ROAD TO GLORY USA
HITS NEW YORK CITY WITH
ONE-NIGHT, EIGHT-MAN WELTERWEIGHT TOURNAMENT
WINNER OF DEVELOPMENT SERIES TOURNAMENT
RECEIVES $20,000 GRAND PRIZE, ONE-YEAR CONTRACT WITH WORLD’S NEW PREMIERE KICKBOXING LEAGUE
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
SINGAPORE (Feb. 19, 2013) – Glory Sports International (GSI), the parent company of the world’s new premiere kickboxing league, announced today that it will bring it’s ROAD TO GLORY USA development fight series designed to identify America’s next great kickboxing superstars, to Lou Neglia’s Combat at the Capitale in New York, NY on Friday, March 22.
The winner of the eight-man, single-elimination welterweight (170 pounds/77 kilograms) tournament featuring a host of prolific, up-and-coming competitors, will be awarded a $20,000 grand prize and a one-year contract with GLORY, home of the world’s elite kickboxing champions and superstars.
Tickets for the event are priced from $40 for standing admission and $55, $75, and $100 for seated admission, and can be purchased at the door or in advance by phone at 516-458-4989. The tournament is being held as part of a kickboxing fight card being promoted by former world champion Louis Neglia. “I’m very excited to see the top kickboxers compete and be featured in the new premier kickboxing league, as well as have a chance to be compensated monetarily for their talent, sacrifice, and hard work” says Lou, who is a top fight promoter.
“We are thrilled to bring our all-new ROAD TO GLORY development tournament series to fight fans in New York City, one of the world’s greatest sports and entertainment epicenters,” said GLORY CEO Andrew Whitaker.
“With the two ROAD TO GLORY tournaments we’ve held in the U.S. thus far,” continued Whitaker, “we’ve been able to discover tremendously bright and promising young kickboxers who could be developed to one day compete on GLORY’s championship stage, which is exactly what ROAD TO GLORY was created for. We are confident that we will continue to unearth all kinds of new talent across the country, beginning with the upcoming event in New York.”
Undefeated rising stars Ryan Parker (14-0, 3 KOs) of Rochester, N.Y. and Brett Hlavacek (6-0, 2 KOs) of New York will be joined in the tournament draw by KO artists Anthony Nieves (10-4, 8 KOs) of Atlanta, Ga. and Jeremy Carper (5-1, 5 KOs) of Martinsburg, W. Va., battle-tested star Tarek Rached (24-3, 11 KOs) of New York, road warrior Marcus Fisher (16-9, 3 KOs) of Pittsburg, Pa. and promising upstarts Eric Utsch (5-1, 1 KO) of Breinigsville, Pa. and Francois Ambang (6-2, 2 KOs) of Mechanicsville, Va.
Tae Kwon Do black belt and Muay Thai champion Cyrus Washington (52-21-1, 48 KOs) of Macallen, Texas will square off with Chris Clodfelter (7-3-1, 3 KOs) of King, N.C. in a tournament “reserve” bout on the card. Should any of the tournament’s quarterfinal round fight winners be unable to return to the ring for semifinal round action due to injury sustained en route to victory, the winner of the matchup between Washington and Clodfelter will take the injured fighter’s place in the tournament.
A draw to determine the ROAD TO GLORY USA welterweight tournament’s quarterfinal round matchups will take place on a date and at a location to be announced soon.
Doors at Capitale will open for the event at 7 p.m. EST and the first preliminary bout begins at 8 p.m.
For more information, visit www.gloryworldseries.com.
About GLORY:
GLORY World Series (www.gloryworldseries.com) is the world's new premier kickboxing league, producing live events across the globe and offering up to $2 million in prize money to the winners of one-night, 16-man ‘Grand Slam’ tournaments, which are open to only the best fighters in each of six different weight classes. The fight series also includes 8-man ‘Slam’ tournaments and events with traditional, single bouts.
With television deals spanning every continent, online live video streaming of all shows and the world's largest online martial arts library, GLORY is one of the world's most widely distributed sporting organizations.
Owned and operated by Glory Sports International (GSI), the organization has offices in the UK, Holland, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and soon in the USA. Its personnel include an unprecedented mix of accomplished entrepreneurs and senior level executives from the diverse worlds of finance, sports marketing, television and martial arts fighting.
In 2013, GLORY launched the ROAD TO GLORY tournament fight series to identify and develop new kickboxing talent in The United States, Japan and elsewhere around the globe into future champions and superstars of the sport.
Mike Afromowitz – press@gloryworldseries.com
Latest ROC Fighter Turned UFC Star: Costa Philippou
Lou Neglia's 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. Recently, two more former ROC fighters have been making headlines in the UFC. UFC title contenders Chris Weidman and Costa Philippou, both of whom fought solely at the Ring of Combat before signing with the UFC, are both on five fight win streaks in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Philippou, who fought nine times at the Ring of Combat before getting the call from the UFC, recently destroyed highly ranked Tim Boetsch at UFC 155. Costa's dominance over Boetsch was a surprise to many fans, but not to Lou Neglia. Lou, a former world champion kick boxer, does his own matchmaking at the Ring of Combat, and he saw Costa's potential early on. Lou's tough matchmaking has benefitted Costa, who has shown himself to be well prepared for the UFC.
There are no easy fights at the ROC, which is one reason why so many ROC fighters move on to the "big show." If you have what it takes to succeed at the Ring of Combat, you are prepared for the UFC. And there is also the name recognition that fighters develop when fighting at the ROC. Lou puts on four or five shows a year, and ROC fighters get known by fight fans before they hit the big time. The UFC and other big promotions know well of the ROC's reputation, and it's clear that they look to the ROC for new talent.
As a former champion, Lou Neglia knows what it takes to succeed in combat sports. And he looks for those types of championship qualities in his own fighters. At the ROC, a fighter's won-lost record doesn't mean as much as his heart and passion for the sport. If a fighter shows talent and determination and loses at a ROC event, he is not in danger of being cut. The big shows would rather take a 7-3 fighter from the ROC than a 10-0 fighter from another organization, because they know that whoever fights at the ROC will have been in with very challenging opponents. Records can be deceiving, ands some promoters try to pad certain fighters' records by giving them easy fights and putting them in mismatches.
That does not happen at the Ring of Combat. Only genuine fighters fight there–not guys who want to impress people by saying they're fighters. If you're a "pretty boy" fighter who wants easy victories, the ROC is not for you. And the UFC knows that.
The latest Ring of Combat, number 43, is coming up on January 25, 2013, and as always, it will feature world-class MMA talent. At the top of the card is undefeated Ryan LaFlare. Ryan has fought six times at the ROC, finishing all his opponents, four of them in the first round.
Also on the card is Deividas Taurosevicius, a fierce competitor who has fought for promotions such as Bellator and the WEC, and who is coming off an exciting come from behind arm bar submission at Ring of Combat 42 back in September. Deividas displayed great courage and determination in that fight and he lived up to Lou's credo that "It's not how hard you get hit, it's how fast you get up."
Deividas and Ryan are the kind of fighters that Lou likes. Lou is a promoter and matchmaker, but he's also a fan. And he makes the kinds of fights that fans want to see. "Tough fights make great fighters," Lou says, and the proof is in the ROC and in UFC.
Like American Idol, the Ring of Combat develops talent and showcases rising stars before they get to the big time. Talented fighters get to showcase their skills to a wider audience, including the UFC's and other big shows' talent scouts, while developing their skills against top opposition. And like American Idol, stars are born in the Ring of Combat cage. Some even go on to be UFC champions. Will Weidman and Costa be next? It's a good bet that one of both of these fighters will reach the highest levels in the UFC.
Who will be the next MMA superstar? Find out on January 25 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, at Ring of Combat 43.
Kick Force is a Japanese cartoon animation starring former world kickboxing champion Lou Neglia. Let the adventure begin!
Lou Neglia: Proud of His Ring of Combat Alumni
Lou Neglia is a former world kickboxing champion, and president of Ring of Combat, one of the longest running MMA promotions outside of the UFC. Of course, Lou takes great pride in his world championship, but he takes just as much pride in turning young fighters into UFC veterans and champions. Eighty mixed martial artists who got their start at the Ring of Combat have moved onto the UFC and had highly successful careers, a feat that is perhaps unmatched in MMA history.
Three examples out of the eighty fighters who have moved on to the UFC are Matt Serra, Costa Philippou and Chris Weidman. These three warriors all fought for Lou Neglia exclusively before moving up to the UFC. Matt Serra, who used to fight at Lou's Vengeance at the Vanderbilt show, went on to become a UFC champion. Costa Philippou is currently riding a four fight win streak in the UFC, and quickly moving up the ranks. And Chris Weidman is getting off to an amazing start with the UFC. Undefeated in his MMA career, he is 4-0 at the ROC and 5-0 in the UFC, and is coming off a dominating win over highly ranked Mark Munoz. Neglia feels that the sky is the limit for Weidman, and expects Chris to win the UFC middleweight championship in the near future.
"Weidman has the mental toughness to be a champion," Lou says. "He has confidence in himself and never worries about the other guy. When he gets hit, he grits his teeth and fires back. Other guys fold, but not Chris Weidman. He has all the tools. He's championship quality."
Lou then goes on to address Anderson Silva, the legendary UFC middleweight champion: "Chris Weidman is coming for you, and he will take you down and that will be his avenue to his victory."
Yet another fighter who fought exclusively for Lou before moving up into a Zuffa-owned promotion is Strikeforce star Gian Villante. Villante is on a three fight win streak at Strikeforce, and Lou expects big things from him. These are just four examples out of a total of eighty who have gone on to big things in their MMA careers.
As you can see, Lou is very proud of his fighters, and proud of the way that the Ring of Combat has prepared them for the UFC. For its part, the UFC is well aware of the quality of competition that the ROC offers, which is why so many ROC fighters now fight there. In this business, it's who you fight and how you fight rather than just your record that gets you into the big leagues. There are examples of the UFC declining 10-0 fighters who have fought in other organizations in favor of signing 7-3 fighters who have proven themselves in the ROC cage. Lou Neglia's philosophy is competitive fights make great fighters, not just when you get to the UFC, but at every step of the way. For fighters looking to pad their records, participate in mismatches or get easy fights, Lou will be the first to say that the Ring of Combat is definitely not the place to go. And his long list of successful alumni shows the wisdom of this way of thinking.
Another important part of the Ring of Combat's success–it sells out every show–is that Neglia doesn't try to compete with the UFC. He's more than happy with finding and developing talented fighters to the point where they can compete and succeed in the big show.
Several MMA promoters have approached Lou about merging their promotions in order to compete with the UFC. Lou always declines the offers. He sees through these offers, and knows that many promoters are driven by greed and jealousy of the UFC–which is why they wind up folding while the ROC continues to thrive.
Lou Neglia will continue to put on great shows and develop the MMA stars of tomorrow. It's his niche and something he loves doing. He always feels a special joy when ripping up a contract with a fighter because that fighter got a call from the UFC. As a former fighter and world champion himself, Neglia knows that the ultimate goal of any fighter is to achieve a world title. He's proud that his Ring of Combat is the ultimate stepping-stone to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and will be for years to come.
MMA reporter Kristen Brown interviews Lou Neglia at his home.
by Jim Genia
If you view the Northeast as a microcosm of the MMA world, then Ring of Combat and promoter Lou Neglia are akin to the UFC and Dana White. You simply cannot be a homegrown aspiring pro fighter around these parts without harboring designs on making your mark in ROC (or the Cage Fury Fighting Championship, but that's for another post), and given that dozens and dozens of UFC veterans can credit ROC as the stepping stone that helped them reach the Octagon, well, that makes Neglia the man who laid those stones down to create that path.
It's not hard to find old pics of Neglia from his championship-kickboxer days, but most of us know him as a promoter. Ring of Combat, which began in 2002 and is now up to its thirty-eighth pro installment, is perhaps his greatest achievement in the realm of MMA; however, there are amateur MMA events in there, too, plus a long-running NYC-based kickboxing show called Combat at the Capitale and a seemingly endless number of one-off events (Battle on Broadway featured kickboxing and MMA bouts in a hotel ballroom in Times Square almost a decade ago, while there was a recent kickboxing extravaganza out in Brighton Beach). Before that, there were fourteen Vengeance at the Vanderbilt installments on Long Island, which saw the likes of Matt Serra and Pete Sell getting their MMA on… heck, the first sanctioned MMA bout in New Jersey took place on one of Neglia's show in Atlantic City. "Longevity" may be an abstract concept to some promoters, but to Neglia, that word is like a genetic sequence coded into his DNA.
It takes a very shrewd business men to survive for any length of time in this sport, but Neglia has managed to temper that necessary shrewdness with traits like kindness, compassion and a genuine friendliness. If you're a reporter, he'll accomodate you; if you're a promising young upstart, he'll make sure you're tested (remember: padded records don't get you into the UFC, hard fights do); and if you're a grizzled veteran, he'll find a spot for you on the next card.
There's a few reasons why ROC has thrived for so long. But without question, the biggest one is Neglia.
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by Kevin Garvey
MMA has seen many new organizations try to go head to head with the UFC and fail. EliteXC, Affliction, Bodog and the IFL all tried to compete with the UFC, but soon realized why the UFC is the number 1 MMA organization in the world. It's nice to think big, but in MMA you have to be realistic. The UFC is number 1 for a reason. It has the best fighters on the planet and the best brand recognition. And when it comes to business, Dana White and the Ferttitta brothers take a no holds barred approach to beating the competition, which is why the UFC is still the undisputed champion of MMA promotions.
One organization, however, Lou Neglia's Ring of Combat, has managed to thrive where so many others have failed. The ROC is one of the longest running shows outside of the UFC, and the longest sanctioned promotion outside of the UFC. And there is good reason for this. Instead of trying to compete with the UFC, Lou Neglia sees his promotion as one where fighters can hone their skills to such a level that they can move on to the big show. Indeed, where other promoters try to lock up their fighters into contracts that forbid them from fighting in the UFC, Lou encourages his fighters to move upwards and onwards.
"The UFC deserves its place in history," Lou said. "They are the World Series of MMA. I have a great relationship with the UFC and even have their logo on one of my event posters. When a fighter tells me he has on offer from the UFC, I gladly rip up his contract."
As a former kickboxing world champion himself, Lou understands the ambitions of professional fighters, and has a keen insight into what it takes to be a high level professional athlete. He would never dream of trying to stifle their growth. Lou takes great pride in developing the talents of his fighters, to the extent that an astounding 44 fighters who have fought at the ROC have moved on to the UFC, including current UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. Many more if you count those who have moved on to Bellator, the WEC and Strikeforce.
Not only is Neglia the CEO of Ring of Combat, he is the matchmaker too. And he's a tough matchmaker–there are no "gimme" fights at the ROC. In this way, Lou prepares fighters for the adversity they will face in the Octagon. He does his best to give fighters the kinds of tough fights they need to take the ultimate step in their MMA career.
"If you give people easy fights, what happens when they get to the UFC?" Lou said. "The best fighters are in the UFC and you need to be prepared."
This mindset is why so many of his fighters have gone on to have great success in the Octagon. Chris Weidman is the latest example of a fighter who fought his entire pro career at the Ring of Combat and is now undefeated in three fights in the Octagon. His tough fights at the ROC have prepared him for the tough fights in the UFC.
But the ROC is about more than just finding and developing new talent. The shows always feature "superfights" which include some of the sport's biggest names from all around the world. At ROC XVIII, for example, the card featured fighters from Brazil, Canada and even the Republic of Georgia, making it a true international event.
This is all part of Lou's strategy to make the Ring of Combat the biggest show not competing with the UFC. And his formula is working. He is providing fighters with an opportunity of a lifetime, as well as giving MMA fans what they want most: the best fights you can find outside of the UFC.
Aug 1, 2011: Muay Thaimes: The Story of 3X World Champ Lou Neglia
Ring of Combat XXXI: A Night to Remember
By Shawn Baran
TheGARV.com
What can I say about the Ring of Combat XXXI card that took place Saturday night from The Tropicana Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, NJ? Well, I will say that there is a reason that New Jersey produces some of the best MMA fighters out there today. One of the organizations that produce these fighters is Lou Neglia’s Ring of Combat. There have been 40+ fighters from ROC that have gone on to obtain UFC contracts. Saturday night proved exactly why that is.
From the preliminary card to the main card and the title fights, the action never let up. Neither did the crowd for that matter. There were several empty seats in the Grand Ballroom Saturday night, but it was not because people did show up. They just spent most of the night standing and cheering for their fighter. One thing about ROC events, they attract some of the die-hard fans of MMA and boy, are they passionate.
July 15, 2010
MMA Has Strong Local Flavor
by Steve Siniski
When Lou Neglia talks Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), people tend to listen — and for good reason. A former three-time world kickboxing champion in the 1980s who boasted a career record of 34-2, Neglia is now one of the preeminent MMA promoters in the United States.
His Ring of Combat promotion at the Tropicana Casino & Resort in Atlantic City has helped launch the careers of 39 MMA fighters to the sport’s top level, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), including East Meadow’s Matt Serra. So when Neglia throws out the name of someone he thinks is nearing the launching pad to be the 40th to advance from the Ring of Combat ranks to the UFC, it carries plenty of weight. The fighter in his sights is Ryan LaFlare, the Ring of Combat’s current welterweight champion who competes out of the Bellmore Kickboxing Academy.
“I believe Ryan [can] be the next Ring of Combat fighter to get to the UFC,” said Neglia, who resides in Bellmore. “He fights to win and doesn’t fight not to lose. [Ryan] fights from the beginning to the end of a round, has a great fighting spirit, the heart of a lion and is in great condition.
“He does his homework and has the stamina and work ethic required.”
LaFlare sports a sparkling 6-0 mark as a professional in Ring of Combat competition and successfully defended his title June 11 in Atlantic City with a second-round technical knockout of Mike Medrano. The referee stopped the bout at the 4:07 mark of the round due to strikes by LaFlare. He’s scheduled to put the belt on the line again Sept. 24, but in a show promoted by Neglia, no outcome is a given. “Styles make fights,” said Neglia, who schedules up to 16 bouts per show at the routinely sold-out Tropicana. “When I match up fights at shows, I don’t even know who’s going to win.”
LaFlare agrees with that assertion. “I think it’s the most competitive [organization] besides Strikeforce and the UFC,” he said.
A former wrestler, LaFlare’s first experiences with mixed martial arts helped quench his thirst for competition. Now, he’s trying to turn it into a full-fledged career. “I’ve wrestled my entire life,” he said. “I always liked the competition and used to watch. Then I got into submission wrestling and saw all of the jiu jitsu.”
As a professional, he trains twice a day, five times a week in a variety of fighting disciplines. Trained by Keith Tremble of Bellmore’s Kickboxing Academy, LaFlare also hones his wrestling skills with coach Kenny Willis and develops his jiu jitsu skills at D’Arce Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. “You have to be equally good in everything,” LaFlare said. “All the training at Bellmore Kickboxing has really put that all together for me.”
Judging by the results of his first six professional bouts, all wins, with two coming via knockout, two by technical knockout and two by armbar submissions, it’s clear LaFlare has developed into a well-rounded fighter. “There’s so many ways to win,” Neglia said. “That’s what makes it so exciting. If you get hit and don’t like what’s happening, you can take it down [to the mat]. Anything can happen at any time.”
As important as the physical aspect of MMA is, the mental aspect plays just as big, if not a bigger role in the development of a fighter’s career. As Neglia points out, being successful takes far more than just showing up in an arena on fight night with a mean mug and a big right hook. “That journey of two and a half to three months of gruesome training is the hard part,” he said. “The hard part is getting competition-ready. It’s a lot of sacrificing that a lot of people couldn’t handle.”
Decried by some as brutal, including New York lawmakers who continue to ban the sport in the state and refuse to approve sanctioning, MMA’s hopes for a reversal were recently dealt another blow when a proposed bill to allow professional bouts was struck down by the state assembly.
New York remains one of just six states that does not sanction MMA fights, but the long-running debate appears to be far from over. “The greatest fighters in MMA should fight in the greatest arena [Madison Square Garden],” said Neglia, who experienced that exact rush by winning the World Kickboxing title at MSG in 1983.
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With Ring of Combat, Lou Neglia shows MMA promoters how it should be done |
PRESS RELEASE
November 30, 2007
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MARK CUBAN’S HDNET FIGHTS & LOUIS NEGLIA’S RING OF COMBAT JOIN FORCES TO BRING THE NORTHEAST’S LEADING MMA EVENT INTO MILLIONS OF HOUSEHOLDS The Kicks-Off Event Will be Held at the Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City, November 30, 2007 (Atlantic City, NJ) – November XX, 2007 – HDNet Fights, the newly launched Mixed Martial Arts League from Dallas Mavericks owner and Internet broadcasting pioneer Mark Cuban today announced an exciting new partnership with legendary World Champion Louis Neglia’s Ring of Combat, the northeast’s leading Mixed Martian Arts (MMA) event series. The partnership will debut with the broadcast of HDNet Fights Presents: Ring of Combat. This first telecast on HDNet will be of Neglia’s Ring of Combat Beasts of the Northeast Tournament Finals on November 30, 2007 at the Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City, NJ. HDNet will air the event at a later date to be determined. The mission of HDNet Fights is to grow the sport through its own events via the HDNet Fights brand and by bringing attention to the top regional MMA organizations, such as Ring of Combat, through its “HDNet Fights Presents” banner. For over ten years, Louis Neglia has provided the most action-packed MMA events in the Northeast through his Ring of Combat tournaments. This partnership with HDNet Fights affirms Neglia’s ongoing commitment to bringing quality fighters from around the world together and producing the best events in the region and is now leading the charge in bringing high-definition quality MMA bouts to living rooms nationwide. Previous Ring of Combat events have been televised on the Madison Square Garden Cable Network, Telemundo, Sports Channel, ESPN2 and on iNDEMAND Pay-Per-View. The main fight-card for the November 30th Tournament will feature bouts between MMA stars Gregor Gracie from Team Renzo Gracie vs. Eric Henry (from Team XXX), as well as Jim Miller (XXXX) vs. Chris Liguori (XXXXX), among many other action packed bouts. “Mixed Martial Arts is becoming a truly revolutionary sport, surpassing almost every major sport in popularity among its target demographic,” stated World Champion and Ring of Combat promoter Louis Neglia, whose tireless efforts have developed a truly loyal and energetic fan base. “We are committed to producing some of the greatest MMA events and giving our fighters the respect and care they deserve.” Louis Neglia is a three-time world kickboxing champion, and has performed in some of the largest arenas in the world. He was named “Fighter of the Year” and inducted into the Karate Hall of Fame, among other notable achievements. Louis Neglia Presents… has hosted sellout Mixed Martial Arts events at the Taj Mahal, Caesars Palace and the Tropicana in Atlantic City, the Marriott International, the Meadowlands, The Capitale in New York City and Madison Square Garden, to name a few. HDNet produces more original sports, music, news, and entertainment programming than any other domestic network. HDNet Fights is HDNet’s new Mixed Martial Arts initiative showcasing cutting-edge competition and events for the ultimate MMA fan. “Inside MMA” on HDNet brings viewers inside the world of Mixed Martial Arts with expert coverage and in-depth interviews with todays top MMA fighters and trainers. Launched in 2001 by Mark Cuban and General Manager Philip Garvin, the HDNet is available on AT&T, Bright House Networks, Charter Communications, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Insight, Mediacom, Time Warner Cable, Verizon and more than 40 NCTC cable affiliate companies. For more information, please visit www.hd.net, www.hdnetfights.com, or www.ringofcombat.com. |
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The EVILMASTER REPORT |
LEGENDARY FIGHTER & PROMOTER LOUIS NEGLIA TO ANNOUNCE PPV SCHEDULE FOR THE RING OF COMBAT World Champion Louis Neglia today announced the season premiere of Ring of Combat – Tournament of Champions championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) events. The first available pay-per-view broadcast of the event debuts on Friday, June 29, 2007, at 10:00 PM EDT with replays throughout the month of June and July and will cost a budget-minded $19.95.
Louis Neglia’s Ring of Combat has held many of the most action packed MMA events that the Northeast has seen and is moving up to the next level of competition and moving up to a new level of broadcast exposure. "Mixed Martial Arts is becoming a truly revolutionary sport, surpassing almost every major sport in popularity among its target demographic group of 18-34 year old males,” said Louis Neglia, founder and promoter of Ring of Combat. “2007 will be the best year yet for the Ring of Combat tournament and our partnership with Pay Per View is breaking new ground for our fans and creating new exposure for our sport and broadcasting partners. Our PPV broadcasts will be available for a reasonable and affordable $19.95, giving fight fans and the hard working man and woman the opportunity to be inside the ring when the action starts.” Recent Pay-Per-View (PPV) broadcasts of MMA events exceeded 700,000 buys in early 2006 and then closed out the year with the highest PPV buys ever with more than 1,000,000 for a single event. Louis Neglia’s Ring of Combat is sure to be a crowd pleaser, with finals scheduled for and April 27th respectively. The top fighters in each of three different weight divisions – Lightweight, Welterweight and Middleweight will vie to be the Champion in their respective divisions and for their share of more than $100,000 in prize money. Louis Neglia’s Ring of Combat – Tournament of Champions Finals will be held live at the Tropicana Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, NJ on Friday, April 27, 2007 at 9:00pm EDT. Fighters from around the world will be competing for their share of a $100,000 purse. MMA finalists competing in the Tournament of Champions Finals include, Binky Jones of Maryland vs. Ian Loveland of Oregon; Todd War of Texas vs. Philippe Nova of New York and Marc Stevens of Delaware vs. Jason House of Texas. “Having been a former world champion myself, I know how difficult the life of a fighter is and this is why I created Ring of Combat in 2000 into one of the only MMA events that truly rewards talented and undiscovered fighters with substantial compensation and TV exposure for their hard-fought efforts,” added Neglia. “With Ring of Combat, we are giving these up-and-coming fighters the support and compensation they deserve and bringing honor to the MMA world.” About World Champion Louis Neglia Presents…Louis Neglia is a three-time world kickboxing champion, has performed in some of the largest arenas in the world and has starred in three martial arts films. He was named “Fighter of the Year” and inducted into the Karate Hall of Fame, among other notable achievements. Louis Neglia Presents has hosted sellout Mixed Martial Arts events at the Taj Mahal, Caesars Palace and the Tropicana in Atlantic City, the Marriott International, the Meadowlands, The Capitale in New York City and Madison Square Garden, to name a few. Louis Neglia Presents events have been televised on the Madison Square Garden Cable Network, Telemundo, Sports Channel, ESPN2 and on Pay Per View. Louis Neglia Presents Ring of Combat is one of the most action packed Mixed Martial Arts events that the Northeast has seen. For more information visit: www.louneglia.com. |
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Black Belt Magazine
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Martial Magazine The Voice Of Traditional Martial Arts Download Article View Article Below |
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Karate International
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