Having been around combat sport for over two decades, my passion for MMA and Boxing just grows and grows. I am a former columnist for MMA Uncaged Magazine and currently contribute to Fighters Only and other leading MMA sites.
Bellator 154 took place Saturday, May 14th in San Jose, CA and was headlined a light heavyweight fight between Phil Davis and Muhammed Lawal.
Here are the full results:
Main Card
Phil Davis Def. Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Saad Awad Def. Evangelista Santos via TKO 4:31 Round 1
Adam Piccolotti Def. Ray Wood via Submission (RNC) 3:17 Round 1
Andre Fialho Def. Rick Reger via KO (punch) 2:11 Round 1
Josh San Diego Def. Jeremiah Labiano via Unanimous Decision (29-28,29-28,29-28)
Preliminary Card
Mark Dickman Def. Thomas Diagne via TKO (strikes) 3:05 Round 3
Jaimelene Nievara Def. Stephanie Frausto via TKO (strikes) 2:43 Round 3
Joshua Hardwick Def. Jorge Acosta via Submission (Guillotine choke) 1:21 Round 1
Sam Spengler Def. Doyle Childs via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
UFC 198 came from Curitiba in Brazil last night healined by Fabricio Werdum and Stipe Miocic. Also making her UFC debut was a catchweight belt between Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino vs Leslie Smith.
Here are the quick results:
Main Card
*Stipe Miocic Def Fabricio Werdum via KO 2:47 Round 1
*New Heavweight Champion
Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza Def Vitor Belfort via TKO 4:38 Round 1
Cris Cyborg Def Leslie Smith via TKO 1:21 Round 1
Shogun Rua Def Corey Anderson via Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
The upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter® will once again showcase mixed martial arts’ global expansion, as Polish strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk and No. 1 contender Claudia Gadelha of Brazil lead a group of light heavyweight (men) and strawweight (female) hopefuls.
Thirty-two athletes from countries such as the Netherlands, Algeria, France, Norway, Spain, Canada, Brazil, England and the United States fight for one of 16 spots available in the premiere episode on Thursday, April 21 at 3am BST on BT Sport (repeated at 10pm BST later that same day).
There will be no shortage of intensity and drama with Jedrzejczyk (11-0, fighting out of Olsztyn, Poland) and Gadelha (13-1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) as one of the most intense rivalries in all of mixed martial arts plays out on screen. The two fought in December 2014 with Jedrzejczyk narrowly edging out Gadelha before eventually going on to win the strawweight world title. There will be no love lost between the two as their epic feud plays out leading up to their highly anticipated rematch.
The show will feature 12 episodes, airing on BT Sport. Each episode’s winner will advance in the single-elimination tournament, leading to the season finale on July 8 in Las Vegas as part of International Fight Week. The finale will be headlined by this season’s coaches in a world title bout as Jedrzejczyk collides with Gadelha.
The Ultimate Fighter 23 competitors:
Strawweight Females
Light Heavyweight Men
Alyssa Krahn, 3-1, Age 28, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Abdel Medjedoub, 3-0, Age 30, Mila, Algeria
Amanda Cooper, 1-1, Age 24, Bath, Mich.
Andrew Sanchez, 7-2, Age 27, Shiloh, Ill.
Amy Montenegro, 7-2, Age 32, Forks, Wash.
Cory Hendricks, 3-0, Age 27, Lynden, Wash
.
Ashley Cummins, 3-3, Age 28, St. Louis, Mo.
Elias Urbina, 3-0, Age 22, Weslaco, Texas
Ashley Yoder, 4-1, Age 28, Indianapolis, Ind.
Eric Spicely, 8-0, Age 29, Stoughton, Mass.
Chelsea Bailey, 2-0, Age 23, Chewelah, Wash.
Jamelle Jones, 6-2, Age 28, Atlantic City, N.J.
Helen Harper, 4-1, Age 28, Farnborough, England
John Paul Elias, 3-0, Age 27, Fresno, Calif.
Irene Rivera, 6-2, Age 22, Barcelona, Spain
Josh Stansbury, 7-2, Age 31, East Liverpool, Ohio
Jamie Moyle, 3-1, Age 27, Las Vegas, Nev.
Kenneth Bergh, 3-0, Age 26, Oslo, Norway
JJ Aldrich, 2-1, Age 23, Aurora, Colo.
Khalil Rountree, 4-0, Age 26, Las Vegas, Nev.
Jodie Esquibel, 5-1, Age 29, Albuquerque, N.M.
Marcel Fortuna, 8-1, Age 30, Tubarao, Brazil
Kate Jackson, 7-2-1, Age 29, Lostwithiel, England
Muhammed DeReese, 5-0, Age 27, Titusville, Fla.
Kristi Lopez, 2-0, Age 33, Quartz Hill, Calif.
Myron Dennis, 12-4, Age 27, Oklahoma City, Okla.
Lanchana Green, 2-1, Age 26, Darlington, England
Norman Paraisy, 15-4-2, 1 NC, Age 30, Paris, France
Mellony Geugjes, 0-1, Age 23, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Phil Hawes, 3-0, Age 27, Little Ferry, N.J.
Tatiana Suarez, 3-0, Age 25, Fontana, Calif.
Trevor Carlson, 10-2, Age 27, Spring Creek, Nev.
All photo credits to:
UFC, Invicta, Joe Pic Photography, Sherdog, Cage Warriors,Bloody Mayhem, Epic Fighting, Google Images, Facebook, http://www.kristilopez.com
RAGED UK MMA 3 took place this Saturday, February 27th at MECA, Swindon which hosted a fight card of five amateur MMA bouts along with five professional MMA bouts. Although it was headlined by Swindon’s Phil Wells and Alex Brunnen, it also contained the addition of the first ever female bout on the card between Bristol’s L.J Adams and Kent’s Emma Delaney, both of whom are former Cage Warrior athletes themselves.
With the RAGED first title belt on the line, it was to be SVT’s Alex Brunnen’s night who won GOLD in the lightweight contest against Bristol’s Guy Lewis with a 36 second TKO.
Full Fight Results
Pro Fights
Alex Brunnen Def Guy Lewis Via TKO 36 seconds round 1
**New Raged UK Lightweight Title Belt Holder**
Kenton Kauppinen Def Brad Watchorn Via TKO (leg srikes) round 1
Phil Wells Def Shane Riley Via RNC 48 seconds round 1
L.J. Adams Def Emma Delaney Via TKO round 1
Krystian Gowik Def Jordan Patey Via KO round 2
Amateur Fights
Chris Bucksey Def Tom Enstone Via Majority Decision
Aaron Laleye Def Dean Hart Via Unanimous Decision
Mateusz Ginter Def Matt Thorn Via TKO (GnP) round 1
Lewis Hawkins Def Oliver Harry Campbell Via TKO (GnP) round 1
Dale Thompson Def Freddie Allen Via Unanimous Decision
*Thank you to Leigh Remedios for the information on the Fight Results
The UFC made its return to London, England with a huge main event in that of middleweight contender Michael Bisping, who returned to his home country to take on former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. It was however to be ‘The Count’ Michael Bisping’s night who scored a unanimous decision win over Anderson Silva in a thrilling five round war.
In the co-main event Gegard Mousasi took an unanimous decision win over Thales Leites and then UK standout Tom Breese won a unanimous decision over Keita Nakamura.
Full results:
Main Card
Michael Bisping Def. Anderson Silva Via UD 48-47, 48-47, 48-47
Gegard Mousasi Def Thales Leites Via UD 30-27, 29-28, 30-27
Tom Breese Def Keita Nakamura Via UD 30-27, 30-27, 29-28
Brad Pickett Def. Francisco Rivera Via SD 29-28, 28-29, 29-28
Preliminary Card
Makwan Amirkhani Def Mike Wilkinson Via UD 29-28, 30-27. 29-28
David Grant Def. Marlon Vera Via UD 30-26, 30-26, 30-26
Scott Askham Def. Chris Dempsey Via KO 4:45 Rnd 1
Arnold Allen Def Yaotzin Meza Via UD 30-27, 30-27, 30-27
Krzysztof Jotko Def. Bradley Scott Via UD 29-28, 30-27, 29-28
Rustam Khabilov Def Norman Parke Via UD 29-28. 29-28. 29-28
Daniel Omielanczuk Def Jarjis Danho Via Majority Technical Decision 29-29, 29-28. 29-28.
Teemu Packalen Def Thibault Gouti Via RNC 0:24 seconds Rnd 1
David Teymur Def Martin Svensson Via TKO 1:26 Rnd 2
Swindon based promoter Gary Turland and Trainer Michael ‘Oz’ Osbourne will be bringing Professional and Amateur Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) back to the town of Swindon after the success of the first two RAGED UK events last year.
RAGED UK will be taking place this Saturday, February 27th at MECA, Swindon which will host a fight card of six amateur MMA bouts along with five professional MMA bouts. Although it will be headlined by Swindon’s Phil Wells and Alex Brunnen, I can guarantee that with the addition of the first ever female bout on the card between Bristol’s L.J Adams and Kent’s Emma Delaney, both of whom are former Cage Warrior athletes, it will be these two females who will be stealing the show.
Full Fight Card
Pro Fights
Guy Lewis (70.2) vs Alex Brunnen (70.2)
Brad Watchorn* vs Kenton Kauppinen (93.9)
Shane Riley (77.1) vs Phil Wells (77.1)
Emma Deleaney (63.3) vs L.J. Adams (63.3)
Jordan Patey* vs Krystian Gowik*
Amateur Fights
Chris Bucksey vs Tom Enstone
Aaron Laleye vs Dean Hart
Mark Ince vs Mateusz Ginter
Oliver Harry Campbell vs Lewis Hawkins
Freddie Allen vs Dale Thompson
Sam James vs Kyle Bayliss
*Will weigh-in on the day with the amateur fighters
Weigh-In Video
Face offs
Tickets are £20 and £40 VIP available from all fighters, The Forum, The Khyber; alternatively you can buy online at www.swindontickets.co.uk or click on their social media pages Facebook/Twitter.
Tickets are subject to a surplus charge on the door.
The UFC makes its return to London, England with a huge main event in that of middleweight contender Michael Bisping, who returns to his home country and takes on former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. The co-main event is another middleweight contest between Thales Leites and Gegard Mousasi (who was originally due to take on Michael Bisping).
With a stacked card from top to bottom, the atmosphere at O2 Arena is one not to be missed.
Before we get to the fights ahead we have to make sure they all make weight.
Here are the weigh-in results:
Main Card
Michael Bisping (185) vs. Anderson Silva (186)
Thales Leites (186) vs. Gegard Mousasi (185)
Tom Breese (171) vs. Keita Nakamura (170)
Brad Pickett (136) vs. Francisco Rivera (136)
Preliminary Card
Makwan Amirkhani (145) vs. Mike Wilkinson (145)
David Grant (136) vs. Marlon Vera (135)
Scott Askham (185) vs. Chris Dempsey (185)
Arnold Allen (145) vs. Yaotzin Meza (144)
Krzysztof Jotko (184) vs. Bradley Scott (186)
Rustam Khabilov (155) vs. Norman Parke (155)
Jarjis Danho (261) vs. Daniel Omielanczuk (254)
Thibault Gouti (155) vs. Teemu Packalen (156)
Martin Svensson (154) vs. David Teymur (155)
Swayze Valentine. Swayze. Swayze. I can hear you saying the name over and over again, it sounds familiar but where have you heard it? And before you think “Patrick Swayze”, hold it right there!
What if I were to say to you, “UFC”? Would that ring any bells? How about if I also mentioned, “cutwoman”, you know, the female version of Jacob “Stitch” Duran or Adrian “Tenacity” Rosenbusch? Has the penny dropped now?
Born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, Swayze Valentine was a determined individual, whose parents instilled a good work ethic in her from an early age. This work ethic was instrumental in forging a career as the first (and currently only) female cutwoman in the UFC.
Having made her career choice back in 2006, it has not been an easy road, with many hurdles in the process to making it this far in her 10 year career. Acceptance and adversity is still one of the biggest challenges to overcome in this male dominated industry.
The rewards far outweigh any of the negativity that Swayze has had – and still endures – in her chosen career. Just listening to her passion and drive alone makes you want her to be successful in this forever-evolving sport.
“I feel that I make a difference. I love taking care of people. Being a Cut woman, I get to wrap the hands of these incredible athletes in a sport that many don’t understand. I get to take care of them when they need me most. I get them to the next round. A fighter recently told me that having me there brings him comfort. That meant so much. I am so glad that my presence can calm a fighter in the middle of battle. I feel that being a mother, I bring a nurturing, calming comfort to these fighters, which I think is a huge asset that I hold dearly!
I can’t lie, it feels amazing that I am one of the few, elite professional Cutmen/Women in the world. But I still have all those same struggles that I have had from the beginning. I still deal with adversity, I always will, and I’m okay with that!”
Swayze worked many hours and travelled hundreds of miles a day, just to gain experience wrapping hands in a gym environment, all for free before ever having a ‘paid’ job in her chosen career path. Swayze then asked renowned UFC Cutman Adrian “Tenacity” Rosenbusch for some advice. He took her under his wing and became her mentor for two years, training her in the ‘cut side’ of the work. Swayze held a great pedigree in her CV even before being approached by the UFC, having worked with promotions such as Invicta, Bellator, WSOF, MMA Explosion and King of the Cage, along with amateur MMA and Muay Thai promotions including, 1 Kick Nicks, Tuff N Uff, Battle at the Bay and Rumble on the Ridge, to name just a few.
Having made her first appearance with the UFC two years ago at UFC 170, “The Queen of Cuts” (a nickname given to her by Jacob “Stitch” Duran) must feel under a lot of scrutiny.
“Absolutely! There is so much more stress. Everything is more difficult. I have to be 150% better than anyone else. The pressure is magnified tenfold. I like it that way though. It keeps me on my toes and it is always exciting. I turn the pressure and stress into drive, and into a positive. I let it push me past all my insecurities and personal fears. I thrive on being in a stressful environment, I’m better, faster, and I’m stronger.”
If being a single mom to two boys and a cutwoman in the UFC is not enough to keep Swayze busy she has also taken a role in hit US Drama Kingdom. The show which features stars such as Frank Grillo, Kiele Sanchez, Matt Lauria, Jonathan Tucker, Nick Jonas, Joanna Going and has also featured guest appearances from UFC fighter Cub Swanson, with guest presenters Hendi Androl, Kenny Florian just to name a few. Airing on Direct TV, the Audience Network production will be returning to your screens next summer in the US.
With so many highlights over her two-year span thus far with the UFC, I’m sure it would be hard for anyone to choose some personal favourites but here Swayze goes through some of her highlights to date.
“Oh man, What a ride! I have had so many amazing experiences since 2 years ago! If we are just talking about UFC, some of my personal highlights was definitely my first UFC event. Next would have to be, when fighters request me to wrap their hands or be in their corner, and when Joanna Jedrzejczyk requests for me to wrap her hands because I am good luck for her. Another exciting highlight would have to be when I wrapped Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor’s hands for an episode of “Embedded” That was awesome… Just to name a few.”
As for advice to anyone who wanted to pursue a career in the same field as herself, Swayze had this to say:
“Being a Cutman/Woman, is a beautiful and rewarding career. If someone is interested, you have to check out Fight Business Academy!! This new online Academy has made becoming aCutman/Woman much more attainable than it has ever been before. Go to www.fightbusinessacademy.com. It is the first company to offer formal training for many of the exciting jobs in Mixed Martial Arts, Boxing and Muay Thai. This online academy has accomplished this through a hybrid of online classes and live Bootcamps with the top professionals in Combat Sports. Fight Business Academy also offers an exciting array of learning opportunities to fit every schedule and budget. From the “Academy Insider” weekly group chats, one-on-one Skype sessions to live Bootcamps in the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas Nevada! Fight Business Academy can teach you all the technical skills you need to be a valuable asset to any organization. It is so cool! I wish this online academy was available to me when I started!! I highly recommend anyone wanting to become a Cutman/Woman, to go online and check out this course.”
On Episode 1 of UFC 195 Embedded, UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler celebrates Christmas with his family in Florida. Challenger Carlos Condit cooks for his kids in Albuquerque, while heavyweight contender Stipe Miocic dines with his future in-laws in rainy Cleveland. Former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski drags his entire camp into the snow for a bare-knuckle cold weather contest.
The upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter® will once again showcase mixed martial arts’ global expansion, as Polish strawweight champion 
Five Rounds with Emma 
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