Injuries, defections alter boxing/MMA card

It started out as a good idea, and promoter Roy Englebrecht still thinks it’s a good idea — a combined boxing and mixed arts tournament for up-and-coming fighters with a chance for a good payday if they reach the finals.

That’s what “Worlds Collide” was supposed to be about. But the $175,000 tournament didn’t anticipate injuries and defections, and the finals, set for Saturday at Primm Valley Resorts’ Star of the Desert Arena, have been scaled down. Instead of four divisions in each discipline, there are just two MMA fights and two boxing matches. The winners each will receive $5,000.

“The previous fights were so brutal,” Englebrecht said. “Guys were getting injured. We were originally going to do the finals in October. Then we pushed it back to December. If we had done the card last month, there would have been even fewer fights. So we’ve learned a lot about doing this kind of format.”

Boxer Johnny Frazier, who was supposed to face Renell Griffin at 132 pounds, has left Las Vegas and is off the card. That leaves fights at 142 pounds between Deth Marcus Hall and Yakub Shdaev and the 162-pound title fight between David Tabatadze and Angel Osuna.

Griffin still wants to fight on the card, and Englebrecht has been scrambling to try to find a suitable opponent.

In the two MMA fights, Jorge Lopez will meet Danny Davis at 180 pounds and Sidemar Honorio will face John Merkle at 135 pounds.

Englebrecht said he’s not sure if there will be a Worlds Collide II. Instead, he’s proposing four to six cards at Primm in 2010 featuring heavyweights.

“The cards would be all up-and-coming heavyweights,” he said. “I haven’t talked to (Primm vice president) Michael Starr about it yet, but that’s what I’m thinking about.”

Starr said he’d like to do fewer but higher quality shows at his property in 2010.

“I’ve had several promoters contact me,” Starr said. “Boxing did very well at our property (in 2009). But we want to see if we can make it even better for our customers.”

The first bell for the Worlds Collide finals is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 and $50 and available at the Primm box office the day of the show.

• MORE TIME — The Nevada Athletic Commission has given Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. more time to answer the complaint brought against him last month after he tested positive for a banned substance after his Nov. 14 win over Troy Rowland.

Chavez tested positive for Fourosmide, a diuretic the commission has not approved for use. Las Vegas attorney Peter Bernhard is representing Chavez, who probably will appear before the commission in February.

• GORRES UPDATE — Bantamweight Z Gorres, who has been hospitalized at University Medical Center since Nov. 13 when he suffered a subdural hematoma after his 10-round win over Luis Melendez at the House of Blues, has made substantial improvement and might be released in the next couple of weeks.

Gorres, from the Philippines, is off a ventilator, able to speak and eating solid food. He has been receiving visitors at UMC and has not suffered a memory lapse in the wake of his brain surgery.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913.