FC 135 Jones vs Rampage, Saturday, September 24

UFC 135 Jones vs Rampage
Presented by Gears of War 3
Saturday, September 24 - Pepsi Center - Denver, CO

UFC® light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones is undoubtedly the fastest-rising star in the sport of mixed martial arts. Since bursting onto the scene in 2008, the 23-year-old New Yorker has steamrolled through the UFC’s talented 205-pound division, finishing opponents with his unmatched blend of unorthodox striking and vice-grip-like submissions. On Saturday, Sept. 24, at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colo., Jones’ meteoric rise faces imminent danger, as “Bones” will makes his first title defense against former UFC and PRIDE® champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.
UFC HALL OF FAMER MATT HUGHES BATTLES THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER® SEASON ONE WINNER DIEGO SANCHEZ

ALSO:
TRAVIS BROWNE vs. ROB BROUGHTON
NATE DIAZ vs. TAKANORI GOMI

Jones, Jackson and UFC President Dana White will be in Denver on Tuesday, July 19 to discuss this epic card at a press conference to be held at the former BRAUNS Bar & Grill building at 1055 Auraria Pkwy at 10 a.m. MT. This event will be open to the public.

“Many people think that Jon Jones should be considered one of the pound-for-pound best fighters in the world, but I wouldn’t make that claim too fast,” UFC President Dana White said. “The 205-pound division is and always has been the most stacked division in MMA. Rampage Jackson has been one of the top five light heavyweights in the world since 2003. A win over Rampage Jackson will definitely put Jon Jones on the right track for becoming the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world.”

PUBLIC PRESS CONFERENCE IN DENVER ON TUESDAY, JULY 19 - 10 a.m. MT
http://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-135-jones-vs-rampage-in-denver-press-release-071411

After capturing the UFC light heavyweight crown by stopping Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in March, Jon Jones (fighting out of Endicott, N.Y.) makes his first title defense in Denver when he meets Rampage Jackson. At 13-1, the 23-year-old Team Jackson fighter owns wins over the likes of Stephan Bonnar, Vladimir Matyushenko and Ryan Bader. Despite his impressive resume, “Bones” believes a win over Jackson would truly cement his place as one of the world’s most dominant fighters.

“Fighting Rampage Jackson is an awesome opportunity and a win is definitely something that could add to my legacy as champion,” Jones said. “I think he’s re-motivated and that makes him dangerous. He’s driving me to a different level of training right now. I’m training like a champion so that I can go in there on Sept. 24 and perform like a champion.”

With his bone-crushing power and seek-and-destroy mentality, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (fighting out of Irvine, Calif.) owns victories over some of the sport’s all-time greats, including Wanderlei Silva, Dan Henderson and Chuck Liddell. While his opponent on Sept. 24 appears to be heading toward a similarly historic career, Jackson (32-8) looks to end Jones’ surge when the two battle for the title at Pepsi Center. Simply put, Jackson believes it’s his time to once again reign over arguably the most stacked division in the UFC.

“I am planning on bringing the belt back to where it belongs,” Jackson said. “That belt is very serious and very dear to me. That belt should never have been taken off of me, and it’s been a long time coming to get my chance to get my belt back. The proudest thing I’ve done in my career is unify that title with the PRIDE FC title, and in the next fight it was taken off me despite me winning the fight. I’ve had to wait since 2008 to get my chance to get my belt back, but anything that comes easy isn’t worth having in the first place.”

♔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.

BERNARD HOPKINS TO APPEAR IN INTERNATIONAL NEW PRADA "LINEA ROSSA" EYEWEAR CAMPAIGN

Two-Division and current light heavyweight world champion Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins can add another title to his resume...eyewear model. The future Hall of Famer who at 46-years-old is the oldest champion in boxing history, is appearing in a new Prada eyewear ad campaign that can be found in the Italian and international press beginning this month.

Hopkins was photographed by Brigitte Lacombe, one of the best world-class portrait photographers, as he showcased the new Prada "Linea Rossa" eyewear collection, named after the "sweet science": Prada Upper Cut, Prada Jab, Prada Barnburner.

"I am thrilled to be a part of this campaign," said Hopkins. "Prada is known throughout the world as a top luxury brand and as a world champion, it is great to represent the sport in ads that will be seen around the globe. People are already familiar with the way I work my upper cut and jab in the ring, now they can see me wearing them in my Prada ads."

Hopkins is joined by fellow pugilists super lightweight world champion Amir Khan of the UK and 2008 Olympic super heavyweight champion Roberto Cammarelle of Italy, who appear in separate ad layouts.

Prada stated that all three boxers were chosen, "Not just thanks to their prestigious track record, but also because of their strong personalities and their sporting talent and determination."

♔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.

Pacquiao: I'm SICK of Waiting for Floyd Mayweather

Manny Pacquiao wants a judge to declare him the winner in his ongoing legal war with Floyd Mayweather -- claiming the Pretty Boy has been LYING HIS FACE OFF to get out of being deposed by Manny's lawyers.

Manny filed the papers today in Nevada as part of his defamation suit against Mayweather -- in which he claimed Floyd falsely accused Manny of using steroids.

According to the documents, Manny's camp offered up 24 dates for Floyd to be deposed -- but Mayweather kept coming up with excuses as to why he couldn't show up for any of them.

Manny claims Floyd often blamed his intense boxing training for the scheduling issues -- but says it's all BS ... because on many of the days Floyd said he was training, he was seen partying at various nightclubs in Vegas and Atlanta.

Point is -- Manny says he's SICK AND TIRED of waiting around for Floyd and wants the judge to issue a default judgment in his favor, making Manny the winner ... and entitling him to damages.

No word on how much $$$ Manny is looking to pocket from the lawsuit.

♔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.

WORLD RANKED CRUISERWEIGHT CONTENDER BJ FLORES TARGETS LATEEF KAYODE

World Ranked Cruiserweight, BJ Flores wants to make a statement and he has pinpointed the man that will not only make a fan friendly fight with, but be a fight of importance.

Fresh off his 5th round TKO victory of highly rated Nick Iannuzz on July 23rd, Flores wants world rated and undefeated cruiserweight Lateef Kayode next. Flores has a date in Springfield, Missouri in October and is more than willing to bring in the highly rated rugged Nigerian as his next opponent.

Flores is 25-1 with sixteen knockouts.

Kayode, 17-0 with fourteen knockouts is ranked Number one by the WBA; Number three by the WBO; number four the WBC; and Number five by the IBF.

"I wanted Kaydoe after the fight he had with Iannuzzi. For whatever reason, they went in another direction. Now I have another date in Springfield, Missouri at the end of October and Lateef is on the top of my list! I contacted his promoter today and still waiting for a response. I want to clear up any confusion about who the top US cruiserweight contender is. This is a new phase in my career”, said Flores

"We had a wonderful turnout at the O’Rielly Center and had over 2100 people at the event! The guys at the O’Rielly are very excited to do another show as are we! I will be fighting here every 3 months until I get a shot at a title! If Lateef Kayode will take the fight then he will be the next victim. If not that, I will fight another highly rated US contender."

“Kayode is rated higher than me and I'm willing to prove in the ring that I can beat him. It’s nothing personal but he has something I want and that’s a number-one ranking by the WBA and top five rating by all three other sanctioning bodies. He stands in my way of returning to a title fight and I want to set the record straight that I will fight any cruiserweight that is in my way of a title shot"!

VIDEO LINK TO HIGHLIGHTS OF FLORES KO OVER IANNUZZI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4el80ZHPNYM

♔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.

Massachusetts native Chris Traetti to square off with unbeaten Edwin Rodriguez the main event of Broadway Boxing on Aug 20 in Worcester, Mass.

It will be a battle for home state supremacy on August 20 when Edwin “La Bomba” Rodriguez puts his unbeaten record on the line in the main event of Broadway Boxing from Mechanics Hall in Worcester, Massachusetts. Rodriguez (18-0, 13 KOs), a Worcester native, will battle another local favorite, Chris Traetti (10-2, 6 KOs), who hails from just down the road in Quincy.

Traetti certainly won’t be scared by anything the unbeaten Rodriguez throws his way when they square off in the ring. Traetti is an active member of the US Air Force Reserves, who was stationed in Iraq from December, 2004 through May, 2005. Even now, Traetti spends his weekdays stationed at an Air Force base in Chicopee, Mass. before hitting the gym at night to prepare for Rodriguez.

“When I was deployed, there were days when I didn’t want to be there. I was in the worst place in the world, working 12 to 14 hour days, sleeping in a tent, and I had no home to go to,” said Traetti. “It puts things in perspective. Some days I don’t want to go to the gym, but then I think to myself ‘if that is the worst thing I have to do today, I am pretty lucky.’”

Since last June, when Rodriguez last stepped into the ring in his hometown, he has hit the road to score the two biggest wins of his career, a ninth round stoppage of James McGirt, Jr. to capture the WBC USNBC super middleweight title last November and a ten round decision over top-10 ranked super middleweight Aaron Pryor, Jr. in January. Traetti believes that those wins add weight on Rodriguez’s shoulders to perform that may pave the way to an upset.

“There is definitely going to be a big crew coming from Quincy, but it is still his homecoming” said Traetti. “If I lose, I go from 10-2 to 10-3 and I’ll get another fight because I promote my own shows. If he loses, there goes the world title shot. All the pressure is on him, and that is pretty liberating for me as a fighter.”


♔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.

Calling all champs Lundy predicts win over Diaz on ESPN; aims for title shot in 2011

Lundy returns to ESPN Aug. 19th‏

He’s won 10 of his last 11 fights since 2008, captured two lightweight titles, fought in front of a worldwide audience four times in 16 months and is now ranked among the Top 20 in two major sanctioning bodies, yet Philadelphia’s “Hammerin’” Hank Lundy still hasn’t gotten the call to fight for a world title.

“I’m knocking at the door,” said Lundy, who’s promoted by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports. “I’ll fight anybody they put in front of me. What more do I have to do to show these guys I’m one of the top fighters in the world?”

The answer might come Friday, Aug. 19th, 2011 when Lundy defends his North American Boxing Federation (NABF) lightweight title against former world champion David Diaz in the 10-round co-feature of ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights” telecast at The Venue At Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Ind., presented by Hitz Entertainment in association with Banner Promotions.

This will be Lundy’s first title defense since capturing the belt in a win over Patrick Lopez on April 1st and his fifth consecutive bout on “Friday Night Fights” since April of 2010. A win over Diaz (36-3-1, 17 KOs), whose resume includes victories against former five-time world champion Erik Morales and former World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight champion Ener Julio in addition to a grueling battle against pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao, would boost Lundy (20-1-1, 10 KOs) in the lightweight rankings and possibly lead to a major title shot by the end of the year.

“[World Boxing Association and WBO interim lightweight champion] Robert Guerrero, [WBA and WBO lightweight super champion] Juan Manuel Marquez – I can beat those guys,” Lundy said. “If they will give me a shot and let me prove my talent, I guarantee I will wipe them out with no problem.”

Until then, Lundy must deal with Diaz, who’s in the midst of his second comeback following a 10-month layoff. Diaz returned to the ring in January with a majority-decision win over Robert Frankel. The 35-year-old Chicago native originally left boxing for more than a year following his knockout loss to Pacquiao in 2008, which, at the time, earned Pacquiao his fifth world title in five different weight classes (he’s since accomplished the feat in eight separate weight classes).

Lundy is seeking his third consecutive win since losing his North American Boxing Organization (NABO) title to John Molina Jr. in July of 2009. He rebounded from that loss with a win over Omri Lowther two months later on ESPN and then captured the vacant NABF title with a hard-fought win over Lopez, a two-time Olympian (2000 and 2004) for the Venezuelan national team.



“I feel like Patrick Lopez was the toughest fight I ever had and I handled him well,” said Lundy, who won the fight by scores of 99-91, 97-92 and 95-94. “I’m not sleeping on Diaz, but he’s 35 years old, has no knockout punch and no defense.

“When he fought Pacquiao, he got hit with everything except the kitchen sink. He comes right at you, but it’s not like I’m going to go in there and brawl with him. I’m a smart, intelligent fighter with youth on my side. I’m going to break him down. He’s a southpaw, and I plan on fighting southpaw because the one thing I’ve noticed about southpaws is they don’t like to deal with other southpaws.”

Lundy is ranked 15th in the International Boxing Federation (IBF), 29th in the International Boxing Organization (IBO) and 16th in the World Boxing Council (WBC), while Diaz is 21st in the WBC, 7th in the WBO and 4th in the IBO. Diaz held the WBC lightweight title from 2006 to 2008 before losing to Pacquiao and then failed in his attempt to recapture the belt in a unanimous-decision loss to Humberto Soto (56-7-2, 32 KOs) in March of 2010 – just six months after he beat former world champion Jesus Chavez in Chicago.

“My southpaw side is my natural side, and when I hit him he’s going to feel it,” Lundy said. “I’m going to stick to the game plan and do what I need to do. I know Diaz will try to wear me down. That’s what these fighters do today. They let you take the early rounds and try to wear you down, but everyone who’s faced me knows I’m in great shape, so I won’t be worn down.

“Everyone I’ve fought, I’ve exposed. Even in the loss to Molina, I beat myself. That’s why he’s running from me. Molina is scared of me. If you look at the scorecards, I was beating him every round, and what people don’t know is I was sick as a dog and I still fought anyway. That’s the heart of a champion. That fight made me even more dangerous. These other champions know it and that’s why they won’t step in the ring with me.”

Lundy’s title defense against Diaz is part of a dynamic card featuring the 12-round main event rematch between light welterweight Ruslan Provodnikov (19-1, 13 KOs) and Mauricio Herrera (18-7, 7 KOs) of Lake Elsinore, Calif., who also fought in the main event of ESPN’s first telecast of the season with Herrera pulling off the upset.

♔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.

Victor Lupo stalks Phil Lo Greco for Canadian Bragging Rights & more

Victor Lupo from his last fight punching former world champion Junior Witter. Photo Credit: Durell Wambolt/The Boxing Examiner

For the past year, rugged Romanian welterweight Victor Lupo has unsuccessfully stalked undefeated World Boxing Council (“WBC”) International Welterweight Champion Phil “The Italian Sensation” Lo Greco. His persistence will soon pay-off, though, as the WBC recently ordered promoters Hennessy Sports (Lupo) and OPI 2000 (Lo Greco) to negotiate an agreement or Lo Greco-Lupo will go to purse bid next month.

Lupo’simpressive victory 10-round decision for the vacant WBC International Silver title this past February, against former world champion Junior Witter (37-3-2), set the stage for a showdown between Lupo (19-1-2, 9 KOs) and Lo Greco (22-0,12 KOs).

It’s a natural fight because Lupo lives in Toronto and Lo Greco was born there. Much more than Toronto bragging rights will be on the line, however, including a potential world title shot for the winner. Lo Greco is rated No. 13 by the WBC, while Lupo’s ranked No. 22.

Lupo believes Lo Greco has been avoiding him. “The Italian Sensation” obviously hasn’t lived-up to his nickname, fighting only a pair of six-round bouts in Italy, since he captured the WBC International crown June 18, 2010 via a ninth-round knockout of Slawomir Ziemiewicz.

“This will be a crossroads fight for both guys with the winner positioned for a world title fight next year,” promoter Adam Harris (Hennessy Sports) commented. “Victor is convinced that Lo Greco is scared of him, which explains why making it happen has been so difficult. A fight like this will certainly draw the attention of the Canadian media, especially where both fighters are from Toronto. OPI 2000 (Italian promoters Salvatore and Christian Cherchi) hasn’t responded to our proposals but, if the fight goes to purse bid, we are committed to making a good offer to promote the show.”

♔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.

Pound-for-Pound Boxing Queen Holly Holm Preparing to establish ‘World Dominance’ Dec. 2 showdown vs. Anne Sophie Mathis

Pound-for-Pound Boxing Queen Holly Holm Preparing to establish ‘World Dominance’ Dec. 2 showdown vs. Anne Sophie Mathis at Route 66 Casino Hotel in Albuquerque

Boxing’s Pound-for-Pound Queen, Holly “The Preacher’s Daughter” Holm, has thoroughly exhausted the list of leading North American challengers, so her promoter, Lenny Fresquez (Fresquez Productions) looked across the Atlantic Ocean to challenge Europe’s premier boxer, French superstarAnne Sophie Mathis. Holm-Mathis will headline the “World Dominance” card on December 2 at Route 66 Casino Hotel in Albuquerque.

“My fight with Ann Sophie is going to be very tough,” Holly remarked. “She’s a tall fighter who uses her range. A fight like this definitely helps women’s boxing. I don’t want to be a paper champ and boxing fans don’t want to see one. On December 2nd they’ll see the top two rated women boxers in the world. My pride will be on the line because I’ve always believed you need to beat the best in order to be the best. I’ve never wanted easy fights. Winning a challenge like this makes it an even sweeter victory.”

Holm (30-1-3, 9 KOs) will be gunning to regain her IBA Welterweight title and WBAN Championship Belt in the 10-round main event against Mathis (23-1, 20 KOs), the WBO European Welterweight Champion. “World Dominance,” presented by Fresquez Productions, is a modern day match-up of contrasting female prizefighters, showcasing a consummate boxer (southpaw Holm) versus a knockout specialist (Mathis).

A multiple world champion in three different divisions (light welterweight, welterweight and light middleweight), Holly has defeated virtually all of the significant names of the past decade in women’s boxing from the 140 through 154-pound classes, including Christy Martin, Mary Jo Sanders, Mia St. John, Jane Couch, Duda Yankovich and Chevelle Hallback (twice). Holm is riding a 24-fight unbeaten streak, dating back to her only pro loss in 2004, when a serious cut under her eye prevented her from continuing to fight.

The 29-year-old Holm sports an amazing 20-0-1 (6 KOs) record in world title fights, in addition to a 14-0-1 mark versus world champions.

“There will always be somebody out there good to fight, maybe an up-and-comer or somebody overlooked” Holm said, “but I believe I’ve fought the best here but two European fighters (Mathis and Cecilia Braekhus) are good options for me. I haven’t fought either one, yet, and they’re both very good.

“Women are constantly trying to prove themselves to boxing fans. We put our heart into fighting each time we step in the ring. The top women fights are better than a lot of men’s fight on TV.”

Mathis, who will be fighting outside of Europe for the first time, is currently on a 22-fight, 16-year win skein, since she suffered her only pro loss in her second fight. She’s a two-time world light welterweight champion and Dec. 2 will mark the fifth anniversary of her first world title victory, in which she stopped previously unbeaten Myriam Lamare (13-0) for the WBA crown and vacant EBU championship. Ann Sophie’s victims also include world champions Couch, Yankovich, Ana Pascal and Nathalie Toro.

Holm is expected to fight WBC/WBA/WBO welterweight champion Cecilia ‘First Lady”Braekhus (18-0, 4 KOs) next 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.