LIVE on PPV Jan. 23: "American Idol of MMA," Ring of Combat Hits 50
Jan 13, 2015 Comments
(PRESS RELEASE) -- NEW YORK, NY – GoFight Live (www.gfl.tv), the
world’s premier online destination for live combat sports,
announced today that it has partnered with legendary world champion
Lou Neglia’s Ring of Combat, which has sent over 90 professional
fighters to the UFC, to bring the promotion’s historic, 50th Mixed
Martial Arts (MMA) event featuring seven championship bouts, to
live pay-per-view television as well as to a live global audience
on GFL.tv, on Fri., Jan. 23, from the Tropicana Resort & Casino in
Atlantic City, N.J.
At a suggested retail price of $17.99, the live cable television pay-per-view broadcast and the live GFL.tv online stream of Ring of Combat 50 begins at 9 p.m. EST/6 p.m. PST on Jan. 23. Additionally, a live, free-of-charge preview show featuring two preliminary card bouts from the event begins exclusively on GFL.tv at 8:30 p.m. EST/5:30 p.m. PST.
“We are thrilled to team up with GoFight Live, which gives us the
opportunity to showcase this event – a major milestone for Ring of
Combat – to fight fans all over the globe,” said Neglia, whose
organization has been touted by MixedMartialArts.com as “The
American Idol of MMA” because of its unmatched track record of
discovering future superstars of the sport.
To date, Ring of Combat is responsible for jumpstarting the careers of reigning UFC middleweight kingpin Chris Weidman, retired, former UFC champion Matt Serra; and UFC superstars Frankie Edgar; Al Iaquinta; Uriah Hall; Ryan LaFlare; Costas Philippou and Edson Barboza, among others.
Amongst the crop of rising stars that are slated for action at Ring of Combat 50 and that have been touted as potential, future UFC competitors are undefeated Ring of Combat national bantamweight (135 pounds) champion Julio Arce (6-0) of Queens, N.Y., who will put his title on the line in the co-main event against battle-tested Thomas Vasquez (7-2) of Horn Lake, Miss., and undefeated, former NCAA Division I wrestling champion and four-time All- American for Edinboro University Gregor Gillespie (3-0) of Wantagh, N.Y., who will square off with Justin Stewart (0=0) of Greene, N.Y. in one of the pay-per-view pre-show matchups on GFL.tv.
Unbeaten KO artist Oluwale Bamgbose (3-0) of New York, N.Y. will battle Devon Morris (1-3) Niles, Mich. for the vacant Ring of Combat national middleweight (185 pounds) title.
Since making his professional debut at Ring of Combat 45 on June 14, 2013 with a blistering first round (2:45) TKO (punches) of Fikret Darzanoff, the 27-year-old Bamgbose has been unstoppable, continuing his dominant success with two more first round stoppages – a TKO (punches) of Michael Elshamy on Jan. 24, 2014, and a TKO (doctor stoppage) of Steve Nichols on Sept. 19, 2014 – both in Ring of Combat action.
In the main event, 25-year-old Jeff Lentz (9-4-1) of Mays Landing, N.J. will square off with fellow up-and-coming finisher, 26-year-old George Sheppard (15-9) of Newport News, Va., for the promotion’s vacant, national lightweight (155 pounds) championship.
Lentz has earned 6 of his 9 career victories by way of (T)KO (4) or submission (2), while Sheppard has notched 11 of his 15 career wins to date via (T)KO (9) or submission (2).
Unbeaten Randy Brown (2-0) of Queens will lock horns with Mike Winters (7-4) of Cortland, N.Y. for the vacant Ring of Combat national welterweight (170 pounds) strap.
A Jamaican import, the 24-year-old Brown made his professional debut under the Ring of Combat banner on May 16, 2014, submitting Steve Tyrrell with an armbar in the first round (1:53) of their meeting. On Sept. 19, 2014, Brown turned in another powerful performance, finishing Leonard Simpson by way of second round (:52) TKO with a barrage of punches.
Brown will face his toughest test to date in Winters, a veteran of more than five times as many fights than Brown. Winters has yet to be finished by an opponent since making his professional debut in 2010, and reeling off wins in his first four starts – three by way of TKO.
Ring of Combat flyweight (125 pounds) champion, Matt Rizzo (7-2) of Levittown, Penn. will risk his title against Corey Simmons (5-6) Defiance, Ohio.
Rizzo is coming off a brilliant first round (3:40) submission (rear-naked choke) of Jimmy Grant at Ring of Combat 49 on Sept. 19, 2014, avenging a KO (punch) defeat at the hands of Grant, just one fight before that, on May 16, 2014. Prior to the loss, Rizzo had collected four straight wins – three via first round submission.
Phillipe Nover (8-5) of Brooklyn, N.Y. will square off against Dan Cion (4-1) of Farmingdale, N.Y. for the Ring of Combat East Coast lightweight title.
Nover, 30, is aiming for his third consecutive win, after earning back-to-back unanimous decisions over Darrell Horcher and Mike Santiago on April 4, 2013 and June 14, 2013, respectively. The victory over Horcher represented Nover’s final start of a 2-1 stint fighting for Bellator.
Cion, also 30 years of age, is looking for his second straight win in what will be his first appearance since June 1, 2012 when he decimated Casey Milliken in just 18 seconds with an onslaught of punches.
Kenny Foster (11-8) of Selden, N.Y. will battle Mike Santiago (12-9) of Wood Dale, Ill. for the Ring of Combat East Coast featherweight (145 pounds) belt.
Tickets for Ring of Combat 50, priced from $55 to $135, can be purchased online at RingofCombat.com, the Tropicana Resort & Casino box office and Ticketmaster.com.
Doors at the Tropicana Resort & Casino showroom open at 8:00 p.m. EST.
About GFL:
GFL (www.gfl.tv) is a fast-growing media and sports entertainment company that utilizes a proprietary technology to deliver the most exciting LIVE combat sports events worldwide and an incredible viewing experience to a global audience. With a diverse mix of combat sports properties, GFL is the premier online destination for live boxing, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Muay Thai, kickboxing, Jiu-Jitsu and more. Since its inception in 2007, GFL has streamed more than 2,500 live events with over 10,000 hours of combat sports content. In addition to its web platform, GFL is available on Roku, IPhone, IPad, as well as other internet ready devices, and broadcasts a weekly, two-hour, syndicated fight TV show on CSN, TCN and SNY, as well as live pay-per-view events directly to iN DEMAND.
About Ring of Combat:
Ring of Combat is one of the longest running and most successful MMA promotions in the country. More than 80 ROC fighters have moved on to the UFC and other top promotions, including former UFC champions Frankie Edgar and Matt Serra and current UFC Middleweight Champion, Chris Weidman. It is because of this success, finding great but unknown talent and preparing them for the world stage, that Ring of Combat has earned the reputation of being called the “American Idol” of MMA. Lou firmly believes that great fights make great fighters!
For more information about Ring of Combat, please visit their website at: www.ringofcombat.com
About Lou Neglia:
Louis Neglia is a three-time World Kickboxing Champion, a former U.S. Kickboxiing Champion, a Florida Karate Champion, New York State Champion, and an Eastern American Karate Champion. No opponent has lasted more than three rounds against Louis Neglia since he won his first World Championship in 1980. Lou is an eight-degree Black Belt, and retired from competition in 1985 with a career record of 34 wins and only 2 losses. He was named Fighter Of the Year in 1984 and was inducted into the Karate Hall of Fame. He starred in four motion pictures(“A Hard Way to Die”,”Super Weapon”,”Fist of Fear”,and “One Down”, “Two To Go”). Featured articles have been written about him in the top American and International magazines and newspapers.
At a suggested retail price of $17.99, the live cable television pay-per-view broadcast and the live GFL.tv online stream of Ring of Combat 50 begins at 9 p.m. EST/6 p.m. PST on Jan. 23. Additionally, a live, free-of-charge preview show featuring two preliminary card bouts from the event begins exclusively on GFL.tv at 8:30 p.m. EST/5:30 p.m. PST.
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To date, Ring of Combat is responsible for jumpstarting the careers of reigning UFC middleweight kingpin Chris Weidman, retired, former UFC champion Matt Serra; and UFC superstars Frankie Edgar; Al Iaquinta; Uriah Hall; Ryan LaFlare; Costas Philippou and Edson Barboza, among others.
Frankie
Perez, a nine-time Ring of Combat veteran who was originally
slated to compete on the upcoming 50th event, withdrew from his
scheduled title fight after being called up to make his UFC debut
on Jan. 18.
Amongst the crop of rising stars that are slated for action at Ring of Combat 50 and that have been touted as potential, future UFC competitors are undefeated Ring of Combat national bantamweight (135 pounds) champion Julio Arce (6-0) of Queens, N.Y., who will put his title on the line in the co-main event against battle-tested Thomas Vasquez (7-2) of Horn Lake, Miss., and undefeated, former NCAA Division I wrestling champion and four-time All- American for Edinboro University Gregor Gillespie (3-0) of Wantagh, N.Y., who will square off with Justin Stewart (0=0) of Greene, N.Y. in one of the pay-per-view pre-show matchups on GFL.tv.
Unbeaten KO artist Oluwale Bamgbose (3-0) of New York, N.Y. will battle Devon Morris (1-3) Niles, Mich. for the vacant Ring of Combat national middleweight (185 pounds) title.
Since making his professional debut at Ring of Combat 45 on June 14, 2013 with a blistering first round (2:45) TKO (punches) of Fikret Darzanoff, the 27-year-old Bamgbose has been unstoppable, continuing his dominant success with two more first round stoppages – a TKO (punches) of Michael Elshamy on Jan. 24, 2014, and a TKO (doctor stoppage) of Steve Nichols on Sept. 19, 2014 – both in Ring of Combat action.
In the main event, 25-year-old Jeff Lentz (9-4-1) of Mays Landing, N.J. will square off with fellow up-and-coming finisher, 26-year-old George Sheppard (15-9) of Newport News, Va., for the promotion’s vacant, national lightweight (155 pounds) championship.
Lentz has earned 6 of his 9 career victories by way of (T)KO (4) or submission (2), while Sheppard has notched 11 of his 15 career wins to date via (T)KO (9) or submission (2).
Unbeaten Randy Brown (2-0) of Queens will lock horns with Mike Winters (7-4) of Cortland, N.Y. for the vacant Ring of Combat national welterweight (170 pounds) strap.
A Jamaican import, the 24-year-old Brown made his professional debut under the Ring of Combat banner on May 16, 2014, submitting Steve Tyrrell with an armbar in the first round (1:53) of their meeting. On Sept. 19, 2014, Brown turned in another powerful performance, finishing Leonard Simpson by way of second round (:52) TKO with a barrage of punches.
Brown will face his toughest test to date in Winters, a veteran of more than five times as many fights than Brown. Winters has yet to be finished by an opponent since making his professional debut in 2010, and reeling off wins in his first four starts – three by way of TKO.
Ring of Combat flyweight (125 pounds) champion, Matt Rizzo (7-2) of Levittown, Penn. will risk his title against Corey Simmons (5-6) Defiance, Ohio.
Rizzo is coming off a brilliant first round (3:40) submission (rear-naked choke) of Jimmy Grant at Ring of Combat 49 on Sept. 19, 2014, avenging a KO (punch) defeat at the hands of Grant, just one fight before that, on May 16, 2014. Prior to the loss, Rizzo had collected four straight wins – three via first round submission.
Phillipe Nover (8-5) of Brooklyn, N.Y. will square off against Dan Cion (4-1) of Farmingdale, N.Y. for the Ring of Combat East Coast lightweight title.
Nover, 30, is aiming for his third consecutive win, after earning back-to-back unanimous decisions over Darrell Horcher and Mike Santiago on April 4, 2013 and June 14, 2013, respectively. The victory over Horcher represented Nover’s final start of a 2-1 stint fighting for Bellator.
Cion, also 30 years of age, is looking for his second straight win in what will be his first appearance since June 1, 2012 when he decimated Casey Milliken in just 18 seconds with an onslaught of punches.
Kenny Foster (11-8) of Selden, N.Y. will battle Mike Santiago (12-9) of Wood Dale, Ill. for the Ring of Combat East Coast featherweight (145 pounds) belt.
Tickets for Ring of Combat 50, priced from $55 to $135, can be purchased online at RingofCombat.com, the Tropicana Resort & Casino box office and Ticketmaster.com.
Doors at the Tropicana Resort & Casino showroom open at 8:00 p.m. EST.
About GFL:
GFL (www.gfl.tv) is a fast-growing media and sports entertainment company that utilizes a proprietary technology to deliver the most exciting LIVE combat sports events worldwide and an incredible viewing experience to a global audience. With a diverse mix of combat sports properties, GFL is the premier online destination for live boxing, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Muay Thai, kickboxing, Jiu-Jitsu and more. Since its inception in 2007, GFL has streamed more than 2,500 live events with over 10,000 hours of combat sports content. In addition to its web platform, GFL is available on Roku, IPhone, IPad, as well as other internet ready devices, and broadcasts a weekly, two-hour, syndicated fight TV show on CSN, TCN and SNY, as well as live pay-per-view events directly to iN DEMAND.
About Ring of Combat:
Ring of Combat is one of the longest running and most successful MMA promotions in the country. More than 80 ROC fighters have moved on to the UFC and other top promotions, including former UFC champions Frankie Edgar and Matt Serra and current UFC Middleweight Champion, Chris Weidman. It is because of this success, finding great but unknown talent and preparing them for the world stage, that Ring of Combat has earned the reputation of being called the “American Idol” of MMA. Lou firmly believes that great fights make great fighters!
For more information about Ring of Combat, please visit their website at: www.ringofcombat.com
About Lou Neglia:
Louis Neglia is a three-time World Kickboxing Champion, a former U.S. Kickboxiing Champion, a Florida Karate Champion, New York State Champion, and an Eastern American Karate Champion. No opponent has lasted more than three rounds against Louis Neglia since he won his first World Championship in 1980. Lou is an eight-degree Black Belt, and retired from competition in 1985 with a career record of 34 wins and only 2 losses. He was named Fighter Of the Year in 1984 and was inducted into the Karate Hall of Fame. He starred in four motion pictures(“A Hard Way to Die”,”Super Weapon”,”Fist of Fear”,and “One Down”, “Two To Go”). Featured articles have been written about him in the top American and International magazines and newspapers.
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