XFC 24 Dave Courchaine vs Luis Santos Live on Axstv Article by J. Hobbs

Xtreme Fighting Championships is excited to announce the signing of rising star “Insane” Dave Courchaine (15-5), to its already stacked Welterweight Division.  Courchaine hails from Cheney, Washington and trains out of Spokane’s School of Boxing and MMA.  The “Insane” one is currently riding an 8 fight win streak, with only 3 of those bouts making it out of the 1st round.  Courchaine was a decorated high school wrestler, earning Washington’s High School Wrestler of the Decade Award. He also owns a perfect 10-0 boxing record.

When asked about his long term, multi-fight contract with the XFC, Dave Courchaine had this to say: “This is a great opportunity. It feels so good to have a home now, and great to know that I have a job for the next couple years. I want to show the world exactly who I am, and now I can do that.  I also want to take this moment to thank a few people, if it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be here talking about this huge opportunity that sits in front of me. First and foremost, I want to thank my fiancé Kharis. She continues to stand behind me and support me every day. I also want to thank all my training partners and sponsors. You are all an important part of my success.”

XFC President John Prisco had this to add, in regards to his recent acquisition: “I’m really excited about this signing. Dave is one of the top free agents out there. When you look at our Welterweight Division, it’s hard to think that adding one guy could make it that much better, but that’s what signing Courchaine just did.”

Wasting no time, the XFC quickly booked Courchaine for its June 14th homecoming show, XFC 24: Collision Course. In the Feature Fight of the Night, the Tampa crowd will be treated to a match up that has immediate title implications, when “Insane” Dave Courchaine takes on Luis “Sapo” Santos. Santos was last seen, briefly, at XFC 23, where he dismantled Shamar Bailey in just 62 seconds of the 1st round. “A fight is a fight man. I really didn’t care who they were asking me to step in with”, said Courchaine. “It’s the XFC…It didn’t matter who it was, it wasn’t gonna be easy, so it really didn’t matter. Everybody in the division is tough.”  When questioned about the reason behind the Couchaine/Santos match up, Prisco was assertive with his answer: “You don’t have a Dave Courchaine and Sapo Santos on your roster and let this match up sit on the shelf for a later date. The Tampa card was already stacked from top to bottom and we just made it better!”

XFC 24: Collision Course will be broadcast to over 40 million homes live on AXS TV from the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida. For tickets and fight card information, visit www.OfficialXFC.com/XFC24

 Article by J. Hobbs

Dave Courchaine signs multifight deal with the XFC

Closing out the afternoon from the corporate office in Tampa, XFC President announced to media officials that the XFC has signed rising star ”Insane” Dave Courchaine (15-5) to a long term, multi-fight deal, as the newest Welterweight in the XFC division.

Courchaine is currently riding a 7 fight win streak and will enter one of the toughest divisions in MMA, amongst the likes of Luis Santos (54-8), Ricky Rainey (7-1), Shamar Bailey, Ryan Thomas, Roger Carroll, Joseph Corneroli,  & several others who are all looking to get their shot at the inaugural Welterweight Title set to be crowned this December at Night of Champions III.

Wasting no time, Courchaine has been called to action and is set to face the divisions top prospect, Luis “Sapo” Santos, on June 14th at XFC 24: Collision Course.  The bout will be the Feature Fight of the evening and will be broadcast to over 40 million homes live on AXS TV from the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida. For tickets and fight card information, visit www.OfficialXFC.com/XFC24

Check out  more current news at www.OfficialXFC.com

XFC 24 Kevin Forant vs Eric Reynolds Live on Axstv

In 2001, Florida became home to professional sports greatest nickname, when Lakeland’s own Rod “He Hate Me” Smart captivated football audiences in the XFL. On June 14th, Smart will have to concede that title, when Xtreme Fighting Championships presents a showdown between two of the sports best lightweights, Kevin “The Master of Cool” Forant and Eric “It’s a Wrap” Reynolds, Live on AXS TV, from the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida.

At 31 years old, North Carolina’s Kevin Forant (5-0) has started his 6th, and arguably most important, professional training camp. The man that will be waiting for him, and looking to blemish his perfect record at XFC 24, is the younger yet more experienced Eric Reynolds.  Forant, a Team Hayastan-IMB product, last entered the XFC cage at XFC 19: Charlotte Showdown. It was there, that he ground out a unanimous decision over Joe Elmore in front of his hometown crowd.  XFC 24 will mark the first time “The Master of Cool” has left the comforts of the Carolinas, as he plays the role of visiting team, in Reynolds home state of Florida.  Forant has displayed a well-rounded set of skills in route to an undefeated record, but Eric Reynolds is unquestionably Kevin Forant’s most challenging opponent to date.  Will Forant stay “Cool” and walk away with his 6th professional victory, or will June 14th be a “Wrap” on his perfect record?

Eric Reynolds (16-6) is no stranger to big lights and television cameras. After starting his pro career in 2007, with an impressive 9-0 record, Reynolds has been at home in the spotlight.  After brilliant performances in 2012 against Luciano Dos Santos and Lorenzo Borgomeo, Reynolds earned a shot at XFC gold at the promotions end of year extravaganza, Night of Champions II.  It was there he suffered a shocking loss to Nick Newell and now finds himself searching for redemption.  The climb back to the top of the XFC Lightweight Division won’t be an easy one. Standing immediately in the way of another title shot is the gritty, blue collared, North Carolina stand out Kevin Forant.  The battle-tested Reynolds looks to show the world that his best fights are still ahead of him, and that he isn’t quite ready to pass the torch to Forant. The question is, will Forant wait for it to be passed or will he take it from Reynolds in his own back yard?

“This is a huge fight for Eric Reynolds” said XFC President John Prisco. “How he responds coming off the title fight loss could set the tone for the rest of his career. Will he always be the contender who fell one fight short of the belt, or, will he climb his way back to the top and show everyone he is the champion we all know he can be? Eric is one of the most talented guys on our roster. He has all the tools to be a champion, but he is in a position now where he is gonna have to fight off all these young lions trying to take his spot near the top.” When asked about Kevin Forant, the XFC boss had this to say: “You better not sleep on Kevin Forant. Don’t let this guy’s age and experience fool you. He is in phenomenal shape and a hell of an athlete. He may be in his 30’s, but his body hasn’t taken the years of beating that most fighters his age have. He’s fresh, healthy and hungry. That’s a dangerous combination when you add that to the skill level he possesses. This fight could have very easily been the Main or Co-Main on any other card. The Tampa crowd is in for a treat with this one, I feel it.”

Xtreme Fighting Championships makes its way back to Tampa, Florida for XFC 24: Collision Course on June 14, 2013. The event is presented by ICRealTime Security Solutions and ThroatPunch Ind. Apparel. The event will be broadcast Live on AXS TV from the beautiful USF SunDome, beginning at 9pm. For more information on the event, or, to purchase tickets, visit www.officialxfc.com. For daily updates and news, follow this event and the XFC on Facebook and Twitter @OfficialXFC.

Article by J. Hobbs – XFC

Article by J. Hobbs

Check out  more current news at www.OfficialXFC.com

SINGAPORE (May 7, 2013) – Twenty-seven year-old martial arts fighting superstar Tyrone “King of the Ring” Spong (69-6-1 43 KOs) of Boca Raton, Fla. via Suriname will compete in the one-night, single-elimination GLORY 9 New York tournament featuring a lineup of the world’s top light heavyweight (209 pounds/95 kilograms) kickboxers, at Hammerstein Ballroom at Manhattan Center in New York City on Saturday, June 22, Glory Sports International (GSI) announced today.

“We are excited to enter Tyrone into this historic, first GLORY championship series event in the U.S. that will determine who is physically and mentally the top athlete in kickboxing’s light heavyweight division,” said Glory Sports International CEO Andrew Whitaker.

“Tyrone’s recent performances in the ring have distinguished him as one of the best and most powerful martial arts fighters in the world who can showcase our great sport at its highest level,” continued Whitaker, “so we look forward to seeing him compete against the other superstars who have been enlisted for action in the tournament.”

In his last GLORY start on March 23, Spong, a member of the vaunted Blackzilians fight squad that boasts the likes of fellow martial arts fighting greats Rashad Evans, Alistair Overeem and Vitor Belfort, triggered a changing of the guard in the ring at ExCel Arena in London, England, decimating Remy “The Flying Gentleman” Bonjasky, a three-time champion of the old K-1 series and one of kickboxing’s greatest athletes of all time, with a vicious right hook in the second round (2:02) of their highly-anticipated main event showdown.

The explosive KO marked Spong’s fifth consecutive kickboxing victory.  One fight prior, on June 30, 2012, Spong toppled another icon of the sport and future Hall of Famer, Peter Aerts, scoring a thunderous KO on Aerts in the third round (2:10) of their matchup in Brussels, Belgium.

Since turning professional as a middleweight in 2003 and winning 12 fights that year, Spong, a former protégé of retired heavyweight kickboxing legend Ernesto Hoost, has since climbed his way to the top in four different weight divisions.  He has faced and defeated a host of top-ranked rivals in addition to Bonjasky and Aerts, including Kaoklai Kaennorsing, Ray Sefo and Melvin Manhoef.

Tickets for GLORY 9 New York, priced from $48 (plus handling fees), are on sale at all Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com and charge-by-phone at 800-745-3000.

Also slated for battle in the star-studded, eight-man single-elimination tournament, are hard-hitting KO artist Brian Collette (19-1, 16 KOs) of Norfolk, Va.; developmental Road To GLORY USA light heavyweight tournament winner Dustin Jacoby (9-3, 7 KOs) of Arenzville, Illin.; four-time world champion Danyo Ilunga (51-4, 41 KOs) of Germany; Muay Thai sensation Filip Verlinden (40-9-1, 16 KOs) of Belgium; Aerts-protégé Mourad “The Silent Power” Bouzidi (75-20-2, 34 KOs) of Tunisia; world Muay Thai and Karate champion Steve McKinnon (42-5, 29 KOs) of Australia; and Michael Duut (38-3, 17 KOs) of The Netherlands.

The GLORY 9 New York light heavyweight tournament’s quarterfinal stage matchups will be announced soon.

In one of several Superfights also scheduled for the event, heavyweight superstar and former secret service agent Daniel “The Savage Samurai” Ghita (46-9, 35 KOs) of Romania will face Muay Thai champion Brice Guidon (28-8, 13 KOs) of France.

In other Superfight action, hard-hitting “Bazooka” Joseph Valtellini (8-1, 7 KOs) of Toronto, Ontario Canada will square off with fellow rising star Francois Ambang (9-2, 4 KOs) of Mechanicsville, Va. in a welterweight (170 pounds/77 kilograms) matchup.

Valtellini has earned six of his eight professional career victories in New York.   Ambang emerged the winner of the development, eight-man, developmental Road To GLORY USA tournament, created to identify new talent and potential future champions for GLORY’s championship series, at New York City’s Capitale on March 22.

Phil Nurse protégé Brett Hlavacek (8-1, 3 KOs) of New York, N.Y., the runner-up in the developmental Road To GLORY USA  tournament on March 22, will face three-time Muay Thai titlist Paul Marfort (10-5, 4 KOs) of Orlando, Fla. at welterweight.

Additional Superfights will be announced soon.

Doors at Hammerstein Ballroom will open at 5 p.m. EST and the first preliminary bout will begin at 6 p.m.

For more information, visit www.gloryworldseries.com.

About GLORY:

GLORY World Series (www.gloryworldseries.com) is the world’s premier kickboxing league, producing live events across the globe featuring one-night, 16-man ‘Grand Slam’ tournaments and 8-man ‘Slam’ tournaments, which are open to only the best fighters in each of six different weight classes. The fight series also includes 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, Netherlands, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and the US. 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.

SINGAPORE (May 2, 2013) – Glory Sports International (GSI), the parent company of the world’s premier kickboxing league, announced today that it will bring its developmental Road To GLORY USA tournament series established to identify America’s next great Kickboxing superstars, to the historic Rave Eagles Club Grand Ballroom, 2401 W. Wisconsin Ave in Milwaukee, WI with a one-night, 8-man, single-elimination lightweight (154 pounds/70 kilograms) tournament on Saturday, May 11, 2013. 

Advanced priced tickets for Road to GLORY USA are $35.00 GA ($40.00 door), $60.00 VIP Ringside or VIP Stage ($70.00 door) and $100.00 VIP Front Row ($110.00 door), and can be purchased in advance at Cagetix.com, NAFC.tv, The Rave/Eagles Club box office, by phone at 414-967-7767 or at the door.

The tournament is being held as part of four-time Muay Thai and kickboxing world champion and famed fight trainer Duke Roufus’ and his business partner Scott Joffe’s North American Fighting Championship (NAFC) “Knockout Kings” Muay Thai and Kickboxing show.

The winner of the Road to GLORY USA Milwaukee tournament, featuring a host of prolific prospects, will be awarded a $20,000 grand prize and a multi-year contract with GLORY, where they will have the opportunity to compete against some of the world’s elite kickboxing champions and superstars.

 “We are looking forward to continuing what has been an extremely productive and exciting search for new, undiscovered martial arts athletic talent in a country that has traditionally excelled in professional sports, but has yet to truly demonstrate its potential in the kickboxing ring,” said Glory Sports International CEO Andrew Whitaker.  “With the athletes we’ve identified in our Road To GLORY USA tournament series thus far, the stage is being set for a major, future growth spurt in American Kickboxing talent.”

Slated for action in the Road To GLORY USA lightweight tournament are KO artist Cyrus “Black Dynamite “Washington (53-21, 48 KOs) of Saginaw, MI; Shidokan Karate, boxing and Muay Thai expert Muhsin Corbbrey (33-10-2) of Tulsa, OK; Muay Thai champion Michael Mananquil (26-4-1, 8 KOs) of San Bruno, CA; battle-tested striking sensation Jose Palacios (42-10, 13 KOs) of Fremont, CA; rising star Jameel “The Real Deal” Massouh (28-9, 8 KOs) of Milwaukee; kickboxing star and police officer Dustin Johnson (17-5, 10 KOs) of Baton Rouge, LA; national and North American Muay Thai champion Ben “Stone-Man” Yelle (23-15-1, 10 KOs) of Marquette, MI; and six-time kickboxing and Muay Thai champion Troy Sheridan (19-2, 9 KOs) of Stouffville, Ontario, Canada.

A draw to determine the Road To GLORY USA lightweight tournament’s quarterfinal stage matchups will take place on a date and location to be announced soon.

In the event that any of the quarterfinal stage fight winners sustain an injury that precludes him from returning to the ring for the tournament’s semifinal stage, the winner of a tournament “alternate” bout between Gustavo Rodriguez (17-4) of Rockford, IL, and Jon Henderson (9-1) of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada will replace the injured fighter in the tournament.

Doors at The Rave Eagles Club Grand Ballroom will open for the event at 4:00 p.m. CST and the first preliminary bout begins at 4:15 p.m.

(Tampa, FL) – Xtreme Fighting Championships announces two more fighters headed for a June 14th Collision Course.  Recent Lightweight Title contender Jason “The Ronin” Hicks is set to collide with, the always dangerous, Shah Bobonis, at the promotions much talked about homecoming show.  The XFC’s 24th event takes place at the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida and can be seen Live on “Your Home for MMA”, AXS TV.

Jason Hicks (5-1), fresh off his #1 contender bout in the XFC’s Lightweight Division, jumps right into the lion’s den at 145lbs, when he faces off with Shah Bobonis. Hicks rapidly climbed the lightweight ladder after signing with the XFC, but fell one fight short of a match up with champion Nick Newell. “The Ronin” has now set his sights on the division he feels is his true home, and is focused on one thing only, featherweight gold. The man standing in the way is seasoned veteran and Georgia native, Shah Bobonis.  With Hicks well rounded arsenal, Bobonis will have to stay sharp and ready for the match up to go anywhere.

With 22 professional fights under his belt, Shah Bobonis (15-7) now makes his move from Bantamweight to Featherweight and welcomes Jason Hicks with open arms and closed fists, as they set their sites on the already stacked division. Bobonis has gone an impressive 7-1 in his last 8 fights and looks forward to the opportunity to derail any hopes Hicks may have of seeing a title fight in this weight class.  The never shy and always outspoken Shah wants to make one thing clear, “It’s not Shah Bobonis versus Jason Hicks, its Jason Hicks versus Shah Bobonis.  If he thinks he is going to drop to 145 and run through the division to a title shot, he picked the wrong guy to agree to fight in his first fight.”

XFC President and matchmaker John Prisco had this to say about the Hicks versus Bobonis matchup: “This is going to be an interesting fight, one I’m very intrigued with. Our plans were always to have Jason Hicks competing as a 145er in the XFC, but he saw the opportunities that were here in our 155lb division and wanted to be a part of it. Jason was literally one fight away from a title shot. Now, with him dropping down to 145, we’re all anxious to see what he can do there. The problem that’s staring him right in the face, though, is that our Featherweight division is just as tough and stacked as the one he just left and he isn’t getting any favors having to fight Shah in his first XFC 145lb fight. Shah has been in this game for a long time, and he’s still competing at the World’s highest level here at the XFC. Even when Bobonis is having an “off” night, he still finds a way to win the fight. Furthermore, Shah Bobonis doesn’t just sell a fight for the media, he backs it up in the cage. It’s going to be interesting to see what he has up his sleeve for Hicks.”

Xtreme Fighting Championships makes its way back to Tampa, Florida for XFC 24: Collision Course on June 14, 2013. The event is presented by ICRealTime Security Solutions and ThroatPunch Ind. Apparel and will be broadcast Live on AXS TV from the beautiful USF SunDome, beginning at 9pm. For more information on the event or to purchase tickets, visit www.officialxfc.com. For daily updates and news, follow this event and the XFC on Facebook and Twitter @OfficialXFC.

Article by J. Hobbs

Check out  more current news at www.OfficialXFC.com

02 May 2013 – Manila: ONE Fighting Championship™ (ONE FC) has formed an exclusive agreement  with Yahoo! Philippines, the number one news site in the Philippines.  Yahoo! Philippines will feature exclusive content on its website all  year long, including exclusive interviews with fighters, behind the  scenes footage and feature highlight stories.  Yahoo! readers will also  stand a chance to win a trip to future ONE FC events.

ONE FC CEO Victor Cui stated, “On behalf of ONE FC, I will like to welcome  Yahoo! Philippines on board. Yahoo! is an internationally recognizable  brand and the number one news site in the Philippines and we are beyond  excited to have Yahoo! Philippines as an official media partner. The  partnership will present unique opportunities for both parties and is  testament to the phenomenal growth that ONE FC has made. “

Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, and has 11,500 employees in 25 countries, provinces, and territories. Yahoo! Philippines is the number one web news portal in the country.

For more updates on ONE Fighting Championship™, please visit www.onefc.com and follow on Twitter @ONEFCMMA and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONEFCMMA.

About ONE Fighting Championship™

Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Fighting Championship™ (http://www.onefc.com) is Asia’s largest mixed martial arts organization. ONE Fighting  Championship™ hosts the best Asian mixed martial artists and world  champions on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Fighting  Championship™ has partnered with STAR Sports, the number one leader in  sports content, for an unprecedented 10-year cable television deal with a coverage that spans across 70+ countries in Asia.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (May 1, 2013) – On the heels of her second-career Invicta Fighting Championships “Fight of the Night” performance, crowd-pleasing, prolific striker Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith (5-3-1) of Pleasanton, Calif. has signed a new, multi-fight agreement with the women’s world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion and will drop from bantamweight (135 pounds) to flyweight (125 pounds) and challenge Jennifer Maia (7-2) of Curitiba, Brazil. at Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City on Saturday, July 13.

The winner of the Invicta FC 6 matchup between Smith and Maia will be awarded a title shot against newly crowned Invicta FC World Flyweight Champion Barb Honchak (8-2) of Bettendorf, Iowa.

“We are excited to bring Leslie under the Invicta Fighting Championships umbrella for the long-term and to watch her compete in a new weight class that is becoming super competitive in our promotion,” said Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp.  “Since we launched our live event series last year, Leslie has demonstrated incredible tenacity and athleticism by putting on some of the most memorable fights in our cage.  She is a true warrior as is her opponent Jennifer Maia, so we are looking forward to an explosive matchup between two of the sport’s stars on what will be Invicta FC’s biggest fight card to date.”

The 30-year-old Smith engaged in an all-out war with former Strikeforce champion Sarah Kaufman at Invicta FC 5 at Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City on April 5.  Following the conclusion of the three-round contest that many believe Smith won, however, Kaufman was awarded a controversial, split decision, prompting widespread boos from the displeased, capacity crowd.

Smith also won “Fight of the Night” honors at the inaugural Invicta FC event on April 28, 2012, after slugging it out relentlessly with fellow striker Kaitlin Young for the duration of their three-round bantamweight bout.  The fight was declared a majority draw, setting up a much-anticipated rematch at Invicta FC 3 on Oct. 6 that saw Smith take charge and finish Young with an onslaught of punches from mount position in the second round (2:19) of the matchup.

Maia, a 24-year-old submission specialist, notched her first victory in the Invicta FC cage with a stunning upset, unanimous decision win over superstar Zoila Frausto Gurgel on April 5.  Recognized as one of Brazil’s quickest rising stars, Maia made quick work of each of her first four professional career opponents, scoring a first round TKO (punches) in her pro debut on Suelen Pinheiro Ribeiro in 2009, and submitting each of her next three opponents inside the first round.

Tickets for Invicta FC 6: Cyborg vs. Coenen 2, go on sale soon.

In the main event of the stacked 13-bout card, ferocious KO artist and pound-for-pound sensation Cris Cyborg (11-1, 1 NC) of Curitiba, Brazil will face off with fellow superstar and submission ace Marloes Coenen (21-5) of The Netherlands in the first-ever Invicta FC world featherweight (145 pounds) championship bout.

The showdown between rivals Cyborg and Coenen marks a highly-anticipated rematch to their explosive, barnburner first fight in Sunrise, Fla. on Jan 30, 2010 in which Cyborg emerged victorious by way of TKO (punches) in the third and final scheduled round (3:40) of action.

In the co-main event, reigning Invicta FC world strawweight (115 pounds) champion Carla “Cookie Monster” Esparza (9-2) of Redondo Beach, Calif. will put her title on the line against undefeated JEWELS champion Ayaka Hamasaki (9-0) of Tokyo, Japan.

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 competitors and identifying and developing future superstars of the sport.

CAGE Warriors Fighting Championship has further boosted its rapidly expanding roster of talent with the capture of UK pair Robert Whiteford (pictured) and Mark Glover.

The duo have each signed five-fight deals that will see them compete exclusively under the Cage Warriors banner for the foreseeable future.

Whiteford (9-1), who hails from Armadale in Scotland, will soon return to action for the first time since his stunning first-round TKO victory against highly-rated Swede Martin Svensson last September.

Ranked as one of Europe’s top five featherweights, the 30-year-old is on a nine-fight win streak and also holds notable victories over the likes of Liam James and Carl Fawcett.

Whiteford, who’s affiliated to American Top Team and Glasgow’s Dinky Ninjas, said: “I’m really happy about this Cage Warriors deal. It’s been a long time coming so I’m looking forward to getting the show on the road. I’m not here to mess about.”

Glover (6-1-1), who takes on Lewis Long on Saturday at Cage Warriors 54, has been sidelined since featuring on season 15 of The Ultimate Fighter last year.

The 25-year-old Liverpool native has taken five of his six wins by submission, with the only loss on his record coming via decision at the hands of fellow former TUF contestant Michael Pastou.

“I’m very happy to be signing for Cage Warriors and I’m looking forward to plenty of exciting fights, starting this weekend in Cardiff,” said Glover.

Tom Breese (Photo: Huw Fairclough | Short & Round)

CAGE Warriors Fighting Championship has today made one of its most significant acquisitions to date by securing the signature of unbeaten English welterweight Tom Breese.

One of the UK’s top prospects having finished all six of his opponents since making his professional debut in September 2010, Breese (6-0) has inked a five-fight deal that will see him compete exclusively for Cage Warriors.

The Birmingham native, who was British Junior Wrestling Champion in 2011, picked up the biggest win of his young career back in December when he submitted Warren Kee to win the BAMMA British welterweight title.

“I’m very pleased and excited to be joining Cage Warriors and making my stamp on their welterweight division,” said Breese, who turns 22 in September.

“I look forward to fighting internationally too against world-class opponents. The past and present fighters and belt holders passing through Cage Warriors speaks for itself. Make no mistake: I’m here for gold and gold is what I’ll get.”

Following his most recent outing in December, Breese spent time at Tristar Gym in Montreal after being asked to come in as a sparring partner for UFC welterweight champion Georges St Pierre ahead of his recent successful title defence against Nick Diaz.

“Tom Breese is one of the most exciting young fighters this sport has to offer right now and I’m absolutely delighted that he has decided to take the next step in his career by signing with us” said Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan.

“A fighter of his enormous ability needs to be fighting regularly and not lying idle. We’ll give him the kind of big fights that he deserves here at Cage Warriors. This kid is going right to the top and Cage Warriors will help him to get there.”

Keep track of Cage Warriors on Facebook and Twitter for news of Tom Breese’s imminent CWFC debut.

XFC 24 Nicolae Cury vs Reggie Pena Live on Axstv

(Tampa, FL) – Summer just got hotter! Xtreme Fighting Championships has announced the co-main event, for their already highly anticipated return to The Sunshine State. Things will surely heat up, when Nicolae Cury faces off against fellow Floridian Reggie Pena, in a middleweight showdown at XFC 24, Live on AXS TV. The event takes place at the USF Sundome, in Tampa, Florida on June 14th.

The last time we saw Reggie “The Regulator” Pena (10-5), he silenced a rowdy Nashville crowd at XFC 18: Music City Mayhem, when he pulled off an impressive guillotine submission on UFC veteran John Salter. Pena has won 8 of his last 10 bouts, and looks to jump right into the XFC Middleweight Title picture with a win over the dangerous Nicolae Cury.

Nicolae “The Armor” Cury (7-4) last entertained the XFC fans at XFC 19: Charlotte Showdown, when he won a unanimous decision over last minute opponent replacement Roger Carroll. With 5 of his last 7 wins coming via submission, it’s no secret that Cury will look to get this fight to the ground, in hopes of adding Pena to the list of opponents who have tapped to the Jiu Jitsu & Judo Black Belt.

When asked about the Cury/Pena match up, XFC President John Prisco had this to say. “This bout could easily steal the show. Both these guys are well rounded and tough to finish. They are both main event fighters who have faced adversity and pulled out big wins in their last XFC fights. Cury is so dangerous on the ground with his submissions and Pena…Pena just has something about him that’s hard to explain. He is never out of a fight. He fights with such heart and has a never say die attitude. It’s going to come down to who enforces their game plan better. Will Cury get it to the ground and work his submissions, or will Reggie be able to keep the fight at a distance and work his combinations? It’s going be exciting. The winner of this fight will find themselves near the top of our middleweight division.”

Don’t miss a minute of the action! Xtreme Fighting Championships makes its way back to Tampa, Florida for XFC 24: Collision Course on June 14, 2013. The event is presented by ICRealTime Security Solutions and ThroatPunch Ind. Apparel and will be broadcast Live on AXS TV from the beautiful USF Sundome, beginning at 9pm. For more information on the event, or, to purchase tickets, visit www.officialxfc.com. For daily updates and news and to follow all the XFC fighters as they train towards the title, “Like” us on Facebook and “Follow” us on Twitter @OfficialXFC.

Article by J. Hobbs

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