Tag: Global MMA

Watch – Punch Box 2 puts on actual phone booth brawl

Punch Box 2Nothing much more can surprise fight fans given how wild fight sports can be. However, this one may be slightly outside the realm of normal. Taking place at Punch Box 2, see below a snippet of two competitors having their matchup take place in a phone booth. Now combat sports can be extremely brutal at […]

Punch Box 2

Nothing much more can surprise fight fans given how wild fight sports can be. However, this one may be slightly outside the realm of normal.

Taking place at Punch Box 2, see below a snippet of two competitors having their matchup take place in a phone booth. Now combat sports can be extremely brutal at the best of times however this feels like it takes fighting to another extreme.

As you can see the two participants (Ivan Chugunov and Pavel Molchanov) are closed inside the phone booth standing back-to-back before being given the all-clear to get to work and turn around to unleash a fury of punches toward each other all the while basically being stood on top of one another.

Chugunov is able to get the best over his opponent, Molchanov, by landing a fury of strikes which ultimately would have dropped him to the floor had the phone box not been in the position to hold him upright instead.

Just how brutal can fight sports get following footage of Punch Box 2

Although Punch Box 2 is the first time I have seen two competitors fight inside of a phone booth(literally), it is not the first time that combat sports have added something new to provide a truly unique twist to the competition.

It was only earlier this year that many combat sports fans were introduced to the promotion that is Epic Fighting Championships based in Russia which had put on a matchup involving a grandfather and grandson taking on a Female fighter in a two-against-one affair.

For those who have not seen it, the matchup is ultimately scored as a draw despite the family pairing both being knocked down multiple times over the professionally sanctioned three-round bout.

The footage of Punch Box 2 has been circulating all over social media so if anything, and I can’t speak for all, maybe the promotion has gained themselves an entirely new fanbase following the emergence of their truly unique take on combat sports.

If you are interested you can watch the full matchups here:

https://rutube.ru/video/0569f9c53677bef904b9e3bc92a16f0d/

What do you make of the phone booth fighting at Punch Box 2?

Song Yadong speaks out following his UFC Vegas 60 loss to Cory Sandhagen: ‘I will be back soon’

Song YadongSong Yadong has taken to social media following his TKO loss to Cory Sandhagen in the main event of UFC Vegas 60. In what was a back-and-forth affair, Cory Sandhagen was able to emerge victorious over Song Yadong in the bantamweight matchup. Sandhagen himself will be looking to return to the octagon before the end […]

Song Yadong

Song Yadong has taken to social media following his TKO loss to Cory Sandhagen in the main event of UFC Vegas 60.

In what was a back-and-forth affair, Cory Sandhagen was able to emerge victorious over Song Yadong in the bantamweight matchup. Sandhagen himself will be looking to return to the octagon before the end of the year following his impressive victory to snap his two-fight losing streak. Yadong on the other hand will be looking to take the necessary time away to heal before making his return to the octagon.

Speaking on his social media the 24-year-old prospect gave credit to his opponent for his performance but promised his fanbase that he will be returning soon enough.

‘So basically couldn’t see anything after the cut. Props to @corysandhagen land that elbow. It wasn’t my night but a good fight. I will be back soon. @ufc #UFCVegas60’

Being at such a young age the Yadong still has plenty of time to develop himself as a fighter and eventually return to continue pushing forward with his title ambitions.

Who should Song Yadong face upon his return?

Whilst Sandhagen has made it clear he is interested in taking on any contenders above him, making special reference to Marlon Vera and Merab Dvalishvili, let us look at what matchups would make sense for the ‘Kung Fu Kid’ to take when he does return.

One potential opponent that Yadong could face upon his return is currently 7th ranked bantamweight Rob Font. Both men will be entering their next bouts coming off the back of defeats and if paired up would provide a very entertaining and fan-friendly matchup.

However, if an opponent who is currently ranked above him is not available then let us entertain the idea that Song Yadong could take on the 12th-ranked veteran Frankie Edgar who is looking for one final matchup before his retirement. A great name for Yadong to potentially add to his resume.

It is unclear just how long Yadong will be side-lined for following his loss, however, fight fans will be excited to see him step back inside the octagon whenever that may be.

Who would you like to see Song Yadong face upon his return?

Aljamain Sterling plots his next two title defenses after TJ Dillashaw: “There’s a couple of wildcards”

Aljamain SterlingAljamain Sterling will defend his bantamweight title against TJ Dillashaw at UFC 280. Never one to overlook his opponents, Sterling has devoted his attention to his upcoming matchup, however, the champion could foresee two potential opponents he may have to face in his near future if he is able to emerge victorious. In a division […]

Aljamain Sterling

Aljamain Sterling will defend his bantamweight title against TJ Dillashaw at UFC 280. Never one to overlook his opponents, Sterling has devoted his attention to his upcoming matchup, however, the champion could foresee two potential opponents he may have to face in his near future if he is able to emerge victorious.

In a division overwhelmed with talent, it is probably not the worst idea to be aware of the rising contenders attempting to take your spot on the top of the throne just as Aljamain Sterling has done.

Although ‘Funk Master’ could see potential wildcard plays be thrown in his direction such as Deiveson Figueiredo if he were to jump up to the 135-pound division. As well as a matchup with former two-division champion Henry Cejudo if he were to make good on his promises and return to the sport.

As it stands Sterling believes Chito Vera and Sean O’Malley are in pole positions currently to earn themselves a shot at the bantamweight strap.

“There’s a couple of wildcards like Din Thomas just mentioned. You’ve got Deiveson Figueiredo potentially coming up to 135 [pounds]. You got Cejudo kinda waiting in the wings somewhere, around there, doing his thing.”

“But I think for me, it comes down to the best matchup, the best performances, and I think right now ‘Chito’s’ definitely the front-runner,” he continued. “After I get past T.J., because I don’t want to look past him, I get the job done. I think whoever has the best performance, it might be a ‘Sugar’ show, it might be a ‘Chito’ show. I’m not sure which one yet.” Aljamain Sterling said on UFC Live. (Transcribed by MiddleEasy)

Aljamain Sterling predicts a future matchup with either Chito Vera or Sean O’Malley

It could well be that Sterling is spot on with his thought process about who his next potential title defence could be against. Chito Vera has earned emerged as a serious contender within the bantamweight division and was able to emphasize that with his expertly delivered knockout of Dominic Cruz last month.

O’Malley, on the other hand, does not quite have the same resume standards as Vera but if he were able to overcome former interim champion, Petr Yan, at UFC 280 he stakes a very good claim for himself to be next in line for a shot at the title.

Do you think Aljamain Sterling will successfully defend his title against TJ Dillashaw at UFC 280?

Cory Sandhagen questions if Sean O’Malley is deserving of a matchup with Petr Yan: ‘Should you fight the No. 1 guy after a performance like that?’

Cory SandhagenCory Sandhagen has questioned whether Sean O’Malley is deserving of his upcoming fight against Petr Yan after his last outing against Pedro Munhoz which resulted in a no contest. Sean O’Malley will have the opportunity to propel himself through the bantamweight rankings and potentially earn a title shot if he can overcome Petr Yan at […]

Cory Sandhagen

Cory Sandhagen has questioned whether Sean O’Malley is deserving of his upcoming fight against Petr Yan after his last outing against Pedro Munhoz which resulted in a no contest.

Sean O’Malley will have the opportunity to propel himself through the bantamweight rankings and potentially earn a title shot if he can overcome Petr Yan at UFC 280. Despite being extremely popular among the MMA fanbase fellow bantamweight contender Cory Sandhagen, who faces off against Song Yadong in the main event of UFC Fight Night: 210, has weighed in on whether O’Malley deserves to have the opportunity that he has been given.

“Yeah, (I’m) super surprised, We’ll see how it goes for him, I guess. It’s three rounds, so that’s a little bit more of an advantage for O’Malley, but I think Yan is not a stupid guy, and I think that he’s definitely learned from his mistakes in the past, which have been not being aggressive enough in the first round, so I don’t think he’s going to make that same mistake.

“I think Sean’s last showing against Munhoz wasn’t good. Nothing really happened in the first round, and then he poked the guy in the eye in the second one. So whatever narrative has been around that fight, that’s how that fight went, which, should you fight the No. 1 guy after a performance like that? My opinion, no. But what do I know?” Sandhagen told the media ahead of UFC Fight Night: 210.

Cory Sandhagen looks to return to the win column in his main-event showdown vs Song Yadong

Cory Sandhagen himself will be looking to get back into the win column and build himself back into title contention ahead of his main-event matchup against Yadong. His last outing saw him fall just short of claiming the interim-bantamweight title when he was beaten by O’Malley’s next opponent, Petr Yan, by unanimous decision.

‘Sandman’ is aware of the skillset Yan will be bringing heading into his matchup with O’Malley and therefore could see the ‘SugaShow’ earning himself a shot at current divisional champion Aljamain Sterling if he can emerge victorious.

“He probably will,” Sandhagen said. “Yan’s a good fighter. Yan almost beat Sterling in his last one. He was kind of beating him in the one before that. So if (O’Malley) wins, then sure, I guess. I don’t really have an opinion about it, and I don’t want to say yes because maybe if I win this weekend, then I can maybe jump in that spot if it’s impressive enough. But I think beating Yan might get you a title shot, yeah.” (Transcribed by MMAJunkie)

Do you think Cory Sandhagen will be able to re-enter the win column this weekend?

Tyron Woodley warns KSI following the pair’s social media feud: “He’s gonna get f—ked up playing around with me”

Tyron WoodleyTyron Woodley once competed and beat some of the best athletes within the UFC, dominating his opponents in the welterweight division. Reigning supreme over the rest of the division Woodley was the 170-pound champion from 2016-2019. During his time with the promotion, Woodley would take the belt from Robbie Lawler at UFC 201 before going […]

Tyron Woodley

Tyron Woodley once competed and beat some of the best athletes within the UFC, dominating his opponents in the welterweight division. Reigning supreme over the rest of the division Woodley was the 170-pound champion from 2016-2019.

During his time with the promotion, Woodley would take the belt from Robbie Lawler at UFC 201 before going on to make three successful defences against the likes of Stephen Thompson, Demian Maia, and finally Darren Till.

Since retiring from the sport Woodley has ventured into multiple areas that the sports and entertainment world have to offer. Having made appearances in the Netflix series Cobra Kai that aspect of his life has been going extremely well. However, in his next sporting adventure, we cannot say the same.

Tyron Woodley fell short in his attempt to step into the world of Boxing when he faced YouTube boxer, Jake Paul. Woodley fell short via decision the first time round before being brutally knocked out in the pair’s second meeting.

Tyron Woodley is ready to silence his critics in a potential boxing matchup with KSI

Now it seems following his fall from grace people have forgotten just exactly who Tyron Woodley is, and with rumours circulating that ‘The Chosen One’ will be taking on internet sensation KSI in his next boxing bout the former welterweight champion is looking forward to silencing all his critics.

“I’m not gonna let no f–king YouTuber, do-tuber, nobody makes it seem as if I’m not the same type of fighter. I’m not the same guy.”

“Based on one mistake, it only takes one there’s been many guys on the other end that took that one mistake against me, and they lights got shut out. Robbie dropped his hands at the wrong time. Dong Hyun Kim caught a spinning back fist right, and Darren Till thought he was gonna bully me but I bullied him, right, so at the end of the day, KSI, I like that he’s energetic, he’s all into it, he’s all over the place, but he’s gonna get f–ked up playing around with me.” Woodley told TMZ Sport in a recent interview.  (Transcribed by MiddleEasy)

Do you feel Tyron Woodley would beat KSI should the pair enter the boxing ring together?

Paulo Costa believes Khamzat Chimaev crumbled under the pressure ahead of UFC 279: ‘He lost his mind a little bit.’

Paulo CostaFan favourite Paulo Costa has claimed that Khamzat Chimaev simply could not handle the pressure he was facing ahead of headlining UFC 279. In what was Khamzat Chimaev’s first main event slot inside the promotion the stage was set for the Swedish fighter to send Nate Diaz off into free agency and absorb the attention […]

Paulo Costa

Fan favourite Paulo Costa has claimed that Khamzat Chimaev simply could not handle the pressure he was facing ahead of headlining UFC 279.

In what was Khamzat Chimaev’s first main event slot inside the promotion the stage was set for the Swedish fighter to send Nate Diaz off into free agency and absorb the attention and popularity that a win against such a well-respected veteran in Diaz would bring.

However, things took a dramatic turn for the worse following Chimaev’s extreme weight miss which resulted in the undefeated fighter being dropped from the main event slot and instead tasked with taking on recently rejuvenated welterweight Kevin Holland.

Chimaev would ultimately emerge successful in his matchup when he was able to submit Holland inside the first round and continue his undefeated run inside the promotion. However, amid all the commotion that surrounded UFC 279, it seems Chimaev has lost a large following on his fanbase following his antics.

One man who believes he may know the reasoning behind Chimaev’s weight miss is Brazilian middleweight, Paulo Costa. Speaking to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Costa has claimed that the Khamzat had been absorbed by the pressure and that the moment had simply become too much for him in his first headlining slot.

“It was crazy – I think he was so disturbed in his mind.”

 “I think he lost his mind, with all these crazy things that happened with him in the week. I think there was a lot of pressure above him and behind him, because he’s a little bit new at this, and to do a big fight against the legend Nate Diaz was not easy for him. So I think he lost his mind a little bit. It’s a lot of distractions for him.”

Paulo Costa calls for the Khamzat Chimaev matchup

Despite being one of the most feared fighters to enter the promotion Paulo Costa has welcomed the opportunity to face Khamzat Chimaev after suggestions had been made that ‘Borz’ should make the jump up to compete in a more natural weight class for him, in the 185-pound division.

“I think he should move to 185, to middleweight division, because it’s hard to make 170 for him, on that stage,” Paulo Costa said. “You know, your body changes. It’s never the same. Maybe you change for bad, maybe you change for better, but I think he needs to put a lot of [effort] to make that weight and I think it’s a big problem for him right now. Maybe he cannot do this anymore.”

“I’d like [to fight him] but I don’t really think this will happen because he avoids fighting me,” Costa said. “He doesn’t want to fight me. He just wants to fight small guys, smaller than him, you know? And guys who have no wrestling, have no takedown defense, have no power to f*** him up.

“He knows who I am and even him, his coach, his managers, the guys don’t want that fight. The guys want to fight Kevin Holland, small guys, Gilbert [Burns]. And I appreciate those guys, Gilbert and Holland, but he chooses who he wants to fight.” (Transcribed by MMAFighting)

As he only has one fight remaining on his current contract and it is still unconfirmed whether the Brazilian will be looking to re-sign, Costa could propel his stock to the sky if he were to defeat the undefeated Chimaev before bowing out as a free agent.

Who would you favour in a matchup between Paulo Costa and Khamzat Chimaev?