MATTHEW MACKLIN vs. SERGIO "MARAVILLA" MARTINEZ on Saturday, March 17 - St. Patrick's Day at The Theater at Madison Square Garden

The card which will be aired live on HBO's "World Championship Boxing is entitled, "THE REAL Middleweight Championship - Get Your Irish Up", features Sergio "Maravilla" Martinez (48-2-2, 27KO's) defending his middleweight crown against Ireland's Matthew "Mack the Knife" Macklin (28-3, 19KO's). The card is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and will be shown live on HBO beginning 10PM ET/7PM PT.

MATTHEW MACKLIN: I've had a great camp, sparring has been terrific and most of the hard work has been done at this point. The next few weeks now are just about fine tuning and peaking for fight night. It's been great working with Buddy again. He's a very knowledgeable boxing guy so it's great to soak that up. I'm ready for war and whatever happens in that ring. No matter if it goes one round or twelve, I don't believe Martinez is going to be able to cope with the intensity and burning desire that I will bring into that ring with me at Madison Square Garden on St. Patrick's Day.

BUDDY MCGIRT: Matthew is in great shape for this fight. I've worked with him for the Yori Boy Campas fight a few years back so I've been aware for a long time just how good he is. We're not going to shout or boast about doing this or that. Matthew's just going to go in there and let his fists do the talking. I must say though that I am very confident that he is going to shock an awful lot of people in this fight.

LAR CORBETT: It's been a great experience to spend a few days with Matthew and see his preparations up close and personal. Myself and Eoin are very grateful to Brian Peters (Macklin co-promoter) and Martin Donnelly (Macklin Sponsor) for the opportunity to come over. Matthew is training like a demon for this fight and the level of effort and dedication he puts into his boxing has to be seen to be believed. Matthew has always been a great supporter of Tipperary Hurling over the years, through thick and thin, so we felt it was only fair that we return that support. There is huge interest in this fight back in Tipperary. I know there are loads of people traveling over to New York for the fight but for the people not traveling over, they will be glued to the television and the whole country of Ireland is behind him.

EOIN KELLY: I've known Matthew since we played hurling together as kids and it's great to see him living his dream now on the big stage. The hype in the US for the fight is phenomenal. There are big billboards in Times Square and huge media interest in the fight, but Matthew seems to take it all in stride. We came over to show our support to him because it's an absolutely massive night, not just for Matthew but for all of Ireland to have someone competing at that level, fighting a guy considered to be up there with the likes of Mayweather and Pacquiao on St. Patrick's Day at Madison Square Garden.

On hand to show their support for Macklin were Irish Hurling stars Eion Kelly (right of Macklin in the Photo) and Lar Corbett (left of Macklin in the photo), who had made the trip over from Ireland earlier this week and have been touring the city with Macklin to rally together the heavy Irish community throughout the New York area to come out and support Macklin on March 17.

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

Thirty-five Athletes Advance to Final Round Action at the 2012 USA Boxing National Championships‏

The long road to championship night concluded on Friday afternoon at the 2012 USA Boxing National Championships with 35 semifinal bouts. All the semifinalists in both the male and female divisions took the ring on Friday with hopes of advancing to the finals.

Both of the 2011 National Champions suffered elimination in their semifinal bouts to create first-time final round match-up in the female light flyweight division. Reigning gold medalist Amy Sowers (Bozeman, Mont.) was defeated by Olympic Team Trials contestant Alex Love (Monroe, Wash.) in their semifinal contest. Love, who moved down to the light flyweight division for the 2012 National Championships, won a 22-13 decision over Sowers. On the opposite side of the bracket, Lisa Ha (Honolulu, Hawaii) defeated 2011 silver medalist Marina Ramirez (Sacramento, Calif.) by a 20-14 margin.

Two closes light flyweight bouts determined the finalists in the men’s division. Olympic Trials silver medalist Santos Vasquez (Sparks, Nev.) grabbed the first spot, winning a 15-12 decision over Stephen Fulton, Jr. (Philadelphia, Pa.) in their semifinal bout. Three-time national champion Louie Byrd (Denver, Colo.) hoped to advance to his fourth USA Boxing National Championships finals, but Leroy Davila (North Brunswick, N.J.) had other plans. Davila pulled out a 21-20 decision over Byrd to win the bout and move on to the finals with Vasquez.

Although the flyweight spot on the U.S. Olympic Team has been locked down by three-time Olympian Rau’shee Warren (Cincinnati, Ohio), eight flyweights traveled to Colorado Springs, hoping to claim a national title. Two of them still have an opportunity to do so following Friday’s semifinal action. Edmundo Guzman (Las Cruces, N.M.) won the first spot by taking a 16-13 decision over Brent Venegas III (Elk Horn, Calif.) in the first of the two flyweight semifinals. He will face the U.S. Army’s Charles Williams (N.C.) on Saturday afternoon in the flyweight final. Williams pulled out a 15-14 decision overEduardo Vasquez (Sheridan, Colo.) in Friday’s semifinal action to move on to the championship round.

Christina Cruz (New York, N.Y.) has bounced back from her loss at the Olympic Trials with three straight victories at the 2012 USA Boxing National Championships. Cruz won an 18-11 decision over Ayanna Vasquez (Las Cruces, N.M.) in her semifinal bout to move on to the championship round where she will battle Jamie Mitchell (Pacific Grove, Calif.). Mitchell won a 25-18 decision over Melanie Costa (Norton, Mass.) to advance to Saturday night’s showdown with Cruz.

In men’s bantamweight action, Joet de Jesus Gonzalez (Glendora, Calif.) won an all-California match-up with Gary Salazar (Fresno, Calif.). De Jesus Gonzalez took the low scoring affair, recording a 7-5 decision over Salazar. His final round contest will feature a match-up with Riccardo Kerns(Anchorage, Alaska). Kerns trekked all the way from Anchorage to Colorado Springs for the tournament but his long journey has been worth it, as he will compete in the bantamweight final on Saturday afternoon. Kerns defeated Luis Castro (Texas), 26-19 in the semifinals to move on to Saturday’s competition.

A third Women’s Olympic Trials competitor punched her ticket for finals night in the featherweight division. Lightweight competitor Tiara Brown (Lehigh Acres, Fla.) moved down to the featherweight class for the 2012 USA Boxing National Championships and she will compete for a gold medal in the 125-pound class on Saturday night. Brown won a 21-9 decision over Kirstie Simmons (Aurora, Colo.) to earn a spot in the featherweight finale. Brown will take on teenage sensation Rashida Ellis (Lynn, Mass.) in the featherweight championship bout on Saturday. Ellis defeated Karla Herrera (Los Angeles, Calif.) by a 14-12 margin to move on to her showdown with Brown.

The men’s lightweight championship bout will feature a rematch from the finals of the August Olympic Trials as two-time national champion and Olympic Trials titlist Jose Ramirez (Avenal, Calif.) faces 2008 Olympian Raynell Williams (Cleveland, Ohio). Both lightweight semifinals featured rematches from the recent Olympic Trials with Williams facing Toka Kahn Clary (Providence, R.I.) and Ramirez battling Kenneth Sims, Jr. (Chicago, Ill.). Williams claimed his spot first in a barnburner with Kahn Clary, the 2011 USA Boxing National Championships silver medalist. The bout went into the final seconds with the outcome in doubt, but Williams claimed a 21-20 final decision to move on to Saturday’s action. Ramirez enjoyed a slightly easier time in his bout with Sims. Although Ramirez had pulled out their initial bout at the Olympic Trials by only one point, he won by a much larger margin at Fort Carson. Sims kept the bout close early on but Ramirez slowly began to pull away, eventually winning a 27-14 decision.

Emily Dagnan (Jasper, Tenn.) and Katie Brunancini (Los Angeles, Calif.) will do battle in the women’s lightweight championship bout following victories by both in Friday’s semifinals. Brunacini moved on to Saturday afternoon’s action with a 23-10 decision over Felisha Estrada Gonzalez (Glendora, Calif.) in their semifinal contest. Dagnan joined her in the finals with a 19-10 victory over Rosa Garcia (Arizona) in the second female lightweight semifinal.

The light welterweight division featured one of the most crowd-pleasing bouts of the day as Julian Rodriguez (Paterson, N.J.) defeated Robert Easter(Toledo, Ohio) to the delight of Rodriguez’s very vocal fans. Rodriguez managed to overcome his large height deficit en route to a 22-18 victory over Easter and a spot in the final bout. He will face Olympic Trials champion Jamel Herring (Coram, N.Y.) in Saturday night’s light welterweight contest. Herring continued his methodical run through the tournament on Friday, winning a 20-13 decision over Luis Olivares (Glendale, Ariz.) to claim the second spot in the light welterweight championship bout.

The female light welterweight bout will showcase a highly anticipated matched between two-time national champion Cashmere Jackson (Cleveland, Ohio) and Olympic Trials silver medalist Mikaela Mayer (Los Angeles, Calif.). Mayer moved up to the light welterweight class following her loss at the Olympic Trials and has enjoyed success at her new weight division. She claimed her spot in the finals today with a convincing 21-5 win over Christella Cepeda(Yonkers, N.Y.). Jackson earned her berth in her third straight championship bout with a 22-5 victory over Ariel Beck (Helena, Mont.).

Alex Martin (Chicago, Ill.) returned to his second USA Boxing National Championships final bout with a victory over 2010 National Golden Gloves championDavid Grayton (Washington DC) in welterweight semifinal action. Martin won a 24-14 decision over Grayton to move on to Saturday’s finals where he will battle Patrick Day (Freeport, N.Y.). Day won a New York City face-off with Christopher Galeano (Bronx, N.Y.), claiming an 8-8 tiebreaker victory on his 26-21 total punch count edge.

Two former middleweight national champions will face off in the 165-pound final round contest on Saturday night following wins by Olympic Trials titlistJesse Hart (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Terrell Gausha (Cleveland, Ohio). Hart battled hometown boxer Izaak Cardona (Colorado Springs, Colo.) in his semifinal contest, winning a 14-10 decision over Cardona to move on to his second straight USA Boxing National Championships championship bout. Gausha continued his impressive showing in his semifinal match-up with Demond Nicholson (Laurel, Md.), taking a 22-13 decision to advance to the finals.

The women’s light heavyweight championship bout will pit two familiar foes from the middleweight division as Olympic Trials contestants Tiffanie Hearn(San Diego, Calif.) and Franchon Crews (Baltimore, Md.) prepare to face-off again. Both Hearn and Crews stopped their opponents to move on to the finals with Hearn defeating Kendra Minnis (St. Louis, Mo.) and Crews beating Denise Rico (Los Angeles, Calif.).

Marcus Browne (Staten Island, N.Y.) became the fourth Olympic Trials winner to move on to championship night with his semifinal victory on Friday. Browne defeated Anthony Sims, Jr. (Ypsilanti, Mich.), 18-6 in their semifinal showdown to punch his ticket for finals night. On the opposite side of the bracket, the U.S. Army’s Steven Nelson, Jr. (Fort Walton Beach, Fla.) upset former national champion Robert Brant (Oakdale, Minn.) to the delight of the crowd in attendance. Nelson’s 31-16 decision over Brant gave him the second spot in the light heavyweight final.

In men’s heavyweight action, 2008 Olympic Trials champion Michael Hunter (Las Vegas, Nev.) and Javonta Charles (W. Des Moines, Iowa) will face off for the heavyweight crown. Charles earned the first berth in the heavyweight final with a 13-5 victory over Antwon Abron (Stockton, Calif.). Hunter completed the bracket with a 16-9 decision over 2010 USA Boxing Athlete of the Year Steve Geffrard (Boca Raton, Fla.).

The super heavyweight division was the final weight class to finalize their championship round contestants and two west coast boxers claimed the final two spots in finals night. UNLV boxer and Last Chance Qualifier champion Brett Rather (Las Vegas, Nev.) defeated number one seed and Olympic Trials silver medalist Laron Mitchell (San Francisco, Calif.), 17-14 in their semifinal bout to move on to the finals. Olympic Trials participant Dominic Breazale (Los Angeles, Calif.) claimed the lone remaining spot following a 19-16 win over his teammate Jonathan Hamm (Atlanta, Ga.).

The three qualified men’s weight divisions and three women’s Olympic weight classes will compete in final action at 1 p.m. with the remaining weight divisions, which are each advancing on to major international tournaments, boxing at 6 p.m. at the Fort Carson Special Events Center.

Friday’s Semifinal Results

106 lbs/female: Lisa Ha, Honolulu, Hawaii dec. Marina Ramirez, Sacramento, Calif., 20-14

106 lbs/female: Alex Love, Monroe, Wash., dec. Amy Sowers, Bozeman, Mont., 22-13

108 lbs/male: Santos Vasquez, Sparks, Nev., dec. Stephen Fulton, Jr., Philadelphia, Pa., 15-12

108 lbs/male: Leroy Davila, N. Brunswick, N.J., dec. Louie Byrd, Denver, Colo., 21-20

112 lbs/female: Ayesha Green, Trenton, N.J., dec. Maryguenn Vellinga, Salt Lake City, Utah, 10-7

114 lbs/male: Edmundo Guzman, Las Cruces, N.M., dec. Brent Venegas III, Elk Horn, Calif., 16-13

114 lbs/male: Charles Williams, North Carolina dec. Eduardo Vasquez, Sheridan, Colo., 15-14

119 lbs/female: Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y., dec. Ayanna Vasquez, Las Cruces, N.M., 16-13

119 lbs/female: Jamie Mitchell, Pacific Grove, Calif., dec. Melanie Costa, Norton, Mass., 25-18

123 lbs/male: Joet de Jesus Gonzalez, Glendora, Calif., dec. Gary Salazar, Fresno, Calif., 7-5

123 lbs/male: Riccardo Kerns, Anchorage, Alaska, dec. Luis Castro, Texas 26-19

125 lbs/female: Tiara Brown, Lehigh Acres, Fla., dec. Kirstie Simmons, Aurora, Colo., 21-9

125 lbs/female: Rashida Ellis, Lynn, Mass., dec. Karla Herrera, Los Angeles, Calif., 14-12

132 lbs/female: Emily Dagnan, Jasper, Tenn., dec. Karla Herrera, Los Angeles, Calif., 19-10

132 lbs/male: Jose Ramirez, Avenal, Calif., dec. Kenneth Sims, Jr., Chicago, Ill., 27-14

132 lbs/male: Raynell Williams, Cleveland, Ohio dec. Toka Kahn Clary, Providence, R.I., 21-20

141 lbs/female: Cashmere Jackson, Cleveland, Ohio dec. Ariel Beck, Helena, Mont., 22-5

141 lbs/female: Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif., dec. Christella Cepeda, Yonkers, N.Y., 21-5

141 lbs/male: Jamel Herring, Coram, N.Y., dec. Luis Olivares, Glendale, Ariz., 20-13

141 lbs/male: Julian Rodriguez, Paterson, N.J., dec. Robert Easter, Toledo, Ohio, 22-18

152 lbs/female: Raquel Miller, San Francisco, Calif., dec. Tara Weisshaar, Burlington, Colo., 29-2

152 lbs/female: Danyelle Wolf, San Diego, Calif., dec. Alicia Napoleon, Lingdenhurst, N.J., 24-5

152 lbs/male: Patrick Day, Freeport, N.Y., dec. Christopher Galeano, Bronx, N.Y., 8-8 (29-21)

152 lbs/male: Alex Martin, Chicago, Ill., dec. David Grayton, Washington DC, 24-14

165 lbs/male: Jesse Hart, Philadelphia, Pa., dec. Izaak Cardona, Colorado Springs, Colo., 14-10

165 lbs/male: Terrell Gausha, Cleveland, Ohio dec. Demond Nicholson, Laurel, Md., 22-13

178 lbs/female: Tiffanie Hearn, San Diego, Calif., stopped Kendra Minnis, St. Louis, Mo., RSC

178 lbs/female: Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md., stopped Denise Rico, Los Angeles, Calif., RSC

178 lbs/male: Marcus Browne, Staten Island, N.Y., dec. Anthony Sims, Jr., Ypsilanti, Mich., 18-6

178 lbs/male: Steven Nelson, Jr., Fort Walton Beach, Fla., dec. Robert Brant, Oakdale, Minn., 31-16

201 lbs/male: Javonta Charles, W. Des Moines, Iowa, dec. Antwon Abron, Stockton, Calif., 13-5

201 lbs/male: Michael Hunter, Las Vegas, Nev., dec. Steve Geffrard, Boca Raton, Fla., 16-9

201+ lbs/male: Dominic Breazale, Los Angeles, Calif., dec. Jonathan Hamm, Atlanta, Ga., 19-16

201+ lbs/male: Brett Rather, Las Vegas, Nev., dec. Laron Mitchell, San Francisco, Calif., 17-14

Saturday’s Championship Bout Sheet

1 p.m.

112 lbs/female: Anissa Vasquez, Fort Worth, Texas vs. Ayesha Green, Trenton, N.J.

114 lbs/male: Edmundo Guzman, Las Cruces, N.M., vs. Charles Williams, Tulsa, Okla.

123 lbs/male: Joet de Jesus Gonzalez, Glendora, Calif., vs. Riccardo Kerns, Anchorage, Alaska

132 lbs/female: Emily Dagnan, Jasper, Tenn., vs. Katie Brunacini, Los Angeles, Calif.

152 lbs/male: Patrick Day, Freeport, N.Y., vs. Alex Martin, Chicago, Ill.

165 lbs/female: Fallon Farror, Staten Island, N.Y., vs. Dara Shen, Alexandria, Va.

6 p.m.

106 lbs/female: Alex Love, Monroe, Wash., vs. Lisa Ha, Honolulu, Hawaii

108 lbs/male: Santos Vasquez, Sparks, Nev., vs. Leroy Davila, North Brunswick, N.J.

119 lbs/female: Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y., vs. Jamie Mitchell, Pacific Grove, California

125 lbs/female: Tiara Brown, Lehigh Acres, Fla., vs. Rashida Ellis, Lynn, Mass.

132 lbs/male: Raynell Williams, Cleveland, Ohio vs. Jose Ramirez, Avenal, Calif.

141 lbs/female: Cashmere Jackson, Cleveland, Ohio vs. Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif.

141 lbs/male: Julian Rodriguez, Paterson, N.J., vs. Jamel Herring, Coram, N.Y.

152 lbs/female: Raquel Miller, San Francisco, Calif., vs. Danyelle Wolf, San Diego, Calif.

165 lbs/male: Jesse Hart, Philadelphia, Pa., vs. Terrell Gausha, Cleveland, Ohio

178 lbs/female: Tiffanie Hearn, San Diego, Calif., vs. Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md.

178 lbs/male: Marcus Browne, Staten Island, N.Y., vs. Steven Nelson, Fort Walton Beach, Fla.

201 lbs/male: Javonta Charles, W. Des Moines, Iowa vs. Michael Hunter, Las Vegas, Nev.

201+ lbs/male: Brett Rather, Las Vegas, Nev., vs. Dominic Breazale, Los Angeles, Calif.♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

Joan Guzman vs Jesus Pabon at ESPN2 Friday Night Fight ...

Joan Guzman vs Jesus Pabon at ESPN2 Friday Night Fight ... TONITE!! Guzman will be facing Jesus Pabon (17-2, 11 KO), who lost his last fight (KO-2) in June. The co-feature is a welterweight bout between Ed Paredes (29-3-1, 19 KO) and Manuel Leyva (21-4, 12 KO).

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

Keisher “Fire” McLeod-Wells Returns To The Boxing Ring In NYC March 7, 2012‏

Keisher "Fire" McLeod-Wells VS. Patricia Alcivar

Gleason’s Own Keisher “Fire” McLeod-Wells Returns To The Boxing Ring In NYC. Fire will fight a six round bout on March 7, 2012. The fight is being promoted by DiBella Entertainment and is part of his New York Boxing Series.


♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

FX Announces Competitors For THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER LIVE; Premiere Is March 9‏

FIELD FINALIZED FOR HIGHLY ANTICIPATED PREMIERE OF
THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER® LIVE ON FX ON FRIDAY, MARCH 9
First of Two 13-Week Seasons This Year on FX
Special Premiere Event to Showcase 16 LIVE Fights
Dominick Cruz, Urijah Faber Named Coaches

A talented international field of 32 confident, dedicated and determined fighters has been set for THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER® LIVE on FX that begins on Friday, March 9, with a special two-and-a-half-hour LIVE premiere airing at 9 PM ET/8 PM CT, and tape-delayed on the Pacific and Mountain time zones at 9 PM PT/10 PM MT.

The list of finalists was trimmed from more than 500 prospective entrants from around the world. Those seeking to cash in on the opportunity of a lifetime include fighters in the lightweight (155 pounds) division from the United States, England, Northern Ireland and Brazil.

The inaugural season of THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER LIVE on FX will run for 13 consecutive weeks, featuring live fights every episode, and culminate with a championship fight on June 1, in a three-hour finale. Following the eagerly anticipated premiere on its new home, the series will remain on Fridays but move to 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) for 12 weeks. (Telecasts of TUF Live will air live nationally on DirecTV ch. 248 and DISH-Channel ch. 136.)

As part of The Ultimate Fighting Championship®’s landmark deal with FOX Sports Media Group, FX will also televise a second 13-week season of THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER LIVE this summer. There will be two 13-week seasons of THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER LIVE on FX annually for the next seven years. The eventual winner of each season receives a six-figure contract from the UFC.

The 13 weeks of taping are more than twice as long as previous TUF seasons (six). Unlike past editions when each season was taped months in advance of its broadcast, new episodes with live fights will now air each week.

There will be 16 live fights on March 9. The competitors are:

Akbarh Arreloa, Chula Vista, Calif.

Al Iaquinta, Wantagh, N.Y.

Ali Maclean, Belfast, North Ireland

Andy Ogle, Tynemouth, England

Austin Lyons, Cordova, Tenn.

Brendan Weafer, New York, N.Y.

Chris Tickle, Bloomington, Ill.

Cody Pfister, Amarillo, Texas

Cristiano Marcello, Curitiba, Brazil

Chase Hackett, Littleton, Colo.

Chris Saunders, Long Beach, Calif.

Dakota Cochrane, Omaha, Neb.

Daron Cruickshank, Wayne, Mich.

Drew Dober, Omaha, Neb.

Erin Beach, San Diego, Calif.

James Krause, Blue Springs, Mich.

James Vick, Fort Worth, Texas

Jared Carlsten, Los Angeles, Calif.

Jeff Smith, Mechanicsburg, Penn.

Jeremy Larsen, Phoenix, Ariz.

Joe Proctor, Pembroke, Mass.

John Cofer, Hull, Ga.

Johnavan Vistante, Pearl City, Hawaii

Jon Tuck, Hagtna, Guam

Jordan Rinaldi, Matthews, N.C.

Justin Lawrence, Villa Ridge, Mo.

Mark Glover, Liverpool, England

Michael Chiesa, Spokane Valley, Wash.

Myles Jury, San Diego, Calif.

Mike Rio, Miami, Fla.

Sam Sicilia, Spokane Valley, Wash.

Vinc Pichel, Sherman Oaks, Calif.

The previously announced coaches for the two teams will be current UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and former WEC featherweight champion and current top contender, Urijah Faber. Cruz and Faber are no strangers to each other. The popular UFC superstars and rivals have split two previous fights and will clash for a third time at UFC 148 on July 7 in Las Vegas.

Following the live fights during the series premiere episode, or “Fight In,” the field will be halved. The 16 survivors will then be broken up into two teams of eight. Each team will train with each other and reside in a house together in Las Vegas for the duration of the season. One fighter from each team will be selected by their coach to fight at the end of each weekly installment on FX for the right to advance in the competition and, ultimately, perhaps, be crowned THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER LIVE Champion and earn the life-changing contract with the UFC.

Said UFC President Dana White, “We’re producing ground-breaking television with THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER LIVE and we can’t wait to kick this season off with FX. It’s going to be can’t-miss TV. Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber are two amazing guys who also happen to be two of the best fighters in the world. They genuinely dislike each other and I expect this to make for the best season yet.”

“We believe that Dana, (UFC Chairman) Lorenzo Fertitta and (Executive Producer) Craig Piligian have come up with exciting new changes to the format of THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER LIVE that will expand and grow the series,” said Chuck Saftler, Executive Vice President, FX Networks. “The fact that the fight at the end of every episode will now be televised live is certain to create a sense of urgency for UFC fans and will make the series even more compelling.”

Many of today’s most recognizable names in Mixed Martial Arts have emerged from the series’ previous incarnation, The Ultimate Fighter, including, among many others, Rashad Evans, Kenny Florian, Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar.

So who will be the first champion on THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER LIVE on FX?

Stay tuned.
♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

Bellator Hosts Open Workout for the Media in Indiana

In anticipation of Bellator 60 at The Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana, Bellator Fighting Championships will be hosting a fighter open workout for media from 12 – 2 p.m. CT on Wednesday, March 7 in the Purdue Room of The Courtyard Marriott in Hammond, Indiana.

The workout will be attended by Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney as well as Bellator 60 fighters, which include Bellator Featherweight Champion Joe Warren, Featherweight title contender and Crystal Lake, Ill. fighter Pat Curran, electric Season 6 featherweight tournament participants Alexandre “Popo” Bezerra, Marlon Sandro and Ronnie Mann as well as Indianapolis fighter and former UFC veteran Sean McCorkle.

There will be a workout session followed by an interview/Q&A opportunity with each fighter. One-on-ones will be made available with each fighter and Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney.

The schedule will be:

Wednesday, March 7 – 12Noon CT – 2 p.m. CT
Courtyard Marriott (Purdue Room) – 7730 Corinne Drive · Hammond, Indiana 46323
12Noon – 12:30 p.m. CT – Joe Warren

12:30 – 1 p.m. CT – Alexandre “PoPo” Bezerra / Marlon Sandro

1 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. CT – Sean McCorkle / Ronnie Mann

1:30 p.m. – 2 p.m. CT – Pat Curran

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

UFC Press Conference March 6 at 11am at Radio City Music Hall in New York CityFree and Open to the Public‏

Free and Open to the Public - UFC on FOX Press Conference at Radio City Music Hall
See Dana White, Nate Diaz, Jim Miller and more as the UFC announces its return to New Jersey! UFC on FOX Press Conference live this Tuesday, March 6 at 11am at Radio City Music Hall in New York City - the first 500 fans will receive a free t-shirt!

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

Rally to Legalize MMA in New York and MMA Documentary Film Festival Coming to NYC March 6

On Tuesday, March 6, the Coalition to Legalize MMA in New York and Madison Square Garden will bring a full day of events to support the legalization of live Mixed Martial Arts in the Empire State. The festivities will start at 11:30 AM, where the Coalition will host a rally for the sanctioning of professional MMA in front of New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Manhattan Office at 633 Third Avenue in the heart of lower Manhattan.

Governor Cuomo’s official endorsement of the sport is considered by many to be a slam dunk for Coalition forces looking to see live MMA in New York by the end of this legislative year. Among the confirmed speakers at the event are former New York State Assemblyman and co-sponsor of the Assembly MMA bill, Michael Benjamin and co-owner and President of Atlantic City-based Cage Fury Fighting Championships, Rob Haydak.

After the rally, the action moves to the New York sports staple Madison Square Garden. The Coalition, in association with Madison Square Garden and TaKe On Productions, will host a free MMA documentary film festival. Media and fan Q & A sessions with the Director and Producer will follow each film.

The MSG film festival will include the world premiere of “In Her Corner: The Inside Story of Women’s MMA.” The film features interviews with Munah Holland, Bjorn Rebney, and Roxanne Modafferi regarding the promotion and growth of women’s MMA.

Also on the docket will be the Manhattan premiere of “New York Mixed Martial Arts” about the battle to sanction MMA in the Empire state featuring interviews with Bas Rutten, Josh Barnett, Frank Shamrock, and many New York-based MMA personalities. The fesitival will end with the New York premier of the new MMA documentary “Fight Life,” featuring interviews with Jake Shields, Miesha Tate, Nick Diaz, and Big John McCarthy.

This will mark the second time a rally has been held in support of MMA’s sanctioning in New York. Last year’s rally came at a time of enormous support for the sport, both among the public and the legislature. Ultimately, in spite of several landslide voting victories for MMA in the State Senate, the bill that would legalize live events was defeated via a stall tactic from Assemblyman Herman Ferrell in the eleventh hour of the legislative year.

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

New York MMA Bill Passes Another Senate Committee, Still Stalled in State Assembly By Peter Lampasona

New York MMA Bill Passes Another Senate Committee, Still Stalled in State Assembly

Yesterday afternoon, the New York State Senate committee on Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business voted to approve bill S 1707A, which would sanction and regulate professional mixed martial arts in the state of New York. This vote referred the bill to the Finance Committee, placing it just a few short steps from the Senate floor. As with the past three years, the bill that would bring MMA to the empire state is expected to pass by a landslide in the Senate.

However, in the Assembly, the sister bill still flounders its first committee; Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development, having yet to be placed on the agenda for a vote. The Assembly committee was previously chaired by MMA bill sponsor Steve Englebright. This year, stewardship over the chair was handed to Assemblywoman Margaret Markey.

The Assembly MMA bill, A 4146A, was referred to Assemblywoman Markey’s committee on January 4. The Fight Nerd.com has contacted the Assemblywoman’s office on each instance of a successful referral of the bill in the Senate for information on if Markey had any intention of placing the bill on the committee’s agenda in the near future. Assemblywoman Markey’s office is yet to issue any official reply to the queery.

Last year, in spite of the massive victory for the bill in the State Senate and unprecedented support in the Assembly, sanctioned MMA was killed in New York by the refusal of Assemblyman Herman Farrell to put the bill on the agenda of the Ways and Means Committee that he chairs. Since then, the willingness of Assembly committee chairs to allow the bill to be voted on has been a major concern among the supporters of mixed martial arts.

In order for professional MMA to be sanctioned via legislative process, both bills in the Senate and the Assembly must pass. While a simultaneous lawsuit against the New York State Attorney General by UFC owners Zuffa Entertainment and various local members of the MMA community is fighting the legality of the current ban on the sport in New York State, even the fastest litigation could take years to yield any results.

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

MIESHA TATE vs RONDA ROUSEY SATURDAY MARCH 3rd @ 10PM ON SHOWTIME

A war of words between Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey made for a tense room at the final press conference at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, before Saturday night's STRIKEFORCE Women’s Bantamweight Championship, LIVE on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast), from Nationwide Arena.

Tate (12-2), of Yakima, Wash., will make the first defense of her title since shocking the MMA world and tapping out submission expert Marloes Coenen last July. The aggressive wrestling expert may face her toughest opponent to date in Rousey (4-0), of Venice, Calif., the 2008 U.S. Olympic Bronze Medalist in Women’s Judo.

In the co-feature, former STRIKEFORCE Lightweight Champion Josh Thomson (18-4, 1 NC), of San Jose, Calif., will face the hard-hitting KJ Noons (10-3), of San Diego, Calif.

A four-fight preliminary card televised LIVE on SHOWTIME EXTREME at 8 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) will precede the five-fight main card on SHOWTIME.

Here’s what the fighters had to say on Thursday:

MIESHA TATE:
“I don't care for Ronda's personality. I've fought people I haven't liked before but not to this extent. But I'm careful not to be overzealous and let tempers change my game plan.

“I don't really care what the odds are. Betting odds are just opinions. I'd love to see the statistics on how often they're right. I'll let the fight talk for itself.

“Ronda and I are feminine women and when you add on the fact that we're fighters, it makes for an intriguing package. For whatever reason, we're gaining viewers and it's our job to perform Saturday. We want people to walk away from the fight with a positive outlook because of the way we fought and not if we're gorgeous or not.

“Ronda is a self-righteous person. She cares more about herself than the sport. She talked her way into a title fight. Clearly, she doesn't deserve it. She's not the No. 1 contender. She hasn't even fought at this weight before. I mean, she's 4-0 and has been moderately impressive but she hasn't faced anyone like me.”

RONDA ROUSEY:
“The less everyone knows about my game, the better for me. There is very little footage on me. People can't study my full arsenal.

“Miesha will probably try to keep me on my feet because there's not much tape of me doing that so people think it's a weakness. But everyone else I've fought has tried to do keep me on my feet and that didn't go very well for them.

“I wasn't looking to make friends in this sport. I just wanted to make a living so I didn't have to catch coins. But it doesn't matter if people don't like me because it's mostly current or former champs who think everyone should throw petals at their feet. Honestly, I don't care if a bunch of girls I don't know don't like me. I'm doing this to support myself and not work night shifts at the gym.

“I don't have respect for Miesha's inconsistency. One minute it's about the sport, the next she is wearing booty shorts on her website and it's the entertainment business.”

JOSH THOMSON:
“I'm going to get the best KJ Noons anyone has ever seen. He has improved his kickboxing and other parts of his game. No one else has fought the KJ I'll be fighting on Saturday. It's a huge matchup. If I win, I should get a title shot.

“Am I worried about cage rust? I've been through this before. You saw I was in good shape after 15 months off against Melendez. The problem isn't conditioning, it's technique. So I've trained pretty hard with that in mind.”

KJ NOONS:
“I'm not worried about being in the Fight of the Night because I KNOW it will be. All of my fights are Fight of the Night.

“I've changed my fight game. I used to just want to get out there and see who the toughest man was. But other guys would try to take me down, lean on me and put rounds in the bank. So I've adjusted all parts of my game - knees, kicks, ground, everything - because I want to win and not just show I'm tough. I can do both.”

Mauro Ranallo will call the action alongside analysts Frank Shamrock and Pat Miletich with Heidi Androl serving as cageside reporter. The executive producer is David Dinkins Jr.


♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time. EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.