News

August 29th, 2008

Oliveira Unplugs "The Drill" With 7th Round Knockout
Just as you would expect from two undefeated fighters, neither Phil "The Drill" Williams or Marcus Oliveira were going to relinquish their unblemished records without a fight and it was all that and more.

Fans at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, Minnesota were treated to an exciting match-up from start to finish as Marcus Oliveira (14-0-1 with 11 KOs) got up from the canvas twice before stopping Phil Williams (8-1- with 8 KOs) in the 7th round of their scheduled eight round bout Friday night.

The initial "feeling out" became a battle of jabs to establish tempo and territory, but Oliveira's seemed to hit it's mark a bit more frequently and forcefully as he walked Williams down throughout the round. By the end of the second round Oliveira had established both his power and presence and consistently backed Williams around the ring. Although round three started out much the same, with Oliveira gaining more momentum, three-quarters of the way into the third round Williams landed a double jab, right hand combination that deposited Oliveira on the seat of his trunks. It looked to many in the crowd that Williams' perfect knockout record was going to remain intact as they went crazy for their hometown hero. However, Oliveira was easily up by the count of seven and seemed to be unfazed as he went right back to work behind a jab and meaningful combination punching that prevented Williams from turning the tide of the fight in his direction. Aside from an early burst of energy from Williams, who sensed he may have Oliveira in trouble, the fourth round looked much like the previous four minutes of action with Oliveira stalking Williams around the ring, landing clean and landing often. He pressed the action and took the fight to Williams the next two rounds. Oliveira had seemed to take solid control of round five and six as he traded jabs with Williams around the ring and unloaded heavy blows each time he backed Williams into the corner or against the ropes. Then, early in that round, lightning struck for the second time when Williams came over the top of Oliveira’s jab and landed a right hand and left hook that sent Oliveira down and through the bottom two ropes. But again, Oliveira easily rose to his feet and was up by the count of seven. The knockdown appeared to spur Oliveira on even more as he traded with Williams to end the round strong. Oliveira then turned up the heat even more in the seventh round and began landing harder blows, more often and with a clear intent to end the fight. Just over a minute into the round, Oliveira backed Williams into his corner and lowered the boom. He landed a series of punches punctuated by a right uppercut that knocked Williams mouthpiece out, followed by a right hand that set the Minnesota fighter down. As soon as Williams was on his feet, Oliveira took it to him with a right hand, left hook, right hand combination that dropped Williams again. This time he went down in a neutral corner where he stayed as the referee counted to ten at 2:56 of the seventh round.

Phil Williams proved to be a valiant warrior with impressive power in both hands. He was undefeated and a fan favorite and was recognized as many as one of boxing's top rising prospects. He held a highly touted 100% knockout ratio and had what many insiders thought was the upperhand going into this fight and yet when the final punch was thrown it was Oliveira’s heart and fierce will to win that decided the outcome. No judges, no excuses…just good toe-to-toe action with two fighters who were willing to lay it all on the line and one who walked away UNDEFEATED!

June 20th, 2008

Oliveira Hammers Out Fifth Round TKO
Coming off of a disappointing draw this past February, in a bout where Oliveira suffered a fractured hand midway through a scheduled 10 round USBC Light Heavyweight Title bout against Illinois favorite, Nick Cook (15-1), Oliveira proved to be more determined than ever in hammering Leo Pla en route to a 5th round TKO win.

From the opening bell Oliveira showed no signs of being hesitant to throw his previously injured right hand or get in and press the action against his bigger opponent. In fact, his right hand played the most important role in dictating the action and eventually ending the fight. Oliveira landed vicious right uppercuts and long lead right hands that continually drove Pla back throughout the fight.

Oliveira bloodied Pla's nose in the first round and in the second really began to batter his opponent to the body and head. Although Pla fought back each stanza, his ineffective retaliation seemed to be born out of desperation more than any real hope he had of winning.

Action slowed a bit on the third round, but it was really the beginning of the end when Oliveira trapped Pla against the ropes midway through the fourth round and unloaded a powerful combination that sent Pla's mouthpiece flying into the first row and almost knocked him out of the ring. That incident bought Pla a bit of time to recover, as the referee and his own corner tried to find a replacement mouthpiece or search for the one that had flown out into the crowd, but Oliveira picked up the action right where he had left off. He continued to throw bombs that had Pla obviously hurt, as he blinked, winced in pain and struggled to cover up against Oliveira's spirited onslaught. Oliveira then picked up the pace and punch output heading into the fifth round. This attack kept Pla on his heels and looking for place to hide, until the referee mercifully stepped in and stopped the contest at 2:02 of the fifth round.

This return to action marks Oliveira's 13th win and another important step in the hunt for his first light heavyweight title.

June 12th, 2008

Cooper Cuts Biggers Down to Size!!
Former IBA and WIBA Flyweight Champion Melinda Cooper (19-0) was nothing short of spectacular in her fourth round demolition of Donna Biggers (19-8-1) in what marked her first appearance on the East Coast Thursday night at the Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Coming off what was nearly a year and a half layoff from boxing, Cooper showed no hesitance to hit, no reluctance to get hit and no fear of taking the fight right to her bigger, more experienced opponent. And take it to her she did!

Only sixty seconds into the first round, it was obvious how this battle was going to unfold. From the onset, Copper began landing hard punches from all angles and even wobbled Biggers seconds into the action. Swelling began around Biggers eyes almost immediately as Cooper connected with accurate combinations to both the body and head. There was no one punch that dictated the fight or one moment that determined the outcome, but every exchange seemed to be punctuated by Coopers solid, more telling blows. Cooper's clean, controlled punching were effective whether she chose to lead or step back and counter and she seemed to have an answer for almost everything that Biggers threw. That consistent onslaught and consistent accumulation finally caught up with Biggers and was painfully apparent on her badly swollen and bloodied face. On the prompting of the ringside physician, referee Dick Flaherty stepped in and stopped the fight after a minute into the fourth round. Based on this performance, there is certainly no discounting Biggers heart or desire, but from the opening bell she was simply outgunned on every level.

In what was her first appearance on the East Coast, Cooper put on a stellar display of boxing skill and fighting heart, scoring the only knockout of the evening. This "return" marks her 19th win as a professional and puts a loud exclamation point on the end of the official announcement that Melinda Cooper is indeed back!

March 29th, 2008

...And the 2008 Kansas City Golden Gloves Champion is...!
From the moment the first punch was thrown it became obvious that the battle to claim the 2008 Kansas City Golden Gloves 132lb Championship was going to be determined by test of will as much as skill and Spencer Ward proved to the entire crowd in attendance that he was not going to be denied that title.

This confrontation quickly turned into an all out war as both combatants unloaded all of their firepower.

Miller started out strong and was obviously determined to land something big to establish his dominance and presence, but Spencer was having no part of that and established a powerful jab early on. Spencer set the pace and landed heavily from long range throughout most of the round. In the second, Spencer was able to clearly get the upper hand and had Miller bleeding badly from the nose. After trapping him on the ropes midway through the round, the referee stopped the action and administered an eight count to Miller. Spencer continued to land often and consistently outworked Miller for the remaining minute which sealed the second round for him.

Round three proved to be more of the same give and take, with Spencer pressing the action and Miller content to lay back and counterpunch. Spencer's constant head and body attack had Miller bleeding badly from the nose and the furious pace prompted the referee to step in once again to give Miller his second standing eight count. The two fighters met center ring for the fourth and final round and action picked up right where it had left off. Only seconds and a couple of fast flurries into the round, the referee stepped in once again, only this time he brought the ringside physician in to look at Miller's badly bleeding nose. The doctor allowed the fight to continue and this seemed to spur Miller on who came on strong and landed a three punch combination that knocked Spencer back. The referee quickly jumped in and gave Spencer a standing eight of his own, but unhurt and unfazed, he came back strong and took the round with a determined and relentless display of superb conditioning, heart, skill and power.

At the end of four hard fought rounds, Spencer Ward was decisively crowned the 2008 Kansas City Golden Gloves Champion and advances to the Nationals in Grand Rapids, Michigan where he will represent the KC area in hopes of bringing home a national title.

March 28th, 2008

Ward Wins Upset Over Rivera by 2nd Round Stoppage
In what was considered an upset by many, Spencer Ward stopped last years Kansas City Golden Gloves 132lb. Champion, Neiko Rivera, in the second round Friday night to advance to the Finals on Saturday night.

Spencer established a strong jab early on and set a fast pace for the fight. However, Rivera showed that he was there to fight and came on strong from the onset to land some good punches...until about hallfway through the first round, when Spencer landed several hard body shots and followed up with heavy blows to the body and head. A series of fast combinations seemed to take all of the steam out of Rivera, who ended the round pinned against the ropes.

Spencer continued to apply solid pressure and landed a steady onslaught of shots, both from the outside and in close. Shortly into the second round, Rivera had little to answer with as Spencer continued to deliver a punishing assortment of punches until the referee stepped-in and stopped the contest.

The dominating performance was a surprise to many of the fans in attendance and certainly left and impression.

February 9th, 2008

Oliveira Doesn't Lose, but Doesn't Win Either
Although they say that a draw "is like kissing your sister", there was no love lost between Nick Cook and Marcus Oliveira on February 9th when the two fighters met to decide who would walk away with the vacant USBC light heavyweight title. Unfortunately the judges failed to declare a winner, so both fighters left the ring with their records in tact and without the title belt they both badly wanted.

In a highly anticipated match up between Indiana's own, Nick Cook (15-1) and Kansas' Marcus Oliveira (12-0), at the LaPorte Civic Auditorium Saturday night, the action was all that the crowd had hoped for, even if the decision was not.

Throughout the first half of the fight, hometown favorite Cook absorbed many hard punches and jarring combinations from Oliveira, who came out throwing from the opening bell. After a glancing blow to the top of his opponent's head towards the end of the sixth round, Oliveira noticeably hurt his right hand and the pace began to slow. Oliveira was able to still land effectively with left hooks and a strong jabs, but the Indiana judges couldn't seem to let the title leave their state wihtout a fight...at least a more decisive one.

Oliveira's unbeaten record remains at 12-0 , only he now has one draw as an additional footnote. After a short time to heal his broken fist, Oliveira will be back in winning form and next time has vowed to not give the judges the opportunity to be a factor in his quest to win a world title.

November 23rd, 2007

Oliveira Has Final Word
From the opening bell, Light Heavyweight sensation Marcus Oliveira (12-0-9 KOs) was determined to make sure that this rematch had little resemblance to his previous ring encounter with Mike Word. The two met the first time in February of this year in a fight that ended with a split decision that Word hotly disputed and Oliveira candidly admits was not his best performance. Tonight in the same ring, in the same venue, in the same city, the results were quite different.

Returning to the site of their original encounter, the Ramada Inn in Topeka, Kansas, both fighters met center ring where it was immediately obvious that the fans were about to see something special and, unlike the last time...decisive. What Word was able to accomplish was to once again extend Oliveira the full distance. What he wasn't able to do was mount much of a counter attack.

Although both fighters worked in effective bursts of action, Oliveira's punches landed flush and with more authority throughout the fight. Powerful combinations snapped his challengers head back and several body shots stopped Word in his tracks...but never for long. The always tough Word continued to march forward throughout, even through Oliveira's onslaught. Word was able to catch up with Oliveira on occasion, especially in the last round, where Oliveira seemed to tire, but it was too little too late on all of the judges score cards...with Oliveira winning an unanimous decision over six rounds.

Next, Oliveira will return to the Voodoo Lounge at Harrah's Casino-North Kansas City in January where he will face his toughest test yet. The opponent will be announced soon, but you can guarantee that Oliveira will be ready to prove once again, why he is the most exciting fighter in the Midwest and most promising light heavyweight prospect in the country.

November 11th, 2007

Ellul Heats it Up in the Arizona Dessert
Popular Las Vegas-based Jr Welterweight prospect, Ryan Ellul packed his gloves and traveled to Kingman, Arizona where he waged an exciting 6 round battle against Colorado's Geoffery Spurill. Although Ellul dropped him twice in the opening round Spurill found a way to make it last the full six, although losing by a wide margin on all three judges scorecards.

The fight was held at the Academy Ballroom in Kingman and will be broadcast on tape delay by In-Demand PPV in January of 2008.

September 29th, 2007

KC Harrah's Crowd Loves Oliveira's Onslaught
From the opening bell, Light Heavyweight sensation Marcus Oliveira (11-0-9 KOs) unleashed a vicious body attack en route to a third round stoppage over Matt Gockel at the 2:23 minute mark of their scheduled six round fight.

The bout resembled an eight minute display of fireworks, complete with nonstop combinations of thunderous body shots, the blinding lights of photographers flash bulbs and a consistent stream of oohs and aahs from the capacity crowd as Oliveira pummeled Gockel from cornerpost to cornerpost.

Gockel, although game and tough, was never able to mount any sort of offensive attack. He went down from the onslaught of body shots once in the second round and again two more times in the third before referee, Frank Aguilar mercifully called a halt to the bout.

Harrah's Casino in North Kansas City hosted the sellout event where Oliveira added to his unblemished record and upped his rising stock in the light heavyweight division.

June 30th, 2007

Oliveira Outstanding in Victory!
Even though the was entering into the fight against a guy who has earned a reputation for being crafty and clever, Marcus Oliveira added to his winning record (10-0-0 with 8 KOs) by stopping an experienced boxing icon in Buck Smith (178-18-2 with 118 KOs...and yes, you're reading his record right) in round two of their Saturday night fight.

From the sound of the opening bell, Oliveira started right to work behind a strong jab and an viscous body attack, that forced Smith to resort to holding on and looking for a way to survive. Oliveira quickly found a home for his jab and a right hand to the body that seemed to take the heart and soul from his game opponent. After only a minute into the fight it became obvious that, this time, Smith was in over his head.

Oliveira mixed it up well to the body and head throughout the first three minutes of round one and picked up right where he left off in the second, applying constant pressure to the head and body of Smith. Although Smith tied to retaliate, Oliveira seemed to have an answer and counter for every move Smith made and the veteran, with only 18 loses in his 178 professional wins, decided that Oliveira was more than he could handle. With less than a minute remaining in the second round, Smith took a knee...from what appeared to be the accumulation of solid body shots. And there he remained as referee, Frank Aguilar counted him out to put an end to the beating.

Topeka, Kansas fans turned out to see a young prospect, Marcus Oliveira tested against a proven boxing veteran, but instead were treated to a display of youth, power, speed and boxing skill that will be tough for anyone in the light heavyweight division to contend with. Oliveira seems to be improving each time he steps between the ropes and continues to provide surprising results in fights that should be testing his endurance and skill. Instead his last two "tests" have proven to be his best performances.

Oliveira is building momentum with his undefeated winning streak and is determined to make a clear statement to those who are watching. The fans, future opponents and critics, who are now starting to take notice, are finally realizing that they may be...just may be seeing the start of something big!

Pictured - (Left to right) super heavyweight, Patrick Thompson, heavyweight, Adam Rayne (Center) 140lb, Ben Jongerius and 132lb., Spencer Ward and (front center) light heavyweight, Frank Moll.

June 16th, 2007

UBC Has Strong Showing at Amateur Event
Three debuting amateur fighters made their way into the spotlight this past Saturday night by winning their first bouts under the UBC banner. Patrick Thompson, Adam Rayne and Frank Moll all walked away from the Trenton, Missouri show with shiny new 1-0 records and their first taste of amateur boxing at its best. Joining them in victory were established team members, Ben Jongerius, winning what was only his second amateur fight and Spencer Ward, who put on an excellent boxing display in his victory over local Trenton fighter David Miller.

In all, the Underground Boxing Company took five fighters to the event and walked away with five victories. More importantly, the five fighters put together a solid overall performance and demonstrated the foundation of good boxing principles. They proved that they have what it takes to win and showed that working together as a team pays off for the individual.

May 11th, 2007

Stunning KOs for Oliveira and Ellul
In their debut appearance at the Clearwater Casino and resort in Lewiston, Idaho, Underground Boxing Company stable mates Marcus Oliveira and Ryan Ellul turned in dominating performances in back to back victories Friday night.

Ellul came out from the opening bell landing a series of powerful and precise left jabs. His tough opponent, John Red Tomahawk fought back aggressively and mounted a respectable counter-attack, but Ellul's punches proved to be more accurate and consistent. Although Tomahawk was able to back Ellul up a couple of times during the round, Ellul's long range punching took control of the fight and began to wear his opposition down as the round came to a close. The second round started much the same until Ellul landed a big overhand right at 25 seconds into it that rocked Tomahawk back on put him on the defensive. Ellul wasted no time closing the gap, and threw more than a thirty punches, in a barrage that sent Tomahawk to his knees. Battered and bloody, Tomahawk knelt on the canvas, shaking his head and was counted out by the referee to end an exciting two rounds of action that kicked off a spectacular night of boxing.

Taking a page from Ellul's formula for success, Marcus Oliveira met an experienced veteran in Rockin' Rodney Moore in the center of the ring with a dominating jab that found a home early on and often. Moore had trouble finding Oliveira, who demonstrated nice footwork and sharp counter-punches to control the first round.

Moore was then able to make some adjustments and began to match Oliveira's jab and the two engaged in some heated exchanges for most of the second round...that is, until Oliveira landed a smashing right hand to Moore's head. Moore hit the deck with only 10 seconds left in the round, but quickly jumped back to his feet where he received a standing eight count and the mercy of the sound of the bell ending the second round. The right hand opened a cut over the right eye of Moore that Oliveira began to go to work on as soon as the third round began. After trading a few more jabs, Oliveira once again landed a right hand and followed up with a two-fisted attack that dropped Moore just 50 seconds into the round. Moore was able to beat the count, but dabbed at a bloodied nose and wounded eye before turning his back on the referee. That signaled the end as the referee waved off the fight, giving Oliveira his most impressive win to date.

Both fighters turned in their most complete and polished performances with a demonstration of poise and professionalism that will help them define their place in the sport. With this effort they have taken another step in carving out a spot for themselves in the sport and securing a place in the hearts of boxing fans.

April 13th, 2007

Back-To-Back Wins for Two Promising UBC Fighters
In what was a busy weekend of boxing for the UBC fighters, Marcus Oliveira added another "W" in the win column with a dominating performance over opponent Leo Pla on Friday the 13th in Topeka, Kansas. Although tough and willing to engage, Pla really had no answer for Oliveira's hand speed and combination punching. In his eighth victory as a professional, Oliveira won every round on every judges score card.

On a separate card, Saturday the 14th, up-and-coming Jr. Welterweight prospect Ryan Elull put on an impressive four round display of technique and skill to produce his second win. Working behind a stiff left jab and quick combinations, Ellul had Portfirio Urbina hurt on several occasions and looked close to taking his opponent out. However, Urbina proved to be tough and determined as he hung on and tried to turn things around all the way to the closing bell. Ellul also won every round on every judges scorecard in front of packed house at the Harrah's River Bend Casino in Mayetta, Kansas.

February 3rd, 2007

Oliveira Proves He Can Go the Distance
Just as predicted, tough and durable veteran Mike Word was able to extend Marcus Oliveira the distance for the first time in his career...but Oliveira still pulled out an impressive decision victory.

After a fairly uneventful first round, Oliveira came out strong in the second and landed some huge shots on Word. And even though Word stumbled on several occasions, he was able to take Oliveira's best and even retaliated as the round came to a close. The third and fourth rounds were fought mostly on the inside with both men landing well to the body, but Oliveira was able to land the more meaningful, clean punches to the head. Ultimately that proved enough to win him all four rounds on one of the judges scorecards and guided him to his first decision win as a professional.

Although Word was able to put an end to Oliveira's six fight knockout streak, the undefeated light heavyweight held his ground, kept his unblemished record in tact and proved why he is one of the most exciting young prospects out there.