International Fight League: Rosters Set for IFL Opener in Oakland on Jan. 19
NEW YORK and OAKLAND, Calif., January 3, 2007 - The International Fight League (OTC.BB: IFLI), the world’s first team-based professional mixed martial arts league, today announced rosters for its 2007-season-opening event, which will take place on Friday, January 19 at the ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California, beginning at 7:30 p.m. The 11-bout card features matchups between teams coached by the famed Shamrock brothers - Ken’s Lions, based in Reno, Nev., and Frank’s Razorclaws, based in San Jose, Calif., and between the Tiger Sharks, based in Seattle and coached by MMA and kickboxing champion Maurice Smith, and Condors, based in Southern Calif. and coached by MMA legend Marco Ruas. The evening will be capped by a “Superfight” between veterans Jeremy Horn and Niko Vitale.
The evening is part of the full 11-event IFL 2007 schedule, the most comprehensive advance schedule in the history of fight sports. Below are the matchups for the Oakland event:
LW/155: Shad Lierley (Seattle) vs. Adam Lynn (Pittsburgh)
WW/170: Brad Blackburn (Olympia, Wash.) vs. Rodrigo Ruas (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
MW/185: Bristol Marunde (Sequim, Wash.) vs. Jeremy Williams (Laguna Niguel, Calif.)
LH/205: Reese Andy (Billings, Mont.) vs. Justin Levens (Laguna Niguel, Calif.)
HW/265: Curtis Crawford (Portland, Ore.) vs. Antoine Jaoude (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Lions (Reno, Nev.) vs. Razorclaws (San Jose, Calif.)
LW/155 - John Gunderson (Medford, Ore.) vs. Josh Odom (Tallahassee, Fla.)
WW/170 - Pat Healy (St. Louis) vs. Ray Steinbeiss (Phoenix)
MW/185 - Daniel Molina (Carson City, Nev.) vs. Brian Foster (Moreno Valley, Calif.)
LH/205 - Vernon White (East Palo Alto, Calif.) vs. Raphael Davis (Torrance, Calif.)
HW/265 - Roy Nelson (Las Vegas) vs. Vince Lucero (Casa Grande, Ariz.)
Superfight
MW/185: Jeremy Horn (Salt Lake City) vs. Niko Vitale (Honolulu)
Tickets are available through www.ifl.tv or via Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com, by telephone or at Ticketmaster outlets.
Each of the nine regular season IFL events will consist of four teams - each with an athlete in all five weight classes competing - along with a special Superfight, for a minimum of 11 bouts per card. The team that wins the best three of five match setup will be declared the team winner for the match, similar to collegiate and high school wrestling meets. The IFL also differs from other MMA organizations in that the bouts are held in an oversized five-rope boxing ring with three, four-minute rounds, each designed to create the most compelling in-arena experience for local fans.
Each of the 12 IFL teams for 2007 will compete in three regular season events; the teams with the top four overall win-loss team records will advance to the semi-finals, which will be held on Thursday, August 2, 2007 at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, N.J. The 2007 IFL Finals will then be held at The Forum in Los Angeles on Saturday, September 15, 2007.
The 10 venues for the 2007 season (The Forum in Los Angeles will host two events) will scale to between 7,000 and 13,000 seats, which has been consistent with the IFL’s plan of managed growth.
About ORACLE Arena
The Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Complex, including ORACLE Arena and McAfee Coliseum, is home to the Oakland Athletics, Oakland Raiders and Golden State Warriors as well as a host of other sporting events, concerts and family shows. The Coliseum Complex is jointly owned by the City of Oakland and Alameda County and managed by the Oakland Coliseum Joint Venture (OCJV), owned in majority by SMG. SMG is the world’s leading company in the private development and management of public assembly facilities, including 180 properties in arenas, stadiums, convention centers, performing arts centers and recreational facilities around the world.
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