The Lion Fight Promotions’ WBC full rules Muay Thai main event showdown between light heavyweight champion Joe Schilling (12-1, 10 KO’s) and undefeated top contender and bitter rival Simon Marcus (22-0, 17 KO’s), will be contested under winner-take-all terms at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday, Feb. 25.  The terms have been approved by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC).
The winner of the highly-anticipated matchup will take home not only his purse, but also his opponent’s entire purse, a rarity in combative sports.

“Joe was talking a lot about what he’s going to do to me and this and that, so I said ‘Put your money where your mouth is,” explained Marcus, who initiated the challenge to Schilling online two weeks ago.  “Money has never been the most important thing to me.  What’s important to me is that I show people – especially the media that have him ranked ahead of me – that I can dominate Joe.”

Schilling, who has been enduring a rigorous training camp that included regular sparring sessions with UFC superstar Nick Diaz before Diaz’s UFC 143 main event battle with Carlos Condit last Saturday, Feb. 4, has never been one to shy away from any kind of fight.

“He offered me the opportunity to take his purse and mine and I didn’t hesitate for a second to agree to it,” said Schilling, .who appeared on the final two episodes of “UFC 143 Primetime: Diaz vs. Condit” on FX,  “I’m going to kick his ass either way and, now it’ll just be more money in my pocket.  I’m going to expose him and show everyone that he’s just a pop tart.

“From the beginning, our goal has been to put together the best possible matchups between the top Muay Thai fighters in the world and, when you have two fighters like this who are so confident that they’re willing to put their entire payday on the line, it just makes a great matchup into an even greater one,” said Lion Fight Promotions CEO Scott Kent.

“The winner take-all purse concept has rarely been used in Nevada,” said Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) Executive Director Keith Kizer.  “This certainly should bring added interest and intrigue to this contest.”

Tickets, priced from $25, are available for purchase at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino box office, at all Ticketmaster outlets (800-745-3000) and online at Ticketmaster.com.

In other Lion Fight Promotions: Battle In The Desert 5, Live from The Joint main card action, streaking Las Vegas star and WBC International Middleweight Champion Chaz Mulkey (7-4, 3 KO’s), fresh off his fifth consecutive win at Lion Fight Promotions’ last event on Nov. 19, will face his toughest test to date in two-time world champion and WBC No. 5 ranked super middleweight (168 pounds) contender Gregory Choplin (59-9, 22 KO’s) of Miami, Fla. by way of Paris, France in the middleweight (160 pounds) co-main event.

Mulkey was victorious over British champion Simon Chu via unanimous decision in the main event of Battle In The Desert 4, Lion from The Joint, while Choplin, dropping down a weight class, is looking to return to the win column after two consecutive losses in Nov. and Dec 2011 in his native France.

Following his hard-fought, majority decision victory over Rami Ibrahim on Nov. 19, WBC national champion Phanuwat “Coke” Chunhawat (146-24-1, 24 KO’s) of Oakland, Calif. via Thailand will return to the squared circle an attempt to avenge a June 2011 defeat when he battles 21-year-old young gun Matt Embree (19-3, 9 KO’s) of Toronto, Ontario, Canada with the vacant WBC international lightweight (135 pounds) championship at stake.

The matchup between Chunhawat and Embree will serve as a rubber match.  In Sept. 2010, Chunhawat edged out a split decision over Embree, who returned the favor by winning in the same fashion in the second meeting.

Jose Palacios (5-2, 3 KO’s) of San Jose, Calif. will meet Shane Oblonsky (6-2, 3 KO’s) of Santa Ana, Calif. in a welterweight (147 pounds) matchup. Vivian Leung (2-0, 1 KO) of Las Vegas via Saskatoon, Canada will face Tiffany Van Soest (1-0) of San Diego, Calif. in a super bantamweight (122 pounds) bout.  Power striker Scotty Leffler (4-2, 3 KO’s) of Las Vegas will meet Sheldon Gaines (2-4, 1 KO) of Los Angeles, Calif. in a 142 pound catch weight fight and 21-year-old top prospect Anthony Castrejon (2-0, 1 KO) of Las Vegas will make the third start of his promising young career in a super bantamweight (122 pounds) fight with 28-year-old Francisco Barragan of Dallas, TX.

Doors at The Joint open at 4 p.m.  The first preliminary card bout will begin at 5 p.m.
About Lion Fight Promotions:

Lion Fight Promotions is a Las Vegas, Nevada-based world championship Muay Thai kickboxing promotion dedicated to producing matchups between the best Muay Thai fighters in the world in their respective weight classes.  Led by former Las Vegas casino executive, Scott Kent, the promotional company has been developed in consultation with Christine Toledo, one of the sport’s most popular champions and star of the Oxygen Network reality television show Fight Girls.  Both Kent and Toledo share a common passion for Muay Thai and are working together to promote the sport.

About Hard Rock Hotel & Casino:

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is Las Vegas’ off-strip playground, just minutes and less than three miles from McCarran International Airport.  The premier destination entertainment resort is owned by Brookfield Real Estate Finance Fund II, a division of Brookfield Asset Management (NYSE: BAM) and managed by WG-Harmon, LLC, a subsidiary of Warner Gaming, LLC.  Built in 1995, the property completed a $750 million expansion in 2010. Hard Rock Hotel & Casino offers an energetic entertainment and gaming experience with the services and amenities associated with a boutique luxury resort hotel. The property is known for its innovative nightlife and music scene where acts such as The Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi, Paul McCartney, Incubus, Linkin Park, Foo Fighters and Carlos Santana have all performed.  Features of the property include an 11-story Casino Tower with 640 guest rooms, 17-story Paradise Tower with 490 rooms and suites and the all-suite HRH Tower with 359 suites, eight spa villas and seven penthouse suites; 72,000 square feet of casino space; 80,000 square feet of flexible meeting and convention space; more than $3 million in rare music memorabilia throughout the hotel; the luxurious Vanity Nightclub; Reliquary Water Sanctuary & Spa; Reliquary Salon; 4.8 acres of tropical pool paradise; REHAB, the trendsetting Sunday afternoon pool party; The Joint concert venue; Hart & Huntington Tattoo Co.; restaurants including traditional steakhouse with an edge 35 Steaks + Martinis, tapas hotspot Johnny Smalls, Mexican cantina Pink Taco, ‘round the clock diner Mr. Lucky’s Café and world-renowned Nobu; numerous cocktail lounges including The Lounge across from Pink Taco, Peacock Lounge and Blitzed Sports Lounge; and a state-of-the-art Fitness Center.  For room availability and additional information call 800.HRD.ROCK (800.473.7625) or visit www.hardrockhotel.com.

Contact:
Mike Afromowitz (917) 566-8754, mikea@yourwitzend.com
Christine Toledo (702) 480-6799, christine@lionfightpromotions.com

Courtesy of Mike Afromowitz/Lion Fight Promotions

From Punch Fitness in Deerfield Beach, Florida, Julio had this to say
about training camp and his opponent:

“This has been a tough camp. It’s been 8 solid weeks of training. I
can’t compare it to any of my other training camps, that ‘so called
training’ wasn’t anywhere near as tough. It’s also the longest I‘ve
been separated from my wife, but in spite of that I am happy and
relaxed.”

Julio notes there are some significant differences from previous
camps, “I have a new Manager, Bob Perdiment. I have a great
conditioning coach, which I never had before. You are going to see a
noticeable difference in my body. I feel strong.” He added, “I have a
chiropractor working with me everyday. He stretches me, he re-aligns
my back, and he makes sure I stay loose. It’s really made a difference
in how I feel at the beginning and end of each day.”

“Each day I do three sessions of technical aspects of boxing with my
trainer Anthony Hamm. I also do three sessions of conditioning and
physical training with conditioning coach, Jeremy (Fedoruk). From day
to day we alternate the type of conditioning we do, one time swimming
and the next running.” Fedoruk has worked with boxers and as
conditioning coach for the Miami Dolphins.

Julio claims he is mentally and physically sharp, and can honestly say
he is in the best shape he’s ever been in, in his entire career.

When asked about his opponent Julio said, “We know that he’s a strong
fighter. He comes forward. So we are working on a lot of different
things, we’re working on counter punching; we’re working on speed,
movement. We will keep him out of his comfort zone.”

“We are not going to fool each other. We are both able to knock people
out. We both have power in our punches. But if you look at my record
you’ll see that I have 31 knockouts and it’s not by coincidence! At
anytime in the 12 rounds either one of us can go, I just don’t think
it’s going to be me!”

“I hope that Angulo has trained really, really, really hard. Because
if he hasn’t things are not going to go too well for him. I am ready
and I know for a fact that I am going to bring that belt home.”

Once the darling in his weight class, Julio could consider this fight
his shot at redemption. In this fight he’s the more experienced
fighter, and has fought much tougher competition as a pro. All of his
losses have come from southpaws, this time he is fighting a right
hander. Julio’s camp feels his superior experience and new training
regimen will propel him to a win in Angulo’s home state.

This fight is co-promoted by Main Events, All Star Boxing, Inc. and
Goossen Tutor Promotions. The 10 round bout will be Joel Julio’s third
appearance on HBO. The fight will be held at Citizens Business Bank
Arena in Ontario, California. It will be televised on HBO’s Boxing
After Dark, “Ring Of Fire “ presentation, featuring the NABO and IBF
International Heavyweight Championship fight between Tomasz Adamek and
Chris Arreola, on April 24th, 11:15pm ET/PT.

Photo Credit: mpsportimages.com

Source: Ellen Haley, Main Events

FIGHT CAMP 360°: Fedor vs. Rogers will feature unrestricted access to one of the most enigmatic professional athletes of today, Fedor Emelianenko and his next opponent, the undefeated Brett Rogers, as they prepare to headline “STRIKEFORCE/M-1 Global Saturday Night Fights” to be broadcast LIVE on Saturday, Nov. 7 (9:00 PM, ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network.

FIGHT CAMP 360°: Fedor vs. Rogers will premiere on SHOWTIME® on Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT.  The CBS Television Network will also make the show available to its 203 affiliated stations for broadcast in advance of the fight.

From director Ron Yassen, who is embedded in Fedor’s training camp in Stary Oskol, Russia: “Fedor is beyond captivating as a fighter, and more so, as a man.  It’s a pure joy to film him so intimately as he strives for perfection in life and sport with grace and charm.  While training for this most important match, he kindly opened up his life to us in and out of the ring, without the ego that often comes with being the very best at one’s craft.”

Produced in conjunction with Roadside Entertainment, FIGHT CAMP 360°: Fedor vs. Rogers will showcase both fighters as they prepare for this historic fight.  Nov. 7 marks the first time Fedor, widely considered the sport’s No. 1 fighter, will appear in front of a national broadcast television audience.  Despite his iconic status within the sport, Fedor (30-1) remains shrouded in mystery, living and training in seclusion in a remote mining village in Russia far away from the spotlight afforded the sports’ very best.

Rogers lives and trains in Minneapolis, and enters the fight with an impressive 10-0 record after most recently dismantling former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski. Rogers, a quiet, soft-spoken giant outside the cage, who earlier this year quit his job as a tire technician at Sam’s Club, has the opportunity of a lifetime to dethrone the sport’s greatest in front of a national television audience.

“The response to our inaugural episode of Fight Camp 360°: Inside The Super Six World Boxing Classic chronicling the boxing tournament has been overwhelming,” said SHOWTIME Sports General Manager Ken Hershman, who commissioned the project. “Because of the subjects involved-the mysterious world champion set to fight a man living the American dream-we had to turn our lens in this direction. Special thanks to M-1 Global and STRIKEFORCE for affording us a level of access to both men that has been unparalleled in their respective careers.”

Scott Coker, president of STRIKEFORCE, added, “This is a one of a kind opportunity for fans to go behind the scenes and take a close look at the extraordinary, number one fighter in the world – Fedor – and his opponent who has become a symbol of The American Dream.”

Below are the air dates and times for FIGHT CAMP 360°: Fedor vs. Rogers on SHOWTIME and SHOWTIME 2®.

Tuesday, Nov. 3          9:30p (premiere)         SHO

Tuesday, Nov. 3          10:00p                         SHO2

Wednesday, Nov. 4    11p                              SHO2

Thursday, Nov. 5         10p                              SHO2

Friday, Nov. 6  10p                              SHO2

Saturday, Nov. 7         4:30p                           SHO

Note: all times ET/PT

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL® and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2(tm), SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL(tm) XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL(tm) HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL(tm) ON DEMAND. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

About STRIKEFORCE

STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com <https://mail.svse.net/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.strikeforce.com/> ) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history.  The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold out record crowd of 18,265.  Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.”  In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose.

About M-1 Global

M-1 Global (www.m-1global.com <https://mail.svse.net/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.m-1global.com/> ) has been one of the leading Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organizations in the world for over a decade. M-1 has promoted over 150 shows worldwide since 1995.  Billed as the “World Cup of Mixed Martial Arts,” the M-1 Challenge is a full season of MMA events that showcases some of the best up and coming MMA fighters in the world. Broadcast to over 90 countries around the world, including HDNet in the United States, the M-1 Challenge pits teams of five fighters representing their respective countries against each other for international bragging rights and the title of M-1 Challenge Champions. Fighters who succeed on the M-1 Challenge’s international breeding ground will earn the opportunity to participate in major MMA events presented by M-1 Global and their promotional partners such as STRIKEFORCE.