Forever Fighting

  • McGregor & BKFC

    Conor McGregor has become quite the promotional power alongside BKFC which delivered fireworks this past Thursday in Hollywood, Florida. From getting in the ring and pumping up the crowd to post fight pressers, he has brought a ton of energy to the BareKnuckle game. Overall the fight card was impressive in its level of sheer violence. Heavyweight Leanardo Perdomo aka El Zambo really stole the show for me. He won via vicious KO in 13 seconds to extend his winning streak to 7-0 within the BKFC ring. Hailed as the Cuban Mike Tyson he as struck fear into the sport with his explosive punching power and aggression. I am really looking forward to seeing how they continue to promote him and what creative matchups they could send his way.

    In the post fight presser, McGregor made a comment about being good with what he’s done in fighting and has made it clear his intentions of running for president of Ireland. Although he continues to leave the door open for a future fight, it seems more likely as time passes, that his fight career over. We could see circus events but I am not expecting him in the UFC fighting top 5 opponents anytime soon. The rest of the year will be extremely interesting for him and the BKFC as they seem to be on an explosive growth path and are continuing to create a buzz in the fighting world.

  • Ryan Garcia’s Future

    King Ryan has made quite the name for himself over the years, taking the fight game by storm with his signature left hook and boy band looks. However, over the last few years, he has grown to be a controversial figure that is a total wild card in and out of the ring.

    Undeniably entertaining, is a good thing to be when your job is to sell tickets and entertain. Now facing Rolly Romero, on May 2nd, in Times Square. The Ring Mag spectacle will certainly deliver. Both men are willing to go out on their shields and will be looking for the finish. I expect Ryan to cruise past Rolly, however his recent wild antics and struggles to make weight provide some uncertainty.

    The true uncertainty is whether we will get the Garcia vs Haney matchup next. In my opinion Haney is taking on a very game opponent in Ramirez. Ramirez is not a guy that will go away easy and at a higher weight class this presents even more problems for Haney who is not known for his punching power. Will Haney be eager to put on a show stopping display in effort to get back some of his fractured pride or will he try to outbox and cruise to a decision? Lots of questions lay ahead but if Haney and Garcia win their fights, we can be sure that the blockbuster rematch will be made.

  • A New Dawn Ahead

    Today a huge announcement for the sport of boxing came from Turki Al-Sheikh and Dana White. The two titans of fight promotion have come together to form a boxing organization with a UFC model. In theory this is the ultimate dream for fight fans however the road to glory will be a long and bumpy one. Boxing unlike MMA has no dominant brand like the UFC.

    Dana White as achieved a model with the UFC similar to that of the NFL. What I mean by this is that no fighter or player is bigger than the brand of the league. On top of this amazing promotional strategy, Dana requires his fighters to fight for one belt. Providing the fans with a clear understanding of who is Champion. Boxing currently with its four belt system is alphabet soup. Getting boxers to compete for one belt isnt only more impactful for the fighters legacy but also for fanfare.

    Implementing this into the sport of Boxing is another story. Roadblocks that will have to be navigated are plentiful, Such as how to draw the top fighters away from current promotional deals and maintain a pay rate that is attractive. The UFC pay rate which is well structured is much more shrewd for fighters that are not global stars. As Dana has said in the past, Boxing events are going out of sale events, where all of the revenue generated is dispersed amongst promotions, sanctioning bodies and the headliners of the event. No money is typically left over to reinvest into a “brand” or “league”.

    All that being said, If there are any individuals to get us to the promised land it is certainly Dana White. A man who has already achieved this model within MMA. Now with the partnership with Turki they will be a formidable force in Boxing.

  • Roach Exceeds Expectations

    The real story of the other night was not Tank Davis performing poorly or his strangely timed knee, it was Roach vastly exceeding expectations. Anyone who says they thought this fight was going to be close is either lying or should have placed a massive wager in vegas. The odds going into this fight had Gervonta as a -1800 favorite and Roach as a +940 underdog! I mean what are we even talking about right now. Do you understand what kind of odds those are? According to Vegas, where the house always wins, Gervonta winning was near a certainty.

    Roach didn’t just defy the literal odds he exceeded them in my opinion. He landed the more meaningful shots, was far more busy and was willing to stand and trade with one of the more feared power punchers in all of boxing. This was no fluke either. Roach showed over twelve rounds that he is more than able to secure a victory over Tank in the eventual rematch. In my opinion, he already did do enough to get a win over tank. Look for the odds makers to have a much more narrow line for the rematch. Tank will still be the favorite but certainly will not be a calculated 91% chance of winning like the first time.

  • Eubank Eggs Benn

    Is it April yet? Not quite as we have a ways to go until Eubank and Benn fight on April 26th. However the heated family rivalry continues to pick up steam after Eubank slapped an egg across Benn’s face today at a presser. Benn lunged to try and get to Eubank but was held back by a few men. His father however slipped past security and grabbed the throat of Eubank which led to a wild scene where Eddie Hearn backed up his fighter and pushed rival promoter Ben Shalom.

    Is it all theatrics? I think not, there is genuine bad blood here amongst the teams which certainly is a great selling point for the fans. My prediction, however, is that Eubank will box to a unanimous decision victory as I believe he is too big and experienced for the younger and smaller Benn. Benn claims he will have the fight done with within two rounds but usually the more emotional a fighter is the worse off for them. Look for Benn to to come out the gates hot on the 26th but fade in the later rounds as Eubank cruises to a sound victory.

  • UFC Current State

    UFC Current State

    The UFC is a well oiled machine run by Dana White. I dont just mean the consistency of quality events but also how the flow of fights is set from the beginning to the end. No BS just fights, back to back. No side show concerts and pundits no one cares about discussing a fight that just happened 10 minutes before the next bout begins. Easy viewing for UFC fans. Something that Riyahd Season has done a pretty good job of emulating for the most part barring a few of the past events that were more like superbowl halftime shows.

    The machine Dana has built has really become bigger than any fighter which is maybe his biggest accomplishment. Stars come and go in a blink of an eye and the show continues on. A result of incredible story telling, production and matchmaking that keeps fans on the edge of their seat as the rankings and champions change frequently. Lack of stars many of the fans are saying but that is the impatience of the mma community that has been so spoiled in recent years. Those fans shouldn’t be concerned as the next big thing is probably right around the corner.

  • Bivol Wins the Rematch

    Bivol Wins the Rematch

    Bivol with a masterful performance winning the majority decision and becomes the undisputed light heavyweight champion. Early rounds looked rough for Bivol as Beterbiev had heavy pressure on the unusually flat footed Bivol. However around round 7 Bivol found his rhythm and footwork and peppered Beterbiev with in and out bursts of punches in bunches.

    Trilogy next? Benavidez was sitting ringside and his excellency Turki seemed to hint at the winner to face Benavidez rather than the trilogy. Either way Bivol is now the man to beat at 175lbs and has proven to be generational talent.

  • Parker Starches Bakole

    Parker Starches Bakole

    Parker with the huge knockout win against Bakole in the second round. Bakole came forward recklessly weighing 40 pounds over weight as he was the last second replacement. A tall task for Bakole to step in that short notice. Parker now on a major winning streak, retaining his WBO title.

    Bakole definitely got a nice pay day on short notice but this is pretty damaging to his career as he was previously labeled the boogeyman of the division. Unclear as to where he goes next with a certain medical suspension.

    Parker calls for the Usyk fight which seems like the next step. Dubois likely will have to fight someone else maybe Chisora? Interesting times in the heavyweight division with many characters battling for the belts.

  • Shakur Cruises to Victory

    Shakur Cruises to Victory

    Shakur with a sound victor of the suprisingly game Padley. Padley a last minute replacement, put down in his work tools as an electrician to step in on late notice today and showed a ton of heart. Shakur looked how he typically does, boxed masterfully and technical and ultimately got Padley’s corner to throw in the towel. However, the general public on “X” and the Dazn live chat were not pleased.

    Simply put, Shakur is just not that exciting to watch for the casual fan. Lacks the killer instinct and takes little to no risk in his fights. I understand that a fighters job is to take as little punishment as possible and get the win but for Shakur to claim that he is must watch TV is simply untrue. Gervonta Davis is must watch TV as he has you on the edge of your seat awaiting violent finish. This fight must be made and will hopefully bring the best out of both men.

  • Kabayel Upsets Zhang

    Kabayel Upsets Zhang

    In an epic Heavyweight battle Kabayel stops Zhang to the body in round 6 after getting dropped in round 5. A total coming out party for Kabayel on a huge stage proving himself worthy of a top 5 ranking in the division.

    Kabayel’s consistent work to the body proved to be a valid strategy against the battle tested veteran in Zhang. Now the WBC interim champion, Kabayel has some major match ups in his future that will give him the opportunity to add to his belt collection and fatten his bank account. Kabayel slighlty undersized compared to some of the behomths in the division sparks an interesting trend of smaller heavyweights having success like Usyk and Parker.