Author: Luke Irwin

By: Luke Irwin | November 18, 2019 Date: December 31, 2005Card: K-1 PREMIUM Dynamite! 2005Championship(s):Venue: Osaka DomeLocation: Osaka, Japan [embedded content] Combat, MMA, Undercard Superstar View the original article on Undercard Superstar: Fight of the Day: Heath Herring vs. Yoshihiro...

By: Luke Irwin | November 15, 2019 Light Heavyweight Bout: Jan Blachowicz (24-8) vs. Ronaldo Souza (26-7) Luke Irwin: This certainly isn’t the Jacare of old, but Blachowicz isn’t the Blachowicz of old, either, and I was stunned to find him as big of a dog as he is. I think he has enough in the tank to bank a win, here. Souza via R2 Submission. Light Heavyweight Bout: Mauricio Rua (26-11) vs. Paul Craig (12-4) Luke: It brings me no joy picking against Shogun, especially on a short-notice opponent, but a +220 line is too juicy against a...

By: Luke Irwin | November 15, 2019 Date: October 14, 2004Card: Pride Bushido 5Championship(s):Venue: Osaka Castle HallLocation: Osaka, Japan [embedded content] Combat, MMA, Undercard Superstar View the original article on Undercard Superstar: Fight of the Day: Mauricio Rua vs. Yasuhito...

By: Luke Irwin | November 14, 2019 Date: June 25, 1996Card: Pancrase Truth 6Championship(s):Venue: Fukuoka Convention CenterLocation: Fukuoka, Japan [embedded content] Combat, MMA, Undercard Superstar View the original article on Undercard Superstar: Fight of the Day: Bas Rutten vs. Jason...

By: Luke Irwin | November 13, 2019 As always, programming is listed in ESTLive fights are in BOLD.Premiere programming is in ITALICS.MMA programming is in ORANGE.Boxing programming is in RED.Kickboxing/Muay Thai/Karate programming is in BLUE.Wrestling/Jiu Jitsu/Grappling programming is in PURPLE.Misc./Combination combat sports programming is in GREEN. Friday November 15 3:00am: Barry Hall vs. Paul Gallen/Andrew Maloney vs. Elton Dharry (ESPN+)9:30am: 2019 Bill Farrell Memorial International Open (FloWrestling)2:00pm: FITE in Focus: Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 9 (Fite.tv)2:00pm: Legend Fighting League Antalya 2019 ($9.99 Fite.tv)3:00pm: Abdallah Paziwapazi vs. Rocky Fielding/Martin Murray vs. Sladan Janjanin (ESPN+)3:00pm: Ohio State vs. Pitt (ACC Network)4:00pm:...

By: Luke Irwin | November 13, 2019 Here at Undercard Superstar, we’re in the business of your business! Just follow our sound betting advice, and you too can afford to walk around in a HAZMAT suit 24/7 to avoid being the unluckiest person in the world! As usual, we’ll take a hundred dollars and divide it among five fights. Let’s make some cashola. Ronaldo Souza +175 over Jan Blachowicz ($10) Paul Craig +220 over Mauricio Rua ($5) Douglas Silva de Andrade -260 over Renan Barao ($20) Lee McGregor +155 over Ukashir Farooq ($15) Andrew Maloney -2250 over Elton Dharry...

By: Luke Irwin | November 13, 2019 Date: June 22, 1937Card:Championship(s): Lineal Heavyweight ChampionshipVenue: Comiskey ParkLocation: Chicago, Illinois [embedded content] Combat, MMA, Undercard Superstar View the original article on Undercard Superstar: Fight of the Day: James J. Braddock vs. Joe...

By: Luke Irwin | November 12, 2019 The championship fight. The pinnacle of achievement across combat sports for centuries. A premiere attraction that draws millions every year. But not all title bouts are created equally. So which title bouts every week are the ones to watch? We’ll look over every title fight from across the combat sports landscape and give you the five best based on five criteria: Competitiveness: Is this an even matchup? Or just a warm body to throw at a champion? It’s a title fight, so we want the best possible at that division in that...

By: Luke Irwin | November 12, 2019 Date: December 2, 2000Card:Championship(s): IBF Junior Middleweight Championship (Vargas), WBA Junior Middleweight Championship (Trinidad)Venue: Mandalay Bay Events CenterLocation: Las Vegas, Nevada [embedded content] Combat, MMA, Undercard Superstar View the original article on Undercard Superstar: Fight of the Day: Felix Trinidad vs. Fernando...

By: Luke Irwin | November 11, 2019   1. Naoya Inoue: Goddamn, was Nonito Donaire game. MUCH more than I ever thought he’d be, and this was by far Inoue’s toughest test to date, but he persevered, especially coming on late, which is the mark of a true champion, but Inoue deserves accolades for being the most exciting boxer in the world, and going toe-to-toe in a FOTY contender, winning the World Boxing Super Series, and major credit to Donaire for bringing a fight I had no idea he still had in him.   2. Jamel Herring: In what...

By: Luke Irwin | November 11, 2019 Date: May 31, 1994Card: Pancrase: Road to the Championship 1Championship(s):Venue: Nippon BudokanLocation: Tokyo, Japan [embedded content] Combat, MMA, Undercard Superstar View the original article on Undercard Superstar: Fight of the Day: Frank Lobman vs. Ken...

By: Luke Irwin | November 8, 2019 Cruiserweight Bout: KSI vs. Logan Paul Luke Irwin: Can it be to the death? Welp, Vegas has Paul as the favorite, so let’s ride this stupid-ass wave out. Paul via SD. WBO World Super Middleweight Championship: Billy Joe Saunders (c) (28-0) vs. Marcelo Estaban Coceres (28-0-1)  Luke Irwin: Different continent, same weak-ass Billy Joe opponents. I’m so happy he’s taking a backseat to the gong show. Saunders via UD. Junior Featherweight Bout: Hugo Berrio (28-7-1) vs. Ronny Rios (31-3) Luke: After knocking out Baby De La Hoya, handing Diego his first pro...

By: Luke Irwin | November 8, 2019 WBO World Junior Lightweight Championship: Jamel Herring (c) (20-2) vs. Lamont Roach Jr. (19-0-1) [Top Rank on ESPN] Luke Irwin: Easily the most competitive title fight of the entire weekend. Roach gobbled up every secondary WBO title he could. These two are definitely more tactical than guns-a-blazin’, so we’re going the distance, here. Roach could very well become world champion, but I don’t think it’ll be here. He’s only 24, but he needs a little more seasoning to overcome a well-rounded talent like Herring. Herring via UD. Heavyweight Bout: Kubrat Pulev (27-1)...

By: Luke Irwin | November 8, 2019 Featherweight Bout: Calvin Kattar (20-3) vs. Zabit Magomedsharipov (17-1) Luke Irwin: Magomedsharipov, much like his Dagestanian fighting brothers are icy-cold brutally efficient war machines, not to ever be confused with War Machine. Magomedsharipov via UD. Heavyweight Bout: Alexander Volkov (30-7) vs. Greg Hardy (5-1) Luke: A failsafe is that if Hardy finds himself in trouble, he’ll find a way to get himself DQ’d or turn it into a no-contest, so you’re bound to at least break even! Heavy money! If Volkov can dodge a Hail Mary and drag Hardy into the later...

By: Luke Irwin | November 8, 2019 Date: April 7, 2018Card: UFC 233Championship(s):Venue: Barclays CenterLocation: Brooklyn, New York [embedded content] Combat, MMA, Undercard Superstar View the original article on Undercard Superstar: Fight of the Day: Kyle Bochniak vs. Zabit...

By: Luke Irwin | November 7, 2019 Date: April 26, 2016Card: Kunlun Fight 43Championship(s):Venue: Zhoukou GymnasiumLocation: Zhoukou, China [embedded content] Combat, MMA, Undercard Superstar View the original article on Undercard Superstar: Fight of the Day: Mohamed Mezouari vs. Sitthichai...

By: Luke Irwin | November 6, 2019 World Boxing Super Series Bantamweight Finals/WBA Super World/IBF World Bantamweight Championships: Naoya Inoue (18-0) vs. Nonito Donaire (40-5) Luke Irwin: Donaire has Mr. Magooed his way into the finals here. First, in his bout with Ryan Burnett in the quarterfinals, Burnett suffered a back injury so horrific it made him retire. Then, after lucking into the semifinals, Zolani Tete had to pull out late and Donaire crushed his late-notice replacement. Now he’s hook-and-crooked his way into the finals, and with respect to Tajiri, Inoue is the real Japanese buzzsaw. He’s quite possibly...

By: Luke Irwin | November 6, 2019 Here at Undercard Superstar, we’re in the business of your business! Just follow our sound betting advice, and you too can refer to yourself as self-sheltered after my betting advice leaves you without a home! As usual, we’ll take a hundred dollars and divide it among five fights. Let’s make some cashola. Alexander Volkov -280 over Greg Hardy ($35) Zabit Magomedsharipov -285 over Calvin Kattar ($20) Rustam Khabilov -170 over Sergey Khandozhko ($10) KSI +160 over Logan Paul ($5) Grigorii Popov -205 over Davey Grant ($30) A failsafe is that if Hardy...

By: Luke Irwin | November 6, 2019 Date: October 28, 2007Card: Grappler’s QuestChampionship(s):Venue:Location: Asbury Park, New Jersey [embedded content] Combat, MMA, Undercard Superstar View the original article on Undercard Superstar: Fight of the Day: Marcelo Garcia vs. Marcos...

By: Luke Irwin | November 5, 2019 Date: December 31, 2007Card: K-1 Premium Dynamite! 2007Championship(s):Venue: Kyocera Dome OsakaLocation: Osaka, Japan [embedded content] Combat, MMA, Undercard Superstar View the original article on Undercard Superstar: Fight of the Day: Kid Yamamoto vs. Rani...