Murata v Brant | October 20th | 10:30pm ET | ESPN+

Sat, October 20 - 10:30 PM
Murata v Brant | October 20th | 10:30pm ET | ESPN+

PREVIEW

Murata to defend WBA middleweight belt at MGM Resorts’ Park Theater at Park MGM
Broadcast live and exclusively in the United States on ESPN+ at 10:30 p.m. ET
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LAS VEGAS (Aug. 30, 2018) — Ryota Murata, the fighting pride of Japan, will take his world championship show on the road to the heart of the Las Vegas Strip. Murata will make the second defense of his WBA middleweight world title against Rob “Bravo” Brant on Saturday, Oct. 20 at Park Theater at Park MGM. Tickets go on sale September 17th at 10am. Doors open at 4pm Pacific with the first bout beginning at 4:30pm.

Murata-Brant will stream live in the United States beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ —the new multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Teiken Promotions and Greg Cohen Promotions, ticket information for this world championship event will be announced shortly.

We are delighted to have middleweight champion Ryota Murata fighting at the Park Theater,” said Top Rank CEO Bob Arum. “He is one of the leading sports figures in Japan, and his fans will be in for a treat when they watch him in Las Vegas.”

“It is the dream of all boxers to headline in Las Vegas, and for me, this is certainly a dream come true,” Murata said. “Rob Brant is an excellent opponent, and I will prepare my best to put on a great performance for all of the fans in Las Vegas and watching on ESPN+. I am only getting started as a world champion.”

“I am very excited about my upcoming bout with Ryota Murata. This fight has been on my mind since before he fought Hassan N’Dam,” Brant said. “Though I respect all of his accomplishments, I have always felt as though I have all of the tools to clearly defeat him. Not only has it been a life goal of mine to be a world champion, but also to headline a card in Las Vegas at a major venue. I take none of this lightly. This means the world to me, and that will reflect on October 20.”

Bill Hornbuckle, President of MGM Resorts International, said, “It is an honor to welcome Ryota Murata to Park MGM as he returns to the boxing capital of the world for another international championship event. We look forward to delivering fight fans worldwide a great night of boxing at Park Theater, highlighted by these two talented fighters.”

Murata (14-1, 11 KOs) is one of Japan’s most popular sporting stars, a crossover figure who captured Olympic gold at the 2012 Olympics in London. Following the Olympic gold medal and an amateur career that also included five Japanese national titles, Murata turned pro with great fanfare and graduated to scheduled 10-rounders by his fourth pro bout. He made his Las Vegas debut at the Thomas & Mack Center on Nov. 7, 2015, winning a clear 10-round unanimous decision against Gunnar Jackson. Murata appeared on the on the Terence Crawford-Viktor Postol undercard at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on July 23, 2016, knocking out George Tahdooahnippah in the opening round.

Murata’s lone loss was a highly controversial one. In front of his home fans at Tokyo’s Ariake Colosseum in May 2017, he dropped a 12-round split decision against Hassan N’Dam for the vacant WBA middleweight title. The WBA ordered an immediate rematch, and five months later, Murata stopped N’Dam in the seventh round, becoming only the second Japanese-born middleweight world champion in boxing history. He made his first title defense on April 15 in Yokohama, Japan, knocking out former European middleweight champion Emanuele Blandamura in the eighth round. The Blandamura fight drew a peak rating of 17 million viewers on Japanese television.

Brant (23-1, 16 KOs), from St. Paul, Minnesota, turned pro in 2012 following an amateur career that included a U.S. National Golden Gloves title in 2010. He captured the vacant NABA middleweight title on Jan. 22, 2016 with a one-punch knockout against DeCarlo Perez. Brant defended the belt two times before moving up to the super middleweight division to take part in a single-elimination tournament. In the quarterfinals of the tournament, he was outboxed by former two-time light heavyweight world champion Jürgen Brähmer, losing a unanimous decision. In his most recent fight, March 9 in Hinckley, Minnesota, Brant returned to middleweight and knocked out Colby Courter in the first round.

For more information visit: www.toprank.comwww.espn.com/boxing; Facebook:facebook.com/trboxingfacebook.com/espndeportes; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing,@ESPN, @ESPNBoxeo, @ESPNDeportes.

Use the hashtag #MurataBrant to join the conversation on social media.

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About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the premium multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International (DTCI) segment in conjunction with ESPN.  ESPN+ offers fans two exclusive, original boxing programs The Boxing Beat with Dan Rafael (Tuesdays, weekly) and In This Corner (twice monthly).  In addition to exclusive Top Rank boxing content, programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and multiple other sports from more than 15 conferences), UFC (beginning in 2019), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby, cricket, new and exclusive documentary films and series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

About Park Theater
The 5,200-seat Park Theater, with its cutting-edge audio and visual technology, provides artists of diverse talents with a dynamic space to create one-of-a-kind productions where every seat allows guests to feel up close and personal. From comedy shows and live concerts, to sporting events and award shows, the theater is specially designed to transform seamlessly for any occasion.  For more Park Theater show and ticket information, visit ParkTheaterLV.com or follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Park MGM
Park MGM is the newest destination on the Las Vegas Strip, offering an intimate resort experience on a grand scale. A partnership between MGM Resorts International and New York-based Sydell Group, Park MGM features 2,700 guest rooms and suites, casually elegant design and a remarkable culinary program including Hogsalt Hospitality’s renowned Bavette’s Steakhouse; Juniper Cocktail Lounge; and South-of-France inspired restaurant Primrose. Park Theater, the resort’s entertainment destination, is a 5,200-seat venue home to special engagements by Bruno Mars, Cher and Lady Gaga, making her debut at the end of 2018. Park MGM is located in the heart of The Strip, next to the entertainment and dining neighborhood created by The Park and the 20,000-seat T-Mobile Arena. Additional developments at Park MGM will be announced as the resort experience unfolds throughout 2018. Park MGM is owned by MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM). For more information and reservations, visit ParkMGM.com, call toll-free at 888-529-4828 or follow on Facebook or Twitter.

MEDIA CONTACTS

TOP RANK
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ESPN
Santa Brito: 646-547-5602 / [email protected]
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MGM Resorts
Scott Ghertner:  702-692-6750 / [email protected]
Katharine Sherrer:  702-692-6724 / [email protected]