DETROIT, Sept. 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Xtreme Fighting Championships (XFC) presented by Xtreme One Entertainment, Inc. (OTCPink: XONI), in advance of its XFC 51: Evolution event Friday, Sept. 27, today pioneered the launch of a new NIL division to scout and promote prospective top-tier mixed martial arts athletes in collegiate wrestling programs, as well as with icons of the sport including former UFC Champion “Triple C” Henry Cejudo and UFC, PFL and BKFC all-star Jeremy “Lil Heathen” Stephens.

Tickets for XFC 51: Evolution at Milwaukee’s Baird Center on Friday, September 27, are on sale now through Ticketmaster.com. Doors will open at 6 p.m. CT; first bout will start at 7 p.m. CT.

The first of its kind, the collective NIL agreement reaches a total audience of 3.3 million users across all major social media platforms. The diverse group of outstanding college, professional and Olympic athletes will support the XFC with elevating its brand to more diverse audiences and help bridge the gap between MMA and wrestling fanbases.

The college wrestlers who have agreed to the ambassadorship are as follows:

• Daniel Greg Kerkvliet, Penn State University
• Beau Bartlett, Penn State University
• Zack Ryder, Penn State University
• Cayden Henschel, University of Wisconsin-Parkside
• Daton Fix, Oklahoma State University
  

Other parties who have agreed to the ambassadorship include:

• The Florida Wrestling Room
• Former UFC Champion and Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo
• UFC and Bare-Knuckle Fighting Championships fighter Jeremy Stephens
  

“XFC has devised an NIL division to engage a masterclass of mixed martial artists with an emerging league of apprentices that are currently honing their professional MMA skill sets within collegiate wrestling programs across the country,” said Chris Defendis, Xtreme One Entertainment’s president. “We look forward to hosting some of our newly signed NIL athletes at XFC 51 in Milwaukee as we start this first phase of prospect development.”

“I’m pleased to align the integrity of my NIL with the XFC to champion the success of athletes in collegiate wrestling, whether as Olympic hopefuls or as the future contenders in professional MMA,” said Cejudo.

A team of the new XFC ambassadors will make their partnership debut at XFC 51: Evolution in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Friday, September 27. With MMA veterans, up-and-coming talent and local fighting phenoms populating the night’s fight card, there is no better moment to begin the exciting new endorsement.

Appearing at XFC 51 as XFC NIL athletes will be:

• US Olympic Gold Medalist UFC Champion Henry Cejudo [@henry_cejudo]
• UFC, PFL and BKFC fighter Jeremy Stephens [@lilheathenmma]
• University of Wisconsin-Parkside Wrestler Cayden Henschel [@caydenhenschel]
  

XFC 51: Evolution’s main event features a clash of two top heavyweights with Alex “The Spartan” Nicholson, former UFC and PFL star with a 19-11 record, squaring off against former UFC combatant Zac “The Ripper” Pauga (7-3 record), both coming off dominant victories at XFC Grand Prix II on May 31st.

In a featured event, Milwaukee native and former Bellator fighter, Emmanuel “El Matador” Sanchez (22-9 record), will take on the electric Kenneth “The Boss” Cross (14-4 record) fighting out of Michigan.

Local stars from the famed Roufusport MMA Academy also will be highlighted on the card.
For more information about XFC, please visit XFCfight.com and follow on Instagram @xfcfight.

XFC 51: Evolution will be available as a pay-per-view event on TrillerTV for $24.99. TrillerTV is available across the globe to any device, anywhere using TrillerTV’s mobile, OTT, SmartTV app, or available on the TrillerTV.com website. As recently announced, the event will also stream live to U.S. forces stationed or assigned overseas via the American Forces Network.

About Xtreme One Entertainment, Inc.
Founded in 1995 as a consumer and diversified holding company, Xtreme One Entertainment, Inc. (OTCPink: XONI) is now focused on media, entertainment, live sports, and event marketing. The Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, XFC Global, Inc. (XFC), is the licensee of all the brands and intellectual property of Xtreme Fighting Championships Inc. worldwide. The XFC has produced over 50 televised professional MMA fights in the U.S. and Latin America since 2006 and was relaunched in 2024 by the new management team and world-class Board at Xtreme One. XFC fights are streamed live on Triller TV, the American Forces Network and a growing number of media platforms. For more information, visit XtremeOne.com or XFCFight.com. For retail investor perks, discounts on merchandise, and VIP access to upcoming events, join the Xtreme Shareholder Rewards program at TiiCKER.com/XONI.

For more information, please contact:
Investors:
Zachary Mizener
zmizener@lambert.com

Media:
Jen Wenk
Jenwenk1@icloud.com