ShoFIGHT, a Missouri-based promotion with 19 amateur fight cards under its belt, has scheduled its first professional event for June 16.
Determined to make waves from day one, the debut card features Shamar Bailey vs. Karo Parisyan in the main event, with Kendall Grove facing Terry Martin in the co-feature.
The 15-fight lineup also features a host of additional notables on the card, including Marcus Aurelio, Lyle Beerbohm, Charles "Krazy Horse" Bennett, Shonie Carter, Karen Darabedyan, Roli Delgado, Drew Fickett, John Gunderson, Sevak Magakian, Aaron Rosa and Mike Wessel, among others.
ShoFIGHT 20 takes place June 16 at O'Reilly Family Event Center on the campus of Drury University in Springfield, Mo. Tickets, which are available at DruryTickets.com, run from just $18 to $118 for ringside seats.
ShoFIGHT was launched in April 2010, and the promotion has already held 19 sold-out amateur events in Branson, Mo. However, ShoFIGHT CEO J.T. Tilley said the promotion now has its eyes on establishing itself as the top regional pro promotion in the Midwest.
"I just can't imagine that any true mixed-martial-arts fan wouldn't be impressed with our first professional card," Tilley told MMAjunkie.com (
www.mmajunkie.com). "It's our 20th show, so we have 20 UFC, PRIDE, WEC, Strikeforce and M-1 Global veterans all on the same card."
Broadcast plans for the event have yet to be officially announced, but Tilley said distribution deals are already in place with pay-per-view providers AT&T, MediaCom and OnDemand, among others. Tilley said he hopes future shows, which he plans to schedule four times annually, could find a cable distribution home such as HDNet.
"We're serious about our plans moving forward, and we hope this first show can really introduce our organization to the masses," Tilley said. "We want to bring fans the fighters they want to see, but there are also a ton of fighters in this area that just need an opportunity to get a leg up. If we can put local guys that I think are legitimate fighters in there with guys I know are legitimate fighters, I think everybody wins.
"I'm not one of these guys that says, 'We're going to be as big as the UFC someday. I'm not delusional. I would just like to provide fans and fighters in the Midwest with a top-level regional promotion committed to providing the best entertainment and best opportunities available. If we can do that, I think MMA fans everywhere will be interested in what we're doing."
According to Tilley, the ShoFIGHT moniker was developed as a brand with dual meanings. Since it's inception, the company has been based in Missouri, the "Show Me State." However, Tilley also boasts 20 years experience as a show producer in Branson theaters, lending him a unique knowledge-base of the needs of both live-event and broadcast production.
Fans and interested fighters can find more information on the promotion at ShoFIGHT.com or ShoFIGHT's official Facebook page.
At ShoFIGHT 20, Bailey and Parisyan will compete for ShoFIGHT's first-ever welterweight title. Grove and Martin meet with the promotion's debut middleweight title up for grabs.
The full ShoFIGHT 20 lineup includes:
Shamar Bailey vs. Karo Parisyan - for vacant welterweight title
Kendall Grove vs. Terry Martin - for vacant middleweight title
Drew Fickett vs. Jonatas Noveas
Charles "Krazy Horse" Bennett vs. Chris McDaniel
Aaron Rosa vs. Mike Wessel
Allen Gibson vs. Dustin Phillips
Roli Delgado vs. Chris Gruetzmacher
Matt Lucas vs. Lucas Overcast
John Gunderson vs. Sevak Magakian
Karen Darabedyan vs. Josh McDonald
Marcus Aurelio vs. Lyle Beerbohm
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