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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)

2010

November
Aloha State BJJ Championships: Final Conflict
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Kaiser H.S. Gym)

10/15-17/10
ETERNAL SUBMISSIONS: 1st Annual BJJ GI/NO-GI tournament
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Kauai Beach Resort, Kauai)

August
Hawaiian Open Championships of BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Kaiser H.S. Gym)

7/24/10
The Quest for Champions 2010 Martial Arts Tournament
(Sport-Pankration, Submission Grappling & Continuous Sparring)
(St. Louis High School Gym)


6/26/10
Kauai Cage Match 9
(MMA)
(Kilohana, Gaylords Mansion, Kauai)

6/11-13/10
MMA Hawaii Expo
(Blaisdell Ballroom)

6/11-12/10
3rd Annual Pacific Submission Championships
(BJJ & Submission Grappling)
(Blaisdell Exhibition Hall)

6/11/10
Legacy Combat 1
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Ballroom)

6/4/10
X-1: Nations Collide
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)

6/3-6/10
World Jiu-Jitsu Championships
(BJJ)
(The Pyramid, University of California at Long Beach, Long Beach, CA)

5/22/10
Destiny
(MMA)
(Waiphau Filcom Center)

5/15/10
Scrappla Fest 2
Relson Gracie KTI Jiu-Jitsu Tournament
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Island School, Kauai)

Mad Skills
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)

Boxing Event
(Boxing)
(Evolution Training Center, Waipio Industrial Court #110)

5/1/10
Galaxy MMA: Worlds Collide
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)

4/23/10
2010 Hawaii State/Regional Junior Olympic Boxing Championships
(Boxing)
(Palolo District Park Gym)

4/17/10
Hawaiian Championships of BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Kaiser H.S. Gym)

Strikeforce: Shields vs Henderson
(CBS)

4/16/10
808 Battleground
(Waipahu Filcom Center)

4/8-11/10
Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championships
(BJJ)
(University California Irvine, Irvine, CA)

4/3/10
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)

Amateur Boxing Smoker
(Boxing)
(Palolo District Park Gym)

3/27/10
DESTINY: No Ka Oi 2: Oahu vs Maui
(MMA)
(Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Maui)

3/20/10
X-1: Champions 2
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)

3/20/10
Hawaiian Championships of BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Kaiser H.S. Gym)

3/14/10
Hawaiian Kimono Combat
(BJJ)
(PCHS Gym)

3/10/10
Sera's Kajukenbo Tournament
(Kumite, Katas, Grappling)
(Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Maui)

3/6/10
Destiny Fast N Furious
(MMA)
(Level 4 RHSC)

2/19/10
808 Battleground
(MMA)
(Filcom, Waipahu)

2/6/10
UpNUp 6: Unstoppable
(MMA)
(Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Maui)

2/5/10
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom)

1/30/10
Destiny
(Level 4,
Royal HI Shopping Ctr)
(MMA)

Quest for Champions
(Pankration/Sub Grappling)
(Kalani HS)

1/23/10
Kauai Knockout Championship Total Domination
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Kauai War Memorial Convention Center, Lihue, Kauai)

1/17/10
X1: Showdown In Waipahu
(Boxing, Kickboxing, MMA)
(Waipahu H.S. Gym)
 News & Rumors
Archives
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May 2010 News Part 1

Casca Grossa Jiu-Jitsu is now the O2 Martial Arts Academy with 7 days a week training!

We are also offering Kali-Escrima (stick fighting) on Monday nights with Ian Beltran and Kickboxing Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with Kaleo Kwan, PJ Dean, & Chris Slavens!

Kids Classes are also available!

Click here for info!

Take classes from the Onzuka brothers in a family-like environment!



Fighters' Club TV
The Toughest Show On Teleivision

Tuesdays at 8:00PM
Olelo Channel 52 on Oahu
Also on Akaku on Maui

Check out the FCTV website!

Onzuka.com Hawaii Underground Forum is Online!

Chris, Mark, and I wanted to start an official Onzuka.com forum for a while now. We were searching for the best forum to go with and hit a gold mine! We have known Kirik, who heads the largest and most popular forum on the net, The Underground for years.

He offered us our own forum within the matrix know as MMA.tv. The three of us will be the moderators with of course FCTV808 being the lead since he is on there all day anyway!

We encourage everyone from Hawaii and our many readers around world to contribute to the Hawaii Underground.

If you do not have a login, it's simple and fast to get one.
Click
here to set up an account.

Don't worry about using Pidgin English in the posting. After all it is the Hawaii Underground and what is a Hawaii Underground without some Aloha and some Pidgin?

To go directly to the Onzuka.com Hawaii Underground Forum
click
here!

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More than 1 million hits and counting!

O2 Martial Arts Academy
Your Complete Martial Arts School!

Click here for pricing and more information!

O2 Martial Arts features Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu taught by Relson Gracie Black Belts Chris and Mike Onzuka and Shane Agena as well as a number of brown and purple belts.

We also offer a Boxing and Kickboxing classes with a staff that is unmatched. Boxing, Kickboxing, and MMA champions Kaleo Kwan and PJ Dean as well as master boxing instructor Chris Slavens provide incredibly detailed instruction of the sweet science.

To top it off, Ian Beltran & Erwin Legaspi heads our Kali-Escrima classes (Filipino Stickfighting) who were directly trained under the legendary Snookie Sanchez.

Just a beginner with no background? Perfect! We teach you from the ground up!

Experienced martial artist that wants to fine tune your skill? Our school is for you!

If you want to learn martial arts by masters of their trade in a friendly and family environment, O2 Martial Arts Academy is the place for you!


Want to Contact Us? Shoot us an email by Clicking Here!

Follow O2 Martial Arts news via Twitter at:
http://www.twitter.com/O2MAA


4/10/10

Moraes and Garcia training for BJJ Worlds

World Champion in 2008, Sérgio Moraes got to the division’s finale in the following year, but the medal went to his team partner, Marcelinho Gargia, on the “odd or even” joke. Focused in another title this year, Serginho wants to repeat what he did last year and close it up with his partner. To do so, the athlete flights today to New York, where he will train with Marcelinho until the CBJJ’s World. “Marcelinho is an excellent athlete and a great friend. Having a guy to switch positions on the same weight division as you is very important and it will be like an early finale”, affirmed Serginho, on the following chat.

When will you go to New York?

I travel today… As soon as I get there, I’ll start my preparation on the best possible way, and get as good as I can get, like I always do in the World’s preparations.

How long will you stay in NY before going to California?

I’ll stay there until the World begins. There will be four and a half weeks of hard training… I’m going there so my mom doesn’t see me crying (laughs).

What is the difference between training in and outside Brazil?

For me, in terms of quality, I can’t say much. Here in Brazil it’s like a cradle. The boys have an impressive level, since the purple up to the black belt, you can see wonderful fighters. For me the difference is the focus. I’m not teaching, I’m leaving the gym with some responsible pupils of mine, so all of my focus will be around my trainings and how will my body reacts to it.

What is the point of this training along with Marcelinho Garcia?

To sum up our strengths, analyzing how the championship may be so that we can get there ready and, if it’s God’s will, we’ll get to the finale. Well, Marcelinho is an excellent athlete and a great friend. Having a guy to switch positions on the same weight division as you is very important and it will be like an early finale (laughs).

How is your English? Sharp or will you have to bamboozle?

“I do no (laughs)”... I will have to bamboozle. Tati, Marcelinho Garcia’s wife, promised to give me some lessons, so I’ll try to improve my English.

How is it to fight for a living in the football’s country?

It’s not easy, but thank God today Jiu-Jitsu lessons and fights and MMA are my meal ticket. You know fighting is not really respected here and there are just a few places that make space for us to train. For example, now I managed to be here in the sport center of Cohab II in Itaquera, east zone of São Paulo, due to my record, but it still is very hard. I think that people have to be aware that it’s one of the sports which is getting large proportions worldwide. In other countries, Jiu-Jitsu is a school class and in the country that is a cradle, people don’t respect it like they should, but I hope someday it changes. We’ve been growing each year, it’s just a matter of believing.

What was the biggest dream you could see coming true, due to your fighting?

To be black belt world champion of Jiu-Jitsu, it was a dream for me.

And a dream you would like to come true?

To conquer the UFC’s belt, and I’ll go for it until the end this year, and I pray for God for having this opportunity.

A message for your fans…

People from TATAME, if God helps us, Alliance will rule this World, and I will want to be on the cover, him (laughs). And guys, let’s stay tuned to the site OLutador.com because now we have a strong partner. The team from OLutador.com is managing my website, blog, twitter and orkut so that everyone knows more of my career. And everybody who admires my work can be sure that you will have a reward within the mat and the ring, and you can keep hoping and never give up on me.

Source: Tatame

Brilz wants to test himself against Lil’ Nog

Jason Brilz, who won 18 victories in 21 combats, was chosen by UFC to replace Forrest Griffin against Rogério Minotouro on UFC 114. In an interview to MMAFighting, the American showed himself excited for this fight. “On this stage of my career, I don’t mind who I’m fighting against, I just want to be tested. And Lil’ Nog, for sure, will test me”, said. In a chat with TATAME, Minotouro had already commented the fight against a new opponent. “We’ll change the strategy. Against him I want to fight standing or go to the ground and try to submit him. It changes from a striker to a wrestler, but we’re going for it, always trying the knockout”, said Rogério.

Source: Tatame

UFC OR BUST FOR BRITISH VETERAN PAUL CAHOON

Paul Cahoon started his professional fighting career back in 1998 fighting under Japanese hybrid rules, adopted from the Rings series that was quite prominent at the time. The differences to MMA as we know it now are very clear, but the main ones to know are that there were no direct punches allowed, only open hand “palm” strikes, and that grabbing a rope meant you escaped a submission.

Needless to say, when MMA was starting to gain a foothold in Europe, there was a vast selection of fighters still competing in the Rings system. Paul Cahoon was one of them and somehow, time has blurred the differences – something he isn’t particularly happy about.

“My Sherdog record is a mess because of the Rings rules. I don’t think too many people fighting back then fully understood the rules,” he explained, before providing some examples.

“I was in mount once, really beating on this guy, and he bridges, much like you do now in a cage. I put my hands out to post and grabbed the rope – that’s a loss. I was smashing Chris Watts for three rounds. He locked my arms up, so I head-butted his stomach to release – there’s another loss.”

Cahoon didn’t actually make his MMA debut until 2001 where he collided with 19 stone worth of Joop Kasteel, a hero of sorts in his native Holland.

“He was so big he couldn’t even put his guard up properly,” laughed the veteran in hindsight, explaining that his opportunity came by chance.

“He had been speaking to Golden Glory at the time about finding an opponent, but they couldn’t agree on anyone, so they offered him ‘The English Guy.’ He had already beaten Lee Hasdell at this point, so didn’t think much of us Brits, but I took the fight and ended up winning. It’s still probably my favorite fight and earned me a reputation in Holland as being a crazy guy.”

Considering the length of time Cahoon had been training, it’s a surprise that he was fighting a guy of such caliber, still relatively green at the time. His training had only really been consistent since arriving in Holland. Prior to that, he had largely been floating around without a camp.

“I first got into the sport watching the UFC, but there were no clubs or places to train around here, so I started to trial what I saw with a friend. It wasn’t until I started catch wrestling with Roy Wood in Wigan that things started to get serious. I went to America and trained at the Alliance before joining Shamrock’s Lions Den as their boxing coach, but it didn’t fit with me.”

Having returned home to the U.K., he chanced upon Golden Glory through a friend and went over to Holland to see what it was all about. The experience started a long association with the team and meant he was training with high profile talent such as Fatih Kocamis, Chalid Arrab, the Overeem brothers, Heath Herring, Gilbert Yvel, Remco Pardoel, and Cor Hemmers.

No fan of an easy life, Cahoon crafted his trade through tough battles with a collection of hard men, from Melvin Manhoef to Amar Suloev, Ibragim Magomedov and Rodney Glunder, learning all the time and showcasing the heart of a lion.

Will power is one thing, but bad luck is another. To date Cahoon has been on and off the bench with a collection of injuries and ailments that would make most people throw in the towel. It is the reason behind his inability to stay consistently active and something that he finally feels he has put behind him.

“While I was in Holland I had Staph so bad there were holes all over my body, just like Kevin Randleman. I battled it for a whole year on antibiotics to shift it, but as soon as one infection clears up another one materializes.”

As if the thought of the flesh eating Staphylococcus bacterial infection isn’t gross enough, try this…

“Developing Elephantitis in my leg was much less fun though and I was in hospital for ages on a drip. Once I overcame that I tore out my cruciate ligament, rehabilitated, and then my meniscus went.”

Needless to say, Paul Cahoon is just looking towards the future now, putting the disappointments of his past experiences behind him and focussing squarely on a career that has new life due to a cut to the middleweight division, a move that the fighter believes he should have made earlier in his career.

“I think back to my Cage Rage days and remember seeing all these guys the same size as me, but fighting in the division below. I never really took it in properly, but after fighting Ian Freeman I realized that cutting had to be considered. I just didn’t know how to do it before. But looking at all the Americans and how they do it has really helped a lot. I used to fight at 90kg without cutting. I still fight at 90kg (light heavyweight), but I weigh in at 84kg (middleweight). It’s so easy for me to do I actually considered going to welterweight.”

Cahoon has shown through two outings at this weight class that the move suits him and is confident that it doesn’t affect his training or performance at all. He still trains with the larger guys in his gym and is comfortable slugging it out with people such as Rob Broughton and Darren Morris. Given that there aren’t too many big knockout merchants at middleweight on these shores at the moment, it is highly unlikely that anyone will be planting the same kind of power on his chin.

Overtraining is something else that the fighter has had to battle with before, and has cost him victory on occasion. Most obvious in his mind was the encounter with Ian Freeman that cost him the Cage Rage light heavyweight title.

“I was totally wiped out after that fight and it took me ages to watch it afterwards, but when I did I saw that he didn’t throw anything. It was all scramble and him being smart with his weight. He is good, serious about what he does, and capable of cutting a good 10kg cut. I have been working with Geoff Oughton from Newcastle on this and its paying dividends already.

“This is all about a new start for me,” he exclaimed, adding that this weekends Ultimate Challenge encounter with Earl Brown will serve to continue his focus on making it to the top.

“I just want to see how far I can go in this sport. I am happy at this weight. I don’t dwell on my past defeats or anything like that. I accept that I have been unlucky in the past, but now I am pushing all the way. I want to get into the UFC and see what I can do.”

Source: MMA Weekly

GSP & WINNER OF KOSCHECK/DALEY TO COACH TUF 12

It will be a welterweight showdown during the 12th season of the "Ultimate Fighter" as champion Georges St. Pierre will take the reigns as coach for the first time ever and he will compete against the winner of Saturday night's fight between Josh Koscheck and Paul Daley.

The announcement was made on Friday by UFC president Dana White.

For all of the history of the "Ultimate Fighter" reality show it seems that UFC welterweight champion and arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world Georges St. Pierre would have been a coach previously, but it never happened until now.

The popular Canadian fighter will head out to Las Vegas in the next few weeks to begin coaching the next cast of UFC hopefuls. Assured to be by St. Pierre's side are his head coach from Montreal, Firas Zahabi, and strength and conditioning coach Jonathan Chaimburg.

The other coaching vacancy will be filled on Saturday night when Josh Koscheck battles Paul Daley, and the win will not only mean a job coaching on the "Ultimate Fighter" but a shot at St. Pierre's title when the season is over.

Josh Koscheck, a participant in the historical first season of the "Ultimate Fighter", commented to MMAWeekly.com about the coaching position should he be offered the job.

"It definitely would be fun. I think it would be a great opportunity, and I would definitely take the UFC up on it," said Koscheck.

His opponent, British slugger Paul Daley, also said he'd welcome the chance to coach on the show, although both fighters stated emphatically that their first job is to win on Saturday night.

"If I get the opportunity, it's a great opportunity that I'd have to accept," said Daley. "I'd enjoy it, great exposure, and a chance to get my face out there a bit more."

Filming for the show is set to begin in about 3 weeks so following Saturday night's fights, the winner will take a little time to recover and then head out to Las Vegas to begin season 12 of the "Ultimate Fighter" alongside Georges St. Pierre.

Source: MMA Weekly

NEXT WEC PPV UNDECIDED, WILL REMAIN UNBRANDED

The numbers for first ever WEC pay-per-view still haven't been released, but everyone involved seems to believe it was a success, and more shows will follow.

UFC president Dana White said on Thursday that they still haven't decided 100 percent what they'll do next with the WEC pay-per-views, but discussions are on going.

One thing he does know for sure is that the non-branding of the pay-per-views will continue. At the Aldo vs. Faber event, the WEC logo was nowhere to be found during the broadcast.

"We're the pay-per-view team; it will be the same way," said White.

Expectations were high for the show after Leonard Garcia and Chan Sung Jung put on one of the most entertaining fights ever in WEC history just before the pay-per-view started, prompting many fans to pick up the show to continue the action.

White still stands by his thoughts about the pay-per-view model as well, believing that friends gathering together and buying a fight card is still a cheap form of entertainment in today's economy.

He says the numbers for the Aldo vs. Faber pay-per-view justified the move for the WEC.

There's been no word on when the WEC will do another pay-per-view card, but if all of the expectations around the last one come to fruition, they probably won't wait long.

Source: MMA Weekly

CURRAN SHOCKS HUERTA, ALVAREZ SUBS NEER

BOSTON – The big question after the fights on Thursday night? Where is Roger Huerta’s head at this stage of his fight career? Was it an issue of a rhythmic drought? Is his focus on something other than mixed martial arts right now? Or did he overlook his opponent, Pat Curran, in this lightweight semifinal tournament bout? Regardless of the speculation, Huerta and Curran put on a great show.

The first round started with Curran landing brutal kicks to the body of Huerta that generated gasps of pity from the audience. It was Huerta’s slowest of the three rounds. He seemed to be waiting for a brawl, but Curran wasn’t interested in playing into that game.

In the second round the pace started to pick up. Huerta was given periods of the “brawl” he wanted from Curran, but during those periods Curran stayed focused, landed good counter punches, and even several foot jabs to the head and mid-section of his opponent.

The fans seemed to recognize that Curran was the underdog and they cheered as he escaped Huerta’s back control in the third. Huerta appeared to recognize he was falling behind on the scorecards because he was emptying his tank in the final stanza of the fight. The only problem was he wasn’t landing too many of the punches he was dishing out, instead getting tagged with Curran’s counterstrikes.

Whatever it seemed to be that was getting in the way of the Huerta we’re used to watching, it didn’t appear to bother him. His post-fight facial expressions looked to be those of a man who wasn’t upset with a loss. He smiled as Curran’s hand was raised, and left the cage in the same manor.

The man of the night was Toby Imada, who stole the show with his confident, skill-soaked performance against Carey Vanier. Imada has been on a continuous up-slope since making his mainstream debut with Bellator last year, Thursday night was just another point higher on that slope for him.

The first round was mainly Vanier’s with his wrestling control and takedowns. Imada was still there though, with his close kneebar attempt toward the end of the round. It could have been the right uppercut that he popped Vanier with as the bell sounded that acted as his boost to steal the fight in the second round.

Imada came out for round two pushing the pace hard. It seemed like he had his opponent all figured out by that point. When he landed shots, his boxing looked beautiful. He continued to impress as the fight continued onward, getting crafty as he transitioned from one thing to another. He landed a few punches, switched to a head and arm clinch that he used to set-up an unorthodox body kick, and then launched into a flying leglock, taking the fight to the ground, all within seconds. Vanier defended the leglock, but shortly after got caught in an armbar that Imada refused to let him escape.

Eddie Alvarez carried out a dominating performance over the always-tough Josh Neer. Although it wasn’t the flashy showing we’re used to seeing out of Alvarez, it was still a clean and prosperous victory.

It was Alvarez’ effortless wrestling ability that kept him where he wanted to be in this fight. He stayed postured and avoided Neer’s up-kick attempts on the mat. Alvarez set up his guard passes with solid punches to the head of his grounded opponent and he worked his way to mount several times throughout the fight. Neer proved why he’s not an easy fight for anybody, with a sneaky, cage-walk sweep in the first round.

Alvarez showcased more of his diverse skill-set in the second round after taking his opponents back and sinking in a rear naked choke. Neer stood up and defended as long as he could before he crashed head first into the chain-link cage wall, unconscious.

Out of all the local fighters on the card, none shined as bright as up-and-comer Josh Laberge. Now training full-time with the Lauzon camp in Bridgewater, Mass., Laberge is getting more and more consistent with each fight. He was no stranger to his opponent, Dan Bonnell, having already defeated him on the local Massachusetts circuit. Thursday night’s rematch was almost a replica of their first fight, just a bit faster and bit meaner.

The fighters circled each other briefly before Laberge dropped Bonnell with a quick one-two combination. That was the beginning of the end for Bonnell as the much stronger Laberge rushed forward, stuffing his opponent’s frantic takedown attempts. Laberge landed a punch every chance he was given, until he was able to rotate around to Bonnell’s back. From there, he pounded his opponent with brutal right hands to the side of the head before his opponent went limp and the referee called the fight at just 48 seconds of the first.

MAIN CARD BOUTS (Televised):
Cole Konrad def. Pat Bennett by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 29-28, 30-27) R3
Eddie Alvarez def. Josh Neer by Technical Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 2:08, R2
Pat Curran def. Roger Huerta by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) R3
Toby Imada def. Carey Vanier by Submission (Armbar) at 3:33, R2

SWING BOUTS:
Greg Rebello def. John Doyle by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) R3
Justin Torrey def. Lance Everson by TKO (Due to Strikes) at 3:55, R2

PRELIMINARY BOUTS:
Josh Laberge def. Dan Bonnell by KO (Due to Strikes) at 0:48, R1
Chuck O’Neil def. Damien Vitale by TKO (Cut Stoppage) at 1:02, R3

Source: MMA Weekly

4/9/10 Happy Mother's Day

UFC 113 Results & Live Play-by-Play

Jason MacDonald vs. John Salter
Round 1
Salter lands a one-two and clinches MacDonald into the cage. MacDonald pushes his way clear after a short struggle and the two meet back in the center. Salter clinches again and bullies him back along the cage. The boo birds are out early due to the grinding nature of the bout thus far. MacDonald tries to get the crowd back by moving forward. He lands a right shin to the head of Salter but the wrestler grabs his leg and takes him to the mat. During the takedown, MacDonald was standing on this left leg and it snapped in the same fashion Joe Theismann's did when he was dragged down by Lawrence Taylor many years ago. Referee Dan Miragliotta steps in to stop the bout when MacDonald yelled in pain at 2:42 of the first round.

Yoshiyuki Yoshida vs. Michael Guymon
Round 1
Guymon flurries in to start the round, but Yoshida clinches him to the cage. The fighters trip and hit the mat and Yoshida has a weak guillotine on the "Joker." Guymon pops his head out and the pair stand again in the clinch with Guymon's back on the cage. The crowd starts to boo quickly and the ref separates them. Missed head kick by Guymon followed by a bunch of missed punches. Glancing left head kick from Yoshida followed by outside trip by Guymon, who controls from the top to end the round and finishes with a big right to the midsection standing in Yoshida's guard. 10-9 Guymon.

Round 2
Lunging punches by Yoshida who then jumps to guard with a guillotine but Guymon escapes and mounts him. Yoshida bucks and rolls back to his feet. Guymon shoots for a double leg and Yoshida snatches another guillotine. Single leg grab from Yoshida from the ground and gets back up. Clinch and scramble, Yoshida gives his back to Guymon, who attempts a rear-naked choke and Yoshida reversed him into mount. Guymon scrambles free and Yoshida gets back to side control and then finishes the round in guard. Guymon 10-9.

Round 3
Right bodycick by Guymon, followed by a nice right. Trading along the cage nothing really happening until Guymon tags Yoshida with a sharp right knee. Yoshida takes him down and sits in his half guard and then goes for side control. Guymon scrambles to the top and Yoshida shoots for a single, but Guymon pressures him down. Yoshida gives up his back and Joker working for a choke and then left elbows to the head. Guymon is trying to choke Yoshida without hooks, then gets to mount. Guymon sits on Yoshi da and drops nasty elbows to his head. Guymon is bullying Yoshida, who has nothing for him. Guymon controls from top dropping the occasional fist. 10-9 Guymon who drops to his knees and cries with emotion.

Official scores: 30-27 across the board for Guymon, the winner by unanimous decision.

Tim Hague vs. Joey Beltran
Round 1
Beltran keeping his distance early, but Hague bullies his way inside only to be rebuffed by Beltran. Hague fakes a big right and drops for a takedown. Beltran easily defends and cracks him with a right hand. The fighters trade jabs and Beltran finds the mark with his right again. Hague is slowing down already with two minutes left in the round. Beltran lands some winging punches, the flurry leaves Hague bleeding from the nose. Beltran landing almost everything he throws now. Hague answers with a couple of his own, but Beltran land even more as they exchange right up to the bell. Sherdog scores the frame 10-9 for Beltran.

Round 2
Hague pawing with the jab and lands a big right behind it. He flurries on Beltran along the cage, but he can't find the mark with the big shot. Beltran extricates himself from the fence and lands a solid right hand. Hague, looking fresher than the end of the first, lines up Beltran along the cage again and lands some big punches this time. Beltran gets the worst of it, but he punches his way free, landing a hard-right uppercut. The Pace has really slowed now and looks like sloppy toughman fight when they do engage. Sherdog.com scores the round 10-9 for Hague.

Round 3
Beltran lands a clean jab on the charging Hague, who answers with a heavy right hand and a takedown. Beltran easily gets back to his feet. Hague grabs Beltran and lifts him into the air before planting him. Beltran avoids Hague's big shots and stands back up. They trade weak low kicks and slow punches, they are both running on empty. Hague gets another sloppy takedown and easily moves to mount on an exhausted Beltran with just over a minute left. He opens up with punches and the crowd responds. Beltran sweeps him with 30 seconds to go and stands back up. The bell sounds ending the heavyweight bout. Sherdog scores the round 10-9 for Tim Hague.

Scores are 30-27, 30-26 and 29-28 for Beltran, the winner by unanimous decision.

T.J. Grant vs. Johny Hendricks
Round 1
Hendricks pushes forward and lands a nice left before shooting in. Grant lands a hard knee, but can't stop the takedown. Grant grabs Hendricks' neck and works back to his feet. Grant lands a stiff right low kick and the two trade punches without much landing. Hendricks keeps walking Grant down, looking for an opening. Grant then lands a hard kick to the groin and Hendricks drops like a ton of bricks. Hendricks takes a brief respite and the fight resumes. Grant stuffs a takedown. Hendricks lands a nice combination, punctuated by a left high kick. Grant clinches and lands a pair of nice rights. Grant flurrying on Hendricks along the cage, but he answers with some big lefts of his own, one coming right after the bell. Hendricks apologizes and Grant accepts. Sherdog scores the round 10-9 for Grant.

Round 2
Hendricks pops Grant with a good left. Grant charges in, grabs a clinch and tries to knee, but Hendricks catches the leg and slams him down. Hendricks can't get much going and Grant stands back up with ease. Hendricks misses badly with a combo and Grant seizes the opening, landing a flurry of his own before Hendricks stops him in his tracks with a power double. Grant again works his way free and gets back to his feet. Grant lands a grazing left head kick. The two trade shots on the feet as the round clock ticks down. Sherdog scores the round 10-9 for Grant.

Round 3
Hendricks and Grant trade low kicks and then Grant gets him in the stones again. Referee Marc-Andre Cote takes a point from Grant this time. Hendricks lift Grant and slams him after the restart. Grant gets his guard and Hendricks stands back up and allows Grant up in the process. Hendricks scores with a one-two. Hendricks shoots again and gets Grant back to the mat. Grant tries to scramble back to his feet, but Hendricks sinks him again. Hendricks stands in Grant's guard and punches. He backs away and lets Grant back up, but he takes him right back down with about 30 seconds left. Hendricks opens up on the ground, landing a nice salvo as the round closes. Sherdog scores the period 10-8 for Hendricks.

Official scores are 29-27 (twice) and 28-28, giving Hendricks the majority decision.

Marcus Davis vs. Jonathan Goulet
Round 1
We start with a head kick by Goulet followed by a mad takedown. The fighters scramble and get back to their feet. Goulet clinches Davis against the cage and gets caught in a guillotine, but he sits up out of it after a struggle. Goulet still has Davis against the cage -- who stands up -- but Goulet takes his legs out and brings him back down. Goulet catches a kick and swings Davis down, then connects with a nice punch to the head and body. Davis tries a triangle choke, but Goulet muscles him back down. Goulet trying to pass to mount but ends in guard. 10-9 Goulet.

Round 2
Davis catches Goulet with a right and he goes down, but quickly recovers and pushes off a pressing Davis to get back to his feet. Davis gets his money shots, as a few punches punctuated by a short left drop Goulet for good. Referee Phillipe Chartier steps in (possibly prematurely) to end it at 1:23 of round two.

Joe Doerksen vs. Tom Lawlor
Round 1
The fighters trade evenly with Doerksen looking much more aggressive than he normally does to start a bout. Lawlor catches him with a crisp left hook and drops the Canadian, but he gets right back up. Lawlor catches Doerksen with a right and a left and Doerksen is looking wobbly. Lawlor is teeing off then things even off. Doerksen is bloody around his left eye and Lawlor is marked up too. Good right hand by Doerksen and Lawlor misses with a right of his own and falls down to the cavas off balanced. Doerksen is on top with his back against the cage. 10-9 Lawlor.

Round 2
The pair trade, with nothing substantial landing. Nice combo by Doerksen, as he lands a left kick and a left punch. Lawlor catches Doerksens left leg and takes him down, but Doerksen immediately jumped to his back, and with only one hook in, elicits a fight-ending tapout by rear-naked choke at the 2:10 mark.

Patrick Cote vs. Alan Belcher
Round 1
Belcher starts with a left kick to the body and Cote counters it with a right hand. Neither man lands flush. Belcher goes back to Cote’s body with three more kicks. Make it seven. Belcher then kicks Cote directly on the groin protector. Referee Mario Yamasaki gives Cote time to recover and we’re back on. Cote lands a right hand and Belcher goes to the legs. Belcher lands a clean left hook. Cote opens up and Belcher connects with a right-handed jab. Cote kicks a low kick. Belcher connects again to the body and Cote trips him to the canvas. Cote hits the body and head with his right hand. Belcher holds on with double underhooks and a butterfly guard from the bottom. Cote passes to half guard and goes to work on the right arm with a kimura. Cote passes the head with his right leg and Belcher winces. Belcher fights to get of danger and Cote gives up position and finds himself on the bottom in half guard. Belcher passes to side control and sets up an arm-triangle choke. He lets go elbows the head with his left arm. The blow opens a cut above Cote’s right eye. Cote scrambles from the bottom at the end of the round, but he can’t get to his feet.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Belcher
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Belcher
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Belcher

Round 2
Belcher kicks the body to start round two. Yamasaki calls time: Belcher began the period without his mouthpiece. He’s fitted with his protection and Belcher gets right back to work with a right kick to the body. Cote opens up with his hands and lands a right and a left hook. Belcher gets to the clinch, where he pushes his opponent against the fence. Belcher knees the body. Belcher steps back and both fighters land power punches in a flurry. Cote got the best of the exchange with a right hook. Belcher knees the body and Cote gets a single leg. Belcher hops to his feet and Cote works a double against the fencing. Belcher picks Cote up and powerbombs Cote right on his face. Belcher transitions to the back and locks on a rear-naked choke with both hooks. Cote taps and complains that his head was spiked on the floor. The throw looks clean on the TV replay. The official time is 3:25 of round two.

Kimbo Slice vs. Matt Mitrione
Round 1
Mitrione kicks Kimbo in the head with his left foot. Kimbo shakes it off and throws a right hook that connects. Mitrione throws another head kick and Kimbo catches it and throws him to the floor, only to end up on the bottom. Kimbo scrambles to take the top and Mitrione latches on a triangle choke. It looks deep at first, but a patient Slice works through it and escapes. Kimbo punches the head and body from the top until Mitrione uses a kimura to stand. Little happens on the feet, and Kimbo drags his prey to the canvas with a single leg. Mitrione works for another triangle and Kimbo gets out. Kimbo stands and Mitrione follows. Mitrione roughs up Kimbo’s legs with low kicks. A kick knocks Kimbo’s legs right out from under him. Mitrione engages and rolls for an anaconda choke. Slice holds on and survives the round.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Mitrione
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Mitrione
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Mitrione

Round 2
Mitrione goes back to the leg. A fatigued Kimbo clinches and Mitrione defends. Mitrrione gets space and absolutely brutalizes the left leg of Kimbo with an outside and inside low kick. Kimbo takes a deep breath and tries to shoot. Mitrione defends and tries another anaconda. Mitrione gives it up to knee the body and left thigh. Kimbo looks very frustrated as Mitrione is having his way with him. Mitrione hops to the mount and pounds away with both hands. Kimbo does nothing but cover as referee Mirigliotta watches closely. Mitrione then works on the left arm with a keylock. He stretches the arm, but he can’t finish it with his high position in the mount. He gives it up to return firing on the head. Referee Mirigliotta has seen enough. He pulls Mitrione off at the 4:24 mark of round two, giving him the former NFL player the TKO win.

Sam Stout vs. Jeremy Stephens
Round 1
Stephens lands a low kick and a hard right hand before tripping Stout to the canvas. Stout kicks Stephens off and stands to throw his hands. He gets hit by a hard right hand for his effort. And another; Stout’s knees buckle from a clean blow on the temple. Stout recovers and attacks the left leg of Stephens with a hard low kick. Stout starts to get some momentum going with three hard lefts to the body. Stephens ends said momentum with a right hand that drops his foe. It’s a slug fest, and Stephens is getting the better of it. Stout throws a low kick that is caught; Stephens clips him with a left hook. Stout is undettered. He keeps coming forward with clean strikes to the right side of Stephens’ body and left leg. Stout continues to lunge in to hit the body, and he’s playing with fire. Stephen’s is countering it every time with a right hook and he’s landed it a few times in the round.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Stephens
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Stephens
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Stephens

Round 2
Stout kicks the left leg twice in the opening seconds of round two. Stout works his other leg with an inside low kick. Stephens explodes with a jumping knee that falls short. He transitions beautifully to a takedown as he realized Stout was off balanced. Stout works a kimura on the left arm of Stephens from the guard. Stout creats anough distance to stand and Stephens welcomes it. The velocity on Stephens’ punches has tailed off at the midway point of the round. Stout sneaks in a hard left to the body that makes Stephens wince. Stout stays patient and works the left leg and pumps his jab. Stephens shoots and Stout shrugs it off. Stephens has lost all of his rhythm from the first round as fatigue sets in. Stephens cracks Stout with a left-hook counter. Stephens finds somewhat of a second wind as he swings for the fences in the round’s final seconds.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Stephens
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Stout

Round 3
Stout kicks Stephens in the groin. Yamasaki calls time and the wounded fighter is ready to go. Stout hits the body and kicks the leg. Stephens jumps into the air for a knee that just misses. Stout lands a left hook and gets hit with a right-hand counter shortly after. Stephens connects with another counter right as Stout tries to set up a low kick. Stephens connects with a sharp jab and a knee to the chin. Stout lands a low kick and it folds Stephens over. Stout pounces on the sore fighter and Stephens flops to the canvas. Stout enters the guard and lands two hard right elbows. Stephens stands and it seems he’s recovered from the low kicks. He resumes swinging for the fences and even takes to the air for a flying knee. Unfortunately for him, none of it lands. A right hook does connect for Stephens. Stephens drops levels for a single and he gets it with 20 seconds remaining. He lets Stout up to look for a knockout, but Stout comes up swinging. Time expires.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Stout (29-28 Stephens)
TJ De Santis scores the round [technical difficulties – will return for the next bout]
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Stout (29-28 Stout)

Official scores: 30-27, 29-28 and 28-29 for Jeremy Stephens, who takes the split decision.

Josh Koscheck vs. Paul Daley
Round 1
Daley storms out with a flying knee and Koscheck easily gets out of the way. Daley slips a straight left into the midsection of his opponent. And another. Koscheck drops levels for a single and he takes Daley down. Daley tries to scramble to his feet and he’s rewarded by a big slam from Koscheck. Koscheck is hitting the face with his right hand from side control. Koscheck has Daley pinned against the fence. Koscheck knees the body and ends up in half guard as he fails trying to advance to the mount. Daley is defending well from the bottom, but Koscheck is able to sneak an elbow in. Daley gets back to guard, but he loses it with a blocked upkick. Koscheck weaves around the legs and returns to side control. Daley gives up his back and Koscheck engages with a single hook. Koscheck sneaks his arm under the chin and starts to work a rear-naked choke. Daley explodes and reverses the position. Daley stands and grazes Koscheck with an illegal knee. Koscheck falls. A point is taken and Koscheck says he wants to continue. The fight is resumed and Koscheck works for a single at the horn. It is then said that a point was not taken for the foul.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Koscheck
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Koscheck
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Koscheck

Round 2
The pair trade right hands, with Koscheck landing better. Koscheck drops levels, driving Daley into the fence before ripping him away and powering him back down to the mat. Koscheck instantly gains side control, but gets sucked into half guard quickly. Koscheck postures up and throws elbows, but can't land cleanly. Koscheck pushes down Daley's far knee to take mount, and nearly gets there, but "Semtex" regains. Koscheck hits the right side of Daley’s body with his left hand. He mixes in his right hand to the left side of the body and head. Koscheck again nearly gets the mount, but Daley is game. Koscheck drags Daley to the fencing and starts to work for Daley’s back. Daley has one hook in as he pounds the head with his left hand. He pulls Daley back and secures his second hook. Koscheck punches with his left hand while Dlaey holds the right arm to defend a submission.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Koscheck
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Koscheck
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Koscheck

Round 3
Daley comes out swinging and he clips Koscheck with a right hand and an uppercut. Koscheck circles away and Daley chases him. Daley sneaks in a right hook and a knee to the chin as Koschecks works for a single on the left leg. He switches to a double and pulls Daley to the floor. Koscheck punches the jaw from half guard with his left hand. He then ties up the head and punches with his right. Koscheck, in complete control, looks to his corner for advice. He then gets an elbow in before passing to side control and mount. Daley is bucking to reverse, but the former wrestling champion is having none of it. Daley gives up his back briefly but rolls back over. Daley shows nice leg work in getting to half guard. Koscheck is resting and the fighters trade barbs with 25 seconds left. Koscheck puts the stamp on his win with shots to the body. Time expires and Daley stands and throws a left hook well after the bell. Referee Dan Miragliotta restrains Daley and says “Are you kidding me?” The punch connected with Koscheck’s right eye and opened a small cut.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Koscheck (30-27 Koscheck)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Koscheck (30-27 Koscheck)
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Koscheck (30-27 Koscheck)

Josh Koscheck takes the unanimous decision with scores of 30-27 across the board.

Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio Rua
Round 1
Shogun picked up where he left off in the last bout, with a low kick to the front leg of Machida. The champion is alternating between southpaw and orthodox early. Machida checks a low kick and lands a right hand. Machida trips Rua to the canvas and starts to work from half guard. Shogun sweeps and stands, where he pushes Machida against the fence. Rua charges forward and gets clipped with a right hand. At the end of the flurry, Rua connects with a right hand that forces Machida to retreat. Again Machida trips Rua to the floor. Machida lands a knee to the body and backs away. Shogun lands a hard right hook on the temple and Machida collapses. Rua pounces with punches until Machida is out. Referee Yves Lavigne pulls him off at 3:35 of the first round. "Shogun" is the new champion. Machida stands and his left eye is busted up something serious.

Source: Sherdog

The Quest for Champions 2010 Martial Arts Tournament
Saturday, July 24th, 2010
St. Louis High School Gym

Featuring: Sport-Pankration, Submission Grappling and Continuous Sparring

For more info please contact Kempo Unlimted HI (
kunltd@hotmail.com)

Source: Tommy Lam

Boxing Smoker on May 15th

The next boxing show will be on May 15th at 6 p.m. at the Evolution Training Center in Waipio Industrial Court #110, address is 94-547 Ukee St., Waipahu, HI., 96797.

Boxers from Oahu and Kauai will be competing.

For more info. contact Chanelle Valdez at
cvaldez7@hawaii.rr.com

Source: Bruce Kawano

Scrappla Fest 2
Kauai's Scrappla Fest 2
Gi & No Gi Tournament
May 15, 2010

$50 entry fee

Tentative times:
Kids Rules 930am.
Kids Gi Start 10am.
Kids No Gi Start 11am.

Adult Rules 12:30pm.
Adults Gi Start 1pm.
Adults No Gi Start 3:45pm.

We will be running 4-6 matches at the same time to keep the tournament running smoothly. More info to come about weights and weigh ins.

kids ages-weight divisions will be made on sight

5-below
6-7
8-9
10-11
12-13
14-15
16-17

women
125-below
126-140
141-above

menbeginner white , blue
131-below
132-145
146-159
160-173
174-187
188-201
202-215
216-above

men advanced, purple and above
159-below
160-180
181-201
202-above

Thank you,

Pono Pananganan
Kauai Technical Institute
ktirelson_gracie@hotmail.com


Garden Island Cage Match 9:
Mayhem at the Mansion


Kilohana Carriage House
June 26th 2010

Tickets go on sale next week!

Since this venue is a little smaller than the Stadium the tickets will sell out twice as fast so be sure to get on board quickly! This an exclusive venue for us and very please to have acquired this merger.

Sponsorship packages now available! Please contact me for further information!

Mahalo!
Vance Pascua
808-634-0404

Source: Event Promoter

Matyushenko Relishes Underdog Role Against Jones
by John Chandler

With a bout agreement inked and sent back on Tuesday, longtime MMA veteran Vladimir Matyushenko now has the official task of attempting to stop the rise of popular light heavyweight prospect Jon Jones in the main event of UFC on Versus 2, which is slated for Aug. 1 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Courtesy of a string of creative and impressive one-sided performances by Jones, Matyushenko, who has racked up consecutive victories over Igor Pokrajac and Eliot Marshall since returning to the UFC, will likely enter the bout as a decided underdog. It’s a role that he relishes.

“It’s a good thing. I like to be the underdog,” Matyushenko told the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Beatdown Show” on Tuesday. “In this case, it kind of calms me down. It doesn’t make me angry and stuff, it just motivates me to train and prove everybody wrong.”

When the Matyushenko-Jones matchup was first rumored to be taking place a couple of weeks ago, some fans expressed displeasure with the pairing and pressured the UFC brass to give Jones a different opponent, preferably a top-ranked foe that would his test his mettle.

Despite all of the negativity, Matyushenko doesn’t feel slighted. Instead, the 39-year-old former International Fight League champion is looking forward to the opportunity to show fans that he remains one of the top fighters at 205 pounds.

Vladdy embraces the underdog role.

“I don’t think of it as disrespect,” Matyushenko said of the fans’ reaction. “I think it is people somehow not being well-educated. These days in the UFC, the promotion (of fighters) is a lot greater than it was before. Still, the new generation of fans doesn’t really know who the older guys are. I’m one of the veterans of the sport and I’m here to prove that I’m still one of the best guys out there. That’s why I’m excited to be on the main card again. I’ll have to be in great shape and prove that I’m one of the best. I think that’s why the UFC didn’t put me on television at the start -- They wanted to see what kind of shape I was in and how I was going to do.

“The minds of the media and the fans have changed towards MMA. Now I feel like I can fight for these guys. Back in the day, I used to think, ‘Man, these are weird people’ but now I get mail from my fans almost every day. It’s incredible. When I wake up, I might be feeling sore from training and lazy, but now it serves as great motivation. I’m fighting for my fans right now, for you guys and for MMA in general.”

In Jones, Matyushenko finds himself going to head-to-head against another talented wrestler, albeit one who sports a dangerous arsenal of strikes as well. The puzzle Jones presents is one that Matyushenko, currently training alongside UFC veterans Antoni Hardonk and Jared Hamman at his gym in El Segundo, CA., is eager to solve.

“He’s definitely a talented and athletic guy. He wants to prove himself and I respect him very much,” Matyushenko said of Jones. “His style is very interesting and the fans seem to like it. Somebody has to stop him. It doesn’t seem like the fans want me to fight him very much but somebody has to do it. Why not another tough guy?

“He’s kind of hard to read because I know that he’s a different kind of wrestler but he also likes to strike. He’s a decent wrestler. He was able to take Brandon Vera down. It’ll be interesting though because we are both wrestlers. I’m going to try to please the fans with this fight. Earlier in my career, I didn’t really understand that, but these days, I’m trying to put on a good show. I don’t want to be known as a boring wrestler, but why change it if it works? When it comes down to it, you just want to win. My eventual goal is to fight for a title again and achieve my goal of becoming a UFC champion. This fight is going to be a big step (in that direction) for me.”

Source: Sherdog

Paulão out of Bellator

An upset Paulo Filho confirmed the news that reached the GRACIEMAG.com newsroom. He will no longer fight at the May 13 Bellator show, where he would have faced Hector Lombard. According to the fighter, the bureaucracy involved in getting his visa was what held him back.

“It seems the event took too long in sending out the letter I needed to present at the consulate and I’m not sure but it could be there was some kind of failure on the part of my managers. So, I won’t get my visa in time. I’m really upset because I’ve been training a lot. I did everything just right; I don’t know what to say,” he says.

“It got me down, but I’m not going to stop training. Something good will turn up,” he says in finishing.

Source: Gracie Magazine

UFC talent depth issues and Fedor’s fighting future
By Zach Arnold

I thought it was interesting to listen to Dave Meltzer say yesterday that the reason UFC selected Jason Brilz to replace Forrest Griffin in the fight against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira on 5/29 in Las Vegas is due to the lack of available roster depth. Too many shows (Spike, Versus, PPV) has led to conflicts in commitments with certain fighters on certain cards.

The news about Fedor vs. Fabricio Werdum on 6/26 in San Jose left me a little “blah.” The idea, reportedly, is that the winner of that fight will face the winner of the Brett Rogers/Alistair Overeem fight on 5/15 in St. Louis. That seems to be a little bit too long-term booking given the way Fedor’s been fighting these days. Plus, throw in the fact that DREAM already has been planning a triangle series with Fedor, Overeem, and Josh Barnett, and nothing should be taken for granted.

Kevin Randleman, who recently defended Scott Coker’s matchmaking as “pure,” may not fight Roger Gracie after all on 5/15 in St. Louis.

Steve Simmons in The Toronto Sun has an article about Toronto mayoral candidate Rob Ford wanting to bring MMA legislation forth to the area shortly. Speaking of Canadian politics, here’s Georges St. Pierre at Parliament Hill.

I am amazed at how many news wires picked up the UFC PR about Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin being officially booked for their July event. The star power of Lesnar is really huge.

Source: Fight Opinion

Eddie Alvarez: My Philly street fights puts Kimbo’s backyard brawls to shame
By Zach Arnold

On Eddie Alvarez’s Wikipedia page, someone listed the following under Fight History:

“Extensive street fighting background. Claims to be undefeated in unsanctioned fights.” [5]

The number [5] takes you to Alvarez’s Bellator web site profile which says the following:

Alvarez was born and raised in Kensington, a Philadelphia neighborhood notorious for being overrun with drugs, gangs and violence. To ensure his son’s safety, his father made sure he knew how to fight; he spent hours guiding his hands and hips to show him how to deliver the most power into a punch. At a young age, Alvarez took those lessons to the streets where he toted around two pairs of boxing gloves and challenged older children to fight. These battles took place in crowded city streets where the only breaks in action came when a car drove by or someone got knocked out. Like Rocky Balboa, another Philadelphia native, Alvarez gained respect by beating much larger opponents.

Alvarez made sure to point out during an interview with Sherdog on Monday that he, in fact, does not edit his Wikipedia page and had no idea where that claim came from. However, it’s not an assertion that he’s afraid to run away from.

“I have a lot more street fights than I did MMA fights, way way way more. Yeah, I mean, where I grew up my neighborhood was bad but I didn’t get fights in my neighborhood. I didn’t starting even getting into fights until like High School, maybe a little bit after High School but in my neighborhood there’s never fights, you got to fight and you’ll probably end up shot or dead after the fight so that wasn’t smart to fight in the neighborhood I grew up in but when I got out of High School I started hanging out, a lot of my friends today they still do the same thing I was doing when I was 18, 19, still getting into fights and things like that but it’s passed me, I did a real good job when I was street fighting and Kimbo wouldn’t have had shit on some of the tapes that I could have made when I was getting in trouble when I was younger.”

Alvarez knows a thing or two about bullies, having appeared on Mayhem Miller’s entertaining Bully Beatdown show on MTV. The Bellator Lightweight champion explained what parts of the show are scripted and what parts are real.

“The producers say to you and they say, you can beat him up, go beat him up, they tell me don’t slam too hard, not too hard, you can still slam but don’t because one of the guys got their ribs broke, I think Wilson Reis’ broke one of the guys’ ribs slamming him during the first season and no head kicks. Other than that, you know, show these dudes because the dudes, the guys who go on the show, I mean they’re not kidding, they honestly think they can do well against professional fighters, they do and I’m baffled and I think it should be legal to do what they do on Beatdown because most commissions won’t even let me fight a guy who you know even had a couple of professional fights, you know, the commission wouldn’t let that go, but yet I can fight a bully?”

Most of the time on Bully Beatdown, the “bully” ends up getting his ass kicked. Occasionally, you will see a fighter Thomas “Wildman” Denny (remember him from his fight against Nick Diaz?) who struggles against a scrub. Suffice to say, Eddie Alvarez didn’t want that happening to him on the show.

“I’m more nervous about fighting a bully than I am you know someone like Josh Neer, at least if Josh Neer beats me you know he’s a reputable guy and I could say, you know, oh he’s been in the game and you know this and that, but if this bully catches me I might as well hang it up, so there is… and the fighters would be lying if they say we weren’t a little bit nervous. I’m like shit, I’m going to go in there and handle this guy because if he can put up even a tenth of the fight, this is a lose-lose situation for me.”

Speaking of Josh Neer, the former UFC Lightweight fighter will be fighting Bellator’s Lightweight champion this Thursday in Boston. (TV: Fox Sports Net/Comcast Sportsnet). As Bjorn Rebney recently noted in an interview with The Fight Nerd, booking season one Bellator FC champions in super fights while season two tournaments are taking place is a risky deal. If one of the season one champions lose, it makes future booking that much harder.

“Absolutely and that is more of I’ve said many times part of the time I wear the promoter’s hat and part of the time I wear the fan’s hat and the safe road to pursue would be the road that would Eddie Alvarez sitting back and basically fighting conceivably fighting nobody or sitting back and waiting for the tournament to play itself out… but the fan in me would like to see the Josh Neer/Eddie Alvarez and I don’t think that it’s fair to an Eddie Alvarez or a Hector Lombard or Joe Soto to put them on the fence for five-six months and have them just sit. The life expectancy of these guys in this game is relatively short. You’re talking about a few years in some instances. I mean some guys are freaks like Randy Couture who are able to fight on and on in an never-ending fashion, but for most guys it’s a pretty short life expectancy. So, to fight a guy twice a year based on that to me is not fair and as a fan I want to see Eddie Alvarez, I want to see him challenged…”

Alvarez is perfectly happy with taking fight bookings rather than sitting back and waiting for season two’s tournament to play out — no matter how dangerous the fight is.

“Anybody who’s a veteran like Josh who’s been around a while always a risky fight but you know I’m not fighting because I want to fight shitty… I want to fight guys who want to challenge me and make me put on the best performance that I put on or it’s not even worth tuning in.

“I need to get a fight before the winner of the tournament, I mean that would have left me waiting around for a full year or something waiting for the winner of the tournament and I actually would have liked to fight before this but unfortunately I had to undergo surgery on my meniscus to get that all straightened out before I was able to get back in there. I don’t want to come back injured, you know, and put on a shitty show so I’m 100% now and I think Josh, regardless of who fights, puts on good fights. I’ve seen a lot of his past fights against you know good opponents and he’s a game dude, he sticks around and he throws a lot of stuff so I think it makes for a great fight.”

Alvarez is fighting Neer while coming off of knee surgery to repair meniscus damage, damage that he believes he suffered while fighting extensively last year in the DREAM ring in Japan.

“I fought in the DREAM tournament and I kind of tweaked it there, I just kept… I knew I had to get through the tournament with it so I just kept fighting through it and fighting through it and I just kind of procrastinated with the doctor and then I fought in the Bellator tournament and fought through the injury there as well, I think it was just the wear and tear. I think I just tore it a little bit and I should ahve got a fix when I tore it a little bit. Instead I just kept fighting and fighting and fighting trying to stack up some money, trying to beat some good guys and I got an injury. No biggie, I mean it was a minor, minor setback in what I was trying to do here.”

With the Alvarez family growing, he needs to keep making some money.

“You keep making babies, you got to keep making money.”

Part of making money is winning fights and maintaining a high perception in the minds of promoters and agents. Hey, I could insert a cheap plug in here for the Independent World MMA rankings, but that would be horrible of me to do. Except, of course, if you’re an agent and you represent someone like Eddie Alvarez, who is one of the 5 best Lightweights in the entire planet. Some fighters are complete marks for rankings and other fighters don’t care about them. Alvarez falls in the latter category, except of course when the rankings come into play when it comes to the size of his paycheck.

“I think rankings are no more than a way to negotiate your pay to a promotion when you become a free agent. Other than that, the rankings mean nothing. It doesn’t mean that the #5 guy can beat the #6 guy or the #6 guy can beat the 1st guy, I mean that’s just a way for my manager to say to a promoter, “Hey look my guy’s you know, he’s a high-ranked guy, so this is what he’s worth.” Other than that, they mean nothing, that doesn’t mean I can’t beat BJ, that don’t mean Frankie can’t beat BJ, you know you’ve seen it happen. In the last two weeks, the 1st and 2nd ranked guys got beat by what, the 7th and 10th ranked guys, something like that? It means nothing.”

Where Alvarez ranks amongst the world’s best Lightweights is up for dispute, but Bellator FC boss Bjorn Rebney raised eyebrows when he said that Eddie was in position to be the #1 Lightweight in the world should he beat Josh Neer on Thursday.

“I think it can because you know we’ve got, and again this is my opinion and it’s subjective, BJ (Penn) was #1 in the world and (Shinya) Aoki was #2 and there’s a good argument that Eddie was typically #3 in that line on most people’s rankings so BJ loses a fight and Aoki loses a fight pretty handily and Eddie is sitting in a position now where he can fight Josh Neer and ultimately establish himself as #1.”

I tend to think that 99 out of 100 MMA fans would say that whoever is the UFC Lightweight champion is the best Lightweight in the world, which means Frankie Edgar is #1. BJ Penn, who will re-match with Edgar in Boston, is #2. After that, you can certainly make a case that Alvarez is somewhere in the #3-#5 range, which is pretty great for a fighter outside of the UFC. Plus, it doesn’t help matters that Alvarez lost to Shin’ya Aoki, who got tooled by Gilbert Melendez last month. However, that’s MMAth.

With the fight on Thursday against Josh Neer, Eddie Alvarez is happy to make himself one of the major players in Bellator. Although his options of fighting in Japan for DREAM are still open, Eddie is primarily focused on becoming Bellator’s main ace and building up a promotion in America.

“I actually finished up all my obligations to DREAM with the Kikuno fight, that was my last fight on my contract but I’m still in great relations with Japan, they’re always asking me to come back and they’re willing to take me back whenever that is and I love it there, I love fighting there, but I truly want to build a top organization here in America, I want to help build Bellator. There’s UFC, there’s Strikeforce, and I think there’s room to have 3 or 4 top promotions here in America so I want to help build one of the top promotions and I want to help build it, they’re my main obligation right now so I’m signed with them and I’ll be fighting for them for as much in whoever they want me to fight and until you know they don’t have any fights for me or something like that if they’re going to take a break and I want to keep going then I’m sure Bjorn Rebney, he’s a really cool guy, he’s willing to lend me out here to try to get one of the other big names.”

Whether Alvarez wins or loses against Neer, he will end up facing the winner of season two’s tournament that includes the likes of Roger Huerta. Admittedly, Alvarez hasn’t watched much of the tournament so far.

“If I have a little bit down time I definitely record them and I’m going to get around to watching them. I did see one of the Bellator cards so far, I mean it was a really good card, but to be honest with you, my main focus is Josh Neer, I’m not looking past anyone. i want to beat him, I want to dominate him, and I want to beat him in a dominating fashion and then move on and prove why I’m the top ranked Lightweight in the world and prove why I’m the Bellator champion.”

Alvarez, like many MMA champions, is expected to not only win in strong fashion in each of his fights but also finish off opponents and avoid having fights go the score cards. We know about a lot of the awful MMA judging that currently exists in the business, but the main reason fans and promoters want to see fighters win and win decisively is because it’s more exciting and it leads to bigger paydays. Alvarez has an interesting take on what average MMA fans want to see when they go to a show and what their expectations are from fighters.

“I go back and forth with this as a fighter to be honest with you because I really like watching guys who are exciting, who throw caution to the wind, who look like they’re out and not caring, they’re the guys that I like to watch and they’re the guys I actually watch the sport for. To be honest with you, I don’t think anyone gives a shit if I win or I lose except for me and maybe my family and a couple of my close relatives. So the majority of the people who tune in to watch me are to watch me do something crazy, do something exciting, do something to take risks and make a fight and it’s only a real small, small percentage like maybe 1, 2% of the people watching really care if I win or not and I think the promoter’s feel the same way, the people, the money behind it feel the same way that the win’s not important as putting on a ridiculous fight or a ridiculous show so I think, I don’t know I go back and forth on it. I think you should win and should be able to do it in an exciting, devastating, high-pace, violent fashion. I think that’s the key to being entertaining and being a good fighter is to win and be entertaining, not just to do one or the other and it’s a hard task to do but that’s what we’re paid for, I mean that’s what you go to do.”

Hey, we care, but we also fall into the 1-2% that Eddie is referring to. Now, when we talk about fighters and their ability to finish fights, there are certain fighters who fall into a category of fighting exciting fights for the sake of it (Clay Guida, Jorge Gurgel, Marcus Davis) and then there are fighters who stick to a meticulous game plan and exciting or boring, they are more or less interested in winning at the end of the day (Greg Jackson’s guys). While the bonus system used by promotions such as UFC and Strikeforce can produce “sloppy C-level kickboxing” fights that the fans cheer for, Alvarez thinks that the bonus system is a big reason why you get such inconsistency in the sport in terms of fighter performances.

“Here’s the deal. This is how I feel about the whole thing. If the promoters are going to mad at the fighters about not putting on exciting fights and only worrying about the win and they’re going to get in their face and get mad at a fighter, take away the win bonus. Pay the guy a flat rate, pay him like an athlete, pay him like the rest of these guys. Don’t tell him he’s got to get $500,000 to show up and then whether he wins or not is the case of $1,000,000, you know how shaky, how nervous I’m going to be if the difference between me winning or losing is a million dollars? That’s crazy. I’m going to second-guess myself and maybe not do things that I’d normally do, so pay the man a flat rate, what you feel he’s worth, and then it will take all the pressure off of him and he can go out there and kick some ass.

“I never went into a training camp saying, ‘Oh, I’m only going $30,000 for this one so I’m not going into tonight, I’m not going to work out tonight because I’m only getting $30,000 for this fight.’ A real fighter is going to train to win regardless, it doesn’t matter what he’s getting paid, $1,000 or $100,000, so just pay him for you think he’s worth, don’t tell him he’s worth any less or he’s getting paid less because he lost a fight, that doesn’t mean he trains any less for that fight than the other ones he won.”

With a 19-2 record, Alvarez has won 17 of his fights by submission or KO/TKO. His track record as a fighter is one of a fighter that puts it all on the line and is rarely boring.

“You’ve seen my fights, I’m not a safe playing type of dude. I kind of you know ready, aim, fire type of person. I get in there and start mixing it up and don’t worry about it when I’m in the middle of it.”

With a win on Thursday night, Alvarez will continue to cement his position in Bellator as one of the promotion’s top aces and the face of the #3 company in the North American MMA scene.

Source: Fight Opinion

BELLATOR ADDS ULYSSES GOMEZ TO 135 LBS TOURNEY
Press Release courtesy of Bellator Fighting Championships

Bellator Fighting Championships put another piece in place for its upcoming Season 3 Bantamweight Tournament on Thursday with the addition of Las Vegas-based submission grappler Ulysses Gomez.

The 26-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt boasts a 6-1 overall professional record with all of his six victories coming via submission. He will enter the tournament in the midst of a four-fight winning streak that includes a five-round unanimous decision victory over jiu-jitsu black belt Luis “Speedy” Gonzalez Wednesday night in Fresno, Calif.

“Ulysses has a great background in jiu-jitsu which could serve him well in our 135 tournament,” said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “He comes to us through the same management team that provided Joe Soto during Season 1, so their track record is very impressive. We’re happy to have him and look forward to watching him fight in our Bantamweight Tournament this summer.”

Gomez is the third confirmed participant in Bellator’s Season 3 Bantamweight Tournament along with Kansas City’s Danny Tims and Hawaii’s Mark Oshiro. Bellator Season 3 begins August 12th and will again be televised LIVE every Thursday night on FOX Sports Net and during taped Saturday night Bellator highlight shows on NBC, Telemundo and the cable network mun2.

Gomez was born in Southern California but moved to Las Vegas at the age of 12. At around the same time, he saw his first pro MMA fight and got hooked. He started training in jiu-jitsu and competing in a variety of local and regional grappling competitions. He made the transition to MMA in his early 20s and took his first pro fight in March 2008.

A father of two, Gomez comes from a family of athletes. His older brother, Herculez, is a renowned pro soccer player who spent seven years in the MLS before moving over to Puebla FC of the Primera Division de Mexico. Ulysses Gomez is known for wearing the soccer jersey of his brother’s current team as his walk-out T-shirt before his fights.

“My brother is a great athlete and a role model to me,” he said. “My own career, on the other hand, is just getting started and I think Bellator is going to take me to the next level. I love the tournament format, I love that they market to Hispanics. God’s given me the talent, so now I want to make the most of it."

Source: MMA Weekly

NEXT WEC PPV UNDECIDED, WILL REMAIN UNBRANDED
by Damon Martin

The numbers for first ever WEC pay-per-view still haven't been released, but everyone involved seems to believe it was a success, and more shows will follow.

UFC president Dana White said on Thursday that they still haven't decided 100 percent what they'll do next with the WEC pay-per-views, but discussions are on going.

One thing he does know for sure is that the non-branding of the pay-per-views will continue. At the Aldo vs. Faber event, the WEC logo was nowhere to be found during the broadcast.

"We're the pay-per-view team; it will be the same way," said White.

Expectations were high for the show after Leonard Garcia and Chan Sung Jung put on one of the most entertaining fights ever in WEC history just before the pay-per-view started, prompting many fans to pick up the show to continue the action.

White still stands by his thoughts about the pay-per-view model as well, believing that friends gathering together and buying a fight card is still a cheap form of entertainment in today's economy.

He says the numbers for the Aldo vs. Faber pay-per-view justified the move for the WEC.

There's been no word on when the WEC will do another pay-per-view card, but if all of the expectations around the last one come to fruition, they probably won't wait long.

Source: MMA Weekly

Update: Hardy-Hazelett Off for UFC 119
by Greg Savage

Although Dan Hardy and Dustin Hazelett initially committed to meet in a welterweight bout tentative for September or October at UFC 119 in Hardy’s home country of England, the bout was scratched Thursday afternoon due to scheduling conflicts.

Hazelett has withdrawn from the bout, as he will be getting married in September, a source told Sherdog.com. Hardy is expected to remain on the card against a new opponent.

It will be the 27-year-old Brit’s first bout since dropping a unanimous decision to champion Georges St. Pierre at UFC 111 in March. Hardy built an impressive UFC resume on his way to the title shot, amassing a spotless 4-0 record. He notched wins over notables Mike Swick and Marcus Davis before heavily partisan English crowds, which propelled him up the welterweight rankings to his eventual showdown with St. Pierre.

Jordan Breen contributed to this report.

Update: This article was updated at 7:43 p.m. ET to reflect Hazelett's withdrawal from the bout and to add that the event may occur in October.

Source: Sherdog

'Fancy Pants' vs. 'Shaolin' Still On for May 15 Strikeforce Card
By Ray Hui

The Lyle "Fancy Pants" Beerbohm vs. Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro lightweight bout will go on as scheduled on the undercard of the Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery event on May 15 in St. Louis, MMAFighting.com has learned.

The match had been in question after Beerbohm posted a strange message on MixedMartialArts.com late Thursday looking for a lawyer to help him get out of his contract with Strikeforce.

According to a source close to Beerbohm, the fighter was upset when he posted the message at the time and has since decided that he will put the frustrations behind him to concentrate on taking on Ribeiro.

Beerbohm (13-0) is most known for spending a year in jail for drug related crimes only to find an honest career in MMA in 2007. Beerbohm made his Strikeforce debut last June, submitting Duane "Bang" Ludwig with a first-round choke.

Ribeiro (20-3) is a former Shooto and Cage Rage champion who is coming over from DREAM for his Strikeforce debut. Ribeiro's last fight was decision loss to DREAM lightweight champion Shinya Aoki.

Source: MMA Fighting

4/8/10

UFC 5/8 Montreal (Bell Centre)
By Zach Arnold

Hawaii Air Times:
3:00 - 5:00PM
Channel 701 Oceanic

Countdown show:
Spike Channel 559
3:00 - 4:00PM

Dark matches

¦Middleweights: Jason MacDonald vs. John Salter
¦Welterweights: Yoshiyuki Yoshida vs. Mike Guymon
¦Heavyweights: Tim Hague vs. Joey Beltran
¦Welterweights: TJ Grant vs. Johny Hendricks
¦Welterweights: Marcus Davis vs. Jonathan Goulet
¦Middleweights: Joe Doerksen vs. Tom Lawlor
Main card

¦Middleweights: Patrick Cote vs. Alan Belcher
¦Heavyweights: Kimbo Slice vs. Matt Mitrione
¦Lightweights: Sam Stout vs. Jeremy Stephens
¦#1 contender’s match (Welterweights): Josh Koscheck vs. Paul Daley
¦UFC Light Heavyweight Title match: Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio Shogun

Source: Fight Opinion

GroundWarz

8 MAN SUBMISSION GRAPPLING TOURNAMENT
SATURDAY, MAY 8

CHAMPION WINS $800 CASH

CALL 428-9196 TO REGISTER OR REPLY TO THIS POSTING WITH NAME, NUMBER AND SCHOOL

CURRAN SHOCKS HUERTA, ALVAREZ SUBS NEER
by Paul Gara

BOSTON – The big question after the fights on Thursday night? Where is Roger Huerta’s head at this stage of his fight career? Was it an issue of a rhythmic drought? Is his focus on something other than mixed martial arts right now? Or did he overlook his opponent, Pat Curran, in this lightweight semifinal tournament bout? Regardless of the speculation, Huerta and Curran put on a great show.

The first round started with Curran landing brutal kicks to the body of Huerta that generated gasps of pity from the audience. It was Huerta’s slowest of the three rounds. He seemed to be waiting for a brawl, but Curran wasn’t interested in playing into that game.

In the second round the pace started to pick up. Huerta was given periods of the “brawl” he wanted from Curran, but during those periods Curran stayed focused, landed good counter punches, and even several foot jabs to the head and mid-section of his opponent.

The fans seemed to recognize that Curran was the underdog and they cheered as he escaped Huerta’s back control in the third. Huerta appeared to recognize he was falling behind on the scorecards because he was emptying his tank in the final stanza of the fight. The only problem was he wasn’t landing too many of the punches he was dishing out, instead getting tagged with Curran’s counterstrikes.

Whatever it seemed to be that was getting in the way of the Huerta we’re used to watching, it didn’t appear to bother him. His post-fight facial expressions looked to be those of a man who wasn’t upset with a loss. He smiled as Curran’s hand was raised, and left the cage in the same manor.

The man of the night was Toby Imada, who stole the show with his confident, skill-soaked performance against Carey Vanier. Imada has been on a continuous up-slope since making his mainstream debut with Bellator last year, Thursday night was just another point higher on that slope for him.

The first round was mainly Vanier’s with his wrestling control and takedowns. Imada was still there though, with his close kneebar attempt toward the end of the round. It could have been the right uppercut that he popped Vanier with as the bell sounded that acted as his boost to steal the fight in the second round.

Imada came out for round two pushing the pace hard. It seemed like he had his opponent all figured out by that point. When he landed shots, his boxing looked beautiful. He continued to impress as the fight continued onward, getting crafty as he transitioned from one thing to another. He landed a few punches, switched to a head and arm clinch that he used to set-up an unorthodox body kick, and then launched into a flying leglock, taking the fight to the ground, all within seconds. Vanier defended the leglock, but shortly after got caught in an armbar that Imada refused to let him escape.

Eddie Alvarez carried out a dominating performance over the always-tough Josh Neer. Although it wasn’t the flashy showing we’re used to seeing out of Alvarez, it was still a clean and prosperous victory.

It was Alvarez’ effortless wrestling ability that kept him where he wanted to be in this fight. He stayed postured and avoided Neer’s up-kick attempts on the mat. Alvarez set up his guard passes with solid punches to the head of his grounded opponent and he worked his way to mount several times throughout the fight. Neer proved why he’s not an easy fight for anybody, with a sneaky, cage-walk sweep in the first round.

Alvarez showcased more of his diverse skill-set in the second round after taking his opponents back and sinking in a rear naked choke. Neer stood up and defended as long as he could before he crashed head first into the chain-link cage wall, unconscious.

Out of all the local fighters on the card, none shined as bright as up-and-comer Josh Laberge. Now training full-time with the Lauzon camp in Bridgewater, Mass., Laberge is getting more and more consistent with each fight. He was no stranger to his opponent, Dan Bonnell, having already defeated him on the local Massachusetts circuit. Thursday night’s rematch was almost a replica of their first fight, just a bit faster and bit meaner.

The fighters circled each other briefly before Laberge dropped Bonnell with a quick one-two combination. That was the beginning of the end for Bonnell as the much stronger Laberge rushed forward, stuffing his opponent’s frantic takedown attempts. Laberge landed a punch every chance he was given, until he was able to rotate around to Bonnell’s back. From there, he pounded his opponent with brutal right hands to the side of the head before his opponent went limp and the referee called the fight at just 48 seconds of the first.

MAIN CARD BOUTS (Televised):
Cole Konrad def. Pat Bennett by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 29-28, 30-27) R3
Eddie Alvarez def. Josh Neer by Technical Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 2:08, R2
Pat Curran def. Roger Huerta by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) R3
Toby Imada def. Carey Vanier by Submission (Armbar) at 3:33, R2

SWING BOUTS:
Greg Rebello def. John Doyle by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) R3
Justin Torrey def. Lance Everson by TKO (Due to Strikes) at 3:55, R2

PRELIMINARY BOUTS:
Josh Laberge def. Dan Bonnell by KO (Due to Strikes) at 0:48, R1
Chuck O’Neil def. Damien Vitale by TKO (Cut Stoppage) at 1:02, R3

Source: MMA Weekly

UFC 113 Main Event Breakdown:
Lyoto Machida vs. Shogun Rua
By Mike Chiappetta

Depending on if you believe your own eyes, or what stats, judges, reporters or fans you put your trust in, a case could be made for either Mauricio "Shogun" Rua or Lyoto Machida as the winner of their first light-heavyweight championship fight at UFC 104. While neither side has conceded the debate over the last six months, at least Saturday's UFC 113 may finally bring some closure to the issue.

With a matchup so close the first time around, it is clear that the changes and adjustments both men make will decide who walks out of the octagon in Montreal with the belt for good.

Going into their Oct. 2009 matchup, Machida was nearly a 5-to-1 favorite, as most people believed that the disciplined counter-striker extraordinaire would be able to capitalize on Rua's wildness and activity. But a funny thing happened to "the Dragon" on the way to world dominance: Rua threw him a changeup. Instead of the aggressive, wild Rua most expected, we got a patient, tactical version with a sharp plan and the discipline to execute it.

By the end of the first round, it was clear to see that Rua understood that his greatest strength played directly into Machida's, and that a new strategy would be the best strategy. Instead of head-hunting, Rua spent a lot of time on kicks to the body and legs, hoping to wear the champion down in the late rounds, when he'd be slower and more susceptible to more traditional attacks. Machida, meanwhile, landed his own shots occasionally, but for the first time in his UFC career looked uncertain of his own strategy.

Tactically at least, Shogun achieved what he wanted to, frustrating the champion and finding openings that few realized were so readily available.

In the end, however, the judges scored it three rounds to two for Machida. With the benefit of hindsight (as well as a review of ensuing comments by the ringside judges), it seems likely that the judges valued Machida's headstrikes above Rua's attack to the body and legs, and that small distinction could have cost Rua the world title.

So what will change this time around? It's impossible to say. The interesting thing here is both sides firmly believe they won, so they have little reason to abandon their plan in the second meeting, and are much more likely to simply add in a few alternations. That said, one side is going to blink first.

Machida knows Shogun came within a whisker of ending his title reign, and Shogun is well aware that if he did just a little bit more, he'd be the champion right now.

Making that assumption, I expect Rua to employ a similar game plan, sprinkled with a bit more aggression in hopes of more decisively winning rounds.

Machida is a counterpuncher to the core. That's what he's always been most comfortable doing, and he doesn't figure to change. He may be more prepared for what's coming and have a better sense of Rua's timing, but I don't expect that to make him alter what he's been doing all these years.

His sense of distance and timing is unreal and unusual, and because of that, he's always had a built-in advantage over opponents, who can't really understand what they're in for until they're standing across from him. But that advantage is gone this time around. Unlike every other fighter who's stepped into the cage with Machida, Rua has the luxury of having experienced his timing, style and pace. So at least in theory, fighting him a second time should be easier, not more difficult.

He also understands how to get to Machida. His leg and body kicks were effective. Sure, Machida will have a better idea of Rua's arsenal, but Rua has more to fall back on. He can always threaten with takedowns (an underrated part of his game), he can mix up his pace, he can threaten from all sorts of places. Machida can just react.

The danger comes if Rua abandons the conservative strategy of the first fight, overextends himself and goes too far. I don't see that happening. I think he does enough to win exchanges and then pulls out to avoid any counters and restart his offense.

There is one other factor at play here, one that it may be easy to dismiss or ignore as it has nothing to do with either Rua or Machida, and that is the judges. The three people who are scoring this bout are painfully aware of the controversy from the first fight. In a close round, it's certainly possible that history affects their scoring, even if it's only on a subconscious level. After all, nobody wants to see Rua get "robbed" again.

Shogun has been back from his injury for well over a year. I think he's back to the athletic form that made him arguably the world's best 205-pounder five years ago, and his evolved maturity and discipline are new weapons in his arsenal.

His performance last October was no fluke; it was a strategic game plan implemented brilliantly. It was in some ways a Machida-like performance. Now it is up to Rua to one-up himself. With the psychological affects of fighting Machida out of the way, I think he'll do it. Machida is no longer a puzzle to him; he's just a man who can be hit, who can be hurt, who is human.

Shogun is the mystery now. He threw more, landed more and made Machida miss more. It was one fight where the loser left with motivation, confidence, and a deeper understanding of the fight's dynamics. It carries over to the sequel, and he won't be denied. Rua by decision.

Source: MMA Fighting

Machida’s expectations
by Carlos Eduardo Ozório

After the middleweight title fight between Anderson Silva and Demian Maia that was enshrouded in controversy, but which yielded an undisputable win for the Spider, UFC fans’ attention has turned to the next title contest, the rematch between Lyoto Machida and Maurício Shogun. The bout is set to go down this Saturday at UFC 113. In the penultimate issue of Brazil’s NOCAUTE magazine (86), Lyoto spoke of what has changed for the all-important showdown.

“What changed is that I know him now. I might not know him entirely, but I got a feel of what he’s like. It’s one thing to watch from the outside, it’s another to be in there and feel the distance, the timing, the strategy. So I already know his game, as he does mine. Nevertheless, despite the two of us knowing each other, this is a new fight. A lot can change. Surely, our strategies will be different. At the level where the sport is today, this competitiveness, strategy and training count a lot. It’s not that MMA from years ago, the demands are much greater,” says Lyoto in analysis.

“The fact we know each other now makes it easier to train. Of course we have to close all the angles to not get taken by surprise, but it makes the work easier,” adds the karateka.

Regarding his performance, Lyoto hints that, despite his pursuing different methods, he won’t stray much from his main characteristics.

“It’s hard to completely change your style. You have to try and correct the mistakes made and maintain what you did right in the last fight. I think that will be the key to success in this one. Everyone is waiting to see who has the better game plan and who will take the initiative,” he says.

Now regarding his opponent, he doesn’t rubbish the idea Shogun may be completely different from when they last faced each other.

“I watch our fight a lot, but also his other ones. The Shogun who fought me wasn’t the one people were used to seeing. I felt that his game was defensive against me. As he is very versatile, he may change. That’s why I watch all his fights, like the last time we met,” he says.

As for the action in their next trip to the octagon, this time around could make for a more exciting fight.

“I think a lot may change. Both Shogun and I have some well-defined fundamentals, our standing games, takedowns and grappling. Hence we can switch up as we please. We can be more or less offensive and work in all these realms. The profile of the modern-day fighter is to be complete, which is why I believe this fight will be totally different from the last one. It might not be, but I believe we learned a lot from the first confrontation and we’re going into a new battle.”

One thing is for sure, there are a lot of expectations surrounding this bout!

“It’s a title fight and, just for that reason, it creates greater expectations. He wants to be champion and I want to hold on to my title. That brings about a healthy rivalry and makes for a more anticipated fight. What new elements will arise now? What has changed? All that brings expectations, much more than the first time,” he says in finishing.

Shogun’s expectations
by Carlos Eduardo Ozório

It won’t be long now before Maurício Shogun faces off with Lyoto Machida. This Saturday, at UFC 113 in Canada, the two will do battle for the light heavyweight belt at UFC 113. In statements reported in Brazil’s NOCAUTE magazine, and reproduced on GRACIEMAG.com (see here), Lyoto remarked that nothing has changed for him in the lead-up to this rematch. Now it’s time to see what Shogun is thinking:

“The truth is that I see no difference. What I see is that I’ll have another shot and I’m going to hold on to it tooth and nail. Surely, that’s a big difference. I’ll go in there with more desire,” says the Curitiba native.

The fact that he has faced Lyoto once before and learned more about his opponent’s game shouldn’t make much difference. Both now know each other very well.

“In the same way it favors me, it favors him. Just as I know more about his game, he knows a bit more about mine now. The truth is that neither of us gains an advantage,” he explains.

It’s not Shogun’s first rematch either. But, in regards to the others, the Pride FC champion points out some positives.

“The good side of this one with Lyoto is that it was confirmed right after the first. So I was ready for him, I’d already been training for his style. Thus I could stick to similar training, without changing much. Of course I’ll be keen to some things to surprise him and for him not to surprise me. In this respect, it’s easier,” he said, with his eyes on Machida.

“The evolution of MMA these days makes it so you can focus on your opponent. That’s what I do. I watch the fight with Lyoto and review what he does well,” he says in finishing.

UFC 113
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
May 8, 2010

Lyoto Machida vs Mauricio “Shogun” Rua

Paul Daley vs Josh Koscheck

Jeremy Stephens vs Sam Stout

Alan Belcher vs Patrick Cote

Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson vs Matt Mitrione

Tim Credeur vs Tom Lawlor

Marcus Davis vs Jonathan Goulet

Mike Guymon vs Yoshiyuki Yoshida

Joey Beltran vs Chad Corvin

T.J. Grant vs Johny Hendricks

Nick Catone vs John Salter


Source: Gracie Magazine

Belfort: “Sonnen will be a great challenge”
By Guilherme Cruz

Vitor Belfort has been chosen to dispute the belt with another Brazilian, Anderson Silva, but a shoulder injury forced the UFC’s former champion to take some time off. Recovering from his problems, Vitor talked to TATAME about Anderson’s next fight, against the American Chael Sonnen, on UFC 117.

“Each fight is different; I can’t say how it is going to be… For sure Sonnen will be a great challenge, and I’m pretty sure the fight will be tied. They are two good fighters, now is up to us to wait”, said Belfort, who does not consider himself as a threaten to Anderson’s title on the Ultimate, praising the work of former challengers to the Brazilian’s belt, as Demian Maia, Thales Leites, Patrick Cote and Dan Henderson.

“In a certain way, they were all challenges because everyone has the chance to become a challenge. Me, for sure, will be one too. Now I have to wait for my chance and make it worth”, said the black belt, who is anxious to come back to the hard trainings. “They said I could work on my fitness, I’m almost released to train… I’ll be ready in September, but they didn’t say anything to me… For now I’m just enjoying my time with my kids (laughs)”, concluded Vitor.

Source: Tatame

Georges St-Pierre, Winner of Koscheck-Daley to Coach TUF 12
By Ariel Helwani

MONTREAL -- Georges St-Pierre and the winner of UFC 113's Josh Koscheck vs. Paul Daley fight will be the coaches on season 12 of The Ultimate Figher, Dana White announced prior to Friday's weigh-ins at the Bell Centre.

"I'm very pumped for that," St-Pierre said, "and tomorrow I'll be watching carefully the fight between Koscheck and Daley."

White announced at Thursday's pre-fight press conference that the winner of Koscheck-Daley will fight GSP for the title later this year.

The 12th season of The Ultimate Fighter is expected to air in September on Spike TV.

?"I figured this would be the perfect place to announce the next coaches for the next season of The Ultimate Fighter," White said, considering Montreal is GSP's hometown.

"It's a big fight for these guys," White said of Koscheck and Daley. "Not only do they get a shot at the title and a shot at Georges St-Pierre, they get a chance to coach on The Ultimate Fighter."

GSP was an assistant coach on the fourth season of the show, but never a head coach. He successfully defended his 170-pound title against Dan Hardy at UFC 111 in March.

If history is any lesson, GSP will then defend his title against the winner of Saturday's No. 1 contender fight following the conclusion of the show in December.

Source: MMA Fighting

Leites Makes Short Work of Taylor
Jimmo Dominates Gouveia for UD Win
By Kelsey Mowatt

Thales Leites needed less than three minutes tonight in Edmonton, Alberta, to tap out fellow UFC veteran Jesse Taylor, as the noted jiu-jitsu practitioner extended his post-Octagon winning streak to three at the Maximum Fighting Championship’s 25th event.

The accomplished wrestler Taylor immediately shot in for the takedown on the former UFC middleweight title contender, and although he took Leites to the mat with relative ease, he immediately was put on the defensive by his opponent’s active and open guard. As Taylor attempted to punish Leites from the top position, it became apparent that somewhere in the action the Team Quest fighter had been cut above his eye, as the American tried to stay clear of Leites’ armbar and triangle-choke attempts. Despite Taylor’s efforts Leites had soon ensnared his opponent in a triangle-choke, and with his left arm also trapped by the Nova Uniao fighter, the former “Ultimate Fighter” competitor had no choice but to tap.

Ryan Jimmo likely silenced some of the pundits that have criticized the experienced karate competitor in the past for his apparent lack of aggressiveness, as although the Canadian light-heavyweight was unable to stop Wilson Gouveia, he punished the UFC veteran throughout much of their bout.

Gouveia, who came in 3 pounds over weight yesterday and did not look as fit as he has in previous UFC appearances, was somewhat tentative from the opening bell, and aside from landing several hard kicks to Jimmo’s legs, he offered little offense. In the second round Jimmo rocked Gouveia with a flurry of strikes, and after the jiu-jitsu black belt went reeling to the mat, Jimmo blasted his opponent with elbows and punches. Although Gouveia managed to outlast the onslaught and make it out of the round, it was clear that an upset was in the making.

In round three Gouveia was unable to come up with the stoppage that he needed, and although Jimmo was also unable to finish off the American Top Team fighter, he once again outscored his opponent to win the round. Afterwards Jimmo was announced as the Unanimous Decision victor, in what is likely the 13-1 fighter’s biggest win to date.

In another light-heavyweight tilt that also had title shot implications riding on it, former MFC champion Emanuel Newton utilized his advanced wrestling skills to control opponent Dwayne Lewis, en route to the UD win. Although Lewis threatened with strikes or submissions on a couple of occasions, Newton was consistently able to counter with the takedown and score with punches from the top position. An elated Newton celebrated the victory afterwards, one which ended the fighter’s three fight losing streak.

Pete Spratt once again lived up to his reputation as a powerful striker, as the welterweight punished fellow UFC veteran Luigi Fioravanti throughout their fight with kicks to the legs and body, before finishing the ATT fighter with a barrage of strikes in the third round. Although Spratt’s performance was impressive, it was announced during the HDNet broadcast that Fioravanti was recovering from a bout of food poisoning, which may have played a factor in his somewhat tentative approach.

MFC 25 HDNet Broadcast Results

Thales Leites def. Jesse Taylor by Submission (triangle-choke) R1 2:27
Ryan Jimmo def. Wilson Gouveia by Unanimous Decision
Emanuel Newton def. Dwayne Lewis by Unanimous Decision
Pete Spratt def. Luigi Fioravanti by TKO (punches) R3 3:02
Gavin Neil def. Richie Hightower by Submission (rear-naked-choke) R1 2:52
Chase Gormley def. Ryan Fortin by Unanimous Decision

Source: Full Contact Fighter

Brazilian experts talks Lyoto vs Shogun 2

There are few days left before the most expected revenge of the year and TATAME talked to experts about the duel between Lyoto Machida and Maurício Shogun, which will happen on Staturday (8) on UFC 113, on Canada. Wanderlei Silva, Rogério Minotouro, Anderson Silva, Zé Mário Sperry, Ricardo Arona, Sérgio Cunha... The team of experts analyzed the confrontation and the result is really tied. Check below the opinion from who is inside the fight world and stay tuned to know everything about UFC 113, which will have a real time coverage of TATAME this weekend.

Rudimar Fedrigo: “My expectations are that this fight will be better than the first, I wouldn’t bet on anyone. I believe the athletes will risk more, the fight will be more intense, more decisively. I think they won’t change much their strategies. What will change is their determination. The athlete who search more the knockout or the submission until the end will be the winner”

Demian Maia: “because they know each other, I hope the fight will be more aggressive. On the other fight Shogun went forward and Lyoto backward, even for their style, but I think Lyoto will risk more. I didn’t matter how aggressive Shogun was in the last fight, he has the respect for the unexpected, but he doesn’t have it anymore. They stood up there for almost half an hour, now they know each other. I love Lyoto, but I cheer for Shogun. We used to train together when he has his fight against Chuck Liddell. But I don’t know who will win”

Wanderlei Silva: “I think Shogun could see that Lyoto couldn’t hold him... Shogun really is a talent guy, if he’s well trained it’s hard to catch him and if he’s in a good shape as he was in the otehr fight, I don’t see him having much problems. Lyoto has a defensive style, moves very well and the judges must see it, but I think that fighting is about contact, otherwise the competition will became a marathon and that’s not good for the sport… Fighting is a contact sport. But I think this revenge is going to be very interesting, I’ll watch it live if I can, the first one was good enough for us to expect a lot from this. Lyoto could tell he has to do more than he did for winning this fight. Me, in particular, think that Shogun won the first fight. Me and the whole world. Only in Brazil people tought that Lyoto had won, I don’t know why. Shogun was upset with people from the television... People from TV has to understand that you have to judge the fight without being partial, the guy is there to narrate, he can not chose on side or another, the media has to be impartial or it will prejudice the show’s interpretation. The outsider who is watching is manipulated by the commentators speech and that can’t happen, it’s a thing to be rethink, the commentators has to be best chosen and can’t chose sides. Whoever is there narrating has to face it as a job and act in a professional way or give up for someone that is”

Jayme Sandall, karate coach: “I think Lyoto will win, he’s very focused and has being working hard. I believe Shogun will use the same strategy of the kicks and try to play on the counterattack,Lyoto I think will change a little bit and will focus on his speed, because he’s really fast and although Shogun is also fast, Lyoto is faster. I think Lyoto will keep his distance , get closer and then retrat… Shogun’s also a phenomenon, and for him the best thing would be to fight in a short distance, while for Lyoto is the other way around. Honestly I don’t believe in a knockout on this fight, even because both has never been knocked out , but I believe Lyoto will will in the judges round card”

Rogério Minotouro: “It’ll be a great fight. Shogun is doing just fine, recovering his good shape as he has during the Pride, is well physically, and Lyoto is in the prime of his career, a lot confident. I think the fight will be even better. I can’t predict who will win, because it’ll be very tied. I want Lyoto to win, but the first fight was ied and I think he’s coming back better, he could study Shogun and improve even more. On the other side, Shogun is training, got very close and let it go, but now he’ll try not to waste the opportunity. This fight will be awesome”

Bebeo Duarte: “I think Lyoto and Shogun’s fight will be tied as the first one was, but I don’t believe they’ll fight in the same way. I think both of them will change their strategies and bring up some new tactics. It’ll be a huge fight! I believe Lyoto will win, he won’t get caught by surprise anymore, he’ll show why he is the champion and will show his game”

Zé Mário Sperry: “The unpredictability is the essence of MMA. It is the beauty of the sport. Everything can happen. Meanwhile, I believe that, by the statistics of the previous fights, we could see something similar from what we saw in the last confrontation: a fight won by points, tied, with a light advantage of Lyoto. Again, it’s by the record, statistically more positive”

Ricardo Arona: “I believe that, if there’s no aggressiveness, is a case for the judge to tell the athlete to start fighting. On Lyoto’s case, even though his strategy is defensive, I think he has to be more daring and, if the fight is like the last one, with him going backwards, I think it must be interfered in order to have more combat. The round has five minutes and it can’t have just two or three attacks. I can’t say who will win, because both of them has the star and heart of a champion, who is in a better moment and dare more, will win”

Anderson Silva: “Each fight is different, each situation is particular. You can never know your opponent well enough. Shogun is a great fighter, a very tough one, but of course we want Lyoto to win. Is a good fight for the two of them”

Chinzo Machiza: “The fight itself is unpredictable, but Lyoto is more prepared than on the other time, more focused, stronger. I believe Lyoto will knockout, we are making him ready for it. It was his first belt defense and that took his focus away. He can be better than that. We’ve changed a lot. No one will want to leave the decisions for the judges. Lyoto was not happy with the critics and Shogun wasn’t thrilled by the result either. That can motivate them to define the fight, but we’ll only know that at the time”

Paulo Nikolai: “I would be ungrateful if I pointed one of them as the probable winner, but I want Shogun to win with a knockout. I want him to win to finish will all doubts and that is the world’s opinion. I fight Muay Thai and Shogun defends it. But Shogun can’t make a mistake, otherwise he’ll be beaten. He hits to make a damage, is very clever during the fight. I think he’ll focus more on the combinations, he has a good timing and is more mature now. I think he will use another strategy this time”

Thiago Silva: “It’ll be another battle. I like Shogun, I want him to win... He won once and has all the potential to do it again. I trained with Shogun and for all I know of him, he’s a very determinate guy. Lyoto can be prepared for a bigger Shogun”

Sérgio Cunha: “I think this revenge will be sensational, even because Lyoto will come back a lot better and so Shogun. Everyone claimed that Shogun would lose, that Lyoto would easily beat him, but Shogun won the fight morally, so he’ll come more confident and Lyoto more aggressive. We will have a better fight this time”

Glover Teixeira: “Lyoto is really clever and I think he’ll win again on this fight against Shogun, maybe even easily. I see Shogun as the second within the division, because Lyoto is very tactical, make his opponents frustrated, I believe this will be a easier fight for him. I believe it’ll end on the fourth round, but if it goes for the judges round card, it’ll be in favor of Lyoto… But I think Lyoto will submit Shogun before that”

João Guilherme Bendley, Shogun’s karate sparring: “I think Lyoto is not changing much his style, because it worked until now. You can’t change ten years of trainings in four months, I think he’ll still be defensive because he does that pretty well, works on the counterattack or going for it. I think he’ll work on his timing, will be more prepared just like Shogun, but Shogun will win. I think this fight will be like the previous one, Shogun’s kicks are precise, I think this fight will be more aggressive, because both of them wants to show their abilities”

Glaube Feitosa: “As Lyoto must counterattack, Shogun must be aware of that and prepared to develop. He must take the counterattacks knowing it’ll happen otherwise we’ll be caught by surprise. The ideia is Shogun to through his blows upon Lyoto’s counterattacks. Shogun has to be the last to punch, a hard thing when we think about Lyoto, but that’s the goal”

Paulão Filho: “On this fight something different will happen. I think one of them will go down. On the first fight there was all that caution and Shogun knows that if that happens again, he’ll lose again. For the champion to lose by point, only if the owner of the event is very pissed with him or if it’s a big difference, thing that didn’t happen on that fight. I think Shogun must try more, what can be a good thing for Lyoto, but I think Lyoto is not used to athletes with so much potential. It’s a fight, man, that I want to see again. It’s very good to see the level they’ve achieved… It’ll be a fight to beat all of the pay-per-view records”

Murilo Ninja: “Shogun will go for it all the time. I’m sure he’ll win this one, he’s very talented. Well trained, my brother is the best of the world on this weight division”

Daniel Woirin: “I though the fight was tied, and people focused a lot on the hands, the punches, but Shogun kicked a lot and annulled Lyoto’s punches. I’d say it was a draw. It’s very hard to chose one of them. Now they’ll come with all of their Power for this second fight, it’ll be interesting. There are always ways, just like Lyoto can find his own ways, but I think it’s not the decisive thing. The decisive thing will be their state of mind, because it’s a lot of pressure they’ve been through. I have a tactic for the two of them, but I’m not telling, it’s a secret (laughs)”

Expert’s guess:

Lyoto: 6
Shogun: 6
Don’t know: 6

Source: Tatame

Lyoto Machida
By Guilherme Cruz

UFC’s champion on the light heavyweight division, Lyoto Machida will risk his belt for the second time against the Maurício Shogun, and he’s excited about this fight. In an interview on the April’s edition of TATAME Magazine, the tough guy from Belém talked about his trainings, what he learned from his first fight against Shogun , the sparring he looked for in order to suit his game to Shogun’s and a lot more. Check below the interview given by the karate fighter.

How were the trainings for the fight?

I’m training since December for this fight. We are focusing in one priority at a time. Now, we’re doing a lot of specific trainings and, of course that, training for the second time, we learn something about the opponent. In some way, it makes things easier for us to train our strategy, the technique which will be used, but, as always, we train all of the aspects, both standing and on the ground.

Do you think he will repeat the strategy he used on the first fight?

Well, I’m trying to forget it. It’s a new fight. Even because Shogun is a very eclectic guy and has this ability of changing. It’s a brand new fight, on which I’m prioritizing some aspects and we can’t predict what will happen. He has well settled foundations, well structured, the standing part and the fall, and I have it too. It depends on the strategy. Of course you end up repeating some things, it’s normal, no one can change that much.

What did you learn from your first belt defense?

I learned I have to keep learning. I’ve never belittled anyone, but we always have to seek something more. It’s not that I’m accommodated, I’ve always trained everything, but my life has changed after I conquest the belt, everything was new for me. My lifestyle, even if I have kept it the way I wanted, there were things I couldn’t control. The media invades your privacy too much, makes you feel lost. You want to give them attention, but sometimes you don’t want to be bothered. It’s hard to balance and manage all of this.

What have changed in your life?

I’ve been through a lot of situations like that after my fight against Rashad. And that affects my training focus, even I don’t want to go through this. I’m not making excuses, but it was too much for me. I didn’t know how to deal with it. Nowadays I know how to handle it better, I know how to put each thing in their due spot.

What are your expectations for this revenge?

I’m hoping that Shogun comes prepared and we manage to make it a good show on May 8. I’ll do my best and always try to finish the fight, as it was my goal since the first fight.

Did you look for sparring with a game similar to Shogun’s?

We always try, but it depends on what you’ll find, it’s not that easy. I’ve been working for a while with my team, changed a few sparring now, and people who have helped me to win the title are still helping me, but I never let go new acquisitions. I always look for someone who has a similar game and can help me.

Source: Tatame

DALEY: I'M GOING TO KNOCK KOSCHECK OUT
by Jeff Cain

Paul Daley heads into his UFC 113 bout with Josh Koscheck with a lot riding on the line.

At the UFC 113 pre-fight press conference UFC president Dana White announced that the winner would get the next title shot against welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, but Daley is only focused on defeating Koscheck.

“Just this fight and winning, that’s my main focus, and that’s it,” said Daley.

A lot has been said about the stylistic match up with Koscheck coming from an extensive wrestling background and Daley’s striking ability. Koscheck has shown a tendency to want to stand and trade in the past, but Daley isn’t concerned with his opponent’s strategy.

“I’m not really bothered about what he does or the outcome of what he does. I just have to go in there and implement my game plan and win the fight. That’s it. Simple,“ said the heavy-handed Brit. “If he wants to stand with me he wants to stand with me. If it comes to takedowns we have a plan for that. If he manages to get a takedown we have a plan for that, but I’m just ready to go and do what I’ve got to do.”

“If Koscheck wants to trade and stand on the (seam), I’m happy to do that all day. I think it will be a very short, sweet fight if that is the case,” added Daley.

Addressing the wrestling aspect of the game, Daley has worked to improve his grappling for some time, not just in preparation to face a former NCAA Division I Champion.

“Coming to the UFC I knew everybody would have seen my early fights and think, okay, this guy can bang a little bit. If we’re going to win and win without getting knocked out we’re going to have to take him down,” commented the 27-year old athlete. “It’s an ongoing process. It’s not something I just do for a particular fight.

“It’s something that I continue to work on, and I’m fortunate enough to have the best people that I can get a hold of right now that I’m working with when it comes to the wrestling; even if it means flying them in from different countries, which we have. So, we’ll see what happens in the fight.”

Asked if he was excited for the fight, Daley responded, “I’m not one to get excited about an individual especially if it’s a man, especially if it’s a man with blonde hair, dyed blonde hair, a dyed blonde afro. Let’s get it right. The most important thing for me is winning. I’m excited about winning.”

But all jokes aside, Daley knows how big of an opportunity this fight is for his career.

“Josh Koscheck is a big name. He’s had all of his fights in the UFC, so a lot of people know who he is. Knocking him out is going to be big for me in general,” said Daley.

Daley has done his homework scouting Koscheck’s previous fights. While not willing to give any insight into the particulars of his game plan, Daley didn’t hesitate to provide a prediction of the fight’s outcome.

“I know what I know and I’m going to go out there and win,” stated Daley. “I'm going to knock Koscheck out, you know. That's it. It's plain and simple.”

Source: MMA Weekly

Xande or Roger, who will be the first three-time champ?
by Carlos Eduardo Ozório

Amaury Bitetti, Rodrigo Comprido, Márcio Pé de Pano, Ronaldo Jacaré, Alexandre Ribeiro and Roger Gracie are all two-time absolute world champions. However, at the 2010 installment of the most important event on the Jiu-Jitsu calendar has all the makings of being the tournament to produce the first-ever three-time winner of the most prestigious black belt division.

Roger Gracie, who won in 2009, has stated several times in the past that he is in pursuit of a third. Another two-time champion who has been dedicating himself more to MMA is also in the running: Xande Ribeiro.

“I can’t resist. I thought I’d be able to keep out of it, but I can’t. I’m in the 2010 Worlds!” says Xande over Twitter, guaranteeing his place in the dispute.

There’s still time for Ronaldo Jacaré and Pé de Pano to enter the race, but those two are currently neck deep in MMA. Rodrigo Comprido, too, may stick his neck out in the quest for a third, while Amaury Bitetti is fully retired.

Nevertheless, don’t go thinking the title can only go to one of those three. Beasts like Ricardo Demente, Rômulo Barral, Bráulio Estima and even the much lighter Claudio Calasans, among a bunch of others, are ready to rain on their parade.

So one question remains: will we have a three-time absolute champion in 2010? Place your bets!

Source: Gracie Magazine

UFC 113: Marcus Davis finds himself in a win-or-go-home situation
By Zach Arnold

Quietly, Marcus Davis is fighting on this weekend’s UFC 113 Montreal card — and his job is perhaps on the line, too.

Publicly, an accurate reason stated for why his job might be on the line has to do with his fight record in his last five UFC fights: loss against Mike Swick (decision), win against Paul Kelly (submission), win against Chris Lytle (decision), loss against Dan Hardy (decision), and loss against Ben Saunders (KO).

“It definitely weighs heavily on me,” Davis said in an interview with Sherdog last week. “You just don’t know if you’re going to keep your job or not and you know there are guys that have lost a lot of fights and continue to keep their jobs, you know, but… you know guys like Clay Guida for a while there, man, he was losing so many fights but you know he’s an exciting fighter and he puts on good shows and people like to watch him fight. Same thing, you know, Chris Lytle, my buddy Chris, he went on some string but you know Chris lets it all hang out, he bangs it out, so there are guys that keep their job who are that way but you just don’t know with the UFC. Sometimes UFC will just sit a fighter down and say, “You know, listen, we got to release you for a little while. Go out and win some fights and we’ll bring you back.” So you know I don’t want that to happen so I got to go out there and I don’t just got to win but I got to win big and show that you know I want to stay you know employed especially nowadays with the way it is now.”

His big test this weekend on the UFC 113 under card is against veteran fighter Jonathan Goulet, who hasn’t fought in the last 16 months. Let Mr. Davis give you a short preview of coming attractions.

“I’ve worked out with Jonathan Goulet before and I’m not basing anything on that workout and obviously on paper that’s the way it looks and in my head that’s the way it looks but I’m not taking any chances and I don’t think it takes rocket science to think of what you know my fight plan’s going to be and what his fight plan’s going to be and yeah, this fight could be very well be over quickly or it could end up being a long, tedious fight. You know I’m hoping for a quick fight.”

He better hope for a quick fight and he better hope that he is on the winning end of it as well. Goulet is fighting in his backyard in Montreal and the atmosphere is going to be very strong in his favor. As Davis admitted in the Sherdog interview, he has issues sometimes with over thinking and being too hesitant in the cage.

“It’s got to be one of those [fights] where I don’t wait, I can’t wait for him to do something, I got to go out there and I got to make sure to take control of that Octagon immediately and I dictate the pace that I make him fight my fight and I don’t want to get wrapped up and you know what he’s doing and what the crowd’s doing because obviously they’re going to be screaming, ‘Kill the Irish guy!’ or ‘Kill the American!’

“I’m not going to base, I can’t, if I base everything off of what I think Jonathan’s going to do and I go in there and I wait for it to happen and it doesn’t happen, then I’m seeing all the opportunities to capitalize or create opportunity for myself and I think that fighters tend to do it and when fighters go in and they say oh the guy’s going to shoot and they wait for him to shoot, they lose the opportunity to you know punch a hole in the guy, so that’s not what I’m going to do. I’m going to go out there, I’m going to react to the situation at hand, and you know like I keep saying this fight’s going to be about me using footwork, sharp shooting, and throwing hard, heavy heavy punches and then you know if I get him hurt, jump on him and take him out or it’s going to be you him continuously trying to shoot and take me down and kind of grinding out a long fight like that with me just defending take-downs and him trying to keep on my back, trying to cut me.

“I got to be aggressive and I got to be first. In the case of like fighting a Dan Hardy, you got to be aggressive and got to be first whereas I did that, I completely went after and tried to close the distance and I think it was a wrong decision on the Saunders fight so that wouldn’t have been a fight that I shouldn’t have done that, I should have made him, moved around, made him come to me and then had done the in-and-out and my angles and stuff to carry that fight longer. So, yeah, it always depends on who you’re fighting and in this fight with Jonathan Goulet from what I’ve seen and what I’ve watched, he’s usually pretty aggressive and he comes out and he comes out pretty much like open to be hit because he’s just kind of a little wild and is throwing everything that he’s got to try to take him out and I’ve got to be there to make sure that when he does that, I’m there to expose the opportunity to hit him with a hard shot so he ends up walking into it. He’s either going to do that or he’s going to come after me like he did with Luke Cummo or like I thought he was going to do with Duane Ludwig and just come across the ring and shoot immediately and try to take me down on the ground, which actually is kind of like when we did in our sparring. When I sparred with him, which was once again it was right before the Swick fight, it was a while before that, I might have hit him once or twice and then from there on all he kept doing is trying to take me down and he wasn’t successful at it back then, either. I don’t know what’s going on in this head, I don’t know what his plan is, I don’t know if he’s thinking ‘OK, well, we’re going to go out and I’m going to see what happens striking’ or if he realizes that might be a big mistake.

“I can’t hesitate. I got to go out there and immediately establish control of this fight and show him that you know that he’s in a fight, a fight for his life.”

In many ways, Marcus Davis is a big talker and a big character. That’s great for the fight game, since colorful personalities make for great television. He does tend to dramatize things a little bit too much, occasionally.

“In the (Chris) Lytle fight I did hesitate and wait around a lot in the first round because I didn’t think I was going to have… when we went to that fight, Mark Dellagrotte I mean after the fight, that fight, we actually broke down in tears… and it was because he admitted to me that both of us too thought that you know when I walking down to the Octagon that I walking down for a execution. He was with me you know the 24 hours before where I was bed-ridden and I was running to the bathroom and I was anemic and dehydrated and we had the EMTs in my room and then we had a doctor in my room and he just said, you know, he just thought I was going to go out there and get crucified so that first round when I made it through and I sat down on the stool I said you know what, I can do this, I actually feel like I can keep fighting. I was worried that I was not going to have the energy or anything to do that, so, but you know I paid for it in the first round, I was hesitant and then I took over the next two rounds…”

While his free-speaking ways sometimes provides unintentional comedy and lionized stories of confidence, it’s also gotten Marcus Davis in a lot of trouble. While his record in his last five UFC fights is so-so, a real reason his job is in potential jeopardy is due to his mouth. After losing to Dan Hardy by split decision almost a year ago, Davis has been stewing over the loss. He hates Dan Hardy with a passion and Dan Hardy found it amazingly easy to tweak him online, including having Underground Forum members make mock gay magazine pictorials featuring the Irish Hand Grenade’s face on him. Hardy figured out that Davis was a big mark for himself and toyed with his mentally. Gamesmanship is one thing, but everybody knows that Dan Hardy likes to joke around and be a clown occasionally. It’s proved him great so far in his career. So, there really was no excuse for Marcus Davis to get all bent out-of-shape about losing to Dan Hardy.

There was especially no excuse when Davis made crude remarks about Hardy on his Twitter account eight months after the fight happened. Remember this?

@BIGfield948 I hope Hardy dies of aids

Dark&Bad taste-thought it was fitting aftr he did the gay photos towards me which is worse IMO this was words those pics are up for life

Would it have been better if I said hit by a car?

On these remarks alone, Davis likely should have lost his job. So, he got very lucky that his employers didn’t fire his ass. Not only were his remarks stupid and childish, but they were made right after the remarks Frank Mir made on Mark Madden’s radio show in which he said that he hoped that he could beat up Brock Lesnar and cause Lesnar to be the first fight to die do to “Octagon-related injuries.” Mir ended up being told to shut up before the Shane Carwin fight and lost his WEC commentating job. Mir admitted after losing to Carwin that he was distracted by the fallout from his comments on Madden’s radio show. Marcus Davis got off a bit easier — he’s got a chance to save his job if he fights well and beats Jonathan Goulet. But for all intents and purposes, it is a one-and-done situation for Mr. Davis in terms of keeping his job in the promotion. One loss and he’s in big trouble.

To his credit, Mr. Davis says that win or lose, he will continue fighting in Mixed Martial Arts even if it means it’s not in UFC.

“I would continue to fight. I’m not done yet, by any means… I was a pro-boxer and I did all that other stuff for years and years and years, but this MMA game you know everybody says you know that I’m a veteran because I got whatever, my 13th UFC appearance or whatever it is coming up, but… you know you got to look at it like this. I’ve still have only been doing MMA literally since I did the show, The Ultimate Fighter. I wasn’t even training in MMA. I was still a boxer in an MMA sport so I’m continuing to figure things out…”

At the time of his AIDS comment, I said the following:

“Congratulations to Marcus Davis for now permanently ensuring that whenever someone searches his name on the Internet that the phrase “AIDS” will pop up next to it on most of the top search entries in Google.” Type his name into Google and find out for yourself right now.

Not only does Marcus Davis need to re-shape his UFC fight record, but he also needs to re-shape his public image, too. Saturday night is a chance for him to try to push the reset button. If he doesn’t get the job done at UFC 113, he could be unemployed as early as next week.

Source: Fight Opinion

4/7/10

Eight Man Tournaments and the UFC: Would it work?

Bellator FC’s tournament format is in full swing and it really creates interesting story lines, kind of like the NCAA basketball tournament just on a much smaller scale. As Pat Curran showed us with his upset of Roger Huerta, anything can happen and an underdog can literally fight his way to the title. It’s pretty cool to see it decided in the cage and not by a matchmaker.

After Curran’s victory I started thinking about what an eight man tournament would look like in the UFC. I took a look at the Independent World MMA Rankings, by far the best rankings ever created in the history of MMA rankings and soon they will be lauded as the go to rankings by everyone on the entire planet, even people in Pyongyang (yes I am a member of the IW MMA Rankings). Anyway, back on track... Based on the IW MMA Rankings a UFC light heavyweight tournament would stack up like this:
(Rampage is excluded because he has been inactive for over a year)

(1) Lyoto Machida vs. (8) Jon Jones
(4) Anderson Silva vs. (5) Forrest Griffin
(2) Shogun Rua vs. (7) Thiago Silva
(3) Rashad Evans vs. (6) Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

Now that’s four very exciting match ups (even Silva/Griffin, I mean could Silva offer up a second decimation of Forrest or could Forrest hang in with the dance machine). So basically the main card of an event would consist of these four fights and one other fight. Fast forward three and a half months later for round two. In a twist the tournament offers a consolation bracket so winners face winners and losers face losers. Anything can happen in a fight so let’s say round two looks like this (and Lyoto and Anderson don’t have to fight each other):

Losers
(1) Lyoto Machida vs. (5) Forrest Griffin
(7) Thiago Silva vs. (3) Rashad Evans

Winners
(4) Anderson Silva vs. (8) Jon Jones
(2) Shogun Rua vs. (6) Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

Again, another exciting four fights. Now all the sudden top dogs Machida and Evans are fighting in an almost must win situation and the four winners are looking for a spot in the finals and the million dollar purse. Fast forward once again three and a half months later. We’re in the final round of the tournament. Seven months earlier the top eight guys in the UFC’s light heavyweight division were vying for superiority, now just two have a chance, two are in desperate need of victory or else they’ve dropped three in a row, and four more are looking to finish with a 2-1 mark and remain at the top of the heap. Here’s how our final pretend event looks:

For seventh place (meaning they lost twice)
(3) Rashad Evans vs. (5) Forrest Griffin

For the consolation championship (meaning they lost then won)
(1) Lyoto Machida vs. (7) Thiago Silva

For third place (meaning they won then lost)
(4) Anderson Silva vs. (6) Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

For the belt
(8) Jon Jones vs. (2) Shogun Rua
(This tournament has a Cinderella in the finals)

What we end up with is the majority of the main card for three events and every fight is intriguing. A tournament such as this would last seven to eight months and provide a nice gap in between for others to fight their way in for the next year. It would also give us consistency regarding the amount of times the champ fights and tries to defend his belt.

Are there flaws? For sure: injuries, substitutions, determining who is in the tourney, pay for the consolation bracket, scheduling around other commitments like TUF or The A-Team, and I’m sure there are a gang of others I’m missing. But it’s fun to consider something of this nature and I know I’d be super fired up for each round.

Just for fun, here’s how the opening round of the welterweight tourney would currently look:

(1) GSP vs. (8) Paul Daley
(4) Josh Koscheck vs. (5) Paulo Thiago

(2) Jon Fitch vs. (7) Matt Hughes
(3) Thiago Alves vs. (6) Dan Hardy

And here’s how the UFC Lightweights would shake out (with WEC champ Benson Henderson included):

(1) Frank Edgar vs. (8) Sean Sherk
(4) Gray Maynard vs. (5) Ben Henderson

(2) B.J. Penn vs. (7) Diego Sanchez (sorry Diego)
(3) Kenny Florian vs. (6) Tyson Griffin

Schedule for all these eight-man tournaments?

Lightweights in January, April, July
Welterweights in February, May, August
Middleweights in March, June, October
Light heavyweights in May, August, November
Heavyweights in June, September, December

This gives us a big tournament event every month and two in May, June and August. Each tournament event consists of four fights so the card still has room for six to eight other fights of guys hoping to make it into the next tournament.

Currently the UFC is running around 20 events per year. This set up would still allow room for Fight Nights, Versus events, TUF’s, or whatever the hell else they come up with.

Personally I think my thrown together plan is so brilliant that I expect a call from Dana in the next few days. I’m sure many of you will think it is so not brilliant that you will call me names that rhyme with doopid or Goron or bummy, but that’s okay, when I’m on the UFC 114 video blog enjoying a little Pinkberry’s frozen yogurt while Dana makes fun of me I’ll be sure to give you the good ole Tokyo Hey buddy.

Source: By The Numbers

UFC 113 Official as Fighters Make Weight
By FCF Staff

All of the scheduled participants for tomorrow night’s UFC113 card made weight this afternoon in Montreal, Quebec, green lighting a card that will see light-heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida look to defend his title for a second time against challenger Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.

Today’s weigh-ins went off without any substantial drama, save Tom Lawlor’s over the top impersonation of UFC legend Dan Severn, which drew the praise of host Joe Rogan and hundreds of others in attendance.

Here are the official weigh-in results for UFC 113:

Light-Heavyweight Championship
Mauricio Rua (205) vs. Lyoto Machida (204)

Josh Koscheck (170) vs. Paul Daley (170)
Patrick Cote (184) vs. Alan Belcher (186
Matt Mitrione (253) vs. Kimbo Slice (225)
Sam Stout (155) vs. Jeremy Stephens (155)

Jason MacDonald (185) vs. John Salter (185)
Yoshiyuki Yoshida (170) vs. Mike Guymon (170)
Joey Beltran (239) vs. Tim Hague (266)
Johnny Hendricks (170) vs. TJ Grant (169)
Jonathan Goulet (169) vs. Marcus Davis (169)
Tom Lawlor (185) vs. Joe Doerksen (186)

Source: Full Contact Fighter

Couture's date with Toney
By Jake Rossen/Sherdog.com

"We've heard [Floyd] Mayweather and others kind of run their mouths about it, and he's the first one that's actually had the courage to step up and fight and stand behind what he's talking."

That's the quote from Randy Couture addressing a possible fight in August with James Toney. Couture told MMAWeekly Radio that the bout could be signed within the next few weeks. It's a ridiculous idea, obviously, with no real diesel engine behind it. Toney is a fading boxer, and Couture could become completely ineffectual any day now.

That doesn't mean it will be boring. I'm almost ashamed to say the fight actually has something going for it: two sharply contrasted styles that have very broadly defined limitations.

Because Couture is more of a clinch fighter than a kickboxer, a match with Toney that stays on the feet isn't going to be that dynamic. Toney will have an honest shot at catching him without getting brain freeze at the potential of a foot in his face. If the fight hits the ground, Toney won't be getting back up. Pretty simple story.

That kind of fight promotion has largely been pushed aside because of evolution. Fighters with obvious strengths are still capable-to-dangerous in other facets of the game. But when the differences are this sweeping, it becomes interesting. Instead of nullifying an opponent's strength, you have to be proactive in forcing your own. Pure boxer versus pure wrestler at this level of celebrity hasn't been done in decades. (And ignoring Ray Mercer's logging of Tim Sylvia, boxing hasn't had a name puncher against an MMA fighter since Francois Botha fought current UFC middleweight Yoshihiro Akiyama in 2004.)

The most intriguing question is whether or not the UFC can do what boxing couldn't by making Toney a dependable attraction. (It's utterly bizarre that a fighter with the style of a narcoleptic in John Ruiz has been involved in more pay-television attractions than Toney, a gifted self-promoter.) My feeling is that the UFC's marketing machine coupled with his mouth will be an impressive, if not exactly runaway success.

And if Toney wins? Argh -- not because of Toney's attitude, but because of the ammunition it would create for men like Mayweather and Bob Arum, devoted deniers of MMA's level of technique. Couture is at a point where no fight is a must-win for him, but this one might be a must-win for his sport.

Source: ESPN

Bellator CEO says Paulo Filho vs. Hector Lombard is still a go for Bellator 18
by Steven Marrocco

Despite reports Bellator Fighting Championships' CEO said that as far as he knows, a non-title fight between middleweight champion Hector Lombard (24-2-1 MMA, 3-0 BFC) and former WEC title-holder Paulo Filho (18-1 MMA, 0-0 BFC) will still take place.

"I've been on the phone with all the appropriate people and we've got everything in line," Rebney today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) of the Bellator 18 "super fight."

Bellator 18 takes place this coming Thursday, May 13, at the Monroe Civic Center in Monroe, La. The main card airs on FOX Sports Net.

According to a report from GracieMag.com, Filho said he was unable to get a visa to travel to the U.S. because of documentation issues.

However, Rebney today spoke to Filho's representatives, who said that Filho is traveling from Brazil to the U.S.on Monday and will have his pre-fight medical paperwork completed the next day. But there is a Plan B if Filho fails to materialize.

"We've backed ourselves up; we've done everything we needed to do in protecting the sanctity of that event, but my hope is that he shows up," Rebney said. "I think Hector Lombard deserves this fight."

Rebney declined to name Filho's possible replacement but said it is an opponent known to mixed-martial-arts fans.

Filho's manager, Ed Soares, did not respond to a request for comment. In February, Soares told MMAjunkie.com that the middleweight fighter is still battling personal issues that arose after his WEC fight with Chael Sonnen.

The Brazilian failed to make weight for the November 2008 title fight and appeared to have a breakdown inside the cage. He often gazed away from Sonnen during the bout and talked to himself as it played out. He ultimately suffered a decision defeat in the bout, which was changed to a non-title affair when Filho weighed 192 pounds for the 185-pound contest.

"Ever since that situation with Chael Sonnen, he's been fighting through [issues]," Soares said.

Filho spent two months in rehab for a reported chemical dependency and depression prior to the November 2008 fight with Sonnen, who's now a current UFC middleweight contender. The WEC's parent company, Zuffa LLC, released the Brazilian from his contract following the disappointing performance.

Filho was rumored to be under consideration for Bellator Fighting Championships but was not picked up for the promotion's first season. This past July, he re-emerged in DREAM with a vintage performance against Melvin Manhoef, whom he submitted with an armbar inside three minutes. He later moved up to light heavyweight for two appearances in Bitetti Combat, where he defeated Alex Schoenauer by decision and Tatsuhiko Nishizaka by submission in September and December, respectively.

Then, in February, Filho no-showed the weigh-ins for an expected fight with Yuki Sasaki at Bitetti Combat 6. In a subsequent interview, he said the cancellation arose over the money promised to him in his contract.

In March, he was photographed with a new tattoo on his face that resembled the one worn by former boxing champion Mike Tyson.

"There's only so much we can do," Soares said in February. "We love Paulo; he's a great person, he's incredible. But he's going through some issues. He's having some family problems.

"He put himself back together to fight Manhoef, and he's been winning some fights, but he's still going through a tough thing."

For more on Bellator 18, check out the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.

Source: MMA Junkie

Tim Sylvia’s Next Opponent, Mariusz Pudzianowski, Fails To Impress At KSW 13
By Steve Barry

“World’s Strongest Man” Mariusz Pudzianowski is a beast of a man. He’s one of the few active fighters whose sheer size rivals UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar. Big muscles don’t mean much in a ring though if you don’t know how to use them, and it showed in his second professional fight yesterday against Yasute Kawaguchi (don’t worry, you’re not supposed to know who he is) at KSW 13. Pudzianowski managed to pull off a majority decision win, but it wasn’t pretty. He charged Kawaguchi like a raging bull out of the gate with a wild flurry and a hulking throw, but slowed down considerably after that. The wide looping punches he threw from range were ineffective, but he was able to outmuscle Kawaguchi in the clinch and hold top control for long enough to get the win.

Thing is, we shouldn’t expect Pudzianowski to be an expert at this point — he’s only fought two professional fights — but like Brock Lesnar, he comes into this sport with a big name and consequently big expectations. What he doesn’t have though is an accomplished amateur wrestling background like Brock to complement his freakish size and strength. He’s scheduled to fight Tim Sylvia in two weeks at a Moosin MMA show in Worchester, Massachusetts. Tim Sylvia’s stock has fallen drastically since he fought Fedor, but he’s still an accomplished mixed martial artist with years and years of experience over Pudzianowski. As long as he can weather the early storm, Sylvia shouldn’t have too much trouble taking the wind out of Pudzianowski’s sails.

Source: MMA Convert

Brazil’s best fighter ready to WEC debut
By Guilherme Cruz

Renan Barão lost in his MMA’s debut, five years ago. But, since then, the tough guy does not know what it is like to enter the ring without getting off there with a victory. With twenty wins on his record, showing he has got the energy to do six fights a year, Barão finally will have his chance to fight in the international’s rings. Precisely, on WEC.

“For me it’s like my dream is starting to come true and I think it came in the right time, because nowadays I feel much more mature and experienced”, said the young athlete to TATAME. WEC’s debut is on June, against Clint Godfrey and Renan knows what he will have to face. “I’m studying his fights every day, in fact I watched it today with my father (Netinho Pegado), who is my boxing coach since I was a child. We noticed he is left handed and likes to fight in the midway and at a short distance, he also does a good ground game, where he managed to win a lot of his fights”, explain Renan.

But nothing seems to be a barrier for the guy from Natal, who was elected by TATAME’s subscribers as the best current Brazilian fighter, leaving for behind names as Sérgio Moraes, Dudu Dantas and Carlos Índio. But whoever thinks Barão only fights MMA is completely wrong. “Besides my MMA fights, I’ve been fighting in a lot of Jiu-Jitsu events, Submission and Kickboxing too… In fact, I was state champion in the brown feather weight division on the last weekend, and that competition rhythm along with my trainings makes me even more confident for the battles which will come”, guarantees.

FOLLOWING JOSÉ ALDO

Used to fight in the featherweight division, the athlete decided to change his category in order not to fight José Aldo, WEC’s champion and team partner in Brazil. The comparison between the two of them was inevitable for the American press, but that does not bother Renan. “I don’t feel pressured by it, but I would like to make a performance as good as his”, tells Renan, without expecting much problems with the weight cut, once he has already fought on the bantamweight division in Brazil.

“I may lose a bit of my punch due to the loss of lean muscle, but the absorption of a guy who fights on the bantamweight division is different from the one that a featherweight division handles, that’s why I think my blows will have a good impact on this category”, believes the tough guy, who won five of his fights by knockout and nine by submission, leaving only six of his fights to be decided by the judges round card. Watching his friend José Aldo on the top of WEC, Renan also dreams about the international acclaim, but knows he has to work hard for it.

“I would like to fight the bests, and if I have the opportunity to fight for the belt, I’ll grab it with all my power, but for now my focus is on Clint, who is also a tough opponent”, guarantees the fighter, analyzing his division on WEC. “I’ve been watching this division for a while and I could tell there are a lot of great fighters in it, but Dedé (Pederneiras) signed a contract of six fights, what will give me enough time to grow from fight to fight on the event. That’s why it is so important for me to make a good debut”, said.

Even without thinking about the title, Barão predicts how it would be like his fight against Miguel Torres, who once reigned on the featherweight division, and was quoted to fight Aldo in the past. “For sure I’ll exchange a lot of punches and kicks, because he’s game is about the hands and knee. But, as most of my fights, I would test him both standing and on the ground, in the search of a weak spot”, explains Renan.

“Hiding” from the featherweights so he would not have to face Aldo, Renan may have to fight Wagnney Fabiano, another Nova União’s athlete on WEC, who changed his division for the same reason. “I’ve been asked this about 20 times(laughs)”, jokes the athlete. “I wouldn’t like to fight him, because we are team partners, but that’s up to Dedé, Jair and WEC. I’m just an employee of the event and that part is not up to me to decide”, explains.

Before he says goodbye, Barão asked something: “may I thank a few people? (laughs)”. Permission granted, Renan. “I would like to thank, at this moment of my life, my professors Jair Lourenço, Neto Pegado and Dedé, my physical trainer Adriano Coringa, to Platinum group, Ricardo Farias, the restaurant Talher, Rip Dorey and everyone from Kimura and Nova União”, concluded.

Source: Tatame

UFC 113 Quote Notebook: Mauricio Shogun, Ed Soares, Lyoto Machida, and Yoshizo Machida drinking urine
By Zach Arnold

¦Dave Meltzer (Yahoo Sports): UFC re-matches are no sure thing
¦Franklin McNeil (ESPN): UFC 113 – Lyoto Machida is more prepared for Shogun this time around
Sherdog interview by Marcelo Alonso with Machida on how Machida is prepared for ‘the worst’

How is training going?

“I’ve been training a lot since the end of last year. In late December and early this year, we began to work out and started some cardio training. Last year I had surgery, and because my arm was in a cast, I did only part of the movement because I was not allowed to use my hand. The specific fight training actually began in January, but I just started using my left hand to punch at the end of January.”

How is recovery from surgery?

“The recovery was 100 percent. I do not feel any pain in my hand, and this is very good because it gives me a lot of confident. I had some years when I no longer had much confidence in my hand because it hurt. Every time I finished a hard training session, it hurt. When I finished a fight, my hand hurt, and with that you start to lose confidence. But now, thank God the recovery is 100%.”

Any change in strategy for the rematch with Shogun?

“I expect a tough fight. He is a tough fighter and it will really be a battle where both fighters will seek to win, but I don’t know how it will go. It could end on the floor, standing or a decision by points. I expect a tough fight because we know each other. The rematch will probably be a fight with both expecting more and everyone waiting to see what new approaches we will bring this time. Preparations are being made for us to not be surprised at the time of the fight.”

Prediction on the fight result?

“It’s a fight that I am prepared for the worst. If it goes to the fifth round, I’ll be prepared. How it will be a tough fight is difficult to forecast. If you ask me, I would like to finish the fight in the first round or as soon as possible. Nevertheless, I’m not thinking in a hasty or reckless way. I am calm to face another battle.”

Would you fight Antonio Rogerio Nogueira or Anderson Silva?

“I am close friends with both, primarily with Anderson as I have less contact with Rogerio. Anderson is a fight that is totally discarded for me. First, Anderson is a very close friend and he fights in a different division. He has no interest in my division and I feel the same. We do our jobs in our divisions and we help each other. With Rogerio, it is different because he has his dreams, his commitments with sponsors and I cannot mess up his way. I have to understand that in a professional way and know that it may one day happen. Nevertheless, it isn’t my will and I believe that it is not his will either. The event, monopoly, growth and professionalism are leading to that side. We must discern this. He would not be a fighter I would like to face, but if the UFC wants, we must accept. If that happens, we’ll deal with our situation. We both have families and dreams. We must look to MMA like a professional sport and try to face it in a better way.

UFC promotional video featuring Machida

“As soon as Dana White offered me the rematch, I accepted right away. After the first, second, third and fourth rounds, I felt like I was winning the fight. Shogun was playing a very defensive game so I kept on with my strategy. I didn’t change what I was planning to do. Any time you have a rematch, there is a little bit of a different feeling. He knows me a little bit, I know him a little bit, we’ve faced each other before. But I’m not coming in expecting him to have the same strategy. Every fight is different. I need to prepare myself for everything and that’s exactly what I’m doing. I won’t leave this fight in the judges’ hands. I will finish the fight. When the Octagon door closes, everyone needs to watch this fight. I will prove that I am the true champion. I’m also going to prove that the Machida era is just beginning and the victory is in my hand.”

UFC promotional video featuring Shogun

“The feeling after the judge’s decision was announced was like someone tore out my heart. What gave me comfort was to see my corner men support me, the crowd behind me thinking that I won the fight. When I went back to the hotel, the amount of care and support I got from the fans, everybody was telling me I won. This gave me some comfort and what matters the most is that I’m going to get a second chance. I was very happy with the offer of a rematch with Machida. I feel very motivated and I’m training very hard. For me it was really a reason to celebrate and I’m going to do my best to come back with the belt this time. I’m looking to make a statement with this fight and win it in a decisive way. I’m a fighter that always fights to finish fights. Everybody that knows me knows that I’m a fighter who’s always looking for the submissions or the knockouts on the ground or knockouts standing up. I’m always trying to finish the fight because I learned that way, I came from a school that thought that way. So this is my style of fight and I’m never going to change it.

“For this fight against Machida, I plan to do the same thing and it really bothers me that people don’t really give value to someone who is pressing the fight. I think people should reward it more because I really don’t understand how a guy that only walks backwards will be more recognized than someone who is pressing the fight and who is really trying to engage and make it a fight.

“Defeating Lyoto Machida is my wish. It’s my dream. It’s my goal and I’ll do everything I can to come back and make my wish come true.”

MMAFighting.com interview with Ed Soares and Yoshizo Machida, father of Lyoto Machida

Does Yoshizo drink urine, why, and what are the benefits?

“The reason why is because it actually is a health reason. And what happens is when you eat and all the food that you eat and you digest, not all of it comes out but when you drink urine in the morning, it helps flush your system out. So, it basically cleans your system every day when you drink your urine.”

Does Lyoto drink urine daily?

“Yeah, I mean, the reason why… Lyoto did drink his urine every day up until you know for this fight but you know the reason he started really drinking his urine is about two or three years ago he had this cough, he would take medicine, take medicine, he wouldn’t get rid of it and he asked his Dad, “What should I do?” and he said, “Hey, drink your urine, that’s what’s going to keep your healthy,” and that’s exactly what he did, he drank the urine and within a few days, a few weeks his cough went away and he didn’t have that problem any more.”

Why does Yoshizo believe in drinking urine?

“It’s like a vaccine you know like you know sometimes when you take a vaccine for a disease, you know you’re taking of the same of what you’re trying to fight against and since the urine comes out of your body then you drink it again, it almost serves like a vaccine.”

Has Ed Soares ever drank urine before?

“I’ve never tried it. My partner’s tried it and he’s tried to make me try drinking it and I, you know, there was a time where they were talking about it and I was like, ‘You know what? I’m going to try it, I’m going to try it’ and I even went and urinated in the cup and it was hot and my partner said, ‘Hey, it’s better to drink it when it’s cold’ and I let it get cold and I looked at it and I just couldn’t bear to do it, I couldn’t bear to do it, but I am interested in it, it’s amazing to me, I just, I just haven’t had the guts to do it, yet.

“If Machida wins, I’ll try my urine. I’ll drink it.”

What does urine taste like?

“[Yoshizo] said that you know just depends, sometimes it’s sweet, sometime it’s salty, it really depends on what you eat. He says that as a matter of a fact, my urine was very clean and I asked him why and he says, ‘I’m not sure, but it was very clean so I drank two cups today.’ He says during the war in Japan, all the Japanese soldiers would drink their urine to help them immune from themselves whatever they were trying to fight. There wasn’t medicine back then so that was their only form of medicine.”

Then, Yoshizo calls everyone’s bluff and says he will drink urine on camera. “if you want, I’ll do it right now and drink some.”

[Yoshizo heads the bathroom. Ed's partner comes into the interview and explains urine tasting.]

“It all depends what you have eaten the night before, you know, and sometimes if you have a little bit of this salt of course it tastes salty. It all depends but you know it’s just a matter of habit, you know, like right now I mean there’s day where I think right off the fountain (hot).”

“Now he’s just going to wash it down with some water, he’s enjoying himself, and there you have it. Mr. Machida drinking his urine on a Wednesday afternoon in Montreal.”

Mr. Machida had some urine dribble down his chin while he drank the whole cup.

MMAFighting.com interview with Shogun

Do you look at this fight in the same way as the first encounter?

“No, it’s actually another fight, another belt, I certainly have to approach it differently and think of a completely different strategy.”

“I think he will come differently for this fight.”

Why were there not many takedowns in the first fight?

“Actually, I didn’t really try to take him down quite often in the first fight because I was feeling comfortable on my feet so I didn’t feel like I had a reason to rush for a takedown or whatever and regarding what I could differently after analyzing the fight, I think maybe what I can do differently is to be a little more aggressive and get a little more engaged in the fight against him.”

For most fighters, Machida is like a riddle. Did you find him tougher or easier to fight than when you assumed before you first fought him?

“No, Lyoto is a good fighter, a quick fast and agile fighter and I knew that it didn’t really surprise or impress me because I had trained with him for a brief while years and years ago so I knew what kind of skills he could bring to the table. It was pretty much what I expected.”

How do you respond to remarks that “the old Shogun is back” in UFC?

“It doesn’t surprise me because everyone that’s a professional fighter, professional athlete will have to deal with those things forever, I mean, that kind of comparisons and whatever and it doesn’t really bother me because it’s part of my job and we have to deal with it.”

The last time Shogun was in Montreal, he knocked out Chuck Liddell. What are your feelings on fighting in Montreal?

“I have great memories from Montreal and I hope to pay back the care and support from the fans here because the fans here in Montreal and Canada, they are fanatic and rabid for MMA so I hope to be able to give them a good showing.”

Source: Fight Opinion

Minotouro no longer faces Forrest and UFC latest
by Carlos Eduardo Ozório

The UFC carries on bringing a battery of news. New speculated matchups, some bouts confirmed and then canceled.

One example is the Forrest Griffin versus Rogério Minotouro matchup. The fight was set for UFC 114, on May 29, but Griffin was injured and is off the card. Mino should remain in the event, however, his opponent is still unknown.

Back in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, after fighting for other organizations during 2008 and 2009, Tim Boetsch will have his work cut out for him when he faces Thiago Silva, who is coming off a loss to former champion Rashad Evans. The fight is tipped for UFC 117 this August, in California.

Italy’s Alessio Sakara is out of July’s UFC 116, where he was supposed to face Nate Marquardt. According to the fighter’s manager, the cancellation was due to the death of Sakara’s father. His return to the octagon could come in August.

It hasn’t yet been confirmed, but Gleison Tibau has a likely next opponent after his win against Caol Uno at UFN 21. The new test for the American Top Team fighter should be Jim Miller, who is on a four-fight win streak. The matchup is expected for September.

Source: Gracie Magazine

Kimbo Slice loves Canada
By Zach Arnold

MMAFighting.com interview with Kimbo Slice

How bad was the weight cut for the Houston Alexander fight and did it negatively impact you?

“The weight cut had a lot to do with it man, I get to eat, have my desserts, you know what I’m saying, so you know I’m feeling OK you know what I’m saying, I’m ready to fight, a little anxious you know Saturday’s kind of taking long to get here but when it get to close to that fight you get that way.”

Are you happy with the way preparation went for this upcoming fight against Matt Mitrione?

“Yeah, yeah, I’m comfortable with it, you know what I’m saying. The preparation for every fight is about the same, it’s intense. I peak right before you know the week of the fight, I peak to my highest level of my performance and I’m ready for it.”

Any relationship with Mitrione on the TUF show?

“It wasn’t none.”

Does he like Mitrione?

“I mean, it’s whatever, you know what I’m saying. I don’t like or dislike anybody but the person I’m getting to fight I can’t stand you until after the fight, after the fight we can do whatever but until then, no, I don’t have too many words for you.”

Matt Mitrione KO’d Marcus Jones at the TUF Finale. Is his power and size his strength?

“No, his biggest strength is probably be, I hope it would be his ground game because if he wants to stand and bang, that’s my world.”

If the fight goes to the ground, are you ready for it?

“If I see a submission, if he’s slipping then I’m going to grip. Yeah, if he slips I grip.”

Prediction of the fight outcome?

“You know I don’t predict the fights, you know what I’m saying, but I’m not getting knocked out, I can tell you that.”

Source: MMA Fighting

Nogueira wants to knock Jason Brilz out
By Guilherme Cruz

On this morning, TATAME got in touch with Rogério Minotouro and talked about Forrest Griffin’s injury, who would be his opponent on UFC 114. The UFC light heavyweight fighter has not been warned about the change, but, hours later, in another phone call, Rogério confirmed his new opponent: Jason Brilz.

With 18 wins within 21 fights, Jason beat half of his combats by submission, but using his wrestling techniques, sport in which he has 63 wins. The American will force Rogério to change his strategy. “What can I do? Let’s change the strategy. I want to fight him standing or go to the ground and try a submission. It changed from a striker to a wrestler, but we are going for it, I'll go for the knockout”, Minotouro said, in a chat with TATAME.

Source: Tatame

Bellator Champ Eddie Alvarez Explains His Use for World MMA Rankings
By Mike Chiappetta

Talk to MMA fighters, and you'll quickly realize that just like fans, they have many different views of world rankings. Some will gladly spend time debating them, others put no stock in them whatsoever, and others use them for motivation.

But when it comes to Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez, well, let's just say that he has an entirely different and practical use for the rankings.

"People ask me this all the time. The rankings are more a way for my manager to negotiate with [Bellator CEO] Bjorn Rebney to make me more money," he said when asked where he belongs among the world's 155-pounders. "That's all the rankings mean."

Alvarez, who on Thursday night defeated former UFC star Josh Neer via technical submission in a 160-pound catch weight fight, is ranked among the top 10 lightweights by virtually every MMA site and publication, and most have him right around the top 5.

Improving to 20-2 with the win, and in the midst of a five-fight win streak, Alvarez will now sit back and wait to face the winner of the Bellator lightweight tournament in his next match.

Toby Imada or Pat Curran will be the next man to test him. The fight is not likely to be viewed by most as a major test for Alvarez, as neither Imada or Curran are big names in the sport, but both have had their moments. Imada had last year's submission of the year with an inverted triangle win over Jorge Masvidal, though he later lost to Alvarez in the finals. And Curran was little known until upsetting Roger Huerta in a close decision last night.

Still, Alvarez is smart enough to know that despite their lack of big reputations, the fight will be dangerous. After all, it all comes down to rankings, right?

"Everyone's seen the last couple weeks," he said. "BJ [Penn] got knocked off by a guy ranked No. 7, [Shinya] Aoki got knocked off by a No. 5. It happens. Any day, any one of us can beat any other on any given night.

"I'm not going to say where I'm ranked," he continued. "I feel like I can beat anyone in the world right now at this time in my career. Wherever I'm ranked, hopefully whenever I get out of my contract I'm ranked really high and I can renegotiate for a high price. Right now the ranking means nothing."

Source: MMA Fighting

Nova União with fights scheduled in USA and Japan
by Carlos Eduardo Ozório

The team led by André Pederneiras now counts three worldwide MMA belts among the lighter weight fighters. At featherweight, José Aldo is the current champion of the WEC and Marlons Sandro, who will have a shot at the Sengoku title on June 20th, is the champion of Pancrase, while at lightweight, Willamy Chiquerim is the current World Shooto champion.

New doors have opened in Japan for Jorjão Rodrigues, a student of Jair Lourenço in Natal, who will face Pancrase champion Satoru Kitaoka.

Another Nova União black belt getting ready for action is Marco Loro, who is set to fight late replacement Diego Ceara, who trains at Greg Jackson’s.

A fighter who has been making waves for some time at Brazilian MMA events, Renan Barão will have his chance in the WEC. His debut is set for June 20, against Clint Godfrey.

Source: Gracie Magazine

5/6/10

MAD SKILLS

SATURDAY MAY 15, 2010
WAIPAHU FILCOM CENTER
DOORS OPEN AT 6:00

JUMAR ESCOSIO 155 JUSTIN BURGESS

JOJO KELLY 175 BARACK HOLT

RICKY PLUNKETT 145 RYNE YOSHIMURA

JESSIE PURGANON 160 JESSIE HURST

ALLEN AUSTRIA 145 JOSEPH CARTER

ISRAEL ALVAREZ 120 RICKY FAJARDO

JUSTIN KAI IWASAKI 145 MARK YARCIA

JADA PERRERA 100 KAMA DA BEBE ASSASIN BANTILAN

RACHEL OSTOVICH 125 LENA BOOM BOOM COOK

BRYSHANE BAYUDAN 160 MIKEY WABINGA

FRED RAMAYLA 140 MARK WILSON

CHEVY DECASTRO 125 VEE VICKERS

JOE MOLINA SHW PETE SEFO

EDDIE LANI 140 JAYAR DUMAOAL

HANS LEE SHW JARREN KAWALU

DIESEL VISTANTE 145 FREDERICK WALLER JR

STEVE 200 JEREMY

MATT STONE 225 DUSTIN CULLASTRO

DANTE BOY 110 BRENNAN WAIALAE

DAN CERA 110 BRENTON WAIALAE

TYLER KOBAYASHI 140 JONAH VISTANTE

KAWIKA KUPUKAA SHW MANNY

CARLOS MASUNGSON 125 REX MANUEL

PAUL AUSTRIA 130 DANIEL ASUNCION

YVONNE WILLIAMS 100 GIGI

All matches and participants are subject to change

HENDERSON LOOKS TO RETURN IN NOV/DEC 2010

What do you do if you're the champion of a division and have seemingly defeated all the top contenders that are working their way back to title contention? That's the position that WEC lightweight champion Ben Henderson sits in after defeating Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone recently to defend his title, with a list of contenders all jockeying for a position.

Henderson, who is undefeated in his WEC career, has faced the best of the best of the lightweights in the promotion and still has a perfect record under the Zuffa umbrella. The champion isn't sure who might be next for him, but he knows there are still mountains left to climb.

Rematches are always a possibility, but the champ has said in the past he would hope to face some new competition.

"That's a good question. I definitely got to pay attention to the rest of the division, can't overlook anybody," said Henderson when appearing on MMAWeekly Radio recently. "I've got my eyes on Anthony Pettis. He had a really good performance. He has one loss in the WEC. He's coming off a ‘W’ at the pay-per-view show; he beat Alex Karalexis. Might be one or two fights away from going for the belt.

"Shane Roller, he's had a couple really good performances. Yes, I did face the guy before, yes it lasted all of 1:30, but you know if that's what the WEC says, I'll get myself ready for that."

What's going to happen for now is Henderson is going to take some time off from his fight schedule, head back in the gym, and get married this August. Time off for Henderson, though, isn't necessarily what most people would consider time off. He will still be training, but now it's time for him to work on flaws he still sees in his game.

"What I really can't wait to do is get back in the gym and not worry about fighting anybody in particular, like not go from training camp to training camp to training camp, but now is my time to get in the gym and get better in general," he said. "Just improve my boxing, improve my Muay Thai, improve my jiu-jitsu, improve my wrestling. I've been fighting under three-and-a-half years, I have a long way to go."

WEC matchmaker Sean Shelby told Henderson after the fight that they would take some time over the next several events to build up the lightweight division, and find a definitive No. 1 contender.

After the WEC finds the next in line, then Henderson will put the gloves back on and get ready to fight later this year.

"We told them after the Cerrone fight that I'd like a little time off," said Henderson. "I'm getting married in August, so now until August I'm not going to have any fights. I probably won't fight again till late this year, November/December."

As for a possible move to the UFC, which has been rumored for several months and at times eluded to by UFC president Dana White, Henderson admits that he's more than happy to go to the UFC, but he doesn't make that call. For now he'll just wait for the next opportunity to defend his title.

"If the call does come from Zuffa to head on up to the UFC, I'm definitely not going to turn them down," Henderson stated. "I'd be wide open to that process."

The Arizona based fighter will head back into training to help friends like Efrain Escudero get ready for upcoming fights, and focus on his wedding coming up this August. Look for Henderson to return in the late fall or winter of 2010.

Source: MMA Weekly

BONES JONES VS. MATYUSHENKO SET FOR UFC ON VERSUS 2

It's been rumored for the last week, but now it's official that at UFC on Versus 2 as Jon "Bones" Jones faces off against Vladimir "The Janitor" Matyushenko in Utah.

The fight was confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by sources close to the bout, and Matyushenko himself confirmed the fight in a post on the Underground Forum.

Viewed as one of the top prospects in all of MMA, Jon "Bones" Jones (10-1) has been a virtual wrecking machine since debuting in the UFC in August 2008. With his only loss coming by way of disqualification after landing illegal elbows on Matt Hamill, the New York native has looked unstoppable in his five UFC fights.

His last trip to the Octagon ended with opponent Brandon Vera being finished after some devastating elbow strikes, which also resulted in a cracked orbital bone and a cracked cheekbone for him as well. Now poised to make a jump into title contention over the next few fights, Jones will face a wily veteran in Matyushenko.

Russian born fighter, Vladimir Matyushenko (24-4) is currently on his second tour of duty with the UFC, where he performed at both heavyweight and light heavyweight. Matyushenko is now on a 3-fight winning streak, including two wins in a row in the UFC since returning there in 2009.

Matyushenko defeated former "Ultimate Fighter" competitor Eliot Marshall in his last fight in March, and will certainly get a tough test for his next bout against Jones.

The two light heavyweights will battle on the main televised portion of the card which will be featured as the 2nd show the UFC does as a part of their deal with the Versus network. More fights will be added to the show in the coming weeks.

Source: MMA Weekly

SAKARA OUT AGAINST MARQUARDT FOR UFC 116

Just days after a middleweight match-up between Nate Marquardt and Alessio Sakara was confirmed for UFC 116 in Las Vegas, it was canceled just as quickly.

MMAWeekly.com confirmed with sources close to the fight that the bout had been called off, and a report from F4Wonline.com states that Sakara's father has passed away and the Italian born fighter will not be able to compete in the July fight.

There's been no official word about a replacement opponent for Marquardt, but all signs point to the Colorado based fighter staying on the same card with a different match-up.

Sakara was stepping into the bout at UFC 116 on a 3-fight win streak, including a TKO in his last fight against James Irvin at the UFC on Versus show in March.

As for Marquardt, he'll be looking to get back on the winning track after he was derailed in his last fight against Chael Sonnen, losing a unanimous decision to the Team Quest fighter.

MMAWeekly.com will have more information on Marquardt's next fight as it becomes available.

Source: MMA Weekly

DREAM EP Keiichi Sasahara Reveals Details on DREAM 14 & 15

DREAM 14 appears to be cursed.

Originally scheduled for South Korea in April it was was shifted back to Japan in May after a Korean TV deal could not be secured. Then this week, DREAM Executive Producer Keiichi Sasahara announced that DREAM 14 was to be held in a cage for only the second time in the promotion's history. Now we hear that 2010's Light-Heavyweight Grand Prix is canceled, then rescheduled and now changed to a four-man tournament.

Prior to an MMA Fighting exclusive interview with Sasahara, we attempted to sort through the rumors and speculation to get back to the facts regarding DREAM 14 and 15.

Daniel Herbertson: It came out in the media this week that the light-heavyweight GP that was scheduled for DREAM 14 has been postponed. Is that correct?
Keiichi Sasahara: After Shinya Aoki lost in Strikeforce, we decided to have DREAM 14 in the cage. Then we thought, is it proper to have the opening round of the Light-Heavyweight GP in the cage? We decided it wasn't so we postponed the fights until the near future but the date has not been decided yet.

So you haven't decided if the Light-Heavyweight GP will be on for DREAM 15 yet?
No. We may not have the tournament.

It was rumored that there would be a four-man tournament. This is not true?
That is one idea that we had. Another idea is that we may have three light heavyweight matches and the two fighters who did the best in those matches will go into a title match.

So who will be involved in these matches or perhaps the tournament?
[Gegard] Mousasi, [Rameau Thierry] Sokoudjou, [Tatsuya] Mizuno, [Renato Sobral] "Babalu", [Muhammed Lawal] "King Mo". When I first thought about the Light-Heavyweight GP, I thought that this tournament was going to be for Mousasi to shine. But unfortunately he was defeated by King Mo. This will give Mousasi an opportunity at revenge.

King Mo vs. Mousasi will be one of the fights at DREAM 15?
That depends on how things are going to be done. If it is a tournament, than probably yes. If we are just going to have three matches and then choose candidates for a title match, then it would probably be a different story.

Aoki recently posted on Twitter that he would like to fight again in May. Will we see him at Dream 14?
(Laughs) I ignored that. Aoki is the kind of fighter that wants to fight a lot. He probably wants to get back into the ring because he got defeated but is physically ok. But he will not be fighting.

How about Tatsuya Kawajiri? He posted on his blog last night a photo and said that he is ready to fight. A lot of people want to see him in a cage.
When I think about DREAM 14, he is more likely to fight than Aoki. If Kawajiri will fight, it will be his first ever match in a cage so when he is victorious he will probably challenge Aoki and then they will create a story that people can relate to and he will fight Aoki at a later date.

You can confirm that Kawajiri will fight in DREAM 14?
Yes, but we don't have an opponent. Who do you think he should fight?

Well, a lot of people have been saying that perhaps he should fight Katsunori Kikuno in a title eliminator if he can't fight Aoki.
They are going to fight at some point but not in May.

Will Kikuno be fighting at DREAM 14?
That is possible but it is difficult to find an opponent, so we are not sure at this moment.

KID Yamamoto was recently pulled from the May 15 Strikeforce card. He will be fighting in DREAM 14, is that correct?
Yes, he will. He also doesn't have an opponent.

Marius Zaromskis was rumoured to be fighting at DREAM 14 when it was to be held in South Korea. Will he be fighting still?
No, he won't be fighting in May. He will probably be fighting in DREAM 15 in July.

Are there any other fights that you can announce for Dream 14 or 15?
Well of course Aoki vs. Kawajiri should be happening in the near future. Nothing has been decided yet but we would like some Heavyweights. Josh Barnett, Alistair Overeem, Andrei Arlovski. All of those kinds of fighters, I would like to make those guys fight. Ideally Josh Barnett vs. Alistair Overeem would be something I can do. These are just names however.

Until now, DREAM was focused on the lighter weight classes. Are we going to be seeing a push towards the heavier weight classes?
We need heavier weight divisions because it is easier to understand for the people who are not familiar with MMA. But unfortunately, Japanese people are not capable of winning at the heavier weight division, even at middleweight or welterweight. At the moment, we have to work on the lighter weight divisions so that events can continue in Japan.

In our exclusive interview with DREAM Executive Producer Keiichi Sasahara to be posted in the coming week, we discuss the recent performances of Japanese fighters in the America, the decision to hold DREAM 14 in a cage and the future of DREAM and Japanese MMA.

Source: MMA Weekly

10 May Tussles Worth Watching

For the first time in “Tussles” history, nearly as much star power exists outside the four major promotions as inside them.

The May menu features the top grappler on the planet, Braulio Estima, making his mixed martial arts debut and loads of top-notch title fights in the British Association of Mixed Martial Arts and Ultimate Challenge MMA shows in England. Plus, the sport’s fifth-ranked lightweight, Eddie Alvarez, takes on UFC veteran Josh Neer under the Bellator Fighting Championships banner. None of those fights made this month’s cut, however.

As always, the list focuses not on the well-promoted main event bouts fans already know to watch but on fights from all over the planet that are worth seeing. The UFC, Strikeforce, Dream and Sengoku Raiden Championships are excluded by design.

10. Koichiro Matsumoto vs. Yoshihiro Tomioka
Club Deep Toyama, May 16 -- Toyama, Japan

The 24-year-old Matsumoto has emerged as one of the most promising young Japanese fighters rising through the ranks of the Deep circuit. The third-year veteran started his career at welterweight and has moved all the way down featherweight. In his second bout at 145 pounds, he will meet Tomioka, a Deep mainstay better known as “Barbaro44.” The dangerous knockout artist has had memorable wars with Kazunori Yokota, Michihiro Omigawa and Katsunori Kikuno throughout the years and seems certain to put Matsumoto to the test.

9. Maciej Jewtuszko vs. Erikas Petraitis
Iron Fist II, May 14 -- Szczecin, Poland

The main MMA attraction at Iron Fist II -- a boxing, muay Thai and MMA mixed-fight gala -- will be the clash between Jewtuszko, an undefeated Polish muay Thai champion, and Petraitis, a Lithuanian Shooto and Hero’s veteran. “Irokez” has prepared diligently with his coaches, Piotr Baginski and Robert Siedziako, for the challenges a submission specialist like Petraitis presents. The Lithuanian -- who holds wins over Hideo Tokoro and current Sengoku featherweight champion Masanori Kanehara -- has another fight on the horizon. On May 29, he will meet Finnish ace Jarkko Latomaki in Prague, Czech Republic.

8. Hamid Corassani vs. Danny Batten
Superior Challenge 5 “Pride and Fury,” May 1 -- Stockholm, Sweden

Originally scheduled for The Zone Fighting Championship “Evolution” on March 27, the clash between Batten, the former European featherweight king, and Swedish superstar Corassani had to be postponed due to illness of the latter. Batten, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, holds wins over Emmanuel Fernandez, Augusto Frota and the world-ranked Damacio Page but has not fought in 18 months. Corassani, having enjoyed considerable success fighting at lightweight and welterweight, now has his sights set on attacking the featherweight division in his quest of making it to World Extreme Cagefighting.


7. Edilberto de Oliveira vs. Gil de Freitas
Jungle Fight 20, May 22 -- Sao Paulo, Brazil

“Brazilian Dana” Wallid Ismail, the only South American promoter who has consistently put on solid events for the past seven years, has also produced several star fighters, including UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida and Strikeforce contenders Fabricio Werdum and Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza. He has planned six eight-man tournaments for 2010 in the featherweight, lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions. One welterweight quarter-final has already leaked out, as UFC veteran de Oliveria will put his five-fight win streak on the line against de Freitas, a dangerous Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who has spent the majority of his career fighting at middleweight.

6. Pascal Krauss vs. John Quinn
Cage Warriors 37 “Right to Fight,” May 22 -- Birmingham, England

Dan Hardy was 23 years old when he won the Cage Warriors welterweight championship. He relinquished the title upon signing with the UFC, and his old belt will be up for grabs when Britain’s longest-running MMA promotion returns from a 16-month hiatus. A pair of undefeated European prospects, neither of which has gone the distance, will duke it out for the vacant championship. Quinn, in fact, has yet to have a fight reach the second round.

5. Patricio “Pitbull” Freire vs. Wilson Reis
Bellator Fighting Championships 18, May 13 -- Monroe, La.

Speaking of undefeated prospects, Freire punched his ticket to the Bellator featherweight tournament semi-finals with an easy first-round submission over previously undefeated Canadian muay Thai specialist William Romero. His task ahead will prove significantly more difficult, as he will take on Reis, a fellow Brazilian who reached the 2009 semi-finals before being eliminated by eventual tournament winner Joe Soto.

4. Thales Leites vs. Jesse Taylor
MFC 25 “Vindication,” May 7 -- Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Two fighters who were cast aside by the UFC appear to have found a new home north of the border. Leites, the former UFC middleweight title challenger, bounced back from back-to-back losses to Anderson Silva and Alessio Sakara with a unanimous decision over former Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships absolute division winner Dean Lister. Meanwhile, Taylor, “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 7 finalist, scored a first-round submission over fellow UFC veteran Jason Day in February. Now, they meet each other in the MFC 25 main event, and the winner figures to move on to bigger and better things.

3. Tim Sylvia vs. Mariusz Pudzianowski
Moosin MMA “Sylvia vs. Pudzianowski,” May 21 -- Worcester, Mass.

Two weeks after he faces Japanese light heavyweight Yusuke Kawaguchi in his home promotion, KSW, Polish strongman Pudzianowski will get a golden opportunity to prove himself more than a sideshow when he faces the former UFC heavyweight champion. The 6-foot-8 Sylvia has lost three of his last four fights, an embarrassing knockout loss to former Olympic boxer Ray Mercer included.

2. Ricardo Mayorga vs. Din Thomas
Shine Fights 3 “Worlds Collide,” May 15 -- Fayetteville, N.C.

There was no love lost between Mayorga, the former WBC and WBA welterweight boxing champion, and Thomas, the American Top Team-based UFC veteran, at their pre-fight press conference. Thomas has some limited boxing experience, but this fight will be contested under MMA rules and will serve as Mayorga’s debut. Should Thomas, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, get the fight to the ground, it figures to end quickly. Mayorga, who has 22 knockouts as a boxer, will have the proverbial puncher’s chance.

1. Takeshi Inoue vs. Hatsu Hioki
Shooto “The Way of Shooto 3,” May 30 – Tokyo

This month’s slice of filet mignon comes in the form of the Shooto lightweight title fight between Inoue, the defending champion, and Hioki, his world-ranked challenger. The question as to which of these two men was superior has remained unanswered for far too long. Both have performed brilliantly of late, increasing the hype behind this long-awaited matchup. Too bad it will be contested over three rounds.

Source: Sherdog

Mailbag: Aldo-Faber and more

Urijah Faber was barely able to walk when he left the ARCO Arena on Saturday after losing a bid for the World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight title in the main event of a magnificent card.

Faber went to the hospital, not the postfight news conference, after losing a unanimous decision to Jose Aldo. He has a very bad bruise on his leg, but is fine and will be able to return.

Faber showed by the way he handled himself in defeat why he’s been the WEC’s poster boy for the last several years. He’s always been an action-first fighter, but he showed his grace under pressure by posting an incredibly classy six-minute video on his website in which he spoke about the fight.

He congratulated Aldo, defended Aldo against criticisms about Aldo’s failure to finish the fight, explained his game plan, thanked the fans for their support and promised to fight on.

“It was a tough fight,” Faber said on his video. “All the props to Jose Aldo. He’s the toughest dude in the world at 145 pounds. He did a great job of using his leg kicks to break me down and that won him the fight.”

Many wondered why Faber, a one-time collegiate wrestler, didn’t shoot on Aldo and get him to the ground. Faber said that was ultimately his plan, but he injured his leg before he could execute it.

“I wanted to go out and establish that I could match his speed and that I also had standup skills, so he had to honor that in order to set up my takedowns,” Faber said. “You don’t just go in and take down someone like Jose Aldo without making sure you’ve set it up. That was my plan.

“… He got to my leg before I could start doing any of that. That shut me down real quick. Looking back at it, I could have tried real desperately for a takedown in the first round, but that’s going to be hard on a fresh guy who’s (worked on) defending takedowns every day in practice. It’s just not going to happen like that. I’m realistic about that. I thought it was important to stand a little bit and I was immobilized before I got a chance (to try to take him down).”

Faber said the criticism Aldo has received for not finishing the fight is misguided.

“There are only two people (Tyson Griffin and Mike Brown) who finished a fight with me in 27 fights,” Faber said. “It’s not like I’m an easy guy to finish. … The closest he got was some heavy body shots. I was rocked with some solar plexus shots, rib shots, kidney shots and liver shots a couple of different times in the fight. He was trying. It was a rough fight. When you have the best guys in the world, it’s not real simple just to decide to finish a fight.”

With that, let’s get to the mailbag and I’ll respond to your questions and comments.

Ortiz’ future after the arrest

Do you think Tito Ortiz’ career is about to end after he was arrested Monday for beating up (his girlfriend), Jenna Jameson? I hope UFC president Dana White doesn’t give Tito a second chance after this.

Evan
Modesto, Calif.

Ortiz was arrested Monday in the Huntington Beach, Calif., home he shares with Jameson on suspicion of felony domestic violence. It’s far too early to say what should occur, but the legal process needs to play itself out. Ortiz has not been convicted of a thing. The UFC has the leeway to cut him in a situation like this, but it’s not fair to do so at this stage. Right now, it’s only unsupported allegations. Once there are facts, and charges, and a trial, and a conviction, then something should be done. But he’s innocent until proven guilty and should be treated that way.

Will Faber rebound?

Do you think Urijah Faber will ever rebound from this lopsided loss? I just can’t see him reinventing himself after this. I hope he can. What are your thoughts?

Joel Engle
Fort Worth, Texas

Faber is one of the elite fighters in the world and will continue to be. I don’t think he’ll regain the featherweight title, because it was proven conclusively on Saturday that Aldo is a cut above him, but Faber can be a big factor in the featherweight division in the future. He also said he could drop to bantamweight.

A minor league for UFC

Do you think it’s possible that the WEC could turn into a minor league for UFC? To me it would make a lot of sense to move the 135- and 145-pound divisions to the UFC and have the WEC serve as a minor league where new prospects can develop and fighters who are cut by the UFC could get another chance. Additionally, I think it would help the overseas expansion of MMA by having a smaller promotion to complement the UFC by having events in smaller venues/markets. What are your thoughts on the future of the WEC?

Stephen
Phoenix

I’ve been on record advocating a merger between the UFC and the WEC, but I don’t think that’s going to happen any time soon. Regardless, I don’t think the UFC is interested in running any sort of developmental league. I think they’re focused on the top end and they’ll find fighters in promotions run by others. My expectation is that the WEC will proceed as it has been for the time being.

Thoughts on Couture-Toney

I read on the ‘net that James Toney’s first UFC fight might be against Randy Couture. I don’t understand why this would be. Isn’t it the job of the matchmaker to make good fights? It seems that a logical first opponent for Toney would be a fighter who is primarily a striker or a fighter who is as equally one-dimensional as he is, not a well-rounded fighter like Couture.

Richard Loggins
Shreveport, La.

I have very little interest in this fight and think it’s completely ridiculous. Toney has never stepped inside a cage before and he’s going to compete with one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all-time? Please. I don’t get the logic in that. Couture gains little by beating an MMA neophyte, but he could suffer badly if he gets beaten by one. But it figures to be a one-sided match that Couture finishes early.

Aldo ranked too highly

I was wondering who decides the pound-for-pound rankings on Yahoo! Sports? I noticed you guys had Jose Aldo ranked sixth going into his fight with Faber. Am I the only one who finds that odd? I think it’s pretty widely accepted that we judge fighters based on their resumes, not on their potential? I know the man is vastly talented and the rankings are usually a culmination of a fighter’s last four or five fights Aldo’s resume isn’t even really than great. Faber and Brown are the only Top 10 fighters Jose has beaten and add that to the fact that the featherweight division is still relatively green. The talent there has not quite caught up to the mainstream divisions yet.

Russell
Sacramento, Calif.

The rankings are a vote of around 20 MMA writers from various media outlets and are compiled by our Dave Doyle. Aldo has won 10 in a row, is 17-1 overall and has beaten high quality opponents back-to-back in Brown and Faber. He’s a complete fighter and he holds a major title. I think he deserves to be where he is, if not higher.

Where was WEC branding

The WEC (Urijah Faber especially) is what got me hooked on MMA. I was excited for the promotion and the fighters when I first learned of the PPV show. With that being said, I was somewhat disappointed with the overbearing UFC promotion on the PPV card. It was simply not a WEC-promoted fight. Obvious changes like the commentators and ring announcer aside, there weren’t even any WEC logos anywhere. Not on the mat, the cage, the gloves, or the screen graphics. There was a fan with a WEC shirt on near cage side, but that was it. Bruce Buffer didn’t even mention the title fights were “WEC” title fights. I feel like I just watched the death of a promotion that got me to love MMA. I think it would be smart of the UFC to keep the WEC brand alive, expand the weight divisions in both the WEC (up to heavyweight) and UFC (down to bantamweight), and use the WEC as a constant TV presence and a promotion to build up prospects to bring in the UFC.

Greg Niekerk
Chandler, Ariz.

The lack of WEC branding was so that the preliminaries could be shown on Spike TV. But UFC president Dana White made the decision to run it like a UFC pay-per-view show in order to maximize the pay-per-view sales. I had no problem with how they ran it. I’m not a big fan of pay-per-view, and would rather see less of it than more, but running the show as it was did no damage to the fighters, in my opinion.

Source: Yahoo Sports

WORLDS STRONGEST MAN SAYS, "BROCK WHO?"

Mariusz Pudzianowski is a busy man. With two upcoming MMA fights (within only weeks of each other) and many other non-sports related competitions in his native Poland (from “Dancing with the Stars” to “Look How They Can Sing”), he loves to stay busy. His unbelievable determination and mental strength is always masked by a familiar smile, but don’t make the mistake of taking him lightly. If you’ve seen his strength, that shouldn’t be a problem. It’s no wonder why he’s taken the MMA world by storm.

Mariusz Pudzianowski, who on May 21 at the DCU Center in Worcester, Mass., will make his entrance into U.S. MMA against two-time UFC champion Tim Sylvia, was in a great mood when we spoke with him on Saturday afternoon.

“People always underestimate me and they always pay for it. No matter what the opinions of these so-called experts are, it makes no difference to me. I will destroy Yosuke Kawaguchi on May 7 in Poland, and I will win the fight on May 21 against Tim Sylvia. Just watch me do it, and enjoy,” said Pudzianowski.

As usual, one of the most popular Poles in the world and five-time World’s Strongest Man competition winner pulled no punches.

“When I announced that before Sylvia I would fight Kawaguchi, people said that I was crazy. They don’t understand that fighting is the easiest part of my schedule. I start running at 7 a.m., then another couple of hours boxing with big guys to prepare for Sylvia. Then, a short break and more work in the afternoon,” he recounted.

“Most likely, I will start preparing myself for Tim 48 hours after the fight in Katowice. Depending on how my bloody knuckles and legs look after the beating I want to administer to Yosuke, maybe even earlier. I hate breaks, and I love to work. Fighting Kawaguchi two weeks before my fight against Sylvia makes me a better MMA fighter and will give me another dimension on May 21. Yosuke is not a sparring fight by any means, I treat this with all the attention it deserves.”

One question you should not ask “Pudzian” is how he, the man with only two MMA fights under his belt, can challenge Tim Sylvia, a former two-time UFC heavyweight champion with 31 fights on his resume.

“This whole MMA ranking stuff is a big pile of B.S. Everybody is in such love with Brock Lesnar, who came from nothing, zero MMA experience, and now he’s considered one of the best? He fought only five times and is now considered Mr. Untouchable? Why not me then?

“Nobody knows how hard I’m preparing myself. I’m training with the best Polish wrestlers; these are top guys. It’s easy to do when you’re not fighting for money – I’m already a very wealthy guy with a secured future – but for the love and new challenge, and always for my fans, here in Poland and abroad. I would never, repeat never, start fighting in MMA if I didn’t believe I could be the best. First Kawaguchi, then Sylvia – sorry guys, you are in my way,” said Pudzianowski.

I was too afraid to disagree.

Source: MMA Weekly

KOSCHECK WILL STAND TOE-TO-TOE WITH DALEY

In a world where if you talk the talk, you have to walk the walk, Josh Koscheck would rather fight than to listen to his opponents jabber about him.

With his upcoming fight against British heavy hitter Paul Daley at UFC 113 just days away, he's avoided the trash talk and just simply tunes him out.

Koscheck, who runs two businesses aside from his fight career, believes that if that's what his opponent needs to get the courage to step in the cage with him, then have at it.

"There are bigger things going on in my life than to pay attention to what somebody's saying about me," Koscheck told MMAWeekly Radio. "The guy is obviously talking a lot, and that's good, probably because nobody knows who he is, so he's got to talk himself up."

Some fighters view pre-fight trash talking as just a part of the sport, others use it as motivation. The former NCAA champion wrestler turned fighter says for him it's just background noise, and he needs nothing extra to get him up in the morning to go to the best job in the world.

"I don't need someone to talk trash for me to get up and get motivated in the morning," Koscheck said. "I love to fight, the only time I'm happy is when I'm fighting, and I just think it's the greatest job on earth."

Breaking down the fight with Daley, Koscheck says he has watched the Brit’s UFC fight tapes and believes that ultimately his opponent's were doomed the second they stepped in the cage with the knockout artist.

"I just think that those guys are morons, and didn't have good game plans. I'm going to come into this fight with a better game plan than what they did," said Koscheck.

His strategy could involve a lot of striking. Despite a pedigree that includes a 2001 NCAA championship for wrestling at 174 pounds, Koscheck thinks his striking game is more than competent to go punch-for-punch with Daley.

"I believe I have just as good of striking as Paul Daley, well maybe not as good, but I can guarantee you I have as much power. That's for sure," said Koscheck.

"I'm going to stand toe-to-toe with Paul Daley, and if he can take my punches then maybe we'll switch the game plan up, but I plan on going out and standing toe-to-toe. There's no reason for me not to. I've been around a long time, I've had a lot of fights, and I don't have a problem standing up with anybody."

Koscheck has been in camp for the last 12 weeks, and has no thoughts of underestimating Daley in his mind. What he does have on his mind is planting Daley on the mat with a knockout punch.

Source: MMA Weekly

IT WON'T BE PRETTY, BUT IT'LL BE TOM LAWLOR

“It’s gonna be gross. It’s gonna be disgusting. It’s gonna be vile.”

What else would you expect from a fighter with the nickname “Filthy?”

Not known for being really strong in any one area, filthy isn’t such a bad way to describe Tom Lawlor’s style of fighting.

An alumnus of the eighth season of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series, Lawlor brings a raw, aggressive attitude to the ring that gives him somewhat of a pro wrestling persona, thanks in no small part to his vaudevillian appearances at weigh-ins and eccentric ring entrances, but also do in large part to his scrappy workmanlike approach to fighting.

It’s an approach that is rather unique in the UFC and has served to endear Lawlor to most fans, but come Saturday night at the Bell Centre in Montreal, he may for once find himself in the throws of hostility.

Lawlor steps into the Octagon at UFC 113 across from Canada’s own Joe Doerksen, who maintains the appropriate nickname, at least for this fight, of “El Dirte.” So Lawlor will likely give up his sympathetic status.

“I don’t get a chance very often to play the heal. I think it’s mostly because usually I’m the underdog and the crowd kind of takes pity on me,” he explains. “In this case, I guess somebody said I’m the betting odds favorite. This might be my one chance to turn heal.”

You can just about lay money on that. International MMA fans are fairly accepting of anyone who puts on a good fight, but Doerksen is still on home soil and will surely receive strong support from his rabid countrymen.

That’s okay though, Lawlor knows it’s never easy in the cage regardless of who or where you fight.

“A fight’s a fight. I’m gonna fight somebody that’s tough, regardless. Joe Doerksen just happens to be a little bit shorter, little bit thicker than Tim Credeur, just from a different country. He has more experience,” Lawlor told MMAWeekly.com recently.

Credeur was his originally scheduled opponent, which leads to more of the reason why it will be a hostile situation for Lawlor, who is returning after a loss to Aaron Simpson in January.

Doerksen isn’t just fighting on home turf; he’s also fighting for his career. At 32 years of age and with 56 professional bouts on his resume, Doerksen has been down the UFC road before, and it’s a road filled with potholes.

In his six UFC attempts, Doerksen has only landed on top one time. Even with as many events as the promotion runs these days, pushing over 30 per year, a record like that doesn’t earn many return tickets to the big show, and he knows it.

Riding hot on a five-fight winning streak, Doerksen needs to make the most of his shot in the Octagon. If he doesn’t, he could easily find this road to be a dead end.

Lawlor isn’t quite in the same straights, but coming off a loss, he realizes that he has to get back on track as soon as possible. He didn’t win “The Ultimate Fighter.” He doesn’t have a background littered with All American credentials. He’s a hard-nosed scrapper that keeps working to get better and fighting for his place at the dinner table.

And that’s just what he’ll do come fight night in Montreal. Expect Lawlor to step in the cage and scrap.

“I’m gonna go out there and do my thing whatever my thing is.”

Source: MMA Weekly

Sherdog.com’s Pound-for-Pound Top 10

First it was Urijah Faber who was supposed to lord over the featherweight division. Then it was Mike Thomas Brown. Now Jose Aldo has run roughshod over both of them, and he appears to be in position to reign with impunity at 145 pounds.

With a brutally dominant showing at WEC 48 in Sacramento, Aldo took out the sport's most recognizable featherweight on the promotion's biggest card to date. To be sure, there were many new fans who thought they were tuning in to another UFC card last Saturday night, only to see Aldo batter Faber in thoroughly impressive fashion.

Meanwhile, WEC 48 also marked the emergence of the man who will likely be Aldo's next challenger, Manny Gamburyan. The coming-out party for the powerful Armenian came at the expense of former featherweight champion Mike Thomas Brown. Less than halfway into the first round of their April 24 encounter, "The Anvil" landed a short right hook that put Brown on the deck. Gamburyan then swarmed to finish, earning himself a likely crack at Aldo and erasing Brown's entry on this list.

1. Anderson Silva (26-4)

Nearly three weeks removed and with Strikeforce's in-cage brawl in Nashville now being MMA's primary flak magnet, Silva has managed to escape further criticism stemming from his UFC 112 performance against Demian Maia. We also know what's next for "The Spider," as Dana White was quick to announce that the middleweight kingpin would be back in action in August, defending his title against trashtalking political candidate Chael Sonnen. Though it is a far cry from the fight with Georges St. Pierre that was teased prior to the Maia debacle, it is a bout that will assuredly draw its fair share of hype courtesy of Sonnen's gift of gab.

2. Georges St. Pierre (20-2)

It is the kind of nitpicking that can only result when a fighter is as dominant as St. Pierre. After another complete performance at UFC 111, with his UFC welterweight title up for grabs, one would anticipate that GSP’s crushing of Dan Hardy would have impressed onlookers. Instead, in spite of particularly vicious armbar and kimura attempts that contorted the arm of “The Outlaw,” MMA’s welterweight king has been disparaged as a safety-first top-position wrestler who is content to do just enough to win fights. Critiques aside, the constant stream of elite challengers will not stop for St. Pierre, whether they come from the ever-deep 170-pound division or courtesy of a move to 185 pounds.

3. Fedor Emelianenko (31-1, 1 NC)

Emelianenko was supposed to embark on his next conquest for Strikeforce in April, this after he had wiped out Brett Rogers in thrilling fashion in the promotion’s November CBS debut. However, a contract impasse between Strikeforce and M-1, Emelianenko’s representation, put the breaks on his appearance. Now his next bout looks more likely for June or July. In some ways, the delay may be a blessing in disguise. It will not buy Strikeforce a world of time, but if Emelianenko had fought and knocked off Fabricio Werdum as anticipated, it would have left the Russian with one last obvious foil -- Alistair Overeem -- as we entered the summer. Now the obvious end of Strikeforce’s short heavyweight gallery is further off.

4. Lyoto Machida (16-0)

After ripping through Thiago Silva and Rashad Evans in consecutive bouts in 2009, Machida had already ignited complaints about the inability of other light heavyweights to challenge him before he even defended the UFC title. His October bout with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vividly showed once again the folly of proclaiming any MMA fighter unbeatable, as Machida’s unanimous decision victory became the most debated and unpopular decision of the year. With the Rua rematch slated for May 8 at UFC 113 and a growing number of highly gifted 205-pound prospects in MMA, Machida’s road to dominating the light heavyweight division has quickly become a much taller task than previously anticipated.

5. Jose Aldo (17-1)

Aldo entered his April 24 showdown with Urijah Faber as a favorite, but many expected "The California Kid" to offer the Brazilian dynamo a real test and force him to fight in a way he hadn't in the WEC so far. Instead, Aldo crushed and demoralized Faber in front of his fans in Sacramento. For five lopsided rounds, Aldo smashed Faber with low kicks, hobbling him into helplessness in the cage. With the win, Aldo now appears to be untouchable in the featherweight division, despite only having two outstanding wins -- Mike Thomas Brown and Faber -- on his docket. With the perception of his dominance reinforced, Aldo figures to be a considerable favorite over likely next challenger Manny Gamburyan whenever they meet later this year.

6. Jon Fitch (22-3, 1 NC)

With a straightforward and prosaic fighting style, Fitch is not as close to another crack at the UFC welterweight title as he would like to be. However, the former Purdue University wrestling captain still sports a staggering 12-1 record in the UFC, and in one of MMA’s greatest divisions. Even if his dream fight is a rematch with Georges St. Pierre, the high-stakes bout for Fitch in the interim will be his rematch with Thiago Alves. After two previous delays, a fight between the former title challengers is slated for UFC 115 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on June 12, with the winner locking up second fiddle status in the ever-deep welterweight division.

7. Frankie Edgar (12-1)

At UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Edgar scored the most significant win of 2010 so far by dethroning lightweight kingpin B.J. Penn and taking the UFC 155-pound title. Though it was not exactly a popular decision, Edgar took all three judges’ scorecards on the back of his aggressive combination punching and stellar movement. However, the new surprise champion will have to replicate his feat in order to earn unanimous consideration as the sport's top lightweight, as the wheels are in motion for an August rematch between he and Penn in Boston.

8. B.J. Penn (15-6-1)

From one controversy to another, Penn lost his UFC lightweight title and MMA's 155-pound mantle on April 12 with his shocking upset to Frankie Edgar. While debate still rages over the bout's outcome, Penn has started his book tour to promote his eye-opening biography. The book has drawn the particular ire of UFC boss Dana White for its anecdotes of the Hilo native's past dealings with the company. Brouhahas notwithstanding, "The Prodigy" will get his chance for redemption and to regain top status at 155 pounds in August, when he figures to rematch Edgar at UFC 118 in Boston.

9. Jake Shields (25-4-1)

There was a time just a few short years ago when Shields was reviled for being one of MMA's most loathsome fighters to watch. However, over the last five years, the Cesar Gracie product has transformed from a drab, peripheral contender to one of the sport's elite. With his dominant April 17 upset over Dan Henderson, the Strikeforce middleweight champion now boasts a 14-bout winning streak and top-five credentials in two separate divisions. The serious question surrounding Shields now is simply whether he will remain a Strikeforce commodity or if his future lies in the Octagon against a deeper roster of competition.

10. Thiago Alves (16-6)

Alves’ place in the MMA world reminds us of why context is important. In his last bout, he struggled to win a single minute of 25 against welterweight kingpin Georges St. Pierre. However, apart from his loss to St. Pierre, Alves has smashed outstanding welterweights left, right and center. Arguably he had a better 2008 campaign -- weight issues against Matt Hughes aside -- than any other fighter in the sport. However, as of late, he's been beset by medical setbacks that have twice canceled his slated high-stakes rematch with Jon Fitch. Clean MRI pending, the fight has been scheduled for a third time at UFC 115 on June 12.

*With his April 24 loss to Manny Gamburyan, previously 7th-ranked Mike Thomas Brown falls outside of the pound-for-pound top 10.

Source: Sherdog

5/5/10

Destiny Featuring Kaleo Kwan Defending His State Title
Waipahu Filcom
Doors open 5:30 pm. Fights start at 6:00 pm
$25 presale, $35 at the door!


Main Event:
-155ls (state title match)
Kaleo "Lights Out" Kwan (O2 Martial Arts Academy) vs Tim "Majik" Moon

-145lbs (interim amateur title)
Max "Lil Evil" Holloway (Gods Army) vs Travis Beyer (808 FF)

-155lbs
Ben "Da King" Santiago (Gods Army) vs Tyler Pavao (freelance)

-185lbs
Jon Lucius (freelance) vs Charles Hazlewood (Combat 50)

-Heavyweights
Nalu Lavela (UCS) vs Terrance Taanoa (High Intensity)

-145lbs
Daniel Bachman (Boars Nest) vs Jason Racamara (UCS)

-170lbs
Jason Morinaga (freelance) vs Jon "4real" Ferrell (Hawaiian MMA, Hilo)

-165lbs
Kenney Dewey (Pain Train) vs Zackory Lavarias-Dumlao (freelance)

-145lbs
Randy Rivera (HMC) vs Treven Mukai (Hawaiian MMA, Hilo)

-Heavyweights
Isaac Uaisele (Kurrupt Ambitionz) vs Joe Noa (All Nu)

-210lbs
Mo (Pain Train) vs Christian Dayondun (All Nu)

-170lbs
Daniel Manpusian (freelance) vs Justin Torres (All Nu)

-140lbs
AJ Pang (HMC) vs Larson Tokeshi (Hawaiian MMA, Hilo)

-125lbs
Josh Kolii (C-Side Soljahz) vs Westly Mossan (freelance)

-150lbs
Aaron Terry (HMC Wahiawa) vs Mikey Wabinga (Team Stand Alone)

-185lbs
Kala Sapla (freelance) vs Joe Enaena(All Nu)

-160lbs
Dean Ramiro (Team Equal Knockz) vs David Carter (freelance)

-160lbs
Ethan Rista (Kurrupt Ambitionz) vs Nick Pait (freelance)

-155lbs
Sebastion Mariconda (HMC) vs Steven Garcia (All Nu)

-145lbs
Zach Close (Boars Nest) vs Charles Matias (freelance)

-170lbs
Lawrence Kaeo (Papakolea BJJ) vs Kalani Ramos (All Nu)

-155lbs
Ryan Clay (HMC) vs Bradley Arakaki(freelance)

-165lbs
Eddie Manu (High Intensity) vs Peda Delacruz (All Nu)

-135lbs
Kelii Palencia (HMC) vs Lawrence Lucius (freelance)

-185lbs
Ernest "Irie Warrior" Mercado (freelance) vs Tyrone Stovall (All Nu)

-170lbs
Lawrence Matias (freelance) vs Tony Irvin (High Intensity)

-Heavyweights
Olo (freelance) vs Lester Figueroa (All Nu)

-145lbs (pankration)
Robert Aguirre (freelance)vs Mikela Texeira (All Nu)

-170lbs
Kalau Awong (C-Side Soljahz) vs George Felix (freelance)

-Super Heavyweight
Keoni Kalepa (freelance) vs Andrew Miram (High Intensity)

-180lbs
Dwayne Uyeda (Team Outlaw) vs Micah Ige (freelance)

-135lbs (pankration)
Joeseph Eiman (Team Hardheads) vs Thomas Burkett (High Intensity)

-145lbs
Shawn Burroughs (CJ's Gym) vs TBA

COTE'S MISSION IS FOR TITLE, NOT ANDERSON SILVA

The climb to the top of the middleweight division for Canadian fighter Patrick Cote hit a major bump in the road during his title fight against champion Anderson Silva in October 2008.

In the third round of their fight, Cote took a wrong step, an old knee injury flared, and he buckled as his knee collapsed under him. He lost the fight just seconds into the third round by injury.

Now more than 18 months later, Cote is getting back in the cage for the first time in his hometown of Montreal at UFC 113. He still has a set goal in mind, but the end result isn't what most would think... a rematch with Anderson Silva.

"We have kind of like unfinished business with me and Anderson Silva, but my goal is not to fight Anderson Silva, my goal is to have another title fight," said Cote on MMAWeekly Radio Monday night.

Cote earned his title shot by winning five fights in a row, capped off by a victory over Ricardo Almeida, but the knee injury kept him out of ever finishing his championship run. Now he's been away for more than a year and the division has moved on without him, but he's ready to get back to that top contender's spot again.

Fighting Silva is really coincidental to Cote, and says calling himself UFC middleweight champion outweighs any thoughts of revenge or unfinished business.

"I really don't care about this guy," Cote said of Silva. "The thing is he was the champion; that's what I want. I want the belt; I want to be world champion."

If their paths do cross again, Cote knows he'll have to work his way back through a whole new list of contenders, and that's okay by him.

He plans on being very active in 2010, and it starts with his UFC 113 fight against Alan Belcher. After that expect Cote to try to get as many fights in as the UFC will allow. Then he wants to get the call for another shot at UFC gold.

One thing that is perfectly clear, while Cote has no love lost on Silva as a fighter, he's not chasing him like Ahab did Moby Dick. He's just another name, and if it happens to be attached to the middleweight title, then he'll be just another opponent.

"If he's still there when I have another title fight, I'll fight him. But if it's another one, I'll fight another guy too," Cote said. "I'm not running after Anderson Silva, I'm running after another title fight."

Source: MMA Weekly

Camões wants to be back in the UFC

With a defeat and a draw on UFC, Fabrício “Morango” Camões ended up cut of the biggest MMA’s event of the world. In a chat with TATAME, the Royler Gracie’s black belt talked about the deception with the cut off, commented his fights and regretted a possible UFC’s “politic”, once his manager is the same as Anderson Silva, who was a lot criticized after UFC 112. “I like to think that, if I had won my fights, it would have been different, because I’m doing my best in order to come back to UFC. There’s no point for me to take sides on this fight. I see it as a team, and we cannot cheer only if it winning. But, for sure, if it’s raining on Anderson, it’ll pour on me”, said Camões, on an exclusive interview which you can read below.

How did you face the dismissal?

I was surprised when my friends called me asking about my situation on UFC. When my manager called me, I could guess what had happened. I was very sad at first, but that’s life, I have to keep my head up. I’m doing my best so I can come back to the event, I want to fight the best and UFC has the best in the whole world.

Did you expect to leave UFC after only two fights?

To be honest, no. I played my game on both fights, and I believe I’ve been wronged by the arbitration on the first fight, when they hurried on my punishment from a blow that has not caught him. I’ve seen it happen another time, and the referee verbally advertised first and threatened the athlete he would take off a few points if he did it again and that cost me a draw. After my Kurt (Pellegrino) fight, I kept watching the other shows and could see a bunch of other athletes being dismissed, but I was there at the time. Right after my fight I got dismissed.

What did they said when they fired you?

I didn’t got the news from UFC. Ed (Soares) called me and said UFC had dismissed me, but he would try to do everything in his power for me to come back until the end of the year, because he also thought it was not fair. But they didn’t say why…

Your dismissal and what happened between Ed Soares and UFC, about Anderson’s fight, have any connection?

Honestly, I like to think that, if I had won my fights, it would have been different, because I’m doing my best in order to come back to UFC. There’s no point for me to take sides on this fight. I see it as a team, and we cannot cheer only if it winning. But, for sure, if it’s raining on Anderson, it’ll pour on me.

What are your plans now? Have you received any other invitations?

I’m back to the trainings… I was recovering, had injuries on my cervical and on my shoulder, spent a week not feeling my arms and with stiff neck, but now I’m practicing and intend to fight as soon as possible. It’s good for me to keep on training, correcting my mistakes, improving and preparing myself to make better presentations so I can come back to UFC. I think it won’t be that difficult to fight in another event, I’m waiting, but I’d love to fight in Brazil as well… It would be a pleasure to fight in my homeland, but my plan is to make a few fights so I can come back to UFC before the end of the year.

Is it your dream to join UFC again?

Absolutely, I would have never left there and I’m doing everything I can to come back. I think it was not fair because I fought with big names of the event, work really hard to get that chance, it was tough for me to get here, but I won’t let it discourage me. I now I did a good job on that fight and I’m sure I’ll have another chance soon.

What did you think about your fights on UFC?

I had a draw with Caol Uno, on which I mastered all the fight, had chances to submit and didn’t take those. On the Kurt Pellegrino’s fight, I was on his back when I got injured due to a blow, which it’s not legal by the rules, that is to through the opponent’s head on the floor. I think that, even with the defeat, I did well. I know I can improve some things, but I think I did good fights and the audience liked it… That’s what matters.

What do you think you got wrong?

I should have submitted when I got a chance. I’m working on it, I was in a sequence of 8 fights without losing. You have to take every chance you’re given because you never know when you’ll got another one, but now I have to keep my head up and keep improving.

Source: Tatame

SHANE ROLLER WANTS A REMATCH FOR WEC BELT

Before the WEC 48: Aldo vs. Faber pay-per-view ever started, the fight between Shane Roller and Anthony Njokuani was already thought of as a de facto No. 1 contender's match for a shot at the lightweight title.

Roller dominated with a submission victory over Njokuani. Now he's ready to get the title shot against champion Ben Henderson, who also happens to be the only fighter to defeat him since moving to the WEC.

"I think I've earned it," Roller told MMAWeekly Radio about getting a shot at the belt. "I've beat some tough guys my last three wins, and I’m ready to get back in there against him."

The two lightweights fought in April 2009, and after dropping Henderson early with a punch, Roller eventually got tagged himself and was finished with strikes in the first round.

Henderson has said in the past that he was hopeful for new contenders in the lightweight division, but Roller feels he should accept all challengers as the champion.

"He said something about he doesn't want to fight someone in a rematch like that, but who else is there? Who else is he wanting to fight?" said Roller.

"I've never seen a champion say he don't want to fight someone. Most champions say bring on whoever. I want to fight the best. That's how I'd view it if I had the belt. Whoever's the best, that's who I'd want to fight. I'd want to be the best, hands down."

The WEC hasn't offered Roller the shot yet, and Henderson has said after a very busy year he's taking some time off until his wedding later this summer. Roller will gladly take the title shot, but also admitted that spending an extended period away from fighting doesn't sound too enticing.

One thing is for sure for Shane Roller, he believes he's earned the title shot, and now he's just waiting for the offer to come across his table.

"I think I'm there, and I deserve it, and I'm ready for the rematch."

Source: MMA Weekly

Rogers: Overeem's Been ‘Hiding’ for Two Years

Brett Rogers seems well prepared to deal with a potential wave of naysayers who might question why the 29-year-old Minnesotan has been granted a title shot coming off of a loss.

Rogers will challenge 30-month absentee heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem at Strikeforce “St. Louis: Heavy Artillery” on May 15 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo.

“I would tell (naysayers) to recognize what’s going on the organization, recognize my opponents and understand that’s this isn’t something that just occurred,” Rogers recently told Sherdog.com in this exclusive video interview. “I’ve been going after (Overeem) for a good year or so, underground, online, calling him out to get him to come back to the States because he's been hiding (in Europe) for almost two years.”

Rogers, who notched his first career loss to Fedor Emelianenko with strikes in the second round at the promotion’s November “Fedor vs. Rogers” effort in Hoffmann Estates, Ill., also commented on the 6-foot-5 Golden Glory striker’s noticeable weight gain over the last two years, which Rogers refers to as Overeem’s “Eastern diet.”

Source: Sherdog

Veteran Canadian Fighters Get Second Chances at UFC 113

Jason MacDonald and Tim Hague, two veteran Canadian fighters who were recently released by the UFC, were granted a second chance to make a run in the organization due to last-minute injuries on next weekend's UFC 113 card in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The promotion officially announced the changes late this week.

In middleweight action, MacDonald will replace Nick Catone against John Salter, while Hague will replace heavyweight newcomer Chad Corvin against Joey Beltran.

MacDonald (24-13), who was released by the organization after losing to Nate Quarry at UFC 97 last April in Montreal, has won three straight in three different Canadian promotions. His most notable win came just last week against veteran Matt Horwich in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He's 5-5 inside the Octagon.

MacDonald is especially lucky to be receiving another shot in the UFC because David Loiseau was offered the fight against Salter first, but when the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux (the Quebec athletic commission) delayed its approval of Loiseau's license due to an open investigation into the sale of a promotion he once owned a stake in (XMMA) to a group of individuals who are being investigated by the authorities, the UFC offered the fight to "The Athlete" instead.

Loiseau applied for the new license on Monday and was granted it on Wednesday. Unfortunately for Loiseau, the UFC had already offered the fight to MacDonald by the time he was cleared of any wrongdoing.

MacDonald vs. Salter is scheduled to be the first fight of the night at the Bell Centre. Salter (4-1) lost his UFC debut to Gerald Harris in January.

Meanwhile, Hague (10-3) was released following a somewhat controversial majority decision loss to Chris Tuchscherer at UFC 109 in February. He hasn't fought since then. He is 1-2 inside the Octagon.

Beltran (11-3) won his Octagon debut against Rolles Gracie in February.

It was also recently announced that Joe Doerksen (44-12), a third Canadian veteran, was given another chance to fight in the organization after Tim Credeur was forced to withdraw from his middleweight fight against Tom Lawlor due to injury. "El Dirte" last competed in the Octagon at UFC 83 and holds a 1-6 record in the promotion.

There are seven Canadian fighters in total fighting on the card.

Source: MMA Fighting

DANIEL ROBERTS VS JULIO PAULINO AT UFC 116

A welterweight contest between Daniel Roberts and Julio Paulino has been added to the undercard of UFC 116 in Las Vegas on July 3.

The fight was confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by sources close to the bout on late Friday evening.

Both Roberts and Paulino step into the fight in July having lost in their UFC debuts, but having a great deal of success prior to entering the Octagon.

Daniel Roberts (9-1) is an accomplished grappler who has been known as a submission machine in fights, finishing eight opponents in a row with his wrestling and jiu-jitsu.

Making his UFC debut in March as a late replacement to face John "Doomsday" Howard, Roberts was doing well in the fight until he was caught with a nasty punch from Howard just two minutes into the first round, handing him a knockout loss.

Roberts looks to get back to his winning ways when he faces Julio Paulino (17-3) who fought on the same March undercard at the first UFC on Versus show, dropping a decision to powerful wrestler Mike Pierce.

Paulino is a well-rounded fighter and has several big wins under his belt including TKO's over two former UFC fighters in Terry Martin and Rob Yundt.

The bout between Roberts and Paulino will be part of the untelevised undercard for the show taking place in Las Vegas.

Source: MMA Weekly

BANTAMWEIGHT TOURNEY FOR BELLATOR SEASON 3

Bellator Fighting Championships on Friday confirmed its oft-rumored bantamweight tournament for Season 3, which begins Aug. 12.

The first fighter confirmed for the 135-pound brackets is Danny Tims, whose red mohawk and compelling personal story made him a media darling in his hometown of Kansas City in the run-up to Bellator 16.

He earned the spot with his victory over Brian Davidson on the local portion of Bellator 16 on Thursday night.

The announcement, which was made by Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney at the conclusion of Thursday night’s event, makes it official that Bellator will indeed host a bantamweight tournament in its third season as has been rumored for some time. Additional tournament fighters will be announced in the coming weeks.

“Danny’s win over Brian Davidson included some great back-and-forth action; it was probably the night’s best all-around fight,” Rebney said. “With his win, Danny earned a spot in an eight-man field that already has some hugely talented bantamweights locked in. We will be announcing more of them in the coming weeks.”

The 22-year-old Tims, a mainstay on the Midwest MMA circuit since turning pro while he was still a teenager in 2007, improved his overall record to 9-2-1 with the win over Davidson.

Source: MMA Weekly

5/4/10

ALVES VS. FITCH MOVED TO UFC 117 IN OAKLAND

As badly as Thiago "Pitbull" Alves wants to get back in the cage and fight again, he'll have to wait just a little while longer before returning. Originally scheduled to face Jon Fitch at UFC 111 in New Jersey and then UFC 115 in Vancouver, the fight has been pushed back to Aug. 7 in Oakland as a part of UFC 117.

Sources close to the fight confirmed to MMAWeekly.com on Friday that while Alves has had no complications following brain surgery, the promotion just wants to take extra caution and make sure everything is okay before the fight takes place. AOL Fanhouse originally reported the move of the fight on Friday.

Alves was set to fight at UFC 111 in New Jersey, but a pre-fight CAT scan revealed an anomaly in the fighter's brain that concerned doctors and he was pulled off the card. Shortly thereafter, the Brazilian underwent an angiogram to repair the issue.

"They put superglue between the vein and the artery. That's what the doctors told me 'just tell everybody you've got superglue in your brain right now, and you'll be alright.' So that's what I'm going to tell everybody," Alves explained in an interview with MMAWeekly.com after the surgery.

As a precautionary measure, Alves will have another test run closer to the fight just to confirm the success of the surgery, but he is already back in full training with his camp at American Top Team.

The fight between Alves and Fitch will obviously be a featured bout on the UFC 117 card, which will be headlined by middleweight champion Anderson Silva defending his title against Chael Sonnen.

Source: MMA Weekly

Ex-UFC Champ Ricco Rodriguez Hoping for Return at Light Heavyweight

Everyone deserves a second chance in life, and Ricco Rodriguez is hoping for his own follow-up shot at the bigtime.

In 2002, Rodriguez was on top of the MMA world when he defeated Randy Couture to become the UFC heavyweight champion. At the time, he was just 25 years old and seemed to have the world in front of him. Three fights and three losses later, Rodriguez was out of the UFC and his life began to spiral out of control, but now there's hope that Rodriguez is turning things around and working towards redemption.

Last night in Waterloo, Iowa, the now 32-year-old Rodriguez knocked out veteran journeyman Travis Fulton, earning his sixth straight win.

Before the fight, Rodriguez, who at one time weighed over 300 pounds and has fought at heavyweight for years, told The Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier that he had plans on changing his weight class.

"This will shock a lot of people, but I'm really looking forward to dropping down to 205 and the light-heavyweight division," Rodriguez told the paper, who noted that he showed up to the pre-fight press conference at a "svelte 218."

Rodriguez told the paper that he still dreams of returning to the UFC and working towards another shot at the title.

Any sort of return to a major promotion would mark an impressive personal redemption tale for Rodriguez, who in Nov. 2006, was suspended by the California State athletic commission after testing positive for both cocaine and marijuana in a post-fight test. At one time, he ballooned to around 350 pounds. He detailed his personal problems during a stint on VH1's "Celebrity Rehab" show in early 2008.

With a winning streak in hand and a 12-2 record dating back to June 2008, Rodriguez, who is now based in Baton Rouge, La., is 41-11 overall.

Source: MMA Fighting

HANDS HEALED, CUB SWANSON EAGER FOR RETURN

Cub Swanson thought a victory over John Franchi at WEC 44 last November would not only put him back on the winning track, but also be the springboard towards title contention in the promotion’s stacked 145-pound division.

What Swanson ended up getting was bittersweet.

While he managed to defeat Franchi, Swanson broke both hands during the fight, derailing his comeback efforts for the time being.

It appeared he would be able to return for last Saturday’s WEC 48 against Chan Sung Jung, but it was not to be. As Swanson told MMAWeekly.com, “It basically boils down to a miscommunication between me and my doctor.

“He told me he thought it was a little too soon for me to fight, but that I could probably pull it off, so I kind of took that as an ‘okay I can fight.’ But I guess in his notes he wrote that he didn’t feel I was ready and that I would re-brake it if I fought that soon, so the WEC told me that if my doctor writes that I can’t fight, I pretty much can’t fight.”

Leonard Garcia was able to step in and defeat Jung via split decision, in a fight that made Swanson proud of his teammate.

“Me and Leonard are teammates and I was able to let him know that I wasn’t able to fight. So he was able to step in there for me and put on a great fight, especially on short notice,” stated Swanson.

“I’d like to fight him, but I think I’d like to see them go at it one more time. Maybe I’ll fight George Roop for (Leonard).”

With the communication problem cleared up, Swanson is eager to return to action as soon as possible.

“I got cleared the Monday before the WEC, and I sent the doctor’s notes in to them and they know I’m good to go,” said Swanson. “I told them I’d like to get in on the June 20 card.

“The card is almost full, so I’m just kind of saying my prayers and am trying to get on it; if not, then August, but I’m hoping for June.”

With half the year still remaining, Swanson feels he can come in and make an impact significant enough to get him back into the title hunt.

“I feel I had a good showing in my last fight, considering I had two broken hands, I was still able to have a good fight and finish him,” stated Swanson.

“I’ve taken some time off, healed up, and I hope I can continue the same work; especially with Greg Jackson in my corner, I feel like I’m going to fight a lot smarter.”

Swanson feels his injuries allowed him to focus on other parts of his game, which in turn altered his mindset going into battle.

“It’s making me be more tactical and think about the fight,” he commented. “I’m not just going in there and fighting on instinct. I’ve got a game plan and I know how to use a game plan right; using what my coaches are seeing outside the fight.”

Ready to return to action and showcase a new and improved Cub Swanson, a year that started off on the wrong foot could very well culminate in the high point of his career.

“Don’t forget about me, I’m still around,” concluded Swanson. “I’ve been in the WEC for over three years now, and I feel I’m still strong and I’m going to go out there, put on a good show and keep a high pace. It’s just now when I do it, it’s going to be very accurate and I think I’ll be even more devastating now.

“Anybody who wants to come out, I’ll be at the Submission Ink Tattoo Convention and Grappling Tournament on Saturday. So anybody that’s near Ontario (California) come out, I’d love to see you.”

Source: MMA Weekly

BELLATOR ANNOUNCES CONSECUTIVE TEXAS EVENTS

Bellator Fighting Championships on Friday announced it will make its second 2010 stop in the Lone Star State next month when it comes to the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio.

The event – which will be broadcast live and in prime time across the country on FOX Sports Net and during special weekend highlight shows on NBC, Telemundo and mun2 – takes place on May 27 at the historic theatre in the heart of downtown San Antonio.

The fight card for the event includes two semifinal round matchups in Bellator’s ongoing middleweight tournament: Siberian striker Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (28-4) versus former all-American college wrestler and Bellator Season 1 middleweight tournament runner-up Jared Hess (11-1-1) along with former competitive power-lifter Eric Schambari (12-1) versus Southern California powerhouse Bryan Baker (12-1) in a rematch of their December 2007 fight in the WEC (which Baker won by split decision).

In addition, the evening will feature a special “Heavyweight Feature Fight” between 11-3 former UFC star Eddie Sanchez and EliteXC veteran Ralph Kelly as well as four “Local Feature Fights” between some of the top rising MMA stars from Texas.

“Bellator is thrilled at the opportunity to bring our brand mixed martial arts events and our television partners at Fox Sports Net, NBC, Telemundo and Mun2 to the thousands of passionate MMA fans in the San Antonio area,” said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney.

“Our two Main Event fights feature four of the most exciting middleweights out there right now including a man, Alexander Shlemenko, who I believe is one of the top fighters to come out of Russia in many years. It should be a great night of fights.”

Bellator Season 2 began on April 8 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. Bellator Season 3 begins August 12. Both seasons run for 12 consecutive weeks.

Bellator is also hosting an event at the Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie, Texas, (just outside of Dallas) one week before the San Antonio event on Thursday, May 20.

Source: MMA Weekly

Hangover lingers from manic MMA April

The month of April started with high expectations in the mixed martial arts world, with seven championship matches on shows put on by the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Strikeforce, and World Extreme Cagefighting.

In the end, there highs and lows, two new champions, and a complete shakeup at the top of the lightweight division.

UFC 112 on April 10 in Abu Dhabi was the most high profile event. But the April 17 Strikeforce event on CBS, and the April 24 WEC pay-per-view card were two of the most important events of the month, because each had a significant effect on the respective companies’ future.

It’s still uncertain how the April 17 show will affect the Strikeforce/CBS relationship, with its ugly post-fight brawl, disappointing matches and a lackluster prime-time rating. In a business that is all about creating superstars, which at its best is a difficult process based on luck, timing and exposure, it can’t be emphasized how important having CBS exposure is for Strikeforce.

The company’s ultimate goal – to compete with the industry-leading UFC – is based on being able to produce successful pay-per-view shows. With Showtime, Strikeforce’s main carrier, only available in a small percentage of the U.S. homes, it’s questionable if that’s a strong enough platform to build a successful pay-per-view event.

Meanwhile, the Zuffa-owned WEC took the dive into the pay-per-view pool this past Saturday after considering the move for more than a year. No concrete numbers were available as of press time according to WEC general manager Reed Harris. Unlike with the dead Affliction promotion, which had millions of dollars in guaranteed money on the table and needed hundreds of thousands of buys to be successful, it was believed WEC would be very happy with 100,000 buys.

That’s a figure the company likely attained thanks, to strong late promotion and luck falling on their side in the last 20 minutes before the show went on the air. Leonard Garcia and Chan Sung Jung delivered a wild brawl that will be hard to beat for match of the year. The fight aired live on Spike TV just minutes before the pay-per-view started.

Viewership of the fight nearly doubled from start-to-finish, something almost unheard of, let alone in a fight between two men who are not major stars. It would be hard to imagine a better scenario to convince viewers at the last minute that this was a show worth buying.

“When I told Leonard he was going to be put on Spike TV, he told promised me he was going to come through,” Harris said.

But while the show was an artistic success, the WEC’s business highs have all been built around Urijah Faber, who incurred the most brutal beating of his career, in losing a five-round decision to featherweight champion Jose Aldo Jr. For the first time since the company was purchased by Zuffa and had a national platform, Faber is no longer in the championship picture.

Harris said he and Faber have talked since the fight, mostly about how he’s feeling and the damage to Faber’s left leg, which was brutalized by Aldo’s low kicks. Faber described the damage as being like someone took a baseball bat to his leg.

“He talked with me a little about going to [bantamweight],” Harris said. “He’s not going anywhere. If he decides that’s what he wants to do, we’ll support him. He said he wouldn’t have any problem making the weight. The fighters in our organization are the ones who decide what weight class they are going to fight in.”

Faber was almost always undersized in fighting at featherweight during the period he ruled the division. His biggest question regarding going down to bantamweight is that Joseph Benavidez, one of his training partners, looks to be the top contender for champion Dominick Cruz. Cruz’s only career loss was as a featherweight, challenging Faber for his title three years ago in Las Vegas, and losing via guillotine submission in just 1:38.

Harris noted that the reason the WEC name was never used on the broadcast and in promotion of the event – it was instead billed simply as “Aldo vs. Faber” – was because it was part of a deal getting Spike TV to promote the event. He said Versus, the WEC’s usual carrier, was interested in carrying the prelims live, but couldn’t, due to its commitment to the Stanley Cup playoffs.

“At the end of the day, everyone knew it was a WEC show,” he said.

Harris noted that even if the show beats expectations on pay-per-view, that WEC will be a product that does pay-per-view when the right match comes along, as opposed to UFC, which has a set schedule of pay-per-view dates every few weeks, and then plugs in matches for those dates.

On the championship front, there were two changes and three significant upsets in the seven April title matches. The biggest shock was Frankie Edgar, an 8-to-1 underdog, beating B.J. Penn to win the UFC lightweight title in a five-round decision in Abu Dhabi. This would rank alongside Matt Serra’s 2007 win over Georges St. Pierre as one of the two biggest upsets in UFC championship history.

Edgar’s win helped break the lightweight division wide open. Going into April, most rankings had Penn No. 1, and Shinya Aoki, the champion of Japan’s Dream promotion as No. 2. Aoki, who was clearly overrated with that ranking, was dominated for five rounds by Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez in a match that seemed to emphasize the gap in the quality at the top ranks between the U.S. and Japan.

Despite losing, because of his history on top of dominant performances, most would still consider Penn the best in the division. Where Melendez truly belongs in the top mix, which also includes UFC fighters like Gray Maynard and Kenny Florian, may not be able to be answered.

Melendez’s contract with Strikeforce is coming due soon, but unlike former roommate and best friend Shields, Melendez has indicating wanting to stay with Strikeforce, stating he’s got loyalty to Scott Coker for giving him so many opportunities.

In another surprise result, “King Mo” Lawal, in only his seventh pro fight and just 19 months after his MMA debut, took the Strikeforce light heavyweight title from Gegard Mousasi, who had looked unstoppable in a 15-match winning streak that dated back to 2006.

The only fight where the champion was the underdog was Jake Shields, the Strikeforce middleweight champion, against Dan Henderson. Shields outwrestled the two-time Olympian in wrestling to take a five-round decision and keep his title.

But his future as champion is very much in question with his contract running out, Shields appearing a week later at the WEC show sitting next to Dana White, who guaranteed he would sign Shields.

Source: Yahoo Sports

Favorites Out Early at K-1 63kg GP

TOKYO, Japan -- The opening round of the inaugural K-1 World MAX 2010 63kg Japan Tournament got under way in front 3,871 fans at a sold-out JCB Hall on Sunday, and already this new division is showing that youth and speed is key.

Despite their late inclusions, Masahiro Yamamoto and Haruaki Otsuki hold a large number of the more prestigious titles available in Japanese kickboxing and were rightfully considered the tournament favorites. Titles and experience meant little though as they both bowed out of the tournament early with shocking losses to younger opposition.

Masahiro Yamamoto was rightfully the odds-on favorite for this tournament, holding wins over some of the better GP participants and having demonstrated the ability to win tournaments in Krush in the past. He was stopped short however when Tetsuya Yamato's power managed to earn him an extra round with the technician. While Yamamoto was landing more, especially with kicks, Yamoto's power shots evened it up and after three rounds two of the judges couldn't separate the pair.

In the extra round, the Muay Thai stylist was able to keep his power going while Yamamoto's speed and footwork failed him resulting in two knockdowns from punch combinations and also resulting in the favorite making an early exit after the judges rendered their final decision.

Noted for his ridiculous power and cocky style, fan favorite Haruaki Otsuki looked good early, landing heavily to the liver of Yoshimichi Matsumoto with punches right from the opening bell. Matsumoto managed to rally his defense though and get his kicks going leading up to a moment in the third, where he mounted enough offense to drop the 36-year-old Otsuki. The trip to the canvas meant that Otsuki needed to score a knock down himself if he hoped to win a decision and so he loaded up power shots, testing Matsumoto's chin almost to breaking point. In the final seconds of the bout, Matsumoto looked to be getting ready to go down but was saved by the bell and so, won the decision.

Although he could not be considered a tournament favorite, prohibitive fan favorite and lovable loser "Fire" Harada also bowed out: going down to the big mouthed Koshien graduate Kizaemon Saiga. Harada's strategy of wading through punishment to attempt to through powerful but unrefined hooks, proved as it all too often does, fruitless against faster and more technical opposition.

Saiga played up his role as the heel, taunting Harada as he bloodied and bruised him with lighting quick kicks and punches. It was hard to watch in the later rounds as even the smallest strikes would cause Harada to lose his footing and slip to the mat and the pain was evident in the elder man's face as he would get up and walk in for more. Harada failed to win a single round.

With Yamamoto and Otsuki bowing out of the running early, Naoki Ishikawa can now consider himself a favorite after his tough fought win over Yuto Watanabe. Ishikawa looked good through the three rounds and although he sustained a massive cut under the lip in the closing minute, he controlled the bout with his trademark kicks and knees in close.

In the evening's main event, Daisuke Uematsu took out the only foreign GP participant, the "Japanese Killer" Jae Hee Cheon. Cheon had a breakout year in 2009, taking out Japanese super stars Norifumi "KID" Yamamoto and Kazuhisa Watanabe. Uematsu, on the other hand, saw his popularity decline after FEG PR efforts were shifted to other fighters in this new 63kg division after some mediocre wins.

Cheon looked primed for another solid win, rocking Uematsu with punches early and backing him into the corner and coming close to scoring a down with punches. The Japanese fighter was able to hang on however and shortly after collecting his marbles, landed a left-right-left hook combination that sent the Korean to the canvas where he was unable to regain his composure in time for the 10 count.

Keiji Ozaki took a questionable decision over Kosuke Komiyama. As the referee raised Ozaki's hand, his face and body was battered and bloody with swelling around Ozaki's eyes. Komiyama looked fresh and stunned. It wasn't all just looks though, Komiyama landed more accurate and powerful shots but most definitely threw less than Ozaki.

Yuta Kubo should have had DREAM representative Daiki "DJ.taiki" Taiki questioning his will to continue after three rounds of kicks to the ribs. DJ.taiki's ribs were purple and he could be seen wincing with every movement but despite the pain, managed a last-second rally with punches and middle kicks to leave an impression with Kubo. He failed to make one with the judges however rightfully dropping a unanimous decision.

In the first of only two finishes for the night, Yuki got his second win over "Kyoken" Yuji Takeuchi with a right high kick KO at 1:53 of the second round. Kyoken looked to have found a solid strategy, using his front kick to stay out of range of Yuki's dangerous low, Yuki's key to victory in their first fight. Takeuchi would then punch hard as he closed the distance and was doing well until a three punch combination landed followed by a missed right high kick. The next one was on the mark and finished the job.

Although there were 11 victors tonight in the 63kg tournament bouts, only eight will progress to the next round. Progression will be based on how exciting the fights were and fan opinion and a decision is yet to be made on who will be moving to the next round.

If anything, tonight's fights were an indication of how well matched and even these fighters are - as the nine decisions and upsets so clearly showed. Also, based on excitement alone it is difficult to single out any one fighter as not being worthy of advancing.

In the evenings sole non-tournament bout, Yasuhiro Kido dropped his third straight fight and lost a decision to Iranian Vahid Rosyani. While Kido appeared to be the greater technician, he didn't posses the power in his hands to get Rosyani thinking outside of his kicks. With that, Rosyani was free to work Kido over with punches and by the end of the third round, Kido had lost a tooth and another decision.

The event is set to air on HDNet on May 28.

K-1 World MAX 2010 -63kg Japan Tournament 1st Round - Results
Sunday, May 2nd
JCB Hall, Tokyo, Japan
K-1 MAX -63kg 2010 Japan Tournament 1st Round:
12. Daisuke Uematsu def. Jae Hee Cheon by KO (Punches), Round 1, 1:09
11. Naoki Ishikawa def. Yuto Watanabe by Unanimous Decision
10. Keiji Ozaki def. Kosuke Komiyama by Split Decision
9. Tetsuya Yamato def. Masahiro Yamamoto by Unanimous Decision (Extra Round)
K-1 MAX 70kg Superfight:
8. Vahid Rosyani def. Yasuhiro Kido by Unanimous Decision
K-1 MAX -63kg 2010 Japan Tournament 1st Round:
7. Yoshimichi Matsumoto def. Haruaki Otsuki by Unanimous Decision
6. Yuta Kubo def. Daiki "DJ.taiki" Hata by Unanimous Decision
5. Kizaemon Saiga def. Fire Harada by Unanimous Decision
4. Koya Urabe def. Shunsuke Oishi by Unanimous Decision
3. Shohei Asahara def. Shota Shimada by Unanimous Decision
2. Toshiki Taniyama def. Hirotaka Urabe by Split Decision (Extra Round)
1. Yuki def. "Kyoken" Yuji Takeuchi by KO (Right High Kick), Round 2, 1:53

Source: MMA Fighting

The Doggy Bag: One Special Rematch

Everyone answers to somebody, so we, the staff at Sherdog.com, have decided to defer to our readers.

“The Doggy Bag” gives you the opportunity to speak about what’s on your mind from time to time.

Our reporters, columnists, radio hosts, and editors will chime in with our answers and thoughts, so keep the emails coming.

This week, readers weigh in on next weekend’s Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua rematch at UFC 113, Sherdog.com’s updated rankings, the brawl on CBS and the upcoming UFC Undisputed 2010 video game title.

Who do you have in the Machida-Shogun rematch? Normally in MMA, rematches are pretty obvious: the first fight was a fluke, or by the time the second fight happens, one guy has really improved and is obviously better than the other one. I don't think either of those situations describe this fight. I had the first for Shogun, and favor him again here. You?
-- Jason from Tempe

Jordan Breen, FightFinder Czar: First, let me say that I think you articulate the fundamental failure with most MMA rematches. In the idiom of boxing, most immediate rematches tend to happen because a fight was fantastic, and promoters want to squeeze it for every cent. In MMA, rematches tend to either happen because someone tipped over the apple cart and promoter wants to correct it (St. Pierre-Serra 2, or now Penn-Edgar 2) or because the obvious direction for a fighter is unclear and their fight history makes it palatable (Liddell-Ortiz 3 before it fell apart, and the general public being hip to Nogueira-Cro Cop 2). This is neither of those. This was simply two elite, well-matched fighters whose controversial and entertaining first bout necessitated a rematch, which is infinitely more interesting.

Partly for this reason, I find it hard to size up. On top of that, I don't know that Rua can fight any better than he did in the first fight. The gameplan crafted by he and Andre Amado -- to limit Lyoto's counter opportunities by not using his hands, focusing instead on kicks, and capitalizing on Machida slowing down -- was a master stroke of strategy. However, if Rua goes out, and does the exact same thing, will it be as successful? It's difficult to say.

Furthermore, we've yet to see Machida go back to the drawing board. Since Machida really perfected his style around, say 2007, he hasn't had to fight in any different way. Everything he has done has worked and led him to success. If Shogun tries to limit good countering opportunities, stalls Lyoto out, and kicks his legs, can he show us a new look -- whether it means being more aggressive with his hands or otherwise -- that will make him look more effective in the second fight? Again, we've got no precedent with Machida to forecast that.

At this point, I am most interested -- and frankly, wishing -- in whether we get to see the ground game. I think with underrated clinch takedowns, and great punches and elbows on top, Machida could really do damage and tire Shogun out instead of fighting a more measured pace on the feet which doesn't exploit Rua's historically iffy cardio. At the same time, though everyone loves him for his striking, Shogun's best asset is what a slick sweep-and-submit threat he is on the ground. I think a ground battle offers both guys interesting chances for offense, and would be able to produce more direct action than we saw out of the first fight.

For what it's worth, I had the first fight a 48-47 Rua win on my first watch, and a 48-48 draw on multiple rewatches, with a 10-10 second round. I do favor Machida slightly, because of the fact that Shogun perhaps has little way to change his attack in the second bout. However, it's my favorite rematch I can recall in quite some time, and we can only hope that future rematches in MMA adhere to such a standard.

Source: Sherdog

Lashley: ‘I Don’t Turn Down Opponents’
Bobby Lashley said he isn’t choosy.

The former WWE champion and four-time All-American wrestler assures us he's game for any opponent Strikeforce puts in front of him at Strikeforce’s June 16 event at the Nokia Theatre next to the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The event will also air live on Showtime.

“I fight who (Strikeforce CEO) Scott (Coker) tells me to fight,” Lashley told Sherdog.com in this recent video interview.

The 33-year-old fighter earned a first-round technical knockout against last-minute opponent Wes Sims at Strikeforce “Miami” on Jan. 30 in Miami, Fla., notching his fifth career victory. A surprised Lashley denied rumors that he’d turned down other opponents posed to him before Sims.

“At the time I was only 4-0, so (Strikeforce) was presenting these guys to (the commission) and they were like, ‘No, he isn’t good enough for Bobby,’” said Lashley.

Lashley, who hails from his ATT Altitude gym in Aurora, Colo., spoke about the Sims matchup, his recent departure from TNA Wrestling and the difference fans will see in the newly dedicated fighter now that he’s committing himself full-time to MMA.

Source: Sherdog

5/3/10

Fighting a matter of heart and mind

Mixed martial arts fans don’t need big bookshelves to fit most of the literature worth reading on their favorite subject. The sport, after all, has been in existence fewer than 17 years, so it is going to take generations to catch up to the rich literary history offered up by the boxing game.

That’s not to say there are no MMA books worth reading. No fan worth his salt should do without Clyde Gentry’s 2005 work “No Holds Barred: Ultimate Fighting and the martial arts revolution,” with its meticulous detailing of MMA’s early days. And Sports Illustrated writer Jon Wortheim’s “Blood in the Cage: Mixed martial arts, Pat Miletich and the furious rise of the UFC,” which looks at the sport’s popularity explosion through the prism of the pioneering Miletich’s career, is another must-read.

After that, though, the pickings get slim. The landscape is littered with quick-hit biographies and glorified message-board material masquerading as total reads on MMA.

Doing his best to fill the void, however, is Sam Sheridan. The Harvard grad already earned his spot on MMA literature’s A-list, thanks to his surprise 2007 best-seller, “A Fighter’s Heart: One Man’s Journey Through the World of Fighting.” Sheridan has returned to the scene with a companion book, “The Fighter’s Mind: Inside the Mental Game,” which endeavors to find what exactly makes elite fighters’ brains tick.

In his first book, Sheridan traveled the globe and learned fighting in several of the world’s major forms. Among his notable stints, he trained in Muay Thai at Thailand’s famed Fairtex gym and fought professionally; learned MMA at Miletich’s gym and competed in a fight; studied jiu-jitsu in Brazil with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira; and boxed under the tutelage of Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward and his trainer, Virgil Hunter.

While Sheridan’s journey enabled him to compare and contrast combat through its manifestations in cultures around the world, the breadth of the subject matter never quite allowed him to delve into the specifics of the mental game. So “The Fighter’s Mind” picks up where the first book left off: What separates the minds of the world’s elite fighters from mere mortals?

Sheridan, for instance, sits down with Dan Gable, the American wrestler who put on one of the most impressive displays in the history of the Olympic Games. Gable ran the table en route to a gold medal at the 1972 Munch Games – without dropping a single point along the way. Most who understand amateur wrestling regard Gable’s achievement with the sense of reverence it deserves; but Gable himself was not happy with his performance. Sheridan’s chat at Gable’s house reveals a perfectionist who appears to handle all of life’s tasks with the meticulousness he employed in his preparation for matches.

Gable’s approach, of course, isn’t the only route to the top, and Sheridan profiles an array of characters whose insights are as diverse as their backgrounds. That includes Freddie Roach, whose brilliant boxing mind has been best evidenced in his career as a trainer. As a professional fighter, Roach was never quite able to reach the highest rungs of the boxing world, coming up short in his championship challenges. But his wisdom has enabled Manny Pacquiao to reach heights few envisioned when Pac-man began his pro career. Then there’s Marcelo Garcia, the undersized Brazilian jiu-jitsu whiz who can’t quite explain what exactly enables him to routinely submit larger foes.

There are, of course, certain universal themes which surface regardless of one’s fighting style. As much as they try to intellectualize it, many fighters struggle with the notion that in order to succeed, they have to cause another human being physical harm. And no fighter, no matter how naturally talented or intelligent they may be, is going to succeed against elite competition if he’s not taking his training camp seriously.

Several of the book’s most insightful moments come from sources who, at first glance, don’t seem to belong in a book related to the subject of fighting. Ultramarathoner David Horton, who once held the record for running the length of the Appalachian Trail, explains how his Christian faith spurs him to push further when his body is telling him to quit – thoughts Ward echoes in relation to his boxing career.

Then there’s chessmaster Josh Waitzkin, who once sized up his foes in a Caribbean tournament based on their reactions when they were stuck outdoors during a sudden rainstorm; incorporated his observations into match play; and won the tournament.

While these characters are not literally punching their foes in the face to achieve victory, they are indicative of the sort of above-and-beyond thinking that enables the best to achieve at the highest level.

Sheridan’s work isn’t flawless. Several times, the book meanders off into complaints about the business of mixed martial arts which aren’t backed with practical suggestions on how to change the system without turning it into the boxing model that has turned fans off to the latter sport for years.

But that’s nitpicking. All in all, “The Fighter’s Mind” is an entertaining and enlightening read and is a worthy addition to any MMA fan’s bookshelf.

Source: Yahoo Sports

Glaube Feitosa

One of the great Brazilian names at K-1 and Karate, Glaube Feitosa is focused on the training on the UDL, especially on the preparation of Maurício Shogun for his fight against Lyoto Machida on UFC 113. In an interview with TATAME, Glaube commented the trainings, talked about the expectations for the fight and revealed the he’s not likely to go back to the rings. “I don’t have a deadline to go back to fighting, maybe I never come back… If I retire, I’ll be satisfied”, said the fighter, on the exclusive chat which you can check below.

How are Shogun’s trainings on UDL?

Very good, we’ve been practicing a little and it’s been a good partnership. I’m new in Curitiba and Shogun has opened his gym’s doors for me. I got here in Curitiba with my family in January and I’m adapting pretty well to the city

What is the focus of the trainings you’ve been given?

I try to help on the left-handed part, do some mix, since my part is standing. My business is not ground or MMA, my specialty is standing up. I started training in UDL for friendship I have with Shogun, but not exclusively training with him. I train with the entire team, but when they get together I try to simulate Lyoto game, exchange bases and both sides win.

Do you think Lyoto with set a strategy of low kicks, which injured him so much on the first fight?

For sure, he hasn’t gotten to the belt out of the blue. It’s not by chance he’s the champion, he and his crew are very clever and will try to neutralize this low kicks game, preparing something for the upper part. I think they’ll settle a strategy of counterattacks on the punches upon the Shogun’s low kicks.

And how does Shogun should react to these possible counterattacks?

Since Lyoto may counterattack, Shogun must be aware of that and prepared to give him some attacks back. He must take these counterattacks knowing they’ll happen, so that he’s not caught by surprise, the idea is to play the Shogun blows upon Lyoto’s counterattacks. Shogun has to be the last to hit, something hard when it comes to Lyoto, but that’s the main goal.

What did you think of the first Lyoto and Shogun’s fight?

Of course I wouldn’t be neutral because I’ve been training with Shogun, but I think he won. The fight was really tied, balanced and on that occasions the tie-breaker is the aggressiveness and Shogun tried more and indeed was more aggressive.

Many think that Shogun didn’t do enough to take Lyoto’s belt...

I don’t believe on that theory, I think that the athletes are equivalent from the moment they enter the octagon. The belt’s owner can’t go there in advantage just because he’s the champion. Some come and say Shogun was better, but not enough to take Lyoto’s belt off him. Was he a little better? So he won the fight.

When will you come back on the K-1 rings?

I’m in another phase of my life now. I’ve been fighting for eleven years, my relationship with the event is a little saturated... It was done at the end, it’s a joint of several things.. I’m 37 years old, it’s not so pleasurable for me to leave my family for a whole month, like I used to, for my preparation in Japan. I got a two-year-old boy, my son Diego, and I’m more focused on my family right now. I don’t have a deadline to go back to fighting, maybe I never come back.. If I retire, I’ll be satisfied.

Have you received any MMA proposal? This is not an interesting market for you?

I’ve never had a concrete offer. I’ve trained with the people, here in UDL I watch the trainings, but I think it’s too late to start on a new modality. I think it’s not worth it to risk it all. MMA is on a high level nowadays and I would need like two years of preparation and adaptation and, since I’ll already 37, it’s not worth it.


Source: Tatame

MMA Top 10 Featherweights: Gamburyan Is Aldo's Next Victim

Of all the champions in the seven weight classes in mixed martial arts, Jose Aldo is the one I think will remain the champion the longest. Aldo is only 23, and in his last two fights he's defeated the last two featherweight champions, Mike Brown and Urijah Faber, decisively. It's hard to see anyone even threatening him any time soon, let along beating him.

But someone has to be next for Aldo, and that someone has to be Manny Gamburyan, who pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the year in MMA on the undercard of Aldo vs. Faber. Aldo is first and Gamburyan is second in my latest ranking of the Top 10 featherweights in MMA, which is below.

Top 10 Featherweights in MMA
1. Jose Aldo (1): Among the many impressive things about Aldo since he signed with the WEC has been how frequently he's fought. In his first 18 months in the promotion he fought six times. I hope the WEC keeps him active and has him back in the cage by August.

2. Manny Gamburyan (7): After his first-round knockout victory over Mike Brown, there's really no other choice at No. 2. I've always liked Gamburyan and I think he looks great since moving down to 145 pounds, but I give him almost no chance of beating Aldo.

3. Mike Brown (2): He didn't look like himself in his loss to Gamburyan, and Dana White said afterward that he's having personal problems. I hope we'll soon see the Mike Brown of old.

4. Urijah Faber (3): Where does Faber go from here? I don't know. He's still the WEC's biggest draw, the only fighter on the roster whose name can sell out an arena, and his name absolutely must be on the poster if the WEC is going to try another pay-per-view. But he's lost three of his last five, and I wouldn't give him much of a chance in a rematch against either Aldo or Brown. The WEC might want to consider Faber vs. Miguel Torres, which would ensure a win for one of its reeling former champions.

5. Hatsu Hioki (4): He's supposed to return in May in a Shooto fight against Takeshi Inoue, a very good fight that unfortunately won't be available to North American TV viewers.

5. Marlon Sandro (6) Sandro needed just nine seconds to win his last fight, at Sengoku 12 next month. He'll battle Masanori Kanehara for the Sengoku featherweight title in June.

6. Josh Grispi (8): If I had to pick one fighter who will eventually beat Aldo, it would be Grispi, who's 13-1, has finished 11 of his opponents in the first round, and is -- most importantly -- only 21 years old and sure to get better. Grispi fights LC Davis in June.

7. Masanori Kanehara (9): His battle with Sandro is the best featherweight fight on the calendar, until WEC schedules Gamburyan vs. Aldo.

8. Michihiro Omigawa (10): After beating Michah Miller on Sunday, Omigawa has now won six of his last seven while fighting some of the best opposition that Japanese MMA has to offer.

9. Bibiano Fernandes (NR): Beat Joachim Hansen in March to retain the Dream featherweight title and would be a great pickup for North American MMA if the WEC can sign him away.

10. Chad Mendes: After a great win over Anthony Morrison on Saturday night, the 24-year-old Mendes is now 7-0 and another likely future opponent for Aldo.

Source: MMA Fighting

Tim Sylvia gets the Jiu-Jitsu’s blue belt

Jiu-Jitsu’s black belts, Pedro Silveira and Rodrigo Uzeda give lessons to five gyms on the United States. On the last belt exam, almost 200 graduated athletes, between them the former champion of UFC’s heavyweight, Tim Sylvia, who got the Jiu-Jitsu’s blue belt from the hands of the Brazilians. The tough guys commented the work they have been doing on America. “It’s rewarding for us to see our Jiu-Jitsu bringing benefits not only for the great champions as well as for the citizens who try to follow the philosophy of the gentle art as a lever, acting positively and making much difference in their lives”, commented.

Source: Tatame

ASSUNCAO VS. NUNES ADDED TO WEC 49 EDMONTON

A featherweight bout has been added to the upcoming WEC show headed for Edmonton on June 20. Raphael Assuncao returns to action against Diego Nunes in an undercard bout on the card.

The bout was confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by sources close to the fight on Friday. Assuncao also announced the fight via his personal Twitter page on Friday as well.

Raphael Assuncao (14-2) fell short in his last fight out in the WEC when he faced Urijah Faber for a chance to get a shot at the featherweight belt. It was the only time in Assuncao's career where he's been finished, after reeling off six wins in a row prior to that time.

The young Brazilian is still recognized as one of the top prospects in the featherweight division. He'll be looking for redemption when he steps back in the cage on June 20.

Facing off against Assuncao will be fellow Brazilian Diego Nunes (13-1), who gets back in action after having to bow out of his last fight, scheduled in March, due to injury. The fighter is currently 2-1 in the WEC with his only loss coming by way of decision to L.C. Davis.

The bout between Assuncao and Nunes is expected to be on the show's untelevised undercard for the night's action, which will be capped off by a main event between former lightweight champion Jamie Varner and Iranian wrestler turned fighter Kamal Shalorus.

Source: MMA Weekly

PITTSBURGH LOBBYING FOR UFC EVENT

Fighters jockeying to have a fight in their hometown has become a pretty big part of mixed martial arts lately.

From Georges St-Pierre fighting for the welterweight title in Montreal, to Rich Franklin competing in Cincinnati, all the way to the success shown by Urijah Faber as a huge commodity in the Sacramento, Calif., area, the hometown fight is a dream for many mixed martial artists.

The latest city to start getting the attention of fighters from the UFC specifically is the Steel City of Pittsburgh, which opens a new arena later this year. The Consol Energy Center will be home to the National Hockey League's current Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins, and may be a perfect fit for a UFC event in the near future.

Greg Sirb, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Athletic Commission, says that the state would be thrilled to have the UFC back after an extremely successful first bid when the promotion came to Philadelphia in August 2009.

"UFC in Pittsburgh would be huge. I am sure it would sell out 15,000 plus," said Sirb. "(The) Philadelphia UFC was the largest grossing event this commission ever had, people are still talking about that night."

The UFC currently has several fighters who grew up around the Pittsburgh area, as well as surrounding cities in and around Pennsylvania, including "Ultimate Fighter" winner Mac Danzig and two former NCAA wrestling champions in Josh Koscheck and Phil Davis, who both won their titles while wrestling in Pennsylvania.

Koscheck, who is currently set to face Paul Daley at UFC 113 in Montreal, believes that if Pittsburgh gets the UFC he will absolutely be on that card, and maybe even the main event that night.

"I'd love to be on that card. Hopefully, I'll be the main event on that card. Pittsburgh, that's my place, I grew up there. I'm a Steeler. I'm part of the Steel Curtain," said Koscheck.

"It would be a great thing for the area, and it would be a great thing for myself. I'd love to be a part of that event, absolutely."

The American Kickboxing Academy fighter says he hopes to make it back home around August, and would love to see the UFC come to town. If they do make the move to come to Pittsburgh, Koscheck says his participation on the card is a "done deal."

Phil Davis, who competed at and graduated from Penn State University, knows that fans in the area that love wrestling would absolutely support the sport in Pittsburgh. He also says they are passionate about their athletics like nothing you've ever seen before.

"Pennsylvania wrestling fans, I'm trying to tell you, it's not a game with them. Wrestling is not a game. You ever seen somebody get stabbed over wrestling? I have! I have! It's not a game!" said Davis with a laugh.

If the timing works out, the new 18,000-plus-seat arena will open later this year to kick off the new season of the NHL. Davis knows that he wants to be on that card, and the fans will definitely come out for the fight.

"Yeah, man I'm going to be on that card, and we're going to see some crazy people come out the woodwork for Phil Davis," said the Penn State grad.

There's been no official word from the UFC about a show in Pittsburgh, but with Pennsylvania's growth in the sport and neighboring areas sure to bring in fans to the new arena, it's almost a lock that the Steel City will become a fight town in the near future.

Source: MMA Weekly

LIKE KOSCHECK, DALEY DOWN FOR TUF 12 COACHING

If rumors stand true, the winner of the upcoming fight between Paul Daley and Josh Koscheck could become the next coach opposite Georges St-Pierre on the twelfth season of “The Ultimate Fighter" reality show.

UFC president Dana White said on Saturday night following the Aldo vs. Faber pay-per-view that the show has already been cast, and filming would begin in about five weeks.

While White's confirmation about the show rules out rumors that Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields could defect in time to coach on the show, it doesn't rule out Koscheck or Daley who could be battling for a coaching spot on the show, as well as a possible shot at GSP's welterweight title.

Daley seemed open to it when speaking about it on Tuesday, although no official offer has been made to him from the UFC.

"I haven't really heard anything about it, just the same rumors that people have heard on the Internet," Daley said.

What “The Ultimate Fighter" has proven is that it can create a whole new fan base for fighters and coaches, and as past seasons have shown depending on what's said, fans can find a new favorite or vilify a fighter for their comments and actions.

British fighter Michael Bisping received a lot of criticism for his time on the show when coaching opposite Dan Henderson during Season 9, but Daley is a whole other animal when it comes to outspoken Brits.

He's never one to hold his tongue, and he seems like a natural for the television cameras. If he wins, Daley says he'd happily accept an invite to do the show.

"If I get the opportunity, it's a great opportunity that I'd have to accept," said Daley. "I'd enjoy it, great exposure, and a chance to get my face out there a bit more."

And of course a shot at St-Pierre's welterweight title at the end of the season wouldn't be a bad bonus either. It remains to be seen if the winner of Koscheck vs. Daley will result in a job as "Ultimate Fighter" coach or not, but May 8 and UFC 113 may be the day everyone finds out.

Source: MMA Weekly

5/2/10

Galaxy MMA: Worlds Collide Results!

Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii
May 1, 2010
by Chris Onzuka - Chris@Onzuka.com

Main Event:
Heavyweight: 3 Rounds - 5 minutes
Scott Junk (MMAD/The Country Club) vs Fabiano Scherner (Team Quest)
No contest due to unintentional foul (kick to the groin and Junk was not able to continue)

Co-Main Event:
Bantamweight 135 lbs: 3 Rounds - 5 minutes
Keola Silva (Team HMC) def. Tyson Nam (Team Quest)
Split decision [(29-28), (29-28), (28-29)] after 3 rounds.

Welterweight 170 lbs: 3 Rounds - 5 minutes
Preston 'Bruski' Louis (Bulls Pen) def. Brennan Kamaka (808 Fight Factory)
Submission via arm bar at 0:23 in Round 1.

Middleweight 185 lbs: 3 Rounds - 5 minutes
Eldon 'Sale' Sproat (Freelance) def. Roderick 'RJ' Richter (The Country Club)
TKO via Referee stoppage due to strikes at 2:14 in Round 1.

Lightweight 155 lbs Grand Prix Tournament: 3 Rounds - 5 minutes
Harris Sarmiento (808 Fight Factory) def Chris Yee (Team Quest)
Unanimous decision [(30-27), (29-28), (30-27)] after 3 rounds.

Lightweight 155 lbs Grand Prix Tournament: 3 Rounds - 5 minutes
Steve Gable (Gracie Barra Escondido) def. Clay Lewis Jr. (4WRD Fitness)
Rear naked choke at 2:57 in Round 1.

Lightweight 155 lbs Grand Prix Tournament: 3 Rounds - 5 minutes
Jose Salgado (The Country Club) def. Kyle Ka'ahanui (Bulls Pen)
By default, Ka'ahanui did not make weight and was disqualified.

Lightweight 155 lbs Grand Prix Tournament: 3 Rounds - 5 minutes
Kristopher Kyle (808 Fight Factory) def. Jenzen Espanto (Combat 50)
Submission via rear naked choke at 3:32 in Round 1.

Amateur Bouts: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Light Heavyweight 205 lbs
Zack Pang (Team HK) def Kimo Sanders (Freelance)
Rear naked choke at 2:22 in Round 1.

Amateur Bouts: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Welterweight 170 lbs
Evan Lowther (Gracie Jiu Jitsu Kailua) def. Markus Kindblad (Ultimate Fight School)
KO via head kick at 0:18 in Round 1.

Amateur Bouts: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Catchweight 160 lbs
Ryan Clay (HMC) def. Chris Templo (Team HK)
Unanimous decision [(29-28), (29-28), (30-27)] after 3 rounds.

3rd Annual Pacific Submission Championships
June 11th & 12th (Friday & Saturday)
Blaisdell Exhibition Hall
MMA Hawaii Expo

People have been asking so we've locked in the dates. It will be during the MMA Hawaii Expo (this expo is not the same as the past 2 years - MMA Hawaii is producing this event).

Registration will soon be available online at www.grapplingtournaments.com

I've spoken with Mad Tiger about the failure to produce posted results; apologies and I will not let this happen as we will be working on posting live results as the brackets are completed.

Any feedback from the past two tournaments I welcome as we will work on it now to assure these problems can be corrected.

This is a 2-day tournament with Gi and No-Gi divisions for kids, teens, women, and men. We don't feed brackets but will try our best to accommodate schools so students from the same academy are not matched in the first round. Due to the kids, this is inevitable and we will try our best to make sure the kids receive equal opportunities.

Registration:
Kids (7-12) - $40/$70 (Gi & No-Gi)
Teens (13-14/15-17)- $50/70 (Gi & No-Gi)
Adults (18+) - $50/70 (Gi & No-Gi)

Any questions please check out:

www.grapplingtournaments.com

or email: info@pjjf.net

Source: Event Promoter

Scrappla Fest 2
Kauai's Scrappla Fest 2
Gi & No Gi Tournament
May 15, 2010

$50 entry fee

Tentative times:
Kids Rules 930am.
Kids Gi Start 10am.
Kids No Gi Start 11am.

Adult Rules 12:30pm.
Adults Gi Start 1pm.
Adults No Gi Start 3:45pm.

We will be running 4-6 matches at the same time to keep the tournament running smoothly. More info to come about weights and weigh ins.

kids ages-weight divisions will be made on sight

5-below
6-7
8-9
10-11
12-13
14-15
16-17

women
125-below
126-140
141-above

menbeginner white , blue
131-below
132-145
146-159
160-173
174-187
188-201
202-215
216-above

men advanced, purple and above
159-below
160-180
181-201
202-above

Thank you,

Pono Pananganan
Kauai Technical Institute
ktirelson_gracie@hotmail.com

In October 2010, Eternal Fight Wear proudly presents...
ETERNAL SUBMISSIONS! 1st Annual BJJ GI/NO-GI tournament on Kauai


Kauai Beach Resort, Kauai

This will be a 3 Day Event.
Friday, October 15th. beginning at 5pm will be weigh-ins with Live local entertainment, Exhibitions, Door Prizes & more.

Saturday Oct. 16th we will host the GI portion of the event starting with kids at 10am.

Sunday we will finish off our tournament with the NO-GI portion.

Outer island competitors will be allowed to weigh in on Saturday.
Kauai residents must weigh in on Friday.
NO same day registrations will be allowed.

Cut of for pre-registration is October 7th (for free tshirt) all other registrations must be in by October 13th (if mailing registration, it must be postmarked by the 11th) We have locked in the dates and will be offering special discounted rates at the hotel. There will be food/beg. for sale at the event. We will be having superfights as well (TBA). All pre-reg competitiors will receive a free competitor tshirt. There will be door prizes each day too! Winners of the matches will receive very nice medals, we will be awarding team trophies and best -of awards. Absolute and Superfights winners will be awarded championship belts.

We will be hosted a first ever in Hawaii 'kids absolute' and as well!!!!

This will be an event Hawaii does not want to miss!!!!

Pre-Reg is be up shortly and we will be notifying you as soon as it is or updated info add us on facebook: ETERNAL FIGHT WEAR

Any questions you can call me (Shauna) at 808.652.6849 or email me shauna@hawaiilink.net

Source: Event Promoter

Garden Island Cage Match 9: Mayhem at the Mansion Sponsorship

Hi All,
I am excited to let you all know we have the date set for our next show :

" Mayhem at the Mansion", June 26th 2010 - Kilohana Carriage House

Since this venue is a little smaller than the Stadium the tickets will sell out twice as fast so be sure to get on board quickly! This an exclusive venue for us and very please to have acquired this merger.

Sponsorship packages now available! Please contact me for further information!

Looking forward to working with you all again!
Mahalo!
Vance Pascua
808-634-0404

Source: Event Promoter

X-1: Nations Collide
Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii
June 4, 2010
7:30PM
www.x1events.com
(808) 591-2211

170lbs X-1 World Championship Bout
Brandon Wolff (Champion) vs. Dylan Clay (#1 Contender)

8-Man Heavyweight Tournament

Bracket A
Maui Wolfgram (Hawaii) vs. Ricky Shivers (Alaska)
Adam Akau (Hawaii) vs. Hae Joon Yang (Korea)

Bracket B

Poai Suganuma (Hawaii) vs. Vitaly Shemetov (Russia)
Tasi Edwards (Samoa) vs. Daniel Madrid

BABALU V LAWLER ON JUNE 16; MAYHEM SUSPENSION?
by Damon Martin

It appears the post fight brawl in Nashville will have an effect on the upcoming Strikeforce card in Los Angeles on June 16, as Jason "Mayhem" Miller has been removed from the show. Renato "Babalu" Sobral will take his place in a fight against Robbie Lawler in a catchweight bout at 195 pounds.

The news was confirmed to MMAWeekly.com on Thursday by Strikeforce president Scott Coker. Sherdog.com initially reported the move.

Coker says that Sobral was called upon because of an upcoming hearing by the Tennessee Athletic Commission in mid-May that will determine the fates of those involved in the aftermath of Jake Shields’ victory over Dan Henderson, in which Miller entered the cage unbeknownst to Strikeforce officials, and a melee broke out shortly thereafter.

The commission is expected to levy fines and suspensions on some of the people involved in the brawl. According to Coker, Mayhem will not be available for several months, and the penalty is expected to be "more than just a slap on the wrist."

The Tennessee Athletic Commission was unavailable for comment at the time of publication, but the meeting will be held in May, and discipline will be handed down.

Sobral was scheduled to be a part of the recently canceled Dream light heavyweight Grand Prix on May 29, so he was in training already for a fight, but now the timeline gets moved up and the weight class gets moved down from 205 pounds to 195.

Lawler enters the fight following a stunning knockout of Dutch striking machine Melvin Manhoef in January.

With Miller's suspension expected, it's unknown if other fighters involved like Shields or his teammates will also face time off, but Coker says the organization will honor all suspensions handed down from the Tennessee Athletic Commission.

Source: MMA Weekly

Josh Barnett’s long-term future remains in Japanese professional wrestling
By Zach Arnold

With his California licensing situation in limbo, Josh Barnett will continue to proceed his career in professional wrestling. He is scheduled to be in a ‘ranking match’ against Yoshihiro Takyama on May 9th at Osaka Prefectural Gym. Barnett is reportedly being groomed to be the top ace of the organization.

The headlining story going into the IGF (Inoki Genome Federation) event is the debut of former Sumo wrestler Shinichi Wakakirin. Wakakirin was busted last year for marijuana in Japan and was dismissed from Sumo.

The announcement of Wakakirin’s debut was made today in Tokyo at a presser featuring Wakakirin and Antonio Inoki. Inoki was on his way back to New York after the media session.

IGF 5/9 Osaka Prefectural Gym (5 PM start)

¦Naoya Ogawa & Atsushi Sawada vs. Naomichi Marufuji (NOAH) & Minoru Suzuki (All Japan)
¦Josh Barnett vs. Yoshihiro Takayama
¦Bob Sapp vs. Necro Butcher
¦Tatsumi Fujinami & Gran Hamada vs. Original Tiger Mask & Yoshiaki Fujiwara
¦Taka Kunou vs. The Predator

Source: Fight Opinion

Fistic Medicine: The Benefit & Cost of Steroids
by Matt Pitt

As great a baseball player as Barry Bonds was, my children and yours will know him as the greatest anabolic steroids salesman his sport has ever known.

Will the same be said of Royce Gracie in MMA? Will we remember the scrappy 170-pound David who toppled the 6-foot-5 220-pound Gerard Gordeau in UFC 1 to definitively prove technique trumps muscle, or will we remember the steroid cheat who reacted to the Matt Hughes loss by illicitly bulking up for his next fight?

The lesson from Gracie’s steroid use for MMA fans and athletes was unmissable: Technique may trump muscle, but technique plus steroids trumps everything.

As dismaying as the dawn of the steroid era in MMA may have been to purists, it was old news for mainstream sport. A decade before Gracie first belted up a gi, an unremarkable German party apparatchik named Manfred Ewald began the work that would earn him the title “Father of the Steroid Century.”

For physicians Ewald’s work has borne little fruit: The use of anabolic hormones like HGH and steroids in the treatment of burns, aging and neuromuscular disease is quite limited. For elite athletes and their trainers, however, Ewald’s research on anabolic steroids and performance is the Magna Carta of doping. Every “enhanced” MMA fighter -- Gracie, Leben, Barnett, Sherk, Shamrock and how many undiscovered others? -- are the pharmaceutical children of Ewald's black genius.

Ewald performed his groundbreaking anabolic steroid research in East Germany. All of East Germany. In 1961 Ewald -- a party functionary with no scientific background and nothing on his resume other than service in the Hitler Youth and Nazi party -- assumed the post of Minister of Sport in East Germany, the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Upon assuming leadership he promptly initiated a cooperative effort among biochemists, pharmaceutical companies and the state-run athletic development program to engineer superhuman athletes.

What he achieved was impressive: The GDR won nine gold medals in the 1968 Olympics, 20 in 1972 and 40 in 1976! This for a nation with a small, genetically homogenous population and a crippled economy. Starting in 1974, buoyed by the success of doping and the international acclaim East German athletes garnered, Ewald initiated near universal anabolic hormone doping throughout the entire GDR athletic program. Often the doping was conducted without the athletes’ knowledge or consent. For more than a decade, athletes as young as 11 years old, males and particularly females, were started on pharmaceutical “assistance” programs as carefully engineered and scrupulously monitored as a modern Kentucky Derby winner’s diet and training.

As the Ministry’s work was done with the full cooperation and support of the state, there was no need for internal secrecy. Detailed records were kept on thousands of athletes over their entire professional lives. When the Berlin Wall fell, Ewald lost his job and that startling data became available to the world.

It showed two dramatic findings: first, steroids work. Unquestionably and dramatically. Aside from the astronomic international medal count of a tiny nation with little genetic diversity and a third world economy, the data shows quantifiable individual performance improvements. With steroids, 100-meter sprint times were cut almost three quarters of a second -- the difference between a world champion and a runner whose career ends in college. Athletes on steroids put the shot an additional two to five meters (World Record: 23.12m), hurled the javelin eight to 15 meters farther (WR:72.2m) and added as much as 20 meters to their discus throws (WR:74.1m).

Those data are unambiguous: In “strength” sports, anabolic hormones are indispensable. To the degree combat sports are strength dependent -- and the beating Matt Hughes subjected Royce Gracie to at UFC 60 makes that argument forcefully -- the advantages of using steroids are abundantly clear. If that reality is clear to the doctors and scientists who study performance, it is all the more clear to the fighters whose lives, careers and livelihoods depend on gaining that performance advantage.

The second clear lesson from the 30-year GDR anabolic hormone program is that the human costs of steroid use are gruesome. A lawsuit has been leveled against the makers of the most commonly used steroid, Torinabol, by several GDR athletes suffering from its long-term effects. Many of these athletes are so physically crippled after their athletic careers end that they are incapable of other work. Women subjects, those athletes whose performance benefited most from the masculinizing anabolic steroids, suffered peculiarly: severe acne, hirsutism, infertility. Among all doped athletes, rates of premature heart disease, liver failure, cancer are increased.

These are not isolated cases of over-amped muscle junkies taking bizarre steroid doses and compounding their danger with alcohol and drug abuse -- these are physician-controlled doses in carefully managed athletes. The conceit among fighters that steroids can be used without consequences to speed the healing of an injury or add lean mass is just that: a fanciful notion unenlightened by the evidence of 40 years.

Even for someone not familiar with the GDR’s anabolic hormone data, for someone coming up in smokers and no-name gyms, the benefits of steroids are clear. Anyone can look at the weekend’s baseball box scores, or the latest Hall of Famer's heartfelt confessional, and see the evidence.

Tragically the long-term costs of anabolic hormone use are not nearly as evident or as publicized. Perhaps even if they were, it would not matter: Athletes who engage in combat sports have already reconciled themselves to a hard life of sacrifice and risk. The additional, deferred risks of steroids are all too easy to ignore in light of the tremendous “next fight” advantages they offer.

Matt Pitt is a physician with degrees in biophysics and medicine. He is board-certified in emergency medicine and has post-graduate training in head injuries and multi-system trauma. To ask a question that could be answered in a future article, e-mail him at mpitt@sherdog.com.

Source: Sherdog

Andrei Arlovski: 'I'm More Disciplined Right Now'
By Ray Hui

To revitalize his career on the heels of back-to-back knockout losses, Andrei Arlovski has turned to two of the top camps in MMA, the American Kickboxing Academy and Team Greg Jackson, for his May 15 Strikeforce fight against Antonio Silva.

But before Arlovski could look elsewhere for additional training opportunities, he needed to make amends and prevent a divorce from his own camp in Chicago, Ill.

"After my loss to Rogers," Arlovski said Thursday on a media call. "I had a meeting with all my trainers and they kind of gave me the ultimatum that you have to do it our way, or you have to look for some different trainers. And now I've become more discipline."

Prior to the Rogers fight, Arlovski was already in the doghouse with his own team for his brain freeze during the Fedor Emelianenko fight. After controlling the ring for the majority of the fight, Arlovski threw strategy out the window by charging forward with a flying knee. It was all Fedor needed for an opening to turn the fight around, flattening Arlovski with a precise overhand right.

Then five months later, Arlovski was supposed to get back on track in his Strikeforce debut against the then-unproven Rogers. But instead, Arlovski overlooked Rogers, concerning himself more with a Fedor rematch campaign.

"I didn't stick with my game plan, I didn't take Rogers serious and the result, he knocked me out in less than 20 seconds," Arlovski said.

After recommitting with his team, Arlovski last year made a connection with Jackson in Albuquerque, N.M. and spent time with the likes of Jackson, Rashad Evans and Keith Jardine. This past March, Arlovski traveled to San Jose for the opportunity to train with one of the UFC's most promising heavyweights.

"I had a chance to work with Cain Velasquez, Mike Kyle and this was great. And I remember how Bob Cook all the time he did conditioning, yell all the time, 'You have to do better.' He pushed me all the time so I really appreciate him. It was a great experience for me."

Arlovski hopes his growth will be on display against the dangerous Silva on May 15. He has no choice, says the former UFC heavyweight champion.

"I could say I'm more disciplined right now," Arlovski said. "For sure I'm going to stick to my game plan. No more flying knees against Fedor Emelianenko, no more getting back with my hands down like how it was against Rogers. I just can't do that anymore."

Source: MMA Fighting

Ribeiro vs. Beerbohm, Cavalcante vs. Britt Confirmed for May 15th
By FCF Staff

Strikeforce has confirmed two more bouts today for the promotion’s upcoming May 15th event in St. Louis, Mo., at lightweight, Vitor Ribeiro will take on Lyle Beerbohm while in the light-heavyweight division, Antwain Britt will square off with Rafeal “Feijao” Cavalcante.

Strikeforce’s “St. Louis:Heavy Artillery” card will be hosted by the Scottrade Center, and will feature a heavyweight title fight between champion Alistair Overeem and challenger Brett Rogers in the main event.

The highly regarded Ribeiro (20-3) will make his Strikeforce debut having lost two of his last three fights. The veteran hasn’t competed since last July when he lost by Unanimous Decision to Dream Champion Shinya Aoki. Ribeiro’s only other loss since 2004 came against Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante in September, 2007, who stopped the BJJ black belt at a K-1 Hero’s event.

The undefeated Beerbohm (13-0) made his Strikeforce debut last June and tapped out UFC veteran Duane Ludwig with a first round Bulldog choke. The lightweight has fought just once since then, as Beerbohm recorded a TKO stoppage over Josh Martin, at an Arena Rumble card in September.

Britt (11-3) will be looking to go 2-0 in the Strikeforce cage; in his debut for the promotion last December the light-heavyweight stopped Scott Lighty. Britt is 3-2 in his last five bouts.

Cavalcante (8-2) has gone 1-1 in Strikefore action to date; last June the Black House fighter was stopped by Mike Kyle in the second round, but Cavalcante rebounded in December, earning a second round TKO victory over Aaron Rosa.

Other previously confirmed bouts for Strikeforce’s May 15th event include Andrei Arlovski vs. Antonio Silva, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza vs. Joey Villasenor and Roger Gracie vs. Kevin Randleman. The event will be broadcast on Showtime.

Source: Full Contact Fighter

Fistic Medicine: The Biophysics of Taking a Punch
by Matt Pitt

It’s hard not to be in awe of Tito Ortiz’s head. So imperious in its shape and proportions. So defiantly unbowed. So … well, frankly, so unbelievably mammoth.

It was only after I had been admiring Tito’s head for some time that I learned that in addition to its obvious aesthetic qualities, his cranium’s superhuman proportions gave him near invincibility in the ring. Amazing! And it was only after I had been believing that for some time more that I went to medical school and realized it was absolute nonsense.

If a strangely enlarged cranium doesn’t provide a fighter with infallible protection against knockouts, the so-called “iron chin,” what does? What allows one fighter to absorb a man-killing blow to the face and dooms another to crumple before it? The answer is straightforward and multi-syllabic: the sternocleidomastoid muscles.

The sternocleidomastoids (SCM) -- one on each side of the neck -- are paired muscles, composed of the sternomastoid component that runs from the sternum to the mastoid process of the skull, immediately behind and below the ear, and the cleidomastoid muscle that runs from the clavicle to the mastoid. When flexed, the SCM rotates the head toward the opposing side. Flexing both SCMs in alternation shakes the head “no,” as one might if waving off an overly concerned ringside physician. Flexing them simultaneously flexes the neck forward and extends the head -- in the right circumstance resisting the force of a blow to the face. It’s why fighters often seem to be ducking into a punch.

One can look in a mirror and flex his SCMs, looking a bit like Lou Ferrigno after someone has seriously pissed off Bruce Banner. The muscles are prominent. Unfortunately, they are also isolated; no other significant muscle supports them in resisting backward movement of the cranium.

Photo: U.S. Public DomainMoreover, arrayed against them are the muscles used in throwing a punch: calves, gluts, lats, pecs, triceps, etc. These are some of the most powerful muscles in the body. It is not surprising then that we rarely see the thrower of a well-placed punch to the head grasping his hand in pain and stumbling back in amazement as his opponent casually flexes his SCMs and smiles; the muscular arithmetic is firmly in the thrower’s favor.

When a punch of sufficient force strikes the face, it accelerates the front of the cranium back into the frontal lobes of the brain. This is the irreducible sweet science of brain injury. A gentle blow to the frontal lobes causes various degrees of central nervous system sedation -- it stuns the brain -- and a blow of sufficient force simply shuts the brain off. Seizures are not uncommon.

When a blow to the head comes from an angle, as opposed to straight on, only one of the SCMs can resist the force: The resulting acceleration of the cranium and damage to the brain are thus much greater.

Worse still, when a fighter is struck on the chin, the mandible creates leverage that magnifies the force and damage. This is the phenomenon of a fighter being hit “on the button.” Incidentally, this is an argument why, all things being equal, fighters with large heads and Cro-Magnon-like chins are at a theoretical mechanical disadvantage in withstanding blows.

Lastly, the anatomy of the brain makes blows to the back of the head particularly dangerous. The extensor muscles of the neck are far stronger than the SCMs, but the part of the brain under direct assault is more delicate. The frontal lobes injured in a frontal blow control speech, movement and thought -- all the neurologic skills we see depleted in old boxers. The back of the brain, the hindbrain or rhombencephalon, controls respiration, heart rate, swallowing, blood pressure. Fighters who sustain injuries there never grow to be old.

Matt Pitt is a physician with degrees in biophysics and medicine. He is board-certified in emergency medicine and has post-graduate training in head injuries and multi-system trauma. To ask a question that could be answered in a future article, e-mail him at mpitt@sherdog.com.

Source: Sherdog

Paulo Filho
By Guilherme Cruz

Former WEC champion, Paulo Filho will be back to the American’s stages on May 13, against the Cuban Hector Lombard, Bellator FC’s champ. On an exclusive chat with TATAME, the black-belt talked about his preparation for the combat, his expectations for the fight and commented the polemic combat between Anderson Silva and Demian Maia, besides talking about the Lyoto Machida revenge against Maurício Shogun. Check below the full interview.

How are the trainings for the fight against Hector Lombard?

I’m doing the usual. I’ve been training a lot of Jiu-Jitsu with my kimono with the Master Oswaldo, Boxing with Distak, physical preparation with Júlio, a friend of mine… It’s the usual, weight lifting, run, standing part, Jiu-Jitsu… The most important is to be calm, satisfied.

What are your expectations for this fight?

I don’t remember Hector much, I remember him fighting on GP… He’s a tough athlete, came from Judo, a really experienced guy, Cuban, and has traveled around the world. He’s training on ATT, a very strong team, with Libório, a very good guy… There is a lot of strong sparring there. I’m keeping my fitness, my strength and will try to use my experience in the weight category, because I lose weight easily, and will use my strength and my pressure to block his speed.

What’s your current weight?

I’m with 93kg, but the fight will be in the under 84kg’s category. I intend to get there with 90kg and dehydrate about 6kg.

The weight will be an issue?

I’ll dehydrate before the weight, sleep and on the next day I’ll check to see how I’m doing. Getting there with 90kg I guarantee a good dehydration… This time it won’t be a problem.

Beating Lombard, who has been unbeaten for a while, what do you expect for the end of the year?

I don’t think a lot about these kind of things, I think more about the fight itself and the time I still have. I’m 31 and don’t intend to fight for much longer. I just want to recover the lost time. I won’t make the same mistakes again then that one I committed when I was going through a rough phase, we can’t learn from everything. I’m just focused on Hector Lombard, I’m not worried about the event I’m fighting in and these things. We’re high-level athletes, we’re used to have a good life, but the most important is to show people that may think that Paulo Filho is done that he’s not. I have problems, so does everybody. The important thing now is Hector Lombard. It doesn’t matter that he’s in a good sequence of fights or if he has our not a belt, even because I’ve got an 18-1 cartel. I consider myself a complete athlete, never had easy time. Some easier, but none of them were a piece of cake. I have a expansive background, so does he.

Would you like to join UFC?

Everyone wants it, but it’s not my main goal, even because there’re a lot of other managers who would have plenty conditions to put me on UFC. Joinha, for ethical reasons, thinks it’s not the right time and I agree with him. I think everyone would like to join UFC, but more because of the advertisement. I’m not worried about it, I’m worried about fighting and doing my part, give happiness for whoever still cheers for me. That’s what I’m worried about. I want to fight until my body says to me it’s done.

What did you think about Anderson and Demian’s fight?

I’ve watched this fight a few times… I think Anderson played the right game, scared Demian so he could get closer. Demian had just a couple of opportunities to show the only thing he could do in order to win. Anderson is a born striker, who can avoid the ground and get him confused and put him in an uncomfortable position. He’s got a heavy hand, it’s difficult to feel comfortable around him. Demian showed a lot of braveness, respected too much on the beginning. If he has started the fight that way…

Did you think it was wrong from Anderson to provoke Demian during the fight?

I think it was a strategy Anderson has settled on the moments he felt he was on a dangerous zone. Well, it’s to captivate the audience, but he knew he couldn’t risk a lot because Demian is indeed dangerous on the ground, and once you’re there… I think Anderson did the right thing, provoked Demian, shook him psychologically and, with it done, he won time and rounds. He poked him with jabs and kicks that destabilized Demian.

During Pride, BBT and Chute Boxe had a big rivalry, but the discussions and provocations were left outside the ring…

The concentrate level was a lot higher. The provocations were natural outside, even because it was a confrontation between two different schools. On the ring we needed to focus so much that there wasn’t enough time for us to make any kind of joke. That’s the spirit. That’s the show I admire. UFC has turned into an event focused for the public, the show itself, and not for who is the best fighter. As a good traditionalist (laughs), from the old school, I believe I wouldn’t be successful on UFC even because of my style, tactical positions that the audience won’t get. The UFC’s fans want to see kicks, punches, blood… I’m just like an anaconda, put it down and keep rounding so that any mistake he makes I get it.

How do you think it’ll be the fight between Lyoto and Shogun?

On the first one we could see the two of them were really prepared and surprised me. I think Lyoto was really brave on Shogun’s attempts, who had a really heavy hand, and Lyoto is very dangerous on the counterattack, on the clap… Shogun is a really frank guy, surprised me on this maturity of not letting to be aggressive and at the same time don’t let Lyoto beats him, the more dangerous guy on MMA, in my opinion. He knows how to deal the timing pretty well.

On this fight, something different is going to happen. I think one of them will go down. They were too cautious on the first fight and Shogun knows that if it happens again, he’ll lose again. The champion only loses on the score card if the owner of the event is really mad at him or if the difference is too big, thing that didn’t happen on that fight. I think Shogun has to go for it, what can be a good thing for Lyoto, but I believe Lyoto is not used to athletes so powerful. It’s a fight, man, which I want to see again. It’s very nice to watch a fight with this level of athletes.

Source: Tatame

Juanito Ibarra back in the UFC picture as a trainer of James Toney
By Zach Arnold

Recently, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s former manager Juanito Ibarra did an interview with Fighthub and talked about how training was going with James “Lights Out” Toney. Toney is rumored to be facing Randy Couture this August in Boston, which will be UFC’s debut in that market. (Also touted for that card is Kenny Florian vs. Gray Maynard in an eliminator bout.)

Toney pleaded for months with UFC President Dana White to give him a contract and let him fight for Zuffa. White ended up giving Toney a contract and now there has been extensive discussion as to whom Toney should face first in his MMA debut. Will it be a one-and-done situation? A proposed fight against Randy Couture could be a dangerous one, given the age of both men and the physical conditioning issues that Toney has had to deal with as his career has progressed.

Ibarra, who has taken Toney under his wings for MMA training, believes that his new protege will be able to step into the Octagon with enough training and preparation to take on whatever challenge UFC throws Toney’s way.

“Well, you know, James is a born fighter. You got to know that, so his instincts are to destroy people. We’re working on a lot of technique right now. You know, of course, it’s no… it’s no genius play that the guy’s not a wrestler or a jiu-jitsu guy, but what people don’t know is he does have martial arts behind him because his manager and my partner is a master, a grandmaster. He kicked me in the head a couple of weeks ago and I was very surprised. We’re working on flexibility. Of course conditioning and wrestling and jiu-jitsu and the MMA game, I mean, he’s in MMA now. His boxing style has to change a little bit, you can’t just throw the guy in there and expect him to box with his shoulder rolls, you can’t do that in MMA, you pay, you take knees for that. So, that’s what we’re doing. We’re working on that and I got a great team behind me and you know we’re going to keep it under the radar and come what, June or July hopefully the world will get to see it.”

The appeal of Toney in UFC is pretty simple — how will someone with actual boxing skill fare in the cage against an MMA fighter that is perceived to have a weak striking game? We’ve seen plenty of sloppy C-level kickboxing fights in North American MMA and we’ve also seen some wars (such as Leonard Garcia vs. Chan Sung Jung) that were incredibly fun to watch but horribly lacking in any sort of striking technique. The obvious question going into Toney’s UFC debut — can he defend the takedown and defend off his back against a world-class wrestler? (Ask Dan Henderson about trying to defend off his back against Jake Shields.)

Ibarra has brushed aside concerns regarding Toney’s ground defense.

“If you got thrown down on the ground, taken down, how would you feel? Well, he probably feels out of the water for a minute, but he’s getting used to it. He’s getting used to it and he’s not flopping around like a fish anymore, he’s attempting things and defending things, so… Like I said it’s not the easiest thing in the world when you take a guy that’s been fighting and the success he has at that caliber, but you know what’s great about him is he’s like a sponge and he wants to keep going and going and going. That’s what I love about him. You know, we’re going to get it done.”

Toney has called anyone and everyone out in MMA. He wants to fight Randy Couture. He wants to fight any and all big names in UFC. Some people have been amused by it, some people have ignored Toney’s act, and some people are pissed off that we’re going to see UFC spend marketing capital on pushing a boxer perceived to be past-his-prime.

“It’s all about planning and executing, you know,” Mr. Ibarra remarked in the Fighthub interview. “I know the world wants to see him. Some people like it, some people don’t, that’s what the world’s about. But we’re not going to step in that Octagon until we’re ready. There ain’t no fan, there ain’t nobody going to convince us otherwise, but we’re going to have fun.”

If UFC goes ahead and books Toney against Couture, it will largely set up Toney to be one-and-done in UFC should be lose. If Couture loses, then karma will have indeed struck on the former UFC Heavyweight champion and UFC will end up with a bizarre situation with a 1-0 Toney who would likely end up facing Kimbo Slice should he beat Couture.

Mr. Ibarra says that Toney is prepared to fight anyone at any time and at any location.

“You got to think about it, man. This guy is a promotional machine, c’mon. You know. He’ll fight anybody in the world. He’s a born fighter. Now some of the team guys got to get together, we got to think what’s best for him. Everybody says the same thing – Randy this, that, c’mon. If Randy’s in the mix, he’ll be in the mix down the road. I love Randy. Randy is one my friends. he’s one of the best fighters that ever lived. So, we”ll have to wait. Like I said, it’s not my decision, it’s only my opinion. I got to prepare him and teach him, that’s my job. You know the other politics stuff and the manager stuff, I don’t manage fighters no more. But, I do advise them and his manager is my partner and we’ll let him move forward. I wear my heart on my sleeve, I give you everything I got, end of story. So, when I feel that then I know I can teach and I know they’ll listen. It’s not about money, it’s not about you know popularity, how many fighters you got, forget it. If I ain’t got the chemistry, I’m not going to be in the gym with the guy.”

For Mr. Ibarra, his role as trainer for James Toney’s MMA debut is a comeback of sorts for him in Mixed Martial Arts. A former boxing manager, he managed to ink a deal with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Jackson ended up having a meltdown after losing to Forrest Griffin by decision. Jackson would soon dump Ibarra. Ibarra went after MMA web sites that published comments made by Tito Ortiz in which Ortiz claimed that Ibarra short-changed Jackson on money.

“Remember you guys, all you guys out there in the world, remember what God says, that the truth lasts forever and lies only last for a moment. Remember that, and put your heart into people and be positive. Don’t be negative.”

Source: Fight Opinion

DREAM Still Planning on Crowning Light Heavyweight Champion in 2010
By Ariel Helwani

Despite the fact that DREAM canceled its upcoming eight-man light heavyweight tournament Thursday, the organization is still planning on crowning a light heavyweight champion later this year.

Sources within the organization tell MMA Fighting that DREAM will hold a four-man elimination tournament in July, with the winners facing off for the title later in the year. Right now, DREAM's July event, DREAM.15, is scheduled for the 19th of the month.

According to the sources, Gegard Mousasi will "for sure" be a part of it, and they are hoping Renato "Babalu" Sobral, as well.

The reason given as to why the light heavyweight tournament was postponed was due to the fact that DREAM couldn't find eight top-level competitors to commit to it.

DREAM.14 is scheduled for May 29, headlined by Nick Diaz vs. Hayato Sakurai.

The organization currently has champion in its featherweight, lightweight and welterweight divisions.

Source: MMA Fighting

WIUFF DEFEATS MONSON AT MAYHEM IN MINNEAPOLIS
by Riley Kerestes

While Jose Aldo and Urijah Faber were battling it out for the WEC championship on Saturday night, fans in Minneapolis were treated to a world-class MMA event featuring eight UFC veterans, five WEC veterans, and a former UFC champion.

Travis “The Iron Man” Fulton made quick work of Brad Kohler, knocking him out with a brutal head kick in only 61 seconds of the first round.

Brock Larson got back to his winning ways, showing off his superior wrestling and his recently received Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, by controlling all aspects of the fight en route to submitting Brian Green with a rear naked choke at 4:39 of Round 1.

Shana Olsen pulled off a unanimous decision upset victory over Yoko Takahashi in an exciting and hard fought, back and forth battle. Takahashi was able to secure mount many times, but could not hold the position. She was repeatedly swept to guard and punished by Olsen’s active ground and pound. In the end there was no doubt that Olsen had outworked the Japanese superstar for all three rounds.

What MMA event would be complete without a little controversy, as was the case in the fight between Drew Fickett and Derrick Noble? After going back and forth in an evenly contested first round, Fickett showed some slick jiu-jitsu skills as he transitioned from leg lock submission attempts to take dominant position and eventually secured Noble’s back. From there, Fickett worked for the rear naked choke and eventually the referee stepped in to stop the fight thinking that Noble had been put out. Unfortunately Noble never actually tapped out and stood up protesting the stoppage immediately, looking to be perfectly fine. Early stoppage or not, it was Fickett with his hand raised, picking up another victory over a tough fighter, but it seems a rematch would be fitting for these two down the road.

In the co-main event, former UFC champion Dave Menne picked up a tough unanimous decision victory over a very game Adrian Miles. Miles fought out of two deep rear naked choke attempts in the first two rounds, countering Menne’s active submission game with solid defense. In the end Menne’s control of the fight and multiple submission attempts proved to be enough to earn the victory.

In the main event of the evening, Travis Wiuff and Jeff Monson went toe-to-toe in what proved to be an extremely tight and even match-up. Both fighters landed some solid strikes on the feet, but the stand-up action was limited to rapid exchanges before the fighters would clinch up and work small strikes against the cage. The two effectively neutralized what each other wanted to do in a very even match-up, as was reflected in the judges’ scorecards. One judge had all three rounds for Wiuff and one had all three rounds to Monson. Wiuff was able to secure the only takedown of the fight with about 10 seconds in the third round, which could have been the difference maker as the final judge scored it 29-28 for Wiuff, who picked up the razor close split decision victory.

Main Event:
-Travis Wiuff def. Jeff Monson – Split Decision (30-27, 27-30, 29-28), R3

Co-Main Event:
-Dave Menne def. Adrian Miles – Unanimous Decision, R3

Main Card:
-Drew Fickett def. Derrick Noble – TKO (Rear Naked Choke); 1:09 R2
-Shana Olsen def. Yoko Takahashi – Unanimous Decision; R3
-Brendan Seguin def. Isaiah Larson – Unanimous Decision; R3
-Matt Delanoit def. Ray Steinbeiss – Submission (Toe Hold); 1:49 R2
-Brock Larson def. Brian Green – Submission (Rear Naked Choke); 4:39 R1
-Ryan Roberts def. Chaz Haag – TKO (Strikes); 0:20 R1
-Travis Fulton def. Brad Kohler – KO (Head Kick); 1:01 R1
-Nate Schut def. Bobby Ferrirer – Submission (Rear Naked Choke); 3:23 R1

Source: MMA Weekly

5/1/10

Galaxy MMA: Worlds Collide Today!


Upper level of Blaisdell Arena now open! $10 & $20 seats available! Hurry and get them now!

Ticket Purchase Locations: Blaisdell Box Office, Ticketmaster Charge-by-Phone 1-800-745-3000, Ticketmaster.com, Sports Gear in the Windward Mall 808-234-7463
Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii


Doors open at 5:00PM
Show starts at 6:00PM

Galaxy MMA Worlds Collide official fight card set!
04/11/20100 Comment(s) Galaxy MMA Lightweight Grand Prix Tournament Bracket

With Galaxy MMA's Blaisdell Arena debut fast approaching, the official fight card for the May 1st event has finally been set.

The main card will feature 3 5-minute rounds.

Main Event:
Heavyweight
Scott Junk (MMAD/The Country Club) vs Fabiano Scherner (Team Quest)

Co-Main Event:
Bantamweight 135 lbs
Tyson Nam (Team Quest) vs Keola Silva (Team HMC)

Welterweight 170 lbs
Brennan Kamaka (808 Fight Factory) vs Preston 'Bruski' Louis (Bulls Pen)

Middleweight 185 lbs
Roderick 'RJ' Richter (The Country Club) vs Eldon 'Sale' Sproat (Freelance)

Lightweight 155 lbs Grand Prix Tournament:
Jenzen Espanto (Combat 50) vs Kristopher Kyle (808 Fight Factory)
Steve Gable (Gracie Barra Escondido) vs Clay Lewis Jr. (4WRD Fitness)
Kyle Ka`ahanui (Bulls Pen) vs Jose Salgado (The Country Club)
Harris Sarmiento (808 Fight Factory) vs Chris Yee (Team Quest)

The Amateur card will feature 3 3-minute rounds.
Amateur Bouts:

Light Heavyweight 205 lbs
Zack Pang (Team HK) vs Kimo Sanders (Freelance)

Welterweight 170 lbs
Markus Kindblad (Ultimate Fight School) vs Evan Lowther (Kailua Gracie Jiu Jitsu)

Catchweight 160 lbs
Ryan Clay(HMC) vs Chris Templo (Team HK)

For online ticket availability and information visit the following sites:
www.GalaxyMMA.com
www.ticketmaster.com
www.facebook.com/GalaxyMMA www.twitter.com/GalaxyMMA

Source: Event Promoter

GroundWarz

Frank Mir: I’m at the back of the line in the UFC Heavyweight division, but I’d be happy to fight Anderson Silva
By Zach Arnold

In a recent interview with Raw Vegas, former UFC Heavyweight champion Frank Mir discussed his thoughts on where he stands in the pecking order of the UFC Heavyweight division. When asked about who he wants to fight next, Mir said it’s largely out of his hands right now.

“Well, I mean honestly, I’m just coming off a loss. I’m just interested in fighting anybody. Realistically, I don’t see it being a Dos Santos or Cain Velasquez. Both of those guys are on win streaks. They don’t really have anything to gain by fighting me right now. I’m at the back of the bus now so I got to fight somebody else who is at the back of the bus. Those guys get to be the superstars and if one of them has a speed bump, let’s say they fight each other, I could fight the loser. Fighting them right now is probably not going to happen.”

Mir recently made waves by stating that he would be interested in fighting Anderson Silva. He’s been asked lately if he could give an exciting fight with Silva because Silva seems bored in UFC at the moment. Would Mir take the booking?

“Absolutely, Anderson Silva’s one of the best fighters in the world, pound-for-pound. He’s a phenomenal striker. I think his movement and head movement on his feet is second-to-none. Unbelievable.”

Like some of the fighters based out of the Xtreme Couture gym in Las Vegas, Frank Mir also wonders if one of the reasons that Anderson Silva was clowning around in the Demian Maia fight was due to the fact that he might have been tired.

“You know what? I think, I really don’t know what went through his head. At one point he seemed like he was very adamant about going after Demian and the first two rounds, I mean, that was like, wow, you know, well, you know, it’s Anderson. But then after that it’s like, almost like you know, I don’t know if he got tired. I just didn’t like all the antics and then all of a sudden when your opponent tries to engage, especially being such a world-class strike and then run from him. I don’t mind if you’re like Machida. Machida moves around a lot, too, but guess what? You pay prices, you know. He’ll come back in and take you out. And I feel that Anderson Silva is capable of doing that, too, so I don’t really know what happened there. As far as trying to excuse it, I think he should just own up to it and say, ‘Look, I screwed up, I have mental weaknesses like anybody else, I’m human, and I failed.’

If UFC called him tomorrow to take a fight booking against Anderson Silva, would he do it?

“Yeah, I would love to do it. I think it would be a phenomenal opportunity for me to face a legend in our sport. I mean the guy has the record for the most consecutive wins. The guy’s going down as the Michael Jordan of MMA right now. Would I love to be able to exchange punches and try to grab him and go in there? Yeah, I’d like to be able to say that I fought him and feel what it feels like. I want to go in there. Who wouldn’t want to go fight the most dangerous people in the world?”

Mir is coming off of a bad loss to Shane Carwin, who brutally pounded him at UFC 111 in New Jersey in late March. Leading up to the Carwin fight, Mir was obsessed with getting a re-match against Brock Lesnar. So much so that he got in trouble when he did a radio interview with Mark Madden in Pittsburgh and said that he wanted to have Lesnar be the first person to die due to “Octagon-related injuries.” UFC President Dana White and staff were in Australia at the time the remarks were made (for UFC 110). Mir ended up getting scolded by company management and lost his spot as WEC color commentator. So what went wrong for Mir in the Carwin fight? Was it a lack of focus?

“I mean, could it have been a lack of focus? Yeah, I could see that when I’ve watched the fight, it did seem that. I know things were leading up to the fight, things that had gone on, and you know I think really, honestly, it was just a mental mistake as far as when I was up against the cage, it’s something that I’ve been working on to defend the takedown and when I defended it the first time I think I was celebrating and going, ‘Ah, look, I’ve improved’ and I forgot about the dirty boxing aspect of the fighting and I got caught with some good uppercuts, worrying about the takedown. As I get better wrestling, I won’t consume myself with thinking about one thing. You know, once you focus, it would be like sitting there going, “Oh look I stopped the guy’s jab” and boom I got hit with the right hand. Ah man, this is fighting, I got to be focused on nothing and everything at the same time.”

A third match with Brock Lesnar seems out of the question, at least for 2010. Where does the former UFC Heavyweight champion see things progressing for his career for the rest of this year?

“You know the Brock Lesnar thing, I think that honestly, really at this point, if it works out I’d like to fight him again but I’m not as consumed about it as some people seem to think about. A lot of stuff is about marketing and trying to sell fights. Obviously that fight isn’t going to come out for a while, so truth being if I fight him I fight him, if I don’t I’d rather go ahead and just worry about who I have to fight next. Would I take the challenge to fight him? Yeah, Shane Carwin, Cain Velasquez, Dos Santos, they’re all super-dangerous guys. And so fighting any of them would be a challenge.”

Source: Fight Opinion

Sonnen Signed to Face Silva at UFC 117
by Loretta Hunt

Chael Sonnen told the Sherdog Radio Network’s “It’s Time” radio show host Bruce Buffer on Tuesday that he’s signed his contract to face UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva on Aug. 7. Though not yet announced by the promotion, UFC 117 is expected to take place at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif.

“I signed my contract and sent it in six minutes after it hit my fax machine. He’s been hanging on to (his contract) for 10 days and hasn’t signed it yet,” said Sonnen. “I’ll be fighting August 7 against somebody. I’m presuming it’s him, but again, he’s had it for 10 days. I don’t know if fax machines aren’t working in Brazil or what the holdup is.”

Silva’s manager, Ed Soares, said that he’d received Silva’s contract last Thursday and that the fighter would sign it when he returned from a vacation with his family.

“It’s on,” Soares said of the bout. “There’s no doubt about it.”

Sonnen, a U.S. Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling team alternate, became the No. 1 middleweight contender following his shutout unanimous decision against Nate Marquardt at UFC 109 on Feb. 6 in Las Vegas. The 33-year-old Oregonian banked wins against Dan Miller and Yushin Okami in 2009 to move into title contention.

Sonnen told Buffer that he’s already begun his preparation for Silva, who hasn’t been beaten in the Octagon yet in 11 fights.

“He never comes out and just strikes,” said Sonnen. “He always has a few ‘tells’ that he does before he goes, but it also makes him so effective. … So far, I’ve been able to recognize what his set-ups are. I don’t know how to stop them yet. Strategically, that’s what I need to focus on for the next few months.”

Sonnen said he probably won’t rely on Silva’s most recent, and arguably his most controversial, performance against Demian Maia at UFC 112 on April 10 in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.

“That’s probably one of those things I won’t study too much because it was just so bizarre,” said Sonnen, “but he has some pretty traditional fights where he comes out in the traditional stance and is, frankly, a better and even more dangerous fighter. That’s the (Silva) I’m preparing for.”

Sonnen is also running for a seat on Oregon’s state legislature, whose primary vote will be held on May 18.

Source: Sherdog

KID YAMAMOTO OFF MAY 15 STRIKEFORCE SHOW
by Damon Martin

The upcoming Strikeforce show in St. Louis will not include former top ranked fighter Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto as originally planned according to president Scott Coker.

Yamamoto was scheduled for the May 15 card, but Coker said changes to the recent Dream show, which included the cancelation of their light heavyweight tournament, resulted in his fight being moved.

"We had received a request from Dream to put Kid on the fight card, and at that time we felt we should oblige, but I think they had some changes in Japan with the format for May 29, and so I think he'll be fighting in Japan on May 29," said Coker.

Originally, Yamamoto was scheduled to face Federico Lopez on the card, but the changes to the Dream schedule forced his fight off the Strikeforce show.

The Showtime card scheduled for May 15 will include 5 televised fights, and several undercard fights according to Coker, but Yamamoto will not be among them.

It was not disclosed if Yamamoto's fight in Japan will be against Lopez or another opponent instead.

Source: MMA Weekly

Government Inaction Continues to Stall UFC at MSG
By Michael David Smith

If you're one of the tens of thousands of UFC fans who want to see a show at Madison Square Garden, or one of the millions of MMA fans who wants to see the sport legalized in New York, you should read this Wall Street Journal piece by R.M. Schneiderman, even though you're not going to like it.

It seems that Bob Reilly, the New York assemblyman who knows he hates MMA even though he has demonstrated in multiple interviews that he doesn't know much about it, is continuing to succeed at stalling the sport's legalization in the state.

Schneiderman writes:
Unfortunately for MMA fans, the sport is still embroiled in the state's budget wrangling. A provision to legalize MMA is currently in the state senate's version of the budget bill, but not the state assembly's, and it remains unclear how the process will unfold.

"There are lots of twists and turns left," said Jonathan Bing, a state assemblyman from New York's 73rd district and a strong advocate for legalizing the sport.

One such twist and turn has come via Bob Reilly, an assemblyman from the state's 109th district, who is MMA's chief opponent. He's been trying to separate the MMA provision from the budget process. In February, 48 of his Democratic colleagues joined him and asked for a separate MMA vote in a letter to Sheldon Silver, the speaker of the assembly.Reilly can't stop progress forever, but he certainly has done an effective job of slowing it down. The UFC will be in Madison Square Garden some day, but don't count on that day coming in 2010.

Source: MMA Fighting

UFC finds itself in a no-win situation over Tito Ortiz-Jenna Jameson dispute
By Zach Arnold

It’s been a tumultuous time for UFC President Dana White since the launch of this season’s Ultimate Fighter reality show featuring Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz as coaches. He had a successful event in Charlotte with Kenny Florian & Roy Nelson winning. He found himself dealing with the fallout from Anderson Silva embarrassing himself in Abu Dhabi. After this past weekend at Arco Arena in Sacramento, Zuffa made big coin on their non-branded PPV event featuring Urijah Faber and Jose Aldo as the headliners. All things considered, business is not so bad in a down economy.

However, tonight is one of those nights where Dana White wishes that he had NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s phone number to call and have a long chat about how to deal with talent involved in sticky situations.

Roger Goodell, king of all American sports as the head of the National Football League, has laid the hammer down on troubled athletes with his controversial Personal Conduct Policy. Goodell raised the stakes for all commissioners in major American sports when he suspended Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger for six games despite the fact that Roethlisberger was never charged or arrested with any sort of crime in relation to accusations of rape in a Georgia bar bathroom with a college-age girl. Roethlisberger accepted the six-game conditional suspension (which can be reduced down to four games) and the NFLPA was relatively quiet on the matter.

Will Dana White find himself adopting his own sort of Personal Conduct Policy against talent that is contracted with Zuffa?

White finds himself in the ultimate catch 22. Last year, Dana White and Tito Ortiz mended fences and Ortiz signed a big contract with Zuffa. Ortiz was bluffing about signing with Strikeforce and appearing on CBS. Signing with UFC killed that from ever happening. Ortiz claimed he was in good shape physically, but once he fought Forrest Griffin (a man with a broken foot), he looked sluggish and slow in the cage. The unofficial proclamation from many fight fans was that Ortiz was officially washed up for good.

Enter The Ultimate Fighter and a chance for UFC management to keep the careers of both Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz going. Liddell wants to continue to fight and so does Ortiz, but neither man really is someone you want to see against any of UFC’s current champions. So, pairing the two men up against each other for another fight is relatively harmless. Besides, people are entertained by the dichotomy of these two individuals and it makes for good television. The ratings so far for this season’s edition of The Ultimate Fighter have been pretty respectable.

However, there has been trouble regarding the show since the first day it started. Rumors swirled that Tito Ortiz would end up getting replaced by Rich Franklin. Ortiz and Liddell was set to happen in Vancouver. Then there was the political turmoil as to whether or not Vancouver would allow UFC to run a show in the first place. Combined with that stress was the fact that UFC needed to announce a main event for the Vancouver show once everything was made official in early April. Dana White said online that the reports of Tito Ortiz being replaced by Rich Franklin were false. Then, UFC announced Liddell vs. Franklin for Vancouver when tickets went on sale. White found himself on the defensive for being called a liar and not a straight-shooter. White basically said “tough s***” on Jim Rome’s ESPN show in response. Yet, if you take a look online and on social networking sites, most viewers of The Ultimate Fighter don’t know that Ortiz is gone from the show by the end of the taping series.

Which leads us to what happened on Monday with Tito Ortiz being arrested by Huntington Beach PD on charges of physically abusing Jenna Jameson. Dana White’s first reaction was to say that if Ortiz was guilty that the organization would cut him. However, the UFC President left plenty of wiggle room to allow the judicial process to happen over time and for all the facts to come out in the case. I agree with this stance and think that a lot of the armchair commentary so far on this matter has been reckless and a waste of time by those who have done so.

The problem is that the legal system is not the court of public opinion. They are two very different things. As JA Adande noted on ESPN yesterday, the approach of two different major sports commissioners (Roger Goodell in the NFL and David Stern in the NBA) reflects two very different viewpoints on how to handled troubled athletes. Goodell has laid down the hammer on troublemakers while Stern has been more flexible on allowing athletes in trouble with the law to go through the legal process and then punish only if the courts find the athletes guilty.

What makes Dana White’s predicament very tricky is that UFC is growing as a sport. They want to be viewed as a legitimate sport. It’s roughly 1/15th as big as say the NBA currently is in America, but it’s still respectable in terms of the business they draw in the States. White’s relationship with Ortiz involves a taped reality series in which everyone involved signed NDAs (non-disclosure agreements) with Spike TV. There’s a lot of money on the line for all parties involved. Since Ortiz is not scheduled to fight in the UFC any time soon, how do you handle the current situation if you are UFC management? Do you panic and rush to the editing room to try to take out Ortiz as much as possible from the footage you have left or do you play it straight and keep everything status quo and let it runs its course?

The likely answer is that UFC will take a wait-and-see approach and continue to air the show in the format it has been edited in already. In fact, they may benefit in the short-term ratings-wise due to all the publicity Ortiz is currently receiving. Unless Ortiz is convicted in a court of law sometime soon, he’s free to participate in business activities with UFC.

I more or less think that White will take the David Stern route and allow everything to play out over time rather than drop the hammer like Roger Goodell would.

However, what would happen if White took the Goodell route and cut Ortiz? White would take a hit from the many Ortiz fans that are currently out there but he would also generate some credibility amongst the general public for a zero-tolerance policy. Could it help the credibility of UFC if they cut Ortiz? Perhaps. Plus, UFC would not have a lot to lose if they did it. Tito Ortiz is not going to be fighting Chuck Liddell in Vancouver. Ortiz isn’t scheduled to fight any time this year and his days of being a championship-caliber athlete are likely finished. If UFC cut Ortiz from their roster, there wouldn’t be a heavy financial penalty.

Whatever choice Dana White & Lorenzo Fertitta make, I don’t envy their position. They will receive heat if they go the Roger Goodell way and be portrayed as reactionary and not loyal to their fighters. Conversely, they will receive heat if they go the David Stern way and don’t cut Ortiz right away. It would open up the floodgates from critics of Mixed Martial Arts and UFC to portray White as just another “sleazy promoter” who cares more about making a buck than about protecting the integrity of the sport he represents.

Choose wisely, UFC.

Source: Fight Opinion

WEC 48 Payouts: Aldo Earns $40,000
by Loretta Hunt

Jose Aldo is not just king of the WEC’s featherweight hill; he was also the promotion’s highest base-salary earner at WEC 48 “Aldo vs. Faber,” according to figures released Wednesday by the California State Athletic Commission.

The 24-year-old Brazilian took home $40,000 for his punishing unanimous decision over former champion and hometown favorite Urijah Faber, who earned $28,000 in disclosed pay.

The WEC’s first pay-per-view event drew 12,555 fans to Sacramento’s Arco Arena for a gross gate of $792,640, said the CSAC. Zuffa’s disclosed payroll for the event, including its popular performance bonuses, was $596,500.

In the evening’s main attraction, WEC lightweight champion Benson Henderson quickly nullified rival Donald Cerrone with a guillotine choke two minutes into their rematch, netting the versatile Arizona fighter a $26,000 payday. Henderson’s pot was also sweetened by a $65,000 “submission of the night” bonus doled out by the promotion, bringing his total to $91,000. Cerrone, now 0-2 against the champion, received $14,000.

Leonard Garcia and Chan Sung Jung also took home $65,000 bonuses each for their lauded three-round brawl, which aired live on a one-hour special on Spike TV prior to the pay-per-view. Manny Gamburyan, who achieved the upset of the night with a first-round technical knockout over former featherweight champion Mike Thomas Brown was the recipient of the $65,000 “knockout of the night” bonus, pushing his take-home to $101,000.

WEC 48 Payouts

Benson Henderson -- $91,000 (including $11,000 win bonus, $65,000 submission bonus)
def.
Donald Cerrone -- $14,000

Jose Aldo -- $40,000 (including $20,000 win bonus)
def.
Urijah Faber -- $28,000

Manny Gamburyan -- $101,000 (including $18,000 win bonus, $65,000 knockout bonus)
def.
Mike Thomas Brown-- $21,000

Shane Roller -- $28,000 (including $14,000 win bonus)
def.
Anthony Njokuani -- $7,000

Scott Jorgensen-- $21,000 (including $10,500 win bonus)
def.
Antonio Banuelos -- $7,000

Leonard Garcia -- $93,000 (including $14,000 win bonus, $65,000 FOTN bonus)
def.
Chan Sung Jung -- $70,000 (including $65,000 FOTN bonus)

Anthony Pettis -- $8,000 (including $4,000 win bonus)
def.
Alex Karalexis -- $10,000

Brad Pickett -- $8,000 (including $4,000 win bonus)
def.
Demetrious Johnson -- $3,000

Chad Mendes -- $8,500 (including $4,000 win bonus)
def.
Anthony Morrison -- $4,000

Takeya Mizugaki -- $16,000 (including $8,000 win bonus)
def.
Rani Yahya -- $9,000

Tyler Toner -- $5,000 (including $2,000 win bonus)
def.
Brandon Visher -- $4,000

Note: These numbers, sent to Sherdog.com by the California State Athletic Commission, are disclosed pay and bonuses only. They do not include additional bonuses or percentages of other revenue.

Source: Sherdog

Aldo Wants to Fight in UFC, But Not Yet
by Gleidson Venga

Following WEC featherweight champion Jose Aldo’s dominant victory over Urijah Faber on Saturday, UFC President Dana White suggested that the ultra talented Brazilian could become a three-division titleholder.

Before he ventures down to 135 pounds, up to 155 and over to the UFC, though, Aldo says he wants to defend his 145-pound WEC belt.

“At the moment I am still not thinking about it,” Aldo told Sherdog.com on the subject of fighting in multiple divisions. “First I have to train and defend the title a few times in my division.”

White even said that he’d heard Aldo would like to fight in the UFC, perhaps against someone like B.J. Penn.

“It is a plan for the future, but not now, just for a distant future,” Aldo said of the UFC. “I intend to fight in the UFC, absolutely. I do not believe in fighting against B.J. or anyone else (right now). Before I get there, I have to do some fights to adapt to the weight, and then I'll just see what happens.”

Aldo is 7-0 in the WEC and 17-1 overall. He is Sherdog.com’s No. 5-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Although he didn’t finish Faber on Saturday, he couldn’t have been much more dominant. He attributes the victory to his strategy: exploit Faber’s weakness of defending leg kicks.

“The strategy that my coach (Andre Pederneiras) drew up was perfect,” Aldo said. “I went in there to try to block the punches, and (use) my kicks when I had the opportunity. Thank God the strikes worked and my timing was right. Everything happened the way we planned.”

The kicks badly hobbled Faber. Yet the former 145-pound champion survived until the final bell, leaving Aldo impressed.

“Faber showed everybody that he is a warrior,” Aldo said. “He even told me later that he considered quitting a couple of times during the fight, but he was fighting at home, with the crowded arena. He is a great fighter.”

Source: Sherdog

“King Mo” Lawal Hoping to Entrench Legacy as Champ
By Kelsey Mowatt

Despite the fact that Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal had defeated several well travelled veterans since he made his MMA debut in September, 2008, many throughout the MMA world questioned whether or not the relative newcomer to the sport, was ready for a world class talent like Gegard Mousasi on April 17th. Although Lawal worked his way to a Unanimous Decision victory over Mousasi, to become the Strikeforce Light-Heavyweight Champion in just his 7th pro bout, the accomplished wrestler is still responding to his critics.

“The fight wasn’t as exciting as a lot of people wanted but sometimes you just to have to get the W,” Lawal told FCF when asked if he’s had time to reflect on his remarkable accomplishment. “I went out there and did what I had to do. I’ve only been doing this for a year-and-a-half, Mousasi had more experience and was the favorite, but I wanted it more and got it.”

“He was a great champion but now it’s my time with the belt to see what I can do,” Lawal added. “People criticize me but I’m still trying to improve my game. I feel good about the win I just wish it was more exciting. Sometimes people hear good things about them and their head gets really big; I feel good but there’s a lot more to accomplish.”

Lawal referred to the notion that some fans may have not found the April 17th bout exciting, due to the fact that much of the five round fight was spent on the mat, as the undefeated fighter continually took Mousasi down. Although Mousasi remained fairly active from his back with strikes, Lawal controlled the vast majority of the bout’s action, while offering attacks of his own from the top position.

“No because people don’t realize that if he was trying to fight all of my takedowns right away, I would have stopped him probably in the third or fourth round,” said Lawal when asked if he was surprised by Mousasi’s extremely upright stance during the bout. “He was letting me take him down because he was looking for submissions, looking to relax while hoping that I would wear out. If he had kept a lower stance to react better, he would have had to fight my attempts, but the outcome would have been the same. He just would have been reacting more and would have got tired a lot sooner.”

Although it remains to be seen who Lawal will face in his first title defense, he does not foresee Strikeforce having a problem finding him a noteworthy opponent, despite claims by some observers that the promotion’s roster lacks depth.

“Whoever Strikeforce brings up,” said Lawal. “They’ve been doing a good job. They signed Mousasi, they signed me; there are other people in the organization. Just because there might not be big names doesn’t mean they’re not good. I’m not the type of guy that overlooks someone because their name isn’t big.”

Lawal has also demonstrated in the past that he’s able to fight at heavyweight, as he earned a quick TKO stoppage over the veteran Mark Kerr last August, giving Strikeforce other options if the need arose.

“Definitely; I’d still fight at heavyweight,” said Lawal, who has stated publicly before that he would be interested in facing Fedor Emelianenko.

“I don’t know what the future holds, but if last year someone told you that King Mo was fighting Mousasi and was going to beat him, a lot of people would have been laughing. You never know what’s going to happen.”

Source: Full Contact Fighter

Yuki Kondo Crowned Middleweight King of Pancrase
By Daniel Herbertson

TOKYO, Japan -- Yuki Kondo traded up in his interim strap for a full version of the Middleweight King of Pancrase belt with a decision win over Ichiro Kanai at Differ Ariake on Thursday.

Kondo was slow to start, controlling the center of the ring and working kicks to the body and legs but failing to do any real damage until the third round where he started to fully bring punches into the equation. There, Kondo quickly bloodied his opponent with scrappy combinations, earning him the close decision (30-29, 30-29, 30-29) on all three judges cards.

Former Flyweight King of Pancrase Mitsuhisa Sunabe got back on the winning track with a KO win over 2-6-1 Hayato Sato. Sunabe looked better from the onset, finding his range early and then late in the first round, landed a hard kick to the head as Sato bent for a takedown and then Sunabe pounced on his downed opponent to finish the job.

Sunabe lost his title back at Pancrase Passion Tour 1 in February to Kiyotaka Shimizu by majority decsion and requested a rematch with the champ after the fight.

Pancrase Passion Tour 4 - Full Results

Middleweight King of Pancrase Title Match:
Yuki Kondo def. Ichiro Kanai by Unanimous Decision

Mitsuhisa Sunabe def. Hayato Sato by KO (Head Kick and Punches), Round 1, 2:31
Kazuki Tokutome def. Takafumi Ito by TKO (Punches), Round 2, 3:45
Tashiro Nishiuchi def. Hayato Shimizu by TKO (Punches), Round 1, 4:30
Shigeyuki Uchiyama def. Wataru Takahashi by Unanimous Decision
Daiju Takase vs. Hoon Kim - Draw
Daisuke Watanabe vs. Keitaro Maeda - Draw
Kosei Kubota def. Tamotsu Kitada by TKO (Punches), Round 1, 4:02
Tomoyoshi Iwamiya vs. Kota Okazawa - Draw

Source: MMA Fighting

“Mondragon” explains fight against Barnett
By Guilherme Cruz

TATAME called Gerônimo “Mondragon” today and the heavyweight revealed he’d fight former UFC champion Josh Barnett in an upcoming Strikeforce event in Australia. After a lot of polemical around the world, TATAME called “Mondragon” against, and the heavyweight explained the misunderstanding. “I’m sorry, I was wrong. I signed the contract, the fight will be against Josh Barnett, but it’ll be at Impact MMA, a new event in Australia… If I win I’ll sign with Strikeforce, I’m so thrilled that I said everything wrong (laughs)”, the heavyweight explains.

Source: Tatame

Boston Herald strikes out on Tito Ortiz coverage
By Zach Arnold

So I saw that on Google and groaned, but I figured that the Herald would soon change the headline to something more palatable. Well…

My feeling on the media angle of this story is that when I first read about this, I dreaded what would come for all of the MMA sites in terms of the comments section. A lot of people have said a lot of stupid things and unfortunately none of it is very surprising. This includes our site, which has had some comments that I consider out-of-bounds and reckless. I know the editors at other major MMA web sites have had to deal with the same thing.

I’ve received a lot of e-mail from readers who are disgusted with the tone and tenor of the comments. I agree with their sentiments and I take full responsibility for not censoring or not moderating more of the comments that were made.

I’ve had disgruntled site readers beg of me to moderate all comments or to get a comments moderator. That’s easier said than done. Much like putting up inquiries to hire new writers, a lot of people show initial interest but once it gets down to brass tacks, people largely don’t want to get involved in the process because it’s too time-consuming and there’s not much of a reward.

So, it leaves me with two options. Either a) turn off all comments permanently or b) make all comments go in a moderation queue and have me individually go through each one, which could delay back-and-forth conversations from happening.

If you are a disgruntled site reader and would like to give me your honest, unabashed feedback on this topic, I would be happy to listen and make any recommended changes.

The story about Tito Ortiz and Jenna Jameson is not a story that I have much motivation in writing about. However, it’s sucked the oxygen out of the room and everything else has become secondary. I spent a couple of hours transcribing a Urijah Faber interview and discussing what his future may be. It didn’t mean a lot to readers because people have been consumed by the Tito-Jenna story. That’s life, but I’d much rather be talking about the successful Zuffa event from this past weekend than get into any reckless speculation about whether or not domestic abuse occurred in a celebrity relationship.

Source: Fight Opinion

MMA BUSINESS: ALIENWARE/DELL GET SUCKERPUNCHED
by Damon Martin

As the sport of mixed martial arts continues to gather more mainstream acceptance, the addition of major sponsors is a large part of that expansion. Alienware, Dell’s premier high-performance PC gaming brand, is the latest major sponsor to sign on to support MMA through a deal signed with Suckerpunch Entertainment and its stable of fighters.

The deal with Alienware, a subsidiary of Dell Computers, will begin immediately. It will feature sponsorship of upcoming UFC 113 fighter Matt Mitrione, who will face Kimbo Slice on the main card of the show in Montreal on May 8.

In 2006, Dell Computers was recognized as the 25th largest corporation by Fortune 500. They've continued to grow in the computer industry every year since that time. Alienware, which was purchased by Dell in 2006, features components used in Dell Computers for high tech gaming.

The deal will coincide with Suckerpunch's roster of fighters, which includes UFC stars like Amir Sadollah and Pat Barry as well as WEC fighter and legendary computer gamer Jens Pulver.

Brian Butler, president of Suckerpunch Entertainment, says the deal to get Alienware on board was a long process, but the expansion of major corporate sponsors into MMA is worth the work.

"This took about a year and a half of persistence to finally hook in with the right people at Dell to make this happen," said Butler. "We are confident that the MMA community will step up and let Alienware and Dell know that this a good move.

"While MMA is obviously one of the most popular sports in the country, the truth is that it's very hard to convince the corporate giants to come on board. I believe that landscape is definitely changing with the crossover of NFL athletes such as Matt Mitrione, Hershel Walker, former Olympians, and just the general growth of the sport itself."

The addition of Alienware as a full-fledged sponsor, once again shows the tremendous growing power of the sport in a worldwide market, and the dedication the fans have shown in support of the companies that come on board to help sponsor fighters.

Alienware will debut with the Mitrione fight on the May 8, and more fighters will be visible images with the brand in the coming months. The fighters will be supporting Alienware's new M11x system which is a 11.5 inch, fully portable laptop gaming computer.

The deal to bring Alienware on board follows such blockbuster mainstream sponsors such as Gatorade and Under Armour, who have featured ads and commercials with UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, as well as recent Nike ads featuring Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

Source: MMA Weekly

Herschel Back in Training Shortly

The question now isn't if Herschel Walker will fight again but when he will fight again. The sport's most famous rookie was all smiles when asked about a potential late summer return to Strikeforce for his second pro bout.

Sherdog.com's Loretta Hunt caught up with the 1982 Heisman Trophy winner and 12-season NFL veteran to discuss why he sat out Strikeforce's April 17 show on CBS, when he'll resume training with his American Kickboxing Academy team and what a 47-year-old's goals should be in MMA.

Source: Sherdog

Scrappla Fest 2
Kauai's Scrappla Fest 2
Gi & No Gi Tournament
May 15, 2010

$50 entry fee

Tentative times:
Kids Rules 930am.
Kids Gi Start 10am.
Kids No Gi Start 11am.

Adult Rules 12:30pm.
Adults Gi Start 1pm.
Adults No Gi Start 3:45pm.

We will be running 4-6 matches at the same time to keep the tournament running smoothly. More info to come about weights and weigh ins.

kids ages-weight divisions will be made on sight

5-below
6-7
8-9
10-11
12-13
14-15
16-17

women
125-below
126-140
141-above

menbeginner white , blue
131-below
132-145
146-159
160-173
174-187
188-201
202-215
216-above

men advanced, purple and above
159-below
160-180
181-201
202-above

Thank you,

Pono Pananganan
Kauai Technical Institute
ktirelson_gracie@hotmail.com


X-1: Nations Collide
Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii
June 4, 2010
7:30PM
www.x1events.com
(808) 591-2211

170lbs X-1 World Championship Bout
Brandon Wolff (Champion) vs. Dylan Clay (#1 Contender)

8-Man Heavyweight Tournament

Bracket A
Maui Wolfgram (Hawaii) vs. Ricky Shivers (Alaska)
Adam Akau (Hawaii) vs. Hae Joon Yang (Korea)

Bracket B

Poai Suganuma (Hawaii) vs. Vitaly Shemetov (Russia)
Tasi Edwards (Samoa) vs. Daniel Madrid

Legacy Combat MMA Event at the MMA Expo!

We are holding an MMA event in conjuction with the MMAHAWAII Expo on June 11th in the Blaisdell Ballroom called Legacy Combat which will feature amateur fighters.

If you do have fighters that would like to participate please contact us with the following information:

-Fighter's Name
-Weight Class
-Contact #

We look forward to working with you in the future. Please contact us by clicking
here.

Thank you,

Legacy Combat

Garden Island Cage Match 9: Mayhem at the Mansion Sponsorship

Hi All,
I am excited to let you all know we have the date set for our next show :

" Mayhem at the Mansion", June 26th 2010 - Kilohana Carriage House

Since this venue is a little smaller than the Stadium the tickets will sell out twice as fast so be sure to get on board quickly! This an exclusive venue for us and very please to have acquired this merger.

Sponsorship packages now available! Please contact me for further information!

Looking forward to working with you all again!
Mahalo!
Vance Pascua
808-634-0404

Source: Event Promoter

In October 2010, Eternal Fight Wear proudly presents...
ETERNAL SUBMISSIONS! 1st Annual BJJ GI/NO-GI tournament on Kauai


Kauai Beach Resort, Kauai

This will be a 3 Day Event.
Friday, October 15th. beginning at 5pm will be weigh-ins with Live local entertainment, Exhibitions, Door Prizes & more.

Saturday Oct. 16th we will host the GI portion of the event starting with kids at 10am.

Sunday we will finish off our tournament with the NO-GI portion.

Outer island competitors will be allowed to weigh in on Saturday.
Kauai residents must weigh in on Friday.
NO same day registrations will be allowed.

Cut of for pre-registration is October 7th (for free tshirt) all other registrations must be in by October 13th (if mailing registration, it must be postmarked by the 11th) We have locked in the dates and will be offering special discounted rates at the hotel. There will be food/beg. for sale at the event. We will be having superfights as well (TBA). All pre-reg competitiors will receive a free competitor tshirt. There will be door prizes each day too! Winners of the matches will receive very nice medals, we will be awarding team trophies and best -of awards. Absolute and Superfights winners will be awarded championship belts.

We will be hosted a first ever in Hawaii 'kids absolute' and as well!!!!

This will be an event Hawaii does not want to miss!!!!

Pre-Reg is be up shortly and we will be notifying you as soon as it is or updated info add us on facebook: ETERNAL FIGHT WEAR

Any questions you can call me (Shauna) at 808.652.6849 or email me shauna@hawaiilink.net

Source: Event Promoter

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