DREAM18 Glory 4 Live Results and Play by Play

Watching Japanese New Year’s Eve fights has become a bit of a tradition for me. I haven’t missed one since 2007 when I saw Yarennoka! which featured Fedor Emelianenko fighting Hong Man Choi in a real-life David versus Goliath match up. With the Ja…

Watching Japanese New Year’s Eve fights has become a bit of a tradition for me. I haven’t missed one since 2007 when I saw Yarennoka! which featured Fedor Emelianenko fighting Hong Man Choi in a real-life David versus Goliath match up. 

With the Japanese MMA scene’s future in question, I had doubts that I would be able to experience another NYE event.

I truly believed that I would never see another Japanese NYE event.

But the fine folks at Glory have made this writer’s dreams come true with an amazing event. Stay awake and join Bleacher Report for live results and play-by-play for Dream18 and Glory 4. 

MMA Bouts:
Shinya Aoki vs. Antonio McKee
Melvin Manhoef vs. Denis Kang
Bibiano Fernandes vs. Yoshiro Maeda
Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Michihiro Omigawa
Hayato Sakurai vs. Phil Baroni
Hiroyuki Takaya vs. Georgi Karakhanyan
Satoru Kitaoka vs. Will Brooks
Marloes Coenen vs. Fiona Muxlow

GLORY Grand Slam Tournament:
Semmy Schilt vs. Brice Guidon
Sergei Kharitonov vs. Rico Verhoeven
Gokhan Saki vs. Raomoru
Anderson “Braddock” Silva vs. Igor Jurkovic
Remy Bonjasky vs. Filip Verlinden
Errol Zimmerman vs. Jamal Ben Saddick
Peter Aerts vs. Mourad Bouzidi
Daniel Ghita vs. Jhonata Diniz

GLORY Superfights:
Makoto Ebata vs. Sang-Jae Kim
Matsumoto Toshio vs. Jason Wilnis
Yuichiro Nagashima vs. Robin van Rosumaren
Jerome LeBanner vs. Koichi

The event kicks off with the Dream 18 card, featuring eight MMA fights starting at 2:00 a.m. ET. Glory 4, the 16-man kickboxing tournament, starts immediately afterward at 6:00 a.m. ET/3:00 a.m. PT in North America.

You can watch the fights here.

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GLORY CEO Marcus Laur Discusses the Japanese Market and War with K-1

While MMA fans anticipated the upcoming battle between Bellator and the UFC, a war was being waged in the kickboxing world between the Hong Kong-based K-1 and GLORY, which is based out of Singapore. K-1 was the former king, but a series of bad bus…

While MMA fans anticipated the upcoming battle between Bellator and the UFC, a war was being waged in the kickboxing world between the Hong Kong-based K-1 and GLORY, which is based out of Singapore. 

K-1 was the former king, but a series of bad business decisions, including failing to pay its talent on multiple occasions, left it with a terrible reputation, which the new ownership struggled to shake. This year was set to mark the resurgence of K-1 when it agreed to co-promote with It’s Showtime.

However, at the 11th hour, that deal fell apart and It’s Showtime agreed to a buyout with Golden Glory’s promotion United Glory. GLORY had an influx of capital thanks to Pierre Andurand, the French hedge fund manager. 

The first decision made in this new partnership was a scorched-earth campaign to distance themselves from K-1, claiming failure to fulfill contract agreements as well as failing to pay talent for their one and only co-promoted event. 

The decision split the kickboxing world, as many pundits felt that the constant negative press releases were unnecessary, as GLORY clearly possessed the better overall pool of talent. 

“It was clear when we started that there was a battle for superiority, if you want to call it that. We were both trying to get out of the gates and there was a certain battle over talent; there was a battle over everything,” Laur told Bleacher Report in an exclusive interview.

“There was energy wasted for sure. We won the battle because we have the talent. We’re building the business exactly the way we wanted it. We use the name K-1 more freely now because we are referring to the old K-1. It’s about what they’ve done in the past, which we all agreed was great. But that’s not the current organization.”

Among other recent business decisions, GLORY decided to try and revitalize not only the Japanese kickboxing market but also its MMA market with its purchase of the DREAM brand. The decision was a bit of a head-scratcher, as Japan has been viewed as a bit of a non-entity in recent years. 

Organizations with history such as Shooto struggled to retain a foothold in a market that is very fad based. Even puroresu (Japan’s version of professional wrestling) saw a decline in popularity. So when GLORY announced that it planned on holding multiple events in 2013 in Japan, I was left scratching my head. 

“I think there’s a couple of things to it and I’ll give you that answer and then some more after that. First of all, we believe that in the martial arts world, Japan has a tradition. Many of the biggest organizations come out of that part of the world such as PRIDE and K-1. There is a history there which we love and want to reinvigorate.

“So Japan is an important piece of that puzzle for us. We’re coming in to develop GLORY as a brand to be seen as the new K-1 in Japan. Adding DREAM now on top of it, it just gives us so much more firepower in the marketplace.

“That’s important and why we did it. It’s why we’re recreating the December 31st event there, which used to be the big DYNAMITE!! show. If you look at our show, it’s not far off from what DYNAMITE!! used to be. Everything is catered toward that market because it was such a huge market at its peak.”

The New Year’s Eve card is a showcase for not only the best MMA talent available, but also to recapture the magic of those K-1 World Grand Prix events that became a tradition in the sport of kickboxing. GLORY has opted to change the format just a bit to have 16 of the best kickboxers compete in a single night. 

It’s a huge undertaking and from the outside, a bit intimidating. A one-night, 16-man tournament is absolutely insane on paper, but when Laur broke down the format, it made a ton of sense. 

“If you look at what K-1 always did, they had a Final 16 tournament. And then those winners would fight two months later in the Final 8. We felt that we could do that again, which is what people are used to, but then we looked at it and thought we could do it all in one night.

“We thought it would be more exciting and a big opportunity for someone to win a tournament from start to finish in one night. A finalist wouldn’t spend any more time in the ring as he would in an eight-man tournament. So what we’ve done is we’ve shrunk down the time.

“In the Round of 16 and the quarterfinal, the rounds are only two minutes long instead of three minutes. The only thing we’ve added is the best-of-three format where if you win the first two rounds in the bout, you advance to the next stage automatically. You don’t have the fight the third round. After that, we go back to the three-round, three-minute format.”

The event kicks off with the DREAM 18 card, featuring eight MMA fights starting at 2:00 a.m. ET. GLORY 4, the 16-man kickboxing tournament, starts immediately afterward at 6:00 a.m. ET/3:00 a.m. PT in North America. Yours truly will be providing live play-by-play and commentary.

You can watch the whole card go down here

 

Matthew Roth is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes attained firsthand. 

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UFC 155 Live Results and Play-by-Play

2012 was a rough year for the UFC. With all the injuries, it seems as if the only possible means to escape the curse is for the clocks to strike midnight and 2013 to begin. UFC 155 is the UFC’s annual end-of-year event. In past years, they’ve…

2012 was a rough year for the UFC. With all the injuries, it seems as if the only possible means to escape the curse is for the clocks to strike midnight and 2013 to begin. 

UFC 155 is the UFC’s annual end-of-year event. In past years, they’ve stacked the card from top to bottom, essentially making them the can’t-miss event of the year. This year’s event has retained that status despite suffering from that aforementioned injury curse. 

Headlined by a heavyweight title fight between Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez, it’s an event that should have long-term implications for the division.

The night also marks the return of Chris “The Crippler” Leben, who is coming off a year-long suspension for banned substances. 

It’s a card not to miss, so make sure you are here Saturday night for a live discussion and play-by-play of UFC 155. 

And if you’re going out for the fights, stay safe. Let’s all have a great New Year. 

 

Main-Card Bouts on Pay-Per-View

Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez

Jim Miller vs. Joe Lauzon

Tim Boetsch vs. Costa Philippou 

Yushin Okami vs. Alan Belcher

Chris Leben vs. Derek Brunson


Preliminary Bouts on FX

Brad Pickett vs. Eddie Wineland

Erik Perez vs. Byron Bloodworth

Melvin Guillard vs. Jamie Varner

Michael Johnson vs. Myles Jury

 

Preliminary Bouts on Facebook

Phil DeFries vs. Todd Duffee

Leonard Garcia vs. Max Holloway

Chris Cariaso vs. John Moraga


UFC 155 Start Times

Preliminary Bouts on Facebook: 6:35 p.m. ET

Preliminary Bouts on FX: 8 p.m. ET

Main Card on Pay-Per-View: 10 p.m. ET

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Jon Anik Fills in for an Ill Mike Goldberg for UFC 155 Announcing Duties

Late Thursday night, Bleacher Report learned from UFC officials that Jon Anik would be stepping up and filling in for Mike Goldberg for the UFC 155 broadcast. Details were spotty at the time but it was known that it was a last minute decision. Fri…

Late Thursday night, Bleacher Report learned from UFC officials that Jon Anik would be stepping up and filling in for Mike Goldberg for the UFC 155 broadcast. Details were spotty at the time but it was known that it was a last minute decision. 

Friday afternoon, it was confirmed to MMAJunkie.com that Goldberg would be sidelined due to illness. 

Goldberg has long been a staple for UFC broadcasts along side his partner Joe Rogan. He’s the Voice of the UFC and has been a member of the promotion’s announcement team since 1997. 

Goldberg’s role on UFC broadcasts has been two-fold. He’s served as the play-by-play announcer as well as mentioning the various upcoming UFC events. 

Anik has been a member of the UFC’s “B-Team”, working the Fuel TV and FX cards with former-UFC fighter, Kenny Florian. Most praised the chemistry that he shared with his partner, building a rapport in a short period of time. 

Besides his role with Florian, Anik also is the host of “The Ultimate Insider” on Fuel TV which airs every Tuesday evening following “UFC Tonight”. 

It will be interesting to see how Anik handles commentary with Rogan as the two haven’t worked together in the past. 

We wish Mike Goldberg a speedy recovery. 

***Update***

According to a tweet from John Morgan, as per UFC President Dana White, Mike Goldberg is not ill but will be “taking time off” with no return date set. 

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Can One-Handed Regional MMA Champion Nick Newell Do Enough to Get into the UFC?

At XFC 21 on AXS TV, Nick Newell captured the lightweight title in an amazing performance against Eric Reynolds, scoring a submission finish in just 82 seconds. The victory itself wouldn’t normally turn any heads; fighters win regional titles all the t…

At XFC 21 on AXS TV, Nick Newell captured the lightweight title in an amazing performance against Eric Reynolds, scoring a submission finish in just 82 seconds. The victory itself wouldn’t normally turn any heads; fighters win regional titles all the time.

What makes Newell’s win a unique case is that he did it one-handed. Newell was born with congenital amputation, causing his left arm to cut off below the elbow. His story is incredibly inspiring, as he has gone undefeated in nine professional outings. 

Every time Newell fights, he goes for the finish. The heel hook he used against Denis Hernandez last year at XFC 15 was particularly cringeworthy. The knee that finished David Mayes in August at XFC 19 was equally brutal.

Following his victory over Reynolds, people began to discuss a potential move to the UFC. Their case was sound, as there are plenty of fighters on the UFC roster that cut their teeth on the regional level before getting called up to the majors.

Reynolds is no pushover. He faced former Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez at Bellator 5 in the lightweight semifinals and was able to stay competitive through two rounds before getting finished in the third. 

It speaks volumes to Newell’s skills that he could finish Reynolds so quickly in the first round. But unfortunately, as skilled as he is, he’s likely never going to realize his dream of fighting in the UFC

Newell is the most successful case, but he’s not the first person with a handicap who’s tried to make a run in this sport. A few years ago, Kyle Maynard attempted to be the first quadruple congenital amputee to compete in MMA

Maynard was a successful high school wrestler and was certain that he could remain competitive in a cage. He would make his first and only foray into MMA at the Auburn Covered Arena in Auburn, Alabama. (To call it an arena is a stretch, actually. With dirt floors and wooden bleachers, it’s essentially a large barn.) 

It was one of the most uncomfortable fights I’ve ever seen. Not because it was bloody and violent, but because for three rounds, his opponent punched him in the face from distance as Maynard chased him on all fours. 

Maynard ultimately lost the fight by unanimous decision. However, had he been successful in his debut and put together a string of wins, would fans and media be discussing a possible UFC run? 

Following the UFC 155 pre-fight press conference, Dana White was asked if he’d have any interest in promoting a fighter such as Newell who has a very clear handicap.

White wouldn’t commit one way or the other, and for good reason. He has been extremely protective of the way his promotion is portrayed in the media and wants to maintain its image. 

“It’s hard to fight with two arms, you know what I mean? Maybe, I don’t know. I don’t know. He hasn’t fought in Nevada or any of the big states,” White told the attending media. “There’s guys that are out there that we bring in that are considered top guys for The Ultimate Fighter that don’t ever really pan out.

“I don’t know if the state of Nevada would let him fight. Would the state of California let him fight? I don’t know. I have no idea. Fighting with one arm is just crazy.”

Newell’s rise is a great story. The fact that he is undefeated speaks to his abilities and his work ethic. That said, his win over Reynolds may be the the most notable moment of his career. 

No matter how good of a fighter he becomes, the promotion will always go back to his handicap instead of his skill set. 

Nick Newell may be an amazing story, but it’s likely one that ends on the regional scene. 

 

All quotes attained first hand by Bleacher Report lead writer Jeremy Botter.

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Dana White: Victor Conte Is a “Two-Faced” Piece of Crap

Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) are a topic that will forever be debated in sports circles. Since the 11 baseball players appeared in front of the House Government Reform Committee in 2006, the discussion has heated up exponentially. One of the…

Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) are a topic that will forever be debated in sports circles. Since the 11 baseball players appeared in front of the House Government Reform Committee in 2006, the discussion has heated up exponentially. 

One of the men responsible for the rise in PED usage in sports is Victor Conte, the former head of BALCO, the California-based sports nutrition company best known for creating Tetrahydrogestrinone, a superdrug that assists in rapidly creating muscle tissue. 

Conte was jailed for a year in 2005 on conspiracy to distribute steroids and money laundering. With his means of earning a living cut off, Conte has since become a “White Knight” in the war against steroid usage in sports.

Considering his checkered past, there are those that are still wary of Conte’s intentions. One of those men is UFC President Dana White. Following the UFC 155 pre-fight press conference, White spoke with attending media to discuss a variety of topics. 

The one that got White heated was regarding PED usage and Victor Conte. Never one to beat around the bush, White expressed how he really felt about Conte with some choice words.  

“Fuck Victor Conte. The guy’s a lying, two faced, piece of shit. I can’t stand that guy. You’re the biggest cheater in the history of the fucking sports world and now, cause you can’t make a living cheating anymore, you want to flip to the other side and start calling people out and point fingers,” White told Bleacher Report. “Victor Conte is a two-faced piece of shit.”

White continued his rant when pressed as to why he won’t deal with Conte. “I don’t care what his position is. I don’t care about him. He’s a fucking cheater and a liar. Now he’s trying to flip the script so he can make a living on the other side. He’s a scumbag.”

The discussion began when Yahoo Sports’ Kevin Iole brought up the fact that many drug testing experts have been critical of government mandating testing. They will often cite that such tests are the easiest to pass since the methods are outdated. 

As usual, White defended the fact that MMA is one of the only sports that is regulated by the government and therefore under the most scrutiny. 

“So they say the government isn’t strong enough? We’re regulated by the fucking government. Some of these places, some of these states that we go to, they test the entire card. Some places are random. Some places do the main event and few other fights that are random. It’s better than anyone else’s.”

No matter your position on the whether PEDs should be legal in sports, I believe that White summed it up best to close the discussion. 

“There’s always going to be this thing in sports where someone is trying to get an edge on another guy. As an owner or a commissioner or whatever you want to call it, you do the very best that you can do.”

All quotes attained first hand by Jeremy Botter who is in Las Vegas for Bleacher Report

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