This week’s combat sports show is a split personality situation. We had technical difficulties getting all of us together for the show, so we recorded Tom and Tony chatting with each other on Thursday night. I’ve added my portion today. It all worked out to some incredible insight about Mayweather vs. McGregor, Dana White’s growing problem with disgruntled stars in the UFC, Broner vs. Garcia and Lomachenko vs. Marriaga. We also break down Jon Jones beating Daniel Cormier at UFC 214 and the implications for a Brock Lesnar showdown in the Octagon. It’s far from likely, but it’s intriguing. We also touch on the retirements of Juan Manuel Marquez and Wladimir Klitschko.
559 Fights is proud to announce our events will now be streamed globally via paid subscription on FloCombat, starting with 559 Fights 58 on August 11 at Tower Theatre in Fresno.
Part of the FloSports Network, FloCombat is the authority for MMA and combat sports news, events, interviews, and more.August 11th FloCombat brings you live coverage of the 559 Fights fight 58. Catch all the action and become a PRO MEMBER TODAY!
559 Fights is one of California’s top amateur mixed martial arts promotions, promoting successful events across the state since 2012 and helping to launch the careers of several of California’s top fighters.
Along with a throwback heavyweight title between Leo Cantu (10-4-1, Kerman) and Josue Aispuro (3-1, Avenal), 559 Fights 58 includes two championship bouts.
Heavyweight and Cruiserweight champ Andrew Chatman (6-0, Fresno) moves down in weight to fight Joseph Gaceta (2-1, Ridgecrest) for the CAMO State Light-Heavyweight Championship. Yuni Valencia (4-2, Farmersville) and Emilio Horta (2-2, Ridgecrest) will clash for the 559 Fights Lightweight Championship.
Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased at the Tower Theatre Box Office or www.559fights.
VIP Tables and VIP Package info text or call 559-813-0307
HELSINKI, Finland (August 4, 2017) – The official weigh in for tomorrow’s M-1 Challenge 82 event was held today in Helsinki. Official weights are below:
OFFICIAL WEIGHTS
MAIN CARD
MAIN EVENT – LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Mikhail Zayats (22-8-0, M-1: 12-5-0), Russia 205 lbs. (93 kg)
Marcus Vanttinen (24-6-0, M-1: 2-2-0), Finland 202 ½ lbs. (92, 9 kg)
WELTERWEIGHTS — 3 X 5
Aires Bendrouis (10-5-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Portugal 172 lbs. (78,2 kg)
Juho Valmaa (14-4-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Finland 169 ½ lbs. (77,1 kg)
Keith Johnson (12-2-0, M-1: 1-0-0), USA 169 ½ lbs. (77,1 kg)
Alexander Butenko (43-12-3, M-1: 9-2-1), Ukraine 169 lbs. (77,1 kg)
LIGHTWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Michel Silva (18-6-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Brazil 153 lbs. (69,6 kg)
Pavel Gordeev (7-1-0, M-1: 2-0-0), Russia 154 ½ lbs. (70,3 kg)
BANTAMWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Vitali Branchuk (22-6-0, M-1: 2-2-0), Ukraine 125 lbs. (56,7)Mikael “Hulk” Silander (16-5-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Finland 124 ½ (56,6 kg)
Heilton (Dos Santos) Davella (15-6-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Brazil 134 ½ lbs. (61,1 kg)
Helton (Dos Santos) Davella (15-5-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Brazil 134 ½ lbs. 61,1 (kg)
Janne Elonen-Kulmala (15-5-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Finland 135 lbs. (61,3 kg)
PRELIMINARY CARD
HEAVYWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Toni Valtonen (27-15-0, M-1: 6-2-0), Finland 204 ½ lbs. (92,9 kg)
Boris Polezhay (16-6-0, M-1: 1-1-0), Ukraine 204 ½ lbs. (92,9 kg)
MIDDLEWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Ruslan Shamilov (2-0-0, M-1: 2-0-0), Russia 184 ½ lbs. (83,9 kg)
Moses Murrietta (5-0-0, M-1: 10-0), USA 184 ½ lbs. (83,9 kg)
LIGHTWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Arnaud Kherfallah (3-1-0, M-1: 0-0-0), France 154 lbs. (70,1 kg)
Patrik Pietila (8-4-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Finland 154 ½ lbs. (70,2 kg)
BANTAMWEIGHTS – 3 X 5
Son Le Binh (5-2-0, M-1: 1-1-0), Sweden 124 ½ lbs. (56,6 kg)
Oleg Lichkovakha (7-1-0, M-1: 0-0-0), Russia 125 lbs. (56,7 kg)
PHOENIX (August 3, 2017) – The United States Southwest has been turning out top mixed-martial-arts fighters on a consistent basis for more than a decade. The next generation will be showcased Saturday night, August 12, on the Iron Boy MMA 7 card, airing live on pay-per-view from Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona.
Integrated Sports Media will distribute “Iron Boy MMA 7” live in the United States, starting at 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT, on cable, satellite and internet pay-per-view via DirecTV, iN Demand, Vubiquity, and DISH, in addition to being available worldwide on the FITE app and website (www.FITE.tv), for a suggested retail price of only $19.95.
“We are very excited to partner with Integrated Sports Media on Iron Boy MMA 7,” said Roberto Vargas, President of Iron Boy Promotions. “This card is the most talent-packed MMA card we’ve presented, and we can’t wait to share with the rest of the country what Arizona MMA fans have already experienced – explosive, quality fights from some of the best fighters in the country.”
Arizona and New Mexico have developed a bitter fighting rivalry over the past few years. The main event continues that trend as featherweight Randy Steinke (17-11-1, TB: 1-0-0), fighting out of Glendale, AZ, takes on Frank Baca (16-4-0, IB: 0-0-0), of Albuquerque, NM.
Randy Steinke
Frank Baca
The 31-year-old Steinke has been a professional MMA fighter for the 10 years, including fights in the World Series of Fighting, Combates America and King Of The Cage. Braca is a King of the Cage veteran who most recently fought in Bellator.
Mesa, Arizona featherweight “Rollin'” Noland Hyland (3-1-0, IB: 2-0-0) meets Idaho’s Anthony Pagliaro (3-5-0, IB: 0-0-0), while featherweight Roman “El Gallito” Salazar(10-6-0, TB: 0-0-0), of Queen Creek, AZ, faces Colombian invader Dumar “Coraon de Leon” Roa (11-6-0, TYB: 0-0-0).
Arizona featherweight Andres “The Punisher” Ponce (2-5-1, IB: 0-1-0) throws-down with Boostyare “Bullit” Nefarios (2-2-0, IB: 0-1-0), of Las Vegas, Nevada.
The main card features several pro-debut fighters such as Arizona bantamweight Junior Cortez vs. New Mexico’s Fallon Ring. Arizona featherweight Daniel Peru (1-0-0, IB: 1-0-0) is matched against pro-debuting Brendon Trujillo, of New Mexico, while heavyweight Waldo Cortez makes his pro debut against fellow Arizonian Darrell “Superman” Denslow (0-1-0, IB: 0-0-0). Undefeated bantamweight Kevin “Quicksand” Natividad (3-0-0, IB: 0-0-0), of Tempe, AZ, puts his perfect record on the line versus Las Vegas’ Fard “The Messenger” Muhammad.
Six amateur MMA matches are scheduled to open the “Iron Boy MMA 7” card.
Tickets are priced at $55.00, $40.00 and $30.00 and available to purchase online atwww.ironboy.com or at the Celebrity Theatre box office.
Matt Andrikut v Mike Hansen square off in MMA action from NEF 25.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Rumford, Maine (August 3, 2017) – New Mike Hansen’s dreams of becoming a mixed martial arts (MMA) champion were admittedly premature. Then they were derailed for nearly a decade by a combination of injuries, service to his country and fatherhood.
The teenage ambition that made Hansen believe he could conquer the world, or at least his little corner of it, never went away, though.
Twenty-nine months after resurrecting his career with New England Fights, Rumford’s Hansen (5-5) finally gets that coveted title shot. He will battle hometown favorite C.J. Ewer (2-0) at “NEF 30: Rumble in Bangor” this Saturday, August 5 at Cross Insurance Center for the organization’s vacant middleweight title. The card starts at 7 p.m.
Hansen, who turned 32 on July 21, says the opportunity fulfills an early goal while living and fighting in Massachusetts back in 2005.
“I was 19 years old and thought I had a great head on my shoulders, so I called out the (World Fighting League) champion at the time, who was John “Doomsday” Howard,” Hansen said. “I said that I wanted that belt and that I was coming after him. Knowing what I know now, he probably would have whipped the (crap) out of me.”
Howard went on to compete at the highest level with Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) and is now a veteran of 37 journeys into the cage. Hansen’s career path had many more stops, starts and detours.
He started with six amateur wins out of the gate and won his initial professional foray with ease. The title fight will take place on the eve of the 12th anniversary of that pro debut.
“Being 19 years old, I was kind of cocky. I remember telling my dad nobody could compete with my wrestling,” Hansen said. “Back then, MMA hadn’t really evolved. The wrestler had the advantage over the jiu-jitsu guy. You could just hold a guy down and snuggle and hug and sweat out a win.”
After his first knockout loss, Hansen promised his father he would quit the sport. But he had already caught the fever, and his confidence was sky high.
Hansen was training for a bout at Laconia, New Hampshire’s bike week when he suffered a broken ankle two weeks before the weigh-in. He recovered and was in training for another fight when he was stabbed and beaten with a baseball bat in what could have been a fatal case of mistaken identity.
He remarkably walked out of the hospital a day later and soon embarked on a more structured path as a combat engineer in the United States Army. While enlisted, Hansen suffered a serious shoulder injury. Even after retirement, a return to the MMA cage seemed unlikely.
Then came a fateful call from an old friend and neighbor, NEF co-owner and matchmaker Matt Peterson, and the rest is history. Hansen has carved out a reputation as one who will take on any opponent in any weight class at any time, and perhaps there is no greater example than the Ewer matchup.
“The belts are vacant at 170, 185 and 205 (pounds). I can make weight for all those if I have enough time,” Hansen said. “I guess Peterson thought it made sense to kill two birds with one stone and put me in with Ewer at 185. Six weeks ago is when they called me, and at first they asked me about 170. I really liked the fight, but the weight didn’t make sense. I was sitting on the couch at 248.”
Hansen has spent most of his time in the heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions. He was glaringly outweighed in his last bout, a February loss to Ras Hylton.
Only once previously has he downsized to the middleweight threshold, a February 2016 loss to Zach Elkins. In the case of Ewer, who has done most of his work at 170, meeting in the middle might play to Hansen’s advantage.
“We’re two different styles of fighters. He’s coming up in weight and I’m coming down,” Hansen said. “He’s never been in the cage against anybody with my kind of power. When I’m hitting somebody at 200 pounds, I’m hitting them with the force of somebody who’s 245. My opponents have told me they’ve never been hit harder by a guy my size. I feel like it’s my fight to lose, as long as I don’t make any mistakes and go in there with the stamina I need to have.”
Hansen is confident against Ewer, who had a 5-2 amateur record with notable wins over Ricky Dexter and Crowsneck Boutin before turning pro. He knows better, however, than to underestimate any fighter out of the Young’s MMA stable.
“I feel like I’m the more talented fighter and that I have more tools in my tool box. But I know Young’s MMA is a great camp and that he trains with a lot of great guys,” Hansen said. “Chris (Young) finds a way to set you up to fight the fight you need to win. Look at the Pat Kelly fight (against Rafael Velado). They prepared to turn that into a kickboxing fight, and then he went out and did just that.”
Hansen has seen his name rise into the New England top-five conversation. Most of the fighters ahead of him have experience with larger promotions.
He said a win over Ewer could inspire him to travel and continuing to pursue the dream. That’s consistent with the personality he has shown through this second act of his career.
“I’ve been fighting the top-level guys in NEF for about the past two-and-a-half years,” Hansen said, “I always told Peterson to set me up with a guy who’s in the top 10 or just above me. I wanted to work my way up.”
From his days as a high school state wrestling champion at Mountain Valley High School, Hansen flaunted a distaste for winning that served him well.
In those days, he wore a T-shirt that read, ‘Nobody remembers second place,’ with four gold medals beneath it. Hansen’s attitude remains, but the mainstay of Berserker’s MMA out of the Greater Rumford Community Center noted that it is never only about himself.
“I want to win the title for all the people who have supported me and trained with me in Rumford. I also want it for my gym. We’ve done this three times in the amateurs and now we’re going to do it with a pro,” he said. “(GRCC is) just a little on-profit that helps people pursue their dreams. I’d love to hang that belt on the wall. It shows people in the community what we’re capable of here, and hopefully it gets them interested and grows the gym. That’s my goal.”
Tickets for “NEF 30: Rumble in Bangor” are available at CrossInsuranceCenter.com. For more information on the fight card and event updates, please visit NewEnglandFights.com.
About New England Fights
New England Fights (“NEF”) is a fight events promotions company. NEF’s mission is to create the highest quality events for Maine’s fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.
HOUSTON, Texas – Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) CEO Ed Soares announced today that the promotion will crown a new middleweight champion in September when the promotion returns to Colorado.
The main event of LFA 22 will feature the top two middleweight prospects in the sport. Colorado’s own Ian “The Hurricane” Heinisch will face Brazilian dynamo and fellow undefeated prospect Markus “Maluko” Perez for the vacant LFA middleweight title. LFA 22 – Heinisch vs. Perez takes place Friday, September 8th at the 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colorado. The entire main card will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.
“LFA will crown a new middleweight champion at LFA 22 in Colorado,” stated Soares. “Ian Heinisch and Markus Perez are the top two middleweight prospects in the sport. On September 8th, only one will walk away with their perfect record intact with the LFA middleweight title wrapped around their waist.”
Tickets for LFA 22 – Heinisch vs. Perez are available for purchase NOW at AltitudeTickets.com. You can also support your favorite fighter by purchasing your tickets at CombatTickets.com.
Heinisch (8-0) received plenty of fanfare when he signed with the LFA earlier this year. This was due to the fact that Heinisch is widely regarded as one of the top middleweight prospects in the world. The two-time Colorado state wrestling champion from Ponderosa High School lived up to media and fans’ lofty expectations, and then some, when he made his highly-anticipated LFA debut in the main event of LFA 10. Heinisch quickly dispatched the well-versed Brazilian powerhouse Lucas Rota in less than a round with a rare Ude-Garami (Keylock) from Kesa-Gatame (Scarf Hold). This positioned him at the front of the line for a title shot. The 29-year-old will now get the opportunity to fight for the vacant LFA middleweight title in front of his home crowd at LFA 22.
Perez (8-0) is perhaps the only middleweight prospect in the world that can match the intrigue surrounding Heinisch. This is due in large part to the fact that Perez has been just as dominant in his native Brazil as Heinisch has been stateside. The man known as “Maluko” will be making his highly-anticipated international MMA debut on the heels of back-to-back wins over UFC veterans Ildemar Alcântara and Paulo Thiago. Those wins saw Perez’s stock as a top prospect skyrocket as Alcântara and Thiago have a combined 20 fights in the UFC between the two of them. The 27-year-old is now eager to showcase his talents outside of Brazil for the first time. He will get that opportunity on September 8th when he fights for the vacant LFA middleweight title.
The co-main event of LFA 22 will feature the farewell fight of one of Colorado’s most beloved and accomplished fighters when Gilbert Smith gets his hands wrapped and throws down one last time in front of his adoring home crowd. The proud Coloradan has enjoyed an MMA career that has seen him reach the highest levels of the sport.
The U.S. Army veteran and Colorado Springs resident competed on two seasons of the UFC’s hit reality television series The Ultimate Fighter. Along with being a memorable cast member on TUF 17 and TUF 25, Smith competed for the UFC and Bellator, as well as both RFA and Legacy FC before the two promotions merged to form LFA at the beginning of the year. During his time with RFA, Smith won the welterweight world title.
The man standing across the Octagon from Smith at LFA 22 will be Andrew Kapel (11-6). Kapel is a longtime friend and teammate of Benjamin Smith, who is the man that Gilbert Smith took the RFA title from two summers ago in the main event of RFA 26. Kapel, like Benjamin Smith, is a student of Greg Nelson at The Academy in Minneapolis, Minnesota and will look to exact a bit of revenge in the same building where Gilbert Smith submitted Benjamin Smith. The budding grudge match in Gilbert’s farewell fight has one more layer. Kapel submitted Smith’s teammate Adam Stroup last month in less than a round.
In the always exciting women’s strawweight division, Maycee Barber (1-0) will return to the LFA Octagon against RFA vet and fellow top prospect Mallory Martin (1-1) at LFA 22. Barber burst on to the MMA scene in June with a dominant professional MMA debut at LFA 14. Barber submitted undefeated prospect Itzel Esquivel via armbar in the first round of a bout that took place in her opponent’s hometown. Now Barber will return to the LFA Octagon in her home state. She will face a fellow Coloradan prospect in Martin who is no stranger to the 1STBANK Center in Broomfield. It was in this same venue where Martin submitted the Gilbert Smith trained Melissa Parker via Rear Naked Choke at RFA 34. Now the table is set for a showdown between the top two strawweights in “The Centennial State” as the 19-year-old Barber faces the 23-year-old Martin on the main card of LFA 22.
Currently Announced Main Card (Televised on AXS TV at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT):
Main Event | Middleweight Title Bout (185 lb)
– Ian Heinisch (8-0) vs. Markus Perez (8-0)
Co-Main Event | Welterweight Bout (170 lb)
– Gilbert Smith (12-6) vs. Andrew Kapel (11-6)
Women’s Strawweight Bout (115 lb)
– Maycee Barber (1-0) vs. Mallory Martin (1-1)
In September 2016, RFA and Legacy FC officials announced that they would be merging to form the premier developmental organization in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) starting in January 2017. RFA and Legacy FC have launched the careers of over 100 athletes that have reached the pinnacle of MMA by competing in the UFC.
LFA 22 will serve as the third LFA event to take place in the state of Colorado. RFA visited “The Centennial State” eight times before the merger. Further information about LFA 22 will be announced soon. The entire main card of LFA 22 will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.
Also, Appearances by Former Bellator Champ and Monster Energy Athlete Phil Davis and MMA Legend Dan Henderson
LOS ANGELES – Following the successful debut of the Monster Energy Bellator MMA Fight Series at the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race in May, the series returns for its second event on Saturday, August 19 next to Bristol Motor Speedway, located at the Earhart Campground, in Bristol, Tenn.
Prior to the start of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race, the Monster Energy Bellator MMA Fight Series will feature exciting MMA action throughout Saturday afternoon from 4–5:30 p.m. ET. Admission to the event is free to fans.
Additionally, fans will have the opportunity to meet former Bellator light heavyweight champion and Monster Energy athlete Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis, as well as former PRIDE and STRIKEFORCE titleholder Dan “Hendo” Henderson, at the Monster Energy display in the Fan Zone on Friday, August 18from3-4 p.m. ET.
“Bellator’s partnership with Monster Energy has opened the door for many new and exciting opportunities,” Bellator President Scott Coker said. “The Monster Energy Bellator MMA Fight Series allows us to share our brand of entertainment with an entirely different fan base. Following the success and feedback of the first event in May, we are thrilled to work together with Hans Molenkamp, Aaron Quesada and the entire Monster Energy team again to bring Bellator MMA action to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in Bristol.”
Through Bellator MMA, alongside longstanding partner Monster Energy, mixed martial arts will be included as a pre-race activation exclusively for fans in attendance. The lineup on Saturday will consist of four MMA bouts featuring some of the best regional up-and-coming talent, with the main event prospects in consideration to be signed to a multi-fight Bellator MMA contract.
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race takes place Saturday, August 19 at 7:30 p.m. ET.. Tickets to the race are available at NASCAR.com/tickets, BristolMotorSpeedway.com/tickets or by calling Bristol Motor Speedway at 1-866-415-4158.
Situated beside Bristol Motor Speedway, Earhart Campground has become a full-service facility offering spectacular camping opportunities, daily parking and tailgating sites, retail vending, corporate marketing and sponsor-hosted hospitality sites. Race fans looking to make camping reservations can visit EarhartCampground.com for more information.
Updated Monster Energy Bellator MMA Fight Series at Bristol Motor Speedway Fight Card:
Welterweight Main Event: Ben Sergent (7-0, Nashville, Tenn.) vs. Brandon Bell (7-6, Johnson City, Tenn.)
Lightweight Bout: Nick Gehrts (7-2, Knoxville, Tenn.) vs. Ken Beverly (5-2, Hazard, Ky.)
Lightweight Bout: Damir Ferhatbegovic (3-1, Knoxville, Tenn.) vs. Jonathan Pearce (4-3, Johnson City, Tenn.)
Featherweight Amateur Bout: Ahva Mayi (4-1, Nashville, Tenn.) vs. Preston Schick (6-0, Johnson City, Tenn.)
HOUSTON, Texas – Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) CEO Ed Soares announced today that the promotion will feature the sport’s top two light-heavyweight prospects when the LFA makes its first visit to Missouri on the first day of September.
The main event of LFA 21 will feature a light-heavyweight war between undefeated American prospect Kyle Noblitt and undefeated Brazilian prospect Antônio Paulo “Montanha” Branjão. LFA 21 – Noblitt vs. Branjão takes place Friday, September 1st at the Branson Convention Center in Branson, Missouri. The entire main card will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.
“I am excited to bring the LFA to Missouri in September,” stated Soares. “RFA hosted four shows all over Missouri and it has proven to be one of the most talent-rich states in the country. We look forward to building on that success at LFA 21 on September 1st. Kyle Noblitt is the top light-heavyweight prospect in Missouri and he will face one of the top light-heavyweight prospects in Brazil, when he faces Antônio Paulo Branjão in the main event of LFA 21.”
Tickets for LFA 21 – Noblitt vs. Branjão are available for purchase NOW at Combattickets.com
Noblitt (8-0) is widely considered one of the top prospects in the United States at both heavyweight and light-heavyweight. After making his pro MMA debut in 2015, Noblitt unleashed a path of destruction in both weight classes much to the delight of fans in his home state and MMA pundits alike. The Missouri mauler has finished seven of the eight men he has faced, six inside of round one, and two in the same night. Noblitt was sitting cageside when the RFA visited his hometown in December and now the 27-year-old is set to headline LFA 21 in front of his home crowd as he looks to solidify his claim as the top light-heavyweight prospect in the world.
Branjão (4-0) is ready to make his highly-anticipated international MMA debut after making a name for himself in his home country of Brazil. After dispatching his first three opponents via KO or TKO in less than a round, the man known as “Montanha” moved up to heavyweight to participate on the third season of the UFC’s hit reality television show The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil (TUF: Brazil 3). Branjão reached the quarter-finals on the show before returning to 205-pounds where he continued his winning ways against Stefano Alves. The 29-year-old now looks for his fifth stoppage win in his fifth fight when he travels to the United States to headline LFA 21.
The co-main event of LFA 21 will feature the LFA debut of the 2016 RFA Fans’ Choice Awards “Prospect of the Year” winner Katy Collins (7-2). “Red Dragon” made a spectacular RFA debut this past December at RFA 46, which was the final RFA event before RFA and Legacy FC merged to form LFA. Collins is currently ranked in the Top 5 of the AXS TV Fights Women’s Pound-For-Pound Rankings and looks to build on the momentum of a dominant win she earned last month at Bellator 181. She will make her LFA debut in her hometown of Branson, Missouri inside the same venue where she won her RFA debut eight months ago.
In the lightweight division, “Downtown” T.J. Brown (9-4) will make his LFA debut after competing three times inside the RFA Octagon. The Arkansas native is a fan favorite regardless of which state he fights in due to his wildly entertaining, all-action, style of fighting. Brown will need that experience when when he faces Trey Ogden (8-1) in the featured lightweight bout at LFA 21. The Bellator vet Ogden is a surefire prospect that trains alongside UFC stars and RFA greats James Krause and Tim Elliott in Kansas City, Missouri.
Currently Announced Main Card (Televised on AXS TV at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT):
Main Event | Light-Heavyweight Bout (205 lb)
– Kyle Noblitt (8-0) vs. Antônio Paulo Branjão (4-0)
Co-Main Event | Women’s Flyweight Bout (125 lb)
– Katy Collins (7-2) vs. TBD
Lightweight Bout (155 lb)
– T.J. Brown (9-4) vs. Trey Ogden (8-1)
In September 2016, RFA and Legacy FC officials announced that they would be merging to form the premier developmental organization in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) starting in January 2017. RFA and Legacy FC have launched the careers of over 100 athletes that have reached the pinnacle of MMA by competing in the UFC.
LFA 21 will be the first LFA event to take place in the state of Missouri. RFA visited the “Show Me State” four times before the merger. Further information about LFA 21 will be announced soon. The entire main card of LFA 21 will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 9 p.m. ET /6 p.m. PT.
This week’s show features lots of Mayweather vs. McGregor discussion and a look back at the last two weeks in combat sports. We preview this weekend’s fights as well. Tune in to find out what Rich’s new favorite Conor McGregor insult is…and why it applies to Dana White as well. Psychic Tom gives his valuable insight and Tony the Tornado breaks down all the boxing angles in this episode.
Special Broadcast on Friday, July 28 from 9-11:30pm ET/PT
LOS ANGELES – From a wild and rare double-knockdown featuring an MMA icon, to a back-and-forth battle for the lightweight title fight, to an even more shocking upset of an MMA prodigy – Bellator NYC: Sonnen vs. Silva was certainly entertaining, exciting and often unpredictable.
For those who missed the Pay-Per-View telecast on June 24, Spike will present a special encore presentation of this memorable event onFriday, July 28 from 9-11:30 p.m. ET/PT.
Emanating from Madison Square Garden in in the heart of New York, Bellator’s biggest fight card featured a double main event between fierce rivals Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva, while Matt Mitrione stood toe-to-toe with the iconic Fedor Emelianenko in a heavyweight showdown for the ages. In addition, two explosive title fights took place, as Douglas Lima looked to defend his welterweight crown against Lorenz Larkin and lightweight champ Michael Chandler took on the undefeated Brent Primus. Rounding out the action, Aaron Pico made his long-awaited MMA debut against Zach Freeman in a lightweight bout and Brazilian jiu-jitsu aceNeiman Gracie put his skills on display against New York’s Dave Marfone.
