CORN AND TOMATOES THROWN INTO THE RING: MAYORS OF BETTENDORF, IOWA AND HOLMDEL, NEW JERSEY MAKE FRIENDLY WAGER ON OUTCOME OF IFL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Leaders of Hometowns of Pat Miletich, Renzo Gracie Put Their Cities Best on the Line as Teams Battle it out for Mixed Martial Arts Supremacy
BETTENDORF, Iowa, and HOLMDEL, N.J., September 13, 2007 Mayor Michael J. Freemire of Bettendorf, Iowa, and Mayor Serena DiMaso of Holmdel, N.J., today announced a friendly wager on the outcome of the International Fight League (IFL) World Championship, the culmination of the inaugural full season of the IFL, the worlds number one professional mixed martial arts league. The Quad Cities Silverbacks are coached by Pat Miletich, longtime resident of Bettendorf, while their opponents in the historic matchup are mentored by Renzo Gracie, who has resided in Holmdel for more than a decade.
The 2007 IFL World Championship is set for Thursday, September 20, at Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, Fla. Each team is comprised of five athletes, competing at five separate weight classes, much in the same way scholastic or collegiate wrestling meets are held. The team which wins three or more of the bouts wins the match. Mixed martial arts is a combination of various martial arts forms, including boxing, kick boxing, judo, Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling, Muay Thai, karate, Tae Kwon Do and others.
Mayor Freemire has wagered a bushel of sweet Iowa corn, grown locally in Bettendorf. Mayor DiMaso has countered with an offer of a bushel of Jersey tomatoes from a Holmdel farm.
The city of Bettendorf, A Premier City, is proud to support Pat Miletich and his team of Quad Cities-based athletes as they try to bring the World Championship home, said Freemire. We enthusiastically look forward to enjoying Mayor DiMasos tomatoes, which we fully expect the Silverbacks will claim for us next month.
Renzo Gracie chose our community to live and raise his children and speaks often of its virtues, so we are pleased to issue this challenge on his and his teams behalf, said DiMaso. While we are the home of the PNC Arts Center and some of the best produce in the state, we are excited that Holmdel will also soon be the home of the IFL World Championship trophy.
The IFL can be seen nationwide on MyNetworkTV (My9/WWOR in New York/New Jersey; My16/WBQD in Quad Cities) on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT and Fox Sports Net (check local listings for time). The finals will air on tape delay on Sept. 23 on FSN and Sept. 24 on MyNetworkTV.
About the IFL
International Fight League (IFL) is the worlds number one professional mixed martial arts sports league. IFL has its headquarters in New York and offices in Las Vegas. For more information about IFL, please see: www.ifl.tv.