By Monty DiPietro

Hard-hitting American Samoan fighter Mighty Mo turned aside three challengers en route to the tournament victory, while Badr Hari donned the Heavyweight Belt tonight at the first major international K-1 World Grand Prix event of the year. Held at a boisterous Neal Blaisdell center in Honolulu, the thrill-packed evening featured a classic eight-man elimination tournament, four Superfights with major K-1 stars; and, in the Main Event, the inaugural K-1 Heavyweight Title Match.
This year, K-1 introduced a 70kg/154lbs - 100kg/220lbs weight class. To earn the honor of fighting for the Heavyweight Belt, 22 year-old Moroccan bad boy Badr Hari and Asia GP 2007 Champion Yasuke Fujimoto of Japan both won tough qualification bouts this March -- Fujimoto beating compatriot Musashi, Hari dispatching Ruslan Karaev of Russia.
Continue reading "Hawaiian Punch Courtesy Mighty Mo; Hari Wins the Belt" »»
By Monty DiPietro

Appearing in his K-1 debut, Murat Direkci needed just 87 seconds to defeat former World Max Champion Albert Kraus in a Superfight; while Yoshihiro Sato captured the Tournament Championship Belt at the K-1 World Max 2007 Japan. Held at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo's seaside district of Odaiba, the event kicked off the '07 World Max season with an abundance of thrilling bouts and a couple of stunning upsets.
Since its inception in 2002, K-1 World Max has become a fan favorite in Japan and around the world, mainly because the 70 kg/154lb weight class consistently delivers spirited, fast paced bouts. The Inaugural World Max Final was won by Dutch boxer Albert Kraus, who was but 21 when he captured the title. Kraus was back in action tonight, the heavy favorite to win in his Main Event Superfight with kickboxer Murat Direkci of Turkey.
Continue reading "Direkci Shocks Kraus; Sato Wins K-1 World Max Japan" »»
By Collin Welsh
It was not the highlight reel knockout that Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell wanted; but the barrage of strikes at 3:59 in round three was more than enough to put an exclamation point on the final chapter of the Liddell/Ortiz saga.
Tito Ortiz looked improved on the feet compared to Liddell/Ortiz I (UFC 47), but even with improvements Liddell was too much. The fight was almost stopped in the final minute of round one, when a Ortiz was dropped by a right hook. Liddell pounced and began to pound away, but Ortiz was able to keep his composer and survive.
Continue reading "UFC 66: Liddell Finishes Ortiz, Jardine and MacDonald Pull Off Upsets" »»
By Monty DiPietro

Yoshihiro Akiyama defeated Kazushi Sakuraba in the Main Event, Hideo Tokoro upset mixed martial arts legend Royler Gracie, and Defending K-1 World GP Champion Semmy Schilt beat Peter Graham to notch his sixth-straight win last night at the K-1 Premium Dynamite '06 event at the Kyocera Dome Osaka.
With matchups comprising fighters with all manner of skills, sizes and shapes, Dynamite has become a popular part of the New Year's Eve experience in Japan, appealing equally to martial arts purists and dabblers, appealing even to grandma and grandpa. A live and television audience numbering in the tens of millions watched tonight's 14 bouts -- contested mostly under Hero's mixed martial arts rules, with a quartet fought under K-1 rules.
Continue reading "K-1 Dynamite '06: Schilt Wins Again, Akiyama Beats Sakuraba " »»
By Collin Welsh
Diego "Nightmare" Sanchez had been hyping up his stand up skills for sometime, but it was not until UFC’s Fight Night 8 that he got to show the world what he had been talking about. As Joe "Diesel" Riggs landed a right jab to Sanchez’s eye, Sanchez was able to land a right cross of his own sending Riggs to the floor. Riggs tried to quickly get to his feet, but his face was met with a hard knee as Sanchez pounced, ending the fight at 1 minute and 45 seconds into round one. The knockout was Sanchez’s first of his career and seventeenth straight victory. Riggs falls to 25-9 and 3-3 in his last six UFC fights.
Karo Parisyan won a hard fought decision victory over Drew Fickett. Parisyan won the battle on the feet and was able to overcome a nasty cut under his right eye. Fickett fought hard, but was unable to hang with Parisyan on the feet. Both fighters left the octagon bloody, but won over the crowd with their effort.
Continue reading "Ultimate Fight Night 8: Sanchez Knocks Out Riggs, Parisyan and Koscheck Prevail" »»
By Michael Afromowitz

In an anti-climactic finish to an otherwise thrilling night of mixed martial arts action, Cung Le's highly-anticipated showdown with Jason "Live Wire" Von Flue was cut short after Le opened a cut around his opponent's left eye with a head kick and the referee and ringside physician called off the bout at the 43 second mark of the first round, giving Le the victory by way of technical knockout. Bobby Southworth was crowned Strikeforce's first-ever light heavyweight champion after he outmaneuvered Vernon "Tiger" White to gain the favor of all three judges after five rounds of battle.
Official attendance at Strikeforce's fourth mixed martial arts fight card of the year was 8,701.
The following are the official results from Strikeforce "Triple Threat:"
Continue reading "Strikeforce "Triple Threat:" Official Results" »»