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Stipe Miocic: ‘There’s no way’ I’ll fight during the coronavirus pandemic

While the UFC is gearing up to resume next week amid the COVID-19 pandemic, at least one champion isn’t planning to return to the cage anytime soon.

UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic said on Thursday he won’t take any fights right now during the coronavirus outbreak, largely because his gym in Cleveland is closed.

“There’s no way,” Miocic said Thursday, via The Score. “I can’t get a full camp in, so there’s no reason to fight.”

The UFC is planning to hold UFC 249 on May 9 in Jacksonville, Florida, and then two more cards the following week. The coronavirus outbreak forced president Dana White to postpone UFC 249 twice, though he certainly pulled out all the stops to try and make it happen.

[ Coronavirus: How the sports world is responding to the pandemic ]

The fights will make the UFC one of the first sports leagues to return amid the global pandemic. There were more than 1 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the United States as of Thursday afternoon, according to The New York Times, and more than 61,000 confirmed deaths attributed to it.

Miocic reclaimed the heavyweight title at UFC 241 in August, when he beat Daniel Cormier with a fourth-round TKO. That bout marked their second, following Cormier’s first-round KO in the first edition. Cormier has said he plans to retire, but wants one more matchup with Miocic to complete the trilogy before doing so.

Miocic, who also works as a part-time firefighter in the Cleveland area, is hoping to fight again at some point this year. But with the outbreak, his job fighting it on the front lines in Ohio and his family — not to mention the lack of workout equipment at his home — it may be a while before he can actually get back to it.

“It’s tough because I have a lot of things going on in my world — my daughter, make sure she’s OK, going to work,” Miocic said, via The Score. “I’m just trying to do the best that I can.”

Source- https://sports.yahoo.com/ufc-stipe-miocic-no-way-fight-during-covid19-coronavirus-pandemic-cant-train-daniel-cormier-dana-white-210146040.html

Dana White doubtful on seeing Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson in 2020

You know it’s a bad sign when UFC President Dana White refers to Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson as “the fight that got away.”

For those who hoped to see the the highly anticipated and frequently canceled fight rebooked this year, the UFC executive didn’t offer much encouragement during a Reddit Q&A on Wednesday afternoon.

Asked how confident he is in seeing the fight in 2020, White wrote, “Not very. I’m afraid what will happen if we try to make that fight happen again.”

Fans and MMA observers collectively groaned again earlier this month when the coronavirus pandemic led to the fifth cancelation of the matchup, the main event of UFC 249 on April 18. Nurmagomedov said he was marooned in his native Dagestan after being turned away in what he said the UFC told him was the event’s location in Abu Dhabi. Unable to leave his country, the UFC lightweight champ chose to observe stay-at-home guidelines issued to prevent the spread of the virus. Ferguson was rebooked against Justin Gaethje at UFC 249’s new location on tribal land in Lemoore, Calif., before political pressure led to the event’s postponement.

Now rescheduled for May 9 in Jacksonville, Fla., UFC 249 is set to host Ferguson vs. Gaethje in an interim lightweight title bout. Nurmagomedov, who’s currently observing the Ramadan holiday, expects to be back in action in August or September.

Nurmagomedov has welcomed the idea of meeting the winner of UFC 249’s main event, and White previously has said the winner will fight for the undisputed belt. But during today’s chat, White expressed more excitement at seeing a rematch between Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor, who met at UFC 229 in the most lucrative pay-per-view in the promotion’s history. Nurmagomedov won by fourth-round submission and has repeatedly dismissed a rematch.

Asked for a fresh rematch, White pitched Nurmagomedov vs. McGregor 2.

“I would have to say Conor [vs.] Khabib,” he wrote. “Conor wants that rematch so bad and I would love to see it.”

Source- https://www.mmafighting.com/2020/4/29/21242115/dana-white-doubtful-on-seeing-khabib-nurmagomedov-vs-tony-ferguson-in-2020?fbclid=IwAR01_bmriNR9EyizAQQ0yb-5wMYoz6tDZQXX4SdEj2Cb0Mk_q9TTs9WZWd4

Daniel Cormier: ‘I’ve got to get back to wrestling’ for trilogy fight against Stipe Miocic

Daniel Cormier never forgets his roots.

Long before he held titles in two different weight classes in the UFC, Cormier’s entire world revolved around the sport of wrestling. He earned All-American status while competing at Oklahoma State University before moving on to international competition where he represented the United States in two different Olympic cycles.

During those years, Cormier became friendly with another Oklahoma State alum — future Strikeforce champion Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal, who he actually defeated in the 2007 U.S. Open.

“He was bigger, stronger, and was just a lil better,” Lawal told MMA Fighting about that match. “I was one of the few guys that could push him. He ended up medaling that year.”

Cormier ended up moving on to the 2008 U.S. Olympic team in the 96-kg category while Lawal came up short with a loss in his final match, which ultimately sealed the deal for his transition into mixed martial arts. It was around that time that Lawal started calling on Cormier to follow him into fighting.

“King Mo started fighting right after he lost to Andy Hrovat,” Cormier said when speaking to fellow Olympian Kerry McCoy via USA Wrestling. “He went and he fought in Japan and made $50,000. I was like ‘what?’ and he went and bought a Cadillac and put like ostrich seats in it. King Mo’s ridiculous. Mo bought a Cadillac with ostrich-skin seats and they had King Mo crowns in the seats. Now $50 grand doesn’t get you that much but he must have spent all of it.

“It was amazing that he had made that much money and he kept calling me about fighting and saying this was something that I could do. I was like okay, I’ll give it a shot.”

Just over a year later, Cormier made his debut. He’s now widely considered as one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time but Cormier has never forgotten what got him into the sport in the first place.

“Wrestling has meant everything to me,” Cormier said. “It’s given me everything. Without the sport, I’d still be in Louisiana somewhere. I wouldn’t have gone to school and got an education. I wouldn’t have gone to fight in the UFC and had all these opportunities at FOX Sports and now ESPN and everything else. It’s all because of wrestling.”

With that said, Cormier is now starting to put together a training camp for what will be the final fight of his MMA career. At 41, Cormier plans to retire following a third bout with Stipe Miocic after the heavyweights split their first two meetings in 2018 and 2019.

Cormier already has a full team behind him at American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose but he’s planning on bringing in a slew of high-level wrestlers and coaches like McCoy to remind him where he came from before facing Miocic one last time.

“I’ve got to get back to wrestling,” Cormier said. “I’ve got to get back to guys like you Kerry, who are actually going to be able to tell me that ain’t enough. I have Bob [Cook] and my coaches do but I need to have that. Like Jamill [Kelly], when I was making 205 [pounds], Jamill would come and do the weight cuts with me. It wasn’t enough, he’d say that ain’t enough. Shawn Bunch does my weight cuts with me and if he thinks ‘DC, you gotta get back in there a little bit before we go home, you’ve got to do that.’

“But you’ve got to have those guys that knew you before all the fame, all the money and all the attention to really put you in your place. I think you know me in a way and I’m wrestling and I’m not doing enough, you’re going to tell me I’m not doing enough. I’m putting together a great camp for this last fight and I can’t wait to get ready.”

Time and time again, Cormier has made it clear that win, lose or draw, this will be his last fight but he’s obviously planning to retire as champion.

“I’m going to fight Stipe Miocic one last time and then I’m going to be done with this whole thing,” Cormier said. “I love this sport. I’m a competitive guy. Getting away from competition is going to be tough but I know that to win the heavyweight championship again is the right way to go out.

“Stipe and I have a fantastic trilogy. He’s a wrestler himself. Very respectful guy. Firefighter. Tough guy. But I need to be the champion as I’m done with this thing.”

The date and location for the fight have not been announced, although with Cormier beginning to put together his training camp, it would seem that will be determined rather soon.

Based on his comments, Cormier seemed to hint at a late summer showdown with Miocic, which means the trilogy would happen almost exactly one year after their last meeting.

“The fight is going to fall at a perfect time to where when I’m done, I can get right back to the kids at Gilroy High School and the wrestling team and starting to try to go and chase down that state championship,” Cormier said.

For now, Cormier will start training towards that ultimate goal as he prepares for one last fight before calling it a career.

Source- https://www.mmafighting.com/2020/4/29/21240899/daniel-cormier-ive-got-to-get-back-to-wrestling-for-trilogy-fight-against-stipe-miocic?fbclid=IwAR3XJC53rJ0YiUX5ViNac0M9juYupSVE54GsPYavFrstimz0LKBjzjGooQc

Missed Fists: Abdifatah Khalif connects with fadeaway flying knee KO, more

elcome to the latest edition of Missed Fists where we shine a light on fights from across the globe that may have been overlooked in these hectic times where it seems like there’s an MMA show every other day.

Let’s just say this is one week you “knee’d” to pay attention. Get it? Get it?

Abdifatah Khalif vs. Korede Lawrence

AL: Did you get it?

JM: That KO was so savage I don’t even have the heart to be mad at you and your terrible puns. I just want to hug you and tell you everything is going to be okay. Or maybe have you tell me that. I’m not sure.

AL: I don’t even know where that came from, but it’s too late to apologize.

JM: I feel a lot of types of ways and not sure any of them are good. Woof.

AL: You’re probably not feeling as good as Abdifatah Khalif after landing this absolutely insane jumping knee on Korede Lawrence at the KOK World Series 2020 show in Helsinki. I don’t know if this was meant as a Kobe tribute, but that’s a fadeaway strike that would make Mamba proud.

Cleveland McLean vs. Desmond Moore
Max Rohskopf vs. Paulo Silva

JM: Something must’ve been in the water last week. On many occasions a walk-off knee like that would get top marks for concussive destruction, but Cleveland McLean’s effort from Titan FC 59 almost feels like an afterthought when compared to Khalif’s all-world KO.

AL: Somehow I doubt Desmond Moore will view this KO as an afterthought.

JM: I am charmed by the Fight Pass Social Media Intern’s typo of “walk-off”. Walkofknee sounds like some kind of Wisconsin suburb that has recently been hell-gentrified.

AL: Also making another highlight is Max Rohskopf, who is quickly becoming one of the most promising young submission artists.

Still just 25, Rohskopf improved to 5-0 with this lovely anaconda choke and he also picks up his second Missed Fists mention.

Harry Stallone vs. Takuya Oyama

According to @VonPreux, these absurdly vicious knees that Harry Stallone blasted Takuya Oyama with are decidedly NOT legal even in Tokyo.

JM: Here are some knees that aren’t quite as “good” as the previous ones we’ve discussed, but are also infinitely better because they’re illegal and as everyone knows, the forbidden is much more exciting.

Mairon Santos vs. Julio Pereira
Mariana Morais vs. Bianca Daimoni

AL: Prospect alert!

That’s featherweight Mairon Santos going to work at Shooto Brasil: Grand Prix on March 1, and according to Tiago Okamura, the lad is just 19 years old. Just going by raw wins and losses, he’s actually faced decent competition as his last three opponents had a combined record of 15-1.

In a perfect world, Santos gets a couple more years to develop over in Brazil before making the jump to a larger promotion, but he’s probably already on the radar of various big show matchmakers.

JM: Dude. Going 10-0 to start your career is pretty damn great. Doing it in the first 11 months of your career is insane. AND HE’S 19! That is full-blown lunacy and I’m not really sure how to react to it other than yelling.

AL: Yes, but—

JM: This kid is obviously going to be the champion of the world someday and very possibly surpass Rickson Gracie by winning 501 fights with no defeats. All hail.

AL: I tried.

For readers wondering why this Shooto event was subtitled “Grand Prix,” it’s because it hosted the next leg in the PFL’s International Qualifier Series. Two weeks ago, we saw Mikhail Odintsov earn a lightweight spot and this time around it was Mariana Morais winning a four-woman, one-night tournament to book her ticket to the upcoming 2020 women’s lightweight season.

JM: You know me, I’m not here to disparage anyone, least of all losing fighters. But it’s tough to really know how Morais stacks up given the defensive openings Bianca Daimoni presented her.

That being said, good fighters knock out bad fighters and Morais certainly did that. Plus her triumphant scream was top-shelf. Love it when fighters are explosively excited for their own success. That’s as it should be.

Cliff Wright vs. Thomas Gifford

AL: It’s not all sunshine and lollipops here as we saw recent UFC fighter Thomas Gifford suffer his third straight loss in truly brutal fashion at the hands of journeyman Cliff Wright in the main event of Pyramid Fights 15.

Readers may remember Gifford as the lightweight who definitively went out on his shield against Mike Davis last October. At least it sounds like he’s planning to take time off to rest and recover.

JM: Oof. When you get colded in that fashion by a .500 fighter, reconsidering your career is honestly a pretty good idea. There are plenty of other endeavors you can engage in that are far more beneficial to your health. Or at least less hazardous. Hope everything works out how you want it to, Mr. Gifford.

Melquizael Costa vs. Anderson Ferreira
Karine Silva vs. Simone Duarte
Manoel Sousa vs. Vandirson Alves
Edipo Lima vs. Edinho Vieira

AL: From Standout Fighting Tournament 21 (available for free replay on YouTube) we have a quartet of outstanding highlights, beginning with Melquizael Costa absolutely shutting down Anderson Ferreira’s attempt at styling here.

JM: This is great because it’s maybe the first time I can remember seeing a “When keeping it real goes wrong” not leading to an immediate KO but a prolonged ass-kicking. Ferreira just out here trying to put on airs and ends up eating an extended combination.

AL: Simone Duarte is either way too calm and collected here or she doesn’t realize she’s in trouble; either way, Karine “Killer” lets her know real quick what’s up.

JM: Inverted heel hooks should be banned for making me feel sick.

AL: This finish would have qualified for a Humpty Dumpty award if it weren’t so damn scary as opposed to amusing.

JM: Now that’s how you KO someone up against the cage. I mean, is it as cool as the knees? No. But it’s also going to show up on your record as a W so that’s probably the most important part.

AL: This next clip from an “Xtreme Kickboxing rules bout” had to be included just because the closing exchange is perfectly in sync with the 10-second clapper.

JM: I take umbrage with the idea of something being called “Xtreme Kickboxing” when it’s just kickboxing in four-ounce gloves. Especially considering Lethwei isn’t a secret. That’s the real Xtreme Kickboxing. This is just a cheap knockoff. Cool KO though.

AL: And now it’s time for a couple of special reader submissions, woo woooooo!

Yu Ji vs. Pat Casey
Zach Junkin vs. Jamie Flick

Up first, we want to thank Yu Ji (@Jiggyji) for recommending this clip of… himself!

That’s Ji capturing the Premier FC middleweight title at a show in Springfield, Mass., last Saturday.

JM: I always love it when readers are fighters themselves, especially promising ones because, let me be perfectly clear here, I will be more than happy to help amplify the career of any young fighter so long as they let me wet the beak a little.

AL: Wait, where are you going with this, I don’t think

JM: You show us love, we’ll show you love, Ji. And that can start with the fact that you don’t follow me on Twitter which, not gonna lie, feels like a betrayal of our new friendship.

If you are a pro fighter and want to supplant Ji as our favorite fighter, just send us a clip of you sparking some random, click the follow button on the Twitter machine, and you’ll have bought my devotion.

AL: That’s all it takes, eh?

JM: What can I say? I’m a cheap date.

AL: BTC’s own Jason Hagholm recommended this sweet finish by Zach Junkin, the fastest in the history of the Ontario-based promotion.

JM: See! This is what I was talking about earlier! Zach “Funkin” Junkin just turned in a record-breaking knockout and he’s all demure and s*it. Come on man, be your own biggest fan! If you aren’t pumped about bolting some dude in less than 30, who else is going to be? Just feels like a letdown when he isn’t going insane.

Plus, he would’ve done Flick a solid so the cameraman wouldn’t have spent all his time focusing on the stumbling man.

AL: It’s like these guys aren’t even trying to become your best friend!

I don’t want to end this on a disappointing note, so let’s just remember that Yoshihiro Akiyama is officially back in business and you know what that means.

Source- https://www.mmafighting.com/2020/3/6/21167580/missed-fists-abdifatah-khalif-connects-with-fadeaway-flying-knee-ko-more?fbclid=IwAR2tq2mg0ej2dcT4hfpqfXEs4QK3V3nvB9Lu0gDmEV1avyK1ShQvT3Uh3xk

Deontay Wilder has time to improve – Johnathon Banks

By Allan Fox: Johnathon Banks believes Deontay Wilder has more than enough time to improve his game before he faces Tyson Fury in a trilogy match later this year. Bank doesn’t think anything less of Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs) for having lost to Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs) by a seventh-round knockout last February.

The trainer Banks still gives the 6’7″ Wilder plenty of credit for having held his WBC heavyweight title for five years from 2015 to 2020. He met up with a bigger fighter in 6’9″ Fury, who had the better boxing skills that enabled him to control the fight and eventually stop Wilder.

As of now, WBC champion Fury and Wilder are expected to fight in six months from now in October of this year. Provided the fight isn’t wiped out by the continuing global pandemic, those two will face each other in a trilogy match in October.

The Bully got bullied

“I know what he’s capable of, and I know what he can do,” said Banks to IFL TV when asked if he thought Fury was capable of performing the way he did against Wilder in their rematch. “He [Wilder] performed the way he always performs.

“He got in there looking for the one-punch knockout. That’s just what he does. The difference with this time was he [Wilder] couldn’t get those shots off, and he couldn’t get the range he wanted, and he was in there with a much bigger man.

“He came in, knocking guys out, but it was almost like the bully got bullied. I’m not saying he’s a bully. That’s the scenario of how the fight went. I still think Deontay is a good fighter. I don’t take away what he’s done up to this point because of that one fight,’ said Banks on Wilder.

Fury used his size and skills to walk Wilder down to beat batter him at will. Wilder tried hard to land his big right hand, but he couldn’t connect with it. Fury did an excellent job of dodging Wilder’s attempts at nailing him with his big right-hand equalizer.

Deontay Wilder has time to improve

“My opinion about him is the same before this fight and after this fight,” said Banks on his view of Wilder not having changed after his loss. “I think he has plenty of time to get in the gym and work on whatever he feels he needs to work on.

“I just hope for his sake that he and the people that he surrounds himself with, his team, I know coach Jay and Mark Breland, have nothing but love for this guy.

“With that being said, I hope they talk openly to him to let him know that ‘we got a few things we need to work on before we do anything else.’ I don’t feel Deontay Wilder is finished. I don’t feel it’s over for him,” said Banks.

There’s a lot of time for Wilder and his team to isolate and fix the mistakes that he made against Fury in their second fight. It’s obvious what Wilder did wrong. If his training team can’t figure out he did wrong by the time the trilogy match rolls around in October; then Wilder needs to dump them. They’ve done very little to improve his flaws over the last 12 years.

Wilder can’t afford to have trainers that aren’t able to see obvious mistakes in his game that need fixing. The errors that Wilder made are things that even a mediocre trainer will be able to repair. Whether Wilder’s current training team is good enough for him to improve is unknown.

What we don’t know is if Fury is going to be able to keep this up for long. He’s already talking about wanting to retire in three more fights.

Emanuel Steward predicted Fury would become champion

“I was sparring Tyson years ago, and Emanuel Steward told me ‘he’s definitely going to be heavyweight champion if he keeps going,’” said Banks. “One of the hardest things to mess within the sport of boxing is a big man that can box. He said, ‘That’s why Bowe gave people problems.’

“Bowe just didn’t have a lot of heart, and that’s why he didn’t fight Lennox. Throughout history, when you had a big man that could not only box but could also fight, he’s always been one of the hardest guys to deal with. If you look at Lennox, Emanuel taught him how to box.

“Lennox already knew how to fight. Lennox was able to go on a long journey with his career because Emanuel Steward taught him how to box. Every once in awhile, he would sit down to fight, and then he went right back to boxing. He couldn’t fight Holyfield because he couldn’t out-fight Holyfield,” said Banks about Lewis. “Holyfield’s arms were too short.

“He was just too good in those small moments. So he had to outbox Holyfield. So that was one of the things Emanuel Steward was able to do to turn him into the undisputed champion was to teach him how to box. A lot of these guys take criticism as someone is against them.

“Some of the guys need to learn how to fight, and some need to learn how to box because you don’t know which one you’re going to need on fight night. That’s why you learn both of them,” said Banks.

Emanuel Steward saw enough of Fury in the short time that he worked with him to make a prediction on his future success.

Source- https://www.boxingnews24.com/2020/04/deontay-wilder-has-time-to-improve-johnathon-banks/?fbclid=IwAR2NN-R1-YLPnQnPs544QCyYaCiq81LMVvJMFPFWvP9Y8B4TFee8oM1–yA

Royce Gracie submits Akebono at K-1 2004 Dynamite! (Retro)

For the second year in a row Pride and K-1 joined forces for a huge card on December 31st. This time the action took place at the Osaka Dome with a capacity crowd packing the venue to see Royce Gracie submit Akebono.

The main event at K-1 2004 Dynamite! was an openweight clash of styles. Royce Gracie returned to competitive MMA action for the first time since his draw with Hidehiko Yoshida at Pride Shockwave 2003, exactly 12 months ago.

The Brazilian submission specialist was matched with a newcomer who brought a big reputation into his MMA debut. Akebono hails from Hawaii but made history by becoming the first non-Japanese-born wrestler ever to reach yokozuna, the highest rank in sumo.

The 43 year old has long since retired from sumo but made a comeback as a K-1 fighter. He was knocked out by Bob Sapp at Pride Shockwave 2003 and suffered four more defeats this year before switching styles to MMA.

Size difference

The sumo star massively outweighed the Brazilian Gracie tipped the scales at a trim 86.6kgs while Akebono came into this fight at 205kgs.

Seconds into the fight Gracie found himself on his back with the Hawaiian giant on top of him. For most men this would have been the worst possibly scenario but the Brazilian was very much in his element.

Akebono could do nothing but lay on Gracie who was swiftly able to slide out from under him and get to his feet. The Brazilian threw a gentle leg kick and his giant opponent responded with a takedown.

With Gracie on his back the Hawaiian seemed content to simply lie on him. But he was clearly out of his element and the BJJ practitioner soon wrapped a right leg around his opponent’s left arm.

Submission specialist

Anyone who has been following Gracie’s MMA career will know how dangerous he can be from these type of positions. Akebono soon found out the hard way as the Brazilian cranked on his arm.

Gracie had the rare omoplate submission locked in and Akebono had no option but to tap. The finish came at the 2:13 mark and sees the the three time UFC tournament winner improve his record to 13-1-2.

By contrast Akebono drops to 0-1 after losing on his debut. Coming off the back of a five fight losing streak in K-it is fair to say the transition from sumo to kickboxing and MMA has not been successful.

Source- https://asianmma.com/royce-gracie-submits-akebono-at-k-1-2004-dynamite-retro/?fbclid=IwAR3SiueGm4oAXPaB1WFLOfeuX_I4NYSUQaT0xJxAPFGdh3mbpsuOJyLPA-k

UFC 249 a shot at redemption for Dominick Cruz

By the time he steps into the cage on May 9 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Jacksonville, Florida, it will have been 47 months between victories and 41 months between fights for Dominick Cruz.

Cruz, 35, remains one of the great fighters in the history of mixed martial arts, a superb combination of brains and brawn. His footwork was unsurpassed and he got more out of his body than just about anyone who ever stepped foot into the Octagon.

When Wayne Gretzky was at his peak in the NHL, he said he would pass the puck not to where his teammate was, but to where he was going. He was a step or two ahead of everyone else on the ice, and seemed to see the game as if he were watching from the upper deck with a view of where everyone was at all times.

Cruz is similar in the sense that he was able to use his footwork to anticipate and create openings that he took advantage of repeatedly. He understood the game at a level few others ever have. It’s why he is such a brilliant television analyst.

On May 9, his task is a lot more difficult than breaking down the nuances in Tony Ferguson’s game. He will try to lift the bantamweight title from Henry “Triple C” Cejudo in the co-main event of UFC 249. Cejudo is a -250 favorite to retain his belt, with Cruz at +200 at the MGM Grand Sports Book in Las Vegas to regain it.

If he pulls it off, it might be the most inspirational victory in the history of the sport. 

No fighter has had the volume of catastrophic injuries that have plagued the former champion. When he defeated Demetrious Johnson on Oct. 1, 2011, Cruz improved his record to 19-1. He’s only fought four times in the eight-plus years since.

If Cruz pulls defeats Cejudo, it won’t be anywhere close to the biggest upset by the odds. But it will be a monumental victory nonetheless and one that would be talked about for years to come.

Much is made, and rightly so, about Muhammad Ali’s forced exile from boxing and what it took from him. But that was Ali’s only lengthy absence from fighting. Cruz has had multiple. After beating Johnson, he was out for two years, 11 months and 26 days, or four days short of three years, before beating Takeya Mizugaki.

He was out 15 months after the Mizugaki fight, before coming back on Jan. 17, 2016, in Boston to regain the bantamweight title in an epic battle with T.J. Dillashaw.

He fought three times in 2016, his most in a year since 2010, but hasn’t fought since. On fight night, it will have been three years, four months and nine days since he last fought, a loss to Cody Garbrandt.

Beating an elite fighter like Cejudo after such an absence is almost unthinkable. If anyone is going to do it, though, bet on it being Dominick Cruz.

Nunes needs to commit to featherweight title defense

Amanda Nunes knocked out Cris “Cyborg” Justino in 51 seconds on Dec. 29, 2018, to win the featherweight title, but hasn’t defended it yet. She was tentatively slated to defend against Felicia Spencer on the May 9 card, but withdrew, saying she needs more time to prepare.

Nunes’ partner, Nina Ansaroff, is pregnant and due in September, so it would seem to make sense for her to defend her featherweight title before then. Once the baby arrives, she’s probably not going to be looking to fight any time soon.

But while that is understandable, and while the UFC’s women’s featherweight division is tiny, the belt still needs to be defended.

Fighters earn the most money when they fight for, and then hold, UFC titles, and it’s not fair to make other women wait. Nunes needs to commit to fighting Spencer soon or surrender that belt.

Hopefully, Nunes will meet Spencer for that belt in June or July, so there isn’t a need to create an interim title.

Source- https://sports.yahoo.com/after-lengthy-absence-dominick-cruz-attempting-the-unthinkable-165621288.html

Learn Judo Olympian Flavio Canto’s Signature Submission: The Canto Choke

Flavio Canto has represented Brazil as a Judo Olympic Athlete and is also a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt alongside that. His career started way back in 1995 with a bronze medal at the Pan American Games in the -78kg category but after moving up to the -81kg category, he started to see more success as the years went on. Canto won silver at the next Pan American Games in 1999 before finally claiming the Gold medal in 2003. After his best performance yet, he then went on to win the bronze medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and since his retirement, he works as a TV presenter for Brazilian networks TVGlobo and SportTV.

As one of the most, if not the most, recognizable Judoka in Brazil, Flavio Canto must have been asked time and time again to show his signature submission, The Canto Choke. It’s normally unusual for Judoka to be known for their ground game, as the vast majority specialize in earning victories from the standing phase, like the now-legendary Teddy Riner. But Canto is no normal Judoka, there are stories abound of him apparently besting a number of very high level BJJ athletes on the ground in training and his BJJ black belt lends some credence to the rumors.

Canto took the unusual approach to Judo of including plenty of BJJ into his training regimen to help improve his grappling on the ground. This is something that many BJJ athletes already do the other way round, training in Judo in order to help their standing grappling for BJJ.

Source- https://grapplinginsider.com/learn-judo-olympian-flavio-cantos-signature-submission-the-canto-choke/?fbclid=IwAR2nA3O1P9DeObQ-wc18MfEZmkTgywIeJZwvnBEp-47hmgLs_NkQ6fUWo3Q

The best places to learn Muay Thai kickboxing in Thailand

I’m lying face down on the floor of a Thai boxing ring in Bangkok when I’m reminded of “Rembrandt”. That was the nickname of a tough old boy in a boxing gym back in London. I’d always thought he was called that out of respect, because he was an Old Master, or maybe because he was considered an artist in the ring. “Nah,” my coach told me. “It’s because he spends so much time on the canvas.”

I could write an entire travel guide to the various canvases of Thailand: at the MuayThai Institute it’s springy but smelly; at Fightlab it’s soft but non-absorbent; in Koh Samui it has the best views down to the ocean; and at The Siam, it feels like velvet.

Twenty years ago – the last time I was in Thailand – most of my fellow UK travellers were rich kids gazing at the cashmere lint in their navels, squaddies on benders and creepy radio DJ types. Back then you avoided the few oddballs who came to learn muay thai: weedy kids who’d watched too many Jean-Claude Van Damme films and thought rat-infested accommodation and one-handed press-ups were character building.

All that has changed. The country has gone from seedy to upscale; from party animals at full moon raves to downward dog at sunrise. Thailand is now a top destination for fitness holidays, yoga retreats and spa breaks.

The fight scene has changed radically too. I’m in Thailand on a week long tour of all the top muay thai schools, looking for somewhere to spend a few months training next year. I’m amazed by the evolution. Vast, air-conditioned martial arts palaces with state-of-the-art gyms, nutritionists and paleo cafes are par for the course since the explosion of MMA (mixed martial arts) took fighting mainstream. It’s the go-to sport for the beautiful people. On my travels I spot a football star in one camp and have a Victoria’s Secret model as a neighbour in another. In 2016, Idris Elba spent months in Thailand training for his first professional kickboxing fight. He won.

Nowhere defines this better than The Siam in Bangkok. It’s a hotel that’s famous for its beautiful design, priceless collection of antiquities and – somewhat incongruously – muay thai. The star of the show is Yin. He’s an Olympic coach and counts the Thai princesses as clients.

Like a lot of legends he’s smaller than you expect, but still a towering presence when viewed from the canvas. There’s an inverse rule-of-thumb in martial arts: the more lethal the fighter, the more friendly they tend to be. Yin is very friendly indeed. Even his broken English makes his deadly art sound delightful. “I hit and make you very sleepy,” refers to a knock-out punch. “You go to bed with wheels!” He means a hospital trolley.

What I enjoy most is learning about the wai khru. It’s a short Thai ritual set to music that every fighter performs before a bout. I’ll admit, I wasn’t massively interested at first – I wanted to fight, not morris dance – but Yin explains it’s about giving thanks and showing respect to your country, the land, your parents and teachers. It’s good for stretching too. There’s also a bit where you mimic shooting an arrow three times at your enemy. You pretend to miss twice but you persevere and eventually hit your target. Sure, it’s a bit “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” translated into dance, but one of the joys of travel is hearing home truths in foreign tongues and seeing them afresh. And if mantras and words to live by are your thing, The Siam has its own tattooist who does magical religious sak yant designs (think of the mystical diagrams gracing the shoulders of Angelina Jolie and Cara Delevingne).

If you want MMA then head for Bangkok Fight Lab. It’s run by Morgan Perkins, a softly spoken Brazilian jujutsu black belt from Utah who has lived in Bangkok for more than a decade. The place is like an aircraft hanger – it has a muay thai ring, a caged octagon, lots of mats to roll on and endless punchbags. At one end, scores of men and women climb up and down very long, heavy ropes beneath a ceiling fan the size of a helicopter rotor. It’s like a scene from James Bond or Austin Powers, with ninjas training inside the baddy’s secret base.

I decide to take a brief break from getting my arse kicked and check out the pros at Lumpinee Stadium. It turns out to be exceptionally cheap to get front row seats to some amazing fights. I take time to watch the crowd too, observe the trainers and their fighters, and breathe in the Tiger Balm-laced air – this is muay thai.

Next I’m off to Koh Samui, where I go to train with Ralph Beale at Lamai Muay Thai Camp. “Half Thai, half Cockney,” Ralph is a humble man with an incredible passion for muay thai. People travel from all over the world to train with him, around half of them women. Kelly Hayes, a British fighter, is there at the same time as me, training for one of her big bouts while her boyfriend goes sightseeing.

Although I’m training at an intense camp, I opt for a little more luxury with my hotel choice and stay at the Four Seasons, which has villas scattered across a lush green hill that slopes steeply down to the beach. Impeccable staff scoot around in golf buggies ferrying guests between massages, scrubs, facials on the beach and yoga in the treetops; there’s even a muay thai boxing ring perched on top of the hill.

Beach holidays, infinity pools and feelgood therapies usually bore me senseless; this time, I love it. Having released my Tyler Durden, I’m more than happy to embrace my inner snowflake. Yoga? It’s great for those high kicks. Spas? Pop another cucumber on my swollen eye, please. They even offer a muay thai recovery massage with herbal steam.

Later – kale, spirulina and lemongrass smoothie in hand – I get all reflective in my private infinity pool and realise just how insufferable I’ve become. But I don’t beat myself up too much. It’s much more fun to hire someone to do it for you.

Travel essentials

An eight night trip to Thailand with Abercrombie & Kent costs from £3,450 per person, B&B. This includes three nights at The Siam Bangkok and five nights at The Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui in a one bedroom villa, plus a five day muay thai tour, international and internal flights and private transfers.

Source- https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/asia/thailand-muay-thai-kickboxing-bangkok-best-schools-siam-fight-lab-a8511326.html?fbclid=IwAR18msBuDJzGfWb19otCyTIKpw-YzIwspYc25S3V66EQ4dCk4n_SUPOWOhk

Chris Eubank Jr. wants to fight for Gennady Golovkin’s middleweight titles: ‘You’re No 1 on my list’

Chris Eubank Jr. has warned Gennady Golovkin, the two time world middleweight champion and one of the pound-for-pound best boxers in the world, that he is the “number one name” on his hit list of desired opponents.

Eubank Jr. currently holds the WBA interim middleweight title after he beat Russia’s Matt Korobov in farcical circumstances in December.

Korobov injured his shoulder after throwing a punch seconds into round two and was unable to continue, with Eubank Jr. declared the winner by a technical knockout in Brooklyn, New York.

Eubank Jr. is back campaigning at middleweight after outpointing domestic rival James DeGale to win the vacant IBO super-middleweight title in February 2019. And the 30-year-old hopes to fight Golovkin next, after missing out on a chance to challenge for the Kazakh’s world middleweight championship in 2016.

Golovkin instead decided to fight Kell Brook, whom he stopped in brutal fashion in the fifth round to retain his WBC, IBF, and IBO middleweight titles.

“He is the No 1 name on my list right now,” Eubank Jr told Sky Sports.

“We were supposed to fight and it has always irked me that the fight was stolen from me and given to Kell Brook at the last minute.

“In the back of my mind it has always been there. I’ve always wanted to fight him.”

Golovkin appears destined to fight Canelo next in a mouth-watering trilogy bout, having drawn with the Mexican pound-for-pound king in September 2017 and then lost a controversial decision in a September 2018 rematch.

Since then, the 38-year-old has stopped the little-known Canadian Steve Rolls and secured an underwhelming decision win over Sergiy Derevyanchenko, to pick up the IBF and IBO middleweight titles left vacant by Canelo.

And it is these titles that Eubank Jr. has his eyes on, having conceded that a fight with Canelo is unlikely for the time being.

“People put [Golovkin’s] name so high,” Eubank Jr. added. “But I know I can beat him. I know that I have the tools and the style to take this guy out.

“My speed, my tenacity? I don’t think he would be able to deal with it.

“This is the main fight.

“Canelo? Everybody would love to fight him but he’s not going anywhere. He will be in the game a lot longer. Golovkin will have a couple more big fights then bow out.

“I’ve been trying to get this fight for years. This is the fight that I want.”

Eubank Jr. has lost two fights in his professional career. The first to the still undefeated Billy Joe Saunders in November 2014 for the European, British, and Commonwealth middleweight titles. The second a wide points decision to George Groves in the World Boxing Super Series super-middleweight semi-final, which resulted in Prince Naseem Hamed memorably imploring him to retire from the sport.

Source- https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/boxing/chris-eubank-vs-gennady-golovkin-fight-canelo-middleweight-a9459841.html?fbclid=IwAR31LzHeTK786yZx8sAJi8Nti8En0kb4gaAD927q70sa3Tabs-JOQffMQic

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