Light middleweights Michael “The Brazilian Rocky” Oliveira (21-1, 16 KOs) and former world champion Yuri Foreman (31-2, 8 KOs) will fight in separate bouts during “Knockout Night At Hard Rock Live,” presented by MO Productions, on Tuesday night, November 12, 2013 at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla.
MO Productions will be making its United States promotional debut after having promoted several shows in Brazil, as well as in Uruguay and the Dominican Republic. “Knockout Night At Hard Rock Live” will air live on SporTV, a Brazilian Sports television broadcaster affiliate to TV Globo Network.
“We’re excited to promote our first U.S. show, at home, here in Florida,” said Carlos Oliveira, president of Miami-based MO Productions.
“I’d like to thank the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and SporTV for this tremendous opportunity. Michael Oliveira and Yuri Foreman are two of the top-rated light middleweights in the World Boxing Council. If both win impressively, they could be fighting, once again, against each other in the near future. Our show will also feature some of the best Miami-based boxing prospects. MO Productions has hired some of the top professionals in boxing for our show operations.”
Born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, 23-year-old Oliveira lives in Miami, where he is trained by Orlando Cuellar. Oliveira is the reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) Fecarbox and World Boxing Association (WBA) Fedebol 154-pound champion, who is rated at No. 7 by both by the WBA and WBC.
The wildly popular Oliveira has won four consecutive fights since suffering his only professional loss on June 2, 2012 in Uruguay to four-time, two division world champion and Brazilian boxing icon, Acelino “Popo” Freitas. Oliveira, whose anticipated October fight versus Omar Chavez failed to materialize, will face former Mexican welterweight champion Noberto “Demonio” Gonzalez (19-2, 13 KOs) in the 10-round main event.
Foreman (31-2, 8 KOs), one of the few modern-day Jewish world champion boxers, has three consecutive wins in 2013, since suffering his only two professional career losses in 2011 and 2010 to Pawel Wolak and multi-world champion Miguel Cotto, respectively. The aspiring rabbi, currently ranked No.14 by the WBC, was sidelined nearly two years after his loss to hard-hitting Wolak. Foreman will meet Mexican invader Javier “Pelon” Gomez (14-11, 10 KOs) in the eight-round co-feature.
Also scheduled to fight on the November 12 card is undefeated Cuban light heavyweight Yunieski “The Diamond” Gonzalez (12-0, 8 KOs) in a 10-round bout versus Ghanaian champion Michael “The Amazing” Gbenga (16-9, 16 KOs). Also fighting on the undercard is unbeaten Cuban featherweight Hairon “El Maja” Socarras (7-0, 5 KOs) in a six-round bout, as well as Bahamian super featherweight Valentino Knowles (1-0) and pro-debuting featherweight Raphael Alvarez in four-round matches. Gonzalez, Socarras, Knowles and Alvarez are all fighting out of Miami. Opponents will be announced at a later date. All fights and fighters are subject to change.
