Sunday, June 09, 2013
No Holds Barred: Rampage Signs With Bellator, International Wrestling Still A Mess
From the June 5 media conference call featuring Rampage and Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney, we play the questions asked by Eddie Goldman, about the need for a fighters' union or association, and about Rampage's controversial online videos.
Besides the many problems with the new wrestling rules and international wrestling, also discussed are the controversial process by which sports and federations are added and removed from the Olympic program, the growing criticisms of this process, and the need for a stronger battle against corruption in international sport.
We open with congratulations to our colleague Kristal Hart, whose TV show on Manhattan Neighborhood Network in New York, the Kristal Hart Show, was awarded first place in the Hometown Media Awards in the category of government activities. The Hometown Media Awards, sponsored by the Alliance for Community Media, were presented in San Francisco at their national awards honor show on May 30.
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:
ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.
Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.
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/.
Labels: Bellator, Bjorn Rebney, Eddie Goldman, FILA, IOC, Kristal Hart, MMA, No Holds Barred, Olympics, Quinton Rampage Jackson, rules, wrestling
Thursday, May 09, 2013
No Holds Barred: Bjorn Rebney on Bellator MMA Summer Series
Bellator's eighth season, which concluded in April, and which was its first on Spike TV, was its most successful and had the most viewers in the organization's history. While another full regular season will commence in the fall, Bellator will be starting a Summer Series of monthly shows on Wednesday, June 19.
Taking place at the WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma, and again televised live in the U.S. on Spike TV, the main event will have the unbeaten Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler defending his belt against Bellator season seven lightweight tournament winner Dave Jansen.
The June 19 event will also see the introduction of four-fighter, two-round tournaments in Bellator. Previously, all tournaments had eight competitors and three rounds.
In the first round of this tournament, which is in the light heavyweight division, "King" Mo Lawal will face Seth Petruzelli and Renato "Babalu" Sobral will fight Jacob Noe.
The four-man tournament format "just gives us the opportunity to keep guys rolling through the tournaments and get those champions title defense after title defense," said Bjorn Rebney in this interview, which was recorded by phone Thursday. "It's going to keep the ball moving. Occasionally you're going to see four-mans thrown in. You're going to see a four-man, and then you might see another four-man in the fall."
In addition, Bellator's "Fight Master" pre-recorded series also debuts on Wednesday, June 19, on Spike TV, featuring 32 welterweight fighters competing for a spot in a Bellator MMA tournament, with MMA legends Randy Couture, Greg Jackson, Frank Shamrock, and Joe Warren as coaches.
We also discussed with Bjorn Rebney how he is still running Bellator on a day-to-day basis with endless "20-hour days" even as Viacom is now majority owner of Bellator, why he will always maintain a tournament format for determining title challengers rather than using subjective matchmaking, the plans to have more women's fights in Bellator, plans to have every champion defend their belts at least three times a year, the overall status of relations with Bellator fighters, the Eddie Alvarez legal situation, 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:
ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.
Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.
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/.
Labels: Bellator, Bjorn Rebney, Dave Jansen, Eddie Goldman, Jacob Noe, King Mo Lawal, Michael Chandler, MMA, No Holds Barred, Renato Babalu Sobral, Seth Petruzelli, Spike
Wednesday, February 06, 2013
No Holds Barred: Bellator and Spike Conference Call on New Fight Master Show
Participating in both the press conference and the conference call were the four coaches slated for "Fight Master": MMA legends Randy Couture and Frank Shamrock, well-respected trainer and coach Greg Jackson, and former Greco-Roman wrestling world champion and former Bellator featherweight champion Joe Warren. Also participating were Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney, Spike TV president Kevin Kay, and Sharon Levy, the Executive Vice President, Original Series, Spike TV.
Also announced was a multi-year partnership between Spike TV and Randy Couture. This includes his participation on "Fight Master," as well as another series called "MMA Rescue," where he tries to save failing gyms, and other projects still to be developed.
On the surface, the format of "Fight Master: Bellator MMA" seems similar to that of other MMA reality shows. 32 fighters, all welterweights (170 pounds), will be divided into four camps, each led by one of these four coaches. The fighters will then compete in a tournament to win a $100,000 cash prize and to earn a slot in a regular season Bellator tournament. The show will also focus on the backgrounds, personalities, and training of these fighters.
All this will unfold over 10 one-hour, pre-recorded episodes, all shot in Louisiana. The executive producers are Bertram van Munster and Elise Doganieri, whom the Spike TV press release call "the visionaries behind 'The Amazing Race.'"
What will set this show apart from other reality shows, however, is that it is not positioned as a spectacle with all sorts of antics and absurd behavior, but rather as a springboard for developing real future stars in the sport of MMA.
Speaking on the conference call and at the press conference, Spike TV's Sharon Levy said the show will aim at both diehard and new MMA fans.
"Strategy, technique, when these guys size up these fighters and really pinpoint what's missing in their game, and what they can bring to improve their game," will be a focus of this show, she said.
"It's not going to be a bunch of drunk guys running around and acting like idiots. That's not how we're looking at the show."
Besides the speakers, there were numerous questions taken and answered, both from those in attendance at the press conference and those listening in on the conference call.
We also open with some commentary on the significance of the positioning of this new show and what it means for MMA.
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:
ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.
"The Martist" with John Perretti. A "martist" is an artist as well as a martial artist. This is a blog for those who think about fighting, published by John Perretti, the lifelong martial artist and former UFC and Battlecade Extreme Fighting matchmaker. Check out John's writings at http://johnperretti.com.
MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.
Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.
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/.
Labels: Bellator, Bjorn Rebney, Eddie Goldman, Fight Master, Frank Shamrock, Greg Jackson, Joe Warren, Kevin Kay, MMA, No Holds Barred, Randy Couture, Sharon Levy, Spike TV
Friday, January 18, 2013
No Holds Barred: Bellator Conference Call with Ben Askren, King Mo, Karl Amoussou, Bjorn Rebney, Kevin Kay
This conference call focused on the next Bellator MMA card slated for Thursday, January 24, at the WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, OK. It will be televised live in the U.S. on Spike TV.
On that card, Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren will defend his title against welterweight tournament winner Karl Amoussou. Also on that card will be the Bellator debut of "King" Mo Lawal in an opening round fight against Przemyslaw Mysiala in the Bellator light heavyweight tournament.
While the unbeaten Ben Askren may be the favorite in his title fight, challenger Karl Amoussou is quite confident he will capture the belt.
"Obviously Ben is a very good wrestler. That's not a surprise to anybody. But I think I'm the most-well rounded fighter," said Karl Amoussou on this conference call. He also noted his unpredictability as giving him the advantage in this fight.
Spike TV president Kevin Kay joined the discussion towards the end of the call, providing the ratings information for Bellator's Spike TV debut on Thursday, January 17. For the past two seasons, live Bellator shows in the U.S. were seen on the lower-rated MTV2.
"It is the most-watched Bellator event in the history of Bellator," said Kevin Kay on this conference call. "We started the night in the first 15 minutes with 1.2 million viewers. The Curran-Pitbull fight, 1.1 million watched the Curran-Pitbull fight in that first half-hour. Overall, we were up 394 percent increase over last season's show premiere. And 938,000 viewers watched the entire broadcast." He added that 950,000 viewers watched the Michael Chandler-Rick Hawn fight, won by Bellator lightweight champion Chandler with a second-round submission, a fight considered by many to be the highlight of the telecast.
There also was much more discussion with all the fighters and Bjorn Rebney and Kevin Kay about the January 17 and 24 Bellator cards, their tournaments, 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:
ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.
MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.
Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.
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/.
Labels: Bellator, Ben Askren, Bjorn Rebney, Eddie Goldman, Karl Amoussou, Kevin Kay, King Mo Lawal, MMA, No Holds Barred, Spike TV
Sunday, January 13, 2013
No Holds Barred: Bellator Debut on Spike January 17 Preview with Michael Chandler, Rick Hawn, Pat Curran, Patricio Pitbull, Babalu, Bjorn Rebney
The highly-anticipated debut of Bellator MMA on Spike TV will take place this Thursday, January 17, on a card at the University of California’s Bren Center in Irvine, California. It will be broadcast live in the U.S. on Spike TV and in the Spanish language on mun2.
Bellator returns with a bang by featuring two title fights on this first card of 2013. Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler will defend his belt against challenger and former U.S. judo Olympian Rick Hawn. Bellator featherweight champion Pat Curran will face Patricio "Pitbull" Freire. This card will also feature the start of the Bellator season eight light heavyweight tournament, including an opening round bout between grappling and MMA veteran Renato "Babalu" Sobral and Russian MMA fighter and former combat sambo champion Mikhail Zayats.
On a series of recent Bellator media conference calls, we had a chance to speak with Michael Chandler, Rick Hawn, Pat Curran, Patricio "Pitbull" Freire, Renato "Babalu" Sobral, and Bjorn Rebney. We discussed with the fighters what to expect in these important title and tournament fights, and with Bjorn Rebney the plans for upcoming tournaments.
In these interviews, former Missouri wrestling All-American Michael Chandler called it "an honor" to fight an Olympian and an "awesome" opponent like Rick Hawn, while Rick Hawn noted that this fight "has the potential to live up to the Alvarez-Chandler fight", the four-round war in November 2011 where Chandler captured the Bellator lightweight title from Eddie Alvarez. Both fighters come from different grappling backgrounds, but have added effective striking to their arsenals to sustain them at this level of competition.
Pat Curran described his transformation from being a wrestler who fought MMA into a fighter who has become more confident as a striker. "I love striking. I love everything about it. I love learning new moves, new techniques." Patricio "Pitbull" Freire stated that his opponent is an "all-around" fighter and "complete in all areas". We shall see how much striking and grappling will take place in this fight, but both fighters can win on their feet or on the ground.
With their compelling title fights, championship tournament format, and the best TV deal they've ever had, Bellator MMA, which began in 2009, is now in a position to make a major and lasting impact on the MMA world. Their January 17 debut card on Spike is one of the strongest MMA shows which will ever be shown on free TV in the U.S., so make sure to watch it.
Plus, we briefly comment on the Eddie Alvarez contract situation and its coverage in the media.
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:
ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.
MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.
Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.
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/.
Labels: Bellator, Bjorn Rebney, Eddie Goldman, Michael Chandler, MMA, No Holds Barred, Pat Curran, Patricio Pitbull Freire, Renato Babalu Sobral, Rick Hawn, Spike TV
Sunday, January 06, 2013
No Holds Barred: The Death of Strikeforce and the Rise of Bellator
We trace some of the history of Strikeforce, and how its first show in March 2006, featuring Frank Shamrock vs. Cesar Gracie, was directly related to the rebirth of this show. No Holds Barred. After slowly growing, culminating in the inception of the Heavyweight Grand Prix in 2011, Strikeforce was sold in March 2011 to Zuffa. After that, it was only a matter of time until it was closed down, which will happen following the final Strikeforce card on January 12, 2013. We thus discuss the some of the main lessons of the rise and fall of Strikeforce.
Bellator began running shows in April 2009, which were only televised live in the U.S. in Spanish on ESPN Deportes. After a year there and one on Fox Sports Net, where it was preempted numerous times amidst a different schedule in many markets, Bellator began to get more stability with a deal for weekly live shows on TV giant Viacom's MTV2 beginning in March 2011. Then, on October 26, 2011, Viacom itself announced the purchase of a majority stake in Bellator. Beginning on January 17, 2013, Bellator's live weekly shows will be shown in the U.S. on Spike TV, a cable powerhouse and former home of the UFC.
We thus also discuss the growth of Bellator, their tournament format for crowning champions and number-one contenders, their rebranding efforts as Bellator MMA, and their prospects now that they will be live on Spike TV. We also play an excerpt from a Bellator and Spike TV media conference call of December 11, 2012, with Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney and Spike TV President Kevin Kay about Bellator MMA's first season on Spike TV.
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:
ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.
MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.
Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.
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/.
Labels: Bellator, Bjorn Rebney, Eddie Goldman, mixed martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, Spike TV, Strikeforce
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
No Holds Barred: Bjorn Rebney of Bellator Fighting Championships
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Bjorn Rebney, the CEO of the Bellator Fighting Championships.
Their next show, Bellator 41, will be held Saturday, April 16, at the Cocopah Resort and Casino, in Somerton, Arizona, near Yuma. It will be shown live in the U.S. on MTV2.
On that card, Bellator featherweight champion Joe Warren has a non-title fight against Marcos "Louro" Galvao, and Bellator bantamweight champion Zack Makovsky has a non-title fight against Chad Robichaux. There are also the two semi-final fights in their season four featherweight tournament, as Wilson Reis fights Patricio "Pitbull" Freire and Kenny Foster fights Daniel Straus.
We spoke with Bjorn Rebney by phone Wednesday evening about this card and the past, present, and future of Bellator. We discussed their tournament format, which clearly distinguishes Bellator from most mixed martial arts companies where promoters pick and choose who gets title shots and who does not. We discussed their business model, which, according to Bjorn Rebney, has gotten them to a "cash flow break-even" point in this, their third year of running shows. He explained that unlike some other companies, Bellator is not for sale, will not be in the future, and why. We also discussed many other topics including their schedule for the season four tournament finals, their deal with MTV2 and their rising TV ratings, the possibility of co-promotion with other MMA companies, when some of their newer fighters will be making their debuts, the return of women fighters, 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.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.
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/.
The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.
Labels: Bellator, Bjorn Rebney, Eddie Goldman, MMA, MTV2, No Holds Barred
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
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
No Holds Barred: Bjorn Rebney of Bellator Fighting Championships on Upcoming Seasons Two and Three
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Bjorn Rebney, the founder and CEO of the mixed martial arts company, the Bellator Fighting Championships.
After a successful 2009 debut season on the Spanish-language ESPN Deportes network, it was announced Tuesday, October 20, that Bellator would be returning for their second and third seasons in 2010, on an alliance of Fox Sports Net, NBC, and the Spanish-language Telemundo network, in the U.S.
Beginning Thursday, April 8, 2010, Fox Sports Net will telecast a 12-week series of live Bellator fight shows in prime time in each market. Each Saturday night in the overnight time slot, NBC will air a 30-minute highlight show from the live fights of that week. Telemundo will also air a highlight show every Saturday night, from midnight to 1 AM local time. The third season for Bellator is scheduled to commence in August 2010.
In a lengthy interview, we discussed with Bjorn Rebney this step forward for Bellator. We examined the media aspects in depth, including when and how each network would telecast these shows, as well as their Internet strategy, including possible posting of fights on the NBC-Fox video site Hulu. We discussed the return of their champion fighters for the next seasons, the continuing use of the tournament format to determine number one contenders for their titles, why Bellator is very open to co-promoting events with other mixed martial arts companies, the likeliest locations for their 2010 events, and much more.
This new deal for seasons two and three solidifies the position of the Bellator Fighting Championships in the mixed martial arts world, and this interview analyzes all the main points about this important development.
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/.
MMA World Expo, an event designed for the mixed martial arts community offering hands-on instruction from professional trainers and athletes, educational sessions with the who's who of the MMA world, and an exhibit hall filled with the industry's top suppliers and services. MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, October 24th, and Sunday, October 25th, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.
GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.com.
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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After a successful 2009 debut season on the Spanish-language ESPN Deportes network, it was announced Tuesday, October 20, that Bellator would be returning for their second and third seasons in 2010, on an alliance of Fox Sports Net, NBC, and the Spanish-language Telemundo network, in the U.S.
Beginning Thursday, April 8, 2010, Fox Sports Net will telecast a 12-week series of live Bellator fight shows in prime time in each market. Each Saturday night in the overnight time slot, NBC will air a 30-minute highlight show from the live fights of that week. Telemundo will also air a highlight show every Saturday night, from midnight to 1 AM local time. The third season for Bellator is scheduled to commence in August 2010.
In a lengthy interview, we discussed with Bjorn Rebney this step forward for Bellator. We examined the media aspects in depth, including when and how each network would telecast these shows, as well as their Internet strategy, including possible posting of fights on the NBC-Fox video site Hulu. We discussed the return of their champion fighters for the next seasons, the continuing use of the tournament format to determine number one contenders for their titles, why Bellator is very open to co-promoting events with other mixed martial arts companies, the likeliest locations for their 2010 events, and much more.
This new deal for seasons two and three solidifies the position of the Bellator Fighting Championships in the mixed martial arts world, and this interview analyzes all the main points about this important development.
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/.
MMA World Expo, an event designed for the mixed martial arts community offering hands-on instruction from professional trainers and athletes, educational sessions with the who's who of the MMA world, and an exhibit hall filled with the industry's top suppliers and services. MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, October 24th, and Sunday, October 25th, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.
GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.com.
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, Bjorn Rebney, Eddie Goldman, MMA, No Holds Barred, UFC
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
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
