Newport Beach, CA: Following up on 23 years of Battle In The Ballroom boxing success at the Irvine Marriott, fight promoter Roy Englebrecht has announced a new mixed martial arts series at his Orange County venue, with the kickoff event called WinterFist 2008 set for Wednesday, February 20th. After selling out his first two Irvine Marriott MMA shows in 2007, Englebrecht has realized that a mixed martial arts market exists in Southern California and especially Orange County, and has decided to offer America’s first ever regularly scheduled Mixed Martial Arts shows, the “Fist Series”.
“With the addition of these four new 2008 MMA pro shows added to the six 2008 Battle In The Ballroom pro boxing shows, all in the 1,412 seat Grand Ballroom at the Irvine Marriott, I am thrilled to name Irvine as the “Fight Capitol of California,” stated Englebrecht. “No other city in California will host this many shows in one year, and the credit has to go to the thousands of fight fans who have supported all the shows over the past 23 years. Plus, this is America’s only pro boxing and pro mma series under one promotion company and at one venue”
“I have decided to take the business template that we shaped for the Battle In The Ballroom boxing shows, and transfer it to the sport of mixed martial arts and create another fight series,” said Englebrecht. “We will launch the “Fist Series” with our February 20th WinterFist 2008 show, and then move to Sunday afternoons for SpringFist 2008 on Sunday, April 13th, SummerFist 2008 on Sunday, July 6th, and OctoberFist 2008 on Sunday, November 9th. “We asked many MMA fans at our two Marriott shows what day they feel would be a good day to hold shows, and Sunday kept on coming up,” continued Englebrecht, “so Sunday’s it will be. I also have no doubt that this new Fist Series will become the same huge success that the Battle In The Ballroom boxing shows currently are.”
For the first time ever in the short history of Mixed Martial Arts, a promotion has announced four dates over the course of a year, at the same venue, and will offer Season Seats for the series. “Again MMA fans asked if they could buy a season seat for all shows and be guaranteed a good seat each night, so we are happy to offer “Fist Series” Season Seats and fans will even be able to save some money as a season seat holder,” said Englebrecht.
Englebrecht also announced that his Battle In The Ballroom pro boxing shows will have some new wrinkles in 2008, and that opening night is Thursday, February 21st. Even though he is riding a streak of 18 straight sellouts dating back to February of 2005, Englebrecht will not raise ticket prices in 2008. He also announced that the Main Event on two of the 2008 shows will be Title Fights, with a championship belt on the line!
For the Fist Series Englebrecht will feature the first ever Fight Of The Night Award, a trophy that will be given, not just to the winner of the fight, but to both fighters in the bout that the fans feel is the Fight Of The Night.
“I’ll let Golden Boy, Top Rank and the UFC continue to fills arenas and I’ll fill Ballrooms,” stated Englebrecht. “While Golden Boy, Top Rank and the UFC showcase current Boxing and MMA stars, we’ll debut the boxing and mma stars of tomorrow, and we’ll do it with the lowest ticket prices anywhere. We’ll continue to create an upscale and exciting experience for our fans, in the 1,412 seat Grand Ballroom, continuing to elevate the WOW factor of the fight business.”
“With 36 current or former world champion boxers who have fought on a Battle In The Ballroom show over the past 23 years, I expect that we will now see the Fist Series become the first true minor leagues for Mixed Martial Arts fighters, giving them every opportunity to be successful, as we have for boxers, and help them move to the next level,” Englebrecht concluded.
So if anyone wants to attend a fight show in Orange County, either boxing or mixed martial arts, it pretty much will be at the Irvine Marriott and it will be a Roy Englebrecht show….because Irvine is now the Fight Capitol of California!
Tickets for all show go on sale Monday, January 14th at http://www.battleintheballroom.com/
Contact: Roy Englebrecht – boxing77@aol.com
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