One-time pro mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Dave Bautista, perhaps best known for his run in WWE as “Batista,” is returning to the big screen as “Tong Po” in the upcoming Kickboxer reboot titled Kickboxer: “Vengeance,” starring Jean-Claude…
One-time pro mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Dave Bautista, perhaps best known for his run in WWE as “Batista,” is returning to the big screen as “Tong Po” in the upcoming Kickboxer reboot titled Kickboxer: “Vengeance,” starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, as well as UFC stars Georges St-Pierre and Cain Velasquez, among others.
RLJ Entertainment (NASDAQ: RLJE) recently acquired all U.S. rights to the chop-socky film, which is expected to hit theaters and On Demand later this year.
“Fans of Jean-Claude Van Damme have been waiting for a long time for this reboot of the Kickboxer franchise,” said RLJ Entertainment’s Chief Acquisitions Officer Mark Ward. “The film delivers more action and an amazing ensemble of fighters from Dave Bautista to George St-Pierre to Cain Velasquez and Gina Carano. Fans will not be disappointed.”
Much like the first film, released way back in 1989, Kickboxer: “Vengeance” follows the story of Kurt Sloane (Alain Moussi), who travels to Thailand to avenge the death of his brother at the hands of Po. Sloane must train with legendary Master Durand (Van Damme) before his final confrontation with Po.
To the death!
For much more on the release of Kickboxer: “Vengeance” click here.
The brash Irishman – with a penchant for the finer things in life – has never shied away from his intentions in this sport. He’s here to take over and make a lot of money doing it.
So what makes Conor McGregor so successful?
McGregor is generally a likable guy with the swagger to match. He walks the walk and talks the talk. He loves his fashion, his fast cars and the celebrity status that comes with it.
The man known as ‘The Notorious’, has undeniable talent, no one doubts that. He’s an aggressive, exciting fighter with power and finesse which resonates well with the fans. What really makes him stand out is his showmanship and psychological warfare he delivers before fights. He thrives on exploiting his opponent’s mental fragility to evoke a reaction, effectively distracting and draining his enemy before the fight. The fact McGregor is a world class fighter is a bonus. His ability to render opponents virtually ineffective is much more fascinating.
Fighters only have a small window to make money in this business. It’s extremely hard to make it as a professional and even then, it doesn’t necessarily equate to wealth. The chances of sustaining a serious career ending injury are generally higher than other sports considering the brutal nature of MMA.
In my opinion, McGregor deserves a lot of credit with how quickly he’s dominated the sport and the type of money he can demand for his fights. He’s brought a renewed interest to MMA and the UFC with his unorthodox approach. Many fighters have attempted this mental warfare with varying levels of success.
Past opponents of McGregor’s like Diego Brandao, Denis Siver and Dustin Poirier were all steam rolled by the Irishman. What was unusual is how out of depth they were in the octagon with him. They looked depleted and lacked confidence. It was not necessarily a gulf in their skill sets, but an effect of the psychological warfare they endured before the fight.
The best example of this was the fight with Jose Aldo. Aldo is undeniably one of the greatest fighters in the MMA world today. He was scheduled to fight McGregor on July 11, 2015. Both fighters featured in a long, drawn out world tour to promote the event. While it was a success for the UFC, it seemed to have completely drained Aldo. It allowed McGregor to get inside his head and unleash a barrage of mental warfare on him. Aldo subsequently pulled out of the fight and it was rescheduled. The damage had already been done.
When the fight eventually materialized on December 12, 2015, UFC commentator Joe Rogan questioned Aldo’s physique, suggesting he looked “soft”. While Aldo’s camp kept things fairly secretive before the fight, it was quite clear he got sucked into the mind games from McGregor, which ultimately cost him the belt.
McGregor was then scheduled to fight Rafael Dos Anjos (RDS) for the Lightweight belt. In the pre-fight war-of-words with RDS, McGregor used his “defection” to the USA as an attempt to bait him, hoping to turn the Brazilian fans against him. RDS eventually pulled out with a broken foot and the fight never materialized.
Finally, we come to the fight with Nate Diaz (don’t worry, I didn’t forget!). The product of Stockton was given a call less than two weeks out from UFC 196 and accepted the fight at 170 pounds.
In the press conference, McGregor stated that he respected Diaz. He then proceeded to tease him by stating “he makes gun signs with the right hand and makes animal balloons with the left hand.” This was an attempt to belittle him. The mind games didn’t seem to bother Diaz. In fact, he took the insults in his stride.
For the first time in his UFC career, McGregor faced an opponent that didn’t break mentally. The fight took place and McGregor lost due to a rear naked choke.
McGregor is now rumored to be facing Frankie Edgar at UFC 200 for the Featherweight belt. It will be very interesting to see if McGregor changes his approach after the loss to Diaz. Will we see the same outspoken Irishman oozing with confidence? Or will we see a much calmer respectful McGregor? Only time will tell.
The brash Irishman – with a penchant for the finer things in life – has never shied away from his intentions in this sport. He’s here to take over and make a lot of money doing it.
So what makes Conor McGregor so successful?
McGregor is generally a likable guy with the swagger to match. He walks the walk and talks the talk. He loves his fashion, his fast cars and the celebrity status that comes with it.
The man known as ‘The Notorious’, has undeniable talent, no one doubts that. He’s an aggressive, exciting fighter with power and finesse which resonates well with the fans. What really makes him stand out is his showmanship and psychological warfare he delivers before fights. He thrives on exploiting his opponent’s mental fragility to evoke a reaction, effectively distracting and draining his enemy before the fight. The fact McGregor is a world class fighter is a bonus. His ability to render opponents virtually ineffective is much more fascinating.
Fighters only have a small window to make money in this business. It’s extremely hard to make it as a professional and even then, it doesn’t necessarily equate to wealth. The chances of sustaining a serious career ending injury are generally higher than other sports considering the brutal nature of MMA.
In my opinion, McGregor deserves a lot of credit with how quickly he’s dominated the sport and the type of money he can demand for his fights. He’s brought a renewed interest to MMA and the UFC with his unorthodox approach. Many fighters have attempted this mental warfare with varying levels of success.
Past opponents of McGregor’s like Diego Brandao, Denis Siver and Dustin Poirier were all steam rolled by the Irishman. What was unusual is how out of depth they were in the octagon with him. They looked depleted and lacked confidence. It was not necessarily a gulf in their skill sets, but an effect of the psychological warfare they endured before the fight.
The best example of this was the fight with Jose Aldo. Aldo is undeniably one of the greatest fighters in the MMA world today. He was scheduled to fight McGregor on July 11, 2015. Both fighters featured in a long, drawn out world tour to promote the event. While it was a success for the UFC, it seemed to have completely drained Aldo. It allowed McGregor to get inside his head and unleash a barrage of mental warfare on him. Aldo subsequently pulled out of the fight and it was rescheduled. The damage had already been done.
When the fight eventually materialized on December 12, 2015, UFC commentator Joe Rogan questioned Aldo’s physique, suggesting he looked “soft”. While Aldo’s camp kept things fairly secretive before the fight, it was quite clear he got sucked into the mind games from McGregor, which ultimately cost him the belt.
McGregor was then scheduled to fight Rafael Dos Anjos (RDS) for the Lightweight belt. In the pre-fight war-of-words with RDS, McGregor used his “defection” to the USA as an attempt to bait him, hoping to turn the Brazilian fans against him. RDS eventually pulled out with a broken foot and the fight never materialized.
Finally, we come to the fight with Nate Diaz (don’t worry, I didn’t forget!). The product of Stockton was given a call less than two weeks out from UFC 196 and accepted the fight at 170 pounds.
In the press conference, McGregor stated that he respected Diaz. He then proceeded to tease him by stating “he makes gun signs with the right hand and makes animal balloons with the left hand.” This was an attempt to belittle him. The mind games didn’t seem to bother Diaz. In fact, he took the insults in his stride.
For the first time in his UFC career, McGregor faced an opponent that didn’t break mentally. The fight took place and McGregor lost due to a rear naked choke.
McGregor is now rumored to be facing Frankie Edgar at UFC 200 for the Featherweight belt. It will be very interesting to see if McGregor changes his approach after the loss to Diaz. Will we see the same outspoken Irishman oozing with confidence? Or will we see a much calmer respectful McGregor? Only time will tell.
Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva is reportedly in talks to battle 185-pound striker Uriah Hall at the upcoming UFC 198 pay-per-view (PPV) event, which takes place inside Arena da Baixada stadium in Curitiba, Brazil, on May 14, 2016.
Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva is reportedly in talks to battle 185-pound striker Uriah Hall at the upcoming UFC 198 pay-per-view (PPV) event, which takes place inside Arena da Baixada stadium in Curitiba, Brazil, on May 14, 2016.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos’ believes Stipe Miocic will be able to stuff takedowns and outstrike Fabricio Werdum in the UFC 198 main event.
Junior dos Santos is just 3 weeks away from an important UFC main event in Zagreb, Croatia. The former heavyweight champion is coming off a devastating knockout loss to Alistair Overeem at UFC on FOX 17, which set him back considerably in his quest to become champion again.
At UFC 198 on May 14th, the current heavyweight champion, Fabricio Werdum, will make his first defense of the belt against Stipe Miocic. JDS holds wins over both men, although the Werdum of 2008 is unquestionably not the one who dispatched Cain Velasquez last year. In an interview with MMA Fighting, dos Santos analyzed the fight and why he thinks Miocic has the edge against the champ.
“Werdum has evolved a lot, he impressed in the few times he fought. He has evolved a lot,” dos Santos said. “His ground game is the best in the heavyweight division, no question about it. He has what it takes to keep the belt for a good time, but he’s facing a tough opponent next. Miocic has that knockout punch. I was completely dizzy a few moments when we fought. He has that punch, and his stand-up is more complete and better than Werdum’s.
“I don’t see how… Werdum is excellent on the ground, but I don’t see him taking anyone down. If the fight stays standing, I see Miocic as the favorite. If it goes to the ground, it’s going to be fast. But I see Miocic as the favorite standing. Comparing their qualities, I don’t see Werdum taking him down, so it’s going to be a stand-up fight and Miocic has an advantage.”
Meanwhile, dos Santos will take on Ben Rothwell at UFC Fight Night 86 on Sunday, April 10th. The night’s main card will air live on Fox Sports 1.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos’ believes Stipe Miocic will be able to stuff takedowns and outstrike Fabricio Werdum in the UFC 198 main event.
Junior dos Santos is just 3 weeks away from an important UFC main event in Zagreb, Croatia. The former heavyweight champion is coming off a devastating knockout loss to Alistair Overeem at UFC on FOX 17, which set him back considerably in his quest to become champion again.
At UFC 198 on May 14th, the current heavyweight champion, Fabricio Werdum, will make his first defense of the belt against Stipe Miocic. JDS holds wins over both men, although the Werdum of 2008 is unquestionably not the one who dispatched Cain Velasquez last year. In an interview with MMA Fighting, dos Santos analyzed the fight and why he thinks Miocic has the edge against the champ.
“Werdum has evolved a lot, he impressed in the few times he fought. He has evolved a lot,” dos Santos said. “His ground game is the best in the heavyweight division, no question about it. He has what it takes to keep the belt for a good time, but he’s facing a tough opponent next. Miocic has that knockout punch. I was completely dizzy a few moments when we fought. He has that punch, and his stand-up is more complete and better than Werdum’s.
“I don’t see how… Werdum is excellent on the ground, but I don’t see him taking anyone down. If the fight stays standing, I see Miocic as the favorite. If it goes to the ground, it’s going to be fast. But I see Miocic as the favorite standing. Comparing their qualities, I don’t see Werdum taking him down, so it’s going to be a stand-up fight and Miocic has an advantage.”
Meanwhile, dos Santos will take on Ben Rothwell at UFC Fight Night 86 on Sunday, April 10th. The night’s main card will air live on Fox Sports 1.
Nate Diaz is still dropping bombs on Conor McGregor… UFC lightweight and welterweight Nate Diaz stuck himself firmly on the map this past March 5, taking out the highly hyped UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor by submission. The UFC 196 had all the thrills and spills of a classic bout, including a fierce rivalry before
Nate Diaz is still dropping bombs on Conor McGregor…
UFC lightweight and welterweight Nate Diaz stuck himself firmly on the map this past March 5, taking out the highly hyped UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor by submission. The UFC 196 had all the thrills and spills of a classic bout, including a fierce rivalry before hand. It was only 11 days in the making, as Diaz replaced the njured lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos, but the Stockton bad boy capitalized in a big way.
Many people felt the diverse striking attacks of McGregor would have Diaz shooting in for ground attacks and takedowns, but as it turned out, it was quite the opposite. The taller 209 native blasted ‘The Notorious’ with some hard shots, and for the first time in the Irishman’s UFC career, it looked like he may have been in trouble. Then cam, as predicted by Diaz, the takedown attempt from McGregor. It was as good as over from that point.
Diaz catapulted himself in to the limelight, and is currently relishing his well deserved attention and also a much increased disclosed pay check. Chatting with Mike Bohn for Rolling Stone Magazine, the younger of the infamous Diaz bros says he was close to knocking McGregor out, among some other cool topics:
“I lost plenty of decisions and I’ve never got a rematch to this day,” Diaz says. “So that’s crazy. Conor got worked over and now they’re saying rematch, which makes sense, I understand that. I just think it’s funny because it’s like, Jose Aldo didn’t get a rematch.”
“Those are both great fights, big fights, but those are both my brother’s fights. I’m not going to step on his shoes,” he says. “I’m not going to into his weight because everybody wants to see Nick vs. GSP or Nick vs. Lawler. I would like to fight for the Lightweight title. But if I did the [fighting at] 170 thing I would like them to work out the deal with Nick and I’ll take the leftovers.”
Renan Barao will move up to the featherweight division for the first time in his UFC career as he takes on Jeremy Stephens on a Fight Night show not yet announced. Renan Barao will fight at featherweight for the first time in his UFC career…
Renan Barao will move up to the featherweight division for the first time in his UFC career as he takes on Jeremy Stephens on a Fight Night show not yet announced.
Renan Barao will fight at featherweight for the first time in his UFC career. To welcome him to the weight class, hard-hitting veteran Jeremy Stephens has accepted the challenge, as Combate reported.
10 fights into his UFC career, the former bantamweight champion Barao (33-3-1) decided to go up a division after losing to T.J. Dillashaw for a second time last July. Although the change is not yet known to be permanent, Barao has struggled severely with weight cutting in the past, to the point of passing out on the day before a title fight back at UFC 177, when he had to hospitalized.
Three years ago, Stephens (24-12) also decided to change weight classes, but dropping from 155 instead of going up. He managed to score good wins over the likes of Darren Elkins, Dennis Bermudez and Rony Jason. But “Lil’ Heathen” has been struggling lately, with only one win in his last four outings. He lost by unanimous decision to Max Holloway, Charles Oliveira and Cub Swanson, with only the Bermudez flying knee knockout victory sandwiched in between those defeats.
Although there is no event or country announced for the event, Combate also reported the bout will serve as the co-main event for a Fight Night card that is scheduled to take place on May 29.
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