World Series of Fighting signs top-ranked middleweight Yushin Okami; Japanese standout expected to make promotional debut in early 2014

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 14, 2013) - World Series of Fighting officials are happy to announce the addition of perennial top-ranked middleweight Yushin Okami (29-8) to the company's roster.

The 32-year-old "Thunder" Okami recently signed a multi-fight deal with the Las Vegas-based World Series of Fighting promotion, and he's expected to make his first appearance for the company in early 2014.

"We're extremely excited to announced that Yushin Okami as the newest member of our middleweight division," World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo said. "MMA fans around the world know Yushin has long been among the best 185-pound fighters in the sport, and we're happy to have him as a member of the World Series of Fighting family."

A judo black belt, Okami has been competing professionally since 2002. After building an impressive 16-3 record competing largely in his native Japan, Okami in 2006 debuted for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He would go on to fight 18 times for the UFC, including an August 2011 bid for the promotion's middleweight title.

Okami's career record includes wins over MMA notables Alan Belcher, Dean Lister, Hector Lombard, Nate Marquardt, Mark Munoz, Anderson Silva, Mike Swick and Evan Tanner, among others.

While Okami's debut date and opponent have not yet been officially determined, he could prove an immediate title contender in World Series of Fighting's 185-pound division. The company will crown its first middleweight champion in early 2014, as the winner of World Series of Fighting 7's Elvis Mutapcic vs. Jesse Taylor bout moves on to meet David Branch in the finals of the company's four-man middleweight tournament.

About WSOF

World Series of Fighting is a professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering an incredible, action-packed entertainment experience for fight fans by producing the best possible matchups between elite fighters from around the globe. For more information please visitWSOF.com. Follow World Series of Fighting on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.

Don't Miss UFC 155 Live Tomorrow Night

Don't Miss dos Santos vs Velasquez 2 Live Tomorrow Night The heavyweight title is on the line as champion Junior dos Santos faces off with the man he defeated for the belt, Cain Velasquez, live tomorrow night in Las Vegas! Plus, Jim Miller takes on Joe Lauzon and Yushin Okami battles Alan Belcher! UFC 155 Dos Santos vs Velasquez Presented by Bud Light live on Saturday, December 29 at 10pm ET / 7pm PT on Pay-Per-View and UFC.TV See The Prelims Live On Facebook and FX Before the action hits Pay-Per-View, see the first half of the prelims starting at 6:30pm ET / 3:30pm PT on Facebook, followed by the rest at 8pm ET / 5pm PT on FX! "LIKE" the UFC on Facebook to see the prelims live and free!

UFC 155: Dos Santos vs Velasquez on Pay-Per-View - Sat. December 29 - Las Vegas, NV Strikeforce: Marquardt vs Saffiedine on Showtime - Sat. January 12 - Oklahoma City, OK

ROUFUSPORT ENDS 2012 AND KICKS OFF 2013 WITH A BANG!

“Showtime” Pettis, Ben Askren, Alan Belcher, Erik Koch and Pascal Krauss all in action

December 28, 2012 (Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA): 2012 has been another banner year of growth and achievement for Milwaukee, Wisconsin's Roufusport, one of MMA’s top gyms. Though the fight team endured injuries, its top fighters went 10-1 during the calendar year. 

UFC Lightweight contender Anthony “Showtime” Pettis, Bellator Welterweight Champion Ben “Funky” Askren, UFC fighters Erik “New Breed” Koch, Alan “The Talent” Belcher, Pascal “Panzer” Krauss and Chico “King” Camus, and rising star Rick “The Gladiator” Glenn all put on great performances, representing the Roufusport Fight Club team in UFC, Bellator, RFA, the Score Fighting Series, the North American Fighting Championships, and other fight organizations.

With 2013 almost upon us, Roufusport looks for the year to end with a bang. Tomorrow, December 29^th, at UFC 155 at the MGM in Las Vegas, NV, Alan Belcher will face Yushin Okami on the main card in a rematch, as “The Talent” will look to continue his four-fight win streak while avenging his first UFC loss against Okami in 2006. 

January 24^th will play host to Bellator 86 and Ben Askren’s Welterweight title defense against Karl Amoussou at the WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma and shown live on Spike TV. Two days later, three Roufusport fighters will put their skills on display, as Anthony Pettis, Erik Koch and Pascal Krauss battle Donald Cerrone, Ricardo Lamas and Mike Stumpf, respectively, on UFC FOX 6 in Chicago, IL.

“I am extremely proud of our guys, and the way they competed this year,” stated Roufusport Head Coach Duke Roufus. “They've stepped up their training and battled their hearts out in the cage. I can’t wait to see what they do next year.”

“The way our fighters overcame adversity and shined throughout 2012 is nothing short of extraordinary. We've also seen the team grow in size and from a maturity standpoint, as well. More guys are stepping up and taking leadership roles on the team and trying to lead the newer fighters in the right direction, both in the gym and in life. It's great when you have that happening. It's an awesome time to be part of the team,” said Roufusport Co-Owner and General Manager Scott Joffe.

After TKOing Joe Lauzon in dominant fashion at UFC 144 in Japan, Anthony Pettis battled a shoulder injury that kept him out until the end of the year. Now healed and back to training, “Showtime" re-enters the Octagon at UFC on FOX 6 in Chicago to battle Donald Cerrone. With a title shot against current UFC Lightweight champion Benson Henderson possibly hanging in the balance, this could be the biggest fight of Pettis’ career.

Undefeated Arizona native Ben “Funky” Askren beat Douglas Lima at Bellator 64 in April, bringing his record to 7-0 in his home promotion. He’ll look to make it eight straight against Amoussou at Bellator 86 in Oklahoma on January 24^th. 

Erik “New Breed” Koch was scheduled for a UFC Featherweight title shot against current champion Jose Aldo, but both became the victim of an injury bug, and the fight was ultimately scratched. On January 26^thin Chicago, Koch will make his return against Ricardo Lamas with another title shot likely on the line. 

Alan "The Talent" Belcher returned triumphantly from a career-threatening injury in 2012, besting Brazilian ankle lock specialist Rousimar Palhares via TKO in May on UFC on FOX 3. Now riding a four-fight win streak that includes four stoppages, “The Talent” is ready to explode in 2013. Pascal Krauss, after starting his career 10-0, is looking to rebound, having lost his only fight this year against John Hathaway also on UFC on FOX 3. 

Two Roufusport fighters definitely on the rise are Chico “King” Camus and Rick “The Gladiator” Glenn. Camus went 4-0 in 2012, which included his UFC debut fight. In Denver, CO, at UFC 150 in August, “King” defeated Dustin Pague via unanimous decision. Also undefeated in 2012 was Rick Glenn, as he won all three of his fights via TKO, and has more than a few multi-fight offers from various organizations coming his way entering 2013. 

In short, it was another huge year for Roufusport and its fighters. With an amazing 2012 campaign about to start fading from view, it’s on to bigger and better things in 2013! 

For more information on Roufusport, please visit http://roufusport.com. You can also find them on Facebook athttp://www.facebook.com/roufusport and on Twitter @RoufusportMMA.

About Roufusport

Roufusport is run by famed kickboxer and MMA trainer Duke Roufus and his business partners Scott Joffe and Anthony Pettis. It is a world class brand that includes a state-of-the-art training facility, fight team, and MMA promotion, the North American Fighting Championship.

Duke Roufus is one of the most recognizable MMA and striking coaches in North America, and is considered to be one of the top trainers of Muay Thai kickboxing outside of Thailand. Roufus also runs the Roufusport Fight Club team, which includes UFC stars Anthony "Showtime" Pettis, Alan "The Talent" Belcher, Erik “New Breed” Koch, Chico "King" Camus, and Germany's Pascal “Panzer” Krauss, in addition to Olympic wrestler and Bellator Fighting Championship Welterweight World Champion Ben "Funky" Askren.

Former students include former UFC Lightweight Champion Jens Pulver, The Ultimate Fighter season one star Stephan Bonnar, and UFC veterans Pat Barry, Matt Mitrione, Ben Rothwell, and Jesse Lennox.

RICK “THE GLADIATOR” GLENN AND ZACH UNDERWOOD BRING HOME VICTORIES TO ROUFUSPORT

Glenn and Underwood win at Score and Bellator events, respectively

(Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA): Rising stars Rick “The Gladiator” Glenn and Zach Underwood, teammates at Roufusport, both came out on top this past weekend, as Glenn finished Tristan Johnson at Score Fighting Series 5, while Underwood grabbed a unanimous decision victory over Chris Coggins at Bellator 73. Both competitors were big winners, and both have even bigger fights on the horizon.

“I’m so proud of Rick and Zach both…they performed well, and represented us very well,” stated Roufusport head coach Duke Roufus. “It’s clear they’re both on the rise, and I’m excited to see what’s next for them.”

“The Gladiator” had a tough fight on his hands in Tristan Johnson, as the two waged a back-and-forth war. But in the 2^ndround, Glenn turned it on, and ended the fight violently with a barrage of ground-and-pound. After the fight, he grabbed his next opportunity by the throat, and called out former WEC competitor Chris Horodecki. But on this night, it was all about “The Gladiator.”

“I feel that I had my best performance as a fighter. I felt the best I had ever felt in there. Before the fight I reflected back on all the preparations and the help of our awesome team. I really wanted to make a statement, too.”

Regarding calling out Horodecki, he said, “I heard he didn’t have an opponent, so I asked. No news on it yet. But, for this fight, I’d like to thank my wife Jenny, coach Omar, and Ben for being in my corner with the power of the ‘fros! Duke, Cush, workoutboss, and the whole Roufusport team.”

Zach Underwood also put on a great performance, gaining the unanimous decision victory over Chris Coggins on the undercard of Bellator 73. With that win, he’s likely to move up in the Bellator rankings, and will likely fight higher on the card the next time he competes.

“I feel I performed well, but of course, I’m my biggest critic, and I think there were a few things I could have done better. But a win is a win, and I’ll take it.”

As far as what’s next, he said, “I have no clue, to be honest. I take it one fight at a time and put everything into just that one. I’m back in the gym already, though, just in case I get a call.”

“I’d like to thank my teammates at my gym back home at Prize Fight in Southaven, Mississippi, and a big thanks always to Roufusport. Duke, Scott, Omar, Kaz, and Ben have you ready for anything in the cage…thanks, guys!”

For more information on Roufusport, please visit http://roufusport.com/. You can also find them on Facebook athttps://www.facebook.com/roufusport, and on Twitter @RoufusportMMA.

About RoufusportRoufusport is run by famed kickboxer and MMA trainer Duke Roufus and his business partner Scott Joffe. It is a world class brand that includes a state-of-the-art training facility, fight team, and MMA promotion, the North American Fighting Championship.

Roufus is one of the most recognizable MMA and striking coaches in North America, and is considered to be one of the top trainers of Muay Thai kickboxing outside of Thailand. Roufus also runs the Roufusport Fight Club team, which includes UFC stars includes UFC stars Alan Belcher, Anthony “Showtime” Pettis, Erik “New Breed” Koch, and Pascal “Panzer” Krauss.

Former students include former UFC Lightweight Champion Jens Pulver, The Ultimate Fighter season one star Stephan Bonnar, and UFC veterans Pat Barry, Matt Mitrione, Ben Rothwell, and Jesse Lennox.

TOP MMA GYM ROUFUSPORT WELCOMES UFC FIGHTER PASCAL KRAUSS INTO THE FOLD

(Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA): Roufusport, one of the top fight gyms in the combat sports world, is proud to announce that UFC welterweight Pascal “Panzer” Krauss has joined its stable of professional fighters. Krauss, undefeated with a record of 10-0, is in preparations for his upcoming “UFC on FOX 3” battle with John Hathaway. The addition of Krauss to the Roufusport team brings another level of submission acuity to the group, which includes Anthony “Showtime” Pettis, Ben “Funky” Askren, Erik “New Breed” Koch, Alan “The Talent” Belcher, and several other well-known professional combatants.

“It’s really good out here,” stated Krauss. “There are a lot of good guys in each area. Ben Askren is a beast in wrestling, Anthony Pettis is an awesome striker…he’s elusive, and uses different angles. Most of those guys that train here are good at standup and wrestling, so there is a good mixture in every area of MMA. I’m feeling really good. Even outside the camp, I’m feeling really good…everyone is so nice. I love it here.”

“Having Pascal join up with our team is awesome, and I’m really excited to get to work with him,” stated Roufusport Head Trainer Duke Roufus. “I believe this is going to be a mutually-beneficial relationship where both sides come out ahead in growth and accomplishments.”

A native of Germany, “Panzer” (which means “tank”) has finished all but one of his opponents within the first two rounds of his fights. A noted submission specialist, Krauss began his combat sports career in boxing at the age of 14, capturing a German junior boxing title in the process. He finished up his amateur pugilistic career with an exemplary 17-1 record. In 2007, he began to train in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and mixed martial arts.

After running his record to 8-0 with eight stoppages, Krauss grabbed the Cage Warriors Fighting Championship welterweight title, which had been vacated by Dan Hardy when he signed with the UFC. After that win, “Panzer” himself signed with the UFC. In his first bout for his new promotion, he grabbed “Fight of the Night” honors in a decision win over Mark Scanlon. After missing 2011 with an injury, Krauss is ready to return and make his mark in the Octagon.

In regards to his fight with Hathaway, Krauss stated, “We’ll see what happens. I’m planning to put on a good fight as always…an entertaining performance. I don’t know what the game plan is right now, other than winning the fight. Regardless, it’s going to be exciting.”

“We’re working on all parts of Pascal’s game, and when he steps back into the cage on May 5th, I believe we’re going to see the best version of ‘Panzer’ that we’ve ever seen,” said Roufus. “He’s a beast…it’s going to be a big night for him.”

Roufusport is becoming home to more professionals fighters like Krauss through its “Fighter House,” which spawned the career of top-ranked UFC featherweight title contender Erik Koch. The “Fighter House” gives up-and-coming fighters from across the country the chance to train with some of MMA’s best athletes, and receive instruction from some of the top trainers in the sport. It includes all Roufus kickboxing, technique, and fighter training classes, and provides an opportunity for world class training without the cost of traveling across the world.

For more information on Roufusport, please visit http://roufusport.com/

About Roufusport
Roufusport is run by famed kickboxer and MMA trainer Duke Roufus and his business partner Scott Joffe. It is a world class brand that includes a state-of-the-art training facility, fight team, and MMA promotion, the North American Fighting Championship.

Roufus is one of the most recognizable MMA and striking coaches in North America, and is considered to be one of the top trainers of Muay Thai kickboxing outside of Thailand. Roufus also runs the Roufusport Fight Club team, which includes UFC stars Alan Belcher, Anthony “Showtime” Pettis, Ben Rothwell, Erik “New Breed” Koch, and Dan "Danny Boy" Downes.

Former students include former UFC Lightweight Champion Jens Pulver, The Ultimate Fighter season one star Stephan Bonnar, and UFC veterans Pat Barry, Matt Mitrione and Jesse Lennox.