In a press release today, HDNet and Titan Fighting Championship announced a January 28, 2011 event taking place at the Memorial Hall in Kansas City, which will air live on HDNet and features ex-UFC HW prospect Todd Duffee as he takes on former TUF alumni Abe Wagner in the main event.
The Titan Fighting Championships (www.TitanEntertainment.com) announced today that it is scheduled to return on Friday, January 28, 2011. The event, which will be headlined by UFC veteran Todd Duffee, will emanate from its home base of Kansas City at the historic Memorial Hall and will be televised live nationally on HDNet (www.HDNetFights.com).
HDNet Fights CEO Andrew Simon first revealed that Titan Fighting Championships 16 will be airing LIVE on HDNet during an interview on MMAjunkie.com Radio this past Friday. News of Duffee’s return to action on HDNet quickly spread throughout the MMA community.
“MMA fans around the world know that HDNet is everyone’s home for MMA. We’re excited that the Titan Fighting Championships will look to build a home of its own with HDNet and HDNet Fights starting on Jan. 28,” said Titan Fighting Championships President and CEO Joe Kelly.”
Duffee, 6-1, will face Nebraska native Abe Wagner, 6-3, a veteran from the tenth season of The Ultimate Fighter.
The Titan Fighting Championships first began promoting MMA events in 2006. It has served as a launching pad for nationally recognized competitors such as current UFC fighters Mike Johnson, Rob Kimmons and Alan Belcher; former WEC veterans L.C. Davis and James Krause; current Strikeforce fighters Bobby Voelker and Rudy Bears; former Strikeforce veterans Zak Cummings and Lee Gibson; and current Bellator Fighting Championships fighters Jay Hieron, Danny Tims, Jose Vega, Eric Marriott and Tyler Stinson.
“Titan has worked with some of the best up and coming talent over the years and we are excited to continue that tradition with HDNet,” said Kelly. “Being able to feature Todd Duffee on our first televised event of 2011 is very exciting but I think fight fans will be surprised with some of the other names that have committed to this event. Over the course of the next few weeks, we will be announcing some very exciting matchups.”
The live national televised broadcast of Titan Fighting Championships 16 on January 28 will begin at 10:00 p.m. ET/9:00 p.m. CT with the local undercard starting at 8:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. CT. Tickets for the event will go on sale today (Dec. 13) at 10 a.m. CT on Ticketmaster.com and the Memorial Hall box office.
ABOUT THE TITAN FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIPS (www.TitanEntertainment.com): The Titan Fighting Championships is a Kansas City-based full-time Mixed Martial Arts promotion headquartered out of the historic Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas. Owned and operated by veteran fight promoter Joe Kelly, the Titan Fighting Championships has promoted events since 2006. The goal of TFC is to promote and develop the top up-and-coming fighters in the world and provide a platform allowing them to take their respective careers to the next level. Fighters who have gotten their start with Titan include Mike Johnson, Jay Hieron, L.C. Davis, Rob Kimmons, Lee Gibson, Alan Belcher, Bobby Voelker, Zak Cummings, Rudy Bears, and James Krause.
ABOUT TITAN ENTERTAINMENT: Titan Entertainment is a full-service entertainment company that holds an exclusive lease on the historic Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas. The company promotes and produces events such as rock concerts, professional boxing, professional wrestling, and mixed martial arts. Titan has promoted sporting events that have been featured on ESPN, Fox Sports Net, SHOWTIME, and HDNet.
Payout Perspective:
Last we heard from Todd Duffee, after the UFC decided to cut one of its more promising HW’s on its roster, he was offered fights from both Strikeforce and Bellator, but turned them both down. Titan Fighting Championship has since signed Duffee to headline their January 28th event which will air on HDNet against former TUF participant Abe Wagner, which oddly enough is the fighter that current UFC HW Travis Browne defeated to get a contract from the UFC.
It’s a great move by HDNet to televise the event. Duffee gained quite a few fans while in the UFC and many are curious to see how he will bounce back from his loss, a fight he was dominating until he got KO’d against Mike Russow at UFC 114. You have to figure that a good showing here would draw a ton of interest from both Strikeforce and Bellator, who could use a fighter like Duffee to draw attention and intrigue to future HW tournaments.
So this is just a one off between Titan and HDNet?
Damn TELUS needs to get HDNet happenin’
jv:
Not exactly sure, will try and find out, but usually they sign multiple events.
I believe it was Josh Gross who reported that Duffee turned down exclusive deals with SF and Bellator because he wants to get back into the UFC.
It was Josh Gross, but don’t want to misrepresent his report, he turned down Bellator and SF, specifically the Bigfoot fight, because he didn’t want to take something on that short of notice, he still could sign anywhere.