HDNet, the Home of Mixed Martial Arts, to Broadcast Four Live Events in June

HDNet, the Home of Mixed Martial Arts, to Broadcast Four Live Events in June

Blockbuster month of MMA coverage to feature live events from all over the world - EXCLUSIVELY on HDNet

DALLAS, June 11 /PRNewswire/ -- HDNet Fights today released its June schedule for MMA coverage -- including live events from all over the country AND the world.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080324/HDNETLOGO )

"HDNet Fights is thrilled to announce this awesome schedule," said Andrew Simon, CEO of HDNet Fights. "I believe the live events that HDNet is offering FREE to subscribers during the month of June are even better fights than many of the Pay-Per-View offerings we've seen recently!"

   HDNet's June schedule for MMA includes the following events and specials:    "Unfiltered:  Melendez vs. Thomson"   Saturday, June 14 at 12:00 am ET/Friday, June 13 at 9:00 pm PT   

HDNet presents an all-access look at Gilbert Melendez and Josh Thomson as they prepare for their fight for the Strikeforce(TM) Lightweight title June 27th. Cameras follow both fighters as they train for the biggest night of their career, getting an inside perspective at what drives two of the best Lightweights in the world. Watch what happens as friends become foes for one big fight night in San Jose.

   "HDNet Fights Presents:  Adrenaline MMA"   LIVE Saturday, June 14 at 9:30 pm ET/6:30 pm PT   

This is the inaugural event for Adrenaline MMA, LIVE from Chicago! The main event is veteran Heavyweight Jason Guida, brother of UFC star Clay Guida vs. rising star and Chicago police officer Mike Russow. Russow was last seen winning at the Yarennoka Event that was broadcast LIVE on HDNet last New Year's Eve. Also on the card, IFL stars Bart Palaszewski and Rory Markham are back in action and Light Heavyweight star Terry Martin looks to get back on track.

   "HDNet Fights Presents:  DREAM 4 Middleweight Grand Prix 2008, 2nd Round"   LIVE Sunday, June 15 at 4:00 am ET/1:00 am PT   

This event airs LIVE just hours after the completion of the Adrenaline event. In the Middleweight Tournament, Jason "Mayhem" Miller takes on Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza and Kazushi Sakuraba faces off against Melvin Manhoef. Also scheduled is the last Quarterfinal match of the Lightweight Tournament as one of the favorites, Shinya Aoki, takes on Katsuhiko Nagata. This bout was pushed back to DREAM 4 due to Aoki's injuries suffered in his rematch with JZ Calvancante at DREAM 2 -- also broadcast on HDNet.

   "HDNet Fights Presents:  SportFight XXIII:  Heated Rivals"   LIVE Friday, June 20 at 10:30 pm ET/7:30 pm PT   

The Main Event is the Welterweight Championship featuring undefeated Nathan Coy vs. Champion Mike Pierce. Pierce won the belt by defeating Ed Nuno at SportFight XXI last December on HDNet. Also on the card is the Heavyweight Championship, with Josh Bennett taking on Champion Josh Queen. Queen won the belt by defeating Jeremiah Constant for the vacant title, also at SportFight XXI.

   "HDNet Fights Presents:  Strikeforce (TM):  Melendez vs. Thomson"   LIVE Friday, June 27 at 10:30 pm ET/7:30 pm PT   

HDNet Fights will bring you this long-awaited fight between two of the best Lightweights in the world -- Melendez versus Thomson. Both live and train in the San Francisco Bay area and have actually trained with each other in the past. Melendez is the Strikeforce(TM) World Lightweight Champ and Thomson is a Top-20 ranked Lightweight according to "Inside MMA."

About HDNet

HDNet (http://www.hd.net/) provides viewers with the best in original comedy, drama, news, sports and music programming.

HDNet is your exclusive, high definition home for popular, critically acclaimed original programming, including television's only HD news feature programs "HDNet World Report," "Dan Rather Reports," featuring legendary journalist Dan Rather and "NASA on HDNet" (presenting live shuttle launches through 2010). HDNet presents championship sports coverage featuring the National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, the NASCAR Camping World Series, NASCAR Sprint Cup re-broadcasts, boxing and premiere Mixed Martial Arts from "HDNet Fights;" behind-the-scenes sports news with "Inside the NHL" and "Inside MMA;" groundbreaking music programming with the HDNet Concert Series featuring leading artists and bands including Coldplay, Gwen Stefani, Black Eyed Peas and more; and entertaining and irreverent lifestyle programming including "Deadline!," "Art Mann Presents," and "Get Out!" HDNet is also the exclusive high definition home to critically acclaimed and award winning programs such as the Emmy Award winning "Arrested Development," "The Black Donnellys," "Star Trek: Enterprise," "Dead Like Me," "Smallville" and the hit series "Torchwood."

HDNet Movies features a wide selection of major studio theatrical releases -- all uncut, unedited, and appearing in their original aspect ratio so that HDNet Movies viewers get the best possible home theater experience.

Only HDNet Movies' exclusive "Sneak Previews" bring feature films to viewers before they premiere in theaters! Some of the HDNet Movies "Sneak Previews" have included the Academy Award nominated "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room," Toronto Film Festival nominee "The War Within," and "Bubble," the first of six movies by acclaimed director Steven Soderbergh and produced exclusively for HDNet Films. Other featured films include "Cashback," written and produced by Sean Ellis, "Broken English," from Zoe Cassavetes, starring Gena Rowlands, Parker Posey, Drea de Matteo and Griffin Dunne, the critically acclaimed "Redacted" directed by Brian De Palma, "Flawless," starring Michael Caine and Demi Moore and most recently, "Quid Pro Quo," starring Nick Stahl and Vera Farmiga. Upcoming "Sneak Previews" include "Finding Amanda," starring Matthew Broderick and Brittany Snow, "Red," starring Brian Cox, "Special," starring Michael Rapaport, "Great Buck Howard," starring Colin Hanks, John Malkovich and Tom Hanks, "Harlem Aria," starring Damon Wayans and "Humboldt County," starring Fairuza Balk, Peter Bogdanovich and Frances Conroy.

Launched in 2001 by Mark Cuban and General Manager Philip Garvin, the HDNet networks are available on AT&T, Bright House Networks, Charter Communications, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Insight, Mediacom, Time Warner Cable, Verizon and more than 40 NCTC cable affiliate companies. For more information visit http://www.hd.net/.

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Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080324/HDNETLOGO
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PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Source: HDNet

CONTACT: Colette Carey of HDNet, +1-303-542-5576, ccarey@hd.net

Web site: http://www.hd.net/

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Profile: International Entertainment