Issue 134

November 2015

Expect the Detroit Pistons to have a little more fight to their play in the new NBA season after UFC Hall of Famer Forrest Griffin joined fighters Stipe Miocic, Kevin Lee, Ryan LaFlare and Aljamain Sterling to put the Eastern Conference outfit’s players through their paces. 

Oslo, Norway: Norwegians evade KO ban

Competitions involving knockouts are illegal in Norway, but the country’s MMA federation has successfully negotiated a special arrangement with the government which allows “technical sparring competitions” called Merkekamper in licensed gyms. 

Northern Ireland, UK: Free MMA summer camp

The Northern Irish government has acknowledged the benefits that mixed martial arts can bring to youths in building positive relationships across divided parts of the community. A pilot MMA summer camp, funded in partnership with the Northern Ireland Youth Forum, allowed youths aged 11-18 to attend for free.

Singapore, Asia: Franklin’s not done yet

Despite his duties as VP of Asia’s market-leading One Championship promotion, UFC middleweight Rich Franklin hasn’t ruled out a return to the Octagon to fulfill the final fight of his Zuffa contract. Speaking to MMA Junkie, the 40-year-old said: “It’s been my goal and dream to fulfill my contract, so it’s still the plan.”

The Far East: 1.14 billion

Dozens of tiny cameras fitted to the cage at Road FC 024 offered free access to the fights to millions of cellphone and home PC users in China. The South Korea-based promotion’s sponsor, Chinese internet giant Qihoo 360, spearheaded the scheme at the event in Tokyo, Japan in July. Thanks to the internet company’s 640 million phone customers, and 500 million home users, Road FC had millions of potential extra eyeballs on its debut event in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Bahrain, Middle East: The prince and MMA

Conor McGregor’s head coach John Kavanagh has been headhunted by His Highness Sheik Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa of Bahrain to train the country’s amateur team. An MMA enthusiast, the prince practices the sport and has been known to corner fighters. He established the national team and MMA Federation as part of his efforts to develop the sport in the Gulf region. He has also signed the IMMAF World Championships’ first two-time gold medalist, Illinois native Jose Torres, to a management contract as he embarks on a pro career in Asia.