Category Archives: UFC

boxing, FNU Combat Sports Show, mixed martial arts, MMA, Rich Bergeron, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, UFC, UK Boxing

Psychic Tom Predicts Win For Mark Hunt; Rabble Rousin’ Rich Opens the Show with Demetrious Johnson vs. Dana White Rant; Tony the Tornado rips Stevenson/Fonfara on this week’s FNU Combat Sports Show

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Rich Bergeron opens this week’s FNU Combat Sports show by giving his unique take on the Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson feud with the UFC brass, namely Dana White. Upon refusing to take a fight with T.J. Dillashaw without getting certain assurances and conditions met, many fans on social media insisted DJ was running scared. Even Dillashaw took the opportunity to blast the move by the flyweight champ as “chickenshit.” Dana White even reportedly threatened to shut down the entire flyweight division if Johnson refused to fight TJ. “Mighty Mouse” didn’t blink and didn’t cave to the organization’s demands, and Rich explains in his opening dialogue why DJ should be respected and given the benefit of the doubt for his decision rather than being criticized and dragged through the mud for standing up for himself.

 

During the rest of the broadcast, Tony “The Tornado” Penecale details his night out at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia for a fight card headlined by Hank Lundy. He also recaps Fonfara vs. Stevenson II and calls the fight “a disgrace.”

 

“Psychic” Tom Padgett chips in with some post-fight analysis of Aldo vs. Holloway. He also predicts Mark Hunt will benefit from home cage advantage in his battle with Derrick Lewis this weekend at UFC Fight Night 110 in New Zealand.

 

There’s also an update on Hunt’s lawsuit against the UFC and Brock Lesnar and lots of other fight previews and recaps. Listen to the whole broadcast to catch up on what’s new in combat sports this week.

Fight Network, M-1, M-1 Challenge, mixed martial arts, MMA, Russia, UFC

Fight Network to Live Broadcast M-1 Challenge 79, Fight Nights Global 68, LFA 13 & Extensive UFC 212 Fight Coverage

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For Immediate Release – May 31, 2017

TORONTO – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 multi-platform channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents another busy weekend of live events, beginning this Thursday, June 1 with M-1 Challenge 79: Shlemenko vs. Halsey 2 from St. Petersburg, Russia, which kicks off at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Airing live exclusively across Canada, M-1 Challenge 79: Shlemenko vs. Halsey 2 is headlined by a highly anticipated middleweight rematch between former Bellator MMA champions Alexander Shlemenko(55-9) and Brandon Halsey (9-2). In other featured bouts, German welterweight Arda Adas (7-2) enters enemy territory against Russia’s Sergey Romanov (11-1), Brazilian lightweight Michel Silva (18-5) throws down with Alexey Makhno (13-5), Spanish middleweight Enoc Solves Torres (19-9) meets Oleg Olenyechev (8-4) and Serbian featherweight Dragan Pesic (13-7) faces off with Khamzat Dalgiev (8-1).

The live M-1 Challenge 79: Shlemenko vs. Halsey 2 main card will immediately follow the M-1 Selectionprelims, which kick off at 12 p.m. ET and air live on Fight Network in Canada, the U.S. and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The M-1 Selection broadcast features American bantamweight Josh Rettinghouse (14-4) taking on Kyrgyzstan’s Bakhtiyar Toichubaev (7-3), while undefeated Temirlan Sharipov (3-0) meets Danila Prikaza (6-1) in an all-Russian welterweight affair.

The Russian city of St. Petersburg will play host to more live action on Friday, June 2 at 12 p.m. ET, as Fight Nights Global 68 airs live on Fight Network in Canada and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The light heavyweight title is up for grabs in the main event as undefeatedSergey Pavlovich (10-0) takes on Mikhail Mokhnatkin (9-1-2). Meanwhile, a heavyweight superfight is set for the co-main event, with unbeaten Russian powerhouse Vitaly Minakov (19-0) taking on former EliteXC kingpin and UFC title challenger Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva (19-11). Rounding out the star-studded card,Stjepan Bekavac (19-6) welcomes UFC veteran Nikita Krylov (21-5) to the promotion, Tony Johnson Jr.(10-3) squares off with Baga Agaev (28-19) in a heavyweight encounter, Asif Tagiev (5-2-1) meets Dmitry Aryshev (5-5-1) in a welterweight bout, plus unbeaten Israeli prospect Jackie Gosh (7-0) looks to extend his perfect mark against Russia’s Oleg Dadonov (6-1).

On Friday, June 2 at 9 p.m. ET, Legacy Fighting Alliance invades Burbank, Calif. for LFA 13: Millender vs. Holland, featuring pivotal duels in the welterweight division, as Curtis Millender (11-3) takes on Kevin Holland (9-2), while Karen Darabedyan (12-6) faces Sam Liera (12-9). In light heavyweight bouts,Dominick Reyes (5-0) takes on Jordan Powell (8-6), while Alonzo Menifield (2-0) battles Khadzhimurat Bestaev (4-1). A bantamweight bout between undefeated American Kyler Phillips (3-0) and Mexico’sJonathan Quiroz (2-1) will round out the card, which airs live on Fight Network in Canada and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Finally, on Saturday, June 3, Fight Network presents extensive live pre and post-fight coverage for UFC 212: Aldo vs. Holloway from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. But first, the live weigh-ins will be televised on Fight Network on Friday, June 2 at 6 p.m. ET, with all the stars tipping the scales ahead of their pay-per-view showdowns.

The UFC 212 PRE-FIGHT SHOW will air live on Fight Network in Canada on Saturday, June 3 at 7 p.m. ET leading into the LIVE PRELIMS on TSN3. The UFC 212 PRE-FIGHT SHOW will feature featherweight contender Cub Swanson, middleweight champion Michael Bisping and former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans working as desk analysts with host Karyn Bryant and reporter Laura Sanko conducting on-site fighter interviews in Brazil.

At the conclusion of Saturday’s pay-per-view broadcast, the live UFC 212 POST-FIGHT SHOW at approximately 1 a.m. ET on Fight Network features highlights, analysis and post-fight interviews.

For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit www.fightnetwork.com, follow us on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.
Bellator, boxing, mixed martial arts, MMA, Rich Bergeron, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, UFC, UK Boxing

FNU Combat Sports Show: McGregor Agrees to Mayweather fight contract, big weekend ahead for boxing

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This week’s show features Rich and Tom bragging about their UFC 211 main event predictions from last week. Tony also gets ample opportunities to talk about boxing this week with a ton of pugilism scheduled to go down all over the world this weekend. We also preview Bellator’s busy weekend with a huge card Friday night in the UK headlined by a battle between Rory MacDonald and Paul Daley.

boxing, FNU Combat Sports Show, mixed martial arts, MMA, Rich Bergeron, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, UFC

FNU Combat Sports Show: Joshua vs. Klitschko Recap, Anderson Silva Threatens UFC Retirement

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The FNU Combat Sports show concentrates heavily on boxing this week with the big heavyweight bout between Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko to review and discuss first. Then we move on to preview Cinco De Mayo weekend in The Sweet Science, which is headlined by a Saturday night fight between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Julio Cesar Chavez Junior. Additionally, we discuss some additions to UFC 213, Anderson Silva’s retirement threat, the creation of a women’s featherweight division in the UFC for the next season of The Ultimate Fighter, and the viral video featuring the demolition of a Tai Chi “Master” by an MMA fighter. Listen to the broadcast below.

 

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

FNU Combat Sports Show: “Raging” Al Goes Off on Dana White, Klitschko vs. Joshua Preview & Event Recaps

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It’s an early installment of the FNU Combat Sports Show this week since Co-host “Tornado” Tony Penecale will be busy in his role as the Phillies Superphan tomorrow night at the NFL Draft. We discuss “Raging” Al Iaquinta’s tirade against the UFC and Dana White, recap Bellator 178 and UFC Fight Night 108, and preview the big heavyweight boxing match between Wladimir Klitschko and Anthony Joshua on Saturday. We also discuss the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter and last week’s boxing events.

 

mixed martial arts, MMA, Rich Bergeron, UFC

Raging Al Iaquinta Interview By Ariel Helwani is Must See TV

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By: Rich Bergeron

UFC Lightweight Contender “Raging” Al Iaquinta (13-3) is certainly solidifying his nickname these days. From his dismantling of UFC Legend Diego Sanchez last Saturday night to his public disagreements with the most popular MMA league on the planet, Iaquinta is putting it all on the line lately.

 

Despite the fact that Iaquinta is on a five-fight win streak in the Octagon and has two more fights left on his UFC contract, he told Ariel Helwani in the above interview that it is “probable” he will not be fighting again in the near future.

 

Iaquinta’s self-imposed hiatus from the UFC has nothing to do with a lack of love for the sport, though. He’s just fed up with the politics and sick of being singled out for speaking his mind about fighter pay and other issues. He covers everything from weight cutting to the Reebok deal and unionization of fighters in the interview with Helwani. He also insists he would enjoy being fully involved in efforts to fix all these issues.

 

Perhaps the most outrageous and entertaining aspect of the interview is how Al rips UFC President Dana White. Using just as many expletives as “The Baldfather” himself likes to employ when he’s angry, Iaquinta gets most animated about White calling the plane ride home the best part of UFC Brooklyn. Iaquinta goes on to point out that White never had an injury in the sport of MMA and should keep his mouth shut about certain aspects of fighting that he has no clue about.

 

That part of Iaquinta’s argument sounds almost identical to the sentiment we shared here on Fight News Unlimited over a year ago with our “Open FU” to White. Back then we were criticizing the UFC President for his treatment of Holly Holm and her management team.

 

Listening to the Helwani interview is all the more entertaining and interesting if you can imagine a fighters’ association with Iaquinta as the president. It would be the best development possible to pay White back for all his own brash, in your face, tell-it-like-it-is ranting over the years. It would be fighting fire with fire, and listening to both of these characters argue with each other would be astronomically better than any of the debates that made up the chaotic 2016 Presidential Election in the United States.

 

It is highly unlikely that Iaquinta would be able to take on such a prominent role in such an association before his UFC contract officially runs out, though. Still, it is one of the most opportune times in the history of the sport of MMA for fighters to learn how to band together and exercise their solidarity to generate serious change. From the Reebok deal’s flaws to the new UFC owners taking a more insensitive corporate approach to management to the McGregor vs. Mayweather fight purse talks, there are a lot of motivating factors in place right now to force a major development on the union/association front.

 

And “Uncle Dana” can “go F$%k himself” (as Al Iaquinta might say) if he thinks he can stop that train from rumbling down the tracks. More fighters need to learn from Iaquinta and follow in his f-bombing footsteps if anything is really going to get better in the near future. Whether it involves foul language or not, though, the argument for change needs to generate more commentary from the fighters who are directly experiencing the difficulties of getting by on a typical MMA fighter’s salary.  The days of keeping your mouth shut and staying in line to make sure you get the best fights and the best opportunities for extra income are coming to an end. It’s truly time for more shortchanged fighters to knock the silver spoon out of Dana White’s mouth and get to work on improving the status quo by any means necessary.

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

FNU Combat Sports Show: UFC Fight Night and Bellator 177 Recap and upcoming MMA and Boxing Schedule

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This week’s broadcast features recaps and previews of MMA and boxing events around the world. Tony, Tom and Rich also discuss politics and go off on a couple tangents here and there. We make it the whole episode this week without mentioning MacGregor vs. Mayweather even once.

We do break down some huge upcoming fights with Andre Berto taking on Shawn Porter in the main event on Showtime this week and a fourth MMA fight between Daniel Straus and Patricio “Pitbull” Friere at Bellator 178 on Friday night. We also have another UFC fight night to discuss and last week’s MMA results to go over.

 

Combate Americas, Fight Network, M-1, M-1 Challenge, mixed martial arts, MMA, One Championship, UFC

Fight Network Presents 5 Live Events Over 3 Days Starting Tonight, April 20

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For Immediate Release – April 20, 2017

Including UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Swanson vs. Lobov Prelims, ONE Championship: Kings of Destiny, LFA 10: Heinisch vs. Rota, M-1 Challenge 76 and Combate Americas 13

TORONTO – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 multi-platform channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents three action-packed days of live mixed martial arts, beginning tonight, Thursday, April 20, with Combate Americas 13 from Tucson, Arizona, kicking off globally with the live prelims at 8 p.m. ET and at 10 p.m. ET in Canada with the live main card, which follows a live edition of IMPACT Wrestling at 8 p.m. ET.

The action continues on Friday, April 21 at 8:30 a.m. ET with a live Canadian broadcast of ONE Championship: Kings of Destiny from Manila, Philippines. Later, at 9 p.m. ET, LFA 10: Heinisch vs. Rota emanates from Pueblo, Colorado and airs live on Fight Network in Canada and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

On Saturday, April 22, M-1 Global returns with a live doubleheader, beginning at 10 a.m. ET with M-1 Selection 76, which airs live in Canada, the U.S. and globally in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The M-1 Challenge 76 main card airs live exclusively in Canada at 1 p.m. ET.

Finally, Fight Network will deliver extensive coverage of UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Swanson vs. Lobov across Canada on Saturday, April 22, starting at 7 p.m. ET with the live UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Swanson vs. LobovPRE-FIGHT SHOW leading into LIVE PRELIMS on Fight Network. The main card airs live on TSN5. TheUFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Swanson vs. Lobov PRE-FIGHT SHOW will feature UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley and retired UFC lightweight contender Yves Edwards serving as desk analysts with host Karyn Bryant and reporter Laura Sanko conducting on-site fighter interviews.

At the conclusion of Saturday’s main card, the live UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Swanson vs. Lobov POST-FIGHT SHOW on Fight Network features highlights, analysis and post-fight interviews.

The stacked lineup for tonight’s Combate Americas 13, starting at 8 p.m. ET globally on Fight Network and 10 p.m. ET with the main card in Canada, includes:

-Roman Salazar (10-5) vs. Ricky Palacios (7-1)

-Irwin Rivera (5-2) vs. Kevin Natividad (2-0)

-Benny Madrid (9-3) vs. Chad Dietmeyer (8-2)

-Daniel Rodriguez (3-0) vs. Joel Champion (4-0)

-Erick Sanchez (7-3) vs. Randy Steinke (17-10-1)
-Victor Reyna (8-3) vs. Andrew Perez (5-4)
-Stephanie Alba (3-1) vs. Alesha Zappitella (2-0)

ONE Championship: Kings of Destiny, airing on Friday, April 21 at 8:30 a.m. ET across Canada, is headlined by lightweight kingpin Eduard Folayang defending his title against surging Ev Ting. The full card includes:

-Eduard Folayang (17-5) vs. Ev Ting (13-3) – ONE lightweight title
-Kevin Belingon (14-5) vs. Toni Tauru (11-4-1)
-Danny Kingad (5-0) vs. Muhammad Aiman (2-1)

-Eugene Toquero (8-4) vs. Stefer Rahardian (4-0)
-Chan Rothana (4-2) vs. Xie Bin (2-1)

-Gina Iniong (4-2) vs. Natalie Hills (2-4)
-Michelle Nicolini (3-1) vs. Irina Mazepa (2-0)

-Robin Catalan (4-3) vs. Jeremy Miado (6-0)
-Christian Lee (5-1) vs. Jianping Wan (2-2)
-Honorio Banario (11-6) vs. Jaroslav Jartim (6-5-1)

LFA 10: Heinisch vs. Rota, airing on Friday, April 21 at 9 p.m. ET across Canada and globally on Fight Network, features the following lineup:

-Ian Heinisch (7-0) vs. Lucas Rota (12-6)

-Nick Urso (9-3) vs. Brandon Royval (5-2)
-Zac Riley (5-3) vs. Jerome Rivera (5-0)

-Dominic Montoya (7-0) vs. Slobodan Maksimovic (12-5-1)

-Andrew Yates (9-2) vs. Andrew Tenneson (5-1)
-Adam Martinez (3-1) vs. Maikel Perez (1-0)

-Cody Yohn (3-1) vs. Mike Jones (4-2)

Saturday’s M-1 Global doubleheader begins with a live global broadcast of M-1 Selection 76 at 10 a.m. ET, which will include the following bouts:

-Javier Fuentes (9-3) vs. Khamzat Sakalov (4-2)
-Elnur Veliev (6-0) vs. Zalimbek Omarov (7-2)
-Anatoly Lyagu (5-1) vs. Abubakar Mestoev (4-0)
-Evgeniy Goncharov (5-2) vs. Daniil Arepyev (7-1)
-Alexey Valivakhin (10-5) vs. Ingishkan Ozdoev (0-0)

The M-1 Challenge 76 main card airs live across Canada at 1 p.m. ET and is headlined by a clash for the M-1 bantamweight championship. The full fight card includes:

-Movsar Evloev (6-0) vs. Alexei Nevzorov (12-2) – M-1 bantamweight title
-Khamzat Dalgiev (8-1) vs. Heliton dos Santos (15-5)
-Timur Nagibin (8-2) vs. Diego D’Avila (18-5)

-Sergey Morozov (6-2) vs. Fabricio Sarraff (22-9)

-Zalimbeg Omarov (7-2-1) vs. Elnur Veliev (6-0-1)

Saturday’s UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: Swanson vs. Lobov PRELIMS air live on Fight Network across Canada at 8 p.m. ET. The star-studded four-bout card includes:

-Thales Leites (26-7) vs. Sam Alvey (30-8)
-Dustin Ortiz (16-6) vs. Brandon Moreno (13-3)

-Scott Holtzman (9-2) vs. Michael McBride (8-2)

-Jessica Penne (12-5) vs. Danielle Taylor (8-2)

For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit www.fightnetwork.com, follow us on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.
Bellator, boxing, mixed martial arts, MMA, Rich Bergeron, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, UFC

FNU Combat Sports Show: Johnson vs. Reis Preview, The Undertaker Retires, NASCAR Fights

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Rabble Rousin’ Rich Bergeron, “Psychic” Tom Padgett and Tony “The Tornado” Penecale discuss the news and events of the last two weeks in combat sports. From Rampage Jackson’s rough final fight in Bellator to Chris Weidman’s controversial loss to Gegard Mousasi we cover all the major MMA happenings. We also discuss the upcoming week’s boxing schedule and look back at some events in boxing from the last two weeks. We wrap up with a discussion about NASCAR and Bellator taking advantage of their common partnership with Monster energy drink. The two sports giants announced recently that Bellator will host fight cards at future racing events.