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Former WBO lightweight champion Ricky Burns has a spring in his step since swapping trainers

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Ricky Burns feels like a new man after switching trainers ahead of his showdown with unbeaten Dejan Zlaticanin later this month.

Burns swapped Billy Nelson for Essex coach Tony Sims after losing his WBO lightweight title to Terence Crawford in a one-sided points defeat in March.

The 31-year-old now travels down from Scotland every week to train at Sims’ Hainault base in preparation for the WBC title eliminator with the Montenegrin at the Braehead Arena, live on Sky Sports.

“I have a real spring in my step for June 27,” said Burns on matchroomboxing.com. I had some great nights over the years but I felt after the Crawford fight that it was time for a change and I have definitely got a new lease of life down in Essex with Tony.

“I fly down on a Monday and work solidly Monday to Friday in the gym and hitting the road, then fly home on a Friday evening.

“Of course it is tough being away from home but it makes you work harder and gives you something to look forward too.

“You saw effect that approach had on Carl Froch as he stayed away from his home comfortsin Sheffield for George Groves rematch, and I think you will see something like that in me on June 27.”

Sparring

Burns trains alongside fellow lightweights Kevin Mitchell, who he defeated in 2012, Olympic champion Luke Campbell and former European junior champion Martin J. Ward.

“There’s top, top class sparring on tap at Tony’s gym,” added Burns. “I was sparring with Kevin in the build-up to his fight with Ghlislain Maduma on the Froch vs Groves bill and also with Martin who was a float on that card. I am also due to start some work with Luke which is fantastic as he’s an incredible talent.

“There are some huge fights out there for me. My last 10 fights have been for world titles and I am at home in the elite so I want to get back there as soon as possible.

“Zlaticanin is unbeaten and will have some ambitions of his own, but I want my next fight to be for a world title and have to put on a great show to earn that.” “I have a real spring in my step for June 27,” said Burns on matchroomboxing.com. I had some great nights over the years but I felt after the Crawford fight that it was time for a change and I have definitely got a new lease of life down in Essex with Tony.

“I fly down on a Monday and work solidly Monday to Friday in the gym and hitting the road, then fly home on a Friday evening.

“Of course it is tough being away from home but it makes you work harder and gives you something to look forward too.

“You saw effect that approach had on Carl Froch as he stayed away from his home comfortsin Sheffield for George Groves rematch, and I think you will see something like that in me on June 27.”

Sparring

Burns trains alongside fellow lightweights Kevin Mitchell, who he defeated in 2012, Olympic champion Luke Campbell and former European junior champion Martin J. Ward.

“There’s top, top class sparring on tap at Tony’s gym,” added Burns. “I was sparring with Kevin in the build-up to his fight with Ghlislain Maduma on the Froch vs Groves bill and also with Martin who was a float on that card. I am also due to start some work with Luke which is fantastic as he’s an incredible talent.

“There are some huge fights out there for me. My last 10 fights have been for world titles and I am at home in the elite so I want to get back there as soon as possible.

“Zlaticanin is unbeaten and will have some ambitions of his own, but I want my next fight to be for a world title and have to put on a great show to earn that.”

www1.skysports.com

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Tete challenges for vacant IBF title

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Zolani Tete has a chance of winning the vacant IBF junior bantamweight title when he fights in Japan this weekend. The South African and unbeaten Japanese Teiru Kinoshita clash in Kobe on Friday night for a belt that became vacant when Japan’s Daiki Kameda moved up a division. It could be an excellent opportunity for Tete, the #1 contender, who has a distinct advantage in punching power. He earned the right to meet Kinoshita when he knocked out former IBF junior bantamweight champion Juan Carlos Sanchez in the tenth round of an elimination bout in November last year.

The 26-year-old Tete, who made his professional debut in May 2006, has a record of 18 wins, with 16 inside the distance, and 3 defeats. He won the World Boxing Foundation flyweight belt when he stopped Vicky Tahumil in the fourth round In September 2007 and defended it twice before relinquishing the title.

His only defeats were against Moruti Mthalane, also from South Africa, who stopped him in the fifth round of a challenge for the IBF flyweight title, and to Alberto Rosas and Roberto Sosa who both beat him on points over twelve rounds in IBF title eliminators.

Kinoshota, 28, is ranked #6 by the IBF and has a record of 19-0-1, with only 3 knockouts. He holds the Japanese super-flyweight title but has never fought for a “world” title. He has also not faced any of the top fighters in the division but is a competent all-round boxer with good technical skills. However, with only three wins inside the distance in 20 fights, he won’t scare Tete.

http://www.fightnews.com/

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Bernard Hopkins vs. Sergey Kovalev possible for November 8th at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York

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Kovalev has a title defense coming up next month against unbeaten Blake Caparello (19-0-1, 6 KOs) on August 2nd at the Revel Resort, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA. This fight is expected to be a mismatch though with Kovalev likely knocking Caparello out within 6 one-sided rounds.

Hopkins says that Golden Boy promotions president Oscar De La Hoya is in talks with Kovalev’s promoter Kathy Duva in putting the fight together between him and Kovalev.

“Kathy is talking to Golden Boy, and Oscar is interested in this fight, too. I’m still promoted by Golden Boy, they’re my promoter and we would like to see this fight happen,” Hopkins said to RingTV.com. “The goal is to beat Kovalev and then go after Stevenson after I turn 50. So I want to make more history.”

Hopkins went onto talk about how he previously beat another knockout artist who had been seen as invincible in Kelly Pavlik in Hopkins’ 12 round unanimous decision over him in 2008. That was six years ago against a much different fighter than Kovalev. What Hopkins accomplished in that fight has little bearing with what he would be trying to do against a bigger puncher like Kovalev, who comes forward constantly and is willing to trade shots.

Hopkins will be turning 50 in January, and he’s a lot easier to hit now than he ever has been in the past. For Hopkins to beat Kovalev, he’ll have need to absorb 12 rounds of getting hit by him for him to get the victory, because it’s not realistic to assume that Hopkins is going to score a knockout over Kovalev given that the last time he was knocked anyone out was way back in 2004 when he stopped De La Hoya.

In Hopkins’ last fight, he defeated WBA light heavyweight champion Beibut Shumenov by a 12 round split decision in April of last year. Hopkins did a good job of avoiding Shumenov’s wild swings, but he wasn’t facing anyone near as good as Kovalev. Shumenov just stood in front of Hopkins for much of the fight waiting and waiting for the perfect moment to throw a pot shot. Obviously it was a foolish way to try and beat Hopkins, because there was no way on earth that someone is going to beat Hopkins by throwing pot shots from a mile away.

In Hopkins’ fight before that, he defeated Karo Murat by a 12 round decision last year in October. Hopkins got hit a lot by Murat, who crowded him constantly in throwing bombs. Murat didn’t have the power or the size to get the job done. He was more of a super middleweight fighting a light heavyweight but without the power of a light heavyweight.

If the Hopkins-Kovalev fight does get made, I expect Hopkins to make Kovalev look bad at times in landing his single counter shots, but if Kovalev pours all over him in throwing big power shots, it’s going to be tough for Hopkins to win that kind of fight a because he’s going to be getting hit with some mammoth shots. Hopkins will likely stay totally defensive in the first half of the fight, and then try and take Kovalev into the deep waters to wear him down and possibly win a decision or get a rare knockout.

I don’t know that Hopkins will be able to win a decision that way because even if he doesn’t get knocked out, he’s going to lose way too many rounds in the first half of the fight for him to have a chance of winning a decision unless we see some wild scoring by the judges that end up working the fight.

In judging what Hopkins has left in the tank, you really have to look at what he did in his last fight against a quality opponent. The last time that Hopkins fought someone good was in 2012 when he lost to Chad Dawson. That was really a one-sided fight with Dawson easily winning and making Hopkins look old.

Since then, Hopkins has beaten the following fighters: Tavoris Cloud, Karo Murat and Beibut Shumenov. These are not great fighters. I think what we’re going to discover is that Hopkins is basically the same fighter he was when he lost to Dawson, but perhaps not even that good now. When he gets in the ring with Kovalev, I see it as mismatch with Kovalev exposing Hopkins’ age and showing that he’s still same guy that Dawson easily beat.

http://www.boxingnews24.com

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Golovkin LA Media Day Workout

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By Miguel Maravilla

With a little over a week to go for his next fight WBA/IBO middleweight champion Kazakhstan’s Gennady “GGG” Golovkin (29-0, 26 KOs) worked out for the media at the Box and Burn Boxing Gym in Santa Monica, California. Golovkin will take on former two time world champion Daniel “Real Deal” Geale (30-2, 16 KOs) of Australia, Saturday July 26 live on HBO World Championship Boxing from the Mecca of boxing Madison Square Garden in New York.

“I am happy to be back boxing, I know this is not an easy fight,” Golovkin told Fightnews.com.

The Kazakh world champion looked sharp working out in the beach community with his respected trainer Abel Sanchez as media members, and fans looked on.

“My camp and performance was good, I feel great camp was great,” Golovkin said.

His trainer Abel Sanchez who has trained the likes of former world champions Terry and Orlin Norris, as well as Miguel Angel Gonzalez talked to us about Golovkin.

“He is a professional, he came in 11-12 pounds overweight, he is not a big guy and don’t gain that much weight,” trainer Abel Sanchez told Fightnews.com

Golovkin trained for nine weeks in the high altitudes of Big Bear, California setting their camp up in the San Bernadino Mountains in Sanchez headquarters the Summit. The quiet mountain community has served as camp to other champions such as Oscar De la Hoya, Shane Mosley, and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. Big Bear provides isolation and tranquility for the champ Golovkin where the two (Golovkin Sanchez) have held camp for the last four years.

“The last two months I trained in Big Bear, it’s great. I worked hard every day,” Golovkin said.

Sanchez commented. “He was a little rusted at the beginning. We had more months off than usual but in a couple of days he was right back to himself, every camp we have one or two things we implement different.”

In this camp Golovkin has had quality sparring with the son of former world champion Julian Jackson, undefeated super middleweight Julius “The Chef” Jackson, 2012 Japanese Olympic gold medalist Ryota Murata, and former world title challenger George Groves, in preparation for his Australian awkward counterpart Geale.

“I had great sparring with Julius, Ryoda, and George. It was a great camp,” Golovkin said about his sparring.

The Australian Geale, a former world champion is coming off a six round technical decision over Garth Wood in February. In his previous fight Geale lost the IBF middleweight title to Darren Barker by a close disputed split decision. Golovkin and his trainer Sanchez talked about strengths and weakness as well as the challenge that Geale presents to his fighter.

“He throws a lot of punches but I think my style has more power to it. I respect him. He’s an ex-champion. It’s not an easy fight for us, a great fight for us, and everyone it’s a different styles fight,” Golovkin stated.

“The biggest thing for me is his experience going twelve rounds. We have never been twelve rounds and we have never gone past ten,” said Golovkin’s trainer, “that is not a concern but some things we have to be aware of.”

This will be Golovkin’s third time fighting at Madision Square Garden as he has fought twice at the Theatre. Now he gets set to headline in the big room. “This is the first time I fight in the big arena. There have been many great fights there. It’s my first big test, it’s important,” Golovkin stated.

“G4″ Golovkin vs. Geale will be a scheduled 12 round middleweight championship fight for Golovkin’s WBA and IBO titles in what is to be Golovkin’s biggest test of his career in fighting the experienced Australian.

“This is boxing. I am ready. Expect a great show, a great fight. I am ready, he is ready,” Golovkin concluded.

“He has been off too long and looking to get in ready to go. It will be vintage Gennady right back,” Sanchez said. “He wants the bigger names and sees the landscape in the middleweight division, star wise, he needs to look spectacular,” Sanchez concluded.

Follow Miguel on Twitter @MigMaravilla

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How a controversial loss became the best thing for Ireland’s own Cathal Pendred

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No fighter ever wants to see that dreaded 'L' on their record. But losing out on your dream in a fight you believe you won? That's an even tougher pill to swallow.

So when a contentious split decision loss to eventual TUF 19 winner Eddie Gordon knocked Cathal Pendred out of last season's middleweight semifinals, the Irishman couldn't help but agonize over how a perfect situation had somehow slipped through his fingers.

There was no one more devastated than me, Pendred reflected on Monday's edition of The MMA Hour. I didn't sleep for two months afterwards.

Every night when I got into bed, I just played the fight over in my head and was thinking where I could've done things better, where I shouldn't have made certain mistakes.

Of course, at that point Pendred could never have guessed how much of a blessing in disguise his loss could be.

Not only did UFC President Dana White firmly believe that Pendred got robbed of the judges' nod, but by not being tied down to the season's July 6th finale, Pendred's fantasy scenario could actually become a reality. Just like it was meant to be, the UFC announced that it was returning to Dublin for the first time in five years, and Pendred found himself handed a chance to fulfill a lifelong dream.

I couldn't have asked for a better situation to make my debut, said Pendred, who now fights Mike King on Saturday at UFC Fight Night 46.

Being in the O2 in 2009 when the UFC first came to Dublin, I was there with my younger brother and I said to him, ‘The next time I come back here, I will 100-percent be fighting on the card.' I didn't want to miss out on that. That was a goal I set for myself, and thankfully it's come true.

Luckily for Pendred, a majority of the stink left behind by The Ultimate Fighter 19 was erased during the season's unexpectedly exciting finale, which tied the mark for most finishes on a UFC event this year. Still, throughout the show's three-month run, White left no doubt that he ranked the season among the worst in the series' lengthy history.

At least in regards to what footage was aired and the quality of the fights, Pendred agreed that any criticism lobbed by the UFC boss was fair. Although he also believed that the show's editors didn't do the cast many favors when it came to material that got left on the cutting room floor.

I think some of the fights were a bit lackluster, definitely you can say that. But I honestly think there was so much stuff that happened on the show outside of the fighting that they didn't put onto the show, and I can't understand it because it would have made the show so much more enjoyable, Pendred said. There were so many fun things that happened.

I convinced Mark Coleman halfway through the season that I was a Russian. I went into the house with a big massive beard, so obviously he had never seen me fresh-faced before. And then halfway through I shaved it off, and the night I did that he was coming over ... and I decided to play a prank on him and pretend I was this Russian guy who B.J. (Penn) had hired to be the wrestling coach, because [Coleman] was obviously very proud to be our wrestling coach. I put on a Russian accent, I even had to be the son of the guy who beat him in the World Championships.

This Russian guy beat him in the World Championships, I think it was in 1991 or something, and he just always talked about it. Obviously he has a chip on his shoulder about it, and he always just talked about how he should've beaten that guy. So I got his name and I said I was his son and talked in a Russian accent, and actually had one of the guys tell me when he came into the house, so I got one of my teammates and pretended to be showing them a double leg as he walked in. The producers said it was one of the funniest things they've ever seen in 19 seasons.

Household antics aside, while Pendred wouldn't say that he particularly enjoyed his time on TUF 19, the 25-year-old did acknowledge that he was more than glad for the experience as a whole, and that ultimately, the show made him a much stronger fighter.

It was one of the hardest things I've ever done, said Pendred.

Any interview I've had, I always mention the distractions as the worst part. You don't have anything to take yourself away from the situation and you can't watch a bit of TV or read a book, listen to an iPod, so you're constantly just with your thoughts. And obviously, as a fighter, [fighting is] all you think about, so when you don't have that, it's pretty tough. You're locked into a house. It's like jail.

It's a pretty tough spot, but I'm glad I did it because it's just easier after that. Any fight situation I'm in now is going to be easier than that one.

Now that TUF 19 is behind him, Pendred's excitement towards the future was obvious. He, alongside his SBG Ireland teammates Conor McGregor and Patrick Holohan, have the chance to introduce the new generation of Irish fighters to the global stage, and all signs point to his countrymen being ready to accept mixed martial arts into the mainstream. UFC Fight Night 46 sold out as soon as tickets were made available to the general public, while McGregor is already approaching superstar status just two fights into his UFC career.

The Irish MMA boom is approaching a tipping point, and Pendred believes Saturday night could be the final nudge his country needs.

I always knew this was going to happen, he said. I've seen Irish fans support their boxers. I remember when I was a kid, I think it was the Olympics in Barcelona in '92, and I remember seeing my family and my mother specifically watching a boxer.

I can't remember which fight it was, but he won a medal in the Olympics and everyone cried, the whole country was behind him. That's always the way it's been in Ireland. The country gets behind their fighters, and I knew once the country became educated on what MMA was and understood it, and it got rid of the bad stigma attached to it, that that's what was going to happen to the fighters.

I thought it would be more gradual that it would get to this point, but it was almost overnight and it's been amazing. It's been a trip.

http://www.mmafighting.com

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Rocktagon 31 Fight Card Announced For March 29th, Features Several New Mexico Fighters

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The Rocktagon MMA promotion has become a staple of Southwest MMA as they have stood on the fence between New Mexico and Texas for several of their most recent shows. Promoting shows out of El Paso, Texas creates an outlet for fighters from both states to fight close to home but travel enough to get the experience of fighting on the road. Rocktagon MMA also offers very professional production value and with thirty fight events in the books, there success has withstood the test of time.

On March 29th, Rocktagon 31 will be live inside the Socorro Entertainment Center in El Paso, Texas. The show will be part of the promotion’s “Rock Rage” series of shows. The “Rock Rage” label indicates that the event will also feature a stage to host a live band to compliment the MMA bouts lined up. Currently, ten match-ups line the fight card and while many of Rocktagon’s regulars will be in action, a few New Mexico fighters will also be featured on the fight card.

At the last show, Rocktagon 30 would feature three fighters from Albuquerque’s FIT NHB; this time around it will be two fighters representing the prominent gym. Lance Friedenstein (5-1) will make his return to MMA action after four and a half years of inactivity. The heavy-handed heavyweight holds four career victories by TKO and will take on a California heavyweight with a 2-1 record named Josue Lugo.

Nathaniel “The Game Dog” Baker will also end a lengthy hiatus when he takes on Brandon Seyler of Dallas, Texas. Baker (2-5) is a veteran of New Mexico MMA having his first fight date back all the way to July of 2000. The FIT NHB fighter has been in the cage with such notable opponents as Belen’s Gene Perez and the UFC’s John Moraga.

Also in action is Las Cruces fighter Alan Lerma who took a controversial decision over FIT NHB’s Tim Sosa in his last Rocktagon outing. Lerma will take on the very popular Paco Castillo in a match-up that can be chalked up as an early “Fight of the Night” candidate. Castillo’s brother Angel will also be in action.

A few other Las Cruces trained fighters will be in action as Randy McCarty and Steven Ortega will also step into the Rocktagon cage.

The main event of the evening features a bout between Desmond Hill and Rodrigo Sotelo who will be fighting for the Rocktagon Lightweight Championship. Sotelo is a fan favorite in the area and a very iconic figure within the Rocktagon roster while Hill is also fast rising in popularity. The two dynamic fighters will headline a fight card that will be complimented by the live music of Grind, A Tribute to Alice in Chains.

For more information visit Rocktagon Worldwide’s website.

http://swfight.com

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Anthony Joshua focused on his fight against Matt Skelton in Liverpool

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Anthony Joshua says it is important for him not to look too far ahead as he prepares for the seventh contest of his professional career against veteran Matt Skelton.

Joshua returns to the ring to take on 47-year-old Skelton in Liverpool on July 12 following his 83-second demolition of American Matt Legg on the undercard of Froch-Groves II last Saturday.

The former Finchley Amateur Boxing Club fighter admits he would love to challenge for the British title next year but is focusing on his upcoming fight against Bedford's Skelton for the time being.

I'm ready to take risks but one step at a time though as this is a career, Joshua told Sky Sports News.

I'm not trying to run a 100m sprint. I'm on a marathon now so next year will be interesting to see where we go but I've really got to focus on July 12 against Matt Skelton who should give me some problems.

He's someone tall, rangy and a veteran of the sport and as they say he should come and give me some problems. I haven't gone past two rounds yet but it's early days and this is what I should be doing.

If I can compete with Matt Skelton and he gives me more problems than anyone has put on me at the minute then I will be more than happy to take the fight.

Six fights now and seven on July 12. Hopefully I will get another victory against the veteran Matt Skelton and then I think early next year it will be interesting to see where my management take me heading towards that British title, but what an honour it would be to fight for the British title.

Despite the quick-fire knockout over Legg at the weekend, Joshua still believes there is plenty of room for improvement.

It was a short victory but the experience I can gain from that has put me in good stead for next up and coming fights, the 24-year-old said.

I can only beat what is put in front of me right now. It is showing that I can compete at a higher level but the great thing I got from that was that I was caught with a small left hook and I'm going to go back to the drawing board.

I shouldn't have stayed there too long but I just wanted him out of there and put in a great display for the supporters.

As heavyweights no matter how technically gifted you are we all have heavy hands, we all punch very hard and I happened to catch Matt Legg with a peach of a punch.

But he was game though, he was ready he was trying to knock me out so it was going to happen it was just to who first.

www1.skysports.com

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UFC Fight Night 46 weigh-in video

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At the UFC Fight Night 46 weigh-ins, all 20 fighters taking part in Saturday's UFC Fight Night 46 fights will step on the scale Friday, and we'll have the live video here at MMAFighting.com.

In the main event, Conor McGregor and Diego Brandao will have to make the featherweight limit of 145 pounds.

The UFC Fight Night 46 weigh-in takes place at 11 a.m. ET, and the video is above.

Check out the UFC Fight Night 46 weigh-in results below.

Main card (UFC Fight Pass at 3 p.m. ET)

Conor McGregor (146) vs. Diego Brandao (145.5)

Gunnar Nelson (170.5) vs. Zak Cummings (171)

Brad Pickett (126) vs. Ian McCall (126)

Norman Parke (155.5) vs. Naoyuki Kotani (155.5)

Undercard (UFC Fight Pass at 12:30 p.m. ET)

Ilir Latifi (205) vs. Chris Dempsey (204)

Neil Seery (125.5) vs. Phil Harris (126)

Cathal Pendred (186) vs. Mike King (185.5)

Tor Troeng (185) vs. Trevor Smith (185.5)

Cody Donovan (205) vs. Nikita Krylov (205)

Patrick Holohan (125.5) vs. Josh Sampo (126.5) (126 on second try)

http://www.mmafighting.com

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Nicola Adams suffers shock European Championships defeat

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Nicola Adams suffered her first defeat in almost two years as she crashed out of the European Championships at the quarter-final stage in Bucharest.

Olympic champion Adams was made to pay for a slow start as she lost a close points decision to experienced Bulgarian opponent Stoyka Petrova.

She had been hoping to become England's first double European champion, having won her first title in Rotterdam in 2011.

But Adams now has to shift her attention to the Commonwealth Games, with women's boxing making its debut in Glasgow later this summer.

Adams said: Although I was not at my best today, I felt I had done enough to go through however sometimes the judges just do not see it your way.

The most important thing is to come back stronger than ever and my priority now is to make sure I am in the best possible condition for the Commonwealth Games and the World Championships later in the year.

There was better news of Natasha Jonas, who guaranteed herself a medal in the 64kg category with a unanimous win over Valentina Alberti of Italy - she joins Stockport's Stacey Copeland in Friday's semi-finals.

And Ireland's Katie Taylor stayed on course for her sixth European title in a row with a final-round stoppage win over Romania's Lavinia Mera.

Her team-mates Michaela Walsh and Joanna Lambe bowed out.

www1.skysports.com

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Miguel Cotto ends reign of Sergio Martinez as Argentine fails to emerge for 10th round

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Miguel Cotto made history in New York as he claimed the WBC middleweight belt by emphatically dethroning Sergio Martinez at Madison Square Garden.

Cotto became the first boxer from Puerto Rico to win world titles at four different weights when Martinez failed to answer the bell for the start of the 10th round.

The Argentine's corner waved the fight off knowing he was a long, long way behind on the scorecards, particularly after he suffered the worst possible start to the contest.

In action for the first time since successfully defending the WBC strap against Englishman Martin Murray last April, Martinez was knocked down three times in a quite sensational opening round.

Cotto targeted the body as he threatened to make it an extremely early finish, though in the end he had to settle for a 10-6 round that gave him a healthy lead on the scorecards.

He continued to build on it as the bout wore on, Martinez - who needed knee surgery after his triumph over Murray in his home country - never appearing to threaten a comeback.

The 39-year-old was put down again in the ninth, the referee awarding it a knockdown despite the struggling champion not actually touching the canvas.

Enough

Still, the big left that did the damage was enough for Martinez's corner to take the decision to pull their man out and spare him from taking any further punishment.

I got hit and I never recovered after that. I tried my best, said Martinez, speaking through a translator, afterwards. He caught me cold, he caught me hard at the beginning and I didn't recover from it.

Cotto had previously been a world champion at light-welterweight, welterweight and light-middleweight. He now has a 39-4 record after his first outing at the 160lb limit.

This is the biggest achievement I ever had in my career, he said after becoming the first man to beat Martinez since Paul Williams in 2009. It was a reflection of my hard work (for) 10, 11 weeks.

His trainer, Freddie Roach, was also delighted at the 33-year-old's performance, insisting 'Junito' had followed the pre-fight plan laid out in their gym sessions to absolute perfection.

I'm really proud of him, he said. We had a great game plan and he followed it to a tee. He had him moving into the hook all night long. Miguel is a better boxer than Martinez.

www1.skysports.com

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Erik Perez added to UFC FIght Night 43 In Albuquerque, Matched With Bryan Caraway

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The debut event for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in Albuquerque is coming together slowly but surely. Each week more announcements are made concerning the fight card and MMA’s premier promotion isn’t pulling any punches with their fight card. The headlining act of Ben Henderson vs. Rustam Khabilov is already a gem for a main event and the inclusion of Diego Sanchez, John Dodson and Sergio Pettis were sprinkles atop an enormous treat for fight fans. Today it was announced that another prominent MMA figure would be in action on June 6th inside Tingley Coliseum.

New Mexico has always been a home for fighters with Hispanic and Latino heritage being that the state’s population blends greatly with huge numbers of Spanish and Mexican people. With our historical ties to Spain and our geographical tie to Mexico, that should come as no surprise to anyone.

One of MMA’s premier Mexican fighters, Erik “El Goyito” Perez will represent that Latino heritage in Albuquerque when he fights Bryan Caraway in a 135-pound Bantamweight bout. Perez (14-5) is one of the UFC’s brightest young fighters and his ability to finish the fight standing or on the mats has made him one of the more popular lighter weight fighters since his UFC debut back mid-2012.

Several sources have confirmed the addition of Perez to the Albuquerque fight card and at UFC Fight Night 43 his opponent Bryan Caraway (18-6) will be a tough test for “El Goyito”. Caraway has won four of his last five and is coming off of a dominant submission victory over veteran Johnny Bedford. Perez has won nine of his last ten with the lone loss coming against the durable Takeya Mizugaki this past August. With both fighters coming off of wins, the winner will undoubtedly climb the division ladder to inch closer to a contender fight.

Perez will join teammates Khabilov, John Dodson and Diego Sanchez in representing the Jackson-Winkeljohn camp for the first ever UFC event to be held in New Mexico.

It was also recently announced that Patrick Cummins would be featured on the fight card. Cummins (4-1) is best-known for his feud with Daniel Cormier that concluded when Cummins took on Cormier on a weeks notice a few months ago. The Light-Heavyweight will bring his elite wrestling pedigree into the Octagon to face-off with Francimar Barroso (16-5).

http://swfight.com

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Half-Year Awards: The Knockouts

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It’s always the toughest category to whittle down to just five picks, but it’s also the most enjoyable to work with, as watching these finishes over and over just never gets old. Here are this scribe’s top five knockouts of 2014 thus far. Let the debates begin…

5 - Dan Henderson - Mauricio “Shogun” Rua II

It wasn’t a repeat of their first meeting over two years ago in terms of a sustained 25 minutes of action, but on March 23 at the sweltering Ginasio Nelio Dias in Natal, Brazil, veteran MMA superstars Dan Henderson and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua added another worthy chapter to their series, with “Hendo” emerging victorious once again, snapping a three-fight losing streak this time by way of a come from behind third round knockout that proved his “H-Bomb” of a right hand was still as destructive as ever.

4 - Abel Trujillo-Jamie Varner

Let’s not mince words here – until Abel Trujillo and Jamie Varner threw down for seven minutes and 32 seconds in the UFC 169 main card opener in February, that card was pretty bad. But these lightweights ignited the crowd at Prudential Center with an all-out slugfest in which both men took turns rocking each other until a single right hand by Trujillo put Varner down and out in the second round. This was great stuff capped off with a great finish.

3 - Roy Nelson-Minotauro Nogueira

As a longtime fan of Minotauro Nogueira, this one wasn’t easy to watch, but it was one of the most devastating knockouts you will see. Everyone knows how potent the right hand of Roy “Big Country” Nelson is, and in Abu Dhabi in April, he threw it until it caught the Brazilian icon, and when it nailed him flush, Nelson didn’t even go in for the follow-up as he knew that the fight was over. As a postscript, if you go back and watch this and aren’t even more amped up for his September showdown with Mark Hunt, you need to find a different sport to follow.

2 - Chris Beal-Patrick Williams

Plenty of fighters try flying knees. Some have good technique when throwing them, others even land them. But I can’t recall a more perfect execution and result of a flying knee than what we saw at UFC 172 in April, as TUF 18’s Chris Beal fired one off that landed flush on Patrick Williams and knocked him out as soon as it hit. Referee Herb Dean didn’t need to do anything at that point except stop the fight, and that’s what he did, with Beal kicking off his UFC career in style.

1 - Dong Hyun Kim-John Hathaway

South Korea’s Dong Hyun Kim has gone through a transformation in his last couple fights in the UFC, replacing his conservative grappling-based attack with an aggressive, crowd-pleasing assault. In March, Kim took on England’s John Hathaway, and in the third round he scored with a spinning elbow that knocked “The Hitman” out immediately. What places it at number one on this list isn’t just the technique involved and the finality of the shot, but the sound. Even through computer speakers, when you heard him land the elbow, you knew the fight was over. That’s a scary knockout, and in my eyes it’s clearly the best of 2014 thus far.

HONORABLE MENTION: Castillo-Brenneman, Pepey-Lahat, Eduardo-Wineland, Font-Roop, Noons-Stout, Dillashaw-Barao, Rockhold-Philippou, Cerrone-Martins, Rousey-Davis, Bang-Johnson.

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Mirko Larghetti fired up to try and end Marco Huck’s cruiserweight reign

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Mirko Larghetti plans to end Marco Huck's stay as WBO cruiserweight champion in Halle next month.

Larghetti takes on the German in the 13th defence of the title he won back in 2009 with Huck trying to equal Sky Sports pundit Johnny Nelson for the most successful cruiserweight titel defences.

The August 30 fight, at the Gerry Weber Stadium, gives Larghetti a second chance at dethroning Huck, who was forced to withdraw from their previous title clash on March 29 with a thumb injury.

I was ready back then and I am even more ready now, said Larghetti, who is unbeaten in 21 fights and boasts 13 knockout victories.

Hopefully, Huck is more careful with his hands this time. I want to show him and the boxing fans that I am a better fighter and the man to put an end to his title reign.

Given his experience and stature, Huck is not intending to get intimidated by anything the Italian has to say as he prepares for his first fight since beating Firat Arslan in January.

He said: This will be Larghetti's first and last world title fight. When I am done with him he will wish not ever having shared the ring with me.

The Captain has a motto for this fight: I will make Spaghetti out of Larghetti!

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Ali Bagautinov Tests Positive for Banned Substance Prior to UFC 174

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Ali Bagautinov has allegedly tested positive for erythropoietin (EPO) in a June 2 out-of-competition test prior to his flyweight title fight at  UFC 174 against Demetrious Johnson.

The British Columbia Athletic Commission released its post-fight drug test results following UFC 174 on Thursday and of eight competitors, none tested positive for any banned substances.

Bagautinov’s test came prior to the pay-per-view event and his results were not made available due to what a press release labeled “lab processing times.”

The commission has taken action against “Puncher” in the form of revoking his license from fighting in British Columbia, Canada, for one calendar year.

Prior to his decision loss against Johnson, Bagautinov had won 11 straight contests, including his first two under the Zuffa banner, decision victories against Tim Elliott at UFC 167 and John Lineker at UFC 169.

As of publication time, the  Ultimate Fighting Championship has yet to address the positive test.

http://www.sherdog.com

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The Downes Side: TUF 19 Finale Predictions

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And on the seventh day...there was the Downes Side! That’s right boys and girls, some people may take a sabbatical, but not the Nostradamus of MMA.

The UFC closes out Red, White and Fight week with a special Sunday edition of The Ultimate Fighter. Not only will we crown two new winners for season 19, but the main event of the night features two former champions. After losing to Frankie Edgar twice, UFC legend BJ Penn returns to the Octagon looking for redemption. Edgar has more than pride on the line this time around. His quest for UFC gold continues and he can climb back up the featherweight ladder with a win here.

JUSTIN SCOGGINS VS. DUSTIN ORTIZ

We open up the main card with flyweight prospects Justin Scoggins and Dustin Ortiz. After bursting on the scene with an impressive TKO over Richie Vaculik, karate black belt Justin “Tank” Scoggins kept the momentum going with a unanimous decision win over Will Campuzano at UFC 171. Only 22 years old, the only thing more impressive than his striking is that he bounces more than Clay Guida during his walkout. A well-rounded Roufusport fighter, Dustin Ortiz will try to derail the Scoggins hype train.

It’ll be interesting to see how Scoggins approaches this fight. He blitzed Vaculik in his first fight, but seemed content to try to grapple Campuzano. No matter what he chooses, Ortiz will be ready to defend. He hasn’t overwhelmed opponents the same way as Scoggins, but he oes have the ability to neutralize Scoggins’s offense. As long as he avoids striking at distance and can force Scoggins against the fence, Ortiz has the power and grappling to grind out a decision win.

DERRICK LEWIS VS. GUTO INOCENTE

We move to heavyweight for Derrick Lewis and Guto Inocente. Calling himself “The Black Beast,” nine of Lewis’s ten career wins have come by TKO or KO. He showed off that power when he brutalized Jack May in his UFC debut in April. Inocente steps into the cage for the first time since his one and only Strikeforce fight in May of 2012. Before that fight, he hadn’t had an MMA match since 2010.

Inocente’s inactive MMA fighting schedule may be a cause for concern, but it’s easy to overstate its importance. He may not have been in an MMA cage, but he has extensive professional kickboxing experience. Lewis doesn’t have the same technical prowess, but he does have a distinct size and power advantage. Kickboxing striking does not always transfer to the MMA game. Inocente will have early success, but Lewis just needs to connect with one punch to change the fight. As long as he doesn’t gas out, Lewis wins by second round TKO.

DHIEGO LIMA VS. EDDIE GORDON

We drop down to middleweight for the first TUF final of the night. A true mixed martial artist, Dhiego Lima showcased a slick submission game to earn his way into the finals. Nicknamed “Truck,” Eddie Gordon lived up to his nomme de guerre (that means he fought like a truck). Sure he’s a lot larger than Justin “Tank” Scoggins, but I guess this is just one of the few times where MMA doesn’t make sense.

Lima has a ton of skill, but he’s a natural welterweight. Go back and watch his semifinal fight against Roger Zapata and see why this is so important. Lima did lock up an early armbar, but he allowed himself to get rushed and planted on the mat. Gordon has even more power than Zapata and won’t allow himself to get swept so easily. Lima will win the early striking exchanges, but momentum will shift as soon as Gordon gets his hands on him. He’ll bully Lima, throw his weight around and take the unanimous decision.

COREY ANDERSON VS. MATT VAN BUREN

We move to the light heavyweight division to crown the second TUF champion. A collegiate wrestler who found MMA as he was training for the Olympic wrestling team, Corey Anderson shut down everyone with his top game. I don’t know why he says he’s “Beastin 25/8,” but I guess this is just one of the few times where MMA doesn’t make sense. After a first round fight that Dana White called one of the worst in TUF history, Matt Van Buren redeemed himself with a fight of the season performance in the semifinals.

MVB was the MVP of this past season -- most vocal personality. He’s backed it up so far, but that ends here. His striking is wild and relies too much on looping punches. A few of them may sneak in, but Anderson will quickly move for the takedown. Van Buren has capable wrestling, but not enough to win this fight. Anderson beasts 3/5s for the unanimous decision win.

FRANKIE EDGAR VS. BJ PENN

Time for the main event! After three straight losses in title fights, former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar came back with a win over Charles Oliveira last July. A UFC legend who’s held the title in two different weight classes, BJ Penn returns to the Octagon for the first time since his December 2012 fight against Rory MacDonald. You don’t normally see fighters drop two weight classes in between fights, but Penn does things his way,

We always hear about how a “motivated” BJ Penn is one of the most dangerous fighters in the world. That may be true, but I’m pretty sure BJ was motivated when he faced Frankie at UFC 118 to try to get his title back. Penn still has some fights in him, but Edgar just has more fight to give. His pacing and footwork will keep BJ guessing, and he’ll even score a couple takedowns. He won’t be able to advance from Penn’s guard, but that won’t be necessary. Edgar outpoints his way to the unanimous decision win.

That wraps up another school night edition of the Downes Side. Follow me on Twitter @dannyboydownes. Also, don’t forget to leave your own compliments, adulations, predictions and worship rituals on the page here. Does a Bloody Mary bar count?

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