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Aug. 25 – M-1 Challenge 96: Mikutsa vs. Ibragimov in Saint Petersburg, Russia

mixed martial arts, MMA

First Seven Matches Set for MMA Pro League Inaugural Event Saturday, September 15 from New Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City & Streaming Live on FloCombat.com

August 1, 2018 FNU47 Leave a comment

Head Coach Dan Miller Leads Team New Jersey Against

Head Coach Daniel Gracie & Team Pennsylvania

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (July 31, 2018) – The newest entity in MMA, MMA Pro League, has set the first seven matches that will take place at their inaugural event Saturday, September 15 at the new Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City and streaming live on FloCombat.com.

The September 15 event will pit fighters from Team New Jersey, which is led by head coach Dan Miller of the Miller Brothers, against Team Pennsylvania and their head coach, Daniel Gracie of the renowned Gracie family.

“We are very excited to announce these first seven matches for our inaugural MMA Pro League at The Hard Rock event on Saturday, September 15,” said MMA Pro League CEO Hani Darwish. “The fighters are proud to be representing Team New Jersey and Team Pennsylvania, and are committed to giving the fans a great show that night.” Darwish and MMA Pro League President Mark Taffet are leading the efforts for this newest addition to the professional team sports landscape.

MMA Pro League action will see Claudio Ledesma taking on Andre Bernardo in a flyweight fight, Gabriel Ruiz in a bantamweight clash against Cody Hier, the professional MMA debut of Francisco Muniz as he takes on Joe Schick at a 140-pound catchweight and a women’s bantamweight showdown between Erika Bobierand Kylie O’Hearn.

Rounding out the lineup of fights that are currently set are Sodik Ismoilov battling Andrew Salas in a featherweight attraction, Mike Pagano in a featherweight bout against Zedekiah Montanez and a middleweight contest that pits Emmanuel Walo against Rafael Celestino.

Additional fighters and matchups will be announced for the September 15 event in the weeks leading up to fight night as coach Miller and coach Gracie prepare their teams for the groundbreaking night of action.

“I’m very excited about my Team New Jersey fighters,” said Miller. “We will be in great shape on September 15 and give our fans a big victory over Daniel Gracie and Team Pennsylvania. This is a new era in MMA and we’re going to start it off with a bang!”

“I can’t wait to test myself as an MMA coach against Team New Jersey,” said Gracie. “I’m coming to this league to win. This team concept is the future of MMA and it’s going to make these fights even more exciting. As a Gracie, I expect hard work from my team, but victory is the only thing on my mind. I’m not playing around. Coach Miller better have his team ready!”

Tickets for the inaugural installment of “MMA Pro League At The Hard Rock”will be available at Ticketmaster.com starting August 1.

Ledesma is a native of West Orange, NJ and currently holds a 14-7 record as a professional fighter. Bernardo is originally from Botucatu, Sao Paulo, Brazil and has a professional record of 8-4.

Ruiz fights out of Woodland Park, NJ with an 0-1 record as a professional fighter and an amateur record of 5-2-1 in the flyweight division. Hier is originally from Davidson, MI. He later moved to Philadelphia to train at Gracie Gym. Hier has a record of 1-1 as a professional fighter in the bantamweight division.

Muniz is originally from Caguas, Puerto Rico. His preferred discipline is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Muniz has fought five times in his native Puerto Rico, attaining a record of 4-1. Schick, from Hamilton, NJ, was a Division 1 wrestler. He began fighting as an amateur in 2015. Within one year, Schick accumulated an amateur record of 5-0. He then turned professional and holds a 1-2 record in the pro ranks. Schick is also a middle school teacher in Fairlawn, NJ where he teaches science, match and social studies.

Bobier has an amateur record of 0-1 fighting out of Michigan. She’ll be making her professional debut on September 15. O’Hearn recorded a 3-1 amateur record fighting out of Massachusetts. She will also be making her professional debut.

Ismoilov, fighting out of Moscow, Russia, has a record of 1-2 as a professional fighter in the bantamweight division. Salas is affiliated with Wilkie’s Warriors, based in Bridgewater, NJ. He currently has a 5-1 record as a professional fighter.

Pagano, a United States military veteran, is originally from Fayetteville, NC. He later moved to New Jersey to train with Dan Miller’s Miller Brothers MMA. Pagano is also a trainer at the gym and serves as the head instructor for the gym’s Little Spartans youth martial arts and anti-bullying program. He is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu with an 0-1 record as a professional fighter. Montanez is a mixed martial arts fighter based in Pennsylvania. He has a 3-2 amateur record as a fighter in the featherweight division.

Walo was born in Cleveland, OH and spent the first few years of his life there before moving to Liberia at a very young age. Walo eventually returned to the U.S. to join the United States National Guard and was stationed as a guard in an Iraqi prison. While in Iraq, Walo was exposed to mixed martial arts and quick fell in love with the sport. When Walo returned home, he began training and made his professional debut int December 2010. He has accumulated a professional record of 12-2-1. Celestino is from Brasilia, Brazil and has a 5-2 record as a professional fighter in the middleweight division.

For additional information and official statistics on MMA Pro League fighters, please visit https://everipedia.org/wiki/mma-pro-league/.

# # #

To access live and on-demand coverage of all MMA Pro League action, visit FloCombat.com and become a monthly or annual PRO subscriber. Either subscription unlocks access to premium content across the entire FloSports network. Watch the games on all screens by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Roku, or Apple TV 4.

For more information visit www.MMAProLeague.com, follow the conversation on Twitter @MMAPro_League, @DanMiller185, @DanielGracie, @Hani_Darwish1 and @MarkTaffetMedia, on Instagram at Instagram.com/mmaproleague,Instagram.com/DanMiller185, Instagram.com/DanielGracie,Instagram.com/Hani_Darwish1 and Instagram.com/MarkTaffetMedia, and on Facebook at Facebook.com/MMAProLeague.

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

David Mundall new main event opponent for Doug Usher at “Road to M-1: USA”

August 1, 2018 FNU47 Leave a comment

Aug. 11^th worldwide Pay Per View from Nashville

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (July 31, 2018) – Florida veteran MMA fighter David “Redneck” Mundell has replaced injured Reggie “The Regulator” Pena in the main event against Georgia middleweight Doug “Yamato” Usher, August 11 at “Road to M-1″ USA”, presented by M-1 Global USA and Angel Fight Promotions, to air live on worldwide pay-per-view from Global Mall in Nashville, Tennessee.

Integrated Sports Media will distribute “Road to M-1: USA” in North America on cable, satellite and digital pay-per-view via iN Demand, Vubiquity, DIRECTV and DISH in the United States, as well as Rogers, SaskTel, and Shaw PPV in Canada, and live-streamed worldwide on the FITE.TV app and website (www.fite.tv), starting at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, for a suggested retail price of only $19.95.

Usher (9-3-0), fighting out of Georgia, is riding a five-fight win streak, dating back 2 ½ years, while Mundell (9-3-0) has been victorious in his last three fights.

Veteran Arkansas fighter Dawond Pickney (15-10-0) has replaced Russian lightweight Vadim Ogar (6-3-0) in the co-featured event versus Yoislandy “Cuba” Izquierdo (11-4-0).

Undefeated Brazilian MMA fighter Bruno Ferreira (8-0-0), who has successfully beaten cancer, returns to action for the first time in three years against dangerous Tony Gravely(12-5-0), of Virginia, at “Road to M-1: USA”.

Other main-card fights include Georgia flyweight C.J. “The Autobot” Hamilton (12-6-0) vs. Floridian fighter Abdiel “The Nightmare” Velazquez (8-5-0), Kentucky welterweight Brandon “The Juggernaut” Bell (5-6-0) vs. Jacob “Tick-Tock” McLintock (9-2-0), of Arizona; and Tennessee welterweight James Conway (3-0-0) vs. P.J. Cajigas (5-7-0), of Chicago.

Undercard bouts include California heavyweight Cody “The Moose” Goodale (5-4-0) vs. Nkemdirim “Kim” Oti (2-3-0), of Alabama, New Brunswick, Canada bantamweight Chris Johnson (5-6-0) vs. Jerrod “The Hillbilly Hammer” Jennings (2-1-0), of Kentucky, and Nashville favorite Dwayne Herrelle (0-1-0) vs. pro-debuting Kentucky lightweight Kegan Agnew.

All fights and fighters are subject to change.

INFORMATION:

M1GlobalUSA.com

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@M1GlobalNews

@M1Global

@M1globalusamma

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Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Paramount Network

BELLATOR SIGNS 24 U.K. AND IRELAND-BASED FIGHTERS TO EXCLUSIVE MULTI-FIGHT AGREEMENTS

July 31, 2018 FNU47 Leave a comment

LOS ANGELES – Bellator today announced the signing of 24 U.K. and Ireland-based athletes to bolster the roster as the organization continues its growth initiative in the region, following already-announced plans for an exclusive fight series set to take place throughout the U.K., Ireland and western Europe.

Notably, former two-division BAMMA champ Terry Brazier, TUF: The Smashes lightweight winner Norman Parke, popular Irish lightweight Paul Redmond, undefeated SBG Ireland product Kiefer Crosbie and TUF season 27-veteran Richie Smullen, are among the names now signed to exclusive multi-fight agreements with Bellator.

“Growing the Bellator organization throughout U.K. and Ireland has been a top priority for us for quite some time,” said Bellator President Scott Coker. “Adding up-and-coming, as well as established, talent from the region to our roster plays a crucial role in us being able to take the next steps in this market. Our fans in the U.K. and Ireland can anticipate a much stronger Bellator presence and can look forward to seeing some of western Europe’s best MMA fighters inside the Bellator cage in the near future.”

Bellator has previously held events throughout the U.K. and Ireland, including London, Dublin, Belfast and Newcastle. Most recently, historic Bellator 200 emanated from The SSE Arena, Wembley on May 25 and featured Michael “Venom” Page, Linton Vassell, Aaron Chalmers and Mike Shipman among other top talent from the market.

Bellator is pleased to welcome the following fighters to the roster:

Lightweight:

Terry Brazier (10-1; fighting out of England)
Pedro Carvalho (8-3; fighting out of Ireland by way of Portugal)
Constantin Gnusariev (1-0; fighting out of Ireland by way of Moldova)
Luka Jelcic (10-3; fighting out of Ireland by way of Croatia)
Charlie Leary (15-9-1; fighting out of England)
Lewis Long (16-5; fighting out of Wales)
Norman Parke (25-6-1, 1 NC; fighting out of Northern Ireland)
Myles Price (10-7, fighting out of Ireland)
Paul Redmond (14-8; fighting out of Ireland)
Daniele Scatizzi (9-4; fighting out Ireland by way of Italy)
Sam Slater (2-0; fighting out of Ireland)
Richie Smullen (3-1-1; fighting out of Ireland)
Tim Wilde (12-3; fighting out of England)

Welterweight:

Ruben Crawford (16-3; fighting out of Ireland by way of Germany)
Kiefer Crosbie (4-0; fighting out of Ireland)
Walter Gahadza (17-3; fighting out of England)
Richard Kiely (2-1; fighting out of Ireland)
Ion Pascu (18-8; fighting out of Ireland by way of Romania)
Jim Wallhead (29-11; fighting out of England)

Featherweight:

Dylan Logan (2-3; fighting out of Ireland)
Nathan Rose (6-1; fighting out of England)

Middleweight:

Claudio Conti (7-5-2; fighting out of Ireland by way of Italy)
John Redmond (7-13; fighting out of Ireland)

Women’s Flyweight:

Antonela Orlic – (pro debut; fighting out of Ireland by way of Croatia)

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

M-1 CHALLENGE 95 HIGHLIGHTS VIDEO

July 28, 2018 FNU47 Leave a comment

Bare Knuckle Boxing, boxing, ESPN Boxing, Fight Talk Unlimited, FNU Combat Sports Show, Fox, Keith Thurman, mixed martial arts, MMA, Rich Bergeron, Showtime, Showtime Boxing, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, UFC, wrestling, WWE

The FNU Combat Sports Show Launches as Fight Talk Unlimited on SPREAKER

July 27, 2018 FNU47 Leave a comment

Fight News Unlimited’s weekly Combat Sports Show is now officially known as Fight Talk Unlimited, and we are now back to a live platform: Spreaker.

This week on our debut episode on Spreaker, we discuss a wild week in news, from Floyd Mayweather’s beef with 50-Cent, to Conor McGregor’s slap on the wrist for throwing a hand truck through a bus window, to a Philadelphia area school teacher moonlighting as an offensive German character in his pro-wrestling career. We then recap last week’s major fights, including a vicious KO by Anthony Smith over Shogun Rua at UFC Fight Night 135. We also preview UFC on FOX 30 and Mikey Garcia vs. Robert Easter Jr., along with all the other combat sports action this weekend.

Listen live with the player below:

Listen to “Debut Episode: Tom, Tony and Rich Break in the New Platform” on Spreaker.

Bellator, DAZN, mixed martial arts, MMA, Paramount Network

FEDOR EMELIANENKO MEETS CHAEL SONNEN IN SEMIFINALS OF BELLATOR HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD GRAND PRIX AT NYCB LIVE, HOME OF THE NASSAU VETERANS MEMORIAL COLISEUM ON LONG ISLAND SATURDAY, OCT. 13

July 24, 2018 FNU47 Leave a comment

cid:image002.png@01D4226C.01064EF0

TICKETS FOR BELLATOR 208: FEDOR VS. SONNEN ON SALE THIS FRIDAY, JULY 27

LOS ANGELES – The greatest heavyweight of all time Fedor Emelianenko (37-5, 1 NC) will battle the trash-talking Chael Sonnen (31-15-1) in the second semifinal of Bellator’s Heavyweight World Grand Prix. The highly anticipated matchup will emanate from NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y., a mere 24 hours after Matt Mitrione takes on Ryan Bader on the opposite side of the bracket.

Tickets for Bellator 208: Fedor vs. Sonnen are available 24-hours early through a special Bellator Nation pre-sale running exclusively on Thursday, July 26. Tickets will go on sale to the general public Friday, July 27 at 10 a.m. ET and can be purchased at the NYCB LIVE box office, as well as Ticketmaster and Bellator.com. Please note that tickets are not available at the box office on the first day of public on sale.

The event will be broadcast LIVE on Paramount Network at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT on Saturday, October 13 and will stream LIVE on DAZN, while preliminary action will stream on Bellator.com and globally on the Bellator Mobile App. Additional bouts will be announced in coming weeks.

Fighting out of Stary Oskol, Belgorod Oblast, Russia, Fedor will enter the Bellator MMA cage for the second time this year, and third time overall, when he takes on Sonnen in the Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix semifinals on Saturday, Oct. 13. The sambo fighter looks to build off of his impressive knockout victory over Frank Mir (18-12) at Bellator 198, which came just 48 seconds into the bout. A former PRIDE FC Heavyweight Champion and PRIDE 2004 Heavyweight World Grand Prix Champion, “The Last Emperor” now has his eyes set on the Bellator MMA Heavyweight belt; a title that he is merely two wins away from. With 28 of his 37 career victories ending in a finish, Emelianenko will undoubtedly pursue yet another highlight-reel knockout when he squares off with “The American Gangster” for a place in the World Grand Prix final.

Hailing from West Linn, Ore., Sonnen is fresh off his first-round victory over “Rampage” Jackson at Bellator 192 in the opening round of the Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix earlier this year. With other notable wins over the likes of Wanderlei Silva, Michael Bisping and “Shogun” Rua already under his belt, Sonnen now hopes to add the legendary Fedor to his brilliant resume of renowned victories. After jumping up in weight class to compete in the biggest tournament in the promotion’s history, the former University of Oregon wrestler doesn’t seem to have lost a step. Sonnen will look to join the select few who have ever been able to dethrone Emelianenko when he enters the cage on Oct. 13 at NYCB LIVE.

Updated Bellator 208: Fedor vs. Sonnen Fight Card:

Heavyweight World Grand Prix Semifinal Bout: Fedor Emelianenko (37-5, 1 NC) vs. Chael Sonnen (31-15-1)

*Card subject to change.

****

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

American featherweight Nate “The Train” Landwehr Captures M-1 Challenge title

July 22, 2018 FNU47 Leave a comment

Russian bantamweight champion Movsar Evloev retains crown

M-1 CHALLENGE 95

OFFICIAL RESULTS & PICTURES

INGUSHETIA, Russia (July 22, 2018) – American featherweight Nate “The Train” Landwehr (pictured to left) kept rollin’, as he stopped Khamzat Dalgiev to capture the M-1 Challenge featherweight title, in last night’s M-1 Challenge 95: Battle in the Mountains 7 main event in Ingushetia, Russia.

In the co-featured event, M-1 Challenge bantamweight champion Movsar Evloev defeated Brazilian challenger Rafael Dias to retain his crown.

A spectacular evening of professional mixed-martial arts fighting, featuring a gifted cast of International fighters from nine different countries, was highlighted by Landwehr’s triumph.

Fighting out of Clarksville, Tennessee, Landwehr (11-2-0) battled defending champion Dalgiev (10-2-0) from start to finish in a terrific match. Landwehr finished off his Russian opponent (pictured below), who has won 10 fights in a row since losing his pro debut, in the second round with an electrifying ground-and-pound attack to secure the coveted M-1 Challenge featherweight title belt.

Movsar (10-0-0) kept his perfect pro record intact – all his MMA fights have been in M-1 Global events – capping the fight in the fifth and final round, when he also used a strong ground-and-pound attack to defeat (pictured below) the battle-tested Dias to retain his M-1 Challenge bantamweight crown.

Khamzat Aushev (12-3-0), of Russia, used a rear naked choke to submit Jorge Rodrigues (38-11-0), of Brazil, midway through the opening round in a fight contested at a 158-pound catchweight.

In another fight contested at a 158-pound catchweight, Magoomdkamil Malikov (6-0-0), of Russia, won a unanimous decision over Brazilian invader Eduardo Correia Costa (9-1-0) in battle of previously unbeatens.

Azerbaijan heavyweight Zaur Gadzhibabayev (7-2-0) took a unanimous decision victory from Yuri Protsemko (15-7-1), of Ukraine.

On the undercard, Russian heavyweight Oleg Popov (3-1-0), Russian featherweight Musa Khamkhoev (4-2-0) and Russian bantamweight Zalimbeg Omarov (10-1-0), won unanimous decisions against, respectively, previously undefeated Russian fighters Adam Bogatyrev (6-1-0) and Alexander “The Viking” Kutafin (5-2-0), and past M-1 title challenger Alexey Nevsorov (12-4-0), of Russia.

Russian middleweight Beckhan Mankiev (3-0-0) locked in a rear naked choke for a win by submission over pro-debuting Kazakh Mikhail Akilov (0-1-0) in the first round, Russian welterweight Movsar Bokov (5-1-0) won a three-round majority decision from Belek Abdizhaparov (4-1-0), of Kyrgyzstan, and American bantamweight Edward Massey (4-1-0) had an impressive M-1 Global debut, using a devastating kick to knockout Mate Sanikidze (3-1-0), of Georgia.

Russian lightweight Temerlan Ozdoev (4-0-0) and Kazakhstan featherweight Sergey Morozov (12-4-0) used ground-and-pound attacks for first-round technical knockout victories, respectively, versus Sado “The Panther” Ucar (9-7-0), of Turkey, and Ukrainian Zaka “Lezgin” Fatullazade (11-5-0).

Complete results and additional pictures below:

MAIN CARD

MAIN EVENT – M-1 CHALLENGE FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

Nate Landwehr (11-2-0, M-1: 3-0-0), USA

WTKO4 (4:36 – ground-and-pound stoppage)

Khamzat Dalgiev (10-2-0, M-1: 7-2-0), Champion, Russia

(Landwehr won M-1 Challenge featherweight title)

CO-FEATURE – M-1 CHALLENGE BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

Movsar Evloev (10-0-0, M-1: 10-0-0), Russia

WTKO5 (0:21 – ground-and-pound stoppage)

Rafael Dias (15-6-0, M-1: 1-2-0), Brazil

(Evloev retained M-1 Challenge bantamweight title)

CATCHWEIGHT

Khamzat Aushev (12-3-0, M-1: 3-0-0), Russia

WSUB1 (3:02– Rear Naked Chole)

Jorge Rodrigues Silva (38-11-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Brazil

Magomedkamil Malikov (6-0-0, M-1: 3-0-0), Russia

WDEC3

Eduardo Correia Costa (9-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Brazil

HEAVYWEIGHTS

Zaur Gadzhibabayev 7-2-0, M-1: 5-1-0), Azerbaijan

DEC3

Yuri Protsemko (15-7-1, M-1: 1-2-0), Ukraine

UNDERCARD

HEAVYWEIGHTS – 3 X 5

Oleg Popov (3-1-0, M-1: 1-0-0-), Russia

WDEC3

Adam Bogatyrev (6-1-0, M-1: 2-1-0), Russia

MIDDLEWEIGHTS

Beckhan Mankiev (3-0-0, M-1: 3-0-0), Russia

WSUB1 (4:48 – Arm Bar)

Mikhail Akilov (0-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Kazakhstan)

WELTERWEIGHTS

Movsar Bokov (5-1-0, M-1: 4-1-0), Russia

WDEC3

Belek Abdyjaparov (4-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Kyrgyzstan

LIGHTWEIGHTS

Tamerlan Ozdoev (4-0-0, M-1: 4-0-0), Russia

WTKO1 (3:36 – ground-and-pound stoppage)

Sado Ucar (9-6-0, M-1: 0-3-0), Turkey

FEATHERWEIGHTS

Musa Khamkhoev (4-2-0, M-1: 3-1-0), Russia

WDEC3
Alexander Kutafin (5-2-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Russia

Sergey Morozov (12-4-0, M-1: 6-3-0), Kazakhstan

WTKO1 (4:31 – ground-and-pound stoppage)

Zaka Fatullazade (11-5-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Ukraine 134.7 lbs. (61,1 kg)

BANTAMWEIGHTS

Edward Massey (4-1-0, M-1: 1-0-0), USA

WKO1 (0:18)

Mate Sanikidze (3-1-0, M-1: 0-1-0), Georgia

Zalimbeg Omarov (10-2-1, M-1: 7-1-1), Russia

WDEC3
Alexey Nevzorov (12-4-0, M-1: 5-3-0), Russia 144.62 lbs. (65,6 kg)

Nate Landwehr got a kick out of his title-winning performance

And still the champion, Movsar Evloev

INFORMATION:

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

In “The Rage” with….. Khamzat Dalgiev

July 20, 2018 FNU47 Leave a comment

M-1 Challenge 95 this Saturday in Ingushetia, Russia

Khamzat Dalgiev (R) connects against Ivan Buchinger

SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia (July 18) – M-1 Challenge featherweight champion Khamzat Dalgiev (10-1-0, M-1: 7-1-0) defends his title this Saturday against his American challenger, Nate “The Train” Landwehr (10-2-0, M-1: 2-0-0), in the M-1 Challenge 95: Battle in the Mountains main event, this Saturday in Ingushetia, Russia.

An all-around gifted MMA fighter, Dalgiev got into “The Rage” for a one-on-one interview:

When did you first start in MMA?

KD: “I started training in judo when I was a child and I really loved it. After one championship, where judges made a few very bad decisions that prevented me from becoming the national champion, I decided to move on. At that time there were no MMA gyms around, so I just watched fight videos and hoped to start fighting one day. After a while a friend of mine told me about an MMA gym opening and I understood this was my chance. I remember staying far away from The Rage at one of the first M-1 Global shows in Ingushetia, dreaming about entering the Rage one day by myself.”

What did you have to work hardest at to become the fighter you are today?

KD: “In the beginning of my career, the most difficult thing for me was striking, because I only had a wrestling background. But I can say for sure that it is much easier for a wrestler to learn striking than for a striker to learn wrestling. After a few months of hard training, I had my first fight.

“In my early fights, I preferred using my wrestling skills to defeat my opponents, but as my striking was getting better, I started using it more and more and really enjoyed it. In the upcoming fight I’d love to add the fourth knockout victory to my record.”

Can you talk a little about your only pro loss that came in your debut?

KD: “In my debut fight, I fought a much more experienced fighter, Ali Bagov, who had more than 20 pro fights on his record. I did not care about his record because those are just numbers and I have never chosen my opponents. If you want to be the best you have to fight the best.

“That loss in my debut fight changed me a lot as a fighter. I gained experience, started training harder and since then, with God’s help, I’ve won 10 fights in a row. Even if I could change it and declined taking that fight, I would never do it because that fight was one of the most important one in my career.”

What’s the key to your success?

KD: “If you want to succeed, you have to work hard 24/7 and spare no efforts. You have to set a goal and do your best to reach it, clearing all obstacles on your way.

Can you look back at your title-winning performance and explain what happened?

“In the title fight against Ivan Buchinger, I had great confidence that the title belt will be mine. I was extremely motivated and did not feel his punches. He could deliver one good shot to my head that caused a flash knockdown, but it did not shake me. I did not lose concentration and kept controlling the fight. I was listening to my corner and with their help knocked out the champ.

“For that victory the president of Ingushetia Yunus-bek Yevkurov, gave me a generous gift – Toyota Camry – and when I got home that night, I gave it to my mother because I believe that a mother is the most important person in life for any person. I am not always at home, we have no father and my baby brother is too young to help our mom, so mother could use a car to make her life a bit easier.

What do you feel about your opponent, Nate Landwehr?

KD: “Nate Landwehr is a very aggressive fighter and I love it. He keeps pushing his opponents all the time, no matter what, and even if he eats some punches, he does not stop, and this is exactly the way I fight. Nothing can stop me! So, I have no doubts our fight is going to be the best fight of the night!

“The best victory is the fast victory, so I’d like to finish ‘The Train’ early. On the other hand, a tough five-round battle would give me much more experience and a boost to my career. Anyway, I’ll do my best and use any opportunity to finish my opponent. My goal to is to become a better fighter and leave a mark in MMA history!”

M-1 Challenge featherweight title-holder Movsar Evloev (9-0-0, M-1: 9-0-0) makes his second title defense versus Rafael Dias (15-5-0, M-1: 1-1-0) In the co-featured event.

INFORMATION:

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Upcoming M-1 Challenge Events:

July 21 – M-1 Challenge 95 in Ingushetia, Russia

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

In “The Rage” with….. Nate Landwehr

July 17, 2018 FNU47 Leave a comment

M-1 Challenge 95 this Saturday in Ingushetia, Russia

Nate Landwehr (on top) pounded Mikhail Korobkov in his M-1 Global debut last September

SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia (July 17) – American fighter Nate “The Train” Landwehr(10-2-0, M-1: 2-0-0) challenges M-1 Challenge featherweight champion Khamzat Dalgiev (10-1-0, M-1: 7-1-0) this Saturday in the M-1 Challenge 95: Battle in the Mountains main event, this Saturday in Ingushetia, Russia.

Fighting out of Clarksville, Tennessee, Landwehr got into “The Rage” for a one-on-one interview:

How did you get your nickname, ‘The Train”?

NL: “My friend started calling me Nate Train back in late middle school. I added ‘the’ in there so I could talk shit on the football field in high school, I just liked saying: ‘You just got ran over by the Train!’ When I started fighting is was a no-brainer. I was very good at football and that’s where I fell in love with contact and hard hits.”

Where does your aggressive behavior, physically and verbally, come from?

NL: “I’ve always been loud and confident. Plus, I loved to show off and talk shit, so I got myself in many, many fights. I was not a bull. I was too small for that, but I would get myself in a situation and have to fight my way out of it.”

When did your MMA career turn around?

NL: “I was working a full-time job until I lost for the second time in my career. After that loss, I quit my job, started training full time and haven’t lost since.”

Who do you give the most credit to in terms of where you’re at right now in MMA?

NL: “My wife, Robyn, is the most important. Without her I would be nothing. She has supported me since day one. Most fighters start off with only themselves believing they could make it, I started with two.”

How do you feel about fighting in Russia?

NL: I’ve been many places around the world traveling with my wife. So, I was very happy to be able to go to Russia and get paid for it. Russia is very beautiful and the architecture there is stunning. I’m looking forward to exploring and experiencing more of its land and culture in the future. I recommend going if you’ve never been there!”

As your title fight approaches, how do you feel about this title shot?

NL: “I’m looking forward to my title shot it and can’t wait. Reminds me of the movie ROCKY IV. Fans will get a show they will never forget. Many Russian fans do love me and message me personally on social networks saying, I put on the best fights they have seen and thank me for it. My main job is to make believers!”

How have you been treated by Russian fans?

NL: “After the last two fights, I have had the biggest lines of fans to take pictures and sign autographs. What makes me special is my passion and heart. You may not remember the whole fight, but you will remember the feeling you had when you see a Nate the Train show!”

What do you expect from the champion, Khamzat Dalgiev?

DL: “I expect a highly motivated man ready to do whatever it takes to keep that title, fighting in front of his fans and in his home country, but it won’t be enough to defeat me. This has Fight of the Year written all over it, followed by Knockout of the Night for me. I am willing to walk through hell to become a world champion and nothing can stop me right now. I’m a man on a mission that started with a boy and his dream.”

In the co-featured event, M-1 Challenge featherweight title-holder Movsar Evloev (9-0-0, M-1: 9-0-0) makes his second title defense versus Rafael Dias (15-5-0, M-1: 1-1-0).

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