The Japanese MMA scene has a small, but dedicated group of international reporters and viewers that follow it. Those who keep their eyes on JMMA know that it consistently has its own intriguing storylines and dialogues that take place throughout the year. The amount of interesting discourse that can arise from JMMA is why the … Continue reading The 2022 RIZIN Reflection Roundtable
Category: Opinion
2022: 12 Months, 12 Thoughts
If you follow MMA, you know there is no such thing as an offseason. There are notable events almost every week of the calendar year featuring elite talent putting their belts on the line. Because of this, it's easy to forget some of the biggest stories that come out of a year in total. To … Continue reading 2022: 12 Months, 12 Thoughts
Knockdown News 2022 Fighter of the Year: Alex Pereira
It is no easy feat to rise to the top of any sport. The physical dimensions of someone or the resources that someone has to train can give them an advantage, but never guarantee that they will become one of the best in a sport. Many spend their entire careers chasing a certain level of … Continue reading Knockdown News 2022 Fighter of the Year: Alex Pereira
The 2022 Knockdown News Fighter of the Year Nominees
2022 was a chaotic year for MMA. Upsets occurred. Eras came to an end. People lost their belts outside of the cage. And many, many others lost them inside the cage as well. To be a "Fighter of the Year" candidate in 2022 is to obtain excellence amid this turbulence. The nominees this year obtained … Continue reading The 2022 Knockdown News Fighter of the Year Nominees
JMMA Monday: LANDMARK Vol. 4 Quick Takeaways
RIZIN returned this weekend with their b-tier of events, "LANDMARK." After the "TRIGGER" series folded this year, "LANDMARK" is now the sole secondary show that RIZIN hosts. The evening included more than a dozen MMA bouts in a fast-paced presentation from the Dolphins Arena in Nagoya, Japan. And, to the delight of some and the … Continue reading JMMA Monday: LANDMARK Vol. 4 Quick Takeaways
JMMA Monday: A Friendly Competition
RIZIN will go to battle this New Year's Eve. On their biggest card of the year, the promotion will put some of their top names against champions and headliners from Bellator for a five-fight series. As announced this week, the December 31st card from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan will be a co-promoted … Continue reading JMMA Monday: A Friendly Competition
JMMA Monday: No Surprises Here
RIZIN 39 this Sunday provided some intriguing performances but overall had incredibly expected outcomes. It's rare that someone can flawlessly predict an entire MMA card. I have come close a few times on UFC shows, getting maybe 10 or 11 of the bouts right. But on the flip side this week, it almost felt like … Continue reading JMMA Monday: No Surprises Here
JMMA Monday: Juntaro Ushiku Doesn’t Hear The Noise
Juntaro Ushiku is entering RIZIN 39 this weekend as a champion, but it feels like the focus isn’t on him. Is it fair to say that Ushiku might be getting overlooked currently? Maybe. This Sunday he’s facing Kleber Koike in the main event of a show from Fukuoka, and it feels like Koike is the … Continue reading JMMA Monday: Juntaro Ushiku Doesn’t Hear The Noise
JMMA Monday Audio 10/3/22: RIZIN 38 Fallout, Reaction To New RIZIN 39, LANDMARK Matchups
The podcast version of "JMMA Monday" is back this week! Christopher Aguiar joined us to discuss RIZIN 38 fallout, plus the recently booked fights for RIZIN 39 and the fourth-ever "LANDMARK" event. A big thanks to Aguiar for hopping on the pod for the second time! You can check out his work at AguiarMMA.com, and … Continue reading JMMA Monday Audio 10/3/22: RIZIN 38 Fallout, Reaction To New RIZIN 39, LANDMARK Matchups
JMMA Monday: RIZIN 38 Quick Reactions
RIZIN's latest venture at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan this weekend had all the surprises, drama, and action that was expected. The event will go down as RIZIN's biggest event of the year, at least when judging exclusively off the notoriety that it received. This is almost entirely due to the presence of … Continue reading JMMA Monday: RIZIN 38 Quick Reactions
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