Tickets On Sale Now
Event to air LIVE nationally on HDNet

Who: Sportfight XXIII: Heated Rivals

When: Friday, June 20, 2008 ● 7p

Where: Rose Quarter – Rose Garden Portland, Oregon

Tickets: Tickets are priced at $48.00, $32.00, and $25.00 (call for VIP prices) and can be purchased at the Rose Quarter Box Office (M-F 10a-5p), all participating Safeway/ Tickets West outlets, by calling 877.789.ROSE (7673), or at ComcastTIX.com. For Groups of 10+ please call 503.963.4400. For more information please visit RoseQuarter.com. Prices do not include service charges. To receive event notices, pre-sale opportunities, discounts and prizes join our free Rose Quarter CyberClub at RoseQuarter.com.

What: SportFight founder and MMA superstar Matt “The Law” Lindland has teamed up with Mark Cuban and HDNet Fights to deliver yet another adrenaline-pumping night of mixed martial arts action at the Rose Garden on Friday, June 20th at 7pm. SportFight XXIII: Heated Rivals will offer up a stacked fight card featuring some of the most skilled and exciting athletes from both the Northwest and beyond, and will be broadcast LIVE, nationwide on HDNet in crystal-clear 1080i high definition.

This installment of SportFight will also have a distinct international flavor, featuring two top Brazilian fighters. Several competitors who have seen action in the UFC, IFL, Strikeforce and Elite XC will also take the ring in search of SportFight glory.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had this much talent on a card before,” says Lindland, President of SportFight, LLC. “We’re flying in some top international fighters, in addition to some of the best free agent fighters out there. We’re talent deep, and we’re heavyweight deep. On paper, this could be one of the better shows that we’ve had.”

Top Matchups: Main Event – Welterweight Championship

Welterweight

Michael Pierce, SportFight Champion (7-0), Braveheart MMA/Gresham, OR vs. Nathan Coy (4-0), Team Quest/Portland, OR

At SportFight 21, Michael Pierce used his superior grappling skills to frustrate champion Ed Nuno and take the welterweight belt. But his time around he’ll have to defend his title against another top-notch wrestler in Nathan Coy, who was an All-American at Oregon State. Coy has also shown he can let his fists do the talking, winning his last two fights via knockout and submission (strikes). In addition to the welterweight championship, both pride and team bragging rights will be on the line for these two fighters, who used to train together at Team Quest before Pierce moved on to Braveheart MMA.

Co-Main Event

Welterweight

Jake Ellenberger (17-3), Team Quest/Omaha, NE vs. Ricky Storey (5-1), Braveheart MMA/Gresham, OR

Thanks to an impressive 17-3 record at only 22-years-old—including two victories in the IFL—Jake Ellenberger is a rising star in the world of mixed martial arts. Ellenberger, an all-around fighter who is comfortable both on the mat or standing and trading blows, will take on an up-and-comer in Ricky Storey, who is looking to solidify his reputation at SportFight after three straight wins in the EWC.

Other Fights of Interest

In a matchup of two imposing big men looking to slug it out, Heavyweight champion Josh Queen will defend his title against Josh Bennett after surprising many observers by submitting Jeremiah Constant with a rear naked choke at SportFight 21.

In noteworthy fights, former UFC and Strikeforce competitor Ryan Jensen will go toe-to-toe with top Brazilian Dinarte Silva, while two menacing heavyweights on loan from the IFL—Fabiano Scherner, also from Brazil, and Mychal Clark—will both get their first taste of SportFight action.

Fight Card: Main Event – Welterweight Championship

Welterweight

Michael Pierce, SportFight Champion (7-0), Braveheart MMA/Gresham, OR vs. Nathan Coy (4-0), Team Quest/Portland, OR

Co-Main Event

Welterweight

Jake Ellenberger (17-3), Team Quest/Omaha, NE vs. Ricky Storey (5-1), Braveheart MMA/Gresham, OR

Heavyweight Championship

Heavyweight

Josh Queen, SportFight Champion (10-0), Lion’s Den/Coeur d’Alene, ID vs Josh Bennett (5-2), Team Quest/Camas, WA

Middle weightt

Ryan Jensen (12-4), Team Quest /Omaha, NE vs. Dinarte Silva (11-2), Team Oliveira Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu/Sao Paulo, Brazil

Heavyweight

Fabiano Andre Scherner (5-5), Team Quest/Florianópolis, Brazil vs. Mychal Clark (6-4), Seattle, WA

Heavyweight

Justin Moody (2-0), BJJ Spokane/Spokane, WA vs. DJ linderman (2-0), Yreka, CA

About SportFight

Founded in 2003 by Matt Lindland and Randy Couture, SportFight is the leading mixed martial arts promotion in the northwestern United States. Together with its subsidiary brands, “Proving Grounds” and “Clash at the Casino,” SportFight has produced more than 30 live MMA events in Oregon, Nevada and Colorado.

SportFight was Oregon’s first sanctioned mixed martial arts promotion and has served as a showcase for many of the sport’s emerging stars and best-known veterans, such as Sean Sherk, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, Jeff Monson, Chris Leben, Ed Herman, Gesias “JZ” Calvancanti, Paul Daley, Chael Sonnen and Dennis Hallman. Furthermore, SportFight has graduated fighters to every major MMA organization, including the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Pride FC, K-1, the International Fight League, BodogFIGHT and Elite XC.

Check out SportFight TV every Saturday at 10 pm on Comcast SportsNet. SportFight has an extensive library of event footage and highlight compilations that are available on DVD at Wal-Mart, Hollywood Video and many other retail locations. For more information, visit www.sportfight.tv.