Tyrone Spong, combat sports phenom, will compete Saturday at Hammerstein Ballroom in an eight-man kickboxing tournament.
From N.Y. Post:
"Rashad Evans has a good idea of what it takes to be a champion. He held the UFC light heavyweight title for a year and won multiple crowns as an amateur wrestler in upstate New York and at Michigan State.
In Evans’ opinion, Tyrone Spong will be a champion – three times over.
The UFC star believes Spong, his training partner with the Blackzilians down in Miami, will hold titles in kickboxing, boxing and MMA before all is said and done. Apparently, there’s a reason Spong’s nickname is “King of the Ring.”
“I can’t spar with Tyrone,” Evans said. “Are you crazy? He doesn’t go like 100 percent on me when we spar. He can’t. It’d be bad. It’d be bad for me.”
Spong, 27, is the next big thing in combat sports. Evans thinks he’ll actually be best at boxing and his well-rounded game has come a long way in MMA. On Saturday night, though, he’ll be competing in his bread and butter – kickboxing – at New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom.
Spong is an entrant in a blockbuster one-night, eight-man, light heavyweight tournament, the highlight of Glory 9, the latest event from the new international leader in professional kickboxing.
“You can expect a very, very high rate of work by superb, highly skilled, trained kickboxers at the top of their game,” Glory CEO Andrew Whitaker told The Post. “The audience will not be able to catch their breath.”
And Spong is undoubtedly the star. When told of Evans’ glowing compliments, Spong laughs and says: “I think he’s a real smart guy. He knows what I’m capable of.”
Spong was born in the African country of Suriname and moved with his parents to the Netherlands at age 5. It was there, among the kickboxing-happy Dutch, that he fell in love with the sport that would soon become his career.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound athletic specimen is 69-6 as a pro kickboxer. He made his MMA debut in November for World Series of Fighting, a first-round knockout of Travis Bartlett. Spong will return to the WSOF cage Aug. 10 against Angel DeAnda.
“Kickboxing is something I've been doing for such a long time and boxing is a little bit easier for me to adjust to,” Spong said. “But in MMA you got wrestling, jiu-jitsu, you got greco. So many different styles you gotta put into it. Boxing is easier for me to do, but I like challenges.”
Kickboxing is easiest. Evans said he tells Spong that if he ever kicks him like he does the heavy bag at their gym “we can’t be friends anymore.”
Spong isn’t looking to make any friends, in the ring or in the cage. He’s just trying to accomplish something no one ever has in combat sports.
“I’m just very blessed with this talent to adjust and to pick up everything,” Spong said. “Some people call me a freak of nature. I’m just happy to be able to do all of this.”
http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/the_m...ng_wants_vlpjUuFGYgVire2BWtLZsO#axzz2WjX5Y5gq
Not sure of the details. Will try to post.
Maybe "Bonger" knows something.
I'll post links if I can find them.
This starts @ 6 P.M. I read "CBS Sports", but not seeing it in the TV listings.
It will probably be posted @ the usual locations.
From N.Y. Post:
"Rashad Evans has a good idea of what it takes to be a champion. He held the UFC light heavyweight title for a year and won multiple crowns as an amateur wrestler in upstate New York and at Michigan State.
In Evans’ opinion, Tyrone Spong will be a champion – three times over.
The UFC star believes Spong, his training partner with the Blackzilians down in Miami, will hold titles in kickboxing, boxing and MMA before all is said and done. Apparently, there’s a reason Spong’s nickname is “King of the Ring.”
“I can’t spar with Tyrone,” Evans said. “Are you crazy? He doesn’t go like 100 percent on me when we spar. He can’t. It’d be bad. It’d be bad for me.”
Spong, 27, is the next big thing in combat sports. Evans thinks he’ll actually be best at boxing and his well-rounded game has come a long way in MMA. On Saturday night, though, he’ll be competing in his bread and butter – kickboxing – at New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom.
Spong is an entrant in a blockbuster one-night, eight-man, light heavyweight tournament, the highlight of Glory 9, the latest event from the new international leader in professional kickboxing.
“You can expect a very, very high rate of work by superb, highly skilled, trained kickboxers at the top of their game,” Glory CEO Andrew Whitaker told The Post. “The audience will not be able to catch their breath.”
And Spong is undoubtedly the star. When told of Evans’ glowing compliments, Spong laughs and says: “I think he’s a real smart guy. He knows what I’m capable of.”
Spong was born in the African country of Suriname and moved with his parents to the Netherlands at age 5. It was there, among the kickboxing-happy Dutch, that he fell in love with the sport that would soon become his career.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound athletic specimen is 69-6 as a pro kickboxer. He made his MMA debut in November for World Series of Fighting, a first-round knockout of Travis Bartlett. Spong will return to the WSOF cage Aug. 10 against Angel DeAnda.
“Kickboxing is something I've been doing for such a long time and boxing is a little bit easier for me to adjust to,” Spong said. “But in MMA you got wrestling, jiu-jitsu, you got greco. So many different styles you gotta put into it. Boxing is easier for me to do, but I like challenges.”
Kickboxing is easiest. Evans said he tells Spong that if he ever kicks him like he does the heavy bag at their gym “we can’t be friends anymore.”
Spong isn’t looking to make any friends, in the ring or in the cage. He’s just trying to accomplish something no one ever has in combat sports.
“I’m just very blessed with this talent to adjust and to pick up everything,” Spong said. “Some people call me a freak of nature. I’m just happy to be able to do all of this.”
http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/the_m...ng_wants_vlpjUuFGYgVire2BWtLZsO#axzz2WjX5Y5gq
Not sure of the details. Will try to post.
Maybe "Bonger" knows something.
I'll post links if I can find them.
This starts @ 6 P.M. I read "CBS Sports", but not seeing it in the TV listings.
It will probably be posted @ the usual locations.
Last edited:
