Phil Baroni: A New York Badass Storms The West Coast At SUG 5
Phil Baroni: A New York Badass Storms The West Coast At SUG 5
Former Pride and UFC fighter Phil Baroni will make his submission only debut at SUG 5.
There's never been a shortage of confidence where Phil Baroni is concerned.
The hard-hitting brawler carved out his place in the history books of mixed martial arts for being one of the most game competitors to ever step inside the cage. Win, lose, or draw, Baroni was guaranteed to bring the fight once things went live, and it was a show he replicated on the biggest stages around the globe.
Baroni's hard-edged East Coast swagger served to complement his phone booth-style of fighting. Simpy put: "The New York Badass" was going to be in your face from the moment the bout was signed until the dust settled under the bright lights. And those bright lights will return at Submission Underground 5 this Sunday on FloGrappling, when Baroni steps into the grappling world to face AJ Agazarm in Portland, OR.
The Pride veteran became one of the best trash talkers in the game long before social media platforms existed, which only further proves the strength of his legendary mouthpiece. Baroni was a walking embodiment of MMA's version of "The Attitude Era" and carried the mantle strong even when age and experience started to catch up to him.
Yet, New Yorkers are known for keeping things moving, and Baroni parlayed his notoriety in MMA into various opportunities in the world of entertainment in and around combat sports. While time would see Baroni move in and out of the spotlight, his emergence into the realm of professional wrestling last year hinted at bigger things to come.
And the time has finally arrived for Baroni's next chapter to begin.
The MMA pioneer will holster the knuckle bombs for a night to square off against Agazarm at SUG 5. The hard-charging Florida native's approach to self-marketing could have come directly out of the Baroni playbook, as Agazarm takes aim at the throat and does so with dogged tenacity.
Agazarm is an accomplished competitor in the grappling realm, and just the idea of Baroni crossing over into those waters borders on insanity. This notion rings especially true with Agazarm, who earned the -66kg division silver medal at last weekend's ADCC in Espoo, Finland, against some of the elite competitors the world of BJJ has to offer.
And while those credentials may be intimidating to some, Baroni does not possess that particular gear.
When the cage door closes at the Roseland Theater on Sunday night, Baroni is going to come out guns blazing and give everything he has to give because that's the only way he knows how to do it.
If there is one thing Baroni has proven during his time in combat sports, it's that he can't be counted out -- ever.
The hard-hitting brawler carved out his place in the history books of mixed martial arts for being one of the most game competitors to ever step inside the cage. Win, lose, or draw, Baroni was guaranteed to bring the fight once things went live, and it was a show he replicated on the biggest stages around the globe.
Baroni's hard-edged East Coast swagger served to complement his phone booth-style of fighting. Simpy put: "The New York Badass" was going to be in your face from the moment the bout was signed until the dust settled under the bright lights. And those bright lights will return at Submission Underground 5 this Sunday on FloGrappling, when Baroni steps into the grappling world to face AJ Agazarm in Portland, OR.
The Pride veteran became one of the best trash talkers in the game long before social media platforms existed, which only further proves the strength of his legendary mouthpiece. Baroni was a walking embodiment of MMA's version of "The Attitude Era" and carried the mantle strong even when age and experience started to catch up to him.
Yet, New Yorkers are known for keeping things moving, and Baroni parlayed his notoriety in MMA into various opportunities in the world of entertainment in and around combat sports. While time would see Baroni move in and out of the spotlight, his emergence into the realm of professional wrestling last year hinted at bigger things to come.
And the time has finally arrived for Baroni's next chapter to begin.
The MMA pioneer will holster the knuckle bombs for a night to square off against Agazarm at SUG 5. The hard-charging Florida native's approach to self-marketing could have come directly out of the Baroni playbook, as Agazarm takes aim at the throat and does so with dogged tenacity.
Agazarm is an accomplished competitor in the grappling realm, and just the idea of Baroni crossing over into those waters borders on insanity. This notion rings especially true with Agazarm, who earned the -66kg division silver medal at last weekend's ADCC in Espoo, Finland, against some of the elite competitors the world of BJJ has to offer.
And while those credentials may be intimidating to some, Baroni does not possess that particular gear.
When the cage door closes at the Roseland Theater on Sunday night, Baroni is going to come out guns blazing and give everything he has to give because that's the only way he knows how to do it.
If there is one thing Baroni has proven during his time in combat sports, it's that he can't be counted out -- ever.