INTERNATIONAL FIGHT LEAGUE (IFL) TO MAKE ITS NEVADA DEBUT IN RENO ON
JUNE 16
Reno Events Center to play host to teams coached by world champion Ken
Shamrock, jiu-jitsu master Renzo Gracie, MMA champions Don Frye and
Carlos Newton
NEW YORK and RENO, Nev., January 17, 2007- The International Fight
League (OTC.BB: IFLI), the world’s first team-based professional mixed
martial arts league, announced today that its inaugural event in Nevada
will take place on Saturday, June 16, with an 11-bout card at the Reno
Events Center in Reno, beginning at 7:30 p.m. The event is the final
date to be announced as part of the full 11-event IFL 2007 schedule, the
most comprehensive advance schedule in the history of fight sports.
The first season begins this Friday, January 19, at ORACLE Arena in
Oakland, California.
“The state of Nevada is the centerpiece of some of the greatest
events not just in Mixed Martial Arts, but in all of fight sports, and we
are very pleased to now join that group by hosting our first Nevada
event,” said IFL Co-founder and Commissioner Kurt Otto. “We think the
fans who will see the IFL for the first time in Nevada, in the hometown
for Ken Shamrock’s Lions, will discover what fans in cities like
Portland, Atlantic City, Chicago and the Quad Cities already know…that
this event will compare well with any sports and entertainment event in
terms of packed action and excitement.”
The matchups at Jenkins Arena will include the Tucson-based Scorpions,
coached by WWE and MMA legend Don Frye, taking on the Toronto-based
Dragons, coached by MMA world champion Carlos “The Ronin” Newton. Then
the hometown Lions, led by world champion Ken Shamrock, will take on
the New York-based Pitbulls, led by world jiu-jitsu champion Renzo
Gracie. The lineups for each team and an additional Superfight will be
announced in the coming months.
Each of the nine regular season IFL events consists of four teams —
each with an athlete in all five weight classes competing — along with
a special Superfight, for a minimum of 11 bouts per card. The team
that wins the best three of five match setup will be declared the team
winner for the match, similar to collegiate and high school wrestling
meets. The IFL also differs from other MMA organizations in that the bouts
are held in an oversized five-rope boxing ring with three, four-minute
rounds, each designed to create the most compelling in-arena experience
for local fans.
(more)
IFL To Debut in Nevada June 16 — p.2
Each of the 12 IFL teams for 2007 will compete in three regular season
events; the teams with the top four overall win-loss team records will
advance to the semi-finals, which will be held on Thursday, August 2,
at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, N.J. The 2007 IFL
Finals will then be held at The Forum in Los Angeles on Saturday,
September 15.
The 10 venues for the 2007 season (The Forum in Los Angeles will host
two events) will scale to between 7,000 and 13,000 seats, which has been
consistent with the IFL’s plan of managed growth. The other venues
for the inaugural season will include:
* ORACLE Arena (Oakland, Calif.) on Friday, January 19
* The Reliant Center (Houston) on Friday, February 2
* Gwinnett Center (Atlanta) on Friday, February 23
* The Forum (Los Angeles) on Friday, March 17
* The MARK of the Quad Cities (Moline, Ill.) on Saturday, April 7
* Jenkins Arena/Lakeland Center (Lakeland, Fla.) on Friday, April 13
* Sears Centre (Chicago) on Saturday, May 19 * Everett Events Center (Everett, Wash.) on Friday, June 1
2007 Semi-Finals
* Continental Airlines Arena (East Rutherford, N.J.) on Thursday,
August 2
2007 Finals
* The Forum (Los Angeles) on Saturday, September 15
Tickets for the Reno event will go on sale Feb. 1 and will be available
through www.ifl.tv or via Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com, by
telephone or at Ticketmaster outlets.
About the IFL
International Fight League (IFL) is the world’s first professional
mixed martial arts sports league. IFL has its headquarters in New York, NY and offices in Las Vegas, NV. For more information about IFL,
please see: www.ifl.tv
Forward-Looking Statements: This release contains forward-looking
statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to various risks and IFL’s
management's expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies
regarding the future financial condition, and results of operations. There
can be no assurance that future developments actually affecting IFL
will be those anticipated.
Important factors that could cause actual results to differ (favorably
or unfavorably) from the expectations stated in this release include
the risks and uncertainties such as the conditions of the markets for
live events, broadcast television, cable television, pay-per-view,
Internet, entertainment, professional sports, and licensed merchandise;
acceptance of the Company’s brands, media and merchandise within those
markets; uncertainties relating to litigation; risks associated with
producing live events; uncertainties associated with international markets;
risks relating to maintaining and renewing key agreements, including
television distribution agreements; effects of competition, including
locations of competitors and operating and market competition.. Should one
or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of
the Company’s assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in
material respects from those projected in these forward-looking
statements.
IFL undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking
statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. This
press release may include the opinions of IFL and does not necessarily
include the views of any other person or entity.
The names of all International Fight League, Inc. televised and live
programming, teams, images, and logos are trademarks, which are the
exclusive property of International Fight League, Inc. All other trademarks
and tradenames mentioned in this release are the property of their
respective owners, and are not affiliated with IFL in any way.
DISCUSS THIS NEWS IN THE MMANEWS.COM FORUMS >>
