FightZone TV confirms that cable station will tape Friday’s World Fighting Championships 8 “Battle of the Bay” show for future broadcast on Fox Sport Net and DIRECTV reaching a reported but unconfirmed 20% of US homes with cable TV. The card itself is a good look at some of the regional up-and-comers headlined by former UFC champion Ricco Rodriguez vs. American Top Team’s Mario Rinaldi. Both are Abu Dhabi Worlds vets with Rodriguez being the 1998 Absolute Division champion.
Rodriguez’s most recent fight widely distributed was the YAMMA Pit Fighting pay-per-view in April 2008, a tournament in which Ricco made it through the first round only to be stopped in the second by eventual winner Travis Wiuff. Since then Ricco has been rebuilding his career with six wins against developing fighters and only one loss, a decision defeat to Jeff Monson. Bodog and EliteXC vet Mario Rinaldi is still touted by trainers at ATT as being the next big thing at heavyweight but his three losses in his 9-3 record arguably show a previous weakness to TKO losses. Both fighters need this win to take the next step in their careers.
This show takes place at the USF Sundome in Tampa, FL starting at 8 PM. A “portion of the proceeds” will go to Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA).
