The International Fight League (IFL) adds four teams to new league

The International Fight League, the world
’s
first team-based professional mixed martial arts league, today announced
the addition of four teams expected to begin competition with the 2008
season. The addition of these four teams, to be based in Brazil,
France, San Diego and South Korea, brings the number of IFL
squads to 17, with 12 competing in the first 11-date IFL season (which
begins January 19, 2007, at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, Calif.) and at
least five more expected to begin in January 2008.

“We are very excited to continue our worldwide
growth by adding these four teams for 2008,
”
said IFL Co-founder and Commissioner Kurt Otto.
“Making
this announcement now gives these teams the ability to train together
with world champion coaches for a full year so that they are ready to go
for their first full season in 2008.
”

Expected to coach the four new teams are PRIDE welterweight champion
Dan Henderson (coaching a San Diego-based team), 2000 K-1
world champion and world super heavyweight champion Jerome LeBanner
(coaching a French team), four-time Korean national champion of judo
D.B. Park (coaching a South Korean-based team) and three time
world jiu-jitsu champion Mario Sperry (coaching a Brazilian team).
These four are in addition to the 2008 British team to be coached by Ian
Freeman that was announced in late September. Nicknames and logos
for the new squads are to be announced.

The IFL already has teams based in Toronto and Tokyo, in addition to its
10 United States-based teams for 2007. The full 12-team, 11-date IFL
2007 season can be found at www.ifl.tv.

The Silverbacks, coached by Pat Miletich and based in Quad
Cities, Iowa/Ill., claimed the 2006 IFL World Team Championship with a
4-1 victory over the Wolfpack, coached by Matt Lindland and based
in Portland, Ore., in front of a near-capacity crowd at the Mohegan Sun
Arena in Uncafville, Conn., on Friday, December 29. Miletich
’s
squad also won the 2006 IFL Legends Championship in June.