Saturday, 18 May 2013 03:01

Shoot Boxing sensation RENA returns to action over the weekend, as well as a full card of action including the Girl's S-Cup 2011 kicking off. This photo shows why Japan loves RENA and she'll be a star win or lose. [source]

Saturday, 18 May 2013 03:01

In the main event of September 23rd's RISE 83, NJKF Super Flyweight Champion KENJI, brother of Yuta Kubo, will take on #3 ranked Ryuma Tobe in a fight that will have large implications for the RISE Bantamweight title that Nobuchiko Terado has vacated. KENJI made it to the semifinals of the Krush 55kg tournament, but lost to eventual champion Shota Takiya. In his last 10, KENJI has only lost to Takiya and the aforementioned Terado. Tobe is currently on a 2-fight winning streak. Also announced for RISE 83 is a bout between TURBO and Hirotaka Egawa(?).

On September 11th at It's Showtime Japan 3, former It's Showtime -61kg Champion Sergio Wielzen will take on Kanongsuk Weerasakreck in yet another bout that will likely have implications at the It's Showtime title. Wielzen defeated Frenchman Mikael Peynaud for the inaugural It's Showtime 61kg title and defeated Masahiro Yamamoto in his first defense, but lost the title to Karim Bennoui. Kanongsuk has been on a tear as of late, going 8-1 in his last 9 with wins over Hiromasa Masuda, Genki Yamamoto and Rashata while his only loss is to current IS 61kg #1 contender Kan Itabashi. Already announced for the card are matchups between WBC Japan Super Bantamweight Champion Genji Umeno will take on Techakarin Chuwattana(?) while WPMF Japan Featherweight Champion Yosuke Morii will take on kickboxing convert and former WBO Bantamweight Champion Ratanchai Sor Vorapin.

Saturday, 18 May 2013 03:01

This isn't the first time that the name Badr Hari has come up in the realm of possibly entering the boxing world. Initially there was a rumor that Badr Hari wanted to try out for the Olympics in boxing, then in his interview with Michael Schiavello, Badr Hari talked at length about his love for boxing and possibly turning to that sport. Now the latest wood on the fire is an interview with Mike Passenier, his longtime trainer who talks about Badr Hari and boxing;

Saturday, 18 May 2013 03:01

This Saturday in Primm Nevada Cosmo Alexandre will be fighting a true legend of Muay Thai, Sakmongkol Zingano, who formerly went by Sakmongkol Sitchuchoke. On paper it would appear that this is a bit of a gimme for Cosmo. He's younger, he's stronger, he's bigger, and he's near or maybe even in his prime years. Sakmongkol on the other hand is probably about 15-18 years past his prime, and has been very inactive over the last 6 or 7 years, with his last notable win being over John Wayne Parr. He' mostly been doing Kyokushin tournaments under the name Kalek Mongkon and has been very successful. He recently moved to Colorado to teach Muay Thai at Zingano BJJ, and apparently decided he wanted to mix things up in the ring again. 

Something Sakmongkol has going for him is he can still kick like hell. That was shown in his fight earlier this year against Contender Asia participant, James Martinez. In the fight he continuously battered Martinez with brutal left kicks on the arm. By the third round it was clear Martinez was hurt badly and after eating 7 or 8 more really hard blows the referee had seen enough and Martinez went home with a broken arm. Yodsanklai Fairtex has shown a hard kicking southpaw can have success against Cosmo.

Another thing Sak will have on his side is experience. In Muay Thai when you're 38, and your opponent is a lot younger, experience generally doesn't help the older man, but I think this time is an exception. As mentioned earlier, Sakmongkol hasn't been an active fighter lately, and that will only help him here. He's well rested and in all likelihood coming into this fight healthy, and injury free. With 250 fights and a good chunk of those being against the best fighters of the 90's in multiple weight divisions its probably fair to say Cosmo can't show him anything new. 

One of the main reasons why Sakmongkol is so popular amongst fans is his tenacity. After the first feeling out round its usually balls to the wall with him. If you hit him he isn't going anywhere, he just gets a mad look on his face and tries to kill you. He's won many fights by just staying glued to his opponent, and by the 4th or 5th round they don't bother to fight back, but just do everything they can to not get hit. 155 pounds is a much more natural fit for Sakmongkol than it is for Cosmo, who has had his best performances at 160 and up. Alexandre can sometimes be lethargic at this weight, and with Sak's in your face style it won't be good news for Cosmo if he's expecting an easy win.

And lastly, Sakmongkol is a different kind of tough. People point to the classic 5th fight against Jongsanan Fairtex, but its a fight against Perry Ubeda at the 1999 King's Cup in Thailand that really shows what Sakmongkol is all about as a fighter. Sakmongkol has had a recurring shoulder problem, and the only time I've ever seen him grimace or show any real distress in a fight was against Jomhod Kiatadisak. That fight was stopped do to a shoulder problem. It appears the exact same injury happens against Ubeda in round 2, and he tries to twist his arm and fix the problem but its clear its not helping. However with hundred's of thousands of people in attendance he fights on and remains poised. The bout continues, and often in the clinch. Sakmongkol at this point seems like he's only using his left arm as something to hold onto. At the beginning of round 3 Ubeda lands a FLUSH spinning kick right on the jaw, and Sakmongkol shakes it off, but the ref gives him an 8 count as he lets his guard down. Later in the round Sak comes back and scores an elbow knockdown with his good arm. Finally, and ironically in the 5th round the bout comes to an end after Sakmogkol throws a left kick that breaks the right arm of Ubeda, who looks like he's lost all desire to fight. Once the fight ends the pain really starts to sink in and Sakmongkol is assisted out of the ring by his corner. 

I'm not convinced Sakmongkol will win, but if he does out hustle Cosmo and takes the fight don't be surprised. Either way expect this to be one of the more memorable fights of 2011. The event can be purchased at www.gfl.tv and if you've never seen any of the fights mentioned please go check them out. You won't be disappointed. 

Saturday, 18 May 2013 03:01

We've documented that Tyrone Spong has been spending his time working with UFC fighter Rashad Evans, but it looks like Tyrone is working with Rashad's management, Authentic Sports Management and that they have big plans for him in 2012. What these plans are exactly is unclear, but the hype video says that Tyrone Spong is "coming" in 2012. One can only assume to the United States to fight, but then you have to ask the question of if this could possibly be in Mixed Martial Arts.