MMA
Former cruiserweight champion Krzysztof Głowacki is taking a break from boxing and considering starting MMA
Published
7 months agoon
By
J. HumzaFormer two-time WBO cruiserweight world champion Krzysztof Głowacki has decided to leave boxing.
“I’m not completely retired. Perhaps I will consider returning to the fight if it is very, very fascinating,” Głowacki (32-4, 20 by knockout) told The Ring. “But I’m out of boxing for now, because then [Richard] Fight in Riakporhe I realized that the world title was no longer for me and I didn’t want to fight mediocre opponents just to keep myself busy.
However, the 36-year-old Pole is not completely leaving combat sports.
“I have other sports plans. I started training MMA and this is my fresh challenge,” he revealed. “I really like training MMA, it is something fresh and inspiring for me. My next fight will be in MMA.”
MMA is very popular in Poland, which regularly sells out immense arenas and can reach amounts of 300-500,000 PPV.
Głowacki can boast of a successful professional boxing career. He turned professional at the age of 22 in Poland, where he won his first 24 fights. His gigantic break came when he went to America as a complete unknown and shocked Marco Huck (KO 11) to win the WBO title.
Then the Pole defeated Steve Cunningham (UD 12), and then gave the title to the future undisputed cruiserweight and heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk (UD 12). He returned to winning ways and was invited to participate in the second season of WBSS. He defeated Maksim Vlasov (UD 12) for the WBO interim title before being promoted to full champion. He controversially lost to Mairis Briedis (TKO 3).
He hasn’t fought for 18 months, largely due to the global Covid-19 pandemic. However, upon his return, he unsuccessfully fought Lawrence Okolie (KO 6) for the vacant WBO title in March 2021. After returning to the win column, he lost to Riakporhe (TKO 4).
Looking back, Głowacki is very proud of one particular performance.
“In my opinion, my best fight was against Maksym Vlasov in WBSS,” he said. “I had a very tough but great training camp, I was in great shape.”
Of course, the fight that will be remembered for a long time is his epic victory over Huck.
“I knew what we had to do there, we did it [homework,]” he said. “I don’t remember the whole sixth round when I got knocked down, but I knew I couldn’t back down, I had to fight him. And I did. After the 10th round I told the coach: I’ve got him!”
And that’s how it happened. Głowacki rallied and dropped Huck twice to score a high and improbable 11th round victory.
Głowacki’s long-time promoter, Andrzej Wasileski from KnockOut Promotions, is proud of his fighter’s boxing achievements.
“Krzysztof had a fantastic career,” Wasileski said. “He had several historic fights for Polish boxing. In my opinion, his victory over Huck was absolutely unique. He defeated a guy who was only one victory away from breaking the cruiserweight title defense record, a hefty favorite, and Krzysztof knocked him out against all odds, in spectacular style, after he was one step away from being eliminated a few rounds earlier. This is a true story from the movie Rocky. He also had some other great victories – Cunningham, Vlasov.
“Głowacki is a great fighter with a lion’s heart, but unfortunately not such a sturdy body. He has struggled with numerous injuries over the last few years, was unable to train properly for many fights (including Riakporhe), and if you can’t give 100 percent at the camp, you can’t compete at the world level. I wish him all the best in his MMA career.”
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MMA
Demetrious Johnson equaled Anderson Silva’s UFC title defense record
Published
6 months agoon
May 19, 2024By
J. HumzaDemetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson defended his flyweight title at UFC “Fight Night Kansas City,” looking to stop challenger Wilson Reis and make UFC history.
After beating Reis from the opening bell and submitting him via armbar at 4:49 of the third round, Johnson did exactly what he wanted. With this victory, Johnson has now won 12 straight fights, but more importantly, it is his 10th defense of the UFC flyweight title, tying Anderson Silva’s record for the most consecutive title defenses in UFC history.
The spectacular, historic victory left Johnson more placid and reserved than usual after the fight.
“GSP, Anderson, they are great champions, but I am the best champion that has ever stepped foot in this Octagon,” Johnson said. “I finish off all my opponents. There is no other champion who can mix it all, fight, punch and clinch like me.
Johnson scored the victory by punching and softening Reis while staying out of danger first. The champion then took him to the ground, pounded him some more, and then delivered a neat submission to the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.
Going from a full mount to an armbar submission faster than anyone else in the UFC to end the event, “Mighty Mouse” showed why he’s considered the best pound-for-pound MMA fighter in the world today.
“It was a damn good night,” Johnson said in his post-fight Octagon interview. “It’s probably the best training camp I’ve ever had, and my head coach kept telling me, ‘Just be yourself.’ I came back and did a lot of things differently at this camp and it was the best effort I’ve ever felt.
Even if people like UFC president Dana White call him the “GOAT” of the UFC, putting his name first alongside Silva, who ruled the middleweight division and pound-for-pound rankings from 2006-2013. Johnson remains focused on taking his division and legacy to heights never before seen in MMA.
“I’m like any champion, whether it’s a team sport like the Michael Jordan Bulls or something like the UFC, I want to win as many championships as possible,” Johnson said at the post-fight news conference. I’ve got 10 title defenses now and I can take this belt home and hopefully next time I can break through and maybe I can get 13 or 14 titles, so why not set the bar high. Just like Usain Bolt is the fastest man in the world, I’m the fastest man in mixed martial arts, so I’m going to continue to prove that and hopefully set the record at 15 years and then I can retire.
Even with 10 consecutive wins inside the Octagon, UFC interim featherweight champion Max “Blessed” Holloway never had the opportunity to fight for the undisputed championship.
That will all change on Saturday when Holloway faces UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo in a unification fight at UFC 212 at the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
This will be only the second time in his career that Holloway will headline a pay-per-view card, but he is extremely confident of entering enemy territory in pursuit of his lifelong dream.
“I’ve been in the spotlight in my career, I’ve had a five-round fight outside the UFC and I’m ready for anything,” Holloway said during a recent conference call.
“I’m just ready to show the world what I’m about and why I’m the best fighter in this division.”
“Blessed” has finished seven opponents in his 10-fight winning streak, including a TKO over former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis to become interim champion.
Holloway and Aldo are two of the best all-around strikers in MMA today, but there aren’t many other similarities both inside and outside the Octagon. What they have in common, however, is that their last defeat came against UFC’s most recognizable star, “Notorious” Conor McGregor.
For Holloway, losing to McGregor four years ago was a good thing. He regrouped, became a more complete fighter and put together one of the greatest winning streaks in UFC history.
However, despite his incredible success at the championship level over the past few years, the UFC has been reluctant to put its hype machine behind Holloway, much to the surprise of many in the media and fans.
Even with this lack of pressure, Holloway is very excited to reign supreme in a division that has only had two undisputed champions in its compact history.
“I just can’t wait to do the damn thing; get in there and fight one of the best of all time,” Holloway said. “He is one of the greatest in our sport, but it is time for a up-to-date era.”
“I have been an underdog my whole life. I do not care. I shouldn’t be here. Max Holloway shouldn’t be talking to any of you. I shouldn’t be here. It is what it is. “Actions speak louder than words, and I have done many things.”
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MMA
Amanda Nunes withdraws from UFC 213 title fight
Published
6 months agoon
May 18, 2024By
J. HumzaAfter being hospitalized hours earlier, UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes has been withdrawn from her UFC 213 main event bout against top-ranked Valentina Shevchenko, UFC president Dana White confirmed.
The report of Nunes’ illness and withdrawal was first revealed by mmafighting.com’s Ariel Helwani. White told LA Times writer Lance Pugmire via text message: “I don’t know why Nunes (14-4) withdrew from the card after being examined by a doctor.
“The doctor cleared her to fight. She said she wasn’t feeling well,” White said. “It is what it is. You can’t force anyone to fight.”
Now, the scheduled co-main event fight for the interim middleweight title between Yoel “The Soldier of God” Romero and Robert “The Reaper” Whittaker will be upgraded to main event status at UFC 213. The fresh co-main event will be a heavyweight fight between the former champion Fabricio Werdum and Alistair Overeem, who will fight for the title of number 1 contender to champion Stipe Miocic.
Many commented on how exhausted Nunes looked, as fighters often do, at the official weigh-in on Friday morning around 10 a.m. PST. It must be admitted that in her nine-year MMA career, “The Lioness” has never officially made weight or withdrawn from a fight due to weight loss problems, until today.
The fight will likely be postponed soon. Bob Bennett of the Nevada State Athletic Commission said Nunes had problems beyond the weakness resulting from the weight cut that led to her withdrawal.
Meanwhile, undefeated women’s strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk spent Saturday morning “begging White to fight via text messages and social media.” Jedrzejczyk last fought at UFC 211 in May and plans to fight in November at UFC 217, but she was in town for International Fight Week and told White she would face Shevchencko.
Much to the disappointment of fans and the media, the strawweight champion has no chance of fighting tonight because medical tests and other clearances require a little longer before the NSAC will clear her. So everyone has to hold on tight to see how this story unfolds over the next few days
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