Tag: James Vick

Video: Ex-UFC fighter James Vick gets viciously knocked out at Karate Combat 47

A fight between ex-UFC fighters James Vick and Rafael Alves ends in a vicious KO at Friday’s Karate Combat 47.

A pair of former UFC fighters threw down in Karate Combat’s pit, and the clash left us with a vicious knockout.

Former UFC lightweights [autotag]James Vick[/autotag] and [autotag]Rafael Alves[/autotag] clashed in the main even of Karate Kombat 47, which took place in Orlando, Fla. Alves left the bout as the victor by viciously putting away Vick with a head kick that left him flat out on the canvas.

You can watch Alves’ KO win in the video below:

Vick is now 3-4 since leaving the UFC in 2019, which includes bouts in boxing, MMA, and karate. He’s currently 1-2 fighting under Karate Combat. Vick most notably fought for the UFC from 2013 to 2019 and at one point was at the top of the UFC’s lightweight division with 9-1 run.

Alves, who only had a four-fight stint in the UFC from 2021 to 2023, continues unbeaten since his UFC release. He pciked up a submission win in October under MMA rules and is now 2-0 in Karate Combat. In his last outing, he defeated former UFC fighter Efrain Escudero.

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James Vick’s love of combat sports and competition drove him to Karate Combat 36

With his MMA career in the rear-view mirror, at least for now, James Vick has been keeping plenty busy.

With his MMA career in the rear-view mirror, at least for now, [autotag]James Vick[/autotag] has been keeping plenty busy.

Vick, who fought 14 times for the UFC, hung up the MMA gloves in early 2021 on a five-fight skid. But earlier this year, he kept the competitive fires burning with a move to boxing. And Saturday, he returns to action with his first karate match for Karate Combat.

“I started doing karate about five or six years ago, and I already had a couple years of taekwondo before that,” Vick recently told MMA Junkie Radio. “I really fell in love with traditional martial arts. It became pretty much my favorite combat sport that I’ve practiced and do on a regular basis.

“Back in June, I went and cornered my sensei for his fight there, and the atmosphere was amazing. It was probably one of the best productions I’ve ever seen with the lighting and the graphics and everything. It was amazing. … I thought, ‘I really would love to do this.'”

So do this, Vick shall, when he takes on Jorge Perez at Karate Combat 36, which takes place at Universal Studios Florida in Orlando.

Vick said he thinks Perez will fight him in a way similar to some of his past MMA opponents. The Karate Combat rules allow for a version of ground-and-pound – but only for a referee’s five-count after the fighter is grounded.

“I think my opponent’s game plan is going to be the same as all my (past opponents),” Vick said. “I’ve had lapses in my defense. I’ve had defensive problems, and I’ve worked my defense religiously over the last year. I’ve had several boxing fights and I’ve worked a lot of boxing defense, and I don’t think this guy is going to be landing a bunch. … He has real karate and high-level technique, but I think he’s going to come swinging wild like he’s done in his previous fights.”

Vick said the decision to get back into fighting of some kind was an easy one. In the boxing ring, he went 2-1 earlier this year. Karate will be a new adventure.

But the 35-year-old said it came kind of naturally.

“I love competition, period. It doesn’t matter,” he said. “I’ve had some injuries where I couldn’t grapple as much as I want to, so that’s why at this moment, I have no interest in MMA, to be honest with you. … But I’ve been a competitor my whole life. It’s not just a switch you can cut off.

“I get a lot of criticism for being knocked out in the past, but I’m perfectly healthy. I’ve had three fights this year – no problem at all. I’m being cleared to fight. I have no issues. I just want to compete.”

Check out Vick’s full interview in the video above.

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UFC veteran James Vick signs with Karate Combat, set for Oct. 29 debut

James Vick will continue to expand his martial arts horizons after retiring from MMA competition.

[autotag]James Vick[/autotag] will continue to expand his martial arts horizons after retiring from MMA competition.

Vick has signed with Karate Combat, and is set to make his promotional debut against Jorge Perez in a welterweight bout at Karate Combat 36 on Oct. 29. The event streams on the promotion’s website (via Twitter):

After walking away from MMA in February 2021, the 14-fight UFC veteran returned to competition with a professional boxing debut in March, which he won by knockout.

Just a few years ago, Vick found himself ranked in the shark tank that is the UFC lightweight division. He won eight of his first nine fights with the organization, but then things took a difficult turn.

Vick earned a main event spot against Justin Gaethje at UFC Fight Night 135 in August 2018, and an 87-second knockout loss marked the start of a downward swing.

The 35-year-old would suffer subsequent losses to Paul Felder, Dan Hooker and Niko Price before he was released from the UFC roster. He then suffered a brutal knockout defeat to Andre Fialho in January 2021, prompting him to announce his retirement in an emotional statement.

Karate Combat did not reveal the terms of Vick’s contract.

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UFC veteran James Vick ends retirement, set for professional boxing bout

After retiring from MMA on a string of five straight losses with four knockouts, James Vick is coming back to the fight game for more.

After retiring from MMA competition on a string of five straight losses with four knockouts, [autotag]James Vick[/autotag] is coming back to the fight game for more.

Vick (13-6), who competed 14 times under the UFC banner over the course of his career, is set to make a return to combat sports, but this time in the boxing ring.

He’s set to take on Alejandro Heredia in a four-round, 168-pound fight on Saturday at “The Last Combat: Morales vs. Salido” event, which takes place at Mesquite Arena in Mesquite, Texas, and streams on FiteTV (via Twitter):

Just a few years ago, Vick found himself ranked in the shark tank that is the UFC lightweight division. He won eight of his first nine fights with the organization, but then things took a difficult turn.

Vick earned a main event spot against Justin Gaethje at UFC Fight Night 135 in August 2018, and an 87-second knockout loss marked the start of a downward swing.

The 35-year-old would suffer subsequent losses to Paul Felder, Dan Hooker and Niko Price before he was released from the UFC roster. He then suffered a brutal knockout defeat to Andre Fialho in January 2021, prompting him to announce his retirement in an emotional statement.

Like many in the fight game, though, Vick couldn’t stay away for long. Now he’ll test himself in the boxing ring.

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Former UFC contender James Vick announces retirement from MMA

James Vick has called it quits days after his most recent stoppage defeat in his return from a long layoff.

[autotag]James Vick[/autotag] is hanging up his gloves.

Vick, a former UFC lightweight and cast member of “The Ultimate Fighter 15,” announced his retirement from MMA, putting an end to a 10-year career. Vick (13-6) broke the news on his Instagram on Tuesday night, days after taking a loss in his first fight since his departure from the UFC in late 2019.

Vick, 33, suffered a TKO loss to Andre Fialho at XMMA 1 in Florida on Jan. 30. It was his fifth consecutive stoppage defeat.

In a lengthy statement, Vick cited losing passion for the sport as a reason he’s decided to retire. He also said he suffered a broken orbital bone and jaw in his defeat, and doesn’t want to continue risking his health and stressing his family.

Below is Vick’s statement made on Instagram:

“Idk where to start this. Few days ago I took the worst loss of my career. I went out on my shield like I always have like a warrior. I am very sorry to everyone who helped and believe in me so much this last year. The truth is I haven’t felt that passion/love for fighting the way I use to in a long time. But I have always been disciplined and trained hard no matter what. One of my main reasons for still fighting was to prove to my son that you can’t just give up when things get hard in life. But this is not the way to teach him that. This is not like failing a test or losing a basketball or football game. This is combat sports and this shit can be permanent. One of the last punches he landed i knew something was seriously wrong. I’m glad the ref stepped in because lord knows I would have been to tough and dumb to do that. My orbital is broke on my right side, the fracture went all the way through to the other side causing a Bi lateral break plus my jaw is completely displaced so tomorrow they are finally doing surgery to fix it. It really was a perfectly placed shot. The Doctor said i could definitely fight again after this if I wanted to but this was my last fight. I can’t keep putting my family through this. I have reached the top of where I was going to get in Combat sports in becoming a top 10 fighter in the UFC. Honestly that was probably a major over achievement considering I didn’t even start training until I was 20 yrs old, worked a full-time job for almost half of that and had several major surgeries after that. Trying to catch these guys that have trained their entire lives has seriously been the hardest thing I have ever done. The highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Thank you to anyone who has been there to support me, teach me or cheer me on along the way. I have made life long relationships in this martial arts journey I will always be so grateful for. It bothers me that my 3 year old son has to see his daddy with his jaw wired shut for 4 to 6 weeks because of all this. He is so little and doesn’t understand. Time to move on and focus more on my family and raising my son to be a great man.Thank you everyone and thank this sport for the memories.”

Vick began fighting in 2011. He won his first four bouts before participating on TUF 15 and then signing with the UFC.

Vick had a 5-0 start with the UFC, but then lost to Beneil Dariush by knockout. Vick was able to bounce back from that defeat and build a four-fight winning streak before this recent losing skid, which marked the end of his run in MMA.

In his six years with the UFC, the Team Lloyd Irvin fighter picked up nine wins, defeating notable names such as Francisco Trinaldo, Jake Matthews, and Joseph Duffy. Vick was also able to break into the UFC’s official top-10 rankings at lightweight.

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Video: James Vick battered, knocked out by Andre Fialho in first post-UFC fight

After a solid first round, James Vick was met with an onslaught of attack that left him a bloody mess.

The skid continues for former top UFC lightweight [autotag]James Vick[/autotag].

On Saturday, Vick (13-6) competed in an XMMA main event in West Palm Beach, Fla. Taking on former Bellator and PFL fighter [autotag]Andre Fialho[/autotag], Vick was battered and bloodied in Round 2 en route to a TKO loss.

The opening round was closely contested with both men finding success on the feet. In Round 2, however, Fialho (10-4) began to take over. The beginning of the end struck when Fialho knocked Vick’s mouthpiece out shortly after the round began.

From there, Fialho poured on an onslaught of attack, dropping Vick, who tried to hang tough. Vick’s best efforts to survive were for not. He absorbed a tremendous amount of damage before the referee finally stepped in and waved off the fight – a standing TKO for Fialho.

Following the stoppage, Vick crumpled to the canvas – a bloody mess. His face was bruised and swollen, as the announcers speculated about a jaw injury.

The fight was Vick’s first since departing the UFC in 2020, but it’s his fifth straight loss. Four of the losses in the skid were suffered via knockout or TKO.

Watch the full fight video above, or check out a clip of the finish below:

XMMA took place Saturday at the Palm Beach Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Fla., and streamedVideo: James Vick battered, knocked out by Andre Fialho in first post-UFC fight on the promotion’s YouTube channel.

Callout Collection: Who UFC on ESPN 11 winners want next – and how likely they’ll get them

Belal Muhammad and Justin Jaynes were among those who name-dropped their preferred next opponents at UFC on ESPN 11 in Las Vegas.

Earning wins in the UFC is certainly no easy task, but what comes next is often even more important: the post-fight callout.

So after Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 11 event in Las Vegas, who took advantage of their time on the mic? See below for this week’s Callout Collection – and just how realistic each one is.

* * * * *

First up, let’s take a look at the preliminary card …

Justin Jaynes

Wants to fight: [autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag] or [autotag]Austin Hubbard[/autotag]

The callout: “I’ve got a couple of guys on my hit list right now, and I wanna talk to my manager and see what we can line up down the road, and take it day-by-day for that. … Drakkar Klose. Beat me 2007, high school wrestling state championship. Got a little salty about that, still. He ruined my dreams. And (Austin) Hubbard. He just beat a friend of mine, Max (Rohskopf). I’d like to redeem his loss.”

The reality: After a performance like the one he delivered on his debut at UFC on ESPN 11, it seems like a no-brainer to get [autotag]Justin Jaynes[/autotag], fitness permitting, straight back into the cage at the earliest opportunity. Austin Hubbard earned a stoppage win on the same card and is therefore on the same timeline, so that could be a simple one for the matchmakers to book.

But I think the high school wrestling angle makes the fight with Klose much more intriguing. Fights always seem to capture the imagination more when there’s a real backstory to them, and Jaynes losing out to Klose back in their high school wrestling days offers a nice opportunity for the UFC to build interest in a possible matchup. Klose will be keen to bounce back after his recent loss to Beneil Dariush, and may see Jaynes as a familiar face who he’s bested once before on the wrestling mats. On paper, it looks like a nice matchup to test Jaynes, while giving Klose the opportunity to bounce back from his recent setback.

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Next up: The “King” fires back at the “Texecutioner”

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James Vick assesses technical flaws: ‘Hands down and my chin up in the air has been a problem’

James Vick opens up about technical flaws that he thinks have cost him fights in the UFC, and his recent attempt to correct his issues.

[autotag]James Vick[/autotag] is well aware of what he needs to improve as a fighter.

The 33-year-old said he has pinpointed the technical issues in his game that he thinks have been responsible for many of his losses in the UFC. Vick (13-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC), who recently returned home to Texas after taking a trip to Thailand to sharpen his craft, won’t deny any of the technical deficiencies he’s carried throughout his career. But Vick, who has lost four consecutive fights after winning nine out of his first 10 UFC bouts, is trying to address those issues in hopes of turning his career around.

“A lot of it this trip was me falling back in love with fighting – I felt like I lost interest,” Vick told MMA Junkie Radio. “I always did what was required, but all my losses were technical issues. My last fight sucked because I worked with my friend Dorian and I felt like he really helped me better than anyone to keep my hands up and fix these technical issues. And last time I didn’t get to show that – I got caught with a damn upkick. But besides that, all the issues were technical. Fighting with my hands down and my chin up in the air has been a problem my whole career, and no one ever made me pay for it until I got a top-10 level guy.

“It’s hard to talk about that and not offend people. I worked with some great coaches, but sometimes a great coach can’t fix your particular issue. A lot of the coaches I’ve trained with, I know if they took a kid and built them from the ground up, that kid would have great technique. But having someone come to you after four, five years of bad technique and then try to fix those issues, I think that’s what I dealt with in the past – coming to coaches basically already having (expletive) up technique. And that’s my fault, too, for staying with a coach that wasn’t correcting my technique.

“My first boxing coach ever, I had 20 fights under him and I won most of those fights. I was a two-time boxing Golden Gloves champion, so you don’t know what you don’t know. Since, we’ve had a falling out, but I trained with that man for almost 12 years. He was like a second father to me, but he never fixed my problems – so I started with bad technique.”

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Vick most recently fought in October, when he lost to Niko Price by first-round knockout. It was his first fight in the UFC at welterweight.

“A lot of people talk (expletive), but at the end of the day, to say I don’t belong in the UFC – that’s delusional,” Vick said. “You can say I don’t belong in the top 10, and that’s fine and understandable. But besides getting caught with an up-kick, I’ve never lost to an opponent that hasn’t been a top-10 fighter.”

Vick is no longer with his original boxing coach. He’s still with Team Lloyd Irvin, but his new boxing coach is Kendrick Releford, a former IBF Atlantic Coast and WBO Latino heavyweight champion. Vick is confident his technical issues are now being addressed.

As far as his whether he’s still with the UFC or not, the Texas native gave no definite answer since everything seems uncertain in the global coronavirus pandemic. But it seems he’s still on the roster despite his losing skid.

“I talked to (matchmaker) Sean Shelby, and I don’t know how much I want to say specially with no fights going on right now – but I’m still in the phase of figuring stuff out,” Vick said. “I’m still in the (U.S. Anti-Doping Agency) testing pool, and if anything happens, if a fight happens soon, I’m already in shape. I basically did a training camp in Thailand, so I don’t really know my exact status at the moment with everything going on. I’m not going to talk to Sean at the moment because what’s the point with everything that’s going on? But he did say I’m staying in the USADA pool.”

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