Interviews – Page 2 – Fight Matrix

Vincent Juico’s Interview with Boxer Stanley Johnson

Posted on August 17, 2025 by Heather

Presenting Vincent Juico‘s interview with Eruption Boxing prospect, Stanley ‘Muscle Kid’ Johnson. His manager is Gwen Legge and she is known as “The Next Lady in Boxing”. They seem to make a great team. Mr. Johnson is extremely diligent with his training. For several years he has been a boxing coach for youth. Additionally, Stanley is big into eSports. Gwen gave him the opportunity to box for a wonderful company. As well as allowing him to network at the eSports . Please watch this interview with in depth information regarding Stanley.

Heather

Combat Sports & Martial Arts Writer| Director of Partnerships Marketing
I have been an avid viewer of Boxing and MMA for decades. Judo is the martial art that I most admire. At different periods in my life, I have practiced Judo. This piqued my interest in MMA since 2001. I had a 25 year career in healthcare and now I am pursuing my hobby and a new venture. Now I enjoy writing about combat sports and martial arts for FightMatrix.

www.fightmatrix.com

Exclusive Interview with Farshad Khatiri – Boxing & Muay Thai Promoter, Manager, and Coach

Posted on August 13, 2025 by Heather

Farshad Khatiri is a boxing and Muay Thai promoter, manager, coach, and former competitor. He was born in Iran where he was inspired by his uncle to study boxing as a child. Eventually, Farshad moved to Thailand, building a career in the birthplace of Muay Thai. He is the co-founder of Cyrus Gym in Thailand – a training hub for international fighters and rising stars.

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Heather

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Exclusive Interview with Salamat Isbulaev, Undefeated Pro-MMA Fighter

Posted on August 12, 2025 by Heather

Introduction

[#220 LW] Salamat Isbulaev (9-0) is a 27 year old professional MMA athlete. He is undefeated as a pro and has never gone the distance, with all finishes by either TKO or submission, and only one fight going past the first round. As an amateur, Isbulaev has had a record of 29-2. This is unusual, due to the fact that MMA fighters typically move from amateur to professional earlier in their career than he did. Currently, he is managed by Miras Temirbolat with Paradigm Sports. Salamat is the lightweight title holder for the Kazakh promotion Alash Pride FC, and is looking to working his way to signing with a major world-wide MMA organization.

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Heather

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Exclusive Interview with Professional Boxer and eSports Competitor, Stanley Johnson

Posted on August 6, 2025 by Heather

Stanley ‘Kid Muscle’ Johnson (7-1, 5 KOs) is a professional boxer and Esports competitor from Houston, who grew up in New Orleans. He is ranked #12 in U.S. Cruiserweight and #108 globally. Prior to his boxing career, Johnson has served in the US Navy. Stanley also participates in eSports, and serves as brand ambassador for 4ESPORTS/4EGAMES, in partnership with Eruption Boxing Management. His manager, Gwen Legge of Orange, California, owns Eruption Boxing Management and brings an innovative management style.

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Heather

www.fightmatrix.com

Interview with Julio Silvestre Ataide Duarte, BJJ Coach & Mentor

Posted on July 17, 2025 by Heather

Introduction

Julio Silvestre Ataide Duarte has over 20 years of experience in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and is a 3rd-degree black belt in BJJ from GFTeam school. For decades, he has devoted himself not only to improving his skills, but also to promoting Jiu-Jitsu as a tool for social transformation. Being a martial artist has taken Julio and his family around the globe. They currently reside in the United Arab Emirates. The cool thing is that Julio and his family all train in BJJ. He has taught many people the art of the sport, ranging from the military to being a coach at elite gyms.

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Heather

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South Africa’s ‘born fighter’ Hulme sets sights on becoming a household name abroad

Posted on June 6, 2025 by Oleg

This article was originally published on https://www.flashscore.com/

Hulme has already made an impact on the European scene

Europe’s OKTAGON MMA has been growing steadily to become one of the big players in the global combat sports market, and is therefore becoming a target for fighters from all over the globe. As a result fans have become accustomed to frequent appearances from new faces, but few have made as good an impression in their first outing in the cage as Mark Hulme. The fighter from South Africa revealed more about himself in an interview with Flashscore News…

Hulme became a sensation in OKTAGON literally overnight. He made his debut at the number 67 tournament in Trinec and showed that he is a force to be reckoned with in the Tipsport Gamechanger pyramid. Six years older than Andreas Michailidis of Greece, he finished off Michailidis in just 2:20 of the first round via submission.

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Charles Oliviera Predicts UFC 317 Clash With Ilia Topuria Won’t Last Long

Posted on May 28, 2025 by A. J. Riot

Brazilian UFC star Charles Oliveira takes on Ilia Topuria in the big fight at UFC 317 on June 28th in Nevada, and the 35-year-old, who saw off Michael Chandler last November to secure his 35th win, believes he’ll make light work of his unbeaten Georgian-Spanish opponent.

It’s now 17 years since the former undisputed Lightweight champion made his UFC debut in Sao Paulo, and he will hope that he can take care of a fighter seven years his junior.

UFC fans who want to bet on this fight, or indeed any of the other bouts on the undercard, can make the most of the key info here that helps bettors identify the best sportsbook app to use for their wager, thereby helping to maximize any potential payout.

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Interview with the President of Ukraine’s MMA Real Fight Promotion, Vitaliy Vovk

Posted on May 24, 2025 by Heather

Introduction

Vitaliy Vovk is a Ukrainian MMA promoter, President and founder of Ukraine’s leading MMA organization, Real Fight Promotion (RFP). Vovk has over 40 years of experience in combat sports, and has competed in amateur boxing and trained in kickboxing. He has a background in law enforcement; however, ultimately he found his calling as an MMA promoter, referee and judge. Since Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, RFP has held 11 events which helped support various charities in Ukraine. In 2025, Vovk and the RFP are looking to continue to hold events, advancing the MMA scene in Ukraine and worldwide.

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Heather

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Interview with Pillow Fighting Championships Promoter, Thomas Elferis

Posted on May 11, 2025 by Heather

Introduction

Thomas C. Elferis has quite a vision for Pillow Fight Championship (PFC). He is a superb promoter, athlete, and father. All of the work that Thomas does would not be possible without the founder of PFC, Steve Williams, a well-known telecommunications pioneer. PFC was established in 2021 and has made its way through seven countries already. This is quite impressive! My perception of Pillow Fight has completely changed after learning exactly what it entails. There might be potential to be a crossover combat sport as well.

Thomas is a man of many talents; he has played ice hockey, trained in boxing, and competed in one-wall handball. He is also actively involved in dog rescue, and is a dedicated parent. Read on to learn more about his latest venture.

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Heather

www.fightmatrix.com

The Story of Feiga Bowick, LMSW, CDP, and How Kickboxing Changed Her Life

Posted on May 5, 2025 by Heather

Introduction

Feiga Bowick, LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker), CDP (Certified Dementia Practitioner) is an avid Kickboxer; she does it for a hobby, not professionally. She has made an enormous impact on many people within the human service and healthcare industries. She has assisted many in the Metropolitan Detroit Community, in various ways. Such as helping individuals obtain much needed services. With a strong background in geriatric medical social work, clinical practice and a deep commitment to advocacy, Feiga works to connect individuals with the vital resources and support needed. Her work is purpose driven, rooted in empathy, and guided by her belief in the power of human connection and community. Without Feiga’s assistance, many of these people would not be able to obtain the services necessary for a good quality of life.

Mrs. Bowick is the type of person who would do almost anything in her power to help others out. She is a good resource, in a wide variety of areas. After all, she is a genuine person who cares deeply about the well-being of others, and is a social worker by profession. Read more about Feiga Bowick in her interview:

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Heather

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FightMatrix Exclusive Interview with Professional Boxer – Melody Popravak

Posted on April 22, 2025 by Heather

Introduction

Melody Popravak is a professional boxer fighting out of Atlanta, GA. She holds a professional record of 2-2-1, with one win by the way of knockout. She is signed with Eruption Boxing and managed by Gwen Legge. Melody is ranked #6 welterweight in the US and #41 in the world by BoxRec. Though she started boxing later in life, Melody is looking forward to continued success in the ring and making her debut at welterweight, after starting out her career as a middleweight. She also hopes to build her own business in boxing, once her fighting career is over.

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Heather

www.fightmatrix.com

Exclusive FightMatrix Interview with Nigerian Triagon Boxing Promoter, Olumide Oyedapo

Posted on April 18, 2025 by Heather

Introduction

Olumide Oyedapo is making a significant impact on the boxing community in Nigeria. He has a new organization called the Ikuuku Triagon Boxing Promotion. He is working diligently to help boxers aged 30 – 40 years old with his new organization. Olumide has a heart of gold; I am certain of this.

Since Olumide has experience as a boxer and has helped develop boxers in the past, he is a great asset to the boxing industry. He told me essentially, boxing has helped to shape who he is today.

He was raised in a close-knit family, where his parents instilled the importance of respect, discipline, and of course family. When you read more about Olumide, you will understand what type of person he is. Additionally, it’s evident that he puts his all in his work and everything that he does.

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Heather

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Interview with Martin Stark, Founder of World Gay Boxing Championships (WGBC)

Posted on March 10, 2025 by Heather

Introduction

Martin Stark is an author, entrepreneur, keynote speaker, LinkedIn expert, and founder and CEO of the World Gay Boxing Championships. Over the past few years, he had worked hard to overcome the stigmas and homophobia that is prevalent in the boxing industry, and combat sports in general. Stark has organized two successful WGBC events, one in Sydney Australia and an exhibition event in Chicago, and is looking to grow his promotion in North America. Martin is an advocate for the gay athletes and the LGBTQ+ community, and is making a tremendous impact on people’s lives.

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Heather

www.fightmatrix.com

Interview with Hailey Pennington, Professional Boxer and Entrepreneur

Posted on February 22, 2025 by Heather

Introduction

Hailey Pennington (2-0-0, 2KOs) is a professional boxer and has accomplished quite a bit with hard work and discipline. Currently, she has several business ventures, besides boxing. For instance she owns her gym, is a trainer/coach, as well as a promoter. I am certain that she is likely a mentor to others. Especially, with being young and having many business endeavors. Hailey is a wonderful person for the younger generation to look up to. She has a proven track record with success. Hailey is thriving as a woman, in the combat sports industry in 2025.

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Heather

www.fightmatrix.com

Exclusive Interview with Jiu-Jitsu Coach and Competitor, George Libarian

Posted on January 12, 2025 by Heather

George Libarian at the 2024 Jiu-Jitsu World Championship (JJIF) in Crete, Greece

Introduction

George Libarian was born in Canada and raised in Southeast Michigan, USA. His family immigrated from the Middle East. At the age of six, his passion for martial arts began. This would become a life journey. Currently, George is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coach at the Cavalo Martial Arts Academy in Aurora, Ontario, Canada. He is an active competitor in the Master’s divisions of JJIF and IBJJF, and plans to compete in the ADCC in the near future.

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Heather