Postseason spots are on the line as the International Fight League (OTC.BB: IFLI), the world’s first team-based professional mixed martial arts league, holds its first-ever event in Chicago on Saturday, May 19, with an 11-bout card at the Sears Centre, beginning at 7:30 p.m. The event is part of the full 11-event IFL 2007 schedule, the most comprehensive advance schedule in the history of fight sports.

The matchups will include the Chicago-based Red Bears, a new IFL franchise coached by Russian MMA champion Igor Zinoviev, against the 2006 IFL Champion Silverbacks, based in Moline, Ill., and led by legendary MMA athlete and coach Pat Miletich. The other matchup pits the Condors, based in Southern Calif. and coached by MMA champion Marco Ruas, vs. the San Jose-based Razorclaws, coached by fellow MMA legend Frank Shamrock. In a bonus “Superfight,” Ruas will battle MMA and kickboxing champion Maurice Smith, following the team competition.

The bout roster is replete with other matchups between some of the league’s biggest stars. The Razorclaws’ Brian Foster (Moreno Valley, Calif.) takes on Justin Levens (Philadelphia) in a battle of bruising middleweights. Fans are also excited about the heavyweight matchup between the Razorclaws’ Dan Christison (Las Vegas) and Antoine Jaoude (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil).

Bout order will be determined by coaches’ choice prior to the weigh-in on May 18. The rosters as of April 24 are as follows: Razorclaws (San Jose) (0-2, 2-8) vs. Condors (Southern Calif.) (1-1, 5-5)
LW/155: Josh Odom (Tallahassee, Fla.) (1-2, 4-3) vs. Adam Lynn (Huntington Beach, Calif.) (0-2, 10-7)
WW/170: Donnie Liles (0-1, 7-3) vs. Rodrigo Ruas (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (0-1, 3-4-1)
MW/185: Brian Foster (Moreno Valley, Calif.) (1-2, 8-11) vs. Justin Levens (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) (0-2, 9-5)
LH/205: Jeff Quinlan (San Jose, Calif.) (0-1, 0-1) vs. Emanuel Newton (0-0, 7-4)
HW/265: Dan Christison (Las Vegas) (0-1, 8-5) vs. Antoine Jaoude (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (2-0, 6-2)

Silverbacks (0-1, 2-3) vs.Red Bears (0-2, 2-8)
LW/155: Bart Palaszewski (Wonder Lake, Ill.) (6-1, 26-8) vs. John Strong (0-0, 0-0)
WW/170: Rory Markham (Chicago) (5-1, 11-2) vs. Mark Miller (Chicago) (1-1, 6-2)
MW/185: Ryan McGivern (Bettendorf, Iowa) (4-3, 10-4) vs. Tim Kennedy (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) (1-0, 7-1)
LH/205: Mike Ciesnolevicz (Williamstown, Pa.) (3-2, 11-2) vs. Adam Maciejewski (Chicago) (0-1, 5-3)
HW/265: Ben Rothwell (Kenosha, Wis.) (6-0, 21-5) vs. Travis Fulton (Cedar Falls, Iowa) (0-0, 176-41-9)

Superfight
Marco Ruas (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (0-0, 8-3-2) vs. Maurice Smith (Seattle) (0-0, 9-9)