UFC switch for Alers

London, England (February 25, 2014) - The Cage Warriors Fighting Championship featherweight title has officially been vacated by Jim Alers (12-1).

The reigning champion has relinquished the belt in order to take up an offer from the UFC, which triggered a release clause in his CWFC deal and sees the Florida native depart the promotion following a hugely successful seven-fight stint.

Alers is set to make his UFC debut against Alan Omer in Abu Dhabi on Friday, April 11, almost a year to the day since being crowned the CWFC featherweight champion.

Read more HERE.

New Date for Abu Dhabi Boxing Extravaganza

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, October 14, 2013--The first-ever live professional boxing event scheduled for Abu Dhabi, Thursday Night Fights @ Yas Island, is being postponed.

Event promoter Lion Heart Boxing Productions forced to reschedule the October 17 fight due to unavoidable circumstances beyond its control.  Says, CFO Edward Mendy, “Though we had several other issues, we had no choice but to postpone the show as four African fighters on the card did not get visas.   The UAE has one of the easiest visa application processes in the world. Typically, a visa takes two days unless complicated by the applicant’s CID investigation. Thus, we did not worry about the visas, did not apply for visas sufficiently early and were blindsided by Eid. All government offices in the UAE are closed October 10 through October 20 for Eid.   The visa issue cost us both main events.  The opponent for Williams (Mazur Ali) is from Egypt and while the opponent for Ouali (Ebenezer Lamptey) is from Ghana.  Additionally, we lost two other fights (the Braxton and Mesquita fights).   Thus, We decided to reschedule rather than put on a subpar show with only local fighters since we had major television with ESPN3, Abu Dhabi Sports and several other TV channels contracted to air the fights.” 
Thursday Night Fights @ Yas Island is rescheduled for December 19, 2013 at the 5,000-capacity du Forum, located on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The du Forum is managed by Global Spectrum, one of the leading venue management companies in the industry. 
Thursday Night Fights @ Yas Island will be streamed live on ESPN3 worldwide except the MENA Region, where it will be geoblocked.  Further, Thursday Night Fights @ Yas Island will be televised live, and in primetime, by Abu Dhabi Sports in the UAE and MENA Region, and will be syndicated regionally and in other markets, as feasible, including in over 100 Million American cable homes. With Yas Island and Abu Dhabi as a new home to the Thursday Night Fights series, the UAE has the chance of experiencing ‘live’ why Thursday Night Fights uses the slogan “the Best Fight Series of all Times’.

After enjoying Thursday Night Fights, why not start your weekend discovering Yas Island and what it has to offer? Yas Island is the MENA region’s most attractive leisure and entertainment destination, a destination for all. It sets the heart-beat.  Choose from a thrilling 240km/h roller coaster ride to a leisurely tee off on the idyllic golf course. In between lie worlds of other activities and fun, inspiring an impressive selection from weekend getaways to romantic holidays as well as a wide range of F&B outlets and other attractions.
Tickets are available at the du Forum Box Office, all TicketMaster locations and online at www.TicketMaster.ae .  For additional information, visit www.YasIslandFights.com .  Follow the event on Twitter at #YasIslandFights and Like it on Facebook at YasIslandFights.

About Lion Heart Boxing Promotions (the Promoter)Lion Heart Boxing Productions is a global Boxing Promoter and Sports Entertainment Company based in the U.S. The company was set up in 2001 for the sole purpose of providing top quality events with highest entertainment value and has promoted boxing events on four continents. The Company quickly earned a reputation as a producer of high quality fights and is well respected for its fair treatment of fighters and commitment to fighters' rights.  
 

About Yas Island The MENA region’s prime leisure and entertainment destination, Yas Island is one of the finest destinations for weekend getaways, romantic holidays and family fun.   Be wowed by the amazing events and touring artists gracing the stage at du Forum and du Arena. Live the ultimate water adventure at Yas Waterworld. Dare to ride Formula Rossa, the world’s fastest roller coaster, at speeds up to 240kmph at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, also the world’s largest indoor theme park. Take in sensational sea views on Yas Links Golf Course. Imagine driving a Formula Yas 3000 or Aston Martin GT4 on the same circuit as the pros.  Stroll along the calm turquoise waters at Yas Marina or simply lounge on the warm, idyllic sands of Yas Beach.  

Home to the world famous Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Yas Island offers seven hotels (from affordable to luxury), all hosting numerous restaurants and eateries alike.   Located just 25 minutes from Abu Dhabi, a jewel of the desert with picturesque mangrove-fringed islands, clear waters and eternal sunshine and only 45 minutes from the buzzing city of Dubai, guests will discover worlds within worlds as they explore the various charms Yas Island has to offer. Find out more about Yas Island by visiting www.Yasisland.ae

"First-Ever Live Professional Boxing Event Is Coming To Abu Dhabi"

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, August 15, 2013--The first-ever live professional boxing competition is coming to Abu Dhabi.  Lion Heart Boxing Productions, a global Boxing Promotion and Sports & Entertainment Company based in Kinnelon, New Jersey (USA), will introduce live professional boxing to Abu Dhabi by producing a version of its acclaimed Thursday Night Fights series at the 5,000-capacity du Forum, located on Yas Island, in Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi’s first-ever live professional boxing event is billed ThursdayNight Fights @ Yas Island and is scheduled for October 17, 2013.  It will feature top boxers from the international scene as well local and regional boxing stars.  Thursday Night Fights @ Yas Island, as the first-ever live professional boxing event in Abu Dhabi history, rightly will start with a big bang.  Thursday Night Fights @ Yas Island will feature former British Heavyweight Champion and Commonwealth Heavyweight Champion Danny Williams (46-11), Moroccan Welterweight Champion Said Ouali (29-4), as well as Dubai’s Mohammad Ali Bayat (3-0), all against opponents to be announced.  Danny Williams’ illustrious career includes a knockout win over former Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World, Iron Mike Tyson. Williams also served as Two Times British Heavyweight Champion (most title defenses); Two Times Commonwealth Heavyweight Champion (also most title defenses); WBO Inter-Continental Heavyweight Champion; and WBU Champion.   Ouali, who attended ADISE 2013, has been ranked in the top ten in his weight class.

Abu Dhabi has never hosted a live professional boxing event.  All of the professional boxing events that have been produced in the United Arab Emirates to date have been hosted in Dubai with the only exception being a fight card held on March 29, 2013 at the Sharjah Sports Stadium, in Sharjah, when Dubai’s Mohammed Ali Bayat Farid (3-0) faced Turkey’s Shahin Aras in a six-rounder. 

The only taste of live professional boxing that Abu Dhabi has ever experienced was in April 2013, when Lion Heart Boxing Productions sponsored daily pro boxing exhibitions at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC) free of charge to the public during the Abu Dhabi International Sports Exhibition (ADISE) 2013.    ADISE, which brought the world of sports under one roof, was organized by UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. These daily exhibitions during ADISE gave Abu Dhabi an opportunity to experience the excitement of boxing, albeit only in exhibition format. Featured boxers included Ihab Matbouli, Jordan’s first Olympian, and Said Ouali, who slated to fight on October 17.

Thursday Night Fights @ Yas Island will be streamed live on ESPN3. Also, it will be televised in the USA in over 100 Million American cable homes.Thursday Night Fights @ Yas Island also may be seen on TV nationally in the UAE nationally, in primetime, and will syndicated regionally and in other markets, as feasible. Now, Abu Dhabi and the UAE will get a chance to experience why Thursday Night Fights is billed “The Best Fight Series of all Time.”

Tickets go on sale on August 21, 2013 and are available at the du Forum Box Office, all TicketMaster locations and online atwww.TicketMaster.ae.  For additional information, visitwww.YasIslandFights.com.  Follow the event on Twitter at #YasIslandFights and Like it on Facebook at YasIslandFights.

About Lion Heart Boxing Promotions (the Promoter)

Lion Heart Boxing Productions is global Boxing Promoter and Sports Entertainment Company based in the U.S. The company was set up in 2001 for the sole purpose of providing top quality events with highest entertainment value and has promoted boxing events on four continents. The Company quickly earned a reputation as a producer of high quality fights and is well respected for its fair treatment of fighters and commitment to fighters' rights. 

EMD Sports, owned by Emirati Eisa Aldah, is the top UAE boxing promoter and will serve as Lion Heart Boxing Productions’ local UAE partner and co-promoter for the event.

About Thursday Night Fights

Thursday Night Fights is proven as the oldest continuous live professional boxing series with its genesis in the USA. The fight series was started by Jim Patton in 1988 and Lion Heart Boxing Productions has been promoting a version of Thursday Night Fights since 2001.  Each year, from October to April, Thursday Night Fights produces 24 to 26 boxing shows with the highest entertainment at the Egan Center in Anchorage, Alaska with sellout crowds.  While Thursday Night Fights shows have been promoted in other cities, Thursday Night Fights’ long and uninterrupted production streak in Alaska dating to 1988 makes Thursday Night Fights the longest continuous boxing series in history.  Part of Thursday Night Fights already can be seen on national TV in the USA as The Alaskan Brawlers Reality Show, which debut January 9, 2013 on US cable network TruTV.  Thursday Night Fights’2013-14 season of will be produced Lion Heart Boxing Productions in association with Jim Patton Promotions and be televised in the USA as well.

Paulie Malignaggi: I WILL Be Fighting In Abu Dhabi, Against Either Chaves or Soto

With the news breaking, that the negotiations between promoter Johnny
Eames’ Showtime Sports Events (SSE) promotional outfit and WBA Interim
Welterweight Champion Diego Chaves’ camp have been terminated, it seemed
inevitable that the proposed title clash between the Argentinian and WBA
Welterweight King, Brooklyn, New York’s Paulie ‘Magic Man’ Malignaggi
would no longer take place in Abu Dhabi, UAE in May.

However, following various transatlantic phone calls over the past thirty
six hours, between SSE’s Managing Director, Gianluca Di Caro, and Paulie
Malignaggi’s lawyer, Steven Bash, the mouthwatering clash, between the
WBA’s top ranked Welterweight pairing remains a possibility for the Gulf
state's inaugural World Championship event.

The deal clincher came after Gianluca Di Caro agreed to SSE continuing
their pursuit of Chaves, by participating in the March 11th WBA ordered
purse bids.

In return Paulie Malignaggi agreed that should their quest be
unsuccessful, that he would be just as happy to fight four weight World
Champion, Tijuana, Mexico’s Humberto Soto in an equally mouthwatering
WBF/WBA unification battle on May 18th.

On his arrival in Las Vegas, where on Saturday evening he will be color
commentating on WBA Lightweight World Champion Richard ‘El Tigre’ Abril’s
first defense of his Crown against Sharif ‘The Lion’ Bogere at the Hard
Rock Hotel & Casino, Paulie Malignaggi stated.

“The opportunity to fight in Abu Dhabi excites me.

I am a fighter always searching for new challenges and goals and winning
the WBF welterweight title along with defending my WBA welterweight title
in a historic place like Abu Dhabi would be a huge feather in my hat.

I feel like boxing could have a new city to hold mega fights and events
and if by me fighting there I could be a part of that, well that is just
the kind of situation I look for and it motivates me to strive to continue
to be the best.

Whether the opportunity comes from Showtime Sports Events winning the
purse bid or from possibly an opponent change to Humberto Soto it still
remains an exciting situation for me as both of those guys are warriors
and would be worthy opponents.”

Paulie ‘Magic Man’ Malignaggi, against either Diego Chaves or Humberto
Soto, for the WBF and WBA World Welterweight Championships, will headline
a World Class evening of professional boxing at the Zayed Sports City, Abu
Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on May 18th.

Co-headlining sees IBF Flyweight World Champion, South Africa’s Moruti
‘Babyface’ Mthalane competing against Filipino super star Sonny Boy Jaro
for the vacant WBF Flyweight title.

Supporting the exciting double header sees at least two further World
Championship bouts, including WBF Light Welterweight Champion Zolani
Marali defending his coveted Crown against mandatory challenger, WBF
Interim title holder, Tijuana, Mexico’s Antonio ‘Cañitas’ Lozada Jr.

At least one further World Boxing Federation (WBF) World Championship bout
is expected to announced shortly.

The final Championship bout of the night features former British and IBO
World Champion Colin Lynes battling it out with Poland’s EBU-EU Champion
Rafal Jackiewicz for the vacant WBF Inter-Continental Welterweight title,
as well as earn the right to challenge the winner of Malignaggi – Chaves
or Soto for the World title later in the year.

Supporting the sensational feature Championship bouts will see four future
World Champions in action - two time Lithuanian National Amateur
Heavyweight Champion Paulius Kasiulevicius, exciting Turkish Light
Heavyweight Onder Ozgu, Albanian Middleweight Festim Lama and sensational
London, UK based Saudi Light Welterweight Zouhair Siddiq, a highly
exciting young prospect who was not only selected for the Beijing Olympics
(unable to compete due to injury) but also won the prestigious London
ABAs.

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