Tag: Boston Salmon

‘The Ultimate Fighter 31’ rosters revealed, includes eight former UFC fighters

Check out the 16 fighters who made the cut for “TUF 31” – including eight former UFC fighters.

“The Ultimate Fighter” is back for a 31st season, which will be coached by lightweight stars [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag].

Set to debut May 30 on ESPN and run until Aug. 15, the series will include men’s bantamweights and lightweights, as first reported on MMA Junkie’s “Spinning Back Clique.” Filming began in February in Las Vegas.

McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) and Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) will square off after the conclusion of the series at a date and location yet-to-be-determined.

In addition to an announcement of rosters Saturday, the promotion announced the upcoming season will have a theme of “Redemption,” which pins former UFC fighters against rising prospects.

Dozens of fighters applied and only 16 were selected. Scroll below to see who made the cut.

Boston Salmon suffers broken orbital, cheek bone from illegal knee at LFA 84

Manager provides health update on Boston Salmon, who took blatant illegal knee at LFA.

[autotag]Boston Salmon[/autotag]’s shocking fight ending earlier this month had big consequences on his health.

The former UFC fighter took a blatant illegal knee to the head in an 150-pound catchweight bout against Shawn West at LFA 84 on July 10. The illegal knee knocked Salmon (7-3) out cold at the 0:53 mark of Round 2, and a disqualification win was awarded to the 29-year-old. The video of the illegal knee became a big topic in combat sports news.

The Hawaiian suffered a broken orbital and cheek bone, according to his manager Brian Butler of SuckerPunch Entertainment, who on Tuesday released a statement on the incident. Butler, who attached a gruesome image to his statement, said Salmon is still recovering from the injuries.

Butler also called for the commission overseeing the event in South Dakota to take disciplinary action on West beyond the disqualification defeat in hopes to set higher accountability for similar illegal actions (via Instagram):

View this post on Instagram

UPDATE: The incident that took place in LFA on July 10th was extremely unfortunate. We believe Boston is a special talent and is able to compete with the best in the world. His stent in the UFC did not go as planned because it was determined by physicians that the weight cut to bantamweight was too extreme for him to be able to perform to his ability. We were extremely excited to restart Boston’s run at featherweight with @lfafighting and get him back to a big show. Boston was in control of this fight and just settling into his range and timing in the 2nd round when both he and his opponent, Shawn West, landed simultaneous hooks causing both to be flashed and knocked down. As Boston was getting back to his feet he was hit with an illegal knee that ended the night. What we have to focus on here first and foremost is Boston‘s health. The knee landed with incredible force and caused Boston to suffer a broken orbital and cheek bone. Aside from the DQ we feel there should be disciplinary actions enforced by the commision to set a higher precedence on these types of fouls. There was no question about the legality of the knee and Boston was awarded the win at the end of the contest. It goes without saying that this is not the way Boston wanted the fight to be determined. As a team we are sitting down with Boston and his family to discuss what we want to do moving forward. Boston would like to thank LFA and their staff for getting him back on stage and giving him the opportunity to perform. For now Boston is going to undergo further examination and we will determine the next steps as we go. #bossteam

A post shared by Brian Butler-Au (@suckerpunchent) on

“UPDATE: The incident that took place in LFA on July 10th was extremely unfortunate. We believe Boston is a special talent and is able to compete with the best in the world. His stent in the UFC did not go as planned because it was determined by physicians that the weight cut to bantamweight was too extreme for him to be able to perform to his ability. We were extremely excited to restart Boston’s run at featherweight with @lfafighting and get him back to a big show. Boston was in control of this fight and just settling into his range and timing in the 2nd round when both he and his opponent, Shawn West, landed simultaneous hooks causing both to be flashed and knocked down. As Boston was getting back to his feet he was hit with an illegal knee that ended the night. What we have to focus on here first and foremost is Boston‘s health. The knee landed with incredible force and caused Boston to suffer a broken orbital and cheek bone. Aside from the DQ we feel there should be disciplinary actions enforced by the commision to set a higher precedence on these types of fouls. There was no question about the legality of the knee and Boston was awarded the win at the end of the contest. It goes without saying that this is not the way Boston wanted the fight to be determined. As a team we are sitting down with Boston and his family to discuss what we want to do moving forward. Boston would like to thank LFA and their staff for getting him back on stage and giving him the opportunity to perform. For now Boston is going to undergo further examination and we will determine the next steps as we go.”

West, for his part, did offer an apology to Salmon and his team in the aftermath of the brutal foul. He claimed responsibility for his actions, as well.

Salmon will go further examination in his road to recovery and later asses his next career move. Prior to the LFA bout, Salmon was on a two-fight skid which marked the entirety of his UFC tenure. Salmon entered the UFC in 2017 after winning a contract at Dana White’s Contender Series.

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Salmon released a statement of his own shortly thereafter. He thanked his supporters and reiterated he’s taking the proper precautions with his recovery (via Instagram):

View this post on Instagram

First, thank you to everyone who took the time to reach out to me and the ones close to me concerning my health. Just wanted to let you all know that I'm ok and taking the necessary time to heal up and focus on my health most importantly. A lot of you were scared and concerned, and so was I. I can assure you that I'm ok and will be back from this. Smile, be happy, tell the ones you care about you love them. Sending positive vibes to everyone who supports this journey. You're #BOSSTEAM ❤ #Repost @suckerpunchent (@get_repost) ・・・ UPDATE: The incident that took place in LFA on July 10th was extremely unfortunate. We believe Boston is a special talent and is able to compete with the best in the world. His stent in the UFC did not go as planned because it was determined by physicians that the weight cut to bantamweight was too extreme for him to be able to perform to his ability. We were extremely excited to restart Boston’s run at featherweight with @lfafighting and get him back to a big show. Boston was in control of this fight and just settling into his range and timing in the 2nd round when both he and his opponent, Shawn West, landed simultaneous hooks causing both to be flashed and knocked down. As Boston was getting back to his feet he was hit with an illegal knee that ended the night. What we have to focus on here first and foremost is Boston‘s health. The knee landed with incredible force and caused Boston to suffer a broken orbital and cheek bone. Aside from the DQ we feel there should be disciplinary actions enforced by the commision to set a higher precedence on these types of fouls. There was no question about the legality of the knee and Boston was awarded the win at the end of the contest. It goes without saying that this is not the way Boston wanted the fight to be determined. As a team we are sitting down with Boston and his family to discuss what we want to do moving forward. Boston would like to thank LFA and their staff for getting him back on stage and giving him the opportunity to perform. For now Boston is going to undergo further examination and we will determine the next steps as we go. #bossteam

A post shared by Boston "Boom Boom" Salmon (@bostonboomboom) on

First, thank you to everyone who took the time to reach out to me and the ones close to me concerning my health. Just wanted to let you all know that I’m ok and taking the necessary time to heal up and focus on my health most importantly.

A lot of you were scared and concerned, and so was I. I can assure you that I’m ok and will be back from this. Smile, be happy, tell the ones you care about you love them. Sending positive vibes to everyone who supports this journey. You’re #BOSSTEAM ❤

Watch video of Salmon’s DQ win against West below (via Instagram):

Video: Boston Salmon on wrong end of all-time flagrant illegal knee at LFA 84

Boston Salmon got a victory in his LFA debut, but he certainly paid the price.

[autotag]Boston Salmon[/autotag] got a victory in his LFA debut on Friday night, but he paid a hell of a price for it.

The former UFC competitor met up with [autotag]Shawn West[/autotag] at LFA 84 in South Dakota in a 150-pound catchweight bout, and it was an entertaining scrap while it lasted.

Early in the second, though, things took a turn. West dropped Salmon with a right hand. He then sprinted full force at the still downed Salmon and drilled him in the head with one of the most blatantly illegal knees to the head you’ll ever see.

That goes into the books as a win at 38 seconds of the second round for Salmon, who snaps a two-fight losing streak. Courtesy our friends at UFC Fight Pass, you can see the nasty knee below:

Off Guard: Ex-UFC fighter Boston Salmon moving to featherweight, keeping same goals in mind

Boston Salmon opens up about his UFC departure and what the future holds for him at 145 pounds.

[autotag]Boston Salmon[/autotag] is starting over.

Salmon (6-3 MMA) was released by the UFC in late 2019 after back-to-back losses to Khalid Taha and Randy Costa. The defeats were the lone performances of his promotional tenure.

Six months after his most recent fight, Salmon is eying a return to the cage. However, unlike most of his career to date, which has been spent at bantamweight, Salmon will compete at 145 pounds going forward.

“I have a lot more to prove,” Salmon told MMA Junkie. “I had my shot at the UFC. I had two fights in there. I wasn’t able to perform. I had to figure out what was wrong. I looked back on my two losses, which I lost ultimately at the scales. My next step is at 145. I’m making the change at featherweight. I’m a free agent now. I’m looking for the best opportunities. The fire is still there. The prospect people thought I was back then is still there. I just have to figure out what exactly is wrong.”

While Salmon only had two shots in the UFC, he’s not bitter. He said he’s come to terms with the fact he’s no longer on the roster – and has used that as motivation. He’s working to make the necessary adjustments, but his MMA goals haven’t changed.

“That’s how the UFC is,” Salmon said. “Things can’t always go the way you want them to. You’ve got to be accepting. You’ve got to be able to adapt. Those two losses mean a lot to me. It still sparks a fire. I could retire right now and go on with plan B or plan C, but I still (have) a lot more to prove in this sport.

“I know I can become champion. I believe in that 100 percent.”

Watch MMA Junkie catch Boston Salmon “Off Guard” in the video above.

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Catching up with Boston Salmon | Off Guard

You never know when “Gorgeous” George or “Goze” will catch somebody “Off Guard.” This time they catch up with former UFC bantamweight Boston Salmon.

You never know when “Gorgeous” George or “Goze” will catch somebody “Off Guard.” This time they catch up with former UFC bantamweight Boston Salmon.

UFC roster update: Zak Ottow, Kurt Holobaugh among 10 released; one fighter announces retirement

The UFC is trimming its roster as 2019 comes to an end, with 11 fighters parting ways.

As 2019 winds down, the UFC has trimmed its roster. A dozen fighters have been released from their contracts or not re-signed in recent weeks, MMA Junkie has learned.

Each fighter listed has announced the release, or a member of his or her team has informed MMA Junkie of the news. The order in which they appear is alphabetical, not chronological.

The exact time frames and terms of the releases (i.e. end of contract vs. severance) were not disclosed to MMA Junkie.

Rostem Akman | Welterweight (6-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC)

Sweden’s [autotag]Rostem Akman[/autotag] debuted at UFC on ESPN+ 11 in early June. Taking a fight against Sergey Khandozhko in enemy territory, Akman lost a unanimous decision. Akman suffered the same fate in his sophomore outing, losing a unanimous decision to Jake Matthews at UFC 243 in October.

Allen Crowder | Heavyweight (10-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC)

Heavyweight [autotag]Allen Crowder[/autotag] has retired, according to a report from BJPenn.com. Crowder has decided to step away from due to ongoing memory issues caused by concussions. The North Carolina-based big man’s lone UFC win came against Greg Hardy in January. Crowder won by disqualification due to an illegal knee. His lone victory with the promotion was bookended by knockout losses to Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Justin Willis.

More roster updates on the next page:

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