Throwback Thursday: Pride 22: Beasts From The East 2

It was hard to have super high expectations for Pride FC's "Beasts From The East 2" card. The event was just a few weeks removed from the promotion's first-ever "Shockwave" event from the Tokyo National Stadium, which saw a turnout of 90,000 or 70,000 fans, depending on who you ask (albeit an impressive number even … Continue reading Throwback Thursday: Pride 22: Beasts From The East 2 →

Throwback Thursday: UFC 39: The Warriors Return

UFC 39: The Warriors Return - 9/27/02 - Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Connecticut, USA UFC 39 was a time for the promotion to try and get its act back together. After losing champions in two of their five active divisions, some work had to be done to put fighters back into title positions. The promotion … Continue reading Throwback Thursday: UFC 39: The Warriors Return →

The 2022 RIZIN Reflection Roundtable

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 →

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 →