TOP SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS DELIVER SUPER SIX PREDICTIONS; FOUR OF FIVE FAVOR ANDRE WARD TO DEFEAT CARL FROCH IN THE FINAL ON SHOWTIME®

Posted on | December 15, 2011 | No Comments

Telecast Airs LIVE this Saturday, Dec. 17 at 9 p.m. ET / PT (delayed on the West Coast)

NEW YORK (Dec. 15, 2011) – Saturday’s blockbuster super middleweight showdown between Super Six World Boxing Classic finalists Andre Ward and Carl Froch has captivated the attention of the boxing world – especially those in the 168-pound division. Andre Dirrell, Arthur Abraham, Glen Johnson and Lucian Bute are predicting World Boxing Association super middleweight champion Ward (24-0, 13 KOs) will be the last man standing and proudly lifting the inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic Cup in victory come Saturday, Dec. 17, from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J., live on SHOWTIME^® (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

Of the recently polled crop of 168-pounders, only Mikkel Kessler feels Froch (28-1, 20 KOs) has what it takes to hand Ward his first career loss.

Kessler and Abraham are the only boxers who have faced both Super Six finalists.

Dirrell, who served as Ward’s Olympic teammate in 2004 and suffered a tough split-decision loss to Froch early in the Super Six, feels Ward will not be influenced by Froch’s past fights and will stick to a carefully laid-out game plan.

 “Ward will make his own assessments from the fights that Froch has had,” Dirrell said. “I believe that Froch has gotten better since he fought me. I believe he’s grown with each fight so it will be a different fight. You could take the game plan that I had and use it against Froch. But Andre Ward is pretty set with his own game plan.”

Dirrell plans to see if his assessments are correct in person. He and his younger brother Anthony – also an aspiring super middleweight contender – will be ringside for The Final. Also expected in attendance are Bute and Kessler.

Here’s what a host of top super middleweights had to say about Saturday night’s fight, along with their individual results facing the Super Six finalists:

ANDRE DIRRELL:

Super Six Result: Lost split-decision to Froch (Oct. 17, 2009);

“My sense is going toward Ward. I believe Ward will win it – not just because he is a smart fighter but because when it’s time to battle, he knows how to battle. But ultimately, his smarts come into play. He knows how to handle these fighters. It’s almost like he dissects them. He’s pretty in tune to this sport. In every fight he’s had in the Super Six, he’s switched up his game plan and they worked to perfection. He has a game plan for Froch as well. It won’t be easy. I honestly believe there will be a cut in the fight. Andre Ward has his tactics and Froch has his tactics so it’s going to be a rough fight, maybe a few bumps and bruises. But overall, I see Andre Ward winning it.

“This tournament right here, this Final right here, both fighters will be put up on the pedestal win or lose. The greatest fighters in this division were in this tournament. Both Ward and Froch have proven themselves very well. Regardless if they win or lose, they’ll both have big things to come after the tournament. I hope for the best for both of them, honestly. “

ARTHUR ABRAHAM:

Super Six Result: Lost unanimous decision to Froch (Nov. 27, 2010) and Ward (May 14, 2011).

“I think Andre Ward is going to win on points. He is tactically better and his style is hard to fight against. I don’t think many fans like his style, though.

“Winning the Super Six tournament will be huge for the winner.

“To be considered the top of the division, the winner should fight Kessler.”

MIKKEL KESSLER:

Super Six Result: Lost technical decision to Ward (Nov. 21, 2009); Won unanimous decision over Froch (April 24, 2010).

“If he does his homework, I think Carl Froch is going to win. He is very strong and he wants to fight. Ward is good and fast, too, but I think Froch will win. He will have learned from the mistakes I did against Ward. So many things went wrong for me that night. Another advantage for Froch is the tournament history – he had some very tough fights that made him even stronger. So my pick is Froch.

“Winning the Super Six tournament will be as good as it gets. That is what we all have been fighting for. The winner will be one of the bests – not the best because he still has to fight me to prove he is the ultimate champion.”

GLEN JOHNSON:

Super Six Result: Lost a majority decision to Froch (June 4, 2011)

“The event means everything to the division.  It gave the super middleweight division the most attention – it’s everything.  It’s a launching pad, a stage where the best can fight the best and stars are made.  There’s no way the division would get this much attention without the tournament and these fights would never have happened.  It’s been a wonderful thing for not just the super middleweight division but also for boxing.   

“I have to go with Ward in The Final. He’s the only guy who’s undefeated in the tournament and he’s found a way to win. You’ve got to give him the biggest chance because of all the guys that fought the top fighters, he’s the only one who stayed undefeated at that level.

“Froch has a puncher’s chance, that’s the only chance I can give him. I don’t think he can win on points – he’s not a fast guy and he doesn’t throw a lot of combinations.  Ward has a tough style and Froch is going to have to land some big punches to change the opinion of the crowd.  And even though they are both champions, he’s going to have to beat the champ to win.  You’ll have to beat Ward to get that credit, and I just don’t see that happening.

“I don’t think Froch is fast enough to keep up with Ward’s combos.  There are some people who think Ward has a soft chin, but I don’t think it’s necessarily true.  Early on in his career Ward hadn’t adjusted with how to get hit without headgear, but now he has and Froch will only have a puncher’s chance to capture the Super Six Cup.”

LUCIAN BUTE, Current Undefeated IBF Super Middleweight World Champion:

“In my opinion, I think Andre Ward will be the winner of the Super Six. He is a smart fighter with good skills and he will avoid the power punch of Carl Froch. The fight on Dec. 17 is huge for the 168-pound division. I want to face the champion of this classic and really reign over the super middleweight division. I’m ready to fight Ward or Froch anywhere, anytime.”

The event is promoted by Goossen Tutor Promotions, Matchroom Sport and Antonio Leonard Promotions, in association with Caesars Atlantic City and sponsored by Corona.

Tickets are on sale at the Boardwalk Hall box office or by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 736-1420 or online at ticketmaster.com. All tickets purchased for the original event date will be honored on Dec. 17.  If ticket holders are not able to attend on Dec. 17, refunds are available at the point of purchase. The non-televised undercard begins at 6 p.m. ET.

ABOUT SUPER SIX WORLD BOXING CLASSIC

The inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic is a ground-breaking, six-fighter tournament from SHOWTIME Sports® featuring the class of the super middleweight (168-pound) division from around the world. All bouts in the Super Six tournament will be contested under the Unified Rules of Boxing. Each boxer fights three bouts against different opponents in the field in the points-based Group Stage of competition (Win – 2 pts with a 1-pt bonus for KO/TKO; Loss – 0 pts; Draw – 1 pt.). After the Group Stage, the four fighters with the highest point totals will advance to the single-elimination Semifinals. The winners of the Semifinal bouts will advance to the Final and fight for the inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic Cup.

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, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. 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®. 

Steve Molitor’s Unfinished Business Put up or shut up time for Sebastian Gauthier

Posted on | December 15, 2011 | No Comments

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario (December 15, 2011) — Two-time world super bantamweight champion Steve “The Canadian Kid” Molitor has picked out the perfect Christmas present for provincial rival Sebastian Gauthier, wrapped with a bow on top and even delivered it to Quebec City. Unfortunately, at least for now, the gift remains unopened.   Last month in Gauthier’s backyard, after Molitor (34-2, 12 KOs) won a 10-round split decision on the Lucian Bute-Glenn Johnson card at Pepsi Center in Quebec City, Team Gauthier loudly complained about an unfair outcome and requested an immediate rematch. Team Molitor has officially offered a rematch February 11 to Gauthier (21-3, 13 KOs) at Hershey Centre in Mississauga, Ontario, which is where Steve lives and trains.   “It was a fairly easy fight for me,” Molitor said, “other than for the massive cut over my eye that I got from a head-butt in the first round. The cut bled into my eye (left) the whole fight and it was difficult for me to see. I hurt him a few times but couldn’t stick to my plan because of all the blood in my eye. It riled me a little and I lost my train of thought. I’ve been boxing 23 years and knew that a cut above the eye wasn’t dangerous or reason to stop the fight. I was a little worried about that, though, when the doctor checked me right before the 10th round.   “After the decision was announced, they thought he won or that it should have been a draw. But there was no real controversy because I knew that, hands down, I had won. The only judge that didn’t have me winning had the same last name as my opponent. Gauthier said he wanted a rematch and I said, no problem, but we’ll fight this time in Mississauga.”   In recent media reports, however, Gauthier has seemingly taken a side step, claiming that he now wants to fight Molitor sometime down the road. What apparently fueled talk about the decision being controversial may be attributed to French-Canadian television announcer Russ Anber’s posting of round-by-round scoring on in-house screens at the venue, which was viewed by 15,000 emotionally-charged hometown fans supporting Gauthier, who wore merchandise and used equipment by Rival Boxing, a Canadian company co-founded by Anber. All three judges scored the bout, 96-94, but the lone official who ruled in Gauthier’s favor, incidentally, was indeed Jean Gauthier.   “Gauthier talked the talk but he doesn’t walk the walk,” Molitor expressed his thoughts about why Sebastian hasn’t accepted the Feb. 11th fight offer. “That’s what separates him from being a world-class fighter. I don’t need Sebastian Gauthier; he needs me to be considered a world-class fighter. I’m already proven.   “There’s a lot of action in my division with (WBA champion Rico) Ramos fighting (WBA Interim champion Guillermo Rigondeaux) and it looks like (WBC & WBO champion Nonito) Donaire is fighting (Wilfredo) Vasquez in February. My division is congested at the top. I want to stay busy, stay active, so I’m going to squash this guy (Gauthier) February 11th to settle things once and for all. I won’t be satisfied unless I knock him out this fight.   “I hope he (Gauthier) will do what he said (fight a rematch) he would. He needs to strap on shoes and hit the road. I won my first title on the road and defended my belt on the road, too. That’s what it takes to be part of the elite group of boxers, going against a home crowd and hometown judging. I was asked about fighting Sebastian Gauthier in Quebec City and accepted without hesitation.”   Molitor was a five-time Canadian National amateur champion who first captured the International Boxing Federation (“IBF”) Super Bantamweight title in 2006 in his 23rd pro fight at the age of 26. The stylish southpaw traveled to the United Kingdom, where Steve stopped hometown favorite and previously unbeaten Michael Hunter (26-0-1) for the vacant title.   Molitor successfully defended his crown five times during the next two years against, respectfully, 27-3 Takalani Ndlovu (TKO9), 56-8-1 Fahsan 3K Battery (DEC12), 34-4 Ricardo Castillo (DEC12), 30-2-1 Fernando Beltran, Jr. (DEC12) and 18-0 Ceferino Dario Labarda (TKO10).   In 2010, Molitor recaptured the IBF title by winning a 12-round decision in a rematch against Ndlovu, followed by a title-defense victory in the United Kingdom versus 35-5 Jason Booth, before losing by decision to Ndlovu last April in South Africa, completing their trilogy.   Now 31 and an 11 ½-year veteran, Molitor is rated No. 12 by the IBF but No. 7 by The Ring magazine, which has ranked Steve in its top 10 for more than six years.   “I’m a lot smarter now,” Molitor commented. “Over the years, I’ve learned a lot through the trials and tribulations of boxing. I train everyday with a 21 year old, Samuel Vargas, and I can keep up with the young cats, no problem. I’m right where I want to be.”   That’s assuming, of course, that Gauthier steps-up and accepts the challenge that he requested to fight Molitor again.

OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN FOR PROFESSIONAL BOXING AT MANDALAY BAY TODAY

Posted on | December 15, 2011 | No Comments

 Today: Thursday, December 15 at 5:00 p.m.

The official weigh-in for the Sampson Boxing in Association with Promociones del Pueblo night of boxing at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Friday, December 16, will be held TODAY Thursday, December 15, at 5:00 pm in Mizuya Sushi & Sake, located inside Mandalay Bay.

Mandalay Bay Resort is located at 3950 Las Vegas Boulevard South.

Show Information:

Rubio Faces Vanda at WBC Convention in Vegas

On December 16, and to coincide with the WBC Convention, Sampson Boxing in Association with Promociones del Pueblo will proudly present a night of world-class professional boxing featuring five regional title fights at the fabulous Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In the night’s potentially explosive 12-round middleweight main event, WBC #1 and WBO #3-rated Marco Antonio Rubio (52-5-1, 45 KOs) of Coahuila de Zaragoza, Mexico, will risk his lofty rankings against Saint Paul, Minnesota’s always tough Matt “The Predator” Vanda (44-13, 24 KOs). The two veterans will be vying for the vacant WBC Latino middleweight title.

In the 10-round co-featured bout, hot featherweight prospect Javier Fortuna (17-0, 13 KOs) from La Romana, Dominican Republic, will make the second defense of his WBC Youth Intercontinental featherweight title against Miguel Roman (37-8, 28 KOs) from Juarez, Mexico.

On the fiercely competitive undercard, Panama City, Panama’s Azael “Turbo” Cosio (12-1-2, 9 KOs) will go against Oklahoma City’s Ronnie “The Natural” Warrior Jr (13-5-1, 4 KOs) in a 10-round welterweight scrap for the WBC Latino welterweight title.

Somebody’s “O” must go in a couple of other clashes.

Undefeated Samuel Rogers (10-0, 5 KOs) from the US Virgin Islands will face also undefeated  Jamar Freeman (9-0-2, 5 KOs) from Wilson, North Carolina, in a 10-round fight for the vacant WBC FECARBOX light middleweight title; and undefeated knockout artist John Jackson (11-0, 10 KOs) from St. Thomas, Virgin Islands will take on undefeated Keandre Leatherwood (9-0, 6 KOs) from Birmingham, Alabama, in a 10-round fight for the vacant WBC Youth World light middleweight title.

Rounding out the action will be a special six-round female super featherweight attraction between Las Vegas-based southpaw Laura “La Poeta del Ring” Serrano (17-4-2, 6 KOs) and Jamestown, New York’s Ela “Bam Bam” Nunez (10-11-1, 2 KOs).

This event is sponsored by Corona.

Tickets are priced at $100 ringside and $25 General Admission and are available at the Mandalay Bay box office and online at www.mandalaybay.com.

About Sampson Boxing

Sampson Lewkowicz has been the recipient of many awards for his outstanding work in professional boxing including World Boxing Organization Matchmaker of the Year (2003 to 2009), the first ever World Boxing Association Matchmaker of the Decade (2000-2010), as well as several awards from the World Boxing Council.

He was also the recipient of a Curbed Sabre by the Minister of Sports of Indonesia and has received municipal awards by mayors of several localities in The Philippines, California, Puerto Rico, Thailand, Israel and Uruguay.

Today Sampson Boxing is a general partner in over 340 promotions and works with the top promoters of the USA, Europe, Asia, South Africa, Central America, South America, New Zealand and Australia.

BIG-TIME BOXING DOUBLEHEADER LANDS IN THE LONE STAR STATE TO KICK OFF 2012 AS MEXICAN LEGEND ERIK “EL TERRIBLE” MORALESFACES UNDEFEATED RISING STAR DANNY “SWIFT” GARCIA ON JANUARY 28 FOR THE WBC SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE AT RELIANT ARENA IN HOUSTON LIVE ON HBO BOXING AFTER DARK

Posted on | December 15, 2011 | No Comments

PLUS, TEXAS NATIVE JAMES “MANDINGO WARRIOR” KIRKLAND FACES

HARD-HITTING “KING” CARLOS MOLINA IN A

JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHT CO-FEATURED BOUT

HOUSTON, TEX. (December 15) – To kick off the 2012 boxing year, Golden Boy Promotions and Box Latino Promotions will deliver a night of boxing that no fight fan will want to miss when future Hall of Famer Erik “El Terrible” Morales defends his WBC Super Lightweight title against unbeaten Philadelphian Danny “Swift” Garcia and James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland, fresh off of his thrilling fight against Alfredo Angulo, battles “King” Carlos Molina on Saturday, Jan. 28 at Reliant Arena in Houston, Texas in an HBO Boxing After Dark televised doubleheader that airs at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

Tickets, priced at $250, $125, $75, $50 and $25, go on sale on Saturday, December 17 at 10:00 a.m. CT and may be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets, by calling (800) 745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets will also be available for purchase at the Reliant Stadium box office south ticket windows.

“Danny Garcia is a strong, fast, young fighter,” said Morales.  “I have always said that I want to fight the best.  Garcia is one of boxing’s future stars and is highly rated, but I feel I will beat him without any problem.  His time is not now.”

“To be able to face legend like Erik Morales and headline an HBO fight card is what I have been waiting for my whole life,” said Garcia. “I am going to work hard and make a statement on national television that I have what it takes to not only face one of the greats, but to beat him too.”

“I am thrilled to be fighting in my home state of Texas,” Kirkland said. “2011 was a whirlwind year for me and I am looking forward to kicking off 2012 on top. Molina is tough, but I am tougher. I want to keep this winning streak going and I’m not going to let anyone stop it.”

“James Kirkland is capable of being stopped,” Molina said. “We saw it in April and we will see it again in January. I am confident in my abilities and I know that with hard work, I will be the one with my hand raised at the end of the fight.”

There were some skeptics when former Three-Division World Champion Erik “El Terrible” Morales (52-7, 36 KO’s) returned from a three year layoff in 2010, but after three wins that year, Tijuana’s “El Terrible” truly showed that he was back in 2011 with a Fight of the Year candidate against Marcos Maidana in April and a 10^th round stoppage of unbeaten Pablo Cesar Cano that earned him the WBC Super Lightweight Title in a historic fourth divisional world title. On Jan. 28, the 35-year-old will look to defeat another unbeaten young gun in #2 rated WBC contender Danny Garcia.

Twenty-three-year old Philadelphian Danny “Swift” Garcia (22-0, 14 KO’s) knows that being a fighter from the City of Brotherly Love means putting it all on the line every time you step into the ring. Thus far, no one has been able to stop the rise of this talented young fighter, and after back-to-back wins over former World Champions Nate Campbell and Kendall Holt in 2011, he’s ready for his big opportunity to turn a current world champion into a former world champion when he faces the legendary Morales in Houston in his HBO debut.

The year 2011 was a tumultuous one for Texas knockout artist James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland (30-1, 27 KO’s). After being out of the ring for nearly two years, “The Mandingo Warrior” returned with two quick knockout wins before ending up on the wrong side of a knockout against Nobuhiro Ishida. Undeterred, Kirkland bounced back with two knockout wins before his epic November battle with Alfredo Angulo in which he rose off the canvas in the first round and roared back to stop the rugged Mexican battler in six rounds. In January, the 27-year-old southpaw will look to begin his title run with a win over Carlos Molina.

A native of Patzcuaro, Mexico, 28-year-old “King” Carlos Molina (19-4-2, 6 KO’s) didn’t receive a lot of praise on his way up as a pro, but when he battled Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. to a draw in 2005 in a fight many believed Molina won, people started paying attention. He would lose his next three bouts to the 23-0-1 Chavez, 10-0 Wayland Willingham and 15-0 Mike Alvarado, but from then on, Molina hasn’t lost a step or a bout, going 11-0-1 including a draw against Erislandy Lara and, in his most recent bout in July of 2011, a win over former World Champion Kermit Cintron.

Morales vs. Garcia is a 12-round bout for Morales’ WBC Super Lightweight World Title and will take place on Saturday, January 28 at Reliant Arena in Houston, Tex. The co-featured bout will be between James Kirkland and Carlos Molina in a junior middleweight showdown. The evening of boxing is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Box Latino with Kirkland vs. Molina being presented in association with Warrior’s Boxing and Promotions. The HBO Boxing After Dark broadcast begins at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

A full undercard will be announced shortly.  For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.reliantpark.com, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/terrible100, www.twitter.com/dannyswift, www.twitter.com/reliantpark or visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing or www.facebook.com/reliantparkfan.  Follow HBO Boxing news at www.hbo.com/boxing, on Twitter@hboboxing and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/hboboxing.

SHOWTIME® AND STRIKEFORCE® REACH NEW PROGRAMMING AGREEMENT FOR LIVE MMA EVENTS ON THE PREMIUM NETWORK

Posted on | December 15, 2011 | No Comments

New Deal Kicks Off on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012 with ROCKHOLD vs. JARDINE

Plus, All STRIKEFORCE Preliminary Fights

to Air Live on SHOWTIME EXTREME^®

NEW YORK (Dec. 15, 2011)—Showtime Networks Inc. and world championship mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion STRIKEFORCE^® have entered into a new broadcast agreement to continue producing live MMA events on the premium television network, SHOWTIME. The agreement was announced jointly today by Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports^®, Dana White, UFC^®President, and Scott Coker, STRIKEFORCE CEO. 

Under the new agreement, SHOWTIME will produce and televise up to eight live events. STRIKEFORCE athletes such as lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez, middleweight champion Luke Rockhold, women’s featherweight champion Cris “Cyborg” Santos, women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate and other world-class MMA fighters will continue to compete for the organization on SHOWTIME.

The new deal kicks off during the network’s Free Preview Weekend, Saturday, Jan. 7, as champion Rockhold defends the STRIKEFORCE 185-pound title against dangerous veteran Keith Jardine at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, live on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Notable STRIKEFORCE contenders such asRobbie Lawler, “King Mo” Lawal and Tyron Woodley are also set to compete on the televised card, which—as part of Free Preview Weekend—will be available in more than 60 million households nationwide across SHOWTIME, SHOWTIME HD™ and SHOWTIME On Demand^®.

Beginning with the Jan. 7 card, SHOWTIME will also televise undercard fights for all STRIKEFORCE events live onSHOWTIME EXTREME. The live SHO Extreme preliminary telecasts will afford network subscribers with expanded live fight coverage by up to two hours and provide invaluable exposure for the sport’s next generation of STRIKEFORCE contenders.

Under the new deal, the World Grand Prix Heavyweight Tournament champion will be determined when Josh Barnett battles Daniel Cormier. The winner will compete again on SHOWTIME under the STRIKEFORCE banner in the months to follow.

“Since its advent on SHOWTIME in 2007, live mixed martial arts has always performed well with our subscribers, particularly in the younger demographics,” said Espinoza, who now heads the division of the network responsible for programming live boxing, studio shows from National Football League and NASCAR as well as multiple sports documentary series. “As the one and only premium network in the MMA business, we are proud to renew our commitment to the sport and to our partners at Strikeforce.  This agreement ensures that we can continue to deliver the edge-of-your-seat programming that each live MMA event produces in the New Year and beyond.

“This exciting announcement could not have come at a better time,” he continued. “During our nationwide Free Preview Weekend a whole new crop of MMA fans will have the opportunity to sample the Strikeforce brand free of charge.”

“We’re excited about this renewal with SHOWTIME and I expect to put on some big STRIKEFORCE events next year,” White said.  “I never thought I would say this, but I am very much looking forward to building STRIKEFORCE and working very closely with SHOWTIME.”

“SHOWTIME has been a great TV partner for us and we’re happy to renew our agreement with them,” Coker said. “Together, we’ve put on some really amazing events and we’re going to keep doing that with this new deal. We have a great core of talented fighters on our roster and MMA fans are in for a real treat.”

STRIKEFORCE^®: MELENDEZ vs. MASVIDAL airs live on SHOWTIME this Saturday at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on West Coast) as lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez defends the title against hard-hitting contender Jorge Masvidal. In the night’s co-main event, women’s featherweight champion Cris “Cyborg” Santos meets gifted Japanese star Hiroko Yamanaka.

Ring of Fire 42 Toy Drive

Posted on | December 15, 2011 | No Comments

ROF 42 TOY DRIVE   On Saturday Dec 17th from 5:00-6:00 pm ROFMMA will be hosting a FIGHTER SIGNING to benefit the CARE 4 COLORADO TOY DRIVE. WHAT: ROF 42 FIGHTER SIGNING/TOY DRIVE   WHEN: Saturday, December 17th, 2011, 5:00-6:00 PM   WHERE: 1ST BANK CENTER, West entrance   WHO: UFC star Donald COWBOY Cerrone, UFC star Duane BANG Ludwig, UFC star Ed Herman, Bellator Champion Joe Warren, UFC vet Eliot Marshall, UFC vet Chris Cammozi, and ROF Star Brandon RUKUS Thatch     Come to the west entrance of the 1ST BANK CENTER on Saturday Dec 17th from 5:00pm-7:00pm. You DO NOT need a ROF 42 ticket to participate. If you bring a toy for donation, or a minimum $5.00 donation, you will be able to meet the fighters, get autographs, pose for pictures, etc. Don’t miss this chance to get up close and personal with some of the best fighters on the planet…and help a great cause along the way.   You will also be given a $5.00 off discount coupon for the ROF 42 event that night (new customers only). 100% of the proceeds and all collected toys will be given to CARE 4 COLORADO officials on Sunday, Dec 18th.   If you can’t make the FIGHTER SIGNING/TOY DRIVE and still want to help the cause Toys will be collected through December 25 at any Kings Soopers location. Most of the donated items will be distributed at Boys & Girls Clubs’ holiday parties scheduled for December 19 – 23. Additional donated items will be used throughout the year in all of the Clubs as prizes for the Power Hour learning center program, where kids can earn prizes for doing homework and helping around the Club.   ADDRESS: 11450 Broomfield Lane Broomfield, Colorado 80021

ROF 42 WHO’S NEXT OFFICIAL WEIGH IN INFORMATION   We are proud to announce our partnership with OAK TAVERN as they will host the OFFICIAL ROF 42: WHO’S NEXT WEIGH IN.   WHAT: ROF 42 OFFICIAL WEIGH IN WHEN: Friday, December 16th, 2011, 7:00 PM   WHERE: OAK TAVERN Downtown Denver Come on over to the ROF 42: WHO’S NEXT OFFICIAL WEIGH IN at OAK TAVERN Downtown Denver. The event is open to the public so grab your camera and watch as the fighters weigh in, and get nose to nose for the first time. There is no better place to be to get pumped up for Saturday night’s event.   ADDRESS: 1416 Market Street, Denver, CO 80202 phone: 303-888-0655

‘Kountermove’ Fantasy MMA Movement Backed by Randy Couture Gains Momentum

Posted on | December 15, 2011 | No Comments

San Francisco, CA. – December 15, 2011 – The Kountermove Fantasy MMA movement has gained some serious momentum in the MMA community. The site, Kountermove.com, backed in part by UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture, gives members the opportunity to test their MMA knowledge and prediction skills against other fans for the chance to win a designated prize pool of real money. It is the first and only MMA fantasy site where fans can win real money prizes.

According to Aaron Ard, founder of Kountermove, “We hope that Kountermove is lots of fun for MMA fans, and that it helps fans discover and really connect with fighters, especially up-and-coming fighters.”

Kountermove’s fantasy MMA games work very similar to fantasy football. Members draft a team of fighters and compete with that team against other Kountermove players in their game. Members have a $25,000 “salary cap” when drafting their fantasy team of fighters, each fighter has a “salary” designated by Kountermove. Members choose from fee or entry fee games of varying sizes.

Winners and losers are then determined by fantasy points based on each fighter’s performance – strikes landed, submission attempts, knockdowns, dominant positions, rounds won, and knockout or submission bonuses.

The place winners in each game are determined by total fantasy points earned by their team of fighters during the event. Each game is based on stats, not over all wins like a simple pick’em game, therefore even if a fighter on a member’s fantasy team loses; it is still possible for that member to win the game.

All entry fees are added into a prize pool that is divided among the league’s winners at the end of the game. After each event, Kountermove updates game results by listing the points members received for that event, the rankings, and prize pool winnings.

The Kountermove scoring system:
–  Significant Strikes Landed: .5 points each

–  Takedown or Reversal: 2 points each

–  Submission Attempts: 3 points each

–  Knockdowns: 3 points each

–  Dominant Position: 2 points each

–  Victory by Knockout, Submission, DQ, or other: 100 points (1st Round); 75 points (2nd Round); 50 points (3rd, 4th, or 5th Round)

The numbers from UFC 140 demonstrate that Kountermove’s Fantasy MMA movement is definitely gaining traction in the MMA community. Over 1,500 players entered Kountermove games this weekend- four times as many players as the Kountermove fantasy MMA tournaments played for UFC 139.

Kountermove awarded over $4,500 in cash prizes to winning players over the UFC 140 weekend. Randy “The Natural” Couture even joined in on the tournament play and ranked a respectable 16th in a 50 player Kountermove Fantasy MMA tournament sponsored by MMA H.E.A.T.

To find out how they do the “math” at Kountermove, check out the latest ‘Kountermove Math Class‘ video here:http://youtu.be/Zsnjs8g6itY To get tips from a hot math teacher on how to draft YOUR Kountermove Fantasy MMA Team visit: http://youtu.be/2-T9OjWB2ZQ.

Join the Kountermove movement at www.kountermove.com. Learn more about How It Works on the Kountermove website as well.

OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN TOMORROW MOVED TO 4 PM ET

Posted on | December 15, 2011 | No Comments

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