Press Release:
INTERNATIONAL FIGHT LEAGUE (IFL) RETURNS TO PORTLAND FOR WORLD TEAM
CHAMPIONSHIP SEMIFINALS ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2
Hometown Wolfpack takes on Bas Rutten's Anacondas, Pat Miletich's
Silverbacks to meet Carlos Newton's Dragons, in addition to two legendary
Superfights at Memorial Coliseum
NEW YORK, September 27, 2006 — The International Fight League (IFL)
today announced that it will return to the Memorial Coliseum in Portland,
Oregon, for the World Team Championship semifinals on Thursday,
November 2, at 7 p.m. PT. Bas Rutten's Anacondas vs. Matt Lindland's Wolfpack
will be one matchup, and Pat Miletich's Silverbacks vs. Carlos Newton’s
Dragons will be the other. The night will also feature a pair of
Superfights with Daniel Gracie facing Allan Goes and Mark Kerr taking on Mike
Whitehead. Tickets for the event will go on sale on Saturday,
September 30, at 9 a.m. PT.
“We are elated to be able to return to Portland,” IFL co-founder and
Commissioner Kurt Otto said. “The excitement and intensity that was shown
for our September quarterfinals showed us that the market is ready for
an even bigger event this time around.”
The Anacondas reached the semifinals by sweeping the Sabres (based in
Tokyo), 5-0, on September 9, the same night that that Portland's
Wolfpack defeated the Tiger Sharks (based in Seattle), 3-2. The Silverbacks
edged the Pitbulls (based in New York), 3-2, while the Dragons (based in
Toronto) edged the Razorclaws (based in San Jose), 3-2, this past
Saturday in Moline, Illinois. The winners will move on to the World Team
Championship in late December; site and date are to be announced.
Kerr is a former NCAA wrestling champion and All-American (at Syracuse
University) and UFC and PRIDE heavyweight champion who is returning to
the ring for the first time since 2004. MMA veteran Whitehead, was also
a three-time all-America wrestler at North Idaho Junior College,
Southern Oregon University, and the University of Missouri has posted a 9-1
record in his last 10 MMA bouts. Brazilians Gracie and Goes have both
made successful IFL debuts on the team level, with Gracie defeating Wes
Sims in an IFL Superfight in June and Goes defeating Devin Cole in
September as part of the Tiger Sharks.
Tickets are available at the Rose Quarter Box Office, participating
Safeway locations, by telephone at (877)789-ROSE (7673) or online at
www.rosequarter.com.
About the IFL
Founded in 2005 by Kurt Otto, a real estate investor and a life-long
martial arts participant and Gareb Shamus, chairman of Wizard
Entertainment Group, the International Fight League (TM) (IFL) was created to
establish a centralized and structured organization that brings the power
and influence of the mixed martial arts industry together. On August 25,
2006, IFL entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger with Paligent,
Inc. (PGNT:OTCBB), pursuant to which IFL would emerge as the surviving
entity. For further information regarding the merger, contact Paligent
at (212) 755-5461. For more information on the IFL, go to www.IFL.tv.
