Tag Archives: UFC

boxing, mixed martial arts, MMA, Premier Boxing Champions, Showtime, Showtime Boxing, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, UFC

FNU COMBAT SPORTS SHOW: Lou Duva Tribute Show, Psychic Tom Padgett absolutely crushes UFC 209 Predictions, Garcia vs. Thurman Recap and Analysis

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Tony Penecale (left) and Lou Duva (right) at the Brockton, Massachusetts dedication of the Rocky Marciano statue.

Our show this week was dedicated to Lou Duva (above right with our co-host Tony Penecale). Lou died earlier this week at the ripe old age of 1994. He was a great friend to Rocky Marciano, a promoter of 19 world champions, and a man who had all his irons in the one fire that lit his life: boxing. The promoter/trainer/manager/legend appeared on the FNU Combat Sports show years back, but unfortunately the audio is grainy and spotty. If you listen closely the gems our talk contains outweigh the difficult spots to hear.

The full Lou Duva interview is here:

http://hosts.blogtalkradio.com/fightnewsunlimited/2009/07/03/joey-giambra-the-uncrowned-champion

I’m also posting a couple specific remastered clips here:

 

 

 

 

 

Tom, Tony and Rich also recap Garcia vs. Thurman, The latest on Mayweather vs. McGregor, UFC 209 and the many controversies attached, GSP’s dark warning about weight cutting, and Tony Bellew’s shocking upset of David Haye.

 

Here’s the tape:  (THE TAPE DOESN’T LIE)

 

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

FNU Combat Sports Show: UFC, Bellator and Boxing Recaps/Previews; Dana The Drama Queen; Muhammad Ali Jr. Detained at Florida Airport; Transgender Wrestler Wins Women’s Wrestling Title in Texas

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Tom, Rich and Tony recap the major combat sports events from last week, including a major heavyweight showdown between Deontay Wilder and Gerald Washington, a successful title defense by Liam McGeary last Friday at a Dublin, Ireland Bellator show, and a superb comeback by Jarrett Hurd over Tony Harrison. We also look forward to the inaugural women’s featherweight title bout in Bellator tomorrow night and a star-studded UFC 209 fight card including two of the most anticipated co-main events in recent UFC history. Stephen Thompson gets his rematch with UFC Welterweight Champ Tyron Woodley in the main event while Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson fight for a shot to face Conor McGregor for the lightweight title in the co-main event. We also discuss GSP’s comeback fight against Michael Bisping, a transgender female on her way to becoming a male winning a Texas women’s wrestling title, and Muhammad Ali’s son being detained at a Florida airport in early February. Check out our first Full FNU Combat Sports Show hosted on YouTube:

Cage Warriors Fighting Championship, mixed martial arts, MMA

FORMER CAGE WARRIORS COMMENTATOR JOHN GOODEN SHARES HIS IRISH FIGHT NIGHT MEMORIES AHEAD OF CAGE WARRIORS’ RETURN TO DUBLIN

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, February 28th, 2017

As we look forward to our long-awaited return to Dublin this weekend, the former voice of Cage Warriors remembers the raucous atmosphere of the Irish fight fans and recalls the moment he took a knee from a man who would go on to become the biggest star in the sport – Conor McGregor.

Before he started calling fights for the UFC, British play-by-play man John Gooden was the voice of Cage Warriors.

And nobody knows the passion of the Irish fight fans quite like John who, during the now-famous rise to prominence of Conor McGregor, ended up right in the thick of it with the legendary Irish fight fans during both of ‘The Notorious’ one’s Cage Warriors championship victories.

We chatted to Gooden at CW80 in London where he shared his memories of his Irish fight night experiences ahead of our return to Dublin this weekend for Cage Warriors 81.

“I think my first taste was the Helix when Conor won his first world title,” he began.

“I got injured – Conor kneed me in the face! But I stayed here to live to tell the tale!

“He jumped the fence. His fans were going absolutely bonkers, and I think if he didn’t go out, they were coming in. So strategically he did the right thing, although he sort of ran through me to get to them!

“But Josh (Palmer, Cage Warriors co-commentator) and I were covered in beer and it was just this melee of craziness. So that was really cool, because I can say I took a knee from Conor McGregor – which he apologised for, as well!

“The Helix was an interesting venue. It was on different levels and the last time I was there the Irish were having mixed results. Then Conor came out and, as he does, rouses everyone and came away with the victory in the fashion that he did. That just put the capstone on the night and just made it celebratory.”

After that fight both McGregor and Gooden were UFC bound, where they would reunite in Dublin at the 3Arena for UFC Fight Night: McGregor v Brandao, an event that has gone down in folklore as one of the most raucous in UFC history.

“I’ve been over to Dublin twice (with the UFC) but the first time in 2014 – McGregor-Brandao – it’s gonna be difficult to top that,” Gooden smiled.

“The fans were SO good. The Irish fighters went 100%. They won, they won, they won and the crowd loved it. They got behind every single one and it was just a big celebration.

“Going back there, it was a sensory overload and I’m gonna take that to the grave with me.”

That event has been held up as the standard by which all fight night atmospheres are now judged, but there have been plenty of examples of the Irish fans’ passion since then, whether it’s at home for a host of different events, or on the road supporting their heroes overseas.

And on Saturday night the Irish fight fans have the opportunity to cheer on their boys on home soil once again at Cage Warriors 81. With a host of Irish fighting talent set for action, including Karl Moore bidding to capture the vacant Cage Warriors light-heavyweight title against American Josh Clark, we’re expecting another party atmosphere at the 3Arena.

Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.ie, priced €98, €38 and €24, with ticket holders also able to attend a special meet and greet session with our special guest fighters Neil Seery, Nicolas Dalby and the newly crowned Cage Warriors Welterweight Champion Karl Amoussou.

The bout will be televised live on eirSPORT 1 in Ireland, BT Sport in UK and Ireland, and streamed worldwide on UFC Fight Pass.

CAGE WARRIORS 81: CONFIRMED BOUTS
Bout order TBC

PRO CARD
Karl Moore (7-1) v Josh Clark (10-3) – Cage Warriors light-heavyweight title (205lbs)
Catherine Costigan (5-2) v Wendy McKenna (1-0) – atomweight bout (105lbs)
Joe McColgan (3-0) v Arnold Quero (13-5, 1 NC) – lightweight bout (155lbs)
Darren O’Gorman (4-1) v Blaine O’Driscoll (3-1) – bantamweight bout (135lbs)
Hughie O’Rourke (pro debut) v Arann Maguire (0-1) – bantamweight bout (135lbs)
Håkon Foss (7-3) v Martyn Harris (4-2) – welterweight bout (170lbs)
Lloyd Manning (2-0) v Paul McBain (2-0) – featherweight bout (145lbs)
Eric Nolan (pro debut) v Marcin Zembala (pro debut) – catchweight bout (150lbs)

AMATEUR CARD
Bill Farrell v David Piotrowicz – light-heavyweight bout (205lbs)
Richie Stack v Pawel Politylo – featherweight bout (145lbs)
Mark Gallivan v Makinde Adeyemi – welterweight bout (170lbs)
Francis Treacy v Stephen Treacy – lightweight bout (155lbs)
Austin Lynch v Alex Brophy – bantamweight bout (135lbs)
Colm O’Regan v Mateusz Kopyto – catchweight bout (161lbs)
Ivan Blanita v Gary Coffey – welterweight bout (170lbs)
Gary Wallace v Darren Sarsfield – catchweight bout (161lbs)
David Whelan v Brandon Myers – bantamweight bout (135lbs)
Adam Darby v Leon Hill – lightweight bout (155lbs)
Barry Hanna v Matthew Whyte – catchweight bout (132.2lbs)

For the latest Cage Warriors Fighting Championship news and updates, keep track of us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. View past CWFC action, free and on-demand, online via Cage Warriors TV.

Photo: John Gooden & Dan Hardy – Dolly Clew for Cage Warriors 
www.CageWarriors.com

CAGE WARRIORS FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP is Europe’s leading and longest-running mixed martial arts promotion. An Irish-owned brand with offices in the UK & Ireland, CWFC is the sport’s fastest-growing organisation, having staged 80 events in 12 countries across three different continents since its establishment in 2002. Home to some of biggest stars of MMA’s past, present and future.
mixed martial arts, MMA, Rich Bergeron, UFC

UFC 209: Woodley vs. Wonderboy and Khabib vs. Ferguson Preview and Prediction

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By: Rich Bergeron

UFC 209 is fast approaching with two dynamic fights headlining the card, including a highly anticipated rematch closing the show. Fans are itching for a solid fight card to watch after multiple disappointing Pay-Per-View events left them wanting more in recent months. This is a card that could definitely deliver the action-packed, adrenaline-filled spectacle fans have come to expect for the price of admission. Here are my previews and predictions for the two blockbuster fights at the top of the bill.

Stephen Thompson (13-1-1) gets another crack at the welterweight title against Tyron Woodley (16-3-1) in the main event. Even the odds makers (Check out the M88 sportsbook for more betting info) have a tough time predicting how this highly charged rematch will go. Woodley comes in as the slight underdog at +110 to Thompson’s -140.

Still, the Champion came close to finishing the first fight in the fourth round. Rather than continue with his powerful ground and pound approach against the in-trouble Thompson, Woodley switched to a failed choke attempt instead. Thompson was able to weather the storm and eke out the draw, but he also won three out of the five rounds on the scorecard. The experts who set the betting lines are obviously conscious of this and factoring it into their calculations.

Can Woodley put himself in position to get the knockout win this time or will Thompson make the right adjustments to win every round this time?

Prediction: Stephen Thompson made one glaring mistake in the first fight that led to Woodley having a huge chance to win by knockout. Woodley picked his spots and made the fight competitive, but with both fighters knowing so much about each other now he may not be able to repeat or improve upon his performance in the first fight. Meanwhile, Thompson is a skilled tactician, and he will focus on cage control this time around. He will use distance striking, superb defense, and constant movement to keep Woodley from doing any major damage this time around. Woodley of course has a chance to quiet all his doubters with one punch, but Thompson is the type of fighter who may not give the champ a chance to land that shot.

THOMPSON WINS BY UNANIMOUS DECISION

The co-main event will set the stage for Conor MacGregor’s return to the UFC cage. The Irish superstar will eventually face the winner of UFC 209’s co-main event: Khabib Nurmagomedov (24-0) vs. Tony Ferguson (22-3). This fight could potentially upstage the main event, despite the fact that Khabib is a -205 favorite to Ferguson’s +165 odds to win. Both fighters have enough momentum going for them to earn a title shot without fighting each other, but that doesn’t make this bout any less exciting on paper. Ferguson is 12-1 in the UFC with his only loss coming against Khabib’s last opponent: Michael Johnson. Ferguson lost to Johnson in 2012 by unanimous decision while Khabib submitted Johnson via Kimura in the third round of their UFC 205 clash last November.

Both fighters have equally imposing strengths. Khabib smothers many of his opponents with crisp wrestling skills to match his more than capable striking and submission ability. Sambo and judo are also staples of Nurmagomedov’s intense approach to cage fighting. He is so well rounded that he has an equal number (8) of submission, decision and T/KO wins, and all of his decision wins are unanimous.

Ferguson is on a nine-fight win streak. He is more of a volume striker, and he used excellent boxing to impose his will on the opponents he’s dominated so far. He is also well rounded like Nurmagomedov and can use that superb striking to secure submissions on stunned opponents. He has 8 submissions to go with 9 T/KOs and five decisions.

PREDICTION: Ferguson may be on a tremendous run right now, but Khabib’s absolutely dominated every opponent he ever faced in his MMA career. McGregor may actually be rooting for a tie in this fight so he can have some extra time to negotiate a boxing match with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. while these two contenders are setting up an inevitable rematch. However, ties are rare enough in the UFC that one here is far fetched to imagine. It’s much more likely that this fight ends up with one fighter on the canvas, out cold or too dazed to continue. All signs point to that fighter being Ferguson, leaving MacGregor with the prospect of having to prove his mettle by beating a man nobody’s been able to beat before. Of course, anything can happen in that cage and anyone can have a bad night at the office, but perfection is hard to argue with.

NURMAGOMEDOV BY 2nd Round TKO

Bellator, boxing, mixed martial arts, MMA, Rich Bergeron, ShoBox, Showtime, Showtime Boxing, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, UFC

FNU Combat Sports Show Featuring Ivan “The Beast” Baranchyk

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Ivan “The Beast” Baranchyk (15-0, 10 KOs) joins the broadcast tonight to talk about his recent war on ShoBox with Abel Ramos (17-2-2, 12 KOs). Baranchyk launched an incredible effort in the later rounds to hand Ramos his second professional loss and establish himself as a spirited, tough-as-nails brawler. Some experts claimed the fight was one of the most entertaining bouts in the 17-year history of the ShoBox series. Tom, Tony and Rich discuss the fight, other highlights of Ivan’s career, and get Baranchyk to explain how his early start in Jiu Jitsu eventually led him to the Sweet Science. The 24-year-old is already solidifying his legend, which explains why he points to “Iron” Mike Tyson as one of his role models in the sport of boxing.

 

Tom, Tony and Rich also discuss the latest Mayweather/MacGregor news, an odd suspension of an MMA fighter for going after his opponent’s corner man, the calling off of Chris Brown vs. Soulja Boy, and Roy Jones Jr. re-establishing his goal of fighting Anderson Silva in a boxing match (he now wants it to be on the Mayweather/MacGregor undercard).

 

We also recap last week’s combat sports events and preview Bellator 173 and this week’s upcoming boxing matches.

Part One: Interview starts around 30 minutes in…

 

Part Two:

 

boxing, mixed martial arts, MMA, Rich Bergeron, UFC

Mayweather vs. MacGregor Hype Reaching New Heights

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By: Rich 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. Either way, 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.

Cage Warriors Fighting Championship, mixed martial arts, MMA

Welterweight title challengers make weight ahead of main event battle for the Cage Warriors world title at the Indigo at The O2 on Saturday night

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Welterweight title challengers make weight ahead of main event battle for the Cage Warriors world title at the Indigo at The O2 on Saturday night. Key information, final card and timings listed for CW80.

The Cage Warriors 80 weigh-ins took place on Friday afternoon in London ahead of Saturday night’s event at Indigo at The O2.

The welterweight world title fight between Matt Inman and Karl Amoussou was confirmed as official, with both men successfully weighing in within the 170lb welterweight championship limit.

Unfortunately the fight card has suffered two enforced changes, with the postponement of two bouts from the event.

The originally-scheduled bout between bantamweights Vaughan Lee and Nathaniel Wood could be rescheduled for Cage Warriors 81 in Dublin on March 4 providing Wood receives medical clearance for the contest.

The bout between Håkon Foss and Martyn Harris also been rescheduled to CW81 after Harris was taken ill in the lead-up to the contest.

The scheduled welterweight bout between Brad Wheeler and Warren Kee will now go ahead as a catchweight contest after Kee came in at 174.4lbs, 3.4lbs over the non-title limit of 171lbs. The contest will go ahead after it was decided that an agreed percentage of Kee’s purse would go to Wheeler.

Everybody else on the card made weight for their respective contests, with the main card set to be televised live across Europe and Asia on BT Sport, Viaplay, Setanta Eurasia and ELEVEN, as well as being streamed worldwide on UFC Fight Pass.

The preliminary card will be streamed exclusively live, for free, globally (except in Scandinavia) via The Sport Bible’s Facebook page. Scandinavian fans can watch the prelims live via Viaplay.

MAIN CARD
Broadcast live on BT Sport, Setanta Eurasia, Viasat, ELEVEN and streamed worldwide on UFC Fight Pass
Matt Inman (169.2) vs Karl Amoussou (169)
Brad Wheeler (169.8) vs Warren Kee (174.4)
Martin Stapleton (149.7) vs Anthony Dizy (149.1)
Tim Wilde (156) vs Alexander Jacobsen (153.5)
Craig White (170.8) vs Thomas Robertsen (169.6)

PRELIMINARY CARD
Streamed live on The Sport Bible’s Facebook page for free.
Arvydas Juska (185.6) vs Djati Melan (183.9)
Aiden Lee (145.6) vs Fabien Gallinaro (145)
Thomas Terdjman (147.6) vs Decky McAleenan (149.7)

KEY TIMINGS

5:00pm: Doors open
7:00pm: Preliminary card starts, available to watch for free on The Sport Bible  Facebook page.
8:15pm: Fan meet and greet with UFC stars & Paddy Pimblett DJ set
9.00pm: Main card starts
10:30pm approx: CW title fight starts
11:00pm approx: Event finish

There are a very limited number of Cage Warriors 80 tickets still available at axs.com from just £20. 

For the latest news and updates from Cage Warriors please visit CageWarriors.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

www.CageWarriors.com

CAGE WARRIORS FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP is Europe’s leading and longest-running mixed martial arts promotion. An Irish-owned brand with offices in the UK & Ireland, CWFC is the sport’s fastest-growing organisation, having staged 80 events in 12 countries across three different continents since its establishment in 2002. Home to some of biggest stars of MMA’s past, present and future.
Cage Warriors Fighting Championship, mixed martial arts, MMA

KARL AMOUSSOU AND MATT INMAN GIVE JOINT INTERVIEW TO CAGE WARRIORS AHEAD OF WELTERWEIGHT TITLE SHOWDOWN AT CW 80

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Cage Warriors welterweight stars talk respect, motivation and their joint aim to reach the UFC in this revealing head-to-head chat with Cage Warriors ahead of their main event title fight at Cage Warriors 80 in London on February 18.

Limited tickets for Cage Warriors 80 are available via the AXS website, priced from just £20. Included in the ticket price is a free meet and greet with UFC stars including Dan Hardy.

WHAT DOES WINNING THAT BELT MEAN TO YOU?

Karl Amoussou: That belt is my entry ticket to the UFC. I am bringing it back to France.

Matt Inman: This belt is my path, I’ve been with Cage Warriors a long time. This is my eighth fight with the promotion and I feel like I’ve been on this path along time. I’m ready.

Karl Amoussou: So am I.

DO YOU FEEL ANY PRESSURE GOING INTO THIS FIGHT?

MI: The only pressure I feel is the pressure I put upon myself to put in the best performance I can.

KA: Pressure is always present during a fight, I know I’m going to have the best version of Matt Inman facing me and he’s going to be ready for the best version of Karl Amoussou.  No problem with the pressure, I’ll deal with it.

IS THIS A CAREER-DEFINING FIGHT FOR YOU?

KA: Yes this is definitely a career-defining fight. Now I have to be in the UFC. I belong in the UFC, I should be in the UFC already and after this fight I will definitely be there, no doubt.

MI: Without a doubt, this is the biggest fight of my career against the highest-profile opponent.

ARE YOU EXCITED TO BE HEADLINING AT INDIGO AT THE O2?

MI: I’m excited to be headlining at Indigo at The O2. I’ve waited a long time for this opportunity and I’m just extremely excited to get in there.

KA: I’m very excited to be fighting at The O2 and headline the show, 10 years after my first fight with Cage Warriors. It’s proof of big improvements and I’m going to show where the improvements are now.

DESCRIBE YOUR OPPONENT IN THREE WORDS

KA: Well-dressed, tough and well-rounded.

MI: Powerful, aggressive and experienced.

DOES YOUR OPPONENT DESERVE TO BE FIGHTING IN THE UFC ALREADY? AND IF SO, WHY?

MI: I think this is a fight where both of us should have been fighting in the UFC a long time ago, there’s no question of that. This is a fight that could be on any main card, on any UFC event.

KA: Just like Matt I think exactly the same. We both have our place in the UFC and after this fight there is only going to be space for one but we definitely both deserve to be there.

THERE’S NOT MUCH ANIMOSITY BETWEEN THE PAIR OF YOU. DOES THAT MAKE THE FIGHT ANY HARDER TO GET UP FOR IF YOU DON’T HATE THE PERSON IN FRONT OF YOU?

KA: There is no need for me to have any animosity against an opponent, I think it’s a waste of energy. I know what my goal is, I’m pretty sure Matt knows what his goal is and I think we have the same. We are both going to do our job and, on my part, I know exactly what I’m going to do.  So there’s no need for animosity.

MI: I never require animosity when facing an opponent. My focus is on performing the best I can and that would be the same whatever way I felt about my opponent and that’s what I guarantee I’ll do come fight night.

FINALLY, HOW WILL THE FIGHT END?

MI: I’m not going to make predictions for how this fight will end. I’m expecting a tough fight and a real challenge, but I’m ready to come out the winner.

KA: I’m going to make a prediction. This fight is going to end either by KO or submission. I’ll be ready for five rounds and I’ll be ready for a submission or a KO in every single round, so be ready for it, too.

For the latest news and updates from Cage Warriors please visit CageWarriors.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
www.CageWarriors.com

CAGE WARRIORS FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP is Europe’s leading and longest-running mixed martial arts promotion. An Irish-owned brand with offices in the UK & Ireland, CWFC is the sport’s fastest-growing organisation, having staged 80 events in 12 countries across three different continents since its establishment in 2002. Home to some of biggest stars of MMA’s past, present and future.
boxing, mixed martial arts, MMA, Rich Bergeron, Tom Padgett, Tony Penecale, wrestling

FNU Combat Sports Show: MacGregor/Mayweather Talks; Soccer Headers as Dangerous as Heavyweight Boxing; UFC Recaps and Previews; Fedor vs. Mitrione Bellator Preview and Predictions

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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:

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

FNU Combat Sports Show Featuring PRESIDENT Donald Trump Interview

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Hosts Tom, Tony and Rich of The Fight News Unlimited Combat Sports show had the awesome experience of catching up with President Donald Trump for an exclusive interview contained in tonight’s broadcast. We ask “The Donald” about everything from Mayweather vs. McGregor to Iran and China. The interview starts about 23 minutes into the full show tape, but we will also place the interview alone in another audio file below the main show file on this post. We also discuss some MMA labor union issues, Aisling Daly retiring young from the UFC, Conor McGregor claiming his next bout will be in a boxing ring and Dana White saying Ronda Rousey is all done with fighting professionally. We also recap the first big UFC and Bellator events of the year from last week and look forward to UFC Fight Night 104 in Houston on Saturday night. We take time at the end of the broadcast to talk boxing with a recap of last week’s stunning rematch between Leo Santa Cruz and Carl Frampton. We also talk about the Thursday night bouts on FS1 tonight. Here is our full show:

And here is the Trump interview by itself:

And if you didn’t catch why Rich gave a shout out to the movie “Good Morning Vietnam” you can listen to Rich’s first interview with Trump from 2008 here: