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  • Bellator 214: Gegard Mousasi defends middleweight title against Rafael Lovato
    by Misagh Norouzi on November 20, 2018 at 1:46 am

    Bellator 214 takes place at The “Fabulous” Forum in Inglewood, Calif. on January 27 (AEDT). MMA event is headlined by the Finals of the Heavyweight World Grand Prix featuring Fedor Emelianenko (38-5, 1 NC) up against the current light heavyweight champion Ryan Bader (26-5). On Tuesday the promotion announced a co-main event bout, as well […] The post Bellator 214: Gegard Mousasi defends middleweight title against Rafael Lovato appeared first on FIGHTMAG. […]

  • Saenchai tops muaythai event Thai Fight Saraburi
    by Parviz Iskenderov on November 20, 2018 at 1:13 am

    The “Kings of Muaythai” visit Thailand’s central province Saraburi on November 24. On Tuesday FIGHTMAG learned the names of representatives of the country-host featured on the card. Famed Saenchai tops the fight-bill. Thai Fight Saraburi features eight Thai fighters facing off international opponents. Top Sangmorakot also revealed that the card comprises a total of twelve […] The post Saenchai tops muaythai event Thai Fight Saraburi appeared first on FIGHTMAG. […]

  • Rachael Ostovich attacked, UFC fight against Paige VanZant in jeopardy
    by Parviz Iskenderov on November 20, 2018 at 12:25 am

    UFC fighter Rachael Ostovich was attacked by “someone close to her” and hospitalized for major injuries, including a broken orbital bone, in her hometown of Honolulu, Hawaii, TMZ Sports reported. A felony domestic violence investigation has been opened. No arrests were made to the moment. Ostovich’s manager Brian Butler-Au at “Sucker Punch Ent.” has confirmed to […] The post Rachael Ostovich attacked, UFC fight against Paige VanZant in jeopardy appeared first on FIGHTMAG. […]

  • Muay Thai elbow strikes, basics for beginners
    by Parviz Iskenderov on November 19, 2018 at 8:31 am

    Making eight points contact, the sport of Muay Thai is known as “The Art of Eight Limbs”. Its’ arsenal includes punches, kicks, knees and elbows. Muay Thai elbow strikes is an art on its own (alongside clinching of course). One can say that the elbow strikes is the main distinct of Thai Boxing from all […] The post Muay Thai elbow strikes, basics for beginners appeared first on FIGHTMAG. […]

Bloody Elbow

  • Scoggins: Legacy of 125 is DJ getting ‘screwed over the whole time’
    by Nick Baldwin on November 20, 2018 at 4:00 pm

    Justin Scoggins thought Demetrious Johnson losing the UFC flyweight title in August would be a “spark” for the division. In hindsight, it was rather the opposite of that. Justin Scoggins said the UFC offered him a short-notice fight at UFC Denver earlier this month, which he accepted right away. But before he knew it, he was no longer on the UFC flyweight roster. After Mark Espinosa fell off the card, Scoggins accepted a fight against Mark De La Rosa on Nov. 10 at Pepsi Center. On a three-fight skid, Scoggins wasted no time in saying yes; he hoped he’d be able to renegotiate a contract as a bantamweight with a win. But the next call he got was from his manager, telling Scoggins the division is being scrapped and that he won’t be asked to move up to 135 pounds. “It seems kind of f-cked up, because I was told they were gonna honor that last fight and let me fight it out,” Scoggins told Bloody Elbow. Scoggins said it’s “bullsh-t” that the UFC didn’t keep him as a bantamweight, especially because he’s fought in the heavier division before. “Of course it wasn’t in writing, but I got word, I got your word as a man, that we were gonna honor your last fight and give you a chance to prove us to rock whatever we were gonna throw at you,” Scoggins said. “And that’s what I’ve been expecting, and that’s what I’ve been preparing for.” Though the UFC has yet to make the flyweight division’s demise official, it has already released several other flyweights, including Jose Torres, Jarred Brooks, and Roberto Sanchez. It seems likely that lower-ranked and non-ranked fighters coming off one or more losses will be cut, while top contenders and fighters in the winning column will be asked to move up to bantamweight. “The higher-ups of the UFC, they don’t see the flyweight division for what it is — how technical it is, and how really special that division really is,” Scoggins said. “It wasn’t hard for them to feel like they can save some money on it, and really to keep whoever they feel like are superstars.” Scoggins said he thinks a lot of flyweight fights are “boring”; he understands why the UFC is getting rid of the division. That said, he added that it’s a “shame” fans will miss out on “pure and really good technique” once the division is gone for good. “There’s not a lot of the big finishes, the big knockouts,” Scoggins said. “A lot of guys at flyweight are really good wrestlers, good at controlling fights and not getting into brawls.” The UFC added the division in 2012. Demetrious Johnson was champion from its existence to this past August, when Henry Cejudo dethroned him by split decision at UFC 227. Johnson recently left the promotion for ONE Championship as part of a trade that also included Ben Askren, who signed with the UFC. Scoggins thought Johnson losing was actually good for the division, as that fight opened it right up, giving fighters who had already lost to Johnson a chance at the belt. He remained “hopeful” about the division’s future, but said he “started feeling a little weird about everything” once Johnson was traded. “When [Johnson] lost, I was like, ‘OK, this just opened up a huge fricking window for everybody, for every contender,’” Scoggins said. “There were so many fights to be made. “I thought it felt like a spark. I guess I read it wrong, obviously.” Scoggins isn’t sure the Johnson-Askren “trade” will work out in the UFC’s favor. “Ben Askren’s a badass, but with the UFC’s competition and the weight class he’s in, it’s gonna be hard to market him,” Scoggins said. “He’s fighting Robbie Lawler — he’s getting knocked the f-ck out his first fight.” Scoggins said that Johnson never got the recognition he deserved throughout his six-year run as 125-pound champion. “That dude dominated that weight class the entire time it existed,” Scoggins said. “You’re promoting Brock Lesnar and sh-t; you got a real martial artist in Demetrious Johnson, and nobody in the UFC gives a sh-t. You’re gonna sell tickets for this guy from WWE, who’s not even really worth this sh-t.” Scoggins said the legacy of the flyweight division will surround “Mighty Mouse” and the unfair treatment he received. “Demetrious Johnson and how he got screwed over the whole time,” Scoggins said when asked how the division will be remembered. “You had the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world and you crapped on him the whole time — until you killed the division. Congratulations.” “You had the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world and you crapped on him the whole time — until you killed the division. Congratulations.” — Justin Scoggins As far as what’s next for Scoggins, he wants to get back into the cage and get paid as soon as possible. He said his management is in talks with ONE Championship and that he hopes to be part of its upcoming flyweight tournament. But if nothing in MMA comes to fruition, Scoggins said he’d also be interested in opportunities in boxing and kickboxing. “Supposedly [ONE is] bringing in the best flyweights in the world for the tournament,” he said. “If I’m not in the tournament, y’all don’t have the best flyweights in the world.&rdquo […]

  • Bas Rutten explains how Penn can ‘perform really well’ vs. Ryan Hall
    by Milan Ordoñez on November 20, 2018 at 3:00 pm

    Former UFC heavyweight champion and Hall-of-Famer Bas Rutten explains how B.J. Penn can do well in his fight against Ryan Hall, and possibly get achieve victory once again. The last time the MMA world saw B.J. Penn get his hand raised in victory was eight years ago, at UFC 123 in November 2010. “The Prodigy,” at the time, snapped a two-fight skid with a first-round knockout win over fellow legend Matt Hughes, with a $50,000 bonus for Knockout of the Night honors. Now, the UFC two-division champion is on a five-fight losing streak, all of which were unpleasant to watch. The 39-year-old Hawaii native is now slated to face Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist Ryan Hall in a lightweight tiff at UFC 232 to close out the year. Some observers see this fight as a good style matchup for Penn. Bas Rutten, however, believes otherwise, and sees a tough fight ahead. “That’s going to be a tough fight for him as well,” Rutten said on a recent episode of the MMA Hour (via MMA Fighting). Rutten bases his sentiment on how the game had changed greatly, comparing his contemporaries during his time to the fighters of today. “Let’s face it, man, these young guys right now, they’re so good, they’re so in shape, and they know everything,” he explained. “In my time, there were still guys, I was good on the ground, I was good on the feet, and in my time, you could get away with that. There were a lot of guys who were strikers, or they were submission guys, but not a lot of fighters had all three components, I never was a good wrestler by the way. “But now all these guys are phenomenal everywhere, they have a full gas tank. Nobody runs out of gas anymore like the old times.” But “El Guapo” is not counting out Penn just yet, as long as the right training methods would be put in place. “BJ is a guy that, if he goes to a camp and he has a guy that he listens to, who tell him no, you’re going to have to do an extra round, as long as he is not in control of the training, I think, maybe in this fight he’ll do really good and perform really well.” Penn did involve himself with renowned camps in the last few years, having trained with Greg Jackson in his return from retirement in 2016. He currently works with boxing coach Jason Parillo, who is also a mentor to the likes of Michael Bisping, Cris Cyborg, and Tito Ortiz. UFC 232 is slated for December 29th in Las Vegas. The card will be headlined by a light heavyweight rematch between Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson. […]

  • UFC’s Walker appeared to advertise PED on instagram
    by Iain Kidd on November 20, 2018 at 2:30 pm

    Recent UFC performance of the night winner Johnny Walker appears to have advertised a PED on his instagram in April In April this year a post was made to an instagram account apparently belonging to UFC prospect Johnny Walker, who was most recently seen winning a performance of the night bonus for his KO victory over Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC Argentina, which advertised a performance enhancing drug. The banned product is Mk-677, also known as ibutamoren. UFC Middleweight contender Yoel Romero previously tested positive for ibutamoren back in December 2015. The Cuban received a reduced six month suspension for his positive after demonstrating that his positive test was due to supplement contamination. Walker appeared to advertise the banned drug on his instagram, as originally pointed out on reddit and highlighted to Bloody Elbow by twitter user @EvanKeaveney. Ibutamoren is banned as a non-specified substance under the WADA prohibited list under Section 2 Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances and Mimetics. It carries a default sanction of a two year suspension under the UFC’s anti-doping program. A series of experimental drugs unapproved for human use like ibutamoren have gained popularity recently, with another such drug, ostarine, being the cause of more positive UFC anti-doping tests than any other substance. Use of ibutamoren appears to increase secretion of growth hormone, and related hormones like insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1). This could lead to increases in muscle growth and recovery, but the drug is still experimental and not approved by the FDA, so its effects on a healthy athlete aren’t well supported by medical literature. It’s possible Walker will find himself in hot water with USADA over his instagram post, but as long as any prior use was properly disclosed to the agency at the appropriate time he shouldn’t face any suspension for a post that happened before his UFC tenure began. USADA has been asked for comment and we will update the article if any is received. […]

  • Mousasi vs. Lovato Jr. set for Bellator 214
    by Nick Baldwin on November 20, 2018 at 2:00 pm

    Bellator is bringing the heat to The Forum in January. A second title fight has been added to Bellator’s first event of 2019. Gegard Mousasi is set to defend his middleweight title for the second time against Rafael Lovato Jr., the promotion announced Monday evening. Mousasi vs. Lovato Jr. will serve as the co-main event of Bellator 214, which takes place Jan. 26 at The Forum in Los Angeles. Mousasi defended the belt for the first time in September with a dominant second-round TKO over welterweight champion Rory MacDonald. The former UFC contender won the title with a quick stoppage of Rafael Carvalho earlier this year. Mousasi is 3-0 under the Bellator banner; his run in the Viacom-backed promotion also includes a decision win over former 185-pound champ Alexander Shlemenko last year. Lovato Jr. is coming off a third-round submission of John Salter in September. The jiu-jitsu ace also holds marquee wins over Gerald Harris and Chris Honeycutt, as well as UFC veteran Mike Rhodes. The 35-year-old is undefeated in MMA at 9-0, which includes a five-fight stretch in Bellator. Bellator 214 is headlined by a heavyweight title fight between legend Fedor Emelianenko and current light heavyweight titleholder Ryan Bader. The fight marks the Bellator heavyweight grand prix finals. Also scheduled for the card is a featherweight bout between Aaron Pico and Henry Corrales. The event will go head-to-head with UFC 233, which takes place in Anaheim and features a flyweight title fight between between champ Henry Cejudo and bantamweight king T.J. Dillashaw, plus Ben Askren’s UFC debut fight against former welterweight champion Robbie Lawler. […]

UFC