Tag Archives: Anderson Silva

boxing

beIN SPORTS Inks Deal to Present Undercard Bouts for Tribute to the Kings – Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., vs. Anderson Silva Boxing Event – Live, Saturday, June 19

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Live from Jalisco Stadium, Guadalajara, Mexico – Saturday, June 19





Las Vegas, NV – The undercard for Tribute to the Kings – Anderson Silva vs. Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. is coming to beIN SPORTS Saturday, June 19. The network announces it will broadcast the entire undercard live from Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico Saturday, June 19 starting at 7:00 p.m. EST.


“World-class boxing has been a key component of our offering since beIN SPORTS launched and this latest addition to our lineup continues this tradition,” said Antonio Briceño, Managing Director for beIN SPORTS in North America. “We are excited to bring these highly anticipated matchups to our passionate fans, especially those in our U.S. Hispanic community.”


“Real boxing fans know that beIN SPORTS is the premier destination for premier fights, so we are pleased to have its global network of sports channels presenting our ‘Tribute to the Kings’ live undercard Saturday, June 19,” said Armando Bareno, CEO and Founder, Global Sports Streaming. “This deal with beIN SPORTS allows us to deliver a complete night of competitive boxing – from the first bout to the Anderson Silva vs. Julio Cesar Chavez, Junior marquis matchup – to fight fans all over the world.”


beIN SPORTS will present seven big fights prior to the start of the Pay-Per-View portion of the Tribute To The Kings card.
 
The undercard headliner on beIN SPORTS will be the super featherweight clash between Jose Acosta and Leonardo Padilla.


Acosta of Guadalajara, Mexico is 15-2-1 with 10 knockouts. The 22 year-old is a five-year professional who owns a win over previously undefeated Jorge Zavala.


Padilla of Petare, Venezuela has a record of 19-3 with 14 knockouts. The 25 year-old is a seven-year professional, and has won the WBA Fedebol Super Featherweight title with a win Daniel Miranda (13-2). He has also fought current WBA Super Featherweight world champion Roger Gutierrez. Padilla is coming off a win over Dionis Martinez on December 19th.


Cesar Gutierrez (11-0, 4 KOs) of Guadalajara, Mexico fights Oscar Mejia (14-4, 6 KOs) of Auguscalientes, Mexico in a featherweight contest.


Mario Ramirez (15-1, 4 KOs) of Camalu, Mexico will take on Pedro Castro (8-2, 4 KOs) in a super feather battle.


Jose Vazquez (2-0, 1 KO) of Guadalajara, Mexico squares off Jonathan Perez (6-1, 3 KOs) of Morelio, Mexico in a featherweight affair.


Erik Inunza (7-2, 7 KOs) of Culican, Mexico fights Carlos Daniel Acosta (8-4) of Guadalajara, Mexico in a super featherweight fight.


In swing bout action:


Oscar Munguia (9-0, 4 KOs) of Guadalajara, Mexico takes on Ricardo Badilo (7-1, 1 KO) in a Featherweight bout.


Karen Rubio (5-1) who is a cousin to the Chavez family of Culican, Mexico will fight Estefany Alegria (1-0) of Guadalajara, Mexico in a bantamweight fight.


Headlining the Tribute to the Kings Pay-Per-View portion of the event will be MMA legend “The Spider” Anderson Silva competing in his first major boxing match vs. Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.


The co-main event will see the great Julio Cesar Chavez Senior take the ring for the last time to fight Hector “Little Macho” Camacho Jr., the son of the man he beat in the historic boxing match “Chavez vs. Camacho in 1992.


Tribute to the Kings – Chavez Jr. vs. Silva will be available for live viewing on cable, shown on cable, satellite and digital Pay Per View, starting at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, on for a suggested retail price of only $39.99. Integrated Sports Media and Joe Hand Promotions will distribute throughout North America via DirecTV, iN Demand, Vubiquity, DISH, SaskTel, Rogers, Shaw PPV and via the FITE.TV website and app in the United States, Canada and select markets world-wide.


In the televised opener of the live Pay-Per-View, Kevin “Diamond Boy” Torres will fight Jorge Luis “Silencioso” Melendez in an eight-round junior welterweight fight. The main card also includes a much-anticipated trilogy bout and rubber match between Omar Chavez and Ramon Alvarez, and a heated 10-round battle for the NABO Super Welterweight Title between Damian “Samurai” Sosa and Abel “Authentico” Mina.


For more information about Tribute to the Kings, visit www.TributetotheKings.com.


For more information, please visit www.beINSPORTS.com. Follow us on Instagram @beINSPORTSUSA, Twitter at @beINSPORTSUSA and @ESbeINSPORTS, and like us on Facebook beIN SPORTS USA for breaking news and real-time updates.


About beIN SPORTS USA
Launched in 2012, beIN SPORTS offers viewers world-class sports content and entertainment across multiple platforms including TV channels beIN SPORTS and beIN SPORTS en Español, live streaming on beIN SPORTS CONNECT, and free English-language network, beIN SPORTS XTRA. A cornerstone of beIN SPORTS is its unrivaled live soccer coverage, which includes live matches from Ligue 1,Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, Recopa Sudamericana, Coupe de France, Turkish Süper Lig, Africa Cup of Nations, CAF Confederation Cup, CAF Champions League and International Friendlies as well as news and in-depth analysis of all the top leagues from around the world. In addition to soccer, beIN SPORTS serves as a haven for fans of wrestling, mixed martial arts (MMA), skiing and handball, among others. Through beIN SPORTS CONNECT, authenticated subscribers can also enjoy all the exciting action from the two networks and stream live overflow matches offered in HD on their computer, tablet or smartphone. Fans can also experience live high-quality sports properties for free via beIN SPORTS XTRA. This includes season-long access to XTRA soccer matches, XTRA combat sports, XTRA adventure sports, XTRA original studio productions, and a robust library of historically relevant sporting events. Follow beIN SPORTS on Instagram at @beINSPORTSUSA, Twitter at @beINSPORTSUSA and @ESbeINSPORTS, and Facebook at beIN SPORTS USA for the latest updates on beIN SPORTS coverage. For more information, visit www.beINSPORTS.com and www.beINSPORTSXTRA.com.
boxing

Jorge Acosta vs Leonardo Padilla highlights Non Pay-Per-View action before Tribute To The Kings on Saturday, June 19th

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Jose Acosta vs. Leonardo Padilla highlights Non Pay-Per-View action before
Tribute To The Kings
on Saturday, June 19th at Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico




JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ, JR. vs. ANDERSON SILVA
“TRIBUTE TO THE KINGS” – SATURDAY, JUNE 19 LIVE ON PAY-PER-VIEW



Guadalajara, Mexico (June 10, 2021) –Seven big fights will be featured before the big Tribute To The Kings Pay-Per-view on Saturday June 19th at The Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico.
 
Headlining the non pay-per-view action will be a eight-round super featherweight clash between Jose Acosta and Leonardo Padilla.


Acosta of Guadalajara, Mexico is 15-2-1 with 10 knockouts. The 22 year-old is a five-year professional who owns a win over previously undefeated Jorge Zavala.


Padilla of Petare, Venezuela has a record of 19-3 with 14 knockouts. The year-old is a seven-year professional, and has won the WBA Fedebol Super Featherweight title with a win Daniel Miranda (13-2). He has also fought current WBA Super Featherweight world champion Roger Gutierrez. Padilla is coming off a win over Dionis Martinez on December 19th.


Cesar Gutierrez (11-0, 4 KOs) of Guadalajara, Mexico fights Oscar Mejia (14-4, 6 KOs) of Auguscalientes, Mexico in a six-round featherweight contest.


Mario Ramirez (15-1, 4 KOs) of Camalu, Mexico will take on Pedro Castro (8-2, 4 KOs) in a eight-round super feather battle.


Jose Vazquez (2-0, 1 KO) of Guadalajara, Mexico squares off Jonathan Perez (6-1, 3 KOs) of Morelio, Mexico in a eight-round featherweight affair.


Erik Inunza (7-2, 7 KOs) of Culican, Mexico fights Carlos Daniel Acosta (8-4) of Guadalajara, Mexico in a six-round super featherweight fight.


In swing bouts:


Oscar Munguia (9-0, 4 KOs) of Guadalajara, Mexico takes on Ricardo Badilo (7-1, 1 KO) in a Featherweight bout.


Karen Rubio (5-1) who is a cousin to the Chavez family of Culican, Mexico will fight Estefany Alegria (1-0) of Guadalajara, Mexico in a four-round bantamweight fight.


Headlining the Tribute to the Kings Pay-Per-View portion of the event will be MMA legend “The Spider” Anderson Silva competing in his first major boxing match vs. Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.
 
The co-main event will see the great Julio Cesar Chavez Senior take the ring for the last time to fight Hector “Little Macho” Camacho, the son of the man he beat in the historic boxing match “Chavez vs. Camacho in 1992.
 
Tribute to the Kings – Chavez Jr. vs. Silva will be available for live viewing on cable, shown on cable, satellite and digital Pay Per View, starting at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, on for a suggested retail price of only $39.99. Integrated Sports Media and Joe Hand Promotions will distribute throughout North America via DirecTV, iN Demand, Vubiquity, DISH, SaskTel, Rogers, Shaw PPV and via the FITE.TVwebsite and app in the United States, Canada and select markets world-wide.
 
In addition to Silva vs. Chavez, Jr., Tribute to The Kings will see Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. make his final ring appearance when he takes on Hector Camacho, Jr. in a six round exhibition. Camacho will fight Chavez in honor of his late father and Boxing Hall of Famer, Hector “Macho” Camacho, who lost to Chavez in their historic fight in 1992.
 
In the televised opener of the live Pay-Per-View, Kevin “Diamond Boy” Torres will fight Jorge Luis “Silencioso” Melendez in an eight-round junior welterweight fight. The main card also includes a much-anticipated trilogy bout and rubber match between Omar Chavez and Ramon Alvarez, and a heated 10-round battle for the NABO Super Welterweight Title between Damian “Samurai” Sosa and Abel “Authentico” Mina.
 
For more information about Tribute to the Kings, visit www.TributetotheKings.com.
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.

 

mixed martial arts, MMA, UFC

Anderson Silva, Jon Jones, Eddie Alvarez, MMA Bouts and Three Other Combat Tournaments Headline MMA World Expo, Saturday, Dec. 12 in New York City

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MMA superstars to meet and greet guests at annual extravaganza, also hosting bouts in Muay Thai, catch wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,
as well as vendors and seminars

NEW YORK, December 9 — The sixth annual MMA World Expo, the East Coast’s premiere Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) gathering presented by City World Ford, will return to New York’s Jacob Javits Center, North Pavilion, on Saturday, December 12. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) superstars Jon “Bones” Jones, Anderson “The Spider” Silva and Eddie Alvarez will be on hand for the event, which promises to be larger than ever, with four, live combat sports tournaments, including amateur MMA bouts in the cage, seminars and vendors.

Also on hand at the Expo will be World Series of Fighting two-division world champion David Branch, as well as World Series of Fighting executives Carlos Silva (CEO) and Ray Sefo (President), who will take part in a question and answer session with the media and fans, and reveal news about the league’s plans for 2016.

Branch, the reigning World Series of Fighting middleweight (185 pounds) and light heavyweight (205 pounds) champion, will host a special, one-hour seminar for Expo patrons.

“The MMA World Expo is a phenomenal opportunity to service a population of highly passionate MMA fans who do not yet have the opportunity to spectate professional bouts in the state of New York,” said Paul Paone, founder and director of the MMA World Expo.

“This year’s event will feature an unprecedented number of combat sports tournaments to satisfy any fight fan, including amateur MMA, catch wrestling, Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.”

The one-day, “Super Saturday” event will take place from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. ET, and will be capped off by live amateur MMA bouts in the cage, presented by the New York Fight Exchange. The fight card will begin at 6 p.m.

In addition to the MMA fights, there will be live competition in four combat disciplines that are a core part of MMA. Beginning at 10 a.m., submission-only grappling tournaments, both gi and no-gi, hosted by The Good Fight, will take place.

Beginning at 4 p.m., the North American Catch Wrestling Association will host catch wrestling matches, including a match between reigning, two-time East Coast King of Catch Wrestling, Thomas Velasquez, and rival, West Coast King of Catch Wrestling, Travis Newaza, for the 2015 North American Heavyweight King of Catch championship.

Throughout the event, “Training-with-the-Masters” seminars will be available to attendees. Instructors include Ajarn Phil Nurse (Muay Thai), UFC Hall of FamerDan “The Beast” Severn, Silva, Alvarez and Newaza.

The MMA World Expo will continue to play its role in the fight for professional MMA legalization by conducting its sixth annual legalization panel discussion, distributing petitions, and putting on display all of the athletes, coaches, fans and vendors who contribute to the sport. The two-hour legalization seminar will be hosted by combat sports journalist Jim Genia, and special guests will include Severn and other notable MMA figures.

For more information about the event visit http://www.mmaworldexpo.com, “like” us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @mmaworldexpo, or call 212-956-4720.

About MMA World Expo:

The MMA World Expo was begun in 2009 and has held all events in the Jacob Javits Center in New York.

Past MMA World Expo signers have included Matt Hughes, Frankie Edgar, Randy Couture, Jon Jones, Carlos Condit, Fabricio Werdum, Matt Serra, Jim and Dan Miller, Jamie Varner, Nate Diaz, Wanderlei Silva, among others.

Training-with-the-Masters series instructors have included: Dan Severn, Renzo Gracie, Marcelo Garcia, Phil Nurse, Howard Davis Jr., Coban Lookchaomaesaitong, Lee Kemp, Jimmy Pedro among others.

Past vendors have included Toyota, Xyience, Headrush, Muscle Pharm, Combat Sports, Everlast, Vitamin Shoppe, Zebra Mats, Met-Rx, Monster Rings and Cages, US Marines, Dymatize, World Series of Fighting, Spartan Race, M-I Entertainment, among others.
mixed martial arts, World Series of Fighting

CHAEL SONNEN JOINS WORLD SERIES OF FIGHTING AS COLOR COMMENTATOR FOR LIVE NBCSN TELECASTS

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Decorated MMA superstar to call the world championship action
at WSOF 23: “Gaethje vs. Palomino II” in Phoenix, Ariz. on Friday, Sept. 18

LAS VEGAS (September 1, 2015) –Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) superstar Chael Sonnen has signed on with World Series of Fighting (WSOF.com) as a color commentator for multiple events, and will call his first action with veteran play-by-play announcer Todd Harris, at the highly-anticipated “WSOF 23: Gaethje vs. Palomino II” world championship doubleheader mega-event, live on NBCSN from Phoenix, Ariz. on Friday, Sept. 18 at 10 p.m. ET.

“I am stoked to join the powerhouse team at World Series of Fighting, and call their fights that feature some of the best mixed martial artists on the planet,” said Sonnen “World Series of Fighting has done an outstanding job of building their organization into a top-tier franchise in a very short span of time, and I am just proud to be a part of such a fast-growing company.

“We are thrilled to have Chael Sonnen, one of the most colorful individuals in professional sports, join our production,” said World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo.  “We are confident Chael will enhance the fan viewing experience both for our growing national audience on NBCSN and across the globe by providing the insights he learned competing at the highest level of the sport.”

The 38-year-old Sonnen is a former three-time UFC world championship challenger, NCAA Division I All-American wrestler and two-time PAC-10 runner-up for the University of Oregon and 2000 Greco-Roman World University championships silver medalist.

As an analyst, Sonnen has covered the sport of MMA for ESPN and FOX Sports 1.

The live NBCSN telecast of “WSOF 23: Gaethje vs. Palomino II” begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Friday, Sept. 18 from Comerica Theatre.  In the main event, undefeated reigning World Series of Fighting Lightweight (155 pounds) Champion Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje (14-0) will put his coveted title on the line for the second time against hard-hitting challenger Luis “Baboon” Palomino (23-10), six months after the two engaged in an all-out slugfest that is widely regarded as a “Fight of the Year” candidate.

In the co-main event, David Branch (16-3) will attempt to become the promotion’s first two-division champion and first World Series of Fighting light heavyweight (205 pounds) champion in history when he squares off with determined, hard-hitting KO artist Teddy Holder (9-1) in the championship round of the four-man, multi-event tournament that kicked off at Comerica Theatre on March 28.

About World Series of Fighting (WSOF)
“World Series of Fighting” (WSOF.com) is a world wide premier professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight promotion dedicated to delivering the best action-packed fights for fight fans by producing the best possible match-ups between elite fighters from around the world. For more information please visit WSOF.com. Follow “World Series of Fighting” on Twitter @MMAWorldSeries and “World Series of Fighting” President Ray Sefo @SugarRaySefo.
Fight Network, kickboxing, martial arts, mixed martial arts

Fight Network weekly MMA & kickboxing programming (Feb. 23-Mar. 1)

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Fight Network is a 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports. It airs programs focused on the entire scope of the combat sports genre, including live fights and up-to-the-minute news and analysis for mixed martial arts, kickboxing, professional wrestling, traditional martial arts, boxing, fight news, as well as fight-themed drama series, documentaries and feature films.

 

Below find highlights of this week’s programming:

Monday, Feb. 23

 

2:00 p.m. ET – Ring of Combat 47 – Featuring Chris Wade vs. Pat Defranco and Frankie Perez vs. Mike Santiago from Jan. 24, 2014 in Atlantic City, NJ.

 

5:00 p.m. ET – Fighting Spirit MMA Season 4 – Compilation of international fights from SFL, Legend, FFC, M-1 and more.

 

6:00 p.m. ET – Hip Show: Arena Combat – Tag-team MMA inside a 12m-by-12m arena with three levels.

 

6:30 p.m. ET – USA Wrestling Weekly – Host Scott Casber gives weekly news and analysis centering around USA Wrestling, the sport’s national governing body, including interviews, features and a look back at the past.

 

7:00 p.m. ET – 5 Rounds – Hosts John Ramdeen and Robin Black invite special guests to break down the weekend of MMA action.

 

7:30 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.

 

8:00 p.m. ET – Enfusion Live #19: London – Featuring Andrew Tate vs. Wendell Roche for the -90kg world title, plus Daniel Sam vs. Andrew Thompson for the super heavyweight title, from June 29, 2014.

 

Tuesday, Feb. 24

 

2:30 a.m. ET — XPTV – Coverage of regional U.S. professional and amateur MMA events.

 

3:00 p.m. ET – Toe 2 Toe with Frankie Edgar – Sit-down interview with former UFC lightweight champion and featherweight contender Frankie Edgar.

 

7:00 & 7:30 p.m. ET – Xtreme Fighting Championship – Florida-based professional MMA featuring top American prospects, international stars and UFC veterans.

 

8:00 p.m. ET – 5 Rounds – Hosts John Ramdeen and Robin Black invite special guests to break down the weekend of MMA action.

 

8:30 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.

 

9:00 p.m. ET – Havoc Fighting Championship 7 – Featuring Jordan McKay vs. Andrew Buckland and Sabah Fadai vs. Tim Tamaki from Dec. 19, 2014 in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada.

 

11:00 p.m. ET – GFL: Best Battles 3 – Highlights from regional MMA, kickboxing and boxing events showcasing memorable knockouts and submissions.

 

Wednesday, Feb. 25

 

3:00 a.m. ET – Texas Fight Night – MMA action from Texas featuring the Lone Star’s top prospects in the cage.

 

4:00 a.m. ET – Rocktagon MMA – Pro and amateur MMA from Ohio featuring the next generation of stars.

 

6:00 p.m. ET – Best of Cage Rage – Featuring classic fights from the UK-based Cage Rage organization with Anderson Silva, Antonio Silva, Victor Belfort, Paul Daley and others.

 

7:00 p.m. ET – Fight News Now. MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and features.

 

7:30 p.m. ET – – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.

 

9:00 p.m. ET – Cage Warriors Fighting Championship: Fight Night 10 – Featuring Allan Love vs. Norman Paraisy from Mar. 28, 2014 in Amman, Jordan.

 

11:00 p.m. ET – MMA Meltdown with Gabriel Morency – Gabriel Morency breaks down all the happenings in MMA, discussing odds, predictions, plus special weekly guests and exclusive interviews.

 

11:30 p.m. ET – TakeDown Wrestling – Extensive coverage of amateur wrestling events, including the latest news, behind-the-scenes coverage from events and exclusive interviews.

 

Thursday, Feb. 26

 

1:30 a.m. ET – Ultimate Challenge MMA 34 – Featuring Makunga Bunduku vs. Ricky Campbell and Nathan Jones vs. Julian Kerr from June 1, 2013 in London.

 

6:00 p.m. ET – Championship Fightling Alliance – Pro MMA from Florida featuring the likes of Josh Sampo, Mike Kyle, John Howard, Sean McCorkie, Luis Palomino and others.

 

7:00 p.m. ET – Fighting Rookies – Aspiring kickboxers climb the ladder of success in the sport as rookies compete for a chance to become professionals and get experience needed to succeed at a higher level.

 

7:00 p.m. ET – Enfusion Season 3 – Fighters from 18 different countries compete in the 85kg MAX category in Ohrid, Macedonia as they love and train together in their quest for a kickboxing title.

 

8:00 p.m. ET – Fight News Now: MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and features.

 

8:30 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, featur4es and inside analysis on the fight game.

 

9:00 p.m. ET – M-1 Challenge 55: Guram Gugenishvili Memorial Show– Featuring Denis Smoldarev vs. Maro Perak and Kenny Garner vs. Aslambek Musaev from Feb. 21, 2015 in Tbilisi, Georgia.

 

Friday, Feb. 27

 

12:00 a.m. ET – It’s Showtime Special – The world’s premier kickboxing organization featuring Badr Hari, Melvin Manhoef and Giorgio Petrosyan.

 

2:00 a.m. ET – Pancrase Classics – Classic pioneering MMA battles featuring Ken Shamrock, Frank Shamrock, Bas Rutten, Nate Marquardt, Chael Sonnen and others.

 

4:00 a.m. ET – Best of DEEP – Featuring class fights from the historic Japanese DEEP promotion including Shinya Aoki, Hayato Sakurai and Gegard Mousasi.

 

5:00 a.m. ET – Best of Jewels – Classic fights from the all-female Japanese MMA league, Jewels.

 

6 p.m. ET – M-1 Challenge – Professional MMA from Europe featuring top rising prospects and international stars.

 

7:00 p.m. ET – UFC 184 Weigh-In – Live coverage of the official weigh in for UFC 184: Rousey vs. Zingano from Los Angeles.

 

8:00 p.m. ET – Toe 2 Toe with Josh Koscheck – Sit-down interview with UFC welterweight star Josh Koscheck.

 

8:30 p.m. ET – Hip Show: Arena Combat – Tag-team MMA inside a 12m-by-12m arena with three levels.

 

9:00 p.m. ET — KSW 30: Genesis – Featuring Borys Mankowski vs. Michail Tsarev and Aslambek Saidov vs. Rafal Moks from Feb. 21, 2015 in Posnan, Poland.

 

Saturday, Feb. 28

 

12:00 a.m. ET — Fight News Now: MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and features.

 

12:30 a.m. ET — Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, featur4es and inside analysis on the fight game.

 

1:00 a.m. ET – SuperKombat: VIP Edition Bucharest 2013 – Featuring Mike Zambidis vs. Harun Kina for the SuperKombat middleweight title from Aug. 31, 2013 in Bucharest, Romania.

 

6:00 a.m. ET – Best of TKO – Featuring Patrick Cote vs. Jason Day from TKO29.

 

7:00 a.m. ET – Best of Gladiator Challenge – Featuring Rashad Evans vs. Jamie Jara from Gladiator Challenge 27.

 

10:00 a.m. ET – Best of SportFight – Top quality MMA from the Pacific Northwest. Hosted by UFC veterans Matt Lindland and Chael Sonnen.

 

3:00 p.m. ET – Ring of Combat 48 – Featuring Brendan Barrett vs. Justin Woods and Chris Wade vs. Frankie Perez from May 16, 2014 in Atlantic City, NJ.

 

7:00 p.m. ET – UFC 184 Pre-Show – Live pre-fight coverage for UFC 184: Rousey vs. Zingano in Los Angeles.

 

8:00 p.m. ET – Fight News Now: MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and features.

 

8:30 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.

 

9:00 p.m. ET – Final Fight Championship: Futures 2 MMA – Featuring Ante Delija vs. Ruben Wolf from May 3, 2014 in Opatija, Croatia.

 

11:00 p.m. ET — Final Fight Championship: Futures 2 Kickboxing – Featuring Mladen Brestovac vs. Tomas Pakutinskas from May 3, 2014 in Opatija, Croatia.


Sunday, Mar. 1

 

1:00 a.m. ET – UFC 184 Post Show – Live post-fight reaction to UFC 184: Rousey vs. Zingano featuring event highlights and the live post-fight press conference.

 

10:00 a.m. ET – Best of ADCC – Featuring compilations of the greatest grappling matches ever held, featuring Tito Ortiz, Matt Hughes, Eddie Bravo, Fabricio Werdum, Marcelo Garcia, Ronaldo Souza and Royler Gracie.

 

11:00 a.m. ET – Elite Muay Thai: Thailand vs. Challenger – The biggest Muay Thai series in the world featuring premium international stand-up fighters takingon the renowned Thai National team.

 

7:00 p.m. ET – USA Wrestling Weekly – Host Scott Casber gives weekly news and analysis centering around USA Wrestling, the sport’s national governing body, including interviews, features and a look back at the past.

 

7:30 p.m. ET – Judo Paris Grand Slam 2014 Highlights – Highlights of the 2014 Judo Grand Slam from Feb. 8-9, 2014 in Paris.

 

9:00 p.m. ET – King of Kings: World Grand Prix 2014 Gdansk 1 – Featuring Artur Kyshenko vs. Radoslaw Paczuski, plus the one-night, single elimination -93kg tournament from Oct. 17, 2014 in Gdansk, Poland.

 

Monday, March 2

 

1:00 a.m. ET – Best of GYM Boxing: MMA Fighters in Boxing – A special look at some MMA fighters in boxing action including Ali Nestor Charles and Travis Fulton.
Information:

 

www.FightNetwork.com

 

Twitter & Instagram @fightnet

 

www.Facebook.com/FightNetwork

 
ABOUT FIGHT NETWORK:  Fight Network is the world’s premier combat sports network dedicated to 24/7 coverage, including fights, fighters, fight news and fight lifestyle. The channel is available in the U.S. on Cablevision in parts of New York, Connecticut and New Jersey, Texas-based Grande Communications, Armstrong Cable in Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio, as well as on Shentel Cable in Virginia, West Virginia and portions of western Maryland. Fight Network is also on Roku set top boxes in the U.S. and Canada, streamed live on website KlowdTV.com, and available on all major carriers in Canada and more than 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
mixed martial arts, UFC

UFC and PEDs: Where do we go from here?

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Photo Credit: Esther Lin/MMA Fighting

Usually when I ask that question, it’s in the wake of a pay-per-view and I’m wondering aloud at what’s next for the fighters who competed on it. This time around, I’m talking about something that affects ALL mixed martial artists in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The UFC announced this week that it will implement far stricter, far more comprehensive drug testing in the wake of fighters like Anderson Silva and Hector Lombard failing tests for performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), while Jon Jones and Nick Diaz failed tests for cocaine and marijuana, respectively.

Increased drug testing and harsher penalties can only help the UFC, and mixed martial arts in general. But what brought on this increase in failed tests? PEDs have been a part of sports long before MMA fighters started taking them, and they have been a problem in MMA prior to the last month-and-a-half.

But more fighters seem to be getting caught. As in most sports, there is a tremendous amount of pressure to perform in MMA and in the UFC. If you don’t perform, you basically don’t get paid. The increased demand for UFC programming by virtue of its deal with FOX could also be a factor. They went from being on Spike TV – where they only broadcast “The Ultimate Fighter” once a year and two or three live fight cards annually – to practically having two live fight cards a month and airing “The Ultimate Fighter” twice a year on the FOX channels.

The increase in programming means a need of more bodies to fill that programming. It also means that more fighters are training for more fights, which can lead to more injuries. PEDs, in addition to giving you a competitive advantage over your opponent, allow you to recover from injuries more quickly. With the need for more fighters to fill more fight cards, I think it’s possible the apparent increase in failed drug tests can at least be partly attributed to that.

The UFC’s increased drug-testing measures take effect July 1. What can we expect once it does? Here are some of the guidelines the UFC presented.

Even UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta admitted during this week’s press conference that things “would get worse before they better” with the new testing. Plus, it remains to be seen how much of this will actually stick once July 1 rolls around. UFC previously considered expanding its drug-testing efforts before but pulled back, citing cost and a previously botched attempt at doing so.

However, with the rash of high-profile stars like Silva, Jones and Diaz failing tests, cost can’t be considered a hindrance and the UFC must be vigilant. Browsing my Twitter feed following the press conference, it was eerily quiet. Almost no fighters weighed in initially. It is likely that was just a byproduct of the press conference taking place on a Wednesday afternoon, when most people are working or presumably have other things to do besides post on Twitter. But it was still pretty telling. It seems like this has grabbed fighters’ attention, as it should.

What do I think will happen? There will be an increase in failed test once the new measures take effect July 1, I’m fairly confident. But given that the UFC is supporting harsh penalties for those who do fail – including a ban of up to four years – I expect the dirty fighters to eventually cycle themselves out and the ones who compete clean (which is most of them, presumably) to take a more prominent role.

Increased drug testing is long overdue in the UFC. The sport of mixed martial arts itself is still in its infancy, especially compared to other sports like football, basketball and baseball. But just like baseball is still recovering from its own crisis with PEDs, these recent failed drug tests have shaken the foundation of the UFC and have harkened back to the days when it was referred to as “human cockfighting.”

UFC adopted the slogan “The Time Is Now” for 2015, and I couldn’t agree more. The time is now for them to take the lead in cleaning up the sport of mixed martial arts.

Chris Huntemann writes about mixed martial arts in the state of Maryland. He also shares his thoughts on the UFC, Bellator, and World Series of Fighting. Check out his blog, or follow him on Twitter: @mmamaryland.

Fight Network, kickboxing, mixed martial arts

FIGHT NETWORK MMA & KICKBOXING PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE (Feb. 16-22, 2015)

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Fight Network is a 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports. It airs programs focused on the entire scope of the combat sports genre, including live fights and up-to-the-minute news and analysis for mixed martial arts, kickboxing, professional wrestling, traditional martial arts, boxing, fight news, as well as fight-themed drama series, documentaries and feature films.

 

Below find highlights of this week’s programming:

Monday, Feb. 16

 

10:00 a.m. ET – King of Kings: Grand Prix 2014 in Vilnius – Featuring Tadas Jonkus vs. Chris Baya in kickboxing action from Mar. 15, 2014 in Vilnius, Lithuana.

 

2:00 p.m. ET – Ring of Combat 46 – Featuring Brendan Barrett vs. Miodrag Petkovic and Frankie Perez vs. Rafael Machado from Sept. 20, 2013 in Atlantic City, NJ.

 

4:30 p.m. ET – Toe 2 Toe with Ken Shamrock – Sit-down interview with MMA legend and pioneer Ken Shamrock.

 

5:00 p.m. ET – Fighting Spirit MMA Season 4 – Compilation of international fights from SFL, Legend, FFC, M-1 and more.

 

6:00 p.m. ET – Hip Show: Arena Combat – Tag-team MMA inside a 12m-by-12m arena with three levels.

 

6:30 p.m. ET – USA Wrestling Weekly – Host Scott Casber gives weekly news and analysis centering around USA Wrestling, the sport’s national governing body, including interviews, features and a look back at the past.

 

7:00 p.m. ET – 5 Rounds – Hosts John Ramdeen and Robin Black invite special guests to break down the weekend of MMA action.

 

7:30 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.

 

8:00 p.m. ET – Enfusion Live #18: Amsterdam – Professional kickboxing featuring top international stars and rising prospects from Amsterdam, Holland.

Tuesday, Feb. 17

 

2:30 a.m. ET — 1XPTV – Coverage of regional U.S. professional and amateur MMA events.

 

7:00 & 7:30 p.m. ET – Xtreme Fighting Championship – Florida-based professional MMA featuring top American prospects, international stars and UFC veterans.

 

8:00 p.m. ET – 5 Rounds – Hosts John Ramdeen and Robin Black invite special guests to break down the weekend of MMA action.

 

8:30 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.

 

9:00 p.m. ET – Havoc Fighting Championship 6 – Featuring Luis Huete vs. Wolfgang Janssen and Nick Campbell vs. Devon Neis from Sept. 5, 2014 in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada.

 

11:00 p.m. ET – GFL: Best Battles 4 – Highlights from regional MMA, kickboxing and boxing events showcasing memorable knockouts and submissions.

Wednesday, Feb. 18

 

2:00 a.m. ET – Fighting Spirit MMA Season 4 – Compilation of international fights from SFL, Legend, FFC, M-1 and more.

 

4:00 a.m. ET – Texas Fight Night – MMA action from Texas featuring the Lone Star’s top prospects in the cage.

 

5:00 a.m. ET – Rocktagon MMA – Pro and amateur MMA from Ohio featuring the next generation of stars.

 

6:00 p.m. ET – Best of Cage Rage – Featuring classic fights from the UK-based Cage Rage organization with Anderson Silva, Antonio Silva, Victor Belfort, Paul Daley and others.

 

7:00 p.m. ET – Fight News Now. MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and features.

 

7:30 p.m. ET – Fighting Spirit MMA – Compilations of international MMA fights from ONE FC, UCMMA, KSW, WFC, FFC, BAMMA, EFC Africa and more.

 

9:00 p.m. ET – Cage Warriors Fighting Championship 66 – Featuring Sergei Churilov vs. Nicolas Dalby from Mar. 22, 2014 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

 

11:00 p.m. ET – MMA Meltdown with Gabriel Morency – Gabriel Morency breaks down all the happenings in MMA, discussing odds, predictions, plus special weekly guests and exclusive interviews.

 

11:30 p.m. ET – TakeDown Wrestling – Extensive coverage of amateur wrestling events, including the latest news, behind-the-scenes coverage from events and exclusive interviews.

Thursday, Feb. 19

 

1:30 a.m. ET – Ultimate Challenge MMA 33 – Featuring Denniston Sutherland vs. Ben Callum from Apr. 6, 2013 in London.

 

12:30 p.m. ET – Ultimate Challenge MMA 33 – Featuring Denniston Sutherland vs. Ben Callum inApr. 6. 2013 in London.

 

6:00 p.m. ET – Championship Fightling Alliance – Pro MMA from Florida featuring the likes of Josh Sampo, Mike Kyle, John Howard, Sean McCorkie, Luis Palomino and others.

 

7:00 p.m. ET – Enfusion Season 3 – Fighters from 18 different countries compete in the 85kg MAX category in Ohrid, Macedonia as they love and train together in their quest for a kickboxing title.

 

8:00 p.m. ET – Fight News Now: MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and features.

 

8:30 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, featur4es and inside analysis on the fight game.

 

9:00 p.m. ET – M-1 Challenge 54 – Featuring Maxim Divnich vs. Djambulat Kurbanov for the vacant M-1 lightweight title from Dec. 17, 2014 9n St. Petersburg, Russia.

Friday, Feb. 20

 

12:00 a.m. ET – It’s Showtime Special – The world’s premier kickboxing organization featuring Badr Hari, Melvin Manhoef and Giorgio Petrosyan.

 

2:00 a.m. ET – Pancrase Classics – Classic pioneering MMA battles featuring Ken Shamrock, Frank Shamrock, Bas Rutten, Nate Marquardt, Chael Sonnen and others.

 

4:00 a.m. ET – Best of DEEP – Featuring class fights from the historic Japanese DEEP promotion including Shinya Aoki, Hayato Sakurai and Gegard Mousasi.

 

5:00 a.m. ET – Best of Jewel – Classic fights from the all-female Japanese MMA league, Jewels.

 

6 p.m. ET – M-1 Challenge – Professional MMA from Europe featuring top rising prospects and international stars.

 

7:00 p.m. ET — Fight News Now: MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and features.

 

7:30 p.m. ET — Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, featur4es and inside analysis on the fight game.

 

8:00 p.m. ET – Toe 2 Toe with Frankie Edgar – Sit-down interview with former UFC lightweight champion and featherweight contender Frankie Edgar.

 

8:30 p.m. ET – Hip Show: Arena Combat – Tag-team MMA inside a 12m-by-12m arena with three levels.

 

9:00 p.m. ET — KSW 29: Khsalidov vs. Cooper – Featuring Mamde Khalidov vs. Brett Cooper and Mariusz Pudzianowski vs. Pawel Nastula from Dec. 6, 2014 in Krakow, Poland.

Saturday, Feb. 21

 

1:00 a.m. ET – SuperKombat: New Heroes Romania 2013 – Featuring Bogdan Stoica vs. Yohan Marsan, Andrei Stoica vs. Zinc Lain and others from Aug. 30, 2013 in Targoviste, Romania.

 

6:00 a.m. ET – Best of TKO – Featuring Patrick Cote vs. Jason Day from TKO29.

 

10:00 a.m. ET – M-1 Challenge 55 – Live MMA action featuring Denis Smoldarev vs. Masro Perak and Kenny Garner vs. Aslamnbek Musaev from Tbilisi, Georgia.

 

1:00 p.m. ET – KSW 30: Genesis LIVE! – Live MMA from Poland featuring Borys Mankowski vs. Michaeil Tsarev and Aslambek Saidov vs. Rafal Moks.

 

5:00 p.m. ET – Ring of Combat 47 – Featuring Chris Wade vs. Pat Defranco and Frankie Perez vs. Mike Santiago from Jan. 24, 2014 in Atlantic City.

 

8:00 p.m. ET – Fight News Now: MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and features.

 

8:30 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.

 

9:00 p.m. ET – Final Fight Championship: Futures 1 MMA – MMA action featuring Stjepan Bekavac vs. Lajos Calvaruso from Apr. 1, 2014 in Opatija, Croatia.

 

11:00 p.m. ET — Final Fight Championship: Futures 1 Kickboxing – Kickboxing action featuring Patrick Van Rees vs. Ivan Stanic from Mar. 2, 2014 in Opatija, Croatia.

Sunday, Feb. 22

 

10:00 a.m. ET – Best of ADCC – Featuring compilations of the greatest grappling matches ever held, featuring Tito Ortiz, Matt Hughes, Eddie Bravo, Fabricio Werdum, Marcelo Garcia, Ronaldo Souza and Royler Gracie.

 

5:00 p.m. ET – UFC Fight Night: Bigfoot vs. Mir Pre-Show LIVE! – Live pre-fight coverage for UFC Fight Night: Bigfoot vs., Mir in Porto Alegrre, Brazil.

 

11:30 p.m. ET – UFC Fight Night: Bigfoot vs. Mir Post-Show LIVE! – Live post-show for UFC Fight Night: Bigfoot vs. Mir from Porto Alegre, Brazil, featuring highlights and the live post-fight press conference.

 
Information:

 

www.FightNetwork.com

 

Twitter & Instagram @fightnet

 

www.Facebook.com/FightNetwork

 
ABOUT FIGHT NETWORK:  Fight Network is the world’s premier combat sports network dedicated to 24/7 coverage, including fights, fighters, fight news and fight lifestyle. The channel is available in the U.S. on Cablevision in parts of New York, Connecticut and New Jersey, Texas-based Grande Communications, Armstrong Cable in Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio, as well as on Shentel Cable in Virginia, West Virginia and portions of western Maryland. Fight Network is also on Roku set top boxes in the U.S. and Canada, streamed live on website KlowdTV.com, and available on all major carriers in Canada and more than 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

 
Fox Sports 1, mixed martial arts, UFC, women's MMA

UFC 183: Who will show up?

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Photo Credit: UFC

The Ultimate Fighting Championship has hit it out of the park so far in 2015, with its first two major cards of the year living up to the hype of their main events. Light heavyweight champion Jon Jones dominated Daniel Cormier to prove he is the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world at UFC 182, and at the UFC’s live card in Boston, Mass., in January, Conor McGregor secured a featherweight title shot against José Aldo and wasted no time getting in his next opponent’s face.

Which brings us to UFC 183 tonight, and a main event that is considered a dream matchup by many. Anderson Silva returns to the Octagon after suffering a gruesome leg injury in his last fight against UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman in 2013. Nick Diaz also makes his return to the UFC after losing his last fight against former welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre in 2013.

Tonight’s card isn’t without its other storylines though. A pair of significant undercard fights are taking place under some controversy, as flyweight John Lineker came in overweight for his fight against Ian McCall, which is expected to determine the next no. 1 contender to the flyweight title. In the co-main event, Kelvin Gastelum came in 9 pounds overweight for his fight against Tyron Woodley, which means 30 percent of Gastelum’s fight purse actually goes to Woodley. Talk about insult to injury.

Of course, there is always the wild card with Diaz too. He plays by his own rules, having no-showed the open workouts earlier this week. Will he actually show up to the cage for tonight’s main event? It remains to be seen, though most everyone thinks he will.

So, having said all that, who do I think wins tonight?

Miesha “Cupcake” Tate (15-5) vs. Sara McMann (8-1) (Women’s bantamweight – 135 lbs.)

This is actually the main event of the preliminary card on Fox Sports 1. Tate requested to compete on this portion of the card instead of the pay-per-view card, taking a page from Urijah Faber’s playbook. Tate is also eager for a third fight with Ronda Rousey for the women’s bantamweight title. Both of these women suffered Rousey’s wrath, particularly McMann, who was demolished by Rousey in about a minute last year.

McMann is a pure wrestler with very little else to her repertoire, whereas Tate built on her established wrestling skills to become an effective striker. I think she will stuff McMann’s attempts to take this fight to the mat and use her vastly superior striking skills to keep McMann befuddled en route to a dominant victory.

Winner: Tate by unanimous decision

Jordan “Young Gun” Mein (29-9) vs. Thiago “Pitbull” Alves (25-9) (Welterweight – 170 lbs.)

Alves has alternated wins and losses in his last six fights, while Mein rides a two-fight win streak. Alves is always dangerous with his Muay Thai and striking, while Mein landed a first-round TKO victory in his last fight. This should be an exciting stand-up battle with neither guy willing to give an inch. I think Alves is the more dangerous fighter here, and will land one good shot to knock Mein silly.

Winner: Alves by second round TKO

Thales Leites (24-4) vs. Tim “The Barbarian” Boetsch (18-7) (Middleweight – 185 lbs.)

Leites comes into this fight on a roll, having won his last seven fights, with the last two coming by way of TKO. Boetsch has alternated wins and losses in his last four fights, including a TKO victory in his last fight against Brad Tavares.

Boetsch is a slow, plodding bruiser best known for derailing the Hector Lombard hype train when he first made his UFC debut. Leites is a crafty, dangerous fighter who can finish you with his hands or by submission. I think Leites will avoid Boetsch’s power and wait for Boetsch to make a mistake, where Leits will capitalize.

Winner: Leites by third round submission

Joe Lauzon (24-10) vs. Al “Raging” Iaquinta (10-3-1) (Lightweight – 155 lbs.)

You know what you’re getting with a Joe Lauzon fight. You’re going to see an exciting, action packed bout that will most likely end with him locking in a slick submission or, in the case of his fight against Jim Miller, suffering a gnarly cut that will guarantee a blood battle.

Iaquinta has been on a roll since his time on The Ultimate Fighter Live, having only lost once in his last six fights. A win against Lauzon would be a real feather in his cap and might propel him into title contendership discussion. But Lauzon is one of the best submission specialists in the UFC, and I think the crafty veteran has another submission up his sleeve.

Winner: Lauzon by second round submission

Tyron “The Chosen One” Woodley (14-3) vs. Kelvin Gastelum (11-0) (Welterweight – 170 lbs.)

As mentioned above, Gastelum weighed in 9 pounds over for this fight and will forfeit 30 percent of his purse directly to Woodley. It was reported that Gastelum spent time in the hospital leading up to this fight, which contributed to him coming in overweight.

Woodley will be angry in this fight, and rightly so. It’s not fair that his opponent will have a weight advantage due to his own failure to do what he was supposed to do. Give Woodley credit for wanting to keep fighting when it would have been perfectly understandable to postpone it.

Woodley will channel his rage into a blitzkrieg of offense at Gastelum, and the lethargic and probably still-injured Gastelum will have no response.

Winner: Woodley by second round TKO

Anderson “The Spider” Silva (33-6) vs. Nick Diaz (27-9-1) (Middleweight – 185 lbs.)

This is one of the several main events that have fight fans buzzing in 2015. Many didn’t think Silva would ever walk again after his leg injury against Weidman, let alone come back to the UFC to fight. The matchup style of Diaz wanting to push the pace, get in his opponent’s face and sucker him into trading blows against Silva’s unrivaled elusiveness will be interesting to watch.

Diaz said he wouldn’t trash talk Silva during this fight out of respect. But if Silva keeps bobbing and weaving and dodging Diaz’s punches, we’ll see how long Diaz commits to that. I think we’ll see vintage Silva in this fight, making Diaz look silly in some spots while landing well-timed strikes that will confuse and frustrate Diaz, which will allow Silva to land even more.

Diaz is too tough to finish, but this fight will show that Silva still has it and is the vastly superior fighter.

Winner: Silva by unanimous decision

Chris Huntemann writes about mixed martial arts in the state of Maryland. He also contributes his thoughts to our site on the UFC, Bellator, and World Series of Fighting. Check out his blog, or follow him on Twitter: @mmamaryland.