No-Weight Class UFC Tournament Impossible Today; Superfights Instead

UFC co-founder Rorion Gracie must have been a fan of the 1988 Van-Damme masterpiece, Bloodsport. Like the iconic flick, the Ultimate Fighting Championship claimed to pit the best fighters from different disciplines against one another in a no-holds-barred eight-man tournament.

The shock-and-awe of this concept garnered many curious viewers, but the evolution of the sport has made a no-weight class tournament downright impossible. No fan wants to see flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson get destroyed by his heavyweight counterpart, Cain Velasquez.

As MMA’s legitimacy grows, fighter safety is of the utmost concern and a no-weight class tournament would undermine the progress the sport has made over the last 20 years.

In the early days, fighters were not multifaceted and possessed only one skill-set. The UFC sought to solve age-old barroom debates like: “Could a jiu-jitsu practitioner submit a boxer?”

There were no weight classes and virtually no rules. These first bouts were often David versus Goliath affairs. In fact, Keith Hackney earned the nickname “The Giant Killer” following his TKO win over the 600-pound sumo wrestler Emmanuel Yarborough at UFC 3.

This spectacle gave rise to the popular notion that mixed martial arts was nothing more than human cockfighting. The sport shouldered this stigma until 2000, at which time the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board created the Unified Rules for MMA. These regulations instituted fighter safety precautions and most notably weight classes.

The UFC adopted the Unified Rules in 2001, legitimizing the brand throughout North America.

As the sport evolved, so did the techniques and disciplines. Early fights served as a roadmap for success inside the Octagon. Fighters began training and mastering the aspects of many practices in an effort to become a true mixed martial artist.

Now an entire generation of aspiring fighters has grown up not wanting to be the next Mike Tyson, but rather the next Anderson Silva. Recently, the sport has begun to draw world-class talent in droves.

Reigning light heavyweight champ Jon Jones is the model upon which the new breed of MMA prospects will be built. With two brothers in the NFL, Jones has an athletic pedigree unlike those that have fought under the UFC banner before him.

Moving forward, fighters like Jones are sure to be the norm and not the exception.

To give even an accomplished fighter like Jose Aldo a snowball’s chance in hell of beating Jones would be generous. That is not to take anything away from Aldo, because he is a great fighter.

Rather, this is a commentary on how well-rounded at each discipline fighters have become. The weight and reach differences are magnified tremendously—so much so, that combatants’ safety would be of serious concern.

With big money sponsorships and a burgeoning relationship with FOX, the UFC cannot afford any setbacks. A no-weight class tournament would be a huge risk and potentially disastrous for the brand.

However, the UFC does have a way to satiate the fans’ hunger for spectacular weight-class defying bouts. The era of the superfight is upon us. The best pound-for-pound fighters will go at each other in epic fashion; it’s just a matter of time. But unlike the UFC of 20-years ago, these bouts are to be closely monitored and heavily regulated.

While the no-holds-barred, no-weight class tournaments are ancient history, fans are sure to enjoy many amazing superfights to come...if the first couple events can be pulled off successfully. (Source)

Ten-fight deal in place, UFC champ Anderson Silva says he only asked for four

When UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva (33-4 MMA, 16-0 UFC) steps in to the cage at UFC 162, it will be the first appearance of a massive 10-fight deal. Will Silva actually fight 10 more times? The champ said he doesn’t know, especially since he only asked for a four-fight contract.

“Maybe there’s a contradiction lost in translation,” Silva told MMAjunkie.com through an interpreter. “I wanted to do four more fights, and they said eight, so I said, ‘Whatever. Let’s do eight, 10. Let’s do however many fights you want.’ They got on that ride and offered me 10 fights, and that’s what I signed.”

Silva’s claim stands in a bit of contrast to UFC President Dana White’s recollection of the pair’s latest contract talks. According to White, it was Silva who directly requested the lengthy deal despite recently turning 38 years old.

The UFC boss and the best fighter in company history have seemed to find themselves on different wavelengths in recent months, as witnessed by a series of missed media obligations in May and subsequent claim from the champ that he was completely unaware of the appointments.

Of course, White has often referred to Silva as “an artist,” who likes to send mixed messages in the media in an apparent attempt to entertain himself during the sessions he reportedly doesn’t enjoy.

That said, fans don’t pay to watch Silva give interviews or negotiate contracts. They pay to watch him destroy opponents, which is exactly what he’s done in all but a handful of his 16 UFC appearances. Next up is Chris Weidman (9-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC), who takes on the champ in the headlining bout of UFC 162, which takes place July 6 at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena.

While Silva holds a significant experience edge, the decade-younger Weidman presents a difficult stylistic matchup. Still, Silva is a significant wagering favorite and is expected to win yet again.

If he does, what’s left? A rematch with Vitor Belfort perhaps? Superfights with Georges St-Pierre and/or Jon Jones? In short, what are the chances we actually see “The Spider” fight 10 more times?

“It all depends,” Silva said. “Ten fights is about six years, so we’ll see what happens in the meantime. I hope that I’m still inspired and that I still have the will power and the desire to go out there and fight. But I’m happy.

“I’m well-treated by Dana and Lorenzo (Fertitta) and everyone in the UFC, and I hope to continue having this desire to fight and go in there and train. But it’s a matter of time. We have to go in there and see what’s going to happen in the next few years.” (Source)

Cathal Pendred TKOs Che Mills, asks Dana White for shot at UFC on FOX Sports 1 in Boston

Cathal Pendred picked up the win over a UFC veteran he was looking for, and soon he’ll find out if it was enough to finally get him signed by the promotion.

The Irish prospect defeated Che Mills via third round TKO (corner stoppage) at Cage Warriors Fighting Championship 55 on Saturday at The Helix in Dublin, Ireland. Pendred’s CWFC welterweight title was supposed to be on the line, but the bout was changed to a non-title fight on Friday after Mills missed weight by seven-tenths of a pound.

After the fight, Pendred, who was joined in the cage by his mother wearing a “Pendred UFC” T-shirt, took it upon himself to campaign one more time for a shot in the big show.

“Who wants to see me fight in the UFC on Aug. 17 in Boston?” he asked the partisan crowd. “Let me hear you! Let’s go Dana [White], baby!”

Pendred dominated both rounds rather convincingly with a steady stream of takedowns, submission attempts and ground-and-pound. He thought he was close to finishing Mills at the end of the second round while he was landing punches in mount position, but referee Marc Goddard decided against stopping the fight.

When Pendred secured mount again early in the third round, Mills soon complained of a shoulder injury, and his corner subsequently threw in the towel.

As a result, Pendred extended his unbeaten streak to eight in a row and improved his overall MMA record to 13-2. The Boston-born Irishman has been pushing for a spot on the upcoming UFC on FOX Sports 1 debut card in Boston on Aug. 17, and he insinuated on Monday’s episode of The MMA Hour that he had already been told that a win over Mills would be the catalyst to get him signed by the UFC.

Recently, Pendred’s teammates from the Straight Blast Gym, Gunnar Nelson and Conor McGregor, have gotten the call from the UFC and are currently a combined 3-0 inside the Octagon.

White was asked about Pendred’s chances of fighting in Boston at the UFC on FUEL TV 9 post-fight press conference in April, but he told a reporter, “don’t know who he is yet.”

Pendred hopes that changed on Saturday night. (Source)

Rashad Evans Braces for Dan Henderson; Still Has Sights on UFC Gold

For a guy who didn’t taste defeat until his 15^th fight as a professional mixed martial arts fighter, Rashad “Suga” Evans has had his share of hard times lately.

For the first time in his MMA career, Evans is coming off consecutive losses, and there are some who even think “The Ultimate Fighter” season two alumni’s best days are behind him.

That’s probably because of the lackluster performance he had during his last outing, when he squared up against Antônio Rogério “Little Nog” Nogueira at UFC 156. Rashad had arguably his worst performance to date in the UFC, barely landing any strikes, completing only one of his five takedown attempts.

The result: a unanimous decision victory for Nogueira.

The lackluster performance ended lucrative offers that were on the horizon for Evans, like potentially dropping down to the middleweight division to challenge current champion Anderson Silva for his belt.

Fortunately for Evans, he’ll get a chance to redeem himself when he headlines the UFC 161 fight card with Dan “Hendo” Henderson on June 15, at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Canada.

“I had a chance to compete against some of the best mixed martial artists of all-time: Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin, [Lyoto] Machida, [Quinton] Rampage Jackson, Tito Ortiz, Jon Jones, now Dan Henderson,” Evans said during a UFC 161 promo. “I’m excited about the opportunity to fight Dan Henderson. He’s definitely on the top of that list of some of the best and some of the hall of famers I’ve competed against.”

Rashad understands his reluctance to engage during his bout against Nogueira played a role in how the Octagon-side judges scored their clash, so he plans to be a lot more aggressive when he squares up against Henderson.

“I know what I need to do to get the results that I want to get,” Evans added. “Takedown, ground-n-pound, roll up our sleeves and get dirty, go to work. I’m gonna try to get fifty takedowns this fight. Fifty! If I get him down on the ground, I want to ground-n-pound him till he’s done.”

Like Rashad, Henderson is also coming off a loss (to Machida), so the Pride FC veteran will also look to make a strong statement at UFC 161. Hendo’s wrestling just might be good enough to force a standup battle, and we all know that he has more than enough power to put anyone to sleep if he connects with his right hand.

Rashad obviously doesn’t need anyone to remind him about Henderson’s power.

“Dan’s right hand is very dangerous, he knocks everybody out hard. He just knocks them the hell out and they sleep for a long time,” Evans said. “I’m not going to go in there and stand in front of him and try bang it out and hope to God I don’t get hit with that big right hand. I’m going to be smart. He’s gonna want to knock me out. It’s not gonna happen. He’s not knocking me out.”

While some might be ready to close the curtain on Evan’s UFC career, Suga insists he still has a lot left in his tank. Becoming a world champion once again remains his primary goal.

“I’m not going anywhere. I may have stumbled a little bit, fell down, but I get back up, dust myself off,” Evans concluded. “I’m a top competitor. I deserve a chance to fight for the belt.” (Source)

UFC Changes Testing Threshold on Marijuana

New marijuana testing rules implemented by the UFC will mean that as long as a fighter isn’t high on the day of the fight, it’s all good.

According to MMAJunkie.com, UFC Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Marc Ratner said the MMA promotion will raise the testing threshold for marijuana metabolites from 50 ng/mL to 150 ng/mL, which is in line with the recent change implemented by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

The changes are designed to make sure fighters aren’t under the influence of the drug during competition but could be safe if they use it weeks or even days before.

However, the changes will only be applied in places where the UFC self-regulates its events and not in its home state of Nevada where the 50 ng/mL rule will remain.

“When we self-regulate around the world, we are going to go the WADA standard of 150,” Ratner told MMA Junkie. “So we’re starting that immediately.”

The UFC acts as its own regulator when it stages events in places where there is no official sanctioning body, such as March’s UFC on FUEL TV 8 in Japan, where Alex Caceres tested positive for marijuana metabolites. The failed drug test caused his decision win over Kyung Ho Kang to be turned into a no-contest.

Ratner told MMA Junkie that Brazil’s athletic commission has also agreed to raise the threshold, which will come into effect during next week’s UFC on Fuel TV 10 event. That’s six months too late for light heavyweight Thiago Silva, who’ll be competing at the event after he tested positive for marijuana metabolites in his fight against Stanislav Nedkov in Macau, China.

It’s also too late for Pat Healey, who recently lost $130,000 in bonuses for testing positive for marijuana after his win over Jim Miller. (Source)

UFC 162: Rafaello Oliveira Replaces John Makdessi, Meets Edson Barboza

An injury has spoiled what was expected to be a highly entertaining striking matchup between Edson Barboza and John Makdessi at UFC 162 in Las Vegas.

According to MMAJunkie.com, with Makdessi out of that bout, Barboza will now meet fellow Brazilian Rafaello Oliveira, who has not competed since beating Yoislandy Izquierdo in July 2012. Oliveira had been scheduled for a bout with Michael Chiesa at UFC on Fox 5, but an injury has kept him out of action since then.

Coming off of back-to-back wins, Makdessi would have had an opportunity to move to 2-0 in 2013 had he not been injured, and doing so against Barboza would have put him in position to campaign for a fight with a highly ranked 155-pound opponent. Instead, he now finds himself on the shelf for an unspecified length of time.

Assuming he does meet Oliveira at UFC 162, this will be the third straight time Barboza has met an opponent whom he was not originally booked against. The Brazilian suffered his first UFC loss against replacement foe Jamie Varner after an Evan Dunham injury, and he recently picked up a win over Lucas Martins despite being initially slated to meet Justin Salas.

With a 1-2 UFC record, Oliveira is likely to be a significant underdog in this matchup with Barboza. Oliveira was stopped by a head kick from Yves Edwards, and Barboza is a much younger and arguably more dangerous striker than Edwards.

A victory over Oliveira wouldn’t do much for Barboza in terms of rankings, but an impressive one would give him back-to-back wins and enough momentum for a big step up in competition.

Headlined by a middleweight title fight between Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman, UFC 162 will be held on July 6 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Barboza and Oliveira are expected to meet on the FX prelims of that fight card. (Source)

The third call’s the charm for UFC 161’s James Krause

For James Krause, perhaps the third time is the charm.

For a while now, Krause (19-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has been considered one of the best fighters around not signed to a major promotion. But the UFC took care of that earlier this week when Krause stepped in for an injured Isaac Vallie-Flagg to meet Sam Stout (20-8-1 MMA, 8-7 UFC) at UFC 161 in two weeks.

It wasn’t the first time Krause had gotten the call from the UFC. But this time, he was ready.

“They’ve called me about three times now, all in the past six months,” Krause told MMAjunkie.com Radio. “They wanted me to fight Yves Edwards, and I took the fight - but they had him fight Jeremy Stephens. Then they wanted me to fight Norman Parke, but it was six days’ notice, and it was too much weight for me to cut – 28 pounds. Even if I’d have made the weight, I’d have fought like crap, I probably would’ve lost, and nobody would get to see my true skill set.

“I didn’t want to sell myself short and I wanted everyone to see what I’m all about. I told Joe Silva if you call again, I’ll be ready. I’ve been training like I’ve had a fight, and I had a feeling something like this would happen.”

UFC 161 takes place June 15 at MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and Facebook. The Krause-Stout lightweight bout is part of the FX prelims.

Krause has some big-time experience in the WEC and Bellator, and that’s where three of his four losses have come. His two-fight stint in the WEC saw him drop fights to Donald Cerrone and Ricardo Lamas. In Bellator, he lost to Toby Imada. All three of those would be considered forgivable losses.

But now he’s riding a seven-fight win streak that includes five stoppages. In January, he took a unanimous decision from Imada in their rematch under the Resurrection Fighting Alliance banner.

But for Krause, answering the call and being ready to finally get a shot in the UFC was a no-brainer.

“I always liked fighting for Titan, WEC, RFA ... but at the end of the day, if you’re not in this sport to be at the top, I don’t know why you’re doing it,” he said. “There are guys who are extremely susccessful outside the UFC. But that’s always been my goal. The ultimate goal was to be in the UFC one day.”

Krause said if not for the weight cut being too brutal, he wouldn’t be on his third call from the UFC. He’d have fought on one of the previous short-notice calls that came his way.

Turning it down because he was too big was not something he wanted to repeat if the call came again.

“It was real hard for me, but (saying no) was something I had to do,” Krause said. “I would’ve been right back to where I was before. I kind of beat myself up over it, but I walk around between 180-185. It sucked I weighed that much, so immediately I started getting my weight down. But I can’t sit there and dwell on it, and I’m not going to beat myself up over it.”

Instead, he got back in shape, pretending the call was going to come. And it did. And when it did, he was a big fan of the name he was hearing on the other end of the line.

Stout has won four of his past six and six of his past nine, and a win over a veteran like him in his UFC debut could put a of attention on Krause.

“The style matchup, I like a lot,” he said. “It’ll be a good fight. He’s shorter, and he doesn’t have a lot of power. He goes to decision a lot. We liked it for the fact it’ll be a good fight to showcase my skills. (There will be) high-volume punches, and he matches up real well for me. I’m sure he’s working hard, as am I, and that’s why we fight – to figure all this out.”

But Krause’s mind was made up that he’d love to figure things out with Stout, or whoever else they’d ever have in mind, the minute the call came in.

“It was pretty instantaneous,” he said. “I talked to my manager and got back to (the UFC) within a half-hour. There are other people along the ride with me, so to be respectful I had to consult those guys. But I loved the matchup instantly – in my head, the decision was already made.”

For the latest on UFC 161, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site. (Source)

UFC 164 Fight Card Picks Up Soa Palelei vs. Nikita Krylov

Soa Palelei will now make his Octagon return on the UFC 164 fight card after being removed from a bout with Stipe Miocic and replaced by Roy Nelson.

MMAJunkie.com reports that UFC newcomer and undefeated Ukranian Nikita Krylov will meet Palelei at the August 31 event in Milwaukee. Competing in Ukraine and Russia, Krylov has already won three times in 2013.

With an 0-1 UFC record, Palelei was removed from his previously scheduled bout with Miocic for a multitude of reasons. After UFC 161 lost its main event bout between Renan Barao and Eddie Wineland, the UFC needed to add a big name to the card, so TUF winner Nelson supplanted the less popular Palelei. In addition to the name value he added, Nelson was owed a fight to fulfill his contract, so the matchup with Miocic helped complete the UFC's obligation.

Since losing to Eddie Sanchez in his only Octagon appearance at UFC 79, Palelei has only lost to Daniel Cormier in 11 bouts. Most recently, Palelei scored a first-round knockout against UFC veteran Sean McCorkle, which caught the attention of the UFC brass.

At 35 years old, it's likely this will be Palelei's final chance to prove himself at the highest level. While he has much more experience against top competition than Krylov, Palelei is 14 years older than the 21-year-old Urkanian. Still, Krylov will be taking a big step up in competition from the opponents he was facing in Gladiators Fighting Championship and M-1 Challenge.

It's tough to say how Krylov will respond against an adversary like Palelei. Because he's not been tested against UFC-level competition thus far in his career, Krylov may be in for a wake-up call against the jiu-jitsu black belt with knockout power.

Following the addition of the heavyweight bout between Palelei and Krylov, here is how the UFC 164 fight card currently looks:

    Frank Mir vs. Josh Barnett

    Chad Mendes vs. Clay Guida

    Erik Koch vs. Dustin Poirier

    Ben Rothwell vs. Brandon Vera

    Soa Palelei vs. Nikita Krylov

(Source)

Mike Brown vs. Akira Corassani set for UFC on FOX Sports 11 in Boston

After briefly considering retirement in 2012, Mike Brown (26-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) is ready to get back to action. The former WEC featherweight champion meets Akira Corassani (11-3-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) at UFC on FOX Sports 1 1.

UFC officials today announced the new booking.

UFC on FOX Sports 11, takes place Aug. 17 at TD Garden in Boston and will mark the promotion’s debut on the new cable network, which launches the same day. The evening’s headlining bout has yet to be announced.

Brown comes to the fight with a two-bout win streak after earning decision over Daniel Pineda and Nam Phan. The much-needed results were a welcome turnaround for the 37-year-old, who had struggled through a 2-4 stretch in bouts under the UFC and WEC banners.

Meanwhile, Corassani was a contestant on “The Ultimate Fighter 14,” and though he lost in the semifinal round, he was invited back for an official UFC appearance. He’s made good on that opportunity thus far, earning wins over Robbie Peralta and Andy Ogle.

With the addition to the card, UFC on FOX Sports 1 1 now includes:

Travis Browne vs. Alistair Overeem

Thiago Alves vs. Matt Brown

Michael Johnson vs. Joe Lauzon

Uriah Hall vs. Nick Ring

Conor McGregor vs. Andy Ogle

Mike Brown vs. Akira Corassani

(Source)

'Countdown to UFC 161' debuts June 11 on FUEL TV

The UFC's traditional pre-event show returns on Tuesday, June 11, with the debut of "Countdown to UFC 161: Evans vs. Henderson" on FUEL TV.

The one-hour special previews the card's headlining light heavyweight fight between former UFC champ Rashad Evans (17-3-1 MMA, 12-3-1 UFC) and former dual-division PRIDE kingpin Dan Henderson (29-9 MMA, 6-3 UFC).

The show debuts June 11 at 5 a.m. ET (2 a.m. PT). Replays of the show air later that night at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT) and throughout the week on FUEL TV as well as regional FOX Sports channels.

UFC 161 takes place June 15 at MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and Facebook.

UFC 161 also features a main card of light heavyweights Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (21-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC) vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (21-7 MMA, 5-5 UFC), heavyweights Roy Nelson (19-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC) vs. Stipe Miocic (9-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC), women's bantamweights Alexis Davis (13-5 MMA, 0-0 UFC) vs. Rosi Sexton (13-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and Pat Barry (8-5 MMA, 5-5 UFC) vs. Shawn Jordan (14-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC).

The full UFC 161 card includes:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

    Rashad Evans vs. Dan Henderson

    Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Mauricio Rua

    Stipe Miocic vs. Roy Nelson

    Alexis Davis vs. Rosi Sexton

    Pat Barry vs. Shawn Jordan

PRELIMINARY CARD (FX, 8 p.m. ET)

    Jake Shields vs. Tyron Woodley

    James Krause vs. Sam Stout

    Ryan Jimmo vs. Igor Pokrajac

    Sean Pierson vs. Kenny Robertson

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 6:35 p.m. ET)

    Roland Delorme vs. Edwin Figueroa

    Mitch Clarke vs. John Maguire

    Yves Jabouin vs. Dustin Pague

(Source)

UFC on Fox 8: Jessica Andrade Replaces Miesha Tate, Will Debut vs. Liz Carmouche

Fortunately for Liz Carmouche, it looks like a sudden switch-up in the women’s bantamweight division won’t cancel her next UFC appearance.

Now that Miesha Tate has been called up to the title picture, “Girl-Rilla” will instead greet a newcomer in Brazilian prospect Jessica Andrade at UFC on Fox 8 on July 27.

According to MMA Fighting, this will also be the first-ever UFC women’s fight shown on Fox.

Carmouche will look to get back on the winning track after losing a competitive main event title fight against champion Ronda Rousey at UFC 157, which ended in a first-round submission defeat for the challenger by armbar.

Although Carmouche was a significant underdog, the former Marine Corps technician nearly toppled “Rowdy” with a standing face crank and rear-naked choke attempt, faltering a mere 11 seconds before the end of the round.

Still, she’s only lost to elite competition so far, with her two other losses coming at the hands of former Strikeforce champions Sarah Kaufman and Marloes Coenen.

Jessica Andrade, on the other hand, is a more unknown quantity.

Hailing from Brazil with an 11-fight record (9-2), the 21-year-old has fought in regional promotions such as ProFC, Heavy Fighting Championship and Ring of Fire.

Until her last bout in Russia, Andrade had also never fought outside of Brazil.

UFC on Fox 8 is currently scheduled to feature a main event bout for the world flyweight championship, with Demetrious Johnson defending his title against John Moraga.

Interestingly, the event features another women’s bantamweight bout between Julie Kedzie and Germaine de Randamie, making this the first UFC card to include two women’s bouts on the same night.

To boot, the card will also feature a pair of high-profile matches with Rory MacDonald vs. Jake Ellenberger and Robbie Lawler vs. Tarec Saffiedine. According to the official UFC rankings, all four men are currently listed in the Top 10 of the welterweight division. (Source)

Ahmet Patterson outpoints Dale Miles

Back in March, Patterson, from East Dulwich, shut out tough Brummie Max Maxwell over eight rounds, and tonight’s match was his first ten rounder - for the British Masters Welterweight title.

His opponent Miles surpassed this distance in his last fight - a points loss over twelve to Adil Anwar in a British light welterwight title eliminator. Prior to this, Miles had stopped Drffield Troll Hunter Curtis Woodhouse in the fifth, and with a high KO ratio, was not being taken lightly.

Patterson (10st 6lbs 9oz) kept his right hand close to his chin and delivered a hard, quick jab, which proved the difference in the opening round, as Miles (10st 6lbs 3oz) fell short with his returns while trying to close Patterson down.

When Miles did manage to get Patterson in his sights during the second session, he found the target with the first punch of his flurry, but the highly mobile Patterson ducked and swung around deftly to avoid the third and fourth shots, and returned in kind with some meaty looking hooks.

Nothing to put Miles off, though. The Nottingham southpaw had a better time with his jab early in the third. He managed to cut off the ring quickly, but was a little bamboozled by some of Patterson’s fierce counters, which were accurate and spiteful.

The fifth round started with Patterson landing a quick succession of hooks before Miles delivered his best work so far, pinning down his target in the corner albeit briefly. Miles pressure was starting to bare a little fruit, and the sixth was fairly even, with more eye catching shots coming from Patterson.

Patterson’s work from the back foot looked stylish. At the start of the seventh, he landed four plumb shots in succession. Miles didn’t wobble and kept on pressing forwards, but Patterson has a range of very neat moves to keep opponents guessing. A well choreographed sequence in the eighth saw Patterson land two quick hooks, followed by a hold, then spinning around, returning to the back foot jab.

Both fighters showed decent fitness levels going into the ninth as the pace remained brisk. Miles was perhaps displaying more signs of tiredness, but was still unmoved by Patterson’s well-timed shots, and the Nottingham fighter upped his game to make the final round close.

Referee Ian John Lewis scored the bout 98-93 for Patterson.

Just under the welterweight limit, Patterson looks big and puts a fair amount of pop into his shots. Miles had soaked these up for ten rounds, and had some swelling over the right eye to show for it, but he made it a competitive fight and a great small hall bill topper.

It’s disappointing that more people didn’t stick around to catch the headline fight. On most small hall shows, the audience is made from friends and family of the boxers on the card, and their interest in the other fights on the bill tends to be minimal.

This is a shame, because Patterson, trained by Martin Bowers at the Peacock Gym, is delightful to watch and could be going places. Not only that, his entrance music, a slightly reworded version of the XTC classic ‘Making Plans for Nigel’, is the best you’ll hear on any circuit. (Source)

K.O. Drugs boxing to crown 21 champs

The 25^th annual K.O. Drugs high school boxing tournament will conclude Monday with 21 championship belts on the line at St. Lucy’s Palermo Center, 404 Tenney Avenue.

There are 10 underclass pairings, nine upperclass match-ups and two female championships slated with all four female boxers set to make their tourney debut.

“After several weeks of intense action, it remains the distinct pleasure of K.O. Drugs Boxing to once again crown over 20 high school champions,” tournament founder Chuck Nelson said. “The 21 title fights are all evenly matched and we expect every boy and girl to give it their all in hopes of taking home a championship belt.”

Seven fighters will put 2-0 marks on the line while 20 fighters overall remain undefeated in this year’s competition.

In upperclass action, Josh Mango of Niles and Mike Sullivan of Struthers will put their 2-0 marks on the line in a match-up of middleweights while Marlington’s Justin Griffin, also 2-0, takes on home school’s Robbie Elmakbah (1-1) for the featherweight title.

Zane Henricksen, also home-schooled, and Jesse Chenevey of Marlington, each 1-0-1 in the tourney, will square off in a super middleweight pairing while Canfield schoolmates Hayden Smith and Tyler Tabor, both sporting wins in their only tourney appearance, meet for the cruiserweight crown.

Also in upperclass action, two-time winner Chris Pagley of Neshannock takes on Jonah Ortiz of Struthers with the winner claiming this year’s welterweight title.

The two female bouts have Campbell’s Aubreanna Hayden taking on Brindza Davidson of New Castle for the featherweight championship and Amy Scarnecchia of Howland meeting Erica Barone of Struthers for the lightweight title.

An interesting underclass match-up will pit undefeated cousins Devan Trehorn of Liberty and Austin Stevens of Austintown Fitch with the winner taking home family bragging rights in lightweight action.

Stevens, whose father is Joe Hippo, is 2-0 this year while Trehorn, whose grandfather is Joe’s brother Russ, sports a 1-0 tourney legend.

Also in underclass action, Canfield’s Aaron Jenkins (2-0) will meet home school’s Austin Gibson for the welterweight championship while Mikey Fasline of Hubbard and Jose Minjarez of Reynolds, both 1-0 in tournament action, will get the night underway when they meet for the bantamweight title.

Other underclass division fighters with an unblemished tourney mark include featherweight Addison Richards, junior middleweight Brock Garretson of Howland, New Wilmington cruiserweight James Bauer and heavyweight Colten Nitzsky of Jackson-Milton.

Doors will open at 6 p.m. with the first fight at 7 p.m. Tickets are $9 for students and $15 for adults. For more information, call Chuck Nelson at 330-423-2203 or 330-757-7273, or Pat Nelson at (330)-727-0932. (Source)

Midtown: Packing a punch — 9Round offers dynamic boxing workout

With swimsuit season in full swing, Las Crucens may be in search for a dynamic fitness routine that’s out of the ordinary.

Offering 30-minute boxing and kickboxing circuit training, 9Round Las Cruces, located on El Paseo in the Brazito Plaza, may be just the solution.

The variety of exercise is always changing and 9Round, as the name implies, consists of nine stations, each station done at an explosive three-minute pace.

“It gets rid of the boring routine and is a full-body workout,” said Mark Rojas, one of the certified trainers who help push members through workouts and provide them with the proper techniques for completing nine rounds in the fitness ring.

“I can honestly say this the best workout and love it,” said Steyve Lee Stanley on the fitness center’s website. “I started the end of March and go two- to three- times a week. I definitely have more energy, see that I am toning and have been building my endurance up.”

During the workout, participants will do roundhouse kicks, jumping jacks, sit-ups, punch combinations, uppercuts, bear crawls, spinning back kicks and a variety of exercises, with active breaks in between.

Specifically, the rounds are broken down like this:

Stations one and two: Building strength by using dumbbells, kettle and medicine balls, jump ropes and other equipment focused on helping to build strength and stamina.

Stations three through eight: “Where the fun begins,” according to the fitness center’s website. Over the course of these stations, exercisers will kick and punch a variety of bags, including a 100-pound heavy bag to build power, double-end bags to increase hand-eye coordination and time and speedbags to develop shoulder conditioning and speed.

Station nine: A variety of exercises designed to build core muscle and strength.

“I have been a part of the Las Cruces 9Round team since they opened in February. I have been losing weight and getting stronger with every workout,” wrote a woman — identified as Olivia “Lion Heart” — on the website’s testimonials page. “The workouts are never the same, so you don’t have to worry about getting bored. It’s amazing how much you can get done in 30 minutes.”

There are no set class times, and participants can start as soon as there is a change in the rotation, Rojas said. The convenience of a 30-minute work-out is also convenient for people with full, fast-paced schedules.

“It’s a full body work-out, and great for time-pressured people to get a full work-out in,” Rojas said. “It’s fast-paced. It goes by quickly. They’re (participants) pretty spent after the work-outs. It’s high intense cardio anaerobic exercise and burns around 500 calories each session. “

The first workout is free, Rojas said. Then, the $39 per month fee — with a nine- or 12-month commitment — includes access to an unlimited number of 9Round workouts. Three workouts per week is the recommendation for 9Round beginners.

Also included in the membership: 9Round gloves and hand wraps, and access to a nutrition guide written by Dr. Rick Kattouf.

“It’s just as hard as a person makes it. Whatever you put in, is what you’re going to get out,” Rojas advised.

9Round is a national chain, brought to Las Cruces by Rojas.

“I’ve always enjoyed fitness and have been a gym member for the last 13 to 14 years and it’s something I wanted to do here. It’s a little different than what’s available out here,” he said.

For more information, visit 9Round Las Cruces on Facebook or call 575-652-1071. (Source)