Filed in Best fight news

Nick Newell: Illegal Blows Changed Fight, Warrant Rematch with WSOF Champ Gaethje

By
.

Nick Newell went into his July 5 fight with Justin Gaethje as the top contender to the  World Series of Fighting lightweight title and the owner of an unblemished record.

Although Newell left WSOF 11 with the first loss of his career, “Notorious” still feels he should be next in line for another shot at the belt due to the circumstances of his defeat.

Speaking to Sherdog.com this week, Newell pointed toward the tail end of round one, where he took a pair of illegal knee strikes to the head while grounded, as the turning point in the bout.

“It’s not something that is up for debate,” Newell said. “It’s very blatant that the knees hit me in the head. I wasn’t the same. It’s obvious when you watch the video that it’s what cut me. It’s obvious that, when I got up, I was wobbly, and they need to closely monitor who they hire as referees, and they need to have stricter standards.

“Always being the good guy and taking the high road, it sucks sometimes, especially in this situation. I wasn’t given a fair shake and I got robbed of a great opportunity.”

For Newell, the first round was an even matchup. If anything, the Springfield, Mass., native felt like he was getting the better of his exchanges with Gaethje before suffering the blows to the temple.

“I’m not saying that I would have won had it not happened,” said Newell. “I respect Justin. He’s a great fighter, but I was winning the fight up until it did happen, and it happened, and it changed the fight. There’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it. It was a huge momentum swing. It went from me winning, to me just getting destroyed. I don’t even remember the fight after the knee. I don’t remember anything my corner said to me or anything.”

The defeat will go down as a technical knockout for Newell, a loss that was seen on national television during World Series of Fighting’s NBC debut. For the former Xtreme Fighting Championship titleholder, the knees are emblematic of a bigger problem for the sport of MMA.

“We aren’t playing horseshoes over here. It’s a violent sport, and it’s a referee’s responsibility to catch something illegal that could hurt someone. It cost me half my paycheck and it cost me a world title,” Newell explained. “It’s a really sh---y situation for me and something that I have to deal with, and it’s something I am trying not to dwell on too much. One thing I pride myself on is being a good sport and, win or lose, you just have to accept it. But, in this situation, it’s very different because I just had some really bad luck in this one.”

The 28-year-old isn’t allowing the loss to derail his future plans with WSOF. While he obviously feels an immediate rematch is more than warranted, Newell doesn’t see a need for his path back to the title being a long one. In fact, fighting the winner of the recently announced Gathje versus Melvin Guillard matchup makes sense.

“I honestly think I deserve a rematch, but I am not going to be bitter about. If they want those two to fight, I think I should only have to win one more to get back in contention,” Newell said. “There’s plenty of good guys in the division that I haven’t fought yet. I am down to fight whoever they want me to fight, I just want to work my way back into title contention as soon as possible and show everyone what I am really capable of.

“I’m not mad at Justin. I want to fight whoever wins between him and Melvin. I want the belt. The belt is what motivates me. But I would rather have a rematch with Justin, rather than fight Melvin... That’s purely based off the fact that he has beaten me. Isn’t that what everyone wants? To wipe the slate clean? I am more determined than ever.”

It was quite public during the build-up to WSOF 11 that Newell and Gaethje had become friends outside of the cage. This isn’t something that has changed since the tilt, as Newell holds no ill will towards his opponent for the knees.

“Last Saturday wasn’t me. It sucks, but I guess it’s the game. Sometimes you get the call, sometime you don’t. It could have played out either way. I usually watch where I hit. I am not saying Justin’s a dirty fighter or trying to throw his name in the mud or anything like that. I am just saying he got reckless, hit me with illegal blows and it changed the fight,” Newell said. “It went from being someone clearly winning to someone else clearly winning after the knees. I feel like I deserve another chance because the first one wasn’t fair.”

http://www.sherdog.com

Filed in Best fight news

Terence Crawford retains world title beating Yuriorkis Gamboa in Omaha

By

Terence Crawford retained the WBO lightweight title he won off Ricky Burns in March thanks to a thrilling ninth-round stoppage of Yuriorkis Gamboa in his home town of Omaha, Nebraska.

Crawford stepped into the ring in his own backyard for the first time a s a professional in the first world title fight to be held in the city in 42 years, and he did not disappoint his raucous following.

Cuban Gamboa, a 2004 Olympic champion, came into the fight unbeaten in 23 bouts and made a confident start with his quick hand speed taking him into a big lead when arguably winning all of the first four rounds.

But Crawford responded in style and floored Gamboa four times on the way to victory, the first coming in the fifth round which helped turn the fight in the American’s favour.

Gamboa was down again in the eight after being backed into a corner, but he continued and in desperation he rocked Crawford in the ninth with a heavy right hand.

26-year-old Crawford hit back though in a thrilling round and put Gamboa down twice more – the second of the round and fourth of the fight enough for referee Genaro Rodriguez to stop the fight.

Wrong choice

I told Gamboa he picked the wrong fighter and the wrong city and I was right, Crawford said. I never felt any danger in the fight.

I was warming up, getting used to his style the first couple of rounds, just wanted to test him out, see where he was and adjust.

He caught me with a good shot. I got careless. I commend him. He caught me with a good shot I wasn't ready for, and I felt I came back strong.”

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum plans to bring Crawford back to his home town of Omaha, and is eyeing a step up in weight for Crawford and a possible fight with superstar Manny Pacquiao.

We'll be back in Omaha with him before the end of the year, Arum said. When you get a guy like Crawford, who is a great technical fighter but who also can slug, you have something special.

Down the road - and it's very possible - that a year from now we put him in with Pacquiao. That would be a huge fight and a great fight. If you really think you have a great fighter with superstar qualities you move him that way, you don't protect him.”

www1.skysports.com

Filed in Best fight news

Conor McGregor: A True Believer

By

One of my favorite things to do in life is say I’m gonna do something and then go out and do it. There’s no better feeling for me than doing that. It’s a beautiful thing. - Conor McGregor

Just two fights into his UFC career, and Conor McGregor is an old pro at this whole media thing. How good is he? He can do an interview in the midst of warming up for a training session that will hone his skills for Saturday’s UFC Fight Night main event against Diego Brandao in Dublin, Ireland.

But if he’s doing two things at once, will we still get some good material for the story?

“Always,” said McGregor. “Wait until July 19th and you’ll see good material, material that hasn’t been seen before.”

It’s pretty obvious that “The Notorious” McGregor is feeling the pressure before headlining in the O2 Arena this weekend, and yes, you can note the sarcasm in that statement.

“It’s just another day for me,” said the 26-year-old Irishman. “I’ve been the star since Day One. It’s just another day in the life of a king, and it feels normal. Everything is the same. In my head it was always like this, no different. And I’m going to perform like that as well. People think there’s pressure; I don’t feel pressure, I never did. I’ve been in a UFC main event every fight of my career.”

The crazy thing about all this is that McGregor believes every word of it. Ask those around him and they’ll say the same thing. From the first time he strapped on the gloves, he’s known that this was his destiny. To fight in the UFC, to headline at home, to eventually win a world title and become a crossover superstar, it’s all been part of the plan. That’s confidence on top of confidence, but even the man of a thousand answers can’t pinpoint how it became that way for him.

“I don’t know where it comes from, I just feel it,” he said. “I feel like I always did, even fighting in the small shows. My very first fight, I was the first guy on the card, 50 people in the place, and to me that was the UFC main event. I wore a robe out, had a hood up, and that was a world title, a packed arena. Who can tell me otherwise? If that’s the way I feel, and that’s what I see, then that’s the way it is. No one can say any different.”

Yet while the fans eat up every word and the rest of the featherweight division seethes at his trash talk, some also resenting the attention he’s received heading into his third Octagon bout, he has delivered on the boasts he’s been put in position to back up thus far. He knocked out Marcus Brimage in 67 seconds in his UFC debut in April of 2013, he beat a tough foe in Hawaii’s Max Holloway last August, and after returning from nearly a year off due to knee surgery, he sold out the O2 in Dublin in minutes.

“One of my favorite things to do in life is say I’m gonna do something and then go out and do it,” he said. “There’s no better feeling for me than doing that. It’s a beautiful thing.”

It is, and when you mix his talent with his charisma and knack for self-promotion, his star potential is limitless. But he has to win his fights, and Brazil’s Brandao, a late replacement for the injured Cole Miller, is a dangerous foe, at least to the outside world. To McGregor, he’s just another victim.

“Diego is one of the most feared guys in the division,” McGregor begins, verbally jabbing before whipping in the hook. “He’s a bad, bad man until the door shuts, until it’s time to fight. Then he crumbles, then he’s like a little boy in there. He’s a tough guy outside, but when it’s time to fight he doesn’t show up. So July 19, we’ll see.”

At this point, the amount of fans who want to see McGregor lose is probably neck and neck with those who want to see him win, and the same goes for his peers at 145 pounds. They would love to see the Dubliner get his comeuppance, but if he keeps winning and they get a crack at him, the match isn’t a fight anymore, but an event. None of this is news to McGregor, and even though he’s set his sights on practically everyone in the division, despite their greater standing or experience, he knows when it comes to the bottom line, he’s the A side.

“In my eyes, I’m speaking the truth on these guys,” he said. “I was never impressed with any of them before and I’m not impressed with any of them now. I just happened to infiltrate the division, and everyone’s tuning in to see what I’m going to do July 19. Cole pulled out, but did anyone even bat an eyelid? And Diego’s brought in and no one batted an eyelid. No one actually cares who’s in front of me; no one cares who the opponent is. It’s me they’re coming to see, it’s me people are cheering for July 19, and that’s on both sides of the border – your side and my side.”

And from his point of view, this is just the beginning.

www.ufc.com

Filed in Best fight news

Catching Up With King Of The Cage Title Contender Cristobal Chavez Davila

By

The King of the Cage 135-pound Amateur Title was supposed to be on the line this Saturday night, April 19th, in Las Cruces as part of a solid “Throwdown” fight card. Due to unfortunate circumstances, Champion Robert Herrera was forced out of his highly anticipated re-match with the opponent who handed him his lone career defeat and in the place of a title fight, a number one contender bout was inserted to be the co-headlining feature bout of the evening.

When El Paso’s Cristobal Chavez Davila (4-0) took the walk down to the cage over a year ago in March of 2013, few could have guessed as to where the two combatants would be today. Chavez-Davila and current KOTC Champion Robert Herrera met inside the cage in a bout that would mark both fighter’s second MMA bout. Herrera, who we all know today to be a human-highlight reel in his recent outings succumbed to his lone career defeat to Chavez-Davila on this particular night. While Herrera would go on to capture the promotion’s title and rattle off five consecutive victories, the victory by Chavez-Davila really put him on the regional map. Following up with two more victories, the undefeated fighter out of El Paso is poised to make his own mark within the King of the Cage circuit.

Chavez-Davila operates the 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu gym in El Paso, Texas and is currently a Purple Belt under Master Victor Davila and the famed Eddie Bravo. With four years of experience in Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai, Chavez-Davila already possesses a healthy dosage of martial arts experience at 24-years old. In four career outings, Chavez-Davila has defeated four New Mexican opponents; aside from Farmington’s Herrera, he holds wins over Thomas Mills of the Perez Fighting Systems, Brent James, then of the J5′s MMA gym, and Josh Rodriguez in his MMA debut.

The talented fighter from El Paso will find himself in a number one contender fight on Saturday night against Kevin Wirth, his first non-New Mexican opponent. Training out of Durango, Colorado and the Durango Martial Arts gym, Wirth has also met up with the Champion Herrera inside the cage losing a judge’s decision this past December in what was one of the best amateur fights arguably ever to happen in this region.

Prior to the bout this weekend, Chavez-Davila shared some time with SWFight and offered his thoughts on several topics.

On his involvement with the 10th Planet system of Jiu Jitsu and how the Eddie Bravo created system is effective

10th Planet Jiu Jitsu is the only system I have been a part of. I started from zero with Master Victor Davila. Therefore, I think I am a good example of a pure 10th Planet grappler. I think it is very effective in the sense that it is always evolving and growing. We have an open mind to whatever works in MMA, if it works.. we add it. Our system specializes in our back game and a clinching style. In my opinion all MMA fighters need to have a good back game because eventually you will end up on your back and if you do not know how to defend or get out you can get hurt or finished easy.

On why he chose to pursue MMA and combat sports as a career field

It’s the ultimate challenge between two people. Physical strength, mental strength, spiritual strength, strategy, guts, luck, everything. Fighting changed my life, it makes you stronger in day-to-day activities and you stress less about everything.

The most important aspect of it all is mental. Your mind controls everything

On the feeling of owning the lone career defeat on the heavily hyped King of the Cage Champion Robert Herrera and thoughts on that fight from 13-months ago

Well, of course it feels good. I am happy that after that fight he has gone on a winning streak. Unfortunately, I have not been able to fight as much as him because I do more grappling tournaments. So hopefully if I win this fight I will get to prove again to everyone I’m a better and smarter fighter.

To what I remember, I came out with strikes and he clinched, I took him down and he reversed it. It was basically more wrestling to try to get the top position the whole round. It was pretty even but I would give him that round. Second round, same thing, I came out with strikes he took me down I closed a triangle, he tried slamming me and just got deeper in the triangle. He is a strong dude that throws people around, powers through people on the ground, he has a good base.

I’m way more prepared for our next fight. I know I can finish him again

On the benefits of fighting so close to home

It’s huge! I have never fought here and a lot of people haven’t been able to see me fight. I will fight my heart out to not disappoint. I have a lot of support and I can feel their energy. I feed off of the energy when i am in the cage.  I will be 7 feet tall and 300 pounds in there.

All other times I have fought, it has been in way higher altitude so I had to go days before to try and get accustomed, this time I won’t need to do that.

On switching opponents and going from a 5-round fight to a 3-round fight

I was preparing for a 5 round battle and now its 3 rounds. So all that energy I had for 5 rounds will all be compacted into 3 rounds. I was pretty upset I wasn’t going to fight for the belt but it just made me hungrier for it. I know for a fact this guy does not want it as much as I do.

On the feeling of stepping into the cage

I feel like a lion when they would open the gate at the coliseum.  Coincidently I always go in first so that’s what i feel, I’m just waiting for them to let my guy in. It’s a pretty indescribable feeling for me, I feel invincible and all eyes are on me. Like I said before I feed off all that energy.

That is a wrap fight fans! Make arrangements to be in the building Saturday night, inside the Las Cruces Convention Center for King of the Cage “Throwdown”. Chavez-Davila and many others will be in action, showcasing their hard-work and martial arts talent for the enjoyment of the fight fans. Stay locked into SWFight for more King of the Cage coverage, bout breakdowns and analysis as we are only three days from MMA action in Las Cruces!

http://swfight.com

Filed in Hot fight articles

Holly Holm: The Preacher’s Daughter is Here

By

After Ronda Rousey finished Alexis Davis in 16 seconds last Saturday night in the co-main event of UFC 175 in Las Vegas, some wondered if there was anyone out there to seriously challenge the unbeaten women’s bantamweight champion.

Yet less than a week later, things just got a whole lot more interesting at 135 pounds with the Thursday signing of Albuquerque native Holly Holm.

If you’re wondering why, the 7-0 (six knockouts) record held by “The Preacher’s Daughter” is reason enough, but it’s Holm’s previous stint in combat sports as a multiple-time world boxing champion and the sweet science’s longtime pound-for-pound queen that has fight fans more than excited for her UFC debut later this year.

“I figured it would blow up a little bit just because there’s been so much anticipation and hype around it already,” said Holm. “But maybe not to the extent that it did. I’ve had Twitter for a year, and I doubled my followers in three hours. (Laughs) I didn’t expect that.”

Welcome to the UFC, Holly.

Unbeaten in an MMA career that began in 2011 but didn’t become a full-time endeavor until 2013, when she retired from boxing after a May win over Mary McGee. Just after making her announcement that she was leaving boxing, Holm told me “my heart is somewhere else, and I’m listening to it.”

She meant it too, because it wasn’t like she left the sport on the way out. When Holm retired, she did so with a 33-2-3 record, two world titles at 140 pounds, and recognition as one of the top female boxers ever, with her only competition for the top spot on the pound-for-pound list over the last few years being Norway’s Cecilia Braekhus. But mixed martial arts, which she learned with some of the best fighters and coaches on the planet at the Jackson / Winkeljohn MMA gym in New Mexico, had become her true love. A little over a year later, does she miss boxing at all?

“I don’t,” she said. “I loved it for all the years I did it, but I really don’t have the desire to do it anymore, which makes me even more happy about my decision to go with MMA. I went to some boxing fights and I really enjoyed watching them, but I just kept thinking ‘I’m so glad that’s not me anymore.’ (Laughs) I did it a long time and I wanted to make sure I did it as long as I really loved it, and that was that. I’m happy where I’m at, and I’ll always have love for boxing, my career, and the people who supported me, but it’s fun to be part of something new, learn something new, and be on a new path. It’s exciting, it’s fun, and it’s what I want to do.”

And ever since she made the full-time move to MMA, all eyes in the sport have been on her. She has yet to disappoint, showing off her next level striking in win after win. And with her previous resume and her ever-growing skill set in her new sport, the chatter quickly turned to Holm competing in the UFC. Very quickly.

“We talked about it with my coach (Mike Winkeljohn) before and we said ‘let’s get some work in and get out there and see what doors open,’” she said. “Even back then, I think (longtime promoter) Lenny (Fresquez) had talked with (UFC matchmaker) Sean Shelby to let him know that I was going full-time in MMA, so we’ve had our feelers out there the whole time, so that if the opportunity presented itself, we wanted to see what was out there, and obviously we wanted to be where the best is, and that’s in the UFC.”

Things really began to heat up in March, when Fresquez met with the UFC to discuss a deal. Those negotiations broke down, but this week, a deal was cut to bring Holm to the Octagon. And she’s ready for it.

“I thanked Lenny for all the hard work, and his hard work is over, and mine has just begun,” said Holm. “I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me.”

That’s never frightened Holm, 32, who is known for her Spartan work ethic. So is she working on her armbar defense?

“There’s a lot to work on in MMA, and obviously I want to work on armbar defense, not just for Ronda,

UFC bantamweight Holly Holmbut

for all the girls,” said Holm. “She (Rousey) is not the only one that has more of a ground game than me; a lot of people do, but obviously she’s the best at it right now. But that doesn’t mean the others aren’t a threat as well.”

And it doesn’t mean that despite only competing in MMA full-time since last May, Holm can’t hang with those who have more experience. She has been around the sport for years, her striking is impeccable, and now that she’s had a little break to heal the arm she broke in her most recent win over Juliana Werner in April, she’s been doing her homework on the rest of the 135-pound roster in the UFC.

“I’ve probably been watching more since I broke my arm because I’ve had time to do it,” she said. “I had six fights in the last year, so I always had an opponent in front of me, and I was working on a game plan for that fight, and I really didn’t wear myself out too much looking at all the girls that I wasn’t fighting at the time. I obviously watched Ronda’s fight last weekend and have been watching the other girls’ bouts since my time off, and it’s been fun just to sit back and watch it.”

Just like it’s going to be fun watching Holm in the UFC, where she hopes to get to the point where she can make history.

“When I first started doing MMA, people asked me what my goal was in this, and my goal is to be the first female that has titles in both MMA and boxing because nobody’s done that,” she said. “And it’s totally doable, and that’s my plan.”

www.ufc.com

Filed in Hot fight articles

More on Mayweather-Maidana press tour

By

Day two of the four-day, five-city cross-country press tour to officially announce the September 13 PPV rematch between Floyd “Money” Mayweather and Marcos “El Chino” Maidana will feature stops in Chicago and San Antonio. These events are open to the public.

Yesterday the fighters hit New York City, and after a long delay, finally made a late night appearance in Washington DC.

Here are some additional comments from both fighters.

Floyd Mayweather: “Is Maidana a better fighter than Canelo? No. Cotto? No. He’s just a dirtier fighter. I didn’t get a deep gash from a punch; I got it from a head butt…First they [Team Maidana] want to use gloves with no padding, and then they want to use knees, elbows and everything else. My back is always against the wall with Team Maidana.”

Marcos Maidana: “I fight dirty? He’s the king of the elbows.”

Mayweather pushed Maidana to bet his purse if he’s so confident of victory. Maidana responded that he’ll bet “whatever” but asked whether Floyd will let him use his gloves. Before their first fight, Mayweather reportedly paid Maidana an extra $1.5 million to switch to a different model.

Additional information on today’s press stops:

Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL (50 E Congress Pkwy)

Fan Arrival Time: 11 a.m. CT

Press Conference Begins: 12 p.m. CT

Six Flags Fiesta Texas – Lone Star Lil’s Amphitheater, San Antonio, TX

Fan Arrival Time: 6 p.m. CT

Press Conference Begins: 7 p.m. CT

http://www.fightnews.com/

Filed in Hot fight articles

Tapology Gives Insight To The Early Odds Of The Upcoming Legacy FC 30 Event

By

In just a few short weeks, the Legacy FC promotion will travel for the very first time to New Mexico where they will host their Legacy FC 30 event inside the walls of the Route 66 Casino. The event will be headlined by the most polarizing local combat fighter in New Mexico, “The Preacher’s Daughter” Holly Holm in what will serve as her seventh professional MMA bout. Included on the fight card will be several of New Mexico’s most notable and successful mixed martial artists.

The Legacy FC 30 event will be monumental for the area for a number of reasons namely the arrival of another top-tier MMA promotion. Amongst the other reasons, possibly Holly Holm’s last regional fight, the return of the Lovato brothers and a flyweight match-up that is arguably the biggest fight in New Mexico featuring two local fighters (Article coming on that soon).

In anticipation of the upcoming Legacy FC 30 event, SWFight has had its interest piqued by the trending of stats accumulated by the Tapology website. The Tapology page dedicated to the April 4th event includes tallies of predictions made by the site’s community and while the site is well-known for this aspect of the site, we thought that several of the statistics stood out.

First off, at the time of publish, the stats read 100% in favor of one fighter for two (nearly four in total) bouts. The site’s community has unanimously decided that two fighters without a doubt are the favorites to win their respective bouts. Mikey Lovato’s winning pedigree and wrestling background seems to be in high favor for his match-up against the hard-hitting boxing style of Belen’s Gene Perez. Lovato is one of two fighters to have the 100% listing on the Tapology site.

The other is Stacy Cly who is taking on Eric Saavedra. While neither fighters are notoriously well-known, the Tapology community is siding with the pro debuter in Cly over the 8-fight veteran in Saavedra.

Besides the “100-percenters”, there are two other heavy favorites and it should come as no surprise that the very popular and fan favorite Holly Holm would be held with such high regard as she takes on a foreign women who very few fight fans have ever seen in action. Holm is a resounding 98% to 2% favorite on the site and I am surprised that it isn’t a full-blown 100%.

Of the 98% in favor of Holm, 94% believe that Holly will continue her hot-streak of devastating striking displays and finished opponent Juliana Werner by TKO or KO. The remaining 6% have the three rounds of her last fight close to their memory as they believe Holm will win but she will do so by Judge’s Decision.

The minority of fans on Tapology who have picked Werner definitely have a clever fact/opinion tandem when making this un-popular decision. The fact is that Werner is a submission specialist and the opinion is that since nobody has seen Holm’s ground game, that must be where her weakness in MMA is hiding. Six women before her have stood in front of Holm only to be terrorized by strikes and the 2% who picked Werner must believe she will find a way to take the fight to the ground.

The other big-time favorite is a non-local being favored over the local fighter. Kamaru Usman of the Blackzillian fight team in Florida is leaving the humid air of the coastal state to fight in the dry desert heat of New Mexico to take on one of the state’s most recognizable iconic figures of local combat sports when he pairs with Lenny Lovato Jr.

The 3-1 Usman has a commanding lead of 96% to Lovato’s 4% in the minds of Tapology followers. While Lenny has fallen on to some tough times as of late, “The Godfather” was and has always been one of the most successful locals to compete inside the cage. Lovato has lost two straight, in that time span also having two fights be canceled due to injury; making the odds make a lot of sense in context.

95% of fans believe Usman will take a KO/TKO victory back to Florida and add-on to his 100% finishing rate thus far in his young career.

The odds don’t necessarily get more even but they do start to become more competitive statistic wise as we continue to gaze over the fight card. El Paso’s Martin Sano Jr. spent less than 30-seconds in the cage in his last bout and will put his undefeated 3-0 record on the line against the Jackson’s MMA product and Carlos Condit sparring partner Clint Roberts. A few months ago, Roberts defeated a teammate of Sano Jr.’s and did so in just over 30-seconds. The two eccentric finishers should provide an exciting match-up.

Heading into the bout, Sano Jr. is a pretty sizeable favorite at 86% to 14% for Roberts. Of the Sano Jr. support crowd, 79% of those believing he’ll win have picked him to do so via knockout. While the numbers are much smaller for Roberts, his believers tend to feel his best avenue of victory is by decision as 67% of the voters thought Roberts would pick up the Judge’s nod.

Even though it is arguably the most intriguing bout of the night, the Tapology community do not believe that the match-up will be a competitive one. FIT NHB’s Ray Borg enters into the week with the odds stacked against him as Tapology reports a 85% to 15% advantage towards Jackson’s MMA fighter Nick Urso. The two flyweights are set to compete in a flyweight battle that will name the state’s premier 125-pound fighter outside of the UFC.

The statistics get more interesting as you dive in; Urso’s 85% believe that he will go home with a Judge’s Decision as 78% voted for that method. 18% believe that his Mike Winkeljohn and Brand Gibson brand of striking will earn him a KO/TKO victory.

The 15% of Borg supporters feel that his best way to snatch victory away from the favored Urso is to do it by submission. Borg is definitely capable of submitting just about anyone in the lower weight classes and 50% of his believers must share that sentiment. The other 50% is split between KO/TKO and Judge’s Decision.

When Brazil’s Flavio Alvaro steps into the cage in Albuquerque, he will bring with him 55-total fights and a four fight win streak. When you add that magnitude of experience and match it with Albuquerque’s Donald Sanchez and his experience of 42-fights then you will have almost 100 fights in professional experience inside the cage.

The majority of fans voting on the event’s listing feel that Alvaro will walk into the cage with an advantage. 82% of voters selected Alvaro to win and of those, 83% believe that the only way he will take a victory from the tough, hometown fighter is to win a decision on the scorecards.

In the case of Sanchez, his 18% basically believe the same as the pro-Alvaro crowd in that if he wants to keep a victory his own in his hometown that he will need to outlast his opponent over the course of three rounds. Sanchez currently rides his own four-fight win streak and will represent the world-renowned Jackson’s MMA gym after spending several years down the road at the FIT NHB gym. Despite being a prolific finisher, Sanchez currently has only 20% of his voting crowd selecting him to finish the durable Alvaro.

The last bout we will discuss is also the most competitive in voting terms as the 54% to 46% odds are easily the most closest set of numbers heading into the lead up for Legacy FC 30. Judgement MMA’s Adrian Cruz is one of New Mexico’s biggest draws and despite a recent setback is still considered by many to be one of the top-tier regional talents in the area. On April 4th, Cruz draws Enrique “Henry” Briones who is part of the massive wave of Mexican MMA taking over the area. Briones joins such notable names as “Moggly” Benitez and “Dodger” Montano as part of the group that trains at Jackson’s MMA.

Briones currently holds the advantage in what has been a sliding scale that has drawn even and has also favored Cruz. At 54% Briones is currently the statistical favorite and in the most intriguing fight on paper will head into the two-week mark with the lead over the popular local fighter. Of Briones support crowd, 69% believe he will need to bite down on his mouthpiece for 15-minutes to outlast Cruz to a Judge’s Decision.

Rio Rancho’s “Killa” Cruz may be the slight underdog at the moment but he is believed by his supporters to have the ability to handle the talents of Briones and win a Judge’s Decision. 64% of his voters believe that to be true and the other 36% is split down the middle believing that Cruz can actually get the fight finished before the end of three rounds.

Those are the numbers fight fans! Go and check out the Tapology site to follow the numbers and trends as we continue to inch closer to the fight date of April 4th. While these stats have little to do with what we will actually see in the cage, it is a fun way to be interactive as fight fans. We hope to never discount a fighter’s abilities and simply pushed this idea as a way to generate fun discussion amongst fight fans. With that being said, what do you think about the odds and share your own with us in the comment section or on our social media sites!

http://swfight.com

Filed in Hot fight articles

Aljamain Sterling Ready to Be a Bantamweight Contender Following First UFC Stoppage

By

Aljamain Sterling continues to improve each time he sets foot inside the Octagon.

The 24-year-old finished Hugo Viana via elbows and punches from the top position late in the third round of his tilt at  UFC Fight Night Cerrone vs. Miller following an impressive striking and grappling performance in the first two frames.

The win comes on the heels of Sterling’s Zuffa debut at UFC 170, a unanimous decision victory against Cody Gibson.

The Serra-Longo Fight Team member was ecstatic with his performance against his Brazilian foe.

“It felt awesome. My first fight in here I didn't really feel like I showed what I can really do,” Sterling said in a post-fight interview. “I have a lot more in the tool bag. I believe in my team; we have a strong team pushing us.”

While Sterling was able to put his game plan in motion, the former Cage Fury Fighting Championships bantamweight titleholder praised the performance of his opponent and put the rest of the 135-pound division on notice.

“Honestly, I put a lot of pressure on myself to come out here and really try to do great things. [Take] nothing away from Viana though, he’s tough as nails,” Sterling said. “I was definitely in here trying to show everyone that I’m here. I am ready and going to be a contender for sure.”

http://www.sherdog.com

Filed in Best fight news

Legacy Fighting Championship 30 Announced For April 4th, Holly Holm To Headline Stacked Fight Card Against Julianna Werner

By

A press conference to announce the first Legacy Fighting Championship mixed martial arts card to take place in New Mexico was held today inside the Route 66 Casino. We already knew in advance that the featured name scheduled for the  Legacy Fighting Championship 30 (LC 30) event would be undefeated WMMA standout Holly Holm (6-0). The April 4th event is billed as a co-promotion venture between Legacy FC and Fresquez Productions which has been home to most of the professional bouts for Holm’s MMA and Boxing career.

While it had been announced in December after Holm’s decision victory on the Fresquez Promotion’s “Havoc” event by Southwest Fight News and other media sources, it was confirmed today that Holm would pair with Juliana Werner (7-3) of Rio Negrinho, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Often a Flyweight, Werner will step up to the plate to take on her toughest challenge to date when she faces the striking phenomenon and hometown fighter Holly Holm. Wenrer has an interesting resume; she has won five in a row and all of her three career losses have come to the same opponent (Vanessa Porto).

Holm and Werner are going to fight for the vacant Women’s 135-pound Legacy FC Title which means the bout will be scheduled for five (5) rounds. This will be the first time Holm will fight for a regional title and also the first time she will have the opportunity to fight for 25-minutes. Should Holm continue down her UFC-bound career path, this type of 25-minute fight may be in her future.

Also announced for the event is the highly anticipated match-up between FIT NHB’s top prospect  Ray Borg (5-0) and Jackson-Winkeljohn top prospect Nick Urso (7-1). Southwest Fight News broke the reported match-up a couple of weeks ago and the pairing was atop the fights” we wanted to see in 2014. This fight is a big deal fight fans, arguably one of the best match-ups in New Mexico MMA history.

Judgement MMA’s Adrian Cruz (5-1) was part of the announcement process as well; looking to bounce back from his first professional loss he will take on a very tough opponent in Enrique “Henry” Briones (13-4) who will come into the bout representing the Jackson-Winkeljohn gym. Another quality match-up, Mikey “The Burque Bulldog” Lovato (10-3) will end a lengthy hiatus to take on the very tough Gene Perez (3-6).

Donald Sanchez (29-13) will also end his own hiatus and will make his debut as a fighter representing the Jackson-Winkeljohn gym and he will be taking on a very tough Brazilian fighter Flavio Alvarado (45-10). Both fighters are extremely experienced and have about 100-professional bouts between them.

Legacy FC 30 Fight Card: (Subject to change, bout order and line-up)

Main Event:

Legacy FC Bantamweight WMMA Title Fight – Holly Holm (6-0) vs. Juliana Werner (7-3)

Professional Undercard:

145 Pounds: Donald Sanchez – Albuquerque, NM (29-13) vs. Flavio Alvaro – Sao Paulo, Brazil (45-10)

125 Pounds: Nick Urso – Albuquerque, NM (7-1) vs. Ray Borg – Albuquerque, NM (5-0)

135 Pounds: Adrian Cruz – Albuquerque, NM (5-1) vs. Henry Briones – Tijuana, Mexico (13-4)

170 Pounds: Clint Roberts – Albuquerque, NM (4-1) vs. Martin Sano – El Paso, Tx (3-0)

125 Pounds: Mikey Lovato – Albuquerque, NM (10-3) vs. Gene Perez - Belen, NM (3-6)

170 Pounds: Lenny Lovato - Albuquerque, NM (8-2) vs. Kamaru Usman - Del Ray Beach, Fl (3-1)

170 Pounds: Stacy Cly - Gallup, NM (pro debut) vs. Eric Saavedra (3-5) Albuquerque, NM

Amateur Bouts:

170 Pounds: Hunter Tower (debut) vs. Leonardo Pena (debut)

135 Pounds: Jesse Sandoval (1-3) vs. Terrance Shields (debut)

170 Pounds: Mike Benafiel (debut) vs. Jose Cueto (3-0)

145 Pounds: Nate Armstrong (1-0) vs. TBA

125 Pounds: Jesse Tafoya (debut) vs. TBA

125 Pounds: Ricky Esquibel (3-1) vs. TBA

http://swfight.com

Filed in Best fight news

Olympic boxer Savannah Marshall targets gold in Commonwealth Games

By

World middleweight champion Savannah Marshall is hoping for redemption in this month’s Commonwealth Games.

The Sky Scholar is targeting a gold medal in Glasgow following her shock defeat at the London 2012 Olympics.

Marshall headed to the capital as one of the strongest British favourites for gold after claiming the world title just three months prior to the Olympics.

However, the Hartlepool fighter suffered a shock first round defeat to Kazakhstan's Marina Volnova.

Marshall underwent shoulder surgery in the winter and is now aiming to make amends for disappointment in London by becoming one of the first women to win a gold medal in Glasgow.

“I’m really looking forward to it, I haven’t boxed for about six months because of my injury so I’m just really looking forward to getting back in the ring, Marshall told Sky Spors News.

I’m back to 100 per cent, I’m injury free and glad to say that I’m over it the shoulder injury now.

“I’m just looking forward to getting back in to the ring really. It would have been ideal to have boxed before the Commonwealths but obviously things didn’t work out that way so I’m just looking to see where I’m at competition-wise after such a long lay-off. I’m hoping I’m not too far from my best.”

www1.skysports.com

Filed in Best fight news

Stefan Struve Statement on UFC 175

By

Stefan Struve released the following statement regarding his UFC 175 bout with Matt Mitrione...

Tonight, during my warm up prior to my scheduled fight with Matt Mitrione at UFC 175, I began experiencing discomfort and anxiety. However, given my extended layoff as a result of my recent medical issues and the passing of my father, I dismissed my physical and emotional feelings as nothing more than nervousness. Unfortunately, as my warm up progressed, I collapsed in the locker room. After consulting the UFC and the doctors, the determination was made that in an abundance of caution I should not be allowed to compete.

While, I am deeply disappointed that I was not able to perform for myself and the fans, I respect the decision and know that my health is the most important issue. I want to thank the UFC, Dana White, Lorenzo Fertita, Burt Watson, the Nevada State Athletic Commission and Dr. Jeff Davidson for putting my safety first and showing tremendous compassion and empathy in a difficult situation. I also want to apologize to Matt Mitrione, he spent long months preparing to compete and was not able to do so. I want to thank my team, coaches, management and family for their unwavering support. Finally, I want to thank the fans for being by my side and supporting me throughout my career. I will take some time to myself to evaluate my health and career. Thank you for your support and understanding.

www.ufc.com

Filed in Hot fight articles

Jessica Andrade, Valerie Letourneau matched for UFC Fight Night 51 in Brazil

By

Jessica Andrade will take part in the second-ever UFC female fight in Brazil in September.

UFC announced Monday that Andrade is set to battle Valerie Letourneau at the Fight Night 51 card at the Nilson Nelson gymnasium in Brasilia on Sept. 13. This is the first UFC female match-up in Brazil since UFC 163’s Amanda Nunes vs. Sheila Gaff in 2013.

Andrade (11-3) looked impressive in her past couple appearances inside the Octagon, scoring decision victories over Rosi Sexton and Raquel Pennington. The Brazilian hasn’t lost since her UFC debut against Liz Carmouche.

Letourneau (6-3), who moved up from flyweight to bantamweight for a chance in the UFC, recently defeated Elizabeth Phillips in her Octagon debut at UFC 174. The Canadian’s only loss over the past six bouts came in a split decision against fellow UFC fighter Claudia Gadelha in 2012.

UFC Fight Night 51 is headlined by the rematch between Antonio Bigfoot Silva and Andrei Arlovski.

http://www.mmafighting.com

Filed in Hot fight articles

Palacios returns September 20

By

Former two time world title challenger Francisco “Wizard” Palacios (21-2, 13 KOs) returns to the ring on September 20 at the Mela Room in Orlando, Florida. Palacios founded World Wide Elite Entertainment last month and will promote the event as well as fight. “This is a new venture for me and something that I need at this point in my career,” said Palacios, who last fought in September 2012. “I fought twice for a world title and won my first 20 pro fights, only to have politics put me on the sidelines. As a promoter, I’m not only going to get myself back in the title picture but also assist other fighters that were mistreated in the past.”

The co-main event will feature super middleweight Rowland Bryant (18-3, 12 KOs). Separate undercard bouts include world title challenger Mike Marrone, Contender Season 4 Alum Alfredo Escalera Jr. and 2008 Cuban Olympian Idel Torriente. All opponents are TBA.

http://www.fightnews.com/

Filed in Hot fight articles

Donald Cerrone finishes Jim Miller twice in one round

By

The second time around, there was no mistaking it for a low blow.

Cowboy Donald Cerrone thought he had the finish earlier in the second round of his lightweight main event against Jim Miller on Wednesday night. But referee Dan Miragliotta erroneously ruled a perfectly placed body kick a low blow, giving Miller a reprieve.

Cerrone wasn't fazed, though, and the finish came soon thereafter. Cerrone landed a head kick to earned the knockout at 3:31 of the second round, a spectacular end to an action-packed UFC Fight Night 45 in Atlantic City, N.J.

He started worrying about the body, said Cerrone, I started thinking about drinking those Budweisers tonight.

Miller (25-4, 1 NC) got the best of a back and-forth first round, giving as good as he got in the standup, winning the scrambles and scoring takedowns.

By the end of the first, Cerrone had found his groove, and he thought he had the finish with the first kick in the second. Cerrone refused to fault the referee afterwards.

You gotta follow the refs, Cerrone said. That's what the refs are for, and I'm glad I finished it.

Cerrone has now won four fights in the past eight months to the day, dating back to UFC 167. The popular finisher is content to take the fights as they come.

I want to fight as soon as possible, Cerrone said. Whoever's out there, I want to fight.

In the co-main event, Edson Barboza did what he does best. The 28 year-old-Brazilian lightweight finished Evan Dunham with a vicious liver kick earning the TKO win at 3:06 of the first round.

Barboza (14-2), whose only loss in his past five fights is to Cerrone, recorded his fourth kick-related stoppage finish, the most in UFC history.

Everybody knows my background is in Muay Thai, said Barboza. I saw his elbow a little bit, and just as my coach taught me, it was the opening I needed for the win. I'm feeling great.

In his first fight since he began training at Arizona's MMA Lab, Rick Story had an easy go of it in his welterweight bout with overmatched late replacement Leonardo Mafra. Story (17-8) was rarely in danger and finished things off at 2:12 of the second round with an arm-triangle choke.

Dunham (14-6), who was once a highly regarded prospect who won his first 11 pro and first four UFC fights, has now dropped six of his past nine fights.

Going to train at The Lab in Glendale, Arizona with John Crouch and Benson Henderson got me in great condition and ready for anything, Story said. Their help speaks for itself. Just look at my performance tonight.

Story has won two of three and is 4-4 in his past eight.

Things weren't looking so hot for Boston lightweight Joe Proctor in the early going of his bout with Justin Salas. Proctor came out of round one with a huge hemotoma on the left side of his head, perhaps the biggest one seen in the Octagon since Mark Hominick's memorable UFC 129 fight against Jose Aldo.

But Proctor (10-2) rallied in the second and scored the first finish of his UFC career. Proctor dropped Salas (12-5) to the mat with a big counter left hook and rained down a series of uncontested hammer fists for the victory. The time of the TKO was 3:27 of round two.

Everybody knows I like to finish with my right hand, but I was able to finish with my left hook, which was great, said Proctor. I've been working and working on my boxing and looking for the knockout and it finally came.

John Lineker took the adage about not letting the fight go to the judges about as close to the edge as you can take it. His furious flyweight scrap with Alp Ozkilic was going down to the wire when Lineker finished him off with a furious flurry. The time of the TKO stoppage was 4:51 of the third round. The bout was tied for the third-latest finish in a three-round fight in UFC history.

He liked to play my game and that let me go for the striking and the exchange, Lineker said. I found the right openings at the right time and that enabled me to get the knockout.

Fighting as a short-notice replacement, Missouri's Alex White played with fire against dangerous Brazilian striker Lucas Martins in a featherweight bout. And while it made for an entertaining slugfest, it didn't end well for White, who was on the wrong end of a memorable knockout.

Lineker (23-7) won for the fourth time in his past five fights, and, notably, has made the flyweight limit twice after missing weight in consecutive fights.

Martins (15-1) clobbered White (10-1) with a left-right combo to the jaw, and White had a delayed reaction as he wobbled for a couple second before collapsing to the mat. Martin got the KO win at 2:08 of round three.

With the victory, Martins now has UFC wins at 135, 145, and 155 pounds.

I have heavy hands and a long reach, said Martins. I knew once I was able to start hitting him, it was a matter of time before I won the fight.

The American Top Team's Gleison Tibau's UFC record 21st lightweight fight in the company was victorious, as he scored a unanimous-decision victory over Oregon's Pat Healy. The judges' scores were 30-27 and a pair of 29-28s.

Pat Healy is strong, Tibau said. I trained with the best wrestlers in the world and he was still unbelievable. The reason I got this win and was able to go the distance was because of the structure and conditioning I got with American Top Team at home. I injured my finger early in the year and I missed time, but now I'm back and want to fight again as soon as possible. I want to break the record for the most fights in a year. I'm ready to go.

Tibau (29-10) is 13-9 in the UFC (including a loss at welterweight to Nick Diaz in Tibau's first UFC fight in 2006), with nine of those wins coming by decision. Healy (29-20, 1 NC) has lost four in a row.

The evening's opening bout was noteworthy as it marked the first women's strawweight fight in UFC history. In a battle of previously undefeated 115-pounders, Brazil's Claudia Gadelha (12-0) scored a unanimous decision over Finland's Tina Lahdemaki (5-1). While the judges' scores were 30-26, 30-27, and 30-27, the scores don't reflect the fact a game Lahdemaki hung in there over the course of 15 minutes, particularly after withstanding a one-sided first round.

I'm so happy to be in and win the first strawweight fight in UFC history, Gadelha said.  Since I wasn't able to get into the TUF show, this is my present! I tried my best and I'm happy with the fight. I am ready for whatever the UFC gives me next. I was the top contender in Invicta and I am ready to fight the winner of the TUF 20 finale.

http://www.mmafighting.com

Filed in Hot fight articles

Dereck Chisora and Tyson Fury agree to big-money bet ahead of rematch in Manchester

By

Dereck Chisora and Tyson Fury shook hands on a £100,000-bet on the outcome of their heavyweight rematch on July 26 during a heated press conference on Monday.

The British and European titles will both be up for grabs in Manchester when the pair clash for the first time since Fury beat Chisora on points in 2011.

After delivering a barrage of personal insults at his opponent, the Londoner offered £10,000 as the winner-takes-all bet only for the challenger to insist he would give that amount to his two children to go shopping!

Fury then suggested that £100,000 was worth it and the pair shook on the new bet befor tempers boiled over and the conference was brought to an end.

Earlier Fury said: For me this is nothing more than a stepping-stone fight.

This is Dereck Chisora's final crack at the whip - but for me this is a stepping stone.

Dereck Chisora is a journeyman, what champions do to journeymans is they smash them to bits.

If I can't smash him to bits then I must be a journeyman too.

Undefeated Fury took Chisora's British and Commonwealth titles when he won at Wembley Arena three years ago, as well as ending his opponent's unbeaten record.

Mean nothing

The 6ft 9in fighter insists, however, the British and European belts mean nothing to him and promises to hand them back to Chisora even if he wins.

His European title and his belts - I'm not interested in them, I'm giving them back after I beat him, Fury said.

He's the challenger, he's the chump and he's 10 levels below me and I'm going to prove that by smashing his face right in.

Every time he thinks of Tyson Fury in the future he's going to wish he'd never heard that name.

I'm going to annihilate him. He's going to sleep for good. There's no doubt in my mind. I'm flattening his big, ugly, fat face.

He's the ugliest man I've ever seen, he can't talk, he's useless, the only thing he's got about him is he's a bit tough and he comes forward and swings some shots.

www1.skysports.com