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By: Wolemera Bergeron
Can a pro mixed martial artist beat a pro boxer is the kind of question that started the UFC in the first place, but now the wildly popular fight league seems to be trying to avoid that question entirely when it comes to a potential boxing match between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather.
Though recent reports indicated a deal was in the works with only a third party failing to agree on terms (most likely the UFC), it seems that the UFC brass knows this could be a lose/lose situation for the promotion. For one, Conor is almost guaranteed to lose the fight. Secondly, the purse he will command should be extremely hefty, which will mean he will demand the same kind of money for every fight after this one. This is why UFC President Dana White put his ceiling at $25 million for McGregor to fight Mayweather.
The UFC could end up paying dearly for letting this fight happen. It could make McGregor much too popular and shift the balance of power from the UFC bosses to their star employee. Conor will be the one calling the shots from here on out if this boxing match happens, especially if it ends up being a $100 million payday for “Mystic Mac.”
Just consider this segment on UNDISPUTED, starring Shannon Sharp and Skip Bayless:
The inevitable loss for McGregor would really be a huge win for the cocky, arrogant and outspoken fighter who seems like he actually believes he can pull off a miracle win. Even if he’s knocked out, beaten by a wide unanimous decision, or disqualified for engaging in illegal strikes, Conor stands to make enough money to potentially retire from MMA for good. It’s either that, or he could just continue in MMA with the stipulation that no fight purse in his future be any less than what he makes for the Mayweather bout. If Conor even shows the slightest bit of skill in the boxing ring, he could also end up being the combat sports version of Bo Jackson and maintain a career as a two sport athlete in the future. All of this is simply bad for the UFC as a whole, as they will at best have to share one of their top talents and will have to pay him outrageous fees to keep him fighting in their Octagon.
It would be much much smarter for Conor fans to play some casino games at คาสิโน MarathonBet than it would for any of them to put down money on their hero to win this fight. Whatever odds this fight does finally generate in Vegas, McGregor is sure to be a huge underdog that will tempt his fans to make the bet on the slim chance of a huge payout. It just isn’t a good idea considering the lack of experience Conor has as a boxer and the invincibility of Mayweather in the final years of his boxing career.
What is crystal clear is that Mayweather wants only one fight to leave the comfort of retirement, and McGregor is the only man who will face him in that fight. The fact that this should be a walk in the park is not lost on Floyd. There’s no downside to trouncing McGregor. Floyd has been itching to prove MMA fighters as a whole don’t have the punching power or prowess that a boxer of his caliber has. He will no doubt get his chance, but don’t ask the UFC to pay astronomical record numbers to facilitate a fight of this magnitude if it means raising the fight pay bar to a level they can never recover from if they want to keep their ultimate superstar on the books.
McGregor can talk all he wants, and sports pundits will eat it up like candy. People will either have some insane belief that he can pull off this walk on water routine, or they will want to pay to see his ego crushed in defeat. Mwanjira zonse, this bout could reap huge rewards for both fighters. People WILL pay to see it, even if it does prove to be a complete and utter disappointment.
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Tony, Rich and Tom come back from a week off with a ton of stuff to talk about. From the controversy of Holly Holm’s UFC 208 main event title fight with Germaine De Randamie to the upcoming battle between Matt Mitrione and Fedor Emelianenko, we cover a wide range of past and upcoming MMA events. We also look back at Ivan Barnchyk’s masterful comeback last weekend against Abel Ramos in a thrilling boxing match. We also go over the upcoming week’s boxing schedule. We also update the Mayweather vs. MacGregor negotiations with a big surprise: The UFC is the big stumbling block at this point. Additionally we discuss the recent study showing soccer players can suffer the same damage as heavyweight boxers after long careers in the sport where heading soccer balls repeatedly can bring on CTE in retired players. We also spend time discussing Brock Lesnar’s retirement and GSP’s imminent return.
Part One:
Part Two:
San Jose, Calif. (Feb. 16, 2017) – We are just days away from one of the most highly anticipated heavyweight battles in Bellator MMA history, monga Fedor Emelianenko (36-4, 1 NC) ndipo Mat Mitrione (11-5) headline a massive main card at Bellator 172. Kenanso, Bellator’s digital team has put together a collection of exclusive new content in preparation of Loweruka a festivities at SAP Center. If you’re searching for a deeper look inside these competitors’ road to the main event, join us as we explore some fantastic behind-the-scenes footage available now on Bellator’s dynamic YouTube page.
The Legend of Fedor’s Sweater
Fedor’s monumental career goes hand-in-hand with his “Glorious Sweater of Absolute Victory.” Adam Carolla and others chime in on the Russian slugger’s mysterious attire. |
What to Watch: Fedor vs. Mitrione
Bellator 172 features a must-watch heavyweight main event between Fedor Emelianenko and Matt Mitrione, but before the two meet inside the cage Jimmy Smith covers what’s at stake. |
Backstage With Fedor Emelianenko
Let’s go backstage with one of the game’s greatest and take a closer look at the initial signing that took place at the promotion’s last event in San Jose at Bellator 165. |
Sit Down With Matt Mitrione
Heavyweight superstar Matt Mitrione sits down with us to discuss his upcoming main event showdown with the legendary Fedor. |
In Focus: Josh Thomson
We take a closer look at Josh Thomson’s story and close relationship with Bellator MMA President Scott Coker in the latest edition of In Focus. |
KADUKA Info: The evening’s main event features a highly anticipated heavyweight slugfest pitting the legendary Fedor Emelianenko (36-4, 1 NC) motsutsa Mat Mitrione (11-5).
San Jose’s own Josh Thomson (22-8, 1 NC) returns to the Bellator MMA cage to take on veteran knockout artistPatricky “Pitbull” (16-8) in a lightweight co-main clash. Fans can also experience a heavyweight feature fight pittingCheick Kongo (25-10-2) against British phenom Oli Thompson (17-9) and a female flyweight fight pairing Veta Arteaga (2-1) motsutsa Brooke Mayo (Kuwonekera koyamba kugulu). Pomaliza, a welterweight showdown pitting Josh Koscheck (17-10) motsutsaMauricio Alonso (12-7, 1 NC) rounds out the Spike-televised main card action.
Bellator 172: Fedor vs. Mitrione akudzitukumula moyo ndi ufulu pa kukwera pa 9 p.m. AND/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary bouts will stream live on Bellator.com and The Bellator Mobile App. Very few tickets remain and they can be purchased at the SAP Center Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com.
Complete Bellator 172: Fedor vs. Mitrione SPIKE-Televised Main Card:
Heavyweight Main Event: Fedor Emelianenko (36-4, 1 NC) vs. Mat Mitrione (11-5)
Lightweight Feature Fight: Josh Thomson (22-8, 1 NC) vs. Patricky “Pitbull” (16-8)
Heavyweight Feature Fight: Cheick Kongo (25-10-2) vs. Oli Thompson (17-9)
Flyweight Feature Fight: Veta Arteaga (2-1) vs. Brooke Mayo (Kuwonekera koyamba kugulu)
Welterweight Mbali Nkhondo: Josh Koscheck (17-10) vs. Mauricio Alonso (12-7, 1 NC)
Bellator.com-Streamed Preliminary Card:
Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Anatoly Tokov (24-2) vs. Francisco France (13-4-1)
Welterweight Prelim Bout: James Terry (18-9) vs. J.C. Llamas (8-5)
Lightweight Prelim Bout: Nikko Jackson (1-1) vs. Cesar Gonzalez (0-1)
Featherweight Prelim Bout: Juan Cardenas (1-0) vs. Luis Vargas (0-1)
Welterweight Prelim Bout: Dominic Sumner (1-0) vs. Abraham Vaesau (1-0)
Flyweight Prelim Bout: Anthony Kodi (4-1) vs. Bobby Escalante (4-5)
Flyweight Prelim Bout: Mat Ramirez (1-2) vs. Jeremy Murphy (3-3)
Lightweight Prelim Bout: J.J. Okanovich (3-1) vs. Zach Andrews (5-1)
Featherweight Prelim Bout: Abner Perez (Kuwonekera koyamba kugulu) vs. Gaston Bolanos (Kuwonekera koyamba kugulu)
Featherweight Prelim Bout: Justin Tenedora (Kuwonekera koyamba kugulu) vs. Roque Reyes (0-3)
Middleweight Prelim Bout: Martin Sano (4-2) vs. Diego Herzog (4-2)
Msanga KUMASULIDWA: Lewiston, Maine (February 11, 2017) – A nor’easter 48 hours earlier, sub-zero temperatures, heavy snowfall at bell-time, and a blizzard looming on the horizon could not stop more than 2,500 devoted fight fans from getting their fill of mixed-martial-arts action at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee on Saturday night. The event marked fight promotion New England Fights’ (NEF) five-year anniversary at the venerable fight arena.
The show was headlined by the semi-finals of the NEF Professional MMA Lightweight Title tournament. Jon Lemke (6-7) advanced to the finals with a first round technical knockout of Jesse Erickson (9-6). Ryan Sanders (13-8) joined Lemke in the final round with a first-round knockout of John Ortolani (8-11).
Ras Hylton (1-0) was victorious in his professional debut over Mike Hansen (5-5), while former NEF Amateur MMA Welterweight Champion Ricky Dexter (1-0) also entered the pro ranks with a verbal submission win over Mat Denning (3-6) after a brutal body shot.
On the amateur portion of the fight card, Victor Irwin (3-0) became the new light-heavyweight champion with a submission of Ryan Glover (3-2).
NEF further announced that its next MMA event, “NEF 28: INVINCIBLE,” would originate from the Androscoggin Bank Colisee on Loweruka, April 29, 2017.
Utumiki zotsatira “NEF 27: RESURGENCE”:
Akatswiri
Ryan Sanders def. John Ortolani via KO, wozungulira 1
Jon Lemke def. Jesse Erickson via TKO, wozungulira 1
Ras Hylton def. Mike Hansen via verbal submission
Ricky Dexter def. Matt Denning via verbal submission
Josh Harvey def. Richie Collingham via D’arce choke, wozungulira 1
Elias Leland def. Nick Santos via arm triangle, wozungulira 1
Ankachita masewera
Victor Irwin def. Ryan Glover via rear-naked choke, wozungulira 1
Walt Shea def. Alan Bustamante via unanimous decision
Justin Witham def. Ryan Burgess via anaconda choke, wozungulira 2
Alex Clark def. Henry Clark via unanimous decision
John Tefft def. Sean Worcester via TKO, wozungulira 2
Sarah Ziehm def. Nicole Burgess via rear-naked choke, wozungulira 3
Fred Lear def. Michael Crespo via TKO, wozungulira 2
Devin Corson def. Winston Cortez via unanimous decision
Zeal McGrew def. Pete Grinnell via TKO, wozungulira 1
Frank Johanson def. Jacob Deppmeyer via triangle choke, wozungulira 3
Ross Dannar def. Phil Chason via unanimous decision
Angela Young def. Christine Brothwell via unanimous decision
New England Fights returns to the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston, Maine with its next mixed-martial-arts event, “NEF 28: INVINCIBLE,” lachiwelu, April 29, 2017. Tickets are on sale now at the Colisee box office 207-783-2009 × 525 pa Intaneti pa www.TheColisee.com.
Kuti mudziwe zambiri pa chochitika ndi nkhondo khadi zosintha, mufuna, pitani Kukwezeleza a webusaiti pa www.NewEnglandFights.com. Kuphatikiza apo, inu mukhoza kuona NEF a pa www.youtube.com/NEFMMA/, follow the promotion on Twitter and Instagram @nefights, and join the official Facebook group “New England Fights.”
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By: Kalle Oakes
Msanga KUMASULIDWA: Lewiston, Maine (February 9, 2017) – Championships have played a defining role in Ryan Glover’s young life.
That tradition dates back to his junior year at Mountain Valley High School, when Glover achieved the rare double of a team state championship in football and an individual heavyweight wrestling title in the space of three months.
He has continued that tradition as a mixed martial artist, winning the New England Fights light heavyweight amateur strap in only his fourth career foray into the cage.
Growing up in blue-collar Rumford and Mexico also taught Glover that sports aren’t everything, Komabe. That is why his initial title defense against Victor Irwin at “NEF 27: Resurgence” will be his first appearance in the hexagon mu 53 masabata.
Glover-Irwin will headline the amateur segment of an ambitious card Loweruka, February 11 at Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston.
“I was on the road in Florida and Virginia a lot for work all summer and didn’t have time to train with the guys I usually train with,” Glover said. “You have to pay the bills before you can go do this stuff. This is just for fun. I hope (Irwin) knows I’ll be prepared for this one.”
Once the opening bell tolls, Glover (3-1) will have experienced more title bouts in the cage than non-title trials. He also battled in an unforgettable slugfest for the NEF amateur heavyweight belt, one that went to his opponent in that fight by a close but unanimous decision.
His experience is one of the reasons Glover envisions a triumphant return.
“He’s a good athlete, but a young kid who doesn’t have any experience beyond the first round,” Glover said. “When I had my first title fight, that was my first time going into a second round and I was kind of dead in the water at that point.”
Glover won the title with a second round submission via arm lock over Mike Williams.
That rapid ascent through the New England heavyweight ranks so early in his career shouldn’t surprise anyone who has followed Glover’s athletic achievements. He has always been ahead of the usual learning curve.
As a junior on an undefeated 2010 Mountain Valley football powerhouse that featured senior standouts Cam Kaubris and Christian Durland, Glover’s work at linebacker was so impressive that he was named the Lewiston Sun Journal player of the year.
“It helps,” Glover said of his gridiron background. “I’ve seen some of the biggest venues there are when it comes to high school sports.”
State wrestling finals packed in two of Maine’s most hallowed indoor sports facilities – Augusta Civic Center and the old Bangor Auditorium – during Glover’s four years on the mat.
Glover made the jump from the 215-pound class to 285 his sophomore year, even though he tipped the scales far beneath the limit. It was a tradition started by Berserker’s MMA stablemate and fellow NEF star Mike “The Mustache” Hansen about six years earlier.
“Mike was kind of the guinea pig for wrestling against those bigger heavyweights,” Glover said. “That’s the way (Coach) Gary Dolloff sold it to me. I remember him saying that the reason he decided to try that with me was because Mike had been successful at it. And of course he was right, because we got a state championship out of it.”
Senior year didn’t live up to that junior promise. Illness and injury conspired to keep Glover from defending both the football and wrestling titles.
“I was ranked No. 1 going into my senior year and got sick,"Iye anati. “That just goes to show that sometimes life gets in the way.”
Glover didn’t follow the college track, opting for the work force instead, and it seemed that his sports days were over.
He tried auto racing for a while, then turned to boxing and MMA training to get back in shape. That led to his debut in February 2015, followed quickly by three more cage fights and an amateur boxing match for good measure.
Only when his work commitments returned to the River Valley this past fall did Glover consider getting back into the cage. Family obligations came first, Iye anati. And yes, pride in the name he’s made for himself over the years was a factor too.
“It’s definitely a sport where you can get hurt if you try to do it (halfway), especially against an opponent like I’m fighting,” Glover said. “He’s a good athlete. He’s as good at wrestling as I ever was, maybe even better.”
Family and friends in the close-knit, upstart Berserkers camp have Glover better prepared than ever. Ryan’s brother, Mat, also has two NEF appearances to his credit.
“I’ve been rolling with my brother and other guys who are 250 or better,” Glover said. “It’s a game-changer. I feel like I’m lot more of a scrambler than (Irwin) ndi. And especially where I’ll be cutting weight to get to 205, I’ll have the strength advantage.”
He might enjoy one other distinct advantage: Fan support.
Name recognition has its privileges. Or perhaps it is a case of Glover’s absence making his fans’ hearts grow fonder. In any case, his fight is shaping as one of the most anticipated attractions at NEF 27.
“Right after I took the fight I sold 50 tickets by myself,” Glover said. “When my song comes on, I know the place is going to blow up. Young’s (wa Bangor) always brings a big crowd, so we need that support.”
The opening bell for “NEF 27: Resurgence” on February 11 amamasulidwa chifukwa 7 p.m. Matikiti kuyamba pa $25 ndipo akupezeka pa www.TheColisee.com kapena kuyitana Colisee bokosi nchito 207.783.2009, extension 525.