This week’s fight news unlimited combat sports show is a great mix of boxing and mixed martial arts. Tom, Tony and Rich cover all the action from last weekend and marvel at the master of his craft that is Vasyl Lomachenko. We discuss Chuck Liddell coming out of retirement with Golden Boy MMA, and Tito Ortiz taking the debate to be his first opponent. We also have a bit of a debate about Raquel Pennington telling her corner she wanted to be done after the fourth round against Amanda Nunes. Her coaches pep talked her into continuing, which led to more blood loss and facial damage from a clearly more hyped up and fresh opponent. Weigh in right here in the comment section if you have your own opinion on the situation.
This week’s FNU Combat Sports Show covers a wide range of topics. We start off with a discussion about Fedor Emelianenko’s demolition of Frank Mir in the latest installment of their heavyweight tourney. We go on to discuss the FBI’s shadowing of Fedor leading up to his fight last weekend. We discuss the big Cinco De Mayo boxing matches coming up this weekend and recap last week’s fights, including the ones Tony attended personally in Philadelphia. We also catch up on the latest TUF season featuring Daniel Cormier coaching against Stipe Miocic.
This week’s show features Tom, Tony and Rich chatting about the circus atmosphere surrounding UFC 223, starting with Conor McGregor’s hand cart throwing incident. We also recap the past week’s boxing and MMA events, and we even briefly discuss Ronda Rousey’s Wrestlemania performance and the news that Brock Lesnar recently signed an extension to stay with the WWE. Listen to the broadcast below:
Tony takes Tom and Rich backstage on the set of the newest Rocky movie, Creed 2, the sequel to the breakout performance from Michael B. Jordan as Appollo Creed’s son. We also discuss Anthony Joshua’s cruise to victory over Joseph Parker and the ESPN boxing card in Quincy, Massachusetts. Then we preview the return of some big MMA events this weekend with UFC 223 and a Bellator MMA and kickboxing event.
This week on the FNU Combat Sports Show, Tom, Tony and Rich discuss a wide range of topics. We even touch on a little WWE news at the end of the show. We begin with discussions about Anthony Joshua possibly signing to fight under the UFC Boxing banner and move on later in the show to preview his fight against Joseph Parker this weekend. We also cover the temporary suspension of Canelo Alvarez and the involvement of Mark Burnett in the new Professional Fighters League. Listen to the full show in the player below:
This week, Tom Tony and Rich get into some discussion about Floyd Mayweather, Jr. jumping into MMA. We also recap a big win by Alexander Volkov over Fabricio Werdum at the latest UFC Fight night and cover the upcoming boxing schedule and last weekend’s results.
CM Punk needs a draw to get us interested in his career. Even if he beats the ever living crap out of the next guy they feed him in the UFC Octagon, Punk will still have a lot to prove. Put him in against Mayweather in a welcome to MMA bout for the world-class boxer, and make it the dream setup for Floyd that gives him all the perks and sponsorship concessions he wants in the contract.
Floyd would be an automatic underdog going in against McGregor immediately in the cage. A challenger like CM Punk gives him more of a fighting chance. It gives CM punk a chance to really launch his career if he can beat Floyd.
The fact is, Mayweather can learn the sport of mixed martial arts quickly, and with his speed and athleticism, given more striking options he could actually shock us in his first MMA fight… if he really backs up his talk of fighting in the cage with action.
During the tour for the boxing match, Floyd repeatedly referenced the idea of fighting McGregor in the cage after the boxing match went his way. He doesn’t say things out loud that he doesn’t really think are true or could be true if he sunk his effort into it.
I had the good fortune of standing on the edge of the ring next to Leonard Ellerbe during a Mayweather training session in Las Vegas years ago.
Before he threw any punches on the mitts I asked him what he liked most about boxing. I didn’t attempt to get close during the big press rush, so I think he didn’t expect the question.
He sat silent, and I didn’t want it to go hanging like a bad fart in the wind. I asked it again, even louder. He didn’t look my way as he shadowboxed with himself. “Everything.” he finally conceded, and then he went to to work on exhibiting his speed and punching prowess for all the media to see.
Incorporating elbows, backfists, kicks and wrestling into his fighting routine could create a real monster out of Mayweather. Also, the money from boxing that would follow him to the cage could be tremendous for him and the UFC alike. It will take a ton of work at his age to adapt to the new sport, but CM Punk as a first opponent sets the bar fairly low with both men getting a chance to show they belong. Give them both a serious training camp, make a reality show out of it, and it could happen.
“Money” is already preparing to train in mixed martial arts with UFC Champ Tyron Woodley, and he heaped some praise on both Woodley and McGregor as fighters recently:
The MMA versus Boxing debate has been going on since long before I decided to do my own take on it with a series of radio shows pitting one expert against another. One of my favorites was “Iceman” John Scully against Ken Shamrock.
Anyone who thinks the best MMA fighter in his weight class demolishes Floyd has never watched him train. What could this guy do with a couple of tune-up fights and a title tilt? How about 9 months of hard training in takedown and submission defense?
Everybody and their brother who knows anything about MMA decides to use the argument of all the past boxers who failed at MMA. They remind us all of the freakshow fight involving Randy Couture easily defeating James Toney. Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is not only on a different level than James Toney was when he got the chance to fight in the cage, he’s on a different planet.
Floyd can afford the best trainers, the best of everything really in preparing to enter the UFC Octagon. He will spare no expense in finances and sweat equity in cementing his legacy as the best crossover fighter in the history of the boxing and MMA rivalry. Who has the best true athletes? Mayweather is representing boxing’s best, and he doesn’t have much time left to prove that a world class boxer can dominate the MMA scene with the right approach and strategy.
McGregor did prove that he could give Floyd a few fits in the boxing ring, but on the third fight into a UFC contract that match could happen again in the cage. Floyd just has to show he belongs, but the first step is having the guts to back up his words with actions. He did say on the boxing press tour for the McGregor fight that when he beat McGregor in his own craft, he would go to the UFC and beat Conor in the cage, too.
I anticipate a “Shark Tank” type of negotiation between Mayweather and UFC President Dana White. Floyd will need to get a piece of the promotion itself, access to a wild amount of sponsorship cash, options to collect on media income, and at least $10 million per fight in just base pay. To get the billion dollar contract he envisions, the lawyers will be ironing out the details for as long as Floyd decides he needs to train for his first fight.
Floyd could easily rake in $90+ million in sponsorship and media income to make $100 million per fight with Showtime executives in his corner and a familiarity with being in front of the cameras. A five fight deal means there is a 1/2 billion dollar gap unless I am underestimating how much the UFC would give Floyd for base pay. Even if he makes $200 million per fight, the rest would have to come out of the overall corporation itself as equity, which is what Conor McGregor has been asking for.
Floyd just has a bigger upside to being an owner/partner and would be a huge asset when it comes to the UFC wanting to promote boxing at some point. He can also bring his fans and everyone who wants to see him get whipped and schooled in the new discipline. He brings eyeballs, extreme attention and money with him wherever he goes. At a $5 billion valuation, the UFC would likely be able to part with a ten percent chunk of the promotion to bring Mayweather officially on board and get him locked in for a long-term deal.
The other area that Floyd could have a huge impact on is in attracting more boxers to cross over to MMA. We’ve seen football players like Matt Mitrione and Greg Hardy experience virtually immediate success in MMA, so why not a world class boxer like Floyd? 19-0 Pro Boxer Gervonta Davis is already hinting at following his protege Floyd to MMA and says he’s just waiting for Dana White’s phone call. Then there are the heavyweight boxers to think about bringing into the cage, and Word Champion Anthony Joshua is keen on giving it a shot, too.
So, the odds are high that Mayweather steps into the cage to compete by December of this year if you believe one of his most controversial videos to date on the subject:
Mayweather could be an incredible MMA fighter if given half the chance. He is not a man who takes a challenge like this lightly. He will have the best approach possible to get into cagefighting shape. He will bring all kinds of interest back to the boxing vs. MMA debate and actually might even inspire a whole new phase of that debate. The combat sports world as a whole will benefit if Floyd and the UFC can make this partnership work.
As for those who think Floyd will get eaten alive, they are certainly entitled to their opinion, but don’t use McGregor’s failure to adapt to boxing as your bar for Floyd. Mayweather will not take on a world class MMA fighter the first time he steps in the cage. He will not bring in the MMA equivalent of Paulie Malignaggi to get up to speed on the sport. He will spare no expense to get the best preparation possible. He’s already showing that to be true by bringing Tyron Woodley on as his official training partner. He will hand pick his first opponent and likely not get any crack at a title until two or three fights go his way.
Critics of people who think they can show up to an MMA gym and come out in six weeks at the UFC level will call me crazy, but Floyd truly is an amazing athlete who can quiet his doubters, and he’s not getting any younger. It’s now or never to solve that question of which sport is truly better at crafting the ideal fighter.
This week’s FNU Combat Sports Show starts off with Tom and Rich talking MMA for a while and then Tony joins in to cap off the show with a long boxing discussion. Listen to the whole broadcast below:
Tom, Rich and Tony recap UFC 222 and Deontay Wilder vs. Luis Ortiz, along with the last week’s biggest combat sports news stories. We have a short discussion about the Canelo Alvarez positive PED test, and we also preview upcoming boxing events.
HOUSTON, Texas – Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) and the two promotions that merged to create it, RFA and Legacy FC, saw several more alum show up in full force and shine on the biggest stage when the UFC hosted UFC 222 in Las Vegas this past weekend.
Seven former fighters competed, which included three former champions. The seven fighters included Brian Ortega, Sean O’Malley, Mackenzie Dern, Alexander Hernandez, Pedro Munhoz, Zak Ottow, and Jordan Johnson. That group made up 29.16% of the entire card. Six of the seven fighters were victorious with the lone loss coming via controversial split decision.
“I am always excited to watch the many fighters from LFA, RFA, and Legacy show what they can do in the UFC,” stated LFA CEO Ed Soares. “What we saw on Saturday night at UFC 222 is further proof that we are are producing the top prospects in MMA.”
In the co-main event, former RFA featherweight champion Brian Ortega, stole the show with a first round knockout of former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. The undefeated contender known as “T-City” is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous submission masters in the sport, but it was an uppercut that allowed him to become the first person to finish the future Hall of Famer. The win also earned Ortega a shot at the UFC featherweight title and a $50,000 UFC “Performance of the Night” bonus.
The “Sugar Show” was also in full effect on the main card as Sean O’Malley continued to wow fans with his creative and wildly entertaining striking arsenal against Andre Soukhamthath. The LFA standout unleashed a flurry that nearly finished his opponent at the end of Round 1. Soukhamthath was literally saved by the bell as he was stumbling around as the round ended. The second round saw O’Malley impress on the ground with his underrated submission attack. However, it was the third and final round, that etched O’Malley’s name in MMA lore. After badly injuring his right foot, to the point he couldn’t stand on it, O’Malley finished out the fight by grappling. The huge lead he had built on the score cards through the first two rounds gave him the Unanimous Decision win. It resulted in a $50,000 UFC “Fight of the Night” bonus and the first time Joe Rogan interviewed a winning fighter while he was lying on his back.
Mackenzie Dern made the most anticipated UFC debut of the year in the final fight of the preliminary card. The multiple-time jiu-jitsu world champion got her start in MMA with LFA and Legacy FC. Dern has since seen every step of her progression in the sport followed closely by media and fans alike. The daughter of legendary jiu-jitsu and judo black belt Wellington “Megaton” Dias, Dern possesses the greatest grappling skills of any woman to compete in MMA. Dern used those skills in her UFC debut to close out the final round on her opponent Ashley Yoder’s back. She was unable to finish the Rear Naked Choke, but it was enough to earn her the Split Decision win.
Alexander Hernandez made his UFC debut on a week’s notice against #12 ranked Beneil Dariush. Like the old adage states, “with great risk comes great reward.” The Texan powerhouse, who made his mark under the LFA and RFA banners, wasted no time in dispatching his heavily favored and much more experienced opponent. “Alexander The Great” connected with a big left hand to knock out Dariush in just 42-seconds. The win earned him the other $50,000 UFC “Performance of the Night” bonus.
Zak Ottow also picked up a quick first round win. The RFA and Legacy FC alum earned a TKO win over UFC mainstay Mike Pyle midway through the opening round. The bout served as Pyle’s retirement bout and Ottow gave a touching show of respect to Pyle in his post-fight interview. This was Ottow’s third UFC win and the first after signing a new extension with the promotion.
Jordan Johnson got things moving in the right direction for the LFA alum at UFC 222. The former RFA light-heavyweight champion kept his undefeated record intact with a Split Decision win over former UFC heavyweight Adam Milstead. The win should set up a marquee matchup for the man who was victorious in the final bout under the RFA banner.
In September 2016, RFA and Legacy FC officials announced that they would be merging to form LFA. This new powerhouse promotion would serve as the premier developmental organization in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) starting in January 2017. RFA and Legacy FC have launched the careers of over 130 athletes that have reached the pinnacle of MMA by competing in the UFC.
LFA returns this Friday, March 9th with LFA 35 – Newell vs. Luque. The main event will feature the comeback fight of bona fide MMA star and inspirational congenital amputee “Notorious” Nick Newell when he faces the gritty south Texan and Bellator vet Sonny “El Loco” Luque. The event will take place at the Arena Theatre in Houston, Texas.
LFA 35 will be the fourth LFA event to take place in the City of Houston. It will also be the ninth time that the LFA has traveled to “The Lone Star State” of Texas. The entire main card of LFA 35 will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.
