Spike TV also announces it will telecast the light heavyweight clash between “The Ultimate Fighter 2” alum Seth Petruzelli (14-5) and Ricardo Romero (10-1) on Saturday, July 3 at 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PT from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The Petruzelli fight will join the already-announced Brendan Schaub-Chris Tuchscherer fight as part of the Spike TV live Prelims.

Fighting out of Orlando, Florida, the veteran Petruzelli scored his first big victory against mixed martial great Dan Severn in January 2004, winning a three-round decision. A year later he joined the cast of “The Ultimate Fighter 2” but lost to Brad Imes in the show’s semifinals. Petruzelli gained worldwide attention in October 2008 when he defeated Kimbo Slice with a first round TKO, and riding a four fight winning streak, he returns to the Octagon to take on Ricardo Romero, making his UFC debut.

Fighting out of New Brunswick, NJ, Romero is 10-1 in his mixed martial arts career, including winning his last five straight. A highly-regarded college wrestler for Rutgers University, Romero also scored a notable victory over “The Ultimate Fighter 10” alum James McSweeney in April 2009. The Petruzelli-Romero fight will replace the Grove-Reljic fight, which will no longer air live on Spike.

Other bouts on the card might air on Spike TV, to be determined by the length of the fights.
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 www.spike.com/press.

Lauzon (17-5) burst onto the mixed martial arts scene with a shocking knockout of former lightweight champ Jens Pulver at UFC 63 in September 2006. A cast member of “The Ultimate Fighter 5,” Lauzon won his first three UFC bouts before losing to fellow New Englander Kenny Florian via TKO in April 2008. After winning two of his last three fights, Lauzon needs a win in front of his hometown fans to ascend to the top reaches of the lightweight division.

Fighting out of Liverpool, England, lightweight contender Terry Etim (14-3) has won four of his last five bouts in the Octagon® and is unquestionably one of the UK’s finest prospects. But to take that step to the next level, he must get past Lauzon on August 28th. This marks the sixth time Etim has fought live on Spike TV
Veteran fighter Rivera (18-7) has won a career-best three straight UFC fights including most recently a second-round TKO over Nate Quarry (“The Ultimate Fighter 1”) in March. The 38-year-old will fulfill a life-long dream as he will step into the Octagon for the first time live in front of his partisan hometown Boston crowd.

Fighting with American Top Team in Miami, Sakara (19-7, 1 NC) switched to fighting middleweight 2 ½ years ago, and after dropping his first fight to Chris Leben at 185 lbs, he has won his last three bouts. The veteran slugger is coming off an impressive 1st round TKO over James Irvin this past March.

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

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 www.spike.com/press.

At “WEC 49: Varner vs. Shalorus“, fight fans will get an opportunity to draw their own conclusions about Renan Barao — training partner of the current WEC champ and a 20-1 Brazilian fighter whose current 20-fight win streak dates all the way back to his pro debut — but while all the hype seems to surround Barao for his upcoming WEC bantamweight debut, people shouldn’t be too quick to count out the challenger, Anthony Leone.

One of several undefeated fighters from Team Bombsquad, Leone himself is no stranger to trading punches with champions. At 21, he left Long Island, NY and headed to Hilo, HI to study MMA under former UFC Lightweight Champion B.J. Penn. Since then he’s compiled an undefeated record of 8-0 and is just as eager as Barao to get his name out there this Sunday at WEC49.

“My opponent is pretty good. He’s 20-1, with a 20-fight win streak, I know that, but he’s never really faced a wrestler or somebody who will switch it up on him like I can,” Leone said. “All the guys he’s fought are mostly Muay Thai fighters… I don’t know, I think he’s got a lot of hype behind him.”

Leone on the other hand has been winning quietly the last two years, jumping back and forth between the 145 and 155 lb. divisions, but always in the mix with the best around and consistently coming out on top by submission or decision.

Before coming back from Hawaii in 2008, Leone turned to the popular MMA forum The Underground in search of a quality camp to join when he got home to New York. Right away, all signs pointed to Cortland based Bombsquad.

“That was all Zack,” said Leone. “We met on The Underground and he asked me, ‘What type of opponents are you looking for?’ Then he gave me three options; an easy opponent, a hard opponent or whoever we put in front of you. I said, ‘I don’t really care.’ I was 1-0 at the time and feeling pretty good. The rest is history.”

Leone has kept busy since he got back to the mainland and has been in and out of the cage just about every three months for his entire career, but it wasn’t until he took a single fight at 135 that he got noticed by the likes of the WEC.

He and his manager had decided a few months back that the WEC was just too stacked at 145 to make a run at a featherweight contract, so when a new promotion called the XCFL offered Leone a title shot and a chance to drop to 135 for a fight with undefeated Boston Sityodtong prodigy in Teteki Matsui, he jumped at the chance.

The result was a bantamweight debut that contained more memorable moments than most’s career highlight video.

Leone revealed new found speed and the same kind of power against Matsui. He took him down with slams from the front as well as behind, unloaded straight left and right punches at an incredible pace and ate more than one headkick as well as an illegal knee to the head while he was down.

“I had to cut 30 pounds to make 135,” said Leone. “I think i got a lot faster but those guys [in the WEC] are so much faster too. It’s got its ups and downs.”

The real difference in the wrestler’s game came when he moved Upstate so he could train with the Bombsquad full time. He explained there were people to roll with in Long Island but nothing could match the sparring he received day in and day out with his brothers at arms in Cortland.

“Moving up to Cortland has been great for me,” he said. “Back when I used to train in Long Island we’d mostly work on my wrestling or jiu-jitsu, but not spar. Then, I come up to Cortland and we’re forced to spar atleast three or four times a week. I never used to like to get hit, but now I’m used to it. I’m never scared to get in cage and take a shot. I know it’s going to happen — I know I’m going to get punched — it’s just a matter of doing it back to him.”

As World Extreme Cagefighting continues to gather up the most talented fighters under 155 pounds, more and more exciting fights have found their way onto the undercard. This weekend’s event will feature Wagney Fabiano along with Raphael Assuncao and Diego Nunes competing in the featherweight and bantamweight divisions, and fight fans can’t afford to miss Barao and Leone.

Ben Moon, 165’s Details:

(Hometown, State, Commitment Type)

Guilderland, NY, Verbal

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.

“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.

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.

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.

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.

425 E. Main St.
Fredonia, NY 14063
MAP

More information on the official site.

Caleb Wallace, 165/174’s Details:

(Hometown, State, Commitment Type)

Phoenix, NY, Signed