2008 FOX SPORTS NET COVERAGE OF INTERNATIONAL FIGHT LEAGUE CONTINUES SATURDAY WITH MATYUSHENKO-SCHOENAUER TITLE BOUT, FOUR OTHER FIGHTS ON “IFL FIGHT NIGHT”
First-Ever IFL Individual Belt On Line; Stars Hieron, Heleno, Nelson Also Featured on FSN
NEW YORK, April 23, 2008 – The first-ever International Fight League (OTC.BB: IFLI) individual title bout between light heavyweights stars Vladimir Matyushenko (Belarus) and Alex Schoenauer (Las Vegas) and IFL World Grand Prix semifinal contests featuring stars Jay Hieron (Las Vegas), Delson Heleno (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and Roy Nelson (Las Vegas) will be among those featured in the next edition of “IFL Fight Night” on Fox Sports Net (FSN). The episode debuts on Saturday, April 26, at midnight local time in most markets.
Viewers can confirm the time and replays during the week on their respective regional FSN networks at http://www.ifl.tv/TV-Schedule-FSN.html.
In the feature bout, Matyushenko, unbeaten in IFL competition, takes on Schoenauer, who first gained attention in the MMA world as a contestant on the first Ultimate Fighter program, in the IFL’s first individual Championship. Other bouts on the one-hour telecast include:
• Hieron, a Long Island, N.Y., native, tries to follow up his submission victory over Donnie Liles (Colorado Springs, Colo.) in this 170-lb. rematch• Heleno, a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Capoeira master, also aims to reprise his earlier welterweight victory over Gideon Ray (Roselle, Ill.)• Nelson, whose only IFL defeat was via split decision, battles Renzo Gracie pupil Bryan Vetell (New York) in a heavyweight slugfest• Antoine Jaoude (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), unbeaten in IFL competition, takes on Shane Ott (Reading, Pa.), a surprise semifinalist after a stunning win over Chad Griggs.
Veteran IFL play-by-play man Kenny Rice is joined by MMA legend Bas Rutten at the microphone ringside, with Ron Kruck providing additional commentary. The bouts were contested at the Sears Centre in suburban Chicago in November.
In addition to the weekly “IFL Fight Night” on FSN, as well as in over 70 other countries and five continents around the world, ranging from HBO Latin America to Star TV in Asia and Middle Eastern Broadcasting and the Armed Forces Network, the first three IFL events of the year are being shown live on HDNet. IFL programming is already among the most viewed MMA programming worldwide, despite being in existence only two years.
The next live IFL event is set for May 16 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., where three Championship belts will be on the line. HDNet will again provide live coverage.
About the IFLInternational Fight League™ (IFL) has its headquarters in New York and offices in Las Vegas. For more information about IFL, please see: www.ifl.tv.