MMA
Triller’s recent direction, combining boxing and MMA, could put Dana White and the UFC at risk
Published
8 months agoon
By
J. HumzaTeam Triller has to get points for diversity, right?
They did something like a Mike Tyson comeback against Roy Jones; notable for being notable Jake Paul vs. former UFC fighter Ben Askren, a completely random MSG Theater club level show headlined by by Michael Hunter in Manhattan, freak mini marriage Teofimo Lopez and George Kambosos, a combination of Cletus Seldin and Wyclef Jean from Brooklyn – and now they want to combine boxing and MMA on November 27 in Texas under the recent “Triad Combat” brand.
The release announces Sun and Moon, “a revolutionary recent team combat sport that combines the principles of boxing and MMA in an aggressive and fast-paced manner, with fighters competing in a specially designed triangular ring for two-minute rounds pitted against professional boxers by professional mixed martial arts fighters “
As of now, Vitor Belfort is last seen in the November 27 program pounding 58-7/8-year-old stuffing from impoverished Evander Holyfield, who replaced Oscar De La Hoya, who came down with Covid (and recovered nicely.)
The Triller team, led by Ryan Kavanaugh, is capitalizing on this aspect: “leveling the playing field.” Competitors, including a heavyweight Kubrat Pulev, last seen respectfully acknowledging Anthony Joshua after a stoppage loss in December 2020, will be wearing “crossover gloves.” This is because holding will be allowed to facilitate MMA fighters, I believe, when tattooing themselves with combinations. Triller hopes viewers will enjoy the PPV ($30) as they watch fights take place on an “even battlefield where neither opponent has a greater advantage.”
And that’s not all!
At Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, home of the MLB Rangers, fight fans can nod their heads to “Enter Sandman” as Hall of Fame metal/rock gods Metallica perform a concert as part of the PPV.
This edition also includes information about “other unexpected guests”.
I’m not sure Ryan Kavanaugh liked it when I wrote that he was throwing spaghetti on all the walls to see what sticks, but I realize this is more of a positive than a negative, at least in my opinion. I still hope the company returns to the tone set by Pete Davidson at the Atlanta concert where Al Bernstein had to wear a gas mask to avoid being burned by secondhand smoke. But I think they’re trying to see which demos best suit their efforts.
My editor-in-chief of NYFights.com, Abe Gonzalez, has the keen eye and mind to see the writing on the wall, even if it’s tiny.
Many of the artists Triller has highlighted fall into his genre, so I asked him to share how he thinks Triller has done in one year.
“Since the birth of Triller and its introduction to the boxing world, the company has had its ups and downs,” he said Gonzalez, an active-duty Marine was stationed in North Carolina.
“Before Triller premiered Tyson vs. Jones, something called ‘Verzuz’ was created between two of music’s most talented producers, Swizz Beatz and Timbaland. During last year’s lockdown, Swizz and Timbo created an Instagram environment that gave artists a platform to compare themselves to others in their catalog while we all stayed at home. The model was brilliant and generated enough interest to eventually secure Apple TV as a distributor. As the series gained more notoriety, they struck an exclusive distribution deal with Triller. The deal made sense because each Verzuz event had an average of 500,000 live viewers. up to 2 million live viewers. This is exactly the type of audience you want to have on hand when promoting other events that will be featured on this platform. Combining boxing events and Verzuz is a sharp move for Triller, but only if you can turn these music consumers into regular boxing fans,” Abe continued. “Lox vs. The dipset was sold out, giving the “club show” card a main event feel due to the buzz generated by Verzuz. Time will tell whether this model will allow Triller to continue hosting boxing shows. For now, I’m ready for it, and so are the people who bought tickets for these events.”
Back to the most essential elements of Triller Fight Club’s recent direction. Regarding Triad Fight Rules: We will see underhook, overhook, Muay Thai tactics and no, we will not see kicks. We saw Superman’s spinning back fist and punch. Guys will be able to stand on an enemy’s leg and hit him. No knees or elbows allowed. Sorry, MMA guys won’t be able to lock the guillotine. There will be no takedowns or holds on the ground. No headbutts. The ring/cage should have the shape of a triangle, as outlined in this article, and the folks at BYB say that as of November 4, the matter is still pending. I just wanted to make sure about this element, so I asked Ryan Kavanaugh if ball hitting was allowed.
“No, it’s in the rules,” he said. “No blows below the belt.
“This is just the next step in the evolution of the fight club, starting with the Tyson event a year ago to building Jake Paul and Trillerverz. Our last three shows have set records for being the most-watched of any event of the year, even beating out NFL and The Bachelor,” Kavanaugh continued.
Also: I take his word for the ratings and numbers, I don’t have access to that information. Kavanaugh may allow his enthusiasm for sales to go beyond the bubble, prompting him to be overly confident about projected or desired goals or benchmarks. This man is a born salesman and is not held back by the desire to create an “above all else nippy” atmosphere. Not afraid to show off, boldly, or maybe even bolder… the release reads: “The highly anticipated debut of TRIAD COMBAT on Saturday, November 27 is expected to break all existing Pay-Per-View records in a unique broadcast that will include special surprises throughout time.”
Shatter? I have my doubts.
And this is Kavanaugh… who wants to cut through the content jam, make you look up from all that IG scrolling because your ears twitched when you heard “break the entire existing Pay-Per-View record.”
“With every event, we listen to the fans and adapt to their voices. “This is a year of tweaking, twisting and adapting to create a sport for the fans and by the fans,” the Triller runner said. “Most importantly, for the first time the playing field will be leveled between MMA and boxing, which will also make it the first team combat sport.”
How so?
“Boxing and MMA are teams, there is a scoring system and there is a team win, including money for winning,” Kavanaugh explained. “So if the MMA team wins every MMA fighter, wins or loses their individual fight, they will receive a portion of the payment. If Team Boxing wins, win or lose, each boxer will get a piece of the pie. The pie keeps getting bigger and bigger until the world champion is crowned,” he said, then referring to the “multi-million-dollar bonus if your team wins.”
It got me thinking because it was in the news, the “compensation issue” in the UFC…
Does Dana White know this, and will the Triad concept attract UFC fighters who are free under contract, lured by the opportunity to earn much higher salaries than they are accustomed to?
“I don’t think (White knows about what could be the cause of the complications, which is the recent place where his players might consider moving from camp) yes, because that’s what came to lithe, but it will be,” Kavanaugh said. By this point, Mike Perry had lost two in a row in the UFC and his contract had expired, so he decided to mix things up and take part in a bare-knuckle fight for David Feldman’s BKFC organization, and now his hands would be in the TTC. The 30-year-old rumbler is a fan-friendly rumbler who has it enriched his Wikipedia page with lots of arguments, accusations and the like. “These companies are competing for Mike Perry’s money,” Perry told The MMA Hour this week, “and they and I have all helped raise awareness of violent people around the world who deserve more respect and are willing to fight for theirs and they keep fighting for it and they get something that has never been offered before.
Is Kavanaugh planning to defect from the UFC to a place in the Triad? “It’s already happening,” said the California businessman. “I’m getting calls. Very intriguing.”
UFC staple Frank Mir will be a fixture on Triller events when he takes up his duties on November 27. Mir fought Steve Cunningham, a former cruiserweight champion, at Paul vs DadBad Boxer Askren.
Okay, yes, Kavanaugh and Dana White had a fierce sparring match sometimes last year I started to wonder if this was part of Kavanaugh’s motivation to get to white people’s frail spot?
“Many UFC fighters were begging to join us, they were just fed up with being underappreciated and underappreciated,” Kavanaugh said. “At the same time, everyone wanted to box, but we all know that when you put MMA versus boxing with real boxers, the boxer always has the advantage, so this ‘levels the playing field’ so to speak, gives the fans what they want and gives the fighters what they want. “
Now that I have it, any tips for “special attractions”?
I poked him, asking who would “verzuz” Metallica, but he didn’t bite. He said they received 5.2 million comments during the last Trillerverz (Oct. 16 and 17) and that 18- to 27-year-olds are very likely to view Triller’s products.
I have a few more questions for Kavanaugh, including: Has the Triller Fight Club boxing division been shut down? “No, still TrillerVerz and Fight Club,” Kavanaugh said.
I tested my luck and asked if Mir would have a rematch with Cunningham, this time under Triad rules? I didn’t hear back then, although I heard later… I don’t know, Kavanaugh moved on, probably shooting handfuls of spaghetti at who knows what target while away from the phone.
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MMA
Demetrious Johnson equaled Anderson Silva’s UFC title defense record
Published
7 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
7 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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