New York, NY, June 10, 2010 – The finals are set for “The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz” as Court “The Crusher” McGee and Kris “Savage” McCray emerged last night to compete for a six-figure contract with the preeminent mixed martial arts organization in the world, The Ultimate Fighting Championship®. Emanating from The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, NV, the finale will be telecast LIVE on Spike TV Saturday, June 19 at 9:00 PM ET.

Fighting out of Orem, UT, Court McGee (10-1) is aiming to complete one of the most miraculous comebacks in the history of mixed martial arts. McGee is a former heroin addict who was actually once pronounced dead by EMTs when they arrived on the scene after an overdose in 2005. McGee emerged from a six day coma after the incident and went through an extensive physical rehab program, relearning basic motor skills such as walking. Wrestling, karate and jiu jitsu were a pipe dream at the time, yet five years later, McGee stands at the precipice of becoming “The Ultimate Fighter,” with his opponent McCray the only thing standing in his way. The next-to-last pick by Team Liddell, McGee dropped his first bout on the show via a razor thin decision in a war with Nick Ring, but, like in life, received a second chance. Filling in for an injured Rich Attonito, McGee defeated James Hammortree via guillotine in the second round of their quarterfinal matchup, and garnered a spot in the finals by defeating Brad Tavares with a rear naked choke with only 18 seconds left in the third round of their semifinal slugfest to move onto the finals.

Training in Dumfries, VA, Kris McCray (6-0) was born to a military father, and was raised in Germany, where he excelled in basketball, badminton and soccer, garnering All-Europe honors soccer at Ansbach American High School. It was in Germany where his interest in MMA was sparked, watching karate movies and imitating the moves. In 1999, McCray moved permanently to the United States, graduating from Woodbridge Senior High School in northern Virginia while earning a varsity letter for wrestling. Upon graduating, McCray enrolled in Northern Virginia Community College, earning his Associates Degree in General Studies in 2001. While enrolled there, McCray began serving in the US Army Reserve, where he spent 8 years (6 active, 2 inactive). Towards the end of his time in the Army Reserve, he began training in jiu jitsu at Gold Medal Grappling in Woodbridge, Virginia, which set him on the path that he is on now. Like his opponent in the finale, McCray, a member of Team Ortiz, also received a second chance on the show after dropping his first bout, being selected as the wild card because of his impressive showing in a three-round loss to Josh Bryant. He defeated fellow wild card selection Kyacey Uscola to get back into the competition, then took out number one overall pick Kyle Noke via decision in the quarterfinals and avenged his loss to Bryant via unanimous decision in the semifinals to punch his ticket for the finals.

The Spike TV nationally televised card kicks off with a middleweight bout featuring “The Ultimate Fighter: Team Ortiz vs. Team Liddell” contestants Rich Attonito and Jamie Yager. In episode 4, Attonito (7-3) was awarded a victory over Kyacey Uscola via disqualification but broke his hand and was unable to continue on his quest to become “The Ultimate Fighter.” Now fully recovered, Attonito is currently training with American Top Team in Florida.

Jamie Yager (2-1) impressively knocked out Charles Blanchard in one minute and eight seconds in their bout in episode 4, but was unable to answer the bell in the third round of his intense battle with Josh Bryant in episode 10. Fighting out of Los Angeles, Yager was a standout varsity letterman in baseball and football and was the 2001 Athlete of the Year at South Pasadena High School in California.

Headlining the Spike TV card will be the previously announced battle of UFC light heavyweights Keith Jardine and “The Ultimate Fighter” alum Matt Hamill, a middleweight bout between Aaron Simpson and Chris Leben, and a lightweight matchup pitting Dennis Siver against Spencer Fisher.

Other matches on the fight card include (might air time permitting):
Brad Tavares (4-1) vs. Seth Baczynski (11-5)
Chris Camozzi (12-3) vs. James Hammortree (4-0)
Jamie Yager (2-1) vs. Rich Attonito (7-3)Last night’s “The Ultimate Fighter” semifinal bouts featuring Josh Bryant vs. Kris McCray and Court McGee vs. Brad Tavares can now be seen in their entirety on ultimatefighter.com.

Spike TV is available in 98.6 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. A unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press.

New York City, New York (June 7, 2010) – Fans attending the “M-1 Global Selection” 2nd round event on June 26th in Atlantic City won’t miss the highly anticipated Fedor vs. Werdum bout. Based on fan feedback, M-1 Global will be airing “The Last Emperor’s” contest through close circuit telecast during the live event.

“We are about delivering the fan experience and we felt it was imperative to enable our audience the opportunity to witness Fedor take on Werdum as it unfolds,” says M-1 Global co-founder Vadim Finkelchtein. “Fedor is the world’s greatest pound-for-pound fighter and MMA fans made it clear that they wanted to see this bout; we had to make it happen.”

The second round of “The M-1 Selection, Americas,” featuring American rising-stars expecting to throw heavy leather, will be held Saturday June 26 at Bally’s Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

This “M1 Selection Americas” match-ups will be announced shortly with bouts showcasing elimination fights in the lightweight, welterweight, and middleweight categories with the winners advancing to the Americas third single-knockout round.

The “M-1 Selection” is the world’s premiere MMA competition where the next generation of superstars are given the opportunity to showcase their skills on the world stage with fighters being eliminated after only one loss; two victories earns them a trip to the championship event where they will compete for the coveted “M-1 Selection” title.

The “M-1 Selection” tournament is broken down into four global regions: Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia and the Americas with each region hosting three rounds and a final of the ““M-1 Selection” tournament. The winning fighter in each weight class will join their team to represent his region in the 2010 M-1 Challenge.

The tournament features some of the best up-and-coming fighters from each region as they begin the journey towards a tournament victory. An Americas light heavyweight and heavyweight round is also scheduled for 2010.

How to see the fights:
M-1 Global Selection tournament events will take place live on June 26, August 7 and September 18 at the coveted Bally’s Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Tickets are priced at $55.00-$125.00 and are available to purchase through Ticketmaster at 1-800-736-1420 and www.TicketMaster.com.

Doors open at 7:00 pm, first fight at 7:30 PM/ET.

Go to www.M-1Global.com for additional information.

UFC lightweight fighter Dan Lauzon (12-4) has had a chance to reflect on all of the events up to, and including, his unanimous decision loss to Efrain Escudero at UFC 114.

Lauzon received some tough love from his brother Joe Lauzon, and coaches Joe Pomfret and Steve Maze, all three laid an ultimatum at his feet basically stating ‘train harder or your on your own.’

Lauzon felt a betrayed but in the end completed his preparations for the UFC 114 bout on his own, bringing in someone else to corner him for the fight. Dan was on his own and felt relieved not having his brother Joe in his corner.

“It was actually a little bit easier going out there without my brother. Sometimes when I have him in my corner I feel like it’s a lot of pressure,” said Dan Lauzon, who hasn’t heard from UFC since the loss. “My brother puts a lot a lot of pressure on me to win and I don’t really fight that well when I’m put under a lot of pressure like that. It was the most fun I had in a fight in a long time, since my first or second fight. I was just happy to be out there.”

His loss to Escudero helped to open his eyes to help him understand the message his brother and coaches were trying to tell him. He needs to train harder and to do that he has to leave his comfort zone of training near home.

“It sucks going into a fight and being at the end and being like `wow you’re about to lose this fight because you’re too fatigued,” Lauzon said. “I’ve never really felt like that in a fight. I don’t want to feel like that again. I’m sick and tired of sitting around, feeling sorry myself and this and that. I want to get up, train hard, get motivated and live up to my potential. Right now I’m just not. I’m training but I’m not focused on the right things.

“I need to start living outside the gym as a fighter, and inside the gym train like a fighter.”

Luckily for him Daniel Gracie phoned after the fight to offer him a chance to come to New York and train at the Renzo Gracie Academy. It looks as if the younger Lauzon will take the offer as he prepares for his next fight but the lightweight hasn’t heard from the UFC and is sporting a 0-3 record with the promotion.

His time with the UFC could be at a close for now, which will only mean a tougher road ahead but it appears to be one Dan Lauzon is willing to try.

HT: BostonHerald.com

New York, NY, June 7, 2010 – Spike TV presents an encore presentation of the “UFC 113: MACHIDA VS SHOGUN 2” fight card on Saturday, June 26 at 9:00 PM ET/PT. The night’s main event featured two of the world’s best light heavyweights go toe-to-toe, with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua avenging his controversial loss to Lyoto Machida at UFC 104 by knocking out Machida via KO in the first round, and emerging from the Ocatgon™ with the UFC light heavyweight belt around his waist.

“UFC 113: Machida vs. Shogun 2” took place at the sold-out Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec on Saturday, May 8, and featured some of MMA’s heaviest hitters, including Kimbo Slice, Sam Stout, Marcus Davis, and Patrick Cote, among others. Spike TV’s telecast will include the following bouts:

· Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua
· Kimbo Slice vs. Matt Mitrione
· Sam Stout vs. Jeremy Stephens
· Joe Doerksen vs. Tom Lawlor
· Marcus Davis vs. Jonathan Goulet
· Patrick Cote vs. Alan Belcher

For the latest news, information and videos on “The Ultimate Fighter” and the UFC on Spike TV, log onto ultimatefighter.com.

Spike TV is available in 98.6 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. A unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press.

New York, NY, June 7, 2010 – Twenty-eight of the best up-and-coming lightweight (155 lbs)mixed martial artists from around the world have convened in Las Vegas in pursuit of one goal, to claim the title of the “ULTIMATE FIGHTER” and the guaranteed six-figure contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship® that comes with it. Production on “The Ultimate Fighter” begins this week.

The 12th season of Spike TV’s popular original series, “The Ultimate Fighter” features two of the mixed martial arts’ biggest stars – UFC welterweight champion Georges “Rush” St-Pierre, and the number one contender to his belt, Josh Koscheck. The two will square off as coaches during the six week ta
ping of the show, and will later meet inside the Octagon™ with the welterweight title on the line at a UFC pay-per-view event.

The new season premieres Wednesday, September 13, 2010 at 10:00 PM ET/PT featuring some of the world’s best unsigned fighters in the lightweight division. St-Pierre first appeared as a trainer on the show during its fourth season, “The Comeback,” while Koscheck was a member of the now historic first season, where he advanced to the semifinals. UFC President Dana White will once again serve as host.

During the 6-week Ultimate Fighter competition, the competitors will endure a grueling regimen of jiu-jitsu, judo, muay thai, karate, boxing and wrestling. The intense competition between the fighters continues after they leave the gym – at The Ultimate Fighter House. These warriors are forced to live with each other, knowing that any day they could be selected to fight each other in the famed UFC Octagon.

In each episode, opponents from each team will be selected to square off in battle, officially weighed in and then, in front of their teammates, coaches, and the Nevada State Athletic Commission, the two combatants face off in two five-minute rounds. At the end of two rounds, if the fight is declared a draw, the two partake in a sudden victory third round.

Spike TV is available in 98.6 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. MTV Networks, a division of Viacom International Inc.

NEW YORK (June 2, 2010) – Can Scott “Hands Of Steel’’ Smith, aka “The Comeback Kid,’’ do it again?

On Saturday, June 26, at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., on SHOWTIME®, Smith will attempt to make it two consecutive victories over Cung Le in a middleweight (185 pounds) rematch of one of the most incredible Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) comeback victories of all-time.

The eagerly anticipated return bout between Smith (17-6), of Elk Grove, Calif., and Le (6-1), of San Jose, will take place on an already-stacked STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global fight card that features the world’s No. 1 heavyweight and pound-for-pound MMA fighter, Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko (31-1),against two-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion and top-ranked superstar Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum (13-4) in the main event.

The universally recognized No. 1 female fighter in MMA, Cris Cyborg will defend her STRIKEFORCE 145-pound belt against Jan Finney, marking the first time in history that both the No. 1 male and female fighters will compete on the same card.

In another featured fight, former STRIKEFORCE lightweight (155 pounds) champion Josh Thomson (16-3), of San Jose, will try and regain his winning ways against Pat “Bam Bam’’ Healy (23-15) of Portland, Ore. Thomson lost a five-round decision in his last start to Gilbert Melendez in one of the most wildly exciting, give-and-take slugfests of the year on Dec. 19, 2009, at HP Pavilion. Healy is coming off a well-deserved, unanimous three-round decision over Bryan Travers during a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event on May 21.

Tickets are on sale at the HP Pavilion box office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and STRIKEFORCE’s official website (www.strikeforce.com). For more information, please also visit www.M-1GLOBAL.com.

The SHOWTIME telecast will begin at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
The hard-hitting, never-say-die Smith is no stranger to dramatic, stirring, come-from-behind victories. He rallied to knock out Benji Radach on April 1, 2009, at HP Pavilion and registered a highlight-reel second-round KO over the UFC’s Pete Sell on Nov. 11, 2006.

Smith, however, may have outdone himself with his courageous performance against Le, coming back from the brink of absolute defeat to triumph by third-round knockout last Dec. 19 at HP Pavilion.

Smith had taken a frightful beating for two-and-a-half-rounds as southpaw Le, making his first start in 21 months, totally dominated. The one-sided proceedings seemed over at least a couple of times as everything was going Le’s way. His trademark spinning back kicks were connecting with startling frequency and were knocking Smith around the cage.

At one point, while Smith was on the ground after getting dropped, Le seemed to throw more than 50 consecutive punches. He slammed Smith once.

But Smith, a proven finisher who has never turned down a challenge, summoned the energy and heart – again – to twice drop Le. After he connected twice on a downed Le, the referee stepped in and halted the exciting battle at 3:25.

“This was one helluva fight,’’ said Smith afterward. “He had me the first two-and-a-half rounds, but I’ve got a hard head. On the knockdowns, I faked the right and threw the left. Everyone always looks for my right, but the left hook is my best punch.

“It took me until the third round to close the gap on him, but once I did and he began to drop his hands, I could sense things were starting to go my way. That’s when I feinted with the right and landed the left. It never matters who I fight. I just want these types of tough fights.’’

Le, a former STRIKEFORCE middleweight champion who relinquished the belt to concentrate on an acting career, offered no excuses but has been clamoring for a rematch since.

“He got the best of me last time with a good punch,’’ Le said. “We both fought our hearts out that night, but I’ve wanted a chance to turn the tables on him since that fight ended and now my opportunity is here. I am very excited to fight a warrior like Scott again.

“The fans in San Jose and those watching on SHOWTIME are in for a great fight again between Smith and me and a great night of fights.’’

Thomson, who shut out Melendez across five rounds to capture the STRIKEFORCE world 155-pound belt on June 27, 2008, lost a rematch by the scores of 49-46 twice and 49-47.

Like Le, the popular Thomson was coming off a lengthy layoff. It was his first start before a paying audience in 15 months due to injuries (he broke his left leg twice during training).

But Thomson showed against Melendez that he’s healthy again and he is excited about a possible rubber match. First, however, he must get past Healy.

“I’m up for a third fight with Gilbert if that’s what STRIKEFORCE wants,’’ said Thomson, who had an eight-fight winning streak end last time out. “I know this is a fight the fans want to see again. But my sole focus now is on winning my next fight. I can’t concern myself with future fights.

“For me, the future is June 26 and beating Healy.’’

Healy has defeated quality opponents since turning pro in August 2001. He was impressive outpointing Travers (13-1 going in) by the scores of 30-27 and 29-28 twice. It was a rare points’ victory for the durable, well-conditioned wrestling specialist who has won more than half his fights via submission.

A winner of three in a row and five out of six outings, Healy is getting an opportunity against one of the fighters he most wanted to fight.

“’I’ll fight anyone but there are two guys in the 155-pound as far as I’m concerned and that’s Josh and Melendez,’’ Healy said. “A win over Thomson, then Melendez could be next for me.’’

A rematch between former Strikeforce middleweight champion Cung Le (6-1) and comeback King Scott Smith (17-6) was made official by the promotion on Wednesday. The two will meet on the June 26 co-promoted “Strikeforce and M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Werdum” event.

Their first meeting happened back in December of last year as part of the Showtime-televised “Strikeforce: Evolution” event. Le dominated the opening two rounds with his heavy kicks before succumbing to a left hand from Smith ending the fight via TKO stoppage.

Another bout announced for the June 26 card was between former Strikeforce lightweight champ Josh Thomson (16-3) vs. mma veteran Pat “Bam Bam” Healy (23-15).

The June 26 Strikeforce event is headlined by WAMMA heavyweight champ Fedor Emelianenko and former UFC fighter Fabricio Werdum. Tickets can still be found for the event, which will take place at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

The official press release from Strikeforce is below.

NEW YORK (June 2, 2010) – Can Scott “Hands Of Steel’’ Smith, aka “The Comeback Kid,’’ do it again?

On Saturday, June 26, at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., on SHOWTIME®, Smith will attempt to make it two consecutive victories over Cung Le in a middleweight (185 pounds) rematch of one of the most incredible Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) comeback victories of all-time.

The eagerly anticipated return bout between Smith (17-6), of Elk Grove, Calif., and Le (6-1), of San Jose, will take place on an already-stacked STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global fight card that features the world’s No. 1 heavyweight and pound-for-pound MMA fighter, Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko (31-1),against two-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion and top-ranked superstar Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum (13-4) in the main event.

The universally recognized No. 1 female fighter in MMA, Cris Cyborg will defend her STRIKEFORCE 145-pound belt against Jan Finney, marking the first time in history that both the No. 1 male and female fighters will compete on the same card.

In another featured fight, former STRIKEFORCE lightweight (155 pounds) champion Josh Thomson (16-3), of San Jose, will try and regain his winning ways against Pat “Bam Bam’’ Healy (23-15) of Portland, Ore. Thomson lost a five-round decision in his last start to Gilbert Melendez in one of the most wildly exciting, give-and-take slugfests of the year on Dec. 19, 2009, at HP Pavilion. Healy is coming off a well-deserved, unanimous three-round decision over Bryan Travers during a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event on May 21.

Tickets are on sale at the HP Pavilion box office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online and STRIKEFORCE’s official website. For more information, please also visit www.M-1GLOBAL.com.

The SHOWTIME telecast will begin at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

The hard-hitting, never-say-die Smith is no stranger to dramatic, stirring, come-from-behind victories. He rallied to knock out Benji Radach on April 1, 2009, at HP Pavilion and registered a highlight-reel second-round KO over the UFC’s Pete Sell on Nov. 11, 2006.

Smith, however, may have outdone himself with his courageous performance against Le, coming back from the brink of absolute defeat to triumph by third-round knockout last Dec. 19 at HP Pavilion.

Smith had taken a frightful beating for two-and-a-half-rounds as southpaw Le, making his first start in 21 months, totally dominated. The one-sided proceedings seemed over at least a couple of

times as everything was going Le’s way. His trademark spinning back kicks were connecting with startling frequency and were knocking Smith around the cage.

At one point, while Smith was on the ground after getting dropped, Le seemed to throw more than 50 consecutive punches. He slammed Smith once.

But Smith, a proven finisher who has never turned down a challenge, summoned the energy and heart – again – to twice drop Le. After he connected twice on a downed Le, the referee stepped in and halted the exciting battle at 3:25.

“This was one helluva fight,’’ said Smith afterward. “He had me the first two-and-a-half rounds, but I’ve got a hard head. On the knockdowns, I faked the right and threw the left. Everyone always looks for my right, but the left hook is my best punch.

“It took me until the third round to close the gap on him, but once I did and he began to drop his hands, I could sense things were starting to go my way. That’s when I feinted with the right and landed the left. It never matters who I fight. I just want these types of tough fights.’’

Le, a former STRIKEFORCE middleweight champion who relinquished the belt to concentrate on an acting career, offered no excuses but has been clamoring for a rematch since.

“He got the best of me last time with a good punch,’’ Le said. “We both fought our hearts out that night, but I’ve wanted a chance to turn the tables on him since that fight ended and now my opportunity is here. I am very excited to fight a warrior like Scott again.

“The fans in San Jose and those watching on SHOWTIME are in for a great fight again between Smith and me and a great night of fights.’’

Thomson, who shut out Melendez across five rounds to capture the STRIKEFORCE world 155-pound belt on June 27, 2008, dropped a rematch by the scores of 49-46 twice and 49-47.

Like Le, the popular Thomson was coming off a lengthy layoff. It was his first start before a paying audience in 15 months due to injuries (he broke his left leg twice during training).

But Thomson showed against Melendez that he’s healthy again and he is excited about a possible rubber match. First, however, he must get past Healy.

“I’m up for a third fight with Gilbert if that’s what STRIKEFORCE wants,’’ said Thomson, who had an eight-fight winning streak end last time out. “I know this is a fight the fans want to see again. But my sole focus now is on winning my next fight. I can’t concern myself with future fights.

“For me, the future is June 26 and beating Healy.’’

Healy has defeated quality opponents since turning pro in August 2001. He was impressive outpointing Travers (13-1 going in) by the scores of 30-27 and 29-28 twice. It was a rare points’ victory for the durable, well-conditioned wrestling specialist who has won more than half his fights via submission.

A winner of three in a row and five out of six outings, Healy is getting an opportunity against one of the fighters he most wanted to fight.

“I’ll fight anyone but there are two guys in the 155-pound as far as I’m concerned and that’s Josh and Melendez,’’ Healy said. “A win over Thomson, then Melendez could be next for me’’

New York, NY, June 2, 2010 – Spike TV will telecast live undercard bouts from “UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin” on Saturday, July 3 at 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PT from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. “UFC 116: Lesnar vs Carwin,” featuring the heavyweight unification bout between Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin, will air on pay-per-view at 10:00 PM ET / 7:00 PM PT.

The first bout scheduled to air on Spike TV is a middleweight contest between Kendall Grove (13-7, 1 NC) and Goran Reljic (8-1).

The pride of Maui, Hawaii, Grove burst onto the mixed martial arts scene by winning Season 3 of “The Ultimate Fighter” in June 2006. Grove’s last three wins in the Octagon® have come over Evan Tanner, Jason Day and Jake Rosholt and he will look to make a statement on July 3rd against Croatia native Reljic. The hard-striking Reljic made quite an impression in his UFC debut against Wilson Gouveia at UFC 84 in May 2008, winning via TKO and earning a “Fight of the Night” bonus. Following a layoff due to back surgery, Reljic engaged in a hard-fought three rounder against C.B Dolloway in his return to the Octagon at UFC 110 this past February.

The second scheduled bout of the evening on Spike TV features a heavyweight clash between “The Ultimate Fighter 10” finalist Brendan Schaub (6-1) and Chris Tuchscherer (18-2, 1 NC).

Fighting out of Aurora, CO, Schaub easily handled Chase Gormley with a TKO victory in a mere 47 seconds this past March. A former Buffalo Bills practice-player, Schaub has honed his craft while training with Shane Carwin. He will look to use his prodigious punching power against former All-American collegiate wrestler, Tuchscherer. The Fargo, North Dakota product currently trains with Brock Lesnar and most recently defeated Tim Hague via decision at UFC 109 in February.

Other bouts on the card might air on Spike TV, to be determined by the length of the fights.

Following his six second knockout loss on May 13 to Hector Lombard in a nationally televised bout, Jay Silva will not compete for Matrix Fights (www.MatrixFights.com) on June 11 at “The Arena” in Philadelphia as had been previously scheduled.

Replacing Silva against rising East Coast middleweight prospect Tim Williams will be New Hampshire native, Woody “The Dynasty” Weatherby, 8-3.

Weatherby, renowned for his strong striking ability, will compete for the first time since appearing on the current eleventh season of the hit Spike TV reality show The Ultimate Fighter.

Weatherby is a former Naval officer who currently splits his time as a corrections officer for the Hillsborough County Jail in Manchester, NH while also training MMA at both the Renzo Gracie Academy in Derry, NH and Mickey Ward’s Boxing Gym.

Williams is 3-0 since turning pro last November following an outstanding amateur career that saw him post a perfect 6-0 record with six early stoppages. All three of Williams’ pro fights have ended in the first round, with his most recent victory, a first round submission win over Joey Kirwan, earning him the Locked in the Cage middleweight title.

On June 11, Weatherby will represent Williams’ toughest test to date.

“Timmy has never lost a fight as a pro or amateur,” remarked Matrix Fights promoter Phil Migliarese. “He doesn’t know what it means to fail. Being so dominant everyone is talking about him on the East Coast. But to the rest of the country, he’s still a well kept secret. A win over Weatherby would change everything for him overnight.”

The night’s co-main event will also feature undefeated light heavyweight prospect Tim Carpenter, 5-0, taking on Guybson Sa, 1-0, who trains out of the renowned Team Bomb Squad. Carpenter, a black belt under Phil and Ricardo Migliarese, is 1-0 since returning to active competition following an extended hiatus due to injury.

Following a unanimous decision victory this past February against Rich Lictawa at an Adrenaline MMA event, Carpenter immediately returned to the radar of most major MMA organizations. A second straight win could propel him from the regional circuit and onto the national scene.

Also featured on the pro card for Matrix Fights II on June 11 will be Brylan Van Artsdalen, who recently made his professional debut on a nationally televised Bellator Fighting Championships event at the Mohegan Sun Hotel & Casino in Uncasville, CT.

“Brylan is coming off a tough loss, but it was a fight he was clearly winning,” said Matrix Fights President Jimmy Binns. “Not every fighter can say they made their debut for a major national promotion televised on Fox Sports Net, NBC, and Telemundo. But Brylan was one of the top ranked amateurs in the country and earned that spot. I know losing a fight that he was dominating must be frustrating to him but on June 11 he’ll get his chance to make things right.”

The undercard will feature a stacked lineup of top rated amateurs from renowned schools and academies such as Daddis Fight Camps, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu United, and Balance Studios. Additionally, the undercard will feature the first ever female MMA bout in Matrix history when Andria Caplan returns to the cage against Jennifer Martin.

Caplan, who has been featured in the past on MMAjunkie.com and most recently in the Philadelphia City Paper, is a former WKA Amateur Muay Thai Champion as well as a multi-time Grappler’s Quest Champion.

Making her MMA debut last August on a nationally televised M-1 Global event, Caplan will be looking to redeem herself after losing to ISCF amateur MMA champion Mollie Ahlers-Estes. Soon after the bout it was disclosed that Caplan fought with a torn MCL.

Standing in her way will be the Elmira, New York native Martin, a amateur MMA champion who is also the number two ranked amateur female featherweight fighter in the country, according to the ISCF.

For more information and to order tickets, please visit the official Matrix Fights website at www.MatrixFights.com.

Disclaimer: Sam Caplan is the majority owner of FiveOuncesOfPain.com and is an employee of Matrix Fights. Andria Caplan is also his wife.

We use a Hayastan Submission Grappling Rule System which is quite different than many rule systems presently in use with other organizations. We get great reviews about our rules from almost everyone who competes in our circuit. We train our refs and make sure that safety is their main priority.

UNIFORM:

Gi Divisions (Not all tournament locations offer Gi Divisions)

All Gi competitors must wear a full Gi including jacket, pants, and belt. no short sleeve jackets will be allowed. no shorts allowed in Gi divisions. No wrestling shoes allowed in gi divisions.

No Gi Divisions

No Gi competitors may wear gi pants, gi shorts, MMA fight shorts, Grappling shorts, or acceptable gym shorts (referee discretion). All pants and shorts must be free of pockets, metal or hard plastic. Cargo shorts or any other street cloths will not be allowed. Competitors may compete with no shirt (Male only), t-shirt, or rashguard. Wrestling shoes are allowed in no gi divisions.

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More information on the official site.