NO HOLDS BARRED

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with Scott Coker, president of Bellator MMA.

We spoke with him at the media event announcing the U.S. debut of the streaming service DAZN, which took place in New York Tuesday.

Bellator will provide an important part of DAZN's programming, which in the U.S. at first will feature the combat sports of boxing and MMA.

With DAZN launching September 10, their first live show will be on September 22, and headlined by the heavyweight boxing title fight between unified champion Anthony Joshua and former WBA champion Alexander Povetkin, from London.

DAZN's first live Bellator card will be shown the following week, on September 29, and exclusively in the U.S. on DAZN. It will feature Gegard Mousasi vs. Rory MacDonald in a middleweight title fight, and veterans Quinton "Rampage" Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva. Bellator returns to DAZN October 12 with a card headlined by Matt Mitrione vs. Ryan Bader in their heavyweight Grand Prix semifinals, which will be simulcast on the Paramount Network. Bellator, with the new rights fees from DAZN, will be having a ten-man welterweight Grand Prix tournament, also exclusively on DAZN.

Asked about the structure of the arrangement between the Viacom-owned Bellator and DAZN, Scott Coker said, "It's just strictly a license deal, but it allows us to put some of our biggest fights on this platform, because they want to be in the big fight business, and we're going to deliver that. So to me, it was a win-win."

He added, "This is the ground floor. And this will become a full-blown sports channel at some point. But when you talk about combat sports, man, Eddie, what a great value."

By the time DAZN launches in the U.S. in September, it will be available in seven countries.

"I've heard rumors that they're going to expand into another ten countries before the end of next year," he said.

We also discussed the many fights coming up in Bellator, how this deal lets them show pay-per-view level fights on DAZN for the regular monthly fee of US$9.99, Bellator's mix of veteran and up-and-coming fighters including young wrestlers, how Bellator is recruiting top Olympic-level wrestlers, why Fedor Emelianenko is the greatest MMA fighter of all time, and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is available at Google Play Music.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web here.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player app is available for free, both for Android at Google Play, and for iOS on the App Store.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is sponsored by:

The Catch Wrestling Alliance, resurrecting and promoting the sport of authentic catch-as-catch-can wrestling. The Catch Wrestling Alliance provides tournaments, seminars, and training as well as education about catch wrestling. Join the movement and keep real wrestling alive. For more information, go to CatchWrestlingAlliance.com.

Skullz Double-End Bags, the perfect bag for your combat sports training. Skullz Double-End Bags provide a realistic striking target, and help improve timing, distance, and hand and eye coordination. Hang it and hit it right out of the box! No pump required. For more information, go to SkullzDeBags.com.

Labels: Anthony Joshua, Bellator, boxing, DAZN, Eddie Goldman, MMA, No Holds Barred, Scott Coker, streaming

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with James Rushton, the CEO of the DAZN sports streaming media company.

This week it was announced that DAZN, which is already in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Japan, and Canada, and will soon launch in Italy, would be starting its OTT (over-the-top) streaming service in the U.S. on September 10. The first live offering will be the September 22 card headlined by the heavyweight title fight between Anthony Joshua and Alexander Povetkin. About 70 fight nights a year, in both boxing and Bellator MMA, are planned for their U.S. service, with more sports expected to be added in the future. The initial price will be $9.99 a month, with the first month free.

We spoke with James Rushton about DAZN's plans for the U.S. at the kickoff media event in New York on Tuesday.

In addition, we open with a commentary on that media event, and an analysis of what DAZN is offering, why it is impressive, and what they need to do to succeed.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is available at Google Play Music.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web here.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player app is available for free, both for Android at Google Play, and for iOS on the App Store.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is sponsored by:

The Catch Wrestling Alliance, resurrecting and promoting the sport of authentic catch-as-catch-can wrestling. The Catch Wrestling Alliance provides tournaments, seminars, and training as well as education about catch wrestling. Join the movement and keep real wrestling alive. For more information, go to CatchWrestlingAlliance.com.

Skullz Double-End Bags, the perfect bag for your combat sports training. Skullz Double-End Bags provide a realistic striking target, and help improve timing, distance, and hand and eye coordination. Hang it and hit it right out of the box! No pump required. For more information, go to SkullzDeBags.com.

Labels: Anthony Joshua, Bellator, boxing, DAZN, Eddie Goldman, James Rushton, MMA, No Holds Barred, streaming

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman reports from Tuesday's Bellator MMA news conference at Madison Square Garden previewing the June 24 Bellator pay-per-view at MSG in New York. We also preview the main event of the Bellator 175 card, which takes place this Friday, March 31, at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois, a rematch between "King" Mo Lawal and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, which will also be shown live in the U.S. on Spike TV.

At the news conference, we spoke with the legend, the greatest MMA fighter of all time, Fedor Emelianenko. He fights former UFC brawler Matt Mitrione in the co-main event. We spoke with the 40-year-old Fedor about this fight and his plans.

Also at the news conference was Spike SVP Sports & Specials Jon Slusser. Viacom is the parent company of both Spike and Bellator, and we spoke with him about the future of both Bellator and the PBC (Premier Boxing Champions) as Spike is rebranded and repositioned next year.

On the media conference call of March 22, we spoke with both "King" Mo and "Rampage" about their rematch this Friday.

And we open with a commentary on the state of MMA today, its history, and this Bellator pay-per-view.

(Photos by Kristal Hart.)

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is available at Google Play Music.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web here.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player app is available for free, both for Android at Google Play, and for iOS on the App Store.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is sponsored by:

Skullz Double-End Bags, the perfect bag for your combat sports training. Skullz Double-End Bags provide a realistic striking target, and help improve timing, distance, and hand and eye coordination. Hang it and hit it right out of the box! No pump required. For more information, go to SkullzDeBags.com.

USA Combat Wrestling, the official U.S. governing body for combat wrestling and U.S. delegate of the International Combat Wrestling Federation (FICW), which was founded by the legendary wrestler Noriaki Kiguchi of Japan. For more information, go to CombatWrestling.us.

Labels: Bellator, Eddie Goldman, Fedor Emelianenko, Jon Slusser, King Mo Lawal, MMA, No Holds Barred, pay-per-view, Quinton Rampage Jackson, Spike TV

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with the captain of the 2011 Michigan State University wrestling team and current catch wrestler, Curran Jacobs.

There has been a lot of discussion about the finish of the January 21 Bellator 170 MMA fight between Tito Ortiz and Chael Sonnen. Sonnen tapped out in the first round to what was said to be a rear naked choke, but a closer look at the actual hold Ortiz had applied says otherwise and shows that it was a neck crank.

Infuriatingly, many MMA fans who are ignorant of catch wrestling holds like neck cranks, and whose knowledge is limited to what they know, rightly or wrongly, of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, charged that this showed the match was "fixed" because the winning submission hold was not one which they had seen, a rear naked choke.

To discuss all this, we spoke with Curran Jacobs about this by phone Monday.

"You hear it constantly right now. 'It was fixed. It was fake. His arm wasn't even sunk. It wasn't even a rear naked choke. He didn't even have a choke,'" he said.

"That just proves how Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, how popular it is and how heavy it is in the grappling world. And it really, what it really did was show how, it revealed the lack of knowledge people have on catch wrestling.

"I was just working out with my gym, Murcielago MMA, today, and all the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu guys were like, 'Yeah, that was fake. That was fake.'

"And I said, 'Well, let me show you exactly why Chael tapped.'

"And I applied the same position that Tito Ortiz had, and it took them less than three seconds and they tapped.

"It's a very painful, painful neck crank."

Curran Jacobs also posted a video demonstrating this hold, which can be seen here.

We also discussed the need to educate people about neck cranks and other catch wrestling holds; why "catch wrestling is BJJ's Kryptonite"; the purposeful downplaying and denigration of wrestling and grappling by many MMA promoters; the second annual Frank Gotch World Catch Wrestling Tournament, which is scheduled for the weekend of July 15, 2017, in Humboldt, Iowa; and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is available at Google Play Music.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web here.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player app is available for free, both for Android at Google Play, and for iOS on the App Store.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is sponsored by:

The Boxing Tribune, boxing's independent media. Unlike every other major boxing website, The Boxing Tribune is not funded or owned by promoters, managers, or networks, and is fully independent and free to write the truth. For independent boxing news and views, go to TheBoxingTribune.com.

Skullz Double-End Bags, the perfect bag for your combat sports training. Skullz Double-End Bags provide a realistic striking target, and help improve timing, distance, and hand and eye coordination. Hang it and hit it right out of the box! No pump required. For more information, go to SkullzDeBags.com.

USA Combat Wrestling, the official U.S. governing body for combat wrestling and U.S. delegate of the International Combat Wrestling Federation (FICW), which was founded by the legendary wrestler Noriaki Kiguchi of Japan. For more information, go to CombatWrestling.us.

Labels: alliance, Bellator, catch wrestling, Chael Sonnen, Curran Jacobs, Eddie Goldman, MMA, neck crank, No Holds Barred, Tito Ortiz

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with Bellator MMA fighter King Mo Lawal.

After winning a unanimous decision on December 16 at Bellator 169 in Dublin, Ireland, against Olympic gold medalist judoka Satoshi Ishii, King Mo will be making a quick return to action, also on the road.

Last year he won the Rizin Heavyweight Grand Prix tournament at Rizin's two-day end of the year show in Japan, and this year he returns in the second round of the Rizin Fighting World Grand Prix 2016 open weight tournament.

His opponent in this round will be MMA veteran Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic. This fight will take place Thursday, December 29, at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The finals will take place Saturday, December 31.

We spoke with King Mo by phone Thursday.

Despite the quick turnaround for this fight, he is confident that he will defeat Cro Cop and advance in this tournament.

"I'm just going to go out there and handle business," he said. "I got a game plan we're working on right now, implement it, and get that 'W'.

"If I can stop him, I'm going to stop him. If I have to grind him out for a few rounds, I'll grind him out."

As for his fight with Ishii, he said Ishii is basically a martial artist, and, "He's not a fighter. He's an athlete that fights."

We discussed the logistics of how it was decided after the Ishii fight on such short notice that he will be fighting in this Rizin tournament in Japan, how he is prepared to fight three times in two days if he goes to the finals again, what was billed as the final fight for Bernard Hopkins, and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is available at Google Play Music.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web here.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player app is available for free, both for Android at Google Play, and for iOS on the App Store.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is sponsored by:

The Boxing Tribune, boxing's independent media. Unlike every other major boxing website, The Boxing Tribune is not funded or owned by promoters, managers, or networks, and is fully independent and free to write the truth. For independent boxing news and views, go to http://boxingtribune-news.com.

The North American Catch Wrestling Association, a grassroots organization designed to help rebuild the sport of catch-as-catch-can-wrestling. For more information, go to their Facebook page at facebook.com/NorthAmericanCatchWrestlingAssociation.

Labels: Bellator, Bernard Hopkins, Cro Cop, Eddie Goldman, Grand Prix, King Mo, MMA, No Holds Barred, Rizin, Satoshi Ishii

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with Bellator MMA fighter King Mo Lawal.

His next fight will take place at Bellator 169 against Olympic gold medalist judoka Satoshi Ishii. Bellator 169 will take place Friday, December 16, as part of a joint card with BAMMA 27, at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland.

We spoke with King Mo by phone Sunday.

Discussing this fight with Satoshi Ishii, he said, "This could be wrestling versus judo, boxing versus kickboxing," because Ishii trains in that in Holland and Japan. "Freestyle wrestling, that is.

"So it's going to be a clash of both styles, martial arts, all-around martial arts, grappling and standup."

Besides this fight, we also discussed numerous other topics, including: why many top judokas have had difficulty in MMA; his Bellator 154 fight with Phil Davis which he and many others felt he deserved to win; Saturday's Andre Ward-Sergey Kovalev fight and why he thought Ward put on a great performance and deserved to win; his sparring with undefeated heavyweight boxer Luis Ortiz and Ortiz's disappointing fight with Malik Scott, who was fighting not to win but to survive; the importance of the PBC (Premier Boxing Champions) TV series to boxing; MMA and boxing TV announcers; the possibility of him returning to fight in Rizin in Japan next year; his desire to fight the winner of the February 21 Bellator 172 fight between newly-signed Fedor Emelianenko and Matt Mitrione; plans for Bellator's heavyweight division; and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is available at Google Play Music.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web here.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player app is available for free, both for Android at Google Play, and for iOS on the App Store.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is sponsored by:

The Boxing Tribune, boxing's independent media. Unlike every other major boxing website, The Boxing Tribune is not funded or owned by promoters, managers, or networks, and is fully independent and free to write the truth. For independent boxing news and views, go to http://boxingtribune-news.com.

The North American Catch Wrestling Association, a grassroots organization designed to help rebuild the sport of catch-as-catch-can-wrestling. For more information, go to their Facebook page at facebook.com/NorthAmericanCatchWrestlingAssociation.

The National Registry for Wrestling, whose mission is to increase wrestling's fanbase, to build a registry of all wrestling fans, to serve as a connecting point for all wrestling fans, and to provide TV and Internet listings for wrestling. For more information, go to NR4W.com.

Labels: Andre Ward, Bellator, boxing, Eddie Goldman, Fedor Emelianenko, heavyweights, King Mo Lawal, Luis Ortiz, MMA, No Holds Barred, Satoshi Ishii, Sergey Kovalev

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with WBA middleweight champion Danny Jacobs and his next opponent, Sergio Mora, who fight in a rematch Friday, September 9. This headlines a Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) card at the Santander Arena in Reading, Pennsylvania, and will be shown live in the U.S. on Spike TV. We spoke with them in a media conference all this week.

We also have an interview conducted by our colleague and correspondent Chris Baldwin with Joey Davis, who successfully made his MMA debut Friday, August 26, with a unanimous decision victory in a preliminary fight at Bellator 160, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Davis was a four-time, undefeated, NCAA Div. II wrestling champion at Notre Dame College.

In addition, we have commentaries on the televised fights at the entertaining Bellator 160 card, which was shown live in the U.S. on Spike TV, and the problems facing elite wrestlers who decide to skip competing in the corrupt Olympic and international events and instead fight in MMA.

Also discussed is the PBC on Spike card held the following night, August 27, in the same building, the Honda Center. Upsets once again abounded on that PBC card, as little-known David Peralta won a split decision over veteran Robert Guerrero in the main event, and Freddy Hernandez won a unanimous decision over Alfredo Angulo.

(Photo of Guerrero vs. Peralta by Andy Samuelson, Premier Boxing Champions.)

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is available at Google Play Music.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web here.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player app is available for free, both for Android at Google Play, and for iOS on the App Store.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

The Boxing Tribune, boxing's independent media. Unlike every other major boxing website, The Boxing Tribune is not funded or owned by promoters, managers, or networks, and is fully independent and free to write the truth. For independent boxing news and views, go to http://boxingtribune-news.com.

The North American Catch Wrestling Association, a grassroots organization designed to help rebuild the sport of catch-as-catch-can-wrestling. For more information, go to their Facebook page at facebook.com/NorthAmericanCatchWrestlingAssociation.

The National Registry for Wrestling, whose mission is to increase wrestling's fanbase, to build a registry of all wrestling fans, to serve as a connecting point for all wrestling fans, and to provide TV and Internet listings for wrestling. For more information, go to NR4W.com.

Labels: Bellator, boxing, Danny Jacobs, Eddie Goldman, Joey Davis, MMA, No Holds Barred, PBC, Sergio Mora

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with Bob Carson, the host of Carson's Corner.

We spoke with him by phone Sunday.

This past Friday, February 19, Bellator MMA not only put on a show featuring some of the worst fights in the history of the world, but also at least one fight which almost ended up in the death on live TV of one of the participants.

In the co-main event at Bellator 149 in Houston, Texas, street fighters Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson and Dhafir "Dada 5000" Harris both gassed out early in their fight. Somehow these two, who both lacked professional technique and conditioning, made it into the third round, where basically Harris collapsed to the mat while Ferguson could barely stand up by himself. There was no knockout blow or submission, but only an ending because Harris was a bit more exhausted than the exhausted Ferguson.

After the fight, Harris was carried out of the cage on a stretcher, and hospitalized. Several news reports said that he had suffered kidney failure and that his heart had stopped beating. He was revived by medical personnel, but almost had died from this horrid fight. Reports also indicated that Harris had a major and fast weight cut to get down to the 265-pound heavyweight limit. Harris is reportedly recovering.

Both Ferguson and Harris are African-American, and it was not lost on everyone that this freakshow spectacle involved two Black fighters fulfilling the stereotypical role of lumpen thugs.

"It's marketed in a way to really depict African-Americans in a certain light," said Bob Carson. "And Kimbo, if you look at, if you had a checklist for a menacing, what would be considered an enemy, what would be considered a menace to society from the standpoint of the white bourgeois community, it would be Kimbo Slice. And the fact that they're showing him fighting these people in street fights, and his demeanor, and him and Dada going back and forth, it really, really had a racial aspect to it."

The other main event was just a shade less shady. While it featured two MMA legends, Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock, both are almost two decades past their primes. This was billed as their third fight, but their first two took place in 1993 and 1995. Gracie is now 49 years old and had not fought since 2007. Shamrock is now 52 years old, fighting once in 2015 (a knockout loss to Kimbo Slice) and then not since 2010.

This fight was over in the first round, when Shamrock went down from an unintentional knee to the groin by Gracie, which the referee did not see. The fight was stopped and Gracie awarded a TKO victory. It was another disgrace all around, and, along with the previous fight, has led some people to vow never to watch Bellator again.

This double disaster in Houston and the reaction it received are in some ways reminiscent of what happened in another fight in the same city of Houston, and the repercussions boxing faced from it: the November 26, 1982, brutal mismatch between WBC heavyweight champion Larry Holmes, then 40-0, and Randall "Tex" Cobb. As this completely one-sided beatdown continued and the referee did not stop it, Howard Cosell, calling the fight on ABC, said on the live telecast in the 14th round: "I wonder if that referee understands that he is constructing an advertisement for the abolition of the very sport that he's a part of?"

We discussed why this "complete spectacle" was "terrible all the way around," the potential repercussions of this show, why aging fighters like Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock need to fight (follow the money, or lack thereof), what this says about the future of MMA, why young people deciding to fight in MMA would be an "irrational act," and much, much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web here.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player app is available for free, both for Android at Google Play, and for iOS on the App Store.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

The North American Catch Wrestling Association, a grassroots organization designed to help rebuild the sport of catch-as-catch-can-wrestling. For more information, go to their Facebook page at facebook.com/NorthAmericanCatchWrestlingAssociation.

BJJ Eastern Europe, for the latest Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu news, articles, interviews, competition calendar, European belt rankings, academy directory, and more. For more information, go to BJJEE.com.

The National Registry for Wrestling, whose mission is to increase wrestling's fanbase, to build a registry of all wrestling fans, to serve as a connecting point for all wrestling fans, and to provide TV and Internet listings for wrestling. For more information, go to NR4W.com.

Labels: Bellator, Bob Carson, Dada 5000, disaster, Eddie Goldman, Ken Shamrock, Kimbo Slice, No Holds Barred, Royce Gracie MMA

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with Bellator MMA and American Top Team fighter King Mo Lawal.

King Mo is fresh off a major victory, having won the 2015 Rizin FF World Grand-Prix heavyweight tournament. To do so, he had to win three fights. On December 29, 2015, in the opening round of this eight-man tournament, he scored a knockout over British fighter Brett McDermott. Just two days later, on December 31, he won two more fights. In the semifinals, he defeated Teodoras Aukstuolis of Lithuania by unanimous decision. In the finals, he scored a knockout over Jiri Prochazka of the Czech Republic at 5:09 of the first round to win the tournament. This inaugural Rizin event was held at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

We spoke with King Mo by phone Tuesday.

His approach to this tournament, he said, was "to go out there and try to take no damage, have good defense, and get my takedowns" when he wanted.

On the advice of former UFC heavyweight and Pride Grand Prix champion Mark Coleman, who also was an NCAA Div. I wrestling champion and 1992 U.S. Olympic freestyle wrestler, he was able, under Rizin's rules, to fight while wearing wrestling shoes. King Mo said Mark Coleman told him, "You're a wrestler. I wore wrestling shoes when I won it. You wear wrestling shoes and you'll win it."

He also said, "I knew my boxing will be on point because I sparred with Michael Hunter," a 2012 U.S. Olympian who is currently 10-0 as a pro. "I sparred with Eddie Chambers," a former heavyweight title challenger. "I went to Philly for a day actually, and sparred with Eddie Chambers for 30 minutes." He also continued his training with Jeff Mayweather.

"I was ready, man. I was ready. I felt sharp."

We discussed each of his three victories in the Rizin tournament, as well as the Rizin rules, their use of a ring rather than a cage, and fighting three fights over three days.

In addition, we discussed how his plans for fighting in 2016 in Bellator and/or Rizin have yet to be determined; the wide-open heavyweight division in boxing with the Wilder-Szpilka and Glazkov-Martin fights coming up January 16 as well as the ascension of Anthony Joshua; his use of social media; and much, much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web, at http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/no-holds-barred-with-eddie-goldman.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player for iOS is available for free on the App Store.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gracie Tournaments, featuring regional, national, and world competitions in submission-only Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. For more information, go to GracieWorlds.com.

The National Registry for Wrestling, whose mission is to increase wrestling's fanbase, to build a registry of all wrestling fans, to serve as a connecting point for all wrestling fans, and to provide TV and Internet listings for wrestling. For more information, go to NR4W.com.
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Defense Soap, an effective, deep penetrating body soap with natural antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial soap ingredients. Defense Soap is the best cleansing body soap for men and women athletes who are involved in contact sports such as MMA, wrestling, grappling, jiu-jitsu, and judo, to help their antifungal, anti-ringworm, anti-jock itch strategy. Check out their web site, at DefenseSoap.com.

Labels: Bellator, boxing, Eddie Goldman, King Mo Lawal, MMA, No Holds Barred, Rizin, wrestling

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman presents the complete and unedited audio from the Bellator 145 media conference call of October 29.

Bellator 145 will take place Friday, November 6, at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri. It will be televised live in the U.S. on Spike TV.

This card will feature two Bellator title fights. Bellator featherweight champion Patricio "Pitbull" Freire (24-2) will face challenger Daniel Straus (23-6) in their third fight, both of which were won by Pitbull. Bellator lightweight champion Will "Ill Will" Brooks (16-1) will fight Marcin Held (21-3). And a heavyweight clash will have James Thompson (20-14) fighting Bobby Lashley (13-2), also in a rematch of their first fight, which Thompson won.

On this conference call were fighters Will Brooks, Patricio "Pitbull" Freire, Daniel Straus, James Thompson, Bobby Lashley, and Marcin Held. Also on the call were Bellator president Scott Coker and Olympic gold medalist wrestler Kurt Angle, who will be appearing at the November 5 Bellator Fan Fest along with Tito Ortiz, Kimbo Slice, Ken Shamrock, Royce Gracie, and Liam McGeary.

This was a lively call with much animated discussion, including several questions from No Holds Barred, and it is all here for you.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web, at http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/no-holds-barred-with-eddie-goldman.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player for iOS is available for free on the App Store.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at AmericanTopTeam.com.

Defense Soap, an effective, deep penetrating body soap with natural antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial soap ingredients. Defense Soap is the best cleansing body soap for men and women athletes who are involved in contact sports such as MMA, wrestling, grappling, jiu-jitsu, and judo, to help their antifungal, anti-ringworm, anti-jock itch strategy. Check out their web site, at DefenseSoap.com.

Gracie Tournaments, featuring regional, national, and world competitions in submission-only Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. For more information, go to GracieWorlds.com.

Labels: Bellator, Bobby Lashley, Daniel Straus, Eddie Goldman, James Thompson, Kurt Angle, Marcin Held, MMA, No Holds Barred, Patricio Pitbull, Scott Coker, Will Brooks

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with Bellator MMA bantamweight champion Joe Warren.

His next fight will be a title defense against Marcos Galvao at Bellator 134 on Friday, March 27, at the Winstar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Oklahoma, and will be shown live in the U.S. on Spike TV.

Before that, he will be returning to the mat to compete in wrestling, at the third annual Grapple at the Garden.

His team, Team Joe Warren, will face Team Renzo Gracie in an eight-match freestyle wrestling dual meet.

This event takes place Sunday, December 21, at the world's most famous arena, Madison Square Garden, in New York. Joe Warren's opponent will be UFC fighter Scott Jorgensen, who wrestled at Boise State University where he was a three-time Pac-10 Champion. Joe Warren also was a 2006 world champion in Greco-Roman wrestling and a 2000 NCAA Division I All-American wrestler at Michigan.

At Grapple at the Garden, numerous dual meets will take place involving 25 college teams, as well as high school and youth tournaments.

The main event will feature four-time NCAA Div. I champion at Cornell, Kyle Dake of the U.S., competing in Greco-Roman wrestling against Arsen Julfalakyan of Armenia, a 2014 world champion and 2012 Olympic silver medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling. The co-main event will feature two-time world bronze medalist and 2012 Olympian in freestyle wrestling, Tervel Dlagnev of the U.S., against 2004 Olympic gold medalist and five-time world champion in freestyle wrestling, Khadshimourad Gatsalov of Russia, in a freestyle wrestling match.

These two matches and the Team Joe Warren-Team Renzo Gracie dual meet will air live on pay-per-view TV.

We spoke with Joe Warren by phone Sunday.

Commenting on the connections between wrestling and jiu-jitsu, he said, "We're trying to just show that wrestling is the base, is the pedigree of all the rest of these sports and mixed martial arts, jiu-jitsu, whatever you need to go into." He added, "Usually a good wrestler can get the job done."

He continued, "We respect the jiu-jitsu guys and the way they train and their mindset." This event was designed to "mingle" athletes with backgrounds in wrestling, jiu-jitsu, and MMA, as well as two or three of those disciplines.

"This year it kind of blew up even bigger."

His upcoming title defense against Marcos Galvao will be a rematch from Bellator 41 on April 16, 2011. In that fight, a three-round, non-title, catchweight fight. Joe Warren won a unanimous decision, although with some controversy. He explained that in that fight, he had only been fighting professionally for two years, that he has advanced since then, and was then a wrestler doing MMA but now is a mixed martial artist.

We also discussed his plans to be a color commentator, the potential for some type of real professional wrestling to succeed, and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at AmericanTopTeam.com.

Defense Soap, an effective, deep penetrating body soap with natural antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial soap ingredients. Defense Soap is the best cleansing body soap for men and women athletes who are involved in contact sports such as MMA, wrestling, grappling, jiu-jitsu, and judo, to help their antifungal, anti-ringworm, anti-jock itch strategy. Check out their web site, at DefenseSoap.com.

Payleg.com, which gives you the tools to develop a full-time income by building a home-based business. Teaching success in the home-based business industry since 1988, Payleg.com is available in 190 countries. For more information, go to Payleg.com.

Takedown Wrestling Media, America's wrestling TV and radio shows, which are hosted by founder Scott Casber, and have been airing on radio and Internet for over 17 years. Takedown Media produces a weekly TV program seen in 54 million homes in the U.S. on DirecTV, Dish Network, and cable affiliates around the country, called Takedown TV. Takedown Media also produces the weekly USA Wrestling TV show for the governing body of the sport, USA Wrestling. For more information, go to TakedownRadio.com.

Labels: Bellator, Eddie Goldman, Grapple at Garden, Joe Warren, MMA, No Holds Barred, wrestling

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with Bellator MMA and American Top Team fighter "King" Mo Lawal.

While awaiting word on when his next fight in Bellator will take place, his next competition will not be in a cage but on a mat, in the sport in which he first achieved notoriety: wrestling.

King Mo will be part of Team Joe Warren as they face Team Renzo Gracie in a freestyle wrestling dual meet at the third annual Grapple at the Garden.

This event takes place Sunday, December 21, at the world's most famous arena, Madison Square Garden, in New York. His opponent, as part of this scheduled eight-man dual meet, will be Rolles Gracie of the legendary Gracie family.

At Grapple at the Garden, numerous dual meets will take place involving 25 college teams, as well as high school and youth tournaments.

The main event will feature four-time NCAA Div. I champion at Cornell, Kyle Dake of the U.S., competing in Greco-Roman wrestling against Arsen Julfalakyan of Armenia, a 2014 world champion and 2012 Olympic silver medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling. The co-main event will feature two-time world bronze medalist and 2012 Olympian in freestyle wrestling, Tervel Dlagnev of the U.S., against 2004 Olympic gold medalist and five-time world champion in freestyle wrestling, Khadshimourad Gatsalov of Russia, in a freestyle wrestling match.

We spoke with King Mo by phone Wednesday.

King Mo enters this match with numerous credentials in wrestling. He was a three-time U.S. national champion in freestyle wrestling, a 2003 All-American on the NCAA Div. I national champion Oklahoma State Cowboys, a Real Pro Wrestling champion, and a 2002 Division II national champion. But he also has not wrestled competitively since 2008, when he began fighting in professional MMA.

Asked why he agreed to take this match, he replied, "Why not?" He explained, "I was supposed to do it last year, but I had something pop up, a minor thing pop up, so I couldn't do it. So I'm going to do it this year."

Although his opponent, Rolles Gracie, has some freestyle wrestling experience, is of course known for his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and is heavier and taller than King Mo, he still expects to win handily. He said he expects to take this match by "tech fall."

We also discussed some of the differences in training for wrestling and MMA, what he hopes to accomplish in 2015 in Bellator, his views on pro wrestler CM Punk becoming a pro MMA fighter, his views on Saturday's Amir Khan-Devon Alexander boxing card in Las Vegas, and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at AmericanTopTeam.com.

Defense Soap, an effective, deep penetrating body soap with natural antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial soap ingredients. Defense Soap is the best cleansing body soap for men and women athletes who are involved in contact sports such as MMA, wrestling, grappling, jiu-jitsu, and judo, to help their antifungal, anti-ringworm, anti-jock itch strategy. Check out their web site, at DefenseSoap.com.

Payleg.com, which gives you the tools to develop a full-time income by building a home-based business. Teaching success in the home-based business industry since 1988, Payleg.com is available in 190 countries. For more information, go to Payleg.com.

Takedown Wrestling Media, America's wrestling TV and radio shows, which are hosted by founder Scott Casber, and have been airing on radio and Internet for over 17 years. Takedown Media produces a weekly TV program seen in 54 million homes in the U.S. on DirecTV, Dish Network, and cable affiliates around the country, called Takedown TV. Takedown Media also produces the weekly USA Wrestling TV show for the governing body of the sport, USA Wrestling. For more information, go to TakedownRadio.com.

Labels: Bellator, boxing, Eddie Goldman, Grapple at Garden, King Mo, MMA, No Holds Barred, wrestling

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with our longtime colleague and correspondent, Chris Thomas.

Chris covered the historic Bellator 131 card on November 15 at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, California. Besides taking place in a packed arena, the main event between Tito Ortiz and Stephan Bonnar drew 1.8 million viewers in the U.S., peaking at two million, on Spike TV, making it the most-watched and highest-rated MMA fight on cable in 2014, and the sixth-highest rated cable show of all types that night in ages 18-49 in the U.S.

In that fight, the ever-popular Tito Ortiz won by split decision over Stephan Bonnar. Will Brooks, coming in as the interim lightweight champion, scored a fourth-round TKO over a former champion, Michael Chandler, to capture the Bellator lightweight belt. "King" Mo Lawal dominated Joe Vedepo and won by third-round TKO. And in what was, as expected, a slugfest, Joe Schilling survived a first-round knockdown and onslaught from Melvin Manhoef to win by knockout in the second round.

We spoke with Chris Thomas by phone Tuesday.

"It was really interesting seeing this be the first real, in my opinion, Scott Coker show," he said, referring to new Bellator president and former Strikeforce head Scott Coker. "And he put his stamp on it like he is going to make a statement. And you could tell that he is ready to take the next step."

He continued, "Everything was on par. I mean everything. The production, the look, the feel, the fans were there, it was a sold-out show. It was pretty amazing. It was pretty exciting. I felt like MMA is about to take another step in the right direction."

We also discussed the fights themselves, the emergence of Will Brooks as a bona fide star and top-level MMA fighter, Bellator's plans for 2015, and more.

In addition, this coming Saturday, November 22, two legends hit the mat, as Renzo Gracie and Kazushi Sakuraba have a grappling match at Metamoris 5 in Long Beach, California. We discussed how this match, unlike their Pride 10 MMA fight in 2000, is being positioned as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu vs. catch wrestling, and what that says about the growth of the prestige of catch wrestling. We also discussed some of the strengths and weaknesses of the Metamoris organization.

This past week saw the release of the highly-acclaimed "Foxcatcher" movie as well as the book of the same name, which inspired the film, by Olympic, world, and national champion wrestler Mark Schultz. We discussed some of the lessons of this tragic tale of the 1996 murder of Mark's brother, fellow Olympic, world, and national champion wrestler Dave Schultz, by the crazed multi-millionaire John du Pont, for the sport of wrestling.

Plus, we discussed some of Chris's business ventures, and a lot more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at AmericanTopTeam.com.

Defense Soap, an effective, deep penetrating body soap with natural antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial soap ingredients. Defense Soap is the best cleansing body soap for men and women athletes who are involved in contact sports such as MMA, wrestling, grappling, jiu-jitsu, and judo, to help their antifungal, anti-ringworm, anti-jock itch strategy. Check out their web site, at DefenseSoap.com.

Payleg.com, which gives you the tools to develop a full-time income by building a home-based business. Teaching success in the home-based business industry since 1988, Payleg.com is available in 190 countries. For more information, go to Payleg.com.

Takedown Wrestling Media, America's wrestling TV and radio shows, which are hosted by founder Scott Casber, and have been airing on radio and Internet for over 17 years. Takedown Media produces a weekly TV program seen in 54 million homes in the U.S. on DirecTV, Dish Network, and cable affiliates around the country, called Takedown TV. Takedown Media also produces the weekly USA Wrestling TV show for the governing body of the sport, USA Wrestling. For more information, go to TakedownRadio.com.

Labels: Bellator, catch wrestling, Chris Thomas, Eddie Goldman, Foxcatcher, Kazushi Sakuraba, Mark Schultz, MMA, No Holds Barred, Renzo Gracie, Scott Coker, Tito Ortiz, Will Brooks

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with our longtime colleague and correspondent, Chris Thomas.

He will be covering this Saturday's Bellator 131 card at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, California, headlined by the Tito Ortiz-Stephan Bonnar, Will Brooks-Michael Chandler, "King" Mo Lawal-Joe Vedepo, and Melvin Manhoef-Joe Schilling fights.

We spoke with Chris Thomas by phone Wednesday.

Besides discussing the fights on the Bellator 131 card, we also noted how MMA legend Wanderlei Silva had originally been scheduled to appear at a pre-party kickoff event for that card the night before the fights, but was pulled from that, reportedly because of contractual obligations.

"For anybody to begrudge someone like Wanderlei Silva, who's given so much of himself to this sport for so many years, and to not allow him to make a living, is ridiculous in where the sport is today in 2014," he said. "That's horrible."

We also had a wide-ranging discussion on numerous topics, including the potential for robot fighting to become the future of combat sports, even in the wake of the poor ratings for the Robot Combat League TV show last year; the WSOF 15 card with three title fights, also on November 15; the proposal to have same-day weigh-ins in MMA and boxing, as is done in wrestling; in boxing, last Saturday's Bernard Hopkins-Sergey Kovalev light heavyweight title fight, and this coming Saturday's Wladimir Klitschko-Kubrat Pulev heavyweight title fight; the success of the Baltimore Orioles and failures of the New York Yankees in baseball, along with the reasons for the sharp increase in injuries in that sport; the issue of doping in sports; and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at AmericanTopTeam.com.

Defense Soap, an effective, deep penetrating body soap with natural antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial soap ingredients. Defense Soap is the best cleansing body soap for men and women athletes who are involved in contact sports such as MMA, wrestling, grappling, jiu-jitsu, and judo, to help their antifungal, anti-ringworm, anti-jock itch strategy. Check out their web site, at DefenseSoap.com.

Takedown Wrestling Media, America's wrestling TV and radio shows, which are hosted by founder Scott Casber, and have been airing on radio and Internet for over 17 years. Takedown Media produces a weekly TV program seen in 54 million homes in the U.S. on DirecTV, Dish Network, and cable affiliates around the country, called Takedown TV. Takedown Media also produces the weekly USA Wrestling TV show for the governing body of the sport, USA Wrestling. For more information, go to TakedownRadio.com.

Labels: Bellator, Chris Thomas, Eddie Goldman, fighting, King Mo Lawal, Michael Chandler, MMA, No Holds Barred, Robot Combat League, Stephan Bonnar, Tito Ortiz, Wanderlei Silva, Will Brooks

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with American Top Team fighter and Bellator MMA interim lightweight champion Will Brooks.

His next fight will be featured on the Bellator 131 card on Saturday, November 15, from the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, California. There he will fight for the vacant Bellator lightweight title against former champion Michael Chandler. These two first met on May 17 of this year, with Will Brooks winning a five-round split decision in a close and thrilling fight to capture the interim belt.

Bellator 131 will air in the U.S. live and for free this Saturday night on Spike TV, and on Sunday, November 16, in the U.K. on Viacom's 5*.

We spoke with Will Brooks by phone Monday.

"I think everybody can expect a high level of skillsets," he said of this rematch. "In the last fight, I think I did a good job, showed everybody that I was evolving as a fighter. There were a couple of things I didn't do as well as I wanted to do, especially because there were a lot of skills I was just learning, just working on. But this fight I think people can expect a cleaner, sharper performance on my part coming out of the gate."

He said he would be "getting back to the basics and coming right out the first round, the first bell, and putting on a display of striking that people haven't seen."

We discussed the rapid trajectory of his MMA career, including his upset TKO victory over Japanese submission master and former Sengoku lightweight champion Satoru Kitaoka on the Dream 18 New Year's Eve card in Saitama, Japan, on December 31, 2012; his first-round knockout loss to Saad Awad in the Bellator season 8 lightweight tournament semifinals on February 28, 2013; his bouncing right back to win the season 9 lightweight tournament, including avenging the loss to Awad by winning a clear-cut unanimous decision over him in those semifinals; his unexpected opportunity, on very short notice, to face Michael Chandler on the Bellator pay-per-view on May 17, 2014, after then-champion Eddie Alvarez withdrew because of an injury; and the advantage of now having a full training camp to prepare for the rematch.

In addition, we discussed how his training at American Top Team has developed him as a fighter; how he is now based in the Coconut Creek, Florida, area so he can train regularly with the many people at American Top Team; the changes in Bellator since Scott Coker took over as president this past summer; and more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at AmericanTopTeam.com.

Defense Soap, an effective, deep penetrating body soap with natural antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial soap ingredients. Defense Soap is the best cleansing body soap for men and women athletes who are involved in contact sports such as MMA, wrestling, grappling, jiu-jitsu, and judo, to help their antifungal, anti-ringworm, anti-jock itch strategy. Check out their web site, at DefenseSoap.com.

Takedown Wrestling Media, America's wrestling TV and radio shows, which are hosted by founder Scott Casber, and have been airing on radio and Internet for over 17 years. Takedown Media produces a weekly TV program seen in 54 million homes in the U.S. on DirecTV, Dish Network, and cable affiliates around the country, called Takedown TV. Takedown Media also produces the weekly USA Wrestling TV show for the governing body of the sport, USA Wrestling. For more information, go to TakedownRadio.com.

Labels: American Top Team, Bellator, Eddie Goldman, MMA, No Holds Barred, Will Brooks

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with Bellator MMA fighter Joe Warren.

One of the few people to have held world titles in two combat sports, Joe Warren was a world champion in Greco-Roman wrestling in 2006 and the Bellator featherweight champion from 2010 to 2012. He currently holds the Bellator interim bantamweight title.

His next fight will be Friday, October 10, against Eduardo Dantas, who holds the regular Bellator bantamweight title, to unify this title. It will take place as the main event of Bellator 128 at the Global Event Center at the WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma. It will be televised live in the U.S. on Spike TV.

We spoke with Joe Warren by phone Sunday.

This highly-anticipated fight was originally scheduled for May of this year, but had to be postponed due to an injury to Dantas.

As for what to expect when these two finally meet this Friday, Joe Warren said, "You can expect a lot of fireworks from us again. We're both great fighters and we both have a violent -- well, I do, I have just a crazy, violent drive right now to get this other belt. I love having these high pressure fights. This is very normal for me. And it's just going to be a real exciting fight. I'm excited for everybody to see it. I think everybody wants to see it. And I believe both of us want to get this fight over with."

We discussed his technical advances as a mixed martial arts fighter, including his "anti-jiu-jitsu" and improvements in both striking and submissions after coming into MMA from wrestling. But it is in wrestling, he said, that there is the one goal left that he has yet to achieve: to win the Olympics. We thus discussed a possible return to wrestling, as well as him competing in other styles such as one of the hybrid styles used in the various real pro wrestling groups, or catch wrestling, where you can only win by pin or submission.

In addition, we discussed some of the challenges in making wrestling popular as a mainstream sport, his wrestling last year at the Grapple at the Garden event in Madison Square Garden, why at almost age 38 "I haven't lost anything", his heart rate-based training which "is the reason I'm where I'm at", why he is now "the best fighter I've been in the cage", and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at AmericanTopTeam.com.

Defense Soap, an effective, deep penetrating body soap with natural antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial soap ingredients. Defense Soap is the best cleansing body soap for men and women athletes who are involved in contact sports such as MMA, wrestling, grappling, jiu-jitsu, and judo, to help their antifungal, anti-ringworm, anti-jock itch strategy. Check out their web site, at DefenseSoap.com.

Takedown Wrestling Media, America's wrestling TV and radio shows, which are hosted by founder Scott Casber, and have been airing on radio and Internet for over 17 years. Takedown Media produces a weekly TV program seen in 54 million homes in the U.S. on DirecTV, Dish Network, and cable affiliates around the country, called Takedown TV. Takedown Media also produces the weekly USA Wrestling TV show for the governing body of the sport, USA Wrestling. For more information, go to TakedownRadio.com.

Labels: Bellator, Eddie Goldman, Joe Warren, MMA, No Holds Barred, wrestling

Patricio Pitbull vs. Pat Curran.


King Mo Lawal vs. Dustin Jacoby




On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with new Bellator featherweight champion Patrício "Pitbull" Freire, "King" Mo Lawal, Jeff Mayweather, and Antonio McKee.

All these interviews were conducted immediately following the Bellator 123 card, which took place Friday, September 5, at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, on the territory of the sovereign nation of the Mohegan Tribe, and backstage at the event.

In a rematch with Pat Curran, Patrício "Pitbull" Freire was able to capture Curran's featherweight belt with a clear-cut, unanimous five-round decision, with scores of 49-46 twice and 48-47. Curran had won their first fight by split decision, at Bellator 85 on January 13, 2013, in Irvine, California.

We spoke with Patrício "Pitbull", through translator, former top freestyle wrestler, and current trainer Eric Albarracin, about what was different about the rematch. As you will hear, this interview had to be cut a little short because Patrício "Pitbull" was still bleeding on his face from this five-round, mostly standing battle.

In his fight, "King" Mo returned to the win column with a TKO ground-and-pound stoppage at 1:13 of the second round over Dustin Jacoby, who also is a professional kickboxer with Glory.

Discussing his effective jabbing in the first round, "King" Mo noted that shortly before his fight, in the dressing room while watching the telecast of this show, "I saw the great Larry Holmes" in the crowd. The former longtime world heavyweight boxing champion is known for having "the best jab ever," and this reminded Mo, even as he had trained to land the jab in this fight, "I gotta get my jab going."

We also discussed his training at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida, with legends like Ricardo Liborio and Marcus "Conan" Silveira, why he believes that Ricardo Liborio will defeat Mario Sperry in next year's ADCC masters' superfight, the attempted double wristlock by fellow American Top Team fighter Bobby Lashley in his fight with Josh Burns earlier on this card, and much more.

Another person "King" Mo has trained with is Jeff Mayweather, best known as a boxing trainer but who trains athletes in many combat sports.

We discussed with Jeff Mayweather Mo's latest victory, how he combined wrestling and striking, his two losses to Bellator light heavyweight champion Emanuel Newton, the "hometown decision" loss to Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, and the September 13 rematch between his nephew Floyd Mayweather and Marcos Maidana.

Antonio McKee not only trains Emanuel Newton but also Bellator heavyweight Cheick Kongo, who defeated Lavar Johnson on this card with a rear naked choke submission at 3:27 of the first round.

The way he trains his fighters, said Antonio McKee, "We don't get hit. We hit."

We discussed with him why he wants to be "the best MMA trainer," injuries in MMA, the need for fighters to have pension and retirement benefits, how MMA is currently the professional level for wrestlers, and more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at AmericanTopTeam.com.

Defense Soap, an effective, deep penetrating body soap with natural antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial soap ingredients. Defense Soap is the best cleansing body soap for men and women athletes who are involved in contact sports such as MMA, wrestling, grappling, jiu-jitsu, and judo, to help their antifungal, anti-ringworm, anti-jock itch strategy. Check out their web site, at DefenseSoap.com.

Takedown Wrestling Media, America's wrestling TV and radio shows, which are hosted by founder Scott Casber, and have been airing on radio and Internet for over 17 years. Takedown Media produces a weekly TV program seen in 54 million homes in the U.S. on DirecTV, Dish Network, and cable affiliates around the country, called Takedown TV. Takedown Media also produces the weekly USA Wrestling TV show for the governing body of the sport, USA Wrestling. For more information, go to TakedownRadio.com.

Labels: Antonio McKee, Bellator, boxing, Eddie Goldman, Jeff Mayweather, King Mo Lawal, MMA, No Holds Barred, Patrício Pitbull Freire, wrestling