I think I’ve started to notice a pattern amongst ONE FC ring girls — mainly, that most of them are smokin’ hot brunettes who refuse to reveal their last names. First came Maya T., and now, ONE FC has snatched up Japanese-born model Mila G. to carry cards for the organization. Word was passed along earlier today that Mila G. will be making her ring girl debut in March, so let’s cross our fingers and hope that she has a better go of things than Kristina Sprague.
According to her website, Mila is a “cheerful challenger” (?) who has landed gigs on such mainstream shows as “Green Arrow”, “True Justice”, “Bates Motel”, and “Continuum.” Additionally, Mila enjoys sharing her knowledge and daily updates with fans through her blog and “loves reading inspiring quotes everyday.” I’m learning so much right now, you guys. Check out 11 of Mila’s best photos in the gallery above, then make sure to send her some love on Twitter or through her website.
I think I’ve started to notice a pattern amongst ONE FC ring girls — mainly, that most of them are smokin’ hot brunettes who refuse to reveal their last names. First came Maya T., and now, ONE FC has snatched up Japanese-born model Mila G. to carry cards for the organization. Word was passed along earlier today that Mila G. will be making her ring girl debut in March, so let’s cross our fingers and hope that she has a better go of things than Kristina Sprague.
According to her website, Mila is a “cheerful challenger” (?) who has landed gigs on such mainstream shows as ”Green Arrow”, “True Justice”, “Bates Motel”, and “Continuum.” Additionally, Mila enjoys sharing her knowledge and daily updates with fans through her blog and “loves reading inspiring quotes everyday.” I’m learning so much right now, you guys. Check out 11 of Mila’s best photos in the gallery above, then make sure to send her some love on Twitter or through her website.
You guys, I don’t claim to be a prophet all that often, save for when I accurately predict which chef will be eliminated each round on Chopped, but today is one of those days.
When it was first announced that Ben Askren was (somewhat inexplicably) headed to One FC some two days ago, I suggested that the former Bellator kingpin take on Phil Baroni in his promotional debut. It was the fight I wanted to see, and therefore, the fight fans wanted to see. Perhaps most importantly, Baroni is the only other member of the One FC welterweight roster I could name off the top of my head, so how could this fight not make perfect sense?
In any case, you can understand my excitement when opening up the Twitter earlier today to see the above tweet. Because as boring as Ben Askren truly is in the cage, he is equally entertaining online. And it turns out that the following tweet was only part of what was a beautiful back and forth between Askren and Baroni, a back and forth that is sure to lead to a future showdown pairing old guard against new guard despite the fact that the old guard’s body is literally disintegrating beneath him.
Join us after the jump for what will surely go down in the history books as the catalyst to the greatest MMA feud of all time.
You guys, I don’t claim to be a prophet all that often, save for when I accurately predict which chef will be eliminated each round on Chopped, but today is one of those days.
When it was first announced that Ben Askren was (somewhat inexplicably) headed to One FC some two days ago, I suggested that the former Bellator kingpin take on Phil Baroni in his promotional debut. It was the fight I wanted to see, and therefore, the fight fans wanted to see. Perhaps most importantly, Baroni is the only other member of the One FC welterweight roster I could name off the top of my head, so how could this fight not make perfect sense?
In any case, you can understand my excitement when opening up the Twitter earlier today to see the above tweet. Because as boring as Ben Askren truly is in the cage, he is equally entertaining online. And it turns out that the following tweet was only part of what was a beautiful back and forth between Askren and Baroni, a back and forth that is sure to lead to a future showdown pairing old guard against new guard despite the fact that the old guard’s body is literally disintegrating beneath him.
Join us after the jump for what will surely go down in the history books as the catalyst to the greatest MMA feud of all time.
I’m guessing that Askren is referring to Baroni’s emotional post-fight interview after UFC 125 here, in which case, low blow, bro. Just because Phil is “The Best Eva” doesn’t mean he is impervious to criticism. The man has a lot of feelings, and you’re hurting damn near every one of them. So unless Askren plans on burying the hatchet with Baroni over a slice of pizza and a game of paintball, I say we let these two hug slug it out in the cage until the audience falls asleep someone falls over. Who’s with me?
Despite being one of the most talented/accomplished wrestlers in the sport (if not the most talented/accomplished), and despite his blatant attempts at trolling his way into the UFC, it seems that “Funky” simply does not meet the standard of the world’s premier MMA organization. If only he had been born in Tuvalu, perhaps this glaring oversight could have been avoided. Dana White recently spoke with USA Today about the former Bellator champion’s future:
He’s a nice guy. You know, we just won’t be signing him. There’s competition for him at World Series of Fighting. This kid will probably sign with them. I don’t know (since) they’ve got to come to an agreement and a deal. But if he does, there’s actual competition for him there.
I think it’s crazy that he’s ranked in the top 10. He hasn’t fought anybody (Ed note: Way to kick Jay Hieron while he’s down) and has no challenges. The best thing that could’ve ever happened to that kid was leaving Bellator. Now he has the opportunity to go to World Series of Fighting and show what he’s got.
You’re right, Dana. There is plenty of some competition to be had at WSOF. Unfortunately, it appears that Askren is well on his way to signing with One FC, who we weren’t even aware had a welterweight division until earlier today. Join us after the jump for the details.
(Askren, seen here attempting to grapple with the current One FC welterweight champion.)
Despite being one of the most talented/accomplished wrestlers in the sport (if not the most talented/accomplished), and despite his blatant attempts at trolling his way into the UFC, it seems that “Funky” simply does not meet the standard of the world’s premier MMA organization. If only he had been born in Tuvalu, perhaps this glaring oversight could have been avoided. Dana White recently spoke with USA Today about the former Bellator champion’s future:
He’s a nice guy. You know, we just won’t be signing him. There’s competition for him at World Series of Fighting. This kid will probably sign with them. I don’t know (since) they’ve got to come to an agreement and a deal. But if he does, there’s actual competition for him there.
I think it’s crazy that he’s ranked in the top 10. He hasn’t fought anybody (Ed note: Way to kick Jay Hieron while he’s down) and has no challenges. The best thing that could’ve ever happened to that kid was leaving Bellator. Now he has the opportunity to go to World Series of Fighting and show what he’s got.
You’re right, Dana. There is plenty of some competition to be had at WSOF. Unfortunately, it appears that Askren is well on his way to signing with One FC, who we weren’t even aware had a welterweight division until earlier today. Join us after the jump for the details.
First, news broke that Askren had signed with Singapore-based organization Evolve MMA via founder, Chatri Sityodtong, who stated the following:
Without a doubt, Ben Askren is one of the best welterweights on the planet today. I am lucky to call him a friend, and blessed to now welcome him to the Evolve Fight Team,” Sityodtong tells us, “Duke Roufus is one of the best MMA coaches on the planet, and together we will do everything in our power to make Ben the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
Evolve MMA has the largest instructor team in Asia and the most number of world champions of any martial arts organization on Earth. Heath Sims and I will make sure that Ben has all the resources he needs to succeed. Welcome to Evolve MMA!
Then, none other than Ariel Helwani teased at an upcoming announcement from One FC via his Twitter:
While details still remain sketchy, all I can say is: Ben Askren vs. Phil Baroni’s imploded ankle for the One FC welterweight title! USA! USA!
Singapore-based promotion One FC might not have the most stacked rosters or big-name fighters to boast (except for Alain Ngalani, of course) but they are in a league of their own when it comes to spotting ring girl talent, and I’m not just saying that because of my well-documented Asian fetish. We’ve already devoted Hot Potato galleries to One FC ring girls Felixia Yeap and Park Si Hyun, and now, the promotion has recently announced the addition of fitness model Maya T to their roster. Therefore, we must now document Maya’s history of hotness in vivid detail, as is tradition.
According to her interview with FHM, Maya likes men who work out regularly, hates men with smelly feet (Ed note: opposing ideologies much?), and sleeps in a t-shirt and underwear. Excuse me while I pick these pieces of my brain off the floor. Check out the best photos of Maya the internet has to offer after the jump, and for more pictures/updates on One FC’s newest standout, head over to her Twitter page.
Singapore-based promotion One FC might not have the most stacked rosters or big-name fighters to boast (except for Alain Ngalani, of course) but they are in a league of their own when it comes to spotting ring girl talent, and I’m not just saying that because of my well-documented Asian fetish. We’ve already devoted Hot Potato galleries to One FC ring girls Felixia Yeap and Park Si Hyun, and now, the promotion has recently announced the addition of fitness model Maya T to their roster. Therefore, we must now document Maya’s history of hotness in vivid detail, as is tradition.
According to her interview with FHM, Maya likes men who work out regularly, hates men with smelly feet (Ed note: opposing ideologies much?), and sleeps in a t-shirt and underwear. Excuse me while I pick these pieces of my brain off the floor. Check out the best photos of Maya the internet has to offer in the gallery above, and for more pictures/updates on One FC’s newest standout, head over to her Twitter page.
With how far MMA has come in terms of being accepted in North America, South and Central America and Europe, it is easy to forget that there are huge swaths of the globe where the sport has yet to catch on and is still perceived as a brutal spectacle. Vice Magazine’s Fightland recently visited one such place – Pakistan.
Pakistan is one of the world’s most populated nations with a long history of combat sports but it only got its first MMA gym just a few years ago. Fightland visits with the founder of that gym, American expatriate and MMA fighter Bashir Ahmad, as he balances his own fight career with his gym business and local fight promotion.
It’s the wild east out there in Pakistan when it comes to MMA, it seems, with lots of untapped potential in the mountain regions, according to Ahmad. The ONE-FC featherweight seems completely driven to establish MMA in Pakistan, even his he has to do it on his own. Taking a look at this short documentary makes you both appreciate what we have here in North America and the unique moment some are experiencing in Pakistan where MMA is still a completely fringe thing and where men sweat and bleed as virtual unknowns, simply for love and pride.
With how far MMA has come in terms of being accepted in North America, South and Central America and Europe, it is easy to forget that there are huge swaths of the globe where the sport has yet to catch on and is still perceived as a brutal spectacle. Vice Magazine’s Fightland recently visited one such place – Pakistan.
Pakistan is one of the world’s most populated nations with a long history of combat sports but it only got its first MMA gym just a few years ago. Fightland visits with the founder of that gym, American expatriate and MMA fighter Bashir Ahmad, as he balances his own fight career with his gym business and local fight promotion.
It’s the wild east out there in Pakistan when it comes to MMA, it seems, with lots of untapped potential in the mountain regions, according to Ahmad. The ONE-FC featherweight seems completely driven to establish MMA in Pakistan, even his he has to do it on his own. Taking a look at this short documentary makes you both appreciate what we have here in North America and the unique moment some are experiencing in Pakistan where MMA is still a completely fringe thing and where men sweat and bleed as virtual unknowns, simply for love and pride.
SPOILER ALERT: Despite being one of the only fighters to actually make weight yesterday, it’s safe to say that Phil Baroni’s bout with Nobutatsu Suzuki didn’t go quite as planned at ONE FC ‘Rise to Power’ earlier today.
After getting backed into the cage by a series of knees around the four minute mark of the first round, Baroni was dropped by a Suzuki right hand that appeared to put him down for the count. A few follow up punches wrote this notion home and the referee was forced to step in. Unfortunately, said ref didn’t appear to notice that Baroni’s foot was trying to break free from the rest of his leg and provided little comfort for “The New York Bad Ass,” who now falls to 15-17 in his professional MMA career. At this point in his career, Baroni should consider challenging James “Why Me?” Irvin for the right to be called the most cursed man in MMA.
Of course, Baroni wasn’t the only former UFC star to suffer a tough loss this morning…
SPOILER ALERT: Despite being one of the only fighters to actually make weight yesterday, it’s safe to say that Phil Baroni’s bout with Nobutatsu Suzuki didn’t go quite as planned at ONE FC ‘Rise to Power’ earlier today.
After getting backed into the cage by a series of knees around the four minute mark of the first round, Baroni was dropped by a Suzuki right hand that appeared to put him down for the count. A few follow up punches wrote this notion home and the referee was forced to step in. Unfortunately, said ref didn’t appear to notice that Baroni’s foot was trying to break free from the rest of his leg and provided little comfort for “The New York Bad Ass,” who now falls to 15-17 in his professional MMA career. At this point in his career, Baroni should consider challenging James “Why Me?” Irvin for the right to be called the most cursed man in MMA.
Of course, Baroni wasn’t the only former UFC star to suffer a tough loss this morning…
Yes, former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia suffered a(nother) setback in his quest to end his career in the UFC, and we’re not talking about the fact that he showed up to yesterday’s weigh-ins 7 pounds over the heavyweight limit. After being spared a loss against rival Andrei Arlovski in his last ONE FC appearance via a loosely-defined technicality, “The Maine-Iac” was outgunned by young prospect Tony Johnson earlier this morning.
Sylvia simply had no answers for the speed and wrestling prowess of Johnson, who worked Sylvia over for three rounds before opening a fight-ending cut above the eye of the former champ with a minute and a half left in the fight. No word yet on whether or not Sylvia will combat this latest setback by calling out one of those “overrated” UFC heavyweights we keep hearing him talk about.
Speaking of UFC veterans, Koji Oishi — best known as the guy who tried to block Nick Diaz’s punches with punches in a bizarre octagon appearance back at UFC 53 – successfully captured the ONE FC featherweight title in this morning’s main event with a second round knockout of Honorio Banario. It was Oishi’s first win under the ONE FC banner, and improved his overall record to 23-9-10.
A full list of results from ONE FC ‘Rise to Power’ is below.
Main Card:
-Koji Oishi def. Honorio Banario by KO (punches) at 1:45 of Round Two
-Bibiano Fernandes def. Koetsu Okazaki by unanimous decision
-Masakatsu Ueda def. Kevin Belingon by unanimous decision
-Yasuhiro Urushitani def. Rey Docyogen by split decision
-Nobutatsu Suzuki def. Phil Baroni by TKO (strikes/injury) at 4:17 of Round One
-Kamal Shalorus def. Eduard Folayang by unanimous decision
-Andrew Leone def. Geje Estaquio by unanimous decision
Under Card:
-Lowen Tynanes def. Felipe Enomoto by TKO (elbows) at 2:41 of Round One
-Yusup Saadulaev def. Ryan Diaz by submission (D’arce choke) at 2:57 of Round Two
-Tony Johnson def. Tim Sylvia by TKO (cut) at 3:25 of Round Three
