Saturday, June 05, 2010
No Holds Barred: Bjorn Rebney on the State of the Bellator Fighting Championships
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again speaks with Bjorn Rebney, the founder and CEO of the mixed martial arts company, the Bellator Fighting Championships.
For the next three Thursdays, Bellator will be running their season 2 tournament finals. On Thursday, June 10, Toby Imada faces Pat Curran in the lightweight (155 lbs.) finals in Hollywood, Florida. On Thursday, June 17, Ben Askren fights Dan Hornbuckle in the welterweight (170 lbs.) finals in Kansas City, Missouri. And on Thursday, June 24, there are two finals, as Joe Warren fights Patricio "Pitbull" Freire in the featherweight (145 lbs.) finals and Bryan Baker takes on Alexander Shlemenko in the middleweight (185 lbs.) finals, in Louisville, Kentucky.
All three cards will be televised live in the U.S. on Fox Sports Net and their affiliates, which will also air replays of these shows. In addition, highlight shows of these cards will air on NBC, Telemundo, and mun2. In Canada, The Score will telecast these shows on tape-delay. As always, check your local listings.
The winners of these four tournaments will face the Bellator champions in their respective weight classes in season 3, which starts Thursday, August 12.
We spoke with Bjorn Rebney Friday afternoon by phone about these tournament finals. Our lengthy discussion not only previewed these fights, but also focused on the business side of Bellator. We discussed the results thus far of their multi-network television deal, and the problems associated with running live shows for Fox Sports Net, where they have been preempted in many markets in various weeks over the course of season 2. We discussed the average number of viewers Bellator has been getting in season 2, the possibility of a new television deal in the future where there will be no preemptions, and how their national tour has been going for their live events.
We also discussed a number of other issues, including the possibility of Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez fighting Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez in what would be a co-promotion, and the future of Roger Huerta, who lost in the semifinals of the season 2 lightweight tournament.
We got a glimpse of season 3, which will feature these four championship fights as well as at least three new tournaments. There will be a heavyweight tournament, including two-time NCAA Div. I wrestling champion Cole Konrad. There will be a bantamweight (135 lbs.) tournament. And there will be the first women's tournament for Bellator, in the 115-pound weight class, scheduled to include such top fighters as Megumi Fujii, Rosi Sexton, Lisa Ward, and Jessica Pene.
Overall, Bjorn Rebney painted a positive and optimistic picture. "Projections that were in our business model are projections that we are currently exceeding," he said during this interview.
Make sure not only to listen to this informative interview, but also to send in your comments and reactions to No Holds Barred.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
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 http://americantopteam.com/.
Bragging Rights Corner, for news and always independent opinion about the sport and business of boxing. Check out their web site at http://www.braggingrightscorner.com.
FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.
For the next three Thursdays, Bellator will be running their season 2 tournament finals. On Thursday, June 10, Toby Imada faces Pat Curran in the lightweight (155 lbs.) finals in Hollywood, Florida. On Thursday, June 17, Ben Askren fights Dan Hornbuckle in the welterweight (170 lbs.) finals in Kansas City, Missouri. And on Thursday, June 24, there are two finals, as Joe Warren fights Patricio "Pitbull" Freire in the featherweight (145 lbs.) finals and Bryan Baker takes on Alexander Shlemenko in the middleweight (185 lbs.) finals, in Louisville, Kentucky.
All three cards will be televised live in the U.S. on Fox Sports Net and their affiliates, which will also air replays of these shows. In addition, highlight shows of these cards will air on NBC, Telemundo, and mun2. In Canada, The Score will telecast these shows on tape-delay. As always, check your local listings.
The winners of these four tournaments will face the Bellator champions in their respective weight classes in season 3, which starts Thursday, August 12.
We spoke with Bjorn Rebney Friday afternoon by phone about these tournament finals. Our lengthy discussion not only previewed these fights, but also focused on the business side of Bellator. We discussed the results thus far of their multi-network television deal, and the problems associated with running live shows for Fox Sports Net, where they have been preempted in many markets in various weeks over the course of season 2. We discussed the average number of viewers Bellator has been getting in season 2, the possibility of a new television deal in the future where there will be no preemptions, and how their national tour has been going for their live events.
We also discussed a number of other issues, including the possibility of Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez fighting Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez in what would be a co-promotion, and the future of Roger Huerta, who lost in the semifinals of the season 2 lightweight tournament.
We got a glimpse of season 3, which will feature these four championship fights as well as at least three new tournaments. There will be a heavyweight tournament, including two-time NCAA Div. I wrestling champion Cole Konrad. There will be a bantamweight (135 lbs.) tournament. And there will be the first women's tournament for Bellator, in the 115-pound weight class, scheduled to include such top fighters as Megumi Fujii, Rosi Sexton, Lisa Ward, and Jessica Pene.
Overall, Bjorn Rebney painted a positive and optimistic picture. "Projections that were in our business model are projections that we are currently exceeding," he said during this interview.
Make sure not only to listen to this informative interview, but also to send in your comments and reactions to No Holds Barred.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
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 http://americantopteam.com/.
Bragging Rights Corner, for news and always independent opinion about the sport and business of boxing. Check out their web site at http://www.braggingrightscorner.com.
FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.
Labels: Bellator Fighting Championships, Bjorn Rebney, Eddie Goldman, No Holds Barred
Saturday, July 04, 2009
No Holds Barred: Bellator Champions Lyman Good and Hector Lombard Tell Their Stories
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with two more of the fighters who won their eight-man tournaments to become Bellator Fighting Championships champions, welterweight Lyman Good and middleweight Hector Lombard.
Lyman Good and Hector Lombard took different paths to becoming champions in mixed martial arts.
After growing up in a rough part of East Harlem in New York City, Lyman Good was on the verge of taking the dark path of the streets. But his mother got him to enroll, along with her, in a martial arts program at Tiger Schulmann's MMA. Now, besides being an instructor there, he is 10-0 in mixed martial arts and holds the Bellator Fighting Championships welterweight title. "It saved me," he said, as both he and the fans are reaping the rewards of his participation in the combat sports and martial arts.
Hector Lombard was a member of the 2000 Cuban Olympic judo team. He then moved to Australia, and began competing in mixed martial arts in 2004. After fighting in Australia and Japan, he now trains with the world-famous American Top Team in Florida, and made his American debut this year by winning the Bellator Fighting Championships eight-man middleweight tournament to become their first champion at that weight.
We had a chance to speak with both Lyman Good and Hector Lombard this past week. In separate and candid interviews, they discussed how they became involved with mixed martial arts, their development as fighters, their fights in the Bellator tournaments, the mental and physical benefits of training in martial arts and combat sports, their plans for the future, and much more.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.
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 http://americantopteam.com/.
BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.
FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.
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Lyman Good and Hector Lombard took different paths to becoming champions in mixed martial arts.
After growing up in a rough part of East Harlem in New York City, Lyman Good was on the verge of taking the dark path of the streets. But his mother got him to enroll, along with her, in a martial arts program at Tiger Schulmann's MMA. Now, besides being an instructor there, he is 10-0 in mixed martial arts and holds the Bellator Fighting Championships welterweight title. "It saved me," he said, as both he and the fans are reaping the rewards of his participation in the combat sports and martial arts.
Hector Lombard was a member of the 2000 Cuban Olympic judo team. He then moved to Australia, and began competing in mixed martial arts in 2004. After fighting in Australia and Japan, he now trains with the world-famous American Top Team in Florida, and made his American debut this year by winning the Bellator Fighting Championships eight-man middleweight tournament to become their first champion at that weight.
We had a chance to speak with both Lyman Good and Hector Lombard this past week. In separate and candid interviews, they discussed how they became involved with mixed martial arts, their development as fighters, their fights in the Bellator tournaments, the mental and physical benefits of training in martial arts and combat sports, their plans for the future, and much more.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.
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 http://americantopteam.com/.
BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.
FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.
Labels: American Top Team, Bellator Fighting Championships, Bjorn Rebney, Cuba, East Harlem, Eddie Goldman, Hector Lombard, judo, Lyman Good, mixed martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, Tiger Schulmann, UFC
Thursday, July 02, 2009
No Holds Barred: Eddie Alvarez, Bellator Lightweight Champion
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with one of the most exciting and versatile fighters in mixed martial arts, and the new Bellator Fighting Championships lightweight champion, Eddie Alvarez.
We had a chance Wednesday afternoon to conduct a lengthy telephone interview with Eddie Alvarez about his life, his career, and his family. We discussed the importance of his family to him, how and why he got involved with mixed martial arts, and how his upbringing in Philadelphia has affected his fighting career. We discussed his victory in the eight-man tournament to capture the Bellator Fighting Championships lightweight title, winning all his fights with submissions, over Toby Imada, Eric Reynolds, and Greg Loughran. We analyzed his style, which effectively combines boxing, wrestling, jiu-jitsu, and muay Thai. We discussed his fights last year in the Dream organization in Japan against Joachim Hansen, Tatsuya Kawajiri, and Shinya Aoki. And we talked about his plans to fight in the future for the Bellator Fighting Championships after taking a very well-deserved rest.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.
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 http://americantopteam.com/.
BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.
FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.
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We had a chance Wednesday afternoon to conduct a lengthy telephone interview with Eddie Alvarez about his life, his career, and his family. We discussed the importance of his family to him, how and why he got involved with mixed martial arts, and how his upbringing in Philadelphia has affected his fighting career. We discussed his victory in the eight-man tournament to capture the Bellator Fighting Championships lightweight title, winning all his fights with submissions, over Toby Imada, Eric Reynolds, and Greg Loughran. We analyzed his style, which effectively combines boxing, wrestling, jiu-jitsu, and muay Thai. We discussed his fights last year in the Dream organization in Japan against Joachim Hansen, Tatsuya Kawajiri, and Shinya Aoki. And we talked about his plans to fight in the future for the Bellator Fighting Championships after taking a very well-deserved rest.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.
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 http://americantopteam.com/.
BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.
FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.
Labels: Bellator Fighting Championships, Dream, Eddie Alvarez, Eddie Goldman, Eric Reynolds, Greg Loughran, Joachim Hansen, mixed martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, Shinya Aoki, Tatsuya Kawajiri, Toby Imada
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
No Holds Barred: Matthew Kaplowitz of Fight Nerd Radio
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our correspondent Matthew Kaplowitz of Fight Nerd Radio, a new mixed martial arts podcast.
With just its third episode in production, Matthew Kaplowitz is creating a formula for his show which combines interviews, fight reports and discussion, analysis of the broader scene in mixed martial arts, and, of course, steady doses of nerdy humor.
We had a chance to sit down to talk with him both for his show, which you will hear on Fight Nerd Radio, and our show.
On No Holds Barred, we focused the most on the rise of the Bellator Fighting Championships, which just completed their first season of 12 shows. Matthew covered two of their cards live, and gave his impression of how these shows came off in person, as well as discussing what Bellator needs to do to parlay the success of their first season into making their promotion even stronger than it is now.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.
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 http://americantopteam.com/.
BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.
With just its third episode in production, Matthew Kaplowitz is creating a formula for his show which combines interviews, fight reports and discussion, analysis of the broader scene in mixed martial arts, and, of course, steady doses of nerdy humor.
We had a chance to sit down to talk with him both for his show, which you will hear on Fight Nerd Radio, and our show.
On No Holds Barred, we focused the most on the rise of the Bellator Fighting Championships, which just completed their first season of 12 shows. Matthew covered two of their cards live, and gave his impression of how these shows came off in person, as well as discussing what Bellator needs to do to parlay the success of their first season into making their promotion even stronger than it is now.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.
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 http://americantopteam.com/.
BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.
FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.
Labels: Bellator Fighting Championships, BJJ, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Eddie Goldman, Fight Nerd, grappling, Internet, Matthew Kaplowitz, mixed martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, podcast, Podomatic, radio, UFC
Thursday, June 25, 2009
No Holds Barred: Joe Soto, Bellator Featherweight Champion
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with mixed martial arts fighter Joe Soto, who became the featherweight (145-pound) champion of the Bellator Fighting Championships by winning an eight-man tournament.
Although he is undefeated as a fighter, the 22-year-old Joe Soto was not the favorite heading into this tournament. That distinction went to the better-known Wilson Reis, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, who was also undefeated and had gained notoriety by winning the EliteXC bantamweight title in 2008.
When Joe Soto and Wilson Reis met in the featherweight semifinals on May 8, 2009, however, it was Soto who emerged victorious, winning a three-round unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 30-27. Soto then went on to dominate and defeat Yahir Reyes with a rear naked choke in the second round of their championship fight on June 5, 2009, and become the first Bellator featherweight champion.
We spoke with Joe Soto about his emergence as a new, young, rising star in mixed martial arts. We discussed his background as a wrestler at Iowa Central Community College, his transition from wrestling to mixed martial arts, his training and skills in both boxing and jiu-jitsu, his crucial victory over Wilson Reis, his plans for the future, and much more.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.
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 http://americantopteam.com/.
BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.
FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.
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Although he is undefeated as a fighter, the 22-year-old Joe Soto was not the favorite heading into this tournament. That distinction went to the better-known Wilson Reis, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, who was also undefeated and had gained notoriety by winning the EliteXC bantamweight title in 2008.
When Joe Soto and Wilson Reis met in the featherweight semifinals on May 8, 2009, however, it was Soto who emerged victorious, winning a three-round unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 30-27. Soto then went on to dominate and defeat Yahir Reyes with a rear naked choke in the second round of their championship fight on June 5, 2009, and become the first Bellator featherweight champion.
We spoke with Joe Soto about his emergence as a new, young, rising star in mixed martial arts. We discussed his background as a wrestler at Iowa Central Community College, his transition from wrestling to mixed martial arts, his training and skills in both boxing and jiu-jitsu, his crucial victory over Wilson Reis, his plans for the future, and much more.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.
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 http://americantopteam.com/.
BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.
FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.
Labels: Bellator Fighting Championships, BJJ, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Eddie Goldman, grappling, Iowa Central Community College, Joe Soto, mixed martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, UFC, Wilson Reis, wrestling
Thursday, June 11, 2009
No Holds Barred: Igor Gracie, Melvina Lathan
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman focuses on several issues involving the battle for mixed martial arts to become organized like a true sport.
After over a decade of opposing the sport, the New York State Legislature is now in the process of considering legislation to legalize mixed martial arts and place it under the regulation of the New York State Athletic Commission. While a bill to that effect was recently passed in a key Assembly committee, the exploding political crisis in the New York State Senate, which was actually closed down this week due to spiraling in-fighting among the politicians, has jeopardized the passage and enactment of that, and all, legislation.
To get some perspective on what would be required by the New York State Athletic Commission to regulate mixed martial arts, we spoke with its chairperson, Melvina Lathan.
We also outline some of the key ups and down in the checkered history of this commission, as well as explain why the failure of combat sports promoters, then and now, to work together to self-regulate their own events made intervention by the politicians inevitable.
This Friday night, June 12, the Bellator Fighting Championships has its eleventh show in its 12-week series, with this one being held at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn. It will be televised in the U.S. the following night, June 13, on the Spanish-language ESPN Deportes network.
The main event features the two finalists in the Bellator eight-man welterweight tournament, Lyman Good and Omar De La Cruz, fighting for the Bellator welterweight title. On the undercard, another member of the legendary Gracie family, Igor Gracie, takes on a fellow Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, Vagner Rocha.
We had a chance to speak with Igor Gracie Wednesday afternoon at the Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy in New York, where he is a lead instructor and also trains. We spoke about this upcoming fight as well as his plans to compete regularly in mixed martial arts.
In addition, we offer commentary on some of the positive and negative lessons of the first season of the Bellator Fighting Championships, as well as criticize those in the so-called mixed martial arts "media" who have either downplayed or plain ignored this important organization.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.
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 http://americantopteam.com/.
BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.
FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.
0 comments
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After over a decade of opposing the sport, the New York State Legislature is now in the process of considering legislation to legalize mixed martial arts and place it under the regulation of the New York State Athletic Commission. While a bill to that effect was recently passed in a key Assembly committee, the exploding political crisis in the New York State Senate, which was actually closed down this week due to spiraling in-fighting among the politicians, has jeopardized the passage and enactment of that, and all, legislation.
To get some perspective on what would be required by the New York State Athletic Commission to regulate mixed martial arts, we spoke with its chairperson, Melvina Lathan.
We also outline some of the key ups and down in the checkered history of this commission, as well as explain why the failure of combat sports promoters, then and now, to work together to self-regulate their own events made intervention by the politicians inevitable.
This Friday night, June 12, the Bellator Fighting Championships has its eleventh show in its 12-week series, with this one being held at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn. It will be televised in the U.S. the following night, June 13, on the Spanish-language ESPN Deportes network.
The main event features the two finalists in the Bellator eight-man welterweight tournament, Lyman Good and Omar De La Cruz, fighting for the Bellator welterweight title. On the undercard, another member of the legendary Gracie family, Igor Gracie, takes on a fellow Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, Vagner Rocha.
We had a chance to speak with Igor Gracie Wednesday afternoon at the Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy in New York, where he is a lead instructor and also trains. We spoke about this upcoming fight as well as his plans to compete regularly in mixed martial arts.
In addition, we offer commentary on some of the positive and negative lessons of the first season of the Bellator Fighting Championships, as well as criticize those in the so-called mixed martial arts "media" who have either downplayed or plain ignored this important organization.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.
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 http://americantopteam.com/.
BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.
FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.
Labels: Bellator Fighting Championships, BJJ, Eddie Goldman, Igor Gracie, Melvina Lathan, mixed martial arts, MMA, New York State Athletic Commission, No Holds Barred, Renzo Gracie, UFC, Vagner Rocha
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
No Holds Barred: Bjorn Rebney of Bellator Fighting Championships; Cheating in MMA and Sports
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins by commenting on the controversy which arose at the recent UFC event in the fight between Georges St-Pierre and BJ Penn. According to numerous reports, St-Pierre's corner had to be stopped by officials from the Nevada State Athletic Commission from continuing to grease his body between rounds. This controversy is discussed in the context of the exposures of widespread cheating in the sports world in general, and also, of course, in society.
In our main interview, we speak with Bjorn Rebney, the founder and CEO of the Bellator Fighting Championships. This new mixed martial arts company will air its shows on the Spanish-language ESPN Deportes network in the U.S. for 12 consecutive Saturday nights, beginning April 4.
In a lengthy interview, we discuss the vision and positioning of the Bellator Fighting Championships, which is primarily targeting a Latino audience. We discuss the fighters they have signed so far, their extended tournament format, the rules, the plans for both live events and televised shows, how they want to approach the non-Spanish-speaking audience, and much more.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.
BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.
Labels: Bellator Fighting Championships, BJ Penn, Bjorn Rebney, boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Eddie Goldman, Georges St-Pierre, grappling, greasegate, mixed martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, UFC, Vaseline
