Filed under: UFC, NewsThe spotlight should belong to B.J. Penn and Frankie Edgar at UFC 118, where the two will be facing off in a rematch to determine the UFC lightweight champion. But as the event moves closer, much of the intrigue has centered aroun…
The spotlight should belong to B.J. Penn and Frankie Edgar at UFC 118, where the two will be facing off in a rematch to determine the UFC lightweight champion. But as the event moves closer, much of the intrigue has centered around boxer-turned-MMA fighter James Toney, who makes his octagon debut against five-time UFC champ Randy Couture on the same night.
Unlike some MMA purists though, Penn is unbothered by the presence of the pugilistic great. In fact, the laid-back Hawaiian is one of the few in the MMA world who’s openly voiced a desire to see Toney perform well.
Filed under: Fighting, UFCBack in 2007, around the time that the UFC started doing gangbusters business in the competitive pay-per-view world, the big names in the boxing universe started hearing questions about the upstart promotion. Aside from the fi…
Back in 2007, around the time that the UFC started doing gangbusters business in the competitive pay-per-view world, the big names in the boxing universe started hearing questions about the upstart promotion. Aside from the financial threat it offered as a combat sports alternative, the queries usually centered on how a fighter in one world would do in the other’s realm.
As a general rule, boxers were highly dismissive of their counterparts in MMA. Back then, Marvin Hagler referred to it as “street fighting,” Bernard Hopkins dismissed it, saying, “I don’t want to watch two grown men wrestling with panties on,” and Floyd Mayweather offered, “Just imagine what happens if a heavyweight contender lays hands on an MMA fighter. We both know what the aftermath will look like.”
Well, times have changed, and apparently so has the boxing world’s view on MMA, because James Toney‘s promoter, Dan Goossen, is already angling for a rematch after UFC 118. A boxing rematch.
Acknowledging that Toney is at a “severe disadvantage” in his upcoming fight with Randy Couture, Goossen released a statement to the media offering Couture the same payday he will receive at UFC 118 to face Toney in a 12-round boxing match.
Filed under: UFCWith age comes wisdom, but if you’re a pro athlete, it also comes with aches, pains and the beginning of the realization that your career is closer to its end than beginning.
B.J. Penn is not old in any sense of the word. If you’re a l…
With age comes wisdom, but if you’re a pro athlete, it also comes with aches, pains and the beginning of the realization that your career is closer to its end than beginning.
B.J. Penn is not old in any sense of the word. If you’re a longtime MMA fan, Penn seems practically ancient, yet he’s just 31. During a UFC 118 conference call, though, Penn voiced the type of self-reflection that is rarely seen in the macho world of MMA. Noting his desire to re-take his place at the top of MMA lightweight landscape, Penn explained his motivation in a way you’d rarely hear from someone with a resume like his.
“I’m the guy who doesn’t want to let the sport pass him by,” said Penn, who will square off with division champion Frankie Edgar in Boston on Aug. 28. “I want to stay in the forefront. I’m constantly up trying to think of how to tweak things, to keep up with these young kids. I know he’s near my age but he’s young in the sport, and I want to keep up with these guys.”
When James Toney meets Randy Couture at UFC 118 next Saturday, he’ll be attempting to prove the dominance of the "sweet science" over that weird stuff that gay skinheads do. Of course, he won’t be the first pugilist to try to beat an MMA…
When James Toney meets Randy Couture at UFC 118 next Saturday, he’ll be attempting to prove the dominance of the "sweet science" over that weird stuff that gay skinheads do. Of course, he won’t be the first pugilist to try to beat an MMA fighter at their own game — boxing vs. martial arts challenge matches have been around since before "Lights Out" was born. Join us as we take a look back at the brave boxers who preceded Toney…and what became of them.
MILO SAVAGE vs. "JUDO" GENE LeBELL December 2, 1963
Arguably the first sanctioned MMA match in American history, Savage vs. LeBell came together when legendary judoka/actor Gene LeBell answered a challenge from boxer Jim Beck, who claimed that a professional boxer could beat any martial artist. (Yep, they’ve been making the same boast for almost 50 years.) According to LeBell, he was expecting to fight Beck himself in the televised match, but his opponent was switched at the last minute to Milo Savage, a top-5-ranked light-heavyweight who was allegedly wearing brass knuckles under his fingerless speed-bag gloves, and was greased from head to toe. Despite the disadvantages, Gene sunk a lapel choke in the 4th round and put Savage to sleep. But as with most stories involving Judo Gene, the details are somewhat debatable; this Jonathan Snowden article debunks several aspects of LeBell’s version. Still, LeBell vs. Savage deserves credit as the first MMA-style fight on television, and set up a rivalry between boxing and martial arts that’s somehow still relevant today.
MUHAMMAD ALI vs. ANTONIO INOKI June 26, 1976
It sounded like good, harmless fun — the greatest boxer of all time taking on Japanese pro-wrestling kingpin Antonio Inoki in an exhibition match in Tokyo. But in the days leading up to the show, bizarre rules were added that restricted certain attacks. Most notably, Inoki could only kick if he had one knee on the ground. So, he scooted around the ring kicking Ali’s legs for the entire 15-round duration. Ali only landed six punches the entire fight and went home with two blood clots and an infection. The bout was ruled a draw, and has garnered a reputation as one of the ugliest fiascos in the history of combat sports. Fun fact: The referee of this match? None other than mixed-fighting pioneer Gene LeBell.
(Is that Toney’s heart on his sleeve or his swollen tongue?)
I’m not a fan of 90% of MMA clothing. Somehow seeing fat accountants and skinny computer programmers wearing t-shirts covered in skulls, chains and dragons at sports bars on fight nights jade…
(Is that Toney’s heart on his sleeve or his swollen tongue?)
I’m not a fan of 90% of MMA clothing. Somehow seeing fat accountants and skinny computer programmers wearing t-shirts covered in skulls, chains and dragons at sports bars on fight nights jaded me I guess. Tapout has become the new Vuarnet or No Fear.
I own a handful of promotions’ shirts as well as a few less gaudy brands, but most of them I was given or won in contests.
What gets me is that there are fans who will wear just about anything if it says MMA on it, regardless of how terrible the clothing is.
(Video courtesy YouTube/MMAFighting)I was beginning to think that all of the back-patting he was getting from his entourage and training partners was starting to make James Toney a bit delusional in thinking he was an actual MMA fighter, but after seei…
(Video courtesy YouTube/MMAFighting)
I was beginning to think that all of the back-patting he was getting from his entourage and training partners was starting to make James Toney a bit delusional in thinking he was an actual MMA fighter, but after seeing this video, I have to admit I was wrong. Toney isn’t just a bit delusional. He’s completely delusional if he really believes that he has more than a puncher’s chance against former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion Randy Couture at UFC 118.
All of the half-hearted sledgehammer smacks and tire flips in the world won’t make up for the fact that he has only been training MMA for six months (though he claims he’s been training for nine) and Couture has been competing in the sport for thirteen years.
Regardless of how much Toney may be fooling himself, I enjoy trying to dissect his unintelligible ramblings and convert them into text — a task which I rank slightly higher on the difficulty scale than solving a sudoku puzzle. I’ve done so many of these transcriptions that I can listen to Toney talk and understand exactly what he is saying. I’m actually considering sending the UFC my resume in the hopes that I can be Lights Out’s Ed Soares and I can translate for him in his pre and post-fight interviews.
The spotlight should belong to B.J. Penn and Frankie Edgar at UFC 118, where the two will be facing off in a rematch to determine the UFC lightweight champion. But as the event moves closer, much of the intrigue has centered around boxer-turned-MMA fighter James Toney, who makes his octagon debut against five-time UFC champ Randy Couture on the same night.
Back in 2007, around the time that the UFC started doing gangbusters business in the competitive pay-per-view world, the big names in the boxing universe started hearing questions about the upstart promotion. Aside from the financial threat it offered as a combat sports alternative, the queries usually centered on how a fighter in one world would do in the other’s realm.
With age comes wisdom, but if you’re a pro athlete, it also comes with aches, pains and the beginning of the realization that your career is closer to its end than beginning.
