Sept 15th RING OF FIRE 30 main card announced!
ROF promoter Sven BOOGIE Bean announces the final fight card for ROF 30: DOMINATION . The 11 bout MMA event will take place on Saturday, September 15th 2007 at the Broomfield Event Center in Broomfield, Colorado.
UFC, K-1 and Strikeforce veteran, Duane BANG! Ludwig headlines a talent packed fight card. The card will have International appeal with fighters coming from 3 countries including multiple UFC veterans.
"As always, there are some last minute changes. But after seven years in the industry I now expect it to happen. This a sport where the demands on the athletes are very high, especially in training. These guys (and girls) are breaking their bodies down daily and injuries are bound to happen." said Bean. Most notably in the main event, Serbian boxer Dragan Bakula broke his hand in training. Wanting to keep the ROF USA vs. ROF Europe theme intact, Bean went on a search for a qualified replacement. German fighter Mario Stapel was contacted and immediately agreed to take the opportunity.
ROF Light Heavyweight Champion Eliot Marshall was slated to face UFC veteran Rob MAXIMUS MacDonald in his first title defense. However, Marshall was the victim of a severe staph infection to his knee. The infection was so bad that his knee grew to the size of a grapefruit and doctor's had no choice but to deem him unfit to participate. "It's really depressing. Training was going great. I was looking forward to fighting Rob and defend my belt." said Marshall. MacDonald will still make the trip from Canada to attend the show as plans are being made for this match to happen on the next ROF event.
Main Event: ROF USA vs. ROF Europe
Last year ROF opened it's European branch in Belgrade, Serbia. The inaugural event was a huge success and was covered in both the European versions of Playboy and Maxim magazines. In February of this year the first ROF European fighter, Damir made his US debut. At ROF 30 that tradition continues as German fighter Mario Stapel will represent ROF Europe. Stapel, is a veteran of Shooto and Cage Warriors. He has wins over Orlando Wiet, Takahiro Kamikozono, and John Cronk. He has a record of 13 wins with 8 losses, and will be facing one of the most feared strikers in the sport. Duane BANG! Ludwig will represent ROF USA and is looking foward to the matchup. "I was getting ready to face a stand up guy but Mario is much more well rounded. He is more of a true MMA fighter. I changed my game plan accordingly. For this fight I tightened up my game by training at Extreme Coutore in Las Vegas. The training was great and I feel prepared for whatever happens. I love fighting at home and can't wait for Saturday" said Ludwig.
265 lb Super Fight
ROF has long been known as a launch pad for fighters careers. But it has also been known mostly for the lower weight classes. That is all about to change on September 15th. One of the most athletic heavyweights in the game will make his long awaited ROF debut. Shane MONSTER Carwin is a NCAA Division II National Wrestling Champion , 3 time NCAA Division II Wrestling All-American and a 2 time NCAA Division II Football All-American. He stand 6'4" tall and weighs 265 lbs. He also has a perfect 5-0 record in MMA. Once you get past the sheer size of Carwin, you would be hard pressed to believe he is a fighter. The "gentle giant" is very calm, polite and respectful... unless you happen to be standing across the cage from him. Once the cage door closes and the bell rings the Monster comes out. None of his previous 5 matches have made it past the first round and he has finished all of his opponents. Rick NOTORIUS Slaton has a bit of a bad reputation. Slaton was part of the now infamous Ultimate Athlete show in 2002 . He has also had his fair share of scrapes with the law, but has since seen the error of his ways. With a new outlook and a fresh start Rick is ready to take the MMA world by storm. He has channeled his energy into training and wants to make a serious run at becoming a threat in the heavyweight division. Rick has sought out some of the best trainers in the San Diego area to help improve his game. His last fight was in October of 2006 where scored a TKO victory at the Total Combat 17 event. Life is all about second chances, but the Badboy has a mountain to climb and a monster to slay to fulfill his dream.
115 lb FEATURE BOUT
Women's combat sports has shown an incredible increase in fan support in the last few years. Promotions such as Strikeforce, Elite XC and Bodog Fights have consistantly featured female athletes. Recently the Oxygen Channel contributed with the reality based program Fight Girls. One of the stars of that series, Michelle Waterson will return to MMA competition at ROF 30. Waterson is known as much for her good looks as for her fighting ability. Her nickname "The Karate Hotty" comes from her work as a Hooters girl and bikini model. But don't judge the book by the cover, Waterson can fight. She has been trained in the martial arts from an early age progressing from Kung Fu to Muay Thai, and eventually BJJ and MMA. While based in Denver, she trains her ground game at Team Jackson's in Albuquerque, NM. Currently 1-1 in MMA, Waterson is hoping to continue to represent MMA in a positive way for women all over the world. Her opponent also has a base in Muay Thai but has progessed to MMA. Action MMA fighter Jaime Cook relies heavily on her stand up skills but is also very comfortable on the ground. She has a perfect 2-0 record in MMA. She has finished both opponents by TKO, with one having a 30 lb weight adavantage. Cook is also the sparring partner and teamate of top ranked Bodog fighter Shayna Baszler.
175 lb FEATURE BOUT
UFC veteran Chad Reiner has a reputation for being one of the hardest workers in the industry. He prides himself on his conditioning and feels that is his strongest weapon in the cage. This was very evident in his ROF 24 perfromance against Jay Jack. Reiner was non stop in a punishing attack that gave him a unanimous decison after 3 rounds. He credits his time in the marines for instilling his work ethic while training. Reiners record is an outstanding 18-4 and is a VFC Champion. Chilo Gonzalez has a love- hate relationship with the fans. Half the crowd wants to see him win, the other to see him lose, but none the less they come to see him. He can appear brash, and often times even disrespectful to his opponents. It's all part of the game to Gonzalez however and see's it as a way to get into his opponents head. When asked about his opponent, true to character he responded " He is a really good fighter. I respect his wrestling but I just wonder how many teeth he is willing to lose before he gives up a submission!". Gonzalez is a WEC veteran with tremendous athletic ability. He has had an up and down career but always brings agression, intensity and tenacity in the cage. Gonzalez normally fights at middleweight and Reiner prefers welterweight so a catch weight of 175 lbs was agreed upon for the bout.
145 lb FEATURE BOUT
Until recently, if you were a fighter and you weighed less than 155 lbs, your options were limited. Basically you fight on the smaller, local events and hope that you could find your way to Japan. With promotions such as the WEC and Strikeforce pushing the lower weight classes the "little" guys now have new opportunities available to them. At ROF 30 we will see two of the top fighter's in the region try to make their way up the 145 lb ladder. Active duty Air Force wrestler Jacob Hey is hoping to make a big splash at the event. Besides being a Greco Roman All American, and competing on the Air Force WCAP (World Class Athlete Program) team, Hey was picked as the first recruit to officially join Matt Hughes new MMA team. Hughes team, the H.I.T. Squad (Hughes Intensive Training) also includes Icon Middleweight Champion "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler. Hey's opponent, Texan Jeff Striley also has an extensive wrestling background. Once a college level wrestler, Striley now splits his time between MMA Training and coaching local youth wrestling. Striley hails from one of the oldest MMA camps in the nation, the Scorpion's Lair. Originally founded by Iranian national wrestler Ali Elias in the mid nineties, the Scorpion's lair produced some of the strongest talent in the now defunct USWF. The winner of this match will find himself in the top 5 rankings on the ROF roster, and a possible future showdown with champion Christian Allen.
UNDERCARD BOUTSThe preliminary and undercard matches will round out an amazing night of fights. Some of the best up and coming fighters in the region are featured. Brandon Thatch, the son of Sabaki legend Clarence Thatch, will attempt to improve on his undefeated record against new comer Doug Saiez. Kenneth Seegrist, also undefeated, will be facing the rugged Anselmo Martinez of Lubbock, TX. Sambo stylist Seth Bregman will face the "Gentleman" Jesse Henley. Infinite Martial Arts fighter Ralston Baker faces Brad Fox of T's KO Boxing. Fusebox fighter Sean Doherty (4- 1) will match up against Progressive Martial Arts Miguel Martinez (3-0) at a catch weight of 140 lbs. And starting off the show is Division 1 All American wrestler, Jason Ramstetter, as he meets Battle Quest 6 standout Alfredo Corona.
WORLD CLASS ARENA
The 45 million dollar Broomfield Event Center opened in November of 2006. It is home to the Colorado RAGE hockey team and the Colorado 14ers basketball franchise. The facility is state of the art and there is not a bad seat in the house.
TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW!!Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be purchased at the Event Center Box Office,
Charge by phone at 303-410-T I X S, or online at
www. broomfieldeventcenter.com. Ticket Prices are $25.00, $35.00, $45.00 and $55.00 for reserved seating (facilty fees not included).
As always if you would like to see the show in style 8 seat VIP tables or VIP Party Suites can be reserved at 303- 246-5237
ROF 30 COMMERCIAL
