XFC 21 - Card Updates

[keithlewis]

Newell-Reynolds Title Fight Set for XFC 21 on Dec. 7


The date is set, the location has been named, and it is now official, Nick "Notorious" Newell, 8-0 as a pro, and a perfect 3-0 as an XFC fighter will get a shot at the XFC Lightweight Championship on December 7 in Nashville Tennessee broadcast to the World, Live on AXStv.

After starting his career in regional promotions near his hometown in Connecticut, Newell inked a multi-year deal with the East Coast's largest promotion, and has since worked his way through his first 3 opponents under the XFC banner. Newell defeated Dennis Hernandez with an ankle lock submission, Chris Coggins by a decision, and most recently knocked out David Mays with a high knee at XFC 19. With three impressive wins and a huge fan-base urging XFC President John Prisco to offer Newell his first opportunity at a championship fight, 'Notorious' is now inked as the opponent and will have to defeat the top Lightweight in the XFC ranks, Eric Reynolds, in order to take home the gold.

Newell will now have the chance to prove once and for all, that his "handicap" of being born with a partial left arm, will not keep him from achieving his goals. Since childhood, there has always been something that others thought Newell would not be able to do; ride his bike, join the wresting team, or play a professional sport. Those naysayers have now all been silenced in the wake of what has become one of the most inspirational sports stories of the decade.

Now Newell is not only fighting for himself, but for the legacy that he will leave behind, and for the thousands of men and women in similar situations looking to prove that they can do anything they set their minds to. A win in December will not only make Nick Newell the XFC Lightweight Champion, it will make him the champion for anyone who has ever had a dream and were told they could not achieve it. He will be the champion for hundreds of men and women born with similar conditions, and for the hundreds of veterans facing new challenges as they return home from war. In December, Newell fights to be the people's champion.

XFC 21: Night of Champions II will be broadcast live from the Nashville Municipal Auditorium on December 7 and is presented by ICRealTime Security Solutions. To see Nick "Notorious" Newell take on Eric "It's A Wrap" Reynolds for the XFC Lightweight Championship of the World, go to www.OfficialXFC.com to purchase tickets or watch the event live on AXStv. For more information on XFC 21 follow the promotion on Facebook and Twitter '@OfficialXFC'. Follow Nick Newell on Twitter as he prepares for the biggest fight of his career '@NotoriousNewell'.

[keithlewis]

Corey Hill-Ryan Thomas Co-Headlines XFC 21 on Dec. 7


XFC Officials announced the Co-Main event of the second Night of Champions event as a Welterweight bout between two XFC vets, Corey "The Real Deal" Hill and Ryan "The Tank Engine" Thomas. Set for December 7 and broadcasting live from Nashville on Axstv, the bout has been added to the already stacked line up that also features a Lightweight Championship bout between Eric Reynolds and Nick Newell, Females Stephanie Eggink vs Heather Clark, as well as Open Fighter Tryout winner Jason Hicks vs recent signee Kevin Forant.

Corey Hill was last seen in the XFC cage in December of 2011 when he defeated fellow TUF veteran Charlie Rader with a first round Brabo choke. Hill followed that performance with a first round Anaconda choke over Darryl Madison in early 2012. Once a Florida High School Champion, Hill relies on his wrestling experience to earn victories in MMA. His strategic use of take-downs has put him in position to submit an opponent on 3 occasions, boosting his career to a now 6-4 record.

Ryan Thomas is a product of American Top Team, also riding a two fight win streak entering December's year ending event. Like Hill, Thomas relies on a combination of wrestling and jiu-jitsu to take opponents to the mat and work for submissions. With a pro record of 14-7, Thomas has finished his opponent in every victory with 5 (T)KOs and 9 submissions.

The similarities in style will make for an exciting fight, when the two Florida fighters face off in December. Hill will have a strong reach advantage, while Thomas will be the bigger, more powerful fighter. XFC President John Prisco spoke on the announcement to media staff Tuesday morning.

"Hill and Thomas are going to take the Co-Main spot at Night of Champions II. These guys are both strong wrestlers, and have proven they can submit guys from just about any position. I think it's only a matter of moments after the opening bell before we have them rolling on the mat looking for the submission win," Prisco claimed. "It was already a stacked fight card, to add this fight really topped it off, I'm thrilled for this event."

XFC 21: Night of Champions II is set for December 7 and is presented by ICRealTime Security Solutions. XFC 21 will air live on AXStv from the Nashville Municipal Auditorium. For more information on the event or to purchase tickets go to www.OfficialXFC.com. Follow the promotion daily on Facebook and Twitter '@OfficialXFC'.

[keithlewis]

Clark-Eggink Female Bout Added to XFC 21 on Dec. 7


Heather Clark returned to the winning column in her last XFC appearance, with a first round submission choke over Avery Vilche at XFC 18. The Jackson Winklejohn's product now ready to make her new home in the XFC Strawweight division will take on newly signed XFC talent, former USA Boxing Team member, Stephanie Eggink.

Clark made her XFC debut against Top 10 ranked fighter Marianna Kheyfets at XFC 16, in a fight that ended with a doctor stoppage when Clark formed a grotesque hematoma under her right eye. It was reported at the time that Clark was ahead on the judge's cards. In her post fight interview, the fiery fighter strongly petitioned for a rematch with Kheyfets following the stoppage. With Kheyfets taking a brief leave of absence from the sport, Clark has moved on to take over the talented 115 pound division.

The ink on Eggink's XFC deal is barely drying and the former USA boxer has already begun training for her first nationally televised fight with the XFC. Eggink recently moved to South Dakota and is training with one of WMMA's top fighters, Shayna Baszler, leading up to the bout with Clark. Eggink will need the elite training partners to keep up with Clark, who trains in one of the best gyms in the country; Jackson's Winklejohns in New Mexico.

The fight has the making for a barn burning throw-down. Both ladies implement a boxing based stand up, with Eggink having a long history in the sport and Clark seeing success in her first pro boxing match in 2012. On paper, Clark will hold the advantage in most other aspects. She has been training and fighting in MMA much longer that Eggink and has also made the cut to 115 pounds previously. Eggink is a Purple belt in BJJ as well, but Clark's athleticism and strength could make the ground game of Eggink obsolete. However, the striking of Eggink is at a level that Clark has not yet faced in her MMA career.

Stephanie Eggink looks for her first win as an XFC fighter and Heather Clark looks to climb into the top ten of the Strawweight Rankings when the two collide on Dec 7th. To see these two female competitors in action, fans can purchase tickets to XFC 21: Night of Champions through www.OfficialXFC.com. Follow the promotion daily on Facebook and Twitter '@OfficialXFC'. Also, keep up with Clark and Eggink through their training camps on Twitter by following '@HeatherJoClark' and '@00Snowflake' respectively. XFC 21: Night Of Champions is presented by ICRealTime Security Solutions and airs live on AXStv from the Nashville Municipal Auditorium on December 7, 2012.

For the entire fight card visit www.Officialxfc.com/xfc21 #XFC21

[keithlewis]

Open Tryouts Winner Hicks Faces Forant at XFC 21 on Dec. 7


Former Open Fighter Tryout winner Jason Hicks will continue on his bid to earn a future title fight, by taking on recently signed XFC Lightweight Kevin Forant at December's XFC 21: Night of Champions II event. The night's line-up will also feature the first Lightweight Championship fight since 2010, between top contenders Eric Reynolds and Nick Newell.

Hicks made his debut with the XFC in 2010, following a successful showing at that year's Open Fighter Tryout. He quickly put his opponent away to earn a multi-fight contract and hasn't looked back since. Now at 5-0 and a perfect 2-0 inside the XFC cage, "The Ronin" could be just a fight or two away from challenging the winner of the XFC 21 main event. To get there, he'll have to make his way through Kevin "The Master of Cool" Forant, an upcoming Lightweight from North Carolina.

Forant has taken an interesting path to his current position in MMA. He began fighting in 2009 as an amateur in the Carolina region. Finding loads of success through 2011, he decided it was time to turn pro. At that point, he had racked up 10 wins and three amateur titles. That success has continued into his pro career with 4 straight wins including a win at XFC 19: Charlotte Showdown earlier this year.

The match-up between Forant and Hicks will feature a "rough around the edges" fighter in Forant, and a well-polished, very technical fighter in Hicks. Hicks is very established with his Muay Thai, and has proven his ability to work his jiu-jitsu for submissions. Forant is the more athletic fighter, and will have a slight size advantage going into the bout, also bringing 8 straight wins of momentum and confidence into the bout.

The XFC Lightweight division has been heating up, and with Reynolds and Newell prepared to determine the top position. All fighters are looking to establish their position and work towards a fight for the gold. With two wins each in the XFC, a third win would put either Hicks or Forant on par with other Lightweights such as Scott Holtzman as the leading contenders in the division. To see who one of the first challengers for the newly crowned champion could be, watch XFC 21: Night of Champions II.

XFC 21 is presented by ICRealTime Security Solutions & Throatpunch Ind. and airs live from the Nashville Municipal Auditorium on December 7, LIVE on AXStv. For more information on the event or to purchase tickets to the biggest event in XFC history, go to www.OfficialXFC.com. Follow the promotion for daily updates on Facebook and Twitter '@OfficialXFC'.

[keithlewis]

Eric Reynolds Targeting Gold at XFC 21: Night of Champions 2


December 7 marks the final XFC event of 2012. XFC 21: Night of Champions II will take place from the Nashville Municipal Auditorium featuring one of the biggest fights in the history of the promotion, a Lightweight Title fight between standout Eric Reynolds and undefeated Nick Newell live on AXStv.

Reynolds is one of the most talented fighters to compete under the XFC banner, in the promotions young history. He has a well established pro record of 16-5 with the few blemishes coming from the likes of Bellator Champion Eddie Alverez, Strikeforce's top contender Jorge Masvidal, and XFC Featherweight Champion Louis Palomino. Since joining the XFC, Reynolds has put together a solid 3 fight win streak, including victories over Luciano Dos Santos, Jonatas Noveas, and Lorenzo Borgomeo. Next in line for Reynolds is the undefeated, one-armed phenom, Nick "Notorious" Newell.

After competing against some of the best in the world, some fans may be expecting Reynolds to walk through Newell in December, but the XFC's top Lightweight isn't taking his next opponent so lightly. In preparation for the December's bout, Reynolds has invited XFC Welterweight Corey Hill into camp to work on wrestling. Hill was a Florida High School wrestling champion, as well as a national finalist in college; he will help Reynolds prepare for Newell's aggressive take down attempts and any submissions that might follow. It is the first time Reynolds and Hill have worked together before a fight. Hill was also recently invited into camp with XFC Middleweight Reggie Pena as he prepared for a Main Event bout with John Salter, that fight ended in a submission victory for Pena. Reynolds will clearly be looking for similar results in December as he tries to make history by handing Newell his first career loss.

Interestingly, Nick Newell has also made a change in camp while preparing for Reynolds. Newell recently made the move to American Top Team in Coconut Creek, where he will now split training time between his home gym Fighting Arts Academy and ATT. Newell will have an abundance of talented training partners in Coconut Creek, where some of the best in the world train. The area which he will need to show the most improvement in however, will be his striking and at ATT that instruction will come from Luciano Dos Santos who was defeated by Reynolds in April.

Reynolds will be the favorite going into XFC 21, but he will need to come fully prepared. He has fought some of the best in the world and this will be his fight to lose. Newell presents a unique challenge with the use of his left arm, and it will be up to Reynolds to maintain his composure and stick to his game plan. As long as the fight stays standing Reynolds should hold the upper hand but, Newell is a talented fighter and can finish any opponent from any position as seen by the devastating KO knee delivered to David Mays months ago in Charlotte. Newell has a chip on his shoulder that has been there for 25 years, he still has a lot to prove to the world, and he is not going to let Reynolds off easily.

Eric "It's A Wrap" Reynolds has solidified his spot amongst the top Lightweights in the XFC ranks, and on December 7 he will have the opportunity to become the XFC Lightweight Champ. XFC 21: Night of Champions is presented by ICRealTime Security Solutions and Throat Punch Ind. Apparel. The event takes place at Nashville's Municipal Auditorium and airs live on AXStv starting at 9pm. To see the biggest fight in XFC history go to www.OfficialXFC.com and purchase tickets. Follow the promotion on Facebook and Twitter '@OfficialXFC'.