M-1 Challenge: Bennett vs. Garner’s Headline Bout Takes Fight of the Night Heavyweight Duel Ends in Second Round Knockout

Last Friday night’s M-1 Challenge: Bennett vs. Garner event from The Hangar in Costa Mesa, Calif. Not only captured the attention of the crowd and those tuning in to the live telecast on SHOWTIME but also the approval from fight fans around the world. With fighters hitting the canvass from every angle, the card’s Fight of the Night top honour was awarded to the headline bout’s participants: Pat Bennett and Kenny ‘Deuce’ Garner. Garner got the best of Bennett in a tremendous back and forth war that ended via KO at 1:15 of the second round.

Unlike their first meeting back in September of last year at the M-1 Selection Americas tournament, Bennett wasted no time bringing the action to Garner as he connected with a Superman punch that sets off a wild exchange of heavy blows before the men tied up on the ropes. As the big men come apart, it was Bennett who once again landed the better power punches but Garner snuck in a return blast which landed on his opponent’s chin as payback for the early barrage. As the onslaught continued, Garner regained confidence and momentum, landing a nasty, looping right that opened a gash on the left side of Bennett’s head. Refusing to back down, Bennett tied up Garner in the corner to work the foot stomps as a precursor to securing the bout’s first successful take down in the last seconds of round one.

The second frame started off with the same intense action and it was Garner who once again struck first blood, this time connecting with another razor shot that split Bennett’s face on the left side. With Bennett rocked and wobbly, ‘Deuce’ wasted no time going in for the kill, dropping Bennett with a crisp, clipping shot to the chin. With Bennett floored on the canvas, Garner fired off one more right for good measure before referee ‘Big John’ McCarthy dove between them.

The win improves Garner to 7-3
Love to hate him or hate to love him, the Port St. Lucie, Florida and American Top Team fighter, Kenny Garner is making a name for himself; he’s outspoken, versatile, packs lethal one-punch power and a potent submission game. With an affliction for the camera and ‘in your face’ personality, Garner is surprising fans, media and executives at every turn, proving to critics that he’s the ‘real deal’ in M-1’s heavyweight division – Deuce is proving to be a force to reckon with.

Garner has shown time and time again he’s a capable fighter with a deadly arsenal of skills. Eager for a second shot at Europe’s leading mixed martial arts promotion’s Heavyweight Champion Guram Gugenishvili, the remainder of 2011 is shaping up to be a great year for ‘Deuce’.

Garner won the 2010 M-1 Selection Americas Heavyweight tournament with wins over Matt Hopkins, Andre Kapilou and Pat Bennett.

With M-1 Challenge champions established in all five weight classes, a true contenders system will fuel events throughout 2011, driving M-1 Global’s growth as a leading brand in the US and international markets.

2011’s full slate of M-1 Challenge events held in the United States and Europe are primed to be mega-event spectaculars where Champions defend their titles and contenders jockey for position for a coveted shot at the gold. Feeding the contention system will be two Selection tournaments in 2011 with details being announced shortly.

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

No Holds Barred: M-1 Hits A Home Run, Boxing Strikes Out, ADCC and Catch Wrestling On Deck

No Holds Barred: M-1 Hits A Home Run, Boxing Strikes Out, ADCC and Catch Wrestling On Deck

http://nhbnews.podomatic.com/entry/2011-07-11T03_00_36-07_00

On this audio edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the main lessons of the three main combat sports shows televised this weekend in the U.S.

The best of the three was the M-1 Challenge XXVI mixed martial arts card, which took place Friday, July 8, at The Hangar in Costa Mesa, California, and was telecast live on Showtime. In the main event, heavyweight M-1 contender Kenny "Deuce" Garner won by a second-round KO over Pat Bennett. In the co-main event of this card, which had five fights televised, Arthur Guseinov knocked out Tyson Jeffries with a picture-perfect spinning back fist in the first round of their middleweight fight.

The next best show was also on Showtime, but featured boxing. On Saturday, July 9, from Carson, California, Brandon Rios retained his WBA lightweight title with a third-round stoppage of Urbano Antillon in an all-out battle. Also, Carlos Molina upset Kermit Cintron, winning a clear-cut, 10-round unanimous decision in their junior middleweight bout.

The biggest disgrace occurred on the HBO-televised boxing card from Atlantic City, New Jersey, also on July 9. Junior middleweight Paul Williams was given a majority decision victory over Erislandy Lara in a fight which virtually no one except two of the judges thought Williams had won.

We thus discuss the significance of these three shows.

We also comment on some recent developments in grappling, including plans for the 2011 ADCC Submission Fighting World Championships, which take place September 24-25 in Nottingham, England, and the attempts to revive catch-as-catch-can wrestling as a real sport.

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

M-1 Challenge; Pat Bennett vs Kenny ‘Deuce’ Garner LIVE July 8 on SHOWTIME® at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast)

All 10 fighters competing in tomorrow/Friday’s M-1 Challenge event at The Hangar at OC Fair & Event Center in Orange County, Calif., weighed in on Thursday at Hooters in Costa Mesa. Friday’s five-fight telecast will air LIVE on SHOWTIME® at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

The main event will feature a rematch between the 2010 M-1 Selection Americas Tournament heavyweight finalists Pat Bennett (4-2), of Marcellus, N.Y., and Kenny ‘Deuce’ Garner (6-3), of Port St. Lucie, Fla. Garner won the first bout in September of 2010 via first round TKO (punches).

In a featured bout, 2010 M-1 Selection Americas middleweight tournament winner Tyson ‘The Anti-Hero’ Jeffries (7-4), of Troutdale, Ore., will face feared Russian striker Arthur Guseinov (7-2). As a marquee middleweight (185 Lbs.) bout, the clash sets the stage for Jeffries to battle back into title contention after suffering a crushing defeat against the division’s newly crowned M-1

Challenge middleweight champ Magomed Sultanakhmedov.

In other featured fights, Mairbek Taisumov (14-3), of Austria, will square off with Josh Bacallao (6-2, 1 NC), of Lakeland, Fla., at lightweight and Daniel Weichel (26-7), of Germany, will face Beau Baker (8-4), of Harrisonburg, Va., in another lightweight matchup.

In the opening bout of the evening, American military hero Jason Norwood (11-2), of Fort Still, Okla., will fight Tucson, Arizona’s Eddie Arizmendi (14-2), who hasn’t lost a fight in three years.

PAT BENNETT:
“I want it bad. I feel lucky to get rematch and the opportunity to get this one back. He’s the type of dude that if you give him an inch, he’ll take a mile.
“I know Kenny - he’s a brawler and if doesn’t land then he’ll get in the clinch. I’m ready. I have an answer for everything he brings me.
“My dream path would be to get my two losses back. I’ll be happy if I beat Kenny.
“Deep down, I think he knows I’m a much better fighter than I showed in our last fight. Every heavyweight has knockout power – that’s just a fact of being a heavyweight. It doesn’t matter who you’re fighting, you just have to keep your hands up.”

KENNY GARNER:
“You know I beat people’s brains out? The must mean I left some last time that I need to take care of.”
“I fought him and beat him so fast that I don’t think he knows what happened.
“I got bigger, stronger and faster since we fought. If he’s looking at our last fight then he’s in trouble because I’ve gotten a lot better since then.
“I’m a born and bred wrestler, but I’d rather punch you in your face. My wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu is good but I’ve never really had to use it.
“As soon as I connect, start counting. I’ll end the fight in six punches.”
ARTHUR GUSEINOV:

“It doesn’t mean much that I beat (Magomed) Sultanakhmedov and that he beat Jeffries in his last fight. Whatever happens in the fight will happen. I just need to fight my fight and do what works for me.
“I had a good training camp and I’m ready to get back in there and get a win.”

TYSON JEFFRIES:
“I’m going to take whatever he gives me. If a spot is there to take him down I will.
“This would be a big win for me. A finish would be awesome, points are a little boring, but a win is a win.
"He’s kind of wild so I have to watch out for any crazy punches.
“I sparred with Rampage Jackson for his fight with Lyoto Machida and he had zero takedowns against me.”

MAIRBEK TAISUMOV:
“My background is freestyle wrestling but I can adjust to my opponent.
“I respect all fighters. His background is also freestyle wrestling, and he also has good standup. He’s a complete fighter but I’m here to try to win. We will see.”
“In Austria, I train people ranging from 6 years old up to 72 years old. Everyone loves MMA in Austria.”

JOSH BACALLO:
“I think he’s a good fighter, a tough kid. I think he’ll try and do the same thing he always does, throw his right hand. I know what I’m up against.
“I’m not worried about being submitted. I’m sure he’ll keep trying to stand up.
“I enjoy striking and boxing but I’m not scared to fight on the ground. I enjoy the clinch.”

DANIEL WEICHEL:
“I’m a wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist. The last three months I’ve been training a lot on my striking and I feel really good about it.
“It’s a different style of opponent – I’ve known about it for about four weeks. I’ve just had to switch the game plan a little bit. I’m prepared for him and have a good game plan.
“My MMA skills are getting more well-rounded. MMA is getting much more popular in Germany.”

BEAU BAKER:
“I’ve been working with a striking coach so we’ve improved a lot on our striking in the last few weeks.
"I’ll take anyone on short notice. You don’t get anywhere waiting for opponents. But this one I had a lot of time to prepare for.
“I’m my own trainer so you need to be self motivated. It can get difficult but you still have to dial in and get it done.
“I think Weichel is getting more and more confident in his striking, but he’s not a super striker. I know he’s a good ground guy as well. I need to surprise him.”

JASON NORWOOD:
“We’ve been working on our boxing and being more active.
“I’ve been training and sparring with Tim Kennedy. I’ve learned a lot.”
“He talks a good game but I don’t think he’s been tested. And he’s never been victorious against a fighter of my caliber.
“Fighting in a cage is like a war. Getting your face kicked in isn’t fun.”

EDDIE ARIZMENDI:
“I’m looking to knock him out. I think after I hit him he won’t want to stand with me.
“I started out at 225 so it’s a lot of weight to cut. I haven’t fought at 185 since 2009.
“I like finishing fights in general – TKO, submissions, but if I had to choose I’d take a TKO or a KO.
“It’s not weird fighting a military guy like Jason. Business is business.
“I haven’t lost in three years and I’ve learned a lot since then. “

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

No Holds Barred: Eric Nicholl Previews M-1 Challenge XXVI: Bennett vs. Garner‏

On this audio edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Eric Nicholl of M-1 Global (http://www.m-1global.com) about their next show, M-1 Challenge XXVI: Bennett vs. Garner.

This show takes place this Friday, July 8, at The Hangar in Costa Mesa, California. The five main fights on this card will be telecast live on Showtime. Outside North America, this card will be available on Internet pay-per-view for under €3/ $5 USD on AllBoxing.tv (http://allboxing.tv/en/content/m-1-challenge-xxvi-bennet-vs-garner).

The main event features a rematch between the 2010 M-1 Selection Americas Tournament heavyweight finalists, Pat Bennett (4-2) and Kenny "Deuce" Garner (6-3). In their first fight last September, the colorful Garner won by a first-round TKO over Bennett, who was a Div. III All-American wrestler at SUNY Brockport.

The co-main event pits 2010 M-1 Selection Americas middleweight tournament winner Tyson "The Anti-Hero" Jeffries (7-5) of Team Quest against Russian striker Arthur Guseinov (7-2) in a middleweight bout. The streamed card also features a lightweight fight between German submission specialist Daniel Weichel (26-7) and former NCAA Division I collegiate wrestler Beau "Blackjack" Baker (8-4); a fight between European lightweight Mairbek "Beckan" Taisumov (14-3) and Josh "Iron Heart" Bacallao (6-3); and a middleweight fight between U.S. Army Captain "G.I. " Jason Norwood (11-2) and Eddie "Crazy Face" Arizmendi (14-4) to kick off the telecast.

http://nhbnews.podomatic.com/entry/2011-07-06T21_38_45-07_00

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

No Holds Barred: Kenny "Deuce" Garner‏; Bellator 46, the Don King-promoted boxing card on HBO featuring the return of Devon Alexander

No Holds Barred: Kenny "Deuce" Garner; On this audio edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with heavyweight mixed martial arts fighter Kenny "Deuce" GarnerYou can play or download No Holds Barred at
http://nhbnews.podomatic.com/entry/2011-06-22T19_24_59-07_00.

Fighting out of American Top Team in Port St. Lucie, Florida, the
exciting, colorful, and outspoken "Deuce" will be fighting in the main
event of the M-1 Challenge card on Friday, July 8, at The Hangar in
Costa Mesa, California. His opponent will be Pat Bennett, the Team
Bombsquad fighter whom Garner defeated by first-round TKO in the 2010
M-1 Selection Americas tournament final on September 18. This card
will be televised live in the U.S. on Showtime.

Both fighters in this main event have claimed that they are much
improved since their first meeting. In this interview, recorded by
phone on Tuesday afternoon, Kenny "Deuce" Garner vowed to end this
rematch victoriously, and again in the first round. He discussed his
subsequent loss to unbeaten M-1 heavyweight champion Guram
Gugenishvili, and why he believes that he will defeat Guram if and
when they meet again. He outlined the improvements he has made of late
in both grappling and striking, at what weight we can expect to see
him fight this time, and much more.

Plus, we open with a brief preview of some of the combat sports action
coming up this weekend, including Bellator 46, the Don King-promoted
boxing card on HBO featuring the return of Devon Alexander, the U.S.
Pankration National Championships and World Team Trials, and the U.S.
Sumo Open.





EL Boxing Empress See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time. EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress" Keisha Morrisey- Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved