Going from a regular person to one with one of the greatest responsibilities of them all is life-changing. Welcoming a child into the world is something that’s impossible to forget. Thus leading to several more unforgettable moments in the continually progressing stages of the parent’s life, and now most importantly, the child that has become the center of their universe.

In the modern-day sporting atmosphere and the ever-expanding world of technology, it’s easier than ever to hurl negativity into the direction of those who have put themselves out there more than others. But what’s often forgotten is that the person on the receiving end remains exactly that – a person. A person with a family that loves and raised them just like everyone else.

To get to that center stage, no matter what the athletic endeavor may be, the individual had to be molded in some form or another. Humans are creatures of habit and as they grow their surroundings are absorbed. A strong support system is absolutely priceless. Surely, in some cases, it’s the lack of support that ends up being strong enough motivation for many. Perhaps especially in the realm of hand to hand combat. However, no situation is created equally and there’s always an origin fueling the drive.

On March 9, 1985, in San Diego, California, a woman by the name of Suzette Howe would welcome her son, Dominick Cruz, into the world. Unbeknownst to her, she would go onto raise one of the greatest Mixed Martial Arts fighters that the world has ever seen.

Howe and her family that also included her mother and other son, Derek, lived in Tucson, Arizona for most of Cruz’s childhood. A marketing specialist of over 25 years, Howe owns her own company, Show U How 2, and is also a successful author with an MMA inspired book series. The first of which has been out for a year now is titled Broken Before Battle: Changing Lives Outside the Octagon. She currently finds herself working on the second installment of what will be a trilogy series. The next being Broken Before Battle: Raising Champions for Tomorrow.

Going in-depth into the lives of eight fighters and coaches in her books, Howe’s goal was to share the brighter side of the athletes who were once perceived as participants in human cockfighting. The focus is on what they’ve had to overcome and the impacts they have on their communities.

“When I was in third grade I knew I really wanted to write and I’d eventually write a book, there’s a lot of people that have a book in them,” Howe told The Body Lock, “I didn’t really know that it would be about the MMA perspective, but in advance of writing it, I had been in connection with all these guys and listening to their stories and just really felt honestly like that was something I was given to do. I just wanted to make sure the perspective was very different and unique from maybe the other things that have been covered out there and it definitely is.”

In writing about the humble beginnings that she’s experienced through the fighters she’s met along the way her and her son’s journey, Howe can relate in her own ways.

In Tucson a part of her family of four, Howe was a single mother raising her sons in a trailer park earning roughly $10,000 a year. Times weren’t easy, but the family made it work as best as they could. Cruz shared with Sports Illustrated (SI) in 2016 that there were occasions where he would watch his mother cry alone in her bed when all he could do was hug her for comfort.

“I watched my mom, every single day when I was a kid, put others first,” said Cruz, “She was always trying to do the right thing. If she got food stamps, she never took advantage—she only bought what she needed. She taught me how to care, how to stay humble, and how to stay true. She never steered from that. She is still the most whole, happy person, and that has made me a stronger person.”

Cruz would come in contact with the sport of wrestling in seventh grade where he competed at 78-pounds. It would be here that the seed for something special was truly planted.

Attending high school in Tucson at Flowing Wells High School and continuing on with his amateur wrestling, it would, unfortunately, end here. An ankle injury put a halt to Cruz’s collegiate wrestling ambitions which led to him studying at a community college to try and become a firefighter. While working three jobs to pay for school, Cruz would also find his way into boxing and kickboxing. And, of course, this soon led to MMA.

“For myself, when I got started [with MMA], even I really wanted to do things for self-defense, and I got really involved and loved the heck out of training and all of that kind of thing,” Howe expressed, “So Dominick had been involved since he was out of high school. And going to his fights and everything is how we got involved, of course. Learning the ins and outs of it all. Then like I said, getting to know some of the other guys and the stories that they share, it’s international, the guys that I was having the privilege of being around. So it really was a unique perspective. Wilson Reis is from Brazil his [story is] very, super-powerful, very challenging. Brendan Loughnane is from the UK and he’s pretty hot right now with the PFL and everything, too. It’s been a really, really amazing journey. Kind of like a second mom.”

On January 29, 2005, Cruz would make his professional MMA debut at 155-pounds in a lightweight contest.

With his background in boxing, he would adapt elements from what he had learned and some of the fighters he watched growing up. In essence, due to his large size disadvantage, he felt forced to create his own unique defensive style to avoid being hit by what was for his first eight fights, the opposition of larger opponents.

Regardless, he still managed to defeat them all and actually end up going down as statistically one of the most defensively sound fighters there’s ever been. His seventh pro fight would arguably be a big turning point as it was there that he met the host of the event, his longtime head coach at Alliance MMA, Eric Del Fierro.

For Howe as well as any mother or parent, she had no idea what her son would grow up to be. Sure, everyone may have an idea, but predicting exactly what that may be is quite the task even for Nostradamus. But for it to end up being something as dangerous and demanding as a combat sport, it definitely requires some mental processing for all involved. In the end, she’s more than okay with it.

“He has a brother, so as siblings, they would fight, things like that. But no I did not imagine it,” Howe said of Cruz getting into pro fighting, “And that’s one of the things … I did a podcast with Cage Free Chicks recently and that was one of the things; you never know what your children are going to grow up to do. And that’s very true. That’s one of the reasons I also wanted to just kind of write about the experience but also shed some light with other parents because ‘little Johnny’ wants to get involved in a martial art or something, it doesn’t mean that he’s going to be beating people up. As a matter of fact, it should mean the opposite.

“If they learn the respect and the morals and how it gives a channel of focus. It’s incredible. Some of the guys in my first book had really severe challenges as kids. Seth [Baczynski] became a better person. Phil [Davis] says that education was really difficult for him, but he pressed through. It was really hard for Danny [Martinez] too because he had to learn how to fight and learn how to manage family because he had a young family. So all of that kind of thing is in there and it’s just been a really cool journey.

“When Dominick was doing wrestling, I didn’t really know anything about MMA and wrestling was wrestling,” she continued, “But getting out and then having him at a high school, get involved and start doing the lower-key fights if you will … It was like, ‘Oh my gosh, he’s really good.’ He’s disciplined in it. He came up with all his own style and everything and that’s why he was good. He wasn’t just doing what other people were doing. So as a really young kid, I mean, kids are gonna fight and play, this and that. He played soccer and baseball and then wrestled, so we didn’t know what he would grow up to be, but it’s been incredible.”

After his eight-fight start to his career in the lightweight division, Cruz would enjoy a three-fight stint at featherweight before finding his true home of bantamweight at 135-pounds.

As a member of the gone but not forgotten World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) promotion, Cruz would keep on tactfully infuriating everyone who stood in his way. Utilizing his movement-based style to perfection and outwitting every opponent more than the next. “The Dominator” would claim the world title in just his fifth fight in the division.

Howe had done it. Although her son was always going to be a champion to her no matter what it was that he was doing, she could now officially say that she literally raised a champion. Ultimately, that was just the beginning of the legacy.

Cruz would establish himself as the greatest fighter his division had ever seen and an innovator with his unique style. Two title defenses in the WEC later, and he had also earned himself the inaugural UFC bantamweight title. He would defend the latter crown a total of three times across two separate reigns. Thus giving him seven wins in championship fights overall. A number higher than any other at 135-pounds.

“Being a fighter is one thing, you know?” said Howe, “Being a mom of a champion in the sense of like all these other kinds of sports that are out there and everything else, being an MMA fighter, it’s very different because there’s so many misnomers about the pay, the workouts, the intense training, they train all the time. I’ve trained but there’s no comparison. None. They’re doing two-a-days, their two hour trainings are hard, hard, hardcore. So most people have no clue about that either.

“But it’s been neat because just knowing I had always said when he was young that he was a leader, and I raised all my kids that way. I knew they would be leaders in their area of expertise, whatever that would be as they grew up. So just helping him stay in that mindset to always treat people well and really wanting to focus on the fact that you stay in your lane. You do the things that you know are good and right and true.

“With regard to fighting, some people would say, ‘Well, how on Earth? How is that good?’ It is an art. It’s a martial art,” she continued, “There’s so much respect and honor and all of that in there. And so, learning some of those things, too. I think people will understand it more fully, and the amount of give back. A lot of these guys are working with youth or training with youth or giving something back. Dominick has done a lot of that as well. And he just does it naturally, but then also officially so it’s from a champion perspective. I think he’s down to Earth. That’s one of the things we always wanted to make sure too was that he just stayed who he really is. He doesn’t let things get to his head.”

While “time” may always be the biggest thing remembered about Cruz in relation to his in-cage profession, his mother was worried about it beforehand.

“He’s worked hard to get where he’s at. Very, very hard,” Howe stated, “Stayed very focused, lost a lot of time and things like playtime, kid time. I talk about that in my book, like I just was concerned that he didn’t get to live the life of a kid very much because he was wrestling all the time when he was young. Moving into being an adult, you give up a lot to do that to become a champion, let alone keep it and stay as long as he did.”

Following Cruz’s shutout victory over future fellow all-time great in Demetrious Johnson at a 2011 UFC Fight Night, the bantamweight king’s will would be tested like never before – and it wouldn’t be at the discretion of another fighter.

Midway through coaching season 15 of The Ultimate Fighter opposite his rival Urijah Faber, Cruz would suffer a torn ACL. An injury that by itself is troublesome enough as is. Well, a second would follow making that two in the span of three years for the champion. The second coming after his body rejected the cadaver tendon that was used for the reconstructive surgery.

Finally set to come back for a fight with the interim champion Renan Barao, Cruz would then suffer yet another injury. This time it was a groin tear. As a result, the UFC was forced to strip the undisputed champion of his title due to inactivity. The trophy that he had worked so hard for was lost without him actually losing it inside the Octagon walls.

Many in the community placed their blame on the results of his injuries on his style which relies heavily on footwork and lateral mobility. Revealing an unbreakable mindset and desire to persevere, the boy from Tucson wasn’t going to let things end this way.

Cruz returned three years after his three ligament tears for his first three-round non-title bout in five years and six outings. Welcoming him back was the top 5 ranked veteran, Japan’s Takeya Mizugaki.

Over the years of his reign, Miss Howe’s baby boy would become a critique magnet for his seeming inability to finish fights. So when he returned from a staggering three-year layoff that included a miraculous recovery from often career-deterring injuries, no one expected what ended up unfolding inside the MGM Grand on that 2014 September 27 night.

In just 61 seconds, “The Dominator” reminded everyone why that was his nickname. A left straight into a blast double-leg takedown put Mizugaki on his back and shortly after, Cruz was using his fists like hammers on his opponent’s skull. He was back in a flash … then gone again just like that.

Confirmed to get a crack at the title he never lost in competition, Cruz would wind up suffering another ACL tear in the months after his fight. This time to the opposite knee.

As a parent, knowing your child is in pain or hurt is one of the worst thoughts and feelings imaginable. In a general sense, kids are going to hurt themselves every now and then. Whether it be falling down or just playing around, bumps and bruises are to be expected – but, of course, they’re preferably avoided if possible.

In the case of Suzette Howe and her son, she’s gone through an experience that few mothers ever have. Major injuries that affected the individuals’ way of life. Occurrences that literally put the world on hold.

Between having such a uniquely unfortunate injury-riddled history or even watching him fight in the first place, the toughest part for Howe as a mother of a championship-caliber MMA fighter has been the overall difference. Even though fighters are still just people like everyone else, their lifestyles are one of a kind.

“Seeing the discipline that he had at a young age with regards to wrestling and the grit that is required there, I knew something bigger was coming because he loved it so much,” she started, “I remember having difficult conversations with his coaches because he had to keep on such a low weight. That was one of the most difficult times when he was young. Now then you take that and put that a little bit further with regard to MMA, now you’re doing that professionally. So you still have the weight thing. It’s not as aggressive because he had to stay at that all the time when he was in wrestling, but it was watching all the eating challenges. Not being able to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner. Stuff like that when he was young then when you get older, he’s in MMA. Now he also is having to travel quite a bit. And again, the sacrifices are big. Relationships, downtime, vacations, things that a lot of families take for granted.

“I have a lot of friends that they all meet and go skiing, or they all meet and go do this and that. Well, that’s not something that becomes an easy thing for us at all. So that’s been a little bit more difficult, but really, when he was young, and he loved it so much, how can I not support him? It’s what he chose to do. It was legal, it was moral and it’s ethical. So hey, it may not always look that way to certain people. That was one of the reasons I wanted to write too because I wanted people to realize, ‘No, there are rules even though it may not look like it.’ And that is hard watching your son get hurt. But I also don’t really necessarily look at him as my little baby boy. I look at him as a professional man that has chosen this as his career, and I’m his backup and full support. So I pray. Honestly, that is part of who I am. That’s part of my role in what we are as a family – who we are. And that is one of the things that I believe has gotten us through as well.”

When the going gets tough, doubt inevitably creeps in for us all. And in situations like the ones that Cruz was faced with, how can he be blamed? Therefore it reveals the importance of a support system. Because even if you might not be able to believe in yourself in those darkest of times, and all hope may seem lost, there’s always someone still there. For Cruz, it was his mother.

“Losing everything brings the true people into your life and gets rid of everyone else,” Cruz explained in his 2016 SI interview, “People seem to fall off, and the people who love you and care about you make you stronger in your weakest times. My mom made me stronger at my weakest point.

“When I had no belt, everybody left. I was sad and depressed, and she showed me that I needed to love myself. I don’t need a belt to be happy. I didn’t need to be the best in the world to be happy, and I don’t need fighting to be happy. I define my happiness any way I want, that’s my decision—and my mother was a shining example of that.”

To rebound from his self-proclaimed rock bottom, Cruz did the unimaginable once again – but this time to a greater extent.

After missing out on the entirety of 2015 as he healed up, he would return and be granted with his expected title shot against the now champion, TJ Dillashaw.

Dillashaw at the time was a key piece of Team Alpha Male. The gym that so happened to be the rival of Cruz’s as it was helmed by the aforementioned Faber. If the comeback story alone wasn’t enough, there was extra fuel added to this dramatic fire.

Kicking off the first UFC event of 2016, Cruz headlined as the challenger to Dillashaw in Boston, Massachusetts. And what the TD Garden would be treated to was a masterclass of technique between two of the division’s best ever.

Even though Cruz had made it back to the Octagon and was competing at the highest level as he always had and his family always knew he could, he would continue to battle through adversity. Hindered but hidden, a case of plantar fascitis in one of Cruz’s feet had made itself present prior to fight night and as the fight went on, it only worsened.

It wouldn’t stop the former champion though as he battled valiantly and got his hand raised to once again become the bantamweight champion of the world. The belt he had never lost was back around his waist.

2016 would be a hallmark year in terms of activity for Cruz as he became one of the lone 11 fighters in the UFC’s 83 champion history to have fought in three title fights in a single year (including interim titles and excluding the Superfight title).

Arguably crafting an even greater legacy for what he had to overcome, Cruz has produced many incredible moments in his career at this point. So how do you pick just one that stands out the most? For Howe, there is obviously a lot to be proud of. But the reclaiming of the title after four major injuries is admittedly tough to top.

“The Mizugaki one was really amazing but TJ was too for two different reasons,” the author recalled, “[Against] Mizugaki, he came back and he only had to fight three rounds which was really sweet. But he came back with such a vengeance and almost shocked himself. If you view the replay you look at that, he’s walking around, going – from my perspective, ‘Oh, my gosh, look what I just did. Did I? Whoa,’ But it was also that he was so confident. And he knew that he knew that he could do that. He had so many people just talking trash about him not being able to do that. Then he turned around with regard to TJ and did the same thing. Only bigger because of his championship.

“A lot of people don’t know what that takes to go from zero to champion again, because of the workout but also you go from a three to a five-round [fight]. There’s a significant difference and a lot of people, the general public doesn’t get it, they don’t understand it. But the intricacies of what he had to put his body through to get there. Incredible. So then having that year, that 2016 year was grueling because he had three championship fights. Who does three championship fights in one year?”

Since the end of 2016 when he suffered his first and only career loss at bantamweight, losing his title, Cruz hasn’t fought. Instead, he’s been further progressing in his analyst and commentary roles that he first got into during his time off after the initial ACL surgery in early 2012.

Of course, this was never the plan as the injury bug continued to rear its head as the now 34-year old broke his arm in late 2017. Thus leading to a cancelation of his scheduled bout with Jimmie Rivera. Roughly a year later, another return would be halted when a ligament in his shoulder was torn ahead of his matchup with John Lineker. An injury that Cruz described as “the ACL of his shoulder.”

Officially now having been out for longer than when he was from 2011 to 2014, it’s nothing new for Cruz. He and his mother believe in him fully. He’s wanting to be ready, continues training, and is doing everything he can – but doing it smartly. If anyone has proven that they can come back better than they were when they left, it’s the kid from Flowing Wells High School.

“That’s Dominick. He never gives up, he never stops,” Howe said of her son, “He does do what is recommended by medical because he’s highly involved every day in that, which you can see on his social media. But he takes that very, very seriously because of the injuries he has had. He doesn’t want to ever do anything early or anything like that. So he’s learned that his body just is different than some of the other fighters and that’s what he had to overcome.

“[Regarding work outside of fighting,] it has been really cool because I could see it way early on in his career, but he couldn’t see it really until he had issues where he was almost forced into it. He had to do something and keeping his head in the game and commentating, he can now speak to people and organizations and all of that from a very different perspective that he never would have. As a young kid, he wouldn’t even get in front of a class. Well, this is something he knows. He lives it, he breathes it, he knows it well. And I’m super, super proud of him. But also he has recreated himself. And that’s brilliant.”

Parents shape their children into who they become. It takes a champion to make a champion. Without the strong support system that he’s had every step of the way, would we have ever seen Dominick Cruz reach his full potential? The answer feels pretty obvious at this point and he would surely agree.

Broken prior or not, we all face battles in life that are better fought with a loved one by our side.

Broken Before Battle: Changing Lives Outside the Octagon can be purchased on Amazon at the link: here.

The post Raising an MMA Champion: Suzette Howe and her son Dominick Cruz appeared first on The Body Lock.

The 48-year old Melbourne, Australia native is most famously known for his role as a radio host on The Jason Ellis Show as well as a former professional skateboarder. However, he’s truly a modern-day renaissance man. Although, he may surely make the argument that he lacks the proper talent required to be classified as such.

Ellis began his adulthood with the aspiration of becoming a pro skateboarder which was a status that he quickly achieved. As would be the case for his life and goals that followed, he’s been able to do anything he sets his mind to. That has, however, been to varying degrees of success as alluded to in the opening paragraph.

From singing in his hilariously named band Taintstick to some small acting roles like in Paul Blart: Mall Cop, the man of many nicknames is always up for getting himself into some kind of new activity. And he has a very simple reason as to why.

“Because I’m gonna die,” Ellis told The Body Lock, “I don’t want to not try … I mean, I don’t know, if something just sounds absolutely horrific and doesn’t seem like I’m gonna get anything out of it then I don’t think I need to try that. But pretty much everything else is on the list. I want to do stuff, I want to know. I feel like until you do it, you don’t really know. Especially when you’re a guy that doesn’t read a lot of books. I gotta get in there. Let me see what’s up with it. Because sometimes I might think something sucks until I do it.

“I just try to experience life, man. I’m really trying to get in there. My little brother passed away when he was 24 and I’ve just felt like since then I’ve seen all the things that he wanted to do. He would have loved to have come to America and seen the things that I’ve seen. So I just always say yes to stuff and do things. Why not?”

The answer to the “why” is essentially that final two-word question. Life is made up of experiences and the more one has, the more life they have. As a sponge soaks up water, “Shark Heart” absorbs various actualities. Sometimes that process isn’t the most physically pleasant either.

Apathetically anticipating his next knee surgery due to the recovery time that will lead to being temporarily fat and lazy thanks to good ole father time, his words, not mine, most of Ellis’ endeavors have involved putting his body and mind up against the extreme. For example, going toe to toe with a one-armed former UFC heavyweight interim champion Shane Carwin. And whether it’s one arm or no arms at all, that’s a horrifying task to try and overcome – fighter or not.

The boxing match with Carwin took place in 2016 and saw Ellis inevitably knocked out by the Coloradoan brute. But from the concept’s birth, the Aussie saw the entertainment factor in it all which was more than enough. He never stood a chance – whether it was play fighting or not. And don’t get it twisted, Ellis expected a play fight with the man who he considers a friend. Unfortunately for him, Carwin looked to turn the clock back to 2010 when he was leaving the likes of Frank Mir and Gabriel Gonzaga wide-eyed on the UFC canvas.

Regardless, Ellis had no regrets. Well, in the build-up that is.

In terms of the relationship he had with the combat sports world, it dates further back as in 2009, around the time Carwin happened to be on top, Ellis decided it was time to really test himself. So that meant getting himself ready for the toughest sport he could possibly attempt.

Ellis’ professional MMA debut was a lot like former pro wrestling star Phil “CM Punk” Brooks’ which came a matter of years later. They were both celebrities from another athletic world entering in right out the gate with zero amateur experience. The biggest difference is that Ellis would not jump right into the major leagues and end up coming out embarrassed.

A second-round guillotine choke was what got his hand raised and it wouldn’t be until eight years later where he stepped foot back inside a cage to compete.

“It was a little bit of an accident, the first one,” Ellis reflected, “I was training and I had befriended the pros at Team Quest and so I got a little bit by the bug and a few people were like ‘You should have a fight’ and I was like, ‘I should, huh?’ Looking back on it, I don’t think it was the greatest idea. I did not have that much knowledge of the game. But I just wanted the test. It just sounded so terrifying to me and I was retiring from being a pro skateboarder.

“That seemed like such a challenge that it was to kind of fill the gap of not being the skateboarder guy that I thought I was my whole life. So I mean, I was very fortunate I had Ryan Parsons, [Muhammad] ‘King Mo’ Lawal, and Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller in my corner. I was the most spoiled person. No amateur fights, just one pro fight like it was … It was, you know, I think I was in shock for pretty much the first round. And then I was able to pull that win out but it was just one of those … It was almost like a Make-A-Wish thing.” he laughed.

Among the titles that Ellis claims to his name is also “author.” His third book released on Dec. 10 and is called Still Awesome: The Trials and Tribulations of an Egotistical Maniac.

To kick things off, the readings start with the details of his experience during and after his first fight. What sucked the most for the Hollywood resident was the weight cut he was forced to endure. Or as he referred to it; the starvation. That was the biggest difference between his two bouts.

“That was the first time I ever cut weight and I was with a boxing trainer and he was like, ‘You’re not cutting weight, you’re dieting. You don’t have a wrestling background, if you cut weight, you’ll be destroyed the next day,'” he shared, “So I agreed to it and it was a really hardcore, not like Dolce Diet, it was … I was starving, man. Because I made weight the next time almost 10 years later and it was so easy. I’m like, ‘Fuck, man. Why didn’t I do it like this?'”

For Ellis, having gone through MMA in the two fights that he has had, it unsurprisingly gave him all-new respect for the athletes that compete within its walls. In trying it himself, he never looked to cut any corners – no matter how hard he may have unintentionally had others try to help him out more than your average rookie.

“I thought this [second] time I feel like I have enough knowledge to at least know how I won or how I lost and it was time,” he expressed, “I didn’t know how far this was gonna go. I actually thought when I signed to King of the Cage I kind of planned on having maybe three or four fights.

“Then they gave me guys’ tape. Once again, frickin royal treatment like they’re giving me tape on guys like, ‘What about these two guys?’ and I’m like, ‘These two guys can’t fight.’ He’s like, ‘I know it’ll be a highlight reel!’ I’m not here to do that. I just want my coach to go; ‘If you win this that’s a real achievement to you.’ Then that’s a good fight for me. It’s like this is a really tough fight. So I picked the guy where my coach said ‘if you fucking win this, dude, you should be proud of yourself.’ And then it went horribly wrong and I still managed to win and because I think it went so bad and I managed to still keep going then the need to do it again really died off because I just wanted to know if I could handle it, you know? If I got in real trouble would I shell up or will I keep trying? I don’t need to be tested any more than I got tested that night. That was pretty close to being knocked out.”

At this point in his life, the whole idea of fighting in MMA again is likely behind him unless something he can’t say no to pops up. Whether that’s just enough self-belief in being able to beat an opponent or if it would be a guaranteed entertainment session. Because the negative to being involved with as much as he is overall, it doesn’t just impact him but everything orbiting the world of Ellis.

He’s still down for throwing hands in the ring though. At his most recent Ellismania event, Ellismania 19, he even scored a nice TKO victory.

Like for a lot of fighters, fighting is their way of life, of course, but it also can act as an outlet – a form of therapy. Because generally, it takes a lot to be a fighter and many, to put it bluntly, have seen their fair shares of shit.

Every day, Jason Ellis gets in front of a microphone and speaks, that’s what he does. And having done it for as long as he has, it’s allowed those who listen to really get to know him as well as him to himself. Thus leading to the creation of several books now.

In 2016, the Aussie revealed himself to be bisexual. Something that was seemingly one of the few secrets he had left to have shared as a public figure.

“The first book is about my childhood and my life and then the second one was just the book [people] – because we had a New York Times bestseller – they just wanted us to make another book,” Ellis detailed. “And so we made a joke book on how to be awesome, which is, it was really … like, how to shave your back and neck hair, and shit. It’s pretty stupid. But since then, I got a divorce and I met somebody else and sort of came out when it came to my sexuality. There was a lot more that I didn’t know about myself that I was into.

“I’ve really hidden it my whole life because I wasn’t sure what it was and I was definitely pretty sure that I didn’t think anyone else wanted to know about that. And then my wife was okay with it and her friends knew about it. I was like, man, why am I hiding being bi? Like, what’s the big … what is that? It’s bad to be gay or half gay or quarter gay, I don’t … what? And then sometimes it would bother me to think that I’m hiding it because I talk all this shit on the radio. Like, I’m not scared to talk about everything that happens in my life. But you know that there’s this one thing that you’re you’re hiding. So I just thought ‘die by the sword.’ Fuck it. I’m just gonna tell people.”

Out of all the difficult things Ellis has done, perhaps for many others if they were in his position, the most difficult would have been coming out publicly. Yet he attacked it head-on as he does with everything else. And hopefully, no injuries are involved with any of those stories … but we’ll just have to read the new book to find out.

In the end, it comes down to helping oneself while being able to help others if possible.

“I went on the [Howard] Stern show and talked about it and then that felt good,” he recollected, “And then people messaged me that were in my position that were hiding, and said what a big deal it was to them that I talked about it. So then it was just on after that. I just thought I don’t really care about what anybody else thinks now. I only want to help these people that think that they’re so bad for doing some of the things that, you know, it’s just who you are.

“I’m a big supporter of the gay and lesbian community and the bi and pansexual, whatever you want to label everybody. I just feel like if you are that, if it’s consensual adults, I fail to see the problem here and I feel like anybody that is the same as me should not hide it. So I do kind of rub it in everybody’s faces and that – my friend who helped me co-write the book, Michael Tully, he was like, ‘What you’re doing, the stories, the life that you live, I don’t think a lot of people know that even happens.’ Because I didn’t know. And I was the guy that in the first book, I’ve been very fortunate in things with my pants off. Lots of girls, all kinds of everybody’s naked parties. The guys, they do some crazy stuff and I felt like it’d be fun for other people to know that and it also might help some people.

“So this one is it’s ‘Still Awesome,’ it’s a bit sarcastic in the first place, but this one can be debatable for sure. But that’s my life. I’m not hidin’ it.”

As time goes on, the ink collector isn’t getting any younger and he feels that, physically. So while he still plans to box every now and again, the next thing on his list looks to be stand up comedy. Which, shouldn’t be all too hard for a professional talker to get into – punchy or not.

Jason Ellis has become a jack of all trades, living fearfully in the moments of whatever wild idea he comes up with next. But at the same time, being so fearless when it comes to getting there.

As he keeps crawling out onto the other side, it’s just another experience gained and another story to add to a long winding tale.

Jason’s new book can be purchased at JasonEllisBook.com.

The post Fearfully fearless, Jason Ellis remains ‘Still Awesome’ appeared first on The Body Lock.

Fast forward to October 2019, and the UFC featherweight returned to her home country at the biggest event in Australia and New Zealand MMA history. In doing so, it would be her first time competing on her native land since she last did four years prior.

As a kid growing up, Megan Anderson never would have imagined herself as one day being able to say she was a professional face-puncher… but here we are.

An attendee of the private co-ed All Saints Anglican School, Anderson found herself trying to get into the sport of soccer during her youth. Something she admits to being terrible at accompanied by her being “extremely unathletic.”

Soccer was likely never going to be the sport for the Aussie anyway as the average height for female athletes in the sport is around 5-foot-7. Besides, she had other hobbies that captured her attention much more such as playing musical instruments like the piano and cello.

Now, the “extreme” maladroitness couldn’t be any further from the truth as she has transformed herself drastically over the years since finding her unexpected passion for MMA. A sport that demands overpreparation.

“There is no offseason in MMA like there is NFL, NBA, or baseball. There is no offseason, we are training all year round for maybe two 15 minute competition spots a year. That’s 30 minutes potentially in 365 days.” Anderson told The Body Lock.

“We put our bodies through so much and we train so hard to improve for such a little competition time that I think people can forget about the journey and it is so results-driven because a win, particularly in my division, I’m always one or two fights away from a title shot. But then a loss could be career-changing as well.”

Holding a 10-4 professional record to her name along with some hardware obtained during her time in Invicta FC, Anderson has seen the highest highs and the lowest lows in the sport from a results standpoint.

But for every outcome, there’s a path that takes the athlete there. And in Anderson’s case, before this last appearance, the focus seemed to be shifted on the wrong matter.

“There is a fine balance between being results-driven and being max effort driven,” she explained. “So I think people get so caught up – I say people and I’m talking about myself in particular – is I would get so caught up on the results. But I think one thing that we really have changed, particularly with this camp, is the people who care about me are going to be there for me whether I win or lose. That is never going to change and for me, it was more about… my biggest fear was always never fighting to my potential and the potential that I know that I am capable of. And James [Krause], my coach, we sat down before this fight, and he was like, ‘Look, if you go out there and you get knocked out somehow, it could happen, this is the nature of MMA, anything could happen, you have to respect the game. It’s fine. I’m gonna love you regardless, I’m here for you.’

“But you go out there and you put on a performance like I did in my Felicia Spencer fight, and I kind of wasn’t all there. I didn’t want to be there. He was like, ‘You have to live with that. All I’m asking is max effort. If you give me your max effort, and you still lose, I can’t ask for anything more.’ I said but if you give me your max effort and you live up to your potential then that’s more of a solidification for me that all my teammates who believe in me, and they see what I don’t, that they were right.

“If you train hard and you put in the time and you put in the effort… You know, winning is nice, of course. Winning is nice and losing is shit. I’m a sore loser, I don’t like losing,” Anderson expanded. “But for me losing has always meant more change outside of fighting than it ever was fighting. Because my skills are there. But my doubts were all about myself and how I thought about myself as a person that wasn’t a fighter. And that’s one thing that I’ve really been focusing on changing.”

Having witnessed the peaks and valleys inside the cage, Megan Anderson has had to deal with them outside of it as well.

Prior to her introduction to MMA in her early 20s, an interest in boxing started to blossom as she and her friends would go and watch local events on the Gold Coast. But as your everyday person has their own personal struggles and battles, pro athletes aren’t always immune. After all, no one starts their life as a superstar sports idol.

During her school years, Anderson was often treated as the odd one out therefore leaving her isolated with few friends. Because of that, mental health disorders like anxiety and depression were developed, making everyday life all the more difficult. This led the Aussie to try and tackle her fears by joining the Australian army after graduating at 17-years-old.

The attempt to find some companionship the same way her father, a former Royal Australian Engineer, did in the army was unsuccessful, to say the least.

Times fell harder for Anderson as alcohol became something she leaned on for assistance and only got her into trouble with overseers. Eventually, a suicide attempt ended her time in the service as she was hospitalized and discharged in 2010.

Ahead of her fight with the aforementioned Felicia Spencer, a first-round submission loss in May of this year, past demons began to take their toll on Anderson. Directly before making the walkout for the fight, she had the feeling that she didn’t want to fight anymore at all. Following the loss, she knew things needed to change. Before going home and fighting at UFC 243, she took two months away from training to focus on herself and started seeing a therapist.

“I avoid things like tough conversations. I deflect from myself very well,” Anderson shared. “I think that’s why I have gotten to the point where it was, is because I was so good at just shoving all of these issues in like a box and just pretending that they didn’t exist but it got to a point where I couldn’t anymore. It was affecting not just me as a person, but it was affecting my fighting as well. My ability to, you know, just live in general and I think after my last fight I knew I had to make changes and I think one reason why I have seen such a massive growth in the last year is because I knew that I couldn’t run away from this. I had to just meet it head-on and it’s not going to change overnight and we’re still dealing with issues and working through them and I’m just like everybody else.

“I have issues, I get upset about certain things. Some things you know, piss me off, and I avoid issues and all this kind of stuff… I’m just a regular person that’s not just trying to become a better martial artist but be a better person as well.”

The military was now in the rearview mirror and Anderson was back in Gold Coast where she began working as a receptionist. Realizing along the way that no amount of medication or counseling was going to help, on one fateful night, Anderson and some friends went to a local MMA show rather than boxing.

By this time she had already started doing some weight lifting just to keep herself in shape. But the person Anderson and her friends acquired the tickets to the event from happened to be the owner and coach at a local gym. After some chatting and convincing to give things a try, Anderson took up the offer and the rest is history.

The inner battles are ongoing for the Gold Coast native to this day. But as she continuously strengthens her own body and mind, she tries to help others as best as she can too.

On July 25, 2019, it would be made official. Anderson was going to fight on home soil for the first time in years… and she was doing so on the biggest stage imaginable.

In front of a record-breaking UFC crowd of 57,127 on the most historic night in the sport for the hometown competitors, everything was just lining up perfectly for one of featherweight’s finest to find the validation she had been seeking.

At UFC 243 on October 6, Anderson would sink in a first-round triangle choke on Zarah Fairn to get the win via tap out. Coincidentally, this was her first submission victory since she last fought in her home country.

Immediately as the fight ended, all the bottled up and concentrated emotion erupted from the Glory MMA representative.

“That fight meant so much to me,” Anderson stated. “So many different things were not just about fighting, that it was a huge relief and it was just like, I’ve been very honest about saying I’m my own worst critic, I’m so hard on myself. But I’m so proud of my performance and I’m proud of what I did and how I did it and everything. How I came through everything that I did, and I got to that point, and you know, a lot of people when they deal with adversity in some form or another, I think they have the option to just run away from it. And a lot of people take that because it’s too hard. But I confronted it head-on and I changed so many things in my life that I think that night was a culmination of everything that I had been through and overcame. And it was solidification in my mind that I knew that I am doing the right thing.

“I think that [the fight being in Australia] kind of made everything all the more… I guess, magical, for a lack of a better word. I couldn’t have had a better performance for the venue and for the type of card that it was. It had been so long since I fought in Australia and that was a big goal of mine for a long time to fight in the UFC on home soil.

“And finally getting that chance, there was a lot of emotion coming into that just because it was such a big deal to me but I think we handled it really well,” she continued. “I didn’t let it get to me and I just went out there and one thing I definitely wanted to prove with this fight to myself is to fight to the potential that I know I have. And even though I showed a lot of things that I haven’t before I still don’t feel like I’ve shown a lot of my potential. Which is exciting because it means there’s more growth and there’s a lot more that I can show when I fight next.”

Throughout her career, Anderson has been known primarily for her lethal striking abilities inside the Octagon. Whether it’s a kick, punch, knee, or elbow… she knows how to deliver each with dangerous force.

Having a similarly styled opponent in Fairn, the vast majority of the community expected the fight to play out on the feet where strikes were free to fly. And they did for a few seconds.

After being pressured instantly by Fairn, Anderson would counter her opponent’s offense by finding a body lock takedown in the clinch against the cage. Slowly and methodically, she would work her way into the mount before raining down strikes and transitioning into the finishing sequence.

Anderson by submission was a +550 prop bet and one that surely earned some bettors a good chunk of cash. Obviously for the victor, however, the win along with everything that went into it was priceless.

“I didn’t specifically go for that [submission] just because I wanted to prove to everybody else. It was more of like I wanted to prove to myself that I am capable of so much more than I’ve shown,” Anderson said. “This is just one kind of part of it – like training and fighting live is so different. Obviously training, you have training partners who can take care of, you know, there’s no adrenaline, there’s no people watching, all that kind of stuff. So you have an ability to kind of do a lot more in training because there are no consequences.

“And I think for me, I was so nervous, and I was so caught up on the result that I didn’t put my best performance forward. And I think this time it was more about the journey and I think MMA is a very results-driven sport. But I think for me, I was so caught up on that, that it took away from what I know I’m capable of. I think I just wanted to go out and do what I do in training every single day and do it in a live setting. And for me, it was more of like getting confident to know, ‘Okay, I can do this live and it’s going to work.’

“It’s like every time you fight, you go in with a game plan and it’s like having the confidence to execute it and just kind of have it like, ‘fuck it, let’s just go for it,’ instead of worrying about getting hit or, ‘what if it doesn’t work? Or what about this?’

“You train for all these different contingencies, you train for all these different things to happen that like even if I didn’t get the takedown, I’ve been there a million times before in training, I know what to do, it’s just having confidence live to do it,” she continued. “I think that was more for me and it is a great feeling to kind of shut everybody up. Specifically, because everyone said I didn’t have a ground game, etc. And I think for people who didn’t know that I am capable of a lot, except for everybody else at my team, I think they were a little surprised because that transition was a high-level transition. If you don’t know a lot about jiu-jitsu or you’re bad at jiu-jitsu, that transition is never going to happen. So I think the way it kind of happened just… I don’t know. It was just a big accumulation of everything and it was just a big relief. I think I proved to myself more than anything that I am capable of doing whatever I put my mind to.”

On top of the personal conflicts such as depression, anxiety, or whatever it may be… As a woman standing at 6-feet tall competing in the largest women’s weight class in the UFC, body acceptance has also been an issue for Megan Anderson.

Rather than just liking or disliking a certain something about one’s self, in Anderson’s case she’s been living with an actual physical hindrance.

Ahead of her big fight with Fairn, this was just another one of the many adjustments that were put into bettering herself.

“So a lot of people might not know I have lower lumbar scoliosis,” Anderson revealed. “Which it has made me strong in a lot of aspects but because of it, a lot of, like my hamstrings and my glutes and my calves, and like a lot of my lower leg [muscles] aren’t actually engaging properly. So [my trainer] Stefaan [Jefferson], has always been like, ‘it’s crazy that you’ve kind of gotten to the level that you have with the dysfunctions that you have.’ I’m like… why thank you (laughs). But that’s one thing that we changed up this camp.

“And I feel like I am such a stronger athlete in so many different ways. We kind of went into this camp looking at, ‘okay, where do I feel like I get taxed the most? Let’s work on building up our strength in those positions.’ And one thing I’m really happy about is my spine is actually starting to straighten out. It’s been like really kind of an issue for me… like a body issue for me for a really long time because my spine was like literally curved. And I would always get asked like, ‘Oh, do you just train one side of your back?’ In my head, I’m just like are you kidding me? You can’t just train one side of your back, you assholes!” she laughed. “But I’ve gotten so many comments about how straight my back is looking and the crazy thing is I’ve only been doing Functional Patterns with Stefaan for four months and I’m excited for what’s next.

“We started more of like a periodization of training. So instead of doing 100 percent of every session, one session of my day would be 100 percent and my other session would be like a 50 percent focusing on technique and making sure that I’m recovering for my next 100 percent session because you know, I would go in with the mentality that I had to like train 100 percent every single session. I would be dead by like Tuesday afternoon. So, that’s one thing I felt I’ve been able to push even harder in my rounds that I need to. I can focus on more game-planning and improving instead of just dying the whole time instead of not being able to train at my full potential as well. And I think that has helped so much with my confidence as well.”

The physical stress just led to emotional stress as she was tired all the time. And if her recent performance was anything to go by, the benefits of the shake-up are quite evident.

In MMA, results are something that are undeniably focused on greatly. In most cases, that’s for good reason. As the age-old saying goes, “You’re only as good as your last fight.”

Ultimately though, the surrounding factors aren’t quite always in one’s control.

In her lowest of lows, the girl from the Gold Coast controlled all that she could and got herself to where she needed to be. It’s the journey that mattered and helped build the strength she now possesses. Nothing happens instantly.

And as a competitor in the shallow waters of the UFC’s women’s 145-pound weight class, snap decisions are expected after practically every fight. Which just created more for the Aussie to think about. Now, she’s just going to keep on swimming.

“I used to stress so much about whether or not they were going to keep the division and I felt like I constantly had to win and put on good performances to keep the division alive,” Anderson said. “But that’s not all me. If they’re going to cut the division… It’s not going to be because of one person. I’m just doing me, training, I fight whoever they want me to fight. I know Faith [McMah] is in New Zealand and they’re going to Auckland in February. I think that would be a great fight so I would love that fight and I know my management have kind of spoke to me about when I want to fight next and I want to fight February, March, April-ish, anywhere in there would be fine and I always sign the dotted line for whoever and whenever the UFC want me to fight. I’m just doing me and I can’t worry about things I can’t control.

“I’m 2-2 in the UFC. And I’m only coming off a win and I definitely think that in my own mind, I would like another couple of fights just to solidify my claim for the shot. But if the UFC wants me to fight [Amanda Nunes] next, I’m not going to turn it down. It’s been a goal of mine for a long time to fight for UFC title and I’m not going to turn that down. All I can do is put my head down and work and train hard and the success will follow when it’s supposed to.”

A student, a soccer player, a pianist, a cellist, a member of the Australian military, a receptionist…

The 29-year old Lee’s Summit, Missouri resident, Megan Anderson, is and has been several different things in her life to this point. But through them all, she’s been a fighter. With each new day acting as a reminder to stand sure.

The post Through it All, Stand Sure: Megan Anderson’s magical night in Melbourne appeared first on The Body Lock.

Kicking things off in Osaka early Saturday morning (US time) was RIZIN 19 which saw their lightweight Grand Prix get underway. Fans were also treated to phenomenal performances from the likes of Seo Hee Ham, Kai Asakura, and light heavyweight champion, Jiri Prochazka.

Later on in the day, ONE Championship was in Tokyo where they would be holding their 100th major event. Titled ONE: Century, the overall event was split into two big cards that featured four title bouts and three tournament finals in total.

Part 1 of the show was headlined by yet another thrilling pairing of champions in Angela Lee and Xiong JingNan. Unfortunately, the final sequence of the bout has been clouded by controversy.

After absorbing several punches from JingNan around the dwindling 3:20 mark of the fifth and final round, Lee would shoot in for a single leg takedown. Initially defended, Xiong would land some hammer fist punches while defending. Lee would end up releasing the leg and positioning her arm around JingNan’s back which quickly led to a successful suplex from the defending atomweight champion.

#AndStill ONE FC Atomweight
@AngelaLeeMMA (10-2)
def. Jing Nan
(5th Round Submission)-RNC

#ONECentury Part II
LIVE 9AM (GMT) on @FITETv#ONEChampionship #WeAreONE pic.twitter.com/p8nRnUxHzx

— Mikey Thomas (@MikeyThomas1991) October 13, 2019

From this point on, JingNan would find herself stuck under the working Lee who found a late rear-naked choke to force the tap with 10 seconds remaining. It was a truly great rematch and a great performance from Lee in what will surely end up as a classic trilogy.

However… Suplex takedowns in ONE Championship are an entirely illegal maneuver – or at least they used to be.

At ONE: Iron Will on March 24, 2018, Kritsada Kongsrichai would score what was initially a first-round TKO victory over Robin Catalan via slam and punches. That was until it was later overturned after the event due to the illegality of the slam Kongsrichai used.

ONE Founder Chatri Sityodtong released a statement on his Facebook following the overturning of Kongsrichai’s victory.

The statement, which has since been deleted, read as follows:

“After careful video review of the fight under multiple angles, it has been deemed that an illegal suplex was utilized. At ONE Championship, all variations of suplexes are illegal and any attempt or intent results in an automatic disqualification. Robin Catalan will now be awarded the victory, and his win bonus. It will also be ruled a loss via DQ for Kritsada Kongsrichai and his official fight record.”

Sityodtong also explained:

“As a fellow lifelong martial artist, I fully understand that no athlete wants to win or lose under the cloud of a DQ. However, as the leader of ONE Championship, I am here to ensure that safety is the #1 priority at all times for all of our athletes.”

Since Kongsrichai’s disqualification loss to Catalan, two more for the same reason have occurred in ONE Championship thus totaling out to three in the promotion’s eight-year history.

The second came in September 2018 when the current lightweight champion, Christian Lee, used one against Edward Kelly at ONE: Beyond the Horizon. The third and most recent disqualification came in June of this year when Hu Yong suplexed Huyixibai in the third-round of their three-round flyweight contest at ONE: Hero Series June.

Unlike the first disqualification of Kongsrichai, the last two were addressed on the spot and called disqualifications immediately by officials and the commentary teams.

“I really do feel like I was robbed of a victory and handed a loss that should never be on my record,” Christian Lee explained to The Body Lock.

“Instead of moving up to 10-2, it pushes me back to 9-3. It doesn’t really matter, but at the same time, it does in terms of my brand. People were thinking that I’m a dirty fighter, that I wanted to paralyze this guy. None of that is true. The fact is he landed on his shoulder, and his head hit as a result of him having nothing other than his shoulder posted on the mat.

“He [Edward Kelly] said in a pre-fight interview his goal was he wanted to finish me with the head kick knockout in the second round,” Lee continued. “Now I don’t see how putting your shin into another person’s head could possibly be any worse than getting dropped hard on a takedown. It’s a fight. These things happen, and you know going into it that there’s a potential for injury. And so I feel like, you know, it is what it is, it’s a fight.

“That’s why [the referee] let the fight continue until he was out from the punches. When the decision was made to disqualify me, it actually involved multiple other officials at ONE. So it wasn’t the referee’s fault. He stopped the fight, and he went to go check with the officials because whenever there is a slam finish in ONE they’re going to check it. And so they did and he came to me and he said, look like they’re saying that it’s illegal because of the fact that he hit his head on the mat and he apologized. He said, ‘I’m sorry, there’s nothing that I can do about it, I’m going to have to give you a red card.’”

When looking at all three suplexes plus the one in question from Angela Lee at ONE: Century, they do all have two common traits. The first and most obvious one being that they indeed were suplexes/slams – which Sityodtong announced as illegal following the first incident.

Secondly, they all saw the person getting slammed land on their heads… Specifically the backs of their heads/necks. Except in JingNan’s case as she landed more on the side of her head. In the Hu Yong fight, ONE commentator Mitch Chilson stated that suplexes onto the head, neck, or spine are illegal. This wasn’t mentioned during Lee vs JingNan 2 after the slam was landed but was addressed as the back of the head specifically being the illegal part of slams following the end of Part 1.

Along with that, ONE’s official programs for the event listed the following as the only illegal techniques. It also specified that “all takedowns are legal but must not result in spiking or pile driver to the head or neck.”

“I have not seen the replay or anything like that so I don’t know, did she land on her shoulder?” Sityodtong said at the post-fight press conference for ONE: Century Part 1 via South China Morning Post. “I don’t know if it was a full suplex or a side suplex. I have to review the footage or get the competition team to review the footage.”

Illegal techniques:

• Stomps/up-kicks/kicks to the head of a grounded opponent
• Head Butting
• Hair Pulling
• Eye Gouging
• Orifice Insertion
• Spitting
• Grabbing onto the cage fence

Also, this is the printed rules in the official programs from the event today #ONECentury pic.twitter.com/ANIP2iDSAn

— Amy Kaplan (@PhotoAmy33) October 13, 2019

As for Angela Lee’s comments, she told FanSided; “We pay very close attention to the rules of ONE Championship, and when I went for my takedown, I lifted her up and I threw her front side. So she would land on her face, not on the back of her head. I’m pretty sure that everything is on camera. And, you know, I’m looking to end the fight in a clean way. And I’m not going to be a dirty fighter and try to take advantage of any situation.”

Obviously, over time rules are bound to be changed for better or worse which appears to be the case in ONE Championship. The big problem is the lack of clarity – whether it should or shouldn’t be a rule is a different discussion. The fact is that it seems to still be a rule but ONE didn’t announce when the changes were made to the rule, therefore, leading to this continued confusion.

The Body Lock reached out to ONE Championship asking when the rule change was made from all suplexes being illegal to the seemingly current illegal variant and no comment has been received yet.

In their eight-year existence, this, of course, isn’t the only batch of disqualifications that have been seen in ONE Championship. Most commonly it has been your typical illegal strike that has either come to a grounded opponent via kick or punches/elbows to the back of the head, etc.

But in May following ONE: Enter the Dragon, an event that saw Petchmorrakot Petchyindee originally upset Giorgio Petrosyan by split decision, we got a different type of overturning. The bout was a kickboxing match.

“ONE Championship has conducted an official review of the controversial bout between Giorgio Petrosyan and Petchmorrakot Petchyindee at ONE: Enter The Dragon in Singapore,” Sityodtong posted on Facebook (via BJPenn.com). “In fairness to all parties, the ONE Competition Committee has formally declared the bout a no contest. The referee did not adequately control the illegal clinching, resulting in multiple infractions during the bout.

“There will be an automatic rematch with the winner proceeding into the semifinals of the US$1m ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix.”

Petrosyan, an Evolve MMA instructor alongside the gym’s founder in Sityodtong, would win the rematch against Petchyindee before winning the finals at ONE: Century this past weekend.

In regards to Angela Lee’s suplex and what will happen there, if anything, remains to be seen. At the very least a trilogy bout against the strawweight champion, Xiong JingNan, could be waiting in the wings as Lee and Sityodtong expressed their interest of it in the post-fight presser.

The post Assessing the ONE Championship suplex rule controversy appeared first on The Body Lock.

For starters, it marked the first time that the promotion had hosted an event in the country of Japan and it was undeniably their biggest card to date. Its four title fights accompanied by the debuts of former UFC champions, Demetrious Johnson and Eddie Alvarez were all the evidence needed of that. That’s not even to mention additional stand out performances from legendary Thaiboxer, Yodsanklai Fairtex, and BJJ ace turned rising featherweight, Garry Tonon.

Ultimately there was one fight that stood tall out of the loaded night of combat sports greatness and it was the evening’s co-main event.

In said bout, fans were treated to the second-ever female champion vs champion super fight. It would be the undefeated 9-0 atomweight queen, Angela “Unstoppable” Lee’s big attempt to try and become a dual division titleholder by claiming the strawweight strap. However, the reigning and defending strawweight champion, China’s “Panda,” Xiong JingNan, had drastically different plans.

The two champions would put on a fight of the year contender as they battled back and forth over the course of four rounds and some change. In the end, JingNan would snatch Lee’s zero away when she continued to unleash her onslaught of punches and kicks to the body of her deflated opponent early into the fifth round.

For China’s finest, the win would act as somewhat of a coming-out party as she silenced the doubters on the largest possible stage. The stoppage extended her current winning streak to nine straight and was her third title defense.

“It’s a champion’s duty and responsibility to defend his/her title,” JingNan stated when speaking to The Body Lock. “Being a champion means much more than just the moment that you take the glory and the belt on stage.

“I might not be the most talented, but I will be the hardest working one. I am truly honored that I get to represent my country on the global stage and in a Tokyo event once again. I think me being part of ONE: Century shows the increasing competition level of Chinese MMA. It’s my turn to let the world hear China.”

This Sunday, October 13, ONE returns to Japan for yet another blockbuster event, ONE: Century. Largely surpassing their prior all-time biggest event in the aforementioned A New Era, the 100th major show in ONE: Century will be split into two separate parts with the first being headlined by the JingNan vs Lee sequel.

This time around, it will be the Bali MMA product’s turn to try and further etch her name into the walls of the MMA history museum.

As JingNan prepares for her massive rematch with Lee, she’ll be doing so with an added element; the weight cut.

Going down to atomweight to try and remove her opposition’s title from their grasp, this will be JingNan’s first time back at 115-pounds since she made her ONE debut in December 2017 against April Osenio. Prior to that, she had only fought in the division once.

“I think none of us likes weight cutting,” she said. “Weight cutting is definitely challenging, imagine to be put on a low-calorie diet, combined with high-intensive training every day. Guaranteed to be grumpier than before. But I’m coming off alright, weight is on point, I’m looking forward to being in that cage again!”

In the pairing’s initial encounter, JingNan was seemingly the one with the most to lose. If Lee won, she would be the history maker crowned as only the second women’s double champion in MMA history and the very first in ONE Championship.

Any fight at the highest level of the sport comes with a decent serving of pressure. Throw in a title and it’s amplified significantly. Make that on one of the most sizable cards in recent memory, regardless of promotion, and the tension only gets thicker.

Combine all of that with the addition of a second world championship and the weight of the world’s largest nation on your back and the scenario practically demands that the athlete comes out on the other side shining bright like a diamond.

Now with the roles reversed opposed to ONE: A New Era, “The Panda” has everything to gain.

“That’s a really good question,” JingNan said with a laugh when asked to compare the pressures of both fights. “Having been on both sides of the coin definitely helps to humble me. Of course, I’m nervous, it is my turn to take the pride home for my country. But more importantly, I’m truly excited and honored that I was the chosen one to represent China on this historic card. Pressure? Sure, but that’s what keeps me going every day.”

Although JingNan is looking to remain her country’s top trendsetter, Lee is in a rather unique position herself for this rematch.

Following her first career defeat, the Singaporean would take another fight in the meantime. This one also took place at strawweight rather than her usual home of atomweight’s 115-pounds.

In July, Michelle Niccolini would hand Lee yet another loss. The “Unstoppable” now rides a two-fight losing streak going into a fight with her prized possession on the line. And because of that, it could just make her even more dangerous.

“Like I said many times, Lee is a well-rounded athlete,” JingNan explained. “Her being born into a martial arts family and her father being her head coach does make a difference. I think what I learned from her last time wouldn’t matter much this time. As a professional athlete, we learn to evolve every day. I look forward to being in the cage with the evolved version of Lee again!

“Both of her losses are at strawweight, a weight class that’s not natural to her own, she’s still undefeated in atomweight. If I were in her position, it’s only going to give me more of a desire to win this time.”

While JingNan looks to capture her second divisional title, she actually won’t be the only champion dropping down in weight aspiring to do the same thing.

Part II of ONE: Century is headlined by another champion vs champion matchup. This one featuring the heavyweight king, Brandon Vera, as he hopes to obtain Aung La N Sang’s light heavyweight crown. The defending champion of that matchup in N Sang happens to already be a double champ as he currently holds the ONE middleweight strap as well.

As much of a savage striker in the cage or ring that the 31-year old “Panda” may be , outside of it, she’s a fan and regular person just like everyone else. So as invested as she is in her own champ vs champ clash, she’ll have her eyes on the other too.

“Every athlete chosen for these two cards are phenomenal,” JingNan said. “Each of them has put in huge amounts of work to be where they are. Personally, I really look forward to watch N Sang vs. Brandon Vera. I have the utmost respect for both of them and I think what they have achieved in their own weight classes are very impressive. I think it’d be a great one to watch on the competition side!”

In the burgeoning Chinese MMA scene, Xiong JingNan has been the first to accomplish several groundbreaking achievements. Another win over Angela Lee at ONE: Century would just create a welcome addition to her ever-expanding list.

And no matter the outcome, she will still be a champion after this weekend. Despite that quite literally being true, the strong support of her country will always be there treating her as such… shiny gold belt included or not.

“Of course I would love to defend my belt in my own country [next],” JingNan expressed. “All the cheering makes a huge difference. We have the most population in the world, we have some of the best stadiums and we shall see more global promotions like ONE.”

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The 15-2 Simon entered the UFC in April 2018 as one of the hottest prospects in the world. And his still early tenure to this point has proven exactly why.

A former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion, Simon would win his first three fights in the Octagon all in exciting and impressive fashion. Unfortunately, his fourth Octagon appearance would see him suffer his second career defeat.

Simon would welcome back the legendary Urijah Faber from retirement in “The California Kid’s” hometown of Sacramento, California. Exchanging with the former World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight king early, Simon would ultimately be the one to go down.

“The plan was to be in his face,” Simon explained on the Drake’s Takes podcast in August. “I wouldn’t love doing this as much as I do if there wasn’t that f*cking knot in your stomach because you know that that can happen. You can go out and get a knockout or get knocked out in front of a sold-out arena. And that’s why I love the sport and that’s why I hate it.”

Now two and a half months removed from the loss and the generally extremely active Washingtonian is ready to get back at it.

Despite his last fight not being the longest of wars that you’ll ever see, damage can be accumulated in the world of MMA in less time than one might imagine. All it takes is one shot. And for Simon, he received a rather large hematoma on his shin around the time of the Faber fight. Which, he indeed confirmed was not a staph infection.

“No! That’s a rumor, Jake Smith spread that damn rumor and you’re helping him now,” Simon said with a laugh to The Body Lock. “I had this huge hematoma on my leg, like on the tibia. The tissue from the muscle separated, a bunch of blood clots got in there. I mean, it definitely looked like it was something crazy going on. So people believe that it was staph but it was not staph. You know, I got it drained and I was good. I was training within a couple days after that.”

Staph or not, the leg is all healed and ready to get back to dishing out damage to UFC bantamweights. Something that the American Top Team: Portland product has already begun unleashing upon his teammates.

“Oh yeah, I’m kicking people so hard, I was just kicking [Cris] ‘Sunshine’ [Lencioni] in the gym the other day,” Simon shared. “He’s getting ready for a big fight against a Glory [kickboxing] guy. So I was freaking throw some kicks out with that leg. So yeah, we’re all good. I’m waiting for a fight. I hung out with Sean Shelby in Mexico City. I was begging him for a fight. So hopefully we get something before the end of the year.”

When Simon took on Faber in July, he was ranked in the No. 15 spot in his 135-pound weight class. Just barely on the outside looking in at this point, a big rebound win could be just what he needs to get back onto the list of names with numbers beside them… especially if he beats one next.

Never one to sell himself short, Simon tweeted out his interest in welcoming former UFC lightweight champion and multiple time featherweight challenger, Frankie Edgar, to the ranks of 135. This came a few weeks after Edgar lost his third crack at the 145-pound title thus prompting a believed move down in weight.

It was an ambitious callout and a “Why not?” kind of move and crazier things have happened. But along with it, Simon wanted to get back in the Octagon in November.

“Talking to my manager and the UFC, [November] doesn’t sound like it’s an option,” Simon said. “But I didn’t think Urijah was an option at the time. They just hit you up and see if you’re interested, you know? I was kind of being asked to jump on the Singapore card. That doesn’t sound like that was gonna end up happening. I heard [Renan] Barao needed an opponent at 145 [pounds]. But that’s in Brazil. And I don’t know how strict the testing is in Brazil. So I don’t know. There’s always options. But man, I just want to fight soon. I told the UFC that, you know, just give me a fight. I’ll fight whoever.

“They were trying to tell me they’re booked up until like January. So unless something can happen… I asked for Rob Font. There’s some East Coast card coming up. And that is the end of November, December in Washington [DC]. I think Rob Font would be good. We’ve been trying to fight each other. He’s No. 11 in the world right now. He agreed to fight me after I beat Rani Yahya. So I mean, that’d be a perfect fight back, I think. He’s a ranked opponent. He hasn’t been a while but that would be a good one.”

For Simon, his last win came over Rani Yahya at UFC 234 via a dominant unanimous decision that saw him snap the BJJ blackbelt’s impressive three-fight winning streak of submissions.

In the case of Rob Font, a fight with Simon before the year’s end would be his first of 2019 as the last time we saw him was at UFC Milwaukie in December 2018. He would score a unanimous decision win of his own over the perennial top flyweight contender, Sergio Pettis.

The post Ricky Simon looking to bounce back with fight against Rob Font appeared first on The Body Lock.

History was made in January 2018 as “The Panda” became the ONE Championship strawweight queen with a fourth-round TKO of Tiffany Teo. Since then, JingNan has successfully defended her throne three times with the most recent coming over atomweight champion, Angela Lee.

The fight with Lee was another historic moment in the career of China’s JingNan as the pair squared off in only the second-ever female champion vs champion super fight in major MMA history. The first being the UFC featherweight title bout between Cris “Cyborg” Justino and Amanda Nunes.

Coming exactly five months after JingNan’s colossal and further self-establishing victory over her fellow champion, another landmark would be set for her country.

At UFC Shenzhen on August 31, the red-hot Handan, Hebei native in Zhang would waste no time etching her name into the record books. In just 42 seconds, Zhang would elbow and knee her way through the champion, Jessica Andrade, to become the first of her kind in the UFC.

As the trendsetter, Xiong JingNan was more than satisfied to see her country’s growth in the sport continuing on at the sport’s peak.

“It was an impressive win and I am truly happy for her,” JingNan shared with The Body Lock. “I’m glad to see more Chinese on the global stage and making waves. It is fair to say that Zhang and I represent the highest level of China’s MMA industry. And I’m sure the world will see more of China in this field very soon.”

With the two champions leading the pack, China’s rapid development has been made rather apparent over recent years. Fellow fighters such as Li Jingliang, Yan Xiaonan, and Song Yadong are all great examples of the best that China has to offer.

Another recent rise in the MMA landscape has been the prospect of cross-promotional bouts. Most recently popularized between America’s Bellator MMA and the Japan-based RIZIN Fighting Federation, it’s an idea that has been wildly successful to this point.

And as great as it has been to see China rise together with its many talents, the community can’t help but ponder the idea of seeing the country’s two very best going at it for ultimate supremacy. If the possibility presented itself,  “The Panda” has let it be known she’s willing to take on all comers like the fighting champion she is… even if against her fellow countrywoman.

“Cross-promotion is an interesting form,” JingNan said. “If ONE would like to organize something like that, I’d ready. With the glory comes the responsibility. A true champion does not choose her opponent. Shall the opportunity arise, I’m ready to compete against anybody whom ONE puts in front of me.”

Xiong JingNan will have her next bout at ONE: Century next Sunday, October 13. The fight will see her challenge for the chance to become a dual-division champion in a rematch with the aforementioned atomweight champion in Lee. Meaning that the fight will this time be for Lee’s atomweight title.

Stay tuned to The Body Lock for the rest of our chat with the ONE strawweight titleholder next week.

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The post Xiong JingNan ‘truly happy’ for Weili Zhang, open to Chinese super fight appeared first on The Body Lock.

Catchweight – 133lbs: James Barnes vs. David Duran

Round 1 – After getting outstruck in the first half of the fight, Barnes rallied late with a big takedown from the back and closed out the round with big shots on the ground.

Round 2 – An early takedown and ground and pounded spelled the end for Barnes before he sunk in the rear-naked choke.

Result: James Barnes def. David Duran via second-round submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:51

James Barnes (12-4) avenges a loss from his amateur days, mounting, mashing and strangling David Duran for a second-round win! "Mooka" has finished 11, nine by sub and eight via choke. #Bellator228 pic.twitter.com/PXKvwDHxbd

— Kyle Johnson (@VonPreux) September 28, 2019

Lightweight – 155lbs: Joshua Jones vs. Dominic Clark

Some early shots were traded but a Clark takedown would lead to him getting caught in a guillotine and forced to tap.

Result: Joshua Jones def Dominic Clark via first-round submission (guillotine) at 2:39

https://twitter.com/ImShannonTho/status/1178095235009789953

Featherweight: Weber Almeida vs. Castle Williams

Round 1 – The both start extremely fast and land their fair share of shots. Almeida hit a big slam before piecing Williams up on the feet and knocking him down twice.

Round 2 – Williams presses forward like last round but gets hit with a flurry, comes right back but eats a huge left hand that stops the fight.

Result: Weber Almeida def. Castle Williams via second-round TKO (punches) at 0:20

Fighting on the same night as his sensei, Lyoto Machida, Weber Almeida (3-0) cranks the crazy meter up to 11 and blasts Castle Williams early in round two! The "Silverback" has knocked out all three of his foes. #Bellator228 pic.twitter.com/kKnZjSSZav

— Kyle Johnson (@VonPreux) September 29, 2019

Bantamweight: Leandro Higo vs Shawn Bunch

Round 1 – Things started out patiently. Over time, Bunch would end up landing the cleaner and bigger punches in and out of the clinch.

Round 2 – A clinch-heavy round eventually led to Higo jumping on a guillotine that he wound up getting the win with.

Result: Leandro Higo def. Shawn Bunch via second-round submission (guillotine) at 4:34

Leandro Higo (19-5) erases Shawn Bunch's good work and five-fight tear, snaring the Olympic alternate wrestler in a second-round, comeback guillotine! The former Bellator title challenger snaps a two-fight skid with his 14th finish. He has subbed 11. #Bellator228 pic.twitter.com/CjHh7plVtB

— Kyle Johnson (@VonPreux) September 29, 2019

Catchweight – 175lbs: Michael Jasper vs. Johnny Cisneros

Round 1 – The opening frame is dominated by Jasper after Cisneros slips early. Control and punches and knees would be fed to Cisneros on the ground for the entirety of the round.

Round 2 – A much, much better round for Cisneros as he keeps the action on the feet and dictates the pace. A clear leg injury to Jasper would reveal itself. Cisneros capitalized with punches and kicks to get the finish.

Result: Johnny Cisneros def. Michael Jasper via second-round TKO (injury) at 4:28

An injured ankle, unfortunately, spells disaster for Mike Jasper, as Johnny Cisneros (13-7) capitalizes to seal a comeback in round two. The 39-year-old moves to 4-1 in his last five. He owns seven knockouts. #Bellator228 pic.twitter.com/vyF8mG9aaL

— Kyle Johnson (@VonPreux) September 29, 2019

Catchweight – 165lbs: Antonio McKee vs. William Sriyapai

Round 1 – Taking place primarily on the feet, Sriyapai had little to offer while McKee showed off his unexpectedly wide-range of kicks. With a minute left, he got his signature takedown and started landing elbows and punches.

Round 2 – McKee would get on top of Sriyapai early after a slip and pound him out for the TKO.

Result: Antonio McKee def. William Sriyapai via second-round TKO (punches) at 1:17

Long MMA's archetypal grinder, Antonio McKee (30-6-2) returns from five years' retirement with his first strike stoppage since 2001! The 49-year-old stops fellow senior William Sriyapai in round two with his son, A.J., looking on mere hours before his tourney bout. #Bellator228 pic.twitter.com/ukIfctXAfD

— Kyle Johnson (@VonPreux) September 29, 2019

Strawweight – 115lbs: Ava Knight vs. Shannon Goughary

Round 1 – As expected, the boxing champion in Knight would find great success on the feet early with her punches. At around the two-minute mark Goughary would get the takedown and do some damage from mount and crucifix before looking for a triangle and armbar.

Round 2 – No takedowns attempts from Goughary led to Knight having her way. Every punch landed would do so with authority and a knockdown would be scored at one point for Knight.

Round 3 – Knight starts the round off imposing her will once again. Ripping the body and going up high before a final body punch puts Goughary down for good.

Result: Ava Knight def. Shannon Goughary via third-round TKO (body punch) at 1:46

"The Lady of Boxing" shows a couple of dimensions in her MMA debut, as Ava Knight (1-0) survives rough spots on the ground to educate Shannon Goughary in the sweet science! A third-round, body shot TKO starts this new chapter in the former WBC and IBF champ's career. #Bellator228 pic.twitter.com/WwMtQDRBvz

— Kyle Johnson (@VonPreux) September 29, 2019

Featherweight: AJ Agazarm vs. Jonathan Quiroz

Round 1 – The pair traded kicks early before an Agazaem takedown. Quiroz would find his way back up where he would start to land the heavier shots in all exchanges. One of which included a clean head kick.

Round 2 – The round started off pretty similar to the latter half of the first. That was until Agazarm would find the takedown after having a couple stuffed. He would control from the back looking for rear-naked choke for a majority of the round.

Round 3 – It would be another strong start for Quiroz but in the end, he couldn’t keep Agazarm off of him for long. The BJJ black belt controlled the majority of the round against the cage before getting Quiroz’ back late.

Result: AJ Agazarm def. Jonathan Quiroz via unanimous decision (29-28 all)

Main Card

Featherweight: Daniel Weichel vs. Saul Rogers

Round 1 – A good first round for Rogers saw him being the aggressor moving forward for practically its entirety. He consistently landed better with hard shots but Weichel connected with one late that visibly stunned Rogers. He would survive.

Round 2 – Rogers would continue with his success into round two but Weichel would deal with the pressure better and fire back on most punches from Rogers.

Round 3 –  Weichel dictated things early in the third after stuffing a strong single-leg attempt. Despite working from the back foot now, Rogers still found his punches and kicks while Weichel was searching. He would end up finding one to as he stunned Rogers into shooting. But it would be to no avail. At the one minute mark, Weichel grabbed a trip that went nowhere. Rogers pushed forward late but couldn’t land anything too significant.

Result: Daniel Weichel def. Saul Rogers via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Featherweight: Darrion Caldwell vs. Henry Corrales

Round 1 – After a minute of feeling out, Caldwell snatched up a leg to get a takedown and work from side control. Caldwell briefly got mount before winding up in half guard and then full. Caldwell would throw some wild ground and pound strikes late but nothing too damaging connected.

Round 2 – Caldwell looked for two head kicks early before hitting another single-leg. This time against the cage where Corrales could wall-walk back to his feet. Caldwell stayed tight on his back, however. As he continued to search for the takedown, Corrales would make his escape. Caldwell circled away from Corrales on the feet only looking for kicks until he saw a takedown opportunity. Once going for it, Corrales would be able to defend again with the cage.

Round 3 – Caldwell’s main striking offense was his kicks as Corrales walked him down with punches and leg kicks of his own. Caldwell would receive a warning for lack of activity. Immediately after, he shot for a takedown that was stuffed against the cage. Corrales would end up jumping on a guillotine but would be unable to secure it.

Result: Darrion Caldwell def. Henry Corrales via unanimous decision (29-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Featherweight: AJ McKee vs. Georgi Karakhanyan

One and done. McKee lands the knockout left hook instantly.

Result: AJ McKee def. Georgi Karakhanyan via first-round knockout (punches) at 0:08

"FASTER THAN A TIK TOK VIDEO!"

AJ McKee needed only EIGHT seconds for his KO! MASTERFUL. #Bellator228 pic.twitter.com/wC83D2Mpxt

— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) September 29, 2019

Featherweight – 145lbs: (C)Patricio “Pitbull” Freire vs. Juan Archuleta

Round 1 – With the two starting things out patiently, a kick would go low from Archuleta but the action quickly resumed afterward. Light on his feet throughout the start, Pitbull would be the one plodding forward. Swinging so hard and missing that he would fall down, Archuleta would have Pitbull come at him looking to capitalize. Archuleta would land a nice up-kick before having guillotine attempt applied on him by the champion. The challenger would end up escaping. Pitbull would land some nice knees to the solar plexus of the downed Archuleta and then some good punches to the head before the round’s end.

Round 2 – An early eye poke from Archuleta paused the action. Pitbull was okay and the two looked to land again. Off the end of his punch attempts, Archuleta went for a takedown that wound up in the two clinching against the cage jockeying for position.

Round 3 – Pitbull would land a big right straight that dropped Archuleta at the four-minute mark that cut him. Archuleta recovered fast but found himself in a similar position to round one. This time he got up quickly and the two battled for clinch control again. Starting to open up more now with their strikes, they traded jabs. A late takedown attempt from Archuleta found him in another guillotine.

Round 4 – Archuleta came out fast here looking to string combos together while Pitbull countered. A jab from Pitbull while Archuleta through a head kick led to Archuleta falling. Archuleta would try to kick him off but ended up getting his back taken. Standing up, the challenger would walk to the cage and try to break the hands of his opponent. Escaping after some elbows to the body, Archuleta accidentally connected with Pitbull’s cup again. Pitbull would sprawl on a takedown before the round ended.

Round 5 – Pitbull landed a nice one-two that wobbled Archuleta before a flying knee attempt. Archuleta pressed forward and went for a takedown against the cage leading to another clinch war. Searching for the finish, Archuleta would land his jab and some nice body shots. Pitbull would attempt a takedown attempt this time that was defended. The two battled in the clinch again with Archuleta working for takedowns before he got slammed at the bell.

Result: Patricio Pitbull def. Juan Archuleta via unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 49-46)

Between the main and co-main events, the quarterfinal round of the Bellator featherweight Grand Prix would be decided in a unique drawing presentation.

December – AJ McKee vs Derek Campos

January – Adam Borics vs Darrion Caldwell

February – Daniel Weichel vs Emmanuel Sanchez

March – (C)Patricio Pitbull vs Pedro Carvalho

Main Event – Middleweight – 185lbs: Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi

Round 1 – After some light leg kicks from Machida, Mousasi would time one to land a straight punch that dropped Machida briefly. Machida would get right back to his kicks while Mousasi waited for the counters. Mousasi would blitz forward with a flurry that saw the last punch connect. Machida kept his focus on the legs. Mousasi started firing back with some of his own by this point.

Round 2 – The leg kicking began early and often from both men. Coming forward with another flurry of punches, Mousasi would find two that landed. Another flurry from Mousasi, this time his shots would be avoided. Machida started to push harder towards the end and land some kicks to the body.

Round 3 – An early head kick from Machida would graze Mousasi before a solid body kick. Mousasi was starting to land oblique kicks as his choice of kick. A Machida stumble off a leg kick led to Mousasi attacking with punches on the get-up. Another stumble found Machida off his back this time with Mousasi in his guard throwing punches whenever he had space. A late guillotine attempt from Machida gave his adversary a scare but he would survive.

Result: Gegard Mousasi def. Lyoto Machida via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)

The rest of the Bellator 228 lineup can be seen below.

Postliminary Card (Following the main card on DAZN)

• Bantamweight – 135lbs: Adrian Najera def. Jason Edwards via third-round submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:28
• Catchweight – 130lbs: Benji Gomez def. Jonathan Santa Maria via decision
• Middleweight:  Osman Diaz def. Andre Walker via first-round submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:05
• Catchweight – 165lbs: Ian Butler def. Emilio Williams via second-round TKO (punches) at 0:53

The post Bellator 228: Pitbull vs Archuletta live results and highlights appeared first on The Body Lock.

FanSided MMA has reported that Wanderlei Silva (35-14-1) has signed to fight with Bare-Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC). The Body Lock has confirmed the news which is expected to be officially announced at BKFC 8 on October 19.

For the 43-year old Brazilian icon, his last fight came in September 2018 in a trilogy bout with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at Bellator 206. Unfortunately for Silva, he would suffer defeat via second round knock out. Therefore making Silva 2-1 in their rivalry.

“The Axe-Murderer” most recently enjoyed a two-fight stint with Bellator that saw him go 0-2. This came four years after his last bout in the UFC against Brian Stann. This also happened to be Silva’s last win. A lifetime ban from the Nevada State Atheltic Commission would put him out of action until 2015 when it was overturned. Silva would be released in 2016 after accusing the UFC of fixing fights.

The former PRIDE FC middleweight king has sustained a total of seven losses by knockout in his illustrious career. Wanderlei Silva recently shared that he’s starting to notice CTE-like symptoms in his day to day life.

His opponent has yet to be determined for his BKFC debut. But it wouldn’t be surprising to see it end up being another notable MMA figure.

The list of names that have recently competed in BKFC include the likes of Chris Leben, Artem Lobov, Jason Knight, Jim Alers, Johnny Bedford, Estevan Payan, Bec Rawlings, and former UFC heavyweight champion, Ricco Rodriguez. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva and Gabriel Gonzaga are set to headline the next event.

The post Wanderlei Silva signs with Bare-Knuckle Fighting Championship appeared first on The Body Lock.

A perfect 10-0 in her professional career, Macfarlane most recently scored her third consecutive title defense at Bellator 220 in April. Ending in a violent fashion, the Honolulu, Hawaii native would slash her opponent, Veta Arteaga, with a devastating elbow strike that forced the doctor’s stoppage in round three. The win would equal out to her eighth via finish in her career (six submissions, two knockouts).

Since Macfarlane’s last appearance, she’s been enjoying herself relaxing and traveling the world. And during that time, her good friend and occasional training partner, Kanako Murata, got the biggest fight of her career announced. The Japanese wrestling standout is set to square off against Macfarlane’s former challenger, Emily Ducote. The vacant Invicta FC strawweight crown will be on the line when the pair meet at Invicta FC 38 in November.

“Yeah, they actually contacted us because her opponent, is my former foe, Emily Ducote, who I fought twice,” Macfarlane told The Body Lock. “So her team, CSA (Combat Sports Academy), who I’m really cool with, Coach Kirian [Fitzgibbons] and them, they contacted us and was like, ‘hey, would it be possible if Ilima could come up and train?’ And I was like, ‘hell yeah… but I might be starting my own camp pretty soon… specifically Monday…’ So it just gets tricky and so we’re like, dude if Kanako wants to come down, we’d love to help her of course, like I’m totally team Kanako. That’s my girl. Hopefully, we can work something out. But I have full confidence that Kanako is going to do really well in this fight.”

Obviously, Macfarlane hinted at something in the works for herself.

Prior to the champion’s last outing, she headlined her title in her home of Hawaii for Bellator’s first pair of events in the state. With a star as big as Macfarlane has become, it would be silly for Bellator not to go back. That was always the plan following its conclusion, and now we know that it’s coming to fruition.

“I can only tell you, and this is not because I can’t tell you, it’s just because this is all I know,” Macfarlane explained. “But next week at Bellator [229 in] Pechanga they will be making my fight announcement. And it will not only be news to you guys, but it’ll be news to me because I don’t know anything! So they kind of told me like, ‘hey, make sure you’re at Pechanga.’

“It is and it isn’t [more interesting that way]. The only thing I do know is that it’s going to be a Bellator Hawaii card. But I don’t know the dates and I don’t know the opponent. So that’s the only thing because I’m like brah, I have a lot of family that’s flying so they got to know the date so they can you know… airfare. So that’s the only thing. I don’t even care about the opponent. Just tell me the date so I can tell my family.”

A mystery opponent to the highest degree, a safe assumption has been that a fellow undefeated flyweight in Brazil’s Juliana Velasquez (9-0) will be the next challenger. However, Bellator President, Scott Coker, didn’t seem too committed to that idea in his Bellator 228 media scrum.

Well, everyone – including Macfarlane – will find out next weekend.

“I feel like there are several viable options,” she said. “But yeah, I mean, Juliana has been on a rip right now. So again, I have no idea who it is. And it’s not like I get to choose, just whoever they say. And again, I really don’t care who I fight. I just care about the date.”

The post Ilima-Lei Macfarlane confirms next fight will be in Hawaii against mystery opponent appeared first on The Body Lock.