Tom, Tony and Rich discuss the week in combat sports, recap a stacked UFC 225 card (and CM Punk’s failure to launch his MMA career), and go over the results of a wild weekend for boxing. We begin by highlighting two high profile mentions of death in the UFC Octagon. Dana White and Tyron Woodley are both in the news this week for raising the topic. Listen to the full broadcast below:
MAIN EVENT:
15-TIME UFC VETERAN
ERICK “THE TIGER” SILVA
vs.
3-TIME LFA HEADLINER
NICK “THE PHOENIX” BARNES
WELTERWEIGHT SHOWDOWN
FRIDAY, JULY 20th LIVE on AXS TV
LIVE at the MORONGO OUTDOOR PAVILION
in CABAZON, CALIFORNIA
Tickets on sale Tuesday June 19th through Ticketmaster.com
LAS VEGAS, Nevada – LFA CEO Ed Soares announced today that LFA will return to southern California in July with an intriguing welterweight showdown headlining LFA 45.
The main event of LFA 45 will feature the LFA debut of 15-time UFC veteran Erick Silva. He will face 3-time LFA headliner Nick “The Phoenix” Barnes. LFA 45 – Silva vs. Barnes takes place Friday, July 20th at the Morongo Outdoor Pavilion at the Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa in Cabazon, California. The entire main card will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.
“I am excited to bring LFA back to Coachella Valley at LFA 45”, stated Soares. “This will be our fourth show in my home state of California. Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa is a world-class 4-diamond establishment and we look forward to returning in July with an explosive main event between Erick Silva and Nick Barnes.”
Tickets for LFA 45 – Silva vs. Barnes will be available for purchase at noon PST on Tuesday June 19th via Ticketmaster.com.
Silva (19-9) makes his LFA debut eager to get back to his winning ways after spending the last seven years fighting in the UFC. The fifteen-time UFC vet became one of the sport’s most popular fighters due to his dynamic fighting style, which earned him UFC bonuses in nearly half of his bouts for the promotion. Silva won “Fight of the Night” three times, “Submission of the Night” twice, and “Performance of the Night” twice during his time in the UFC. The Jiu-Jitsu and Judo black belt and former UFC headliner also picked up notable submission victories over Josh Koscheck, Luan Chagas, Mike Rhodes, Jason High, and Charlie Brenneman during his tenure with the promotion. Now “The Tiger” from Brazil looks to pounce once more in the main event of LFA 45.
Barnes (12-3) returns to the LFA Octagon for his third straight promotional main event dating back to the RFA days. This will also be his fourth straight fight for the promotion with the first two coming under the RFA banner. After alternating results in his first four fights with the promotion, “The Phoenix” will look to rise again at LFA 45. The Wyoming native, who now calls San Diego, California home, has long been considered one of the sport’s top welterweight prospects located in talent-rich southern California. Barnes will look to impress once more in front of a largely pro-Barnes crowd in sunny southern California, but this time around he has upped the ante by signing on to face the biggest name opponent of his career in the main event of LFA 45.
Currently Announced Main Card (Televised on AXS TV at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT):
Main Event | Welterweight Bout (170 lb)
– Erick Silva (19-9) vs. Nick Barnes (12-3)
Middleweight Bout (185 lb)
– Moses Murrietta (6-1) vs. Casey Ryan (9-3)
Light-Heavyweight Bout (205 lb)
-Blake Troop (7-5) vs. James Cannon (7-2)
Middleweight Bout (185 lb)
-Luc Bondole (5-2) vs. Taylor Johnson (3-0)
LFA 45 will be the fourth LFA event to take place in the state of California. RFA hosted eight events inside “The Golden State” before the merger. The entire main card of LFA 45 will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.
Please visit LFAfighting.com for bout updates and information. LFA is on Facebook at Legacy Fighting Alliance. LFA is also on Instagram at @LFAfighting and Twitter at @LFAfighting.
In 2017 RFA and Legacy FC merged to form LFA, the premier developmental organization in Mixed Martial Arts. The combined forces of LFA launched the careers of over 130 athletes to reach the pinnacle of MMA by competing in the UFC. In May of 2018 the promotion joined the London Trust Media Holdings group of companies.
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NEW YORK- June 4, 2018 – Combate Americas, the world’s premier Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports and multimedia entertainment company targeting Hispanics, announced today the appointment of media industry veteran and former NBC Universal executive, Jacqueline Hernandez, as Combate Americas President. She will be based in New York and will report to Campbell McLaren, CEO and Founder of Combate Americas.
“Jackie is well-positioned to take Combate Americas into a rapidly changing media landscape,” said McLaren. “She is the undisputed champion of Hispanic millennials and Gen- Z marketing. Her leadership skills are world-class. It is a true honor to welcome her into La Jaula.”
Hernandez, working in tandem with McLaren, will oversee the entire business apparatus and P&L of Combate Americas. She will be responsible for driving the company’s continued global expansion, expanding multiplatform distribution channels and geographic regions for the company’s growth plan, negotiating media rights and developing a world-class MMA Sports & Entertainment enterprise and brand name.
“The intersection of cultures and new identities around the world – including the US – has propelled today’s young generations to be rule breakers, culture benders and trendsetters,” said Hernandez. “I’m excited and honored to join Campbell and the Combate Americas team because we are committed to ensuring new generations see themselves reflected in its fandom. Our audiences and the heroes who bring our franchise to life are the spirit of Combate.”
Hernandez has played integral roles at major worldwide corporations, including Chief Marketing Officer of NBC Universal Hispanic Enterprises; Chief Operating Officer of Telemundo Enterprises and Publisher of People en Español and Teen People. Most recently Hernandez was President and Founder of the strategic consulting firm, The M²Z Group where she took on Combate Americas as her first client.
Throughout her career, Hernandez has earned various industry awards, including FORTUNE’s Most Powerful Latinas (2017), The Top CableFAX 100 Players (2016), the PromaxBDA Brand Builder of the Year (2013), The Hollywood Reporter’s Power 100 Women in Entertainment (2013 & 2012), Broadcast & Cable’s Wonder Women (2013) award, and was named one of Advertising Age’s 100 Most Influential Women in Advertising.
Hernandez earned an MBA from Baruch College, New York and a BA from Tufts University.
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Silva celebrated after his shocking vicrory over Shlemenko
This week on the FNU Combat Sports show, Tom, Tony and Rich discuss a slow week for boxing and recap two huge MMA cards in the United Kingdom last weekend. We also talk about Michael Bisping deciding to retire, weight cutting issues in the UFC, and a cop nicknamed “Blade” getting his 15 seconds of fame in a viral video where he boxes a teen in full uniform and comes out on top. Listen to the whole show below:
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“On my way to Russia,” Riggs explained his journey, “we took an Uber to get to the airport. We had an accident. I wanted to take another Uber, but the cops would not let me leave, because they wanted to send me to the hospital to get checked. One of my cornermen had to go to the hospital because he was seated in the part of the car that has been damaged.
(56-10-1, M-1: 6-0-0), Russia 184.4 lbs. (83.65 kg)
CO-FEATURE – M-1 CHALLENGE MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP – 5 X 5
FLYWEIGHTS — 3 X 5
Portland, Maine (May 31, 2018) – Earlier this week, New England Fights (NEF) officials were informed that Mike Crespo had been injured during his fight camp and would be unable to compete at “NEF 34: Home of the Brave” on June 16 in Portland. Crespo had originally been scheduled to face Kam Arnold (3-0) for the vacant NEF MMA Amateur Bantamweight Championship. Killian Murphy (1-0) has stepped up to replace Crespo and take on Arnold at Aura for the 135-pound title in a scheduled five-round affair.
Murphy made his debut at “NEF 33” last month in Portland with an impressive victory over Krishna Scott (0-1) via first-round technical knockout. He is no stranger to the winner’s circle. Murphy is a former Maine state wrestling champion, having captured a class-A title for Marshwood High School in Elliott in 2015. Today, he trains with Nostos MMA in Somersworth, New Hampshire under the guidance of UFC signee, and former NEF Professional Lightweight Champion, Devin Powell (8-3). Murphy was originally scheduled to compete against Gabriel Diaz of Florida at “NEF 34,” but Diaz pulled out of that fight earlier this month.
“It’s an exciting turn of events to end up fighting for the 135-pound belt,” said Murphy. “The goal when I started this journey was to win that belt – and I am thankful for this opportunity. I want to thank NEF, my coaches, my teammates and supporters. June 16th, I’m taking that belt home to Nostos.”
Perhaps no other member of the NEF roster has had the run in the last twelve months that Kam Arnold has had. He has cut through three opponents in the first round like a hot knife through butter including an eleven-second knockout of veteran David Thompson last month at “NEF 33.” Arnold is a member of Central Maine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu of Lewiston, Maine.
“First off, I just want to say ‘thank you’ to Killian for accepting this fight, and also to Matt Peterson for finding me another opponent,” said Arnold when reached for comment. “Killian’s an up-and-coming, exciting fighter – and I’m excited to clash with him. I know he’s going to come ready and he’s going to be looking to shake up this division and make a statement. I’m going to continue to work hard, make an adjustment to the strategy and go balls-to-the-wall from there. This will be a great fight – and I will be NEF’s next 135-pound champ.”
“Nothing excites me more than when an athlete steps up on short notice and seizes an opportunity to grab glory – and that’s what Killian Murphy has done by agreeing to take this bout against an undefeated animal like Kam Arnold,” declared NEF co-owner and matchmaker Matt Peterson. “Kam has looked unstoppable since he debuted less than a year ago – and now we get to see him test himself against a decorated wrestler for a chance at NEF gold. As if this card wasn’t already summer fireworks – now we get to see two undefeated studs try to knock each other off over the course of a five-round championship fight. It doesn’t get any better than this!”
NEF’s next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 34: Home of the Brave,” will take place at Aura in Portland, Maine on Saturday, June 16, 2018. Tickets are on-sale now online at www.AuraMaine.com.
About New England Fights
New England Fights (“NEF”) is a fight events promotions company. NEF’s mission is to create the highest quality events for fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.
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CHELYABINSK, Russia (May 30, 2018) – Greece-born flyweight Chris “The Greek Kelades” Kelades (12-3-0, M-1: 1-0-0), fighting out of Dartmouth, Canada, takes on Ukrainian fighter Alexander Pletenko (13-4-0, M;1: 0-0-0) this Friday night on the M-1 Challenge 93 main card, in Chelyabinsk, Russia.
Kelades made his successful M-1 Global debut last November at M-1 Challenge 86, when he defeated Oleg Lichkovakha by way of a third-round submission (Kimura).
It’s been more than a half- year since your M-1 Global debut. Why did you take such a long break?
CK: “It’s hard to believe it’s been that long. I was supposed to fight back in March, but I had problems getting my travel visa secured, so I was rebooked to fight in April but, unfortunately, the event was canceled. So, I’ve been ready to fight, but circumstances have changed the dates. I’m excited for this fight and looking forward to fighting in Chelyabinsk. Two times my fights have been canceled and it was extremely frustrating, but it gave me more time to work on my game and learn new techniques.”
In your M-1 Global debut, you have been very cautious during the first two rounds, but in the third round you got a submission. Is it your real fighting style or did you just wanted to win the debut fight without taking risks?
CK: Every fight is different. Sometimes in a new environment it takes longer to feel the fight start and you have to read the opponent before you react too aggressively.”
What can you say about your next opponent, Alexander Pletenko? You have similar records. Does it mean you have similar fighting styles?
CK: “I’ve seen some of his fights and I don’t think we have similar styles. I’ve been fighting the best guys in the world and at a certain level it’s more difficult to finish fights.”
Before joining M-1 Global you had never fought anywhere except North America. What does it feel like to fight half a world away from your home?
CH: “I really enjoyed myself the last time in my debut with M-1 Global. The travel is a little bit of a hassle with the distance, but I really enjoy fighting internationally and here in Russia. I like fighting away because I enjoy having to prove myself to other fighters and the fans. It motivates me!”
Russian star Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (56-10-1, 1 NC, M-1: 6-0-0) headlines M-1 Challenge 93 against Brazilian power-puncher Bruno Silva (17-6-0, M-1: 0-0-0).
Undefeated M-1 Challenge middleweight champion Artem Frolov (10-0-0, M-1: 7-0-0) defends his title for the first time against American favorite Joe “Diesel” Riggs (47-17-1, M-1: 2-0-1) in the M-1 Challenge 93 co-featured event.
M-1 Challenge 93 will be live-streamed from Russia in high definition on www.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register atwww.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all the action on their computers, as well as on Android and Apple smart phones and tablets. M-1 Challenge 93 will also be available onwww.FITE.TV(preliminary card is free, $7.99 for the main card)
INFORMATION:
Twitter & Instagram:
@M1GlobalNews
@VFinkelchtein
@M1Global
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/M-1-GlobalNews
Upcoming M-1 Challenge Events:
June 1 – M-1 Challenge 93: Shelemnko vs. Silva in Chelyabinsk, Russia
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CHELYABINSK, Russia (May 29, 2018) – Undefeated M-1 Challenge middleweight champion Artem Frolov (10-0-0, M-1: 7-0-0) defends his title for the first time this Friday against American favorite Joe “Diesel” Riggs (47-17-1, M-1: 2-0-1) in the M-1 Challenge 93 co-featured event, in Chelyabinsk, Russia.
Frolov has knocked out four of his opponents and submitted four others. Last October, Frolov captured the belt by defeating UFC veteran Caio Magalhaes, of Brazil, by unanimous decision and he needed a break to heal his injuries.
Artem Frolov (L) puts his perfect record and M-1 Challenge middleweight title belt on the line this Friday against Joe “Diesel” Riggs
In 2016 you had three fights and last year you fought only twice. How many fights a year would you like to have in the future?
AF: “I would like to fight three times a year. I think this is the best number because it lets me have enough time for good recovery after fights and enough time for training camps. Of course, there are also some distraction factors, which do not let me fight more often like, for example, some amateur competitions where I fight from time to time.”
Your title fight against Caio Magalhaes was a hard trial for you. How difficult was that 25- minute brawl?
AF: “I knew the fight was going to be a tough confrontation because Caio is a great fighter with excellent striking skills. However, during the fight I found the best way to fight him and saw how I could get the victory. He impressed me with his firmness; he did not quit after I delivered many hard punches, so I must admit he has a big heart.”
When did you learn that you were going to fight Joe Riggs? What can you say about his skills?
AF: “Even before the title fight I knew that, if I won the belt, my first title defense would be against Joe Riggs. He drew my attention with his debut fight in M-1 Global. I checked his record, took a look at the list of the guys he had defeated, and understood that sooner or later we were going to meet in The Rage.
“Of course, in the last few months, I watched many of the Diesel’s fights. His main advantage is his experience, he has five times more fights than me. Riggs is a well-rounded fighter, his wrestling skills together with the excellent control skills on the ground, and powerful ground-and- pound are probably his main strengths. So, he is definitely a fighter of the ‘American school’.”
After capturing the title, you were mentioned among the top 20 best prospects in the world by the famous MMA magazine Fighters Only. What does it feel?
AF: I was flattered to be mentioned in the best prospects list, especially by a respected magazine like Fighters Only. Such recognition proves that you dedicate your life to MMA for a reason and that you have really achieved something. But I know that I have much work to do and a lot of things in my game to improve.”
Two weeks after your fight against Riggs there will be a contender fight between Mikhail Ragozin and Valery Myasnikov. Who do you think will be the winner? Which one of them would you like to fight?
AF: “I am acquainted with both these guys, so I would not like to fight either of them. I can’t say who is going to win this fight because they are both strong athletes and have their advantages. In my opinion the one who will have better cardio will win the fight.
“I would prefer to fight only the strongest foreigners, not fellow countrymen. You travel around the country, have camps in different places, make friends and one day you are told that you are fighting one of them. That is not the best feeling, trust me, so I’d like to fight the best athletes from other countries, so I can fight not only for myself, my gym and my city, but for the country, defending the honor of the national flag.”
You have the same number of wins by knockouts and submissions in your record. How would you like to end the upcoming fight?
AF: “I came to MMA as a wrestler, so it makes me happy that I am getting better at striking. However, it feels great to win via submission as well, especially when it is a beautiful one. As a matter of fact, any finish is awesome, because my family and friends are worried about me during the fight and I don’t like to make them worry too long. So, I prefer to finish the fights early.
Russian star Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (56-10-1, 1 NC, M-1: 6-0-0) headlines M-1 Challenge 93 against Brazilian power-puncher Bruno Silva (17-6-0, M-1: 0-0-0).
M-1 Challenge 93 will be live-streamed from Russia in high definition on www.M1Global.TV. Viewers will be able to watch the preliminary fights and main card by logging on to register at www.M1Global.TV. Fans may watch all the action on their computers, as well as on Android and Apple smart phones and tablets. M-1 Challenge 93 will also be available onwww.FITE.TV(preliminary card is free, $7.99 for the main card)
INFORMATION:
Twitter & Instagram:
@M1GlobalNews
@VFinkelchtein
@M1Global
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/M-1-GlobalNews
Upcoming M-1 Challenge Events:
June 1 – M-1 Challenge 93: Shelemnko vs. Silva in Chelyabinsk, Russia
This week on the FNU Combat Sports Show, Tom, Tony and Rich discuss a wide variety of topics. We start out with the ESPN/UFC broadcast rights deal for five years, 30 fight cards and $1.5 billion. We also discuss the infighting among boxing promoters lately with both Bob Arum and UK upstart Eddie Hearn scrambling to sign free agents while trying to fill slots for slated shows in the United States over the coming year. We go on to recap last week’s combat sports action, highlighting the Adonis Stevenson vs. Badou Jack majority draw and the Usman vs Maia 5-round snoozefest headlining last Saturday night’s UFC Fight Night card. We of course also preview this weekend’s boxing matches and the UFC and Bellator cards coming out of England. We even touch on the regulation of bareknuckle boxing and Bobby Gunn’s claim of no fatalities recorded in the sport. Finally, we wrap up with a reminder of what this weekend is all about: saluting our servicemen and women. Listen to the whole show at the link below:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/v8zi5h9j4j7t07e/tonytomandrichmay262018.mp3?dl=0
