On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with the Long Island, New York-based martial artist and former MMA fighter Luke Cummo.

We spoke with Luke Cummo by Skype Tuesday.

It would not do justice to the unique and highly passionate style and commentary used in the remarks of the always colorful and outspoken Luke Cummo merely to quote them. They have to be heard, read, and seen to be understood properly. He has already been posting online critiques of the violence and the dangers inherent in the sport which earned him much recognition: MMA. One of these is a video called "Against the Cage".

He not only has vowed not to fight in MMA again, but is now starting a new, less violent martial arts event called, almost ironically, the League of Assassins. Their first show, open to all, will be held this Saturday afternoon, May 25, at Pride Fitness and MMA, which is located at 906 West Jericho Turnpike, Smithtown, New York, USA 11787.

We spoke with Luke Cummo about his views on MMA, health and nutrition, the system where promoters profit from the fighters battling each other, fighter safety and injuries in MMA, the effect on children, the League of Assassins and its rules, and much, much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

(Photo from Blackzilians)

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses some of the recent examples of horrible governance and corruption in the combat sports, including UFC fighter Vitor Belfort being allowed to fight while undergoing testosterone replacement therapy (TRT).

This essentially is granting Belfort and other fighters using TRT a license and agreement to cheat. Such cheating makes the outcomes of these fights as meaningless as baseball's home run records, and fans are encouraged to spend their money elsewhere. We also read a statement by Dr. Margaret Goodman of VADA, the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association, on this subject.

Also addressed is the rampant homophobia and transphobia in MMA, coming especially at a time when there has been a wave of anti-LGBT violence and at least one murder in New York, as well the return to action this Friday of transsexual female fighter Fallon Fox at CFA 11. Human rights for LGBT people, including transsexual people and athletes, are something which must be supported.

While grappling has been growing around the world, the new leadership of FILA, the international wrestling federation, has decided to abandon grappling altogether, along with amateur MMA. This absurd decision has opened the door to the possibility of a new grappling federation being formed, as well as an opportunity for catch wrestling to grow among these jilted grapplers. How such bad governance by this new leadership of FILA creates a lose-lose situation for all of wrestling is also discussed.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with the now-retired MMA fighter Nick Denis.

In November 2012, the 29-year-old Denis, from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and with a pro MMA record of 11-3, surprised many by announcing his retirement from the sport.

"I guess the main issue was my worry over potential brain injury," he said in this interview, which was recorded over Skype on Friday.

He explained that the main danger of brain injury in MMA comes from "blows to the head from training, not necessarily from fighting. Because when you're competing in the ring, it's only 15 minutes, and there's only so many times you can get hit. What it is, it's all the training, the months and months and weeks of training and hard sparring, and all these things that add up. It was really the training."

Already feeling some early effects of the blows he had taken, he said. "I basically just pictured myself, whether I was 60 or 70 or whatever, with some sort of form of dementia or neurological problems." His conclusion: "I don't want to not be able to recognize my friends and my family. It's not really that important to me. It's not worth risking my health and my mental health over, so I decided it was time to retire."

Since then, he has not even watched much MMA on television, saying, "I just kind of grew out of it." But that did not end his involvement with the sport.

Recently he was contacted by New York State Senator Brad Hoylman about the issue of brain injuries in MMA. Hoylman had read about his retirement, and was in the process of introducing legislation in New York to create a fund for MMA fighters to handle the long-term health effects of fighting.

Together, they wrote an opinion piece dated May 12, 2013, for the New York Daily News, entitled Protect cage fighters before it’s too late.

In that piece, they wrote, "Before we take additional steps to roll out the red carpet for this sport, we must ensure that MMA fighters have the resources to deal with the health effects as a result of their time in the ring. That's why we support legislation recently introduced in the state Senate mandating that the UFC and other promoters contribute to a state-coordinated fund -- similar to funds already created for horse jockeys and New York City cab drivers -- to cover long-term job-related injuries sustained by fighters. If cage fighting is ever going to be legal here, the least we should require is that the businesses that profit from the sport take financial responsibility for its health consequences."

Hoylman, a Democrat from Manhattan who interestingly enough has also voted to oppose the re-legalization of MMA in New York, has introduced S5055-2013. This bill "Establishes protocols for combative sports; authorizes mixed martial arts events in this state; establishes the New York Mixed Martial Arts Injury Compensation Fund, Inc.; establishes procedures for applications for licenses; establishes penalties for violations; imposes taxes on gross receipts of such events."

Our discussion with Nick Denis focused on these issues and the lessons from his fighting career for the future of the combat sports. We discussed how his devastating first-round knockout loss in 2009 in Sengoku to Marlon Sandro, his first-ever pro defeat after seven victories, started to change the direction of his career. While doing graduate study in biochemistry at the University of Ottawa, he discovered that not only concussions had long-term neurological effects on fighters, but repeated sub-concussive blows as well.

We also discussed whether it can any longer be said that MMA is safer than boxing, his own knockout slam victory over Nick Mamalis in 2011 in Wreck MMA, the need for people to be more educated on the issue of brain injuries and these sports, whether parents should allow their children to participate in them, the role of the traditional martial arts in teaching discipline, his own background in karate, and more.

"Anything that helps people start discussing the brain injury and the concussions and sub-concussive trauma and stuff like that aspect of MMA, or really any sport, I guess I really am appreciative for," he concluded. "As long as people are talking about it, then at least it's in people's consciousness and it's in people's psyche. And then whatever they chose to do with that information, it's up to them."

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with multi-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA champion, and one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world, Bibiano Fernandes.

He will be trying to add yet another belt to his collection, as he takes on former Shooto champion Koetsu Okazaki of Japan for the ONE FC interim bantamweight title on Friday, May 31. This fight will be part of the ONE FC: Rise to Power card at the 20,000-seat SM Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, the Philippines.

ONE FC: Rise to Power will be televised live on Star Sports in Asia and as an online pay-per-view at http://www.onefc.livesport.tv.

The current ONE FC bantamweight champion, Soo Chul Kim of Korea, is currently recovering from a shoulder injury and is unavailable to fight.

We spoke with Bibiano Fernandes by phone Wednesday about this fight, how his career is going, and his plans.

Bibiano Fernandes is a very busy man, While he lives and trains in the Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada area, he often also travels to the Seattle, Washington, USA area to train at Matt Hume's AMC Pankration gym. In addition, while he is originally from Brazil, he has fought exclusively in Asia since 2009.

When he signed with ONE FC last year rather than with UFC, he demonstrated how ONE FC has become not only the largest MMA organization in Asia, but also a major player in the world. And he has no regrets about his choice.

"I'm very happy to fight for ONE FC," he said in this interview. "For me, I make a good choice. For me, for my family, I make the best choice." Citing the growth of the organization and the people running it, he summed up his experience with ONE FC clearly and succinctly: "Everything's good."

But he also does not anticipate an easy fight against the veteran Koetsu Okazaki. Bibiano has seen video of his fights and noted that he has "good hands" and "good jiu-jitsu." So while Bibiano is known mainly for his grappling and submission skills, he expects that this fight may see a diversity of technique.

We also discussed fighting in front of the enthusiastic fans in the Philippines, whether or not there will be any effect on his opponent who is fighting outside Japan for the first time, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the legacy of Malcolm X and its meaning for the martial arts and combat sports.

On March 29, 1964, at a speech at the Audubon Ballroom in New York, Malcolm X repeated what he had said many times about the importance of the martial arts: "If you're interested in freedom, you need some judo, you need some karate, you need all the things that will help you fight for freedom."

That building now houses the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center, at 3940 Broadway, New York, NY 10032, where one of the many celebrations of the 88th anniversary of Malcolm's birth will take place this Sunday, May 19.

Malcolm X also explained the importance of martial arts training in "The Autobiography of Malcolm X", and how the values they teach are part of the overall training in values which "are vital in a person, a home, a community, a nation, and a civilization," and not only the aspect of training in self-defense. The book also discussed his relations with Muhammad Ali, when he won the heavyweight boxing championship of the world from Sonny Liston in 1964.

But the type of positive values which Malcolm advocated are today often not being promoted, particularly in combat sports like MMA and wrestling. This is discussed, including how this may be affecting the bid by wrestling to be restored to the Olympic program.

So the lessons taught by Malcolm X about the martial arts and combat sports are still valid. It is up to us to learn this legacy, and to apply it to what we do today.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman pays tribute to the legendary fight agent and boxing personality Johnny Bos, who passed away on Saturday, May 11.

Johnny, a native New Yorker who had to relocate to the Clearwater, Florida, area, was visiting his hometown in July 2009 to testify in the lawsuit brought by his former fighter, Joey Gamache, against the New York State Athletic Commission. That stemmed from the botched weigh-in for the Gamache-Arturo Gatti fight at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 26, 2000. We spoke with Johnny on July 21, 2009, in New York, and that interview is reposted here in its entirety.

After our interview, in April 2010, Judge Melvin Schweitzer of the New York State Court of Claims ruled in favor of Gamache, saying that there indeed had been negligence in the weigh-in. However, the judge did not award Gamache any monetary damages, as he claimed that it had not been proved that this negligence had necessarily affected the outcome of the fight.

Here is the original introduction to our July 2009 interview with Johnny Bos:

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with the legendary fight agent and boxing personality, Johnny Bos.

There are few if any people alive who know more about boxing than Johnny Bos. But instead of prospering from that knowledge and wisdom, last year Johnny Bos, the quintessential New Yorker, had to leave this faded but still sometimes active center of boxing for a town not known for being a pugilistic capital: Clearwater, Florida. The main reason was that he could no longer find work in this alleged sport.

Johnny's fortunes in boxing seemed to head swiftly downhill after an incident whose consequences, ironically, brought him back to the Big Apple this week. His fighter, former world champion Joey Gamache, was slated to fight the late Arturo Gatti in Madison Square Garden Feb. 26, 2000. At the weigh-in the day before, however, Bos and many others said that Gatti hopped on and off the scale without making the contracted weight of 141 pounds. While he objected to this, officials from the New York State Athletic Commission declared that Gatti had indeed made weight, and that the fight was on.

Gatti, who reportedly weighed 160 pounds on an unofficial HBO scale the day of the bout, proceeded to score a brutal second-round knockout. Gamache had to be taken to a hospital after it, nearly died there that night, and suffers from permanent brain damage. His career, of course, was over, although he does still train fighters.

Gamache then sued the New York State Athletic Commission for negligence for allegedly permitting Gatti to fight well over the contracted weight. After years of legal wrangling, that case was finally heard this past week, and this was why Johnny Bos returned to New York, in an unusual role as a witness on behalf of Joey Gamache.

We had a chance while he was still in New York, and after the trial itself was over, to speak with Johnny Bos. (A verdict by the trial judge is expected in several months.)

In our lengthy discussion, Johnny explained what went on at this botched weigh-in, how it affected the Gatti-Gamache fight, and what it all indicated about the quality of the regulation of boxing. He also gave us some ideas on what major changes are needed in boxing, and just who may be starting to make them. And, as always, he did so in a style and tone reflective of the long gone glory days of boxing in America.

So join us on this edition of No Holds Barred for a rare behind-the-scenes look at what really goes on in the world of boxing.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Bellator MMA Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney.

Bellator's eighth season, which concluded in April, and which was its first on Spike TV, was its most successful and had the most viewers in the organization's history. While another full regular season will commence in the fall, Bellator will be starting a Summer Series of monthly shows on Wednesday, June 19.

Taking place at the WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma, and again televised live in the U.S. on Spike TV, the main event will have the unbeaten Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler defending his belt against Bellator season seven lightweight tournament winner Dave Jansen.

The June 19 event will also see the introduction of four-fighter, two-round tournaments in Bellator. Previously, all tournaments had eight competitors and three rounds.

In the first round of this tournament, which is in the light heavyweight division, "King" Mo Lawal will face Seth Petruzelli and Renato "Babalu" Sobral will fight Jacob Noe.

The four-man tournament format "just gives us the opportunity to keep guys rolling through the tournaments and get those champions title defense after title defense," said Bjorn Rebney in this interview, which was recorded by phone Thursday. "It's going to keep the ball moving. Occasionally you're going to see four-mans thrown in. You're going to see a four-man, and then you might see another four-man in the fall."

In addition, Bellator's "Fight Master" pre-recorded series also debuts on Wednesday, June 19, on Spike TV, featuring 32 welterweight fighters competing for a spot in a Bellator MMA tournament, with MMA legends Randy Couture, Greg Jackson, Frank Shamrock, and Joe Warren as coaches.

We also discussed with Bjorn Rebney how he is still running Bellator on a day-to-day basis with endless "20-hour days" even as Viacom is now majority owner of Bellator, why he will always maintain a tournament format for determining title challengers rather than using subjective matchmaking, the plans to have more women's fights in Bellator, plans to have every champion defend their belts at least three times a year, the overall status of relations with Bellator fighters, the Eddie Alvarez legal situation, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Nathan Hatton. He is the author of the new book about catch wrestling history entitled "Rugged Game: Community, Culture and Wrestling at the Lakehead to 1933".

Dr. Hatton, who describes himself as a recreational wrestler, will be teaching history at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, starting this fall.

This book details the rich history of both amateur and professional wrestling from the late 1800s to 1933 in the Lakehead, Ontario, region, whose main city is now today known as Thunder Bay.

Although it is published by the Lakehead University Centre for Northern Studies, and has numerous, helpful footnotes and ample documentation, this book was written for the general public and is highly readable. Dr. Hatton said his aim was to "bridge the gap" between popular writing and academic research, and he certainly has succeeded with this book.

Unlike today, in those days much of professional wrestling was a real sport, although to what degree is still debated. There also was considerable cooperation and connection between many of the people involved in amateur and professional wrestling.

"There was a real heyday for wrestling on this continent between the early 1880s and into the early to mid-1920s, where you had the development of catch-as-catch-wrestling," said Dr. Hatton in this interview, which was recorded over Skype on Sunday. "Catch-as-catch-can is really the precursor to modern freestyle/folkstyle wrestling." In catch wrestling, you can win by pin or submission.

With stars like world heavyweight champion Frank Gotch and many internationally-known as well as local wrestlers, professional wrestling was a major sport.

"There was a period, when much like boxing, the best wrestlers unquestionably on the planet were professional wrestlers," he explained.

There were also numerous grassroots wrestling clubs and organizations, including many based in the working class and working class organizations, such as the Finnish Labour Temple and even the Communist Party of Canada and the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW).

The book details the relation of the growth of wrestling in this region to the growth of the economy, industry, and trade, as well as the accompanying national and ethnic tensions and disputes.

We discussed the growth and decline of catch wrestling in this region, how much of it we can be certain was real and how much was staged, the lessons this period teaches for reviving catch wrestling today, and much, much more.

"Rugged Game: Community, Culture and Wrestling at the Lakehead to 1933" by Nathan Hatton is a must-read book for wrestling historians and aficionados, combat sports fans, labor historians and activists, and anybody who appreciates good sports history. Buy it, read it, learn, enjoy, and pass on its lessons.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

(Photo by Tom Casino/Showtime)

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the major fights in boxing held Saturday, May 4, and why, despite some brilliant performances, they were all showcase fights, and the fighters who were supposed to win all won, one way or another.

In those fights, welterweight and pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. won a unanimous decision over Robert Guerrero in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, while heavyweight champ Wladimir Klitschko scored a sixth-round knockout over Francesco Pianeta in Mannheim, Germany. Also in Las Vegas, Abner Mares won by a somewhat controversial ninth-round TKO over Daniel Ponce De Leon, Leo Santa Cruz stopped veteran Alexander Munoz with a TKO in the fifth round, and J'Leon Love survived a knockdown to win a controversial split decision over Gabriel Rosado.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our colleague, correspondent, and award-winning boxing writer, Charles Farrell.

Charles is also co-editor of The Boxing Standard.

The eyes of the combat sports world and the sports world in general will be focused on boxing this weekend, as two of the top fighters in the world are in action Saturday, May 4. Welterweight and pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. will face Robert Guerrero in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, while heavyweight champ Wladimir Klitschko will fight Francesco Pianeta in Mannheim, Germany.

Charles, however, reserved his highest praise for the top 122-pound fighter in the world, Guillermo Rigondeaux, who won an impressive decision victory over Nonito Donaire April 13 in New York.

"I was more than impressed," Charles said of this fight, in an interview recorded Thursday by phone. "I'm comfortable saying that it's the best performance I've seen by anybody in the last half-decade." He added, "That was a performance for the ages. It was a virtuoso performance."

We discussed why and how Rigondeaux was so brilliant in this fight, as well as the myriad of supposed boxing experts and writers who panned it and just did not understand what Rigondeaux was doing to dominate Donaire.

Neither of us expect anything close to an upset in the Mayweather-Guerrero or Klitschko-Pianeta fights, which we also discussed, as well as the careers of both Mayweather and Wladimir and his brother, Vitali Klitschko. We also discussed whether more people will watch Mayweather-Guerrero or Klitschko-Pianeta, why the Abner Mares-Daniel Ponce de Leon featherweight fight might steal the show featuring Mayweather, a relatively impressive performance by heavyweight Bermane Stiverne against Chris Arreola last week, why the best TV boxing commentary in the U.S. is by present and former fighters, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again speaks with American Top Team MMA fighter and two-time ADCC champion Jeff Monson.

Jeff was originally scheduled to face Magomed Malikov on April 9 in the M-1 Heavyweight Grand Prix quarterfinals, but a pectoral muscle tear forced Jeff to undergo surgery and postpone that fight. He is recovering from this injury, and this fight is now scheduled to take place June 7 on the M-1 card in the Republic of Ingushetia, Russia.

We spoke with Jeff by phone Monday night about this fight, his career, why he is a self-described anarchist, and how he views the sport and business of MMA.

Our discussion took place right before May 1, or May Day, also marked around the world as International Workers' Day.

Asked what his May Day message would be to MMA fighters, Jeff replied, "My message would be solidarity. My message is, 'Be together.' We're all in this whether, like I said, whether you're trying to be a professional fighter or whether you're well-established or at the top of your game. It's the same sport. We're all in it together."

He also quoted the old saying associated with the IWW (Industrial Workers of the World), "'An injury to one is an injury to all.' And it really is."

We discussed numerous topics, including how this fight with Malikov may be "a classic grappler vs. striker match," why he likes M-1's new six-sided ring, how he has become a celebrity in Russia, his fascination with the country and people of Russia, the reaction to his politics, and the need for a fighters' union.

He also pointed out the "shameful" conditions facing MMA fighters, including no such union, no pension, no health insurance, no job security, no retirement, and often low pay, which is even less than boxers get, while they are still fighting. While the formation of a fighters' union is far from imminent, he stated, "It's going to happen," adding that more education of the fighters is needed and that he hopes to take an active role in this struggle.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman and our colleague and correspondent Malaak Shabazz provide coverage of the main event of MidwoodMania IV, which was held Saturday, April 27, at the Campus Road Gymnasium of Midwood High School in Brooklyn, New York.

MidwoodMania IV featured ten wrestling matches under American folkstyle and freestyle rules. The last three matches for the first time were tag team folkstyle matches, with three, four-minute periods and only one tag allowed per period, and only during a break.

In the main event, the 55-year-old Midwood Coach George Hero scored a last-second takedown over Anthony Chu to lead his team, along with Chris Amro, to a 13-12 come-from-behind victory over Chu and Brian Anderson. Amro, Chu, and Anderson are currently college wrestlers for NYU.

Right after the final match, along with Malaak Shabazz, we spoke with Coach George Hero, Anthony Chu, Brian Anderson, Chris Amro, NYU assistant wrestling coach Mike Torriero, and several others about their experience at this event.

Coach Hero paid tribute to Anthony Chu.

"Let me tell you, Anthony is powerful. He can move for a big man. It was the first time in my career that I was actually outweighed," said Coach Hero. "So this was a new experience."

We discussed the successful debut of real, tag team folkstyle wrestling, and how that increased the action and scoring in the three matches held in that format. We discussed the need for more wrestling programs both for women and alumni wrestlers, the need for innovation and creativity in marketing and advertising wrestling, and much more.

Some photos of MidwoodMania IV can be seen here.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
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On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins by commenting on why the four major main event fight scheduled for this weekend -- Sergio Martinez vs. Martin Murray, Danny Garcia vs. Zab Judah, Amir Khan vs. Julio Diaz, and Jon Jones vs. Chael Sonnen -- are all largely unappealing and are essentially designed as showcase fights.

There are also lesser-known but likely more entertaining events, such as MidwoodMania IV featuring real tag team wrestling, Saturday, April 27, at Midwood High School in Brooklyn, New York. And there is also an important benefit seminar for leukemia patient Jeremy Montes Jr., featuring veteran grapplers Dave Camarillo and Lana Stefanac, at Kaijin MMA in Santa Cruz, California, on Sunday, April 28. Also, transsexual athlete Donna Rose will be competing at the beach wrestling nationals at Carolina Beach, North Carolina, also on Saturday, April 27.

The commentary continues with an analysis of some recent developments involving the tangled web between the UFC, the State of New York, the Culinary Union Local 226, and legislative opposition to legalizing MMA in New York, including some of their new tactics. Also mentioned is the recent study by Sarah Banks, PhD, of the Cleveland Clinic's Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, on structural and functional brain changes in boxers and mixed martial arts fighters.

Next up is commentary on the decline of TV ratings for the season (and maybe series) finale of the Robot Combat League, more problems in wrestling, the race for the SportAccord presidency and the importance of that organization, the growth of influence of international judo, the proposal for a new event with a united world championships every four years for Olympic and non-Olympic sports, and upcoming jiu-jitsu and catch wrestling events.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again speaks with our longtime colleague and senior correspondent John Perretti.

The sport of wrestling, the oldest in the world and an original Olympic sport, is on the verge of being kicked out of the Olympics. Many of us have been warning the lords of wrestling for years that they had to start promoting, marketing, and popularizing the sport properly, and with up-to-date methods, lest the sport would die.

Now with the International Olympic Committee's Executive Board voting to drop wrestling from the Olympic Program in 2020, and the closing down of college wrestling in the U.S. continuing, this current era of wrestling may be coming to a close (although IOC meetings in May and then September may give Olympic wrestling a stay of execution).

"I warned those guys at USAW [USA Wrestling] so many years ago that this was going to occur," said John Perretti in this interview, which took place by Skype Tuesday (Monday New York time, as he is now in Japan).

"They laughed at me, and then stabbed me in the back," he said, referring to their failure to do what they promised when he worked with them in 1997 on "The Contenders" grappling show.

"The writing was on the wall a long, long time ago."

While the existence of the current international styles of wrestling is in peril, many styles of grappling are continuing to grow.

"I hope that things like grappling move further along and maybe to the Olympics."

But the future is not bright for wrestling.

"You can see that more and more control is going to be pushed towards mixed martial arts, and they are going to lose 99.9 percent of their talent, like I said, especially with there being no Olympics to work towards."

And he stressed, "You can't wake up these dinosaurs," adding, "Once they're fossilized, like they are, they're immovable and impenetrable. They are no longer extant. And wrestling might be that."

We also discussed how the IOC's potentially dropping wrestling represents a decline in the importance of physical culture in the West, for whom wrestling's demise will be a tragedy, how the new leadership in wrestling is making the same old mistakes (and some new ones, too), and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the finals of the Robot Combat League, the return of catch wrestling to New York, the relation of the Boston bombings and the combat sports, and the wonderful film "Beautiful Boxer".

The finals of the first season of the Robot Combat League will be telecast this Tuesday, April 23, with Crash, with Amber and Dave Shinsel at the helm, taking on Steampunk, with Ashley Nunes and Kyle Samuelson at the controls. This show, which was prerecorded, will air on Syfy in the U.S. and the Space channel in Canada. The future of this show is uncertain, and little promotion of it by the network, which owns it, is evident, so the fate of this series may depend on the reception (and ratings) the final fight receives.

Also on Tuesday, April 23, the first of three historic catch wrestling matches, recorded February 17, 2013, at the MMA World Expo in New York, will air on the Kristal Hart Show. The first match has Jorge Martinez taking on Mike Robinson. There are also interviews with the catch wrestlers aired on this show. This show is on Manhattan Neighborhood Network at 9 PM, on Time Warner Cable channel 56, RCN channel 83, and Verizon FiOS channel 34. It can also be viewed online at http://www.mnn.org.

The bombings this past week in Boston have been pinned on two brothers who were combat sports athletes, Golden Gloves boxer Tamerlan Tsarnaev and high school wrestler Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Both of them had some success in their athletic careers, although what they actually did or didn't do in these bombings, and their motives, are still open to question. Discussed are what lessons you do and do not get from the combat sports, and why these sports should neither be blamed for, or viewed as barriers to, such activity as these bombings.

Also, the discussion over the role of transsexual athletes in the combat sports has renewed interest in the story of transsexual muay Thai fighter Parinya Charoenphol, also known as Nong Toom. The wonderful film "Beautiful Boxer" was reviewed in 2005, and this article is reposted on the No Holds Barred blog. The movie is also now available on YouTube.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with grappler Alaina Hardie Alaina Hardie.

Based in Toronto, Canada, and a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Alaina Hardie has been well-known for competing in numerous grappling and BJJ events in North America. Although a knee injury will likely prevent her from competing in these tournaments again, she continues to train and attend numerous events.

She is also friends with Fallon Fox, the female transsexual MMA fighter who has recently been the center of much controversy.

Alaina took to her Facebook page to post in support of Fallon Fox, and then, along with a recent photo of the two of them, wrote: "My friend Fallon Fox has been in the news recently because she came out as a trans MMA fighter. I have been very vocally supportive, and have tried to help spread good information. I have spent a long time investigating the issue. I feel, deep down, that it is fair for Fallon to fight. The reality is that trans athletes are everywhere. In fact, you know one personally: me."

Although those close to her and some others knew about it, this was the public coming out by Alaina Hardie as a transsexual woman.

We spoke to Alaina Hardie by Skype Wednesday about the status of transsexual athletes and her own situation.

"I am, like Fallon, a transsexual athlete," she said in this interview. "I met Fallon when we both did the ADCC Trials in 2009. And at the time I had no idea she was transsexual, and she had no idea I was, either. I just thought she was like every other non-trans female grappler out there."

After adding each other on Facebook, she and Fallon didn't stay in touch that much, until she saw the news in March of this year that Fallon had come out.

"Immediately I e-mailed her and was like, 'Look, girl, I totally got your back. I'm also a trans athlete.' And we had a little, brief conversation about it at that point. But I became a very outspoken advocate."

Our discussion also examined some of the scientific issues involving transsexual athletes, as Alaina describes herself as a "science nerd". She mentioned the positive support she has received since coming out as a trans athlete from so many people in the jiu-jitsu and grappling communities, how there is no scientific evidence that transsexual athletes have unfair advantages over other athletes, why if someone came up with the money for a long-term study of trans athletes "I would run it myself", the neurological differences between those who desire to become transsexuals and those who do not, her brief experience as a transsexual amateur boxer in Ontario, her experience coming out on Facebook, her work with robotics and why "robots are awesome", her support of the citizen science movement, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Coach George Hero, the legendary coach and founder of the Midwood High School wrestling team in Brooklyn, New York.

On Saturday, April 27, Midwood High School will be the scene of this year's edition of what has now become an annual tradition, MidwoodMania IV. The event runs from 11 AM to 3 PM, at the Campus Road Gymnasium of Midwood High School, 2839 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn, New York 11210, right across the street from Brooklyn College.

While MidwoodMania IV will see a full slate of wrestling matches in folkstyle, freestyle, and Greco-Roman wrestling involving Midwood alumni, coaches, wrestlers, and their rivals, this year there will be a major difference from previous years: Three of the ten matches will be tag team matches.

"We were thinking about doing something a little bit different," Coach Hero said in this interview, which was recorded by phone Tuesday. "One of the things that slows down a lot of wrestling matches is, it is very, very physically demanding." Many wrestlers, he noted, "get kind of tired by the third period, and things really tend to slow down a lot. And I thought what might be an interesting idea would be to create freestyle, folkstyle, real wrestling tag teams."

The three tag team matches at MidwoodMania IV will be held under folkstyle rules, but with some important modifications. Each match will be scheduled for three, four-minute periods. A wrestler can only tag out when there is a break or lull in the action, and must indicate this to the referee. Each team is allowed only one tag per period. Also, a pin ends the period, but not the match.

Coach Hero, who recently turned 55, will be wrestling in one of the tag team matches.

Our discussion with Coach Hero included many more details about MidwoodMania IV, his experience since returning to the mat, how events like this can be used to popularize wrestling, the possibility of the establishment of more tournaments for wrestlers who have finished their schooling, the absurdity of the decision to drop wrestling from the Olympic program, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Ryka Aoki and John Amodeo, who were both featured writers at the Rainbow Book Fair in New York on Saturday, April 13. The Rainbow Book Fair describes itself as the "oldest and largest LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) book fair in the US, and America's largest LGBT book event".

One might think, according to stereotypes, that those involved with the combat sports and martial arts would be absent from such an event. Those people, however, do not know people like Ryka Aoki and John Amodeo.

Ryka Aoki is a novelist, a writer, a performer, a teacher, a judoka for almost four decades, and the head instructor of Supernova Martial Arts at the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, whose mission is to empower LGBT youth through martial arts and self-defense. She is also a transgender woman.

John Amodeo is an author and an educator who has written several books, including biographies of former world heavyweight boxing champion Ken Norton and journeyman fighter Rayco Saunders. He lives in New York.

Admitting that his books on boxing "might be a tough sell" at this event, John Amodeo nevertheless said, "But people can relate to struggles in life. Especially with Rayco's story: coming out of Pittsburgh, and having his mother die of an overdose, and struggling through and getting incarcerated as a result of drug-dealing, and eventually turning his life around. It's a come-from-behind story."

In her interview, which was the lengthier of the two, Ryka Aoki also struck a theme of universality.

"Human life is messy. I think there are certain things that we can all honor. I'll put compassion up there. Treating each other with respect is up there. Fair play is definitely up there."

She continued, "I think that the constants in life should be justice, fair play, respect. These are things that don't change. These are things that don't change. A trans woman, a queer woman, a queer man, somebody you don't even know, a Martian with three heads -- there's still respect, there's still justice, there's still truth, there's still protecting the weak. There's still training to be your best. There's still improving to make the best use of the gifts that you have. In other words, all that stuff that we learned growing up in the judo dojo or the martial arts dojo or the MMA gym, all these things about perseverance and hard work and all of this stuff, these are the constants that I think we can hold onto. Even when the rest of the world is upside down, a pushup is still a pushup. Closed guard is still closed guard. These things don't change. I just wanted to toss that out. A good technique is always going to be a good technique."

This is the approach she is taking regarding the controversy over transgender female MMA fighter Fallon Fox, and the hateful and hurtful reaction she has received from some in the MMA community.

"Really, we can talk about medicine. We can talk about these things. I'm no doctor. I'm just a judoka. So I don't know what these hormones, or strength is. I can tell you from experience my strength levels are quite a bit reduced from back before I was taking hormones. But these questions really obscure the point that this is just bullying and mean-spiritedness. There are intelligent, logical ways to address these things," she said. "I think it's natural to have questions. However, there are good and bad ways to ask and to seek these questions out."

While she has spend time teaching college, performing in many locales, and speaking at book fairs such as this, her work as a martial arts instructor at the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center regularly brings her into contact with young people who are not likely to be at such places.

"I spend most of my time teaching youth," she said. "I teach at-risk LGBT youth in Los Angeles. Not competition, just to get by, basic self-defense. And I do see that a lot of 'martial artists' and people like that who have these high ideals written on their dojo walls tend to be very mean-spirited when it comes to gay students, to lesbian students, to transgender students."

She added, "I expect a little bit of that meatheaded-ness, but that doesn't erase the fact that you hurt somebody, you got to live with that, really. And it kind of disgusts me."

Many of the youth to whom she teaches martial arts are homeless, including one who thrown out of his house because he was gay.

"A lot of these children end up in Los Angeles, and they're on the street. And no one's ever really taken them into consideration. They haven't taught them how to do anything, and they get preyed upon. And they see their bodies really only as objects of violence and objects of sex. When I teach them martial arts, they can see their bodies as things that can be strengthened, something to be proud of, not just beautiful but strong and trained."

Our discussions with Ryka Aoki and John Amodeo also touched on many other topics, as they both have much wisdom to share.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again speaks with Rose Gracie.

In one sense, Rose Gracie is considered sort of jiu-jitsu royalty, as the granddaughter of the legendary Helio Gracie and the daughter of UFC co-founder Rorion Gracie. But in another sense, she is sort of a rebel, insisting that the jiu-jitsu tournaments she organizes have matches that can only be won by submissions, with no points or judges.

This rule set she describes as "the real jiu-jitsu" which her grandfather did.

Her next tournament is the 2013 Gracie Worlds.

This event is scheduled for June 29-30 at the Santa Clara Convention Center, 5001 Great America Pkwy, Santa Clara, California 95054, and is being held in conjunction with The FitExpo - Santa Clara. The gi tournament will take place Saturday, June 29, followed by the no-gi tournament Sunday, June 30, with kids' and adults' divisions both days.

We spoke with Rose Gracie by phone Tuesday about the 2013 Gracie Worlds and what she is trying to accomplish.

It was certainly clear from our discussion that her motivations are quite different from most people who run combat sports events.

"You don't always have to do something to gain money from it," she said in this interview. "You gain a lot more by changing somebody's life than you would do by making the money. And when certain people understand how important that is, they change the way they think. It's a lot more rewarding to me to go feed the homeless and give homeless kids presents for Christmas than it is for me to get my own gift."

Teaching children "the right thing to do," protecting the athletes' health and safety, and eventually establishing a non-profit Rose Gracie Foundation are also among the goals of her approach to jiu-jitsu.

We also discussed why she believes that a "rebirth of jiu-jitsu" is needed, how this submission-only format produces matches which are both exciting and easy to understand, the real relation of jiu-jitsu and MMA, the special need to train women and children in jiu-jitsu, and much more in this lengthy discussion.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Coach John Potenza of the Snake Pit U.S.A. Catch Wrestling Association.

As part of the rebuilding of the sport of catch wrestling, the Snake Pit U.S.A. will be holding a catch wrestling seminar this Saturday, April 13, from 11 AM to 3 PM at the Modern Martial Arts Fight Club on 36 Main Street in Englishtown, New Jersey 07726. Everyone is welcome regardless of their skill or martial arts background.

We spoke with Coach John Potenza by phone Monday about the importance of seminars like this one and the progress in rebuilding this sport.

"It's finally picking up some speed," he said. "It's been a long, slow road. I've been at this over a decade. Jake Shannon and Scientific Wrestling have been doing a ton of work for it for a very long time. It's been a long road, but now it's finally starting to get to that point where it's great to see other organizations are pushing it and seminars and seeing a lot of videos popping up on the web sites and Facebook and YouTube and everything else, different groups doing catch wrestling. I think it's fantastic. So I think we're definitely headed in the right direction."

He continued, "As of right now, everybody has the same goal, of just bringing catch wrestling back. And there's no animosity anywhere. There's no egos and tension, which is great. It seems like we're all working for the same goal, which I'm really happy about. That's right now the biggest concern, is to make sure that we all stay on the same page, and keep our eye on the prize. The goal is, to bring catch wrestling back."

In addition, right after the seminar, there will be some catch wrestling matches, where victory can only be attained by pin or submission.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with John Rallo, the owner of the Baltimore, Maryland-based MMA promotion Shogun Fights.

Founded in 2009, a year after MMA was legalized in Maryland, Shogun Fights mainly features local up-and-coming fighters.

Their next card is Shogun Fights VIII, which takes place Saturday, April 13, at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. Among the main fights on this card are a lightweight fight between Dan Root and Noe Quintanilla, and the first-ever women's MMA fight in Shogun, between Rosanna Garcia and Gabby Holloway.

We spoke with John Rallo by phone Monday about Shogun Fights, its history, this card, and the sporting scene in Baltimore.

Speaking about the growth of MMA and the impressive crowds who attend Shogun Fights, he said, "Anytime that we can pull regional fighters from the area and draw the crowds that we're drawing, I think it's pretty amazing. I've been around for a long time, and we're pulling better crowds than Bellator. I wish I had Viacom money behind us and maybe we could grow ourselves as well."

We also discussed why Shogun Fights currently runs just two special shows per year, their place in sports-crazed Baltimore, wrestling and MMA, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses why the ONE FC: Kings and Champions card, held April 5, in Singapore, was perhaps their best card ever, and put the arts back in mixed martial arts.

This is contrasted with the vulgarity, ignorance, and hatred prevalent in North American sports, such as the current Rutgers basketball scandal, and the response by many to transsexual female MMA fighter Fallon Fox, who was just cleared of wrongdoing by the Florida commission.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Evolve MMA founder Chatri Sityodtong.

It's a very busy time for Evolve MMA and Chatri. They not only have five fighters on the ONE FC: Kings and Champions card this Friday, April 5, in Singapore, but also have just started Evolve University, the world's largest online university for the martial arts and combat sports.

"The thing that makes Evolve University different from anything else out there is not only the scale of things that we've done, but every single one of our courses is taught by world champions," said Chatri in this interview, which was recorded over Skype Wednesday (Tuesday night New York time).

"From our research, we believe that we are the world's largest online university for martial arts taught by world champions exclusively," with courses in muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, MMA, submission grappling, and wrestling.

So far, the response has been phenomenal. In the first five days of its existence, the number of people who have signed up for Evolve University around the world is in the "thousands," he said.

While Evolve University aims at providing world-class instruction in these various disciplines, the emphasis is also on promoting the positive values of the martial arts.

"I want to be able to change millions of people's lives," he said. "Look at the senseless violence that we're in today. Every day you see every city, there are innocent victims being victimized for no reason. I really believe the world will be a safer place if everyone knew the basic principles of self-defense and learned martial arts and gained self-confidence and mental strength, and discipline, focus, and energy. And martial arts really does give you a warrior spirit. It gives you that desire to fight and conquer adversity that we all have in our lives."

The five Evolve MMA fighters who will be competing at Friday's ONE FC: Kings and Champions are Shinya Aoki, Eddie Ng, Leandro Issa, Alex Silva, and Jake Butler.

ONE FC: Kings and Champions will be held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore. The show will be televised live in Asia on Star Sports, which is available in 28 countries to an estimated 500 million viewers. It will also be webcast live around the world as a pay-per-view on http://www.onefc.livesport.tv.

In the main event, submission specialist Shinya Aoki will challenge for the ONE FC lightweight belt against champion and fellow Japanese fighter Kotetsu Boku. Evolve MMA's Eddie Ng of Hong Kong will take on the colorful Arnaud Lepont of France. Evolve MMA fighter and BJJ specialist Leandro Issa will try to rebound from a loss in his last fight when he faces Dagestan fighter Yusup Saadulaev. Another BJJ world champion and Evolve MMA fighter Alex Silva will fight Wushu world champion Rene Catalan. And American wrestler and now Evolve MMA fighter Jake Butler will fight the more experienced Swain Cangco of Saipan.

Also on the ONE FC: Kings and Champions card, in what is likely a classic striker vs. grappler matchup, the explosive Melvin Manhoef fights Brock Larson. The ONE FC Bantamweight Grand Prix continues with the semifinal round, as Jens Pulver fights Masakatsu Ueda and Kevin Belingon fights Thanh Vu. Also, Pakistani MMA pioneer Bashir Ahmad takes on Shannon Wiratchai of Thailand, and Chen Yun Ting of Malaysia fights muay Thai star Ronald Low of Singapore.

We also discussed this card with Chatri, as well as why martial arts are part of a lifelong process and journey, the growth of MMA in Asia, why Asia will become the epicenter of MMA, the current global duopoly in MMA, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with ONE FC and Evolve Fight Team MMA fighter Jake Butler.

Now based in Singapore, American fighter Jake Butler made his MMA debut on February 2, 2013, at ONE FC: Return of Warriors, at the Stadium Putra in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, getting a first-round TKO victory over Indonesian wrestler Antoni Romulo.

He next fights this Friday, April 5, on the ONE FC: Kings and Champions card when he takes on the more experienced Swain Cangco of Saipan in a light heavyweight bout.

ONE FC: Kings and Champions will be held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore. The show will be televised live in Asia on Star Sports, which is available in 28 countries to an estimated 500 million viewers. It will also be webcast live around the world as a pay-per-view on http://www.onefc.livesport.tv.

We spoke with Jake Butler by Skype on Wednesday (Tuesday New York time) about this fight and his unusual decision to leave a job in finance and become a fighter. You see, Jake Butler has a degree in economics from the prestigious Ivy League college Princeton and had been working in New York before making some life-changing decisions. But he also was prepared to make such a change, having wrestled at 197 pounds for Princeton, a Division I NCAA school, where he was a captain and considered the best wrestler on the team.

"I wasn't really happy in my career in New York and working in the finance industry there," he said in this interview. "I'd always had an interest in competing in MMA all through college. When I graduated, I guess there is a certain amount of pressure to sort of use that Princeton degree to go right to work and focus on a career."

But perhaps understating his dilemma by describing his plight as being stuck working in an office doing what was "not the most rewarding job", he then decided it was time to move on.

"I soon realized that it probably wasn't the best choice for me, and I still wanted to compete."

But where to go?

He continued, "It's a lot more difficult in the U.S. to get started in MMA and also work. I just didn't have the right opportunity there."

He also was well aware that he would need much more than college wrestling to succeed in MMA.

"When I came across Evolve MMA, I had heard that they were looking for people with wrestling experience, with a strong wrestling background, and what they offered was world-class striking, probably some of the best striking coaches in the world. So it just seemed like a perfect fit for me and a perfect opportunity to pursue my interest in MMA."

Although his is still a preliminary fight, Jake Butler is now where he wants to be and doing what he wants to do.

We also discussed what to expect in his fight with Swain Cangco, his transition from wrestling to MMA, his training in striking and submissions, how takedowns must be set up differently in MMA than in wrestling, his experience at Evolve MMA, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with robotics expert Mark Setrakian, who designed and created the robots on the Robot Combat League.

Five of the nine episodes of the Robot Combat League have already aired on Syfy in the U.S. and on Space in Canada. The shows are now featuring the quarterfinal round of the 12-robot tournament.

On the fifth episode, Team Scorpio, with Diana Yang and Chris Hardouin at the controls, sliced in half yet another robot to gain a knockout victory over Team A.X.E., with MMA fighter Andrew Montanez and Ross Mead at the helm.

We spoke by phone Friday with Mark Setrakian about the past, present, and future of robot fighting.

"This show, this season, is my attempt to kick off a whole new genre of fighting: motorized fighting," he said in this interview. Unlike other combat sports, this is "a motor sport of fighting," he said, with "weapons that you cannot use in human fighting."

He stressed, "What we're entering into is a level of combat that you cannot do with human beings but you can do it with robots, because at the end of the day, nobody's hurt. The robots are wrecked, but the human fighters, apart from their egos, are fine."

We discussed what happened on episode five with Scorpio's victory, why he "wouldn't change a thing" about how the robots were designed, the future of Robot Combat League, why robot fighting is the future of combat sports, why he believes that there will be more seasons of this show, the need to keep human athletes controlling the robots, the buildup to the semifinals and finals of this tournament, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with veteran MMA fighter Jens Pulver.

With a professional fighting career that started in 1999 at the Bas Rutten Invitational with then-UFC matchmaker John Perretti looking on, Jens Pulver is still in the hunt for another championship. Now 38, the former (and first) UFC lightweight champion will be taking on former Shooto featherweight champion Masakatsu Ueda in the semifinals of the ONE FC bantamweight Grand Prix.

This fight takes place on the ONE FC:Kings and Champions card Friday, April 5, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore. The show will be televised live in Asia on Star Sports, which is available in 28 countries to an estimated 500 million viewers. It will also be webcast live around the world as a pay-per-view on http://www.onefc.livesport.tv.

We spoke with Jens Pulver by phone last Thursday about this upcoming fight and the lessons of his historic career.

ONE FC, he said in this interview, is "exploding. They're getting bigger and bigger and bigger. They're blowing up. For Asian MMA, this is huge."

As for his fight he added,"To be in the semifinals against a former Shooto world champion in Ueda, this is going to be a tough fight. It's going to be a fun fight. It's going to be crazy."

We discussed the revival of his career after a series of losses. "I got lost," he said, dealing with the problems of anxiety and depression. The lessons learned from mental side of the fight business are so important to him that he has become involved with an organization called Nvr Fly Solo. They include in their Mission Statement the aim to "Encourage anyone and everyone to stand up and start talking about anxiety and depression."

We also discussed his two fights thus far in ONE FC. In August 2012, after winning the first round against the then-unbeaten Eric Kelly, and in Kelly's home of the Philippines, he tired in the second round and was stopped in the second round. He attributed that largely to jet lag, something for which he is learning to adjust as he continues to fight in Asia while living in the U.S.

His next fight, against Zhao Ya Fei of China in October 2012 in Singapore, saw Jens winning in the second round when he was struck by an unintentional but powerful shot to the groin. He was unable to continue, and was then awarded a technical decision victory. This was in the bantamweight Grand Prix quarterfinals, thus advancing him to the semifinals.

In addition, we discussed how only in recent years he is maturing as a person, how he likes to travel, how he considers Ueda a counter-puncher and how he might fight him, his background as a Division I wrestler and professional boxer, his plans for coaching and public speaking, his new gym in Nebraska which opens in May, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with American Top Team MMA fighter Jessica Aguilar.

Widely regarded as the number one fighter in the world in the women's 115-pound division, Jessica Aguilar will be returning to action this Thursday, March 28, after a ten-month layoff. She will be facing Patricia Vidonic on a Bellator MMA card at the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida. Right now this fight will just be streamed live on the Bellator web site, and may be shown on tape-delay on Spike TV.

This fight will be a rematch between Jessica Aguilar and Patricia Vidonic. They first fought on the Fight Time Promotions 8 card on February 17, 2012, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with Jessica Aguilar winning by unanimous decision. After that fight, Jessica Aguilar next faced Japanese star Megumi Fujii on the Bellator 69 card on May 18, 2012, in Lake Charles, Louisiana, with Jessica Aguilar again winning by unanimous decision.

We spoke with Jessica Aguilar by phone Sunday about her upcoming fight and her career as a fighter.

Speaking of the state of women's MMA, she said, "This is the best it's ever been." She noted, "It's taken off so much since I started. I remember that there only used to be one female fight on a card. Now there's a whole card of females."

We discussed her long layoff, what to expect in this fight with Patricia Vidonic, her desire to compete this year in the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship in late May (she is a purple belt), where she would like to fight, and her work in the anti-bullying organization Sweethearts and Heroes. She also requested that we mention her shoutouts to: Sweethearts and Heroes, Garden of Life, Jawzz, Everlast, Donkeeboy, Boca Tanning Club, Mma2TheMax, Pro Fight, Onnit, Big Boys Moving, Jugular Energy Drink, Perfecting Athletes, American Top Team, and Paradigm Sports Management.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with David Rowe, a professor of cultural research at the University of Western Sydney in Australia.

In February, he wrote an article, first for The Conversation and then republished by Play the Game, which has gained much attention around the world: "On scandal after scandal, sports journalists drop the ball".

In this article, he noted that while sport is rocked by numerous scandals, those who are supposed to be covering them, the sports journalists, "are looking more than a little dishevelled", and that most good investigative sports journalism "happens outside the mainstream institutional media". This should certainly be understood by those who are familiar with what tries to pass as "journalism" in the combat sports.

We spoke with David Rowe by Skype Wednesday (Tuesday New York time) about the many issues facing sports journalists and journalism.

He discussed in this interview what he called "a very basic question".

"What is a sports journalist? What is sports journalists for? What do they do? Now, I have a kind of old-fashioned idea of journalism as being about the Fourth Estate, that is, a watchdog on behalf of the citizenry, speaks truth to power, etc. That's what we expect of people who call themselves journalists. Now I guess if they want to call themselves something else, then that's OK, as long as they don't, I suppose, pretend to be journalists."

We discussed how sports journalists have dealt with such issues as the Lance Armstrong doping scandal and match-fixing. He said about their coverage, "Generally I'd have to say, that it's been pretty lamentable, but on the whole, with some distinguished exceptions", with many of these journalists acting like fans and getting too close to the sports organizations than they should.

We also discussed the many types of difficulties facing freelance sports journalists who do aspire to act as watchdogs on behalf of the public, how the main target of bad sports journalism has to be the big media companies which too often act as unofficial public relations agencies, the training of sports journalists, what fans can do to pressure the media, some positive signs with the emergence of a new generation of sports journalists, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with MMA fighter Fallon Fox.

After winning her second pro fight by first-round knockout on March 2 on a Championship Fighting Alliance card in Coral Gables, Florida, Fallon Fox then gave interviews where she came out as a transsexual female. Born a male, she had gender reassignment surgery back in 2006, and the associated hormone therapy. Now 37, she is physically, mentally, socially, and legally a woman, and happy to be one.

A decade ago the International Olympic Committee devised guidelines for transgender athletes, and were followed by the NCAA for college sports in the U.S. The medical committee of the Association of Boxing Commissions in North America also developed a policy last year based on that of the IOC, although it is up to each individual commission to implement it.

Despite this seemingly being a settled issue in international sports, including the combat sports, her revelation of her status has been met with heated reactions, both from her many supporters as well as those opponents who have provided public displays of bigotry and ignorance.

We spoke with Fallon Fox by phone Friday about the ensuing controversy about her and her career.

"I really don't see why there should be a lot of hoopla about past gender status, but this is what it turned into," she said in this interview.

"It's frustrating, but I realize that in the end, I'm going to win."

She also patiently tried to explain her position to those who just are not educated on this issue.

Discussing her transition to becoming a woman, she said, "I did this to save my sanity."

As for the bigots and haters, "The people who have bigotry or hatred for me just don't know me. And if they knew me - if they really, really, really, really knew me - then they wouldn't fear and they wouldn't hate."

We also discussed her licensing situation with the Florida and California commissions. She explained that contrary to some reports, she does have a license to fight, and as a woman, in Florida. She also posted on her Facebook fan page a copy of what looks like a license which was sent to her by the California commission. You can judge for yourself if she is in the right in believing that this was actually a license and not simply a receipt, as a California official has claimed. That commission is currently reviewing, once again, her application, and is expected to grant her a fighter's license shortly.

She thus is entirely justified when she said, "I've done nothing wrong."

We also discussed her training and background since her transition, including her earning a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and competing in IBJJF and NAGA grappling events, and the ADCC Trials. She has been training since 2008 in MMA, mainly at the Midwest Training Center, in all the disciplines needed for MMA.

Also to answer her critics and to educate those who remain uneducated, she explained how she has much lower testosterone than those who were born with a full female anatomy, as well as less bone density and muscle mass than she had previously.

And we discussed when her next fight might take place, what she needs to work on in her young MMA career, for which organizations she would like to fight, a new documentary film called "Game Face" about her and other LGBT athletes being made by filmmaker Michiel Thomas, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again speaks with the legendary and iconic world champion of ring announcers, Lenne Hardt.

Living in Tokyo, and an announcer for many years with both the Pride and Dream MMA promotions, Lenne will be racking up a lot of frequent flyer miles as she heads to two shows in two different countries.

On Saturday, March 23, she will be plying her trade at the Glory 5 kickboxing show in London, England, headlined by the Remy Bonjasky-Tyrone Spong fight. This will be the first kickboxing card at which she is an announcer.

Then, on Friday, April 5, it's back to Asia for the ONE FC: KINGS & CHAMPIONS MMA show at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, headlined by ONE FC lightweight champion Kotetsu Boku defending his title against Shinya Aoki.

We spoke with Lenne Hardt by Skype Wednesday (Tuesday New York time) about these upcoming events.

Speaking about the tremendous growth of ONE FC, the largest MMA promotion in Asia, she said in this interview, "They are the new Pride. They're the new Dream."

We discussed how she approaches preparing for her role as an announcer, her careers as an announcer and as an entertainer, what she has learned about cultural differences between people around the world, how sport brings many diverse people together, a comparison of the outfits worn by ring girls in different eras and countries, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again speaks with our colleague and correspondent Kid Peligro.

Our discussion focused on two major tournaments coming up, the Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2013 and the ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship 2013.

The Pan 2013 takes place Wednesday, March 20, through Sunday, March 24, at the Bren Events Center at the University of California, Irvine.

"The Pan is by far the largest jiu-jitsu tournament in the world," Kid Peligro said in this interview, which was recorded by phone Tuesday. It has over 3000 competitors, numerous divisions, has been running since 1996, and will be held for five days this year for the first time.

"The number of competitors is growing by leaps and bounds. It's just unbelievable."

The Pan 2013 will be webcast live as a pay-per-view by Budo Videos.

It has recently been announced that the ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship 2013, the most important and prestigious grappling tournament in the world, will be held October 19-20 in Beijing, China. As always, the ADCC 2013 will feature competition in no-gi grappling.

We discussed both these important events, who is expected to compete at them, the rules of each, the anti-doping testing at the Pan 2013, the future and worldwide growth of both Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and grappling, why ADCC 2013 will be in China, the growing universality of these disciplines, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman uses a lot of numbers to illustrate a lot of trouble in a lot of the combat sports.

Topics discussed include the exciting but brutal fight Saturday night between Timothy Bradley and Ruslan Provodnikov on the HBO boxing telecast and what it might do to each of these fighters; a main reason why Russian president Vladimir Putin is supporting reinstating wrestling on the Olympic program; a main reason why New York Governor Andrew Cuomo may be supporting the legalization of MMA in his state; what such a law would and would not mean for MMA and its fighters especially in terms of fighter rights; the declining ratings for the Robot Combat League's telecasts in the U.S.; and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Bill Eng.

Born in New York but living in China for many years, Bill Eng works with many different types of people and organizations in the MMA community in China.

"I help a lot promotions organize their fights in terms of experience and setting it up," he said in this interview, which was recorded Friday in New York's Chinatown. He also works with national coaches, describing himself as "not a businessman making a living off the fighters." He added that there are a "pretty broad range of things I do for organizations," including working with government licensing bodies.

China has the world's second-largest economy, and MMA has been growing there for the past decade. We discussed MMA organizations which are already in China, such as RUFF, and what those that are interested in running events there, including ONE FC and UFC, need to do to be successful there. Bill emphasized the need for those companies which are based outside of China to have or develop "top fighters" who are Chinese.

We also discussed some of the history of martial arts in China since the victory of the revolution in 1949, how the attitude of the Chinese government has changed over the years both to traditional martial arts and MMA, the difference between running MMA shows in Macao and in mainland China, the growth of grappling in China and the coming of the 2013 ADCC World Championships to Beijing, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with transsexual athlete, author, and speaker Donna Rose.

Donna Rose is also a wrestler. In her youth as a man, she wrestled in college. Now as a woman, and in her 50s, she is continuing to compete, finishing sixth at the 2010 U.S. Open Wrestling Championships at 72 kg/158.75 lbs. in senior women's freestyle wrestling.

We spoke with Donna Rose by phone Thursday as the controversy over female transsexual MMA fighter Fallon Fox continued. Fox, who last fought March 2 in Florida, is awaiting reviews of her fighter license applications from the athletic commissions in Florida and California. These commissions thus far have not adopted a policy regarding licensing of transsexual athletes, even though the International Olympic Committee did so almost a decade ago, and the Association of Boxing Commission's Medical Committee advised them to do so as recently as their annual meeting in July 2012.

"It's unfortunate that sports keeps falling back into outdated stereotypes of transsexual people," Donna Rose said in this interview. "All any of us wants to do is to be judged on our abilities."

Our discussion with Donna Rose touched on her own positive experiences in dealing with USA Wrestling as an openly transsexual woman, the many years of transition that a transsexual woman has to go through, why they do not have any unfair advantage over other female athletes, how the decision by the IOC Executive Board to drop wrestling from the Olympic program starting in 2020 "broke my heart", her plans to continue wrestling, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the current crisis in international wrestling and the pending exclusion of the sport from the Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee has come under fire recently for the recommendation by their Executive Board that wrestling be dropped from the Olympic program starting in 2020. While this is itself an absurd decision, much of the blame also rests with the clueless, incompetent, and intellectually deficient leadership in international wrestling, specifically in FILA, the international wrestling federation. Now there is a new leadership in FILA, comprised of many of the same people who drove wrestling to the brink of elimination from the Olympics, and who were admittedly asleep at the wheel during this whole process. This and other concerns raise issues about the governance of international wrestling, whether or not the sport manages to hang on and not be eliminated from the Olympics after IOC meetings in May and September which will make the final decision on this issue.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with robo-jockey Devonric Johnson.

The second show of the Robot Combat League, shown in the U.S. on Syfy and in Canada on Space on March 5, saw his robot, Brimstone, which he controls with robo-tech Russell Tait, defeat Thunder Skull by second-round disqualification. This win, in their first fight, means that they now move on to the second round of competition on this show, whose nine episodes have already been filmed.

In a sense, Devonric Johnson's background is similar to that of other athletes from the combat and contact sports. Growing up dirt poor and living in a shack in Terrell, Texas, he was adopted at the age of 13, became a model student, found success in the sport of football, and then was a star linebacker at Southern Methodist University.

But in another sense, his athletic career took another turn which is also becoming more well-known in these sports. He suffered a concussion in one of those college football games, ended up with post-concussion syndrome, and suddenly, while still in college, his football career was over.

Later on he moved to Los Angeles to pursue careers in acting and modeling. It was there that he had another opportunity to participate in a new type of combat sport, which would not injure him, and on a new TV show: robot fighting on the Robot Combat League. And he is loving it.

"I personally think that there's going to be a future of it because there's nothing of its kind," he said in this interview, which was recorded by phone Saturday. "It's really cool to see these magnificent machines in action. If you were actually at the arena you would be like, 'Wow! This is crazy!' Because, imagine a thousand-pound pressure coming from a machine on each single punch, and watching these machines being maneuvered by people on these platforms. It's amazing. The technology is amazing. It's way ahead of its time and it's just going to get better."

We also discussed more about the future of robot fighting and its relation to human combat sports, what happened in Brimstone's fight that led to a controversial disqualification of Thunder Skull, and the issue of head trauma and concussions.

In addition, Devonric also is the founder of the non-profit organization Brothers By Choice, which assists at-risk youths. We discussed that important work, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the burning issue of the situation involving MMA fighter Fallon Fox, who is a transgender woman and who has been fighting other women.

As usual, this commentary is no holds barred.

It puts the blame for the controversy over the licensing of Fallon Fox not on the fighter, but squarely on the clueless, incompetent, and intellectually and culturally deficient political appointees of the state athletic commissions where she applied for a license, both Florida and California. These commissions ignored the guidelines for dealing with transgender athletes proposed at the 2012 annual convention of the Association of Boxing Commissions, which were based on those already in place for the International Olympic Committee.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Robot Combat League robo-tech Ross Mead.

A robo-tech controls the bottom half of the eight-foot tall robots, with the top half controlled by a robo-jockey, as these robots are sent to fight one another in the Robot Combat League.

When Ross Mead is not helping to smash giant robots, he is a PhD research student at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, focusing, of course on robotics. While his goal there is to help develop robots which could assist people in their homes and daily lives, his experience in the Robot Combat League has left its mark on him.

"I was Iron Man," he said in this interview, which was recorded Wednesday on Skype. "You can't get away from the superhero aspect of this. I was driving this gigantic robot. No one can really say that. There are 24 people on the planet Earth who can say that right now. That's pretty incredible. That's really freaking awesome."

Adding that he already missed doing the show, whose episodes have already all been filmed, and that he would do it again, he said, "I wish everyone could experience it because it was absolutely incredible. It's a life-changing experience."

We get our first chance to see Ross Mead in action this coming Tuesday, March 12, when he teams with MMA fighter Andrew Montanez on the robot A.X.E. as it battles Game Over. In the other fight on that show, Robo Hammer, with MMA fighter Amanda Lucas as the robo-jockey, fights Drone Strike.

The Robot Combat League is telecast on the Syfy network in the U.S. and on Space in Canada.

Our discussion with him also touched on the relation of human fighting to robot fighting. He has some training in boxing and martial arts and is a fan of MMA, but he explained just how a background in human fighting is both "a blessing and a curse" for developing techniques for robot fighting. We discussed just where the technology is at now for robot fighting, some of the ethical questions of it as this new sport evolves, how many including boxing trainer Freddy Roach believe that robot fighting may one day replace or surpass human fighting in popularity, how he got involved with it, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman previews the fight between the unbeaten IBF champion Tavoris Cloud (24-0, 19 KOs) and the 48-year-old legend Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins (52-6, 32 KOs), and discusses its significance in the context of the lessons of the 2011 science fiction film "Real Steel".

The Cloud-Hopkins fight takes place Saturday, March 9, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and will be televised live in the U.S. on HBO.

In "Real Steel", set in the year 2020, robot boxing has replaced human boxing and, apparently, MMA. This film was just repeated on Showtime in the U.S. on Saturday, March 2 -- right before the live Showtime boxing card headlined by the wild Abril-Bogere fight.

The film "Real Steel" is loosely based on the 1956 short story "Steel" by Richard Matheson, which was made into a 1963 episode of "The Twilight Zone" TV series starring Lee Marvin. In both the short story and the TV show, boxing had been banned; the movie is more ambiguous about the future legal status of the human fighting sports. In the U.S., the debut show of the Robot Combat League on the Syfy network last Tuesday, February 26, featuring 12 eight-foot robot boxers in a tournament format, drew over 1.35 million viewers, with a total of nine weekly episodes already filmed.

Even before all this buzz about robot fighting, boxing has long been a largely tragic sport. It is a slowly dying sport that is killing its own people, but which we still sometimes love. Therein lies the degree of sadness with which we approach it, especially when a 48-year-old fighter is involved.

We spoke with Bernard Hopkins, Tavoris Cloud, Cloud's new trainer Abel Sanchez, and Cloud's promoter, the one and only Don King, about this fight on a media conference call this past Wednesday.

"It's going to be a barnburner on March the 9th," promised Don King on this conference call. "Get ready. We coming. We coming to Brooklyn. And no one could be prouder. And if you cannot hear us, we'll say it a little louder."

We shall see whose barn burns down Saturday night.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our longtime colleague and correspondent Chris Thomas.

Based in Maryland, Chris has been involved both in MMA and traditional martial arts for many years in various capacities. He also is among those of us from the combat sports who are closely following the development of the new Robot Combat League, which had its debut show on Syfy in the U.S. Tuesday, February 26.

The Robot Combat League features 12 state-of-the-art robots engaged in a tournament where they fight each other. The robots are controlled by a human fighter known as a robo-jockey and an engineer known as a robo-tech. The first season of nine weekly episodes has already been filmed. Two of the 12 robo-jockeys, Andrew Montanez and Amanda Lucas, are professional MMA fighters.

The Nielsen ratings for the debut episode of the Robot Combat League showed it drew 1.351 million viewers, with just 1.143 million viewers for The Ultimate Fighter on FX on the same night but one hour earlier.

We spoke with Chris by phone Friday to discuss the significance of the Robot Combat League and review its first televised show.

"Coming out of the gate, Eddie, with drawing 1.35 million people on the debut night, it was pretty impressive," he said in this interview.

"It really gave a lot of people, I think, a glance at the future of combat sports. With the head injuries and the challenges of athletes getting bigger, stronger, and faster every single day, gosh, I can't say I hate to see it, but It could be the future of combat sports, these robots fighting with jockeys, so therefore there's no personal injury. Is it happening now? No. Do I hope it happens now? Not necessarily. But I sure did enjoy it."

We discussed what happened on this first episode, how apparently brains defeated brawn in the first televised fight, why we like the tournament format, what this sport might look like in the future, what improvements this show can make, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again speaks with Coach Kevin Jackson, the Olympic gold medalist and two-time world champion freestyle wrestler, who is the head wrestling coach for the legendary Iowa State Cyclones.

After a slow start to the 2012-13 college wrestling season, Iowa State reeled off eight wins in their final nine dual meets, with the team now ranked 20th in the nation. Several wrestlers are also individually ranked in the top 20, including redshirt sophomore Kyven Gadson, who is ranked seventh at 197 pounds.

"Were happy with the last few months," said Coach Jackson in this interview, which was recorded by phone Wednesday. "It's just the way our guys are competing. The wins are coming. The dominating performances are coming. The major decisions, the falls, the tech falls are all falling into place."

This all comes at the right time for Iowa State. The regular season is now over, with the Big 12 Duals and Championships slated for March 8-9 in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and the NCAA Div. I National Championships March 21-23 in Des Moines, Iowa.

Coach Jackson added, "We're still a young team. We have four sophomores and three freshman starting in our lineup. So we're really excited about our future. But also we think for a lot of these guys the future is now, and that there are great opportunities for them at the Big 12s next week, and then at the NCAA tournament a few weeks later."

While college wrestling in the U.S. prepares for these championship tournaments, the entire worlds of wrestling and sports were rocked by the recent decision of the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee to drop wrestling from the program of the 2020 Olympics. We also discussed this with Coach Jackson.

"I don't know exactly what went wrong, besides I think our leadership within our international governing body [FILA] was flawed, and we weren't staying ahead of the game," he said. "We weren't staying ahead of what we needed to do to show the IOC that we were worthy of being in the Olympic Games, and the great things that we have done throughout the history of the Olympic Games, and how we are an integral part of those Games. And I don't think our international governing body did that."

Besides going over what changes international wrestling needs to make and what we can do to help save Olympic wrestling, we also discussed the recent loss in the Bellator MMA organization by "King" Mo Lawal, who had trained for years in freestyle wrestling with Coach Jackson at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. Coach Jackson was also a professional MMA fighter in the 1990s in both UFC and Battlecade Extreme Fighting, so he offered some friendly advice to "King" Mo.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Carlos Carvalho, the executive officer of the USA ADCC Federation‏.

The most important grappling tournament of 2013 in North America is about to happen: the final North American qualifier for the 2013 ADCC World Submission Fighting Championships. This is the last chance for North American grapplers to qualify for the 2013 ADCC World Championships. This qualifier will take place this Saturday, March 2, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio, as part of the annual Arnold Sports Festival.

The winners in both the five men's weight classes and the two women's weight classes will receive official invitations to compete in the 2013 ADCC World Submission Fighting Championships, which will be held later this year at a date and location to be announced.

We spoke with Carlos Carvalho Wednesday by Skype about this important event.

"It is such a big event. You can't imagine," he said in this interview. The logistics involve bringing competitors from the 48 ADCC Federations around the world, plus the officials and staff, to the event.

"The ADCC is the Olympics of grappling, because we are as big as the Olympics. I don't see any other organization that runs something like this big, except the Olympics."

We discussed the international growth of the ADCC Federations especially in Europe, the high level of athletes who will compete in the North American qualifier, the ADCC rules, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

(Photo: Esther Lin/Strikeforce)

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with women's MMA pioneer Zee Vjesalicu.

With a background in judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Zee Vjesalicu turned to MMA in the 1990s, won the International Fighting Championships' women's light-heavyweight title, and had a record of 7-0 with seven submissions (and one no contest) before retiring as a fighter. Along with Becky Levi, Zee is one of the true pioneers of women's MMA in North America. She now lives in Brazil, where she trains people in self-defense and protection, including professionals in that field.

Zee also still follows MMA, and watched Saturday night's fight between Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche at UFC 157, won by the unbeaten Rousey by first-round arm bar. Based on what she saw, while she is impressed with Rousey, she believes that she can be beaten.

"I think anybody can," she said in this interview, which was recorded by Skype Sunday. "The thing is, you got to study the videotape. You got to sit down, you got to pick apart all the videotapes. Everything I've seen, is, she rushes in, she gets you around the head, she hip tosses you, she gets on top of you, and she arm bars you." Key to defeating her, then, is "if you can defend the takedown."

Zee also stressed that there is a bad tendency for women fighters to be judged on their looks and not on their talent as athletes and fighters. "If I want to see a beauty contest. then I go to watch Miss America," she said.

We also discussed her career as a fighter, why a fight with the much bigger Becky Levi never happened, whether she would even be booked to fight today if she were still fighting, how a good judo player could beat Ronda Rousey, how she would train Liz Carmouche, the buildup of Ronda Rousey, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with MMA fighter and Robot Combat League competitor Amanda Lucas.

Besides mainly fighting in Japan and holding the women's open weight title in the DEEP promotion, Amanda Lucas is a robo-jockey on the first season of the Robot Combat League.

The Robot Combat League features 12 giant state-of-the-art robots engaged in a tournament where they fight each other. The robots are controlled by a human fighter known as a robo-jockey and an engineer known as a robo-tech. The first season of the Robot Combat League, which premieres Tuesday, February 26, on Syfy in the U.S., has already been filmed. There will be nine weekly episodes of the Robot Combat League for this debut season. Two of the 12 robo-jockeys, Andrew Montanez and Amanda Lucas, are professional MMA fighters.

We spoke with Amanda Lucas by phone Wednesday both about her participation in the Robot Combat League and about her MMA career.

Discussing the Robot Combat League, she said in this interview that this show is "like nothing that's ever been done. It was a really cool experience. You've got these giant metal machines that can really do some damage. There was this crazy level of excitement." She also explained, "We're the first people to ever do this. You're also working with a teammate who you just met," referring to the robo-tech.

We also discussed how this show will likely appeal both to combat sports fans and those who do not watch combat sports, to what degree robot fighting represents the future of combat sports, her experiences and plans for fighting again for DEEP in Japan, women's MMA in Japan and the U.S., and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with martial artist, and producer and co-host of the Official True School Radio Show on WHCR 90.3 FM in New York, Dr. Shaka Zulu.

Dr. Shaka Zulu is also part of the Universal Zulu Nation, and is an organizer of the 11th annual Kemetic Masters of the Martial Arts.

Kemet, as he explained in this interview, is the original and indigenous name for what is now called Egypt.

This event takes place this Saturday, February 23, at the National Black Theatre at 2033 5th Avenue between 125th and 126th Streets in Harlem, New York. It will feature a special picture presentation by Dr. Shaka Zulu, live demonstrations in numerous styles and disciplines of the martial arts, a hip-hop dance showcase, holistic health information, and more. All are welcome.

We spoke with Dr. Shaka Zulu by phone Wednesday night, and discussed this event and the African origin of the martial arts and combat sports.

A lot of people, he said in this interview, tend to think of the origins of martial arts "as coming from out of China or Japan." This is historically inaccurate, he said.

"The root of martial arts actually comes from out of Africa, or Nubia, or Kemet."

We discussed the mountain of historical evidence for this analysis, including some of the remaining drawings and artifacts from ancient days, such as the tomb drawings from at least 4000 years ago depicting hundreds of wrestling positions and martial arts techniques. We also discussed the program for the Kemetic Masters of the Martial Arts event, Malcolm X and the martial arts, the need to know the real history of the martial arts including MMA and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, how martial arts and combat sports should promote positive values and not thuggery, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with coach John Potenza and wrestlers Jorge Martinez and Phil Doig of the Snake Pit U.S.A. Catch Wrestling Association.

On Sunday, February 17, for the first time in almost a century, real catch-as-catch-can wrestling matches were held at a public event in New York City. The setting was the MMA World Expo at the Jacob Javits Center, as the Snake Pit U.S.A. Catch Wrestling Association put on three matches as well as a demonstration of the techniques and rules of catch wrestling. In this storied style, wrestlers can win by pin or submission, the matches are two out of three falls, and there are no judges or points.

All three matches featured constant back-and-forth action, skillfully executed techniques, and decisive finishes.

In the opening match, at 145 pounds, Jorge Martinez, who had wrestled at Highland Park High School in New Jersey, faced Mike Robinson, who had wrestled at Sandlewood High School in New Jersey. Mike Robinson won the first fall by pin, but Jorge Martinez came back to win the second fall by rear naked choke submission and the third fall by pin. Thus, Jorge Martinez won the match, two falls to one.

Next up was a 160 pound match between two wrestlers from different backgrounds. It pitted Teddy Pericleous, who had wrestled at Colonia High School in New Jersey, against Jack Cordero, who had no wrestling experience prior to training at the Snake Pit USA Catch Wrestling Association, but who holds a record of 4-0 in amateur MMA. Their divergent backgrounds were evident, as Jack Cordero won the first fall by rear naked choke submission, while Teddy Pericleous won falls two and three by pin, thus winning the match.

The third and final match, at 155 pounds, had Mario Perricone, who had wrestled at JP Stevens High School in New Jersey, facing Phil Doig, who had wrestled at Potsdam High School in New York. This one featured submissions, as Phil Doig won, two falls to none, with a heel hook submission in the first fall and a toe hold submission in the second fall.

We spoke with Jorge Martinez, Phil Doig, and John Potenza right at the conclusion of the catch wrestling.

"I was really, really happy with the turnout," said Coach Potenza. "The guys fought amazing matches. The pins and submissions were great, the transitions, the near submissions, the near pins. It was really good. A lot of action. There was constant mobility. Guys were always moving, grinding, looking for something to take. It was a really, really impressive match. I was really happy with all the matches today."

Besides the matches, we also discussed the potential for catch wrestling to grow, the future plans of the Snake Pit U.S.A. Catch Wrestling Association, catch wrestling and MMA, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

"The Martist" with John Perretti. A "martist" is an artist as well as a martial artist. This is a blog for those who think about fighting, published by John Perretti, the lifelong martial artist and former UFC and Battlecade Extreme Fighting matchmaker. Check out John's writings at http://johnperretti.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman presents the unedited and complete audio from the February 14 media conference call for the Robot Combat League.

The Robot Combat League features 12 state-of-the-art robots engaged in a tournament where they fight each other. The robots are controlled by a human fighter known as a robo-jockey and an engineer known as a robo-tech. The first season of the Robot Combat League, which premieres Tuesday, February 26, on Syfy in the U.S., has already been filmed. There will be nine weekly episodes of the Robot Combat League for this debut season. Two of the 12 robo-jockeys, Andrew Montanez and Amanda Lucas, are professional MMA fighters.

The main speakers on this conference call were WWE performer Chris Jericho, who hosts the show, and robotics expert Mark Setrakian, who designed and created these robots.

The question, of course, which comes to mind for those in the combat sports, is whether or not some day, like in the fictional movie "Real Steel", robot fighting can become sophisticated and popular enough to replace human combat sports.

Asked about this on this conference call, Mark Setrakian replied, "As a culture, we don't lose sports. We add sports to our repertoire. So I think robot combat is a new sport that's going to be added to what humans do. I don't think boxing or wrestling or any of those things are going to go away."

The discussion on the conference call also focused on many details of this new show, and provided a lot of answers as to what to expect when it debuts February 26.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

"The Martist" with John Perretti. A "martist" is an artist as well as a martial artist. This is a blog for those who think about fighting, published by John Perretti, the lifelong martial artist and former UFC and Battlecade Extreme Fighting matchmaker. Check out John's writings at http://johnperretti.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Maximum Fighting Championship fighter Mukai "The Afrikan Assassin" Maromo.

Originally from Harare, Zimbabwe, and now based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Mukai Maromo will be fighting for the vacant MFC lightweight title this Friday, February 15. His opponent will be Graham Spencer, who defeated him by decision in 2010. Since then, Mukai Maromo, now 8-2, has won five straight fights, while Graham Spencer, 9-1, has also been undefeated.

This fight will be the co-main event of the MFC 36 card which will be held this Friday at the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton, and televised live on AXS TV.

We spoke with Mukai Maromo by phone Monday.

Mukai Maromo is known more as a striker, having won four of his eight victories by KO or TKO, while Graham Spencer is known more as a grappler, having won four of his nine victories by submission and none by KO or TKO. Although Graham Spencer has never been knocked out, Mukai Maromo is very confident that this will change in their rematch.

"I think it has the makings of a very exciting fight," he said in this interview. He believes that his opponent has never been knocked out because he is mainly a grappler who "has managed to drive his opponents down to the ground and beat them on the top. In that situation it's very hard to get knocked out when you're the one in the top position on the ground."

But he said that it is also because his opponent has not faced a top-level striker. "It's not like he's fought somebody who's landed a couple of hard shots off his chin and taken it and kept on trucking." And he stressed that he is a far improved fighter since their first fight in 2010.

In this rematch, he predicted, "I'm going to put a couple of hands on his chin. If he can take that, I'll put the knee on his chin. If he can take that, I'll put my shin on his chin. With one of those three things landing on it, it's guaranteed to be a knockout." And he added, "He's never been knocked out YET, but I'm definitely coming to do that right now."

We discussed his progress as a fighter since that loss to Graham Spencer. He only started fighting professionally in 2010, at age 27, and took some time to find his bearings. But he said he is now dedicated to becoming "the best" and has also been training at the respected Tristar Gym in Montreal. This is his "new home" and he said he has improved all aspects of his fighting technique since training there.

We also discussed how he became a mixed martial arts fighter, how he would like to help spread and develop MMA in his home country of Zimbabwe and in more of Africa than has it now, the great potential for MMA in Africa, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

"The Martist" with John Perretti. A "martist" is an artist as well as a martial artist. This is a blog for those who think about fighting, published by John Perretti, the lifelong martial artist and former UFC and Battlecade Extreme Fighting matchmaker. Check out John's writings at http://johnperretti.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the decision by the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to drop wrestling from the program of the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.

Many people in the wrestling community have long criticized the poor and sometimes nonexistent promotion and marketing of wrestling, as well as the poor communications skills of many of those in charge of it. Now, it appears, the chickens have come home to roost, as other Olympic sports and those vying to get on the Olympic program have passed it by.

While the IOC could still reinstate wrestling for 2020 at its Executive Board meeting in St Petersburg, Russia, in May, or at its full IOC Session September 7-10 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, that is highly unlikely unless wrestling makes some dramatic changes in the few months before those meetings.

We also play the audio of the February 12 press briefing with the IOC Communications Director, Mark Adams, which officially announced that wrestling was being dropped by the IOC.

Here is the February 12 news release by the IOC announcing that wrestling was being dropped:

IOC Executive Board recommends 25 core sports for 2020 Games

The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) today agreed on the 25 sports it will propose to the 125th IOC Session for approval as the core sports for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.

The 25 sports are: athletics, rowing, badminton, basketball, boxing, canoeing, cycling, equestrian, fencing, football, gymnastics, weightlifting, handball, hockey, judo, swimming, modern pentathlon, taekwondo, tennis, table tennis, shooting, archery, triathlon, sailing and volleyball.

The EB recommended that wrestling, governed by the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA), not be included on the list of core sports. Wrestling will now join the seven shortlisted sports – baseball/softball, karate, roller sports, sport climbing, squash, wakeboarding and wushu – vying for inclusion in the 2020 Olympic programme as an additional sport.

The eight sports are scheduled to make presentations to the Executive Board at its meeting in St Petersburg, Russia, in May. The EB will select which of the eight sports to recommend to the 125th IOC Session for inclusion as an additional sport on the 2020 programme.

In an effort to ensure the Olympic Games remain relevant to sports fans of all generations, the Olympic Programme Commission systematically reviews every sport following each edition of the Games.

Golf and rugby sevens were added in 2009 as additional sports to the 2016 Olympic programme.

The 125th IOC Session will take place from 7 to 10 September in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

The Martist" with John Perretti. A "martist" is an artist as well as a martial artist. This is a blog for those who think about fighting, published by John Perretti, the lifelong martial artist and former UFC and Battlecade Extreme Fighting matchmaker. Check out John's writings at http://johnperretti.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Andrew Montanez, the host of the online video show MMA Surge.

Andrew Montanez has a strong background in the combat sports. He wrestled at Mineola High School in Long Island, New York, and then at Nassau Community College, as well as wrestling freestyle at the Empire State Games. He is currently a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Although he is not currently an active fighter, he has fought numerous times in professional MMA, including Strikeforce where he was 1-1.

His latest foray into combat sports, however, was something quite different: Andrew served as a robo-jockey for an eight-foot tall robot named A.X.E. in the first season of the new Syfy network TV series called Robot Combat League.

The Robot Combat League features 12 state-of-the-art robots engaged in a tournament where they fight each other. The robots are controlled by a human fighter known as a robo-jockey and an engineer known as a robo-tech. The first season of the Robot Combat League, which premieres Tuesday, February 26, on Syfy in the U.S., has already been filmed.

We spoke with Andrew Montanez about the Robot Combat League and its relation to combat sports by phone Saturday.

"That's the main reason why I did the show. I saw the same vision. The sport's getting violent. We kind of need something else," he said in this interview. "I know a lot of girls that can't watch MMA because they can't watch people getting hit. But I brought a couple of them to the robot fights and they were like, 'This is awesome.' Because no one's actually getting hurt."

He continued, "The main reason I did this show was because I saw the potential and I wanted to be part of it," and to "try to see if we could start a new combat sport."

He did caution that there will be many factors determining the success or failure of the Robot Combat League, including the editing of the show, how the audience reacts to it, and how the fights actually look on television. "It's going to be a little bit of a process."

Still, he, along with many other people, are optimistic that the Robot Combat League can establish itself as a successful venture, be it as a replacement for combat sports involving humans or as a show existing alongside them.

We discussed what his tasks were as a robo-jockey, how he had an advantage over other robo-jockeys because he could utilize his combat sports skills to control his robot, why he believes that many fans of combat sports will enjoy the Robot Combat League, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

The Martist" with John Perretti. A "martist" is an artist as well as a martial artist. This is a blog for those who think about fighting, published by John Perretti, the lifelong martial artist and former UFC and Battlecade Extreme Fighting matchmaker. Check out John's writings at http://johnperretti.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with American Top Team MMA fighter for former University of Missouri wrestler J.P. Reese.

On January 31, J.P. Reese fought Dave Shepherd on the Bellator MMA card in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, and won a three-round unanimous decision. This fight, fought at lightweight, was on the undercard of this event. It upped his record to 9-4, and 3-0 in Bellator, but he still has not gotten a slot in a Bellator championship tournament.

Now 32 years old, and having fought professionally only since June 2010, J.P. Reese believes it is time for him to make a change.

"To be honest with you, I actually have intentions of probably going to 145 pounds," he said in this interview, which was recorded by phone Monday. "I wrestled 141 in college. I'm getting it everyday at the gym from my training partners and from my coaches, 'Hey, when are you going to drop down to 145?'" While he may not drop to that weight whenever his next fight is, he added, "Down the road I'm really anticipating going to 145 pounds."

Even if he drops to 145, however, he will still have to wait for a slot in a Bellator tournament. The Bellator season eight featherweight tournament is set to start February 7, with the season eight lightweight tournament having started a week earlier. It may not be easy to be patient at age 32 while waiting for a tournament spot, but, especially if he keeps winning his fights, this could be the year it happens for J.P. Reese.

Meanwhile, he trains at American Top Team's facility in Coconut Creek, Florida, and prepares for his next fight, which has not been set yet. He also maintains his ties with wrestling, and is an assistant wrestling coach at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, one of the top schools for wrestling in that state.

In our interview, we also discussed when he trained with other former Missouri wrestlers who are now MMA fighters, including Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler, Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren, and former Strikeforce and now UFC fighter Tyron Woodley. In addition, we discussed how he made the transition from wrestling to MMA, his most recent fights, the state of wrestling in Florida, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

The Martist" with John Perretti. A "martist" is an artist as well as a martial artist. This is a blog for those who think about fighting, published by John Perretti, the lifelong martial artist and former UFC and Battlecade Extreme Fighting matchmaker. Check out John's writings at http://johnperretti.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman presents the complete and unedited audio from the Bellator MMA and Spike TV media conference call of February 5 to announce the new reality series "Fight Master: Bellator MMA," which will premier this summer. This conference call took place during a live Bellator-Spike press conference in Santa Monica, California.

Participating in both the press conference and the conference call were the four coaches slated for "Fight Master": MMA legends Randy Couture and Frank Shamrock, well-respected trainer and coach Greg Jackson, and former Greco-Roman wrestling world champion and former Bellator featherweight champion Joe Warren. Also participating were Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney, Spike TV president Kevin Kay, and Sharon Levy, the Executive Vice President, Original Series, Spike TV.

Also announced was a multi-year partnership between Spike TV and Randy Couture. This includes his participation on "Fight Master," as well as another series called "MMA Rescue," where he tries to save failing gyms, and other projects still to be developed.

On the surface, the format of "Fight Master: Bellator MMA" seems similar to that of other MMA reality shows. 32 fighters, all welterweights (170 pounds), will be divided into four camps, each led by one of these four coaches. The fighters will then compete in a tournament to win a $100,000 cash prize and to earn a slot in a regular season Bellator tournament. The show will also focus on the backgrounds, personalities, and training of these fighters.

All this will unfold over 10 one-hour, pre-recorded episodes, all shot in Louisiana. The executive producers are Bertram van Munster and Elise Doganieri, whom the Spike TV press release call "the visionaries behind 'The Amazing Race.'"

What will set this show apart from other reality shows, however, is that it is not positioned as a spectacle with all sorts of antics and absurd behavior, but rather as a springboard for developing real future stars in the sport of MMA.

Speaking on the conference call and at the press conference, Spike TV's Sharon Levy said the show will aim at both diehard and new MMA fans.

"Strategy, technique, when these guys size up these fighters and really pinpoint what's missing in their game, and what they can bring to improve their game," will be a focus of this show, she said.

"It's not going to be a bunch of drunk guys running around and acting like idiots. That's not how we're looking at the show."

Besides the speakers, there were numerous questions taken and answered, both from those in attendance at the press conference and those listening in on the conference call.

We also open with some commentary on the significance of the positioning of this new show and what it means for MMA.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

The Martist" with John Perretti. A "martist" is an artist as well as a martial artist. This is a blog for those who think about fighting, published by John Perretti, the lifelong martial artist and former UFC and Battlecade Extreme Fighting matchmaker. Check out John's writings at http://johnperretti.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Bellator MMA fighter Will Brooks.

A little over a month ago, although he had an undefeated record in MMA, the 26-year-old Illinois-based Will Brooks was not well-known internationally as a fighter. That all changed on December 31, 2012, when he faced the far more experienced Japanese submission master and former Sengoku lightweight champion Satoru Kitaoka on the Dream 18 New Year's Eve card in Saitama, Japan. While Kitaoka tried for submissions, Will Brooks outfought him and pulled off the upset with a second-round TKO win, thus exploding onto the international MMA scene.

That high profile and convincing win led to him being entered in the Bellator MMA season eight lightweight tournament. Just a month after his win in Japan, Will Brooks was matched up once again with yet another more experienced opponent, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and Bellator veteran Ricardo Tirloni, in the tournament quarterfinals on January 31 in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. While Tirloni also tried to win this fight with submissions, Will Brooks outboxed and outwrestled him to take a three-round unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring it 30-27 in his favor.

The victory over Tirloni advanced him to the lightweight tournament semifinals, where, according to the posted brackets, he will face Saad Awad. While it has not been officially announced, that fight may take place March 7 in Temecula, California, at the Pechanga Resort and Casino, and be televised live in the U.S. on Spike TV.

Yet even with all this new-found notoriety and attention, Will Brooks has a larger vision of what he wants to accomplish.

"MIxed martial arts, I love the sport, I love competing, but also I want to be an ambassador," he said in this interview, which was recorded by phone Saturday. "I want to show people that you don't have to just be an athlete. You don't have to just be a winner. You can affect people in other ways. Plus, you can use this as a way to do that."

Of course, his goals as a fighter are to go as far as he can.

"I'm looking to be a champion at some point in my life," he continued. "Right now I think I'm on the road to doing that. I'm going to be doing this for a long time. Nothing against any of the other guys in the lightweight division, but I believe that I'm going to be a dominating force and a threat for a very long time to come."

We also discussed his transition from wrestling to football to MMA, his need to work on submissions, his training at the Midwest Training Center and with American Top Team, his boxing training for MMA and understanding of the importance of throwing straight jabs, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

The Martist" with John Perretti. A "martist" is an artist as well as a martial artist. This is a blog for those who think about fighting, published by John Perretti, the lifelong martial artist and former UFC and Battlecade Extreme Fighting matchmaker. Check out John's writings at http://johnperretti.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with coaches John Potenza and Joel Bane of the Snake Pit U.S.A. Catch Wrestling Association.

Catch wrestling, which was one of the most popular sports in the world in the early twentieth century, is making a comeback in many places around the world. The development of the Snake Pit U.S.A. Catch Wrestling Association is an important step in that process.

We spoke with coaches John Potenza and Joel Bane by phone Thursday about these developments and the plans of the organization.

Coach Potenza very forcefully explained the main goals of the Snake Pit U.S.A. Catch Wrestling Association.

"We just want to unite as many catch wrestlers as we can and build one strong family," he said in this interview. "I think a big problem in the past with attempts of bringing catch back was too many people wanted to be the lead guy, and, 'Look at me, I'm the top catch wrestler.' But they lose sight of the real task, and the real task is to get us all united together, so there is no internal bickering, and who's who and what's what. We need to get all the catch wrestlers together, unite them all as one, and then bring it back into the spotlight where it belongs."

Once the people in catch wrestling are united and more people become aware of this style, he said, "There's no telling where it can go. It very well could be equal to or surpass anything else out there."

All this, of course, is still in the beginning stages, as many people are still not familiar with what catch wrestling is and how it differs from other styles such as folkstyle or freestyle wrestling, no-gi grappling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, sambo, etc.

To further this process, the Snake Pit U.S.A. Catch Wrestling Association will be at the MMA World Expo in New York February 16-17. On Sunday, February 17, from 10:30 AM to 11 AM, they will have a demonstration of what catch wrestling is, what the rules are, and more. Right after that, from 11 AM to 12 noon, there will be a few actual catch wrestling matches. In these matches, which are two out of three falls, the wrestlers can win by pin or submission. The Snake Pit U.S.A. Catch Wrestling Association will also have a booth at the Expo both days so people can talk with them.

"It's a very big first step for catch wrestling right now," noted Coach Potenza about their participation at the MMA World Expo.

In addition, we discussed how the term "No Holds Barred" is actually an old catch wrestling term, the Association's curriculum and certification of individuals and gyms in catch wrestling, working with people who have come from other styles and disciplines of grappling and combat sports, their impressive board of directors which includes head coach Billy Robinson, Erik Paulson, Jake Shannon, Greg Nelson, and others, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

The Martist" with John Perretti. A "martist" is an artist as well as a martial artist. This is a blog for those who think about fighting, published by John Perretti, the lifelong martial artist and former UFC and Battlecade Extreme Fighting matchmaker. Check out John's writings at http://johnperretti.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman continues our discussions exploring the origins and evolution of mixed martial arts, with our senior correspondent John Perretti and one of his many martial arts students from the 1970s and 1980s, Dr. Alex Eingorn.

Dr. Eingorn, considered by many to be the best chiropractor in New York, founded one of New York City's first multi-disciplinary health care centers in 1989 that later became Better Health Chiropractic, which he still runs.

Our discussion was recorded by phone Monday night.

Dr. Eingorn first met and began training with John Perretti in New York in 1977. The techniques taught by John were officially known as Tao Jutsu Do, combining the best techniques of the martial arts and combat sports. Even in the 1970s and '80s, Dr. Eingorn recalled, Tao Jutsu Do was also known by a term which would later eclipse it: mixed martial arts.

The training included everything from grappling to use of weapons to kickboxing to running gauntlets while blindfolded. The emphasis, Dr. Eingorn stated, was on "the practicality of everything" rather than style. The training not only focused on these many techniques of fighting, but also on how to "repair people" from any injuries they suffered, something which reinforced Dr. Eingorn's career choice.

Along the way, however, something went wrong. While Dr. Eingorn said he used to follow professional MMA and has attended several live events, he no longer follows MMA like he once did.

"In my opinion, it's evolved into a totally different animal," he said in this interview.

Discussing his training from 1977 to 1983 with John Perretti, he said, "We had rules. We couldn't just get somebody on the ground and keep pummeling them in the head. You know, you get somebody on the ground, you land a punch, you know it's solid, you stop the fight."

He continued, "Initially, when John was starting this, it was all about stopping your opponent and discouraging them from continuing, whether it was through an arm bar or a choke hold or some other technique. And then it stopped. What I see now is that the damage is relentless." And he said, "These people are coming out injured, more than they need to be, in my opinion." When asked what he wants to see in MMA today, he responded, "more technique and less violence."

He concluded, "When we were working on this, we were trying to create a practical art, a practical martial art, that will do no harm, that will just develop the person's ability, it will teach them honor, it will teach them boundaries, it will teach them discipline, and teach them all the beauty that the martial arts has to offer, without the devastating trauma and lasting injury." But that, in his opinion has not occurred with professional MMA.

"And I think, unfortunately, we failed. I think the powers that be took that to a totally different level."

We also discussed some of the style vs. style challenge fights of the 1970s and 1980s, the issues of head injuries and brain trauma in combat and contact sports, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

The Martist" with John Perretti. A "martist" is an artist as well as a martial artist. This is a blog for those who think about fighting, published by John Perretti, the lifelong martial artist and former UFC and Battlecade Extreme Fighting matchmaker. Check out John's writings at http://johnperretti.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Joel Resnick, the founder and CEO of RUFF (Ranik Ultimate Fighting Federation).

Based in China, RUFF will be holding its most important show on Saturday, February 2, where five super fights will be held in five different weight classes to crown, for the first time, Chinese national MMA champions. Each of the winners will earn RMB 1,000,000 (approximately US$160,000).

This card will take place at the Inner Mongolia Indoor Stadium in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China, and be televised live throughout China on Inner Mongolia Satellite Channel as well as regionally on the Shandong Sports Channel and the Xinjiang Sports Channel.

There will be several online and mobile streams available in China, as well as a free, live stream available to the world on PPTV, scheduled to start at 2:30 PM China Standard Time (CST - UTC/GMT +8 hours). RUFF will be providing more information on the telecasts and webcasts, at http://www.ruffchina.com.

We spoke with Joel Resnick by Skype Tuesday (Monday in New York) to preview this important card and discuss the progress of RUFF as an organization.

"Really we've done everything we said we were going to do from the very beginning," he said in this interview.

"We work on facts over here. Fact one: We're the only ones that have a permit for professional MMA in China. That's just the way it is. And our permit just got extended through 2014.

"Fact two: We're giving out the first China national MMA belts sanctioned by the government.

"Fact three: We're giving out 1,000,000 RMB to each of the five winners.

"Fact four: We're on satellite TV live. No combat sport has ever been on satellite TV live in China."

He also listed some of the very impressive statistics for total TV viewership of RUFF events in China. RUFF 5 got just over seven million viewers, RUFF 6 got around six million viewers, with the numbers for RUFF 7 due shortly. He added, the "Super Fight, really, we're hoping for ten million viewers. It's the first time ever it will be aired live nationally."

RUFF has also had a reality show with millions of viewers to familiarize people with the mostly young group of fighters who compete in this organization.

We also discussed the fights on this championship card, why there was a late replacement this week for one of the fighters, how the fighters chosen to compete on this card were selected both for their fight records as well as how they will represent their country, the future of RUFF, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

The Martist" with John Perretti. A "martist" is an artist as well as a martial artist. This is a blog for those who think about fighting, published by John Perretti, the lifelong martial artist and former UFC and Battlecade Extreme Fighting matchmaker. Check out John's writings at http://johnperretti.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again speaks with Victor Cui, the CEO of ONE FC.

ONE FC returns with its first show of 2013 with a loaded card on Saturday, February 2, called ONE FC: Return of Warriors. This card will take place in the Stadium Putra in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and will be available live on an international pay-per-view webcast on LiveSport.TV.

ONE FC: Return of Warriors is headlined by a fight for the ONE FC featherweight championship between the unbeaten Eric Kelly and the URCC lightweight champion Honorio Banario. There will also be a four-man Malaysian national featherweight championship tournament.

Speaking of this national championship tournament, Victor Cui said in this interview, which was recorded by Skype Sunday (Saturday New York time), "We're going to start to do this in every country that we go to, where we are going to be able to crown a national MMA champion in those countries, if the talent pool is deep enough." ONE FC will then put the winners of these national championships "into the pipeline up for contention for the belt eventually." He added, "This is really exciting to me, because it is part of making local fans by giving them a national hero that they can follow and get excited about."

He also announced that the next ONE FC show will be held Friday, April 5, in Singapore, with the fighters to be named very shortly. ONE FC, he said, plans to hold 12 events in 2013 plus two more summits, and 24 events in 2014. The April 5 card will be televised live in Asia on Star Sports.

We also discussed how ONE FC is planning to expand local telecasts and have them in multiple languages, possible co-promotions with groups like Glory and Dream, potential locations of upcoming cards including China, how ONE FC is "actually ahead of track of where our plans were," and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again speaks with the ex-pugilist, lifelong martial artist, former UFC and Battlecade Extreme Fighting matchmaker, TV commentator, and our senior correspondent, John Perretti.

A "martist" is a term coined by John Perretti, meaning someone who has "the duality of the spirit of the martial and the aesthetic, a split if you will in interests within one human being. The artist preceded the pugilist and they have had a symbiotic relationship ever since." John's new blog is also called "'The Martist' with John Perretti".

We spoke with John Perretti by phone Tuesday about his blog, aesthetics and martial arts, the current states of MMA and grappling, and more.

Although he is a pioneer in MMA and created the basics of the modern structure of the sport, he is no longer enthusiastic about present-day MMA. "I don't want to focus on this car accident that this sport has become, because I don't feel that it's worth my time any longer," he said in this interview. "I donated incredible time and energy and resources and personal money to make this thing happen, and it for me is something that I don't enjoy watching."

John also was the producer of the 1997 all-grappling pay-per-view show, "The Contenders". While that show was a financial failure, he still maintains his love of grappling: "I am a giant proponent of grappling. Meeting Gene LeBell changed my whole life. I'm one of his four original black belts. And that's why I started 'The Contenders' and that's why I took striking out of the martial arts and created straight grappling."

We also discussed fixed fights and purposeful mismatches, the need for the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act to be extended to MMA fighters, why he is writing his autobiography, aesthetics and martial arts, his current coaching of weightlifting, the issues of head trauma and CTE in combat and contact sports, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again speaks with Dr. Margaret Goodman, the president and board chairman of VADA, the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association.

In a little over a year of existence, VADA has had a major impact on the combat sports. Another step forward will be taken this week when the first MMA fighter to complete the VADA pre-fight drug-testing program, Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren, defends his title on January 24 against Karl Amoussou.

But a lot more needs to be done, especially in the combat sports, to educate people on the dangers of performance-enhancing drugs.

"It's always been amazing to me that the public gets so up in arms when they think a decision wasn't judged properly," said Dr. Goodman in this interview, which was recorded by phone Tuesday.

"But I cannot for my life imagine why the fans, who really can have a strong voice and put pressure on these athletic commissions, don't speak out when they see that an athlete has tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance, and they themselves the fans watched that fight under false pretenses."

We discussed the growing use of these substances even among children, and the book by Dr. Robert C. Cantu, "Concussions and Our Kids", which advocates that children under the age of 14 should be restricted from participating in contact sports where there is the likelihood of head trauma.

In addition, we discussed the continuing widespread granting of therapeutic-use exemptions for testosterone, especially in MMA, without proper medical testing and evaluation. We discussed the relationship between drug use and CTE, chronic traumatic encephalopathy. We commented on the suicide at age 43 last year of popular NFL linebacker Junior Seau, who suffered from CTE.

And we discussed what all this might mean in future years and decades for sports like boxing, kickboxing, American football, MMA, and ice hockey, where head trauma is part of the sport itself. We also discussed the Lance Armstrong situation, the need for further study of the effects of chokes on the brain in sports like grappling, what the public can do on these issues, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman presents the complete audio of the January 18 Bellator MMA media conference call featuring fighters Ben Askren, "King" Mo Lawal, and Karl Amoussou, along with Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney and Spike TV president Kevin Kay.

This conference call focused on the next Bellator MMA card slated for Thursday, January 24, at the WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, OK. It will be televised live in the U.S. on Spike TV.

On that card, Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren will defend his title against welterweight tournament winner Karl Amoussou. Also on that card will be the Bellator debut of "King" Mo Lawal in an opening round fight against Przemyslaw Mysiala in the Bellator light heavyweight tournament.

While the unbeaten Ben Askren may be the favorite in his title fight, challenger Karl Amoussou is quite confident he will capture the belt.

"Obviously Ben is a very good wrestler. That's not a surprise to anybody. But I think I'm the most-well rounded fighter," said Karl Amoussou on this conference call. He also noted his unpredictability as giving him the advantage in this fight.

Spike TV president Kevin Kay joined the discussion towards the end of the call, providing the ratings information for Bellator's Spike TV debut on Thursday, January 17. For the past two seasons, live Bellator shows in the U.S. were seen on the lower-rated MTV2.

"It is the most-watched Bellator event in the history of Bellator," said Kevin Kay on this conference call. "We started the night in the first 15 minutes with 1.2 million viewers. The Curran-Pitbull fight, 1.1 million watched the Curran-Pitbull fight in that first half-hour. Overall, we were up 394 percent increase over last season's show premiere. And 938,000 viewers watched the entire broadcast." He added that 950,000 viewers watched the Michael Chandler-Rick Hawn fight, won by Bellator lightweight champion Chandler with a second-round submission, a fight considered by many to be the highlight of the telecast.

There also was much more discussion with all the fighters and Bjorn Rebney and Kevin Kay about the January 17 and 24 Bellator cards, their tournaments, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Bellator MMA welterweight champion Ben Askren.

His next fight will be Thursday, January 24, when he defends his title against welterweight tournament winner Karl Amoussou. This fight will take place at the WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma, and be telecast live in the U.S. on Spike TV. Also on that card will be the Bellator debut of "King" Mo Lawal in an opening round fight in the Bellator light heavyweight tournament.

We spoke with Ben Askren by phone Wednesday afternoon about what to expect in this fight, as well as his participation in the drug-testing program of the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA).

"Karl's an explosive fighter. He comes out and goes hard," he said of his opponent in this interview. "He is dangerous in a lot of different areas, but at the same time I don't think he poses a big challenge for me. He doesn't strike very proficiently. He does come out and be aggressive. But I know I'll be able to weather that initial storm and then do a lot of damage and control him in the fight, because he doesn't fight hard for very long. He fights hard for a short period of time. And if he doesn't win, then he tries to kind of hang on for the rest of the fight."

The VADA testing program consists of voluntary, random, unannounced blood and urine testing for performance-enhancing drugs. While Ben is one of the few MMA athletes to participate in the VADA program, he said that the various athletic commissions and promoters must take further measures and have better testing to stop the widespread use of PEDs in MMA.

PED use in MMA is so widespread that he commented, "Some people are very open about it. Some people don't even make it a secret, which is embarrassing." Asked to make a guesstimate as to what percentage of MMA fighters use PEDs, he replied, "I would go somewhere around 50. 50 percent would be a good guess."

We discussed his transition from college and Olympic freestyle wrestling into being a mixed martial arts fighter, and how he continues to follow closely the sport of wrestling. We also discussed that his younger brother, Max Askren, who like Ben had been a Div. I NCAA wrestling champion for Missouri, will be representing the U.S. at the 2013 Freestyle Wrestling World Cup at 84kg in Tehran, Iran, February 21-22, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Bellator MMA fighters Michael Chandler, Rick Hawn, Pat Curran, Patricio Pitbull, and Renato "Babalu" Sobral, and Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney.

The highly-anticipated debut of Bellator MMA on Spike TV will take place this Thursday, January 17, on a card at the University of California’s Bren Center in Irvine, California. It will be broadcast live in the U.S. on Spike TV and in the Spanish language on mun2.

Bellator returns with a bang by featuring two title fights on this first card of 2013. Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler will defend his belt against challenger and former U.S. judo Olympian Rick Hawn. Bellator featherweight champion Pat Curran will face Patricio "Pitbull" Freire. This card will also feature the start of the Bellator season eight light heavyweight tournament, including an opening round bout between grappling and MMA veteran Renato "Babalu" Sobral and Russian MMA fighter and former combat sambo champion Mikhail Zayats.

On a series of recent Bellator media conference calls, we had a chance to speak with Michael Chandler, Rick Hawn, Pat Curran, Patricio "Pitbull" Freire, Renato "Babalu" Sobral, and Bjorn Rebney. We discussed with the fighters what to expect in these important title and tournament fights, and with Bjorn Rebney the plans for upcoming tournaments.

In these interviews, former Missouri wrestling All-American Michael Chandler called it "an honor" to fight an Olympian and an "awesome" opponent like Rick Hawn, while Rick Hawn noted that this fight "has the potential to live up to the Alvarez-Chandler fight", the four-round war in November 2011 where Chandler captured the Bellator lightweight title from Eddie Alvarez. Both fighters come from different grappling backgrounds, but have added effective striking to their arsenals to sustain them at this level of competition.

Pat Curran described his transformation from being a wrestler who fought MMA into a fighter who has become more confident as a striker. "I love striking. I love everything about it. I love learning new moves, new techniques." Patricio "Pitbull" Freire stated that his opponent is an "all-around" fighter and "complete in all areas". We shall see how much striking and grappling will take place in this fight, but both fighters can win on their feet or on the ground.

With their compelling title fights, championship tournament format, and the best TV deal they've ever had, Bellator MMA, which began in 2009, is now in a position to make a major and lasting impact on the MMA world. Their January 17 debut card on Spike is one of the strongest MMA shows which will ever be shown on free TV in the U.S., so make sure to watch it.

Plus, we briefly comment on the Eddie Alvarez contract situation and its coverage in the media.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Bellator MMA fighter "King" Mo Lawal.

"King" Mo will be making his Bellator debut Thursday, January 24, when he faces Przemyslaw Mysiala in the opening round of the Bellator season eight, eight-man light heavyweight tournament. This fight takes place at the WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma. It will be broadcast live in the U.S. on Spike TV and in the Spanish language on mun2.

Although "King" Mo is perhaps the most prominent fighter to join the ranks of Bellator MMA, he will start his title quest like everyone else, in a tournament - and that is fine with him.

"I started off in wrestling tournaments. To me I look at this tournament as a prolonged wrestling tournament," said "King" Mo, a three-time U.S. national champion in freestyle wrestling, in this interview which was recorded by phone Thursday.

"I'm actually honored to be in the tournament because I don't feel like I deserve a title shot right away. I have to prove myself by beating the rest of the guys in the tournament to get a title shot," he continued.

We also discussed whether he expects to be hampered by ring rust since he hasn't fought in about a year, what to expect in his fight with Mysiala, advice he received from Floyd Mayweather Jr., boxing and MMA, why he is so impressed with three-time NCAA champion wrestler Kyle Dake, freestyle and folkstyle wrestling, his release last year from Strikeforce being a blessing in disguise, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the death of Strikeforce and the rise of Bellator MMA.

We trace some of the history of Strikeforce, and how its first show in March 2006, featuring Frank Shamrock vs. Cesar Gracie, was directly related to the rebirth of this show. No Holds Barred. After slowly growing, culminating in the inception of the Heavyweight Grand Prix in 2011, Strikeforce was sold in March 2011 to Zuffa. After that, it was only a matter of time until it was closed down, which will happen following the final Strikeforce card on January 12, 2013. We thus discuss the some of the main lessons of the rise and fall of Strikeforce.

Bellator began running shows in April 2009, which were only televised live in the U.S. in Spanish on ESPN Deportes. After a year there and one on Fox Sports Net, where it was preempted numerous times amidst a different schedule in many markets, Bellator began to get more stability with a deal for weekly live shows on TV giant Viacom's MTV2 beginning in March 2011. Then, on October 26, 2011, Viacom itself announced the purchase of a majority stake in Bellator. Beginning on January 17, 2013, Bellator's live weekly shows will be shown in the U.S. on Spike TV, a cable powerhouse and former home of the UFC.

We thus also discuss the growth of Bellator, their tournament format for crowning champions and number-one contenders, their rebranding efforts as Bellator MMA, and their prospects now that they will be live on Spike TV. We also play an excerpt from a Bellator and Spike TV media conference call of December 11, 2012, with Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney and Spike TV President Kevin Kay about Bellator MMA's first season on Spike TV.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with author and historian Peter Maguire, and lifelong martial artist, former UFC and Battlecade Extreme Fighting matchmaker, TV commentator, and our senior correspondent, John Perretti.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Peter Maguire was doing his graduate work in American history at Columbia University in New York. He earned his Ph.D in American history at Columbia in December 1993. His dissertation, "Nuremberg: A Cold War Conflict of Interest", was awarded distinction by a unanimous vote of the dissertation committee, which included Telford Taylor, the chief counsel for the prosecution at the Nuremburg Trials, and the noted history professor James Shenton. Since then, Dr. Maguire has written books including "Law and War: International Law and American History" and "Facing Death in Cambodia". He has written numerous articles and given countless lectures, and appeared on many TV and radio programs.

But while he was doing his graduate work in American history, he was also enrolled in a different kind of graduate program at John Perretti's New York martial arts school. There he learned what he described as "truly a mixed martial art".

In an interview recorded by phone on December 17, 2012, along with John Perretti, he detailed the curriculum there which included "wing chun kung fu, Western boxing, Thai boxing, kickboxing, and grappling."

As he termed it, "It was remarkable. It was a real graduate seminar in terms of all the information that was coming in." He recalled how even then John Perretti was scouring the world to bring in new talent.

Our discussion continued to explain how the style started by John Perretti called Tao Jutsu Do was itself a "mixed martial art" and a direct precursor to what we today call MMA. We also discussed the training there involving weapons and the important role of wrestlers in the development of MMA. Dr. Maguire went on to explain why he finds today's MMA "boring". We also discussed the real history of MMA, the underestimated influence of Gene LeBell, why it might be a good idea always to carry a mouthpiece, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with MMA fighter Antonio McKee.

The 42-year-old McKee, whose only loss since 2003 was a highly controversial split decision in 2011 on a UFC show in Las Vegas, Nevada, will be returning to action New Year's Eve. He will face the submission master Shinya Aoki in a mixed martial arts fight on the Dream portion of the "GSI presents DREAM 18 and GLORY 4 Tokyo - New Year's Eve Special" event at Japan's Saitama Super Arena on Monday, December 31. Since McKee has a strong wrestling base, this fight with Aoki could see a lot of technical and entertaining grappling between two fighters with different styles.

"I think it's a great matchup," said Antonio McKee in this interview, which was recorded by phone Monday, December 17. "I think it's a dangerous matchup for Aoki, considering he's not a real threat on the feet, and we both kind of specialize on the ground. I'm more of the defense and he's more of an offense. So I think it's going to come down to conditioning and who has the heart to win. I really don't plan on it going to a decision."

We also discussed his support for the formation of a union for MMA fighters, the health problems which caused him to miss weight in his final fight in MFC, the need for fighters to be treated professionally, how long he plans to continue fighting, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with wrestler Kyle Dake.

Currently in his final year wrestling for Cornell, Kyle Dake has the distinction of being the only college wrestler in America to have won three NCAA Division I individual national championships in three different weight classes: 141, 149, and 157 pounds. This season he is competing at 165 pounds, and is currently ranked number one in the country.

At the Grapple at the Garden event on Sunday, December 16, at New York's Madison Square Garden, Kyle Dake won both his matches and was awarded the Bill Farrell Outstanding Wrestler Award. He also has wrestled in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, having been a U.S. junior world team member in Greco while still in high school, and plans to focus on freestyle when his college wrestling career concludes this coming March. He thus is a prime candidate to achieve success in international wrestling in the years to come, and an athlete to whom the international wrestling community should pay close attention.

Right after the Grapple at the Garden event concluded, we had a chance to speak with Kyle Dake.

"I wrestled pretty tough, but there's definitely parts of my game that I can improve on, and that's what I'm looking forward to," he said in this interview. "These next two weeks are going to be really important, and we're going to come up on the Southern Scuffle and I'm going to be ready to go."

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the tragic mass killings which took place in Newtown, Connecticut, on December 14, and what they mean for the violent world of the combat sports. The question is: With rampant violence being committed around the world against innocent people, under what terms can we still justify supporting the combat sports and martial arts?

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with wrestler, grappler, and MMA fighter Lia Mata'afa.

At the recent 2012 FILA World Championships in Grappling, Pankration, and Amateur MMA, she won a world championship in women's amateur MMA at 71 kg and finished fifth in women's no-gi grappling, also at 71 kg, Representing American Samoa, she also finished second at the 2012 Oceania Championship in women's wrestling and fifth at an Olympic Qualification Tournament in March, both at 72 kg. Currently she is tied for second in the FILA world rankings in women's amateur MMA for athletes of all weights, only behind another world champion, Anna Bezhenar of Ukraine.

Lia first came to prominence in the combat sports while in high school, winning a girl's state high school wrestling championship in 1998 at 140 pounds, representing Lahainaluna High School. While she did not wrestle while attending college in Boston University, she has in recent years returned to the combat sports. Again based in Hawaii, she believes that she is ready to make her mark.

"Only in the past maybe three or four years I got back into it. When I was back in Hawaii I started training MMA with Chris Leben. He has a gym out here," she said in this interview, which was recorded by phone Monday. "It started off just to stay in shape and have fun, but I'm so competitive I wanted to start competing."

Her goals for 2013 include winning another FILA world championship in amateur MMA, and then going into professional MMA. She also will be competing at the MMA World Expo in New York, February 16-17.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with the head wrestling coach at the University of Maryland, Kerry McCoy.

Now in his fifth season as head coach there, Kerry McCoy will be leading his Maryland team into an historic event featuring 14 of the top college wrestling teams in America competing on Sunday, December 16, in Madison Square Garden: the Grapple at the Garden.

Although Madison Square Garden, known as the World's Most Famous Arena, has existed in New York for 133 years and in four different locations, it has never hosted a college wrestling event. Now, in the same building which was the site of the first Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier fight, countless concerts and special events, and years of basketball and hockey as well as other sporting events, college wrestling will make its debut with a bang on December 16.

Competing at the Grapple at the Garden will be 14 NCAA Division I wrestling teams: Bloomsburg, Bucknell, Chattanooga, Cornell, Drexel, Hofstra, George Mason, Iowa, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Ohio State, and Rutgers. The event will also feature the PSAL Holiday Tournament, featuring some of the top high school wrestlers from New York City. Eight mats will be set up for simultaneous wrestling, with each college team wrestling in two dual meets. The first set of matches is scheduled to start at 10:30 AM, with the second set of matches at 12:30 PM.

The talent on the mat will include many of the best college wrestlers and teams in the U.S. Eight of the teams are currently ranked in the Top 25 in the NWCA Coaches Poll, more than 65 nationally ranked wrestlers are expected to compete in this event, and four past NCAA champions are also scheduled to wrestle.

While the Grapple at the Garden marks the debut for college wrestling at Madison Square Garden, there have been two major freestyle wrestling events there in recent years. The 1998 Goodwill Games wrestling was held in the smaller arena at the Garden, while the 2003 World Freestyle Wrestling Championships was held in the main arena, drawing over 12,500 fans for the finals. And Kerry McCoy wrestled in both of those events, finishing second at heavyweight in the 1998 Goodwill Games and winning a world silver medal at the 2003 World Freestyle Wrestling Championships. A Pan American and World Cup champion, and a two-time NCAA Div. I champion at Penn State, he also wrestled in the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games.

We spoke with Kerry McCoy by phone Friday afternoon to preview the Grapple at the Garden and get his unique perspective on it.

Asked about competing in Madison Square Garden, he said in this interview, "It's unbelievable. You're in the world's most famous arena, where so many great athletes have been able to compete and participate, guys like Muhammad Ali, and Larry Bird and Magic Johnson in basketball, all these different great athletes that were able to compete in this arena, among other famous people, entertainers, sports figures. Anything that's ever been exciting, everything important has had a chance to be in the Garden." And he added, "It's just exciting to be able to have that experience. I was fortunate enough to compete there when I was competing, and experience it as an athlete. Now to go back as a coach is something that is exciting as well."

We also discussed the prospects for the Maryland wrestling team, currently ranked number 17 in the U.S., who their top wrestlers are, the future of college wrestling in the U.S., and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Dr. Ann McKee of the Boston University Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy.

A study was published Monday by Boston University School of Medicine researchers, including Dr. McKee, about the effects of head injuries on 85 deceased brain donors, most of whom had been professional athletes in contact sports.

We spoke with Dr. McKee about the findings of this study on Friday by Skype.

"This is a study of 85 individuals who all had a history of repetitive, what we call mild brain traumas, meaning by that concussion and sub-concussive injuries, so injury that didn't even rise to the level of a concussion," said Dr. McKee in this interview. "Most of the individuals studied were football players, but there were also hockey players, boxers, as well as military veterans, most of which had had some athletic exposure. In this study, we looked for the effects of this repetitive mild brain trauma." The key finding of this study was, "We found in 80 percent that they had a condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)."

CTE is a brain disease associated with dementia, impairment and loss of cognition, and related physical and mental problems.

A study with this size of a sample, of course, could not definitively establish the exact relationship between head trauma, concussions, and CTE, and there are also genetic factors involved which remain to be studied. But the evidence is moving in a direction which indicates that at least, repetitive head injuries greatly increase the risk of CTE.

While much more research still must be done, and CTE can at this time only be diagnosed through autopsies, the existing research poses a question, especially for parents of children who are participating or considering participating in contact sports like football, hockey, boxing, or MMA: Should parents let their children participate in these sports, and if so, what special safeguards are needed for children in them?

Again, while more research needs to be done, Dr. McKee acknowledged this problem today, advising parents, with caution, "Let's play sports that don't involve hitting your head."

We also discussed how this ongoing research may affect contact and combat sports in years to come, what we know and don't know about head trauma in combat sports with no striking like wrestling and grappling, how interested people can assist this research, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again speaks with American Top Team MMA fighter and two-time ADCC and three-time FILA world grappling champion, Jeff Monson.

Jeff has just completed a whirlwind series of events, competing on three cards and in a total of five fights in MMA and grappling, in just 10 days, and winning them all. He followed up a second-round submission victory over Alexander Emelianenko on November 15 at the M-1 15th anniversary show in St. Petersburg, Russia, and another world championship on November 17 at the FILA no-gi grappling world championship in Skala, Poland, with a decision win on November 24 over Kang Dong-Gook on the ROAD FC 10 card in Busan, Korea. This meant that in 2012, Jeff Monson went undefeated in both MMA and grappling.

"The year went pretty good," he said in this interview, which was recorded by phone Wednesday night. "I got a little banged up in the last match, so that's probably going to be it for the rest of the year, till looking at M-1 coming up in February."

We discussed his incredible 12-hour layover in China after leaving Korea, during which he was treated by an ophthalmologist. We also discussed with Jeff, who turns 42 in January, his plans to drop to 205 pounds for MMA, his 2013 plans to fight in M-1 and Road FC and possibly elsewhere, his desire to compete in grappling at both the ADCC and FILA world championships next year, what grappling might do in order to become a popular spectator sport, fighting at his age, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again speaks with lifelong martial artist, former UFC and Battlecade Extreme Fighting matchmaker, TV commentator, and our senior correspondent, John Perretti.

On October 11, 1997, before the major no-gi grappling championships of today, John Perretti was the main organizer of a pioneering grappling event known simply as "The Contenders". The format was a seven-match card, held in Sioux City, Iowa, pitting a team of various martial artists against a team of elite U.S. wrestlers. Victory in each match could come by submission or, if there was none, judges' decision. There was no striking permitted, and the matches were held in a cage. The martial artists won, four matches to three, including three wins by submissions, but controversy ensued during and after the event about the rules and decisions.

This ended up being a money-losing, one-shot deal, because attendance was sparse and pay-per-view buys were minuscule. Still, it is considered a pioneering event because its concept helped inspire the numerous no-gi grappling championships which followed it.

Calling the event his "brainchild," John Perretti said in this interview, which was recorded by Skype Sunday, "I am to blame for all the problems with it." But he added, quoting a widely-held view about this event, "It's the greatest show no one ever saw."

We thus discussed what happened at this historic event, many of whose matches can be seen on YouTube, some of the lessons for today, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses being named the Media Coordinator for the international wrestling federation, FILA.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Clint Kingsbury, Larry Papadopoulos, Laura Edler-Hill, and Rich Tado to sum up the 2012 FILA senior World Grappling, Pankration, and Amateur MMA Championship. This event was held November 15-18 at the Hala Widowiskowo Sportowa in Skala, Poland, near Krakow. We spoke with them in a roundtable discussion a few hours after the conclusion of the event.

Clint Kingsbury works for the Canadian Amateur Wrestling Association (Wrestling Canada Lutte) as Domestic Development Manager and is a FILA representative.

Larry Papadopoulos of Australia is a former Pancrase and Shooto fighter, currently runs and is an instructor at the Boxing Works gym in Darlinghurst, and is a FILA representative.

Laura Edler-Hill is the Illinois representative of the USA Federation of Pankration Athlima and Amateur MMA, and a FILA referee.

Rich Tado is director and head coach of the Old School Wrestling Training Center in Huntley, Illinois, an assistant wrestling coach at Harper College in Palatine, Illinois, and a FILA referee.

"Being involved with FILA grappling and non-Olympic styles since 2007-2008, probably the highlight that I could say that I saw at this event was really the growth and development of the athletes, coaches, referees, from day one till now," said Clint Kingsbury in this discussion. "The number of countries. The camaraderie. The fact that the event was put on really geared towards the high-profileness of these athletes. We had world team members from all over the world. Some of them were big names, stars in wrestling and jiu-jitsu and judo. This is what FILA is all about, bringing opportunity to athletes, and that's why I'm involved."

The 2013 edition of this event is scheduled for June 12-15, 2013, at the Budweiser Gardens in London, Ontario, Canada.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Jeff Monson, Penny Thomas, and Matt Betzold. All three won world titles at the 2012 FILA senior World Grappling, Pankration, and Amateur MMA Championship, held November 15-18 at the Hala Widowiskowo Sportowa in Skala, Poland, near Krakow.

Just two days after submitting Alexander Emelianenko in MMA on an M-1 card in St. Petersburg, Russia, Jeff Monson represented the USA in the no-gi grappling competition at +100kg at the FILA worlds. He won all three of his matches by decision, taking his third FILA world title in grappling. This title, however, he said in this interview, recorded right after his match on November 17, was his "most difficult."

Penny Thomas of South Africa, who has won world titles in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship, and the FILA world championship in grappling, won double gold at this event, winning world titles in both gi and no-gi grappling in the women's 64kg division.

American Matt Betzold, who has an amputated left leg, won his first world title, winning at 62kg in amateur MMA. He also took second at this event in no-gi grappling, also at 62kg.

We spoke with each of them right after they won their historic world titles.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman reviews the 2012 FILA Pankration World Championships with Ricardo Liborio, Laura Edler-Hill, and Rich Tado.

The 2012 FILA World Championships of Grappling, Pankration, and Amateur MMA were held November 15-18, 2012, at the Hala Widowiskowo Sportowa in Skala, Poland, near Krakow. The Pankration competition took place the first day, November 15.

Ricardo Liborio is the co-owner and head instructor for American Top Team and head coach of USA Grappling.

Rich Tado is from the Old School Wrestling Training Center in Huntley, Illinois, an assistant wrestling coach at Harper College in Palatine, Illinois, and a FILA referee

Laura Edler-Hill is the Illinois representative of the USA Federation of Pankration Athlima and Amateur MMA, and a FILA referee.

We spoke with them in a roundtable discussion recorded a few hours after the Pankration competition had ended.

Acknowledging that this was the first time he had watched the FILA Pankration live, Ricardo Liborio commented, "It definitely was so exciting," noting "the fast pace of all the matches."

We discussed the rules of FILA Pankration, why this style is so exciting, the growing importance of FILA's events in grappling, Pankration, and amateur MMA, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman presents the second of our two-part discussion with lifelong martial artist, former UFC and Battlecade Extreme Fighting matchmaker, TV commentator, and our senior correspondent, John Perretti.

We continue with our examination of the origin of the term "mixed martial arts" and the actual and often distorted and concealed history of the sport.

In 1980 in New York, John Perretti opened a martial arts school featuring what he called "Tao Jutsu Do", which he described at the time as "a mixed martial arts school". We discussed the many people who trained there, such as author and historian Dr. Peter Maguire.

"When I started Tao Jutsu Do, I started it off as a mixed martial arts school," said John Perretti in this interview. "We were grappling on hardwood floors, hardwood maple floors. We were doing knife-on-knife. I was doing knife-on-knife seminars for 20 years. We were doing everything and anything."

We also discussed the view held by some that the term "mixed martial arts" came from the Japanese phrase "Ishu Kakutogi Sen", which means heterogeneous combat sports fights. These were almost all fixed or worked pro "wrestling" matches in the 1970s involving some real martial artists against pro "wrestlers" like Antonio Inoki. We also discuss how the devolution of the once-real (more or less) professional catch-as-catch-can wrestling into fixed matches with pre-determined endings and various plots represented the triumph of corruption in that sport, and should not be emulated or supported in any way, or used as a model for real MMA.

In addition, we discussed the origin of Battlecade Extreme Fighting, what John Perretti wanted to accomplish with that pioneering organization which ran four shows from 1995 to 1997, some of the lessons of the battles to establish MMA as a sport and not a spectacle in the 1990s and after, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with American Top Team MMA fighter and two-time ADCC world grappling champion Jeff Monson.

Jeff has an incredibly busy schedule over the next few weeks. On November 15, at the M-1 15th anniversary show in St. Petersburg, Russia, he will fight Alexander Emelianenko. Two days later, on November 17, he is scheduled to represent the U.S. in the FILA no-gi grappling world championship in Skala, Poland, near Kraków. The following week, on November 24, it is back to MMA when he fights on ROAD FC 10 in Busan, Korea, against Kang Dong-Gook of Team MAX at a catch weight of 97.5 kg. And the week after, on December 1, it is another MMA fight, this time in Serbia against Golden Glory fighter Denis Stojnić at an event which is raising money for AIDS and disadvantaged youth organizations.

"I haven't fought since June, and now all of a sudden I've got four events in a short amount of time. I've got an itching to compete. It's been nice to take some time and just train, because I don't get that to see very often," he said in this interview, which was recorded by phone Thursday evening. "I'll be glad when it's over, trust me. I'm actually looking forward to getting back in the cage again."

We also discussed the FILA world championships in grappling, Pankration, and amateur MMA, and how FILA is developing these as legitimate sports.

After discussing this schedule, we then turned to the issue of how MMA fighters are treated by many organizations, and the need for a fighters' union. Jeff emphasized both the need for more education of fighters on these issues, and also the need for good organization to create such a union. "Education is key," he stressed, while also noting that it will take time, unity, and a proper strategy to accomplish these goals.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman comments on some of the continuing battles for the combat sports to be organized as legitimate sports.

We note the re-election of California Assembly Member Luis Alejo, who had introduced AB 2100, also known as the Professional Bill of Rights for MMA Athletes, earlier this year in the California State Assembly. While this bill did not pass this year, expect another round in this battle to extend the provisions of the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act to professional MMA fighters.

We also read parts of a letter from Paul Johnson, head of the Boxers Organizing Committee, to U.S. President Barack Obama calling on him to support efforts to unionize boxers, and outlining the call for an "an industry summit meeting" in boxing to lay the foundations for structural reform in boxing.

The battle to organize mixed martial arts as a sport and not a spectacle has been raging for a long time now, and is related to the current discussion about the origins of the sport and the term "mixed martial arts" itself. We read a message sent by author Dr. Peter Maguire about some of his experiences training with John Perretti. In this message, Dr. Maguire wrote, "Like contemporary history under the Soviet Union, Perretti has simply been airbrushed out of the present history of MMA."

Another step in organizing MMA as a real sport is being taken with the growth of amateur MMA and the FILA World Championships in grappling, Pankration, and amateur MMA. This event takes place November 15-18 at the Hala Widowiskowo-Sportowa, ul. ks. Stanislawa Poletka 34, 32-043 Skala, Poland, near Kraków.

We will be covering this event from matside. This trip to Poland, and also to visit the FILA headquarters in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland, will mean that it is highly unlikely that an edition of No Holds Barred will be produced and posted until after the trip is over. So sit tight because there should be some interesting commentary and interviews from this trip.

As many already know, because of the effects of Hurricane Sandy, one of the many events which has been postponed is the MMA World Expo. The new dates are February 16-17, 2013, at the same location, the Jacob Javits Center in New York. While some part of the Expo program may have to be changed due to the postponement, the FILA North American Invitational in amateur MMA will go on during these new dates. Also, the postponement actually makes it more likely that the Expo will feature some matches in catch wrestling, as well as a demonstration of that sport.

So these battles continue, on many fronts and in many countries, all for the betterment of the combat sports.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again speaks with lifelong martial artist, former UFC and Battlecade Extreme Fighting matchmaker, TV commentator, and our senior correspondent, John Perretti.

The issues of the history of mixed martial arts, the development of its modern structure and rules, and the origin of the term itself have again been recent topics of discussion. As has been usual for such commentary, most of it has been inaccurate, incomplete, distorted, skewed, and untruthful - and that doesn't even include the downright dishonest presentations.

Amidst this avalanche of misinformation, again it falls to No Holds Barred to try to set the record straight. We thus conducted a lengthy interview about the origin of mixed martial arts and the term itself with the man who introduced weight classes, rounds, and much more to the modern version of this sport: John Perretti. We spoke by Skype Wednesday, October 31.

In this interview, John Perretti explained not only that he was the one who coined the term "mixed martial arts", but also why it is significant to note that, other than just for historical accuracy.

"When I came to Battlecade Extreme Fighting," he said, "I started using this term as what we were doing, which was very, very different than what the UFC was doing, which was a spectacle."

In the first part of our interview, we discussed many issues including the early and continuing battles to position mixed martial arts as a sport and not a spectacle. There will be much more in the second part of this interview.

We also open by noting the postponement of numerous events in the New York-New Jersey area due to the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy, including the MMA World Expo, which is now scheduled to take place February 16-17, 2013, at its original location, the Jacob Javits Center in New York. And we discuss some of the lessons of the 2-1, overtime tiebreaker victory by Kyle Dake over David Taylor at the NWCA All-Star Classic on November 3.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City February 16 and 17, 2013, for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, grappling, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the context in which the debut card for the World Series of Fighting will be taking place this Saturday, November 3, at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The top fights will be televised live in the U.S. on NBC Sports Network. But to establish a successful promotion, World Series of Fighting still faces major challenges, which we note.

We also spoke with the main event fighters, heavyweights Andrei Arlovski and Devin Cole, on a recent media conference call, to get their views on how they expect this fight to go.

The co-main event on this card will be a light heavyweight fight between Anthony Johnson and D.J. Linderman. Also on the televised card, Miguel Torres will fight Marlon Moraes in a bantamweight bout and Gregor Gracie will take on Tyson Steele in a welterweight bout.

We open with comments on the devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy, particularly in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, where many people are still without power, food, housing, and other necessities. (It was announced late Friday afternoon after this show was recorded that the New York Marathon, scheduled for Sunday, November 4, has been cancelled.) However, conditions have been slowly improving in the region. Two combat sports events scheduled for next weekend are still slated to go on as planned: the Billy Robinson catch wrestling seminar at Modern Martial Arts in Englishtown, New Jersey, on November 10, and the New York Athletic Club International tournament in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling at the New York Athletic Club in Manhattan in New York City, November 9-10.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City December 1 and 2 for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, the Big Apple BJJ Open, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The 2012 MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, December 1, and Sunday, December 2, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman again speaks with former NCAA Div. I All-American wrestler at Indiana, and current Assistant Professor of Sport Administration at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Coyte Cooper.

Our focus is on a preview of the NWCA All-Star Classic.

This event, featuring many of the best college wrestlers in America and helping to kick off the 2012-13 college wrestling season, will take place Saturday, November 3, at the Bender Arena on the campus of American University in Washington, D.C. It will be telecast on tape-delay in the U.S. on Fox College Sports and live on a pay webcast on Flowrestling.

This All-Star event is highlighted by matches in the ten college wrestling weight classes, headlined by a showdown at 165 pounds between three-time NCAA Div. I national champion Kyle Dake of Cornell against the defending NCAA Div. I national champion at 165, David Taylor of Penn State. Over the previous three seasons, Dake has won titles at 141, 149, and 157 pounds respectively, making him the first wrestler to win three NCAA Div. I national championships in three different weight classes. Taylor was last season's winner of the coveted Hodge Trophy for the best college wrestler in America. Dake will thus move up in weight once again for this match to face Taylor.

"It's such a unique matchup. What you have here with this matchup is two of the best wrestlers in the United States at any weight when it comes to college wrestling," said Coyte Cooper in this interview, which was recorded by phone Wednesday afternoon. He added that both wrestlers are known for having exciting styles. "Most coaches will tell you, 'I don't remember the last time when there was this much hype for a matchup.'"

We also discussed the other matches at this event, including other national champions and All-Americans who are competing, the likelihood that many of the Olympians of the future will be featured here, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City December 1 and 2 for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, the Big Apple BJJ Open, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The 2012 MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, December 1, and Sunday, December 2, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Kevin Jackson, the Olympic gold medalist and two-time world champion freestyle wrestler, who is starting his fourth season as head wrestling coach for the legendary Iowa State Cyclones.

Injuries and a series of other factors led to disappointing results for the Cyclones last season, including none of their wrestlers winning a national championship or All-American status. Coach Jackson, however, is convinced that his young team, many now with a taste of top-level NCAA Division I wrestling, will perform much better in the coming 2012-13 season.

"We can expect everyone to perform at a higher level," said Coach Jackson in this interview, which was recorded by phone Monday afternoon. "The group of young men that we threw out there last year had a great opportunity to gain some valuable experience, to wrestle the best teams in the country, and to wrestle the hardest schedule in the country, and recognize that they are capable, that they should be in the hunt, that they should win." He added that they are still a relatively young team which is dominated by sophomores. "All those sophomore have seen the best competition, and there will be no surprises for them going into this year."

We discussed who are the likely starters for the Cyclones this season, which officially opens for them Saturday, November 10, at the Harold Nichols Cyclone Open at the historic Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. We also discussed the realignment of college conferences and the possibility of wrestling teams being grouped in regional conferences, the proposed change to the format of crowning a national team champion in NCAA Division I wrestling through a new national duals tournament, the importance for wrestling of the use of social media, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City December 1 and 2 for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, the Big Apple BJJ Open, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The 2012 MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, December 1, and Sunday, December 2, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Bas Boon, the vice-president of business development of Glory Sports International, the owner and operator of the Glory World Series.

It was announced at a press conference Thursday in Tokyo that Glory Sports International will be responsible for presenting 'DREAM 18 - Special NYE 2012', a New Year's Eve MMA mega-event at the Saitama Super Arena on December 31. The card will include ten MMA fights and three kickboxing matches. So far, three Japanese fighters have been confirmed for this event: the Dream featherweight champion Hiroyuki Takaya, the 'Crusher' Tatsuya Kawajiri, and the lightweight contender Satoru Kitaoka. Many more fighters on this card, including international fighters, will be announced in the coming weeks.

We spoke with Bas Boon about this historic event by Skype on Friday (Thursday night in New York). Of course, the issue of the problems which have caused the previous management of Dream not to run any more shows, such as fighters not getting paid, were among the first things we discussed.

"We cleaned up the mess," said Bas Boon in this interview. "The Dream brand is revived. The New Year's Eve show basically is going to take place under Dream 18. It is clean. There is a new management. Of course, we are going to use a lot of the old producers because the production of Dream was out of this planet, and that's certainly a thing we want to maintain."

We also discussed several other major kickboxing cards which Glory is putting on, including the Glory 3 Rome 'Final 8' (70 kilogram/154 pound) one-night tournament at the famed PalaLottomatica arena in Rome on November 3, and the Glory 4 Tokyo 'Heavyweight Grand Slam' 16-man one-night tournament at the Makuhari Messe, Chiba, Greater Tokyo, on December 2.

The revival of the popular New Year's Eve show in Japan featuring both MMA and kickboxing is already getting major attention around the world, as is the continuing expansion of Glory Sports International. "It's pretty intense," commented Bas Boon on all this activity, a fact which no doubt will please many fans of the combat sports.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City December 1 and 2 for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, the Big Apple BJJ Open, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The 2012 MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, December 1, and Sunday, December 2, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with American Top Team fighter and the number one ranked MMA fighter in the world in the women's 115-pound division, Jessica Aguilar.

After defeating the legendary Megumi Fujii at Bellator 69 by a unanimous decision, Jessica Aguilar will next fight Friday, November 9, at Bellator 80 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida, against an opponent to be announced. This card will be televised live in the U.S. on MTV2.

We spoke with Jessica Aguilar by phone Monday night about her next fight and her fighting career.

Speaking of her victory over Megumi Fujii, she said in this interview, "That was my dream fight. That was my goal, to become number one in the world in my weight class, and to go against an idol." And she added, "Megumi's still my idol."

We also discussed her involvement with Sweethearts and Heroes, a non-profit anti-bullying organization which writes that it "believes in educating society to the impact that bullying has on all of our schools, our neighborhoods, and individuals." We discussed her future as a fighter in Bellator, how her mother has accepted that she fights in MMA professionally, and much more.

We also open with the sad news about the passing of Jeff Blatnick at age 55 following complications from heart surgery. Jeff was an Olympic gold medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling in 1984 for the U.S., after overcoming Hodgkin's Disease, a type of cancer. He also was a television commentator for many years in both wrestling and MMA, and played a key role in developing the rules for UFC in the 1990s, which helped form the basis of the North American unified rules of MMA.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City December 1 and 2 for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, the Big Apple BJJ Open, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The 2012 MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, December 1, and Sunday, December 2, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with kickboxing and muay Thai legend Ray Sefo, who is now the president, co-owner, and co-founder of the new mixed martial arts promotion, the World Series of Fighting.

The much-anticipated debut card for the World Series of Fighting will take place Saturday, November 3, at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The top fights will be televised live in the U.S. on NBC Sports Network.

The main event will be a heavyweight battle between Andrei Arlovski and Devin Cole. The co-main event will be a light heavyweight fight between Anthony Johnson and D.J. Linderman. Also on the televised card, Miguel Torres will fight Marlon Moraes in a bantamweight bout and Gregor Gracie will take on Tyson Steele in a welterweight bout. The other fights on this card will be webcast, and plans are underway to webcast the entire card to the rest of the world outside the U.S.

We spoke with Ray Sefo by phone Monday afternoon to preview WSOF 1.

Speaking about why he expects the World Series of Fighting to be successful, he said in this interview, "There's so much talent out there, and there's not enough stages that these guys can showcase their talent." He added, "Not every league can have started and come out on NBC Sports Network."

We also discussed how a series of conversations got him involved as president of the World Series of Fighting, the transition of fellow kickboxer and WSOF fighter Tyrone Spong to MMA, the use of a ten-sided cage known as a Decagon for their events, how he expects the World Series of Fighting to advance step by step, why he still wants to continue fighting until he gets 100 fights, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City December 1 and 2 for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, the Big Apple BJJ Open, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The 2012 MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, December 1, and Sunday, December 2, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Victor Cui, the CEO of ONE FC.

Their most recent show, ONE FC: Rise of Kings, was held October 6 at a sold-out Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore. This show marked another step forward for ONE FC with the introduction of ONE FC title fights.

Both of the title fights on this card resulted in what many people consider to be upsets. In the lightweight title fight, Kotetsu Boku defeated Zorobabel Moreira by TKO at 1:02 of round 3. In the bantamweight title fight, Soo Chul Kim avenged a decision loss last year to Leandro Issa by defeating him by knockout at 15 seconds of round 2. Also in the top fight on this card, grappling legend Shinya Aoki defeated Arnaud Lepont by triangle choke submission at 1:25 of round 1.

In this interview, recorded by Skype on Wednesday, Victor Cui explained that on this, their sixth show, about one year after the founding of ONE FC, it was the "right time" to introduce championships in ONE FC.

He explained that their mandate directs them to "put together the most exciting fights for ONE FC so that we've got not only people that deserve a title shot but a world championship, but also what's going to really ignite fans and turn more Asians into more fans and turn more people around the world into ONE FC fans."

We also discussed the other fights on this card, the plans for future title fights and the bantamweight Grand Prix, the plans for running events for the rest of 2012 and in 2013 and in new cities and countries in Asia, the challenges resulting from the rapid growth of ONE FC, plans for getting on American TV, the possibility of a heavyweight Grand Prix, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City December 1 and 2 for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, the Big Apple BJJ Open, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The 2012 MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, December 1, and Sunday, December 2, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Sensei Sonny Williams about the Battle of Bushido 3.

The Battle of Bushido 3 is a family-friendly martial arts event featuring demonstrations and fights in many styles of the martial arts, including a continuous sparring event. It will take place this Sunday, October 21, from 10 AM to 6 PM, on the top of the world-famous Hotel Pennsylvania in New York at 7th Avenue and 33rd Street, right across the street from Penn Station and Madison Square Garden. The morning and early afternoon will feature the kids' events, while the adult events start in the afternoon.

The Battle of Bushido 3 will also honor the CCNY9, nine people who died during a tragic 1991 stampede at a rap concert and charity basketball game party at the City College of New York, promoted by Sean "Puffy" Combs and Dwight "Heavy D" Myers. Many more were also injured in this stampede. One of the CCNY9 was the sister of Sensei Sonny Williams.

We spoke with Sensei Sonny Williams about the Battle of Bushido 3 by phone on Wednesday.

"We are one big family," said Sensei Sonny Williams of the martial arts in this interview. "I've met so many people from so many different walks of life, all religions, all races, who come for a common brotherhood concerning the martial arts. It really unifies the community. It unifies the nation. So I really love being involved with something that can bring a least-common-denominator and unify so many that are so divided."

We discussed the program of Battle of Bushido 3, how he also has trained in mixed martial arts, the bid by karate to be added to the Olympic program, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City December 1 and 2 for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, the Big Apple BJJ Open, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The 2012 MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, December 1, and Sunday, December 2, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Dr. Margaret Goodman, the president and board chairman of VADA, the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association.

In recent months, more and more combat sport athletes have been signing up for VADA's voluntary program of random and unannounced blood and urine testing for performance-enhancing and banned substances, using state-of-the-art technology.

Nonito Donaire, who successfully defended his WBO super bantamweight title with a ninth-round TKO over Toshiaki Nishioka on October 13, and is one of the top pound-for-pound boxers in the world, is undergoing year-round testing by VADA, in and out of competition.

In MMA, Rosi Sexton and Sheila Gaff, who meet October 27 at Cage Warriors 49 in Cardiff, Wales, for the Cage Warriors women's flyweight title, are being tested by VADA. B.J. Penn and Rory MacDonald, who fight on a UFC card on December 8, will participate in the VADA program. Bellator welterweight champion and 2008 Olympic freestyle wrestler Ben Askren has agreed to be part of the VADA program as well, and is awaiting the date of his next fight. Other fighters have also inquired about the VADA program and may sign up shortly.

We spoke with Dr. Margaret Goodman by phone Tuesday afternoon about the strides VADA has been making.

"There are plenty of athletes like Nonito [Donaire], like Rosi Sexton, like B.J. Penn and Rory MacDonald, that want to stand up for clean sport and want to demonstrate that, and this is a way they can do it," she said in this interview. Part of the importance of the VADA program is for athletes to set an example for "the young people out there that are coming up in sport," she added. And she emphasized that essentially this is an athlete saying "'the buck stops with me. I'm going to do something to protect myself and to stand up for something myself.' So that's the whole point of all of this. I think sometimes that gets lost in the shuffle, the purpose."

We also discussed new research studying the relationship between the risk factors for the brain disease CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) and the use of performance-enhancing drugs, some of the recent controversies involving VADA, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City December 1 and 2 for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, the Big Apple BJJ Open, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The 2012 MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, December 1, and Sunday, December 2, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Mark Pavelich, the owner and president of the Maximum Fighting Championship (MFC).

The next show for the MFC is called MFC 35: Explosive Encounter, and takes place Friday, October 26, at the Mayfield Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It will be televised live on AXS TV Fights throughout the U.S. on Friday, Oct. 26, beginning at 10 p.m. ET/8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT (check local listings for channel designation). The main card will then air on tape-delay on TSN 2 throughout Canada.

In the main event, in what is expected to be a slugfest ending in someone getting knocked out, Joseph "Leonidas" Henle takes on Elvis "The King" Mutapcic for the MFC middleweight title.

We spoke with Mark Pavelich by phone Monday about this card and the MFC, Canada's top MMA promotion.

"Heaven forbid, ladies and gentleman, we're going to watch a fight on October 26, live on AXS TV. Can you imagine that?" he said in this interview. "We are going to be watching a real fight, right. This is not going to be some MMA fight. This isn't going to be, we're going to sit on top of each other. It's not going to be like that. It's a real fight. They're going to fight for real. And that's what's lacking in our sport. And that's what you're going to see on October 26. Tune in everybody, I'm telling you."

We also discussed how MFC is continuously reinventing itself, the plans for 2013 and beyond, why MFC is still going strong after 13 years and remains one of the longest-running MMA promotions in the world, the need for real fights which are competitive and not mismatches, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City December 1 and 2 for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, the Renzo Gracie BJJ Open 2012 tournament, the Big Apple No-Gi tournament, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The 2012 MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, December 1, and Sunday, December 2, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman reviews the Midwood Wrestling Exhibition 2012 with Midwood High School head wrestling coach George Hero, NYU wrestlers Jakub Pawlowski and John Klein, and Bob Backlund, a 1971 Div. II NCAA national champion at North Dakota State who is best known for his WWF days.

The Midwood Wrestling Exhibition 2012 took place Saturday, October 13, at Midwood High School in Brooklyn, New York, and featured numerous matches between current and alumni wrestlers from Midwood High School and other schools and colleges.

In the main event, the 54-year-old Coach Hero faced NYU freshman John Klein in a match under NCAA rules, and, despite almost succumbing to an injury, pinned his younger opponent in the third period. Fellow NYU senior wrestlers Jakub Pawlowski, a Midwood alumnus, and David Rice also faced off in a close match. Although David Rice was leading late in the third period, Jakub Pawlowski scored a takedown and near fall in the closing seconds to take a 12-10 decision.

We spoke with Coach Hero, Jakub Pawlowski, and John Klein right after Coach Hero's victory.

A longtime friend of Coach Hero and Midwood wrestling is Bob Backlund, who has maintained his involvement with amateur wrestling for many decades. We spoke with him at the post-match luncheon about his views about this event and amateur wrestling.

"This was the toughest guy I faced yet," said Coach Hero in his interview. "A couple of times he had me." Coach Hero had nothing but praise for his opponent, saying, "This kid is definitely going to go places. You're going to hear about him at NYU." And he added, with an exhausted sigh, "But I tell you, I was seeing stars before the end."

"Athletics at the high school level, and especially wrestling, it's about preparing a person for life," said Bob Backlund in his interview. "Wrestling made me what I am today. And I like that, trying to return some of that to young kids in wrestling. It's going to make them better people when they grow up and they're going to make better decisions and just be a strong person."

We also discussed with Bob Backlund the necessity of exercise for life, his "gym in a box" product, his continued involvement with amateur wrestling for children, and more.

The significance of this event is that it once again demonstrated how a wrestling program can creatively market, promote, and advertise itself, without the benefit of a huge budget.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City December 1 and 2 for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, the Renzo Gracie BJJ Open 2012 tournament, the Big Apple No-Gi tournament, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The 2012 MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, December 1, and Sunday, December 2, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Riccardo Ammendolia, board director of ADCC North America, about the 2012 ADCC North American Championships.

The 2012 ADCC North American Championships will take place Sunday, October 14, at the Mira Mesa High School, 10510 Reagan Road, in San Diego, California. The winners in each of the five men's weight divisions will receive an official invite to the 2013 ADCC Submission Fighting World Championships. Next year there will be another ADCC North American Championships, which will serve as a qualifying event for the 2013 ADCC Worlds for both men and women.

We spoke with Riccardo Ammendolia by Skype Tuesday about the 2012 ADCC North American Championships and the significance of this event.

"This is the North American Championship for 2012. The ADCC World Federation wants there to be championships throughout the world," said Riccardo Ammendolia in this interview. "The benefits that the North American champions will receive is that they receive the first invites to represent North America in the upcoming ADCC World Championship."

We also discussed the rules of this event which encourage participation from athletes in all styles of grappling, the coming establishment of rankings by ADCC, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City December 1 and 2 for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, the Renzo Gracie BJJ Open 2012 tournament, the Big Apple No-Gi tournament, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The 2012 MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, December 1, and Sunday, December 2, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Coach George Hero, the legendary coach and founder of the Midwood High School wrestling team in Brooklyn, New York.

The 54-year-old Coach Hero will once again be going to the mat himself, as he takes on NYU wrestler John Klein under NCAA rules in the main event of the Midwood Wrestling Exhibition 2012.

The Midwood Wrestling Exhibition 2012 takes place Saturday, October 13, at Midwood High School at 2839 Bedford Avenue, in Brooklyn, New York, in the Campus Road Gymnasium, from 10 AM to 3 PM. There will also be numerous matches featuring current and alumni wrestlers from Midwood High School and other schools and colleges who will compete under folkstyle, freestyle, and Greco-Roman rules.

We spoke with Coach Hero by phone Monday night.

"The whole idea behind this, behind all the exhibitions that we do, is basically exposing the public at large to real wrestling. That's the purpose of it," he said in this interview.

Besides discussing this event itself, we addressed his continuing to wrestle at age 54, the need for the people running wrestling to advertise and market the sport better than they are doing now, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City December 1 and 2 for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, the Renzo Gracie BJJ Open 2012 tournament, the Big Apple No-Gi tournament, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The 2012 MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, December 1, and Sunday, December 2, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Anne Pellaud, the head of sport and communication department of the international wrestling federation, FILA.

FILA (the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles, or Fédération Internationale des Luttes Associées) may be best known for governing Olympic wrestling, but they also govern many non-Olympic styles, including grappling, Pankration, and amateur mixed martial arts. Anne Pellaud also manages the competition in these non-Olympic styles.

In what is a historic development, FILA will be hosting the first-ever FILA North American Invitational, an international amateur MMA tournament. This tournament will take place as part of the 2012 MMA World Expo in New York City, December 1-2. (Under New York law, professional MMA is banned but amateur MMA is legal and unregulated.)

We spoke with Anne Pellaud by Skype Wednesday about this important development.

"It is a historical event. I think it is for New York and it is also for FILA," she said in this interview. "I also believe that it will be the first step to many big returning events in New York."

We discussed how FILA wants to build amateur MMA as a real sport which is self-sustained, the need for national federations to govern amateur MMA in their countries, the use of the tournament format which avoids matchmaking and guarantees that the best will win, the need for a code of conduct and adhering as closely as possible to Olympic standards, fighter safety and anti-doping in amateur MMA, the rules and scoring, the importance of SportAccord and the World Combat Games, how grappling and MMA might one day in the future become Olympic sports, and much, much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City December 1 and 2 for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, the Renzo Gracie BJJ Open 2012 tournament, the Big Apple No-Gi tournament, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The 2012 MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, December 1, and Sunday, December 2, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with mixed martial arts legend and the vice president of operations and competition for the ONE Fighting Championship (ONE FC), Matt Hume.

The next ONE FC card will be this Saturday, October 6, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore. There will be a lightweight super fight between Shinya "Tobikan Judan" Aoki and Arnaud "The Game" Lepont and two fights for newly-created ONE FC titles. Zorobabel "Zoro" Moreira will face Kotetsu Boku for the lightweight belt and Leandro Issa will fight Soo Chul Kim for the bantamweight belt.

ONE FC: Rise of Kings will be shown on same-day tape-delay on pay-per-view television in the U.S., and on a live online pay-per-view at http://www.onefc.com/livestream.

We spoke with Matt Hume by phone Thursday before he left for Singapore for this show. We discussed this stacked card, as well as issues related to the ONE FC rules, their model of self-governance, fighter safety, the allowing of soccer kicks to the head of downed fighters, the establishment of ONE FC belts and titles, amateur MMA, and more.

"When you have self-governance, someone without integrity or a group without integrity can do things they shouldn't be doing," he said in this interview. "But if you have integrity, the group that you're working with has integrity, then that's going to be the best situation because you provide the quality control. There's nothing that's beyond your control there."

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City December 1 and 2 for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, the Renzo Gracie BJJ Open 2012 tournament, the Big Apple No-Gi tournament, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The 2012 MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, December 1, and Sunday, December 2, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with writer Dan Curry.

His debut novel is an outrageous, funny, thoughtful, and provocative book, inspired by the Blaxploitation films of the 1970s, entitled "Kung-Fu Lesbian".

Set in 1976, the book's lead character, known as Holly X, is an African American lesbian who is a karate black belt and a master of many deadly techniques. The story involves a wild chase with Holly delivering a mysterious briefcase while being pursued by ruthless killers. Although it doesn't exactly follow the plot, there is also a short, hilarious trailer for the book at http://youtu.be/e2yJC3TfUB0.

We spoke with Dan Curry Friday afternoon at Doc Holliday's Bar in New York, shortly before a book release party in Brooklyn.

Speaking about the title of the book, which is what the lead character is called by friends even though it inaccurately describes her martial arts skills, Dan said in this interview, "When you label someone, no matter what it is, it's not a reliable indicator of who that person really is." He continued, "I fly my own flag basically. And that's the one thing I share with my lead, Holly."

We discussed what he tried to accomplish in this book, the cultural and historical setting in 1976 and in San Francisco where Holly lived, the challenge of a white heterosexual male writing about an African American lesbian lead character, the martial arts sub-theme in the book, and a lot more.

My capsule review: "Kung-Fu Lesbian" is provocative, outrageous, funny, and thoughtful. Read this book or else I'll smash you -- or at least Holly will.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City December 1 and 2 for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, the Renzo Gracie BJJ Open 2012 tournament, the Big Apple No-Gi tournament, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The 2012 MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, December 1, and Sunday, December 2, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Paul Paone, the founder and director of the MMA World Expo.

The MMA World Expo, now in its fourth year, will take place this year on Saturday, December 1, and Sunday, December 2, once again at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

The program for this year's Expo includes an event which is already attracting a lot of attention: an amateur mixed martial arts tournament held in association with FILA, the international wrestling federation which, besides governing Olympic wrestling, also runs tournaments and world championships in grappling, amateur MMA, and many other styles.

We spoke with Paul Paone Wednesday evening in New York.

Speaking about the historic amateur MMA tournament, he said, "We're fortunate enough to be working with an internationally-renowned organization, FILA." He explained that "they already have a highly-organized, proven structure in place" to ensure fighter safety and provide fairness through their rules and open scoring system.

In addition, we discussed the Renzo Gracie BJJ Open 2012 tournament, the Big Apple No-Gi tournament, the seminars with world-class instructors, the panel discussions, and much more about what will take place at the 2012 MMA World Expo.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City December 1 and 2 for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, the Renzo Gracie BJJ Open 2012 tournament, the Big Apple No-Gi tournament, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The 2012 MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, December 1, and Sunday, December 2, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with ONE FC fighter Arnaud "The Game" Lepont.

Originally from France but now living in Malaysia and a member of the Muayfit fight team, "The Game" has been training for his next fight at Tiger Muay Thai in Thailand.

That fight will be a lightweight super fight on the ONE FC: Rise of Kings card on Saturday, October 6, in Singapore, against the Japanese MMA and grappling star Shinya "Tobikan Judan" Aoki. This card can be seen live on a webcast pay-per-view and on TV in the U.S. on same-day, tape-delay on pay-per-view.

We spoke with Arnaud "The Game" Lepont Saturday by Skype.

In this interview he stated that he had asked ONE FC CEO Victor Cui for a fight with Shinya Aoki.

"Shinya Aoki, for me at 155 pounds, is definitely the best Asian current fighter at this weight," he explained in this interview. "You cannot aim at belts or stuff like that. You have to live your dream, and my dream is fighting the best fighter in Asia right now, and at 155 pounds there is no doubt that the best fighter in Asia is Shinya Aoki."

We discussed what mix of grappling and striking there may be in this fight since both fighters have won the bulk of their bouts by submission; what he sees as Aoki's biggest weakness; why he moved from France to Asia; his experiences fighting for the Dare Championship based in Thailand; the banning of MMA in France, New York, and Thailand; how he feels respected as a fighter in ONE FC and in Asia; why he supports the recent change to ONE FC's rules that now allow soccer kicks to the head at any time; and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City December 1 and 2 for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, the Renzo Gracie BJJ Open 2012 tournament, the Big Apple No-Gi tournament, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The 2012 MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, December 1, and Sunday, December 2, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with former NCAA Div. I All-American wrestler at Indiana, and current Assistant Professor of Sport Administration at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Coyte Cooper.

As a former top-level college wrestler and with a PhD in Sport Management, he is using his unique set of skills and experience to work with the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) to develop research to help enhance the sustainability of college wrestling programs. This is an especially critical task since literally hundreds of college wrestling programs in the U.S. have been closed down over the past few decades. Towards these goals, he authored the recently-published NWCA Marketing Manual. This can be downloaded for free online at http://www.nwcaonline.com/NWCAWebSite/marketingresource.

We spoke with Coyte Cooper by phone Thursday afternoon about the need for college wrestling to step up its marketing efforts, and now.

"Coaches have to take control of things," he said in this interview. "The way that wrestling is going to grow in the future is if we do it at the grassroots level, meaning coaches take that proactive approach where they start to really value what marketing is."

We discussed a lot in this interview, including the need for wrestling coaches to embrace a marketing mindset; how this requires the wrestling coaches to view themselves as CEOs of their programs; why a culture change in college wrestling is necessary to accomplish this; why effective use of social media such as Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook is essential today; the need for coaches to delegate many of these tasks to people at their schools whether or not those people are wrestlers; the recent controversy about crowning a national team champion through a dual meet tournament rather than through the existing national tournament; and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City December 1 and 2 for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, the Renzo Gracie BJJ Open 2012 tournament, the Big Apple No-Gi tournament, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The 2012 MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, December 1, and Sunday, December 2, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses some upcoming events in and about the combat sports, including the book release party on September 28 in Brooklyn for the humorous action novel "Kung-Fu Lesbian'; the October 6 ONE FC: Rise of Kings MMA card in Singapore, which will feature title fights, the beginning of a bantamweight Grand Prix, and will be available both on Internet pay-per-view and U.S. pay-per-view TV; the Midwood Wrestling Exhibition 2012 on October 13 in Brooklyn; and the ADCC North American Championships on October 14 in San Diego, California.

Also commentary is offered on the exceptional TV ratings in the U.S. for the Canelo-Lopez boxing card on Showtime on September 15; the disastrous ratings for the season premiere of "The Ultimate Fighter"; the positive drug test for marijuana by Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.; the effect of the lockout of the players by the National Hockey League on TV slots for MMA; and the rescheduling of the FILA World Championships for grappling, Pankration, and amateur MMA to November 15-18 in Raminskoe, Russia, near Moscow. FILA is the international federation which governs the Olympic and non-Olympic styles of wrestling.

While many details remain to be finalized, FILA also plans to sanction the amateur MMA tournament at the MMA World Expo in New York, December 1-2. Also discussed is the bizarre legal situation facing MMA in New York, where professional MMA is outlawed, but amateur MMA is both legal and unregulated.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City December 1 and 2 for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, the Renzo Gracie BJJ Open 2012 tournament, the Big Apple No-Gi tournament, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The 2012 MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, December 1, and Sunday, December 2, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again speaks with a true aficionado of all the combat sports, "King" Mo Lawal.

He is set to make his debut with the Bellator Fighting Championships in January, as well as his debut in the TNA pro wrestling company this fall.

We spoke by phone Sunday, starting off by analyzing the two major boxing cards held Saturday, September 15, which we both watched simultaneously. On the Showtime card, Saul "Canelo" Alvarez defeated Josesito Lopez by fifth-round TKO. On the HBO pay-per-view, Sergio Martinez dominated most of the fight with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., surviving a twelfth-round knockdown to win a unanimous decision. We also discussed the other fights on these cards, as well as what they say about boxing and MMA.

"I heard both arenas sold out," he said during this interview. "So there goes the whole 'boxing is dead' thing' that a lot of these ignorant MMA fans try to use when they try to compare two different sports against each other. MMA is MMA, boxing is boxing. I felt there are two different demographics. But, last night I was highly entertained by both fights."

"King" Mo also watched some of the wrestling at the 2012 Olympics, and we discussed that and whether or not U.S. schools should switch from American folkstyle to freestyle, which is practiced internationally. We also discussed how he will balance his preparations for TNA and for Bellator. In addition, we discussed the different demographics of the fans in various combat sports, in particular the popularity of boxing among African Americans as compared to other combat sports, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City December 1 and 2 for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, the Renzo Gracie BJJ Open 2012 tournament, the Big Apple No-Gi tournament, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The 2012 MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, December 1, and Sunday, December 2, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again speaks with lifelong martial artist, former UFC and Battlecade Extreme Fighting matchmaker, TV commentator, and our senior correspondent, John Perretti.

On Saturday, September 15, during the weekend of Mexican Independence Day, the sport of boxing, if you can call it that, will have two major, televised, competing cards taking place in the same city, Las Vegas, at the same time.

The show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena will be headlined by the unbeaten WBC super welterweight champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez defending his belt against rising star Josesito Lopez, who earned the title shot with an upset TKO win over Victor Ortiz in June. Also on that card, WBC featherweight champion Jhonny Gonzalez fights Daniel Ponce De Leon, Marcos Maidana faces Jesus Soto Karass in a 12-round welterweight fight, and IBF bantamweight champion Leo Santa Cruz fights Eric Morel. This card will be televised live on Showtime in the U.S., BoxNation in the U.K., and Televisa in Mexico.

Not far away, at the Thomas & Mack Center, recognized linear middleweight world champion Sergio Martinez will fight WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Also on that card, Roman Martinez will fight Miguel Beltran Jr. for the vacant WBO super featherweight title, WBA super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux will defend his belt against Robert Marroquin, and Matthew Macklin will fight Joachim Alcine in a ten-round middleweight fight. This card will be televised live on HBO pay-per-view in the U.S., Primetime pay-per-view in the U.K., and Azteca in Mexico.

We spoke with John Perretti by phone Thursday about these fights.

Asked if he had to choose just one of these cards to watch live, perhaps surprisingly he replied that it was "a no-brainer" that he would choose the one headlined by Chavez Jr. and Martinez.

As for a prediction, he said in this interview, "If, indeed, this Martinez-Chavez fight is real and not a debacle, and not another uproar, a burning at the stake of Pacquiao, if it is real, I will tell you that Martinez will go down from a body shot and it will be a TKO for Chavez."

We also discussed the practice of Top Rank, Chavez Jr.'s promoter, of only booking fights when they are virtually certain that their fighter will win, which is why Chavez Jr. has not fought the 37-year-old Martinez until now. Top Rank boss Arum wants to build Chavez Jr. into a superstar on the level of Mayweather and Pacquiao. We discussed how these plans may or may not factor into what happens in this fight and the possibility of - gasp - another major controversy in boxing.

We also discussed the Canelo-Lopez fight, which John Perretti believes is harder to predict. We talked about how that entire televised card actually is stronger than the one headlined by Chavez Jr. and Martinez, the $100,000 bonus on that card for the best knockout, how he was the one who initiated bonuses when he was a matchmaker in MMA, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City December 1 and 2 for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, the Renzo Gracie BJJ Open 2012 tournament, the Big Apple No-Gi tournament, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The 2012 MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, December 1, and Sunday, December 2, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again speaks with lifelong martial artist, former UFC and Battlecade Extreme Fighting matchmaker, TV commentator, and our senior correspondent, John Perretti.

On Saturday, September 8, John covered the K-1 U.S. Grand Prix Championship for No Holds Barred. Put on by the revamped K-1 kickboxing organization, this event was held at the Los Angeles Sports Arena in Los Angeles, California.

By virtue of their victories on this September 8 card, four heavyweight fighters - Xavier Vigney, Rick Roufus, Jarrell Miller, and Randy Blake - advanced to the K-1 World Grand Prix Final 16, scheduled for Sunday, October 14, in Tokyo, Japan. The finals of this tournament, the K-1 World Grand Prix Final 8, are scheduled for Wednesday, December 26, at Madison Square Garden in New York.

We spoke with John Perretti by phone Sunday to discuss this show. John was also an international kickboxing champion in the 1970s, so he is uniquely qualified to analyze such an event from any angles.

Saying he "really enjoyed" the live show, he offered a positive evaluation of many aspects of it.

"All in all I want to say that the show was an absolute B-plus," he said in this interview. "Most of the athletes were B-plus to A to A-list athletes. The matches were damn good, on average. The athletics within the context of the individual fights were A, A-list."

We also discussed some problems with the organization of the event such as with the live online streaming, how the culture around kickboxing has changed since the 1970s (and not for the better), and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City December 1 and 2 for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, the Renzo Gracie BJJ Open 2012 tournament, the Big Apple No-Gi tournament, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The 2012 MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, December 1, and Sunday, December 2, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with the legendary world champion of MMA ring announcers, Lenne Hardt.

Once again she was cageside at the ONE FC: Pride of a Nation card on August 31 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in the Philippines, livening up an already lively show with her unique style of announcing the ring entrances.

We spoke with Lenne Hardt, who lives in Tokyo, by Skype Thursday to get her take on the atmosphere of this card and her impressions of the growth of MMA in Asia and the Philippines.

"I LOVE the people of Manila," she said in this interview. "They were enthusiastic, friendly, everyone smiles. At the drop of the hat, they'll smile."

We also discussed her love of MMA, how she is still involved with performing for her jazz band, comparisons between contemporary Tokyo and New York, and much more.

In addition, while MMA in Asia is growing, noted on this edition of No Holds Barred are some important developments in the combat sports in the northeastern part of the U.S., including the 2012 MMA World Expo on December 1-2 in New York; the inaugural World Cup of Mixed Martial Arts on September 15 at Foxwoods in Mashantucket, Connecticut; and the recent formation of the Snake Pit U.S.A. Catch Wrestling Association based in Englishtown, New Jersey.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City December 1 and 2 for the fourth annual MMA World Expo, featuring an amateur MMA tournament, the Renzo Gracie BJJ Open 2012 tournament, the Big Apple No-Gi tournament, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The 2012 MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, December 1, and Sunday, December 2, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Edward Catucci, the executive director of the World Cup of Mixed Martial Arts (WCMMA).

The first show for the WCMMA will take place Saturday, September 15, at the MGM Grand Theater at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation in Mashantucket, Connecticut. The WCMMA will feature both nation vs. nation team competition as well as individual title fights.

On this card, Team USA, coached by Ricardo Liborio, will face Team Portugal, coached by Kleber Repolho. A heavyweight title fight will pit Alexey Oleinik against Mike Stewart (replacing the injured Kelly Anundson).

Three fghters from China will also be competing for WCMMA titles on this card against three American fighters. Wang Sai will fight Brett Oteri for the WCMMA middleweight title, Yao Honggang will fight Dave LaChapelle for the WCMMA featherweight title, and Yang Jianping will fight Bill Jones for the WCMMA lightweight title.

The WCMMA has an ambitious plan of running events in many countries including later this year, establishing franchises in these countries, and building up to an actual World Cup team event in 2017 in Rome, Italy.

We spoke with Edward Catucci Wednesday night by phone about the WCMMA. The values promoted by WCMMA and its positioning stand in contrast to those of many MMA organizations.

The philosophy and mantra of WCMMA, he said in this interview, is "Respect, honor, and discipline." He emphasized, "What we wanted to do is really, truly pay respect to the discipline and art form of mixed martial arts." He views this project as a "public service" which is family-oriented and can influence young people to make "a real positive change, if guided in the right direction."

We thus discussed a lot about the concepts behind the WCMMA, the plans for running WCMMA events for the next several years, plans for television and for an Internet pay-per-view for the September 15 event, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman comments on some of the most recent and upcoming important events in the combat sports.

ONE FC: Pride of a Nation took place August 31 at the packed Smart Araneta Coliseum in the Philippines before an enthusiastic crowd. There are many lessons from these fights, as well as from the ONE FC rules and the announcement that their next card, on October 6 in Singapore, will feature for the first time three ONE FC title fights. ONE FC: Pride of a Nation thus represented a step forward in the maturation process of Asia's largest MMA event.

In wrestling, the 2012 Junior World Championships will be held September 4 to 9 in Pattaya, Thailand. This event is a showcase of many future world and Olympic champions, with two of last year's junior world champions winning Olympic gold medals this year.

In boxing, the top fight pits two champions against each other, as light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson goes down to super middleweight to face super middleweight champion Andre Ward. This fight will take place Saturday, September 8, in Oakland, California, and be shown live in the U.S. on HBO. We have comments from both fighters as well as Ward's trainer Virgil Hunter from the recent media conference call to preview this fight.

The 2012 MMA World Expo will take place December 1-2 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York and, for the first time, will feature an amateur MMA tournament, which is legal in New York. More details are forthcoming, but this is an important development for MMA in New York as well as for this event, now in its fourth year.

In addition, we mention the RUFF 5 MMA card which will take place this Saturday, September 8, in Hohhot, China, and will be shown live on TV in China and online internationally, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with American Top Team MMA fighter and two-time ADCC world grappling champion Jeff Monson.

His next fight is scheduled for the November 15 M-1 Global card in St. Petersburg, Russia, against Alexander Emelianenko.

In his most recent MMA fight, on the June 21 M-1 Global card, also in St. Petersburg, Russia, he defeated Denis Komkin by first-round submission with a north-south choke. For his ring entrance, he electrified the audience by coming out to the national anthem of the U.S.S.R.

The impact of this was instant and unforgettable, as everyone in attendance, including Russian president Vladimir Putin, rose to their feet.

We spoke with Jeff Monson by phone Wednesday night about this event and the message he was trying to send. We then went into a broader discussion about his views on capitalism, anarchism, and communism, including the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Saying fighters are just "a cog in the machine" and "realistically just wage slaves", Jeff Monson focused in on the situation involving the cancellation of UFC 151 and the treatment of UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. We also discussed the prospects for fighters developing some sort of union or association, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and grappling legend Ricardo Liborio, who is the co-owner and head instructor for American Top Team.

Ricardo Liborio has also been named the coach for Team USA, which will be competing in the first-ever World Cup of Mixed Martial Arts "USA vs. The World" event on September 15 at the MGM Grand Theater at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation in Mashantucket, Connecticut.

While American Top Team has long been known as a home of champion fighters, a number of newer fighters have recently been making names for themselves.

"There's a new, young generation of American Top Team fighters coming in, and we're pleased with that," said Ricardo Liborio, in this interview which was recorded by phone Sunday. It was on these new fighters which we mainly focused our discussion.

Attila Vegh just electrified the MMA world with a 25-second knockout of veteran Travis Wiuff at Bellator 73 on August 24 to win their light heavyweight tournament and earn a title shot. Based in Slovakia and training now as part of American Top Team, the 27-year-old Vegh was a world champion in kempo karate and has mainly fought, until now, in Europe.

Kelly Anundson, who turns 28 on August 29, not only was a Div. II All-American wrestler at Newberry College, but was also a FILA world grappling champion. Now 5-1 in MMA with four submission victories, he will be fighting for a heavyweight title against veteran Alexey Oleinik on that September 15 World Cup of Mixed Martial Arts card.

Bubba Jenkins, 24, was a 2007 junior world champion in freestyle wrestling and a 2011 NCAA Div. I wrestling champion for Arizona State. He is now 3-0 in MMA, and is expected to fight at lightweight at the next Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA) event.

Steve Mocco, 30, is a two-time NCAA Div. I heavyweight wrestling champion and a 2008 U.S. Olympian in freestyle wrestling. He is planning to make his long-awaited MMA debut, also likely at that next RFA event. Known as having a tireless work ethic, he is one of the highest level wrestlers who will be competing in MMA.

We discussed what is happening with these American Top Team fighters with Ricardo Liborio. We also commented on the late-career resurgence of MMA veteran and two-time ADCC champion Jeff Monson, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Rob Maysey of the Mixed Martial Arts Fighters Association.

Many people in and around the mixed martial arts world are blaming the cancellation of UFC 151, originally scheduled for September 1, on UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. Jones was slated to face Dan Henderson, but Henderson had to withdraw from that fight this week with an injury. Rather than take a new opponent on eight days' notice, which would have given Jones only three days actually to prepare for this fight, he declined. Instead, Jones will face Vitor Belfort on September 22. The postponement of Jones's appearance then led Zuffa, the parent company of UFC, to cancel the entire September 1 card and pay-per-view, and then blame the cancellation on Jones.

Not everyone, however, takes this view.

"I think Jon Jones made a very wise and professional decision. He followed the advice of his trainer," said Rob Maysey in this interview, which was recorded by phone Friday night. Noting that Jones was trying to protect both his title and earning capacity, he agreed that taking a new opponent on such short notice was not worth the risk. "He should be applauded for doing that," continued Rob Maysey. "He's the first fighter that I'm aware of that has had kind of the clout and the will to say 'no.'"

We thus discussed the real circumstances behind the cancellation of UFC 151, the attack on Jones in a press release issued by his promoters, the reaction to all of this by the MMA media, why fighter rights in MMA must be greatly expanded, what fighters and their supporters can do, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Dr. Margaret Goodman, the president and board chairman of VADA, the VADA, the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association.

VADA is perhaps best known for working with both boxers and mixed martial arts fighters on a voluntary, state-of-the-art drug testing regimen, which includes random, unannounced blood and urine tests. Among the fighters currently working with VADA are boxer Nonito Donaire and MMA fighters B.J. Penn and Rory MacDonald.

While this drug testing has been in most of the headlines regarding VADA, the main focus of the organization actually has been education. Towards this goal, VADA has just announced a partnership with the National Center for Drug Free Sport's Resource Exchange Center.

The Resource Exchange Center, also known as the REC Center, is free to access, and describes itself as "a subscription-based service that exists to provide up-to-date, confidential and accurate information on dietary supplements, dangerous and/or banned (prohibited) substances, and provide interactive tools and educational materials to empower athletes to make healthy and responsible decisions."

We spoke with Dr. Margaret Goodman by phone Tuesday about the latest developments for VADA, including this new partnership with the Resource Exchange Center.

"The main point of VADA is not to test athletes. It's to be an educational resource," said Dr. Goodman in this interview. "And certainly associating with Drug Free Sports's REC Center is going to be huge for us and huge for anybody that wants to take advantage of it."

The issue of the use of synthetic testosterone, which is an anabolic steroid, as a performance-enhancing drug is also making headlines involving athletes in the Olympics, baseball, MMA, and numerous other sporting events. Dr. Goodman noted that the potential harmful side effects of such usage, including damage to the liver, kidneys, heart, brain, and bones, are rarely discussed. She called on the Association of Boxing Commissions to establish a panel of experts to review cases where athletes have applied for a therapeutic use exemption for testosterone, instead of the individual, local commissions just making such decisions on their own.

We also discussed the battle to promote clean sport, combatting the growing drug culture, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with 2012 Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling at 96 kg representing the U.S., Jake Varner.

A two-time NCAA Div. I wrestling champion at Iowa State, he currently trains at the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club in State College, Pennsylvania. The 26-year-old Jake Varner won his Olympic gold medal in his first appearance at an Olympic Games, after finishing third in the 2011 World Championships.

We spoke with Jake Varner Friday while he was in New York, just before he left for a celebration honoring U.S. Olympians in Iowa.

"Last year I got beat in a heartbreaker in the quarters and came back and took third, though," he said in this interview. "And I knew I had to make some changes, just real small things. And went back and made those adjustments. And I knew that I want to be an Olympic gold medalist, so I did whatever I needed to do to do that. And I just kept my eye on the prize and just stayed focused and just went out and wrestled."

In addition, Eddie opens with a commentary offering some preliminary thoughts on the proposed rule change in college wrestling in the U.S. which would create a national dual meet tournament system to crown a national team champion.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again speaks with lifelong martial artist, former UFC and Battlecade Extreme Fighting matchmaker, TV commentator, and our senior correspondent, John Perretti.

Our discussion, recorded Wednesday on Skype, highlighted some of the important lessons of the 2012 Olympics, especially the wrestling competition.

Speaking of the Olympic wrestlers, John Perretti said in this interview, "They're so heroic. They remind me of the statue of Hercules." What they demonstrated on the mat, he added, was "the magnificence of wrestling."

This was a lengthy and wide-ranging discussion about the combat sports, covering topics including the level of athleticism in these various sports; his philosophy of matchmaking which uses a pyramid structure to build contenders; doping; carbohydrates and diabetes; the future of combat sports; the role of grappling; John Perretti's unique contributions to creating the modern framework of mixed martial arts fights; the historic 1997 all-grappling show called "The Contenders"; and much, much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

(Photo by Renzo Gracie)

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with four members of the legendary Gracie family: Renzo Gracie, Rolles Gracie, Igor Gracie, and Gregor Gracie.

We spoke with them on Thursday afternoon at the Renzo Gracie Academy in New York where Renzo was leading an intense training session. Rolles Gracie, Igor Gracie, and Gregor Gracie are all scheduled to fight on the ONE FC: Pride of a Nation card Friday, August 31, at the historic Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, the Philippines.

On that card, Rolles Gracie will be fighting King of the Cage cruiserweight champion Tony Bonello, Igor Gracie will be fighting Korean welterweight Jung Hwan Cha, and Gregor Gracie will be fighting URCC light heavyweight champion Nicholas Mann.

We discussed their recent fights, what to expect in what should be competitive fights for all of them, and their all looking forward to fighting in front of an enthusiastic sellout crowd in the same arena in the Philippines which housed the legendary "Thrilla in Manila" between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier in 1975. Fighting with his brothers on the same card will be, according to Rolles, "a dream come true." In addition, Renzo acknowledged that he would take a rematch of his Pride 10 fight with Kazushi Sakuraba under the right conditions.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with multi-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA champion Bibiano Fernandes.

Currently the holder of the Dream bantamweight title, Bibiano Fernandes will be making his debut in ONE FC on August 31 in a fight against another champion, Gustavo Falciroli, who currently holds the CFC (Cage Fighting Championship) bantamweight title.

ONE FC: Pride of a Nation will take place Friday, August 31, at the historic Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, the Philippines.

We spoke with Bibiano Fernandes by phone Monday as he was making his preparations for this fight.

Speaking about Gustavo Falciroli, against whom he is favored, he explained in this interview, "I believe today I have no easy fights. Everybody knows something today." And about his opponent, he said, "He's a very good talent. He's good. I respect that."

We also discussed his transition from just competing in BJJ to becoming a world-renowned MMA fighter; his introduction to MMA at a Jungle Fight event in Manaus, Brazil; his facing King of the Cage champion Urijah Faber at a 2006 King of the Cage event in only his second professional MMA fight; his fighting in Japan in Dream where he held the featherweight and later bantamweight titles; the erroneous reports that he had signed with UFC; why he instead chose to sign with ONE FC; the tremendous reception ONE FC received at their recent prefight press conference in the Philippines; his deep devotion to his family, including a new addition expected shortly; and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with 1992 freestyle wrestling Olympic gold medalist, former MMA fighter, and current head wrestling coach for the Iowa State Cyclones, Kevin Jackson.

We spoke by phone Sunday evening just after the conclusion of the 2012 London Olympics, and the eight days of wrestling at it, and both agreed that this was a great event which showcased spectacular wrestling and unparalleled athleticism.

Speaking about U.S. freestyle wrestler Jordan Burroughs, who won a gold medal at 74 kg, Coach Jackson noted the "electricity that surrounds him and the technical skills and the athletic ability and the energy in which he wrestled with, of scoring points and not going to one clinch." Burroughs wrestling this way on the first day of freestyle competition "set the tone" for other wrestlers in other weight classes, he added.

On the issue of world-class wrestlers, particularly some Americans, leaving international competition to go into MMA, Coach Jackson commented, "Most wrestlers want to wrestle. If they're still in a position, in a situation to be the best in the world, that's what they want to do. But some choose not to. They choose to go into the MMA for the financial gain, as opposed to the fame or the challenge."

We also discussed the success of 96 kg freestyle wrestling gold medalist Jake Varner of the U.S., who was a two-time NCAA champion at Iowa State and wrestled in his senior year under Coach Jackson. We discussed many of the great accomplishments at the 2012 Olympics in wrestling, including three wrestlers winning their third straight Olympic gold medals: Saori Yoshida and Kaori Icho of Japan in women's freestyle, and Artur Taimazov of Uzbekistan in men's freestyle. We discussed how the collegiate wrestling programs in the U.S. have helped prepare wrestlers for international competition, what are the prospects for Iowa State in this coming season, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman comments on the first four of the eight days of wrestling at the 2012 London Olympics.

Greco-Roman wrestling had three days of action, from August 5 to 7, while women's freestyle wrestling had the first of its two days of action on August 8. Women's freestyle wrestling concludes on August 9, while men's freestyle wrestling takes place August 10-12.

The three days of Greco-Roman wrestling saw tremendous displays of art, technique, and drama. Although their team has been successful in freestyle, Iran had never won an Olympic gold medal in Greco, until now. They did it in style, taking three gold medals in the seven weight classes.

Among the topics analyzed are how the scoring broke down in the Greco gold medal matches, the debate on the rules of Greco-Roman wrestling, and the decline of the U.S. Greco team, which did not win any medals. Also discussed are the first two women's freestyle gold medal matches which were won by wrestlers from Japan, the debate on the rules of freestyle wrestling, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman comments on some of the developments at the 2012 London Olympic regarding the combat sports after the first full week of competition.

Among the topics discussed are the latest Olympic boxing scandal involving the Satoshi Shimizu-Magomed Abdulhamidov fight whose verdict was overturned, the need for a World Anti-Corruption Agency for sport, Olympic heavyweight gold medalist judoka Teddy Riner of France as an international superstar, doping at the Olympics, the disgraceful Olympics coverage by NBC, the xenophobia and narrowness in American sport, amateur MMA and the Olympics, the role of social media, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Gary Abbott, Director of Communications and Special Projects of USA Wrestling, to preview the wrestling competition at the 2012 London Olympics.

On Sunday, August 5, wrestling will commence at the 2012 London Olympics and continue every day through Sunday, August 12, the last day of these Summer Olympic Games. The competition will be held in Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling, with seven sets of medals being awarded in Greco, seven in men's freestyle, and four in women's freestyle. This action, the pinnacle for the sport of wrestling, takes place at the ExCeL Centre, the largest competition venue at the London 2012 Games.

We recently spoke with Gary Abbott, before he left for London, to break down who are the top wrestlers in the world in each weight class and what are the medal prospects for the American wrestlers.

"The U.S. team will be exciting," Gary Abbott said during this interview. "I think that we'll be scoring points, and that's what it's going to take to win."

We also discussed the current rules of international wrestling, how USA Wrestling at this time is not involved with styles which include striking such as amateur MMA, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman previews the ONE FC: Pride of a Nation mixed martial arts card with Victor Cui, the CEO of ONE FC.

ONE FC: Pride of a Nation will be held Friday, August 31, at the historic Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, the Philippines, the site of the 1975 "Thrilla in Manila" between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.

Among the many fights on this card, which is still being finalized, will be a showdown between Gustavo Falciroli, who holds the CFC (Cage Fighting Championship) bantamweight title, and the internationally-ranked Bibiano Fernandes, who holds the Dream bantamweight title.

"When you go to the Philippines and when you hear the level of excitement that people have for ONE FC coming to town and how fast our ticket sales are moving and how knowledgeable people are of MMA and what we're doing there, it's really, really exciting," Victor Cui said in this interview, which was recorded by Skype Friday (Thursday New York time).

"Our press conference there was supposed to be a half hour press conference, and they ended up doing interviews and talking for almost four hours," he added. "When we sell out Smart Araneta Coliseum, 16,000 people, it's going to be insane in there."

We discussed what fights are confirmed for this card, including the historic participation of three members of the Gracie family: Rolles, Igor, and Gregor Gracie. We discussed the many fighters from the Philippines who will also be featured, including Eric Kelly, Eduard Folayang, and others, and who is confirmed, likely (including Shinya Aoki), and not appearing on this card. We also discussed how ONE FC works with URCC, the major MMA company in the Philippines, as well as the plans for a live webcast of this event, and much more.

In addition, Eddie offers a commentary on the opening ceremony for the 2012 London Olympics, the important role played in it by athletes from the combat sports, and the true spirit of Olympism.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with 2011 freestyle wrestling world champion and 2012 Olympian Jordan Burroughs.

After completing an undefeated 2010-11 season at Nebraska and winning his second NCAA Div. I national championship, Jordan Burroughs went on to represent the U.S. at the world wrestling championships in freestyle at 74 kg/163 pounds. He won the world championship at that event, and has been undefeated since then, including winning championships at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, the Cerro Pelado International Tournament, the Dave Schultz Memorial International Tournament, and the 2011 Pan American Games.

Wrestling in his first Olympic Games, Jordan Burroughs is favored by many to win a gold medal in London. The wrestling at the 2012 London Olympics takes place Sunday, August 5, through Sunday, August 12, at the ExCeL Centre. The competition for Jordan Burroughs's weight class, 74 kg, takes place Friday, August 10.

"It definitely gives me a lot of confidence being the favorite for the Olympic Games," he said in this interview, recorded by phone Tuesday evening, right before he left for London. He added and stressed, "However, I know I still have to go out there and perform. Predictions and projections mean nothing if you don't go out there and perform at your highest level. So for me I'm staying mentally focused right now on the task ahead, and just go out there and win."

We spoke with Jordan Burroughs about his successful transition from American folkstyle to freestyle wrestling, how his training has helped him adapt to international wrestling, his plans to continue wrestling through at least 2016, the possible effects of the Penn State scandal on that school's two-time NCAA Div. I national champion wrestling team, the growth of wrestling on the East Coast of the U.S., how he hopes to be viewed as an American hero, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Stephen Kamphuis of ADCC Philippines.

The ADCC Philippines is organizing the ADCC Asia-Pacfic World Qualifying Championships, which will be held November 3-4 at the SM Mall of Asia, Music Atrium, Manila Bay side, in Manila, the Philippines.

This event is the selection trials for the Asia-Pacific region for the 2013 ADCC World Submission Fighting Championships, the most prestigious grappling event in the world. The winners of the advanced divisions will receive free accommodation and airfare to compete at the 2013 ADCC Worlds.

We spoke with Stephen Kamphuis by Skype Sunday (Saturday night New York time) about the significance of this event.

"The impact of an event like this for this region is huge," said Stephen Kamphuis in this interview. With the Asian grappling scene already rapidly growing, he added that this "accelerates the work that people have been doing before this" and "will lift the sport in this region, the competitiveness of the players and the exposure we get for the sport. It's a fantastic thing for the region."

We also discussed his background in judo and boxing and how he started training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, why this outdoor event may be seen by one of the largest audiences ever to watch grappling in the world, why mixed martial arts needs sports like grappling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with mixed martial arts fighter and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coach Gustavo Falciroli.

Originally from Brazil and now based in Melbourne, Australia, Gustavo Falciroli currently holds the CFC (Cage Fighting Championship) bantamweight title. He made his debut in ONE FC on February 11, 2012, submitting Soo Chul Kim by rear aked choke in just 1:12 of the first round.

His next fight will be at ONE FC: Pride of a Nation, which will take place Friday, August 31, at the historic Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, the Philippines. In another of ONE FC's champion vs. champion matches, his opponent will be the internationally-ranked Bibiano Fernandes, who holds the Dream bantamweight title.

We spoke with Gustavo Falciroli by Skype Sunday (Saturday New York time) about what could be his toughest MMA fight.

"I'm definitely going into that fight as the underdog. That's the natural way. He made the name for himself. You can't take that from him," said Gustavo Falciroli in this interview about his fight with Bibiano Fernandes. But he added, "And now it's my time to make my name. So I'm going to the big leagues and trying to show what I am to the world. So that's the way. Step-by-step the world's going to get to know me."

We discussed with Gustavo Falciroli what to expect in his fight with Bibiano Fernandes, his training and background in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, his move from Brazil to Australia, why he likes the rules of ONE FC, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with boxers Adrien Broner and Vicente Escobedo, who meet this Saturday, July 21, for Broner's WBO junior lightweight title. This fight will be televised live in the U.S. on HBO and takes place at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The 22-year-old Broner (23-0, 19 KOs) is considered to be one of the rising stars of boxing. The 30-year-old Escobedo (26-3, 15 KOs), a 2004 U.S. Olympian, has recently fought as a lightweight and has never lost at junior lightweight.

We spoke with Adrien Broner and Vicente Escobedo on a media conference call on Wednesday to get their views on what to expect in what is the biggest fight this coming weekend. We also examine the careers of both fighters, why this is likely to be the biggest test yet for Broner, why Broner is being pushed as a budding superstar, and why this fight has all the earmarks of being particularly noteworthy.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again speaks with the Singapore-based ESPN Sportscenter and Star Sports Formula 1 presenter, a writer. and a commentator on the ONE FC MMA telecasts and webcasts, Steve Dawson.

His latest book is called "How to Be the Greatest Like Muhammad Ali".

We sat down with Steve at a Hooters restaurant in Manhattan on Monday afternoon to discuss the upcoming ONE FC: Pride of a Nation card on August 31 in the historic Smart Araneta Coliseum in the Philippines.

"It's going to be the biggest ONE FC event that we've had so far," he said in this interview. "And I suspect that in the future, the biggest ONE FC events will take place in the Philippines."

We discussed the growth of MMA in Asia in the context of the differences in the culture of sports in Asia and in the West, and particularly in the U.S. In Asia, there is less of an obsession with sports in general but a much greater understanding and appreciation of the martial arts than in the West. We discussed the implications of this phenomenon, how different sports are popular in some countries and regions while having little popularity in others, how this affects mixed martial arts, how the change in ownership of ESPN STAR Sports will benefit ONE FC, some of the lessons of the life of Muhammad Ali, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses why the Amir Khan-Danny Garcia and David Haye-Dereck Chisora fights, held July 14, more than lived up to expectations and actually resulted in a splendid day for the beleaguered sport of boxing.

After a buildup marked by much trash talk and the opposition of the British Boxing Board of Control to this matchup, David Haye knocked out Dereck Chisora in the fifth round of their heavyweight fight, held at Upton Park, London. Both fighters congratulated each other after the fight.

In an upset, Danny "Swift" Garcia stopped Amir Khan in the fourth round of their fight in Las Vegas, Nevada, to unify two of the 140-pound titles. Khan had originally been scheduled for a rematch with Lamont Peterson in May, but Peterson had tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug in a prefight test conducted by VADA, the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association.

Despite all the controversy leading up to both of these fights, we explain why, when the battles actually began in the ring, the results were good for the sport of boxing and for the fans.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our colleague, correspondent, and award-winning boxing writer, Charles Farrell. Charles is also co-editor of The Boxing Standard.

"Boxing as part of our culture as an ongoing event or series of events doesn't exist anymore," said Charles Farrell in this phone interview, which was recorded Wednesday. "I think the whole notion of professional behavior has moved outside of our culture."

Among the topics we discussed in light of this were the Nonito Donaire-Jeffrey Mathebula, Wladimir Klitschko-Tony Thompson, and Kell Brook-Carson Jones fights of July 7; the Amir Khan-Danny Garcia and David Haye-Dereck Chisora fights scheduled for July 14; the Saul "Canelo" Alvarez-Josesito Lopez fight on September 15; how fans are not trained in, and are even discouraged from critically assessing what they see on television; a little bit about MMA and boxing; and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with the legendary catch wrestler Billy Robinson and Jake Shannon of Scientific Wrestling about Billy's new memoir, Physical Chess: My Life in Catch-as-Catch-Can Wrestling.

This book is an ode of love to the sport of catch-as-catch-can wrestling, which the 74-year-old Billy Robinson calls in this book "the greatest sport in the world." He not only recounts how he became personally involved in the sport, but also how the conditions facing the British working class during the Great Depression and during and after World War II led to an explosion of interest and participation in wrestling. There are also plenty of colorful stories and anecdotes from Billy's travels around the world.

This is a must, must-read book for anyone interested in the combat sports and especially the history of the various styles of grappling and wrestling.

"The original sport of catch-as-catch-can is physical chess. It's a chess game with the mind, the body, condition, everything," explained Billy in this interview. "It's beautiful. I'm sorry, I'm an old man but I still love it."

We spoke with Billy Robinson and Jake Shannon by phone late Sunday night into early Monday morning in a lengthy but incredible discussion. Among the many topics we also covered were how catch wrestling builds humility, respect, and discipline; the decline of athleticism in the West in recent years; why in catch wrestling you must "learn how to learn"; the modern origins and history of catch wrestling including the role of Riley's Gym in Wigan, England; catch wrestling and Japan; the need for a major revival of catch wrestling both as a discipline and a spectator sport; mixed martial arts and catch wrestlers including Kazushi Sakuraba and Josh Barnett; why Billy Robinson is today the most successful and influential catch-as-catch-can coach; the current plans for catch wrestling seminars and tournaments around the world; and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Riccardo Ammendolia, the board director of ADCC North America.

The ADCC World Federation has recently announced that there is a new board of directors for North America, as well as plans for ADCC North America to run a series of open tournaments in addition to the ADCC North American Championships. The North American Championships will be a qualifying event for next year's ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship, which has long been known as the most prestigious and important grappling event in the world.

We spoke with Riccardo Ammendolia, who is based in Canada, by phone Wednesday about these new plans for ADCC North America. We discussed the open tournaments. which are aimed at grapplers from various styles at all levels of experience. We also discussed the plans for the ADCC North American Championships, which are open to grapplers and submission fighters with three or more years of experience. In addition, we discussed the ADCC rules, how to help make grappling even more popular than it is now, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Bas Boon, the president of Glory Sports.

It was just announced that Glory Sports International has acquired its now-former competitor in the sport of kickboxing, the Dutch-based 'It's Showtime' organization.

We spoke with Bas Boon by Skype Monday about this historic agreement which, according to the announcement of this deal, "will effectively place all of the world's top kickboxers, or stand-up fighters, under the same promotional umbrella."

Speaking about the potential for kickboxing to grow on a worldwide bases, Bas Boon said in this interview, "My honest opinion is that it can become a lot bigger than MMA." He said this was especially so for the lower weight classes and in Asia, where there are already many good kickboxers and fewer fighters in MMA than in other regions. He added, "You have these good fighters, but you also have a structure and people behind it who are visionary who can see how this sport should be brought to a wider audience."

We also discussed some of the problems which have plagued kickboxing such as the demise of the old K-1 and the reported problems facing the new K-1, the situation with former Golden Glory fighter Alistair Overeem, the need for "clean people" to run kickboxing, the plans for Glory Sports running shows in the near future, which fighters are on the roster of the new combined company, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with the new M-1 Global heavyweight champion, Kenny "Deuce" Garner.

On June 21, on the M-1 Global card in St. Petersburg, Russia, Kenny captured that title with a convincing third-round TKO over the previously-unbeaten champion, Guram Gugenishvili.

We spoke with the always-quotable Kenny "Deuce" Garner by phone Sunday night.

During our interview, he said that winning this title, along with the retirement of the great Fedor Emelianenko, "makes me the new emperor of Russia."

Now based in Florida and training at American Top Team, he explained why he was able to defeat Guram in this rematch after dropping their first fight in 2010. We discussed how his training at American Top Team has improved his technique both in striking and grappling, his string of three victories in three MMA title fights in 49 days, his speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin right after his last fight, when he expects to fight next, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Steve Mocco.

A two-time NCAA Div. I heavyweight wrestling champion and a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic freestyle wrestling team, Steve is one of the latest of the many elite wrestlers who are making the transition to mixed martial arts. He is now training full-time with American Top Team and hopes to make his MMA debut in the near future.

We spoke with Steve Mocco by phone Friday about this transition from wrestling to MMA and his training at American Top Team, which he said is "a real good fit for me and a natural move."

We discussed his training in submission and standup fighting, his background in judo, why he decided to go into MMA now, his plans to start fighting professionally, what those running wrestling can do to retain some of the elite athletes who are becoming MMA fighters, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

(Photo by Keisha Morrisey)

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Evgeni Kogan, the director of operations of M-1 Global.

On June 21, M-1 Global held a major card in St. Petersburg, Russia, headlined by the first-round knockout by the legend Fedor Emelianenko over Pedro Rizzo. Right after that fight, Fedor announced his retirement as an active fighter.

We spoke with Evgeni Kogan by Skype Tuesday about this card and Fedor's retirement. We discussed Fedor's legacy as a fighter, whether or not he can be considered the best MMA fighter of all time, and if anyone else could ever match his ten-year unbeaten streak against top opposition. We also discussed the other fights on this card, including the third-round TKO win by Kenny Garner over Guram Gugenishvili to capture the M-1 heavyweight title, and the first-round heel hook victory by Musa Khamanaev over Daniel Weichel to win the M-1 lightweight title. And we discussed Jeff Monson's submission win over Denis Komkin and Monson's epic ring entrance as the Soviet national anthem played in the arena.

In addition, we discussed what Fedor might do in retirement, his involvement with amateur MMA in Russia, the officiating and governance in M-1, the plans for international expansion, the possibility of a return to American television, the next M-1 cards, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Rose Gracie about the submission-only grappling event, the Gracie Worlds. And we review the historic ONE FC: Destiny of Warriors card, which took place June 23 at the Stadium Negara in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The Gracie Worlds will take place at TheFitExpo on Saturday, July 14, and Sunday, July 15, at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California. The gi tournament, including superfights, is on July 14, while the no-gi tournament, also including superfights, is on July 15. In both these tournaments, the only way to win is by submission, as there are no judges or points scored. If there is no submission, neither competitor advances. The adult division matches have 15-minute time limits, while in the finals there is no time limit.

We spoke with Rose Gracie by phone Wednesday about this event and why these rules, which she says come from her late grandfather, Helio Gracie, are needed to revitalize jiu-jitsu. In her event, she said in this interview. "100 percent of the outcome of the matches [is] in the hands of the competitor."

In addition, we discussed the need for drug-testing in jiu-jitsu and grappling, the growing media coverage of her tournaments, the real relation between jiu-jitsu and MMA, and more.

We open this edition of the show with a review of the fights on the ONE FC: Destiny of Warriors card, and comment on some of the lessons from this impressive event. The next ONE FC card will take place August 31 in the historic Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, the Philippines, in which the 1975 "Thrilla in Manila" between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier took place.

Also, we offer a few more comments on the June 21 M-1 Global card in St. Petersburg, Russia, and what might be the best post ever about combat sports posted on Facebook.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA legend Renzo Gracie.

Renzo is currently in Malaysia as the trainer for Gregor Gracie, who is fighting Adam "Shogun" Shahir Kayoom of Phuket Top Team and American Top Team Thailand in a welterweight bout at the ONE FC: Destiny of Warriors card Saturday, June 23, at the Stadium Negara in Kuala Lumpur.

ONE FC: Destiny of Warriors will be streamed live on http://www.livesport.tv/onefc. The first four undercard fights are free of charge, with the remaining six main card fights available on pay-per-view at US$9.99. The first fight is scheduled for 8 PM Kuala Lumpur time (GMT + 8:00), which is 1 PM in London, 5 AM in San Francisco, and 8 AM in New York City.

We spoke with Renzo by Skype Friday morning (Thursday night in New York) about what to expect in the fight between Gregor Gracie and Adam Kayoom. We discussed all the fights on this card, including the main event of Renato "Babalu" Sobral vs. Tatsuya Mizuno, the welterweight fight between Roger Huerta and Zorobabel "Zoro" Moreira, and the rest of the bouts on this well-balanced and evenly-matched card.

"The good thing now, I'm not just a trainer, I'm the biggest fan of the sport," said Renzo in this interview. "There is nothing that I enjoy more than sit down and watch all those amazing kids go at it."

In addition, Renzo commented approvingly on the innovative submission-only format of the upcoming Gracie Worlds jiu-jitsu and grappling tournaments, the announcement of the retirement of MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with former boxer and long-time activist for boxers' rights, Paul Johnson.

Although based in Minnesota, Paul Johnson is now in Las Vegas, Nevada, holding a one-man protest in front of the Clark County Detention Center, where boxer Floyd Mayweather is serving a three-month sentence for domestic violence. Even though the charge for which Mayweather was convicted is only a misdemeanor, Mayweather has been placed in solitary confinement, which Paul Johnson calls "unfair and inhumane treatment."

We spoke with Paul Johnson by phone Wednesday afternoon about why he feels so strongly on this issue that he has traveled to Las Vegas to protest in front of this facility.

Paul Johnson also has long been involved in the struggle to form a boxers' union. We discussed the prospects for that, and his views on the proposal by U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) to form a United States Boxing Commission (USBC) to oversee professional boxing in the U.S.

The view of Paul Johnson is that what is needed instead of a USBC is the formation of a corporation like the NFL, NBA, etc., which would involve promoters, boxers, trainers, managers, sanctioning bodies, and officials, and have collective bargaining for boxers. We thus discussed how that could occur and how likely it is to happen.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman presents the June 18 news conference in New York featuring former world heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson, director Spike Lee, and producer James L. Nederlander to announce the opening of the show called "Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth". This one-man, autobiographical show, featuring Mike Tyson and also marking the Broadway directorial debut for Lee, will run for a limited engagement from July 31 to August 5 at the Longacre Theater in Manhattan's Theater District. At the news conference, the media present participated in an extended question-and-answer session with the speakers.

After the news conference, we spoke with our correspondent Keisha Morrisey, who has known Mike Tyson for over 25 years. We discussed whether or not this show, which premiered in Las Vegas in March but may be altered for Broadway, will actually provide the undisputed truth about the controversial life and career of Mike Tyson both inside and outside the ring.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

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American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman presents three more interviews conducted at the historic ONE Asia MMA Summit 2012 in Singapore, with Heath Sims, Ole Laursen, and Lee Li.

A member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling team, and a former co-owner of the Team Quest MMA facility, Heath Sims is now based in Singapore and is an instructor in wrestling and MMA at Evolve MMA.

Ole Laursen is a former kickboxer, a current MMA fighter, and owner of the Legacy Gym.

Lee Li, who is also our Asian correspondent, is the founder and editor of the web site MMA in Asia.

We spoke with them on June 3, the final day of the ONE Asia MMA Summit 2012.

"I think the most important part of this event was everyone came to together and realized the same vision of growing the sport here in Asia," said Heath Sims in his interview. "It's not a fantasy anymore -- it's happening." We also discussed the role of wrestling and wrestlers in MMA, his transition to living in Singapore, and more.

Ole Laursen discussed how MMA "is coming back home to Asia" and will have no limit, plans for him to fight in Manila, his new gym in the Philippines, and the importance of the ONE Asia MMA Summit 2012 as both a gym owner and a fighter.

Lee Li discussed the significance of the ONE Asia MMA Summit 2012, the need for gyms to develop fighters and prepare them properly to enter the professional ranks, the role of amateur MMA, the growth of MMA all over Asia, the possibility of ONE FC running an event in Japan, and what works in different countries.

In addition, we read and discuss the statement issued by Bibiano Fernandes, the Dream bantamweight champion, rebutting media reports which he called "false" which claimed that he had signed with the UFC.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

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American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

No Holds Barred: John Perretti on the Pacquiao-Bradley Debacle and Scandal

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our senior correspondent and the veteran martial artist John Perretti.

This past Saturday, June 9, once again we saw an outrageous decision in a major boxing match held in Las Vegas, Nevada. With about 99 percent of those watching the Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley fight agreeing that Pacquiao had clearly won the 12-round fight, two of the three judges incredibly gave it to Bradley, giving him a split decision victory, and again exposing the horrific governance in the sport of boxing.

We spoke with John Perretti Monday afternoon by phone about boxing's latest debacle and scandal. We discussed the issue of whether this absurd verdict was the result of incompetence or corruption, and what we actually know now. We examined the role of gambling in fixing results in sports in general. We discussed why having the Nevada authorities investigate this, as promoter Bob Arum has called for, is, in John Perretti's words, like having "Hitler investigate Mussolini."

We also discussed the role of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, the need for the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate this matter, and the need for a U.S. National Combat Sports Commission to oversee professional boxing, mixed martial arts, and kickboxing. We noted the importance of social media in recording and mobilizing popular outrage about this scandal, why this will make it much harder for this debacle to be forgotten with time, and much more.

In addition, we open by presenting an update on the memorial activities for Grand Master Roger Clark, who passed last week at age 47 from a heart attack. In his honor, there will be a free memorial martial arts seminar this Saturday, June 16, at I.S. 292 at 301 Vermont Street in Brooklyn, New York.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

(Photo of Chatri Sityodtong and Eddie Goldman by Lee Li)

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Chatri Sityodtong, the founder and chairman of the top martial arts organization in Asia, the Singapore-based Evolve MMA.

Chatri electrified the historic ONE Asia MMA Summit 2012 in Singapore with his presentation on June 2 in which he declared that in five to ten years, Asian MMA would surpass MMA in the U.S. and be "the center of the world."

We spoke with Chatri on June 3 between sessions on the final day of the Summit.

We discussed why he believes that there will be two superpowers in the world in MMA (ONE FC and UFC), why ONE FC will surpass everyone else in the world in popularity, where Asian MMA fighters currently rank on a worldwide basis, the development of amateur MMA in Asia, and more.

We also open with the sad news of the passing of Grand Master Roger Clark, who touched so many lives in the New York area by bringing martial arts to the youth.

In addition, we discuss the announcement that News Corporation was buying the 50 percent stake in Asia's ESPN STAR Sports which they did not already own, from The Walt Disney Company, the parent company of ESPN. We read a statement from Victor Cui, the CEO of ONE FC, which has a ten-year deal with ESPN STAR Sports, calling this "fantastic news."

And we encourage people to continue educating themselves on the issue of the dangers of performance-enhancing drugs in sports, and read a number of recent articles on this subject on MaxBoxing.com and FightOpinion.com, and in Sports Illustrated.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with mixed martial arts legend and the current head official for the ONE Fighting Championship (ONE FC), Matt Hume.

Matt was one of the featured speakers at the historic ONE Asia MMA Summit 2012, held June 1-3 in Singapore. His presentations included topics such as how to build fighters properly, the need for good governance of both professional and amateur MMA, how ONE FC has blended the best rules from Pride and the North American unified rules, the need for strong anti-doping measures in MMA, and why MMA is presently not organized like a sport.

We spoke with Matt Hume right after the conclusion of the ONE Asia MMA Summit 2012 on Sunday, June 3, in Singapore. We further discussed the issues he had raised in his presentations, making for an essential discussion about many of the key issues facing mixed martial arts globally.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Victor Cui, the CEO of the ONE Fighting Championship (ONE FC), about the ONE Asia MMA Summit 2012. This unprecedented and historic event, held June 1-3 in Singapore, brought together over 150 leaders from numerous countries to discuss the future of MMA in Asia. We spoke with Victor Cui on June 3 at the conclusion of the ONE Asia MMA Summit 2012.

"It doesn't matter what the industry is, the world is looking at Asia," he said during this interview. "In the world of sports, with Asia the home of martial arts, why wouldn't the world come and look back at Asia again and see where this growth of MMA is going?"

We discussed the analysis that in the next decade, MMA in Asia will surpass MMA in the U.S. We discussed the plans for ONE FC, and much, much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman comments on some of the issues which will be discussed at the ONE Asia MMA Summit 2012.

This invitation-only event takes place June 1-3 at the Marina Bay Sands Resort in Singapore, and is hosted by the ONE Fighting Championship. Numerous panel discussions will be held featuring many of the most important people in Asian MMA.

Our commentary addresses some of the issues which are likely to come up at this Summit, including laying a firm foundation for MMA in Asia as a sport, learning from the lessons of the self-destruction and marginalization of other combat sports like boxing, the need to be proactive on issues like fighters' rights and doping, the growth of amateur MMA, the role of the media, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

(Photo courtesy of Showtime)

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks previews the Lateef Kayode-Antonio Tarver, Winky Wright-Peter "Kid Chocolate" Quillin, and Vusi Malinga-Leo Santa Cruz fights scheduled for June 2, and reviews the dramatic fifth-round TKO by Carl Froch over previously-unbeaten Lucian Bute on May 26.

Lateef Kayode and Antonio Tarver headline a four-fight card to be held at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, and shown in the U.S. on Showtime.

The 43-year-old veteran Antonio Tarver (29-6, 20 KOs) will face the 29-year-old unbeaten Lateef Kayode (18-0, 14 KOs), who was originally from Nigeria, in a 12-round cruiserweight fight, with major title implications. After losing his last two fights and taking a three-year layoff, the 40-year-old Winky Wright (51-5-1, 25 KOs) will return to action to fight the undefeated 28-year-old Peter "Kid Chocolate" Quillin (26-0, 20 KOs) in a middleweight bout. Also on that card, 32-year-old South African Vusi Malinga (20-3, 12 KOs) fights the 23-year-old unbeaten Leo Santa Cruz (19-0-1, 11 KOs) for the vacant IBF bantamweight title, and unbeaten WBA super welterweight champ Austin Trout (24-0, 14 KOs) takes on challenger Delvin Rodriguez (26-5-3, 14 KOs).

With the return of the veterans Tarver and Wright, the appearance by African fighters Kayode and Malinga, and the presence of unbeaten rising stars Quillin, Santa Cruz, and Trout, plus the always-exciting Rodriguez, this show has the makings of an historic night of boxing.

We have comments and discussion by Lateef Kayode, Antonio Tarver, Winky Wright, Peter "Kid Chocolate" Quillin, Vusi Malinga, and Leo Santa Cruz from their media conference calls held last week. There are many story lines here which will begin to be played out in the ring.

In addition, we open with a commentary on the instant classic between Carl Froch and Lucian Bute. Froch, fighting in his home town of Nottingham, England, but the underdog against the then-unbeaten IBF super middleweight champ Bute, completely dominated this action-packed fight, finishing with a fifth-round TKO in a fight of the year candidate.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with boxing and MMA coach Tami Carswell.

She is involved in organizing the G3 Summit and Women's Fighter Conference.

This event will be held July 28 through August 5 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The G3 Summit and Women's Fighter Conference, according to its web site, "brings the best coaches, instructors, and personalities from the women's boxing, grappling, wrestling, and MMA all in one place." The event "will consist of seminars, fighter clinics, and competitions - including kickboxing, grappling, and MMA."

We spoke with Tami Carswell by phone Friday afternoon about the G3 Summit and Women's Fighter Conference. We also had a lengthy, informative, and pointed discussion about the position of women in combat sports, the continued obstacles and double standards they face, and the role of sexism and stigmas against women fighters and athletes in limiting or denying them opportunities to compete.

In this epic interview, Tami Carswell destroyed many of the myths about women in combat sports. While the talent pool may not now be as deep for women fighters as it is for men, she countered, "Why wouldn't you want to develop that? That's where the cop-out is." And she emphasized, "The world should be able to see the best of the male fighters and the best of the female fighters in the UFC or anything on that level."

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman comments on the May 21 hearing and rulings by the Nevada State Athletic Commission regarding UFC fighters Chael Sonnen and Nick Diaz.

Sonnen had been suspended in 2010 by the California State Athletic Commission for an elevated testosterone/epitestosterone (T/E) ratio of 16.9:1. The CSAC only allowed for a maximum ratio for athletes of 4:1. Sonnen claimed that he needed testosterone replacement therapy, and on Monday applied for, and was granted, a therapeutic use exemption by the Nevada commission.

We read a statement by Victor Conte, the former BALCO mastermind who is now an anti-doping consultant and activist, calling this ruling "outrageous". We explain why this exemption in essence, whatever the intent, puts the Nevada commission in the role of being an enabler of doping rather than a preventer and blocker of doping, and thus support calls for this commission to be investigated and its members fired.

In addition, we discuss the one-year suspension and fine handed down to Nick Diaz for a positive test for marijuana metabolites, and contrast this to the kid glove treatment afforded Sonnen. Diaz has a medical marijuana card in his home state of California. But we also argue that Diaz, who had been suspended by this same commission back in 2007 for marijuana use, should not have been allowed to get off without any punishment. We also question the views of those who simply want to remove marijuana from the list of banned substances in the World Anti-Doping Code, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Victor Cui, the CEO and owner of the ONE Fighting Championship (ONE FC).

ONE FC will be hosting a unique and historic event called the ONE Asia MMA Summit 2012. This is not a fight card, but a gathering of 150 leaders "from the biggest MMA promotions, the most prominent MMA gyms, the largest global sponsors, the top media companies, and government partners" to discuss various aspects of the rapidly-growing mixed martial arts scene in Asia, and how to continue to work together via the ONE FC Network.

The invitation-only ONE Asia MMA Summit 2012 will take place June 1-3 in Singapore at the Marina Bay Sands resort and casino.

We spoke with Victor Cui about this ground-breaking event by phone Friday Singapore time (Thursday New York time).

"The entire community under the ONE FC Network is coming together," said Victor Cui in this interview. "Everybody that has helped bring MMA to where it is right now in Asia is going to be at this Summit."

We thus discussed the importance and goals of this Summit, some of the topics of the presentations and discussions which will take place, the long-term plans of ONE FC including regional and international television deals, how the various MMA promotions in the ONE FC Network have been working together, the role of the MMA media, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Bellator Fighting Championships and American Top Team MMA fighter Jessica "Jag" Aguilar.

In a major fight between two of the top women fighters in the world, and arguably the top two in the 115-pound weight class, Jessica Aguilar will take on Japanese star Megumi Fujii at Bellator 69 on Friday, May 18. This card will take place at the L'Auberge Du Lac Casino in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and will be televised live in the U.S. on MTV2 and in HD on Epix.

We spoke with Jessica Aguilar by phone this past Thursday to preview this important and high-profile fight.

"The sport is growing for us," she observed in this interview, regarding opportunities for women fighters. She discussed this fight with Megumi Fujii, whom she called "a legend." She also hopes to get in another tournament in Bellator so she can have a crack at a championship. In addition, she said she is continuing her Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training both in a gi and without a gi. We also discussed if she would like to compete in the ADCC World Submission Fighting Championships next year, her desire to teach young athletes, and much more.

She also requested that we include this statement which she sent us after the interview:

"I want to give a huge thanks to all my sponsors, teammates, fans, family and all the media like yourself who have helped me on this journey, Eddie. I am blessed and very appreciative to everyone for their continuous support and love. I don't have words to say how much it means to me. Also a huge GRACIAS Bjorn for giving me this opportunity! Smile & Believe."

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Catherine Ordway, a sports integrity consultant and attorney focusing on anti-doping, corruption, and match-fixing issues.

Based in Australia, and dealing with many issues at once, she works as an Advisory Board Member at Asia Pacific World Sport and Women, with the Doping Hearing Tribunal at SportAccord, and as an IAAF Medical and Anti-Doping Delegate. She has written numerous articles and made many presentations on good governance and the battle against doping and corruption in world sport. She also is a consultant on anti-doping issues to the bid group which is seeking to get Istanbul, Turkey, selected as the host of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The issues of doping, match-fixing, and other forms of corruption, along with bad governance, are haunting world sport, and not just the historically scandal-plagued combat sports. What to do about them has caused controversy as well.

We thus discussed these issues with Catherine Ordway in a global context in an interview recorded by Skype on Friday.

"I feel very optimistic," she said in this interview. "I love sport, and everybody that's involved that I know in the anti-doping movement and the integrity movement also love sport. And they're in it because they see what's good about sport, and that they want to keep what we love about it going forward."

We discussed how doping is a symptom of broader forms of cheating in sport, the need for a proactive approach to these problems, how change sometimes only comes following tragedies in sport (such as the suicide of former NFL star Junior Seau), the proposal for the eventual formation of a World Anti-Corruption Agency for sport, the issues of bad governance in combat sports as well as concussions and poor anti-doping control, the need for fans to speak out against the various forms of corruption, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with "King" Mo Lawal.

"King" Mo, of course, has been in the news a lot recently. On Thursday, it was officially announced that he had signed a deal to fight in the Bellator Fighting Championships MMA company, where he will start fighting in their light heavyweight tournament scheduled for January 2013, as well as perform for the TNA pro "wrestling" company.

After a hectic day of interviews, meetings, and a media conference call, we caught up with "King" Mo right after his last appearance late Thursday night, May 10. We then hit some of New York's best night spots: Jimmy's Corner, owned by the legendary boxing trainer Jimmy Glenn, where he had a soft drink, and Ashford & Simpson's Sugar Bar, where he had a soft drink and dinner, along with our colleague and correspondent Keisha Morrisey and Darryl Satcher. Finally, at about 3 AM Friday, we sat down to record an interview.

"It's been a rollercoaster ride of a year, and now we're back to the top, top of the ride," said "King" Mo in this interview. He said that he will be training in TNA's developmental group with Al Snow. "Maybe some of the moves that he teaches from the catch wrestling I can apply to MMA," said Mo.

He also expressed support for Bellator's tournament format, where contenders first have to win an eight-man, three-month tournament to earn a title shot. "I feel the best way to find out is deserving of a title shot is through a tournament," he said.

We also discussed the issue of drug testing, about which he said he is open to any type of drug testing, already having been a resident athlete at the U.S. Olympic Training Center for many years, where state-of-the-art drug testing is done. And we discussed more on his participation in the Bellator light heavyweight tournament, his training for MMA while performing in TNA at the same time, his desire to return to the Sugar Bar and Jiimmy's Corner when he next visits New York, and more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman presents the complete audio of the May 10 media conference call featuring "King" Mo Lawal. On this conference call, it was officially announced that he had signed to fight in the Bellator Fighting Championships MMA company, beginning in their light heavyweight tournament scheduled for January 2013, as well as perform for the TNA pro "wrestling" company. On the call were "King" Mo; Kevin Kay, President, Spike TV; Bjorn Rebney, Chairman and CEO, Bellator Fighting Championships; and Dixie Carter, President, TNA Entertainment.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

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American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Jake Shannon of ScientificWrestling.com.

Jake is the main organizer of an event which marks another step in the revival of catch-as-catch-can wrestling, the King of Catch Wrestling Tournament.

This tournament takes place Saturday, May 19, at Stable Jiu Jitsu, 175 N. Cawston Ave., Suite 130A, in Hemet, California 92545.

At this event, you can win by submission or pin, with a pin count of three. All submissions are legal, all matches are best two out of three falls with a 12-minute time limit per fall, there are no points, and all striking, biting, eye-gouging, and hair-pulling are illegal. There are five weight classes. In the event of a draw during a match, a replay occurs. If there is a second draw, both wrestlers are eliminated.

Men and women from all styles of wrestling, grappling, martial arts, and combat sports are encouraged to compete.

We spoke with Jake Shannon by phone Monday night about the King of Catch Wrestling Tournament and the rebirth of this sport. We discussed the many catch wrestling tournaments and seminars scheduled for the rest of this year, as well as previous events. We also discussed some of the history of catch wrestling and the influence of people like the late Karl Gotch, Billy Robinson, Roy Wood, Billy Riley, Kazushi Sakuraba, and many more.

Catch is back, and the King of Catch Wrestling Tournament will help the sport grow and reclaim its rightful place in the combat sports world.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Coach George Hero, the legendary coach and founder of the Midwood High School wrestling team in Brooklyn, New York.

At MidwoodMania III on April 21, the 54-year-old Coach Hero returned to the mat once again and scored a third-period pin over an opponent three decades his junior, former NYU wrestler and current high school coach Mark Shirian. We spoke with Coach Hero right after his victory.

We open with commentary on the suicide this past week of former NFL star linebacker Junior Seau. Just 43 years old, he was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest. The actual reasons for his suicide are not known at this time. However, according to news reports, his family has agreed to donate his brain to researchers who are studying the links between blows to the head in contact and combat sports, concussions, and the degenerative brain disease CTE, chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

With more of these tragedies and suicides of former athletes in contact and combat sports becoming publicly known, and with the science of understanding what head blows do to the brain becoming more precise, what will this mean in years to come for these sports? We lay out some historical analogies to how dueling and smoking have become socially unacceptable and even banned in whole or in part, and ask if these may provide clues as to the future prospects of these sports. We also note how the combat sports without striking, such as the various styles of grappling and wrestling, need to promote themselves better in light of what may happen to these other sports.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our colleague and correspondent, the award-winning boxing writer Charles Farrell.

While our main topic was the Floyd Mayweather-Miguel Cotto fight scheduled for May 5 in Las Vegas, our lengthy discussion, which took place by phone Wednesday night, countered the mythology and general propaganda which are widely spread in what is laughingly called the boxing media.

Regarding this fight, likely to be the biggest boxing event of the year, Charles Farrell said, "It's a consolation-prize fight." While he did add, "It's a worthy fight," he elaborated on this theme: "But this isn't the fight that people want. I think it's the fight that we get in light of not being able to get the fight that people want."

We discussed what and who are real in boxing and who are not, including fighters and media, and what is the likeliest outcome of the Mayweather-Cotto fight. We examined the options for both fighters after this fight, especially if Mayweather wins as expected, and why the stigma of losing has prevented many fighters from facing riskier opponents than they often do. We also discussed the many controversial and even absurd verdicts of many boxing judges, how and why boxing especially in America continues to decline, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman presents the May 1 media teleconference with David Howman, the Director General of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

The main reason for this teleconference was to discuss with the international media the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to reject the appeal of the British Olympic Association (BOA) after WADA had found it in non-compliance to the World Anti-Doping Code. The BOA, which is the host Olympic committee for the 2012 Summer Olympics, wanted to add a lifetime ban from the Olympics for any athlete who had ever failed a doping test, even after their suspensions had been served.

The CAS agreed with WADA that this was an extra sanction which was, according to its press release, "therefore not in compliance with the WADA Code." The CAS did, however, leave the door open "that the BOA and the IOC were free, as are others, to persuade other stakeholders that an additional sanction of inability to participate in the Olympic Games may be a proportionate, appropriate sanction of an anti-doping offence and may therefore form part of a revised World Anti-doping Code. At the moment, the system in place does not permit what the BOA has done."

The backdrop of this is a growing movement among athletes and others in world sport to increase the penalties for a major doping violation from a two-year ban to a four-year ban for the first offense, as well as a lifetime Olympics ban.

At the same time, the athletic commissions in North America, which regulate combat sports like boxing, mixed martial arts, and kickboxing, are still not following the World Anti-Doping Code, with some having no drug testing at all.

WADA Director General David Howman thus discussed these issues on this teleconference and answered questions from the media.

We also discuss the voluntary drug testing being done by boxers Floyd Mayweather, Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley, and Saul "Canelo" Alvarez.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Mark Pavelich, the owner and president of the Maximum Fighting Championship.

This Friday, May 4, the Maximum Fighting Championship returns to the Mayfield Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, for MFC 33: Collision Course. The card is headlined by a fight for the MFC welterweight title between Nathan Coy (10-4) and Ryan McGillivray (12-5-1). It will air live in the U.S. on HDNet Fights beginning at 10 p.m. ET/8 p.m. MT/7 p.m. PT (check local listings for channel designation). MFC 33 will also air on tape-delay throughout Canada on TSN2 at a later date.

We recently spoke with the always-outspoken Mark Pavelich by phone about this important card. We also discussed the future of the MFC and many other topics. In addition, we open by reading a statement Mark Pavelich sent us expressing his views on the formation of the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF).

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Dr. Margaret Goodman, the president and board chairman of VADA, the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association.

The issue of doping, as it has been so often, was at the forefront of the mixed martial arts news this past week, with the Nevada State Athletic Commission hearing on Tuesday, April 24, involving UFC fighter Alistair Overeem. An unannounced doping test last month found Overeem with a highly elevated testosterone to epitestosterone ratio (T/E ratio), and this hearing addressed that. Overeem was applying for a license to fight in May, but while the commission denied his application for a license because of this test, it only stopped him from applying again for nine months, as opposed to the usual 12 months in such situations. In addition, the commission did not require any doping tests of Overeem during this nine month period, with members even effusively praising him at the end of the hearing.

We spoke with Dr. Margaret Goodman Thursday afternoon by phone about what many considered to be a farce and fiasco of a hearing. We discussed what the Nevada commission should have done in this case, the lack of uniformity in drug testing, why such elevated testosterone levels are so dangerous to the health of the athletes, what the fans can do to demand that the fighters are properly tested, how VADA is working with fighters, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Assembly Member Luis A. Alejo (D-Salinas). He has introduced AB 2100, also known as the Professional Bill of Rights for MMA Athletes, in the California State Assembly. On Wednesday, April 25, this bill was approved by the Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism and Internet Media, and now goes to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations.

We spoke with Assembly Member Alejo Thursday afternoon by phone about this bill and what motivated him to introduce it. He explained that as a former successful high school and community college wrestler, he started following MMA from its first telecasts in the U.S. in 1993. But he also said in this interview, "My background has been in standing up for workers' rights as well." When he saw the ESPN "Outside the Lines" report in January on fighter pay and conditions in MMA, that "sparked my interest" in addressing the problems in MMA, including "unfair contracts".

We thus discussed the aims of this bill, why it is necessary for MMA fighters to receive the same types of protections which most other professional athletes have in the U.S., what still remains to be done for this bill to become passed, why its provisions will not hurt but actually help the sport of MMA, and why this bill will become "the norm" and actually "a national standard" like the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act.

In addition, we discussed the many benefits of wrestling, how budget cuts have led to the closing of many wrestling programs including at Gavilan College where he wrestled, his continuing connection to the local wrestling community, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman presents the audio from the April 25 public hearing of the Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism and Internet Media of the California State Assembly, focusing on the bill AB 2100. This bill, also known as the Professional Bill of Rights for MMA Athletes, was introduced by Assembly Member Luis A. Alejo (D-Salinas).

According to Assembly Member Alejo's news release, the bill aims to "protect professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters in California from certain exploitative business practices" and to extend to professional MMA fighters "certain legal protections already afforded to professional boxers under the federal Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act of 2000."

The hearing, chaired by Assembly Member Nora Campos, featured several speakers both for and against this bill. Those in favor of the bill included former UFC and Pancrase champion Frank Shamrock, former UFC fighter and now an attorney Christian Wellisch, former MFC lightweight champion Antonio McKee, Rob Maysey of the Mixed Martial Arts Fighters Association, trainer Juanito Ibarra, and representatives of the labor movement. Opposing the bill were Zuffa lobbyist Tim Lynch, Strikeforce women's 135-pound champion Ronda Rousey, former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes, UFC executives Lawrence Epstein and Marc Ratner, and former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell.

This bill was voted upon and approved by the committee by a vote of 5-2 with two not voting, and now goes to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

(Photo by Chris Skelley)

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with six amazing combat sports athletes from Team USA who are preparing for the 2012 London Olympics.

Kayla Harrison was a 2010 world champion in judo and a 2011 world bronze medalist at 78 kg. She will be competing in her first Olympic Games this year.

Rau'Shee Warren was a 2007 world champion in amateur boxing at flyweight. He will be the first American boxer to compete in three Olympics, and is going for his first Olympic medal.

Diana Lopez, a member of the legendary Lopez family of taekwondo fighters, was a 2005 world champion at featherweight and a 2008 Olympic bronze medalist at 57 kg. She will be joining her older brother, Steven Lopez, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, on the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team in taekwondo.

Marlen Esparza has the distinction of being one of the members of the first group of women boxers who will compete in an Olympic Games, since women's boxing will be on the Olympic Program for the first time this year. She actually had to move up in weight to make the team at flyweight, since there will be only three weight classes in women's boxing at the 2012 Olympics.

Myles Porter, who is legally blind, will be competing in judo at 100 kg at the 2012 Paralympic Games, which take place August 29-September 9 in London. He is a resident athlete at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and is also highly ranked among sighted judokas in the U.S.

Marcus Browne is the top American amateur boxer in the light heavyweight division, and hopes to qualify that weight for the U.S. in an upcoming Olympic qualifying tournament so he will be eligible to fight in the 2012 Olympics. A three-time New York Golden Gloves champion, this would be his first Olympics.

All these interviews were conducted April 18 during the U.S. Olympic Committee's Road to London Celebration in Times Square in New York, marking 100 days until the start of the 2012 Olympics. At this event, all these athletes also demonstrated for the public the techniques of their arts and disciplines.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Bellator Fighting Championships' welterweight champion Ben Askren.

At Bellator 64 on April 6, Ben successfully defended his title with a dominating, five-round unanimous decision over Bellator welterweight tournament winner Douglas Lima.

We spoke with Ben Askren by phone Thursday afternoon, beginning by discussing his performance in this fight.

"I'm very happy with that fight. I thought it went well," he said during this interview. "Lima, I thought, was the best guy I've fought so far, obviously the most dangerous, and definitely the best standup, and he's dangerous on his back."

In addition, we discussed his development as a fighter and his upcoming trip to Singapore to train at Evolve MMA. We talked about his views on the need for stronger anti-doping measures in MMA, and his experiences with the drug testing when he wrestled in the NCAA, where he was a two-time Div. I national champion, and on the U.S. Olympic Team, of which he was a member in 2008 in freestyle wrestling.

We also talked about the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling, which take place Saturday, April 21, and Sunday, April 22, in Iowa City, Iowa. Ben will be making an appearance at the Fan Fest there on Saturday, and watching his younger brother, Max, compete on Sunday. We discussed the importance of this event, his picks for the winners in freestyle wrestling, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Coach George Hero, the legendary coach and founder of the Midwood High School wrestling team in Brooklyn, New York.

On Saturday, April 21, Midwood High School will be the scene of this year's edition of what has now become an annual tradition, MidwoodMania III.

MidwoodMania III will see a full slate of wrestling matches in folkstyle, freestyle, and Greco-Roman wrestling involving Midwood alumni, coaches, and their rivals.

In the main event, Coach Hero, now 54 years old, will once again take to the mat in a heavyweight match under NCAA rules, facing Mark Shirian of NYU. There are a total of 12 matches scheduled.

MidwoodMania III takes place Saturday, April 21, from 10 AM to 2 PM EDT, at the Campus Road Gymnasium of Midwood High School, 2839 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn, NY, across the street from Brooklyn College.

We spoke with Coach Hero by phone Monday night about this important event, which aims both at fundraising for the team as well as building awareness about wrestling.

As to why he started competing again two years ago after a hiatus of 30 years when he focused on coaching and, of course, teaching, Coach Hero explained, "I think that with wrestling, the best way I can describe it, at least for me, it's an addiction. Wrestling, as far as I'm concerned, is the most challenging, the most demanding, the most difficult sport there is -- and the most rewarding. If you're a wrestler, and you ever competed in wrestling, it gets in our blood. To be very honest, it's very, very difficult to sort of let it go altogether." For others considering returning to the mat, he advised, "I strongly recommend it. It's had a rejuvenating effect on me."

We also discussed the educational and social benefits of wrestling, how the politicians in New York are hurting public education, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Gary Abbott, Director of Communications and Special Projects of USA Wrestling, to preview the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling.

The 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling will take place Saturday, April 21, and Sunday, April 22, at the legendary Carver-Hawkeye Arena on the campus of the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The competition will be in men's and women's freestyle wrestling and in Greco-Roman wrestling, to earn a berth at the 2012 Olympics.

The early rounds will be webcast live in the U.S. on NBCOlympics.com, with the finals being televised on next-day tape-delay on NBC Sports Network on April 22 and 23.

The 2012 London Summer Olympic Games run from July 27 to August 12. The wrestling will take place August 5 to August 12, at the ExCeL London.

We spoke with Gary Abbott by phone Saturday afternoon about the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling, to learn who is expected to wrestle and which weight classes the U.S. already has qualified for the 2012 Olympics, and much more.

"It's my favorite event," he said during this interview. "I enjoy it more than the Olympic Games. It blows the NCAA championships away in regards to the emotion. People have four years to win an NCAA title. They might have only one chance to make an Olympic team. So this brings out the best in our athletes, and the fans that are there are going to have a spectacular experience."

Before our discussion with Gary Abbott, we also comment on the U.S. Olympic Committee's Road to London Celebration in Times Square in New York on April 18, which is open to the public.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA legend Renzo Gracie.

Besides training fighters and traveling the world, Renzo is now also the president of the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo.

The first-ever World Jiu-Jitsu Expo takes place Saturday, May 12, at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California. In addition to numerous exhibits and seminars, it will be headlined by a BJJ superfight between MMA fighter Nick Diaz, who is also a BJJ black belt under Cesar Gracie, and Braulio Estima, the reigning ADCC superfight world champion.

We spoke with Renzo Monday afternoon in New York about the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo and the state of jiu-jitsu. We discussed some of the controversies about what are the best rules for both BJJ and no-gi grappling, what his plans are, why neither of us can envision retiring, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Douglas Kaplan, the COO of K-1 Global.

K-1 Global is the new ownership and operating company of K-1, which for many years was known as the best standup fighting organization in the world. A series of difficulties led to K-1 not holding their world-famous K-1 World Grand Prix tournament last year, to many fighters not being paid on time or at all, and subsequently to a change of ownership to K-1 Global earlier this year. K-1 Global has vowed "to rebuild the K-1 brand," and has started to release details of an ambitious slate of international events for 2012, beginning on May 27 in Madrid, Spain, and culminating in December with the K-1 World Grand Prix Final in New York City.

There certainly are many people who remain skeptical or even certain that the new ownership will not live up to the promises that have been made. But Douglas Kaplan, in our interview recorded Monday by phone, has no such reservations.

"You'll see what you'll see, which is that we're going to start to go out," he said during this interview. "You're going to see very big names. You're also going to see that part of our strategy is to bring in that new blood, because we're building this for years and years to come. You'll also see us doing the TV side of stuff, the reality TV side. You'll see big partners in broadcast."

As for the owner, chairman, and CEO of K-1 Global, Korean businessman Mr. Mike Kim, Douglas Kaplan described him as "a very well-funded individual, and he's a very long-term oriented guy." He added, "Money is certainly not going to be an issue for us."

We discussed the plans for their seven major events for 2012, when more details such as fight cards and venues will be released, some of the controversies which have already arisen about the new ownership, the relationship between K-1 and It's Showtime, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Jussi Saloranta, the founder of the mixed martial arts promotion, DARE Championship.

Based in Thailand, DARE began running MMA shows there in 2011. They soon garnered a lot of media attention, both internationally and in Thailand, and were regarded as one of the hottest new MMA companies in Asia.

In late March of this year, however, reports began coming from Thailand that the Sports Authority of Thailand, which regulates combat sports in that country, had decided to ban MMA. These reports were eventually confirmed as being true, both by the media and the MMA community.

The exact reasons for this ban are up for debate, but nonetheless it leaves DARE in a quandary. Their next show had been scheduled for June 24 in Bangkok, but now its fate is uncertain.

To find out what is going on with DARE, we spoke with Jussi Saloranta by Skype Saturday (Friday in New York).

"It's an interesting situation from many ways, but from our point of view, from the point of view from DARE, we're seeing it at the same time as a very positive one," he explained in this interview, "as we have been receiving more popularity and media attention, and got the mixed martial arts to people's lips that have never been actually involved with the sport before. So it's a situation with good and bad elements, but we still see the future of MMA very positive here in Thailand."

We thus discussed why that all is, what has happened, what their plans are for the future of DARE, who their biggest target market is, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with the Singapore-based sports journalist Steve Dawson.

Originally from the U.K., Steve is now an ESPN Sportscenter and Star Sports Formula 1 presenter and writer. He also has recently started calling the live fights for the ONE FC MMA telecasts and webcasts.

While on a trip to New York, we sat down with Steve on Tuesday evening in the East Village to discuss the latest ONE FC card, which took place March 31 in Singapore. We discussed the fights on it, the growth of ONE FC and MMA in Asia, how he views MMA from the perspective of covering so many more established sports, and much more.

"I'm involved with a lot of exciting things with ESPN," he said in this interview. "The football season is going. We're just about to start another baseball season. And I get involved in a lot of stuff. Formula 1 is something I do regularly and the season's just starting there. There's constantly great stuff going on. But I have to say, the ONE FC events have been the absolute highlight of what I've been doing over the past few months."

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

DARE Championship. Based in Thailand, DARE is a mixed martial arts event where fighters from all over the world compete to become the DARE Champion. DARE is one of the first MMA promotions in Thailand, and has been televised in many countries and online. For more information, go to their web site, at DareFightSports.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu legend Carlos Santos.

After nine years teaching jiu-jitsu in Abu Dhabi, the three-time BJJ world heavyweight champion, trained by the late Carlson Gracie Sr., has relocated to Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA, where in February of this year he opened the Prime Jiu-Jitsu Center.

The Prime Jiu-Jitsu Center is the first Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt Center in Colorado Springs, which is also the home of the U.S. Olympic Training Center.

We spoke with Carlos Santos by phone Tuesday afternoon.

"For me, jiu-jitsu is not only a fight," he stated in this interview. "Jiu-jitsu is a lifestyle."

He explained that his new facility, which he runs with Marcelo Motta, is open to all levels, and has both beginners and children training there as well as athletes from the Olympic Training Center and those experienced in BJJ. We discussed what jiu-jitsu needs to do in order to get regularly televised, the need for more professional organization, why he is now in Colorado Springs, his approach to new challenges in life, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

DARE Championship. Based in Thailand, DARE is a mixed martial arts event where fighters from all over the world compete to become the DARE Champion. DARE is one of the first MMA promotions in Thailand, and has been televised in many countries and online. For more information, go to their web site, at DareFightSports.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the successful World Martial Arts Show in the Bronx on Saturday, the connection between traditional martial arts and mixed martial arts, and the link of all of these with China, and interviews Joel Resnick, president and co-founder of the MMA company RUFF, based in Shanghai, China.

The World Martial Arts Show and Battle of the Dojos Extravaganza took place Saturday, March 31, at the famed Paradise Theater in the Bronx, New York. After martial arts tournaments during the daytime, the activities in the evening featured a martial arts, music, dance, and fashion show, as well as the presentation of the Life Arts Award to martial artist and actor Michael Jai White. Among the topics commented upon are how the mainstream media ignored this well-attended event, how it was enthusiastically received by its largely African-American and Latino audience, the fashion show which included a wearing of hoodies in tribute to slain African-American teenager Trayvon Martin, the different styles of striking and grappling on this show, the remarks by Michael Jai White, the relationship this event showed between the traditional martial arts and MMA and boxing, and, first and foremost, its importance to the youth.

Many of the organizers of this event are also involved with the practice of Chinese Shotokan Karate. Thus examined briefly is some of the history of how karate originated in China, the relation between traditional martial arts and MMA in China, including the practice of shoubo (手搏), a form of no-holds-barred weaponless fighting some 23 centuries ago, and more recent developments in the People's Republic of China.

This leads us into our interview with Joel Resnick, the president and co-founder of RUFF (Ranik Ultimate Fighting Federation). We recorded it by Skype last Tuesday Shanghai time (Monday New York time).

"In a couple of years, the best fighters are going to be coming out of China," said Joel Resnick in this interview. "Like every other sport, when they get behind it and they really want it, they're going go get it."

We discussed how he got to China from Canada, why they just want to focus on running events in China, how RUFF is the only professional MMA organization sanctioned by the Chinese government through the Wushu Administrative Center which is the governing body of Chinese combat sports, why they adopted the North American unified rules, prefight medicals and fighter safety issues, their plans for a series of fights leading to title fights to crown China's first MMA national champions, their plans for TV and video, and much, much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

DARE Championship. Based in Thailand, DARE is a mixed martial arts event where fighters from all over the world compete to become the DARE Champion. DARE is one of the first MMA promotions in Thailand, and has been televised in many countries and online. For more information, go to their web site, at DareFightSports.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the events coming up on a busy Saturday, March 31, including the ONE FC: War of the Lions MMA card from Singapore, and the World Martial Arts Show and Battle of the Dojos Extravaganza in the Bronx, New York.

The stacked ONE FC card will take place at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore, beginning at 7:30 PM SGT, which is UTC/GMT +8 hours.

ONE FC: War of the Lions will be streamed live and for free on the ONE FC YouTube channel at, http://www.youtube.com/ONEFCmma.

Streaming times around the world are 8 PM in Kuala Lumpur, 1 PM in London, 8 AM in New York City, and 5 AM in San Francisco (free live streaming is geo-blocked in Singapore and Japan).

Continuing our preview of ONE FC: War of the Lions, we spoke by Skype last week with Evolve MMA fighter Fabricio "Pitbull" Monteiro of Brazil. He is coming off a two-year layoff from fighting, and will have a difficult assignment when he faces DEEP champion Yuya Shirai of Japan in a welterweight bout on this card. Fabricio Monteiro said that he doesn't expect ring rust to be a factor in this fight, since he regularly trains at Evolve MMA, which he says has a "a spirit of the family" and "everybody cares about each other." He also looks forward to fighting for ONE FC, "the biggest show in Asia."

Also on Saturday, March 31, the World Martial Arts Show and Battle of the Dojos Extravaganza takes place at the Paradise Theater in the Bronx, New York. This event includes a martial arts tournament featuring numerous styles and disciplines, with many levels of competitors including many children expected to compete. In the evening, there will a martial arts, music, dance, and fashion show, as well as the presentation of the Life Arts Award to martial artist and actor Michael Jai White. We discuss the significance and importance of this event.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

DARE Championship. Based in Thailand, DARE is a mixed martial arts event where fighters from all over the world compete to become the DARE Champion. DARE is one of the first MMA promotions in Thailand, and has been televised in many countries and online. For more information, go to their web site, at DareFightSports.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again speaks with mixed martial arts fighter and former elite freestyle and college wrestler "King" Mo Lawal.

On Tuesday, March 27, the Nevada State Athletic Commission suspended and fined "King" Mo because of a positive test for a banned steroid. At the hearing, he said he was there to take his punishment like a man but also explained that the steroid came from an improperly labeled "supplement" he had bought at a retail store. The commission showed him no leniency, suspending him for nine months, starting from his last fight on January 7.

However, midway through the hearing, "King" Mo, a graduate of Oklahoma State University, was asked by commissioner Pat Lundvall if he could understand and read English. He denounced her on Twitter in controversial fashion, referring to her as a "racist bitch". Shortly thereafter, it was announced that he had been released by Strikeforce.

In the swirl of controversy, we spoke with "King" Mo Wednesday afternoon by phone, just about 24 hours after the Nevada commission hearing. We discussed the issues surrounding his suspension and release by Strikeforce, including an in-depth and lively discussion of his controversial comments about Pat Lundvall and why he considered her comments so insulting and unwarranted. We discussed who Pat Lundvall is, including her background as a corporate lawyer.

In addition, we discussed his health and prognosis for returning to training, what plans he now has for the future, what fans can do to support him, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

DARE Championship. Based in Thailand, DARE is a mixed martial arts event where fighters from all over the world compete to become the DARE Champion. DARE is one of the first MMA promotions in Thailand, and has been televised in many countries and online. For more information, go to their web site, at DareFightSports.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Professor Mahaliel Bethea AKA Sensei Mo of Fight Back MMA.

At Fight Back MMA in Harlem, New York, many levels of martial artists, including many children, are trained in many different disciplines and self-defense. Sensei Mo is also working with veteran martial artist Kushinda Lamarr Thornton of New Breed Life Arts on the World Martial Arts Show and Battle of the Dojos Extravaganza. This event includes a martial arts tournament and show, and will be held Saturday, March 31, at the Paradise Theater in the Bronx, New York.

We spoke with Sensei Mo Sunday afternoon at the Paradise Theater as the participants in the World Martial Arts Show and Battle of the Dojos Extravaganza were going through a dress rehearsal. We discussed the significance of this event and its location, the importance of getting kids involved in martial arts, the relation between traditional martial arts and MMA, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

DARE Championship. Based in Thailand, DARE is a mixed martial arts event where fighters from all over the world compete to become the DARE Champion. DARE is one of the first MMA promotions in Thailand, and has been televised in many countries and online. For more information, go to their web site, at DareFightSports.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Evolve MMA fighter Eddie "The Magician" Ng.

The popular prospect, who just turned 26 years old, is now 4-1 in his young MMA career. His next fight will at the ONE FC: War of the Lions card this Saturday, March 31, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore. His opponent will be Malaysian Muay Thai champion Jian Kai Chee in a lightweight bout.

We spoke with Eddie "The Magician" Ng by Skype on Tuesday Singapore time (Monday New York time) about this fight and his career. We discussed how and why he moved to Singapore from the U.K., where he grew up, but had difficulty finding regular fights. He commented that he believes that fighters are treated with much more respect in Asia than what he saw in parts of the U.K. We discussed how he advanced from being almost self-taught through studying Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA videos, to training with world champions in many disciplines at Evolve MMA in Singapore. His appearance at ONE FC 3 follows a 45-second knockout victory at ONE FC 1 last September, so it looks like Eddie "The Magician" Ng has found a fighting home in Singapore.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

DARE Championship. Based in Thailand, DARE is a mixed martial arts event where fighters from all over the world compete to become the DARE Champion. DARE is one of the first MMA promotions in Thailand, and has been televised in many countries and online. For more information, go to their web site, at DareFightSports.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Chatri Sityodtong, the founder and CEO of the top martial arts training organization in Asia, Evolve MMA.

Evolve MMA will have five fighters competing at the ONE FC: War of the Lions mixed martial arts card on Saturday, March 31, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore.

The main event will be a lightweight fight between Evolve MMA fighter and BJJ champion Zorobabel "Zoro" Moreira of Brazil against Felipe Enomoto of Japan, who is coming off a second-round stoppage of Ole Laursen at ONE FC 2 last month. Evolve MMA fighter Fabricio “Pitbull” Monteiro of Brazil, coming off a two-year layoff, will have a tough assignment when he faces DEEP champion Yuya Shirai of Japan in a welterweight bout. Evolve MMA fighter Nicole Chua from Singapore will be fighting in the first-ever ONE FC women's fight against Jeet Toshi, a kickboxing champion from India, at a catchweight of 44 kg. Evolve MMA fighter Eddie Ng, originally from Hong Kong and the U.K. but now based in Singapore, will face Malaysian Muay Thai champion Jian Kai Chee in a lightweight bout. And Evolve MMA fighter Yodsanan Sityodtong of Thailand, the former WBA super featherweight world champion, will try to demonstrate his transition from boxing to MMA in a bantamweight fight against Art of War veteran Jiang Long Yun of China.

This stacked card will also feature major fights involving Ole Laursen of Legacy Gym against URCC welterweight champion Eduard Folayang, both from the Philippines, in a highly-anticipated battle; DEEP light heavyweight champion Yoshiyuki Nakanishi of Japan against Melvin Manhoef of Mike's Gym in the Netherlands, who always provides action; Dream star and DEEP champion Masakazu Imanari of Japan against URCC flyweight champion Kevin Belingon of the Philippines; Dream star Tatsuya "Crusher" Kawajiri of Japan against American Donald Sanchez, who just regained the King of the Cage bantamweight championship; Quek Kim Hock against Juan Wen Jie, both from Singapore, in a lightweight fight; and American Richie Whitson of Team Quest against Danny van Bergen of Mike's Gym in the Netherlands.

We spoke with Chatri Sityodtong by Skype on Tuesday Singapore time (Monday New York time) to preview this important card.

"The whole ONE FC network has unified Asia in a way that's never been seen before, so that you truly can have the best fight the best in each country," he said during this interview.

We discussed both the prospects for the Evolve MMA fighters and their opponents, as well as the other fights on this card, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

DARE Championship. Based in Thailand, DARE is a mixed martial arts event where fighters from all over the world compete to become the DARE Champion. DARE is one of the first MMA promotions in Thailand, and has been televised in many countries and online. For more information, go to their web site, at DareFightSports.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with veteran mixed martial instructor Kushinda Lamarr Thornton of New Breed Life Arts.

New Breed Life Arts is a dojo, based in Harlem, New York, that trains adults and children both in numerous martial arts and in life arts. They write on their web site that their "main focus is to assist people to become empowered, productive citizens, and to provide exposure to positive relevant images. The New Breed's goal is to provide information and enlightenment while utilizing mind, body and spirit concepts."

They are also playing a key role in organizing the Battle of the Dojos martial arts tournament and show on Saturday, March 31, at the Paradise Theater in the Bronx, New York.

In an enlightening and important discussion, we spoke with Kushinda Lamarr Thornton Wednesday afternoon at his dojo. We discussed numerous issues, including values and respect in the traditional martial arts and the lack of respect in so much of MMA. He explained that the purpose of training in the martial arts is actually to prevent violence and not to promote violence. We also heard from our colleague and correspondent Keisha Morrisey, whose son had trained with Kushinda Lamarr. We also discussed some of the activities which will take place at the Battle of the Dojos event, and much, much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

DARE Championship. Based in Thailand, DARE is a mixed martial arts event where fighters from all over the world compete to become the DARE Champion. DARE is one of the first MMA promotions in Thailand, and has been televised in many countries and online. For more information, go to their web site, at DareFightSports.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with mixed martial arts fighter and former elite freestyle and college wrestler "King" Mo Lawal.

"King" Mo gets us up-to-date about his recovery from knee surgeries and staph infections, and when he hopes to return to action full-time. He also discussed his upcoming hearing, scheduled for March 27, before the Nevada State Athletic Commission regarding his unintentional use of a banned performance-enhancing substance. We discussed some of the recent major boxing bouts including the Sergio Martinez-Matthew Macklin fight, the many anticipated fights scheduled for the next few weeks, and whether boxing or MMA will be a bigger sport in ten years. "King" Mo explained why he likes to watch the Olympic Wrestling Trials more than the NCAA Wrestling Championships, but we also noted the many problems facing wrestling.

A key part of this discussion involved our mutual admiration for a veteran martial artist from Harlem, Professor Mahaliel Haroom Sha Bethea AKA Sensei Mo of Fight Back MMA. We discussed the importance of Sensei Mo's work training kids in martial arts and self-defense, and "King" Mo's desire to meet him and assist in his work. This represents the true spirit of martial arts and combat sports.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

DARE Championship. Based in Thailand, DARE is a mixed martial arts event where fighters from all over the world compete to become the DARE Champion. DARE is one of the first MMA promotions in Thailand, and has been televised in many countries and online. For more information, go to their web site, at DareFightSports.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

(Photo of Logan Stieber and Jordan Oliver by Bob Mayeri)

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again speaks with our long-time colleague and wrestling correspondent, Bob Mayeri, to review the 2012 NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships, which took place March 15-17 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

We spoke with Bob Mayeri, who covered this event matside in St. Louis, by phone Sunday night. We discussed the ten individual national championship matches as well as the team champions, Penn State, which won for the second year in a row. We examined why this event remains so spectacular year after year, what changes need to be made to improve the marketing and presentation of college wrestling, the noted increase this year in winners from colleges in the eastern part of the U.S., the new attendance records set this year, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

DARE Championship. Based in Thailand, DARE is a mixed martial arts event where fighters from all over the world compete to become the DARE Champion. DARE is one of the first MMA promotions in Thailand, and has been televised in many countries and online. For more information, go to their web site, at DareFightSports.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Kris Iatskevich of the International Submission Wrestling Alliance (ISWA) about the North American Throwdown catch wrestling event and the prospects for the growth of catch wrestling.

The North American Throwdown was held Saturday, February 25, 2012, in Joliette, Quebec, Canada, near Montreal. It featured both the ASA's Eighth Annual North American Freestyle Sambo Championships and the ISWA's Catch Wrestling Open tournament, also known as the Carpentier Open. Grapplers from all styles and affiliations competed.

We spoke with Kris Iatskevich by Skype Thursday about this historic event. We discussed the percent of victories by pin and by submission at the catch wrestling part of this event, how the rules virtually eliminated stalling, and the need for some improvements in future tournaments. We also discussed the great potential for catch wrestling to emerge as a legitimate and professional spectator sport, how this tournament was a steppingstone in that direction, the need for principled unity and cooperation among those who are part of this catch wrestling revival, the tentative plans for the next event, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

DARE Championship. Based in Thailand, DARE is a mixed martial arts event where fighters from all over the world compete to become the DARE Champion. DARE is one of the first MMA promotions in Thailand, and has been televised in many countries and online. For more information, go to their web site, at DareFightSports.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our long-time colleague and wrestling correspondent, Bob Mayeri, to preview the 2012 NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships. This event will take place Thursday, March 15, through Saturday, March 17, at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

The first and second sessions of this event, on March 15, will be webcast on ESPN3.com. The third and fourth sessions on March 16, and the fifth session on the morning of March 17, will be televised on ESPNU and webcast on ESPN3.com. The finals will televised live on ESPN beginning at 7:30 PM Saturday, March 17, and also webcast on ESPN3.com.

We spoke with Bob Mayeri, who will be covering the 2012 NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships in St. Louis, by phone Monday night. We discussed why this event, which almost always sells out all six sessions, has been the most popular wrestling event in America for many years. We discussed Bob's predictions for the winners in all ten weight classes, which include some upsets, and his picks for the finalists and several All-Americans, as well as the team title. This is a fun event which all combat sports fans should check out.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

DARE Championship. Based in Thailand, DARE is a mixed martial arts event where fighters from all over the world compete to become the DARE Champion. DARE is one of the first MMA promotions in Thailand, and has been televised in many countries and online. For more information, go to their web site, at DareFightSports.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again speaks with Stephen Koepfer of the Coalition to Legalize Mixed Martial Arts in New York.

On March 6, the Coalition held a rousing demonstration in front of the Manhattan office of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who has not taken a public position on the issue of ending the ban on MMA. This was followed by the first-ever Mixed Martial Arts Documentary Film Festival, which took place at the world-famous Madison Square Garden.

We spoke by phone Friday with Stephen Koepfer about how this rally, the second annual one held by the Coalition, represented a step forward in this battle to legalize MMA in New York. Many more New Yorkers seemed both aware of this issue and supportive of ending the MMA ban than even last year, he said. We discussed the attempt by UFC to counter this rally by holding a news conference in New York at the same time as it for a show two months away in New Jersey. We also discussed many ideas for continuing and broadening this struggle as this onerous ban on MMA is now in its fifteenth year, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

DARE Championship. Based in Thailand, DARE is a mixed martial arts event where fighters from all over the world compete to become the DARE Champion. DARE is one of the first MMA promotions in Thailand, and has been televised in many countries and online. For more information, go to their web site, at DareFightSports.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

(Photo by Keisha Morrisey)

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman goes into the vault to replay an interview from July 3, 2008, with Nick Lembo, counsel for the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board.

Here is the description from 2008 about this discussion with Nick Lembo: He is attending the annual meeting of the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC), which is going on this weekend in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. MMA is a major topic at this meeting. Among the topics we discussed were: what the ABC is doing to educate various commissions about regulating MMA in their jurisdictions, why the New York legislature did not recently approve the legalization of the sport, the need for the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act to be extended to MMA, why MMA promoters should work together like even boxing promoters often do, UFC contracts, the establishment by the ABC of an official MMA record keeper, federal ID cards for MMA fighters, clarifications of the MMA unified rules, guidelines for amateur MMA, the ABC deciding to make discussion about MMA a regular part of their agenda along with boxing, and more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

DARE Championship. Based in Thailand, DARE is a mixed martial arts event where fighters from all over the world compete to become the DARE Champion. DARE is one of the first MMA promotions in Thailand, and has been televised in many countries and online. For more information, go to their web site, at DareFightSports.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with an old friend and colleague, Adisa Banjoko, a jiu-jitsu practitioner and the founder of the Hip-Hop Chess Federation.

Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Hip-Hop Chess Federation is a not-for-profit organization which fuses music, chess, and martial arts, hosts celebrity chess benefits where underserved youth play chess for educational scholarships, and promotes positive values by blending logic and art.

"Chess is jiu-jitsu for the mind, and jiu-jitsu is chess for the body," stated Adisa.

We spoke with Adisa Banjoko by phone Friday afternoon about the work and goals of this very innovative and valuable organization.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

DARE Championship. Based in Thailand, DARE is a mixed martial arts event where fighters from all over the world compete to become the DARE Champion. DARE is one of the first MMA promotions in Thailand, and has been televised in many countries and online. For more information, go to their web site, at DareFightSports.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Stephen Koepfer of the Coalition to Legalize Mixed Martial Arts in New York.

It is now 15 years since the state of New York passed a draconian law banning what it calls "combative sports", including mixed martial arts. The 1997 law overturned a law passed just months earlier legalizing and regulating the sport. While MMA has since grown around the world, from Sao Paulo to St. Petersburg, from Beijing to Boston, and from Atlantic City to Abu Dhabi, the sport remains illegal in New York.

The Coalition to Legalize Mixed Martial Arts in New York, an independent, grassroots organization, aims to change all that. After a successful rally last year in front of the office of New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, an opponent of MMA, this year the Coalition will be holding a rally in front of the Manhattan office of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who has not taken a public position on this issue.

The rally will be held Tuesday, March 6, from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM, outside Cuomo's Manhattan office at 633 Third Avenue, New York, NY, 10017, between 40th and 41st Streets.

After the rally, there will be the first-ever Mixed Martial Arts Documentary Film Festival. This will take place from 4 PM to 8 PM at the world-famous Madison Square Garden, in The Theater Lobby at 7th Avenue at 32nd Street. It is free to attend.

Three films will be featured, including the world premiere of "In Her Corner: The Inside Story of Women’s MMA", the Manhattan premiere of "New York Mixed Martial Arts", and the New York premiere of "Fight Life". This will be followed by a question-and-answer session with the filmmakers, as well as a mixed martial arts trivia challenge.

We spoke with Stephen Koepfer by phone Thursday about the rally, the film festival, and the ongoing battle to legalize MMA in New York. We discussed the need to continue to educate the public about the sport, how MMA is actually much larger than just one promotion, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

DARE Championship. Based in Thailand, DARE is a mixed martial arts event where fighters from all over the world compete to become the DARE Champion. DARE is one of the first MMA promotions in Thailand, and has been televised in many countries and online. For more information, go to their web site, at DareFightSports.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the significance of the May 5 fight between Floyd Mayweather and Miguel Cotto being promoted by their own promotional companies with several key figures in this fight.

The unbeaten Mayweather (42-0, 26 KOs), who holds the WBC welterweight title, will be moving up a weight class to face Cotto (37-2, 30 KOs), the WBA super welterweight champion. Mayweather last fought at this weight in 2007, defeating Oscar de la Hoya for the WBC title, before moving back down.

The Mayweather-Cotto fight, slated for Saturday, May 5, in Las Vegas, Nevada, has the distinction of being presented by Mayweather Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions, and Miguel Cotto Promotions.

At the New York news conference for this fight held February 28 at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, we discussed the significance of this promotional arrangement with Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions; Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions; and Bryan Perez, Executive Director of Miguel Cotto Promotions. The consensus seemed to be from all parties in this fight that this represents a new era in boxing. We also asked Richard Schaefer about the drug testing for Mayweather-Cotto, which will be conducted by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

We also spoke about this fight with the outspoken trainer of Floyd Mayweather, his uncle, Roger Mayweather, who discussed the place of his nephew in boxing history.

And we discussed with our long-time colleague and correspondent Keisha Morrisey, who has been invaluable to No Holds Barred, this fight and this new era in boxing, as well as some of the numerous problems plaguing the declining sport of boxing.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

DARE Championship. Based in Thailand, DARE is a mixed martial arts event where fighters from all over the world compete to become the DARE Champion. DARE is one of the first MMA promotions in Thailand, and has been televised in many countries and online. For more information, go to their web site, at DareFightSports.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

(Photo by Paula Romero)

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman presents interviews from the Ultimate Absolute 2 grappling tournament, held Saturday, February 25, in New York, and previews the Arnold Grappling Championships, which will be held March 3-4 in Columbus, Ohio.

Right after his victory in the 16-man, single elimination Ultimate Absolute 2, which featured the lightweight division, we spoke with multi-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion Celsinho Venicius about his latest triumph. We also spoke with Rolles Gracie right after this event about his first-round stoppage victory over Bob Sapp at the ONE FC card on February 11, and his future plans. And we spoke with Rob Constance (AKA Black Rob), the main organizer of the Ultimate Absolute, about the success of this event, and the plans for a submission-only, open-weight tournament in the next Ultimate Absolute later in the year.

For the first time, the expert or advanced no-gi divisions of the men's and women's adult divisions at the Arnold Grappling Championships will be held under ADCC rules and be a qualifier for the ADCC North American Championships later this year. We spoke by phone Thursday with organizer Brett Boyce of the World Grappling Circuit and ADCC North America about this important grappling event and its significance.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

DARE Championship. Based in Thailand, DARE is a mixed martial arts event where fighters from all over the world compete to become the DARE Champion. DARE is one of the first MMA promotions in Thailand, and has been televised in many countries and online. For more information, go to their web site, at DareFightSports.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Shannon Knapp, co-founder of the Invicta Fighting Championships.

This latest venture for Shannon Knapp, who has worked for numerous mixed martial arts promotions, will put on all-women's MMA cards.

The debut show for the the Invicta Fighting Championships will be Saturday, April 28, at the Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas. The 11-fight card will be headlined by a rematch between international MMA star Marloes Coenen of the Netherlands and Romy Ruyssen of France, whose only MMA loss was to Coenen in 2008.

We spoke with Shannon Knapp by phone Thursday afternoon about this ambitious new organization. She explained why an all-women's MMA show can work, and that often women's fights are as or even more exciting than men's fights. While she admitted that developing this organization will not be easy, she is so confident in this product that she promised to make the first show available for everyone around the world to see for free, with those details to be announced shortly. She also said that this company wants to work with other promotions, that they plan four shows for 2012, and much more.　

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

DARE Championship. Based in Thailand, DARE is a mixed martial arts event where fighters from all over the world compete to become the DARE Champion. DARE is one of the first MMA promotions in Thailand, and has been televised in many countries and online. For more information, go to their web site, at DareFightSports.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with light heavyweight boxing champion Bernard Hopkins and his trainer, Brother Naazim Richardson, about the rematch between Hopkins and Chad Dawson scheduled for April 28 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. We also speak with New York TV host Kristal Hart of Manhattan Neighborhood Network about this fight. All these discussions were recorded Wednesday at the kickoff New York news conference for this fight.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

DARE Championship. Based in Thailand, DARE is a mixed martial arts event where fighters from all over the world compete to become the DARE Champion. DARE is one of the first MMA promotions in Thailand, and has been televised in many countries and online. For more information, go to their web site, at DareFightSports.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with 2011 NCAA Div. I All-American wrestler and mixed martial arts fighter Colby Covington.

After winning a national junior college championship at Iowa Central Community College and becoming a two-time Pac-10 champion and All-American at Oregon State, Colby Covington, like so many successful wrestlers before him, has turned to mixed martial arts. He had his first professional fight February 11 at the Midtown Throwdown III in Eugene, Oregon, and won by a first-round stoppage over Chris Ensley. He is awaiting confirmation of his next fight, which he hopes will be in March.

Now training at the famed American Top Team facility in Coconut Creek, Florida, and fighting at welterweight, Colby Covington has his eyes set on becoming a world champion in mixed martial arts. While he obviously has a long way to go in order to achieve that goal, he believes that he has the skills and dedication to do just that.

We spoke with him Monday afternoon by phone about his new career as a mixed martial arts fighter and why he decided to become an MMA fighter.

"I'm not in this to make a living," he said in this interview. "I'm in this to be the best in the world, and I honestly think I can be."

He explained the changes in technique he is learning in this transition, such as how shooting and setting up takedowns are different in wrestling and MMA. He already views himself as a well-rounded fighter, adjusting to the striking and submissions of MMA as well. We also discussed his relations with the wrestling community today, his former roommates at Iowa Central Joe Soto and Jon Jones, and much more.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

DARE Championship. Based in Thailand, DARE is a mixed martial arts event where fighters from all over the world compete to become the DARE Champion. DARE is one of the first MMA promotions in Thailand, and has been televised in many countries and online. For more information, go to their web site, at DareFightSports.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com