Category Archives: MMA

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

M-1 Challenge Champion Alexey Kunchenko vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov To headline M-1 Challenge 75 in Battle of Undefeated Welterweights 

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March 3 in Moscow, Russia
 

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (January 2, 2017) – M-1 Global has announced a battle of undefeated fighters to headline M-1 Challenge 75 as M-1 Challenge welterweight champion Alexey Kunchenko takes on top challenger Shavkat Rakhmonov, March 3, in Moscow, Russia.
M-1 Challenge 75 will be streamed live from Moscow 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 of the action on their computers, as well as on Android and Apple smart phones and tablets.
Kunchenko (15-0-0, M-1: 7-0), fighting out of Tyumen, Russia, used his tremendous Muay Thai skills to capture the coveted M-1 Challenge welterweight title belt last April at M-1 Challenge 65, when defending titlist Murad Abdulaev retired during the fourth round.
In a non-title fight, Kunchenko won a 3-round unanimous decision over Eduardo Ramon at M-1 Challenge at M-1 Challenge 70 last September.  His first title defense was December 5 at M-1 Challenge 72, in which Kunchenko (pictured below) won a 5-round unanimous decision over Abdulaev in a rematch.
 
Fighting out of Karaganda, Kazakhstan, Rakhmonov (7-0-0, M-1: 4-0-0) is a former MMA amateur star who captured gold medals at the World Mixed Martial Arts Association (WMMAA) world and Asia Championships.  The prodigy has continued his dominance as a professional, consistently displaying his world-class Combat Sambo talent.
Rakhmonov (pictured below) received the M-1 Challenge 59 Submission of the Night on July 3, 2015, as he choked out Michal Wiencek only 49-seconds into the opening round.  In his most recent M-1 Challenge fight, Rakhmonov knocked out Marcelo Brito in the first-round last June at M-1 Challenge 67.
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M-1 CHALLENGE EVENT CALENDAR:
 
M-1 Challenge 74 – Feb. 18, 2017 – St. Petersburg, Russia
M-1 Challenge 75 – March 3, 2017 – Moscow, Russia
Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

‘Bellator 170: Ortiz vs. Sonnen’ Fight Card Complete With Two New Matchups

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REBECCA RUTH-COLLEEN SCHNEIDER FLYWEIGHT SHOWDOWN ADDED TO PRELIMINARY CARD

 SANTA MONICA, CALIF. — (December 28, 2016) – The stacked main card of “Bellator 170: Ortiz vs. Sonnen” has added even more ammo to its arsenal with the news that Derek Campos (17-6) and Derek Anderson (14-2, 1 NC) will compete in a lightweight feature fight on January 21, 2017 inside The Forum in Los Angeles, Calif. In addition, a female flyweight bout pitting Rebecca Ruth (6-2) against Colleen Schneider (10-7) has been added to the preliminary portion of the event.

 

The lightweight clash joins a main card that is highlighted by a legendary faceoff between superstars Tito Ortiz (18-12-1) and Chael Sonnen (28-14-1). In addition, Ralek Gracie (3-0) and Hisaki Kato (7-2) will meet in a middleweight feature fight, while Georgi Karakhanyan (26-6-1) and Emmanuel Sanchez (13-3) battle. Lastly, a fantastic welterweight co-main event pitting Paul Daley (38-14-2) against Brennan Ward (14-4) is also set for the Spike-televised main card.

 

 

Limited tickets for the mega-event start at $36 and are on sale at Bellator.com, as well as Ticketmaster.com. The event will be broadcast live and free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT. The “Bellator 170: Ortiz vs. Sonnen” undercard, streams live on Bellator.com and the Bellator Mobile App beginning at 6:50 p.m. ET / 3:50 p.m. PT.

 

Campos enters the bout riding a recent string of success, as the 28-year-old lightweight put together a flawless 2016 campaign that included a pair of noteworthy victories over Djamil Chan and Melvin Guillard. “The Stallion” continues to provide entertaining fights, as the Lubbock, Texas native has finished opponents in 10 of his 17 victories, including five knockouts and three of the first-round variety. Campos will be searching for his first three-fight winning streak under the Bellator MMA umbrella since 2013.

 

Following an explosive start to his professional career, collecting victories in 11 of his first 12 bouts, including one no-contest, Anderson has continued his success under the direction of Bellator MMA. Since joining the Scott Coker-led promotion in 2013, “The Barbaric” has tallied five impressive wins, highlighted by two knockouts and a pair of victories over Patricky Freire. Hailing from San Diego, Calif., Anderson has finished 11 of his 14 victims, and will not have to travel far as he prepares for number 12. With back-to-back victories over the aforementioned Freire and most recently Saad Awad at “Bellator 160,” Anderson has quickly entered the mix as one of the division’s top contenders. The 26-year-old lightweight will now look to take down the Bellator MMA veteran Campos and add yet another big name to his admirable resume.

 

The 37-year-old Ruth will be making her third appearance under the Bellator MMA banner and first of her 2017 campaign, following a year in which she earned her first promotional victory over Ukrainian submission specialist Lena Ovchynnikova. Prior to joining the Scott Coker-led promotion in 2016, “Ruthless” strung together an impressive 5-1 record to begin her career, including five knockout victories and three first round finishes. With wins in four of her last five contests, Ruth will look to start the year off on the right foot and add to her already impressive MMA resume.

 

The recently signed Schneider will be making her Bellator MMA debut on Jan. 21, as she also enters the contest having won four of her last five bouts. With six of her 10 career wins coming by way of knockout or submission, look for Schneider to attack early and often in a flyweight clash that features two of the more dangerous opponents in the division. Standing at 5’9”, the 34-year-old Schneider will hold a significant height advantage over the veteran Ruth, who stands about five inches shy of the former Invicta FC product. Hailing from Los Angeles, Calif., Schneider will also not have to travel far for this incredible event, as the hometown crowd will surely be pulling for “Thoroughbred” at Inglewood’s famous Forum.

 

 

Ruth and Schneider will join a preliminary card that features the promotional debuts of Kevin Casey (9-5-1, 2 NC) and Jack May(8-3), as well as the return of Chinzo Machida (4-2), Henry Corrales (12-3), Guilherme “Bomba” (8-3), and Cody Bollinger (19-6).

 

Complete “Bellator 170: Ortiz vs. Sonnen” Main Card:

Light Heavyweight Main Event: Tito Ortiz (18-12-1) vs. Chael Sonnen (28-14-1)

Welterweight Co-Main Event: Paul Daley (38-14-2) vs. Brennan Ward (14-4)

Middleweight Main Card Bout: Ralek Gracie (3-0) vs. Hisaki Kato (7-2)

Featherweight Main Card Bout: Georgi Karakhanyan (26-6-1) vs. Emmanuel Sanchez (13-3)

Lightweight Main Card Bout: Derek Campos (17-6) vs. Derek Anderson (14-2, 1 NC)

 

Bellator.com-Streamed Preliminary Card:

Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Chinzo Machida (4-2) vs. Jamar Ocampo (2-0)

Heavyweight Preliminary Bout: Jack May (8-3) vs. Dave Cryer (11-2)

Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Henry Corrales (12-3) vs. Cody Bollinger (19-6)

Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Kevin Casey (9-5-1, 2 NC) vs. Keith Berry (15-13)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Guilherme “Bomba” Vasconcelos (8-3) vs. John Mercurio (8-7)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Gabriel Green (3-0) vs. Jalin Turner (2-2)

Catchweight Preliminary Bout: Christian Gonzalez (2-0) vs. Daniel Rodriguez (2-0)

Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Jacob Rosales (4-2) vs. Ian Butler (3-2)

Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Johnny Cisneros (9-5) vs. Curtis Millender (9-3)

Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Mike Segura (4-4) vs. Tommy Aaron (2-1)

Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: Rob Gooch (4-3) vs. James Barnes (6-2)

Flyweight Preliminary Bout: Rebecca Ruth (6-2) vs. Colleen Schneider (10-7)

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

FNU Combat Sports Show: Povetkin Steroid Issues, Hopkins Knocked out of Ring, Paige and Sage endure UFC Growing Pains

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Rich, Tom and Tony cover the past week’s news and events and look forward to the few fight cards happening over the next few weeks. We spend a good amount of time discussing the final fight of Bernard Hopkins, the drug testing debacle with Alexander Povetkin, and the UFC fight night co-main events where highly hyped prospects Paige VanZant and Sage Northcutt bombed hard. Check out the show below. This one closes out the year for us, so fans can tune in next year for our next broadcast on January 5, 2017.

Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE WILL BE ON THE LINE AT NEF 27

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Lewiston, Maine (December 22, 2016) –New England Fights (NEF) returns to the Androscoggin Bank Colisee on February 11, 2017 with its next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 27: RESURGENCE.”  Earlier today, the fight promotion announced the addition of an amateur light-heavyweight title bout to the card.  Ryan Glover (3-1) will defend his belt against the challenge of undefeated Victor Irwin (2-0).

 

Glover won the title one year ago at “NEF 21” with a second-round submission of Mike Williams (2-1).  He would take the rest of 2016 off from MMA competition to deal with family obligations.  Glover was a state wrestling champion out of Mountain Valley High School (MVHS) in Rumford, Maine where he also won a state championship in football.  He began training in MMA two years ago, joining Berserkers MMA in Rumford, a team heavy in MVHS alum.

 

“I’m happy to get back in the cage after a long layoff and defend my belt,” said Glover.  “I was busy taking care of my family, but now it’s time to remind folks why I am NEF’s best 205er.”

 

Like his opponent, Victor Irwin is also a former Maine state wrestling champion, having won a title while at Brewer High School in Brewer, Maine.  In 2014, as a freshman, Irwin created a wrestling program at Eastern Maine Community College (EMCC).  He went to Nationals that year and achieved All-American status.  Irwin is a member of Young’s MMA in Bangor, Maine.  His previous appearances in the NEF cage have been impressive – both first round finishes.

 

“I am really excited to have been given a shot at the title,” said Irwin.  “Fighting Ryan will be a great challenge and opportunity for me to improve my skill set.”

 

NEF’s next event, “NEF 27: RESURGENCE” takes place on Saturday, February 11, 2017 at 7 p.m.  Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now at www.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisee box office at 207.783.2009, extension 525.

 

For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com.  In addition, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”

 

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 Maine’s fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.

Amateur MMA, mixed martial arts, MMA, New England Fights

2016 FIGHTER OF THE YEAR LOOKS TO CARRY MOMENTUM INTO NEW YEAR

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Lewiston, Maine (December 21, 2016) –New England Fights (NEF) returns to the Androscoggin Bank Colisee on February 11, 2017 with its next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 27: RESURGENCE.”  Earlier today, the fight promotion announced the addition of a professional featherweight fight to the card.  Aaron “Relentless” Lacey (4-0) will take on Chris “Game Bred” Jacobs (1-0) at a fight weight of 145-pounds.

 

Voted “Fighter of the Year” earlier this week by NEF fans, it would take a Herculean effort to argue that 2016 was not Aaron Lacey’s year.  He made his professional debut in April at “NEF 22” defeating veteran Derek Shorey (4-8) and remained undefeated the rest of the year.  Including his amateur career, Lacey is riding a seven-fight win streak.  He has not lost a fight since the spring of 2014 (his only loss) – close to three years ago.

 

Most recently, Lacey struck down seasoned pro Taylor Trahan (6-7) with a vicious liver kick that made the entire crowd at the Colisee cringe.  A win over Jacobs on February 11 would move Lacey that much closer to signing a contract with a major, national MMA promotion – a fate long predicted by many insiders for the product of Bangor’s Young’s MMA gym.

 

“I’m looking forward to 2017,” said Lacey when reached for comment.  “2016 was a big year for me and I am looking forward to carrying that momentum into the new year on February 11th. Chris Jacobs is a seasoned opponent who is making the trip up from Florida, so he will be prepared. I live in the gym and have been making huge gains, and 2017 will be the year I get to showcase those gains!”

 

Jacobs is based out of DeLand, Florida.  “NEF 27” will see him make his first trip to compete in Maine, but Jacobs is no stranger to the MMA cage.  He put together an impressive record of 8-3 as an amateur, including capturing a regional title on a fight card in nearby Daytona Beach.  Jacobs won his pro debut earlier this year in Tampa.  He is looking forward to facing tough competition in the form of Lacey.

 

“I must give thanks and praise to the most high for putting me in this position to fight in Maine,” said Jacobs. “It’s a blessing. It’s an honor to fight someone of a high caliber and stature like Aaron Lacey.  I look forward to coming up there and competing with a top level athlete.”

 

NEF’s next event, “NEF 27: RESURGENCE” takes place on Saturday, February 11, 2017 at 7 p.m.  Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now at www.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisee box office at 207.783.2009, extension 525.

 

For more information on the event and fight card updates, please visit the promotion’s website at www.NewEnglandFights.com.  In addition, you can watch NEF videos at www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, follow them on Twitter @nefights and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”

 

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 Maine’s fighters and fans alike. NEF’s executive team has extensive experience in combat sports management, events production, media relations, marketing, legal and advertising.

Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

‘KING MO’ DEFEATS SATOSHI ISHII WITH A SHUTOUT DECISION VICTORY AT ‘BELLATOR 169’

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JAMES GALLAGHER & SINEAD KAVANAGH SCORE WINS FOR THEIR HOMETOWN FANS WHO PACKED THE 3ARENA IN DUBLIN

CLICK HERE FOR ALL FIGHT NIGHT PHOTOS

DUBLIN, IRELAND. (Dec. 16, 2016) – In the evening’s main event, it was wrestler versus judo practitioner as Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (20-5, 1 NC) returned to moneyweight to face Olympic Gold Medalist Satoshi Ishii (14-7-1). King Mo avoided Ishii’s crafty throws as he scored a couple takedowns of his own throughout the fight. The contest finished with a shutout unanimous decision victory (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) for “King Mo.”

Now, after yet another impressive performance during the main event of “Bellator 169,” Lawal looks to end 2016 in style by repeating his domination over Rizin Fighting Federation opponents, when the 2015 eight-man Rizin heavyweight tournament winner returns to grand prix action during the Japanese-based promotion’s New Year’s Eve weekend of events.

Fresh off his victory in Dublin tonight, Lawal now sets his sights on the fellow contestants competing in the quarterfinals of the open-weight grand prix on Dec. 29 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan – the semifinals and finals are set for Dec. 31.

The 35-year-old former Strikeforce Champion defeated Brett McDermott, Teodoras Aukstuolis and Jiri Prochazka en route to winning the heavyweight tournament last year, now the “King” looks to retain his crown against the likes of: Shane Carwin, Amir Aliakbari, Mirko Filipovic, Kaido Hoovelson, Tsuyoshi Kosaka, Valentin Moldavsky, and Szymon Bajor.

With a second tournament victory in Japan, “King Mo” would cap off a stellar 2016 campaign, a 365-day run where in addition to Ishii, the American Top Team standout took current Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight Champion Phil Davis to the limit during their “Bellator 154” tussle back in May

Gallagher Sinks in RNC During Third Frame of Co-Main Event

 

In what many considered “the people’s main event,” the highly touted SBG prospect James Gallagher (5-0) kept his composure through the first two hard fought rounds against Anthony Taylor (1-2). The American threw several powerful strikes, connecting on multiple occasions as Gallagher fought from safe range. Not long after the start of the final round the “Strabanimal” took the back of “Pretty Boy” Taylor with a body triangle actively looking to find a choke. It looked as though Taylor had it under control, walking across the cage toward his corner, pandering to the camera with a smile but seconds later, he was on his stomach, where he succumbed to a rear naked choke at 1:52 of round three. At the time of the stoppage, the judges were split with the cards reading 20-18, 18-20 and 19-19 after the first two rounds.

Kavanagh Gets the Irish Crowd Started with UD Victory

Sinead Kavanagh (4-0) was determined to put one on the board for the home team and that’s exactly what she did when she defeated Elina Kallionidou (5-1) by unanimous decision (30-25, 30-26, 30-27). Kavanagh stalked the Greek regional champion around the cage and scored on a great deal of combinations up against the fence. Kallionidou showed impressive resiliance, toughing out firestorm after firestorm of punches and bouncing back as though unfazed.

“Drake” Weichel Wants Another Shot at the Title

In the first televised fight of the evening, the crowd was loud, hoping to propel their Irishman Brian “Pikeman” Moore (9-5) to victory against Daniel Weichel (38-9). Moore looked sharp on his feet, throwing crisp jabs before getting taken to the canvas. From the ground, Moore fought off several rear-naked choke attempts before rolling into a triangle choke 4:44 into the first frame, making it 0-2 for the Irish-born fighters to start the card.

Who Else but Cameron Else to Spoil Hot Prospect Dylan Tukes Night

 

An electric Irish partisan crowd was on hand at the 3Arena in Dublin, but it didn’t take long for Great Britan’s Cameron Else (4-3) to silence them all with a jaw-dropping knockout victory over the highly-touted hometown fighter Dylan Tuke (3-1) only 20 seconds into round one.

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

FNU Combat Sports Show: Boxing and MMA Wrap up And Weekend Preview

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Rich, Tony and Tom discuss last week’s busy boxing and MMA schedule and look forward to some incredible match-ups this weekend in combat sports. We also briefly discuss Jose Aldo refusing to believe the hype behind Bjorn Rebney and Georges St. Pierre uniting some other UFC stars to start the MMAAA.

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

KO & Submission of the Night M-1 Challenge 73 co-winners announced 

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 ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (December 15, 2016) – M-1 Global has announced Knockout of the Night and Submission of the Night bonus performance award co-winners for last Friday night’s M-1 Challenge 73: Battle of Narts in Ingushetia, Russia.

Co-Knockouts of the Night
Feared striker Magomed Idrisov (7-0-0, M-1: 4-0-0), of Russia captured the M-1 Challenge bantamweight title by knocking out defending champion Ivan “Buki” Buchinger (31-5-0, M-1: 6-1-0), fighting out of Slovakia, who rode a 10-fight win streak into M-1 Challenge 73, Idrisov put Buchinger to sleep with one devastating punch in the opening round for a shocking ending.
American bantamweight “The Punisher” Josh Rettinghouse (14-4-0, M-1: 2-0-0) knocked out his Kazakh opponent, Sergey Morozov (6-2-0, M-1: 3-2-0), in the first round.
Co-Submissions of the Night
Hometown favorite Khamzat Dalgiev (8-1-0, M-1: 5-1-0), chocked out British lightweight Christian “The Animal” Holley (10-3-0, M-1: 0-1-0) in the second round.
Brazilian bantamweight Diego “The Pride” Davella (16-5-0, M-1: 1-0-0) won his M-1 debut in impressive fashion, choking Zalimbeg Omarov (7-2-1, M-1: 4-2-1) into a second-round submission.
NEXT SHOW: Feb. 18, M-1 Challenge 74, St. Petersburg, Russia
     
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Bellator, mixed martial arts, MMA, Spike TV

ALL FIGHTERS SUCCESSFULLY MAKE WEIGHT –  BELLATOR MMA & BAMMA DOUBLE HEADER EVENT SET TO TAKE PLACE TOMORROW NIGHT INSIDE 3ARENA IN DUBLIN

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B169 Weigh In_0870

 

Complete Weigh-In Photos Here

 

DUBLIN, IRELAND. (Dec. 15, 2016) – The official weigh-ins for both “Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii” and “BAMMA 27” took place this afternoon at the 1878 club inside 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. The competitors are now ready for action tomorrow at 3Arena, with the event airing on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.

 

The Spike-televised main card will be highlighted by a heavyweight main event pitting “King Mo” (19-5, 1 NC) against Olympic Judo Gold Medalist Satoshi Ishii (14-6-1). In addition, Anthony Taylor (1-1) will look to quite the crowd as he enters enemy territory to challenge Northern Ireland’s own James Gallagher (4-0) in a featherweight co-main clash.

 

In addition to a full card of Bellator action, ticketholders will also have the unique opportunity to experience an additional fight card from Europe’s leading mixed martial arts promotion, BAMMA. The bantamweight belt will be on the line at “BAMMA 27,” as Tom Duquesnoy (13-1, 1 NC) and Alan Philpott (16-8) prepare to duke it out for the division gold.

 

“Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii” takes place inside 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland, and will air free on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.

 

 

“Bellator 169: King Mo vs. Ishii” Card: (SPIKE TV – 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT)

 

Heavyweight Main Event: Satoshi Ishii (236.6 lbs.) vs. Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (213 lbs.)

 

Featherweight Co-Main Event: Anthony Taylor (145.8 lbs.) vs. James Gallagher (145.6 lbs.)

 

Featherweight Feature Bout: Brian Moore (146 lbs.) vs. Daniel Weichel (145.6 lbs.)

 

Bantamweight Feature Bout: Elina Kallionidou (135.8 lbs.) vs. Sinead Kavanagh (135.2 lbs.)

 

Bantamweight Feature Bout: Cameron Else (145.2 lbs.) vs. Dylan Tuke (144.6 lbs.)