Waterman to Face Gracie in Main Event of PPV
BodogFight, the newest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion created by Bodog.com Entertainment Founder Calvin Ayre, showcases former WWE superstar Ron “H2O” Waterman in the headline Superfight at Vancouve’s PNE Agrodome on Saturday, December 2. The Superfight against Roger Gracie will mark the culmination of a star-studded pay-per-view spectacle that will stamp Vancouver, Canada as an elite MMA destination alongside Tokyo and Las Vegas.
“Ron Waterman is a highly skilled fighter and a role model,” says Calvin Ayre, whose recent television productions include Bodog Salutes the Troops and Calvin Ayre Wild Card Poker, which aired on the mainstream channels, Spike TV and Fox Sports Network. “BodogFight is proud to have Ron on our debut pay-per-view program as he brings a champion’s presence into the ring.”
Although inexperienced, Waterman’s opponent is highly regarded in the MMA world. In 2005, Roger Gracie won the Super Bowl of submission wrestling, the ADCC Submission Wrestling Championship, and is a member of the famed Gracie family of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu masters. In making his professional debut against Waterman, Gracie has accepted an incredible challenge, one that long-time MMA followers are eager to witness. The Gracie fighting heritage, which spans five generations, has fallen from the top ranks of the sport because the spotlight has been seized by a succession of American wrestlers and hybridized MMA competitors. However, 24-year-old phenom Roger is the great hope for the Gracie family to reclaim prominence in the fight world in the 21st century.
If that hope is to be realized, he’ll have to do it against Waterman, a disciplined veteran of the MMA ring and cage. Waterman has battled in Pride, the UFC and as World Wrestling Entertainment superstar entertainer “H2O”. He is also the current Super Heavyweight Champion of World Extreme Cage fighting (WEC) where he has been a dominant force over the past four years. Inside the ring or octagon, Waterman is a competitor who many fear. His commitment to victory is unrelenting, his desire to break his opponent’s will fierce. Only when victory is official does his onslaught cease. Defeating prodigious Gracie is of foremost importance as the bout nears.
To Gracie’s recent prediction in Bodog Nation that he will win by submission in the first or second round, Waterman scoffed. He told the popular online magazine, “I’ve competed against guys who are a lot bigger, stronger and probably more experienced than [Gracie] is. And I’ve never been submitted yet. So we’ll see what happens.” To read the full article about the two combatants’ war of words, visit Bodog Nation.
BodogFight’s premier season comes to a climax Saturday with this decorated fight card featuring the eight Team USA vs. Russia matches, three incredible Superfights headlined by the previously number-one ranked heavyweight Ron “H2O” Waterman and his opponent Roger Gracie in his MMA debut, and two undercard bouts guaranteed to provide heavy-handed stand-up action. For ticket and PPV ordering information click here.
BodogFight Season 2
Delivering fight fans the most intense mixed martial arts (MMA) entertainment around, BodogFight, has secured the world’s top combatants for BodogFight: St. Petersburg. Scheduled for filming through mid-December in St. Petersburg, Russia, Season II of the groundbreaking smash-hit series will culminate in March 2007 with BodogFight’s second live pay-per-view event.
“MMA fans worldwide are eagerly anticipating BodogFight’s next television production,” says Bodog.com Entertainment Founder and billionaire media mogul Calvin Ayre, whose digital empire includes Bodog Music, the international record label responsible for BodogFight’s incredible soundtrack. “As BodogFight takes the sport further into mainstream media, we are unrelenting in our commitment to produce the world’s finest MMA attractions. Fans and fighters are reaping the reward of phenomenal events and associating with the most recognizable brand in digital entertainment.”
The American competitors who earn victories in St. Petersburg will whittle the field from 16 to the elite eight who will forge Team USA. Fans around the world await the battle between American lightweights Mike Brown and veteran Yves Edwards, whose striking accuracy has awed observers for years. Another highlight will be the bout featuring Season 1 standout “Ice Cold” Kyacey Uscola, who made it clear he’ll take on whoever dares step in front of him for his second bout in the BodogFight series. The middleweight brawler has a heavy-handed, lights-out fighting style that always means intense action in the ring. His opponent is yet to be named.
While the Americans are battling head-to-head, the World Team will be chiseled to eight as well. International fans can expect to see one of the greatest female bouts to date as top-ranked athletes Rosie Sexton from the UK and Carina Damm from Brazil bring a unique ferocity inside the ropes.
Also among the 16 bouts will be the contest between heavyweights Roman Zentsov, a two-time Pride veteran who many view as one of the sport’s hardest hitters, against Kristof Midoux, an incredibly strong boxer / kick boxer. Fans will likely see an action-packed stand up war in this one.
All eight series episodes will deliver fans incredible elimination battles, behind-the-scenes training, fighter interviews, a soundtrack featuring Bodog Music artists, and lifestyle segments, with the finale leading into the PPV main event scheduled for March. The finale will be headlined by Superfights that feature some of the most prominent MMA competitors in the world.
Biographies of all BodogFight: St. Petersburg fighters, exclusive footage, and unedited interviews from the filming in Russia will soon be available at BodogFight’s official web site, with additions added to “The Latest” section as MMA news happens. Each episode will air simultaneously on the BodogFight.com broadband network and in more than 43 million homes across the United States.
BodogFight: Season I culminates December 2 with an incredible fight card that showcases eight Team USA vs. Russia matches and three incredible Superfights headlined by Roger Gracie’s MMA debut against previously number-one ranked heavyweight Ron “H2O” Waterman. For ticket and PPV ordering information go to http://www.bodogfight.com/ppv/.
