Undefeated Phil Hawes Signs with World Series of Fighting, Will Debut June 17
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Undefeated Phil Hawes Signs With World Series of Fighting, Will Debut June 17 LAS VEGAS (May 20, 2016) –World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) has signed undefeated middleweight (185 pounds) prospect Phil Hawes (3-0) to an exclusive, multi-year promotional agreement. A product of the famed Jackson-Winklejohn camp in Albuquerque, N.M., the 6-foot, 27-year-old Hawes who hails from Little Ferry, N.J., will make his promotional debut against Joshua “The Prince of MMA” Key (6-11, 2 NC) on the live, five-bout NBCSN telecast (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) of WSOF31: Ivanov vs. Copeland, at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn. on Friday, June 17. “Phil is one of the most exciting, young prospects in the sport of MMA, so we are excited to welcome him to the World Series of Fighting family, and we look forward to seeing how his career develops under our promotion,” said World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo. The matchup with Key will be Hawes’ first start since 2014, his professional debut year when he ran to three straight victories, the first two by way of TKO and the third – a first round victory over Brandon Collins on October 18 – by way of armbar submission. A 2009 junior college national wrestling champion for Iowa Central Community College, the alma mater of UFC champion and Jackson-Winklejohn teammate Jon “Bones” Jones, Hawes has been described by Jones as having “limitless” potential. Priced from $39.99, tickets for WSOF31: Ivanov vs. Copeland are on sale at WSOF.com and Foxwoods.com. Doors at The Grand Theatre at Foxwoods Resort Casino will open at 5 p.m. ET, and the first preliminary card bout will begin at 6 p.m. In the main event of the live NBCSN telecast, reigning world heavyweight champion Blagoy Ivanov (13-1) will risk his title against Josh “Cuddly Bear” Copeland (13-1). In the lightweight (155 pounds) co-main event, superstars Jason “The Kansas City Bandit” High (19-5) and Mike “The Martian” Ricci (11-4) will square off with their division’s number one contender ranking at stake. WSOF31: IVANOV VS. COPELAND MAIN CARD (Live on NBCSN) World Series of Fighting Heavyweight Championship Main Event: Blagoy Ivanov (Champion) vs. Josh Copeland (Challenger) Lightweight: Jason High vs. Mike Ricci Welterweight: John Howard vs. Thiago Meller Featherweight: Luis Palomino vs. Sheymon Moraes Middleweight: Phil Hawes vs. Joshua Key PRELIMINARY CARD (Live on WSOF.com) Lightweight: Tom Marcellino vs. Devin Powell Heavyweight: Juliano Coutinho vs. Justin Willis Heavyweight: Tyler King vs. Lorenzo Hood Welterweight: Robert Fonseca vs. Sean Lally Lightweight: Bruce Boyington vs. Saul Almeida Bantamweight: Rodrigo Almeida vs. Ben Pierre-Saint Lightweight: Sam Watford vs. Christian Torres ABOUT WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING “World Series of Fighting” (WSOF) is a worldwide premier professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters from around the world. For more information please visit WSOF.com and follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries. WSOF and World Series of Fighting are registered trademarks of MMAWC, LLC. ABOUT NBCSN NBCSN, part of the NBC Sports Group, is dedicated to serving passionate sports fans. Now in more than 85 million homes, the Emmy Award-winning network is the cable television home of the Summer and Winter Olympics, National Hockey League (NHL) – including two games of the Stanley Cup Final — Premier League, Formula One, IndyCar, Tour de France, the 34th America’s Cup, and beginning in 2015, NASCAR. In addition, NBCSN features college football, college basketball, college hockey, cycling, outdoor programming, horse racing surrounding the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup, Fight Night boxing, Ironman, the Dew Tour and USA Sevens Rugby. The network is also home to original programs such as Costas Tonight, NFL Turning Point, Pro Football Talk, The Dan Patrick Show, and NASCAR America. NBCSN is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States. About Foxwoods® Resort Casino Foxwoods Resort Casino is the premier resort destination in the Northeast. As the largest resort casino in North America, Foxwoods offers a vast array of gaming in six casinos; AAA Four-Diamond hotels, restaurants from gourmet to quick service, world-renowned spas, award-winning golf, state-of- the-art theaters, and exclusive retailers. Perfect for both recreation and business, Foxwoods provides modern and versatile convention and meeting space to infuse new life into any meeting or event. Foxwoods Resort Casino is owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. For a comprehensive look at Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation visit Foxwoods.com..