However the judges saw it differently and gave the victory to Adamek by split decision.

This battle was so magnificent that the vast majority of press reports claimed Cunningham-Adamek the all-time best cruiserweight fight and contender for ‘Fight Of The Year 2008’ honours as well as calling for a rematch.

Cunningham’s hopes of a voluntary rematch with Adamek failed to materialise, instead Cunningham was ordered to face former WBC Champion Wayne ‘Big Truck’ Braithwaite, at the BankAtlantic Center, Sunrise, Florida on the 11th July 2009, in an IBF final eliminator that decided who will be Tomasz ‘Goral’ Adamek’s mandatory defense later that year.

Cunningham won the fight easily via a twelve round unanimous decision (119-109, 117-111, 118-110) and the scene was set for the long awaited rematch with Adamek.

However, the fight was destined to never happen as Adamek vacated the title and moved to the Heavyweight Division.

Originally Cunningham was set to face Matt ‘Too Smooth’ Godfrey for the now vacated title but due to a rather confusing series of events that first see Don King Promotions pull the plug on the fight closely followed by Main Events’ Kathy Duva coming to the rescue, by taking over the ESPN televised event promotion.

Cunningham continued training throughout, but for some reason Godfrey decided to leave his training camp and subsequently pulled out of the fight.

Shortly after the Godfrey fight fiasco Cunningham’s eight year promotional contract with Don King Promotions came to an end and he signed with German promoters Sauerland Event.

Within a week of signing promotional papers with Sauerland the IBF announced that Troy Ross would be his next opponent following swift negotiations between Sauerland and Ross’ promoter Yvon Michel.

Once again the globe trotting ‘USS’ Cunningham prepared to leave his Philadelphia home and set sail for Europe.

On the 5th June 2010 Steve ‘USS’ Cunningham faced Canada’s Troy ‘The Boss’ Ross, at the Jahnsportforum, Neubrandenburg in Germany, for the vacant IBF Cruiserweight crown.

From the first bell Cunningham dominated the center of the ring using his wickedly fast jabs to keep the shorter Ross at bay. Ross, a seriously tough southpaw, seemed willing to take a few punches in order to get in closer to let off some wicked bombs.

Rounds two and three produced more of the same, although Ross was getting a little more success. The problem for Ross though was that his getting in more also meant he was taking more shots, causing noticeable swelling to his left eye.

Round four produced both a serious problem for Ross, who received a serious cut to the lower eyelid, and a scare for the Cunningham team as they see their man reel backwards and down to the canvas following a straight left to the chest.

Thoughts of a repeat scenario to the Adamek fight were dispelled within minutes as prior to the start of the fifth the referee, Bill Clancy, sent Cunningham to a neutral corner and called for the ringside doctor to check out Ross’ badly cut eye. The doctor had no choice but to stop the fight as it was clear that the Canadian’s eye injury was serious.

Steve ‘USS’ Cunningham was once again the IBF Cruiserweight Champion of the World which brings us nicely to date with Cunningham set to defend his newly regained crown against the seriously tough former IBF Inter-Continental Cruiserweight Champion Enad Licina on Saturday 12th February 2011.

Cunningham will have his hands full with the heavy hitting Licina, who has stopped ten of his opponents, however Cunningham’s 3” height advantage and superior reach, along with his seriously impressive movement and hand speed, could well be hurdles that Licina may not be able to overcome with his shuffling European style, which has been likened to that of Marco Huck – and of course we all know what happened when Cunningham met Huck.

Steve ‘USS’ Cunningham versus Enad Licina for the IBF Cruiserweight World Championship co-headlines with Cuban Yoan Pablo Hernandez versus France’s Steve ‘Centurion’ Herelius for the interim WBA Cruiserweight World title at the RWE Rhein-Ruhr Sporthalle, Muelheim, Germany on Saturday 12th February 2011.

Supporting the two Cruiserweight Championship headliners, at the Sauerland Event promoted show, are ‘King’ Arthur Abraham against Stjepan Bozic in a ten round Super Middleweight clash, Dominik Britsch versus Joe Rea in an eight round Middleweight bout, Francesco Pianeta faces Samir Kurtagic in an eight round Heavyweight contest.

In addition there are three Light Heavyweight bouts – Eduard Gutknecht vs. Oleksandr Cherviak, Karo Murat vs. Christian Cruz and Erik Skoglund vs. Valerijs Rogozins.

HDNET TO OFFER COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE OF “STRIKEFORCE™ AND M-1 GLOBAL: FEDOR VS SILVA”

Posted on | February 12, 2011 | No Comments

“Inside MMA” LIVE at Friday’s Weigh-in beginning at 5:00 p.m. ET; LIVE Undercard Broadcast Saturday at 8:00 p.m. ET

DALLAS (February 10, 2011) This weekend, HDNet will present two and a half hours of LIVE coverage of the “Strikeforce ™ World Grand Prix – Heavyweight Tournament” as it kicks off this Friday in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Coverage begins Friday at 5:00 p.m. ET as “Inside MMA” broadcasts LIVE from the “Strikeforce™ and M-1 Global: Fedor vs Silva” weigh-ins at the Izod Center. Fedor Emelianenko, Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, Andre Arlovski, and Sergei Kharitonov will step on the scales in anticipation of their respective grand prix showdowns.

Kenny Rice and Bas Rutten will get a first hand perspective on the tournament from its remaining participants including Alistair Overeem, Fabricio Werdum, Josh Barnett, and Brett Rogers. Plus, Ron Kruck will interview the combatants themselves as they step off the scale.

Saturday at 8:00 p.m. ET, HDNet will present exclusive LIVE coverage of “HDNet Fights: Strikeforce™ World Grand Prix Heavyweight Tournament Undercards.” History will be made as “The Voice” Michael Schiavello and Bas Rutten will call the action together for the first time as Josh Cholish (5-1) meets Marc Stevens (12-5) in the main event.

In other action, Igor Gracie (2-2) meets John Salgado (4-4-1), Sam Oropeza (4-1) takes on Don Carlo Clauss (6-3), and Anthony Leone (8-2) faces Josh Laberge (7-4).

SHOWTIME SPORTS® and CBS ANNOUNCE NEW EDITION OF CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED BOXING DOCUMENTARY SERIES “FIGHT CAMP 360°: Pacquiao vs. Mosley”

Posted on | February 11, 2011 | No Comments

Premieres Saturday, April 2, 12 Noon ET/ 9 a.m. PT on CBS With Three Episodes Airing on America’s Most Watched Network – Including a Prime Time Telecast on Saturday, April 30

NEW YORK (Feb. 10, 2011)—SHOWTIME Sports is producing a four-part documentary series titled FIGHT CAMP 360°: Pacquiao vs. Mosley to air on both CBS and SHOWTIME® that will give fight fans unprecedented access into the lives of boxing superstars Manny Pacquiao and “Sugar” Shane Mosley. The SHOWTIME critically acclaimed series will follow both fighters through their unique preparations leading up to the year’s biggest event on the boxing calendar—the forthcoming WBO welterweight championship clash and SHOWTIME PPV® blockbuster event on May 7 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

“This series will open a lot of eyes and surprise casual television viewers as well as boxing enthusiasts,” said Ken Hershman, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “These athletes are global personalities that transcend sports, and their path to an event of this scope is complex, provocative and quite entertaining. From Pacquiao’s home and life as a Congressman in the Philippines to Mosley’s high-altitude training camp in Big Bear, Calif., and into the offices of Top Rank Inc. in Las Vegas, FIGHT CAMP 360°: Pacquiao vs. Mosley will turn a powerful backstage spotlight on this marquee boxing event.”

The series premieres on Saturday, April 2 on CBS (12:00 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT) before the network’s coverage of the Men’s NCAA Basketball Championship Final Four.

Below are the premiere dates and times for FIGHT CAMP 360° Pacquiao vs. Mosely

Episode 1 CBS Saturday, April 2 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT

Episode 1 SHO Saturday, April 16 10 p.m. ET/PT

Episode 2 SHO Saturday, April 23 10 p.m. ET/PT

Episode 3 CBS Saturday, April 30 8 p.m. ET/PT

Episode 4 SHO Friday, May 6 10 p.m. ET/PT

Episode 4 CBS Saturday, May 7 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT

FIGHT CAMP 360°: Pacquiao vs. Mosley will be available on SHOWTIME On Demand with multiple re-airings on SHO Extreme

FIGHT CAMP 360° launched in 2009 to follow the lives of the participants in the Super Six World Boxing Classic on SHOWTIME and was met by critical acclaim for its originality and revealing content. Created to connect viewers with fighters and not as a singularly focused promotional device, FIGHT CAMP 360° is the first-of-its-kind boxing series examining the entirety of the prizefighting business.

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

STRIKEFORCE WORLD GRAND PRIX – HEAVYWEIGHT TOURNAMENT FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES

Posted on | February 10, 2011 | No Comments

Wednesday, Feb, 9, 2011

The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers – Pier 61,

New York City, New York

Quarterfinal Bouts Begin This Saturday, Feb. 12,
At IZOD Center, East Rutherford, N.J.;

Live on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT

NEW YORK (Feb. 9, 2011) – The greatest collection of Mixed Martial Arts heavyweight fighters in the world participated in the final press conference Wednesday to discuss the upcoming STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix — Heavyweight Tournament that begins live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) this Saturday, Feb. 12, from IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J.

One day after STRIKEFORCE and M-1 presented a hugely successful Fan Experience at the Roseland Ballroom here, they concluded a triumphant two-day stint in New York by assembling 14 of the most talented and exciting fighters in the world at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers.

In Saturday’s main event, Fedor Emelianenko (31-2, 1 NC) returns to action against Antonio “Big Foot” Silva (15-2) in a STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL co-promoted event. The opening quarterfinal on the telecast will match former world champion Andrei Arlovski (15-8) against Russian star Sergei Kharitonov (16-4), the last fighter to defeat STRIKEFORCE and DREAM Heavyweight World Champion Alistair “The Demolition Man” Overeem.

The other two quarterfinal matchups in a three-stage, single-elimination tournament will take place at a site and date to be announced. Overeem (34-11, 1 NC) will face the only man to tap out Fedor, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1), and hard-hitting Brett “The Grim” Rogers (11-2) will be opposed by Josh Barnett (29-5).

Also in attendance Wednesday were the six fighters who will compete on Saturday’s all-heavyweight undercard on SHOWTIME. The matchups: Shane Del Rosario (10-0) vs. Lavar “Big’’ Johnson (15-3); Chad “The Grave Digger’’ Griggs (9-1) vs. Gian (pronounced “John”) Villante (7-1) and Valentijn Overeem (28-25) vs. Ray “Sugarfoot’’ Sefo (2-0).

Tickets are on sale at IZOD Center box office, online at Ticketmaster.com and Strikeforce.com, and by phone at (800) 745-3000. The first of five non-televised undercard fights start at 7:30 p.m. ET.

What the fighters had to say Thursday:

FEDOR

“I am very happy to be fighting again and looking forward to a good fight. Losing a fight didn’t change anything for me. I have worked very hard.’’

ANTONIO BIG FOOT SILVA

“I am very, very excited and happy. I’ve wanted this fight a long time. Fedor is a great fighter and a great person. But if you want to rise to the top you have to be the best, and Fedor is definitely still one of the very best.

“The odds are all in Fedor’s favor but the odds do not reflect reality. The truth is, this fight could go either way. I am very confident and I’m here to win.’’

ANDREI ARLOVSKI

“These three last guys who kicked my (butt) have motivated me. I’m determined. This tournament is a great opportunity.”

SERGEI KHARITINOV

“I don’t think I’m getting Arlovski at a good time because of his losses. (His opponents) were some of the best fighters in the world. It’s probably worse for me because he is hungry to win.

“Andrei took great shots from Silva. His fan-friendly style leaves him open. Anyone can get caught. His chin is not suspect.”

ALISTAIR OVEREEM

“This is going to be the biggest tournament in the world. Fedor is a favorite and a legend but we’ll see who the last man standing is.”

FABRICIO WERDUM

“The best heavyweights in the world are in STRIKEFORCE and it’s great they are doing a tournament to settle who the No. 1 heavyweight in the world is.

“I’m looking forward to fighting Overeem again. He won three belts last year. I may not be the favorite, but I feel I should be one of the favorites to win it.’’

JOSH BARNETT
“This tournament is hugely important for MMA at large and especially for the heavyweight division because this is the greatest collection of heavyweight talent ever assembled for one tournament. This is not just a paper thing. The winner will be the No. 1 heavyweight in the world.

“I’m very excited and glad to be part of it and hope to use it as a stepping-stone to re-establish my career and to re-establish myself as the No. 1 fighter.

‘I haven’t lost in years and don’t plan to now.’’

BRETT ROGERS

“I’m definitely looking forward to getting back on track and am very happy to be in this tournament. It will show where I am as a fighter.

“This tournament will prove that STRIKEFORCE heavyweights can get in and bang with anybody in the world and that the STRIKEFORCE organization has the best heavyweights in the world. There’s always a question as to who is best, but there will be no question once this is over. There are no easy fights, there are no gimme wins. Whoever wins this tournament will have had to fight to win it, and I like that.

“I am very focused and determined. My sites now are on only one thing and that is my first fight with Josh Barnett. I’ve watched him a long time. I know how good he is. I’m really looking forward to fighting him.’’

SHANE DEL ROSARIO

“Getting on this show is a reward for five years of hard work. This is a huge opportunity and a huge step up.

“We are both at similar stages in our careers and both are ready to accept the challenge. This is going to be a very good, hard-fought, exciting fight for sure.’’

LAVAR “BIG” JOHNSON

“I appreciate that STRIKEFORCE has put me on this card and that I’m fighting on SHOWTIME again. I think Shane is a great fighter. This fight is very important, obviously. The winner maintains his status in the division. Conditioning could be a very big part of it. Shane’s quick and recovers very well.

“It’s an honor to be on this card. I’m a huge fan of all the fighters in the tournament and I cannot wait to see how it unfolds. It should be very exciting.’’

CHAD GRIGGS

“The win over Bobby Lashley was a good win and got me recognition because of his name. This should be a good fight, too. My only thoughts going in are to win and put on a good shot.

“I know the guy I’m fighting is a good fighter who is hungry and well-conditioned and making his first appearance on the big stage.

“I know he’s tough and likes to start strong, so let’s see how he does once he gets a little pressure put on him.’’

GIAN VILLANTE

“This is all pretty awesome for a guy who has been fighting on mostly much smaller shows in New Jerseys. Fighting for STRIKEFORCE on SHOWTIME is definitely a major step up for me but I’m looking forward to the challenge. It should be fun.

“I have a lot of friends who’ll be rooting for me on Saturday. I know if they aren’t at the arena, they’ll be watching on SHOWTIME.’’

VALENTIJN OVEREEM

“I’ve had just a couple fights in America, but it’s been a while. It’s a good feeling to see how the sport has grown in the states. More people will know me and Ray Sefo on Sunday morning. The outcome of the fight will determine which one of us they’ll know more.”

“I don’t have a favorite way to end a fight. But I don’t love going the distance.”

RAY SEFO

“I’m looking forward to fighting back for STRIKEFORCE again. The plan is to go out and do what I know how to do, and win by knockout.

“I’m not looking past Saturday, but I want to fight MMA more this year.’’

Quotes from Wednesday’s kickoff press conference featuring Sergio Martinez, Sergiy Dzinziruk, Andy Lee, and Craig McEwan

Posted on | February 10, 2011 | No Comments

NEW YORK, NY (Feb 9, 2011) – The “Diamond Elite” WBC Middleweight Diamond Championship showdown between Sergio Martinez and Sergiy Dzinziruk was formally announced today at a kick-off press conference Wednesday afternoon from the BB King Blues Club in Times Square. Also in attendance were Andy Lee and Craig McEwan who will battle in a “Celtic War” in the HBO-televised undercard. All four fighters and representatives from their respective camps were in attendance at today’s event.

“Diamond Elite: Martinez vs. Dzinziruk” will be presented by DiBella Entertainment in association with Gary Shaw Productions and Banner Promotions. Lee vs. McEwan will be presented by DiBella Entertainment in association with Golden Boy Promotions. Both bouts will be broadcast live on HBO’s World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:30pm ET / 7:30pm PT.

Tickets for “Diamond Elite: Martinez vs. Dzinziruk,” are priced at $450, $250, $125, $75, and $50 and are on sale through the MGM Grand at Foxwoods box office. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.mgmatfoxwoods.com/, by calling the MGM Grand at Foxwoods at 1-866-646-0609, or in person at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods box office.

Below are quotes from the participants:

Sergio Martinez: “I know Dzinziruk is the best champion at 154-lbs. and he will make for a great fight. This year will be the year that I become the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. I am training very hard to make sure that this is the best fight to bring to the fans.”

Sergiy Dzinziruk: “I am very happy to be here. I want to thank everyone who worked on my behalf to make this fight happen. I am training very hard to make this opportunity and I want to make the most of it in the ring.”

Andy Lee: “Unfortunately, the only time most people have seen me fight was when I lost, because it was on ESPN. I don’t intend on letting that happen again. Now we’re on HBO, which has always been our team’s goal. I want to thank my new promoter, Lou DiBella, for this opportunity.”

Craig McEwan: “I’ve known Andy for a long time, dating back to the amateurs. I always thought if we would fight again it would be for a championship. I guess I will have to get through him to get my shot at a championship.”

Lou DiBella, promoter of Martinez and Lee: “When this fight was first brought to me, I said no. Sergio Martinez said yes. Sergio Martinez has all the qualities of a star and wants only the best fights. This is a great fight for boxing because not only are Martinez and Dzinziruk great fighters, they are entertainers. Boxing is about entertainment and these guys bring it. The MGM Grand is already over half sold out for this event. Get your tickets for what will be a great night for the sport of boxing.”

Sampson Lewkowicz, Martinez’s advisor: “The press is wrong for trying to be a matchmaker. Everyone wants to be matchmaker, but HBO got it right. This is the best fight that can be made at this time. Thanks also to the WBC for lending their support to a tremendous fight like this.”

Gabriel Sarmiento, Martinez’s trainer: “This is a very good challenge for Sergio Martinez. Sergio is training very hard and you will see it on March 12.”

Gary Shaw, co-promoter of Dzinziruk: “Boxing is all about the best fighting the best. No one wants to see easy fights. When great fighters fight great fighters, that is when boxing is at its best. Everyone in Europe knows about Sergiy Dzinziruk, and after March 12 everyone [in America] will know about him as well. Sergiy Dzinziruk will be the next middleweight champion of the world.”

Artie Pelullo, co-promoter of Dzinziruk: “I think that this is going to be a great fight. Martinez and Dzinziruk are two of the best fighters in the world fighting at the prime of their lives.”

For more information about DiBella Entertainment, including a list of all upcoming bouts, please visit www.dbe1.com, or follow Lou DiBella on twitter, @loudibella.

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