Sports briefs for May 27, 2005

Friday, May 27, 2005 | 9:37 a.m.

Nine title fights on Plaza card

The Plaza hotel-casino will host an 11-bout Muay Thai kickboxing show Saturday night, a card that includes nine title fights.

In the main event, Jongsanan Fairtex will put his world junior middleweight title on the line against Imro Main.

In other featured matches, Hisayuki Kanazawa faces Tom Jones (world welterweight title); Steve McKinnin meets Simon Diouf (heavyweights); Bryce Krause clashes with Jack Thames (super welters); Niklas Winberg fights Bebe Etzler (light heavies); and Chris Reilly faces John Polakowski (junior middleweights).

Official Muay Thai rules will be in effect, therefore knee and elbow shots to the head will be allowed, along with punches, clinches and kicks.

Tickets are $40, $60 and $100 and are available at the Plaza or by calling (877) 446-7962. The first fight is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

Nehles loses heartbreaker

Henner Nehles saw his college career come to an end Thursday with a close three-set loss in the second round of the NCAA Singles Championship at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center in College Station, Texas.

Nehles fell victim to arguably the hottest player in the country as 16th-ranked Franticek Babej of South Alabama held on 6-3, 6-7, 6-4 to notch his 26th consecutive singles victory.

Nehles opened the match by breaking his opponent's service game for a 2-0 lead. However, Babej won four games in a trow to take the first set 6-3. After two rain delays Babej took a 5-3 lead in the second set. One game away from defeat, Nehles fought off three match points while winning the next three games to take a 6-5 advantage and eventual 7-4 tiebreaker.

Babej turned the match in the third. Down 2-1 and facing game point, he fought back and broke Nehles' serve. Eventually tied at three, Babej won three of the last four games to end it 6-4.

Rebels send six to outdoor regionals

Six athletes will represent UNLV women's track and field at the NCAA Outdoor West Regional Championships today and Saturday in Eugene, Ore., as the Rebels look to qualify for the NCAA Championships.

The top five finishers from each individual regional event and the top three relays earn automatic invites to the NCAA Championships June 8-11 in Sacramento, Calif.

Christine Spence, Halima DeCree, Brittney Bullocks, Miesha McClendon, Michele Suszek and Deanna Appuglise will run for UNLV as the Rebels will have athletes in six separate events along with the 4x100 meter relay.

Coaches agree to air football poll votes

After a controversial ending to last college football season, coaches who vote in the USA Today/ESPN poll have agreed to make their final regular-season votes public in 2005.

Grant Teaff, the executive director of the American Football Coaches Association, said his members did it for "the good of the game."

-- Sun wire services