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SHINE FIGHTS GIVES FANS THE CHANCE
TO BE THE MATCHMAKER
Shine
fans asked to select the matchups for its
Sept
10th eight-man, single-elimination Grand Prix Tournament
FAIRFAX, VA (August
23, 2010) -
In their quest to mold Shine Fights Promotions into MMA's most
fan-friendly organization, CEO Devin Price and COO Jason Chambers
have taken the unprecedented step of allowing Shine fans to play
matchmaker for the company's upcoming Lightweight Grand Prix
Tournament, which will be televised nationally on Pay Per View.
Eight of the fight world’s best 155-pound competitors have been
selected to put their skills to the test against one another on Sept
10th at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA. History will
be made, as fans have never been given the opportunity to actually
choose the fights they want to see. Now, they can mix and match
those eight fighters in order to create the four opening-round bouts
that they want to see. The combinations with the most votes will be
selected as the official bouts. Suggestions should be emailed to
GrandPrixPick@Shinefights.com.
"Every MMA organization
tells fans what fights they are going to see, even
though the fans are the ones paying the money," said Chambers. "We
are saying, 'You are buying the PPV, you are
buying the tickets, so you tell us what you want to
watch. We feel it’s one of the most unique opportunities fight fans
have been given to date!"
“We decided to go with a
one night eight man tournament because we wanted to give fans what
we knew they really wanted”, said Devin Price. “By having the fans
choose the first round fighters we are involving them in a direct
way. We value their opinion and respect their knowledge.”
Below is a list of the eight competitors who are eligible to be
matched by fans:
·
Rich
“Cleat” Crunkilton:
16-3 (7 TKO/KOs, 6 submissions). The 30-year-old Ft. Lauderdale,
Florida native is known for his devastating throws and slams, high
kicks, and wild punches. A product of the famed American Kickboxing
Academy, “Cleat” has faced top 155ers during the course of his
career, including Bao Quach, Hermes Franca, former WEC Lightweight
Champion “Razor” Rob McCullough, and “The Fugitive” Dave Hansen.
·
Josh
Shockley:
6-0-1 (3 TKO/KOs, 2 submissions). Only 19 years of age, Shockley has
made a name for himself through his athleticism and skills. Never
beaten, this rising star is the youngest entry in the tournament. He
is also a finisher, with five of his victories coming via stoppage.
He fights out of Duneland Vale Tudo with training partners Keith
Wisniewski, Darren Elkins, and Mark Burch.
·
Drew
Fickett:
37-13 (3 TKO/KOs, 26 submissions). This Tucson, Arizona native is
only 30 years old but has competed in fifty professional fights. A
submission specialist, he holds notable victories over UFC stalwarts
Josh Koscheck,
Kurt Pellegrino, Dennis Hallman, and
Kenny Florian, as well as UFC veterans
Josh Neer, Edwin DeWees, Keita Nakamura, Mark Weir, and Derrick
Noble. In addition, he defeated fellow tourney entrant Carlo Prater
via submission in their first bout back in 2004.
·
Carlo Prater:
24-7-1 (2 TKO/KOs, 12 submissions). Hailing from Sao Paolo, Brazil,
Prater began competing in professional mixed martial arts in 2002.
The ground fighter challenged then-WEC Welterweight Champion Carlos
Condit for the title at WEC 32 in 2008, putting up a valiant effort
before succumbing to his bigger opponent. Now based in Texas, Prater
has set his eyes on the Shine title. He possesses notable victories
over UFC lightweight Spencer “The King” Fisher, Condit (in their
first bout), Strikeforce fighter Pat Healy, and UFC veteran Keith
Wisniewski.
·
James Warfield:
21-6 (15 TKO/KOs and 6 submissions). A veteran of many MMA
organizations, Warfield is known for his reputation as a finisher,
having never won by anything other than a stoppage. The Sun Prairie,
Wisconsin native trained in Jeet Kune Do and karate as a child, but
has blossomed into a full-fledged mixed martial artist. He’s faced
quality competition throughout his six-year fight career, including
UFC veteran Rory Markham, former TUF contestant Seth
Baczynski, and former top ten-ranked lightweight Yves Edwards.
·
Marcus Aurelio:
20-8 (4 TKO/KOs, 13 submissions). This Brazilian put his name on the
MMA map in 2006 when he put the top-ranked lightweight in the world
at that time, Takanori Gomi, to sleep with an arm-triangle. A
multi-time veteran of PRIDE and the UFC, the BJJ black belt has
garnered a reputation for being difficult to stop, having never been
knocked out or submitted. His ground game is second to none, and the
36 year-old holds wins over Gomi, Masakazu Imanari, Rich Clementi,
and Daisuke Nakamura.
-
Dennis Bermudez
8-0 (3 TKO/KOs, 1 submission). An accomplished amateur wrestler,
Bermudez utilizes his ground game to the fullest in the cage. He
turned pro in 2009, and has already competed in MMA eight times.
A training partner of top WEC star Urijah Faber, the compact
Bermudez is a threat to any fighter on the ground.
·
Charles Bennett:
23-17-2 (14 TKO/KOs, 6 submissions). One of the most controversial
fighters in MMA history, the 30-year-old Ocala, Florida native is
known for his antics in and out of the cage. He’s been known to
insult opponents, disrespect referees, and has even brawled with
other fighters backstage. Once quoted at saying that ground fighting
"is like making love…it's not real fighting," Krazy Horse has
attempted to clean up his act in recent years. Regardless, fight
fans know that they will be entertained when “Krazy Horse” is on the
card. Bennett holds notable wins over former
EliteXC Lightweight Champion
KJ Noons,
UFC veteran
Gerald Strebendt, and
WEC Bantamweight contender
Yoshiro Maeda, and has faced some of the world’s best
lightweights in Takanori Gomi, Tatsuya Kawajiri, Jeff Curran, and
Urijah Faber.
The MMA showdown will be beamed on PPV on cable and satellite in the
United States and Canada. The event will be in High Definition and
it will be available in both English and Spanish (where available).
The MMA showdown will be distributed live on Pay Per View beginning
at 9 p.m. EST/6 p.m. PST by Multi Vision Media, Inc. The suggested
retail price is $29.95.
Ticket Information:
Tickets for the Mixed Martial Arts Tournament at the Patriot Center
on Friday, September 10 at 8:00 p.m. are $350.00, $154, $94.00,
$74.00, $64.00, $44.00 and $24.00 (plus applicable service charges)
and go on sale August 14 at 10:00 a.m. Tickets will be available
through all Ticketmaster outlets including the Patriot Center box
office, online at
www.ticketmaster.com or via Phonecharge at 703-573-SEAT,
202-397-SEAT or 410-547-SEAT. Accessible seating is available for
patrons with disabilities by calling 703-993-3035. For more
information please visit
www.patriotcenter.com. Follow us on Facebook (PatriotCenter) or
on Twitter (@patriotcenter).
To learn more about
Shine Fight Promotions, visit
www.shinefights.com or follow the organization on Twitter @ShineFights,
Myspace (www.myspace.com/ShineFights),
YouTube (www.youtube.com/ShineFights) or become a fan on Facebook.
CONTACTS:
Gladys M.
Rosa, Rosa PR 914-734-7336,
RPRLatin@aol.com
Tania
Rivera, Rosa PR 914-734-7336,
Tania.Rivera@Rosapublicrelations.com
Donald Tremblay,
Tremblay PR 718-664-3405,
dtremblay@earthlink.com
Sheila Francis, Patriot
Center PR 202-628-3200 x. 6042,
sfrancis@washsports.com
About Shine Fight
Promotions
Shine Fight Promotions,
LLC is a U.S.-based organization that seeks to deliver the art,
discipline, respect, and passion that is mixed martial arts (MMA) to
the global market. Shine is committed to the growth of MMA, and is
focused on creating a positive experience for both fighters and
fans. Organizing the fights that fighters and fans want to see by
arranging the most competitive and interesting matches available is
the foremost goal of the promotion. Shine Fight Promotion seeks to
grow through innovation, high production values, dramatic and
engaging fights, and the promotion of authentic MMA. Above all,
Shine is committed to letting fighters, fans, and the sport “shine”
through dynamic events. For additional information on Shine Fights,
please visit
http://www.shinefights.com/
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