Big weekend set for Brooklyn
(Long Island, NY., February 10, 2017) – UFC 208 in Brooklyn is only one day away, as Brooklyn gets ready to host a historic card and first-ever MMA event at the Barclays Center.
On February 11, 2017, former UFC bantamweight champion Holly Holm will face top-15 ranked Germaine de Randamie to headline the Pay-Per-View card.
This bout will mark the first-ever fight in the new women’s featherweight division, which is held at 145 pounds.
Holm (10-2) is best known as shocking the world with her second round knockout over Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 in Australia in November of 2015. Since then she has lost back-to-back fights, first to Miesha Tate and then to Valentina Shevchenko since securing the world title over a year ago.
De Randamie (6-3) is a former Strikeforce featherweight fighter who is 3-1 in the UFC. She comes into this title fight with two consecutive wins, defeating Larissa Pacheco via TKO in round two at UFC 185 and Anna Elmose via knockout at UFC Fight Night 87.
The card also includes local flavor as Randy Brown takes on Belal Muhammad in a welterweight bout.
Brown, who trains out of Bellmore Kickboxing Academy, currently moved his MMA record to 9-1 as he defeated Brian Camozzi at the 1:25 mark of round two in December at UFC Fight Night 102 in Albany, New York. He has now won two consecutive fights in the UFC, both via finishes. On UFC Fight Night 94, he submitted Erick Montano in the third round via guillotine choke.
A former Ring of Combat champion, Brown started his MMA career with seven consecutive wins.
This will be Brown’s fifth fight in the last 13 months after catching his big break on the ROC 53 card, when President of the UFC, Dana White, signed him to a UFC contract after watching him in person on his hit YouTube show, “Looking For A Fight”. Brown had already captured the ROC (Ring of Combat) welterweight title with a win over Mike Winters at ROC 50 with a victory via TKO in round two in January, 2015.
After being signed by the UFC, Brown found success winning his first fight over Matt Dwyer via unanimous decision in January of 2016. He is currently 3-1 in the UFC organization.
His opponent, Muhammad, comes in on short notice after George Sullivan was pulled due to a flagged USADA supplement. Muhammad (10-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) is coming off a loss in his last fight when he lost to Vicente Luque via knockout in round one at UFC 205 at Madison Square Garden.
Brown joins Long Island’s Ryan LaFlare on the card. LaFlare will be facing Roan Carneiro in a welterweight bout.
The 33-year-old has enjoyed an impressive MMA career thus far. At 12-1, LaFlare has lost only one fight in eight years. His only loss was to Demain Maia on March 21, 2015, but he quickly avenged that defeat by winning his next bout on December 11, 2015 on UFC TUF Finale 22, defeating Mike Pierce via unanimous decision.
Fighting out of Long Island MMA, LaFlare is a Nassau Coummunity College graduate and was born and raised on Long Island.
With notable wins over Court McGee (UFC on Fox 9) and John Howard (UFC Fight Night 39), LaFlare is one of the most well-decorated fighters on Long Island.
LaFlare was scheduled to fight on July 23, 2016 at UFC on Fox in Chicago, but pulled out due to an injury.
Carneiro (21-10), fighting out of Brazil, last fought on September 27 at UFC Fight Night 94, where he earned a victory against Kenny Robertson via split decision.
One day to go as New York looks to put on another great fight card for the entire world to see.
MMA Long Island Magazine is published by MMA New York Media Corporation. For more information please visit www.mmalongislandmagazine.com or call (516) 318-2418.
Photo credit: barclayscenter.com
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