The Weekly Wrap: Feb. 7 - Feb. 13
Odds and Ends
Jack Encarnacao Feb 14, 2009
• HDNet announced it has reached an agreement with the World
Victory Road promotion in Japan to broadcast its Sengoku fight
series. The first broadcast is set for March 20 and will center on
the first round of a talent-rich tournament to crown a
featherweight champion. The draw features Marlon
Sandro, Chris
Manuel, Nam Phan and the
top 10-ranked Hatsu
Hioki.
In another note out of Japan, Dream bolstered its upcoming welterweight tournament by announcing the participation of No. 2-ranked lightweight Shinya Aoki and veteran Hayato “Mach” Sakurai. The 168-pound tournament begins April 5 in Nagoya, Japan, and will also be broadcast on HDNet.
• One of the top names in boxing, Roy Jones Jr., announced plans to
dip his toe into MMA promotion, as his March 21 fight against Omar
Sheika will feature mixed martial arts bouts on the undercard. The
show will take place in Pensacola, Fla., and will be broadcast on
pay-per-view. Former World Wrestling Entertainment superstar
Bobby
Lashley will have his second professional fight on the show,
which is also set to feature Roy Nelson
vs. Jeff
Monson and Seth
Petruzelli vs. Doug
Marshall.
• Former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski will make his debut as a professional boxer on April 11 underneath the Winky Wright vs. Paul Williams fight, according to a report from ESPN.com. The event, which will originate from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions. Arlovski still plans to fight at the next Affliction show, set for either June or July.
• Ben Askren, a Beijing Olympian in wrestling and a four-time All-American, made a successful MMA debut, as he scored a first-round technical knockout over Josh Flowers on a Feb. 7 card he promoted in Columbia, Mo.
• Palace Fighting Championship lightweight titleholder Brian Cobb has been tapped to replace an injured Justin Buchholz and will face Terry Etim at UFC 95 on Feb. 21 in London.
Note: This article was updated Feb. 15 to correct the field for the Sengoku featherweight tournament. Alexandre Franca Nogueira and Hiroyuki Takaya are not in the tournament.
In another note out of Japan, Dream bolstered its upcoming welterweight tournament by announcing the participation of No. 2-ranked lightweight Shinya Aoki and veteran Hayato “Mach” Sakurai. The 168-pound tournament begins April 5 in Nagoya, Japan, and will also be broadcast on HDNet.
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• Former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski will make his debut as a professional boxer on April 11 underneath the Winky Wright vs. Paul Williams fight, according to a report from ESPN.com. The event, which will originate from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions. Arlovski still plans to fight at the next Affliction show, set for either June or July.
• Ben Askren, a Beijing Olympian in wrestling and a four-time All-American, made a successful MMA debut, as he scored a first-round technical knockout over Josh Flowers on a Feb. 7 card he promoted in Columbia, Mo.
• Palace Fighting Championship lightweight titleholder Brian Cobb has been tapped to replace an injured Justin Buchholz and will face Terry Etim at UFC 95 on Feb. 21 in London.
Note: This article was updated Feb. 15 to correct the field for the Sengoku featherweight tournament. Alexandre Franca Nogueira and Hiroyuki Takaya are not in the tournament.
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