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NEWS FIGHT MATCH UP SERVICE

By Luke Robbins

A NEW service for both fighters and show promoters is being launched.

Fight Match Ups will hunt out fighters for shows looking to fill out a card as well as offer fighters to shows.

Dave Price, of Fight Match Ups, said: "This is an exciting new services that will offer shows looking to fill cards a much wider net to find competitors.

"It will also help to look for last minute replacements caused by drop outs - which can be an absolute nightmare for show organisers.

"The service will also help fighters who are looking to be matched up on shows and who want to move up to bigger events."

There is a charge for the services which will be used to cover the cost of telephone calls, time and pay for other hidden costs of running the service.

Fight shows can hire the services on an individual basis or can retain the service for 12 months which will see great savings on cost.

Fighters will also have to pay a small fee of £1 per month subscription which is payable in one sum of £12.

However, for the first three months of it launch next month fighters will be able to subscribe for free. It has its own website and is simple to use, simply fill in the form and pay the fee. If the search is unsuccessful then half the fee is returned. The other half is retained to pay for the phone calls and other costs incurred.

The new brand is part of the same company which runs Martial News.

Dave added: "At Martial News we are always being asked to find fighters for shows. We do try to help but as a company we cannot spend our resources looking for fighters or for shows for competitors without covering the costs. It takes a lot of phone calls to find match ups and these costs us quite a lot each month in telephone bills and time."

VLADIMAR Klitschko has said he "respects" MMA.

Nicknamed "Dr Steelhammer", the IBF, IBO and WBO heavyweight champion revealed his future ambitions on American radio Jim Rome Show.

He said: "I have a lot of respect for MMA fighters.

"It's a very tough sport. I don't think I'm ready to practice it and fight in the cage, I think I'm too old for it, but I have a lot of respect."

The 35-year-old is also an Olympic gold medal winner, having taken the super heavyweight title in the Atlanta Olympics 1996.

The Ukrainian has a 56 win three losses record with 49 of his wins by KOs.

His last fight was against British David "The Hayemaker" Hayes, the then WBA champion, in Germany.

Klitschko won by unanimous decision to unify the heavyweight belts.

His next match is against Frenchman Jean-Marc Mormeck at the beginning of March.