Sunday, January 01, 2012
No Holds Barred: Lessons from New Year's Weekend Fights, 2011 No Holds Barred Awards
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman reviews the fights and some of the issues arising from the New Year's weekend cards, and presents the 2011 No Holds Barred Awards.
The boxing card on Showtime Friday night, December 30, only re-raised questions about the neurological health of returning fighters Jermain Taylor and Andre Dirrell. The UFC card, also on Friday night, again exposed Brock Lesnar, who was blown out by Alistair Overeem in the first round and subsequently announced his retirement from MMA, as the worst UFC heavyweight titleholder in history.
But the spiraling contractual and legal issues facing Overeem, which led to him being sued by his former management and his purse being held up for this victory, also highlighted the need for MMA fighters to have their own association like athletes in other sports do, and to get the same protections as boxers do under the Muhammad Ali Act in the U.S.
Also addressed is the decline of submissions and of grappling in MMA, particularly in the U.S., and what this says about the relative safety and level of technique of MMA compared to boxing and other combat sports.
Dream held its annual New Year's Eve card at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan, featuring a mix of MMA and kickboxing fights with several fake pro "wrestling" acts. This says a lot about the weakness of the governance of this event. On the other hand, the real matches on the Dream card, held in a ring, featured numerous fights displaying a wide variety of grappling and striking techniques. The main event saw a first-round knockout by Fedor Emelianenko over Satoshi Ishii. The co-feature saw a great fight loaded with superior grappling where Shinya Aoki won a unanimous decision over Satoru Kitaoka to win the Dream featherweight title.
Next is the announcement of the very selective and purposely non-comprehensive 2011 No Holds Barred Awards, to highlight some of the good and the bad in the combat sports in 2011. Among the awards are the combat sports athlete of the year, combat sport of the year, boxer of the year, grappler of the year, sports organization of the year, comeback sport of the year, worst state regulation of combat sports in the U.S., best combat sports vlog, best wrestler and boxer in MMA, best MMA ring announcer, best MMA TV announcer, best new MMA journalist, MMA journalist of the year, and a few more awards of varying degrees of historical importance.
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 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", by Ian Carpenter.
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: Andre Ward, Aoki, boxing, Eddie Goldman, Fedor, grappling, Ishii, Lesnar, MMA, No Holds Barred, Overeem, wrestling
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
No Holds Barred: Renzo Gracie, Nevada Commission-Overeem Drug Test Mess
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, grappling, and MMA legend Renzo Gracie.
On Saturday, December 17, Renzo will be hosting the Renzo Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu 2011 Open tournament at the MMA World Expo in New York. We spoke with Renzo on Friday at his New York academy about this tournament, the tremendous growth of his academy, his recent trip to Abu Dhabi to help plan the expansion of ADCC grappling events around the world, the emergence of the ONE Fighting Championship as the largest MMA promotion in Asia, and more.
We open by discussing the latest fiasco involving the political appointees of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. They held a public hearing on Monday, December 12, which included discussion of their so-called "random" drug testing, where athletes are given prior notice, and the licensing situation of Alistair Overeem. While training in his home country of the Netherlands, Overeem could not complete the tests the Nevada commission wanted in the time frame they wanted. The Nevada commission does not directly work with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), has far weaker standards than WADA, never contacted their Dutch affiliate of the Anti-Doping Authority Netherlands, and did not even seem to know who conducts such drug testing in that country. Instead, they tried to put the onus of the results of their refusal to be a part of the world anti-doping movement and to follow the international protocols of WADA on the fighter Overeem and his assistants. They did issue a conditional license to Overeem and ordered him to take some of their "random" tests, but appeared either clueless or uninterested in solving a problem which has long been addressed in international sport by responsible authorities.
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 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", by Ian Carpenter.
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.
On Saturday, December 17, Renzo will be hosting the Renzo Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu 2011 Open tournament at the MMA World Expo in New York. We spoke with Renzo on Friday at his New York academy about this tournament, the tremendous growth of his academy, his recent trip to Abu Dhabi to help plan the expansion of ADCC grappling events around the world, the emergence of the ONE Fighting Championship as the largest MMA promotion in Asia, and more.
We open by discussing the latest fiasco involving the political appointees of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. They held a public hearing on Monday, December 12, which included discussion of their so-called "random" drug testing, where athletes are given prior notice, and the licensing situation of Alistair Overeem. While training in his home country of the Netherlands, Overeem could not complete the tests the Nevada commission wanted in the time frame they wanted. The Nevada commission does not directly work with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), has far weaker standards than WADA, never contacted their Dutch affiliate of the Anti-Doping Authority Netherlands, and did not even seem to know who conducts such drug testing in that country. Instead, they tried to put the onus of the results of their refusal to be a part of the world anti-doping movement and to follow the international protocols of WADA on the fighter Overeem and his assistants. They did issue a conditional license to Overeem and ordered him to take some of their "random" tests, but appeared either clueless or uninterested in solving a problem which has long been addressed in international sport by responsible authorities.
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 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", by Ian Carpenter.
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: ADCC, BJJ, drug test, Eddie Goldman, grappling, MMA, Nevada commission, No Holds Barred, Overeem, Renzo Gracie
Tuesday, November 08, 2011
No Holds Barred: A Round of the Year, Another Contract Dispute, and Upsets on the Mat
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman reviews the fight and round of the year candidate between James Kirkland and Alfredo Angulo. Also discussed are the fights between Guillermo Jones and Mike Marrone, Lucian Bute and Glen Johnson, Peter Quillin and Craig McEwan, and rising star Pier-Olivier Côté and Jorge Teron. And we explain why the upcoming pay-per-view between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez is not worth it.
The MMA world is paying close attention to the allegations by heavyweight star Alistair Overeem against his former management of Golden Glory. These were explained in a video on his web site, TheReem.com. The implications of these allegations are that MMA fighters must be afforded the same protections as boxers in the U.S. have under the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, and we explain why.
Bellator will be having two tournament championship fights this Saturday, November 12, and there is a full slate of college wrestling on tap for the coming weekend. We also discuss the upset losses on Sunday by Iowa State to Army and Boston University, and some of the obstacles facing college wrestling amidst the growing turmoil and reshuffling of conferences in the college sports world.
And we open with get well wishes to Smokin' Joe Frazier, who is suffering from liver cancer.
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 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", by Ian Carpenter.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City, featuring the Renzo Gracie Gi Open 2011 tournament, a signing of his new book by MMA legend Randy Couture, grappling and muay Thai action, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The third annual MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, December 17, and Sunday, December 18, 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/.
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.
The MMA world is paying close attention to the allegations by heavyweight star Alistair Overeem against his former management of Golden Glory. These were explained in a video on his web site, TheReem.com. The implications of these allegations are that MMA fighters must be afforded the same protections as boxers in the U.S. have under the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, and we explain why.
Bellator will be having two tournament championship fights this Saturday, November 12, and there is a full slate of college wrestling on tap for the coming weekend. We also discuss the upset losses on Sunday by Iowa State to Army and Boston University, and some of the obstacles facing college wrestling amidst the growing turmoil and reshuffling of conferences in the college sports world.
And we open with get well wishes to Smokin' Joe Frazier, who is suffering from liver cancer.
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 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", by Ian Carpenter.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City, featuring the Renzo Gracie Gi Open 2011 tournament, a signing of his new book by MMA legend Randy Couture, grappling and muay Thai action, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The third annual MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, December 17, and Sunday, December 18, 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/.
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: Ali Act, Angulo, Eddie Goldman, Kirkland, MMA, No Holds Barred, Overeem, wrestling
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
No Holds Barred: On Pacquiao, Overeem, Governance, and Corruption in Combat Sports
On this audio edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses some of the recent controversies in the combat sports in light of the attention brought to the battle against corruption and for better governance by the upcoming conference on October 3-6 in Cologne, Germany, of the sports reform organization, Play the Game.
We discuss the dispute between boxer Manny Pacquiao and his promoter, Top Rank, and the business and accounting company VisionQwest; the dispute involving K-1 and former Strikeforce champion Alistair Overeem, his management company Golden Glory, and UFC; the sanctioning of disgraced boxer Antonio Margarito by New York; problems in the new MMA organizations in Asia; controversies at the world wrestling championships; 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.
Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
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.
We discuss the dispute between boxer Manny Pacquiao and his promoter, Top Rank, and the business and accounting company VisionQwest; the dispute involving K-1 and former Strikeforce champion Alistair Overeem, his management company Golden Glory, and UFC; the sanctioning of disgraced boxer Antonio Margarito by New York; problems in the new MMA organizations in Asia; controversies at the world wrestling championships; 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.
Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.
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: boxing, Eddie Goldman, Game, Margarito, MMA, No Holds Barred, Overeem, Pacquiao, Play
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
No Holds Barred: Strikeforce World Grand Prix Heavyweight Tournament Prefight News Conference
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman presents the audio from the February 9 prefight news conference for the Strikeforce World Grand Prix Heavyweight Tournament. The news conference was held at the Chelsea Piers in New York.
The opening round bouts of the tournament take place Saturday, February 12, at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. On that card, Fedor Emelianenko fights Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva and Andrei Arlovski fights Sergei Kharitonov. This card will be televised live in the U.S. on Showtime.
Participating in this news conference were all eight tournament fighters: Fedor Emelianenko, Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva, Andrei Arlovski, Sergei Kharitonov, Alistair Overeem, Fabricio Werdum, Brett Rogers, and Josh Barnett. In addition, participating were Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker and Evgeni Kogan, director of operations of M-1 Global, which is co-promoting this show with Strikeforce.
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.
BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
Labels: Arlovski, Bigfoot, Eddie Goldman, Fedor, No Holds Barred, Overeem, Werdum
