On Thursday, the Ultimate Fighting Championship made it’s official announcement for the promotions first trip to Boston with “UFC 118: Edgar vs. Penn 2.” The even will take place at the TD Garden in Boston, Mass. on Aug. 28.
The event features a UFC lightweight title rematch between current champ Frankie Edgar and former champ […]
On Thursday, the Ultimate Fighting Championship made it’s official announcement for the promotions first trip to Boston with “UFC 118: Edgar vs. Penn 2.” The even will take place at the TD Garden in Boston, Mass. on Aug. 28.
The event features a UFC lightweight title rematch between current champ Frankie Edgar and former champ BJ Penn, who lost to Edgar in April at UFC 112 via unanimous decision. Co-headlining the Boston show will be a heavyweight matchup featuring UFC legend Randy Couture, who steps into the octagon against boxing champion James “Lights Out” Toney who will make his mixed martial arts debut at the August event.
In a press release from the UFC, it’s president, Dana White, praised the city of Boston and explained how excited he was about a couple of the fighters on the card.
“Without a doubt, August 28th will be one of the highlights of my career, I’m thrilled to bring the UFC to Boston for the first time in our history,” said Dana White, UFC President. “Boston is one of the world’s greatest fight towns, fans only expect the best, and we are bringing it with the rematch between BJ Penn and Frankie Edgar, and the Octagon-debut of boxing legend James Toney vs. one of the greatest UFC heavyweights of all-time, Randy Couture.”
“Frankie pulled off the upset of the year when he beat BJ in April, and I know that both of these guys are coming to Boston with something to prove – Frankie wants to cement his place at the top of the division, and BJ wants to show that his loss was just a fluke – so this is going to be one to remember,” said White.
“Toney is a real fighter, a future Hall of Famer, and the most accomplished boxer ever to fight in the UFC, and I think everyone’s curious to see what he can do against Couture’s wrestling and ground and pound attack. Toney promised me that he’s coming to win, and knowing him like I do, I would never count him out,” said White.
Coinciding with UFC 118 in Boston, will be the third ever UFC Fan Expo which will be held at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Mass. on Friday Aug. 27, and Saturday, Aug. 28.
As the world’s premier MMA event, the UFC Fan Expo provides millions of fans the opportunity to experience, celebrate, learn and rub shoulders with some of the most exciting athletes in sports today. Fans will take advantage of all the UFC has to offer through a jam-packed weekend of events including exhibitions, training & development sessions with elite fighters and iconic MMA coaches, fan-inspired special events and competitions, meet & greets with top fighters and demos of various fighting techniques.
Former Olympic wrestler Ben Askren showed the world that he belongs in the sport of mixed-martial-arts by dominating Dan Hornbuckle at Bellator 22 Thursday night to win the Bellator Fighting Championships Season 2 welterweight tournament.
Fighting at the Kansas City Power & Light District in Kansas City, Miss., Askren dominated his opponent throughout all three rounds […]
Former Olympic wrestler Ben Askren showed the world that he belongs in the sport of mixed-martial-arts by dominating Dan Hornbuckle at Bellator 22 Thursday night to win the Bellator Fighting Championships Season 2 welterweight tournament.
Fighting at the Kansas City Power & Light District in Kansas City, Miss., Askren dominated his opponent throughout all three rounds of their tournament final bout. Having only one year under his belt as a professional mma fighter, Askren looked right at home from the start of the fight by taking Hornbuckle to the mat at will, keeping the fight there through most of the three rounds.
Hornbuckle did have some offensive spurts, he landing a few solid punches in the fight and threatened to take the fight late in the third with a kimura off his back. But Askren proved too much and earned the judges decision easily by a score of 30-27 across the board.
Askren will now face Bellator’s current welterweight champion Lyman Good, and addressed the champ in his post victory comments.
“Lyman, keep my belt warm. Shine it once a week and enjoy it while you’ve got it because it’s mine.”
The Fight Network recaps this past weekends MMA Expo in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Strikeforce light-heavyweight champion Muhammad “King Mo” Lawal was their to take part.
HT: TheFightNetwork.com
The Fight Network recaps this past weekends MMA Expo in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Strikeforce light-heavyweight champion Muhammad “King Mo” Lawal was their to take part.
Evengelista “Cyborg” Santos re-invents himself at 170 by knocking out former welterweight title contender Marius Zaromskis in the co-main event of Wednesday’s Strikeforce: Los Angeles event.
Former Special Forces soldier Tim Kennedy picks up another victory after submitting Trevor Prangley in the first round. Kennedy is looking to face a tougher, and a much higher […]
Evengelista “Cyborg” Santos re-invents himself at 170 by knocking out former welterweight title contender Marius Zaromskis in the co-main event of Wednesday’s Strikeforce: Los Angeles event.
Former Special Forces soldier Tim Kennedy picks up another victory after submitting Trevor Prangley in the first round. Kennedy is looking to face a tougher, and a much higher profile, opponent for his next bout.
Highlights from last nights “Strikeforce: Los Angeles” post fight press conference.
CEO Scott Coker announced a gate total of 5,259 fans in attendance at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, for a gate total of $418,000.
HT: Heavy.com
Press Release
BABALU SOBRAL TAKES CLOSE, UNANIMOUS DECISION OVER “RUTHLESS’’ ROBBIE LAWLER
TIM KENNEDY WINS EASILY, EVANGELISTA CYBORG
TRIUMPHS IMPRESSIVELY, KJ NOONS OUTLASTS CONOR HEUN
ON UNIQUE WEDNESDAY NIGHT STRIKEFORCE FIGHT CARD
LOS ANGELES (June 16, 2010) – Former STRIKEFORCE light heavyweight champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral (36-8) may have earned a shot at current STRIKEFORCE 205-pound titleholder Muhammad “King Mo’’ […]
Press Release
BABALU SOBRAL TAKES CLOSE, UNANIMOUS DECISION OVER “RUTHLESS’’ ROBBIE LAWLER
TIM KENNEDY WINS EASILY, EVANGELISTA CYBORG
TRIUMPHS IMPRESSIVELY, KJ NOONS OUTLASTS CONOR HEUN
ON UNIQUE WEDNESDAY NIGHT STRIKEFORCE FIGHT CARD
LOS ANGELES (June 16, 2010) – Former STRIKEFORCE light heavyweight champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral (36-8) may have earned a shot at current STRIKEFORCE 205-pound titleholder Muhammad “King Mo’’ Lawal after capturing a close, unanimous three-round decision over “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (17-6) on a special Wednesday night presentation of STRIKEFORCE Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) on SHOWTIME®.
But Babalu, who narrowly outpointed Lawler in a main event fought at a catch weight of 195 pounds before 5,259 fans who produced a gate of $418,061 at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE, may need a little time to decide if he’ll take the fight with his good friend.
“This is something I will have to think about,’’ said Babalu, who triumphed by the scores of 29-28 three times. “Yes, of course, I want to be a champion again but I’m old school and he is my friend and friends last longer than title belts. But we’ll see.’’
In other televised results, Brazil’s Evangelista Cyborg (18-13) registered an impressive 2:38, first-round knockout over DREAM welterweight champion Marius “The Whitemare” Zaromskis (13-5); American military hero Tim Kennedy (12-2) of Austin, Texas, made quick work of South African Trevor Prangley, winning by 3:35 first-round submission (rear-naked choke); and former world champion KJ Noons (9-2) of San Diego, Calif., outlasted Conor “Hurricane’’ Heun (8-4) of Hollywood, Calif., by way of Boulder, Colo., via split decision in a non-stop-action lightweight thriller that opened the telecast.
The first-ever STRIKEFORCE event scheduled for mid-week took place in the midst of the E3 Expo, the premier trade show for computer and video games. During E3 Expo 2010 at the L.A. Convention Center, EA SPORTS™ will exhibit its highly anticipated title, EA SPORTS MMA, in which STRIKEFORCE is featured as a premier league.
Besides deciding if he wants to fight King Mo, Babalu will need to take off some time for the severe cuts around his left eye to heal. Lawler, meantime, who exited the ring seemingly unmarked, may want to re-think his decision to feign an injury in the second round that he hoped would lure Babalu, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist known for his submissions, into a standup shootout.
“I wasn’t hurt, I just wanted to make him think I was,’’ said Lawler, who suffered damage to his body from a multitude of front kicks. “It was a ploy, a decoy, for him to fight me so I could knock him out.
“I’m disappointed with the result, but I have no complaints. The two takedowns in the first round may have been the difference. I know that I could have done much more. I should have done more.’’
Cyborg, the husband of women’s superstar Cris Cyborg and a member of the famed Chute Box Academy, was ecstatic after handling Zaromskis his second consecutive defeat.
“I am very happy with my performance and this fight,’’ the male Cyborg said. “I’ve had so many first-round knockouts. I can’t say if this was the best, but it was definitely one of the best.
“I want to fight (STRIKEFORCE world welterweight champion) Nick Diaz. He’s the fighter I want more than anybody right now.’’
The super-aggressive Kennedy, a United States Army Special Forces sniper with the 19th Special Forces outfit based in San Antonio who has earned the Army’s Bronze Medal Star medal for valor under fire, made it four victories in a row and 12 of his last 13.
“I don’t go the distance. In fact, I’m totally against going the distance,’’ Kennedy said. “I’m happy with the end result. He hit me with a good uppercut; that stuff’s not supposed to happen. I have some of the greatest hands in the sport. I just want to start fighting the kinds of opponents I can knock out and start a highlight reel on. I’m tired of fighting wrestlers.’’
Noons, a prolific striker and the last fighter to defeat Nick Diaz, praised Heun at bout’s conclusion.
“He’s a very game guy who brought it the whole fight,’’ said Noons, won by the scores of 29-28 twice and 27-30. “I definitely feel I won the fight and I really wanted to please the fans, but I had to work for it. I haven’t used my legs in a while so if felt good to get in some leg kicks.’’
A bloodied Heun felt he’d done enough to get the nod. “I wanted to fight one of the top guys to prove to everybody that I could compete with the top ones, and I think I did that tonight,” he said. “But I’m very disappointed with the decision. Only one judge scored the fight.
“I feel I did more than enough to win although the cuts were definitely a factor. By the third round, I was aiming my punches at the guy in the middle.’’
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This photo and others from Wednesday nights event can be found at Strikeforce.com.
On Thursday, the Ultimate Fighting Championship made it’s official announcement for the promotions first trip to Boston with “UFC 118: Edgar vs. Penn 2.” The even will take place at the TD Garden in Boston, Mass. on Aug. 28.
