On Monday, Masvidal himself announced the co-main event of the bare-knuckle MMA venture: Brok Weaver, former UFC talent, will take on ex-LFA alum Brandon Jenkins. The pair join the previously announced main event of Jason Knight vs. Charles Bennett.

Weaver (16-6) earned his way into the UFC thanks to a 2019 showing on Dana White’s Contender Series. “Chata Tuska” won his octagon debut in February 2020, but not in the fashion he was hoping. Instead, Weaver took home a DQ win thanks to an illegal Rodrigo Vargas upkick. After losing his next two bouts, Weaver was shown the door, though he bounced back with a win at iKon 6 last month.

In 2018, prior to his UFC run, Weaver dabbled in bare knuckle boxing, dropping a decision to Joe Riggs.

Jenkins (14-7) is an LFA veteran most recently fighting for Caged Aggression, with a two-fight win streak under their banner. Interestingly enough, he and Weaver have fought once before, in an amateur contest in 2013. Weaver got the better of his opponent that night.

Gamebred FC sees Masvidal looking back to his roots, to his backyard fighting days, to put a new twist on MMA. Whether it catches hold with fans remains to be seen. The inaugural event for the promotion takes place June 18 in Biloxi, Mississippi, airing live on BKTVApp.com.

The post Gamebred FC Co-Main Event Sees Brok Weaver Take On Brandon Jenkins appeared first on Cageside Press.

Bobo O’Bannon

Exchanging fisticuffs is not the only gig Bobo O’Bannon has going, mind you.

Bobo is a millwright for Georgia Pacific Paper Mill in New Augusta, Mississippi. He does shutdown work and keeps the plant running with regular maintenance of mechanics.

“I work a full-time job and work 14 hour days. There’s been some weeks where we work more than 14 hours a day. But I get off work and work out. Do my sprints, working out, and everything. We’re getting down to the wire. Close to fight time.”

As the fight date approaches, he gets in work before these long shifts. His co-workers are not only aware of his combat career but love his BKFC efforts. All of his co-workers know about his fighting and some were already fans of his fighting before Bobo went to that Mill in New Augusta.

In terms of what lead him specifically towards BKFC, there was a bit of divine intervention, and Brok Weaver getting O’Bannon into bare-knuckle boxing

“That was wild. You’re fixing to agree with me too. Whenever I was sitting my fat butt at work, working overtime watching Brok Weaver fight in this Bare Knuckle fighting, I didn’t know. Man, is this stuff still illegal?… Quite obviously it’s got to be legal with all these people in attendance and being on TV and everything.”

Brok Weaver

Weaver fought Joe Riggs at BKFC 3 back in 2018. “So the next weekend I was at work, and I got with Brok and was like, ‘Bro look; what’s going on, man?’ He said ‘yeah, man. It’s something they just legalized. It’s really cool and I like it’….Here I was 300, 305 pounds sitting at work. Just really wanted to do this. Wanted to get in there and fight his bare-knuckle. That looked like my type of fighting. And so I went and trained.”

“Went to losing weight and getting myself in shape. I got the call from Nate Shook [BKFC matchmaker] around January…Send me a contract, I don’t care who it is. I want to fight this. This is my style of fighting. So anyhow, I signed a contract in January and I weighed 306 pounds on that day on the scale. He said ‘you got to be at least 265’.”

Bobo O’Bannon continued, “So I lost weight and then I ended up cutting, I made 255 I think it was. I lost the better of 50 pounds from January to the first week of April to get ready for that fight. Went in and had a blast.”

“Matter of fact, I hate putting him on the spot like this but whatever, David Feldman comes to me backstage and said ‘I really don’t like you right now. I’m upset with you.’ Sir, you know, I’m sorry, what did I do?. He said ‘You should have told me you were gonna fight like that.”

“There was a couple of fights where I would much rather had y’all on TV instead of some of these other fights. He said ‘I’ve got a heavyset young guy and heavyset older guy. It’s kind of hard to see that and put that on TV as well.’ I said ‘yes, sir. I understand that and I apologize.”

The Feldman anecdote is interesting because it has been a bit of a microcosm of not just Bobo’s BKFC journey but O’Bannon’s life journey overall. In as far as readjusting people’s expectations based on how people perceive him in a surface area way.

A Decent-Sized Fella

“I’ve got to be a hundred percent honest with you here. This has been my entire life. I don’t see this as anything different than every single day in my life. I’m a decent-sized fella… Big old fellas ain’t really that smart. On my job, I’m very very intelligent and I’m very good at what I do…People don’t expect that from me. I’m just a big old strong guy here. He’s got to be the work mule more than anything.”

“And the same thing in the ring. It’s just a big old country boy, you know. Simple old fella. We don’t expect a whole lot from him. That’s fine. I love that. I don’t want you to expect a whole bunch from me. Because I like seeing the look of excitement on your face when you get what I’m giving.”

Bobo has been six feet tall since he was 12. This lead to a self-described lack of coordination as he entered his teens. In his words, he had two left feet where he couldn’t use either one but had an unassailable work ethic in athletic endeavors like baseball.

That aforementioned surprised look was one that perhaps he noticed on the face of brick-fisted MMA veteran Mike Kyle, who O’Bannon dispatched of on the Toe the Line series.

O’Bannon does not shy away from tough challenges as evidenced by stepping up to fight upcoming title challenger Sam Shewmaker on short notice in an effort where he ultimately fell short to The Hillbilly Hammer.

O’Bannon vs Adams

Arnold Adams is an opponent that O’Bannon has familiarity with that goes far beyond just watching tape.

“That would be a real good fight. That would be a real entertaining fight…I know he was the champion. Heck, I helped Chase Sherman get ready for him.  I watched Arnold so I could spar with Chase in the way that Arnold fought. I could mimic Arnold’s style so that Chase could fight against that.”

“Obviously, I did a good job of mimicking him because Chase knew exactly what to expect whenever he got in there. Knew exactly what he needed to do. So you know, in essence, I’ve already prepared for this fight one time. Helping somebody else prepare for it, I did the leg work on finding out everything about it. I already did the work to get ready for it one time. I might as well fight it now.”

Broughton’s Rules hand strengthening is important in BKFC and fighters have a myriad of fist galvanizing tactics.

Muay Thai fighter shin strengthening techniques are something Bobo has applied to his hand strengthening.

Deontay Wilder

“You know what? It don’t matter. Why not? If they’re willing to do the things that I do, I’ll give it to them. I beat my hands. Take a piece of one by two at the house, ball my fist up, and beat my hands. Beat the top of my hands, the backside of my hand, and I will beat my punching knuckles.”

“Beat my fingers and the face of my fist when it’s balled up… It hurts really bad when I ball my fist up to pick something up…Then I’ll take it easy for a little while. No more hard contact to them and just strictly using my gloves.”

O’Bannon repeats that process over the camp to create microscopic fractures. The utility of these fractures is ideally to galvanize the fist via protein and calcium healing over the damage to create a stronger bone.

Bobo O’Bannon is a legit, crafty pugilist who is good with his hands both gloves on and gloves off. There is video out there of Bobo getting in some sparring work with Deontay Wilder, the long-reigning WBC heavyweight champion up until February 2020.

His efforts in Queensberry Rules sparring were on a level where O’Bannon got in work with Wilder for multiple camps (seven or eight paid camps) subsequently.

Whether it’s gloves on, gloves off, or working at the paper mill, do not underestimate what Bobo O’Bannon brings to the table.

Parting thoughts for Bobo O’Bannon

“Healthy 1 Inc… helping us out tremendously. Supplements and workout routines; really, really good…Bee Lit Organics , they’re making organic candles…They’re working on some scrubs to send her…They made specifically for her.”

“For her Fibromyalgia and it’s actually helping my wife. It sincerely is. Some of the bath soaps and different stuff she has, it sincerely helps. So I’m very appreciative of them. If you know anybody with Fibromyalgia, get with the folks at Bee Lit Organics.”

Britton’s Battle is a Go Fund Me page that helps with the medical issues that Bobo O’Bannon’s wife has been going through. If you would like to donate to this cause, you can click the link provided.

The post BKFC 16: Bobo O’Bannon Recalls How Brok Weaver Got Him Into Bare Knuckle appeared first on Cageside Press.

Brok Weaver found a short-notice opponent for UFC Vegas 10 when Jalin Turner stepped up on fight week. Weaver was supposed to take on Frank Camacho, but Camacho tested positive for COVID-19 and was removed from the card. Turner had the same thing happen to him on fight day last week when Thiago Moises tested positive for COVID-19. Circumstances led to Weaver and Turner fighting each other.

Weaver was 1-1 since joining the UFC through the Contender Series heading into this contest. He was coming off a submission loss against Roosevelt Roberts. Turner was 2-2 in the Octagon with a pair of blistering knockouts.

Weaver opened up fast, jumping on Turner immediately, but was soon met with a hard right hand. Turner followed up with a leg kick before Weaver attempted a takedown, Turner responded with a hard knee and stuffing the attempt. Turner landed another hard right followed by a front kick, Weaver went for another takedown but was stuffed. Turner was doing a good job of making Weaver hesitant to throw, with constant feints and kicks to the legs and the mid-section. Turner landed a leg kick, and Weaver responded with two of his own kicks downstairs. Turner sent Weaver flying down with a hard right hook, and Turner jumped on for ground and pound but couldn’t get the finish. Weaver recovered and ended the round going for a takedown.

Weaver looked good coming out for the second round, landing a hard leg kick as he started to find his range. Weaver shot for a takedown but was stuffed, and Turner responded with a hard right hand that backed Weaver up to the fence before landing some brutal body shots. Weaver shot in once again and was again stuffed. Weaver began walking Turner down halfway through the round, landing some hard jabs that started to back Turner back to the fence. Turner continued his body assault and then dropped Weaver with a devastating left hook that seemed to put Weaver out. Turner walked away thinking the fight was over, but Herb Dean let the fight go on, and Turner responded with a combination that sent Weaver down, and Turner swarmed to get the rear-naked-choke finish.

"LET'S ****ING GO!"

🕷 @JalinTurner shines with only days notice!

[ #UFCVegas10 – LIVE on #ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/IJgGmOLu4p

— UFC (@ufc) September 12, 2020

Strange finish aside, a great performance by Jalin Turner, even better when considering how short-notice the fight was.

Jalin Turner def. Brok Weaver by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) in Round 2 (4:20) 

The post UFC Vegas 10 Results: Jalin Turner Dominates, Finishes Brok Weaver appeared first on Cageside Press.

Camacho (22-9) and Weaver (15-5) are expected to face off at a UFC event scheduled for September 12. Although not officially announced, the card is expected to take place in Las Vegas, NV.

The Fight Bananas podcast was first to report news of the booking.

Prior to his loss against Jaynes, Camacho had been submitted by Beneil Dariush at UFC Singapore last October. That leaves the Guam native badly in need of a win next month. Camacho is just 1-4 in his past five bouts, with the lone win coming against Nick Hein, and additional losses to Drew Dober and Geoff Neal.

Upon entering the UFC, Camacho became famous for thrilling, downright nasty wars, earning three consecutive Fight of the Night awards. However, he’s missed weight twice in the promotion, including in the bout against Jaynes.

Brok Weaver (15-5) won his way into the UFC as part of the Contender Series. A Native American, from the MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians, Weaver picked up a win in his octagon debut after being illegally kneed by opponent Rodrigo Vargas. That resulted in the DQ victory. Months later, Weaver was submitted by Roosevelt Roberts at UFC Vegas 1.

Weaver missed weight for the bout, as Camacho did in the Jaynes fight.

Catchweight anyone?

The post UFC: Frank Camacho to Face Brok Weaver on September 12 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Brok Weaver called his UFC Vegas match-up with Roosevelt Roberts his redemption fight. If that was the case, he might have a little more atoning to do. Weaver, a Contender Series alum, missed weight for the fight, coming in 1.5lbs over the lightweight limit. Roberts, who missed weight, was another Contender Series product, who was 3-1 in the promotion entering the night. And he was none too happy about Weaver’s miss at Friday’s face-offs.

The pair threw down inside the UFC Apex on Saturday, with Weaver looking for a second chance to make a first impression. At UFC Rio Rancho earlier this year, Weaver entered the octagon for the first time, earning a win via DQ after absorbing an illegal knee to the head from Rodrigo Vargas.

Roberts opened with a pair of kicks and closed to get the clinch against the cage, where they worked before separating. On the break Roberts landed a nice right, but Weaver got the clinch again and the two worked from the cage before they broke and engaged at center. One big question would be how Brok Weaver’s cardio looked, after what was clearly a rough weight cut. Weaver looked to press the action again, and backing Roberts into the cage where he worked for the clinch. Roberts slipped free. He landed a solid 1-2 combination and followed it up with a kick. Roberts now looked to open up, but Weaver turned up the aggression and pressed Roberts back into the cage again, once more looking to work from the clinch.

Roberts escaped and fired off a leg kick, then followed up with a looping left. But Weaver slipped into range for the clinch by the fence. Roberts revered position and also got the takedown himself. Roberts backed off and Weaver rushed in again, but this time Roberts looked to lock in a guillotine choke. Weaver defended well but gave up his back in the process. The round came to a close with Roberts on Weaver’s back working for a choke.

Roberts couldn’t wait to get back to action and rushed forward to land a combination as the second round opened. Weaver shot for the takedown and Roberts  looked for the choke again only for Weaver to break free. Weaver shot in once more and pushed Roberts into the cage; he almost ate a knee on his way in. Roberts reversed position and worked against the cage, before breaking for a moment before he rushed forward again. This time with a combination that he followed up with a takedown. Roberts worked from half guard and Weaver was defending well, but Roberts was relentless as he transitioned into mount while at the same time working for the choke. Weaver again defended but gave up his back and Roberts locked in the choke and forced the tap. Weaver, at that point, just had no escape.

IT'S DONE.

Roberts squashes the beef w/ a RD 2 RNC! 💪

📺 Keep watching on @ESPN and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/Fs9eFF1qcr

— UFC (@ufc) May 31, 2020

Roberts improved to 10-1 with the win, and has now won two straight inside the octagon.

Official Result: Roosevelt Roberts def. Brok Weaver by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 3:26

The post UFC Vegas Results: Roosevelt Roberts Gets Final Word Against Brok Weaver appeared first on Cageside Press.

On Friday, he missed weight for his fight with Roosevelt Roberts. Weaver came in at 1.5lbs over the non-title lightweight limit of 156lbs. He halted his weight cut, and accepted a 20% fine.

Ouch. It’s been a rough start to Weaver’s UFC career. After winning his way into the UFC on Dana White’s Contender Series, Weaver was paired up with Thomas Gifford in October. Only to be forced to withdraw from the fight. He eventually made his debut at UFC Rio Rancho against Rodrigo Vargas, and had his hand raised in the end.

Only, the win came the worst way possible. Weaver (15-4) was hit with an illegal knee, while he was clearly a downed opponent. He couldn’t continue, and the result was a disqualification for Vargas. A win for Brok Weaver, but not how anyone sees their UFC debut going.

Asked about a rematch with Vargas at the UFC Vegas media day, Weaver threw out his stipulation. “I’ll fight Rodrigo Vargas if they give us Pride rules.”

Pride, the famed Japanese MMA promotion eventually scooped up by UFC parent company Zuffa, was famed for its more liberal approach to attacks on downed fighters. But Pride rules simply don’t exist in North America.

Weaver explained that he felt great going into that first UFC fight. But then, a couple things went wrong. Not the least of which was that knee. “I know the rules, so I don’t protect my face [getting up]. It’s not Pride rules,” he said. “If it was Pride rules, I would be getting up protecting my face, knowing that you can knee me in the face. But it happened and if I get took down this fight, I’m gonna get up the same way. If [Roosevelt Roberts] wants to knee me in the face and give me that win bonus and make me 2-0 in the UFC, I’ll take that win too. I’ll just have to suffer through the headache.”

This bout, however, is one he sees as his redemption fight.  And his real UFC debut.

“I didn’t get to show much [last time],” Weaver said. “So this fight, I’m coming with a little anger. I’ve got to bring that dog out this fight, I’ve got to show the world what I’m made of.”

UFC on ESPN 9 goes down this Saturday, May 30 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, NV. The event airs live on ESPN (TSN in Canada).

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Like it or not, weight-cutting is deeply rooted in mixed martial arts. MMA adopted its weight-cutting from the sport of wrestling, where it is presumed to be very advantageous to be the biggest and strongest in your weight class. Known as the ‘fight before the fight,’ most UFC fighters cut anywhere from 5-25 pounds, with some fighters even in excess of 30 pounds.

Weight-cutting is the ultimate test of discipline and willpower. Many fighters in the sport consider it very unprofessional to miss weight. In this series, we will shine a light on fighters who cut a massive amount of weight, who have missed weight multiple times in the past, who have made weight-class changes, along with how the weight-cut and weigh-in could affect possible upcoming match-ups. Basically, every aspect of weight-cutting and how it affects the fight game.

Gilbert “Durinho” Burns (18-3, MMA, 11-3 UFC)

Lightweight (155lbs): 7-3 (UFC)

Welterweight (170lbs): 4-0 (UFC)

Gilbert Burns has been bouncing between the UFC’s welterweight and lightweight divisions since being brought into the promotion back in 2014. Burns has had a lot more fights and is well known at lightweight but he actually made his UFC debut at welterweight.

The Oliver Aubin-Mercier fight was a real turning point in Gilbert’s weight cutting journey; he was 32 at the time of the bout. Gilbert had outgrown the weight class, but luckily had just as much of a presence in the UFC’s welterweight division. Gilbert is currently undefeated with four wins in the welterweight division. Most recently he KO’d Demian Maia in the first round of the co-main event at UFC Brasilia in March. If Gilbert can get past Former Champion Tyron Woodley at UFC Vegas then he would be just one in a string of fighters recently that have done away with an excessive weight cut and immediately found success.

The post The Weight Cutting Chronicles: UFC Vegas appeared first on Cageside Press.

The May 30 card was originally set to go down on May 23. However, with the UFC finishing its run of three shows in Jacksonville, Florida, the promotion opted to push the date back, in hopes of hosting the show at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission will meet on May 27 to determine whether combat sports in the state will resume. And to determine what events will move forward. The UFC has requested May 30 and June 6 for its first events back in Nevada.

The state’s re-opening was announced earlier this month, and is set to enter its second phase shortly.

In the meantime, among the fights added to the May 30 card are:

• Lightweight: Brok Weaver (15-4) vs. Roosevelt Roberts (9-1) (first reported by the Fight Bananas podcast)
• Flyweight: Tim Elliott (15-10-1) vs. Brandon Royval (10-4) (first reported by MMA Fighting)
• Bantamweight: Casey Kenney (13-2-1) vs. Louis Smolka (16-6) (first reported by MMADNA)
• Bantamweight: Chris Gutierrez (14-3-1) vs. Vince Morales (9-4) (first reported by MMA Fighting)

The UFC’s May 30 card, expected to be a Fight Night event and air on ESPN+, has an anticipated headliner of Tyron Woodley vs. Gilbert Burns.

The post UFC: Tim Elliott, Brok Weaver, Louis Smolka Among Names Added to May 30 Event appeared first on Cageside Press.

Dana White’s Contender Series winner Brok Weaver made his octagon debut at UFC Rio Rancho on Saturday. One of three Contender Series fighters making their debut on the card, Weaver was the only one who had actually won his bout (the others, Shanna Young and Daniel Rodriguez, had been brought in as short-notice replacements).

Welcoming Weaver to the promotion was fellow lightweight Kazula Vargas, who had dropped his own debut last year.

Vargas came out on the attack to open the affair. He connected with a leg kick, but Weaver soon settled down and began moving forward. He had a kick caught, however, and was backed up against the fence, eating some strikes before fighting off a takedown. Vargas would stay on it, putting Weaver on his back. Weaver worked back to the cage, putting his back to it. He tried to wall-walk up, but Vargas had a leg trapped. Weaver, however, then opted to work for a guillotine, and seemed to have it in tight. Vargas looked trapped for a moment, before pulling his head free.

Then, the unthinkable. Vargas connected with an illegal knee on the downed Weaver. The ref immediately ruled it a disqualification, as Brok Weaver was seated when he full-on ate a knee to the head. Vargas had jumped in with some ground strikes before the ref could make the save.

A bittersweet finish — Brok Weaver earned his first UFC win, but certainly not the way he had envisioned.

Official Result: Brok Weaver def. Kazula Vargas by DQ, Round 1, 4:02

The post UFC Rio Rancho Results: Illegal Knee by Kazula Vargas Gives Brok Weaver DQ Win appeared first on Cageside Press.

This week, our panel gives their expectations for the octagon debuts of Brok Weaver, Daniel Rodriguez, and Shanna Young.

Macy Chiasson (5-1) vs. Shanna Young (D) (7-2)

Narrative: Chiasson was originally supposed to take on former flyweight champ Nico Montano, but Nico pulled out due to injury. Chiasson, who lost in her last fight, still has a lot of hype behind her as she’s the TUF Season 28 winner. Looking to not just derail the hype train but to destroy it is Invicta FC veteran Shanna Young. Young did lose this past Summer on the Contender Series but after that, she’s gone 2-1.

Shawn Bitter: Young is the more dynamic fighter but Chiasson seems to have the advantage everywhere. Chiasson is the much bigger and stronger fighter and you can expect her to bully Young in the clinch. Young doesn’t have the wrestling ability to keep Chiasson down long. The best path to victory for Young is to just outpoint Chiasson but that’s easier said than done.

Maz Freedman: Young’s defeat to Sarah Alpar on the Contender Series came as a surprise to many but it’s good to see she’s earned herself another opportunity with the UFC. However, she’s got a tall order ahead going up a weight class against a former Featherweight on less than a week’s notice. Expect Chiasson to use her size, strength, and technique to grab a submission win in this one.

Kristen King: Chiasson may be a bit too much for Shanna Young in her UFC debut. Chiasson has looked like an absolute beast at women’s bantamweight, and despite suffering her first professional defeat in her last outing, I see her returning to her winning ways in emphatic fashion against Young. Young may have a bit of an advantage as far as her quickness goes, considering she may be hard to catch, but I do not see that being much of an issue for Chiasson. Overall, Chiasson just has too many ways to win this fight as she is one of the most well-rounded women on the roster. I predict Chiasson gets Young out within the first-round by way of technical knockout.

Anthony Walker: Chiasson should get her hand raised here. A week’s notice and being considerably out-sized seems like too tall of a hill to climb for Young.

Keith Shillan: Shanna Young gets her UFC debut on just over a week’s notice against former TUF winner, Macy Chiasson. The Knoxville Martial Arts product is the biggest underdog on the card, though there is an avenue for her to be victorious. The ‘Shanimal’ will be moving back up to bantamweight from flyweight when she takes on the much bigger Fortis MMA team member, who won TUF at featherweight. Young is a well-rounded fighter that is a high volume striker. She has fast hands and a large arsenal of kicks. However, her best route to victory is to lean on her former college wrestling experience and take her counterpart down.

In Chiasson’s last fight, which is her lone loss, she emptied the gas tank fairly early in the bout and was taken down by Lina Lansberg. Despite the advantage in the wrestling credentials, I am still going to side with the Louisiana native. She has a massive size advantage and does well to bully her opponents with her strength. Look for Chiasson to grab the clinch and batter the debuting fighter with knees and elbows from close quarters until she can’t take it anymore. Chiasson via second-round TKO.

Marcel Dorff: Chiasson via UD.

Ryan Fortune: Chiasson

Daniel Vreeland: Chiasson

The post UFC Rio Rancho’s Debuting Fighters: How Will Brok Weaver, Daniel Rodriguez, and Shanna Young Fare? appeared first on Cageside Press.