Undefeated Cruiserweight B.J. Flores Signs With Shine Fights
by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 9, 2010 5:54 PM EST
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MMA Mania with word of yet another pro boxer signing with an MMA promotion:
Current undefeated NABO Cruiserweight Champion B.J. Flores is planning on becoming the next world class boxer to make the transition to mixed martial arts.
After fielding interest from several major promotions, the 31-year-old San Francisco native has agreed in principle to a non-exclusive, multi-fight contract with Shine Fights.
MMAmania.com (www.mmamania.com) confirmed the pending deal with sources close to the negotiations earlier today.
If the name B.J. Flores rings a bell for MMA fans it may be his appearance on the Roy Jones March Badness event. A fight which landed a very solid #7 on Bad Left Hook's countdown of the worst T.V. fights of 2009:
7. BJ Flores v. Jose Luis Herrera - March 21
The main boxing co-feature on March Badness saw notably boring cruiserweight contender BJ Flores do away with Herrera, a bomber whose record coming in was 16-5. JLH (Jennifer Love Hewitt?) had all 16 of his wins by way of knockout, and four of his five losses were inside the distance, too.
So guess how it turned out with ol' Beej over there. Of course it went the full 10 rounds, with Flores never really letting his hands go, perhaps a tactic designed to put Herrera into a bit of a trance. It worked, I guess. Flores easily won the fight, but considering March Badness had the intent of bringing boxing and MMA fans together with a night of good fights, this became even worse, as it felt like the more boxing-heavy side of the fanbase almost had to apologize for this brutally dull bout. Thankfully we also had that horrible Bobby Lashley-Jason Guida MMA fight on the show, so tit for tat.
At first glance this is a boxer in his prime who is entering the MMA arena, which should be exciting. However, Flores has made a career of not fighting top guys and being an co-feature fighter on underwhelming cards. B.J. is an alphabet champion (NABO is probably around the 5th most well regarded title) and undefeated with 24 wins, yet doesn't crack the top ten of the ring magazine cruiserweight rankings.
His last fight was beating blown up middleweight Epi Mendoza when Mendoza retired with a shoulder injury. Before that was the awful March Badness fight, and prior to that was beating up a 260+ pound Matt Hicks.
I don't expect much from Flores in MMA, this is a guy who has a boxing record so carefully protected that to think he's suddenly going to take a huge risk fight in MMA is a bit unreasonable.
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Oh hell no. HELL NO! Just....no.
This is going to end badly for him.
The Seattle Seahawks offense is driving......right into a brick wall at the end of the tunnel.
I thought Flores is a good up and coming boxer
Just b/c he aint in everyones Top 10 does not make him a Bad/Boring fighter as you would make him seem. I am most definetley interested in seeing how he does in MMA.
Personally i don’t get what the out cry over Boxers being in MMA is about. I guess i am in a Minority i grew up watching and training in boxing so i will always have respect for the Sweet Science. People don’t go all up in arms over Kickboxers like Schilt or Manhoef doing MMA…So why for Boxing??
He's beating (nee decisioning) a bunch of stiffs
Flores should only be looked upon as average.
The Seattle Seahawks offense is driving......right into a brick wall at the end of the tunnel.
Generally a good deal of fans on here get up in arms over anything that threatens to increase exposure to “their” sport. The reaction to Toney is the same as the reaction to the UFC’s orginal expansion, the TUF, the signing of Brock, ect…. Its all the same hysterics by an alarmingly insecure fan base. While Flores is certainly not as well known as Toney, I would suspect that any boxer that wants to try his hand at mma will be written off as either “too old, too average, too many pads on record, ect…” Its just the nature of the beast, which is why I don’t take this beast the lit bit serious.
I absolutely LOVE boxing. I got into writing COVERING BOXING.
Find me a boxing writer who thinks Flores doesn’t have a career based on taking sub par fights and looking average doing it and we’ll talk.
I’m fine with him fighting MMA as I am with anyone. But I’m not going to pretend he’s something he’s not.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 9, 2010 4:42 PM EST up reply actions
brent off topic but
How do feel about “uncompetitive match ups” being turned down by AC’S?
"When i get in there, in his face ,pressin the action,I'm RUFF NECKIN'EM,I'm throwin him around,I'm punchin him,hes punchin me, I'm eatin his shots and I'm Blastin him back in the face he's not goin to be able to handle it ." - Chris Leben on how his fight with Anderson Silva is gonna go.
by Rayce. on Mar 9, 2010 4:50 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Not Brent
But I will speak on behalf of Brent.
Brent Brookhouse inc. would like you to know that he feels that Athletics Commissions need to mind their own damn business for they have no reason prodding their nose into the sport, because if the bastions of morality that are Promoters say that a fight is fair and people wish to see it then it should be seen.
Again not my opinion, I merely speak on behalf of my client/s
by Patrick John McGreevy on Mar 9, 2010 5:04 PM EST up reply actions
whoa whoa whoa! I’ve never said that.
I am okay with an A/C stepping in in correct situations to prevent non competitive fights. But there have been a few lately that are absolute head scratchers.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 9, 2010 5:07 PM EST up reply actions
Brent we discussed this and went over the press release already, you will agree to promoters deeming fair fights, or will I have to call Vadim again?
by Patrick John McGreevy on Mar 9, 2010 5:34 PM EST up reply actions
whoa ! i am sure something can be worked out
There is no need to call the mob….. I mean. …. Vladim. Lol
"When i get in there, in his face ,pressin the action,I'm RUFF NECKIN'EM,I'm throwin him around,I'm punchin him,hes punchin me, I'm eatin his shots and I'm Blastin him back in the face he's not goin to be able to handle it ." - Chris Leben on how his fight with Anderson Silva is gonna go.
by Rayce. on Mar 9, 2010 6:15 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Stay out of this
This is between me and my client. Remember what we did to MMA fans dreams of Fedor in the UFC. We can do far worse.
by Patrick John McGreevy on Mar 9, 2010 6:18 PM EST up reply actions
lol
"When i get in there, in his face ,pressin the action,I'm RUFF NECKIN'EM,I'm throwin him around,I'm punchin him,hes punchin me, I'm eatin his shots and I'm Blastin him back in the face he's not goin to be able to handle it ." - Chris Leben on how his fight with Anderson Silva is gonna go.
by Rayce. on Mar 9, 2010 6:38 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
LOL…I take it you disagree. Again, this is EXTREMELY subjective and is just my opinion. I’m taking lots of factors into consideration, including what I perceive to be his pure boxing talent. I look at Flores and see a guy that was 110-9 as an amateur and 24-0-1 as a professional (including undefeated at cruiserweight. Admittedly, a lot of my opinion is based on what I perceive as his potential. Do I condiser him world class because multiple sanctioning bodies have him in their top 10 in the world? Not at all! They are no authority to me. I just used that example to show that there are others out there who share my opnion of B.J.‘s talent. Don’t take my word for it. Lots of guys in the industry will list him in their top 10 for you. Anyway, it’s all good. That’s what makes combat sports great. These “Coming to America” barbershop type discussions.
I share your love of boxing, man. Oh, I would never contend that Flores is the best or anything like that. I have him just inside my top 10. But I’m also saying that this ain’t your run-of-the-mill Laverne Clark type guy from boxing making the switch to MMA. If a MMA guys beats Flores they will have beaten, in my opnion, a good boxer. Is he world class ability-wise? I understand that you don’t think so. Is he just “average” boxer like some have suggested. Since there arre tens of thousands of boxers out there I don’t see how anyone with any boxing knowledge could make such an assertion. Did Flores pad his professional record? Absolutely. Since you know boxing I don’t have to tell you that is endimic in the sport. But I can find just as many other top 10 guys worldwide that have faced soft competition throughout their first 25 pro fights.
You got me there
I can’t argue with that. But i feel even though he has not always lived up to his potential (i.e Finishing guys he is expected to finish). Him transitioning over to MMA is still very interesting, as his striking level will be above alot of guys in MMA.
I am just getting very annoyed with those mma fans that like to deride the skill levels of boxers just because there isn`t any takedowns in boxing, yet are the same fans who will endlessly deride fights that go to the ground in favour of `Ultimate Kickboxing`.
Flores is world class. I respect it if you don’t have him top 10 in the world but I do. IBF & WBO have him easily top 10 (and WBC has him top 11). Boxrec.com (a very well respected boxing site) has him at top 4. To me there is no doubt that he has top 10 talent in the world at cruiserweight, even if he has fought his share of bums.
Sadly the cruiserweight division is a wasteland when trying to garner media attention.
The Seattle Seahawks offense is driving......right into a brick wall at the end of the tunnel.
Looking forward to upcoming Godfrey vs. Cunningham, though. Wish Adamek would come back down.
Although detractors decry (MMA) as a brutal, bloody form of human cockfighting, aficionados know it is a brutal, bloody, totally fucking awesome form of human cockfighting. -The Onion
by The Kittitas Kid on Mar 9, 2010 4:01 PM EST up reply actions
World class based on WHAT?
1) Sanctioning body rankings eh? Because THOSE are reliable. Ring magazine rankings > sanctioning body rankings
2) Boxrec has always admitted that their rankings are somewhat a work in progress given that it’s based on a formula.
3) What is Flores’ best win? Darnell Wilson who is sub .500 since 2006? Patrick Nwamu was 12-1 when he fought Flores in 2007, and hasn’t fought again since losing that decision. Herrera? 3-5 since 2006. Mendoza? Fought around 170 earlier in 2009, blew up to 200 for the Flores fight and has since gone back down to 170. Andy Sample? He fought him during a period where he’d lost 4 straight coming into the fight and is now 3-10 since 2004. Chris Thomas? 1-5 since 2006. THOSE ARE ALL HIS FIGHTS SINCE 2007! World class based on that schedule?
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 9, 2010 4:51 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
thats what i love about the ufc
u cant blow up a record or repeatedly fight cans, sure sometimes ull get a favorable matchup but they dont always end the way theyre supposed too (rashad vs chuck)
if u see a guy in mma whos 24-0 u know for a fact hes legit
by milk72 on Mar 9, 2010 4:57 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
this
"When i get in there, in his face ,pressin the action,I'm RUFF NECKIN'EM,I'm throwin him around,I'm punchin him,hes punchin me, I'm eatin his shots and I'm Blastin him back in the face he's not goin to be able to handle it ." - Chris Leben on how his fight with Anderson Silva is gonna go.
by Rayce. on Mar 9, 2010 5:06 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
this
Jumpin’ on the ‘this’ train.
"For your information, I would like to ask a question."
-Samuel Goldwyn
Two words: Wes Combs. There’s a lot more of those guys coming up too.
by VirtualBalboa on Mar 9, 2010 7:06 PM EST up reply actions
Wes Combs was 12-0 and his record was quickly exposed the moment he stepped into the Octagon. If anything, Wes Combs supports his point.
Of course he was; his glossy record was a fraud. Getting into the UFC for a couple fights was the whole purpose of building that record. It worked. More guys are doing it.
by VirtualBalboa on Mar 10, 2010 8:19 AM EST up reply actions
He said "UFC" not MMA
Your UFC is almost another record in itself; a fighter will have an amateur record, a pro record, and a UFC record. It matters, because like he said, you can not pad a record within the UFC.
Cain Velasquez, pre-Kongo
strongly disagrees.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
by pdl on Mar 9, 2010 7:54 PM EST up reply actions
Are you serious?
THREE fights does not constitute padding a record, that’s called bringing a prospect along in a responsible manner.
Pff, whatever, they gave him softballs. If that's not good enough,
Roger Huerta also disagrees.
"Someone is WRONG on the internet. What do you want me to do? LEAVE? Then they'll keep being wrong!"
-Randall Munroe
by pdl on Mar 9, 2010 7:56 PM EST up reply actions
huerta finally did get tested though
sure he got a bunch of favorable matchups cause he was young and up and coming but when he fought ken flo and maynard he was put in his place, in the ufc u cannot avoid top fighters throughout a career dana will not allow it and a champion will never not be fighting the top guys in the division unless he has already beaten everyone else
in the rest of mma though it clearly can happen look at alistair overeem
if u see a guy in mma whos 24-0 u know for a fact hes legit
Sounds to me like he’s talking about MMA there.
The UFC doesn’t generally “pad records” because its not building 99.9% of its fighters up from their debut. They obviously do it for TUF stars though that they want to build. Michael Bisping has gotten a ton of tomato cans. George Sotiropoulos didn’t fight a single top 50 lightweight after TUF 6 until fighting Stevenson.
by VirtualBalboa on Mar 10, 2010 8:26 AM EST up reply actions
I was referring to the first line:
thats what i love about the ufc
And yes, some of their guys may go on a run of a FEW guys who are less than top 15 material, but I still don’t see that as record padding. Huerta simply wasn’t ready for big name fights, so the UFC game him a few competitive match ups to let him evolve a bit, and then tossed him in. Same with Cain, he got three fights so the UFC could see where his skills were, and then once he answered those questions, he got a shot at the big boys.
I think there’s a difference between bringing a prospect along responsibly and padding their record.
Sorry...
I forgot to re-mention his fighting 260 pound Matt Hicks. Who is .500 since 2007. Notice a trend?
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 9, 2010 4:57 PM EST up reply actions
LOL…I take it you disagree. Again, this is EXTREMELY subjective and is just my opinion. I’m taking lots of factors into consideration, including what I perceive to be his pure boxing talent. I look at Flores and see a guy that was 110-9 as an amateur and 24-0-1 as a professional (including undefeated at cruiserweight. Admittedly, a lot of my opinion is based on what I perceive as his potential. Do I condiser him world class because multiple sanctioning bodies have him in their top 10 in the world? Not at all! They are no authority to me. I just used that example to show that there are others out there who share my opnion of B.J.‘s talent. Don’t take my word for it. Lots of guys in the industry will list him in their top 10 for you. Anyway, it’s all good. That’s what makes combat sports great. These "Coming to America" barbershop type discussions.
True enough.
Flores is good. I just hate his schedule. It’s just not something that proves anything about what he can do. He hasn’t fought an actual cruiserweight with a recent winning record in years. That’s absurd for a guy of his talent.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 9, 2010 8:25 PM EST up reply actions
Also...
for those who want some info on his record. Go to boxrec, not wikipedia. Wikipedia has him listed as 24-0-1 (21 KO) his actual record is 24-0-1 (15 KO)
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 9, 2010 5:05 PM EST reply actions
I've watched 5 BJ Flores fights and he rendered me unconscious on my couch every time.
So it should be 24-0-1 (20 KO).
The Seattle Seahawks offense is driving......right into a brick wall at the end of the tunnel.
by SSreporters on Mar 9, 2010 5:19 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
plus!
Plus his mommy is so fat she smokes turkeys after sex!
LOL sensing a lot of hate here Brent. We get it he’s got the classic "undefeated " boxing record. You don’t like padded records ,do ya?
"When i get in there, in his face ,pressin the action,I'm RUFF NECKIN'EM,I'm throwin him around,I'm punchin him,hes punchin me, I'm eatin his shots and I'm Blastin him back in the face he's not goin to be able to handle it ." - Chris Leben on how his fight with Anderson Silva is gonna go.
by Rayce. on Mar 9, 2010 6:43 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
“Find me a boxing writer who thinks Flores doesn’t have a career based on taking sub par fights and looking average doing it and we’ll talk.”
I don’t know if you’ll count this at all or not but the team at Ring Magazine, as recently as 15 months ago, did consider Flores to be world class. See below:
http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/The_Ring_Magazine%27s_Annual_Ratings:_2008
Have his skills deteriorated in the past 15 months so that he’s no longer world class? In my opnion he’s just lost interest in boxing and his activity since then is meaningless. That’s why he’s not in the current rankings. But there was a time, very recently, when a lot of folks in the business would tell you that he’s no worse that top 10-15 in the world in his weightclass.
The more I talk to boxing people I know I guess based on potential I’m willing to accept him at top 7-15. It’s just such a weak-ass schedule that he fights. Just absurdly weak.
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
MMA Editor - SBNation.com
by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 9, 2010 8:26 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Oh, I’m with you, man. It’s one of the things I hate to see most about boxing. Too many guys are encouraged to take this route that Flores took and you’re right. It is absurd. Sorry if I overly defended his credentials. You’re actually one of the MMA journalists that I enjoy reading the most because of your boxing knowledge.
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