Fight Now TV will air – Mirko “CroCop” Filipovic vs. “Sugar” Ray Sefo

LIVE ● Mar. 10, 2012 ● 1:00 PM/ET 10:00 AM/PT 

HOBOKEN, NJ (February 29, 2012) – FIGHT NOW TV TM – America’s only 24-hour combat sports and entertainment channel – announced today that it will air the final fight of mixed martial arts legend Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic‘s illustrious career to viewers across America on Saturday, March 10. “Cro Cop”is set to take on another kickboxing great, “Sugar” Ray Sefo, live from Filipovic’s native Croatia.

“We could not be more excited to bring this tremendous sporting event to American fans,” said Mike Garrow, GM and co-founder of FIGHT NOW TV. “Filipovic is one of the greatest MMA fighters of all-time and he is returning to his first love – kickboxing – for a last hurrah. ‘Cro Cop’ certainly could have chosen a much easier opponent than Sefo for his swan song, but this shows what a true warrior he is in terms of fighting a guy like Ray, who continues to be a top name on the world kickboxing scene.”

Filipovic (16-7, 11 KO), once famously describing his kicks as “right leg: hospital; left leg: cemetery”, remains a Croatian sports icon who has starred in the UFC, Pride, K-1 and Dream during his more than decade-long fight career.  He holds kickboxing victories over such notable fighters as Mike Bernardo, Jerome Le Banner, Peter Aerts, Mark Hunt, Remy Bonasky, Misashi and Sam Greco.

New Zealand native Sefo (56-21- 1, 38 KO), fighting out of Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, rates as one of the premier and most recognizable kick-boxers in the world. A five-time Muay Thai world champion and eight-time K-1 World Grand Prix finalist, Sefo’s most prominent kickboxing victims also include Bernardo, Le Banner and Aerts, as well as Bob Sapp and Stephan Leko.

“Sugar” Ray Sefo

There will be nine other great kickboxing matchups on this once-in-a-lifetime card.  Final Fight promises to be a first-class production every step of the way with Michael Buffer serving as ring announcer, actress Jane Park as event host, and former K-1 superstar Nobuaki Kakuda as referee for this exciting night of action.

Given the interest across the United States for this highly-anticipated event, FIGHT NOW TV will be offering fans three ways to catch all the kicks, punches and knockouts that Final Fight is sure to deliver:

• Cablevision subscribers can watch      live on FIGHT NOW TV, channel 464 as part of their iO Sports &      Entertainment Pak

• Satellite customers will be able      to see the event on DIRECTV PPV, channel 123 HD or 124 SD.

• All others can catch this historic      event on FIGHT NOW TV broadband PPV player powered by Ustream. Visit www.fightnow.com for details.

Also scheduled to fight on the Mar. 10 Final Fight card are:

Igor Jurkovic (29-3, 23 KO) vs. Freddy Kemayo (60-18, 43 KO)

Daniel Ghita (39-7, 29 KO) vs. 2011 SuperKombat WGP Final champion Sergei Laschenko (29-9, 12 KO)

Former Croatian Muay Thai Champion Mladen Brestovac (36-8, 25 KO) vs. Dutch heavyweight WFCA kickboxing winner Mourad Bouzidi (65-15, 32 KO)

Former WKA European titleholder Dzevad Poturak (47-16, 30 KO) vs. Ismail “Mr. Pain” Londt (27-3, 12 KO)

Mladen “Dynamite” Kujundzic (8-3, 5 KO) vs. TBA

2009 World Kickboxing champion Agron Preteni (56-10) vs. European kickboxing king Guy Pacome Assi (11-6, 5 KO)

Stefan Jelicv (6-1, 6 KO) vs. Michael Duut (15-5, 7 KO)

Former WKA European champ Ivan Posavec (19-4) vs. Miran “Rocky” Fabjan (34-5)

*All fights and fighters are subject to change.

About FIGHT NOW TV: With offices in New Jersey, Las Vegas and Toronto, FIGHT NOW TV is a cross-platform media company that creates and distributes content through its television, video on demand, and online outlets.

Founded by Channel Zero, Inc. and media entrepreneur Mike Garrow, FIGHT NOW TV is the only 24-hour-a-day, seven-days-a-week combat sports channel in the nation. The network’s mandate is to bring the best battles, fiercest fights and stunning knockouts to America. FIGHT NOW TV caters to fight fans of every genre, giving them a front row seat to compelling coverage of MMA, boxing, wrestling/grappling, Muay Thai, kickboxing and other combat sports. FIGHT NOW TV is the place for the best analysis, live and current events, documentaries and news coverage of the biggest PPV events and match-ups from around the globe.

FIGHT NOW TV has also enlisted one of the fight game’s biggest names to join its camp, 5-time UFC champion and MMA legend Randy Couture, who serves as both spokesperson and analyst for the channel.

FIGHT NOW TV, It’s ON! Call Your Television Provider To Order

For more information about FIGHT NOW TV go on line at www.fightnow.com, or follow on Twitter @fightnowtv and Facebook.com/fightnowtv.

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CONTACTS:

Mike Garrow, FIGHT NOW TV General Manager,

Phone: 1-888-994-7233 x. 2478

Email: mike@FightNow.com

and/

Bob Trieger, Full Court Press

Phone: 1-978-664-4482

Email: bobtfcp@hotmail.com

Kickboxing Champ Ray Sefo – will be inducted into Masters Hall of Fame

Ray Sefo

Six-time world kickboxing and muay thai champion Ray Sefo has earned many accolades in his prolific career. His upcoming induction to the Masters Hall of Fame will surely add to the list.

“I was actually in his house staying with him in Vegas when he received the letter,” said fight commentator Michael Schiavello. “He opened the letter and a big smile crossed his face. He handed it to me and I was so proud of him. I think it’s been a longtime coming.”

The induction is June 19, with the Las Vegas resident joining the likes of past inductees such as UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu founder Helio Gracie and UFC President Dana White.

“There are a lot of great martial artists that have been inducted, but it never crossed my mind that I would be one of them,” Sefo said. “I was completely blown away.”

The 39-year-old established his reputation with more than 80 professional fights in kickboxing, muay thai, boxing and mixed martial arts with a combined record of 69-18-1 and 54 knockouts.

But fighting isn’t the only aspect of martial arts he excels in.

“He’s known for being phenomenal in the ring, but outside of the ring as a teacher Ray has a special gift that is very rare,” Schiavello said.

Sefo has lived in Las Vegas for five years and has spent the past two years training at Xtreme Couture where he shares his kickboxing and muay thai techniques.

“He’s like Yoda and I’m like Luke Skywalker,” said Jay Hieron, a Xtreme Couture fighter. “I soak up everything he shows me. He has 20 plus years in the game and he’s just so knowledgeable of the sport it’s incredible.”

Sefo took up martial arts at the age of 12 when he was inspired by Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan films.

But for a young Samoan boy living in Auckland, New Zealand, and growing up in boxing family, martial arts were an unconventional hobby.

“My great-grandfather boxed, my grandfather, my father, cousins, uncles, you name it, everybody boxed,” Sefo said. “So when I wanted to start martial my family were like ‘what are you doing?’ I was thinking why just use your hands? Why not learn how to use every part of my body?”

Despite his family’s chagrin, Sefo broadened his martial arts repertoire when he took up muay thai during the mid 1980s.

Sefo had no desire to compete, but when one of his training partners had to pull out of a fight after being diagnosed with asthma, he was filled in.

“This guy challenged me and I don’t know why because I had never fought before,” Sefo said. “He probably thought, ‘OK I will just pick this guy and I’ll blow him out of the water.’ Unfortunately for him I ended up dropping him in the second round.”

Sefo turned that fight into a career, going undefeated as an amateur and turning professional in 1990.

But it wasn’t until 1996 that Sefo became a star after joining Japanese kickboxing promotion K-1. In just his third K-1 fight, Sefo brutally knocked out Jerome Lebanner, one of the league’s more accomplished fighters, to announce his arrival amongst the sport’s elite.

“He was the type of guy like a David Beckham in soccer, or Roger Federer in tennis,” Schiavello said. “The golden boy, that the promotion could push everything off of, but Ray was the first one who could pull that off and back it up by being a killer knockout fighter.”

In 2007 and 2008, Sefo’s career entered a lull as he found himself embattled by illness and personal tragedy. In that same period he lost six consecutive fights.

“He doesn’t make excuses for it, but there was a lot going on in his private life that obviously would take its toll on someone,” Schiavello said. “He had family pass away, he had his dad diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Stuff like that that Ray doesn’t like to put out there because it’s personal stuff.”

After taking a year off of K-1 in 2009 and focusing on his training at Randy Couture’s  Xtreme Couture MMA Sefo feels rejuvenated.

“I haven’t been sick for the last two years,” he said. “I have the right people I’m training with like Jake Bonacci who’s my strength and conditioning coach. I’ve never had a strength and conditioning coach before in my whole career. Having people like that it has completely brought me back in the game and made me even more hungry to compete.”

But perhaps most important to Sefo is the inspiration he has found in Xtreme Couture’s patriarch.

“Randy is such a great inspiration to me, the guy is 46 and still a machine,” Sefo said. “Again I go back to my saying, ‘if he can do it I can do it.’ So here we are.”

Ray “Sugarfoot” Sefo in Action Tomorrow

Catch K-1 legend Ray Sefo vs. Kevin Jordan in an MMA fight tomorrow night on  Showtime Sports 11PM ET.

While Jordan has 18 MMA fights under his belt compared to Sefo’s 1 MMA fight don’t let that fool you.  Ray looks to show the world that he has the skills and desire to make a serious impact in the heavyweight rankings.

Xtreme Couture Heavyweights in Action This Saturday

A trio of heavyweights will be representing Xtreme Couture this Saturday. 

Ray Sefo (Red Gloves) in Action.

First up will be New Zealander Ray Sefo.  The kickboxing legend will be taking on Korean giant Hong Man Choi in a reserve bout for K-1’s World Grand Prix 2008 Final.  The event will air live on HDNet tonight at midnight and will replay again tomorrow at 6:00PM Pacific time.

Brice Ritani-Coe's hand raised in victory

Next will be fellow New Zealand import Brice Ritani-Coe.  The standout boxer will face Roland Sanchez in a Superheavyweight attraction on the Katana Cagefighting Conquest event in Robsville, Texas.  Coming off of the grueling experience of helping Randy Couture train for his fight with Brock Lesnar, Brice will be looking to try out some new tricks as he squares off against the 360lb Sanchez.

Jay White

In the main event of that same show Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt Jay White will take on Ralph Kelley with the Katana Cagefighting Heavyweight Championship on the line.  Jay will be counting on his formidable ground skills coupled with powerful standup to carry him to victory.

Be sure to check back Monday for results.

By: Ryan Couture

Jan and Ray Join the Gym

K-1 Legends and super cool guys Jan Nortje and Ray Sefo are the newest additions to the gym. Somehow Jan who is from South Africa and Ray who is from New Zealand ended up living in Las Vegas. In fact they share a house in the same community where Randy and Kim live.

Jan knows Quentin Chong, Kim’s Muay Thai trainer, from South Africa. Last week Quentin was out to dinner at Xtreme Sushi with Randy and Kim when Jan walked over and said hello. The gang got to talking, Jan and Ray said they were looking for a new place to work out and Kim and Randy invited them to the gym. They liked it and decided to stay.

(Ray and Jan working out last week, Ray showing Jan how to drop a “Beast” with a left hook)

Jan says he loves the atmosphere at the gym. “A lot of times high level fighters have stink attitudes. But not here. Everyone is cool and doesn’t take themselves too seriously.”

“I can’t stand stink attitudes,” adds Ray.

Neither can we. Check your ego at the door.

Jan demolished Bob Sapp Saturday in Strikeforce (see video below). Both he and Ray are going to work on their MMA games here. Ray tells us that the new Dreams promotion in Japan offered him a fight with Cro Cop. The only problem is the fight is for March 5th in Japan and they just offered it to him last week. Ray says he’d love to fight Cro Cop in MMA and hopes the fight happens this summer.