The fight revolution continues.
Triad Combat II coming February 2022 🔺🥊#TriadCombat #TrillerFightClub #Triller pic.twitter.com/zE00ksju0K

— Triller Fight Club (@trillerfight) December 21, 2021

Triad Combat will be pitting another former UFC titleholder against Kubrat Pulev in 2022 as Junior dos Santos is expected to enter the triangle next year.  TMZ was first to report the news.  The event will take place in February, although no exact date was announced.

Former UFC champion Junior dos Santos (21-9) is looking to embark on a third chapter of his career after having spent over a decade competing in the Octagon.  A perennially ranked contender for years, “Cigano” is best known for holding the heavyweight title from 2011 to 2012 and facing a who’s who of the top UFC heavyweights in the past decade.  Following his release from the promotion after a four fight skid, dos Santos did not fight in 2021.  It was recently reported by ESPN that he is now being represented by Ali Abdelaziz of Dominance MMA.  Notably, former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov expressed interest in signing him last week to compete as part of Eagle Fighting Championship.

Kubrat Pulev (28-2 in boxing) is best known for having blazed a trail to become one of the top heavyweight contenders of the past decade.  A former WBA and IBF champion, Pulev’s only losses came to heavyweight legend Wladimir Klitschko and British superstar Anthony Joshua.  Last month, Pulev stopped former UFC champion Frank Mir by first round TKO in the main event of the inaugural Triad Combat event.

No bouts for the undercard have been announced at this time.

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Triller has been known for creating the outrageous in a sport where outrageous thrives. Since they began holding boxing events in 2020, they’ve had massive stars such as Mike Tyson, Roy Jones, Jake Paul, and others appear under their Triller Fight Club banner. However after intense criticism of the most recent event, in which 58-year-old Evander Holyfield was steamrolled by ex-UFC champ Vitor Belfort, they’re seemingly out of the boxing business.

However, they are not going to be leaving combat sports at all. The organization recently announced that they are going to be creating a new sport as it attempts to combine boxing and MMA, in what they’re calling “Triad Combat.”

In a press release, Triller co-founder Ryan Kavanaugh stated that the reason behind the sport’s new creation is to take advantage of what he thinks is a dying sport in MMA. Saying: “The UFC is an old sport now. The kids aren’t watching it. The UFC isn’t giving the 18 to 27-year-olds what they want to see. So we’re hopefully bringing something forward that they do want to see.”

The fights will feature gloves in between the size of a boxing and MMA glove and will have fighters face off in a small triangle-sized ring. Hence the name.

The first event has already been set for November 27 in Texas, and it already has some big names attached. Triller has announced that former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir, former boxing title challenger Kubrat Pulev, and current BKFC star Mike Perry will all be featured in separate bouts across the card.

To add to the madness, Triller which notably tries to have musical acts mixed in with their fighting cards, revealed that Metallica will be playing at the first Triad Combat show.

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The ringside view of Jake Paul's TKO. @ESPNRingside pic.twitter.com/YgasSH1Br4

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 18, 2021

When Jake Paul was a teenager on Disney Channel’s Bizaardvark, he likely didn’t imagine that less than a decade later he would become the target of the most dangerous cage fighters on the planet.  Through the galvanization of his multi-million follower fan base and meticulous matchmaking, he has gone from riding the coattails of his older brother’s boxing career to becoming one of the most discussed combat sports athletes in 2021.  His success has been the catalyst for a new niche in the combat sports market, with influencers and older pugilists alike getting in on the immense money to be made by stepping into the boxing ring.  It has also made Paul a double-agent, making him MMA’s public enemy number one inside the ring and an advocate for change in the business outside of it.

“The Problem Child” has played his role perfectly, antagonizing the respected elder statesmen of the fight game while also expanding his brand beyond the Generation Z audience that made him wealthy in the first place.  Saturday is seen as one of the last tests of Paul’s abilities.  It is another MMA fighter, one far more athletically gifted and tremendously more proficient in striking than all of his past opponents combined.  If there is a next step to his boxing career, then it will be his most difficult one.  While he has cashed in on these showcases against MMA fighters, a victory on Sunday could hear his bucket scratch the bottom of the well he has been dipping into.  Fans will want to see him face a true test if he wants their hard earned money for a third time, and that would mean taking on a challenge that a fighter of his experience would usually not be prepared for.

TAGGED HIM! 👊 @TWooodley has power that can knock you off your feet! pic.twitter.com/at68avmoGb

— UFC (@ufc) May 26, 2020

Tyron Woodley is by far the most dangerous threat that Paul will have faced in his young career.  From 2016 to 2019, Woodley was regarded as the best mixed martial arts welterweight on the planet as he claimed the UFC championship and delivered victories over then title-holder Robbie Lawler, perennial contender Stephen Thompson, and current middleweight standout Darren Till.  For those who would put him in the same category as former Paul foe Ben Askren, it can not be overstated that Woodley’s striking is in a completely different stratosphere compared to his former teammate.

Going into Sunday, “The Chosen One” is admittedly at a precarious crossroads.  Consecutive losses to the UFC’s best in reigning champion Kamaru Usman, Colby Covington, Gilbert Burns, and Vicente Luque have brought his once flourishing MMA career to a crashing halt.  It is a valid question to wonder if the wear-and-tear of his career might be catching up to him at his age.  To his credit, he made a brilliant business move in securing the Paul fight at this stage of his career as it is expected to bring in a significant payday even by UFC standards.  That said, it could still be a huge gamble if he comes up short.  While only one of the aforementioned fighters finished him with strikes, Woodley goes into the bout giving up significant height and size which could prove to be the deciding factor.

Movement and shot selection will be the key to a Woodley victory.  He is expected to be the faster fighter, but with larger gloves he must be weary of expending too much energy trying to stop the larger Paul quickly and leaving himself at a deficit later in the fight.  Being able to get in-and-out effectively will be the key to unraveling the more inexperienced YouTuber.  Paul’s size and physicality will be his biggest weapons as he should look tie up Woodley or push the fight toward the corner where he can control the tempo and force the former UFC champion to fight off his heels.

https://twitter.com/ShowtimeBoxing/status/1431734553924804610?s=20

A Jake Paul victory would lead to an intriguing situation.  He is too famous to fight the more anonymous up-and-comers that would be regarded as his equals in terms of fights and experience.  That said, the stage appears to be set for Paul to face Tommy Fury, the younger half-brother of heavyweight superstar Tyson Fury, who fights on Sunday’s undercard.  Should the two be matched up, ideally on the undercard of the elder Fury, it would be the kind of fight to truly push Paul from boxing sideshow to a must-watch prospect.  A Woodley victory would halt the momentum of Paul, to the point that a one-sided loss could lead to Paul not invoking his rematch clause.  Both men in that scenario would move on with their share of volunteers for bouts, though Paul’s drawing power is likely to be diminished.

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The Triller boxing event on September 11 is being bolstered by some major star power as UFC legends Tito Ortiz and Anderson Silva are set to meet on the undercard of the Oscar De La Hoya vs Vitor Belfort event.  MMA Fighting was first to report the news.

BREAKING: A boxing match between former UFC champions Anderson Silva and Tito Ortiz is targeted for Triller event on Sept. 11, multiple sources told myself and @DamonMartin. Story coming to @MMAFighting.

— Guilherme Cruz (@guicruzzz) August 11, 2021

Former champion Tito Ortiz returns to competition for the first time in over two years and will be making his professional boxing debut.  Ortiz is best-known for being one of the biggest MMA stars of the 2000’s due to his pro-wrestling approach to promoting his fights and his battles with Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Belfort, and other stars from the time.  He goes into the fight on a three fight win-streak in MMA in as many different promotions with stoppages over Chael Sonnen (Bellator), Chuck Liddell (Golden Boy MMA), and Alberto Rodriguez (Combate Americas).  Previously the holder of the record for most UFC title defenses in light-heavyweight history, Ortiz notably also had a public falling out with headliner De La Hoya following the Golden Boy MMA event.

Anderson Silva will be competing in boxing for the third time in his career and is coming off a rousing victory over former boxing champion Julio Caesar Chavez Jr back in June.  Silva recently parted ways with the UFC after more than a decade with the promotion where he set numerous records en route to being regarded one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all-time.  Silva had previously been connected to rumors of a bout with social media celebrity Logan Paul, though discussions never reached serious levels.

More details on the undercard have not been announced.  The event is scheduled to take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on September. 11.

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What started as a request for assistance has become a major talking point in the ongoing discussion about fighter pay.  UFC bantamweight Sarah Alpar posted on her Instagram that she sought financial assistance for her career as a full-time fighter and in less than a week has received far surpassed her goal with help from generous donors.

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CQoRKBHnuPG/?utm_medium=share_sheet

Alpar posted the video on June 27 where she said that her GoFundMe would go towards helping her with travel, gym fees, and buying food.  “Too Sweet” is currently 9-5 and defeated Shana Young on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2019.  She lost her UFC debut last year against Jessica-Rose Clark.  Alpar had two consecutive opponents fall out in May before eventually being scheduled to face Erin Blanchfield on August 18.  Alpar originally set a goal for $1k by July which was quickly broken.  As of this writing, her GoFundMe sits at roughly $35k over an increased goal of $30,000 by December 1.

As her video made the rounds on Twitter and Instagram, social media star turned pugilist Jake Paul spoke out against the UFC to say that it was not right that a fighter should need to crowd fund for their career and compared it to how a professional in another league in the NBA would not be left in such a position despite being new to their company as well.  Paul also made a contribution to Alpar, donating $5,000.

SMH… Imagine a rookie in the NBA had to start a GoFundMe to play..

I let Sarah @TOOSWEET_Alpar know she has my support and contribution

It’s my honor and privilege to help fellow fighters in anyway I can🙏🏼https://t.co/XvDHOwoN6Q

— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) June 30, 2021

On Wednesday, Triller Fight Club made a donation of $25,000.  Triller, which promoted Paul’s last two boxing bouts, said in statement from chief business officer Peter Kahn:

“We are honored to help Sarah as she continues her march towards becoming a world champion. Sarah and many underpaid UFC fighters are starting at a disadvantage when they have to work multiple other jobs while putting their bodies and brains through the most rigorous training one could imagine. It’s sad to see such talented fighters making less than the UFC ring/round card girls.”

Paul has spoken out in recent months against the UFC to say that the promotion was underpaying fighters.  Triller attempted to make a fight between Oscar De La Hoya and UFC Hall-of-Famer Georges St-Pierre.  The UFC did not approve of the deal as St-Pierre is still under contract despite having been retired for several years.  UFC President Dana White refuted Paul’s claims and said that he has cut off communication with Triller and that they should focus on their own roster and not his.

Currently, Paul is signed with Showtime and is scheduled to face former UFC champion Tyron Woodley.  Woodley’s contract expired following his fight against Vicente Luque this past March and he has not re-signed with the company, although he did return to work at the analyst desk.

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From “The Real Tarzann” to “The Golden Boy,” Vitor Belfort will be getting a step up in assignment as he is scheduled to box former champion Oscar de la Hoya on September 11 for Triller.  The Athletic was first to report the news.  The card is expected to be a culmination of a weekend long event featuring several musical acts and other attractions leading up to the fight.

Belfort was previously scheduled to box social media star Mike Holston, aka “The Real Tarzann”, this Saturday but the removal of headliner Teofimo Lopez due to COVID-19 led to the entire event being rescheduled.  Now, Triller is moving forward and booked Belfort against the longtime boxing champion.

“The Phenom” has not fought since a loss to Lyoto Machida back in 2018 which marked the last fight on his UFC contract.  At the time, Belfort announced his retirement from the sport before coming back a year later to say he would fight for ONE Championship.  While his deal expired before he competed for the promotion, he would later make headlines again for rumors of a boxing bout for Triller.

Oscar De La Hoya will be competing again for the first time in over ten years and at the startling age of 48.  The Olympic gold medalist is best known for being one of the most popular boxers of the 90’s and early 2000’s behind signature victories over Fernando Vargas, Pernell Whittaker, Julio Caesar Chavez, and others.  He also participated in high profile pay-per-view events against Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, and Shane Mosley.  De La Hoya last fought in 2008 where he was dominated by Manny Pacquiao and the fight was stopped in the eighth round.

Belfort is best known for his time in the UFC where he won the UFC 12 tournament in 1997 at the age of 19.  “The Phenom” would have three stints in the UFC, winning and losing the light heavyweight title in 2004 and having fights with Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, and Randy Couture.  Belfort would return to the UFC again in 2009, challenging Anderson Silva, Jon Jones, and Chris Weidman for their respective titles at the time and scoring victories over Anthony Johnson and future champions Luke Rockhold and Michael Bisping.  Belfort will enter the bout with De La Hoya at 44 years old.

No details on the undercard were announced.  The all-day music festivals on Saturday and Sunday will feature performances by Swizz Beats, Timbaland, and a rap battle for the series Verzuz.

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How can you blame the combat sports world?  After Ben Askren pocketed at minimum $500k in coming out of retirement against a 2-0 boxer, it only makes sense that everyone within striking distance of Jake Paul’s weight class threw their hat in the ring for a shot at a payday and the chance to play the foil against boxing’s latest bad boy.

There are two things to keep in mind.  First, Paul has plenty of options that don’t involve a current MMA fighter at all.  Burgeoning 5-0 professional Tommy Fury, the younger brother of heavyweight boxing superstar Tyson Fury, stands out as a perfect example of a boxer who is a frontrunner for the next fight.  Secondly, promoters who have a candidate to face Paul now see how lucrative the events are and may seek a piece of the pie before loaning one of their assets to the spectacle.  This could well affect negotiations that before now have been easy.

For now, let’s look at the top options from the world of MMA who have the best chance at booking a payday against Jake Paul.

The post Which MMA Fighter Could Be Next for Jake Paul? appeared first on Cageside Press.

The April 17 boxing event headlined by former Bellator and ONE Championship welterweight champion Ben Askren and internet sensation Jake Paul is starting to be finalized as the musical acts and broadcast team has been announced.  As is expected from Triller boxing events, the fights themselves are only part of the attraction as musical performances are also part of the pay-per-view broadcasts.

Earlier in the week, it was announced that a group featuring Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Too $hort and E-40 would be part of the festivities.  The night will also feature performances from Justin Bieber, The Black Keys, Doja Cat, Mt. Westmore, Saweetie, Diplo, and Major Lazer.  If the first Triller event is any indication, it is expected that all the artists will perform multiple songs from their catalog in-between the bouts throughout the night.

It was recently announced that the broadcast team will see the return of Snoop Dogg to the commentary booth.  Anchoring the play-by-play action will be veteran boxing experts Al Bernstein, Mike Coppinger, and Ray Flores.  The boxing pundits will be joined by several entertainers in SNL veteran Pete Davidson, TikTok stars Dixie and Charlie D’Amelio, and Victoria’s Secret Angel Taylor Hill.

The main event has drawn the intrigue of the combat sports world as it awaits to see if the younger and faster Paul can overcome the older and previously grappling focused Askren in a pure boxing match.  Furthermore, the card will see former UFC champion Frank Mir take on Steve Cunningham.

The current fight card is as follows with possible preliminary bouts to be announced:

Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren
Regis Prograis vs. Ivan Redkach
Steve Cunningham vs. Frank Mir
Joe Fournier vs. Reykon (Music Artist)

The post New Details for Askren vs. Paul Broadcast Team Announced appeared first on Cageside Press.

By now you’ve probably heard that social media personality Jake Paul is taking aim at several of the stars of mixed martial arts.  If rumors are to be believed, he plans to take aim at former Bellator and ONE Championship title holder Ben Askren, then Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu bad boy Dillon Danis, and finally will step into the ring with UFC superstar Conor McGregor.

@dillondanis Do you have a car? 😂 pic.twitter.com/yp19cga44X

— Brendan Schaub (@BrendanSchaub) December 17, 2020

His efforts have been called everything from creative to cringe, but there is one thing that they are unanimously considered: successful.  Paul has turned approximately five minutes of boxing on the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr undercard into a wave of interest in the business of celebrity boxing.  The event was such a huge success that the media company Triller has already announced the formation of a new league that will not only feature former athletes but also stars from the realm of social media and other entertainment to compete in their athletic events.  Furthermore, even pay-per-view megastar and boxing legend Floyd Mayweather is getting in on the action as he is set to face Paul’s older brother Logan in a special pay-per-view event in February.

Of course, forays into the world of boxing for big pay days are nothing new in combat sports.  Technically speaking, Conor McGregor’s bout with Floyd Mayweather three years ago was essentially celebrity boxing on the highest of levels.  MMA legend Cris Cyborg has long flirted with the idea of facing a big name opponent in boxing after achieving everything possible in the cage.  Finally, even Paige VanZant joining the world of bare knuckle boxing for a lucrative contract is considered a level of celebrity pugilism.

But the world of celebrity boxing goes back even further.  Though public figures have entered the squared circle with different levels of experience, getting in the ring to build one’s brand is a tried and true concept that pre-dates the social media age.  To that effect, it has also seen some of the craziest turns of events and controversial figures participate.

Perhaps the participant with the most infamous celebrity boxing incident is former baseball player Jose Canseco.  The two-time champion and six-time All Star tried his hand at boxing and even fought MMA in facing Hong Man Choi in the Japanese organization DREAM.  Notably, he competed not only in exhibitions but also in sanctioned bouts that did not all go his way.  But no turn of events tops an incident in 2011 where Canseco signed to compete at a celebrity boxing match in Florida for promoter Damon Feldman.  Canseco was paid in advance, but come fight night sent out his twin brother Ozzie to compete.  Fans immediately recognized the bait-and-switch as Ozzie did not have the familiar tattoos of Jose and were understandably outraged.  It was not the first instance of a switch being pulled by the brothers as Jose was known for having his brother Ozzie appear in his place for autograph signings in the past.

While there are many examples of celebrities who entered the ring as a way to return to the spotlight, it is not unheard of for stars on the rise to give it a go as well.  In 2010, a young socialite by the name of Kim Kardashian entered the ring for a charity boxing match along with other members of her family.  Winners bid at auction for a shot at throwing punches with the reality TV stars, and the centerpiece of the event was Kim getting into the ring herself.  As documented in their reality show Keeping Up with the Kardashians, the auction winners were gleefully aggressive with the family and had no issue landing solid punches during their allotted time.  Today, Kardashian-West’s social media empire and bar-setting reality show are bigger than ever and the idea of taking punches for any amount of money is firmly in the rear-view.

The participants in celebrity boxing come from far-and-wide, with names everywhere from Kardashian to Vanilla Ice.  A common thread and appeal, however, is that it is celebrities who can cash in on the public’s desire to see them humbled in the ring.  Perhaps no public figure has taken this approach to become successful in celebrity boxing more than former Olympic ice-skater Tonya Harding.  In 1994, an acquaintance of Harding infamously assaulted her Team USA teammate Nancy Kerrigan in a moment that captured the world’s attention.  Harding would later accept a plea bargain for hindering the prosecution of the case, and her ex-husband was found to have orchestrated the attack. That did not stop the public from condemning Harding as the mastermind behind the entire incident.

Banned from skating and looking for a way to make a living, Harding soon found herself in the ring.  As you can imagine, the desire to see the former Olympian receive a pugilistic comeuppance for one of the most infamous moments in sports history made her an instant attraction.  Though her stint was rather short-lived, it served to keep her in the public eye and led to a consistent role in giving her takes on viral videos on TruTV.

Going into 2021, celebrity boxing is set to go from grainy film on YouTube to being streamed worldwide in 4K High Definition.  Once considered a sideshow, recent success has seen that the audience for the right match-ups and events can earn revenue and sell pay-per-views on par with some of the biggest combat sport stars of today.  At a time when seemingly anyone can build a following on the internet, it isn’t a stretch to believe that this is only the beginning of more stars jumping into the realm of celebrity combat on the biggest stage.

The post Celebrity Boxing: Some History as the Next Wave Rolls In appeared first on Cageside Press.

On the heels of the highly successful Tyson vs Jones pay-per-view event on Saturday, Triller and platinum selling recording-artist Snoop Dogg have announced “The Fight Club” boxing league.  A press release announced that the league, whose event on Saturday was their first, would continue to hold events featuring stars from social media, professional sports, and music artists.

Per the release:

“The epic event was one of the most-watched fights of all time, garnering hundreds of millions of views across the globe. The series will be a trailblazer in connecting celebrities from various backgrounds, from breakout social media stars and professional athletes renowned for their athletic abilities to celebrated musicians and well-known actors and other stars willing to tackle a new venture and enter the world of boxing, as well as pro boxers making their way up. “The Fight Club” will feature a never-before-seen production quality and element, as showcased this weekend in the Tyson Jones event.”

Saturday’s event, that has reportedly done over a million pay-per-view buys, stood out amongst traditional combat sports events in that the broadcast heavily featured lengthy musical acts in-between matches and had an eclectic broadcast team.  While unconventional, the musical acts were praised for both the performances and production values that made for a unique event.

The release went on to say that events like Saturday’s were expected be the norm, stating:

“Inspired by the wild success of Saturday night’s event, “The Fight Club” fights will follow professional boxing rules and feature various sources of entertainment. With award-winning musical artists taking the stage to deliver show-stopping performances, as well as celebrity guests and commentators, the events will continue to be of the highest-caliber production.”

Mike Tyson frequently spoke in the lead-up to the event that while his future inside the ring in the league may be short-lived, the purpose was to give athletes past their prime a platform to continue performing for a fan base that still wished to see them display their skills.  Following the success on Saturday, there has already been talk of future potential bouts such as a fight between Tyson and former foe Evander Holyfield or a boxing bout with former UFC champion Anderson Silva and Roy Jones Jr.

Ryan Kavanaugh, the Principal of Proxima (the company that produced Saturday’s event and is owned by Triller) and the co-founder of the “The Fight Club” said:

“Up until this weekend, boxing was about the experience of one small group of elite individuals who attended the fight in person. What we wanted to create with the Tyson vs. Jones event was an experience for all of the viewers at home, combining the highest-end production and lighting and a production quality never before brought to a fight. Today marks a paradigm shift as Triller and Proxima’s ‘The Fight Club’ dedicates itself to delivering top-notch immersive experiences in the comfort of your home.”

Currently, there have been no further events announced from the company.

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