12-BOUT LINEUP FOR INAUGURAL COMBAT SPORTS CHAMPIONSHIPS

[keithlewis]

TITAN ENTERTAINMENT OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCES FULL 12-BOUT LINEUP FOR INAUGURAL COMBAT SPORTS CHAMPIONSHIPS EVENT ON OCT. 2

Kansas City, Kansas -- Titan Entertainment announced the full 12-bout lineup Friday morning for its inaugural COMBAT SPORTS CHAMPIONSHIPS via its official website at http://www.CombatSC.com. The debut event is to be held Friday, October 2 and will emanate from the historic Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas.

Joining the previously announced grudge co-main event featherweight matchup between UFC veteran Ryan "Are You Ready?" Roberts (Omaha, NE) and blue chip 14-1 prospect Eric Marriott (Lee's Summit, MO) is a welterweight matchup between local hometown hero Bobby Voelker (Kansas City, MO), 20-6, taking on Brendan Seguin of Detroit Michigan.

"As far as regional shows go, Marriott vs. Roberts is a good stand alone main event, but we wanted to add something special," said Titan Entertainment and Combat Sports Championship Owner and President Joe Kelly. "Bobby Voelker is Mr. Kansas City MMA and its been several months since fans have had a chance to see him in action. Titan and CSC are proud to bring him back."

While unconfirmed, published reports have linked Voelker to having received interest from major national fight promotions in the U.S. In taking on the experienced Seguin, Voelker will be putting a potential lucrative contract at risk.

"I can't really speak to what promotions are talking to Bobby right now," began Kelly, "But I do know he is a major league talent and where there is smoke, there is fire. I have no doubt that the reports about Bobby being close to signing with a national promotion are true. And if this is his last local fight in Kansas City, then I am even more proud to have him on our first-ever show."

Seguin is no stranger to Kansas City, having just competed on Aug. 28 during "HDNET FIGHTS PRESENTS M-1 BREAKTHROUGH." Competing against one of the best welterweight prospects in the Midwest, Rudy Bears, Seguin suffered a tough second round TKO.

"Brendan is a warrior and took the fight on five days notice against one of the toughest fighters you can find in this area," said Kelly. "He began the week at 196 pounds and cut all the way down to 175. He started out strong against Rudy but then you could see in the second round where the cut started to have an effect. But Brendan is a guy who has been fighting since 2000 and has never taken an easy fight. He's fought Denis Kang, Joey Villasenor, Dean Lister, Martin Kampmann. He's just a rugged fighter and now that he's had ample time to prepare, he's going to be dangerous."

While "CSC Fight Night I" was able to add the Voelker vs. Seguin matchup to its Oct. 2 card, it did lose a highly-anticipated lightweight matchup between Joe Wilk and Sean "P-Town" Wilson after Wilson sustained a severe rib fracture during training. However, CSC matchmakers used the dropoff of the match as a way to improve depth of the card.

In place of the Wilk vs. Wilson matchup, Wilk will remain on the card against local favorite Deryck Ripley (Roland Park, MO) while a special featherweight attraction between Brian Davidson (Lee's Summit, MO) and Ramiro "Junior" Hernandez has been signed for the show.

Davidson is a 4-0 prospect who is extremely popular in the Kansas City-area, as he is the head instructor of his own school. He'll be putting his perfect record on the line against Hernandez, 2-1, who trains out of Miletich Fighting Systems out of Bettendorf, Iowa and is highly-regarded in the industry as one of Pat Miletich's top prospects.

Despite taking a loss early in his career against Pat Curran during a nationally televised event, Miletich believes Hernandez is about to break out as a major force at 145 pounds.

"I feel Junior is a guy with unlimited potential to become a world champion," said the first-ever UFC welterweight champion. "His work ethic and God given ability combine for a very tough fighter. He's the guy that is first to practice and last to leave."

Hernandez is just one of many top prospects that will be showcased at the Combat Sports Championships, a promotion not started to rival the UFC, WEC, or Strikeforce, but to help develop up-and-coming talents for bigger platforms. Miletich thinks an event like "CSC Fight Night I" is ideal for one of his prized prospects.

"I think Joe (Kelly) has always put on great shows and Junior is a perfect fit for the rising talent level in those shows," he said.

Kelly is also looking forward to being able to feature one of MFS' top young superstars at "CSC Fight Night I.

"Everyone knows that Pat is a trainer of champions," said Kelly. "We're looking forward to having Junior on the show. Davidson is undefeated and a prospect in his own right and that is going to be an explosive fight."

But Davison and Hernandez aren't the only prospects to be featured on the card.

"On paper, this is already a card people are excited about," Kelly remarked. "But when people look back at it a year from now the card will appear even bigger. We've got Tyler 'The Evolution' Stinson, Chad Vandenberg, Eric Marriott, Joe Wilk, Bobby Voelker, and the top amateurs from Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, and Oklahoma.

"We also just added a flyweight match between Tuan "Kid Thunder" Pham and Sean Craig. Craig was 5-1 as an amateur in Iowa and Pham has fought for Adrenaline MMA before. Tuan trains out of the Fight Firm in Philadelphia and as someone who is also a boxing promoter, I have an affinity for Philly fighters. My matchmaker, Sam Caplan, called Tuan to my attention and I was blown away by what I saw."

Tickets for the "CSC Fight Night I" are priced at $25 for general admission and $75 for floor seats and are available at Ticketmaster and Ticketmaster.com. For additional information, including pre and post-fight coverage of "CSC Fight Night 1," visit CombatSC.com or follow the Combat Sports Championships on Twitter at Twitter.com/CombatSC.

The complete card (bouts subject to change) for Oct. 2 are as follows:

12. Welterweight: Bobby Voelker (20-6, Kansas City, MO) vs. Brendan Seguin (17-16-1, Detroit, MI)
11. Featherweight: Eric Marriott (14-1, Lee's Summit, MO) vs. Ryan "Are you Ready?" Roberts (9-6, Omaha, NE)
10. Featherweight: Brian Davidson (4-0, Lee's Summit, MO) vs. Ramiro "Junior" Hernandez (2-1, Bettendorf, IA)
9. Welterweight: Tyler "The Evolution" Stinson (14-5, Winfield, KS) vs. Brandon Newsome (12-4, Tulsa, OK)
8. Lightweight: Deryck Ripley (11-15, Roland Park, MO) vs. Joe Wilk (7-1, Manhattan, KS)
7. Bantamweight: Chad Vandenberg (5-1, Kansas City, MO) vs. Shad Lankford (3-1, Seneca, MO)
6: Flyweight: Tuan "Kid Thunder" Pham (1-1, Philadelphia, PA) vs. Sean Craig (0-0, Iowa)
5. Middleweight: John Ott (5-5, Overland Park, KS) vs. Ryan Braun (4-7, Omaha, NE)
4. Lightweight (amateur): Justin Seffron (5-0, Omaha, NE) vs. Todd Bell (6-2, Kansas City, KS)
3. Bantamweight (amateur): Anthony Guiterrez (7-0, Lee's Summit, MO) vs. Tyler Spencer (7-2, Centerville, IA)
2. Bantamweight (amateur): Dustin Sullivan (6-0, Kansas City, KS) vs. David Williams (4-2, Topeka, KS)
1. Lightweight (amateur): Jake Lindsey (5-0, Manhattan, KS) vs. Donald Bradshaw (1-0, Marshall, MO)

***** ***** ***** *****

[keithlewis]

LATE CHANGES BOLSTER FIRST-EVER COMBAT SPORTS CHAMPIONSHIPS EVENT SET FOR THIS FRIDAY, OCT. 2


Kansas City, Kansas - Several changes for Friday's upcoming "TITAN ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS THE COMBAT SPORTS CHAMPIONSHIPS" inaugural event has bolstered what was already considered an impressive lineup.

The maiden voyage for Titan's "Combat Sports Championship Fight Night 1" is set for this Friday, Oct. 2, at the historic Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas (tickets available at ticketmaster.com and all ticketmaster outlets) will feature two co-main events between welterweight Bobby Voelker and Brendan Seguin along with a grudge featherweight match between blue chip prospect Eric Marriott and UFC veteran Ryan "Are you Ready?" Roberts.

Recent changes to the card include Brett "The Natural Disaster" Stevens, 7-3, stepping in for Ryan Braun to face hometown favorite John Ott at a catchweight of 190 pounds.

Stevens, fighting out of Hollywood, Calif., will be ending a two-year hiatus from fighting this Friday vs. Ott. A talented wrestler, Stevens left Iowa in order to train in California, where he trained under two legends in their respective arts, BJJ black belt Rigan Machado and former world kickboxing champion Rob Kaman.

Stevens' sabbatical from MMA competition was originally only scheduled for a year, but was extended to two after being involved in a devestating car wreck last September that shattered his hand. At the time, doctors advised him to retire. But the call to competition for Stevens was too much to resist and the decision was made to return to MMA after an impressive showing during the ADCC regionals in Las Vegas this past summer.

In addition to Stevens, flyweight Nate Williams, 3-3, is now set to challenge Tuan Pham, 1-1. Pham was originally scheduled to fight Seth Craig, a pro debuter, but a shoulder injury has forced him off the guard. Pham, a veteran of Monte Cox's Adrenaline MMA promotion, now must face a vastly more experienced opponent in Williams.

Williams will also be looking for revenge in this matchup against Pham, who is the owner and head instructor of the Fight Firm, which is based in Philadelphia, PA. The last time Williams, an Iowa native, competed against a fighter from the "City of Brotherly Love" was in June of this past year in Atlantic City. Facing Zach Makovsky out of Philadelphia's Fight Factory, Williams submitted to a rear naked choke at 2:33 of round 3. Against Pham, a former WKA amateur Muay Thai champion, Williams now has a shot at redemption against another top Philadelphia fight prospect.

In addition to Voelker vs. Seguin, Marriott vs. Roberts, Ott vs. Stevens, and Pham vs. Williams, fight fans in attendance will be treated to a total of 12 pro and amateur bouts (eight pro and four amateur -- card subject to change) featuring top Midwest fight prospects such as Tyler "The Evolution" Stinson, Chad Vandenberg, Joe "The Nose" Wilk, Pat Miletich protege Ramiro "Junior" Hernandez, and many others.

Doors for the event will open at 7 p.m. CT with the first bout scheduled for 7:15. Tickets for the "CSC Fight Night I" are priced at $25 for general admission and $75 for floor seats and are available at Ticketmaster and Ticketmaster.com. For additional information, including pre and post-fight coverage of "CSC Fight Night 1," visit CombatSC.com or follow the Combat Sports Championships on Twitter at Twitter.com/CombatSC

The complete card (bouts subject to change) for Oct. 2 are as follows:

12. Welterweight: Bobby Voelker (20-6, Kansas City, MO) vs. Brendan Seguin (17-16-1, Detroit, MI)
11. Featherweight: Eric Marriott (14-1, Lee's Summit, MO) vs. Ryan "Are you Ready?" Roberts (9-6, Omaha, NE)
10. Featherweight: Brian Davidson (4-0, Lee's Summit, MO) vs. Ramiro "Junior" Hernandez (2-1, Bettendorf, IA)
9. Welterweight: Tyler "The Evolution" Stinson (14-5, Winfield, KS) vs. Brandon Newsome (12-4, Tulsa, OK)
8. Lightweight: Deryck Ripley (11-15, Roland Park, MO) vs. Joe Wilk (7-1, Manhattan, KS)
7. Bantamweight: Chad Vandenberg (5-1, Kansas City, MO) vs. Shad Lankford (3-1, Seneca, MO)
6: Flyweight: Tuan "Kid Thunder" Pham (1-1, Philadelphia, PA) vs. Nate Williams (3-3, Iowa)
5. Middleweight: John Ott (5-5, Overland Park, KS) vs. Brett "The Natural Disaster" Stevens (7-3, Hollywood, CA)
4. Lightweight (amateur): Justin Seffron (5-0, Omaha, NE) vs. Todd Bell (6-2, Kansas City, KS)
3. Bantamweight (amateur): Anthony Guiterrez (7-0, Lee's Summit, MO) vs. Tyler Spencer (7-2, Centerville, IA)
2. Bantamweight (amateur): Dustin Sullivan (6-0, Kansas City, KS) vs. David Williams (4-2, Topeka, KS)
1. Lightweight (amateur): Jake Lindsey (5-0, Manhattan, KS) vs. TBA

[keithlewis]

INAUGURAL COMBAT SPORTS CHAMPIONSHIPS CARD ON FRIDAY NIGHT TO FEATURE CAST OF RISING MMA PROSPECTS


Kansas City, Missouri --The Combat Sports Championships completed weigh-ins Thursday night at the Argosy Hotel & Casino in anticipation of its first-ever card on Friday night.

Tomorrow's debut event for the Combat Sports Championships will feature a co-main event of Bobby Voelker, 20-6, taking on Brendan Seguin, 17-16-1, in a welterweight contest and a featherweight clash between Eric Marriott (14-1) and UFC veteran Ryan Roberts (8-6).

Founded by veteran MMA and boxing promoter Joe Kelly, the Combat Sports Championships goal is to provide a platform for up-and-coming prospects to advance to national MMA promotions such as the UFC, Strikeforce, and the WEC.

However, the promotion also has national aspirations of its own.

"We're not looking to compete with the UFC or Strikeforce," Kelly stated. "However, Friday's event is just the beginning in what will be a long evolution for the Combat Sports Championships. That evolution consists of bulding a much bigger platform for our fighters and emerging as the final destination before the UFC or Strikeforce. We are currently involved in negotiations for a television deal and have major expansion plans for 2010."

The co-main events scheduled for Friday's event at the historic Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas will feature home town favorites and blue chips prospects Voelker and Marriott in separate bouts. As both took to the scales on Thursday, rumors were swirling that both fighters are currently being recruited by major MMA promotions.
In addition to Voelker vs. Seguin and Marriott vs. Roberts, CSC's first-ever event will also feature rising stars Ramiro Hernandez, Tyler Stinson, Joe Wilk, Brett Stevens, Chad Vandenberg, and Tuan Pham.

Hernandez is a protege of the legendary Pat Miletich and trains out of Miletich Fighting Systems in Bettendorf, Iowa. A talented featherweight, pundits believe that Hernandez has the potential to eventually compete in the WEC. However, he first must get past Brian Davidson, 4-0.

Stevens was a late addition to the card and his involvement has created a great deal of intrigue as Friday's fight vs. John Ott will be his first in two years. The first half of Stevens' hiatus was voluntary, as he left Iowa for Los Angeles so that he could gain valuable experience training under Rob Kaman and Rigan Machado.

Stevens' absence from competition was extended following a severe auto accident in September of 2008. The Iowa native shattered his hand and doctors advised him not to fight again. However, Stevens was inspired to return to MMA after winning his own weight class as well as the Absolute Division in the ADCC regionals in Las Vegas this past summer.

Pham, the 2003 WKA Featherweight Muay Thai Champion, trains out of the Fight Firm in Philadelphia, PA and made it known after the weigh-ins that his goal heading into 2010 is to be a charter member of the WEC's rumored flyweight class.

Tickets for Friday's event are still available at all local Ticketmaster outlets and Ticketmaster.com with general admission tickets priced at $25 and floor seats at $75. For more information on the Combat Sports Championships, visit CombatSC.com or follow CSC on Twitter at http://www.Twitter.com/Combat SC

Official weigh-in results for Friday's event are listed below:

9. Welterweight (170 lbs.): Bobby Voelker (170.4) vs. Brendan Seguin (170.4)
8. Featherweight (145 lbs.): Eric Marriott (149.2) vs. Ryan Roberts (149.
7. Featherweight (145 lbs.): Brian Davidson (146. vs. Ramiro Hernandez (146.2)
6. Welterweight (170 lbs.): Tyler Stinson (171) vs. Brandon Newsome (N/A)
5. Lightweight (155 lbs.): Deryck Ripley (156) vs. Joe Wilk (156)
4. 190 lbs. Catchweight: John Ott (189) vs. Brett Stevens (189)
3. Bantamweight (135 lbs.): Chad Vandenberg (138) vs. Shad Lankford (135)
2. 128 lbs. Catchweight: Tuan Pham (127) vs. Nate Williams (128.2)
1. Amateur Lightweight (155 lbs.): Justin Seffron (152) vs. Todd Bell (156)

[keithlewis]

HIGHLIGHTS OF FIRST-EVER COMBAT SPORTS CHAMPIONSHIPS EVENT TO BE SHOWN DURING FRIDAY'S EDITION OF "INSIDE MMA" ON HDNET


Kansas City, Kansas - Last Friday, Titan Entertainment's Combat Sports Championships (http://www.CombatSC.com), presented by ChokeOutPoker.net, launched a successful maiden voyage at the historic Memorial Hall in Kansas City, KS. The live audience in attendance cheered non-stop for the action-packed nine bout card.

One of the special guests attending the event was a camera crew from HDNet's nationally televised weekly mixed martial arts show, Inside MMA. For those who missed the inaugural Combat Sports Championships' event this past Friday, you will be able to watch exclusive video highlights during Friday's (Oct. 9) edition of Inside MMA on HDNet (http://www.HDNetFights.com) at 9 p.m. ET.

The HDNet cameras were on hand to document closely contested decisions between WEC veteran Brendan Seguin and former M-1 Global fighter Bobby Voelker as well as 14-1 blue chip prospect Eric Marriott vs. UFC veteran Ryan "Are You Ready?" Roberts.

The Voelker vs. Seguin and Marriott vs. Roberts matchups served as the night's co-main events, however, the stacked card also featured a cavalcade of up-and-coming MMA prospects such as Miletich Fighting Systems product Ramiro "Junior" Hernandez, MMA flyweight Tuan "Kid Thunder" Pham, and jiu-jitsu ace Joe "The Nose" Wilk.

Hernandez, a veteran of the Adrenaline MMA promotion, challenged undefeated featherweight Brian Davidson, who entered the contest with a 4-0 record. After a fast start by Davidson, Hernandez pulled off a dramatic comeback in one of the top fights of the night.

Pham, also a veteran of Adrenaline MMA, re-booted his quest for a shot at the WEC's rumored 125 lbs. weight class taking on wrestling standout Nate Williams of Iowa. Pham, a former WKA Amateur Muay Thai Champion known for his dynamite striking skills, surprised the audience with some slick ground work.

Wilk, fighting out of Manhattan, Kansas, took on local favorite Deryck Ripley in a match that ended in quick and sudden fashion. The fight ended so quick that Wilk's much-talked about entrance actually lasted longer than the fight itself.

The debut event for the Combat Sports Championships also featured rising bantamweight prospect Chad Vandenberg, 5-1. Vandenberg entered his fight vs. Shad Lankford as a heavy favorite but the overlooked Lankford turned in the performance of his life and stood toe-to-toe with the highly-touted young star.

For more information on the Combat Sports Championships, including updates on its next event, make sure to check http://www.CombatSC.com or follow the promotion on Twitter at http://www.Twitter.com/CombatSC