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2008

11/8/08
Aloha State Championship of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ/Sub Grapping)
(Gym #1, UH Manoa)

6/5-8/08
World Jiu-Jitsu Championsihps
(BJJ)
(California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, California)

5/3/08
Hawaiian Open of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ/Sub Grapping)
(Gym #1, UH Manoa)

4/26/08
Elite XC
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)

3/29/08
Garden Island Cage Match 7
(MMA)
(Hanapepe Stadium, Hanapepe, Kauai)

Hawaii Fighting Championships 8
(MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)

3/28-30/08
Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship
(BJJ)
(Carson, CA)

3/15/08
Icon Sport
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)

2/17/08
Hawaiian Championship of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ/Sub Grapping)
(Gym #1, UH Manoa)

2/8/08
Hawaii Fighting Championships 7
(Kickboxing & MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)


2/2/08
Man up and Stand up
(Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)

1/26/08
X1 World Events: Champions
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)

1/20/08
Big Island Open Jiu-Jitsu Tournament
(Konawaena High School)
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(
POSTPONED)

1/19/08
UFC 80: Rapid Fire
(
BJ Penn vs. Joe Stevenson)
Newcastle, England

1/12/08
Hawaii Fight League
Season 1, Event 2
(MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)


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January 2008 News Part 2
 
Casca Grossa Jiu-Jitsu is now the O2 Martial Arts Academy with 6 days a week training!

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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!

1/20/08

Quote of the Day

"I've always found that the speed of the boss is the speed of the team."

Lee Iacocca, American Industrialist and Automobile Executive

UFC 80 RAPID FIRE RESULTS!
BJ Wins the Interim Title, But Grove Loses


UFC 80: Rapid Fire
Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle, England
January 19, 2008

1. Sam Stout (155) def. Per Eklund (155) via unanimous decision
2. Alessio Sakara (206) def. James Lee (206) via TKO (strikes) - R1 (1:30)
3. Paul Kelly (170) def. Paul Taylor (170) via unanimous decision
4. Antoni Hardonk (244) def. Colin Robinson (238) via TKO (strikes) - R1 (0:17)
5. Jorge Rivera (185) def. Kendall Grove (186) via TKO (strikes) - R1 (1:20)
6. Wilson Gouveia (205) def. Jason Lambert (204) via TKO (strikes) - R2 (0:37)
7. Marcus Davis (169) def. Jess Liaudin (170) via KO - R1 (1:04)
8. Fabricio Werdum (247) def. Gabriel Gonzaga (255) via TKO (strikes) - R2 (4:34)
9. BJ Penn (154) def. Joe Stevenson (154) via sub (rear naked choke) - R2 (4:02)

Source: MMA Fighting

UFC 83 to move from the UK to the US
By Moses Utomi

UFC 83, originally planned for Manchester, England, will happen in the US instead, reports Steve Sievert of the Houston Chronicle's “Brawl Sports” blog.

Dana White was still unsure of the event’s location when asked about it at last Thursday's UFC 80 conference call.

“We’re still working on that,” he said. “I should have an answer to that question in a couple of days. We’re still trying to figure out what we’re doing in March.”

The event is still rumored for March 8th, just a week after the UFC 82 card that features a middleweight dream match between Anderson Silva and Dan Henderson.

The UFC 83 card was supposed to feature TUF 3 winner Michael Bisping in his middleweight debut after a split decision loss to Rashad Evans. A fight between James Irvin and Houston Alexander was also reported to take place.

In addition, the blog’s source confirms that UFC 84 will take place in Montreal on April 19th. The rumors so far have the card looking like one of the best of the year, with Georges St. Pierre fighting Matt Serra for the welterweight title, Jason MacDonald against Joe Doerksen, Karo Parysian and taking on Thiago Alves in a highly anticipated bout, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua’s return to the Octagon, and TUF season 6 winner Mac Danzig fighting at lightweight against Mark Bocek.

Source: MMA Fighting

CAGE RAGE ‘BUZZES’ SHAMROCK
UFC Hall-of-Famer Draws ‘Buzz’ Berry at Cage Rage 25 on March 8

By Brian Knapp

UFC Hall-of-Famer Ken Shamrock will make his promotional debut against Robert Berry at Cage Rage 25 “Bring It On” on Saturday, March 8 at Wembley Arena in London. Shamrock’s manager, Rod Donahoo, confirmed the bout on Thursday.

Shamrock (26-12-2), who turns 44 in February, has lost seven of his past nine fights, including four straight. He last competed in October 2006, when he succumbed to strikes against arch rival Tito Ortiz. It was Shamrock’s third loss to the former UFC light heavyweight champion, all three by TKO. The UFC released “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” from his contract last June.

Still one of the sport’s most recognizable figures, Shamrock remains the only man to defeat fellow legend Bas Rutten twice. He also holds victories over former UFC heavyweight champion Maurice Smith and Dan Severn. Shamrock is one of four men – along with Royce Gracie, Randy Couture and Severn – enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame.

Berry (11-7, 6-3 CR), a veteran of the Cage Rage circuit, will enter the bout on a two-fight losing streak. The British kickboxer last fought in December, when he was stopped by unbeaten Neil Grove at Cage Rage 24. Berry drew international attention in December, when he challenged Internet street fighting legend Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson. The two could meet in the future, as Cage Rage and EliteXC – the promotion for which Ferguson fights – are both owned by Pro Elite Inc. All 11 of Berry’s victories have come by KO, TKO or submission.

Shamrock’s son, Ryan, will also compete on the Cage Rage 25 card, though no opponent has been announced. Ryan Shamrock made his professional debut in August, when he submitted Josh Besneatte with a first-round choke.

Source: The Fight Network

SHAW TO WHITE: "LET HIM FIGHT OUR FIGHTERS"
by Damon Martin

The war of words between Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White and EliteXC live events president Gary Shaw continued on Wednesday when, during a media conference call, the feud was brought up and Shaw had strong words in response to what White said recently.

“All I'm saying is, and I've said it all along, there is a differentiator. If you fight for the UFC, you can't be bigger than Dana White and the UFC,” said Shaw.

“If you fight for EliteXC, as a fighter, you're bigger than Gary Shaw. It's about the fighter. It's not about me. Whether it's Kimbo, who was signed to us, or any other fighter. I believe we represent some of the greatest fighters in the world. I believe that Antonio ‘Big Foot’ Silva could knockout any heavyweight in the UFC.”

Speaking about Antonio Silva, Shaw also confirmed that he will fight on the Feb. 16 card facing Cage Rage heavyweight champion Gary Turner in a bout that could showcase two of the best up-and-coming big men in all of MMA.

Shaw also had some complementary things to say about the UFC and what its done for the sport of mixed martial arts, but was quick to point out the exclusivity they keep with their fighters.

“Now, I'm not disparaging the UFC. They have some great fighters and great fights. They have a good brand,” he stated. “They do a good job marketing their brand, but they don't own MMA. They don't own the space. They have a brand.

“You know what, if you hold up the belt there, all you are is the club champion. Until Dana White is willing to fight his fighters against other brands; all they are is club champions.”

The open challenge was extended to White and the UFC to put their fighters against the fighters from EliteXC, and while Shaw made a strong gesture, a co-promoted show between the two organizations will likely never happen.

“I extend the challenge and always have. It's like Kimbo; you want to fight him? Call us up, you can come in the cage and fight him,” said Shaw. “You want to fight Jake Shields, fight Jake Shields. We're proud of the people we represent. Robbie Lawler, I could go down the whole roster.”

Despite the challenges and compliments towards the UFC and their fighters, Shaw was quick to once again point both barrels at UFC president Dana White.

“For Dana White to try to convince the fans that he owns all of the best fighters in the world. To say that this is just a starting point for fighters and then they're going to go to UFC. He is full of (expletive),” said Shaw with conviction. “Let him fight our fighters.”

Source: MMA Weekly

Ground & Pound Awards 2007
By Zach Arnold

Press Release

The die is cast and the vote for the Third Annual Ground & Pound Awards is over. Fans, fighters, managers, promoters and trainers from all over the world have decided on the winners in the sixteen categories.

Here are the results:

* Fighter of the Year: Anderson Silva (Brazil)
* Female Fighter of the Year: Tara Larosa (USA)
* Fight Team of the Year: Xtreme Couture (USA)
* Rookie of the Year: Thiago Silva (Brazil)
* Most Improved Fighter: Robbie Lawler (USA)
* Best Young Fighter: Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (Cameroon)
* Cult Fighter of the Year: Jason Miller (USA)
* German Fighter of the Year: Dennis Siver (Mannheim)

* Boxer of the Year: Floyd Mayweather Jr. (USA)
* Kickboxer of the Year: Semmy Schilt (Holland)
* Grappler of the Year: Marcelo Garcia and Roger Gracie (both Brazil)

* Fight of the Year: Takanori Gomi vs. Nick Diaz (PRIDE.33)
* Knockout of the Year: Gabriel Napão vs. Mirko Cro Cop (UFC 70)
* Submission of the Year: Nick Diaz vs. Takanori Gomi (PRIDE.33)

* Best Promotion: Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
* Fight Event of the Year: PRIDE.33 “The Second Coming”

We have recorded votes from all over the world including Germany,the UK, Brazil, USA, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Sweden, Canada,France, Norway, Denmark, Russia, Thailand, Belgium, Croatia, Poland,Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Japan.

For complete results, the exact distribution of the votes and in-depthanalysis, please go here:

http://www.groundandpound.de/news/europa/ground-and-pound-awards-results-2007.html

Many thanks to everybody who has participated!

Tim Leidecker

Source: Fight Opinion

Interview with Dan Henderson

MMA Madness Executive Editor Ben Zeidler recently spoke with Dan Henderson, who discussed his future at Light Heavyweight, his strategy for Anderson Silva, and his involvement with Team Quest

MMA Madness: What made you consider the drop to 185?

Dan Henderson: Well, I was a little bit hesitant at first, but the more I thought about it and the more I talked to Dana, I realized how excited I was for this fight. Dana wanted me to drop down for a while too so it made sense. Anderson Silva is a big challenge for me and these are the kind of fights I like to take.

MMA Madness: Win or lose, do you think you would ever go back up to 205?

Dan Henderson: I'll be staying at 185 for a while but I definitely have plans to go back to 205 at some point in my career.

MMA Madness: The Rampage fight was a close one, and many still have you ranked #2 at 205. What would you do differently if you got another shot at that title?

Dan Henderson: I would definitely be a little more aggressive on my feet and on top. I definitely think I made some mistakes and I'm still making adjustments to fix what I did wrong and get used to the cage. I can tell you that I wouldn't lost to him again.

MMA Madness: What are some of the difficulties of the cage?

Dan Henderson: You just have to get used to it. You know, I tripped once or twice just because I'm just used to having some give with the ropes. With the ropes, you can't press your feet up against them when you're standing up. Little things make the difference in there. On the ground, I'm not to being able to use it walk up. So I'll work on that and I'll be fine by the time March 1st comes along.

MMA Madness: How do you see yourself matching up to Anderson Silva? Do you see him as a good match up for you?

Dan Henderson: Yeah, I think for sure that I'm a bad match up for him. His strength is his striking and he's technical, but he likes to get into that clinch which is another strength of his. But he's never fought anyone like me in that clinch and he won't be used to that.

MMA Madness: Are you saying that you WANT to be in Anderson Silva's clinch?

Dan Henderson: Yep, that's where I want to be. That's my home.

MMA Madness: How is your training going for the fight? What specifically are you working on?

Dan Henderson: Training is good. Nothing too special as far as training, Silva is a well rounded fighter. I want to work on my hands and keeping them going, but nothing too specific. I'm getting some southpaws in to spar with me, but that's about it.

MMA Madness: Many consider the MW division to be easier than the LHW. Do you see this as being true?

Dan Henderson: I don't necessarily believe it's an easier division. There are some studs out there and Silva is one of them. People expect it to be a walk in the park for but size doesn't matter. It all has to do with how technical you are and how good at fighting you are. Mental toughness is a big part of it too. Silva will be tough and he's proven that he can knock some guys out and beat some guys that a lot of people thought should have beaten him.

MMA Madness: Who do you see as the best guys at 185?

Dan Henderson: Well, there's...I dont know, there's quite a few and Silva has beat most of them already. I can't think of any right now.

MMA Madness: You left Team Quest a little while ago to open up your own place. How is new facility going?

Dan Henderson: Well actually, I'm still technically with Team Quest. Randy is the one who left. I opened up another Team Quest gym in California. We have a great training situation with lots of fighters and organized practices. We've got great strikers, great wrestlers, and great jiu-jitsu guys. Everyone contributes knowledge, we work on technique and it's just great. Matt and I still own Team Quest together and we're looking on opening more gyms soon.

MMA Madness: Well, you should think about the East Coast. I'm out of Philadelphia and all we have are second-rate Action Karate places.

Dan Henderson: (Laughs) All right then, I'll remember that.

MMA Madness: Any sponsors you'd like to thank? Do you have a website?

Dan Henderson: Team Quest at teamquestmma.com. I just started my clothing line, Clinch Gear so that's at clinch gear.com and danhenderson.com.

MMA Madness: Anything to say to your fans?

Dan Henderson: Hopefully I'll give you a great show on March 1st. Thanks for all the support.

Source: Fight Opinion/MMA Madness

Anatomy of a promotional fiasco
By Dave Meltzer, Yahoo! Sports

The success of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which routinely draws multimillion dollar live gates for its major shows, has led would-be promoters to believe you can sign some former UFC stars, book a major arena, and you'll have a successful event.

The reality is altogether different.

For the second time in three months, a mixed martial arts event at a major California arena was canceled by the state athletic commission due to financial issues involving overreaching promoters.

Commission director Armando Garcia canceled the World Cagefighting Organization's Saturday night show at the San Diego Sports Arena, which featured name fighters such as former UFC stars Renato "Babalu" Sobral, Mark Kerr, Vernon White, Ricco Rodriguez, Joe Riggs and David Loiseau, just a few hours before the doors were scheduled to open. Garcia made the ruling because of financial issues; he wanted proof the promoters would be able to pay the fighters and other bills before allowing them to do the show.

"They didn't have the money," said Garcia. "The money they had couldn't be authorized until the end of the month."

But the situation was a lot more complicated. Rick Bassman of Valor Fighting, the promoter of record for the show, was at a Wells Fargo Bank branch in San Diego at 2 p.m. on Saturday, waiting for Bruce Bellocchi, the actual promoter, to sign over a deposit of $225,000 made in an account so that Bassman could be the only person to write checks. Wells Fargo couldn't verify that the funds were going to clear.

Bellocchi wouldn't sign off on the money until Garcia authorized that the show was scheduled to continue. Garcia had given the promotion a 10 a.m. deadline to have proof of funding for the $183,300 in total purse money as well as money that would be needed to pay the bills to the arena and commission.

He had extended the deadline, and would not allow the show to go on unless there was proof of sufficient money in an account that could be drawn on with a guarantee the funds wouldn't be withdrawn or that checks written on the account wouldn't bounce.

Bellocchi didn't make the first deadline, and Garcia had it extended a few hours. There was a standoff at the bank, and Bellocchi refused to sign off.

In October, a similar mess took place for a show scheduled for the Cow Palace in San Francisco which was canceled hours before the event was to take place because they didn't have a safe cage to fight in as well as concerns that the fighters weren't going to be paid.

In both cases, all fighters who had weighed in and had their fights approved by the commissions got 20% of their purses through the bond the promoters of record have to post with the state. In Saturday’s case, Bassman, who claimed his contract with Bellocchi stated Bellocchi was responsible for the financing of the event but they would use Bassman's license, ended up having to write checks totaling $36,660 to pay the fighters who didn't get to fight. He said he was preparing to take legal action against Bellocchi.

Garcia said he learned of the potential problems at Friday’s weigh-ins, from Bassman, who told him he was worried the money wasn't there to pay the fighters after Bellocchi's financier, Jim Miller, failed to deposit the $218,000 promised to cover costs at 9 a.m. that morning.

According to sources, Miller, Bassman and Brian Layne had met the day before at a different San Diego bank, with Miller talking about how the show was going to be a success, expecting a sellout in an 8,900-seat setup. He showed Bassman what he believed was a Ticketmaster report that listed 7,000 tickets sold for an advance of $230,000. Bassman was immediately skeptical, noting that with the exception of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which has drawn large crowds in Anaheim, Los Angeles, and Sacramento, and Scott Coker's Strikeforce shows in San Jose, which have popular local drawing cards, nobody draws that kind of a paid crowd for MMA in California.

Bassman claimed that Miller called the arena and found out the real advance was 1,043 tickets sold for $70,000 at Ticketmaster outlets and the arena box office. There were another 480 tickets, for $33,000, out on consignment. He said it appeared Miller had received a forged report. Bassman said a phone message on his home phone from Layne stated Miller's agreement was all the box office receipts would go directly to him, but that when he talked to the arena people, they knew nothing of such a deal and weren't authorized to do so.

Similarly, the October San Francisco Cow Palace event that was called off had only 300 tickets sold.

Publicity for the show was poor. Jonathan Iosim, an avid MMA fan in San Diego, said that neither he nor any of his friends who he classified as hardcore fans, even knew such a show was taking place. Bellocchi at first contacted a cable advertising firm in the city in December about buying a schedule, but had earmarked a low advertising budget for running such a major arena. He ended up not buying anything at the time, but came back the week of the show, and got ads in local cable rotation the last three days before the show.

The prime audience to attend such an event would be those who watch UFC programming on Spike TV. But the final episode of Spike's UFC programming last week was on Wednesday night, the day before the ads started running.

"At 9:01 a.m. on Friday, I got a phone call from Brian Layne, saying there's bad news and good news," said Bassman. "The bad news is, Jim pulled out. I asked how there could be good news. He said that Bruce had agreed to put up the money."

At 10:40 a.m., Bellocchi, who was unable to be reached by Yahoo! Sports for comment on Sunday, made a $225,000 deposit in a Wells Fargo account under the name World Cagefighting Organization. But Bassman said only $5,000 of the money could be drawn starting on the 15th, three days after the show, and the remaining $220,000 couldn't be drawn until the 25th.

With Garcia on the verge of canceling the show, Bellocchi had a meeting with the fighters, where he asked at least some of them if they would tear up their contracts, and sign new contracts that would only guarantee them $100 to fight, promising he would then pay them the rest of their promised purses later in the month. Bellocchi claimed to Garcia and Bassman that all of the fighters had agreed, but Bassman said when he called fighters, the ones he spoke with claimed they never agreed.

Garcia indicated it was ridiculous to even consider allowing such a thing.

Bellocchi blamed the commission in an interview with MMA website Sherdog.com. He noted he attempted to apply for his own promoters license on Friday, but it would be impossible to process such an application on such short notice, and it fell short of commission requirements.

"With our promoter's license application in limbo, there was nothing we could do this late in the process," he told Sherdog.com. "I'm seriously considering never doing business in California again. I'm kind of in a state of shock. When you're dealing with people that are unreasonable, it's tough to get by." Bellocchi had run MMA shows in the state previously, most recently a Nov. 7 event in Hollywood where he used the license of well-known boxing promoter Jackie Kallen, that came off smoothly.

Dave Meltzer covers mixed martial arts for Yahoo! Sports. Meltzer, who has published the pro wrestling trade industry publication the Wrestling Observer Newsletter since 1982, began covering MMA with UFC 1 in 1993. He is a graduate of San Jose State University, and has written for the Oakland Tribune, Los Angeles Times, and The National. Send Dave a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.

Source: Fight Opinion

Zuffa seeks retraction of statements by former UFC owner
By Cindy Ortiz

Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC, has formally requested that CNBC air a retraction concerning “misstatements and inaccuracies” regarding the Zuffa Owners’ purchase of the UFC brand and Lorenzo Fertitta’s conduct as an NSAC commissioner.

CNBC recently aired a documentary entitled “Ultimate Fighting: From Blood Sport to Big Time” featuring an interview with Robert Meyrowitz regarding his role as President of Semaphore Entertainment Group (SEG), predecessor-in-interest to the Ultimate Fighting Championship brand.

When discussing SEG’s need to obtain Nevada State Athletic Commission approval for mixed martial arts prior to selling the brand to Zuffa, LLC in January 2001, Meyrowitz stated:

“We went out there [to Nevada], it looked like we had the votes, we were told we did, and about midnight I got a phone call that one of the commissioners had changed his mind… and it turns out that commissioner was Lorenzo Fertitta, that he had changed his mind and that we wouldn’t be able to get approval.”

According to UFC President Dana White, Zuffa immediately challenged the false claims made by Meyrowitz and proof of the misstatements prompted CNBC to correct the content of the program in subsequent re-airings.

While appreciative of the networks efforts to ensure the accuracy of the encore presentations, Zuffa has informed CNBC this action alone is not adequate to address the detrimental effect of the fabricated and erroneous information contained in the original broadcast.

A copy of the document requesting the retraction was recently obtained by MMAFighting.com and the key elements are as follows:

1. False comments made by Mr. Meyrowitz pertaining to the sale of the UFC brand by SEG to Zuffa strongly imply that Lorenzo Fertitta attempted to improperly use his regulatory authority as a member of the NSAC to doom SEG’s efforts to obtain NSAC approval of MMA.

2. The average member of CNBC’s viewing audience would be tempted or even encouraged by Mr. Meyrowitz’s false statements to believe that Lorenzo Fertitta sought to exploit his NSAC position for personal gain.

3. Mr. Meyrowitz is fully aware that no one ever called and told him Lorenzo Fertitta had changed his “vote” – even had there been such a vote.

4. If any “midnight call” was received by Mr. Meyrowitz in reference to the hearing, it was not regarding any pending approval of MMA in Nevada and it certainly was not from Lorenzo Fertitta himself, any other member of the NSAC or other source authorized to speak on the NSAC’s behalf.

5. Mr. Meyrowitz also gave an inaccurate portrayal to CNBC of how the Zuffa owners first contacted SEG regarding the possible purchase of the UFC brand by claiming that he first received a phone call from Dana White in which Mr. White stated “I have somebody who wants to buy this, you’ll never guess who… I said give me one guess… Lorenzo Fertitta… he said ‘how’d you guess? I said ‘call me lucky.’”

6. Mr. Meyrowitz attempts to demonstrate a sinister motive by falsely stating that the same commissioner that voted against MMA’s approval subsequently tried to approach SEG through a third party to acquire the UFC brand.

7. This description of events relating to Zuffa’s purchase of the UFC assets from SEG aired on CNBC are inaccurate and Mr. Meyrowitz knows full well, at a much later date, months after resigning from the NSAC to pursue his new role as President of Station Casinos, Inc., Lorenzo Fertitta contacted Mr. Meyrowitz directly after learning that Mr. Meyrowitz was interested in selling a controlling interest in the UFC assets.

8. CNBC’s editing of the false statements made by Mr. Meyrowitz are in such a way as it appears that Lorenzo Fertitta “voted” against Mr. Meyrowitz and immediately thereafter had Dana White call Mr. Meyrowitz to indicate that Lorenzo Fertitta wanted to buy the UFC assets. Such editing portrayed to CNBC’s viewers that Lorenzo Fertitta abused his governmental position to obtain a private advantage-an impression that could not be further from the truth.

9. Eighteen months transpired between the NSAC public meeting and the time Lorenzo Fertitta spoke to Mr. Meyrowitz about the purchase of the UFC assets.

10. Mr. Meyrowitz’s claim that the purpose of the (April 1999) meeting was to vote for the approval of MMA by the NSAC is false.

A copy of the Agenda and Minutes of the April 23, 1999 NSAC meeting has also been obtained.

The Agenda reveals there was no scheduled vote to approve MMA as a fully sanctioned sport in Nevada at such meeting, only a “presentation” by SEG (page 2 item 13 of published Agenda states: Presentation by SEG Sports Corporation and filing of the rules and regulations of the Mixed Martial Arts Council.

The published Minutes (page 1 item 4) of the April 23, 1999 meeting indicate: Mr. Meyrowitz and Mr. Chwasky addressed the commission regarding item #13 on the agenda. They asked that the item be deleted from the agenda. They also invited the commissioners to attend their next live event and then they will ask to be placed on a future agenda. Both Mr. Meyrowitz and Mr. Chwasky stated that they felt viewing an event of mixed martial arts would answer some of the questions that the commission might have. Marc Ratner stated that Chairman Ghanem would appoint a committee to attend the event and report back to the commission.

This sequence of events is recorded in the written factual record and directly contradicts Mr. Meyrowitz’s recounting of such events during the CNBC interview. The record shows not only that no such vote was scheduled but that the NSAC, of which Lorenzo Fertitta was a commissioner at the time, appeared willing to embrace MMA and investigate it further by sending a committee to attend SEG’s next event, thereby facilitating the process of educating NSAC commissioners about the sport and increasing the chances of MMA’s ultimate approval and regulation.

The NSAC records appear to be inline with comments made by Lorenzo Fertitta during an interview with Joel Gold published in the February 2001 edition of Full Contact Fighter Magazine.

Excerpts of applicable content from the interview (available online in its entirety at http://www.fcfighter.com/news0103.htm):

FCF: When you were a member on the Nevada State Athletic Commission, I came out to Vegas along with the UFC and their lawyer. As it was told to me, there was to be a vote on whether the Nevada State Athletic Commission was going to approve the UFC. But a vote never did take place; can you tell me why a vote never happened and what was your feeling about the UFC at that time?

LF: I think there lies miscommunication. As far as the Commission was concerned, there never was supposed to be a vote; it was only an agenda item for discussion. We had never even discussed Mixed Martial Arts. We had never talked about it. We knew nothing about it. All of a sudden, it showed up on our agenda and, for whatever reason, people were expecting a vote and that is just not how the process works. What you have to understand is the reason that Nevada is looked at as one of the premier regulatory bodies throughout the world is because they do the homework. And that was not necessarily a time for a vote, but the time that got the ball rolling to start doing the homework.

What that means is myself and a fellow Commissioner and the head of the medical advisory board flew out to a UFC fight in Iowa and we started collecting data relative to Mixed Martial Arts, watching videos, reading publications and just trying to learn as much as we could about it, but I think that is where there was a little bit of miscommunication. There was never supposed to be a vote regarding Mixed Martial Arts.

Sanctioning in the state of Nevada was eventually approved and the first UFC event took place at the Mandalay Bay Event Center in Las Vegas on September 28, 2001.

According to Dave Meltzer (Wrestling Observer), Mr. Meyrowitz recently announced plans to return to the sport of MMA. Meyrowitz and leading event promoter Live Nation have signed a deal to start a new promotion and details of the partnership will be disclosed in the coming weeks.

Source: MMA Fighting

Demian back at UFC 83
Adversary will be Ed Herman

One of the standouts in the UFC middleweight category, Demian Maia, who in his debut for the organization, in October, submitted Ryan Jensen while still in the first round, will return to the octagon shortly.

The Jiu-Jitsu black belt, undefeated in six fights as a professional in MMA, will be back on March 8th at UFC 83, against Team Quest fighter Ed Herman (14w and 5l), who is coming off three wins in a row in the event, with two by submission and one by knockout. After vacationing in California, Demian is back in Sao Paulo and shot the breeze with GRACIEMAG.com.

“I got back to Sao Paulo today; I was vacationing in California with my wife, where I also shot some Jiu-Jitsu dvds. I’ll be back at the UFC on March 8th to fight Ed Herman, who I don’t know, but my manager brought me a tape with some of his fights to analyze, but I haven’t had time to watch yet.”

On preparing for his next commitment, the black belt said: “At this moment I’m with my physical trainer putting together a training spreadsheet, since I’ll start today and starting next week training is going to be heavy, as I only have seven weeks till the fight. I’m going to put greater importance on the standup part, I don’t know if I’ll be able to practice Jiu-Jitsu the way I would like, but I will never neglect it, because that’s what resolves my fights for me.”

As in the interview with Ricardo Cachorrao yesterday, GRACIEMAG.com asked Demian to analyze his category, which is ever more hotly disputed.

“I’m thankful to Cachorrao for having mentioned me, I’ve watched the guy fight since I was a kid and he’s tough. There’s also Thales (Leites) who’s good, and Anderson Silva, who’s the best. I think Henderson, even though he is very tough and dangerous, won’t be able to do anything against him.”

Source: Gracie Magazine

***MEDIA ALERT***
PRESENTS:
"STRIKEFORCE AT THE DOME" PRESS CONFERENCE

Tickets to "Strikeforce At The Dome" are on sale at Tacoma Dome box office, Ticketmaster Ticket Centers, online at ticketmaster.com or charge by phone at

(253-627-TIXS)

WHAT: Press conference to announce "Strikeforce At The Dome" mixed martial arts (MMA) mega-event at Tacoma, Washington's Tacoma Dome on Saturday, February 23rd.

Former Washington State University football standout and NFL lineman turned mixed martial arts superstar Bob "The Beast" Sapp will make his highly-anticipated return to the fight world in the main event.

Seattle native and former K-1 and UFC heavyweight champion Maurice "Big Mo" Smith will take on fellow legend and six-time world kickboxing champion Rick "The Jet" Roufus in a featured bout.

WHO: "Strikeforce At The Dome" fighters Bob "The Beast" Sapp and Maurice "Big Mo" Smith

WHEN: Wednesday, January 23rd at 3 PM PST

WHERE: The Bridge Night Club at Emerald Queen Casino

2024 East 29th St.

Tacoma, WA 98404

Ph: (253) 594-7777

Entrance behind Door 8 on the south side of the casino

** Free parking is available in Emerald Queen Casino lot**

CONTACTS: Strikeforce

Mike Afromowitz (917) 566-8754; muaythaimes@aol.com

Brian Halquist Productions

Kellyann Hussey (253) 970-4896; bhmainevent1@qwest.net

Brian Halquist Productions

Brian Halquist (253) 686-0691; bhalquist@qwest.net

Source: MMA Fighting

Final Answer: MMAmania.com exclusive interview with UFC lightweight Frank Edgar
By: Jesse Holland

It’s been interesting to watch the UFC lightweight division evolve from afterthought to afterburner in a little over a year. What began as a punchline for fighters under 170lbs is now the go-to division for Fight of the Night.

You have seasoned headliners like BJ Penn and Sean Sherk, The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) grads like Kenny Florian and Joe Lauzon with something to prove, and battle-tested warriors like Clay Guida and Roger Huerta rounding out the mix.

So where does an up-and-coming fighter like Frankie “The Answer” Edgar fit into the mix?

“I belong here” deadpanned the easygoing yet confident lightweight. And after his dominating win over UFC veteran Spencer “The King” Fisher at UFC 78: Validation, it’s hard to argue against the still perfect Edgar (8-0) in his assertion.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Frankie, first and foremost thank you for taking the time to talk with us at MMAmania.com. How are you feeling physically?

Frank Edgar: I feel good, I feel 100%. I’m between fights right now but I’m still training.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): We can assume your training regimen is different now than it is for an upcoming fight?

Frank Edgar: Definitely. The intensity is much different. I like to start training for an opponent 10 weeks out. Right now I just continue to work out.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): With that in mind, do you think that puts you at a disadvantage should the UFC need a last minute replacement for a big fight? Would you be able to step up and face BJ Penn if Joe Stevenson got hurt on just 4-6 weeks notice like Georges St. Pierre did against Matt Hughes?

Frank Edgar: I could pull it off, no problem. I’m always right in striking distance, I never let myself get too far off.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Since you’re not training at full intensity we should take that to mean you don’t have your next opponent lined up yet?

Frank Edgar: No, I haven’t heard from Joe Silva. He calls me when he has something and we take it from there. As of right now we haven’t spoken. We’re kind of playing it by ear. He hasn’t let me down yet.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): How did that rumor get started about you fighting Takanori Gomi?

Frank Edgar: (Laughs) I have no idea. I’m not fighting him. He’s not even signed to the UFC.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Let’s go back to your recent win against Spencer Fisher at UFC 78: Validation in your home state of New Jersey. How did it feel to be the hometown boy?

Frank Edgar: It felt great. He’s the biggest name I’ve fought. It was cool to be able to do it in front of all my friends and family. It was kind of like a homecoming. I had everybody there.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Did their presence pump you up or did you have some extra jitters?

Frank Edgar: It didn’t affect me one way or the other. I kind of approach every fight the same way but I definitely fed off the energy.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): The lightweight division is really starting to stand out with so many exciting fighters at 155lbs. Where do you think you fit in amongst the division’s elite? Would you rank yourself in the top ten? Top five?

Frank Edgar: I don’t know about rankings or numbers, I just know that I can compete with any of them.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Is there anyone in your division that you’ve had your eye on, someone you really want to fight?

Frank Edgar: Um not really, I guess I want to fight people who are on the road to the belt. I may not be ready for a title shot just yet but I definitely want to be heading in that direction.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): How do you think you would match up against a guy like Roger Huerta?

Frank Edgar: It would be a good fight. We match up pretty well. It would probably be a very fast-paced fight.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Besides yourself, who is a fighter to watch in the lightweight division?

Frank Edgar: Tyson Griffin. He’s a tough dude. He keeps winning these tough fights and he’s exciting to watch.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): What’s your prediction on Stevenson vs Penn at UFC 80?

Frank Edgar: Penn. I mean Stevenson’s good, but Penn is just a little bit better – probably the best in our division.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): No discussion of the lightweight division would be complete without touching on the Sean Sherk scandal. Do you have an opinion on how everything went down?

Frank Edgar: Um, not really. He said he didn’t do it, so it’s cool. I believe him.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Do you have any reservations about going on record as steroid-free?

Frank Edgar: Not at all. I’ve always been a wrestler and as a wrestler you’re always worried about cutting weight. The last thing I want to do is make that process any harder by packing on mass.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Were you ever approached to do the The Ultimate Fighter?

Frank Edgar: I actually tried out for it but I wasn’t selected. I was disappointed but then a couple of weeks later my manager got a call from the UFC asking if I wanted to fight Tyson Griffin. I said yes and haven’t looked back.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Do you think that TUF has run its course or does it have its place in the big picture.

Frank Edgar: I think it will be around because it’s a great feeder for the UFC. You’ll never be able to get an entire cast of great fighters but you got a couple of really good guys coming out of every show.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): How did you end up getting into mixed martial arts?

Frank Edgar: Mostly from my wrestling. I wrestled in college and I just knew this was something I wanted to do.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): What are some of your accomplishments in amateur wrestling?

Frank Edgar: I was a two-time state place winner, four-time national qualifier in college, one match away from All-American.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): When kids are young, they tend to say “When I grow up, I want to be a fireman, or policeman, or doctor”. What did you say when you were young?

Frank Edgar: I didn’t know. It was hard too not knowing. I always felt like there was something missing. Fighting now fills that void.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): While you were starting to get into fighting, who were some of the fighters you admired or wanted to model yourself after?

Frank Edgar: Well it’s kind of new to me, but I have a wrestler’s mentality so I guess guys like Hughes and Couture come to mind.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): We know you can wrestle, but what about your other skills like submissions and stand-up?

Frank Edgar: I didn’t get to showcase my striking against Fisher, but I had good stand-up against Bocek. It’s something I’ll continue to work on and improve with each fight.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): What weight do you walk around at?

Frank Edgar: About 165lbs.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): You’re still pretty young and not too far removed from college. How tough has it been to sell your parents on a career as mixed martial artist?

Frank Edgar: My parents are my biggest supporters, as well as my fiancé. They were a little tentative in the beginning but once they saw that I was giving it 100% they were behind me all the way.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): How hard is it for your fiancé to watch you fight?

Frank Edgar: She watches them, she probably screams the entire fight. It’s tough because I know it’s a lot of stress on her too.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): What would you be doing if you weren’t fighting?

Frank Edgar: Plumbing. That’s what I was doing before. In fact I was still doing it up until the Spencer Fisher fight.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): That’s very Jersey of you. Since then have you been able to support yourself on fighting alone?

Frank Edgar: Yeah, now I’m a full-time fighter. I’m pretty lucky.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): I’ll bet it was hard trying to work full-time, fight on the side, and still have a life.

Frank Edgar: Yeah it was tough. I was tired all the time man. Now it’s nice I can train two times a day, get the proper rest, everything.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): How many fights do you have left on your current contract?

Frank Edgar: I want to say three. Two or three.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Does having an early start in the UFC change your career timeline? Do you want to fight for X number of years and then move on while you’re still pretty young or is this it for the foreseeable future?

Frank Edgar: I want to fight, so I guess I’ll do it as long as my body allows me to. I wouldn’t mind being like Couture fighting into my forties!

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): A lot of fighters are able to parlay their success into other business ventures. Do you see yourself building upon your success to branch out into other endeavors like a training school or clothing line?

Frank Edgar: Definitely, I would love that. I’m assistant wrestling coach at Rutgers University and I love teaching. You know what, I’ll get into all that. The clothing-shit I’ll even do movies! I’m down with all that.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Living in Jersey and having fought in Jersey are you starting to get recognized now? Do you get approached when you go out with your friends?

Frank Edgar: Yeah, a little bit here and there.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Is that something you enjoy or has it been difficult adjusting?

Frank Edgar: No, it’s cool. I’ve lived here my whole life in Toms River so most of the time I end up knowing them anyway – one way or the other. This is Jersey, it’s always like hey I know this guy, who knows this guy…

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): How is your relationship with other guys in the UFC? Is there a bit of camaraderie in the locker room or is it strictly business for you?

Frank Edgar: Everyone’s pretty friendly and usually in a pretty good mood before the fights. It’s a nice experience.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): (UFC President) Dana White has implied that Randy Couture’s recent fallout has a lot to do with the fighters talking and gossiping about paydays, matchmaking, etc. in their own little circles. Have you found fighters to be privy to that kind of information or openly talking about their situations?

Frank Edgar: Well if they do I’m definitely not in the loop!

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): How is your relationship with Dana, and how involved is he on the fighter level?

Frank Edgar: I don’t talk to him unless I see him at the events. He’s cool but I don’t have much contact with him at this point.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): So who gave you your nickname “The Answer”?

Frank Edgar: My teammate Chris Ligori.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Is there a background behind it or did he just blurt it out?

Frank Edgar: Uh, no he just kind of came out with it. I liked it, sounded good with Edgar.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): And your tattoos, do they have any special significance?

Frank Edgar: Um, I don’t know, I have a samurai on my arm, as far as significance, I guess it’s basically the same cliché stuff everyone else likes to talk about.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Thanks again Frankie for taking the time to talk with us. Is there anything we can pass along for your fans?

Frank Edgar: Yeah, go to MMAinstructional.com for some demonstrations on MMA from myself and others, it’s pretty neat. And check out FrankEdgar.com.

Source: Fight Opinion/MMA Media

1/19/08

Quote of the Day

"A word too much always defeats its purpose."

Arthur Schopenhauer, 1788-1860, German Philosopher

FIGHT-BY-FIGHT: UFC 80 RAPID FIRE
Today!
by Ricardo Mendoza

Hawaii Air Times:
Digital Cable Channel 701
9:30AM - Preshow
10:00AM - Live event

Replay:
Digital Cable Channel 702
4:30PM


The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to the U.K. on Saturday night where Joe Stevenson and B.J. Penn headline UFC 80 in Newcastle-Upon-Tynes. Ricardo Mendoza takes a look at the headliner and the rest of the card…

UFC LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP BOUT:
B.J. PENN VS. JOE STEVENSON

Former UFC welterweight champion B.J. Penn takes on The Ultimate Fighter season two winner Joe Stevenson for the vacant UFC lightweight championship. Penn has an 11-4-1 record and trains out of B.J. Penn MMA with Renato “Charuto” Verissimo. Stevenson has a 28-7 record and trains out of Cobra Kai with Marc Laimon.

Penn comes off a submission victory over Jens Pulver at The Ultimate Fighter 5 Finale, while Stevenson won a decision over Kurt Pellegrino at UFC 74.

These two are meeting for the vacant UFC lightweight title, which was stripped from former champion Sean Sherk after he tested positive for performance enhancing drugs after his fight with Hermes Franca at UFC 73.

Penn is one of the most talented fighters to ever step into the Octagon, but that hasn’t always translated into victory as a lack of focus during training has hindered him from reaching his full potential. It now seems that he is taking his career seriously and looks to be focused during training in preparation for this fight.

Stevenson has gone 4-0 since moving down to lightweight, finishing three of his opponents within the distance and looking impressive in his last fight against Kurt Pellegrino.

Stevenson will want to keep the fight on the feet, seeing that he has the more polished striking of the two fighters. Although he is primarily a ground fighter, he doesn’t want go to the ground with Penn, being that he is one of more gifted ground fighters in the world.

Both seem to be in excellent shape leading up to the fight, so neither should have any problems with conditioning. Look for Stevenson to set the pace of the fight with crisp striking, while Penn will look to take the fight to the ground. It’s going to be a struggle for Penn to get it on the ground, but he will eventually do it and that’s where the fight will come to end.

Penn will use his superior technique and catch Stevenson midway through the fight with a submission after tiring him out on the ground.

Prediction: B.J. Penn by submission in the third round.

 

HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT:
GABRIEL GONZAGA VS. FABRICIO WERDUM

In a rematch of a fight that happened five years ago, Team Link heavyweight Gabriel Gonzaga faces off with Pride veteran Fabricio Werdum. Gonzaga has an 8-2 record and trains out of Team Link with Paulo Filho. Werdum has a 9-3 record and trains out of Spain.

Gonzaga comes off a stoppage loss to Randy Couture at UFC 74, while Werdum dropped a decision to former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski at UFC 70.

In their first meeting, Werdum defeated an inexperienced Gonzaga, but things have changed since they last met. Gonzaga has become one of the better heavyweights in the world, while it seems that Werdum has kind of stalled out.

Werdum is a very talented heavyweight fighter, but it seems he is no longer improving as a fighter. Even though all three of his losses have come by decision against top competition, they have used the same blueprint in defeating him by outstriking him and keeping it off the ground.

Gonzaga has the better stand-up of the two fighters and that’s surprising being that Werdum used to train with Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic. On the ground, both fighters are former Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champions, so it’s evenly matched there.

The deciding factor on the fight is whether or not Werdum has improved his takedowns because if he can’t take the fight to the ground, he isn’t going to have a good night.

Look for Gonzaga to control the fight with crisp and hard striking, while defending all of Werdum’s attempts to get the fight to the ground en route to a decision victory.

Prediction: Gabriel Gonzaga by decision.

 

WELTERWEIGHT BOUT:
MARCUS DAVIS VS. JESS LIAUDIN

Former Golden Gloves boxing champion Marcus Davis takes on French submission specialist Jess Liaudin. Davis has a 13-3 record and trains out of Team Gurgel with Jorge Gurgel. Liaudin has 12-8 record and trains out of Team Quest with Heath Sims.

Davis comes off a submission victory over Paul Taylor at UFC 75, while Liaudin stopped Anthony Torres with strikes at the same show.

Davis has really improved as a complete MMA fighter since his time on The Ultimate Fighter 2. Liaudin battled with inconsistency early in his career, but as of late has been solid, putting together some impressive victories.

Besides having excellent striking, Davis has added a competent ground game and has become a versatile fighter. Liaudin is now taking his career seriously and has begun to train at Team Quest to improve himself as a fighter.

This should be a fun fight. Look for Davis to control the fight with striking and when they hit the ground both guys will be trading positions back and forth. Liaudin will be improved, but Davis should be able to end the fight with strikes within the distance.

Prediction: Marcus Davis by TKO in the third round.

 

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT:
JASON LAMBERT VS. WILSON GOUVEIA

Californian light heavyweight Jason Lambert takes on American Top Team fighter Wilson Gouveia. Lambert has a 23-6 record and trains out of the North County Fight Club with Eddie Sanchez. Gouveia has a 9-4 record and trains out of American Top Team with Alessio Sakara.

Lambert comes off a stoppage victory over Renato Sobral at UFC 68, while Gouveia submitted wrestler Carmelo Marrero at UFC 71.

These two were originally scheduled to meet at UFC 76, but the fight was scrapped after Gouveia suffered a broken nose during training. Now they face off in an important fight.
This is an even match-up as both fighters have shown flashes of brilliance in the Octagon. Gouveia is a better ground fighter, but Lambert has the edge in the wrestling department and that can play a big factor in the fight.

Gouveia is a more technical striker, while Lambert has more power in his hands. Lambert will want to keep the fight on the feet and try to finish off Gouveia off with strikes, while Gouveia wants it on the ground in order to lock on a submission.

I see Lambert controlling the fight early on with power shots, while Gouveia will work the low kicks in order to weaken Lambert for a takedown. Gouveia will finally get it to the ground midway through the fight and will outwork Lambert en route to a decision.

Prediction: Wilson Gouveia by decision.

 

MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT:
KENDALL GROVE VS. JORGE RIVERA

Ultimate Fighter 3 winner Kendall Grove faces off with seasoned striker Jorge Rivera. Grove has an 8-4 record and trains out of Cobra Kai with Joe Stevenson. Rivera has a 14-6 record and trains out of Team Elite in Massachusetts.

Grove comes off a stoppage loss to Patrick Cote at UFC 74, while Terry Martin stopped Rivera with strikes at UFC 71.

Grove will look to get back on track after losing for the first time in the UFC by beating a respected veteran in Rivera. Rivera needs to win this fight if he wants to remain in the UFC, seeing that two losses in a row could mean his exit.

Grove needs to use his significant reach advantage over Rivera on the feet and stay away from clinching, where Rivera will want to use his dirty boxing to score points. Rivera has a slight advantage on the feet, but it won’t matter if he can’t get inside to utilize his strikes.

On the ground, Grove has the advantage and that’s what is going to make the big difference in the fight. Grove will waste no time and get it on the ground quickly, locking on a submission to get back on the winning track.

Prediction: Kendall Grove by submission in the first round.

 

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT:
ALESSIO SAKARA VS. JAMES LEE

Italian striker Alessio Sakara takes on King of the Cage light heavyweight champion James Lee. Sakara has an 11-6 record and trains out of American Top Team with Jorge Santiago. James Lee has a 13-2 record and trains out Team MASH in Michigan.

Sakara comes off a stoppage loss to Houston Alexander at UFC 75, while Lee submitted Danny Bessant at King of the Cage: Bad Boys.

This will be Lee’s UFC debut after fighting the majority of his career in King of the Cage and making a lone appearance in Pride. Sakara has lost three out of his last four fights in the UFC and will be making a drop to middleweight after this bout.

Sakara has the advantage on the feet with crisp boxing, while Lee seems to have the edge on the ground, but Sakara isn’t a slouch on the ground either. Sakara will look to keep the fight on the feet and finish off Lee with strikes, while Lee wants in on the ground.

Sakara will use his experience in the Octagon and keep the fight on the feet, ending the fight with strikes and giving Lee his first loss in several years.

Prediction: Alessio Sakara by TKO in the first round.

 

LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT:
SAM STOUT VS. PER EKLUND

TKO lightweight champion Sam Stout returns to the Octagon as he takes on Swedish fighter Per Eklund. Stout has a 12-3-1 record and trains out of Team Tompkins with Mark Hominick. Eklund has a 12-2 record and trains out of Hilti NHB in Sweden.

Stout comes off a stoppage victory over Martin Grandmont at TKO 30, while Eklund won a decision over Rafael Dias at Bodog Fight: Vancouver.

This could end up being one of the better fights of the night seeing that both fighters like to push the pace.

Stout has the Octagon experience and is the better striker of the two, while Eklund has the edge on the ground. Stout will look to finish the fight on the feet and stay off the ground where he is at a disadvantage.

Eklund needs to get the fight on the ground and control Stout throughout in order to come away with a victory. Stout will basically sprawl and brawl for the entire fight and batter Eklund en route to a decision.

Prediction: Sam Stout by decision.

 

WELTERWEIGHT BOUT:
PAUL TAYLOR VS. PAUL KELLY

British slugger Paul Taylor faces off with the Octagon debuting striker Paul Kelly. Taylor has an 8-2-1 record and trains out of England. Kelly has a 6-0 record and trains out of the Wolfslair Academy with Michael Bisping.

Taylor comes off a submission loss to Marcus Davis at UFC 75, while Kelly stopped Jordan James with strikes at Cage Gladiators 4.

This fight is going to be an absolute slugfest between two exciting fighters. Taylor fought a valiant fight against Davis, dropping him with strikes and that’s impressive seeing that Davis is primarily a striker.

Kelly seems to be primarily a brawler and this will be his first big test. This fight won