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This episode of the FNU Combat Sports Show features special guest Eddie Barraco. Eddie was a fighter who last connected with us when MySpace was still cool (check out Eddie’s Facebook page Here), and it’s been too long. We cover a wide range of issues and catch up on what he’s been up to as a first class MMA trainer in Las Vegas. Tom, Tony and Rich also discuss the abhorrent judging of Adelaide Byrd, who scored the Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin fight 118-110 in favor of Canelo, who by most accounts lost a close fight at best. Additionally we touch on Ana Julaton’s transition from boxing to MMA, Conor McGregor’s upcoming appearance before congress, and former heavyweight champion boxer Michael Moorer’s new job punching out looters in Florida.
Part One and Show Close:
Eddie’s Interview:
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HOUSTON, Texas – Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) CEO Ed Soares announced today that the MMA super prospect Mackenzie Dern will return to the LFA Octagon in her hometown of Phoenix, Arizona at LFA 24.
The previously announced main event of LFA 24 will feature a welterweight war between two of the division’s marquee names when Australian annihilator
“Mackenzie Dern will return to the LFA Octagon in front of her hometown crowd at LFA 24,” stated Soares. “Dern is one of the most accomplished jiu-jitsu competitors to ever crossover into MMA. OnOctober 13th, she will face RFA vet and IFBB professional fitness competitor Mandy Polk in the flyweight division.”
Tickets for LFA 24 – Frincu vs. Millender are available for purchase NOW at ComericaTheatre.com.
Dern (3-0) is the daughter of legendary jiu-jitsu and judo black belt Wellington “Megaton” Dias. She began training with her father at an early age in the Phoenix area and is now widely considered one of the most accomplished jiu-jitsu practitioners to ever compete in MMA. The multiple-time jiu-jitsu world champion has won a world title at every rank (blue belt through black belt) and in 2015 added an ADCC Submission Wrestling World title to her trophy case. Dern will look to defend that ADCC title this weekend in Finland. After ADCC 2017, the woman who former UFC champion Benson Henderson famously stated “will be bigger than Ronda Rousey”, will return to the LFA Octagon in front of her hometown crowd at LFA 24.
Polk (3-3) will be the woman waiting to welcome Dern to the flyweight division. This is the UFC’s newest weight class that is currently being featured on the current season of the UFC’s hit reality television series The Ultimate Fighter (TUF 26). “MissDemeanor” is a native of the Memphis, Tennessee area and holds a purple belt in jiu-jitsu. She is also a high school wrestling coach and IFBB professional fitness competitor. Polk competed at the final RFA event (RFA 46) before RFA merged with Legacy FC. Upon signing with RFA and knowing about the eventual merger, Polk made her intentions clear that she would love the opportunity to compete against Dern, who was competing for Legacy FC. Polk will now get her wish at LFA 24.
Main Card (Televised on AXS TV at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT):
Main Event | Welterweight Bout (170 lb)
– Matthew Frincu (11-2) vs. Curtis Millender (12-3)
Co-Main Event | Bantamweight Bout (135 lb)
– Joey Miolla (9-2) vs. Vinicius Zani (10-4)
Women’s Flyweight Bout (125 lb)
– Mackenzie Dern (3-0) vs. Mandy Polk (3-3)
Lightweight Bout (155 lb)
– LaRue Burley (7-3) vs. Maycon Mendonça (6-2)
Featherweight Bout (145 lb)
– Cory Sandhagen (5-1) vs. Randy Steinke (18-11-1)
Bantamweight Bout (135 lb)
– Kevin Natividad (4-0) vs. Glen Baker (3-2)
Lightweight Bout (155 lb)
– Keoni Diggs (4-0) vs. Nick Chasteen (0-0)
In September, RFA and Legacy FC officials announced that they would be merging to form the premier developmental organization in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) starting in January 2017. RFA and Legacy FC have launched the careers of over 100 athletes that have reached the pinnacle of MMA by competing in the UFC.
LFA 24 will serve as the second LFA event to take place in the state of Arizona. The promotion’s first trip to “The Grand Canyon State” took place in May. The entire main card of LFA 24 will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 9 p.m. ET / 6 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.
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HOUSTON, Texas – Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) CEO Ed Soares announced today that the LFA is headed back to Arizona in October with a pivotal pairing at the top of the LFA welterweight division.
The main event of LFA 24 will feature an explosive welterweight war between two of the division’s marquee names. The headliner will see the Australian annihilator Matthew “Thunder From Down Under” Frincu face southern California juggernaut “Curtious” Curtis Millender. LFA 24 – Frincu vs. Millender takes place Friday, October 13th at the Comerica Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona. The entire main card will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.
“I am excited to bring LFA back to Arizona on October 13th,” stated Soares. “Matthew Frincu has been sensational in his first two LFA bouts. He will face Curtis Millender, who specifically asked for this fight. They are both coming off big wins in LFA headliners that took place just four weeks apart and the winner of this fight will make a huge statement at the top of one of our deepest divisions.”
Tickets for LFA 24 – Frincu vs. Millender are available for purchase NOW at ComericaTheatre.com.
Frincu (11-2) looked incredible in his LFA debut in late February at LFA 5. The native of Gold Coast, Australia assaulted Kris Hocum for fifteen minutes in a wildly entertaining display of striking brilliance. Frincu taught a masterclass on how to effectively utilize range and Muay Thai technique to dismantle a high-level grappler. Ten weeks later, the Arizona Combat Sports representative offered a crash course on the same subject, as he needed only 96-seconds to stop Brazilian prospect Maycon Mendonça in the main event of LFA 11. Now “The Thunder From Down Under” looks to strike a third time inside the LFA Octagon at LFA 24.
Millender (12-3), like Frincu, also rides the momentum of a four-fight win streak heading into their showdown in the LFA 24 headliner. The Anaheim native and three-time Bellator vet impressed many in his LFA debut in early June, when he earned a Unanimous Decision victory over Kevin Holland in the main event of LFA 13. The win helped “Curtious Curtis” politely remind the world why he is still one of California’s top welterweight talents. The CSW standout now looks to take his show on the road when he heads to the Arizona state capital to battle the top Australian welterweight prospect in the sport in the main event of LFA 24.
The co-main event of LFA 24 will feature the LFA debut of former RFA bantamweight title challenger Joey “The Beast” Miolla (9-2). The Power MMA product fought for the RFA three times, but this will be the first time Miolla will get to fight on AXS TV in front of his hometown crowd in the “Valley of the Sun”. Miolla was the lone member of Team USA to earn a win against Team Brazil at RFA 29. He then fought Leandro Higo for the RFA bantamweight title at RFA 37 in a bout that was featured on Dana White: Lookin’ For A Fight. Miolla’s final RFA fight took place at featherweight at RFA 44, where he picked up a submission win over T.J. Brown.
The man looking to spoil Miolla’s homecoming is the same man who was scheduled to face Miolla earlier this year before an injury delayed their inevitable confrontation. That would be fellow RFA standout Vinicius “Don” Zani (10-4). The Brazilian Muay Thai wrecking machine made a huge first impression in his RFA debut when he dominated Joe Murphy in the co-main event of RFA 38. That bout, like Miolla’s title fight at RFA 37, happened with UFC President Dana White sitting cageside filming his hit reality television show Dana White: Lookin’ For A Fight. Miolla and Zani now look to remind the UFC boss of who they are with a clear and decisive win at LFA 24.
Currently Announced Main Card (Televised on AXS TV at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT):
Main Event | Welterweight Bout (170 lbs)
– Matthew Frincu (11-2) vs. Curtis Millender (12-3)
Co-Main Event | Bantamweight Bout (135 lbs)
– Joey Miolla (9-2) vs. Vinicius Zani (10-4)
In September, RFA and Legacy FC officials announced that they would be merging to form the premier developmental organization in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) starting in January 2017. RFA and Legacy FC have launched the careers of over 100 athletes that have reached the pinnacle of MMA by competing in the UFC.
LFA 24 will serve as the second LFA event to take place in the state of Arizona. The promotion’s first trip to “The Grand Canyon State” took place in May. Further information about LFA 24 will be announced soon. The entire main card of LFA 24 will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV at9 p.m. ET / 6 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.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Portland, Maine (September 12, 2017) –New England Fights (NEF) will make its long-awaited debut in Portland on Friday, November 3, 2017 at Aura with “NEF 31: The Old Port.” Earlier today, the fight promotion announced the addition of an amateur mixed-martial-arts bout to the card. Carol Linn Powell (0-0) is scheduled to take on Francesca Morabito (0-0) in a women’s bantamweight contest.
Carol Linn is the wife of former NEF Lightweight Champion, and current UFC fighter, Devin Powell (8-3). Devin earned a contract with the UFC after impressing the company’s president, Dana White, on his web series Dana White: Lookin’ for a Fight at an event promoted by NEF in Bangor, Maine last year. Together, the Powells own and operate Nostos MMA & Conditioning Facility in Somersworth, New Hampshire. Last month, they were awarded the “Best Martial Arts Gym” at the “2017 Best of the Seacoast” awards.
“Fighting has been something I’ve fantasized about for a few years and now that it is finally happening, I couldn’t be more excited,” said Carol Linn when reached for comment. “I was supposed to have my first fight in June and it ended up falling through, and I think this fight is a much better match up and is in one of my very favorite towns. Francesca and I have trained together a few times and we were really excited to be a part of each other’s camps, but after realizing what a good matchup we are, we decided to put our friendship aside and both get in there for our first fights. We are very similar, and I’m excited to put a great show on for everyone.”
“I am very excited for my wife to make her debut,” noted Devin. “She’s been around the sport for almost half a decade, but is just recently getting into hard training and the competitive aspect of it. I never told her to fight or said I thought she should. She was very independent in this choice and when somebody chooses to do something on their own and they commit all of themselves to it, I think that is a great equation for a successful person in anything they do. She is going to find out a lot about herself on the 3rd. Happy to have a cage-side seat for it.”
Francesca Morabito trains at the Choi Institute in Portland, Maine. Her true passion lies in her work with non-profit organization Speak About It. Morabito has toured the world as a theatre artist with the Portland-based group, educating high school and college students on affirmative consent, healthy relationships, and sexual assault prevention.
“It is such an honor to make my debut just a couple blocks from where I’ve been training for the past two years,” said Morabito. “I’m elated to fight in my hometown – on the same street where I’ve trudged home on countless Maine winter nights, with my gym bag slung over my shoulder and my wet hair freezing solid underneath my Choi hoodie. My time has come. And I came to win.”
NEF’s next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 31: The Old Port,” will see the company debut in Portland, Maine at the brand new, state-of-the-art venue Aura. The event is scheduled to take place on Friday, November 3, 2017. Tickets are on sale now at www.auramaine.com.