Latest news with #MMA-themed
NZ Herald
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
NZ Listener's Songs of the Week: Six60 and Estère's overseas collaborations, and a Lucy Lawless sampler
Estère and Hilltop Hoods with Matiu Walters of Six60. Photos / Paascalino Schaller / Ashlee Jones. Never Coming Home By Hilltop Hoods featuring Six60 Warning: This week's playlist starts off at the gym, heads to the club, then winds up at home, lying on the couch, slightly glum. First up is this collaboration between the veteran Australian hip-hop outfit and NZ market leader Six60 on a pumped-up track that for some, could save a lot of money on personal trainers. There's an MMA-themed video, which is apt for a song on which the voice of Six60's Matiu Walters is definitely supplying the right hook. – Russell Baillie Duog Dala by Estère, Fancy Fingers, Winyo Cameroonian-Kiwi producer-songwriter Estère is now based in London, using it as a base to tour to Africa and work on a series of Afro House singles in the lead-up to an eventual album. This infectious head-nodder is the first, a collaboration with Kenyan vocalists Fancy Fingers and Winyo and employing a new bit of kit, an 'Orchid' chord-generating synthesizer developed by Tame Impala's Kevin Parker. The track was recorded during invite-only London studio sessions held by the keyboard's makers. Good use of a junket, that. – Russell Baillie I'm Lucy Lawless by Alphabethead Producer, turntable artist and former member of The Unseeing Hand and Bad Taste, David Morrison is also a busy collaborator (Death and the Maiden, left-field jazz groups, Home Brew). Here, with a sample of the Xena actress saying, 'I'm Lucy Lawless', scratchy beats and disruptive sounds he shares the first hints of his debut electronica album My Name is David (after six previous albums as Alphabethead) due later in the year. – Graham Reid Alphabethead aka David Morrison: A busy collaborator. Photo / Abby Stewart Together by David Guetta, Hypaton, Bonnie Tyler Primed for ecstatic moments in his Ibiza mega-club, this dancefloor thumper doesn't have much individual character beyond the very obvious beat. The most remarkable thing about it is that Bonnie Tyler re-recorded her vocal for Total Eclipse of the Heart to be sampled. If that's true then the 74-year-old has still got it, 43 years on from that hit. – Graham Reid Heatstroke by Aidan Fine, Yamikani Another wacky gem by Fine, the Auckland pop magpie showing a production style that makes a virtue of how many ideas he can pack into one song. In this case, that includes a cameo vocal from London-based singer Yamikani and an infectiously busy bassline. – Russell Baillie Mangetout by Wet Leg Wet Leg's sophomore album Moisturizer is just out and following the previous singles Catch These Fists and Davina McCall, Mangetout is another punchy, rudely funny, kiss-off blast of British indie from the Grammy wining band fronted by the irrepressible Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers. Altogether now: 'Good God, she took a break/ Made a mistake/ when she met Trevor….' – Russell Baillie Hold On You by merci, mercy Written some years ago apparently, but this cleverly constructed and thoroughly enjoyable song about sensual yearning – and reservations about the popular boy in question -- sounds like it's mining much earlier traditions of New Wave, synth pop and with a keyboard part out of the early 1970s. It's more concise pop from Australian teenager Mercedes Thorne which suggests her Don't Take It To Heart debut album (out August 29) after a bunch of interesting singles is going to be well worth hearing. – Graham Reid All Night All Day by Big Thief This New York-based Grammy-nominated alt-folk outfit fronted by Adrianne Lenker (whose solo album last year Bright Future is worth finding) have worked very diverse territory from folksy Velvet Underground and stoner folk-rock to Dylanesque digressions and folk-pop. Always worth hearing, and this with an enticing and lazy vocal by Lenker, lyrics about the ambiguities of love and gently rolling rhythm is another tasty advance notice of the new album Double Infinity due September 5. – Graham Reid Myths by Rhian Sheehan and Arli Liberman Not your standard 'single', this latest example of the hook-up between two of this country's most successful soundtrack composers (who also worked in what we might call 'rock culture') is a wrap-around piece of post-rock which wouldn't go amiss in an Alien soundtrack. Sheehan describes it as 'plunging into the heart of the sun, an immersive descent into its searing intensity and boundless energy' and we wouldn't argue with that. It's a big sound and the opening track on their forthcoming album Traces due September 12. Check their previous Sentio and Immaru for similar but different cinematic atmospherics. – Graham Reid Eternal by Eydis Evensen and Ari Bragi Karason And another from our Not Your Standard Single department, this by Icelandic pianist and post-classical composer Evensen which was written in depths of their winter. So there's a heavy melancholy and loneliness in the trumpet sound of Karason (Iceland's fastest man over 100 metres, incidentally). Romantic gloom from endless nights and another single from her forthcoming Oceanic Mirror album (October 10) which will be a meditative rather than cheery affair we're guessing. – Graham Reid Ysaÿe, Sonata for Solo Violin, Op.27, No.2 'Jacques Thibaud', Mvt 1: 'Obsession'. By Hilary Hahn, violin It's an outrageous swipe, the opening to Eugène Ysaÿe's Sonata No.2 for Solo Violin. At least he admits it: the first movement is subtitled 'Obsession', and he's referring not to an amour but to Bach, whose Prelude to Partita No.3 the Frenchman is quoting. But where Bach's straight lines and mathematical precision deconstruct what music can do if you push it to its natural limits, Ysaÿe – a great violinist, who dedicated his sonata to Jacques Thibaud, another great violinist – is pushing the instrument as far as it will go. Show off. – Richard Betts
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Yes, Jon Jones, it's still called ducking even when you're having fun
Jon Jones made a big announcement recently. Did you hear? He's coaching opposite Nate Diaz on some MMA-themed Russian reality show. Because, sure, that's the move we've all been waiting for him to make. Here the UFC heavyweight champion is a few days ago, on the back of somebody's motorcycle in Thailand, looking like a guy who's not exactly living the ascetic life of martial arts monk, laser-focused on his next fight. Advertisement Now here he is just this week, doing an Instagram live while riding another motorcycle and responding to those who inevitably show up anywhere he goes on social media to accuse him of running from a fight with UFC interim heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall. 'I've got people in the chat calling me a duck,' Jones says in the video. 'Meanwhile I'm living my absolute best life. I don't know if it's considered ducking when you're living good. I don't think it works like that.' Actually, yeah it does. It totally works like that. That is, in fact, exactly how it works. When you're the champion with the single most disputed title in the UFC and you avoid a fight with the other champion in that very disputed title picture, that is called ducking. It doesn't become some whole other thing just because you're having fun while doing it. Advertisement Granted, it's risky to read too much into the version of anyone's life that they present to us on social media. This is especially true with Jones, who loves a good troll job. It's not out of the question that he might continue acting like he won't take the Aspinall fight right up until the moment it's announced. But just going by outward appearances? It doesn't look good. Consider his recent Instagram post, wherein he showed off the newly remodeled 'wall of victory' in his house. He noted that he'd framed and hung up all the posters from all his fights, with the exception of the poster from his most recent win over Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 late last year. That one would go in the perfect final spot, left empty for that very purpose. Notice anything about that wall? How about the fact that, once you add that UFC 309 poster in the bottom right corner, there's no more space left? As in, nowhere to add the poster from whatever future event might finally give us Jones vs. Aspinall. Advertisement Again, maybe he's just messing with us. But it sure looks like he's putting one last trophy in the case and then locking the door and throwing away the key. Does that seem to you like a guy who has plans for a fight coming up soon? We know Aspinall wants the fight. He's said it. A bunch of times. Jones has been a lot more intentionally non-committal, both before and after the Miocic fight. Up to a point it was entirely possible to believe that it was all a negotiating strategy. Force the UFC to add more zeroes to the check in order to make him an offer he can't refuse. That sort of thing. But now? People flood to his mentions to call him out for ducking Aspinall and all he can say is that he's having a very nice time, thank you. Advertisement What happened to the other Jon Jones, the who would never have stood for this? That guy couldn't stand for anyone to even think they might beat him in a fight. He was driven by a relentless focus on legacy. Now he seems to want to hang the posters and call it a career. He doesn't even mind that, if he goes out like this, the decision to duck Aspinall will absolutely be part of his legacy. Whatever else we say about Jones and his greatness over the years, we will also say that he took his belt and went home rather than take the biggest fight available to him at heavyweight. Could he live with that? Does he really want to try? Or does he think somehow that the longer he lets us think he's running away from the fight, the more grateful we'll be once he finally turns and sprints straight into it? If Jones wants to be done, that's his right. But he should at least come out and say so. Let the UFC heavyweight division move on. Let Aspinall plan for his future. Let the rest of us get some closure. But as long as he's still the champ, he should know that it doesn't matter how fast or how far he rides that motorcycle. The persistent chants of 'duck, duck, duck' will follow him everywhere.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Yes, Jon Jones, it's still called ducking even when you're having fun
Jon Jones made a big announcement recently. Did you hear? He's coaching opposite Nate Diaz on some MMA-themed Russian reality show. Because, sure, that's the move we've all been waiting for him to make. Here the UFC heavyweight champion is a few days ago, on the back of somebody's motorcycle in Thailand, looking like a guy who's not exactly living the ascetic life of martial arts monk, laser-focused on his next fight. Now here he is just this week, doing an Instagram live while riding another motorcycle and responding to those who inevitably show up anywhere he goes on social media to accuse him of running from a fight with UFC interim heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall. 🚨 Jon Jones responds on IG live to everyone who says he is ducking Tom Aspinall:'I've got people in the chat calling me a duck. Meanwhile, I'm living my absolute best life''I don't know if it's considered ducking when you're living good. I don't think it works like that.' — ACD MMA (@acdmma_) May 13, 2025 'I've got people in the chat calling me a duck,' Jones says in the video. 'Meanwhile I'm living my absolute best life. I don't know if it's considered ducking when you're living good. I don't think it works like that.' Actually, yeah it does. It totally works like that. That is, in fact, exactly how it works. When you're the champion with the single most disputed title in the UFC and you avoid a fight with the other champion in that very disputed title picture, that is called ducking. It doesn't become some whole other thing just because you're having fun while doing it. Granted, it's risky to read too much into the version of anyone's life that they present to us on social media. This is especially true with Jones, who loves a good troll job. It's not out of the question that he might continue acting like he won't take the Aspinall fight right up until the moment it's announced. But just going by outward appearances? It doesn't look good. Consider his recent Instagram post, wherein he showed off the newly remodeled 'wall of victory' in his house. He noted that he'd framed and hung up all the posters from all his fights, with the exception of the poster from his most recent win over Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 late last year. That one would go in the perfect final spot, left empty for that very purpose. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jonny Meat (@jonnybones) Notice anything about that wall? How about the fact that, once you add that UFC 309 poster in the bottom right corner, there's no more space left? As in, nowhere to add the poster from whatever future event might finally give us Jones vs. Aspinall. Again, maybe he's just messing with us. But it sure looks like he's putting one last trophy in the case and then locking the door and throwing away the key. Does that seem to you like a guy who has plans for a fight coming up soon? We know Aspinall wants the fight. He's said it. A bunch of times. Jones has been a lot more intentionally non-committal, both before and after the Miocic fight. Up to a point it was entirely possible to believe that it was all a negotiating strategy. Force the UFC to add more zeroes to the check in order to make him an offer he can't refuse. That sort of thing. But now? People flood to his mentions to call him out for ducking Aspinall and all he can say is that he's having a very nice time, thank you. What happened to the other Jon Jones, the who would never have stood for this? That guy couldn't stand for anyone to even think they might beat him in a fight. He was driven by a relentless focus on legacy. Now he seems to want to hang the posters and call it a career. He doesn't even mind that, if he goes out like this, the decision to duck Aspinall will absolutely be part of his legacy. Whatever else we say about Jones and his greatness over the years, we will also say that he took his belt and went home rather than take the biggest fight available to him at heavyweight. Could he live with that? Does he really want to try? Or does he think somehow that the longer he lets us think he's running away from the fight, the more grateful we'll be once he finally turns and sprints straight into it? If Jones wants to be done, that's his right. But he should at least come out and say so. Let the UFC heavyweight division move on. Let Aspinall plan for his future. Let the rest of us get some closure. But as long as he's still the champ, he should know that it doesn't matter how fast or how far he rides that motorcycle. The persistent chants of 'duck, duck, duck' will follow him everywhere.
USA Today
19-02-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Preview: VICE TV's 'Dark Side of the Cage' examines PRIDE FC mob ties, alleged fight fixing
VICE TV's MMA-themed documentary series continues this week. 'Dark Side of the Cage' continues Wednesday (VICE TV, 10 p.m. ET) with an episode about the now-defunct PRIDE FC organization and its many controversies, from Japanese mob ties to alleged fight fixing and more. The new series says it will 'cut through the glamour and glory of the MMA spectacle to reveal the never-before-told stories behind its most iconic competitors and delves into the controversial and infamous events along the path to the sport's dominance.' The show already has featured episodes on Kimbo Slice, 'The Ultimate Fighter 1' winner Diego Sanchez, Evan Tanner and more In the exclusive preview clip above, former PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko's ex-manager Miro Mijatovic explains a conflict that arose around Emelianenko's introduction to PRIDE. New episodes of 'Dark Side of the Cage,' featuring 'never-before-told stories about MMA's most iconic fighters,' air Wednesdays on VICE TV.
USA Today
29-01-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
VICE TV's 'Dark Side of the Cage' preview: Dana White convinces Spike TV to air MMA
VICE TV's MMA-themed documentary series continues this week. 'Dark Side of the Cage' continues Wednesday (VICE TV, 10 p.m. ET) with an episode about UFC CEO Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta attempting to overcome pushback from Spike TV to broadcast MMA fights. The series aims to 'cut through the glamour and glory of the MMA spectacle to reveal the never-before-told stories behind its most iconic competitors and delves into the controversial and infamous events along the path to the sport's dominance.' The show already has featured episodes on Kimbo Slice, Evan Tanner and 'The Ultimate Fighter 1' winner Diego Sanchez. In the exclusive preview clip above, Spike TV's Kevin Kay recalls a conversation with White, in which he told him the UFC would be 'bigger than the NFL.' New episodes of 'Dark Side of the Cage,' featuring 'never-before-told stories about MMA's most iconic fighters,' air Wednesdays on VICE TV.
