Tag: Global MMA

Host of MMA fighters mourn the passing of football icon Pelé, brand him ‘Athlete of the Century’

Pelé UFCA host of well-known mixed martial arts fighters have paid tribute to the late football icon, Pelé – branding the Brazilian as the “Athlete of the Century” following his death on Thursday at the age of 82 in Sao Paulo.  Pelé, a three-time FIFA World Cup winner and forward regarded as arguably the greatest professional […]

Pelé UFC

A host of well-known mixed martial arts fighters have paid tribute to the late football icon, Pelé – branding the Brazilian as the “Athlete of the Century” following his death on Thursday at the age of 82 in Sao Paulo. 

Pelé, a three-time FIFA World Cup winner and forward regarded as arguably the greatest professional football player of all-time, passed away in his native Brazil due to multiple organ failure after he had battled colon cancer. 

Following his passing, Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro dedicated a period of three-days national mourning, with Pelé’s funeral set to take place next week at Brazilian football club, Santos’ stadium. 

In light of his death, countless tributes were paid to the Brazilian, with the likes of fellow footballing greats, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Lionel Messi issuing heartfelt tributes, with multiple monuments in his native Brazil lit in honor of the 82-year-old. 

Pelé remains the sole footballer to win three FIFA World Cups

Within the mixed martial arts community, a slew of tributes were paid to Pelé, particularly by his Brazilian compatriots, with the likes of former UFC championship-winning trio, Jose Aldo, Charles Oliveira, and Glover Teixeira all issuing heartfelt tributes to the serial World Cup victor.

“A loss that is immeasurable,” Jose Aldo posted on Instagram accompanied by a picture of Pelé. “Just thank you for everything you’ve done for the sport, King Pelé. Eternal!” 

“RIP KING Pelé,” Charles Oliveira tweeted. 

“Rest in peace Pelé, may God comfort the family,” Mauricio Rua posted on Instagram. 

“Farewell to the idol that inspired all Brazilians who dreamed of being football players (or athletes) as children,” Demian Maia posted on his Instagram account. “I was one of those children.
“Many thanks to the king of football @pele,” Wanderlei Silva posted on Instagram. “Shows how far you can go when talent and dedication come together.”

Watch – Andrew Tate ‘Predicts’ Romania arrest: ‘They make up a reason to put you in jail’

Andrew TateFootage has emerged of former kickboxing champion, Andrew Tate “predicting” his arrest in Romania, following his recent “cancellation” across social media, after reports emerged this Thursday night detailing how the American-born social commentor, along with his brother had been arrested for alleged human trafficking. Tate, 36, along with his brother, Tristan Tate, were arrested this […]

Andrew Tate

Footage has emerged of former kickboxing champion, Andrew Tate “predicting” his arrest in Romania, following his recent “cancellation” across social media, after reports emerged this Thursday night detailing how the American-born social commentor, along with his brother had been arrested for alleged human trafficking.

Tate, 36, along with his brother, Tristan Tate, were arrested this Thursday night at an apartment in Romania following an investigation of alleged human trafficking in relation to the controversial brothers.

The Washington, D.C.-born Tate, along with his brother, Tristan, were both questioned by police in Romania back in April of this year in relation to a report that two girls were held against their will. Both Andrew and Tristan Tate were released by police amid the ongoing investigation, however, have been detained tonight in connection to an investigation regarding alleged human trafficking and rape. 

Andrew Tate has been accused of predicting his own arrest in Romania

Tate, who spent his early years in Luton, England, is currently investigated by the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism, with reports in Romania – where Tate is a resident, claiming he and his brother, Tristan, are being questioned on suspicion of forming an organized crime group which procure girls to star in adult films and videos. 

In a statement provided by a spokesperson for Andrew Tate to the Daily Mirror, the statement confirms the siblings will “always assist and help in any way they can.”

“We cannot provide any details at the moment regarding alleged reports that they have been detained; however, Andrew and Tristan Tate have the utmost respect for the Romanian authorities and will always assist and help in any way they can.” 

In a tweet posted by Nelk Boys member, Kyle Forgeard – the YouTuber claimed Tate himself predicted his own arrest during a recent podcast appearance on the channel.

“So, the truth is this – I knew it was coming – I absolutely knew it was coming, because of how orchestrated it was,” Andrew Tate said. “The only thing – and I’ll state this at the beginning, why I was upset that I was cancelled, was because I expired one of my lives. First, you get cancelled, and then they make up a reason to put you in jail. If that fails, they ill you.”

“Now I’m down to my last two lives,” Andrew Tate explained. “So while I’m answering this question, I’m still being careful how I’m answering it. They’ve now given me the warning. And I’m still running my mouth. So that’s scary. But, here’s how cancellation works. I knew it was going to happen – ‘cause it’s very, very orchestrated attacks.” 

A former kickboxer, Tate, who rose to prominence across social media this year, has been continually linked with professional boxing matches against both YouTuber, Jake Paul, and musician, KSI in recent months.

Watch | Marcus Aurelio shockingly TKO’s opponent with a slam into a moat at INOKI BOM-BA-YE × Ganryujima

Marcus Aurelio did something pretty wild at INOKI BOM-BA-YE × Ganryujima in Ryogoku, Japan on December 28. The event was a blend between MMA and Ganryujima. Ganryujima is a martial arts competition focused on striking and has a unique ring. It is a sideless platform which is surrounded by a smoky moat. Fighters are allowed […]

Marcus Aurelio did something pretty wild at INOKI BOM-BA-YE × Ganryujima in Ryogoku, Japan on December 28. The event was a blend between MMA and Ganryujima. Ganryujima is a martial arts competition focused on striking and has a unique ring. It is a sideless platform which is surrounded by a smoky moat. Fighters are allowed to slam their opponent outside the ring, just as Marcus Aurelio did to Hidenori Ebata.

On Twitter, MMA journalist Marc Raimondi shared:

Brazil’s Marcus Aurélio caught a knee and drove Hidenori Ebata into the ground. Ebata looked to break his fall by sticking his arm out, a brutal mistake as he likely broke or dislocated his shoulder from the looks of things. The Japanese-born athlete was unable to cintue afterwards due to an injury.

This is the same Marcus Aurélio who famously fought Takanori Gomi in PRIDE FC twice in 2006. He would later fight in the UFC and DREAM against opponents such as Clay Guida, Evan Dunham, Shinya Aoki, among many others. In official MMA bouts, Aurélio has not fought since 2012

Marcus Aurélio discusses INOKI BOM-BA-YE × Ganryujima

The Ganryujima website does not entirely explain the rules. They write: “To summarize, Ganryujima’s concept of aiming for “the world’s best strikes with a focus on standing techniques” and “fair mixed martial arts battles” is a manifestation of the “martial arts” orientation. In addition, the athletes want to show a decisive difference from other martial arts events by having the awareness of showing “beautiful fighting” = “martial arts”. Will the players understand that?”

On Instagram, Brazil’s Marcus Aurélio explained the slam:

“This is the result of the fight. Before you ask, yes this is legal, it is part of the rules of Ganryujima. Nobody complained or said anything when I fought Hoshikaze, a Sumo fighter of over 300 Lbs slammed me outside the ring with all his weight. I took the fight knowing the rules and the risks involved. “

The Brazilian MMA veteran continued:

“All us fighters takes fights risking everything, our reputation, our health and even our lives. Respect to my opponent for taking the fight against me. I’m glad he is OK. Respect to all fighters who risk their lives, I’m sure they are gonna change the rules now, I just find it ironic that when it was done to me it was entertainment, and when I do to others it’s “unfair”. Thanks everyone, hope this clarifies any doubts about this fight.”

A.J. McKee targets Usman Nurmagomedov for his first 155lb grand prix bout: “I have the advantage on the feet.”

McKeeA.J. McKee has revealed he is hoping to be matched up with Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov in his first grand prix bout. Having made the move up to 155lbs, A.J. McKee was a clear pick to be a part of the recently announced Bellator lightweight grand prix. Whilst the first bouts have not yet […]

McKee

A.J. McKee has revealed he is hoping to be matched up with Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov in his first grand prix bout.

Having made the move up to 155lbs, A.J. McKee was a clear pick to be a part of the recently announced Bellator lightweight grand prix. Whilst the first bouts have not yet been announced, ‘The Mercenary’ is already calling his shot.

“I want my title, man,” McKee said on the “Weighing In” podcast. “Usman, then. Look, when I signed up for the 145-pound tournament, I proved myself the entire way through the tournament. I told everybody I’m going to finish everybody. So stepping into another tournament, I have to prove myself again? I mean, I have no problem doing that.“

McKee believes there is very little interest or intrigue in a fight with former champ Patricky Pitbull, stating that he was gifted the belt by his brother, Patricio.

“I think it’s the fight that everybody wants to see – on top of, I want to give him a test,” McKee said. “I don’t feel he’s been really tested yet. Patricky (Freire), he’s not a champ to me. He was gifted that belt from his brother – early Christmas present. To be a champion, you must beat the champion.

“For Usman, stylistically it’s just a good fight. We both have the wrestling. I would be intrigued to see that fight. I feel I have the advantage on the feet. But wrestling wise, maybe he can neutralize my wrestling, maybe I can neutralize his wrestling. And once we get to the ground, we’ve seen him pull off some nice submissions and we’ve seen me pull of some nice submissions. So, I feel like we match up pretty equally once it comes to wrestling and on the ground. It’d be a fun fight.” (H/T MMA Junkie)

Would you like to see A.J. McKee vs. Usman Nurmagomedov?

Jon Anik believes Dustin Poirier has already cemented himself as an MMA Great: “I don’t think he needs an undisputed UFC lightweight championship.”

Jon Anik, Dustin PoirierJon Anik has praised Dustin Poirier’s legacy as a fighter, and claims ‘The Diamond’ does not need to capture the 155lb title to be considered a divisional great. Dustin Poirier has been one of the standout fighters in terms of pure entertainment and technical violence over the past few years. The native of Louisiana has […]

Jon Anik, Dustin Poirier

Jon Anik has praised Dustin Poirier’s legacy as a fighter, and claims ‘The Diamond’ does not need to capture the 155lb title to be considered a divisional great.

Dustin Poirier has been one of the standout fighters in terms of pure entertainment and technical violence over the past few years. The native of Louisiana has squared off against some truly elite opposition, including the likes of Conor McGregor, Michael Chandler, Justin Gaethje, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Charles Oliveira. Whilst ‘The Diamond’ may not have won every fight, he truly has been must-watch TV every step of the way.

Poirier’s career still has several years to go, but he has come up short in his attempts to capture the UFC lightweight title twice now, although he did pick up an interim title when he defeated Max Holloway at UFC 236. With Islam Makhachev now champion, and the lightweight division being the shark tank that it is, there is a good chance that ‘The Diamond’ has missed his shot to be an undisputed champion.

However, UFC commentator Jon Anik has argued that Poirier doesn’t need titles to be called a divisional great.

“I don’t even know how to be articulate when talking about Dustin Poirier, I just want to call him an f’ing gangster and say, ‘Oh my f’ing God, this guy, man,’” Anik told MMA Fighting. “Durability, focus, boxing fundamentals — gosh, if you’re in an alley, don’t you want f****** guy [with you], bro?”

“Dustin Poirier is incredible, and I don’t think he needs an undisputed UFC lightweight championship to prove any sort of greatness. This was a difficult matchup [for Poirier] in a lot of respects. Michael Chandler’s explosivity is a problem for a lot of people, and maybe if Chandler makes a little bit of a different decision at times in this fight, the narrative flips.

Anik went on to praise Dustin Poirier for his recent win over Michael Chandler, in which ‘The Diamond’ was forced to overcome massive adversity to order to take home the win.

“Dustin Poirier’s ability to recognize when he’s hurt, bite down on the mouthpiece, and then, obviously, his skill set is such that he is able to submit a guy in this setting, his ability to rise to the occasion, and then just the attitude after the fact to tell Michael Chandler — however respectfully or not — that this is his house, the octagon, which he’s essentially competed 30 times. Huge night for Poirier in proving that his UFC body of work counts for a whole lot, and obviously I have buckets of respect for Chandler in defeat.”

“It’s crazy calling a fight like that, you can be sure. I hope we did it justice,” Anik went on to state. “Brian Stann was texting me that maybe we could’ve done that fight more justice with our commentary, but you know, best we could do.” (H/T MMA Fighting)

Where do you think Dustin Poirier ranks in terms of all-time 155lb greats?

Upset of the Year – LowKickMMA 2022 Awards

Upset of the YearAs the curtains close in on 2022, it’s time to reflect on what a year it has been for the underdog and how they have shaken up the MMA World.  Whether it be an unexpected finish or skeptical judging, there is no doubt it has been a year of exhilarating back-and-forth contests with numerous unexpected […]

Upset of the Year

As the curtains close in on 2022, it’s time to reflect on what a year it has been for the underdog and how they have shaken up the MMA World. 

Whether it be an unexpected finish or skeptical judging, there is no doubt it has been a year of exhilarating back-and-forth contests with numerous unexpected endings, resulting in many bettor’s parlays being blown out of the water along the way. 

While there were many upsets throughout the year, we got our team of writers here at LowKickMMA to vote on what was their biggest ‘Upset of the Year.’ 

Let’s take a look at who our writers believed produced the biggest shock in 2022.

Upset of the Year: UFC 278 Edwards Vs Usman 2 – (9 votes)

Taking the top spot for our Upset of the Year is none other than Leon Edward’s (20-3 MMA) stunning KO finish against Kamaru Usman (20-2 MMA) to become the new Welterweight Champion at UFC 278. 

Although Edwards was finally getting a long-overdue title shot, he was going against a former foe in Kamaru Usman. 

After taking out Edwards in his UFC debut, following his Ultimate Fighter triumph Usman went on a 13-fight win streak whilst picking up the 170lbs title along the way.

The ‘Nigeran Nightmare’ had looked unbeatable over the course of six years and was rightfully the pound-for-pound king. 

Unsurprisingly ‘Rocky’ entered the rematch as a large underdog and it was expected Kamaru Usman would use his superior wrestling to tire and limit Leon Edwards’s striking ability, which he did.

Apart from a well-contested opening round one, Usman was in cruise control for much of the fight. The former champion was able to mix up his martial arts as he constantly threatened the takedown allowing for opportunities to score using elbows and punches, enabling him to dictate the fight. 

With only one minute left on the clock in the fifth and final round, Leon Edwards stood dejected in the Octagon knowing his dreams of becoming Champion were slipping away. As a convincing Kamaru Usman decision victory seemed all but secured while the UFC commentary team began to “write his obituary.“

However, Edwards produced something that will be echoed in UFC history for eternity after setting up Usman for an emphatic head kick which left him laid out on the canvas sending the Phoenix crowd and UK fans back home into a frenzy.  

Considering the pair’s first meeting and the stature of the opponent he faced, alongside, the back story of all the adversity Leon Edwards had overcome to reach the pinnacle of the sport. There is no doubt he has earned this year’s ‘Upset of the Year’.

Honorable mentions:

UFC 273 Sterling Vs Yan 2 – (1 vote)

Although Edwards Vs Usman 2 is our unanimous pick for the ‘Upset of the Year.’ UFC 273 was also a setting for, yet another dramatic upset in 2022 with the much-anticipated rematch between Aljamain Sterling (22-3 MMA) Vs Petr Yan (16-4 MMA) at UFC 273.

Following the controversial conclusion of the pair’s first meeting, many fans still believed Petr Yan was still the champion at 135lbs and one of the best fighters within the UFC after an almost flawless performance at UFC 259. 

Despite Sterling entering UFC 273 as the champion after a year out, much of the MMA community still believed he had a lot to prove before people would label him a ‘legitimate’ champion.

In the meantime, Yan returned to action securing an interim title after a five-round war against Cory Sandhagen at UFC 267 (15-4 MMA) which only added to the pressure.

Regardless of any added pressure, at UFC 273 ‘Funk Master’ showed his championship metal, weathering the storm and displaying a more sophisticated game plan.

Sterling managed his stamina as well as utilizing his wrestling more effectively which as a result, allowed him to nullify Petr Yan’s capability to dictate the fight on the feet, earning himself a closely contested split decision victory. 

This was undoubtedly a career-defining fight for Aljamain Sterling, for his legacy and for himself. Against a guy whom many thought would continue to ragdoll the Bantamweight division.

Even against the odds, he came back refocused and proved to everyone why he has the right to have that gold belt wrapped around his waist.

If you ask me that’s one of the biggest ‘Upsets of the Year.’

PFL 10 – 2022 Championships Harrison Vs Pacheco 3 – (1 vote)

When talking about the biggest upsets of the year in 2022, you have to include the 2022 PFL championship trilogy bout between Kayla Harrison (15-1 MMA) Vs Larissa Pacheco (19-4 MMA).

Although Harrison had beaten Pacheco twice before, Pacheco gritted her teeth and fought her way back to an opportunity for redemption at the PFL Championships 2022.

Since her last loss against Harrison in 2019 for PFL gold, the 28-year-old had recorded five straight wins all coming by finish in the first round, which is the Brazilian’s largest win streak since 2014 as she continued to gun Harrison.

Despite coming into the 2022 PFL Championships a large betting underdog, she came in with more favourable odds than her first two encounters with Kayla Harrison.

Through five rounds Larissa Pacheco was able to use her jiu-jitsu to threaten submission off her back, whilst also controlling large portions of the fight.

Pacheco was also able to find success on the feet, backing up Kayla Harrison with heavy shots.

As the final horn sounded there was still uncertainty as to who had done enough to win. However, the judges saw enough to award Larissa Pacheco with a unanimous decision.

Which subsequently ended Harrison’s dream of becoming the first PFL fighter to win three consecutive championships. 

The ability Larissa Pacheco showed, not only put all the pieces together to beat an unbeaten mixed martial artist and a judo gold mealiest, but she was also able to combat the occasion and overcome all the mental hurdles standing in her way.

To see someone, rise above extreme adversity and come out on top to achieve greatness is why we watch the sport of MMA and that is why it is one of the biggest ‘Upsets of the Year’.

Full List of Votes for Upset of The Year:

Frank Bonada: Harrison Vs Pacheco 3

Ross Markey: Edwards Vs Usman 2 

Ollie Brockett: Sterling Vs Yan 2 

Alex Lerman: Edwards Vs Usman 2 

Marc Ray: Edwards Vs Usman 2 

Keelin McNamara: Edwards Vs Usman 2 

Murdo Todd: Edwards Vs Usman 2 

Tim Wheaton: Edwards Vs Usman 2 

Patrick Post: Edwards Vs Usman 2 

Ian Shutts: Edwards Vs Usman 2 

Arshan Dhillon: Edwards Vs Usman 2 

Which was your pick for the biggest upset in 2022?