Khabib Nurmagomedov - Combat Sambo Russia

Khabib Nurmagomedov (28-0, 12-0 UFC) last defended his UFC title against Dustin Poirer at UFC 242 and is scheduled to defend his title against Tony Ferguson.

Here is Khabib showing off his ground game in combat Sambo:

Israel Adesanya's Debut

Here is Israel Adesanya fighting James Griffiths at SFC 9 which took place on 3/24/12 in Auckland, New Zealand.

Adesanya fights Yoel Romero at UFC 248 this Saturday.

Rampage Jackson Power Bomb and Finish

Here is Quentin "Rampage" Jackson in his second official pro MMA fight which took place on 5/13/00 at the Huntington Beach Underground Pancrase Organization against Marco Bermudez.

While Bermudez never fought again, he sure does have a cool story. After the fight Rampage would lose a decision to Marvin Eastman before rattling off 8 straight and establish himself as the explosive power phenom he was at the peak of his powers.

Kron Gracie versus Otavio Sousa

Here is Kron Gracie in a gi submission only grappling match against Otavio Sousa at Metamoris 1, which took place on 10/14/12 in Los Angeles, California.

Kron (5-1 MMA) lost his last MMA bout to Cub Swanson last October.
Finish:

Full Bout:

Ronda Rousey Grappling

Here is a clip of Ronda Rousey grappling without a gi.

Mackenzie Dern To Remain At 115

Mackenzie Dern (7-0, 2-0 UFC) came to UFC 224, weighing in 7 pounds over the 116 pound limit. Dern was able to submit Amanda Bobby Cooper in that bout, but several critics voiced their displeasure with Dern missing weight.

The UFC has not yet asked her to move up to the 125 pound flyweight division as of yet, but you can imagine that another miss will result in her moving up permanently.

Dern's submission game is arguably the best at straweight. Her striking is improving, though her striking defense is still lacking.

Here is an example of her skills.

5 Factors to Consider When Choosing a Martial Arts Gym

By Guest Writer James Davis of MMA Station

There’s no denying that learning a martial art provides a ton of different benefits, however one hurdle people often face when starting out is deciding on a gym. This is especially true if you’ve never really been exposed to martial arts before as you might not know what to look out for.

With that in mind, we’ve written this article to provide you with some factors that should be taken into consideration and hopefully get you heading in the right direction. Lets’ get to it.

Factor 1: Qualifications of Instructor and Coaching Team

No matter which martial art you’re planning on taking up, the primary source of information is going to be from the instructor taking the class or running the gym. Therefore, it’s a good idea to have some knowledge on the person behind the class. Who are they? What qualifications do they have? And how long have they been teaching for?

By asking yourself and the gym these sorts of questions, you’ll be able to determine the quality of teaching that will be delivered. Similarly, you could also ask the same sort of questions regarding current students at the gym as this will also be a good indicator of the caliber of your training partners.

Factor 2: Class Schedule

Most martial arts gyms will have a website where you can browse their class schedule. At the end of the day, there’s no point in signing up only to realize you’re going to struggle to make their classes. A lot of the better gyms will have lunch time classes which tend to be popular with people who work in an office and are looking for a way to utilize their lunch break.

The frequency of the classes is an important factor to take into consideration. If you’re looking to get in shape at the same time, attending a class once a week isn’t going to get you very far. With that in mind, see how regularly a class is hosted and assess whether or not this will meet your needs.

Factor 3: Facilities

There’s a couple of aspects to consider when looking at a clubs’ facilities.

The most important is the overall cleanliness of the gym. Due to the nature of martial arts, students tend to be in close proximity to one another in a hot and sweaty environment. This provides the perfect breeding ground for bacteria, meaning that certain skin conditions such as staph infection and ring worm are unfortunately pretty common place among martial artists. Make sure the gym meets a certain standard of cleanliness. Ensure that the mats are clean, rules such as no shoes on the mats are in place, and the overall appearance of the equipment being used is satisfactory.

Next, take a look at what sort of equipment they have to offer, especially for a beginner such as yourself. If you’re attending your first BJJ class, will they have a spare Gi for you to wear? If you’re heading to a Muay Thai class, will they have shin guards, gloves and wraps to lend you?

Factor 4: Ease of Access

One of the key factors that will contribute to your progression in martial arts is dedication and consistency. No matter which martial art you decide to learn, it’s going to be a long, hard process that requires a pretty substantial commitment on your end.

Finding a gym that’s easy to access and doesn’t take too long to get it is extremely important. While the idea of travelling 40-minutes each way to a class may not sound too bad, after a few weeks of this long commute, you may feel otherwise.

If you find a club that you can get to easily, you’ll stand a much better chance of staying committed and attending a class on a regular basis, which of course will allow you to improve quicker and reach your goals.

Factor 5: Range of Disciplines

Are you looking to study one martial arts or multiple? This is a pretty important question that will allow you to determine which gym is right for you. I used to attend Evolve Martial Arts Academy in Singapore, which at the time offered an incredible range of disciplines that really opened my eyes to what I enjoyed and what I didn’t enjoy.

Across 7 days, they offered Muay Thai, Boxing, BJJ, No Gi BJJ, MMA and Wrestling. I didn’t want to spread myself too thin, however I found a love for striking martial arts, something I hadn’t yet experienced.

While Evolve offers a pretty ridiculous range of disciplines, a lot of clubs will often teach two disciplines that go hand in hand. For example, a BJJ gym may also have MMA classes on as as well, in order to make their students more rounded fighters and better prepared for real life situations.

As I mentioned earlier, take a look at the gyms schedule and see what sort of classes they have to offer and whether or not they are something that you could be interested in. Even if you’re not immediately drawn to them, you may find yourself loving a completely new discipline, which is something I’m glad to have experienced.

Final Thoughts

With all this said, the best way to determine whether or not a martial arts gym is right for you is just to head down there for a class. The vast majority of gyms I’ve attended have a free trial class, which will allow you to determine whether or not it’s right for you, without having to make any financial commitment.

Pair this with some of the factors that we’ve discussed in this article, and you’ll stand the best chance of finding a gym you’ll be happy with for years to come.

Thanks for taking the time to read our article, if you’ve got any questions, feel free to comment down below.

Igor Vovchanchyn MMA Legend

Igor "Ice Cold" Vovchanchyn (47-9) is one of the most devastating strikers in hand to hand combat history. His record more likely has another 20 or so NHB, no holds barred, and MMA fights in bouts that weren't sanctioned or reported. Prior to and during his MMA career, Igor also kickboxed in Russia, becoming Russia's kickboxing champion. Most databases have Igor's kickboxing record listed at (58-2).

The 5'8" spark plug threw heavy leather and never backed down from heavyweights who often towered over him. Sherdog has him listed as having the most KO victories in 95' and 96' during a time when many fights had few rules, long time limits, no gloves and meager paydays.

Igor debuted in mma in 1995, winning 4 fights in one day at the IAFC 1, in Moscow, Russia. It is unclear if he won that event, as another heavyweight had 4 wins on the 28 bout fight card. Igor won other tournaments including MSG 96', DNRF, IFC 1, IAFC 3, and World Vale Tudo Championship 5.

In WVTC 5, Igor KO'd all three opponents, and in the finale, KO'd Nick Nutter with a knee in 14 seconds, Nutter's last fight of his career. At this point, Igor was (23-1-1) and began his epic Pride Fighting career, becoming known for his knockout power.

Igor started off with a bang in Pride, knocking out Gary Goodridge with some nasty punches. Goodridge was a crowd favorite in that fight, making the victory at Pride 4 even sweeter. Igor spent the rest of his mma career fighting primarily in Japan, notably winning over Mark Kerr, Kazushi Sakuraba, Yuki Kondo, Gilbert Yvel, Valentijn Overeem, Enson Inoue, and Dan Bobish. He holds one of the nastiest KO wins in mma history over Francisco Bueno at Pride 8.

Kazushi Sakuraba - MMA Legend

Kazushi Sakuraba - By the MMA Blaster

The extremely entertaining Kazushi Sakuraba (26-17) appears to have retired from MMA for good, after dropping his last five bouts which were well after his prime.  Sakuraba was the face of Pride during its early days, eventually handing off the reigns to Fedor and Wanderlei Silva. Sakuraba will return for a grappling match against Dan Henderson at Rizen FF 7 in Japan.

Sakuraba's skills inside the ring were legendary, improvising kicks, punches, submissions, and passes that had never been seen before. Watching Sakuraba put his body on the line time and time again was something of beauty. Weighing 183 pounds, and sometimes less, he usually faced opponents with a considerable size, reach and strength advantage.

Sakuraba started as an amateur wrestler, wrestling in college and eventually placing fourth in the Japan championship. After graduating, Sakuraba started his career in professional wrestling and began to get schooled in catch wrestling.

Sakuraba was placed in the UFC Japan tournament only after another Japanese pro wrestler was injured. In his first bout with Marcus Silveira (6-4) John McCarthy incorrectly stopped the bout and reversed his call. The match was repeated for the championship and Sakuraba won via arm bar to be one of the last UFC tournament champs.

Sakuraba entered Pride and posted an armbar victory over Vernon White in his first fight. His second Pride fight was one of the best grappling displays ever in an MMA match against Carlos Newton (UFC WW champ) which Sakuraba eventually won via kneebar.

After a draw with Allen Goes , Sakuraba dominated Vitor Belfort (UFC LHW champ) with leg kick after leg kick and crazy guard passes for an innovative decision victory. He beat Royce Gracie (3X UFC Tournament Champ) in an unlimited time match in the 6th round. That fight single handedly erased much of the Royce Gracie hype and may have been the best he ever looked.


Sakuraba holds other notable victories over Ebenezer Fontes Braga , Anthony Macias, Royler Gracie , Guy Mezger (UFC 13 LW Champ), Renzo Gracie , Ryan Gracie , Quentin Jackson (UFC LHW Champ), Kevin Randleman (UFC HW Champ), Ken Shamrock (UFC Superfight Champ), Ikuhisa Minowa, and Masakatsu Funaki (2X King of Pancrase).  Sakuraba's last wins were over Zelg Galesic and former boxer Rubin Williams.

Tai "Bam Bam" Tuivasa v. Brandon Sosoli

Here is up and coming heavyweight prospect Tai "Bam Bam" Tuivasa fighting Brandon Sosoli at AFC 16 which took place in Melbourne, Australia on 6/18/16.

Tuivasa (8-0, 3-0 UFC), a former pro rugby player, currently trains out of the Lions High Performance Centre and has 7 T/KO's in the first round on his resume. His recent decision victory over Andrei Arlovski was his biggest to date, even if some disagreed with the judges. He takes on Junior Dos Santos next at UFC 142.


Tuivasa drank a shoey after he KO'd Cyril Asker at UFC 221.

Strikeforce Slap Game - Daniel Cormier, Mayhem Miller, King Mo

Here's Daniel Cormier, Jason "Mayhem" Miller and Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal playing a slap game before a Strikeforce event.

Frank Shamrock v. Dan Henderson

Here is Dan Henderson in a submission grappling match against Frank Shamrock which took place in Sioux City, Iowa on 10/11/97. The event was billed as wrestling versus martial arts.

Frank Shamrock last took part in a submission grappling match against Kazushi Sakuraba at Rizen MMA which resulted in a draw.

Sage Northcutt Forms

UFC uber prospect Sage Northcutt (11-2, 6-2 UFC) has finished out his current UFC contract and will soon be a free agent. Despite not having the most developed ground game, Sage has looked much improved over his recent three fight win streak.

Ronda Rousey

Here is UFC women's bantamweight champ in a behind the scenes look at her cameo in the coming Entourage movie. After dispatching Miesha Tate and crushing Sara McMann, the UFC star will get some acting work in.


Why are they making an Entourage movie? Your guess is as good as mine. I thought the show had a couple great seasons, a couple mediocre seasons, then got very stale. The Chuck Liddell appearance in the series was one of the better cameo's. Drama got, got.

Wow, video already pulled, I'll guess I'll put a video up of her discussing it. If I were producing an Entourage movie, I'd want as much publicity as possible.

Andy Hug in Full Contact Karate

Most people know the warrior that was Andreas Hug from his epic K-1 kickboxing bouts. Here is an earlier bout from full contact karate. His famous axe kick makes an appearance.

Tony Ferguson Tire Kicks

UFC's top contender at 155 pounds, Tony "El Cucuy" Ferguson (22-3, 12-1 UFC) has won 9 straight UFC bouts since a decision loss to Michael Johnson in 2012. Ferguson was to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 209, but Khabib had to go to the hospital with difficulty cutting weight. Ferguson has some unique training methods, as seen below.

Ferguson will fight Kevin Lee (16-2, 9-2 UFC) at UFC 216.

Marco Ruas – MMA Legend

By new MMA Blaster Contributor Scott Salem


Bad management is why he’s not a household name in the world of mixed martial arts. Bad management is why he never really sold a lot of UFC tickets.

Of course, he could have done both of those things if he had a manager who believed in him.

The mixed martial artist in question is the great Marco Ruas. He had just 15 professional fights and all but one occurred after his 30th birthday.

“I feel mad for that. I wanted to fight more fights.”

His professional record is 9-4-2. His was 4-2 in six UFC bouts.

His shining moment occurred in 1995 when he won the tournament competed at UFC 7: The Brawl in Buffalo. He did so by defeating Larry Cureton, Remco Pardoel, and Paul Varelans.
Ruas made Cureton and Pardoel tap out. He then captured the tournament title with a TKO of Varelans. Varelans is seven inches taller than the 6’1” Ruas and outweighed him by more than a hundred pounds.

In December, at Ultimate Ultimate 1995, Ruas defeated Keith Hackney. At the same event, he lost to Oleg Taktarov via a controversial decision. The two fought nearly a year later but the match ended in a draw.

From there, Ruas had six more pro fights. He won half of them. Two of his three losses occurred to Maurice Smith, once at UFC 21 in July of 1999 and then again at an IFL event in 2007. During the last fight, Ruas was 46.

Born in Rio de Janeiro, Ruas is the founder of Ruas Vale Tudo, a mix of kickboxing and Brazilian submission fighting. While he was admired for his awesome kicking skills, Ruas brought a well-rounded style to MMA during an era when everyone was concentrating on jiu-jitsu.

“I trained everything, a long time before everybody. I trained judo, I trained karate, I trained capoeira, luta livre, jiu-jitsu. I trained everything.”

His professional record may not be as robust as others, but if you include his street fights, estimated to be somewhere between 300 and 1,000 contests, his resume easily enters legendary status.

Regardless of the number, he didn’t just fight on the streets of Rio. He won.

“In the streets, I’m undefeated. Nobody beat me.”

That leads us to his nickname, “King of the Streets.” It’s a clever play on words as Ruas means “streets” in Portuguese, the official language of Brazil.

Quotes taken from MMA Junkie article: “Pioneer Marco Ruas looks back on contribution to MMA, wishes he'd had more UFC fights.” published 12/26/16

Photo Credit: Doug Churchill on location at Emily studio on the Street Scene set. Courtesy of Flickr. Believed to be in the public domain.

Video of the Day - Cro Cop v. Bernardo

Here is Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic kickboxing Mike Bernardo in K-1's, "World Grand Prix '99 Opening Round" which took place on 10/5/99. Mirko would go to the finals of the Grand Prix via three TKO wins, eventually losing to kickboxing legend Ernesto Hoost.

Fedor v. Pedro Rizzo

Here is the end of Fedor Emelianenko fighting Pedro Rizzo at M-1 Global - Fedor v. Rizzo which took place on 6/21/12 in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Fedor (36-4) returns to action against Matt Mitrione at Bellator 180 this Saturday.

Raymond Daniels v Brandon Banda

Here is Raymond Daniels v Brandon Banda in the World Combat League or WCL, which was owned in part by Chuck Norris.