Issue 139

March 2016

A look at some of the quirkier MMA news and stories from all around the world.

Billionaire boys’ club

Wonju, South Korea: Asian promotions love a tournament, but Road FC is about to raise the stakes in 2016 after it announced a billion-won, winner-takes-all knockout competition. And before you raise your eyebrows and assume that’s equivalent to about 150 bucks, it actually works out to a pretty credible $830,000. The organization says it’s torn between the 135lb and 155lb divisions, but expect plenty of unsigned 145lb fighters to throw their hats into the ring for a moneyweight cash grab.

MMA 101

Beirut, Lebanon: A mixed martial arts course will begin this year at The Arts, Sciences and Technology University in Lebanon. Led by the head coach of the Tristar Lebanon gym, Wissam Abi Nader, students will learn the sport’s fundamentals and be graded on their theoretical and historical knowledge as well as their technical ability in sparring.

Thunder in Thuwanna

Yangon, Myanmar: As part of its continuing mission to take its cage to every conceivable territory in Southeast Asia and beyond, One Championship has announced it will make its debut in Burma at the Thuwanna Indoor Stadium in the former capital city of Rangoon this March. It will also venture to the Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam for the first time in June.

Corruption obstruction

Victoria, Australia: Plenty of people made big bucks gambling on Holly Holm at UFC 193, but not customers of Melbourne’s biggest betting company. The Sydney Morning Herald reported the state regulator stopped Tabcorp from taking bets on the event because of a “heightened risk” of match fixing in MMA, which is absurd. And we wouldn’t question ‘The Preacher’s Daughter’s integrity. She’s got a mean left high kick you know. 

The motherland calls

Moscow, Russia: After a successful first two shows, Rizin Fighting Federation could already be about to take its business international. Its first two events only took place in the final few days of 2015, but news agency RIA reported the Japanese promotion’s executive director Nobuyuki Sakakibara has targeted a Russian homecoming show for heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko in 2016. 

83:33:40

All around the world: The total time for the UFC’s 474 fights in 2015 was nearly three-and-a-half days, and took place over 41 events in 32 different cities, across 13 countries and five continents. Phew!