VISALIA, CA –RingSport.com Fans of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighting in California’s central valley will be treated to a night of excitement at PureCombat’s “Bombs Away!” event on Friday, June 6^th in Visalia.

Headline MMA Event

In the headline event of the evening Champion Brett ‘Fudoshin’ Cooper will defend his title against Dustin ‘the Rooster’ Arden. The co-main event pits former professional boxer turned MMA fighter Hector ‘the Pride of Tulare’ Alatorre, Jr. (boxing record of 15-3) in a rematch with Elvis Franco of Hanford.

After the past weekend’s WEC dual championship defenses at ARCO Arena in Sacramento, CA by WEC Featherweight Urijah Faber and Bantamweight Miguel Torres, central valley fans are hungry for more MMA action, and PureCombat predicted tickets would sell out by mid-morning on Friday.

The MMA Promoter

www.RingSports.com caught up with promoter Al Joslin recently in an audio conference who said “We’re so honored to be promoting fights in the central valley of California. It’s a real honor to be able to work here near our home in the valley as well as throughout the rest of California and the Western states. We’re promoting MMA nationwide and are actively growing into places like Michigan and Florida. This country is really ready for MMA on a mass scale.”

The MMA Fights

At “Bombs Away” in total, 9 bouts will take place with 18 of the nation’s best mixed martial arts fighters. Doors will open at 6 PM, and fights begin at 7:30 PM.

Former UFC Heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell attended PureCombat’s recent MMA event in Stockton in early May as a spectator, and many in the crowd appeared excited to be at the same event as such a legend in the sport. The crowd was frequently on its feet during a well planned evening full of exciting and brutal mixed martial arts competitions.

“Big Daddy” Joe Stevenson from the UFC® and The Ultimate Fighter® fame will be on hand at this event to do the live commentating and quick interviews in the cage with the opponents following their fight.

Don’t miss the action for the upcoming event Friday the 6^th in Visalia!

FOR TICKETS: call (559) 713-4040 or online at www.PureCombatMMA.com

Event sponsored by BudLight, SpecterGear, and www.RingSports.com

By Patrick McGilvray

SACRAMENTO, CA –RingSports.com WEC Featherweight Champion Urijah Faber of Sacramento defended his world champion mixed martial arts (MMA) title against a worthy competitor in former UFC Lightweight champion Jens Pulver on Sunday night on cable’s Versus TV at Sacramento’s Arco Arena.

The 33 year old veteran Pulver appeared to be on the defensive for most of the fight with the younger and seemingly fitter 29 year old Faber. Fighting in front of an adoring sellout hometown crowd at the Arco Arena, Faber seemed eager to press his opponent in ways that many did not suspect. Known for his ground game and fierce elbows, Faber chose to stand up and exchange punches and kicks with Pulver for much of the fight.

Faber was rocked on a few occasions by Pulver’s punches, and, to his credit, Pulver absorbed many powerful punches and kicks from “The California Kid,” without losing his will to fight. But, on the overhead screens between rounds Pulver looked somewhat out of his element and the judges affirmed this appearance by handing Faber an overwhelming 45-15 unanimous victory.

Fighting at 145 lbs the two MMA warriors showed the crowd that they were there to prove their skills and earn each other’s respect. Faber took Pulver to the ground numerous times, but failed to secure a knockout or submission from the experienced Pulver. In the post-fight interview Faber thanked his supporters including his team that trains with him at his gym, www.UltimateFitness.pro

The other biggest fight of the night, and a definite crowd pleaser, was that of WEC Bantamweight champion Miguel Torres and Japan’s Yoshiro Maeda. This bought was a hard-fought victory that ended with the champion retaining his title after the fight was stopped because Maeda’s right eye was so swollen that he could not see out of it at the end of the third round.

The disappointed Maeda clearly wanted to continue fighting and protested the referee’s decision. But, Torres, showing true character, honored his opponent with a hug and walked him around the ring raising his hand. This display of sportsmanship thrilled the crowd almost as much as the arguably most spectacular moment of the entire night when the two fighters had each others’ ankles in a dual attempt at submission via an ankle lock.

The other fights at the event ended as follows:

Mark Munoz vs. Chuck Grigsby – Munoz by knockout in the first round (punches)

Rob McCullough vs. Kenneth Alexander – McCullogh via split decision
Donald Cerrone vs. Danny Castillo – Cerrone via submission in the first round (armbar)
Mike Brown vs. Jeff Curran – Brown via unanimous decision
Will Ribeiro vs. Chase Beebe – Rebeiro via split decision
Jeremy Lang vs. Tim McKenzie – McKenzie via knockout (guillotine choke)
Luis Sapo vs. Alex Serdyukov – Serdyukov via TKO after end of round 1
Jose Aldo vs. Alexandre Nogueira – Aldo via referee stoppage in second round (elbows)
Dominick Cruz vs. Charlie Valencia – Cruz via unanimous decision

About RingSports.com - www.RingSports.com is the internet presence for the 19 year old RingSports magazine. With deep roots in boxing and a future in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), RingSports.com brings fight fans across the planet news and exclusive interviews from fighters. For more exclusive interviews and news coverage please see www.YouTube.com/RingSports and visit our site as we continue to provide unique stories to MMA fans worldwide. Please check back to our site frequently as it is constantly being updated and will soon provide fans and fighters an entire line of apparel and gear to support the MMA lifestyle.

This story was sponsored by www.TheHomeBuyingCenter.com

Mixed martial arts (MMA) fans are eagerly anticipating the biggest Featherweight title fight in the history of the sport on June 1, 2008 as “The California Kid” Urijah Faber defends his WEC featherweight title belt against Jens “Lil Evil” Pulver.

The match between the current WEC Champion Faber and former UFC® star Pulver will be broadcast on the Versus network and promises to be an explosive contest between two world-class fighters. The match will be broadcast on June 1 at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT). A preview “WEC Outside the Cage: Faber vs. Pulver” will be broadcast May at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET.

Faber is currently the top-ranked featherweight MMA fighter in the world with a record of 20-1. he earned the WEC Featherweight title in March of 2006 and has successfully defended it four times since then. His most recent victory came when he choked out Jeff Curran in December of 2006 in the fight’s second round. For an exclusive interview with Urijah Faber please see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z98DUcCzbVY

Jens Pulver has a record of 22-8-1 and was the first lightweight champion in the UFC®. Pulver is undefeated in his last eight fights in the 145 lb division. Pulver has a long history in MMA as well as boxing and all indications are that he takes this fight very seriously.

Also on the card for the June 1 event will be Miguel Angel Torres (33-1) defending his WEC Bantamweight champion belt versus Yoshira Maeda (23-4-2). Another fight that will be on the same card will be WEC Lightweight champ Rob McCullogh who is defending against Kenneth Alexander. Mark Munoz will also fight Chuck Grigsby the same night.

Order your tickets for this great fight at TicketMaster.com

 Michael David Smith

On Thursdays post about which fight various MMA writers most want to see, FanHouse commenter Drew asked, “MDS, you watched ESPN.com Original series MMA Live???? discuss it after viewing it.”
So there you have it, the premier episode of MMA Live, a 30-minute show that appears to be taped in an ESPN studio in Bristol, just like SportsCenter and ESPN’s other studio shows, but that is shown only on ESPN.com, not on television.

I liked it a lot. Host Jon Anik and analysts Kenny Florian and Franklin McNeil offered good analysis of all the major issues — Fedor Emelianenko’s upcoming Affliction fight, Tito Ortiz’s upcoming final UFC fight, whether Randy Couture will ever have another fight, and so on.

I also like the fact that this is ESPN covering mixed martial arts as a sport and not as a spectacle. That is a very good sign that there are people at ESPN who “get it” when it comes to MMA.

Will the show succeed? Will it ever move off ESPN.com and onto TV? I don’t know. There are three commercial for Toyota Trucks during the show, so I assume it’s bringing in some revenue, but I also as

After a sold out event in February, Cage Combat Fighting Championship (CCFC) returns on Saturday May 17^th at the Grace Pavilion in Santa Rosa, CA. with Mayhem. Twelve scheduled fights including 3 title fights will be showcased that night. Plus, special guest appearance by UFC veteran Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller.

The main event will feature a heavyweight title fight with the newly crowned champion Rick “The Savage” Cheek (4-1) taking on Buddy Roberts (4-1) out of Ken Shamrock’s Lion’s Den. Cheek captured the title by knocking out Richard Blake, which was the 1^st time Blake had been knocked out. “This is going to be a war between to two knockout artists, don’t blink or leave your seat. This one won’t go the distance, I guarantee it” says Todd Middendorp, Co-Owner and Matchmaker for CCFC. “Roberts was suppose to fight Cheek for the belt last time, but had to pullout due to illness. So we decided to give him the opportunity again to face Cheek for the belt. He accepted without hesitation” added Middendorp. Look for fireworks to go off in this main event as each has the capability to KO their opponent at any moment.

Middleweight Champion David Mitchell (6-0) makes the first defense of his title in front of his hometown against Sacramento’s Jeff Morris (5-4). Mitchell one the belt at CCFC 4 Meltdown with a unanimous decision, but has since been sidelined by injuries. “Mitchell was suppose to defend his belt at the last show, but had minor knee surgery back in the beginning of December that sidelined him for awhile”, says CCFC’s Middendorp. “He faces a tough challenge in Morris. Morris’s record is deceiving; one may look at his record with 4 losses and think Mitchell is being given an easy title defense.” Not so says Middendorp, “All of Morris’s losses have been in title fights or against number one contenders” With Morris’s KO power look for Mitchell to bring this fight to the ground where he can put his Gracie Jiu-Jitsu skills to work.

In what has all the makings of fight of the night, undefeated Welterweight Champion James Terry (5-0) from Cung Le’s Team USH makes his first title defense against Jeremiah Metcalf (7-4) from Team Voodoo. At CCFC 6 Annihilation Metcalf had the KO of the night against Josh McDonald who had never been knocked out in any of his fights. “Metcalf is someone my brother and I had been trying to sign for awhile. I have followed his career since the beginning. He’s always been willing to fight the best at any moment. He was a champion in another organization and basically got his belt screwed away from him. We jumped at the opportunity to bring this talented fighter into our organization to provide our fans with a great title fight”, Middendorp added. “Terry is going to have his hands full in his first title defense, but so far in his career he has always come through every challenge. He is trained by a champion in Cung Le, so he knows what it takes to rise above and win” With a rich talent pool in Cage Combat’s Welterweight division, look for tough title defenses for whoever comes out on top that night.

Also scheduled to appear at Mayhem; undefeated fighters Danny Castillo (4-0) from Uriah Faber’s Ultimate Fitness, KY Hollenbeck (1-0) out of World Team USA, and Heavyweight fighter JC Cearley (3-0) from Shingu Academy will be tested that night. You will not want to miss Mayhem on Saturday May 17^th at the Grace Pavilion in Santa Rosa CA, doors open at 5:30pm the first fight at 7pm. Tickets are priced as low as $50 and can be purchased at all TicketMaster locations or at www.TicketMaster.com. For more information visit www.CageCombatFighting.com.

Boxing publishing icon aims to reinvent itself into one of the premier online communities and news destinations covering boxing to mixed martial arts with social networking, reality shows, and news

SACRAMENTO, California – (OBSNews.com) – Mixed martial arts (MMA) fans around the world are cheering a hot new player in the online world of combat sports, www.RingSports.com.

The company’s expansion plans include a MMA social networking site, a reality TV show pilot that is currently in production, as well as video and text news and interviews devoted to fights, fighters, and fans.

The company created a YouTube channel that currently features interviews with WEC World Champion Urijah Faber as well as other fighters. Faber, in his video, stated, “I watch RingSports.com, do you watch RingSports.com?”

Free MMA subscriber benefits

When fans sign up as subscribers to the channel they get access to unique videos, free tickets to upcoming fights including UFC and WEC fights, behind the scenes interviews with fighters and opportunities to win free RingSports.com gear.

To sign up please visit: www.YouTube.com/RingSports.

RingSports.com’s website is currently scheduled to unveil its redesign by mid-June 2008. Sponsors and advertisers are lining up to discuss sponsorship opportunities with RingSports.com.

For more information please contact: Team@RingSports.com

Friday, May 9th, 2008, PURECOMBAT arrives at the Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium with BRING THE PAIN! This card features 12 full contact cage fights, headlined by a bout for the PURECOMBAT World Middleweight Championship.

In the main event, Jaime ‘El Cucui’ Jara takes on the King of Stockton, Steve Heath for the
PURECOMBAT World Middleweight Title. Jara, fighting out of Sacramento’s Team Carnage, has held world titles in four different weight divisions, and hopes to add one more belt to his collection. A high school wrestling standout known for his jujitsu acumen and power striking, Jara is one of the most feared cage fighters in northern California. Heath, the King of Stockton, is a ten year veteran of mixed martial arts, an expert in jujitsu. He registered a first round submission win in his last bout, defeating Phil ‘the Pain’ Collins. These two modern day gladiators will stop at nothing to be crowned the PURECOMBAT World Middleweight Champion.

In the co-main event, lightweight UFC veteran Kelly Dullanty clashes with Oregon’s Lance Wipf. Dullanty, training out of Werneck’s Brazilian Jujitsu, steps back into the cage after a six year absence. A dominating and well-rounded fighter, Dullanty’s only loss came at the hands of current UFC Welterweight World Champion Matt ‘the Terror’ Serra. Wipf, a college wrestler, comes into this bout riding a four win streak. Representing the Havuk Skwod, he intends to make Dullanty’s return to the cage an unpleasant one. This will be Wipf’s toughest opponent in his professional career, but he hopes to capitalize on Dullanty’s ring rust to capture a win over the UFC veteran.

There also will be a woman fight, featuring Stocktons own Jennifer Tate.

Don’t miss a night of brutal mixed martial arts action as 24 of the nation’s top fighters step into the cage in Stockton, CA’s Memorial Civic Auditorium. Friday, May 9th, the doors open at 6pm and fights start at 7:30pm. For tickets, call Stockton Tickets at (209) 373-1700 or go online at www.purecombatmma.com

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is looking to turn up the heat on Top Rank’s Latin Fury championship card on Saturday, April 26. Today in a press conference in Mexico City, Chavez Jr. said: “I have being working very hard to give fans a better performance then I gave them last February in Leon, Guanajuato, where I felt that I could have done better”

“The fans who come to see me fight deserved better and on April 26 in Queretaro they will see a better and more spectacular fight,” Chavez Jr said. “Giuseppe Loriga is undefeated and he is coming a long way to fight me. I’m sure he will be ready for me, as I will be ready for him.

For this fight Chavez Jr has been working out in Mexico City with chief trainer Romulo Quirarte Sr.

“It’s been a very rough camp,” said Chavez Jr.

The press conference was well attended by the Mexican media. Three time world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Sr was also there.

“My son was not at his best last time out, but he is young and he is learning. I wanted Quirarte Sr, to come back for this fight because my son
needs to get better and training here in Mexico,” said the legendary champion about his oldest son.

The fight will be held at the Plaza de Toros Juriquilla in Queretaro, Mexico with capacity for over 5,000 fans and the near the site where
the great late Salvador Sanchez trained for all his major fights.

Thanks everyone, Ricardo, Top Rank

MIKE ALVARADO, RAY SANCHEZ IN ALBUQUERQUE ON THURSDAY!

Hot contender Mike Alvarado of Denver and hometown hero Ray Sanchez will be at a Top Rank/Prime Time Promotions press conference in Albuquerque, N.M. on Thursday.

Both are on a Top Rank/Telefutura fight card May 9 at the Isleta Casino-Resort, Albuquerque.

Alvarado, 20-0, will be taking on Michele Rosales, 20-1, in a 10-round bout. Alvarado, describing his style, said “….I’m a boxer/puncher and I have a lot of power.”

Sanchez, who last fought Chavez Jr. in a frenzied Latin Fury bout, will make his return in a 10-round fight which will be on the Telefutura telecast.

The press conference is set for 2 pm at Isleta.

Tickets start at $15 and are available right now at tickets.com or the Isleta Players Club Box Office
(505-244-9181).

I read an article from March 1, 2008 by Yahoo Sports writer Kevin Iole that discussed the struggling International Fight League, Inc. (IFLI.OB), a Mixed Martial Arts [MMA] sports league whose shares have tumbled over the past year from a high of $13.25 to currently $.085 per share. (more…)

CBS is teaming with ProElite, Inc. on a multiyear agreement to bring mixed martial arts (MMA) fighting to a major broadcast television network for the first time.

The network announced plans last week to broadcast four MMA events per year, targeted as two-hour Saturday night specials from ProElite’s EliteXC fight division.

CBS’ corporate sibling Showtime began airing EliteXC events in 2007 and will continue to be a home for MMA.

“Mixed martial arts is one of the fastest growing sports in the country and a wildly popular entertainment vehicle for upscale, young adult audiences,” said Kelly Kahl, senior executive vice president, CBS Primetime. “It’s original programming for Saturday night; it’s live, creating an event atmosphere and it’s something that hasn’t been seen on network television, until now.”

Gary Shaw, president of EliteXC adds, “Our world-class fighters and the high production value of our events continue to drive ProElite as a global MMA organization that is fortified by the bedrock foundation of a partnership with CBS. Broadcasting our events on CBS will instantly engage a new fan base, as well as provide an opportunity for EliteXC to further establish itself as the world’s premier MMA organization.”

CBS has not set a timetable for the first of its primetime televised MMA events.