Check out the latest episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze.”
Thursday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.
On Episode 3,340, the boys welcome in guest Alan Belcher, who just won BKFC’s heavyweight title. Plus, they preview Saturday’s big UFC 285 pay-per-view with the return of Jon Jones and preview the other big fights on the card, look at BKFC’s big new signings, discuss the latest news and more. Tune in!
Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at OmnyStudio. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.
Luke Rockhold is set to make his Bare Knuckle FC debut against fellow UFC veteran Mike Perry.
Former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag] is set for his combat sports return, and he’ll be taking off the gloves to box against a fellow UFC veteran.
Rockhold is going to Bare Knuckle FC and will make his debut in the main event of BKFC 41 against [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] at 185 pounds. The event takes place April 29 in Denver and airs live on BKFC.tv pay-per-view. BKFC president David Feldman officially announced the matchup Wednesday on “The MMA Hour.”
Rockhold, 38, exited the UFC following his appearance at UFC 278, where he came up on the wrong end of the judges’ scorecards in an all-out Fight of the Night war against Paulo Costa. Rockhold requested his release from the promotion after the bout, which was approved, therefore opening him up to other opportunities.
Rockhold fought 11 times under the UFC banner, including capturing the middleweight title by defeating Chris Weidman at UFC 194. Now he will continue his combat sports career away from mixed martial arts.
UFC mainstays of years’ past are set to collide as Eddie Alvarez faces Chad Mendes at BKFC 41.
Former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] has a new home.
On Wednesday, BKFC president David Feldman announced Alvarez’s signing and bareknuckle debut fight on “The MMA Hour.” Alvarez will face former UFC featherweight title challenger [autotag]Chad Mendes[/autotag] in a 165-pound bout April 29 at BKFC 41, a card that also features former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold against Mike Perry.
Alvarez, 39, “amicably” split from ONE Championship last September and entered the free agent market. Alvarez went 1-1 with one no contest in three fights since his UFC departure in 2018.
Mendes, 37, made his BKFC debut at Knucklemania 2 in February, when he finished Josiah Alvarez by fourth-round TKO. The outing was his first professional competition (aside from grappling events) since his MMA retirement in 2019.
Following a successful BKFC debut, Gaston Reyno is enamored with bareknuckle boxing.
[autotag]Gaston Reyno[/autotag] finally has returned to competition, and he is stoked.
The Uruguayan MMA fighter turned combat sports commentator for ESPN Deportes made his long-awaited comeback this past Friday when he fought on the main card of BKFC KnuckleMania 3 in Albuquerque, N.M.
Reyno, who was debuting in bareknuckle boxing, beat Daniel Vansickle by first-round TKO. It was his first fight since December 2019.
“I realized that I missed this a ton,” Reyno told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “It made me feel alive. I always hated the weight cuts. When the day came that I needed to get into the sauna or the hot tub, I would say, ‘No, no, no. I don’t want to. I don’t want to.’ But this time, I was putting on the cream myself to get into the sauna, and I was happy. I thought, ‘How lucky I am to be doing this again.’
“And don’t get me started about going into the arena, being at the fighter’s meeting with that silence that you can cut through with a knife, the weigh-in, the staredown, the support from the people. It was all incredible. I enjoyed every single second of it. It’s true that I’m passionate about commentating combat sports and all that, but there’s truly nothing like fighting. That’s what I enjoy the most.”
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“Tonga” wasn’t sure about his future in bareknuckle boxing going into KnuckleMania 3. He had it on his bucket list to see what is like to fight bareknuckle, but nothing beyond that. However, after a successful camp and debut, Reyno is eager to do it again.
“I’ll be back,” Reyno said. “They already offered me something, and we’re going to chat once I get to Miami. I truly enjoyed this. I felt great. I didn’t know what it was like to strike bareknuckle or get hit, but my body is good. Maybe my hands are a little swollen, especially the left one, but they say that it’s normal, and it’s starting to go away. I have nothing broken and I’m good.”
Reyno recently turned 36 and knows his time competing at his highest potential is limited. That’s why he wants to stay ready and fight as much as possible in the next few years. Reyno will continue under the BKFC banner, but the Bellator and Combate Global veteran hasn’t forgotten about his roots.
“I feel like fighting again and generating that buzz not only in Uruguay, but Latin America, has opened the doors for me with other organizations. I haven’t negotiated anything, but I got several messages from several matchmakers congratulating me. That’s how this business works. You’re only as good as your last fight, and if you’re not fighting, you’re not good. So I think this can open opportunities. I’m open to it all.”
This week’s “Spinning Back Clique” live stream reacts Jake Paul’s loss to Tommy Fury, Yaroslav Amosov’s dominance, UFC 285 and more.
Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. This week’s panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Nolan King and Dan Tom will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate:
At long last, after more than three years, Jon Jones will return this week – and at heavyweight. Jones meets Ciryl Gane in the UFC 285 main event for the vacant heavyweight title. If he wins, he’ll become a two-division UFC champion. Will that cement him as the GOAT?
Jake Paul lost his heavily hyped boxing match against Tommy Fury on Sunday in Saudi Arabia. Did his bubble burst because of it? We react to the biggest event of the weekend.
In Dublin, Yaroslav Amosov returned from fighting in a war with Russia for his home country of Ukraine and dominated Logan Storley to unify Bellator’s welterweight title. In the process, he may have a solid claim to be the best 170-pounder in the world. Is he?
Tatiana Suarez returned this past Saturday after nearly four years away due to injuries. She submitted Montana De La Rosa with a second-round submission at flyweigh. What’s her path to a title now?
UFC president Dana White wants lightweight champ Islam Makhachev and featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski to defend titles before they rematch for the 155-pound belt. Volkanovski will have to fight interim champ Yair Rodriguez. But who should Makhachev defend against to make this timeline add up?
“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Monday LIVE on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel. You can watch this week’s episode in the video above.
Austin Trout is down to take on BKFC champ-champ Luis Palomino next.
[autotag]Austin Trout[/autotag] is more than down to take on BKFC’s finest.
The former WBA boxing champion is ready to challenge two-division BKFC champion Luis Palomino for one of his titles. Trout is coming off a successful bareknuckle boxing debut against former UFC contender Diego Sanchez at last weekend’s BKFC Knucklemania 3 in Albuquerque, N.M.
Despite only having one bareknuckle boxing fight under his belt, Trout feels capable of taking on the challenge.
“If they’re going to give it to me, I’ll take it,” Trout told MMA Junkie Radio. “I’ve seen videos of Luis Palomino, and I’m not saying he’s not a good fighter. He’s definitely a good fighter and champ for a reason, but I see something, and I’m with it. If they give me that opportunity, I’ll take it.”
Following Trout’s win over Sanchez, Palomino stepped into the ring to tease a potential fight between the two. Palomino would like to defend in April – a date Trout likes, but isn’t 100 percent sure about.
“I think I can be ready by April, we’ll see,” Trout said. “My hands are still a little tender. We’ll see how long it takes for them to get better, and then we’ll start from there.”
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As far as the challenge itself, Trout sees Palomino as a formidable opponent. He respects what he’s done in the bareknuckle boxing world, but still feels his boxing pedigree will be too much for the Peruvian.
“With Palomino, we better take him seriously,” Trout said. “Even with Diego, we took him seriously. We had to take him seriously. It only takes one shot.
“Palomino has much better hands than Diego, it’s evident. I mean, he’s the champion, and he’s, I think, eight fights in and undefeated and all. I think, again, he’s going to have to have an answer for the counter shots. In boxing, something that I was really good at was to draw people in and then meeting them right where they are. And that was the best way to work people who have slower feet.
“I don’t want to give too much away, but he’s going to have to figure that out. And if he does fogure it out, I have like one or two things more that he’s going to have to figure out.”
UFC veteran Alan Belcher had to overcome a pair of knockdowns, but stormed back to knock out Arnold Adams for the BKFC heavyweight title.
It wasn’t easy, but UFC veteran [autotag]Alan Belcher[/autotag] now holds BKFC gold.
Belcher, a 15-fight veteran of the UFC , is now a bareknuckle heavyweight champion after just four fights with the promotion. “The Talent” knocked out Arnold Adams in the third round of the BKFC 26 main event to win the heavyweight title.
The 12-fight event took place at Pontchartrain Convention and Civic Center in New Orleans, and aired on BKFC.tv.
It didn’t take long for the fight to get intense.
Belcher was the aggressor in the initial moments of the fight, but Adams quickly took control of the center of the ring. After trading a few hard punches in close proximity, Belcher was busted open on the top of his head. Although, he didn’t appear worried about the blood as he returned to his stool.
In the second round, Adams continued to let his hands go, landing a crushing right hand to put Belcher down. After making the count, the fight continued, but Belcher touched the canvas again a moment later for a second knockdown. Adams taunted by leaning on the ropes, which would prove to be a premature celebration.
Turning the tides out of nowhere once getting back to his feet, Belcher landed a big punch that knocked Adams to the ground. The champ smiled while on the mat, and made the count. The fight continued into the third.
Belcher didn’t let off the gas, and caught Adams with a hard short uppercut to put him down again. This time, Adams would not beat the count, resulting in a title-winning knockout for Belcher.
Belcher, 38, who also competed in traditional gloved boxing after exiting the UFC, has not tasted defeat since returning to combat sports in 2021. He has now eight straight bouts: four in boxing and four in bareknuckle. Belcher began his pro MMA career in 2004 and made his UFC debut in 2006, where he competed until 2013.
Adams, 37, was attempting to defend his title for the second time, but came up short. He won the championship with a unanimous decision over Joey Beltran, and went on to stop Dillon Cleckler in the second round at BKFC 25.
Full results of BKFC 36 include:
Alan Belcher def. Anthony Adams via knockout – Round 3, 0:55
James Lilley def. Bobby Taylor via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) – Round 3, 2:00
Kaleb Harris def. Brad Kelly via knockout – Round 1, 0:39
Duke Sensley def. Joseph Creer via unanimous decision (50-45, 48-47, 48-47)
Dennis Labruzza def. Stephon Reese via knockout – Round 2, 1:24
Tony Jenkins def. Dillon Winemiller via TKO (referee stoppage) – Round 3, 1:25
Bryce Henry def. Brandon Shavers via knockout – Round 4, 1:53
Andrew Angelcor vs. David Bosnick results in unanimous draw (47-47, 47-47, 47-47)
“The Vaseline had nothing to do with nothing,” Austin Trout said of his win over Diego Sanchez.
[autotag]Austin Trout[/autotag] is not happy with some of the chatter following his Bare Knuckle FC debut.
Although the former WBA boxing champion successfully made his transition to bareknuckle last Friday at BKFC KnuckleMania 3 in Albuquerque, N.M., some people are accusing him to have cheated. Trout was accused by opponent Diego Sanchez, who lost by doctor’s stoppage, to have greased for the fight, making him hard to get a hold of.
Trout finds Sanchez’s accusations to be ridiculous.
“Cap, super cap,” Trout told MMA Junkie Radio. “… To say that I cheated is bogus. I didn’t cheat. There’s no clear lines that talk about Vaseline. We didn’t do anything in the box away from anyone, and we didn’t come out trying to hide anything. Everything was done right there in front of everyone.
“If anyone had a problem with it, they should’ve talked about it then. After the fight, Diego, I was right there with him. You know the reason he said why he couldn’t clinch? Out of his own mouth before he saw a video that suggested I was cheating. It wasn’t his idea. It was a video that gave him this idea that I was cheating, which I was very aggravated about.
“He said the reason why he couldn’t clinch was because of the speed and the foot work. That was the reason why he couldn’t clinch.”
Trout confirmed he did apply Vaseline prior and during the fight. However, he was inspected by BKFC officials prior to entering ring. He said it’s a common practice in the boxing world.
‘In boxing, we put Vaseline over everywhere,” Trout explained. “In MMA, they have a certain amount that they allow. I don’t know what that is, but they check you right at the front. Over here they checked us at the front, and it was fine. We got in there and whatever we put on in between rounds because we do just like he did.
“He said he didn’t get none, but we have footage that he got Vaseline before and in between the rounds. If his corner didn’t put enough, that’s his corner’s fault. And if they didn’t like how much Vaseline I put on, then they should’ve checked me, but they didn’t. … And again, I didn’t put excessive Vaseline, because even in boxing they don’t allow excessive Vaseline. They make you wipe it off if it’s too much.”
Trout is happy with his performance and his experience debuting in bareknuckle boxing. He wants to return and continue down that path. However, he does admit he is partly annoyed that some of the attention from his win is being shined on Sanchez’s comments.
“It’s just annoying honestly,” Trout said. “At first, I was like, ‘You can’t be serious.’ But then there’s a bunch of, well, I think they’re bots because most of them have less than 100 followers (on social media) and a lot of them are private with no pictures, but they’re talking big head.
“It didn’t sour the victory, because he didn’t get close enough to touch me. Let’s just keep it above. The Vaseline had nothing to do with nothing.”
Check out photos from the BKFC 36 ceremonial weigh-ins and faceoffs ahead of the event at Pontchartrain Convention Center in Kenner, La.
Check out these photos from the BKFC 36 ceremonial weigh-ins and fighter faceoffs ahead of the event at Pontchartrain Convention Center in Kenner, La. (Photos courtesy of BKFC)
Jun 19, 2020; Hilton Head, South Carolina, USA; Webb Simpson putts on the 17th green during the second round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament at Harbour Town Golf Links. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Thursday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.
Thursday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.
On Episode 3,338, the boys welcome in guest Austin Trout, who is coming off a BKFC stoppage of Diego Sanchez. They also look ahead to Saturday’s Bellator 291 and UFC Fight Night 220; discuss a Dustin Poirier incident with a fan; talk about Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier being cordial to each other; and more. Tune in!
Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at OmnyStudio. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.
