Robin Black

Last updated
Robin Black
Born (1969-08-10) August 10, 1969 (age 54)
Pinawa, Manitoba, Canada
OccupationMartial arts commentator
Notable credit(s) Karate Combat [1]
WLC [2]
TSN [3]
CBS
UFC
Children1

Robin Black is a Canadian combat analyst and sports commentator. He formerly competed in mixed martial arts, and previously had a career as a glam rock musician. [4] [5] [6] [7] Robin Black has commentated for most major combat sports organizations in the world such as Bellator MMA, ONE Championship, Brave Combat Federation, Karate Combat, World Lethwei Championship in Myanmar and ACB in Russia. [8] [9] [10]

Contents

Career

Music career

Black grew up in Pinawa, Manitoba before moving to Winnipeg after high school. [11] In Winnipeg he formed the band Ballroom Zombies in the mid-1990s, before moving to Toronto in 1998 to form Robin Black and the Intergalactic Rock Stars. [6]

According to Black, he went around Toronto confidently boasting that he was going to be a rock star before he even actually had a band, and was forced to hastily assemble a band when his bluffing got him invited to perform at Canadian Music Week in 1999. [12] The original band members included guitarist Stacey Stray, bassist Killer Ky Anto, keyboardist Chris "Starboy" Cunnane and drummer Kevin "K-Tron" Taylor, while Black himself was sometimes billed as Robin Fucking Black. [13]

The band released their first recording, the two-song "Time Travel Tonight"/"More Effeminate Than You", as a novelty CD single cut in the shape of a star in 2000. [14] The album Planet Fame, produced by Moe Berg and Garth Richardson, followed on February 14, 2002. [15] It was filled with glam rock tracks, led by the single "So Sick of You", and was supported by a national tour. [16] According to Black, "we've never hidden the fact that we want to be the filthy, beer-drinking, chick-fucking Beatles of the 21st century. You've got Edwin on one hand or you have Robin Black & the Intergalactic Rock Stars on the other. This is an easy choice to make. I mean, is Raine Maida really going to make you a better person? I don't think so." [17]

Black made an appearance on Showcase's TV series KinK in 2002. [18]

Prior to the release of their second album, the band brought in two new members, Chris "The Kidd" Avolos on drums and John "The Creep" Kerns on bass. The 2005 album was named Instant Classic, and was produced by Bob Ezrin along with Garth Richardson. [19] For this release the band's name was shortened to just Robin Black. [19] They toured extensively for this release, including internationally. [20]

In 2006, while touring in UK, Black suffered a drug-induced seizure. [7] [21] For almost two minutes, Black’s body jerked and he was unable to speak. The seizure was attributed to Black's lack of sleep, alcohol and drug use such as speed. [22]

Black became a judge on the Much Music show VJ Search . [23] [24]

Mixed martial arts

In 2007, Black pitched a new reality series to Much Music called Fearless or Stupid, which would have featured Black performing dangerous stunts, highlighting his new training regime, and culminating in his first MMA fight. [22] [25] At the age of 36, Black started competing as a mixed martial artist after attaining a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. [10] [26] [27] Although he had been a hobby martial artist throughout his career, he attributed his decision to start actively competing in MMA to the seizure incident forcing him to clean up many aspects of his life and take his health more seriously. [20]

"I couldn’t go through life getting weaker, and dumber, and sicker. I didn’t want to be having seizures on weird couches in the UK. I knew that I needed to prioritize being healthy. I stopped drinking for almost a year. I started to work out three times a week [...] Then I started training martial arts." [22]

In 2009, MuchMusic aired a one-off documentary special Robin Black: Cage Fighter, which featured Black training with mixed martial artists Georges St-Pierre, Sam Stout, Mark Hominick. [28] [11] [29] [30]

Sports commentating

In 2008, Black was guest commentator at an XMMA show in Montreal featuring David Loiseau. [31] This marked the first time that Robin did color commentary for fights. Robin eventually started interviewing fighters between rounds at local and provincial events such as Warrior-1 MMA - Inception, WRECK MMA, CFC and others. In 2009, Black submitted opponent Stephane Poirier to becoming Champion in Canada's ELITE 1 MMA promotion. On November 30, 2012, Robin returned to the cage at the inaugural SLAMM: Tristar Fights event, submitting opponent Derek Charbonneau via Kimura armlock in the 2nd round. [32] "What would be the one thing that, to me, would be more exciting and more thrilling and more authentically who I am as a person than being a rock star? And the answer was, ‘I want to be a UFC commentator in 10 years,’"said Black. [21] In 2018, Brave Combat Federation signed Black as the lead fight analyst and joined Karate Combat in 2021. [33] Black is known for his signature word Bink!. [34] [7] [4]

Lethwei

On August 2, 2019, Black was invited to be commentator for the World Lethwei Championship at WLC 9: King of Nine Limbs in Mandalay, Myanmar. [35] [2] The event was streamed on UFC Fight Pass. [34] He won the Lethwei World Lethwei Analyst of the Year for his performance at WLC 9. [36] The event also won Best Sport Program at the Asian Academy Awards. [37] On November 7, 2020, Black commentated the rematch between Dave Leduc and Cyrus Washington in Wyoming, USA. [38] [39]

Music

Robin Black and the Intergalactic Rock Stars

(1998-2002)

(2002-2003)

(2003-2006)

Discography

Albums

Singles

DVDs

Awards and recognition

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
9 matches4 wins5 losses
By knockout11
By submission34
Res.RecordOpponentMethodEventDateRoundTimeLocationNotes
Win4–5Derek CharbonneauSubmission (kimura)Slamm 1 - Garcia vs. LamarcheNov 30, 201222:34 Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Loss3–5Mike ReillySubmission (armbar)Wreck MMA - Strong and ProudJan 28, 201110:57 Casino du Lac-Leamy, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
Loss3–4Eric PerezTKO (punches)CFC - Canadian Fighting Championship 5Jun 4, 201011:23 Winnipeg Convention Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Win3–3Matt KnyshTKO (punches)AMMA 2 - VengeanceFeb 5, 201021:20 Edmonton Expo Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Loss2–3Corey LautischerSubmission (guillotine choke)AMMA 1 - First BloodOct 24, 200910:31 Edmonton Expo Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Win2–2Stephane PoirierSubmission (rear-naked choke)Elite 1 - Never Back DownJul 25, 200911:31 Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
Win1–2Stephane PoirierSubmission (triangle choke)CFC - Canadian Fighting Championship 1Feb 6, 200912:57 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Loss0–2Janz SteinSubmission (rear-naked choke)UCW 14 - November to RememberNov 28, 200811:36 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Loss0–1Chris MyraSubmission (triangle choke)Freedom Fight - Title QuestJul 26, 200821:15 Gatineau, Quebec, Canada

[41]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mixed martial arts</span> Full-contact combat sport

Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. The first documented use of the term mixed martial arts was in a review of UFC 1 by television critic Howard Rosenberg in 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lethwei</span> Burmese martial art

Lethwei or Burmese boxing is a full contact combat sport from Myanmar that uses stand-up striking including headbutts. Lethwei is considered to be one of the most brutal martial arts in the world, as the sport is practiced bareknuckle with only tape and gauze while fighters are allowed to strike with their fists, elbows, knees, and feet, and the use of headbutts is also permitted. Disallowed in most combat sports, headbutts are important weapons in a Lethwei fighter's arsenal, giving Lethwei its name of the "Art of nine limbs". This, combined with its bareknuckle nature, gave Lethwei a reputation for being one of the bloodiest and most violent martial arts. Although popular throughout modern Myanmar, Lethwei has been primarily and historically associated with the Karen people of the Kayin State; vast majority of competitive Lethwei fighters are ethnolinguistically of Karen descent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bas Rutten</span> Kickboxer, professional wrestler and mixed martial arts fighter

Sebastiaan "Bas" Rutten is a Dutch-American actor, former mixed martial artist, kickboxer and professional wrestler. He was a UFC Heavyweight Champion, a three-time King of Pancrase world champion, and finished his career on a 22 fight unbeaten streak. From 2007 to 2016, Rutten was the co-host of Inside MMA on AXS TV. Rutten became a naturalized American citizen in the late 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenny Florian</span> American combat sport color commentator and MMA fighter

Kenneth Alan Florian is an American retired mixed martial artist and commentator who formerly competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He formerly served as an analyst for UFC on Fox from 2011 to 2018, provided color commentary for UFC Fight Night, and provides color commentary on the robot combat television series BattleBots. He is currently signed to the Professional Fighters League (PFL) as a commentator.

Stephen "The Fight Professor" Quadros is an American broadcaster, specializing in play-by-play and color commentary, as well as interviews for the combat sports genre on cable, pay-per-view and DVD. His resume encompasses over 100 international mixed martial arts events since 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Hardy</span> English mixed martial arts fighter and combat sport commentator

Daniel Mark Hardy is an English former mixed martial artist who fought in the welterweight division. During his professional MMA career, which began in 2004, Hardy fought in multiple promotions, such as Cage Force and Cage Warriors, before signing a contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 2008. In 2010, he fought Georges St-Pierre for the UFC Welterweight Championship, but lost the bout via decision.

Seth Baczynski is an American professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter currently competing in the Middleweight division. A professional since 2006, Baczynski has formerly competed for the UFC, and was a cast member of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz and The Ultimate Fighter: Redemption. He has also fought for top promotions such as the International Fight League, Tachi Palace Fights, World Lethwei Championship, and the Legacy Fighting Alliance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ONE Championship</span> Martial arts promoter based in Singapore

One Championship is a multinational combat sports promotion founded on 14 July 2011 by Chatri Sityodtong and Victor Cui. Originally focused on mixed martial arts (MMA), One has since expanded to regularly hold events featuring Muay Thai, kickboxing, and submission grappling bouts, while also previously promoting boxing and Lethwei matches. One held its first event on 3 September 2011 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, and has since held over 200 events across Asia.

Amaury Bitetti is a Brazilian mixed martial arts former fighter and promoter holding the rank of 7th degree black and red coral belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ). Considered by many as one of the best BJJ competitors of all time, Bitetti is a two-time world jiu-jitsu champion in open weight, the first-ever to win the category, and a two-time Brazilian national champion. After competing in Vale Tudo / MMA Bitetti founded the MMA fight organization Bitetti Combate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Leduc</span> Canadian Lethwei fighter (born 1991)

Dave Leduc is a Canadian former Lethwei fighter. He is a former 6-times Lethwei World Champion who held the openweight Lethwei Golden Belt and was undefeated under traditional rules KO to win. Leduc gained widespread notoriety by winning his fight in the controversial Prison Fight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Lethwei Championship</span>

World Lethwei Championship was a Lethwei promotion based in Yangon, Myanmar. The promotion brought to the millennia-old Burmese martial of Lethwei to UFC Fight Pass and showcased it to the world. The WLC events combined the historic traditions of Lethwei with modern entertainment.

The year 2017 was the second year in the history of the ILFJ, a Japanese Lethwei promotion and the year started with Lethwei in Japan 2: Legacy. The events are streamed online by FITE TV, Abema TV in Japan and through television agreements with MNTV in Myanmar.

Bradley Devin Katona is a Canadian mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a former Brave CF Bantamweight Champion. He is also the only fighter to win The Ultimate Fighter twice, winning The Ultimate Fighter 27 featherweight tournament and The Ultimate Fighter 31 bantamweight tournament.

The year 2017 is the 1st year in the history of the World Lethwei Championship, a Lethwei promotion based in Myanmar.

The year 2019 is the 3rd year in the history of the World Lethwei Championship, a Lethwei promotion based in Myanmar.

Julija Stoliarenko is a Lithuanian mixed martial artist, Lethwei fighter, submission grappler and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belt athlete.

Sasha Moisa is a Ukrainian mixed martial artist, Muay Thai and Lethwei fighter who has competed in ONE Championship and World Lethwei Championship. He is the former WMC Super welterweight World Champion in Muay Thai and the final WLC Light Middleweight World Champion in Lethwei.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lethwei in popular culture</span> Burmese martial art

The Burmese martial art of Lethwei has been featured in films, television, manga and anime. Lethwei was featured in The Joe Rogan Experience podcast by Joe Rogan with Lethwei champion Dave Leduc as guest. Born Warriors presented an authentic up-close look at Lethwei through a series of documentaries shot entirely on location throughout Myanmar. Lethwei was featured in the Netflix documentary FightWorld with Frank Grillo and in the popular Japanese manga series Kengan Ashura.

Karate Combat is a brand which promotes the first professional, full-contact karate league, hosting worldwide events since April 2018. The private company is headquartered in New York and was founded by Michael DePietro and Robert Bryan. The business also encompasses sports equipment, a worldwide Dojo network and mobile apps for viewers. Karate Combat was founded in order to promote karate as a sport and martial art. Former UFC heavyweight champion Bas Rutten hosts Karate Combat venues alongside special guests.

Koyomi Matsushima is a Japanese mixed martial artist who competes in the Featherweight division and has previously fought in ONE Championship and Pancrase. Matsushima has faced strong opposition with the likes of Dave Leduc, Marat Gafurov, and Garry Tonon.

References

  1. ↑ John Morgan (June 22, 2021). "Video: Combat sports analyst Robin Black talks Karate Combat, Gamebred FC, and future of martial arts". MMA Junkie .
  2. 1 2 Lorcan Lovett (August 1, 2019). "Ex-rocker turned MMA analyst Robin Black lands in Myanmar for lethwei's global leap". Myanmar Mix. Robin Black, a celebrated MMA analyst
  3. ↑ "Beyond The Game EP. 11: Robin Black Talks Cormier vs Lesnar & UFC Calgary". VIBE 105 . October 6, 2018. TSN MMA analyst
  4. 1 2 Steve Juon (January 1, 2021). "Bink! Robin Black's favorite Bellator moments of 2020". MMA Mania . Robin Black: musician, fighter, commentator. The man has worn many hats over the years
  5. ↑ Nicolas Atkin (August 14, 2014). "Joe Rogan Experience #534 – Robin Black". The Joe Rogan Experience . Robin Black is an MMA analyst and color commentator for Fight Network and was also the lead singer of Canadian Glam Rock band Robin Black & the Intergalactic Rock Stars
  6. 1 2 Heath Jon McCoy, "Loud and proud in leather and feathers: Intergalactic Rock Stars love glitter and glam". Calgary Herald , November 4, 2000.
  7. 1 2 3 Alex Hunt (November 19, 2021). "Robin Black: From Glam Rocker To MMA Commentator. BINK!". Chris Van Liet.
  8. ↑ Ryan Sprague (27 April 2020). "Robin Black talks art of journalism vs. MMA media". Mymmanews.com. Retrieved May 21, 2023. Robin Black is one of the most recognizable figures in mixed martial arts
  9. ↑ Anand Thumbayil (August 13, 2018). "EXCLUSIVE: Robin Black speaks about his latest mission at BRAVE CF (PART-1)". Sportskeeda .
  10. 1 2 Johny Payne (May 21, 2023). "Who is Robin Black? All about the ex-MMA fighter Dana White ranted about at UFC Vegas 73 presser". Sportskeeda .
  11. 1 2 Allen Taylor, "In the black; From hard-partying glam rocker to MMA fighter to UFC analyst for TSN: The improbable journey of Manitoba's Robin Black". Winnipeg Free Press , December 16, 2017.
  12. ↑ Andrew Flynn, "Bringing back glam rock; Robin Black aims to be King-- or possibly Queen-- of rock". Waterloo Region Record , May 4, 2000.
  13. ↑ Craig Pearson, "Sexy is purple lipstick, feather boas". Windsor Star , August 10, 2000.
  14. ↑ Wes Smiderle, "Glam rock's Robin Black on a mission". Ottawa Citizen , August 17, 2000.
  15. ↑ Ben Rayner, "Seeking intergallactic stardom; Toronto glam rock band finally ready with first album". Toronto Star , January 9, 2002.
  16. ↑ Gerry Krochak, "Shooting for the stars". Regina Leader-Post , March 23, 2002.
  17. ↑ Tom Harrison, "Glam-rock band likes being a bad influence". The Province , March 20, 2002.
  18. ↑ "Dark story just what filmmaker ordered". Winnipeg Free Press , September 27, 2002.
  19. 1 2 Cam Fuller, "Pushed to the extreme: Robin Black looks for substance to go with style". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix , March 24, 2005.
  20. 1 2 José Rodriguez, "Rocky road for Black; 'No parties. No beers. A divorce.' Glam rocker back on track with MMA". Winnipeg Free Press , October 10, 2009.
  21. 1 2 Taylor Allen (December 15, 2017). "From rock 'n' roll to rocking the octagon: Robin Black's journey from singer to MMA fighter to UFC analyst". Winnipeg Sun .
  22. 1 2 3 Graham Isador (May 22, 2015). "Robin Black Went From Almost Dying at Glam-Rock to Cage Fighting". VICE .
  23. ↑ Sandra Sperounes, "Getting down to business: MuchMusic VJ Search: The Series hits the airwaves". Kingston Whig-Standard , January 31, 2006.
  24. ↑ "Black against the wall". Winnipeg Free Press , February 18, 2006.
  25. ↑ "Robin Black". Toronto Now . May 8, 2008. Toronto glam rocker and MuchMusic personality Robin Black
  26. ↑ Leah Collins, "From the stage to the cage; Robin Black's career takes a non-musical turn". The Province , December 28, 2007.
  27. ↑ Chris Rini (24 June 2020). "MMA SQUARED: Luke Thomas vs Robin Black, a summary of the twitter beef and resolution". Bloody Elbow . Retrieved May 24, 2023. Robin does have a pro fight record
  28. ↑ "Rocker Black proves anyone can do MMA". Sportsnet, September 14, 2009.
  29. ↑ "Glam rocker Robin Black makes MMA debut". Dawson Creek Daily News , July 24, 2008.
  30. ↑ Archived May 8, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  31. ↑ Archived September 12, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  32. ↑ "SLAMM 1 Results | Top MMA News at". Topmmanews.com. 2012-11-30. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
  33. ↑ Dane Curley (May 9, 2022). "EXCLUSIVE VIDEO - Inside the Mind of ROBIN BLACK". Karate Combat.
  34. 1 2 Nicolas Atkin (August 2, 2019). "'Maybe I was born in Myanmar in another life': Canadian lethwei fighter Dave Leduc turns Burmese hero". South China Morning Post . You can hear @robinblackmartialarts "Binking" in the back
  35. ↑ "Robin Black thinks King of Nine Limb Main Events are going to be once in lifetime fights!". Facebook. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  36. 1 2 Matthew Carter (2 January 2020). "2019 Lethwei World Awards". Lethwei World.
  37. 1 2 "NATIONAL WINNERS 2020" (PDF). Asian Academy Awards. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  38. ↑ "BREAKING: Robin Black Will Commentate Leduc vs. Washington Rematch in USA". Lethwei World. October 13, 2020.
  39. ↑ "BREAKING: DAVE LEDUC VS CYRUS WASHINGTON 2 OFFICIAL FOR NOVEMBER 7TH IN THE US!". Overtime Herorics. Retrieved May 22, 2023. a few top names from the world of combat sports that are looking to be involved. Bas Rutten, Frank Shamrock, Cung Le, and Robin Black
  40. ↑ "SPIA Asia 2019 Winners". Spia Asia. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  41. ↑ "Robin". Sherdog. Retrieved 2023-05-24.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.