SPORTS NOTEBOOK:
GLENDALE — The following are odds and ends from the local sports scene.
PITBULL TO FACE
STIFF TEST
World Extreme Cagefighter Manny “The Pitbull” Gamburyan will take on Mike Thomas Brown live on the company’s first-ever pay-per-view, “Aldo Vs. Faber,” on Saturday.
The event, which emanates from Sacramento, is headlined by WEC featherweight champion Jose Aldo taking on Urijah Faber and co-main evented by lightweight champion Benson Henderson taking on Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone.
It’s likely that the bout between Gamburyan, who trains locally at Main Event Sports Club and Glendale Fighting Club, and Brown, the former featherweight champ, will determine the No. 1 contender for the winner of the Aldo-Faber bout.
Brown (23-4) had defeated Faber twice before he was stopped by Aldo.
Gamburyan (10-4) has won two straight fights since moving to the WEC and its 145-pound division after previously fighting for the Ultimate Fighting Championship at 155 pounds.
With his experience in the UFC, Gamburyan is no stranger to big fights, but Saturday will be his first fight on a pay-per-view card since January of 2009.
RAGE EVENT
TAKING SHAPE
A hybrid boxing-mixed martial arts event, King of the West’s Rage Against the Ropes on May 6, might be taking place in Hollywood, but it’s certainly brimming with local flavor.
Leading the charge is Roma Kalantaryan, who runs the Main Event Sports Club in Glendale and is also the head of King of the West.
Rage Against the Ropes, which will take place at the Circus Disco, is set to feature four mixed martial arts fights and four boxing matches.
In one of the more anticipated MMA bouts, Glendale’s Sevak Magakian will take on Preston Scharf.
Magakian (8-3) has won seven of his last eight bouts, while Scharf (11-7) has won three in a row.
Glendale boxer Vacho Avagyan (2-0) is scheduled to return to the ring after nearly a one-year hiatus. His opponent is to be determined.
MMA fighter Haik Tsaturyan, who trains at Main Event, is set to make his pro debut against Chris Wolf (0-3).
And MMA fighter Jared Papazian is also tentatively scheduled to compete. Papazian has trained locally in the past, as well.
In addition, undefeated Glendale boxer Vanes Martirosyan and WEC lightweight fighter Karen Darabedyan, also a Glendale fighter, are scheduled to do color commentary.
The event is scheduled to be televised on Fox Sports West and broadcast on Combat Sports Radio.
For more information, visit www.kingofthewest.com.
HALEBIAN MAKES
DAVIS CUP TEAM
Glendale resident Alexios Halebian was awarded one of three spots on the U.S. Junior Davis Cup 16-and-under qualifying team, according to a United States Tennis Assn. press release issued on Friday.
The qualifying tournament will consist of a four-team round robin competition April 30-May 2 at the USTA Training Center Headquarters at the Evert Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, Fla.
Other nations set to compete include Mexico, Canada, the Bahamas and Puerto Rico.
The Junior Davis Cup World Finals will be held September 28-October 3 in San Luis Potosi, Mexico.
SANCHEZ SLOWLY
WORKING WAY BACK
The prognosis for Freddy Sanchez’s return to the San Francisco Giants lineup has been adjusted from early May to late May, according to a report on Yahoo! Sports.
The former Glendale Community College standout, who had surgery on Dec. 23 to repair his left shoulder, began taking batting practice on Saturday.
With the step up to simulated games and then a minor league assignment still to go, it’s likely the Giants second baseman won’t see major league action until at least the end of May.
CIF RELEASES DIVISION RANKINGS
For the seventh week in a row, the Flintridge Prep boys’ volleyball team is ranked third in CIF Southern Section Division V.
The CIF office unveiled its latest polls Monday afternoon with Salesian and St. Margaret’s ranked first and second, respectively, in the division.
Flintridge Prep was the only area team that received a ranking. No area boys’ tennis, baseball or softball teams received recognition.