Month: May 2022

‘I will probably have to move up’ – Sterling teases jump to 145 pending Dvalishvili’s next win

Posted on by Zane Simon in Front Page, UFC News

Nothing breeds confidence like success, but winning can also come with its own problems—especially in combat sports, where the higher a fighter climbs the fewer and fewer fights it makes sense for them to take. That’s a problem current bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling may find himself facing, as he recently got fans talking about potential title contenders with a somewhat cryptic post on social media.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

That Tweet kicked off a some speculation over just who among the bantamweight elite might be in position to vie for the title, with discussion largely swirling around potential fights with TJ Dillashaw and Jose Aldo. When longtime Team Serra Longo teammate and training partner Merab Dvalishvili’s name got brought up in the mix, however, Sterling let slip a potential plan for the future—provided, of course, that both men keep winning their fights.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

No word yet on exactly when Sterling plans to return to competition. The ‘Funkmaster’ reiterated his desire to sit down with Dana White and discuss the current contender’s picture before signing a deal for his next title defense. Recently the 32-year-old suggested that he’d be interested in returning in September, possibly as a co-main event for the teased Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic PPV headliner, provided that bout doesn’t happen over the summer as originally intended.

‘This fight is gonna be very strange’ – Leavitt a ‘little offended,’ but ‘very flattered’ by Paddy Pimblett booking

Posted on by Zane Simon in Front Page, UFC News

Whether or not Paddy Pimblett can cash in on expectations of future UFC title contendership remains very much to be seen. But even if he never wears gold inside the Octagon it’s hard to deny that the 27-year-old Liverpudlian has quickly carved out a reputation as a must-see action fighter and likely future star of the sport.

With high expectations, however, comes swift criticism. Notably, with first round stoppage wins over Luigi Vendramini and Rodrigo Vargas under his belt, there are those that say the ‘Baddy’ is getting spoon-fed easy opponents to cash in on his popularity. It’s a narrative that upcoming foe Jordan Leavitt is looking to break, and maybe just a little offended by.

“Honestly I was a bit offended because he’s been kind of picking fights that are easy,” Leavitt told The Schmo in a recent interview (transcript via MMA Junkie). “I’m like, I must have looked really bad in my last fight to get this fight, so very flattered, kind of offended, but also excited.

“I’m kind of excited because they’re gonna get quiet when I finish the fight. They’re probably gonna riot when I twerk on them, so I’m excited. I’m really excited to meet him, I think he’s hilarious, I think the fight’s gonna be a lot of fun, and I’m intrigued to see how it’s gonna go.”

Currently 3-1 in his own UFC career, the ‘Monkey King’ has built a reputation of his own as a crafty submission grappler. Oddly enough, however—given Pimblett’s own penchant for fast finishes—if the Syndicate MMA talent had to gamble on how their July 23rd fight will go down, he’s banking on things getting a little awkward.

“Statistically speaking, I think it’s gonna be submission,” Leavitt explained. “But if I had to put my money on it, I think it’s gonna be a very awkward decision. I think this fight is gonna be very strange.”

UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Aspinall goes down at the O2 Arena in London, England. Alongside the heavyweight top contender main event the card is expected to feature the light heavyweight return of former title contender Alexander Gustafsson, taking on Nikita Krylov. A top-ranked middleweight bout between Jack Hermansson and Darren Till is also expected for the event.

‘I was deathly afraid’ – Benson Henderson ditched toothpick for fear of kids copying him

Posted on by Zane Simon in Bellator, Front Page, MMA News

‘Just wait until you have kids of your own.’ It’s a line so common it’s become a cliche that spans generations. In part, of course, because it so often comes true.

That’s a reality former UFC champion and current Bellator talent Benson Henderson had to face up to after years of walking around, and even competing inside the Octagon, with a toothpick in his mouth. Ironically enough, it’s a habit Henderson apparently picked up from his own father, and one that used to worry his mother.

The longtime MMA Lab talent talked about breaking away from his signature idiosyncrasy on a recent episode of the MMA Hour (transcript via MMA Fighting).

“I try not to have the toothpick anymore,” Henderson explained. “It was just a bad habit. I try not to. I always told my mom that it was because I saw my dad with a toothpick in his mouth, so then I would copy him and be 7, 8, 9 years old running around with a toothpick in my mouth and she’d be all scared, ‘Oh, take it out!’ Then when I had my oldest [child], I envisioned my 6-year old, 5-year old, 7-year old son running around with a toothpick in his mouth and I was deathly afraid. Like, ‘No! You could get really hurt!’

“That’s why I try not to do that whole toothpick thing, just because I’m worried about them copying me. So I try not to.”

All the way through the end of his UFC run, Henderson continued the habit. These past half dozen years, however, he’s been operating under the Bellator banner and, from the sound of things, fighting toothpick-free. Henderson is currently fresh off a victory over Islam Mamedov, handing the Dagestani talent his first loss since 2009 (against ex-Bellator talent Alexander Sarnavskiy no less), and breaking Mamedov’s 20-fight unbeaten streak.

After signing a new multi-fight contract with the Showtime-based promotion, Henderson is now scheduled to face SBG Ireland talent Peter Queally in the headlining slot of Bellator 285 this September. Alongside the lightweight main event, the card is expected to feature a light heavyweight bout between former UFC title contender Yoel Romero and action-fight legend Melvin Manhoef.

‘I had him running like a b-tch’ – Rolly Romero demands Gervonta Davis rematch after KO loss

Posted on by Zane Simon in Boxing, Front Page

Never let it be said that Rolly Romero lacks in confidence. The former WBA interim lightweight champion faced off against noted-power-punching champ Gervonta Davis for the unified belt on Saturday, May 28th, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.

The bout was a reasonably competitive one through five rounds, with both men throwing in volume, but connecting at a fairly low rate. Or at least that’s how it was going right up until late in the 6th round, when Romero decided to step in on a body-head three punch combo. He never saw the Davis left hook that clubbed him on the counter and sent him crashing to the mat.

The result was the first loss of Romero’s six-year pro boxing career, and another notch in the belt for Davis—whose unbeaten record now runs out to 27-0. But, while the loss couldn’t have possibly been more definitive, it doesn’t seem to have dimmed Romero’s view that he was the better man in the ring between the two of them.

“I won all six rounds,” Romero told reporters at a post-fight presser. “I won every moment of that fight. I exposed him, and we need to run that shit back.”

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

“I want Gervonta Davis again,” Romero continued, when asked who he’d like to fight next. “I was winning that f-cking fight and I just got hit with a clean shot, that’s all… I want Gervonta Davis again, I exposed his ass, and everybody in this room knows it.

“I had him running like a bitch the entire fight. And, like I said, he got a nice shot in. That’s all that happened. He got hurt multiple times, and he ran around. He was terrified of me, and I doubt he’ll do the rematch again.”

As for Davis, questions after this win have mostly been around whether or not he’ll stay with Premier Boxing Champions and Mayweather promotions. Lately Davis has talked about wanting to be in control of his own career, and there’s been talk of a potential fight with Ryan Garcia. Whether any of that actually comes to fruition, however, remains to be seen.

KSW 70 highlights – Pudzian melts ex-middleweight champ Materla with massive uppercut

Posted on by Zane Simon in Events, Front Page, MMA News

Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki finds itself alone at the top of the heap for MMA events this weekend, with their KSW 70 fight card, featuring former ‘world’s strongest man’ and current MMA star Mariusz Pudzianowski taking on former KSW middleweight champ Michal Materla. The card aired live internationally on KSWTV and European streaming service ViaPlay on Saturday, May 28th.

Alongside the freak-fight main event, the card featured the KSW return of former heavyweight UFC talent Daniel Omielanczuk. Omielanczuk first fought for Poland’s premiere MMA promotion back in 2009, losing back-to-back fights before going on a 14-1-1 run that saw him signed to the UFC. Omielanczuk went 3-5 with the UFC before being released in 2018. He was 6-4 in the 4 years following, before returning to KSW agaainst Ricardo Prasel.

Check out the full results and highlights below.

MAIN EVENT: Marius Pudzianowski (17-7) def. Michal Materla (31-9) via KO (uppercut) at 1:47 of Round 1

Not a lot to say for this one. Two big beefy dudes swangin’ and Pudzian came away the victor. That marks 5-striaght victories for the 45-year-old former strongman. For Materla, it’s his first defeat since getting iced by Roberto Soldic back in 2020.

CO-MAIN EVENT: Ricardo Prasel (13-3) def. Daniel Omielanczuk (25-13) via Sub (Achilles Lock) at 1:38 of Round 1

Omielanczuk started this bout firing on all the right cylinders, landing a couple good shots, before catching a kick and using it to chase his opponent to the mats. Unfortunately for him, that’s exactly the opportunity Prasel needed. Once on his back, he wrapped up an ankle and it was just a matter of time before Omielanczuk had to tap. The loss marks 3-straight defeats for the UFC vet, and makes two straight wins for the Brazilian, who seems likely to fight Phil De Fries for the KSW heavyweight belt in the near future.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT: Ivan Erslan (12-1) def. Rafal Kijanczuk (11-5) via KO (punches) at 3:31 of Round 1

Streaking Croatian talent Ivan Ersan continued his rise. The 12-1 fighter out of American Top Team Zagreb needed just one big exchange with Kijanczuk to get the stoppage, putting an end to the Polish light heavyweight’s 3-fight win streak in the process. After the win Erslan called out current champ Ibragim Chuzhigaev, and former champ Tomasz Narkun. Narkun is the lone loss on Erslan’s record to date.

HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT: Marek Samociuk (4-2) def. Izuagbe Ugonoh (1-2) via TKO (GnP) at 3:38 of Round 1

Former Wotore moat-fighting standout Marek Samociuk continues his foray into MMA with a rematch of his 2021 bout against Izuagbe Ugonoh. Last time around, Samociuk rode out a terrible first round before getting a quick takedown for a dominant finish early in the second frame. This time, there was no second round needed.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

OTHER RESULTS:

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT: Bartosz Lesko (12-2) def. Damian Piwowarczyk (5-1) via UD

MIDDLEWEIGHT: Radoslaw Paczuski (4-0) def. Jason Wilnis (2-1) via TKO (injury) at 1:46 of Round 3.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Before turning to MMA, Wilnis was a longtime Glory kickboxing star with victories over Alex Pereira, Joe Schilling , Simon Marcus, and Israel Adesanya.

WOMEN’S STRAWWEIGHT: Anita Bekus (6-2) def. Roberta Zocco (3-4) via UD

188 LB. CATCHWEIGHT: Albert Odzimkowski (12-6) def. Tommy Quinn (9-6) via TKO (arm injury) at 2:56 of Round 1

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

163 LB. CATCHWEIGHT: Francisco Barrio (10-2) def. Lukasz Rajewski (11-8) via Sub (RNC) at 2:52 of Round 2

Jake Paul brings Big Baby to boxing

Posted on by Zane Simon in Boxing, Front Page

Celebrity boxing may not quite have the same ‘new car smell’ it did a few years ago when Conor McGregor took his crossover bout with Floyd Mayweather and the Paul Brothers first started their rise to pugilistic notoriety, but the steady stream of crossover athletes, musicians, and influencers willing to test themselves inside the ring has remained, unabated.

With Jake Paul returning to the ring this August, after a short break to promote the epic Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano superfight, it seems he’s intent on finding some new talent to showcase on the undercard of his next PPV. Notably, former NBA player Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis.

Shams Charania of the Atlantic reports that Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions company had been targeting an NBA vs. NBA matchup with Davis taking on former Milwaukee Bucks player Larry Sanders, but that Sanders’ contract with the ‘Big 3’ 3-on-3 basketball league prevented the booking from going ahead.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

ESPN has since reported that Paul’s team is looking to book Davis against a former WWE professional wrestler, but no names have been made public as a part of that discussion.

Currently reported as weighing over 300 lbs, the 36-year-old Davis was notable for his rotund stature in the NBA, playing for 8 years in the league—largely with the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic. As a rookie, Davis was part of the 2007-2008 Celtics team that won the NBA title.

Davis last played in the NBA in 2015, with the Los Angeles Clippers, before a brief run in the National Basketball League of Canada. Most recently, Davis was one of 18 NBA players indicted on fraud charges for allegedly filing false insurance claims in an attempt to defraud the NBA’s benefits system.

The MMA Depressed-us: The Rose Namajunas vs. Carla Esparza 2 episode

Posted on by Zane Simon in Front Page, MMA History, MMA Podcasts, UFC 274

The UFC has a break in the schedule, but there’s no rest for the wicked. The MMA Depressed-us is back to fill the gap in the calendar with a tour through some of mixed martial arts’ most notorious blunders.

June M. Williams

This time around, however, we had to celebrate the recent emergence of one of the worst fights in MMA history. Carla Esparza vs. Rose Namajunas 2, at UFC 274 earlier this month, was an all time historic bad fight. There’s no way we could pass up dedicating a show to it. So that’s what we did. We’re watching Namajunas vs. Esparza 2 back-to-back-to-back. 3x the inaction, 3x the complete lack of fun. Sit back and enjoy.

As always, we’re watching the fights on ESPN+ & Fight Pass. We start each bout from the beginning of the video. If you want to sync up and watch along with us, just press play when Zane counts down to “go”. If you’re watching the fights on another medium Connor will try and tell you when round 1 begins so you can start your video there.

  • INTRO: 0:26
  • TAKE ONE: 3:54
  • TAKE TWO: 40:12
  • TAKE THREE: 1:13:56
  • FIN: 1:46:37

If you enjoy our shows, give us a shout out in the comments here on Bloody Elbow, and give us a “like”, share & subscribe on your BE Presents Podcast platform of choice: SoundCloud, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, OverCast, Player FM, & Amazon Music – For previous episodes of the show, check out our playlists on any of our BE Presents channels.

‘I know who the f—k I am’ – Israel Adesanya likes his UFC belt, but doesn’t know where it is

Posted on by Zane Simon in Front Page, UFC 276, UFC News

Former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia was famously rumored to have worn his championship title belt everywhere he went during his year-long tenure atop the world’s largest MMA promotion. But, it seems not everyone is so attached to the trappings of greatness.

Middleweight title holder Israel Adesanya is all set for the fifth defense of his crown at UFC’s International Fight Week on July 2nd in Las Vegas, NV. There he’ll face power-punching Texan Jared Cannonier in the main event of the UFC 276 PPV event. But, while he might be figuratively ‘defending the belt’ this summer, it doesn’t sound like the ‘Last Stylebender’ is actually all that concerned about the real-world location the object itself.

In a recent interview with Combat TV, Adesanya talked about his upcoming fight with Cannonier. Along the way, the conversation turned to UFC gold.

“The belt is quite heavy. I actually don’t know where it is right now,” Adesanya revealed (transcript via Sportskeeda). “I’m not attached to that thing at all. I know who the f-ck I am, I’ve been a champ before the belt. It’s heavy. It doesn’t need to be that heavy but I think they made it heavy for the emphasis. So you know you’re holding something like, ‘Woah, this is something of substance.’ It’s a cool belt. I like it.”

Although he may not claim to feel any special attachment to the belt, the City Kickboxing star was adamant that—at least in his mind—he’s actually heading into his sixth title defense, not his fifth. Most particularly because he’s still carrying the same piece of UFC hardware that he got when he won the interim middleweight title in a bout against Kelvin Gastelum back in 2019—before going on to unify the belt against Robert Whittaker later that same year.

“It’s the same belt. That’s why I said to people that I’m a five-time defending champion. F-ck what they said about four. This is just common sense… When the champ, who couldn’t show up to work many times [Whittaker]—who just pulled out recently as well, funny that—I’m the champ in the meantime. I beat him. That counts as a ruby on my belt. So my belt has five rubies. I don’t give a f-ck what the media says or what the commission says, I’m a five-time defending champion because I know who the f-ck I am.”

Alongside the middleweight main event, UFC 276 is expected to feature a featherweight trilogy bout between champion Alexander Volkanovski and former division title holder Max Holloway. A middleweight fight between Sean Strickland and former Adesanya kickboxing foe Alex Pereira has also been scheduled for the card.

‘Reverse Clark Kent’ Kevin Holland recalls latest bit of superhero-ism

Posted on by Zane Simon in Front Page, UFC News

Kevin Holland’s propensity for making the news with outside of the cage heroics continues unabated. The longtime former middleweight fighter and current UFC welterweight is just a couple months removed from helping disarm a gunman at a Houston Sushi restaurant, but on a recent episode of the ‘Fighter vs. the Writer’ podcast, he had a whole new story to tell. One he said scared him more than any others.

Holland explained that he was driving down the freeway in his “Batmobile” Buick Regal, when he saw a tractor-trailer headed down the on ramp. Before making it onto the freeway, however, the truck ran off the road, sliding down an embankment and overturning in the process. Holland, naturally, got out to lend his assistance.

“I get the guy out, there’s fluids flowing out of the car, I get the guy out of the truck and I’m scared,” Holland explained. “Every other time things have happened, I’ve been calm, cool and collected. This time, I’m scared. I’m like the truck’s going to blow up. The guy gets back in his truck! He’s like ‘I need my phone.’ I’m like bro, I got a second phone in the car, you don’t need your phone. We’ve got to go. He’s like ‘I’ve got to go get my sh-t.’

“So I help him get out the second time, and I’m like bro, we’ve got to go. He’s like, ‘I think I need something else out of the truck.’ I’m leaving. As I turn around, there’s a cop there and I’m like, ‘Hey, what’s going on? ‘He said, ‘You tell me what’s going on — who’s driving, you or him?’ I’m like no, no no, my car is down there. So that’s one of those situations, I should probably stay my ass in the car.”

Holland went on to explain that he theorizes the driver likely fell asleep at the wheel. Unfortunately, when police showed up, it sounds like he had to convince them he wasn’t involved.

“The guy was perfectly fine but all of a sudden when the officer pulled up he was [screaming]. I was like you’re playing.”

The 29-year-old Travis Lutter disciple with a love for Batman went on to explain that he always wanted to be a superhero growing up—and that his regular run-ins with dangerous situations are a clear sign to “be careful what you ask for.”

“What I’ve learned talking to a good friend of mine, she actually has a fight coming up, she said ‘my boy, when you do ratchet hood stuff, you take your glasses off,” Holland said. “When you do good stuff, you keep your glasses on. You’re reverse Clark Kent.’ I like that a lot so I might start calling myself Clint Kark.”

‘Trailblazer’ is currently set to return to the Octagon on June 18th in Austin, TX. He’ll be facing off against longtime welterweight action-fight veteran Tim Means in a main card bout at the Fight Night event. A featherweight top contender’s bout between Calvin Kattar and Josh Emmett is currently scheduled for the main event.

Ice Wars International highlights hockey fights without the stick & puck

Posted on by Zane Simon in Boxing, Front Page

Way back in 2006 a man by the name of Darryl Wolski had the insane genius idea of hosting a combat sports event made up entirely of minor league hockey players, scrapping it out in an ice rink in front of a live audience. ‘Battle of the Hockey Enforcers’ took place at the CN Center in Prince George, BC, Canada, in front of a crowd of 2000 spectators.

Initially planned for 31 fights in a round-robin formatted tournament, the event ended up limited to just 19 bouts due to injuries—with four men making it to a final bracketed tournament. From all that chaos, UHL vet Dean Mayrand took home the grand prize of $62,250. A planned followup for later that year was ultimately cancelled.

16-years later, however, and it seems Wolski’s dream has returned in the form of Ice Wars International. Headed up by former Danbury Trashers president AJ Galante, son of disgraced garbage mogul James Galante, IWI is set to host four hockey-fight events in 2022.

Reportedly connected to the Genovese crime family, James Galante served 12 months in prison for tax evasion in 1999. In 2004 he spearheaded the creation of the now defunct United Hockey League (UHL) expansion team the Danbury Trashers. The Trashers lasted for two seasons before Galante found himself indicted on a vast array of charges both related to his waste removal business and his handling of the Trashers. Notably using ‘no-show’ jobs with his garbage companies to pay players and players’ family members, in order to exceed the UHL’s $275,000 team salary cap. The Trashers actual payroll was estimated in the range of $750,000.

James Galante served seven years in prison after admitting to multiple RICO violations including wire fraud and tax evasion, forcing the forfeiture of control of his waste management companies and several million dollars in assets. A documentary on the brief history of the Danbury Trashers was recently released on Netflix.

While James Galante owned the Trashers, his son AJ presided over the team’s day-to-day operations. It appears AJ is now back in the hockey business with Ice Wars 1. The event, which bills itself as the spiritual successor to Wolski’s ‘Battle of the Hockey Enforcers’, went down this last Saturday, May 21st in Edmonton, Alberta, CA.

The card featured an 8-man one-night tournament, along with two ‘grudge match’ bouts, all using MMA gloves and full hockey gear (minus sticks)—with each tournament fight consisting of two one-minute rounds. ‘Diamond Hands’ Daniel Amesbury walked away with the inaugural title of ‘King of the Rink.’ Check out the highlights below.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

No word yet on when the next Ice Wars event will take place. But, as long as some not-insignificant legal concerns don’t rear their head, it appears that Fight Circus could have a serious run for its title of most carnival-ized combat sports promotion in 2022.