Tag: Thiago Silva

Tyrone Spong: Like to Be Champion in Boxing, MMA and Kickboxing Simultaneously

People say you never get a second chance to make a good first impression. Tyrone Spong got that hint on Saturday night.The kickboxing legend made his MMA debut on Saturday night for The World Series of Fighting as he knocked out Travis Bartlett 3:…

People say you never get a second chance to make a good first impression. Tyrone Spong got that hint on Saturday night.

The kickboxing legend made his MMA debut on Saturday night for The World Series of Fighting as he knocked out Travis Bartlett 3:15 into the fight. That’s an impressive debut for any fighter, but Spong says he knows he can do better than what he showed on Saturday.

“I know I can do better,” Spong told Bleacher Report. “It was amazing to experience all of this in my MMA debut. It was a very nice knockout and I showed some skills in the fight. The fans were happy with the fight. If I had to rate my fight on a one to ten scale, I would probably give the fight a 7.5-8.”

A lot of people were talking about the straight right hand that knocked out Bartlett, with Spong just walking away from him and going to his corner. In the world of kickboxing, that’s what you do when you knock a fighter down to the count of eight. Spong had a lapse to his kickboxing days for a moment after the knockdown.

“To be honest, it’s in my system to away after the guy goes down and I wait for eight count,” Spong stated. “I knew I caught him and knew the fight was over knowing he wasn’t going to get up from that shot.”

Coming from a different sport, the preparations leading into the new sport are usually different. Spong states a fight is a fight regardless of what form of combat it is.

“I wasn’t more nervous because it was an MMA fight,” Spong stated. “A fight is a fight. I get paid to show up, fight, try to do my best and entertain the crowd.”

Watching the fight on Saturday, Spong looked relaxed in the cage for a fighter who was making his MMA debut. He credits that to his training partners, the Blackzilians in Boca Raton, Florida.

“The reason I was so relaxed is because of the guys I train with,” Spong stated. “I work with Rashad Evans, Alistair Overeem, Jorge Santiago, Thiago Silva, Vitor Belfort and Anthony Johnson. To be able to train with those guys, test my skills against world champions and veteran’s of the game, it gives me a good self-esteem boost.”

Back in August, it was announced that Spong had signed a two-year, multi-fight deal with the kickboxing organization GLORY, with a debut at their December 2 event in Tokyo. The native of Suriname isn’t sure if he will be fighting at that event.

“I’m taking my time to evaluate everything with my manager regarding what’s going to happen in my career and what’s going to be next,” Spong stated. “I will make the decision this week, but I don’t know for sure if I’m going to participate in the December show. I signed for four fights, so I’m going to have more kickboxing fights.”

Spong stated on his twitter account on Sunday that he would like to face heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko in a boxing fight. Klitschko has yet to respond to the challenge. Spong, who has been sparring with boxing world champion Michael Grant, feels the heavyweight division in boxing needs some excitement and that he’s the man who can bring that.

“I see myself as a menace to everybody out there if I just work hard and prepare well,” Spong stated. “I also have been sparring with Michael Grant for awhile now. Heavyweight boxing right now is flat out boring. I think I can add some excitement to that division.

“I bring everything to the table. It’s a challenge. I’m not cocky. I respect both Klitschko‘s because they are great champions, real ambassadors for the sport, but at the same time, they are my challenge. I would like to challenge both Klitschko‘s and go at it.”

No one in combat sport has ever held world championships in boxing, MMA and kickboxing at the same time. Spong feels though that will change, as he wants to be the person to do it.

“That is something I would really like to do,” Spong stated. “Nobody has ever accomplished that. I think I have the ability to do it. I really believe in myself. It doesn’t come with ease. It is a lot of hard work and dedication. If I can put that all into my training, then I can do so.”

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand.

You can also follow me on Twitter @fightclubchi.

 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC on FUEL 6: Questions We Have About Thiago Silva

Believe it or not, there was a time—not that long ago, either—when Thiago Silva was one fight away from a crack at 205-pound gold.He ended up getting knocked out by Lyoto Machida that night, before battling injury and suspension on the way …

Believe it or not, there was a time—not that long ago, either—when Thiago Silva was one fight away from a crack at 205-pound gold.

He ended up getting knocked out by Lyoto Machida that night, before battling injury and suspension on the way to missing a bunch of time over the subsequent couple of years.

He is now fighting Stanislav Nedkov on FUEL TV.

That’s not exactly how it should have played out for the savage Brazilian, who remains among the nastiest and most entertaining men in his division.

That layoff, coupled with a winless run that started after he thrashed Keith Jardine in 2009, has left people with questions. Here are four such questions.

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UFC on Fuel 6: Thiago Silva vs. Stanislav Nedkov Head-to-Toe Breakdown

Chinese fans who will be viewing their first ever live UFC event are in for a treat, as brawlers Thiago Silva and Stanislav Nedkov are set to meet.Both men are known for their wild, powerful standup. However, both guys are also good ground fighters and…

Chinese fans who will be viewing their first ever live UFC event are in for a treat, as brawlers Thiago Silva and Stanislav Nedkov are set to meet.

Both men are known for their wild, powerful standup. However, both guys are also good ground fighters and can strike on the ground and use submissions.

Here is the head-to-toe breakdown of Silva-Nedkov.

Begin Slideshow

Throwback Fight of the Day: Thiago Silva Wrecks Keith Jardine at UFC 102 Without Breaking a Sweat


(Pikeew pikeew! I got you! Nu-uh! I totally got you first!) 

In the past three years, Thiago Silva has been knocked out by Lyoto Machida, out-grappled by Rashad Evans, suspended from the UFC for attempting to mask his roid-filled urine after his fight with Brandon Vera, and out struck by Alexander Gustafsson. Needless to say, Silva is probably going to get axed if he doesn’t win big against Stanislav Nedkov at the pair’s upcoming duel at UFC on FUEL 6. The undefeated Nedkov has also spent more time on the shelf than off lately, battling injuries and visa issues for the better part of his two-year UFC career, but barring any last minute issues, these two will clash on November 10th in Cotai, Macau. And based on their finishing ratios, we’re fairly certain that this one will end inside of three rounds.

So in honor of the occasion, we’ve dug up Silva’s last official victory — which came over Keith Jardine via knockout (I know, you’re shocked too) at UFC 102 in August of 2009 — and placed it after the jump for your enjoyment. Because it is Halloween after all, and who won’t sleep better knowing that the scary monster in your closet can easily be felled with a solid left hook?


(Pikeew pikeew! I got you! Nu-uh! I totally got you first!) 

In the past three years, Thiago Silva has been knocked out by Lyoto Machida, out-grappled by Rashad Evans, suspended from the UFC for attempting to mask his roid-filled urine after his fight with Brandon Vera, and out struck by Alexander Gustafsson. Needless to say, Silva is probably going to get axed if he doesn’t win big against Stanislav Nedkov at the pair’s upcoming duel at UFC on FUEL 6. The undefeated Nedkov has also spent more time on the shelf than off lately, battling injuries and visa issues for the better part of his two-year UFC career, but barring any last minute issues, these two will clash on November 10th in Cotai, Macau. And based on their finishing ratios, we’re fairly certain that this one will end inside of three rounds.

So in honor of the occasion, we’ve dug up Silva’s last official victory — which came over Keith Jardine via knockout (I know, you’re shocked too) at UFC 102 in August of 2009 — and placed it after the jump for your enjoyment. Because it is Halloween after all, and who won’t sleep better knowing that the scary monster in your closet can easily be felled with a solid left hook?

–J. Jones

Takanori Gomi vs. Mac Danzig, Thiago Silva vs. Stanislav Nedkov Slated for UFC on Fuel TV 6 in Macau


(I don’t know if it’s the angle, the lighting, or the Kabuki makeup, but Gomi is looking freaky as shit these days.)

The UFC’s first trip to China has picked up its first lightweight bout, as Japanese legend Takanori Gomi and TUF 6 winner Mac Danzig are reportedly slated to meet at the November 10th event in Macau. Danzig revealed the matchup on twitter earlier today. Though both fighters have struggled in the Octagon in the past, both are coming off of victories. Gomi scored a second-round TKO of Eiji Mitsuoka at UFC 144 in February, while Danzig most recently won a decision against Efrain Escudero at UFC 145 in April.

In other UFC China booking news, light-heavyweight striker Thiago Silva will have one more chance to save his career at the event, where he’ll face undefeated Bulgarian prospect Stanislav Nedkov. Due to his no-contest against Brandon Vera and subsequent one-year suspension — which was sandwiched by a pair of decision losses to Rashad Evans and Alexander Gustafsson — Silva hasn’t officially won a fight in three years. Meanwhile, Nedkov has only competed once during his two years of being under UFC contract, due to injuries (both his own and his opponent’s) and visa issues. Nedkov’s sole Octagon appearance resulted in a first-round TKO of Luis Cane at UFC 134 last August.

UFC on Fuel TV 6 will be headlined by the (hopefully) crowd-pleasing battle between Rich Franklin and Cung Le. Check out the current lineup after the jump, and hit us with your predictions in the comments section.


(I don’t know if it’s the angle, the lighting, or the Kabuki makeup, but Gomi is looking freaky as shit these days.)

The UFC’s first trip to China has picked up its first lightweight bout, as Japanese legend Takanori Gomi and TUF 6 winner Mac Danzig are reportedly slated to meet at the November 10th event in Macau. Danzig revealed the matchup on twitter earlier today. Though both fighters have struggled in the Octagon in the past, both are coming off of victories. Gomi scored a second-round TKO of Eiji Mitsuoka at UFC 144 in February, while Danzig most recently won a decision against Efrain Escudero at UFC 145 in April.

In other UFC China booking news, light-heavyweight striker Thiago Silva will have one more chance to save his career at the event, where he’ll face undefeated Bulgarian prospect Stanislav Nedkov. Due to his no-contest against Brandon Vera and subsequent one-year suspension — which was sandwiched by a pair of decision losses to Rashad Evans and Alexander Gustafsson — Silva hasn’t officially won a fight in three years. Meanwhile, Nedkov has only competed once during his two years of being under UFC contract, due to injuries (both his own and his opponent’s) and visa issues. Nedkov’s sole Octagon appearance resulted in a first-round TKO of Luis Cane at UFC 134 last August.

UFC on Fuel TV 6 will be headlined by the (hopefully) crowd-pleasing battle between Rich Franklin and Cung Le. Check out the current lineup after the jump, and hit us with your predictions in the comments section.

Cung Le vs. Rich Franklin
Thiago Silva vs. Stanislav Nedkov
Dong Hyun Kim vs. Paulo Thiago
Mac Danzig vs. Takanori Gomi
Alex Caceres vs. Kyung Ho Kang
Marcelo Guimaraes vs. Hyun Gyu Lim
Tom DeBlass vs. Riki Fukuda
Takeya Mizugaki vs. Jeff Hougland
John Lineker vs. Yasuhiro Urushitani

UFC on Fuel TV 6 Fight Card: Thiago Silva Booked to Fight Stanislav Nedkov

Thiago Silva, for the first time in years, will not be out of action for 12 months between fights. Coming off of a decision loss to the rising Alexander Gustafsson in April, Silva has reportedly been booked for a fight with Stanislav Nedkov at UFC on F…

Thiago Silva, for the first time in years, will not be out of action for 12 months between fights. Coming off of a decision loss to the rising Alexander Gustafsson in April, Silva has reportedly been booked for a fight with Stanislav Nedkov at UFC on Fuel TV 6, which will be held in Macau, China on Nov. 10.

Prior to his fight with Gustafsson, Silva served a one-year suspension for attempting to cheat a pre-fight drug test for a bout against Brandon Vera. Preceding his overturned win against Vera, Silva battled injuries for a year and fell out of title contention in the light heavyweight division. To put it mildly, Silva has had a rough patch in his career over the past few years, but he’ll have a great chance to turn things around against a relatively inexperienced opponent in Nedkov.

Nedkov picked up a win over Luiz Cane in his UFC debut, but the Bulgarian hasn’t competed in the year that has since passed. So, for once, it will be Silva who could be looking to take advantage of an opponent’s ring rust.

Silva’s UFC career may even depend on his success at UFC on Fuel TV 6, as the Brazilian’s last victory came three years ago against Strikeforce middleweight Keith Jardine. Many believe Silva still possesses the skill to return to title contention in the 205-pound division, but he’ll need to prove it inside the cage or risk losing his spot on the UFC roster.

The UFC will be visiting China for the first time at UFC on Fuel TV 6, which features a bout between middleweight stars Rich Franklin and Cung Le.  

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