Issue 101

May 2013

The sport's strangest stories from around the globe.

Veteran boxer Mayorga to make MMA debut (Managua, Nicaragua)

Another boxer is slipping on the 4oz gloves. Former multi-time world champion Ricardo Mayorga is due to make his MMA debut in his home nation of Nicaragua on April 27th. And he’ll do so at the Nicaragua National Football Stadium for Omega MMA, against an opponent unnamed at the time of going to press.

Boxing’s (even more) controversial version of silver-tongued UFC light heavyweight Chael Sonnen, during his career Mayorga was known for relentless trash talk and antics such as smoking in the ring after fights.

This isn’t Mayorga’s first brush with MMA, though. He was due to fight under the Unified Rules in 2010 in the Shine Fights promotion against UFC veteran Din Thomas. However, Don King Productions was granted an injunction against Mayorga, arguing his participation would be a breach of his contract with King.

Road FC opens arena combined with MMA gym (Paju, South Korea)

Korean organization Road FC has executed perhaps one of the greatest concepts in MMA history: the Road FC Coliseum. A combined, dedicated arena and gym, the promotion describes the no-doubt-glorious structure as “the first of its kind” and that it’s “the first time in MMA history that an arena and gym have been purposely built for an MMA promotion.”

Located one and a half hours north of the country’s capital, Seoul, the Coliseum is due to host smaller scale monthly Road FC events, while the company’s larger numbered events will continue to tour the country.

Every MMA training obsessive’s fantasy was, at the time of going to press, due to open in March.

UFC 'will be in South Africa' says UFC exec Garry Cook

The UFC is planning on entering the South African MMA market. Garry Cook, the UFC’s head of Europe, the Middle East and Africa, recently told Fighters Only the company “will be in South Africa” in the future.

South Africa’s largest organization EFC Africa routinely pulls in large viewing figures for its events, something that hasn’t been lost on the UFC. The promotion currently rivals the UFC for profile in South Africa, and Cook was complimentary of the promotion’s achievements.

He said: “As we look at the South African market they’ve (EFC Africa) done a great job of developing fighters, they’ve done a great job of putting on events and they’re now starting to reach out and develop television deals, not only locally in South Africa, but around the globe.”

Cook added: “We will be in South Africa at some point in time. How we get there and when we get there is like everything in our business, it’s the timing and how you apply yourself. You can wish for everything but you can’t execute everything.”