JMMA Monday: And We’re Back

Welcome to another issue of JMMA Monday. This is a weekly blog series that discusses the big and small stories around Japanese MMA. Things have been a little quiet around here, but that won't be the case for much longer. A series of recent announcements from Japanese MMA promotions over the past week, including RIZIN, … Continue reading JMMA Monday: And We’re Back →

UFC 270 On The Prelims: Debuts Galore

On The Prelims is a column that focuses on standout performances from the undercard of a top MMA event every week. Last night's UFC 270 pay-per-view event showcased an overwhelming number of UFC newcomers. Out of the entire card, eight fighters were competing in the UFC for the first time. Some of those appearances were … Continue reading UFC 270 On The Prelims: Debuts Galore →

Throwback Thursday – Pride 20: Armed and Ready

Welcome to another episode of "Throwback Thursday." Today, we continue our watch of 2002 by viewing Pride FC's "Armed and Ready" card. This show took place on April 28th at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan. The main attraction to this card was a superfight between Pride FC's top dog Wanderlei Silva and K-1 stand-out … Continue reading Throwback Thursday – Pride 20: Armed and Ready →

JMMA Monday: Musayev’s Move, LDH Investing In MMA, And More

Welcome to another issue of JMMA Monday. This is a weekly blog series that discusses the big and small stories around Japanese MMA. This week's blog is split into two parts. The first half will see us discuss the recent news around Tofiq Musayev, and the second half will talk about Shooto Japan. Another One … Continue reading JMMA Monday: Musayev’s Move, LDH Investing In MMA, And More →

Throwback Thursday – UFC 36: Worlds Collide

On this week's episode of Throwback Thursday, we look at UFC 36. This event took place at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA on March 22nd, 2002. I'll start by saying something that will likely be said frequently in this series: it is so wild to look at these lineups and see … Continue reading Throwback Thursday – UFC 36: Worlds Collide →

JMMA Monday: Three Questions Heading Into 2022

Welcome to another issue of JMMA Monday. This is a weekly blog series that discusses the big and small stories around Japanese MMA. Listen, I get that you're probably sick of reflection pieces by now. We're in 2022. We're here. No more looking back on 2021. Alright, I hear you. This week we're going to … Continue reading JMMA Monday: Three Questions Heading Into 2022 →

Throwback Thursday – Pride 19: Bad Blood

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Knockdown News briefly looked at retro events to fill the gap in the 2020 fight schedule. While that series was stopped for a while, we secretly really wanted to bring it back. And with the new year just kicking off, we thought it was the perfect time to … Continue reading Throwback Thursday – Pride 19: Bad Blood →

Lowered Guard: How Does Video Games See A Nunes vs. Pena Rematch?

"Lowered Guard" is a series at Knockdown News that takes things a little less seriously than usual. It gives us a chance to have a little fun and sometimes appreciate the wackier side of MMA. I recently took a class to learn about data journalism. It was really informative and, quite frankly, was one of the … Continue reading Lowered Guard: How Does Video Games See A Nunes vs. Pena Rematch? →

JMMA Monday: Reflecting on RIZIN 33 With Fight Pizza

Welcome to the very first "JMMA Monday" episode on the website. This will be a weekly corner on the site to talk about any relevant topics around MMA in Japan. Sometimes it will be a conversation with someone else, other times it will just be a short little opinion column. We're coming off the biggest … Continue reading JMMA Monday: Reflecting on RIZIN 33 With Fight Pizza →

On The Prelims: The Biggest Upset of RIZIN 33, And More

"On The Prelims" usually focuses on the undercard fighters of a UFC or Bellator show, but this week it is Japanese MMA promotion RIZIN that gets the spotlight. While RIZIN's New Year's Eve event doesn't have anything billed as a preliminary card, they have two sets of fights on their card: 11 bouts that aired … Continue reading On The Prelims: The Biggest Upset of RIZIN 33, And More →