LEOPOLDO, FABIANO, WHITEHEAD, GUNDERSON AMONG NOTABLES AS INTERNATIONAL FIGHT LEAGUE VISITS LAS VEGAS JUNE 16
Playoff Spots On Line As Renzo Gracie’s N.Y. Pitbulls Take On Carlos Newton’s Toronto Dragons; Don Frye’s Tucson Scorpions Battle Ken Shamrock’s Reno Lions
LAS VEGAS, June 8, 2007 – The final two playoff berths are on the line as the International Fight League (OTC.BB: IFLI), the world’s number one professional mixed martial arts league, today announced the field for its event at the Las Vegas Hilton., set for Saturday, June 16, at 7:30 p.m. Numerous top IFL stars will be in action as the New York Pitbulls, coached by Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu legend Renzo Gracie, take on the Toronto Dragons, coached by MMA legend Carlos Newton, and the Tucson Scorpions, led by MMA and wrestling icon Don Frye, battle Ken Shamrock’s Reno Lions on the 12-bout card.
IFL unbeatens Fabio Leopoldo (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) of the Pitbulls (2-0 team, 7-3 individual), Waggney Fabiano (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) of the Dragons (1-1, 6-4) and Mike Whitehead (Central Point, Ore.) of the Scorpions (0-2, 3-7) are among the IFL standouts on the card. Leopoldo takes on Brent Beauparlant (Ottawa, Ontario) in a key middleweight bout, Fabiano draws Pitbulls lightweight Erik Owings (New York) and Whitehead tangles with MMA veteran Vernon White (East Palo Alto, Calif.) of the Lions (1-1, 4-6).
The Pitbulls vs. Dragons matchup could be a winner-take-all affair in terms of the IFL Playoffs, which begin with the Semifinals on August 2 in East Rutherford, N.J. A win by the Pitbulls or a decisive win by the Dragons would mean that the loser would be eliminated. A 5-0 sweep by the Lions over the Scorpions would keep Shamrock’s team mathematically alive in the chase.
The evening marks the final regular season event of the full IFL 2007 schedule, the most comprehensive advance schedule in the history of fight sports. It also represents the first MMA event to be held at the Las Vegas Hilton, one of the city’s most historic venues. Below are the matchups for the event, with bout order to be determined by coaches’ selection prior to the Official Weigh-in on Friday, June 15, at 3 p.m. PT.
Dragons (1-1 team, 6-4 indiv.) vs. Pitbulls (2-0, 7-3)155 lb: Wagnney Fabiano (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (2-0, 6-1) vs. Erik Owings (New York) (3-1, 3-1)170 lb: Gideon Ray (Roselle, Ill.) (1-0, 14-5-1) vs. Delson Heleno (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (3-1, 10-2)185 lb: Brent Beauparlant (Montreal, Quebec) (2-3, 5-4) vs. Fabio Leopoldo (Sao Paulo, Brazil) (3-0, 5-1)205 lb: Wojtek Kaszowski (Winnipeg, Manitoba) (0-4, 0-6) vs. Jamal Patterson (Hoboken, N.J.) (3-1, 3-1)265 lb: Rafael Feijao (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (1-0, 4-0) vs. Marcio Cruz (0-0, 2-2)alt. 205 lb.: John Krohn (Gresham, Ore.) (1-0, 3-0) vs. Andre Gusmao (New York) (2-0, 3-0)
Scorpions (0-2, 3-7) vs. Lions (1-1, 4-6)155 lb.: Gabe Casillas (Tucson, Ariz.) (0-1, 9-7) vs. John Gunderson (Medford, Ore.) (1-1, 11-5)170 lb.: Mike Guymon (Lake Forest, Calif.) (0-0, 6-1-1) vs. Pat Healy (St. Louis) (1-1, 17-12)185 lb.: Seth Baczynski (Phoenix) (0-1, 4-4) vs. Daniel Molina (Carson City, Nev.) (0-2, 6-7)205 lb.: Mike Whitehead (Central Point, Ore.) (3-0, 18-5) vs. Vernon White (East Palo Alto, Calif.) (1-0. 25-30-2)265 lb.: Shane Ott (Philadelphia) (1-0, 3-0) vs. Roy Nelson (Las Vegas) (1-1, 7-2)alt. 170 lb.: Chris Kennedy (Las Vegas) (0-0, 3-2) vs. Rick Reeves (Reno, Nev.) (1-0, 2-1)
Tickets are available at the Las Vegas Hilton Box Office, through www.lvhilton.com or by telephone at 800-222-5361.
Each of the nine regular season IFL events consist of four teams – each with an athlete in all five weight classes competing. The team that wins the best three of five match setup will be declared the team winner for the match, similar to collegiate and high school wrestling meets. The IFL also differs from other MMA organizations in that the bouts are held in an oversized five-rope boxing ring with three, four-minute rounds, each designed to create the most compelling in-arena experience for local fans.
Each of the 12 IFL teams for 2007 will compete in three regular season events; the teams with the top four overall win-loss team records will advance to the semi-finals, which will be held on Thursday, August 2 at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, N.J. The 2007 IFL Finals will then be held at The Forum in Los Angeles on Saturday, September 15.
About the Las Vegas HiltonThe new Las Vegas Hilton, a classic property that has transformed itself into a contemporary resort, ranks among the world’s most famous and popular destinations. It is situated on 59 acres next to the Las Vegas Strip (and the Hilton’s Monorail station links the property to the Strip via a five minute ride) and adjacent to the Las Vegas Convention Center. It offers nearly 3,000 rooms and suites (including a variety of enhanced room products). The property is one of the largest hotels in the world and offers world-class entertainment (featuring the legendary Barry Manilow and other headliners) in the 1600-seat Hilton Theater, 16 distinctive restaurants, and a full-service health club and spa
About the IFL
International Fight League™ (IFL) is the world’s 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
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