Both Novice and Open Class Amateurs will put it all on the line in the 12th Annual WKA North American Championships. This event will also be used as a qualifier for the 2012 WKA National the Team that will travel to the 2012 WKA Amateur World Championships.

For more information and registration go to: WKA USA

NORTH AMERICANS IS THE QUALIFIER FOR THE US NATIONAL TEAM AND WKA WORLDS!
Things are always exciting for the US National Team. Aside from having the opportunity to face the best amateur competition in the world, the team also gets to enjoy all the perks and benefits of foreign travel. For instance, in 2010 the team enjoyed the exploring all the rich history and culture of Edinburgh, Scotland. Last year the team, when not in the ring or on the mat, got to wander and explore the beautiful historic streets of Karlsruhe, Germany. The next three years of WKA Worlds are slated to take place in, respectively, Orlando, Florida, Greece, and Canada.

This year is a unique opportunity to put together this best team ever, as we will be competing on our own home turf. We hope that national pride will step up and we can take the best fighters and grapplers as we will be the host country. The WKA North American Championships is the qualifier for this incredible world level event. WKA USA has worked its hardest to bring you the best event to date, the qualifier is are less than two months away and we look forward to seeing all the talent that will make up the US team this fall.

PRESS RELEASE
$35 General Admission Tickets Still Available

CHALLENGER 2 – ‘JAWBREAKER’ MuayThai Gala
Century Casino – Calgary, Canada
Saturday, January 28, 2012 · Doors Open 5:30 PM / Fights Start 7:00 PM

Four athletes from Thailand come to battle with Canadian athletes Jesse ‘Smiles’ Miles, Peter ‘Let’s Go’ Arbeau, Hakeem ‘Ice’ Dawodu and Phil ‘No Fear” Leier respectively. Miles, Arbeau, Dawodu, and Leier have been extremely busy fighting this year and now step up another notch and to an exciting level squaring off with athletes trained in the art of MuayThai in the home country of Thailand. The Canadians are training hard and ready to participate in these will be very exciting fights.

MAIN EVENT
International Professional Prestige MuayThai Bout – 5 Rounds of 3 Minutes – 165 lbs.
Jesse Miles (Calgary/Miles, Clark) vs. Wattana Sit Jor (Thailand)
Miles is a smart, fats and powerful athlete. Wattana is very strong, smart and durable. A tough bout this will be!

TEAM CANADA vs. TEAM THAILAND

International Prestige MuayThai Bout – 5 Rounds Full MuayThai – 156 lbs.
Peter Arbeau (Calgary/Miles) vs. Don Pinyo MuayThai (Thailand)
Don is a very aggressive fighter utilizing the clinch and hard kicks. Arbeau is a smart and International Prestige MuayThai Bout – 5 Rounds of 2 Minutes – 154 lbs.
Phil Leier (Calgary, Miles, Clark, Sutherland) vs. Thanasak Petch Taling Ngarm (Thailand)
Thanasak is known for being an extremely smart fighter. Leier is known for his aggressive style.
SEMI-MAIN EVENT
International Professional Prestige MuayThai Bout – 5 Rounds Full MuayThai – 135 lbs.
Sandra Bastian (Calgary/Miles, Clark) vs. Kristina Alvarez (USA)
Alvarez has been battling some of the world’s best. Young and hungry for the win. Bastian has loads of experience and is a very strong athlete.

UNDERCARD
International Prestige MuayThai Bout – 3 Rounds Full MuayThai – 140 lbs.
Nicci Soutiere (Calgary,Miles) vs. Gemma Coast (UK)
Coast has fought some of the best. Soutiere has good desire and strong skills.

International Prestige MuayThai Bout – 3 Rounds Full MuayThai – 160 lbs.
Dwain Soon (Calgary/Miles, Jillain) vs. Josh Downing (USA)
Downing has a state MuayThai Title as well as a MMA Title. Aggressive to say the least. Soon has a very aggressive style as well.

International Prestige MuayThai Bout – 3 Rounds Full MuayThai – 118 lbs.
Christina James (Calgary/ Miles, Bastian, Clark) vs. Tecia Torres (USA)
Torres has been ripping it up in the states winning major titles. James is blazing anew trail for herself under new trainers.

3 Rounds Modified MuayThai – 155 lbs.
Sterling Loves (Calgary/Han) vs. Nimh Pham (Edmonton/Lee)

Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased from:
Mike Miles MuayThai & Kickboxing Ltd. 403.244.8424 / 6041 – 6 St SE Calgary
National Kickboxing (NW) Corp. 403.208.1296 / #15, 735 Ranchlands Blvd. NW Calgary

General (Rush Seating) – $35
Student – $25

Fight Line Up can change and is beyond the control of the promoter. No refunds.

MMA/MUAY THAI EVENTS ON GFL COMBAT SPORTS NETWORK

Special Free Weekly View’s of previous PPV fight/events at GFL’s Facebook.com/GFLiTV and Ustream.com/GFLTV

- Friday, January 27, 2012 8:00pm ET featuring Cut Throat MMA Invasion 5 Aurora, La Sierra, Aurora, Illinois. In the main event, for the Cut Throat MMA Middleweight Title, Sam Ferguson (2-1-1) of Carlson Gracie Jiu Jitsu fights Ryan Kirwan (2-3). Ferguson is coming off a first round TKO victory in his last fight, and shows the evolution of the Gracie-schooled fighter. Ferguson’s other victory also came via first round KO so don’t let his home gym fool you, he is an all-around MMA fighter. Kirwan has hit a tough skid, but a victory against Ferfuson will erase his last three fights in a split second. Kirwan also likes to do damage with his fists, as both of this victories have come via KO or TKO stoppage. This could be a wild fight if the athletes decide to keep it standing, someone is bound to drop. It could also be a classic grappling contest, although one that Ferguson should have the advantage. So expect Kirwan to want to turn this into a kickboxing match, which might be just fine for Ferguson. Either way, both gladiators are coming out guns blazing as this is not only the main event, but a title fight, and it would be the first title for either man in their budding MMA careers. In the co-main event, Tom Shoaff fights Anthony Nichols. Being the co-main event is a huge step for these two, so don’t be surprised if they have “fight of the night” and impress the audience with their performance. Both Shoaff and Nichols are well rounded so it will be who can dictate the pace of the fight that might decide who the winner will be. The fighter with the best cardio conditioning will have an edge in this battle.

- Friday, January 27, 2012 8:00pm ET featuring TaKe-On Productions presents Battle at the 7 Train XI at the 7 Train Theatre in Flushing, New York. The card featured at hotly anticipated main event, along with the semifinals of the 155 lb “Rising Stars” 8-man tournament. If you love the striking game, this is the event for you. TaKe-On always puts together great Muay Thai events that feature high level striking with blistering kicks, punches, knees and elbows. In the main event, Turan “The Tornado” Hasanov (6-4) out of the Fight Factory in Brooklyn, New York battles Sean Hinds (15-5) from Mushin MMA in New York City. Hasanov is a fast paced fighter who likes to throw punches in bunches. Look for him to come out using all 8 striking points right from the opening bell. For Hinds, he has a more eclectic style as he has traveled the world and picked up various different styles and methods of Muay Thai. Hinds utilizes primarily stiff punches and kicks along with a very strong clinch to do his damage. This bout will be a matchup of one fighter who looks to constantly strike and put the pressure on while the other fighter is more methodical in his approach and a great counter puncher as well. In one of the 155 lb tournament fights, James Gregory (4-0) from Cool Hearts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, fights Andrilo “Jr” Suarez (2-0) from American Killer Bees in Queens, New York. Both Gregory and Suarez won by decision their last fight and for one of them, a victory here will keep their record perfect and also put them into the finals of the “Rising Stars” Tourney. Gregory has twice the experience as Suarez and will look to capitalize on that by giving Suarez a bunch of different angles when he throws his strikes. For Suarez, he will probably come out hands down and chin up, which has proven very successful in his career so far. In the second bout in the 155 lb tournament, Akio Nakasone (2-0) from The Wat in New York City battles Freddy Cheung (1-1) from Sitan Gym in Queens. Nakasone won his previous bout by decision, while Cheung won his by KO, the only fighter to do so. Both fighters are just getting their Muay Thai careers going and for one of them, a victory here already places them in the finals of the tourney.

- Saturday, January 28, 2012 8:30pm ET featuring Elite 1 MMA – Heavy Hitters, Casino New Brunswick, Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. In the main event, for the Elite 1 MMA Light Heavyweight Championship, Chris Johnson (2-2) fights Dana Dickeson (1-1). Johnson is coming off a victory in his last fight for Elite 1 where he won by rear naked choke in the first round. Johnson likes to bang on his feet, but is also a competent grappler as his last victory showed. For Dickeson, he is looking to get the fight to the ground where he won his first bout via TKO, and deliver some ground and pound on Johnson. With both gladiators liking to fight on the mat, this could be a contest where the wrestling and grappling is nullified and it turns into a boxing or kickboxing match. If that happens, don’t expect the fight to go the distance as these two beasts will be throwing heavy leather. In the co-main event, for the Elite 1 MMA Welterweight Championship, Richard Arsenault (1-2) battles Ricky Goodall (6-4). Arsenault is coming off of a long layoff, so ring rust might be a factor in this bout. It could also be a positive as it gave Arsenault time to hone his craft and come back a completely different fighter. For Goodall, who has 3 times the cage experience as Arsenault, look for him to test Arsenault early to see where his cardio conditioning is go for the win in the opening round. If that happens fans should be treated to a barnburner of a fight, because this bout if for a title and that tends to lend itself to fighters pushing the action even more.

Other events this week:
Boxing: Pro Boxing Fight Night – Grano vs. Minto, Jan 28, 2012 7:30pm ET. Star Boxing Rockin’ Fights at the Paramount, Jan 28, 2012 7:30pm ET.
Pro-Wrestling: Future Stars of Wrestling (free view): Jan 26, 2012 10:00pm ET. Impact Zone Wrestling(free view): Jan 28, 2012 8:00pm ET.

John Alessio

Ryan Healy

THE SCORE FIGHTING SERIES RETURNS TO
HAMILTON, ONTARIO, CANADA ON MARCH 16
- John Alessio vs. Ryan Healy confirmed for lightweight match-up
- Tickets on sale January 24th

TORONTO, January 18th, 2012 – Score Media Inc. (TSX: SCR) today announces that The Score Fighting Series (SFS) will be returning to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada for another night of incredible MMA action on Friday, March 16th at the Hamilton Place Theatre. A marquee match-up between John Alessio (33-14) and “Diamond” Ryan Healy (19-9-1) has been confirmed for the card.

Score Fighting Series veterans Rich Clementi, Josh Hill, Alex Ricci, Shane Campbell and Lyndon Whitlock are all slated to be in action. Opponents for all of them are awaiting approval by the Ontario Athletic Commission and will be announced shortly.

Alessio is a Vancouver native and trains out of Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. Nicknamed “The Natural”, he has competed in the WEC, UFC and PRIDE with 10 of his 33 career victories coming by KO and 15 via submission. He recently dropped to the lightweight division where he scored a win over Luiz Firmino in November.

Healy is a WEC veteran and a member of Team Quest where he trains with MMA legend Matt Lindland and UFC star Chael Sonnen. Like his twin brother and fellow scrapper Pat, Healy has a dominant ground game but prefers to use utilize his wrestling to keep the fight standing.

The match-up was originally supposed to take place in December but was postponed when Healy suffered an injury during training. Alessio has been vocal in praising his opponent and looks forward to fighting again in Canada. “Ryan is a tough guy with good boxing skills and he’s well conditioned with no quit,” says Alessio. “This is a great fight for me to showcase all my skills, I feel like I’m better everywhere and I’m coming to finish!”

Tickets, priced from $30, go on sale on Tuesday, January 24th at the Copps Coliseum box office and online at www.ticketmaster.ca.

For more information, please contact:

Mike Afromowitz
Witz End Communications, Inc.
917-566-8754
mafromowitz@yourwitzend.com

Sharon Lassman
Score Media Inc.
416-977-6787 x2217
slassman@scoremedia.com

TWO OF THE SOUTHEAST’S BEST STRIKERS FINALLY MEET! DYMOND JONES FIGHTS MUAY THAI AND MOE TRAVIS MAKES MMA DEBUT!

Dymond Jones

Moe Travis

Joe Elmore and Ronnie Rogers have seen each other fight. They’ve fought the same opponents. They’ve warmed up in the same locker room before fights. And they’ve been known for knocking out their competition and earning fight of the night honors several times over. Now, finally, on Friday, Jan 27 at Wild Bill’s Fight Night, they will fight each other. It’s a fight that many are titling a 2012 Fight of the Year candidate due to the standup style that both fighters possess. While every fighter claims in pre-fight interviews “I wanna stand and bang with my opponent,” not many end up doing such. Elmore and Rogers are two unique fighters that do. Tickets can be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets or by clicking HERE. For more info on VIP seats call the Fight Hotline at 678-TKO-0115. PRO MMA Joe Elmore (X3 Sports) vs Ronnie Rogers (HIT Fight Squad) Andrew Higgins vs Jesse Wable (Full Throttle Fitness) Shawn Snow (Valdosta Martial Arts Center) vs Dustin Chovanic (Legacy Fight Club) PRO MUAY THAI Dymond Jones (Unit 2 Fitness) vs Adrian Miles (Spartan Fitness) ADVANCED AMATEUR MMA John Bloodworth (Iron Clutch Fitness) vs Clay Haley (Thunderhouse MMA) Gabe Leatherman (Legacy Fight Club) vs Dudley Spence (Old School Gym) ADVANCED AMATEUR MMA Females: Moe Travis (Knuckle Up Fitness) vs Ivey Turner (Legacy Fight Club) Brandon Longano (Iron Clutch Fitness) vs John Brown (Thunderhouse MMA) Franklin Twiggs (Rodriguez MMA) vs Kolby Plant (American Submission Academy)

SPARTAN FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP 11 “DESTRUCTION” LIVE IPPV ON GFL

Can’t make it to the fight, WATCH IT LIVE!

Kentucky’s leading cage fighting event is back as Spartan Fighting Championship 11 presents Destruction on Friday, January 13 at the National Guard Armory in Ashland, Kentucky Live iPPV at www.GFL.tv. SFC always puts on action-packed cards and this event is no exception. The 17-bout pro/am card has a total of 3 titles up for grabs along with a main event that features two rising prospects on a collision course. SFC only promotes the best prospects in the region as the athletes records speak for themselves. SFC has quickly become the top organization not only in the Bluegrass State by throughout the territory because of its matchmaking and the high quality of fighters that it is able to sign.

In the main event, Jason Butcher (2-0) fights Jared “Honey” Combs (7-1) in a pro tussle. Butcher recently turned pro after amassing a (6-2) amateur record. Both of Butcher’s professional victories have come via first round finishes, one KO and one submission. With a strong wrestling and grappling background, Butcher likes to get the fight to the mat where he can work for a submission or use his ground and pound to finish his opponents. Fighting Combs will be like looking in the mirror as he too likes to get fights to the ground and use vicious striking to take his opponents out. Combs has 4 times the experience fighting professionally and that should be an advantage for him in this bout. Neither fighter has ever gone the distance so if the fight gets into the later rounds, conditioning could play a major part. The winner of this bout sets himself up to be the #1 prospect in the entire Ohio Valley region.

In the co-main event, Cornelius Godfrey (3-0) battles Thomas Campbell (3-1) for the newly minted SFC 135 lb Pro Championship. Godfrey has finished every opponent that’s been put in front of him, but the challenger on January 13 is going to be the toughest test to date. Campbell is on a 3-fight winning streak with all victories coming way of first round submission. Look for this bout to be “fight of the night” as these two bantamweights don’t know how to pace themselves. Don’t blink as this bout could be over seconds into round one. Finally, in a professional debut fight, Jesus Contreras (7-1) will take on Zack Oden.

Also up for grabs are two amateur titles. Undefeated Michael Seals (7-0) battles David West (5-1) for the SFC 170 Amateur Championship, while Chris Brown (5-0) takes on James Williams (3-0) for the SFC 205 lb Amateur Title.

You can view the fights through our website by clicking here Spartan Fighting Championships

WBC Interim World Light Muay Thai Heavyweight Champion,
Knockout Artist Joe Schilling Signs
Multi-Fight Agreement With Lion Fight Promotions

Joe Schilling

Schilling To Face Top Contender Simon Marcus
Feb. 25 At Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS(Jan. 9, 2012) – WBC Interim World Light Heavyweight Muay Thai Champion Joe Schilling (12-1 (10 KO’s), one of America’s premiere American combatants, has signed a new multi-fight agreement with leading Las Vegas-based Muay Thai fight organization, Lion Fight Promotions.
The 27 year-old Los Angeles resident will kick off his new contract when he squares off with top contender Simon Marcus (42-2-2 (24 KO’s) of Toronto, Ontario Canada in the main event of Lion Fight Promotions: Battle In The Desert 5, Live from The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on Sat., Feb. 25.
Ticket on-sale information for Battle In The Desert 5, Live from The Joint will be announced soon as will the remainder of the fight card.
“Lion Fight Promotions is taking the bull by the horns as far as bringing the sport of Muay Thai to mainstream America and making it a major sport here, so it’s the perfect home for me because Muay Thai is my life and I want to fight the best fighters out there on a big stage,” said the 6-foot-3 Schilling, who has been referred to as “Muay Thai’s version of Mike Tyson” for his merciless style of fighting in the ring.
“Joe Schilling is one of the best talents in the sport of Muay Thai today,” said Lion Fight Promotions President Scott Kent. “He’s explosive, brutal and he has a burning desire to become one of the all-time greats in our incredible sport. We’re excited to have him on board with Lion Fight Promotions for the long run and we’re looking forward to putting on some great shows with him.”
Schilling is coming off a stunning first round KO of former K-1 World Grand Prix tournament champion and decorated Muay Thai champion Kaoklai Kaennorsing of Bangkok, Thailand on Oct 21 at Club Nokia in Los Angeles. Schilling put Kaennorsing down for the first time just 25 seconds into the matchup with a powerful right hook to the head and, a second time with a straight right hand 42 seconds into the fight.
After recovering from the second knockdown, Kaennorsing did his best to tie up the aggressive Schilling, who found his mark once again at 2:46 of the first round, crumbling Kaennorsing with another hard right hand that prompted the referee to stop the fight and award Schilling his greatest victory to date.
The Feb. 25 fight with Marcus will mark Schilling’s second career fight with Lion Fight Promotions. Last Aug. 20, Schilling captured the WBC USA light heavyweight title by scoring a brutal first round (2:38) KO on Brandon Banda with a straight left knee strike to the jaw that rendered Banda unconscious on the canvas.

“I’m not going to outpoint (Marcus). I’m going to knock him out. That’s what I do,” said Schilling.
Schilling, a native of Dayton, Ohio, comes from the school of hard knocks. Raised by a single mother, Schilling, the youngest of three boys, was expelled from four different schools before reaching high school when he suddenly discovered his passion that would give him direction and focus – martial arts, namely Muay Thai style kickboxing.
Not long after being kicked out of his home at age 17, Schilling acted on his dream of relocating to California. He touched down in Los Angeles where he found a Muay Thai trainer in Mark Komuro.

Together, Schilling and Komuro eventually converted a former jail in Lincoln Heights, a lower income section of Los Angeles, into a Muay Thai gym and named their training camp “The Yard,” after the outdoor location in jailhouses where prisoners do assigned work.

About Lion Fight Promotions
Lion Fight Promotions is a Las Vegas, Nevada-based world championship Muay Thai kickboxing promotion dedicated to producing matchups between the best Muay Thai fighters in the world in their respective weight classes. Led by former Las Vegas casino executive, Scott Kent, the promotional company has been developed in consultation with Christine Toledo, one of the sport’s most popular champions and star of the Oxygen Network reality television show Fight Girls. Both Kent and Toledo share a common passion for Muay Thai and are working together to promote the sport.

About Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is Las Vegas’ off-strip playground, just minutes and less than three miles from McCarran International Airport. The premier destination entertainment resort is owned by Brookfield Real Estate Finance Fund II, a division of Brookfield Asset Management (NYSE: BAM) and managed by WG-Harmon, LLC, a subsidiary of Warner Gaming, LLC. Built in 1995, the property completed a $750 million expansion in 2010. Hard Rock Hotel & Casino offers an energetic entertainment and gaming experience with the services and amenities associated with a boutique luxury resort hotel. The property is known for its innovative nightlife and music scene where acts such as The Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi, Paul McCartney, Incubus, Linkin Park, Foo Fighters and Carlos Santana have all performed. Features of the property include an 11-story Casino Tower with 640 guest rooms, 17-story Paradise Tower with 490 rooms and suites and the all-suite HRH Tower with 359 suites, eight spa villas and seven penthouse suites; 72,000 square feet of casino space; 80,000 square feet of flexible meeting and convention space; more than $3 million in rare music memorabilia throughout the hotel; the luxurious Vanity Nightclub; Reliquary Water Sanctuary & Spa; Reliquary Salon; 4.8 acres of tropical pool paradise; REHAB, the trendsetting Sunday afternoon pool party; The Joint concert venue; Hart & Huntington Tattoo Co.; restaurants including traditional steakhouse with an edge 35 Steaks + Martinis, tapas hotspot Johnny Smalls, Mexican cantina Pink Taco, ‘round the clock diner Mr. Lucky’s Café and world-renowned Nobu; numerous cocktail lounges including The Lounge across from Pink Taco, Peacock Lounge and Blitzed Sports Lounge; and a state-of-the-art Fitness Center. For room availability and additional information call 800.HRD.ROCK (800.473.7625) or visit www.hardrockhotel.com.

Contact
Mike Afromowitz (917) 566-8754, mikea@yourwitzend.com
Christine Toledo (702) 480-6799, christine@lionfightpromotions.com

TEAM CANADA takes on TEAM THAILAND in the first classic International MuayThai event in Calgary in 2012.
This is an event they will be talking about for a long time.

Team Canada consisting of Jesse Miles (Challenger TV series, Kings Birthday MuayThai Event alumni, Professional World Champion), Hakeem Dawodu (3 time World Champion, Last Man Standing 8 Man Tournament Winner), Peter Arbeau (World MuayThai Champion), and Phil Leier (Canadian Champion) take on 4 top athletes from the homeland of MuayThai… Thailand.

MPL veteran Sandra Bastian takes on an American athlete in a full MuayThai rules bout.
This promises to be a war! Both are extremely talented athletes.

Tickets are very limited to this event. Get them now while they are still available!

Please call Mike Miles Muay Thai and Kickboxing at 403 244-8424 for details and your tickets to attend “JAWBREAKER” on January 28th, 2012.

Come SUPPORT the athletes!

Other quality bouts featuring athletes from Thailand, the USA, England, and Canada.

TICKETS

Mike Miles MuayThai & Kickboxing
Call: 403.244.8424
Monday to Friday: 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Saturday, Sunday: 10:30 AM to 2:00 PM

Pre-sale reserved tickets for this Event available at
Mike Miles MuayThai & Kickboxing Ltd
6041 – 6 Street SE
Calgary,AB
403.244.8424

National Kickboxing NW
#15 735 Ranchlands Blvd. NW
Calgary,AB
403.208.1296
Stage Tables – $1200
Floor Tables – $1000
1st Row Reserved $75
2nd Row Reserved $50
General $35
Student $25

Keep watching the Facebook page for more information.

Facebook page located at http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/116433948475500/

Sanctioned by CCSC, WMC, and IFMA.
Calgary Combative Sports Commission licence number is 13363510
Changes to the fight line up is beyond the control of the promoter. No refunds.

ONE MILLION DOLLARS. IN A CAGE. GAME ON
Bangkok, Thailand – DARE is back on January 7 to start 2012 off with a bang! Continuing the tournament that began in 2011, DARE is ready to make its mark in the MMA world by putting $1 million dollars on the line for the winners’ of DARE’s 8 weight division. January 7 will feature 7 more Opening Round fights in Featherweight, Lightweight, Welterweight and Middleweight Divisions. With some of Asia’s top stars, including a PRIDE veteran and Muay Thai Legends competing in the original fight capital of the world, Bangkok, Thailand. See history made as another organization explodes onto the scene and becomes a major league player in the sport. Watch this momentous event on the www.GFL.tv – GFL Combat Sports Network.

One bout that is sure to pique the interest of MMA fans is the return to Pay-Per-View of one of PRIDE’s most endearing fighters. Daiju “TAKASE” Takase (9-13-2) battles Brandon “BK” Kesler (2-2) for a step closer to the DARE Champion bonus. Takase is probably best known for his victory over current UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva via triangle choke at PRIDE 26. It was a rude awakening for the future world champion as Takase’s ground game was light years ahead of Silva. Takase will look to impress again as he takes on the resilient American transplant, Kesler, now living in Bangkok, his adopted hometown. It will be a clash of styles as Kesler’s strengths include boxing and wrestling, while Takase is more of a submission specialist. For Kesler’s part, he might want to use his striking to put Takase away as a takedown could be a risky proposition for the American. Look for Takase to try and clinch early and get this bout down on the mat where he is at his best.

In one of the welterweight fight of DARE 1/12, Ammar “ROCK” Tchalabi (1-0) fights Andrea “CAPO” Signorini (1-0). Tchalabi is a veteran of several Muay Thai fights and brings the “science of the 8 limbs” into this bout. A member of the Phuket Top Team, Tchalabi has started to evolve his overall combat game by learning the ground aspect of MMA. His last bout was a submission victory which was a feather in the cap of the KO artist. Signorini has a background in Judo and won the bronze medal at the 2011 Thailand Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Open to go along with his years of competitive powerlifting. There is no doubt that if Signorini can get the fight to the mat he can submit Tchalabi or hold him down to win the bout.

Also competing on the card is a lightweight bout with Shane “RONIN” Wiggand (2-3) versus Marko “MAD DOG” Huusansaari (3-2) Wiggand is a black belt in Judo, while Huusansaari is a Muay Thai veteran. Both of these fighters have also been competing in the highly appreciated Lumpini Muay Thai stadium inBangkok and they will surely bring their best to the cage. There will also be three featherweight bouts including two Thai vs Thai fights with two local Amateur MMA Champions, Teerapak “EZ2DJ” Seatae versus Tondamrong “TDR” Panjabutra, and Mangthus “THE BEAST” Rewtawee versus Tanaphong “LANNA WARRIOR” Khunhankaew.

DARE 1/12 card also features a highly interesting featherweight fight between two highly credited grapplers, a BJJ Purple Belt Major “MAJOR” Overall (2-1) versus Submission Grappling specialist AJ “PYRO” Vaa (1-0) that will round out the card.

***DARE is set to make its debut on iPPV with its January 7 event on GFL.tv. One of the most diverse cards in Thailand’s MMA history will be on display as fighters from PRIDE, America, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Finland, France, Saudi Arabia, Brazil and Italy will put their unique skill sets to the test with a Grand Bonus of $1 million dollars for the eventual 8 winners of the divisions. This promotion has already caused a seismic shift in MMA because of the jaw-dropping purses of this new promotion that await the winners. Be there to see the tournament unfold and watch as all of the action in the cage, exclusively on GFL.tv.

You can view the fight through our website by clicking here GFL TV Live Events