ONE 165: Superlek vs. Takeru  was everything and more on Sunday, January 28. ONE Championship delivered an outstanding event from Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, and gave fans a taste of everything. Superlek Kiatmoo9 and Takeru Segawa put on a show in Tokyo. The two superstars showed why they are at the top of the flyweight division with a sensational five-round war that will be tough to knock out for 2024’s Fight of the Year. Superlek started strong with his infamous kicking attacks, but Takeru held firm and responded with punches at blistering speed. In the championship rounds, Superlek continued peppering Takeru and took home a unanimous decision victory. "Kelly McCann Combatives 2: Stick & Ground Combat. Buy at $59.99" In the co-main event, Kade Ruotolo picked up his second unanimous decision win over Tommy Langaker. Ruotolo was more dominant in the rematch, but Langaker’s defense did not allow him to get the tap. John Lineker was a late replacement for Sage Northcutt against Shinya Aoki. Northcutt dropped out due to unforeseen issues with his cornermen. Although his warrior spirit is commendable, Aoki took him down and worked until he got the rear-naked choke in the first round. Nieky Holzken performed effortlessly in his special rules match against Yoshihiro Akiyama. The four-ounce boxing first round allowed Holzken’s brilliant hands to shine as he dropped Akiyama twice, forcing the referee to call the action. Marat Grigorian inched closer to leveling the series against Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong with a third-round TKO over the Thai star. Sitthichai started strong, but Grigorian rallied. A left hook to the body put “Killer Kid” on the mat for good, and Grigorian pocketed an extra $50,000 for the win. Garry Tonon potentially punched his ticket to another title shot with a brilliant first-round submission win over Martin Nguyen. The American got the takedown early in the round and worked diligently until the arm went under the chin. The former titleholder tapped, and Tonon grabbed a $50,000 performance bonus as the cherry on top. During the first four bouts that set the stage for the evening, Yuya Wakamatsu put on the best performance of his career. The Japanese flyweight was always one step ahead of Danny Kingad to avenge an earlier loss to his divisional foe. The #4-ranked contender upended the #2-ranked Kingad to put himself in a position to be a major challenger for the gold in 2024. The replay of the event can be watched on-demand via global pay-per-view at watch.onefc.com . ONE 165 Full Results Kade Ruotolo def. Tommy Langaker by unanimous decision Shinya Aoki def. John Lineker via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:00 of the first round Nieky Holzken def. Yoshihiro Akiyama by TKO at 1:40 of the first round Marat Grigorian def. Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong by KO at 1:20 of the third round Garry Tonon def. Martin Nguyen via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:41 of the first round "Sifu Singh JKD for Black Belts - Attack Strategies. Buy at $97.99" Ayaka Miura def. Itsuki Hirata via unanimous decision Yuya Wakamatsu def. Danny Kingad via unanimous decision Rade Opacic def. Iraj Azizpour by unanimous decision Bokang Masunyane def. Keito Yamakita by unanimous decision Gustavo Balart def. Hiroba Minowa by split decision

In the high-octane world of mixed martial arts (MMA), few stories resonate with the spirit of determination and ambition quite like that of Jeongyeong Lee. Fresh off a triumphant win at the Road to UFC tournament, the fighter affectionately dubbed the “Korean Tiger” is not just basking in the glory of victory; he’s setting his sights on a goal that many athletes only dare to dream of: becoming a household name in the world of MMA. Jeongyeong Lee’s journey is one of relentless perseverance and undeniable skill, both of which were on full display throughout the Road to UFC tournament. For those who’ve been following his path, Lee’s victory didn’t come as a surprise. Known for his dynamic fighting style and strategic prowess inside the octagon, Lee has proven time and again that he’s a force to be reckoned with. But it’s not just his technical skills that have fans and pundits alike buzzing with excitement. Lee carries with him an air of charisma and determination that’s both inspiring and infectious. It’s this combination of talent and personality that Lee believes will catapult him from the status of a rising star to that of a global MMA icon. As Lee prepares for his next challenge at UFC Fight Night: Dolidze vs. Imavov, the stakes couldn't be higher. A win on such a prominent stage could very well be the springboard he needs to launch into superstardom. But the “Korean Tiger” is no stranger to pressure. In fact, he thrives under it. What sets Lee apart from many of his contemporaries is not just his ambitious mindset but also his approach to the sport. He sees MMA not just as a series of battles to be won, but as a platform to connect with fans, to tell a story, and to share a piece of himself with the world. It’s this holistic view of his career that Lee believes will endear him to fans across the globe and help him achieve his goal of becoming a household name.

The fans have spoken and Mohsen Mohammedseifi has earned a hat-trick of awards, with Mojtaba Nasiri another Iranian standout, winning Sub of The Year BRAVE Combat Federation has officially announced the winners of the Fans’ End of Year Awards for 2023, and Iranian fans have stolen the show by coming up big for the two men involved in four categories. Here are the BRAVE CF End of Year Awards 2023. Mohsen Mohammedseifi and Mojtaba Nasiri have counted on the support of a very dedicated fanbase to take home four awards between them.  Mohsen Mohammedseifi was the standout performer of the year, as his victories have elevated to the position of one of the top contenders in the Lightweight division. And not only that, but he has achieved three Fans’ end of year awards: KO of the Year, Breakout Fighter of the Year, and Fight of The Year. His performance in his first fight of the year, against Noor El Islam, has given the five-time Wushu world champion the KO of the Year award, ahead of heavy favorite Levy Carriel. His fight of the night against David Forster at BRAVE CF 79 has also been the most voted candidate and landed a place in BRAVE CF folklore as the 2023 Fans’ Fight of The Year.  Mohsen rounded up his hat-trick of awards by capturing the Fans’ Breakout Fighter of The Year, once again counting on the massive support of Iranian MMA’s huge fanbase.  Mojtaba Nasiri also benefited from the amazing support of Iranian MMA fans to take home the Fan's BRAVE CF Submission of the Year award, after putting his opponent to sleep with a deep arm-triangle choke at BRAVE CF 66. The biggest prize was captured by Abdisalam Kubanychbek, as the Kyrgyz world champion was also elevated by his fans as he became the latest recipient of the Fighter of The Year award. Kubanychbek unified the world title against Kamil Magomedov and ended the year beating former world champion Lucas ''Mineiro'' by first-round TKO in what was a non-title fight after the challenger didn't make weight.  FULL LIST OF BRAVE CF 2023 FANS’ AWARDS OF THE YEAR: KO of the Year – Mohsen Mohammedseifi Sub of the Year – Mojtaba Nasiri Breakout Fighter of the Year – Mohsen Mohammedseifi Fight of the Year – Mohsen Mohammedseifi vs David Forster Fighter of the Year – Abdisalam Kubanychbek

BRAVE CF and partner WFC will present the line-up for the two Slovenia events that will take place in 2024 and ambitious plans for the sport in the continent BRAVE Combat Federation will officially launch its 2024 calendar with a trip to Slovenia for BRAVE CF 81, which takes place on April 20, in association with leading regional promotion WFC. And this Friday, February 2, some of the biggest MMA stars from the Balkans will help BRAVE CF president Mohammed Shahid and WFC president Zlatko Mahic launch the series of two events, with another show set for October.  The press conference will be attended by some of the major stars from the company in previous years, as well as top fighters that will be in action at BRAVE CF 81. Local fans can expect appearances by Bosnia’s Erko Jun, Heavyweight sensations Haris Aksalic and Pavel Dailidko, as well as BRAVE CF 2023 Fight of The Year winner David Forster, Monika Kucinic, and Miha Frlic. During the press conference, BRAVE CF president Mohammed Shahid is also expected to speak about the organization’s ambitious plans for Europe in 2024.  Recently, BRAVE CF broke the world record for being hosted in most nations, with 30 countries having welcomed BRAVE CF shows – out of which 13 nations have been in Europe. Outside of Slovenia, BRAVE CF has also been hosted in Northern Ireland, England, Romania, Sweden, Russia, Belarus, Italy, Poland, Serbia, Germany, France, and Spain. Other notable names are expected to be in attendance for the BRAVE CF/WFC Press Conference launch, such as IMMAF president Kerrith Brown, Serbian MMA Federation president Luka Nikolic, and former BRAVE CF fighter Jakob Nedoh.

In the 1960s, the relationship between mainstream and marginal cultures was shaped by mutual borrowing and rejection. The 1960s was a time when identities and ideologies seemed to be in a state of constant flux. Material culture of the era, such as ads, and magazine articles, reflected these changes during this culture shift of the 1960s. Black Belt Magazine was one of the most progressive publishers of its time, featuring in the 1968 August edition karate master and champion Thomas La Puppet, who was the first black man to grace the cover of Black Belt Magazine . Learn more about this cover and the entire magazine preserved in digital format. https://www.blackbeltmag.com

Best known to MMA fans as the “Warmaster,” Josh Barnett is the youngest UFC heavyweight champion in the history of the league.  He is a celebrated veteran of mixed martial arts and has fought in such leagues as Pride Dream, Strike Force and Bellator and has had a successful pro wrestling career in the New Japan Pro Wrestling and TNA Wrestling. Today he continues to challenge himself with his Bloodsport promotion as well as competing in submission grappling and BJJ. Once dubbed the “baby faced assassin” he continues to thrill audiences both in and outside of the ring. Black Belt’s Tony Parrish talks with Josh who shares some of his secrets and philosophies Watch the full interview HERE!

Black Belt Publisher George Chung sat down with Jesse Enkamp who calls himself “The Karate Nerd.” Jesse is a  #1 Amazon.com best-selling author, entrepreneur, traveler, athlete, educator, and founder of Seishin International . His passion for Karate started in his parents’ dojo and expanded into a lifelong adventure traveling the world, competing, meeting masters, and learning more about martial arts. With more than 800,000 subscribers on YouTube, over half a million on Facebook, and hundreds of thousands across other platforms, he’s created an army of fellow “ Karate Nerds ,” and we are thrilled to see it! In this interview George challenges Jesse’s knowledge about martial arts masters, they discuss his upbringing, and his fear of Master Ken! You can connect with Jesse online here: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KARATEbyJesse/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karatebyjesse/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karatebyjesse/ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/karatebyjesse/

The draw for the GLORY Heavyweight Grand Prix took place earlier today, Wednesday, January 31, live from the Harbour Club in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, deciding the quarter-final matchups for the $500,000 eight-man one-night tournament taking place on March 9 at the GelreDome football stadium in Arnhem, the Netherlands. How the draw worked, the four lower seeded fighters selected which quarter-final they wanted to compete in while the four top seeded fighters then selected which fighter to face in the opening round. As a result, the 'King of Kickboxing'  Rico Verhoeven (61-10, 20 KO) opted to fight France’s Sofian Laïdouni (35-2-1, 17 KO) in the fourth quarter-final of night. Former interim-heavyweight champion  Tariq ‘Cookie’ Osaro (25-3-1, 13 KO) will meet the dangerous Bahram Rajabzadeh (65-1, 58 KO) in a potentially wild & explosive affair, training partners Nordine Mahieddine (28-15, 13 KO) & Nabil Khachab (26-4-1, 4 KO) must put their friendship aside when they clash, and rising Dutch star Levi Rigters (15-1, 7 KO) collides with power puncher Uku Jürjendal (20-8, 16 KO) in the opening fight of the tournament. GLORY Heavyweight Grand Prix Tournament Quarter-Final 1: Levi Rigters (15-1, 7 KO) vs. Uku Jürjendal (20-8, 16 KO) Quarter-Final 2: Tariq ‘Cookie’ Osaro (25-3-1, 13 KO) vs. Bahram Rajabzadeh (65-1, 58 KO) Quarter-Final 3: Nordine Mahieddine (28-15, 13 KO) vs. Nabil Khachab (26-4-1, 4 KO) Quarter Final 4: Rico Verhoeven (61-10, 20 KO) vs. Sofian Laïdouni (35-2-1, 17 KO) Semi-Final 1Winner of QF1 vs. Winner of QF2 Semi-Final 2Winner of QF3 vs. Winner of QF4 Heavyweight Grand Prix FinalWinner of SF 1 vs. Winner of SF 2 March 9 will also feature two GLORY title fights as  Donegi Abena (27-9, 7 KO) and Tarik Khbabez (49-10-1, 28 KO) meet to decide who is the undisputed king of the GLORY light heavyweight division and lightweight champion Tyjani Beztati (25-4, 9 KO) puts his title on the line against top German Enriko Kehl (52-15-2, 30 KO). Tickets are on sale right now and available from   GLORYKickboxing.com . The event will be shown live exclusively on Videoland in the Netherlands and worldwide via various global partners. Please check  GLORYKickboxing.com  for full viewing information.

Black Belt Publisher George Chung sat down with Jesse Enkamp who calls himself “The Karate Nerd.” Jesse is a  #1 Amazon.com  best-selling author, entrepreneur, traveler, athlete, educator, and founder of Seishin International . His passion for Karate started in his parents’ dojo and expanded into a lifelong adventure traveling the world, competing, meeting masters, and learning more about martial arts. With more than 800,000 subscribers on YouTube, over half a million on Facebook, and hundreds of thousands across other platforms, he’s created an army of fellow “ Karate Nerds ,” and we are thrilled to see it! In this clip, Jesse talks about his training in Japan! Check out the full interview where George challenges Jesse’s knowledge of martial arts masters, they discuss his upbringing, and his fear of Master Ken! You can connect with Jesse online here: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KARATEbyJesse/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karatebyjesse/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karatebyjesse/ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/karatebyjesse/

Kade Ruotolo was successful in defending his ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Championship at ONE 165 against Tommy Langaker. However, what was not known until after the event was that he was willing to pull double duty. When Sage Northcutt withdrew due to issues related to his cornermen, Shinya Aoki was left without an opponent. While that slot would be filled by a game John Lineker, Ruotolo was lobbying for his chance to ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong. “I mean, when I first heard the news, I was a bit rattled. I was a bit rattled, for sure. And yeah, I just felt like I could get the job done and possibly get my grappling match done as well. And, you know, grappling doesn’t have the most damage usually, after the match, right,” Ruotolo said after the event. “You know, I have so much respect for Shinya. He’s pretty much my hero. He’s such an absolute legend, and he took on such a big risk taking on John Lineker, too, switching up an opponent at the last minute. It’s a lot of pressure on both sides, right?” “I wouldn’t say I wanted the fight against Shinya so much in particular, but it was more so just to save the show, and I felt it would’ve been amazing to make my MMA debut, and I felt I would have still gotten the job done in my jiu-jitsu.” Ruotolo’s dominant defense of his throne was another indication that he is ready for the long-awaited transition into MMA. The Atos BJJ star has been teasing the move for some time, and he will undoubtedly be an immediate threat in the division with his sensational grappling. The American star wants to get his first professional bout before spring is over. “110 percent this year. And I’m hoping for early or mid this year. I’d really be stoked to get it done by March or May. It’s kind of been like my timeframe. I know it’s coming up really quick, but, you know, my dream is to become the double-champ for ONE Championship – jiu-jitsu and MMA,” Ruotolo admitted. “I’d like to consider myself as a true martial artist, you know. I don’t think I’ve ever turned down a fight, and I feel like I just love to fight. I feel like within jiu-jitsu, there’s so many rules and I have so many fights out of me, if that makes sense, you know. I’m just excited to show everything I have.” For his debut, Ruotolo is not eyeing anyone in particular. It is not about the opponent. It is just about proving himself on a global platform and showcasing the ideals of being a martial artist. “I just want to get my feet in the ring or the Circle, whichever it may be, and I really just want to put on a performance. So, whoever it may be, I just really want to get my toes in the water, and, like I said, my goal is to be a double-champ in ONE Championship – jiu-jitsu and MMA. So whoever is in the way, I’m going to have to get past them,” Ruotolo said.

In a stunning announcement that has reverberated through the mixed martial arts community, former UFC Champion Henry Cejudo has declared his intention to retire if he does not emerge victorious in his upcoming fight against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298. This high-stakes declaration adds an intense layer of drama to what was already one of the most anticipated bouts of the year. Cejudo, the guy we all know and love for his killer wrestling moves and those flashy strikes, might be saying goodbye to the octagon. He's been around, making waves in different weight classes and basically being a UFC legend. But now, he's at a major fork in the road in his epic career. On the flip side, Merab Dvalishvili is no walk in the park. This dude is like the Energizer bunny of grappling, and he's been climbing the ranks like a boss. He's the new kid on the block that's making everyone sit up and take notice. So, our guy Henry isn't just facing another fighter; he's up against a rising star who's hungry for glory. This isn't just another fight for Cejudo. It's huge. It's his legacy, his future, all rolled into one big showdown. And let's face it, we love when fighters talk about going out on their terms, but Henry's taking it to a whole new level with his win-or-retire plan. Talk about high stakes! So, what's it going to be at UFC 298? Will Henry Cejudo prove he's still the king of the cage, or will Merab Dvalishvili be the guy who makes a legend step down? It's more than just a fight; it's a rollercoaster of emotions, legacy, and the tough choice between staying in the game and bowing out.

''Shorty'' reiterated his wish for the first trilogy in BRAVE CF history and reignited a feud between two of the world's best Bantamweights Jose ‘’Shorty’’ Torres has entered 2024 on a mission to recover the BRAVE Combat Federation Bantamweight world title, and will stop at nothing to get that elusive third fight against current titleholder and arch-rival Nkosi Ndebele. The duo kicked off 2023 on friendly terms and faced off for the vacant belt at BRAVE CF 73, in Bogota, Colombia, on August 12. After five grueling rounds, Torres walked away with the title via split decision. However, the decision came under scrutiny from fans, who demanded BRAVE CF put together an immediate rematch.  Torres vs Ndebele 2 headlined the biggest event of the year, BRAVE CF 80, and Nkosi shined, picking ‘’Shorty’’ apart and causing several cuts, which made the champion call off the bout in the third round, turning Nkosi into the first-ever South-African MMA world champion. Immediately after the fight, ‘’Shorty’’ expressed his desire to put together the first trilogy in BRAVE CF history, claiming that it was the right thing to do, since he gave Ndebele the immediate rematch. After initially warming up to the idea, Ndebele has seemingly shifted his focus on defending his belt against sambo world champion Velimurad Alkhasov, after the Russian recently announced his permanent move to 135 pounds. That change of heart from the champion didn’t sit right with his foe, and Torres lashed out at Nkosi, accusing him of ‘’ducking’’. ‘’All I know is Nkosi’s already tried to duck me. I gave you the rematch when I shouldn't have. And then he beats me, he’s like “yeah, I don’t want a rematch, I’m good”. You can't just win and walk away like that. I’m going for that trilogy fight next. And no matter where it's at, I’m going for him’’, said Torres, during a Q & A session on his social media profile. BRAVE CF has yet to commit to the next step for the Bantamweight division, which has been further enhanced by the additions of Alkhasov and the signing of Tajik superstar Khurshed Nazarov.