NO HOLDS BARRED

(Photo of Omar Figueroa and Ricky Burns by Esther Lin/PBC on CBS, photo of Canelo Alvarez and James Kirkland by Ed Mulholland/Golden Boy/Golden Boy via Getty Images)

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman previews the Friday, May 29, Premier Boxing Champions card at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, by speaking with Amir Khan, Chris Algieri, and Paulie Malignaggi.

On that card, Amir Khan (30-3, 19 KOs) will face Chris Algieri (20-1, 8 KOs) and Paulie Malignaggi (33-6, 7 KOs) will take on Danny O'Connor (25-2, 9 KOs) in welterweight bouts. These fights will be televised live in the U.S. on Spike TV.

We spoke with Amir Khan, Chris Algieri, and Paulie Malignaggi on a media conference call Wednesday.

This past weekend there were several televised fights, and we review Saturday's action on the PBC on CBS card and the HBO card later that evening.

On the PBC on CBS card, which took place at the State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas, Omar Figueroa of Texas (25-0-1, 18 KOs) got a close and controversial unanimous decision over Ricky Burns of Scotland (37-5-1, 11 KOs), in a super lightweight fight. Also on that show, the U.K.'s Jamie McDonnell (25-2-1, 12 KOs) defended his WBA bantamweight belt by winning a unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Tomoki Kameda (31-1, 19 KOs), who is from Japan but trains in Mexico.

On the HBO card, which took place at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas, and as many expected, super welterweight Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (45-1-1, 32 KOs) knocked out James Kirkland of Texas (32-2, 28 KOs) in the third round of a slugfest.

We compare the PBC on CBS card to the Canelo-Kirkland fight on HBO, discuss more of the fallout over Pacquiao's claim he was injured during his fight with Floyd Mayweather, rip the mainstream and most of the boxing media for not properly discussing this issue and dealing with doping in boxing, 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.

Labels: Amir Khan, boxing, Canelo Alvarez, CBS, Chris Algieri, Eddie Goldman, Floyd Mayweather, HBO, James Kirkland, Manny Pacquiao, No Holds Barred, Omar Figueroa, Paulie Malignaggi, PBC, Ricky Burns

(Photo credit: Amanda Kwok / PBC on CBS)

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with our colleague, correspondent, and award-winning boxing writer, Charles Farrell, who is also co-editor of The Boxing Standard.

The Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) series made its debut on CBS in the U.S. on Saturday, April 4, headlined by a fight from Quebec City's Pepsi Coliseum featuring WBC light heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson (26-1, 21 KOs) winning a 12-round unanimous decision over Sakio Bika (32-7-3, 21 KOs). This followed PBC cards on March 7 on NBC and March 13 on Spike TV, with many more scheduled in the coming weeks and months.

To discuss these, as well as the May 2 mega-fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas and other upcoming bouts, we spoke with Charles Farrell by phone Sunday.

Regarding the progress of the PBC in its first month of televised cards, he said, "I certainly think that putting them on NBC, CBS, even Spike, opens up the door for a lot of potentially interesting things." While there has been "some but not great success" in the quality and presentation of these cards, there are still numerous problems.

"The one thing that you can't do is you can't necessarily guarantee that you're going to get great fights. And yesterday they had a problem," referring to the Stevenson-Bika fight.

Part of it was "not very good matchmaking" pitting Stevenson against Bika, who has never been knocked out and is known as an awkward and sometimes dirty fighter.

"Adonis Stevenson underperformed in a way that they didn't expect and probably was hard to predict, and he didn't do what he needed to do," he said.

Commentary, much of it ill-informed, is already filling up the sports media about the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight. But already there has been some open speculation about one possible scenario in this fight: that the fight goes all 12 rounds, that the unbeaten Mayweather (47-0) deserves to win a clear-cut decision, and that he is robbed of it, thus ensuring an incredibly lucrative rematch.

With high stakes betting taking place on this fight and all the money involved, "The logic is to rob Mayweather," he said. We discussed this scenario as well as several others for this bout.

In addition, we discussed many upcoming fights including this coming Saturday's Garcia-Peterson and Quillin-Lee fights on NBC; why Stevenson must next fight the undefeated Sergey Kovalev; the corporate feel of the PBC cards; problems with the announcers on them; 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.

Labels: Adonis Stevenson, boxing, CBS, Charles Farrell, Eddie Goldman, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, NBC, No Holds Barred, PBC, Sakio Bika

NO HOLDS BARRED on PodOmatic

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Scott Coker, the founder and CEO of the mixed martial arts company Strikeforce.

Strikeforce announced Thursday, Feb. 5, that they had purchased key assets from ProElite, the parent company of EliteXC, including the contracts of numerous of their top and best-known fighters. EliteXC stopped running shows in October 2008. Strikeforce will also run live events to be televised in the U.S. on Showtime, with the first one being April 11 in San Jose, Calif. There are also plans for up to four live televised shows on CBS. Both Showtime and CBS had previously been airing EliteXC shows.

In a lengthy interview, we discussed the status of the fighter contracts which were purchased by Strikeforce, which fighters Scott expects will fight for Strikeforce, their plans for the April 11 show and beyond, their deals with Showtime and CBS, their continuing weekly show on NBC, what to expect regarding the issue of EliteXC and Strikeforce champions, what has happened to kickboxing, the evolution of mixed martial arts as a sport, 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: boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, CBS, Eddie Goldman, EliteXC, grappling, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, MMA, NBC, No Holds Barred, ProElite, Scott Coker, Showtime, Strikeforce, UFC

NO HOLDS BARRED on PodOmatic

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with the legendary mixed martial arts fighter Frank Shamrock.

Frank has just revamped his web site, FrankShamrock.com, and added numerous user-friendly, social networking features, where one can sign up for free as a member.

We had a wide-ranging discussion beginning with the web site, and covering his view of his fight with Cung Le this past March, what his next fight may be, the prospects of a mixed martial arts fight with his brother Ken Shamrock, what has happened to EliteXC, his role in that company, the state of mixed martial arts, the need for a fighters' union in MMA, and more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here or 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.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Labels: CBS, Cung Le, Eddie Goldman, EliteXC, Frank Shamrock, grappling, Ken Shamrock, mixed martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, Pro Elite, Showtime, UFC, ultimate fighting

NO HOLDS BARRED on PodOmatic

NO HOLDS BARRED on DojoRadio.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins by reviewing the new documentary film "JC Chavez", which focuses on the life and career of the legendary Mexican boxer and icon, Julio Cesar Chavez. After a 25-year professional career which included numerous world championships in the super featherweight, lightweight, and light welterweight divisions, Chavez retired in 2005 with a record of 107-6-2, with 86 KOs. This worthwhile documentary, directed by Diego Luna, provides a telling look at both Chavez the man and Chavez the fighter.

We next hear from EliteXC welterweight champion Jake Shields, who defends his title against Paul Daley Saturday, Oct. 4, at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla., on the CBS EliteXC Saturday Night Fights mixed martial arts card. We spoke with both Jake Shields and Paul Daley on a recent media conference call.

On a cultural note, the quintessential dive bar, Yogi's, located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, is closing its doors on Saturday, Oct. 4. This bar has become yet another victim of the growing gentrification of New York foisted upon the public by the real estate interests, the banks, and their handmaidens, the politicians.

We discuss why this bar was so important and loved, both by people in and out of the combat sports. And to put this into perspective, we speak with author Kevin Fitzpatrick, founder and editor of the New York City Bartenders and Patrons web page.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here or here. You can also download it 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:

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

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.

Gladiator Challenge, shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Labels: boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, CBS, dive bars, Eddie Goldman, EliteXC, Jake Shields, Julio Cesar Chavez, Kevin Fitzpatrick, mixed martial arts, New York, No Holds Barred, Paul Daley, wrestling, Yogi’s

NO HOLDS BARRED on PodOmatic

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with the award-winning boxing writer and author, Thomas Hauser of SecondsOut.com, about his views on UFC and mixed martial arts.

In a lengthy discussion, Thomas Hauser explains why he does not like mixed martial arts, why he finds it debasing, why he thinks that society should not be encouraging it, and why he thinks New York State should not legalize and sanction it.

This is a must-hear interview, for both supporters and opponents of UFC and mixed martial arts.

To listen to No Holds Barred, click here or here and just press the play button on the player.

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:

IFL, the International Fight League. Make sure to check out their regular TV shows on FSN (Fox Sports Net) in the U.S. and to check your local listings for dates and times. Check out the IFL web site, ifl.tv, for a listing of IFL live events and their TV schedule.

Gladiator Challenge, shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

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.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Labels: boxing, CBS, Eddie Goldman, EliteXC, IFL, International Fight League, mixed martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, Pro Elite, SecondsOut.com, Thomas Hauser, UFC, ultimate fighting

NO HOLDS BARRED on PodOmatic

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman reviews the CBS and EliteXC Saturday Night Fights card, which took place Saturday, May 31, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, and was shown live in the U.S. on CBS.

We continue our discussion of the Pygmalion-like story of Kimbo Slice, examining its next chapter, his third-round TKO over James Thompson in the main event on this card.

We discuss the positive and negative aspects of this show, including the belittling of the role of grappling in mixed martial arts.

We conducted several interviews right after the show. We spoke with former UFC heavyweight and Pride Grand Prix champion Mark Coleman, who seconded Phil Baroni and Carlton Haselrig, about those fights, as well as his own return to fighting.

We spoke with middleweight Joey Villasenor, who scored a first-round TKO over Phil Baroni.

We spoke with unbeaten heavyweight Brett Rogers, who scored a first-round TKO over Jon Murphy.

And we got a brief comment from former UFC heavyweight champion and King of Pancrase Bas Rutten, who trains Kimbo Slice.

To listen to No Holds Barred, click here or here and just press the play button on the player.

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:

IFL, the International Fight League, the world's first professional mixed martial arts league. Make sure to check out their regular TV shows on FSN (Fox Sports Net) in the U.S. and to check your local listings for dates and times. Check out the IFL web site, ifl.tv, for a listing of IFL live events and their TV schedule.

Gladiator Challenge, shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

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.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Labels: boxing, Brett Rogers, Carlton Haselrig, CBS, Eddie Goldman, EliteXC, Gina Carano, James Thompson, Joey Villasenor, Kimbo Slice, Mark Coleman, mixed martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, UFC

NO HOLDS BARRED on PodOmatic

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins by discussing the Pygmalion-like tale of Kimbo Slice and the reasons for his broad appeal and the Kimbo phenomenon.

Kimbo, of course, headlines the CBS and EliteXC Saturday Night Fights card, which takes place this Saturday, May 31, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, and will be shown live in the U.S. on CBS. He faces fellow heavyweight mixed martial artist, James Thompson.

We spoke with Kimbo Slice along with other members of the media at the final prefight news conference this Thursday in New York.

We also spoke with another headliner on this card, the charismatic and undefeated Gina Carano, who faces Kaitlin Young in a women's 140-pound fight. And we spoke with EliteXC promoter Gary Shaw about his views on the reported hiring by the rival of EliteXC, UFC, of a Washington, D.C. lobbying firm to keep mixed martial arts out of federal regulatory legislation.

Eddie Goldman will also be a guest on the nationally-syndicated "Joey Reynolds Show" this Friday night/early Saturday morning, May 30/31. The topic will be the May 31 EliteXC show and Kimbo Slice, but expect anything to come up. The "Joey Reynolds Show" is a national radio broadcast in New York on WOR 710 AM and on 100 other stations via the WOR Network. The show airs live beginning at midnight EDT and runs to 5 AM EDT. We are presently scheduled to come on right after midnight EDT. You can also listen to the "Joey Reynolds Show" online at http://www.wor710.com/.

To listen to No Holds Barred, click here or here and just press the play button on the player.

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:

CBS and EliteXC Saturday Night Fights. On May 31st, watch the historic debut of "CBS and EliteXC Saturday Night Fights". The action is LIVE on CBS starting at 9 PM ET/PT. Kimbo Slice, Gina Carano, Robbie Lawler, Phil Baroni, and more will be bringing their A-games to primetime on the 31st. For more info, go to SaturdayNightFights.com.

ProElite.com, an MMA website built by and for the fans and fighters of this great sport. Watch action-packed fights, connect with others, and get exclusive MMA coverage all in one place. It's "All Combat All the Time" at ProElite.com!

IFL, the International Fight League, the world's first professional mixed martial arts league. Make sure to check out their regular TV shows on FSN (Fox Sports Net) in the U.S. and to check your local listings for dates and times. Check out the IFL web site, ifl.tv, for a listing of IFL live events and their TV schedule.

Gladiator Challenge, shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

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.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Labels: boxing, CBS, Eddie Goldman, EliteXC, Gary Shaw, Gina Carano, James Thompson, Joey Reynolds, Kaitlin Young, Kimbo Slice, mixed martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, UFC, ultimate fighting, WOR

Labels: CBS, Eddie Goldman, EliteXC, Frank Shamrock, Gary Shaw, Gus Johnson, James Thompson, Kimbo Slice, mixed martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, UFC

NO HOLDS BARRED on PodOmatic

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins by discussing the beating received this past Friday by former Chris Byrd in his ESPN2 bout with Shaun George. Byrd, a former heavyweight champion, was fighting at light heavyweight, and was stopped in the ninth round after looking drained and getting battered throughout the fight.

We next focus on some important correspondence from a listener who understands the connection between the combat sports, the need for a warrior culture by people who are oppressed and downtrodden, and life in general.

Among the other issues discussed are the appearance of EliteXC fighter Kimbo Slice on the Academy of Country Music Awards on CBS, the flaws in the pay-per-view model for the combat sports, and what the International Fight League needs to do to improve their fortunes.

Next, we speak with the three IFL fighters who were victorious in their championship fights this past Friday, May 16, at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn. They are lightweight champion Ryan Schultz, who won a unanimous decision over Deividas Taurosevicius, to retain his belt; Dan Miller, who captured the middleweight belt with a first-round kneebar submission over Ryan McGivern; and Roy Nelson, who retained his heavyweight title with a first-round TKO over Brad Imes.

To listen to No Holds Barred, click here and just press the play button on the player.

You can also download it by scrolling down that page and clicking on the download link (right-click to save it).

You can also listen to it through the player on this blog and the No Holds Barred MySpace page, also by pressing the play button on the player.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

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:

ProElite.com, an MMA website built by and for the fans and fighters of this great sport. Watch action-packed fights, connect with others, and get exclusive MMA coverage all in one place. It's "All Combat All the Time" at ProElite.com!

IFL, the International Fight League, the world's first professional mixed martial arts league. Make sure to check out their regular TV shows on FSN (Fox Sports Net) in the U.S. and to check your local listings for dates and times. Check out the IFL web site, ifl.tv, for a listing of IFL live events and their TV schedule.

Gladiator Challenge, shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

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.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Labels: boxing, CBS, Chris Byrd, country music, Dan Miller, Eddie Goldman, EliteXC, IFL, Kimbo Slice, mixed martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, pay-per-view, Pro Elite, Roy Nelson, Ryan Schultz

NO HOLDS BARRED on PodOmatic

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins by discussing the outrageous decision by Arizona State University to close down, without any notice, its storied wrestling program. A web site has been set up as part of a campaign to save Arizona State University wrestling.

Next, we speak with Jeffrey Siegel, senior vice president, specialized sales and marketing, of ESPN. We discuss the importance of the combat sports of boxing, mixed martial arts, and wrestling to the ESPN group of networks.

Preparations for the first "CBS EliteXC Saturday Night Fights", which air Saturday, May 31, 9-11 PM ET/PT, are continuing. This event will be held at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., and will be first primetime major network broadcast of a mixed martial arts event in America.

On a media conference call this week, we spoke with Gina Carano and Kaitlin Young, who will be facing each other in a women's 140-pound fight. We spoke them, as well as EliteXC Live Events President Gary Shaw, about this fight and the importance of women competing in mixed martial arts.

On another media conference call, we spoke with EliteXC middleweight champion Robbie Lawler and challenger Scott Smith, who have a title fight on this card.

To listen to No Holds Barred, click here and just press the play button on the player.

You can also download it by scrolling down that page and clicking on the download link (right-click to save it).

You can also listen to it through the player on this blog and the No Holds Barred MySpace page, also by pressing the play button on the player.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

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:

YAMMA Pit Fighting. The producers of the original UFC and Live Nation, worldwide leaders in live entertainment, present YAMMA Pit Fighting mixed martial arts. On the streets, it's against the law. In the pit, it IS the law.

ProElite.com, an MMA website built by and for the fans and fighters of this great sport. Watch action-packed fights, connect with others, and get exclusive MMA coverage all in one place. It's "All Combat All the Time" at ProElite.com!

IFL, the International Fight League, the world's first professional mixed martial arts league. Make sure to check out their regular TV shows on FSN (Fox Sports Net) in the U.S. and to check your local listings for dates and times. Check out the IFL web site, ifl.tv, for a listing of IFL live events and their TV schedule.

Gladiator Challenge, shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

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.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Labels: Arizona State, boxing, CBS, Eddie Goldman, EliteXC, ESPN, Gary Shaw, Gina Carano, Jeffrey Siegel, Kaitlin Young, mixed martial arts, No Holds Barred, Pro Elite, Robbie Lawler, Scott Smith, wrestling

NO HOLDS BARRED on PodOmatic

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman focuses on several key issues regarding the state of mixed martial arts. Among the many topics discussed are the new Affliction promotion and the numerous challenges they are facing, the troubled pay-per-view model, and the recent announcement of major changes for the International Fight League (IFL).

We also hear comments by IFL CEO Jay Larkin and VP of Fighter Relations Bas Rutten on a media conference call this past week, and discuss with them the need for mixed martial arts promoters to co-promote events.

To listen to No Holds Barred, click here and just press the play button on the player.

You can also download it by scrolling down that page and clicking on the download link (right-click to save it).

You can also listen to it through the player on this blog and the No Holds Barred MySpace page, also by pressing the play button on the player.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

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:

YAMMA Pit Fighting. The producers of the original UFC and Live Nation, worldwide leaders in live entertainment, present YAMMA Pit Fighting mixed martial arts. On the streets, it's against the law. In the pit, it IS the law.

ProElite.com, an MMA website built by and for the fans and fighters of this great sport. Watch action-packed fights, connect with others, and get exclusive MMA coverage all in one place. It's "All Combat All the Time" at ProElite.com!

IFL, the International Fight League, the world's first professional mixed martial arts league. Make sure to check out their regular TV shows on FSN (Fox Sports Net) in the U.S. and to check your local listings for dates and times. Check out the IFL web site, ifl.tv, for a listing of IFL live events and their TV schedule.

Gladiator Challenge, shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

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.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Labels: Affliction, Bas Rutten, boxing, CBS, Eddie Goldman, EliteXC, IFL, International Fight League, Jay Larkin, Kimbo Slice, mixed martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, pay-per-view, Pro Elite, SopCast, UFC

NO HOLDS BARRED on PodOmatic

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with mixed martial arts legend and former King of Pancrase and UFC heavyweight champion, Bas Rutten.

Amongst his numerous duties in many areas of MMA, Bas is training Kimbo Slice, AKA Kevin Ferguson, at his gym in Thousand Oaks, Calif., for Kimbo's May 31 fight against James Thompson on the EliteXC card at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. This show will be broadcast on CBS, the first live, prime time MMA telecast on a major American broadcast network.

In a lengthy interview, Bas discusses his evaluation of Kimbo as a fighter, where Kimbo stands in only his third professional fight, and what his potential is. He also answers some of the critics of Kimbo. In addition, Bas fills us in on some of his other activities in his increasingly busy schedule.

Plus, we offer a preview of the fight between WBC super lightweight champion Junior Witter (36-1-1, 21 KOs) and top contender Timothy Bradley (21-0, 11 KOs), which takes place this Saturday, May 10, at the Trent FM Arena in Nottingham, England. This fight will be telecast in the U.S. on Showtime on a special edition of ShoBox: The New Generation.

We spoke with both Junior Witter and Timothy Bradley on a media conference call.

To listen to No Holds Barred, click here and just press the play button on the player.

You can also download it by scrolling down that page and clicking on the download link (right-click to save it).

You can also listen to it through the player on this blog and the No Holds Barred MySpace page, also by pressing the play button on the player.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

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:

YAMMA Pit Fighting. The producers of the original UFC and Live Nation, worldwide leaders in live entertainment, present YAMMA Pit Fighting mixed martial arts. On the streets, it's against the law. In the pit, it IS the law.

ProElite.com, an MMA website built by and for the fans and fighters of this great sport. Watch action-packed fights, connect with others, and get exclusive MMA coverage all in one place. It's "All Combat All the Time" at ProElite.com!

IFL, the International Fight League, the world's first professional mixed martial arts league. Make sure to check out their regular TV shows on FSN (Fox Sports Net) in the U.S. and to check your local listings for dates and times. Check out the IFL web site, ifl.tv, for a listing of IFL live events and their TV schedule.

Gladiator Challenge, shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

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.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Labels: Bas Rutten, boxing, CBS, Eddie Goldman, EliteXC, IFL, International Fight League, Junior Witter, Kimbo Slice, mixed martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, Pro Elite, Timothy Bradley, UFC

NO HOLDS BARRED on PodOmatic

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins by commenting on what is really behind the Oscar De La Hoya-Steve Forbes fight this Saturday, May 3, and why fight fans should not miss the replay of the Israel Vazquez-Rafael Marquez trilogy on Showtime, also this Saturday, which were the best boxing matches of the past two years. We also discuss the comments by CBS chairman Sumner Redstone that it was not "socially responsible" for CBS to decide to air the May 31 EliteXC mixed martial arts show on that broadcast network.

On our show, we spoke with Gary Shaw, the president of EliteXC's Live Events division, and president and CEO of Gary Shaw Productions, his boxing promotional company.

In a lengthy discussion, we talked about the mixed martial arts and boxing events in which he is involved. We previewed the EliteXC show coming Saturday, May 31, to the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, which will be telecast in the U.S. live on CBS beginning at 9 PM EDT, the first major mixed martial arts show on a major American broadcast network in prime time. We discussed the amazing trilogy between Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez, which he promoted, and the possibility of a fourth fight; the Kimbo Slice phenomenon and why he is in the EliteXC May 31 main event; the rest of the May 31 card including EliteXC middleweight champion Robbie Lawler vs. Scott Smith and the return of Gina Carano; the inclusion on the May 31 undercard of Carlton Haselrig, the only six-time NCAA college wrestling champion and a star lineman with the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets; his May 17 boxing card featuring unbeaten rising stars James Kirkland, Yuriorkis Gamboa, and Alfredo Angulo, in Primm, Nevada, and on HBO; and the June 7 boxing card featuring Vernon Forrest vs. Sergio Mora and the rematch between Carlos Quintana and Paul Williams, from Mohegan Sun and on Showtime.

We also spoke with IFL lightweight champion Ryan Schultz and IFL middleweight champion Ryan McGivern about their upcoming title defenses Friday, May 16, at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. In a dangerous fight, Schultz faces submission specialist Deividas Taurosevicius, while McGivern, in his first title defense, fights the tough Dan Miller.

To listen to No Holds Barred, click here and just press the play button on the player.

You can also download it by scrolling down that page and clicking on the download link (right-click to save it).

You can also listen to it through the player on this blog and the No Holds Barred MySpace page, also by pressing the play button on the player.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

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:

YAMMA Pit Fighting. The producers of the original UFC and Live Nation, worldwide leaders in live entertainment, present YAMMA Pit Fighting mixed martial arts. On the streets, it's against the law. In the pit, it IS the law.

IFL, the International Fight League, the world's first professional mixed martial arts league. Make sure to check out their regular TV shows on FSN (Fox Sports Net) in the U.S. and to check your local listings for dates and times. Check out the IFL web site, ifl.tv, for a listing of IFL live events and their TV schedule.

Gladiator Challenge, shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

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.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Labels: boxing, Carlton Haselrig, CBS, Eddie Goldman, EliteXC, Gary Shaw, IFL, Israel Vazquez, Kimbo Slice, MMA, No Holds Barred, Oscar De La Hoya, Rafael Marquez, Ryan McGivern, Ryan Schultz, Steve Forbes

NO HOLDS BARRED on PodOmatic

On this special edition of NO HOLDS BARRED, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Gary Shaw, who serves as a boxing promoter with his Gary Shaw Productions and as a mixed martial arts promoter as president of EliteXC.

We spoke Friday afternoon, Feb. 29, just before the weigh-ins for the highly anticipated rubber match between WBC super bantamweight champion Israel Vazquez (42-4, 31 KOs) and former world champion Rafael Marquez (37-4, 33 KOs), who, in classic battles last year, split their first two fights. The third fight takes place Saturday, March 1, at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. Showtime will televise it in the U.S.

In a short but explosive interview, we discussed the significance of the deal announced Thursday, Feb. 28, that CBS will televise four live EliteXC shows a year in prime time; that the second Vazquez-Marquez fight narrowly lost in the voting by the Boxing Writers Association of America for 2007 fight of the year; why boxing could not get a network TV deal like EliteXC did; when and where the first CBS-televised EliteXC show might take place; an evaluation of EliteXC star Kimbo Slice as a fighter; and where EliteXC stands in relation to UFC.

To listen to NO HOLDS BARRED, click here and just press the play button on the player.

You can also download it by scrolling down that page and clicking on the download link (right-click to save it).

You can also listen to it through the player on this blog and the NO HOLDS BARRED MySpace page, also by pressing the play button on the player.

Also, NO HOLDS BARRED is available through iTunes.

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:

YAMMA Pit Fighting. The producers of the original UFC and Live Nation, worldwide leaders in live entertainment, present YAMMA Pit Fighting mixed martial arts. On the streets, it's against the law. In the pit, it IS the law.

IFL, the International Fight League, the world's first professional mixed martial arts league. Make sure to check out their regular TV shows on FSN (Fox Sports Net) in the U.S. and to check your local listings for dates and times. Check out the IFL web site, ifl.tv, for a listing of IFL live events and their TV schedule.

Gladiator Challenge, shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

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.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Labels: boxing, CBS, Eddie Goldman, EliteXC, Gary Shaw, Israel Vazquez, Kimbo Slice, mixed martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, Pro Elite, Rafael Marquez, Showtime, UFC, ultimate fighting