LAS VEGAS — When Mike Tyson was developing as a young fighter in New York in 1980s, he had plenty of chances to test the skills that would one day make him the world’s best and fiercest heavyweight.
Now Tyson looks at the state of boxing in the United States and doesn’t like what he sees. The title of heavyweight champion has gone from among the most prestigious in sports to one that’s nearly anonymous.
That’s what drove the 59-year-old Hall-of-Famer to help launch the Mike Tyson Invitational on March 12–14 in his adopted hometown of Las Vegas. Tyson’s team sought out the nation’s top amateur boxers to give them this forum to go against each other with the long-range goal of elevating boxing to where it used to stand as a conversation-driving sport.
“I was watching some of the amateur fights and I was wondering, ‘We don’t have enough boxing clubs,’” Tyson said Friday. “Before, when I was fighting, we could fight at the Ohio state fair. Then I’d go to Colorado the next two weeks and fight in the national tournament. That’s what we need to be able to compete with the other countries. We need more competition.”
He is particularly concerned about boxing’s future in the Olympics. Until the International Olympic Committee announced last March that boxing would be included in the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, there was doubt whether the sport’s longtime presence in the quadrennial event would end.
Tyson’s main focus is making boxing big again in the U.S. There is the occasional major event, such as the Canelo Alvarez-Terence Crawford unified super middleweight title fight Sept. 13 before 70,482 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
But those attention-grabbing bouts only temporarily push back on the notion that boxing is in trouble at the grassroots level.
“Listen, boxing is dying, and that is what’s driving me,” Tyson said. “If I can be involved in any way in the uplifting and development of boxing, I’ll be happy with that.”
That would include working with UFC CEO and President Dana White, who grew up loving boxing before building his mixed-martial arts empire. Through TKO, the company at that owns the UFC and WWE, White is in a multiyear agreement with the Saudi General Entertainment Authority, and Sela, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
The Alvarez-Crawford card was their first under this partnership. Tyson was among a number of former boxing greats and celebrities in attendance.
While the UFC is a one-man show, boxing is much more splintered with different sponsoring organizations and promoters competing against each other.
“I kind of like that organization,” Tyson said of the UFC. “It’s just one guy and we deal with everything. That might not work for boxing, but I like the idea. In the UFC, if they have one bad fight, the guy might not be in the fold. It’s for entertainment. That’s what it’s about. In (boxing), if the guy stinks up the joint, they keep using him. So that has to be the criteria. Either you make exciting fights or you’re not able to participate.”
There was no lack of excitement when Tyson was putting together his career that resulted in a 50-7 record with 44 knockouts. The self-proclaimed “baddest man on the planet” came as advertised, winning his first 19 professional bouts by knockout, 12 in the first round.
His fights became a must-watch event, and Tyson was all business entering the ring, once declaring, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched.”
“We’re all entertainers, trust me, especially fighters,” Tyson said. “If you don’t perform well, people give their opinion about you. You may not like it. My job was always to make the people happy as a fighter.”
Now he’s searching for the next Mike Tyson — or, rather, Mike Tysons — who can bring spark to the sport.
His invitational won’t be a cure-all, but it could be a start.
“I was taught as a kid, boxing is about putting asses in seats,” Tyson said. “That’s where greatness comes from.”
The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas will host a weekend of both bull riding and MMA and bull riding action, from October 23 to 26, according to announcements tied to the event. The resort will serve as home base for the Kansas City Outlaws during the PBR Camping World Teams Championship and also play host to the Tuff‑N‑Uff 149 fight card, delivering a unique blend of MMA and bull-riding entertainment. During the stay, spectators will get opportunities to engage with the sports beyond simply watching them.
The schedule features open team workouts, a pre-game tailgate experience with music and photo ops, and an official send-off for the Outlaws. On one evening, the Tuff-N-Uff 149 MMA card will headline with the Professional Featherweight Championship bout between fighters Brandao and Kamaka III. These events aim to integrate the adrenaline of MMA and bull riding into one multi-day entertainment weekend.
For fans of bull riding, the Outlaws’ presence brings the team competition from the PBR arena into the guest experience. Attendees will be able to view professional bull-riding action on large screens, enjoy live music, cash-bar service and fan-centric activations. At the same time, MMA enthusiasts have the chance to experience the sport live via the Tuff-N-Uff card, including a weigh-in session and an after-party following the fights.
The combined schedule underlines the growing crossover appeal of hosting multiple high-intensity sports in one setting. The weekend is positioned as a destination for those drawn to both MMA and bull riding, with the resort leveraging its entertainment venues to bring the two worlds together.
From head-lining fights in the Pearl Theater to fan activations in the Stables area, the venue aims to deliver continuous action. By offering both bull riding and MMA events, the resort taps into two audiences often associated with raw competition and physical intensity. Guests can expect a weekend filled with sporting spectacle, social activations, and a convergence of traditional rodeo-style bull riding alongside modern cage fighting.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KTXL) – Ahead of Saturday’s fight in Paris against Ekaterina Shakalova, Aspen Ladd (11-5) speaks with FOX40’s Sean Cunningham about her decision to leave UFC for the Professional Fighters League, making her debut with Bellator MMA during Saturday’s fight, living in Pollock Pines while training throughout the Sacramento region and her future in Mixed Martial Arts at 29-years-old.
“I had heard about it before I read about it,” recalled Seth Abraham, the former head of HBO Sports on its demise. He was president of Madison Square Garden at the time. “It was very, very sad to see that brand sort of go away.”
And away it did with all its great pugilistic memories.
HBO’s first big fight was Joe Frazier vs. George Foreman for the heavyweight championship in 1974, followed by classics like Foreman-Muhammad Ali, Ali-Frazier III, Sugar Ray Leonard-Thomas Hearns I and II, Mike Tyson-Buster Douglas, Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather Jr., and the Arturo Gatti-Micky Ward trilogy to name a few.
Now Showtime Sports, HBO’s longtime rival in televising the sweet science, took a ten count.
The final “Showtime Championship Boxing” broadcast was Saturday, Dec. 16 featuring WBA “regular” super middleweight champ David Morrell Jr. vs. Sena Agbeko.
Their final pay-per-view bout was the David Benavidez vs. Demetrius Andrade bout on Nov. 25 for the WBA interim super middleweight crown won by Benavidez by sixth-round stoppage.
Showtime has had its own run of memorable events like: Marvelous Marvin Hagler-John “The Beast” Mugabi (debut 1986), Tyson-Donovan Ruddock I and II, Tyson-Evander Holyfield I and II, Pernell Whitaker-Julio Cesar Chavez, Mayweather-Canelo Alvarez, Mayweather-Conor McGregor, Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury I, and Errol Spence Jr.-Terence Crawford.
HBO and Showtime even partnered up for Lennox Lewis vs. Tyson and Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao. Now they are both gone.
Boxing fans have always suffered withdrawals as they’ve seen staples like Gillette’s Cavalcade of Sports, USA Tuesday Night Fights and even the Daily News Golden Gloves tournament become extinct.
Just five months ago in a RingTV.com article, Stephen Espinoza, 12 years the president of Showtime Sports stated proudly:
“This is the healthiest boxing has been since I’ve been president of Showtime Sports. The sport is in a fantastic place.”
So, what happened to boxing that just 50 years ago was still a major draw for sports fans? The glory of the 1976 Olympic boxing team hadn’t come into fruition yet. George Foreman was the heavyweight champion of the world and Muhammad Ali and Joe Fraizer were still fighting.
Roberto Duran was still a force at lightweight and “No Mas” wouldn’t happen until 1980.
Closed circuit TV was booming, but now the sport has become the niche-iest of niche sports.
Boxing has done much of the damage to itself.
Take October’s freak show where the WBC heavyweight champion of the world — Tyson Fury — decides to take a non-title fight against the former UFC heavyweight champ who never had a pro boxing match.
Instead of fighting Anthony Joshua which would have been a mega-fight in the UK, or unifying the titles against WBA, IBF and WBO champ Oleksandr Usyk, (which is now a go for Feb. 17 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia), he fights Francis Ngannou, gets dropped in the third round of a scheduled 10-rounder and wins a dubious split decision.
Tyson Fury, of England, the WBC and lineal heavyweight champion, fights with former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, of Cameroon, during their boxing match to mark the start of Riyadh Season at Kingdom Arena, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Yazeed Aldhawaihi)
The biggest problem with boxing are the organizations. If you look at the ratings of the four organizations they have regular champs, super champs, interim champs, champs in recess and don’t forget the “Franchise” champ, whatever that is.
There are also too many weight divisions as two more have been recently added.
The WBC created the bridgerweight division for fighters weighing between 190-224 pounds. It was named after a six-year-old (named Bridger) who saved his sister from a stray dog. True.
Earlier this month, the WBA followed up by creating the super cruiserweight division (200-224) minus the canine hook.
Of course, sanctioning fees will be required for all fighting for these prestigious titles.
The WBC also showed their stupidity by not sanctioning undisputed featherweight champ Amanda Serrano’s October successful title defense against Danila Ramos.
The Brooklyn native was not allowed to defend the WBC portion of her title because she decided to fight, just like the men, in a 12-round, three minute championship contest. The women’s championship bouts are 10-rounds and two minutes.
“The WBC has refused to evolve the sport for equality,” she said to ESPN.com. “So, I am relinquishing their title.”
Then there are the “stripped” champs.
Terence Crawford defeated Errol Spence Jr. in July to unify the welterweight division for the first time in the four-belt era. Crawford added Spence’s IBF, WBA and WBC belts to his own WBO title.
Four months later, the IBF stripped Crawford of their strap and anointed Jaron “Boots” Ennis their new title holder, moving him up from his “interim champ” status.
Got it?
By the way, after Ngannou lost to Fury, the WBC, in its wisdom, installed him at No. 10 in the ratings even after a loss and with a record of 0-1.
Go figure.
Boxing can’t get out of its own way even when they have a good thing going.
This two-part series will take a look at why boxing had such a high broadcast kill rate for HBO and Showtime, and if the sport can be rebuilt.
Boxing, thy name is niche.
* * *
Showtime’s bottom line for 2023 should have made any bean counter flush with joy.
“This year the industry had its first million buy event in April with the Tank Davis-Ryan Garcia fight,” points out R. Thomas Umstead, Senior Content Producer, Programming for Multi-Channel News and Broadcasting and Cable. “Hadn’t seen that in a couple of years and that wasn’t even a fight where you would consider it being a million buy fight.
“There was a lot of marketing in there. It brought in a new audience that we hadn’t seen before in younger viewers.”
Boxing has a numbers problem not with the amount of viewers, but with their age, points out Abraham.
“One of the never ending problems [with boxing] is its audience dying,” he declares. “Men 60, 70, 80 and older who grew up with boxing, they’re dying. Young men [it’s] mixed martial arts. That’s what they’re interested in and the WWE.
“Boxing has failed to replace and replenish its audience.”
Showtime had been in the boxing business for 37 years and was highly successful, but then their parent company — Paramount Global — decided to go in another direction with scripted entertainment and not boxing.
“There will still be boxing,” predicts Abraham. “There’s no question that this sport will exist, but it will exist on a microscopic level, on a very small level, and it will continue to lose fans.”
And what of boxing’s long-term outlook?
“Smaller, smaller, smaller, smaller,” warns Abraham, “and one day pickleball will jump over it.”
Hopefully, that’s far off in the future but boxing better come up with new ideas — and fast.
* * *
The death of newspapers and the loss of boxing writers has also damaged the sport. Sadly, Keith Idec of BoxingScene.com and Mike Coppinger of ESPN.com are the only two full-time boxing writers left in the U.S.
Major newspapers have had no dedicated boxing writer for years and that medium helped grow the sport just like another did in the past.
“The first fight I ever heard on the radio was Joe Louis and Max Schmeling when I was seven-years old,” recalls former HBO boxing analyst Larry Merchant, now 92-years old. Besides working for HBO, Merchant covered sports as a columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News and the New York Post. “That made me want to hear other fights that were on the radio.
“I got interested in Henry Armstrong and Sugar Ray Robinson and others. That’s how it works in America because we do have so much competition.”
Pickleball, anyone?
* * *
For Stephen Espinoza, the head of Showtime Sports, it’s a bittersweet time.
“It’s been 12 years since I embarked on this pretty drastic career change going from an entertainment attorney who had never worked at a TV network before to being the head of a sports division responsible for programming and content,” he said, five weeks before the big shutdown. “I’ve never second guessed or doubted that decision once.”
But as the leader comes the tough decisions especially with layoffs during the holidays.
“It was brutal,” said Espinoza. “Anyone who does sports television makes tremendous sacrifice. We just did a pay-per-view (Benavidez-Andrade) on Thanksgiving [weekend] and to have to deliver this kind of news to people who have dedicated themselves personally and professionally to supporting the sport was absolutely brutal.
“We’ve got several employees who are in excess of 30 year employees and a handful who have been here since the very start of Showtime sports in 1986. That was truly the end of an era and the passing of something really important, not just in the sport of boxing but for televised media overall.”
In Part 2 of this series, boxing experts predict the future of the sport.
NEW YORK — After Donald Trump attended South Carolina’s annual Palmetto Bowl, video of the crowd chanting “We want Trump!” as the former president arrived at Williams-Brice Stadium spread across conservative social media.
It was much the same two weeks earlier when the GOP front-runner attended an Ultimate Fighting Championship event in New York, fist-bumping and waving to the crowd as he entered Madison Square Garden like he was one of the fighters, with an entourage that included the musician Kid Rock, UFC president Dana White and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
While Trump has spent less time campaigning in early-voting states than many of his Republican primary rivals, his campaign has been filling his schedule with appearances at major sporting events including Saturday’s UFC fight in Las Vegas. Videos of his appearances routinely rack up hundreds of thousands of views across social media, particularly on non-political outlets, including popular online sports channels and fan sites. And they are far easier and cheaper to produce than campaign rallies.
It’s a strategy that, aides say, puts him in front of potential voters who may not closely follow politics or engage with traditional news sources. And it is part of a broader effort to expand Trump’s appeal with young people and minority voters, particularly Latino and Black men, that the campaign hopes to win over in greater numbers after gains in 2020. UFC’s fanbase in particular is overwhelmingly male.
Aides stress Trump is a genuine sports fan who frequented fights and games long before he ran for the White House and would be attending even if he weren’t running. He is a particular aficionado of boxing and other combat sports. During a summer appearance on the “UFC Unfiltered” podcast, Trump recalled his favorite fights from decades ago, blow by blow.
In the 1980s, he befriended boxing legends like Mike Tyson and promoter Don King as he hosted high-profile fights at his Atlantic City casinos and became so involved with professional wrestling that he starred in WrestleMania 23’s “Battle of the Billionaires.” And for a time, he owned the New Jersey Generals, a professional team that played in the NFL-rival United States Football League.
In recent years, he has become particularly tied to mixed martial arts and its machismo. He is close personal friends with White, UFC’s founder, who spoke at the Republican National Conventions in 2016 and 2020 and credits Trump for saving the sport by hosting fights when others shunned it as too violent.
Campaign staff often tune into fights late at night aboard Trump’s private plane as he returns to Palm Beach, Florida, following events, streaming fights on ESPN+ or DAZN.
Trump has also drawn support from the sport’s stars, including Colby Covington, who will be fighting Leon Edwards Saturday night for UFC’s welterweight title. Covington said this week that organizers overruled his request to have Trump walk him out to the octagon. But Trump may still get a role if he wins.
“He’s going to wrap that belt around me,” Covington told reporters on Thursday, wearing a suit jacket signed by Trump that featured the former president’s mug shot on the back. “It’s going to be a spectacle.”
There is of course a long history of sports in presidential politics. Candidates have used them to project an image of strength and vigor, endear themselves to voters and seem more accessible.
Presidential historian Michael Beschloss wrote about how Theodore Roosevelt was frequently pictured boxing, horseback riding and hiking, while John Kennedy swam, sailed and played touch despite serious injuries sustained during the war. Richard Nixon “went to great lengths” to emphasize his football and baseball fandom as he tried to court working-class voters, while George W. Bush famously threw out the ceremonial first pitch of the first World Series game in New York after 9/11, trying to signal to nervous Americans that life would go on after the terror attack.
Trump’s team sees the appearances as a way to connect with sports fans, signaling he shares their interests, and a way to showcase a different side of the combative politician, who has been indicted four times and is usually shown on the news railing from behind a rally lectern. They also hope to capitalize on his history as a celebrity and his relationships with business and entertainment figures.
When Trump attends an event like Saturday’s fight, “The audience gets to see him through an unvarnished filter that isn’t tainted by news media and political biases,” said his spokesman Steven Cheung, who previously worked for UFC himself. “It gives us the great opportunity to connect with voters who are, quite frankly, turned off by many traditional news outlets.”
Jeffrey Montez de Oca, a professor of sociology and the founding director of the Center for Critical Sport Studies at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, said politicians “use sports all the time and they’re used to connect with regular people,” as well as to “project strength and power.”
Sports, he said, generate “powerful emotions” that take hold of fans and “make you feel like you’re a part of something much larger than yourself” — emotions that politicians try to harness.
“For Trump to walk into that space, he’s able to participate in the general feeling going on in that room. The love, the enthusiasm, the feeling of connection with the sport, with the athletes, then attaches to him as well,” he said.
Kyle Kusz, a University of Rhode Island professor who studies the connection between sports and the far right, recalled how Trump aligned himself with sports figures during his 2016 campaign, appearing with basketball coach Bobby Knight, who was fired for abusive behavior, and invoking Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, who was fired in connection with the child sex abuse scandal involving his former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, among others facing scandal. He noted all were white men whose diehard fans saw them as unfairly victimized.
Sports stars in 2016 were among the few celebrities willing to campaign with Trump, who was shunned by the Hollywood establishment.
This time, Trump’s appearances are part of a broader effort by the former president’s team to engage with non-traditional media outlets, including YouTube shows and podcasts like “UFC Unfiltered” that can drive millions of views. The appearances allow Trump to reach listeners who may be turned off by the mainstream media and politics, and get their news from alternative sources.
They have also tried to harness the power of social media by creating their own viral moments. His team realized early on that video of Trump interacting with supporters had particular traction, and now often organizes stops where he has passed out Blizzards at Dairy Queen or tossed autographed footballs into the crowd at a frat house in Iowa.
The scenes have also provided a contrast, first with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, once seen as Trump’s leading primary rival, who is often criticized for seeming wooden and awkward at public events, and now with President Joe Biden as both men gear up for a widely expected general election rematch. Biden has largely eschewed campaign events, holding just a single rally, his campaign launch event.
Mark Zuckerberg’s latest martial arts sparring session sent him to the operating table
ByALEX VEIGA AP business writer
November 4, 2023, 3:13 PM
FILE – Mark Zuckerberg speaks at Georgetown University, on Oct. 17, 2019, in Washington. Zuckerberg, the Meta Platforms CEO and mixed martial arts enthusiast posted on social media Friday, Nov. 3, 3023, that he tore one of his anterior cruciate ligaments, or ACLs, while training for a fight early next year. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)
The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Mark Zuckerberg’s latest martial arts sparring session sent him to the operating table.
The Meta Platforms CEO and mixed martial arts enthusiast posted on social media Friday that he tore one of his anterior cruciate ligaments, or ACLs, while training for a fight early next year.
A photo he posted on Instagram shows the tech billionaire lying in a hospital bed with his left knee elevated, bandaged and fit with a brace.
“Tore my ACL sparring and just got out of surgery to replace it,” Zuckerberg posted on Instagram. “Grateful for the doctors and team taking care of me. I was training for a competitive MMA fight early next year, but now that’s delayed a bit. Still looking forward to doing it after I recover. Thanks to everyone for the love and support.”
Menlo Park, California-based Meta did not immediately return an email seeking comment Saturday.
Zuckerberg, who in May completed his first jiu jitsu tournament, has previously posted updates on his martial arts training. A few weeks ago, he shared a close-up photo of his face on Instagram showing bruising on the bridge of his nose and under his eyes, which he attributed to sparring that got “a little out of hand.”
The Facebook founder and Elon Musk grabbed headlines this summer after the two tech moguls seemingly agreed to an in-person face-off in late June.
Musk and Zuckerberg fueled interest in the potential match through online jabs at one another, with Musk at one point touting how he was training by lifting weights. But in August, the Tesla CEO posted on social media that he might need surgery before the fight could happen.
Shortly after, Zuckerberg posted on the Threads social media app that he was ready to move on, writing: “If Elon ever gets serious about a real date and official event, he knows how to reach me. Otherwise, time to move on. I’m going to focus on competing with people who take the sport seriously.”
Mark Zuckerberg’s latest martial arts sparring session sent him to the operating table
ByALEX VEIGA AP business writer
November 4, 2023, 3:13 PM
FILE – Mark Zuckerberg speaks at Georgetown University, on Oct. 17, 2019, in Washington. Zuckerberg, the Meta Platforms CEO and mixed martial arts enthusiast posted on social media Friday, Nov. 3, 3023, that he tore one of his anterior cruciate ligaments, or ACLs, while training for a fight early next year. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)
The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Mark Zuckerberg’s latest martial arts sparring session sent him to the operating table.
The Meta Platforms CEO and mixed martial arts enthusiast posted on social media Friday that he tore one of his anterior cruciate ligaments, or ACLs, while training for a fight early next year.
A photo he posted on Instagram shows the tech billionaire lying in a hospital bed with his left knee elevated, bandaged and fit with a brace.
“Tore my ACL sparring and just got out of surgery to replace it,” Zuckerberg posted on Instagram. “Grateful for the doctors and team taking care of me. I was training for a competitive MMA fight early next year, but now that’s delayed a bit. Still looking forward to doing it after I recover. Thanks to everyone for the love and support.”
Menlo Park, California-based Meta did not immediately return an email seeking comment Saturday.
Zuckerberg, who in May completed his first jiu jitsu tournament, has previously posted updates on his martial arts training. A few weeks ago, he shared a close-up photo of his face on Instagram showing bruising on the bridge of his nose and under his eyes, which he attributed to sparring that got “a little out of hand.”
The Facebook founder and Elon Musk grabbed headlines this summer after the two tech moguls seemingly agreed to an in-person face-off in late June.
Musk and Zuckerberg fueled interest in the potential match through online jabs at one another, with Musk at one point touting how he was training by lifting weights. But in August, the Tesla CEO posted on social media that he might need surgery before the fight could happen.
Shortly after, Zuckerberg posted on the Threads social media app that he was ready to move on, writing: “If Elon ever gets serious about a real date and official event, he knows how to reach me. Otherwise, time to move on. I’m going to focus on competing with people who take the sport seriously.”
Mark Zuckerberg’s latest martial arts sparring session sent him to the operating table
ByALEX VEIGA AP business writer
November 4, 2023, 3:13 PM
FILE – Mark Zuckerberg speaks at Georgetown University, on Oct. 17, 2019, in Washington. Zuckerberg, the Meta Platforms CEO and mixed martial arts enthusiast posted on social media Friday, Nov. 3, 3023, that he tore one of his anterior cruciate ligaments, or ACLs, while training for a fight early next year. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)
The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Mark Zuckerberg’s latest martial arts sparring session sent him to the operating table.
The Meta Platforms CEO and mixed martial arts enthusiast posted on social media Friday that he tore one of his anterior cruciate ligaments, or ACLs, while training for a fight early next year.
A photo he posted on Instagram shows the tech billionaire lying in a hospital bed with his left knee elevated, bandaged and fit with a brace.
“Tore my ACL sparring and just got out of surgery to replace it,” Zuckerberg posted on Instagram. “Grateful for the doctors and team taking care of me. I was training for a competitive MMA fight early next year, but now that’s delayed a bit. Still looking forward to doing it after I recover. Thanks to everyone for the love and support.”
Menlo Park, California-based Meta did not immediately return an email seeking comment Saturday.
Zuckerberg, who in May completed his first jiu jitsu tournament, has previously posted updates on his martial arts training. A few weeks ago, he shared a close-up photo of his face on Instagram showing bruising on the bridge of his nose and under his eyes, which he attributed to sparring that got “a little out of hand.”
The Facebook founder and Elon Musk grabbed headlines this summer after the two tech moguls seemingly agreed to an in-person face-off in late June.
Musk and Zuckerberg fueled interest in the potential match through online jabs at one another, with Musk at one point touting how he was training by lifting weights. But in August, the Tesla CEO posted on social media that he might need surgery before the fight could happen.
Shortly after, Zuckerberg posted on the Threads social media app that he was ready to move on, writing: “If Elon ever gets serious about a real date and official event, he knows how to reach me. Otherwise, time to move on. I’m going to focus on competing with people who take the sport seriously.”
Fox News host Sean Hannity used the devastating Lewiston shooting to bring up his own “personal security plan” that involves using his mixed martial arts training to protect himself during a mass shooting. What do you think?
“Smart. A mass shooter would surely take pity after seeing something that pathetic.”
Maggie Ramirez, Swingers Advocate
Sean Hannity Plays Voicemail From His Dad Calling Him A Piece Of Shit To Demonstrate Healthy Father–Son Relationship
“It takes a true independent thinker like Hannity to come up with an idea like punching someone.”
Elon Musk says his potential in-person fight with Mark Zuckerberg would be streamed live on his social media site X, formerly known as Twitter
FILE – This combo of file images shows Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, left, and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. Elon Musk says his potential in-person fight with Mark Zuckerberg would be streamed on his social media site X, formerly known as Twitter. “Zuck v Musk fight will be live-streamed on X,” Musk wrote in a post Sunday Aug. 6, 2023, on the platform. “All proceeds will go to charity for veterans.” (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, Stephan Savoia, File)
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — NEW YORK (AP) —
Elon Musk says his potential in-person fight with Mark Zuckerberg would be streamed on his social media site X, formerly known as Twitter.
The two tech billionaires seemingly agreed to a “cage match” face-off in late June. Zuckerberg is actually trained in mixed martial arts, and the CEO of Facebook’s parent company Meta posted about completing his first jiu jitsu tournament earlier this year.
“Zuck v Musk fight will be live-streamed on X,” Musk wrote in a post Sunday on the platform. “All proceeds will go to charity for veterans.”
Musk said earlier Sunday he was training for the fight by lifting weights.
“Don’t have time to work out, so I just bring them to work,” Musk wrote.
Whether or not Musk and Zuckerberg actually make it to the ring in Las Vegas has yet to be seen — especially as Musk often tweets about action prematurely or without following through. But even if their cage match agreement is all a joke, the banter has gained attention.
It all started when Musk, who owns X, responded to a tweet about Meta preparing to release a new Twitter rival called Threads. He took a dig about the world becoming “exclusively under Zuck’s thumb with no other options” — but then one Twitter user jokingly warned Musk of Zuckerberg’s jiu jitsu training.
“I’m up for a cage match if he is lol,” Musk wrote.
Representatives of X, Meta and Ultimate Fighting Championship, which owns the venue where the fight might take place, didn’t immediately respond to emails seeking comment.
Musk’s push to stream the video live on X comes as he aims to turn the platform into a “digital town square.” However, his much-publicized Twitter Spaces kickoff event in May with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announcing his run for president struggled with technical glitches and a near half-hour delay.
Musk had said the problems were due to “straining” servers because so many people were trying to listen to the audio-only event. But even at their highest, the number of listeners listed topped out at around 420,000, far from the millions of viewers that televised presidential announcements attract.
Elon Musk says his potential in-person fight with Mark Zuckerberg would be streamed live on his social media site X, formerly known as Twitter
FILE – This combo of file images shows Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, left, and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. Elon Musk says his potential in-person fight with Mark Zuckerberg would be streamed on his social media site X, formerly known as Twitter. “Zuck v Musk fight will be live-streamed on X,” Musk wrote in a post Sunday Aug. 6, 2023, on the platform. “All proceeds will go to charity for veterans.” (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, Stephan Savoia, File)
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — NEW YORK (AP) —
Elon Musk says his potential in-person fight with Mark Zuckerberg would be streamed on his social media site X, formerly known as Twitter.
The two tech billionaires seemingly agreed to a “cage match” face-off in late June. Zuckerberg is actually trained in mixed martial arts, and the CEO of Facebook’s parent company Meta posted about completing his first jiu jitsu tournament earlier this year.
“Zuck v Musk fight will be live-streamed on X,” Musk wrote in a post Sunday on the platform. “All proceeds will go to charity for veterans.”
Musk said earlier Sunday he was training for the fight by lifting weights.
“Don’t have time to work out, so I just bring them to work,” Musk wrote.
Whether or not Musk and Zuckerberg actually make it to the ring in Las Vegas has yet to be seen — especially as Musk often tweets about action prematurely or without following through. But even if their cage match agreement is all a joke, the banter has gained attention.
It all started when Musk, who owns X, responded to a tweet about Meta preparing to release a new Twitter rival called Threads. He took a dig about the world becoming “exclusively under Zuck’s thumb with no other options” — but then one Twitter user jokingly warned Musk of Zuckerberg’s jiu jitsu training.
“I’m up for a cage match if he is lol,” Musk wrote.
Representatives of X, Meta and Ultimate Fighting Championship, which owns the venue where the fight might take place, didn’t immediately respond to emails seeking comment.
Musk’s push to stream the video live on X comes as he aims to turn the platform into a “digital town square.” However, his much-publicized Twitter Spaces kickoff event in May with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announcing his run for president struggled with technical glitches and a near half-hour delay.
Musk had said the problems were due to “straining” servers because so many people were trying to listen to the audio-only event. But even at their highest, the number of listeners listed topped out at around 420,000, far from the millions of viewers that televised presidential announcements attract.
Elon Musk says his potential in-person fight with Mark Zuckerberg would be streamed live on his social media site X, formerly known as Twitter
NEW YORK — NEW YORK (AP) —
Elon Musk says his potential in-person fight with Mark Zuckerberg would be streamed on his social media site X, formerly known as Twitter.
The two tech billionaires seemingly agreed to a “cage match” face-off in late June. Zuckerberg is actually trained in mixed martial arts, and the Facebook founder posted about completing his first jiu jitsu tournament earlier this year.
“Zuck v Musk fight will be live-streamed on X,” Musk wrote in a post Sunday on the platform. “All proceeds will go to charity for veterans.”
Musk said earlier Sunday he was training for the fight by lifting weights.
“Don’t have time to work out, so I just bring them to work,” Musk wrote on X.
Whether or not Musk and Zuckerberg actually make it to the ring has yet to be seen — especially as Musk often tweets about action prematurely or without following through. But even if their cage match agreement is all a joke, the banter has gained attention.
It all started when Musk, who owns X, responded to a tweet about Meta preparing to release a new Twitter rival called Threads. He took a dig about the world becoming “exclusively under Zuck’s thumb with no other options” — but then one Twitter user jokingly warned Musk of Zuckerberg’s jiu jitsu training.
“I’m up for a cage match if he is lol,” Musk wrote late Tuesday.
Musk’s push to stream the video live on X comes as he’s pushing to turn the platform into a “digital town square.” However, his much-publicized Twitter Spaces kickoff event in May with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announcing his run for president struggled with technical glitches and a near half-hour delay.
Musk had said the problems were due to “straining” servers because so many people were trying to listen to the audio-only event. But even at their highest, the number of listeners listed topped out at around 420,000, far from the millions of viewers that televised presidential announcements attract.
Elon Musk says his potential in-person fight with Mark Zuckerberg would be streamed live on his social media site X, formerly known as Twitter
NEW YORK — NEW YORK (AP) —
Elon Musk says his potential in-person fight with Mark Zuckerberg would be streamed on his social media site X, formerly known as Twitter.
The two tech billionaires seemingly agreed to a “cage match” face-off in late June. Zuckerberg is actually trained in mixed martial arts, and the Facebook founder posted about completing his first jiu jitsu tournament earlier this year.
“Zuck v Musk fight will be live-streamed on X,” Musk wrote in a post Sunday on the platform. “All proceeds will go to charity for veterans.”
Musk said earlier Sunday he was training for the fight by lifting weights.
“Don’t have time to work out, so I just bring them to work,” Musk wrote on X.
Whether or not Musk and Zuckerberg actually make it to the ring has yet to be seen — especially as Musk often tweets about action prematurely or without following through. But even if their cage match agreement is all a joke, the banter has gained attention.
It all started when Musk, who owns X, responded to a tweet about Meta preparing to release a new Twitter rival called Threads. He took a dig about the world becoming “exclusively under Zuck’s thumb with no other options” — but then one Twitter user jokingly warned Musk of Zuckerberg’s jiu jitsu training.
“I’m up for a cage match if he is lol,” Musk wrote late Tuesday.
Musk’s push to stream the video live on X comes as he’s pushing to turn the platform into a “digital town square.” However, his much-publicized Twitter Spaces kickoff event in May with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announcing his run for president struggled with technical glitches and a near half-hour delay.
Musk had said the problems were due to “straining” servers because so many people were trying to listen to the audio-only event. But even at their highest, the number of listeners listed topped out at around 420,000, far from the millions of viewers that televised presidential announcements attract.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) —
Amanda Nunes beat Irene Aldana by unanimous decision at UFC 289 on Saturday night to hold on to her bantamweight title before announcing her retirement.
Nunes dominated the fight, landing far more hits than her opponent, while Aldana’s corner repeatedly encouraged their fighter to go on the offensive.
“It went exactly how I pictured it in my mind. I did what I was supposed to do,” Nunes said about her win. “When I started to mix it up. … (Aldana) wasn’t able to do anything.”
Nunes entered the post fight press conference on crutches, revealing she has suffered nerve damage in one leg for some time.
“I did everything, I broke a lot of records,” she said about her reputation, adding she wants to be remembered as the greatest female fighter of all time.
Nunes said she’d like to stay involved in mixed martial arts in the future and would like to train a female champion, but will first take time to spend time with her wife and family in Brazil.
Aldana suffered repeated blows to the face, with one elbow hit opening a cut on her face.
UFC President Dana White praised Nunes after her announcement, adding that she was an icon of the sport.
“She’s been incredible to work with. She’s such a good human being … if she’s ready to go you have to be happy for her,” he said.
White added that Aldana had been taken to a hospital for evaluation after the fight.
Charles Oliveira won by TKO in the co-main event against Beneil Dariush in the lightweight bout to set up a potential title fight against lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in Abu Dhabi in the fall.
“He’s got the belt and I want to be a champion so I need to go through him. Of course I want to fight him,” Oliveira said.
Also, Aiemann Zahabi won by knockout against Aoriqileng, and Mike Malott beat Adam Fugitt by submission. Diana Belbita won in the preliminary fight stage while Nelson and Zahabi won in the preliminaries. Marc-Andre Barriault won his middleweight bout on the main card before Malott’s win in the welterweight class.
Fighting legend Georges St-Pierre attended the fight and sat cageside with many fighters saying they were unaware of his presence until after their respective fights.
A railing fell during Malott’s walk out, sending fans tumbling to the ground and striking one of the Canadian fighter’s cornermen in the hip.
Rogers Arena later issued a statement detailing the accident.
“Our arena staff worked quickly to relocate the fans in the affected area and no serious injuries were reported,” read the statement.
The fight card was a sellout with 17,628 attendance.
White said Toronto would be a logical choice as the next potential location for a Canadian fight.
MIAMI (AP) — Israel Adesanya wanted a quick rematch after a November loss to Alex Pereira stripped him of the 185-pound championship belt he’d held since 2019.
Five months later in UFC 287 in Miami early Sunday, Adesanya dropped the middleweight champion Pereira with two right hands, then raised his fists in triumph as he took back his middleweight championship belt and cemented his legacy as one of the greatest fighters in the sport’s history.
“I hope every one of you behind the screen or in this arena can feel this level of happiness just one time in your life,” Adesanya said. “But guess what, you’ll never feel this level of happiness if you don’t go for something.”
Pereira (7-2) landed a knee that pushed Adesanya (24-2) into the cage in the second round. Adesanya came off the cage with two right hooks and a right hammer fist, followed by ground and pound to end the fight at 4:21.
The 35-year-old Pereira had never lost to Adesanya. Before he scored a TKO win for the welterweight belt in UFC 281 in November, Pereira defeated Adesanya twice in kick boxing.
Adesanya, born in Nigeria but raised in New Zealand, entered the UFC in 2018 and won the middleweight belt a year later when he beat then-champion Robert Whittaker in a stunning knockout.
He successfully defended his title five times as he became one of the sport’s main draws. He was in unfamiliar territory Saturday as the challenger.
“They say revenge is sweet,” Adesanya said. “And if you know me, I’ve got a sweet tooth.”
Fighting in his hometown as the UFC returned to Miami for the first time in 20 years, Jorge Masvidal (35-17) lost a unanimous decision to fifth-ranked welterweight contender Gilbert Burns (22-5).
Burns hurt Masvidal with a series of head shots, and Masvidal appeared winded as the fight went on. Afterward, Burns paid respect to the veteran Masvidal.
“We’re here because of this guy, 52 pro fights,” Burns said to the crowd, which chanted “Let’s go Jorge” throughout. “Give it up for your guy.”
Masvidal, who turns 39 in November, entered the match on a three-fight losing streak having lost back-to-back title challenges to Kamaru Usman and a unanimous decision to longtime rival Colby Covington.
Masvidal appeared to retire from the sport after the loss.
“It’s been a long 20 years, 50-something fights,” said Masvidal, who entered the UFC in 2013. “Sometimes your favorite basketball player doesn’t have that three-pointer no more. Your favorite quarterback loses that rifle. And I don’t feel the same when I get in here.”
Veteran Rob Font (20-6) snapped Adrian Yanez’s (16-3) nine-fight winning streak with a knockout at 2:57 in the first round. They traded shots early before Font landed a powerful right hook that dropped Yanez. Font, who returned to pay-per-view for the first time in five years, finished the fight with ground and pound.
“It’s been a while since I got a finish,” Font said. “I needed this finish for myself. I needed it for my team. I needed it for my family.”
Kevin Holland (23-9) face planted Santiago Ponzinibbio (30-7) with a huge left hand at 3:16 of the final round of their welterweight bout, then jumped over the cage to talk to UFC president Dana White and former U.S. president Donald Trump, who were in a sold out crowd that featured Usman, Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, Odell Beckham Jr., Mike Tyson and more.
Ponzinibbio nailed a series of kicks to Holland’s legs throughout the fight. Holland was visibly in pain by the third round before a powerful left hook sent Ponzinibbio face-first into the mat.
Christian Rodriguez (9-1) handed 18-year-old Raul Rosas Jr. (7-1), the UFC’s youngest fighter, his first career loss with a unanimous decision win in the bantamweight main-card opener. In weigh-ins, Rodriguez was 137 pounds, one pound over the bantamweight limit, and he apologized immediately after the fight.
“First thing’s first, I want to apologize for being a pound overweight to the UFC and to Raul’s team,” Rodriguez said. ___
The UFC has announced it will open a multimillion-dollar, 32,000-square-foot MMA training facility in Mexico City late this year
The UFC will open a multimillion-dollar, 32,000-square-foot MMA training facility in Mexico City late this year, the organization announced Tuesday morning.
“Some of the greatest athletes in combat sports history have come from Mexico,” UFC President Dana White said in a statement. “Our teams at the (Las Vegas Performance Institute) are the best in the world at what they do, and we know that by making the resources and training available in the country, Mexico can become one of the greatest sources of MMA talent in the world. This is a massive opportunity for the sport of MMA and for athletes throughout Latin America.”
This will be the third such institute. The first opened in Las Vegas in 2017 and is about the same size as the one that will be constructed in Mexico. College and professional athletes have used that facility for their workouts as well as those in the UFC.
A 93,000-square-foot facility opened in Shanghai in 2019 and serves as a training magnet for those in China and throughout Asia.
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AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Fedor Emelianenko placed his gloves on the canvas and then cracked a warm smile while nearly a dozen mixed martial arts greats behind him led the crowd in one last ovation.
Although the Last Emperor says his career is over, his fans and fellow fighters won’t forget his greatness any time soon.
Ryan Bader stopped the storied Russian heavyweight halfway through the first round Saturday night with a relentless ground-and-pound finish at Bellator 290.
The 46-year-old Emelianenko says he is ending his 23-year MMA career with this bout, and he ceremonially laid down his gloves after the defeat in the familiar combat sports gesture by a retiring fighter.
“On the one side, I’m sad I didn’t deliver on the fight as I wanted to,” Emelianenko said through a translator. “But on the other side, I’m so happy that all these fans and all these veteran fighters are here cheering for me.”
The much-loved Russian MMA pioneer is one of the most compelling competitors in the still-young sport’s history, and the crowd at the Forum was firmly behind a singularly talented fighter who became a perennial fan favorite.
That adoration didn’t help when Bader easily defended his heavyweight title by becoming the only fighter ever to beat Emelianenko twice.
After staggering Emelianenko with an early uppercut, Bader knocked down Emelianenko with a punch that connected with the back of his head one minute into the opening round. Bader quickly pounced on Emelianenko and never let him up, steadily hammering his guard with dozens of punches until referee Herb Dean stopped the punishment 2:30 into the round.
“It was bittersweet,” Bader said. “I idolized him like every MMA fan and fighter coming up. He put the sport on his back. That is a legend right there.”
Emelianenko was sanguine after the loss, and the fighter long known for his emotionless virtuosity couldn’t hide his pleasure when he was joined in the cage by a large contingent of fellow MMA greats invited to the show by Bellator. Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell, Dan Henderson, Renzo Gracie, Frank Shamrock and former opponents Mark Coleman, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Chael Sonnen all gathered for the last ride.
“I’m so happy to see all of you, the fighters that are here to come and support me,” Emelianenko said. “All of these guys understand me. We’ve almost the same age, and we’ve been to the heights. I’m happy they’re here to support me.”
Emelianenko began his MMA career in 2000 after serving in the Russian Army, and he quickly acquired a reputation as a vaunted underground talent in a sport that still felt like a countercultural phenomenon at the time.
The slightly pudgy, slightly undersized heavyweight improbably recorded a long series of spectacular knockouts and submissions while fighting for the Pride promotion in Japan. He acquired mainstream attention when he began fighting stateside in 2008 while retaining the blank-faced earnestness and violent talents that made him such a favorite.
“I’m very happy that some of the fighters who have been crowned as champions are telling me they grew up with my fights,” Emelianenko said. “Eight or 10 years ago, people were telling me that. This is when I started to think I was becoming old.”
Emelianenko famously refused to fight for the UFC, eschewing the world’s most powerful MMA company to maintain his independence, both promotionally and financially. He retired in 2012 before returning in 2015 to steady success.
His first fight with Bader was a notable exception: Four years ago last weekend at the Forum, Bader knocked out Emelianenko with a massive left hook just 35 seconds in. Emelianenko had fought only twice since then, and just once since the start of the coronavirus pandemic — yet he still insisted on finishing his career against the 39-year-old Bader.
The bout turned out to be the mismatch that many feared, with Bader thoroughly dominating in his third title defense. Bellator CEO Scott Coker acknowledged that he tried to set up a joint farewell fight between Emelianenko and Anderson Silva, the former UFC champion who is similarly far from his prime — but the Brazilian star turned it down, electing to focus on his boxing career.
“But every time I talked to Fedor, he said, ‘I want to fight Ryan Bader, and I want to fight for the belt,’” Coker said. “It was hard to tell him … maybe he should fight somebody else. He had been on a run (of four wins in his previous five fights), and with everything he’s done for the sport, I felt like he deserved it.”
Bellator 290 marked the promotion’s debut on CBS. Both CBS and Bellator are owned by Paramount Global.
In the penultimate bout of the main card, Johnny Eblen retained his Bellator middleweight title with a dominant decision victory over Anatoly Tokov, one of Emelianenko’s proteges in Russia.
Emelianenko says he is done fighting, but not done with MMA: He plans to renew his commitment to help Tokov and other fighters who study in his camp. Coker also believes he will keep Emelianenko involved with Bellator as a brand ambassador.
“I’m going to dedicate my time to my coaching, to my team,” he said.
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AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Victoria Lee, one of the brightest new stars in mixed martial arts (MMA), has died at the age of 18, her sister confirmed.
“She has gone too soon and our family has been completely devastated since then,” her sister Angela said in an Instagram post Saturday.
“We miss her. More than anything in this world. Our family will never be the same. Life will never be the same.”
Lee was born and raised in Hawaii and had started rising through the ranks of the sport.
She won three fights in her short career, most recently in September 2021 against Victoria Souza.
She put fighting on the back burner last year as she focused on graduating from high school.
In her Instagram post, Angela said her sister had died on December 26 but did not say how.
“We miss you so much sis. More than you could ever realize. We’re all broken,” Angela added.
“Because a piece of you was in each of us and when you left, those pieces were ripped out of us. We will never be the same.”
Lee came from a family with a rich history in the sport – her sister and brother, Christian, are both ONE world champions.
‘The Prodigy,’ as she had become known, had previously told MMA Fighting that her siblings were her biggest inspiration.
The ONE Championship, a promotion that Lee fought in, said it was “devastated” about the news.
“I am heartbroken by Victoria Lee’s passing. I first met Victoria when she was 11 years old. I watched her blossom over the years as a martial artist and a human being,” ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong said in a Facebook post.
“I always remember thinking how wise, thoughtful, and selfless she was beyond her years.
“Of course, she was an extraordinary martial arts prodigy even back then, but I could see that she was so much more than that.”
UFC says former fighter Stephan Bonnar, who played a significant role in the UFC’s growth into the dominant promotion in mixed martial arts, has died
Former fighter Stephan Bonnar, who played a significant role in the UFC’s growth into the dominant promotion in mixed martial arts, has died, UFC announced. He was 45.
Bonnar, who was inducted into the UFC’s Hall of Fame in 2013, died Thursday from “presumed heart complications while at work,” according to a statement from UFC on Saturday. No further details were released.
Bonnar, who originally was from Indiana, hadn’t fought in the UFC since 2014, and he went just 8-6 during seven years with the promotion.
He was a contestant in 2005 on the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” the UFC’s long-running reality competition show. He reached the competition’s finale, where he had a spectacular, bloody brawl with Forrest Griffin.
Griffin won the decision, but the viral attention gained by the highly entertaining bout is widely credited with exposing the little-known sport to a larger worldwide audience online and on Spike TV, which broadcast it.
“Stephan Bonnar was one of the most important fighters to ever compete in the Octagon,” UFC president Dana White said in the statement. “His fight with Forrest Griffin changed the sport forever, and he will never be forgotten. The fans loved him, related to him and he always gave them his best. He will be missed.”
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AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports
An MMA spectacular comes to Pula Arena in Croatia.
Press Release –
Jul 28, 2022
PULA, Croatia, July 28, 2022 (Newswire.com)
– It’s been more than 2,000 years since warriors fought for their lives inside such a hallowed monument. But on Saturday, Sept. 3, a new generation of gladiators takes center stage at one of six surviving Roman amphitheaters on the planet.
Fight Nation Championship presents an evening of mixed martial arts at storied Pula Arena that’s destined to go down in MMA history. Six prior pay-per-view promotions and eight events connected to FNC’s “Armagedon” MMA league, all staged throughout Croatia, have paved the way for this unprecedented showcase inside an ancient structure built between 27 BC and AD 68.
The fastest-growing MMA organization in Europe promises a dynamic card of full-contact fighting at FNC 7—including three title contests in the same night.
The heavyweight crown will be on the line when Brazilian Gerônimo dos Santos (44-23-1) steps into the octagon against Ivan Vitasović (10-5-1), the top-ranked heavyweight in the Adriatic region who fights out of Pula. Another fighter out of Pula, Daniel Bazant (6-3-0), will battle Brazilian Iuri Alcântara (36-10-0) for the featherweight title. And a pair of undefeated Croatians, Dani Barbir (4-0-0) and Andi Vrtacic (2-0-0), will square off for the middleweight crown.
Stay tuned to FNC.TV, the official streaming channel of Fight Nation Championship, for pay-per-view details about an evening unlike any in FNC history. Click here for a sneak preview of what’s to come on Sept. 3.
About FNC
Since its launch in 2019, Fight Nation Championship has exploded across the Adriatic region, becoming the fastest-growing mixed martial arts organization in all of Europe. Based in Zagreb, Croatia, FNC boasts a multimedia platform that includes its own streaming channel (FNC.TV) as well as social media engagement across YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Recent FNC events have set regional records, drawing more than a half-million live views—and combined social media views in excess of 5 million.
Media Contact
Drazen Forgy Forgac
President and Co-Founder, Fight Nation Championship
