Category Archives: MMA

Cage Warriors Fighting Championship, mixed martial arts, MMA

WELTERWEIGHT CHALLENGER MATT INMAN OPENS UP AHEAD OF TITLE TILT

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, February 6th, 2017

Manchester’s Matt Inman takes on France’s Karl Amoussou for the vacant Cage Warriors welterweight title at CW80 in London on February 18. Here he speaks at length ahead of the biggest fight of his career.

In the lead-up to Cage Warriors 80 we sat down with welterweight title challenger Matt Inman during a promotional video shoot to get his thoughts on his upcoming title bout with Frenchman Karl Amoussou.

Below is a full transcript of the interview.

HOW HAS YOUR TRAINING GONE FOR THIS FIGHT?
Training so far has been going really well. I’ve had a lot of footage of my opponent to look at and we’ve been working through his strategies and the specific techniques I need to use. Between now and the fight everything we want is in place and its just a matter of sharpening things up, making sure everything is ready for the fight.

HAVE YOU DONE ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY IN PREPARATION FOR THIS BOUT?
I’m constantly looking to add things to my skillset. I’m not a fighter who has a static amount of skills, there’s nothing I’m afraid to try out. I’m constantly looking to improve in that fashion.  Every time there’s a new opponent and new challenges posed by that opponent I’m looking to do different things in my training. This time has been no different. Karl as an opponent provides a lot of unique challenges and that’s what we’ve been working on in the gym.

ARE YOU THE HARDEST TRAINER YOU KNOW?
I don’t know if I’m the hardest trainer I know, but I think a lot of the guys I train with will tell you I’m fairly hard-working. I more or less live in the gym and never find myself short of motivation to train for any occasion.

HOW WOULD WINNING THE CAGE WARRIORS TITLE CHANGE YOUR CAREER?
Winning the Cage Warriors title would be huge in my career. I think Cage Warriors has become a really big platform and there’s a lot of exposure through TV and other ways. Winning that belt and being up there with other guys who have been Cage Warriors champions before is exactly the step forward I’m looking for in my career.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT FORMER CAGE WARRIORS FIGHTERS WHO ARE NOW IN THE UFC, HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL?
I believe I belong in the UFC, you look at my record and the fights I’ve had, the people I’ve beaten, there isn’t a UFC card I’d look out of place on anywhere. That’s motivation to keep pushing towards that and it will come in good time. The main thing is I’m constantly performing and improving.

HOW DOES TRAINING AFFECT YOUR DAY-TO-DAY LIFE?
I find my day-to-day life is built around training, from waking up in the morning it’s the first thing I’m doing. What I’m eating, when I’m resting, life really has to take a back seat to training. Training always comes first but that’s what I love to do, so I never find that difficult.

AFTER YOUR LAST FIGHT YOU SAID: “I DON’T WANT TO BE THE BEST, I JUST WANT TO BE THE BEST I CAN BE.” WHAT DID YOU MEAN BY THAT?
That’s kind of my mindset really. I’ve never been the greatest natural athlete, people come into MMA with different attributes and I think I’ve had to work a lot harder than most to bring myself up to this level. It just means my skill, my technique, my dedication and my focus has to be 100%. I’ve come up against guys who are naturally faster, stronger and more powerful than me but I generally win through because of this mindset. I’m always looking to push myself to those levels.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU? IS IT TO GET TO THE UFC, OR SOMETHING ELSE?
I think all the motivation I have is intrinsic, I’m not kind of looking on to the next thing because there’s always going to be one thing after the next. I do have goals about where I want to fight – I’d love to win the Cage Warriors title and of course every fighter wants to fight in the UFC. But my main motivation goes beyond that. I’m more interested in being the best fighter I can be, the best mixed martial artist, the most technical, the most skilled, the toughest I can possibly be. If that means I don’t make it to the UFC eventually or for whatever reason I never own one of these major titles, providing I’m looking to work towards that goal then that’s really what motivates me.

WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING AN MMA FIGHTER?
The best thing about being an MMA fighter is getting to do MMA everyday. This is what I do, this is full time. I’m fortunate really. I turned my hobby into a job and that’s all I have to focus on. I’m one of a genuine few people in the world who can wake up every morning and say I’m excited to get into work and I love what I do.

WHAT’S THE WORST THING ABOUT BEING AN MMA FIGHTER?
The worst thing is dieting, keeping the weight down. I think most real fighters will agree with me, the process of restricting your body to make your weight class is by far the least enjoyable part, but that’s part of the job. Some people can go to work and eat pizza and it won’t affect the way they do their job but if I eat pizza and ice cream it will affect the way I do my job, so that’s something I just have to sacrifice.

KARL AMOUSSOU IS ON A SIX-FIGHT WIN STREAK, WITH ALL SIX COMING INSIDE THE DISTANCE. HOW DO YOU ENSURE YOU’RE NOT NUMBER SEVEN?
He’s a strong opponent, he’s won his last six – five I think inside the distance – so you can tell he starts strong early. I think in those fights I don’t think he’s fought an opponent who brings what I bring. I don’t think they have the experience, the skillset or the toughness. I’m going to be ready. I understand the guy’s an aggressive fighter and we’re going to be straight into the fire.  Come February 18 I’ll be completely ready for that and I’ll be ready to dig deep and do what it takes. I’ve finished a lot of people early too – don’t count out the fact I might be able to do that – it wont be all one-way traffic early. Out of 19 wins I’ve finished 17 of those and I’m going to be looking to finish, early or late.

IS THIS THE TOUGHEST FIGHT OF YOUR CAREER? IF NOT, IS IT THE MOST IMPORTANT?
It’s certainly the most important fight to date. The old adage that styles makes fights is true, you can never really be sure looking at an opponent on paper or on footage, exactly how he’s going to match up with you until you get in and you’re facing him across from the cage. I won’t say it’s going to be my toughest test to date, I’ve been through tough tests already but this is the biggest fight and I’m certain it will be one with no room whatsoever to make mistakes in. I’ve got to perform and I know that.

IS IT DIFFICULT TO GET YOUR FIGHT HEAD ON WHEN THERE’S NO NEEDLE?
I don’t think there’s much animosity between me and Karl personally, I don’t need that. When I’m focused on my own performance that’s going to be the same whoever the opponent is. Sometimes opponents might talk, they might say things, but I think if you’re relying on that to get yourself up for a fight, then your mindset is not necessarily in the right place to begin with. I’m focused on my performance and I’m sure Karl’s the same. We can expect us both at the top of our games and a great fight.

IS EARNING A SPOT IN THE UFC THE ULTIMATE GOAL FOR YOU?
Earning graduation to the ranks of the UFC is a goal, but I wouldn’t call it the ultimate goal because once I get to the UFC I believe I can perform there as well. Naturally I’d be disappointed if I didn’t make it into the UFC, most serious MMA fighters would tell you the same thing. It’s not the end of the road I don’t think, when I get there I’d still want to push on further. You just keep moving the goalposts every time you achieve a little goal and you’ll push further on to the next.

WILL YOU BE BRINGING BIG SUPPORT DOWN TO LONDON FROM MANCHESTER FOR THIS FIGHT?
I’m looking forward to fighting in the capital again, it was the scene of my last fight in Cage Warriors Unplugged. This time we’re not in a TV studio, so I’m looking forward to bringing a lot of support down from Manchester. I’ve been fortunate in the way people have got behind me and believed in me going into this fight.

DOES THAT ADD PRESSURE OR DOES THE SUPPORT HELP YOU?
It’s great to have support. It’s always nice to have people behind you. In all honesty I’m going to perform whatever the case. If I’m in an empty room and a cage or I’ve got a few thousand people screaming me on, that won’t affect my mindset because I’ve got to be ready to fight anywhere, anytime. So I’m not relying on a crowd or support to give a boost in a fight, that’s all in there already.

THERE’S A SPECIAL GUEST DJ AT THIS EVENT. DO YOU NOTICE THE TUNES BETWEEN ROUNDS AND WHAT WOULD YOUR REQUEST BE?
I never really notice much of what is going on around me during a fight outside of the fight itself. A little bit of a pick-me-up between rounds might be good. Sling on a bit of the Rocky theme song. That could be good!

CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN THREE WORDS?
Technical, tough and I’ve got an engine.

WHO HAS THE ADVANTAGE WHEN THE FIGHT GOES TO THE FLOOR?
If the fight goes to the floor I think it’s an interesting one, Karl’s won a lot of his fights by submission – to me he appears a very explosive grappler. If he gets hold of a heel or an arm he’ll take that home with him. He’s strong and powerful and he can lock onto those submissions. I think all-round my grappling is going to be stronger though. I think I have a greater understanding of those positions, I know exactly what I should be looking for at any point and I know by those terms exactly how to keep myself out of danger as well.

Limited tickets for Cage Warriors 80 are available via the AXS website, priced from just £20. Included in the ticket price is a free meet and greet with UFC stars including Dan Hardy.

For the latest news and updates from Cage Warriors please visit CageWarriors.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebookand Instagram.

Photo: Matt Inman – Credit: Dolly Clew / Cage Warriors 
www.CageWarriors.com

CAGE WARRIORS FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP is Europe’s leading and longest-running mixed martial arts promotion. An Irish-owned brand with offices in the UK & Ireland, CWFC is the sport’s fastest-growing organisation, having staged 80 events in 12 countries across three different continents since its establishment in 2002. Home to some of biggest stars of MMA’s past, present and future.
Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

WELTERWEIGHT CLASH PITTING ANDREY KORESHKOV AGAINST FERNANDO GONZALEZ SET FOR CO-MAIN EVENT OF BELLATOR 174 AT WINSTAR WORLD CASINO & RESORT ON MARCH 3

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CHRIS HONEYCUTT-KENDALL GROVE SET FOR 2017 DEBUTS IN MIDDLEWEIGHT SHOWDOWN

HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. (February 3, 2017) – A welterweight fight pitting Andrey Koreshkov (19-2) against Fernando Gonzalez (25-14) and a middleweight bout featuring Chris Honeycutt (9-1, 1 NC) against Kendall Grove (23-16, 1 NC) have been added to the main card of Bellator 174: Corenen vs. Budd on March 3 at WinStar World Casino & Resort in Thackerville, OK.

The bouts will join a card that is headlined by the first-ever Bellator MMA Women’s Featherweight World Title fight pitting Marloes Coenen (23-7) against Julia Budd (9-2). One additional main card contest will be announced shortly.

Bellator 174: Coenen vs. Budd will be broadcast live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary action will stream on Bellator.com and the Bellator Mobile App. Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be purchased at the WinStar World Casino & Resort Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster and Bellator.com.

Hailing from Omsk, Russia, the 26-year-old Koreshkov will enter the cage for the 22nd time in his professional career and 13th under the Bellator MMA banner. “Spartan” began his career with 13 consecutive victories, including his first five wins under the direction of the Scott Coker-led promotion. Koreshkov continued to see success as his name began to grow in the mixed martial arts world, collecting six wins over his last seven fights, including a welterweight world title victory over current champion Douglas Lima and a successful title defense over Benson Henderson. With 10 of his 19 career wins coming by way of knockout, the Russian phenom possesses the type of power that can put an emphatic end to any opponent’s night when he is in the cage.

A 39-fight veteran of mixed martial arts, Gonzalez will be making his seventh appearance under the direction of Bellator MMA. Since joining the promotion in 2014, “The Menifee Maniac” has tallied five victories, including a brutal knockout of Karo Parisyan just 1:43 into the bout. In his most recent contest, Gonzalez nearly edged the undefeated Michael Page, becoming just the second opponent to take him the distance in a controversial split decision. With 16 of his 25 career wins coming by way of knockout or submission, the 33-year-old Gonzalez continues to be one of the most feared strikers in Bellator MMA’s stacked welterweight division.

The 28-year-old Honeycutt will make his 2017 debut, following an impressive 2016 campaign that saw him emerge victorious in each of his three bouts. A native of Fresno, Calif. “The Cutt” had a blazing start to his professional career, earning victories in each of his first six contests, including four knockouts and three first-round finishes. Honeycutt continued to see success under the Bellator MMA umbrella, collecting five wins over a three year stretch. Fireworks are all but guaranteed in this slugfest, as the equally fearless Grove hopes to give the Thackerville fan base exactly what they came for.

Hailing from Maui, Hawaii, Grove will be making his make his eighth appearance for Bellator MMA, as the veteran continues to climb the ranks in a competitive middleweight class. “Da Spyder” has finished 17 of his 23 career victims, including seven of his last eight, making him must-see television every time he competes on SPIKE. The 34-year-old striker also holds a significant height advantage over his opponent, standing at 6’6′ compared to Honeycutt’s 5’10′ frame. With each of his last six bouts ending in a stoppage, we can be sure to see more of the same aggressive style when he and Honeycutt go toe-to-toe inside WinStar World Casino & Resort on March 3.

Updated Bellator 174: Coenen vs. Budd Main Card:

Women’s Featherweight World Title Bout: Marloes Coenen (23-7) vs. Julia Budd (9-2)

Welterweight Co-Main Event: Andrey Koreshkov (19-2) vs. Fernando Gonzalez (25-14)

Middleweight Feature Fight: Chris Honeycutt (9-1, 1 NC) vs. Kendall Grove (23-16, 1 NC)

Preliminary Card:

Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Cody Pfister (12-6) vs. Jonathan Gary (12-7)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Jason Witt (7-3) vs. Justin Patterson (8-1)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Emmanuel Rivera (5-0) vs. Treston Thomison (10-4)

boxing, mixed martial arts, MMA, Rich Bergeron, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, UFC

FNU Combat Sports Show Featuring PRESIDENT Donald Trump Interview

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Hosts Tom, Tony and Rich of The Fight News Unlimited Combat Sports show had the awesome experience of catching up with President Donald Trump for an exclusive interview contained in tonight’s broadcast. We ask “The Donald” about everything from Mayweather vs. McGregor to Iran and China. The interview starts about 23 minutes into the full show tape, but we will also place the interview alone in another audio file below the main show file on this post. We also discuss some MMA labor union issues, Aisling Daly retiring young from the UFC, Conor McGregor claiming his next bout will be in a boxing ring and Dana White saying Ronda Rousey is all done with fighting professionally. We also recap the first big UFC and Bellator events of the year from last week and look forward to UFC Fight Night 104 in Houston on Saturday night. We take time at the end of the broadcast to talk boxing with a recap of last week’s stunning rematch between Leo Santa Cruz and Carl Frampton. We also talk about the Thursday night bouts on FS1 tonight. Here is our full show:

And here is the Trump interview by itself:

And if you didn’t catch why Rich gave a shout out to the movie “Good Morning Vietnam” you can listen to Rich’s first interview with Trump from 2008 here:

Cage Warriors Fighting Championship, mixed martial arts, MMA

UFC STARS JOIN CAGE WARRIORS FOR FAN MEET AND GREET AT CW80

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, February 1at, 2017
MMA legend Dan ‘The Outlaw’ Hardy heads up a cast of former Cage Warriors stars who will return to their former home to meet the fans at Cage Warriors 80 in London.

We’re just three weeks away from Cage Warriors’ first world title fight of 2017 as England’s Matt Inman and France’s Karl Amoussou get set to do battle for the vacant welterweight title at Cage Warriors 80.

The headlining title fight tops a packed card of action at Cage Warriors’ new home at Indigo at The O2 on February 18, but fight fans will also get a rare opportunity to catch up with some Cage Warriors’ stars of yesteryear ahead of the event.

We’re delighted to announce that we’ll also be hosting a special meet and greet session with a host of former Cage Warriors stars who have all gone on to further their respective careers in the UFC.

Heading the lineup is Dan ‘The Outlaw’ Hardy, the popular welterweight who became the first British fighter to compete for a UFC world title when he battled the great Georges St-Pierre all the way to the scorecards at UFC 111 back in 2010.

Dan has since forged a successful career on the other side of the fence as a colour commentator and one of the most astute, respected MMA analysts in the game.

Dan will be joined by fellow former Cage Warriors stars Jack Hermansson, Darren Stewart, Alex Enlund and Tom Breese for a special meet and greet session, which is open to all fans attending the event on February 18. No additional ticket is required.

Limited tickets for Cage Warriors 80 are available via the AXS website, priced from just £20. Secure yours today and make sure you’re a part of the latest exciting chapter in Cage Warriors’ history.
For the latest Cage Warriors Fighting Championship news and updates, keep track of us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. View past CWFC action, free and on-demand, online via Cage Warriors TV.

Photo: Dan Hardy – Credit Cage Warriors 
M-1, M-1 Challenge, mixed martial arts, MMA, Russia

MMA fighters & fans of rival Russian soccer teams Added to M-1 Challenge 74 card

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 18 in St. Petersburg, Russia
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (February 2, 2017) – The February 18th M-1 Challenge 74 card in St. Petersburg got even more interesting with M-1Global’s announcement that a fight between fans of arch-rival Russian soccer (non-American football) teams will square-off in full team colors.
In the main event, undefeated M-1 Challenge light heavyweight champion Rashid Yusupov (6-0-0, M-1: 4-0-0), of Russia, defends his title against former titlist Stephan “T-800” Puetz (15-2-0, M-1: 6-1-0), of Germany.
M-1 Challenge lightweight champion Alexander “Iron Capture” Butenko (42-11-2, M-1: 9-1-0) faces challenger Abukar Yandiev (8-1-0, M-1: 2-1-0) in theM-1 Challenge 74 co-feature.
Billed as the first MMA fight part of a major event to feature MMA fighters who are also fans of two of the top soccer clubs in Russia, CSKA and Spartak, battling between the ropes to determine the strongest soccer fan under MMA rules, not in the street.
Light heavyweight Dmitry Tebekin (4-2-0, M-1: 0-0-0), representing CSKA, will throw-down against Spartak fan Arthur Reig Tjul’parov (1-0-0, M-1: 1-0-0).  Tebekin was the St. Petersburg Cup winner and vice-champion of St. Petersburg, while Tjul’parov was also vice-champion of St. Petersburg as well as the third-place finisher in the All-Russian Grand Prix
.
M-1 Challenge 74 will be streamed live from St. Petersburg in high definition onwww.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register at www.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all of the action on their computers, as well as on Android and Apple smart phones and tablets.
Also fighting on the M-1 Challenge 74 main card, in addition to Yusupov-Puetz and Butenko-Yandiev, is former M-1 Challenge bantamweight champion Vitaly Branchuk (21-6-0, M-1: 1-2-0), of Ukraine, vs. Frenchman Moktar “Le Kabyle” Benkaci (13-7-0); two-time M-1 Challenge lightweight title challengerArtiom Damkovsky (22-10-1, M-1: 12-7-0), of Belarus, vs. undefeatedBrazilian Pablo “Negao” Pereira (7-0-0, M-1: 0-0-0), and Ukrainian welterweight Vyacheslav “Bison” Bogomol (9-3-0, M-1: 0-1-0) vs. unbeatenPablo Ortmann (6-0-0, M-1: 0-0-0), of Switzerland.
INFORMATION

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Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

JOSH KOSCHECK RETURNS TO THE CAGE AGAINST MAURICIO ALONSO AT SAP CENTER IN SAN JOSE ON FEB. 18

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MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT FEATURING ANATOLY TOKOV AGAINST FRANCISCO FRANCE ADDED TO THE PRELIMINARY CARD

HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. (January 31, 2017) – A welterweight bout pitting Josh Koscheck (17-10) against Mauricio Alonso(12-7, 1 NC) has been added to the Spike-televised main card of Bellator 172: Fedor vs. Mitrione at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. on February 18, 2017.

 

In addition, recently signed Russian star Anatoly Tokov (24-2) is set to square off against Francisco France (13-4-1) in a middleweight clash that will be featured on the Bellator.com-streamed undercard, while a previously announced main card bout between Adam Piccolotti and Brent Primus has been cancelled after Piccolotti has been forced to withdraw due to an undisclosed injury.

 

Bellator 172: Fedor vs. Mitrione will be broadcast live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary action will stream on Bellator.com and the Bellator Mobile App. Tickets for the event are on sale now at the SAP Center Box Office as well as Ticketmaster.com.

 

Koscheck will be making his highly anticipated Bellator MMA debut after signing with the Viacom-owned promotion in 2015. Prior to the signing, “Kos” competed under the UFC banner for nearly a decade, compiling 15 wins and nine finishes. Now, the 39-year-old Dethrone Base Camp product hopes to soar to the top of Bellator MMA’s stacked welterweight class and add to his impressive resume of 17 career victories. Never one to mince words, Koscheck has made it clear that he hopes to once again meet Paul Daley inside the cage, but first, the Fresno, Calif. native must get through Alonso on Feb. 18 when he returns to action on Spike.

 

Hailing from Parana, Brazil, Alonso will be making his second appearance under the direction of Bellator MMA and first in the welterweight division since 2014. The 36-year-old enters the bout riding a recent string of success, earning victories in each of his last two contests and seven of his last 10 dating back to 2010. Of his 12 career wins, Alonso has finished his opponent five times, including four knockouts. Alonso will look to build off of an undefeated 2016 campaign when he competes on Feb 18.

 

Under the tutelage of the legendary Fedor Emilianenko, Tokov has strung together an impressive resume of his own, where from 2012 to 2016, the prospect was riding a streak of 17 consecutive wins. The 26-year-old Russian is known to end fights early and often, finishing his opponent in 19 of his 24 career wins, including nine first round finishes. If Tokov is going to continue to blossom on the Bellator roster, he will have to defeat his opponent on Feb. 18 first.

 

Hailing from Gilbert, Arizona, 18-fight veteran France enters the bout having won six of his last eight contests, including one draw and five finishes. The 33-year-old submission specialist will be making his third appearance under the Bellator MMA banner and first in nearly a year at Bellator 172. “Kiko” brings with him one of the most dynamic ground games in the division, finishing 12 of his 13 victims via submission; displaying a wide array of devastating techniques, including rear-naked and arm-triangle chokes, arm bars, and kimuras.

 

Updated Bellator 172: Fedor vs. Mitrione Main Card:

Heavyweight Main Event: Fedor Emelianenko (36-4, 1 NC) vs. Matt Mitrione (11-5)

Lightweight Co-Main Event: Josh Thomson (22-8, 1 NC) vs. Patricky “Pitbull” (16-8)

Heavyweight Feature Bout: Cheick Kongo (25-10-2) vs. Oli Thompson (17-9)

Welterweight Feature Bout: Josh Koscheck (17-10) vs. Mauricio Alonso (12-7, 1 NC)

 

Preliminary Bouts:

Middleweight Preliminary Fight: Anatoly Tokov (24-2) vs. Francisco France (13-4-1)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: James Terry (18-9) vs. David Douglas (9-6)

Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Nikko Jackson (1-1) vs. Cesar Gonzalez (0-1)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Juan Cardenas (1-0) vs. Luis Vargas (0-1)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Danasabe Mohammed (5-1) vs. Carlos Rocha (9-4)

Flyweight Preliminary Bout: Anthony Do (4-1) vs. Bobby Escalante (4-5)

Flyweight Preliminary Bout: Matt Ramirez (1-2) vs. Jeremy Murphy (3-3)

Lightweight Preliminary Bout: J.J. Okanovich (3-1) vs. Paradise Vaovasa (5-1)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Justin Tenedora (Debut) vs. Roque Reyes (0-3)

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

COMPLETE BELLATOR 171 RESULTS, QUOTES & PHOTOS

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Video Highlights Here

Chidi Njokuani (17-4) defeated Melvin Guillard (32-17) via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-24, 30-26)

Quote: “I felt like the fight was pretty good, I had taken it on short notice, so I didn’t really have a lot of time to prepare for it,” Chidi Njokuani said. “Overall, I thought I did alright, but like I said, I just didn’t have a full camp and I could tell the difference.”

Photos: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/per4k86majpp5m7/AACAUkbQzegBSRD_TQ6OVkl0a?dl=0

David Rickels (18-5) defeated Aaron Derrow (14-9) via TKO at :45 of round three

Quote: “I can’t wait to re-watch that walkout. Shoutout to everyone that helped with that, including Sean Grande,” David Rickels said. “Now, give me the fun fights. Give me whoever wants it. I dropped him with a good combination 30 seances in and set the tone, I really wanted to get the finish and after tonight, I’m one step closer to being the best of the best.”

Photos: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/km0yv4a45r6tiee/AAAZ8aLX6To6KuU1zIOrtMKCa?dl=0

Jessica Middleton (2-0) defeated Alice Yauger (4-5) via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-26, 30-26)

Quote: “Blood and pain, isn’t that what you guys wanted? She was tough, after the first round I was like ‘holy crap,’ Jessica Middleton said. “I’m not truly happy with my performance, I want to get better and I will come back stronger and more efficient. Emily Ducote is great, I’d love to fight her, but I’m ready for any flyweight, I’m ready to go.”

Photos: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/qx27fz4n49oakqx/AAAvwiCrRmPgTVdzb0eI9MRga?dl=0

A.J. McKee (6-0) defeated Brandon Phillips (6-2) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Quote: “I thought the night went well. It’s a fight and you never know what result you’re going to get in a fight. End of the day, I’m coming home with the victory,” A.J. McKee said. “I knew I could go out there and wrestle, but I wanted to do something different and entertain the fans.” 

Photos: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/492bpnr154drzqo/AACkb5DI-_f1oB5lHXFFK6jTa?dl=0

Preliminary Photos Here:

Jarod Trice (2-0) defeated Kevin Woltkamp (1-3) via knockout at 3:17 of round two

Quote: “Everything went according to plan tonight. I told my coaches that I have the best left hook in the world and my opponent better watch out for it,” Jarod Trice said. “I’m going to take fights from 185 to 265 pounds and best believe that they all can catch these hands”

Tyrell Fortune (2-0) defeated Will Johnson (0-1) via TKO at 4:27 of round two

Quote: “It was a good fight and a good win, but I took a few shots the groin that really made it difficult for me tonight,” Tyrell Fortune said. “I’ll take the win, but I paid for it.”

Jordan Young (6-0) defeated Chris Harris (7-1) via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)

Justin Overton (4-2) defeat Gaston Reyno (6-2) via technical submission (rear-naked choke) at :34 of round two

Bruna Ellen (3-1) defeated Carmella James (0-1) via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Domo Garcia (1-0) defeated Will Lavine (0-1) via submission (triangle choke) at 2:08 of round two

Chance Rencountre (9-2) defeated Jake Lindsay (11-6) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Johnny Marigo (3-0) defeated Joe Fulk (4-5) via TKO at 1:23 of round one

Manny Meraz (9-3) defeated Scott Heston (4-2) via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Mike Breeden (1-0) defeated Craig Farley (0-1) via TKO at 4:38 of round 1

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

JOSH THOMSON RETURNS TO THE BELLATOR MMA CAGE AGAINST PATRICKY PITBULL FOR LIGHTWEIGHT FACEOFF AT SAP CENTER IN SAN JOSE ON FEB. 18

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HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. (January 27, 2017) – A lightweight feature bout pitting Josh Thomson (22-8, 1 NC) against Patricky “Pitbull” (16-8) will serve as the co-main event of Bellator 172 at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. on Feb. 18.

The contest joins a stacked main card that includes a pair of heavyweight competitors featuring Fedor Emelianenko (36-4, 1 NC) against Matt Mitrione(11-5) in the main event and Cheick Kongo (25-10-2) against Oli Thompson (17-9) in main card action. In addition, undefeated lightweights Adam Piccolotti (9-0) and Brent Primus (7-0) round out the Spike-televised main card. Additional contests will be announced shortly.

Bellator 172 will be broadcast live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary action will stream on Bellator.com and the Bellator Mobile App. Tickets for the event are on sale now at the SAP Center Box Office as well as Ticketmaster.com.

After earning victories in each of his first seven professional contests, the 38-year-old Thomson joined forces with the UFC and Strikeforce, stringing together an impressive resume that included notable wins over Nate Diaz and Gilbert Melendez. Now under the direction of Bellator MMA, “The Punk” has recorded back-to-back finishes in his first two bouts with the Scott Coker-led promotion. With 16 of his 22 career victories coming by way of knockout or submission, Thomson is always a threat to end his opponent’s night early. Hailing from San Jose, Calif., Thomson hopes to put on a show in front of his hometown faithful and move one step closer to finally meeting Bellator MMA Lightweight Champion Michael Chandler.

The 31-year-old “Pitbull” enters the cage for the 17th time under the Bellator MMA umbrella, second most in the promotion’s history behind only David Rickels. The Brazilian knockout artist continues to be at the forefront of Bellator MMA’s lightweight division and has tallied six wins over his past nine bouts, including a trio of knockouts over proven veterans Rickels, Derek Campos, and Ryan Couture. Hailing from Rio Grande Do Norte, Brazil, Freire has notched 10 knockouts over his professional career, with five of the finishes coming in the opening round of action. “Pitbull” will once again look to play the role of spoiler when he tries to take down San Jose’s own Thomson on Feb. 18.

 

Complete Bellator 172: Fedor vs. Mitrione Main Card:

Heavyweight Main Event: Fedor Emelianenko (36-4, 1 NC) vs. Matt Mitrione (11-5)

Lightweight Co-Main Event: Josh Thomson (22-8, 1 NC) vs. Patricky “Pitbull (16-8)

Heavyweight Feature Bout: Cheick Kongo (25-10-2) vs. Oli Thompson (17-9)

Lightweight Feature Bout: Adam Piccolotti (9-0) vs. Brent Primus (7-0)

 

Preliminary Bouts:

Welterweight Prelim Bout: James Terry (18-9) vs. David Douglas (9-6)

Lightweight Prelim Bout: Nikko Jackson (1-1) vs. Cesar Gonzalez (0-1)

Featherweight Prelim Bout: Juan Cardenas (1-0) vs. Luis Vargas (0-1)

Welterweight Prelim Bout: Danasabe Mohammed (5-1) vs. Carlos Rocha (9-4)

Flyweight Prelim Bout: Anthony Do (4-1) vs. Bobby Escalante (4-5)

Flyweight Prelim Bout: Matt Ramirez (1-2) vs. Jeremy Murphy (3-3)

Lightweight Prelim Bout: J.J. Okanovich (3-1) vs. Paradise Vaovasa (5-1)

Featherweight Prelim Bout: Justin Tenedora (Debut) vs. Roque Reyes (0-3)

M-1, M-1 Challenge, mixed martial arts, MMA, Russia

American middleweight Paul Bradley Steps up to challenge “Storm” Alexander Shlemenko in main event

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
M-1 Challenge 75, March 3, in Moscow, Russia
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (January 27, 2017) – American MMA veteran Paul “The Gentleman” Bradley has stepped up to meet the awesome challenge presented by 2016 M-1 Grand Prix middleweight champion Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko in the March 3rd M-1 Challenge 75 main event in Moscow.
M-1 Challenge 75 will be streamed live from Moscow in high definition on www.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register at www.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all the action on their computers, as well as on Android and Apple smart phones and tablets.
A three-time Bellator champion, Shlemenko (54-9-0. 1 NC, M-1: 4-0-0) defeated former M-1 Challenge champion Vyacheslav Vasilevsky last year in the M-1 Grand Prix Middleweight Championship semifinals and championship final, respectively, by three-round majority decision and third-round submission (choke).  Shlemenko vs. Vasilevsky I & II were also the M-1 Challenge 68 & 64 Fights of the Night.
Former Ring of Combat champion Bradley (23-7-0, M-1: 0-0-0) will be making his M-1 Challenge debut, however, he’s a seasoned MMA veteran having fought in the UFC, Strikeforce, Bellator and World Series of Fighting.
The 33-year-old Bradley, fighting out of San Diego (California), was a standout wrestler at the powerhouse University of Iowa.  He is known for his physical strength, tremendous endurance, and balanced stand-up and ground skills.
Undefeated M-1 Challenge welterweight champion Alexey Kunchenko (15-0-0, M-1: 7-0-0), of Russia, will defend his title in the co-feature against Maksin Grabovich (5-2-0, M-1: 4-0-0), of Russia, who replaced injured Kazakh challenger Shavkat Rakhmonov (7-0-0, M-1: 4-0-0).
Russian welterweight prospect Sergey “Streetfighter” Romanov (10-1-0, M-1: 3-0-0) meets Russian veteran Magomed “The White Wolf” Sultanakhmedov (18-5-0, M-1: 10-1-0), while another American fighter, lightweight Keon “The Black Assassin” Caldwell (11-3-0, M-1: 0-0-0), will make his M-1 Global debut against former M-1 Challenge lightweight champion Maxim Divnich (12-2-0, M-1: 6-2-0), of Ukraine.
Rounding out a loaded M-1 Challenge 75 main card is a middleweight clash between Russian favorite Valery “The Russian Hammer” Myasinikov (10-1-2, M-1: 1-1-2) and Spaniard Enoc Solves Torres (19-9-1, M-1: 5-6-1).
INFORMATION:

www.M1Global.tv

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@M1GlobalNews
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M-1 CHALLENGE EVENT CALENDAR:
 
M-1 Challenge 74 – Feb. 18, 2017 – St. Petersburg, Russia
M-1 Challenge 75 – March 3, 2017 – Moscow, Russia
boxing, mixed martial arts, MMA, Rich Bergeron, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, wrestling

FNU Combat Sports Show: Sonnen vs. Ortiz Recap, De La Hoya Arrest, And So Much More…

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This week on the Fight News Unlimited Combat Sports Show we discuss Tito Ortiz winning his way into retirement over arch rival Chael Sonnen, and we also preview upcoming MMA and boxing events. Tom, Tony and Rich provide in depth analysis and commentary after a week off from the show. 2017 is off to a slow start in the combat sports world, but this weekend gets things started in a huge way with dueling HBO and Showtime boxing cards and both Bellator and UFC events slated for the coming days. Join us as we discuss all things combat sports.