Darren Till hails MTK Global signing 57 MMA stars at former Brazil base
Frankie
16/05/2018
UFC superstar Darren Till has welcomed the news he has 57 new MMA team-mates at MTK Global.
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UFC superstar Darren Till has welcomed the news he has 57 new MMA team-mates at MTK Global.
Derek Anderson is fresh off a win at Bellator 197 and he’s looking to make up for the lost time he spent recovering from injury. MMA UK checked in with him while he taught a Muay Thai class at Rock Steady Gym in Escondido, California. After a 447-day layoff, Derek beat Zak Bucia by unanimous decision (30-27,30-27, 30-27). A performance that impressed Big John McCarthy, who said: “Derek Anderson is one of those guys, he flies under the radar… I don’t know how it happens but he’s one of the most dangerous lightweights there is in Bellator or in the world”. Hearing the kind words from an iconic member of the MMA community gives him new motivation, he and his manager Johnny Hughes say that he’s back as a more mature fighter. Coming into his “manhood” he’s not looking to joke around and have fun anymore. He also looks to secure a spot in one division contemplating where he fits in. He’s been matched in both welterweight and lightweight bouts and recently fought in a catchweight at 165lb against Bucia. “I’d like to eventually fight the matches Bellator tried to make at 170 against MVP and Paul Daley, I like MVP’s style more for me” But if the promotion were to open a discussed 165lb division Anderson says that would be his natural weight for competition. “They were talking about it before my last fight, we were fighting at 165. I knew it was a newly recognized division, but I didn’t know it was getting the recognition to the point where Bellator might pick it up soon or something like that, that would be great”. Until then, he says the lightweight division is his for the taking, planning to ultimately rematch champion Brent Primus. Derek faced Brent Primus at Bellator 141 on August 28, 2015. He lost the fight by split decision. Similar to another contender in the division, Derek has a strong opinion of the current champ. “He sucks and I’ll emphasize on that just because he won’t fight me. He’s close to retiring man because that guy’s not a fighter. I don’t like to talk too much crap but apparently, I do on this guy. I don’t know we had a controversial fight”. He believes he has to get past Benson Henderson and Michael Chandler first. The plan is to get one of those fights booked by the end of 2018.
Former UFC Light Heavyweight champion, UFC Hall of Famer and MMA legend Chuck Liddell (21-8-0) has announced his un-retirement and potential comeback plans, to simultaneous moaning and applause from across the world. Chuck broke the news himself to Ariel Helwani and the world on the MMA Hour, stating that he “will fight again”, despite being 48 years old, 8 years removed from his last professional MMA bout and almost 11 years removed from his last win. Asked what his motivation was for the return to fighting, Chuck confidently replied that he “never stopped missing it” and believes he is able to succeed. However, he won’t be making his return in the UFC, with promotional duties looking to be carried out by boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions. Though the former 6-time world boxing champion has never promoted MMA before, according to both Chuck himself and an Instagram post by Tito Ortiz, a fight between the (also) retired, former UFC light heavyweight champion may be in the works. If that fight were to fall through, Chuck would still be “going to give it a shot. It’ll be somebody else, one of the guys from my past probably, most likely, and we’ll see where I’m at”. Should Mr Liddell get cleared by an athletic commission, this will be the first time he has competed outside the UFC banner since a TKO loss to Rampage Jackson in Pride Final Conflict 2003, although he did also pick up a win 3 months prior to that against a fresh-faced Alistair Overeem. Add to this the fact that his previous 3 losses (also his last 3 fights) were all lost by TKO or KO, the cards are certainly stacked against Chuck for success in a late return, and as recently as last year, his longtime coach John Hackleman said the following; “But even $3 million, I don’t think that would be enough to put his life at risk and his legacy at risk. Because his legacy, not only for his own self-esteem but his legacy for his future earnings as well, could be worth a hell of a lot more than $3 million and tarnishing it to a certain degree, that might not be worth it. So it would all depend on the opponent.” Will Chuck make the walk again? Will it be a rubber match with Tito Ortiz? Time will tell, and though many fans will groan and cry for the health and legacy of a former great, I’m sure I and many others will tune in regardless and see if “The Iceman” can dust off his famous overhand right one more time for the fans.
Following an impressive victory in his first appearance inside the ONE Championship cage, last January in Manila, Lumpinee Stadium champion and Muay Thai legend Sam-A Gaiyanghadao is ready to return to action, this time to compete for the inaugural ONE Super Series Muay Thai Flyweight World Championship. ONE Super Series was created to showcase the adrenaline-pumping action of world-class martial arts on the world’s biggest and most prestigious stage of the competition. Fans will be treated to an amazing evening of electrifying and compelling matchups, designed to showcase the purest form of world-class striking across all of Asia’s major martial arts. The 34-year-old Gaiyanghadao boasts of a 365-46-9 overall professional Muay Thai record and has won the prestigious Lumpinee Stadium championship on multiple occasions, as well as capturing the Thailand Super Flyweight, Super Bantamweight, and Bantamweight Championship, and more. When asked how much the ONE Super Series title means to him, Gaiyanghadao offered a simple response. “Even though I have won many Muay Thai world championships, I am still very excited about the chance to win the ONE Championship belt,” said Gaiyanghadao. “I am thankful that ONE Championship has chosen me to take part in the first world title fight for ONE Super Series. I will do my best to make my family, my fans, and all of Thailand proud.” The legend returns to action this Friday night, 18 May at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, in the co-main event of ONE: UNSTOPPABLE DREAMS opposite Sergio “Samurai” Wielzen of Amsterdam, Netherlands. The winner will crown the first-ever ONE Super Series Muay Thai Flyweight World Champion. Competing in Thailand’s largest and most prestigious arenas has been a staple for Gaiyanghadao ever since he began training as a young boy at the family farm. Known for his exciting fighting style, Gaiyanghadao is highly-regarded as one of the biggest stars in Muay Thai history. But even given his lofty credentials, Gaiyanghadao isn’t taking Wielzen lightly. “My opponent for this fight is very strong,” Gaiyanghadao offers. “He is experienced and has a lot of power. I am not taking this fight lightly, and I am fully focused. I do not have a particular game plan. As always, I will go in and see how the fight develops. It is going to be a fun fight.” With over 20 years in professional experience, Gaiyanghadao has competed against some of the biggest names in Muay Thai such as Nong-O Gaiyanghadao, Pornsanae Sitmonchai, Penek Sitnumnoi, Petchboonchu FA Group, and Singtongnoi Por Telakun, among others. Today, he is a well-respected coach at Singapore’s renowned Evolve gym. He is best known for his strong defense and counter offense. If he can defeat Wielzen in Singapore, Gaiyanghadao will be crowned the first ONE Super Series world champion in history, which certainly adds to his already impressive credentials as a world-class athlete. “I am in the best shape of my life, and I feel great. I am faster, stronger, and more experienced. It is going to be an exciting contest for sure, but I am looking to end it quickly,” Gaiyanghadao concluded. ONE: UNSTOPPABLE DREAMS will be broadcast live from Singapore, and will stream on Thairath TV Channel 32. The event will also feature reigning ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee as she defends her title against Mei “V.V” Yamaguchi of Japan in a highly-anticipated rematch. In the evening’s other co-main event, ONE Featherweight & Lightweight World Champion Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen defends his featherweight title against rising star Christian “The Warrior” Lee.
Ireland’s Cian Cowley has signed with Brave Combat Federation and will be fighting at Brave 13 at the SSE Arena in Belfast on 9th June 2018. He will be fighting against Oktawian Daniel Olejniczak in his second professional MMA fight. Cowley is a decorated Muay Thai fighter who trains at SBG Ireland with the likes of Conor McGregor and Brave 13’s main event Frans Mlambo. However, Cowley will be looking for his first win as a professional after his loss via submission due to rear-naked-choke against David Khalsa at BAMMA 29 in Dublin in his professional debut. Olejniczak owns an MMA record of 2 wins, 1 loss and draw. His last outing was against Steve Owens at BAMMA 35 in Dublin, which he won via unanimous decision The main event of the fight night features the championship title defence by Stephen Loman (10-2-0) from Team Lakay representing the Philippines against Frans Mlambo (5-20) from Straight Blast Gym Ireland representing the Republic of Ireland. The co-main sees former UFC fighter, Norman Parke (24-6-1, 1 NC) facing off against Myles Price in the lightweight division. Tickets for Brave 13 in the SSE Arena in Belfast are available now on Ticketmaster here. OFFICIAL! Brave 13: Europe Evolution tickets on sale now at @TicketmasterDon't miss the first ever Brave CF event in Europe. #BraveCF13🗓️June 9th📍@SSEBelfastArena 🎟 https://t.co/J5jsCZFVMR pic.twitter.com/QowIUT0ep2 — BRAVE Combat Federation (@bravemmaf) May 16, 2018
In this episode we go inside the mind of UFC Liverpool headliner Darren Till as he explains what it means to live by the ‘Warrior Code’. John Gooden goes ‘One-On-One’ with Swedish light heavyweight contender Alexander Gustafsson as he prepares for a return to action. Welsh bantamweight Brett Johns looks back at his spectacular first round calf slicer in ‘My Moment’. And we ‘Take 5’ with UFC analyst Dan hardy to find out what he’s picked as his all time favorite late finishes in UFC history. With a heavy emphasis on fighters from the Europe, Middle East and Asia regions, UFC Connected gives fans a unique look inside the UFC with exclusive access to fighters, teams and events from around the globe. Fronted by widely respected sports presenter Layla Anna-Lee, each episode includes regular segments and features that cover a diverse range of all aspects within the UFC.
The UFC today confirmed its debut event in Russia to be held later this year at Olimpiyskiy Arena in Moscow on Saturday, September 15. UFC has experienced a sharp rise in popularity in Russia over the past few years, with a fan base that has grown to more than 22 million, driven by the success local athletes have had in UFC. In just the past few months, Khabib Nurmagomedov captured the lightweight championship; heavyweight Alexander Volkov defeated legend of the sport and former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum; and rising featherweight Zabit Magomedsharipov extended his overall record to 15-1, including a three-fight win streak in UFC. “Russia is a key part of UFC’s international expansion strategy,” commented David Shaw, Senior Vice President, UFC International and Content. “The demand from our fans to bring a live event to Russia has been overwhelming, and with the vast potential this market holds for us, we knew this was the perfect time to bring UFC FIGHT NIGHT to Moscow.” As part of UFC’s commitment to the market, Andre Gromkovski has been appointed as Vice President, UFC Russia. Gromkovski brings with him expertise across the media sales, digital, marketing and content distribution landscapes, working with companies such as Universal Studios, FOX, Viacom and Paramount Pictures. Based in Moscow, Gromkovski will be leading the regional strategic plan for UFC Russia, working alongside UFC’s executive team in Las Vegas and the EMEA team based in London. Further details on UFC FIGHT NIGHT: MOSCOW will be announced in coming weeks. Keep up to date with all the latest news by following @UFCEurope on Twitter. Tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT: MOSCOW goes on general sale Friday, June 1, via Kassir.ru.
A duo of exciting bouts been added to ACB 88, with Americans Brett Cooper and Adam Townsend clashing in a welterweight bout, whilst England’s Andrew Fisher will face the experienced Luis Palomino. Former ACB welterweight king Brett Cooper returns to Australia, looking to build on his two-fight knockout streak. The thirty-year-old knocked out Sharaf Davlatmurodov at ACB 76 on the Gold Coast last year… and Cooper will look to stake his claim for a title shot, with the American currently ranked second in the welterweight rankings. Across from the cage will be his compatriot, Adam “Primetime” Townsend. The twenty-nine-year-old got his ACB career off to a flying start, defeating Husein Kushagov at ACB 70, before slipping to a narrow decision defeat to Arbi Agujev. ACB 88 will mark the first time that Townsend will compete for the Australian fans and with fourteen of his eighteen wins coming inside the distance… the Aussies are going to love him! England’s own Andrew Fisher will venture to Australia for the first time as he enters the eleventh year of his career. The fourth-ranked ACB featherweight will look to build on impressive wins over Niklas Backstrom and Akop Stepanyan to strengthen his case in the 145lbs division. The man from the North East is ever-entertaining, with fifteen of his seventeen victories coming inside the distance. Mixed martial arts veteran Luis Palomino will be across the cage from Fisher in Brisbane. The Peruvian knockout artist has had a mixed start to life at ACB, having picked up two victories, followed by back-to-back losses to current champion Yusuf Raisov and Lom-Ali Eskijew. A win in Brisbane would look to send Palomino back to the top ten in the featherweight rankings. ACB 88 marks the promotion’s second visit to Australia, with ACB 76 taking place on the Gold Coast on December 9th 2017. It will mark the first major MMA event to hit Brisbane since 2016. The Australian fans should start getting excited, as we have some HUGE fight announcements coming for this card, featuring the best in local and global talent. Tickets are on sale NOW at www.acbmma.com/en/tickets Pricing, with our early bird offer in brackets, is as follows: Gold – $150 Silver – $100 (EB – $70) Bronze – $75 (EB – $50) General Admission – $50 (EB – $35) This early bird offer will be limited, so fans are encouraged to buy as early as possible to secure these tickets.