MMA UK BLOG

Hi guys

I hope it has been a good week for you all.

We saw quite a few headlines last week on the state of world boxing, and how the sport is killing itself from within. From the controversy of the Haye v Chisora fight announcement to Mayweather facing 90 days in jail for domestic violence it’s been a busy week if the combat sports world. On Radio 5 Live this week, I heard numerous people call in to say that boxing is in irreversible decline, that interest in the sport will die and that there are no true greats left.

Not true. The 20,000 tickets sold so far at Upton Park for the Haye v Chisora fight (it will quickly be a sellout) suggests that there is still huge appetite for big heavyweight match-ups. The BBA have made a mistake in not sanctioning the fight. Boxing needs big fighters, big bouts, and this fight will be the biggest in the UK for many years. The controversy around David Haye and Derek Chisora is over the top in my opinion as although Chisora acted with disrespect against the Klitchko’s in Germany, and he needs to be a little more mature. However, his confrontation with Haye was nothing more than theatre and showmanship – and it has led to genuine interest around the fight in July. Punters just want to see a good fight, and in my view this fight has the potential to capture the imagination of the British public like no other fight in recent history.

And lack of true greats left in the game? What about Floyd Mayweather? In beating Migeul Cotto last weekend, he has now taken his unbeaten record to 43-0 (also taking in $32 million, the biggest guaranteed purse in boxing history). Whether you like Mayweather the man or not, he is without doubt one of the all time greats and pound for pound, arguably the best in the last 50 years.

MMA has caught up with boxing recently in terms of number of fans, the profile of the fighters and the media exposure around the big fights. However, the demise of boxing as a sport has been way overblown in the press this week, and I for one will be looking forward to Upton Park this summer.

Till next week.

Khalid

As always folks, you can follow all the latest goings on in UK MMA, here at MMA UK Blog and remember to follow us on Twitter @MMAUKBlog

Two Fresh Productions followed world kickboxing champion/businessman turned MMA fighter Khalid Ismail over a period of time. The film looks at his journey so far in the pro MMA world and explores the qualities that are needed to become a future champion.

Khalid is feared for his immense stand up ability, after the horrendous leg break of his second opponent Wayne Brown in a record 7 seconds. The film also explores his world class strength and conditioning training techniques.

One of the films main focuses is Khalid’s passion for MMA and the disciplines needed to succeed at its highest level. His belief in the ancient samurai philosophy of Bushido is one of the many factors that give him the edge over many of his opponents.

2012 will prove to be a big year for Khalid as he recovers from an almost career ending injury suffered to his right bicep. The Lions Den Gym fighter/owner is set to take the world of MMA by storm.

Khalid currently fights for the UKs top promotion UCMMA and has a professional MMA record of 2-0. Some of Khalid’s kickboxing titles are: (WAKO 2005, 2007,2008 British Heavyweight Champion. BASMAA British Champion 1998-2001)

It’s official, It’ll be the Aussies vs The English this September on The Ultimate Fighter.

The rivalry between England and Australia is a fierce one, spreading across Rugby, Cricket and now MMA. The only question now is, who should be the coaches?

The most likely choice for the Australian coach would be George Sotiropoulos, with him being the most prolific Australian fighter on the UFC roster. However, Brad Pickett recently expressed interest in coaching for the show, which I would personally love to see. However, the question then is who would coach opposite One Punch?

Whoever the coaches are, with the animosity between the two countries, the Smashes is bound to produce great fights and must watch TV!

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