(PRESS RELEASE) -- LAS VEGAS - With undefeated Bulgarian standout Krasimir Mladenov (10-0) forced to withdraw from next month's "World Series of Fighting 12: Palomino vs. Gonzalez" event, submission ace Kelvin Tiller (6-0) has agreed to drop down to 195 pounds and meet Elvis Mutapcic (13-3) in a catchweight affair.
The two new matchups now complete the five-fight main card for "World Series of Fighting 12: Palomino vs. Gonzalez," which takes place Aug. 9 at Las Vegas' Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The two-hour NBCSN broadcast kicks off at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT local time). Preliminary contests will be announced shortly and will stream live on NBCSN.com.
Tickets for "World Series of Fighting 12: Palomino vs. Gonzalez" start at just $39 and are on sale now at AXS.com.
The 26-year-old Ronny Markes is a member of Brazil's famed Nova Uniao fight team, home to some of the top fighters in the world. Markes returns to the 205-pound division, where he won 12 of his 13 bouts as a professional before embarking on a four-fight run at middleweight. He now meets Cully Butterfield, a Wisconsin native who fights out The Grind Fitness Factory. "The Mason" turned pro in 2009, and while he opened his career with a respectable 3-2 record, he's since gone 10-1 in his past 11 appearances. Additionally, 10 of his 13 career wins have come by way of stoppage.
Kelvin Tiller is perfect through the first six fights of his career and now looks to prove himself on a national stage. Tiller has earned four of his six wins by submission, and three of those came in the opening round. He now faces Elvis Mutapcic, who was a member of World Series of Fighting's inaugural middleweight championship tournament but suffered a decision loss to tourney finalist Jesse Taylor. Still, Mutapcic is 5-1 in his past six career outings, and 11 of his 13 career wins have come by knockout or submission. Meanwhile, the durable fighter has never been finished, as all three of his losses came by way of decision.
About "World Series of Fighting" (WSOF) "World Series of Fighting" (WSOF) is a world wide 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. Follow "World Series of Fighting" on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and "World Series of Fighting" President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.
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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 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, Foo Fighters, Carlos Santana, Mötley Crüe and Guns N' Roses 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 featuring Peacock High-Limit gaming and Asian gaming amenities; 80,000 square feet of flexible meeting and convention space; more than $4 million in rare music memorabilia; Body English Nightclub; Reliquary Water Sanctuary, Spa & Salon; 4.5 acres of tropical pool paradise housing world-famous pool parties REHAB Sunday and RELAX Monday; live music/entertainment venues The Joint and Vinyl; Hart & Huntington Tattoo Co.; restaurants Culinary Dropout, Nobu, The Ainsworth, 35 Steaks + Martinis, Pink Taco, Mr. Lucky's Café and 福Fú; a state-of-the-art fitness center and trendsetting retailers John Varvatos, Affliction, Love Jones, Rocks The Jewelers and Rock Paper Photo. For room availability and additional information call 800.HRD.ROCK (800.473.7625) or visit hardrockhotel.com. Follow Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest news and updates.