NEW YORK, August 14, 2007- The International Fight League (OTC.BB: IFLI), the world’s number one professional mixed martial arts league, analyzes the matchups for its season-ending World Grand Prix event, featuring the league’s top 20 stars, in the next episode of “IFL Battleground” on Monday, August 20, at 8 p.m. ET/PT (7 p.m. CT/MT). From undefeated heavyweight Ben Rothwell to teen sensation Chris Horodecki to bruising light heavyweight Vladimir Matyushenko, all 10 matchups are profiled. “IFL Battleground” airs every Monday night, with a replay on Saturday, on MyNetworkTV.
Dubbed “The Battle for the Belts,” the IFL World Grand Prix pits the top four athletes at each weight class in a two-event competition. The 10 who win the semifinal matches advance to the final, with the Champions earning the first-ever Championship Belts for their respective weight class.
Among those featured in the episode include:
• Rothwell (Milwaukee, Wis.), who is a perfect 8-0 in IFL competition as a member of the Silverbacks, including four wins in 2007. His match with tough Nevada Lions strongman Roy Nelson (Las Vegas) reprises their slugfest in Moline, in which Rothwell earned a narrow decision.
• The Anacondas’ Horodecki (London, Ontario), whose bout with the Silverbacks’ Bart Palaszewski (Wonder Lake, Ill.) in February ranks as one of the greatest in league history and is another highly-anticipated rematch in the World Grand Prix semis.
• Matyushenko (Retchisa, Belarus) of the Sabres, who has rolled through his four opponents in 2007 but faces a stiff test in UFC and IFL veteran Alex Schoenauer (Las Vegas) of the Anacondas.
• Jay Hieron (Las Vegas), looking to come back from a stunning defeat in his last bout and from a training injury which kept him out of the Anacondas’ loss in the IFL World Championship semifinals.
• Mike Whitehead (Central Point, Ore.), another UFC vet who has dispatched all four of his IFL opponents, three by TKO.
• Benji Radach (Coconut Creek, Fla.), who is an unblemished 4-0 for the Anacondas this year after a two-plus-year absence from the sport.
Viewers can find their local MyNetworkTV affiliate at www.mynetworktv.com/local_stations.html.
