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Tag Archives: UFC
Mendon Twin Drive-In to show UFC 186 this Saturday night
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No. 6 Light Heavyweight in the World Phil Davis joins Bellator MMA
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (April 15, 2015) – Bellator MMA is pleased to announce the signing of the sixth* ranked Light Heavyweight in the world, Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis (13-3, 1 NC), to an exclusive, multi-fight deal.
“I can’t wait to be fighting in Bellator and wreck shop on everyone,” said Davis. “I am the absolute best and most dominant grappler to ever fight in MMA and I’m excited to get in there and compete at my new home.”
Born and raised in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Phil attended college close to home at Penn State University, where he became a four-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler for the Nittany Lions.
Davis had his first professional MMA fight in 2008 and accrued nine wins in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, including victories against the likes of Antônio Rogério Nogueira, Lyoto Machida, Alexander Gustafsson, Brian Stann and Glover Teixeira.
A member of Alliance MMA in San Diego, Calif., where he trains alongside Bellator stars like Michael Chandler and Joey Beltran, “Mr. Wonderful” joins the promotions Light Heavyweight division, which is currently upheld by champion Liam McGeary.
“Phil is a world class Mixed Martial Artist and we are very happy to be adding him to OUR roster of some of the best Light Heavyweights in the world,” said the promotion’s president, Scott Coker. “Bellator remains fully committed to building its world-class roster by signing top free agents like Davis, as well as grooming up-and-coming stars. We’ve got some amazing matchups in mind for ‘Mr. Wonderful’ that we will be announcing in the weeks to come.”
Bellator’s Light Heavyweight division is one of the deepest in the promotion, with stars like McGeary, Tito Ortiz, “King Mo” Lawal, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Emanuel Newton and Linton Vassell.
*Ranking according to www.sherdog.com
M-1 Challenge 56 Live, RFA 25 Today on Fight Network
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M-1 Challenge 56 weights & pictures from Moscow
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Fight Network Presents M-1 Challenge 56 Live, RFA 25 This Friday, April 10
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DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK: The Jeff Curran Story
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JEFF CURRAN: DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK!
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RFA 24 IN MINNESOTA FRIDAY MARCH 6TH LIVE ON AXS TV
BY K. David Bena
@kdavidbena
UFC, PRIDE, WEC, WFA, IFL, Strikeforce. Only ONE FIGHTER has fought for all six of these promotions that are currently under the Zuffa umbrella. That fighter? Jeff “Big Frog” Curran. Curran ends his 19-month retirement and enters the octagon at RFA 24 on Friday, March 6th at the Mystic Lake Casino & Hotel in Prior Lake, Minnesota. The event will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV. The veteran bantamweight, Curran (36-16-1) will test his mettle in the co-main event against the surging Melvin Blumer (11-2) who is touting a 5-fight win streak. Think back to 1991… What were you doing? Well, Curran was a wide-eyed 14-year old that decided to train jiu-jitsu. Curran explains, “My first class, I learned something called ‘paint the floor’ also known as an Americana and I knew that’s what I wanted to do and I just continued training jiu-jitsu ever since. I kept the focus on myself as an athlete and a fighter and one thing kept leading to another.” Fast-forward to August 16, 2013 at RFA 9, Curran lost a split decision in a bantamweight title fight against Pedro Munhoz. “I retired after my last fight in the RFA. I’ve fought for a world title and been in every major show in the sport and been fighting, at that time, for 17 years. I just felt that with my business and the gym, where I was at that stage in my life, my kids and family, I thought that it was time to retire.” Curran adds, “But, mainly, I didn’t want to be second best, I never wanted to be average as a fighter. Once I felt the dream was gone or the opportunity was gone to climb back to the UFC, to fight the best guys in the world, I felt it was best to stop since my prime has kind of passed.” However, after careful introspection and the smoldering desire to continue fighting, Curran decided to step back into the cage. “I wanted to win the fight, win the belt, and go out on top. I felt it would be a real admirable way to retire, but it didn’t go my way. So I retired – and it never sat well with me,” Curran explained. “And the more time that went on, I felt the need to fight. I started to look for opportunities and RFA found an opportunity for me to fight again. So here I am.” Juggling roles as a family man, business man, coach, and fighter might make some people’s head spin, but Curran explains, “I had my gym before I had my first fight, so I was always used to the responsibility of splitting my time, but now it’s a lot more in-depth than it used to be because my fighters are at different levels and require more time. Business is also on a different level – and I have two boys that are growing faster by the day and I have my wife. There’s responsibility across the board and it’s more than it was schedule-wise than back when I was opening a school. Yeah, it’s a lot to juggle, but I do it.” Through all his responsibilities, Curran maintains focus for his upcoming fight with the dangerous Melvin Blumer, “His win streak speaks volumes, especially in the Midwest because a lot of the guys you fight are pretty similar in strength and skill set, so you get tough competition and local promoters in the Midwest are always looking to put on good fights. A guy that is 11-2 (Blumer) and on a 5-fight win streak is impressive to me and it’s exactly what I want.” Curran explains further, “I don’t want to fight some bum or fight someone I know I can beat. I want to fight someone that can challenge me and let me know if I still belong in the game or give me the right sense of accomplishment if I win, so Blumer’s a great opponent. Blumer is tough. I give him enough respect to train my ass off and treat him as a top ten guy. But with that being said, I know I’m top ten caliber, so I’m bringing everything I got and I think it will make for a good fight.” And what is Curran’s next step with a victory? Even he isn’t sure, “I don’t know what my next move is. I didn’t make a definite decision one way or another. To be honest, I know when I lost, retirement didn’t fit well with me, but with the right win it most likely could, but at the same time with the right win, I can get the attention of the UFC and decide if I want to chase my first UFC victory.” On Friday, March 6th, Curran and everyone watching will be wondering what the “Big Frog’s” next venture in life will be. About RFA:
RFA is a professional mixed martial arts promotion that gives rising stars and top contenders the opportunity to prove their talent to fans and leaders in the industry. The RFA presents up to 10 fights annually around the United States including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Denver and Milwaukee. RFA can be seen live in over 40 million homes nationally through its television deal with AXS TV. Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, RFA is one of the most active and respected MMA organizations in the fastest growing sport in the world. (The Octagon, Ultimate Fighting Championship®, UFC®, and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC. All rights reserved).
About AXS TV Fights:
AXS TV Fights is renowned for its universally recognized Friday Night Mixed Martial Arts and Kickboxing events. As Your Home For MMA, AXS TV utilizes an expansive network of promotions from the United States, Canada, and Europe. And Asia to broadcast more LIVE fights than any other television network. “The Voice” Michael Schiavello and five-time MMA world-champion Pat Miletich provide viewers expert play-by-play, in-depth fighter coverage, and extensive analysis to each fight card. AXS TV broadcasts world-class LIVE fight events from RFA, Lion Fight, Legacy FC, and MFC every Friday night at 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET.
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ICONIC MMA REFEREE ‘BIG’ JOHN MCCARTHY & BELLATOR COMMENTATOR SEAN WHEELOCK LAUNCH ‘LET’S GET IT ON’ MMA PODCAST
New Episodes Every Friday
Los Angeles, CA – Iconic MMA referee ‘Big’ John McCarthy and Bellator play-by-play commentator Sean Wheelock have joined forces with Ignotainment Media Networkto bring fans the Let’s Get It On MMA podcast, which debuts on Friday, March 6. New episodes will be available weekly, every Friday on iTunes, on the Stitcher app for Android, and at Ignotainment.com.
Let’s Get It On is audiences’ best chance to delve deeper into the heart and intricacies of mixed martial arts and combat sports, more than any other podcast. The series will draw from McCarthy’s extensive experience in MMA and boxing officiating, alongside Wheelock’s immense resume of commentating MMA, boxing and sports events worldwide. Together, McCarthy and Wheelock will discuss the latest issues, answer fan questions, interview big-name guests, and debate the hottest topics from their unique perspective in and around the world of fighting.
“I’m thrilled to be co-hosting this weekly podcast with John McCarthy. John is a close friend, as well as someone who I hold in the highest regard for his lifelong contributions to MMA,” said Wheelock.
As one of the most legendary and recognizable personalities in combat sports, and perhaps the best-known referee in any sport, John McCarthy’s reputation speaks for itself. He’s been involved in MMA since it hit the shores of North America in 1993, with UFC 1. He was a key figure in writing the sport’s Unified Rules, which are recognized by the Association of Boxing & MMA Commissions (ABC) and athletic commissions across North America. He’s judged and refereed thousands of matches worldwide in his near 25 years in MMA, and is the founder/head instructor for the Certification of Officials for MMA National Development (C.O.M.M.A.N.D.), the toughest and most complete training course for MMA judges and referees.
“I am so stoked to be talking about what’s happening in the combative sports industry and the everyday subjects that affect all of us,” noted McCarthy. “On top of that, being able to work with a true pro like Sean Wheelock makes this a perfect fit.”
One of the best-known American voices in both MMA and soccer, Wheelock’s broadcasting work has taken him to over 25 countries. He holds the distinction of being the only person to serve as a play-by-play commentator for the FIFA World Cup, the Super Bowl (three times for the BBC), U.S. Open tennis, and world championship fights in mixed martial arts. He is the play-by-play commentator for Bellator MMA on Spike TV, and previously commentated for Pride FC, Affliction and the M-1 Challenge. Additionally, Wheelock has worked as a professional boxing referee since he was 24 years old, and still holds an active license through the Kansas Athletic Commission.
New episodes of Let’s Get It On can be downloaded beginning every Friday via iTunes and the Stitcher app for Android.
For more info on the podcast and its hosts, visit the website www.letsgetitonpodcast.com and its social media pages:
Facebook: http://facebook.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/
Strap in, because two of the most objective voices in MMA are about to speak their minds.
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For media inquiries, contact Jay Tan at jtan@TanDynasty.com and (213) 618-0332.
For show sponsorship and advertising, contact Kris Lakin at
klakin@ignotainment.com and (618) 402-1442.
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ABOUT Ignotainment Media Network (www.ignotainment.com):
Fight Network weekly MMA & kickboxing programming (Feb. 23-Mar. 1)
| Fight Network is a 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports. It airs programs focused on the entire scope of the combat sports genre, including live fights and up-to-the-minute news and analysis for mixed martial arts, kickboxing, professional wrestling, traditional martial arts, boxing, fight news, as well as fight-themed drama series, documentaries and feature films.
Below find highlights of this week’s programming:
Monday, Feb. 23
2:00 p.m. ET – Ring of Combat 47 – Featuring Chris Wade vs. Pat Defranco and Frankie Perez vs. Mike Santiago from Jan. 24, 2014 in Atlantic City, NJ.
5:00 p.m. ET – Fighting Spirit MMA Season 4 – Compilation of international fights from SFL, Legend, FFC, M-1 and more.
6:00 p.m. ET – Hip Show: Arena Combat – Tag-team MMA inside a 12m-by-12m arena with three levels.
6:30 p.m. ET – USA Wrestling Weekly – Host Scott Casber gives weekly news and analysis centering around USA Wrestling, the sport’s national governing body, including interviews, features and a look back at the past.
7:00 p.m. ET – 5 Rounds – Hosts John Ramdeen and Robin Black invite special guests to break down the weekend of MMA action.
7:30 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.
8:00 p.m. ET – Enfusion Live #19: London – Featuring Andrew Tate vs. Wendell Roche for the -90kg world title, plus Daniel Sam vs. Andrew Thompson for the super heavyweight title, from June 29, 2014.
Tuesday, Feb. 24
2:30 a.m. ET — XPTV – Coverage of regional U.S. professional and amateur MMA events.
3:00 p.m. ET – Toe 2 Toe with Frankie Edgar – Sit-down interview with former UFC lightweight champion and featherweight contender Frankie Edgar.
7:00 & 7:30 p.m. ET – Xtreme Fighting Championship – Florida-based professional MMA featuring top American prospects, international stars and UFC veterans.
8:00 p.m. ET – 5 Rounds – Hosts John Ramdeen and Robin Black invite special guests to break down the weekend of MMA action.
8:30 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.
9:00 p.m. ET – Havoc Fighting Championship 7 – Featuring Jordan McKay vs. Andrew Buckland and Sabah Fadai vs. Tim Tamaki from Dec. 19, 2014 in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada.
11:00 p.m. ET – GFL: Best Battles 3 – Highlights from regional MMA, kickboxing and boxing events showcasing memorable knockouts and submissions.
Wednesday, Feb. 25
3:00 a.m. ET – Texas Fight Night – MMA action from Texas featuring the Lone Star’s top prospects in the cage.
4:00 a.m. ET – Rocktagon MMA – Pro and amateur MMA from Ohio featuring the next generation of stars.
6:00 p.m. ET – Best of Cage Rage – Featuring classic fights from the UK-based Cage Rage organization with Anderson Silva, Antonio Silva, Victor Belfort, Paul Daley and others.
7:00 p.m. ET – Fight News Now. MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and features.
7:30 p.m. ET – – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.
9:00 p.m. ET – Cage Warriors Fighting Championship: Fight Night 10 – Featuring Allan Love vs. Norman Paraisy from Mar. 28, 2014 in Amman, Jordan.
11:00 p.m. ET – MMA Meltdown with Gabriel Morency – Gabriel Morency breaks down all the happenings in MMA, discussing odds, predictions, plus special weekly guests and exclusive interviews.
11:30 p.m. ET – TakeDown Wrestling – Extensive coverage of amateur wrestling events, including the latest news, behind-the-scenes coverage from events and exclusive interviews.
Thursday, Feb. 26
1:30 a.m. ET – Ultimate Challenge MMA 34 – Featuring Makunga Bunduku vs. Ricky Campbell and Nathan Jones vs. Julian Kerr from June 1, 2013 in London.
6:00 p.m. ET – Championship Fightling Alliance – Pro MMA from Florida featuring the likes of Josh Sampo, Mike Kyle, John Howard, Sean McCorkie, Luis Palomino and others.
7:00 p.m. ET – Fighting Rookies – Aspiring kickboxers climb the ladder of success in the sport as rookies compete for a chance to become professionals and get experience needed to succeed at a higher level.
7:00 p.m. ET – Enfusion Season 3 – Fighters from 18 different countries compete in the 85kg MAX category in Ohrid, Macedonia as they love and train together in their quest for a kickboxing title.
8:00 p.m. ET – Fight News Now: MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and features.
8:30 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, featur4es and inside analysis on the fight game.
9:00 p.m. ET – M-1 Challenge 55: Guram Gugenishvili Memorial Show– Featuring Denis Smoldarev vs. Maro Perak and Kenny Garner vs. Aslambek Musaev from Feb. 21, 2015 in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Friday, Feb. 27
12:00 a.m. ET – It’s Showtime Special – The world’s premier kickboxing organization featuring Badr Hari, Melvin Manhoef and Giorgio Petrosyan.
2:00 a.m. ET – Pancrase Classics – Classic pioneering MMA battles featuring Ken Shamrock, Frank Shamrock, Bas Rutten, Nate Marquardt, Chael Sonnen and others.
4:00 a.m. ET – Best of DEEP – Featuring class fights from the historic Japanese DEEP promotion including Shinya Aoki, Hayato Sakurai and Gegard Mousasi.
5:00 a.m. ET – Best of Jewels – Classic fights from the all-female Japanese MMA league, Jewels.
6 p.m. ET – M-1 Challenge – Professional MMA from Europe featuring top rising prospects and international stars.
7:00 p.m. ET – UFC 184 Weigh-In – Live coverage of the official weigh in for UFC 184: Rousey vs. Zingano from Los Angeles.
8:00 p.m. ET – Toe 2 Toe with Josh Koscheck – Sit-down interview with UFC welterweight star Josh Koscheck.
8:30 p.m. ET – Hip Show: Arena Combat – Tag-team MMA inside a 12m-by-12m arena with three levels.
9:00 p.m. ET — KSW 30: Genesis – Featuring Borys Mankowski vs. Michail Tsarev and Aslambek Saidov vs. Rafal Moks from Feb. 21, 2015 in Posnan, Poland.
Saturday, Feb. 28
12:00 a.m. ET — Fight News Now: MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and features.
12:30 a.m. ET — Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, featur4es and inside analysis on the fight game.
1:00 a.m. ET – SuperKombat: VIP Edition Bucharest 2013 – Featuring Mike Zambidis vs. Harun Kina for the SuperKombat middleweight title from Aug. 31, 2013 in Bucharest, Romania.
6:00 a.m. ET – Best of TKO – Featuring Patrick Cote vs. Jason Day from TKO29.
7:00 a.m. ET – Best of Gladiator Challenge – Featuring Rashad Evans vs. Jamie Jara from Gladiator Challenge 27.
10:00 a.m. ET – Best of SportFight – Top quality MMA from the Pacific Northwest. Hosted by UFC veterans Matt Lindland and Chael Sonnen.
3:00 p.m. ET – Ring of Combat 48 – Featuring Brendan Barrett vs. Justin Woods and Chris Wade vs. Frankie Perez from May 16, 2014 in Atlantic City, NJ.
7:00 p.m. ET – UFC 184 Pre-Show – Live pre-fight coverage for UFC 184: Rousey vs. Zingano in Los Angeles.
8:00 p.m. ET – Fight News Now: MMA Edition – Covering all the happenings in the MMA world with exclusive analysis and features.
8:30 p.m. ET – Fight News Now Extra – The latest news, recaps, features and inside analysis of the fight game.
9:00 p.m. ET – Final Fight Championship: Futures 2 MMA – Featuring Ante Delija vs. Ruben Wolf from May 3, 2014 in Opatija, Croatia.
11:00 p.m. ET — Final Fight Championship: Futures 2 Kickboxing – Featuring Mladen Brestovac vs. Tomas Pakutinskas from May 3, 2014 in Opatija, Croatia.
1:00 a.m. ET – UFC 184 Post Show – Live post-fight reaction to UFC 184: Rousey vs. Zingano featuring event highlights and the live post-fight press conference.
10:00 a.m. ET – Best of ADCC – Featuring compilations of the greatest grappling matches ever held, featuring Tito Ortiz, Matt Hughes, Eddie Bravo, Fabricio Werdum, Marcelo Garcia, Ronaldo Souza and Royler Gracie.
11:00 a.m. ET – Elite Muay Thai: Thailand vs. Challenger – The biggest Muay Thai series in the world featuring premium international stand-up fighters takingon the renowned Thai National team.
7:00 p.m. ET – USA Wrestling Weekly – Host Scott Casber gives weekly news and analysis centering around USA Wrestling, the sport’s national governing body, including interviews, features and a look back at the past.
7:30 p.m. ET – Judo Paris Grand Slam 2014 Highlights – Highlights of the 2014 Judo Grand Slam from Feb. 8-9, 2014 in Paris.
9:00 p.m. ET – King of Kings: World Grand Prix 2014 Gdansk 1 – Featuring Artur Kyshenko vs. Radoslaw Paczuski, plus the one-night, single elimination -93kg tournament from Oct. 17, 2014 in Gdansk, Poland.
Monday, March 2
1:00 a.m. ET – Best of GYM Boxing: MMA Fighters in Boxing – A special look at some MMA fighters in boxing action including Ali Nestor Charles and Travis Fulton.
Twitter & Instagram @fightnet
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| ABOUT FIGHT NETWORK: Fight Network is the world’s premier combat sports network dedicated to 24/7 coverage, including fights, fighters, fight news and fight lifestyle. The channel is available in the U.S. on Cablevision in parts of New York, Connecticut and New Jersey, Texas-based Grande Communications, Armstrong Cable in Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio, as well as on Shentel Cable in Virginia, West Virginia and portions of western Maryland. Fight Network is also on Roku set top boxes in the U.S. and Canada, streamed live on website KlowdTV.com, and available on all major carriers in Canada and more than 30 countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. |
June White Joins the FNU Combat Sports Show TONIGHT!
By: Rich Bergeron
Our special guest this week on the FNU Combat Sports Show is June White. It’s perfect timing since I just received this message on Twitter the other day:
“You are blocked from following @danawhite and viewing @danawhite‘s Tweets.”
June White (@JuneWhiteMMA) will join Tom, Tony and Rich on the FNU Combat Sports Show TONIGHT to discuss her unauthorized biography on the UFC President known for his brash language and a ruthless approach to building and expanding the UFC brand. Her book is an unflattering, honest look into the life of the former boxercise instructor who now rules over the UFC with an iron fist and a loud mouth. Check out this telling YouTube Promo for “Dana White, King of MMA:”
“Psychic” Tom Padgett, “Rabble Rousin’” Rich Bergeron and Tony “The Tornado” Penecale also have a ton of combat sports events and news to discuss this week.
Click Here to Listen to our broadcast Live from 8-10PM EST Tonight. Use the same link to access the recording of the show. The June White interview starts at 9:15 PM EST.